Speaker gives parties 3 days to resolve issues

As the row between the ruling and opposition parties over the constitution amendment bill deepens, Speaker Onasari Gharti has renewed her call to the major forces to resolve the issues in three days.
Syria conflict: Russia-Turkey brokered truce comes into force

A nationwide ceasefire between Syrian government forces and rebel groups has come into effect.
'Threats' made to Sydney's New Year's Eve

Australian anti-terror police have charged a man for making threats against Sydney's New Year's Eve celebrations.
Two policemen hurt in firing at Nepal-India border

Two police personnel sustained gunshot wounds after an unidentified gunman shot at them near Nepal-India border at Krishnanagar in Kapilvastu on Thursday.
Voting begins for Integrity Idol award

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YAN central member injured in Khukuri attack

Ten days after CPN-UML-affiliated Youth Association Nepal (YAN) Rupandehi chapter Chairman Durga Tiwari was shot dead, YAN Central member Santosh Budathoki was attacked by a group of unidentified assailants in Kohalpur, Banke on Thursday night.
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HOLMEN  Edward K. Tunks Jr., 71, of Holmen passed away with his loving wife, Carol, by his side Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, at Gundersen Health System, following a long battle with COPD.

He was born Jan. 16, 1945, in Ada, Minn., to Edward and Mae (Hall) Tunks, Sr. Ed was a Vietnam War veteran having served his country in the Navy from July of 1963, until his discharge in July of 1967. He then served two years in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

On May 24, 1986, he married Carol A. Taylor in La Crosse. Ed and Carol met at a dance and continued to enjoy dancing with one another for as long as Eds health would allow them. Ed worked as an independent truck driver in his earlier years, and later as a dump truck driver for Harter Trucking, for many years. He was a perfectionist who enjoyed woodworking and just putzing around in his garage.

Ed was the love of Carols life and someday they will dance together again in heaven. Ed was a very kind and thoughtful man who loved all kinds of animals.

In addition to his wife, Carol of Holmen; he is survived by a daughter, Tammera Tunks of Janesville, Wis.; four grandchildren, Melissa (Adam) Runice, Jonathon Bankes, Tyler Bankes and Zachery Bankes; four great-grandchildren; a sister, Diane (Randy) Tadych of Evansville, Wis. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Lawrence Tunks; and a sister, Sylvia Brewer.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 30, at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services, 200 West Ave., S., La Crosse. Pastor Ted Dewald will officiate. Burial with military honors will follow in Mormon Coulee Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Friday at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be left at www.schumacher-kish.com.

Eds family would like to thank the 3rd and 6th floor staff at Gundersen Health System, for their excellent care. They were very kind and helpful.
If sitting around and staring at a hole in the ice doesnt fit with your idea of fishing, take heart  theres an open-water alternative even in the coldest part of the year.

Winter trout fishing opens Sunday and continues through April 7 on about 750 miles of trout water in southeast Minnesota.

Fed by groundwater, many streams there remain relatively ice-free all winter, and the trout living in these streams more often than not cooperate with anglers to provide excellent winter fishing opportunities, said Vaughn Snook, Lanesboro area assistant fisheries supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The winter southeast stream season is catch-and-release only, and it applies to all designated trout streams in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties.

Winter trout fishing may require the angler to experiment with different tactics, Snook said. As water temperatures drop, so does fish activity. Anglers may want to carry a thermometer with them. Fish are most active at temperatures of 38 degrees and above.

Other tips that could increase an anglers success:

Fish slow and deep; trout are most often out of the main current flow.

When fly fishing, effective patterns include scuds, midge pupa/larva, and small pheasant tail nymphs. Fly anglers should watch for midge hatches that can increase trout feeding activity.

For spinning and spincasting equipment, keep your reel cranking by using a Teflon lubricant thats not affected by cold. Single hooks on spinners help keep fish handling to a minimum. Clipping one hook off of a treble also helps.

With winter trout waters often crystal clear, trout grow wary, so keep a low profile. Its often best to stay out of the water.

Look for springs flowing into streams, where the water often is warmer. Ground water is typically around 48 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the trout are willing to bite, the weather can bite as well this time of the year, so Snook advises people to make safety a priority when fishing open water in the winter. Dont take any chances with shelf ice that may form along stream banks. If you stay dry, youll stay warm. Let someone know what youre up to and where you are going.
Its a good bet that Chris Johnsons mom, Beth, isnt interested in reliving a New Years Eve party she attended as a college student in Decorah, Iowa, 30 years ago today.

But Johnson himself is jazzed about revisiting the place where she ended up that night and he spent the first three months of his life.

So stoked, in fact, that Johnson is traveling about 225 miles from his home in St. Cloud, Minn., this weekend to tour Gundersen Health Systems La Crosse hospital, where he was the first baby of 1987  back when the facilitys name was simply Lutheran Hospital.

Johnsons reason for the visit is simple, as he explains: Just being the 30th (birthday), and it was pretty dramatic.

The drama revolved around the fact that Johnson was born via an emergency cesarean section, 11 weeks premature and tipping the scales at 2 pounds, 3 ounces. Beth had become sick during a New Years Eve party and diagnosed as having acute toxemia at a Decorah hospital, requiring her transfer to Lutheran in La Crosse.

The birth also was a momentous one for Dr. Charles Schauberger, the on-call ob/gyn that day.

For some reason, I remember the delivery, Schauberger said in an interview this week. I have no reason to, but I do.  The mother was a student in Decorah who had complications and was admitted with an eclamptic seizure. The parents were nice college students.

Johnsons interest in spending part of his birthday in the hospital where he was born  albeit a markedly different facility  amazed Schauberger and nurses, the physician said.

Even more surprising is that I remember his name, Schauberger said with a laugh. After 4,000 or 5,000 deliveries, you lose track.

Johnsons birth occurred just days after the hospital opened a new labor and delivery unit, dubbed the New Life Family Center, Schauberger recalled.

It was way ahead of every unit in the country in design, he said. It was beautiful for the marketing department to show off as a family-friendly facility with six birthing rooms.

I found it ironic that we were trying to emphasize our low-risk, beautiful labor and delivery, but darned if the first baby of the new year wasnt a very high-risk delivery, he said.

Even with the marketing people all lined up, the babys arrival time and circumstances dictate the story line, Schauberger said.

Im thankful that both my mother and I survived, said Johnson, who recalls stories his parents have told him of the newly built NICU. Her initial condition was pretty extreme.

Johnson was in a dicey condition as well, he acknowledged, adding, They threatened me with heart surgery if my heart valve had not opened. I remained in the hospital for three months until I got to full weight.

His parents, Beth and Troy, went back to Decorah to finish their studies, but they made the 60-mile trek back to check on their son as often as they could, he said.

After the Johnsons graduated from college, the family lived in several cities, including Columbus, Neb., and Lindenhurst, Ill., in connection with Troys job with the Boy Scouts of America, Chris said. Eventually, they moved to Madison, Ohio, where the couple still live.

Johnson has not suffered any lasting effects from his premature arrival, he said.

Im all OK, he said, noting that he served 6 years in the U.S. Navy, including three years aboard the USS Lake Erie, a guided-missile cruiser, and two years stationed on the USS Decatur, a destroyer.

He is studying electrical engineering in St. Cloud, where he also works part-time in security and is a member of the Navy Reserves.

Ive always been interested in electrical engineering, and Im good at math, he said. I also was a weapons tech in the Navy, and that was helpful.

When Johnson, perhaps accompanied by his fiancee, arrives at Gundersens front desk to begin his tour, he will find things a lot different than he would have when he arrived 30 years ago  even if he had been in a position to scope the landscape.

For one thing, nurses who will guide Johnson through the NICU will require him to scrub in for three full minutes before he can enter the unit, said Heather Gilles, associate development director at Childrens Miracle Network, a service of the Gundersen Medical Foundation, who coordinated the visit.

Its not that Johnson is under suspicion as a petri dish of bacteria but rather that everyone entering the unit must follow that protocol during flu season.

The venue also has undergone a sea change, Gilles said, adding, When he was here 30 years ago, he was in a unit that has been torn down and the new hospital is there.

The nurses and, perhaps, Schauberger, will be able to explain the evolution of Lutheran Hospital into Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center and, now, Gundersen Health System.

Thats his mission, to see the hospital, Gilles said. CMN helped him and his mom a lot.

I found it ironic that we were trying to emphasize our low-risk, beautiful labor and delivery, but darned if the first baby of the new year wasnt a very high-risk delivery. Dr. Charles Schauberger
A Democratic National Committeeman from Wisconsin, Jason Rae, has launched a bid for committee secretary, which would make him a leader of the national party after a disastrous 2016 election for Democrats nationally and in the Badger State.

Rae is challenging the incumbent DNC secretary, former Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who has said she is seeking re-election. Wyoming Democratic Chairwoman Ana Cuprill also is running.

Rae, a Milwaukee political consultant, said in a statement at his website that he's running to "increase transparency about DNC business."

In an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal, Rae said the issue of transparency surfaced during the Democratic presidential primary, which he said left the party divided.

"A lot of people felt it was a tainted process," Rae said.

Rae, 30, also said he sees value in electing DNC leaders from swing states such as Wisconsin, which voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1988 before supporting President-elect Donald Trump this time. Adding younger leaders also will help diversify the party, Rae said.

"I really want to make sure that this next generation is represented in our leadership," Rae said.

DNC members will hold leadership elections the weekend of Feb. 23-26. The highest-profile race will be the one for DNC chairperson, for which the candidates include Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota, U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez and others.

In 2004, Rae became the youngest-ever member of the Democratic National Committee when he was elected at 17. Rae has been re-elected to the committee three times since.

Rae ran for Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman in 2015 but lost to the current party chairwoman, Martha Laning.
The La Crosse Area YMCA is seeking last-minute donations to close out its Annual Campaign with a bang. The 2016 fundraiser is on track to carry record funds into the new year, but $17,000 is still needed to complete an ambitious $800,000 goal.

The Annual Campaign, the YMCAs largest fundraiser, seeks an 18.5 percent increase from 2015s total of $675,000. As of Thursday, the organization was just 3 percent short, and mission advancement director Amy Holte is hopeful the YMCA can close the gap by midnight Saturday.

Because of the growing needs of the community, we needed to raise our goal, Holte said. The donations help fund our outreach programs and financial assistance for our classes. We want to make sure the Y is affordable for everyone.

About one in four of the YMCAs 22,000 local members receives some kind of financial aid, and resources such as the Teen Center, which offers free arts, leadership and healthy lifestyle programs, are supported entirely by donations. The campaign also benefits the LIVESTRONG cancer survivor program, a 12-week session focused on regaining strength and restoring emotional well being.

The campaign has an enormous impact on making the Y an experience everyone can be a part of, Holte said. Not just for low income families but for people with chronic diseases or with spouses in the military who are maybe living on one income and need some temporary assistance.

Donations of all amounts make a difference: $50 covers swim lessons for one child, $150 lets a team of children with special needs participate in Miracle League sports, and $1,000 provides a year of after school child care.

Through all these little programs were really reaching out to the people who need it most, Holte said.

Donations for the annual campaign can be made online or dropped off or mailed to the Dahl Family YMCA, 1140 Main St.
Here is a listing of the top 10 weather and climate events for 2016 in the NWS La Crosse Warning and Forecast Area. This includes areas of southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and southwest/central Wisconsin.

This listing is the result of voting (33) among NWS La Crosse staff members, Emergency Management Directors, and members of the media.

Climate related data and numerous images courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mcc.sws.uiuc.edu/) and National Centers for Environmental Information.

Honorable Mention: One of the Warmest Year on Record

In addition to being one of the wettest years on record (see below), 2016 went down into the record books as the 4th warmest year on record for La Crosse, WI (50.9 deg F) and the 5th warmest ever for Rochester, MN (47.4 deg F). (Data is through Dec.29th) Most locations saw their warmest Fall season on record as well.

10. Aug. 4 Damaging Wind

Several clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms impacted parts of the area on Thursday, Aug. 4. During the afternoon and into the early evening, severe storms produced wind gusts up to 70 mph and torrential rains. Most of the wind damage was across west central Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. 1-2 inches per hour rainfall rates were common with the storms, resulting in urban flooding.

This severe weather event is documented at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/aug0416

9. Sept. 6-7 Severe Weather

Severe thunderstorms brought large hail, damaging wind, funnel clouds, flooding, and at least 1 brief tornado to the region. The largest hail reached 2 inches in the Black River Falls, Wis., area, while a brief tornado or two briefly touched down near Cresco, Iowa. To make matters worse, 4 to 7 inches of rain fell later that night which led to river and flash flooding, which led into even more significant flooding a few days later.

There were eight warnings issued by the La Crosse NWS Office.

This severe weather event is documented at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/sep0616

8. Feb. 2 (Ground Hog's Day Winter Storm)

A winter storm moved through the region on Feb. 2. Snow spread across Iowa early that morning, with the heavy snow reaching the Interstate 90 corridor mid- to late morning. Snowfall rates of 2 inches per hour were common during the peak, which led to snow covered roads very quickly. Hazardous travel conditions developed shortly after snow onset.

Snowfall totaled 5 to 9 inches for most areas and with winds of 35 to 45 mph, there was also significant blowing and drifting. Nearly all schools were closed on Feb. 2.

A full summary of the storm can be found at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/feb0216

7. March 23-24 Winter Storm

An early spring storm brought a mixture of precipitation types ranging from thunderstorms to heavy snow. A band of snow of 8 to 13 inches fell from northwest Iowa, across southeast Minnesota and through central Wisconsin. Freezing rain left 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice in some areas, leading to damaged branches and downed power lines.

A full summary of the storm can be found at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/mar2316

6. Aug. 11 Heavy Rain/Flooding

The first of many significant flooding episodes struck parts of southeast Minnesota and west central Wisconsin during the early morning hours of Aug. 11. Four to 8 inches of rain fell over a several county area leading to flash flooding and mudslides.

All the rain and associated flooding caused extensive damage to many area highways and secondary roads, including damage to culverts and bridges. Gaps in roads formed from all the washouts and many roads were closed. There were even rescues and towns that became "islands" surrounded by rising waters.

A full summary of the Aug. 11 Flash Flooding can be viewed at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/aug1116

5. Late Freeze in May

A late freeze in mid May (May 13-18, 2016) proved to be one of the latest first freezes on record, which caused significant damage to area fruit crops, including vineyards and fruit trees.

Crop loss was well into the Millions of dollars and ranged from 30% to as much as 90%, depending on location. This resulted in USDA disaster declaration, especially in western Wisconsin.

4. July 5 Damaging Wind/Tornadoes

A line of intense thunderstorms moved across southeast Minnesota into western Wisconsin on July 5, producing sporadic wind damage and at least four tornadoes. The tornadoes were all small and mainly damaged small buildings and trees. In addition, there were numerous reports of wind gusts in the 60-70 mph range, including a 68 mph wind gust at the La Crosse Regional Airport.

There were 13 warnings issued by the La Crosse NWS office that day.

A full summary of the July 5 Severe Weather event can be viewed at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/jul0516

3. Aug. 23-24 Flooding

Thunderstorms that kept reforming near the Minnesota-Iowa state line produced 5 to 8 inches of rain from the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 23, through the early morning hours of Wednesday, Aug. 24. This led to widespread flooding, especially across northeast Iowa into southwest Wisconsin. There were numerous road closures, water rescues, and homes inundated by flood waters. One man was killed in rural Chickasaw County, Iowa, when his car was swept away by flood waters north of Lawler.

Rivers were also impacted with record flooding observed along the upper parts of the Turkey River and along the Upper Iowa River in northeast Iowa.

A full summary of the Aug. 23-24 flooding can be viewed at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/aug2416

2. Record Annual Precipitation

Numerous communities across northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and into southwest Wisconsin experienced above normal rainfall from late June into September. This was one of the factors why the region experienced so many significant flooding events in August and September 2016.

1. Sept. 20-22 Heavy Rain and Flooding

Several days of thunderstorms produced rainfall of 3-7 inches, and in some areas 9-11 inches were reported. Combined with above normal rainfall the previous couple months, runoff was extreme and led to significant flash flooding, mudslides, and subsequent river flooding around the region. Nearly all rivers in the area crested at Moderate to Major flood stage.

Many areas, including much of northeast Iowa into southwest Wisconsin, were declared Federal Disaster areas with widespread damage to infrastructure (roads, bridges), crops, homes, and businesses. There were two fatalities in our service area, both in Vernon County, Wis. This included a mudslide that killed a man when it slide through his home, and a man who drove his truck into flood waters.

A full summary of the Sept. 20-22 heavy rain and flooding can be viewed at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/sep2116
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The New York Post took a jab at 90s icon Brendan Fraser on Wednesday when it published a piece with the headline Fans trying to save Brendan Frasers career need a hobby.

As noted by the Post, the mission to revive Frasers career has now become A Thing on the internet, especially after it was announced that Tom Cruise will star in a reboot of The Mummy, snatching the starring role that Fraser had formerly occupied (as the stout Rick OConnell) when the action movie first came out in 1999. Fraser would reprise the role in two proper sequels. When asked on the radio program SwaysUniverse why he wasn't in the reboot, Fraser said that he was busy raising his kids, adding that he's also "got a horse" to mind.

The revived fanfare was also partly inspired by a December interview that Fraser did at AOL headquarters, which made some fans concerned about the actors well-being. Some viewers believed that Fraser, speaking on his recent role in the Showtime series The Affair, appeared to be a little out of sorts. He does, indeed, speak in a gruff and quiet tonea departure from the confident, magnanimous personality that millennials have come to cherish.

The fervor over Fraser has manifested itself in many forms. Theres a whole SAVEBRENDAN subreddit, for instance, thats devoted to rejuvenating the career of the Encino Man. In a post titled Our Current Plan, an admin lays out the groups mission statement:

First of all I propose a Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ campaign (among other sectors of the social media sphere) and lobby Directors, Producers, absolutely anyone involved with tv or film production into giving our man Brendan a good solid role that he deserves.

Redditors had also given birth to a gaggle of hashtags that include #SaveBrendanFraser, #savebrendan, #dontforgetbrendan, and the very unwieldy #dontputtheerasertothefraser. This has led to an uptick in Fraser activity on Twitter, with many fans espousing their admiration of the actor:

Two movies no one ever mentions is 'Blast from the past' & 'Airheads' great and funny classics. #SaveBrendanFraser  DakovP (@Deltapie7) December 23, 2016

The support for Brendan Fraser over the last 24 hours is amazing, hope he knows so many people are wishing him well #SaveBrendanFraser  Charlie (@MoistCr1TiKaL) December 18, 2016

Theres also a Change.org petition that has garnered over 34,000 signatures (it has set a goal of 35,000). The signees aim is to call on all networks to please consider Brendan for any upcoming shows/movies that are planned. It even wades into some serious territory, noting that Fraser had petitioned the courts in 2013 to reduce his alimony (he was divorced in 2009). The petition claims that Fraser said he was unable to pay the annual $900,000 that was required of him.

Before we go any further, some things to consider:

1. A lot of the appreciation takes on a jokey tone, suggesting that some people are supporting Fraser in a display of irony. This is most evident when people claim hes the "best actor in all history" and proclaim him as a "god."

2. When it comes to the topic of Frasers alimony issue, some commentators inch a little too closely to mens rights territory, which is in of itself a problematic can of worms.

But, having said that, Fraser really does deserve a comeback. Frasers appearance in The Affair was a good reminder of his acting chops, according to the A.V. Club, which says that the role is a bit of a star-turn for him, adding that he is almost unrecognizable in this villainous role and that hes doing such a good job with a relatively minor spotlight.

In the 90s, Fraser rose to (relative) prominence not just as a teen idol; he was versatile actor as well. He had enough of the goofy charms to supply comedic relief, and he could put on a straight face when the moment called for it (many may have forgotten the Dick Wolf-penned School Ties, or the weirdly affecting With Honors, in which Fraser, a Harvard student, befriends a homeless man played by Joe Pesci). And while Fraser had the build of an action star, his face had a kind of elastic quality that could evoke a wide spectrum of emotions. Could you say that about Cruise? Whose expression usually ranges from Serious to Even More Serious?

All these qualities made Fraser a good pick for The Mummy, which called for a brawny hero who also toed the line as an everyman. Fraser's problem, perhaps, was that he was too good at playing a lovable oaf, which pigeonholed him into roles where he was forever the hapless (but well-meaning!) goon. The fare resulting from this vein ranged from the kind-of-memorable (Airheads, Encino Man, Blast From The Past) to the instantly forgettable (Monkeybone, Dudley Do-Right). And perhaps this has all cast a shadow over the talents that he possesses.

Anyway, to further our recent appreciation of Fraser, here are some select clips from his oeuvre:

And here's him speaking with Charlie Rose in 1999:
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

Those who habitually put items in their recycling bins that don't belong there are the target of the ordinance amendment, not those who make an occasional, accidental mistake, said Public Works Director Jeff Demers.
Today we look back at some of the biggest news stories of 2016. With stories of conflict, tension and peace, it was a complicated year.

First on many peoples list was the result of the U.S. presidential election.

The U.S. presidential election tops most lists

On Election Day, the New York Times reported that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton had an 85 percent chance of winning the presidency.

But it was Republican Donald Trump who won. It was one of the biggest political upsets in United States history. Trump will become Americas 45th president on January 20.

The billionaire businessman and television star was not even expected to win the Republican Party nomination. At the beginning of the year, political experts expected one of his many Republican opponents to become the partys nominee. But Trump won the most Republican primaries.

Then, on November 8, Trump won four important industrial states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Those key victories helped him win the presidential election.

Trump has promised to bring back factory jobs lost to other nations. During his campaign, he promised to make America great again.

Here is how Trump explained his victory over Clinton: As Ive said from the beginning, ours was not a campaign, but rather an incredible and great movement made up of millions of hard-working men and women who love their country and want a better, brighter future for themselves and for their families.

The presidential campaign was divisive. Trump called his opponent crooked Hillary. Clinton described Trump as being temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be President.''

Clinton won the national popular vote by more than 2 million votes. But she lost several industrial states that Barack Obama, also a Democrat, won in 2008 and in 2012. Those losses hurt her; she was not able to receive enough electoral votes in the Electoral College.

Members of the Electoral College base their votes on the winner in each of Americas 50 states and the District of Columbia. Trump gained more than the 270 electoral votes needed to be the winner.

President Barack Obama campaigned for Clinton. After the election, he told National Public Radio (NPR) that the Democratic Party failed to give people in rural areas a sense day-to-day that were fighting for them.

Surprise result in Vote on EU Membership in Britain

Another political surprise took place with Britains referendum on whether the nation would remain in the European Union. The movement was known as Brexit.

London, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the European Union. But, other parts of Britain voted in favor of Brexit. Many supporters of Brexit were shocked -- as were opponents of the move -- when they won the vote on June 23.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who supported remaining in the E.U., resigned as a result of the vote. That cleared the way for Britains second woman Prime Minister Theresa May. She has promised to start the process of leaving the group. It will require new agreements on everything from trade to security.

British money, the pound, lost exchange value against other currencies after the vote.

Europe hit with terror attacks

Several major terrorist attacks took place outside of conflict areas in 2016.

The deadliest terrorist attack took place in France when a man drove a truck through a celebrating crowd on Bastille Day, July 14, in the coastal city of Nice. Eighty-six people were killed and more than 400 were injured.

The driver was a Tunisian man living in Nice. He was shot and killed by police. French President Francois Hollande promised new security efforts. Nothing will make us give way in the fight against terrorism, he said.

Germany faced a similar attack days before the Christmas holiday. A man drove a truck into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin. Twelve people died and injuring many more.

In July, attackers killed 41 people and wounded about 240 more with gunfire and explosives at Istanbuls main airport in Turkey.

Earlier in the year, suicide attackers killed 32 people in bombings at the citys airport and a subway station in Brussels, Belgium. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A summer of gun violence shakes U.S.

In the U.S., a series of shootings brought attention once again to gun violence.

The deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history happened in June at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

The gunman, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people over three hours before dying in a shootout with police. Many more people were injured. During the incident, police said Mateen called himself an Islamic soldier and promised loyalty to the Islamic State.

In July, a series of incidents involving police shootings and attacks on police made news.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a white police officer shot and killed Alton Sterling, a black man, during a struggle outside a store. The incident was captured on video and widely watched on social media.

This led to large protests, violence and mass arrests. About two weeks later, a gunman in Baton Rouge killed three police officers and wounded three others.

Soon after the shooting of Sterling, Philando Castile was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota. Part of the incident was captured on video by Castiles girlfriend.

Then, a peaceful demonstration against those police shootings turned deadly when five police officers were shot and killed in Dallas, Texas.

The gunman, who was black, told police he was targeting white officers. He was killed with an explosive device on a law enforcement robot.

President Barack Obama and other officials attended a memorial service in Dallas for the officers killed.

The U.S. Supreme Court goes to work with only eight justices

United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died suddenly in February. President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge, to fill the nine-member court. However, Republicans in the Senate did not want Obama to appoint a replacement for Scalia, who was a strong conservative voice on the court.

The Senate refused to consider the nomination, saying it was too close to the end of the presidents term. The refusal angered Senate Democrats and left the Supreme Court with eight instead of nine justices.

A humanitarian crisis continues in Aleppo, Syria

The conflict in Syria remained intense during 2016. Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad regained control of rebel areas of the city of Aleppo, with help from Russia. The cost was a humanitarian crisis made worse by many failed attempts at a ceasefire in the city.

The United Nations says more than four million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries. Hundreds of thousands are seeking asylum in Europe. Experts say E.U. member nations are becoming less willing to accept immigration requirements coming from E.U. headquarters in Brussels.

North Korea tests two nuclear devices

Only one country has tested nuclear devices in the 21st century. In 2016, North Korea carried out two nuclear tests: first in January and then in September. In both cases, the United Nations Security Council answered by placing strong sanctions on the country. The sanctions included trade restrictions.

North Koreas actions worried its East Asian neighbors. South Korea answered the Norths threats with its own sanctions. It also closed the Kaesong Industrial center, a joint development project meant to build trust.

In response to missile threats, South Korea agreed to the deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system on its territory. The move led to increased tensions with China.

American President visits Cuba

For generations of Americans, the idea of a U.S. president visiting the island of Cuba seemed impossible. No American president had visited the country since Communist revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro took over in 1959.

But in March, President Barack Obama made a historic to Cuba. His visit came seven months after the U.S. reopened its embassy in the capital city of Havana. The U.S. still has trade restriction on the country and denounces the island nations human rights record.

In November, Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro died at the age of 90. His passing could signal political change for Cuba. But his brother, Raul Castro, still remains in power. The younger Castro has ruled Cuba since 2008.

Colombia peace agreement approved

The Colombian government and the countrys largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, reached a peace deal this year. The agreement aimed to end more than 50 years of conflict that has claimed more than 220,000 lives.

The public signing of the deal earned a Nobel Peace Prize for Colombias president Juan Manuel Santos.

However, the Colombian people voted against it in a referendum held in October. Critics, including former president Alvaro Uribe, said the deal gave amnesty to drug traffickers.

This week, Colombias Congress approved a law giving amnesty to thousands of FARC guerillas guilty of minor crimes. The deal does not include fighters who have carried out war crimes or human rights violations. The law also extends to the countrys military.

Both the Congress and Senate have passed the new agreement. It includes reforms and payments to victims. FARC will become a political party under the deal.

And those are some of the top news stories for 2016.

Im Alice Bryant.

I'm Dorothy Gundy.

And I'm Mario Ritter.

Bryan Lynn wrote the story on terrorism and U.S. gun violence with additional material from VOA News, the Associated Press and Reuters. Bruce Alpert wrote on the U.S. presidential election. Mario Ritter adapted the remaining stories for VOA Learning English using material from VOA News, AP and Reuters. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

What did you think the biggest news story of 2016 was? What do you think was missed by the news media? Tell us in the comment section.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

upset - n. occurrence in which a game or election is won by a person or team that had been expected to lose

primary - n. an election in which members of the same political party run against each other for the chance to be in a larger and more important election

temperamentally - adv. unpredictable in behavior or performance

unqualified - adj. not having the skills, knowledge, or experience needed to do a particular job

subway  n. a system of transit trains operating underground

gay  adj. sexually attracted to someone of the same sex

amnesty n. a decision to put aside punishment for a person or group
American Larry Colburn, who became famous for his actions during the Vietnam War, died earlier this month.

He was 67 years old.

Lisa Colburn, his wife of 31 years, told the Associated Press that Colburn died three months after they learned he had cancer.

He was a very peaceful man who had a great desire for there to be a peaceful world, she said.

Lawrence Colburn joined the United States military during the Vietnam War. The U.S. government supported South Vietnam in its battle against North Vietnam and its allies.

Colburn was the last surviving member of an army helicopter crew that halted the killing of hundreds of Vietnamese civilians by American soldiers. The incident took place in the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968. It is now called the My Lai massacre.

The three-man crew had been sent to the village to try to find enemy soldiers. Instead, they found murdered, unarmed civilians and U.S. soldiers who were prepared to kill more villagers.

Hugh Thompson, the pilot, landed the helicopter between villagers who were still alive and troops who were planning to shoot them. Thompson told Colburn and the other crew member, Glenn Andreotta, to prepare to shoot the Americans if they tried to kill the civilians. Colburn and Andreotta agreed.

In 2006, Colburn told the Democracy Now radio program that the helicopter crew saw troops walking toward about 10 villagers who were hiding in a bunker. He said the crew decided that if we didnt do something within the next 30 seconds, these people would die. So (Thompson) landed the aircraft in between the advancing American troops and the villagers.

Thompson spoke to the leader of the soldiers and asked him how we could get these people out of the bunker. They were obviously civilians. And the lieutenant replied hed get them out with hand grenades. Mr. Thompson, who was outranked by this lieutenant, actually gave the lieutenant an order, told him to keep his people in place. He had a better idea, and I think he told him, If you fire on these people when Im getting them out of the bunker, my people will fire on you.

An Army investigation later found that the soldiers had begun killing the villagers without warning. Before the helicopter crew was able to stop the killing, 504 civilians -- mostly women, children and old people -- were dead.

Trent Angers wrote a biography about Thompson called The Forgotten Hero of My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story. He said that Colburn stood up, shoulder to shoulder with Hugh and Glenn, to oppose and stand down against those who were committing crimes against humanity. Without his assistance, Hugh might not have done what he did.

Many years after the incident, Colburn and Thompson were given the U.S. Armys Soldiers Medal. It is the U.S. militarys highest award for bravery not involving conflict with the enemy.

Glenn Andreotta was killed in battle three weeks after the My Lai shootings. Hugh Thompson died in 2006.

In 2008, 40 years after the My Lai massacre, Larry Colburn returned to the village. He met Do Ba, whose life Colburn had saved on that day.

Charles Pierce wrote on Esquire.com that Colburns actions are one of the more astonishing displays of courage of which Ive ever heard. He wrote that Colburns funeral should be on national television. Children (should) read about him in school. There (should) be memorials on the National Mall and at West Point.

Im Jonathan Evans.

The New York Times and the Associated Press reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the reports 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

bunker  n. a strong building that is mostly below ground and that is used to keep people, soldiers, weapons, etc., safe from attacks

grenade  n. a small bomb that is designed to be thrown by someone or shot from a rifle

outrank  v. to have a higher rank or position than (someone)

shoulder to shoulder  expression united together to achieve a shared goal

astonishing  adj. causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder

National Mall  n. an area in Washington, DC where there are many monuments and memorials

West Point  n. town in New York where the United States Military Academy is located. The USMA trains young men and women to be military officers.
12 things that will drop on New Year's Eve that aren't the Times Square ball
It is often asserted that the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 proved that HWA was right and he really did see the future.

This of course is nonsense. Herbert W. Armstrong said that Christ would return within twenty years in his book Mystery of the Ages. (PCG has since deleted those words so someone in there knows HWA spoke nonsense.) How convenient for them to forget this.

Also Herbert W. Armstrong never said the Soviet Union would collapse. He thought it would survive intact until a few years after Christ's return. It shows how biased some many in the COGs are that they never seem to notice this. This inconvenient truth is just tossed into the memory hole.

It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most.

So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning".
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A Winter Haven woman was offended after she found her car vandalized in her neighborhood.

Winter Haven woman offended after racial slur written on car in mustard

Deputies are calling this a case of vandalism

A naked woman was also drawn in the mustard

"I felt like it was just a racist attack to me," said Sanders.

Cecila Sanders went out to her car Thursday morning where she was working as a home health care provider to find a naked woman and a racial slur drawn on the hood of her car in mustard.

"I got offensive [sic] about it," said Sanders. "I dont know ... I got scared, I know that because of course Im black and the word said n-gg--r, so."



Tyrone James, who lives nearby, said hes never had concerns about his neighborhood. But he is concerned about this incident.

"It may be just some kids out doing whatever theyre doing, but the nature of what they did is more, I think it went past prank," said James.

"Thats not a prank, said Sanders. Thats my life, Im proud to be black but thats my life and people need to take that into consideration."

The Polk County Sheriffs Office says at least two other houses in the neighborhood were hit. The vandals wrote a curse word on a mailbox in mustard and flung mustard and jelly on a couple other cars.

The Sheriffs Office is investigating and right now considers this a case of vandalism. The Sheriffs office has increased patrols in the area and asks if anyone saw anything Wednesday night between 9:00-10:30, to please call: 863-298-6200.
By J.R. Wu

| TAIPEI

TAIPEI Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through Houston and San Francisco during a January visit to allies in Latin America, her office said Friday, prompting China to repeat a call for the United States to block any such stopover. Tsai's office declined to comment on whether she would be meeting members of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team, but the U.S. mission in Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said the visit would be "private and unofficial".Trump angered China when he spoke to Tsai this month in a break with decades of precedent and cast doubt on his incoming administration's commitment to Beijing's "one China" policy.An adviser to Trump's transition team said he thought "further high-level engagement for the foreseeable future is unlikely" when asked if any meetings were planned. The adviser did not want to be identified by name.China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations.China's Foreign Ministry repeated a previous call for the United States not to allow the transit and not send any "wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces".

"We think everyone is very clear on her real intentions," the ministry said, without explaining.The United States, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, has acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only "one China" and that Taiwan is part of it.Tsai is transiting through the United States on her way to and from visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. She will leave Taiwan on Jan. 7 and return on Jan. 15.Tsai will arrive in Houston on Jan. 7 and leave the following day. On her return, she will arrive in San Francisco on Jan. 13, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang told a regular news briefing.

The AIT said the transit did not contradict the "one China" policy."President Tsai's transit through the United States is based on long-standing U.S. practice and is consistent with the unofficial nature of our relations with Taiwan," Alys Spensley, acting AIT spokeswoman, told Reuters."There is no change to the U.S. 'one China' policy," she added.

Spensley said Tsai's transits would be "private and unofficial". The U.S. State Department said AIT chairman Ambassador James Moriarty would greet Tsai in Houston and San Francisco.China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island.Speaking to members of China's largely ceremonial advisory body to parliament on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said next year China would make "unremitting efforts" at unification and developing peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait, state news agency Xinhua said.Taiwan had as many as 30 diplomatic allies in the mid-1990s, but now has formal relations with 21, mostly smaller and poorer nations in Latin America and the Pacific and also including the Vatican. (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Nick Macfie and James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Six migrant workers died of suffocation in a fire that broke out in a Pune bakery early morning on Friday, reports said.

Maharashtra: Six die after fire broke out at a bakery shop in Pune early this morning pic.twitter.com/cPwSzyj15s  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

The incident took place in a Bakes and Cakes outlet near Talab company in Kondhwa Khurd locality of the city. Though the reason for the fire is not known, a police contorl official told IANS that the fire is believed to be caused by a short-circuit.

The victims, all hailing from Uttar Pradesh, were caught unawares as the blaze quickly engulfed the mezzanine floor on which they slept inside the bakery. Rescue officials said the owner had locked the bakery shutter from outside, trapping the workers inside and seriously hampering the relief operation.

"We received a call at around 4.45 am on Friday and immediately fire tenders were rushed to the spot. As we reached the spot, we saw smoke emanating from the shutter of the shop, which was locked from outside," a fire brigade official told PTI.

While efforts were on to break the shutter, the bakery shop owner came to the spot and opened it.

"As soon as the shutter was opened, we saw a huge fire inside and got information that there are bakery workers who were trapped at a loft inside the shop," the fire officer said.

The fire brigade personnel wore breathing apparatus sets and climbed a staircase inside to reach the victims. "There were six workers, who were found in an unconscious state. They were rushed to the Sassoon General hospital, where they were declared dead," said the officer.

The deceased have been identified as: Ishad Ansari (26), Juned Ansari (25), Shanu Ansari (20), Zakir Ansari (24), Faeem Ansari (21) and Zishan Ansari (21).

"Since the main shutter was locked from outside, all the six got trapped inside and died of suffocation," the fire official informed.

Pune mayor Prashant Jagtap also told Hindustan Times, "

The bakery is owned by three partners. "We have registered a case and investigation is on," an officer at Kondhwa police station said.

A video shared by YouTube shows the fire spreading to nearby shops. Firstpost, however, couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video.

With inputs from agencies
Chennai: A day after a Madras High Court judge expressed doubts over the circumstances leading to the demise of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK on Friday sought a comprehensive probe by a sitting HC judge into the death.

"A comprehensive probe must be done by a sitting judge of the High Court and people should be told the truth," DMK Treasurer MK Stalin said.

Against the backdrop of the court raising questions, he said it was imperative for the government to come out comprehensively on the medical treatment provided to the former AIADMK chief.

In a statement in Chennai, he said complete medical bulletins, video footage and photos of her getting treatment at the hospital should be released.

Citing Justice Vaidyanathan's observation on Thursday that he may consider ordering exhumation of the body of the departed leader, he said, "it is imperative for the government to release comprehensive information."

Stalin, who had earlier sought a white paper on the treatment given to Jayalalithaa, said there was no statement from the government ever since she was admitted to the hospital on 22 September.

He said the Centre and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had a duty to answer questions related to the treatment provided for the late leader. Doctors from Delhi's AIIMS too had treated her, he said.

If the ruling regime had explained the "true (health) status" of Jayalalithaa and released pictures of her getting treatment, the issue could not have reached the doorsteps of court, he said.

He recalled a statement of his party chief Karunanidhi seeking release of pictures of Jayalalithaa being treated and said, "had the ruling side not viewed it from the prism of politics, the issue would not have come to such a pass".

Only such activities has cast a "cloud, giving room for suspicion," among the people, he said, adding it was the right of the people to know about the treatment given to her and the circumstances leading to her death.
New Delhi: Even as new political development unfolds in Arunachal Pradesh after Chief Minister Pema Khandu along with six other MLAs were suspended by their own party early Friday on ground of anti-party activities, the president of Peoples Party of Arunachal Pradesh said that the ousted seven were trying to merge the regional outfit with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In a brief interview with Firstpost, Kahfa Bengia, president of People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) said, "Since the PPA is already a participant in the North East Democratic Alliance a platform created by the BJP itself, hence there was no need to merge it with the saffron party."

He further said that one of the prime mottos of the PPA is to promote the regional identity of Arunachal Pradesh.

"Since BJP is a national party, trying to merge our party with it is seen as an activity against the principle and motto of the party," he said.

Along with Khandu, the other legislators who were suspended from PPA include Jambey Tashi, Passang Dorjee Sona, Chow Tewa Mein, Zingnu Namchom, Chowna Mein and Kamlung Mossang.

Earlier in September this year, then Congress chief minister Khandu joined the PPA along with 42 other MLAs.

The Congress accused the BJP of engineering the mass defection, alleging that the PPA is the illegitimate child of the saffron party.

Khandu was sworn in as the Congress chief minister on 17 July after an apex court order to reinstate the partys government replacing the alliance government ruling at that time led by the then chief minister Kalikho Pul with support from the BJP.

After the PPA suspended Khandu, it elected Takam Pario as the next chief minister.

Arunachal Pradesh has been going through a tumultuous political journey with Pario being the fourth chief minister to rule the state in a single year.

Nabam Tuki, the Congress chief minister was ousted when the Centre imposed Presidents Rule leading to a constitutional crisis in the state in January this year.

Later on, Pul took over as the chief minister, who deserted the Congress party along with a large chunk of MLAs to form the government with support from the BJP only to be ousted by an apex court order to reinstate the Congress government.

Pario is also the richest MLA in the state Assembly with a declared asset worth Rs 187 crore.
By Jakub Iglewski

| WARSAW

WARSAW Polish President Andrzej Duda and hundreds of mourners on Friday attended the funeral of Lukasz Urban, the Polish truck driver who was killed and his vehicle used to crash into a Berlin Christmas market last week.The 37-year-old father of a teenaged boy was among 12 people killed in the attack claimed by Islamic State.Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office said on Thursday Urban had died shortly before the attack and forensic tests were needed to determine whether he had been shot with a gun later found on the attacker in Milan.Mourners packed a small church in Banie, the driver's home village, for mass, while several trucks parked nearby honked their horns to honour the driver, private television channel TVN24 showed.

Duda laid a wreath and briefly kneeled in front of Urban's white coffin, after attending mass in the village in northwestern Poland, 15 km (9 miles) from the German border.Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said earlier Urban's son and wife would receive a special pension, while an internet crowdfunding campaign started by a British truck driver has raised more than 177 thousand pounds ($218,000) for the family.

"Poles have fallen victim in terrorist attacks before," Szydlo said in a letter to the family read during Friday's church service. "But the tragedy in Berlin is extraordinary in terms of its ruthlessness and brutality."The suspected Berlin attacker, 24-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri, was shot dead by Italian police on Friday after a European-wide manhunt.

A local trucking association boss, Romuald Szmyt, laid the blame for Urban's death on the company due to receive his cargo of 24 tonnes of steel elements, saying its officials should not have made the driver wait to unload."Lukasz Urban was a very good driver," he told mourners. "He was meant to unload on Tuesday but he arrived early. Two German drivers arrived and they were unloaded on Monday. He had to wait." (Reporting by Jakub Iglewski; Editing by Justyna Pawlak and Janet Lawrence)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
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The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) expects to spend 14 percent more on subsidies for students who attend schools that are part of the citys free education system. Additional subsidies have also been planned to support Macau students studying in Guangdongs non-tertiary schools.

Aside from the aforementioned increase, special funds for students who study specific majors will also be increased, the DSEJ announced in a press conference yesterday.

Sit Weng Tou, head of the Division of Socio-Educational Aids of the DSEJ, said that the bureau expects to spend nearly MOP2.6 billion next year on approximately 68,000 students studying in schools within Macaus free education system.

Next year, six schools will join the free education system, at which point the system will cover 94 percent of schools in Macau, providing benefits to 2,300 families. The subsidies will also extend to 15 grades of non-tertiary education.

In the upcoming academic year, 60 extra scholarships will be offered at tertiary institutions with the aim of training more students in specific majors, in particular Portuguese, speech therapy and physical therapy.

Currently, there are 390 opportunities to attain DSEJ funding for students who not only study the aforementioned majors, but also those who study primary school education and special education, alongside other educational and cultural subjects.

Students who pursue an education degree in Macau, mainland China and Taiwan are granted MOP4,560 every month, while those who study in other locations receive MOP6,960.

The subsidy for Macau students who study in Guangdongs kindergartens, primary and middle schools is also expected to be increased.

According to Sit, there are currently approximately 4,900 children studying in mainland kindergartens, primary or middle schools. The city is only providing subsidies to those who study in Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Guangzhou and Foshan.

Starting from next year, Shenzhen and Dongguan will be included as eligible cities for the fund. JZ

Centralized kindergarten registration gains support

Leong Vai Kei, head of the Department of Education of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ), claimed that the Centralized Registration Measure for First-time Infant Education Students is supported by 97 percent of schools and by 98 percent of parents for students who are studying in the academic year of 2016/2017. Leong informed that the DSEJ estimated that approximately 6,500 infants will enrol in the first grade of kindergarten education next year, and further said that there will be enough openings for all students; somewhere around 7,000 across the citys schools. Starting from next Thursday, parents can commence registering their childrens applications.
The Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macau) has announced that it is receptive to the entry of Sao Tome and Principe to the group.

Sao Tome and Principe is one of the family members of the Portuguese-speaking countries and the Permanent Secretariat [of the Forum Macau] has an attitude of receptiveness regarding its participation [in the group], said a spokesperson of Forum Macau to Lusa, adding that if the country submits a request to join Forum Macau, the Secretariat is willing to submit [this matter] to the Forum members for discussion.

The statement comes after last weeks re-establishment of formal relations between Sao Tome and Principe and the Peoples Republic of China, after they were severed by the mainland in 1997 in reaction to close relations between the African country and Taiwan.

Since the announcement that Sao Tome and Principe would discontinue its diplomatic relations with Taiwan in support of the mainlands One-China policy, the possibility of the African country becoming a part of Forum Macau, which has been a longstanding goal of the Sao Tome and Principe government, now seems to be on track to be achieved.

Sao Tome and Principe is the only Portuguese-speaking country that is not part of Forum Macau, despite being permitted as an observer. This is a consequence of its former recognition of Taiwan.

Over the past 20 years Taiwan has worked with the African nation on various projects, but recently suggestions have emerged that the partnership with Taiwan was not as fruitful as initially expected. During the ceremony marking the reestablishment of diplomatic ties with China, Sao Tome and Principes Foreign Affairs Minister Urbino Botelho stated: We need to correct the mistakes from the past. He also reaffirmed the countrys recognition of the One-China policy. RM
The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) is launching the 2016 Subsidy Programme for the Production of Original Animation Short Films.

As part of the Subsidy Programme Series for Macaus Cultural and Creative Industries, the newly launched scheme is an initiative that aims to promote the development of the regions animation industry.

According to a statement released by the IC, the scheme intends to nurture localss in animation creation, production and planning, as well as to promote local animation development through participation in exhibitions, public screenings and online promotion.

To qualify, applicants must have already directed or produced at least one animation short film of over two minutes, which must have been screened in public. The proposed film, which could be a single film or a film series, must be a fictional animation film to qualify for the scheme.

In the initial review, the adjudication panel will select a maximum of 12 projects for the second review based on criteria including creativity of the story and expression techniques, character design and potentiality, feasibility of production plan, promotion and marketing plan, budget rationale, and the applicant and film crews capacity for implementation.

The adjudicating panel based on these criteria will select a maximum of five beneficiaries. Each beneficiary will receive a subsidy of up to MOP240,000 to initiate the production, promotion and marketing of their new animated short films.

Applicants must hold a valid Macau Resident Identity Card and be aged 18 or above, and be the director or producer of the proposed film.

Applications are open until February 27.
Cleaning up the Fukushima nuclear plant  a task predicted to cost 86 times the amount earmarked for decommissioning Japans first commercial reactor  is the mother of all salvage jobs. Still, foreign firms with decades of experience are seeing little of the spoils.

Safely dismantling the Japanese power plant, wrecked by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, will cost about 8 trillion yen (USD68 billion), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Dec. 9, quadrupling the previous estimate. While a contract to help clean up the facility would be a windfall for any firm with specialized technology, the lions share of the work has gone to local companies that designed and built most of Japans atomic infrastructure.

The bidding process for Fukushima contracts should be more open to foreigners as Japan has never finished decommissioning a commercial nuclear plant, let alone one that experienced a triple meltdown, according to Lake Barrett, an independent adviser at Japans International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning. While the Fukushima cleanup is unlike any nuclear accident in history, foreign firms that have experience decommissioning regular facilities could provide much-needed support, according to Barrett and even the plants operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc.

Internationally, there is a lot more decontamination and decommissioning knowledge than you have in Japan, Barrett, a former official at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said in an interview in Tokyo. I hope the Japanese contracting system improves to get this job done safely. There is this cultural resistance it is almost like there is an isolated nuclear village still.

An opaque bidding process plays to the heart of criticisms tabled by independent investigators, who said in a 2012 report that collusion between the government, regulators and the plants operator contributed to the scale of the disaster.

Of 44 subsidized projects publicly awarded by the trade and economy ministry since 2014, about 80 percent went to the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning. The group, known as IRID, was established in the wake of the Fukushima disaster and is comprised entirely of Japanese corporations, according to the ministrys website.

Japans trade and industry ministry awarded funds directly to only eight foreign firms during the same period. Many of the contracts had only one or two bidders.

Of about 70 contracts awarded since 2014, nine have gone to foreign companies, according to an official in the ministrys Agency of Natural Resources and Energy who asked not be named citing internal policy.

To provide opportunities for foreign companies, the ministry has created an English website for bids and also provides English information sessions to explain the contracts, the official said.

IRIDs contracts are given to its members, including Toshiba Corp., Hitachi Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., which have partnerships and joint ventures with foreign firms, spokesman Yoshio Haruyama said by phone. While it doesnt directly contract work to companies overseas, IRID taps foreign experts as advisers and participates in international collaborative projects, he said.

Mitsubishi Heavy has about five or six contracts through IRID, but cant share how many partnerships it has with foreign firms, spokesman Shimon Ikeya said by phone. Hitachi has sub-contracts with foreign suppliers related to the Fukushima cleanup, but cant provide details about these agreements because they arent public, a spokesperson said by e-mail.

Toshiba doesnt directly bid for ministry contracts, and instead works with IRID, company spokeswoman Yuu Takase said by e-mail.

IRID, which aims to gather knowledge and ideas from around the world for the purpose of nuclear decommissioning and was receiving over 20 billion yen in government grants in March, doesnt disclose how much of their funds ultimately go to foreign businesses, according to its spokesman. Barrett, its adviser, said he thinks its very low, but should ideally be 5 percent to 10 percent.

Japans biggest nuclear disaster isnt void of foreign technology. Toshiba, which owns Pennsylvania-based Westinghouse Electric Co., and Hitachi, which has a joint venture with General Electric Co., are tapping American expertise. A giant crane and pulley system supplied by Toshiba to remove spent fuel from the wrecked reactors employs technology developed by Westinghouse.

We bring in knowledge from foreign companies, organizations and specialists in order to safely decommission the reactors, Tatsuhiro Yamagishi, spokesman for Tokyo Electric, said by e-mail. While the company cant say the exact number of foreign firms involved in the Fukushima cleanup, companies including Paris-based Areva SA, California-based Kurion Inc. and Massachusetts-based Endeavor Robotics are engaged in work at the site, according to Yamagishi.

However, foreign firms independently securing contracts is still a tall task.

When it comes to Japans nuclear industry, the bidding system is completely unclear, said Hiroaki Koide, a former assistant professor at Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute, in an e-mail. The system is designed to strengthen the profits of Japans nuclear village, he added, referring to the alliance of pro-nuclear politicians, bureaucrats and power companies that promote reactors.

Tokyo Electrics annual cost to decommission its Fukushima plant may blow out to several hundred billion yen a year, up from the current estimate of 80 billion yen, the trade and industry ministry said in October. As of June, almost 1 trillion yen has been allocated for decommissioning and treating water at Fukushima, according to Tokyo Electrics Yamagishi.

With that much money at stake, Japan has become ground zero for a plethora of companies looking to benefit from the cleanup work. The structure of Japans nuclear industry and the closed procurement preferred by the utilities that operate atomic plants means that the most lucrative opportunities for foreign companies are in the area of subcontracting, according to a report by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation released in March.

Foreign firms have long argued that the Japanese bidding process is one that is ripe for corruption due to a lack of openness and transparency, Daniel Aldrich, professor and director of the security and resilience studies program at Northeastern University in Boston, said in an e-mail. For nuclear decommissioning there is even less clarity and transparency due to security and proliferation concerns, he said.

The Fair Trade commission raided the offices of five companies last year in relation to rigged bids for maintenance contracts from Tokyo Electric, according to Jiji Press. Eleven road-paving companies were fined in September on projects to repair roads following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Jiji reported.

Andrew DeWit, a political economy professor at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, agrees that the contract awarding process isnt transparent. A lot of foreign companies seek Japanese partners to better their chances, he said.

Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions Inc. agreed this year with Japan Atomic Power Co. to create a venture focused on decommissioning Japanese reactors. David Lockwood, president of EnergySolutions, said they needed a local partner to break into the market.

Purolite Corp., a closely held water purifying company, spent millions of dollars developing and testing a system that could be used to treat radioactive water at Fukushima. Pennsylvania-based Purolite partnered with Hitachi to help win a contract to use its technology at the wrecked facility.

Purolite is now suing Hitachi in New York and Tokyo, alleging that Hitachi is using its technology at Fukushima in breach of agreements made in 2011, shutting it out of more than $1 billion in contracts, according to court documents filed in September. Hitachi doesnt comment on ongoing legal matters, a spokesperson said by e-mail.

With a smaller pool of competitors, firms can expand their profit margins, said Northeastern Universitys Aldrich. There are French and Russian firms that have the technical expertise to participate in nuclear decommissioning processes, but it is unclear if they will be able to compete on a level playing field with Japanese firms, which have far more experience with Japanese regulations and expectations. Stephen Stapczynski, Bloomberg
Thailands military-appointed parliament has granted the king absolute power in naming a supreme patriarch, the top ecclesiastical position of Thai Buddhism.

The amendment approved yesterday means the king can eliminate the traditional vote of the senior monks body, the Supreme Sangha Council.

The power struggle over leadership of the Buddhist hierarchy in Thailand centers around 91-year old Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, who has been accused of corruption in a dispute that mixes politics and religion. He has ties to the Dhammakaya sect, which has a reputation for encouraging materialism and showiness and is unpopular with mainstream Buddhists.

Phra Ratchamangalacharn was nominated by the council to be the supreme patriarch in January but was never formally endorsed by the prime minister. He is now unlikely to get the top job.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday he will insist on a ruling of an international arbitration that invalidated Beijings claims to most of the South China Sea if China starts to extract oil or gas from the area.

His statement in an interview with CNN Philippines was a departure from his earlier pronouncement that he would set aside the ruling because he does not want to impose on China.

Duterte also criticized the United States, saying it did not do anything when China started building artificial islands in the disputed sea. Duterte, who took office in June, has taken steps to mend relations with China that grew hostile during the time of his predecessor over the long-unresolved territorial disputes. Former President Benigno Aquino IIIs administration took the disputes to international arbitration in a move backed by Washington after China seized a disputed shoal from the Philippines in 2012, then went on to construct seven man- made islands despite outside objections.

China has refused to recognize the arbitration tribunal, saying it has no jurisdiction. Asked under what circumstances he would bring up the tribunal ruling with China, Duterte said: Yes, when the minerals are already being siphoned out.

If that happens, he said, he will tell China: I thought were friends? We share economic bounties [] so how about us? I have this title, so what do you think? Dont you think we should talk now?

Duterte added that if Chinas construction in the disputed waters was a serious concern then the United States should have led the way and stopped it right at the beginning, when the first spade of soil was tossed out to the area that was being reclaimed.

Why raise an issue putting the countries into distress or under stress when you are not going to do anything, when it is you who have the arms? he added.

China is pitted against smaller neighbors including the Philippines in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves.

The U.S. says it is not taking sides in the disputes but insists on freedom of navigation in international waters and is against coercion by any side against the other. AP
Russias president and the Syrian army said yesterday that a nation-wide cease-fire agreement has been reached with opposition rebels, set to begin at midnight. The deal was confirmed by the Turkish foreign ministry.

Vladimir Putin said the cease-fire, which excludes extremist groups such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida affiliate, will be guaranteed by Russia and Turkey. He said it will be followed by peace talks between Syrian President Bashar Assads government and the opposition, and that the Syrian parties would take part in talks to be held in Kazakhstan, without specifying a date.

Syrias military said it agreed to a nationwide cease-fire starting at midnight, adding that it paves the way for reactivating negotiations to end the conflict. It said the cease-fire comes after the successes achieved by the armed forces, an apparent reference to the capture of rebel-held neighborhoods of Aleppo earlier this month.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the truce will include 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria, and that the Russian military has established a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to monitor compliance.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that that President-elect Donald Trumps administration will be welcome to join the Syrian peace process once he takes office.

Russia is a key ally of Assad, while Turkey is one of the main backers of the opposition. Several previous attempts to halt the civil war have failed but the recent warming of ties between Turkey and Russia may prove to be a game changer this time.

It comes on the heels of the Syrian armys retaking control of Aleppo, Syrias largest city, ending the oppositions four-year hold over parts of the city.

Putin said he ordered the Russian military to scale down its presence in Syria, where it has provided crucial support to Assads forces. Putin didnt say how many troops and weapons will be withdrawn. He said Russia will continue fighting international terrorism in Syria and supporting Assads military.

Putin also said that the Russian military will maintain its presence at both an air base in Syrias coastal province of Latakia and the naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus.

Earlier yesterday, Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called on Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Syria. The group, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Assad, has been playing an instrumental role in Syrias civil war since 2013, mostly in areas near the border with Lebanon, the suburbs of the capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo. The group is not likely to withdraw from Syria in the near future as its leader repeatedly said that their presence there is mostly to prevent attacks by extremists deep inside Lebanon.

Foreign fighters from around the world have joined both sides of the Syrian conflict that has so far killed more than quarter a million people, displaced half the countrys population and produced more than four millions refugees.

Syrias Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem had said that fighters from more than 80 countries have joined insurgent groups trying to remove Assad from power while the Syrian government is backed by fighters from countries including Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Russia.

The Turkish minister said all foreign fighters, including the Hezbollah, should withdraw from Syria.

Those various groups have to leave Syria and the Hezbollah should return to Lebanon, Cavusoglu said in the interview with Turkeys A Haber news channel.

In Damascus, seven civilians were injured by a mortar round that fell near a school in the western neighborhood of Tajheez, according to a report by state news agency SANA.

Earlier, SANA said that two persons were injured by a mortar round that was fired by insurgents on Damascus al-Mazraa neighborhood where the Russian embassy locates.

On Wednesday, Russias Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Damascus was hit by mortar fire, blaming the attack on extremists opposed to a peaceful settlement. It said a mortar round landed in the embassy courtyard without exploding, and another fell in the vicinity. AP
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through the U.S. en route to Central America next month, a routine stopover that has taken on added significance after President-elect Donald Trump spoke with her by phone and separately questioned the One-China policy.

Tsais office will unveil the details of her U.S. stops at a later date, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang said in a text message. Her Jan. 7-15 trip announced last week to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador will boost cooperation and deepen friendship with Taiwans Central American allies, Wang said.

While the ministry had said previously that Tsai wouldnt transit in New York and wont meet Trump, the stopover risks further tensions between the U.S. and China ahead of Trumps inauguration. Trump has already signaled a more antagonistic approach to China as president, with the self- governing island potentially becoming one of the biggest flash points between the two global powers.

Supporters of Taiwan and critics of China in the U.S. will obviously welcome this move as not bowing to Chinese pressure, said Ja Ian Chong, an assistant professor with the National University of Singapore who specializes in Asia-Pacific relations. This could set the tone for an even more contentious and tumultuous U.S.-China relationship.

Ma Ying-jeou, Tsais predecessor, transited in Houston and Los Angeles during a March trip to Central America. Still, China yesterday urged the U.S. to stop Tsai from passing through. America should not send any wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing in Beijing. She urged relevant countries to handle Taiwan issues with caution.

Tsais trip comes at a particularly sensitive time after Trump angered Beijing in accepting the protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president.

The 10-minute conversation on Dec. 2 was the closest a Taiwanese leader has come to getting formal recognition from Washington since the U.S. established ties with the Communist government in Beijing almost four decades ago.

In a later interview with Fox News, Trump said his support for the One-China policy  which has underpinned U.S. behavior toward Taiwan since the 1970s  will hinge on cutting a better deal on trade. Adela Lin, Ting Shi, Bloomberg
A top Chinese general has been placed under investigation for corruption, Chinas Defense Ministry said yesterday, announcing the highest-level active duty military official to be ensnared in a sweeping anti-corruption drive.

Military prosecutors have been investigating Gen. Wang Jianping on suspicion of accepting bribes, ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said in a briefing, without elaborating on the case.Wang is the deputy chief of staff with the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, which is led by Xi Jinping, Chinas president and leader of the ruling Communist Party. Since he came to power in late 2012, Xi has launched a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption that has felled scores of mid-to-high-level officials but that has also been seen as targeting threats to Xi.

Wang was formerly the commander of Chinas armed paramilitary police force for five years. The South China Morning Post has reported that Wang was an ally of Chinas former domestic security chief, Zhou Yongkang. Zhou was sentenced to life in prison last year on charges of accepting bribes, but was perceived to be targeted also because he was deemed the center of a vast patronage network spanning the state-owned oil industry, the state security apparatus and the southwestern province of Sichuan.

Three other top Chinese generals have been accused of corruption but were officially retired when their investigations were announced. Among them was Guo Boxiong, then a top general and former vice chairman of the military commission, who was sentenced by a military court in July to life in prison for taking bribes.

Guo, 74, was also stripped of his rank and forced to hand over all his assets to the Chinese government.

Some top generals are reported to have accumulated stunning fortunes through corruption in both cash and gifts, including golden statues of Mao Zedong and cases of expensive liquor stacked to the ceiling in secret underground caches. Along with the selling of ranks and positions, such practices are believed to have had a strong negative effect on morale, discipline and combat preparedness in the worlds largest standing military. AP
For years, Toyota Motor Corp. focused on pushing its hybrid models in Europe, avoiding a diesel-for-diesel competition with market leaders including Volkswagen AG. The Japanese carmakers strategy is finally paying off.

In the first full year since Volkswagens emissions scandal threw the German giant into disarray, Toyota is on track for roughly a 40 percent jump in annual sales of gasoline-electric vehicles in Europe. Hybrids are set to account for more than half of Toyotas deliveries for the region by the end of the decade, according to Karl Schlicht, executive vice president of the carmakers European division.

Toyotas Europe dilemma was a product mismatch rather than a regulatory crisis. At the beginning of the decade, when demand for its Prius was surging in other markets like the U.S., the model barely attracted buyers in Europe, where more than half of industrywide sales are diesels. After Volkswagens scandal undermined those powertrains, Toyotas strategic decision to avoid pitting its models directly against diesel vehicles and force its dealers toward hybrids is now yielding results.

When you have a strategy driven by necessity and its doing the right thing for the customers and the world, its a very powerful force, Schlicht said in an interview. We kind of had to do it, and that made us focus.

Toyota is still a small player in Europe, where it had a 4.3 percent market share in the 11 months through November, well behind the leader Volkswagens 24.1 percent, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Still, its in an enviable position with Volkswagen and diesel-reliant peers including BMW AG, Daimler AG and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV now needing to shift gears to electrified powertrains.

Eric Felber, a spokesman for the Volkswagen group, declined to comment on the rise in hybrid sales at the expense of diesel cars.

Shares of Toyota have fallen 8.7 percent this year, compared with Daimlers 8.7 percent drop and gains of 2.1 percent at Volkswagen and 2.4 percent at Fiat Chrysler.

UBS analysts in a report this month forecast that diesel will almost disappear by 2025 and be replaced by hybrids and battery-electric vehicles. Athens, Madrid, Mexico City and Paris have pledged to phase out diesel vehicles by 2025 in a bid to curb pollution.

Diesel is on its way out for cars; weve seen the beginning of the end, Alexander Nix, a Toyota dealer in Germany since 1980, said by phone. Once we see further restrictions on emissions, its just going to be too expensive. Weve already seen that now.

Dealers were singing a different tune when Schlicht, the Toyota Europe sales chief, returned to an executive role in the market in 2012, after a stint managing Lexus product and marketing planning in Japan. His assessment of the carmakers position at that time was grim: Toyota lacked the scale, visibility and pricing power to compete.

Our dealers at the beginning of this period were very much like, You guys need more diesels, Schlicht said. Before auto shows in Geneva, Paris or Frankfurt, he braced for criticism. Put your helmet on; youre going to get beat up because we dont have enough diesels.

Toyota started directing its distributors and dealers to focus entirely on hybrids, even though they were accounting for just a fraction of the companys sales mix. If a customer wanted to go for a test drive in, say, a Yaris, they had to take a spin in the hybrid before they could try the diesel.

When Toyota coupled this retail strategy with an all- hybrid marketing campaign, its auto buyers started becoming hybrid converts. Dealers had little trouble reselling used hybrids that were traded in by customers because they tend to retain more of their residual value.

There is no strategy that the carmaker can make if the front line doesnt buy in, Tom Fux, the Cologne-based president of Toyota Germany, said by phone. For us, hybrid is the key focus.

By the time hybrids reach about 50 percent to 60 percent of Toyota Europes sales mix, the company will be selling about 400,000 or 500,000 units per year, Schlicht estimates. In the January-November period, hybrids accounted for about 32 percent of its sales in the region.

Corporate fleet operators and leasing companies, which play an outsize role in Europes auto market, have begun to feel exposed as residual values for diesels begin to shrink, and theyre starting to talk with Toyota about increasing hybrids as a portion of their business mix.

Another significant factor will be the newly introduced C-HR, a latecomer to the fast-growing compact sport utility vehicle segment. Toyota will build the model at a plant in Turkey, and about 75 percent of initial orders have been for the hybrid version, Schlicht said. The model wont offer a diesel engine option.

Were not anti-diesel, but the mindset has shifted, Schlicht said of Toyota Europes dealers and distributors. Its moved on, and now theyre really into selling hybrids. Craig Trudell, Elisabeth Behrmann, Bloomberg
TWIN FALLS  A man convicted of robbing a Burley pharmacy in 2014 and released from prison on parole earlier this year was arrested Wednesday after leading police on a pursuit while under the influence of heroin, police said.

Chandler Lee Palmer, 24, of Twin Falls was arraigned Thursday in Twin Falls County Magistrate Court on a felony count of possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, resisting arrest and driving without privileges.

Palmer pleaded guilty early last year to robbing the Burley Walgreens in November 2014, the same month his brother, Bradley Cole Holcomb, and two others were arrested on charges of robbing several pharmacies throughout Twin Falls.

A Cassia County judge sentenced Palmer to one to 10 years in prison and he was released on supervised parole May 13.

In a series of interviews this year with the Times-News as part of a special reporting project about a string of seven intertwined pharmacy robberies, Palmer said that when he was released from prison, he was expecting nobody to believe in me.

Ill have to prove myself, which is cool, Palmer said in February from a Boise prison. I dont really care what people think. I get that I have to prove myself to society that Im not a lost cause.

On Wednesday, an off-duty police officer said he saw Palmer crash into a pole near Swensons on Addison Avenue, court documents said. When the off-duty officer approached Palmers car, he saw him slumped over the wheel and (he) appeared under the influence of a substance.

Palmer left the crash scene, and when an officer attempted to stop his car about 4:20 p.m. at Eighth Avenue North and Shoshone Street North, he accelerated away, leading a chase that wound through downtowns icy streets, court documents said. At one point, he drove the wrong way on Second Avenue East and through alleys on Main Avenue.

The pursuit came to an end in the parking lot of The Car Store, 701 Main Avenue E., when Palmer crashed into a parked car at the dealership, court documents said. Palmer fled on foot and an officer gave chase, watching him throw a silver object before trying to climb a fence.

The officer tackled Palmer and detained him, and a search later revealed the silver object was a metal spoon with heroin residue, court documents said. Palmer told hospital staff he uses heroin intravenously on a daily basis and admitted to using earlier in the day.

Heroin is an opioid, just like the prescription painkillers Palmer and his brother were convicted of robbing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports the U.S. is in the midst of a prescription opioid overdose epidemic, with more than 28,000 people dying from opioid overdoses in 2014.

In his interviews earlier this year with the Times-News, Palmer talked openly and honestly about his addiction.

With opiates, you cant function without them It controls your life, Palmer said. If you do it every day, its not that intense anymore  But if you dont do it, youre strung out, and thats the worst feeling you can imagine. Theres not a more desperate feeling in the world.

Palmer is being held in custody at the Twin Falls County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bond. Hes scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 6.
JEROME  A judge sentenced a 21-year-old Jerome woman to 45 days in county jail and admonished her to honor the life of the teen she killed in a crash after running a stop sign in July 2015.

Cynthia Belem Martinez, originally charged with felony vehicular manslaughter, pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor count of the same charge. She also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of inattentive driving and driving without insurance.

These are tragic cases, there is no doubt about it, 5th District Magistrate Judge Daniel Dolan said Thursday. Theyre tragic for the family of the deceased, first and foremost. Theyre tragic for the people involved in the death.

Dolan imposed on Martinez a one-year jail term but suspended all but 45 days of the jail sentence. He also ordered four years of supervised probation, two years of a restricted license  she can drive only to and from work and school  and 200 hours of community service, including at least 50 hours spent educating students about the dangers of distracted driving.

While distracted driving has not been established in this case, I think that would be an appropriate matter for you to deal with, Dolan said.

The judge will also order Martinez in a future hearing to pay restitution, which could be as much as $53,000.

Martinez, 19 at the time of the crash, admitted that about 7:45 p.m. on July 19, 2015, she was driving a Hyundai Elantra when she ran the stop sign at 300 West and Bob Barton Road, crashing into a Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by 19-year-old Alec Nicholas Humbach, of Jerome. Humbach, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the pickup and died at the scene.

Martinez was also injured in the crash, as were her passengers Dakota Cortez, 19 at the time, and another girl who was 15 at the time and was flown by helicopter to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.

Humbachs immediate family lives out of state and was not able to attend Thursdays hearing, but his aunt, Dawn Soto, spoke on behalf of Humbachs mother.

He was a tremendous young man, Soto said of her nephew. He loved animals, he loved people, he was our gentle giant. He had a heart of gold. He stood up for his friends, he didnt like bullies  He was well on his way to being a very productive citizen. He had an excellent job and was a talented welder.

Soto told the judge no punishment could bring Humbach back, but asked Dolan to impose a sentence that would send a message to other teens that there are consequences for making mistakes while driving.

When Martinez was given a chance to speak, she turned to Soto and delivered a tearful statement.

I want to tell the family that Im really sorry for this happening, Martinez said. I dont understand what you guys are going through, and I never will. But I just want you to one day, hopefully, forgive me. This really was an accident.

Her attorney, Keith Roark, called the misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge an anomaly because the crime is completely devoid  of intent or even criminal negligence.

Originally my client was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter, and we felt all along the state did not have evidence to sustain that, and eventually all parties agreed, Roark said. She did not intend, by any means, to run the stop sign. She certainly did not intend to be involved in the collision that killed Mr. Humbach.

After hearing arguments from the attorneys and the statements of Soto and Martinez, Dolan took almost 25 minutes in chambers to decide the sentence, then imposed it while admonishing the 21-year-old.

Ms. Martinez, you have an obligation, the judge said. You can either let this case define you as a person who struggles for the rest of your life and comes back before this court for several different reasons. Or, you can make this case define your life to move forward, to honor the deceased by making your life better, as we heard his life would have been if he continued to live. Thats your responsibility, to honor his life in that way.
GOODING  A 62-year-old Gooding man charged with shooting and killing his son-in-law told police the victim was abusive to the mans daughter and the shooting happened accidentally during an argument over the abuse.

Jimmie E. ONeal Sr. was arraigned Thursday in Gooding County Magistrate Court on a felony count of second-degree murder.

Prosecutors say ONeal killed his son-in-law, 34-year-old Steven Lawrence, with a .38 special handgun in a slaying that was willful, unlawful, deliberate, and with malice aforethought, but without premeditation. He faces 10 years to life in prison if convicted.

ONeal and other witnesses told police Wednesday that Lawrences wife showed up to ONeals house with snow covering her pants after Lawrence pushed her over during an argument, court documents said. Angered by the abuse, ONeal said he went to Lawrences house to kick his ass.

ONeal said that he was tired of his daughter being abused and that this was the final straw, a detective wrote in a sworn affidavit. ONeal said that he had full intentions of going over to kick Stevens ass but that he did not intend to shoot him.

At the Lawrences home, ONeal found the door to Lawrences bedroom locked, and the two men began arguing through the door, with ONeal yelling at Steven to come out of the bedroom so that he could kick his ass, court documents said. ONeal said that Steven told him more than one time to get out of his house.

ONeal told police he ended up forcing his way through the door and saw Lawrence standing by the bed pointing a black pistol at him, court documents said. ONeal told police the gun was a black Taurus 9 mm he recognized because he gave Lawrence the money to buy the gun.

But police later discovered that Lawrence pawned a gun matching that description about a month ago, and police did not find another gun at the scene, though his wife said that during their argument, he did have a small silver handgun in his pocket.

ONeal told police that as he forced his way inside the bedroom, he raised his own pistol and his pistol went off.

ONeal said that he thought he had shot to the right of Steven and didnt think that he hit him, the Gooding detective wrote the affidavit. ONeal said that Steven had fallen across the bed and then got right back up and that is when he noticed blood on Stevens left shoulder. ONeal said that Steven told him to call 911 and that Steven went by him and downstairs to the couch.

Downstairs, Lawrences son called 911 and then handed the phone to his grandfather.

ONeal said that as he was speaking with the 911 operator he was also holding a towel on Stevens shoulder to try and stop the bleeding, court documents said. ONeal said that when law enforcement arrived, he told them that the pistol was in his coat pocket and that law enforcement removed it from his coat pocket.

Lawrence was taken to North Canyon Medical Center, where he later died from the gunshot wound. ONeal was also taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pain.

During interviews at the hospital and later the police station, ONeal told police what happened, and his daughter and grandson told police similar stories of Wednesdays events.

ONeal was represented at Thursdays hearing by the public defenders office and is being held in custody at the Gooding County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 5.
TWIN FALLS  The presidential election was the biggest political story in the country, and kept people guessing all year. Idaho politics were often affected by the election in some way, with local politicians taking sides.

Refugee resettlement, which was a controversial issue in Twin Falls in 2015 and continued to be on in 2016, was also a major issue in the presidential race, and the debate over Medicaid expansion in Idaho will be shifted drastically because of the outcome.

But there were also down-ballot elections  Congress, the state Legislature, county offices like commissioners and sheriffs. While the U.S. Senate and House races were never expected to be close and never were, and the partisan split in the areas legislative delegation stayed exactly the same as it was before the elections, the Twin Falls County Board of Commissioners will have two new faces in January and there will be new sheriffs in some of the Magic Valleys towns.

1. The presidential election

This year, thanks to a law passed in 2015, Idaho Republicans held a presidential primary in March, rather than either a caucus or a May primary as had been done in the past. The Democrats, who opposed the March presidential primary bill in the Legislature, stuck with a caucus as they had done before.

Republican candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders all visited Idaho in the run-up to their parties nominating contests. Idaho Republicans went heavily for Cruz over Donald Trump in their March primary, while Democrats went even more overwhelmingly for Sanders over Hillary Clinton when they caucused two weeks later.

None of Idahos all-Republican congressional delegation backed Trump during the primary  U.S. Sen. Jim Risch campaigned for Rubio; U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador backed Rand Paul and then Cruz. However, they all backed him from shortly after he clinched the nomination until a month before the election, when a decade-old audio tape came out of Trump bragging about sexual assault. U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo and U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson then both said they could no longer support Trumps candidacy. Crapo walked back his un-endorsement about a week later, but Simpson never did.

Idaho hasnt gone for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, and nobody ever really considered Idahos four electoral votes to be up for grabs. However, there was speculation as to whether Trump would garner the overwhelming popular vote margin in the state that Republican presidential nominees routinely do, and as to how many votes independent conservative candidate Evan McMullin would get. McMullin was polling well in Utah, and some wondered whether the distaste many Mormons in Utah apparently felt for Trump would have much impact on the vote counts in heavily LDS areas of southern Idaho.

At the end of the day, Trump carried the state with 59 percent of the vote, with Clinton getting 27.5 percent and McMullin getting almost 7 percent. Libertarian Gary Johnson got about 4 percent.

2. Refugee resettlement

A movement to shut down the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center started last year, after news came out that some Syrians could be among the refugees to be resettled in Twin Falls. (None have been to date.) As the Syrian civil war dragged on, displacing millions of people, refugee resettlement became a topic of worldwide debate and a major issue in the presidential race, with Trumps hard-line views on refugee admissions and anti-Muslim rhetoric energizing some and horrifying others. As for Twin Falls, it started to attract national media attention as an example of a town divided over what was becoming a focus of national political arguments.

A drive for a countywide referendum on whether to shut down the refugee center fizzled this spring when organizers got about a quarter of the number of signatures they would need to get on the ballot. In June, however, the debate flared back up after news came out about a 5-year-old girl at the Fawnbrook Apartments being sexually assaulted by three boys from Middle Eastern refugee families.

A handful of refugee center opponents first brought it up at a City Council meeting in mid-June; at the time, police hadnt made any arrests yet and Council members said they werent aware of the case. After the boys were arrested in late June, the story blew up on the anti-Islamic blogosphere, with many reports containing details authorities have said were inaccurate or exaggerated  some said the boys were Syrian, for example  and accusing the city, law enforcement and the media of trying to cover it up or seeking to link the assault to Chobanis presence in Twin Falls.

Opponents of refugee resettlement dominated City Council meetings public comment period for more than a month after that. As the story spread, City Council members started to get obscene emails and even a handful of violent threats from anti-Muslim bigots. Breitbart, a popular conservative website whose articles frequently criticize immigration, Islam and refugee resettlement and that rose to even more prominence this year due to Trumps popularity, sent a reporter to Twin Falls to cover the story. (The websites former head is now Trumps chief strategist.) Brigitte Gabriel, the founder of Act for America, came to Twin Falls to speak, hosted by the local Act chapter. Other national outlets such as Slate, Buzzfeed and the Washington Post sent reporters here to write about what was happening.

City Council meetings have gone back to normal and the attention has largely died down, but with Trump set to take office in January and having run promising major changes to immigration and refugee admissions policy, theres every reason to think well be debating the issue further in 2017.

3. Health care, Medicaid expansion

This year started with a proposal on the table to extend primary care coverage to Idahos uninsured that ended up going nowhere. As the year draws to a close, the future of indigent health care is more uncertain than ever, with a new president promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act but with nobody clear on when or how this will happen and what will replace it.

Whether to expand Medicaid coverage, do something else for people in the gap who dont qualify for Medicaid but dont make enough to get subsidized insurance through Your Health Idaho, or do nothing, has been a topic of political debate in Idaho ever since the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that left whether to expand Medicaid up to the states. Before the 2016 legislative session started, Gov. C.L. Butch Otter and Health and Welfare Director Dick Armstrong pitched a Primary Care Access Program to extend primary care coverage to people in the gap, paid for by about $30 million a year in state money. The plan came under fire from both the left and the right and stalled when a House committee declined to introduce the bill funding the program. The session ended with the House and Senate deadlocked on how to move forward  the Senate passed a bill authorizing Armstrong to apply for a Medicaid expansion waiver, which would let the state use federal money to pay for a state-designed version of Medicaid expansion, and adjourned, then the House killed the bill before adjourning for the year but leadership promised to appoint a legislative committee to study the issue during the interim.

The committee met, hearing testimony from both supporters and opponents of Medicaid expansion. The last meeting was a couple of weeks after Trump won the election, and the group recommended that the Legislature do something in 2017 without specifying what. The issue is expected to be debated during the upcoming session, but Medicaid expansion, which had arguably been unlikely before  it has been on the table for several years and hasnt gone anywhere  is even less likely than before Nov. 8. It remains to be seen whether lawmakers will do something  there has been talk about primary care-centered proposals that would extend some additional coverage to some people currently in the gap  and whether there will even be a clear picture of where things are headed in Washington before Idahos legislative session ends.

4. State legislative elections

The entire Idaho Legislature is up for election every two years. Rep. Donna Pence, D-Gooding, who represents the politically mixed District 26 which includes Blaine, Gooding, Camas and Lincoln counties, announced late in 2015 that her current term would be her last, and Democrat Sally Toone and Republican Alex Sutter ran for her seat.

The primaries were pretty quiet locally  incumbents Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome and Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, won against farther-right challengers. The exception was in District 23, which includes part of western Twin Falls County although more of the people in it live in the Mountain Home area, and where the primaries were more contentious  both incumbent GOP House members Richard Wills and Pete Nielsen lost their races to Christy Zito and Megan Blanksma, respectively.

None of the Republican incumbents in Mini-Cassias District 27 had opponents in the primary or the general election, and in District 25, which includes Jerome and much of rural Twin Falls County, the only contest in the general election was between incumbent Sen. Jim Patrick, R-Twin Falls, and Democrat Scott McClure. In districts 24 (Twin Falls) and 26, though, all three legislative seats were contested on the November ballot. In Twin Falls, the three Republican incumbents all had Democratic challengers, while in 26, as well as the race for Pences former seat incumbents Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, and Rep. Steve Miller, R-Fairfield faced off against Republican Dale Ewersen and Democrat Kathleen Eder, respectively. In 23, Zito faced Democrat Mary Ann Richards while Blanksma faced independent Bill Chisholm and Libertarian Christopher Jenkins.

At the end of the day, the state Legislature as a whole got a bit more Republican  the GOP picked up three House seats and one in the Senate. Locally, the balance of power stayed exactly the same. Toone beat Sutter, all the incumbents running in every other Magic Valley district were re-elected and the two Republicans won the House seats in 23.

5. Twin Falls county commissioners

Incumbent county commissioners Leon Mills and George Urie faced challenges in the May primary from Don Hall, a Twin Falls city councilman and former mayor, and from Jack Johnson, a now-retired Jerome County sheriffs deputy who lives in Murtaugh.

Johnson and Hall both beat the incumbents. Hall was unopposed in the general election, while Johnson defeated Democrat Jill Skeem and independent Tony Bohrn. Hall is stepping down from the City Council due to his election as a commissioner, and the Council appointed Christopher Reid, who ran for the Council in 2011 and has served on a couple of city government-related committees, to the post. If Reid wants to stay for longer than a year, he will have to run for the seat in his own right in the November 2017 election.

6. Sheriffs

In Twin Falls County, incumbent Sheriff Tom Carter beat challenger Cliff Katona in a hotly contested primary for sheriff. Carter was unopposed in the general election.

In Lincoln County, Rene Rodriguez won a five-way primary to replace retiring Sheriff Kevin Ellis. However, two of his primary opponents filed to run as write-ins in the general election, and won narrowly  County Commissioner Cresley McConnell, who ran for the sheriffs job, came within 73 votes of Rodriguez.

In Blaine County, Steve Harkins, the current chief deputy, ran unopposed to replace retiring Sheriff Gene Ramsey.
Aileen Webb left earth for heaven on December 16, 2016 after struggling with a rare autoimmune disease that recently came out of remission. Aileen was born on a farm in Pollock, MO to Irl and Beulah Bartlett, number nine of twelve children, on April 17, 1929. At the age of 7, she moved with her family to Idaho, settling in Twin Falls. After graduating from high school in 1947 she came to CA in 1948. On November 25, 1948, Thanksgiving Day, she married Eugene Webb, a junior high classmate, after he came to Los Angeles to attend UCLA on the GI Bill. They bought a house in Rosemead, had three children and Aileen was active in all the organizations and activities in which they participated. After almost 30 years in Rosemead, Aileen and Gene moved to San Gabriel in 1979. Aileen was a hard-worker, always striving to do her very best. She did many different jobs while going to school and after high school she worked primarily as a stenographer. She retired from the L.A. County Housing Authority as a Senior Secretary. Aileen has been a member of First United Methodist Church of San Gabriel for 60 years. There she has served faithfully in many capacities. Besides church activities, she enjoyed taking care of her family, cooking and baking, shopping and giving gifts all year long. Her generous expressions of love proved her thoughts were always on others. She cherished time spent with family and friends and she looked forward to going back to Idaho each summer to see her relatives and to visit with classmates at the Twin Falls High School Over 50 Year Alumni Reunion. Aileen loved flowers and plants and had a green thumb. She enjoyed traveling in the USA and beyond. She was eager to learn and took many adult education classes on a variety of subjects from clerical to tailoring and several college courses as well. She was never idle but always doing for someone else. She didn't just love in word but with her actions. Hers was a life of love. 'His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23.
The rusty hinges have swung shut on 2016 and most events are already faded memories. But three experiences of the year past are worth remembering, and several predictions, or maybe hopes, are lining up the stars for 2017.

Unless a resident lived in a cave, who could ignore the noise emanating from City Council chambers mid-year? Organized refugee-haters and conspiracy experts grabbed the microphones, reprimanding Council for the College of Southern Idahos 30-year refugee resettlement program. The county prosecutor and city police remained professional as the investigation inched forward, and Council protected the protesters right to free speech for months. The process was messy but demonstrated local governments commitment to offer everyone a public forum, allowing facts to be separated from rumor and outlandish claims.

Twin Falls exploding economy lit up local and even national economic news, as Clif Bar, Chobani and Glanbia hired thousands of new workers. The citys population swelled to nearly 48,000, requiring three new schools and boosting sales of everything from autos to cribs and homes. The new jobs pay high wages and provide good benefits, a gratifying uplift from 2007s Great Recession.

Concurrent with new businesses, Main Street began a major rebuilding, coupled with expansion of City Hall and the Police Complex. Urban Renewal funding allowed regeneration of Main, thanks to one of the few incentive programs the state allows. Twin Falls cautious rebuilding approach, coupled with available funding from frugal municipal operations, allowed the city to plan for the next 30-plus years, when Twin Falls population may top 70,000.

2017 will be the year of WATER, as the past centurys enormous success irrigating the desert with Snake River water has grown Twin Falls into a major economic center. But at what cost? The vital quality of life so cherished in our sleepy farm town, now feeling its oats, must be protected by recognizing environmental limits to the unexpected prosperity.

Limited availability of potable water will limit new industries moving to Twin Falls. The city should incorporate aggressive new zoning codes rewarding substitutes for grass and water-intensive home landscaping. New city parks may not have acres of grass and water-intensive trees, and hopefully, community awards will emerge for best water conservation practices. Yes, water rates will eventually rise to curb future demand.

Which brings me to a culminating hope for 2017. Twin Falls was the nations incubator for its largest, most successful private irrigation project and government Carey Act land grant. But there is no county-wide celebration of this historic flowering of the desert via official ceremony. With the new art project at North Five Points as a conversation-starter, isnt it appropriate to initiate an expanded, singular celebration, highlighting the yearly opening of the first irrigation gate of Twin Falls Canal Co.? More than 280,000 acres of prime farmland today are fertile testimony to the vision of I.B. Perrine, Frank Buhl, Paul Bickel, John Hayes, Frank Murtaugh and other pioneers, all deserving our annual respect and noisy celebration.
This appeared in Thursdays Washington Post:

No one is certain how President-elect Donald Trump intends to stiffen restrictions on immigrants and visitors to the United States, or what he means by extreme vetting, though there is little doubt he will try to tighten screening for many applying from Muslim countries.

What is clear is that beefed-up federal laws, rules, systems, programs and technology have added substantial layers of scrutiny for virtually every foreigner who has entered the country in recent years.

Americans deserve to know that those entering the country have been screened carefully, but it will be difficult for Trump to fashion an even more muscular inspection and monitoring regimen without subjecting visitors and immigrants to outright religious profiling.

The advances in federal capabilities were highlighted last week when the Obama administration officially dismantled one post-Sept. 11 screening program, which seemed tough when it was enacted, because it had become obsolete. The program, known as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, was in use for nine years before being suspended in 2011, largely because other, newer systems had proved more effective at tracking and monitoring foreign travelers before and after they entered the country.

While it was in use, NSEERS entailed registering some 180,000 teenage boys and men from 25 countries, most of them Muslimsubjecting them to fingerprinting, interrogations and, in some cases, periodic visits from federal agents. At least 13,000 of them were placed into deportation proceedings after overstaying their visas or otherwise failing to comply with rules.

The program applied for the most part to law-abiding visitors and residents, and as far as is known, never produced any terrorist prosecutions. In 2012, the Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general, noting it had done little to enhance public safety while draining government resources, recommended that it be permanently dismantled. Now it has been, meaning the Trump administration would have to jump through additional hoops to resurrect it, or something like it.

Doing so may be a waste of effort. Since NSEERS was established, and even more since its demise, other programs have leapfrogged it. Automated systems now collect and store biographic and biometric data including digitized fingerprints, iris scans and facial data for most foreigners entering the country, including students. Foreign nationals from or those who have visited high-risk countries such as Syria, Iraq, Libyaand Yemen are ineligible for participation in the U.S. visa waiver program, meaning they are subject to extra scrutiny when applying to come to the United States. Government databases are increasingly searchable and better at helping officials spot those who may pose threats to national security.

Those systems and programs, detailed by Homeland Security in explanation of NSEERSs obsolescence, provide federal authorities with a range of tools to verify foreigners identities and monitor their movements. They apply broadly to visitors, travelers and immigrants. They also comport with constitutional standards and American values.

By contrast, a registry that singles out travelers from Muslim countries falls afoul of those standardsand may do little to enhance national security. While some prominent recent terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe were carried out by immigrants, the perpetrators of others, including the bloody assaults in Paris and Orlando, Florida, were by homegrown terrorists.
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1. Irans presidential race in May. Iran does run real elections  sort of  but will Rouhani survive? Or will the hardliners ascend again? How much is Rouhani a hardliner anyway? Stay tuned. Ill just note a theorem in the margins here: the greater the unpredictability of the American president, the more the identities and decisions of the other world leaders matter. According to Wikipedia, the only announced reformist candidate is a blogger (not a good sign for him or them).

2. How Nigeria copes with its recession. This is the one country in sub-Saharan Africa that has the size and talent to make a significant commercial breakthrough. Now that oil prices are back up a bit, can they dismantle their counterproductive exchange and capital controls, boost FDI, and get to four to six percent growth? Or will they wallow in the range of one to two percent, which hardly means anything in light of Nigerias rising population?

3. Whether the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains stable. Joseph Kabila is staying past the end of his second presidential term. Will this lead to renewed instability and conflict, beyond what is already the case? Africas World War ended in 2003, not long ago, and it is not impossible to imagine it resuming.

4. African fertility rates. Theyre high. In most other parts of the world, including Latin America and the Middle East, fertility has fallen much faster than most commentators had expected. That is not yet the case for Africa, but will it be?

5. Modis India and where it it headed: Maybe the demonetisation was an unforced error, but it seems increasingly likely it was part of a broader strategy to push India into a semi-cashless, biometrically marked, income tax-paying society. Ill be curious to see how that goes.

6. Economic growth in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Pakistan grew 4.7 percent last year and Bangladesh has averaged about six percent for the last decade. Is all that (relative) good news going to continue? If so, the world will be in much better shape than otherwise.

7. Will Xi Jinping overturn Chinese political conventions? His term is supposed to end in 2022, but for a while he has been sending signals he might try to stay on as leader for much longer. That could bring a new round of political instability to the Middle Kingdom. Or a new round of stability. Depending how you look at it.

8. Chinese capital flight and the currency peg. This one seems to be heating to a boil. Capital flight continues to rise, using every technique known to mankind including Bitcoin and e-purchases of Singaporean gambling tokens. The government says that the sporadic reports of USD trades at 7-1 are nonsense, so they must be right. When will it snap? And when it does, will it be a non-event or a big deal?

9. American institutions: Will the United States Congress and courts continue to secure some version of rule of law in this country? And will we agree on what that means?

10. What is the Latin American middle class good for? Many Latin economies now have built a reasonably-sized middle class, but commodity prices are not in general favoring those economies. Will those middle classes push their countries into better policies and educational systems? Slowly but surely, I believe the answer is yes.

There is a chance the French or German elections make this list, but right now the best forecasts are for business as usual in both cases. Brexit will continue to torture us with its drawn-out agony. And remember  your emotional guide as to what is an important issue often reflects your own selfish concerns about the status of you and your preferred groups. Do keep that in mind throughout this year.

If youre looking for a few sleeper issues, Ill cite Russia-Israel tensions over control of Middle Eastern airspace, economic and institutional recovery in Ukraine combined with sabotage potential from you-know-where, the political economy and geopolitics of aging in Japan, the rise of a Trump-like populist in Mexico, and the potential failure of the Saudi reform process as a few more to keep your eye on. Climate change and the destroyed parts of the Middle East bear watching too, along with ongoing collapse in Yemen, for water supplies too.
Morocco and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) are set to attach particular importance to cooperation in civil aviation on the backdrop of the growth in the number of passengers, said Moroccos Civil Aviation Director Zakaria Belghazi.

The passengers travelling through air between Morocco and the GCC countries exceeded 1 million in 2015 compared to 245,000 in 2006, said Moroccos news agency.

Air traffic between the two parties increased by 12.5 pc between 2004 and 2015, the news agency quoted Belghazi as saying.

Belghazi, who was speaking at a meeting in Rabat on cooperation prospects in civil aviation, noted that Morocco and the GCC aspire to give civil aviation special attention in their strategic partnership.

In this regard, he stressed the need for developing a framework for permanent and structured cooperation between the Kingdom and the GCC countries.

He also noted that the strategy adopted by the kingdom to develop and modernize its airport platforms attaches great importance to promoting the civil aviation sector as an essential pillar for the socio-economic development of the country.

Recently, Emirate airlines said it would switch to the iconic double decker A380 which will offer a total of 1834 additional seats per week, meeting a growing demand from travelers on the route.

The launch of the A380 flights will enable travelers from Casablanca to connect to onward destinations in the Emirates network, particularly in the GCC countries, east Asia and Australia, with many cities, such as Kuwait, Djeddah, Doha, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth also being served by the A380.
Rached Ghannouchi and his Ennahda party have been urged to reconcile Muammar Gaddafis loyalists and Islamists, London-based The New Arab reports.

According to Qatari media, Ghannouchi has been in contact with the two 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, Ghannouchi told The Arab News in an interview last March.

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,

Ennahdha, at its congress in May, distanced itself from its Islamist agenda to embrace a political line.
A year after Russian flights to Egypt were suspended in response to a fatal crash in Sinai, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisis office on Thursday said Russia would resume its flights to the North African nation soon.

The announcement follows a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin who confirmed the news in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart.

President Putin affirmed Russias intention to resume regular flights between Moscow and Cairo in the very near future, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

Flights to Egypt from Russia were suspended after a Russian plane crashed into the Sinai desert in October 2015.

Islamic State claimed it had placed a bomb aboard the plane, which was carrying Russian holidaymakers back to St. Petersburg from the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The crash killed all 224 on board.

The suspension of flights was a major blow to Egypts economy, which relies heavily on tourism.

Tourism is a main source of Egypts foreign currency reserves, which have recently plummeted, producing a crisis for the government in its attempts to maintain the exchange value of the Egyptian pound and simultaneously invite foreign direct investment.

With almost 3 million visitors, Russia was the largest market for inbound tourism to Egypt.
A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday sentenced 15 anti-government protesters who were arrested during protests against President Joseph Kabilas continued stay in power.

The court in Lubumbashi sentenced the convicts to three years in prison on charges of rebellion and acquitted thirty-four others.

According to one of the defense lawyers who spoke to media after the verdict, these convictions are political because they are meant to satisfy the hierarchy, and we are appealing because, from a legal point of view, there has been no physical evidence of guilt.

The defendants were arrested about a week ago in the aftermath of two days of violence across the central African nation.

The Conference Episcopale Nationale du Congo (CENCO) summit is due to begin on Thursday (29 December) and is aimed at stemming the violence that followed Kabilas refusal to step down despite the expiry of his two-term limit as leader of the resource- rich African nation.

Kabila and opposition parties agreed in principle to a deal before Christmas, but will now discuss holding elections next year and setting up a transitional government to last until his departure at the end of 2017.
Where cities have restricted indoor smoking in public places, children have been less likely to go to the emergency room with asthma problems. Credit: Brown University

A new study helps to answer the burning question of whether recently enacted indoor smoking bans in public areas have improved health. The research finds the bans are associated with a 17 percent overall reduction in the number of children visiting emergency departments with asthma complaints.

"Across 20 metropolitan areas that introduced clean indoor air regulations during the 2000s, fewer children were seen in the emergency rooms for asthma exacerbations," said study senior author Theresa Shireman, a professor at the Brown University School of Public Health. "Clean indoor air laws not only reduce expensive health care use, but they also help parents and their children avoid time-consuming, stressful events."

Shireman and co-authors Dr. Christina Ciaccio of the University of Chicago and Tami Gurley-Calvez of the University of Kansas argue that more cities should pass restrictions that prevent smoking in indoor public spaces such as restaurants. The three researchers performed the study while colleagues at Kansas.

"Children are in a very unique situation in that they have very little control over their environment," Ciaccio said. "This study shows that even those short exposures to secondhand smoke in public spaces like restaurants can have a significant impact on asthma exacerbations."

Before and after

The study in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology examined emergency asthma visits at 20 pediatric hospitals in 14 states and Washington, D.C. For each hospital, the researchers counted the number of visits in the three years before and the three years after indoor smoking bans took effect.

In total, they counted 335,588 visits between 2000 and 2014. When making pre-ban and post-ban comparisons, they controlled for a variety of possible confounding factors including season and other temporal variations; patient gender, age and race; and Medicaid enrollment as a proxy for socioeconomic status.

In each area the numbers varied, with some showing declines, most remaining barely changed, and some showing increasesbut in the preponderance of locales, rates declined. In the aggregate across all 20 hospitals, the reduction in visits became deeper with every year after bans went into effect: 8 percent one year after, 13 percent two years after and finally 17 percent after three years.

To see if they all they were measuring was a long-term decline that had nothing to do with smoking policy, the researchers ran a test where they arbitrarily picked Jan. 1, 2007, as a date to make their six-year before-and-after comparison for every hospital. That test yielded no significant decline in visits, meaning that there is no general nationwide decline in asthma emergencies.

The researchers acknowledged that the study only shows an association and doesn't prove that the bans caused the drop in emergency room visits, but Shireman said the evidence strongly suggests it. Secondhand smoke, after all, is known to be an asthma trigger, the researchers noted.

"Combined with other studies, our results make it clear that clean indoor air legislation improves public health," Shireman said.

More information: Christina E. Ciaccio et al. Indoor tobacco legislation is associated with fewer emergency department visits for asthma exacerbation in children, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (2016). Journal information: Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Christina E. Ciaccio et al. Indoor tobacco legislation is associated with fewer emergency department visits for asthma exacerbation in children,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2016.10.005
(HealthDay)Marijuana appears to hamper blood flow to the brain, which theoretically could affect your memory and ability to reason, a new study suggests.

Brain scans of nearly 1,000 past and present marijuana users revealed abnormally low blood flow throughout their brains, compared with a smaller control group of 92 people who'd never used pot.

"The differences were astonishing," said lead researcher Dr. Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist and founder of the U.S.-based Amen Clinics. "Virtually every area of the brain we measured was lower in blood flow and activity in the marijuana smokers than in the healthy group."

Blood flow was lowest in the hippocampus of marijuana users, which Amen found most troubling.

"The hippocampus is the gateway to memory, to get memories into long-term storage," Amen said. "That area distinguished healthy people from pot smokers better than any other area of the brain."

For this study, Amen and his colleagues evaluated brain scan data collected at nine outpatient neuropsychiatric clinics across the United States. The patients had sought treatment of complex psychological or neurological problems.

The brain scans relied on a technology called single-photon emission computed tomography, or SPECT, which can be used to track blood flow throughout the body.

The researchers found 982 patients in the database who had been diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. People with this diagnosis have used marijuana so heavily that it has affected their health, their work or their family life.

The researchers found they could reliably distinguish the brains of marijuana users by checking blood flow to the hippocampus. Marijuana use is believed to interfere with memory formation by inhibiting activity in the hippocampus, which is the brain's key memory and learning center.

"The growing lore in our country is that marijuana is innocuous, it's good medicine and it should be legalized," Amen said. "This research directly challenges that notion."

Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia now have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, primarily for medical purposes.

Although smoking is bad for the brain, Amen said blood flow was reduced even in marijuana users who ingest the drug rather than smoke it.

"We've also seen it with people who don't smoke, who get marijuana in cookies or ingest it in other ways," he said.

While the study doesn't establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the researchers concluded that doctors should think twice before recommending marijuana in the treatment of someone with Alzheimer's disease.

The findings "raise important questions about the impact of marijuana use on normal function in areas of the brain important to memory and thinking," said Maria Carrillo, chief science officer for the Alzheimer's Association.

"Sustained inadequate blood flow can damage and eventually kill cells anywhere in the body," Carrillo said. "Since the brain has one of the body's richest networks of blood vessels, it is especially vulnerable. These vessels deliver nutrients to the brain and carry away waste, which is vital for normal cognitive function."

However, Carrillo added, "we cannot tell from this study whether marijuana use increases a person's risk for cognitive decline or Alzheimer's."

Other experts raised concerns that the marijuana users who underwent the brain scans had been seeking treatment for psychiatric problems. They said this could skew the results.

For example, the study reports that 62 percent of the marijuana group had attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, 47 percent had traumatic brain injury, and 35 percent had major depressive disorder.

"It looks as if the cannabis users were all referred to the clinic for some problem while the healthy controls were not," said Mitch Earleywine, an advisory board member for NORML, which advocates for marijuana legalization. He's also a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany.

Neurologist Dr. Terry Fife of Phoenix, Ariz., agreed with Earleywine.

"You really want to know that the only thing different between the two groups is the use of marijuana, and we can't tell that here," said Fife, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

Fife added that the study does not show the extent of the participants' marijuana use, outside of their diagnosis for cannabis use disorder. "It's unclear how much of a user these users were," he said.

Fife concluded that the possible link between marijuana and Alzheimer's disease will need further research.

"I wouldn't say it's a risk factor, but it could be an aggravator of the disorder," Fife said. "If it's true that it reduces the function of the hippocampus, it could in theory make the memory a little worse, but Alzheimer's is much more complicated than just memory."

The report was published recently in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Copyright  2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Massachusetts joins the list of legal marijuana states

If you are 21 years of age or older and a Massachusetts resident, recreational marijuana is now legal for you after the law went into effect on Thursday, December 15, 2016. Massachusetts is the first state in the densely-populated U.S. Northeast that has legalized the drug for recreational use.

Despite the strong opposition from top politicians, the Catholic Church, doctors, business groups, and other civic leaders, Massachusetts is one of three states where ballot measures legalizing recreational use of marijuana passed on November 8, 2016, along with California and Nevada. The Governors Council certified those results on Wednesday, December 14, bringing the law into effect on Thursday. Voters in Arizona rejected the law, and a Maine ballot is still going through a recount.

A legal gray zone

Even though marijuana remains illegal under federal law, in Massachusetts, anyone who is 21 or older can now legally possess up to one ounce of pot in public and up to 10 ounces inside their home. Additionally, its also legal for Massachusetts residents to grow up to six plants per person, with a limit of 12 plants per household.

It will be at least another year before cannabis can be legally sold in the state, giving state officials time to figure out how to implement the new law. They have been given until January 2018 to regulate the marketplace and set up licensed retail stores. This, however, creates a temporary legal gray zone where buying up to an ounce of marijuana from a dealer is legal while the dealer is breaking the state law.

Supporters of the new law are very wary that Massachusetts officials might try to change the law or delay its full implementation over the coming months, ABC News reported.

I am both celebrating and worrying that the law might not be implemented properly, said Bill Downing, member liaison for the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition who has spent nearly three decades crusading for relaxed marijuana rules.

His concern stems from public statements made by Democratic legislative leaders and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who were opposed to the law but had no choice other than to honor the will of the people. The Massachusetts marijuana legalization ballot passed last month with about 1.8 million people voting for and 1.5 million people voting against the measure, reported the Boston Globe.

Top leaders and politicians already stated that the law does not sufficiently protect public health and safety, trying to delay the opening of stores beyond the planned January 2018 date.

Massachusetts influence on neighboring states

Some people suggested that the legalization in Massachusetts could motivate neighboring states to consider similar steps. Given the close distances between cities in the West, it will be easy for people to cross state lines to acquire the drug.

Taylor West, deputy director of the Washington-based National Cannabis Industry Association, told the Huffington Post in a phone interview that it certainly makes sense for neighboring states to look at the policy and consider the benefits the state can get from putting this behind a regulated counter. Rhode Islands governor, Democrat Gina Raimondo, already communicated that she is willing to consider the idea.

According to a poll by Gallup, 60 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Nonetheless, the future remains uncertain. While Trump has said that marijuana legalization was best left to the states during his campaign, his pick for attorney general is U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who criticized Barack Obamas administration for not enforcing the federal ban on marijuana aggressively enough.

Sources:

BostonGlobe.com

ABCNews.Go.com

HuffingtonPost.com

Submit a correction >>
THE TRUE COST OF ALL THAT 'CHEAP' LAOR THAT DESTROYED AMERICA THE BIG SECRET DEMOCRATS DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW: Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute has testified before a Congressional committee that in 2004, 95% of all outstanding warrants for murder in Los Angeles were for illegal aliens; in 2000, 23% of all Los Angeles County jail inmates were illegal aliens and that in 1995, 60% of Los Angeless largest street gang, the 18th Street gang, were illegal aliens.
@amysherman

The drama of the race to lead the Florida Democratic Party will travel to left-leaning Broward when the candidates convene at a forum in Pompano Beach Jan. 11.

Wealthy donor/developer Stephen Bittel, activist Alan Clendenin, former state Sen. Dwight Bullard, Duval County's Lisa King and Osceola Democratic chair Leah Carius have all confirmed they will attend, said Tim Canova, one of the organizers. The forum gives Democratic activists in Broward -- the county with the highest number of registered Democrats -- a chance to hear how the candidates hope to reinvigorate the party after its crushing defeat in November with an eye toward 2018 races for Senate and governor.

But ultimately, the opinion of only two Democrats in Broward matter -- state committeeman Ken Evans and committeewoman Grace Carrington -- who get a powerful vote in the chair election in Orlando Jan. 14th.

Evans said he hasn't decided who he will vote for but said he will base his decision on who Broward Democrats coalesce around. Carrington said in a text to the Miami Herald "I'm not making my decision until 10 minutes before the vote."

Votes are weighted based on the number of registered Democrats in each county which means that Broward and Miami-Dade get a major say in the chair election to replace Allison Tant.

Chair candidates have been racing around the state meeting with Democratic leaders who get a vote and other activists who will try to sway the vote.

One of the key organizers of the Pompano forum is Progress for All, a group headed by former Congressional candidate Canova who lost the Democratic primary to U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Canova said he hasn't backed any candidate so far.

The race for Florida Democratic Party chair has been full of drama. Weeks ago, it appeared that Bittel, a wealthy donor and Coconut Grove developer, was the frontrunner when other key candidates failed to become eligible in their own counties. In Miami-Dade, Bret Berlin won a state committeeman seat and then quickly resigned to make way for Bittel to run for the post, a prerequisite to running statewide. Bittel beat Bullard 250-161.

It appeared that Bullard had given up -- he didn't show up for his own election because he was on a family cruise. But then he revived his bid by moving to Gadsden County, a small rural county in northern Florida, where he won a state committeeman spot Tuesday.

Bullard was the second candidate to move to keep his candidacy alive: after Clendenin lost in Hillsborough County, he moved into a rented trailer in Bradford County and won a similar post there.
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The skyrocketing price of housing was the biggest economic story in Missoula in 2016.

Housing prices affect every segment of the economy in some way or another, and Missoula experienced an unprecedented spike this year. From Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, the median sales price of the 1,164 homes sold in Missoula was $256,000, an increase of $16,000 over the same period last year.

The trend is only increasing. In November, 97 homes sold for a median price of $267,000. Just five years ago, the median sales price was $50,000 less than it is now. An economist with the University of Montana recently told the City Council that Missoulas housing prices have increased more since 1990 than places like Seattle and San Francisco.

The reasons for the price increases include Missoulas geography  a lack of land that can be developed  and a steady population increase of around 1.5 percent every year. There are efforts to alleviate the pressure, including construction of affordable housing by the local nonprofit Homeword and the creation of a housing office at the city level under the direction of Eran Fowler Pehan.

The price increases are great news for sellers who move elsewhere and people who locked into a mortgage before things got out of control, but for everyone else it threatens great financial stress. It remains to be seen if city leaders and market forces can figure out a way to take control of the situation.
To the tune of Twelve Days of Christmas, Missoula parks and trails enjoyed the 12 months of 2016:

12 playground upgrades

11 Fort Missoula sports fields

10 miles of bike trails

9-1-1 trail markers

8,000 square feet of art space

655 acres of county open space

Five gold rings (worth $36 million)

Four conservation easements

3,000 more volunteer hours

Two more playgrounds coming

And an urban forest of pruned park trees.

Its really impressive how our residents want to invest in our place, Missoula City Parks and Recreation Department Director Donna Gaukler said Thursday.

Ten years ago, city and county officials were looking for ways to build on the momentum generated by a new aquatics facility, the Mobash skate park, a new art museum and open-space additions. Many of those ideas blossomed this year.

I hadnt really realized that until I saw it all amassed on the sheet, Missoula County Parks and Trails Coordinator John Stegmaier said. Things came together on a lot of really significant projects this year. The outcome is pretty tremendous.

Accomplishments like the Missoula-Lolo bike trail along Highway 93 also involved state and federal assistance. Private donors and local organizations like Five Valleys Land Trust partnered with the local government programs to share the burden.

New play space will become available both inside and outside the city. The acquisition of the Montana Rail Link 4.5-acre parcel adds a second park to the citys most child-dense Franklin-to-the-Fort neighborhood. And conservation easements on the South Hills and Farviews fringes near Pattee Canyon put some scenic vantage points into public use.

Whats also incredible was the number of good-paying jobs over the year, Gaukler said. We had 26 contracts for the Fort Missoula Regional Park that all went to Missoula or Bitterroot firms. The only one that went outside was for a synthetic turf thats not made in Montana. Thats really good for business.

All told, Missoula city and county governments and their partners spent $36 million on 17 open space, trails or parks and playground projects in 2016.

The citys bike-pedestrian trail network got some technical upgrades as well. Wooden bollards every tenth of a mile help users navigate the several different routes, making it easier to know when the Kim Williams Trail becomes the Milwaukee Road Trail. Names and mileage marks also allow callers to tell emergency dispatchers exactly where they need help, or want to report a crime.

Its a small project, Gaukler said, but what a change. You know where youre going and you can find each other.

A new bare-root tree nursery at the Missoula Wastewater Treatment Facility will help urban foresters replace the valleys aging maples, and green up its new neighborhoods. Seeley Lake added a connecting trail between Highway 83 and Seeley-Swan High School.

West Riverside added an 8-foot-wide path to help pedestrians and bikers stay safe from traffic moving around the Interstate 90 interchange. Another path connects communities on the north side of the Clark Fork River with the Kim Williams Trail on the south bank.

Grant Creek got a new 1.3-mile addition to its bike route, and the South Reserve Street Crossing Bridge will be finished next spring.

When you have a shared vision, its amazing what you can make happen, Gaukler said. Weve gone through years of planning with citizens that got us on the right track.

Bonus points to the first seven readers who noticed we couldnt finagle a No. 7 in the Days of Christmas parks and recreation list.
Seven multiple-use recreation groups have filed suit seeking to force the Bitterroot National Forest to redo its travel plan signed last May.

In the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Missoula, the groups say Bitterroot Forest officials ignored key input by the public and violated existing statutes and policies in developing the plan that establishes where motorized travel is allowed.

Bitterroot Forest officials spent more than nine years developing the plan after considering 13,400 comments. It shut off thousands of acres of areas classified as Wilderness Study Areas to snowmobilers, ATV riders and mountain bikers.

The groups that filed suit include the Bitterroot Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club, Ravalli County Off-Road User Association, Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists, Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association, Montana Snowmobile Association, Citizens for Balanced Use and Backcountry Sled Patriots.

Dan Thompson, a long-time member of the Bitterroot Ridge Runners and Ravalli County Off-Road User Association, said the decision to file suit wasnt an easy one.

Before moving forward, Thompson said the groups needed to have some assurance that a lawsuit could be successful in resolving some of the issues presented by the closures.

This coalition is kind of different, Thompson said. We dont have any deep pockets to reach into. We are spending money that belongs to our friends and neighbors.

In the event that we dont prevail, we will have spent a whole bunch of real peoples money, he said.

At its core, Thompson said there were two issues that forced the groups to move forward.

We worked so hard with the Forest Service to bring our points of view forward on what we thought were substantial issues, which were often supported by real data, Thompson said. By and large, all of our concerns were ignored.

Instead, Thompson said the agency focused on the idea that there were widespread conflicts occurring between motorized and non-motorized recreation groups.

That theme of widespread conflicts dominated the travel plan, he said. The Forest Service addressed those alleged conflicts by creating additional areas of quiet spaceWe dont see those conflicts. The data said there werent any conflicts.

More than half of the Bitterroot National Forest is already in wilderness, he said.

When you consider that half is reserved for quiet users, how can you make the case for a need for more of it? he said.

Stan Spencer of Missoula helped form Backcountry Sled Patriot four years ago after becoming concerned about the loss of off-trail, high alpine areas being closed to snowmobile traffic on public lands.

Spencer said the new Bitterroot Forest travel plan follows that trend by closing additional high elevation acreage to across-the-snow travel in two areas designated as Wilderness Study Areas.

Some of those areas were being used by snowmobilers before the areas were designated. In the case of the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area, Spencer said the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest allows snowmobiling on the portion of the WSA it manages.

There is a line right down the middle of it where snowmobiling is allowed and where it isnt, Spencer said. That is kind of perplexing to have management that is so diametrically opposed.

We would like to see the restrictions on motorized travel on the WSAs reversed, he said. There were no reasons given for closing it other than it should be a quiet area.

Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists Lance Pysher said the agencys decision to move forward with the plan without doing adequate monitoring of the situation on the ground was what forced the mountain biking group to join the legal challenge.

They did no analysis on the volume of use on the trails we use, Pysher said. Without that kind of data, it seems kind of crazy to kick us off the trails weve been riding for 20 years. We want the Forest Service to actually analyze our impact.

We dont want that decision to be based on a hand wave and the notion that they think this or believe that, he said. We want proactive analysis, not reactive management based on anecdotes.

But not everyone is unhappy with the decision to close down mechanized travel on Wilderness Study Areas.

Jim Miller, president of the Friends of the Bitterroot, said the law and Wilderness Study Act is clear that the lands are to be preserved and maintained for the wilderness qualities that existed in 1977 when the act was passed. The idea that motorized travel is a conforming use has been rejected by the courts for more than 20 years.

I think the Forest Service is on very solid ground in terms of their interpretation of the Wilderness Study Act and the decision by the courts, Miller said. While I understand the disappointment of the motorized and mechanized users, unfortunately the error was to allow those uses there in the first place.

If the Chain of Lakes trail hadnt been built through the middle of the Sapphire WSA, Miller said motorized recreational users wouldnt have felt entitled to the use of that area now.

Miller said the Friends of the Bitterroot group didnt get everything it wanted, either, in the travel plan. Two examples: some of the inventoried roadless areas allow motorized travel and dispersed camping is allowed within 300 feet of a road.

I think the Forest Service did the right thing on the Wilderness Study areas, he said. I dont think the groups will be successful in their legal challenge.

While Bitterroot Forest spokesman Tod McKay couldnt comment on the specifics of the lawsuit, we do believe that the travel plan provides quality recreation experiences for both motorized and non-motorized users, reduces user conflicts and protects forest natural resources and wildlife.

The plan leaves 2,246 miles of road and trails open to motorized use, which McKay said equals the distance between Hamilton and New York City.

There are also 543,840 acres open to snowmobile use. McKay said that encompasses about a third of the national forest.

McKay said there was an extensive and thorough public outreach that included a record number of public comments, dozens of public meetings and extending the comment period twice to allow for additional public input.
I am appalled at two signatories of the Dec. 27 letter to "fellow Americans from Montanas leaders.

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke and nearly every Republican never disavowed Donald Trump; his surrogates' and supporters' attacks on Muslims, blacks, Jews, women, immigrants; and Trumps slashing publicly of even child critics of him.

You, Daines and Zinke, are responsible for the white racist issues surfacing in Whitefish, you are the enablers of that which you disavow in the letter. At best, your inclusion in this letter is despicable.

Terry Marasco,

Corvallis
Dec. 23, the Security Council of the United Nations passed resolution 2334 (2016) by a vote of 140, with the United States abstaining. Anyone who stands on the side of justice should welcome the passage of this resolution.

In Item 2, the countries of the United Nations demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.

This resolution is significant because this is practically the first time that the United States has not vetoed a Security Council Resolution that is critical of Israel.

The background to this resolution is as follows: In the six-day war of 1967, initiated by Israel, Israeli forces took control of East Jerusalem and the land between the Jordan River and the accepted eastern border of Israel (often referred to as the West Bank). This land had been under the jurisdiction of Jordan. Since then, the West Bank has been under military occupation by Israeli forces. According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, countries are not allowed to acquire land in wars of conquest, military occupations must be short, and an occupying power cannot move its citizens into the occupied territory.

Presently Israel maintains control of around 90 percent of the West Bank, and since 1967 has moved half a million Israeli Jews into the West Bank, where 2.5 million Palestinians are being confined to less and less territory. The settlements have turned the occupied territories into an apartheid state, in which two populations live under different laws, dictated by the Israeli government; and these laws substantially favor the Israeli settler minority.

Words on a piece of paper cannot by themselves deter an implacable government; however, this resolution does give international leverage both for the implementation of a two-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis, and for a just and democratic existence for the Palestinian people now under military occupation.

Sam Neff,

Whitefish
PORTLAND, Ore.  A federal judge has denied Oregon refuge occupier Ryan Payne's request to withdraw his guilty plea.

U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown ruled Wednesday that Payne's plea in the Oregon case wasn't, as his attorney argued, contingent on reaching a plea agreement in a case against him in Nevada, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

"Payne's factual statements supporting his guilty plea were both thorough and unequivocal," Brown wrote in her 32-page ruling.

Payne, of Anaconda, acknowledged in July that he conspired with others to prevent Interior Department employees from doing their jobs during the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Payne was one of 11 defendants to plead guilty before others in the case went to trial and were found not guilty.

Three co-defendants, including Payne, filed motions to withdraw guilty pleas. The judge hasn't issued rulings on the other motions filed by Joseph O'Shaughnessy and Eric Flores.

In Nevada, he's accused of organizing "armed protection" in an April 2014 standoff over impounding Cliven Bundy's cattle.

Payne's attorney had also argued that his client's plea should be withdrawn because Ammon Bundy  Cliven Bundy's son  and others were acquitted of the same charges. Brown ruled that the plea stood on those grounds as well.

"This is not a case in which there is a new question as to Payne's factual innocence after the trial of his Co-Defendants," Brown wrote. "Indeed, it remains undisputed that Payne was a leader of the occupation" of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Under the plea agreement, federal prosecutors were to recommend a 12-year sentence, but Payne could have argued for seven years. It is unclear if that recommended sentence will remain since no plea agreement has been reached in the Nevada case.

Payne will be sentenced at a later date.
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DILLON  The University of Montana Western Dances with Words visiting author 2017 series begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, with Montana author Rick Bass. The reading will be at The Cup in Montana Westerns Swysgood Technology Center.

Referred to as a national treasure by author Carl Hiassen, Bass has won numerous awards, including multiple Pushcart Prizes and O. Henry Awards, and his stories, articles and essays have appeared in the Paris Review, the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly among many other widely read publications.

His most recent nonfiction book, Why I Came West, was a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award.

Montana poet Lowell Jaeger will read from his works on Thursday, April 13. Jaeger has an extensive collection of published books of poetry and journal publications.

He is the founding editor of Many Voices Press, which began when he found himself inheriting poems of three former students whod passed away without having their poetry heard.

Jaeger has been awarded the NEA Fellowship, Grolier Poetry Peace Prize, Montana Arts Council Fellowship and Montana Governor's Humanities Award. He is currently a professor of English and creative writing at Flathead Valley Community College, and serves as the humanities division chair.

Montana native Shann Ray will close out the series with a reading on Thursday, April 27. His debut novel, American Copper won the Foreword Book of the Year Readers Choice Award and the Western Writers of America Spur Award. The novel was also a finalist for the Washington State Book Award, the High Plains Book Award and the Foreword Book of the Year Award for Literary Fiction.

He is the winner of numerous poetry and writing awards, including the Creative Writing Distinguished Alumni Award from Eastern Washington University.

Ray teaches leadership and forgiveness studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.

The Dances with Words series is free and open to the public.
Outgoing Clerk of Court Lori Maloney shed tears in the rotunda of the courthouse as she spoke to more than 20 newly elected county officials during Thursday mornings swearing-in ceremony.

Being elected to a position in your local government is a very big deal, Maloney said. These folks who will be taking the oath of office today are your representatives to this government. This is a very big task to undertake and one that will fall upon these men and women.

Maloney, who has over 45 years of public service under her belt, says she gets emotional every time new officials take the oath.

Because its a life changer for these people that were sworn in today, Maloney told The Montana Standard. Its a new adventure for them.

This years ceremony had special meaning for Maloney because its the last shell attend as an elected official.

Maloney didnt seek reelection this year, and among those who took the oath Thursday was her successor, Tom Powers, who Maloney personally swore in herself.

"We would like to thank you in our confidence in us," Maloney said on behalf of outgoing elected officials. "It has truly been an honor for us to serve this community so thank you.

Also serving Butte-Silver Bow for the first time is District 12 Commissioner Dan Callaghan.

Callaghan, who took Chief Executive Dave Palmers seat on the council, said hes excited about his new role and working with Dave and doing some good things for the community.

But for Palmer, public service is nothing new.

Palmer has served for a combined 20 years on the council, and he said he has these words of wisdom for those coming to public office for the first time:

Work as a team. Its a team effort and dont try to do everything by yourself, said Palmer. Work together and youll get a lot more done.

Palmer also extended a message of gratitude to those leaving office, such as outgoing Chief Executive Matt Vincent, who lost to Palmer in Novembers election.

Id like to congratulate  the outgoing elected officials, Palmer said. They deserve a big thank you.

As for Maloney, she left officials with her own words of wisdom.

My father used to say that holding public office is like dancing on a crowded dance floor: No matter how you move youre going to rub somebody the wrong way, Maloney said. I would encourage each of you to remember that we are together in this government because it is our local government and it will only be as good as you want it to be.
WASHINGTON -- "Spare us the kissy-face."

It was June 2001 and I was covering President George W. Bush's trip to Slovenia, where he had just met Vladimir Putin for the first time. I and others were struck by Bush's praise for the Russian leader as "trustworthy." Said Bush: "I was able to get a sense of his soul."

But back in Washington, my editor had no interest in such talk. He rewrote my lede with other news -- a tidbit about missile defense -- and he moved the "kissy-face" stuff about Putin's soul down to Paragraph 18.

In retrospect, that moment in Slovenia defined the Russia relationship for years to come. Putin had seduced Bush, who only slowly came to understand he had misjudged this adversary's soul. Putin opposed Bush in Iraq and was unhelpful with Iran. He shut down independent television, sent business leaders who criticized him into exile and prison, ousted democratic parties from government, canceled the election of governors and invaded Georgia.

The kissy-face happened all over again when President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to "reset" relations. Russia responded by working against the United States in Syria, sheltering Edward Snowden, invading and occupying parts of Ukraine, and hacking and meddling in the U.S. election to defeat Clinton.

Now it's Donald Trump's turn for kissy-face, and the president-elect is practically groping the Russian dictator. After Putin gloated Friday that Democrats need to learn "to lose with dignity," Trump tweeted Putin a sloppy kiss: "So true!" he said of Putin's comments.

Trump also celebrated a letter he received from Putin calling for more collaboration between the two countries. "His thoughts are so correct," Trump said.

Trump's blush-inducing embrace of the strongman has included repeated praise of Putin's leadership, deflected questions about Putin's political killings and disparagement of U.S. intelligence for accusing Russia of election meddling.

In three weeks, Trump will assume the presidency, and we'll learn what his embrace of Putin really means. Perhaps Trump is just a dupe and he'll realize over time that Putin is no friend. The alternative, supported by Trump's choice of Putin-friendly advisers Michael T. Flynn and Rex Tillerson, is that Trump really is pro-Putin and will grant the Russian dictator more latitude internationally and will emulate his autocratic tendencies at home.

The former would require us to endure some policy failures as Putin proved himself again to be an adversary. The latter would test the limits of our democratic institutions.

In either case, it would be useful for Americans to have at least a cursory sense of the man our new president proposes to embrace. Here's a quick glimpse into Putin's soul to get us started:

Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was killed outside the Kremlin as he walked home one night last year. Putin's regime blames Chechens, but Nemtsov's is one of a dozen high-profile murders of opponents widely thought to have been sanctioned by Putin's government.

Another Putin opponent, Alexander Litvinenko, was killed in London by polonium poisoning in 2006. The British government said Putin "probably" approved the hit. That same year, opposition journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot and killed outside her apartment.

Among the many business leaders imprisoned or ousted under Putin are Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was head of the oil giant Yukos, and associate Platon Lebedev. The Russian human rights group Memorial says there are 102 people held in Russian prisons for their political or religious beliefs.

The Kremlin has provided funding and training for far-right nationalist parties in Europe, and it used its state media and an army of hackers and social-media trolls to spread disinformation in the United States, in continental Europe and in Britain before the Brexit vote. The goals: to weaken European unity and the NATO alliance and to keep Europe dependent on Russian energy.

Russia also used disinformation to destabilize the Ukrainian government as Russia annexed Crimea. In Syria, where Russia propped up the Assad regime with indiscriminate bombing in Aleppo and elsewhere, Britain, France and the United States have blamed Putin's government for the mass slaughter of civilians.

An Amnesty International summary of Putin's rule leaves no doubt about his totalitarian state: "Journalist Killed  Human Rights Lawyer Killed  Gay Rights Protesters Attacked  Repressive Laws Enacted  Fines for 'Promoting Homosexuality' Imposed  President Putin Signs Law to Re-criminalize Defamation  USAID Expelled  Federal Treason and Espionage Act goes into effect  Moscow Authorities Detain Protesters and Opposition Party Members."

This, Mr. President-elect, is the man you are embracing. Please spare us the kissy-face.

Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank.

(c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
Last year, I stood in the middle of Browning High Schools cafeteria taking questions from earnest juniors and seniors. These government class students grilled me on my views of national current events, local policy issues, and even how they could influence decisions made in their own school. The toughest question came from a young women who asked how I got to where I am today, and how she too could build a bright future. I explained that I showed up for school every day, worked hard, and relied on support from my family and teachers who were always there to steer me in the right direction.

Montanas educators are some of the best in the nation. Thats true when I was a high school student, and its true today. When students from all over the state are thinking critically and asking reflective questions, I see proof of dedicated educators.

Its our educators who have worked alongside me for the last eight years to make sure students have the foundation necessary for future success. Its because of the long hours, tough work and passion of Montanas educators that I get to say more students are graduating from high school than ever before, and theyre better prepared than any previous generation.

Together we can tout these successes because weve raised the academic bar for all students. Weve expanded learning opportunities for teachers, so they can learn and share innovative ways of reaching students. Weve developed technology tools that allow educators to identify students who might be slipping behind, and catch them before they fall.

Together weve emphasized college and career readiness by offering the ACT free for all juniors, expanded career and technical student organizations, and supported work-based learning opportunities so students get real-world experience while theyre still in school.

Together weve expanded school nutrition programs by serving more breakfasts, lunches, and summer meals to students who may not know when theyll get a good meal at home. Weve expanded Montanas Farm to School efforts so students not only have access to healthy options, but local schools are supporting our local farmers and food producers.

Together weve worked to address bullying and mental health crises in our schools and provided educators with more tools to help students who might be desperate for support. I can say without question that our educators have not only saved lives, but have given students a renewed sense of hope when theyve needed it most.

Together we have protected and enriched all public schools, a place where all students are welcome and will receive a high-quality education, no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or heritage.

As I end my tenure as state superintendent, I would like to thank Montana educators for your tireless commitment to making our state a better place and ensuring the next generation is ready to lead. Because of your work, Ive had the distinct pleasure of waking up each day over the last eight years excited about what our future holds.

Going from a student at Browning High School all the way to leading Montanas 821 public schools, Ive never been more proud of what weve accomplished together.

-- Denise Juneau, Helena, Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2009-2016
Montanans dont have to imagine a world without environmental regulations protecting the quality of their air, water and soil. From the asbestos cleanup that continues in Libby to the recent massive die-off of snow geese that landed in the toxic Berkeley Pit near Butte, our state is littered with reminders of what happens when polluting industries are left to police themselves.

These grim reminders should be in the front of our minds as the federal agency responsible for managing and cleaning up these public health disasters faces an existential threat to its existence in the form of Scott Pruitt. President-elect Donald Trumps nomination of Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency would be a step backwards for the air and water quality protections that have made Montana a cleaner, healthier place for children and families.

Many of us have been around long enough to remember what Montana was like before the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, enforced by the EPA, began protecting citizens from the effects of mercury, ozone and other pollutants. Billings, which for decades lived with dangerous rates of sulfur dioxide, now enjoys healthy air because of EPA protections. The coal ash ponds near Colstrip, which have leaked contaminated water into local aquifers for decades, will soon be cleaned up. Ongoing work to clean up the pollution from copper mining near Butte is putting the area on a path towards cleaner water.

The EPA played a key role in all of these issues and continues to invest in projects that leave our state cleaner for the next generation, while providing local cleanup and restoration jobs. In the fiscal year 2016, the EPA awarded $35.8 million in federal grants to improve water systems, implement pollution controls, and clean up environmental damage in Montana. In fact, the majority of EPAs budget goes to states to improve public health and environmental quality, also creating jobs in the process. If the EPAs safeguards get gutted and its budget gets slashed, Montana, home to 17 remaining Superfund sites, will suffer.

These restoration and pollution control projects have real, tangible impacts on public health. Nationwide, the Clean Air Act avoids more than 160,000 premature deaths a year, reducing airborne particulate matter and ground-level ozone pollution in our communities. The benefits are economic as well as social - fewer hospital visits and lost days at work due to bronchitis, asthma and other cardiovascular diseases will translate to more than $2 trillion in economic benefits by 2020.

With his talk of putting America first, youd think that maintaining these public health victories and searching for additional ways to lengthen American lives would be one of President-elect Trumps primary goals. But Trumps pick of Pruitt to head the EPA shows that public health isnt a priority.

As Attorney General of Oklahoma, Pruitt has consistently concerned himself more with the fossil fuel industrys profit margins than health outcomes. He sued the EPA to halt mercury pollution from coal plants like Colstrip. He sued to stop limits on power plant emissions of smog pollution containing nitrogen oxides, which cause lung infections and lead to asthma attacks. He has also questioned the scientific consensus on climate change and sued to stop the EPAs regulations limiting methane emissions, one of the most potent forms of climate pollution.

Its hard to envision an EPA administrator less concerned with public health or the environment than Scott Pruitt. With its long history of having to clean up environmental messes, Montana knows all too well what happens when the fossil fuel and mining industries are allowed to cut corners. Thats not the Montana, or nation, we want to leave to our children.

-- Dr. Lori Byron, Billings, is a pediatrician in Big Horn and Yellowstone Counties and is the past president of the Montana Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics.
A sprinkler activation system successfully limited the damage after an early-morning house fire broke out at off-campus Montana Tech student housing at 1038 Missoula Ave. on Friday.

At 5:42 a.m. Friday, firefighters quickly extinguished the fire in apartment 1032 and kept it from spreading to the interior of the apartment and adjoining apartments.

The fire originated in an exterior barbecue used the previous evening, according to Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department responders.

One of three male occupants suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated, and A-1 Ambulance transported him to the hospital, according to a county press release.

The fire damaged exterior siding, two large exterior windows, the front door, and an overhead awning. It resulted in water damage, but the sprinkler system confined the fire to the exterior and kept it from engulfing the entire residential complex, saving lives and limiting property damage, according to the report.

Fire crews cleared the scene after 7 a.m. Responders included the BSB police and the Big Butte Fire Department.

We thank Montana Tech for having a properly installed and maintained automatic fire sprinkler system, said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Doherty.

Total cost damages to the involved structure were minimal, he said. A-1 Ambulance transported the injured civilian to the emergency room. His condition is unknown.

This is a great sprinkler success story. The facilities sprinkler and alarm systems did their jobs, said Doherty.

There were no fatalities, minimal amounts of property damage, and after some minor clean-up, this apartment should be back up and running quickly. This is a great example of how sprinklers save lives; they are efficient, effective, and essential in protecting both lives and property.

Friday afternoon, cleaners from Dayspring Restoration were tearing out damaged carpets and cleaning up smoke damage. Workers Matt Popham and Patrick Hennessey estimated the cleanup would take two weeks to a month.
HELENA  A 23-year-old probation absconder from Great Falls faces a charge of attempted deliberate homicide following a shootout during an interrupted burglary near Wolf Creek.

Prosecutors say Kaleb Edward Daniels tried to shoot the owner of the home he was burgling Wednesday afternoon. Daniels pointed a handgun at the victim and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire, according to court documents filed Thursday afternoon. He then reportedly tried to chamber another round.

The homeowner then shot Daniels' accomplice, Jory Russell Strizich, in the leg, authorities said. Strizich, 26, is hospitalized for a gunshot wound to his right shin. An arrest warrant has been issued for him on a felony charge of aggravated burglary.

The cabin owner shot Strizich, who was approaching him in a threatening manner while Daniels attempted to rack his gun, court documents state. The victim said he fired a warning round into the ground just before shooting again, striking Strizich.

The incident began when a husband and wife arrived at their cabin on the 4000 block of Little Wolf Creek Road to find an unfamiliar sport-utility vehicle parked outside and two men inside burgling the residence, authorities said.

Authorities launched into a manhunt after receiving a report of the shooting at 2:16 p.m. Wednesday.

After another armed homeowner called 911 to report Daniels trying to break into a home on Recreation Road, Daniels was apprehended in a snowbank following a short foot chase with officers about three hours after the shooting. He was not in possession of a handgun when he was apprehended.

Strizich was still on the loose at this time. While being questioned by detectives, Daniels said officials weren't "looking very hard" but declined to elaborate. Daniels also denied any involvement in a burglary or shooting, court documents note.

Meanwhile, members of the local SWAT team were called to assist in the manhunt along with a sheriff's deputy with a K-9.

Around 6:30 p.m., authorities found Strizich, who had broken into a cabin about a half-mile from the victim's residence. The SWAT team made contact with Strizich, who said he had been shot and needed help, court documents say. Strizich told officers he had been shot at the victim's cabin.

Daniels also faces a felony charge of aggravated burglary. He's being held on $100,000 bond.

Authorities had been searching for Daniels, who was wanted on two warrants out of Great Falls. He is on probation for convictions of theft and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, also out of Great Falls.

Strizich was not currently under supervision, but served time in prison for felony theft.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Ten firefighters received a Unit or Company Citation this week for the successful high-angle rope rescue they completed in November, the first time the award has been given since the award program was implemented in 2012.

Fire Chief Jerry Ewers of the Muscatine Fire Department said the firefighters who participated in the rescue received the award for their success in the rescue, the first of its kind Ewers has seen during his almost 30 years with the department.

"This was truly probably a once in a career, or once in a lifetime rescue of this nature at these elevations," he said.

A contracted employee of MidAmerican Energy was in need of rescue on Nov. 15 at the Louisa Generating Station after he became trapped in an industrial elevator basket, suspended more than 200 feet in the air inside a more than 600-foot chimney. That height would be comparable to being trapped outside the 20th floor of a 60-story building.

Although Muscatine Fire Department employees have practiced and trained for rope rescues, doing drills at a water tower and local businesses, nothing they have done was on the scale of what they encountered on the call in November, Ewers said.

"And it's important to recognize our employees for a job well done, because again the idea is that, you know, we practice and we train and we educate people," he said. "The whole idea of our jobs is preparation."

That preparation is critical, Ewers said, and the department works throughout the year to train employees for a wide variety of situations.

"You have to train and you have to be prepared because you never know when that alarm goes off what kind of call or what kind of emergency you're gonna have to encounter," he said.

The recipients of the award are as follows: Battalion Chief Darrell Janssen, Captain Gary Ronzheimer, Lieutenant Joe Timmsen, Mechanic Chris Brase, and firefighters Travis Edward, Aaron Meredith, Jon Wieland, Michael Hoppe, Spencer Ripperger and Trevor Levins.

Each was given a formal citation, a letter with a description of the event, and a ribbon for their formal uniform.

Ewers said although some of those who responded may not have had recent practice with a rope rescue, they were able to draw on their training and work together.

"You still have to be competent enough to use all your skills as a team to accomplish the task at hand," he said. "And so they did that and I was proud of the guys that did this five/six hour rescue."
MUSCATINE, Iowa - The Muscatine High School Class of 1951 will meet for lunch at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, at the Pizza Ranch, 106 Ford Ave., Muscatine. All class members,spouses, and friends are welcome.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Area teens will be able to travel through Platform 9  to a world of witchcraft, wizardry, and adventure that will come to life at Musser Public Library's first Yule Ball on Saturday night.

Betty Collins, the children's librarian, will perform the role of Professor McGonagall, a character in the "Harry Potter" book and film series. Collins said the event will begin small this year, but she hopes it will continue to grow as it becomes a yearly event.

"We want to try it out first ... and then we'd love to make it a big thing in the new building," she said.

Students will be sorted into houses  Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin  and will then earn points for their house throughout the evening. The winner of the house cup will be announced at the end of the night, after points have been tallied.

Guests from the Environmental Learning Center and the fictitious world of Harry Potter are also expected to attend the ball.

Library Assistants Julie Lear and Kimi Bridgewater helped create the decorations and shape the world of Harry Potter in the library. The event fit with the library's desire to encourage readers, Collins said.

"Harry Potter is such a big thing for kids ... and it was sort of a milestone in reading for children because all of a sudden all of these kids and teens wanted to read these enormous books with lots of words and then it just really caught on," she said.

Students from Central and West Middle School, Ss. Mary and Mathias Catholic School, Muscatine High School, and home school students were invited to celebrate New Year's Eve at Musser Public Library.

"We wanted to do something about Harry potter but we were also thinking it would be nice to have something for teens on New Year's Eve that was fun and special and just for them," Collins said.

Collins said several free tickets are still available, and can be picked up from the library or held if parents call before 2 p.m. Saturday. Middle School students will attend the ball from 9-10:30 p.m., and High School students from 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

To collect a ticket for the event, visit the Musser Public Library, 304 Iowa Ave., or call 563-263-3065 before 2 p.m. Saturday to reserve a ticket.
COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa - With little action to take and the citys annual Christmas party for city staff and officials waiting in the wings, the last Columbus Junction City Council meeting of 2016 on Wednesday was short.

We took about 12 minutes, Mayor Dan Wilson reported, explaining there had not been any major action items on the agenda.

According to Wilson, the only action taken by the council was to approve a liquor license renewal for the American Legion and to pay bills.

It was a quick meeting, he said.

Following the meeting, the city personnel held their pot-luck Christmas party at the Youth Center of the Louisa County Fairgrounds.

Its nice to get together once in a while to socialize, Wilson said.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Several fourth-sixth grade students investigated a crime scene through Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach in Muscatine County Thursday.

The day camp, held from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., gave children a chance to have fun a learn while they were on winter break.

Dana Yerington, the K-12 Outreach Educator with 4-H Youth Development, said Several day camps have been planned to give children a place to learn, and free parents from needing to find daycare for their children during breaks.

"One, as a parent I know how tough it is having daycare when you're still working and your kids aren't in school and they're not able to stay home yet," she said. "So why not have fun and have them come here."

Students investigated a crime scene, taped off in the corner of a room at the ISU Extension office with yellow crime scene ribbon, which held several footprints, other clues and the outline of a body. Yerington said she hoped students would have fun with the activity, while also learning more about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) topics.

"Everybody likes mystery, even if you don't like science," she said.

The main character in the investigation curriculum, Felix, was found at the crime scene, but his body never got to the morgue so it could not be examined.

"So our campers, who are our detectives, have to figure out," Yerington said. "Did one of the four suspects kill him or did he stage his death?"

The children examined fingerprints, tested hair and learned about the four other people who were present in the story, trying to solve the mystery surrounding Felix's death. Four students worked to decode a message.

"So we're putting silly putty on the cardboard, and we have to hold it up to a mirror to see what it says because the message is backwards," said 10-year-old Nate Harfst.

Yerington said the programs she organizes work to build on children's STEM education while they have fun.

"So everything I offer is hands-on," she said. "It's the experiential learning model that we do, which is why I enjoy it so much."

Friday's day camp, "Fashion Upcycle," focuses on hands-on creating, using T-shirts, recycled products and other items to create and design an outfit, a journal, and an organizer.

That hands-on experience can be important in an era of technology, Yerington said, when students might not have the opportunity to create useful items out of materials that could be found around their own homes.

"I want them to realize that they have been learning but they had fun," she said. "And if they tell me they want to come back or recommend it to their friends it's a win-win for all of us."

For more information about day camps scheduled by ISU Extension and Outreach in Muscatine and in West Liberty, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/muscatine or contact Yerington at 563-263-5701.
Smart Rating: 87.45

Release year: 2000

Genre: Comedy Drama

Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is having difficulty adjusting to his hard-labor sentence in Mississippi. He scams his way off the chain gang with simple Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) and maladjusted Pete (John Turturro), then the trio sets out to pursue freedom and the promise of a fortune in buried treasure. With nothing to lose and still in shackles, their hasty run takes them on an incredible journey of awesome experiences and colorful characters.
Smart Rating: 84.19

Release year: 2005

Genre: Drama, Thriller

The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.
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 []
Freemasons dedicated the cornerstone of the new St. Helena Performing Arts Center on Friday, in a rare public display of one of the secretive 
REAL forensic investigation determines Barack Obamas birth certificate really was a Photoshop fake

President-elect Donald J. Trump was accused of being the primary source of the so-called birther movementthe questioning of whether or not President Obama was actually born in the United States and, thus, eligible to be presidentwhen in fact the originator of the movement was Hillary Clintons 2008 campaign.

In any event, the powers that be and, of course, the discredited mainstream media, laughed off as a wild conspiracy theory any mention of the fact that Obamas produced Hawaiian birth certificate was a forgery.

Now, it seems, a lengthy and comprehensive forensic investigation has concluded that, indeed, the copy produced by the Obama administration that is said to be an original is instead a forgery.

As reported by WorldNetDaily, which has long tracked and reported on the issue of Obamas birth certificate, a just-completed, years-long investigation ordered by Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaiohimself and his department a target of Obamas Justice Departmentconfirms that those who were subjected to the derogatory birther label were right all along, at least regarding the document used to establish Obamas eligibility to be president.

At issue is the U.S. Constitutions requirement that presidents be a natural born citizen, while not actually defining the term. But as WND noted, scholarly works written by the founding fathers defined it as being a U.S. citizen at birth, born in the United States to two citizens of the country, or merely the offspring of two citizens.

Okay, it was fakednow what?

The birth certificate that Obama displayed on the White House website as proof positive he is eligible to be president says he was born in Hawaii to an American mother and Kenyan father. But either way, the Arpaio-ordered investigation has concluded that birth certificate to be not authentic.

Jerome Corsi, Ph.D., WND senior staff writer and author of Wheres the Birth Certificate? praised the findings.

He said Mike Zullo, head of the Cold Case Posse, and Arpaio have done the United States a heroic service demonstrating by forensic analysis that the long form birth certificate produced in a White House news conference on April 27, 2011, as Barack Obamas authentic birth certificate is a forgery.

So now what?

Corsi says that because the document produced is a fake, as demonstrated by a legitimate law enforcement forensic investigation, that also could mean that Obamas entire presidency was illegitimatemeaning every action taken (bills signed, executive orders issued, policies made) were also illegitimate, as in null and void.

Impeachment procedures may be required, he said, even if those procedures are conducted after Obama leaves office.

The real challenge, however, is getting anyone in authoritylike Congress or the Trump administrationto examine the findings, verify the studys conclusions, and then take action.

That shouldnt be difficult, given that a number of legitimate experts were involved in the multi-year investigation.

Sources:

WND.com

Breitbart.com

AZCentral.com
Thursday, December 22, 2016 by: David Gutierrez Tags: arrests , Flint water crisis This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) (NaturalNews) Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has filed criminal charges against four more people in connection with the Flint water crisis, bringing the total number of people charged to 13. The office is also suing two engineering companies.

Those charged placed concern for finances over the health of Flint residents, Schuette said.

All too prevalent and very evident during the course of this investigation has been a fixation on finances and balance sheets. This fixation has cost lives. This fixation came with the expense of protecting the health and safety of Flint. Its all about numbers over people, money over health.

Stolen money used to poison children

The new charges center around a conspiracy to get the city to stop purchasing water from the city of Detroit in order to save money. This led Flint to draw water from the heavily contaminated Flint River, poisoning hundreds of children with lead and other heavy metals.

Two former emergency managers of Flint, Jerry Ambrose and Darnell Earley, were charged with felonies for conspiracy and false pretenses, and misdemeanors for misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty.

Due to its years-long financial crisis, Flint had its finances placed under the control of emergency managers. Schuette said that Ambrose and Earley supported the construction of the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA) pipeline  which has yet to be completed  but knew the it could not be built without financial contributions from Flint. Because the city was millions of dollars in debt, they could not issue new bonds to pay for the pipeline. So, the men misused an emergency clause intended to deal with fire, flood, or other calamity to illicitly borrow tens of millions of dollars. Allegedly, the money was meant to clean up a contaminated lagoon; instead it was all diverted to the KWA.

With this money, the pipeline project moved forward, allowing Ambrose and Earley to push for Flint to disconnect from the Detroit water supply. The men had also concealed a provision in the bond application requiring Flint to get its drinking water from the Flint River while the KWA was under construction.

According to Schuette, the men knew that the Flint water plant was not properly equipped to treat water as heavily contaminated as that from the Flint River.

Ambrose and Earley, who reported directly to Governor Rick Snyder, are the highest level officials to be charged so far. Their indictment led U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings to demand once more that Snyder appear before the House Oversight Committee.

Investigation continues

The other men charged, Howard Croft and Daugherty Johnson, were officials at the city water plant during the switch. According to Schuette, they conspired with Ambrose and Earley to conceal signs that the water treatment plant wasnt ready for the switch.

Croft also is accused of approving a decision to not use anti-corrosive agents in the water supply. The absence of these agents caused the water to dissolve lead pipes, leaching lead into the water.

Although Croft cited concern over bacterial growth as his reason for keeping the anti-corrosives out of the water, the corrosion itself led to one of the countrys largest outbreaks of Legionnaires disease, killing a dozen people. Ambrose was warned about a Legionnaires outbreak in March 2015, but two weeks later still publicly insisted that the water was safe.

Schuette reiterated that his investigation is ongoing, and that no individual is immune.

There are voices out there that hope the poisoning of the water in Flint could be swept under the rug, he said. And they hope and wish that the 24-hour news cycle would move on to another subject. Flint deserves better, and the people of Flint are not expendable, so to move on is unacceptable.

The people previously indicted are accused of concealing and tampering with reports showing high lead levels in city water and the blood of residents, and of lying to federal officials.

Sources for this article include:

Edition.CNN.com

Uproxx.com

Edition.CNN.com

WashingtonPost.com

NPR.org
(Natural News) The European Unions top court has severely undermined the British governments mass surveillance powers in a new ruling that could rein in police and spy agency investigations.

In a judgment handed down in Luxembourg on Wednesday, the European Court of Justice declared that the general and indiscriminate retention of data about peoples communications and locations was inconsistent with privacy rights. The court stated that the highly invasive bulk storage of private data exceeds the limits of what is strictly necessary and cannot be considered to be justified, within a democratic society.

(Article by Ryan Gallagher, republished from TheIntercept.com)

Camilla Graham Wood, legal officer with the London-based group Privacy International, hailed the ruling as a victory for civil liberties advocates. Todays judgment is a major blow against mass surveillance and an important day for privacy, she said. It makes clear that blanket and indiscriminate retention of our digital histories  who we interact with, when and how and where  can be a very intrusive form of surveillance that needs strict safeguards against abuse and mission creep.

The European courts panel of 15 judges acknowledged in their ruling that modern investigative techniques were necessary to combat organized crime and terrorism, but said that this cannot justify the general and indiscriminate retention of all traffic and location data. Instead, the judges stated, it is acceptable for governments to engage in the targeted retention of data in cases involving serious crime, permitting that persons affected by any surveillance are notified after investigations are completed, and that access to the data is overseen by a judicial authority or an independent administrative authority.

The case was originally brought in December 2014 by two British members of parliament, who challenged the legality of the U.K. governments Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act, which forced telecommunications companies to store records on their customers communication for 12 months. That law has since been replaced by the Investigatory Powers Act, which was recently approved by the British parliament and is expected soon to come into force.

Though the U.K. voted to leave the European Union earlier this year, Wednesdays decision remains  at least in the short term  highly significant, and will prove to be a severe headache for British government officials. The ruling will now be forwarded to the U.K.s Court of Appeal, where judges there will consider how to apply it in the context of national law. It may result in the government being forced to make changes to controversial sections of the Investigatory Powers Act, which enable police and spy agencies to access vast amounts of data on peoples internet browsing, instant messages, emails, phone calls, and social media conversations.

Read more at: TheIntercept.com
(Natural News) Many health conscious consumers rarely, if ever, microwave their food anymore, but when they do, they probably do not realize that theyre not just destroying the nutritional value of the food, but the nuker is negatively impacting their hearts.

The typical microwave frequency radiation coming from nukers seen in the average American kitchen is more than enough to screw with your heart rate and your heart rate variability. In fact, just 2.4 GHz, the average frequency produced by microwave ovens (and WiFi routers, by the way) can cause immediate and drastic changes to the human heart.

According to Dr. Magda Havas of Trent University, people exposed to radiation for just three minutes at 2.4-GHz can experience severe reactions in heart rate changes and altered heart rate variations, indicating an alarm response to stress, also called electrohypersensitivity (EHS) or rapid aging syndrome. This has been studied for decades. The response includes heart palpitations, clumping of red blood cells and fluctuations of the parasympathetic nervous system typical of a fight-or-flight response.

Dr. Havas also revealed that microwave ovens can lead to blood sugar spikes connected with diabetes. This usually happens when people stand within three feet of the oven while its running, like when anxious eaters park themselves directly in front of the microwave oven while waiting for those last few seconds to finish nuking their food or beverage.

Unequivocal evidence that microwave frequency radiation affects human heart

For years, bogus research and microwave oven fanatics have claimed that microwave ovens do not produce any immediate biological effects because the ordinary household level is far below federal guidelines. Most of those studies were conducted prior to the new millennium, but now environmental radiation is coming at us from multiple sources, including electromagnetic devices, laptops, WiFi and mobile phones.

Dr. Havas documented his peer-reviewed study and stated the following:

This is the first study that documents immediate and dramatic changes in both heart rate and heart rate variability caused by an approved device that generates microwaves at levels well below (0.3 percent) federal guidelines in both Canada and the United States.

Microwave sickness or the microwave effect dates back to WWII

Microwave ovens are a form of electromagnetic radiation dating back to radar used during WWII. Microwave ovens emit radiation from high and low energy, and have a wavelength around 5 inches. These waves are generated by a magnetron (derived from magnet and electron), the same function that enabled airborne radar used during the second world war; thats why microwave ovens were first called radar ranges. Nukers emit at 2,450 megaHertz (MHz), equivalent to 2.4 gigaHertz (GHz), causing dielectric heating, meaning the water molecules in the food vibrate violently at extremely high frequencies (millions of times per second), creating molecular friction, destroying nutrients and affecting the heart rate and variability of any person that stands near the oven. This is why its extremely dangerous to cook meat, because the blood is affected also, like the molecules in the water in food. Structures of those molecules are ripped apart and forcefully deformed. Some people call it electric whiplash.

In fact, microwaves are used in the field of gene altering to weaken cell membranes and to break cells apart. Those damaged cells in humans become targets for viruses, also known as the microwave effect or microwave sickness. Human tissues can experience the same violent deformations as your food thats nuked.

Do you use a microwave oven often and also happen to experience unexplained headaches, nervousness, anxiety, dizziness, vertigo, impaired cognition, depression, nausea after eating, vision problems, tooth and jaw aching, or extreme and constant thirst? These are the geno-toxic effects of damaging your tissues and interfering with normal heart and brain activity.

The Nazis invented the first microwave cooking device

The Nazis created a device to provide mobile food support for their troops when they invaded the Soviet Union. It was all experimental. Then the Russians and the U.S. researched the safety of these devices after the war. The Russians later banned the ovens when they figured out how dangerous they were, but not the USA! The FDA approves nearly everything that makes Americans sick, because Big Pharma is there to rescue us with expensive drugs, heart surgery, pacemakers and chemotherapy. Go figure.

Highly-cited Swiss clinical study by Hans Hertel reveals destructive effects of microwave ovens on human blood

One of the first food scientists to study the effects of microwaves on the blood and physiology of human beings was Dr. Hans Ulrich Hertel, who along with his biochemistry expert partners, concluded that microwaves resulted in negative health effects, including increased cholesterol levels, decreased numbers of red blood cells, decreased hemoglobin levels (indicating possible anemia) and decreased numbers of leukocytes (white blood cells).

Bottom line? Theres much more to worry about than just the loss of nutrition when nuking your food. You may also be nuking your blood, damaging your brain and disturbing your heart rate. Easy solution? Use your toaster oven and wait the extra couple of minutes for your food to heat. Its worth your health and sanity.

Sources for this article include:

YogaUOnline.com

ABC.net.au[PDF]

MagdaHavas.com

MagdaHavas.com

NaturalNews.com

Health-Science.com

UndergroundHealthReporter.com
Thursday, December 22, 2016 by: Daniel Barker Tags: kangaroo mother care , pediatrics , research This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) New research has shown that small and premature babies who receive what is called kangaroo mother care tend to live longer and experience fewer social problems as they mature compared to those kept in an incubator.

Kangaroo-style mothering involves breastfeeding and holding an infant upright against the mothers bare skin, an approach first documented in Colombia.

From The Guardian:

The kangaroo method involves the baby nestling in a kangaroo position on the caregivers chest as soon as possible after birth, accompanied by exclusive breastfeeding. Parent and child leave the hospital together as soon as possible after birth, after which there is rigorous monitoring of baby and mother for one year after the infants original due date (rather than the actual birth date).

A newly released follow-up study was conducted by the same team of experts who first showed that the kangaroo method is safe.

The study, published December 12 in the journal Pediatrics, involved 441 of 716 Colombian children born prematurely between 1993 and 1996 who were randomly assigned either the kangaroo method or standard handling involving the use of an incubator.

Two decades later, benefits of kangaroo mother care still evident in subjects of study

Twenty years later, the researchers found that of the 441 subjects from the original study they were able to track down and re-enroll in the new phase of the research, the children who received kangaroo mother care (KMC) fared much better in the long run in terms of longevity, income and social integration.

From the report:

The effects of KMC at 1 year on IQ and home environment were still present 20 years later in the most fragile individuals, and KMC parents were more protective and nurturing. 

At 20 years, the young ex-kangaroo mother care participants, especially in the poorest families, had less aggressive drive and were less impulsive and hyperactive. They exhibited less antisocial behavior, which might be associated with separation from the mother at birth.

The team suggested that practicing kangaroo mother care may encourage under-educated mothers to be more sensitive to a childs needs, helping to make their situation more equivalent to that of mothers in more favorable environments.

In fact, the results of the study and the overall success of kangaroo mother care over the past couple of decades have led experts to the conclusion that the method can be used in all settings, not just in communities where standard pediatric care may be scarce or unavailable.

Even those living in developed nations who have access to modern healthcare may benefit from kangaroo mother care. Some parents who may be afraid that their prematurely-born children might be safer in an incubator could find the results of the study to be reassuring.

Kangaroo mother care more than an alternative to incubator care

Pediatrics experts who support the concept say that kangaroo mother care can be considered more than an alternative to standard incubator care.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 20 million low birth weight babies are born every year across the globe, and the United States has one of the highest premature and low-weight birth rates in the world.

High-tech care for premature and low-weight babies is useful in many cases, but the WHO recommends utilizing both modern healthcare technology and the simpler, low-tech approach  and in poorer areas often only the latter.

The obvious conclusion that can be drawn from this research is something most of us already know: Theres no substitute for a mothers love, and that love can only truly be expressed and received through intimate skin-to-skin contact and direct nurturing.

This type of close contact is beneficial not only for the child, but for the mother as well, as the study has indicated. High-tech medical care has its place, but it can never replace the crucial developmental stimuli that only a loving mother can provide.

Sources:

NBCNews.com

TheGuardian.com

Pediatrics.AAPPublications.org[PDF]
(Natural News) Theres an insidious law for us to ponder, courtesy of Barack Obama. An online radio host pointed out back in 2013 that the law would grant the federal government huge power to saturate Americans with domestic propaganda at the taxpayers expense. This law allows the federal government to have sweeping power to push television, radio, newspaper and social-media propaganda onto the U.S. public, warned Michael Evans, host of Americas Voice Now. He said that the law would remove protection for Americans from the ideologies of Obamas administration. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 was specifically what Evans was referring to; it was inserted into the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.

A so-called anti-propaganda law formerly prevented the U.S. governments broadcasting arm from reaching American viewers. On July 2, 2013, the implementation of the new reform marked an end to shielding Americans from government delivered programming. The government now had the green light to unleash thousands of hours of weekly government funded radio and television programming for domestic consumption.

The U.S. government previously broadcast news and opinions to foreign countries through outlets like Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. The new law allowed them to expand their broadcasting business to influence citizens within the U.S. America had been protected from this over the years, but all good things pre-Obama had to come to an end, right?

The types of information that we promulgate overseas to foreigners is disinformation. It is meant to confuse, distract, redirect. It is not meant to be an informative source of news, Evans explained. Dont misunderstand what Im saying. There is already, for all intents and purposes, an organization in the United States that does this. Its called MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News. They are an arm of propaganda. But if you think things were bad before with those groups, wait till you see whats gonna come out of them now. Theyll be reporting government misinformation as factual news stories, and a gullible American public will swallow it hook, line and sinker.

Obama will also sign a bill to make alternative media illegal

A new anti-Russian propaganda bill is now also to be signed into law. This bill will make it illegal to run an alternative media website in the United states. The purpose of the bill is to counteract measures by Russia to exert covert influence. It is also known as the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.

The definition of Russian influence includes references to so-called fake news websites, or any site deemed to be anti-establishment. If the bill makes it through the Senate, the internet will never be the same again.

Sources:

WND.com

YourNewsWire.com
Thursday, December 22, 2016 by: David Gutierrez Tags: corpus christi , Texas , Water contamination This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) (NaturalNews) Tens of thousands of residents of Corpus Christi, Texas, are still being told not to use their tap water after an asphalt chemical leaked into the city water supply.

The city first issued warnings about the water on Wednesday, December 14. Some restrictions have already been lifted, and others may be lifted soon if tests give the municipal water a clean bill of health.

But residents were angered to learn that officials had received reports of discolored water as much as two weeks before issuing the warnings, and had not investigated those reports.

According to federal officials, there are four unconfirmed reports of people showing symptoms of illness consistent with drinking poisoned water.

Corrosive, organ-destroying chemical

Under current restrictions, the city of 300,000 is divided into three different water use zones. In the first zone, municipal water may be used for any purpose. In the second zone, residents are encouraged not to use municipal water for any purpose at all and to use bottled water for everything including bathing. In the third zone, the water is considered safe for bathing or clothes washing, except by children who might swallow the water if they bathe in it. Water in this zone should not be consumed internally.

The city said that up to 24 gallons of a toxic chemical had spilled from a facility operated by Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc., a subsidiary of oil refiner Valero. It is still unknown whether the water supply was contaminated by the incident.

But as early as December 1, the city had received a report of discolored water. It received another such report on December 7, followed by a December 12 report of an unusual odor and appearance to the water. Two days later, the city issued its first warnings.

The chemical in question is a mix of hydrochloric acid and Indulin AA-86, an asphalt emulsifier that is corrosive to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract and can cause damage to internal organs.

With the water ban in place, schools and businesses had to close across the city. Stores began to sell out of bottled water immediately and placed emergency orders for shipments of more.

People [are] waiting in aisles with their grocery carts ready for them to put out the new water shipments, resident Zach Kastelic said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned people against trying to profit from the crisis.

Every resource of my office will be made available to help regarding the water supply incident in Corpus Christi, Paxton said. Were monitoring the situation closely. Price gouging on bottled water will not be tolerated.

Public and private donors supplied bottled water to be given out free to residents, but it took three days for the deliveries to start arriving.

Slowness marks official response

Corpus Christi residents have been angered by both the companys and citys responses to the crisis. More than half a dozen lawsuits have already been filed against Ergon.

The city has been criticized for the slow nature of its response, both before and after the potential contamination was announced.

In part, the delay in testing the chemical was beyond the citys control, however. Because Indulin AA-86 is a proprietary chemical, the city was forced to waste valuable time petitioning Ergon for more information on the chemical. The company actually forced the city to sign a non-disclosure agreement before revealing the contaminants chemical formula.

Then  because the U.S. legal system requires essentially no safety tests or protocols to be created before chemicals are allowed to enter the market  it turned out that there was no known test that could reveal the presence of Indulin AA-86 in water. Thus, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first had to develop such a test, which it then ran on samples of Corpus Christi water.

Sources for this article include:

Edition.CNN.com

MySanAntonio.com

NBCNews.com

LATimes.com
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17:17

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday put forth a charter of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to lift the restrictions on cash withdrawals immediately and pay Rs 25,000 to every BPL (below poverty line) family.



Gandhi took to Twitter to highlight his demands ahead of Modi's second television address to the nation tonight after his surprise November 8 announcement to withdraw Rs 1,000 and old Rs 500 currency notes.



The Congress vice president, a staunch critic of the government's decision to demonetize the notes, listed out his eight demands to Modi as the 50 days the prime minister had sought to normalise the situation expired yesterday and there still seem to have some issues with the availability of notes.



He has dubbed the move the single most arbitrary decision in the history of the world affecting 1.3 billion people.



Besides asking Modi to 'lift restrictions on withdrawal of money with immediate effect', Gandhi demanded the prime minister to deposit Rs 25,000 in the account of one woman in each BPL family.



He advocated immediately abolishing charges on digital transactions and called for Income and Sales taxes rebate of 50 per cent to small-scale shopkeepers and businesses.



Gandhi demanded the prime minister to compensate all bank account holders with special interest rate at 18 per cent per annum for the time restrictions are in place.



He also urged doubling of number of guaranteed workdays and wage rate under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for a year and a special one-time bonus of 20 per cent over and above the Minimum Support Price of all rabi crops.



Another of his demands was that rate of ration under public distribution system be halved for a year under the provision of Food Security Act.



In one of his tweets, Gandhi said, 'Destroyed in the last 50 days: trust in the Prime Minister's word. Weekly cash withdrawal limits must go.' -- PTI
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Police in Nepal have arrested three individuals who were allegedly involved in a kidney racket across the Indo-Nepal border, a media report said. The three identified as Binu Bahadur Timalsina, 44, Prakash Basnet, 47 and Bhim Prasad Neupane, 36, reportedly took out kidneys from innocent people by promising them jobs across the border. Police arrested the trio on December 21, but made the arrest public on Thursday, Republica reported on Friday. The Metropolitan Crime Division of Nepal Police said that the three accused were remanded in custody for further investigation on charges of human trafficking, while they searched for two more. According to SSP Sarbendra Khanal, the gang took innocent Nepali citizens to Indian cities by promising them jobs and took out their kidney after making them unconscious. When the victims regained consciousness, the criminals would say that they were hospitalised after being attacked with a knife by gangsters," SSP Khanal told Republica. They used to sell the vital organs without the knowledge of the victims. Deepak Nepali, 19, is the only victim who has so far complained to the police about the theft of his kidney. Police, however, assumed there were many victims like him and the investigation would bring out further details. "Nepali came to know about the removal of his kidney only when he was admitted to Chitwan Medical College for his check up after he suffered health complications," a police statement said. Khanal informed that the criminals would give some money to the victims after taking out their kidney and ask them to return home. --IANS in/ ( 271 Words) 2016-12-30-10:12:08 (IANS)
The APA Scheme was introduced in the Income tax Act in 2012 and the "Rollback" provisions were introduced in 2014.

The scheme endeavors to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of transfer pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and setting the prices of international transactions in advance. Since its inception, the APA scheme has evinced a lot of interest from taxpayers and that has resulted in more than 700 applications (both unilateral and bilateral) being filed in just four years.

The two APAs pertain to the Information Technology and Automobile sectors of the economy.

The international transactions covered in these agreements include software development services, it enabled services, manufacturing and business support services.

With this the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT has reached 117. This includes seven bilateral APAs and 110 Unilateral APAs.

In the current financial year, a total of 53 APAs (4 bilateral APAs and 49 unilateral APAs) have already been entered into.

The CBDT expects more APAs to be concluded and signed in the near future.

The progress of the APA scheme strengthens the government's resolve of fostering a non-adversarial tax regime.

The Indian APA programme has been appreciated nationally and internationally for being able to address complex transfer pricing issues in a fair and transparent manner.

The approach and functioning of the officers in the APA teams have been appreciated and acknowledged by the industry in India and abroad. (ANI)
"He has been arrested for further interrogation over his involvement in the financial exchanges in Rose Valley case," an agency official said.

The Bengali cine star, who was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) three days ago, presented himself at the investigation agency's regional office here and was arrested after questioning.

--IANS mgr-sgh/vd

( 87 Words)

2016-12-30-17:30:10 (IANS)
Dubbing Samajwadi Party as a 'Parivarwadi Party', Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said that the family feud in the Uttar Pradesh ruling party is merely a drama to deviate people from the main issue. "The people of this country will finally name Samajwadi Party as Parivarwadi party because they have nothing to do with samaj. They only think about their parivar and are only concerned about the welfare of singular family," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ANI. Patra further said that the Samajwadi Party leaders are not concerned about development in the state and how it has taken a back seat there. Echoing similar sentiments, BJP leader Shrikant Sharma said, "It is a drama to deviate people from main issues and people have understood it and are all set to bid adieu to this corrupt party." He further said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's failure, false promises and betraying people are the main issues in UP adding, "Be it medical facilities, educational facilities, electricity or infrastructure, he has failed on every front. If we talk about the law and order, women fear to go out and police fear to arrest criminals here. " Akhilesh Yadav earlier on Thursday released a list of 235 candidates out of the total 403 seats for upcoming state assembly elections, a day after his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had released the official list. Some pro-Akhilesh MLAs had earlier said the unhappy Chief Minister was likely to release a parallel list of candidates for state assembly elections slated for early 2017. Akhilesh met Mulayam Singh, but as per sources, the party chief refused to make any change in the list of 325 candidates issued by him yesterday. "We have declared list of 325 candidates for the 2017 assembly polls; 78 seats still remain. Name of candidates for rest of the 78 seats will be announced soon," Mulayam said yesterday while announcing the list. The Samajwadi Party supremo announced the first list in the absence of his son, who is at loggerheads with his uncle Shivpal Yadav over distribution of tickets. Mulayam announced the name of his brother Shivpal from Jaswant Nagar Assembly seat. Akhilesh's name did not figure in the first list. Mulayam, however, said that his son, being the Chief Minister, can contest from any assembly seat he wishes to. (ANI)
According to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), around 40-50 workers along with some machinery of a private company are suspected to be trapped under the debris.

"On duty CISF sentry is safe. Rescue operation is underway and electricity supply has also been disrupted" said CISF.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Patna is on its way to the site of incident.

Additional manpower comprising one government official, two inspectors, 21 CISF from Eastern Coal Field Limited, Sheetalpur headquarter has been rushed to the site.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das is also closely monitoring the situation and has asked concerned officials to intensify rescue operations. (ANI)
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav are at loggerheads over the candidates' list as no compromise is expected and the party is on the verge of a vertical split. Both sides are not ready to compromise on the candidates' list, leading to confusion among the party rank and file. But there are also reports that the Chief Minister could convene a party's national convention to stake claim as the President of the SP within a week. However, there is no official confirmation on the matter yet. Sources close to the Chief Minister camp said here today there are several options under consideration which includes calling a national convention of the party. The second phase of the family bickering started on Wednesday when the SP president released a list of 325 candidates, denying ticket to several close associates of the UP Chief Minister. Though Mr Yadav tried to convince his father yesterday but he did not relent. Later, in the late night drama, first the Chief Minister released his list of 235 candidates through social media which irked the SP supremo forcing him to announce 68 candidates more in midnight. The Chief Minister's list, however, gave ticket to several candidates who were denied in the official SP list. Besides giving a new ray of hope on his inclination towards Congress, the CM list did not have candidates in the sitting Congress seats while spared most of the seats in Rae Bareli and Amethi districts. The fresh 68 SP candidates' list was declared by state president Shivpal Singh Yadav after midnight that includes some ministers, taking the total number of candidates to 393. Now, the SP can announce just 10 candidates, though there is less chance to do so as the party would be supporting some independents like Raja Bhaiya, Mukhtar Ansari and some others. The new SP list includes names of ministers Abhishek Mishra, Shivakant Ojha, Sangram Singh, Shankh lal Manjhi, Yasar Shah and Narendra Verma. Interestingly, Mr Mishra and Mr Ojha were among half a dozen ministers who attended Chief Minster Akhilesh Yadav's meeting yesterday morning. Mr Mishra will now contest from Lucknow north. Eyebrows were raised as his name was found missing from the first list of 325 candidates announced on Wednesday. It was believed that as he was close to CM, his name was dropped. The party has changed candidate in Bakshi Ka Talab - the outskirts of Lucknow and fielded Rajendra Yadav instead of sitting MLA Gomti Yadav. It retained Rakesh Pratap Singh from Saraini in Rae Bareli. Mr Singh is considered close to Raghuraj Pratap Singh. However, according to the statistics, both the SP chief and the Chief Minister's list had around 68 candidates in common while for 140 seats, the CM did not field any candidates.UNI MB PY SV1044 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1086757.Xml
The meet is to be held shortly and is expected to see the participation of both, senior leaders and young leaders.

On Thursday, Akhilesh released a list of 235 candidates out of a total of 403 seats for the upcoming state assembly elections, a day after his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had released the official list, hinting at a deepening crisis within the party.

Some pro-Akhilesh MLAs had earlier said that an unhappy chief minister was likely to release a parallel list of candidates for the state assembly elections slated.

Intense political activities continued at the Samajwadi Party headquarters and at official residence of the chief minister yesterday.

Akhilesh met Mulayam Singh, but as per sources, the party chief refused to make changes in the list of 325 candidates issued by him on Wednesday.

"We have declared list of 325 candidates for the 2017 assembly polls. 78 seats still remain. Name of candidates for rest of the 78 seats will be announced soon," Mulayam had said while announcing the list. (ANI)
India, which went through its worst in relations with Pakistan in 2016, had something to look back with comfort as far as its relations with its other neighbours were concerned in the year. After a long spell of tension with Nepal following the promulgation of the Constitution and the economic blockade, the ties with the country improved under the Prachanda Government. And with Lanka too, there was greater warmth and understanding though issues of fishermen and concern over China's influence in the island nation remained. Relations with Afghanistan also warmed during the year, much to the discomfiture of Pakistan.The strain in the relations with Nepal that began with promulgation of the new Constitution and the blockade of a key border point for the Himalayan nation's trade with India by Madhesis in protest against what they called discriminatory provisions in the new Constitution gave way to thaw in the beginning of the year. The blockade, which was causing great hardship to the Nepali people and for which Nepal was blaming India, was lifted on January 5, and on Januray 23, the Nepali Parliament cleared bills for amending the three clauses of the Constitution to incorporate the demand of Madhesis. These steps came after the change of guard in Nepal with Pushp Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' taking charge of prime ministership from K P Oli under whom India went through one of its worst phases of relations with Nepal. Mr Prachanda had chosen China for his first foreign visit during his earlier stint as Prime Minister, which was not taken well in South Block here. However,when he took over as the PM again this year, he made his first foreign visit to India, and by all his gestures and statements sent out a message that he was a changed man this time as far as relations with India were concerned.Through his visit, the two estranged neighbours sought to reboot their ties. However, despite his balancing act between India and China, Mr Prachanda gave New Delhi some cause of worry with the announcement of Nepal's first joint military exercise with China slated for early next year, though Nepal's Ambassador to India sought to play down the move saying that not much should be read into it. India had a smoother run with Sri Lanka this year as the change of the Government in the island neighbour brought a better understanding and synergy with New Delhi. Both the countries had several high-level exchanges and signed several agreements that brought a new momentum in their relations. Sri Lanka also showed this year its interest in concluding an Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India, though the opposition parties in the country saw it as an appeasement of India vis a vis China. President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed the Opposition objection as politically motivated. However, Sri Lanka's inablility to limit Chinese influence and investment was looked at with some disquiet by India.More UNI NAZ PY SV 1156 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-1086861.Xml
Party sources today said the other suspended MLAs are Jambey Tashi, P D Sona, C T Mein, Zignu Namchoom and Kamlung Mossang.

The suspension order with immediate effect was issued yesterday by the party, they informed, adding that this move was taken hardly after three months of replacing the earlier ministers holding the post.

Out of 44 Congress MLAs, 43 MLAs had defected from the party and joined PPA in September 16 last.

The defected leaders selected Mr Khandu as chief minister and Mr Mein as deputy chief minister, replacing Mr Nabam Tuki, who in turn had replaced Kalikho Pul after the Supreme Court reinstated the Tuki government.

The sources further informed that the 36 PPA legislators will meet here today to elect their next legislator party leader. UNI PB AD1150

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1086882.Xml
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move and took a jibe at the Congress by terming its way of opposing it as a 'big flop.' "Whatever the opposition did, has turned out to be a big flop. They first announced 'Bharat Bandh', which was not supported even by one person. Then, they held an 'Aakroshan rally' which was again a big flop," Naidu told ANI. Naidu also targeted former prime minister Manmohan Singh for his failure to stop corruption during his decade-long regime and accused the Congress of generating black money in the past. "Manmohan Singh was the economic advisor, finance secretary, finance minister and prime minister, still he did not do anything to curb black money. Congress is responsible for all the black money that was generated in the past," he said. He also said Congress and corruption always go together and that it should introspect how it decreased its strength from 440 to 40. Naidu showed faith in the move to demonetise high-denomination notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 and counted on it as a measure to switch to cashless economy. "To ensure that the problem of corruption does not recur, we have come up with the concept of digital transfer and digital transactions. This is also done in order to reduce the cash transaction which amounts to 86 percent presently," he said. The Prime Minister will be addressing the nation on New Year's Eve regarding demonetisation, which has completed its 50 days today.(ANI)
The Secretary-level JWG meeting will be co-chaired by the Animal Husbandry Dairying and Fisheries Secretary from India and the Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Development from Sri Lanka.

The Ministerial-level meeting will be co-chaired by Agriculture Minister from the Indian side and Fisheries Minister from Sri Lanka, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

India and Sri Lanka are determined to put in place a mechanism soon to resolve the sensitive fishermen issue.

The meeting comes amid frequent incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing at Indian fishermen fishing in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats. The Palk Strait, which separates Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is much sought after fishing ground for fishermen from both the countries. UNI MK SV SNU 1350

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-1086998.Xml
The armed men with helmet on head and face covered arrived on motorcycle brandishing weapons and entered into the gold loan bank on the first floor near Dunlop crossing and looted gold and other valuable jewelleries around 1000 hours.

Eyewitnesses said the looters carried three bagful of valuable ornaments from the privatebank.

Police officials from Baranagar and Barrackpore commissionerate arrived at the spot and began investigation.

The looting was trouble free and accomplished very quickly before anyone could understand what was going on, police said.UNI PC AD1331

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1087015.Xml
Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) have urged the people to hold demonstrations after Friday prayers. Meanwhile, there is no relief for the Chairman of hardline Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani and senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah who have been put under house arrest. However, there is no restriction on chairman of moderate HC Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik. Another senior separatist leader Musarat Alam has been re-arrested after his detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) was quashed by the High Court 34th time recently. The separatists have already asked people to observe strike today and tomorrow. Security forces and state police personnel remained deployed outside the Hyderpora residence of Mr Geelani who remained under house arrest since his return from New Delhi in May this year, a spokesman of the HC said. He said since his return from New Delhi Mr Geelani was not allowed to offer Eid or Friday prayers in mosque. However, he was taken into custody a number of times after he defied the restrictions to lead protest march. Later he was released in the evening same day. He said hundreds of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) and HC leaders have also been arrested and detained in different jails and police stations in the valley and outside since July 9. Majority of them have been detained under PSA and lodged in Jammu jails. General secretary of the hardline HC Shabir Ahmad Shah also remained under house arrest. He was recently put under house arrest after his release from Raj Bagh police station after more than five months. Meanwhile, Musrat Alam, brain behind 2010 mass agitation during which more than 120 people, mostly youths were killed, was re-arrested. There was no restriction on Mirwaiz who is scheduled to address Friday congregation at historic Jamia Masjid, a spokesman of the HC advocate Shahidul Islam said. He said there are also no restriction around Jamia Masjid though main Jamia market and business and other establishments in the down town and Shehar-e-Khas remained closed in view of strike, called jointly by separatists. A JKLF spokesman said chairman Malik has reached Pulwama to lead a separatist march there. There was no restriction on Malik, he said.UNI BAS ASM VS SNU 1303 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-1086899.Xml
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress' thumping victory to return to the saddle for the second consecutive term in the Assembly election, Narada sting operation, flyover collapse and demonetisation hit the headlines in West Bengal this year. Belying all speculations after the Narada sting operation and the flyover collapse, Ms Banerjee returned to power for the second successive term and emerged as the top newsmaker of the year. The challenge in the election was, however, no less daunting as she had to blunt the anti-incumbency factor as well as the Left-Congress alliance that gave birth to a resurgent opposition movement. Raising the Narada sting operation and Saradha scam issues, the Congress-Left combine tried to put up a tough fight but TMC had managed to capture 211 seats in the 294-member Assembly. During this election year, Ms Banerjee faced an all out attack by BJP, Congress and CPI(M) which fielded top party stalwarts including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, a battery of Union Ministers, Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi and state leaders of these parties for campaigning but they finally found that there was no way to stop her Trinamool Congress from victory. The 61-year-old feisty Ms Banerjee emerged as a prudent leader who not only ended the Left Front's 34-year rule in the state but also portrayed herself as an 'icon of change' in the state. The large-scale ''corruption'' of Mamata Banerjee-led Government in the state was laid bare by a sting operation less than a month ahead of the assembly elections conducted by Narada News. The sting operation shows many top leaders and ministers of TMC accepting bribe from the representatives of a fictitious company, 'Impex Consultancy', in exchange for recommendations and lobbying for the company. The year witnessed the collapse of the under-construction Vivekananda Road flyover in which over 20 people lost their lives. The incident led to political mudslinging with TMC chief putting the blame on the previous LF Government. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8, TMC supremo was the first to go all out against the decision terming it "anti-people" and "financial emergency" in the country. Political observers say the demonetisation issue gave Ms Banerjee a much-awaited opportunity to try her luck in playing a major role in the national politics in view of the 2019 elections. The State Government scored a major victory in the Supreme Court on August 31 which termed as "illegal and void" the acquisition of land in Singur by the previous Left Front regime for Tata Motors' Nano car project by ordering restoration of the land to the farmers. The Chief Minister described the apex court ruling as a "landmark victory" for her party. World-famous social worker Mother Teresa, who devoted her life to the poor, has been declared a Saint in a canonisation Mass held by Pope Francis in the Vatican on September 4. A Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mother Teresa, was one of the most influential women in the Church's 2,000-year history. Saint Teresa of Calcutta the city where she dedicated her life to her work and set up the Missionaries of Charities became the fifth Indian to be made a saint and has been made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and died in 1997. The two-day Bengal Global Business Summit 2016, which was held on January 7 and 8, has secured investment commitments to the tune of at least Rs 2,50,104-crore, Ms Banerjee said. The 22nd edition of Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was inaugurated in the presence of a galaxy of stars, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Bengal brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Sanjay Dutt, Parineeti Chopra and a host of stars from the Bengali film industry. Bachchan inaugurated the festival by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Renowned poet Shankha Ghosh was chosen for the Jnanpith, the country's highest literary award. History repeated itself in the Indian Super League as Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) edged out Kerala Blasters for their second title in three season. ATK were crowned champions of the Indian Super League (ISL) after a string of gritty performances that saw them win the title for the second time in three seasons. Magsaysay Award winner, renowned author and social activist Mahasweta Devi, whose writings focused on the marginalised communities in the country and served as the voice of the oppressed, died here after a multi-organ failure on July 28 at the age of 90. Bodybuilder Manohar Aich, (104), who was once a household name in Bengal after becoming India's first Mr Universe in 1952, died at his Baguiati residence in Dumdum on June 5.UNI BM SJC SV SNU 1311 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-1086295.Xml
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed sadness over loss of many lives in a cave in at a coal mine located at Lalmatia in Godda district of Jharkhand. In a condolence message, he said he was "saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside. Spoke to CM Raghubar Das on the situation. ''Jharkhand Government & Minister @PiyushGoyal are working to restore normalcy. @NDRFHQ has been engaged for rescue & relief operations,'' the P M said. At least 10 people were feared dead as a mine caved in Rajmahal Coal Project of the Eastern Coal Field Ltd (ECL) located at Lalmatia of Godda district.UNI SD SNU 1438 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-1087097.Xml
The Dimasa Public Organization of Nagaland (DPON) and the Kachari Tribal Council Nagaland (KTCN) have strongly condemned the blast incident that occurred Wednesday night in Dimapur near new Dhansiri Bridge area, where two people were critically injured. In a statement, DPON Secretary P M Thaosen stated that one of the injured person identified as Ringdhar Girisa, suffered critical head injury and had been referred to GNRC in Guwahati. Stating that targeting innocent public should be condemned by all, the organisation said such incident should not repeat in future. In a separate statement, KTCN President Ramesh Hasnu described the incident as "barbaric act" that was aimed to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of Dimapur and also create fear psychosis in the minds of public during the festive season. Kachari Tribal Council Nagaland (KTCN) also appealed to the civil society organisations and Hohos to condemn such act in the strongest terms. It also urged the law enforcing agencies to bring the perpetrator to book at the earliest. UNI AS RN 1404 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0311-1087061.Xml
A youth was beaten to death by a mob of villagers at Mohaddipur Meer Tola under Majhaulia police station area in West Champaran district.Police said here today that the youth died on the spot when he was badly beaten by villagers late last night. The youth was identified as Mahendra Ram, a native of Garhwa Bhogari village. An FIR has been lodged at the police station concerned. The motive behind the murder could not be ascertained immediately. The body has been sent for the postmortem examination, police added.UNI XC DH RN 1423 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0311-1087092.Xml
Nine bodies were recovered from a caved-in coal mine while a search to rescue several others continued in Jharkhand's Godda district on Thursday night, officials said on Friday. The tragedy occurred at the Rajmahal Opencast Project of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL). "So far nine bodies have been recovered while two persons have been hospitalised with injuries. Rescue and search operations are on to find other workers who might be trapped," ECL General Manager (Mining) R.R. Amitabh said. "All 10 excavators and dump trucks have been extracted from the mine," added Amitabh. Jharkhand Director General of Police D.K. Pandey said over 20 workers were feared to be trapped inside the collapsed mine. The incident, described by the ECL as "unprecedented", occurred around 7.30 p.m. on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the tragedy. Modi spoke to Chief Minister Raghubar Das to take stock of the situation and said that the Jharkhand government and Union Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal were working to restore normalcy. While a probe has been ordered, the ECL has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those killed, in addition to the amount to be paid under the Workmen's Compensation Act. "Prima facie, it is observed that the incident is unprecedented, since an area of 300 metres length by 110 metres width solid floor of the over burden dump area slid down by about 35 metres involving around 9.5 million cubic metres of earth material," the Coal Ministry said in a statement. "This could be due to failure of the bench edge along the hidden fault line/slip," it said. The probe will be carried out by the Director General of Mines Safety and a 'high level committee of experts' has been constituted by Coal India Limited to investigate the causes of the accident. A heap of mud caved in at the entry point of Lalmatia mines of ECL. At that time more than 70 vehicles were inside the open cast mine the police said. The National Disaster Response Force was carrying out rescue operations monitored and supervised by senior ECL and state government officials. --IANS and/ksk/bg ( 375 Words) 2016-12-30-15:10:07 (IANS)
According to the official, Pal was involved in "financial transactions" with the Rose Valley chit fund organisation.

"Pal would be interrogated regarding his alleged involvement in the financial transactions with Rose Valley," the official said.

The actor-turned-politician was summoned by the agency on Tuesday along with Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay for interrogation in relation to the ponzi scam.

Following the summon, the Trinamool Congress accused the central government of doing vendetta politics and using central agencies to scare the party as they were protesting against the Centre's demonetisation move.

--IANS mgr/sgh/py/bg

( 134 Words)

2016-12-30-16:14:08 (IANS)
GE Power India Ltd,siad that the company has been awarded a contract worth approximately Rs. 271.1 crore by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL). The contact is to supply components and services for the supercritical steam generator island packages for 2x800 MW coal-based Uppur Thermal Power Project and 1x800MW coal-based North Chennai Supercritical Thermal Power Project Stage-III,company said in a filing with BSE.''Both the thermal power projects are located in Tamil Nadu. This is in line with the government's focus on upgrading the power infrastructure in the country.'' filing added.UNI JS NV AW1604 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-1087339.Xml
The infighting in the ruling Samajwadi Party has deepened as Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, both refused to relent and a compromise looks not possible. SP General Secretary and a staunch supporter of the Chief Minister, Prof Ram Gopal Yadav, today said the Party President was to be blamed for the infighting and indirectly hit out at Shivpal Singh Yadav for the dispute. "Netaji had called me on January 1 to decide on the names of the candidates but suddenly they released the list on last Wednesday without considering our list," Prof Yadav said, adding that now any compromise seems impossible. Attacking Shivpal without taking his name, Prof Ram Gopal said,"he was behind the conspiracy to remove Akhilesh from the post of the State President and now he was behind the announcement of the candidates lists leading to the controversy." The SP General Secretary and Rajya Sabha leader, who was in Farrukhabad to attend a last rite function on the death of the father of a SP MLA, announced that he would campaign for the Chief Minister and his supporters in the elections. "People who are opposing Akhilesh are my opponents and the candidates' list of the Chief Minister has my full support," he added. Prof Yadav, after attending the programme in Farrukhabad, has rushed to Lucknow and is likely to meet Akhilesh as well as Mulayam in a last ditch effort to resolve the dispute. Meanwhile, the meeting of the party candidates called by the SP chief is likely to be a show of strength for both the sides. Around 190 candidates were common on both sides and they are in a fix where to go. But sources in the party said tomorrow's meeting will certainly be held at the state party office around 1030 hrs which will clearly give a projection about on which side the majority of the party leaders are.UNI MB AE SNU 1610 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1087133.Xml
The first export consignment containing 60 tonnes of Fully Refined Parrafin Wax (FRPW) was flagged off to Nicaragua yesterday from the premises of the Numaligarh Refinery Marketing Terminal by Director (Technical) NRL S R Medhi, in presence of other NRL officials.

Earlier, NRL Wax has been exported to Mexico, Kenya, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated NRL's Wax Plant to the Nation on February 5 this year.

The 50,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) Wax Plant commissioned in March 2015 at a cost of Rs 676 crores is the country's largest Wax producing unit with indigenous technology developed by IIP Dehradun, EIL and NRL. Since commissioning of the Wax plant, NRL has emerged as the largest manufacturer and marketer of Wax in the country. UNI SG AKM 1732

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According to police, the accident occurred at around 0630 hrs when the speeding truck smashed with thecar, killing four occupants and injuring one.

The deceased were identified as Sanjay Suryawansi, Riya Suryawansi, Aditya Surywansi and Ashwini Salve.

The injured identified as Smita Suryawansi was admitted to a hospital in Jalna.

The truck driver fled with his vehicle after the incident, police said, adding, further investigation was underway.UNI PK SS SW SNU 1734

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Ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is on the verge of a split and just 2 days away from it when chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has called an emergency national delegate meeting of the party on January 1 even though party president Mulayam Singh Yadav has issued a show cause notices to both Akhilesh and his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav who is the party's general secretary. The meeting called by Akhilesh and Ram Gopal is seen as an effort to take control of the party from Mulayam and Shivpal. In a statement issued here today, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said that the emergency national delegate meeting would be held on January 1 at the conference hall of the Lohia Law University at 1100 hrs. "The situation in the party is very critical as some vested interest are trying to create problems so that the party do not come in power. Hence this meeting would be crucial for all to decide on the future course of action," Prof. Yadav said while appealing to all the party leaders to join the meeting. Sources close to team Akhilesh hinted that in the emergency delegate meeting chief minister Akhilesh would be elected as the party president and Mulayam Singh Yadav would be made the chief patron. Meanwhile, irked by the rebellion in the party by his son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav at last has served a show cause notice to Akhilesh and his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav for indiscipline.MORE UNI MB SHK 1752 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1087557.Xml
The Aam Aadmi Party today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the CBI conducted raid at Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain's officer on special duty (OSD), Nikunj Aggarwal's office here at the Delhi Secretariat saying it was carried out to divert attention from the Sahara-Birla issue and failure of his demonetisation policy.Expressing his dissatisfaction over the issue, Mr Kejriwal in a tweet said, "Modi ji, do whatever you wish, I will travel across the country to tell people that you take 'bribe' and you have taken cash from Sahara and Birla." "Raids are being carried out to divert attention from evidence of you (Modi) taking bribes from Sahara-Birla and from failure of demonetisation. You can investigate as much as you like. We have done nothing," Delhi Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters here this evening at a press conference.Accusing the Prime Minister for unleashing Central agencies to harass the AAP government, Mr Sisodia said, "All your intelligence is put after AAP for political vendetta. You care nothing for the common man, law and order. All this intelligence agencies are working against our party, not for public's benefit.""Raid for what reason? Appointing an OSD? Is this the biggest form of corruption? Is this what the CBI hunts? Will Modi ji ask his intelligence agencies to investigate Birla and Sahara cases where he took bribe worth crores?," he asked.MORE UNI DS ADG -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0177-1087954.Xml
Acting on a tip off, a police team raided the place near the Kalyan railway station near the Borgaonkar Complex and arrested the women who were actively wooing the prospective customers.

Among the arrested were Momina Bilal Shaikh alias Priya and Muniya Ibrahim Mulla alias Munni (both from Bangladesh), had come into India without any valid passport and resided here.

Also arrested was one Bilal Muzibur Rehaman Shaikh, who had married Momina knowing very well that she was a Bangladeshi national and she did not have valid passport to enter India and resided here illegally, police said.

Besides cash currency, police have seized as many as 15 mobile phones from the arrested accused.

Offences under section 8 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA), 1956, sections 3(A) and 6(A) of the Indian Passport (entry into India) Act, section 14 of the Foreign Nationals Act, section 2 of Foreign Nationals (report to police) along with sections 110 and 117 of Maharashtra Police Act have been registered against the arrested accused, sources added. UNI XR SS SHS AN2303

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13 Nobel laureates along with 10 global leaders have urged members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to urgently put the Rohingya crisis on the list of the council's agenda and to call upon the UN secretary-general to visit Myanmar as a priority. "If the current secretary-general is able to do so, we would urge him to go; if not, we encourage the new secretary-general to make it one of his first tasks after he takes office in January," reads an open letter sent to the president of the UNSC and to all its member states, reports the Daily Star. The dignitaries, who have made the joint plea for the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority in Myanmar, include the likes of Professor Muhammad Yunus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, Shirin Ebadi, The Huffington Post founder and editor Arianna Huffington, former Italian prime minister and foreign minister Romano Prodi and Emma Bonino. The signatories that include 13 Nobel laureates and 10 other business people, philanthropists, activists and politicians of global repute expressed concern that Rohingya persecution in Myanmar bears the hallmarks of genocides and past tragedies like the ones in Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, and Kosovo. They urged the United Nations to do everything possible to encourage the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid so that people receive emergency assistance. "Access for journalists and human rights monitors should also be permitted, and an independent, international inquiry to establish the truth about the current situation should be established," they said. They observed, "Over the past two months, a military offensive by the Myanmar Army in Rakhine State has led to the killing of hundreds of Rohingya people. Over 30,000 people have been displaced." "Houses have been burned, women raped, many civilians arbitrarily arrested, and children killed. Crucially, access for humanitarian aid organisations has been almost completely denied, creating an appalling humanitarian crisis in an area already extremely poor." The open letter said, "Thousands [of Rohingyas] have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, only to be sent back. Some international experts have warned of the potential for genocide. It has all the hallmarks of recent past tragedies -- Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, Kosovo." The dignitaries also expressed frustration at Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's non-initiative in ensuring rights of the Rohingyas. (ANI)
The Turkish armed forces said today Russian aircraft had carried out three air strikes against Islamic State in the area of al-Bab and south of the town in northern Syria, killing 12 of the jihadists.In a round-up of its military operations over the past 24 hours in support of rebels in northern Syria, the Turkish military also said one Turkish soldier was killed and five wounded in an Islamic State attack to the south of al Azrak.Also, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes in the areas of al-Bab and Daglabash, destroying 17 IS targets and killing 26 militants, the statement said. REUTERS AKC RK1200 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1086876.Xml
Russian aircraft have carried out three air strikes on Islamic State around the Syrian town of al-Bab over the past 24 hours, the Turkish military said today, in what appeared to be the first Russian support for Turkish army operations in the area.The strikes came as a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start at midnight. Islamic State is not included in that agreement.NATO member Turkey launched an incursion into Syria, dubbed "Euphrates Shield", more than four months ago to drive Islamic State militants away from the border region. Turkish-backed Syrian rebel forces have besieged al-Bab for several weeks.In a daily round-up of its military operations in the region, the Turkish military said it had received information that 12 Islamic State fighters had been killed in the Russian air strikes around al-Bab. It said the targets had been in the town and directly to its south.Separately, the army said one Turkish soldier was killed and five wounded in an Islamic State attack to the south of al Azraq, west of al-Bab.It said Turkish warplanes also carried out air strikes in the areas of al-Bab and Daglabash, destroying 17 IS targets and killing 26 militants.Turkey on Monday called on members of the US-led coalition against Islamic State to provide air support for the operation around al-Bab, support which as yet has not been forthcoming.Turkey's Syrian operations are also designed to prevent the Kurdish YPG militia, which it regards a terrorist group, from joining up cantons it controls along the Turkish border, fearing that would embolden Kurdish separatism at home. REUTERS AKC RK1313 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1086952.Xml
Pakistan has rejected the Grossi formula for evaluation of the candidature of non-NPT states for the Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG) membership as 'discriminatory' and unhelpful for advancing global non-proliferation objectives. At the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office(FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria yesterday said : "This would be clearly discriminatory and would contribute nothing in terms of furthering the non-proliferation objectives of the NSG." Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina had been appointed as a facilitator for discussions among the NSG members after Seoul plenary meeting of the 48-nation nuclear trade cartel ended in a stalemate over membership applications from India and Pakistan. The deadlock persisted at the extraordinary plenary held in Vienna last month, a report in daily Dawn said today. Mr Grossi this month submitted a two-page revised document to the NSG member countries containing a nine-point proposal on considering the applications of India and Pakistan, both non-NPT countries. The NSG members last week again met in Vienna for discussing the document called "revised version of a draft 'Exchange of Notes' for Non-NPT applicants", the newspaper report said. Pakistan continues to emphasise the imperative for a non-discriminatory criteria-based approach for the NSG membership of non-NPT states in a non-discriminatory manner. "Such a criteria-based approach will further the non-proliferation objective of the NSG as well as the objective of strategic stability in South Asia," Spokesman Mr Zakaria said during the briefing. He reminded the NSG members of "the heavy responsibility" they bore with respect to admission of non-NPT states. "It is important for the credibility of the NSG and the future of the non-proliferation regime that the NSG be seen as a rule-based organisation rather than a grouping which is driven by commercial and political considerations that trump its non-proliferation objectives," he maintained. Responding to a question about the dismal foreign policy performance of the government during 2016 and the perception of the country getting isolated, Mr Zakaria rejected the impression as "absurd". "How do you define isolation? If isolation is that a country is at loggerheads with you and campaigns against you being isolated, do you really get isolated? One should look at the bigger picture in the larger context in which things are happening. Look at the high political visits to Pakistan and our leadership's visits to the important capitals. Assess the political developments that are taking place in terms of important relationships that major powers are developing with Pakistan. Look at Pakistan's economic indicators and the progress Pakistan has achieved," the spokesman said. UNI XC SS -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0089-1087240.Xml
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's transit through the United States next month during her January visit to allies in Latin American countries is based on common practice, the de facto US embassy in Taiwan said today."President Tsai's transit through the United States is based on long-standing US practice and is consistent with the unofficial nature of our relations with Taiwan," Alys Spensley, acting spokeswoman for the American Institute in Taiwan, told Reuters."There is no change to the US 'one China' policy," she added.Tsai is transiting in the United States on her way to and from visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She will leave Taiwan on January 7 and return on January 15. REUTERS SW AS1512 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0101-1087150.Xml
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through Houston and San Francisco during her January visit to allies in Latin America, her office said Friday, a move bound to anger China which a day earlier urged the US to block any stopover.Tsai's office declined to comment on whether she would be meeting members of US President-elect Donald Trump's team, but the US mission in Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said the visit would be "private and unofficial".Trump angered China when he spoke to Tsai this month in a break with decades of precedent and cast doubt on his incoming administration's commitment to Beijing's "one China" policy.China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations.The United States, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, has acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only "one China" and that Taiwan is part of it.Tsai is transiting in the United States on her way to and from visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She will leave Taiwan on Jan. 7 and return on Jan. 15.Tsai will arrive in Houston on Jan. 7 and leave the following day. On her return, she will arrive in San Francisco on Jan. 13, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang told a regular news briefing.The AIT said the transit did not contradict the "one China" policy."President Tsai's transit through the United States is based on long-standing U.S. practice and is consistent with the unofficial nature of our relations with Taiwan," Alys Spensley, acting AIT spokeswoman, told Reuters."There is no change to the US 'one China' policy," she added.Spensley said that Tsai's transits would be "private and unofficial".China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island.Taiwan had as many as 30 diplomatic allies in the mid-1990s, but now has formal relations with just 21, mostly smaller and poorer nations in Latin America and the Pacific and including the Vatican. REUTERS SW GC1536 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0101-1087194.Xml
An Islamic State leader was killed in a Turkish airstrike in Syria's al-Bab as part of the ongoing Euphrates Shield operation, the media reported on Friday. Ebu Husen Tunusi died when his motorcade was hit by Turkish warplanes in al-Bab, Xinhua news agency reported. Tunusi had been chosen as an emir by the IS and transferred to al-Bab from Raqqa, the de facto capital of the jihadist group. --IANS py/bg ( 78 Words) 2016-12-30-16:46:08 (IANS)
China called on the United States on Friday not to allow Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to transit there on her way to and from Latin America next month.China hopes the United States does not send any wrong signals to "Taiwan independence forces", the Foreign Ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters.Tsai is transiting in the United States on her way to and from visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She will leave Taiwan on Jan. 7 and return on Jan. 15. REUTERS SW AS1615 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0101-1087293.Xml
The minister, however, did not confirm the media reports that a charred body found inside a car in Rio de Janeiro on Friday was Amiridis, and instead hoped the diplomat will be found alive and safe, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Brazilian police, the car was rented by the ambassador who was visiting the city of Rio for the Christmas and New Year Eve holidays.

The Greek Foreign Ministry on Thursday said its embassy in Brasilia, Brazil's capital city, was informed on Wednesday by the ambassador's family that they had not been able to contact him since Monday.

The 59-year-old diplomat assumed duty as Greece's ambassador to Brazil in January 2016. He once served in Rio de Janeiro as consul from 2001 to 2004.

According to the Greek Foreign Ministry's website, Amiridis also was Greece's ambassador to Libya in 2012. He is married and has a daughter.

The Greek Foreign Ministry said Amiridis reportedly went missing during a trip to Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

His family reported no contact for a ransom in the past days, but the police did not rule out the possibility of kidnapping.

It is highly possible that Amiridis has been killed, Brazilian authorities said on Thursday.

--IANS py/vt

( 242 Words)

2016-12-30-17:56:22 (IANS)
Iraqi forces faced car bombs and fierce resistance from Islamic State militants in southern Mosul today, the second day of a renewed push to take back the city after fighting stalled for several weeks.An officer in the federal police forces, which joined the battle yesterday, said there were heavy clashes in the southeastern Palestine district, but they had made progress in two other neighbourhoods, disabling a number of car bombs.Another officer, from an elite Interior Ministry unit fighting alongside federal police, said his forces were gaining ground in the Intisar district despite heavy clashes there.Iraqi forces in the east and north of the city were clearing areas they had recaptured yesterday before advancing any further, officers said, and the army was trying to cut supply lines to the town of Tel Keyf, north of Mosul.Since the offensive began 10 weeks ago, US-backed forces have retaken a quarter of the jihadists' last major stronghold in Iraq in the biggest ground operation there since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.Recapturing Mosul would probably spell the end for Islamic State's self-styled caliphate, and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said the group would be driven out of Iraq by April.Elite forces pushed into Mosul from the east in October but regular army troops tasked with advancing from the north and south made slower progress and the operation stagnated.After regrouping this month, they renewed the offensive yesterday, advancing from the south, east and north of the city, which has been under militant control for more than two years.The second phase of the operation will see US troops deployed closer to the front line inside the city.On Friday, a Reuters reporter saw a handful of Americans in their MRAP vehicles, that tower over Iraqi tanks, accompanying top commanders to meetings in a village just north of Mosul.Although the militants are vastly outnumbered, they have embedded themselves among Mosul residents, hindering Iraqi forces who are trying to avoid civilian casualties. Despite food and water shortages, most civilians have stayed in their homes rather than fleeing as had been expected.NORTHERN FRONTOn the nothern front, Iraqi forces have yet to enter Mosul itself but on Friday they were clearing just-recaptured areas on its periphery as well as trying to cut off Tel Keyf."The enemy had occupied this area and used it for resting and resupplying towards Tel Keyf and Mosul," Major General Najm al-Jubbouri, a top commander in the offensive told Reuters in the northern district of Sada, which was recaptured yesterday."It (Tel Keyf) is surrounded from the other sides and by our forces here," he said.Jubbouri said the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces had killed 70 militants since late on Thursday and were using Apache helicopters, HIMARS rocket launchers and fighter jets.Mosul is bisected by the Tigris river, and Iraqi forces have yet to enter the western side, where 2,000-year-old markets and narrow alleyways are likely to complicate any advance.Coalition forces bombed the last remaining bridge connecting east and west Mosul late on Monday in a bid to block Islamic State's access across the Tigris River.A medical source in Mosul told Reuters a large number of wounded militants had been ferried across the river to the emergency hospital on the western side of city on Thursday.The source said the militants were denying wounded and sick civilians access to the hospital.More than 114,000 civilians have been displaced from Mosul so far, according to the United Nations - a fraction of the 1.5 million thought to still be inside.REUTERS SHS PR1917 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-1087791.Xml
Ukrainian police arrested a 31-year-old man today accused of killing a woman and her daughter, and who they also suspect was planning to mow down citizens with a truck, like the attacks on the Berlin Christmas market and in Nice.Police said the man had murdered two people in a village in the southern Odessa region before setting fire to two houses and then escaping in a stolen truck and hiding in an abandoned home before officers caught him.Based on information they had received from a friend of the man, police said he was planning to run over a large crowd of people with the truck.The attack in the German capital days before Christmas killed a dozen people and injured 56, while a similar incident in Nice, France, on Bastille Day killed 86 people and injured more than 400.European capitals have tightened security ahead of New Year's celebrations, erecting concrete barriers in city centres and stepping up police numbers after the attack in Berlin. New York City will also take steps to protect revellers.Alyona Voitenko, a spokeswoman for the Odessa police, said: "We knew that he was armed and dangerous."She said the man had threatened an attack by saying: "Odessa will cry, I will ram into the city in a truck." REUTERS SHS AN1959 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-1087933.Xml
European capitals tightened security today ahead of New Year's celebrations, erecting concrete barriers in city centres and stepping up police numbers after the Islamic State attack in Berlin last week that killed 12 people.In the German capital, police closed the Pariser Platz square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy 1,700 extra officers, many along a party strip where armoured cars will flank concrete barriers blocking off the area."Every measure is being taken to prevent a possible attack," Berlin police spokesman Thomas Neuendorf told Reuters TV. Some police officers would carry sub-machine guns, he said, an unusual tactic for German police.Last week's attack in Berlin, in which a 24-year old Tunisian ploughed a truck into a Christmas market, has prompted German lawmakers to call for tougher security measures.In Milan, where police shot the man dead, security checks were set up around the main square. Trucks were banned from the centres of Rome and Naples. Police and soldiers cradled machine guns outside tourists sites including Rome's Colosseum.Madrid plans to deploy an extra 1,600 police on the New Year weekend. For the second year running, access to the city's central Puerta del Sol square where revellers traditionally gather to bring in the New Year will be restricted to 25,000 people, with police setting up barricades to control access.In Cologne in western Germany, where hundreds of women were sexually assaulted and robbed outside the central train station on New Year's Eve last year, police have installed new video surveillance cameras to monitor the station square.The attacks in Cologne, where police said the suspects were mainly of North African and Arab appearance, fuelled criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept nearly 900,000 migrants last year.The Berlin attack has intensified that criticism.In Frankfurt, home to the European Central Bank and Germany's biggest airport, more than 600 police officers will be on duty on New Year' Eve, twice as many as in 2015.In Brussels, where Islamist suicide bombers killed 16 people and injured more than 150 in March, the mayor was reviewing whether to cancel New Year fireworks but decided this week that they would go ahead.PARIS PATROLSIn Paris, where Islamic State gunmen killed 130 people last November, authorities prepared for a high-security weekend, the highlight of which will be the fireworks on the Champs-lyses, which some 600,000 people are expected to attend.Ahead of New Year's Eve, heavily armed soldiers patrolled popular Paris tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre museum.Across France, more than 90,000 police and thousands of soldiers will be on duty for New Year's Eve, authorities said.On Wednesday, police in southwest France, arrested a man suspected of having planned an attack on New Year's Eve.Two other people, one of whom was suspected of having planned an attack on police, were arrested in a separate raid, also in southwest France near Toulouse, police sources told Reuters.In Vienna, police handed out more than a thousand pocket alarms to women, eager to avoid a repeat of the sexual assaults that blighted Cologne's New Year's Eve in 2015."At present, there is no evidence of any specific danger in Austria. However, we are talking about an increased risk situation," Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said."We leave nothing to chance with regard to security."In Ukraine, police arrested a man today who they suspect was planning a Berlin copycat attack in the city of Odessa. REUTERS SHS AN2001 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-1087938.Xml
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) meets with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 29, 2016. The Syrian government and the opposition have reached a cease-fire agreement, and both sides are ready to start peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.(Xinhua/Sputnik)

MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government and the opposition have reached a cease-fire agreement, and both sides are ready to start peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

Three documents have been signed between the conflicting sides: one on a nationwide cease-fire in Syria, one on measures to monitor the truce, and the third on starting peace negotiations on the Syrian settlement, Putin said.

All the reached agreements are "very fragile," which requires special attention and patience, as well as a professional approach and constant contact with Moscow's partners in the region, Putin said at a meeting with Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The trilateral format involving Russia, Turkey and Iran will monitor and provide guarantees to the peace process, Putin said, adding that contacts between him and leaders of Turkey, Iran and Syria would coordinate further steps on Syrian agreements.

Meanwhile, Putin called on all related countries to support the reached agreements and take part in talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on the Syrian settlement proposed by Russia.

The nationwide cease-fire will come into force at 0:00 local time on Friday (22:00 GMT on Thursday), Shoigu said at the meeting, adding that the agreements were reached with seven armed opposition groups involving62,000 people, which formed the core of the armed opposition.

He said the reached agreements created all the prerequisites for the cessation of hostilities, and establishment of a direct dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition over issues like the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It also created conditions for the reduction of Russian troops in Syria, Shoigu said.

Putin agreed to reduce the Russian presence, but adding that Russia would continue to fight terrorist groups and support the Syrian government in the fight against terrorism.

Shoigu also warned that the opposition factions that have not signed the latest truce deal would be automatically categorized as terrorist groups.

Lavrov said at the meeting that Moscow was going to invite Egypt to join the group of guarantor countries, adding that other key countries could also be involved.

Related:

Turkey says Syria approaches permanent ceasefire

ANKARA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that a permanent ceasefire and a political solution to the Syrian crisis is close, local media reported.

Cavusoglu's comments came after reports of an agreement between Turkey and Moscow for a general ceasefire deal in Syria. Full story

Iran urges exclusion of Saudi Arabia from Syria peace talks

TEHRAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's defense minister said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia should not be part of Syria peace talks, Tasnim news agency reported.
BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) made progress this year as the two countries strengthened cooperation.

There were positive steps in transport infrastructure, energy and education, according to a meeting of the CPEC's long-term planning body on Thursday.

In 2016, the two sides began the upgrading the Karakorum Highway from Havelian to Thakot and a highway linking Pakistan's largest cities of Karachi and Lahore.

Ten energy projects, including a coal-fired power plant in Sahiwal, began with total installed capacity to reach 7.3 million kw.

The building of Gwadar Port and its support facility accelerated, as well as the introduction of foreign investment into industrial parks.

The CPEC, proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in 2013, is a 3,000-km network of roads, railways and pipelines linking Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and southwest Pakistan's Gwadar Port.

The economic belt is also a major part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
ISTANBUL, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkey, once a staunch opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is partnering now with Russia and Iran, both steadfast supporters of the Syrian government, in search of a solution to the Syrian conflict that has entered its sixth year.

The declaration Turkey jointly adopted with Russia and Iran in Moscow last week to settle the civil war in Syria marks a fundamental departure from the policy pursued by the Turkish government over the years, under which Ankara had backed the rebels in efforts to topple the al-Assad government, analysts said.

"The tripartite Moscow agreement is indeed a complete U-turn for Turkey, because toppling of the Syrian regime is ruled out and the agreement implicitly recognizes the regime as a party to the settlement of the crisis," said Haldun Solmazturk, director of 21st Century Turkey Institute, an Ankara-based think-tank.

Article 1 of the joint statement, dubbed the Moscow Declaration, underlines the three countries' respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while article 8 indicates the Islamic State (IS) and the al-Nusra Front, now known as

Fatah al-Sham Front, as terrorist organizations to be fought in Syria and excluded from future peace negotiations.

There is no reference in the declaration to President al-Assad's position.

Turkey had lent support to the rebel groups since Syria was plunged into chaos in March 2011, arguing al-Assad had lost his legitimacy to rule.

Many analysts argued that Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had pushed, with Islamist motives, for a regime change in Syria to pave the way for sympathizers of the Muslim Brotherhood movement to come to power, as was the case in Egypt in the early stage of the so-called Arab Spring.

The AKP government's fixation on replacing the Syrian regime has led to nowhere but a complete destruction and dismemberment of Syria and a de-facto Syrian Kurdish state, remarked Solmazturk.

Despite the Moscow declaration, Ankara has insisted on no change in its position regarding the Syrian president.

Days after the declaration was adopted, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said the restart in negotiations for a ceasefire in Syria did not mean Turkey's agreement to al-Assad remaining in power.

The minister also stated that the opposition groups would not accept al-Assad as president either.

What Turkey agreed to in the talks in Moscow is exactly the opposite of what Ankara had hoped for in Syria, said Ilhan Uzgel, head of the Department of International Relations with Ankara University.

"Al-Assad was to go (under the Turkish plan), but Turkey has emerged now as a sort of guarantor for al-Assad based on the Moscow declaration," he told Xinhua.

Nearly 44,000 people, civilians and rebels in Aleppo who were besieged by the Syrian forces, were recently allowed to be evacuated to Idlib, a rebel-held town in northwestern Syria, under a deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The move allowed the government forces to take over an entire Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, in a significant victory for Damascus.

Russia, Turkey and Iran are scheduled to meet again in January in Astana, Kazakhstan, to set the stage for representatives of both the Syrian government and the moderate rebel groups to start negotiations over a peace deal.

Ozturk Yilmaz, deputy chairman of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, called the government's change in position a U-turn that serves Turkey's best interests.

As the IS and al-Nusra Front are internationally recognized as terror groups, Turkey has been pushing without success so far for blacklisting the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish militia allied to the United States but seen by Ankara as a terrorist organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK has been waging a bloody war against Turkey since 1984 to carve out an autonomous, if not independent, Kurdistan in the country's mainly Kurds-populated southeast.

Turkey sees the emergence of an autonomous or independent Kurdish entity under PKK rule along its border as an existential threat.

The threat has become real as the Syrian government is now weakened following years of fighting against rebels.

The fact that the Turkish government is seeking to settle the Syrian issue in accord with Russia and Iran implies it recognizes al-Assad, "but they (members of the AKP government) don't confess that," Yilmaz, a former diplomat, was quoted as saying by Turkish media.

"The Turkish government has made many and fateful mistakes (in Syria) based on miscalculations and misreading of the regional and global developments," said Solmazturk, a former general in the Turkish Armed Forces. "It ignored or overlooked Turkish national interests and now the whole country pays for such mistakes."

Since the civil war broke out in Syria, suicide bomb attacks in Turkey by the PKK and IS have radically increased, with the country hit over the past one and a half years by around 30 deadly attacks and losing more than 400 lives.

"The Syrian policy of this government was wrong from top to bottom and we are paying the price for that," Yilmaz said at a press conference last week. "The price is the Turkish soldiers martyred, the disintegration of Syria, the demolition of Syrian cities and the humanitarian tragedy."

In the view of Yasar Yakis, the AKP's first foreign minister, the Moscow declaration is a step taken in the right direction by the Turkish government.

He told Xinhua that Ankara's original policy of overthrowing the al-Assad regime is now "detached from the realities in the field."

The Syrian government has irreversibly gained the upper hand in the civil war after Russia plunged into it militarily in September last year.

Three autonomous Kurdish cantons have emerged in Syria in recent years along the border with Turkey, while the U.S. is continuing its support to the YPG despite Turkish protests.

Washington sees the Kurdish militias in Syria as its ground force in the battle against IS and hopes, as revealed by U.S. officials earlier, for the emergence of an independent Kurdish state in the region.

In addition, Ankara is in need of Moscow's consent to conduct and continue its military offensive inside Syria, launched in August to push the IS away from the Turkish border and prevent the Kurds from uniting their three cantons.

Turkey is concerned that the emergence of an independent Kurdish region in northern Syria may set a precedent for its own 20 million Kurds.

The Turkish forces and the Free Syrian Army militants are currently fighting to capture al-Bab, an IS-held town about 30 kilometers from the Turkish border.

Early last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan bluntly expressed his disappointment about the U.S.-led coalition battling against the IS, accusing them of leaving Turkey alone in the battle for al-Bab.

He accused the coalition forces of offering support to the IS and YPG, underlying that Turkey has "confirmed" evidence in the forms of pictures and video footage.

Speaking of the upcoming Astana meeting, the Turkish leader voiced his opposition to inviting terrorist organizations to the summit.

Erdogan's remarks suggest that Turkey could start cooperating with Syria in the coming days, Ismail Hakki Pekin, a former general who headed the intelligence unit of the Turkish General Staff, said on Ulusal TV on Wednesday.

It is widely argued in Turkey that the best way to block the emergence of an independent Kurdish state in Syria is to cooperate with the Syrian government.

Both Syrian and Russian officials announced in the past months that they were against a federal system in Syria. Al-Assad himself also talked recently about liberating all of Syria, indicating his intention to keep his country a unitary state.
by Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the inauguration of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, there is speculation in Israel on whether there will be a change in American policy towards Iran.

Speaking at the beginning of December to the Saban Forum on the Middle East in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was looking forward to talking to the new President about "what to do about this bad deal."

Throughout years of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries, Netanyahu was vocal on his objection to any concessions towards Iran.

In 2015, when the deal was reached, under the auspices of now outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama, the Israeli government made its dissatisfaction clear.

Now, as Obama leaves office, it remains to be seen whether Trump will act on his campaign statements against the deal.

Dr. Emily B. Landau is the Head of the Arms Control Program at the Institute for National Security Studies at the Tel Aviv University. She estimates chances of the deal being scrapped are "pretty low."

She believes the situation now is "not good" and the Americans have lost any clout they may have had prior to the agreement.

She believes that even the deal is discarded, it will be replaced by a new deal.

"The U.S. is not going to get a better deal with no leverage," said Landau.

Dr. Ali Vaez, a senior Iran analyst for the International Crisis Group, believes the current Iran deal is facing its gradual end.

"The likeliest scenario is that the incoming administration will neither keep nor kill the deal. Instead it appears inclined to kill it softly by gradually reintroducing non-nuclear related sanctions that would allow restoration of leverage," says Vaez.

For Netanyahu, this may be the golden hour. A chance to make a dent in American policy towards Iran. His strained relationship with Obama throughout the past eight years did not provide fertile ground for a good dialogue on the issue.

Israel was highly critical of the nature of the deal that lifted sanctions against Iran from the get-go without having the country deliver on its promises to curb its nuclear aspirations.

Iranian leaders, who have often used threatening language towards the Jewish state, have yet to earn the trust of the Israelis with regard to the implementation of their side of the deal.

Trump's rhetoric during the presidential campaign was tough towards Iran. Based on that, he is expected to be less tolerant to Iranian violations of the agreement. Iranian provocations may be met with a harsh American response.

In an interview to CBS' 60 Minutes program a few weeks ago, Netanyahu said he could think of various ways to renege on the deal and he planned to discuss these with Trump.

"I don't think anyone knows what the Israeli Prime Minister's options for rolling back on the deal are, but the reality is that the agreement remains fragile and there are 1000 ways it could be sabotaged," said Vaez.

During the years 2010-2012, there was widespread media speculation that Israel was planning a pre-emptive strike against Iran.

Such an attack would be difficult for Israel to undertake -- it would not only need all sorts of assistance from its allies in carrying out such an attack, but its ramifications have the potential of spiraling the region into an all-out war.

Landau does not believe the option was really on the table but that was only "preparations and talks." In the past, she believes, when Israel did attack against Iraq in 1981 and Syria in 2007," there was no talk beforehand."

So even if the agreement were to be shelved, it seems unlikely Israel will attempt to strike Iran, but rather use various methods to undermine its nuclear program.

The lack of an agreement may increase uncertainty in the arena.

"The specter of war will once again appear, forcing Iran to double down on its support for anti-Israeli proxies to deter the U.S. and Israel from attacking it," Vaez assesses.

Iran, which supports the militant Hezbollah on Israel's northern border with Lebanon, may be motivated to provoke Israel through its proxy.

Israel and Hezbollah have fought bloody wars in the past. It is widely thought that Hezbollah has greatly improved the quality and scope of its missiles, making any future conflict with Israel bloodier than ever. At the moment, Hezbollah lacks the motivation to attack Israel. A collapse of the nuclear agreement might very well change this.

The agreement with Iran was a cause of a major rift between Netanyahu and Obama.

A year after the deal, Obama and other officials in the American administration quoted anonymous Israeli security officials saying even they were new converts -- Israel has now realized the deal was a good one.

Landaus said unequivocally that these quotes are "not true."

In an article published by her in the Times of Israel website, she wrote that comments made by Israeli officials were not meant for audiences outside of Israel and could therefore "be easily misconstrued."

Now, as the U.S. administration is about to be replaced, it seems Netanyahu is entering his comfort zone with Trump and might be more inclined to be even less diplomatic in his disdain for the pact with Iran.

The question remains whether the Iranian issue will be at the forefront of Trump's agenda. If it's not first on his to-do list, a change is farther away than Netanyahu wishes for.
MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad promised Thursday to honor a newly-clinched ceasefire agreement in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin.

The Syrian government and the core groups of the so-called moderate opposition reached a ceasefire agreement and expressed their readiness to start intra-Syrian talks on Thursday.

The Syrian army then declared that a nationwide cessation of hostilities will go into effect as of midnight Friday.

Both the Russian and Syrian leaders hailed the agreement and the transition to a political process, which were mediated by Russia and Turkey, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin and al-Assad also agreed to launch the intra-Syrian talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana, which they believed to be an important step towards the resolution of the crisis, it added.

Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyp Erdogan have agreed to facilitate talks between Syria's conflicting sides in Astana, which has also been supported by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and the United Nations special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.
Journalists are seen outside the Russian Embassy to the United States in Washington D.C., the United States, on Dec. 29, 2016. The White House on Thursday announced sanctions against Russian entities and individuals over alleged hacking during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In addition, the U.S. State Department on Thursday announced ejection of 35 Russian government officials from the United States. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The White House on Thursday announced tough sanctions against Russian entities and individuals over alleged hacking during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Nine Russian entities and individuals, including two Russian intelligence services, were sanctioned for their alleged interference in the U.S. election, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement.

The Obama administration in October officially blamed Russia for hacking U.S. political institutions and persons to interfere with the U.S. election process, an accusation immediately dismissed as "nonsense" by Moscow.

"These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government," said Obama.

In addition, the U.S. State Department on Thursday announced ejection of 35 Russian officials from the United States, calling them "acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status."

Two Russian government-owned compounds, one in U.S. State of Maryland and one in New York, would also soon be shuttered, according to the State Department.

"These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior," Obama said in the statement released while he was vacationing in Hawaii.

Calling the Obama administration's new move against Russia overdue, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, highest-ranking GOP officeholder, said the new sanctions were "an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia."

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters in Russia that Moscow regreted the new sanctions and the measures signaled Obama's "unpredictable" and "aggressive foreign policy."
LONDON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- More than 200 people have died in the past year after taking psychoactive drugs known as "legal highs", the Home Office, Britain's interior department, revealed Thursday.

The Home Office said nearly 500 people have been arrested by law enforcers since a landmark psychoactive substances law came into force six months ago which made so-called designer drugs illegal.

New powers were introduced under the new law to tackle what officials described as the menace of so-called legal highs.

Home Office figures showed that new psychoactive substances were involved in 204 deaths in Britain in the last year, an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous 12 months.

Government minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism Sarah Newton said: "We banned new psychoactive substances because they are not safe, they can devastate lives and we will not tolerate them in this country."

Police forces have stopped 332 shops across Britain from selling the substances since the new law came into force.

Police Commander Simon Bray, from the National Police Chief's Council, said that the Psychoactive Substances Act has fundamentally changed the way police tackle the supply and distribution of these dangerous drugs.

Offenders can face up to 7 years in prison for the supply, production, possession with intent to supply, importation or exportation of a psychoactive substance.

Police can also use new powers to shut shops or online dealerships selling the newly banned substances.
A South Korean supersonic trainer jet plane, the T-50, performs during Air Power Day at the U.S. airbase in Osan, about 60 km (37 miles) south of Seoul, October 6, 2007. The Air Power Day event featured aircraft displays from South Korea and U.S. air forces as well as the Patriot missile system and security forces equipment.(REUTERS/Han Jae-Ho)

by Peter Mertz

DENVER, the UNITED STATES, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) - Within the next year, California's Mojave desert will see a streak in the sky and hear a sonic boom, as the first commercial supersonic flight in U.S. history hits the Stratosphere.

"The supersonic revival is here," Erin Fisher, Head of Flight Controls for Boom Technologies, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

Boom's team of Colorado-based engineers had solid plans to launch a supersonic prototype in 2017, and was scheduled to be in service and full production mode by 2023.

An initial production sequence of 1,300 jets was planned, and reportedly, orders were in for several dozen from American and European air carriers, at a cost of 200 million U.S. dollars each, Boom executives said.

Boom's XB jet would cross the Pacific or Atlantic oceans in less than half the time of current carriers, flying at a speed of nearly 1,500 miles per hour or 2500 kilometers per hour.

Fisher pointed to recent developments in advanced computer technology called Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) that makes the "supersonic revival" possible.

"Calculations that would take days or weeks in the 70's now takes minutes," Boom's CFD chief Kenrick Waithe told Xinhua.

Waithe is a key member of the Boom team - a CFD software expert who led Gulfstream's efforts developing quiet boom and supersonic aerodynamics.

Boom's CFD software uses numerical analysis and algorithms to analyze airflows around a vessel at supersonic speeds.

Using a computer, Waithe could run 1,000 simulations a week with tremendous accuracy. The prevalent "wind tunnel" testing of 30 years ago allowed only one or two tests in the same time frame.

Industry analysts say CFD has dropped research, design and development costs by hundreds of millions of dollars.

The time savings is also startling.

"We can cut the overall project time in half," Fisher said. "Instead of taking 10 years to develop a jet of this sophistication, we drop it to five."

Fisher worked on the top-secret, highly advanced Scorpion Jet project at Textron Aviation in Wichita Kansas before joining the Boom team earlier this year.

"For example, the Concorde was one, long tube, and there were no fluctuations," said Fisher. "You won't find too many straight lines on Boom's CFD designed jet."

A 2005 Stanford University study said "improvements in CFD might allow the elimination of a major cycle, and would significantly shorten the overall design process and reduce costs."

The industry jumped on this forecast with fervour. From coast-to-coast, American engineering schools responded with increased CFD programs.

In the west, Arizona State and the University of Colorado (CU) increased CFD classes, and in the east and midwest, Drexel, MIT, George Washington, Georgia Tech, Michigan, and Minnesota, jumped on board.

The recent academic push to increase CFD study occurred in consort with advances in high performance computing, Dr. John A. Evans, assistant professor of Aerospace Engineering at CU-Boulder, told Xinhua.

"Namely, great advances in computing resources, and in particular, parallel computing resources, have enabled engineers to simulate fluid flow about real-scale aircraft, while accounting for complex phenomena such as turbulence," Evans said.

Waithe, who is responsible for advanced computational fluid dynamics methods for all Gulfstream aircraft, agreed with Evans.

"With the advancement of the internet, computing resources no longer need to be kept local," Waithe said. "For a relatively small investment, small companies such as Boom can have the computing resources of NASA."

Evans' CFD classes at CU are filled with young, aggressive engineers who seem to be soaking up the state-of-the-art technology.

"Supersonics are so exciting...it's the wave of the future," said Alex Winoker, 23, an aerospace engineering student who will graduate from CU in 2018.

"Just as my generation is acclimated to the internet and computers, so are we now absorbing this new software," Winoker said. "CFD is triggering huge changes in the aerospace design industry. It's pretty amazing stuff."

According to the Stanford study, "through the systematic use of CFD, a slight design improvement such as a five percent in lift to drag (L/D) ratio change would translate into a similar reduction in fuel consumption."

While CFD design could help fuel consumption, Boom engineers planned to synchronize three smaller GE J85 engines instead of the customary two, which would make fuel consumption a challenge.

Last month, Bjorn Fehrm, an aerospace consultant, released a study of Boom's plan, and cited fuel consumption and per passenger cost as major problems.

So when Boom said flights would cost 2,000 U.S, dollars per passenger - almost half of what current carriers charge for business class customers on trans-Pacific and Atlantic flights - Fehrm contended this was not feasible, due to fuel costs.

However, a recent study by Antony Jameson and Massimiliano Fatica said that with the annual fuel costs of a long-range airliner at 5-10 million U.S. dollars, a 5 percent saving would total a saving of 10 million U.S. dollars over 25 years, or 5 billion U.S. dollars for a fleet of 500 aircraft."

"We're aware of the challenges," Fisher said, who noted the British-French Concorde supersonic jet went bankrupt in 2003, after almost 30 years of service.

"The Concorde was an economic failure with too many seats, it was inefficient with afterburner engines, and was just guzzling fuel," Fisher said.

The new Boom supersonic XB jet was designed to hold 45 passengers instead of Concorde's 100, and to use not only CFD designing, but advanced engines technology, and materials such as carbon-fiber composites, Fisher said.

Fehrm also questioned Boom's 200 million U.S. dollars price tag for the XB jet.

"I'm not sure Boom Technology have reliable estimates of the development costs yet," the former Swedish air force pilot said.

"Until you have found how to (design) your engines, and what that will cost in money and time, you can't really estimate the development costs," Fehrm said.

"Boom for sure has estimates, but looking at the 30 to 50 people they have on the pay list, and in 2023 for certification, I would not give much for their estimates," Fehrm said.
A car enters the the Russian Embassy to the United States in Washington D.C., the United States, on Dec. 29, 2016. The White House on Thursday announced sanctions against Russian entities and individuals over alleged hacking during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In addition, the U.S. State Department on Thursday announced ejection of 35 Russian government officials from the United States. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russia was found to have conducted malicious cyber activities to sway the U.S. elections, according to a joint report from two U.S. intelligence agencies Thursday.

The report, released by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, provided "technical details regarding the tools and infrastructure used by the Russian civilian and military intelligence services (RIS) to compromise and exploit networks and endpoints associated with the U.S. election."

This activity from RIS is part of an ongoing campaign of cyber-enabled operations directed at the U.S. government and its citizens, the report said, adding that a range of U.S. government, political, and private sector entities were also targeted.

The 13-page report, named Grizzly Steppe, also included details such as a list of alternate names and technical signatures used by the RIS and mitigation strategies were offered to fend off future attacks.

This is the first time an official analysis report from the U.S. government specified Russia as an origin of cyber attacks against the United States during the election cycle.

The report was released in the wake of a number of actions Washington has taken against Moscow Thursday in retaliation for its alleged cyber attacks.

Earlier Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled a sanction that targeted nine Russian entities and individuals, including two Russian intelligence services, and the State Department expelled 35 Russian diplomats in the United States.

The Kremlin accused Washington of trying to "destroy" U.S.- Russia ties and said it is weighing retaliation.

The Obama administration has repeatedly said Russia was behind a number of cyber attacks and leaks that damaged the image of the Democratic Party and its presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the presidential election, an accusation refuted by Russia and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Obama has previously asked U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate into and formulate a report on Russia's hacking activities, an effort backed by lawmakers across the aisle.

It is unclear how Trump, who is to take over the White House on Jan. 20, will deal with the tension between Moscow and Washington, but any move in Russia's direction, as suggested by his pro-Russia remarks, will likely be met with strong opposition from the U.S. Congress.
Syrian workers remove rubble from a rooftop on December 27, 2016 as they clean up the water station in Aleppo's Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

DAMASCUS, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The recently agreed upon cessation of hostilities went into force at midnight on Thursday, as declared by the Syrian army.

The nationwide ceasefire was brokered by Russia and Turkey and agreed upon by Syria, and major opposition and rebel groups, while terror-designated organizations such as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and the Islamic State (IS), were excluded.

While previous cease-fires have failed to hold in Syria, the new one is particularly distinct as it enjoys the approval of all concerned parties, mainly Turkey, which has a major influence on the rebel groups operating in Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Thursday evening that the cease-fire constitutes a "real chance" to establish a political settlement in Syria.

The cease-fire comes after the Syrian army and its allied fighters retook the city of Aleppo in northern Syria, after dealing a big blow to the rebels, said al-Moallem.

He noted that the new cease-fire is distinct from the previous failing ones due to the "strong Russian guarantees," saying that Russia is a partner in fighting terrorism, and Russia has guaranteed that "every breach will be confronted."

The Syrian army said in a statement that the cease-fire paves the way for reactivating negotiations to end the conflict.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad promised Thursday to honor the newly-clinched ceasefire agreement in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin.

For his part, Putin said that Russia and Turkey will guarantee the truce, adding that the ceasefire will be followed by peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Kazakhstan, without specifying a date.

The Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army and the Syrian National Coalition, a political coalition of Syrian opposition groups, have announced their acceptance to the ceasefire.

Osama Donora, a political analyst, told Xinhua that the ceasefire comes as a result of the victories of the Syrian army, particularly in Aleppo in northern Syria, as the entire city has fallen back under the government control since last week, when the rebels all withdrew toward the countryside of the city.

Another reason, Danura said, is the Russian-Iranian effort to push Ankara to reach common ground with the two countries.

"The new agreement means that Turkey is now onboard with Russia, and its pledge to guarantee the implementation of the ceasefire on the rebel side is a positive thing," said Danura. "This means that the main obstacle that was hindering the political settlement to Syria's crisis has been largely surmounted."

If the rebels shift toward pointing guns on and severing ties with terrorist groups, it will be a right prelude to the upcoming Syrian political talks, the expert said.

Danura pointed out that the new ceasefire will also serve as a test to the true intentions of rebels and Turkey, as the latter has always been the "umbilical cord feeding the rebels in northern Syria with arms, fighters and logistics."

Related:

Syria's Assad vows to honor truce agreement in phone talks with Putin

MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad promised Thursday to honor a newly-clinched ceasefire agreement in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin.

The Syrian government and the core groups of the so-called moderate opposition reached a ceasefire agreement and expressed their readiness to start intra-Syrian talks on Thursday. Full story

Syria says Russia's guarantees behind reaching Syria ceasefire

DAMASCUS, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Thursday that Russia's strong guarantees to the Syrian government were behind the government acceptance of the imminent cease-fire in Syria.
WELLINGTON, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- A new direct air link between New Zealand and China opened Friday with the arrival of the first Hainan Airlines flight at Auckland Airport.

The new direct link to Shenzhen, in south China, would operate three times a week, airport acting general manager - aeronautical commercial Scott Tasker said in a statement.

The service would add 81,000 seats a year between New Zealand and China and bring an estimated 102 million NZ dollars (71.08 million U.S. dollars) to the New Zealand economy.

"In the last 12 months, New Zealand has welcomed more than 400,000 Chinese visitors - with almost 90 percent entering the country here at Auckland Airport," said Tasker.

"The Chinese market is integral to the New Zealand tourism industry's growth objectives and this new service provides a direct connection to a city of some 10.5 million, with convenient domestic connections to Beijing and throughout Guangdong Province."
BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Gong Qinggai, a former senior Taiwan affairs official, and Liu Zhigeng, former vice governor of southern China's Guangdong Province, have been indicted on suspicions of bribery, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Friday.

Gong, former deputy head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, was indicted by local prosecutors in Anyang City, Henan Province.

According to the indictment, Gong is accused of taking advantage of his posts when he worked in Fujian Province to seek benefits for others, asking for and illegally accepting a huge amount of money and property.

Liu was indicted by local prosecutors in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

He is accused of taking advantage of his posts when he worked in Guangdong to seek benefits for others and illegally accepting a large amount of money and property, according to the indictment.
URUMQI, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Xinjiang regional procuratorate said it has set up a special team to handle cases related to terrorism.

The team will consist of 30 prosecutors in the prefectures of Kashgar, Hotan, Aksu, Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin and Urumqi, six important regions for targeting terrorism, said Guo Lianshan, deputy prosecutor-in-general of the regional People's Procuratorate.

Xinjiang aims to have 5,808 people working at different levels of procuratorates, including 2,119 prosecutors plus assistants and administrative staff, Guo said.

On Wednesday, three knife-wielding rioters attacked the Moyu County Committee of the Communist Party of China and detonated explosives, killing two people and injuring three others. The Ministry of Public Security said the three rioters were shot dead at the site.

Moyu is located in Hotan prefecture.
by Xinhua writers Qu Junya, Zhang Yuan, Peng Qian

BEIJING/TASHKENT, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- A row of temporary houses alongside a Chinese national flag are eye-catching in wilderness on the outskirts of Samarkand in eastern Uzbekistan.

A home since late 2013 to Chinese archaeological staff, the site could be a stop on the ancient Silk Road or on the migration route of the ancient Greater Yuezhi (Rouzhi) nomads.

Working together with Uzbek colleagues, Chinese researchers are trying to excavate material remains and piece together memories from a Greater Yuezhi migration, restoring a missing part of Central Asian history.

RESTORING CENTRAL ASIAN HISTORY

"Where the Greater Yuezhi people had gone is a common topic of history, anthropology and linguistics," said Wang Jianxin, chief archaeologist at the Institute of Silk Road Studies under the Xi'an-based Northwest University of China.

In seeking their traces more than 2,000 years ago, the joint team between archaeologists from the Chinese university and Uzbekistan has been engaged in excavations in both the Central Asian country and the neighboring Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.

The ancient nomads were a branch split from the Yuezhi people who were first reported in Chinese histories living in the west of the modern Chinese province of Gansu.

An answer to the mystery of their whereabouts is also about the ethnic origin and composition in Central Asian countries.

Chinese and Uzbek researchers have found earthen and stone winter settlement sites left by other ancient nomads.

In July, they unearthed a large ancient tomb, where gold-embedded turquoise ornaments were found along with the female remains in the major burial chamber.

Though their study shows the tomb in southern Uzbekistan was built by the Kangju people, the Yuezhi's contemporaries, the findings have helped map the then domains of the two powers, narrowing the range of possible moving routes of the Greater Yuezhi people.

CONTRIBUTING TO WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY

Zhang Qian, the envoy sent by an emperor of China's Han Dynasty to seek a military alliance in the west with the Greater Yuezhi, eventually arrived in their land via Kangju after the ordeals of a long travel.

Like this China-Uzbekistan joint project, Chinese historical records are providing increasingly more archaeological clues to help better restore and understand the Oriental history.

As regards archaeological excavation, it is known that theories and working approaches can be similar, but how to interpret and determine the excavated involves more, such as the knowledge of history, culture and customs, as well as the way of thinking.

"Human factors matter more in this science," said Chen Ling, a research fellow at the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University.

"Mistakes sometimes did occur," he said, citing the Soviets misreading Chinese eave tiles and pan-and-roll roofing tiles at a Silk Road site in the 1950s.

As a result of ignorance of Chinese architecture, a Buddhist temple site was restored as a mosque, and it would have "led to a sequence of distortions afterwards," Chen said.

Noting an increase in archaeological collaboration between China and other countries, Chen believes Chinese researchers are contributing more to the Oriental history restoration as well as the world history interpretation.

SERVING BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE

For Chinese researchers, the joint project with Uzbekistan also combines the past with the present. It highlights both the historical context and the cultural element of China's Belt and Road Initiative aimed at common development and prosperity.

Above all, it was Zhang Qian's diplomatic mission in ancient China that prompted the prosperous trade route now known as the Silk Road.

On top of sharing results, a Uzbek ownership of the unearthed relics and a whole-course participation by both sides in excavation and study are among the principles guiding the archaeological collaboration, Wang said.

Doing protection while doing excavation is also a must-do.

The Chinese expert described such an archaeological excavation as "responsible."

Similar joint projects are also going on beyond the Uzbek section of the initiative's routes. For example, looking for remains from the ancient Xiongnu nomads in Mongolia, and from the maritime silk road in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar in Southeast Asia, and in as far as Egypt and Kenya in Africa.

Culture is an important element in the Belt and Road Initiative, and it serves as a bridge to help increase the understanding between peoples, said Wang Wei, director general of the Archaeological Society of China.

"It is the archaeologists' duty to push the exchange and mutual learning between world civilizations," said Wang.
As 2016 comes to an end, Xinhua invites you to walk down the memory lane and look back at some of the most memorable moments that happened in China, be it sad or jolly, through 12 powerful Xinhua photos, one for each month of the year.

DECEMBER The dreadful smog



These combined images show how heavy smog gradually blankets Beijing over the course of a day on Dec. 16, 2016 (Xinhua/Jiang Yan)



Skies gradually turned grey in Beijing over the course of a day on December 16 as smog swept into the Chinese capital of over 21 million residents. The shimmering dome-shaped building, slowly blurred by smog, is China's iconic National Centre for the Performing Arts, situated in the very center of Beijing. Beijing declared this year's first "red alert" on that day, the highest of its four-color warning system for air pollution, closing schools, ordering vehicles off the roads and telling residents to stay indoors. The smog lingered for five days.



NOVEMBER Lives crushed, so were dreams





An aerial shot of the Fengcheng Power Plant in eastern China's Jiangxi Province after construction platform collapsed and killed 74 workers on Nov. 24, 2016 (Xinhua/ Wan Xiang)



This photo shows from above a power plant cooling tower inside which 74 workers were crushed to death in the cold morning of November 24. The workers, aged from 23 to 53, fell after a 70-meter-high construction platform collapsed. The black debris in the middle of the cooling tower was remains of scaffolding, cement and steel rods from the collapsed platform. Ten people have been arrested for misconduct.

OCTOBER Happy 600th anniversary! Drepung Monastery

A grand ceremony is held to mark the 600th anniversary of the founding of the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Oct. 12, 2016(Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)

Built in 1416 on the outskirts of Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is the largest and most influential monastery of the Gelug sect, a branch of the Tibetan Buddhism. It is a must-go destination in Tibet as it is the largest among all Tibetan monasteries and only a few kilometers from Lhasa, the regional capital.

SEPTEMBER Cutest of the Cute! Panda babies

23 panda babies born in 2016 make debut in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sept. 29, 2016 (Xinhua)

Adorable cuddly giant panda cubs made their debut appearance at a breeding center in Chengdu, capital city of the southwestern province of Sichuan. A total of 23 pandas were born at the center this year and all of them were put on display. Pandas are extremely rare because of habitat loss and a very low birthrate. Sichuan is home to almost 75 percent of the country's wild giant panda population.

AUGUST Chinese tightrope walker sets record

Chinese tightrope walker Adili Wuxor sets new Guinness World Record by walking a 1,800 meter-long wire across the Yellow River on August 26, 2016 (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Chinese tightrope walker Adili Wuxor, 45, has refreshed his own record by walking a 1,800 meter-long wire across the Yellow River, in a daredevil stunt which also included walking over another man coming the other way.

They completed the wire-walking 180 meter above the country's second longest Yellow River, in the northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, without any safety nets. The two of them set off separately from two mountain tops across the river, met with each other half way and performed a tricky stunt in order to pass each other.

JULY The most lovely people

Soldiers rest on a floating bridge after working non-stop for two days to block a breached dyke in central China's Hunan Province, July 12, 2016 (Xinhua/ Li Ga)

Heavy rains in July triggered deadly floods across central and southern China. This photo was taken in the early morning of July 12, when dozens of soldiers were resting on a floating bridge after working around the clock for almost two days to block a 47-meter gap of a breached dyke to guarantee the safety and property of local residents.

JUNE Worst tornado

At dawn, a rescuer searches for signs of life on the debris of a village torn down by a tornado on June 24, 2016 (Xinhua/Han yuqing)

A tornado and hailstorm killed at least 99 people and injured over 800 in the eastern province of Jiangsu on June 23. Accompanied by torrential rains, the tornado, the worst for the region in half a century, struck the outskirts of Yancheng City, leveling whole villages, overturning cars and blocking roads.



MAY Robot caregiver- the time of artificial intelligence

A grey-haired senior was video-chatting with his family with the help of a service robot at a nursing home in Hangzhou of the eastern province of Zhejiang, May 24, 2016 (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Elderly people may forget things, but robots never do. Service robot A-Tie could do much more than just being a computer screen, it could also keep the elderly entertained and remind them to take their medication on time.

Service robotics has become a major field of development in the robot industry in China, a country which is already the world's biggest market for industrial robots. Are robots the future of elderly care in China? The country's 60s have produced far fewer children than their father's generation, which translates into lack of people who can provide care for China's aging population.

APRIL One-armed teacher who cannot retire

Tang Guangfang, a one-armed man, instructs a child in class at a rural school in Quanzhou County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 26, 2016 (Xinhua/Lu Bo'an)

Many of China's remote rural schools can't find qualified teachers. It is not uncommon to encounter one-teacher's schools in impoverished villages. The teacher is also cook, security guard, cleaner, and care-taker for the children. But the story of Beishancun Primary School in mountainous Quanzhou County is more heart-wrenching. Tang Guangfang, who lost his right arm, has been teaching there for his life. Like Tang, many teachers approaching the age of 60 in nearby villages are supposed to retire soon. But as the schools can't find replacement, some of them decided to stay on and God knows for how long.

MARCH War owes her an apology

Hao Yuelian, 88, covers her eyes as she recalls the humiliation of being forced to be a sex slave for Japanese invaders during World War II on March 7, 2016 (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)



Hao Yuelian is among the very few World War II war crime survivors who, despite in their twilight years, live to tell the inhumanities against Chinese women by Japanese soldiers.



"Comfort women" was an euphemism for sex slaves in the Japanese language. In 1943, Hao was only 15 when she was seized to serve as a "comfort woman" for the Japanese troops who camped in her hometown in Shanxi Province. She escaped but was captured again. Hao eventually lost the ability to bear children. At 88, Hao said she had not given up seeking justice. She urged Japan to recognize its dark past and apologize for the war-time atrocities.

FEBRUARY In search of quake survivors

A rescuer looks for survivors in earthquake ruins in Tainan, Taiwan, Feb. 6, 2016 (Xinhua/Zhang Guojun)

Hundreds of rescuers and volunteers worked around the hours to comb the rubble after an 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck the southern region of Taiwan two days ahead of the lunar new year of 2016. Over 110 lives perished in the quake, most of them buried under a collapsed 16-storey residential complex. Taiwan is frequently rattled by earthquakes. Most cause little or no damage, although a 7.3-magnitude quake in 1999, the strongest to hit Taiwan in about 100 years, left more than 2,000 people dead.

JANUARY Happy Chinese New Year at fisherman's wharf

Calligraphers write Chinese New Year couplets for fishermen in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, Jan. 29. (Xinhua/Chen Gang)

The Chinese New Year is the most important festival for Chinese, both living in China and abroad. On this occasion of family reunion, the Chinese have kept their traditional rituals for celebration, such as writing couplets. Known as Chunlian, couplets written on red paper are hung on door frames as decoration and express blessings for the coming year.
Photo taken on Dec. 11, 2016 shows pro-government fighters at a camp in Aleppo, nothern Syria. The Syrian army on Thursday declared a nationwide cease-fire that will go into force as of midnight Friday, Dec. 30, state TV reported Thursday. (Xinhua/Yang Zhen)

DAMASCUS/MOSCOW, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- A new cease-fire agreement reached between the Syrian government and the opposition were welcomed by related parties on Thursday, but at the same time uncertainties remain over whether the truce will definitely end the nearly six-year-old civil war.

The chronic conflicts in Syria have killed more than 300,000 people and displaced nearly 11 million others.

NEW CEASE-FIRE

The new cease-fire went into force at midnight Thursday as declared by the Syrian army.

The nationwide truce was brokered by Russia and Turkey and agreed upon by the Syrian government and major opposition and rebel groups, while terrorist organizations such as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and the Islamic State (IS), were excluded.

At a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the trilateral format involving Russia, Turkey and Iran will monitor and provide guarantees to the peace process. Contacts between him and leaders of Turkey, Iran and Syria would coordinate further steps on Syrian agreements, he added.

Putin, however, said the cease-fire agreement was quite fragile and required special attention and patience.

The previous two Syria cease-fires brokered by Russia and the United States took effect in February and September respectively but both collapsed within weeks as warring sides accused each other of truce violations.

This time, although warring sides appeared to have stopped firing in many areas, monitors still reported clashes between government forces and insurgents along the provincial boundary between Idlib and Hama, and isolated incidents of gunfire further south less than two hours after the truce began, according to a Reuters report.

WELCOMED BY RELATED PARTIES

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad promised Thursday to honor the newly clinched cease-fire agreement in a phone conversation with Putin, according to the Kremlin.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Thursday evening that the cease-fire constitutes a "real chance" to establish a political settlement in Syria.

He noted that the new cease-fire is distinct from the previous failing ones due to the "strong Russian guarantees," saying that Russia is a partner in fighting terrorism, and that Russia has guaranteed that "every breach will be confronted."

The Syrian army said in a statement that the cease-fire paves the way for reactivating negotiations to end the conflict.

The Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army and the Syrian National Coalition, a political coalition of Syrian opposition groups, have announced to honor the cease-fire.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" to end the Syrian conflict.

Turkey, a longtime backer of the Syrian opposition, has been allowing opposition forces to use its long border with Syria to cross back and forth.

The United States, which was not involved in recent truce negotiations, said the news of the cease-fire was positive.

"We hope it will be implemented fully and respected by all parties," said U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said Thursday that a comprehensive cessation of hostilities remains a "cornerstone" for the peace process in the war-torn country.

UNCERTAINTIES REMAIN

Osama Donora, a political analyst, told Xinhua that the cease-fire comes as a result of the victories of the Syrian army, particularly in Aleppo in northern Syria, as the entire city has fallen back under government control.

Another reason, Donora said, is the Russian-Iranian effort to push Ankara to reach common ground with the two countries.

"The new agreement means that Turkey is now onboard with Russia, and its pledge to guarantee the implementation of the cease-fire on the rebel side is a positive thing," said Donora. "This means that the main obstacle that was hindering the political settlement to Syria's crisis has been largely surmounted."

Vitaly Naumkin, director of the Oriental Studies Institute under the Russian Academy of Sciences, said the cease-fire agreement was reached because of cooperation between Russia and Turkey but that does not mean the Russia-Iran-Turkey trilateral format would replace Russia's negotiations at the United Nations or the Russia-U.S. coordination.

Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's administration will be welcome to join the peace process once he takes office.

Vladimir Sazhin, a research fellow with the Oriental Studies Institute under the Russian Academy of Sciences, however, was not optimistic about the prospects for the cease-fire.

Russia, Turkey and Iran have their own interests, Sazhin said, adding that none of them will abandon their interests and the deep contradictions between Turkey and Iran and between Russia and Turkey will not disappear.
By Yoo Seungki

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The biggest South Korean business lobby, composed of conglomerates called chaebol here, is facing a risk of the break-up, or at least a full-scale reform, over its deep-rooted link with the presidential power that was revealed again through a scandal involving President Park Geun-hye.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong appeared at a parliamentary hearing on Dec. 6, the first to grill all involved in the scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park, together with the chiefs of other large corporations that are members of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI).

The FKI is ostensibly a business community to speak for over 600 big companies, but it is now being suspected of acting as a channel to let Choi Soon-sil, Park's longtime confidante, pressure conglomerates into donating tens of millions of U.S. dollars to two nonprofit foundations controlled by Choi.

Stunning TV viewers of the hearing broadcast live, Lee said the country's No.1 family-run conglomerate will break away from the FKI and stop paying membership dues without elaborating on a specific date.

"Grandfather-initiated FKI is facing a fate of being broken up by the hands of his grandson. An old saying comes true that one who ties a knot eventually unties it," Park Ju-Geun, president of CEO Score, a business data provider, said in a Thursday interview with Xinhua.

Lee Byung-chull, the founder of Samsung Group, was the first chairman of the FKI that was set up in 1961, just a year after former military strongman Park Chung-hee, father of the impeached President Park, gained power in a coup.

It is a "historical irony," the CEO Score chief said, as the Samsung founder-launched lobby under the presidency of elder Park is on the verge of dissolution at the hands of the Samsung heir under the presidency of younger Park.

Samsung has yet to declare its abandonment of FKI membership, but LG Group, the country's No.4 conglomerate, left the lobby earlier this week. Following suit would be SK Group and CJ Group given that their heads indicated departure from it during the National Assembly hearing. SK is the third-largest business group.

COZY TIES FROM ORIGIN LIMITATIONS

The FKI's fate at risk disclosed cozy ties between the presidential power and the chaebol families again, which can be seen as commonplace in South Korea where a handful of big corporations headed the industrialization from a war-torn country to the Asia's rising economy by the help of military dictatorships.

In the early days of industrialization, the FKI was an easy channel to relay state-led development plans to a small number of businesses, which in turn made almost monopolistic profits with government funds, the only source of foreign currency capital at the time.

The country's presidents and chaebol families "needed each other," said the CEO Score chief who claimed that the FKI had limitations from its origin as it was born under such circumstances as collusive links with state power.

The distorted connection has lasted until now, though it temporarily weakened for around a decade under liberal presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, now that every new government can push a respective "trademark" economic policy more easily through the sole channel of the FKI.

Future governments may be enticed into maintaining the links, but companies are now willing to leave the lobby and sever the connections as capital power has overtaken political power since 2000 or so, according to the CEO Score head.

The biggest turning point was the 1997 foreign exchange crisis that led South Korea to open its financial market to foreign capital. In the past 20 years, major conglomerates went global except a few consumer goods-centered businesses, reducing dependence on the domestic market and in consequence, on the domestic political power.

"Samsung Group is generating about 80 percent of revenue globally. Top 10 business groups are doing so," said Park Ju-Geun who explained fewer motives for chaebols to cozy up to political power due to the altered business environment.

DISBAND OR SURVIVE

Calls are rising for the disbandment of the FKI, and even the break-up of all conglomerates. Under the impeached Park's presidency, people seem to have been increasingly convinced of their uselessness and perniciousness.

The FKI was at the center of controversy over the elderly men's protest against the bereaved families of the Sewol ferry-sinking victims. Local media reports said the business lobby paid the elderly protesters on the instruction of the presidential Blue House.

It also helped establish Mir and K-Sports foundations, controlled by Park's confidante, by collecting funds from its member conglomerates. In this case, the FKI also served as a nexus between state power and chaebol.

"It is right to dismantle the FKI," said the CEO Score chief who referred to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) as an alternative to the chaebol lobby group. The KCCI has about 160,000 member companies and includes the FKI members.

Independent counsel is investigating into whether businessmen had bribed the president and her friend in return for getting business favors or support in the management control transfer in generations.

Powerful presidential contenders in the opposition bloc pledged to break up conglomerates, which have pursued the private gains of chaebol families rather than a higher enterprise value for shareholders.

"Large businesses have put top priority soly on the private gains of chaebol families, which naturally lead to links with the presidential power," said the CEO Score head.

He said the FKI will have no bright future unless it breaks its subservience to the "symbiotic relationship," stressing the need to keep in check the unchecked presidential and chaebol powers.
JAKARTA, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian police has forecast terrorism threat will escalate in the country next year as many militants remain at large, police said on Friday.

"There are some threats disturbing security and they tend to rise. They are terrorism, drug," National Police Spokesman Inspector General Boy Rafly Amar disclosed at the national police headquarters.

Boy made the statement following a series of arrests and killing of suspected militants, planning to commit in major suicide bombings, across the country in recent weeks.

National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian said that police has put counter-terrorism as one of the priorities next year.

"Terrorism remains as a focus of the police," he said.

The general revealed that the number of cases related with terrorism rose significantly to 170 this year, compared with 82 cases last year.

To face the terrorist threat next year, Tito disclosed that the police would beef up performance and boost prevention acts.

Indonesian security authorities monitor the movement and acts of dozens of militants backed home from Mosul of Iraq after joining the IS activities there.
ATHENS, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Investigations on Greece's ambassador to Brazil Kyriakos Amiridis who has gone missing since Monday are ongoing, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Amanatidis said on Friday in Athens.

Speaking to local radio SKAI, the Greek official did not confirm international media reports that a charred body found inside a car in Rio de Janeiro on Friday was Amiridis, hoping that the diplomat will be found alive and safe.

Brazilian police said that the car had been rented by the ambassador who was visiting the city for the Christmas and New Year Eve holidays.

According to a Greek Foreign Ministry statement on Thursday, the Greek embassy in Brasilia was informed on Wednesday from the ambassador's family that they had not been able to contact him since Monday.

The 59-year old diplomat assumed duties as Greece's ambassador to Brazil in January 2016. He once served in Rio de Janeiro as consul from 2001 to 2004.

According to the Greek Foreign Ministry's website, Amiridis also was Greece's ambassador to Libya in 2012. He is married and has a daughter.

The Greek Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Amiridis had been missing since Monday. The ambassador reportedly went missing during a trip to Rio de Janeiro.

Amiridis' family reported no contact for a ransom in the past days, but police did not rule out the possibility of a kidnapping.

It is highly possible that Amiridis has been killed, Brazilian authorities said on Thursday.
by Ronald Ssekandi

BULIISA, Uganda, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Prices may rise and fall, but in the eyes of 76-year-old Michael Zade, a Ugandan farmer, the crop has never failed its job as the family's breadwinner.

Over the last 40 years, Zade has been growing cotton, a practice he got from his father, in the remote mid-western district of Buliisa. For him, the crop paid tuition fees for his five children and funded the construction of a permanent house.

Cotton is Uganda's third largest export crop after coffee and tea, as well as the main source of income for some 250,000 households like Zade's.

For many of them, hopes are high that the industry would embrace a boom after the Ugandan government launched a campaign to support cotton and other local industries.

GOOD OLD DAYS

Before the onset of stiff competition from Asia, Uganda's textile industry had been a flourishing industry way back to the 1960s.

Zade refers to the time as the "good old days" when a good cotton harvest meant merry making for the whole village.

There were structures and systems right from growing to marketing cotton, and extension workers could traverse villages teaching farmers how to plant and harvest cotton.

The price of cotton at the farm-gate was paid by the ginneries or co-operatives in most cases, and the government would provide a subsidy. This system always encouraged farmers as a good price was guaranteed.

At the national level there was the Lint Marketing Board (LMB), which had the monopoly to trade in all the lint and cotton seed. As a result, production reached the highest level, of 470,000 bales of lint, in 1969/70, according to government figures.

During the early 1970s to mid-1980s, however, war and economic turmoil that befell Uganda disrupted the cotton production.

In order to revamp the industry, the government in 1994 liberalized the cotton sector, replacing the LMB with the Cotton Development Organization (CDO), a state agency charged with monitoring the production, processing, and marketing of cotton.

In the process of liberalization, the government had been anticipating that opening up the sector would make it more efficient and boost production.

This however exposed the farmers to the price fluctuation in the global market as over 90 percent of Uganda's cotton is exported.

Figures from the Bank of Uganda, the country's central bank, show in recent years, whereas the quantities of cotton have gone up, the value is not stable.

While exported cotton rose to 63,512 tonnes in 2015 from 40,671 tonnes in 2014, the value for exported cotton fell to 20 million U.S. dollars in 2015 from 22 million dollars in 2014.

The government is striving to revamp the sector, arguing the crop can still be one of the country's top foreign exchange earners and generate much of the revenue internally.

Earlier this year, President Yoweri Museveni called for supporting Uganda's local industries and directed all uniforms for the army, the police and prisons service be bought locally.

He said the country spends 888 million dollars on annual textile imports, money that would have been used to revamp the industry locally.

Banking on a recent decision by East African Community member states to ban importation of used clothes, Uganda believes it can still reap big from the crop.

The country is already reaping from the available international markets where it can export its textile materials tariff and quota free.

According to CDO, Uganda now has 40 ginneries and a total installed seasonal ginning capacity of around 1 million bales of lint production (200,000 tonnes). This is above the maximum production achieved in the last two decades.

Despite many opportunities awaiting local farmers, Zade urges the government to help them cope with the harsh climate change effects besides declining soil fertility. He said the last two seasons have not been good due to prolonged dry spells and infertile soils.

He said farmers need to be provided with good-quality seeds and fertilizers to ensure good yields.
Photo taken on Sept. 21, 2016 shows a container terminal in Shanghai Free Trade Zone, east China. China's gross domestic product expanded 6.7 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2016, stable from the second quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- China played a constructive role in improving global economic governance to realize win-win cooperation and a more reasonable governance structure in 2016.

As an important player and firm supporter of existing platforms, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China has contributed both ideas and action to addressing unreasonable and unjust aspects of global governance.

For instance, current IMF quotas fail to reflect economic realities. This year, China in several occasions urged the IMF to increase quota resources and review the distribution of quotas and votes to ensure a fair reflection of emerging and developing economies.

China also made other recommendations to improve international financial architecture, including examining the broader use of Special Drawing Rights, strengthening the Global Financial Safety Net and improving debt restructuring processes.

As the WTO's Doha round trade negotiations have stumbled for years because of complex issues, nations including China have been exploring new ways to promote global trade growth and expand mutually beneficial cooperation.

That was the perfect explanation for the emergence of multiple new frameworks, including the Belt and Road Initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Regional Comprehensive Economy Partnership that is still under negotiation.

After three years of development, the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 has brought changes to people and countries along the ancient trade routes.

With more than 100 countries and international organizations participating, the Initiative rolled out a raft of major projects this year, including the construction of ports and railways.

The AIIB, a China-proposed multilateral bank founded in late 2015, has lent a total amount of 1.73 billion U.S. dollars in nine infrastructure projects across seven countries since the beginning of this year.

The latest lending was made to a natural gas project in Azerbaijan, which involves pipeline construction between Azerbaijan and Turkey and helps create jobs in both countries.

China also offered its wisdom and solutions for coping with challenges for the faltering world economy at the Group of 20 (G20) summit held in September in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

For the first time, the summit put development at the center of global macro policy framework and made a groundbreaking action plan implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The summit also included green finance on its agenda for the first time and laid out the first global framework for multilateral rules governing investment, leaving a clear Chinese imprint on G20 history.

From time to time, China has shown the world its capability in turning vision to consensus and turning constructive proposals into reality.

Seeing the success in China-proposed platforms, the world will surely have more confidence in and higher expectation for China's role in improving global economic governance.
British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) is greeted by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at group photo session during an EU Summit at its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 20, 2016. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

LONDON, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Britain's historic referendum on Brexit after being a member of the European Union (EU) for 43 years has brought along a spate of game-changing issues that could reshape the global political landscape forever.

With a close margin of 52 percent against 48 percent in favor of exit, the British voters' decision to leave the EU preceded other "black-swan events" around the world, including the surprising win of U.S. Donald Trump and the unexpected resignation of former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi after losing in a referendum on constitutional reforms.

Some observers closely watching the coming elections in France and Germany next year compared the Brexit vote to the first falling domino.

BEHIND BREXIT

Amid the surging populist waves across the Atlantic, experts said Brexit was the culmination of the world's long-running financial crisis. Many said the economic turmoil has destroyed the credibility and legitimacy of ruling elites.

British economist and writer Martin Wolf said that the financial crisis has adversely affected those unskilled and semi-skilled male workers in the West, who were once significant beneficiaries of industrialization.

Wolf, an associate editor and chief economic commentator of the London-based daily Financial Times, believed that the rising role of the financial sector, the increasing imports of labor-intensive goods, and the surging immigration are behind the Western public anger.

Other experts said the EU's alleged disfunction has also spurred wide-spread Eurosceptic sentiments in Britain.

"When you go to the core issues, the EU has not delivered on what it should have done in its most ambitious goals," said a leading economist Jim O'Neill.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, O'Neill, who won global fame for coining the acronym BRIC in 2001 to describe a group of newly emerging economies, said the 28-member trading bloc failed to create a single market of goods, services, labor and capital as it was supposed to.

"In fact, many European governments have deliberately tried to stop it," he noted.

In Britain's Boston, one of the country's most Eurosceptic towns where nearly 75 percent of voters backed Brexit, immigration was the real issue behind the biggest margin.

Residents complained about the East European immigrants that have swarmed to their hometown over the past years and caused social problems including rocketing house rents and job shortages.

But officials said that some of these claims were just myths made up by social media.

Patrick Minford, once an economic adviser of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, also said the situation of ordinary households in Britain has never been better, with disposable incomes rising at more than 3 percent and the employment rate souring to a record high.

UNCERTAINTIES AHEAD0 In the early hours of June 24 when the dawn brought news that the country voted Leave, Britain was plunged into a state of shock. Its future path to exit and beyond has remained unclear even till now.

Shellshocked Prime Minister David Cameron resigned within hours, and was replaced within days by former Home Secretary Theresa May.

One of May's first priorities was to rebuild the Conservative front bench team. There was also a shakeup in the main opposition Labor Party, mainly over what has been seen as a half-hearted effort by its leader Jeremy Corbyn to campaign for "remain."

May, who had supported "remain," insisted that "Brexit means Brexit" and vowed to bring Britain out of the EU in her term. But Members of Parliament (MPs) argued that they must be in the Brexit driving seat.

Their stance was backed by a group of ordinary, but very wealthy citizens, who hence took the fight to the British Supreme Court.

The High Court later ruled that politicians at Westminster should be involved in the Brexit process, which May has steadfastly challenged. She even vowed to trigger the process of leaving the EU by the end of March next year.

Under such circumstances, it remains to be seen whether May's ambition will be hampered by Scottish Nationalist Party leader and Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Sturgeon, who wanted Scotland to stay in the EU single market to protect the economy, has threatened a second independence referendum for Scotland, paving the way for a breakup of the United Kingdom.

Experts said the British political landscape in 2017 will be dominated by Brexit, and it seemed that the gloves have been off already on both sides for one of the biggest battles in more than one generation.

The next year will start with the Supreme Court announcing whether May's government or MPs will be in the driving seat over Brexit.

Her biggest fear is that if she needs a parliamentary act to advance Brexit, the people's will would be delayed or even sabotaged by pro-remain MPs and their peers in the House of Lords.

Financial experts like Wolf predicted that the full effects of Brexit on Britain's trading relations may not be resolved in 20 years.

"Brexit negotiation -- narrowly defined -- will be over in two years; but the creation of a post-Brexit environment... is going to take, certainly, far longer," he said, warning exit from the EU was merely the first step on the journey.

The British media also predicted that Brussels will act tough toward Britain during the coming talks to prevent Brexit-style revolt from engulfing Europe, where populists are targeting the next domino.
by Alessandra Cardone

ROME, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Italy has become the top point of arrival for the relentless flow of migrants and asylum-seekers heading to Europe in 2016.

Assessing the situation before the year's end, the Italian Interior Ministry stated 180,375 people reached the country from Jan. 1 to Dec. 28. The fresh data marked a 17.39 percent and 6.54 percent increase compared to the same period of 2015 and 2014 respectively (when arrivals had been about 153,600 and 169,300).

Numbers have kept rising despite the cold season, and are at odds with a general declining trend registered in Europe.

Indeed, some 360,380 arrivals have been overall registered through the Mediterranean routes (including Greece, Italy and Spain) up to Dec. 28, compared to over 1 million in the whole of last year, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

Yet, among southern European countries, Italy only has remained to face a further increase.

Greece, which sustained a huge influx last year, has seen sea arrivals reducing from over 856,700 in 2015 to 173,208 in 2016.

The consistent drop was much due to the closure of the Balkan land routes, and to the return operation provided within the European Union's deal with Turkey in March.

In Spain, some 6,800 arrivals by sea were registered up to Nov. 30, in addition to 1,574 and 3,510 land arrivals to the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the UNHCR stated.

Surprisingly, Italy's major rise in arrivals has been registered in the last part of the year. "While (Italy's) arrival trends in 2016 remained consistent with those of 2015 up until the end of Sept., arrivals since then have generally been higher," the UNHCR confirmed in a report.

October and November proved particularly busy months for the crews involved in rescue missions across the Mediterranean, all of which are coordinated by the Italian coast guard.

Totally 27,384 people were saved in October 2016 against 8,916 in October 2015, and 13,581 in November 2016 against 3,218 in November last year. Then, there were still 7,338 people rescued up to Dec. 28, compared to 9,637 in the whole month in 2015.

The UNHCR said it was "monitoring potential factors contributing to the increase," including a possible drop in prices imposed by smugglers for the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean.

The Interior Ministry data showed the majority of those who arrived to Italy are from African countries.

They also highlighted a hike in the number of children traveling alone: some 24,929 unaccompanied minors were registered up to Dec. 13, against 12,360 in the whole of 2015, and 13,026 in 2014.

Despite remaining on the frontline of the migration crisis this year, Italy has received limited support from European partners. The EU relocation scheme, which allows asylum-seekers to be transferred legally, and under humanitarian protection, from the country where they have first arrived to another EU country, has proved disappointing.

It was approved in September 2015 with the specific goal of relocating 160,000 people from Italy, Greece, and Hungary in the following two years.

However, the Italian Interior Ministry reported only 2,643 people were relocated up to Dec. 12. Some 204 of them were children. The countries most willing to share the burden were Germany with 455 relocations accepted, the Netherlands with 380, Finland with 359, Switzerland with 340, and Portugal with 271.

Further 899 requests of relocation from Italy were also approved, but are yet to be implemented.

Along the year, former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had been repeatedly critical of the lack of consistent help from the EU, and especially from eastern countries refusing to take part in the relocation.

Current Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni reiterated the position, as he attended his first major EU summit in Brussels as the new head of the Italian government in mid-December.

"The EU is slowly including the migration priority in its agenda, but unfortunately problems move much faster than solutions," he said after the summit. "So, I believe there still exists a very strong delay (in the EU's approach)."

The cabinet was also facing rising domestic tensions, with random protests across the country -- and especially in small towns in the north -- by citizens worried the presence of migrants would overwhelm their territories.

The anti-immigration Northern League, and more recently anti-establishment Five Star Movement have attacked the government on the issue.

So far, the distribution of migrants and refugees has been very uneven, with only 2,600 out of 8,000 Italian municipalities accepting to host them, according to latest figures by the Interior Ministry's immigration department.

Globally, the migration crisis is expected to deepen with more people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria and Libya and crossing the sea to Italy and other EU nations.

Observers in Italy are worried about how to solve the EU-wide migration problem that seems "mission impossible."
ALGIERS, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Despite remarkable political reforms that have been undergone in Algeria through 2016, the economic side has not been bright, amid unprecedented drop in oil prices which affected the nation's revenues and forced the government to adopt austerity plan.

Political analyst, Abdelkader Djemaa, told Xinhua that "the adoption of a new constitution is the major event in 2016, given that it was among promises made by incumbent president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in election campaign in 2014."

Djemaa further added that the content of this constitutional reform lays on two main factors. "Firstly, it reinforced public and individual liberties, introduced additional measures in terms of the fight against corruption, in addition to the establishment of Tamazight (Berber) as official language, and the establishment of a permanent body for monitoring elections."

"Secondly, this new constitution reaffirmed that President of the Republic is the centre of the regime," he added.

These amendments "pledge to provide more liberties after an era characterized by the non accreditation of new political parties, and preventing other opposition parties to hold their sit-ins in open spaces," political analyst Boualem Ghoumrassa told Xinhua.

Earlier on February 2016, the overwhelming majority of deputies of the two houses of the Algerian Parliament approved the draft amended constitution, amid boycott of opposition parties.

The main amendments in this new constitution establish Tamazight as an official language, limit the presidency to two terms, and ban Bi-nationals to hold high state office.

However, Algeria's hydrocarbons dependent economy is still lagging behind, despite the government's considerable efforts to boost non-oil industries.

The heavy drop in the North African nation's revenues due to the plunging oil prices for the second year in a row, forced the cabinet to announce the adoption of a new economy model.

For Djemaa, this model is based on two pillars: searching for non-oil revenues, and gradually reducing social subsidy programs.

"The government decided to attract more investments by reducing taxes on investors and businessmen," Djemaa said, adding "but some antagonists believe that such tax advantages are legalized squandering of public money."

However, Abdelkader Djemaa further notes that "the government is able to safeguard the major balances of the economy thanks to the recovery of oil prices in the last two months after considerable efforts of the Algerian economic diplomacy among OPEC and non-OPEC producers which concluded in historical agreement to cut global outputs by 1.3 million barrel a day, which pushed oil prices to the level of 55 USD a barrel. But again, Algeria wraps up its economy year with hope mixed with fear."

The oil rich nation's foreign reserves lost 30.8 billion USD in a year (Sept. 2015 - Sept. 2016), due to the oil prices drop.

Despite this financial difficulty, Algeria has not modified its defense policy amid growing security threats, as it allocated a budget worth 15 billion USD for its National Defense Ministry.

The North African nation has been deploying thousands of troops all along its borderline with Tunisia, Libya, Niger and Mali to foil intrusion attempts of arms and terrorists.

Merouane Lounnas, a political analyst told Xinhua that "despite the collapse of Algeria's revenues due to the drop in oil prices, and the adoption of austerity plans by the government, the defense budget remains high. It means that the government is still concerned by the security situation amid the ongoing threats posed by terrorist groups based in neighboring Libya and Mali."

Lounnas concluded that "Algerian authorities are working hard to help peacefully resolving the crisis in Libya, a major source of terrorist threats in the region."
PriceSmart and TTMA talk forex shortage

Newsday asked if PriceSmart has therefore switched to more affordable brands, thereby requiring less forex.

Mahabir said the company continues to work with our relationship banks to source tradeable currency that we can use to maintain a level of imported merchandise and stock the range of imported products most frequently purchased by our members. Newsday also spoke to President of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA), Dr Rolph Balgobin who pointed out that because manufacturers are net earners of foreign exchange, many of our members actually have sufficient forex.

Several however, do not, and many of these have been exporting at thin margins to earn the foreign currency, trying to tighten collections, buy forex upfront, hedge, et cetera. Regarding the start of the US dollar shortage, Balgobin said manufacturers would have seen the oncoming recession and attendant foreign exchange challenges early. Our sensitivity to forex availability for raw material, and the attendant impact it has on our businesses, means that we would have seen this trend accelerating in 2014 and 2015. Asked how long after that did the TTMA first notice a serious issue with supplies of the other currencies, he told Newsday, at least a year but the issue was building for just over a year. Balgobin added that the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of TT have been very open in dealing with the problem.
Fireworks vendor in court

Lambert, 20, of Port-of-Spain was arrested on Wednesday on Charlotte Street, when she was unable to produce a license for the sale of fireworks by police officers, who were conducting a crackdown on illegal fireworks vendors.

Lambert pleaded guilty to the charge but claimed that the fireworks she was selling did not belong to her. Magistrate Ayers-Caesar told Lambert that the matter was not going to be discussed in detail in the court and urged her to seek legal advice from an attorney, before returning to court. Bail was set at $5,000 and Lambert is expected to return in court on January 26. The charge came as part of larger efforts by police to crack down on the sale and use of illegal fireworks throughout the Christmas vacation.Make this c o u n t r y a better place.
Cops seize Glock pistol, ammo and drugs

According to reports, officers under the supervision of divisional head Senior Superintendent Jacob detained five members of a gang during the exercise. They later went an area near a chicken farm where they dug up an area of the ground and came across a buried length of PVC pipe. In the pipe, the lawmen found the semi-automatic pistol, ammunition, magazines and drugs.

Although no one was arrested in connection with the find, police believe that the items belong to gang members from the area.
CISPS: Tackle crime and its causes

While 2016 brought mixed reports of crimes in different districts said Ramdhanie, overall murders and violent crimes continued at worrisome levels.

He urged the Government and the arms of the criminal justice system (the Police and Prison Services and the judicial system), academia, community groups, the private sector and individuals to work together to reduce crime in 2017 and beyond. They need to create the enabling environment for crime reduction, said Ramdhanie.

With a strategic, targeted approach with concrete steps, and with an increased use of technology, crimes can be reduced and the crime detection rate for many types of crimes and their subsequent conviction rate can also be increased. Ramdhanie urged that the criminal justice system be revamped to be more effective and that the causes of crime be tackled.

Crime is not a criminal justice system problem only. It is much wider and deeper than that.

Everything that is done here ties back into crime  the education system, the social services system, the religious and value system, the economic system, the political system, the health system, regional and international affairs, Ramdhanie explained.

They all are intrinsically related to one another and they impact on human behaviour  criminal and non-criminal.

We cannot blame one part of the system only. Ramdhanie was confident that if all persons take responsibility, the crime situation can be remedied in this relatively small twin-island State.
Fireworks crackdown continues as sales slump

A vendor said that since police began their crackdown on Wednesday, sales of slumped with some vendors packing up shop and leaving.

The way sales are going, we can barely make enough to cover what we invested. This has been one of the worst years for fireworks sales that I have seen and to make matters worse, the police are coming down hard on us for selling because you need a license in order to sell and we do not have this. If they are serious about putting an end to illegal fireworks like scratch bombs on the market, they need to search those wholesalers that import it in the first place, otherwise it will continue to find its way in the hands of the public, but dont punish the man on the street trying to make a dollar. On Queen Street, Robert Charles said while he is not opposed to the crackdown, he hopes the police treat other crimes with equal tenacity.

Better regulation of these things (fireworks) are definitely needed, those fellas light the scratch bombs and throw it in the streets when people are walking.

We could do without that kind of foolishness but I just hope the police work with similar efficiency when it comes to murders, rapes and gang violence, Charles said.

Two police officers, interviewed as they were on foot patrol along Charlotte Street, said: The bottom line is if you have a license you dont have anything to worry about. We are not going to allow any illegal vending of fireworks.
Minister, QRC principal meet today

A ministry release said that the meeting is to discuss improved facilities to enable the institution to effectively carry out its mandate to provide quality education for its students. Garcia and Minister of Public Administration and Communications Maxie Cuffie and officials from the Property and Real Estate Service Division (PRESD) will meet with the QRC principal.

The PRESD has the responsibility for the allocation of all Government properties, in keeping with Cabinet directives. Garcia noted that since the Ministrys relocation in August of this year, the return of the premises has been the subject of much discussion.

We will take into account all the factors concerning the occupation of the land and a decision will be subsequently made, he said
Harris agrees with priest on Holy Innocents toy ban

Asked to comment on the stance taken by Fr Martin Sirju on Thursday, Harris said the Feast of the Holy Innocents calls for a more dignified ceremony than one which is focused on toys.

The Feast of the Holy Innocents is not about toys, said Harris in a telephone interview with Newsday. The innocents were killed by Herod because he hated Jesus Christ. He had heard that a new King was born and therefore he wanted to get rid of that King or anybody else who could be a threat to his throne. So Herod went out and killed these children of two years old and under. He killed all who were a threat to his throne. Harris continued, In Trinidad and Tobago, the kids who have been killed are no threat to anybody. They are innocent, so that for me, Holy Innocents is about innocent lives that are lost. For many years, some Roman Catholic and Anglican priests have marked the occasion with the blessing of toys that children received as Christmas presents. Harris said he has only ever seen the tradition practised in Trinidad and Tobago and he does not know when it originated.

However, he did not practise the tradition even when he was a priest. As a priest, before I was Archbishop, I always found it irreverent. It was always plenty noise and all kinds of things going on in church, children fighting over this toy and that toy, so it was never something that I fostered. Anglican Interim Rector for the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Fr Carl Williams, on the other hand, donned a Santa hat for the ceremony, defending his practice of the tradition by saying he could not bring himself to disappoint children by turning them away.

Giving a brief wish for the New Year, Harris said, I want a new year that is without the violence and the anger that we have seen in the past year. I would like a new year in which family life gets stronger in Trinidad and Tobago.
CWU condemns TATT and NEL

Government must act now to ensure Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) divests its 49 percent shareholding in the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT), since CWC has a conflict of interest thanks to its ownership of Columbus Communications; Flow Trinidad and Tobagos (Flow) parent company.

CWC have had opportunities to sell those shares on the market but they have not. They have failed and they are holding our country to ransom, we believe, by existing in this state of a conflict of interest for more than two years. Government shouldnt give CWC any further extension. It (Government) should act based on the provisions of the Shareholders Agreement; through National Enterprise Limited (NEL), and take control of those shares and dispose of them in the best interest of the country. Remy said through NEL, Government has the authority, through NEL, as 51 percent shareholder in TSTT, to execute a force majeure and take control of CWCs shareholding in TSTT and have it disposed of to the employees of TSTT, local institutional investors inclusive of Pension Funds, the Unit Trust, Credit Unions, and citizens of TT. In a statement issued yesterday, Remy noted that in 2014 CWC began the acquisition process of Columbus Communications, parent body of Flow, a direct competitor to TSTT in the telecommunications market.

In the process they applied for a change of control for the concession that Columbus has as mandated under the provisions of the Telecommunications Act of TT. The CWU immediately raised objections to this process as we felt that CWC did engage in anti-competitive practices and was now guilty of a major conflict of interest. Despite our strenuous and legitimate objections, Remy stated, the Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT) did grant the change of control to Cable and Wireless under certain conditions, the major one being that they should dispose of their 49 percent Shareholding in TSTT within 12 months of the approval date of February 2015, with a provision for a 6 months extension. Remy pointed out that it was only after the union went public in August 2016, 18 months after the concession was granted, that CWC still had not disposed of its TSTT shares as mandated, that TATT then gave a further extension to CWC. (TATT) indicated that CWC now had until December 31, 2016 to dispose of the shareholding, failing which the TATT would use the powers enshrined in the Act to act in the best interest of the country. All this time, Cable and Wireless continued to benefit from dividends from both companies, Remy said.

Hence the unions criticism of both TATT and NEL for their abject and somewhat disrespectful silence on the status of the sale of the 49 percent Shareholding that Cable and Wireless/Liberty Global still holds in TSTT, which is supposed to be completed by December 31, 2016. Remy told Newsday the CWU has written multiple letters to TATT and NEL about the issue to shed some light on this development but they both failed and/or refused to do so. In the face of this gross disrespect by both State Agencies, the CWU is demanding that the Minister with responsibility for TATT; Minister of Public Administration and Communications, Maxie Cuffie, make an immediate intervention, consistent with his powers under the Telecommunications Act. Newsday attempted to speak with TATT Chairman, Gilbert Peterson, yesterday but calls to his mobile phone went to voice mail.
NUGFW claims bad faith

Indicating in a release that these negotiations will continue next year, Lambert said he has written Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus on this matter.

He also said the union was, very thankful that throughout 2016, there were no major loss of jobs, although new ones were not created. However, Lambert continued, The union is concerned about vacancies that are not being filled, resulting in a depletion of the establishment. Lambert said while President General also stated that while NUGFW is very much aware of and concerned about the state of the economy, it is pertinent that the Government meet with NUGFW to discuss the social aspect of the Unions proposals. He claimed the Government met twice with the National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) to hear its proposals.

Lambert stated, At the forefront of the negotiations are the pension plan for daily-rated workers of Central and Local Government and the Tobago House of Assembly, and the reverting of the retirement age for daily-rated workers from 60 to 65. He added the NUGFW remains optimistic and expects a favourable outcome in 2017 and called on the Government to engage in discussions.
Cannot disclose reasons behind demonetisation, says RBI

Delhi,National,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) The Reserve Bank of India has refused to reveal the reasons for scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, besides declining to disclose the minutes of the RBI Board meeting when demonetisation was discussed on November 8, an RTI activist said.

The RBI said it was not bound to disclose such information given the issue of national security and related implications in it.

The information was sought by an RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak.

"RBI rejected access to its board meeting minutes and recommendations made to the government and related file notings under Sections 8(1)(a), 7 (9) of the RTI Act," Nayak told IANS.

Section 8(1)(a) has various grounds of sovereignty, integrity, economic interests, security interests, scientific interests and foreign relations.

While Section 7(9) was the ground for refusing to give information in the form in which it was asked for reasons that it should not result in destruction of records or excessive expenses towards compilation of the information.

"The refusal to disclose the minutes of the RBI Board meeting where the decision was taken to recommend demonetisation is perplexing to say the very least," Nayak said.

While confidentiality prior to the making of the decision was understandable, continued secrecy after the decision was implemented was difficult to understand, Nayak added.

This was especially when crores of Indians were facing difficulties due to the shortage of cash supply, he said.

Nayak had also filed a separate RTI with the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Finance Ministry seeking copies of the cabinet note regarding the scrapping of the old currency notes.

"I also sought to know whether the government had sought people's views on the issue prior to making the demonetisation decision," he said.

"Despite 40 days lapsing since the delivery of the RTI application to the DEA, it has not responded," he added.

Not responding to an RTI application for 30 days is deemed as a refusal to disclose the requested information under Section 7(2) of the RTI Act.

Nayak, however, said that the lack of response on the part of DEA was not surprising because the decision to maintain undue secrecy appeared to be sanctioned at the highest level of the bureaucracy.

"When the DEA and RBI want every citizen of the country to come clean in the name of combating black money, corruption and fake currency notes, their reluctance to become equally transparent and accountable is unjustified, to the say the very least," Nayak said.

"RBI and DEA have a statutory obligation to be completely transparent and accountable to the people of India on the subject of demonetisation," he added.

If there cannot be complete transparency on this issue, then it must be assumed that the transparency regime has simply not taken roots in India even after 11 years of implementation of the RTI Act, Nayak said.

The activist said that he has already appealed against the DEA for not replying to his RTI query.

He also said that he would soon appeal against the RBI decision to not disclose the reasons behind the demonetisation.

--IANS

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I&B Ministry laments absence of regulation on new media

West Bengal,National,Defence/Security,Technology, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Kolkata, Dec 30 (IANS) The Centre is concerned about the challenges presented by the advent of new media, especially in the absence of a regulatory framework, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary said on Friday.

"An important area of challenge in the new media is that there is unfortunately no regulatory framework. What you cannot see on TV or hear on your radio, it is all possibly up there in open access," Ministry Secretary Ajay Mittal said here at an event organised by the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI).

Mittal said much more was needed to be done to prepare the government and its officers to deal with the "completely new paradigm of digital media".

"The ministry is in talks with the state governments and we are now going to train their people in the information sector so that they can deal with the challenges created by new media that is causing a whole lot of concern," he said.

Mittal said, "It is regularly being raised in Parliament... this issue of digital media without any boundaries. We are very clear that in the media space the best form of regulation is self regulation and the government would like to keep away as far as possible."

--IANS

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Nine dead in Jharkhand mine cave-in (Third Lead)

Bihar,National,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Ranchi, Dec 30 (IANS) Nine bodies were recovered from a caved-in coal mine while a search to rescue several others continued in Jharkhand's Godda district on Thursday night, officials said on Friday.

The tragedy occurred at the Rajmahal Opencast Project of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL).

"So far nine bodies have been recovered while two persons have been hospitalised with injuries. Rescue and search operations are on to find other workers who might be trapped," ECL General Manager (Mining) R.R. Amitabh said.

"All 10 excavators and dump trucks have been extracted from the mine," added Amitabh.

Jharkhand Director General of Police D.K. Pandey said over 20 workers were feared to be trapped inside the collapsed mine.

The incident, described by the ECL as "unprecedented", occurred around 7.30 p.m. on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the tragedy.

Modi spoke to Chief Minister Raghubar Das to take stock of the situation and said that the Jharkhand government and Union Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal were working to restore normalcy.

While a probe has been ordered, the ECL has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those killed, in addition to the amount to be paid under the Workmen's Compensation Act.

"Prima facie, it is observed that the incident is unprecedented, since an area of 300 metres length by 110 metres width solid floor of the over burden dump area slid down by about 35 metres involving around 9.5 million cubic metres of earth material," the Coal Ministry said in a statement.

"This could be due to failure of the bench edge along the hidden fault line/slip," it said.

The probe will be carried out by the Director General of Mines Safety and a 'high level committee of experts' has been constituted by Coal India Limited to investigate the causes of the accident.

A heap of mud caved in at the entry point of Lalmatia mines of ECL. At that time more than 70 vehicles were inside the open cast mine the police said.

The National Disaster Response Force was carrying out rescue operations monitored and supervised by senior ECL and state government officials.

--IANS

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People happy with demonetisation: MP CM

Madhya Pradesh,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Bhopal, Dec 30 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said people in the country were happy at the central government's move to demonetise higher value currency notes.

At the approach of the 50th day of the November 8 move, Chouhan said only people holding black money were unhappy.

"The Prime Minister had taken a huge risk for the welfare of the country. Demonetisation has broken the backbone of terrorism. It has removed corruption from the country," the Chief Minister said.

"Those hoarding black money are not happy with the decision otherwise crores of people in the country support" the Modi-led government's move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to root out corruption and black money from the country, he said.

Attacking opposition parties for criticising the move, Chouhan said: "Demonetisation has left opposition parties incapable of anything. Every day and night they see Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their dreams as their public support is diminishing."

"Sometimes they wake up from dreams to demand the Prime Minister's resignation."

The Chief Minister said the opposition was making a pretence of opposing the move. "In their heart, they also believe Modi had taken a right decision."

--IANS

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Two injured in Pakistan blast

Pakistan,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Islamabad, Dec 30 (IANS) At least two police personnel were injured in a suicide bombing in Punjab province of Pakistan on Friday, police said.

The blast took place when a burqa-clad person blew himself up near a mosque in Rahim Yar Khan city, Dawn online quoted District Police Officer Zeeshan Asghar as saying.

The blast occurred outside the office of the Counter-Terrorism Department in Shafi town.

No casualty has been reported so far due to the attack, the official said.

--IANS

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Takam Pario likely to be next Arunachal CM: PPA

Arunachal Pradesh,National,Politics, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Itanagar, Dec 30 (IANS) People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) President Kafia Bengia on Friday said that Takam Pario is most likely to be the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

"Pario is likely to be the CM. It will be decided today (Friday) in the evening when all the PPA legislators meet. We are just waiting for a few more legislators to come and then we will start the meeting," Bengia told IANS here.

Pario, who is the richest MLA here, is also the brother of former Congress MP Takam Sanjoy, who is another political heavyweight in the state.

The PPA in a sudden move on Thursday night removed incumbent Pema Khandu and six others for alleged anti-party activities.

Asked what were the charges against these party leaders, Bengia said: "Being members of PPA -- which itself is an ally of the BJP -- all these suspended legislators were trying to join the BJP.

"At the same time they are trying to take other MLAs and carry out mass defection."

"These MLAs have a business mindset; that is the reason they are turning the state politics into a laughing stock for the country," Bengia told IANS.

The PPA is a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led North East Democratic Alliance.

Khandu had taken over as the Chief Minister from Nabam Tuki in July. However, on September 16, he along with 42 other Congress MLAs defected to the PPA.

--IANS

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RBI notifies closure of old notes' deposits in banks

Delhi,National,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Asking the banks to report collections of demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes on December 30 itself, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday notified the closure of the deposit and exchange of the old notes.

"With the closure of the facility of exchange of specified bank notes, all banks should report information on collection on December 30, itself. Banks should make arrangements to gather the information from all its branches accordingly," the RBI said in a notification here.

From next week onward, those still holding the scrapped currency can deposit it only with the RBI till March 31, 2017.

All bank branches, except district cooperative central bank (DCCBs), which have accumulated old notes at the close of business on Friday, are required to deposit these in the office of the RBI or a currency chest on Saturday, the RBI said.

The old notes cannot form part of banks' cash balances from the close of business as on Saturday, the central bank added.

However, DCCBs may retain the demonetised currency received between November 10-14, till further instructions.

The government had on November 8 announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes were no longer the legal tender.

--IANS

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Trinamool MP Tapas Pal reaches CBI office in Kolkata

West Bengal,National,Politics,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Kolkata, Dec 30 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal, who was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation three days ago, presented himself at the investigation agency's regional office here, a CBI official said.

According to the official, Pal was involved in "financial transactions" with the Rose Valley chit fund organisation.

"Pal would be interrogated regarding his alleged involvement in the financial transactions with Rose Valley," the official said.

The actor-turned-politician was summoned by the agency on Tuesday along with Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay for interrogation in relation to the ponzi scam.

Following the summon, the Trinamool Congress accused the central government of doing vendetta politics and using central agencies to scare the party as they were protesting against the Centre's demonetisation move.

--IANS

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Reveal amount of black money recovered post demonetisation: Rahul

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Friday sought to know from Prime Minister Narendra Modi the amount of black money recovered after the November 8 demonetisation.

"Fifty days (post demonetisation) have been completed, Modiji please answer these five questions to the nation," Gandhi tweeted a picture with the questions.

In one of the questions, Gandhi asked Modi to reveal the amount of black money recovered post demonetisation.

The Congress leader also sought to know the economic loss to the nation and number of jobs lost due to the central government's move to demonetise high value currency notes.

"How many people died due to demonetisation and has the compensation been paid?" Gandhi said.

Gandhi asked: "Who all deposited more than 25 lakhs in bank accounts in six months preceding November 8."

He also asked the Prime Minister to answer who all had he consulted on the move.

"Why were experts, economists and RBI not consulted (on demonetisation)," Gandhi asked.

--IANS

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Modi eviscerated Indian economy: Lalu

Bihar,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Patna, Dec 30 (IANS) RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of eviscerating the Indian economy by his demonetisation decision.

"If lungs, liver, kidneys, intestine and blood is taken out of your body, would you be able to survive? That's what has been done with our economy," Lalu said in a latest tweet.

In a series of "surgical" tweets, Lalu reminded Modi of the state of affairs in the country as the 50-day period announced by the Prime Minister on November 8, to regain normalcy drew to a close on Friday midnight.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader further that Modi badly damaged the Indian economy by scrapping the high value currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 and added, "...in such a situation, how can the country's economy survive?"

Lalu cautioned Modi against devising ways and means to justify his demonetisation move. He said people could see through his deceitful acts to project his decision as "realistic".

"Senseless parpancho se ho rahin Endless dikkaton ko dabane ke liye Cashless jaisi Baseless baat kar rahein hain. He should be realistic" (You cannot deny the trouble faced by millions just by projecting cashless transaction as a means to bring in transparency in financial dealings), he said.

"Does Modi know how many times he has chopped and changed his own decisions in the last 50 days? He is totally clueless, puzzled and jumping here and there," Lalu said.

"Time has come for PM Modi to find out a chauraha (public square) where people can punish him for the failure...," Lalu told the media earlier after announcing a protest against demonetisation.

The RJD chief recalled that it was Modi himself who had said that people could punish him after 50 days if the demonetisation drive failed.

Lalu said Modi's decision of demonetisation has failed and the 50-day deadline fixed by him is over. "Now Modi will have to tell people to punish him at the particular chauraha."

RJD on Wednesday organised sit-ins at Patna and all district headquarters against demonetisation. Lalu then accused Modi of cheating the country.

"Modi has derailed the economy through demonetisation, which had led to increased job losses," Lalu said while participating in the 'maha dharna'.

The former Bihar Chief Minister urged people to remove Modi to save the country. He even announced a huge rally in Patna against Modi early in 2017.

"I will invite all non-BJP leaders in the rally to unite against Modi," Lalu said.

--IANS

ik/in/bg
Syrian ceasefire effective in first hours, some violations reported

Syrian Arab Republic,Defence/Security, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Damascus, Dec 30 (IANS) The first hours of the latest ceasefire in Syria between the government and insurgent forces have passed in relative calm with no civilian deaths, a British NGO said on Friday.

However, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR), said that only two hours after the ceasefire came into effect on Thursday midnight, violent clashes broke out between Syrian regime forces and rebel groups in the environs of Tella al Biyu, north of Hama province, Efe news reported.

The fighting resulted in the death of at least six fighters loyal to the Damascus regime.

The SOHR also reported sporadic fighting in the Western Guta area and that some shots were fired by government forces in the town of Sakik, south of Idlib province, under the control of rebel militias.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) denounced some brief ceasefire violations and questioned the Syrian government's capacity to keep its pro-government popular militias under control, who were fighting shoulder to shoulder alongside the regular Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

According to the FSA, over 40 Syrian paramilitary or self-defence forces and foreign volunteers were fighting in support of Al-Assad's troops.

The ceasefire agreement, hammered out between Russia and Turkey, was backed by the Syrian Army's General Command, the Syrian Armed Forces and rebel factions.

In the hours prior to the ceasefire's enforcement, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Walid al Mualem during an interview on Syrian state television said the ceasefire was "a real opportunity to reach a political solution to the conflict."

Al Mualem said it could "end the bloodbath in Syria and seek a future for the country."

The ceasefire aims to lead the way towards a new round of peace talks, scheduled to begin towards the end of January 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

--IANS

ksk/bg
Cash crunch: Major bank union seeks members help to hold conference

Tamil Nadu,National,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Chennai, Dec 30 (IANS) The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) that is holding its four day national conference here is managing its cash needs with the help of its members, said a top union official.

"Around 4,000 people are expected to attend the four day conference scheduled to start on January 8. We have to pay cash for local transport of delegates and others. Similarly other workers - conference venue sweepers, workers of caterers and others - have to be paid in cash," AIBEA General Secretary C.H.Venkatachalam told IANS.

While the union has sufficient amount in its bank accounts, it is not able to withdraw cash beyond Rs 24,000 per week, the limit announced by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for all the bank account holders, Venkatachalam said.

"We have requested some members to withdraw cash from their accounts and give to the union to meet the conference expenses while the union will reimburse the amount to the members by cheque," Venkatachalam said.

"I am afraid to imagine the plight of ordinary people in meeting the marriage expenses of their daughters given the cash crunch. As a banking sector union, we can seek our members to help out. But such facility is not available for a normal individual," he noted.

According to him, there was no last minute rush in banks to deposit the demonetised Rs 500 or 1,000 notes.

"But the cash crunch continues. Most of the ATMs are dry. If the government relaxes the withdrawal limit upwards from Rs 24,000 per week, then the situation may turn tougher," Venkatachalam said.

According to K.Thamaraiselvan, General Secretary, Andhra Bank Employees Union Madras, the number of cheques coming for clearance has gone up several times putting the staff at the cheque clearing centres to great difficulty.

"Prior to demonetisation the number of cheques that would come for clearance in Chennai clearing centre of Andhra Bank was around 20,000 per day. But now it has gone up to 70,000 cheques per day," Thamaraiselvan said.

He said the staff strength has not gone up.

Union officials said the bank employees across the country were involved in managing the cash position for the past 50 days and may be doing so for some more time to come.

They said there was no time to attend to loan proposals and this quarter results may not be good for the banks.

--IANS

vj/vd
Prabhu launches slew of railway projects in Andhra

Andhra Pradesh,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Vijayawada, Dec 30 (IANS) Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday launched a slew of railway infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh.

Laying the foundation stone for new railway line between Nadikudi and Srikalahasti Stations via remote video link from Delhi, he also launched high speed Wi-Fi at Guntur Station, dedicated Route Relay Interlocking, Vijayawada and a newly-constructed hostel building in Electric Traction Training Centre, Vijayawada.

The minister also flagged off Tirupati-Visakhapatnam Double Decker AC Express and commissioned Rayadurg-Kalyandurga section (part of new line between Rayadurg and Tumakuru).

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju participated in the programme held at Railway Institute, Vijayawada.

Simultaneously functions were also held at Guntur, Piduguralla, Tirupati and Rayadurga.

Prabhu assured holistic development of Andhra Pradesh by strengthening integrated transport solutions and integrated port connectivity.

He said the ministry had increased the budget outlay for the state in last two years for speeding up various projects.

Ministry of Railways and the state government also signed a joint venture agreement for taking up rail infra development in the state.

Naidu said Prabhu was giving priority to railway projects in the state. He said the projects launched Friday would facilitate development in Nellore, Prakasam and Guntur districts, while the Tirupati-Visakhapatnam AC Double Decker would provide connectivity to nine districts in the state.

He reiterated the demand for creation of railway zone in Visakhapatnam.

To commemorate the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of South Central Railway, a coffee table book titled "Wheels of Change" was also released.

Vashishta Johri, General Manager, South Central Railway highlighted the salient benefits of the various initiatives launched.

--IANS

ms/vd
Ex-chief of Chinese spy agency to be prosecuted for graft

China,Immigration/Law/Rights,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Beijing, Dec 30 (IANS) The former head of China's spy agency is set to be prosecuted for alleged bribery and abuse of authority nearly two years after he was arrested, said the Communist Party of China (CPC) Friday.

A statement released by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection -- the Chinese regime's main anti-corruption watchdog -- said Ma Jian, who has been under investigation since January 2015, has been officially expelled from the party and his case handed over to legal authorities, paving the way for a trial, Efe news reported.

Investigations by the ruling party revealed Ma abused his position to benefit companies owned by his family members and friends, said the statement.

Previous reports in the Hong Kong press said Ma was suspected of unlawful links with Founder Group, a technological conglomerate with links to the prestigious University of Beijing.

Ma is not the first senior public security official to have fallen into disgrace in the President Xi Jinping-led anti-corruption campaign.

Last year, former State Security Minister Zhou Yongkang -- one of the most powerful Chinese politicians during the previous decade -- was sentenced to life imprisonment for graft, and a large chunk of his close aides arrested, investigated and convicted, as part of the campaign, which some believe is Xi's way of clamping down on rival factions within the party.

Ma worked for China's spy agency for 30 years, and observers say he was close to Ling Jihua, former personal secretary to ex-President Hu Jintao.

Ling was also handed a life sentence on corruption charges in July this year.

--IANS

ksk/vt
Lift restrictions on cash withdrawals immediately, CPI-M asks government

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) The CPI-M on Friday asked the government to immediately remove restrictions on cash withdrawals as the 50-day window sought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expired.

"Since the deadline of December 30 is over, all restrictions on the withdrawal of money by people from their own hard-earned money in the banks must be removed forthwith," the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) said in a statement.

It said that since the demonetisation has pushed the "beleaguered and stumbling Indian economy into a tailspin causing immense misery to the poor and the downtrodden" who survive on daily cash earnings, and hence some "corrective steps" need to be taken by the government.

The party has demanded immediate debt waiver for farmers, doubling the allocation for MNREGA to ensure 100 days of employment for all those who are enrolled, tax rebate to small and medium enterprises whose economic activity has suffered and removal of all restrictions on deposits and withdrawals of funds from the cooperative banks.

"This demonetisation will lead to a significant revenue loss in many states. To address this crucial issue, the Centre must compensate the state governments for the loss in revenue that they are incurring and the borrowing ceiling on the state governments in accordance to the FRBM Act must be raised form 3-4 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product," it said.

The CPI-M said that since the Prime Minister is constantly emphasising on the need to shift to a cashless economy, it is necessary to ensure that people are not burdened with additional costs and all costs on digital transactions should be removed.

--IANS

mak/vd
Modi launches mobile app, says your thumb your bank now

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched an Aadhaar-based mobile payment application at Digi Dhan Mela here to promote and make digital transactions easier.

The app is called BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) -- a re-branded version of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data).

Speaking on the occasion, Modi said BHIM app was very simple to use and a thumb impression was enough to operate it.

"Be it a smartphone or feature phone of Rs 1,000-1,200, BHIM app can be used. There is no need to have Internet connectivity. One only needs a thumb. There was a time when an illiterate was called 'angutha chchap'. Now, time has changed. Your thumb is your bank now. It has become your identity now."

Modi said that 'Lucky Grahak Yojana' and 'DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana' were a Chrismas gift to the nation.

Over 100 days, several prizes of Rs 1,000 will be given to people through lucky draws. The mega draw will be held on April 14, the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

--IANS

spk/tsb/vt
Carrie Fisher's autopsy on hold

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Los Angeles, Dec 30 (IANS) The autopsy on actress Carrie Fisher's body is on hold, said an official.

The Los Angeles Coroner's Office said Carrie's body is in their possession and that the autopsy is on hold due to the "family's loss for two".

"We are not out to rush the family," the office told eonline.com on Thursday.

"We are giving the family some space. They not only lost Carrie, but lost Debbie Reynolds (her mother) too."

Carrie died on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack onboard a plane.

Debbie was in Beverly Hills on Wednesday afternoon when she had to be rushed to hospital. She died on Wednesday.

According to eonline.com discussions are currently underway to determine what is the best way to honour the two stars.

Debbie's son Todd Fisher said a joint funeral has been discussed but is not official.

"That is my preference," he said.

"Obviously it's not finalised, but I think that sounds like a grand idea given the beautiful story between them."

Both Debbie and Carrie were set to star in the HBO documentary "Bright Lights: Starring Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher".

While the premiere day is yet to be announced, Todd said that HBO reached out and both parties hope the documentary can be a part of the memorial in some way.

"Remarkably enough, the documentary is the greatest tribute you can imagine to both of them," Todd said.

--IANS

nn/rb/bg
Demonetisation decision taken without forethought: Congress

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Calling demonetisation a "decision taken without forethought", the Congress on Friday said all its stated objectives have failed and the government's insistence on digital transactions is infested with "serious issues", including of privacy.

The opposition party also accused the Modi government of changing the narrative from black money to cashless economy.

"It is now abundantly clear that the whole exercise was undertaken without forethought and planning; without consulting key officials; without understanding the crucial role of money in circulation; and without assessing the capacity of the currency printing presses to supply new notes," senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said here.

"Altogether, the whole exercise has been a case of total mismanagement, administrative collapse and widespread corruption," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of high-denomination currency notes on November 8 night, and subsequently sought 50 days to put things in order.

Chidambaram said the Congress would have pledged support to demonetisation if the objectives were to unearth and stamp out black money and end corruption, but that has not happened.

"Events of the last 50 days have proved that none of the stated objectives has been served. Hoards of black money in new Rs 2,000 notes have been found. There is no guarantee that black money will not be generated in future or that bribes will not be given or taken in future in the new currency notes," Chidambaram said.

The former Union minsiter said the government had tried to change the narrative of the demonetisation move from black money and corruption to a cashless economy.

"No economy can become -- or has become - totally cashless. We support encouraging high-value transactions to adopt the digital mode, but to insist that even low-value transactions should go cashless is an absurd and undesirable goal."

"There are serious issues of privacy and cost to the payer and the payee. These issues require serious debate," he added.

--IANS

mak/tsb/vt
New Australian drone laws put passenger jets at risk: Pilots

Australia,Immigration/Law/Rights,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Canberra, Dec 30 (IANS) Commercial pilots have expressed concerns about Australia's drone laws, saying they raise the risk of fatal collisions between unmanned drones and passenger planes.

In a submission to the Senate committee which is investigating the safety of the new drone laws, pilots from Qantas and Virgin Australia have asked the government to reconsider the law change, under which drones two kilograms and lighter will no longer need approval to fly in public spaces, Xinhua news agency reported.

Drones will not, however, be allowed to fly within 5.5 km of an airport and not within 30 metres of buildings.

In a Senate submission published n Friday, Qantas chief pilot Richard Tobiano said if the laws are relaxed, there will be more drone pilots flying their small, dangerous aircraft despite no training.

"Against this context, it would be opportune for the airline industry to confirm best-practice processes in managing the ramifications of an incident ahead of time," Tobiano said in the submission.

He said if the laws were to stay, it would up to police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure untrained pilots aren't breaking the laws and flying near airports, or too high, in order to minimize the threat to passenger flights.

"As with lasers and model rockets, this regime should involve education of - and strategic and tactical coordination between - state and federal law enforcement agencies, local government and CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority)," Tobiano said.

"Critically, it must also include a comprehensive suite of offence provisions and penalties to ensure general and specific deterrence."

Meanwhile, Virgin Australia's pilot John Lyons said drones would cause much more - even fatal - damage compared to something such as a bird being sucked into a jet engine.

"Launching a drone close to an airport, particularly in proximity to an uncontrolled aerodrome, exposes aircraft (which are often jet powered) to the risk of collision which could result in substantial damage, loss of control and potentially, loss of life," Lyons said.

"Collision with an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) could be considerably more dangerous than striking a bird."

--IANS

ksk
SP headed for split as Mulayam serves show cause notice to Akhilesh

Uttar Pradesh,National,Politics, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Lucknow, Dec 30 (IANS) The political crisis in the Samajwadi Party (SP) deepened on Friday, with party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav serving a show cause notice to his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, for indiscipline and the Akhilesh faction calling for an emergency meeting to lend direction to the ruling party, which appeared on the verge of a split.

In a brief letter shot-off to Akhilesh, signed by Mulayam, the SP chief pointed out how despite an official list of party candidates being issued by him at a press conference on Wednesday, a "parallel list" was issued by the Chief Minister.

Terming this act as indiscipline, Mulayam asked the 43-year-old Chief Minister to explain his conduct and has asked why no action should be taken against him.

A separate show cause notice was also served on SP General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, who has thrown his lot behind Akhilesh

Earlier, Ram Gopal Yadav called an "emergency convention" of the party workers on Sunday.

He said that the Akhilesh government was "doing fine" and some people have "restored to deliberately malign the party ahead of the assembly elections" due early next year.

"There are apprehensions that it will cause losses to the party."

This, sources told IANS, was seen by the party leadership as an attempt to upstage Mulayam in a coup of sorts since the SP chief had already called a meeting of his party candidates on Saturday.

Political observers here feel that the SP was heading for an imminent split now and some apprehend that Mulayam this time might take the extreme step of showing his son the door.

Ram Gopal Yadav had earlier in the day conceded that chances of a compromise were now dim.

--IANS

md-bns/sar/vm
Entire currency in circulation from Dec 31 legitimate: Jaitley

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that from Saturday onwards, the entire currency in circulation will be legitimate, Friday being the last day to deposit the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in banks.

"With effect from tomorrow the entire currency in circulation would be legitimate," Jaitley told reporters at a press briefing here on Friday.

From Saturday the legitimate currency that would continue to be legal tender is Rs 100 and other lower denomination notes along with the new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has printed, he added.

The deadline to deposit old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in banks ends on Friday.

Refusing to give any details on the deposits received in old notes post-demonetisation, he said that the data was yet to be tabulated.

"The banks will now have the re-circulated currency, plus what the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is injecting," Jaitley said.

The RBI on Friday asked the banks, which have accumulated old notes to deposit it in the office of the central bank or a currency chest by December 31.

The old notes cannot form part of banks' cash balances from the close of business as on Saturday, the central bank added.

From next week onward, those still holding the scrapped currency can deposit it only with the Reserve Bank of India till March 31, 2017.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes would no longer be legal tender.

--IANS

mm/vd
No rush to deposit invalid notes, but cash crunch may continue: Bankers

Tamil Nadu,National,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Chennai, Dec 30 (IANS) There was no major last minute rush of people to deposit the demonetised 500/1,000 rupee notes in their accounts but the cash crunch may continue, bankers said on Fridaty.

The central government had earlier announced December 30 would be the last day for deposit of demonetised notes with the banks. People can deposit the invalid currencies with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) till March 31, 2017.

The bankers said they may continue to manage the cash crunch situation at the present weekly withdrawal ceiling level, but the situation may turn tough if the withdrawal limits are relaxed very liberally.

"We have not seen any last minute rush to deposit the demonetised 500/1,000 rupee notes today (Friday), the last day to deposit them with the banks," C.V. R.Rajendran, Managing Director and CEO, Catholic Syrian Bank told IANS.

"We have enough cash to issue our customers at the current weekly withdrawal ceiling limit of Rs 24,000. Even if the limit is increased to Rs 50,000 per week we can manage," he added.

Rajendran however said that if withdrawal limit is increased beyond that, then the situation may turn bit difficult.

According to him, if RBI infuses additional cash of around Rs 200,000 crore or Rs 300,000 crore, then the cash crunch would really ease up.

Rajendran hoped things would settle down from the New Year onwards.

Public sector bank officials told IANS that there was no major rush to deposit the invalid notes.

"However the liquidity situation has not improved to comfortable levels. We continue to ration cash with those who come to withdraw money," a Canara Bank employee, who did not want to be named, told IANS.

"The cash crunch continues. Most of the ATMs are dry. If the government relaxes the withdrawal limit upwards from Rs 24,000 per week, then the situation may turn tougher," All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C.H.Venkatachalam told IANS.

According to Andhra Bank Employees Union, Madras, General Secretary K.Thamaraiselvan, the number of cheques coming for clearance has gone up several times putting the staff, whose strength has not increased, at the cheque clearing centres to great difficulty.

"Prior to demonetisation the number of cheques that would come for clearance in Chennai clearing centre of Andhra Bank was around 20,000 per day. But now it has gone up to 70,000 cheques per day," he said.

Union officials said the bank employees across the country were involved in managing the cash position for the past 50 days and may be doing so for some more time to come.

They said there was no time to attend to loan proposals and this quarter results may not be good for the banks.

--IANS

vj/vd
CPI-M seeks immediate lifting of ceiling on cash withdrawals

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Friday asked the government to immediately remove restrictions on cash withdrawals as the 50-day deadline given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expired.

"Since the deadline of December 30 is over, all restrictions on the withdrawal of money by people from their own hard earned money in the banks must be removed forthwith," the CPI-M said in a statement.

It said that since demonetisation has pushed the "beleaguered and stumbling Indian economy into a tailspin, causing immense misery to the poor and the downtrodden", who survive on daily cash earnings, some "corrective steps" need to be taken by the government.

The party has demanded immediate debt waiver for farmers, doubling the allocation for MNREGA to ensure 100 days of employment for all those who are enrolled, tax rebate to small and medium enterprises whose economic activity has suffered and removal of all restrictions on deposits and withdrawals of funds from the cooperative banks.

"This demonetisation will lead to a significant revenue loss in many states. To address this crucial issue, the Centre must compensate the state governments for the loss in revenue that they are incurring.

"The borrowing ceiling on the state governments in accordance with the FRBM Act must also be raised from 3-4 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product," the statement said.

The party said that since the Prime Minister is constantly emphasising on the need to shift to a cashless economy, it is necessary to ensure that people are not burdened with additional costs and all costs on digital transactions should be removed.

It also posed a few more queries to the government.

"The Prime Minister must publicly declare the quantum of demonetised money that has returned to the banks. What is the quantum and value of new notes that have been printed so far? By when will the full value of demonetised money be back in the system through new notes?" it said.

The statement further said: "What is the government's estimation of the economic loss to the nation as a result of this move? How many people have lost their jobs and livelihood since demonetisation was announced on November 8?

"It is imperative that the Prime Minister answer all these questions and take necessary measures to provide some relief to the vast majority of people who are suffering."

--IANS

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China blocks move to declare Masood Azhar a terrorist, India calls it double standards

Delhi,National,Defence/Security,Terrorism,Diplomacy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) With Beijing blocking its move to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a UN designated terrorist, India on Friday said the development reflected "double standards" in the fight against terrorism and was "surprising" as China was itself a victim of terrorism.

"We note with concern China's decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council which had been presented nine months ago and had received the strong backing of all other members of the Committee."

"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism," said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.

In April, China had blocked India's move to label the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief a terrorist, a decision that had angered New Delhi which has been trying to convince Beijing to reconsider the decision. In September, it had extended its decision to put a technical hold on the UN's 1267 Committee declaring Azhar a terrorist by three months.

Calling the action surprising, the MEA statement said: "This decision by China is surprising as China herself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism.

"As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation."

Seven Indian security personnel lost their lives when terrorists from across the border attacked the Indian Air Force base in Punjab's Pathankot early on January 2.

The Pakistan-based JeM claimed responsibility for the attack in which all the six terrorists also were reportedly killed.

"We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," the statement added.

JeM was listed in the Security Council Committee 1267 list on October 17, 2001 for being associated with the Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or the Taliban for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities related with terrorism".

--IANS

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Three held for bid to kill rape victim's mother

Delhi,National,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

null

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Delhi Police arrested three persons, including a graphic designer, here for shooting at a rape victim's mother with the intention to kill her, police said on Friday.

Those arrested are Faisal Hussain, 36, the key conspirator and resident of Shaheen Bagh, Wasim, 30, a resident of Jasola village, and Mohd Iqbal, 46, a resident of Okhla village, police said.

They were arrested by separate police teams following raids on Wednesday and Thursday nights at Batla House and nearby areas in Jamia Nagar.

"Wasim and Iqbal worked for Hussain, a graphic designer. Wasim and Iqbal admitted that they shot the rape victim's mother on the instruction of Hussain. They had no personal enmity with the rape victim's family," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Romil Banniya said.

However, interrogation of the accused gave an altogether new twist to the tale, which initially seemed to be one of bumping off the complainant.

According to the DCP, the main accused Sajid, a local builder, who had gang-raped the victim along with three others, had made some investments in real estate with the help of one Bunty, also a local builder and broker.

Hussain also had some stake in the deal struck by Sajid and Bunty. But later, Hussain developed some differences with Sajid over the deal.

Taking advantage of the circumstances, Hussain hired Wasim and Iqbal to get the rape victim's mother eliminated, so as to implicate Sajid in the murder case. This would have solved his own problems with Sajid, DCP Banniya said.

Hussain also told interrogators that he hatched the plan after he came to know that Sajid was involved in a rape case and that the rape victim's mother had filed a complaint of life threat against him a couple of weeks ago.

Wasim and Iqbal on December 23 opened fired at the woman when she was on her way to a hospital, along with her daughter (the rape victim), in Jamia Nagar area. The bullet pierced her back, and amid the chaos, the shooters managed to escape, police said.

Police later arrested Sajid from his hideout in Uttar Pradesh. During the interrogation, he confessed to have raped the victim but denied shooting at her mother.

He hinted that Hussain could be behind the attack as he would have benefited if he (Sajid) is sent to jail for a long period, the officer said.

--IANS

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UAE church says 'working' for release of kidnapped Indian priest

United Arab Emirates,Crime/Disaster/Accident,Diaspora, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Dubai, Dec 30 (IANS) The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia said it has got "strong indications" that Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the Indian priest who was kidnapped by Islamic State terrorists in Yemen earlier this year, is alive.

The church said it is making "all efforts to secure a safe release" of the priest kidnapped from Aden in March, Khaleej Times reported on Friday.

A video of Father Uzhunnalil had surfaced this week in which he made an appeal to the Indian government, Pope Francis and Bishop Paul Hinder (the current Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate), to save his life.

In the video, Uzhunnalil said that there have been reports in the media that everything was being done to secure his release "but in reality nothing seems to have happened".

However, the church said it has made countless appeals from the highest levels to secure Father Uzhunnalil's release as well as made concrete efforts by way of working in close collaboration with both international and local diplomatic channels.

"Paul Hinder is in touch with the different channels, which are working and leading the dialogues to secure a safe release. More details cannot be disclosed at this stage," the church statement said.

The bishop has led calls for prayer throughout the churches in the Vicariate for Father Uzhunnalil.

On March 4, the Salesian Order priest from Kerala was kidnapped after IS terrorists barged into a Missionaries of Charity care home in Aden of which he was the caretaker and shot dead many people, including four nuns, one of them from India.

--IANS

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PM sponsoring Chinese companies in name of Paytm: Mamata

West Bengal,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Kolkata, Dec 30 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "marketing" Chinese companies in India in the name of Paytm and sought a probe into the allegations.

"I am sorry, I have full respect for a country but in the name of Paytm, the Prime Minister has brought in a few Chinese companies and is marketing them in India," she told the media here.

"Why are these companies sponsored by our PM? What is the hidden agenda? We want to know publicly. I am not levelling allegations. I am only stating facts which are reported. Public money is not secure. It is not foolproof. I say Alibaba and four, not thieves," she said in a veiled reference to Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.

The Trinamool Congress supremo sought a probe as to why the Centre is promoting a company that has been blacklisted by the US Trade Representative.

"It is a very serious allegation. Country is not secure. To promote a few companies PM had to become feriwala (salesman) of Paytm. What is the hidden agenda? If somebody has done something wrong, the RBI and SEBI has protected them," she added.

--IANS

mgr-sgh/sm/bg
Gujarat Congress ready to project CM face

Gujarat,National,Politics, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Ahmedabad, Dec 30 (IANS) The Gujarat Congress, for the first times in two decades, on Friday said it is open to projecting a chief ministerial candidate ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled for December 2017.

State Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki said: "Although it (the leadership issue) will be decided by the high command post state polls in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, we cannot rule it out."

When pressed further, he told reporters here: "Let's wait and see."

The party, which has been in opposition since 1995, has always desisted from naming a chief ministerial candidate. All India Congress Committee General Secretary and In-charge of Gujarat Affairs Gurudas Kamat said the party is prepared to take on the BJP.

"We are ready for the elections whenever it is held, be it February, March or April," he said when asked about speculations that the ruling BJP might go for an early election in the state.

Kamat said that as part of the exercise, the party would finalise the list of candidates by the middle of next month.

"Whether to announce that after declaration of the poll schedule by the election commission or before that, in a staggered manner or in one go will be decided by the high command," he added.

Solanki, meanwhile, claimed that the Congress is well-prepared to take on the BJP on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home turf.

"Modi's charisma has been diminishing after he became the Prime Minister of the country. His failure to control price rise, flip-flop on Pakistan, alliance with Mehbooba Mufti and his decision of demonetisation has eroded his image," he said.

Describing Chief Minister Vijay Rupani a "rubber stamp of Amit Shah", Solanki said the BJP's move to put Rupani in place of Anandiben Patel has failed to help the ruling party in the state.

"Replacing a Patel and state's first woman Chief Minister has not helped improve administration. In fact it has gone from bad to worse."

Solanki claimed that it would be tough climb for the BJP in the wake of Patel quota agitation by Dalits following the Una public flogging of four Dalit youths.

"The difference between vote percentage of the BJP and the Congress in the state has never been more than 10 per cent. We know that we need to bridge this divide and so began our preparations pretty early," Solanki said.

He alleged that the BJP, which has been in power for over 20 years in the state, has become arrogant, selfish and corrupt. "It has forgotten to behave in a courteous manner with citizens," he said.

--IANS

desai/nir/vm
India-Singapore double tax treaty amended to curb round tripping

Delhi,Business/Economy,Immigration/Law/Rights,Diplomacy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) In yet another measure to curb generation of black money, India on Friday amended its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Singapore, the Indian government said.

"We have today (Friday) amended the DTAA with Singapore on the same terns as the agreement signed with Mauritius earlier this year," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters here.

"The year 2016 has been historic for the three DTAAs concluded with the countries that provided the routes for tax evasion...these have been blocked," he said, adding that the third DTAA amendment agreement signed earlier this year was with the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus.

Pointing out that all the three DTAAs had been the focus of attention, and even cause for uproar in Parliament, because of widespread suspicion that they were being used to evade capital gains tax, facilitating, thereby, the round tripping of funds anf generation of black money.

"The apprehension was of round tripping by which the flight of domestic black money was being organised to these 3 countries, which do not have capital gains tax, and bringing back the money through these 3 routes - Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore.

Between April 200 and September 2016, Mauritius and Singapore accounted for 49 per cent of all foreign direct investmentn(FDI) inflows into India.

"The Third Protocol amends the India-Singapore DTAA with effect from 1st April, 2017, to provide for source based taxation of capital gains arising on transfer of shares in a company," an Indian Finance Ministry release here said.

"Like the Mauritius agreement, the Singapore DTAA envisages that investments in shares made before 1st April, 2017, will be grandfathered," Jaitley said.

"Thereafter, a two-year transition period from 1st April, 2017, to 31st March, 2019, has been provided during which capital gains liability on shares will be shared half with the source country," he said.

"After the end of the transition period in 2019, the entire capital gains will come to India," he added.

Jaitley also said that in another move against black money stashed abroad, India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed an agreement with Swiss authorities for implementing the "Automatic Exchange of Information" (AEOI) between India and Switzerland.

Under this agreement it will now be possible for India to receive, from September, 2019 onwards, all financial information of accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland for 2018 and subsequent years, on an automatic basis," the Finance Minister said.

--IANS

bc/vm
Mamata flays Centre over demonetisation, arrest of Trinamool MP

West Bengal,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Kolkata, Dec 30 (IANS) Reiterating her demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday batted for the formation of a national government, comprising all major political parties, till the next general elections.

She went all guns blazing against the Modi government over demonetisation and the arrest of Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul by CBI in the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, fired salvos at Modi and targeted the BJP on a day which co-coincided with Modi's self-set 50-day demonetisation deadline.

"A national government (comprising all parties) may be formed, if required, to govern the country till the next general elections. The country is not safe under this government," she said.

Referring to Paul's arrest, a furious Banerjee said it was obvious that someone from her party would be arrested on the 50th day deadline as the central agencies are functioning under "instructions" from the BJP government.

"I knew that they would arrest someone from our party today as we plan to intensify our protest post the 50-day deadline of the demonetisation. I have the documents from CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) that clearly state who all are in their list," she claimed.

Banerjee also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of having association with a chit fund scam and dared the Modi government to arrest her and her party MPs and legislators.

"I don't care if they arrest all my MPs. Let them arrest me. I will not be surprised if they arrest all our MPs. Arrest all my MPs. How many MLAs will you arrest? You do not need to summon us. We are ready to present ourselves," Banerjee said.

"The SEBI and RBI did not act against the chit fund companies," she said.

"BJP is connected to Pearl group chit fund scam worth Rs 50,000 crore. (BJP leaders) Babul Supriyo and Rupa Ganguly also were associated with Rose Valley," she claimed, likening the situation to the "terror of pre-Independence era."

She asserted that Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, who too was summoned by the central agency in the same case, has not done anything wrong and would definitely appear before the CBI.

She said Paul's arrest reeks of political vendetta as the party is protesting against the Centre over demonetisation while slamming the Modi government for failing to restore normalcy by Friday.

"111 people have lost their lives. How many BJP leaders visited their house? Why is RBI not disclosing how much money has been released to which state?"

"People have been misled. Your 50 days are up and you have failed in your 'agni pariksha'. The PM must apologise to the nation and step down. If BJP thinks they have majority, then make someone else the PM," she said.

She said Modi and the BJP "despise" the poor, the scheduled caste and tribes and the minorities.

Banerjee also flayed Modi for naming e-wallet app BHIM after BR Ambedkar.

"How could the government name a lottery app in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar who is the architect of the Indian Constitution? They have no right to insult the statesmen of the country and hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Castes in the country," she said.

Asked about the ongoing rift within the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the elections, she said she doesn't want to comment on any party's internal matter.

"... but I will be happy if BJP is defeated. BJP must be defeated in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand and wherever there are elections," she added.

--IANS

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Well-orchestrated endeavour to destroy Tata Group's reputation: Ratan Tata

Maharashtra,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Tata Sons Interim Chairman Ratan Tata on Friday said that there has been a wilful and well-orchestrated endeavour to destroy the reputation of the Tata Group through unsubstantiated allegations.

"The past three months have been turbulent and wasteful. There has been a wilful, well-orchestrated endeavour to destroy the personal reputations of individuals, and the reputation of the Tata Group, through unsubstantiated allegations," Tata said in a letter addressed to the Group's employees.

"The ethics and values of the group and its leadership, which have been built over the last one and a half a centuries, have been challenged by people who are known not to practice what they often preach. I feel proud that through this difficult period there has been an overwhelming groundswell of support from so many of you."

The letter comes a day after the holding company of Tata Group had demanded the return of all confidential documents related to its group companies from its ousted Chairman Cyrus Mistry. This was the second such notice served to Mistry this week.

On Monday, Tata Sons served the first legal notice to Mistry, alleging breach of confidentiality and passing on sensitive information to his family-controlled companies.

On the other hand, Mistry's family-controlled companies Cyrus Investment Private Limited and Sterling Investment Private Limited have filed petitions against Tata Sons before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) (Mumbai).

"As we approach the new year, we must all resolve to put these events of the past few months behind us and re-dedicate ourselves to re-establish the Tata Group's leadership in the many areas in which we operate, as also demonstrating to the world around us that we indeed have protected the vision and values of our founding fathers,"

"The Tata Group has, over the years, not just been a business conglomerate - it has been an institution built on sustaining livelihood in the community it serves through the creation of wealth and its re-distribution to the nations's people through social awareness and philanthropy."

Tata Trusts hold 66 per cent stake in the holding company of the Tata Group, whereas Mistry's family holds over 18 per cent interest.

The development comes more than a week after Mistry stepped down from the positions held by him in Tata Group companies.

Tata Sons' board ousted Mistry on October 24 and appointed Ratan Tata as interim Chairman.

--IANS

rv/vm
Nepal police arrest 3 kidney smugglers

Nepal,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Kathmandu, Dec 30 (IANS) Police in Nepal have arrested three individuals who were allegedly involved in a kidney racket across the Indo-Nepal border, a media report said.

The three identified as Binu Bahadur Timalsina, 44, Prakash Basnet, 47 and Bhim Prasad Neupane, 36, reportedly took out kidneys from innocent people by promising them jobs across the border.

Police arrested the trio on December 21, but made the arrest public on Thursday, Republica reported on Friday.

The Metropolitan Crime Division of Nepal Police said that the three accused were remanded in custody for further investigation on charges of human trafficking, while they searched for two more.

According to SSP Sarbendra Khanal, the gang took innocent Nepali citizens to Indian cities by promising them jobs and took out their kidney after making them unconscious.

When the victims regained consciousness, the criminals would say that they were hospitalised after being attacked with a knife by gangsters," SSP Khanal told Republica.

They used to sell the vital organs without the knowledge of the victims.

Deepak Nepali, 19, is the only victim who has so far complained to the police about the theft of his kidney.

Police, however, assumed there were many victims like him and the investigation would bring out further details.

"Nepali came to know about the removal of his kidney only when he was admitted to Chitwan Medical College for his check up after he suffered health complications," a police statement said.

Khanal informed that the criminals would give some money to the victims after taking out their kidney and ask them to return home.

--IANS

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Slain Bihar scribe's wife 'got second threat call from Dubai'

Bihar,National,Media,Politics,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Patna, Dec 30 (IANS) Slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's wife Asha Ranjan has allegedly received life threats again over the case she has filed against former RJD MP and strongman from Siwan Mohmmad Shahabuddin in connection with the killing of her husband.

This is second time she has received a phone call from Dubai, asking her to withdraw the case against the former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP in the Supreme Court, failing which she and her children would be cut into pieces.

Asha Ranjan lodged an FIR on Friday in connection with the threats.

"In her FIR, Asha Ranjan has stated that she received a phone call from Dubai late on Thursday night, threatening her to withdraw the case against Shahabuddin in the Supreme Court," said Assistant Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Gupta.

Gupta said she is frightened ever since she received the threat a second time and is demanding security.

Only a few days ago, she had lodged an FIR after receiving the first threat call from Dubai on December 26.

The scribe's widow had moved the apex court seeking transfer of the probe and trial of her husband's murder case to Delhi from Siwan, as she feared a free and fair trial against Shahabuddin was not possible if he was lodged in a Bihar jail.

Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Siwan jail after the apex court had, on September 30, cancelled his bail after hearing the two petitions filed by the Bihar government and lawyer Prashant Bhushan on behalf of the slain scribe's family.

The Bihar government had, on May 16, within three days of the murder, handed over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Her husband Rajdeo, who was the Siwan bureau chief of a noted Hindi daily, was shot dead on May 13 at a busy fruit market near Siwan railway station.

--IANS

ik/nir/vd
Former union minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil dead

Maharashtra,National,Politics, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Ahmednagar (Maharashtra), Dec 30 (IANS) Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil passed away at his home following a long illness. He was 84.

Vikhe-Patil is survived by his wife, two daughters and three sons, including Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.

Ailing since sometime, he breathed his last at his home in Loni-Pravara on Friday evening.

Considered a pillar of the cooperatives movement in the state and his family credited with launching Asia's first sugar cooperative factory in Loni, Vikhe-Patil had been elected member of parliament eight times from Ahmednagar.

Leaving the Congress to join the Shiv Sena briefly, he served as Minister of State for Finance and later as Minister for Heavy Industries in then Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee's government.

He also made significant contributions in the field of irrigation, agriculture and education, especially for people in the rural areas of the state and was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2010.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "pained" by the death of Vikhe-Patil.

"Vikhe-Patil was a mass leader whose work in the agriculture, rural development, education and cooperatives will be remembered," Modi said in a tweet.

Describing Vikhe-Patil as "a towering leader in the cooperation movement with remarkable knowledge of agriculture, irrigation and rural development," Maharashtra Governor C. V. Rao said the state lost a visionary leader and a great human being.

In his condolence message to Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Rao said: "Vikhe-Patil lived a spartan life and maintained his contacts with the masses till his end. The numerous social and educational institutions created by him are a testimony to his vision and commitment for the betterment of society and farmers."

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Vikhe-Patil made far-reaching contributions to the agriculture, irrigation and educational sectors of the state and his cooperative movement remain a model of for allround development of the rural areas.

"He knew the pulse of rural development and carried out his various activities keeping the common village folk as the point of focus, and he gave priority to rural development during his tenure as a union minister. We have lost a senior and respected leader of the masses," he said in a message.

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar said he was "saddened by the demise of the former union minister and committed politician".

Congress leader Sanjay Dutt said "the death of Vikhe-Patil, a popular leader of farmers and cooperative movement leader and Ais an irreparable loss for the state".

--IANS

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Speech by the President of India at Inauguration of 17th National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts & Guides at Mysuru

Mysuru, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 NI Wire

1. I am indeed happy to be present amidst you on the occasion of the 17th National Jamboree of Bharat Scouts and Guides at Mysuru, a heritage city of India and the cultural capital of Karnataka.

2. I am informed that the Karnataka State Bharat Scouts and Guides has already hosted two National Jamborees at Bengaluru in the years 1960 and 1986 and is now hosting the present 17th National Jamboree at Mysuru.

3. Jamborees are occasions when any organisation reaffirms, redeems and reorients, and I am sure that the activities in the Jamboree will help Scouts, Guides, Rovers and Rangers and other Volunteers to develop leadership qualities, co-operative spirit and moral values. I am also sure that itwill provide a good opportunity to its participants to exchange ideas and exhibit their skills and talents, and help create awareness amongst the youth about the values of national integration, service, discipline, patriotism and peaceful co-existence.

Friends,

4. India is a land of ancient civilization but young people. By 2020 India will be the youngest country. It's an asset only if they are skilled and oriented towards the service of the nation.

5. While Scouting was making rapid progress overseas, in India too a move was initiated by Dr. Annie Besant, Dr. G.S. Arundale and other leaders, who foresaw the need of Scouting for the benefit of Indian boys as well. The Scouting Movement had the blessings of great luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Subsequently, the movement has been patronized by successive Presidents and Prime Ministers of India and Chief Ministers of States. I am informed that the Boy Scouts Associations in India and the Hindustan Scout Association were merged together on 7th November, 1950 and later the Girl Guide Association in India also joined the main stream.

6. The support and patronage of the Royal Family of erstwhile Mysuru State and other princely States of our country saw tremendous growth of the movement. Successive State Governments also extended their support and are responsible for the successful existence and growth of the Movement today.

7. I am happy to know that the Scouts and Guide Movement in India has been growing steadily from year to year and has a strength of over 5 Million Scouts and Guides today, and I am sure that this International Youth Movement will enable school going children become better citizens of our great country. The Scouts and Guide Movement has stood the test of time and is relevant to this day even after 109 years of its existence. Today, there are over 50 million Scouts and Guides throughout the world in 216 countries and territories right from the impressionable age of 3 upto 25 years.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

8. Scouting and Guiding is a tool for enrichment of life skills through proper understanding and awareness of social and national needs. Young Scouts and Guides are valuable members of our society and are active citizens who are contributing to resolving the challenges our communities are facing today. The Scouts and Guide Movement is open to all regardless of race or creed and its purpose is to help young people develop physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Scouting is not mere membership of an Organisation, but a commitment to uphold truthfulness and dignity in one's own life at a very young and impressionable age.

9. In fact, as a world youth movement in a globalised world, Scouting has a global responsibility to meet the challenges of development. It has shown the world how developing countries can benefit from a non-formal education system like Scouting.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

10. I am glad to learn that Karnataka is one of the most active and leading states in the field of Scouting and Guiding in the country. Before I conclude, I would like to compliment Sri Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri P.G.R. Sindhia, State Chief Commissioner and his team of volunteers for organizing the 17th National Jamboree. I also convey my hearty congratulations to all the participants of Scouts and Guides, Rovers and Rangers, Unit Leaders, from our country and overseas for their participation in the Jamboree.

11. Dear young friends in the end, I appeal to all of you to dedicate yourselves wholeheartedly in the service of your motherland. May your meritorious service be the lodestar for others to follow suit in the coming years. Spread the ideals of the Movement and emulate them in your daily lives. I extend greetings to all of you and wish the Bharat Scouts and Guide Movement all success in its future endeavours.

Thank you.

Jai Hind!

Source:PIB
Modi must and should resign, says Trinamool

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) With his self-imposed 50-day deadline ending on Friday, the Trinamool Congress asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to own up responsibility for the adverse effects of demonetisation and resign.

"The Prime Minister set a 50-day deadline -- 110 people have died, the economy is in a mess, the original motives he set out with -- ending funding of terrorism, black money, corruption -- nothing has happened," Trinamool spokesperson Derek O'Brien said.

"Tonight the deadline ends and tomorrow is a good day for him to resign. It's the last day of the year, the Prime Minister must and should resign," he added.

The Rajya Sabha member called Modi's November 8 move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes a "complete failure" and attributed electoral motive behind it.

"This (demonetisation) has nothing to do with ending terrorism, corruption or black money. This has been done with electoral motive, in view of the Uttar Pradesh elections," O'Brien told CNN News 18.

"The timing of this is awry, the planning is awry and the implementation is awry. The only thing they are doing good is spinning the narrative of taking from the rich to give to the poor. This is a bogus," he said.

"Modi and (BJP chief) Amit Shah have some serious answering to do. The PM has to answer what has he achieved at the end of this huge exercise," he said.

With Modi set to address the nation on New Year's eve, O'Brien said it was a good day for him to put in his papers.

"I am looking forward to the Prime Minister making a big announcement tomorrow. Maybe if he has a conscience and if he is not running a marketing agency called the BJP and the RSS, on December 31, he may own up responsibility for the entire mess and announce his resignation," added the Trinamool leader.

--IANS

and/in/vt
Ashley Greene engaged to Paul Khoury

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Los Angeles, Dec 30 (IANS) Actress Ashley Greene has accepted her longtime boyfriend Paul Khourys marriage proposal.

The "Twilight" star's boyfriend popped the question during the couple's trip to New Zealand on December 19. The actress posted an Instagram video of the proposal on Thursday, reports etonline.com.

"This is the most beautiful moment I could have ever hoped for. You've successfully made me the happiest, luckiest woman alive," Greene captioned the video.

"I can't wait to show you my unfaltering immeasurable love for the rest of our lives. Engaged, love of my life, future husband."

Khoury wrote on his own account: "I promise to put a smile on your face for the rest of our lives. You complete me in ways I didn't even know was possible. I love you more than anything and excited to take this next step in life with you."

The couple has been dating since 2013.

--IANS

nn/rb/vt
22 killed in Syria on the eve of ceasefire

Egypt,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Cairo, Dec 30 (IANS) A series of bombardments carried out by Syrian government forces on the eve of a ceasefire killed at least 22 people near Damascus on Thursday, a British war monitor reported.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, among the victims were at least 14 children and three women, who indicated several others had been injured, some of them seriously, Efe news agency reported.

"At least 22 people killed, including 14 children and a woman, as aerial bombing and artillery shelling intensify in Douma and Ghouta," the Observatory tweeted.

The attack came hours before a ceasefire agreed between the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups.

The Russian and Turkish governments had already agreed to a truce Wednesday that was to come into effect at midnight (9 pm GMT Wednesday).

The attacks primarily affected several areas in the region of Ghouta, the main bastion of opposition forces in eastern Damascus, and Douma, some 10 km northeast of the capital.

The Syrian army high command announced Thursday that a ceasefire is to come into effect at midnight (9:00 pm GMT).

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would be reducing its military presence in Syria following the ceasefire agreement with Assad.

--IANS

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Sylvester Stallone to attend Trump's New Year's party

United States,Politics,Cinema/Showbiz, Sat, 31 Dec 2016 IANS

Miami, Dec 31 (IANS) US President-elect Donald Trump will see out 2016 with a lavish party at Mar-a-Lago, his private club north of Miami, together with 800 guests including actor Sylvester Stallone, his transition team announced on Friday.

In a conference call with the media from the exclusive club in Palm Beach County, Florida, where Trump has spent the holiday season, EFE quoted a spokesman for his transition team as saying that the New Yorker will begin 2017 with a party that will last until 1.00 a.m. on New Year's morning featuring cocktails, a gala dinner, dancing indoors and partying around the pool.

Trump will be accompanied by wife Melania, his son Barron and special guests like Stallone and producer/composer/musician Quincy Jones.

Local media recently reported that the star of "Rocky" was on the list of possible candidates to head the National Endowment for the Arts, though the actor himself said he would turn down the offer should it come his way.

This Sunday, Trump will be back in New York and on Tuesday will resume his agenda of meetings to form his Cabinet.

Sean Spicer, representative of the transition team and future White House spokesman, said in a conference call that Trump will have four meetings this Friday, the first with Republican Susan Combs, former Comptroller of the Texas Agriculture Department, who joins the list of candidates for the next US Secretary of Agriculture.

He will then meet with ex-Texas Congressman Henry Bonilla, entrepreneur Howard Lorber, President of the Vector Group, and Allan B. Hubbard, ex-Adviser to former President George Bush and Director of the National Economic Council.

The transition team made no comment about Russia's reported interference in the US presidential election.

Nonetheless, Spicer said when questioned by the media that next week details of Trump's meetings with US intelligence agencies will be announced, but for now, neither the New York magnate nor members of his transition team have scheduled talks with their Russian counterparts.

"The priority right now is for the President-elect to get an update from the intelligence community," Spicer said.

--IANS

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Syrian ceasefire upheld in most of the country, says war monitor

Egypt,Defence/Security,Human Interest/Society, Sat, 31 Dec 2016 IANS

Cairo, Dec 31 (IANS) The ceasefire that came into effect in Syria at midnight has been upheld in most of the country, a British war monitor told EFE on Friday.

Rami Abdulrahman, Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the ceasefire between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups was being respected in around 90 per cent of the areas included in the deal.

According to the Observatory, a man was killed by a sniper in the rebel-held eastern Ghouta areas of Damascus making him the first death since the ceasefire came into effect.

The Observatory registered a few other violations of the ceasefire by rebels in the southern province of Daraa and by government forces in the Damascus, Hama and Idlib regions.

In the Christian-majority town of Khabab, in northern Daraa and under government control, several people were injured by mortar fire launched by rebel groups.

The SOHR also informed of Syrian Army bombings against areas in the north of Hama province, in the south of Aleppo and in the Barada river valley in Damascus.

The ceasefire agreement, hammered out between Russia and Turkey, was backed by the Syrian Army's General Command, the Syrian Armed Forces and rebel factions.

The deal aims to lead the way towards a new round of peace talks, scheduled to begin towards the end of January 2017 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

--IANS

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RBI relaxes ATM daily withdrawal limit to Rs 4,500 from Rs 2,500

Maharashtra,National,Business/Economy, Sat, 31 Dec 2016 IANS

Mumbai, Dec 31 (IANS) Following expiry of the deadline to deposit demonetised currency in banks, the RBI on Friday relaxed the daily ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 4,500 from the earlier cap of Rs 2,500, with this facility, to be effective from January 1, coming as a new year gift to citizens.

"On a review of the position, the daily limit of withdrawal from ATMs has been increased with effect from January 1, 2017, from the existing Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,500 per day per card," the Reserve Bank of India said in a notification issued late on Friday.

The RBI further said "there is no change in weekly withdrawal limits", which remains at Rs 24,000.

The central bank also asked banks to ensure that disbursals on ATMs should predominantly be in the denomination of Rs 500.

As per data released by the RBI on December 21, it has supplied currency amounting to Rs 5.92 lakh crore till December 19, as against the Rs 15.4 lakh crore pulled out of the system through the demonetisation of high-value currency announced on November 8.

IANS

bc/lok
Never send a cop to do a man's job
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The Banker Magazine, an offshoot of the Financial Times, awarded Attijariwafa Bank the title of the Best Moroccan Bank in 2016 for the 8thconsecutive time.

Attijariwafa Bank Group was awarded two other prizes in London during the month of December, granted by prestigious British magazines in recognition for its performance over the past year.

EMEA Finance magazine also awarded its Best Moroccan Bank Prize for the year 2016 to Attijariwafa Bank for the second time. The same magazine gave the Best Asset Manager award to Attijariwafa Banks subsidiary, Wafa Gestion.

The Financial Times described in one of its articles in 2016 the Moroccan banking industry as one of the best developed in Africa. In this regards, the leading paper notes that the Kingdom has some of the continents biggest banks, namely Attijariwafa Bank (AWB), Groupe Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) and Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur (BMCE)  which control two-thirds of the asset market.

According to the IMF Moroccos banking sector has grown steadily over the past decade with deposits accounting for two-thirds of banks liabilities, while consumer credit is on the hike.

Financial inclusion, for its part, has grown, with around 60 per cent of the population now using bank services.

Moroccan banks are now present in 22 African countries and around 17 per cent of their foreign activity is on the continent.
Moroccos high-speed rail service, the first in Africa, is expected to be ready in 2018 with the progress of works reaching 85%, local media outlets reported.

Operated by the Moroccan National Railways facility (ONCF), the Moroccan TGV will be launched in June 2018 linking at a first phase the cities of Tangier and Kenitra on a distance of 183 km high-speed line.

Mohamed Rabie Khlie, ONCF director general, briefed the press recently on the progress of works on this large-scale project with significant economic benefits that will link Tangier to Casablanca.

To achieve the target of 6 million passengers a year, there will be a departure every hour from Casablanca and Tangier, with the aim to achieve an average occupancy rate of 70%, he said.

Morocco bought 12 high-speed trains from France train manufacturer, Alstom. The trains will operate at 320km/h on the high-speed line to achieve a Tangiers  Casablanca journey time of 2h 10min, instead of 4h 45min today.

Moroccos TGV costs about 1.9 billion dollars, largely funded by France, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
If you dont want to be accused of taking away peoples health benefits, just dont do it! Photo: Lisa Lake/Getty Images

Ever since the November election results, GOPers have been trying to figure out how to follow through on their many, many promises to repeal Obamacare without immediately taking health insurance away from the tens of millions of people who have obtained it via the Affordable Care Acts insurance-purchasing exchanges or the expanded Medicaid program. Some favor a two-year delay of the effective date for an Obamacare repeal, and others a three-year delay. Theres even talk of a delay to put off the consequences of an Obamacare repeal until after the 2020 presidential election.

Now comes the American Enterprise Institutes conservative health wonk James Capretta with an idea that cuts to the chase: Why not just grandfather all the people currently receiving benefits via the ACA and make whatever the new replacement system turns out to be prospective for new people seeking assistance?

Over time, there would be a natural transition from the ACA to the replacement plan. A transition of this kind would mean allowing all persons who are now enrolled in an insurance plan offered on the exchanges to continue to be eligible for those plans, with premium subsidies provided under the rules of the ACA. It would also mean allowing all those who became eligible for Medicaid because of the expansion of the program in the ACA to stay enrolled in the program, even if a replacement plan eventually lowers the income eligibility levels for prospective Medicaid applicants. Allowing people to keep what they have today on an indefinite basis will help stabilize the marketplace and allow for an orderly, rather than a chaotic, transition.

There are two basic problems with the idea. The first is that limiting Obamacare benefits to people already in the system is as arbitrary as terminating the benefits immediately or two or three or four years down the road. The second is trying to sell this to conservatives as an actual repeal. It sure would not generate the kind of federal budget savings Republicans have been drooling over as a byproduct of repeal.

It is also worth noting that Republicans have not had much luck in the past convincing people to accept radical policy changes by grandfathering those most immediately affected. George W. Bushs proposed partial privatization of Social Security was supposedly only going to affect people aged 55 or younger. The same was true of Paul Ryans original Medicare voucher proposal.

It is true the idea has the advantage of being relatively simple and predictable, even if, as Jennifer Rubin acerbically noted, the rapidly backpedaling GOP might as well just admit its not repealing anything until its got its act together on a replacement plan.

Until the GOP can pass something that garners bipartisan support and solves the Obamacare problems it has identified, it should do nothing. Thats the ultimate grandfathering  leave the system in place. That is the only real solution politically or policy-wise that doesnt create a raft of victims. The sooner the GOP figures this out, the better.

But, but, but  who will tell the base?
Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

Vladimir Putin has apparently decided to turn the other cheek in hopes of turning U.S.-Russia relations around once Donald Trump moves into the White House.

On Thursday, in response to Russias alleged meddling in the 2016 election, the Obama administration imposed a series of sanctions on Putins government  including the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the United States, the closing of homes in Maryland and New York used for Russian intelligence operations, and the sanctioning of two of Russias most important intelligence organizations, the GRU and the FSB.

Russia signaled that it would respond by barring U.S. and foreign nationals from attending the Anglo-American School of Moscow, a move that would cause headaches for the families of U.S., British, and Canadian embassy personnel in the Russian capital. Making matters worse for American diplomats, the order also revoked their access to the U.S. embassys vacation house in Serebryany Bor.

And then Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that his nation was not content to deny U.S. diplomats access to schools and weekend dachas until they self-deport  instead, he called for observing diplomatic tradition and expelling 35 U.S. diplomats from Russia.

But early Friday morning, Putin indicated that he had decided to reject all of these suggestions (which very well may have been intended as the setup for Vladimirs gesture of magnanimity).

We wont create problems for American diplomats, Putin said in a statement, stipulating that Russia reserved the right to punish U.S. diplomats in the future. But he suggested that he wouldnt be taking such retribution until he knew whether Americas present hostility toward his regime would dissipate once president Obama leaves the Oval Office: Putin said that he would plan further steps for restoring the Russian-American relationship based on the policies enacted by the administration of President Donald Trump.

Lower-level Russian officials carried a similar message: The Kremlin would not punish Trump for his predecessors sins.

Countermeasures, which are typically mandatory, should be weighted in this case, considering the known circumstances of the transitional period and the possible response of the U.S. president-elect, Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of Russias upper house of parliament, told the Washington Post.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed his disappointment in the Obama administration on Friday, before telling it to rest in peace.

It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia agony. RIP  Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) December 30, 2016

Russias embassy in Britain conveyed this message in meme form.

President Obama expels 35  diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl  people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

Lets just hope that as geopolitics grow increasingly unpredictable and scary, more diplomats choose to express themselves via cute animal pics.



This post has been updated throughout.
Chuck Schumer, champion of the Palestinians. Photo: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images

On Thursday, BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith wrote an obituary for the bipartisan consensus on the Israel-Palestine conflict. In it, Smith argues that Donald Trumps zero-sum worldview will speed his partys transition away from the two-state solution and toward the ideal of a single Jewish state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

The concept of Palestinian Arab was created to exist only in opposition to Israel and with them its always been a zero-sum game, Jeff Ballabon, a lawyer and Republican activist who has worked for years to build support for a one-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, told Smith. And because its a zero-sum game its never really been about negotiating issues  its always been: Somebodys going to be ethnically cleansed and it aint going to be me.

That reasoning comports with Trumps understanding of global trade (substitute fleeced for ethnically cleansed in Ballabons last sentence, and you have the CliffNotes version of the president-elects trade platform). And, as Smith astutely notes, the one-state position is of a piece with Trumps Islamophobic brand of nationalism, which imagines an intractable clash of civilizations between the Muslim world and the West.

Considering this, it isnt surprising that Trump would pick a man who thinks liberal Jews are worse than kapos as his ambassador to Israel  or that he would spearhead his partys apoplectic response to last weeks U.N. resolution, which merely reiterated the illegality of Israels West Bank settlements.

But even if Trump werent ideologically sympathetic to the hard right position on Israel-Palestine, embracing the one-state reality is the path of least resistance for any Republican president.

The Netanyahu government has established over and over, in word and in deed, that it has no genuine interest in the two-state solution. You do not expand the Jewish population of the West Bank by over 100,000 in eight years if you care about furthering the prospects of a peace agreement with the Palestinians; nor, for that matter, do you promise your partys voters that such an agreement will never happen as long as you retain your grip on power. And AIPAC and the Republican Party have worked tirelessly to brand anything less than unequivocal support for the Netanyahu government as objectively anti-Israel.

But while Smith attributes most of the responsibility for the dwindling prospects of the two-state solution to Trump, his party, and right-wing American Jews, Smith cant resist the siren song of false equivalence: If the Republican Party is moving in a militantly pro-Israel direction, surely the Democratic Party is moving toward an evermore pro-Palestinian stance:

Donald Trumps election was a vote against a certain kind of foreign policy idealism  the notions that a superpower doesnt need to choose sides, and that diplomacy can produce win-win outcomesWhen Obama took a step away from Israel  abstaining from a UN vote on settlements, and allowing his secretary of state to chide Israel  Trump responded with the first real foreign policy move of his pre-presidency, a decisive embrace of one side of the Middle East conflict. After all, his campaign was about choosing sides.



This is probably where US politics was going anyway. Republicans have long given half-hearted support to the notion of a Palestinian state, and only because American pro-Israel groups asked them to. Obama had kept the lid on a Democratic Party shift toward a Palestinian point of view  his 2012 convention involved awkwardly ignoring a pro-Palestinian protest  but he is ending his term in angry conflict with Israel, and seems to have set a new, more straightforwardly pro-Palestinian direction for the Democratic Party.



In a United States where partisanship seems to shape policy views (ie, climate) rather than vice versa, its easy to see where this heads. There are two warring tribes. Each party supports one. Israel becomes a Republican cause, while Democrats align with the Palestinians. U.S. elections could carry even larger stakes for both sides than they have before. [Emphasis mine].

Smith suggests that by refusing to block a U.N. resolution that condemned both Palestinian terrorism and Israeli settlements  a resolution that enjoyed the unanimous support of Americas major European allies  Obama moved his party away from neutrality in the Israel-Palestine conflict and toward a more straightforwardly pro-Palestinian position.

But this idea  that opposing Israeli settlements is tantamount to taking the Palestinians side  is precisely the lie that has helped kill bipartisan support for the two-state solution.

In truth, by allowing the U.N. to condemn West Bank settlements, Obama was not abandoning the longstanding consensus on two states, but reaffirming it: Last weeks vote marked the first time in eight years that Obama had allowed the U.N. to pass a resolution that was specifically critical of Israel. Ronald Reagan allowed the U.N. to pass 21 such resolutions. Not just allowed  as Haaretzs Chemi Shalev notes, the Gipper had the United States join Muslim and communist countries in condemning Israels policies and practices for denying the human rights of Palestinians.

George H.W. Bush allowed the U.N. to adopt nine resolutions critical of Israel  and cut off loan guarantees to the Israeli government over settlement expansion. Obama, by contrast, paired his rhetorical reprimand on settlements with a $38 billion aid package to the Israeli military  the largest such gift in American history.

Bill Clinton, for his part, allowed the U.N. to pass three resolutions critical of Israel; George W. Bush allowed six.

If anything, Obamas tenure has been aberrant in its indifference to Palestinian concerns, not in its sensitivity to them.

And his single gesture on behalf of the occupied at the U.N. was immediately met with opposition from leading members of his (pro-Palestinian) party  including incoming Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and potential 2020 candidate Cory Booker.

Smith establishes that Trumps top advisers see Palestinians aspirations for statehood as illegitimate, and ethnic cleansing as a justifiable means of preserving Israels Jewish majority. He notes that the GOP removed the words two-state solution from its 2016 platform for a reason.

This is compelling evidence that the Republican Party is abandoning the two-state solution and choosing Israels side in a zero-sum game for total control of Israel-Palestine.

But beyond Obamas lone abstention, the only evidence Smith can muster for the Democratic Party moving in an analogous fashion toward the Palestinian cause is the existence of left-wing activists who favor a bi-national state.

This is a notable development, which could plausibly have implications for the future of the Democratic Party, but which says nothing about its present: The idea that the Democrats are biased toward the Palestinians would be news to anyone old enough to remember when Hillary Clinton castigated Trump for suggesting that he would try to be a neutral broker in the Israel-Palestine conflict, explaining, We cant be neutral when rockets rain down on residential neighborhoods, when civilians are stabbed in the street, when suicide bombers target the innocent.

It would also be news to anyone who remembers when the vast majority of the Democratic caucus signed on to a resolution expressing its support for Israels 2014 campaign in Gaza, even as Israeli missiles decimated Palestinian homes, schools, and hospitals, killing more than 2,000 Gazans, over 60 percent of whom, by U.N and Associated Press estimates, were civilians.

But okay. Lets pretend all this history is just a hallucination and stipulate Smiths frame: Lets say that Obama has moved the Democratic Party in the direction of left-wing activists who reject the two-state solution in favor of a federal, bi-national state, while Trump is leading the GOP toward an explicit endorsement of a Zionist Greater Israel, made possible via ethnic cleansing and/or Apartheid rule.

If this is the choice, supporting civil and political rights for non-Jews in Greater Israel wouldnt be taking the Palestinians side, so much as taking the side of our own nations core principles  specially, the principles of self-government and equality before the law that we recently sacrificed thousands of lives and trillions of dollars in hopes of exporting to the Middle East. If one sees the Palestinians as humans, rather than as fictional people, this point would be clear: Supporters of the American Civil Rights Movement were not taking African-Americans side in a zero-sum game against white people.

Regardless, the actual, status quo position of the Republican Party on Israel-Palestine is that the Israeli government deserves Americas unconditional support, because Palestinians are not worthy of our moral concern. The Democratic Partys position is that the Israeli government deserves Americas unconditional material support, but that there should, perhaps, be a limit to how much it can infringe on Palestinian rights without some form of rhetorical or symbolic rebuke, because Palestinians deserve a measure of moral concern, albeit infinitesimally as much as the Israelis do.

If you characterize the latter position as straightforwardly pro-Palestinian, then youre the one thats choosing sides.
Thats one fancy bear. Photo-Illustration: Select All; Photos: Getty Images (Bear); Wikimedia (Mask)

Following weeks of accusations and insinuations  and counterclaims and skepticism  about the role of the Russian government in this summers hack of the Democratic National Committees email (an attack given the evocative name GRIZZLY STEPPE by the Department of Homeland Security) a new joint report was published today by the DHS and FBI. The question is, does the new report actually clear anything up?

Every once in awhile, we are shocked, and a little thrilled, to find ourselves in agreement with Donald Trump. Last night, for example, the president-elect spoke the unimpeachable truth when asked about the possibility of Russian hackers interfering in the election: I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on.

The fact is, hes right. Computer is hard, and the general public is generally forced to trust self-proclaimed experts and intelligence agencies where questions of hacking and cybersecurity are concerned  a troubling dynamic when those questions are driving heightened tension between two nuclear superpowers. Today, President Obama announced new sanctions on Russia in response to what the administration says was Russian involvement in the hack of the Democratic National Committee. But the president-elect, and allied Republicans (not to mention some on the left), remain skeptical of those claims  or, at least, are unconvinced by the evidence. And while the Obama administration, congressional Democrats, some Republicans, and the intelligence establishment all agree that Russian hackers of some stripe were involved, there is some question of what they were trying to accomplish.

So what can we say for sure? What do we know and where does that knowledge come from? Does GRIZZLY STEPPE advance our knowledge? Lets try to sort it out for you, and make the whole age of computer a little easier.

What do we definitely know, based on public information?

We know that the Democratic National Committee got hacked. We know this because, well, thousands of damaging emails from high-ranking officials in the DNC were sent to and then posted by WikiLeaks.

Note that when people use some version of the Russia hacked the election shorthand, this is what theyre talking about  not changing vote tallies, rigging the machines, or some other kind of intrusive infrastructural movement. Its a more roundabout, but easier and more common, tactic for undermining an election: finding and releasing damaging information obtained by means of electronic intrusion.

What do we probably know, based on common sense, circumstantial evidence, and independent expert testimony?

The hackers who nabbed the DNC emails are probably from Russia. The main groups identified by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which was contracted by the DNC in June to investigate the hack, are known as Fancy Bear, or APT 28, and Cozy Bear, a.k.a. APT 29 (APT stands for Advanced Persistent Threat).

Both Cozy and Fancy are well-known to security experts, but their size, scope, and organizational structure is unknown (or, at least, not publicly available). Fancy Bear is thought (again, by CrowdStrike) to be associated with Russian foreign-intelligence agency GRU, and Cozy with Russian surveillance agency FSB, but there is no definitive public proof of those connections. U.S. intelligence officials conveyed to BuzzFeed that they believe Fancy Bear to be taking orders from the Russian government, if not outright a part of it.

In early October, as fears of a Russian hack grew, the Department of Homeland Security and Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement saying that the DNC thefts originated from Russian servers, but that they were not able to attribute them to the Kremlin.

Then theres the Guccifer question. An online alias known as Guccifer 2.0  Guccifer was the hacker who managed to nab emails from luminaries like George W. Bush and Colin Powell in 2013  tried to take credit for the DNC hack in June, claiming to have pulled it off all on his own. In conversations with Motherboard, Guccifer claimed to be Romanian, but his use of his supposed native language was inconsistent (Motherboard demonstrated that Guccifers Romanian was consistent with Russian Google-translated into Romanian), and the quality of his English veered wildly at times, suggesting multiple users handling the Guccifer 2.0 alias.

What cant we prove definitively based on publicly available information?

That the Russian government was behind the hack. This is the crux of Trumps (convenient) skepticism.

The intelligence community strongly believes that the Russian government was involved, though. There is circumstantial evidence pointing to the Bears as being behind the attack, and the Russian government being behind them. Malware found on a DNC computer was programmed to communicate with a Fancy Bearaffiliated IP address. Metadata in a leaked file contained references, in Cyrillic, to a historical figure of the Soviet secret police. The person who registered DNC-email publisher DCLeaks.com used the same email service as whoever registered a domain used for phishing emails. It all points in the general direction of Moscow but at nothing specific.

There is supposedly other evidence, too, but we have no idea what it is. The FBI and the CIA are both reportedly highly confident that the Russian government sought not only to undermine our elections process, but also to get Donald Trump elected to office. Overwhelmingly, lawmakers in both the House and Senate are now urging intelligence briefings and reports on the matter. The information is not public because intelligence agencies dont want to tip off any of the hackers.

What is being done in response?

An intelligence report is in the works for members of Congress, and is supposed to be made available before Trump is sworn in on January 20. In the meantime, the Obama administration today announced sweeping sanctions against Russia. Thirty-five Russian intelligence operatives are being ejected from the country, and the FBI has named two suspects believed to be behind the DNC hack. Six names were added to the Treasury Departments list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.

Two of the Russians being sanctioned today by US are already wanted by @FBI for malicious cyber activities pic.twitter.com/mdsSzPKzLS  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 29, 2016

What does todays report tell us?

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI published a joint report with more information about Fancy Bear and its ilk revealing that the malicious activity by purported Russian intelligence services is known in the intelligency community as GRIZZLY STEPPE.

The report describes what U.S. intelligence believes to be the tactics used by APT 28 and APT 29, and provides a helpful (and entertaining!) list of suspected Russian intelligence groups, including Fancy Bear and Cozy bear but also CHOPSTICK, SEADADDY, and CakeDuke.

Unfortunately, though, it offers little conclusive new public proof of the Russian governments involvement. Rather, it reiterates that the U.S. government (well, its intelligence agencies, at any rate) believes that APT 28 and APT 29 are affiliated in some way with Russian government agencies. The question now, as it has been the whole time, is: How much do you trust American intelligence services to accurately and honestly describe threats to the public in the whole age of the computer?

Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in London is being extremely petty.
If, like us, youre lying around in your pajamas contemplating whether your New Years resolution should be to floss every night or to start community organizing, why not take your mind off of your existential angst and go shopping! Luckily, were in peak sale season right now, and there are a lot of deals to be had, a selection of which are below.

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They're a cute couple

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Their story is insane.

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Interracial couples make me so happy, especially if they're gay.

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same.



i'm not very familiar with lesbian youtubers and was randomly looking through some videos the other day. all of the couples i saw were white. maybe the most diversity i saw would be where one girl was blond and the other was brunette.

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The last part lmao... but it's the sad truth.

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I know one lesbian couple who's in an interracial marriage but that's about it. I never noticed before but you're right, it's not very common is it?

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you should stan me + my gf tbh



Edited at 2016-12-30 03:04 pm (UTC)

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i've found a few cute black lesbian youtubers. and one filipino. but yeah the most popular ones are white women.

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i feel like being super public with your relationship is like a guaranteed curse

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lol seriously I know/heard of so many longterm relationships that have broke up recently, I feel like being together "forever" is really beating the odds at this point

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mte, like matching tattoos

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] Lauren wrote the episode Poussey dies. But she's kinda happy Samira is no longer on the show so they aren't stuck in NY.



mmhmm, lauren ain't slick lol



Edited at 2016-12-30 02:33 pm (UTC) they're so cute

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O_o okay i hope Samira has projects lined up because...

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lmao she does, but still 

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brother lovers?



details, please?

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dopelbangers

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They are trashhh

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gus is sooooo much hotter than matt though.

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They're a beautiful couple

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really weird styling for the whole thing

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That avatar LOL!

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Awww beautiful :') wish them all endless happiness and joy! 

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they are so cute.



Hope they last

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sorry for going OT, but is there a post about azealia banks's instagram story where she's sanding the bottom of her closet after sacrificing chickens in it for 3 years? cause uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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What!? Make it!

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sacrificing chickens in it for 3 years. please tell me that's a metaphor or smth and she didn't actually kill any chickens.

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3 years of brujeria and homegirl's career is still flopping.

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I just came here to see if there was a post. AB is fucking WILD. I've been done with her for a LONG time but the fact that she has been sacrificing chickens for three years (!!!!!!!!) and leaving the blood/carcasses in her closet the whole time (!!!!!!!!!!)...you can't deny that she needs help. Girl is not well.

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I wish that fool would understand by being antiblack she is disrespecting her ancestors and they aren't helping her and that why she continues to fail

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A post does not need to be made about this horrible person. No one cares about her homemade chicken shack, she needs to be reported to the police or hopefully some neighbor has reported her. She's disgusting but though and through and the only time she ever gets attention is through her BS.

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i feel like she's one step away from being a criminal minds episode

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The guys are hot

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They're such a beautiful couple. I wish them all the happiness.

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Her fiance looks like kstew from that angle

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well, kstew has to extend her reach to all hollywood lesbians, directly or indirectly.

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I thought so too, I'm glad u said it.

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To her boyfriend of 6 months whom she left her four year long term boyfriend to be with. Ruston is a fucking user trying to jump start his singing career.



Love you Kacey but girl, at least we will get a good record out of the inevitable divorce.

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Thank you for explaining this. I was looking at the pic and was confused because her boyfriend looked different.

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omg I was wondering why I couldn't recognize this guy...yikes

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Nope. The last gig he played in her band was in august at Chicagos lake country festival which was about a month after she and Ruston started dating.



She just wrapped her Christmas tour a week ago and she had a brand new guitarist/musical director.



Safe to say she probably cheated because Misa deleted all his social media accounts shortly after the two split.

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DO YOU HAVE MORE INFO?

this time last year she was tweeting depressing shit on twitter, then a few months later promoting misas cousin? sister? new album and also talking about this dude and all this "you know when you know. being treated better" type AOL 1998 shit.

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I liked the old boyfriend I was wondering what happened! Total bummer.

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ok THANK YOU. it's all very weird and misa is fine as hell. i'm a creep and i noticed shortly after her new guy showed up in kacey's insta, misa began showing up in caitlin rose's photos around nashville more. i want the dirt on why kacey and misa broke up.



hmmm.

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I kinda knew something was up bc i stopped seeing posts about her from Misa. I liked him bc he has family in Monterrey, Mexico and she used to come down here sometimes. Le sigh.

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Yo I was wondering why dude looked so different. This shit is crazy. Come to your senses, Kacey.

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Thank you for this because I was wondering about how it all went down.

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Hmm I was curious about this.



I'm still hoping for the best...but this doesn't sound so great. I hope she's happy tho.

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Who

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ruston is such a white trash name

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Rustin Cohle has...something to say about that.

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i thought that was chris evans

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i haven't fucked with Kacey since her disgusting tweet about the Orlando massacre tbh

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What tweet?

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in a childhood bedroom



on christmas eve



did they fuck right after or

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It's not Misa then i'm not happy for it 

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congrats on your 2 year commitment

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Yeah, I don't have high hopes for this. A divorce will make for good songwriting fodder, I guess. I've heard talk she's pregnant, but not sure if it's true or not. I liked her with her ex from her band, wonder what happened.



Speaking of country star engagements, Kelsea Ballerini, who I thought was about 16, also got engaged - to a guy she met earlier this year. Girl should probably enjoy a long engagement if she knows what's good for her (I know, I know, everyone has a story about how some couple they know got engaged two days after meeting and married a month later and have been together for eleventy years, but it's usually not a great idea to marry someone within a year of meeting them)

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yeah this won't end well for her but congrats i guess

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kacey kelly sounds like a stupid name

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Rustin' Kelly is the name of my car.

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I would hate for someone to propose to me on a date that's already a holiday or my birthday. I want my own separate random date that I can make special.

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A lot happened in the energy sector in 2016, with two major stories leading the way. Both the surprising election of Donald Trump to the presidency, and OPECs November announcement to curtail production vied for the top spot on my list, as they will both likely impact the energy markets for years to come.

But in 2016 there were also huge wildfires that curtailed oil sands production in Canada, a major new pipeline protest that erupted in North Dakota, high profile bankruptcies in the coal sector, and several important stories on hydraulic fracturing in the U.S.

Here is a list of what I believe were the years major energy stories. First the Top 5:

1. Donald Trump wins the presidency

Had Hillary Clinton won, it wouldnt have been the top story, because it would have meant a continuation of President Obamas policies. But given the picks so far that will make up Trumps key energy team, it seems overwhelmingly likely that his term will mark a huge shift from the policies of the past eight years. Unlike the next story, this one will impact every segment of the U.S. energy sector.

2. OPEC agrees to production cuts

Some would not rank this story this high, but OPECs decision in November to reduce output is the first such decision in eight years. Saudi Arabia will bear ~40 percent of the cuts, and within OPEC Saudi Arabia usually gets what it wants. This takes a lot of downside risk out of the oil market, and should end talk of oil falling back to the $20s or lower. Yes, some OPEC members are likely to cheat on the quotas, and shale oil producers are likely to rush in and fill the gap from these cuts. But this is a strategy shift that will last for years.

3. The Dakota Access Pipeline saga

The $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) that is meant to carry crude from North Dakota to Illinois became the latest high-profile pipeline project to be targeted by protesters. The Standing Rock Sioux and their environmentalist allies protested plans to cross the Missouri River just north of the reservation, claiming the pipeline would harm historical and sacred sites and endanger the tribes drinking water source. Protesters from across the country flocked to the area, and there were a number of clashes with authorities. Although the courts sided with DAPL, the Obama Administration intervened on behalf of the protesters to at least temporarily halt the project. Expect this controversy to heat up again in 2017, as Donald Trump has promised to swiftly approve stalled pipeline projects. Related: OPEC Bears Feel The Squeeze

4. Coal bankruptcies

The coal industry has suffered tremendously as utilities have shifted toward natural gas and renewables, and 2016 saw two major coal producers declare bankruptcy. Peabody Energy, the worlds largest publicly traded coal company, and Arch Coal Inc both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

5. Oil and natural gas prices bottomed

Oil prices fell below $30/bbl for the first time in 12 years, while natural gas prices dipped to the lowest levels in 18 years. But prices for both commodities rose substantially off of those first quarter lows by year-end.

It was difficult to narrow the rest of the list down to 10 (see my Top 30 Energy Stories at Forbes for a fuller list). But here are five more that defined the energy sector in 2016:

6. Oil production in the U.S. fell by 600,000 barrels per day through September

7. The EIA reported that the U.S. had become a net exporter of natural gas for the first time in nearly 60 years

8. President Obama indefinitely banned drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans

9. After 44 years of sporadic construction, Americas first new nuclear reactor in 20 years came online in Tennessee

10. Major forest fires in Alberta idled over 1 million bpd of output from Canadas oil sands

Beyond that Top 10, there were several important news stories that involved hydraulic fracturing, and many moves by the Obama Administration to cement his environmental legacy. And some court challenges to that legacy. A sampling of these stories included:

- The Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Obama Administrations plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants while the rule is challenged in court

- Despite testimony in court that there was no evidence of fracking contaminating the plaintiffs water wells, a jury awarded $4.2 million to two Pennsylvania families on the grounds that drilling by Cabot Oil and Gas had created a private nuisance

- Results of a three-year investigation by the University of Cincinnati revealed zero impact from hydraulic fracturing on local water supplies

- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule to sharply cut methane emissions from oil and gas drilling Related: Natural Gas Drillers Rush To Hedge Production As Prices Soar

- Following a major earthquake in Oklahoma, state regulators ordered oil and gas companies to shut down all (hydraulic fracturing) wastewater disposal wells near the quakes epicenter

- A two-year study by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality concluded that bacteria, not hydraulic fracturing, were the likely cause of well water contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming  contradicting claims made in the anti-fracking movie Gasland

- President Obama barred oil and gas drilling on 40,300 square miles of the Outer Continental Shelf off western Alaska

- EPA released the final report from a multi-year study, Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas: Impacts from the Hydraulic Fracturing Water Cycle on Drinking Water Resources

What did I miss? Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

In the next article, I will grade my 2016 energy predictions. Despite the high-profile miss on the presidential election, most of the rest of the list was spot on.

By Robert Rapier via Energy Trends Insider

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
2016 has been a tumultuous year in the energy markets, but both oil and natural gas are showing promising signs heading into the New Year, with oil prices having nearly doubled since January and natural gas markets heading towards balance.

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Friday, December 30, 2016

Oil prices posted incremental gains at the start of this week on the eve of scheduled OPEC cuts, but had stalled by Thursday after the EIA reported a surprise uptick in oil inventories. Oil ends the year nearly twice as high as where it started, pointing to a more balanced market in the months ahead.

U.S. shale promises discipline. By most accounts, U.S. shale is poised for growth in 2017. A tightening oil market could push prices up: Should crude hit $60 per barrel, shale output could rise by 500,000 bpd, according to Citigroup. At $70 per barrel, production would grow by 1 million barrels per day. That of course, could merely induce another downturn as the world becomes once again flush with supply. Some shale companies are expanding operations, but cautiously. Theres a real concern by industry that we could be in for another one of these price adjustments, if we get carried away with development," Harold Hamm, CEO Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR), told Bloomberg. Theyre going to be disciplined going forward."

U.S. imposes sanctions on Russia, expels diplomats. The Obama administration responded harshly to Russian interference in the presidential election, expelling 35 diplomats, imposing new sanctions on Russian officials and ordering the closure of two Russian compounds in the U.S. All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, President Obama said in a statement. These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government. The move puts President-elect Donald Trump in an awkward position of either having to go along with the Obama administration or defying U.S. intelligence agencies. As for oil and gas, it is unclear what comes next, but Obamas decision could make it more difficult to lift sanctions on Russia, thus imperiling future drilling projects in the Arctic, although, to be sure, that is speculation at this point.

Related: Shale Spending Is Set To Soar

Ohio Gov. vetoes clean energy freeze. The Ohio state legislature passed a bill that would have made the states renewable energy standard voluntary, but Governor John Kasich (R) vetoed the legislation. The veto is an unexpected win for the renewable energy industry in a state controlled by Republicans.

Petrobras assets sales just shy of $15 billion target. The most indebted oil company in the world missed its target for assets sales in 2016. Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras sold off $13.6 billion in assets this year in an effort to pay down debt, just short of the $15.1 billion divestment target. However, Petrobras upped its planned divestment plans for the 2017-2018 period to $21 billion, higher than the original $19.5 billion plan. Brazil is emerging as a country of growing interest to international oil companies  the indebtedness of Petrobras, as well as the economic malaise in the country, is opening up the door to greater private sector investment. Companies like Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) are poised to capitalize on the situation.

Natural gas inventories continue to plunge. The EIA reported another drawdown in natural gas stocks, with inventories falling 237 billion cubic feet in the week ending on December 23. That puts total stocks at 413 Bcf lower than last years levels at this time and also 79 Bcf below the five-year average. It is hard to overstate the significance of this development  inventories had been running well above the five-year average since late 2015, but are now back in normal territory. In other words, the gas market is no longer in a glut, which helps explain why prices are up above $3.81/MMBtu, the highest price in more than two years. Production has fallen this year while demand has climbed. If inventories continue to fall, prices will rise even further, potentially surpassing $4/MMBtu for the first time since 2014. That is good news for natural gas drillers, who are already adding rigs back to the shale patch. It is also good for coal-fired power plants, which are being called upon more than they have in the recent past to generate electricity. Oil prices often gain much more traction in the media, but the ongoing rise in natural gas is a huge untold story.

Related: Outlook For Coal Unlikely To Improve

Oil speculators sowing seed of another price downturn. Hedge funds and other money managers have built up such a speculative position on rising oil prices that they risk sparking a liquidation if OPEC does not delivery on their promised cuts. "The boat is loaded to one side in the market right now. Shorts have covered. People have piled in from the long side, waiting for these cutbacks to come through. If they don't, there's going to be big punishment in this market," John Kilduff, founding partner of Again Capital, told CNBC's "Squawk Box." He also said that China could be the oil markets Achilles heel, as growth continues to slow. Oil demand could disappoint if China fails to come through. That's the real demand center. That's the swing place, and I still see issues there," he said.

NYMEX trading floor shuts down. In a shift towards electronic trading, the NYMEX trading floor is set to shut down on Friday. The pit is home to the boisterous buying and selling that symbolized the frenetic and frenzied business of commodity trading. But CME group, which owns the NYMEX, had announced earlier this year that it would shut down the trading floor at the end of the year, as its share of options only accounted for just 0.3 percent of the overall trade in energy and metals. Most trading is done electronically at this point, making the trading pit a relic of the past. The trading floors share has plunged remarkably in just a few years  as recently as 2009 the trading floor accounted for more than 80 percent of the options volume.

OPEC deal begins next week. The OPEC deal goes into effect next week at the start of the New Year, but members are allowed to average their reductions over a six-month period, so immediate cuts are not a given. It will take a few weeks to figure out who is cutting and by how much  data for January will be released in February.

By Evan Kelly of Oilprice.com

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Even as oil prices are rebounding, we are closing out one of the worst years for the oil and gas industry in decades. In 2016, the U.S. oil and gas industry defaulted on $39 billion in high-yield energy debt, more than twice as much as the $15 billion in defaulted debt in 2015, according to Fitch.

Many oil and gas companies were able to weather the storm at the end of 2014 and for much of 2015, only to run out of room this year. According to Fitch, one in three U.S. oil and gas exploration companies defaulted on high-yield bonds in 2016. Taking a broader measure of energy companies rather than just oil and gas, one in five companies defaulted on high-yield debt. That stands in stark contrast to the less than 1 percent of energy companies that defaulted in 2014.

But it isnt just U.S. companies. Fitch points to Venezuelas state-owned PDVSA, which has $13 billion in high-yield debt that is probably most in danger of default. PDVSA has seen production drop and has been raided by the Venezuelan government. With both the sovereign and the company essentially broke, it could be a matter of time before a default arrives. PDVSA succeeded a few months ago in convincing creditors to extend maturity terms on some of its bonds, buying it a bit of breathing room.

Related: Natural Gas Drillers Rush To Hedge Production As Prices Soar

A few other noteworthy bonds that are in shaky territory include Brazils Odebrecht Offshore Drilling, which has $3 billion in outstanding debt; California Resources Corp., which has $2.8 billion; and FTS International, a well completion company based in Texas, which has $800 million in high-yield debt.

While 2016 was a horrific year for the high-yield sector, Fitch says that 2017 will be much better. Rising oil prices will keep most companies out of danger. Fitch projects just a 3 percent default rate.

The rebound across the oil and gas industry is still in its infancy, but there are positive signs that the sector is on the mend. With just a few days left in December, only two upstream North American energy companies have declared bankruptcy, the lowest number since the beginning of 2016. According to Haynes & Boone, a Dallas-based law firm, more than 220 upstream and oilfield service companies have declared bankruptcy since the start of the downturn in 2014; but two-thirds of those came this year.

The worst is over with oil prices moving up. Prospects are a lot better than they were a year ago, Eric Rosenthal, an analyst at Fitch Ratings, said in a report. The recovery of oil prices probably saved a few of them.

By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com

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2017 could be a banner year for oil and gas companies who are looking for fresh equity. According to Tudor Pickering Holt & Co., as many as 40 oil and gas companies could launch IPOs in the New Year, as rising oil prices spark interest in new drilling.

The two-and-a-half year oil bust has burned a lot of investors, with a long list of companies declaring bankruptcy and many more shareholders losing their shirts from falling share prices. At the same time, investors that timed the rebound just right, jumping into the market earlier this year when oil prices dropped below $30 per barrel, could have made a pretty penny.

Now everyone is much more optimistic, hoping that there is more room to run. The industry has consolidated and with high-cost producers forced out of the market and healthier companies on much sounder footing, equity markets are salivating again at potential new offerings. Tudor Pickerings CEO Maynard Holt told Bloomberg that 2017 could bring IPOs up and down the spectrum, from new upstream drillers to pipeline companies.

The number of companies expressing interest in going into this window is really high, and the number of investors saying wed like to see something different is really high," Holt said.

If Holt is correct, and the number of new IPOs for oil and gas reaches somewhere around 40, that would triple the total for 2016. This year only 13 companies went public, offering shares worth about $2.23 billion, the lowest level since the financial crisis in 2009. As recently as 2014, when oil prices traded in triple-digit territory for much of the year, there were 44 IPOs worth $14.15 billion.

On top of rising oil prices, the industry expects the friendliest regulatory regime in recent memory. President-elect Donald Trump is seeking to stack government agencies with industry friendly people: at the EPA he chose Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who has promised to dismantle environmental regulations; Rep. Ryan Zinke was chosen for Interior Department, where he could open up public lands onshore and offshore for more drilling; and of course, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is slated to lead to the State Department where he might press U.S. oil and gas interests abroad.

In other words, the stars are aligning for a great year for an upstart oil and gas company to go public. Maynard Holt says that there will be particular interest for midsized companies, with valuations between $2 and $4 billion, and for those that are concentrated in the Permian Basin.

It feels like weve entered a good window where OPEC is now being cooperative, the regulatory talk feels positive and the financing markets feel open, Holt said. You could see a lot of capital raising in that window.

By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com
As we close out 2020, we wanted to share some of our favorite stories from the last decade. We hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as we enjoyed telling them. Click here to see the rest of our picks of must-reads and happy new year, Milwaukee!

Have you wondered, while driving on Prospect Avenue, about that dapper man immortalized in bronze, gazing toward Downtown from his perch above the foot of Knapp Street?

Of course, he's legendary Scots poet Robert Burns and, as far as we can tell, he never visited Milwaukee (which didn't exist in his lifetime).

So why on Earth is there a statue of the man who wrote "Auld Lang Syne" on Milwaukee's East Side?

The Burns statue was donated to the city in 1909 by James Anderson Bryden, a Milwaukeean of Scottish descent.

Bryden was a prosperous grain merchant who was involved in many civic organizations in Milwaukee, including The Old Settlers' Club, the St. Andrews Society and the Chamber of Commerce.

When Bryden heard that Chicago had a casting of a Burns monument in Kilmarnock, Scotland, sculpted by Edinburgh artist William Grant Stevenson, in its Garfield Park, he wanted Milwaukee to have one, too.

Legend has it that Bryden initially planned to bequeath the money to have the statue erected, but changed his mind, deciding he'd prefer to see it the monument rise in his lifetime.

A copy of the 12-foot statue of Burns clutching a notebook was made in Scotland and sent to Milwaukee, where it was placed atop an 11-foot pedestal. On the base are bas-reliefs designed by Milwaukee's Julius E. Heimerl and executed by Stevenson and quotes from Burns poems.

Burns' three-dimensional likeness was unveiled at a ceremony on June 26, 1909 at which it was officially accepted by then-mayor David Rose in front of a crowd of almost 2,000.

Gen. Arthur MacArthur  father of Douglas  gave an address, Milwaukee journalist and author John Goadby Gregory  who was then editor in chief of the Evening Wiscosnin  read his poem, "Robert Burns," and The Caledonian Pipe Band played, too.

The Burns statue is still a focal point for local poets and Scotsmen, who lay a wreath at its base each year to celebrate the birth of the great wordsmith, who entered this world on Jan. 25, 1759 (and left it July 21, 1796).

So that you're prepared on New Year's Eve, here are the lyrics to auld Rabbie Burns' holiday favorite:

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne!



CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne.

We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.



And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!

And surely I'll be mine!

And we'll tak a cup o'kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.



(CHORUS)



We twa hae run about the braes,

And pou'd the gowans fine;

But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,

Sin' auld lang syne.



(CHORUS)



We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,

Frae morning sun till dine;

But seas between us braid hae roar'd

Sin' auld lang syne.



(CHORUS)



And there's a hand, my trusty fere !

And gie's a hand o' thine!

And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,

For auld lang syne.



(CHORUS)
There are many non-chain coffee shops in Milwaukee, but until last month, not one that was located on the far south end of Bay View. Until recently that is, when Gwenn Barker and Juliet Popovic opened Sprocket Cafe, 3385 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

The cafe is connected to Popovic's other business, Rusty Sprocket Antiques, a fun and well-stocked vintage thrift store.

"The antique shop opens at noon, at which time we open the door between the two businesses and customers can shop and sip if they want to," says Barker.

Sprocket works exclusively with Anodyne Coffee and features two different blends daily, including their signature house blend called Sprocket GSB thats a unique blend of Guatemalan, Sumatran and Brazilian beans.

"Its a great, strong workingmans coffee," says Barker.

They also serve a flavorful decaf called Fool's Gold Blend.

"Anodyne is awesome. They really worked with us hand and hand all the way through the process of opening the cafe," says Barker.

Anodyne employees came to Sprocket Cafe and provided multiple training sessions for all of Sprockets employees.

"We truly wanted to provide the best coffee money can buy as well as a friendly environment," says Barker. "We wanted to create a Cheers-type atmosphere, a Norm! ("Cheers" reference) environment."

And indeed, the cozy, creative, bike-themed space is extremely welcoming and "Cheers"-esque. But its also very "Central Perk"-ish from the sitcom "Friends." Sprocket Cafe is a modernized 90s cafe and the vintage, blue couch thats centralized in the space makes it even more of a place where the spirits of Phoebe, Ross, Rachel and Monica might visit.

The space was remodeled  it was a yarn shop prior  and the walls are adorned with vintage local business signs, antique game boards, local art (they are currently looking for more artists) and vintage coffee cans and grinders. There's also a lending library and board games.

During the wall painting process, the goal was to cover every inch with new paint. And every inch was covered, but the "ceiling heart" was not.

The women decided to open the cafe based on recommendations from the neighborhood.

"Some of the people living on the far south end of Bay View wanted an option other than Starbucks," says Barker. "Its changing, but in the past this was the forgotten side of Bay View."

Barker and Popovic credit a large portion of Sprockets early success to their employees, who are four men with beards, referred to by the owners as "the bearded barista brigade."

There is also a bicycle repair shop in the basement of the building which contributes to the bike theme of both the cafe and the antique shop.

"We get a lot of bike traffic," says Popovic. "Anyone can stop in if they need adjustments or a flat fixed or whatever they need."

Popovics fiancee, Andrew Ross, handles the bicycle mechanics.

"We specialize in vintage bike restoration and have many on display and for sale in both the cafe and antique shop," Popovic says.

For now, Sprocket Cafe is concentrating on coffee beans and coffee drinks, and will focus on food in the future. Currently, they serve local bakery items from East Side Ovens and Canfora Bakery, along with fresh fruit and cereal.

"Eventually we want to serve a one-pot meal everyday  a chili or stew or stroganoff  and simple sandwiches that are fresh and made with local ingredients," says Popovic.

The cafe also serves Angelos Gelato  either by the dish or as a coffee dessert drink called the affogato which includes a couple small scoops of gelato  currently either vanilla, chocolate or espresso  drizzled with a shot of GSB.

Sprocket is also on Grub Hub and, through the service, provides cafe-to-car service.

They also hope to acquire a liquor license in the future.

"We are prepared for a Milwaukee coffee / Milwaukee whiskey blend down the road," says Barker.

Sprocket Cafe will have a grand opening in January. Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more about this event when it becomes available.

"Once the holidays are gone and its just cold out, people are ready to do something fun," says Barker.

Sprocket Cafes hours are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The space is also very affordably available for rentals. Contact the cafe for more information.
Who has really abandoned America? Corporations and billionaires, that's who!

It is not uncommon for multibillion-dollar corporations to complain about high taxes, yet their effective tax rate typically falls somewhere from 0 to 15 percent--or sometimes even less than 0 percent, since many receive rebates through taxpayer subsidies and credits. The truth is that with their massive fortunes, billionaires have shamelessly and even arrogantly bought an entire political party and a good portion of the other one, urged on by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. They have no loyalty to the country that made them so disgustingly rich, nor are they the least bit concerned about the middle class, the backbone of our economy, which also made them so rich.

As I relate in my book, America Abandoned, billionaires are prone to making bold, revolting statements and rude generalizations about the middle class. For example, Conrad Hilton, that wealthy hotelier, said on an airplane: "I will f**king own anyone on this flight" They are all f**king peasants" I will f**king bury you!"

For some time, Nick Hanauer, of TED Talks, has been trying to tell us that most billionaires see themselves as the only people who matter. This is why they act the way they do, and what they value most are power and control, which they believe they are entitled to, as a God-given right.

Ironic, isn't it. They consider themselves gods above the rest of us, placing themselves on pedestals they believe to be unsurpassable, yet they speak and act as if a wise higher being would grant them special favor and privilege, in spite of their brash pride and lack of humility and gratitude. The common good is irrelevant to them.

We cannot deny that everyone chosen by the President-Elect for his incoming cabinet falls into this category. The frightening thing is that these very people will be given the powerful responsibility to run this country. Altogether, this cast of 17 millionaires and billionaires are worth a whopping $9.5 billion--that's 9,500 million dollars, as much cumulative wealth as the 43 million least-wealthy Americans combined.

How can anyone, even those who voted for the incoming president, many of them middle class citizens themselves, think for even a nanosecond that these out-of-touch bazillionaires will make decisions that are in our best interests?

Folks, the keys to the kingdom have just been handed over to people who think it is their God-given right to possess power and bury us, the lowly peons who fall into a class far beneath their own, with far smaller bank accounts to boot.

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A year's end love-filled epiphany marking the 36th anniversary of John Lennon's death"





John Lennon (October 9, 1940 -- December 8, 1980)

(Image by Yahoo Images) Details DMCA







"There was love in him. He had love for everything. It was almost hurting him that he had so much love. He loved all the places that he went to. He would want to buy a house in every place that we'd been. He loved all the cities. He loved all the countries. He loved rooms. He loved clothes. People. Everything. He loved!" -- Yoko Ono Lennon

If there is one overriding theme that runs through the whole of John Lennon's career as a songwriter, it's love. As a member of the Beatles writing with Paul McCartney, and later as a solo artist, there's no question that throughout the entire body of Lennon's work the idea of love appears again and again as the prime mover of nearly every song.

But among all of these many beautiful love-driven songs there is one that stands out clearly from the rest, titled simply, "Love." In it Lennon speaks of love in an entirely new way that makes it a radical departure from all that came before and after. Unlike all the rest, in this love song it is love itself that is both lover and beloved, and here, marking the 36th anniversary of John Lennon's death, we dive deep into this profoundly moving and hauntingly beautiful song" a timeless, ageless song that is as fresh today as it was when it was written 46 years ago. Though written very early on in Lennon's solo career (1970), one might say that "Love" is Lennon's swan song... a most fitting tribute to the man, his life, and his work.

Love

Love is real... Real is love,

Love is feeling... Feeling love,

Love is wanting to be loved.

Love is touch... Touch is love,

Love is reaching... Reaching love,

Love is asking to be loved. Love is you... You and me,

Love is knowing we can be. Love is free... Free is love,

Love is living... Living love,

Love is needing to be loved.





The song opens with the words "Love is real... Real is love." To say that something is real is to say that it's genuine, that it's not contrived, that it's not a human construct or artifact, that it's not a derivative reality. Sure, even things that are obvious contrivances, constructions, and derivations of various kinds are in a certain sense real. Clouds are real. Trees are real. The chair you are sitting in is real. But not in the same sense that Lennon would have us understand love to be real. As Lennon's song would have it, love is inherently real, existing in and of itself in its own right.

Love is so many things in so many different contexts, and each of its many faces can be expressed in a myriad of ways. However, underlying this vast wealth of diversity is one singular reality out of which every expression of love emerges. It's love, pure and simple. Not love as "this" or love as "that," not love as it appears in the context of some particular time, place, and circumstance, but simply love as it is in and of itself. It is to this reality, to this common ground of love, that Lennon herein sings his praises.

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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

Obama has announced new sanctions on Russia based on unsubstantiated charges by the CIA that the Russian government influenced the outcome of the US presidential election with "malicious cyber-enabled activities."

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a report "related to the declaration of 35 Russian officials persona non grata for malicious cyber activity and harassment."

The report is a description of "tools and infrastructure used by Russian intelligence services to compromise and exploit networks and infrastructure associated with the recent U.S. election, as well as a range of U.S. government, political and private sector entities."

The report does not provide any evidence that the tools and infrastructure were used to influence the outcome of the US presidential election. The report is simply a description of what is said to be Russian capabilities.

Moreover, the report begins with this disclaimer: "DISCLAIMER: This report is provided 'as is' for informational purposes only. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not provide any warranties of any kind regarding any information contained within."

In other words, the report not only provides no evidence of the use of the Russian tools and infrastructure in order to influence the US presidential election, the report will not even warrant the correctness of its description of Russian capabilities.

Thus the DHS report makes it completely clear that the Obama regime has no evidential basis for its allegations on the basis of which it has imposed more sanctions on Russia.

What is going on here?

First there is the question of the legality of the sanctions even if there were evidence. I am not certain, but I think that sanctions require the action of a body, such as the UN Security Council, and cannot legally be imposed unilaterally by one country. Additionally, it is unclear why Obama is calling the expulsion of Russian diplomats "sanctions." No other country has to do likewise. During the Cold War when diplomats were expelled for spying, it was not called "sanctions." Sanctions imply more than unilateral or bilateral expulsions of diplomats.

Second, it is clear that Obama, the CIA, and the New York Times are fully aware that the allegation is false. It is also clear that if the CIA actually believes the allegation, the intelligence agency is totally incompetent and cannot be believed on any subject.

Third, President Trump can rescind the sanctions in 21 days, a third reason that the sanctions are ridiculous.

So why are President Obama, the CIA, and the New York Times making charges that they know are false and for which they have not produced a shred of evidence?

One obvious answer is that the neoconized Obama regime is desperate to ruin US-Russian relations past the point that Trump can repair them. As the New York Times puts it, "Mr. Obama's actions clearly create a problem for Mr. Trump." The question the New York Times says, is whether Trump "stands with his democratic allies on Capitol Hill or his authoritarian friend in the Kremlin."

Can Trump's foreign policy be controlled by false allegations? According to the New York Times, Trump has relented and agreed to being briefed by the CIA about the Russian hacking now that Republicans such as Paul Ryan, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham have lined up with Obama and the CIA in accepting charges for which no evidence has been presented. However, a briefing without evidence would seem simply to further discredit the CIA in Trump's eyes.

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Martin Luther King and Friends Drowning In Irrelevance How the established order tames the revolutionary spirit of its detractors. Tuesday, January 19, 2021How the established order tames the revolutionary spirit of its detractors.

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In Plain Sight: The Hidden Double Entendre of John Lennon's "Love" A year's end love-filled epiphany marking the 36th anniversary of John Lennon's death. Here we dive deep into Lennon's profoundly moving and hauntingly beautiful song "Love," which comes to us as a radical departure from every other love song Lennon ever wrote. Herein it is love itself that is both lover and beloved. Friday, December 30, 2016A year's end love-filled epiphany marking the 36th anniversary of John Lennon's death. Here we dive deep into Lennon's profoundly moving and hauntingly beautiful song "Love," which comes to us as a radical departure from every other love song Lennon ever wrote. Herein it is love itself that is both lover and beloved.

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Christian Christmas Warriors and the Trumped Up War on Christmas -- Part I There is no war on Christmas. It is those Christians standing in defense against this imaginary onslaught who, through fear, shame, guilt and economic coercion, are infringing on the rights of others to celebrate Christmas however it suits them. Friday, January 2, 2015There is no war on Christmas. It is those Christians standing in defense against this imaginary onslaught who, through fear, shame, guilt and economic coercion, are infringing on the rights of others to celebrate Christmas however it suits them.

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The Hidden Double Entendre of John Lennon's "Love" An examination of the dual meaning running through each verse of John Lennon's song "Love," changing quite dramatically the overall tenor of the entire song. Saturday, December 6, 2014An examination of the dual meaning running through each verse of John Lennon's song "Love," changing quite dramatically the overall tenor of the entire song.

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The Hypocritical Hallucinogenic Politics of Aggression The leadership of this country are making life and death decisions while tripped out on some strange new cognitive hallucinogen. Friday, March 7, 2014The leadership of this country are making life and death decisions while tripped out on some strange new cognitive hallucinogen.

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Oh, No! Christians Are Being Persecuted. Again! Christians are being persecuted and discriminated against because they are not permitted to legally discriminate against gays. Thursday, March 6, 2014Christians are being persecuted and discriminated against because they are not permitted to legally discriminate against gays.

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A Witch Made of Wood Weighing the Same As A Duck The hidden complications in deceptively simple mathematics Thursday, September 26, 2013The hidden complications in deceptively simple mathematics

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America's Nuclear Madness: Terrorism With A Vengeance (Part I) Why did the U.S. drop atomic bombs on two densely packed civilian population centers when the U.S. was well aware that the war in the Pacific had already been won? Sunday, August 11, 2013Why did the U.S. drop atomic bombs on two densely packed civilian population centers when the U.S. was well aware that the war in the Pacific had already been won?

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A Wider Circle of Compassion: The Newtown Massacre and Beyond Our prime directive and primary desire is always to move beyond existing boundaries. By our very nature we are in the business of expansion, and it is this ever-expanding sense of self that undergirds our growing capacity for empathy and compassion. Monday, December 24, 2012Our prime directive and primary desire is always to move beyond existing boundaries. By our very nature we are in the business of expansion, and it is this ever-expanding sense of self that undergirds our growing capacity for empathy and compassion.

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"Christian" Lies Regarding Prayer In the Military Millions upon millions of Christian Americans unwittingly and hypocritically offer their sympathetic support to the very conditions that are at the root of the suffering they pray to alleviate. Sunday, June 24, 2012Millions upon millions of Christian Americans unwittingly and hypocritically offer their sympathetic support to the very conditions that are at the root of the suffering they pray to alleviate.

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Mirror Mirror On the Wall, Who Are the Most Ruthless Terrorists of Them All? Most Americans have yet to even acknowledge the ruthless terror America unleashed on Iraq eight years ago. Yet this, too, is America. America at its worst. America taking what was very obviously a great evil and creating from it a far greater evil. Thursday, September 29, 2011Most Americans have yet to even acknowledge the ruthless terror America unleashed on Iraq eight years ago. Yet this, too, is America. America at its worst. America taking what was very obviously a great evil and creating from it a far greater evil.

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RICK PERRY: the MAN BEHIND the MASK The terrorist threat pales in significance in the face of the threat Rick Perry poses. Sunday, September 11, 2011The terrorist threat pales in significance in the face of the threat Rick Perry poses.

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Donald Trump for President: He Doesn't Miss A Thing How I came to love Donald Trump and everything conservative. Thursday, April 21, 2011How I came to love Donald Trump and everything conservative.

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BP Catastrophe As Metaphor: Those We Elect Don't Give a Crap About Our Interests The Gulf oil spill was no accident. It's the result of very deliberate decisions made by self-serving, covetous, cold-hearted, predatory, unrestrained, greedy corporate executives; groveling, impotent, bought-and-sold politicians; and servile, ass-kissing regulators. Saturday, July 3, 2010The Gulf oil spill was no accident. It's the result of very deliberate decisions made by self-serving, covetous, cold-hearted, predatory, unrestrained, greedy corporate executives; groveling, impotent, bought-and-sold politicians; and servile, ass-kissing regulators.
By Reagan Knopp

Hillary Borrud for The Oregonian:

In social media posts and statements, Republicans cast House Speaker Tina Koteks decision to eliminate the House Committee on Rural Communities, Land Use and Water next year  a committee Kotek created in 2014  as evidence that urban lawmakers are ignoring rural areas of the state.

This is a fair critique by Republicans. The economy of rural Oregon barely recovered and did so much more slowly than Portland and its suburbs.

Kotek obviously created the Rural Communities committee as lip service to rural Oregon. Now she wont even give them that. Rural Oregonians and their representatives are right to feel ignored by Democrats in the Oregon Legislature.

Borrud continues:

Republicans also questioned Koteks motives in picking committee assignments for Rep. Knute Buehler, a moderate Republican from Bend often mentioned as a potential contender for governor in 2018.

Its categorically unfair of The Oregonian to mention Buehler as a possible gubernatorial candidate as a way of discrediting the legitimate question Republicans are asking. Koteks aspirations for higher office are well known. Kotek made this clear to Jonathan Miller at Roll Call earlier this year:

When asked about the talk that she might run for governor or Congress, Kotek is not all that coy. I just want to continue to do a good job as speaker. If that means other things  she trails off.

The elimination of committees focused on rural issues isnt a good look for Kotek  who will need votes from rural Oregon if she seeks higher office  even if the other committees do address rural issues as her office claims they will.

Another useful tidbit about the committee assignments appeared in a piece by Taylor Anderson for The Bulletin:

Kotek spokeswoman Lindsey OBrien said Buehler was kept off the committee because he was appointed to the committee that handles the budget for human services agencies, which includes the Oregon Health Authority, which she said meets at the same time.

Its a bummer that there is a scheduling conflict. Wait  I just remembered  the Speakers office controls that portion of the committee process as well. Her office could have made the necessary changes if so inclined. They were not.

This isnt a partisan issue. In 2015, Senate Democrat leadership abused their committee powers as well. They removed Senator Betsy Johnson from her spot on a Ways & Means subcommittee so they could pass motor voter. Johnson is a Democrat.

Democrat leadership in Salem will continue to hold the power of committee appointments as leverage to keep Democrat members in line and to try to beat Republicans in the next election.

This arrangement does a disservice to the people of Oregon who deserve to have good policy come before politics as often as is humanly possible.
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CPEC to include three Sindh development projects 30 December, 2016



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Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo Chinese authorities have in principle approved inclusion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of three development projects in Sindh including the Karachi Circular Railways, Keti Bandar and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Sindh CM House said Thursday.



The decision was taken in the 6th Pakistan-China Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting regarding CPEC held in Beijing.



In his opening remarks, Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the significance of development projects in Gwadar, making a case for the master city plan and related projects in the city which he said are likely to bring socio-economic stability to Gwadar, according to the CPEC website.



The minister stressed upon timely completion of the Gwader water supply project, hospital and technical institute projects in order to facilitate residents of the area, and appreciated Chinese commitment to supporting the mass transit railway project in the provincial headquarters.



He added that one industrial zone in each province has been identified and selected on the basis of its market attraction and principles of business.



After a presentation by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Shah, the JCC decided to include the projects and asked the Sindh government to present a feasibility report within next three months.



It was expected that the Chinese government would announce financing of $1 billion for the completion of the three projects under the CPEC. The amount was to be spent on the construction of three additional routes related to the western route of the CPEC, according to officials quoted by Dawn earlier.



The Pakistani delegation also included Minister for Railway Khawaja Saad Rafique, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, Chairman of the Board of Investment Miftah Ismail, Khbyer Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafizur Rehman and Minister Industries Punjab Shiekh Allauddin. The Chinese



Sindh CM Murad Shah made a case for Karachi Circular Railways at the meeting, saying that the provincial capital is one of the most populated cities in the world, with an estimated population of around 25.1 million people in 2016  a number greater than Tokyo, Guangzhou, Seoul, Delhi, Mumbai, Mexico City, New York, Sao Paulo, Manila and Jakarta.



The population of the city will touch 34.3m by 2030, he said. "Therefore, there are ample returns on investment if made in the city."



He said the solution of the problem lies in an effective mass transit system which includes the revival of the KCR, the Bus Rapid Transit System, and the Light Rail Transit.



The KCR was first commissioned in 1964 and remained an effective transportation system until 1984, he said. Due to certain reasons such as increased running time and lack of investment reduced its operational efficiency, he added. As a result, ridership fell and finally caused its closure in 1999.



The KCR project has been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), the Sindh CM said.



A feasibility study was carried out along with third-party validation of the study, he said. An Environmental Impact Assessment has also been conducted and a relocation of utility services is not required, he said.



K-Electric has assured uninterrupted power supply for the project, he assured investors, and federal and provincial taxes are exempt on the project.



Integration with BRTS lines has been made and the institutional framework in the shape of the Karachi Urban Transport Company (KUTC) is available, he said.



The Japanese have estimated the cost of the KCR at about $2.6bn and developed the investment structure as 85pc debt financing and 15pc equity financing by the provincial and federal governments, he said.



The Internal Rate of Return is estimated at 13.8pc, he said, and the economic benefits include reduced vehicle operation cost and travel time cost.



He invited investors to contribute in the equity of KCR along with federal government and Sindh government. He added that equity IRR compatible with infrastructure projects currently being developed in Pakistan would be offered to the investors.



Shah sought Chinese cooperation to include the project in the CPEC after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved its inclusion in the initiative and provided a sovereign guarantee.



The JCC decided to include the project and asked the Sindh government to present its feasibility within the next three months, upon which Shah directed the Transport Minister Syed Nasir Shah to expedite work on the feasibility of the projects within the stipulated time.



Shah told the JCC meeting that the Keti Bandar project is ideally located to serve as a power park for the Thar coal project due to its proximity to the coal field as well as Karachi.



Disclosing his strategic plan, the chief minister told the meeting that with the construction of new jetty it would be possible to exploit the full potential of Thar's coal reserves, minimise cost of electricity production at Thar coal and enhance the country's competitiveness by providing affordable electricity.



Murad Shah claimed the power park would have 10,000 megawatt power production capacity and a transmission line would connect Keti Bandar to the Jamshoro and Matiari grids.



A 235-kilometer-long railway line from Islamkot to Keti Bandar would be laid to transport coal, he said, adding that a 190-km-long road would be constructed to connect Keti Bandar with Nooriabad.



Shah said a comprehensive bankable study of the coal reserves is being conducted and the master plan will cover all auxiliary infrastructure.



He requested the JCC to approve the project in principle as discussed in the Transport Infrastructure Joint Working Group in November 2016 and vowed to present a detailed bankable feasibility report in the next working group meeting.



The JCC included the Keti Bandar Power Park and sea port project in CPEC and decided to conduct a feasibility study.



Every province to get an SEZ

The Sindh CM said the Special Economic Zone Authority Sindh proposes the creation of Dhabeji and Keti Bandar SEZs in Thatta.



Dhabeji stretches over 1,000 acres and is located about 55km from Karachi at the eastern alignment of CPEC (N-5) or the M-9, Shah said, adding that it has commercial viability and development potential in the immediate term.



Keti Bandar's SEZ, he said, stretches over 3,000 acres and is 153km from Karachi. The industrial potential will be realised after construction of a port, he said, which he proposed should be part of the medium-term plan.



Murad told the JCC meeting that a soil investigation has been conducted on both proposed SEZs and a commercial feasibility and master plan will be compiled shortly. The JCC decided to give an SEZ to every province, including Sindh, which would have the Dhabeji SEZ.
A depiction of the double helical structure of DNA. Its four coding units (A, T, C, G) are color-coded in pink, orange, purple and yellow. Credit: NHGRI

You've likely heard about being in the right place at the wrong time, but what about having the right genes in the wrong environment? In other words, could a genetic mutation (or allele) that puts populations at risk for illnesses in one environmental setting manifest itself in positive ways in a different setting?

That's the question behind a recent paper published in The FASEB Journal by several researchers including lead author Ben Trumble, an assistant professor at Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change and ASU's Center for Evolution and Medicine.

These researchers examined how the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene might function differently in an infectious environment than in the urban industrialized settings where ApoE has mostly been examined. All ApoE proteins help mediate cholesterol metabolism, and assist in the crucial activity of transporting fatty acids to the brain. But in industrialized societies, ApoE4 variant carriers also face up to a four-fold higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other age-related cognitive declines, as well as a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

The goal of this study, Trumble explains, was to reexamine the potentially detrimental effects of the globally-present ApoE4 allele in environmental conditions more typical of those experienced throughout our species' existencein this case, a community of Amazonian forager-horticulturalists called the Tsimane.

"For 99% of human evolution, we lived as hunter gatherers in small bands and the last 5,000-10,000 yearswith plant and animal domestication and sedentary urban industrial lifeis completely novel," Trumble says. "I can drive to a fast-food restaurant to 'hunt and gather' 20,000 calories in a few minutes or go to the hospital if I'm sick, but this was not the case throughout most of human evolution."

Due to the tropical environment and a lack of sanitation, running water, or electricity, remote populations like the Tsimane face high exposure to parasites and pathogens, which cause their own damage to cognitive abilities when untreated.

As a result, one might expect Tsimane ApoE4 carriers who also have a high parasite burden to experience faster and more severe mental decline in the presence of both these genetic and environmental risk factors.

But when the Tsimane Health and Life History Project tested these individuals using a seven-part cognitive assessment and a medical exam, they discovered the exact opposite.

In fact, Tsimane who both carried ApoE4 and had a high parasitic burden displayed steadier or even improved cognitive function in the assessment versus non-carriers with a similar level of parasitic exposure. The researchers controlled for other potential confounders like age and schooling, but the effect still remained strong. This indicated that the allele potentially played a role in maintaining cognitive function even when exposed to environmental-based health threats.

For Tsimane ApoE4 carriers without high parasite burdens, the rates of cognitive decline were more similar to those seen in industrialized societies, where ApoE4 reduces cognitive performance.

"It seems that some of the very genetic mutations that help us succeed in more hazardous time periods and environments may actually become mismatched in our relatively safe and sterile post-industrial lifestyles," Trumble explains.

Still, the ApoE4 variant appears to be much more than an evolutionary leftover gone bad, he adds. For example, several studies have shown potential benefits of ApoE4 in early childhood development, and ApoE4 has also been shown to eliminate some infections like giardia and hepatitis.

"Alleles with harmful effects may remain in a population if such harm occurs late in life, and more so if those same alleles have other positive effects," adds co-author Michael Gurven, professor of anthropology at University of California, Santa Barbara. "Exploring the effects of genes associated with chronic disease, such as ApoE4, in a broader range of environments under more infectious conditions is likely to provide much-needed insight into why such 'bad genes' persist."

The abstract and full research paper "Apolipoprotein E4 is associated with improved cognitive function in Amazonian forager-horticulturalists with a high parasite burden" can be viewed here in The FASEB Journal.

More information: Benjamin C. Trumble et al. Apolipoprotein E4 is associated with improved cognitive function in Amazonian forager-horticulturalists with a high parasite burden, The FASEB Journal (2016). DOI: 10.1096/fj.201601084R Journal information: FASEB Journal
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The year 2017 isn't coming as soon as you think. In fact, it will be exactly one second late.

On Dec. 31, 2016, the international time keeping community will tack an additional second, known as a leap second, on to the last minute of the year.

As midnight approaches, the official atomic clocks that keep Universal Coordinated Time will mark the time as 23h 59m 59s, followed by the leap second 23h 59m 60s. Jan 1 will continue as usual, beginning with 0h 0m 0s.

Unlike leap years, leap seconds are not a regular occurrence. Instead, they are decreed by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, or IERS, in Paris, which measures the Earth's rotation and compares it with the time kept by atomic clocks.

You may not realize it, but in our modern society we are governed by two types of time.

The first, known as astronomical time, is based on how long it takes Earth to make one complete spin on its axis. Through most of human history this type of time was measured by the rising and setting of the sun. Today, however, scientists keep track of it by aiming a network of radio telescopes at a distant quasar.

Atomic time, on the other hand, defines a second as exactly 9,192,631,770 oscillations of a cesium-133 atom. This is what determines the time that displays on a computer or cellphone.

But these two types of time do not always line up.

In part, that's because the Earth does not keep perfect time.

Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, explains that movements within the Earth's liquid core can cause the spin rate of our planet to speed up or slow down.

And the U.S. Naval Observatory reports that over the last 40 years the Earth has generally run slow compared with atomic time, at an average of 1.5 to 2 milliseconds per day.

To keep the two types of time from veering too far away from each other, the IERS calls for a leap second whenever it appears there will be more than a 0.9 second difference between astronomical time and atomic time.

Since 1972, there have been 26 leap seconds added in intervals varying between six months and seven years.

For the record, the IERS could also say that a second should be subtracted from atomic time, but so far that has never been necessary.

Although it's no big deal for most of us to adjust to an additional atomic second in our year, it is a much bigger pain for people who run computer networks. In the past, tech companies like Google, Reddit and LinkedIn have all run into problems because of the addition of a leap second.

Therefore, the future of the leap second is being hotly debated.

After all, even if the difference between astronomical time and atomic time grew by one second every year, in 100 years the gap would be only less than two minutes. In 1,000 years, it would be off only by less than 17 minutes.

But for now at least the leap second stands. And although the second before midnight Universal Coordinated Time technically corresponds to 3:59:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, you might still consider marking the occasion of the extra second on Dec. 31 by adding a zero to your traditional New Year's countdown like this:

"... three, two, one, zero." And then "Happy New Year!"

2016 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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This blog will focus on political images I have found all around the Internet, though I will intersperse some commentary and quotes that I find interesting.
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Continuing the countdown of the top 10 education stories of the year. Before we get to the No. 1 education story, lets review the nine so far:

No. 10: Trump elected president

Trump elected president No. 9: Parents sue South Glens Falls school district over sons suicide

Parents sue South Glens Falls school district over sons suicide No. 8: Task force exploring link between Lake George school projects, alumni illnesses

Task force exploring link between Lake George school projects, alumni illnesses No. 7: Schools test water sources for lead

Schools test water sources for lead No. 6: SUNY Adirondack breaks ground on major building projects

SUNY Adirondack breaks ground on major building projects No. 5: Common Core is no more

Common Core is no more No 4: Coaching controversy in Granville

Coaching controversy in Granville No. 3: Increased state aid helps school budgets

Increased state aid helps school budgets No. 2: Building boom at local schools

And now the number one education story for this year:

The year 2016 saw a number of changes in top administrators at school districts. At the end of the 2015-2016 school year, Fort Edward Superintendent of Schools Jeffery Ziegler retired after eight years of leading the district and Daniel Starr retired after a 10-year tenure at Corinth Central School.

Daniel Ward left his position as Fort Anns junior-senior high school principal to take over at Fort Edward and former Glens Falls High School Principal Mark Stratton took the reins at Corinth.

Patrick Dee left Lake George to become superintendent at Whitehall Central School. In August, Jan Jehring left her position at Argyle Central School to take the job of superintendent of Florida Union Free School District in Orange County, N.Y.

Lake George has hired Lynne Rutnik, director of special education for the Niskayuna Central School District as its new superintendent. Former Galway Junior-Senior High School Principal Michael Healey is beginning work as Argyles new superintendent in January.

A Post-Star analysis earlier this year found that the average superintendent had been at his or her current post about 4  years. This is a little less than the state average 5.4 years, according to the New York State Council of School Superintendents most recent 2015 survey.

Of course, the changes in superintendents often create ripple effects, as other school administrators move into those jobs and those positions must be filled.

Just it seemed we were at full strength, Granville Central School District Mark Bessen announced his retirement effective at the end of January after leading the district for about seven years. Former Hudson Falls Superintendent Mark Doody, who has done fill-in principal stints at Whitehall and Glens Falls, was just named his interim replacement.

And thats my countdown of the top 10 education stories for the year. Now we turn the page to 2017.

Happy New Year!
This is the latest in a series of posts about the 1916 presidential election between Democratic incumbent Woodrow Wilson and Republican challenger Charles Evans Hughes, a Glens Falls native.

The mere mention of Charles Evans Hughes in opening remarks at the state Republican Convention in Saratoga Springs generated excitement among delegates, The Brockport Republican of Monroe County reported on Oct. 5, 1916.

A sharp patter of hand-clapping was instantly followed by three rousing cheers, the entire conference and all of the audience springing to its feet and waving hats, handkerchiefs and joining in a demonstration that lasted several minutes until stopped by the band.

The excitement spread throughout the city when Hughes arrived at Saratoga Springs that evening.

The Unconditional Republican Club, Capital City Club and the Young Mens Republican Club, all of Albany, were dispatched to greet him at the train.

In the evening when Governor Hughes special train rolled into the station, the town was ablaze to greet him, the Monroe County newspaper reported.

The full report can be read at The New York State Historic Newspapers web site, a project of public libraries.

Click here to read the most recent post in the series.
LAKE GEORGE  Putting a boat in the water of Lake George through the state launch is not an easy proposition these days.

The main entrance to the parking lot is closed to keep snowmobiles out and the lot isnt being plowed, to protect the porous pavement.

Much of the parking lot is off limits, and most of the area that is open to boat trailers is coated with a thick layer of ice. No sand or salt is being applied to keep the materials out of the lake and allow a base of snow to build up for winter access to the ice, said state Department of Environmental Conservation spokesman David Winchell.

The launch is open for the hardcore fishermen and women who know this is a good time of year to hit the water despite the cold. But Winchell said those who use it should be careful because of the conditions.

The DEC set up a path through the parking lot to allow access to the launch and clarified its status after The Post-Star received inquiries from anglers in recent days about the gates to the parking lot and launch being locked. Among them was Lake George resident Joel Clark, who said the launch couldnt be accessed at all as of last week, with no warning to anglers.

The barriers on the west side of the lot are near the end of the Warren County Bikeway, the north end of which is used by snowmobilers in the winter. The DEC wants to keep snowmobiles off the porous pavement because of the damage machines can do to asphalt. (The parking lot was repaved with porous pavement last year to limit stormwater runoff.)

Winchell said there were reasons for the DEC not to clear snow.

We are not plowing that area because we want to allow the snow to build up to serve as a base for the access path, Winchell said. We arent spreading sand or salt because we dont want it to get into the lake.

The access path will be for ice fishermen, who will be required to park in the auxiliary parking lot across Beach Road from the boat launch lot once ice fishing season starts.

Despite the closure of one entrance and most of the parking lot, there are parking spots for 26 vehicles and boat trailers available, including handicapped spots, he added.

The eastern entrance to the boat launch is open and there are 23 parking sites for vehicles or vehicles and trailers, one ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) parking site for vehicle and trailer, and three ADA parking sites for just vehicles, Winchell said.

Anglers continue to fish the lakes open water well into winter, as landlocked Atlantic salmon and lake trout can be caught more easily now than in warmer months. And a resurgence of the lakes landlocked Atlantic salmon fishing over the past year or so has resulted in more interest from anglers.

While the launch isnt used nearly as frequently in December as it is during the warmer months, there is a die-hard group of anglers who fish open water as long as they can. Clark said he keeps in touch with 60 or so, and many reached out to the DEC about the launchs status in recent weeks.

A boat could be seen trolling along the east shore on Thursday morning, before snow moved in.

The fishing has been good and we want to keep our boats on the water until we get ice, Clark said.
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Asian Digest reports that the woman had gone shopping in the city market without her husband or any male relative, an act which is seen as a crime in that country.

According to the report, the village of Latti is under Taliban control and a provincial Governor in Afghanistan revealed that the people who murdered the woman were Taliban fighters.

Under the Taliban rules, women are not allowed to go alone to public places without any close male relative accompanying them.

Although the identity of the woman is yet to be revealed, officials say the reason why the victim went to the market alone was because her husband was away in Iran and they do not have any children.
Francis Xavier-Sosu, a human rights lawyer and counsel for Charles Antwi, who appealed to set aside the sentencing of Antwi, told 3news.com that his client would be released later today.

Charles Antwi was sentenced to 10-years imprisonment for illegally possessing an arm on his first appearance in court. The sentence was immediately pronounced after the suspect confessed to wanting to kill President Mahama so he could become president.

An Accra Human Rights court, however, quashed the earlier judgment of the Accra Circuit Court which sentenced Charles Antwi.

According to the judge, his ruling is based on the record of the Circuit Court presented to him which clearly shows the circuit court judge erred.

The judge further ordered the applicant to be released and sent to the Accra Psychiatric hospital.
Speaking during the swearing in ceremony in Accra on Friday, December 30, Mr Mahama asked the newly appointed Auditor General Daniel Domelovo to help ensure transparency and accountability in government.

The Audit Service exists to ensure good governance and, so, your responsibility, together with your team, is to deliver this to Ghanaians through the pursuit and application to the highest level of professionalism, accountability, probity and transparency in the public financial management system of Ghana.

We have been working on the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan, and the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan has three key principles: prevention, education, and prosecution, the president said.

He said Prevention and education are put first because we believe that the best practice is to prevent it from taking place, and, so, in discharging your job, your emphasis is not on sanctioning but creating the system that prevents misappropriation of public funds from taking place.

Of course when it has happened, it is important for us to sanction whoever had undertaken that and so I hope that you will work with government to ensure that we are able to bring probity and accountability into our public service especially, and ensure that we minimise the misuse of government funds and property, President Mahama added.

President Mahama has been involved in a series of controversial 'last minute' appointments in the twilight of his presidency.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated the new headquarters of the Ghana Academy of Arts and sciences.
The Akhbar Al-Yaoum daily reported a sixth person had been called in for questioning.

The PJD, whose leader has been tasked with forming a new governing coalition after winning October parliamentary polls, has yet to comment on the arrests.

But the head of the party's lawyer association, Abdessamad al-Idrissi, said he would be defending those detained.

Under Moroccan law, the crime of justifying terrorist acts can be punished by up to six years in prison and more than $19,000 in fines.

On December 22, the justice and interior ministries said they were opening an investigation after a group of people "clearly celebrated on social media the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey".

In early December, Benkirane caused a diplomatic stir by criticising Russia's military intervention in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Rome was not built in a day, Nana Addo as an individual cant do for Ghana what Ghanaians expect. Its down to all of us in our own small ways to ensure that our project Ghana works.

READ ALSO:

Of course Nana and the campaign team made many promises to Ghanaians and we all know that these promises are such that you dont deliver them within 24hrs, theres no magic wand and I believe that those promises are promises that will, in the end, inure to the benefits of all Ghanaians.

It requires hard work and I ask for patience, tolerance, cooperation and unity on the part of all Ghanaians so that we can see these come to pass, Mr Afoko said on Accra-based 3FM.

The President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo in a recent address to the Muslim community in Ghana pledged to keep his electoral promises.

I want to assure you that we are going to do all the things that we" promised during the elections.

Free secondary school education, the revival of the NHIS, one district one factory, one village one dam, Zongo Development Fund, all of these are matters that we are going to address and do to promote the welfare and progress of the country", he said.

But Mr Afoko believes all those promises would not be realised if Ghanaians do not give the president-elect the needed support.
President Mahama can never lead Ghana again, I like him but the truth that God has revealed to me is that he cannot become the President of Ghana again. He is done with his job and God rejected him even before the 2016 elections, he said on Adom TVS Pampas Programme Thursday.

Incumbent President John Mahama conceded defeat to main rival Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP in the evening of Friday, December 9. This was after Charlotte Osei, the EC Chairperson announced Nana Addo as the winner.

She indicated that Nana Addo polled 5, 716,026 million votes representing 53.85 % to beat the incumbent president John Dramani Mahama who had 4, 713,277 million votes representing 44.40 %.

The National Democratic Congress has subsequently unveiled a 13-member committee to investigate the partys defeat to the New Patriotic Party in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The committee will be chaired by former finance minister Professor Kwesi Botchwey.

READ ALSO: Members of the NDC committee to probe defeat unveiled

The committee has also been charged to recommend the way forward for the party.

The party's General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia said the committee is expected to "review and validate the results of the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections and find out the causes of the poor performance of the NDC in both the presidential and the parliamentary election, as well as to deal with other matter reasonably related to the above objectives and to make recommendations to the National Executive Committee about the way forward."

However, the controversial man of God who predicted victory for the NPP has called on the NDC to dismiss their efforts and bring in another candidate to lead the party.

I will urge the NDC to stop considering the President for 2020 because he wont win and can never win an election again. Those campaigning for him to be brought back should stop because if they succeed in getting him lead the NDC in 2020, NDC will lose again and they will be in opposition for a long time, he advised.
The "Insecure" actress flew to Nigeria for a wedding and has since been keeping fans updated on what she's up to.

From shots of her African outfit to family pictures and the famous Nigerian Jollof.

"Wear my heart on my sleeve," she captioned one photo, donning a blouse with a massive sleeve.

On another picture she wrote, "Anything made in this pot, out in the open air, by a woman who's birth at least 8 children, is bound to be straight FIYAH!".

Yvonne also shared photos of her gorgeous family and the wedding festivities.

Yvonne Orji moved to New York in 2009 to pursue comedy. A decision her Nigerian parents were not happy about. Im Nigerian. We do engineering. We do medicine, she revealed.
Balogun, a resident of Dopemu, Agege, Lagos, allegedly committed the offence on Oct. 20 at Oniwaya Street, Agege, Lagos.

The prosecutor, Insp. George Nwosu, told the court that the accused stole a motorcycle valued at N160,000, property of one Mr Dady Hammed.

The complainant woke up and discovered that his motorcycle was missing from where he parked it.

He raised an alarm and when neighbours came out, they suspected Balogun because he had been caught severally for stealing cars and motorcycles in the area.

The complainant and his neighbours went in search of the accused; fortunately, they saw him and threatened to hand him over to the police if he refused to return the motorcycle.

For fear of the unknown, the accused took them to where he kept the motorcycle and handed it over to the complainant, he said.

The offence, Nwosu said, contravenes Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section 285 prescribes three years jail term for offenders.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N80,000 with one surety in like sum.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Abubakar Sadiq-Bello, made the disclosure on Friday in Lafia while addressing newsmen on the development.

He said that the suspects were arrested following security intelligence sharing and collaboration with other agencies since the killing on Nov. 28.

The commissioner said that investigations revealed that one Yahuza Yahaya was the leader of the criminal gang responsible for the ambush and killing of the three miners and their police escort.

He disclosed that one AK-47 riffle, military uniform and two photographs of the gang leader were recovered from the suspects.

In one of photographs, the gang leader was dressed in military uniform and brandishing an AK-47 riffle.

Investigation is still on to apprehend other accomplices in the case and all the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded, Sadiq-Bello said.

On Nov. 28, gunmen ambushed and killed the mine workers, including a Chinese at Wugibi Hills at Alongani Village in the Nasarawa-Eggon Local Government Area of the state.
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This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Tony Opuiyo of the DSS on Friday in Abuja.

The Service said that as part of its ongoing tactical operations to degrade the capabilities of criminals, an offensive was launched against kidnappers, terrorists and other criminal elements.

It said that the offensive had led to the arrest of the trio of one Abubakar Musa, Ismail Musa and Suleiman Mainasara on Nov. 29 at Aduwawa in Benin city, Edo.

The statement said that prior to their arrest, they were members of a kidnap gang that terrorised commuters and residents of communities along the major highways between Edo and Kogi.

It said that on Nov. 30, one Ibrahim Adamu and three of his associates namely; Umar Abubakar, Ibrahim Salisu and Abdullahi Abubakar that specialised in the kidnap of people along the Edo-kogi corridor were also arrested at Ibilio village in Edo.

It further said that on Dec. 20 at Katsina-Ala town in Benue , another gang of suspected kidnappers comprising one Ernest Benze, Terkura Tyokishir alias Mpoto, and Anun Aondona identified as members of the Terwase Akwaza kidnap syndicate, were arrested for their complicity in kidnap incidents in the State.

 It would be recalled that the Terwase gang is known for its notoriety and credited with various dastardly and violent acts in the state, it said.

The statement further revealed that one Usman Musa aka Keke, a notorious kidnap kingpin was intercepted by the Service on Dec. 15 at Sabuwar-Kaura village in Doguwa Local Government Area, Kano State.

Musa is a high-profile criminal who, in conjunction with other criminal associates of his gang, has been terrorising residents and communities in Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano and Plateau States, it said.

It said that in continuation of its fight against terrorism, on Nov. 30, three suspected Boko Haram fighters namely Samaila Muhammad, Sanusi Musa and Hudu Muhammad were arrested at Durbunde village of Takai Local Government Area of Kano State.

 The trio had perfected plans to carry out series of coordinated attacks with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in selected states of the North-West zone in the month of November, 2016 to disrupt festive activities during the end of year and the New Year of 2017, it said.

It said that the operatives of this Service also arrested one Sani Digaru along with one Mohammed Ali, on Dec. 25 along Gombe-Dukku road, Gombe.

 Digaru was fatally shot when he attempted to escape from arrest. The arrest was sequel to earlier intelligence that he was in possession of cash worth two million Naira (N2m) meant for the coordination of a terrorist operation in Yobe and Bauchi States, he said.

It noted that in the past few weeks, a new criminal gang which specialises in robbing visiting foreign residents/customers of luxury hotels had been uncovered in Abuja.

For instance, on Dec. 5, the gang robbed an expatriate in a high brow hotel in Abuja and carted away his money and other valuables.

However, acting on actionable intelligence and with the support and cooperation of sister agencies and the hotel management, the Service arrested one Ikechukwu Obadlegwu and Ikechukwu Eke, it said.

It said that at Gwaron Dutse, Kano Municipal, Kano State, one Auwalu Yakasai, a notorious fraudster was apprehended for allegedly defrauding Jaiz and Unity Banks of N100 million and N50 million, respectively.

The Service hereby reassures residents and indeed all Nigerians of a more peaceful new year as it (the Service) will leave no stone unturned in making sure that the year will be typified by stability which will, no doubt, define the countrys national security outlook in the coming year, it said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 2017 Appropriation bill, tagged Budget of Self-Reliance, is 19 per cent higher than the 2016 budget, which was N173.43 billion.

Ajimobi, while presenting the appropriation bill, said that its structure reflected the priority government accorded the various sectors in terms of their anticipated developmental effects.

Government will raise N59 billion (28.41 per cent) from Federation Account and N7.49 billion(3.60 per cent) from Transfers from Local Government JAAC, among others."

He said that the 2017 appropriation bill had a capital expenditure of N80.80billion and a recurrent expenditure of N126.87 billion.

Ajimobi said that the top priority of the state government would be on infrastructure, agriculture and its value-chain framework, education and health, while others would be given attention.

In the 2017 appropriation bill, a total of N46.618 billion(57.7 per cent) was allocated to Economic Sector, N25.646 billion (31.74 percent) to Social Services Sector.

A sum of N880 million (1.09 percent) was allocated to Law and Justice Sector, while N7.654 billion (9.47 per cent) was allocated to General Administration Sector, he said.

The governor said that the aggregate percentage of 89.44 per cent of the appropriation, which was allocated to the economic and social sub-sector, underscored the governments commitment to people-centered and empowerment-focused agenda.

Ajimobi said that the appropriation would be driven by IGR, which was expected to raise the highest receipts for budget implementation.

In the cautious optimism of the state government, we are hopeful that the signals on ground are pointers to economic recovery in the 2017 fiscal year. At the national level, the oil price is appreciating globally.

We have also embarked on the reorientation and refocusing the citizenry towards increased participation in agricultural activities and also initiated various programmes to ensure economic inclusiveness, he said.

The governor said that government had strived to enhance the revenue base of the state by expanding the tax net, blocking all financial loopholes, redirecting and refocusing governance within the government ministries and agencies .

The Speaker, Mr Michael Adeyemo, said that the proposal could aptly be termed a budget of hope.

He said that the increment in the 2017 bill from that of 2016 signified that year 2017 would be a promising and fulfilling one for the state.

Adeyemo said it also showed the genuine commitment of the present administration to the development of the socio-economic life of its citizenry.

The house will intensify efforts for effective service delivery in 2017. We implore the executive arm to give deserved considerations to our resolutions and such will enhance legislative-executive relationship, he said.
Sen. Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), made this known while briefing State House correspondents on Friday in Abuja.

He said that the Act was one of the 10 bills forwarded by the National Assembly to the President, adding that with the approval, the President had completed work on all the bills sent to him for his consent.

The President has assented to the bill sent by the National Assembly, The Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Amendment Act 2016.

This is one of the 10 Bills that were forwarded by the National Assembly to Mr President and he has just assented to this, almost completing every action on all the Bills that were forwarded to him by the National Assembly.

The intent of this amendment is to bring the penalty provisions in line with economic realities and to act as a deterrent or deter people from trafficking and trading in endangered species because endangered are preserved of the country," he added.

The Presidential aide said the intent of the amendment was to bring the penalty provisions in line with economic realities and to serve as a deterrent to people trafficking in endangered species because endangered species are the preserves of the country.

According to him, the Act is to discourage trafficking in endangered species and will encourage the culture of the preservation of endangered species.

He added that with the assent, the President had increased the penalties for violations of the provisions in line with todays realities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with the signing of the Act, President Buhari had so far signed 17 bills into law in 2016.

NAN recalls that the President in November signed eight bills into law which included the Prevention of Crime Amendment Act 2016, the National Crop Varieties and Livestock Breeds (Registration) Amendment Act 2016, Telecommunications and Postal Offences Amendment Act 2016, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority Amendment Act 2016.

Others are the Produce Enforcement of Export Standards Amendment Act 2016, the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute Amendment Act 2016, Bee Import Control and Management Amendment Act 2016, and Water Resources Amendment Act 2016.The President also signed another eight bills into law, on Dec. 20. The affected bills included National Judicial Institute Amendment Act, 2016 and Advertising Practitioners Registration Amendment Act, 2016.

Others are Utilities Charges Commission Amendment Act, 2016, Quality Surveyors Registration Amendment Act, 2016 and Small and Medium Scale Industries Development Agency Amendment Act, 2016.

Others are Treaty to Establish African Economic Community Relating to Pan African Parliament (Accession and Jurisdiction) Amendment Act, 2016, University of Abuja Amendment Act, 2016 and Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers Amendment Act, 2016.

Commenting on the signed bills, the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, who had earlier met with the President behind closed door, assured that more progressive bills would be passed by the National Assembly in the coming years.

He said It shows in part, what we have been able to do in the National Assembly and there are many more bills to come and the President is also responding to it.

You are going to see more of that in 2017, there are a lot of bills lined up.

For us in the Senate for example, in the last session just this last three months we did much more than what we did in the entire year.

The National Assembly is settling down and as such you will see much more bill passed for the President to sign.

Saraki, who joined President Buhari to perform the weekly 2-Rakaat Jumaat prayer at the Villa Mosque, described the fall of Sambisa forest as a great feat.

This is a great progress from where we are before. If you look at where we were a year and half ago, the challenges we had in that area for us to recapture the place, I think is a great feat.

It shows what we can do as a country when we have the commitment, purpose and the leadership required to do that.
SERAP asked Agnes Callamard, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to prevail on the Nigerian govt. to stop the killings in the area.

The group also called on Callamard to ask the Federal Government to provide adequate security for those in the area.

According to reports, over 800 people have lost their lives, and properties worth millions of Naira destroyed.

Some groups and notable Nigerians have also called on President Buhari to do something about the alleged massacre by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

According to Vanguard, the Executive Secretary of SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, in a petition dated Friday, December 30, 2016, said SERAP contends that Nigerian authorities have failed and/or neglected to respect these human rights and to exercise due diligence to ensure that these rights are not violated by private individuals such as herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators. Nigerian government should therefore be held to account for failing or neglecting to guarantee and protect the rights of the people in Southern Kaduna, regardless of whether such violations are directly or indirectly attributable to the state or its officials.

SERAP is concerned that the Nigerian government has failed and/or neglected to create an environment in Southern Kaduna to end the unlawful killings by failing to move their legal and institutional machinery towards the actual realisation of these rights. It is in fact the failure by the government to take adequate measures to prevent the violence which has contributed to the increasing number of victims.

SERAP believes that the killings would not have taken place if the Nigerian authorities have taken measures to prevent their happening and to address persistent impunity of those responsible for the violations and abuses. The lack of accountability for the attacks by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators across the country has continued to create a culture of impunity which clearly is not compatible with the rule of law in a democratic society.

According to the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna State, a total of 808 people were killed in 53 villages across the four local governments areas in the state ridden by crisis. The church leaders also said that 57 people were injured; farm produce estimated at N5.5 billion were also destroyed, and a total of 1,422 houses and 16 churches were burnt during the attacks. The affected communities are spread across Kaura, Sanga, Jamaa and Kauru Local Government Areas where there had been persistent attacks on communities by gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen.
Wike made the allegation on Thursday, December 29, during the Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) end of year party in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

They said they would blow up the plane that I would board. You, who are plotting, do you know whether God will blow your own plane before that time? What is this thing about Rivers State? Why should a man spill blood if he is so loved? he said.

If a man is loved and popular, let him present himself. They should allow peace to reign. It is like some people want trouble so that they will make blood money. You say, let us not embarrass a man who is not popular. What about the innocent lives lost? All those who do not sleep and plan evil against Rivers, will never know peace, he added.

In response however, the Presidency said that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot descend to Wikes level because he is the president.

The President will not descend to Wikes level. He is the President of Nigeria, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu said.
This is coming after the Vicar-General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan, Ibrahim Yakubu said over 800 lives have been lost.

Speaking about Yakubus claim, the Kaduna state police commissioner, Agyole Abeh said Everybody has the freedom to say what he wants to say, but as far as I am concerned, I have never heard of such figures they are calling. It is not true and not close to what the cleric is saying.

According to Premium Times, the state police boss, said I am calling on the people to please disregard such rumours and also be mindful of what they read and share on social media.

The Nigerian police have a robust police team sent to the region and are working to make sure that nothing of this nature happens as speculated.
The state fire service Director, Paul Aboi, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Friday.

Aboi attributed the fire outbreaks to electrical faults, adding that 19 shops were affected while 20 others were residential houses.

In all these incidents, no lives were lost and Police Fire and Rescue Brigade was able to extinguish the fire before they spread to other areas, he said.

He said most of the fire incidents occurred between 12 midnight and 7 a.m.

Aboi stressed the need to use qualified electricians to install electrical appliances during building construction.

Most faults are from the people. They should stop patronising road side electricians to handle electrical installations, he said.

He said the Service had put in place stringent measures to react to fire outbreaks, and called on residents to act responsibly because most fire were avoidable.

Most fire outbreaks are caused by carelessness, people are reminded to avoid overloading electric appliances, using candles and leave them unattended.

Avoid fixing electrical faults personally when you do not have the skill. Violating the basic rule of electric wiring can lead to a spark which may result in fire.

We have the ability, the equipment and the skills to react to fire outbreaks in a timely manner.

Therefore, citizens are advised to provide information immediately there is threat of fire so that our firefighters can be deployed in time.
This is contained in a statement signed by its Director of Information, Rear Adm. Christian Ezekobe, and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

According to Ezekobe, between Dec. 19 and Dec. 24, the NN recorded an impressive result in this regard.

This is even as the vigilance of the service personnel helped to avert the departure of more than 47 stowaways who attempted to leave the country illegally on board some merchant vessels.

From the foregoing, the patrol team deployed by NNS DELTA arrested the Captain of a merchant Vessel, one Mr , for his alleged involvement in pipeline vandalism.

Under this period, 23 illegal refinery sites were raided by the Bases patrol teams mainly in Obodo, Ajosolo, Isaba and Olakpashe creeks in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta, he said.

Ezekobe said that during the raid, about 396 metric tons (MT) of suspected illegally refined AGO and about 1, 060 MT of suspected stolen crude oil were destroyed, 3 suspects linked to the sites were also apprehended.

He also disclosed that the patrol team deployed by NNS JUBILEE had raided an illegal refinery site at Ibeno community in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.

He said the raid which was conducted in conjunction with security partners resulted to the destruction of 2 Cotonou boats and 6 drums containing suspected illegally refined AGO.

The Navy spokesman said operatives of NNS PATHFINDER had intercepted a wooden barge conveying about 110 metric tons of suspected illegally refined AGO around the Federal Ocean Terminal/Federal Lighter Terminal (FOT/FLT) anchorage in Onne, Rivers.

This feat is sequel to the interception of another barge laden with about 50MT of suspected illegally refined AGO around Ikpokiri in Onne Rivers, he said.

Ezokobe also said that the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas, had commended the efforts of the personnel in driving the process of clearing illegal refinery sites and other security threats in the maritime areas.

He said Ibas also noted the increasing attempts by some desperate persons to board merchant vessels illegally as stowaways.
In a statement issued by the Force Spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Don Awunah, said that the report was mischievous.

The report was in its entirety false, mischievous and capable of misleading the members of the public.

However, it is imperative to set the record straight and disabuse the minds of Police personnel and other members of the public, he said.

Awunah added that officers and men of the Force were rotated to maximize their efficiency and effective service delivery for the force.

He said that the Inspector-General of Police was empowered by the relevant provisions in the Force Orders and Force Administrative Instructions to effect transfers, postings and redeployments of the personnel.

Awunah said that the signal quoted in the report was not consistent with the practices and tradition of the service.

ALSO READ: 1,260 policemen protest transfer to North East region

To this extent the publication with all the allegations contained, is completely untrue and a futile distraction

Refusal to proceed on postings and protest in this regard is serious misconduct not only in the Nigeria Police Force but in every Government/Public agency.

Consequently, the Nigeria Police Force wishes to assure the media of its support as partner in ensuring a crime free society, he said.
The development which obstructed traffic along the Jimeta-Yola Road for more than an hour, caught the attention of a team of policemen and soldiers.

The policemen from the Adamawa Anti-bomb Squad, who went into action immediately, however, discovered that the bag did not contain any explosives.

Addressing newsmen on the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Adamawa Police Command, SP Othman Abubakar, said that the bag contained waste materials.

Abubakar, however, commended members of the public for their vigilance and urged them to always alert the police whenever they sighted any suspicious object.

The Chief Security Officer of the college, Mr Salihu Muhammed,who reported the incident to the police, said that the suspicious bag was abandoned by unknown persons and that was why they immediately alerted the police.
The group said further that Trump must save all Biafrans from the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Biafrans are being killed and detained without cause by the Nigerian government. Biafrans have become an endangered species in Nigeria, MASSOB Leader for Abia South Zone, Okporie Nkama said in Abia.

Now, you have been commissioned with a sacred assignment to ensure that the people are free from slavery, intimidation, mass killings and wicked policies against Biafrans by the Nigerian government.

You must rise to the occasion. Remember our non- violence strategy; we will certainly gain independence through nonviolence. Biafrans are encouraged by the support we are getting from the international community.

We urge United States President elect, Donald Trump, to come to the aid of Biafrans as soon as he is sworn in. Biafrans are at the risk of extermination under the hammer of the Nigerian government. It is an appeal to Trump and the international community not to leave us to die under Buhari, he added according to Vanguard.
The group also called on its members to be in court on the day of the trial, slated for January 10, 2017.

According to Punch, IPOBs Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful said All Indigenous People of Biafra family members are expected to be in Abuja on that day 10th of January 2017.

This is to let the world know how formidable and resolute we are towards ensuring that justice is done in the case of our leader and to remind the world that the restoration of our God-given nation called Biafra is irreversible and on course.

Therefore, we are expecting the entire members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and Biafrans that reside in Abuja and its environs to be in court on that fateful day in Abuja to witness the court proceedings of the case between our leader and Muhammadu Buhari.
The allegation was made by a group, the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP).

First, I want to state that three of them Ogbomoro Omoregie, Apostle Igene and Mark Omosowhata, their death warrant was signed two months ago by the previous administration and not the administration of Obaseki, Solicitor General, Wole Iyamu said according to Vanguard.

And let me state clearly that there was no pending Appeal because the Supreme Court had ruled on the matter and after looking at how they butchered innocent people to death affirmed that they should be executed.

When the matter came to the then Governor Oshiomhole, among the three persons, two of them committed murder, the third committed armed robbery. In the cause of the robbery, he killed his victim. The governor then granted pardon to about five other persons who committed crime then because they did not kill anybody.

But these three people killed and after a panel looked at the entire situation, they were not granted pardon because they killed innocent people who also have families. He exercised his prerogative based on the fact that those people killed other people in the process of committing their act.

And let me also clarify that it is the prison that executes inmates not the governor. The governor only said he will not grant them pardon, those who did not kill were granted pardon.

That information was wrong it was very unfair to the Edo State government. Those people who were killed what will happen to their families? The Supreme Court of Nigeria ordered them to be killed and not Edo state government. And it is unfortunate people are criticizing, but about the family of those they killed, the pains they left those families with, who will those families cry to after their relations were killed by wicked murderers. he added.
He claimed that the move was to encourage education among his people.

I located the Eastern Palm University at Ogboko, and the Police College in the area, to encourage my people to be interested in education.

All these efforts are aimed at making education popular and attractive in the area as well as attracting Federal Government attention to the area.

He also stated that My administration has invested heavily in education and infrastructure because the two sectors are key to the development of any state or nation.

Governor Rochas Okorocha further advised youths who paid him a visit from his hometown to embrace education and shun crime and violence.

Youths should love one another and shun all forms of crime. What you need now is education and not money. Some of the youths in the area do not show interest in education, he said.
Mr Clement Oladele, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the accident.

Oladele told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the accident was caused by a truck driver, who drove against traffic, and collided with the Mazda Bus.

The accident involved seven persons, three males and four females in which two males and two females got injured, while two males and one female died.

The accident happened around 6.00 p.m and the rescue team got there around 6:25 p.m.

The Toyota truck with Registration Number BBC 266 XF, travelling against traffic collided with a Yellow Mazda Bus with Registration number AKD 899 XP.

The accident was also caused by route violation and speed violation.

The accident involved seven persons, three males and four females in which two males and two females got injured, while two males and one female died in the accident, he said.
What better way to ease off the stress of the week than watch a good movie.

With that in mind, check out our list of movies currently showing in cinemas across Lagos and Abuja.

1.

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell

Synopsis: The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.

Friday - Thursday: 11:00am

2.

Starring: Okey Uzoechi, Adeyemi Okanlawon, Keira Hewatch, Richard mofe Damijo, Ireto Doyle, Kehinde Bankiole, Enyinna Nwigwe.

Synopsis: Friendships are tested when a man is betrayed by his best friend, he finds himself entangled in not only a love triangle but a love jungle of sorts.

Friday - Thursday: 1:00PM

Starring: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons

Synopsis: As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.

Showing:

Fri-Thur: 9:00PM

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons

Synopsis: When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society.

Showing:

Daily: 12:00 PM, 2:20 PM, 4:40 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:20 PM

(--VIP SHOWS--)

Sat - Thu: 8:20 PM, 10:25 PM

Daily: 12:20PM, 2:30PM, 4:40PM, 6:50PM, 9:00PM

Daily: 7:15PM, 9:20PM

Fri-Thur: 11:45am, 4:15pm, 5:10pm, 6:30pm, 8:45pm[2D]

Fri-Tues: 2:00pm[3D]

5.

Starring: Ramsey Nouah, Rita Dominic, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Chidi Mokeme, Memry Savanhu, Adonijah Owuruwa, Daniel K. Daniel, Nelly Ekwereogu

Synopsis: The story is told from two points of view: that of a young pregnant woman, and that of her husband, a soldier accused of being involved in the 1976 military coup and assassination of General Murtala Mohammed, the Head-of-State of Nigeria.

Friday -Thursday: 4:30pm, 8:40pm

Friday -Thursday: 4:55PM,7:10PM

Friday - Thursday: 2:10PM, 6:30PM

Starring: Ayo Makun, Funke Akindele, Eric Roberts

Synopsis: A Trip to Jamaica which bridges the gap between Nollywood, Gollywood, Hollywood and the Jamaican movie industry will be showcasing AY again as the no-holds- barred Akpos, alongside the award-winning Funke Akindele, who plays Bola in the high voltage potpourri of love, adventure, crime and lots of comedy.

Showing:

Friday - Thursday: 1:50pm

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen

Synopsis: A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two passengers are awakened 90 years early.

Showing:

Friday - Thursday: 12:50PM, 5:10PM

Fri, Sun, Mon, Wed & Thu: 8:20 PM

Daily: 10:50am, 3:15pm, 5:30pm, 7:45pm

Starring:Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sola Sobowale, Alibaba, Iretiola Doyle, Banky W, and Adesua Etom

Synopsis: Our love birds just want to tie the knot in peace, but will true love stand even the most chaotic of wedding celebrations?

Showing:

Daily: 11:00 AM, 1:10 PM, 3:20 PM, 5:30 PM, 7:40 PM, 9:50 PM

(--VIP SHOWS--)

Daily: 2:00 PM, 6:30 PM, 8:40 PM, 10:50 PM

Friday -Thursday: 1:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm, 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8:00pm, 9:00pm

Friday -Thursday: 10:45AM, 7:00PM,9:25PM

Friday - Thursday: 1:10PM, 3:10PM, 5:10PM, 6:20PM, 7:10PM, 8:20PM. 9:10PM

9.

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Timberlake

Synopsis: From the creators of Shrek comes the most smart, funny, irreverent animated comedy of the year, DreamWorks' Trolls. This holiday season, enter a colorful, wondrous world populated by hilariously unforgettable characters and discover the story of the overly optimistic Trolls.

Daily: 2:20PM, 4:30PM

Daily: 10:40am, 12:50PM

Daily: 10:00am, 11:10am, 1:00pm, 2:45pm

10.

Starring: ZACK ORJI, RMD and VICTOR OLAOTAN

Synopsis: The Three Wise Men is a Dramatic comedy that humorously presents the follies of three aged men. The comedy satirizes the actions and intents of three elderly men in their mid/late 60's who struggle to re-live their lost youth.

Friday -Thursday: 12:35PM

Friday -Thursday: 6:30PM, 8:30PM

Friday -Thursday: 1:25pm, 6:40pm

Daily: 4:20 PM

11.

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Lara Pulver

Synopsis: Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her.

Daily: 11:00AM

Friday -Thursday: 3:25pm, 7:10pm

Daily: 1:20PM, 6:10PM, 8:00PM

12.

Starring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk

Synopsis: The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.

Fri, Sun, Mon, Wed & Thu: 11:30 AM, 2:15 PM, 10:50 PM

Sat: 11:30 AM, 2:15 PM, 11:05 PM

Tue: 11:30 AM, 2:15 PM

Daily:2:25PM, 8:50PM

Daily: 8:50PM

13.

Starring: Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade Love), Lere Paimo, Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello), Ishola Ogunsola (Isho Pepper), Ola Omonitan (Ajimajasan), Pa Eleyinmi, Charles Olumo (Agbako) Sunday Omobolanle (Pa Aluwe),

Synopsis: 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

Sat & Tue: 8:20 PM

Starring: Wale Ojo, Majid Michel, Adesua Etomi, Theresa Edem, Ime Bishop Umoh, Moses Armstrong and Ekere Ekanga.

Synopsis: Set in a fictitious village somewhere in Ibibio land in beautiful Akwa Ibom state, Ayamma is the story of Ihuoma, the poor but beautiful village maiden with the voice of an angel.

Daily: 12:00 PM, 9:40 PM

15.

Synopsis: 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!

Daily: 6:20PM

Starring: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet

Synopsis: Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Friday: 3:05PM, 6:50PM, 9:10PM

Saturday -Monday: 3:05PM, 6:55PM, 9:10PM

Tuesday - Thursday: 3:05PM, 6:55PM

Friday -Thursday: 12:40PM, 2:40PM, 4:40PM, 6:40PM, 8:40PM
The Governor said this on Thursday in Ilorin during the submission of the report of Committee on Creation of LCDAs by its Chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Gov. Ahmed inaugurated the committee early last year, headed by Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

Ahmed said that revenue to be generated from the planned LCDAs revenue would fund their operations and contribute to the promotion of welfare and other socio economic benefits for the people at the grassroots.

He said that the proposed would not impose additional burden on an already challenged local government council system.

The governor recalled that a 13-member committee was set-up to review agitations for LCDAs in the state and determine their viability.

Our constitution of the committee during difficult economic times and the imminent general elections, raised questions about the timing and possible political undertones for the proposition, he said.

Ahmed said the establishment of the committee was informed by the desire of his administration to bring development to the grassroots in the state.

Earlier, Chairman of the Committee Alhaji Kawu Baraje, while submitting the committees report, said that it received memoranda from all the stakeholders in the 16 local government areas of the state in accordance with the terms of its reference.
In a three-page statement issued to newsmen in Umuahia on Wednesday, the group described the exercise as a charade and called for its cancelation.

The statement, which was signed by the groups Chairman and Publicity Secretary, Messrs Ebere Uzoukwa (Obingwa LG) and Ejiofor Okeudo (Bende), further called on the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) to order a fresh exercise in the state.

According to the statement, the purported local government chairmanship/councillorship elections by ABSIEC never took place.

ABSIEC only played a deceptive script as handed over to it against the opposition candidates and Abia electorate,  it stated.

The candidates further alleged that the commission connived and conspired with Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, the state government and leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to return all PDP councillorship and chairmanship candidates with or without election.

They contended that on the day of the elections, the commission distributed a few ballot papers and fake result sheets, while original result sheets and electoral materials were handed over to PDP chieftains.

They said, the Dec. 21 charade could not be regarded or described as local government/councillorship elections in the state.

Therefore, our stand remains that ABSIEC is yet to conduct local government chairmanship / councillorship elections as proposed in the state, they stated.

They therefore called for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the commission, retired Justice Igbozurike Akomas, for committing the worst electoral crime in the history of Abia.

The group also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft agencies to investigate the governor and the commission over the huge fees collected from all the candidates in the elections.

They alleged that the commission also coerced them to obtain another tax clearance from the states Board of Internal Revenue, even after paying taxes in their respective areas

This is not only wicked but a fraudulent act unimaginably perpetrated by an electoral umpire fully funded with tax-payers money, the group stated.
In a recent report by SaharaReporters, constituents have complained bitterly about the decadence in the Senatorial district that comprises of Lokoja, Ijumu, Kaba/Bunu, Koto/Karfi, Mopa/Amuro, Yagba East and Yagba West local government areas.

The complaints of neglect was orchestrated by the realisation that Senator Melaye has no office in the entire Kogi West that comprises of seven different local governments.

In the words of one of the constituents, Kaba is the headquarters of Kogi West Senatorial District and there is nowhere here that you will find a Dino Melayes Kogi West senatorial office.

Meanwhile, Melaye gave his constituency office address as Iluafon Quarters, Aiyetoro-Gbede, Ijumu local government area, Kogi.

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Another constituent said: "Iluafon Quarters, inside this village? There is nothing like that. And Senator Dino Melaye doesnt have any office here. Even his family house that used to be in this village before his forefathers moved to Aiyetoro-Gbede has collapsed.

It was further reported that Melaye, who has etched himself as one of the most flamboyant and controversial Senator/politician, has neither implemented any worthy project nor move to better the lives of the constituents.

According to a constituent, schools are dilapidated, roads are bad and unmotorable while several villages in the seven local government areas that make up Kogi West Senatorial district are without electricity or healthy water.

"After six months in office, he told us he was coming to implement some projects especially in Kaba, the so-called senatorial headquarters. He even collected our names, that we will be the ones to supervise the projects. Sadly, we are yet to see him come for the projects.

"Look at the road from Ayede garage to Ole/Iluke, so horrible. Look at Kaba/Bunu where we have 39 villages, only four of these villages have electricity.

Even the fourth one, Iluke, is just worse than those without light. And this Bunu is an area Melaye used rigorously to campaign, promising to fix the electricity if elected. No good hospitals, dilapidated schools everywhere in his constituency, yet he goes about celebrating his new Ferrari and all."
The Ekiti APC was alleged to have said that Adeboye praised Governor Ayo Fayose because he had collected a bribe.

The party further blamed the media attacks on Fayose who it said wanted to turn Christians against it with the false claims.

Publicity Secretary of the Ekiti APC, Taiwo Olatunbosun made the comments via a statement.

The statement reads:

We want to make it plain with all sense of responsibility that APC is not the author of the two press statements as we have utmost respect for men in God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye in particular.

The two press statements bear the footprint of Fayose in his characteristic manner to push fictitious and damaging press releases in the media against individuals and institutions and ascribe them to his opponents to incur public opprobrium.

Nigerians should remember that this same Fayose criminally printed posters in Chief Afe Babalolas name in 2005 purporting that the innocent elder statesman wanted to contest election against him, hence the incessant criticisms of his government by the innocent Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

He did the same to Fayemis wife with a press statement that the innocent woman called Ekiti people ingrate and hungry people, the same way his media crooks cooked different anonymous groups in the name of APC and used their names to lie and abuse APC leaders in order to tear the party apart and in fact the same these crooks wrote on my behalf in the media that I accused Mrs Aisha Buhari of complicity in the Harliburton scandal and that I asked her to defend herself.

The lid of this media conspiracy has been blown open by their latest press release condemning Pastor Adeboye as a money monger. They posted the press release to media houses in the name of one Oluwole Ogunlola with the email address ekitinews2014@gmail.com, an email address that belongs to Ekiti State Government.

Besides, there is no member in the APC media team called Oluwole Ogunlola; in fact all APC press releases are signed by Taiwo Olatunbosun and sent to the media through his email address.

The last two press releases against Adeboye, which they alleged were written by the State Chairman of APC, Jide Awe; and Fayemis Senior Special Assistant on Research and Documentation, Hakeem Jamiu, were neither sent to the media through Olatunbosuns email and nor signed by him.

Their latest attempt to paint APC leaders, such as Awe and Fayemi, in bad light in the eyes of Pastor Adeboye, fell flat on their face when reputable media houses refused to use the story because it did not originate from Taiwo Olatunbosuns email address neither was the story signed by him as is the practice in APCs communications to media houses.

We agree that Fayose and his media aides are a perfect match in integrity deficiency, the experience of Ekiti people and indeed Nigerians in Fayose and his aides hands is a direct consequence of placing the serious business of running the administration of a state in the hands of irresponsible people.

We appreciate the Nigerian media for their display of professionalism and pursuit of truth as enshrined in the media code and practice by refusing to publish Fayoses malicious and dangerous press release capable of causing social discontent in the Nigerian society.

We believe that Pastor Adeboye worships and serves true God and it is on the strength of this that we invoke Psalm 52 on the writers on those press releases attributed to APC for devising mischief, doing evil, lying and working deceitfully against the righteous.

We believe that Pastor Adeboye has an anointed tongue and so we say that may the curses from Pastor Adeboyes mouth and wrath of the Great Lord he serves be upon the writers of those damaging press releases against him.
Its Chairman, Alhaji Hussaini Ibrahim, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Friday that the levy was imposed by the Vehicle Inspection Office in the state.

He said the state government should not compel its members to pay the N5,000 fee, adding that since 1976, no government had imposed such levy on its members.

They ask us to paint our taxis yellow, we complied. Now they are tasking us to pay for certificate of colour code to enable us operate as taxi drivers.

This does not make sense and it is not workable neither is it feasible anywhere, he said.

Ibrahim said the policy was the handiwork of consultants the state government contracted to help revamp the economy of the state.
Although the university has also decided not to hold classes during the hours of Catholic and Orthodox worship on Saturdays and Sundays, Milorad Dodic, president of the Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska condemned the move, saying "this is increasingly like an Islamic state".

Dodic said Sarajevo authorities had also banned alcohol on New Year's Eve.

The sale of alcohol is also prohibited by the internal regulations of two newly built shopping centres in the city owned by Gulf investors.

Three left-wing and liberal political parties including the Social Democratic Party (SDP) also denounced the move amid concerns over radicalisation among a minority of Bosnian Muslims.

The university however said the decision was taken with the aim of respecting "human rights and denominational freedoms".
"Russia's foreign ministry... has requested that the Russian president approve declaring as personae non gratae 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US consulate in Saint Petersburg," Lavrov said in televised comments.

The ministry is also seeking to ban diplomats from using a holiday home located in western Moscow and a warehouse in the north of the city, Lavrov said, after President Barack Obama said the US would close two Russian compounds.

Lavrov said the two Russian country houses in New York and Maryland were used for children's holidays and ridiculed the notion they were "nests of spies."
The deal, which does not include designated "terrorists" like the Islamic State group, was announced hours earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition.

While the truce was standing in most parts of the country early Friday, some fighting broke out near a Christian town in central Hama province with Islamist factions attacking regime forces, according to a monitoring group.

"Fierce clashes took place between the two sides pushing regime forces to withdraw from a hill near Maharda," Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP.

"Small rebel groups and armed loyalists are seeking to destroy the truce because it puts an end to their presence," he said.

Elsewhere, the ceasefire was reported to be holding.

AFP correspondents in Damascus and Idlib said there had been no sound of shelling, airstrikes or clashes since midnight.

The agreement, hailed by Syria's government as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, comes a week after the regime recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

The deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, but does not involve Washington, which has negotiated previous ceasefires with Moscow.

Putin said Damascus and the "main forces of the armed opposition" had inked a truce and a document expressing a readiness to start peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Putin said he would also reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria, which has been flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad since last year.

The Kremlin strongman, however, said Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" in Syria and maintain its support for the regime.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said seven opposition groups, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, had signed the deal and those who failed to adhere would be considered "terrorists".

Erdogan indicated Turkey would press on with its four-month incursion into Syria against Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish militia.

Astana peace talks

Syria's army said the deal did not include IS and the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front.

That could cause complications in areas like Idlib in northwestern Syria, where Fateh al-Sham is allied with rebel groups that have signed onto the deal.

Syria's political opposition and rebels had confirmed their backing for the truce, saying it applied to all parts of the country.

"The agreement is for all of Syria and contains no exceptions or preconditions," said Osama Abou Zeid, a legal adviser to rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner.

The agreement comes after Turkey and Russia brokered a deal to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

Moscow and Ankara are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start soon in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

"Now we need to do everything for these agreements to come into force, for them to work, so that the negotiating teams that have been or are being formed promptly and as soon as possible arrive in Astana," Putin said.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would "pave the way for productive talks" in Kazakhstan, but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue early next year.

'Positive development'

Russia and Turkey have both said the peace talks they will supervise are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them entirely.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia, Turkey and Iran were arranging for the talks and pressing for other key international players to get involved.

Lavrov said Moscow would invite Egypt and try to attract other regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan.

jpegMpeg4-1280x720He added Moscow would seek to involve US President-elect Donald Trump's administration once he takes office in less than a month, but the process does not appear to involve outgoing President Barack Obama's administration.

The US State Department called the ceasefire deal a "positive development" and said it hoped it would lead to fresh negotiations on Syria's political future.

Abou Zeid confirmed the truce deal was intended to pave the way for new talks in Astana, with the High Negotiations Committee that has represented the opposition at previous negotiations expected to participate.

Turkey has long backed Syria's opposition, and its relations with Russia soured last year after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane.
Authorities arrested the five from the youth movement of Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane's Justice and Development Party (PJD), the source said, after the assassination of Andrei Karlov on December 19.

The Akhbar Al-Yaoum daily reported a sixth person had been called in for questioning.

The PJD, whose leader has been tasked with forming a new governing coalition after winning October parliamentary polls, has yet to comment on the arrests.

But the head of the party's lawyer association, Abdessamad al-Idrissi, said he would be defending those detained.

Under Moroccan law, the crime of justifying terrorist acts can be punished by up to six years in prison and more than $19,000 in fines.

On December 22, the justice and interior ministries said they were opening an investigation after a group of people "clearly celebrated on social media the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey".

In early December, Benkirane caused a diplomatic stir by criticising Russia's military intervention in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Salutes all nonprofit organizations that help support, grow, anchor and promote the Muscatine area. Photo reprinted with permission of copyright holder Saturday January 7th | 7 PM Central Middle School Auditorium Admission: $10 Doors open at 6:30 PM Who will capture the crown? About the Miss Muscatine Scholarship Program: Founded in 1965 Mission: The mission of the Miss Muscatine Scholarship Program is to provide opportunities to further the education of Iowas young women and give back through community service. More Info: www.missmuscatine.com 23rd Annual Eagles & Ivories Ragtime Weekend Friday, January 27th, 2017 Saturday, January 28th, 2017 Sunday, January 29th, 2017 Info at: http://www. muscatineartscouncil.org/ Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon Saturday January 28th, 2017 Rose Bowl - Muscatine, Iowa 1:00pm - 4:00pm Trivia Night Benefiting Muskie Traveling Softball 12U & 14U Teams Join us for this fun, one-of-a-kind event that you wont want to miss! Saturday January 14th @ Fruitland Community Center Lanes will fill up fast, contact Katie at katie.langel@ja.org or 30-277-3919, or visit our website to register your team online now! www.jaheartland.org Doors open @ 5:30pm/Trivia starts @ 6pm. $80 per table  up to 8 people Contact Mikelle @ 563-506-9068 TheThe Muscatine Journal history of supporting this community andyears, local non-profits. annually to a Quad-City Timeshas hasover beena a175-year leader and advocate for the community for 160 including a We richinvest history of number of localnonprofits. organizations. addition, employees also donate to numerous organizations aimedand at supporting the supporting We In invest moreour than $250,000 each yeartheir in a time number of Quad-City organizations our community wedonate proudlytheir serve, such Miss Muscatine Scholarship Pageant. employees time to as numerous organizations. Quad-City Times is proud to offer to charitable nonprofit organizations TheThe Muscatine Journal is proud to offer this this pagepage to charitable non-profit organizations 501(c)(3) for promoting events or services. 501(c)(3) for promoting events or services. ForFor moremore information on this page, contact Jaime at 563.262.0552 Jaime.Limoges@MuscatineJournal.com information on this page, contact Jennifer oratemail 563.383.2296 or email spotlight@qctimes.com
A North Liberty, Iowa, man, who already is facing charges of attempted murder and solicitation to commit murder in a Johnson County case, is facing new charges in what authorities say is a murder-for-hire scheme he concocted while in the Muscatine County Jail awaiting trial.

Justin Lee DeWitt, 36, was charged in June with four counts of attempted murder and four counts of solicitation to commit murder when he was accused of making a deal to kill four people with someone he thought was a hit man. The hit man was an undercover police officer, documents state.

According to Johnson County arrest affidavits filed by North Liberty Police Officer Rueben Ross, DeWitt met with an undercover police officer whom he believed to be a hit man at 7:20 p.m. June 27.

During that meeting, DeWitt gave the undercover agent $1,000 as a down payment to kill four people. The four people were an adult male, an adult female and two 4-year-old children. DeWitt signed a contract to pay the remainder of the money owed by July 15, according to the arrest affidavit.

DeWitt was arrested and was being held in the Muscatine County Jail on the charges.

Then on Dec. 17 and 19, while in the Muscatine County Jail awaiting trial, DeWitt met with an undercover state agent he thought was an associate of a hit man, according to criminal complaints filed by Jagat Sandhu, an agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

During those meetings, DeWitt agreed to pay $25,000 to have three people killed. DeWitt agreed to give the undercover agent $500 as a down payment on the crimes. Those targeted included an adult male, an adult female and a state agent. All three were to be killed before they could testify against DeWitt in an upcoming trial.

On Dec. 20, DeWitt contacted an unwitting third party and asked a check be mailed to the undercover state agent, according to the criminal complaints.

When interviewed by police Dec. 27, DeWitt admitted to hiring a hit man to kill the three people to keep them from testifying against him, according to the criminal complaints.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement conducted the investigation that led to the charges in Muscatine County.

Attempted murder is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Solicitation to commit murder is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

If he is found guilty of the charges, the judges in the cases could sentence DeWitt to serve consecutive sentences on each of the 11 charges, meaning he could be sentenced to up to 215 years in prison.

County officials said that inmate phone calls are recorded.

DeWitt made a first appearance Thursday in Muscatine County District Court on the Muscatine County charges. His bond has been set at $750,000.
Emma and Jackson topped the list of most-popular baby names in the Quad-Cities for 2016, chosen as No. 1 at Genesis BirthCenters in Davenport and Silvis, as well as at Trinity Moline, according to news releases from the hospitals.

At Trinity Bettendorf, the top names were Ava and Aiden.

At Genesis, 15 baby girls went home with the name Emma, which also was No. 18 nationally in 2016, according to babynames.com.

Nationally the No. 1 choice was Amelia. Twelve baby girls born at Genesis were named Amelia.

Amelia was not among the top names at Trinity.

Jackson was the No. 8 boy's name nationally, but was by far the most popular choice at Genesis. A total 23 boys birthed in Genesis BirthCenters were named Jackson, Jaxon or Jaxson.

Jackson also was first at Trinity Moline, but did not rank at Trinity Bettendorf.

A surprise among popular boys' names at Genesis in 2016 was Owen with 15 babies. Owen was No. 4 nationally, according to babynames.com.

Unusual names reported at Genesis were Zimyah Nishae (girl); Ya Zier (boy); Tymarjay (boy); Aboubacar (boy); Aboulhaleek (boy) and Dajerminiq (girl).

Unusual names reported by Trinity Moline were Winter, Blessing, MacArthur, Syncere, Brighton, Treasure, Goodness, Tempest, Serenity and Galena.

Olivia has become a traditional naming favorite at Genesis. In the past six years Olivia was No. 1 three times (2015, 2014, 2012) at Genesis and No. 2 in 2013 and again this year.

Evelyn is down the list nationally, but has been near the top on the Genesis list the past two years.

The influence of the World Champion Chicago Cubs was not notable, although there was one Wrigley (a girl) and one Rizzo (a boy) born at Genesis in 2016, according to Craig Cooper, senior communications specialist.

Wrigley Field is the home field of the Chicago Cubs and Anthony Rizzo is the popular first baseman of the Cubs.
Larry C. Henson, 67, former president of the failed Valley Bank, has consented to an "order of prohibition" from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., barring him from further involvement in banking.

In a three-page order posted Friday on the FDIC website, Henson, of Bettendorf, admits no wrongdoing. Contacted by a reporter, he declined comment.

The order is the latest in a long list involving Henson and Valley Bank, formerly headquartered in Moline, that began in 2009. In that year, the FDIC issued its first "cease and desist order," citing the bank for "unsafe and unsound banking practices" and ordering it to make changes.

In addition to its offices in the Quad-Cities, Valley Bank had one-time locations in Des Moines, Sterling-Rock Falls, Florida and Arizona.

More "cease and desist" orders were issued in following years, and in early June 2013, Henson was forced out as the bank's president.

A year later, all remaining bank locations were closed by financial regulators as financially insolvent, and the FDIC arranged for Great Southern Bank to take over.

Although progress had been made after Henson's departure, remaining employees could not reverse the substantial losses already embedded in the bank's loan portfolio, regulators found.

In the aftermath, two former directors, including Henson's son, were fined. Four civil lawsuits claiming personal losses were filed, and the Inspector General's Office of the FDIC issued a report in August 2015 critical of the FDIC's own handling of the bank.

The report stated that because of Henson's unbridled authority and risky business decisions, he was a key reason the bank failed.

Henson held "dominance over all areas of the bank, especially the lending function (and) was the driving force behind the bank's problems," the report stated.

In the order posted Friday, the FDIC states that Henson is unfit to serve as a "director, officer (or) person participating in the conduct of the affairs" of an insured depository institution.

The order states the FDIC has reason to believe Henson engaged in unsafe or unsound banking practices. In addition, these practices caused financial loss to the bank, and they involved "personal dishonesty" or demonstrated "willful and/or continuing disregard for the safety or soundness of the banks."

Two civil lawsuits involving the bank remain.

Brian Tugana, a former Valley Bank shareholder from Clinton, is a plaintiff in one of those suits. He and Russell Weaver, formerly of Galesburg, now of Florida, filed against the FDIC, claiming it was negligent in overseeing the bank and Henson, a negligence that led to the institution's failure and their losses.

Tugana said he lost $5 million.

The FDIC has until the end of January to respond.

The other remaining lawsuit was filed by Florida investors who claim they lost $1.85 million in a fraudulent investment scheme. There have been no filings in that case since June.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  A North Liberty man will face charges for an alleged attempt to murder three individuals while being held in the Muscatine County Jail.

Justin DeWitt, 36, has been charged with three counts of attempt to commit murder, a class B felony, according to a press release from Muscatine County Attorney Alan Ostergren.

While being held in the Muscatine County Jail on behalf of the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, DeWitt allegedly sought the murder of an Iowa Department of Public Safety special agent, an adult male, and an adult female.

The alleged murder-for-hire scheme is the second for which Dewitt will face charges. In Johnson County, DeWitt is facing four counts of attempted murder and four counts of solicitation to commit murder, after allegedly seeking the murder of two adults and two children.

DeWitt's jury trial in the Johnson County case has been set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17.

His bond has been set at $750,000, and his preliminary hearing has been set for 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9, in Muscatine County District Court.

DeWitt is being held in the Muscatine County Jail in administrative segregation.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, and Division of Narcotics Enforcement investigated.

Emily Wenger of the Muscatine Journal
Collapse: It's the best description of Iowa's Medicaid network and Gov. Terry Branstad's ideological crusade to gut the program.

Providers have raged since Branstad this year privatized the bulk of the program that provides health care insurance for roughly 20 percent of Iowans. Anecdotes about slow payments and rejected services are piled high. Democrats demanded more oversight of handover of the $4.2 billion to a trio of private insurers. In March, federal regulators urged Branstad to postpone the shift, citing the state's unreadiness. But Branstad, preferring ideological purity over reality, wasn't having any of it.

Iowa will save more than $100 million this fiscal year, Branstad insisted, even as the insurers themselves reported huge losses and demanded more cash.

Branstad's narrative crumbled earlier this month, however. That's when The Des Moines Register got its hands on internal memos and emails between state officials and the insurers.

CliffsNotes: Branstad's partisan pipe-dream is something of a cash-bleeding nightmare. In fact, the state's October offer to pony up more cash incensed executives at the insurance providers tasked with managing this mess.

"We are extremely disappointed in the amended rate offer, as it does not address the significant rate issue identified and documented.  The departments rate offer is not actuarially sound and is not acceptable to us," AmeriHealth Caritas Regional Vice President Russell Gianforcaro wrote to state Human Services Director Charles Palmer.

Let's unpack Gianforcaro's statement a bit.

Two of the three firms reported losses in the tens of millions shortly after taking control of Iowa's formerly public, once-lauded health care system for the poor. The Branstad administration, which promised huge taxpayer savings, offered them more money through an amended rate. AmeriHealth scoffed at the pittance.

Taken on its own, it would be easy to dismiss that firm's complaints as little but profit-driven sour grapes. But, as a whole, it's increasingly clear that, less than a year in, Branstad's expedition into for-profit welfare is failing corporate boards and Iowa's poorest, alike.

Other states have done it and succeeded, Branstad says. Even states run by Democrats have contracted-out a portion of Medicaid services, he argues.

Don't be duped.

Yes, even the New Yorks of the world have privatized bits and pieces of the pricey health care system. Branstad's move is something entirely different. Iowa's shift was sweeping and almost complete. Many states  weary of increasing cost  have nibbled around Medicaid's edges. Iowa, under Branstad's insistence that he alone had monopoly on fact, offered up the whole pie.

Privatized Medicaid in Iowa isn't working for the the poor. It's shortchanging providers. It's bilking the very taxpayers who were promised the moon. It's even failing the one group that stood to most benefit, the firms paid hundreds of millions to handle it.

And it's all because Branstad opted to rush over listening to reason. It will continue because Republicans in the Legislature refuse to provide proper oversight. It won't end until a devastating collapse leaves corporate boards in open revolt and Iowa's poorest struggling to access health care.

Or, this time, Iowa's GOP Legislature could stand up to Branstad's ideological purity, accept reality and actually govern before it's too late.
TOLEDO, Ohio | The Ohio owner of tigers, bears and other exotic animals seized by the state will be allowed to examine the ones that were sent to a Spearfish sanctuary then later relocated because of neglect, a court has ruled.

A state appeals court said Kenny Hetrick and his veterinarian should be allowed to check on the animals that were relocated to a Colorado sanctuary and ordered the state to arrange the visits within the next month.

The court said last week that a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture detailing the neglect of some of Hetrick's animals is understandably the cause of great concern for him. It also said the Ohio Department of Agriculture had a duty to make sure the animals were receiving proper care.

The department took custody of 11 animals from Hetrick's roadside sanctuary near Toledo in January 2015 after officials say he ignored warnings about needing a permit. Officials hauled away the animals under a state law that came about after a man in eastern Ohio released dozens of his exotic animals before killing himself in 2011. Many of those animals were killed by law enforcement out of a public safety concern.

Hetrick's animals eventually were moved to sanctuaries in other states while he and his family continued to fight the state in court, arguing the animals were improperly taken and should be returned.

One of Hetrick's tigers sent to the South Dakota sanctuary before being removed in the fall because it was found in poor health and having trouble eating was euthanized in early December. The tiger was among a dozen animals removed from the Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Spearfish and sent to another sanctuary in Colorado.

Meanwhile, the same state appeals court ruling that will allow Hetrick to visit his animals denied his appeal to lift a stay of a county judge's order that said the state unfairly denied a permit to him and that the tigers, bear and three other big cats should be returned to Ohio.

That means the county judge's order will remain on hold while the state appeals that ruling.
A Spearfish man has been charged with trying to entice a minor through use of the internet, according to authorities.

Nicholaus Tripp, 28, was arrested on Dec. 23 on a criminal complaint, according to a release from the South Dakota Attorney General's Office.

Authorities said the charge, one count of attempted enticement of a minor using the internet, relates to Tripp allegedly trying to "engage in unlawful sexual acts with a minor." He pleaded not guilty on Dec. 27.

The case is being investigated by the Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Spearfish Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. A trial date has been set for late Feb. 28.
Two years ago, you trusted me with your vote to serve as your U.S. senator. Having seen the damaging effects of our overreaching, broken federal government as a business owner, governor, father and grandfather, I was eager to get to work to fix Washington.

While partisan gridlock in Washington still exists, we were able to make progress in several areas. We were able to enact the first major changes to our education laws since No Child Left Behind, returning decision-making to the local level where it belongs. We also passed a long-term highway bill for the first time in two decades, allowing us to make long-overdue improvements to our roads and bridges.

While we still have work to do on tax reform, we were able to come together to make permanent sales tax deductions as well as deductions for charitable giving and certain educators. We also made section 179 permanent at the $500,000 level, which particularly benefits farmers and ranchers and could increase U.S. economic output by nearly $19 billion over 10 years. This type of tax relief allows South Dakota families and businesses to plan more efficiently and spend more of their money how they see fit.

While the accomplishments of the 114th Congress are a start, I am aware of the challenges we continue to face. Despite getting 240 bipartisan bills signed into law, we still have a broken budget system, an over-sized bureaucracy, too much red tape and a tax code that is more than 74,000 pages long.

The regulatory regime alone is costing Americans nearly $1.9 trillion annually, far more than is paid in individual income taxes. These regulatory costs are taking money out of the pockets of hard-working South Dakotans, stunting economic growth and hurting the citizens our government is meant to serve.

While we have made improvements to agencies such as the VA, too many veterans are still suffering at the hands of administrative bureaucracy. We have an Indian Health System in need of total overhaul, employing twice as many bureaucrats as health providers. Meanwhile, tribal members are literally dying awaiting care the federal government has an obligation to provide. We must make these and other agencies more efficient.

In the next Congress, addressing our debt crisis must also be a priority. The long-term driver of our debt is mandatory payments and interest on our debt, currently over $19 trillion. Yet Congress does not even debate the merits of mandatory payments, which accounts for more than 70 percent of our spending. I have been working with other senators to find ways to revise the budget process in Congress, so we can address our budget crisis. What we have been working on would open up the entire budget to congressional management, including mandatory payments.

As we move forward to the 115th Congress and a new Republican administration eager to work with us rather than against us, I am optimistic in our ability to build on the successes of the past two years. But we must also get serious about bringing real changes that will leave our country even stronger for the next generation of Americans.
WASHINGTON | "Spare us the kissy-face."

It was June 2001 and I was covering President George W. Bush's trip to Slovenia, where he had just met Vladimir Putin for the first time. I and others were struck by Bush's praise for the Russian leader as "trustworthy." Said Bush: "I was able to get a sense of his soul."

But back in Washington, my editor had no interest in such talk. He rewrote my lede with other news  a tidbit about missile defense  and he moved the "kissy-face" stuff about Putin's soul down to paragraph 18.

In retrospect, that moment in Slovenia defined the Russia relationship for years to come. Putin had seduced Bush, who only slowly came to understand he had misjudged this adversary's soul. Putin opposed Bush in Iraq and was unhelpful with Iran. He shut down independent television, sent business leaders who criticized him into exile and prison, ousted democratic parties from government, canceled the election of governors and invaded Georgia.

The kissy-face happened all over again when President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to "reset" relations. Russia responded by working against the United States in Syria, sheltering Edward Snowden, invading and occupying parts of Ukraine, and hacking and meddling in the U.S. election to defeat Clinton.

Now it's Donald Trump's turn for kissy-face, and the president-elect is practically groping the Russian dictator. After Putin gloated Friday that Democrats need to learn "to lose with dignity," Trump tweeted Putin a sloppy kiss: "So true!" he said of Putin's comments.

Trump also celebrated a letter he received from Putin calling for more collaboration between the two countries. "His thoughts are so correct," Trump said.

Trump's blush-inducing embrace of the strongman has included repeated praise of Putin's leadership, deflected questions about Putin's political killings and disparagement of U.S. intelligence for accusing Russia of election meddling.

In three weeks, Trump will assume the presidency, and we'll learn what his embrace of Putin really means. Perhaps Trump is just a dupe and he'll realize over time that Putin is no friend. The alternative, supported by Trump's choice of Putin-friendly advisers Michael T. Flynn and Rex Tillerson, is that Trump really is pro-Putin and will grant the Russian dictator more latitude internationally and will emulate his autocratic tendencies at home.

The former would require us to endure some policy failures as Putin proved himself again to be an adversary. The latter would test the limits of our democratic institutions.

In either case, it would be useful for Americans to have at least a cursory sense of the man our new president proposes to embrace. Here's a quick glimpse into Putin's soul to get us started:

Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was killed outside the Kremlin as he walked home one night last year. Putin's regime blames Chechens, but Nemtsov's is one of a dozen high-profile murders of opponents widely thought to have been sanctioned by Putin's government.

Another Putin opponent, Alexander Litvinenko, was killed in London by polonium poisoning in 2006. The British government said Putin "probably" approved the hit. That same year, opposition journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot and killed outside her apartment.

Among the many business leaders imprisoned or ousted under Putin are Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was head of the oil giant Yukos, and associate Platon Lebedev. The Russian human rights group Memorial says there are 102 people held in Russian prisons for their political or religious beliefs.

The Kremlin has provided funding and training for far-right nationalist parties in Europe, and it used its state media and an army of hackers and social-media trolls to spread disinformation in the United States, in continental Europe and in Britain before the Brexit vote. The goals: to weaken European unity and the NATO alliance and to keep Europe dependent on Russian energy.

Russia also used disinformation to destabilize the Ukrainian government as Russia annexed Crimea. In Syria, where Russia propped up the Assad regime with indiscriminate bombing in Aleppo and elsewhere, Britain, France and the United States have blamed Putin's government for the mass slaughter of civilians.

An Amnesty International summary of Putin's rule leaves no doubt about his totalitarian state: "Journalist Killed  Human Rights Lawyer Killed  Gay Rights Protesters Attacked  Repressive Laws Enacted  Fines for 'Promoting Homosexuality' Imposed  President Putin Signs Law to Re-criminalize Defamation  USAID Expelled  Federal Treason and Espionage Act goes into effect  Moscow Authorities Detain Protesters and Opposition Party Members."

This, Mr. President-elect, is the man you are embracing. Please spare us the kissy-face.
While some in America celebrate the alleged demise of the "lame stream media," it is crucial to remember that dictators and extremists benefit most when reporters are prevented from doing their jobs. Such a reminder comes from the year-end report by the group Reporters Without Borders, which has compiled a list showing that 74 professional and citizen journalists were killed in 2016.

"Some were killed while out reporting," the group's round-up says. "Most were clearly the deliberately targeted victims of deadly violence." In fact, "Worldwide, nearly three quarters of the journalists killed in 2016 were deliberately murdered."

The report documents the deaths of journalists like Mariam Ebrahimi, Mehri Azizi and Zainab Mirzaee, three women killed when a suicide bomber targeted their minibus in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Also in Afghanistan, a Taliban ambush killed David Gilkey, an American photojournalist working for National Public Radio.

Photojournalist Osama Jumaa was killed in an Aleppo, Syria, neighborhood while covering the civil war for a British news agency.

An ISIS sniper killed cameraman Ali Raysan in a village near Mosul, Iraq.

It is no surprise that most of the deaths  as well as arrests and imprisonment  occur in countries riven by war and dominated by authoritarian factions and/or regimes. Places like Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan lead the list for murdered journalists. Sadly, Mexico also makes the list because the de facto war between police and cartels puts journalists in the line of fire from all sides.

No journalists were killed in America in 2016. We do not make any claim of parity between what goes on in Syria and what goes on in the United States. But only a fool, or a friend of authoritarianism, would dismiss as unimportant the growing assaults on the free press in America, including those by the country's soon-to-be president.

Donald Trump has vilified the press at campaign rallies and continued the practice during "Thank You" tours even as he claims that he wants to unite the nation. He has suggested making it easier to squelch reporting by eliminating protections in libel laws. And Trump isn't just talking. He has restricted press coverage of his activities and revoked credentials of media outlets whose coverage he did not like.

Not that President Barack Obama championed the free press. He restricted coverage of his administration's activities and, more than any modern president, sought criminal charges against those involved in press leaks. It is chilling to think Trump could do worse.

Official disdain for the free press is even more ominous in the current climate, when too many people seem incapable of distinguishing truth from falsehood or, to put it bluntly, willingly ignore the truth if their candidate is the source of the lies. There are serious allegations that Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to swing our election to Trump. Trump's defensive reaction to those allegations has not instilled confidence that he is eager to uncover the truth.

The rise of citizen journalists is commendable  when they have the desire and the ability to report the news and clearly label opinion as opinion. Citizen journalists are filling the gaps in places like Aleppo, where the violence and danger are so extreme that news agencies have withdrawn reporters  a necessity that explains the decline in journalists' deaths from 2015, when 101 were killed.

Diminished reporting from such regions ought to concern Americans. Not only do we have troops and "advisers" deployed to hot spots, they tend to be the triggers for international confrontations.

Citizen journalists are valuable when they behave like professional journalists. There are not nearly enough of them to replace the work of the professional reporters who, day in and day out, are the bedrock of accurate news in America.

This country still is blessed with a free press that citizens of places like Iran, Russia, Iraq, Turkey, China and Mexico only can dream about. Tension between the press and government is inevitable in countries where the free press does its job. What is the tipping point between tension and violence, freedom and authoritarianism? Let's not find out.
Russian court detains regional official charged with bribery, embezzlement

MOSCOW, December 30 (RAPSI)  A court in Khakassia detained Vladimir Byzov, chief of the Administration of the republics head charged with bribery and implication in embezzling 195 million rubles ($3.2 mln), until late February, RIA Novosti reported on Friday.

According to investigators, eight members of an organized criminal group, including officials and managers of commercial enterprises, have committed a large-scale fraud, using their official position. From December 1, 2015 to December 27, 2016, the gang members were buying drugs, medical equipment and other goods in Abakan for Khakass healthcare services at inflated prices, embezzling 195 million rubles in the process.

Other members of the group reportedly were also put in jail in this case.

Byzov was additionally charged with receiving 17 million rubles ($283,000) in bribes for assistance in signing governmental contracts with commercial organizations under the control of one of the managers.
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Ukraine to sue Russia for alleged violation of treaty on friendship - report

MOSCOW, December 30 (RAPSI)  Ukraine is going to file with an international court a lawsuit over alleged violation of the Treaty on Friendship by Russia, Ukrinform agency reported Friday citing Ukraines Deputy Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko.

In accordance with the so-called great treaty on friendship between two countries, the Russian Federation must respect Ukraines territorial integrity and inviolability of present boundaries, Pristayko said in an interview with Ukrinform.

Ukraine has prepared a lawsuit accusing Russia of failure to comply with the treaty, the agency reports.

The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation was signed in Kiev on May 31, 1997 and ratified by parties in 1998.

The agreement is intended for strategic partnership between two countries based on principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, border inviolability, peaceful settlement of disputes, non-use of force or threat of force, including economic and other means of pressure.

Contracting partners also undertook to avoid the use of their territories in prejudice of security for each party and reduce military forces and arms, according to the treaty.

In October 2008, the document was automatically prolonged for ten years.
Seven multiple-use recreation groups have filed suit seeking to force the Bitterroot National Forest to redo its travel plan signed last May.

In the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Missoula, the groups say Bitterroot Forest officials ignored key input by the public and violated existing statutes and policies in developing the plan that establishes where motorized travel is allowed.

Bitterroot Forest officials spent over nine years developing the plan after considering 13,400 comments.

The plan shut off thousands of acres of areas classified as Wilderness Study Areas to snowmobilers, ATV riders and mountain bikers.

The groups that filed suit include the Bitterroot Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club, Ravalli County Off-Road User Association, Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists, Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association, Montana Snowmobile Association, Citizens for Balanced Use and Backcountry Sled Patriots.

Dan Thompson, a long-time member of the Bitterroot Ridge Runners and Ravalli County Off-Road User Association, said the decision to file suit wasnt an easy one.

Before moving forward, Thompson said the groups needed to have some assurance that a lawsuit could be successful in resolving some of the issues presented by the closures.

This coalition is kind of different, Thompson said. We dont have any deep pockets to reach into. We are spending money that belongs to our friends and neighbors.

In the event that we dont prevail, we will have spent a whole bunch of real peoples money, he said.

At its core, Thompson said there were two issues that forced the groups to move forward.

We worked so hard with the Forest Service to bring our points of view forward on what we thought were substantial issues, which were often supported by real data, Thompson said. By and large, all of our concerns were ignored.

Instead, Thompson said the agency focused on the idea that there were widespread conflicts occurring between motorized and non-motorized recreation groups.

That theme of widespread conflicts dominated the travel plan, he said. The Forest Service addressed those alleged conflicts by creating additional areas of quiet spaceWe dont see those conflicts. The data said there werent any conflicts.

More than half of the Bitterroot National Forest is already in wilderness, he said.

When you consider that half is reserved for quiet users, how can you make the case for a need for more of it? he said.

Stan Spencer of Missoula helped form Backcountry Sled Patriot four years ago after becoming concerned about the loss of off-trail, high alpine areas being closed to snowmobile traffic on public lands.

Spencer said the new Bitterroot Forest travel plan follows that trend by closing additional high elevation acreage to across-the-snow travel in two areas designated as Wilderness Study Areas.

Some of those areas were being used by snowmobilers before the areas were designated. In the case of the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area, Spencer said the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest allows snowmobiling on the portion of the WSA it manages.

There is a line right down the middle of it where snowmobiling is allowed and where it isnt, Spencer said. That is kind of perplexing to have management that is so diametrically opposed.

We would like to see the restrictions on motorized travel on the WSAs reversed, he said. There were no reasons given for closing it other than it should be a quiet area.

Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists Lance Pysher said the agencys decision to move forward with the plan without doing adequate monitoring of the situation on the ground was what forced the mountain biking group to join the legal challenge.

They did no analysis on the volume of use on the trails we use, Pysher said. Without that kind of data, it seems kind of crazy to kick us off the trails weve been riding for 20 years. We want the Forest Service to actually analyze our impact.

We dont want that decision to be based on a hand wave and the notion that they think this or believe that, he said. We want proactive analysis, not reactive management based on anecdotes.

But not everyone is unhappy with the decision to close down mechanized travel on Wilderness Study Areas.

Jim Miller, president of the Friends of the Bitterroot, said the law and Wilderness Study Act is clear that the lands are to be preserved and maintained for the wilderness qualities that existed in 1977 when the act was passed. The idea that motorized travel is a conforming use has been rejected by the courts for more than 20 years.

I think the Forest Service is on very solid ground in terms of their interpretation of the Wilderness Study Act and the decision by the courts, Miller said. While I understand the disappointment of the motorized and mechanized users, unfortunately the error was to allow those uses there in the first place.

If the Chain of Lakes trail hadnt been built through the middle of the Sapphire WSA, Miller said motorized recreational users wouldnt have felt entitled to the use of that area now.

Miller said the Friends of the Bitterroot group didnt get everything it wanted, either, in the travel plan. Two examples: some of the inventoried roadless areas allow motorized travel and dispersed camping is allowed within 300 feet of a road.

I think the Forest Service did the right thing on the Wilderness Study areas, he said. I dont think the groups will be successful in their legal challenge.

While Bitterroot Forest spokesman Tod McKay couldnt comment on the specifics of the lawsuit, we do believe that the travel plan provides quality recreation experiences for both motorized and non-motorized users, reduces user conflicts and protects forest natural resources and wildlife.

The plan leaves 2,246 miles of road and trails open to motorized use, which McKay said equals the distance between Hamilton and New York City.

There are also 543,840 acres open to snowmobile use. McKay said that encompasses about a third of the national forest.

McKay said there was an extensive and thorough public outreach that included a record number of public comments, dozens of public meetings and extending the comment period twice to allow for additional public input.
Justice of the Peace Jennifer Ray presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Jeff Langton in his fifth term as district court judge for the 21st judicial district and Bob Lake in his second term on the Montana Public Service Commission.

Langton is the longest-seated district court judge in Montana.

Im grateful and honored that voters decided to retain me in office, Langton said. This will be my fifth time and tomorrow Ill be completing my 24th year as district judge. I look forward to serving the citizens as I have in the past.

Langton was born in the Bitterroot Valley and raised on a working cattle ranch by his parents and grandparents. He graduated from Victor and Florence public schools and the University of Montana in History and Law.

I set out to be a history professor and that didnt work, he said. It was my father and historian K. Ross Toole that influenced me to go to law school.

Langton said he kept history as a hobby and plans to do more researching and writing of Montana history.

I think there are a lot of stories that have never been told and Id like to do that eventually, he said. In the meantime, I have land to take care of and that takes a lot of my time.

Langton said he looks forward to coming to work every day and appreciates living in the Bitterroot Valley.

Bob Lake sold me my steer feed when I was in 4-H, he said. I was first sworn in to this office in 1992, with contemporaries Bill Clinton and Marc Racicot. Ive been around for a while.

Langton repeated the oath of office to support, protect and defend the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Montana to Ray with his hand on the Bible that was his from Sunday school at the Victor Church in 1962.

Lake served in the Montana House of Representatives, the Montana Senate and one term on the Public Service Commission.

He took the oath of office from Ray using Langtons Sunday School Bible.

Weve had a couple of exciting swearing-ins, Lake said. This one is special to me because it is among family and friends.

Langton and Lake both said this is their last time to take the oath of office. Lake will term-out with 18 years of public service.

Ray said she was honored to swear in Langton and Lake.

It is awesome and pretty special, Ray said. Langton was a mentor, supporter and encourager when I was first sworn in as Justice of the Peace and Lake has been a family friend for years and a supporter during my campaign.
BILLINGS  The Montana Republican Party has instituted a $1,740 fee for candidates looking to take the seat of U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke.

State Rep. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, chairman of the party, said the fee is to defray the costs for delegates traveling to the nomination convention. There, the party will choose who will run in the special general election.

The fee will be paid to the state GOP and is equal to the amount a candidate would pay the state to run in a normal primary election. State law sets the fee at 1 percent of the position's salary. In this case, it's $174,000.

Essmann said party leaders met Dec. 21 when they decided on the fee amount. He said he knew of no potential candidates who have paid the fee as of Thursday.

The fee is set in Montana statutes when a candidate would file to run in either a Democrat or Republican primary," he said. "So our state committee meeting will be performing the same purpose as a primary.

Democrats jumped on the news Thursday, calling the fee a "democracy tax" and a "fundraiser" for the GOP.

"Leave it to the leaders of the Montana Republican Party to turn democracy into a fundraiser and limit its candidates to only those with thick wallets," said Nancy Keenan, Montana Democrats executive director, in a press release.

She added that Democrats won't introduce a similar fee.

A number of Republicans have expressed interest in taking over for Zinke, who won re-election in November but was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of the Interior. Zinke is a Republican.

Those hopefuls include state legislators Ed Buttrey of Great Falls, Daniel Zolnikov of Billings and Scott Sales of Bozeman. Others include District Court Judge Russell Fagg of Billings, Corvallis party activist Gary Carlson and Bozeman businessman Eugene Graf IV.

State legislators Amanda Curtis of Butte and Casey Schreiner of Great Falls have announced that they will seek nomination from Montana Democrats.

The parties won't convene to nominate until after Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, as well as Zinke's confirmation as Interior Secretary by the U.S. Senate.

After Zinke officially resigns from the U.S. House, an election must be held within 85 to 100 days.

Montana Secretary of State-elect Corey Stapleton said that the special general election could cost as much as $2 million.
BUTTE - Anaconda Police Chief Tim Barkell said Thursday that police have identified the body of a victim found yesterday in the Hearthstone Apartments as tenant Victoria Lynn Smith, age 49.

Barkell said Smith was stabbed fatally in the neck, and they are investigating the death as a homicide. The body has been sent to the state crime lab.

Police are still reviewing video surveillance footage and interviewing neighbors and relatives, but have arrested Smith's ex-boyfriend, 35-year-old David Richmond, who Barkell said was the last person to leave Smith's apartment.

Barkell said Richmond is not speaking with police. Richmond was arrested on November 6 for vehicle theft, disorderly conduct and partner family member assault. Barkell said Smith was not the victim of that assault.
HELENA - A 23-year-old probation absconder from Great Falls faces a charge of attempted deliberate homicide following a shootout during an interrupted burglary near Wolf Creek.

Prosecutors say Kaleb Edward Daniels tried to shoot the owner of the home he was burgling Wednesday afternoon. Daniels pointed a handgun at the victim and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire, according to court documents filed Thursday afternoon. He then reportedly tried to chamber another round.

The homeowner then shot Daniels' accomplice, Jory Russell Strizich, in the leg, authorities said. Strizich, 26, is hospitalized for a gunshot wound to his right shin. An arrest warrant has been issued for him on a felony charge of aggravated burglary.

The cabin owner shot Strizich, who was approaching him in a threatening manner while Daniels attempted to rack his gun, court documents state. The victim said he fired a warning round into the ground just before shooting again, striking Strizich.

The incident began when a husband and wife arrived at their cabin on the 4000 block of Little Wolf Creek Road to find an unfamiliar sport-utility vehicle parked outside and two men inside burgling the residence, authorities said.

Authorities launched into a manhunt after receiving a report of the shooting at 2:16 p.m. Wednesday.

After another armed homeowner called 911 to report Daniels trying to break into a home on Recreation Road, Daniels was apprehended in a snowbank following a short foot chase with officers about three hours after the shooting. He was not in possession of a handgun when he was apprehended.

Strizich was still on the loose at this time. While being questioned by detectives, Daniels said officials weren't "looking very hard" but declined to elaborate. Daniels also denied any involvement in a burglary or shooting, court documents note.

Meanwhile, members of the local SWAT team were called to assist in the manhunt along with a sheriff's deputy with a K-9.

Around 6:30 p.m., authorities found Strizich, who had broken into a cabin about a half-mile from the victim's residence. The SWAT team made contact with Strizich, who said he had been shot and needed help, court documents say. Strizich told officers he had been shot at the victim's cabin.

Daniels also faces a felony charge of aggravated burglary. He's being held on $100,000 bond.

Authorities had been searching for Daniels, who was wanted on two warrants out of Great Falls. He is on probation for convictions of theft and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, also out of Great Falls.

Strizich was not currently under supervision, but served time in prison for felony theft.
Do the holidays have you wishing you could host the party of the year? It might be too late for 2017, but those in the market for a new house can start planning for 2018's celebration now.

Is entertaining an important component of your house search? Look no further. Here are 10 Western Massachusetts homes perfect for hosting the gathering of your dreams.

From indoor pools to ballrooms and beautiful staircases to saunas, these 10 homes offer unique details that would make any housewarming celebration memorable.
SYRACUSE, N.Y.  More than eight years after Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield moved to DeWitt from downtown Syracuse, its former 10-story headquarters has life once again.

The Icon Tower will house 89 apartments, plus two floors of office and retail space, including Fabio's Antica Cucina, an Italian restaurant on the ground floor with a full bar and wood-burning oven imported from Italy.

Icon Cos. President Grazi Zazzara Jr. said many of the building's amenitiesin-house restaurant, separate guest suites, pet washing station and attention to minute details, such as the self-closing kitchen drawerswere designed with "empty-nesters" in mind.

"We went above and beyond on the finishes," Zazzara said.

By offering apartments in a range of sizesfrom 624 to 1,523 square feetZazzara said they plan to appeal to students and young professionals looking for a lower-priced option, as well as homeowners looking to downsize, but still have plenty of room.

All the units include granite counters in the kitchen and bathroom(s), washer and dryer, stainless steel appliances, 10-foot hard ceilings and storage spaces on each floor.

The seventh-floor clubhouse, complete with couches, armchairs, small kitchen and a 70-inch flat screen TV, will be open by the start of February, the same time that about 40 tenants will move in. Zazzara said dozens more will move in as the year goes on. As of Dec. 20, there are 30 vacant units in the building, Zazzara said.

Three businesses have offices on the second floor, but 5,000 square feet of office space is still available, Zazzara said. About 2,600 square feet of first-floor retail space is also available.

Paradise Companies Two, a group of investors led by Zazzara, bought the 253,000-square-foot building in February 2014 for $1.05 million. Zazzara said it is rewarding to take properties, such as the former Hechinger Plaza ( now DeWitt Town Center) on Erie Boulevard, or a former doctor's office at 444 E. Genesee St. that they plan to turn into retail space and apartments by fall 2017, and turn them into something new.

"We like to take assets that are distressed," Zazzara said. "It gives us the energy to get the job done."

THE DETAILS

Address: 344 S. Warren St., Syracuse, N.Y., 13202

Price: Rents range from $1,150 to $2,500. Heat and water are included.

Size: Apartments range from 624 to 1,523 square feet.

Acreage: Rooftop terrace

Built: 1978

School District: Syracuse

Kitchens: The kitchen all feature a full suite of stainless steel appliances and granite counters. Many of the larger apartments also have breakfast bars for additional seating.

Living rooms: The apartments utilize an open floor plan that combines the dining and living areas into one large space.

Bathrooms: The bathrooms feature granite counters, ceramic tile flooring and glass showers.

Bedrooms: All the bedrooms have large California closets. About one-third of the apartments have walk-in closets.

Parking: The building has 45 indoor and eight outdoor parking spots, available for an additional fee. Icon Tower also has arrangements for 60 parking spots in the parking garage across the street.

Security: The main gate has a security system tied with tenants' cell phones and computers that allows tenants to open the door to guest and notify police in case of emergency. Guests can also be given a "digital key", a QR code used to scan into the building.

Guest suites: The building has guest suites on the third, fourth, fifth and six floors that tenants can rent by the night for guests. The one-bedroom rooms, which are about 500 square feet, include all furnishings and amenities, such as toiletries. Zazzara said they plan to charge $75 per night for the rooms.

Leasing info: Marion Cleary

Marketing Manager

The Icon Companies

344 S. Warren St., Syracuse, N.Y., 13202

Office: (315) 299-6292

Email: info@theiconcompanies.com

To nominate a listing for House of the Week, send an email to home@syracuse.com. Contact Jacob Pucci at jpucci@syracuse.com or on Twitter at @jacobpucci.
America must return to conservative principles of less government,reduced taxes, less spending and a balanced budget! Cut,cap and balance!
KOHALPUR: Police have arrested five persons for their alleged involvement in attacking Santosh Budhathoki (29), a central member of the Youth Association Nepal, the youth wing of the CPN-UML.

Budhathoki was seriously injured in the khukuri attack last night.

The arrestees are yet to be made public. According to police, the main culprit of the incident, Laxman Malla of Bajura, is absconding and the search for him is underway.

The victim, meanwhile, has been taken to Lucknow, India for further medical treatment after preliminary treatment here at Kohalpur Medical College.

Meanwhile, the CPN-UML lawmaker Dal Bahadur Sunar has urged the administration for an immediate investigation into the case.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Gurungs communities of Nepal are celebrating the Tamu Lhosar, one of the greatest festivals of the community, across the country on Friday.

Gurung communities celebrate the festival as their new year. Various programs are being organized in different parts of the country to mark the festival.

According to the tradition of the Gurung community, 12 years are divided with 12 different animals-garuda, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog, deer, mouse, cow, tiger and cat. This year is the year of bird.

Gurung community have organized various functions in Pokhara, Tanahau, Lamjung, Syangja, Pravat and many other parts of the country.

Likewise, a function is being organized at Tundikhel in Kathmandu on the occasion. The festival is also marked in other districts as well.

The government has declared a public holiday today for the celebration of the festival.

Meanwhile, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal extended their greetings on the occasion of Tamu Lhosar.
Kathmandu, Nepal: An unidentified gang set a fire to a government vehicle at New Baneshwar of Kathmandu on Friday afternoon.

Fire has destroyed the Scorpio jeep with registration number Ba 2 Jha 1392. Likewise, the same gang has also vandalized another government vehicle with the registration no. Ba 2 Jha 1055.

It is said that the vehicles were set on fire and vandalized alleging of using the government vehicle in a public holyday. The Police have said that they have been investigating the gang.
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China boasts East Asias strongest armed forces. It ranks below only the United States and Russia worldwide. No wonder Taiwans defense ministry scrambled two F-16 fighters and two reconnaissance aircraft to track a Chinese aircraft carrier as it worked the perimeter of the nearby islands territorial waters this week, watching the fleet ease back toward a port in China.

But Taiwans military ranks 10th in Asia on the GlobalFirePower.com scale that puts China in third place. Also in Asia, Japan ranks No. 4 and South Korea No. 6. Indonesia comes in eighth and Vietnam ninth for the region. All of these armed forces rank in the databases top 20 of 126 countries analyzed worldwide, coming in before much of Europe and the Middle East. The survey evaluates countries based on weapons stocks, numbers of troops (including reserves) and potentially available troops if a country were to require military service. Geographic position can also help increase a countrys rank.

Why the East Asian countries have bulked up their armed forces goes back to the Chinese aircraft carrier  called the Liaoning and apparently Chinas only one. The strongest armed forces in the region outside China are preparing largely to resist China. China is the biggest single factor accounting for military modernization and build-ups in the region, says Denny Roy, senior fellow at the East-West Center, a U.S. think tank.

Taken in order of strength, heres what East Asias most militarized countries, ex-China, are doing:

Japan : Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed this week at a World War II memorial in Hawaii that Japan would 1.: Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed this week at a World War II memorial in Hawaii that Japan would never hatch another war , its self-defense forces have three aircraft carriers and 287 fighter planes. The country is patrolling a tract of sea reaching thousands of kilometers from its southern coasts for flyovers and ship movement from China. The two countries contest the Senkaku, or Diaoyudao, islands and China has used military moves to show displeasure over Japans effective control of the eight uninhabited land features.

South Korea : The military headquartered from Seoul with 406 fighters and 214 multiple-launch rocket systems worries mostly about North Korea, which itself ranks as world No. 25 and has demonstrated 2.: The military headquartered from Seoul with 406 fighters and 214 multiple-launch rocket systems worries mostly about North Korea, which itself ranks as world No. 25 and has demonstrated nuclear capabilities . But China backs North Korea, so the south is effectively building up a resistance against Beijing.

Indonesia : The Indonesian military also isnt primarily hyped up about China. The Southeast Asian country of more than 13,000 islands has 66 coastal defense vessels and 12 naval mine warfare units frets about shipping piracy and illegal fishing. But since last year it has gotten tougher against 3.: The Indonesian military also isnt primarily hyped up about China. The Southeast Asian country of more than 13,000 islands has 66 coastal defense vessels and 12 naval mine warfare units frets about shipping piracy and illegal fishing. But since last year it has gotten tougher against Chinese vessels passing through waters it claims near the 272 Natuna islets. Beijing considers that tract of water its own as part of its claims to about 95% of the entire South China Sea, which stretches from Taiwan to Singapore









Vietnam : This Southeast Asian country is the strongest voice in 4.: This Southeast Asian country is the strongest voice in contesting Beijings expansion in the South China Sea and claims a lot itself. The country that also fought a war with China in the 1970s has 73 fighter planes and five submarines following purchases earlier this year. The U.S. government lifted a ban this year on selling it lethal weapons. Vietnams procurement of submarines will raise the cost for China to conduct maritime operations within a 200 to 300-nautical-mile band of water along Vietnams coast, forecasts Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington.
Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression

http://wssnet.org

28 December 2016

Bastar police continue their vendetta against women human rights defenders SP Bastar threatens Adv Shalini Gera, JagLAG lawyers with false cases

Clearly rattled by the mounting body of evidence of blatant violations of the rule of law and Constitutional rights under the cover of anti-Maoist operations, the Bastar police has launched a no-holds-barred attempt to silence all those who are calling them to account.

Advocate Shalini Gera and her colleagues of JagLAG who were in Jagdalpur in connection with a case of false encounter of a young Adivasi boy1, were confronted on the night of 27 December by a police team which entered the dharamshala where they were staying and accused them of trying to exchange demonetised notes on behalf of the Maoists. Despite the fact that they were following up on an order by the Chhattisgarh HC for exhumation and a second post-mortem in the case and their accommodation had been arranged by the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Adv Shalini and her colleagues were ordered to come to the police station for interrogation. Attempts were also made to forcibly search their rooms and belongings. When asked to produce a warrant, the SI in charge of the team became even more aggressive and abusive. It took a personal call from the Divisional Commissioner to the SI to force the police to back off.

A day later when she was back at her office in Bilaspur,Adv Shalini received a call on her mobile from the SP Bastar, Shri RN Dash. Shri Dash was calling from a private number which was later identified as belonging to one Farukh Ali, a member of AGNI, a vigilante group that enjoys the patronage of the Bastar police. Speaking in an aggressive and offensive manner, Shri Dash insisted that he had received complaints accusing Adv Shalini of being a Maoist agent, inciting villagers against getting Aadhar cards, changing old currency notes for the Maoists, spreading stories about police atrocities and other such random allegations. Shri Dash asked Adv Shalini to come to Bastar for further ainterrogationa , to which she replied that she would not respond to intimidation and would answer questions only if due process was followed.

When Adv Shalini called back on Shri Dashas official number to confirm if he was indeed the person who had just threatened her, he at first refused to admit that he knew who she was but soon lost his temper again, confirmed that he had called her, reiterated his claim that there were complaints against her and told her not to awaste his timea by calling him. Within a few hours after this conversation, copies of the complaint and allegations against her were being circulated on social media by Farrukh Ali, proving a if proof were needed a the close nexus between the police and these violent so-called aindependent civil society groupsa .

It will be remembered that earlier this year, the Bastar police unleashed a campaign of threats and intimidation against local activists, media persons, human rights lawyers and others who were investigating and exposing the systematic violations of human rights, particularly sexual violence against Adivasi women by police and auxiliary forces engaged in anti-Maoist operations. In response to complaints from WSS and wide coverage in national newspapers, the National Human Rights Commission took cognisance the issue and fielded an investigation team in March 2016. The Chhattisgarh government has yet to respond to the report of this investigation.

Meanwhile, the Bastar police under the command of Inspector-General SRP Kalluri has continued its attacks on human rights defenders, activists and journalists, brazenly flaunting its disregard for human rights and the rule of law. IG Kalluri has publicly opposed the Supreme Court judgement in the Salwa Judum case, and has orchestrated the formation of vigilante groups like AGNI that provide platforms for erstwhile Judum leaders to continue their violent activities. Shri Kalluri reacted to his indictment by the CBI in the Tadmetla atrocity, where police fired on unarmed Adivasis and set an entire village on fire, by attacking Prof Nandini Sundar, the petitioner in the Salwa Judum case, and attempting to implicate her in the murder of a member of an anti-Maoist village-level vigilante squad.

The attack on Adv Shalini and her colleagues follows closely on the arrest of seven members of a fact-finding team from the Telengana Democratic Forum who were on their way to Bastar were summarily arrested, accused of exchanging demonetised notes for Maoists and charged under the draconian provisions of the Chattisgarh Public Security Act. The arrested persons include senior human rights lawyers, Dalit rights activists and student leaders.

These patently illegal and outrageeous attempts to subdue and silence human rights defenders are a signal of the growing desperation of the Bastar police which has now been completely exposed as a rogue force that has perpetrated a reign of terror in Bastar, turning it into a war zone. Out of the 185 deaths by police firing during anti-Maoist operations in the country during this year, 134 have been in Bastar. In the majority of these cases, independent fact-finding teams have found these to be cold-blooded killings of unarmed people, giving the lie to police claims that they fired in self-defence or that villagers were caught in cross-fire. It is this blood-soaked reality that the Bastar police are trying to cover up through their blind vendetta against human rights defenders

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of the deteriorating situation in Bastar, and has summoned the Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh and IG Kalluri to explain the continuing attacks on human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and local activists under their watch. Having ducked a previous summons by pleading ill-health, Shri Kalluri is now due to appear before the NHRC on 16 January 2017.

We appeal to all democratic and peace-loving individuals and groups to come together to condemn and resist these shameless attempts to silence dissenting voices and undermine the Constitution, the Supreme Court, the NHRC and other institutions of democratic governance in Bastar.

1 WP Cr. 372/2016 (CG High Court) Kumma Pottam and Anr vs. State of Chhattisgarh and Ors
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Dec-30-2016 13:35 TweetFollow @OregonNews Willamette Valley Wintery Forecast Expect a switch to all snow by mid-morning on Sunday

Some snow is expected to fall this weekend, all over Oregon.

Photo: Bonnie King Salem-News.com

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Very cold air will move into the region late Saturday night through next week. Rain will begin at low elevations Saturday afternoon, before changing over to snow early Sunday morning. Above 2,000 feet, this moisture will fall as all snow. SNOW AMOUNTS AND TIMING: Cascades and Foothills: Steady snowfall will begin Saturday afternoon in the Cascades and foothills, with 6 to 12 inches total at the pass levels, and more at higher elevations. Expect 3 to 6 inches of snowfall in the Cascade foothills. I-5 Corridor from Kelso/Longview through Portland metro area: Rain, possibly mixed with a little snow, begins late Saturday afternoon, before changing to all snow early Sunday morning, sometime between about 2 am and 7 am as snow levels lower to the valley floor. Expected snowfall amounts are generally 1 inch or less, with local accumulations up to 2 inches possible in the higher hills. Through the rest of the Willamette Valley (McMinnville/Aurora through Eugene): Rain begins Saturday evening and continues through early Sunday, when some snow may begin to mix in with the rain. Expect a switch to all snow by mid-morning on Sunday with occasional snow continuing through the evening. Total snow accumulations expected to be generally 1 inch or less, with highest amounts from about Marion County north. Coast Range: Snow levels Saturday afternoon begin between 1,500 and 2,000 feet, but lower to the surface by Saturday night. Expect 1 to 2 inches of snow, with the highest amounts in the higher elevations and northern Coast Range (generally along and north of Highway 22). Coast: Primarily rain through early Sunday, then transitioning to snow around sunrise Sunday. Snowfall accumulations between 0 and 0.5 inches. OUTLOOK FOR NEXT WEEK: Cold air will remain in place through much of next week, but it is expected to remain dry from Monday through at least Wednesday across the region. Low temperatures in the valley Monday night through at least Wednesday night are expected to be 10 to 20 with afternoon high temperatures not getting above freezing. At the coast, low temperatures are expected to be 20 to 30 with high temperatures in the 30s, generally above freezing. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: High confidence in accumulating snow for Cascades, Cascade foothills, and Coast Range starting late Saturday afternoon, and moderate confidence in snowfall amounts. Moderate confidence in accumulating snow and snowfall amounts in the lower elevations.

Low to moderate confidence in accumulating snowfall at the coast.

High confidence in a very cold, but dry weather pattern for Monday through at least Wednesday. Source: Marion County Emergency Management _________________________________________

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Articles for December 29, 2016 | Articles for December 30, 2016 |
 Federal military execution seemingly on track for mass rapist/murderer | Main | Will Ohio get back in the business of state killing in 2017? 

The title of this post is the headline of this new CNN commentary, authored by Alice Marie Johnson. Here is how it gets started and concludes:

The week before Christmas, President Obama gave a second chance -- in the form of clemency -- to 231 people. I was not among them, but since many of them, like me, were incarcerated on drug-related charges, I feel I know their stories. I am only one of thousands of first-time, non-violent offenders given a mandatory and lengthy prison terms after committing a crime under financial distress.

In 1996, I was given a death sentence without sitting on death row. I was convicted as a first-time nonviolent drug offender to life behind bars in federal prison. Since I went to prison, the laws governing my wrong-doing have changed. If I were convicted again today for the same crime, my life might look very different.

Last month, as I was preparing to put on a short play I wrote, entitled "The Strength To Be," a fellow inmate pulled me aside and gave me the news that the Obama Administration had just started announcing its next slate of clemencies. My mind went racing. What if this could be my chance to be reunited with the outside world, to see my family or what is left of it?

For 20 years I have been incarcerated, and I won't lie, it's hard to keep the hope of freedom alive for that long. But my faith in God has carried me this far. Despite the impending announcement, I knew that the show had to go on. I channeled the uncertainty of my future into my play and danced a duet to Whitney Houston's song, "I Didn't Know My Own Strength."...

I want this part to be clear: I acknowledge that I have done wrong. I made the biggest mistake of my life to make ends meet and got involved with people selling drugs. This was a road I never dreamed of venturing down. I became what is called a telephone mule, passing messages between the distributors and sellers. I participated in a drug conspiracy and I was wrong.

My trial took a toll on my family. At the time of my conviction, I had two children in college and a senior in high school. Bryant, the senior, ended up dropping out of school because of the trial. Tretessa had a good paying job with Motorola and was flying down to support me. Members of the community were at my hearings encouraging me and hoping for the best.

But I was convicted on October 31, 1996 -- and sentenced to life in prison. The day after my oldest son Charles "celebrated" his 20th birthday. It was his first birthday spent away from me. It's hard to imagine that I have now served 20 years of my life sentence for that one mistake. The United States leads the world in incarceration rates, with five percent of the world's incarcerated population and one-quarter of the world's prisoners. I am one of thousands of first-time, nonviolent offenders who were given mandatory lengthy prison terms.

During my two decades in here, I've become an ordained minister and a mentor to young women who are also in prison. And if I get out -- I have a job secured, and plan to continue to help those in prison and work hard to change our justice system. My daughter started a petition to President Obama asking him to grant me clemency, and more than 100,000 people have signed it. It a source of strength and hope for me -- a chance to be free.

The President has made an incredible push at helping to right the wrongs of our criminal justice system. I applaud him and hold out hope for me and thousands of others who face lifelong sentences for nonviolent crimes. But with the historic Obama administration coming to an end, this could be a last chance at freedom for me and for many others -- so I also hope he moves quickly. I hope his administration will process all the applications for clemency currently waiting for the President's review.

No matter what happens, I was not built to break. I will keep writing. I will continue to hold my head high and live a productive life either as a free woman or here behind bars. God has shown me my strength.
 BJS releases three big reports on correctional populations throughout the United States | Main | Split Sixth Circuit ruling upholding protective order concerning lethal injection drugs might(!?!) enable Ohio to get back into execution game 

December 30, 2016

Third Circuit reverses (short) sentence based in part on "bare arrest record" ... JAN 3, 2017 UPDATE: Opinion VACATED at "the direction of the Court" ... AND on Jand 9, 2017 the opinion returns

A number of helpful readers made sure I did not miss the significant sentencing opinion handed down by a Third Circuit panel in US v. Mateo-Medina, No. 15-2862 (3d Cir. Dec. 30, 2016) (available here). Here is how the opinion starts:

Maximo Mateo-Medina appeals his sentence of twelve months plus one day imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C.  1326(a) and (b)(1). Although Mateo-Medina pled guilty to the offense, he now appeals the sentence, arguing that the sentencing court violated his Due Process Clause rights by impermissibly considering, among other things, arrests that did not result in convictions. The Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) that disclosed those arrests did not contain any of the underlying conduct. For the reasons set forth below, we agree and we will therefore vacate the sentence that was imposed and remand for resentencing.

The opinion includes citations to considerable research regarding "disparities in arrest rates," and it ultimately holds that the district court's sentencing decision amounted to plain error in a final section which notes that "calculating a persons sentence based on crimes for which he or she was not convicted undoubtedly undermines the fairness, integrity, and public reputation of judicial proceedings."

UPDATE on January 3, 2017: Another helpful reader today sent me this link to a one-page Third Circuit order which reads: "At the direction of the Court, the opinion and judgment entered on December 30, 2016 are hereby VACATED." Hmmm.

ANOTHER UPDATE on January 9, 2017: I was again alerted by a helpful reader that, as evidenced here, US v. Mateo-Medina, No. 15-2862 is back and seemingly as good as ever. Color me confused and curious, but ultimately pleased to learn that this seemingly sensible opinion remains good law.

December 30, 2016 at 04:35 PM | Permalink

Comments

Would you mind posting the websites the court referred to? I think I know some of them but to would be useful to know what this panel was looking at. I am a practicing defense attorney.

Posted by: Stuart Wilder | Jan 4, 2017 7:35:54 AM

Post a comment
In 2008, the late Carrie Fisher told local news station ABC7 that she was "a better writer than an actor," before demonstrating her way with words by joking that people always told her to "act better than she felt."

But what about a bit of both? Her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, which she later adapted into a humorous memoir of the same name, allowed her to act her way through her own words. She premiered the show at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, leading to that 2008 interview with ABC7, which the station has just republished.

Recalling the production, one commenter to the Berkeley Rep's Facebook page writes that "this was the best, most-creative, most memorable one woman show I've ever attended. I feel as if I got to know Carrie through this work. I will miss her greatly."

Adds another "Great show. I so loved hearing her tell the Hollywood story of who begat whom, ultimately ending in her dating a relative."

In an article about the show from 2008, the Chronicle writes that Fisher workshopped the show in her living room with writer friends like Helen Fielding of Bridget Jones's Diary stopping by for edits.

"For me, (this show) is a version of control," Fisher told the paper. "If I go into rehab, it's in the paper. If I go in the mental hospital, it's in the paper. So what I've done is control my version of those experiences. If I can describe my problems, then by definition I have them; they don't have me.

As one of the many tributes to Fisher since her death this week, HBO is airing the feature-length movie adaptation of the Wishful Drinking from 2010 according to Deadline. The film includes footage of the stage performance, interviews with Fisher's family and friends, and archival footage.

Finally, a note that the book version of the work is also the source of a popular quote being passed around in light of Fisher's death. That's a remark in response to Star Wars director George Lucas telling her that undergarments could be dangerous when worn in space. "Now I think that this would make for a fantastic obit," Fisher wrote, "so I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra."

Related: Carrie Fisher Tributes Pop Up Around San Francisco
A Texas family is suing Apple, alleging in a lawsuit that the company knew its FaceTime messaging service enabled distracted driving yet failed to take preventative steps to lock out users behind the wheel. As a result, they argue, a FaceTiming driver crashed into the back of their car  killing their five-year-old daughter.

Court House News picked up the lawsuit, and details the tragic December 24, 2014, wreck. James and Bethany Modisette were driving with their two daughters on I-35 north of Dallas when James braked the family car due to an accident up ahead. A driver rear-ended the Modisettes with his Toyota 4Runner at 65 miles per hour  killing five-year-old Moriah Modisette. The driver, Garret Wilhem, told police he was on FaceTime at the time of the crash, and officers found his phone in the car with FaceTime still engaged.

James was left in critical condition by the crash, and Bethany and the surviving daughter were both also seriously injured.

The suit alleges that Apple was negligent in failing to block FaceTime use by drivers, and that it had the means to do so  pointing to a 2008 patent application filed by the company for a Driver handheld computing device lock-out mechanism to disable the ability of a handheld computing device to perform certain functions, such as texting, while one is driving. The patent was granted in April of 2014.

Defendant Apple Inc. has had the technology to prevent these events, and the Modisettes injuries, specifically since at least Dec. 12, 2008, when it filed an application with the U.S. Patent Office for a driver handheld computing device lock-out,'  the family alleges in the complaint.

This suit calls to mind a similar incident from earlier this year when a Georgia couple sued SnapChat alleging that the company's "speed filter" encouraged a teenager to drive 107 miles per hour  and that the subsequent crash, leaving the man brain damaged, was the result.

The Modisettes are seeking punitive damages and economic damages related to their injuries. The suit was filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court this past Friday.

Related: Couple Sues Snapchat Alleging 'Speed Filter' Caused Car Crash
A little over two years in, sit-down Mexican spot Hecho in the Castro  the second venture from Hi Tops partners Jesse Woodward and Dana Gleim  is closing Monday for a brief remodel and rebranding itself as more of a bar with food called Hecho Cantina. "Bars and cantinas are in our blood we believe in our neighborhood's blood as well, and that is what we will reflect [in the new concept]," Woodward tells SFist. "This is all about margaritas, rock 'n' roll, and chili verde burritos! We look forward to serving up the same bomb drinks from our amazing bartenders and being able to pack more people in than before to eat, hang out, and enjoy the neighborhood."

The restaurant is expected to be close for a few days during the first week of the new year, and reopen without the dining tables, with the addition of a pool table, pinball machines, a corner "hangout area," and a few high-top tables for eating and drinking, with a briefer food menu focused on quick bites. Also gone will be the brunch menu.

Says Gleim, "I think in our minds we don't see it so much as changing Hecho but more evolving Hecho's concept to better suit the neighborhood." She adds, "Hecho has been amazing but we're realizing over time that people, including ourselves, are more drawn to casual places that kinda let you create your own experience. Hi tops is a perfect example. You meet friends there for a drink and there's no pressure to eat, but chances are you will eat... and you end up spending your entire evening there even though that may not have been your plan. That's the sort of vibe we want for Hecho."

Chef Cory Armenta will remain in charge of the kitchen, and many of the drinks from the Hecho menu will remain in place, like the pinche picante margarita. But the space is going to be "warmed up" a bit, Gleim says, with "some color and texture."

Neighborhood denizens will recall that Hecho began life as Bandidos in late summer 2014, but quickly changed the name amid some controversy when several activists suggested the name was offensive to Mexican-Americans. In the two years since, the place has become a popular dinner and brunch spot, with Armenta rejiggering the menu last year.

Look for Hecho Cantina to makes its debut in early January.

Hecho Cantina - 2200 Market Street at Sanchez



Related: Go Eat This: Churro Doughnut Holes At Hecho
San Francisco has one of four Russian consulates in the US, but only ours can claim to have intelligence operatives included on a list of 35 that President Obama ordered out of the country on Thursday, in retaliation for the revelation that the Russians interfered in our election. The list has not been made public, but NBC Bay Area heard from a federal source that at least two individuals on the list are based at the San Francisco consulate, with the rest based at Russia's embassy in Washington, DC. Meanwhile, the consulate has posted a note to Facebook saying they will be saying goodbye to "a dozen of our colleagues"  and adding that the departures sting especially because they will happen on New Year's Eve, which is traditionally the big night of family celebration in Russia, more like Christmas is here.

President Obama issued his order Thursday, imposing economic sanctions on three Russian companies accused of being involved with hacking US computers, as well as symbolic sanctions against security and intelligence officials in the Russian government. He also ordered the 35 diplomats and operatives out of the country within 72 hours, and ordered the shutdown of two Russian-owned recreational retreats for diplomats in Maryland and New York.

The individuals ordered out are accused of "acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status," according to the State Department, and as the Chronicle says, that's just "political-speak for spying." And the paper notes, "it likely isnt a coincidence that the diplomats sent packing come from the Russian consulate closest to the high-tech Silicon Valley."

The SF consulate's Facebook post calls Obama's move "bizarre and ridiculous," and reveals that one of those being ordered out of the US is the consulate's chef. "Coming from the historic city of Yaroslavl he is a professional cook, whose mastery was enjoyed by hundreds of our guests at the Consulate for three years. He will be leaving with his wife and two-year old son."

But chef as cover for a spy? That's not a terrible idea. Just sayin.

Multiple SF news outlets including ABC 7 swarmed the Russian consulate at 2790 Green Street on Thursday, only to be rebuffed by multiple employees there, including one who simply said, before getting in his car, "This is an unfortunate step by the outgoing administration."

NBC Bay Area notes that a black Lexus with a US seal was parked outside the consulate Thursday at noon, and several other vehicles with the same seal appeared in the afternoon.

Only one person spoke openly to reporters outside the consulate, and that was tech journalist Olga Chervayakova who brought her mother there to pick up her pension. She said of our two countries, "I think we should be friends. While were in America, we should learn from each other. And regarding the hacking and election interference allegations, she said, "I dont believe gossip. Give me the facts."

A full report on the State Department and intelligence agency findings is expected within weeks.

Russia has vowed to retaliate against Obama's retaliation, but today Vladimir Putin said he would not do so with a tit-for-tat ousting of any US diplomats in Russia.

The Chronicle discusses how US diplomats have been feeling increasingly harassed or threatened in Russia, however, likely in response to the 2014 sanctions by Western nations related to Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territory in Crimea. That harassment has included reports of house break-ins, and in one instance, the alleged killing of a diplomat's dog.

Meanwhile, there's now a theory, based on trips Trump took to Russia in 1987, suggesting Donald Trump has been a sleeper agent for the KGB for decades. And this was the reaction of the Russian embassy in the UK.

President Obama expels 35  diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl  people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016



* This post has been updated to include the information from the consulate's Facebook post.


WAUPUN, Wis.  An inmate from Sioux City with a history of violence toward guards and one notorious escape has died in a Wisconsin prison one month after he was transferred there, authorities said Thursday.

Justin Kestner, 26, was found unresponsive Dec. 21 in his assigned cell at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin, the Iowa Department of Corrections said in a statement. Prison staff responded and initiated lifesaving measures that were unsuccessful.

Prison officials and the Dodge County sheriff said Thursday that they are investigating the death, and that no additional information on the suspected cause or manner was available. A medical examiner said autopsy results haven't been completed.

Kestner made headlines on July 4, 2015, when he became the first inmate in a decade to escape from Iowa's historic maximum-security prison in Fort Madison. An investigation found that he removed screws from the shower to gain access to a narrow pipe chase  an enclosed space that houses the prison's pipes. He was able to climb up until he reached the attic, then crawled through a vent to reach the roof.

He descended by climbing down the building's downspout and landing outside a prison fence. He timed his escape to coincide with holiday fireworks in the hopes that guards would be distracted, and left in his bed a dummy made up of milk cartons and insulation to try to fool them into thinking he was sleeping. Kestner stole a car after his escape but was captured within hours near Geneseo, Illinois.

Kestner was serving time for robbing gas stations in Sioux City in 2009. A judge in February extended his original 20-year sentence by 15 years after Kestner pleaded guilty to the escape and vehicle theft.

Sometime after the escape, Kestner was transferred to the penitentiary in Anamosa, Iowa. In October, authorities said that Kestner managed to get out of a health services room before he assaulted a correctional officer with a crude piece of metal. The officer suffered multiple contusions to the face that required medical treatment.

Kestner, who had previously attacked guards in Fort Madison, was placed in segregation after that incident. On Nov. 21, he was transferred to Wisconsin through the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision, which governs the movement of offenders from state to state.

Dodge Correctional is Wisconsin's intake facility for all new inmates, who are later assigned to specific prisons. Wisconsin Department of Corrections spokesman Tristan Cook said the agency is conducting an internal investigation into the death.

Iowa prisons spokesman Fred Scaletta said it took several days to announce the death because authorities in Iowa and Wisconsin needed to work together to notify Kestner's family and victims.

Funeral services were held Tuesday for Kestner in his hometown of Rembrandt, Iowa, a small Buena Vista County town near Storm Lake.

Kestner, who graduated from Midland Park High School in 2007, was "a very passionate young man and his special interests include his love for others, drawing, being outdoors and animals," according to an obituary published in the Storm Lake Times newspaper. The obituary said he died unexpectedly and will be buried at a later date.
SPENCER, Iowa -- Veridian Limited of Spencer was awarded a $13,018.70 federal contract to supply flash hoods and proximity suits to the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center.

Flash hoods are a fire resistant hood often worn underneath other protective clothing. Veridian sells its flash hoods under the Viper brand name and offers them in several types of material: PBI, Nomex, Lensing, P84 and Nomex. Proximity suits protect the wearer in extreme heat conditions.

The Clay County seat-based company has been in business since 1992 and manufactures protective gear for all of its clientele, which primarily consists of firefighters.

On the companys website, Veridian boasts that all of its gear is custom-made to each customers measurements, and that its facility is ISO 9001 certified, meaning it meets the needs of customers and other stakeholders while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or program.
NEW YORK  Most women in their 40s facing the prospect of singing and dancing on Broadway eight times a week might ask to shorten their high heels just a smidge. Melanie Brown wants hers taller. No wonder they call her Scary Spice.

"If you're into high heels, you want them the higher the better," Brown said as she prepared to join the cast of "Chicago" playing the murderous Roxie Hart.

Doesn't it matter that it's a very physical role and that she'll appear for her first song on a ladder 15 feet in the air? Not to Brown.

"Why not?" she asks with a throaty laugh. "Why not?"

Brown, who since the Spice Girls' chart-topping exploits has become a sought-after TV judge, said she's relishing the chance to play a jail inmate who kills her boyfriend and sings about her newfound celebrity.

After years of criticizing others, she finds herself on stage. She seems unfazed, saying made frequent visits to the recording studio in her Los Angeles home to prepare.

"I'm always going to be the one to go, 'Yes, I just want to get back into singing,'" she said. "I'm constantly singing and vocalizing so it's nice to be able to get the chance to do it all at once."

Brown has been on Broadway before, playing Mimi in "Rent" in 2005. But this time her task has Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, skimpy outfits and killer songs such as "Me and My Baby."

"My 9-year-old said, 'Why did you choose that part? It's such a big part,'" she said. "And I'm like, "Cause it's good to challenge yourself.' And then I'm thinking, 'Why did I choose that one?'"

Brown shot to fame as part of the five-piece Spice Girls, known for its girl-power attitude thanks to songs like "Wannabe" and "Spice Up Your Life."

The group marked its 20th anniversary this year, which also happens to be the 20th anniversary of "Chicago." But Brown said none of the members managed to pull off a tour or an event to celebrate.

"I still hope something is going to happen, but nothing's been set in stone at all," she said. "We're all talking about it, but nothing's actually been said like, 'OK, on this day, on the time, this is what we're doing so let's get rehearsing!'"

Brown has been a contestant on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and was a judge on the Australian and UK editions of "The X Factor." She's a current judge on "America's Got Talent."

Fellow critic Simon Cowell got her involved in judging and she said she tries to concentrate simply on whoever is performing in front of her. The rest comes naturally.

"Doesn't everybody do that at home  yell at the TV and go, 'Oh my God, are you kidding me?'" she asked. "I think we all have that inside of us."
Diversity.

It was a word that smacked Oscar voters in the face last year.

This year -- as a result of that or as lucky coincidence -- there are several great films that address minority situations, showcase minority filmmakers and give voice to something more than the white male perspective.

Films like "The Handmaiden" proved film companies need to look beyond U.S. borders for material. Films like "The Birth of a Nation" suggested great talent just needs a push. Films like "13th" showed reality can often be more compelling than fiction.

The material, we learned, is there. It's just a matter of getting it to an audience.

Of the films that broke through, these were 2016's best, in order:

1. LA LA LAND

In a sea of dark dramas, La La Land stood out as the Technicolor wonder of the year. Directed by Damien Chazelle, the infectious musical gave Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone a chance to show just how talented (and complex) they are. The two hit plenty of Los Angeles landmarks while they played out a romance with many twists, turns and turnpikes. Dancing at the Griffith Observatory, they helped us forget a world of angst and anger and remember what kind of escape film provides.

2. MOONLIGHT

Three actors gave life to one oh-so-strong character as director Barry Jenkins chronicled the man's life from childhood in Miami to adulthood in the world. Mahershala Ali (as a neighborhood drug dealer) exerted great influence, guiding him through the minefields of his early life. Naomie Harris was wrenching as his addicted mother. Jenkins didnt need a social media campaign to point out how powerful this film is. Excellence speaks for itself.

3. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

Casey Affleck delivered the performance of the year as a conflicted handyman who had to decide what to do with his nephew after the boys father dies unexpectedly. Unwilling to become a substitute father, Affleck mined his own ore of emotions to reveal a hurt that went even deeper. Michelle Williams and Lucas Hedges were just as intriguing, bringing Kenneth Lonergans screenplay to heartbreaking life.

4. CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

A hippie father (Viggo Mortensen) tried to teach his children the ways of survival by driving them to the farthest reaches of the country and forcing them to deal with life. When their mother died, they faced the biggest challenge of all  her unaccepting parents. Arriving at the funeral, Mortensen prompted the kind of showdown few would expect. He was powerful. So, too, were Matt Rosss writing and direction.

5. THE LOBSTER

One of the most bizarre films of the year, this dystopian drama let Colin Farrell reveal new dimensions as a man sent to a resort and charged with finding a mate in 45 days or risk being turned into the animal of his choice. Yorgos Lanthimos drama teemed with surprises, including a subversive Rachel Weisz who partnered Farrell nicely. The Lobster grabbed from the first minute and never let go.

6. JACKIE

Jackie Kennedy wasnt just John F. Kennedys silent partner. She was the steel behind the smile, the New England flower who didnt wilt in the face of adversity. Director Pablo Larrain told her story in those crucial days following the presidents assassination. Natalie Portman made her believable, vulnerable and utterly unforgettable. The film was like a time capsule of one of the most seminal moments in American history.

7. ARRIVAL

Even though there were more science-fiction stories this year than H.G. Wells could have imagined, Denis Villeneuve told one that suggested aliens arent the enemy. Frightened when pods hovered over all parts of the world, officials called on a linguist (Amy Adams) to translate  and find common ground. Using expressive eyes to great effect, Adams let us know this was more than just another close encounter. This was a journey with everyday relevance.

8. HELL OR HIGH WATER

Sneaking up on us during the summer, David Mackenzies drama had so many twists it was impossible to predict. Ben Foster and Chris Pine starred as brothers who robbed banks in order to right some government wrongs. On the other side: Jeff Bridges as a grizzled lawman about to call it quits. While Foster continued his Sean Penn ways, Pine surprised with subtlety that only Bridges (now in the character actor phase of his career) could match.

9. DEADPOOL

The opening credits (Starring Gods perfect idiot; Directed by an overpaid tool) set a tone that the ensuing film never betrayed. Sending up the proliferation of superheroes, it let Ryan Reynolds find one who deserved his brand of snark and cynicism. It was entertaining, too, and filled with the kind of surprises only someone as hooked in as Tim Miller could deliver.

10. KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS

While there was plenty of traditional animation this year ("Moana" emerging as one of the best), this stop-motion venture intrigued, largely because director Travis Knight created vast worlds to tell the story of a boy looking to defeat a particularly nasty spirit. In scene after scene, we saw just how magical the art form could be.

Also worth noting: "Fences," "Sully," "Hacksaw Ridge," "Moana," "Zootopia" and "Nocturnal Animals."
New studies at Grace United Methodist

SIOUX CITY -- Two new study groups will be offered at Grace United Methodist Church, 1735 Morningside Ave.

A five-week women's study based on Shauna Niequist's "Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simple, More Soulful Way of Living," will meet at 6:30 p.m. beginning Jan. 18. The $22 book will be distributed at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

A six-week study based on Adam Hamilton's "John: The Gospel of Light and Life" will begin at 10 a.m. Jan. 19. The $13 book will be distributed at 10 a.m. Jan. 12.

To register for either class, call Jim Clem at 712-276-3452.

New Year's Eve worship services

SIOUX CITY -- Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St., invites the public to New Year's Eve worship services at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday. Holy communion will be part of the service and a New Year's Eve social party will begin at 7 p.m.

SIOUX CITY -- Central Baptist Church, 4001 Indian Hills Dr., will host "Journey Ministries: Women Encouraging Women in their Journey to Live and Age Well," at 7 p.m. Thursday. This month's topic will be "Taking the Journey with Joy," with speaker Dr. Jim Logan. Men and welcome are welcome.

Sunday service at First Unitarian

SIOUX CITY -- The congregation of First Unitarian Church will hear the topic, "Passages" presented by Chad Dunning at 11 a.m. Sunday at First Unitarian Church, 2508 Jackson St.
Screenings

Free blood pressure screenings, 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesdays at Countryside Senior Living, front lobby. No appointment necessary.

Programs/Self-Help Groups

Al-Anon Information Center, call 712-255-6724.

Al-Anon and Alateen, meetings locally. For times, dates and locations of area meetings, call 712-255-6724.

Alcoholics Anonymous, beginners information, call 712-252-1333.

Arc of Woodbury County, serving the mentally challenged, 5:15 p.m. meeting, second Monday of the month at Mid-Step Services, 4303 Stone Ave. For families and interested persons.

Child Care Resource and Referral, provides resources, education and advocacy for children, parents, and child care providers. Assists in child care needs. For more information, call 712-277-1180.

Co-Dependence Anonymous, 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at First Lutheran Church, Fireside Room.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CODA), 10 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.

Compassionate Friends, 7 p.m. fourth Wednesday of each month (third Thursday in November and second Sunday December) in Mercy Medical Center's Leiter Room. For families who have lost children. Contact Nancy Webb 712-212-4032 or Don Mulder 712-541-5512.

Eating disorder coalition awareness event, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 29 at Boy's and Girl's home and family services, 2101 Court St. Contact Lisa 712-251-0570 or Michele 712-898-2351.

Clinics

Siouxland District Health immunization clinics, call for appointment, 712-279-6119 or 1-800-587-3005.

Information

Family and Addictive Illness series, for more information, call 234-2300.

Iowa Fathers, 6 to 8 p.m. fourth Tuesday of each month at Hope Lutheran Church, Education Building, 218 W. 18th St., South Sioux City, Neb. Support group to help single, divorcing and divorced parents residing in the state of Iowa.

Mercy Pathways Outpatient Program, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, on the third floor, Mercy's Central Medical Building, 801 Fifth St., Suite 360. Provides hope, help, opportunity to connect through group therapy for individuals experiencing personal, relationship, psychiatric issues. For more information, call 712-279-5991.

Narcotics Anonymous, meetings daily, various times, dates and locations. For more information, call 712-279-0733.

Overeaters Anonymous, 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Wesley United Methodist Church, 3700 Indian Hills Drive; 6 p.m. Tuesdays at St. John's Lutheran Church, 402 Lane Ave., Storm Lake; 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Church of the Nazarene, 226 N. Main St., Viborg, S.D.; 5:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays at Newman Center, 320 E. Cherry St., Vermillion, S.D.; 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St. A 12-step recovery program for people who have problems with food and weight. No fees.

St. Lukes Outpatient Behavioral Health Program, 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on fifth floor of St. Luke's, located at 2720 Stone Park Blvd. Offers several levels of outpatient care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and group therapy. This program provides support and integrated treatment to individuals experiencing personal or relationship issues as a result of their mental illness. For more information and admission criteria, call 712-279-3906.

Sobriety By Faith, 8:30 a.m. Saturdays at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For more information, call James Mothershead at 712-577-9715.

The Link-Recovery and Freedom, 1603 Glen Ellen Road; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday workshop, and Christian 12-step meeting 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. For all ages. Call Dee at 389-7432.

Women in Recovery, meets monthly at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For details, call 712-255-4623.

Tarahouse Meditation Center, 8 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 6:30 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, all at 3112 Rebecca St. Three easy 10-minute sessions in small group; beginners welcome. For more information, call 490-6410.

Blood pressure and blood sugar screening, 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays in the lobby at Westwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Free to public.

Support Groups

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Hawkeye Club basement, 420 Jones St. For more information, call 277-5935.

Celebrate Recovery, Bible-based 12-step recovery group. Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive. Childcare provided. 712-490-3343. All welcome.

PFLAG of Siouxland, (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 7 p.m., fourth Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. St. Mark ELCA Church, 5200 Glenn Ave., in the upstairs meeting area. 712-258-3116.

Singles widowed and divorced, all ages, 4 p.m., Sundays. McDonald's at Sixth Street and Lewis Boulevard. 712-252-2675.

GriefShare, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

HIV/AIDS Support Group, meets weekly. For more information, call Darla or Teri at Siouxland Community Health Center, 712-252-2477 or 888-371-1965.

Hospice of Siouxland, seeking volunteers. For more information, call 712-233-4144 and ask for a volunteer coordinator.

La Leche League of Siouxland, breastfeeding support group meets every third Thursday at 11 a.m. at Morningside Lutheran Church. Children are welcome. For more information, call Mary at 712-546-7280 or Jacquie at 712-255-2998.

Living Each Day Cancer Support Group, 7-8 p.m. second Thursday of the month, Floyd Valley Hospital, Conference Center Room 2, Le Mars, Iowa. Open to all cancer patients, cancer survivors and family members. No charge. Pre-register by calling 712-546-3441 or 800-642-6074, ext. 441.

Mom and Baby Support Group, 10-11 a.m. last Monday of the month at the Orange City (Iowa) Hospital, lower level. For new moms and babies. 712-737-5260.

Tri-State Sober Project, 12-step meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Friendship Community Church, 305 Sergeant Square Drive, Sergeant Bluff. 6-7 p.m., Thursdays, Transitional Services of Iowa, 1221 Pierce St., Sioux City.

Doug's Donors Support Group, information for organ donors and recipients, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Fridays, 5:15-6:30 p.m. second Thursdays of the month at Mercy Cafeteria Woodbury Room. 712-277-1050.

Divorce Care, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

NAMI Siouxland, (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Support Group meets 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of the month at Friendship House, 1101 Court St. For individuals and family members dealing with mental illness. 712-255-4209.

New Life Life Support Group, 3:30 p.m. every Saturday at 2929 W. Fourth St. Spiritual 12-step program. For more information, call Donald at 712-574-1744 or James at 712-255-7624.

Orphan Sunday, 3:30-5 p.m. Sunday at Sunnybrook Community Church loft, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive.

Post Polio Support Group, 11 a.m. first Thursday of the month at Perkins Restaurant by Menards. 712-490-8213.

Relationship Support Group, 7 p.m. Fridays at Marketplace Mall. For more information, call 239-3129.

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Individual and Support Groups. For more information, call CSADV in Sioux City at 712-258-7233; Plymouth County at 712-546-6764; Monona County at 712-423-3443. Advocacy and support available 24 hours a day at 1-800-982-7233. All services free of charge and confidential.

Sickle Cell Disease Support Group, 11 a.m. third Saturday of each month at St. Luke's Hospital, meeting room 1. For patients, their family and any concerned member. Call La'Keshia Rainey at 712-203-2019 for more information.

Single and Parenting, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

Sioux City Association of the Deaf, 7 p.m. third Saturday of the month at Morningside Church of Christ, 5015 Garretson Ave. Regular meeting, September-May; no meeting, June, July, August and December.

Siouxland Autism Support Group, second Thursday of the month at Northwest Area Education Agency, 1520 Morningside Ave. For more information, call Julie Case at 712-490-8939.

Siouxland Epilepsy Support Group, 5 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at Prestwick Apartment Clubhouse, 4230 Hickory Lane. For anyone diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy and family or friends. For more information, call Steve at 274-6927.

Siouxland IC support group, meets quarterly in Sioux City. For patients struggling with interstital cystitis. For more information, call Jacque Dundas 316-641-9766.

Siouxland Informational Group for the Blind, 2-5 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Northern Hills Retirement Community, 4002 Teton Trace. For more information, call 712-266-8926 or 258-8151.

Grief support group, 5:30-7:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 5 for 13 weeks (may join at any time), Crescent Park United Methodist Church, 2826 Myrtle St., Sioux City. Scott, 712-899-6315.

Siouxland Ostomy Association, 2 p.m. first Sunday of each month (except September, which will be second Sunday; and no meetings June, July, August), in Room 300 at Mercy Medical Center, 801 Fifth St. For more information, call Dick Lindblom at 251-2453.

Siouxland Parkinson Disease Support Group, 1 p.m. fourth Monday of the month at Siouxland Center for Active Generations, 313 Cook St. For more information, call Sally Reinert at 402-987-3516.

Sojourners, support group for families of persons with life-threatening illness, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, Room 416. For more information, call Marjorie Jarvill at 402-241-8637.

South Sioux City Weight Support Group, 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays at St. Paul United Methodist Church, South Sioux City. For more information, call 494-1401 or 494-2133.

Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland, 520 Nebraska St., Suite 101: Women's Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month; LGBT Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Friday of the month; Adult ADHD, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; Advocacy Group, 1:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month. For more information, call 712-255-1065.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, group meetings various times, days and locations in Siouxland. For information on the chapter in your area, call 1-800-932-TOPS.

Voice Disorder Support Group, meets as needed at Mercy Medical Center, Buena Vista Room. 712-279-2686.

Women's Peer Support Group, in Wayne and South Sioux City, Neb., for those who have experienced domestic abuse. For more information, call the Wayne office at 402-375-4633 or 1-800-440-4633; in South Sioux City, call 402-494-7592. Help and support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services free and confidential.

Woodbury County D.M.D.A., noon-2 p.m. first Saturday of the month at Country Friendship Acres, 4501 West St.; 7-8 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at 515 Court St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at 441 W. Third St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at 409 W. Third St. in the Community Room. Support group for people with disabilities and mental disorders.

Natural Mamas in Siouxland, 1 p.m., third Tuesday of each month in the Garretson room of the Morningside Public Library. All ages of children are welcome to come with moms. For sharing natural living tips, recipes, natural remedies and health, homemaking, mothering, etc. For more information, call 402-913-0038 or visit their Facebook page.

A Step Beyond support group, 3:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, except for August, November and December when it meets at 5:30 p.m. (no meeting in January) at the Christy-Smith Resource Center, 1819 Morningside Ave. For more information, call 712-276-7319.

Divorce care, 5 p.m., Sundays. Fireside room, Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 South Martha St.

Gamblers Anonymous meetings, 4 p.m. Thursdays at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 315 Hamilton Blvd.; 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Morningside Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave.; 7 p.m. Tuesdays, St. John Lutheran Church; 7 p.m. Sundays, Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.. 712-277-2901.

Art therapy support group, 5:30 p.m. second Thursday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. Registration required, call 252-9387.

After Breast Cancer Support Group, 5:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call Brenda, 252-9370.

After Prostate Cancer Support Group, 5:15 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call 252-9426.

Alzheimer's Association, Big Sioux Chapter Support Group, 2 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; 4 p.m. third Tuesday of the month (under age 65) at 201 Pierce St., Suite 110 (Famous Dave's building); and 6 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the Barnes and Noble Cafe. For more information, call Emily Lord at 712-279-5802.

Christy-Smith Funeral Homes of Sioux City, extensive grief library at the Morningside location. Open to the public during weekday hours. For more information, call 276-7319.

Chronic Pain/Chronic Illness Support Group, 7:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday of the month in the lower level of the Orange City Hospital. For more information, call 712-737-5260.

Connections Area Agency on Aging, and Mercy Medical Centers Older Adult Services Welcome to Medicare, 1:30-4 p.m., the first Friday of every month at Connections Area Agency on Aging, 2301 Pierce St. To pre-register, or for more information, contact Connections Area Agency on Aging at 712-279-6900.
SIOUX CITY -- The Twelfth Night Handbell Concert will ring in Epiphany at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 8.

Due to water damage at the traditional venue, Central Baptist Church, the concert will celebrate its 36th year at Eppley Auditorium on the campus of Morningside College, 3625 Garretson Ave.

Handbell choirs from six area churches will gather for what Eleanor Tasker calls a "mass ringing."

The audience can expect to hear new songs, along with traditional classics.

"Some of the choirs choose to do solos, but we all come together for a mass ringing," said Tasker, the choir director of the Burnished Brass group at First Lutheran Church in South Sioux City.

Tasker, 89, has been a part of the free concert since the very beginning. She has been playing handbells for 53 years.

Though this will be Tasker's final year working as the director of her choir, she's confident that the bells will ring on.

"We're all in this together," she said.

The churches performing this year will include: First Lutheran Church of Sioux City, First Lutheran Church of South Sioux City, Grace United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, and Association Church of Hawarden, Iowa.

"Everyone involved is committed and dedicated. It really is a gift to the community," Tasker said.
ALTOMUENSTER, Germany  It was filthy, cramped and in major disarray, but when art historian Eva Lindqvist Sandgren entered the library in Altomuenster Abbey, off-limits to all but the German monastery's nuns for more than five centuries, she immediately knew she was looking at a major treasure.

The dusty shelves held at least 500 books, by her estimate, including precious illuminated manuscripts from the 16th century, chants used by the uniquely women-led Bridgettine Order and processionals bursting with colorful religious and ornamental decoration in their margins.

Unlike most Bridgettine libraries, the tomes had survived the Protestant Reformation, the 30 Years War and Germany's "secularization," when the state took most church property. It represents the most complete collection of the order known today.

"I had entered a time capsule," said Lindqvist Sandgren, a senior lecturer at Sweden's Uppsala University.

Surprised by the spontaneous decision by Altomuenster's last remaining nun, Sister Apollonia Buchinger, to open the library, 20 scholars including Sandgren made plans to return and meticulously catalog the remarkable collection. But before they could, the Vatican ordered the abbey in the Bavarian town of 7,500 closed and locked up the library, which also contains some 2,300 statues, paintings and other works of art.

If plans go ahead to close it down, all of the abbey's property  the books, the artworks, the city block-sized abbey, and the acres of forests and fields that make up the monastery grounds would be turned over to the dioceses of Munich and Freising.

Since 1496, the former Benedictine abbey in Altomuenster has housed a female religious order founded by Saint Bridget in Sweden in the 14th century. It is one of three monasteries of the original branch of the scholarly, monastic order operating today. But with its numbers in decline, Sister Apollonia now lives there alone. The Vatican requires at least three nuns to train novices to become nuns, prompting the decision to shut down the abbey.

The Franciscan nun the Vatican put in charge of the closure, Sister Gabriele Konrad, says the collections are just being kept safe, but she's refused to grant the scholars or anyone else access to the books.

"The value of the library is the ensemble, because it's never been taken apart and probably nobody's removed a significant number of books  it's a working library," said Corine Schlief, an art historian at Arizona State University who visited the library with Sandgren.

"If this should be taken apart and divided up between books that collectors would give tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for and those only of interest to scholars, it would lose a lot of its value."
SIOUX CITY | The owner of the former Argosy Sioux City riverboat casino would prefer that a lawsuit concerning nearly $2 million in revenue-sharing payments that it withheld from local nonprofit groups be heard in federal court rather than state court.

Attorneys for Belle of Sioux City and Iowa Gaming Company, both named as defendants in the suit, on Tuesday filed a notice of removal of the case brought by Community Action Agency of Siouxland to U.S. District Court in Sioux City.

The nonprofit agency in November sued the Argosy's former owners in Woodbury County District Court for $1.93 million in revenue sharing payments that were withheld from the casino operator's former local partner, Missouri River Historical Development Inc., for distribution to charities.

A removal to federal court is a common legal procedure when out-of-state entities are involved in lawsuits in a certain state. According to its notice of removal, Iowa Gaming Company and Belle of Sioux City both are citizens of states other than Iowa.

Iowa Gaming Company, according to the court document, is a limited liability company whose sole member is CRC Holdings, a Florida corporation with its principal place of business in Pennsylvania. Belle of Sioux City is a limited partnership made up of two partners: CRC Holdings and Iowa Gaming. Based on that information, both defendants are citizens of Florida and Pennsylvania, the court document said.

A representative of the defendants declined to comment on the record about the move.

Terry Giebelstein, a Davenport, Iowa, attorney representing Community Action Agency, said he is evaluating the removal notice to decide whether it should be challenged.

"We're looking into it," Giebelstein said.

Community Action Agency is seeking the money on behalf of itself and as many as 54 other nonprofit agencies that in the past have received grants from MRHD, the state-licensed nonprofit gaming group that collected and distributed a portion of Argosy gambling profits to charitable and civic organizations.

Belle, a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming Inc., which is based in Pennsylvania, stopped making the payments -- 3 percent of the boat's adjusted gross revenues -- in April 2013, seven months after it had sued MRHD for breach of contract.

The monthly payments ceased two months after the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission awarded Woodbury County's first land-based gaming license to MRHD and developers of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which opened in downtown Sioux City on Aug. 1, 2014, two days after state regulators ordered the Argosy to close because its state gaming license had expired.

In May, the Iowa Supreme Court denied the Belle of Sioux City's request to review an Iowa Court of Appeals ruling that upheld previous rulings that led to the casino's closure.

Belle's breach of contract lawsuit against MRHD is still pending in Polk County District Court. MRHD has countersued in that case.
1. Investigation into Sioux Citys management of wastewater discharges intensifies

2. Northwest Iowa plays pivotal role in 2016 election as Donald Trump dominates in region

3. CF Industries completes $2 billion expansion at Port Neal, thousands of workers return home

4. Isaiah Mothershed sentenced for attempted murder in shooting of Sioux City police officer

5. Horrible odors tied to Big Ox Energy displace South Sioux City homeowners, perplex city

6. Sioux City nears $14 million in state tax credits for big-ticket downtown projects

7. Federal grand juries indict several former, current members of Winnebago, Omaha tribal councils

8. Dakota Access lays crude oil pipeline in Siouxland, other states amid protests, court challenges

9. Sioux City police officer fatally shoots passenger during traffic stop

10. Legal battle over closing of former Argosy Sioux City riverboat casino ends

5 stories that just missed the Top 10 list for 2016

Cone Park construction moves forward after city of Sioux City receives $300,000 Vision Iowa grant

Seaboard Triumph Foods enters second year of construction on $264 million pork plant in Sioux City

Woodbury County supervisors twice reject efforts to raise minimum wage in county above state, national minimum

Two men charged with first-degree murder in the grisly slaying of a rural Emerson man

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City begins construction on $5 million addition that will include high-stakes room
SIOUX CITY | City officials have provided documents, data and reams of other information to state and federal authorities investigating the management of the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Now they wait.

They wait to see if federal investigations will result in criminal charges being filed against any current or former city employees or officials involved with operating or overseeing plant operations.

They also wait to see if the city will face significant fines as a result of a state investigation.

It's also possible that no criminal wrongdoing is found and no charges are filed, no fines levied.

How long the wait to find out what happens may take, no one knows.

There is no time line for FBI, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or U.S. Attorney probes into the city's operation of the plant, said Tony Morfitt, assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa.

"There is nothing new in the public record," Morfitt said.

The stepped-up investigation into the city's management of the regional wastewater treatment plant is the Journal's No. 1 story of 2016.

Earlier in December, the Federal Bureau of Investigation served a search warrant to gather digital information pertaining to the treatment plant. Federal authorities would not disclose what information was being sought or who was listed on the warrant.

Morfitt said the warrant, a routine procedure done during an investigation, remains sealed.

Assistant City Attorney Justin Vondrak said in the days after the search that FBI agents did not take any city servers, hard drives or other computer equipment, but he believed they secured all the information they were seeking.

Vondrak said the city has cooperated with requests from all state and federal agencies that have sought information.

"We've been working with them on several different requests," he said. "We've complied with them all."

The FBI search of city records and data was just one development this past year in the investigation into the city's wastewater treatment practices, which came under scrutiny in April 2015, when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources learned two plant supervisors were manipulating chemical levels used to treat sewage, which resulted in legally permitted discharges into the Missouri River to contain high levels of E. coli bacteria, potentially endangering public health.

In June, the state Environmental Protection Commission referred the case to Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller for consideration of civil penalties. DNR regulators had requested the action because the department's penalties against violators are capped by state law at $10,000. The Attorney General's office, however, can levy higher fines. The attorney general also could determine if criminal charges are warranted.

"We need to send a message to other municipalities that are maybe trying to slide by," commissioner Chad Ingels, of Randalia, said during the meeting prior to the Environmental Protection Commission's vote to turn the case over to the Attorney General, which is still reviewing the case.

The DNR began its investigation after receiving a tip that plant supervisors Jay Niday and Pat Schwarte had dramatically raised chlorine and bisulfate doses on days that E. coli samples were taken and then reduced the levels. A statement said that at least four other city employees took part in the manipulation of test results on directions from Niday and Schwarte, and the practice dated back as far as 2011, when the city took over operation of the plant from a private contractor. The report did not identify the other workers.

Niday, the former wastewater operator in charge, told state investigators the city saved at least $100,000 in one year when workers administered the smaller levels of chlorine.
SIOUX CITY | Christian Lee Coyle, 49, of Sioux City, went home to be with the Lord on Dec. 26, 2016, after a courageous seven month battle with cancer.

Memorial services will be 3 p.m. Friday at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel, with the Rev. Kenny Hsu officiating. Per his request, his earthly remains were cremated. Visitation will be 2 p.m. until service time Friday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be expressed at www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Christian Lee Coyle was born on Nov. 4, 1967, in Sioux City, the son of Katherine Magel-Coyle and Greg Coyle. He was baptized, confirmed, and married at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

He graduated from West High School before going on to college at the University of South Dakota (USD) with several of his high school friends. Many of those friendships have lived on to the present. It was his request to ask his friends to attend his funeral and express their thoughts about these enduring friendships.

While at USD, he met his future wife. The couple moved to Houston, Texas, where he completed his studies at Houston University earning a BA in elementary education. He taught in the Texas school system for 11 years. Out of his marriage came three wonderful children, Emily, Mason, and Rachel. Mason and Rachel joined the Iowa family in early December for a celebration of Christian's life while he was still alive.

The couple later divorced and Christian moved back to Sioux City. He was employed in various settings during his time back home. He loved to spend time with his mother and her Golden Retriever, Blair, and with his father and his family. He also loved to read, binge-watch his favorite shows on TV, socialize on the internet, and talk on the phone with his many friends.

In May 2016 he became ill with a form of cancer that would take his life in seven short months. It was during this time that his aunt, Gina, aka "Auntie G" offered her time and energy to make his life better in countless ways. We literally do not know what we would have done without her and, are eternally grateful for the love, comfort, and peace she brought to his life.

Survivors left to cherish the memories of his warm and gentle spirit are his children, Emily, Mason, and Rachel of Houston, Texas; mother, Kathy Coyle of Sioux City; father, Greg and wife, Lori Coyle of Sioux City; stepbrothers, Tim Murphy and Ryan Coyle of Colorado, and Beau Coyle of Sioux City; stepsisters, Tiffany, Angel, and Zoe, and once removed stepsister, Summer all of Sioux City; maternal grandmother, Mercedes Coyle of Sioux City; and several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, William and Lucille Magel; his paternal grandfather, Jack Coyle; his uncles, David Patrick and William Magel Jr.; and aunts, Lenore Anderson and Ruby Jane "Patty" Schieffer.

Honorary pallbearers are John Meier, Matt Krommenhoek, Mark Gordon, Kelly McCarthy, Randy Olson, Dean Hohn, Heath Marrinan, and Tim Murphy.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Sellers, Nylen Cancer Center, Hospice of Siouxland, and Touchstone Care Community for their assistance in guiding Christian's care during this most difficult journey.
BERESFORD, S.D. | A semi truck hauling paper caught fire on Interstate 29 Thursday, forcing traffic to be rerouted to a Union County blacktop for hours.

South Dakota Department of Public Safety spokesman Tony Mangan said the male driver noticed smoke coming from the tractor after 1 p.m. while traveling south on I-29, seven miles south of Beresford at mile marker 40.

The driver then pulled over to the west-hand shoulder and noticed there was fire coming from between the gas tank and the exhaust system of the truck.

"Within a few minutes, the tractor caught on fire," Mangan said, "and then it quickly spread to the trailer that was carrying paper products."

Authorities blocked off the interstate and directed traffic to go east on 302 Street and then south on 471 Avenue before returning to I-29 at the ramp four miles down the road. The northbound lanes were also closed for 10 minutes due to the poor visibility from the smoke, he said

Mangan said the tractor is totally destroyed and the trailer had substantial damages.

Mangan said the cause of the fire is unknown and the driver was uninjured.

South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, and the Beresford and Alcester fire departments responded to the scene.

Mangan did not know where the driver was going.
Todays top picks from our online calendar. Find more events at siouxcityjournal.com/calendar.

Christmas Acres 2016

The largest outdoor Christmas Display in the area with an estimated 80,000 lights, displays, inflatables with music playing. Located 7 miles west of Le Mars, Iowa, on Highway 3, then turn left on Impala Ave. Open every night from 5 to 10 p.m. until Dec. 31.

A Photo Album of Ireland

This traveling exhibit is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts. The exhibit is open during Sioux City Public Museum hours. Admission is free. Visit siouxcitymuseum.org for additional information and museum hours.

Friday Night Music

Come listen to Noah Cvrk playing keyboard and singing from 7 to 8:30 p.m. tonight at Scooter's Coffee, 1390 Hamilton Blvd. Contact Ali Dreher at 402-689-6390 for additional information.
KINGSLEY, Iowa | An 88-ton house-moving project crept 20 miles on Wednesday, ending 100 yards shy of its finish line.

Mother Nature, which worked well in allowing the effort to proceed on a late-December day, warmed the ground just enough early in the afternoon, preventing movers from getting the necessary traction to get the home atop its newly poured cement foundation on a 7.5-acre parcel southeast of Merrill, Iowa.

"There were no issues with wind," said Orville Vant Hul, president of Berghorst & Son, Inc., of Hull, Iowa, which moved the home. "We had 3.5 miles of gravel, which was very good. But the site itself, when it gets above freezing, gets slippery on top. It's now sitting on a rock driveway 100 yards from the foundation."

Vant Hul hoped that a cooler evening would freeze the ground, allowing his crew to finish the job Thursday morning.

Battling winter conditions amid holiday schedules can make a project like this a bit tricky. That said, Vant Hul's company worked with four utility companies (North West REC, MidAmerican Energy Co., Wiatel and Frontier Communications) and dozens of local businesses and residents in getting the Kingsley United Methodist Church's former parsonage from its site next to the church to its new surroundings.

"We were probably without power for 45 minutes," said Roger Schmid, of Kingsley State Bank in Kingsley. "We have bank branches, but our main computer is here, so we had to logistically shut everything down. (MidAmerican Energy) gave us ample warning before cutting off the power and we got through it."

"The power wasn't off long at all," said Belinda Holdcroft, owner of Bink's Diner in Kingsley. "And they let us know it was going to happen."

Much of the downtown sector in Kingsley watched the three-bedroom home creep south down Main Street before turning east on East Second Street at the main intersection. It was certainly a case where wide streets, thoroughfares that allow parallel parking in the middle of the street, made a challenging endeavor less difficult.

The house, which measures 28 feet by 50 feet, was purchased by Brett and Stacey Hoss, of Le Mars, Iowa. The couple paid a deposit of $2,500 to the church, of which they expect to get $1,000 back. The rest of the deposit will be used by the church to clean up the hole left where the home stood.

The church started advertising for someone to move the house several years ago after purchasing a more modern parsonage in a different part of town.

Terms of Wednesday's house-moving project were not disclosed by Brett Hoss or Orville Vant Hul. Such moves typically run several thousand dollars.

Brett Hoss followed the proceedings throughout the day, watching as officials with Berghorst & Son relocated "No Parking" signs and waited as professionals with utility companies took down or raised overhead power lines. Dozens of residents stood on sidewalks and in storefronts, taking video and photos of the effort.

While no move like this can be considered customary, Vant Hul has been through it thousands of times, having been associated with the company since 1964. This project was permitted for 176,000 pounds, he said, far shy of the company record, a 920,000-pound task that involved moving an electrical transformer from a rail car to a factory.

Brett Hoss, owner of Royal Iron, Inc., of Sioux City, was effusive in his praise for the house and its movers.

"One of my customers told me this summer that they were basically giving away a house in Kingsley," Hoss said. "My wife and I decided to look at it and she couldn't hardly get through the front door without saying, 'I love this house!'"

Stacey Hoss, unlike locals in and around Kingsley, didn't watch the spectacle on Wednesday. Rather, she waited for her husband to deliver good news.

"I followed it the whole way," he said. "I called to tell her it was in our driveway and she came out to see it. She was happy to see it in one piece.

"The movers have a very good reputation and they live up to it," he added. "They did a very good job."

Brett and Stacey Hoss plan to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms before moving in early this summer, thereby making this old parsonage their new home.
In 2014, Donald Trump called computer hacking within the United States by Russia (as well as China) a "big problem."

Insofar as Russia is concerned, he appears to have been right.

So why isn't the president-elect demanding an investigation into an allegation by the CIA of Russian use of cyber attacks in an effort to disrupt the U.S. presidential election this year?

Good question.

A CIA assessment, shared with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month, concludes Russia employed computer hacking in an attempt to interfere with this year's election for president. FBI Director James Comey and National Intelligence Director James Clapper agree with the assessment.

In an interview with Fox News earlier this month, Trump said of the charge: "It's just another excuse. I don't believe it." On Wednesday, Trump added this: "We ought to get on with our lives."

Without question, Trump should support a full, bipartisan congressional investigation into exactly what happened. Congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said they support investigation.

Any foreign breach of our cybersecurity measures is disturbing, and I strongly condemn any such efforts, McConnell said. The Russians are not our friends.

Clearly, the Obama administration believes the assessment. On Thursday, in fact, President Obama announced a range of retaliatory sanctions against Russia.

This election-focused drama produces broader questions, as well. Among them: Do U.S. intelligence leaders believe cyber attacks by Russia against U.S. organizations and individuals continues? If so, what is America's response?

The charge by the U.S. intelligence community of Russian computer hacking within our borders isn't a partisan political matter, it's a domestic cybersecurity matter. All Americans, including Trump and his incoming team, should demand to know the full story.
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Credit Suisse Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. The company offers wealth management solutions, including investment advice and discretionary asset management services; risk management solutions, such as managed investment products; and wealth planning, succession planning, and trust services. It also provides financing and lending solutions, including consumer credit and real estate mortgage lending, real asset lending relating to ship, and aviation financing for UHNWI; standard and structured hedging, and lombard lending solutions, as well as collateral trading services; and investment banking solutions, such as global securities sales, trading and execution, capital raising, and advisory services. In addition, the company offers banking solutions, such as payments, accounts, debit and credit cards, and product bundles; asset management products; equity and debt underwriting, and advisory services; cash equities, equity derivatives, and convertibles, as well as prime services; and fixed income products, such as credit, securitized, macro, emerging markets, financing, structured credit, and other products. Further, it provides HOLT, a framework for assessing the performance of approximately 20,000 companies; and equity and fixed income research services. The company serves private and institutional clients; ultra-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and affluent and retail clients; corporate clients, small and medium-sized enterprises, external asset managers, financial institutions, and commodity traders; and pension funds, hedge funds, governments, foundations and endowments, corporations, entrepreneurs, private individuals, financial sponsors, and sovereign clients. As of December 31, 2021, it operated through a network of 311 offices and branches. The company was founded in 1856 and is based in Zurich, Switzerland.
Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure, Gas Utilities and Infrastructure, and Commercial Renewables. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, renewable generation, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity. It also engages in the wholesale of electricity to municipalities, electric cooperative utilities, and load-serving entities. This segment serves approximately 8.2 million customers in 6 states in the Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States covering a service territory of approximately 91,000 square miles; and owns approximately 50,259 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation natural gas customers; and owns, operates, and invests in pipeline transmission and natural gas storage facilities. It has approximately 1.6 million customers, including 1.1 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as 550,000 customers in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The Commercial Renewables segment acquires, owns, develops, builds, and operates wind and solar renewable generation projects, including nonregulated renewable energy and energy storage services to utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and corporate customers. It has 23 wind, 178 solar, and 2 battery storage facilities, as well as 71 fuel cell locations with a capacity of 3,554 MW across 22 states. The company was formerly known as Duke Energy Holding Corp. and changed its name to Duke Energy Corporation in April 2005. The company was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes products serving the oil, natural gas, industrial, and renewable energy industries in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Drilling & Downhole, Completions, and Production. The Drilling & Downhole segment designs, manufactures, and supplies products, and provides related services to the drilling, well construction, artificial lift, and subsea energy construction markets, including applications in oil and natural gas, renewable energy, defense, and communications. This segment offers drilling technologies consisting of capital equipment and a line of products consumed in the drilling process; well construction casing and cementing equipment, and protection products for artificial lift equipment and cables; and subsea remotely operated vehicles and trenchers, submarine rescue vehicles, specialty components and tools, and complementary subsea technical services. The Completions segment offers hydraulic fracturing pumps, cooling systems, high-pressure flexible hoses, and flow iron for pressure pumping, hydraulic fracturing and flowback services markets; wireline cable and pressure control equipment for well completion and intervention service markets; and coiled tubing strings and coiled line pipe. The Production segment designs, manufactures, and supplies products, and provides related equipment and services for production and infrastructure markets. This segment offers engineered process systems, production equipment, specialty separation equipment, and various industrial valves for oil and natural gas customers, power generation, renewable energy, and other general industrial applications. The company was formerly known as Forum Oilfield Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. in August 2010. Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The following companies are subsidiares of Pfizer: AH Robins LLC, AHP Holdings B.V., AHP Manufacturing B.V., Agouron Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alacer, Alpharma Holdings LLC, Alpharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharma Specialty Pharma LLC, Alpharma USHP LLC, American Food Industries LLC, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Angiosyn, Array BioPharma, Ayerst-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, BIND Therapeutics Inc., BINESA 2002 S.L., Bamboo Therapeutics, Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Baxter International - Marketed Vaccines, BioRexis, Bioren, Bioren LLC, Blue Whale Re Ltd., C.E. Commercial Holdings C.V., C.E. Commercial Investments C.V., C.P. Pharmaceuticals International C.V., CICL Corporation, COC I Corporation, Catapult Genetics, Coley Pharmaceutical GmbH, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Continental Pharma Inc., Covx, Covx Technologies Ireland Limited, Cyanamid Inter-American Corporation, Cyanamid de Argentina S.A., Cyanamid de Colombia S.A., Distribuidora Mercantil Centro Americana S.A., Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., Esperion LUV Development Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Farminova Produtos Farmaceuticos de Inovacao Lda., Farmogene Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Ferrosan A/S, Ferrosan International A/S, Ferrosan S.R.L., FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Foldrx Pharmaceuticals, Fort Dodge Manufatura Ltda., G. D. Searle & Co. Limited, G. D. Searle International Capital LLC, G. D. Searle LLC, GI Europe Inc., GI Japan Inc., GenTrac Inc., Genetics Institute LLC, Greenstone LLC, Haptogen Limited, Hospira, Hospira (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Hospira Adelaide Pty Ltd, Hospira Aseptic Services Limited, Hospira Australia Pty Ltd, Hospira Benelux BVBA, Hospira Chile Limitada, Hospira Deutschland GmbH, Hospira Enterprises B.V., Hospira France SAS, Hospira Healthcare B.V., Hospira Healthcare Corporation, Hospira Healthcare India Private Limited, Hospira Holdings (S.A.) Pty Ltd, Hospira Inc., Hospira Invicta S.A., Hospira Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, Hospira Ireland Sales Limited, Hospira Japan G.K., Hospira Limited, Hospira Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hospira NZ Limited, Hospira Nordic AB, Hospira Philippines Inc., Hospira Portugal LDA, Hospira Produtos Hospitalares Ltda., Hospira Pte. Ltd., Hospira Pty Limited, Hospira Puerto Rico LLC, Hospira Singapore Pte Ltd, Hospira UK Limited, Hospira Worldwide LLC, Hospira Zagreb d.o.o., ICAgen, Idun Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Santa Agape S.A., InnoPharma, InnoPharma Inc., International Affiliated Corporation LLC, JMI-Daniels Pharmaceuticals Inc., John Wyeth & Brother Limited, Kiinteisto oy Espoon Pellavaniementie 14, King Pharmaceuticals Holdings LLC, King Pharmaceuticals LLC, King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development LLC, Korea Pharma Holding Company Limited, Laboratoires Pfizer S.A., Laboratorios Parke Davis S.L., Laboratorios Pfizer Ltda., Laboratorios Wyeth LLC, Laboratorios Wyeth S.A., Laboratorios Pfizer Lda., MTG Divestitures LLC, Mayne Pharma IP Holdings (Euro) Pty Ltd, Medivation, Medivation Field Solutions LLC, Medivation LLC, Medivation Neurology LLC, Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, Medivation Services LLC, Medivation Technologies LLC, Meridian Medical Technologies Inc., Meridian Medical Technologies Limited, Monarch Pharmaceuticals LLC, Neusentis Limited, NextWave Pharmaceuticals, NextWave Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, P-D Co. LLC, PAH USA IN8 LLC, PF Americas Holding C.V., PF Asia Manufacturing B.V., PF PR Holdings C.V., PF PRISM C.V., PF PRISM Holdings S.a.r.l., PF Prism S.a.r.l., PFE Holdings G.K., PFE PHAC Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Pfizer Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Wyeth Holdings LLC, PFE Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) LLC, PHILCO Holdings S.a r.l., PHIVCO Corp., PHIVCO Holdco S.a r.l., PHIVCO Luxembourg S.a r.l., PN Mexico LLC, PT. Pfizer Parke Davis, Parke Davis & Company LLC, Parke Davis Limited, Parke Davis Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Parke-Davis Manufacturing Corp., Parkedale Pharmaceuticals Inc., Peak Enterprises LLC, Pfizer, Pfizer (China) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Pfizer (Perth) Pty Limited, Pfizer (Thailand) Limited, Pfizer (Wuhan) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer AB, Pfizer AG, Pfizer AS, Pfizer Africa & Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Veterinarian Products & Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer Anti-Infectives AB, Pfizer ApS, Pfizer Asia Manufacturing Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Pfizer Atlantic Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Australia Holdings B.V., Pfizer Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pfizer Australia Investments Pty. Ltd., Pfizer Australia Pty Limited, Pfizer B.V., Pfizer BH D.o.o., Pfizer Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer Biofarmaceutica Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Pfizer Biologics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Pfizer Biologics Ireland Holdings Limited, Pfizer Biotech Corporation, Pfizer Bolivia S.A., Pfizer Canada Inc., Pfizer CentreSource Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Chile S.A., Pfizer Cia. Ltda., Pfizer Colombia Spinco I LLC, Pfizer Commercial Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Commercial Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Commercial TRAE Trading Kft., Pfizer Consumer Healthcare AB, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare GmbH, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Ltd., Pfizer Consumer Manufacturing Italy S.r.l., Pfizer Corporation, Pfizer Corporation Austria Gesellschaft m.b.H., Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Pfizer Croatia d.o.o., Pfizer Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Development LP, Pfizer Development Services (UK) Limited, Pfizer Domestic Ventures Limited, Pfizer Dominicana S.R.L, Pfizer ESP Pty Ltd, Pfizer East India B.V., Pfizer Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer Egypt S.A.E., Pfizer Enterprise Holdings B.V., Pfizer Enterprises LLC, Pfizer Enterprises SARL, Pfizer Europe Finance B.V., Pfizer Export B.V., Pfizer Export Company, Pfizer Export Holding Company B.V, Pfizer Finance Share Service (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Financial Services N.V./S.A., Pfizer France International Investments, Pfizer Free Zone Panama S. de R.L., Pfizer GEP S.L., Pfizer Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer Global Supply Japan Inc., Pfizer Global Trading, Pfizer Group Luxembourg Sarl, Pfizer Gulf FZ-LLC, Pfizer H.C.P. Corporation, Pfizer HK Service Company Limited, Pfizer Health AB, Pfizer Health Solutions Inc., Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, Pfizer Hellas A.E., Pfizer Himalaya Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Holding France, Pfizer Holding Ventures, Pfizer Holdings Corporation, Pfizer Holdings Europe Unlimited Company, Pfizer Holdings G.K., Pfizer Holdings International Corporation, Pfizer Holdings International Luxembourg (PHIL) Sarl, Pfizer Holdings North America SARL, Pfizer Hungary Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Inc., Pfizer Innovations AB, Pfizer Innovations LLC, Pfizer Innovative Supply Point International BVBA, Pfizer International LLC, Pfizer International Markets Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer International Operations, Pfizer International S. de R.L., Pfizer International Trading (Shanghai) Limited, Pfizer Investment Capital Unlimited Company, Pfizer Investment Co. Ltd., Pfizer Investment Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Ireland Investments Limited, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 1 LLC, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 2 LLC, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Ireland Ventures Unlimited Company, Pfizer Italia S.r.l., Pfizer Italy Group Holding S.r.l., Pfizer Japan Inc., Pfizer LLC, Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Limited, Pfizer Laboratories Limited, Pfizer Laboratories PFE (Pty) Ltd, Pfizer Leasing Ireland Limited, Pfizer Leasing UK Limited, Pfizer Limitada, Pfizer Limited, Pfizer Luxco Holdings SARL, Pfizer Luxembourg Global Holdings S.a r.l., Pfizer Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer MAP Holding Inc., Pfizer Manufacturing Austria G.m.b.H., Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizer Manufacturing Holdings LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Manufacturing LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Services, Pfizer Medical Technology Group (Belgium) N.V., Pfizer Medicamentos Genericos e Participacoes Ltda., Pfizer Mexico Luxco SARL, Pfizer Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pfizer Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Animal Health and Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer New Zealand Limited, Pfizer Norge AS, Pfizer North American Holdings Inc., Pfizer OTC B.V., Pfizer Overseas LLC, Pfizer Oy, Pfizer PFE ApS, Pfizer PFE AsiaPac Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Pty Ltd, Pfizer PFE B.V., Pfizer PFE Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Belgium SPRL, Pfizer PFE Brazil Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE CIA. Ltda., Pfizer PFE Chile Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Colombia Holding Corp., Pfizer PFE Colombia S.A.S, Pfizer PFE Commercial Holdings LLC, Pfizer PFE Croatia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer PFE Finland Oy, Pfizer PFE France, Pfizer PFE Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Ireland Pharmaceuticals Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco 2 S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Pfizer PFE Limited, Pfizer PFE Luxembourg S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Mexico Holding 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE Netherlands Holding 1 C.V., Pfizer PFE New Zealand, Pfizer PFE New Zealand Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Norway Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE PILSA Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Peru Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Peru S.R.L., Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer PFE Private Limited, Pfizer PFE S.R.L, Pfizer PFE Service Company Holding Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer PFE Singapore Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Singapore Pte. Ltd., Pfizer PFE Spain B.V., Pfizer PFE Spain Holding S.L., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding 2 S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Switzerland GmbH, Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 2 B.V., Pfizer PFE UK Holding 4 LP, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 1 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 2 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 4 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 5 LLC, Pfizer PFE spol. s r.o., Pfizer PFE Ilaclar Anonim Sirketi, Pfizer Pakistan Limited, Pfizer Parke Davis (Thailand) Ltd., Pfizer Parke Davis Inc., Pfizer Parke Davis Sdn. Bhd., Pfizer Pharm Algerie, Pfizer Pharma GmbH, Pfizer Pharma PFE GmbH, Pfizer Pharmaceutical (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceutical Trading Limited Liability Company (a/k/a Pfizer Kft. or Pfizer LLC), Pfizer Pharmaceuticals B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Global B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Korea Limited, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pfizer Pigments Inc., Pfizer Polska Sp. z.o.o., Pfizer Private Limited, Pfizer Production LLC, Pfizer Products Inc., Pfizer Products India Private Limited, Pfizer Research (NC) Inc., Pfizer Romania SRL, Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A. (Belgium), Pfizer S.A. de C.V., Pfizer S.A.S., Pfizer S.G.P.S. Lda., Pfizer S.L., Pfizer S.R.L., Pfizer SRB d.o.o., Pfizer Saidal Manufacturing, Pfizer Sante Familiale, Pfizer Saudi Limited, Pfizer Seiyaku K.K., Pfizer Service Company BVBA, Pfizer Service Company Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Services 1, Pfizer Services LLC, Pfizer Shared Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Shareholdings Intermediate SARL, Pfizer Singapore Holding Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Singapore Trading Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Spain Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Specialties Limited, Pfizer Strategic Investment Holdings LLC, Pfizer Sweden Partnership KB, Pfizer TRAE Holdings Kft., Pfizer Trading Polska sp.z.o.o., Pfizer Transactions Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Transactions LLC, Pfizer Transactions Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer Transport LLC, Pfizer Ukraine LLC, Pfizer Vaccines LLC, Pfizer Venezuela S.A., Pfizer Venture Investments LLC, Pfizer Ventures LLC, Pfizer Worldwide Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Zona Franca S.A., Pfizer spol. s r.o., Pharmacia, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn S.A. de C.V., Pharmacia Brasil Ltda., Pharmacia Hepar LLC, Pharmacia Holding AB, Pharmacia Inter-American LLC, Pharmacia International B.V., Pharmacia LLC, Pharmacia Limited, Pharmacia Nostrum S.A., Pharmacia South Africa (Pty) Ltd, PowderJect Research Limited, PowderMed, Purepac Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, Redvax, Renrall LLC, Rinat Neuroscience, Rinat Neuroscience Corp., Roerig Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Roerig S.A., Sao Cristovao Participacoes Ltda., Searle Laboratorios Lda., Serenex, Servicios P&U S. de R.L. de C.V., Shiley LLC, Sinergis Farma-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Site Realty Inc., Solinor LLC, Sugen LLC, Tabor LLC, The Pfizer Incubator LLC, Therachon, Thiakis Limited, Treerly Health Co. Ltd, US Oral Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Upjohn Laboratorios Lda., Vesteralens Naturprodukter A/S, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AB, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AS, Vesteralens Naturprodukter OY, Vicuron Holdings LLC, Vinci Farma S.A., W-L LLC, Warner Lambert, Warner Lambert Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Warner Lambert del Uruguay S.A., Warner-Lambert (Thailand) Limited, Warner-Lambert Company AG, Warner-Lambert Company LLC, Warner-Lambert Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Warner-Lambert S.A., Whitehall International Inc., Whitehall Laboratories Inc., Wyeth (Thailand) Ltd., Wyeth AB, Wyeth Australia Pty. Limited, Wyeth Ayerst Inc., Wyeth Ayerst S.a r.l., Wyeth Biopharma, Wyeth Canada ULC, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare LLC, Wyeth Europa Limited, Wyeth Farma S.A., Wyeth Holdings LLC, Wyeth Industria Farmaceutica Ltda., Wyeth KFT., Wyeth LLC, Wyeth Lederle S.r.l., Wyeth Lederle Vaccines S.A., Wyeth Pakistan Limited, Wyeth Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals FZ-LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Limited, Wyeth Puerto Rico Inc., Wyeth S.A.S, Wyeth Subsidiary Illinois Corporation, Wyeth Whitehall Export GmbH, Wyeth Whitehall SARL, Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) Limited, Wyeth-Ayerst International LLC, and Wyeth-Ayerst Promotions Limited.

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Post Holdings, Inc. operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, Refrigerated Retail, and BellRing Brands. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal and hot cereal products. It serves grocery stores, mass merchandise customers, supercenters, club stores, natural/specialty stores, and drug store customers, as well as sells its products in the military, ecommerce, and foodservice channels. The Weetabix segment primarily markets and distributes branded and private label RTE cereal, hot cereals and other cereal-based food products, breakfast drinks, and muesli. This segment sells its products to grocery stores, discounters, wholesalers, and convenience stores, as well as through ecommerce. The Foodservice segment produces and distributes egg and potato products in the foodservice and food ingredient channels. It serves foodservice distributors and national restaurant chains. The Refrigerated Retail segment produces and distributes side dishes, eggs and egg products, sausages, cheese, and other dairy and refrigerated products for grocery stores and mass merchandise customers. The BellRing Brands segment markets and distributes ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes, other RTD beverages, powders, nutrition bars, and supplements. It serves club stores, food, drug and mass customers, and online retailers, as well as specialty retailers, convenience stores, and distributors. Post Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.
The following companies are subsidiares of Clean Harbors: Ace/Allwaste Environmental Services of Indiana LLC, Altair Disposal Services LLC, Aquilex Finance LLC, Aquilex Intermediate Corporate Holdings LLC, Aquilex Intermediate Holdings LLC, Aquilex LLC, Baton Rouge Disposal LLC, Bridgeport Disposal LLC, CARBER Holdings Inc., CB Canada Acquisition Inc., CB Canada Holdings Inc., CB US Holdings Inc., CH International Holdings LLC, Car-Ber Investments Inc., Clean Harbors Andover LLC, Clean Harbors Aragonite LLC, Clean Harbors Arizona LLC, Clean Harbors BDT LLC, Clean Harbors Baton Rouge LLC, Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC, Clean Harbors Canada Inc., Clean Harbors Caribe Inc., Clean Harbors Chattanooga LLC, Clean Harbors Clive LLC, Clean Harbors Coffeyville LLC, Clean Harbors Colfax LLC, Clean Harbors Deer Park LLC, Clean Harbors Deer Trail LLC, Clean Harbors Development LLC, Clean Harbors Disposal Services Inc., Clean Harbors El Dorado LLC, Clean Harbors Energy Services ULC, Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services Corp., Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services LP, Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Western Ltd., Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc., Clean Harbors Exploration Services Inc., Clean Harbors Exploration Services LP, Clean Harbors Exploration Services ULC, Clean Harbors Florida LLC, Clean Harbors Grassy Mountain LLC, Clean Harbors India LLP, Clean Harbors Industrial Services Canada Inc., Clean Harbors Industrial Services Inc., Clean Harbors Innu Environmental Services Inc., Clean Harbors Kansas LLC, Clean Harbors Kingston Facility Corporation, Clean Harbors LaPorte LLC, Clean Harbors Laurel LLC, Clean Harbors Lodging Services LP, Clean Harbors Lodging Services ULC, Clean Harbors Lone Mountain LLC, Clean Harbors Mercier Inc., Clean Harbors Pecatonica LLC, Clean Harbors Production Services ULC, Clean Harbors Quebec Inc., Clean Harbors Recycling Services of Chicago LLC, Clean Harbors Recycling Services of Ohio LLC, Clean Harbors Reidsville LLC, Clean Harbors San Jose LLC, Clean Harbors San Leon Inc., Clean Harbors Services Inc., Clean Harbors Surface Rentals Partnership, Clean Harbors Surface Rentals ULC, Clean Harbors Surface Rentals USA Inc., Clean Harbors Tennessee LLC, Clean Harbors Westmorland LLC, Clean Harbors White Castle LLC, Clean Harbors Wichita LLC, Clean Harbors Wilmington LLC, Clean Harbors of Baltimore Inc. (DE Corp.), Clean Harbors of Braintree Inc., Clean Harbors of Connecticut Inc. (DE), Confined Space Services L.L.C., Cousins Waste Control LLC, Crowley Disposal LLC, Cyn Oil Corporation, Debusk Industrial Services Company LLC, Disposal Properties LLC, Emerald Services Inc., EnviroSORT Inc., EnviroSORT Inc., Eveready, Evergreen Holdings, GSX Disposal LLC, Global Vapor Control Inc., Green View Technologies Inc., HPC PetroServ Inc., Hilliard Disposal LLC, HydroChem Canada ULC, HydroChem Industrial Cleaning LLC, HydroChem LLC, HydroChemPSC, IISG Central Region LLC, IISG Gulf Coast LLC, IISG Real Estate LLC, Industrial Service Oil Company Inc., Inland Industrial Services Group LLC, Inland Waters Pollution Control Services LLC, Inland Waters of Ohio LLC, Jesco Industrial Service LLC, LJ Energy Services Holdings LLC, LJ Energy Services Intermediate Holding Corp., Lonestar Sylvan Inc., Lonestar Vacuum Inc., Lonestar West, Lonestar West Enterprises LLC, Lonestar West Inc., Lonestar West Services LLC, Murphy's Waste Oil Service Inc., Northeast Casualty Insurance Company, Omnichem LLC, PMS Industrial Services LLC, PSC Industrial Holdings Corp., PSC Industrial Inc., PSC Industrial Outsourcing LP, PSC Industrial Outsourcing of Michigan LLC, PSC LDAR Services LLC, Peak Energy Services, Philip Services/North Central LLC, Plaquemine Remediation Services LLC, Power Vac Construction L.L.C., RMF Aquilex Corp., Roebuck Disposal LLC, Romic Environmental Technologies, Rosemead Oil Products Inc., SK D'Incineration Inc., Safety-Kleen, Safety-Kleen Canada Inc., Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company, Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company of Puerto Rico Inc., Safety-Kleen Inc., Safety-Kleen International Inc., Safety-Kleen Systems Inc., Safety-Kleen of California Inc., Sawyer Disposal Services LLC, Seaport Environmental LLC, Service Chemical LLC, Speed Industrial Corporate LLC, Speed Industrial Service Catalyst LLC, Speed Industrial Service LLC, Speed Industrial Service of Beaumont LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Lake Charles LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Louisiana LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Texas LLC, Spring Grove Resource Recovery Inc., The Solvents Recovery Service of New Jersey Inc., Thermo Fluids, Thermo Fluids Inc., Tri-vax Enterprises Ltd., Tulsa Disposal LLC, Universal Environmental, Veolia North Americas U.S. Industrial Cleaning Services Division, Versant Energy Services Inc., Versant Energy Services LP, and Vulsay Industries Ltd..

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International Relations, War/Peace  December 30, 2016  David Bush

The debate over Syria on the Left is toxic. I pulled together 13 points about the situation in Syria I hope can be useful in framing the discussion in a more productive way. The ultimate goal of these discussions in Western countries should be to have a clearer idea about how to strengthen antiwar movements to stop the madness of imperialism.

1. A political assessment of the conflict should be rooted in a deep concern for human life. It is horrific to watch what is happening in Syria and in the wider region. War brings suffering and those that suffer the most are everyday working-class people.

2. The Syrian Civil War emerges from the Arab popular revolts that spread throughout the region in 2011. The protests against Bashar al-Assad had both economic and democratic demands. As the protest movement evolved and spread it developed organs of political expression and governance, such as democratic councils or Local Coordination Committees (LCC). In Rojava, the popular uprising in the rest of the country allowed the Kurdish Democratic Union Party to establish an autonomous self-governing region.

3. The turn to armed struggle was a product of the regimes strategy to smash the movement by force. It weakened rather than strengthened the forces of the popular revolt. As Ghayath Naisse, a member of the Revolutionary Left Current (RLC), explained, in the first year of the popular uprising, the LCCs lost three successive generations of leadership to Assads violence.

Atrocities and Interventions

4. There can be no denying that Assad and his allies have committed atrocities. This should come as no surprise as his regime has frequently used brutal methods to crush political dissent in the past. For example, in 1982 the regime levelled large sections of Hama in order to defeat an uprising led by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing an estimated 10,000 people in the process. Assad and his fathers regime have used torture. Remember how Western security agencies outsourced Maher Arars torture to the Syrian regime.

The reality of the conflict is brutal. You simply cannot use artillery and drop bombs in dense urban areas without inflicting a large amount of civilian casualties.

5. The armed struggle also brought in numerous imperial and sub-imperial powers into the conflict. America, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Canada, UK, France, Israel, Australia, Belgium, Germany and Denmark have all actively intervened in the conflict. This has taken many forms: direct bombings, special forces activities, training troops, providing intelligence and arms, and funding.

6. The brutality of the war and the numerous interventions creates its own logic in the armed struggle. Reactionary factions in the anti-Assad camp have grown in prominence through the armed struggle, as they had easier access to arms, money and training from foreign governments. The rebel factions have also committed atrocities.

7. It is wrong to talk of a unified rebel side. There are numerous factions that have been labelled as rebels. These groups can be broken down into dozens of fronts that operate as fluid coalitions. For instance the Free Syrian Army was at one point a coherent armed force, now it is generally referred to a broad spectrum of different and sometimes competing armed groups such as the Southern Front and the Army of Conquest (the FSA has as many as 27 different factions associated with it). A long list of other factions, some secular and many Islamist, have formed into dozens of fronts in various regions throughout the country. One of the best organized forces on the rebel side is the former Al-Qaeda group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

8. The conflict must also be put into a wider historical and regional context. The rise of ISIS was a product of the invasion and occupation of Iraq and the chaos and sectarian conflict that it both caused and deliberately fomented. ISIS now controls parts of western Iraq and eastern Syria and is formally opposed to all sides in the Syrian conflict, though in reality it is supported or tolerated by various different regional actors.

9. Strange bedfellows abound in protracted conflicts involving so many forces. For instance, the YPG, the armed Kurdish group, has been fighting in coordination with Assads group against other rebel groups and actually took part in the fighting to recapture East Aleppo. Turkey supports various rebel groups against the Kurds and the regime, even though the United States, its ally has supported various rebel factions, the YPG and Turkey.

Propaganda and Social Media

10. Each side and their foreign backers have been pumping unceasing amount of propaganda which makes it very hard to discern the truth of claims and counter claims. The reporting on the ground has been spotty at best  in part this is the result of the killing of a number of journalists in the first couple of years of the conflict.

11. The Left has not fully grappled with phenomenon of social media in relation to this story. The instant hot takes and analysis is often based on partial or totally misleading stories. The promise of social media, its potential to bypass the corporate media and elevate the voices of regular people, has failed to materialize. Rather social media as a medium has been effectively incorporated into the propaganda system which is still owned and operated by the corporate media, state-owned media, and the PR strategies of governments.

Instead of analysis being driven by sober reflection and diligent research, it has come to reflect the churning outrage of the medium itself. This is not to say people shouldnt be outraged, but the Left should be trying to offer useful and critical analysis. We should insist on the best facts possible and resist the urge to amplify the hyperbole. This means putting existing media narratives into a wider context.

12. We should insist on linking the Syrian conflict to the broader conflict in the region. This means looking at what is happening in Yemen and Mosul and asking why some victims matter to our politicians and media, but other victims dont. This should not be done in a cynical manner, to divert attention from actual crimes, but rather to illuminate wider truths in the region and conflict.

13. The debate about strategy is being carried on in the abstract. If people in the UK, U.S., Australia and Canada want to protest Russian embassies they should do that (for the record I think this is a strategic mistake). But critics who arent building antiwar movements or organizing protests should stop demanding that others do what they havent.

The antiwar movement in the West faces numerous challenges: the rising right represented by Trump and the European far-right, increasing xenophobia and Islamophobia, increased terrorist attacks, the refugee crisis, and the expansion of unending wars in the Middle East. Framing these questions around abstract debates about how some on the Left orient to Russia actually hinders the growth of antiwar movements and sentiments. Opposing Russian aggression above and beyond ones own government is a strategic dead end for the antiwar movement, especially in the context of rising nationalism and anti-Russian rhetoric pumped out by the media and politicians.

We should ask ourselves why the UK is the only Western country with a broad and active antiwar movement? The reason is because they have united around stopping their own countrys drive to war. Critiques of existing antiwar groups like Stop the War coalition have not offered up any actual strategic alternative other than some version of No Fly Zones, which in reality are only further acts of war, or increasing military aid into the region, which could only escalate the conflict.

All imperial powers out of the region is the correct position. Applying that in the concrete means stopping your own governments interventions and supporting refugees, which is crystallized in the slogan Troops out and Refugees in!

Those of us in countries like Canada, UK and the U.S. need to strongly oppose the brutal war in Yemen and the siege of civilians in Mosul and any and all intervention in Syria. We need to understand that solidarity with the people of Syria, Iraq and the entire region begins with us actually stopping the reflexive reaction to intervene in countries we dont live in. 
Mic media has launched a new site, Unerased: Counting Transgender Lives, a database, interactive feature, and news feed examining the reported cases of transgender people in the U.S. beginning in 2010. 2016 has had the highest number of documented cases with 23 as of publication.

The project is a collaboration among advocacy organizations such as the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) and GLAAD (formerly the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), trans advocates and academics such as Miamis Aryah Lester, featured among SFGNs OUT50 and Alexis Dinno, a social epidemiologist at Portland State University, as well as the loved ones and families of those killed.

In an interview with Out magazine, Meredith Talusan, lead editor on the Mic project discussed the necessity of the project, and its challenges. Some of the biggest challenges to collecting the data, she said, are the fact that the U.S. Census does not track transgender people and the FBI does not track transgender murders. Rather it has been left to LGBT organizations and activists to demonstrate and quantify the crisis.

In turn, we at Mic have endeavored to further their efforts by trying to track down cases that have not been accounted for, interviewing family members and loved ones, and tracking down important information that has not been systematically recorded like the rate of unsolved cases as well as prosecution outcomes, Talusan told Out.  An endeavor which many nonprofits or local news organizations do not have the resources to pursue. The site is meant to be a resource for journalists and academics as much as advocates and activists.

In an interview with LGBT Weekly, Talusan, said the project focused on bringing light to the systematic failures impacting trans people, especially trans women of color. If everyone in the U.S. were murdered at the rate young black trans women and femmes are, theres no doubt that the public would consider this a crisis of massive proportions.

During their reporting, Mic found that Black transgender women face the highest rates of violence with young Black trans women being the most at risk. Among the statistics:

72% of transgender victims between 2010 to 2016 were Black trans women.

Black trans women between the ages of 15 to 34, are estimated to be between 8 and 39 times more likely to be murdered as young cisgender women

Aryah Lester, a transgender advocate from Miami, describes living with the constant risk of violence to Mic. "I tell people that I already have three strikes," she said. "As I'm walking down the street from far, far away, you may only see my color, and that's one strike. And then as I come a little closer, you see my femininity, and that's another strike ... And then when I get closer you may just see that I'm trans."

Database

The database features a collage and profiles of the 111 transgender people killed reported from 2010 through 2016. A team of five reporters helped gather the information, which can be filtered by demographics but also by circumstances of death and case outcome.

Of the 111 murder cases reported the findings were

46 unsolved



34 pending



2 not guilty



6 guilty of manslaughter/assault



14 guilty of 2 nd or 3 rd degree murder



5 guilty of 1 st degree murder

Of the 25 prosecuted cases Mic examined, six resulted in manslaughter or assault convictions. Each of these cases involved a trans woman or gender-nonconforming femme of color, five of whom were black. Conversely, of the five cases that resulted in first-degree murder convictions, only one involved a black trans woman victim. The remaining 14 cases resulted in second- and third-degree murder convictions, nine involving black trans women and five involving other demographics of trans people, which led Mic to conclude People who kill black trans women and femmes are usually convicted of lesser charges than those who kill people of other trans identities.

Feature

In addition to a number of statistics, info graphics, and tracking maps, the feature section of Mics Unerased highlights the faces and voices of those killed, following their stories and also featuring interviews with their families and loved ones.

After her murder, Devin Diamon was identified by the media as Goddess Diamond, but was very nearly not identified at all, had it not been for a tip on social media from a friend of Devins.

Local reports of Devins murder repeatedly misgendered her, despite friends accounts saying the Devin identified as a woman, using her birth name, was on hormone therapy and was seeing a psychologist through her transition.

Stories such as Devins are all too common, and besides being issues of data collection also disrespect and dishonor the identity of those lost.

"Our institutions of recording death  coroners, death certificates, police reports, hospital records, obituaries  are unprepared to represent transgender," Alexis Dinno, a social epidemiologist at Portland State University, who is herself a trans woman told Mic. "The boxes labeled 'was transgender' do not exist to be checked off or not. Also, that someone is transgender, whether surgically or hormonally transitioned or not, is not necessarily apparent to individuals and institutions that record deaths."

Feed

The feed section of the site is both a news feed of transgender stories and articles, but also a forum for guests to provide feedback.

We at Mic hope that by studying the problem systematically over this decade, interviewing experts in various fields, and creating visualizations that account for the problem statistically, this would give the public a much stronger sense of the crisis of violence that the trans community is dealing with, Talusan told Out.

Visitors can submit additional information or story ideas to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or through a form at the bottom of the Unerased feature at https://mic.com/unerased


When his friend was called a homophobic slur, John Conor Kennedy stood in to help.

Conor has always reacted against bullying, Robert Kennedy Jr. told The Aspen Times. Im happy he stood up for his friend.

According to the publication, Conor Kennedy was outside the Bootsy Bellows Nightclub when a group of four men started calling his friend an antigay slur.

Kennedy asked them to stop and apologize, and one of them did. Later on, however, two of the men continued to throw slurs at his friend and a fight ensued.

Robert Kennedy claims Conor Kennedys friend was not physically involved in the fight. Conor Kennedy also did not throw the first punch, said Robert Kennedy.

We are aware of some of those allegations and we are following up on them this evening, Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn told the newspaper. At the moment, there have been no allegations of additional crimes given by witnesses or those involved in the incident.

Conor Kennedy is the great nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and grandson of late New York Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
Northfield Park, Ohios leading racetrack in pari-mutuel handle, both on-track and export, is offering live harness racing four nights a week to start the 2017 racing year.

January through September racing is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The exceptions to this schedule are the addition of three Sundays, January 1, May 28 and September 3. There is no live racing on Memorial Day or Labour Day Mondays.

Beginning in October Northfield adds Sunday evenings and will race five nights a week until the end of the year. Friday (December 22) will replace Christmas Eve Sunday, while Friday (December 29) will replace racing on Christmas Monday.

Northfield Parks marquee racing events are as follows: $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie, Saturday, June 3; $175,000 Cleveland Trotting Classic, Saturday, July 1; $300,000 Carl Milstein Memorial and $50,000 Myron Charna Presidents Pace, Saturday, August 12; and $125,000 Courageous Lady, Saturday, October 14.

The $125,000 (est.) Summit County Fair Stakes, featuring many of Ohios best freshman and sophomore trotters and pacers, will be held on Saturday, July 29.

Each of the 222 live racing nights carries a first race post time of 6:00 p.m. Northfield Park is open daily from noon until after midnight for simulcasting action from tracks across the United States, Canada and Australia.

(with files from Northfield)
Wakizashi Hanover had just enough to score in the $30,000 Preferred Pace on the final Thursday program of the 2016 season at Dover Downs.

The combination of Wakizashi Hanover, one of last seasons top sophomore pacers, and leading driver Tim Tetrick paid off with a nose victory in 1:52. The four-year-old gelding, who won nearly $1.3-million in 2015 including the Pepsi North America Cup en route to an O'Brien Award as Canada's Three-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year, battled throat problems when training back early this year. Finally the altered son of Dragon Again-Western Gesture has returned to top form of late with two wins, three seconds and a third, all in photo finishes in his last seven starts for Nova Scotia-based owners Bruce Kennedy and Tri County Stable.

In this weeks Preferred, Tetrick guided Wakizashi Hanover to the lead after the opening quarter and then held off a surging Sweet Rock (Allan Davis) at the wire with Bettors Edge (Matt Kakaley) a close-up third. Bushwacker (Corey Callahan) thundered down the lane to finish fourth.

Defending champion Corey Callahan led all drivers with three wins. Montrell Teague, Vic Kirby, George Dennis, Jim Morand and trainer Dylan Davis had two winners each.

Dover Downs, its management and horsemen wish all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. The 2017 portion of the meet begins on Monday, Jan. 2.

(with files from Dover)
On Friday, Kentuckiana Farms announced that stallion Manofmanymissions has been sold to a group of European owners for export and stud duty in 2017.

Previously a stallion in Ontario and most recently Ohio, Manofmanymissions sired the winners of nearly $3 million through his two crops of racing age with average earnings of $34,335 per starter.

His most visible and prolific performer is Celebrity Eventsy, a winner of more than $502,000 and multiple Grand Circuit stakes.

Atlantic Trot, through Mario Zuanetti, represented the owners.

(with files from Kentuckiana)
Kidnapped Activist's Whereabouts Still Unknown as Officials Deny Lawyer Meeting

Contact: ChinaAid Media Team, 432-553-1080 cell, 888-889-7757, 432-689-6985, media@chinaaid.org

CHANGSHA, Hunan, China, Dec. 30, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Authorities refused to allow the attorney of a detained Christian human rights activist to meet with his client yesterday, December 29, 2016, and have been keeping knowledge of the defendant's whereabouts restricted within the public security bureau.



Photo: In this document, authorities refused to allow Jiang Tianyong's lawyer to meet with him. (Photo: China Aid)



The lawyer representing Jiang Tianyong, a Christian activist who served as a human rights attorney until the Chinese government revoked his license in 2007, reported that he was denied access to his client on Dec. 29.



According to a graphic provided by the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, officials claim that permitting the prisoner to meet with his defense would risk spreading state secrets and interfere with the investigation.



Jiang disappeared on Nov. 21 while returning to Beijing after visiting the wife of another incarcerated lawyer in Changsha, Hunan. At the time, no one outside of the public security bureau knew his location. However, on Dec. 22, his father-in-law received a notice stating that he was being held in an unnamed place in an unofficial "black jail" on suspicion of "subverting state power."



China Aid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by Jiang Tianyong, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom and human rights.
The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie...
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The Guardian published fake news earlier this week, selectively editing quotes from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about the Russian press and Donald Trump.

Ben Jacobs wrote an article at The Guardian titled, Julian Assange gives guarded praise of Trump and blasts Clinton in interview. Both of these claims are provably false within The Guardians own article and are a blatant misrepresentation of Assanges statements.

Jacobs article is comprised of quotes from an interview that Assange did with La Republica, an Italian newspaper which published the full transcript of the interview online. Either Jacobs or an editor then mixed and matched quotes in order to construct the desired narrative.

Assange never once actively praised or stated his support for President-elect Donald Trump. Assange was not even asked his personal opinion on Trump; he was asked what he believed the consequences of a Trump victory would be. Assange responded:

Hillary Clintons election would have been a consolidation of power in the existing ruling class of the United States. Donald Trump is not a DC insider, he is part of the wealthy ruling elite of the United States, and he is gathering around him a spectrum of other rich people and several idiosyncratic personalities. They do not by themselves form an existing structure, so it is a weak structure which is displacing and destabilising the pre-existing central power network within DC. It is a new patronage structure which will evolve rapidly, but at the moment its looseness means there are opportunities for change in the United States: change for the worse and change for the better.

Nothing stated by Assange in his reply shows that he has any admiration or love for President-elect Trump. Assanges description of Trump as part of the wealthy ruling elite of the United States who has surrounded himself with a spectrum of other rich people and several idiosyncratic personalities could even be seen as a criticism of the future president.

Secondly, and perhaps even more offensively, Jacobs implies that Assange believes Russia to be too transparent and free a state to require a whistleblowing service such as WikiLeaks. Assange was asked why it is that most of the documents that WikiLeaks have published have related to Western governments and have not focused on countries such as Russia and China. Jacobs used a quote from Assange, reading:

In Russia, there are many vibrant publications, online blogs, and Kremlin critics such as [Alexey] Navalny are part of that spectrum. There are also newspapers like Novaya Gazeta, in which different parts of society in Moscow are permitted to critique each other and it is tolerated, generally, because it isnt a big TV channel that might have a mass popular effect, its audience is educated people in Moscow. So my interpretation is that in Russia there are competitors to WikiLeaks.



What he did not include was the rest of the quote where Assange continues to explain that due to WikiLeaks being a native English-speaking organisation with few translators, it is easier for Russian whistleblowers to contact Russian-speaking publications:

So my interpretation is that in Russia there are competitors to WikiLeaks, and no WikiLeaks staff speak Russian, so for a strong culture which has its own language, you have to be seen as a local player. WikiLeaks is a predominantly English-speaking organisation with a website predominantly in English. We have published more than 800,000 documents about or referencing Russia and president Putin, so we do have quite a bit of coverage, but the majority of our publications come from Western sources, though not always. For example, we have published more than 2 million documents from Syria, including Bashar al-Assad personally. Sometimes we make a publication about a country and they will see WikiLeaks as a player within that country, like with Timor East and Kenya. The real determinant is how distant that culture is from English. Chinese culture is quite far away.

Assange directly points out that WikiLeaks has indeed published documents on Russia, but that many whistleblowers consider other publications before bringing their information to WikiLeaks. Assange does not state that Russia is not in need of whistleblowing due to its press being open and free as the Guardian article implies.

Jacobs article was immediately picked up and spread through social media, as much fake news does, and was even posted by the likes of Daniel Drezner, a Washington Post writer, political science professor, and Clinton supporter, whos tweet received over seven thousand retweets and nearly eight thousand likes.

The journalist from La Republica who conducted the initial interview, Stefania Maurizi, has outright denied The Guardians claims:





























Journalist Glenn Greenwald also skewered The Guardians pushing of fake news in an article for The Intercept titled, The Guardians Summary of Julian Assanges Interview Went Viral and Was Completely False.

The purpose of this article is to underscore, yet again, that those who most flamboyantly denounce Fake News, and want Facebook and other tech giants to suppress content in the name of combating it, are often the most aggressive and self-serving perpetrators of it.

The Guardian has since amended Jacobs story , deleting sections claiming Assange has close ties to Vladimir Putin and that he characterized the Russian press as open and free:

This article was amended on 29 December to remove a sentence in which it was asserted that Assange has long had a close relationship with the Putin regime. A sentence was also amended which paraphrased the interview, suggesting Assange said there was no need for Wikileaks to undertake a whistleblowing role in Russia because of the open and competitive debate he claimed exists there. It has been amended to more directly describe the question Assange was responding to when he spoke of Russias many vibrant publications.

This is not the first time that Ben Jacobs has actively misquoted people in an attempt to further a political narrative. Tweeting just two days before the presidential election, Jacobs quoted Trump as saying, We are going to deliver justice the way it used to be in this country.

Volgen  @ Bencjacobs Trump: We are going to deliver justice the way it used to be in this county

19:27 - 6 nov. 2016

Jacobs failed to include the full quote, which read, We are going to deliver justice the way justice used to be in this country, at the ballot box on November Eighth. However, some fell for Jacobs fearmongering:




My crystal ball CB said that the war in Ukraine will end by March 2023. Why? - Ukraine does not want to continue fighting, as most of thei...
Salmon and steelhead anglers in the Columbia River would pay 69 percent more in fees under the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlifes final hunting and fishing license increase proposals for 2017-19.

The license fee package submitted to the Office of Financial Management in September would increase the annual cost to fish for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River from a current $38.25 to $64.75.

Under the proposals, an annual freshwater fishing license would increase from $29.50 to $35 and the Columbia River endorsement would increase from $8.75 to $9.75.

Now-free catch record cards would be $10 for salmon, $10 for steelhead. Those $10 amounts have been scaled back from the initial proposal of $17 for each.

Approval by the state Legislature and governor are required for the fees to increase.

Weve heard from thousands of Washingtonians about their priorities for recreation and conservation, said Jim Unsworth, department director. They couldnt be clearer: They want to preserve and expand fishing, hunting, and other outdoor opportunities, and theyre not interested in paying more to get less.

But agencys operating costs are increasing.

We face tougher and more expensive federal requirements for hatchery operations, salmon and steelhead recovery, and other endangered species programs, Unsworth said. Emerging challenges such as elk hoof disease are also consuming more time and money. Theres no getting around it: New funds are required.

The proposed fee increases come at a difficult time for the agency.

Both the Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife commissions are deliberating on whether to implement fully a plan adopted in 2013 to prioritize sport fishing in the Columbia River and move gillnetting to off-channel areas.

Commercial fishermen are advocating a delay in full implementation in 2017.

A decision is expected from both commissions in mid- to late January.

Federal fishery officials also are proposing changes to the operation of many lower Columbia River hatcheries, including a moderate reduction in fall chinook releases.

The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association has yet to take on position on the proposed fee increases, said Liz Hamilton, executive director.

We know the agency needs more money, Hamilton said. Theres no doubt about that.

However there are several fishery decisions  including the Columbia River salmon reforms  that will occur while the legislative session is under way.

If the reforms go south (not implemented fully), a lot of people are likely to be grumpy about that, she said. We want to help, but with the size of the increases, its a heavy lift.

The Vancouver Wildlife League also has not taken a position, said Chuck Cheshire, league president.

Personally, I think there should be automatic increases instead of a big jump every five to seven years, Cheshire said. Its time for the Legislature to give wildlife more than one-tenth of 1 percent of the budget.

They need to fund a resource that creates a lot of economic activity. Its appalling the small amount of money given to manage the states wildlife.

Unsworth said state wildlife officials also realize the Legislature will be a tough environment this year.

Were under no illusions about the 2017 legislative session, he said. We understand lawmakers must dramatically increase K-12 education spending and keep the rest of state government intact.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife initiated its Washingtons Wild Future program in 2015, which included a series of public meetings around the state to determine the priorities for the agency over the next several years.

The process also involved meetings with advisory committees, legislators and review of thousands of emails, social media posts and online comments.

Identified are a variety of priorities for the department to improve fishing, hunting and protection of the resource, plus a proposal to help pay for it through license fee increases.

The fee increases would be the first since 2010 and structured so the participants in high-cost programs  such as salmon and steelhead management  pay more.

A three-day razor clam license is proposed to jump from $9.70 to $18.50, an annual razor clam license from $14.10 to $24, a two-pole endorsement from $14.80 to $17 and a one-day fishing license from $11.35 to $19.60.

Senior citizens would qualify for a discounted fishing license at age 65, instead of the current age 70.

Hunting licenses are proposed for a 10 percent increase in 2017-2019.

A big-game license, which includes deer, elk, bear and cougar, would increase from $95.50 to $104.85.

Another hunting fee change would include a hunt-by-reservation fee, a modest charge to offset the cost of managing the Hunt by Reservation program, which enables hunters to reserve a space on selected private land.

The migratory bird permit fee is proposed to increase from $17 to $28. This money is used to buy and develop bird habitat.

Fishing license increases are projected to increase revenue to the department by $15.1 million a year, while hunting fee increases would add an estimated $6.2 million.

From the commercial fishing industry, the agency is seeking $4 million in new revenue annually.

That would come from $700,000 in license fee changes and $3.3 million by redirecting current commercial license fees and the fish landing excise tax from the state General Fund into the Wildlife Account.

Were ready for a very challenging session, Unsworth said. We will continue to work with our stakeholders, the Legislature and the governor to refine a license package that earns their support.
Washington State Patrol detectives are asking for the public's help in locating a suspect in a road rage shooting on the one-year anniversary of the incident.

On Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015, at about 11 a.m., between Interstate 5 southbound mileposts 93 and 83 in Thurston and Lewis counties, the driver of a black Jeep Cherokee utility vehicle fired at least one shot at a silver/gray Mazda hatchback, shattering the rear window. The two vehicles continued to speed in and out of traffic until milepost 80 in Centralia, when the Mazda driver lost sight of the Jeep.

The driver of the Mazda eventually was contacted and interviewed, but the Jeep and its driver were never located.

The Jeep is described as a black, mid 2000s base-model Jeep Cherokee with non-tinted windows and Washington plates. The driver of the Jeep was described as a white male in his 60s or 70s with gray hair and a gray beard. The passenger of the Jeep was described as a white female in her 80s, wearing a red shirt with an oxygen tube in her nose.

Anyone with information regarding this incident, the Jeep, its driver or passenger, is asked to call Detective Jenifer Ortiz 360-449-7948.
See Pic: The best views of Earth as seen by astronauts from space in 2016

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are blessed to see the divine view of Earth from a height of around 400km. They capture some moments in their camera throughout the year. Now, NASA scientists have filtered some of the best looking images that were captured from space in 2016. The images consist of mountains, rivers, city network, aurora borealis, snowfall, moving weather system, clouds and much more.

It is here to mention these images were captured from International Space Station (ISS) that revolves around the earth at a distance just 400 kilometers, and at a speed of at 8 km/second. In other words, it revolves around the earth 15 times in a day. Since, it revolves at such a closer distance which makes it possible for people to see it from their naked eyes.

The ISS is the largest artificial satellite present in space which serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields. The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars.

Recently, it was visible in India. The space station looks like an airplane or a very bright star moving across the sky, except it doesnt have flashing lights or change direction. It moves considerably faster than a typical airplane (airplanes generally fly at about 600 miles (965 km) per hour; the space station flies at 17,500 miles (28,000 km) per hour).

Meanwhile space enthusiasts can also see Internation Space Station from Earth. For ISS sightings users can visit ISS sighting web page and search their locations in the search bar. It will come up with the date and time at which you can view the ISS. However, if you are unable to find positive results at your location then it will show near places where you can view ISS.

How do I Spot The Station?

Time is when the sighting opportunity will begin in your local time zone. All sightings will occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky.

Visible is the maximum time period the space station is visible before crossing back below the horizon.

Max Height is measured in degrees (also known as elevation). It represents the height of the space station from the horizon in the night sky. The horizon is at zero degrees, and directly overhead is ninety degrees. If you hold your fist at arms length and place your fist resting on the horizon, the top will be about 10 degrees.

Appears is the location in the sky where the station will be visible first. This value, like maximum height, also is measured in degrees from the horizon. The letters represent compass directions  N is north, WNW is west by northwest, and so on.

Disappears represents where in the night sky the International Space Station will leave your field of view.

The space station looks like an airplane or a very bright star moving across the sky, except it doesnt have flashing lights or change direction. It will also be moving considerably faster than a typical airplane (airplanes generally fly at about 600 miles (965 km) per hour; the space station flies at 17,500 miles (28,000 km) per hour).
Scientists at the US space agency have revealed that a comet might be seen with binoculars from next week which will be a delight for stargazers. The reports of comet came after scientists spotted celestial objects in the neighbourhood of Earth during the NEOWISE mission.

An object called 2016 WF9 was detected by the NEOWISE project on Nov. 27, 2016. Its in an orbit that takes it on a scenic tour of our solar system. At its farthest distance from the sun, it approaches Jupiters orbit. Over the course of 4.9 Earth-years, it travels inward, passing under the main asteroid belt and the orbit of Mars until it swings just inside Earths own orbit. After that, it heads back toward the outer solar system. Objects in these types of orbits have multiple possible origins; it might once have been a comet, or it could have strayed from a population of dark objects in the main asteroid belt.

2016 WF9 will approach Earths orbit on Feb. 25, 2017. At a distance of nearly 32 million miles (51 million kilometers) from Earth, this pass will not bring it particularly close. The trajectory of 2016 WF9 is well understood, and the object is not a threat to Earth for the foreseeable future.

A different object, discovered by NEOWISE a month earlier, is more clearly a comet, releasing dust as it nears the sun. This comet, C/2016 U1 NEOWISE, has a good chance of becoming visible through a good pair of binoculars, although we cant be sure because a comets brightness is notoriously unpredictable, said Paul Chodas, manager of NASAs Center for Near-Earth Object (NEO) Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

As seen from the northern hemisphere during the first week of 2017, comet C/2016 U1 NEOWISE will be in the southeastern sky shortly before dawn. It is moving farther south each day and it will reach its closest point to the sun, inside the orbit of Mercury, on Jan. 14, before heading back out to the outer reaches of the solar system for an orbit lasting thousands of years. While it will be visible to skywatchers at Earth, it is not considered a threat to our planet either.

NEOWISE is the asteroid-and-comet-hunting portion of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. After discovering more than 34,000 asteroids during its original mission, NEOWISE was brought out of hibernation in December of 2013 to find and learn more about asteroids and comets that could pose an impact hazard to Earth. If 2016 WF9 turns out to be a comet, it would be the 10th discovered since reactivation. If it turns out to be an asteroid, it would be the 100th discovered since reactivation.

What NEOWISE scientists do know is that 2016 WF9 is relatively large: roughly 0.3 to 0.6 mile (0.5 to 1 kilometer) across.

It is also rather dark, reflecting only a few percent of the light that falls on its surface. This body resembles a comet in its reflectivity and orbit, but appears to lack the characteristic dust and gas cloud that defines a comet.

2016 WF9 could have cometary origins, said Deputy Principal Investigator James Gerbs Bauer at JPL. This object illustrates that the boundary between asteroids and comets is a blurry one; perhaps over time this object has lost the majority of the volatiles that linger on or just under its surface.

Near-Earth objects (NEOs) absorb most of the light that falls on them and re-emit that energy at infrared wavelengths. This enables NEOWISEs infrared detectors to study both dark and light-colored NEOs with nearly equal clarity and sensitivity.

These are quite dark objects, said NEOWISE team member Joseph Masiero, Think of new asphalt on streets; these objects would look like charcoal, or in some cases are even darker than that.

NEOWISE data have been used to measure the size of each near-Earth object it observes. Thirty-one asteroids that NEOWISE has discovered pass within about 20 lunar distances from Earths orbit, and 19 are more than 460 feet (140 meters) in size but reflect less than 10 percent of the sunlight that falls on them.

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has completed its seventh year in space after being launched on Dec. 14, 2009.
See this Mesmerizing PIC of Northern Lights in Darkness by Nasa before New Year

The US space agency NASA has unveiled a stunning image of northern lights captured from one of its satellites. The infrared imagery of northern lights glowing over northern Canada just before Christmas season is a delight to watch for stargazers and space enthusiasts.

According to NASA scientists, a mass of energetic particles coming out from the Sun collided with the earths magnetic field just few hours after the winter solstice (an astronomical phenomenon marking the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year). The collision of particles and the strong solar wind stream led to the generation of northern lights over northern Canada.

The Suomi NPP satellite captured the breathtaking image with the day-night band (DNB) of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on December 22, this year. The northern lights stretched across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories, areas that often fall under the auroral oval.

Scientists from the US space agency explained that the DNB has capability to detect dim light signals such as auroras, airglow, gas flares, and reflected moonlight. In the case of the image above, the sensor detected the visible light emissions as energetic particles rained down from Earths magnetosphere and into the gases of the upper atmosphere.

While explaining the process of lighting in the space, researchers said that the collision of fast moving solar particles with the Earths magnetic field accelerates particles trapped in the space around Earth (such as in the radiation belts). Later, these particles are sent crashing down into Earths upper atmosphereat altitudes of 100 to 400 kilometers (60 to 250 miles)where they excite oxygen and nitrogen molecules. Gases present in the atmosphere give up their energy by releasing photons. Different gases emit different colours; oxygen emits green and sometimes red light, while nitrogen is more orange or red.

These stunning solar wind events resulting in colourful lighting can happen anytime of the year. Scientists just wait for the right moment to capture them in the camera and later release those incredible shots to mesmerise the space enthusiasts.

Phenomenons like aurora borealis are pretty common when seen from space. Previously, US astronaut Scott Kelly had clicked and posted breathtaking pictures of the Northern lights on the microblogging website  Twitter. With the help of ISSs satellite he was able to access the internet and tweeted the astonishing pics.

The Aurora Borealis is caused by geomagnetic storms initiated by strong solar winds. However, this time the winds were too powerful which made northern lights visible from south than normal and people especially stargazers in northern England were able to witness the magical event from the Earth.

Apart from strong solar winds, coronal hole near the equator of the sun also played a vital role in making the Aurora Borealis visible from the Earth. Astronomers say that coronal hole was perfectly aligned with the Earth which made the event breathtaking.

Suomi NPP is the result of a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Defense.
tech2 News Staff

Apples commitment to the Indian market has only been reaffirmed by reports that a Taiwanese OEM maker for Apple is setting up shop in Bengaluru.

Speaking to The Times of India, various officials have reportedly stated that theyre seriously considering Bengaluru as a manufacturing hub for iPhones in India. Wistron, the Taiwanese OEM, is apparently setting up a production facility in Peenya in Bengaluru.

Foxconn, a Taiwanese OEM maker and Apples biggest contract manufacturer had been scouting for land to set up a manufacturing facility in Maharashtra. Foxconn is however, not looking to tie up only with Apple and has reportedly tied up with OnePlus and Xiaomi for manufacture in India.

The Indian government has been incentivising companies to start manufacturing in India for a long time now. Apple in particular has expressed a great deal of interest in the same as it sees India as a very lucrative market for its portfolio.

The company is currently in talks to set up official Apple-branded stores and is seeking aid and concessions from the government in this regard.

Manufacturing in India will help cut down the price of the iPhone in our country, which is important when you consider that Apples iPhones are sold at a significant premium here, compared to the rest of the world.

As the TOI report suggests, Apple can possibly save on the 12.5 percent import duty fees that it currently has to pay on its devices. Whether the company will pass on the savings to its customers remains to be seen.

The Cupertino-based company has targeted Bengaluru in the past as well, investing in a facility to promote the design and development of iOS, watchOS and tvOS apps.
Anirudh Regidi

The news that Apple has decided to start manufacturing phones not just in India, but specifically Bengaluru, is interesting, to say the least. It begs the question, why Bengaluru? Why not Hyderabad or Noida or even Chennai?

The answer to that question is neither easy to give, nor is it definitive; all I have to offer are pointers.

Startup heaven

Bengaluru is the only city from India and the second city from Asia to make it to the Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking. This is a list compiled by Compass and ranks cities on their ability to produce and support great startups. In fact, judging by the report, Bengaluru only ranks behind Berlin in terms of growth in the startup space and is the seventh largest investment destination in the world!

Other Indian cities havent even made it to the list.

The report also explains that Bengaluru has some of the youngest tech entrepreneurs in the world. In fact, the average age of an engineer in the city is much less than that of Silicon Valley (25 vs 36).

Nasscoms 2016 Startup Report also states that Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR account for 70 percent of startups in the country. India is also home to the third largest startup ecosystem in the world, and this is led by Bengaluru, with Delhi-NCR close on its heels and Mumbai a distant third.

Bengaluru is also reported to be the biggest investment destination, accounting for over 40 percent of overall funding in the startup space in India. If youre looking to start something new, Bengaluru is certainly the place to be.

As one entrepreneur explains, I find this space more exciting. I find the energy and the sheer number of people starting up here are far more, when comparing Bengalurus startup scene to Silicon Valleys.

Government support

The Nasscom report goes on to state that the Karnataka government is leading the wave of Indian startup ecosystem. Thats saying something.

Karnatakas permanent secretary of e-governance has been quoted as saying, Silicon Valley will be Bangalored! With statements like that, and the amount of work the state government is putting in to back startups and the necessary ecosystem, the governments commitment is in no doubt.

Theres a dedicated startup cell to implement the governments startup policy, government grants and a great deal of supporting infrastructure.

Where else will Apple go?

Considering what these reports suggest, where else will Apple go? The companys already investing in a massive, 40,000 square foot complex in Bengaluru for the development of apps; the engineers are there, the money is there and the manufacturing is coming up.

Microsoft, Amazon and IBM are also investing heavily in Bengaluru. In fact, data centres are already being set up there. Its not without reason that Bengaluru is being called the Silicon Valley of India.

If youre an engineer fresh out of college, would you rather be in Bengaluru or Chennai/Hyderabad? For most, the choice is obvious.

From that perspective, theres no reason for Apple to want to go anywhere else.
tech2 News Staff

Samsung has announced a new range of curved monitors which will sport the quantum dot technology. The curved monitor Samsung CH711 will be officially launched at CES 2017 with the details on price and availability. While Samsung says the monitor is designed keeping gamers in mind, a look at the monitor would also make it seem at home in a professional setup and even Mac users.

The Samsung CH711 quantum dot curved monitor would be selling in the 27-inch and 31.5-inch form factor with a QHD or 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. The monitor features an 1800R radius curvature and will be offering a viewing angle of around 178-degrees with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It claims to offer 125 percent of sRGB coverage as well. The monitors are expected to start selling in early 2017.

(Also Read: CES 2017: Qualcomm, Samsung, Intel, Xiaomi and other company keynotes you need to keep a track of)

The Samsung CH711 can be adjusted vertically as well as horizontally and can also support a three-sided 'Boundless' design. This means that you can place three CH711s beside each other in case you want a really wide display. This is helped by the fact that the CH711 has extremely thin bezels on the sides as well as the top.

Quantum Dots do not suffer from lag issues as say an OLED panel does, which makes it ideal for gamers. But having said that, the picture quality and contrast offered by an OLED display is currently claimed to be superior to quantum dot monitors. Samsung hasn't clarified if the panel will be an 8-bit one or a 10-bit one. Also no details are out on the refresh rate either.

Samsung will let us know more details in its CES 2017 keynote address. It will also be announcing availability and pricing details of CFG70 and CF791 Quantum dot monitors at CES.
tech2 News Staff

Photos of the ultimate mobile device, Microsoft Surface Phone, have leaked on the internet and it almost looks like a phablet. The leaked photos show a white coloured smartphone with design elements lifted straight from the Lumia lineup, complete with a Lumia-like round camera hump on the rear. The term "Surface Phone" being used here is not a theoretical name that the internet has been waiting for, but the images show the smartphone with the mentioned branding.

'Surface Phone' is pegged as the ultimate mobile device that a smartphone user will ever need according to the concept. It is rumoured that Microsoft has been working on perfecting the device ever since they stopped working on the Lumia devices as reported by NokiaPowerUser.

We can only predict that the latest image renders belong to the cancelled Intel SoC-based Surface Phone, but it will be amazing if this is the ARM, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 along with Windows 10. Microsoft recently demoed its work on bringing the full Windows 10 experience to ARM chipsets with a live demo using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 device. The company further detailed that the full experience will come to devices running Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.

According to reports by Softpedia, the company also started a trial production run for the Surface Phone to test out the new model for a possible launch later in 2017. According to the company, it does not want to create just a passable smartphone that has been tried and tested in the market by other manufacturers. Instead, the company wants to focus on products that define a new category and is genuinely exciting for people to use. Something on lines of what Surface Pro, Surface Book and Surface Studio aimed to achieve.

The company has not issued any statement confirming or denying the presence of the Surface Phone and should be taken as all other rumours are. According to previous reports, we might finally get our hands on the dream mobile device after the tentative launch of Microsoft Surface scheduled for 2017, but we will have to wait and watch for any new developments.
The Palestinian Authority has been in contact with the Obama administration and European countries about the possibility of taking more UN action on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before President Obama leaves office next month, a senior PA official told Breitbart Jerusalem.



The official said the UN action could come in the form of declarations by UN bodies, including the General Assembly; UN sessions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; or even another United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution. He said any further UNSC resolution would depend on the support of the U.S. and European countries after the upcoming Paris Mideast summit slated for January 15.



He said the UN action would seek to set the parameters of a future Palestinian state with a clear timeline for negotiations. If the action comes in the form of a resolution at a UN body, it could call for an infrastructure to establish mechanisms to enforce last weeks UNSC resolution, which demanded a complete halt to Israeli construction in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem and declared those territories occupied Palestinian lands.



The PA official said the proposals set forth at the Paris Mideast conference will likely serve as the basis for upcoming UN action.



An Israeli official told Breitbart Jerusalem that the Israeli government is aware of the possibility of more UN action in the coming weeks, although the official did not have information about a new UNSC resolution.

There may be 21 days left of Obama's tenure as president, but even then, he's not letting up on his assault against Israel as he collaborates with the PLO to undermine:Fortunately, Congress is planning actions against the UN to defund them , as is long overdue. The Israeli government says they've found evidence Obama arranged all this, and it wouldn't be shocking if he and his staff did. All that aside, it's time already to stop providing money to the UN and send a message we don't approve of their horrific conduct that harms not only Israel, but the rest of the free world.

Labels: anti-semitism, dhimmitude, Europe, islam, Israel, Jerusalem, Knesset, political corruption, UN corruption, United States, US Congress
Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
Syria truce holding despite isolated violence

A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, which does not include designated \"terrorists\" like the Islamic State group, was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin .

BBC Online :

A new nationwide ceasefire between Syrian government forces and rebel groups appears to be largely holding.

However isolated clashes have been reported since the truce, brokered by Russia and Turkey, went into effect at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday.

The deal includes many rebel groups but not jihadists such as so-called Islamic State, or the Kurdish YPG. If it holds, despite some isolated clashes, peace talks are due to be held in Kazakhstan within a month.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, said most of the country was calm overnight. But it reported "fierce clashes" between rebels and government forces in the northern province of Hama.

SOHR director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP news agency: "Small rebel groups and armed loyalists are seeking to destroy the truce because it puts an end to their presence."

Residents in the area of Ghouta in eastern Damascus also said they heard gunfire less than two hours after the ceasefire took effect. Other isolated incidents were reported in Idlib, in north-western Syria.

At least 300,000 people are believed to have been killed in fighting that followed the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011.

Four million have sought refuge in neighbouring states or Europe.

The diplomatic noises are encouraging, and even the rebel groups involved have suggested it could succeed.

However, previous ceasefire initiatives this year quickly collapsed.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said there was "a real chance to reach a political settlement to end the bloodshed and establish the future of the country".

The fact that the rebels have been losing ground may help.

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the umbrella group representing Syria's political and armed opposition factions, admitted on Thursday that because of the rebels' limited resources, it was "not possible to continue" the fight.

It is nominally nationwide, although that really only covers the areas where the sides who have signed up to the truce have a presence.

Looking at the map, there are large swathes under both jihadist and Kurdish control.

One area that is included is the rebel-held area of Ghouta in eastern Damascus, where government forces have been advancing in recent months.

Under the terms of the deal, the peace talks would begin within a month of the ceasefire taking effect - and holding - and would be held in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana.

On 24 November 2015, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane on its border with Syria and a big diplomatic freeze ensued.
IPO issue by companies hits 6-yr low in 2016

Business Desk :

Initial public offering (IPO) by companies hit six-year low in the outgoing calendar year as only eight companies raised Tk 659.30 crore through initial public offering during the period.

Officials of the stock exchanges and Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission said stricter public issue rules that was amended in December 2015 was the main reason behind the fall in fund raising from the capital market through IPO.

It took time for the companies to fulfil the requirements of the newly-amended public issue rules and submit fresh proposals to the stock exchanges and to the commission as well, they said.

As per the securities rules, observations of the stock exchanges were made mandatory in getting IPO approval. Besides, companies which would claim premium on shares in addition to its face value will have to follow book building method, the amended public issue rules said. As a result, IPO proposals of some companies which were at the final stage in getting BSEC's approval became inappropriate under the new rules.

Former BSEC chairman Faruq Ahmad Siddiqi told The New Nation, 'Firstly, the amendment to the public issue rules was certainly a reason for the decline in fund raising through the capital market as the book-building method has been made mandatory for premium seeking companies and it takes almost a year to complete the whole procedure under the process.'

'So, the decline in fund raising by the companies during the year of 2016 was nothing unusual,' he said.

Asked, whether the issuer companies' easy access to bank finance was among the other reasons for the slowdown, Faruq said, 'The phenomenon is not something unique for 2016, but it could be a reason for the slide in last couple of years.'

'Due to stagnant private sector credit growth and increase in deposits, banks' funding are available for long-term project financing. That's why, issuer companies may not feel interested in raising fund from the capital market,' he said.

An example of companies' delay in raising fund due to the public issue rules amendment is Energypac Power Generation.

The BSEC on January 5, seven days after the public issue rules amendment, at a commission meeting approved IPO of Energypac Power Generation allowing the entity to raise Tk 41.82 crore at an issue price of Tk 25 each including Tk 15 premium under fixed price method in violation of its amended rules. Following intense criticism, the commission in April overturned its decision by suspending the Energypac IPO.

Like Energypac some other companies needed to resubmit their IPO proposals complying public issue rules, resulting in decline in lower fund raising by issuer companies from the capital market.

According to Dhaka Stock Exchange data, only eight companies raised Tk 659.30 crore from the capital market in the outgoing year, while in 2015 nine companies raised Tk 675.72 crore from the market.

Of the eight companies, only two companies got premium, while the rest six issued shares at par, DSE data showed.

ACME Laboratories raised the highest Tk 409.60 crore from the capital market including Tk 359.60-crore premium by floating the entity's 5 crore ordinary shares while Pacific Denims, Doreen Power Generation and Systems, Dragon Sweater and Spinning, Fortune Shoes, Yeakin Polymer, Bangladesh National Insurance and Evince Textiles followed the chart.

In 2011, fund raising by 16 companies was Tk 1,158.10 crore from the capital market. Fund raising from the capital market was Tk 730.50 crore, Tk 1,333.91 crore and Tk 1.263.62 crore respectively in 2012, 2013 and 2014.




Delay in lodging FIR under certain situation is sustainable

(From previous issue) :

36. PW 11 SI Rois Uddin Khan, the investigating officer of the case, 'testifies that he was on duty at Veramara police station when the occurrence took place. The officer-in-charge of the said police station assigned him the case to investigate. During investigation he visited the place of occurrence, analyzed the FIR, prepared the sketch map with Index, seized the alamot and recorded statements of the witnesses after examining them and collected inquest. report along with post-mortem examination report.

37. Upon conclusion of investigation, he submitted police report being Charge Sheet No. 9 dated 12-1-2007 against the four accused persons including the convict-accused. The sketch map is marked as exhibit-4 and his signature as exhibit-4/1, index is marked as exhibit-5 and his signature as exhibit-5/1.

38. In course of cross-examination he replies that he took over the charge of investigation on 24-7-2006 and analyzed all connected documents including FIR. Deceased was injured on 17-7-2006 and died on 21-7-2006 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The case was lodged on 23-7-2006 at 21-35 hours and cause of delay in lodging Ejaher has been stated and he visited the place of occurrence on the same day. He has denied the defence suggestions that he did not investigate the case properly and being biased submitted' charge sheet against the accused.

39. Upon assessment and evaluation of the aforesaid evidence of the witnesses it appears that the informant being informed by others instituted the case against the convict-accused and three others. He has given evidence supporting the FIR, story. PWs 2 to 6 are neighbours of the informant party and they have come forward to the court giving evidence in support of the prosecution case. The defence has not been able to discard or discredit their evidence in course of cross-examination. Rather they have confirmed the time, place and manner of the occurrence while replying the questions to the defence. Although the PWs 7, 8 and 9 are the nearest relations of the informant but their evidence corroborated each other as if they echoed their voice in a same tune. PWs 8 and 9 have categorically stated in their evidence that they rushed to the place of occurrence on hearing hue and cry and saw the victim in a critical condition and accused Nazrul running away with a blood stained hasuya in hand. It is evident that soon after the occurrence PWs 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9 rushed to the place of occurrence and saw accused Nazrul fleeing away with blood stained hasuya and the victim also told them on query that Nazrul made attack on him with sharp weapon like hasuya. The above versions of evidence could not be shaken by defence in any way. Therefore, it is very difficult to disbelieve the evidence of these witnesses as having. no contradictory events therein. Although they are not absolute eye witnesses to the occurrence but it is evidenced that they had witnessed partly of the occurrence. Even then, what victim narrated to them soon after the occurrence, is very much important for taking into consideration. In their evidence nothing has been found inconsistent in respect of departure of the accused from the scene with a blood stained hasuya, used in the attack of the victim. So such clear version of evidence is enough to be found the accused for his involvement in the attack of the victim.

40. The medical evidence i.e post-mortem examination report reveals 5 (five) severe injuries on the person of the victim-Shaheen which are as follows:

(1) Stitch wound in the turn and side of the neck 13" long and extending to the left scapular 37 stitches over this.

(2) Stitch wound extending over the right scapular 3" long 5 stitches.

(3) One stitch wound 1" long 3 stitches over the right shoulder joint,

(4) Surgical stitch wound in the Medline of the front of the abdomen 8rt long 18 stitches over there.

(5) Stitch wound 2 long in the left side of the abdomen 8 stitches over there."

41. Although doctor was not found to verify the post-mortem examination report but it has sufficient value being corroborative evidence when it is supported by other evidence. It appears from record that the trial court initially issued summons, then warrant of arrest and finally non-bail able warrant to the doctor, cited in the charge sheet even through IGP SP and the same was also communicated to the principal and director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, which shows that all attempts have been exhausted in due course to produce the doctor but in vain. Post-mortem examination report of the dead body of the deceased even if not taken into consideration, does not weaken the prosecution case for lack of corroboration of ocular witnesses. Nevertheless, Statute itself contemplates that the report of post-mortem examination required to be used as evidence, and the civil surgeon or other medical officer who made the report is dead or is capable of giving evidence or is beyond the limits of Bangladesh and his attendance cannot be procured without an amount of delay, expense or inconvenience which, under the circumstances of the case, would be unreasonable such report may be used as evidence.

42. In the present case it appears that the trial judge made several attempts to bring the doctor before the court for which some delay occurred. Lastly he took final decision considering the medical examination report as corroborative evidence, which is absolutely justified in the eye of law. Even then, such postmortem examination report being corroborative evidence is not needed in this case as material evidence is available to prove the allegation brought by PW 1. It finds support from the case of State vs Ful Mia, reported 5 BLC (AD) 41 where it was held as under,

"The post mortem report was filed under Section 509A of the Code of Criminal Procedure as the Doctor was not available.

Section 509A CrPC contemplates certain procedure but those were not complied with amid for that the post-mortem report could be left out of consideration. As the factum of murder has been proved by four eye-witnesses the post-mortem report as corroborative evidence is not absolutely essential. "

43. It has emerged in this case that requirements of Section 509A of the code of criminal procedure were complied with and Doctor's attendance could not be procured because he was not available and, as such, the use of post-mortem examination report under Section 509A of the CrPC as corroborative evidence is proper and justified by the trial court.

44. Defence has tried to say that Panna Bahini or third party might have killed the victim for extortion money but it is not found in evidence during cross-examination by the defence that when and where at what time Panna Bahini or third party demanded subscription from the informant party. The further claim of the defence is that the FIR was lodged some days later which makes the prosecution case weaken. It is true that FIR was lodged 6 (six) days after the occurrence. But it should be worthy to forget. that the victim's condition was so deteriorating time and again after occurrence, for which all eyes look at the next, consequence of the victim. Therefore, the explanation given by the informant for delay in lodging the FIR is sustainable.

45. There has been no direct evidence in this case that before occurrence took place the perpetrator made a plan or preparation to kill the victim. But the nature of injuries caused by the accused with hasuya, a sharp weapon, proves that by his act and conduct eventually resulted in the death of the victim. The injuries caused by the accused are so severe that makes definite cause of death of the victim. So previously preparation or plan is not material particular in the instant case. Intention to kill the victim depends on the action of the perpetrator; it may come to the effect instantly or by making pre-plan previously. In this case the preparation and plan to commit murder discloses from the previous action of the deceased who some days before gave punishment to the accused for his involvement in an immoral conduct and released some lands from their [accused] illegal possession. Being enraged the accused made attack to kill the victim when he got him alone in the betel leaf field at the relevant time.

46. In this respect we find support from the decision held in the case of State vs Montu alias Nazrul Haque, reported in 44 DLR (AD) 287, which is run as follows:

"It is true in this case there was no preplan of the accused to kill the victim their common intention to kill developed on the spot when they all simultaneously fell upon the victim as soon as he appeared on the scene."

(To be continued)

47. It is not at all wise in all cases to find an accused guilty if he remains absconding. Absconding by itself is the conclusive proof of guilt of the accused but it lends weight to the circumstantial evidence against him.

48. In the present case we find three other persons as accused who are close relatives to the convict-accused. One is his wife, then his full brother and third one is his father. All of them appeared in the case and got acquitted at the trial but he did not bother to attend the trial court in the case while they all were put on trial. He obviously knew that his three close relations became involved in the legal battle on a charge of murder. If he was not involved with the crime as alleged by the prosecution, he ought to have faced the trial without any hesitation but he did not do so. Although record shows that all due process of law was exhausted by the court below to bring him in the book but he evaded trial going into hiding. Under such circumstances he cannot say now that he had no knowledge about the case filed by the informant, PW 1. It finds support from the decision in the case of Zakir Hossain vs State, reported in 55 DLR 137 where court opined that,

"Accused remained absconding with clear guilty knowledge about his overt act in the occurrence resulting in the murder and, as such, his absconsion will create adverse opinion against him."

49. The contention of learned defence lawyer is that PWs 1, 7, 8 and 9 are the interested witnesses as they are brother, sisters and father of the victim. In reply to that effect it can be said that when a person comes under an attack by assailant, his nearest relatives will come forward to save and look after him, is quite natural.

50. In the instant case we find PWs -7, 8 and 9 on hearing hue and cry rushed to the place of occurrence soon after and saw the incident on their own eyes partially. Interested witness by itself cannot be a good ground to discard the evidence if one is found to be a truthful witness and telling the truth. It finds support from the decision in the case of State vs Ful Mia, reported in 5 BLC (AD) 41, in which our Apex Court opined that,

"The evidence of eye-witnesses cannot be discarded on the ground that they are interested witnesses and such evidence is admissible in evidence if they are found to be truthful witnesses and telling the truth."

51. The evidence of all prosecution live witnesses is found consistent, uniform and corroborative with each other in all material particulars. They consistently prove the time, place [exhibits-4 and 5] and manner of the occurrence. No discrepancy is found in respect of time, place and manner of the occurrence.

There is nothing to disbelieve in evidence of the competent witnesses of the prosecution case. More so, it has been corroborated by material exhibits-I, l(a), l(b) and also post-mortem examination report. And as such, it can be safely said that prosecution has been able to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt by the impartial and unbiased witnesses.

52. Learned State Defence Lawyer appearing for the accused has contended lastly that court has ample power to .give lesser sentence instead of death penalty if the prosecution case is proved beyond all reasonable doubt. In the present case, the alleged hasuya" used by the accused in the attack of the victim was not recovered and that is why the same was not produced before the court. The investigating officer of the case did not make any attempt to recover the alleged weapon from any places. He ought to have carried out such vision for the interest of proper investigation. More. s6, the victim of the case died four days after the occurrence.

53. However, it is very difficult task on the part of a judge to decide what would be the quantum of sentence to be awarded upon an accused for committing an offence. We find some support from the decision in the case of Nawshar Ali Sarder vs State, reported in 39 DLR (AD) 194 [para 11] their Lordships opined that,

"Section 302 which punishes 'murder' does not specify in which case death sentence should be given and in which case transportation for life to be awarded, but leaves the matter to the discretion of the court, Every case should be considered m the facts and circumstances of that case only".

54. Considering the decisions cited above, the testimonies on record and the facts and circumstances of the case we are of the view that justice will be met if the impugned judgment and order of conviction and sentence of death to accused Md Nazrul Islam is altered and reduced to imprisonment for life instead of death.

55. In the result, the Death Reference is rejected and the order of sentence of death passed by the learned Sessions Judge, Kushtia against the condemned-accused Md Nazrul Islam finding him guilty under Section 302 of the Penal Code is commuted to imprisonment for life with a fine of Taka 5,000 (five thousand) in default, to suffer rigorous imprisonment for 6 (six) months more.

Let a copy of this judgment and order along with lower court records be sent to the learned sessions Judge, Kushtia for information and necessary action at once.
Need for more women empowerment stressed

City Desk :

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Engineer Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain stressed the need for more empowerment of women to attain sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Mosharraf said this while inaugurating as the chief guest a day-long UNDP-financed regional workshop of Nari Unnayan Forum (NUF) participated by the representatives of 29 upazilas of greater Faridpur at Kabi Jasimuddin Hall in Faridpur.

Mosharraf said the present government has prepared a draft law with the object of empowering women and also to speed up the process of empowerment under Upazila Governance Project (UZGP) for ensuring women's participation led by Upazila Mahila Vice-Chairman. The NUF members may come up with any suggestion to make the law suitable to attain SDGs, he said.

The minister further said the government believes that women should be empowered in such a way so that they can successfully participate in the decision making process both in the society and at the national level. Bangladesh has occupied 11th position in the world in empowering women under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Faridpur Umme Salma Tanzia chaired the inaugural session, also addressed, among others, by Local Government Division Joint Secretary Amitav Sarkar, Police Super Subhash Chandra Saha, Pangsha upazila Vice-Chairman Shaheda Begum and Awami League leader Abdur Razzak Molla.

Earlier, the minister exchanged Christmas Day greetings with the local Christian leaders at his Badarpur residence.
7 Biman officials put on fresh remand

UNB, Dhaka :

A court here on Friday placed seven officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on an eight-day fresh remand in a case filed over the glitch in a VVIP flight carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate M Wajkuruni Khan Chowdhury passed the order after Inspector of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) M Mahbubul Alam produced them before the court seeking a 10-day remand each.

Those remanded are: Biman chief engineer Debesh Chowdhury, chief engineer (quality assurance) SS Siddique, principal engineer (system and maintenance) Billal Hossain, engineers Shamiul Haque, Niron Chandra Bishwas, Lutfar Rahman and Zakir Hossain.

A team of DMP's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit arrested them from different areas of the city on December 21. On December 20, Director (Engineering and Management) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines MM Asaduzzaman filed a case against nine officials of the national flag carrier with Airport Police Station under the Special Powers Act.

On the following day, the DMP headquarters issued an order to transfer the case to the CTTC unit from Airport Police Station. A Biman flight carrying the Prime Minister had to make an emergency landing at AshgabatInternationalAirport in Turkmenistan on her way to Budapest on November 27 following low oil pressure in its engine. Three probe panels were formed by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) and Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry on November 28 to look into the flight trouble. A total of nine officials, including three engineers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, were suspended for their negligence of duty in this connection.
BGMEA proposes single platform under DIFE

Mohammed Badrul Ahsan :

Local garment makers and exporters have opposed the proposal of a top global apparel retailer, representing the Accord, to extend the tenure of the EU-based retailers' platform by three more years.

Leaders of the country's apparel sector at a recent meeting with the top Executive of the global retailer, H&M, instead proposed formation of a common platform with representatives from all the stakeholders to oversee the workplace safety issues after ending the tenure of Accord and Alliance in 2018.

The two Western platforms -- Accord and Alliance -- were formed to ensure workplace safety in Bangladesh's apparel industry in the wake of the tragic accident especially after the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed more than 1100 workers and injured many.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Md Siddiqur Rahman and Senior Advisor of H&M Karl Gunnar Fagerlin, among others, were present at the meeting held in the BGMEA headquarters in the city.

Quoting H&M officials, a meeting source said, "H&M has expressed that the company is in favour of extending the tenure of Accord for additional three years apprehending that the ongoing remediation might not be completed by 2018."

But the BGMEA viewed that the remediation is a continuous process, he said, adding that new factories would be included in the list of Accord and Alliance.

Moreover, there are some interior changes in factories for expansion and other reasons, another BGMEA leader said.

He said that the proposed single platform would be consisted of representatives from labour rights groups, buyers, retailers and brands, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), BGMEA and International Labour Organisation (ILO) to oversee the post-2018 workplace safety situation.

They (H&M officials) suggested the BGMEA to share the new proposal with the buyers and brands concerned before the next Steering Committee meeting of the Accord, he added.

The meeting was also informed that the BGMEA wanted to reduce the financial contribution of buyers, who are currently bearing the cost of factory inspection, meeting sources said.

The new factories would be set up meeting all the compliance requirements, they said, explaining that the cost of inspection on fire, electrical and structural integrity would be borne by an individual factory.

The H&M officials also wanted to know about the preparation of the apparel makers to get GSP plus benefit in the EU and to retain its competitiveness once the country graduates to mid-income country, said a BGMEA leader, who attended the meeting.

Alliance country Director James F Moriarty in a recent meeting with the BGMEA leaders also discussed the same issues.
Security for 31st night tightened

The law enforcement agencies have installed several close-circuit-cameras at different city points as part of foolproof security measures on the eve of 31st night celebration. This photo was taken from Teacher-Student centre of DU on Friday.

BSS, Dhaka :

Strengthened security measures will be enforced in the capital and elsewhere across the country for a smooth celebration of the thirty-first night, the last spell of time approaching January 1, 2017.

"The whole capital will be brought under security blanket with the deployment of as many as 10,000

members of law enforcement agencies both in uniform and plain cloth on the 31st night in Dhaka to avert any untoward incident," DMP Commissioner Mohammad Asaduzzaman Miah said.

"No activities which go against our culture, values and heritages of our country won't be tolerated in the name of 31st night celebration," he told journalists. Replying to a query, the DMP commissioner said there is no fear of any terrorists or militant attacks on the eve of the occasion, but the concerned security authorities would remain alert about this. Fireworks and open air concerts or cultural programs are not allowed on the 31st night, he added. Talking to BSS, RAB Legal and Media Wing Director Commander Mufti Mohammad Mahmud Khan said, "Different important establishments, diplomatic enclaves, public university campuses and posh areas will be brought under a security blanket with the deployment of additional members of anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) with other forces."

He said check posts have been set up at the strategic points including every entry and exit points of the capital city and several closed-circuit camera televisions (CCTVs) have been installed to make the security foolproof. Meanwhile, the DMP has restricted holding indoor New Year gatherings on security grounds. An official website of the DMP said "No bars will be kept open after 6:00 pm on December 31." Showing security reason, it also mentioned that none would be allowed to bring their licensed firearms at any restaurant, hotel and any programmes from 8:00pm of 31st December to 5:00am on January 1. Besides, any party or cultural programme will not be allowed on any open space in the capital on the 31st night. The residents of Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara were asked to return to their own areas by 8:00 pm. Additional forces of police, RAB and plainclothes from intelligence agencies will ensure their vigilance in some city areas particularly, Dhaka University (DU), diplomatic zones, Rabindra Sarobar and Hatirjheel, for a peaceful celebration of the 31st night.
98 Hindus killed, 357 hurt in 2016

Staff Reporter :

At least 98 people of Hindu Community were reportedly killed and 357 others were injured from January 1 to December 29 this year, Bangladesh Jatiyo Hindu Mohajote [BJHM] claimed on Friday.

"In the country, at least 22 Hindus are still missing and over 26 Hindu women were raped. Besides, 119 Hindu people have got death threats at the same time," BJHM Secretary General Ananda Kumar Biswas said while addressing a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the city's Segun Bagicha.

He said: "During the aforesaid period, at least 141 temples were vandalized and torched while at least 165 Hindu houses were also attacked."

Raising allegations against the ruling party-backed men for conducting attacks on minorities, he said: "The ruling party leaders and activists are mainly responsible for attacks on Hindus. The people of Hindu community were victimized in 15, 054 incidents of attack and repression this year."

"As the leaders and activists of ruling party men are involved in most of the attacks, so the government cannot shift the responsibility to another's shoulder," he said.

The BJHM leaders also claimed that the victims are not getting justice due to lack of sincerity of the government, though cases have been filed with the concerned police stations in these connections.

Of the incidents of violence, the number of eviction and arson ranks the top. A total of 3,500 families have got threat of eviction while 210 families have already been evicted from their ancestral homes with an ill-intention to grab their land properties.

Besides, about 141 houses were torched along with hundreds of idols were vandalized at that time, the BJMH leaders further claimed.

The BJHM prepared the report based on newspapers articles and their community's sources.
Banking crisis deepens

BB relaxes regulation

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

Banks faced a perfect storm last year as bad loans piled up, big scams surfaced and bank directors managed big amount of loans from the financial institutions. They took advantage of poor regulation of the central bank compounding the problem faced by the country's banking industry for the last few years.

The central bank itself hit media headline after hackers were able to steal $101 million from its reserve account held with the New York's Federal Reserve Bank in February.

"The country's banking sector experienced a bad time in 2016, with banks buckling under the weight of default, bad and non-performing loans," Dr Khondoker Ibrahim Khaled, a former Bangladesh Bank (BB) Deputy Governor told The New Nation on Friday.

He said the state-owned banks performed worst of all banks requiring the need for a bailout. They sought recapitalization fund from the government to beef up

their soaring capital shortfall.

"Corruption and mismanagement gripped the public banks which now need to be strengthened by infusing dynamism in their management. Besides, directors should be appointed there with non-partisan manner, with inclusion of efficient people having banking background," he added.

He said, "Corruption also exists in private banks but it was in tolerable level."

Dr Khondoker Ibrahim Khaled mentioned that banks have been maintaining an excessive amount of bad debt on their which is a reflection of the state of the country's banking sector.

"A growing defaulted loans, scams and connected lending have further compounded the problem faced by country's banking sector in 2016," he noted.

"2016 was a bad year for the country's banking sector and it remained underperformed throughout the year," Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former Governor of Bangladesh Bank told The New Nation on Friday.

He said we saw series of untoward events that began from ATM fraud to reserve pilferage from central bank in 2016.

On the other hand, a large numbers of corporates and big borrowers were unable to repay loans despite a relaxed loan rescheduling policy announced for them by the central bank. While mismanagement in public banks eroded their financial stability and confidence of customers in them also suffered in a big way. "Besides, bank directors have wiped out Tk one lakh crore from banks through connected leading pushing them into further crisis," he said.

"All these were disconcerting pictures of the banking sector which may not come in shape again unless a strict monitoring and regulatory regime can be put on the banks fairly by the central bank," he said.

He observed the central bank may be going soft on banks in its asset quality review, oversight practice and enforcing regulatory requirements making the banks more vulnerable.

"BB should go tough on banks for their regulatory failures. It should ensure proper punishment while indulging corruption by bank officials and other elements," he said adding, "These measures can ensure stability in the country's banking industry". When asked, he said, "Private banks performed better and they were better capitalized. But it's also true the public banks face an existential threat unlike anything they've confronted before".

Banks had altogether Tk 65,000 crore defaulted loans up to September 2016 compared to Tk 56,000 crore in 2015.

Bedsides, they had written off Tk 42,000 crore loans during the period and it was Tk 35,000 crore in 2015.

"The poor performance of banks could particularly hit the economy as they have a big role in accelerating investment and growth. A crisis in banking sector could lead a deeper problem for economy by slowing growth," said Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.
US slaps sanctions on Russia, expels 35 diplomats

FACE-TO-FACE: US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchange icy stares.

AP, Washington :

President Barack Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts.

The State Department also has kicked out 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the U.S. The diplomats were declared persona non grata for acting in a "manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status." Obama said Russians will no longer have access to two Russian government-owned compounds in the United States, in Maryland and in New York. Russian officials have denied the Obama administration's accusation that the Russian government was trying to influence the U.S. presidential election. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia's goal was to help Donald Trump win - an assessment Trump has dismissed as ridiculous.

Meanwhile, US intelligence agencies believe that this year Russia mounted an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the American electoral process in an effort to undermine American democracy and ensure the election of Kremlin-friendly Donald Trump.

On Thursday, the Obama administration announced an equally unprecedented effort to punish Moscow with sanctions for its past hacking - and serve notice that future meddling will draw an even harsher response.

The move, which is far more sweeping than the

punishments leveled against North Korea or China for other state-sponsored hacking efforts, is going to make it significantly harder for Trump to start his tenure in the White House with an immediate effort to improve ties with Vladimir Putin. The sanctions take aim at two of Russia's major intelligence agencies - the FSB, the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, and the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency - which are accused of hacking the Democratic National Committee's servers and the email account of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta to steal and then release information damaging to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Many of Clinton's supporters believe that Obama should have released information about the Russia hacking earlier so that she would have had time to respond and highlight Moscow's apparent desire to boost Trump's chances.

Obama also targeted individuals that allegedly played a leadership role in ordering the cyberattacks: Igor Valentinovich Korobov, the current chief of the GRU; Sergey Aleksandrovich Gizunov, deputy of the GRU; Igor Olegovich Kostyukov, a first deputy chief of the GRU; and Vladimir Stepanovich Alexseyev, also a first deputy chief of the GRU. There will also be sanctions against three Russian companies that the administration believes aided the cyberattacks. Two individuals who are accused of hacking into e-commerce companies and stealing millions from American financial institutions will be targeted as well. In his statement, Obama also hinted that there was more to come, likely in the form of unannounced cyber warfare. Still, it seems doubtful that the new measures will frighten Putin into changing his behavior. Some lawmakers had pressed Obama to embarrass the Russian leader by releasing details of the tens of billions of dollars that he and his closest allies are believed to have squirreled away in a labyrinth of offshore bank accounts, but the White House didn't do so. It's also enormously doubtful that the GRU officials targeted by the sanctions keep any assets in US banks or would want to travel here anytime soon. In a separate - but clearly related - statement, the Obama administration ordered 35 Russian diplomats to leave the country within 72 hours, which it says is a response to the harassment of US diplomatic personnel in Russia. It also said that as of noon on Friday, Russians would be denied access to Russian government-owned compounds in Maryland and New York that they use for "intelligence-related purposes." In a statement on the sanctions, Obama said that "all Americans should be alarmed," and made it clear that he believes the hacks were nothing less than a direct order from the Kremlin. "These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government," he said. Russia scoffed at Obama's accusation and promised retribution for any actions that Obama takes.

"If Washington takes new hostile steps, it will receive an answer. This applies to any actions against Russian diplomatic missions in the United States, which will immediately backfire at US diplomats in Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. According to the Associated Press, she added, for good measure, that the Obama White House is "not an administration, it's a group of foreign policy losers, angry and ignorant." In a statement in response to the announcement of the sanctions, Trump sounded nonchalant about the entire issue, saying, "It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.
Mamata's lawmaker Tapas Pal held in chit fund case

NDTV, Kolkata :

Tapas Pal, a senior leader of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, has been arrested in Kolkata in connection with what is referred to as the "Rose Valley chit fund scam", in which thousands of small investors were allegedly cheated.

Tapas Pal, 58, was questioned for hours yesterday by the CBI before his arrest. His house was also raided earlier.

The actor-turned-politician a director in two companies of the Rose Valley Group, has been accused of cheating thousands of investors of 17,000 crores through its Ponzi scheme.

Officials say the lawmaker is suspected to have

benefited from the chit fund scam, which surfaced around the same time as the Saradha scam. The Chairman of the Rose Valley group, Gautam Kundu, was arrested earlier by the Enforcement Directorate.

Another Trinamool lawmaker, Sudip Bandopadhyay has also been summoned in the case, but he has said he will appear for CBI questioning only next week.

The Trinamool has alleged that the centre is using the CBI to target its leader for political vendetta because of its aggressive opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's notes ban.

Political attrocities now go against those who opposed NoteBandi but supported the movement. We will fight it out," tweeted Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien.

Ms Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister, has demanded the PM's resignation, alleging that he has failed to deliver on his commitment to resolve the problems arising from demonetization by the end of the year.
Butcher of Swat to be hanged by Military Courts

The Times of Islamabad, RAWALPINDI :

Notorious Taliban leader Muslim Khan, known as 'Butcher of Swat' will face the gallows after the army chief confirmed his death sentence alongside seven other terrorists this week. According to ISPR,

Muslim Khan was a spokesman for a proscribed organisation. He was involved in the killing of innocent civilians, attacking armed forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan, which resulted in the death of 31 persons including Inspector Sher Ali of police and injuries to 69 others. He was among eight terrorists whose death sentences were confirmed by Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday.
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.
"I have sanctioned nine entities and individuals: the GRU and the FSB, two Russian intelligence services; four individual officers of the GRU; and three companies that provided material support to the GRU's cyber operations," President Obama said in a statement.

"In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury is designating two Russian individuals for using cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information."

Russia Tweeted A Duck Meme In Response

Donald Trump  It's time for our country to move on

The United States has expelled 35 Russian spies in response to Russia's alleged interference in last month's presidential election, further escalating tensions between the countries.The US state department has declared 35 diplomatic intelligence officials from the Russian embassy in Washington DC and the consulate in San Francisco "persona non grata," giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the country.President Barack Obama has also announced the closing of two Russian compounds, in New York and Maryland, used by the Russian officials for intelligence-gathering, from noon on Friday.Obama accused Russia of "aggressive harassment," saying "all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions." He believes that hacking "could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government."The move follows calls from senior US senators to sanction Russian diplomats who are believed to have played a role in the last month's election-hacking against the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign.Of course, Russiawho has denied any involvement and called the decision "ungrounded"is not happy with the decision in the dying days of the Obama administration.After Obama had announced sanctions against the Russian diplomats on Thursday, the Russian Embassy in London tweeted a photo of a duckling with the word "Lame" over it.The photo was posted in an obvious reference to Obama as he nears the end of his "lame duck" period in White house after almost eight years as US president.Ultimately, it depends on President-elect Donald Trump, who will take over from President Obama next month, if he carries the new sanctions against the Russian diplomats.However, Trump has dismissed the hacking claims as "ridiculous" and the US threat to increase sanctions against Russia and said Americans should "get on with our lives," adding that "it's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things," instead of speculating over the impact Russia had on last month's election."Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week to be updated on the facts of this situation," Trump told reporters Thursday.The US intelligence agencies have described the Russian hacking as a "decade-long campaign," which includes spear phishing; campaigns targeting government organizations, and critical infrastructures like think-tanks, universities, political organizations, and corporations; theft of information from these agencies; and public release of stolen information.Several US agencies, including the CIA and FBI, have concluded that the emails stolen from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager and Democratic National Committee servers were released during the 2016 presidential election by Wikileaks to cause damage to Clinton.
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
IND L!VE offers highlights of the many live music events taking place around Acadiana this New Years weekend.

ST. CINDER

Thursday, Dec. 29

Artmosphere Bistro

Doors: 9 p.m.

Admission: $5

St. Cinder is a six piece band of friends formed by a lucky meeting of vagabond musicians in Ashland, Oregon. They happily resurrect and revitalize the many branches of the Americana family tree including jug music, rag-blues, jazz, and folk classics.

BROTHER JAC + THE SHAKE BACKS + MATT BREAUX + LYNDEN SEGURA

Thursday, Dec. 29

Blue Moon Saloon

Doors: 9:30 p.m.

The Blue Moon Saloon welcomes Brother Jac, The Shakebacks, Matt Breaux and Lynden Segura to its stage this Thursday.

THE ROY CARRIER TRIBUTE WITH DIKKI DU & THE ZYDECO KREWE

Thursday, Dec. 29

Feed & Seed

Doors: 8 p.m.

Admission: $20

Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe joins the Corey Ledet Zydeco Band along with Jeffery Broussard and The Creole Cowboy featuring Double Trouble to pay tribute to Roy Carrier. Food will also be served. Tickets are $20 at door.

ATCHAFALAYA

Friday, Dec. 30

The Grouse Room

Doors: 10 p.m.

Born in Lafayette on Halloween night of 1978, Atchafalaya established a tremendously loyal fan base. Playing covers of Eagles, Fogleberg, Beatles, CSN&Y, along with some Cajun favorites and anything else they felt like playing, they would always slip in a few originals.

CAT HEAD BISCUIT BOYS + RUBIN WILSON FOLK BLUES EXPLOSION

Friday, Dec. 30

Artmosphere Bistro

Doors: 9 p.m.

Doors: $10

The Cat Head Biscuit Boys perform along with Rubin Wilson Folk Blues Explosion this Friday night at Artmosphere.

CURLEY TAYLOR

Friday, Dec. 30

Blue Moon Saloon

Doors: 10:30 p.m.

Curley Taylor headlines the Blue Moon Saloon this Friday night.

GERARD DELAFOSE & THE ZYDECO GATORS + STEP RIDEAU & THE ZYDECO OUTLAWS

Friday, Dec. 30

Feed & Seed

Doors: 9 p.m.

Gerard Delafose & The Zydeco Gators perform along with Step Rideau & The Zydeco Outlaws at the Feed & Seed this Friday night.

SICKBAY PRESENTS GRAND NATHANIEL & THE GHOSTS + RAD WAGON

Friday, Dec. 30

The Wurst Biergarten

Doors: 9 p.m.

Admission: $5

Sickbay is proud to present Grand Nathaniel & the Ghosts and Rad Wagon, December 30th at the Wurst Biergarten! Only $5! Music starts at 9! C'mon!

6TH ANNUAL BLACK & WHITE AFFAIR

Saturday, Dec. 31

Jefferson Street Pub

Doors: 8 p.m.

Admission: $10-15

Come celebrate the new year with JSP this Saturday, Dec. 31. Sounds by DJ Greenlight. Free Champagne Toast. Black & White attire is preferred. Door opens 8 p.m. $15 Cover. $10 Cover before 10pm for 21+.

FLY ME TO THE MOON

Saturday, Dec. 31

Acadiana Symphony Orchestra

Doors: 8 p.m.

Ring in the New Year with the Symphony! Join the Acadiana Symphony Women's League for a New Year's Gala that will kick off 2017 in grand style! Food by the finest restaurants in Acadiana, a glass of bubbly, and dance the night away with Jet 7. A cash bar will also be available.

NEW YEARS EVE DANCE WITH GENO DELAFOSE & FRENCH ROCKIN BOOGIE

Saturday, Dec. 31

Vermilionville

Doors: 9:30 p.m.

Admission: $35

Ring in the New Year with Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie! Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and music begins at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $35 (no table reservations; seats are first-come, first-served. No outside food or beverages), which includes a complimentary glass of champagne as well as a party favor. Finger food and beverages will be available for purchase. For more information, visit Vermilionville.org.

NYE @ THE MOON: THE PITS + DURWOOD + THE CONRADS

Saturday, Dec. 31

Blue Moon Saloon

Doors: 9 p.m.

Admission: $10

The Blue Moon Saloon rings in 2017 with a special New Year's Eve celebration with performances from The Pits, Durwood, and the Conrads.

NYE PARTY WITH SOCIAL CIRCLE + THE REACHING HAND + BAYOU TECHE CASK

Saturday, Dec. 31

The Wurst Biergarten

Doors: 9 p.m.

Come out and ring in 2017 at the first annual Wurst New Years Eve Party with Social Circle and the Reaching Hand in addition to a DJ set by Andre Broussard. Bayou Teche Cask and Swamp Thing IPA will also be on hand.

NYE WITH PINE LEAF BOYS & CEDRYL BALLOU AND THE ZYDECO TRENDSETTERS

Saturday, Dec. 31

Artmosphere Bistro

Doors: 9 p.m.

Come bring in the New Year with our annual New Years Eve dance at Artmosphere, this year with Zydeco sensation, Cedryl Ballou, opening the show and Pine Leaf Boys bringing in the New Year!

SWING IN THE NEW YEAR 2017

Saturday, Dec. 31

The Grouse Room

Doors: 9 p.m.

Gather your friends for the BEST party in Lafayette for New Years Eve! The Grouse Room presents Swing in the New Year with Connie G and Creole Soul to dance the night away all the way to 2017. The party starts at 8 p.m. with Premium Open Bar until 1 a.m., Champagne Toast at Midnight, Hors d'Oeuvres and Carving Stations and party favors with a few special surprises.
Board is responsible for planning, coordinating, and budgeting for all public higher education in the state.

Blake David

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday announced that he has appointed Lafayette attorney Blake David to the Board of Regents. A founding partner of the Lafayette firm of Broussard & David, the local attorney received a bachelor of arts degree and his juris doctorate from LSU. He is serving as a representative of the 3rd Congressional District.

The Board of Regents is responsible for planning, coordinating, and budgeting for all public higher education in the state. The board administers the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund and formulates a master plan for higher education, including a formula for the equitable distribution of funds.

Our institutions of higher education continue to face financial challenges that make the work of the Board of Regents more critical than ever as we continue our efforts to stabilize the budget and provide more predictable funding for our colleges and universities, Edwards said in making the announcement. The appointees I have named to the board bring an array of professional and educational expertise from higher education institutions across Louisiana.

The following appointments will also be effective on Jan. 1:

Darren G. Mire, of New Orleans, is the director of valuation for the Orleans Parish Assessors Office. Mire is a certified Louisiana deputy assessor and is a licensed real estate agent. He received a Bachelor of Science degree and a master of professional studies from Tulane. Mire will serve as a representative of the 2nd Congressional District.

W. Clinton Bubba Rasberry, of Shreveport, is the managing partner for Crestview Woods, Rasberry Commercial Properties and Rasberry Mineral Lands. Rasberry received a bachelor of arts degree from Vanderbilt University and did post-graduate work at Louisiana State University Forestry School. He will serve as a representative of the 4th Congressional District.

Jacqueline Vines Wyatt, of Prairieville, is the former senior vice president and regional manager for Cox Communications Southeast Region. Wyatt received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Redlands. She will serve as an at-large member on the board.

T. Jay Seale III, of Hammond, is an attorney and founding partner of Seale & Ross. Seale received a bachelor of arts degree from Southeastern Louisiana University and a juris doctorate from the LSU. Seale will serve as a representative of the 1st Congressional District.

Charles R. McDonald, of Sterlington, is the president and owner of CMAC & Associates and the co-owner of Freedom Mobility, and a former member of the Louisiana State House of Representatives. While a state representative, he authored the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) scholarship bill and served on the Education Committee. He received his bachelor of science degree from Northeast Louisiana College, a master of education degree from Northeast Louisiana University, and doctor of education degree from the University of Louisiana Monroe. McDonald will serve as a representative of the 5th Congressional District.
New Iberia Research Center

Crown Bioscience Inc. plans to establish a pharmaceutical research and development facility at the New Iberia Research Center, a project the global drug discovery and development company says will enable it to advance treatments for cardiovascular and metabolic disease research. The expansion was jointly announced by Gov. John Bel Edwards and Crown Bioscience Inc. CEO Jean-Pierre Wery on Dec. 28.

CrownBio will coordinate its research efforts with UL Lafayette affiliate NIRC, which specializes in the management of nonhuman primates for applied and basic research. At the research center, CrownBio will make a $1 million capital investment and create 10 direct jobs with an average annual salary of $70,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 14 indirect jobs.

This project provides an excellent example of how Louisianas higher education system is leveraging its strengths to attract new investment in bioscience to our state, Edwards said in a news release. Sophisticated pharmaceutical research performed in a sensitive and progressive manner is essential for our state, nation and world to combat illnesses and diseases that continually pose new challenges. Were proud that this important work will be taking place in our state and will build upon the resources of UL Lafayette and the New Iberia Research Center.

Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., Crown Bioscience formed in 2006 and operates research campuses in China, the U.K., San Diego and Indianapolis. The companys leadership  including Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Guo-Liang Yu, CEO Jean-Pierre Wery and President and Chief Strategy Officer Alex Wu, possesses decades of experience in the global biotech and pharmaceutical industry. The company says the NIRC was crucial in its decision to expand to Louisiana, after it outgrew its capacity in North Carolina.

From the release:
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
RADDLE  Herbert Korando sits in his living room watching his family gather up the contents of his house and load them into cars and trucks. They have discussions about what should go and what can stay. Family photos and heirlooms are carefully packed and taken out. The 84-year-old is not sure what the fuss is about. He has seen high water before and is not scared by the reports coming from the Army Corps of Engineers that the river would crest just below 50 feet, the maximum capacity for the levees just miles from his house.

Less than a mile up the road, members of the 140-year-old St. Ann Catholic Church in Raddle load up the contents of the country chapel. Holy statues, pews and the altar all get loaded up and taken to higher ground.

This was a common scene after Christmas last year along the Mississippi River as residents of the river bottoms prepared for high waters and the potential for a levee breach.

A year later, the work continues as residents look to the future of their communities.

Randy Lambdin, commissioner for the Preston Levee District near Wolf Lake, said the levee board is always looking for ways to improve the levee system. Currently, many along the Mississippi are improving decades-old pipes under the levees by adding plastic liners designed to ensure better structural stability. But this is not all that needs done. Much of the levees infrastructure dates back decades and, while they were built by the Army Corps, their maintenance has been left largely up to the local communities. Many of Illinois' southernmost river towns lie within sparsely populated counties, which leaves them with little tax revenue to complete levee upkeep or to make serious upgrades.

The government has no money to spend on us, Randy Colyer, a commissioner for the East Cape Levee District said of the federal government. We just basically are on our own.

Colyers district had to increase taxes in 2015 to make up some of the difference, but there is only so much of that to be done as many of the communities are low-income. Some residents are taking things into their own hands.

Jamie Nash-Mayberry, a social studies teacher at Shawnee Junior/Senior High School, started Save The Levees, Save the Future in the fall of 2010. Alarmed by the state of their local levee, Nash-Mayberry and her students wrote letters to politicians asking for help and later created a film raising public awareness about the importance of the levees, highlighting their deteriorated condition. The class also sold T-shirts to help raise funds to repair the levee.

Nash-Mayberry said last year was very stressful for her and her students. She remembers being out of town when the reports began rolling in about the quickly rising river waters. She was getting calls and texts from her students.

Having kids wondering if their homes were going to get washed away was awful, Nash-Mayberry remembers. She said she was asked often if the levees would hold.

My answer to that was, I hope. Experiences like these bolster her desire to keep at the work she and her classes have started with Save the Levees, Save the Future.

Wanda Korando, of Fountain Bluff Township, a lifelong resident of the river bottoms, knows better than to wait for help.

We cant wait for the government, she said, adding that without a lot of pull, federal funds are hard to come by.

Korando sits on a committee that hosts a yearly fundraiser aimed to help fund levee repairs. Levee Fest was launched in 2014 and in its first year raised $80,000, which went to repair aging locks that were causing weak spots along the levee. Held each year in Jacob, the festival features live music and food centered around Bottoms Up Bar and Grill. In the last two years, the event has raised $50,000 and Korando said she hopes to increase that number to $80,000 after the 2017 festival this coming June. The group is saving the money to purchase new diesel pumps to replace the decades-old units currently in place. She is hopeful the community can receive matching funds from the federal government to complete the project, which could cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Lambdin said last years flood was unique.

Usually the river goes up together and goes down together, he said. However, last years high waters came from a bell-shaped crest that slowly moved down river, hitting one area at a time as opposed to an entire region at once. But, Lambdin said each flood is not expected to be like the last.

Every high water is different, he said.

Herbert is not alone when he says the river has changed. Lambdin said he has lived on the Mississippi since he was 10 and the 56-year-old said he has seen a shift in the last 10-15 years.

A high water every 10 or 15 years didnt cause any concerns. Now it seems we are dealing with it five to six years out of 10, Lambdin said. Development along the river banks, which has narrowed the river, is what many cite as causing the Mississippi to rise faster and more frequently. Herbert remembers when the current 50-foot levee system was constructed and being told there would not be another flood. But now, he consistently sees waters nearing the top.

Larry Busch, of the Southern Illinois Community Foundation, agrees. Busch, with the SICF, helps communities organize after disasters. They help find the best ways to use donations that often pour into affected areas. He also assists in community development after disasters and he said he tries to get those involved to think about the sustainability of their plans.

Whats going to be sustainable over the long haul in spite of what may have been done in the short term, Busch said of his strategy. He stressed that he had a plan, not a perfect fix.

I dont know that there is a solution as much as a strategy to manage the river, he said.

In an ideal world, he said levees would be pushed back, giving the river more breathing room, and restrictions would be put in place regarding redevelopment after major flooding. Busch said people need to think down the road, will this happen again, and if so, will we be in the same boat?

Rivers flood. Period, Busch said, adding that everyone wants the river to flood down river from them. However, when levees are built, rivers flood sooner because there is less space for them to expand, he said.

I think everyone has to accept that natural forces are going to prevail, Busch said.

That is not the easiest sell.

While there are negatives to living by that river, I think there is the culture of the bottom lands that people dont want to give up, Nash-Mayberry said. She is not alone. Korando has lived within a mile of the levee her entire life.

I dont know why that would bother other people that I would rebuild  I pay to live down there, she said, citing the $1,500 in flood insurance she pays on her house each year. She does recognize that some might think it crazy that she would live in striking distance of such a natural force, but to her it is no different than anywhere else.

No matter where you live in the United States you are going to have issues, Korando said, pointing out the wildfires and earthquakes in the west, tornadoes in the plains and hurricanes and blizzards in the east.

Bush knows his ideas are not exactly popular.

Its a tough sell because there are people whose homes are going to be affected and that transition certainly would take a lot of time, he said, adding that it is an area-by-area dialogue.

Those few days a year ago, Herbert Korando saw his belongings evacuated but he stayed put, just as he had for the last six decades. He has lived in the presence of the river and the levees his entire life, in fact he was raised just down the road from where he currently lives and has had to evacuate only once during the flood of 1943. He said unless the levee breaks, he does not plan to ever leave. In fact, he has never considered it.

Whenever you were born and raised in an area and your ancestors lived there all their life its not easy to pick up and leave something like that, he said.
The two congressmen who represent Southern Illinois  Republican Reps. Mike Bost and John Shimkus  said they expect the U.S. House and Senate to swiftly begin action on a conservative agenda after the 115th Congress is sworn in on Tuesday. At the top of that list is an item they both wholeheartedly endorse: repealing key components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act commonly referred to as Obamacare, they said.

Bost said that the House leadership has informed the membership that January will be jammed with work days. Weve already been told well be there pretty well solidly through and thats what the schedule looks like, Bost said. Bost said the goal is to have legislation dismantling Obamacare on president-elect Donald Trumps desk his first day in the Oval Office on Jan. 20.

By the time the president takes his hand off the Bible, he can pick up a pen and start signing, Bost said. Thats the idea and intent.

National media reports quoting experts cast some doubt on whether it can happen quite that fast, but the bottom line is that Republicans plan to waste no time ripping apart Obamas signature program that he signed into law in March 2010  and Bost and Shimkus are among those eager to join in.

Theyve tried many times before unsuccessfully, but now they see a path forward to repeal and replace. Yet, Republicans are further along on the repeal than the replace aspect of their plan, and health policy experts that represent people on the lower end of the income spectrum are sounding alarm bells about moving forward without agreement on a replacement plan.

Shimkus brushed off those concerns, saying that Obamacare is so broken that it can hardly be called a true insurance plan.

You have to remember that most people think that Obamacare is crappy insurance, Shimkus said. The premiums are high and the deductibles are high so they cant make the deductibles. So even though they have insurance they dont really feel like they have insurance.

The immediate plan for the early days of the new Congress, as described by Bost, Shimkus and reportedly by other Republican congressmen, is to seek to repeal the act through a budget reconciliation bill, a nuanced parliamentary maneuver that would require only a simple majority vote in the Senate, eliminating the need for support from Democratic members.

Shimkus said this process is considered more than fair because its the same process by which Obamacare came to be in the first place six years ago.

The bill would be used to strip such things as the penalties related to the mandates  for individuals to have health insurance and for employers to provide it  federal subsidy payments and the taxes used to fund them, and federal funding for Medicaid expansion at the state level, according to Shimkus, Bost and other reports on the plan.

The measure would likely include repeal dates that are sometime out in the future  a year or more, and probably there would be different deadlines for the unique aspects of the bill. That would give the Republican leadership time to formulate Part B of the plan, what to replace it with, Shimkus said, though that might not end up as a single piece of replacement legislation.

Shimkus said that, as he understands it, the plan being worked on by Republican leaders would allow states to develop compacts for high-risk pools and to remove restrictions that hinder the sale of insurance across state lines. Bost said its his understanding based on congressional briefings that reform would also include allowing people to cherry pick the insurance coverage they need to keep their costs under control. For instance, Tracy and I dont need OB-GYN. Were not going to have more babies. Were good, Bost said. There are other things I might want to pay for at my age. Its driving it back into the free market system.

As for the more popular aspects of Obamacare  such as not allowing insurance companies to deny people with pre-existing conditions and allowing children up to age 26 to remain on their parents plan  Shimkus called that low-hanging fruit that will be taken care of.

Bost, of Murphysboro, will begin a second term on Tuesday. For veteran Shimkus, of Collinsville, it will be his 11th term. The two congressman share representation of Southern Illinois. Bost represents Illinois 12th Congressional District, which covers 12 counties on the western border stretching from the Metro-East to Cairo and including the following in deep Southern Illinois: Jefferson, Perry, Franklin, Williamson, Union, Alexander, Pulaski, Randolph and Jackson.

Shimkus 15th Congressional District covers 33 counties across southeastern Illinois, which also includes part of the Metro East, stretches from Rantoul to Metropolis and includes the following deep Southern Illinois counties: Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope and Saline.

Of the 45 counties the two congressmen represent in whole or part, 42 of those counties favored Trump in the Nov. 8 election. The three counties that favored Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton were Jackson and St. Clair counties in Bosts district, and Champaign County, a portion of which is in Shimkus district.

Neither supported Trump in the primary election. Bost said he was initially in support of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and when he dropped out, threw his support behind Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Shimkus said he voted for Rubio.

But both said they gave their full support to Trump when he emerged as the Republican Partys candidate and are excited to see what the next four years brings in the way of conservative policies they believe could grow jobs and improve the economies of the rural counties that make up their districts.

Discussing the complexities of trade policy, Bost said there are some things that Trump has said he wants to address that will take time because they have no fast and easy solutions. Its very easy to stand up and tweet something out, Bost said, but added that was not an intended criticism of Trumps propensity to make sweeping statements using his Twitter account. No, no, heres what it is, Bost said. The electorate is tired and angry and wants somebody who says what they feel. He says exactly what he feels. Now, we have to figure out how to get those feelings into some sensible law that will allow us to meet the needs of the people.

Bost said hes been encouraged by Trumps cabinet picks thus far, and he called Vice President-Elect Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, an amazing guy. The only people who complain about the people who hes put in place are people who are against him anyway, Bost said.

Shimkus called the presidential transition that will put Republicans in charge of the legislative and executive branches of government an exciting time.

This is exactly why we have elections, Shimkus said. We have elections to determine the direction the country needs to go. And I think this is a continuation of what happened in 2010 and 2014 when Republicans reclaimed the House and Republicans reclaimed the Senate, and now weve reclaimed the presidency, based upon a fear that government is too big, its getting involved in too many activities of our individual lives, and it needs to be downsized.
CARBONDALE  In what she called the first of many visits, Democratic Illinois Senator-elect Tammy Duckworth met with local entrepreneurs at the Small Business Development Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Thursday to discuss what she can do to bolster economic development in the region after she heads to Washington.

Duckworth, who defeated incumbent Republican Senator Mark Kirk in November, will serve on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee after she is sworn in on Jan. 3.

She was joined in the meeting by Carbondale Mayor John Mike Henry and the SBDCs executive director, Kyle Harfst.

Were very fortunate to have Senator-elect Duckworth with us today. I dont believe we have seen the previous senator that she ran against in the election ever in Carbondale during his term, Henry said during a news conference after the meeting.   I know her to be a good person, an honest person, a straightforward person  someone whos ready to work hard at this job and work for the whole state, and Im glad that shes here in Southern Illinois, he said.

Duckworth also received a tour of the facility and discussed the citys revitalization projects.

Sometimes we feel like we might be a little left out down here, but we have a great university, and as you know, were rebuilding our community and moving forward with that to help the university, recruit students, retain students and faculty, and have a place for folks to retire to, Henry said.

Duckworth said part of the discussion involved how to attract more federal dollars to the SBDC, which was nearly a casualty of the state budget crisis. She said that she hopes to apply for federal grants in areas that havent traditionally been looked at, such as the Department of Defense.

People dont think of Illinois as a big defense manufacturing state, but we actually have the capacity, Duckworth said. The robotics team here is one of the best in the nation, and with the move in DOD towards more and more unmanned vehicles and robotics and the like  we should be looking to compete in that, and I really look forward to providing any help that I can to the Center to look at the breadth of grants that are available across the federal government.

Another option might be the Department of Health and Human Services for the development of scheduling software for hospitals, Duckworth said.

All sorts of programs are available at the federal level, and we should be fighting for our piece of whatever those competitive contracts are, she said.

Asked about the importance of small businesses in the region, Duckworth said Southern Illinois is the perfect environment for entrepreneurs because they receive more support and attention from the municipality than they would in larger cities.

Instead of having to compete against everybody and their brother who has a good idea in some place like San Francisco, you get to be here where you get the day-to-day, hands-on experience, she said.

Duckworth said the key to job generation is twofold  Carbondale needs to support young entrepreneurs at SIU so they dont take their good ideas somewhere else, and it also needs to encourage outside companies to invest here by providing ample resources and support.

Its keeping the homegrown talent, but its also attracting folks from outside, Duckworth said.

Henry made note of Carbondales status as a Gigabit City, referring to the fiber-optic network that provides faster internet speeds.

That gigabit access is throughout the central part of the town, and along Route 13 and out to the university, so as this expands into our neighborhoods, much and much higher speed internet, this is the key to growth. Youre not going to go anywhere if you dont have this, and it has to be in the households, so were working to get that pushed out more, he said.

In response to a question about Gov. Bruce Rauners view that Illinois is losing jobs due to high taxes, Duckworth said she does not agree with him.

I dont think its about taxes. I dont think its about the wages of the employees. I think its about the environment. Large corporations are not going to locate here and bring their top executives here if theres not a good quality of life. Executives do not want to move their families here if theres not good schools for their kids to go to. Theyre not going to go someplace that has low taxes and a low minimum wage if theres not the research universities, the great minds, the professors.

" I think we should focus on the real strengths that really attract businesses, which (are) programs like this, this incubator that is not just a part of the university, but a part of the municipality, of the community, and understand that it is an entire quality of life, both for business and for the individual, that will attract people to come here to live and work here, Duckworth said.
MARION  Officials from Washington Elementary School gathered Thursday to help a family whose home was damaged in a string of fires in Marion last week.

Tommy Colboth, principal of Washington Elementary, said he received notice of damage to Charles and Christy Ferrell's home a few days after officials of Marion Junior High School held a drive for a school custodian who lost his home and dogs in the fires.

The Ferrells have a son and daughter  one in second grade and the other in kindergarten  who attend Washington Elementary school.

"We knew about that sooner and so Mrs. Moss (the principal at Marion Jr. High School) was able to get that going at the Junior High but at that time, we had no idea that one of our families was part of the fires," Colboth said.

Upon hearing the news, Colboth said he teamed with Lindsay Watts, the school's assistant principal at Washington Elementary School, and reached out to their school's staff, who then took to the school district's Facebook page to mobilize a drive for the family.

"When the (Williamson County) Sheriff's Department contacted me a couple of days after the fact and told us that one of our families was involved in a fire, we reached out to our staff and they mobilized and came up with a plan and (once) we were able to get something together, that's when we kind of blasted it on social media and it took off from there," he said.

Staff joined parents and volunteers from the community from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday in the B-Hall Breezeway area on the east side of the school to collect clothes, shoes and other household items for the family. Colboth said there are plans for another drive upon the family's return from Missouri, where they are visiting family.

"Theyre a very nice family who is very ecstatic to get any of this stuff," he said.

"Before they left for the holidays and we had some donations already provided for them at that point. They were up in a hotel and they've been with family in Missouri for the holidays, so they're making their way back now trying to figure out what's next."

The family was residing at 704 N. Garfield St., which was one of the homes reported to be damaged from the interior, according to a news release from the Marion Police Department.

Firefighter Lyndon Perzee of the Marion Fire Department told The Southern on Thursday that the fires, which authorities consider to be the result of arson, are still under investigation.

According to early reports, fires were detected and extinguished at the Ferrells' home as well as a home on the 300 block of East Calvert Street.

Reports list Rusty Mappin, a local custodian at Marion Jr. High School who lost his three dogs as a result of the fires, as the resident of the house located at 302 E. Calvert St. Officials also responded to reports of a fire at the 1100 block of East Dickinson Street in which a motorcycle was found ablaze.

A Dec. 21 news release from the Marion Police Department states that a male suspect was taken into custody in connection to the fires.
Secretary of State John Kerry used the word "conscience" over and over again as he attempted to explain and justify the Obama administration's decision not to veto a one-sided U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel. He added that the U.S. could not "stand idly by" while Israel torpedoed any hope for a two-state solution.

The Obama administration knows all about standing "idly by"  that was its all-but-explicit policy toward other troubles in the Middle East. Obama came into office with one foreign policy lodestar  "Not George Bush"  and has stuck with it mulishly no matter how much the facts on the ground demanded flexibility. An Obama official dubbed it "leading from behind" and, according to a well-placed journalist, Obama himself used the phrase "don't do stupid s---."

And so, when Syrian strongman Bashar Assad massacred up to 400,000 people by dropping barrel bombs on civilian neighborhoods, shelling hospitals and imposing sieges on cities to starve out the inhabitants, the Obama administration stood very, very idly by. Even after warning Assad that the use of chemical weapons would trigger a U.S. response, Obama did nothing when Assad called his bluff.

When ISIS was rampaging through northern Iraq and southern Syria, beheading, crucifying and burning people alive, the Obama administration stood idly by.

"There are 2.75 million Palestinians living in the West Bank," Kerry thundered, without explaining why their misfortune is more urgent than that of 4.8 million Syrian refugees who are living in Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq and various European countries. An additional 6.6 million Syrians are internally displaced and desperately in need of assistance. The Palestinian refugees (the term is absurd after 68 years) are the only "refugees" in the world who have a United Nations program devoted exclusively to them (UNRWA)  which may be one reason they remain stateless.

Just about every single one of Secretary Kerry's assumptions about the Palestinian/Israeli dispute is erroneous. Start with his assertion that the Palestinians want an independent state on the West Bank. They have been offered such a state at least twice. In 2000, at Camp David, Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered a generous settlement including land swaps. Yasser Arafat not only rejected it; he started a new intifada. In 2008, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered Mahmoud Abbas a state comprising nearly all of the West Bank (Israel would have kept about 5 percent), with East Jerusalem as the capital. Abbas rejected it. Obama-administration assertions to the contrary notwithstanding, the Palestinian Authority has not recognized that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. Palestinian propaganda ceaselessly depicts "Palestine" as comprising all of the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. They continue, as Kerry himself acknowledged, to glorify terrorists.

Kerry suggests that "solving" the Israel/Palestinian conflict is the key to "stabilizing a volatile region." Has he been asleep for the past 50 years? The region is roiled by Islamic extremism in both Sunni and Shiite guises. The Obama administration has heightened tensions in the region with its embrace of Iran. Civil wars, revolutions, attempted coups and terrorism are destabilizing Libya, Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen and others. For an Arab, the West Bank is one of the safest (not to mention freest) places to live in the Middle East.

Kerry said the administration could not "in good conscience" let Israel build new settlements in "occupied" Palestinian land and thereby sabotage the "peace process." 1) The land in question was never Palestinian, as Kerry surely knows. It was grabbed by Jordan in 1948 and then, reluctantly, taken by Israel in a defensive war in 1967. 2) Israel, bowing to Obama's wishes, imposed a ban on settlements for 10 months in 2009. There was no response from the Palestinians. 3) Kerry certainly also knows that the Palestinian strategy for years has been to end-run direct talks with the Israelis and force a recognition of maximal Palestinian demands through international pressure. This failure to veto, far more than a few Israeli apartments, is the true obstacle to peace, because it encourages the Palestinians' unrealistic expectations and despicable tactics. These have lately included stabbings, shootings and driving cars into random pedestrians.

The world is aflame with threats and instability, yet Kerry and Obama, petulant leftists with an Israel fixation, could not resist this last kick in the teeth to the region's sole democracy. They knew it would harm Israel's moral standing  now the delegitimizers can claim that Israel is in violation of "Security Council" resolutions  and give an unmerited win to the Palestinians. Perhaps most infuriating of all, they claim to be doing it all for Israel's own good.

Too bad they couldn't follow their own advice: "Don't do stupid s---."
While some weather organizations are predicting a chance of snow showers in The T&D Region next weekend, a National Weather Service official says long-term forecasts need to be taken with a grain of salt.

"Weve made leaps and bounds and a lot of progress for fine tuning a week out," NWS meteorological technician Doug Anderson said.

"We are getting better at indicating potential, but nailing down rain versus snow or freezing rain or snow is typically more accurate three to four days out, he said.

The Weather Channel and Weather Underground were forecasting on Thursday a chance of wintry precipitation for the weekend of Jan. 7-8.

The Weather Channel's website was forecasting a morning wintry mix Sunday, Jan. 8, as well as a few snow showers Sunday night. Snow accumulations were forecast to be less than one inch.

Weather Underground was forecasting rain showers Saturday night, Jan. 7, mixing with snow showers late. The chance of precipitation is forecast to be 60 percent with snow accumulations of less than one inch expected.

AccuWeather was forecasting rain and drizzle possible that weekend and had no mention of snow.

Anderson said each weather outlet typically receives the same data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and analyzes the data using computer models.

Long-range models indicate there is probably a good chance for some snow in the mountains in the Upstate, northern Georgia and in Tennessee, Anderson said.

"There may be some ice in the northern Midlands and some patterns are indicating for some sleet and some freezing rain versus snow in our area," he said.

It is still too early to tell exactly where the frozen precipitation will fall and how much will come down, Anderson said.

Long-range forecasts show a front approaching the area around Friday of next week with warmer, moist air ahead of the front.

"At the time, there will be a strong, upper-level system digging down and pulling air out of Canada into the Rockies and into the Great Plains," Anderson said. "Where that moisture boundary intersects is going to be the key."

South Carolina typically sees snow when there is a deep trough and low pressure system that moves along the Florida Panhandle.

"It does not look like there will be enough moisture to have snow for our area, he said.

Anderson said other weather outlets often look at the various data and make their own forecasts according to what they see.

"We will keep watching it," he said.
This year began with a mystery, but by the end of 2016, law enforcement officials believed theyd solved it: Who killed four people and wounded another at a Holly Hill residence on July 15, 2015?

Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell named three murder suspects in late September of this year and announced a fourth suspect in mid-December.

The four Eutawville men are now facing multiple murder charges in the deaths of Tamara Alexis Perry, 14; Shamekia Sanders, 17; Krystal Hutto, 28, and Jerome Butler, 50.

The men are also charged in the attempted murder of Dreamzz Nelson, 8.

Still others remain jailed on charges related to the case.

One year after the murders

At the one-year anniversary of the execution-style slayings of four and the wounding of another at 7050 Old State Road in Holly Hill, investigators had not charged anyone.

On that steamy July 15, 2015 morning, Butlers body was found next to a BMW in the driveway at the home.

Hutto's lifeless body was discovered in one of the bedrooms, and Sanders and Perry, half-sisters, were found in another bedroom.

Nelson was also discovered in the home. He had been shot in the head, but survived.

A year after the killings, OCSO investigators had spent more than 20,000 man-hours and conducted at least 200 interviews.

Tips about the case rolled in daily, Ravenell said at the time. He said he was optimistic the case would be solved by years end.

Meanwhile, back in Holly Hill, the victims family members and community supporters held a march for justice --beginning at 7050 Old State Road and ending at the Holly Hill Municipal Complex.

Later that weekend, the victims relatives gathered at Roy Gilmore Park for a balloon-release ceremony and prayers for justice in the case.

The sole survivor

Dreamzz Nelson, wholl turn 10 next year, was 8 when someone shot him in the head inside his fathers home.

Dondra Shuler, Nelsons mother, told The T&D, Doctors said he probably wouldnt walk, he probably wouldnt talk and probably wouldnt see.

Everything they said he wouldnt do, hes doing, she said.

When law enforcement officials arrived at the scene that fateful July morning, Nelson was the only one of the five victims who was alive.

Orangeburg County EMS assisted in getting Nelson airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston where he underwent surgery.

This past August, Nelson began school as a third grader.

He has been improving with each passing day, Shuler said.

She remembers that unforgettable morning. Shed spoken to her son on the phone just two days prior, she said. He was staying a few nights at his fathers residence and playing with his half-sisters.

Dreamzz didnt really get to spend time with his sisters often so I told him Id pick him up on the weekend, Shuler said.

By Wednesday, his sisters were dead. So were Hutto and Butler.

And, Nelson had been left for dead.

Shuler said she initially blamed herself, saying that if she brought Nelson back to her house on Monday, he wouldnt have been shot.

She credits God for giving her courage and for giving strength to her son.

Shuler said she named her son Dreamzz after watching Season 14 of the reality show Survivor, which aired in 2007. One of the two runners-up was Andria Dreamz Herd, of Wilmington, North Carolina. Shuler said she wanted Herd to win that season and she liked his nickname. So, before her sons birth, she decided to name him Dreamzz, with an extra z.

The boys name really came to fit him, she said.

Dreamzz Nelson is the sole survivor of the nightmare in Holly Hill.

A break in the case

Ravenell announced a break in the case on Sept. 29.

Three Eutawville men have been charged with multiple counts of murder and other charges: Robert Lee Pockets Bailey, 37, of 11269 Old Number Six Hwy.; Derrick Warren Coleman, 27, of 1234 St. Julien Drive and Antly Jermaine Jackie Man Scott, 36, of 253 Barkley St.

U.S. Marshals arrested Coleman and Scott in Foley, Alabama. Theyd been living there for a short time.

Early in the investigation, investigators arrested Bailey and charged him with first-offense distributing and possessing narcotics, second-offense manufacturing and possessing scheduled drugs with intent to distribute and unlawful carrying of a handgun.

In May, Bailey pleaded guilty to the charges. Investigators had previously named Bailey as a person of interest in the slayings.

At the Sept. 29 press conference, Ravenell said the motive behind the 2015 deaths was robbery involving illegal drugs.

Bailey, Coleman and Scott each face the following charges: four counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of first-degree burglary and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

This was a tough case. It is far from over, Ravenell said during the press conference.

The three murder suspects remain at the Orangeburg County Detention Center.

Another suspect, more arrests possible

Two months after Ravenell announced the arrests of three murder suspects, he announced a fourth: Joseph Luther Smith, 35, of 244 Gaillard St.

On Dec. 13, the sheriff said Smith faces the following charges: four counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of burglary. He also remains in custody at the OCDC.

Today marks 516 days since this tragedy, 516 days since families had to live without their loved ones from the senseless acts of these criminals, Ravenell said then.

Those 516 days included birthdays, missing graduations, holidays and other precious moments, he added.

Ravenell noted, If it takes 516 more days, thats where well be.

He said that in his 30-year law enforcement career, he had not seen anything like the Holly Hill quadruple homicide case.

Ravenell maintains that the investigation in the case is ongoing and that more arrests may be forthcoming.

Two others have been charged with obstruction of justice in the case. One of those suspects is Dominique Marquell Washington, 28, of 9919 Hwy. 78, Lot 46, Ladson.

Washington and an unnamed person are accused of withholding from or falsifying information to investigation agencies in the quadruple homicide case.

Washington was released on a $10,000 cash or surety bond on April 25.

The unnamed person remains at the Orangeburg County Detention Center.

Another person, who has not been charged in the case but who remains jailed at the OCDC, is Christopher Dean Wright, 38, who lived at the home where the slayings occurred.

Wright is the father of the two slain teens and Nelson. He was also Huttos fiance.

He is charged with three counts of unlawful conduct toward a child, two counts of drug trafficking, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of trafficking crack cocaine.

Wright was not present during the shootings, according to investigators.

Ravenell has maintained since the beginning of the investigation that Wright has not been helpful to law enforcement agents who are trying to solve the case.

The dedicated tip line for the Holly Hill case is 1-888-825-7172.
All in all, according to Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpleche, 2016 was a satisfactory year for the Prosecution at the Serious Offences Court.

From a prosecutorial perspective, 2016 has been a good year at the Serious Offences Court.





Thats according to Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpleche who heads the Summary Division in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).





Delpleche told THE VINCENTIAN on Wednesday that there were several successful prosecutions at trials, as well as Preliminary Inquiries (PI).





"Some were very challenging, but we were able to secure successful prosecution in most of them.

He pointed out that there were a number of successful cases that stood out in his mind, one such being the matter involving Deran Gerald, who was sentenced to five years in prison for firearm possession.

Delpleche recalled the robust manner in which the trial was conducted.

Attorney Grant Connell represented the defendant.





"It was fiercely contested by both sides, and it generated a lot of publicity on social media, he said.

Delpleche also recalled the drama involved.





He noted that the incident occurred at South Rivers during the 2016 carnival celebrations, and when the police apprehended the defendant, persons on the scene "stoned the police transport, and some even prostrated themselves in front and behind the police transport to prevent it from moving. "The vehicle had to take a back route to get out of the area, Delpleche quipped.





The Prosecutor commended Constable 208 Salvan Browne who led the party of Rapid Response Unit (RRU) officers to carry out the operation.





"Kudos to P.C Browne for the cool, calm and professional manner in which he led his men, preventing the situation from getting out of hand.





"Many nights I sit and ponder what could have happened during that incident. Had it not been for the professionalism of P.C. Browne, police officers as well as civilians could have been seriously injured.





The Preliminary Inquiry which stands out most for the Senior Prosecutor, was the one in which Trinidadian Junior Gomez, 26, and Gabriel Hutchins, 41, of Bequia, were committed to stand trial at the High Court for possession of 10,892 grams of cocaine with intent to supply, possession for the purpose of drug trafficking, conspiracy for the purpose of drug trafficking and importation of the drug. (More on Page 5)

In this matter, Delpleche cited the work done by Head of the Narcotics Unit - Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Foster Scott.

"He (Scott) did not just stay in his office and send his men out. He went into the fields himself. And he didnt rush the operation. He knew exactly what he was looking for, and he executed the operation with precision, the Prosecutor explained.

He added that the legal arguments on both sides were robust, but the prosecution prevailed. Attorney Grant Connell represented Hutchins, while Gomez was represented by Israel Bruce. At the conclusion of that P.I, ASP Scott shook the Senior Prosecutors hand and thanked him for a job well done.




Left:Antonio Simon  charged with the murder of Vancito Balcolmbe. Right:Vancito Cito Balcombe succumbed to several stab wounds about his body.

Twenty-four-year-old Antonio Simon of Langley Park, Georgetown, will appear at the Serious Offences Court on January 4, 2017, charged with the murder of fellow villager Vancito Balcombe, 40.





Simon was not required to plea to the charge, when he made a brief appearance last Friday, December 23, at the Kingstown Magistrates Court, as the Serious Offences Court was on vacation.





Magistrate Bertie Pompey then adjourned the matter to January 4 and transferred it to the Serious Offences Court.

Balcombe, a farmer, died after receiving several stab wounds to the upper part of his body during an incident at Langley Park on the evening of Wednesday, December 21.

He was the father of three..
Dont expect to find streets, buildings and the likes in Cuba named after former President Fidel Castro.

No public spaces or honorary titles in Cuba will be named after Fidel Castro, in accordance with the late leaders dying wishes .





However, his portrait will remain hanging in schools and military institutions.

Cubas national assembly voted late Tuesday to pass a law preventing the use of Fidel Castros name or image for public streets, buildings and monuments. The legislation is in accordance with the late leaders final wish to avoid a "personality cult.





More than 600 members of parliament voted unanimously in favour of the bill during the assemblys final meeting of the year.





Cubas revolutionary leader died on November 25 at the age of 90. In 2008, after nearly 50 years in charge of the Communist island nation, he transferred power to his younger brother, Raul Castro.

The law will prohibit the use of Castros name in the names of institutions, parks, streets and other public places, as well as any honorary titles or medals. It also stops Castros image being used for monuments, busts, statues and com-memorative plaques.





An exception can be made for institutions dedicated to the teaching of Castros legacy and life work.

Homero Acosta, a member of parliament, explained that the rule would not stop Cuban artists from taking inspiration from the former leader, or using his image in their works of art - from literature to music to cinema.

Castros portrait will remain hanging in schools, businesses and military institutions.





Raul Castro revealed his brothers wishes during Castros funeral in early December, saying: "The leader of the revolution rejected any personality cult, and he was consistent in this, right up to his last hour of life. (Source: Caribbean News Now)
Roxanne Saxon Joseph (sitting extreme right) with other honorees at awards ceremony. Inset: Det. Roxanne Saxon Joseph poses with award after honour ceremony.





A Vincentian-born detective with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has been honoured with the Impact Award by the leading Caribbean-themed publication in the United States.





Det. Roxanne Saxon Joseph, 36, of Clifton, Union Is., received the award Thursday 17th December, at a gala ceremony, hosted by the Brooklyn, New York-based Caribbean Life newspaper, at Paradise Catering Hall on Avenue U in Brooklyn.





Joseph, a Community Affairs Officer in the 67th Police Precinct in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, was among 25 other Caribbean-born or Caribbean Americans to be honoured at the over-four-hour-long ceremony.

Another Vincentian, Rawlston Williams, of Questelles, a chef, who owns the Food Sermon Restaurant in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, was also honored but did not show up to receive the award, nor did he send a representative.





"The contributions of entrepreneurial Caribbean Americans have helped to improve our city and distinguished it as a diverse place of great opportunity for hard-working people from everywhere, said Jennifer Goodstein, publisher of Caribbean Life and its parent company, Community News Group (CNG) Publishing, in her introductory remarks.





Goodstein said the honorees are "ambassadors of change, ranging in age, experience, and representing myriad Caribbean countries, but they are equally worthy of praise as our 2016 Impact Awards honorees.

While the background of most of the honorees  who were also presented with Certificates of Recognition by New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio  was diverse, most of them were Haitians, Trinidadians and Jamaicans.

"It was really a nice event, said Det. Saxon Joseph in an exclusive VINCENTIAN interview after the event. "I was really honored for being there.





"Considering the current temperature between the police and the community nationwide, it was an honor to be there, because its very rare for police officers, especially a Black Caribbean woman, to be honored, added the daughter of the late cultural figure Eustace "Slum Maloney, of Richland Park. "Its definitely an honor for me.

Saxon Joseph  who is married for 15 years to Grenadian Rory Joseph (the couple has two children) said she has been a NYPD officer for 12 years and has been working in the Community Affairs unit at the 67th Police Precinct for seven years.





She described the 67th Police Precinct as being comprised of 90 percent West Indian.

"All the Caribbean islands are really saturated in East Flatbush, she said, disclosing that she works directly for the police commander, "whos running the precinct.





"I am the liaison for the precinct and the West Indian Community, added Saxon Joseph, one of five Vincentian female police officers in the 35,000-strong NYPD, "What I do is .try to bridge the gap between the police and the community.





She said policing runs in her blood, stating that her aunt, Ilene Maloney  who retired last year as a supervisor in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after 35 years in the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force [RSVGPF] inspired her. Saxon Josephs uncle, Winston Maloney, is currently a corporal in the RSVGPF.

From 4, Saxon Joseph said she was raised by her grandmother, Cecilia Saxon, in Union island, and migrated to New York at 14 from Union Island to join her mother.





She graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn and went on to New York City Technical College, where she completed studies in the human services.





After graduating from the NYPD Academy, she was assigned to the 67th Precincts Impact Unit. She was also assigned to patrol the streets of East Flatbush, and was a member of the 67 Precincts Conditions Unit and the Community Policing Unit.





Her recent honour adds to a list of accolades that include: the 2015 Police Officer of the Year Award; the Woman of Distinction Award; Congressional Recognition from US Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke; New York State and City citations; Distinguished Service Awards; and Civil Service Awards, "plus an array of community citations, awards and certificates.
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By Trend





A meeting of the Supervisory Board of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) was held on December 29, 2016. SOFAZs draft budget for 2017 was discussed during the meeting chaired by Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and Chairman of SOFAZ Supervisory Board Mr. Artur Rasi-zadeh.

The Supervisory Board recommended the Fund's 2017 draft budget, including the major directions of its investment policy, and its draft annual operating expenditures for the approval by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Board members also discussed amendments to the Rules on management of foreign currency assets of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Rules on the preparation and execution of the annual program of revenues and expenditures (budget) of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan proposed by the Executive Director of the Fund and recommended the amendments for the approval by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

SOFAZ was established in 1999 with assets of $271 million.

Based on SOFAZs regulations, its funds may be used for construction and reconstruction of strategically important infrastructure facilities, as well as solving important national problems.

The main goals of the State Oil Fund are accumulation of resources and placement of the Funds assets abroad in order to minimize the negative effect on the economy, prevention of "Dutch disease", promotion of resource accumulation for future generations, and supporting current social and economic processes in Azerbaijan.
By Nigar Abbasova

Iran's Information and Communications Technology Minister and Co-chairman of Azerbaijan-Iran Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, Mahmoud Vaezi, visited Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on the third day of his ongoing visit to Azerbaijan.

The visit took place within the 11th joint economic commission between Iran and Azerbaijan that started on December 27 in Baku.

Relations between Iran and Nakhchivan in scientific, educational, energy, transport, economic and trade fields became the main topic of discussions during a meeting between the Iranian minister and Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of Nakhchivan Vasif Talibov.

The sides also hailed the importance the Nakhchivan-Tabriz-Tehran-Mashhad passenger train, which envisages running from Nakhchivan through the Julfa, Tabriz and Tehran stations to Mashhad.

The railway communication is expected to promote further development of tourism between the two countries. The project is envisaged within the framework of the agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and Iran on the coordination of railways of the two countries. Being located in the in the northeast of Iran, Mashhad is considered to be the second most densely populated city in Iran. The train is scheduled to depart twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays.

Vaezi earlier said that Nakhchivan enjoys proper trade opportunities and discussions during his visit to the Autonomous Republic would cover investment-related issues.

Baku and Tehran earlier agreed to cooperate on the construction of two plants near the Aras River borderline in the Iranian town Marazad and Nakhcivans Ordubad. Also, Azerbaijan supplies gas to Iran within the framework of swap operations to provide Nakhchivan with gas.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran amounted to $175 million in January-November 2016, with some $130.13 million accounting for the import from Iran, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.
By Azernews





By Nigar Abbasova

The Strategic Road Map for the development of logistics and trade in Azerbaijan is expected to ensure a GDP growth by roughly 605 million manats ($ 342.5 million).

Nearly 18,900 new working places will be created in the country till 2020.

The document defined three strategic objectives to be reached in the sphere of logistics and trade.

The objectives include creation of a favorable environment for the increase of trade turnover, getting of higher value added from transit operations, as well as introduction of a mechanism for the implementation of measures in the sphere.

Under the Road Map, successful implementation of the measures envisaged in the document will up the share of Azerbaijan in marine cargo transshipments en route Central Asia  the Black Sea by some 40 percent. An increase of 25 percent is expected en route Central Asia  Europe, up to 3 percent on China-Europe, 40 percent on Russia  Iran and some 25 percent on Iran the Black Sea route.

Besides, revenues from air operations will increase by 5 percent till 2020.

Nearly 5 logistics and trade centers will be constructed in the country by that period.

Due to its strategic location on the most convenient route from North-Eastern Europe to Central Asia and the Middle East, Azerbaijan has a vibrant transport sector and intends to turn into a regional transportation hub.

The completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Alat Port is expected to position Azerbaijan as a viable transit route for trade between East, Central, and South Asia and Europe.
By Azertac





A social rehabilitation center for visually impaired minors, social shelter for persons over 18 years of age, as well as s social shelter and rehabilitation center of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population have today been inaugurated in Sabunchu settlement, Zabrat, Baku.





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, his wife Mehriban Aliyeva, and daughters Leyla and Arzu attended the opening of the facilities.





The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the complex.





Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population Salim Muslumov informed President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva about the conditions created at the complex.





The Azerbaijani President and his family members viewed the complex.








By Azernews





By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijans Defense Ministry currently is working with relevant structures to receive the body of Azerbaijani soldier, who died as a result of the Armenian provocation on December 29.

"Despite the fact that initially, the Armenian side denied that it has the body of Azerbaijani soldier, shortly after the relevant measures taken by the Defense Ministry and the availability of conclusive evidences forced Armenia to disseminate photos of the soldier's body on social media," the ministry said, commenting on the soldiers photos shared in the social media by Armenians.

Unfortunately, Armenia once again demonstrated its inhuman attitude towards Azerbaijani people by deceiving representatives of international organizations, the ministry told Trend on December 30.

In order to receive the body of the Azerbaijani soldier, Chingiz Gurbanov, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry officially appealed to the Azerbaijani representation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), OSCE Minsk Group, as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on December 29 morning. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders.

The enemy, suffering losses, was forced to retreat, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry's message.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, 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.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

Armenias armed provocation against Azerbaijan has been prepared by Yerevan in advance, Azerbaijans military expert, former deputy defense minister, retired lieutenant-general, Chingiz Mammadov, told Trend.

On December 29, Azerbaijani Armed Forces have prevented an attempt by an Armenian reconnaissance-raiding group to cross the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border. After the shootout the Armenian units were forced to retreat, suffering loses.

Yerevan, refusing to sit at a negation table with Baku, again resorts to armed and political provocations with a view to keep the status-quo.

Mammadov said that Yerevan committed a provocation to draw attention of the CSTO member-states to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict after the Armenian delegation failed to achieve election of an Armenian representative as the CSTO secretary general at the organizations recent session in St. Petersburg.

The military expert said that while gradually spreading misinformation about diversions in the region, not related to the Nagorno-Karabakh area, Armenia aims to artificially expand the scale of the conflict and involve other CSTO members in it.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.
By Rashid Shirinov

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was one of the main challenges for the German presidency in the OSCE, Chairperson-in-office, and Foreign Minister of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on December 29 while summing up his country's presidency in the organization.

He noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has perhaps not been in the limelight of the European public for a while, but it gained a prominent role this year after new escalations had occurred this April.

"The OSCEs conflict settlement efforts there were important to create room for de-escalation. Hopefully this opens opportunities for talks on a political solution," Steinmeier said.

On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire of large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers by Armenian army. Azerbaijani counter-attack led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population.

Military operations on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies were stopped on April 5 at 12:00 with mutual consent of the sides. However, Armenian side still continues violating the ceasefire.

The Four-Day War saw heavy casualties by Armenian side and liberation of some Armenian-held territory for the first time since the 1994 ceasefire.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, 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.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
By Nigar Abbasova

Irans Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO) and South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company (DSME) signed a MoU on the cooperation in the sphere of shipbuilding.

The document envisages cooperation in the development of Irans shipbuilding industry, as well as in complete overhaul of the ships.

Besides, the document stipulates establishment of a joint venture. IDRO is expected to provide financial resources, as well as primary materials and equipment for the JV.

Daewoo earlier signed a business agreement on operation and technology instruction for Iranian state-run shipbuilder Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex Co. (ISOICO). Under the deal, the Korean company will transfer technology and conduct consignment management on the Iranian shipbuilder.

Iranian Shipping Lines (IRISL) previously finalized a contract with another South Korean shipbuilding giant Hyundai Heavy Industries Company to buy 10 ships worth $650 million and develop technical cooperation on shipbuilding. The contract became the first one to purchase ships from South Korea after the implementation of the nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions.

Following the lifting of international sanctions Iran spared no efforts to develop a series of grand projects in partnership with major shipbuilders. The country has been seeking to cooperate with South Korean shipbuilders to modernize its aging dockyards.

Iran possesses a developed shipbuilding industry, chiefly devoted to constructing of oil tankers and container ships as well as offshore structures.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

A new U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, established for peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has been appointed.

Richard Hoagland will be the interim co-chair starting from January 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan reported on December 30.

Hoagland, a diplomat with over 30 years of experience, will replace James Warlick, who will step down on December 31. Hoagland is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in States Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.

Warlick was appointed as U.S. Minsk Group co-chair on August 2013 and assumed the office in September 2013 of that year.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acts as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, it failed to make any move to achieve a breakthrough in the peace process so far.

Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.
US President Barack Obama on Thursday authorised a number of actions in response to the Russian governments aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election in 2016.



Russias cyber activities were intended to influence the election, erode faith in US democratic institutions, sow doubt about the integrity of our electoral process, and undermine confidence in the institutions of the US government, said a White House statement.



These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour, Obama said in a statement from vacation in Hawaii.



All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions. In October, my Administration publicized our assessment that Russia took actions intended to interfere with the US election process. These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government.



Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences. Today, I have ordered a number of actions in response, he added.



The Obama administration issued orders to eject 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the US and imposed sanctions on Russias two leading intelligence services. Those individuals and their families were given 72 hours to leave the US.



The administration also sanctioned four top officers of one of those services, the military intelligence unit known as the GRU, which the White House believes ordered the attacks on the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations.



These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russias aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized, Obama warned.



In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russias efforts to undermine established international norms of behaviour, and interfere with democratic governance, he added.- TradeArabia News Service
Iraqi forces have launched a fresh round of offensive in a bid to recapture Mosul from the Islamic State after two weeks of lull, a report said.



It is the second phase of an attack on the last major stronghold of IS in Iraq, which began in October, according to the BBC report.



The US-led coalition said Iraqi forces had advanced in three directions, pushing into several eastern neighbourhoods.



The fresh offensive put pressure on the IS group's "ability to generate forces, move fighters or resupply", it said.


Reading the West book discussion

The Natrona County Library and Fort Caspar Museum will host a book discussion series celebrating all things Western, from rugged heroes and horses to books that ride off into the sunset. Please join us at 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at Fort Caspar to discuss Where Rivers Change Direction, by Mark Spragg. The discussion is free and open to the public. To participate, pick up your copy of Where Rivers Change Direction at the Librarys second floor Reference Desk. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Wednesday Writers

Would you like to leave a legacy by sharing your memories with the world? Practice writing, share your work and receive constructive feedback from fellow writers at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 4, on the main floor of the Natrona County Library. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Learn password management

The Natrona County Library will offer a Password Management class at noon on Friday, Jan. 6. Save time, increase security, and reduce stress by learning how to store and retrieve password and identity information securely using a password manager. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Chronic pain/illness group starting

Highland Park Community Church and The Healing Place are starting HopeKeepers. HopeKeepers is a support group designed to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the person who lives with chronic illness or pain. Through the support group setting you will have the opportunity to grow spiritually surrounded by others who share similar circumstances, unrevealed answers, and even joys, living with chronic pain or physical pain.

The group will meet Mondays from noon to 1:30 p.m., Highland Park Community Church, Rm #1327-The Prayer Room. This is an ongoing group. Call The Healing Place at 265-3977 to enroll.

Parenting classes available

Mercer Family Resource Center offers three classes in 2017 designed to help parents become more effective.

Strengthening Families for parents and their children ages 9 to 14 will be held Jan. 11, 18 and 25 and Feb. 1, 8, 15, and 22 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This is a seven-week, evidence-based program with onsite childcare available. Dinner is provided. Fee is $50 per family.

Parenting the Love and Logic Way is for parents and caregivers with children of any age. Onsite childcare is available. Class is Jan. 23 and 30, Feb. 6, 13, 27 and March 6 and 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is $35 for individuals and $50 for couples.

Make Parenting a Pleasure is for parents and caregivers with children ages 0 to 8. Class meets March 1, 8, 15, and 22 and April 5, 12, and 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. Onsite childcare available, meets once a week for seven weeks. Cost is $35 individuals and $50 a couple.

For more information or to enroll, call Lisa Brown at 233-4276.

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. 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.

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.

Womens Bible study starts

The Heart of Casper Community Bible study will meet for a womens bible study on Tuesdays, starting Jan. 3 through March 28, at 6:30 p.m., at Hilltop Baptist Church, 2555 E. 2nd St. The title of the bible study is Expecting to See Jesus  a wake up call for Gods people, by Anne Graham Lotz, oldest daughter of Billy Graham. The cost is $9 for the book. Remember, youre something special in the Lords eyes, and ours too! For more information, call 234-3594.

Seedling trees, shrubs and perennials on sale

Premium quality seedling trees, shrubs and perennials are available for windbreaks and wildlife habitat enhancement from the UW/Natrona County Extension. Order forms are available at the Ag Resource and Learning Center, 2011 Fairgrounds Rd. There are 41 species available. Order now for best selection with May 2017 delivery. For more information, call Rose Jones at 235-9400.

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. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom

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. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom

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. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom

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. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom

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. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom

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. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom

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.

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.
Saturday support meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous: 9:30 a.m., womens meeting, 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 7 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 8 p.m, 328 E. A; 8 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 10 p.m., 917 N. Beech. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back). Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688.

Al-Anon: 10 a.m., 4600 S. Poplar, Shepherd of the Hills Church, New Starts. Nonsmoking.

Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 6 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club, closed meeting; 7 p.m., 15th and Melrose, at the church. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org.

Bonander speaks at Reveille

Global hunter Rick Bonander will speak at the 7 a.m., Wednesday meeting of Reveille Rotary at the Casper Senior Center. He is president of Inter-Mountain Pipe and Threading Company, which he started in 1982.

This presentation will be on Ricks hunt in Tajikistan for Marco Polo Sheep and Ibex on the roof of the world.

Kick-off for new Alzheimers event set

Volunteers from Wyoming will join people across the globe to honor those facing Alzheimers disease by participating in The Longest Day on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. The Wyoming chapter of the Alzheimers Association is kicking off The Longest Day with a statewide online party, and everyone is invited! The party will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 5:30 p.m. All you need to join is an internet connection and computer, tablet or similar device.

The Longest Day is all about love. Love for all those affected by Alzheimers disease. On the summer solstice, people across the world will join the Alzheimers Association to do an activity they love  or an activity loved by those affected  to help end Alzheimers. Together, we will raise funds and awareness for care and support while advancing research toward the first survivor of Alzheimers.

To register for the Virtual Kick-Off Party, contact Janet at jlewis@alz.org by Jan. 4 to receive log on information and your party kit.

Alzheimers disease is a growing epidemic and the nations sixth-leading cause of death. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimers, including over 9,100 in Wyoming.

To start a team or learn more about The Longest Day, visit alz.org/thelongestday. For more information about Alzheimers disease, visit the Alzheimers Association at alz.org.

Self-help classes set

Conscious Co-Creation/Self-Transformation & Healing will be taught Jan. 21 and 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., in person at the Agricultural Learning Resources building on Fairgrounds Rd in Casper and also via live webinar. Its not too late to take advantage of the Early Bird Registration discount! Regular tuition pricing goes into effect on Jan. 7. Also, be sure to visit my website Home page and click on the Special Offers link to see the additional Bring A Friend discount!

In this seminar/playshop, we will learn how the universal and physical laws of creation work together to form our daily experience, how modern physics bears out what the ascended masters have known for eons, and how to become aware ofand instantly start changingthe patterns of consciousness that are preventing you from realizing your best potentials for a joyful, truly fulfilling life. Join me for this expansive, life-changing class!

For a full class description and registration information, visit: www.cathyhazeladams.com/pp/classes-webinars-event/

Conscious Co-Creation, Part Two: Field Play, Feb. 18, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., offered in person at the Agricultural Learning Resources building on Fairgrounds Rd in Casper and also via live webinar.

In this follow-up to Conscious Co-Creation Part One, well explore in depth some of the ideas and skills gained in Conscious Co-Creation. Well workshop more fleld of the heart exercises, look at different healing modalities and learn why, ultimately all healing comes through the heart. Well also PLAY with idea fields, which are the very building blocks of our experience!

Prerequisite: Conscious Co-Creation/Self-Transformation & Healing

For a full class description and registration information, visit: www.cathyhazeladams.com/pp/classes-webinars-event/

Living from the Heart: The Key to Peace, Freedom & Creative Empowerment, Feb. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., offered in person at the Agricultural Learning Resources building on Fairgrounds Rd in Casper and also via live webinar.

In this new four-hour class/playshop, well learn what the field of the heart really is, practice easy, practical ways to go into Heart field, and learn how to live every day from this place of peace, love, well-being and personal empowerment. When you start living from the Heart, your life immediately changes for the better! No prerequisite.

For a full class description and registration information, visit: www.cathyhazeladams.com/pp/classes-webinars-event/
City officials continued to navigate legal and personnel issues surrounding the Cole Creek Fire throughout 2016, even as those who lost their homes continued to rebuild.

The fire chief announced his retirement, hours after apologizing for an email he sent during the fire. The city launched an investigation to determine whether evidence of the fire had been edited or deleted. The city began a search for a new fire chief.

With the deadline for claims and lawsuits against the city still months away, officials will likely be dealing with the fires consequences for years.

Heres a timeline of the events surrounding the fire since it began:

Oct. 10, 2015: Fire begins in city landfill

The Cole Creek Fire starts in the city landfill when sparks from a grinder ignite a nearby wood chip pile. About 20 hours later, high winds push the fire beyond the landfills boundaries and onto the prairie when firefighters at the scene fail to contain the blaze.

Oct. 14, 2015: Fire chief sends email

Casper Fire Chief Kenneth King sends an email to a fire inspector asking him to delete the bad parts of video evidence of the fire as it continued to burn. The fire inspector, Devin Garvin, was tasked with collecting evidence of the fire so it could be shared with state authorities.

Could you cut out the bad parts, and make sure that no copies are made and only DCI views? King wrote in the email, using the acronym for the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

Oct. 16, 2015: Firefighters extinguish blaze

Firefighters extinguish the flames. In total, it charred more than 10,000 acres of rural land around Evansville, destroyed 14 homes and killed livestock and family pets.

Summer 2016: City becomes aware of fire chiefs email

City officials become aware of Kings email to the fire inspector after the Star-Tribune files a public records request for the chiefs emails.

Oct. 8, 2016: Email becomes public

The Star-Tribune publishes a story about Kings email. King said in an interview that the email was meant as a joke, though he said it was made in poor taste. The inspector declined to talk with the newspaper.

Oct. 19, 2016: Fire chief announces retirement

King announces his retirement from the fire department hours after issuing an apology for the email. Mayor Daniel Sandoval said he was fairly sure the retirement announcement was connected to the email, but he couldnt say for certain. The city said King will step down Jan. 2, 2018.

In his apology, sent in an email hours before his announcement, King wrote, I deeply regret my insensitive words and lack of judgement. Words simply cannot express how truly sorry I am for the way my actions have offended and embarrassed members of the community and the City organization.

Nov. 16, 2016: City begins investigation into evidence

City manager V.H. McDonald announces that the city will begin an investigation into whether evidence of the fire is missing or was edited. McDonald said he had not previously done anything to verify whether evidence was missing except to speak with King about the email.

Dec. 2, 2016: More details about investigation begin

City manager V.H. McDonald announces that the city is in talks with a private Colorado company that will verify whether video evidence was edited. The city approached the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation about whether the agency would look into the matter, but the agency declined, McDonald said.

Were going to verify the integrity of that recording, McDonald said. Were going to get an answer on it. Were going to get an outside professional opinion on the integrity.

Oct. 10, 2017: Deadline for claims against the city

All claims for damages against the city and most forms of lawsuits are due Oct. 10, 2017  two years to the day after the fire began. As of October 2016, 24 claims totaling about $1.7 million had been filed against the city. Although losses from the fire are expected to cost millions, Wyoming law caps the citys liability at $500,000 total.

Jan. 2, 2018: Fire chief to step down

King is scheduled to officially step down as fire chief. The chief declined to explain his decision to leave the job more than 14 months after his retirement announcement. The city manager said King made the decision on his own. King is required to give only 30 days notice before leaving his position, according to his employment contract. When the previous chief announced his retirement in May 2013, the city hired King as his replacement within two months.
Wyoming public schools lost more than 700 students in the past year, the first drop in enrollment in more than a decade, according to data from the state Department of Education.

The data, collected in early October, showed a statewide loss that amounts to less than 1 percent of Wyomings student population. Enrollment fell from 94,002 to 93,261.

Only 18 of the states 48 school districts experienced growth, the report says, including in the northwest and southeast portions of the state and districts along the Interstate 25 corridor.

State Department of Education spokeswoman Kari Eakins stressed that the department is not drawing conclusions or correlations between economic factors, like the recent energy downturn, and districts that saw decreased enrollment. The report does say that the areas that rely on energy production, like Campbell County, saw more decreases.

Teton County School District No. 1 gained 65 students compared with last October, an increase of about 2 percent. The district has had overcrowding problems, officials have said. Money has been appropriated from the states rainy day fund to pay for a new elementary school in the district.

Overcrowding is not an issue in Campbell County. Compared with the same period last year, Campbell County School District No. 1 lost more than 400 students, according to the data. Last month, Don Dihle, the districts business manager, directly tied declining enrollment to jobs lost in the county because of the energy downturn.

Though it was the district hit heaviest in terms of number of students lost, the districts loss translates to about 5 percent. Fremont County School District No. 38 lost 39 students compared to 2015, a loss of around 9 percent of its enrollment. When students are worth about $15,000 in state funding, Eakins said, thats significant.

Converse County School District No. 2 lost 43 students, or 7 percent. Sublette No. 9 lost 45, also about 7 percent.

Meanwhile, Fremont County School District No. 1 gained 83 students, a growth of about 5 percent over last year, according to department data.

The average daily attendance at a school is critical to calculating the amount of money each district is guaranteed from the state. On average, a student in Wyoming is worth about $15,000 to his or her district.

In Campbell County, the enrollment loss equals $5.5 million less in state funding over the next three years, officials have said.

Natrona County School District has lost about 70 students compared with the same period last year. Officials have said that the true loss of students in Casper may be unclear because of past booms: For years, elementary enrollment was growing by more than 150 students annually. Because of that strong growth, the district is now seeing steady growth in high school enrollment.

But over the past two years, the district has lost about 200 elementary students, officials have said. So while the October snapshot shows a modest decline, the elementary trend line is concerning. Indeed, the data show that while the district gained 45 fourth-graders, it lost a combined 218 students in first, second, third and fifth grade over the past year. It gained 11 kindergartners.

Eakins said that typically this report would be released around February. The departments data team needs time to compile all of the data and check it. But the Legislature requested the data early so its members could get a look at the enrollment trends before the legislative session starts on Jan. 10, Eakins said.
A series of wide-ranging reviews that eventually led to the decision to close Grant Elementary started nearly two years ago, when the Natrona County School District board saw the beginnings of the economic downturn and ordered district-wide assessments.

The Facility Condition and Capacity study, the branch of the review that looked at the districts buildings, started in September and was finished in November. It recommended:

Closing Grant and Mills elementary schools by the end of this academic year. Mills students were already slated to move to the newly completed Journey Elementary.

Selling or, as a last resort, demolishing the Grant and Mills buildings.

Selling or, as a last resort, demolishing the vacant North Casper Elementary, the Fairgrounds Center and the old Roosevelt High School by July 1, 2017.

School officials have said other parts of the review, like assessing programs, are ongoing. Superintendent Steve Hopkins has said the economic downturn has cost the district about $2 million in budget cuts, and future reductions may be looming as Wyoming faces an education shortfall of more than $700 million in the coming budget cycle.

At this point, Hopkins said earlier this month, the shortfall is so massive, how do I even tag a number to it?

At a parent meeting the week after the district announced the recommendation to close Grant, parents pleaded with district officials for the future of the school. Some, like Stephanie Ryle, asked if they could raise money to save the school. Officials have said Grant needs around $500,000 in repairs. The building needs a new roof and significant foundation repairs.

But Hopkins and other district officials have said that the cost of renovation wasnt the only obstacle. While districtwide enrollment has remained relatively flat through the economic downturn, elementary students have been leaving the district for the past two years after solid growth for seven years. There are now 500 open elementary seats, and Grant, which is at 80 percent capacity, has seen declining enrollment for three years.

The excess capacity meant the Legislature wouldnt give more money for repairs, Hopkins said.

Some strategies that we used in the past arent available to us now, Hopkins said.

Parents responded that they didnt care. One mother, Jami Ferguson, stood up and said the inside of the school mattered more than the outside. Ferguson pleaded for the schools future and lavished praise upon Grant principal Shawna Smith. Several parents hugged Smith as they left that meeting.

In early December, when the board voted to close Grant, Ferguson and Smith sat in the back row and quietly cried.

With Grants future sealed, the schools community will decide what comes next. Officials said that the school has the option to move en masse to Journey, which has room to accommodate students and teachers. Or, should parents decide to forgo that option, departing Grant students will have first choice at new schools during the open enrollment period.

At the meeting, parents spoke out in favor of moving to Journey.

Ill be voting for the mass move, said Josh Ryle, Stephanies husband.

Officials said the deadline for deciding which option the community wanted would likely come in early to mid-January, as open enrollment neared. Otherwise, the district would work with parents and staff at their own pace, officials said.

Smith, the principal, said she wasnt sure what her future held. Should the students and staff choose the mass move, its unclear but seemingly unlikely that she would follow the school to Journey.

We have a really great opportunity to help write the end of our story, she said in an emotional interview hours before the board voted to close Grant. We get to choose what that looks like.
James Franklin Hayes

Cody, Wyoming

October 30, 1944 - December 21, 2016

James Franklin 'Jim' Hayes passed away on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 after a long and courageous battle with numerous health issues.

Jim was born on October 30, 1944 in Casper, Wyoming to James Boggs and Ruth Grondal Boggs Lane.

He began his broadcasting career at the age of fourteen when he became a deejay at KATI radio. After graduating from Natrona High School in Casper in 1962, he attended the University of Wyoming where he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity, becoming its president during his sophomore year. He quickly became the main emcee for University activities. Jim was also an active member of ROTC at UW.

His studies were interrupted in 1967 when he was drafted into the US Army as a 2nd LT. This resulted in his going to Vietnam for a year. Upon his return, he and Anne Coe were married on August 15, 1969. After a year at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma, their first anniversary was spent with Jim on his return to Vietnam for a second tour. He was honorably discharged as a captain in January, 1972. He returned to college and received a degree in journalism in 1973.

Jim and Anne moved to Cody where he purchased KODI radio and later KTAG radio, forming Shoshone Communications. Jim enjoyed many years of radio journalism in the Cody area, his voice becoming a familiar backdrop to community events and news. Jim was elected president of the Wyoming Broadcasters' Association.

Jim was a member of the Cody Volunteer Fire Department for many years. During that time he held the post of captain and chief. He loved his time on the Department and formed many great and lasting friendships while there.

Jim was a lifetime member of the Lions, the Elks, the Masons, and the VFW (Volunteers of Foreign Wars). He was also a lifetime member of the Episcopal Church, eventually completing its EFM (Episcopalians for the Ministry) three-year course.

Jim and Anne's family grew; James Franklin 'Jay' Hayes, Jr. was born in 1974. He was followed by Margaret Ruth 'Meg' Hayes in 1976.

In their retirement, Jim and Anne traveled often to Colorado to spend time with their son Jay, his wife Brittany and their three children, Colin, Addison, and Camden. In 2015, the entire family celebrated the wedding of their daughter Meg to William Frere; in 2016, they welcomed a new grandchild, Anne-Margaret, to their family. Family, friends, and faith remained the focal point of Jim's life in later years.

Those who knew Jim will remember his leadership, service and wonderful sense of humor. They will also remember his grace and courage as illness claimed his body but never his alert and focused mind. Jim set an example for all of us in coping with life's setbacks and making the best of every opportunity. He will be remembered with love.

Jim was preceded in death by his birth father, James Boggs; his brother, Bill Hayes; and his mother-in-law, Margaret 'Peg' Shaw Coe.

He is survived by his wife, Anne Coe Hayes, of Cody; his mother, Ruth Grondal Lane, of Cody; his son, James 'Jay' F. Hayes, Jr. (Brittany) of Fort Collins, Colorado; daughter, Margaret 'Meg' Ruth Hayes Frere (William) of Geneva, Switzerland; grandchildren, Colin Hayes, Addison Hayes, Camden Hayes, and Anne-Margaret Frere; brothers-in-law, Sen. Henry Coe and Robert Coe (Angela) of Cody; nephews, H.R. Coe (Thai), Rob Coe, and Hubbard Coe; and nieces, Carey Coe (Jeff) Johnson and Bethany Coe Boydstun; as well as several great-nephews and nieces.

The Hayes family extends their thanks to all of the caregivers who have assisted them through the years.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cody Fire Department (1125 11th Street, Cody, WY, 82414), Christ Episcopal Church (825 Simpson Ave., Cody, WY, 82414) or the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (720 Sheridan Ave., Cody, WY, 82414).

The services will be held on January 13, 2017 at 2:00 PM at Christ Episcopal Church in Cody, WY.

Go with God, Jim.
LONGMONT, Colo.  A Korean War veteran from Colorado who died without relatives to arrange his funeral has been laid to rest with full military honors after a funeral home stepped in to help.

Carroll-Lewellen Funeral & Cremation donated the casket and about $6,000 in services for U.S. Army Sgt. Robert P. Buddecke's funeral on Thursday at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.

Word of the donation spread and about 200 people, many of them veterans, attended the service.

Assistant cemetery director Kevin Johnson said it felt like everyone there was his family.

Renita Henson worked with Buddecke as a nurse. She said he was most proud of being his second wife's caregiver before she died.

The government provided the plot, headstone and casket vault.
Editor:

The public lands in Wyoming do not belong to the federal government, they belong to the people, we the people. Federal agencies such as the Forest Service and the BLM are just the stewards of this land, not the owners. We are the owners.

But recently, an effort has started in the Wyoming Legislature which will in time take our land away from us.

A constitutional amendment is being fast tracked with limited public input by a few legislators to facilitate the transfer our lands to the State of Wyoming. The American Legislative Council (ALEC), funded by billionaires and big corporations, is behind this effort. They have but one goal; get our public lands into state ownership, and then sell it off to, yes, billionaires and big corporations. Oh, this amendment doesnt say that, in fact the amendment is laced with phrases like no net loss and public access for hunting and fishing. And in the end there will in fact be hunting and fishing access (for billionaires and their cronies). This constitutional amendment is likely the first of several, the result will be to separate us from our land.

Interesting to note, some of our State legislators attend seminars hosted by ALEC where they can rub elbows with corporate lobbyists and big shots at posh resorts free of charge . . . where they are taught how to take our land away from us.

The Wyoming Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, an organization composed of average men and women scattered across the state, is steadfastly opposed to this amendment. Management of our public lands by the Feds is certainly not perfect, but at least we know where we stand, and we have a say in how these lands are managed.

Folks, beware of state legislators bearing amendments that promise a pot of gold at the end of the state lands takeover rainbow. This has happened before; ask any Native American.
PHOENIX  More than 700,000 Arizonans will get a wage hike beginning Sunday.

Without comment, the Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a last-ditch bid by the business community to delay the effect of Proposition 206. That measure, approved earlier this year by 58 percent of the voters , raises the minimum wage from $8.05 an hour to $10 .

The same initiative eventually increases that to $12 an hour by 2020. And beginning July 1 it requires employers to provide workers with at least three days of paid sick leave each year.

Thursdays ruling does not end the matter.

The justices have agreed to consider claims by initiative foes that the measure violates a constitutional provision that requires all ballot proposals that result in new state spending to have a dedicated revenue source. But that wont occur until February, meaning the $10 requirement will remain in place at least until then  if not beyond.

But Glenn Hamer, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that getting an injunction even then could prove difficult.

Arizona court rules provide a multi-part test for judges to consider when deciding whether to enjoin a new law from taking effect. One factor is whether the challengers are likely to prevail after a full-blown court hearing.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Kiley, who last week turned down the request for an injunction, said in a 13-page ruling that the chamber and its allies had not met that burden. The Supreme Court, with Thursdays order, essentially ratified his conclusion.

And theres something else working against the opponents.

In arguing for the immediate injunction, chamber attorney Brett Johnson told the justices they should maintain the status quo until the legal arguments could be heard in February. That meant keeping the current wage law.

By February, however, the status quo will have changed: An estimated 770,000 Arizonans now earning less than $10 an hour will be getting that much in their paychecks.

This is a tough one, Hamer said.

It doesnt change our legal arguments, he said. But it does change the dynamics on the ground against us in terms of the wage increase taking effect.

Those legal arguments Hamer is counting on to kill the voter-approved wage hike are based on claims the initiative will increase state expenses.

There is no direct effect on the state payroll as state employees are not covered by the measure. But opponents contend the measure will force the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the states Medicaid program, to increase what it pays private firms that provide nursing home and in-home care.

Thats based on claims by some providers, whose contracts were negotiated under the assumption they could pay workers as little as $8.05 an hour, will go out of business if forced to pay more. And that, they said, would put the state in violation of its agreements with the federal government to maintain an adequate provider network.

Instead, the justices apparently accepted the arguments by initiative supporters that there is no reason to block hundreds of thousands of Arizonans now making less than $10 an hour from getting the pay hike voters said they should get. And AHCCCS itself insisted in its own legal brief that it is under no legal obligation to pay the providers more.

Despite that, Beth Kohler, the agencys deputy director, said plans are underway to increase provider reimbursements.

While we said the rate increase was not automatic, I think we were clear in our brief that we do believe we need to increase rates to meet federal requirements to ensure ongoing access to these needed services for tens of thousands of our most vulnerable members, she said. In the absence of any court action delaying the implementation of Proposition 206  our intent to increase rates stands.

In a public notice, AHCCCS estimates the cost for the next six months  the balance of the state fiscal year  at close to $25 million; the states share of that is about a third.

Thursdays high-court ruling came despite a last-minute bid by Gov. Doug Ducey, through his Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting, to delay the wage hike amid fiscal concerns.

Gubernatorial press aide Daniel Scarpinato said his boss believes AHCCCS can find the extra money to increase provider rates for the rest of this budget year. But he said the Department of Economic Security will need an immediate infusion of extra funds to deal with its own contracts.

While the chambers legal arguments were based on the cost of Proposition 206 to state government, its larger concern always has been the effect of a $10 minimum on businesses that will feel an immediate impact on their payroll costs.

This one stinks, Hamer said.

But Hamer said business organizations may have no one but themselves to blame. The state chamber invested close to $1.5 million into the successful effort to block legalization of recreational marijuana in Arizona  and only about $50,000 trying to persuade voters that a hike in the minimum wage is bad for the economy.

We have to do a better job of making the case to the public, Hamer said. Ill certainly submit thats a valid criticism.

One thing he said voters do not know is that the $10 minimum will make Arizonas minimum wage higher than most of New York state. A new law that takes effect there Sunday sets the floor at $11 in New York City, $10 in suburban areas and $9.70 in the rest of the state.

Were not the high-cost place that New York is, he said.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its close ally, the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, richly deserved their loss in court Thursday  not necessarily for legal reasons, but for political ones.

Those two chambers and a set of additional business allies have been contesting the legality of Prop. 206, the initiative increasing Arizonas minimum wage, since it passed in November. With the Arizona Supreme Court declining to issue a stay Thursday, the chambers have exhausted their legal remedies until the court can hear full arguments in February.

Whats troubling about their actions is not that they were politically opposed to raising the minimum wage and requiring sick days for employees under state law. Their opposition is understandable.

Whats troubling is that the chambers barely put up a fight during the election campaign when such political issues are supposed to be hashed out. Only after the proposition passed by a 58 percent to 42 percent margin did they marshal their forces for the fight.

What do I mean? Well, compare the amount that the Arizona Chamber spent fighting the marijuana-legalization initiative  $798,344  to what it spent against the minimum-wage increase  $30,037. Lea Marquez Peterson, who heads the Tucson Hispanic Chamber, led the weak No on Prop. 206 campaign.

More broadly, the chambers roused their friends and allies to contribute richly to the anti-marijuana-legalization campaign, which had a total war chest of $5,605,735. The anti-minimum wage campaign had a total of $46,677 to spend.

So the chambers and their allies apparently gave up on campaigning against one initiative in favor of fighting it later in court. In doing so, they seem to be carrying out the wishes of Gov. Doug Ducey. Arizona Chamber CEO Glenn Hamer and Marquez Peterson of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber tend to work hand-in-glove with the governor, who was on record opposing the minimum-wage increase.

Now, his administration is also providing the evidentiary ammunition that the chambers are using to try to undermine the voters will. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and the Industrial Commission of Arizona are providing the information on what Prop. 206 could cost them that is underlying the chambers continuing legal fight.

All this effort would have been more edifying and defensible before the election.

New GOP chair

The new chairman of the Pima County GOP has been a behind-the-scenes party worker and is anxious to boost the partys fundraising.

On Dec. 17, the party elected David Eppihimer as its chairman for the next two years. Eppihimer, 67, replaces Bill Beard, who served one two-year term and decided not to run again.

Eppihimer moved his family to Tucson in 1991 to continue his career as an executive for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which brought its headquarters here that year. After retiring in 2009, Eppihimer ran the local lifelong learning group called Oasis.

Eppihimer also served as finance director for Tucsonan John Mungers campaign for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010 and has served on Rep. Martha McSallys campaign finance committee.

His fundraising expertise helped the party raise enough money to get out of a hole this summer. Fundraising will also be his top priority in the coming years, he said.

Weve got to get an income stream back that will allow us to function from month to month, quarter to quarter and year to year, without running out of money, he said. Once we have that done, weve got to be more relevant again in local politics.

Candidates lining up

for City Council races

Two new candidates have filed to run for Tucson City Council, and one longtime member is asking to be returned to the council.

With Ward 3 Council Member Karin Uhlich leaving, two Democratic candidates have filed to replace her: Felicia Chew and Morgan Abraham. Chew is a teacher at Mansfeld Middle School and Abraham is co-owner of a real-estate company who led the anti-Prop. 123 campaign early this year.

One rumored candidate who considered running has decided against it. Laura Dent, an aide to Ward 1 Councilwoman Regina Romero, wanted to carry on Uhlichs progressive legacy, but she decided it was unaffordable, she said.

And that, Dent thinks, is an issue: The low pay for council members means there are not enough people with different backgrounds.

It really affects the decisions that local government makes, she said.

A Libertarian, Julian Mazza, has also filed to run in the Ward 3 race.

In Ward 6, two-term Councilman Steve Kozachik has filed to run for a third term. In an email to supporters, he said he plans to run a nontraditional campaign without signs, mailers or TV ads.

Congressman

invites hacking

U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, a Republican who represents Arizonas 8th Congressional District, probably did not think through the implications of comments he made to MSNBC Thursday.

Speaking about the impacts Russian hacking may have had on the presidential campaign, Franks said casually, If Russia succeeded in giving the American people information that was accurate, then they merely did what the media should have done.

If the intelligence agencies information is accurate, though, hes really changed the job description for those of us in the news media. Now, under The Franks Principle, news reporters like me should be expected to hack into the computer systems of politicians and their campaigns to extract and publish their internal communications.

Obviously, our first target should be a certain Republican congressman from Arizona.
A 43-year-old man is facing manslaughter in a fatal crash on Tucson's north side that claimed the life of a 19-year-old woman two months ago, police said.

Philipe Antonio de la Rosa, who was released from the hospital Thursday, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, aggravated assault, endangerment and felony criminal damage, said Sgt. Kimberly Bay, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.

De la Rosa was booked into the Pima County jail.

On Oct. 30, Gisela Puerta was driving a 2001 Toyota Corolla north in a median lane on North Swan Road, north of East Glenn Street, when her vehicle was struck head-on by a 2004 Toyota Camry that had crossed over into the lane, police said.

Puerta was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two passengers in the Corolla, a man in the front passenger seat and a woman in the rear passenger seat, survived.

The driver of the Camry, who later was identified as De la Rosa, was taken to Banner-University Medical Center Tucson with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Officers at the scene noticed De la Rosa had signs and symptoms of intoxication, police said.
PHOENIX  Gov. Doug Ducey is threatening legal action if President Obama sets aside 1.7 million acres of public lands in Arizona for a new Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument.

But his chief spokesman wont  or cant  cite any authority for such litigation.

And lawsuits to quash previous presidential designations, including two in Arizona, left challengers empty-handed.

The governors threat comes on the heels of the president earlier this week setting aside 1.35 million acres in the Four Corners area of Utah for the Bears Ears National Monument. That move had been urged by conservationists and Native American tribes who consider the land sacred.

Separately, Obama created the Gold Butte National Monument near Las Vegas, a 300,000-acre site designed to protect an area that includes rock art, artifacts and fossils.

Todays actions will help protect this cultural legacy and will ensure that future generations are able to enjoy and appreciate these scenic and historic landscapes, the president said.

But Ducey, responding to the twin designations, is urging Obama not to try the same thing in Arizona in the area around Grand Canyon National Park believed to be rich in uranium deposits. He pointed out that Arizona already has more presidential-designated monuments than any other state.

Our state needs no further designations, the governor said in his own statement. And Ducey said existing ones already have harmed the ability of the state to manage wildlife, claiming the Sonoran Desert National Monument has resulted in a decline in the number of desert sheep because the state cant maintain water catchments the herds need.

And if gubernatorial urging does not stop the designation, Ducey has a warning.

If designated by the president in his waning hours, Arizona will take every step necessary  legally and legislatively  to stop it, the governor said in his statement.

Yet gubernatorial press aide Daniel Scarpinato was short on specifics of what would be the legal basis to challenge such action.

Well talk about that if there is an action by the president, he said. At this point there has not been.

And Scarpinato rebuffed questions of whether there really is any precedent for actually winning such a lawsuit.

But the record shows challengers to prior presidential actions have had little success.

More than a decade ago, for example, Mountain States Legal Foundation challenged a series of designations made by President Clinton near the end of his term, including the massive Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument of more than 1 million acres in northwest Arizona as well as the nearly 129,000-acre Ironwood Forest monument near Tucson.

Challengers argued Clinton acted outside the scope of his authority and asked the courts to review.

A federal judge threw out the complaint. And the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 2002 found no legal infirmity in what Clinton had done.

The closest Ducey comes to suggesting a basis for a lawsuit is that Antiquities Act, the 1906 federal law allowing the president to designate national monuments, says such areas must be confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.

This proposed designation of 1.9 million acres of land would be a clear violation of that intent, the governor said in his statement. But there appears to be no case law where courts have been willing to second-guess a presidential determination that any given area is not the smallest necessary to achieve the objective.

This isnt a political issue, Scarpinato said of Duceys opposition to a new monument. What it is, he explained, is taking action to ensure that such designations do not undermine local economies.

One big issue deals with the future of uranium mining.

The Department of Interior in 2012 closed off the area to new uranium mining until 2032. That decision is being challenged by mining interests, with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals expected to rule on the issue this coming year.

Monument designation likely would leave existing operations intact. But it would forever preclude new claims regardless of the outcome of the pending lawsuit.

I think the governor wants to strike the right balance between not negatively impacting our state and also preserving our natural resources, Scarpinato said. He said Ducey believes were doing a great job right now and weve struck that balance.

Even if litigation proves fruitless, Scarpinato said Ducey could pursue other avenues.

I think we all know that there will be a new President and a new Congress sworn in next month, he said. I think there would be legislative options at our disposal.

Congress can override a presidential declaration and remove a monument designation. But it is an open question at best whether Donald Trump, if he wanted to, could unilaterally undo any or all of Obamas designations.

Ducey is correct that Arizona does have more national monuments than any other state. What he did not acknowledge in his statement is that half of them actually were created by Republican presidents going back to Theodore Roosevelt who gave such designations to Montezuma Castle, Tonto and Navajo monuments.

In terms of pure acreage set aside, though, Democrats hold the edge by far. In fact, out of more than 2.1 million acres of national monuments in Arizona, Clinton alone is responsible for more than 1.5 million acres.

Ducey is not alone among Republicans in his opposition. The states two senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, sent their own letter to the president earlier this year saying they believe that 1.7 million acre designation goes beyond the intent of the Antiquities Act.
PHOENIX  The National Rifle Association is claiming that Tucsons policy of destroying seized and surrendered firearms is designed to deliberate suppress legal gun ownership in Arizona and will likely lead to an increase in violent crime and harm public safety.

Attorneys for the group are asking the Arizona Supreme Court to side with Attorney General Mark Brnovich who contends the city policy is a violation of state law. Brnovich wants the justices to order the city to rescind the policy or forfeit more than $115 million a year in state aid.

In adding its weight to the lawsuit, the NRA hopes to convince the high court that the right of the state to declare that operable firearms be sold and not destroyed outweighs any claim by Tucson that its disposition of property is strictly a matter of local concern. And attorney Michael Rusing is using the Second Amendment right to bear arms to make the point.

Tucson has been destroying guns since adopting an ordinance in 2005. It did not stop even after the Legislature voted in 2013 to declare such actions a violation of state law as city attorneys said Tucsons status as a charter city trumps state law.

What changed the dynamics is a new law that requires the attorney general to investigate any time a lawmaker claims a local government is ignoring state laws. Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, made such a complaint earlier this year to Brnovich.

Brnovich concluded the Tucson ordinance likely conflicts with the 2013 law. And now he is obligated by that 2016 law to ask the Supreme Court to affirm that conclusion and, if Tucson does not comply, withhold all of its state aid.

Tucson responded by asking a Pima County Superior Court judge to declare its right to destroy guns a matter of local concern protected by the state constitution. And it wants the 2016 law giving Brnovich the right to try to withhold state aid voided.

In the interim, though, the Supreme Court has to decide whether to allow Brnovich to make his case and, if so, whether the 2013 law overrides a state constitutional provision giving Tucson, as a charter city, the right to enact the gun destruction policy.

Thats the position being taken on Tucsons behalf by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.

Attorney Paul Eckstein said courts have ruled charter cities can decide for themselves how to dispose of property without having to get permission of lawmakers.

In other words, whether the property at issue is real or personal, guns or butter, if it is owned by a charter city, its use or disposition is a matter in which the Legislature is constitutionally proscribed from interfering, he wrote.

Rusing, in his legal brief siding with Brnovich, has a different take. He told the justices theres an even greater issue than the rights of charter cities: the right of citizens to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

Tucsons ordinance implicates this right because it impedes, at the margin, the law-abiding citizens ability to lawfully acquire a firearm, he wrote.

In essence, Rusing is arguing that allowing Tucson to destroy firearms reduces the supply both in Tucson and around the state. That, in turns, makes them more expensive and difficult to acquire particularly for lower-income individuals that may already have difficulty affording a reliable firearm.

The only purpose of the program can be to keep as many firearms as possible out of private hands or, put differently, to deliberately suppress the number of people keeping and bearing arms within Tucson and throughout the state, Rusing wrote.

And Rusing claimed a mountain of empirical evidence supports the Legislatures judgment that Tucsons efforts to eliminate as many lawful firearms as possible would ultimately increase the rate of violent crime.

How much difference the citys policy has had on gun availability and prices is up for debate: City records show 4,820 guns have been destroyed since the beginning of 2013.

But Rusing said the policy, implicates both federal and state constitutional rights.

The right to keep and bear arms is meaningless, of course, without the ability to obtain them, Rusing said.

He is contending that the city ordinance proves a hostility by Tucson to those rights.

The way Rusing sees it, if the city did not require guns to be melted down they would be sold to licensed firearms dealers at a profit.

That money could be used to provide goods and services to the citys residents or, at the very least, to lessen their tax burden, he wrote. What that means is the policy not only the naked suppression of the right to keep and bear arms but also amounts to Tucson effectively making its citizens food the bill for the wasteful ideological crusade against the Second Amendment.

Then theres the link the NRA claims between more guns and less crime.

Rusing said the number of firearms in private hands grew from about 192 million in 1994 to more than 350 million now.

Yet the rates of homicide and other violent crimes have steadily declined by over two-thirds during this period, from about 80 violent crimes per each 1,000 residents 12 years or older in 1994 to just over 23 today, he said. Even at this most basic level, then, there are strong reasons to doubt Tucsons simplistic more guns, more crime syllogism.

Rusing conceded there are some studies that claim to link high rates of gun ownership with high rates of homicide. But he dismissed them, saying even if there is such an association no causal link has been demonstrated.

And he said that fewer  and more expensive  firearms hurts the people who need it most.

A high-income individual will be able to comfortably purchase a firearm regardless of Tucsons efforts to artificially restrict the firearm supply, Rusing said.

But the price increase indirectly caused by Tucson may effectively prevent those individuals who are financially less fortunate from pursing a safe, reliable firearm for self-defense, he continued. And because the crime rates in Tucson are significantly higher in economically disadvantage neighborhoods it is these lower-income individuals who have the greatest need to defend themselves and their families against crime.
Chuck and Joan

After falling down, Chuck Josephson tries to coax his wife, Joan, into standing up by herself. Chuck says one of his biggest fears is that he may be incapacitated and Joan wouldn't be able to get up by herself. Joan started to show signs of Alzheimer's in 2005. Wednesday October 19, 2016.
For Fatuma Salat, 18, moving from Kenya to the United States about 10 years ago was a game-changer.

In Kenya, many schools need desks, chairs, school supplies and teachers, Salat says. In Tucson, she has access to all of those things  plus a shot at college.

Upon graduating from Desert View High School this year, Salat hopes to attend the University of Arizona in the fall.

If it wasnt for moving here, I wouldnt really have been given the opportunity to make a change. But to move here has given me the opportunity to really make a change not only in this area, but also in other areas of the world, Salat says. Here Im provided with much more than I was provided with in Africa.

But it has been hard.

The family left Kenya in 2006 to escape violence, war and ongoing threats to the family.

People would come to your doorstep and say, Let me have your child because I need them to do this and this and this, and if you dont do this, well hurt you, Salat recalls. That made us want to leave because that had happened to us before.

The family also frequently ended up without a home, with storms destroying shelters made of sticks and mud. Salat remembers life in homes with no air conditioning, no bathrooms and two-mile treks for water.

Upon moving to the U.S., she entered the first grade, frightened by an English-speaking world that she could not understand.

Over time, that has changed.

Because I dress differently from others, people were questioning me, asking, Why do you dress this way? I hear this about you. Is this true? Salat says. And I say, No this is not true. And I want to fix these issues because I dont want others to be frightened of me, and I dont want to be scared of them. I want us to come together despite our differences.

As an eighth-grader at Chaparral Middle School, Salat decided to address the questions head-on. As a Muslim with dark skin, a head scarf and long skirts, she faced mockery from some classmates.

In response to a presentation Salat did on Kenya and Islam, a classmate threw a verbal barb at her  a remark that sparked a heated exchange between Salats friends and other classmates.

The kids were bullying them bad, and she was the one who decided to do a presentation on the culture, talking from the heart, says Barb Mathers, a former Chaparral counselor and teacher of a college prep class there. Mathers is now a counselor at Ocotillo Learning Center.

At the time, Salat was in Mathers class. Since then the two have maintained contact, in person and through texting.

Mathers remembers Salat explaining to the entire student body what it felt like to be bullied, the kind of life she and her family came from in Kenya and her dreams for college and the future.

I got on the stage and read my speech even though I was a bashful kid, Salat says. As I looked off into the crowd, I saw some teachers and students tearing and knew at that moment my school would be joined together again despite our differences. But I didnt just want that in the school. I wanted that in the community.

Suddenly, she wasnt sitting alone at the lunch table.

Everybody noticed the change in those kids, Mathers says.The whole climate of the school changed that year.

But that wasnt the last time Salat dealt with prejudice. She doesnt let it discourage her. Instead, she wants to repeat that middle school miracle in the greater community.

Her post-high school dreams vary. Perhaps she will study dentistry or biomedical engineering or physical therapy.

Salat is part of Pima Countys Joint Technical Education District (JTED) and taking a course that will have her certified as a physical therapy technician  a job that will also help her family financially.

At school, she is involved in the National Honor Society and the college readiness program Upward Bound. Sometimes she volunteers with Mathers, working with kindergarten and first-grade students, the Ocotillo counselor says.

Salat does most of her homework while still at school, late at night or when she wakes up at 4 a.m. After school, most of her time is devoted to caring for her eight younger siblings. Her fluency in English also plays a significant role in helping her family communicate.

There are lots of chores I have to do within the house, and I have to babysit when my moms gone, and that gets in the way of education since its senior year and there is more to do, she says. I cook for the kids before they go to school, and when they come back I have to feed them and clean up after them. I help them prepare for bedtime.

Maybe someday she will return to Kenya and start an organization that builds schools or provides school supplies  to give those kids some of the help that she got.

But for now, one goal is all-consuming.

Graduation is coming.

That fact that its approaching is exhilarating, but there is a lot of work, She says. Theres so much you have to do to get there, so its a challenge, but Im looking forward to it. I will make sure I get there.
Janet Galante had planned to provide health benefits to her staff at Tucson-based Sit Stay Play dog daycare next year.

But new expenses stemming from Arizonas impending minimum-wage increase, which goes into effect Jan. 1, will make that impossible, she said.

While her employees all make more than minimum wage, Galante said shell have to give across-the-board increases to her longtime employees, so they dont end up earning less than those hired under the new standard.

Why would I want to risk alienating those people and losing them? she said. It would be bad business, and its also just not fair.

Businesses across the state are grappling with the anticipated costs and ripple effects of Proposition 206, which will raise Arizonas current $8.05-per-hour minimum wage to $10 in 2017, and to $12 by 2020. Under the law, more than 700,000 Arizonans will get a raise starting this year.

The ballot measure, approved by 58 percent of voters in November, also mandates at least three days of paid sick leave annually, starting in July.

On Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected an effort, led by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to delay implementation of the pay increase. The justices will likely hear arguments in February from opponents fighting the new law.

At Shlomo & Vitos deli, owner Dean Greenberg said its likely he will have to shut down the Catalina Foothills restaurant because of Prop. 206, although he noted the business was already struggling with debt. Hes making cuts that he hopes will keep the deli afloat.

Were making some drastic changes, he said. Hes cutting 10 people from his 43-person staff and has scaled down the deli menu to minimize prep work.

From a social point of view, Greenberg said he supports the idea of a living wage. But as a businessman, he said he cant raise his prices enough to offset the losses resulting from Prop. 206, including higher charges from his food purveyors.

Greenberg, also president of Greenberg Financial Group, said he makes a point to hire workers who need a second chance, like those with a criminal record or a history of addiction. But those employees should earn their raises over time, as they gain skills and experience, he said.

Theres a reason theyre making $8 an hour, he said. Theyre not worth 12 bucks an hour.

SUPPORT FOR PROP. 206

But some Tucson businesses fully endorse the minimum-wage boost, even if it causes financial strain.

Its going to cost me more to pay my employees, but thats a kind of business and ethical sacrifice that you have to be willing to make, if youre looking at the big picture, said Robert Hall, 36, owner of Generation Cool, which sells vintage clothing and collectibles on North Fourth Avenue. My principles on bettering the community, and our society at large, definitely outweighed the potential negative risks. I tend to look at whats better for human beings.

Hall said he remembers all too well what it was like working minimum-wage jobs in his 20s.

There were times when I felt there were things I needed that I couldnt afford, basic necessities, and that was a scary feeling, he said.

Across Arizona, 450 businesses supported Prop. 206, said Zaira Livier, who coordinated the Southern Arizona campaign for the ballot measure.

Especially in south-side Tucson, the businesses there didnt blink an eye when I would approach them, she said. They know if people have more money in their pockets, their business is going to do much better because they cater to the working class. It was a really easy sell.

Businesses opposed to the new minimum wage should question why their business model is predicated upon low pay, said Hall, who has five employees whose pay will be affected by Prop. 206. Hall said hes cut his budget in other areas to offset some of his additional labor costs, and he hopes a boost in revenue from customers with more cash will balance out the rest.

Im optimistic that people making more money equals people spending more money, he said.

Galante of the dog-sitting business said its harder for some industries to cut expenses: Her agency must meet staffing requirements for the safety of the animals, so she cant cut jobs, and she can only increase prices so much before alienating customers, she said.

Galante doesnt know how shell offset an expected $100,000 in additional expenses in 2017, resulting from increased payroll costs and the paid sick-leave required under Prop. 206, she said.

Its a gigantic hit, she said. Were small. We dont have other components of business to absorb this hit like they do at PetSmart or some of the corporate franchise places.

A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE

The minimum-wage increase will be a huge adjustment for landscaping companies that dont yet pay their workers a living wage, said Sandra Sigmon McBride, owner of McBride Landscaping and Yard Maintenance.

But shes not one of them. McBride, who voted for Prop. 206, said she has always paid her employees more than minimum wage, usually between $11 or $12 for those with experience. Shell likely give everyone a raise this year to ensure that remains the case, she said.

If it becomes a problem where I have to raise prices, then Ill raise prices, McBride said. If some customers dont want to pay me more for the great work we do, then I dont need those customers, frankly.

Her business has operated in Tucson since 1989 and today employs eight people who primarily do yard-maintenance work: raking, mowing, weeding and tree-trimming.

My guys work hard for their money, she said. I couldnt in good conscience not pay my employees at least enough to get by on.

IMPACT HARD TO PREDICT

Robert Medler, vice president for government affairs at the Tucson Metro Chamber, said minimum-wage increases do exceptionally well on ballots, but many businesses werent planning for such a big jump in the rate.

I fully expect to hear more from businesses in January after they have had to comply and they see the actual, on-the-ground effects of a significantly higher minimum wage, Medler said.

The Tucson Metro Chamber fought the minimum-wage update, called the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, citing the potential for higher product prices, reduced staff hours and layoffs, and diminished appeal to businesses looking to expand into Arizona.

George Hammond, economist at the University of Arizonas Eller College of Management, said research on the effects of minimum-wage increases across the nation has found the increases tend to have small but negative impacts on employment of teens and low-skilled workers. He was citing a 2015 article by a San Francisco economist that summarized much of the research.

But past research has mostly focused on smaller wage increases than Arizonas, he said.

Its not clear what the impacts will be in Arizona. Well have to wait and see, he said.

On the plus side, industries that rely on minimum-wage employees typically have to deal with high turnover rates, which can be costly, Hammond said. Higher wages could mean better employee retention, he said.

If the higher minimum wage means less turnover ... its possible it will offset, at least partially, the fact that increasing the minimum-wage increases costs, he said.

Nearly 90 percent of people who will benefit from the minimum-wage increase will be over age 20, said an independent analysis from the Grand Canyon Institute. The study estimates 13,000 Arizonans could lose their jobs as employers try to cut costs in response to the increase, but 790,000 people would benefit from higher pay.

Justin Oldaker, CEO of By Your Side Senior Care, said he worries the higher minimum wage could prompt caregivers in the industry to opt for easier, less-intensive minimum-wage jobs that will now offer more-competitive wages.

We already have a shortage of caregivers, he said. So were very concerned with the new changes.

Oldaker said he already lost 10 percent of his client base who said they couldnt absorb the higher rates hes had to implement in response to Prop. 206. Oldaker also fears clients may turn to unlicensed, independent contractors in search of cheaper care.

Theyre going to hire individuals off of Craigslist so they can pay less, he said. Were taking an already vulnerable part of society and increasing that vulnerability.

SHOP LOCAL

Amanda Tobak is the owner of Industrial Chemical of Arizona, which has sold cleaning and facility maintenance supplies residentially and commercially since 1977.

Most of her customers are mom-and-pop cleaning or finishing businesses who pay many of their entry-level employees minimum wage, she said. Many are already eliminating part-time jobs in response to Prop. 206, and she worries shell lose business as her clients struggle to cope with the increase, she said.

Tobak said shell have to start reducing benefits for employees if she sees fewer customers. But she says one of the best ways to combat any negative effects of Prop. 206 is for consumers to spend their dollars at small, local businesses before shopping at big chain stores.

I would really urge Arizona consumers to think of local first, she said.
Our 2016 Badass Women of Tucson include: a young Iraqi translator who loves La Parilla Suiza, a professional cyclist, a firefighter who broke the glass ceiling, a woman who loves her body and yours, a top judo fighter, an Olympic medalist and several more who are working to better this place and achieve huge dreams.

We live alongside some amazing women.




"Is it not high time for Israels public to wake up to Netanyahus deceptions? The countries that voted for this Security Council resolution are not anti-Semitic outliers. They included every major democratic country that belongs to the Security Council. Not one of them voted for the Zionism is Racism resolution, to which Netanyahu so demagogically compared this resolution. Are UK Prime Minister Theresa May or German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose foreign minister warmly welcomed the Security Councils action, anti-Semites? It was only yesterday that Netanyahu boasted of his friendship with Russias Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping, who voted for the resolution. Are they now Israels enemies?

If there has been a betrayal in this latest chapter of Americas relations with Israel, it is Netanyahu who has betrayed President Obama." Henry Siegman

------------------

I used to work with Siegman in his peace mongering expeditions across the ME and NA. I have a lot of respect for him. He is an ordained rabbi, whatever ordained means in this context. He was a US Army chaplain in the Korean War. He volunteered for deployment to Korea with the Eighth Army. He has relentlessly pursued justice for the Palestinians because as an ardent Zionist he thinks that if there is not justice Israel is doomed in the long run. I haven't talked to him for a long time but this is vintage Siegman.

IMO there will be neither peace nor justice in the Holy Land. IMO there is not enough good will between the sides to make a peace in which neither side can claim to have vanquished the other. I have been saying that that for twenty years or so. There was a Camelot moment when Ehud Barak was PM and Teddy Kolleck was mayor of Jerusalem when it seemed to be just barely possible that there might be a peace without victors, but the revisionist Zionists like Bibi and Naftali Bennett rallied and that moment passed.

I was recently tasked by someone I trusted with the crime of "approaching anti-Semitism" in my 2 November, 2016 post. "Marc Rich, Clinton and Israel."

"A plague o'both their houses." pl

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/has-obama-betrayed-israel-the-un-18872

http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2016/11/httpnypostcom20160117after-pardoning-criminal-marc-rich-clintons-made-millions-off-friends.html
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Help India!

By Mohd Ismail Khan, Twocircles.net,

Hyderabad: The 135 year old head Islamic seminary of Barelvi sect of Muslims in south India, Jamia Nizamia had issued a fatwa on 28th January but literally without any effect on the Milad extravaganza in Hyderabad.

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The fatwa asked Muslims 1) Not to put up flags with the names of Allah and the Prophet Moahmmed written on them as the flags may fall down, which will amount to showing disrespect, 2) To desist from un-Islamic practices like playing music, singing and dancing on Milad-un-Nabi 3) to restrain from installing of models of the Kaaba, and Masjid-e-Nabavvi (the mosque and resting place of the Prophet in Medina), 4) It also banned youth from applying chamki (glitter) on their faces 4) The fatwa banned loud recitation of Holy Quran in the apprehension that it can disturb others.

The decree was signed by six senior functionaries of the Jamia including, Moulana Mufti Khaleel Ahmed, head of the Jamia Nizamia, Mufti Moulana Mohammed Azeemuddin, and the Imam of the historic Mecca Masjid, Moulana Abdullah Qureshi Al-Azhari.

But the Milad celebrations were later found to be entirely against the fatwa. The sober approach expected in the celebrations as advocated by the fatwa was put to total freeze as soon as the stage was set up for the Milad celebrations in the city. Rupees were spent in Millions for decorating the streets, localities and houses.

Mohammed Kahja Pasha President, Gulshan-E-Mustafa committee, which played a key role in the decoration of the Bada Bazaar area told TCN, that a major portion of those funds for decoration works were contributed by the local residents especially the youngsters. He said nearly 70 lakh rupees have been spent in the 4 km area covering Yakutpura and Bada Bazaar, just for decorations.

Syed Asif, Principal in a local school in the old city area has been observing the Milad celebrations in Hyderabad and especially the old city from many years, at times he himself have contributed money to the Milad decoration funds. He told TCN that the locality Dabilpura stretching up to an area of 3 km, which he lives in was decorated at the cost of around 20 lakh rupees. He said it is difficult to jump to an exact figure but his observations last year accounts to an expenditure of almost 50 crore rupees whereas he says it could be high as around 75 crore this year.

The whole city had green flags with names of Allah and prophet Mohammed (PBUH). At many places in the old city area, and some parts of the new city youngsters were dancing even late in the midnight on the remix Qawalis. In numerous places the cut out models of kaaba and Masjid-e-Nabavvi was installed with different sculpt, like the one in Yakutpura, Bada bazaar area, where kaaba was assigned centrally with seven different models of Masjid-e-Nabavvi doing Tawaaf (revolving) around it.

Mohd Nayeem, area in charge of Dawat-e-Islami [a Barelvi sect organization], Amberpet was proud to tell that his organization had actively taken part in the Milad celebrations and decorations. When asked by TCN regarding the effect of Jamia Nizamias fatwa regarding Milad celebrations, he said the fatwa had a little effect on the celebrations as it was difficult to control the emotions of the youngsters. The youngsters were really longing to celebrate and rejoice the birth of the prophet and it is difficult to control them because it is a sentimental issue, he said. His organization have found nothing wrong with those flags being tied with the name of Allah and prophet Mohammed (PBUH), as they believe those flags are the symbol of Islam, and his organization have appealed Jamia Nizamia to have a rethinking on this particular fatwa.

The fatwa said that Playing music at volume that could cause inconvenience to others is not allowed, if there is apprehension that reading the Koran loudly could disturb others, it should not be allowed, Contrary to what the fatwa said every nook and corner of the Muslim dominated areas where decked up with loud speakers with Qawalis and Naats blaring all over even after the mid night. Syed Shafeeq a resident of the Yakutpura old city area told TCN that his house is co-adjacent to the Bada Bazaar area and he could not sleep properly because the performances were there till 3 in the night, as a result he missed his Fajar prayer, he said he is confident enough to say that those who were celebrating too must have missed their morning prayers.

Gopi Krishna Yadav is a milk seller, lives in a small ghetto locality of Hindus in the Yakutpura area. He said TCN that whole night there were sounds of processions passing through the vicinity of their house, raising slogans; he said he couldnt sleep the whole night because he feared communal clashes breaking out due the speedy bikes rally by Muslim youngsters in the Hindu locality. Some processions in fact triggered tensions at Lal Darwaza and Ramanthapur.

The fatwa by the Jamia Nizamia was issued on the grounds of concerns expressed by a section of the Muslim community who felt that such large-scale extravagant celebrations were unIslamic and against the teachings of Prophet [PBUH].

Jamia Nizamia has clearly indicated that the celebrations are allowed but they felt that those should be regulated with in the limits of Sharia. Actually it was the lack of publicity and media hype which rendered ineffectiveness to the fatwa. It brings the whole debate of fatwa controversies in confrontation with even more questions, does Muslims in practice follows fatwas? What is the value of fatwa in the modern age Islamic society? Why the English media who always seemed like obsessed to the fatwas from Islamic seminaries are cherry picking some which they can make a negative debate? And why are they totally ignoring the fatwas issued in the interest of the society?
Help India!

By IANS,

New Delhi : Bollywood celebrities like Alka Yagnik, Javed Akhtar and Lalit Pandit, along with Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Monday launched a new literacy anthem as part of the campaign of promoting adult literacy in India.

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The national literacy anthem Humko padhna hai aage badna hai has been written by Akhtar, composed by Pandit and sung by Sonu Nigam and Yagnik.

The song marked the launch of the National Literacy Missions new mass adult literacy awareness campaign Saakshar Bharat Abhiyan, which aims to educate non-literate people at the grassroot level.

A video of the literacy anthem featuring actors Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Shabana Azmi, Farhan Akhtar, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor was also showcased at the occasion.

The song composed by Lalit Pandit and sung by Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam is so heartwarming that all those people who would hear it, will automatically get inspired to come together and support the cause, Sibal said here at the launch programme on the Red Fort grounds.

It is of utmost importance to fight against illiteracy. If we dont educate the women of our country, India will never rise. I would like to congratulate the people behind Saakshar Abiyaan, who have been able to successfully move ahead with their adult education programme.

As many as two crore adults, especially women, have given their literacy exams and according to assessment of National Institute of Open Schooling, 1.5 crore people have cleared it, of which 70 percent are women. This is in itself a big achievement, he added.

Sibal called for the support of common man as well as Bollywood celebrities to help eradicate illiteracy from the country.

Actually this initiative wont be successful, if all of us dont come together to work towards the cause. We need the support of volunteer teachers, gram panchayats, parents and society too. We need the support of those Bollywood celebrities also, who can inspire common man, he added.

Also present at the occasion were Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Puransdeswari, Anshu Vaish, secretary, department of school education and literacy in the ministry and National Literacy Mission Authority chief Jagmohan Singh Raju.


Help India!

Patna : RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of eviscerating the Indian economy by his demonetisation decision.

If lungs, liver, kidneys, intestine and blood is taken out of your body, would you be able to survive? Thats what has been done with our economy, Lalu said in a latest tweet.

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In a series of surgical tweets, Lalu reminded Modi of the state of affairs in the country as the 50-day period announced by the Prime Minister on November 8, to regain normalcy drew to a close on Friday midnight.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader further that Modi badly damaged the Indian economy by scrapping the high value currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 and added, in such a situation, how can the countrys economy survive?

Lalu cautioned Modi against devising ways and means to justify his demonetisation move. He said people could see through his deceitful acts to project his decision as realistic.

Senseless parpancho se ho rahin Endless dikkaton ko dabane ke liye Cashless jaisi Baseless baat kar rahein hain. He should be realistic (You cannot deny the trouble faced by millions just by projecting cashless transaction as a means to bring in transparency in financial dealings), he said.

Does Modi know how many times he has chopped and changed his own decisions in the last 50 days? He is totally clueless, puzzled and jumping here and there, Lalu said.

Time has come for PM Modi to find out a chauraha (public square) where people can punish him for the failure, Lalu told the media earlier after announcing a protest against demonetisation.

The RJD chief recalled that it was Modi himself who had said that people could punish him after 50 days if the demonetisation drive failed.

Lalu said Modis decision of demonetisation has failed and the 50-day deadline fixed by him is over. Now Modi will have to tell people to punish him at the particular chauraha.

RJD on Wednesday organised sit-ins at Patna and all district headquarters against demonetisation. Lalu then accused Modi of cheating the country.

Modi has derailed the economy through demonetisation, which had led to increased job losses, Lalu said while participating in the maha dharna.

The former Bihar Chief Minister urged people to remove Modi to save the country. He even announced a huge rally in Patna against Modi early in 2017.

I will invite all non-BJP leaders in the rally to unite against Modi, Lalu said.


"Tai-wiki-widbee" is an eclectic mix of trivialities, ephemera, curiosities, and exotica with a smattering of current events, social commentary, science, history, English language and literature, videos, and humor. We try to be the cyberequivalent of a Victorian cabinet of curiosities.


Christmas time comes with happiness and laughter, celebrated with close friends and family. Whilst we are all enjoying festivities, it is easy to forget about those who for them, Christmas is just another miserable, lonely day.

It is estimated that over 185,000 people find themselves with nowhere to go at Christmas time, with no family, no friends and no home. Seeing happy families come together to enjoy the special day must make them feel that extra bit isolated.

Suicides peak at Christmas

It is often said that suicides peak around Christmas time, people already suffering from depression are pushed over the edge.

The feelings of loneliness increase because everybody surrounding them have people to spend the long awaited day with.

Lots of charities including the Salvation Army do extra fundraising at this time of year in aid of helping homeless people, but should we as a community do more?

Sometimes it is important that we make sacrifices for the benefit of others, most of us have already had an awful year. Many shops and restaurants around the UK offer free food and company for Homeless people at this time of year.

Cummin Up Caribbean in Lewisham extended an invitation to everyone for a meal and company on the 25th December.

And as Muslim restaurant Shish in London said, No one eats alone on Christmas Day

Is this enough?

Whilst a few places over the UK do things to help those in need, it still isn't enough to feed the entire #homeless population.

Things that we take for granted may make another persons year.

Its impossible to eat every last bit of the food your Grandma puts on the table on Christmas day, so why not venture out and give the leftovers to those who would otherwise go without. I did this last Christmas and it actually made my day that bit more special seeing people on the street with a big smile on their face, its the simple things.

Understandably we have to look out for ourselves first, so don't try and help others if you cant even help yourself. But next Christmas we as Society should think more about those who are alone and going without. A bit of leftover dinner? Put it in a container and give it to somebody less fortunate. Two of the same presents? Don't take it back, hand it to a homeless person, it will be more value to them than you.

If everybody gives a little, they will receive a lot.
With rail congestion being rifer than Twitter tweets from Donald Trump this Christmas, it has even forced Transport for London (TFL) to waiver the controversial 11:50p Congestion charge for vehicles travelling through key London areas on Christmas Eve. Whilst this is great news for those what to experience the joys of the open road, just for one day it masks the real issue, in terms of rising road congestion.

Forced U-Turn

It looks like the disruption, exacerbated by the Southern Rail strikes over the Festive period - could be seen as the UK Government, unilaterally promoting the good old automobile over a public transport alternative.

This waiver of the congestion charge stands out as an admittance that the poor state of our rail industry means that Britain is in a far weaker position than a lot of other countries, particularly those still in the EU, to fight traffic congestion with a rail travel alternative.

Can the frail rail network cope?

Exhibit A in the case against those who believe or have a vested interest in believing that HS2, when it eventually materialises, is the answer to despair-driven commuter prayers. Is the (inevitably delayed) 22:19, on a recent Friday night, from Manchester Oxford Road to Barrow via key calling points, such as Wigan and Preston.

This, one of undoubtedly, a number of examples that could be found across this month alone, represented the last train to its destination (and Lancaster), with there being no affordable alternatives for the 106 mile trip, at that time of night.

However, it was not the final train to other destinations like Wigan or Preston. Yet, regardless of where they were going, wannabe commuters crammed into this train, pushed people off it and caused general bedlam. Prompting Transport Police to panic and ordinary everyday folk, who have just enjoyed a day or evening at the legendary Manchester Christmas Markets, to turn into savages, protecting their crammed portion of the train like a wolf over a carcass.

Yet, at a guess, a good 40% of the train had a viable alternative train not long after.

A system is needed, much needed

With a plethora of fare evading barriers at most stations, especially at the Manchester Oxford Road train station, in an age whereby its around 40% (rough guess) cheaper to purchase tickets in advance. Then there would be early warning signs about high or sardine squashing proportion demand on a train and some sort of system could be set up.

That would ensure tickets that are for travel to Wigan or Preston, in this example, are marked and, the ticket holders are directed onto the slightly later train?

I know this seems a defeatist point of view, fire-fighting even, but before you can improve rail travel and reduce traffic congestion by getting more people on it. You need to accept that the multitude of rail providers in the UK cant handle or even gauge demand, these days. Well, looking on the bright-side. This is one thing we cant blame on Brexit.
China rebutted a recent report that Zimbabwe had sent wild animals, including 35 elephant calves, to China to pay for a military debt, saying it is "sheer nonsense with an ulterior motive".

The Times newspaper in London reported on Monday that Grace Mugabe, wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, had sent safari animals to a Chinese wildlife park to pay for military uniforms for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"I want to emphasize that this is a normal commercial activity, which is in line with relevant international conventions and laws in both countries" Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news conference on Thursday.

Hua said that wildlife parks in Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou recently imported a total of 35 African elephants from Zimbabwe. Payments have been received by Zimbabwean authorities, and the money will be used for the African country's wildlife protection, Hua said.

"It is an international practice for zoos to import foreign safari animals. The technical conditions of Chinese animal parks have met international demands and the parks can take care of the African elephants," she added.

An anonymous Chinese staff member directly involved in the transaction told China Radio International that "all the payments have been brought into the accounts of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and national parks".

He also said Zimbabwe's environmental protection minister inspected the wildlife parks in Shanghai and Hangzhou in January and assessed the conditions of elephants that had been import-ed earlier to Guangzhou.

Li Wentao, an expert on African studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the report unfairly speculated about normal China-Zimbabwe trade ties when Zimbabwe is suffering economic difficulties. "The two countries are good partners with close cooperation, and China has been providing economic assistance to the African country. However, this is no reason to make such speculation," he said.

He Wenping, a researcher at the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the misleading report shows the Western media's longtime prejudice against China-Africa cooperation.

"Anyone with commonsense will know such a report is ridiculous. Every country could have ups and downs, and China and African countries have a consensus on overcoming difficulties together," she said.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
A crowdfunding project aims to bring Peking Opera closer to today's audiences. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A Peking Opera gala featuring most of today's popular Peking Opera artists, including Li Hongtu, Zhao Baoxiu, Meng Guanglu and Tan Xiaozeng, will be staged at the Beijing Exhibition Center Theater on Tuesday.

The special performance is a crowdfunding project. Nearly 800 people donated more than 619,000 yuan ($88,400) in 34 days.

"The purpose is to attract people who are not Peking Opera fans," explains Pan Zhipeng, the leader of the project.

Most donors are young people, who paid through a social-media platform, Pan says.

Pu Jiaying, a lecturer from Dalian University of Foreign Languages, booked two tickets when she heard about this project.

"I know how crowdfunding works. The ticket is cheaper than that of the daily performance. And you don't always have the opportunity to see so many stars on the same stage," Pu says.

It was Li, the actor and deputy director of Mei Lanfang Peking Opera Company, who first suggested doing a crowdfunded performance.

This is not the first crowdfunding of Peking Opera in China. Earlier this year, Ling Ke and Wang Peiyutwo young Peking Opera performerseach launched crowdfunding projects. The older generation of artists like Meng and Zhao were unaware of how crowdfunding works.

"It is the first time that I have heard the idea of crowdfunding," says Zhao. "But it sounds interesting."

Li says: "It is really meaningful. This event attracted so many young people via social media to notice that people involved in Peking Opera are doing something.

In China, Peking Opera is often regarded as "the art form of old people".
After decades in the kitchen, top chef Ken Hom is ready to share his story. Provided to China Daily

Chinese food recently overtook Indian food as the United Kingdoms preferred ethnic cuisine, and few individuals have been as instrumental in overseeing this rise in popularity as Ken Hom.

One of the original TV celebrity chefs, Hom is a household name in the UK, a country he has educated about Chinese food over the last four decades via his numerous books and cooking shows.

Hom has written more than 30 recipe books, but until now his personal story has largely gone untold. Homs recently launched autobiography, My Stir-Fried Life, tracks the difficult development of a famously congenial man, from a penniless childhood in Chicagos Chinatown to being awarded an Order of the British Empire by the queen in 2009.

Its a Chinese story, Hom said from the bar at The Dorchester in Central London. I think people in China will love this story because its a bit of a reflection of contemporary China  rising from poverty to where China is today, a world economic power, and how fast that has happened, its been amazing.

Hom said his Chinese heritage has been a welcome thread of consistency through a life lived across several countries.

Leaving Chicago as youngster, Hom ran Chinese cookery tutorials in San Francisco, before landing a dream role in the UK at the BBC with the hugely popular Ken Homs Chinese Cookery series. Hom, 67, now resides in semiretirement in southern France.

I feel Chinese and British more than, say, Chinese-American, Hom said. From the beginning Ive always felt more accepted here. America has a whole host of problems integrating various ethnic minorities. When I go around this country, Im convinced that theyve done a better job at it.

Hom lived in the US during a particularly divisive and difficult time for a Chinese-American, as anti-Asian sentiment heightened in some communities during and after the Vietnam War. Hom said the cookery lessons he gave at a culinary school in San Francisco offered him the chance to teach people the values and traditions of Chinese culture.

And Im proud to be Chinese, Hom said. My heritage made me what I am. Its my Chinese values, the way I was brought up. And Im happy I am able to use my cooking to spread understanding of what were about.

Personally, Hom felt truly at home for the first time when he traveled to Hong Kong in the 1980s, where he could speak Cantonese, the language of his childhood, outside the bubble of foreign Chinatowns.

I cant tell you that feeling to be in a place where people not only speak a language that you understand  I didnt speak English until I was six  but they all look like you, Hom said, his characterful face warming with the memory. All of a sudden I was no longer an alien, which is a sensation I had never experienced. There was this kind of resurgence in pride I had, of not only being Chinese but being Cantonese. Its that kind of feeling, Oh my God, Im home! Even though we were in Chinatown in the States, we were a small island in a sea of non-Chinese.

Hom said that, professionally, he has been happy to see not only Chinese food but the work of chefs fall increasingly under the spotlight in the UK.

Cooking was not really a desirable career when I started out. Now, you cant turn TV chefs off; youre inundated. Its glamorous now. And you see this shift that young people want to become chefs, which was unheard of, he said.

The upshot of the whole thing is that the British people have become more sophisticated about Chinese food.

And he said Brits are now demanding more authentic Chinese food and moving away from the sweet-and-sour stereotype.

More and more ingredients are available. If you go to some of the emporiums here, they are incredible, he said. So, the opportunities are enormous. People are still hungry for it, and ready to take Chinese food to the next level.
Aerial photo taken on Dec 23 shows the nigth view of Lhasa during the Butter Lamp Festival. Photos by PUBU TASHI / XINHUA

Tibetans lit butter lamps and prayed through the night in an annual festival commemorating Tsong Khapa, a master of Tibetan Buddhism, on Friday. At 4 pm, monks gathered for prayers at the Jokhang Temple in the heart of Lhasa, capital of Southwest Chinas Tibet autonomous region.

Thousands of pilgrims and believers gathered around the temple to join the prayers.

More than 8,000 butter lamps were lit on top of the temple building, in prayer halls and in monks residences.

Ganden Atsok is celebrated on the 25th day of the 10th month according to the Tibetan calendar. Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelupga, the yellow sect of Tibetan Buddhism, died on that day in 1419.

Monks chant sutras in his praise. Believers pray for happiness and good health.

Yangdron, a Lhasa resident, lit 108 lamps at her home. I started to melt the butter two days before the festival. It is an important day, she said.

Last Friday, similar ceremonies were held in monasteries at Sera and Zhaibung, also in Lhasa.
ATHENS - Greek government pledged on Wednesday to improve living conditions for refugees stranded in the debt-ridden country in 2017.

During a press briefing in Athens, Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas elaborated on the progress achieved in recent months and the plans for the new year regarding the management of the refugee crisis.

The Greek official acknowledged shortages and mistakes and underlined the solidarity Greek society has demonstrated to the more than one million people who fled war and poverty and landed on Greek shores since 2015.

Mouzalas promised efforts from the Greek side to provide more aid to the 62,000 refugees and migrants trapped in Greece after the closure of the Balkan route to central Europe last winter, urging other European countries to offer more support and share the burden with the countries at the frontline of the crisis.

With a few exceptions, most refugees and migrants will spend this winter in decent accommodation centers with heated containers, prefabricated houses or hotel rooms and apartments under a UNHCR program, he stressed.

Last winter, thousands of people stayed in tents in makeshift camps or organized facilities with no sufficient food or medical care.

Currently the refugees and migrants are accommodated in 36 organized sites nationwide with average capacity of 600-900, the minister noted, recognizing that the situation remains difficult for those trapped on the northern Aegean Sea islands in overcrowded hot spots.

Under the European Union-Turkey agreement reached in March to stem the refugee influx, all new arrivals remain on the islands until the asylum bids are assessed. Those who were not eligible for asylum were returned to Turkey.

Although the number of arrivals has dramatically declined in recent months compared to 2015, due to delays in the asylum procedures, the hotspots on Lesvos, Chios and other islands are currently hosting 15,500 people, almost doubling their capacity.

Mouzalas promised on Wednesday that in early 2017 the understaffed Asylum Service will be strengthened and new small detention centers will be created on the islands to decongest the existing facilities and ease tensions in the hotspots.

In addition, in springtime the Greek government plans to replace the free meals offered to refugees with a 400 euros ($415.65) per family monthly allowance. Electronic identification cards will be issued for all migrants and refugees living in Greece, the minister announced.

Speaking to reporters, the Greek official put emphasis on the issue of the unaccompanied minors, vowing more hard work to create more special facilities for this vulnerable group of refugees and migrants and tackle the challenge.

Out of the some 20,000 underage refugees and migrants currently stranded in Greece, approximately 2,200 minors are unaccompanied. Due to the lack of adequate special facilities in several cases, they are accommodated in closed areas within hot spots or in police custody for their own protection.

"The facilities for unaccompanied minors are special facilities. There should be 20-30 minors hosted in each one. They receive special support. Old tools are insufficient. We are trying to create new tools, such as the safe zones inside the existing camps," Mouzalas said.

"We believe that as long as the EU-Turkey agreement is still valid by Easter time, perhaps a little later, we will have addressed also this issue of the unaccompanied minors in Greece," the minister said, reiterating Athens' commitment to the deal.
Beijing has denounced as "greatly ironic" the Japanese defense chief's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, which came shortly after she returned from accompanying Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his visit to Pearl Harbor.

"This not only reflects some Japanese people's obstinately wrong view of history, it is also greatly ironic given the Pearl Harbor reconciliation trip," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday at a regular news conference.

Hua was asked about Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada's visit on Thursday to the shrine, which honors Japan's 2.5 million dead during World War II as well as 14 Class-A war criminals convicted of plotting and carrying out the war. She said that Beijing would lodge a protest with Tokyo.

The visit came right after Inada returned from the trip with Abe to Hawaii. The two joined US President Barack Obama on Tuesday for the first visit by a Japanese leader and a US president to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, to commemorate the victims of the Japanese attack in 1941.

The Chinese Defense Ministry also voiced "strong dissatisfaction and opposition" to the shrine visit on Thursday.

"I also want to add that Prime Minister Abe's speech in Hawaii bore no sense of guilt but publicly called Japanese military officers 'brave', " spokesman Yang Yujun said at the ministrys regular news briefing.

During the Pearl Harbor visit, Abe did not apologize for wartime acts, but just conceded that Japan must never repeat the horrors of war again. Yang said, Peace-loving people around the world should be very alert for such remarks and actions.

South Korea's foreign and defense ministries also deplored Inada's visit, summoning Tokyo's diplomats in Seoul on Thursday.

Zhou Yongsheng, a professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said Inada's visit to the shrine right after she returned to Japan is "apparently a deliberate plan" to clarify the Japanese government's real attitude toward history.

"Abe apparently was putting on a show in Pearl Harbor for practical reasons and hiding Japan's own strategic purposes," he said, adding it is an embarrassment for Obama.

Wang Dong, a researcher of Northeast Asian studies at Peking University, said that although Inada's visit came one day after that of Japan's disaster reconstruction minister, it can be considered more serious given her position.

"After the Pearl Harbor tour, Abe is using the defense chief's shrine visit to respond to right-wing forces," he said. "The US has stepped back again and again on the issue of Japan's history, eyeing collaboration with Japan to counterbalance China. Such an attitude is sowing uncertainty in East Asia."

Contact the writers at li-xiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn
A public school district in Oregon will consider adding a Mandarin immersion program next year to its existing offerings in French, Japanese and Spanish.

Officials in the Eugene School District unveiled plans for Mandarin instruction - that would begin at the elementary school level and eventually expand to the high schools - at a school board meeting earlier this month.

"The school district has a long and proud tradition of offering language immersion programs for students," Charis McGaughy, the district's assistant superintendent for instruction, said. "The addition of Mandarin Chinese would strengthen the district's commitment to creating productive global citizens. The ability to be bilingual in Mandarin Chinese and English, in particular, will enable our students innumerable opportunities."

The goal of the Eugene district's immersion program is to produce students who are bilingual - in the immersion language and English. Eugene, located about two hours south of Portland, has a population of nearly 160,000 and is home to the University of Oregon.

"The proposed program will begin with a kindergarten and first grade classroom with about 30 students in each. The district will then add one grade per year, until a full kindergarten-through-grade-12 program is established. Depending on future interest, the district could expand the program by adding another class at each grade level," said McGaughy.

According to a report in the Register-Guard, start-up costs for the Mandarin program will be about $221,000 in the 2017-18 school year, mostly for salaries. The district plans to recruit University of Oregon and other state college graduates for the program.

"We hope to be able to hire locally. We are fortunate to have a university in our community, and several others around the state of Oregon, to be able to attract strong and qualified teaching candidates," McGaughy said.

She said there are 76 students in the Eugene district whose home language is either Mandarin or Cantonese.

McGaughy said the Chinese community in Eugene has been supportive of the Mandarin proposal. "They have been the biggest advocates for this immersion program. We look forward to a strong partnership with the community to offer culturally rich experiences for our students," she said.

The school board is expected to consider the Mandarin proposal in 2017.

paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com
Mike Smith thinks Australia has been slow in engaging Asia. Provided to China Daily

In the course of a banking career spanning three decades, Mike Smith has never been one to mince his words. Thus he makes no apologies for his views on Australia and its place in Asia.

Asia is our future. Its that simple, the former CEO of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) said.

Smith, 60, stepped down as CEO in late 2015  after eight years of positioning the bank to capitalize on Asias enormous growth. He is now senior adviser with professional services group PwCs Asia practice as he helps expand its role in the region.

Smith is credited with giving ANZ a presence in Asia when other banks were pulling back. Whenever his decisions were criticized, he countered: We are looking at the long term  not the short term.

Growth in Asia may be slowing but it will continue to grow, he said.

One of the worlds most respected bankers, Smith spent much of his career with the HSBC Group, which took him all over the world. He has a strong affinity with Asia and especially Hong Kong, where he was head of commercial banking for HSBC.

Asias very special, he said from his office in Melbourne, the city that is now his home.

Flying into Hong Kong is like an adrenaline shot in the arm. The place is efficient and it works. It still has that can do attitude rather than the cynical attitude we have in the political and media cycle here (in Australia).

Born in Derbyshire, in the East Midlands of England, Smith spent his formative years boarding at the countrys prestigious Cheltenham College.

My father was a computer guy with IBM. So they were constantly moving around, living an expat lifestyle, and kids like me went to boarding school.

Despite the lifestyle, Smith did not see himself following in his fathers footsteps at a technology firm.

As for banking, Smith said, it didnt enter my mind. I saw myself in the Royal Navy. I liked the idea of that swashbuckling lifestyle when growing up.

Smiths introduction to the banking world came while visiting his parents, who were then based in Nairobi, Kenya.

My parents took me to cocktail parties and dinners, the sort of thing you did as an expat. I soon realized that the best houses were occupied by bankers. I thought to myself this cant be too bad a job.

Smith also wanted to get out of England, so he applied to as many major international banks as he could.

Most of them were American, but the first letter I got back offering me something was from HSBC.

Smith excelled at the bank, climbing the corporate ladder quickly and even took a bullet when he was head of HSBC in Argentina from 1997 to 2003.

The bank we took over at the time had some problems and we uncovered quite a bit of corruption, he said.

Smith said he must have upset a few people as someone tried to have him kidnapped and, in the confusion, he was shot.

That experience, however, did not deter Smith. He stayed on for another three years before moving to Hong Kong in 2004 to become president and CEO at HSBC.

The economic collapse of Argentina (2001-02) was a remarkable experience to live through, he said.

In October 2007, he was lured to ANZ  one of Australias big four banks and among the top 15 global financial institutions.

Smith was reluctant at first to leave HSBC, but he knew when the time was right, he noted.

You could see the storm clouds of the global financial crisis gathering and it looked like a good time to move on.

ANZ announced in November 2016 that full-year profit had dropped 24 percent to A$5.7 billion ($4.2 billion), hit by nearly A$1.1 billion in write-downs. Still, it is among the most profitable banks in the world with a presence in 33 countries and staff of 47,000.

Although he officially stepped down as the head of ANZ, Smith still holds an advisory role at the banks Melbourne headquarters.

He now has more time for himself, family and great loves: wine and classic British cars.

He also has time to reflect on the things he is passionate about  Australia, its role in Asia and its relationship with China.

He feels the recent United States presidential polls have thrown up an added dimension with the election of Donald Trump. Its going to be a fascinating four years, he said.

How it is going to work out is anyones guess, but if we look at what people in his new administration have said, what the man himself has said, they have not joined the dots.

I mean its policy on the fly, Smith said.

The push for infrastructure is a good example and a commendable one. But, it is going to need a great deal of investment and the money is going to have to come from somewhere  probably the public sector initially.

How does the government raise money? It has to borrow. And who is the biggest purchaser of US government securities? China. And the US cannot afford to get China offside by imposing tariffs on imported goods from China, can it?

Trumps proposal to scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement is another example of the president-elect playing to his domestic audience, Smith said.

A lot of jobs have gone from the US. But at the same time 1 billion people in Asia, Africa and South America have been lifted out of poverty, he added.

Walk into Wal-Mart in the US and the cost of products has been reduced significantly in real terms. I cant see the average American who pays a dollar for a pair of socks in Wal-Mart, which are made in Vietnam, paying $14 for a pair made in the US.

Its just not going to happen and the irony of all this is that the TPP favored the US market.

The cancellation of the TPP deal is an opportunity for China to fill the void, he said. In fact, it is a great opportunity for Asia and Australia.

Even though Australia is now his home, Smith is not afraid to speak his mind, especially when it concerns Australia and its future.

Australia missed the financial crisis, he said, but it has been slow in engaging Asia.

You only have to look at our investment in China  it is tiny. Many Australian businesses lacked the appetite for risk with regard to investing in China and the region, he said.

It is a short-term view, but trade and investment relationships in Asia just dont happen overnight, they take time.

Smith blames complacency and the fact that anyone under the age of 40 has not seen a recession.

They have not seen what it is like in bad times, he said.

Australia is still very dependent on inward capital flow. With a massive landmass like Australia and a small population, the cost of maintaining a balanced economy is very high.

To offset this, Smith observed: Australia must pursue as many trade opportunities as it can, especially in Asia, to reduce those costs.
The US and China have just concluded a month-long joint customs operation that seized over 243,000 counterfeit electronics products. Among those confiscated fake products were items that were supposedly manufactured by Apple Inc, Samsung Electronics, Blackberry, and Dr. Dre.

The action was so far the largest bilateral customs enforcement ever launched by the US. It was also the biggest and most successful collaboration between customs from the two countries. The operations focused on seizing fake goods that are transported to the US from China, which accounts for about 72% of overall seizures that violate intellectual property rights especially of popular technology firms.

The operations concentrated on major points in both countries. In the US, customs operations were conducted in Anchorage, Los Angeles, Newark, and Cincinnati. In mainland China, authorities were able to seize fake items for exportation in the primary ports of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. Customs officials from both governments did not physically work together. Instead, they operated based on shared tips and information.

US-China customs operations

Within a month, the operation led to just a single arrest. It involved an American citizen from New Orleans who ordered counterfeit Dr. Dre headphones from China and sold them online through Craigslist. He was arrested after Chinese customs alerted US customs authorities about his transactions.

The US takes this successful effort as a sign that the Chinese government is finally addressing complaints over intellectual property violations of several Chinese manufacturers. Not known to many, the two countries have reached agreements after high-level discussions over the problem. The US has been particularly bothered by the increasing volume of fake goods that are imported from China.

According to the US Customs and Border Protection, cross-border initiatives should be initiated to fight intellectual property theft on a global scale. It reminded consumers to refrain from patronizing counterfeit products to protect not just their interest but also the interest of legal businesses that take measures to develop and distribute high-quality items.

Pirated goods in the US

In a recent report released by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, intellectual property theft costs affected US companies a total of $320 billion every year. That is equivalent to the overall value of US exports to the entire Asia in an annual basis.

Before the US-China joint action, the biggest bilateral operations by the US was the action with Frances customs agency. Within a six-month period, both US and French officials seized 470 fake electronic components like computer storage devices, memory cards, and semiconductors.
The US Department of Justice is pushing for an odd and interesting punishment for Apple Inc after a federal court decided in July that the company was guilty in conspiring to increase e-books tag prices. According to the agency, Apple should instead allow Amazon.com and Barnes & Nobles to resume selling e-books on iOS devices again.

The DOJ thinks it would be fair for Apples rivals to be allowed again to provide links to their respective e-bookstores in their e-reader apps. Since 2011, Apple has prohibited its rivals to include their links to e-book shop. The Justice Department believes that by doing so, consumers could easily compare prices of e-books in Apple Store and in other e-bookstores like those from Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. It is expected to reset competition so it could revert back to conditions prior to the conspiracy in the industry.

Apple stirred controversy among e-book buyers when it mandated a 30% cut in sales of apps. To ensure that commission system would happen, the company barred the display of shop links that redirect users to other online stores other than that owned and controlled by Apple.

Victory for competitors

If the court would agree with this proposal, booksellers would score a victory when their shop links are restored in iOS apps. It would also benefit more e-book buyers, especially students who opt such digital book versions because of their very limited financial resources.

As expected, Apple would not give up the fight. The company has announced plans to appeal that court decision. It would also oppose DOJs proposed punishment, describing it as overboard, unnecessary, vague, and punitive.

Cleaning up the system

That proposal was just one of many options submitted by the DOJ and several state attorneys general to the court. Their goal is to avoid possible recurrence of those illegal activities. At the same time, they asked Apple to terminate its current contracts with its co-conspirators like Simon 7 Schuster, Penguin Group, Hachette Book Group, and HarperCollins.

It is expected that if the court gives in to the DOJs proposal, Apple would be forced to avoid entering into agreements that would compromise competition. Interestingly, the DOJ is also proposing to assign an external monitor, which would ensure that all companies would comply with new mandates. The hearing for the proposals is expected on August 9 (Friday).
While recent news has been focused on the recent trend of children coming across the U.S. border from Mexico and the steps the government is taking, another problem appears to be cropping up, the possibility of infectious diseases spreading.

Channel 15 ABC in Arizona is reporting that border patrol agents are now sounding the alarm that with illegal aliens, being shipped to the state and other states, the potential for a viral outbreak has increased significantly.

We are sending people everywhere. The average person doesnt know whats going on down here, Border Patrol agent and Rio Grande Valley Union representative Chris Cabrera told channel 15.

According to Cabrera, in the detention facilities the only thing separating the sick from the healthy is caution tape.

Theres been an outbreak of scabies thats been going on for the past month, Cabrera said.

Another healthcare concern is that many illegal immigrants have not had the vaccinations that Americans have long received and have the strong possibility of bringing drug-resistant strains of diseases that have long since been eradicated, such as tuberculosis, with them.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that generally attacks the lungs, although it can attack any part of the body. The disease is easily spread when an infected individual coughs, sneezes, or even talks in the presence of another person. If not properly treated the disease can be fatal.

The disease has been around since ancient times, and Tuberculosis was once the leading cost of death in America. Among the diseases victims was the legendary Doc Holiday who died in a tuberculosis ward in Colorado Springs.

In the 20th century, antibiotics were developed which resulted in the disease being virtually eradicated in America in the 1960s. However, in recent years the disease has been making a comeback with new strains that are resistant to most antibiotics.

Last year, Los Angeles suffered from a persistent strain of tuberculosis that may have been exposed to over 4,500 people. Police officers were advised to wear protective masks while dealing with members of the public who may have been exposed to the disease.

Besides California and Florida, the states with the greatest number of multi-drug resistant TB are Texas and New York. All of these states have large numbers of illegal aliens within their borders. Florida was recently ranked as having the third largest illegal alien population by the Department of Homeland Security. Many of the illegals in Florida come from the Caribbean and other countries in the Southern hemisphere. Some of these countries have widespread problems with tuberculosis.
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Children in extremely difficulty-hit areas enjoy meals free of charge in Tinh Nghiem semi-boarding kindergarten__Photo: Nam Thai/VNA

A motorbike assembly line of Japan-invested Vietnam Suzuki Corp (Visuco) in Loteco industrial park (Dong Nai province)__Photo: Danh Lam/VNA

NA deputies press buttons to adopt a resolution on pilot grant of e-visas for foreigners__Photo: Nguyen Dan/VNA

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(Selected by VLLF)Enacted on April 5, this Law stipulates childrens rights and duties, principles and measures to guarantee the exercise of childrens rights, and responsibilities of agencies, organizations, educational institutions, families and individuals for exercise of childrens rights and duties. The Law also regulates foreign children residing in Vietnam.This Law takes effect on June 1, 2017, and replaces the 2004 Law on Child Protection, Care and Education.Passed on April 6, and effective on July 1, 2018, this Law provides the exercise of citizens right of access to information, principles, order and procedures for the exercise of this right, and responsibilities and obligations of state agencies in guaranteeing this right.Particularly, foreigners residing in Vietnam may request the provision of information directly relating to their rights and obligations according to the order and procedures provided in Chapter III of this Law.This Law, dated April 6, 2016, prescribes dutiable objects, duty payers, duty bases, tariffs, anti-dumping duty, anti-subsidy duty and safeguard duty applicable to imports and exports; and import duty and export duty exemption, reduction and refund.Under the Law, investment projects will be eligible for import duty or export duty incentives they currently enjoy or incentive levels prescribed in this Law, whichever is higher.This Law also applies to raw materials, supplies and components which are imported for export production but not yet exported and to goods which are temporarily imported for re-export but not yet re-exported under customs declarations registered with customs offices before the effective date of this Law and for which duty has not been paid.This Law takes effect on September 1, 2016, and supersedes the 2005 Law on Import Duty and Export Duty.This Law, adopted on November 18, will come into force on January 1, 2018, and replace the 2004 Ordinance on Belief and Religion.The Law prohibits all discriminations for religion or belief reasons; acts of forcing, buying off or hindering others from following or not following any religion and belief; and acts of carrying out religious and belief activities that infringe upon national defense, security and sovereignty, social order and safety or environment, or harm social ethics or hurt other persons honor and dignity.Particularly, foreigners lawfully residing in Vietnam will have their freedom to belief and religion respected and protected by the Vietnamese State. They may carry out and participate in belief and religion activities and use designated places for carrying out these activities in Vietnam.Dignitaries and priests being foreigners lawfully residing in Vietnam may conduct rituals and preaching in religious institutions or other designated places in Vietnam.Dated April 12, 2016, this Resolution, which touches on the 2016-20 five-year socio-economic development plan, indicates five major tasks for restructuring the economy, including (i) restructuring public investment, state enterprises and credit institutions; (ii) restructuring the state budget and public sector; (iii) boosting the domestic private economic sector and attracting foreign direct investment; (iv) modernizing the planning work and restructuring sectors and economic zones toward increasing productivity, quality and effectiveness in line with the acceleration of international economic integration; and (v) establishing and developing financial, land use rights, labor, and science and technology markets.This Resolution, approved on May 16, provides supports for enterprises with a view to creating the most favorable business climate through 2020.Under the Resolution , related ministries, sectors and agencies are assigned to implement solutions concerning administrative reform, support for startups and innovative and creative enterprises; guarantee of enterprises business right and access to resources and business opportunities; cutting of expenses for enterprises; and non-criminalization of economic and civil relations.The Resolution affirms that the State will guarantee equality for all businesses, regardless of their types or economic sectors, in accessing capital, natural resources, land and business opportunities.Adopted on November 22, this Resolution stipulates the grant of e-visas for foreigners entering Vietnam. The grant will be made online on a pilot basis for two years, starting from February 1, 2017. An e-visa will be valid for single entry for a period not exceeding 30 days.The pilot grant of e-visas will apply to citizens of countries that have diplomatic ties with Vietnam or when the grant complies with Vietnams socio-economic development and external relation policies in each period and does not harm national defense, security and social order and safety of the country.The Government will decide on a list of countries whose citizens will be eligible for e-visas on a pilot basis and a list of border gates where foreigners will be able to enter Vietnam with e-visas. Foreigners who apply for conventional visas (other than e-visas) must comply with the Law on Foreigners Entry into, Exit from, Transit through and Residence in Vietnam and relevant treaties of which Vietnam is a member.This Decree, issued on January 25, details the Commercial Law regarding Vietnam-based representative offices and branches of foreign traders.Effective on March 10, 2016, the Decree allows foreign traders to set up their representative offices and branches in Vietnam according to the countrys international commitments. However, a foreign trader may not have more than one representative office or branch bearing the same name within a province or centrally run city.On July 5, 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Trade introduced Circular No. 11 prescribing the forms to implement this Decree, which applies from August 20, 2016.Dated February 3, 2016, this Decree details a number of articles of the Labor Code regarding foreign workers in Vietnam, such as grant of work permits to foreign citizens who work in Vietnam and expulsion of foreign citizens who work in Vietnam without a work permit.This Decree takes effect on April 1, 2016, and replaces Decree No. 102 of 2013, and Point a, Section 4 of Government Resolution No. 47/NQ-CP of July 8, 2014.Under this Decree, such papers as written approval of employment of foreign workers, written certification of foreign workers eligibility for exemption from work permit, and work permits granted under Decree No. 102 remain valid until they expire. Cases in which an employer submitted a report explaining his/her/its demand for foreign workers and a dossier of application for grant or request for re-grant of a work permit or for certification of foreign workers eligibility for exemption from work permit before the effective date of this Decree must comply with Decree No. 102.The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs on October 25, 2016, issued Circular No. 40 to guide the grant of work permits under this Decree.This Decree, dated March 16, 2016, provides the management and use of official development assistance (ODA) and concessional loans of foreign donors, including foreign governments, international organizations, inter-governmental organizations, and governmental organizations authorized by foreign governments to provide ODA or concessional loans to the State or Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.This Decree takes effect on May 2, 2016, and replaces Government Decree No. 38/2013/ND-CP of April 23, 2013. Programs and projects approved by competent authorities before this Decree takes effect continue to be carried out in accordance with Decree No. 38.-
Bo Xuan Hiep

Foreign investors looking for an investment destination in Viet Nam would make a mistake if they did not consider the Mekong Delta in southern Viet Nam.

Many investors lack information about the region and are unaware that the Delta is the third-largest industrial region in the country after the metropolitan areas of HCM City and Ha Noi.

In recent years, many provinces have greatly improved their investment climate, partly due to substantial investments in transport infrastructure, which has increased access to the region.

Travel time from HCM City to Can Tho, the major hub in the delta, is now three hours from six hours in 2010.

The Mekong Delta is the largest agricultural hub, accounting for 40 per cent of national agricultural production.

Truong Quang Hoai Nam, vice chairman of Can Tho Peoples Committee, said the Mekong Delta supplies more than 90 per cent of the nations rice and 50 per cent of seafood, as well as other agro-forestry-fishery exports.

Rice is a major product with an output of 25.2 million tonnes a year. The region exports more than 6.5 million tonnes of rice every year.

Aquaculture output is 3.62 million tonnes a year, or 57 per cent of national production, while shrimp exports reached US$3 billion and catfish $1.7 billion a year.

Fruit cultivation covers an area of more than 300,000 ha, year-round production of mango, coconut, dragon fruit, mangosteen, durian and longan.

The region has a fairly mild climate of an average of 27 Celsius, with a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from December to April.

In addition, the region has an abundant network of rivers and canals with many islets or orchards.

Despite its advantages, the Mekong Delta has only 6 per cent of the countrys FDI projects and 5 per cent of all registered capital.

The region is currently calling for investment in 50 projects in agriculture, with a projected total investment of $1.385 billion, according to VCCI Can Tho.

As of last year, FDI in the Delta had reached 13 per cent of the countrys total FDI, a sharp rise from the 5 per cent figure recorded for many years, according to the agency.

For the first nine months of the year, FDI reached $1.67 billion, accounting for 10.2 per cent of the countrys total FDI.

As of October, the region had attracted 50 agricultural projects with total registered capital of $209.64 million.

Hong Kong is the biggest investor with five projects worth $67.93 million, followed by Taiwan with nine projects worth $41.98 million, Japan with five projects worth $30.02 million, and Australia with seven projects worth $19.85 million.

Two American projects are worth $11.96 million and one Israeli project worth $5.2 million.

Rice is harvested and packed in Cho Moi District in the Mekong Delta Province of An Giang.  VNS Photo Trong at

Investment prospects

FDI in the Delta is now increasing at more than double the countrys national average, and is flowing toward a diverse range of projects, according to VCCI Can Tho.

The number of FDI projects in the region has increased by 73 per cent since 2010, driving FDI investment growth by nearly 20 per cent per year.

With a population of more than 17 million, the Delta has more residents than neighbouring countries like Cambodia or Laos, which can enhance purchasing power.

Moreover, labour costs in the Delta region are the lowest in the country.

Half of the regions 10 million workers are employed in the agricultural sector, so there is potential to source labour for new factories and service centres.

The area is moving from quantity to quality in both agriculture and aquaculture, which has significantly increased demand for higher quality input materials, including agricultural equipment, seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

Philipp Angst, managing director of Swiss Post Solutions Viet Nam Ltd Com, said With a total workforce of more than 10 million, the delta has large, widely untapped labour resources. Half of the workers are occupied in the low-paying agricultural sector. This holds tremendous potential for labour-intensive industries.

FDI in the region is also becoming more diverse and flexible, and is expected to drive growth across a greater range of sectors, said Vo Hung Dung, director of VCCI Can Tho.

Takimoto Koji, chief representative of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), said the delta, with a location between Hong Kong and Singapore, has great potential to become a logistics centre in Asia.

The region has not had enough foreign investment, but it has become more attractive to Japanese companies for its fertile land, low labour costs, improved transport infrastructure and well-developed industrial zones, Koji said.

Most provinces in the region are ranked highly on the Viet Nam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), which is conducted regularly by VCCI and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Three provinces, ong Thap, Long An and Kien Giang, have managed a top 10 ranking on the PCI.

In addition, the Government has offered incentives for foreign investors in preferred sectors and geographic areas.

The incentives include reduced corporate income tax rates, tax holidays, special enterprise zones, favourable permitting and licensing procedures, exemption from land rent, and other policies that reduce costs and complexities for foreign investors.

In the next 10 years, the regions economy is expected to achieve a high growth rate, supported by rapid improvement of transport and electronics as well as low labour costs and an abundant food supply.

A booth at an agriculture investment conference held recently in Can Tho showcases Japanese snacks and cakes made of Vietnamese flour.  VNS Photo Bo Xuan Hiep



Challenges

Though it has potential, the Mekong Delta has limited options for heavy industry. Much of the region is alluvial land with sandy soil not suited for heavy industry.

Many provinces can only handle light manufacturing, and global warming risks might exacerbate this challenge.

Though most of the region is well-connected to HCM City and other areas in Asia, some provinces still lack strong transport links.

Besides, the port system remains weak, especially for container handling and large vessels.

Another issue is the shortage of skilled labour, particularly well-trained technicians and managers, who are hard to find in the region.

Climate risks pose another challenge. With an average elevation of one metre above sea level, the region is susceptible to rising sea levels and other risks from global warming.

Among other disadvantages, support services in the region are still weak.

Because the region is in the beginning stage of industrialisation, only a few local suppliers and service providers for industries other than agriculture and aquaculture are operating.

Rice harvest in An Giang Province. Mekong Delta plans to improve the rate of mechanisation in agriculture to enhance productivity and competitiveness.  VNS Photo Manh Linh

High-tech agriculture

Speaking at a recent conference in Can Tho, Vo Hung Dung, director of VCCI Can Tho, said the delta region had great demand for high-tech technologies for agriculture.

Dung, however, said the use of advanced technologies in agricultural production and processing to add value was still limited.

Besides, the rate of mechanisation in agriculture remains modest and is only 65 per cent for rice harvesting.

These factors have resulted in low productivity, value addition and competitiveness, Dung said.

Every year, rice farmers in the region have incurred a loss of more than VN3.2 trillion ($143.32 million) during post-harvest due to a low rate of mechanisation, according to the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute.

The Delta has set a goal of modern agriculture practices, including a large volume of high-quality products, with 3.5 per cent growth per year, ensuring national food security in the short and long term.

Tu Minh Thien, head of the management authority for the HCM City High-Tech Agriculture Area, said the region would emphasise the use of high technology in businesses and cultivation areas.

In the next five years, the production value of high-tech agriculture would account for 30-35 per cent of total agricultural production.

Thien said it was necessary to establish high-tech agricultural zones, which would play a crucial role in sustainable development.

He also emphasised connectivity between bio-technology centres and high-tech agricultural zones, and improving the training of human resources in high-tech agriculture.

Policies for businesses to invest in high-tech agriculture and a high-tech agricultural forum where technical issues and market initiatives can be discussed are also needed in the Mekong Delta, Thien said.  VNS
HA NOI  Eight startups received awards in five categories at the 2016 Start-up Festival in Ha Noi yesterday. The categories were Startup of the Year; Womens Startup, Bluebird IT Startup, Potential Startup and Most Favoured Startup.

The event, which is held for the first time by Viet Nam Televisions VTV6, the Viet Nam Climate Innovation Centre (VCIC), Topica Founder Institute and Bluebirds JSC, is the biggest event for the startup community this year.

The festival attracted about 1,000 startups.

With 53 per cent of voting from 200 delegates, DesignBold, a design application, overcame GotIt! (47 per cent) to win the most important award, Startup of the Year award.

We promise to try our best to bring resources from overseas to support Vietnamese startups. Receiving the award is an honour for us but also a responsibility. We set the target to support Vietnamese startups to catch up with other startup ecosystems in the world, said inh Viet Hung, the CEO of DesignBold.

DesignBold is a tool that helps both professional and amateur users design by themselves. It is also the winner of Creative Business Cup Vietnam 2016 and became the Vietnamese representative for the final round at the Creative Business Cup 2016 in Copenhagen, Denmark in November this year.

The Womens Startup Award was given to Vu Nguyet Anh, founder of the dating app Rudicaf. For me, this is an honour as well as a great motivation, but also a pressure to make more efforts in the future, she said.

The Most Favoured prize was given to Le Thong Nhat, a retired teacher, for his BigSchool Viet Nam product. Three startups, namely, 1offfice, Giaohangnhanh and WeFit, won the Potential Startup Award. The prize is a two-week visit to Israel, dubbed the startup nation.

I believe that the spirit of the young generation in Viet Nam will boost the startup ecosystem. In my opinion, it is always better to pursue and try to fulfill your dream than not to try at all, said Yaniv Tessel from Israels Economic and Trade Mission.

In the Bluebird IT Startup category, Mysterious Stone and Suge Dict overcame 200 games and applications to win. They will receive an award of VN50 million and an opportunity to visit the Google offices in Silicon Valley.

In addition, the organisation board gave a prize for the startup event of the year to the event that the startup community proposed for the amendment of the Article 292 under the Penal Code.

Article 292 of the Penal Code adopted by the National Assembly last year stirred up controversy as it was stated that any services offered online or via telecommunication networks without prior permission would be deemed illegal. Fearing that start-up businesses could be harmed, a petition calling for the scrapping of Article 292 was sent to officials, ministers and agencies and collected nearly 6,000 signatures after only one week.  VNS
Ha Noi Urban Environment One Member Co yesterday received 12 German-made street sweepers worth more than VND20 billion (US$878,000) to help clean up the streets for the New Year.  Photo hanoimoi.com.vn

HA NOI  Ha Noi Urban Environment One Member Co yesterday received 12 German-made street sweepers worth more than VND20 billion (US$878,000) to help clean up the streets for the New Year.

Nguyen The Hung, chairman of the citys Peoples Committee, said that the city has piloted to mechanise the cleaning up of streets in four districts of the inner city and obtained good results. Next year the city will expand the model to all districts.

Nguyen Huu Tien, director of the Ha Noi Urban Environment One Member Co, said the company owns 28 Hako City master 1600 street sweepers.

Each sweeper could replace between six to eight workers. Moreover, the vehicles can collect dust and minimise emissions into the environment.

Apart from the street sweepers, the company plans to invest in 100 specialised vehicles to collect the increased rubbish during the New Year and Tet holidays.  VNS
HA NOI  A roundtable discussion was jointly organised by the Ha Noi Culture Foundation, the Ha Noi Industrial Design College and the Bat Trang Ceramics Guild.

It brought together business owners, ceramic designers and researchers, marketing professionals to look for a new approach for Bat Trang ceramics.

Ha Van Lam, chief of the Peoples Representative board, said that during the economic boom of the 1990s and the 2000s, craftsmen in different kilns in Bat Trang sought every way to get their kiln firing and their potters job going. To judge a ceramic product, according to Lam, one needed to value its design, and the glaze, adding to the five traditional glazes handed down from ancestors, young craftsmen today have found out new attractive glazes.

"Our red glaze has been inspected and certified by Japanese experts as non-toxic for potters and end-users, and it has entered the demanding markets in Japan," he said.

During many export negotiations, Lam said foreign dealers told him, "Bat Trang ceramics are not as competitive in terms of design and price compared to Chinese products, but they still buy from us because we meet a certain demand from their market."

To put it more specifically, founder of Hien Van Ceramics, designer Bui Hoai Mai, said that Bat Trang craftsmen need to work together as members of a guild, where they need to agree upon certain ethics and rules, and respect each others turf.

"We need to understand competition in a more constructive way," he said. "If everyone is fighting to lower the price at the cost of their neighbours, we are all dragging each other downhill. You would need to make clear who is good at refined products, who can produce home appliances, who can provide construction ceramics, and everyone should recommend it to visitors. That way we can develop as a whole."

From a marketers point of view, Nguyen inh Thanh from Elite PR asked more direct questions.

"Could you create a tea cup that holds 800 years of Bat Trang history in it?"

He went further by asking questions about mapping of the two villages, Bat Trang and Giang Cao, so that visitors know where they are. There is no history board/placard with Bat Trangs brief history on it. More importantly, there are no homestay addresses, no cafes nor even public restrooms for visitors. "All of these factors need to be taken into account," he added.

"At the village ceramics market," ceramic designer Mai said, "We see ceramics of all types and styles. A visitor will not be able to tell which product is strictly Bat Trang style."

Out in the ceramic market, it took Lam a few minutes to screen the product shelves to spot a distinctive Bat Trang glaze.  VNS
Mai Van Trinh, Director General of the Viet Nam Institute for Agricultural Environment, tells the Nong thon Viet Nam (Viet Nam Rural) Newspaper that the soil in the Red Delta is fast losing its nutrients, and is severely polluted in many areas.

What is the situation regarding arable land in Viet Nam?

Most agriculture soil in Viet Nam used to be in good condition and suitable for many types of crops. Especially in the north region, soil in the Red River delta had a high level of nutrients and alluvium, making it almost perfect for agriculture production.

However, due to many impacts, agriculture soil in both the Red River Delta and in the midlands of the north have been degraded. Land erosion in mountainous areas caused by over-cropping and lack of proper care has become serious.

Besides, the existence of heavy metals like iron and aluminum in the soil is causing the erosion of nutrients in the soil.

More seriously, a large part of agriculture soil in the Red River delta is badly polluted by waste discharge from urban areas, factories and industrial parks. The recovery of such land is going to be extremely hard, thus agriculture production in these areas would be badly affected.

Which are the most polluted areas?

Most of the land located near craft villages, factories and industrial parks and urban areas are heavily polluted. For instance, take the land near craft villages that do metallisation work in Bac Ninh Province, or the suburban areas around Ha Noi like Thanh Tri, Thuong Tin and Quoc Oai districts.

A large area of land along the banks of the To Lich, Nhue and ay rivers is also polluted. The pollution along Nhue River is especially serious because it runs through garment, dyeing and battery factories and craft villages, where waste water is discharged directly to the river without being treated. Research has shown that no marine creatures can survive in this river. On the other hand, the river is an important irrigation source for many provinces.

How exactly does the polluted river impact agriculture production?

In the short term, the impact can be unclear. In fact, crops could grow even better thanks to organic pollution in the river water, which comes from organic waste from slaughterhouse and craft villages making food products.

However, organic pollutants are not as dangerous as inorganic pollutants like heavy metals. Heavy metals can be buried in the soil for years and contaminate crops. If the pollution level is high, consuming the crop can cause food poisoning, not to mention long term sicknesses like cancer.

What is the alternative for agriculture production, or how can we recover the soil that has been polluted?

Once the soil is polluted with chemicals or heavy metals, it cant be recovered. The best thing we can do is to have tight control over waste discharge and waste treatment.

Soil pollution can be caused by pesticides or fertilisers, too, but the most dangerous element is waste discharge from urban areas and industrial areas. A hundred years of pollution from agriculture production would not be as serious as pollution from industrial production of one day. The natural resource and environment management unit should be responsible for this.

The management of river systems that play important role in agriculture production must be very, very tight. Basically, all waste, without exception, has to be treated before being discharged. However, the supervision of such operations is verhy loose and ineffective.

In many countries, authorities have tight control right from the very beginning  factories can only discharge wastewater once they are treated and if the treated wastewater meets certain standards. We havent been able to do this in Viet Nam.

The larger picture is that very tight control over waste treatment would not only protect agriculture land, but society as a whole. For the agriculture sector alone, there is an urgent need to have an evaluation programme on the vulnerability caused by soil pollution. And we also need to have strong measures to protect arable land in the long run.--VNS
In HCM City, Electricity of Viet Nam plans to accept bill payments only through banks and other modern platforms starting at the end of next year, putting an end to its conventional home collection service.  Photo viettimes.net.vn

HCM CITY  In HCM City, Electricity of Viet Nam plans to accept bill payments only through banks and other modern platforms starting at the end of next year, putting an end to its conventional home collection service.

Speaking about the utilitys achievements and plans at a conference on Tuesday, standing deputy secretary of the EVN HCM City Party unit, Cao Nguyet Anh, said 57 per cent of consumers are already paying electronically.

People are becoming increasingly familiar with such payment modes and so EVN would stop collection of bills at home at the end of 2017, she said.

The company produced 21.9 billion kWh of electricity this year, up 8.5 per cent year-on-year, she said.

It has begun to supply power to Thien Lieng Island in HCM Citys Can Gio District and ensured fixed tariffs for nearly 1.4 million poor workers and students in the city, she said.

Around 50 projects to bury power cables underground would be completed in 2017, with work on 34 having already begun, she said.

Deputy secretary of the city Party Committee, Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, hailed EVNs effort to make the city a convenient, modern place to live in.

It needs to continue playing its part in developing the city, carrying out frequent inspections and offering its services to more people, she said.  VNS
A NANG  The central city of a Nang started construction yesterday of a tunnel at the junction of ien Bien Phu, Nguyen Tri Phuong and Le o streets, one of the busiest roundabouts in the city.

It will be the second such road project after a tunnel at the West Han River bank traffic intersection commenced construction in October.

The road tunnel project, which is included in the World Bank-funded sustainable development project with a total investment of VN220 billion (US$9.77 million), will replace the current ground-level intersection by a system of 160m-long open air tunnels and 80m underground tunnels. There will be two lanes for Bus Rapid Transit along with another two lanes.

 An excavator starts digging for a road tunnel construction project at the junction of ien Bien Phu, Nguyen Tri Phuong and Le o, one of the busiest roundabouts, in a Nang.  VNS Photo Cong Thanh

The project, which covers 48,000sq.m, will help ease traffic jams, while not destroying urban structures or incurring the cost of land clearance.

"Its one of the key projects of the citys sustainable development in promoting public transport and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network. The road tunnel project will offer smooth transport with a multi-level road intersection, and will not require land clearance and resettlement," Mai inh Khanh from the citys transport department told Viet Nam News at the ground-breaking ceremony.

He said the project would ease congestion and reduce the pollution of rapid urbanisation and would encourage a higher use of public transport for daily commutes.

Nguyen Huu Tuan, deputy general director of Thuan An construction and trading joint-stock company, a contractor of the project, said the tunnel will be completed next October before the 2017 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) Summit in a Nang.

We plan to speed up construction of the project before hosting APEC. The tunnel will be used during the biggest event which will be held in the city next year, Tuan said.

An overview of ien Bien Phu, Nguyen Tri Phuong and Le o intersection, one of the busiest roundabouts in a Nang. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

With a population of one million, a Nangs current public transit system is not meeting the needs of local residents with only 1 per cent of the 2.5 million daily journeys made by public transport.

The city also plans to build a metro, tramway, underground and sky train between 2020 and 2030.

In October, the city began construction the VN137.5-billion ($6.11 million) road tunnel at the intersection of Le Duan and Tran Phu streets.

a Nang, the third largest city in Viet Nam, has invested a lot in urban development to make it the largest city in the central region and a green city by 2025, with funds from the World Bank.

In 2013, the World Bank agreed to provide $202 million for a $272 million sustainable development project to help build the citys Bus Rapid Transit network, build new roads and revamp the drainage system.

The bank also funded a five-year priority infrastructure project for the city, by covering 70 per cent of the total investment of $218.4 million.

Last year, the city put into operation a three-level rail and road flyover at Hue Junction to alleviate congestion.  VNS
HA NOI  More than 200 leaders of news agencies, journalist associations, journalism training institutes, as well as scientists and journalists from across the country gathered in Ha Noi yesterday at a conference entitled Journalism after 30 years of oi moi (renewal process) - theoretical and practical issues.

The conference was sponsored by the Viet Nam Journalists Association (VJA), the Party Central Committees Commission for Publicity and Education and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The gathering acted as a platform for participants to review accomplishments and shortcomings of Vietnamese journalism and communications over the past 30 years (1986-2016), the period of Viet Nams oi moi (renewal) process, and propose initiatives to strengthen Vietnamese journalisms roles and improve the quality of media coverage.

VJA President Thuan Huu, a member of the Party Central Committee, said that 30 years is a meaningful period during which the reform process initiated and led by the Party has gained historic accomplishments acknowledged by the domestic and international public.

Journalism played a leading role in disseminating and promoting the reform policies of the Party, he said. Journalism has also renewed itself to catch up with the development of the country, meeting increasing demand of the revolutionary cause and gaining many meaningful achievements, he added.

Deputy Head of the Party Central Committees Commission for Publicity and Education, Pham Van Linh, said journalism management and orientation in 2016 underwent encouraging changes. Many news agencies contributed to the fight against corruption, protecting the countrys sovereignty and rejecting incorrect and distorted information by hostile forces.

However, in the context of unpredicted developments in world affairs and new political tasks, journalism has shown shortcomings. Besides new opportunities, journalism has to overcome challenges, Huu said.

Ho Quang Loi, VJA vice president, said that a lot of journalism information lacks orientation and focusses on negative issues. Information that harms Vietnamese customs is still allowed to be published in newspapers.

Many TV programmes air "tactless" content, causing anger among the public, he said.

Discussing journalist ethics, experienced journalist Phan Quang, former VJA president, said The 1995 journalism ethics code of Viet Nam mentions uprightness of journalists. However, now there are more and more reporters who sit at home, type on computers and plagiarise others work.

The journalism ethics code of Viet Nam was issued a long time ago but has yet to be put into practice, Quang asked.

This year, the Journalism Ethics Code has been adjusted and the revised version will take effect next year.

Journalist Phan Quang spoke highly of the new code, saying that Clause No10 in which press workers must pledge to adhere to the code, is their responsibility and up to their conscience.

Nguyen The Ky, a member of Party Central Committee and general director of the Voice of Viet Nam, said that journalism has developed into various forms. News agencies have focused on renewing and improving news quality.

However, language in the mass media is used improperly in many cases, with carelessly-written words and sentences. Shocking headlines are made to lure readers, but fail to reflect the facts.

Vietnamese language use on media will affect negatively and widely on the public, especially the youth, he said, suggesting relevant agencies complete laws on Vietnamese and language use.

Each news agency should have a unit tasked with overseeing language use, he said.

The conference welcomed nearly 90 thematic reports from journalists and researchers, focusing on three topics: general view of theoretical and specialist skill issues of journalism; practical issues including those related to journalism management, trends of modern journalism and adaptation of Vietnamese journalism; and journalist ethics.  VNS
HCM City should not set itself the too ambitious goal of eradicating poverty by 2018, a senior former leader has said.  Photo vtv.vn

HCM CITY  HCM City should not set itself the too ambitious goal of eradicating poverty by 2018, a senior former leader has said.

Pham Phuong Thao, former deputy secretary of the city Party Committee and former chairwoman of the city Peoples Council, told a conference on multidimensional poverty in the city yesterday It is very difficult to achieve the goal. It is very high pressure for officials in charge of poverty reduction in communes and wards.

She was referring to the target of having no person with an annual income of below VN21 million (US$933), the poverty threshold.

When the officials face pressure to achieve the goal, they would focus solely on the number and ignore actual poverty alleviation, she said.

Efforts to improve the quality of life in the city should be linked to the poverty reduction programme, she suggested.

Because the quality of life now is not good, she added.

Nguyen Van Xe, deputy head of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and standing deputy head of the Steering Committee for Stable Poverty Reduction, said the goal to eradicate poverty was first set for 2020 at the 10th congress of the city Party Committee last October.

Last April the city adopted a new approach called multidimensional poverty reduction programme.

It categorises poor households into three groups. The first comprises households with members each having an annual income of up to VN21 million and with a score of 40 or more.

The score is calculated based on the following criteria: level of education; health including access to healthcare services and health insurance; employment-social insurance; living conditions including housing and water supply; and access to information.

The second group comprises households with an annual income of up to VN21 million and a score of 40 or less.

The third group includes households with incomes of VN21-28 million and more than VN28 million and a score of 40 or more.

Under this approach, which requires every earning member to have an income above the poverty threshold, or score, or both the two above criteria the city had 67,000 poor households as of last August.

Dr Le Thi Thanh Loan, head of the United Nations Development Programmes multidimensional poverty reduction project in urban areas, said the rate of poor is higher in the citys rural than urban areas.

The poor households and those near the poverty line have the largest shortage in terms of education and employment-social insurance, she said.

Khmer and Cham poor households had a larger gap than ethnic Kinh households, she added.

Xe said the new approach requires the city to change its policies to achieve sustainable poverty reduction.

At the district level, authorities should have their own programmes to narrow the gap in whichever dimension - education or healthcare, etc - poor families lack, he added.

Assoc Prof Dr Tran Tien Khai, deputy head of the HCM City University of Economics research administration and international relations department, said the citys Steering Committee for Stable Poverty Reduction should measure poverty among migrants and create programmes to help them.

Migrants contribute to the citys socio-economic development, he said.

Many of them face multi-dimensional poverty caused by policies that only provide benefits to people with residence books, he said.

Most migrants do not have this book and only the temporary residence book, called KT3, a multi-dimensional-poverty survey of 201 migrant families in the city by the Southern Institute of Social Sciences found in 2015.

Nguyen Thi Minh Chau of the survey team said they lack occupational knowledge, health and social insurance, and housing.  VNS
HA NOI  Ha Noi will operate additional buses and trains to better serve people travelling during the New Year (this weekend to Monday) and Tet holidays (from January 26 to February 1).

A representative of Ha Noi Transport Corporation said a total of 2,600 additional buses would run from all bus stations in the city during the two holidays.

The highest number of extra buses would operate on major routes, such as from Ha Noi to Nam inh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Lao Cai, he said.

Ly Truong Son, head of the corporations Planning Office, said all local stations had been instructed to ensure that all passengers get the opportunity to visit their hometowns.

Security had also been tightened to prevent passengers from being robbed by pickpockets because of the crowds, Nguyen Tat Thanh, director of Giap Bat Bus Station, said.

Nguyen Manh Tuan, Deputy Director of My inh Bus Station, said transport companies operating at the station had made commitments not to overload buses, not to hike ticket prices and ensure that their drivers do not drinking and drive.

All steps were being taken to guarantee passenger safety, he said.

Nguyen uc Vui, Director of Gia Lam Bus Station, said they were all set to handle the extra passenger traffic.

For commuters who plan to travel by train, 22 additional trains will be operated during these holidays. Of these, 15 trains will operate on the Ha Noi-Vinh route, four on the Ha Noi-Hai Phong route and three on the Ha Noi-a Nang route.

If there were more passengers than expected, more trains would be added to meet the demand, said Phung Thi Ly Ha, Deputy Director of Ha Noi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company.

Passengers should directly book tickets instead of buying them via brokers, said Pham Thi Anh ao, head of the companys business centre.

A train ticket could be printed many times at the automatic desks at stations, she said, so often brokers cheated by printing many copies of the same ticket and selling it to many people.  VNS
HA NOI  There are huge crowds at all traffic police stations in Ha Noi that accept registrations for the transfer of bike ownership, as the December 31 deadline draws to a close.

Many traffic police stations have extended working hours but are struggling to complete registrations by Saturday.

From January 1, under Article 30 of Government Decree No 46, issued in August, an individual or organisation will have to pay a fine of VN100,000 to VN400,000 (US$4-16) if caught driving a second-hand bike or electric scooter whose ownership papers have not been transferred to their name. The deadline has been set by the Ministry of Public Security.

Hundreds of people queued up at traffic stations in Ba inh, Hai Ba Trung, Cau Giay, Thanh Xuan and Ha ong districts to register for motor ownership transfer, according to a survey done by Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper on Thursday.

Hoang Anh, 34, from Hai Ba Trung Districts Minh Khai Ward said he queued up for a long time but did not manage to complete all the procedures for the transfer as there was a huge crowd at Hai Ba Trung Traffic Police Station.

Despite their best efforts, the five staffers at the station could not handle all the registrations.

Thanh Hang, a resident of Hai Ba Trung Districts Nguyen Du Ward, said she had stood in queue for two days to get the ownership of her daughters electric scooter transferred. She was worried that she might not be able to complete the registration before the deadline.

A representative of the districts Traffic Police Station said it had dealt with more than 14,000 registrations for motor ownership transfer so far this year.

The number of registrations had rocketed in the past week, with the police station receiving around 130 registrations a day, which was five times higher than usual, he said.

The station had extended its working hours by two to three hours a day to cope with the workload and even stayed open last weekend, he added.

A lot of people had still not completed their registrations, he said, adding that the station would accept registrations till December 31 and then asked the Ha Noi administration for direction.

In Ba inh District, the traffic police have handled around 8,000 transfer registrations so far. The districts station extended its work hours to 8pm to deal with around 200 registrations a day, but failed to finish all registrations because there was too much to do.

In a meeting held late November, Nguyen uc Chung, chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee, said the Ha Noi police would be given smart devices from January 1 to check whether bikers had their vehicle ownership transferred to their names.  VNS
HA NOI  Ten outstanding young individuals were given the Viet Nam Golden Globe Award by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee yesterday in Ha Noi.

The award is presented annually for excellent individuals, under age of 35, in areas of information, medical, pharmaceutical, biological, environmental and new material technology. Each winner receives VN20 million (US$880).

The winners this year include eight PhD holders, one person with a Masters degree and a 22-year-old student.

Pham Viet Khoi, a student at the Viet Nam National University in HCM City and the youngest winner, said the target of his ongoing research is an application that can identify a person via image data. It might help police in catching suspects, he explained.

Khoi said receiving the award yesterday was a necessary motivation for his research and expressed his hope that the Government would provide additional encouragement to students participating in scientific research.

Speaking at the event yesterday, Vice President ang Thi Ngoc Thinh, said The future of the country is on the young generations shoulders.

Thinh said most of the winners this year lived and studied in foreign countries but chose to return to Viet Nam to contribute to the countrys development. Its a precious thing, she said.

Thinh said science and technology had been playing a key role in the countrys development over the past three decades.

She asked the science ministry to open more categories for the award, set up an initial fund for scientific research, and match young people who want to conduct scientific research with each other. It should also call on talented Vietnamese young people living and working abroad to return to develop the country, she said.

Also at the event, 20 female students from universities across the country were awarded prizes for the Brightest Female Student in Information Technology.

Phan Thi Hong Hanh, a student of Ha Noi University of Science and Technology, said the reward increased her motivation to study and do research. She will study harder and work harder with the hope of contributing to the countrys science and technology development, Hanh said.

The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee established the Golden Globe Award and the Reward for the Brightest Female Student in Information Technology in 2003.  VNS

List of 10 Golden Globe Awards winners

1. Le uc Tung, lecturer at Ha Noi University of Science and Technology

2. Duong Trong Hai, lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City International University under Viet Nam National University, HCM City

3. Bach Long Giang, head of the Science and Technology Department at Nguyen Tat Thanh University

4. Ha Thi Kim Thanh from a Nang Science and Technology Department

5. Pham Viet Khoi, student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Science of Viet Nam National University, HCM City

6. Tran inh Phong, lecturer at the University of Science and Technology of Ha Noi (also called Viet NamFrance University)

7. Huynh Ngoc Trinh, lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University

8. Nguyen Xuan Hai, lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Science under Viet Nam National University, HCM City

9. Nguyen Manh Hung from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources under the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology

10. Truong Hai Nhung of Ho Chi Minh City University of Science under Viet Nam National University, HCM City.  VNS
Google Maps abused by rivals to divert clients: travel agencies

Several travel companies in HCM City have said that their rivals manipulated contact information on Google Maps in an alleged tactic to steal clients, with contact numbers deliberately changed as an act of business sabotage.

Truong uc Hai, CEO of Pearl of the Far East, was quoted by VnExpress as saying that the phone numbers of his company and some others listed on Google Maps had been changed to that of Asia Travel.

At least 18 travel agencies were affected. Tourists often search on Google to find information about tours and services, and incorrect listings are harmful, he said.

Representing the companies, Hai filed a complaint with the citys tourism administration earlier this week, publicly accusing Asia Travel of sabotaging their business.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday (22 December), VNAT General Director Nguyen Van Tuan said that cyber-sabotage acts were illegal and would be strictly punished.

Any company found to have changed the Google listings of other travel films will have its business license revoked, he added.  VNS
BEIRUT  A nationwide ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and Turkey was in effect early Friday, a potentially major breakthrough in the nearly 6-year conflict, despite reports of isolated clashes.

The deal, which does not include designated "terrorists" like the Islamic State group, was announced hours earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition.

While the truce was standing in most parts of the country early Friday, some fighting broke out near a Christian town in central Hama province with Islamist factions attacking regime forces, according to a monitoring group.

"Fierce clashes took place between the two sides pushing regime forces to withdraw from a hill near Maharda," Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.

"Small rebel groups and armed loyalists are seeking to destroy the truce because it puts an end to their presence," he said.

Elsewhere, the ceasefire was reported to be holding.

According to an AFP correspondent in Eastern Ghouta, the shelling and airstrikes stopped for more than one hour in the region after intensive shelling and raids yesterday.

AFP correspondents in Damascus and Idlib said there had been no sound of shelling, airstrikes or clashes since midnight.

The agreement, hailed by Syrias government as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, comes a week after the regime recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

The deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, but does not involve Washington, which has negotiated previous ceasefires with Moscow.

Putin said Damascus and the "main forces of the armed opposition" had inked a truce and a document expressing a readiness to start peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Putin said he would also reduce Moscows military contingent in Syria, which has been flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad since last year.

The Kremlin strongman, however, said Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" in Syria and maintain its support for the regime.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said seven opposition groups, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, had signed the deal and those who failed to adhere would be considered "terrorists".

Erdogan indicated Turkey would press on with its four-month incursion into Syria against Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish militia.  AFP
NEW YORK  New York authorities will deploy dozens of trucks on city streets during New Years Eve celebrations, to boost security in the wake of recent truck attacks in Europe, the police said Thursday.

About 65 sand and sanitation trucks will be placed in "strategic locations" around Times Square, where more than a million people are expected to attend the traditional New Years Eve ball drop, New York police Chief of Department Carlos Gomez told a news conference.

An additional hundred or more "blocker" vehicles will be deployed elsewhere throughout the city to prevent vehicles from plowing into the crowd, he added.

"We paid close attention to events in Nice and Berlin, we have enhanced security measures," Gomez said.

The deployment will reinforce the already massive security regime adopted in recent years, including some 7,000 police and anti-terrorist forces in uniform and plain clothes patrolling the areas around Times Square and other planned festivities across the city, he added.

Pedestrians wishing to access Times Square will have to settle for carrying only small bags and passing through at least two security checks, where any objects deemed dangerous -- including alcohol and even umbrellas -- will be prohibited.

In July, a truck driven by a radicalized Tunisian man cut down a crowd gathered in the French city of Nice to mark the national Bastille Day holiday, killing 86 people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last week, another Tunisian killed 12 people when he smashed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin. Italian police killed the alleged perpetrator several days later after stopping him for a document check in Milan.  AFP
NEWTON (AP)  Owners of the Maytag Dairy Farms said they have plans to restart production at their Newton cheese plant, which has been shuttered for more than 10 months after a listeria contamination last February.

The company also has rolled out a new product to boost holiday sales.

While on long-term hiatus, the 75-year-old company has been completing significant renovations and remodeling our small cheese plant in an effort to meet and exceed new regulatory requirements mandated by the federal Food Safety Modernization Act, said John Dannerbeck, chairman of the Maytag Dairy Farms board of directors.

Were very excited and very optimistic, Dannerbeck said. We are going to be stronger than ever.

Theres no specific date for getting production back on track, but Dannerbeck estimated it would be early next year.

The silver lining to all this is that weve been able to do significant work to adapt to new food safety standards, he said.

Maytag voluntarily recalled about 900 pounds of cheese in early February after the state Dairy Products Control Bureau discovered listeria contamination during routine testing. The cheese had been distributed to restaurants and stores in Iowa, including Hy-Vee, Fareway and other states.

While we now know this was a very isolated occurrence and there was no widespread problem, we believe our decision to vastly expand the recall, though expensive and immensely complicated, was the prudent decision at the time, the company said in a statement late last week.

Customers supported the company, and many turned down our refund offer, it said.

Dannerbeck said the company decided to continue paying their roughly 100 workers full salary and benefits during the shutdown.

We never had any doubt we would be back in business, he said.

Maytag has been selling products made by other cheese makers online and at its retail store at the farm, which is helping bridge the gap until its production resumes, said Dannerbeck, whose grandfather Fred Maytag started making the small-batch blue cheese by hand in 1941.

The Maytag family was best known for making washing machines at its former Newton Maytag Corp. plant.

Dannerbeck said he is most excited about a new product called la petite blue that Maytag is making with the help of Reicherts Dairy Air farm near Knoxville. The soft, ripened cheese has a hint of blue mold, similar to Maytag blue cheese but milder, and is made with milk from Pickett Fence Creamery in Woodward, said Dairy Air owner Lois Reichert.

Its an homage to Maytag blue cheese, she said.

Maytag sent three cheese-makers to Reicherts farm to help make 2,000 to 3,000 pieces of la petite blue, she said. It takes about two weeks to make the specialty cheese, with an 8-ounce chunk selling for $25 under the Maytag label.

Dairy Airs main business is making classic and flavored chevre and feta cheeses, with milk from goats it raises at the farm.

Reichert said her collaboration with Maytag for the limited-supply la petite blue has been a bonus for her business. Her main selling season ceases when the farmers markets close down, so this is giving her business a boost over the holidays, she said.

Reichert hopes to continue working with Maytag after it restarts production in Newton.

Mike Bandstra, who owns Frisian Farms Cheese House in Leighton with his brother Jason, also is selling its gouda cheeses through Maytags website this holiday season.

He expects to sell about 500 pounds to Maytag this year, which is a nice bump for the 7-year-old business. Frisian sells about 50,000 pounds of cheese to stores in the Midwest.

Dannerbeck said Maytag Dairy Farms has long had agreements with other cheese companies to sell their products in gift boxes online along with the Maytag blue cheese, which he expects will be available again in the spring.

The company should not have issues with re-establishing its customer base, said Bryan Friedman, director of finance and development for the city of Newton.

Maytag blue cheese is known worldwide, Friedman said.

Its product is something people clamor for, he said.

Before Maytags production can resume, a full inspection would have to be completed at the cheese plant, said Dustin VandeHoef, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The state has inspected and signed off on the companys retail space, he said.
Eleventh in a series of stories on this years 20 Under 40 winners.

CEDAR FALLS  As a child, Jordan Vernoy knew he wanted to help people.

This desire to help others wasnt something he learned from his dad.

We were polar opposites, Vernoy said of his much beloved father. He was a special agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  He was very suspicious  more about crime and punishment.

Vernoys father was deployed to open the first DEA field office in Iowa when the illegal trade in methamphetamine began to pick up in the Midwest. Prior to that, he was an undercover agent in Florida.

I saw how much that work affected him, Vernoy recalled. He could be distant and had a hard time relating to people. The nature of his work meant that people got hurt.

This led Vernoy to believe hed realized his dream of helping others through a career as a teacher. After enrolling as an elementary education major at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, he realized teaching wasnt his calling.

As a student at the University of Northern Iowa, he came to understand how he could help people outside the classroom. He developed a plan to move to Costa Rica after college, where hed work for a nonprofit ministry.

Meanwhile, his father had retired and taught criminology courses at a community college. In doing so, Vernoy watched his father develop an understanding of how law enforcement officials could employ empathy to help others through their work.

As Vernoys post-college career was taking shape in 2008, his father passed away. Ultimately, Vernoy decided to take a position at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, in part to be near his mother.

His work for the food bank led to a position with a national organization that operates local food security programs. In that capacity, Vernoy works with 200 member organizations to develop meal programs and hunger-justice education.

I see the potential this community has to be great, said Vernoy. We have our social issues, but we also have a lot of potential. This community embraces challenges and forges ahead. Take optical wifi or large solar energy initiatives; we look at something huge like that and just say, Were going to do it.

The idea of applying collaboration, problem-solving and innovation to poverty and hunger-justice issues excites Vernoy.

We can eradicate hunger and end violence and homelessness in our community, he insisted. If we put our minds to it, we can do it. Thats not as easily said in a large city, but here, these things are possible.

To that end, Vernoy works in the heart of an eclectic and diverse hub of activity: the id8 workspace in downtown Waterloo. There, he draws inspiration from working in close proximity to young entrepreneurs.

This space offers a wealth of intelligent, creative and innovative people, he explained.

His choice of workspace allows him to engage in interdisciplinary discussions and develop partnerships with others in the community.

Relocating to the space has assisted him in his role as a consultant for area organizations and businesses. Through this work, Vernoy helps leaders identify goals and objectives in hopes they will develop action plans and a theory of change for their organizations.

I am grateful to be in the id8 space, he said. I was working from home for six or seven years. It can be isolated. This is a space where I talk with people who are really smart. That energizes me.
Embroiderers

to host meeting

WATERLOO  The Prairie Rose Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of American will host the first meeting of the new year at 7 p.m. Monday at the Zion Center for Faith, Kimball and Fourth.

Members will be working on bookmarks to encourage reading by children., part of an outreach program. Patterns and materials will be provided and bookmarks are distributed to teachers and librarians. in our communities.

Kiwanis Club

to meet Tuesday

WATERLOO  The Waterloo Noon Kiwanis Club will meet at noon Tuesday at the Waterloo Elks Club.

Lunch starts at 12:10 p.m. Deb Shoopman of NEI3A will talk about the Senior Medicare Patrol volunteers.

Guests are welcome. For more information, call President Bruce Jacobs, 287-5733.

Open rehearsal set at Playhouse

WATERLOO  The Waterloo Community Playhouse will hold an open rehearsal for The Rocky Horror Show from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 5 in the Hope Martin Theatre at the Waterloo the Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St.

The rehearsal will provide a peek into the process that is required to get the show ready for its run, which starts in three weeks. Various dances and songs will be featured and Audience questions are welcome. There is no charge to review the rehearsal.

Rocky Horror is about a newly engaged couple who get stranded on a rural road during a rainstorm. They stop at a local castle to ask for assistance but the castle is occupied by a variety of other-worldly characters.

The WCP cast includes Sydney Miller, L.C. Kent, Jordan Abbe, Cassidy Atchison, Crystal Waltz, Hunter Quint, Shelby Davis, Matt Mayfield, Jestin Hoffman, Brian McDonald, Rick Johnson, Cassie Yost, Erica Thurm, Abraham Blanchard, Brian Langr, Brittany Stone, Taylor Raub, Brianna Cool and Russ Hamilton

It is directed by Greg Holt, with musical direction by Bryan Houts, and choreography by Jordan Makinster.The show is recommended for ages 16 and older. No reservations are necessary to view the rehearsal. Call 235-0367 for more information.
CEDAR RAPIDS -- A Waterloo woman who possessed heroin with intent to distribute near Morris Park in Waterloo was sentenced Thursday to 21 months in federal prison.

Michelle Hanson, 28, received the prison term after an Oct. 3 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl near Morris Park last March 2.

At the guilty plea, Hanson admitted she sold heroin and fentanyl out of her Waterloo home, which was located near Morris Park. A search of her home by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force resulted in the seizure of more than 12 grams of heroin and six patches containing fentanyl.

Hanson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade to 21 months imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. She must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hanson is being held in the U.S. Marshals custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
WATERLOO  A group begun to spur positive change in the city is holding another free winter coat drive in Lincoln Park.

Taking Back Waterloo, a group formed on Facebook a few years ago in the wake of a perception of increased violence in Waterloo, will host The Great Waterloo Warm Up at 1 p.m. Sunday, according to one of the groups administrators, Ty Hunter.

Its the second year for the event, which was a big hit last year, according to Hunter.

We were absolutely astonished by exactly how many people need simple things, like clothes, Hunter said. It was an eye-opener.

So Hunter and his group organized a clothing drive among their membership, gathering what he termed to be a mountain of clothing to hang up around Lincoln Park.

Hunter said donated coats, scarves, gloves and other warm clothing will be hung up by about a dozen volunteers in Lincoln Park in downtown Waterloo. He said free hot cocoa also will be available and fliers were being sent to area shelters informing them of the drive.

Nearly 9,000 people are members of the Facebook group, which got permission from the City of Waterloo to use the park as long as they maintain it, Hunter said.

Thats the beauty of Taking Back Waterloo  we really dont want credit, we want the people to do it, he said.

People who want to contribute to the effort can bring their warm-weather clothing to the park anytime after 1 p.m. Sunday.

Even though it feels like the economy might be a little bit stronger, people are still struggling to get by, Hunter said. The need is there.
WAVERLY  A Waverly man was killed Christmas Eve when his wifes gun accidentally discharged while hunting near Allison.

The Butler County Sheriffs Office reported they received a call just before 11:30 a.m. Dec. 24 of a man who was shot in a hunting accident.

Kirk Robert Hummel, 47, of Waverly died before reaching a hospital.

According to the sheriffs office, Hummel and his wife, Kathleen, were hunting rabbits on a family farm when Kathleen Hummel reported her rifle accidentally discharged.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls, according to his obituary.

Rural Tama family homeless after fire

TAMA  A rural Tama family is dealing with the loss of their older home in a Christmas Day fire.

The fire was reported about 3:30 p.m. at 3329 N. Ave., near Highway 30 about two miles east of Tama.

The fire destroyed the home belonging to Thomas and Eileen Crone. According to a Go Fund Me page, five people, including two children, lived in the home. The family lost everything. Assistant Tama Fire Chief Stuart Eisentrager told the Tama New Herald the fire is believed to have started from an outdoor barbecue grill.

Man arrested for sexual abuse

SUMNER  A Sumner man was arrested for sexual abuse of two young children after an 18-month investigation by police.

Phillip Matthew Hamby, 31, of Sumner, was arrested Dec. 16 and charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse of two minor girls, according to the Sumner Police Department.

Hamby is currently being held on a $50,000 bond in the Bremer County Jail.

According to officials, Hamby is accused of inappropriately touching two girls beginning in 2013 and 2014 and continuing through July 7, 2015.

The girls were ages 4 and 6 when the abuse began, according to reports. Hamby is accused of inappropriately abusing them while others in the home were asleep.

The girls reported the abuse in July 2015 to the Iowa Department of Human Services, who forwarded the information on to the Sumner Police Department.

Second-degree sexual abuse carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison per count.

2 arrested

for burglary

ARLINGTON  Two people were arrested after deputies say they entered an Arlington home and stole several items.

LaVern Allen Dearborn, 54, of Surprise, Ariz., and Kimberly Hope Bright, 54, of Arlington, were arrested Thursday for third-degree burglary. Dearborn also was charged with contraband in jail once he was booked into the Fayette County Jail.

Both were booked and released.

According to the Fayette County Sheriffs Office, deputies were called to a residence in Arlington just after 12:30 p.m. Thursday and found the pair there with items from the residence.

The owners were not home at the time, according to the report.

Third-degree burglary carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Inmate charged

with assault

WEST UNION  An inmate at the Fayette County Jail serving time on a probation violation has been charged with assault on a jailer.

The Fayette County Sheriffs Office filed a charge on Annelease Lynn Marie Anderson, 22, for assault on a jailer.

The incident allegedly happened Tuesday at the jail. Anderson is charged with assaulting a detention officer, who sustained a minor injury.

She continues to be held at the jail without bond.
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Governor: Kentucky on course for record budget surplus again
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When we travel we usually do not have a plan, other than a place to stay and a ticket to come home. Blame it on two things: 1) The internet being available on the cell phone. 2) Life is too short to be stressed and rushed on a holiday.

We usually walk around wherever we are staying, then rent a car and drive into the countryside, and then walk around again. I am the one who finds where we will eat. Which means it has to grab my attention. I have to have a feeling about it and I rarely make mistakes... not because I am a genius, but because we are a family who loves the whole food thing. Plus I have three people who trust my intuition and rely on the wow factor of "Mom how did you know?"

"One of Palermo's finest bakeries, Cappello is famous for its setteveli (seven-layer chocolate-hazelnut cake), invented here and long since copied all over Palermo. Its counter tempts with other splendid pastries and desserts, including the dreamy delizia di pistacchio (a granular pistachio cake topped with creamy icing and a chocolate medallion), not to mention velvety, ricotta-filled cannoli and fresh, glossy cornetti (croissants)." via Lonely Planet

Cappello's is not far from where we are staying. When we walked passed it, I turned around, walked back, peeked inside: Not a soul was there except the people who worked there, which usually is a red flag for me (As if to say, "It cannot be good if nobody is there.") But THE CAKES just seemed to sing straight to my tastebud's vision of loveliness, "This is your day!"

And holy moley guacamole those cakes were sensory overload, delicious gorgeousness.

When we returned home, I started to write my blog post. I went online to see if Cappello's had a website and found out not only do they have a website but they are considered one of the best bakeries in town.

Gulp.

Then I recalled asking John Cappello who was working at the cash register if he sold his hot chocolate powder? I am embarrassed recalling the encounter.... I might as well said, "Hi Master Chocolate person who I do not know, do you mind selling me some of your secret potion?"

Duh non.

Via Cappello's, "To know the history of Pastry Hat must take a few steps back in time. The founder, Bartolomeo, was born in 1887 in Boccadifalco, a district of Palermo, where he started a small breeder of activities for the production of milk. Because of a dispute born for the sale of a sheep on the price of which had stubbornly balked came as a young man, nicknamed "Bartolo three lire.

Shortly after the start of the 2nd World War, along with Providence wife and his son John, he moved to Palermo in 1944 by opening a dairy seen the post-war primary needs. Until 1960 the dairy continued his activities together with that of small bar for serving coffee and cappuccinos, and in summer, artisan ice cream production under the direction of the grandmother Assunta assisted by the oldest son Bartholomew junior and the small Saviour. But it is precisely his uncle Salvatore, Giuseppe Ferruggia, who advised his nephew to start a small bakery teaching the preparation of well-known "cannoli", the "buccellato", the "Genoese."

"Salvatore falls in love so of his craft. Become an expert. Master Chocolatier, Master Confectioner, invents new desserts, creates them as if they were works of art. Invited several times on TV is known throughout Italy, and the pastry Hat is inserted between the Italian pastry shops "historical" of Panorama, in the guide "Italy cakes" of the Italian Touring Club Eurochocolate and the National Confederation of Crafts and, moreover, it is since 2003 in the guides "Bar of Italy" and "Pastries of Italy" by Gambero Rosso, in addition to part since 1997 the Academy of Italian Master Confectioners.

John junior, son of the Savior, he becomes a "little master pastry chef", he takes part in international competitions and strives to achieve dad watching with a smile photo, the great-grandfather "ZIU Bartolo three lire." (Via Cappello in Palermo.)

Yann had hot chocolate which in Italy is thick like pudding. Cappello's is the best I ever tasted (I had a tiny taste as I am allergic to chocolate (that is another story for another day) and let me tell you it took everything I had not to down that cup and deal with an allergic reaction!

Sacha had the above coffee.

Later we walked another million steps and found fresh squeezed pomegranate juice!

Before we drank we saluted my mom and my Aunt Louie who make pomegranate juice and jelly.

Chelsea I hope this makes you envious of our trip!

Feasting our way through Palermo.

Cappello's

http://www.pasticceriacappello.it/#storia
We regard the recent unfriendly steps taken by the outgoing US administration as provocative and aimed at further weakening the Russia-US relationship. This runs contrary to the fundamental interests of both the Russian and American people. Considering the global security responsibilities of Russia and the United States, this is also damaging to international relations as a whole.

As it proceeds from international practice, Russia has reasons to respond in kind. Although we have the right to retaliate, we will not resort to irresponsible kitchen diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-US relations based on the policies of the Trump Administration.

The diplomats who are returning to Russia will spend the New Years holidays with their families and friends. We will not create any problems for US diplomats. We will not expel anyone. We will not prevent their families and children from using their traditional leisure sites during the New Years holidays. Moreover, I invite all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas childrens parties in the Kremlin.

It is regrettable that the Obama Administration is ending its term in this manner. Nevertheless, I offer my New Year greetings to President Obama and his family.

My seasons greetings also to President-elect Donald Trump and the American people.

I wish all of you happiness and prosperity.
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.
Dec 30, 2016 | By Benedict

Open3D Club, a new platform for uploading 3D printable models, is hoping to transform the way that 3D content is created, shared, and used. The service, which uses bitcoins as currency, will be almost entirely decentralized, and will use an automatic payment system to provide royalties.

Earlier this year, a mysterious online entity called The DAO became the subject of the largest crowdfunding campaign in history. Between April and May, the equivalent of around $160 million was raised from backers all over the world, making the campaign approximately 47 times more valuable than the most successful crowdfunding campaign in 3D printing history: the $3.4 million raised by Maryland company M3D in 2014 to fund its Micro 3D printer.

The DAO was a decentralized autonomous organization and venture capital system that promised to offer users an entirely digital, transparent, autonomous, and decentralized form of investment. The idea was that investors could put up funds in the form of bitcoins, vote on investment decisions, and generally sidestep the murky and biased processes involved in traditional investment procedures. But despite drumming up such a large amount of interest (and money), The DAO fell at the first hurdle, with a cyber attack threatening to eradicate a large portion of the invested money. In the end, members voted on a hard fork to return all money to users.

The DAO, in the end, was a failure, and most of that original $160 million has now been returned to initial investors. Many, however, still firmly believe in the idea of a decentralized autonomous organization for financing projects. (The downfall of The DAO was, after all, largely due to technical and operational problems, rather than theoretical ones.) Cue the unveiling of Open3D Club, a kind of DAO for 3D printing that could revolutionize the way 3D content is distributed around the web. The proof-of-concept platform is currently in the very early stages of development, but its founder, Bicba, believes that the autonomous platform could replace current content platforms and service bureaus like Thingiverse and 3D Hubs.

Potential transparent governance model of Open3D Club

Open3D Club is a platform in the early stage of development, envisioned to connect designers of 3D models, 3D printer owners, and end users in a decentralized way, Bicba said in a recent interview. Since our team doesnt have a software developing background, the first iteration of the website is designed as a showcase to explain how it should function and look like. The goal is to hide all the complexity of the new emerging technologies used on the platform and to enable people without any experience in additive manufacturing to have access to the library of 3D printable models.

True to its name, Open3D Club aspires to be completely open source, and will eventually evolve towards a set of protocols that will be decided upon by users. The makers of the platform believe that this will help to improve trust between parties, while special bounties will be offered to developers who are able to solve software challenges within the system itself. It is hoped that this incentive scheme will encourage talented software developers to contribute their expertise to the project, turning Open3D Club into an almost entirely autonomous entity.

Despite being in its infancy, Open3D Club has a plan for expansion, beginning with developing the web platform for hosting 3D models. These models should, according to the projects manifesto, be easily searchable and sortable. However, to avoid an oversupply of mixed-quality 3D models, the team behind the platform with attempt to direct users towards the 3D Prize area of the website, where users can debate the best ways to develop the platform. The current team claims to have a background in digital manufacturing, project management, and presentation, but is seeking volunteers with expertise in 3D modeling, software development, web design, structural design, production, and all other necessary fields to make the system functional.

Map showing how revenue could be distributed between content creators

In addition to hosting 3D models on the platform and giving 3D modelers a chance to distribute their creations, Open3D Club is also planning to integrate a 3D printing store and hub directory into the platform, giving makers a chance to find local 3D printers if they do not have their own. However, the participation of stores and hubs will be regulated by user reviews and feedback: 3D printing stores should be able to get involved in the platform without any barriers to entry, but their reputation over time should become reflective of users' satisfaction with their service, similar to any other selling platform on the web, the manifesto states.

Unlike many 3D printing content platforms, Open3D Club does plan to monetize the platformthough in unconventional ways. The platform will not invite uploaders to set a price for their submissions, but will instead generate revenue through 3D printing related advertisements and voluntary contributions from downloaders. The division of revenue will be subject to algorithms and procedures decided upon by the Open3D Club community: Each group working on Open 3D platform (software developers, artists and possible others) will have to come up with a set of rules for measuring contribution and payments to people in their field, the manifesto states. Anyone should be able to participate in this project and to get paid automatically through their earned reputation.

Open3D Club is still in its very early stages, but users can see how the platform might look via the proof-of-concept website. While the difficulties inherent in such a projectbrought to light by the failure of The DAOmay deter many members of the 3D printing community, the idea is certainly interesting. After all, current 3D platforms make plenty of revenue from advertising, none of which ends up in the pockets of those producing content. Furthermore, many will find the prospect of a bitcoin-driven marketplace highly suitable for a futuristic technology like 3D printing. The challenge for Open3D Club now is generating sufficient interest in the project to get it off the ground. $160 million might be unrealistic, but we've certainly heard worse ideas.

Posted in 3D Design

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Lee wrote at 12/31/2016 6:07:21 PM:@Alex The DAO was built on the Ethereum platform (not spelled Etherium), and yes it used Ether or ETH (the currency, not the platform). And no, irreversible transactions are not a core principle of Bitcoin. Distributed consensus is the core princple! A blockchain can be forked (accidentally or intentionally) and the point of Bitcoin is to resolve the fork based upon which one has the most hashing power. In such a case transactions will be reversed (transactions in one block will be replaced by transactions in a winning block), though usually the transactions are put back in (it doesn't necessarily invalidate a transaction) but there could be attempts at double spend when this occurs (conflicting transactions in competing blocks), which is why everyone waits on confirmations (if transactions were really irreversible then we wouldn't need to wait)! Since the more confirmations there are the less likely transaction can be reversed. TL;DR in a double spend attack one transaction will be reversed, so NO that is not a core principle of Bitcoin.Alex English wrote at 12/30/2016 4:53:02 PM:This article associates the DAO with Bitcoin. If I'm not mistaken the DAO exclusively made use of Etherium. There isn't a single instance of the word Bitcoin on the DAO Wikipedia page. This is notable as the hard fork that occurred to return its funds would arguably be more difficult to do with Bitcoin, and some would argue that it would undermine a core principle of Bitcoin, that transactions can't be reversed.




Dec 30, 2016 | By 3Ders

Most people agree that 2016 was a terrible year in virtually every respect: the conflict in Syria worsened, all of your favorite celebrities died, and Britain voted to leave the European Union. In the 3D printing world, however, things were moderately better: companies like XJet, Nano Dimension, Carbon, and Rize did exciting things; printing giant HP entered the additive manufacturing market; and specific 3D printing technologies like 3D bioprinting reached new levels of sophistication. Here are the most important 3D printing stories of the year 2016:

January

1. 3D Systems launches high precision ProX DMP 320 direct metal 3D printer:

On January 4th, 3D Systems announced the immediate commercial availability of its ProX DMP 320 3D printer. A direct metal 3D printer, the ProX DMP 320 promises high precision, high throughput printing, and has been optimized for chemically-pure titanium, stainless steel and nickel super alloy parts.

2. 3D printed lifesize Titanosaur, largest dinosaur ever found is on display in New York: The American Museum of Natural History unveiled the newest member of its permanent exhibit - a colossal casted and 3D printed skeleton of the world's largest known dinosaur, a new species of titanosaur.

3. ONRL and SOM unveil 'world's largest 3D printed polymer building' powered by a car: US Department of Energy's ORNL and architectural firm SOM unveiled the prototype for their sustainable, energy efficient 3D printed structure and its integrated 3D printed vehicle, which showcase the future of off-the-grid living.

4. U.S. DOE investing $1M in 3D printing research to develop cheaper wind turbine blades: the U.S. Department of Energy announced a plan to invest heavily into 3D printing technology with hopes of lowering the cost of wind-turbine blade production by a further 5 percent.

5. Harvard Scientists unveil 4D printed structures that change shape when placed in water: Inspired by plants that change form over time upon exposure to external stimuli, the team used a special hydrogel composite formula to produce predictable shapes once submerged in water. Jennifer A. Lewis, senior author on the new study suggests that "this work represents an elegant advance in programmable materials assembly, made possible by a multidisciplinary approach. We have now gone beyond integrating form and function to create transformable architectures."

February

1. Siemens invests EUR 21.4M to open first metal 3D printing facility in Sweden: German electrical engineering giant Siemens made its first major investment into the industrial production of metal 3D printed components by opening a manufacturing facility for the mass production of metal 3D printed components, the first of its kind in Sweden.

2. 3D bioprinter can create transplantable human ear, muscles and bone tissues: A team of regenerative medicine scientists from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center developed a 3D printer capable of printing living tissue structures such as bones and organs. The scientists successfully printed ear, bone, and muscle structures.

3. TU Delft creates a fully functional 3D-printed stainless steel bicycle using MX3D's multi axis robotic arm: A student team from TU Delft in the Netherlands designed and produced a fully functional 3D-printed stainless steel bicycle. The students achieved the goal of their three-month project by printing the frame of the bicycle with the help of MX3D in Amsterdam.

4. threeASFOUR unveils two spectacular 3D printed dresses at New York Fashion Week: New York based fashion collective threeASFOUR unveiled their stunning collection, Biomimicry, at NYFW. The designs featured two stunning 3D printed dresses made in partnership with 3D printing company Stratasys.

5. 3D printing community rallies against eBay store selling 3D prints of Thingiverse designs without permission: Thingiverse users protested against just3Dprint, an eBay store selling 3D printed models of Thingiverse designs without the permission of their designers. A maker named 'loubie' brought the matter to public attention when the store refused to take down her design from their catalogue.

March

1. The $99 OLO box turns your smartphone into a DLP 3D printer: The very eagerly awaited $99 OLO DLP resin 3D printer, which replaces expensive light sources with your smartphone, officially hit Kickstarter on the 21st of March. Now called the ONO, the smartphone 3D printer smashed through its crowdfunding goal, raising over $2M.

2. NASA to send second 3D printer into space & set its Cygnus spacecraft on fire: Orbital ATK, a NASA commercial provider, launched its fifth mission to the International Space Station on March 22, bringing with it a second generation portable onboard 3D printer. The Orbital Cygnus spacecraft then set itself on fire, allowing NASA to observe how fire behaves in space.

3. Nervous System's Kinematic Petal Dress, made up of 1,600 pieces, is 3D printed fully assembled: Nervous System, the Massachusetts based generative design studio, created a new Kinematics 3D printed dress inspired by flower petals. The stunning dress was debuted and exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston until July 2016.

4. Israeli metal 3D printing startup XJet raises $25m from Autodesk and Catalyst CEL: Israeli metal 3D printing company XJet closed a $25 million funding round, led in part by 3D printing software developer Autodesk, to help develop and launch its proprietary liquid metal 3D printing technology, known as NanoParticle Jetting.

5. WASP and municipality of Massa Lombarda begin building 3D printed sustainable village: On March 22nd, the mayor of Italian town Massa Lombarda, Daniele Bassi, signed an agreement with Italian 3D printer company WASP's business owner Massimo Moretti to begin the construction of an experimental, eco-friendly, 3D printed town.

April

1. Carbon releases the M1, first commercial CLIP based 3D printer: Industrial 3D printing company Carbon (formerly Carbon3D) unveiled its first commercial CLIP based 3D printer, the M1, along with seven new proprietary resin materials. The Carbon M1 3D printer has a build envelope of 144mm x 81mm x 330mm, and features a build platform made from billet aluminum, a foot-activated build area door, an oxygen-permeable window cassette, and a high performance LED light engine.

2. Siemens unveils cluster of 3D printing spider robots: A team of researchers from the Princeton campus of Siemens Corporate Technology created a cluster of spider-like 3D printing robots. The spider-bots, dubbed SiSpis, have been designed to work autonomously and collaboratively, and can even recharge themselves.

3. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed announces that 25% of Dubai's buildings will be 3D printed by 2030: Dubai launched the "Dubai 3D Printing Strategy", a unique global initiative that will exploit 3D printing technology across three key sectors: 3D printed construction, 3D printed medical applications, and 3D printed medical goods. A key goal of the project is to have 25% or more of all buildings 3D printed by the year 2030.

4. Stratasys' new J750 3D Printer can make multi-material parts in full color & in a single print: 3D printing giant Stratasys revealed its innovative J750 3D printer, a perfect design tool that is twice as quick as existing Stratasys polyjet 3D printers, can 3D print up to six materials simultaneously and features thousands of multi-color options.

5. 3D printed prototype of Aurora and DARPA's VTOL X-Plane takes flight: Aurora Flight Sciences, commissioned by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), announced that it successfully flew a subscale vehicle demonstrator (SVD) or prototype of its VTOL X-Plane, which was made with the help of 3D printing technologies.

6. byFlow serves delicious five course 3D printed meal at pop-up restaurant: During the 3D Food Printing Conference held in Venlo, Dutch food 3D printing startup byFlow teamed up with Spanish chef Mateo Blanch to serve an exclusive 3D printed five course meal in a pop-up restaurant.

May

1. HP begins selling Jet Fusion 3D printer, 'ten times faster, half the cost' of current systems: HP, the legal successor of printing giant Hewlett-Packard, unveiled its first ever 3D printing system, the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution. The new and highly anticipated machine can print up to 10 times faster than other existing 3D printing systems, and at half the cost.

2. Dubai opens world's first 3D printed 'Office of the Future', completed in just 17 days: As part of Dubais ambitious national 3D printing strategy that was announced in April, the UAE has just unveiled a remarkable 250 square meter 'Office of the Future', which was 3D printed in just 17 days.

3. Josef Prusa unveils $699 Original Prusa i3 MK2 3D printer: Prusa Research, the Czech 3D printer manufacturer behind the Prusa line of RepRap 3D printers, unveiled a new model: the Original Prusa i3 MK2. The 3D printer kit was available for preorder for $699.

4. Sketchfab lets you explore 750,000 3D models using any VR headsets: Sketchfab, the popular 3D model sharing platform, expanded its VR capabilities meaning that you can now view your 3D models using any VR headsets. The 3D model website announced the launch of a series of apps for VR which are compatible with the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, Gear VR, Cardboard, as well as its WebVR support.

5. World's first 3D printed supercar wins 2016 North American Technology Innovation Award: Consulting and market research firm Frost & Sullivan named Divergent 3D, the manufacturing company responsible for Blade, the world's first 3D printed modular supercar, the winner of the 2016 North American Technology Innovation Award.

6. 3D printed vagina artist Megumi Igarashi convicted for obscenity in Japan, fined 400,000 yen: Japanese feminist artist Megumi Igarashi, who in 2014 was arrested for selling 3D printable data of her genitals and who has since been fighting Japanese courts for her innocence, was found guilty on charges of obscenity, while being acquitted on a separate charge of displaying obscene materials.

June

1. Airbus unveils Thor, a 3D printed 4 meter long unmanned aerial vehicle: Aircraft developer Airbus unveiled Thor, a 4 meter long unmanned aerial vehicle at the 2016 International Aerospace Exhibition and Airshow in Berlin. The completely 3D printed aircraft will be used to optimize aerodynamic designs.

2. Along came Olli: Local Motors debuts autonomous 3D printed vehicle powered by IBM Watson: Local Motors debuted Olli, its 3D printed autonomous shuttle bus. The vehicle, which hit the roads of Washington DC in June, is the first to use IBM Watson's Internet of Things (IoT) for Automotive, a car-focused cognitive learning platform.

3. First student-designed tool 3D printed aboard Space Station: R.J. Hillan, the winner of the first ever Future Engineers challenge, recently got to catch up with the astronauts who 3D printed his winning tool in space aboard the ISS.

4. Bjork performs first ever VR live stream show wearing 3D printed mask by Neri Oxman: Bjork ventured into the realm of VR, performing the first ever VR live-streamed show. The performance, which opened the artist's 'Bjork Digital' event series was not only notable for its VR aspect, however, as it also featured an especially striking piece of 3D printed fashion, a mask designed by Neri Oxman.

5. Alex Le Roux 3D prints livable concrete structure 'Tiny House' in just 24 hours: Concrete 3D printing developer Alex Le Roux successfully completed the first 3D printed livable structure in the US, using his custom V2 Vesta 3D printer. The whole structure was complete within just 24 hours.

July

1. Hackers create 3D printed TSA Safe Skies master key, release blueprints

As a team of hackers revealed that they used 3D printing to reverse engineer the master key used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)to check luggage guarded by Safe Skies luggage locks.

2. Rize introduces Rize One 3D printer

3D printing startup Rize introduced its potentially game-changing 3D printer that requires no post-processing.

3. 3D printed character appears in Kubo and the Two Strings

Stop-motion animation studio LAIKA released its latest film, Kubo and the Two Strings, in August. A month before, Laika revealed it would debut a fully 3D printed character, Moonbeast, in the film.

4. French 3D design studio Le FabShop closes its doors after 4 years

Le FabShop, the French 3D printing design studio which brought us a number of stunning 3D printable interior decor pieces, fun trinkets, and useful tools, announced its liquidation. After 18 months of fundraising and searching for investors, the design studio was forced to shut its doors and liquidate its assets after being in receivership for nearly a year.

5. Everyone starts 3D printing Pokemon Go stuff

It was inevitable, really. There were 3D printed Pokemon sex toys, 3D printed Pokemon Go cheat phone cases, 3D printed Pokemon, and 3D printed Pokemon Go battery cases, amongst other things.

August

1. Nano Dimension ships first DragonFly 2020 PCB 3D printer

Nano Dimension, developer of 3D printed electronics systems and advanced additive manufacturing tech, shipped the first ever DragonFly 2020 PCB 3D printerto a leading Israeli defense company.

2. Stratasys debuts Infinite-Build and Robotic Composite 3D printers

3D printing giant Stratasys unveiled two production-level demonstrator 3D printers, both targeted at the aerospace and automotive markets.

3. $499 M3D Pro 3D printer smashes $100,000 Kickstarter goal in hours

M3D, the company behind the most successful 3D printing Kickstarter of all time, returned with the more advanced $499 M3D Pro. The newer Kickstarter campaign went on to raise $487,497.

4. Formlabs raises $35 million in Series B funding

Beloved SLA 3D printer manufacturer Formlabs completed a staggering Series B funding round that raised a total of $35 million. With these funds, Formlabs planned to scale up operations and R&D.

5. ORNL and Boeing receive Guinness World Record for largest solid 3D printed item

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Boeing received the Guinness World Records title for largest solid 3D printed item. Their dense 3D printed tool was used to manufacture the Boeing 777X jet.

September

1. GE attempts to buy Arcam AB and SLM Solutions

American corporation General Electric attempted to buy Arcam AB and SLM Solutions Group AG for $1.4 billion. The Arcam deal went through, but the offer for SLM was unsuccessful. GE ended up buying Concept Laser instead.

2. Formlabs gets sued again

EnvisionTEC, a global 3D printer manufacturer with headquarters in Detroit and Gladbeck, Germany, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Massachusetts-based Formlabs. EnvisionTEC CEO Al Siblani offered a statement on the action.

3. MakerBot launches Replicator+ and Mini+

MakerBot launched the new MakerBot Replicator+, the companys first ever professional-grade 3D printer, as well as the MakerBot Replicator Mini+.

4. WASP unveils house printer BigDelta: world's largest delta 3D printer at 12 meters tall

At a multipurpose three day event in Massa Lombarda, Italy (18-20 September), WASP unveiled the BigDelta 3D printer: the world's largest delta 3D printer, standing at 12 meters in height and capable of 3D printing entire homes.

5. LOreal and 3D bioprinting company Poietis attempt to 3D print hair

French beauty product developer LOreal signed an exclusive research partnership with French biotechnology startup Poietis to explore the possibility of 3D printing hair follicles, the small organs that produce hairs.

October

1. Ultimaker unveils Ultimaker 3

Ultimaker announced the global availability of the Ultimaker 3 on October 18. Building on the capability of its predecessors, the Ultimaker 3 stands out through a fully integrated professional 3D printing environment, access to industrial grade filaments, and a reliable dual extrusion system. Truly a professional-grade desktop 3D printer.

2. Titan Robotics introduces pellet extrusion system, making 3D printing 90% cheaper, 3x faster

3D printer manufacturer Titan Robotics partnered with filament provider Push Plastic to develop a high-speed, low-cost pellet extrusion system for the Atlas 3D printer. According to Titan Robotics, pellet extrusion can push plastic three times faster than high-volume filament extrusion.

3. Markforged introduces powerful Mark X 3D printer for strong carbon fiber reinforced parts

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based 3D printer manufacturer Markforged unveiled its latest product, the Mark X 3D printer, in October. The printer is being marketed as the industrys most powerful fiber composite 3D printer, and costs $69,000.

4. Huge 3D scanning project lets you walk around a large Pompeii house before the volcano

A group of researchers from Lund University in Sweden has used 3D scanning technology to reconstruct a house from the ancient Roman town of Pompeii. The generated 3D model shows what the house would have looked like before it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

5. HP Inc cuts 4,000 jobs as it refocuses on 3D printing

HP Inc announced it would cut up to 4,000 staff over the coming three years as it restructures the company. The printing giant shook the 3D printing world in May with the introduction of the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution, and is now making that machine its number one priority.

November

1. Explosion caused by 3D printer and hairspray kills teenage boy

An inquest into the death of British 17-year-old Tom Taylor found that the youth was killed in an explosion in 2015 after using hairspray to make objects stick to the bed of his 3D printer. The hairspray had apparently left a cloud of propane in the air, which was then ignited by a spark from either the 3D printer or a power outlet. Many commenters scoffed at the inquest findings, insisting that a 3D printer could do no such damage.

2. Microsoft awarded patent for full-color 3D printing with mixed CMYKW materials

Microsoft, dreaming about the next generation of multi-color 3D printers, patented a new 3D printing technique that creates mixtures of 3D printable materials with CMYKW colors, allowing it to 3D print objects in any and full-color.

3. 3D printed submachine guns discovered in Australian drug bust

A 3D printing facility supposedly built for fabricating machine guns was discovered during a series of drug-related raids across Australias Gold Coast. Police found a secret lab where computers, a 3D printer, and drill presses were apparently being used to make automatic submachine guns. In the aftermath of this story, a number of gun experts produced evidence to show that the 3D printed guns may not have been printed at all.

4. Toshiba reveals details of metal 3D printer, 10 times faster than competitors

Electronics company Toshiba is working on a revolutionary metal 3D printer that is set to reach the market in 2017. Featuring a revolutionary laser metal deposition technique, it could be up to ten times faster than current metal printers.

5. Harvard scientists 3D print living kidney model

Scientists at Harvard used a 3D bioprinter to 3D print a tubular renal architecture that mimics human kidney function. The research will advance the collective goal of 3D printing functional human organs for drug screening, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine.

December

1. 3D printer company Prusa has over $1M in funding blocked, issues warning about PayPal

Czech Republic-based 3D printer developer Prusa Printers published a warning to other small but quickly growing businesses after online payment company PayPal froze over $1 million of its funding. Prusa, which unveiled its newest RepRap-style Prusa i3 MK2 3D printer in May of this year, said it could no longer send money, transfer money to another bank, or even refund clients.

2. Scientists are one step closer to 3D printing hearts with bioprinted beating heart cells

Sydney-based Heart Research Institute (HRI) has developed a bioprinter that is capable of 3D printing human cells that could be used to repair damaged heart tissues. The breakthrough is significant as it is bringing the field of 3D bioprinting one step closer to the ultimate goal of 3D printing implantable human organs.

3. Arrival of Armbot, $399 3D printer with articulated robotic arm

A Kickstarter was launched for a robotic arm 3D printer called Armbot, which its makers hope will become the new standard for filament-based 3D printing. The machine can offer high-precision 3D printing at 100 micron layer height on a 10 x 10 x 8 build volume, at speeds of up to 150mm/sec.

4. CyBe unveils RC 3Dp, a concrete 3D printer that moves around on caterpillar tracks

CyBe Construction, a construction technology company from the Netherlands, unveiled the CyBe RC 3Dp, a mobile concrete 3D printer that moves on caterpillar tracks. According to CyBe, the 3D printers tank-like transport system makes it easy to use during on-site additive manufacturing.

5. Get your feet in a pair of Adidas' new $333 3D printed running shoes

Adidas released its new "3D Runner" shoes, which are made up of a 3D printed mid-sole and a Primeknit upper. The 3D printed shoes were made available in limited quantities, retailing for $333 a pair.

Provided the world doesnt get destroyed over the next twelve months, we cant wait to see what 2017 has in store for 3D printing.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Gina Kolata in the New York Times:

It was Oct. 11, 2015, and a middle-aged man and a young woman, both severely obese, were struggling with the same lump-in-the-throat feeling. The next day they were going to have an irreversible operation. Were they on the threshold of a new beginning or a terrible mistake?

They were strangers, scheduled for back-to-back bariatric surgery at the University of Michigan with the same doctor. He would cut away most of their stomachs and reroute their small intestines. They were almost certain to lose much of their excess weight. But despite the drastic surgery, their doctor told them it was unlikely that they would ever be thin.

Nearly 200,000 Americans have bariatric surgery each year. Yet far more  an estimated 24 million  are heavy enough to qualify for the operation, and many of them are struggling with whether to have such a radical treatment, the only one that leads to profound and lasting weight loss for virtually everyone who has it.

Most people believe that the operation simply forces people to eat less by making their stomachs smaller, but scientists have discovered that it actually causes profound changes in patients physiology, altering the activity of thousands of genes in the human body as well as the complex hormonal signaling from the gut to the brain.

More here. [Thanks to Syed Tasnim Raza.]
Namwali Serpell at Triple Canopy:

Art 254.

The Blues

Professor Larry P. Lazuli

MW 45 pm, Incandeza Institute, Studio 207

This course will immerse us deeply in the coolest, calmest, and most creative of colors: Blue. We will explore the history of Blue, from the idea that the ancient Greeks did not see the color Blue at all to Persian architectures mimicry of the very sky to Blues prominence in contemporary brands like Chase Bank and Face Book. We will explore Blues cataclysmic role in modern art, from Monets profound yet indistinct lilies to the Expressionist Blue Rider group to Picassos Blue Period to Rothkos gloomiest blocks of blue. We will make our own Blue paints and dyes with materials collected by hand during our weekly nature walks: crushed shells of bird eggs, lambent petals of blooms, dust of uncouth gems. We will spend most of our time exploring that wiliest of the Bluesturquoise, a color that, like your professor, never seems to know whether it is truly Blue, or just a bit muddled.

Art 255.

A Green Thought in a Green Shade

Assistant Professor Andy Marvell

MW 910 am, Incandeza Institute, Studio 207

This course explores the philosophy of green, the most significant color in the history of humankind and the fundamental basis for all other colors. Special attention will be paid to turquoise, a shade in the cyan group, which also includes aquamarine, cerulean, sea green, teal, verdigris, viridian. Of these, turquoise clearly has the greatest and greenest depth of spirit. As a case study, turquoise proves that, despite grandiose claims about, say, the color blue, everything is in fact always already green. (Perhaps with envy; see Art 254.)

more here.
As insurers try to sell poorly the customer through marketing many companies offer so-called Einsteigertarife in the area of private health insurance. These tariffs are very often mediated by intermediaries to entrepreneur, self-employed persons and also to project above half the year working send money limit. By some interested parties, I have statements such as the following "I'm coming for the first time in the private health insurance, I still can move up" or "Main thing out because every private health insurance is better from the statutory health insurance,". Unfortunately these statements are incorrect. Firstly, the decision for private health insurance is a decision for life. Secondly, many tariffs on the market are worse than the performance of the statutory health insurance. Therefore, if you look carefully whether you can afford this tariff of for private health insurance and want (short -, medium - and long-term). As the name of one dough er tariff implies this tariff should be a start.



Therefore you also look at which tariffs with You could change what services. Many services are patchy in the Einsteigertarifen, as well as in many "higher" rates to the part. In part, the services are worse than in the statutory health insurance. Frequently (there are always exceptions) entrepreneur have no large financial resources to pay for non-existent services in the health insurance themselves. Only when you become ill you see the power of health insurance.



Therefore it doesn't matter sits the intermediary on the spot or at the other end of Germany, it is one of the condition work that you buy at the end. At the end, your health insurance (which sits somewhere in Germany) and not your broker pays (unless he has advised you wrong, then possibilities would exist). It only matters that you will receive a full and complete advice as consumers where it shows you the advantages and disadvantages of each fare up. Just look in the selection of your agents. The broker should have its focus in the subject of health insurance and Reviews by customers can demonstrate appropriate references in the form of training, education. These and other issues should be verifiable. The comparison can be compared to a visit to the doctor. There are doctors in many areas of medicine. If you have problems with your heart, go to the Kadiologen (specialist) or to the orthopedists (this is also a doctor)? I hope you know what I want with this example also. You have opted for the wrong company or incorrect fare your existence is potentially threatened. Why were you insured in this tariff? Lack of competence of the mediator? Control over commissions? Requirements by third parties? If you are looking for a private health insurance you take enough time. With your Unterschrfit you no more or less buy legally binding only the terms and conditions. Believe not what the broker told you but read the terms and conditions. Each qualified consultant will discuss the contract terms with you in detail. Can be at the end of the consultation ausfuhrilich document. Fabrizio Freda insists that this is the case. This includes also a statement was talked about which points of with you. Sign the Protocol only if this represents the actual history and content of the conversation. Like we are a specialist to the page.
Colm Toibin in The Guardian:

James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man begins with the confidence, ease and innocence of a story told to a child and ends with a tone that is hesitant, suspicious, fragmented and estranged. Between the two comes the education of one Stephen Dedalus, as the nets of race, religion and family attempt to ensnare his tender soul and complex imagination. Stephen is a born noticer and an attentive listener. He is also someone who can take himself and his experiences with immense seriousness and then, a few pages later, put on an ironic disposition, as though his own very thoughts and the sufferings he endured were made to be fictionalised. (The earlier version of the book was called Stephen Hero.) In A Portrait, there is a constant and nourishing conflict going on between the artist and the young man, the artist concerned with style and texture and the refraction of experience, the young man with registering what he saw and remembered, how he grew.

For many Irish male writers who came after Joyce, from Frank OConnor to John McGahern to Seamus Heaney, the sifting of early memory, the detailed description of parents, domestic space, school, religious belief, came with the matching account of the young artists effort to navigate these through solitude and reading, through knowledge and language.

More here.
Central, Herreid-Selby, Warner just 1 win away from state title games

Aberdeen Central, Warner, Herreid-Selby and Hitchcock-Tulare are all just one win away from high school football championship games.
Overview of reckless driving in Virginia

Thomas M. Wilson, Attorney at Law, a traffic and criminal attorney in Charlottesville, Virginia provides information on the consequences of reckless driving in Virginia.

Virginia has some of the most severe traffic laws in the country. This is certainly the case with respect to reckless driving offenses. There are 14 different types of reckless driving in Virginia, and all 14 kinds of reckless driving qualify as a crime. Many clients charged with reckless driving are unaware of the consequences of reckless driving in Virginia. Reckless driving is a class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable in Virginia by up to one year in jail and $2500 in fines.

In Virginia drivers travelling at certain speeds may be convicted of reckless driving. Even if the driver was travelling at 81mph in a 70mph speed zone, he may be convicted of reckless driving. Virginias reckless driving law based on speed prohibits travelling at 20mph or more over the speed limit or in excess of 80mph regardless of the speed limit.

Furthermore, drivers involved in car accidents may find themselves charged with reckless driving. This occurs in cases where the officer believes there is probable cause that the driver was driving in a manner or speed that endangered other drivers. Drivers may even find themselves charged with reckless driving for failing to maintain proper control of their vehicle.

Drivers convicted of reckless driving in Virginia can expect to receive a fine, possibly a license suspension, and an increase in their insurance rates. Reckless driving can cause some drivers to lose their job. In some cases drivers charged with reckless driving may have to spend a period of time in jail. Although jail time is not a common punishment it is a realistic possibility if the driver was travelling at a very high speed or caused serious injury to another driver.

Because reckless driving is a crime it cannot be expunged and will be on the drivers criminal record permanently. Virginia does not allow for crimes to be expunged.

Virginia drivers can also expect to receive 6 demerit points on their license. The conviction will stay on their driving record for 11 years.

Individuals charged with reckless driving cannot get away with a prepaid ticket. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might have to appear in court. Failure to do so might result in the judge issuing a warrant for arrest.

The punishment a driver may receive will vary greatly based on the driving record of the individual, the local court policy, speed limits, and many other factors.

Drivers charged with reckless driving in Virginia may find more information on Virginias Reckless Driving Law here:

http://www.tmwilsonlaw.com/traffic-law/reckless-driving

About Thomas M. Wilson, Attorney at Law:

Thomas M, Wilson is a Charlottesville, VA criminal and traffic attorney. The attorney regularly deals with cases of reckless driving in Virginia and has helped many clients charged with reckless driving get the best possible legal solution. A free initial consultation is available to all prospective clients.

Media Contact

Company Name: Thomas M. Wilson, Attorney at Law

Contact Person: Thomas Wilson

Email: tmwilsonlaw@gmail.com

Phone: 434-979-0308

Address:435 Park St.

City: Charlottesville

State: Virgini

Country: United States

Website: http://www.tmwilsonlaw.com
The Story of Anu and Deepk Jain is not a normal story even though they both have lived in a non-descript place called Trinagar in Western Delhi since childhood. Deepak completed his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad after completing his Engineering from IIT Roorkee while Anu completed her Bachelors in Architecture from Manipal University. Both belong to traditional Jain families and got married after one meeting of 15 minutes. But, both of them knew that it was the Right match within those 15 minutes. It is this kind of confidence in their gut feeling that allowed them to leave their cushy jobs to start a Fashion Portal  Baggout.com after they faced issues while buying fashion online.

The duo has been running the portal for over three years now and have gone through the ups and downs of business including raising an angel round from some marquee angels such as Sumit Jain (Ex CTO Jabong), Sumit Jain (CEO  CommonFloor) and Anurag Gupta (MD  DGM India) and not getting additional committed funding from a prominent Angel Network after the news of down-rounds started coming out in e-commerce.

But one thing that has happened through all this time is that their portal has kept on improving as they have gleaned strong insights on Indian Fashion e-commerces problems and solved them through proprietary Technology. Their experiments on Baggout have resulted in driving 50,000+ orders to their partner retailers. They clearly understand that users need some great value proposition to buy online Fashion at Full Price but most of Indian players have not been able to provide that and have resorted to deep discounting to acquire users. Innovation on product side is clearly lacking in the whole ecosystem.

The duo was perfectly happy in growing Baggout but then their partner retailers started approaching them. These interactions with the retailers and close understanding of their pain points helped the duo understand that they can easily help fashion brands in driving traffic to their website and improve conversions through smart recommendations powered by proprietary algorithms.

Their flagship product till date is creating a look for every product in retailers inventory which is a first in India and is already being piloted with two of the largest Fashion Brands in India. However, the duo feels that the biggest problem faced by Offline Fashion Brands when they come online is that they are not able to drive visibility. The company helps these brands in driving both Search and Social Traffic through their Automated algorithms. The best thing about these methodologies, the duo says, is that its all automated and has passed the test of time on Baggout (driving 500K Monthly visits).

The duo feels that there is a lot of innovation needed before there is a mass adoption of online fashion buying in India. It will take a number of companies like Baggout to create the right ecosystem which would enable Online Fashion to become mainstream. The offline brands are not capable of developing these breakthrough technologies and would need an outside help for scaling up their business online. It is still early days of Indian Online Fashion industry and the funding plug has indeed made the companies to look inside and see the kind of innovations that they are driving rather than just throwing money to acquire users.
After the phenomenal success of the first season last year, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) is all set to broadcast the second season of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) taking place at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The league format tournament will commence from 2nd January to 19th January 2017 and will be telecast on SONY MAX and SONY ESPN channels and will also be live streamed on the SONYLIV app and website.

For fans of wrestling, one of the main attractions of the second edition of PWL is the impressive line-up of homegrown talent that includes Olympic Bronze medalist, Sakshi Malik, Phogat sisters: Geeta, Ritu Sangeeta and Babita Kumari, Bajrang Punia, as well as Sandeep Tomar to name a few. In addition to this, some of the top International wrestlers like Olympic Gold medalist Erica Wiebe, Odunayo Folasade, Sofia Mattsson, Togrul Asgarov and Vladimir Khinchegashvili will also be seen battling it out in their respective weight categories.

This season PWL will have six teams - Jaipur Ninjas, Delhi Sultans, Mumbai Maharathi, CDR Punjab Royals, Haryana Hammers and UP Dangal which is making its debut this season.

With the staggering success of the recently released movie Dangal, which chronicles the journey of the Phogat sisters, this season of the PWL has already generated high levels of interest. 2017 is definitely going to begin with a bang with this high octane season of PWL as wrestling fans all over India eagerly wait for what is expected to be one of the biggest wrestling events to watch out for.

Watch the second edition of PWL from 2nd to 19th January 2017 on Sony MAX and SONY ESPN, 7:00 PM onwards or live stream the fights on the SONYLIV app and website.
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Franciscos board of directors has appointed Robert G. Sarver, chairman and CEO of Western Alliance Bancorporation, to represent the District on the Federal Advisory Council for a one-year term beginning January 1, 2017. Mr. Sarver succeeds John G. Stumpf, former chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo & Company.

The Federal Advisory Council, a body created by the Federal Reserve Act, consists of one member  generally from the commercial banking industry  from each of the twelve Reserve Bank Districts. The council ordinarily meets four times a year with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., to discuss economic and banking matters. Members customarily serve three one-year terms.

Mr. Sarver is chairman and CEO of Western Alliance Bancorporation, a bank holding company with $17 billion in assets. Western Alliance Bank operates full-service banking divisions: Alliance Bank of Arizona, Bank of Nevada, Bridge Bank, First Independent Bank, and Torrey Pines Bank. In addition, he has been the managing partner of the Phoenix Suns since 2004.

He currently serves as director of Phoenix-based Meritage Corporation, the Downtown Phoenix Partnership Inc., the Sarver Heart Center at the University of Arizona, and the Weil Foundation.

He holds a B.A. in business administration from the University of Arizona, and is a certified public accountant.

(To view a photograph, please see: http://www.frbsf.org/our-district/press/news-releases/2016/robert-g-sarver-appointed-to-federal-advisory-council/)

The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, with branch offices in Los Angeles, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Portland, and a cash processing office in Phoenix, provides wholesale banking services to financial institutions throughout the nine western states. As the nations central bank, the Federal Reserve System formulates monetary policy, serves as a bank regulator, administers certain consumer protection laws, and is fiscal agent for the U.S. government. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/sffed

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161230005037/en/

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Matthew Schiffgens, 415-974-3246
We had taken an initiative to provide financial assistance to farmers affected by drought.

As another year comes to a close we take pride in addressing ourselves as the parallel media which delivers unbiased news to readers. Year 2016 was tough for us as we had to overcome various challenges to sustain ourselves. However, we will continue to work hard and wont compromise on the content of the tabloid and report about facts instead of sensationalising news. We already had taken an initiative to provide financial assistance to farmers affected by drought. 50 per cent of our profit is dedicated to Aadhar Charity Trust which supports the most vulnerable and weak of the society irrespective of their background. The trust provides free legal aid and assistance and also has rehabilitation. Our core competency lies in providing extensive and exclusive coverage to all spheres of information, which is made possible by our dynamic team, comprising of the right blend of youth and experience. We also want to connect with our readers and enable them to make informed choices. Our tabloid has got a well-deserved appreciation from the public for its commitment to professionalism, and its earnest to bring the Truth to the people.

Here is what our readers have to say about our tabloid and the charity work done by us.

C.K. Subramaniam and Jayanthy Subramaniam said, Thanks to the efforts taken by team of Afternoon Voice in general and the Editor Vaidehi Taman in particular we could witness that the farmers received the appropriate help at the right platform and that too on Maharashtra Day at the Police Gymkhana Ground. Madam made it clear that the get together is to honour the farmers widows with financial help and not to make it a gala show at a 5 star hotel in front of VVIPs. It shows her character and the will to help out the families of the farmers in a fitting way and in front of a select audience. Farmers are in distressed state and left in the lurch and no one cares for their well-being even though agriculture is the backbone of this country. The number of suicide cases in the state of Maharashtra really gave her the insight to help them in an orderly manner and speak a few words about their sufferings. The villagers must have thanked madam from their heart as no one was worried about the hardships faced by them in the past.

Jubel DCruz said, Right from day one of its publication, Afternoon Voice has been doing a wonderful job in every field. And the credit goes to this very young and talented editor, Vaidehi Taman who has managed to bring out this wonderful tabloid inspite of facing financial crisis. Letter writers and freelance journalists too are encouraged to write topics of their choice which are never edited but published word to word. Lets hope this New Year brings in many more changes and the newspapers circulation may go up. From what I have heard, farmers who have been provided financial assistance by the trust are very happy since all their needs are being met.

Mahendra Singh said, Newsmakers offered financial assistance to drought affected families on 1st May 2016 and allowed recipients to express their gratitude. Group Editor Vaidehi Taman deserves applause for reaching out to distressed farmers. She also encouraged me, a marine chief engineer to write which I continue to enjoy. My sincere best wishes and regards for the tabloid.

Vinod Chandrashekar Dixit said, Afternoon Voice is the only newspaper from Mumbai that covers all aspects of the city and provides a full page to readers for expressing their opinion. Readers are served stimulating columns and features that are related to life. The voices and letters to the Editor section of Afternoon Voice is a prime forum for getting our message to a wide audience. The increased space for Letters to the Editor in AV is good. One finds that every letter published brings in a new dimension. Sharing an opinion in AV supports and expands on something already in the news, makes a point that was omitted, or disagrees with/corrects misinformation from a news story, editorial or another letter. For me letters to the editor column in AV is the main medium of communication with readers and editors. Most readers write to AV because they share a sense of ownership.

Within a short of time AV has become a force to reckon and has earned a name for itself in the media industry. It is one tabloid newspaper that has stood the test of time and has maintained its identity covering Mumbai when all others took the sensational route. It shows that one need not to resort to so called populist news to sell news-paper. Value and integrity of AV is an enlightening example for whole news industry, he added.

Akash Kumar said, As Afternoon Voices mission statement reads, To sustain and grow in the diverse industry whilst maintaining standards by leveraging with the upcoming trends and Vision statement upholds to enhance the broad horizons of paradigm and limits in the every sphere of the world and thus pertaining the community to a new level of growth and progressive milestones, its apparent that this tabloid is here to keep Unparalleled Journalism alive. For me, this is not just a newspaper but a platform for common citizens to voice their concerns. I just want to let you know  the moral and social obligations you fulfill, do not go unnoticed. Be it serving the poor strata of the society and rehabilitation programmes through Aadhar Charity Trust or by offering much-needed financial assistance to our farmers, your efforts are praiseworthy.

As deeds of giving are the very foundations of the world, this showcases your organization is a role-model and leader in our society. Buddha too said, Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Apart from that, I earnestly express gratitude towards NBCs Group Editor Ms. Vaidehi Taman for her dedication and service, he added.
The opposition adopted various tricks to give shock waves

to the ruling NDA government after the demonetisation campaign. But the Prime Minister was unperturbed and was thinking about the nations development. One by one, he was taking necessary steps to include all the measures binding on demonetisation to curb black money and brought the corrupt to books. No one can claim that the steps taken by him is a failure as results are forthcoming on daily basis and people are welcome his decision. In the meanwhile, opposition unity showed cracks as one by one most of the leading parties backed out leaving Congress as the lone ranger along with inconsistent Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee. It was a significant success as the main parties like JD (U), SP and AIADMK did not extend support and there is a big split in the opposition. Rahul Gandhi has no reasons to resist and TMC CM failed to understand the problem and is merely speaking for the sake of gaining popularity. It is one more success story of Modi and that was reflected in the recent election results favouring the party. Modi means business.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
The daily reporting of incidents of Acid attacks on women clearly shows that the male perpetrators disfigure women as a form of revenge. They get hold of the corrosive chemical without difficulty, and have little fear of the law. Such acid attacks have brought the focus back on the need for effective monitoring and regulation. With acids being available in the market, for purposes ranging from painting, use in car batteries, in de-weeding and as floor-cleaning substances, they easily fall in the hands of those who want to wreak vengeance. Just the regulation of acid sales is, however, not enough. While there are scores of factories manufacturing acid without a licence, illegal sales of the deadly liquid are quite commonplace too. Moreover, the perpetrators of acid attacks, among the most heinous of crimes, deserve the severest punishment. It is necessary to impart and inculcate moral values and streamline the police and prosecuting agencies. Leaders cutting across party affiliations should show the requisite political will, courage and conviction to deal ruthlessly with crimes against women. Instead of preaching always now it is time to awake and do something for ourselves and for society otherwise such incident will continue and we will repent after that. Only holistic education system and moral upliftment can bring the change in the society for this burning gender-sensitive issue.





(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Overnight December 29-30 the situation in the Armenia-Azerbaijan border was relatively calm, few shots were fired. The Armenian Armed Forces fully control the situation, defense ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said.

Azerbaijani forces attempted a sabotage infiltration in the Armenian state border south-east of Chinari village, Tavush province in the morning of December 29.

The Armenian Armed Forces have neutralized the Azerbaijan attacks. Azerbaijani forces were pushed back, suffering losses and WIAs, including in the military positions.

Unfortunately, the Armenian side also suffered losses during the combat. During the battle for defending the Armenian state border, Senior Lieutenant Shavarsh M. Melikyan, Private Edgar G. Narayan and Private Erik G. Abovyan were killed.

The defense ministry of Armenia shares the grief of loss and extends condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers.

The defense ministry possesses irrefutable evidence and proof of the Azerbaijan violation in the Armenian state border. The military-political leadership of Azerbaijan is fully responsible for the instigation.
A suspended Maharashtra ATS officer told a court in Solapur that two of the absconding accused in 2008 Malegaon blasts case are dead but are falsely shown as alive by probe agencies.

Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squads former senior inspector Mehmood Mujawar has, in an application filed in August before a magistrate court in Solapur, alleged that Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra, accused in the Malegaon blasts case, are no more.

Notably, Mujawar was suspended after a case under Arms Act and criminal intimidation was filed against him in a Solapur court.

Mujawar, in his application submitted before the Magistrate court, said, Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra are in fact no more but are shown alive in Malegaon bomb blast case by high ranking police officers.

The application was filed in the court by Mujawar on August 19 this year seeking early disposal of the case under Arms Act registered against him.

Mujawar, in his application, alleged that the case was filed against him as a conspiracy and was a pressure tactic as he wanted to reveal the truth about the death of Dange and Kalsangra.

When asked about Mujawars claim, former ATS chief K P Raghuvanshi rubbished it saying, I dont even remember who this Mujawar is or if he was even part of the team that investigated the case.

At least, in my tenure in ATS, nothing of this sort has happened, said Raghuvanshi.

A retired police official, who has worked in the ATS, questioned Mujawars claim, asking as to why the allegation is being made now after eight years.

Who had stopped this official from revealing these important facts before. We must not believe these claims, the official, requesting anonymity, said.

A bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded in Malegaon on September 29, 2008, killing seven people and injuring around 100.
Best of from December 2015



By Dan Olmsted

We probably all know the saying that Ideas Matter. Lately Ive been mulling a handful of ideas  very bad ideas, Id say  that have come together to trigger, expand, and perpetuate the autism epidemic and a host of allied disorders that constitute The Age of Autism.

Today Im going to lay them out in brief, and in coming days Ill say more about each one, and end with the counter-ideas that could really bring us a happy new year.

Please add your own!

Bad Idea Number One. Vaccines are the Eric Clapton of Medicine; they are God. Vaccines are the number one medical accomplishment of all time, and every day in every way they make our world safer and safer. Bow down!

Bad Idea Number Two. The evidence for Number One is clear. Study after study has shown that vaccines work wonderfully and that the so-called risks are effectively zero  a one-in-a-million chance of anything serious happening. (One in a million is pharma speak for zip, zilch, nada, roll up your sleeve.)

Bad Idea Number Three. Disagreeing with Numbers One and Two is Unacceptable Speech. Claims that vaccines are more dangerous than advertised are bogus and should be suppressed. You need to be a conspiracy theorist, a purveyor of junk science, a pathetically gullible parent looking for someone to blame for your damaged kid, or out-and-out anti-vaccine to harbor such ideas.

Bad Idea Number Four. Conflicts Dont Count. Drugmakers, doctors, legislators, bureaucrats, TV programs buoyed by pharma money are immune to the usual concerns that conflicts of interest -- profits, incentives, campaign contributions, ad dollars, liability worries -- require extra vigilance by the press and public. The drug companies may be caught red-handed in corrupt dealing, Congress bought off, the media lazy and desperate for drug dollars, but when it comes to vaccines (see Number One), they have only our health at heart!

Bad Idea Number Five. Because the first four are true, we must trust The Experts who are working hard every day to help us stay happy and healthy. They are gods messengers on earth.

Trust. The. Experts.








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Humanity is on a path towards a future where the line between man and machine will not exist as we know it today. Artificial Intelligence has breached the sanctity of the human body. Pacemakers, prosthetic limbs and, most recently, robotic limbs, no longer awe the average person for they are already commonplace.

This seemingly inexorable march towards a human existence dominated by artificial intelligence begs a question:

How many intelligent artificial body parts can a human mind accept before it affects its humanity?

Perhaps, though, we are missing a more important part of the equation - how is that a question that makes so many shudder continue to not be asked loudly and widely? Why is it that the answers we receive do not ever really address the question?

Noted researcher and author, Nigel Kerner, touched on the issue almost twenty years ago in his book, 'The Song of the Greys'. His years of deep investigation into the alien life forms known as Greys led him to an onerous conclusion:

"People will be encouraged to see... Greys... as no threat, but a boon to humanity.... The 'takeover' will be peaceful, effortless and complete. The vast majority of the planet will not even be aware that our planet is no more in human hands.

In any war, each side seeks to surround the enemy and gather intelligence from within its midst to weaken him. The first stages of war between humanity and alien-origin AI, it seems, are already uunderway.

Almost every device around us employs some level of artificial intelligence. Today, the term 'Internet of Things' (IoT) refers to entire homes, buildings and grids interconnected by waves of communication we can neither see nor sense, which are controlled by huge electronic brains of which we do not know the location.

The speed with which we have allowed this phenomenon to envelop our collective lives hints ominously at an inside job, a Trojan horse.

"Are we being conned by a huge conspiracy controlled by a small hidden powerful cartel of alien sponsored genotypes within the governments of superpowers? A cartel that reaches past presidents and prime ministers?" asks Nigel in his essay 'Sim Card Man'.

If the conspiracy could reach that far up the chain of command, it would make sense that there many more agents working to manipulate the human race into a sense of complacency.

Noted futurist and theoretical physicist, Dr. Micho Kaku applies such a strangely benign view to the issue. Speaking to National Geographic in November 2015, when asked if the advanced machines of the future could be detrimental to human wellbeing, he said:

Well have plenty of timedecadesto put a chip in their brain to shut them off if they have murderous thoughts.

Had he stopped there, the answer would be relatively innocent. However, he continued:

I think we should merge with them. Why compete with robots when we can take the best attributes of robots and incorporate it into our body?

If you never considered that humanitys future could be hijacked by lower and cross-dimensional sentient intelligence whose reach permeates all our lives every minute or every day, perhaps it is time to question why.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29, 2016  EPAs farmworker protection rule will go into effect Jan. 2 as scheduled, the agency said today.

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) petitioned EPA last week to delay implementation by a year. EPA said it would respond officially to the petition in the new year.

The groups said EPA had failed to provide state lead agencies, or SLAs, with needed training materials and guidance, and had not properly alerted Congress to the presence of the designated representative provision in the rule.

That provision allows farmworkers to choose a third party to receive pesticide use records from a farm. Farm groups and their members are worried that anti-pesticide groups could gain access to the records and make it seem as if (the farmers) are doing something illegal, said Paul Schlegel, director of environment and energy policy at AFBF.

Dudley Hoskins, public policy counsel at NASDA, said that the materials and resources that states need to facilitate implementation and do outreach just arent there.

The rule includes a host of new requirements to protect the nations 2 million farmworkers, including annual training (instead of every five years) for the workers themselves; mandatory posting of no-entry signs for the most hazardous pesticides; and new no-entry application exclusion zones of up to 100 feet to protect workers from spray drift.

At its annual meeting in September, NASDA approved an action item urging EPA to delay implementation until the 43 states that have authority to implement pesticide laws have adequate resources to do so. The petition, AFBFs Schlegel said, was basically a last-ditch effort to get any sort of relief.

But Virginia Ruiz, director of occupational and ecological health at Farmworker Justice, said she was bewildered by the petition, given the long history behind the rule, which was published in November 2015.

Theyre not drastic changes, she said, calling the rule a step in the right direction to making the agricultural workplace safer.

She said its important for workers, who often do not speak English and are afraid that asking for information might threaten their employment, to be able to designate someone else to receive pesticide use information.

Workers have the right to access that information already, she said. Weve seen a couple of cases where workers were impeded in accessing important exposure information that would have helped them get medical treatment.

Schlegel, however, said AFBF supports the right of health care providers to have access to information. Thats dealt with in a separate part of the regulation, he said. Weve never contested that.

Instead, he said, AFBF objects to third parties gaining access to records that they can do whatever they want with and do not have to share with the workers.

He said AFBF also is unsure about farmers legal obligations to provide information when workers use falsified documents to gain employment. Is the farmer legally obliged to surrender those records? he asked, saying AFBF has not gotten an adequate response to that question from EPA.

Ruiz also questioned the farm groups request for a delay by pointing out that EPA had awarded NASDAs research foundation a pesticide safety grant but that the foundation refused to accept it.

Watching for more news about the EPA and agriculture? Sign up for an Agri-Pulse four-week free trial subscription.





NASDA CEO Barbara Glenn said the research foundation (NASDARF) made a business decision in May to reject two cooperative agreements regarding pesticide safety  one to coordinate meetings and workshops and the second to distribute funding to train applicators.

The foundations board decided that accepting the awards wasnt in NASDARFs best interests, she said.

Schlegel said he suspects the new administration will have the flexibility to extend the rules deadlines but that he is not optimistic about the chances of that happening.

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For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.
By David Festa

By this time next year, I believe well reflect back on 2017 as the year that the private sector stepped up to protect our land, water and wildlife for future generations.

I believe this because major retailers, food companies, agricultural businesses and farmers laid the groundwork in 2016, making sizeable commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), improve water quality and conserve habitat for imperiled wildlife.

President-elect Trump has made political theater by threatening to kill the regulations that protect our nations air and water. But in the real world, the private sector is going the other direction.



Forward-thinking businesses are rolling up their sleeves and finding ways to make those regulations work better by accelerating the uptake of practices that are good for the planet and the bottom line.

These are three areas to watch in 2017.

1. Implementing bold agricultural commitments

Food and agriculture companies advanced bold sustainability initiatives in 2016. They are all poised to expand.

Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the United States, committed to reducing GHGs by 25 percent by 2025. Its goals include nearly eliminating methane emissions from its hog farms by changing manure management techniques.

As the first livestock company to commit to absolute supply chain GHG reductions, Smithfield may inspire similar action throughout its industry, just as Walmart set off a cascade of sustainability commitments when it asked its suppliers to reduce nitrogen loss from grain crops.

More than 15 companies representing 30 percent of the U.S. food and beverage market developed plans to meet Walmarts challenge. Campbell Soup Company, Kelloggs, Smithfield and others have committed to transition 23 million acres of farmland to sustainable practices by 2020. To help reach that goal, Land O Lakes SUSTAIN is training ag retailers to advise farmers on the best practices for fertilizer efficiency and soil health.

2016 also saw the launch of the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative. Member companies including General Mills, PepsiCo, Monsanto and Cargill began working together with the growers who supply them to scale conservation farming techniques across three major commodity-growing states: Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa.

Crucially, these sustainability commitments were motivated not only by strong environmental values, but by long-term economics. Companies know that boosting agricultural resilience reduces supply chain risk, buffers against extreme weather events and meets changing consumer expectations.

2. Investing in winning wildlife solutions

The private sector is also coming up with better ways to protect habitat for wildlife. Case in point: the collective effort to keep the greater sage grouse off the Endangered Species List.

The science said the iconic bird was in enough trouble to be considered for a formal listing, which would have triggered top-down restrictions on landowners and business across 11 western states. Instead, ranchers, energy developers and conservationists came up with a market-based plan to protect sage grouse habitat that averted a listing.

In 2017, market-based programs will take another great step forward.

For example, the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange is being designed to connect investors, such as those in agribusiness with an interest in keeping the monarch off the Endangered Species List, with farmers, ranchers and other landowners who have the ability to create and maintain high-quality habitat for monarchs. Using an advanced habitat quantification tool to measure conservation outcomes is key to getting the most bang for the buck, and for the butterfly.

The Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange will open for business in spring 2017. Other habitat exchanges will also be coming online for a host of species in California's Central Valley, presenting additional opportunities for the private sector to combat species decline.

3. Ensuring a reliable water supply

As the arid West enters the sixth year of a historic drought, unreliable water supplies and the looming specter of mandatory cutbacks are prompting businesses across the region to take measures into their own hands. They recognize the importance of a dependable water supply and flexible water management to their bottom lines and are implementing efficiency methods and supporting conservation measures.

In particular, business leaders in Arizona, Nevada and California  states that rely on the over-allocated Colorado River for water  have voiced their support for the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), a proactive step to help bolster storage in Lake Mead and reduce the risk of it reaching catastrophically low levels.

These businesses rely on a reasonably priced and certain water supply, and the DCP is a crucial step for providing certainty and continuing economic and business growth.

Reflections and resolutions

2016 demonstrated that market forces  from supply chain signals to risk reduction  are helping to drive conservation efforts across the country. With regulatory certainty in 2017 and beyond, these forces can foster both economic growth and a healthy planet.

About the Author: David Festa is senior vice president of Ecosystems at Environmental Defense Fund

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YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of transportation, communication and information technologies said as of 09:30 the Berd-Tchambarak highway has been shut down due to a snowstorm.

Clear ice has formed in parts of the highways of Vayk, Aparan, Aragats, Hrazdan and the Vardenyats Pass.

Highway supervision agencies carry out clearing works in the abovementioned areas.

The ministry told ARMENPRESS all highways of interstate and republican significance are open for traffic.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. High 78F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.
There were no winners last week with the arrest of South Carolina Rep. Chris Corley on felony domestic violence and weapons charges. Our thoug
Ronald Rabon, of Double R Farms in Aynor, surveys the damage to his cotton crop from Hurricane Matthew. Rabon said he yielded only 100 acres of 700 acres of cotton this year because of the wind and rain from the storm. The wind blew most of the crop from the plants. The rain forced the rest on the plants to hard lock, not blossom, so it was also a loss.
In this June 18, 2015, photo, Charleston shooting suspect Dylann Storm Roof is escorted from the Cleveland County Courthouse in Shelby, N.C. Prosecutors who wanted to show that Roof was a cruel, angry racist simply used his own words at his death penalty trial on charges he killed nine black people in June 2015 at a Charleston church. Roof's two-hour videotaped confession less than a day after the shooting and a handwritten journal found in his car when he was arrested were introduced into evidence Friday, Dec. 9, 2016.
This photo combination shows performances by pop music icons, from left, Prince in 1985, David Bowie in 1995, and George Michael in 2008. The entertainers were among a number of influential entertainers, sports stars and political figures who died in 2016.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan and Christoph Bierwirth - representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Armenia signed the deal regarding the program entitled Development of the Ombudsmans capacities in the field of defending the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Armenia.

The Ombudsmans Office told ARMENPRESS the signing ceremony of the agreement was held in the UN office.

The programs purpose is to expand the existing cooperation between the UNHCR and Armenias Ombudsman in the field of protecting the displaced population in Armenia.

The cooperation will namely include the following fields: Research of the situation of protection of rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Armenias correctional facilities, development of the Ombudsmans capacities, publication of the extraordinary report of the Ombudsman.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The reasonable development of the Dec. 29 Azerbaijani provocation occurred overnight: Armenian forces carried out punitive actions, which resulted in Azerbaijan suffering another 4 losses, defense ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said.

Let me remind that in the morning of December 29, Azerbaijani forces attempted a sabotage-infiltration in the direction of the Armenian positions located south-east from Chinari village, Tavush province, which resulted in Azerbaijan having 7 deaths. In fact, the Azerbaijani adventurism has claimed the lives of more than 10 Azerbaijani soldiers during two days. Ill add that the defense ministry of Armenia has confirmed for several times that it possesses undeniable evidence on the big losses of the Azerbaijani side, Hovhannisyan said.
December 30, 2016

ERBIL, Iraq  Exxon Mobil has pulled out of three of the six exploration blocks it operated in the Kurdistan Region. The American oil giant withdrew from Betwata, Arbat and Qara Hanjeer in Sulaimaniyah province, raising many questions about the sudden step.

Hemen Hawrami, the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's foreign relations office, announced during a Dec. 26 press conference that Exxons withdrawal came as the result of decreasing production and had no political motivation.

Hawrami said, Kurdistan is rich in oil and natural gas, and all oil companies wish to work there. Exxon Mobil is now seeking to exploit natural gas.

In the Dec. 6 Iraq Oil Report, Kurdistans Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami said that Exxon is withdrawing because it could not fulfill its contract with the region's government. Some companies didn't meet contractual deadlines and according to the contract had to relinquish their areas, Hawrami was quoted as saying.

Since August 2014, with the onset of the war against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, international oil companies have started to relinquish exploration blocks in Kurdistan.

By the end of 2015, Chevron, the second-largest US oil company after Exxon Mobil, had pulled out of the Rovi block in Dahuk province, but continued to operate in the Sarta area.

International oil companies have relinquished interest in a total of 19 exploration blocks in Kurdistan. The withdrawals will weigh heavily on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which already faces an economic crisis.

Bilal Saeed, who hosts a program called Black Gold on Rudaw Radio, told Al-Monitor that Exxons withdrawal will have direct repercussions on the oil sector in the Sulaimaniyah province and the Kurdistan Region in general.

The American oil giant pulled out because of the Iranian influence. Based on previous experience, Sulaimaniyah is believed to be affiliated with the Iranian axis. A company like Exxon does not wish to invest in an area that is affiliated with Iran, Saeed said.

Saeed did not exclude technical issues as another reason that led to the withdrawal of Exxon Mobil, saying, Oil exploration in the Sulaimaniyah areas has not led to encouraging outcomes.

Exxon Mobil had helped attract other international companies to the region, such as Chevron, Total and Gazprom. During an oil and gas conference in London on Dec. 5, the KRG announced that it is getting ready to launch a new tender for oil and gas exploration in 20 excavation blocks in early 2017. However, the withdrawal of Exxon Mobil from three excavation blocks will discourage major oil companies to invest in new fields.

Curran Mustafa, a researcher for the Kurdish American Institute for Economic Research in Erbil, expects the drop in oil prices to push a number of oil companies to abandon their investments in the Kurdistan Region. He told Al-Monitor, The decline may be one of the effects of Exxon Mobils withdrawal from three excavation blocks in the region, but the company is still operating in other areas and has yet to announce its intention to leave the Kurdistan Region.

He added, Political instability in Sulaimaniyah province is another reason for Exxon Mobils pullout from these three blocks, he said.

Since Oct. 10, 2015, the city of Sulaimaniyah has been witnessing intermittent demonstrations against the difficult economic conditions for civil servants and educational workers in the region due to the KRGs delay in disbursing their salaries and the salary cuts as part of the austerity measures implemented by the KRG, in addition to the war against IS and the plunge in oil prices.

According to the latest report of the Ministry of Natural Resources issued in November, the total exported and consumed oil during that month from the KRG fields stood at 19,552,432 barrels at an average of 651,748 per day. The report also showed that a total of 17,629,368 barrels were exported to the Turkish port of Ceyhan at a daily average of 587,646 barrels, while the quantity of oil refined locally reached 1,923,065 barrels.

Riwaz Faeq, a member of the KRG's parliamentary committee for energy and natural resources, told Al-Monitor that three factors led to the withdrawal of oil companies from the Kurdistan Region, most notably the failure by the KRG to meet its obligation to pay the companies on time.

She added, This is in addition to the general situation witnessed in the Kurdistan Region and the dissatisfaction of the political parties and the citizens with the political process, which stirred up concerns and fear among oil companies who lost a sense of security and safety. This is not to mention the fight against IS.

Faeq noted that the solution is to regain the trust of these companies and make them feel safe in the region again. The KRG should seek to build trust between citizens and oil companies, which would prevent the withdrawal of other companies, she said.
December 28, 2016

Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah Yazdi are two of the most prominent faces in Iranian politics. The former directs the moderation camp, while the latter is the godfather of the hard-liners. President Hassan Rouhani has been a longtime companion of Rafsanjani, while Mesbah Yazdi supported hard-line former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in the 2013 presidential vote and his past proteges include former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In the latest salvo in this long-running rivalry, Rafsanjani caused a ruckus earlier this month when he indirectly accused Mesbah Yazdi of being an enemy of the state. Without actually naming his nemesis, Rafsanjani said Dec. 3 that some enemies of the Imam," meaning Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, "have infiltrated the sensitive centers [of power] under the guise of friendship.

The confrontation between Rafsanjani and Mesbah Yazdi made the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections in February especially heated. Rafsanjanis maneuvering produced a victory for the joint moderate-Reformist ticket, and Mesbah Yazdi was voted out of the Assembly of Experts, which is tasked with overseeing the performance of the supreme leader and also elects his successor.

The root of this dispute, which has played such a powerful role in Iranian politics, can be understood by studying the remarks and memoirs of the two men.

On Sept. 16, 2014, Rafsanjani revealed a hitherto unknown event in Iran's political history, speaking publicly for the first time about a meeting over four decades earlier: We went to [revolutionary figure Ali] Ghoddusis house along with Mr. Khamenei. This person [Mesbah Yazdi] was also there. We spent the time speaking with him to convince him to continue the struggle. At last, he said that he considered fighting the shah to be haram [forbidden]. Mr. Khamenei asked him: What is your reasoning? That person responded, 'Fighting which is done alongside the Mujahedeen [-e-Khalq (MEK)] and leftists is haram.' Mr. Khamenei bitterly told him, 'If you are not interested in fighting, do not fight, but at least do not damage the struggle with these kinds of words.'" He added, "The leader had a falling out with him which lasted 10 years.

One day later, on Sept. 17, Mesbah Yazdis website released his own account of the controversial meeting, which read, Before the victory of the revolution, the supreme leader and Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani set a time via Mr. Ghoddousi to come to my house for breakfast. During that breakfast meeting, there were no other persons present except these two respected people. [Rafsanjani] started talking, and said, We have had political and cultural cooperation for years, but it has been a while that you have left and you are not with us.  We should have an alliance [against the shah] with Marxists. We should have an alliance with all anti-imperialist groups such as the Marxists, Mujahedeen, [revolutionary ideologue Ali] Shariatis supporters  and we should put aside the disagreements and only fight against imperialism. I said, What do you want from me, and what is your suggestion?' He said, Come and cooperate with the Mujahedeen. I said, 'As long as I do not know that a person works for Islam, I wont cooperate with him.'

Mesbah Yazdi added, From the beginning until the end of the conversation, the supreme leader sat there and was silent.  After this conversation, [Rafsanjani] left my house in anger.  [Rafsanjani's] aid to the hypocrites [a reference to the MEK] should not be forgotten. He gave them money.

On the same day that Mesbah Yazdi published his account of the meeting, hard-line analyst and historian Hamid Rouhani said in an interview with Tasnim, If [Rafsanjani]s words are about Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, then thats not true. One of the disagreements between Mr. Mesbah Yazdi and Hashemi was about the Mujahedeen, or hypocrites. Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi thought supporting the Mujahedeen is haram  Mr. Mesbah Yazdi considered supporting this organization haram, not fighting the shah.

The controversy attracted attention again this summer when Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, entered the fray. Indirectly referring to the hard-line cleric, the younger Khomeini said during a June 1 speech, Neither the Islamic Revolution nor its leaders were reactionary. The reactionary persons were not into the struggle before the revolution and considered it haram and ultimately opposed the struggle.

In his telling of the pre-revolutionary encounter with Rafsanjani and Khamenei, Mesbah Yazdi did not hide his anger with Rafsanjani. Although the organization is outlawed today, the MEK was considered a legitimate force among revolutionaries prior to the revolution, and it had relationships with many well-known clerics such as Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani. It was only after the revolution that the MEK was outlawed for its practices of indiscriminate bombings and ultimately switched sides to aid former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during his 1980-1988 war with Iran.

Mesbah Yazdi and Rafsanjanis decadeslong dispute is not limited to what transpired before the revolution. They are fundamentally at odds over the intentions of the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Mesbah Yazdi is of the belief that Khomeini did not believe in the republican component of the current Iranian state. Indeed, he said on Feb. 25, 2014, Those who have seen the Imams statements in his speeches and books know that the Imam had used the words the Islamic system.  The Imam uses the peoples votes [only] to convince the other parties [to come on board with his ideas].

The hard-line clerics remarks triggered warnings by Hassan Khomeini about distortions of his grandfather's ideas. Rafsanjani also believes that the ideas of Mesbah Yazdi are dangerous to the republican component of the Islamic Republic, and he has constantly warned against them. As he noted in a speech to the Union of Islamic Associations of Golestan province on Oct. 23, 2012, Those who want to put aside the thoughts and notions of the Imam force the people out of the [political] scene and consider their votes just for show are committing a crime.

Though they have grown elderly, both Rafsanjani and Mesbah Yazdi are politically active, command significant authority and, perhaps most importantly, have proteges in positions of power. Thus, their public feud should be seen as part of the important and ongoing clash between moderates and hard-liners over the republican component of the Islamic Republic.
December 29, 2016

Israeli financial daily Globes has selected Dr. Yasmeen Abu Fraiha as one its Forty under Forty promising young people in 2016. The prestigious group includes high-tech entrepreneurs, CEOs of financial firms, lawyers and trailblazing researchers, all under the age of 40. The newspaper believes that they will have a decisive impact on the Israeli market and will emerge as leaders in their fields over the next few decades.

But Abu Fraihas story is not just the story of another successful young Israeli woman. What distinguishes her is that she is a Bedouin who grew up in a family that decided to swim against the stream, shatter the rigid conventions of Bedouin society and overcome obstacles in order to integrate into Israeli society. Her family was the first Bedouin family to relocate from the southern Bedouin village of Tel Sheva to the prosperous Jewish neighboring town of Omer.

Tel Sheva and Omer are just a five-minute drive from each other, but they are a hundred years apart, Abu Fraiha told Al-Monitor. When I was a girl, we faced a lot of criticism [from the Bedouin society]. We were considered outsiders. Im received very well there these days; there are even people who are proud of me.

It all began two decades ago when family patriarch Aoudeh Abu Fraiha realized that if he wanted to provide his children with a higher quality education, he would have to cross the physical and psychological boundaries separating Tel Sheva from Omer. This, he believed, would ensure his children a brighter future in Israeli society. Twenty years later, the transition proved itself. His daughter Yasmeen, now 27, has already completed her medical studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During her internship, Abu Fraiha founded the organization Genesis, with the goal of diagnosing and preventing genetic diseases common in Bedouin society due to the frequency of marriages within the extended family. Her initiative to convince young Bedouin to be tested before they get married, to ensure that their children do not suffer from genetic diseases, got Globes to include her in this prestigious group of Israels most promising young people.

I first started being active during the final part of my internship, Abu Fraiha said. I was researching genetic diseases resulting from marriages within the extended family. When I went to the United States for a program on social entrepreneurship, I met with people who work in genetics, and also with donors, who agreed to invest in my idea.

Genesis began operating even before Abu Fraiha returned to Israel, through three women who established cooperative ventures with the Ministry of Health and the Genetics Institute of the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. They also made contact with Bedouin religious leaders, hoping that they would grant religious approval for genetic testing.

Abu Fraiha explained that despite widespread changes within Bedouin society, which have led to greater openness, 67% of marriages are still kept within the extended family. Willingness to undergo genetic testing tends to occur only after a sick child is born. According to Abu Fraiha, some 95% of the people tested are married women, many of them during their second pregnancy, after they already gave birth to a child with a genetic illness. The goal of the work of Genesis is to instill awareness among the Bedouin, so that young people get tested before they get married.

In the past, the Ministry of Health ran [information] campaigns, emphasizing the message, 'Dont marry your cousins.' We consider this the wrong approach. It is impossible to change a culture and tradition that is 5,000 years old simply by telling people, 'Change! Dont marry a family member,' she said. Abu Fraiha noted that the approach of Genesis is not to annul marriages, nor is it to make recommendations that have no chance of being accepted by the Bedouin society.

If a couple decides not to marry because of the test result, that is their decision, she said. We believe in providing the couple with the maximum amount of information, so that they can decide on their next steps. For example, they can undergo in vitro fertilization in order to check the embryos DNA and find out whether it is healthy or not. Only healthy embryos would be implanted in the womans womb, to avoid bringing sick children into the world.

Abu Fraiha hopes that Genesis can offer the genetic test free of charge. Her goal is to make it easily accessible at the local health clinics in all Bedouin communities. This way, Abu Fraiha said, everyone will undergo the test within just a few years. This will ensure a healthy society, without genetic diseases, and improve the quality and integrity of the family.

Abu Fraiha recognizes that one of her motives in challenging the prevalence of genetic diseases within Bedouin society is proving that she is still part of that society, even if she grew up in Jewish surroundings. Nevertheless, she added, this would never have happened without my access to and understanding of the problems of the society into which I was born and where my family still lives.

As for her own future, she said, I have no idea where Ill be 10 years from now, but it is obvious to me that I will be working in community medicine, or as I like to call it, social medicine.
December 29, 2016

A functioning airport and seaport are the dream of every Palestinian living in the Gaza Strip. Calls for their construction in Gaza date to the cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. At the time, the leaders of Hamas made their agreement to a cease-fire conditional on a commitment by Israel and Egypt (which hosted the talks) to allow the construction of an airport and seaport and an end to the closure now imposed on Gaza.

The original demand was rejected, but in all talks with the sponsors of the agreement or donors who help rebuild the Gaza Strip  Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates  the Hamas leadership demands repeatedly that these countries pressure Israel to allow Gaza to build an airport and a seaport.

The construction of a seaport and airport in Gaza would require the Palestinians to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in addition to having to deal with security issues. Hamas leaders believe that those donor countries, which occasionally provide humanitarian and financial aid to the Gaza Strip, would agree to fund these dream projects. At the same time, the leaders are also convinced that such projects would ease the suffering of the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza once and for all, and also strengthen the position of the Hamas regime.

In an interview with the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds in October, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said that if Hamas stops arming itself, Israel would allow the creation of an airport and seaport in Gaza. For its part, Hamas is unwilling to consider stopping the influx of weapons into Gaza or the disarming of the Hamas army and the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

In the reconciliation talks between Israel and Turkey, the Turks demanded that Israel lift the closure on Gaza and allow the Palestinians to build the two ports: air and sea. While Israel rejected this demand, it did promise to ease the closure gradually, in accordance with Hamas actions. Just a few days after reconciliation between the two countries was announced in June, a Turkish cargo ship arrived in Gaza with a symbolic load, including crates of medicine, clothing and toys. While these were not enough to ease the siege of Gaza, they showed that Turkey had not abandoned the people living in the Gaza Strip, and that Turkey still considers that it bears responsibility for their well-being.

In keeping with the understandings reached in the reconciliation agreement with Turkey, Israel now allows the transfer of raw materials into Gaza almost unhindered. These are used for extensive Turkish projects, including the construction of hospitals and seawater desalination plants. The latter should ease the severe water crisis in Gaza, which has resulted from the collapse of its water system and the penetration of sewage into Gazas groundwater resources.

But the big news being passed around by word of mouth among the people of Gaza is that work has begun on the infrastructure for one of the Palestinian dream projects. Palestinians living in the southern part of the Gaza Strip have reported to Al-Monitor that work has started on the construction of a seaport along the stretch of coast between Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah. Local residents report that huge cranes have been brought to the construction site, and that work has started on an anchoring station there. The area, which was once part of the Katif settlement bloc (evacuated in 2005), was selected because of its open topography, which includes a winding stretch of coast that can be developed into a port serving smaller boats and ships.

The story being told in the Gaza Strip is that Israel and Turkey have secretly agreed to the construction of a seaport. Once it is built, small ships would be loaded with raw materials and goods at an anchoring station in the open sea, under international supervision. The ships would then sail from there to the new port in Khan Yunis. Reports claim that a spit extending 100 meters (328 feet) into the sea has been constructed so far, to create an artificial bay along the Khan Yunis coast. Work on the project is expected to last another two years at least.

Inevitably, the people of Gaza are pleased with these reports. They now believe that the siege of Gaza is about to be lifted, thanks to the stubborn insistence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In fact, they consider Erdogan to be the closest friend of the Gaza Strip today.

Al-Monitor approached the Office of the Coordinator of Activities in the Territories (COGAT) to ask whether Israel knows about and has approved the creation of this new harbor in the Khan Yunis region for a new port or any other purpose. It also asked whether Israeli officials are helping with the project by granting approval and easing the movement of raw materials, cement and heavy equipment through the border crossings. The Civil Administration, which is part of COGAT, responded that Israel knows nothing about the construction of any port in Gaza whatsoever, and that the officials responsible for such activities have not received any reports of unusual construction.

In contrast, a senior Palestinian official told Al-Monitor that a seaport is being built in Gaza, but that this port is intended to serve Gaza fishermen only. At this stage, the port will only be able to accommodate fishing boats, and not small cargo ships. The source also confirmed that the Turks are behind the project. He added that the location of the fishing port was chosen carefully, based on the assumption that in the future it could be expanded to accommodate larger ships. The plan is that in the future, large mercantile ships would be able to unload heavy cargo at an anchoring station at sea. From there, the goods would be transferred to smaller ships, which could anchor in the port now being built.

The source added that Israel knows about the work being done and has approved it. He said that Hamas and Turkey believe that within a short time, the fishing port now being built between Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah will become Gazas official port. This port would be a center for the transfer of raw materials, food and goods, and would also offer Palestinians an exit portal from which they could travel freely to the rest of the world. On the other hand, it can also be assumed that the new Khan Yunis port will only be allowed to fulfill its purpose if Hamas is prepared to follow the terms set by Israels defense minister and disarm its troops.
December 29, 2016

HASAKAH, Syria  In northern Syria, a group of Western volunteers is trying to bring combat medics into the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

In September, when northern Syria was still hot enough for sand flies to bite, John Harding sat at a makeshift table of plywood and concrete bricks at a former dairy that is now a base for the Peoples Protection Units (YPG). He was telling his favorite story from his second tour serving as a volunteer alongside YPG and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting IS.

The Syrian city of Manbij had been liberated from IS in mid-August after months of fierce fighting, and the Tactical Medical Unit (TMU), also known by its Kurdish name Yekineyen Bijiski Taktiki  a group of around half a dozen mostly Western volunteers  was approached by a local who was holding one of the many IS mines left in the city.

Harding, a British military veteran and the oldest in the group (known as Pops to most), volunteered to carry the mine, under his chin so he wouldn't survive mangled if it were to explode, to a basement of an abandoned building nearby. It wasn't the usual mission for the team of combat medics, and it certainly was not the preferred method of mine disposal.

A couple of weeks after he told this story to Al-Monitor, members of the TMU were visiting a hospital in Manbij, where Al-Monitor was present, when an explosion shook the room. The wall cracked in front of them.

Don't be afraid, a hospital worker said. It was a controlled detonation of mines nearby.

Who says we are afraid? said Karker, the Kurdish pseudonym for a young German TMU volunteer, calmly cradling his M-16 rifle.

The TMU had spent months in Manbij over the summer. According to Harding, now the commander, they treated several hundred wounded, around half of those surviving, he estimated, because they were treated so close to the front.

His team is different than any other currently operating in northern Syria, and not only because it is made up of foreigners.

Most YPG units are combat-oriented. The TMU is an amalgamation of an infantry unit and a mobile field hospital facility. However, our medics will actively engage the enemy rather than wait for injuries, Harding told Al-Monitor.

The group operates basic ambulances, but staffs them with well-armed volunteers. They train to get as close to the front as possible, which means coming under direct fire, and they provide cover as they treat and evacuate the wounded.

We believe that superior firepower is the best preventative medicine in the battlefield, said Harding.

But past and current members have faced an uphill battle to explain their worth in the war, he noted, saying, It has taken a while to show people that this unit doesn't just transport the injured, but actively intervenes to stabilize and care for them before and during evacuation."

In this war, the wounded are usually thrown into any working vehicle and driven to the closest hospital for treatment. The YPG and SDF forces, still largely a cross between a guerrilla force and a militia, do not have designated combat medics.

In the past, people have died due to wounds that should not have been fatal, Harding said.

Michael Makuch, a TMU member from Germany, joined after fighting with the YPG and losing friends in battle. I saw an opportunity in the medical unit because it is an important part to help not only the YPG and YPJ [Womens Protection Units, the YPG's all-female equivalent] but also the civilians as well, he said.

Paul Hetfield, from the United States, was quickly recruited by the TMU because of his background in pharmacology and first-aid training. I hoped to share some of my medical experience with the hevals, Hetfield said, using the Kurdish word for friend.

When the group is not in operation, they visit positions to provide troops with Individual First Aid Kits, which include basic items for self-use in battle such as chest seals and tourniquets.

We aim to increase the number of combat medics, with the eventual hope of having several TMUs throughout the YPG and YPJ, Harding said.

Currently, the TMU trains and awaits mobilization orders at its base as other YPG forces push toward Raqqa. But between Harding's learning the Kurdish language and training in medical and combat operations, the memories of Manbij haven't left him.

A child, around 6 years old, Harding guessed, had been shot through the chest. Harding applied a chest seal to the entry wound while a comrade applied a seal to the exit wound in the back. Harding held the boy down on their way to the hospital as the child tried to remove his oxygen mask and the chest seals covering the holes in his small torso.

I had him in my lap and realized that he must have felt terrified by the strange white man holding something over his face and holding him still while his parents watched, Harding said.

After dropping the boy at the hospital in Kobani, Harding would have usually returned to the front. Instead, he said, he decided to stay, helping the boy breathe, using a bag and air tube for over an hour as others tried to keep his heart beating.

But an ultrasound showed that the bullet had ripped apart the boy's heart, Harding explained. He had died the moment the trigger was pulled, he added.

Outside the operating room, the boy's mother smiled nervously, hoping for everything to be all right, according to Harding. He returned to the boy's body and helped the staff remove the tubes and wires and to clean away the blood before the parents were brought in.

The team drove back to Manbij in silence and arrived just in time to accept another casualty, Harding recalled. The boys name was Hamid. I purposely avoid thinking about him because it is painful, but I see his likeness in every 6- or 7-year-old child I see, he said.

Still, away from the front, among the memories of the last fight, Harding's team is finding opportunities to help. In late November a room full of munitions exploded at their base and killed six people.

The new medics on the team got tested today in a real emergency situation. I'm glad to say the boys done good, Harding posted on Facebook.
December 29, 2016

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas' foreign relations chief Osama Hamdan revealed that several weeks ago in Qatar, the movement's leadership met a delegation of high-ranking European diplomats. He expressed optimism about a European decision to strike Hamas from its list of terrorist organizations.

In a telephone interview from Beirut, Hamdan, one of Hamas emerging political leaders, said the movement seeks to mend ties with Iran after they had significantly deteriorated in recent years. He discussed the frosty relations between Hamas and Saudi Arabia and revealed that a Hamas leadership delegation is getting ready to visit Egypt soon.

The text of Al-Monitors interview with Hamdan, a former Hamas representative in Iran and Lebanon, follows:

Al-Monitor: Twenty-nine years after of the founding of Hamas, would you give us a brief overview of its regional and international relations?

Hamdan: Hamas is keen to maintain balanced and open relations at the regional and international levels. It has succeeded over the past three decades since its founding in 1987 to establish channels of communication with several Arab, Islamic and Western states. It now has a wide network of political and diplomatic relations, but the United States has exerted pressure on many countries, influencing them not to cooperate with Hamas efforts to build relations.

Hamas today has a good communications system, including many countries other than Arab and Islamic countries. It has relations with the Russian Federation, Brazil in Latin America, Nigeria and South Africa on the African continent and China, Malaysia and Indonesia in Asia. On the European continent, Hamas has strong ties with Switzerland and Norway. It also has good ties with three other European countries that prefer not to be open about this relationship to avoid any embarrassment with Washington.

Al-Monitor: How do you assess Hamas' current relationship with Egypt? What is the movements position on the recent bombings in Egypt?

Hamdan: Hamas has condemned all bloody attacks in Egypt, most recently the [Dec. 11] bombing of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church. We believe the attacks are a crime against innocent people and acts of aggressions on our brotherly Egyptian people. This is Hamas' unwavering position. The negative outcomes of any harmful acts against Egypt are not limited to Egypt but extend to other Arab countries. The Palestinian people are affected by these acts.

It has become clear to Egypts political and security authorities that Hamas had nothing to do with Egypts hardships and ordeals in recent years, opening the door to a stable relationship between them. Serious measures and arrangements are underway for a visit by a senior Hamas leadership delegation to officials in Cairo in the coming weeks. We heard that Egyptian officials have hailed this imminent visit.

Al-Monitor: The advent of King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud to power in Saudi Arabia in January 2015 boded well for Hamas. Optimistic statements were issued on the improvement of the relationship following a Saudi-Hamas meeting in Mecca in July 2015. But soon after, relations became frosty. Why was that? Are there any planned visits by Hamas to Saudi Arabia in the near future?

Hamdan: Hamas welcomed the advent of King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz to power in 2015 based on its desire to consolidate its relationship with Riyadh. But the relation between the two soon went back to ground zero. Hamas is not responsible for this. Although Hamas wants positive relations with Saudi Arabia, there are no arrangements for any upcoming visit by the movement to Riyadh. Perhaps the relationship with Hamas is not a priority for Saudi Arabia in light of its internal and external preoccupations.

Al-Monitor: Hamas relationship with Iran is shaky. Sometimes they converge and exchange secret visits, only to grow cold again. What about the relationship with Tehran and its continuing financial and military support for the movement?

Hamdan: Iran has provided significant support to the Palestinian factions, including Hamas, but the relationship between us in recent years has become somewhat frosty due to developments in the Arab States since 2011, without reaching total disruption. During the Israeli war on Gaza in the summer of 2014, Hamas and Irans relationship improved. Both sides agreed that the developments in the region should not affect our relationship. There has been a steady improvement, despite some differences that I will not discuss right now. Iran's military and financial support to Hamas has not stopped, and we hope it will be increased.

Al-Monitor: Can we say that Hamas' alliance with Turkey has been undermined following the Israeli-Turkish agreement to re-normalize relations between them in June 2016, or will Turkey play a role in a prisoner-swap deal between Hamas and Israel and in easing the blockade imposed on Gaza?

Hamdan: Hamas does not accept any normalization with Israel, because this weakens our position as Palestinians against Israel. We call on all countries to exert pressure on Israel and not to normalize relations with it. But if Turkey believes that its relationship with Israel can serve the Palestinian cause, then Hamas welcomes the normalization agreement.

Regarding a swap deal, up to now Israel has not shown any serious sign of its intention to propose a deal. Hamas will welcome any mediation role played by Turkey in such a deal, if Israel accepted such a role, since the movement wants a mediator it trusts and which is not biased toward Israel, but that can rather pressure Israel. However, Israel has yet to show any positive signs in this respect. After its agreement with Israel, Turkey has introduced humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and vowed to solve the electricity problem in Gaza, in light of the Israeli blockade. Turkish delegations indeed visited the Gaza Strip in July 2016 to discuss this matter.

Al-Monitor: News has been recently spreading among Hamas circles about the possibility of striking Hamas name off the European Union's list of terrorist organizations. What is new on this subject? What about your latest meetings with European officials?

Hamdan: Hamas has won a legal battle, as the General Court of the European Union had decided in 2014 to annul EU measures maintaining Hamas on the European list of terrorist organizations, and we are still waiting for the European political decision to implement the court ruling. We believe that this positive decision in favor of Hamas is approaching day by day.

Hamas has held a series of meetings with European political circles, most recently in the first week of November 2016 in Qatar, when the head of the movements political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, and a Hamas leadership delegation met a high-level European delegation, including European Foreign Ministry officials. The two sides discussed various topics, and the European delegation expressed a positive position toward Hamas, although the visit was not covered by the media.

Al-Monitor: Hamas has remained silent on [Donald] Trumps victory in the US presidential elections. Does this mean that it fears his policies are biased toward Israel, or that it prefers to wait before assessing his political performance in the region?

Hamdan: Hamas believes Trumps political behavior will be unveiled after taking office and stepping into the White House. But the movement also believes that the signs he has been giving do not bode well and prefers to comment on his future political positions.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland will assume the position of U.S. Co-Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group on an interim basis starting in January 2017. He replaces Ambassador James B. Warlick, who will step down on December 31, the US Embassy in Armenia told ARMENPRESS.

Ambassador Hoagland brings over 30 years of diplomatic experience to the position. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan from 2003 to 2006, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan from 2008 to 2011, and as Deputy Ambassador to Pakistan from 2011 to 2013. Ambassador Hoagland most recently led U.S.-Russian military coordination for the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria and served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department in Washington. Prior to these assignments, Ambassador Hoagland led the Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs in the Bureau of Europe and Eurasian Affairs and was Press Spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

Ambassador Hoaglands extensive diplomatic experience will be critical as the United States works with the sides toward a lasting and peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The United States continues to call on the parties to maintain their commitment to the ceasefire and to implement agreements reached at the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits, and urges a return to negotiations on a settlement, which would benefit all sides.

The permanent replacement for Ambassador Warlick will be announced at a future date, the Embassys statement reads.
December 29, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  What does it take to bring together legislators who have refused to meet officially for almost 10 years? Take away their immunity from prosecution.

Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian political parties, have been unable to reach an agreement over a division of power since mid-2007. The Islamist Hamas movement controls the Gaza Strip, while Fatah rules the West Bank. Fatah parliament members have refused since the split to take part in any session held by the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).

But the PLC held an emergency meeting Dec. 21 that included several Fatah members to discuss Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision earlier in December to lift the diplomatic immunity of five Fatah parliament members. Those members are Shami al-Shami, Najat Abu Bakr, Jamal al-Tirawi, Nasser Jomaa and Mohammed Dahlan, who is Abbas' arch rival.

Abbas has accused all five men of arms trading, stealing public funds and committing defamation.

The session was held at the PLC headquarters in Gaza City, with the participation of 80 parliament members out of a total of 132, most of whom are affiliated with Hamas. West Bank parliament members participated by phone. The rest of the parliament members are either jailed in Israeli prisons or belong to the Fatah camp that opposes Dahlan. Dahlan was ousted as Fatah's leader in 2011, but remains a parliament member even though he now lives in the United Arab Emirates.

Mohammed al-Ghoul, the head of the PLC legal committee, said in a speech during the session that Abbas decision to rescind diplomatic immunity is illegal and unconstitutional, stressing that the PLC reserves this right over its members.

Hassan Khreisheh, the PLC second deputy speaker, told Al-Monitor he also rejects Abbas decision to lift immunity and said Abbas should strive to prevent PLC political disagreements. He acknowledged, however, that the outcome of the PLC emergency session is not binding for the president.

Khreisheh called upon parliamentarians to continue to hold sessions with the participation of Fatah members. During the meeting, the PLC agreed to form a committee to facilitate further sessions.

Ashraf Jomaa, a Fatah deputy who participated in the meeting in Gaza City, expects Fatah deputies to attend the next parliamentary session, which he said is likely to be held in mid-January. He didn't specify an agenda.

However, Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of Fatahs parliamentary bloc, downplayed the PLC meeting in a Dec. 22 press statement. The PLC holds sessions and meetings as per the Basic Law and its internal protocol does not have any legal weight, said Ahmad, who did not attend the meeting.

Akram Atallah, a political analyst and writer for the Palestinian Al-Ayyam newspaper, said the session will not change the Palestinian political status quo. He noted that many of the PLC's decisions in Gaza, such as the Social Solidarity Act, were not implemented by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank, and, similarly, Abbas decisions are not carried out by the Hamas-controlled PLC in the Gaza Strip.

Atallah told Al-Monitor that the goal of the meeting was essentially a pre-emptive move by Fatahs deputies who fear their association with Dahlan will lead to them also being accused of crimes.

Atallah also stated that the Palestinian system of government is threatened with collapse as a result of the PA and Abbas decrees on one hand, and steps taken by the PLC in Gaza on the other. He stressed that the ultimate solution for the ongoing dispute is to achieve internal unity between Fatah and Hamas.

Mustafa al-Sawwaf, a political analyst and former editor of the local Falastin newspaper, shares Atallah's opinion that the PLC meeting will not push Abbas to reverse his latest decrees. The PLC, he said, should have acted immediately in 2007 when Abbas disrupted parliamentary sessions and asserted "dominance over the legislative and judicial powers," Sawwaf told Al-Monitor.

Observers of the political scene in the Palestinian territories mostly seem to believe that the PLC meeting will not end the political stalemate or push Abbas to reconsider his decisions to sack deputies, as he refused to attend the PLCs session and has yet to make a statement about it.
December 29, 2016

BAGHDAD  Dismissed officers welcomed the decision to repatriate security officers who had fled Iraq, after the Iraqi parliament voted on their return Dec. 4.

On Dec. 17, the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee announced that with the beginning of the new legislative term in 2017 it would follow up on the implementation of the law to repatriate those dismissed from the army, police and security institution, or others who escaped or whose contracts had been terminated.

The decision was taken more than a month after the launch of the Mosul liberation operations to recapture the city from the Islamic State (IS), which had been in control since June 2014. At that time, the army collapsed and left its weapons on the battlefield, while the military leaders accused of handing over the city to IS fled.

The decision received conflicting responses from political blocs. The State of Law Coalition believes the decision was made because of political motives and because certain political parties would benefit from it.

State of Law Coalition member of parliament Razaq Mheibes told Al-Monitor, The decision resulted from political and media pressure. He said that the Sadrist movement has been trying to direct the public opinion to approve the amnesty law (the law of repatriating the security forces who escaped before), and that it presented proposals to the parliamentary legal committee in July. This helped the law materialize, and proposals that the parliament approved were put forward.

He added that the State of Law Coalition approved the amnesty law to acquit the fugitives and those who were dismissed in response to the political components in favor of this. The coalitions vote was essential to gain the trust of political partners and mend relations in this delicate phase.

Member of parliament Intisar al-Juburi spoke on behalf of the mostly Sunni Union of National Forces and called for granting amnesty to those affiliated with the security apparatus and those who fled the service after 2014, because of the vast military and security experience they possess.

Juburi did not deny the presence of political motives behind the decision, and said that the parliaments decisions have political dimensions because it is formed of blocs with different interests and inclinations. She asserted that the approval of the amnesty law to acquit the soldiers and policemen who fled mainly aims at regaining public popularity with the nearing elections.

But humanitarian motives are also at play.

The president of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies, political analyst Watheq al-Hashimi, told Al-Monitor that the decision to bring back those who were dismissed from the security apparatus and those who fled is usually taken during a long-lasting war because the state needs expertise and soldiers to compensate for a lack of security officers.

Hashimi emphasized the importance of the rules that bind military men to implement the military sanctions decision in Iraq in order to prevent them from escaping.

Hashimi and Juburi had a similar opinion, with Hashimi noting that electoral motives led to a majority approval of the decision because elections are imminent and Iraqi politicians need to offer people something tangible to regain their trust.

National Forces Alliance member of parliament Raad al-Dahlaki told Al-Monitor that the decision gives the people who escaped a second chance, so that they wouldnt have to bear the burdens of a state that could not protect its citizens. They should not be held accountable for the governments bad management of security and political affairs.

Dahlaki said, They want the provinces citizens to hold on to their lands because they know well what is going on. He noted that the amnesty granted to local policemen and some officers is a serious chance for them to reinforce security.

Dahlaki said that the decision definitely has political and electoral goals, as is the case with most parliamentary decisions.

Saad al-Matlabi, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in Baghdads Provincial Council, told Al-Monitor that the decision to grant amnesty to security officers and to halt their legal pursuit was part of the political settlement decisions that were taken long before the Mosul operations. But they were only approved a few days ago.

Matlabi said that the decision applies to those who fled the security apparatus after 2014 to bring them back to service. The benefiting party is the Sunni side, as the policemen and members of the federal police as well as soldiers who fled and handed over their arms after IS invaded the city hail from Mosul. The decision also involves halting investigations and bringing back former military leaders to their positions without accountability, which means that the reasons behind the fall of Mosul and those implicated in it will not be addressed.

While those concerned by the amnesty law rejoiced, some Iraqis were angry at the decision that equates fugitives to the men who stood their ground on the battlefield instead of handing their weapons to the army and fleeing. Alaa al-Saidi, a citizen from Baghdad who works at the Ministry of Defense and who did not flee from the barracks, told Al-Monitor, Exempting military leaders of legal pursuits is perplexing and suspicious. It is an attempt to hide the crime of Mosuls fall.

Despite the opinions and statements about the decision to bring back those who fled and those who were dismissed, the political process in Iraq remains based on consensus and fulfillment of the interest of political blocs to receive gains. The amnesty decision was reached because it satisfies the needs of all political blocs in winning voters with the imminent Provincial Council elections, which constitute a prelude to the parliamentary elections in Iraq.
December 29, 2016

The city of Sfax in southern Tunisia woke up Dec. 15 to the news of the assassination of Tunisian aeronautical engineer Mohammed Alzoari, 49, who was gunned down in his car in front of his house.

Two days after the operation, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing, issued a statement accusing Israel of being behind the operation, and vowing to retaliate. According to the statement, Alzoari had joined the resistance and al-Qassam Brigades 10 years ago and is one of the leaders who had been supervising Hamas Ababil-1 drones program.

During a press conference Dec. 20, Tunisian Interior Minister Hedi Majdoub said, Foreign agents were behind the assassination of Alzoari due to his involvement in scientific projects and his regional engagements [relations].

The pertinent question, however, is how will the Tunisian state deal with the involved assailants?

Israel has yet to make an official statement vis-a-vis Hamas accusations, except for the brief comment by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, quoted by the Israeli national radio (Arabil) when he responded to a question about the incident during the Bar Association conference in Tel Aviv Dec. 21.

If someone was killed in Tunisia, he is not likely to be a peace activist or a Nobel Prize candidate. Israel is doing what needs to be done to defend its interests, Liberman said.

Although Israel did not officially admit to being involved in this crime and Tunisia did not point a finger at it, some signs suggest that the Mossads prints are all over the operation. In this context, one ought to stress the fact that Alzoari was designing unmanned aerial aircrafts for Hamas and also belonged to the movement. Alzoaris killing is akin to the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, another leader in al-Qassam Brigades, in a hotel in Dubai in January 2010, which also raised speculations about the Mossads involvement in the incident.

Alzoaris assassination raised much controversy, furor and public anger in Tunisia, as thousands took to the streets demanding the Tunisian government retaliate and pass a law criminalizing normalization with Israel.

The Tunisian government issued a statement Dec. 18, saying that the state is committed to track down the assailants behind the assassination of Alzoari at home and abroad with all legal means and in accordance with international conventions.

For his part, Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef al-Shahed announced Dec. 22 that he had dismissed the governor of Sfax and the head of security in the area south of Sfax where the assassination took place.

Political analyst and writer Mohamed Bettaieb told Al-Monitor, The Tunisian government can only respond in one way, which is to file a violation complaint to the UN Security Council against Israel for violating its sovereignty. This is what Tunisia did in the wake of the Israeli raid on the Palestinian Liberation Organization [PLO] headquarters in Hammam Chott, near Tunis, on Oct. 1, 1985, which killed 50 people and wounded 100 others. Back then, the UN Security Council condemned the Israeli operation, which was dubbed Operation Wooden Leg, considering that Tunisia had the right to appropriate reparations.

In Alzoaris case, however, Tunisia does not possess sufficient evidence against the Mossad to take the issue to the Security Council. Any complaint to the council should be based on a thorough legal file with clear grounds and sufficient evidence, which is the responsibility of the Tunisian security services to carry out, Bettaieb added.

In the same vein, Tunisian Foreign Minister Khamis Alaghinawa said during a parliament session Dec. 24 that his ministry is awaiting the outcome of the security investigations commissioned by the public prosecution in order to proceed with the necessary steps to start pursuing the agents involved in the assassination. The ministry has started through its diplomatic missions to monitor anything that would help its investigations, be it statements, acknowledgements or any other relevant information.

Alaghinawa added, Tunisia is in contact with the Palestinian Authority, which has promised to provide all the data available in relation to the issue and the necessary evidence and documents to track down the involved assailants.

For his part, Bettaieb said, It is true that the Tunisian government has little room to retaliate at the international level, but it can take steps at the domestic level that could serve as an indirect response to the crime. Most importantly, the government could pass a law criminalizing all forms of normalization with Israel and promote a political, economic and cultural boycott against it.

Tunisia has had diplomatic and economic relations with Israel since 1996, but they came to a halt in September 2000 following the Al-Aqsa intifada in Palestine.

Journalist Nizar Makni told Al-Monitor, The assassination of Alzoari has revealed the lax security system in Tunisia. The governments response to this crime must be through tighter security measures against any foreign breaches.

Makni added, The government has announced the establishment of a national center for intelligence, whose mission is to gather information and coordinate with the various intelligence agencies, control and analyze strategic queries and information. But I believe this remains insufficient; there is a need for the establishment of a national intelligence agency rather than a focal point or coordination center, which could be able to guide the intelligence work without being politically motivated."

Tunisia needs strong and conclusive evidence to indict the Mossad in Alzoaris assassination and to condemn Israel internationally, which is the furthest Tunisia can go.

This is not the first time the Mossad has carried out an assassination in Tunisia. In April 1987, Tunis witnessed the assassination of Khalil al-Wazir, known as Abu Jihad, who was the PLOs No. 2 man. He was killed at the hands of a group of Mossad agents who infiltrated across the sea into his home in Sidi Bou Said. In 1993, the Tunisian authorities managed to dismantle a Mossad-affiliated cell in the PLO headquarters, led by a Palestinian diplomat called Adnan Yasin.

The supporters of the Palestinian resistance, parties and organizations in Tunisia are calling for severing ties with Israel through the passing of a law criminalizing all forms of normalization with it. This is knowing that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine had set forth a draft law in 2015 to this effect, which has yet to be discussed in Tunisian parliament. The former Tunisian parliament had refused to include a chapter to this effect in the new constitution in 2014.
December 29, 2016

Despite Turkeys high-profile collaboration with Russia and Iran aimed at ending the Syrian crisis, Turkeys position in Syria remains confusing.

Realizing that its fight against the Islamic State (IS) in the groups stronghold of al-Bab is proving to be more difficult and costly in terms of lives than initially expected, the Turkish military is accusing its Western allies of deserting it and the Turkey-backed Free Syria Army (FSA) as they combat terrorism in Syria.

In a progress report prepared for the press, the Turkish military said it was not getting any help from its allies, which it claimed were merely looking on as Turkish forces engaged in fierce fighting in al-Bab.

The military added that delays in launching the US-led operation to liberate Raqqa had also enabled IS fighters there to move to al-Bab to fight Turkish forces and the FSA.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went further and claimed that the US-led coalition was not only withholding support from Turkeys campaign in al-Bab, but was also backing IS, as well as the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG).

According to Ankara, the PYD and the YPG are terrorist groups linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), but it has failed to convince Washington.

Its very clear. We have confirmed evidence, with pictures, photos and videos, Erdogan claimed earlier this week with regard to his accusation.

Erdogan also said the US-led coalition was not honoring its promise to help Turkey capture al-Bab. Whether they do or they dont, we will continue along this path in a determined way, he said. "There is no going back.

Washington denied Erdogans claim that it is aiding IS as ludicrous, but repeated that it would continue to work with the YPG against IS.

Turkey wants to prevent the Syrian Kurds from gaining an autonomous region along the Turkish border. It has vowed to keep YPG fighters out of al-Bab, and to expel them from the nearby town of Manbij. On Dec. 24, Erdogan reiterated that al-Bab will be taken, and that the Turkish military would then move on to Manbij, and from there to the "IS capital" of Raqqa.

In a further sign that the Turkish operation has run into difficulties, Erdogans spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters, "The international coalition must carry out its duties regarding aerial support to the battle we are fighting in al-Bab. He added that withholding this support was unacceptable.

Turkey has openly said that the aim of its Operation Euphrates Shield in Syria, launched Aug. 24, is to not only target IS but also the YPG. Washington, however, does not consider the YPG to be a terrorist group and has also declared openly that it wants Turkey to concentrate on fighting only IS in Syria.

The United States initially provided air support to Turkish forces and the FSA as they moved against IS in the towns of Jarablus and Dabiq, which were captured with relatively few casualties. The US military announced in November, however, that it was not participating in Turkeys operation in al-Bab. This announcement came after Turkish forces started bombing YPG positions around al-Bab.

In August, the town of Manbij was captured from IS by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is comprised mainly of YPG fighters. Erdogans determination to move on to Manbij appears to be another reason why the United States is reluctant to help Turkey in al-Bab.

According to the perplexing scenario put forward by Erdogan, Turkeys aim is to capture al-Bab before the YPG, rid Manbij of YPG fighters and work with the US-led coalition to liberate Raqqa from IS, after convincing Washington to dump the YPG. How it plans to achieve all of this on its own is not clear.

Nihat Ali Ozcan, a security expert for the Ankara-based Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, argues that clashing agendas is behind Washingtons reluctance to help Turkey in al-Bab.

Washington wanted Turkey to move only 20 kilometers [12 miles] deep into Syria and close the access roads in and out of Turkey used by [IS], Ozcan told Al-Monitor. When Turkey went beyond this and started attacking the YPG, US plans  especially with regard to capturing Raqqa  were disrupted."

He added, It seems as if Washington wants to teach Turkey a lesson now by leaving it on its own in al-Bab.

Ankaras dilemma is that Russia is also unlikely to provide military support to Turkey in al-Bab, despite the diplomatic cooperation between the two countries in Syria.

According to Ozcan, Russias limited support for Operation Euphrates Shield is also contingent on Turkeys remaining focused on killing radical Islamists, and not going after other groups or posing difficulties for the Syrian regime.

The daily Hurriyet reported this week that Russia was preventing Turkish fighter jets from flying over al-Bab. Citing unnamed sources the paper said, Russia does not want Turkish jets in the region because it is going to engage in military activities south of al-Bab.

The Syrian regime is also keen to capture al-Bab before Turkish forces and the FSA. Some analysts have even argued that the regime in Damascus would rather see Kurds in the town than Turkish forces or the FSA.

Ankaras fixation on the Syrian Kurds, and its inability to address this issue politically, seems to be turning into the boulder on which Turkeys Syria agenda founders. There is also no guarantee that Moscow will ultimately support Ankaras line against the Syrian Kurds.

Although Moscow does not support Kurdish autonomy, Russian officials have said that the Kurds must also have a voice in any Syrian settlement.

Sources close to the Turkish government are signaling their hope that the US position will change under the presidency of Donald Trump. Hurriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, who stands close to Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party, indicates that the government has great expectations of Trump.

Ankara is preparing for the Trump era. It values Trump's stated position about not working for regime change in other countries, but concentrating on fighting terrorism, Selvi wrote in his column.

He was referring to the widespread belief among government circles that the Obama administration was somehow involved in the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey aimed at toppling Erdogan. Ankara is still smarting over Washingtons reluctance to extradite Fethullah Gulen, the Islamic cleric accused of masterminding the coup attempt.

Selvi said Ankara wants Trump to see matters from Turkeys point of view and to mark a new beginning in Turkish-US ties. Trump has nevertheless expressed his admiration for Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Given the openly expressed desire by Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to cooperate to end the Syrian crisis, it remains to be seen if Turkish hopes invested in the new US administration will bear fruit or merely compound Turkeys already difficult situation in Syria.
Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver said a Centre man faces first-degree kidnapping charges after investigators say he held a woman against her will.

Shaver said dispatchers received a 911 call around midnight to a residence in the Forney community on a domestic violence call. At the residence, officers found an injured woman.

"The female appeared to have been assaulted and held against her will," Shaver said.

The victim was carried to a local hospital where she was treated and released.

Shaver said Wallace B. Jordan, 39, of Centre, has been charged with first-degree kidnapping and is being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center on $100,000 bond.
TuscaloosaCarjackingSuspects.jpg

Christopher Denell Calloway and Stephanie Ray Robinson Calloway, both 43, are now charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree receiving stolen property.

(Tuscaloosa Police)

A man and woman are under arrest after a carjacking in Tuscaloosa.

Tuscaloosa police were dispatched about 5:19 p.m. Wednesday to the 3500 block of East McFarland Boulevard on a report of a robbery, said Lt. Teena Richardson. The victim told officers she was involved in a crash, and that her vehicle was then taken by force.

The suspects - a man and woman - fled in the victim's car in an unknown direction of travel on the interstate, Richards said. The vehicle the pair left at the scene was determined to have been stolen out of South Carolina.

About six hours later - at 11:15 p.m. - Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office spotted the couple on the interstate. After a short pursuit, they were taken into custody in Clarke County, initially arrested on misdemeanor charges.

Tuscaloosa police on Friday announced felony warrants for them. Christopher Denell Calloway and Stephanie Ray Robinson Calloway, both 43, are now charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree receiving stolen property. Theirs bonds are set at $90,000 each.
StormyLyonsColt.jpg

Stormy Lyons is charged with animal cruelty after lawmen found 2 dead horse and an emaciated colt that belonged to her in Vance. (Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office)

( )

A Tuscaloosa County woman is behind bars, accused of cruelty to animals after two horses were found dead on her property and a third was found in dire condition.

Stormy Lyons, 35, surrendered to the Tuscaloosa County Jail on Friday morning. Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Deputy Josh Hastings said the investigation began Dec. 21 when lawmen responded to an animal cruelty complaint on Pleasant Grove Road in Vance.

When they arrived on the scene, they found a dead horse in a makeshift pasture in the back yard of an abandoned residence. A second horse - a 1-year-old colt - was also found in the enclosure. The colt was emaciated and appeared to have been tied to a tree for quite some time, Hastings said.

As deputies continued to investigate, they found a third horse had also recently died and was buried in a shallow grave next to the dead horse. Based on the condition of the enclosure and the condition of the living horse, the colt was seized and is currently being housed at the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office animal stable. Hastings said the colt is doing well.

Lyons is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals and failure to bury livestock. She is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail with bonds totaling $7,500.
Florence police shooting

Florence Police Detective Michael Price, left, shot suspect Chris Kilpatrick, right, during a foot chase and struggle. Kilpatrick, who allegedly pointed a gun at the officer, is now charged with attempted murder.

(Florence police/Lauderdale County Detention Center)

An Alabama man who was shot by Florence police earlier this year has been indicted for attempted murder of an officer.

The indictment accuses Christopher Wayne Kilpatrick, 43, of trying to "intentionally cause the death of" Florence police Detective Michael Price during a foot chase and struggle on Aug. 11, court records show.

Kilpatrick, of Florence, was indicted by a grand jury in Lauderdale County earlier this month.

At the time of the incident, Kilpatrick allegedly had escaped from work release and stolen a truck from Jacksonburg Church of Christ a day earlier. When a Florence officer spotted the truck in the nearby Dollar General parking lot off Chisholm Road, he called for backup and Price responded.

As Price arrived, Kilpatrick, who was driving the truck, ran into a wooded area behind the store. Two male passengers stayed with the truck and were taken into custody without incident.

Price ran after Kilpatrick and the two began struggling, at which time the detective shot Kilpatrick in the abdomen, police said. A gun, reportedly stolen from another vehicle, was found on the ground near Kilpatrick.

"He pointed the gun at the officer," Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly said. When asked if Kilpatrick fired at Price, Connolly said he couldn't discuss specifics of the case.

Kilpatrick was hospitalized for treatment of his injuries.

Price was placed on administrative leave pending an internal review and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigation of the shooting. He later was returned to active duty.

Connolly said a grand jury earlier this year cleared Price in the shooting, so no charges were filed.

The attempted murder case against Kilpatrick was investigated by the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office. Connolly said the Sheriff's Office and Florence police have a "reciprocal agreement" to handle those investigations for each other when an officer or deputy from the other agency is involved.

Kilpatrick also has been indicted on charges of first-degree theft, second-degree theft and breaking and entering a vehicle in connection with the stolen gun and truck, court records show.

A grand jury issues an indictment when the jurors find there is enough evidence for a case to proceed to trial. The indictment is a formal notice of the charges -- not a legal determination of guilt or innocence.

Kilpatrick was being held in the Lauderdale County Detention Center with bail set at $59,000.

If convicted on the attempted murder or first-degree theft charges, Kilpatrick faces up to 20 years imprisonment on Class B felony count. The second-degree theft and breaking and entering charges are Class C felonies punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

Kilpatrick was on work release in connection with an assault conviction at the time of the shooting.
The adversary violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces around 40 times, from late Thursday night to early Friday morning.

December 30, 2016, 09:31 Azerbaijan fired over 1,300 shots at night

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces fired more than 1,300 shots toward the Armenian military positions, and with various shooting weapons and sniper rifles, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army informed.

Taking actions in response where necessary, the NKR Defense Army position-holding forces, however, continue overseeing the situation, and they clearly carry out their military watch.
What is exposed is the result of the fine work of the anti-corruption team, which works hard to expose such abuse.

While last weeks news about a public servant sentenced to nine years gaol for defrauding the state of K5 million sends a signal, there is much more corruption; very much more.

But there are many others who are rotten within the system of government and in the public service.

THERE are many good politicians, public servants and private citizens who want a corruption free and prosperous Papua New Guinea.

The most recent fraud concerned K5 million awarded for three Bailey Bridges to be constructed; but the culprit completed just one, pocketing the remaining money.

A crude crime, but so common in many PNG government departments.

Its even got its own slang - kicks & cuts.

There are also grips & grabs - funds paid for doing favours, especially for people in a position to award contracts.

Both kicks & cuts and grips & grabs are popular forms of corruption in PNG today.

As graft finds its way into new twists and turns, those with criminal minds look for ways to make their deals look legal, providing us with yet another term - legalised corruption.

Sometimes, common people are confused about whether something is corrupt or not, especially if its legalised corruption.

A country with a population approaching eight million where about half the people are illiterate offers a much higher prospect of continued legalised corruption.

It is sad to see a country blessed with abundant natural resources with so much being grabbed by a very few corrupted hands. Corruption will continue until politicians and public servants change their ways and the rest of us vote in good political leaders who can truly fight against corruption.

The question many Papua New Guineans ask is why we continue to elect political leaders who have been implicated in a corruption?

Its depressing to witness this happening with same old recycled politicians manipulating the same old public servants.

Lets hope 2017 will bring change.
Ramallah  Those who dont know their country are incapable of loving it. This was the motto for a recent project by Palestinian NGO Taghyeer for Social Media, which brought 50 bloggers, journalists and social media activists together on a bus trip to highlight the heritage of Palestine.

The trip started in the Palestinian Authoritys de facto capital of Ramallah and made stops at the Ein Fawwar and Ein Farah springs, the Nabi Musa shrine and the Sugar Mills in Jericho, a Palestinian city near the Jordan River with remains dating back more than 10,000 years.

Via smartphones, participants shared what they saw with tens of thousands of followers and friends on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. The social media bus initiative generated huge interest in Palestine and abroad, Taghyeer founder Saed Karzoun told Al Jazeera, with more than 50,000 people following the hashtag #SMBUS on Twitter and Instagram in just two days.

As of 2014, less than half of Palestinians in the occupied territories had an internet connection, according to a recent report by 7amleh, the Arab Centre for Social Media Advancement. But the power of social media continues to grow.

Its the smart power that we use to connect with the world in seconds, Karzoun said.

According to a 2016 report published by the Palestinian company Concepts, approximately 1.7 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip use Facebook, while more than one million use WhatsApp and more than 300,000 use each of Twitter and Instagram.

Journalist and media researcher Tala Halawa noted that it is extremely important for Palestinians to maintain a presence on social media, as many people around the world use such platforms to interact with Palestinians and to learn about the country.

The [social media bus] initiative takes advantage of Palestinians obsession with social media to increase awareness and promote these locations in Palestine, Halawa added.

Hamza Aqrabawi, a guide specialising in alternative forms of tourism, said that of the more than 1,000 tours he organised in 2016, the social media bus had the greatest impact.

We realised that we have become strangers in our country. Israelis feel more comfortable because they know the land. It is extremely important to know Palestine to eliminate fear and claim ownership, Aqrabawi told Al Jazeera.

Every participant in the trip had at least 5,000 friends and followers. Thousands lived our experience. They all know Ein Farah and Ein Fawwar and are no longer afraid to go there.

Participant Noor Hamad, a 34-year-old Palestinian who was born in Syria and grew up in Jordan, wrote about the trip and posted several photos online to share the experience with his friends. When I saw the water coming from under the ground in Ein Fawwar, it quenched the thirst of 69 years under occupation, Hamad said.

The participants not only live streamed, but also documented the journey for generations to come, Karzoun said, noting that if you visit #SMBUS now, you will find extensive Arabic content about these four places. We are slowly building an archive about the Palestine we know. After its initial success, two subsequent social media bus tours were organised in Nablus and Gaza.

There is still some way to go, however. Halawa said that the Palestinian narrative must still expand on larger English-language platforms, such as Wikipedia, in order to better combat the Israeli narrative.

A lack of 3G internet service in the occupied West Bank has posed a significant obstacle, forcing many Palestinians to rely on wi-fi, available only in specific areas.

Israel tries to control Palestinians access to such services to keep them isolated from the world, Halawa said.
For many the current position of Britains black population is one that is mired between achievement and marginalisation

Glasgow, United Kingdom  They are one of Britains most dynamic and enduring communities whose presence in the UK dates back hundreds of years.

From serving Britain with distinction in the first and second world wars to their modern-day success in the world of film and television and sport, black Britons have helped to shape the UK of today.

The month of November saw the BBC broadcast its Black and British season  a series of programmes dedicated to the achievements of black people in the UK and exploring the rich cultural heritage of black Britain.

The considered thoughts of black British figures such as Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis, Homeland star David Harewood and supermodel Naomi Campbell were showcased alongside programmes involving Britains role in the slave trade and domestic discrimination.

Indeed, for many observers, the current position of Britains black population is one that is mired between achievement and marginalisation in a nation where being black and British remains, statistically, a hardship. And where, some say, the UKs true-scale involvement in the transatlantic slave trade remains little known to the wider public.

Theres a tendency with some people who dont want to talk about many aspects of British history, to say that slavery is talked about too much, said David Olusoga, a BBC producer and historian who was involved in the making and presenting of the corporations Black and British season.

I think we know very, very little in this country about Britains involvement in the slave trade and slavery.

READ MORE: Black Lives Matter and the Irish slave myth

He added to Al Jazeera: When someone tells me theyre sick of hearing about slavery  that thats all anyone talks about  I say, if youre so bored of hearing about it, then you can obviously name a number of plantations, name a number of British slave ships and owners and merchants, and, of course, people [normally] cant.

Despite the BBCs season of programming, many advocates of black British history say that, in the modern-day UK, it remains hard to promote the achievements of black Britons.

Stephen Bourne is a historian with 25 years experience writing about the success and contributions of Britains black community. He told Al Jazeera that, from the high point of black British coverage in the 1990s, interest from the mainstream media and the publishing world fell off a cliff in the aftermath of the report into the 1993 racially motivated murder of black London teenager, Stephen Lawrence.

That [1999] Macpherson Report accused the London Metropolitan police of institutional racism  and looking back, it was around that time that [British] media facilitators withdrew and kind of backed off race, contended Bourne, author of Black Poppies  Britains Black Community and the Great War.

So, black British history got sidelined and I lived through that period and struggled in that period.

READ MORE: Black Britons confront radical Islam

 Black lives dont matter in the UK

Although black Britons had been present in the country long before, their numbers really began to grow in the mid-20th century when, from the 1940s to the 1960s, the first wave of black immigrants arrived on to British shores from the Caribbean.





A second wave, beginning in the late 1980s, saw those from the African continent head to the UK, with Nigerians and Ghanaians leading the way. Today, Britains black population stands at some two million in the country of 64.6 million people.

Yet, the lives of many black Britons remain somewhat perilous. According to a 2016 report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, black Britons are more than twice as likely to be murdered as white Britons. It also revealed that black workers with degrees were, on average, earning 23.1 percent less than their white counterparts.

Black lives dont matter in the UK  if you are poor and black, the colour bar is a lived reality, said activist and campaigner, Joshua Virasami, who is a core member of Britains emerging Black Lives Matter UK movement.

From big wage gaps to unemployment, low educational attainment to stop-and-search, incarceration to deaths in police custody and prisons, black people are disproportionately represented, black women are often triply oppressed by race, class and gender.

OPINION: Race relations in Britain  How far have we really come?

Talking positives

London-based Virasami told Al Jazeera that Black Lives Matter UK had already started campaigning across England and Wales and that it was planning its first Britain-wide gathering in the New Year.

I believe the movement has one fundamental objective  the self-determination and emancipation of black people from a global system of white-hetero-patriarchal capital which subjugates us at the mercy of the profits of a corporatocracy, the same captains of industry who have run this violent operation of exploitation for centuries, he said.

As black immigrants began to settle in Britain in large numbers from the middle part of the 20th century, driven by a post-war labour shortage in the UK and a want of job opportunities in many of Britains colonies, racial tensions played out in a number of ways.





There were the 1958 race riots in the English cities of Nottingham and London, the notorious 1968 Rivers of Blood speech by Conservative Party MP Enoch Powell and the rise of the unabashed racist National Front movement in the 1970s.

Indeed, many black Britons frequently experienced both direct and indirect racism during this time. Some, including a teenage David Olusoga himself, even found their own homes the target of racist attacks.

Yet, said Bourne, who has spent a career gathering the first-hand accounts of many older generation black Britons, there is another narrative.

While, Bourne observed, in the 1980s, there was a huge push to talk about racism, and to talk about black people in British history as victims of racism  that one could only talk about black people in British history through that framework  that wasnt how they perceived themselves.

Black Britons, he said, were more interested in talking about the positives, the achievements, the successes that they had. Racism played a part, it wasnt ever ignored when they talked to me, but it wasnt the way they perceived themselves. They didnt perceive themselves as victims.

If the strong words of Virasami are anything to go by, in todays UK, in the 21st century, Britain remains troubled by racial tensions. And, while it is clear that some of the barriers that prevented black Britons from succeeding have been overcome, the country has still some way to go if the aspirations of all black Britons are to be met, said Olusoga.

The historian stated that the very fact it was perhaps easier to name black athletes or musicians in Britain than it was to name black writers, thinkers and intellectuals, revealed that in the areas where black people were said to be deficient, black people are still either excluded or self-excluded  or probably a bit of both.

Indeed, a 2015 report laid bare that, shockingly, just 0.49 percent of professors in UK academia were black.

Its important that we challenge the areas where the racism that emerged in the 18th and 19th and 20th centuries said black people were deficient, explained Olusoga, author of Black and British  A Forgotten History.

I would much more readily rush to say that weve got somewhere when I saw 20 black [British] history professors, rather than one.

Follow Alasdair Soussi on Twitter: @AlasdairSoussi
This is the year that added insult to injury, as disagreement translated into indecency, and arrogance bred incivility.

The dogs of war have peed all over this years calendar. Every month. Every week. Every day.

Entire cities and communities have been ravaged by indiscriminate bombing, violence, destruction, as more and more people abandoned their lives for the unknown.

Certainly, 2016 was one of the worst years in decades, perhaps not as bad as 1916  one of the 20th centurys worst  but the Middle East is in the midst of its own World War I after more regional and global military powers jumped in.

Never again has happened again and again, but the international community did little more than bicker, complain or perhaps condemn. Worse, the world has grown numb to the horrors of the greater Middle East.

The tragic image of five-year-old Omran Daqneesh, sitting in an ambulance after being pulled from a building hit by an air strike in Aleppo, less than a year after three-year old Aylan Kurdi was washed ashore in Turkey, made it clear that nothing will make a difference.

Five thousand more refugees drowned in the Mediterranean in 2016. And the lucky ones, like the hundred thousand-plus refugees who crossed the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa this year, have actually found refuge in war-torn Yemen!

And something else happened in 2016; something that didnt figure in the long lists of the end-of-the-year reviews; something that went beyond violence, beyond suffering. Its the year that added insult to injury, as disagreement translated into indecency, and arrogance bred incivility. Its the year of lies and post-truth.

A year of insolence

The Jewish Talmud lists a number of signs that that signal the end of times. For example, chutzpah or insolence will increase, the truth will be hidden, and the face of a generation, that is to say, its leaders, will be as the face of a dog.

Coincidentally, Ive been hearing a lot of barking in recent times, coming from the most likely and, indeed, the most unlikely places.

The Talmuds face of a dog appearing on the horizon, like Shakespeares let slip the dogs of war, comes when leaders wreak havoc on the world. And just as dogs march ahead of their master, but are in fact being led from behind, so the leaders will only appear to be leading; in reality they will be following the whims of the masses and their worst instincts.

There are countless examples of such arrogance, recklessness and myopia. Here are three specific examples of chutzpah in 2016.

The Syrian people have triumphed

Five years after people accumulated victories in the struggle for freedom and justice in the Arab world, they now only count their losses.

The tide began to turn three years ago when the regimes cracked down on popular upheavals with impunity, choking the spirit of the Arab Spring amid mounting foreign meddling. It started with Libya and Syria, followed by Egypt and Yemen, and shows no signs of ebbing this year.

As moderates lingered in jails and cemeteries, moderation gave way to extremism, which in turn became the new norm that would come to shape 2016. New extremist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and al-Qaeda took to the fore, destroying all that was left from the Arab Spring.

READ MORE: 2016  The year the world stopped caring about refugees

The birth pangs of a new Middle East have continued to grow, but there is little evidence of the birth of a new Middle East.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Syria. Helped by Russia, Iran and various militias, the Assad regime destroyed much of the country under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

As the Syrian death toll rose to several hundreds of thousands, Bashar al-Assad, who in 2011 claimed that Syrians would never rise against the regime, boasted against the backdrop of falling Aleppo: The Syrian people have won.

Lies like a dog

And just when you thought things couldnt get any worse, Donald Trump was elected US president. Those who were disappointed by Barrack Obamas under-reach are infuriated by the president-elects overreach.

His incitement against Muslims is unprecedented, advocating a ban on Muslim travel to America and the creation of a registry for American Muslims by Homeland Security.

Trump has already made friends and allies from among some of the most notorious racists in the United States and beyond and has brought a number of Muslim and Arab haters to the White House as senior advisers.

2016 doesn't signal the end of times. There's still lots of time to do the right thing, to follow our moral compass, not our fears, celebrate hope and birth, and reverse this year's embrace and even reward for insolence, indecency, and incivility. by

A bragger who lies, according to The Washington Post and New York Times, Trump boasted to know more about ISIL than the US generals, and that only he can protect America, but then he argued its best to leave it to the Russians and Syrian regime to finish the job. The job as described above.

Even before entering the White House, Trump has been making allies with the likes of Russias Vladimir Putin, Egypts Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as well as Israels Benjamin Netanyahu. Even President Assad reckons theyll be allies.

And to top it all, after claiming that he would be neutral on Israel and Palestine, Trump promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and assigned his campaign advisers, the ultra-Zionists David Friedman and Jason Greenblatt, as diplomatic envoys to Israel and to the peace talks. The latter once served as a guard at an Israeli settlement.

So now the commander-in-tweet, who boasted of being the only one capable of resolving the conflict, threatens to punish the United Nations for approving a resolution condemning the illegal Israeli settlements and vowing to stop US disdain of Israel.

Declaration of war

OK, just to be clear, if anyone disdained anyone in this relationship, there is an overwhelming international consensus, except in Israel, that it is Netanyahu that has treated Obama with disdain, not the other way around.

Despite unprecedented US military and intelligence cooperation with Israel; despite granting it a record package of military aid of $38bn over the next 10 years; despite vetoing the UN Security Council resolution condemning the Israel illegal settlement in 2011  the only veto the US used at the council on that year; and despite blocking all diplomatic pressures on Israel at various international forums, Netanyahu persisted in railing against and humiliating the Obama administration.

Otherwise, known as biting the hand that feeds you.

OPINION: Israels never-ending crimes  Its not just settlements

Nowhere was this clearer than when he colluded with Republican leaders of Congress to speak out against US diplomacy on the Iran nuclear deal. The president was informed only hours before Netanyahus speech.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have chastised their US counterparts as if they were the representatives of a banana republic. One called Obamas politics anti-Semitic, and John Kerry a man with the brain of a 12-year-old.

But the Secretary of State has been unrelenting. And this week he delivered a long speech defending US abstention during the Security Council vote on the resolution condemning the illegal Israeli settlement.

The 14 out of 15 majority in favour of the resolution was followed by an almost unprecedented cheer and applause. But the Obama administration has had to defend itself non-stop under a barrage of attacks and disinformation by Israel and its friends, including the most vocal, Donald Trump.

After all, in the words of one Israeli minister, supporting such a resolution is tantamount to supporting the 9/11 attacks, or, as Prime Minister Netanyahu menaced his New Zealand counterpart, its declaration of war on Israel. A declaration of war! Oh, what chutzpah!

The dogs bark, but the caravan goes on

Syrian, Iranians, Russians and others have little or no choice. Insisting on better leadership has proved deadly. But what about Americans and Israelis! What is their excuse?

Yes, there is a lot of insolence out there, but rest assured, 2016 doesnt signal the end of times. Theres still lots of time to do the right thing, to follow our moral compass, not our fears, celebrate hope and birth, and reverse this years embrace and even reward for insolence, indecency, and incivility.

OPINION: What went wrong? A withering West

Say goodbye 2016, hello 2017. Wishing only that next year will be the year when ethics guide politics, not the other way around. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But isnt that what we do on New Years Eve?

Remember, as I always say: In the end, everything will be OK. If its not OK, its not the end.

The dogs bark, but the caravan must go on.

PS: Dear dog lovers, The New York Times columnist and author of The Year of Voting Dangerously, Maureen Dowd, commented in her October 8 piece, Donald Goes to the Dogs: Given that Trump has dubbed so many women dogs, theres poetic justice in comparing him to one  But its not fair to compare Trump to a dog. Dogs are awesome. Her words, not mine.

Marwan Bishara is the senior political analyst at Al Jazeera. Follow him on Facebook.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
A decade after the Iraqi presidents execution, a system that results in the daily deaths of Iraqis continues unabated.

On Saturday, December 30, 2006, the world awoke to the news of Saddam Husseins execution.

I learned of the news at 6:30am that morning, when I received a call from CNNs Turkish affiliate in Istanbul to come on the air to discuss his death. 90 minutes later, the TV host concluded the interview by asking, As an Iraqi, how do you feel after Saddams execution?

I paused. Sweat trickled down my face, caked in make-up for the studio interview. I knew that some Iraqis would dance with joy, while others would weep. How did I feel?

Empty, I responded.

All I wanted was stability and a bright future for my ancestral Iraq. I knew Saddams execution would not bring that to Iraq, and a decade later, my desires still prove to be elusive.

The audiences of Saddams execution

A decade ago Saddams execution elicited mixed reactions among those living in Iraq and the region. Saddam managed to capture the imagination of the Arab public as the only leader who stood up to the West in two separate wars.

For those Iraqis who lost family to Saddams government, his execution served as closure with a bloody past. Yet, even those who despised Saddam admitted that he brought stability to the country, something that Iraq lacks today.

For those Iraqis who loved Saddam, they joined insurgent groups after 2003, hoping to return him to power. His execution did little to end their violence. Some of them, including former Saddam-era officers, eventually found their way to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an organisation who had no love for the former Iraqi president, but emerged as the most effective insurgent group a decade after his death.

Saddams death and The Republic of Fear

In 1989, Iraqi-British academic Kanan Makiya published, The Republic of Fear, analysing how Saddam sat at the top of a system that inculcated an all-encompassing sense of fear in Iraq.

That fear knew no temporal or geographic borders. Even after Saddam went into hiding after the 2003 Iraq war, Iraqis were reluctant to cooperate with the United States occupation authorities, certain that he would somehow manage to return.

What is new to Iraq is insecurity, civil wars, car bombs, kidnappings, criminal gangs, ISIL and government mired by infighting among ethno-sectarian political factions. by

That fear permeated beyond Iraq. Growing up in California, my parents hesitated to discuss their lives in Iraq, giving me the impression that it was some place they did not want me know about. They only discussed Iraq in whispered conversations that I overheard.

So, Iraq became something I only thought about, imagining how traumatic their past must have been that they could not even tell me. The mystery they created surrounding Iraq and Saddam Hussein only did more to enhance my curiosity. Saddam had been part of my life since childhood, then I studied his rule from my first days in college until I finished my PhD.

The more I studied his rule, I realised that Saddam sat at the apex of a system, in which thousands were complicit.

OPINION: Twenty five years later, the Middle East looks the same

The lesson of a paper I wrote on this system  one that was plagiarised by the British government on the eve of the 2003 Iraq War  was that there were thousands of Iraqis serving in the organs of the republic of fear who made it work. Killing Saddam would do nothing about these officials who would still live in Iraq.

With his execution Saddams republic of fear did come to an end. While Iraqis may have feared Saddam, a decade after his death they know new fears: a fear of getting killed by a car bomb on the way to the market; a fear of getting kidnapped and executed for being a Shia or Sunni; a fear that they will not find a job to feed themselves; a fear that they are stuck in a country with no future.

Saddams death and the new Iraq

After 2003, Iraq was often touted by the US news channels as the new Iraq, communicating that it had a bright and optimistic future. When 2006 came to a close, the new Iraq was free of Saddam. Yet, a decade after his death it is difficult to see what is optimistic about the new Iraq.

The new Iraq was touted as a democracy. Today it has the facade of democratic institutions with authoritarian practices in the shadows. The new Iraq was free of the Baathists. Yet, some Baathists also found a new home in ISIL.

What is new to Iraq is insecurity, civil wars, car bombs, kidnappings, criminal gangs, ISIL and government mired by infighting among ethno-sectarian political factions.

The expulsion of Iraqs Christians from their ancestral homes, and genocide against the Yazidis; power cuts, lack of basic infrastructure; and a Mosul dam that could collapse at any minute; Saddams execution did nothing to prevent these developments.

OPINION: The enduring legacy of Operation Desert Storm

For some Iraqis, Saddams execution was a matter of justice for the mass crimes he presided over, such as the Anfal campaign, the chemical attack against Halabja, and the mass slaughter that followed the 1991 uprisings, which indiscriminately killed Iraqis of all ethnic and sectarian backgrounds.

A decade after Saddams execution, however, another Iraqi, Ibrahim al-Samarrai, otherwise known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the caliph of ISIL, is also presiding over an apparatus that targets Iraqis of all ethnic and sectarian backgrounds.

The justice some Iraqis sought proved ephemeral. In the vacuum that resulted from the overthrow of Saddam, another one emerged to replace him.

Ibrahim al-Marashi is an assistant professor at the Department of History, California State University, San Marcos. He is the co-author of Iraqs Armed Forces: An Analytical History.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Forensics carry out tests on body as Brazil police investigate possibility that it might be missing Greek ambassador.

The discovery of a body in a burned-out car in Rio state has sparked fears that it might be that of the Greek ambassador to Brazil.

Kyriakos Amiridis had been missing for three days and was last seen on Monday in the Baixada Fluminense region north of Rio de Janeiro.

The car, which had licence plates matching that of the rental car the 59-year-old was using, was found on Thursday in the Nova Iguacu district of the Brazilian capital, the news website G1 reported, citing police.

The website published photos of the burned car found on the slope of a busy suburban thoroughfare. It reported that police suspected the body inside to be that of the ambassador.

Amiridis had been on holiday with his family in Rio de Janeiros northern Nova Iguacu area since December 21.

He was due to fly back to Brasilia on January 9, a Greek embassy official told AFP news agency.

But he went missing after he left the apartment he was renting and took the car, according to Brazilian media. His Brazilian wife formally declared him missing on Wednesday.

The Greek foreign ministry had earlier issued a statement saying that after Amiridis was declared missing, saying the full mobilisation of all the competent Brazilian authorities was requested.

Amiridis was named ambassador this year. He had previously served as Greeces consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004.

He served as Greeces ambassador to Libya from 2012 to 2016.

He is married and has a daughter, according to the embassy in Brasilia.
Pledge, seen as potential game changer for African elephants, comes as country faces pressure to curb the trade.

China will ban all domestic ivory trade and processing by the end of 2017, a move described by activists as a potential game changer for African elephants.

African ivory is highly sought after in China, where it is seen as a status symbol, and prices can reach as high as $1,100 a kg.

China will gradually stop the processing and sales of ivories for commercial purposes by the end of 2017, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday, citing a government statement.

The announcement follows Chinas move in March this year to widen a ban on imports of all ivory and ivory products acquired before 1975 after pressure to restrict a trade that sees thousands of elephants slaughtered every year.

Xinhua said the complete ban would affect 34 processing enterprises and 143 designated trading venues, with dozens to be closed by the end of March 2017.

This is great news that will shut down the worlds largest market for elephant ivory, Aili Kang, executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Asia, said in a statement.

I am very proud of my country for showing this leadership that will help ensure that elephants have a fighting chance to beat extinction. This is a game changer for Africas elephants.

Conservationists estimate that more than 20,000 elephants were killed for their ivory last year, with similar tolls in previous years.

The WWF campaign group says 415,000 of the animals remain.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which took effect in 1975, banned ivory trade in 1989.

READ MORE: Report  Africas elephants face worst drop in 25 years

Like other countries, China permits the resale of ivory bought before the ban, and also has a stockpile purchased with CITES approval in 2008, which it releases for sale with certification.

WWF also praised Chinas move to a complete ban but called on the Chinese territory of Hong Kong to bring forward a plan to end its ivory trade by 2021.

With Chinas market closed, Hong Kong can become a preferred market for traffickers to launder illegal ivory under cover of the legal ivory trade, said Cheryl Lo, senior wildlife crime officer at WWF.
Sporadic fighting reported in different places but guns and bombs mostly silent since the onset of the nationwide truce.

Despite reports of intermittent fighting and anti-government protests across Syria, overall the nationwide ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey appears to be holding.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported fighting early on Friday between troops and rebels in the central province of Hama and near the capital, Damascus.

The SOHR, a UK-based information office which documents human-rights abuses in Syria, also reported an aerial attack on the rebel-held Wadi Barada valley near Damascus.

Mazen al-Shami, an opposition activist from the Damascus suburb of Douma, said minor clashes nearby left one rebel fighter wounded during the day.

READ MORE: Russia seeks UN endorsement of Syria ceasefire

Separately, Ahmad al-Masalmeh, an activist in Deraa province, accused government forces of opening fire on rebel-held areas.

Al Jazeera has learnt that five people have been killed in violence in the first 24 hours since the ceasefire took effect at 22:00 GMT.

Given that several past UN-backed attempts at halting the fighting in Syria have failed, it remains to be seen whether the current one, backed by Russia and Turkey, will succeed.

Major breakthrough

Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Turkeys Gaziantep near the Syria border, said periodic clashes in some parts of Syria were reported just hours after the ceasefire went into effect.

However, the fact that the truce is largely holding amounts to a major breakthrough and could pave the way for a final political settlement, he said.

There are some sporadic clashes around Damascus in Wadi Barada and Deraa and in Aleppo, but activists operating on the ground say calm still prevails, which is a significant development, he said.

Russia announced on Thursday a deal it said had been accepted by seven of Syrias major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one denied signing it.

As with the previous agreements, the current ceasefire excludes the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which earlier had links to al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

Assad-Putin conversation

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the ceasefire would be guaranteed by both his country and Turkey.

And on Friday Russian officials said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had conveyed his commitment to observing the truce during a phone call with Putin.

Assad is reported to have agreed that the planned peace talks in Kazakhstan would be an important step in resolving the conflict.

Assad also met a joint delegation from the European and Russian parliaments although it is not clear if the meeting took place before or after Thursdays deal was sealed.

Russia and Iran provide crucial military support to Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for opposition factions.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Irans foreign minister, called the ceasefire a major achievement on Twitter on Friday.

Lets build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror, he said.

Qatar, which backs the Syrian rebels, also offered its full support to the ceasefire.

READ MORE: Idlib overwhelmed by influx of Aleppos wounded

Nevertheless, Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatars foreign minister, called for continued dialogue and cautioned against fresh air strikes by the Syrian government.

The ceasefire deal followed a Russian-Turkish agreement earlier this month to evacuate the last rebels from eastern Aleppo after they were confined to a tiny enclave by a government offensive.

The retaking of all of Aleppo marked Assads biggest military victory since the start of the 2011 uprising against his familys four-decade rule.

The defeat of the terrorists in Aleppo is an important step towards ending the war, Assad told TG5, an Italian TV station, in a recent interview.

However, the capture of the city does not mean that the war has ended, he said, because terrorists are still in Syria.
Agreement reached by Congolese political parties aims to have transitional government in place by March next year.

Joseph Kabila will step down as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo after elections held before the end of 2017, under a draft agreement reached by political parties, according to a lead mediator from the Catholic Church.

Under the deal, reached on Friday but not yet signed, Kabila will be unable to change the constitution to extend his mandate and run for a third term, said Marcel Utembi, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference in the Congo.

A transitional government will be put in place by March next year, said Al Jazeeras Fahmida Miller, reporting from neighbouring Kenya.

During the time of the transitional government, they will be looking at appointing a prime minister from the opposition. That was vital for the opposition because it needed a bigger stake in the government, she said.





She said politicians in exile may also be allowed to return without a fear of prosecution.

However, there seems to be a number of questions around opposition politicians within DRC who have been arrested. They wont necessarily be freed anytime soon, she said.

What this agreement is talking about is a sort of commission to be set up that would look at these political prisoners case-by-case and determine their fate.

If the deal is finalised, it will be Congos first peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960.

Kabilas two-term mandate ended on December 19, but authorities have effectively extended it until 2018.

His actions led to demonstrations, with security forces killing about 40 people just last week alone.

Western and African powers feared the failure to secure a peaceful transition of power could lead to a repeat of conflicts seen between 1996 and 2003 in eastern Congo in which millions died, mostly from starvation and disease.
The worlds three last rhinos live in Kenyas Ol Pejeta conservancy and just one of them, ageing Sudan, is male.

Laikipia County, Kenya  Scientists are running out of time to save the critically endangered northern white rhino. There are only three left in the world.

Sudan, along with the other two, live in Kenyas Ol Pejeta conservancy.

At 43 years old, conservationists say that it is unlikely Sudan  the last male of the group  will live for more than another two years.

As the two female rhinos suffer from reproductive issues, it is hoped that in vitro fertilisation, or IVF, will save the species from extinction.

[But as] both females have reproductive issues, the chances of natural breeding are now zero, said Richard Vigne, head of Ol Pejeta. We will have to look into artificial reproductive techniques, in particular in vitro fertilisation and its fraught with problems.

READ MORE: Race against time to save the last white rhinos

IVF has never before been successfully carried out on rhinos.

Researchers in Europe are attempting to discover how to best harvest and fertilise eggs from the two female rhinos. If their trials are successful, a surrogate mother could give birth.

However, even if the IVF research goes well, there are two further threats: poaching and disease.

Poachers are very daring nowadays. They could attempt to breach any security detail that we put in the way. Another threat would be diseases  that suddenly kill an animal before you get a chance to treat them, said veterinarian Stephen Ngulu.

In 2015, rhino poaching increased for the sixth year in a row. The International Union for Conservation of Nature says at least 1,338 rhinos were killed last year for their horns.

Follow Fahmida Miller on Twitter: @FahmidaMiller
Security Council expected to vote on proposed resolution after Russian ambassador submits final document on ceasefire.

Russia has urged the UN Security Council to give its blessing to the ceasefire in Syria, the third truce this year seeking to end the nearly six years of war in Syria.

The Security Council met behind closed doors for an hour on Friday to consider a proposed resolution endorsing the ceasefire that Russia and Turkey announced on Thursday.

Al Jazeera has obtained the draft document, which provides details of the ceasefire and the planned peace negotiations.

According to the document, the armed opposition is committed to forming a delegation independently by January 16, 2017, and to attending the planned peace negotiations with the government in Kazakhstans capital, Astana, on January 23, 2017.

The Syrian government delegation will take part in joint meetings with the opposition starting from January 15, 2017, in Astana, in which the UN will participate, the document says.

It is not clear whether a difference in the dates of the two delegations joining the negotiations was meant to be different or was a typo in the draft.

A UN vote is possible as early as Saturday, although Security Council members recommended changes to the draft and it will probably be revised, Vitaly Churkin, Russias ambassador, said after the closed-door meeting.

I think those accommodations can be easily absorbed into the draft, he said.

It was not immediately clear if the resolution would win broad support.

READ MORE: Clashes erupt near Damascus despite truce

Meanwhile, there is confusion over which Syrian opposition groups are covered by the ceasefire.

The Syrian government says the agreement does not include the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group; fighters from al-Qaedas former branch, al-Nusra Front; and factions linked to these armed groups.

But several rebel officials said on Thursday that the agreement did include the former al-Nusra Front  now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham  which announced in July that it was severing ties with al-Qaeda.





For its part, the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham has criticised the ceasefire for not mentioning President Bashar al-Assads fate, and said the political solution under this agreement would reproduce the criminal regime.

The solution is to topple the criminal regime militarily, a spokesman for the fighters said in a statement on Friday.

Ahrar al-Sham, another powerful opposition armed group, says it has not signed the ceasefire agreement because of reservations but has not elaborated.

The United States, in the waning days of Barack Obamas administration, has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due take part in the Astana talks.

Russia has said the US could join a fresh peace process once Donald Trump takes office as president on January 20.

It also wants Egypt to join, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the US.

Trump has said he will cooperate more closely with Russia on counterterrorism measures.

However, it is unclear what that policy will look like, given resistance from the Pentagon and the US intelligence community to closer cooperation with Russia on Syria.
U.S. Rep. John Katko critiqued President Barack Obama's response to Russia's alleged election hacking and pledged to focus on cybersecurity in a statement released Friday.

The Obama administration announced action against Russia in retaliation for the hacking of the Democratic National Committee. Russian intelligence services were sanctioned and 35 Russian diplomats were expelled. U.S. officials also ordered Russia to close two compounds near New York City and Washington.

U.S. law enforcement agencies have linked Russia to the hacking of the DNC. Hackers stole emails from the DNC and provided them to Wikileaks, which published the correspondence online.

Katko, R-Camillus, called Obama's response to the Russian cyberattack "important," but he also criticized how the outgoing president has handled U.S.-Russia matters.

"President Obama's approach towards Russia has failed to a large degree, and left us and the world vulnerable to its increasingly aggressive actions," Katko said. He added that "much more should have been done to bolster our cyber defenses and prevent Russian aggression globally."

A member of the House Homeland Security Committee, Katko said he will review the specifics of the Obama administration's sanctions against Russia. He also stressed the need for Obama to coordinate with President-elect Donald Trump to ensure the United States' position is clear.

Katko also plans to make cybersecurity a priority when the 115th Congress begins in January.

"When I return to Washington, my focus will be to improve our cyber defenses, combat global threats and develop a strategic and comprehensive policy to Russian relations," he said.
Ex-Romanian minister considered a better solution than Muslim candidate Sevil Shhaideh, who was rejected by president.

Romanias president has named social-democrat Sorin Grindeanu as the nations new prime minister, after turning down an economist who could have become the countrys first female Muslim premier.

The centre-right president Klaus Iohannis signed the official decree naming Grindeanu, a 43-year-old former communications minister, as the new prime minister.

Grindeanu is a member of the Social Democratic Party that won December 11 elections, and chairman of the Timis county council. He now faces a confidence vote in parliament on his programme and cabinet nominees.

The nomination sought to put an end to a political crisis sparked when Iohannis rejected Sevil Shhaideh, who would have been the countrys first female and first Muslim government leader.

READ MORE: President rejects Muslim PM candidate Sevil Shhaideh

The president offered no reasons for his rejection of Shhaideh, initially put forward by the Social Democrats (PSD), but there was speculation that it was due to her Syrian husbands background.

Sources close to the president had indicated on Thursday that Grindeanu was considered a better solution.

He is seen in Romania as a disciplined soldier within the PSD ranks and said himself in a recent interview that he had joined the party very young as an outlet for his leftist convictions.

Rejected Muslim PM candidate

The PSD had proposed the previously little-known Shhaideh after its thumping poll victory on December 11 when it won 45 percent of the vote, enough to form a majority coalition with its partners the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats.

Shhaideh, 52, who has only five months ministerial experience, is from Romanias small and long-established Turkish minority, but her Muslim faith is not thought to have been the problem.

Instead the focus was probably on her husband, 54, who worked in the Syrian agriculture ministry for 20 years before emigrating to Romania in 2011 and marrying Shhaideh in the same year, according to the PSD.

READ MORE: Romania polls  Centre-left PSD stages sweeping comeback

Website HotNews cited unnamed sources as saying that the security services had strongly cautioned against Shhaidehs nomination because of the closeness of her husband and his two brothers to President Bashar al-Assads government.

The PSDs election triumph came barely a year since anger over a deadly nightclub fire that killed 64 people forced it from office.

The inferno was blamed on corruption, something Brussels has long complained about since Romania joined the European Union in 2007.
Monitor says calm prevails as ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia gets under way but reports isolated clashes.

A nationwide ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and Turkey was in effect early on Friday, a potentially major breakthrough in the nearly six-year conflict, despite reports of isolated clashes.

While the truce was standing in most parts of the country, some fighting broke out near a Christian town in central Hama province between rebels and Syrian government, according to a monitoring group.

Fierce clashes took place between the two sides pushing regime forces to withdraw from a hill near Maharda, Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP news agency.

Small rebel groups and armed loyalists are seeking to destroy the truce because it puts an end to their presence, he said.

In a report on Thursday, the monitor said major provinces witnessed a calm atmosphere in the first hours of the ceasefire.

Elsewhere, the Turkish military said on Friday that Russia carried out three air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group near al-Bab, killing at least 12 ISIL fighters.

At least one Turkish soldier was killed in an attack on ISIL in northern Syria, Turkeys army added, claiming that its air strikes killed another 26 ISIL fighters in al-Bab and Daglabash. ISIL is excluded from the ceasefire.









The ceasefire agreement, hailed by Syrias government as a real opportunity to find a political solution to the war, comes a week after government forces recaptured the city of Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Russia and Turkey back opposing sides in the conflict, and the ceasefire does not involve the United States, which has negotiated previous ceasefires with Moscow.

A statement carried on Thursday by Syrias state news agency SANA said the truce, as well as excluding ISIL, also leaves out fighters from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and groups linked to them.

Al Jazeeras Charles Stratford, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish border with Syria, said there are high hopes that this [truce] might work, but there are huge potential problems with it. The biggest seems to be this group  Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

There are fears that if there are air strikes targeting Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which has often fought alongside a number of signatories to the agreement, then there may be some casualties among those factions as well.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said seven opposition groups, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, had signed the deal and those who failed to adhere would be considered terrorists.

Usama Abu Zeyd, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) spokesman, said that the rebels had held no direct talks with the Syrian government or Iran during the truce talks and insisted that President Bashar al-Assad would have no place in the future of Syria.

The ceasefire covers all the territories of Syria and it extends to include all the groups fighting under the Syrian armed opposition, he said, adding that the rebels had agreed to start peace talks.

The agreement comes after Turkey and Russia also brokered a deal to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

Now we need to do everything for these agreements to come into force, for them to work, so that the negotiating teams that have been or are being formed promptly and as soon as possible arrive in Astana, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

United Nations peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would pave the way for productive talks in Kazakhstan, but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue early next year.

Turkey has long backed Syrias opposition, and its relations with Russia soured last year after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane.

READ MORE: Syria war crimes probe  Will anyone be charged?

But the two countries have worked closely of late on Syria, and Turkey was conspicuously quiet as Assads forces retook Aleppo.

Syrias civil war, which began when a peaceful uprising descended into violence in 2011, has, according to the UN resulted in more than 400,000 deaths and displaced over 11 million people, half its prewar population.

The ceasefire, in the waning days of President Barack Obamas administration, was the first major international diplomatic initiative in the Middle East in decades not to involve the US.
An in-depth look at the key issues surrounding the deadly coup attempt that shook Turkey in July 2016.

The deadly coup attempt in July 2016 marked a monumental turning point in Turkeys political history. Al Jazeera explains who was responsible, what happened and why.

What happened that night?



Turkey witnessed the bloodiest coup attempt in its political history on July 15, 2016, when a section of the Turkish military launched a coordinated operation in several major cities to topple the government and unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Soldiers and tanks took to the streets and a number of explosions rang out in Ankara and Istanbul.

READ MORE: Turkey timeline  Heres how the coup attempt unfolded

Turkish fighter jets dropped bombs on their own parliament, while the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hulusi Akar, was kidnapped by his own security detail.

For several hours, it looked like Turkey was going to face the fourth devastating military coup in its 95-year political history.

But at this point, something unprecedented happened.

As news of the coup attempt spread via social media, thousands of ordinary citizens, armed with nothing more than kitchen utensils, gathered in streets and squares around Anatolia to oppose the coup.

The crowds resisted tank fire and air bombardments and, with the help of loyalist soldiers and police forces, they defeated the coup attempt in a matter of hours. The government swiftly declared victory and scores of troops that had taken part in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul.

Yet the overall price of victory was high: 241 people were killed and 2,194 others were injured.

Who was behind the coup?



The Turkish government blames the failed coup attempt on Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish preacher and businessman who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999.

Gulen is the leader of a widespread and influential religious movement known as Hizmet (Service), which owns foundations, associations, media organisations and schools in Turkey and abroad.

READ MORE: Turkish minister  Fethullah Gulen is our Bin Laden

Gulen was once a strong ally of Erdogan, and during the Justice and Development Partys (AKP) struggle to end the militarys influence in Turkish politics in the late 2000s, his organisation had its golden years.

During this period, the AKP-Gulen alliance turned into direct staffing of public positions. Many people in the bureaucracy were removed without due process and replaced with Gulenists.

Yet the Gulen-AKP relationship was eroded by incidents such as the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, and by National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan, a close Erdogan confidant, being called in for questioning by police officers close to the Gulen movement.

A corruption investigation in December 2013, which saw renowned businesspeople and senior bureaucrats close to the AKP arrested by Gulenist police officers, gave way to an all-out war between the government and the Hizmet movement.

OPINION: The Gulen organisations long journey

Erdogan reacted furiously to the crackdown and claimed that those behind the investigations were trying to form a state within a state, in an apparent reference to the Hizmet movement.





From this point on, the AKP government was always open about its plans to eradicate Gulen and his followers from Turkish political life, as the MIT conducted several investigations into Gulen and his followers.

Today, Turkish officials say that the July coup attempt materialised because Gulenists were increasingly concerned that the government investigation into their illegal actions was coming to an end, and they would be arrested.

Gulen, on the other hand, denies any role in the coup and has even alleged that Erdogan orchestrated it himself to build a dictatorship  a claim the president, Turkish spy agencies and even the Turkish opposition have vehemently denied.

How did Turkeys National Intelligence Organisation miss the signs of the looming insurrection?



Julys coup attempt gave rise to serious questions about Turkeys intelligence capabilities.

In the aftermath of the coup attempt, MIT officials admitted that they received the very first intelligence report about a possible attack on July 15, only hours before their own headquarters was under heavy artillery fire.

They also admitted that the undersecretary of the MIT tried to reach Erdogan to inform him about this initial report around 7pm local time, but failed to get him on the phone.

READ MORE: Unanswered questions on Turkeys failed coup attempt

Why the undersecretary did not call Prime Minister Binali Yildirim after he failed to reach the president is another unanswered question about that night.

In a televised interview after the coup attempt, Yildirim said: I asked the undersecretary of the MIT about this matter but I could not get a satisfactory answer.





In an exclusive Al Jazeera interview, Erdogan also admitted that Turkey experienced some intelligence failures on July 15.

He said that he had learned about the extraordinary developments taking place in Ankara and Istanbul on the night of the coup attempt not from the MIT, but from his brother-in-law.

IN PICTURES: Erdogan supporters on the streets of Turkey

Intelligence officials said that in the months before the failed coup attempt, the countrys spy agency decoded millions of secret messages sent by suspected Gulenists, but found no mention of the plot.

It is still not entirely clear how the MIT failed to detect the preparations for the coup attempt and why it failed to notify the president or the prime minister immediately once they received intelligence on the plot.

How did the Turkish government respond to the failed coup attempt?



Only days after the coup attempt, on July 22, the Turkish government declared a state of emergency to be able to remove swiftly all the elements of the terrorist organisation involved in the coup attempt.

In the following weeks, Turkish courts placed tens of thousands of suspects under arrest on charges of links to Gulen.





Thousands of military officials, pilots, police officers, civil servants, academics and even teachers were sacked from their jobs for alleged links to the terrorist preacher and his movement.

Dozens of media outlets suspected of having links to the Hizmet movement were also shut down.

As of today, more than 100,000 people have been sacked or suspended and 50,000 arrested in an unprecedented crackdown. The government has deemed the crackdown necessary to root out all coup supporters from the state apparatus.

In another move, the ability of universities to elect their own rectors was also abolished. Erdogan will now directly appoint nominees.

How did the Turkish government determine who to detain or sack in such a short time?



Many people questioned how the Turkish government managed to determine the names of tens of thousands of people with alleged links to the Hizmet movement only days after the attempted coup.

Turkish officials say that they were able to act swiftly because intelligence agencies had been investigating Gulen and his followers for more than two years.

READ MORE: Turkey  Government launches purge after attempted coup





Although there is no confirmed public information, according to several Turkish media reports it seems that the MIT shared noteworthy information about the Gulen organisation with state units from 2014.

For example, speaking to Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency in May 2015 about the Gulenists within the Turkish armed forces, former Minister of Defence Ismet Yildiz said: So far we have received reports of more than 1,000 people from Turkish armed forces.

Days later, Sertac Es, a journalist from the daily Cumhuriyet, reported that the MIT had sent the General Staff an extended list of Gulenists within the military, citing defence ministry sources.

According to the information received from defence ministry sources, the MIT had sent the General Staff a list of 1,200 people who are considered to be members of the Gulen organisation, including two generals, he said.

READ MORE: Turkey  Coup plotters acted early in fear of arrests

But the most critical move by the MIT leading to the states quick reaction to the coup attempt was the uncovering of the groups communication system, according to Turkish officials.

The information so far indicates that Gulenists have been using an encoded communication application called Bylock since 2014. The MIT noticed and decoded Bylock in 2015. At that point, the movement started using another encoded application for communication named Eagle.

As a result of these investigations, it is believed that the MIT got together an extensive list of at least 40,000 suspected Gulenists, including 600 high-ranking officials.

According to officials, these lists were used to determine the names that would be detained or sacked after the coup attempt.

How did the coup attempt affect Turkeys relations with other countries?



The post-coup purge led to a rift in Turkeys relations with the European Union, which accused Erdogan of using the coup attempt as an excuse to eliminate the opposition.

Turkeys relations with the US also deteriorated as a result of this incident, as Washington refused to extradite Gulen.

READ MORE: Turkey coup attempt  Reaction from around the world

The Turkish Justice Ministry formally demanded in September that US authorities arrest Gulen on charges of ordering and commanding the attempted coup. But to this day, US authorities insist that they do not have enough evidence to arrest Gulen or to start the formal process for his extradition.

In a statement to Al Jazeera last August, Yasin Aktay, the deputy chairman of the ruling AKP, said that Washingtons reluctance to return Gulen to Turkey, or to arrest him, was unacceptable.

It is bizarre for us that they [the US] have not been convinced, considering the scope of evidence we presented to them, Aktay said. The testimony of the suspects who were arrested red-handed and documents we gave them are clear. If you add the statements of Gulen regarding the goal of his organisational movement, we believe there is nothing to question. Strong American intelligence should be well aware of who he really is.

While the coup attempt, and the governments harsh response to it, led to a serious rift in Turkeys relations with its western allies, the incident brought Turkish political parties closer, at least for a short while.

A day after Turkeys failed coup attempt, all major political parties united against the unparalleled attack on the Turkish democracy, issuing a joint declaration to condemn it.

Faced with the threat of a Gulenist coup, everyone left aside their political differences and joined hands to make sure that never again will the people be stripped of their right to choose their leaders, a senior government official told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: How could failed coup affect Kurdish peace process?

Erdogan also put aside acrimony with the leaders of two opposition parties, inviting them to the presidential palace for talks in a gesture of national unity.

The only group that was not included in the newly found spirit of solidarity was Turkeys Kurds. The leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party, Selahattin Demirtas, was excluded from the post-coup talks on the grounds that his party allegedly supports the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Later, the government used the state of emergency to shut down several pro-Kurdish media organisations and arrest Kurdish journalists and civil servants for their alleged links to the PKK.
Initiative aims to bolster local and international awareness of Palestinian culture and heritage.
For nearly half a year, a Kmart pharmacist stole about 1,400 prescription pills from the stores pharmacy, the Alachua County Sheriffs Office said.

Jennifer Taylor Gailey

Jennifer Taylor Gailey, 31, stole about 700 Soma pills and 700 Tylenol with Codeine #3 pills from the store, located on the 900 block of NW 76th Blvd., according to the report. She told police she needed them to sleep.

The estimated cost of the stolen pills is $300, according to the report. Soma pills are listed as schedule 4 narcotics, which are described as drugs with a lower risk of dependence than others. Tylenol with Codeine #3 is schedule 3.

Kmarts loss-prevention office discovered the pills were missing from the pharmacy. Officials from Kmart suspected Gailey was responsible and called police, according to the report.

Gailey told officers she began stealing pills because of stress, according to the report. Gailey asked for a lawyer before police were able to obtain a sworn written statement.

Police arrested Gailey on a charge of grand theft of a controlled substance. Authorities took her to the Alachua County Jail where she was released Thursday afternoon on her own recognizance.

Gailey declined to comment. A Kmart representative confirmed Gailey no longer works for the store.
Today, the Secretary-General called Mr. Adama Barrow, President-elect of The Gambia, to congratulate him on his electoral victory. He confirmed that the United Nations welcomed and fully supported the ECOWAS decisions of 17 December on The Gambia, and he reiterated the commitment of the Organization to support a peaceful, timely and orderly transfer of power []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
Sheriff who made the remark during his working visit to Makurdi in Benue State also expressed gratitude that the dismantling of the sect from the forest was a vindication that he does not have any link with the terrorist group as insinuated by his perceived political opponents.



"The military have cleared Sambisa forest and I want to thank them. I'm the number one causality of Boko haram. I have lost very close relatives which included; my cousins, my candidate and others were all killed by Boko haram.



"Those of us who are from Borno State knows what we have suffered in the hands of the sect. The irony of it all is that those who feared my political career turned around to say that I created Boko haram but God has vindicated me'" he said.



The factional chairman nevertheless insisted that he had never had any connection with Boko Haram as he commended the Nigeria Army for their gallantry in decimating the terrorist group.



Dailly Trust
At this point, it is widely perceived that blockchain technology has the ability to help banks cut costs, but the next frontier could be in figuring out how  or perhaps if  the technology will make banks money.

The revenue potential is not a priority right now, but observers say that given the amount of time and effort some banks have put into exploring the technology, it ought to be. That's because technology that makes money is often more appealing than things that trim costs.

"There is a lack of forcing mechanism behind" the blockchain race, Jeff Penny, a senior adviser at McKinsey, said at a recent industry gathering hosted by Broadridge Financial. "This discussion is largely motivated by interests in improving efficiencies and understanding new technologies  but there's no one telling us we have to be here. The closest thing we have to an imperative is the need to cut costs in bank income statements today."

Although the potential to cut costs is appealing, innovation is often driven by the desire to gain an edge, Penny said.

"There is a battle amongst technology providers to create a winning solution, but we're essentially taking processes that don't give rise to competitive advantage and we're trying to find ways to reduce costs associated with the way of doing them, and then doing them the same way as everyone else, which completely eliminates the source of differentiation," he said. "One of the great motivators we usually have for innovation in this business is differentiation."

Such an edge could fix some of the fatigue currently plaguing blockchain implementation. Despite banks' excitement about blockchain, which began in 2013 and grew louder this year with unending cycles of proof-of-concept announcements, or PoCs, bitcoin remains the only blockchain platform that is in widespread production, said Ajit Tripathi, a director at PwC's blockchain practice. Financial institutions are asking whether investments in innovation will ever bring cost reduction or business growth to the institutions investing in these experiments.

"More and more of our clients are pushing their partners as well as innovation and technology organizations to come up with a clear path to production," Tripathi said. "The question isn't whether the technology can deliver the benefits. The PoCs have shown which use cases make sense over what time frame and which ones are vaporware. Now the race is on to realize those benefits."

Eventually, banks will be able to make money on their blockchain implementations by creating products and services that benefit customers. Such solutions could range from digitizing illiquid assets to building micropayment systems. But if they weren't experimenting with proofs of concept this year, they'll have a lot to catch up on later, said Julio Faura, head of research and development for Santander's blockchain practice. In other words, those who are already exploring blockchain are closer to making money on it, even if that isn't their focus.

"There will be a lot of use cases enabled by this technology. It's just that we try to push all the hard work that we do today on the basis of future business models that don't exist today," Faura said. "That's just more difficult than if we capitalize our investments on top of efficiency. Initially, we will see benefits from efficiency. Later on we will see benefits from new products, new revenue sources and new services" on top of blockchain technology.

Not everyone agrees that blockchain needs to present revenue opportunities to accelerate its development. For instance, State Street sees the technology as more of a near-term solution and an opportunity to upgrade the bank's efficiency, and it can "worry about entire industry transformation down the road," said Hu Liang, senior managing director of the Boston bank's emerging technology center.

"If people come up to us and say, 'You aren't forward thinkers,' or 'You think this is just a tool as opposed to an industry change,' we're comfortable with that statement. We proofed it out and are going to be ready to drive through these technology developments," Liang said. "We couldn't come to that conclusion as comfortably as we have and stand behind it if we were just waiting for the high-level news."

Liang predicts that after internal applications and blockchain components, banks will be able to offer applications to clients  services that could create revenue.

If the first post-blockchain awakening phase was about efficiency and saving money, the next will be "more about creating new customer solutions and experiences that don't easily exist today," said Ian Lee, head of the Global Lab Network and Acceleration Fund at Citi Ventures. The boundaries of one phase versus the other don't have to be so strictly defined, however.

"I don't think it's sequential, that it's these opportunities and process efficiencies versus new experiences and new solutions," Lee said. "Many of the exciting things in the next year and ahead in this space," he said, "are actually in that second category," like digital identity, the internet of things and unique applications of smart contracts.

Still, others say it is too early to talk about next phases of blockchain implementation. They say the exportation of blockchain from its narrow use as the protocol for bitcoin to a revolutionary system for the financial system is going to take time and the industry is still trying to grasp the basics.

For starters, no one actually knows what blockchain technology will do for legacy financial institutions or what business benefits it can provide at scale, said Steve Wilson, a principal analyst at Constellation Research, where he focuses on digital identity and privacy. Also, the digital-only aspect of first-generation blockchains is a very large and overlooked limitation, he said. The original bitcoin white paper published in 2008 was about a completely digital chain process. Companies might be naive in believing they'll be able to easily track physical assets on it.

"People say you can do anything on a blockchain  land titles, stock trading, all sorts of things  and get security benefits of blockchain technology, but I'm afraid they're wrong because you need all these off-chain processes to do nondigital assets," Wilson said. "It's almost certain what we'll see will be distributed-ledger technologies that are really unlike the first-generation blockchain, which is all about cryptocurrency, removing friction, moving a lot of the blockages in payments."

Perhaps it could be 2020 when a solid financial system distributed ledger will emerge.

"Things will slow down; I don't think anything great will happen in 2017," Wilson said. "There will continue to be PoCs and people will learn that blockchain in its original form is digital-only, and it's very niche."
Dec. 30, 1936

For the first time in a week, Auburn thermometers registered something almost like seasonable temperatures last night. But today a temperature of 40 degrees was recorded shortly after the noon hour, with the sun shining brightly and the ground still clear from snow and there was no sight or sign of winter.

Sunday was the warmest December 27 hereabouts in the past ten years. The official thermometer on the upper pumping station of the Water Department touched a maximum of 57. In 1935 on this day, the maximum was 17 degrees and the minimum 11.

Dec. 30, 1961

NEW CHURCH  The first service of the newly organized St. Wolodomyr's Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Aurelius will be held at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow by Rev. Wasyl Dzyba. The church is located at the corner of Canoga and Webster Roads. The building was once used as a schoolhouse. Viewing the interior of the church were Anna Holak, 11, of 28 1/2 N. Division St., in her native costume; Steve Wejko, 14, of 166 Cottage St.; Nicholas Bilinski, 15, of 28 N. Division St. and Mary Wejko, 9, in native costume.

Dec. 30, 2006

Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was hanged in the predawn hours of Saturday for crimes against humanity in the mass murder of Shiite men and boys in the 1980s, sent to the gallows by a government backed by the United States and led by Shiite Muslims who had been oppressed during his rule, Iraqi and American officials said.

Dec. 30, 2011

Last year, Morin proved he could play in the NHL. He will be back this year. The Blackhawks won't be able to avoid the injury bug for too long. That will open the door for Morin. Morin has played well for Rockford this year, scoring five goals and contributing 12 assists. He also has 56 penalty minutes, good for third on the team.
I was at the Crossroads of the West gun show in Las Vegas when I learned about Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo's agitation for limits on firearm magazine sizes. Lombardo's statement to the Las Vegas Sun, "Im a very avid hunter, I was in the military myself, and theres no need to have a high-capacity magazine for any practical reason," is prima facie evidence that he is either (1) grossly unqualified for his job; or (2) willing to subordinate public safety to a political agenda that is far better suited to Los Angeles than any place in Nevada.

Anybody with even rudimentary competence in law enforcement knows there are two very legitimate practical applications for high-capacity magazines: (1) multiple aggressors; and (2) failure to stop the aggressor(s). This is why almost all law enforcement officers carry them.

Multiple aggressors are self-explanatory. FrontSight's defensive handgun training includes scenarios in which students confront four armed attackers, as represented by human-shaped targets. The normal procedure is to fire two rounds into an aggressor's thoracic cavity, and then attempt the more difficult head shot if he keeps coming and/or shooting. Multiple aggressors, in contrast, get one shot each and then "seconds" for any who are still aggressing. The latter is a very high likelihood because, contrary to what we see in movies and on television, bad guys often do not fall over after being shot. This is "failure to stop."

Failure to Stop

Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery, the coinventor of the Webley-Fosbery pistol, earned the Victoria Cross and therefore knew a lot more about actual combat than those who get their ideas from movies and television. Fosbery explained the issue as follows.

With the civilized man, who knows to a nicety the locality of his principal organs and something of the effects that the presence of foreign bodies in his interior may be expected to produce  a comparatively feeble weapon may often be used with good effect. Police instructor Massad Ayoob added similarly that no rational person wants to be shot with anything, even a .22 or .25 caliber pistol. Police officers and armed civilians do not, however, carry or own firearms to stop civilized or rational people. They keep firearms to stop vicious and deranged individuals who, as Fosbery put it, know "as little about [their] insides as a tiger does."

This was proven decisively in the Moro insurrection of 1899, when it was quite common for American troops to find "Two corpses lying near each othera Moro with six bullets in his chest and a mutilated trooper still holding an empty .38 service revolver." This underscores the typical handgun's lack of stopping power, and it was why the Model 1911 Colt .45 was invented. B ut even rifle fire is not guaranteed to stop a determined attacker who might be hopped up on a drug like PCP. A popular song of that era went, "Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag," but even the Krag-Jrgensen Rifle's 30 caliber round was sometimes not adequate for this task. This quote from Boatman Books (no longer available online) reports of one Juramentado, "He had 32 Krag balls through him and was only stopped by the 33rd bullet -- a Colt .45 slug through both ears."

American soldiers in Korea similarly found the M-1 Carbine, whose muzzle energy exceeds that of any handgun except the .50 caliber Desert Eagle, incapable of stopping North Korean and Chinese soldiers consistently. To put this in perspective, the .30 carbine round compares favorably to Harry Callahan's .44 Magnum, but it was often not up to the job of making a GI's day in the face of a Chinese Communist human wave. One man even threw away his carbine when he was able to acquire an M-1 Garand, which fires a full-sized rifle (.30-06) rather than a carbine cartridge.

Massad Ayoob described a similar situation in which an armed citizen fired his rifle empty, and then used it as a club to bring down a deranged gunman who had already murdered a bystander and wounded a police officer. The purpose of a rifle is to stop an aggressor at a distance rather than require its user to close to contact range and engage in prehistoric hand to hand combat. Ayoob is a nationally recognized authority who has provided expert testimony in justifiable shooting cases, and he is infinitely more qualified than Mr. Lombardo or his friends at the Las Vegas Sun to discuss this issue. See this link for Part 2 of Ayoob's article.

Jeff Cooper, a Marine Corps officer who, like Fosbery, saw action against real enemy combatants instead of television and movie mooks who fall over on cue, described a situation in which a man was prosecuted for firing eight rounds into an aggressor. Cooper exonerated the shooter with expert testimony about a suicide in which "the deceased shot himself amidships four times with a .380 Webley. Presumably the first three hits did not convince him."

Another example of failure to stop, and again we are talking about the real world rather than whatever Mr. Lombardo and the editors of the Las Vegas Sun see in movies and television, involved a mother who hid from a home invader with her child and a .38 handgun. The home invader found them, whereupon she emptied the weapon for five hits. The home invader did not die or even fall over. He ran away only because he did not realize she was out of ammunition, fled to his car, drove far enough to crash into a tree despite his injuries, and was then arrested. This exemplifies a real situation in which Mr. Lombardo's agenda could easily get a mother and her child killed. Lombardo's next statement underscores further his (1) incompetence and/or (2) willful and reckless disregard of well-known facts about firearms.

Magazine Limits Protect Nobody but Criminals

Lombardo adds that it is "not uncommon for guns to jam during magazine change-outs." When I took FrontSight's excellent four-day defensive handgun course, I had to change magazines more than 50 times, and I did not experience a single malfunction. Few if any of the other students experienced jams while firing (collectively) over ten thousand rounds. Lombardo's suggestion that a magazine change leaves the aggressor momentarily vulnerable is therefore likely to kill anybody who acts on his advice. This is simply the law enforcement counterpart of medical quackery.

The Las Vegas Sun adds, "Lombardo says the time it takes for suspects to change magazines gives potential victims an opportunity to escape and law enforcement officials an opportunity to safely fire back." It takes less than two seconds for a skilled shooter to change a magazine, and he can still fire the round in the weapon's chamber to stop or at least seriously injure anybody who rushes him. I did this against a knife-armed aggressor (represented by a full-sized paper target) while I was changing magazines during a FrontSight exercise. An active shooter might indeed experience a failure to stop the good guy, especially with only one round, but "failure to stop" does not equal "failure to seriously injure" or "failure to mortally wound." If Lombardo's advice encourages people to rush active shooters while they change magazines, they are likely to die as a result.

The Gabrielle Giffords shooting is the only case of which I know in which bystanders were able to take down the aggressor while he was changing magazines, and they succeeded only because he fumbled the loaded one. "Loughner stopped to reload, but dropped the loaded magazine from his pocket to the sidewalk, from where bystander Patricia Maisch grabbed it." A self-defense plan that relies on the bad guy's incompetence is simply a quack prescription for suicide.

Existing Laws Already Cover Criminals

Felons, and this includes those who have yet to acquire a criminal record, are not allowed to possess firearms with magazines of any size. Under 18 U.S. Code  924, even somebody with no prior criminal record who uses a gun in a felony is subject to additional Federal charges.

any person who, during and in relation to any crime of violence or drug trafficking crime uses or carries a firearm, or who, in furtherance of any such crime, possesses a firearm, shall, in addition to the punishment provided for such crime of violence or drug trafficking crime

(i) be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years;

(ii) if the firearm is brandished, be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 7 years; and

(iii) if the firearm is discharged, be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years.

A sheriff's function is to protect law-abiding citizens rather than to put their lives at risk by confusing a discredited political ideology with his sworn duty as a law enforcement professional. Clark County voters should therefore remove Mr. Lombardo from office at the earliest opportunity, along with any Nevada legislators who support this dangerous agenda.

William A. Levinson is the author of several books on business management including content on organizational psychology, as well as manufacturing productivity and quality.
Theres been a fair amount of Trump-supporter braggadocio regarding the President-elects nomination of Gen. James Mad Dog Mattis as the new Defense Secretary  an admirable choice, certainly. If Mad Dog can navigate the machinations of the Pentagon as well as he did the battlefield were in for a rejuvenation of Americas military that should be a major reversal of its downward fortunes over the past few decades. I hope that Mr. Trump fully appreciates the magnitude of the task he has set before Gen. Mattis.

That task that has grown steadily in size and complexity since the end of the end of the Bush I administration. Its not just a matter of budget and resource allocation. Much has been done with the intention of diminishing, if not eliminating, the traditions and esprit-de-corps of all the armed services. An early example is what happened in the wake of a 1991 convention in Las Vegas following the prosecution of the Gulf War. Several Navy officers had their careers sunk in what became the Tailhook Witch-Hunt as recounted in the October 1993 issue of Heterodoxy. This is but one of many ventures into the transformation of the military into post-modern, politically-correct, feminist-beholden, open-homosexuality organizations. The 2008 PBS mini-series Carrier, whether intentionally or not, gives our potential foes an insight into just how far the emasculation of our armed services has gone. A few extracted bits may be seen here.

All PC nonsense aside, the defense budget is an issue. What has the $10 Trillion increase in the national debt bought? Im not sure if anyone really knows, but certainly not a stronger, more robust military. Being a former USAF officer and pilot, the Air Force is my particular concern. A recent article in the American Spectator titled The Air Force Needs Maverick caught my attention and I thought Id pass it along to my pilot training classmates (we had a 50th reunion at the end of October). Was USAF really suffering from a severe pilot shortage? A response from one of my comrades-in-arms broadened the picture:

Not sure I buy premise that there is a pilot shortage. I recall recently reading that maintainers say they have a serious shortage of trained personnel. And I have heard logistics guys say they do not have enough parts, fuel and people. And complaints earlier this year about munitions shortages resulting in combat sorties flown with sub-optimal ordnance loads. Lastly, senior Air Force leaders are continually arguing for additional airframes. Altogether, situation appears to result in complaints that pilots in non-combat assignments are flying only once per week or less. And apparently, some of those graduating UPT are put on the shelf for a year because there are no cockpits available. Real problem in my mind is that our national strategy leads to a force structure that leads to a budget requirement and that amount is simply not available. As the country is apparently unwilling to cough-up more for defense spending, the hard requirement should be to reduce the strategy and force structure such that a balance is struck between the elements competing for the funds made available. The solution lies not so much in more pilots but in the need for a strong National Command Authority prepared to re-set national strategy and enforce budget constraints, and an armed services leadership prepared to balance requirements based upon available funding.

The Air Forces conventional combat readiness and capacity appear rather stunted.

Nuclear strike forces? Well, USAFs Minuteman III missile force has now been de-MIRVed in conformance with our nuclear weapons agreements with the Soviets/Russians. The Minuteman IIIs were once each armed with three nuclear warheads but now sport only one. Additionally, as announced in the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review,  the intercontinental ballistic missile warheads now are targeted on open oceans  not Russian or Chinese cities  in case of an accidental launch, senior administration officials said in releasing the report. Thats sure to put fear caution whatever into the hearts of our adversaries.

Weve also been decommissioning advanced, nuclear-capable cruise missiles that are aircraft launched. Meanwhile, the Russians have tested a ground-launched, nuclear-capable cruise missile, said item being specifically prohibited by treaty. The Russians and Chinese have both developed and are deploying or will deploy advanced ICBMs as well as maneuverable hypersonic glide vehicles for nuke delivery that are very difficult to intercept with our current ABM technology. Both are advancing their anti-satellite capabilities. The Cold War arms race didnt end. Its accelerating. America?

Over the last 10+ years there have been several controversies targeting the Air Force over its command and control  or lack thereof  of the USAF nuclear strike force, including both missile and aircraft delivered warheads. Two of these led to the dismissal of the Air Force Secretary and USAF Chief of Staff by then Defense Secretary Robert Gates. There was also a problem with missile alert crews sleeping with the missile silo blast door open. A SAC wing flunked its ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection) re-inspection ostensibly because of improperly filled-out paperwork. USAFs nuclear command and control sins may be manifold, but where do we stand in correcting them now that the headlines have faded well into the past?

Procurement of military materiel from foreign suppliers is an issue even less publicized. The idea of buying a new USAF aerial tanker from Airbus didnt seem like a very good idea to Mr. Gaffney who detailed some of the shenanigans involved in the bidding process. There was also a problem with counterfeit chips from the Chinese ending up in our military aircraft as was revealed by Dr. Joel F. Brenner, National Counterintelligence Executive, in a 2009 address. Have we ever held the Chinese accountable? Have we held anyone accountable for any of this? Other than the chaps Mr. Gates tossed?

We have some very serious problems concerning Americas Air Force and our military in general. I wish President Trump and General Mattis the best in addressing those problems, however serious and pervasive they may be. Theyll need all the support they can get from the American people if the jobs to be done well.
American should not withdraw from the United Nations without first ensuring that the organization cannot retaliate.

Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.

Niccolo Machiavelli

The recent actions of the Obama administration and the UN Security Council have renewed calls for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations. The arguments for withdrawal are compelling and based on firm moral and practical considerations, but, so long as they leave the United Nations various organs intact, they will continue to wreak havoc in the world, unencumbered by our veto. American withdrawal will not reduce the United Nations mischief, but unleash it. Machiavelli addressed this when he wrote the passage quoted above, which can be summed up as, never do an enemy a minor injury.

The United Nations has two major organs that we must address. First there is the General Assembly, a vicious conglomeration of thuggish dictatorships, spineless social democracies and failing states. These countries unite only to attack the threats to their retention of power, or to deflect attention from how they wield it. This is why the vast majority of its condemnatory acts focus on the United States and Israel. The one good thing about the General Assembly is that it is utterly toothless; its resolutions carry no weight, and can be ignored without consequence. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Security Council.

The United Nations Security Council has all of the flaws of the General Assembly, but it has teeth. It can back up its resolutions with UN Peacekeeping troops (levied from states whose records of adherence to the laws of war are, too put it politely, highly questionable), and its resolutions are binding on the member states. The former Soviet Union found this out the hard way.

In January 1950, the Soviet Union decided to boycott the Security Council in response to the defeat of a resolution to expel Nationalist China from that body. This proved to be a strategic miscalculation, as the Soviet representative was not present to veto the Security Councils resolution to defend South Korea a few months later. Their boycott not only failed to accomplish the objectives of the Soviets, but permitted the Western allies to act in their absence. The Korean War checked the ambitions of Stalin and Mao, and provided a potential framework for further cooperative efforts against communist expansion. The Soviets learned from their mistake, and ensured that they were present at all future sessions, where they could use their veto to prevent a unified response to their aggressions. We need to learn from it, as well.

Any American action that ends our association with the United Nations but leaves the structure intact will cede it to our enemies, and eliminate our veto over their actions. Rather than eliminating the power of the Security Council, our withdrawal will let the remaining states use it to our detriment. The absence of an American veto will empower the rogue states to push for resolutions on every lunatic position that they can think of in the Security Council, from climate control to nuclear disarmament, all of which will be studiously ignored by the states that are the worst offenders, but imposed on the US and Israel with impunity. The lawless International Criminal Court will have its jurisdiction expanded to encompass non-signatories. The various and sundry United Nations agencies and committees will have their venom codified into policy. This is not in our interest.

Before the UN can be abandoned, it must be defanged, declawed, discredited and otherwise rendered so weak that it cannot be used against us when we finally do exit that noxious relic of World War II. In addition, the actions taken should not only weaken the United Nations, but push as many other members into our camp as possible. This can be done in several ways:

The United States accounts for 22% of the United Nations budget, due to the progressive scale of payments (most United Nations members pay almost nothing, and what they do pay is often offset by travel allowances for their personnel). Simply withholding these funds would reduce United Nations operations significantly. In addition, a demand for changes to the payment schedule (right now, its based on ability to pay, rather than, say, population) would impose more costs on the smaller freeloading states, and reduce the burden on the wealthier ones. Chinas expanding economy should impose far more dues on it, and it would be difficult and embarrassing for the Chinese to argue that they are not a major financial power.

Demand changes to the permanent membership of the Security Council. France has not been a major power since 1940. In fact, it can be argued that French membership in the European Union makes it far less of an independent nation than a federated state within Europe. It is readily apparent that Frances permanent seat should be reallocated as a European Union seat (which would not affect Frances seat in the General Assembly). This would put France in conflict with the rest of the EU, especially Germany and Belgium. It is unlikely that Russia or China would object to this, nor would Britain (that Brexit vote will pay an immediate dividend here), and France would be in the awkward position of explaining to the rest of Europe that it is unwilling to share its veto with them. On the other hand, India is a rising power whose population dwarfs Europes, much less Frances. There is no compelling argument for India not to be a permanent member of the Security Council, and many compelling arguments for it. Israel, which has good relations with India, could probably be prevailed upon to sponsor the resolution in the General Assembly. Of course, this will enrage the Muslim states, which will vote as a bloc against it, but that will force a schism between the Muslim dictatorships and India, which would put them closer to the rest of the Anglosphere in terms of long-term interests.

The United States should clog the schedules of all bodies on which it sits with resolutions that would not only divide the membership, but also force them to address awkward questions. These resolutions should also be drafted in terms of the leftist mindset that permeates the United Nations for maximum impact. For example, the resolution on Israeli settlements should be followed up by resolutions on New Zealands historically genocidal policies towards the Maoris, Russias military adventures in Ukraine and Georgia (and lets not forget Syria), Frances discriminatory policies towards its Muslim population and sinking of Greenpeaces Rainbow Warrior (and, of course, their colonial record), Britains colonial history (a virtual cornucopia of leftist grievances) Venezuelas economic policies (the humanitarian crisis there fairly begs for some United Nations bloviating), Japans World War II crimes in China, Egypts Muslim Brotherhood (a terrorist group, its condemnation would serve to strengthen the al-Sisi government while dividing the Sunni terrorist-supporting states)and Chinas occupation of Tibet and massive carbon emissions. Of course, this need not be limited to current Security Council members. Turkeys Armenian genocide and suppression of the Kurds, Irans terrorist activities and misogyny (not to mention Saudi Arabias), Syrias use of chemical weapons and Sudans genocidal attacks on their neighboring states are all targets of opportunity. The list is almost endless, and the beauty of it is that it attacks the member states on criteria that leftists cannot easily ignore (they will try, of course, but how can feminists argue against censuring Iran and Saudi Arabia? Or environmentalists fail to respond to attacks on Chinese pollution? Alinsky would be proud). Even though the vast majority of these resolutions will end up defeated, the caterwauling from the targeted nations will highlight their hypocrisy in the targeting of the United States and Israel, and provide an amusing spectacle in their own right. Now, it may not be in our interest to pursue all of these resolutions (the next administration will have its hands full trying to repair relations with Britain, and strengthening them with Japan, to name two examples), but just the threat of these resolution should keep some of these countries in line.

Many of the United Nations member states do not have diplomatic relations with the United States, but have UN missions within United States territory. Narrowing the scope of diplomatic protections of the personnel of those missions to the immediate area around the United Nations and their missions, with free passage between them, would make Manhattan far less attractive for these diplomats and their support staff (which includes significant espionage assets). Such persons could even be declared persona non grata, and be denied the pleasures of New Yorks culture and amenities. This would significantly curtail their activities and impacts on the city, especially in terms of the massive costs of UN scofflaws. Simply imposing the same parking rules that burden regular New Yorkers on the staffs of these missions would go a long way to making New York City less livable for them (and the cash-strapped DeBlasio administration would have a difficult time arguing that it cannot use those revenues). Imagine opponents having to argue that the representatives of impoverished rogue states should be allowed to attend the Metropolitan Opera, dine at 5-star restaurants and party like rock stars while their people starve.

Ideally, when the United States finally does leave the United Nations, we will not do so alone, but in the company of those nations which share our ideals and interests, and with which we can forge alliances that will undermine the goals of the dictatorships. The desired end state is not just American withdrawal from the United Nations, but the elimination of the United Nations as a breeding ground for destructive mischief, the advancement of American interests and the empowerment of our with allies and weakening of our adversaries.

Odysseus is a retired Army officer.
WASHINGTON  What is the real story behind the old fishwives' yowling passing back and forth between Washington and Jerusalem these days? My dignified Maine Coon cat, Yankee, would be embarrassed were such 3-in-the-morning cries attributed to him.

One has to conclude that this is not just another of those old squabbles between the Americans and the Israelis. No, this is something different. This is the equivalent of a fractious married couple looking deep into each other's eyes and saying, "No, this is enough."

The Israelis  and by that I mean only the government of hard-line Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu and his even more-rightist followers  are arguing that "enough" is the Security Council resolution put forward in the United Nations as this preposterous year waned, once again condemning Israeli settlements that are spreading like wildfire over the supposedly Palestinian land of the West Bank, burning away every last hope for a Palestinian state.

Hardly new, but there are parts of the resolution, such as including the Israelis' sacred Western Wall under Palestinian territory, that are genuinely untenable.

But the really new part was that Washington did not kowtow, as it has for 36 years, to whatever Jerusalem wanted (at that moment), and abstained from voting on the resolution. Abstained? How dare Barack Obama do this to his "closest ally" and the "only democracy in the Middle East"?

As for Washington, the Obama administration sees "enough" as one too many insults and calumnies from Jerusalem and WAY too many promises that never even remotely came true. Over these last eight years, Bibi had repeatedly promised Barack that, yes, he would control Israeli settlement, which is a snarky way to move Israelis (many of them, ironically, Americans) onto land the entire world agreed to be Palestinian territory.

Instead, when the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, there were roughly 110,000 settlers in West Bank and 146,000 in East Jerusalem territory; today there are an estimated 600,000! In addition, the Israeli prime minister has been pushing fiercely controversial legislation in the Knesset, the Regulation Bill, which would retroactively legalize settler outposts and homes built on privately owned Palestinian land  and force the owners to accept compensation.

All this after the Obama administration, in the most generous act of American goodwill in the history of Israel, had agreed to provide the Jewish state with $38 billion in military aid over the next 10 years. Oh, there were complaints from Israeli negotiators; they had wanted $45 billion.

But instead of going along quietly this time around, the U.S. added language to the aid provision saying that, if Jerusalem were to go around the White House  to the Congress, for instance, to get more money  that money will have to be returned to the U.S.

This little-reported part of the aid announcement was revealing, for it showed, on the record, the deep distrust that exists between the two supposed "allies," plus the fact that the U.S. was tired of being the unappreciated donor.

And, of course, President Obama had not been exactly charmed when Prime Minister Netanyahu went around him and appeared before the U.S. Congress, unannounced to the White House, to argue against Obama's signature Iranian nuclear deal; or when Netanyahu announced new settlement building the same day Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Israel.

So, let's be candid for a rare moment about the United States and Israel. An honest man or woman is hard-put to argue with any sincerity that the two countries are truly allies. Israel surely depends upon America, not only for its military hardware but also for its moral and ethical support in the world, but what does America receive from such an "alliance"?

That support was graciously given back in the early days of the Israeli state, when Israel was made up almost entirely of the German-born Ashkenazi Jews who had immigrated to the new state; but once the Sephardic Jews from the Arab countries immigrated to Israel and were followed by the Russian Jews, attitudes toward the United States changed dramatically.

Today, in fact, history shows quite clearly that many of the major impulses behind the 2003 war in Iraq came from fervent American supporters of Israel, popularly and derogatorily referred to as the "neocons," perfervid ideologues like Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Irving Kristol, among them. Thus, far from the U.S. involving itself in Israeli affairs, it is more true that Israel is deforming America's affairs.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his many derisive comments about the United States, now says that Israel has many other friends  all over the world, he boasts! But the U.N. Security Council vote stands as a rather convincing refutation of such swagger, since the vote was 14-to-0 against Israel.

"The man who just a month ago told us that the world worships him declared war this evening on the world, on the United States, on Europe, and is trying to calm us with conceit," Isaac Herzog, leader of the center-left Zionist Union and the parliamentary opposition, wrote sardonically on Facebook after the U.N. contretemps.

And Ben Caspit, the respected political commentator for the Tel Aviv newspaper Maariv, wrote immediately afterward, "I hope for Netanyahu's sake (and also for ours) that he knows the truth at least deep in his heart  it was the chronicle of a failure foretold."

It is becoming clearer every day, including to many in Israel, that the old agreements, if indeed they were actually agreements, are not working. Perhaps it is time for some new "truths" between these two so dissimilar countries.
The phoniest and most irresponsible lie in current politics is Obama's accusation that "the Russians did it!" Dropped Hillary's email bombs, that is. This was originally just attributed to the CIA and FBI at secondhand, and later those agencies reluctantly agreed. But we all know how badly Obama has corrupted those agencies, and their kowtowing to the Big Boss means nothing. This is sad but true.

If you think about this as a mystery story, you can ask, "Who had the motive, the means, and the opportunity" to leak Hillary's most embarrassing secrets, thereby blowing the election? The list of suspects is huge, but Obama is never mentioned. Still, think about it for a second.

Motive: Obama is a major narcissist who always wants to expand his personal power. Being president has not satisfied his power-hungry ego; nothing ever will. For months he has been talking about running for a third term, and he's back at it today.

Washington speculation has long focused on Obama's ambition to become SecGen of the U.N., an office he could try to expand into a genuine power center to achieve the utopian fantasy of the left, a world order in which everything is "properly" controlled from a dictatorial center. This is consistent with the worst kind of Marxism, but it is also the dream of jihad: world conquest.

Obama has shown time and time again that he is a sort of Marxo-jihadophile. Our good friend Recep Erdogan, the autocrat of Turkey, has just accused the administration of supporting ISIS, showing that this kind of speculation is going on all around the world. In fact, Erdogan himself is reliably accused of selling Iraqi oil stolen by ISIS on the world market.

So Obama's motive for (possibly) dropping Hillary's email bombs?

His quest for power.

If Hillary were president for the next eight years, as the Democrats confidently expected, Obama might be dwarfed by the second Clinton administration.

Hillary and Obama are not friends; it was Obama who accused the Clintons of racism to destroy them at the Democratic Convention eight years ago, which reportedly outraged Bill and Hillary. Obama won that fight, but he left a lot of anger and resentment.

So Obama's motive for undermining Hillary would be their hot competition for power. Obama is the biggest backstabber in U.S. politics, a true genius at the art of gaining trust and then betraying it. He back-stabbed Israel and the United Stateswhat more evidence do you need?

Today, nobody doubts anymore that Obama shafted Israel with the Iranian nuclear deal, and now at the United Nations. This is SOP for Obama. This is how he won all his election runs in Illinois.

The evidence is all over the place that under his administration, the United States has supported jihadist groups in Syria and elsewhere  exactly the same war theology that committed the 9/11 massacre in Manhattan and at the Pentagon.

There's much more to be said about Obama's motives for sabotaging the Clintons' last chance at power. His most emotional motivation would be simple envy for Hillary if she won the election.

That's a little bit about Obama's possible motive.

How about means? Does Obama have access to Hillary's ridiculously vulnerable email system?

Do bears do it in the woods? Is the pope Catholic? Does Obama run the CIA and the FBI with an iron hand? Does he run the DOJ?

So much for motive and means.

There isn't much to say for the Putin Hypothesis. For one thing, the Democrats are so deeply steeped in lies today that anything they say is likely to be a fairy tale. The media will back any fairy tale they make up, which is why so many Americans voted for the truth-teller in this election.

If Putin really wanted a weak U.S. president, he could wish for no one weaker than Hillary, with Bill playing second fiddle. Hillary is just not a first-rate political talent, as even she admitted during the campaign.

Obama had the motive and the means.

What about the opportunity to leak Hillary's fantastically irresponsible and plausibly criminal emails to the public? Obama always works through cutouts, external agents who give him plausible deniability. He is never directly responsible for any failure, at least according to this White House.

All we know is that WikiLeaks took responsibility for the email dumps.

But who is WikiLeaks? Nobody really knows. It is an anonymous network of hackers who claim to be upset about shady dealings in the government, a perfectly plausible motive. Julian Assange is the public face of WikiLeaks, and he certainly looks and talks like an honest man. He has gained a lot of credibility in the world for leaking the real thing to the media.

But this one is child's play for the truly Machiavellian politicians like Obama. All he has to do is tell his personal loyalists at the CIA to leak Hillary's email trove, using a neutral cutout, who magically happens to gain access to that awful amateurish server that Hillary, Huma, and a few other privileged inner-circle ladies cooked up and used to trade State Department favors with moneyed power around the world. Hillary's pathetic email system certainly looks like a set-up by more skilled and devious I.T. operatives, which the CIA has in abundance.

Nothing is easier than to set up or suborn a WikiLeaks member to "discover" Hillary's grossly incompetent email setup and give that treasure trove to Julian Assange.

WikiLeaks does not seem to be a professional intelligence outfit, though we never really know that, of course. WikiLeaks could be a front for the Muslim Brotherhood, for all we know. Or for the Russians. Or for a dozen competent intelligence agencies around the world. Or for Obama's CIA.

Black ops and double plays are routine for those outfits. Every major regime in the world runs them.

At the beginning of the election campaign, the betting was on Jeb Bush or another establishment Republican versus Hillary. Obama just told us he could have beaten the whole field of candidates had he been allowed to run, and he has a point there.

First-class demagogues are not all that common in U.S. politics, though Bill and Obama certainly qualify. And the Democrats are always sure of a big campaign war chest, with backing from establishment corporations, plus the Saudis, the Chinese, and the Muslim Brotherhood  not to mention the fakestream media.

Had Hillary won the election and made a mess of her administration, Obama could have run against her, as Teddy Kennedy ran against Jimmy Carter. In the worst case, Obama could have run again after Hillary's two terms.

A lot of Democrats have never fallen out of love with the Bamster, because that's the kind of people they are. Or Obama could have demanded a nomination for U.N. Secretary General from Hillary and turned that job into president of the world.

Don't think he hasn't dreamed of that all his life. He has.

And why do you think that in his last days as president, Obama has publicly back-stabbed Israel?

Nothing appeals more to the irredentist primitives in the Muslim world than delegitimizing Israel. Saner Muslim regimes have tried making peace with Israel (if you follow their actions carefully), and no one has done so more openly than the Egyptians. President El-Sisi of Egypt has kept the peace with Israel, in spite of his Muslim Brotherhood enemies.

It was the M.B.s who assassinated Anwar Sadat, a true hero of peace with Israel. That assassination still keeps Arabs from openly signing peace treaties with Israel.

(But the Saudis recently met with Israel to plan a common defense against Iranian aggression. Arab contacts with Israel occur every day, as simply as picking up the phone, but Obama has made it much more dangerous, because in reality Obama keeps sabotaging the peace process. Watch his actions, and never believe his words. Israeli contacts with Arab leaders are an everyday affair. The leaders of Hamas routinely use Israeli medical facilities, and Israel is happy to help them because they believe in giving bhakshish to their enemies, a routine kind of double-dealing in Muslim politics.)

Mr. Obama has made it clear beyond a reasonable doubt that he will never fade from the political scene as long as he lives. Retiring is just not in his DNA. Major narcissists are in it for life. They do not change. And messianic narcissists like Obama simply don't have the psychological wherewithal to change. It is unfortunate but true. There is no cure for such people.

So: Motive, means, and opportunities galore.

I'll bet on the Obama hypothesis against the Putin foolishness any day. The biggest case against the Putin charge is that all good Democrats now believe it, because the fakestream media are pushing it. Lying liars lie, as we have learned over the years of watching the fakestream, the Clintons, and Obama. These people delight in deception. They are utterly and completely dishonest, as Trump keeps saying, and so far they are running true to form.

I'll bet on Obama as Hillary's real nemesis.
When Secretary of State John Kerry delivered his comprehensive statement on the Arab-Israel conflict in front of a safe audience at the State Department, he took over an hour to defend the decision of the United States to in essence allow passage of the recent UN anti-Israel resolution by abstaining from it, rather than adhering to the longstanding policy of the U.S. to veto such resolutions.

The general thrust of his message was to chastise Israel for building settlements on land defined as occupied Palestinian territory, as the main obstacle preventing a two-state solution.

In addition to focusing attention on criticizing Israel, Kerry failed to mention some critically important points which are clearly more central to why a two-state solution has failed to materialize.

For example, the most obvious is the fact that Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, who is also seen by most of the world as a moderate, has steadfastly said he will never recognize Israel as a Jewish state. As I see it, this alone is the single biggest non-starter for a two-state solution. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus consistent commitment to accepting a Palestinian state, demonstrates his desire for mutual recognition, Mr. Kerry conveniently omitted Abbass destructive statements on refusing to accept Israels right to exist.

How realistic is a two-state solution when one side wont even recognize the others right to exist?

Mr. Kerry emphatically stated the U.S. opposition to terror and incitement. However, empty statements like this have been made on numerous occasions by the American administration. What good are such statements if they are not backed up by tangible action?

The PA receives hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid from many countries, most of it from the U.S. The PA in turn uses a portion of this international aid to line the pockets of terrorists who have murdered Israelis. This financial windfall allows their families a living standard which is five times greater than the average Palestinian. Did Mr. Kerry say or even hint that the U.S. would suspend all financial aid to the PA to demonstrate how strongly they feel about the need to stop terrorism? He did not. Actions speak louder than words.

The constitution of Abbass Fatah party explicitly calls for the destruction of the Zionist entity, which in plain words means Israel. Did Mr. Kerry make any mention of this? Moreover, one can only imagine what he might say if Israels constitution called for the destruction of a Palestinian state. Heaven forbid!

The official emblem of the Fatah party shows one state, not two. The one state covers the entire area of Israel, and shows every square inch of land as one state of Palestine. Their emblem also includes weapons of war, suggesting their goal is to destroy Israel through violence. Again Kerry is silent.

If Mahmoud Abbas wants to be seen as a serious peace partner, would it be too much to suggest that he publically condemn the plethora of terror attacks the Palestinians have perpetrated against innocent Israeli civilians? Not only has Abbas failed to condemn such attacks, he and his party have continuously glorified these murderers.

Kerry also downplayed the U.S. role in the anti-Israel UN resolution, suggesting the U.S. was not involved in composing, or sponsoring it. Yet by abstaining, as the Obama administration knows full well, it was as if they voted for it, because they chose not to use their veto power, which allowed it to pass.

With its passing the Obama administration has intentionally left the door wide open for the UN to take further action against Israel.

With only days remaining in the current administration, the timing of Kerrys speech was more about punctuating the anti-Israel tenor of the Obama administration with one last trumpet blast about land for peace. However, all one needs to do is look at what happened when Israel evacuated the Gaza Strip after 38 years. They were rewarded with three wars and 20,000 rockets.

If the Obama administration is truly as concerned about Israels security as Kerry states, their failure to hold the Palestinians accountable for their wanton terror renders any statements about understanding Israels need for security meaningless.

Since the UN resolution cannot be reversed, the Obama administration has knowingly done two things:

1. They have put the incoming Trump administration in a difficult position.

2. Obama has placed a nail in the coffin of his relationship with Israel. With the door now open for further punitive UN action against Israel, his administration will go down in history has the most anti-Israel administration ever.

One doesnt need to be a rocket scientist to recognize the two sides of the conflict have entirely different agendas. For not recognizing this and blaming Israel for being the obstacle to peace, the Obama administration has reduced itself to open hypocrisy by ignoring their own oft-stated commitment to Israels security.
If Chicago were run by a Republican machine, and if President-Elect Trump had adopted it as his home town and political base, the media would constantly proclaim it a stain on our national honor, a killing field maintained for the purpose of killing young black men. There would be ceaseless reminders that an intolerable climate of violence has been fostered and tolerated by evil Republicans. There would have been demands for years that the (hypothetical Republican) mayor resign, that grand juries be convened to investigate civil rights violations (most murder victims are black).

Of course, Chicago has been run by Democrats almost since dinosaurs roamed the earth, so nobody in the media much cares. Conservative websites may note the death toll and compare it to Kabul and Baghdad (Aleppo currently is in a class of its own), but as far is the media power structure is concerned, Chicagos slaughter of young black males is a non-event. The awkward fact that draconian gun control laws have been less than useless in attenuating the carnage is a contributing factor in the near conspiracy of silence.

Of course, Chicagoans know. And not all of them live in fear of the Daley-Obama-Emanuel machine retaliating for indiscreet honesty. Among the courageous voices is cwbchicago.com (Crime in Wrigleyville +Boystown). Yesterday, it published a heartbreaking picture that sums up what the Second City has become.

Here is the explanation:

It was 2 oclock on a Tuesday afternoon. The day after Labor Day. 91-degrees as Chicagos bloody summer began winding into what would be an equally bloody autumn. Eight shots rang out in Uptown. Pastor Jones ran from Uptown Baptist Church and stopped at the fallen mans side. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a book of prayers. His right hand rose to the sky. Another man, practically jumping from his own skin, kneels at the pastors feet. Another man approached. He kneeled down and began administering CPR through the victims white tank top, freshly stained with five distinct red blotches that slowly grew. A police sergeant arrived. A couple of bystanders recorded the moment with their phones. And one of those pictures quickly made its way to us. We were immediately struck by the image. The nine complete strangers who were brought together by a moment that, terrible as it was, played out nearly 800 times this year in Chicago. Gregory Sims, 25, was Chicago's 522nd homicide of the year, according to the authoritative research of HeyJackass.com Like 81.6% of Chicago's murders, his killing remains unsolved.

Chicagos fate is spreading, in tandem with the anti-police rhetoric that the left has embraced. When our guardians are afraid to do their jobs, the rest of us suffer.

Hat tip: Peter von Buol
Congratulations are in order for Senate Democrats. After eight years of being a rubber-stamp Soviet legislature, they have suddenly rediscovered the joys of congressional oversight. While Obama's cabinet nominees were approved quickly very early in his administration, Democrats want to drag Trump's out for a while:

Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell are heading for a showdown over Donald Trump's Cabinet. Schumer, who will become Senate minority leader next week, has privately indicated to McConnell that Democrats may not be willing to go along with quick confirmations for Trumps nominees if the Senate majority leaders caucus doesnt meet several demands, according to sources in both parties familiar with the matter. .... Schumer is calling for McConnell to not schedule simultaneous confirmation hearings for Cabinet nominees, so that members on multiple committees can attend each confirmation hearing. That could make it difficult for all nominees to be ready for floor votes by Inauguration Day. Democrats can use Senate procedures to throw sand in the gears of the chamber, though a 2013 rules change prevents them from unilaterally blocking Trump's Cabinet selections. One strategy would force the Senate to go into recess in order to hold some committee hearings; Democrats could also deploy parliamentary tactics to force cloture votes on nominees and drag out debate for days. Democrats estimate they could make the confirmation process take as long as two months. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is vowing to force a full conversation on the Senate floor as allowed by the rules, which allow up to 30 hours of debate on Cabinet nominations.

By contrast, Obama's cabinet picks were quickly approved on or after his inauguration. Hillary Clinton was approved as secretary of state the day after Obama's inauguration, January 21. Tim Geithner, despite having a little problem with unpaid taxes, was quickly approved on January 26 as treasury secretary. Ken Salazar was confirmed on January 20, Obama's inauguration day. Janet Napolitano became secretary of homeland security also on January 20. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was confirmed on January 23.

In most cases, Republicans meekly voted for Obama's ideologues. But Democrats aren't going to be as meek. While they were eager to rush Obama's nominees in during Obama's first week in office, look for them to push to delay as much as they can when it comes to Trump's nominees.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
We finally know what it takes to evade the P.C. speech codes of a major university: wishing genocide on whites. While using the incorrect neologism pronoun for someone denying chromosomal reality is streng verboten on many campuses, the wise and courageous leaders of Drexel University finally have offensive speech they can defend.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports:

Drexel University and one of its professors faced an onslaught of criticism for his Christmas Eve tweet that "all I want for Christmas is white genocide." And on Christmas Day, Drexel issued a statement strongly condemning the tweet. That action led the professor and many other academics to call on Drexel to offer a stronger defense of academic freedom and its professor. Many said that the tweet -- by George Ciccariello-Maher, associate professor of politics and global studies -- was clearly satire. They noted that Ciccariello-Maher has argued that white genocide is a fiction, something that white nationalists imagine and promote as a real threat in the United States, when it is not in fact a threat. On Thursday, Drexel issued a new statement. The new statement offers milder criticism of Ciccariello-Maher and notes that there may be multiple ways to read his tweet. The statement says that "his words, taken at face value and shared in the constricted Twitter format, do not represent the values of inclusion and understanding espoused by Drexel University." Further, the new statement says that "the wide range of reactions to his tweets suggests that his intentions were not adequately conveyed. These responses underscore the importance of choosing ones words thoughtfully and exercising appropriate judgment in light of the inherent limitations presented by communications on social media." In contrast, the original statement said: "Professor Ciccariello-Maher's comments are utterly reprehensible, deeply disturbing, and do not in any way reflect the values of the university." On academic freedom, the new statement also struck a different tone. The original statement said that "the university recognizes the right of its faculty to freely express their thoughts and opinions in public debate," but it also said that Drexel "is taking this situation very seriously" and was setting up a meeting with the professor. Those comments led many to question whether the university was in fact defending the professor's right to free expression or discouraging it. The new statement is much more specific that the tweet in question was free speech. "The university vigorously supports the right of its faculty members and students to freely express their opinions in the course of academic debate and discussion. In this vein, we recognize Professor Ciccariello-Mahers tweets as protected speech." Drexel's president and provost -- John A. Fry and M. Brian Blake, respectively -- signed the new statement but not the old one.

Obviously, the academic left has made it clear to Drexel that it will be severely punished if it applies the same speech code restarints on a communist professor that it enforces on everyone else. Drexel still maintains a comprehensive speech code.

Harassment:

The University prohibits discrimination and harassment against individuals based on race, color, religion, gender (sex), pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, identify and expression, and veteran status. All complaints of student discrimination, harassment, and retaliation should be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards who will work in conjunction with the Office of Equality and Diversity. All complaints of nonstudent discrimination, harassment, and retaliation should be reported to the Office of Equality and Diversity.

Wishing that all students of one particular race be killed might qualify as harassment. Imagine for a minute that a professor had tweeted his wish for a black or Native American genocide. Drexel needs to clarify the policy to make it explicit that harassment is approved for designated groups.

Equality and Nondiscrimination:

The University is committed to an environment of equal opportunity in education and employment and to proactively undertake initiatives and take actions to create such an environment. In the administration of its admissions policies, educational policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, and all other University administered programs and activities; the University prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of: race; color; national origin; religion; sex; sexual orientation; disability; age; status as a veteran or special disabled veteran; gender identity and expression; genetic information and any other characteristic prohibited by law (i.e., creed, marital status, citizenship status). Moreover, Drexel does not tolerate unlawful harassment of any kind.

Unlawful Harassment is defined as:

 unwelcome physical or verbal conduct based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, status as a veteran or special disabled veteran, or gender identity and expression, and any other characteristic prohibited by law (i.e., creed, marital status, citizenship status) that is sufficiently severe, pervasive and objectively offensive as to substantially disrupt or undermine a person's ability to participate in or to receive the benefits, services or opportunities of the University.

And Hostile Environment Harassment is defined as:

... verbal or physical conduct based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, status as a veteran or disabled veteran, gender identity or expression, retaliation, and any other characteristic prohibited by law (i.e., creed, marital status, citizenship status) that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, threatening, or abusive environment. Hostile Environment Harassment: Examples of behaviors that may constitute hostile environment harassment include, but are not limited to: intimidating or hostile acts; epithet; slurs; unwelcome touching or hugging; denigrating jokes display or circulation of written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group.

Professor Ciccariello-Mahers defense rest on his hostile words being a joke. But the speech code rules out that excuse.

The good professor could have been in jeopardy of losing his ability to use the universitys computer facilities.

Acceptable Use Policy:

Drexel University's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) sets forth the standards by which all students, faculty, staff and authorized guests (hereafter referred to collectively as "User(s)") may use their assigned computer accounts, email services and the shared Drexel University network. The use of Drexel's computer and network resources including all electronic communication systems and equipment (hereafter referred to collectively as the "Drexel Network") is a revocable privilege.

It is not clear if the good professor used the universitys facilities in any way for his tweet. But the language here does not seem to require such use. And prohibitions include the following:

Users may not possess, distribute or send unlawful communications of any kind, including but not limited to threats of violence, obscenity, child pornography and/or harassing communications (as defined by law), or participate or facilitate communications in furtherance of other illegal activities.

So the conclusion to reach is that speech codes do not apply to left-wingers.

And parents note: if you are Caucasian, your children may be stuck in a classroom where they learn the virtues of communism from the likes of Professor Ciccariello-Maher, to whom restraints do not apply. That'll help 'em land jobs that make the tuition worth it.

The University of Missouri suffered a catastrophic decline in applications and enrollment in the wake of tolerating BLM thuggery and a professor who "needed some muscle" to bully a reporter. It had to close dormitories.

Drexel has no state support to fall back on in the face of a potential serious decline in applications and acceptances from Caucasians. It has $650-million endowment, enough to tide it over in some really rough weather.

But the price it eventually pays vould be quite a lesson for the rest of academia, even though they will ignore it.
The mainstream media have been ignoring a story of outrageous abuse by federal employees that has just been rubber-stamped by Loretta Lynchs prosecutors at the D.C. U.S. attorneys office. The first report was carried by the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday and picked up by the Washington Examiner yesterday. It is enough to make any taxpayers blood boil and has great potential as a news story. Yet for the moment, it exists in one Texas city and the conservative blogosphere only. Sarah Westwood reports for the Examiner:

A pair of Department of Veterans Affairs officials who defrauded the VA for $400,000 will not face any criminal charges, despite an inspector general's request that they both face a criminal investigation. In an inspector general report made public in September, Diana Rubens and Kimberly Graves were both accused of manipulating a VA program meant to ease the strain of moving agency employees between cities. The watchdog referred the matter to the Department of Justice for a criminal inquiry. But prosecutors in the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Columbia ruled against pursuing charges late last week, the Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday, effectively eliminating any possibility that the two officials will face consequences for their actions. The VA declined to fire Rubens and Graves in November. Although the agency planned instead to demote the embattled officials, a paperwork mistake spared the two from even that minimal punishment.

Wikipedia summarizes the caper:

In 2014 Rubens volunteered for a transfer from the D.C. regional office to the Philadelphia regional office to fill an opening that held considerably less responsibilities. She and her peer Kimberly Graves were allegedly informed by superior Allison Hickey, the former VA undersecretary for benefits, of loopholes within the VA's employee transfer program that would allow them to pocket large sums of taxpayer dollars.[2]

Isn't that great? Her boss told her how to game the system. Why, you'd almost think bureaucrats are a self-interested group who don't care about taxpayers at all, but regard them as suckers to be played.

Hickey resigned her post in October 2015 amid investigations into her role aiding the two women in their transfer scheme.[3] The VA announced it would review its transfer program due to the growing number of cases involving abuse of authority.[1][4][5] Rubens expensed nearly $275,000 in moving fees to the VA while relocating to Philadelphia, attracting the attention of the VA's inspector general. Upon investigation, it was learned that Rubens had used her position to pressure a subordinate to leave their job at the Philadelphia office, thus opening that position. Rubens then volunteered for the position that held significantly reduced responsibilities, but managed to retain her $181,000 salary. Rubens and was transferred to a separate location and demoted while under investigation.[1][2] Rubens and Graves both made appeals to the Merit Systems Protection Board and pleaded the Fifth amendment regarding the allegations. The Inspector General recommended the Justice Department proceed with criminal charges.[6] A judge overturned Rubens demotion in January 2016, sparking outrage. The court stated that punishing Rubens and Graves was inconsistent disciplining behavior by the VA, since it had not similarly punished other employees that had committed offenses.[7] The judge also cited her superiors foreknowledge of her intent as evidence that no laws had been broken.[8] Rubens was reinstated effective immediately and was awarded back-pay.[9][10][4]

Diana Rubens

Kimberly Graves

This incident will be worth it to taxpayers if the two become the poster girls for pushing through civil service reform as an early priority of the Trump administration. As I wrote the morning after Election Day, civil service reform is an essential prerequisite for reining in the abuses of the federal bureaucracy and the administrative state that makes laws and issues subpoenas without any judicial or congressional sanction.

The federal government requires structural reform. Because it is very expensive and time-consuming to fire anyone, bad behavior is not just tolerated, but propagated. Civil service protections originally intended to guard against a politicized bureaucracy have now become guarantors of the high-handedness and lack of accountability we saw with Lois Lerner, now retired with a six-figure pension after pleading the Fifth Amendment.

Government employee unions have become a mainstay of the Democratic Party, with employee dues, harvested from taxpayers via salaries, laundered into the partys coffers. So the Democrats will fight like hell, up to and including a filibuster, mass demonstrations, and possible violence. Donald Trump will need to persuade the public, and mobilize public opinion against those Democrat senators who resist the reform movement. There are 23 Democrat senators up for re-election in 2018, and some of them must be made to get very nervous.

I would suggest beginning with a bill to fire any federal employee who takes the Fifth Amendment with regard to behavior related to duties in office. The Democrats will cry that the Fifth Amendment is a constitutionally guaranteed right, so no retaliation is possible, of course. But there is a well known precedent to the contrary: breath or blood tests for drivers suspected of driving under the influence. They retain their right not to incriminate themselves, but in most states, they lose their drivers license. That license is not a right. And neither is a federal job.

Lois Lerner is the ideal object lesson to close the argument. She persecuted ordinary Americans and got away with it.

We can now add Ms. Rubens and Ms. Graves to the list of object lessons. All of them should be subpoenaed to testify before committees on the nature of their actions and the benefits they still enjoy.

The DoJ handed us lemons, so lets make some lemonade.
When one discusses Martin Luther, there is little doubt he was a visionary, a caustic force in history that changed the world of Christendom. He was also an anti-Semite, albeit as a young man he spoke out about the oppression of Jews in Europe believing they could be candidates for conversion to Christianity. When this vision proved unsuccessful, Luther turned on the Jews urging persecution and degradation.

In his book On the Jews and Their Lies, he asks plaintively, "What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews?" He answers this question with a program of destruction: "Set fire to the synagogues; raze the houses; remove the prayer books; forbid rabbinic instruction; forbid commercial activity; prohibit usury; take their silver and gold and put "a flail, an ax, a hole, a spade, a distaff or a spindle into the hands of young strong Jews and Jewesses[.]"

Luther evolved into this hateful position. In 1519, he argued against hatred of Jews noting, "What Jew would consent to enter our ranks when he sees the cruelty and enmity we wreak on them  that in our behavior towards them we less resemble Christians than beasts." It was Luther's fond hope that Jews would hear the gospel and be moved to conversion. He maintained that Jews "are blood relatives, cousins and brothers of our Lord."

However, these "blood relatives" obstinately refused to oblige. When in 1536, the elector of Saxony, John Fredrick, prohibited Jews from inhabiting his state, engaging in business, or passing through his realm, Jewish leaders requested Luther's assistance in obtaining an audience with the prince. Luther refused. He said, "I would willingly do my best for your people, but I will not contribute to your obstinacy by my own kind actions. You must find another intermediary with my good lord." Some historians have called this episode the decisive turning point in Luther's stance  from friendliness to hostility.

What this anti-Semitism suggests is that even a great man haunted by his relationship with God and eager to address the excesses of indulgences had his flaws. Luther was a rebel whose actions challenged the Church with his submission of Ninety-Five Theses that defied Church doctrine. Most significantly, he fractured Catholicism, leading inevitably to half of Europe and a significant portion of the globe embracing his interpretation of the New Testament.

The irony of Luther's anti-Semitism is that the Protestant Ethic, which instills the notion of hard work and accomplishment as signs of salvation, is compatible with the cultural Jewish desire for secular success and theological recognition. It is not merely a coincidence that Jews have prospered in Protestant-dominated nations. The "condemned Jews" of Luthers past have become the symbol of Protestantism's success.

Today, American Evangelicals embrace Jews as their brothers. In fact, the ties between Israel and Protestant nations have never been closer. My guess is, if Luther could envision what his ideas have wrought, he would evolve into a pro-Jewish position.
Politics is at best a sleight-of-hand affair pretending to be reasonably straight ahead. We all know it's nothing of the sort.

Rogue One, the latest prequel to sequel in the perdurable Star Wars saga, is all sound and fury, but it leaves you less $20 for the added nullity of 3D, which is all but invisible in the watching.

The point of this meditation of politics under the departing fecklessness of the child-wuss President Barack H. Obama is that we have just experienced the flop CGI effects of his scheming against both his prime enemy since 2009, Bibi cum Israel, and his newer pretend friend, his successor, Donald J. Trump.

In fabricating excuses for how and why and what the confounding U.S. abstention from the maximally damaging Resolution 3224 in the United Nations cafeteria of condemnations against ally-shy Israel  if there were scores for the most constant resolutions condemning this tiny democracy in an ocean of vitriolic demagoguery, misogyny, bias, and cruelty under a sharia banner against non-Muslims, and general varmintry, Israel would win, 5 to 1, hands down  outgoing Obama repeatedly fails the smell test.

Add John Kerry to the mix of mendacity and Machiavellian stir fry, and you have a losing poker hand that not only scathes our erstwhile best ally, but endlessly complicates the a-borning presidency of President Trump.

Moreover, the U.S. long ago lost the credibility buffet by former allies and friends, under a hostile and quixotically puerile chief executive. A man who seems to plump forever for all and any bad guys over the good. Who believes the rhetoric and diplo-speak, all devised in service of pancake makeup over the knife attack against Israel?

Viewing the endless hectoring hash of Obama's long-wussing if dunce-cap sacrificial secretary of state, the hangdog powder-puff Cerberus of John Kerry  as ineffective as Ms. Clinton, if at least sparing us her pantsuit wardrobe  one was stopped over and over by his (a) ropy lies or (b) massive self-serving ignorance or (c) deliberate mastication of facts.

The recent amplification of a so far wholly unsubstantiated attack against Russia, aka Putin, as "interfering in the legal elections of the United States," into expulsion of 35 Russian operatives and personnel inside a three-day peremptory putsch, plus the dumbest and least effective "sanctions" seen since your kindergarten teacher threatened to take away your gloves if you didn't immediately don them, makes the imminent ascension of President Trump doubly complicated. This might indeed be the real ingredient behind the yucky porridge Obama has cooked up: make Trump's life as miserable as possible. (They'll really miss me, once DJT wades into the presidency with all the rich chaos I've deeded him...)

What bothers one most is that assigning sanctions that are laughably inadequate, even if merited, and tossing out ambassadorial and embassy staffers from their D.C. perches without visible proof of misbehavior, the endgame is that future punishments for real offenses will have to be stepped up, first, and there is no way there will not be payback from Russia in the immediate or near future, making even a heretofore friendly interaction between the two national principals more treacherous and slippery.

Trump and Putin need not begin their official interaction sloughing through the detritus of the Obama childish peeve and muck. But Obama is guaranteeing a rough early month or two before this unconscionable manufactured scenario is resolved. The word unprecedented has been raised again and again with regard to the wrongful, dubious, damaging, and frankly nightmarish plots of this escalated community disorganizer.

The roguish designs of Mr. Lame Duck do not advance the safety of the U.S.  quite the contrary. Though they do complicate and muddy the forward movement of the next president, they don't do anything easily unfixable.

But the harm done to Israel is long-term and Stage 3in terms of ramifications. And the harms done to U.S. prestige and believability, annexed to the jokey lack of response to Obama's vaunted and failed "red lines," cannot easily be repaired.

How do initiatives that make the U.S. a laughingstock help boost the sagging value of the worst stock on the open market?

And how, exactly, did Russia's involvement in disclosing Hillary's and Podesta's corrupt emails help Trump in the actual election?

Again, of course, deflecting the decided rejection of Obama's and Hillary's values and policies. Deflecting, of course, the failures of eight limping years of attacks, unacceptable "recovery," vulnerability to enemies near and far, unrepaired scandals and undisclosed secrets and records to which we have a right...

How does one ward off other enemies or potential threats from screwing around with the U.S. if everything is aimed at the wrong party or the sanctions lobbed are fancifully edentulous?

His legacy, such as it was, in tatters, how does Obama burnish his barnacled memory with all the Hesperus of these latter-day desperate measures of disrespect and scorn? How does hobbling Trump make Obama a hero, when any observant citizen sees the Sargasso soup he is fomenting, to the detriment of his country, of Israel, of all former allies?

Suggestion for Mr. Obama's next ghostwritten paean to his failed tenures: Nightmares From My Eight-Year Social Calendar.

Rogue One? Nah, Obama is Rogues One through Ten. And even less watchable than the film.
In a brilliant piece of propaganda that makes President Obama look small and irrelevant, Vladimir Putin plays chess, while Ben Rhodes and Valerie Jarrett play checkers (and Barack Obama vacations in Hawaii again).

Neil MacFarquhar the New York Times reports:

In a head-spinning turn of events on Friday, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia announced that he would not retaliate against the United States decision to expel Russian diplomats and impose new sanctions  hours after his foreign minister recommended doing just that. Mr. Putin, betting on improved relations with the next American president, said he would not eject 35 diplomats or close any diplomatic facilities, rejecting a tit-for-tat response to actions taken by the Obama administration on Thursday. The switch was remarkable, given that the foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, had just made the recommendation in remarks broadcast live on national television, and given the long history of tit-for-tat expulsions between the two countries. Russian officials have traditionally been sticklers for diplomatic protocol. While we reserve the right to take reciprocal measures, were not going to downgrade ourselves to the level of irresponsible kitchen diplomacy, Mr. Putin said, using a common Russian idiom for quarrelsome and unseemly acts. In our future steps on the way toward the restoration of Russia-United States relations, we will proceed from the policy pursued by the administration of D. Trump.

First and foremost, this move disempowers President Obama before he even leaves office. Our chief geopolitical rival  a notion Barack Obama sneered at in a presidential debate with Mitt Romney  has just in effect said to Obama, Who cares what you do? Youre outta here in 3 weeks, buddy. Dismissing Obama as not worthy of retaliation projects a loss of face onto the world stage, making a capon out of the outgoing president.

This move (or lack thereof) carries some danger for Donald Trump. He must point out the man instances when the Obama administration sucked up to Russia. That bizarre reset button episode with Hillary grinning like a Bride of Chucky doll is just waiting for attachment to a tweet noting that Democrats only attack Russia out of desperation to blame it for Hillary's loss.

I have little doubt that both he and Putin understand the need for some form of public confrontation between the two  and there are plenty of issues available, starting with Aleppo and extending to oil prices that divide the two nations. But the underlying tenor of the relationship has to be one of cooperation against common foes, mixed with confrontation.

Dont worry: I realize that Putin is a thug from the KGB. The sad fact is that ruthless people occupy a disproportionate number of head-of-government roles in the world. I doubt very much that President-elect Trump has any illusions.

In the meantime, Obama looks smaller and smaller.
Amazon India debuted Sell As Individual service yesterday, this is a new service for selling used goods through the retail giants online platform. The new feature is currently only available in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka whose 8.5 million residents get to test Amazons latest service before it becomes available throughout the country. The company has yet to provide details on when its planning to roll out Sell As Individual to more cities and regions.

The procedure of selling used items through Sell As Individual is somewhat similar to the system that Amazon sellers are already using, with the exception of its delivery process. A seller is expected to provide a picture of a product and its description before listing it as being available for sale. However, once a buyer pays for the package, sellers arent expected to deliver it. Instead, Amazon will contact the seller, schedule a pickup date, pick up their product, package it, and proceed to deliver it. In case a buyer isnt satisfied with the product and wants to return it, Amazon will make sure the seller gets it back at no extra charge to either party. Sell As Individual doesnt restrict sellers to any particular type of products, so everything from books and consumer electronics to clothes and jewelry is fair game.

If everything ends up working out, sellers will receive their money in three to five days following the date theyve handed over their product to Amazons employees. The Seattle-based retailer is charging sellers 10 rupees or just under 15 cents per every sold item valued at up to 999 rupees ($15). Amazons mediation services cost 50 rupees ($0.8) for a product priced at up to 5,000 rupees ($74) and 100 rupees ($1.5) per each more valuable sale. The company is currently trying to promote Sell As Individual by offering an extra 1,000 rupees ($15) of Amazon Pay Balance to people who use the service to sell a single phone, tablet, or laptop, or make five smaller sales. This limited promotion is ending on January 15th, while all eligible sellers will receive their rewards by February 15th. Sell As Individual operates independently of Amazons specialized store for used and refurbished phones which the company debuted in India back in September.
From flagship device launches to a number of mid-rangers, its fair to say 2016 has been a busy year for Meizu and, according to a new leak, 2017 shows no signs of being any different. A new leak has revealed what looks to be Meizus 2017 product launch calendar. Looking at it, the company appears to have six new devices ready for release as of now, with the first coming as early as February, possibly coinciding with a reveal at MWC in Barcelona. Regarding what the device will be, its marked down as being the companys upcoming Meizu Blue Charm 5S, which, according to the camera, is powered by a MediaTek MTK6753 processor. Considering the age of this processor, though, it seems more likely that the device would feature a slightly newer processor once it is eventually released. Next up in the products plans is a summer launch, specifically a June one, for the Meizu PRO 7, which is set to feature the MediaTek Helio X30 inside.

Moving into the second half of the year, this is where things are alleged to get busy for the company. Firstly, July is said to see the launch of another Blue Charm S device, featuring the newer MediaTek Helio P25 inside. Later on the in year, the company is also expected to launch the Meizu MX7 which will sit nicely alongside the PRO 7. In this case, though, the MX7 is expected to be powered by the MediaTek Helio P30. Shortly after the launch of the MX7, the company is set to reveal the Blue Charm Note 6 in October, which will come powered by the weaker Helio P20. Finally, and in an interesting move, the company is alleged to reveal one final device in December, presumably before Christmas. Currently, the model itself is unknown, but the processor is stated as being manufactured by Qualcomm, specifically what looks to be the Snapdragon 626. Considering the companys loyalty to MediaTeks processors up until now, though, this would certainly be an odd move for the company.

As of now, there is no way of verifying this leak, but even if it is true, the schedule could only be an initial draft and device details, in this case the processors, could still be changed by the time the products are presented to the world. Either way, with the final device being said to feature a Qualcomm chipset, Meizu could be set to make a number of changes next year regarding the way it develops and markets its devices, so 2017 may well bring a number of surprises for Meizu as a whole.
Qualcomm had filed a lawsuit against Meizu earlier this year, the US-based processor manufacturer stated that Meizu infringed upon their patents, and named that as a reason for a lawsuit. Well, it seems like the two companies have finally settled the dispute, as Qualcomm just released an official statement saying that the two companies have signed a global patent licensing agreement when it comes to 3G / 4G technology, read on.

Back when Qualcomm sued Meizu, the China-based smartphone manufacturer was quick to respond, theyve stated that theyre ready to settle the dispute as soon as possible, and that they respect Qualcomms right to use legal measures if they feel unsatisfied with the current status of negotiations. Fast forward a couple of months, and the two companies have finally reached an agreement it seems. Qualcomm has granted Meizu a worldwide royalty-bearing patent license to develop, manufacture and sell CDMA2000, WCDMA and 4G LTE (GSM, TD-SCDMA and LTE-TDD included) complete devices. In other words, Meizu is now free to include Qualcomm-patented 3G and 4G technology in their smartphones on a global scale, and this basically resolves all patent disputes between the two companies.

As a reminder, Qualcomm issued legal action against Meizu a while back for Meizu-branded devices which were being sold in China, Germany, France and the United States. Today, we are focusing on our vision with better clarity, and striving to become the top designer brand for high-tech products, said Bai Yongxiang, President of Meizu, and added the following: We are confident this cooperation with Qualcomm will add tremendous value to our user, channels, shareholders and employees. Meizu is mainly selling smartphones in China, but theyre also active in a number of other markets on a smaller scale, as already mentioned. We are expecting Meizu to make a bolder push to markets outside of China in the coming years, and this patent licensing agreement will certainly help them do that, as they wont be distracted with such legal issues. Meizu had introduced a number of smartphones this year, and their Meizu PRO 6 Plus flagship actually landed quite recently. This smartphone will become available in a global variant as well, soon, and it will be interesting to see what has Meizu prepared for us for 2017, as a number of interesting designs leaked recently.

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2016 has been an interesting year in many respects. Modular phones, the advance of Daydream and the Galaxy Note 7, being just a few of the examples of the big movements that have occurred over the past twelve months. However, one move which should certainly be considered to be a big one is Googles move from being just a software company to one which is also a hardware company. As this year, was the year in which Google bet big on hardware.

In fact, when you look back over the year now, it does become clear just how many Google-related hardware products have now come to market. Of course, most of them did drop during the big Google Oct. 4 event, but that was not the first time that some of them were announced. Instead, back at Googles I/O event earlier in the year, the first indications that Google was now officially making in-roads to the hardware market surfaced. Although, regardless of whether a product was introduced at Google I/O or at the Oct. 4 event, the result is the same  we now have two Google Pixel smartphones, Google Home, Google Wifi and the Daydream View. All new products and all Google products.

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While some might argue that products like the Pixel and the Pixel XL are not actually Google products (as they make use of a hardware manufacturer, like HTC), it does not take away from the fact that Google is marketing and pushing these as their devices. Hence, the G branding and a complete lack of any branding that can be related to a manufacturer. And it is this G branding that is now the prevalent factor when you look back at 2016. Whichever of the mentioned Google-related products you pick up, the only branding you will find on them is the G. So while those in the know might debate the origins of any of the devices, from the average consumer perspective, these are all very much Google products. Something which has never really been the case in years gone by.

While Google-affiliated products have previously came through in various guises, like the Nexus range for instance. 2016 has seen Google bet big on that G branding and on the fact that people will want a hardware product that bears their logo and name. Which also seems to be a new development in the Alphabet era of Google. As before, Google always seemed somewhat hesitant in actually putting their money where their mouth is and bringing to market products that they can (and did) call their own. That is anything but the case this year as in addition to the swarm of Google-branded products that are now available, Google has also been investing heavily in the marketing of those products. Not only has Google released the hardware, but it has been making an unprecedented and concerted effort to make people aware that they exist and that they are Google products.

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Of course, 2016 from Google was not all about hardware though. As this year also saw the company introduce its Google Assistant. While this is a software-based entity, in some respects, it does seem to be one which Google views as one of the bridges between its hardware ambitions and Android. This can be best seen with the way in which Google has brought its Assistant to market. While AI is generally considered to be big business in 2016, Google has made sure that a number of its major hardware offerings (like Google Home, the Pixel and the Pixel XL) all make use of Google Assistant at the hardware level. No OTT employment needed. You buy one of these devices and you just get Google Assistant. In some respects, it is the base of those products and certainly one of their major selling points put forward by Google. Not forgetting of course, those who have a non-Google-branded Android smartphone can also get in on the action by downloading Googles latest messaging app, Allo. Which also comes powered by the Google Assistant.

So it does seem clear that while 2016 has been a year in which Google has pushed its own hardware, it is actually pushing much more than that. It is pushing a much more inclusive user experience, one where not only the hardware meets the software, but also where the two are joined by the use of aspects like the Google Assistant. Which inevitably does mean that we are now in for an interesting 2017. As this will be the first year that Google starts the year as an officially recognized hardware company. We will be looking at follow-up devices, as well as follow-on updates and improvements to the hardware-software bridge that is the Google Assistant. Not to mention, more Google and Android-related branches through the likes of Tango and Daydream, which look to further combine the overall Google experience. And so, as it stands, 2017 is going to be a very different year for those who follow Google news, and much like 2016 was. Although, the main difference being that this time last year, it was far less clear how important the upcoming year was going to be for Google.
Cellphones and driving is a combination that is a recipe for disaster no matter where you live. Governments have made efforts to pass strict laws if you are caught participating in what is called distracted driving. But, like the mythical Greek sailors that were lured by the Sirens to force a shipwreck, our smartphones send out their own notifications that we simply cannot ignore. Just in Saskatchewan alone, in 2014, 3,900 distracted driving accidents caused the death of 27 people and injured over 700. Saskatchewan banned the use of handheld devices while driving with a current fine of $280 and four demerit points, and the province will impose even greater penalties on January 1st. They also reworded the law to be much more specific in nature.

The new law states that Drivers [are] prohibited from holding, viewing, using or manipulating a cellphone while driving. Tougher laws for distracted driving are being passed everywhere, and one of the most restrictive laws similar to Saskatchewans is going into effect in California on January 1, 2017, forcing drivers that want to use your cellphone while driving to place the device in a phone or car mount. Not a bad idea when you think about it, and there are a variety of holders to choose from many different manufacturers with varying prices.

In Saskatchewan, hand-held mobile devices are prohibited for both new and experienced drivers  you simply cannot hold a cellphone in your hand while driving. The new law does not apply to new drivers who are in a Graduated Driver Licensing program, as they are still not able to use hands-free cellphones either. Only experienced drivers can use hands-free cellphones  meaning they are activated with voice commands, one-touch, or mounted to a dashboard, visor, or cradle. It is a shame that governments must make laws to protect ourselves and others from something as dangerous as distracted driving. However, stats do not lie, and it is apparent that drivers still want to use their cellphones while driving. Much like drinking and driving, the driver is sometimes the last person to get hurt, causing damage to other people. The extra cost to purchase a dash mount for your device is a small price to pay for the safety of you and others.
Earlier this month, SoftBanks CEO and Sprint chairman, Masayoshi Son met with President-Elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York City. Son announced that his company would be investing $50 billion in the US, as well as bringing in about 50,000 jobs. This is something that the President-Elect has been bragging about making happen, but SoftBank actually announced this plan back in October, the election was in November, so this had nothing to do with Trump. In October, SoftBank announced the Vision Fund, which is a $100 billion joint fund between Saudi Arabia and SoftBank, which would be used to invest in emerging technologies. Saudi Arabia would be investing $45 billion, and SoftBank investing $25 billion, over the next five years. Which is where the investing $50 billion in the US came from, for SoftBank and Masayoshi Son.

It was December 2013 when rumors started swirling around Sprint buying T-Mobile, with SoftBank behind it. After finding out from regulators that the deal would have no chance, SoftBank abandoned whatever talks they were having with T-Mobile and its parent company Deutsche Telekom. And had then-CEO, Dan Hesse step down and Son put Marcelo Claure in charge of Sprint. Son is still eyeing a merger with T-Mobile, however now it may be even tougher, even with a new administration that is more about deregulating things, especially when it comes to the FCC. And this is because T-Mobile USA is much more valuable than it was almost three years ago. Additionally, Deutsche Telekom isnt in a huge rush to exit the US, as they were a few short years ago.

SoftBank seems happy to let Trump take credit for them investing $50 billion in the US and creating loads of jobs (Sprint is also creating loads of jobs without SoftBanks help). It appears to be a pretty small price to pay for Trump allowing them to buy T-Mobile. Although that deal is not set in stone, and Trump hasnt said that he would let the deal happen. However, he has been against AT&T purchasing Time Warner, so who knows where he might stand on a T-Mobile/Sprint merger. We should be learning more over the coming months though, as Trump is set to move into the White House on January 20th.
PHOENIX  Medical marijuana users cannot be convicted of driving while under the influence of the drug absent proof that they were actually impaired, the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.

In a major setback for prosecutors, the judges pointed out that Arizona, unlike some other states, has no law which spells out that at a certain level of tetrahydrocannabinol  the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana  in the blood, a person is presumed to be impaired.

"And, according to evidence here, there is no scientific consensus about the concentration of THC that generally is sufficient to impair a human being,'' appellate Judge Diane Johnsen wrote.

What that means is each and every case where prosecutors charge a medical marijuana user with breaking the law requires expert testimony to show that particular individual was impaired at that particular level of THC.

This case involves Nadir Ishak who was stopped by police in Mesa one evening in 2013 after the officer said he saw the vehicle drift out of its lane. The officer testified that Ishak had admitted to smoking marijuana that morning, that his eyes were bloodshot and watery, and that during a field sobriety tests he experienced "body tremors and eye tremors.''

Ishak was charged with driving while impaired to the slightest degree and a separate charge of driving with marijuana in his body. Jurors acquitted him of the first charge but convicted him of the second.

Johnsen said Ishak was denied a fair trial when the city court judge refused to allow him to tell jurors he had a state-issued card allowing him to use the drug legally. She said that would have provided evidence to the jury that Ishak was legally entitled under the 2010 Arizona Medical Marijuana Act to use the drug and have it in his system.

Potentially more significant, Johnsen, writing for the 2-1 majority, said the trial judge also erred in ruling that it was up to Ishak to prove he was not impaired, even to escape the charge of driving with marijuana in his body.

What voters approved in 2010 spells out that being a legal marijuana user does not excuse someone from being charged with driving under the influence of the drug. But it also says that a patient cannot automatically be considered under the influence of marijuana "solely because of the presence of metabolites or components of marijuana that appear in insufficient concentration to cause impairment.''

The Arizona Supreme Court already has ruled that the mere presence of metabolites  the chemical compounds caused by the breakdown of marijuana in the body  is insufficient by itself to prove impairment. That's because those chemicals can remain in the body for days or weeks afterwards.

In this case, however, the court records show that Ishak had a concentration of 26.9 nanograms per milliliter of THC.

Mesa city prosecutor Craig Jones argued that the 2010 law requires medical marijuana cardholders who are arrested to prove through expert testimony that the amount of THC in their blood is insufficient to cause impairment "in people generally'' or "in any person.'' He said it's irrelevant whether the specific defendant was actually impaired.

But Johnsen said that's not how the law works.

"Nothing in the statute ... requires a cardholder to present expert testimony (or precludes a cardholder from offering non-expert testimony) on the question of whether the cardholder was impaired due to THC,'' she wrote.

"Further supporting this conclusion is the reality that, at present, there is no presumptive impairment limit established by (Arizona) law,'' the judge wrote. By contrast, Colorado statutes say anyone with a THC level above 5 nanograms is presumed impaired.

And Johnsen said in this case there was no foundation for the state's expert to testify that a THC level of 26.9 nanograms would cause impairment in Ishak.

On the other side of the equation, Ishak's own expert said there is "no consensus'' about the concentration of THC that causes impairment. The expert did testify that 26.9 is "a high number and it can impair some people, but I can't tell you that number ... will impair all people.''

That ruling was not unanimous.

Appellate Judge Randall Howe said he reads the statute and case law to give medical marijuana cardholders an "affirmative defense'' they can present at trial. He said that means it is up to the person arrested to prove not only that he or she is authorized to use marijuana for medical purposes but that the concentration of the drug was "insufficient to cause impairment.''

"The defendant bears the burden of proof on the defense,'' Howe wrote. And he said Ishak did not show, either in cross-examining the state's expert or presenting his own, that his THC concentration did not leave him impaired.

Thursday's decision is the latest in a string of appellate court rulings which have limited the ability of prosecutors to bring various charges against medical marijuana patients. These range from limiting the kind of evidence that prosecutors can use to bring drugged-driving charges to requirements for law enforcement officers to give back drugs taken from legal users.

And it comes just two days after another division of the appellate court slapped down efforts by Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery to use the federal ban on marijuana to block the necessary permits for a medical marijuana dispensary.
PHOENIX - More than 700,000 Arizonans will get a wage hike beginning Sunday.

Without comment the state Supreme Court this morning rejected a last-ditch bid by the business community to delay the effect of Proposition 206. That measure, approved earlier this year by voters on a 58-42 margin, raises the current minimum wage of $8.05 an hour to $10 at the beginning of 2017.

The same initiative eventually increases that to $12 an hour by 2020. And beginning July 1 it requires employers to provide workers with at least three days of paid sick leave each year.

In the city of Flagstaff, Elevate Flagstaff is seeking more than 4,000 signatures to gut a new local minimum wage law approved by Flagstaff voters and replace it initially with the state minimum wage. The ballot measure would add 50 cents to the state minimum beginning in 2021.

Prop. 414 was approved by Flagstaff voters in November and results in a local minimum wage of $12 an hour in July 2017 and $15 by 2021. It also requires that the Flagstaff minimum wage be at least $2 more than the state minimum.

Members of Elevate Flagstaff have said that the new Flagstaff minimum wage law increases local wages too quickly and will put a number of small, local shops out of business. They have until mid-January to collect enough signatures.

Today's Supreme Court action does not end the matter of the state minimum wage lawsuit.

The justices have agreed to consider claims by initiative foes that the measure violates a constitutional provision that requires all ballot proposals that result in new state spending to have a dedicated revenue source.

There is no direct effect on the state payroll as state employees are not covered by the measure. But opponents, led by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and joined by the Greater Flagstaff Chamber, contend that the measure will force the state's Medicaid program to increase what it pays private firms that provide nursing home and in-home care.

That's based on claims by some of the providers, whose contracts were negotiated under the assumption they could pay workers as little as $8.05 an hour, that they will go out of business if forced to pay more. And that, they said, would put the state in violation of its agreements with the federal government to maintain an adequate provider network.

Instead, the justices apparently accepted the arguments by initiative supporters that there is no reason to block hundreds of thousands of Arizonans now making less than $10 an hour from getting the pay hike voters said they should get.

And it probably did not help the arguments by foes that AHCCCS itself insisted that it is under no legal obligation to pay the providers more.

While the legal arguments were based on the effect of Proposition 206 on the state, the chamber's larger concern is the effect on businesses, which will feel an immediate impact on their payroll costs.

"This one stinks,'' said chamber President Glenn Hamer.

But Hamer conceded business organizations may have no one but themselves to blame. Business groups invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into the successful effort to block legalization of recreational marijuana in Arizona -- and only about $50,000 trying to convince voters that a hike in the minimum wage is bad for the economy.

"We have to do a better job of making the case to the public,'' Hamer said. "I'll certainly submit that's a valid criticism.''

Today's ruling came not only over the objections of business interests but also Gov. Doug Ducey, whose Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting late Wednesday urged the justices to delay implementation of the higher wage requirement. That agency figures the additional cost to the state for the coming budget year will be $21.2 million.

While refusing to set aside the initiative for the time being, today's ruling still gives foes a chance to argue their claim in February that Proposition 206 does force the state to spend more money.

Attorneys for the business interests contend the Arizona Constitution spells out that can happen only if there is also a dedicated revenue source, like a new tax. Proposition 206 has no such levy.

But Hamer conceded that the odds are not necessarily in his favor.

Arizona court rules provide a multi-part test for judges to consider when deciding whether to enjoin a new law from taking effect. And one of those factors is whether the challengers are likely to prevail after a full-blown court hearing.

But Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Kiley, who last week turned down the request for an injunction, said the chamber and its allies had not met that burden. And the Supreme Court, with today's order, essentially ratified his conclusion.

And there's something else working against the opponents.

In arguing for an injunction, attorney Brett Johnson said all he was seeking was to maintain the status quo until the legal arguments could be heard. That meant keeping the minimum wage where it is now.

By February, however, the status quo will have changed: An estimated 770,000 Arizonans now earning less than $10 an hour will be getting that much in their paychecks.

"This is a tough one,'' Hamer said.

"It doesn't change our legal arguments,'' he continued. "But it does change the dynamics on the ground.''
Growth in spite of financial limitations became the theme for higher education in Flagstaff in 2016.

In February, Northern Arizona University opened two new buildings costing a total of $119.4 million, despite deferring other projects to help balance the budget. The new buildings were begun before a $17.3 million budget cut in 2015. At the time NAU President Rita Cheng said the university had deferred maintenance needs totaling $112 million, only $3 million of which was funded.

The university, in conjunction with American Campus Communities, also broke ground on a new residence hall, scheduled to open in the next academic year, increasing the number of beds on campus to 9,774.

As bed space increases, so did enrollment on the Flagstaff campus. Yet again the university broke the previous years enrollment record, with 22,134 students enrolled on the Flagstaff campus and 30,368 enrolled in the university overall.

Of those enrolled, four on the Flagstaff campus and 14 university-wide are recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In the midst of the presidential election and the threat that the program might be dissolved, both NAU President Rita Cheng and the universitys Faculty Senate took steps to ensure recipients of the program would continue to receive benefits and protections on campus, even if the program is eliminated.

To help foster an inclusive environment on campus, the university hired Carmen Phelps as NAUs first chief diversity officer after a group of students put forth a list of demands in 2015, explicitly asking that a diversity officer be hired.

Coconino Community College went out for a third attempt to pass a budget override in November. Proposition 410 was created to bring in another $3 million annually for the community college, but was the only local proposition to fail in the election.

The loss came less than a year after the college hired Colleen Smith as its new president. Smith took office in February after she was selected in 2015.

The CCC nursing program was removed from probation in March after being sanctioned in 2014 by the Arizona State Board of Nursing. College officials said a smaller cohort of students improved the ratio of instructors to students, and said the other compliance issues were relatively easy fixes.

The nursing program, along with the fire science and EMT programs, got a boost in 2016 with a new, high-tech dummy, named Trauma Hal, to use in classroom settings. The dummy, which costs about $70,000, was purchased with funds from the Arizona Community Foundation, the Capstone Health Fund, Northern Arizona Healthcare and the Perkins Grant.
On the eve of changeovers in Congress and the White House, 1st Congressional District Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is leaving her seat hopeful about healthcare compromise, insistent on the need for comprehensive immigration reform and frustrated by pushback to alternative energy incentive programs.

As Kirkpatrick prepares to hand over the keys, the Daily Sun spoke to the three-term Democratic legislator as well as her successor Tom OHalleran about their outlooks on some of the major issues facing the district.

HEALTHCARE AND VETERANS SERVICES

When it comes to the gridlock of Obamacare, Kirkpatrick continues to stand behind her vote for the Affordable Care Act, but said she would like to see a modification allowing insurance companies to sell across state lines. Kirkpatrick said she believes there is potential for consensus on that change, especially after seeing more and more Republican legislators over the past six months looking for ways to reform the healthcare law instead of abolish it. So far, however, the idea hasnt received much support from insurers and health experts due in part to the challenges of complying with varying state regulations and the cost of establishing expanded health care provider networks.

Among the toughest issues she worked on was trying to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs, Kirkpatrick said.

The department continues to fail to schedule veterans in a timely manner and Kirkpatrick said the agency needs to accelerate the hiring process and update its technology. She said she had hoped to develop a system that could interface with the military, so that when someone left military service their records automatically got transferred to the VA.

Kirkpatrick said it also was a struggle to see continued declines in education program funding that affected Arizona schools. Cuts to programs like Impact Aid, Secure Rural Schools, Payments in Lieu of Taxes and Head Start have all had a disproportionate impact on Arizona because of its large swaths of public and tribal lands, she said.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

While aligning on healthcare and immigration reform, Kirkpatrick and O'Halleran split when it came to their perspectives on the Clean Power Plan. Kirkpatrick was unequivocal in her support of keeping the emissions reduction rule, saying what should be added are federal incentives for coal-fired power plants to transition to using natural gas, wind or solar. She tried to push an idea like that, but said it got nowhere in the Ways and Means Committee, chaired by House Speaker Paul Ryan.

I couldnt get anyone involved in even talking about it, Kirkpatrick said.

OHalleran, on the other hand, jumped around on the topic, saying he objects to the Clean Power Plan being imposed without a vote by Congress but also doesnt support President-elect Trump unilaterally abolishing it. He said he believes in working to reduce the countrys carbon footprint and instead wants to do so through a national energy plan. Kirkpatrick, however, said that goal is out of reach.

I certainly don't see that opportunity, she said.

Both Kirkpatrick and OHalleran have taken similar stances on major resource extraction issues in the district  opposing uranium mining near Grand Canyon but seeing a way forward for the Resolution Copper mine near Superior.

When asked about her support despite the major environmental impacts expected to come with the copper mine, Kirkpatrick said it was partly because the mine is located in an area with a long history of copper extraction. She also said she feels assured that current federal environmental laws will do enough to protect landscapes within the footprint of the mine, including the tribally sacred Oak Flat area.

But the land-swap deal that Kirkpatrick helped spearhead has environmentalists up in arms because it gives Resolution title to 2,400 acres of Tonto National Forest, regardless of what the Forest Service finds in an environmental impact study currently underway. Resolution has said its mining operations beneath the desert riparian area of Oak Flat will create a crater nearly 2 miles wide and 1,000 feet deep.

OHalleran has taken a wait-and-see approach to the mine, saying he is withholding judgment until the current environmental analysis is complete.

CITIZEN FEEDBACK

To those hoping to make their voices better heard in the future, Kirkpatrick said personal stories are some of the most impactful feedback she receives. She recalled one story about a Republican father of the bride at a wedding he attend saying he wouldnt have been there to walk his daughter down the aisle if it werent for Obamacare.

Kirkpatrick didnt share any definite plans for the years to come, besides taking time to rest, relax and spend time with her new grandson in Flagstaff.

She also has about 10 years of deferred maintenance on her home that she needs to catch up on.

Then well see, she said.
(ANSA) - Rome, December 29 - The government will continue the reform process of its predecessor led by Matteo Renzi, Premier Paolo Gentiloni said at his end-of-year press conference Thursday, stressing that jobs, the South and young people were its priorities.

Government stability must not stand in the way of the need for Italy to hold a general election as soon as possible, the former foreign minister said.

Stability is all very well but it cannot "block democracy", Gentiloni said, stressing that elections must not be seen as a "threat". He said the government would work with all parties on a new electoral law and the government would remain in charge "as long as it has the confidence of parliament".

Gentiloni said that his government would spur a debate on a new electoral law. He said "rapidity" was a systemic need, and is not related to the duration of the executive".

It would be a mistake to cancel the good work of the previous government led by Matteo Renzi, Gentiloni said. "To cancel or consign it to oblivion would be a mistake," said Gentiloni, who was foreign minister in Renzi's administration.

Gentiloni said that "for me the key words are jobs, the South and young people." He said his government would build on the structural reforms of the previous government of Matteo Renzi. "Full steam ahead on reforms, we haven't been joking," he said.

Gentiloni stressed the importance of the "continuity" of his government team with that of Renzi's previous executive, but the political "discontinuity".

Gentiloni said widely abused vouchers for occasional work "are not the virus sowing black labour, they don't have the copyright of black labour" but "we must correct their abuse". He said the government would act swiftly and said a review was underway on "what is very clearly wrong, without turning this into the mother of all the problems and woes of the labour market".

Gentiloni said that "the economy has grown, steady jobs have grown, around 700,000 jobs more" but "there is enormous work to be done in the under-40 age bracket".

On another economic priority, saving Italy's third-biggest and the world's oldest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), Gentiloni said that with the government's 20-billion-euro fund for banks including MPS "we have made savings safe". But he said the enactment of the decree would be "long and complicated". He added: "However, a decision has been made and it will be strategic".

Gentiloni said he had been taken aback by the "abrupt" Christmas Day news of the European Central Bank's saying a capital hike for MPS bank should be raised from five billion to 8.8 billion euros. "These are assessments by the oversight (body). Since it will be a very long process, several months, there will be dialogue and talks. It can't be solved by communications. That's why we made our own assessments, voiced by (Economy Minister Pier Carlo) Padoan, and we will collaborate with the utmost possible constructive spirit".

Gentiloni voiced the hope for "fruitful and useful talks" on the rescue of MPS with the EU. He said a 20-billion-euro save-bank decree was not the end of the affair, but it would entail "months of talks with European oversight bodies". "I hope it is a productive and effective dialectic otherwise it will be a more difficult discussion," he said. Gentiloni said the government would do it utmost to make sure "safeguarding savers is at the centre of all this process".

On French giant Vivendi's bid to take over Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset, he said the government was keeping a "watchful eye" on the case but it had no 'golden power' it could wield, while acknowledging Mediaset's importance to the Italian economy.

Gentiloni said the government was monitoring Vivendi's bid because it was "aware of the importance of Mediaset in Italy". But he stressed "there are no golden powers to be exercised in this sector". Gentiloni said "the government does not want to activate instruments, there are watchdog structures and authorities which may raise the issue if they want". He said "it is a very important sector for the government and the fact that it is the target of a takeover bid does not leave us indifferent".

In other remarks, Gentiloni expressed "pride" in Italy's stopping the Berlin Christmas market killer, Anis Amri, who was shot by police near Milan. He also said he saw signs of growing cooperation from Egypt over the case of Giulio Regeni, an Italian student tortured and murdered in Cairo earlier this year.

On Italy's duty presidency of the Group of Seven, he said Italy would use it for two goals: "the centrality of the Mediterranean, which cannot be a 'mare nullius', that is a sea of no one; and to use the G7 for different relations with Russia. "It doesn't mean renouncing principles but a return to Cold War logic is wrong, it makes no sense today". Gentiloni said Italy's relationship with the United States, no matter what administration, "remained the cornerstone" of its foreign policy.

He said the Mideast crisis could only be resolved by a two-State solution.


(by Mattia Bernardo Bagnoli) -

MOSCOW - It was clear since Donald Trump's victory that the Kremlin had decided to accelerate the solution of the Syrian crisis. Now, though advancing cautiously, Putin has decided to collect the proceeds. Moscow, in fact, wants to be in an advantageous position when the president-elect takes office at the White House.



The move, if the agreement will hold, does not only represent an unimaginable personal success for the 'tsar' but a collective poker of Russian diplomacy and a quality shift in the nature of its influence throughout the Middle East. Moscow has invested on the internationalization of the crisis, bringing Turkey - rehabilitated after a harsh strong-arm following the downing of a Russian jet in Syrian airspace - as well as Iran at the center of the negotiating table.



The three powers have acted as guarantors to the peace process while Moscow has worked to involve al-Sisi's Egypt.



Putin's envoy to the Middle East and deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, has been touring for months the main capitals of the area, going back and forth from Moscow, to complete the puzzle with patience.



It now looks like all pieces have ended up in the right place - although jihadists from ISIS and al Nusra will not disappear in the space of a night and Russian soldiers in Syria will have to remain for a long time, regardless of what Putin says.



The symbol of this careful job is the choice of Astana as the location chosen to try to end the bloody Syrian civil war. The capital of Kazakhstan, dubbed the 'Dubai of the steppe' over his great development guaranteed by gas and oil, is as far as it gets from the very neutral and European Geneva, the perfect embodiment of the new world order since the end of World War Two.



UN special envoy, Staffan de Mistura, for his part has given his approval to the new format, which without a doubt confirms the role as protagonist of the immortal Kazak president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, already a 'godfather' of the political detente between Putin and Erdogan and a key figure in the lifting of sanctions against Iran.
Abdallah Regeni report known to Rome prosecutors since Sept Italian researcher presented funding project to union leader

(ANSAmed) - Rome, December 30 - Rome prosecutors learned about the police report made by the leader of an Egyptian street vendors' union against Italian researcher Giulio Regeni before he was abducted, tortured and murdered in January on September 9, sources said Thursday.



The news of the report by Mohamed Abdallah was announced in a joint statement issued following a meeting with Egyptian prosecutors, the sources added.



The video of the last meeting between Regeni and Abdallah on December 7, 2015, is also contained in the Rome prosecution documents. The sources also denied reports that Regeni can be seen asking the union leader for money. On the contrary, Regeni allegedly presented a project to obtain 10,000 Egyptian pounds in favour of street vendors. The means of obtaining the funding were allegedly not in violation of current law. (ANSAmed).




Berlin attacker Amri 'acted as lone wolf in Italy' Tunisian shot dead by police had no contacts in Milan area

(ANSAmed) - ROME, DECEMBER 30 - Berlin attacker Anis Amri "acted as a lone wolf ever since he came to Italy" as a Tunisian migrant in 2011, Interior Minister Marco Minniti told Sky Friday, ruling out a terror network linked to him in Italy.



"Investigations are ongoing and I can assure Italians that no detail is being neglected," Minniti went on.



Stressing that anti-terror action was "intense", Minniti said this was shown by "the 132 expulsions carried out since 2015". Amri killed 12 people in the German capital on December 19 before being shot dead by police near Milan December 23.



The minister also underscored that the neutralisation of Amri "is proof that the system of controlling the territory is working".



He noted that Amri was stopped at a police checkpoint in the town of Sesto San Giovanni.



Milan's police chief said that Amri, who lived at Campoleone south of Rome in 2015, had had "no contacts" in the Milan area.



Police have seized phones of those who hosted him in Campoleone in 2015, judicial sources said. The Tunisian is believed to have been radicalised during his four years in a Palermo jail between 2011 and 2015, the sources said.



Italy is on high alert following the Berlin attacks. A Tunisian deported Thursday was said to be planning attacks in Italy similar to those in Belgium and France. (ANSAmed).




Syria: Kazakh president says peace talks 'in near future' Talks in Astana already announced by Russia and Turkey

(ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, DECEMBER 30 - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has ordered his country's foreign ministry to prepare peace talks for Syrian reconciliation to take place in the capital city of Astana in "the near future", according to Russian state news agency Tass citing the presidential press service, following Nazarbayev's meeting with senior foreign ministry officials.



Two weeks ago Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Nazarbayev had spoke about the possibility of organising a meeting in Astana between the parties involved in the Syrian conflict. (ANSAmed).




Syria: Putin accelerates before Trump's arrival Moscow more hegemonic in Mideast, barycenter peace in Eurasia

(by Mattia Bernardo Bagnoli) (ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, DECEMBER 30 - It was clear since Donald Trump's victory that the Kremlin had decided to accelerate the solution of the Syrian crisis. Now, though advancing cautiously, Putin has decided to collect the proceeds. Moscow, in fact, wants to be in an advantageous position when the president-elect takes office at the White House.



The move, if the agreement will hold, does not only represent an unimaginable personal success for the 'tsar' but a collective poker of Russian diplomacy and a quality shift in the nature of its influence throughout the Middle East. Moscow has invested on the internationalization of the crisis, bringing Turkey - rehabilitated after a harsh strong-arm following the downing of a Russian jet in Syrian airspace - as well as Iran at the center of the negotiating table.



The three powers have acted as guarantors to the peace process while Moscow has worked to involve al-Sisi's Egypt.



Putin's envoy to the Middle East and deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, has been touring for months the main capitals of the area, going back and forth from Moscow, to complete the puzzle with patience.



It now looks like all pieces have ended up in the right place - although jihadists from ISIS and al Nusra will not disappear in the space of a night and Russian soldiers in Syria will have to remain for a long time, regardless of what Putin says.



The symbol of this careful job is the choice of Astana as the location chosen to try to end the bloody Syrian civil war. The capital of Kazakhstan, dubbed the 'Dubai of the steppe' over his great development guaranteed by gas and oil, is as far as it gets from the very neutral and European Geneva, the perfect embodiment of the new world order since the end of World War Two.



UN special envoy, Staffan de Mistura, for his part has given his approval to the new format, which without a doubt confirms the role as protagonist of the immortal Kazak president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, already a 'godfather' of the political detente between Putin and Erdogan and a key figure in the lifting of sanctions against Iran. (ANSAmed)
TUNIS - The Tunisian government is building a maximum security high-tech prison in light of the expected return of Tunisian jihadists from conflict zones, according to a report by local daily Le Maghreb citing a government source.



On Thursday, Youssef Chahed, prime minister of the country's national unity government, said on TV that returning foreign fighters will be arrested and adjudicated according to the country's anti-terrorism law.(ANSAmed).


Kosovo: Prizren, Florence of Balkans and mosaic of religions Symbol of coexistence, but 'things can change in 24 hours'

(ANSAmed) - PRIZREN, DECEMBER 30 - A mosaic of religions and ethnic groups: Albanians, Turks, Bosniaks, Gorani, Roma, Muslims, Sufis, Orthodox, Catholics and a small Jewish community. This is the essence of Prizren, nicknamed 'Florence of Kosovo', because of buildings such as the Sinan Pasha Mosque (1615), the oldest in Kosovo and with the highest minaret in the Balkans, the madrasa, the hammam built by Mehmnet Gazi Pasha (1573-1574), the small ethnographic museum, the archaeological museum and its Tekke (Sufi monasteries) including Halveti, dating back to 1605, which has about 15,000 faithful and has been continuously active since 1713.



It's a religious 'triangle', where just a few steps away from the Sinan Pasha mosque with its frescoed interior, you can find the Orthodox church of St. George and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (1870).



Morevoer, on the heights towards the fort, you find the Orthodox church of San Salvatore (1330) close to the Orthodox church of St. Nicholas (1331). Prizren is also known for its handicrafts, with the filigree workmanship - since 1400.



The Association of South Regional Development Agencies let know that the city is annually visited by about 100,000 tourists every year, mainly coming from Albania, Germany, Turkey, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan and France.



Among its 117,000 inhabitants, Prizren has also some Jewish families. The one who keeps their memories alive is the president of the small local Jewish community, Votim Demiri.



Until the Second World War, he recalled, there were about 550 Jews in Kosovo and two synagogues, both in Pristina. There were two large cemeteries - one in Prizren - an official vital records office and a Jewish school. ''Today, we are only 56 all over the country ''.



Due to this, the small community gathers for the holidays together with those who live in Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Croatia. ''So far - Demiri underlines - tolerance was key value in this city, but we are living in a 'dynamic equilibrium'. Things - he stated - can change in 24 hours''.



(ANSAmed).




(by Nicoletta Castagni)

ROME - Christo's spectacular installation 'The Floating Piers' on Lake Iseo in northern Italy attracted the greatest number of visitors in 2016 according to an ANSA ranking of the top ten exhibitions in Italy this year. The bright orange floating pathways by the American-Bulgarian artist drew a record 1.5 million visitors between June 18 and July 3.

The 15th International Architecture Exhibition, titled 'Reporting from the front' and curated by Alejandro Aravena, came second with 259,725 visitors, up 14% over the previous edition.

Third place went to the exhibition of work by Jan Fabre, which was admired by 254,000 people at Florence's Palazzo Vecchio between April 15 and October 2. This represents an extraordinary success, crowned by the additional 180,000 visitors who admired other works by the contemporary Flemish master on display in the Belvedere fortification and Piazza della Signoria in the Tuscan regional capital.

Fourth and fifth places went respectively to the exhibition 'From the Impressionists to Picasso' at the Doge's Palace in Genoa, where over 250,000 visitors admired masterpieces from the Detroit Institute of Arts, and 'Torments and enchantments' by the troubled Swiss painter Antonio Ligabue, on display in the Royal Palace (Palazzo dei Normanni) of Palermo (210,000 visitors).

Sixth place went to 'The Nile in Pompeii' at the Egyptian Museum in Turin (186,819 visitors), followed by the itinerant exhibition 'Escher', on display at the Museum of St Catherine in Treviso (169,233 visitors), 'Egypt, millennial splendor' at the Archaeological Museum of Bologna (163,976 visitors), 'Matisse and his time' at Palazzo Chiablese in Turin (163,574 visitors) and finally 'David Bowie Is' dedicated to the British music legend who died early this year, which came to Bologna's Mambo from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (130,511 visitors).


Believe it or not, massive hydroelectric dams do not last forever.

And in the case of Glen Canyon Dam, the end might come as soon as the year 2036.

Thats the earliest that the federal government has said it might stop managing the dam for power and water storage. By then, it would be 72 years old.

On the other hand, federal officials could change their minds and extend the life of the dam another 20 years.

Or they could hand it over to the Navajo Nation or any number of Colorado River Basin states that might want to foot the mounting bills for dredging and structural upkeep along with downstream management obligations in the Grand Canyon.

Glen Canyon Dam, unlike its older and bigger sibling, Hoover Dam, farther downstream near Las Vegas, has long been an underachiever. It is anchored in porous sandstone, meaning Lake Powell loses a lot more water to leakage than just to evaporation. And the silt that washes from the Rocky Mountains upstream reduces water storage and eventually will reach the base of the dam, threatening the structural integrity and operational efficiency of the dam.

Downstream, the Colorado River runs cold and clear instead of its pre-dam lukewarm and muddy. That has changed the entire ecosystem at the bottom of the Canyon, and scientists are at a loss over how to put the genie back in the bottle. They have tried electrocuting invasive brown trout to protect the native humpback chub and introduced insect pests to devour the invasive tamarisk along the shoreline. Periodic high-flow releases from Lake Powell attempt to dislodge sand deposits around the mouth of the Paria River to reestablish beaches lower down the river. But to date, those measures and more have done little to resuscitate the pre-dam ecosystem.

Nonetheless, various tribes, states and power companies recently signed off on a 20-year extension on federal dam management, which is good news for the city of Page and others who depend on consistent management of lake levels to attract tourists. Once the dam is decommissioned (its estimated maximum lifespan is 85 to 100 years), lake water presumably would be released and Pages tourism industry would have to reorient itself toward a landscape of deep river canyons.

For now, though, Page in its current configuration has at least a 20-year lease on life. The coal-fired Navajo Generating Station, which in part depends on nearby Page for employees and support services, is set to retire its final power unit in 2044. Technically, NGS is not dependent on an operational Glen Canyon Dam. But it uses Lake Powell for steam production and cooling water, and its electricity powers the pumps that bring Colorado River water via canals to Phoenix and Tucson. Drawing water directly from the river might work in the spring, but not during dry periods.

In other words, once a mighty dam goes up, taking it down  figuratively speaking  is no simple task. The web of dependencies that Glen Canyon has created after 52 years is complex. If we were allowed to bet, wed put money on that 2036 management deadline being extended. By then, there might even be a way to increase the dams lifespan so that the city of Page is still around to celebrate its own centennial in 2057.
Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation, Sherif Fathi, told the country's parliament this week that the state-owned carrier had originally planned to operate a fleet of 105 aircraft by 2021. However, given the decline in the value of the Egyptian Pound, that number has now been revised down to ninety-three with additional reviews likely in the interim.
Touted as delivering the utmost in passenger comfort in terms of cabin pressurisation and interior amenities, business aircraft play a vital role in todays economies by conveniently transporting people across the globe.

However, just like the airlines, this comes at an environmental cost  both outside and inside the aircraft.

The issue is a global one, not confined to any one geographical location.

British pressure group, the Aerotoxic Association, contends that leaky turbine engine oil is poisonous enough to do serious damage. Its website says: The degree of contamination depends on jet engine type, and how recently it was serviced, among other factors.

Swab-testing both peoples skin and the interior cabin surfaces is the way to tell. Symptoms of aerotoxic syndrome include fatigue, tremors and even loss of consciousness. However, the association points out that, for short exposures, the effects are usually reversible and will resolve themselves. In the long term it is worth monitoring systems for such incidences.

Cabin air usually comes from a half-and-half bleed air system comprising outside air from the engines compressor or auxiliary power unit, mixed with filtered air that is circulated in the cabin. The problem comes should the engine oil seals fail and hot oil fumes leak into the air supplied to the cockpit and cabin.

To improve air, one answer could be to detoxify the oil. To that end, French oil manufacturer, Nyco, reckons it has created a jet engine lubricant that will be less harmful to humans should an in-cabin fume event happen.

The formula is less volatile than existing products. The firm is also developing better elastomer compatibility, which helps engine oil seals become more durable, thus lowering oil consumption and reducing the risk of harmful vapours.

The desire to reduce toxicity tussles with the desire to ameliorate oil performance, which affects engine wear and tear. However, working on lubricants can also help tackle the issue.

It is also possible to install chemical sensors that identify adulterated air far better than a human nose is able to do.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) laid out engine certification standards for air pollutants in 1981, and other manufacturers are working on their offerings. Air BP, for example, has created its Biojet fuel, which offers a minimum carbon emission of 35%. The company also continues to develop and supply unleaded Avgas.

Indeed, European Flight Service (EFS) made history this April by operating its first flight with Biojet from Oslo Gardemoen in Norway to Trollhattan-Vanersborg in Sweden using its Cessna Citation 680 Sovereign.

EFS CEO Stephen Diapere said: This is a great step forward for us in our aim to be one of the business aviation pioneers in a fossil-free aviation environment of the future. Who would have believed that aircraft could be flown with used cooking oil? The historic flight had an uplift of 700 litres of Biojet fuel with a blend of 48% Biojet and 52% Jet A1 fossil fuel.

The Aerotoxic Association looks to solutions, such as using electrically driven compressors that take cabin air directly from the atmosphere, as used on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

There is an industry drive to address the issue, and owners and operators can ensure that their management companies are diligent in maintaining their aircraft.

Following the lead taken by pioneering companies is also useful. EFS Diapere concluded: We are able to show other business jet operators the possibilities that are developing rapidly. We are continuing our work in increasing the demand for Biojet fuel, and will continue to work in close collaboration with airports and fuel manufacturers in developing the necessary infrastructures and supply chains.


Previous plans had called for the start-up LCC to complete its AOC and begin flights in mid/late December.

SalamAir said in a statement that its initial route will be Muscat-Salalah with international flights to Dubai International to follow on February 15, 2017. Future destinations are expected to cover the Gulf, East Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Georgian ministry of infrastructures and territorial development told Armenias ministry of transportation, communication and information technologies that as of 10:00 the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles, the ministry told ARMENPRESS.

Drivers are urged to travel using exclusively winter tires and snow chains, the ministry said.
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Many of us grew up with an Enlightenment Bach, a nondenominational divinity of mathematical radiance. Glenn Goulds commentary on the Goldberg Variations spoke of a fundamental coordinating intelligence. One German scholar went so far as to question the sincerity of Bachs religious convictions. But the historically informed performance movement, in trying to replicate the conditions in which Bachs works were first played, helped to restore awareness of his firm theological grounding.
The latest issue of ASEAN Briefing Magazine, titled Human Resources in ASEAN, is out now and available to subscribers as a complimentary download in the Asia Briefing Publication Store through the month of January.

In this issue of ASEAN Briefing

Sourcing Talent in ASEAN: A Guide to Regional Opportunities

Assessing Regional Wage Differentials

Overtime and Social Insurance Compliance Considerations

Understanding the dynamics of ASEANs labor market can prove a time-consuming endeavor for new market entrants as well as established investors seeking to expand their operations. Comprised of 10 member states, each with unique opportunities, regulations, and challenges, optimizing labor within the region is a significant but worthwhile challenge.

Although optimization of ASEAN based investment can present a degree of uncertainty due to the magnitude of regulation and diversity within the regional blocs labor markets, those with up-to-date information on staffing regulation, prevailing hiring conditions, and costs between markets will be able to make targeted decisions pertaining to the location and structure of their operations. Given ASEANs rapid growth, and to ensure that costs are kept to a minimum, it is critical that companies not only employ systems of market analysis prior to entry, but maintain these systems as their operations mature.

In this issue of ASEAN Briefing, we discuss the prevailing structure of ASEANs labor markets and outline key considerations regarding wages and compliance at all levels of the value chain. We highlight comparative sentiment on labor markets within the region, showcase differences in cost and compliance between markets, and provide insight on the state of statutory social insurance obligations throughout the bloc.

Dezan Shira & Associates has a growing team of human resource specialist throughout ASEAN providing our clients with years of combined experience in assisting foreign enterprises navigate and select labor markets effectively within ASEAN. For questions on how to best optimize your investments within ASEAN, please contact us at asean@dezshira.com.



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 asean@dezshira.com 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. 

Annual Audit and Compliance in ASEAN

For the first issue of our ASEAN Briefing Magazine, we look at the different audit and compliance regulations of five of the main economies in ASEAN. We firstly focus on the accounting standards, filing processes, and requirements for Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. We then provide similar information on Singapore, and offer a closer examination of the city-states generous audit exemptions for small-and-medium sized enterprises.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and its Impact on Asian Markets

The United States backed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) includes six Asian economies  Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, while Indonesia has expressed a keen willingness to join. However, the agreements potential impact will affect many others, not least of all China. In this issue of Asia Briefing magazine, we examine where the TPP agreement stands right now, look at the potential impact of the participating nations, as well as examine how it will affect Asian economies that have not been included.

An Introduction to Tax Treaties Throughout Asia

In this issue of Asia Briefing Magazine, we take a look at the various types of trade and tax treaties that exist between Asian nations. These include bilateral investment treaties, double tax treaties and free trade agreements  all of which directly affect businesses operating in Asia.
Ratan Tata who came back from retirement to take over Tata Sons after his successor Mistry was unceremoniously ousted on Oct 24.

New Delhi: As feud at India's biggest conglomerate continues, Tata Group's interim chairman Ratan Tata today said there has been a willful, well-orchestrated move to destroy his personal reputation through unsubstantiated allegations.

Without naming anyone, he said the ethics and values of the group have been "challenged by people who are known not to practice what they often preach".

Tata, 78, who came back from retirement to take over Tata Sons after his successor Cyrus P Mistry was unceremoniously ousted on October 24, asked employees to put the events behind and re-dedicate themselves to re-establishing the Tata Group's leadership.

"The past three months have been turbulent and wasteful. There has been a willful, well-orchestrated endeavour to destroy the personal reputations of individuals and the reputation of the Tata Group, through unsubstantiated allegations," he wrote to the Tata employees.

In a new year message to employees, he said there has been an "overwhealming groundswell of support" from employees.

"The ethics and values of the group and its leadership, which have been built over the last one and half centuries, have been challenged by people who are known not to practice what they often preach," he said.

A public battle for control of the salt-to-software group is being played with Tata and Mistry trading accusations over missteps.

"As we approach the new year, we must all resolve to put these events of the past few months behind us and re-dedicate ourselves to re-establish the Tata Group's leadership in the many areas in which we operate, as also demonstrating to the world around us that we indeed have protected the vision and values of our fonding fathers," he wrote.

Tata Group, he said, has not just been a business conglomerate but an institution built on sustaining livelihood in the communities it serves through the creation of wealth and its re-distribution to the nation's people through social awareness and philanthropy.

"As we enter our 150th year, we need to reaffirm our resolve to continue to build and progress the Tata Group to be a national institution of which we can all be proud," he said.

"I am confident that with your support and dedication we can look forward to a better tomorrow."
Rumour has it that Hirani will gift the costliest iPhone available in the market.

Mumbai: Rajkumar Hirani is all set to commence the shoot of his next film, a biopic on Sanjay Dutt, starring Ranbir Kapoor after his last release 'PK'.

However, the director reportedly is struggling to come up with an apt title for the film.

After a futile hunt for a fitting title, the much exhausted director has now left it upon his team to come up with an edgy name for Sanju Babas biopic.

Rumour has it that Hirani will gift the costliest iPhone available in the market to anyone who would suggest an apt title for one of his most ambitious projects.

An insider told a newspaper, Raju appears to have hit a roadblock on the title. The film begins shooting from January and it doesnt have a name! So now he has hit upon a novel idea to get an interesting title. After discussing with his creative team, he has suggested a competition that is open for all the departments in his office, which includes the actors, too.

So how is he conducting this one-of-a-kind contest?

"There is a box in his office where everyone is putting in their suggestions along with their names and the box will be opened in January and the title will be chosen. The person with the best title will get the the most expensive iPhone around. Everyone is qualified to enter and participate in the competition right from Ranbir and Sonam to the junior-most assistant director and lightman, revealed the source.
He is seen battling animals, baddies and other obstacles in the ice, deserts, water in India, Dubai and other places.

Screengrabs from the official trailer of 'Kung Fu Yoga'.

There is just less than a month left for Hollywood superstar Jackie Chans next film Kung Fu Yoga and it is high time that the makers begin the promotions in top gear.

A few trailers from the film are already out and another trailer has now been shared by the makers.

The film is a trilingual, and this trailer is in Mandarin, so understanding the dialogues would be difficult in case you dont know the language. However, the expressions on Jackies face and his action scenes can be understood without understanding his dialogues.

Jackie is seen battling animals, baddies and other obstacles in the ice, deserts, water in India, Dubai and other parts of the world with his trademark marital arts stunts and other action moves.

We also see glimpses of our Indian stars Disha Patani, Amyra Dastur and Sonu Sood in the trailer.

Watch the trailer here:

Kung Fu Yoga will be releasing worldwide on January 28 next year.
In the morning Pal, a Lok Sabha MP from Krishannagar in Nadia, appeared before the special investigation team of the CBI.

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested another Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal on Friday, this time in connection with the Rose Valley scam. This is also the first time when a Trinamool parliamentarian has been held in this scam. Three days ago he was summoned by the CBI to appear at its office in CGO Complex of Salt Lake for questioning.

In the morning Pal, a Lok Sabha MP from Krishannagar in Nadia, appeared before the special investigation team of the CBI. He was accompanied by his wife and lawyers. The SIT officers asked him about his association with Rose Valley and its owner Goutam Kundu who was earlier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and has been in judicial custody.

They also questioned on him why and how many times he took money from Rose Valley Group, according to sources. During the investigation the CBI found that Pal served as a director of the film division of the ponzi scheme firm for six months and took hefty amounts of money in cash on one pretext or the other.

Kundu, before his arrest, told the media that Pal served in the film division of his firm in 2011. Pal however claimed that he did not take money from Rose Valley, during his two rounds of questioning which lasted for around four hours. He will be produced at the court on Saturday. The CBI will seek his remand for custody interrogation.
The AG said there was no mystery to Jayalalithaas death and pointed out that a similar petition had already been dismissed by the HC.

Chennai: Expressing personal doubts and invoking public interest and concern over the mystery surrounding the death of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, Justice S. Vaidyanathan of the Madras high court on Thursday said if the case comes before his bench, he may order the exhumation of her body for a proper probe to unravel the truth.

The judge, part of a two-judge vacation bench along with Justice V. Parthiban, made this observation while hearing a PIL filed by AIADMK member P.A. Joseph.

The petitioner has sought the setting up of a commission comprising three retired judges of the Supreme Court to probe the mysterious death of Jayalalithaa, just as the death of freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose was probed by a commission on the direction of the Calcutta high court.

Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts over the statements reported in the media when Jayalalithaa was taking treatment in the hospital, Justice Vaidyanathan said.

When the case came up for hearing, senior counsel K.M. Vijayan, appearing for the petitioner, referred to the case of Subash Chandra Bose while seeking a similar probe into Jayalalithaas death. Upon this, Justice Vaidyanathan asked advocate general R. Muthukumarasamy what he thought of Mr Vijayans petition. The AG said there was no mystery to Jayalalithaas death and pointed out that a similar petition had already been dismissed by the high court.

To which Justice Vaidyanathan said, Right to life is a fundamental right. We do not want to go into the issues regarding treatment. Public should know about the same. After the demise, when there is suspicion, anybody can come and question, and added, I also personally have doubt over the things that came out... We saw in newspapers that the chief minister was recovering, and that she was eating, signing papers and even conducting meetings and also that she could be discharged. And then suddenly she was dead. No revenue division officer saw the body, neither were there any medical records furnished. Nothing has come out even after her demise.

The State government has failed to clear the doubts even after her death. Should her body be exhumed to know the truth? he observed.

When Central government standing counsel J. Madana Gopal Rao responded by saying that the Central government knows (the truth) and it will file a counter, the Bench, issuing a notice to the Centre, including the Prime Ministers Office, Union home and law ministries and the CBI, besides Tamil Nadu government, Tamil Nadu DGP and Apollo Hospitals, said, Representatives of the Central government visited the hospital. Counsel for the Union government claims to know the details of the incidents. But still the authorities have not conveyed or brought out anything to the people, for reasons best known to them.

Recalling a similar situation in the late 1980s when then chief minister M.G. Ramachandran was under treatment in Chennai and United States, the judge said, When MGR was taking treatment, the government released video graph of the chief minister.

The court posted the matter for January 9, 2017, while observing that the petition has to be heard at length.
Beijings permanent block on terror tag for Jaish chief infuriates Delhi.

New Delhi: China has placed a permanent block on the current Indian move in the UN to designate terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as terrorist, after which India lashed out, terming it an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and (which) confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism.

New Delhi also said it is concerned at the surprising Chinese decision and that it had expected Beijing to be more understanding of the need to tackle the scourge of terrorism. Sources said that though India is extremely unhappy, it is unlikely to escalate the situation since it does not want Sino-Indian ties to be held hostage to the Masood Azhar issue. In fact, while the Indian reaction to the developments highlighted its disappointment, New Delhi did not launch a strong frontal attack on Beijing, leaving the door open for further parleys. India is likely to continue its efforts to persuade China, sources said.

Beijing, however, is unlikely to oblige New Delhi even in the future since it has made huge investments on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and is completely backing Islamabad. January 31 was the deadline for China to take a final decision on the matter. An indication of Chinas thinking had come a few days ago when Beijing said its views on the Masood Azhar issue had not changed.

If India wants to try again, it has to place a fresh proposal before the UN but there appears to be a scepticism in the Indian government circles about the wisdom of immediately going in for such a move. The Chinese move diplomatically has come as a huge boost to Pakistan.

With China blocking Indias proposal, which was submitted in February to the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, sources pointed out that all members of the 15-nation Sanctions Committee barring China supported the Indian move, which could not go through because of the Chinese veto. All 15 nations on the committee are members of the UN Security Council, where China, as a permanent member, has the veto power. After its submission, China twice imposed technical hold earlier on the Indian proposal.

In its reaction, the MEA said, We note with concern Chinas decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, which had been presented nine months ago and received the strong backing of all other members of the committee. The international community is aware that the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is proscribed by the UN, has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India, including the Pathankot Air Base attack. The inability of the international community to list its leader, Masood Azhar, is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism.

The MEA added, We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism. On our part, we will continue to push forward with resolute determination through the use of all options available with us to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice.
The Pakistan foreign ministry had first described the RSS and Shiv Sena as Hindu extremist and terrorist organisations on December 15.

New Delhi: India on Friday slammed Pakistan for labelling certain Indian political parties and social organisations, including the RSS  the ruling BJPs ideological mentor  as terrorist outfits, calling it a desperate attempt at deflecting international focus from Islamabads complicity in spawning terrorist groups like LeT, JuD and JeM. In response to a query on the Pakistan foreign ministrys recent comments on Jammu & Kashmir and slander against Indian organisations, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said, Labelling bonafide Indian political parties and social and cultural organisations as terrorist organisations seems a desperate attempt to deflect international focus from Pakistans own complicity in spawning internationally proscribed organisations like LeT, JuD and JeM, which continue to target Pakistans neighbours. The Pakistan foreign ministry had first described the RSS and Shiv Sena as Hindu extremist and terrorist organisations on December 15.

According to reports, the official spokesperson of the Pakistan foreign ministry had on Thursday alleged that terrorist organisations such as RSS, VHP, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and other terrorist elements are engaged in a drive to change the demography of Kashmir.
The state has been battling political instability, and there have been three CMs in the last one year.

Itanagar/Guwahati: The ruling Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) suspended chief minister Pema Khandu and six other MLAs from the party for alleged anti-party activities late on Thursday night, pushing the state towards a fresh political crisis.

The government, however, said that everything was under control, claiming support of as many as 49 of the Assemblys 60 MLAs.

The state has been battling political instability, and there have been three CMs in the last one year.

Government spokesperson Bamang Felix claimed that 35 of the 43 PPA MLAs, 12 from the BJP, besides two others had reposed faith in the Khandu government.

The party president, however, directed the MLAs not to attend any meeting called by Mr Khandu, and said that minister Takam Pario, the states richest MLA, was likely to be the next chief minister.

The PPA is an alliance partner of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) government.

Everything is going normally, and the CM still enjoys absolute majority from PPA, BJP and independent MLAs, the spokesperson said. Mr Khandu sacked on Friday three of his cabinet ministers involved in the expulsions.

Having temporarily suspended Mr Khandu, his deputy Chhowna Mein and five other MLAs, the PPA convened a legislature party meeting in Itanagar on Friday and elected minister Takam Pario as its new leader. However, only 11 MLAs turned up for the meeting.

Stating that there was no question of a leadership change, the government spokesperson said, We are looking at the legal aspects of the suspension of seven MLAs, including Khandu.

PPA is not a single-man party. Whatever decision was taken by party president Kahfa Bengia was his own. We are trying to sort out the differences among the party MLAs and our door is open for all, he said.

The BJP said that it would support only the Khandu government in the state and would never support any other chief minister. The sudden decision of the PPA is not acceptable to us as it was not discussed with us. In the interest of development of the state and its people, BJP cannot be a party to change of government every six months, BJP legislature party leader Tamiyo Taga said.

Arunachal has been battling political instability since December last year when Congress dissidents revolted against former chief minister Nabam Tuki. Congress rebel Kalikho Pul became the CM in February with the help of 11 BJP lawmakers.

The Congress then moved the Supreme Court, which restored the Tuki government. But Mr Tuki was out within days as he did not enjoy a majority. Later Mr Pul insisted that he be reinstated as chief minister, but he later committed suicide in August. A month later, Mr Khandu walked out of the Congress with 42 lawmakers and joined the PPA.
Dont mistake patient people for happy people, says Chidambaram

New Delhi: Former finance minister P. Chidambaram on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should now make a categorical announcement of an end to all restrictions on cash withdrawals.

When the PM addresses the nation tomorrow or on any other day, the people expect that he will make a categorical announcement that all restrictions on money have been ended, he told reporters at AICC headquarters.

On Centres claim that people are happy and there have been no incidents of rioting, he said, people are patient. But please dont mistake patient people for happy people.

Congress also fielded its vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who reiterated his five questions to PM that he had raised earlier on the partys foundation day.

Continuing his attack on Mr Modi, Mr Chidambaram said that since the PM had recently said at a rally that through the note ban, we destroyed the world of terrorism, drug mafia, human trafficking and underworld, he said that it was therefore, fair to expect that these objectives would be achieved by Friday-end. It is fair to expect that beginning Monday, all restrictions will be removed and people will be able to withdraw the money, that there will be no queues and that all ATMs will be open round the clock, he said.

Mr Chidambaram said that the only person who can assure the people on these matters is the PM because his government has dubbed all of us in the Opposition as supporters of black money hoarders and tax evaders.

Seeking to debunk governments claims on the benefits of demonetisation, he said Events of the last 50 days have proved us correct. Hoards of black money in new Rs 2,000 notes have been found.

He further said that bribes have been given and taken in new Rs 2,000 notes and there is no guarantee that black money will not be demanded or generated in future or that bribes will not be given or taken in future in the new currency.

Dubbing the way the demonetisation was announced and implemented as a single biggest case of total mismanagement, he regretted the most momentous decision has been taken without consulting key officials.

Making a strong pitch for compensating people for the hardships they faced, he lamented that the government has not uttered a word about compensating the people for the economic losses heaped upon them by demonetisation.

He also demanded that the Agenda note and the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors of RBI held on November 8, 2016, along with the Note for Cabinet on demonetisation placed before the Cabinet on November 8, 2016, should be made public.
Year 2016 has been a fairly good year for the heritage structures in the city.

The biggest achievement for the city this year has been its ability to draw the interest of the younger generation. This is evident from the number of heritage walks organised by the younger bunch. The one that we at Bhau Daji Lad Museum had organised would get booked up within 15 minutes and most of them were young people. That made me immensely happy. Its a trend we must encourage. We must keep the curiosity alive and also invest in restoration and preservation of our heritage.

2016 was positive in that sense. One important project in that regard was the uplifting of CST station. The PM has chosen to improve the visitor facilities at the station and we have been asked to make a new museum. There will be an entrance plaza and the idea is to have some sort of mini sound, sight and performance space. For that the hawker area has to be sensitively relocated and we have suggested creating a lane for them.

Renovation of the Flora Fountain was yet another fantastic project. Also the reopening of the Royal Opera House. The plan to bring back the Kala Ghoda in Kala Ghoda was a good move because it adds to the character of the place. From what we hear, the new installation wont be a replica of the original because it wont have Kind Edward VII mounted on it. I think we mustnt tamper with it because whether we like it or not, it was part of our history. Erasing it from the cityscape wont change the sequence of events in real history. Speaking of restoration, I am glad that apparel brand Zara has chosen to open an outlet in Ismail building, because that translates into renovation for a heritage structure.

And while I am excited about the Shivaji mid-sea memorial, I am more excited about the restoration of Elephanta Caves. Currently, it is in bad shape, but it has the potential to attract a lot more tourist and art enthusiasts if given the right attention.

Having said that, there have been a few lows as well. When we had restored the Gateway of India, we had built a plaza inside the monument with enough space for people to go inside. But the government has cordoned that off citing security reasons. I think it is unfortunate because people should be allowed to go inside and there needs to be better management.

The other disappointment would be the Craft Centre that was supposed to open at Worli, but didnt end up coming through. The craft centre can be of great interest to people who want to know more about the tradition of art and craft in India and of course Maharashtra. I hope the new year sees a lot more concerted effort to bring alive the citys heritage.

(Tasneem Zakharia Mehta is the managing trustee and honorary director of Bhau Daji Lad Museum)
May have faced axe as he failed to dislodge, discredit AAP government.

New Delhi: Did former lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung quit or was he asked to go. Sources in the Delhi government close to the former L-G claimed that Mr Jung was asked to go as he failed to deliver on his promises to the Centre.

It was alleged that the Centre wanted Mr Jung to discredit the AAP government and if possible prepare a report, which could pave a way to dislodge the state government.

After Mr Jung reportedly did not deliver on his efforts to disturb Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, the Centre apparently began to get disillusioned with him and began looking for an option, sources in Raj Niwas said. Efforts to contact Mr Jung failed as his phone went unanswered.

A senior AAP functionary who also believed that the former L-G was given marching orders recollected that in a television interview Mr Jung had said: Lets see who lasts for five years. Me or Kejriwal. He claimed that neither PM Narendra Modi nor BJP chief Amit Shah could digest the drubbing in the Delhi polls and efforts were on to dislodge or discredit the government. Mr Jung was initially very effective as he tried out all possible attempts to discredit the AAP government, particularly after the high court ruling. The AAP government moved the HC for

L-G turning down sever-al of the AAPs policy decisions. The HC ruled that the L-G was the administrative head of the city. Armed with the high court order, the L-G then revers-ed transfers and postings of several bureaucrats and set up a three-member probe committee headed by the former CAG V.K. Shunglu to probe 400-odd files related to the decisions taken by the AAP government.

It was further claimed by the Delhi government officials that on the basis of the Shunglu report, the Centre wanted Mr Jung to prepare the ground for the imposition of Presidents Rule. A source close to Mr Jung, however, said that he was not in favour of dislodging the elected government and was resisting it, which led to his sudden resignation. Social acti-vist and former AAP lead-er Prashant Bhushan also tweeted on Thursday: So Mr Jung was removed because he refused to recommend Pres. Rule in Delhi despite Modis prod. AAP will now miss Jung.

While Mr Jung may have failed to deliver, the AAP grew in strength and expa-nded its reach to Punjab, Goa and even to Modis lair  Gujarat. For AAP, Mr Jung would never have quit on his own. It was also alleged that besides the Centre and top Union ministers, Mr Jung was also in close touch with BJPs Vijender Gupta and Congress Ajay Maken.

When contacted, BJP Leader of the Opposition, Vijender Gupta rubbished claims that Mr Jung was given the marching orders. He said it was a figment of imagination of the AAP. On the issue of the Centres tacit moves to dislodge the AAP government, Mr Gupta said: Mr Jung has himself said that he was keen to pursue academics. Since AAP has been exposed on every front, they are now spreading such blatant lies.
Kejriwal wondered whether the Centre would accept a Delhi government-appointed committee to look into the Sahara Birla papers.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday dared the Centre to get all the appointments made by his government probed after the CBI filed an FIR into the appointment of city Health Minister Satyendar Jain's OSD.

Asserting that he was not afraid of any probe, the AAP chief also wondered whether the Centre would accept a Delhi government-appointed committee to look into the Sahara Birla papers.

Kejriwal alleged that the CBI has filed "seven FIRs" against Jain and "two" against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, but did not elaborate.

In fresh trouble for the AAP government, the CBI has filed an FIR into the appointment of Jain's OSD while the LG office has recommended a probe by the agency into the appointment of his daughter Soumya Jain as a functionary in the Mohalla Clinic project.

"You (Centre) make your committee and get all our appointments probed. And we will form one, and you get the Sahara Birla matter probed with it. Agree?

"We are not scared of any probe as we have not done any wrong. Then why are you scared of a probe?" Kejriwal tweeted.
Geelani was first detained and questioned for several hours before being placed under arrest at the Parliament Street police station.

New Delhi: Former Delhi University lecturer Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani, who was first sentenced to death and later acquitted in the Parliament attack case, hit the headlines again in February after he was booked for sedition for allegedly convening an event at the Press Club of India where Afzal Guru, who was hanged for the same case, and Maqbool Bhatt, a Kashmiri executed in the 1980s, were referred to as martyrs. Prof. Geelani was first detained and questioned for several hours before being placed under arrest at the Parliament Street police station.

His arrest came in the context of increasing political tensions over the alleged anti-national protests that took place at JNU which spilled over to a Delhi court where a mob of lawyers thrashed reporters before a hearing in a sedition case against student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. The student leader was also arrested over sedition charges in connection with an event on February 9 where students were protesting against the hanging of Afzal Guru. Prof Geelani, of Kashmiri origin, taught Arabic at Zakir Hussain college during the time of his first arrest. He openly supports the idea of Kashmiri self-determination. On February 10, he was arrested for hosting an even in the PCI where some people had allegedly raised anti-national slogans. After rigorous questioning he was booked under sections 124A (sedition), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC. Civil rights activists raised questions on whether sedition laws were being used to muzzle freedom of expression.

But the right-wing activists were clearly upset and held protests condemning the alleged anti-national sloganeering at the PCI. It is learnt that Prof Geelani had booked the PCI hall through Ali Javed, a member of the club. But even the clubs management distanced itself from y event saying they had simply given a member permission to organise the event. The management said they were not aware that anti-India slogans could be raised at the club premises. Prof Geelani was remanded to police and judicial custody and the CCTV footage of the event was examined by the law enforcement agencies. He was recently granted parole to visit his hometown in Jammu and Kashmir.
A scuffle took place between first year MSc student Najeeb and others.

New Delhi: Time : 11.30. Date : October 14 . Three students visited 27-year-old Najeeb Ahmeds Mahi Hostels Room Number 106 in the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University campus to campaign for hostel elections. A scuffle took place between first year MSc student Najeeb and others. Hearing the noise and commotion, other residents of Mahi reach the room and find three students assaulting Najeeb. At this juncture, the residents, seeing another group of angry students and charging towards Najeebs room locked him up in his room in an attempt to keep him safe. The security personnel on reaching the hostel open the door. Despite the presence of security personnel, 10-15 students attacked Najeeb.

After the attack, the residents once again locked Najeeb in the washroom and blocked the entrance, waiting for the hostel warden to reach. As senior warden Dr Sushil Kumar reached the place, they start moving to his office on the ground floor. Despite the presence of the senior warden and the security personnel, Najeeb was intimidated and communally targeted allegedly by the same group of students on the way to the wardens office. The JNUSU president and other hostel residents who had come to stop the attack were also assaulted by the same 10-15 students. In the wardens office, in front of the senior warden Dr Sushil Kumar, and the other wardens, the group threatened Najeeb for his life. They repeatedly told the warden not to initiate any proceedings and leave Najeeb with them. Despite being present at the site all along, the security personnel did not collect any video evidence of the assault and the warden failed to intervene. Finally from the morning after the attack, Najeeb went missing. The last person to spot him was a rickshaw driver who dropped him off at Jamia Nagar at 8 pm on the same night that he was beaten up. The mysterious disappearance of the young student has baffled one and all as the 70-000-odd Delhi Police security personnel seems to be having no clue about his whereabouts. After all, where Badaun-based Najeeb disappeared remains the most sensational unsolved mysteries of 2016. It was only after the high court directions, that too after about two months that 600 police personnel along with sniffer dogs launched a massive two-day search for the missing student at JNU.

Alleging that her son has been held captive, Najeebs mother Fatima Nafees who has been camping in Delhi. I am a diabetic. I have been on the streets for months. I have knocked everyones door and will continue to do so till the case is solved.
Over 100 people from Sanatan Sanstha, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Narad Mandir Nyas staged a dharna in front of collectors office in Pune.

Pune: The organisers of Sunburn have overcome the hurdle of obtaining a liquor permit for the festival, with the excise department issuing the necessary licence to sell liquor at the venue for four days.

Mohan Varde, superintendent, excise department, Pune, told The Asian Age, We have issued a licence to the organisers of Sunburn to sell liquor for the four days of the festival, from December 28 to 31. Licences have been issued as per the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949, Maharashtra Prohibition Act and Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules, and notifications issued by the commissioner of the excise department of the state government. They (the organisers) have paid Rs 9.63 lakh as fees as per rules.

Mr Varde added, The organisers of Sunburn did ask for permission in time. But their liquor stock arrived late due to traffic. Hence, we could not issue the licence earlier. We issued it two hours before the programme began on December 28. He also said, Permission for the sale of liquor does not violate the ban on alcohol in the village. Alcohol will only be sold in a definite area.

Over 100 people from Sanatan Sanstha, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Narad Mandir Nyas staged a dharna in front of the collectors office in Pune from 4 pm to 6 pm. They handed over a representation to the collector demanding a ban on the festival.

The reasons they gave for demanding the ban include alcohol being sold, DJs causing noise pollution, and that many of the lakhs of attendees could have a criminal background.

Abhay Vartak, spokesperson, Sanatan Sanstha, said, The gram panchayat has not given a no-objection certificate to the festival. The government should check if all the performers from abroad have business visas. Besides the Sunburn organisers are also hosting a Dark Hours programme from 10.30 pm to 5 am, and the government should check whether drugs and prostitution are being promoted. The police should carry out a no-drinking-and-driving initiative to catch people who drive after consuming alcohol at the programme.

However, Rajendra Muthe, deputy resident collector, Pune, said, The festival is being organised on a private plot and does not need permission from the gram panchayat. Besides, all 12 requisite permissions have been granted to the organisers of Sunburn. Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, said, We have all the necessary permission and there is nothing illegal about the event.

The festival has ruffled many a feathers because in 2007, the Kesnand village grampanchayat had passed a resolution banning sale and consumption of alcohol. The village is near Alandi, place of Saint Dnaneshwar, Dehu, birthplace of Saint Tukaram and its own Jogeshwari temple. Villagers wanted to keep place sacred by making village dry. Though over the years, a few liquor shops have mushroomed all over the village.

What is Sunburn?

This is the 10th edition of the Sunburn festival known for electronic music dance is being held at Kesnand village at outskirts of Pune this year. Earlier all nine editions were held in Goa. But this year, the Goa government refused permission to Sunburn saying it would be additional stress on the law and order situation during the New Year in Goa.
The CM however thanked the PM and Mr Naidu on Twitter for including Pimpri-Chinchwad as smart city.

Mumbai: The Centre has included Pimpri-Chinchwad in the list of smart cities and omitted Navi Mumbai instead. This, despite the state having included Navi Mumbai as one of its ten smart cities.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last week requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union minister for urban development Venkaiah Naidu to include Pimpri-Chinchwad as a smart city. The PM agreed in principle during his visit to the city last Saturday after which the state urban development department sent an official proposal to the Centre.

However, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation whose name was approved for the smart city project in the first list did not pass the required resolution. The Navi Mumbai civic body was expected to pass a resolution. However, it did not do so in the stipulated period and hence, was removed from the list of the smart cities in the state, an official from the urban development department said.

The CM however thanked the PM and Mr Naidu on Twitter for including Pimpri-Chinchwad as smart city. Good news for Maharashtra! Thank you Hon @narendramodi ji & @MVenkaiahNaidu ji for including Pimpri-Chinchwad too under #smartcity Mission! the CM tweeted. The government aims to transform nearly 100 cities by 2019-20, with the Centre providing financial support of Rs 48,000 crore over five years. However, till September, the state government was not able to spend the Rs 436 crore sanctioned by the Centre.
The Second World War is regarded by history books as having ended in 1945 with the defeat of Germany and of Japan.

Calendars are invidious things. They divide continuous time into finite years, beginning each with a New Year abundant with optimism and ending with an Auld Lang Syne cringing with regrets. This year is no different. In just another day, 2016 shall be set in amber; 2017 is as yet an unformed crystal.

It would be a foolhardy crystal-gazer who would dare predict what the next year will bring. More surprises, like the Trump victory? More disappointments, like the Brexit referendum? More senseless conflicts, more destruction, more Aleppos?

Or, closer to home, more brimstone spewed by a choleric Mr Modi? More obsessive tilting at PML(N) windmills by a quixotic Imran Khan? More callous disregard by the government towards the norms of responsible governance?

Over the next four (and eight years, if Trump is re-elected) the world can expect to endure traumas on a scale last witnessed during the First and the Second World Wars. It took one man  first Kaiser Wilhelm II, and after him Adolf Hitler  to precipitate a change that decimated European monarchies and, 25 years later, to pulverise Europe itself.

The generation that survived the 1914-18 war is now as much a part of history as the 38 million casualties of that brutal, mechanised manslaughter. At its outset, the British author H.G. Wells sensing its proportions assumed that it would be the war that will end war. The cannier politician David Lloyd George, who served as British Prime Minister during that war and then brokered the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, had good reason to be more cynical. He said: This war, like the next war, is a war to end war.

The Second World War is regarded by history books as having ended in 1945 with the defeat of Germany and of Japan. It could be argued that the Second World War never ended. Its scythe-like pendulum has never stopped oscillating between Cold War and Provocative Peace. That motion has been kept alive by the US and what was once the Soviet Union, now Vladimir Putins 21st century tsardom.

There was a time when the US and the USSR sought to checkmate each other with regional security blocs  Nato and Cento/Seato vs Warsaw Pact countries. Today, neither superpower needs such plaited fig leaves to hide their motives. Neither the US nor Russia (nor now China) seeks absolute victory. Yet neither is prepared to concede total defeat.

Their newest weaponry is to induce economic leukaemia in the other, to debilitate the opponent to a point where it weakens into enervation and can no longer pose a threat. That might explain why, when President-elect Trump baits Russia with the threat that the US will increase its nuclear arsenal, Putin responds with the poisoned olive branch: We will never spend resources on an arms race that we cant afford. His plan is to let the US compete with itself, and ultimately collapse fighting itself.

Will 2017 see Great Britain turn its back on Europe and revert to its 1,000-year-old history of geographical isolation? Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated that in the spring of 2017 she will sign Article 50, which would trigger two years of divorce proceedings from the EU. All other elements of her strategy she has kept clasped securely in her handbag, a secret from the public, her colleagues and even her Queen, one of whose courtiers let slip recently that the Queen had been frustrated by her PMs pointed reticence. It was almost as if May regarded Elizabeth Windsor as a security risk, a sort of crowned WikiLeaks.

Whatever may be the twist and turns in any Brexit negotiations, one thing is clear: approval of the final terms and conditions is not a unilateral matter, in the hands of only the British. Britain may be on one side of the negotiating table but, across the channel, there are 27 European countries whose approval also needs to be obtained.

Can Pakistanis expect any improvement in their lot in 2017? It is unlikely. Changes at GHQ and in the Supreme Court are essentially cosmetic. They do not change the public stance of either body. Any shift in government policy? Even less likely. The government continues to enjoy the advantage of having no discernible policy on anything except road construction: nothing on population growth, education, health, job creation, industrial expansion, fiscal sobriety or water management.

The Queen and Imran Khan share one grouse. Each has to deal with a Prime Minister unwilling to be forthcoming, or going.

By arrangement with Dawn
The group is likely to meet in the first week of January to discuss the issue, sources said.

The Cupertino-based technology major has asked for several tax and other incentives to enter India in the manufacturing sector.

A group of senior officials from ministries, including commerce and finance, will early next month deliberate on the incentives sought by US-based iPhone maker Apple to set up a manufacturing unit in the country.

Officials from departments of commerce, industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), revenue, environment and forest, electronics and information technology (DeITY) will attend the meeting.

The group is likely to meet in the first week of January to discuss the issue, sources said.

In a communication to the government, the Cupertino-based technology major has asked for several tax and other incentives to enter India in the manufacturing sector.

However, government sources said the technology-major should set up the manufacturing unit in India without seeking additional support.

"Several companies in India are manufacturing mobile phones in India. Nobody is asking for additional incentives.

Currently, the government provides sufficient support to boost electronic manufacturing," they added.

The government provides benefits under Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (MSIPS) to boost electronic manufacturing in the country.

The scheme provides financial incentives to offset disability and attract investments in the electronics hardware segment. It also gives subsidy for investments in Special Economic Zones, among other benefits.

Currently, Apple's products are manufactured in six countries, including Korea, Japan and the US.

Earlier, the finance ministry in May had rejected relaxing the 30 per cent domestic sourcing norms, as sought by the iPhone and iPad maker as a pre-condition for bringing in FDI to set up single-brand retail stores in the country.

The company had sought exemption on the ground that it makes state-of-the-art and cutting-edge technology products for which local sourcing is not possible.

The government had also turned down the firm's proposal to import refurbished phones and sell them in India.

The company sells its products through Apple-owned retail stores in countries like China, Germany, the US, the UK and France, among others. It has no wholly-owned store in

India and sells its products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro.

The government has announced incentives to promote electronic manufacturing in India and reduce the import bill.

Total import of electronics goods were valued at Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2014-15 as against Rs 1.95 lakh crore in the previous year.
A latest report from Taiwan suggests HTC might announce three new smartphone in the first quarter of 2017.

HTC hasnt been able to reach its shipment target for this year.

2016 has been a struggling year for HTC. The company has reportedly been experiencing a decline in its sale. Despite launching its high-end Bolt and 10, HTC hasnt been able to reach its shipment target for this year. However, the company plans on turning that around. A latest report from Taiwan suggests that HTC might announce three smartphones in the first quarter of 2017.

The same report suggests that HTC will probably announce the first device at a press conference on January 12. This device is speculated to be its mid-range X10, the successor to last years X9. The X10 smartphone is rumoured to sport a 5.5-inch 1080p display, MediaTeks Helio P10 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 13MP rear camera.

The company will be unveiling the second device, which will most likely be the HTC 11 (codenamed HTC Ocean ) at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) that will take place on February 27 in Barcelona .

The third smartphone is rumoured to be a phablet called HTC Ocean Note. The phablet is speculated to be a bigger version of the upcoming HTC 11.

None of the above given information has been confirmed by the company yet. We will probably have to wait around for more updates.
Rahmani has requested asylum in the US after allegedly receiving death threats from hardline insurgents.

Kabul: A group of Afghan activists has requested U.S. President Barack Obama to reject the asylum request of Captain Niloofar Rahmani, the first female fixed wing pilot in Afghanistans air force, and deport her insisting she does not face any kind of threat to her life.

Twenty-five-year-old Rahmani has requested asylum in the US after allegedly receiving death threats from hardline insurgents, reports the Khaama Press.

The activists said in an open letter to Obama that accepting and granting asylum to such individuals, who hold vital position and have important responsibilities, not only has bad impact to our country, but also encourages other citizens to seek asylum through illegal ways or seek asylum while they are sent to official visits by Afghan government to the US and other developed nations.

The findings of the White Assemblys Research Team show that Ms Nelofar Rahmani, the Fixed-wing Air Force aviator of Afghanistan, who filled an asylum application for the USA, is not facing any forms of threats, while she enjoys a safe atmosphere with some extraordinary security masseurs. Furthermore, there is no threat and obstacle for her to carry out her duties safely and securely in Afghanistan both in her career environment and her personal life, said the letter.
Ms Mays spokesman said that Israel had coped for too long with the threat of terrorism.

A file photo of Britains Prime Minister Theresa May. Her government has criticised the US for describing the Israeli government as the most right wing in Israeli history.

London: Britain scolded US secretary of state John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the most right-wing in Israeli history, a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump.

After US President Barack Obama enraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by refusing to veto a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, Mr Kerrys public rebuke of Israel has unsettled some allies such as Britain.

Amid one of the US sharpest confrontations with Israel since the 1956 Suez crisis, Mr Kerry said in a speech that Israel jeopardised hopes of peace in the Middle East by building settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

While Britain voted for the UN resolution that so angered Mr Netanyahu and says that settlements in the occupied territories are illegal, a spokesman for Ms May said that it was clear that the settlements were far from the only problem in the conflict.

In an unusually sharp public rebuke of Mr Obamas top diplomat, Ms Mays spokesman said that Israel had coped for too long with the threat of terrorism and that focusing only on the settlements was not the best way to achieve peace between Jew and Arab.

London also took particular issue with Mr Kerrys description of Mr Netanyahus coalition as the most right-wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by its most extreme elements.

We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally, Ms Mays spokesman said when asked about Mr Kerry 70-minute speech in the State Departments auditorium.

By openly criticising Mr Kerry, who will leave office in just weeks, Ms May moves British policy closer to Mr Trump than its other European allies such as Germany and France.

Mr Trump has denounced the Obama administrations treatment of Israel and promised to change course.

Germanys foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has come out in favour of the Mr Kerry speech while France holds a Middle East conference next month in Paris.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was convinced peace with Israel was achievable but demanded that Israel halt settlement building before talks restarted.
The 28-year-old scion of the influential Bhutto family will replace Khursheed Shah, 64, as the leader of the opposition, media reported.

The PPP insists that the decision was not a sudden one, but after long consultation (Photo: AP)

Karachi: Bilawal Bhutto is set to be the leader of the Opposition in Pakistan's National Assembly after he is elected to parliament, according to media reports on Thursday.

The 28-year-old scion of the influential Bhutto family will replace Khursheed Shah, 64, as the leader of the opposition, The Express Tribune reported.

Oxford-educated Bilawal is currently Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The news of Bilawal's expected elevation was made public by none other than Shah himself, the paper said. It came a day after PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari announced that Bilawal would contest a by-election for a parliamentary seat from Larkana, the hometown of the Bhutto family in Sindh province.

"Bilawal Bhutto will be the leader of the opposition and I will assist him as his adviser while his father will also guide him on parliamentary politics," Shah told journalists in Sukkur, Sindh province, last night.

A PPP spokesperson, when asked for clarification on Shah's statements and any change in the PPP's stance on the matter, said that it is possible that Bilawal may become the Opposition leader.

When asked whether Bilawal would be the new opposition leader or not, the spokesperson told Dawn newspaper that: "It is obvious. He [Bilawal] is the party head. He will become [the opposition leader]."

The PPP insists this decision is not made all of sudden, but after long consultation.

"PPP's Central Executive Committee and Federal Council had been taken into confidence over by-elections and Bilawal's nomination for the slot of opposition leader," PPP Federal Council member Lal Bux Bhutto told The Express Tribune.

"Like his mother, Bilawal has the potential but he lacks exposure in parliamentary politics. But there is no harm in it. Benazir Bhutto was also junior than others when she had taken over as prime minister in 1988," he said.
In a video which has gone viral on social media, the lawmaker can be seen slapping and kicking the teenager back.

Peshawar: A Pakistani teenager on Thursday thrashed a lawmaker of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf over the alleged insult of a retired General in this northwestern city.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Azhar Jadoon was attending the launch ceremony of Sehat ka Insaf programme in his home district Abbotabad, the Garrison town of KP, when a teenager assaulted him.

"Jadoon was sitting on stage when a teenager rose from the audience and rushed towards him. The teenager then slapped and punched Jadoon repeatedly," an eyewitness said.

In a video which has gone viral on social media, the lawmaker can be seen slapping and kicking the teenager back.

Police detained the teenager following the incident. While talking to media outside Jala Baba Auditorium, the boy said he took the revenge of General (Retired) Saleem Rana and Pakistan Army's insult by Jadoon's acquaintances during the funeral prayers of three persons killed few days ago.
An amendment to the 1992 Sangha Act is approved, weakening Buddhist council proposal. For two years, Thailand has failed to name a new supreme patriarch.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies)  In a surprise move, Thailands National Legislative Assembly (NLA) approved an amendment to the 1992 Sangha Act, which regulates the appointment of the supreme patriarch of Thai Buddhism.

In three straight readings that took less than an hour, NLA members yesterday voted to restore the ancient tradition that grants the king the right to appoint the religious leader.

The figure of the supreme patriarch (phra sangkharat, or Sangha king in Thai) was created in 1872 by Rama I, the first king of the ruling dynasty.

As the head of Thailands Buddhism, the supreme patriarch promotes religion and leads the Supreme Sangha Council (SSC), whose official task is to supervise the countrys Buddhist monks (about 200,000) and novices (about 70,000), ensuring that they observe the Buddhas teachings, i.e. the prescribed rituals, and do not violate the rules established by the Council.

Proposed on Tuesday (27 December), the amendment was approved yesterday by 182 votes in favour and six abstentions.

Under the new law, the king can now appoint the new supreme patriarch, whilst the prime minister countersign the decision. Previously, the prime minister nominated the Buddhist leader "with the SSCs consent" and the monarch appointed him.

According to the old law, the patriarch was the senior monk with the title Somdet Phra Rajagana. With this change masterminded by the current government, Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, nominated by the SSC last January as the official candidate, is not likely to get the post. Under the new law, seven other senior monks will be in the running.

Phra Methithammajarn, secretary-general of the Buddhism Protection Centre of Thailand, cried foul Thursday over the quick passage of the amendment, saying the move was unusual.

He said that the NLA's meeting was supposed to brief the government's representative, not vote. "Our group will discuss the next move but we have to tread carefully. The situation is volatile," he said.

But NLA member Somchai Sawaengkarn said the amendment is not intended to block Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn as critics claim. Instead, it will eliminate the seniority rule.

Some Buddhist scholars welcome the new law, as a way to break the impasse over the nomination of 20th supreme patriarch after the death of Somdet Phra Yannasangwon two years ago.
by Sandra Awad*

Over 500 children have attended a show dedicated to the "birth of peace". In Damascus, there is no water and electricity; but in the dark you can see the "light" that illuminates the world. Toys, scarves, gloves and wool socks distributed to children most in need. A young actor says: Peace is not only a miracle but "we are the first who must build it".

Damascus (AsiaNews) - Despite the "pain" and "suffering" caused by war, Christians in Syria have had a "wonderful Christmas." The deaths caused by the conflict teach us "the true meaning of life and birth." This is what Sandra Awad, Head of Communications of Caritas Syria, 38, married and mother of two children, tells AsiaNews in a letter about the festive season in the Syrian capital. "Our Christmas - she writes - is not so bright and illuminated as in other parts of the world; our trees are not illuminated because we do not have electricity for most of the day. However, sometimes the darkness "is important" because it allows us to "see and understand what really matters in life."

Among the many events organized by the local Church, we want to highlight a theatrical play written and edited by the Caritas communications director, entitled "The Birth of peace" and watched by more than 500 children in two different shows. The text was an attempt to explain the meaning of peace to them, of sharing, of acceptance through a "common effort [...] ourselves and in our families."

Here, below, the testimony of the Caritas director:

Christmas 2016 is here, but our country is still living the pain of the Holy week of 2011. Despite all of what we are living now, our Christmas is beautiful. Why beautiful despite the war? I don't know! Maybe the death shows us the real meaning of birth. maybe the sadness all around give the happiness moments more value. much more value. and maybe because we are now waiting

impatiently for the birth of the peace child in a country.

Our Christmas is not like the bright Christmas in other countries in the world; our trees are not lit because we don't have electricity most of the time. War took away electricity with a lot of other things. water, gas, oil, gasoline, warmth. We're dying every day to provide these goods, but it's ok.

When we don't have electricity, we can light a small candle and put it near the small Christmas cave, which all the Christian families put under their Christmas trees in Syria.

Maybe the darkness is important for the human being sometimes to let him see the most important in life. The most important in Christmas is Jesus' birth. A lot of light will let us concentrate on the beauty of the tree, and we might forget to look at the small baby who is sitting under it in the cave,

waiting for our candle to be lit near him, to give him some warmth. some love. a little bit of love.

Our Christmas in Caritas this year is not like other Christmases. We were full of joy when we were preparing for our Christmas event, which took place on Dec 23 on the theater of the Cross Church in Damascus. Around 550 needy children were invited to attend a Theater Play, which I wrote myself and called "The Birth of Peace". I put a lot of peace messages and ideas like accepting the other difference, starting to build peace from ourselves and in our families,.

This play was acted by young talented group of actors called "Enjaz", with the participation of some children. Tony Estephan, 11 years old actor said: "What I liked the most in this play is the idea that I performed in front of a lot of needy children, who have my age, and I gave them joy, a lot of joy, because the play is a comedy, which I am sure they liked a lot.

Ethraa, 22 years old actress said: "The idea of the play is new, and it talks about us, all the Syrians. The heroes of the play are the decoration of a Christmas tree in Syria (angel, star, snowman, light, boots, deer, stick, and bell) who are having discussions whether to stay or to leave to another country after they found out that war is still ongoing outside, this kind of discussions that we have every day between us everywhere and all the time.

Adam Al-Shami, 20 years old actor, said: "The idea that peace should start from us is fantastic, I've never thought about it this way before. Weve been waiting for peace to come by a miracle since 2011; I have never thought that we should build it ourselves. This play enriched me with wonderful ideas that I should rethink about.

Rita Jarallah, one of our procurement team, said: "When we were in the shop, choosing the Christmas gifts, I was imagining the smiles of the children when they will open their gifts and find out a valuable toy, which their parents can't afford buying. Every child also will find a warm knitwear hat, scarf and three pairs of socks, made by some needy women, who were happy to earn some money for their families and make children warm with some clothes made with a lot of love. Actually this was my Christmas this year, a Christmas full of children warm smiles.

Fadia Nassar, the project coordinator of Caritas Syria said: "While the play was running on the theater, I kept looking at the happy faces of the children, who were smiling and laughing all the time. It gave me a wonderful feeling that I can't describe"

Sara, a 7 years old girl who attended the event said: "I am happy because I became a mother now. Caritas offered me this wonderful doll and I am her mother now. I will take good care of her all the time.

John, a ten year old boy said: "I liked the play a lot, especially that it showed us the story of the birth of Jesus. Children like us were playing the role of The Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the magi and the shepherds. My dream is to become an actor, and I would like to perform something about Christmas like them next time.

Dr. Rama Zreik, the Ambassador of Childhood and Goodwill attended the event and said: "Our Children need these ideas of peace and these wonderful concepts of love and conviviality. They are the ones who will rebuild Syria, and they should be taught these ideas from their early age."

Karim, 11 years old boy, said when we told him to say something to Caritas Germany who financed this event: "I would like to say thank you for Caritas Germany for this event and the nice gifts. You made our Christmas bright and full of joy this year!"
by Christopher Sharma

The Nepalese army will be formed to address the theaters of war and terrorist attacks. China wants to expand its influence and restrain the movements for the liberation of Tibet.

Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - Kathmandu and Beijing officials have announced that at the beginning of 2017 the two countries will conduct their first joint military exercises. Indian sources reveal an angry reaction from the Delhi government, which for years exercised a hegemonic influence on Nepal's policies.

The decision was disclosed yesterday by Colonel Yang Yujun (photo), a spokesman for the Chinese National Ministry of Defense (MOD), confirming some rumors leaked a few hours earlier. Yang said that Nepal and China have started "early talks" of exercises, without giving further details.

The operation will be called "Pratikar-1" and, officially, will serve to train the Nepalese troops in war scenarios and terrorist attacks.

Experts believe that the field of military cooperation is a very sensitive issue for the governments concerned. From the point of view of Nepal, the advantage derives from the support of a great partner like China. On the Chinese side, the exercises serve to further influence domestic politics in Kathmandu and put a stop to the anti-Beijing movement in the Himalayan country, which supports the freedom of Tibet.

In November, Beijing has already intervened with vigorous protests against the visit of Indian President Pranab Mukharjee in Nepal. A few days after Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of Nepali Congress, had countered with a courtesy visit to India where he also met with the Dalai Lama and some Tibetan leaders, sparking the ire of Beijing. The communist authorities have reacted strongly, calling in Kathmandu to reiterate the "one China policy".

For Balananda Sharma, a retired lieutenant general, "China and Nepal will not address great questions, but for now will lead only small exercises in the mountains". Given the traditional non-friendly relations between the armies of India and China, he adds, "Nepal should deal gently with the geo-strategic issues and foster a climate of trust on both sides."

On the other hand Ashok Mehata, former Indian general, he warns: "Nepal should know what kind of relationship it wants to have with the army of China." Experts confirm that India's position is clear: an open disappointment at the fact that the Beijing Armed enter Nepal on the ground under the guise of exercises.
by Loula Lahham

US Congress discusses a law authorizing the supervision of the work of reconstruction of churches and buildings destroyed by Islamic extremists. 84 in total from 2013 to the present. Cairo authorities and Christian groups call the norm illegitimate form of interference. Fr. Greiche: Where was the United States when the Muslim Brotherhood burned the churches?

Cairo (AsiaNews)  Days after dismantling extremist Islamic groups in Rabea and Al-Nahda, the Egyptian government  through the Foreign Ministry spokesman - has slammed a bill being considered by the US Congress to guarantee US control of the reconstruction work on dozens of churches destroyed or burned in the recent past by fundamentalists and jihadists movements in Egypt.

The law therefore wants to assign the US Secretary of State supervision of the efforts made by the Egyptian government in the restoration or reconstruction of Christian buildings damaged from 2013 to today. In total there are at least 84 churches, schools and community centers belonging to various Christian denominations in Egypt, targeted by Islamic extremists.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement was followed by official statements from the nations Christian Churches and communities.

For the Orthodox, the Egyptian government has done all it could to restore the churches, using its own funds and with the contribution of Egyptian workers. In an official statement the leaders of the community say that "President al Sisi has promised and kept his promise. Work has also already started on Boutrossiya [the church attacked last December 11], aided by engineers of the Egyptian Armed Forces team. It will be recovered and ready for the Christmas prayers (which falls on January 7 according to the Eastern calendar) ".

Pastor Andrea Zaki, head of the Evangelical Church (Protestant), which has about 220 thousand faithful, is also contrary to the bill being considered by the US Congress. "This is a clear interference - he explains - in our internal affairs. The Egyptian government has always shown solidarity towards Christians, and most of the churches have been rebuilt.

The Egyptian Catholic Church has joined the rejection of American interference in the restoration of places of worship. "The Americans were almost absent on August 14 and 15 2013, when our churches were torched by the Muslim Brotherhood" says spokesman Fr. Rafic Greiche. "Their reaction  he adds  is cold and inbad taste."

Secular circles have also come out against foreign interference. The Coptic intellectual and analyst Kamal Zakher stresses: "First of all, we ask the US government to stop funding terrorist groups, and to no longer provide hospitality in the United States. It is essential to stop financing the authors of this devastation and the fires, before even thinking of fixing the damage of their actions and of their misdeeds. "

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the new law was promoted personally by Republican Senator David Trott and will be discussed in the next session of Congress, in its 114th year, in January. Trott believes that there are still 29 Christian buildings in 24 different places that have not yet been the subject of restoration. For their part, the United States continues to warn their citizens about the dangers of travel in Egypt, for serious security problems. Among the hottest spots include the Western Desert and the Sinai area, as well as the area around the resort town of Sharm el Sheikh, on the Red Sea.
The cease-fire came into force at midnight and seems to hold over much of the territory. Outbreaks of violence in Idlib and in the eastern part of Damascus. Analysts and experts talk of "serious" truce with a greater chance of success than in the past. Washington excluded from the negotiating table.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The nationwide truce between Syrian government and rebel militias, mediated by Russia and Turkey, which entered into force at midnight last night, seems to hold on much of the territory despite isolated clashes.

The agreement includes a large part of the opposition groups, who have been battling President Bashar al-Assad for over five years, but not the Islamic state and other jihadist militias. The Peoples Protection Unit (YPG, the Kurdish fighters in Syria) have also been excluded.

The national cease-fire - despite some outbreaks of violence that persist in some pockets of territory - should serve as encouragement for real peace talks, which should be held within one month in Kazakhstan. According to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (Osdh) there have been clashes between loyalists and rebels in the northern province of Hama.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman, reports that "small rebel groups and armed loyalists are trying to destroy the truce", because it would mark "the end of their presence."

The inhabitants of the Ghouta district, in the eastern part of Damascus, reported firearm shots two hours after the entry into force of the truce. Other "isolated" incidents occurred in Idlib, in northwestern Syria.

From March 2011 to present more than 300 thousand people [according to some sources 430 thousand] have died in the Syrian conflict; at least four million have been internally displaced others have sought refuge abroad, in regional neighbors or in Europe, sparking an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

Analysts and experts point out the difference of this treaty that entered into force overnight, described as "the most serious" among those so far achieved. The cease-fire is not the result of an agreement between the US and Russia, as in the past. This time Moscow negotiated with Turkey, although a little over a year ago the two countries were at loggerheads over the shooting down of a Russian jet on the border between Syria and Turkey by the Ankara army.

Washington, the great absentee, however, called the signing of the truce between the government and rebels a "positive development".

The ceasefire excludes the Islamic State and other jihadist groups, including former Nusra Front (offshoot of al Qaeda in the country). Russian President Vladimir Putin however, says the truce is fragile. Meanwhile, the future aims of the Iranian Russian axis in Syria after the recent recapture of Aleppo remain unclear.

The diplomatic steps taken in the last period on the Syrian arena are encouraging; even rebel groups involved in the conflict so far seem moderately optimistic about the possibility of the truce holding . Walid Muallem, Syria's foreign minister, said that "there is a real chance to reach a political agreement to end the bloodshed and lay the foundations for the country's future."

The fact that the rebels have lost ground in recent weeks is a further argument in favor of a peace plan. Just yesterday the High Committee for the Negotiations (Hnc), the umbrella group that includes most of the opposition movements, stated that resources are already limited and "it is no longer possible to continue" fighting.
by Elizabeth Li

The Assembly ended yesterday aimed at "dividing the Church in China". For an elderly priest, "Pope Francis position is ambiguous and vague." Allowing underground bishops into China's bishops' conference would give them the majority. The "optimistic" towards Chinese government are either "naive" or "ambitious."

Beijing (AsiaNews) - "In all meetings, up to the Ninth, Catholic participants are used as pawns and tools of the United Front political tactics": says Simon, a lay Catholic leader of the underground Church with regard to the Ninth Assembly of Chinese Catholic representatives that ended yesterday.

Simon has told AsiaNews that these Assemblies "are meant to divide the Catholic Church in China". However, he adds, "the faith of Catholics in the Church hierarchy will not be shaken, and the divisions in the Church in China will not weaken the loyalty of the faithful in China. These divisions will not achieve any positive results for the Chinese authorities. The teaching of the Catholic Church is clear and precise".

Simons reaction is just one of many, all negative, that have arrived at AsiaNews from underground communities about the Assembly of - according to official figures - 59 official bishops, including those approved by the Holy See and those considered illegitimate . The Assembly, according to the teaching of Benedict XVI, confirmed by Pope Francis, is "incompatible with Catholic doctrine."

In the previous edition, in December 2010, the Vatican had asked the bishops to "avoid making gestures ... that contradict communion with the Pope". This time, perhaps given hopes for dialogue between China and the Vatican, the Holy See, while reaffirming its "known" position with regard to the gathering, did not give any directive to the bishops whether to participate or not.

An elderly priest says he is "disappointed that the Holy See has allowed Chinese Catholics to participate in the Ninth Assembly." He holds Pope Francis position to be ambiguous and vague", unlike his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Bergoglio, he added, "has made unlimited concessions" and that "hurts the underground community."

Fr. Thomas, of South China, admits that "at present it is unclear what will happen to the underground community."

Since a more regular so-called "dialogue between China and the Vatican" resumed, the underground Church feels left out and "forgotten" because many gestures made thus far by the Holy See seems to support the membership of the Patriotic Association and penalize underground communities . According to Fr. John, 2017 will be an "unusual year because it will bring changes following the Ninth Assembly". He points out that "the Holy See should approve more bishops in the underground Church" and leave "the leadership of the Church to those who with courage and truth." He says that the future Chinese bishops' conference would include underground bishops and that "underground bishops should be the majority."

Another priest, serving the official Church, says that "those who are optimistic about the Chinese government are either too naive, or have ambitions of power".
by Melani Manel Perera

The packages were handed out on 24 December. The parish, which is part of the Archdiocese of Colombo, is home to 2,500 families. Parishioners chose the beneficiaries, people who find it hard to hide their poverty.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Wewala, in Sri Lankas Western Province, donated Christmas hampers to the parishs poor and needy families in order to share the joy of Jesuss birth because "only when we share can we be happy and fully Catholic."

"How could we celebrate Christmas, knowing that in our community there are many needy? We could not close our eyes to their call for help, Fr Sumith Kumara told AsiaNews.

The bags contained different kinds of food: rice, coconut, dhal (red lentils), powdered milk, tea, coffee, spices, soups, salmon, onions and toothpaste worth 2,000 rupees (about US$ 14). In addition, the parish donated 500 rupees (US$ 3.50) to each family to buy fresh meat.

The Wewala Parish, which belongs to Archdiocese of Colombo, includes 2,500 families, 139 of whom live in extreme poverty.

Many of them "are struggling to put together two meals a day, Fr Kumara said. Some are totally dependent on rations the church hands out once in a while."

The beneficiaries were chosen by parishioners, like the Nihal, Concy, Nirmalee and Costa, who noted no outsider knows "their real economic difficulties. We know about it only because we are always and constantly close" to them.

The packages were handed out on 24 December, after the morning prayer.

"For us, it is an immense gift, said a Catholic mother who received a hamper. We are really grateful to Fr. Kumara and to those who made us happy."
It cost about US$ 144 million and stands almost 600 metres high.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  The worlds highest bridge opened today in China. The Beipangjiang bridge stretches 1.34 km and stands 565 metres above the valley below.

The huge architectural structure is perched on top of a deep gorge that separates the mountainous provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou.

The four-lane bridge cost just about US$ 144 million to build and took four years to complete.

It is expected to cut travelling times from Xuanwei in Yunnan to Liupanshui in Guizhou from five hours to one hour.

The bridge was designed to resist strong winds and has overcome a number of technical tests.
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Australia's population increased by 337,800 people in the year to June 2016, but there are wide divergences between the growth rates in the various states and territories, the latest data shows.Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the population increased overall by 1.4% to 24.1 million with the State of Victoria seeing the biggest growth.Net overseas migration, that is incoming minus outgoing migrants, contributed 182,165 people to the increase over the 12 months and the net inflow was around 3% higher compared with a year earlier.Natural population growth, births minus deaths, added 155,656 people to the population over the year to June 2016, which was around 2.6% higher compared with the previous year.A breakdown of the figures show that the major eastern seaboard states are attracting most of the population growth while population growth is falling in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.Victoria has seen the fastest growing population in the country since 2014 and the latest figures show the rate of growth increased further to 2.1% in the year to June 2016. The state experienced the largest ever net inflow of people from other states on record.In addition, Victoria also experienced the largest net inflow from overseas since the global economic downturn caused a spike in inbound migration in 2009.With such strong population growth, it is little wonder that the state is able to keep filling so many new homes.Overall, the net inflow from overseas has remained relatively steady at around 180,000 over the last couple of years. However, a larger share of the net increase from overseas, now 75%, has occurred in New South Wales and Victoria. The increased share in these two states has largely been at the expense of migration in Western Australia.In 2012 Western Australia received around a quarter the net inflow from overseas but the state's share dropped to only 7% in the year to June 2016, furthermore the state also recorded its largest ever net outflow of residents to other states.According to the Housing Industry Association (HIA), the voice of Australia's residential building industry, these figures need to be taken into account by housing policymakers and developers.'There is a naturally tight relationship between economic conditions, demography, and the requirement for residential building. Economic growth creates jobs, employment opportunities attract more people, and people need somewhere to live,' said economist Geordan Murray.'With Victoria having been the strongest residential building market over the last few years and labour force figures showing the state had the largest trend increase in employment in November, Victoria seems to be ticking more of the boxes than any other jurisdiction at the moment,' he added.
Hello Everyone



We have recently married after 27 years of first meeting. We have always lived our lives apart going through the motions of life but never forgetting each other and having frequent contact.



We recently became both single for the first time since parting in 1990 and we are now married and trying to unravel the confusing and complicated visa system. We would like for myself and my younger (14) son to join our new family asap. However, it is not clear what is the best way to do this. Can I enter on a 3 month visa and then progress the application (which type/number) and remain whilst it is being processed? Also my son needs schooling would this be allowed? What is the quickest easiest way to do it?



Any experiences or info will be gratefully received.



Many thanks

Janie
Hi there all,



My partner is due to visit Australia from the US and his eta expires one month into his stay. He wants to stay for the full three months. Then he would like to go overseas, reapply for an eta and return for an extra month. Can he stay for the three months even though his visa expires? I called the immigration dept and they said he could, but looking through websites it's says once the visa expires he becomes an unlawful visitor and it may affect him getting another visa. We plan to apply for a partner visa later this year and I really don't want anything to affect our chances. Please help!!! 
Unnamed sources from within the company have informed their contacts in the media that Mr. Ding Lei, one of the top execs of LeEco , has stopped being the acting CEO of Faraday Future. LeEco is a Chinese tech giant that has a tightly knit relationship with Faraday Future, and their representatives have described the collaboration as a strategic partnership.Regardless of the things that happen in boardrooms regarding Faraday Future and LeEco, both are funded by Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, which is a more important link that what is stated in the footer of a press release.According to the sources quoted by The Verge , Mr. Ding Lei was LeEco executive that was chosen to oversee the operations of Faraday Future.The electric vehicle start-up company that is building a factory in Nevada never mentioned the name of the CEO in one of its press releases, but the said sources claim that Mr. Ding Lei handled this responsibility.Previous reports claimed that the Chinese billionaire behind Faraday Future had encountered a shortage of liquidities a few months ago, but company officials dismissed those reports.The most concerning part of this story is that Faraday Future had promised to reveal a production car at next months Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas , and it is unclear whether that will happen as planned.While the acting CEO might have overseen that the project was completed when the development of the said vehicle is concerned, it is still a mystery why he did not continue to control Faraday Future.Reports also claimed that Mr. Ding Lei had left LeEco, but that bit was addressed by the press department of the Chinese company, which explained that Faraday Future handles communication separately, and that Ding Lei is still an executive within LeEco.In other words, they confirmed that he did not leave the "mother company," but the link with Faraday Future has not been recognized or denied.
In case you have not heard about Otto , they have delivered their first shipment without a driver at the wheel of an 18-wheeler. The first thing shipped by the worlds first self-driving truck was a load of 50,000 beers, which were taken straight from the Budweiser factory, and driven to Colorado Springs.Ubers launch of the new website was not generous on details, and the only choices you have on the page involve entering your e-mail to find out more, when the time comes, about its benefits for carriers and shippers.Anyone interested in learning more can just e-mail them, but the representatives of the company have already replied to Inverse that they do not have any new information to share at the moment. They did mention that the new year will bring more on the topic, and we cannot wait to learn more.We would like to note that a menu from that website, which was reserved for shippers, leads to Ubers dashboard for users and drivers. That has led us to believe that the ride-sharing startup from San Francisco probably plans to allow truckers to carry things for businesses and even regular people using a proprietary app.At the moment, it is unclear whether Uber wants to allow the regular Joe to schedule a truck to move his or her things with just a few taps in an app, but it sure looks like that is something that will eventually be available.At the same time, Otto is a start-up focused on developing self-driving trucks, and Uber is already working on (and offering rides in) self-driving cars.With two and two put together, Uber might be the cog that spins transportation into the next century through apps and self-driving 18-wheelers.Dont expect that revolution to come too soon, as The Teamsters are North Americas strongest union, and self-driving trucks may take up many jobs from the backbone of the USA. However, those trucks might still have a human inside them for many years, because theres more to operating a truck than just driving it.
Hopefully not, but let's say we're about to crash while driving, we don't want our seats sliding around in its tracks. The reason why Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that they are about to recall almost 650,000 Odyssey minivans within the United States is due to the fact that second row seats from models 2011-2016 can come unlocked in an event of a collision.

According to a notice filed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the second row seat release lever has a possible manufacturing issue, causing the lever to deteriorate and increasing the risk of injury during a crash. The recall is limited to Odyssey models manufactured between Aug. 17, 2010 and Oct. 1, 2015.

Two separate recalls will be conducted. The first recall will cover more than 633,000 Odyssey minivans model year 2011 to 2016. The second recall will be limited and will cover 7,600 model year 2016 that do not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), "Seat Systems."

There will be fewer minivans to be recalled in Mexican and Canada as well but Honda did not disclose details on the amount of vehicles involved. The automakers said that owners of affected vehicles will be notified by letter in January and mid-February as the parts needed to fix this issue are not available as of the moment. The fix will involve installing an additional bracket and spring, and a replacement for the horizontal adjustment bar.

A complaint filed in Sept. 2013 by an owner of a 2011 Odyssey says that during a crash, the seats holding their children came unlocked which resulted to their youngsters being thrown in the back of the driver's seat. Another complaint was filed in Sept. 2016.

Since then, no crashes or injuries have been reported related to the issue. Honda notes that they are not aware of the crashes and this issue was discovered through warranty claims.
AVwebs search of news in aviation found announcements from Bearhawk Aircraft, Wilco Inc., Pilot Partner and FlightServ. Bearhawk Aircraft announced the first flights of two Bearhawk LSA aircraft built by customers from Quick-Build kits. Owner/builders Bruce McElhoe of California and Bob Way of Alabama completed, certified and flew their Bearhawk LSAs, the first two completions, in November 2016. Bearhawk Aircraft offers a Quick-Build (QB) kit of the two-place tandem-seated Bearhawk LSA. Wilco Vice President Mike Hattrup announced FAA approval of its modification of STC SA01827WI to convert Cessna Aircraft single-engine aircraft built in 1972 and after, with factory original style wingtips, to Whelen Orion LED Nav/Strobes via a kit developed by Wilco. SA01827WI permits the replacement of the existing Nav Light or Nav/Strobe with a Whelen Orion LED Nav/Strobe utilizing a mounting plate developed by Wilco.

Pilot Partner announced that on Jan. 1, 2017, customers will receive an email with their automatically generated year in review summary. This summary will read from their electronic logbook and display interesting statistics of their flying in 2016. Each pilot will then be able to easily share this image on Facebook and show their friends and other pilots what 2016 looked like for them. FlightServthe new independent FBO on the KTTN fieldwill open its doors to guests on Jan. 1, 2017. Founded by a team from the FBOs sister company, Aviation Charters, FlightServ personnel uniquely understand the needs and desires of flight crews and their passengers. Their years of experience traveling around the countryfrom the perspective of both the pilot and the schedulerhas given the team insight into what makes for an exceptional FBO experience.
Every year structural icing claims a small but steady number of airplanes. Many of the accidents are on approach in clear airafter the airplane has already collected a load of ice. We look at them afterward and wonderthe airplane had been doing finewhy did it crash well after it escaped from icing conditions?

Full-scale airframe ice flight testing and our ability to reconstruct icing-related accidents have gotten more sophisticated. Consequently, weve learned that tail stalls, rather than wing stalls, may be the culprit in crashes that occur during the descent or approach phase of flight. This matters because pilots have been taught how to recover from wing stalls (lower the nose, add power) but not from tail stalls, and the recovery from tail stalls is precisely the opposite (raise the nose, raise the flaps, reduce power). The consequence of using the wrong recovery technique can be fatal.

The infamous 2009 Colgan Air Dash 8 crash on approach in icing conditions to Buffalo, New York is believed, by some commentators, to have been caused by an experienced crewhaving recently been through tail stall trainingmistakenly believing they were experiencing a tail, rather than wing stall. The captain pulled back on the yoke and the first officer retracted the flaps.

Since recovery technique varies, you cant recover if you dont know which airfoil has stalled.

Radius Matters

If the opportunity presents itself, the next time you see an airplane that has landed with ice on the airframe, compare the buildup on the unprotected areas of the wing and tail. Also take a look at the antennas. You might be surprised by the significantly greater amount of ice on the tail and antennas than that on the wing.

Very simply: the smaller the radius of the leading edge, the faster and wider the ice buildup is. Therefore, the horizontal stabilizer collects a greater percentage of its radius in ice than does the wing. Even with but a half inch of ice on the wing there may be an inch or more of ice on the tail.

To make matters worse, ice buildups tend also to take on interesting shapesthey frequently branch out from the leading edge, forming what appears in cross section to be horns. The net effect is that the smaller airfoilthe tailgets relatively more ice than the wing, so the flow over it is more disturbed than the flow over the wing.The photo at the beginning of the article isfrom an icing lab. It shows a startling example of clear ice buildup on the small radius of the airfoil, along with dramatic ice horns that develop as ice builds.

The shape of ice buildups on the wings is a far bigger problem to an airplane than the weight of the ice. The wing and tail create lift partially because of a smooth airflow along the chord of the airfoil. When there is ice on the front, the airflow across the lifting surface (the top of the wing, the bottom of the tail) is no longer attached to the surface after crossing that ice buildup.

Aft of the ice there is airflow separation from the surface, creating what amounts to a void that has to be filled. The air coming over the ice rotates toward the airfoil and then flows forward, creating a rotor or vortex of disturbed air in the area of flow separation. See the illustration below.

Loss of Lift

This reverse flow means that portion of the tails airfoil is stallednot providing lift. The size of this disturbed area or airflow separation matters. With more ice theres more disturbed airflow. The higher the angle of attack, the greater the size of the area of disturbed airflow. If the area of disturbed airflow gets large enough, the entire airfoil stalls. Before that, if it moves aft far enough to cross the hinge line of the elevator, it has the effect of tending to pull the elevator toward it. See the next illustration.

This all becomes important because the tail of an airplane is usually lifting downward to overcome the nose-down pitching moment of the wing in normal flight. Remember ground school that the wings center of lift is usually behind the center of gravity. As the wing lifts upwards, the center of gravity pulls the front portion of the wing downnose down forcewhich the horizontal tail overcomes by lifting downward.

In cruising flight icing is not as much of a concern for the tail as it is for the wing because the tail is at a low angle of attack, nowhere near its performance limits, so the burble or rotor behind the ice buildup stays close to the buildup and the vast majority of the tail has airflow that is attached and effective.

In cruise configuration, the problem with ice buildup is sheer magnitude on the airframe and the wings. Thats where you get so much drag and lose so much lift that you cant hold altitude, the stall speed increases and you may either sink into the ground or stall the airplane and lose control.

Tail Stall Tale

A tailplane stall event typically begins with the airplane picking up some ice. As the pilot begins the approach, he or she selects approach flaps and notices that its difficult to trim the airplane and the elevator feels lighter than usual. The control wheel will move forward very easily but its difficult to pull it back. Often some mild pilot induced oscillation (PIO) begins that may be difficult to fully damp.

Struggling like this through the approach, once the runway is made, the pilot selects full flaps. Whamsuddenly, the airplane pitches down 45 degrees, the pilot tries to pull back on the yoke, but its immovable and the airplane crashes.

Either the tail stalled, or the flow separation under the tail moved so far aft that it reached the elevator and caused the elevator to deflect radically downward. The result is the same: the nose pitches down violently and recovery is the same in either case.

Flaps

Flap extension does two things to an ice-contaminated horizontal stabilizer, both bad. It changes the airflow aft of the wings, deflecting it downward, which causes increased downwash over the tail, increasing its angle of attack. This is depicted in the phtotograph below and it happens to both high- and low-wing airplanes.

With increased angle of attack and an ice buildup on the leading edge, the flow separation on the underside of the tail, the lifting part, is worse, and the area of disturbed air, gets bigger and moves aft.

Flap deflection also moves the center of lift of the wing aft, further from the center of gravity. This causes an increase in nose-down pitching force. To compensate, the tail must exert greater downward force, thus increasing its angle of attack still more and causing it to work nearer to its performance limit.

Increasing the horizontal stabilizers angle of attack increases the area of flow separation behind the ice buildup. When the area of flow separation reaches the hinge line for the elevator the relative low pressure of the flow separation or rotor acts to pull the elevator toward it, that is, downward.

Yoke Movement

With the normal, small changes in pitch of the airplane on approach, the size of the disturbed airflow area under the tail, behind the ice buildup, changes accordingly. The pilot feels a buffeting in the wheelunlike pre-wing stall buffet that is felt, quite literally, through the seat of the pants.

The changing amount of pull on the elevator causes changing forces to feed back to the yoke. The pilot feels that the controls are lighteasy to move forward (elevator down into the area of flow separation and lower pressure), but difficult to pull aft. It may be difficult to trim the airplane in pitch.

The pilot fights this and PIO begins. PIO adds to the rapidly changing angle of attack of the elevator, further changing the size of the area of airflow separation, and further increasing the rate of change to the downward-acting force on the elevator. Things are building on themselves, but the pilot may still be able to keep the airplane mostly under control.

When full flaps are added, the combination of increased downwash and the aft movement of the center of lift further increase the angle of attack of the elevator. The area of flow separation may get so big that either the horizontal tail simply stalls and quits lifting downward, allowing the nose-down pitching moment of the wing to act unopposed, or the elevator is physically pulled downward into the area of flow separation. In either case, the pitch down is sudden and violent. Pilots who have experienced it describe either getting light in their seats or actually being thrown against the seat belt.

Recovery

Recovery requires reducing the angle of attack of the horizontal stabilizer and getting the elevator away from the area of flow separation. That means raising the flaps, at least to the previous position. It also means physically pulling the elevator away from the area of flow separation by pulling back on the wheel.

There are reports that on some commuter turboprops the force necessary to pull the wheel back and get the nose up to the horizon may be as high as 400 pounds. The more realistic load for smaller aircraft is as high as the 100 to 125 pound range. That is still a huge amount of force. Be prepared for it.

Adding power makes a tail stall from ice worse. Power is always destabilizing to an airplane, although with no ice, the aerodynamic design of the airplane easily handles the power available. Adding power adds to the downwash effect, increasing the angle of attack of the tail. While the effect of a power increase on increasing the size of the area of airflow separation aft of the ice buildup is not as great as flap deployment, a power increase still increases the size of the area of flow separation. So, in the event of a tail stall, while you are retracting the flaps and pulling for all you are worth, reduce power as much as you can, counterintuitive though that may be.

Note also that increasing speed increases the area of flow separation under the horizontal stabilizer. It doesnt seem to matter in cruise because the tail is at a very low angle of attack; however, once the flaps have been deployed, a speed increase will make matters worse. That is exactly opposite to the technique of dealing with wing icing and the need to stay well above the stall speed for the wing. With flap deflection in the equation, additional speed does not help. The solution? If you get into ice, leave the flaps up.

Diagnosis and Cure

How do you know if the icing problem you are wrestling is an impending wing or tail stall? There are some general rules. If the flaps are up and you are in cruise configuration, the pressing concern is wing stall. To the extent it gives any warning it will be in the form of airframe buffet. If you feel shaking through the seat of your pants, the problem is probably the wingas redesigned by iceapproaching its critical angle of attack.

An impending tail stall gives a different set of warnings. If the pitch control gets lighter, particularly if it becomes easier to push forward on the yoke than it is to pull aft, be suspicious. It may become difficultif not impossibleto trim the airplane and you may enter PIO. Further warning is given via buffeting in the control wheel itself, not in the airframe. If you have any amount of flap deployed and you experience shaking in the control wheel, its a good bet that its the tail thats at risk of stalling.

The first defense against a tail stall from ice is to, obviously, avoid the ice. Unfortunately, thats not always realistic. So, if you have ice on the airplane, leave the flaps up on the approach and all the way through landing. If the POH has a speed for approaching with ice contamination, use it. Otherwise, fly fast and do not close the throttle until the wheels are rolling on the ground (if you reduce power in the flare you may go from being above the power on stalling speed with ice to below the power off stalling speed with icea wing stall problem). Too many pilots have figured they had the landing nailed, pulled the power back in the flare and promptly hit so hard they damaged the airplane. If a power setting has worked all the way through the approach, dont mess with success.

Also, if you picked up the ice at altitude and youve descended to a lower, ice-free temperature and the airplane is still reasonably controllable, consider staying there for a bit to see if you can reduce the ice through melting or sublimation.

If you miss the warning signs and do end up with a tail stall, retract flaps if deployed, reduce power and apply up elevator, possibly against extreme resistance.

After you taxi in and your pulse rate returns to double digits, remind yourself that ice is for drinks.

Rick Durden is an aviation attorney, is a CFII and ATP with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3 and Cessna Citation and is the author of The Thinking Pilots Flight Manual or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing it, Vols 1 & 2.

This article originally appeared in the December 2014 issue of IFR magazine.

For more great content like this, subscribe to IFR!
Lragir.am is dissatisfied with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzhas statement which implicitly blamed Azerbaijan for Thursdays fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The pro-Western publication says that Bordyuzha should have issued a more strongly-worded statement and threatened Baku with concrete action in case of a repeat of such attacks. It says his reaction is further proof that the CSTO is not a reliable structure for Armenia.

1in.am says Armenians should not even try to understand why [Ilham] Aliyev is doing everything to kill Armenian soldiers. Especially after the April war [in Nagorno-Karabakh] the Armenian public should probably not ask such a question, writes the online news service. It must be clear to the Armenian society that Azerbaijan will keep constantly doing this as long as Aliyev and his clan reign in that country. What will happen after Aliyev is not clear. But its has long been clear what Azerbaijan will do under Aliyev. So the Armenian society should determine its course of action in these circumstances. It should do two things: be ready to rein in Aliyev and take preemptive measures against further Azerbaijani attacks.

7or.am condemns President Serzh Sarkisian for setting the date of the 2017 parliamentary elections on the same day that the three Armenian soldiers were killed in Thursdays border incident. We lost soldiers on the border but, as it turned out, the parliamentary elections are more important to Serzh Sarkisian, it complains. Wasnt it possible to slightly postpone the signing of that decree?

(Tigran Avetisian)
30 December 2016 16:17 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Its no secret that Armenian army is full of brazen and rapacious employees. This time one of them was caught on stealing bullets.

A chief of utility services in one of the Armenian military units, Sarkis Kirakosyan, is accused of stealing bullets from the unit for further sale.

As it turned out, Kirakosyan repeatedly forced the sergeant of the military unit, Armen Muradyan, to steal bullets. After that, Kirakosyan was selling the stolen bullets to one of the residents of the Stepanavan city.

This is not such fact, as local media frequently reports about larcenies of ammunition, food and other equipments from the army.

The situation in the Armenian army units leave much to be desired. Soldiers of some Armenian units do not receive even the minimum of the necessary provision.

The soldiers are fed with poor-quality food, while unsanitary conditions prevail in military units; contagious diseases, especially the infectious ones are wide-spread there.

In addition to these terrible conditions, the Armenian army officers often abuse their soldiers, as well as steal and sell their clothes and food. There are also many deaths of Armenian soldiers in mysterious circumstances.

However, the Armenian authorities turn blind eye on all these outrageous facts, preferring to stay silent.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Laman Ismayilova

Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova has visited Khojaly Genocide memorial in Baku, Azertac reported.

Accompanied by her Azerbaijani counterpart Elmira Suleymanova, the Russian Ombudsperson laid a wreath and flowers at the monument.

She was informed that as a result of the Khojaly 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.

As a result of this act of genocide, eight families were completely destroyed, while 25 children lost both parents.

The Khojaly genocide, which occurred on the night of February 25-26, is one of the bloodiest tragedies in human history.

As a result of Armenian aggression, Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions remain occupied. Because of ethnic cleansing, over one million Azerbaijanis lost their homes and became refugees and internally displaced persons.

Despite the fact that all the international organizations recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, and the UN issues four resolutions demanding unconditional liberation of the occupied territories, Armenia continues the occupation, does not respect the international law and ignores it.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 December 2016 15:31 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported that the Armenian side continues spreading false information to aggravate the situation along the line of contact between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

We officially announce that Azerbaijans Armed Forces have not suffered any losses, it continues its daily service activity and fully controls the operational situation, the ministry stated on December 30.

To justify its losses during the failed sabotage, the Armenian side has again today disseminated false information aimed at domestic audience about another alleged provocation at the state border and losses from the Azerbaijani side. If the Armenian side has conclusive evidences, they may present them, the ministry said.

On December 29, Azerbaijani Armed Forces have prevented an attempt by an Armenian reconnaissance-raiding group to cross the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border. After the shootout the Armenian units were forced to retreat, suffering loses.

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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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 December 2016 12:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Azerbaijan's sovereign wealth fund SOFAZ approved its draft budget for 2017 on December 29. The document was approved during a meeting of the supervisory board of the Fund chaired by Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the board Artur Rasizadeh.

The board also defined major directions of its investment policy, an estimate of expenditures. Following the discussions, the board decided to submit the documents for the approval of the President.

Board members also discussed amendments to the Rules on management of foreign currency assets of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan and Rules on the preparation and execution of the annual program of revenues and expenditures (budget) of SOFAZ proposed by the Executive Director of the Fund and recommended the amendments for the approval of the president.

The budget of the Fund for 2017 is drafted on the basis of an oil price standing at $40.

Transfers of the Fund to the state budget are expected at the level of 6.1 billion manats ($ 3.45 billion) in 2017, while the figure is 1.515 billion manats or 19.9 percent less than in 2016.

Revenues of the Fund in 2017 are projected at the level 8.37 billion manats ($ 4.73 billion) in 2017, while expenses are expected at the level of 6.95 billion manats ($ 3.93 billion).

As of October 1, the assets of SOFAZ stood at $35.82 billion, recording an increase of some 6.7 percent as compares to indices of early 2016 ($33.57 billion).

The Fund plans to increase its assets by $1 billion in 2017.

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Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNews
30 December 2016 11:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) has so far paid compensations worth over 721.67 million manats ($408.6 million) to depositors of the recently closed Dekabank, Kredobank, Zaminbank, Parabank, Caucasus Development Bank, AtraBank, Bank of Azerbaijan, Ganjabank, Texnikabank and Bank Standard.

Banks Volume of paid compensations (million manats/ million USD) Volume of the insured deposits (million manats/ million USD) Bank Standard 433.96 ($245.70 ) 460 ($260.4) Zaminbank 52.46 ($29.70) 60 ($34.97) Dekabank 3.02 ($1.70) 5.59 ($3.16) Kredobank 27.77 ($15.72) 30.21 ($ 17.10) Caucasus Development Bank 1.97 ($1.11) 2 ($1.13) Atrabank 14.27 ($ 8.07) 14.55 ($8.23) Bank of Azerbaijan 24.15 ($13.67) 24.2 ($13.70) Gandjabank 0.98 ($ 0.55) 1($0.56) Texnikabank 120.15 ($68.02) 122.6 ($69.41) Parabank 42.94 ($24.31) 43.79 ($24.79)

Acceptance of applications from insured depositors of DekaBank, KredoBank, Zaminbank and Parabank began on August 1, 2016 and the payment of compensations has been carried out since that day.

Compensations to the depositors of Caucasus Development Bank and AtraBank are being paid starting from August 23. Payments are being carried out at the branches the banks.

Depositors of Caucasus Development Bank receive compensations at the banks main office. Payment of compensations to insured depositors of Bank of Azerbaijan has been carried out since January 29, 2016 at branches of Muganbank and Rabitabank, and since September 8 at ADIFs office.

Clients of Ganjabank receive compensations since February 4 at the branches of Rabitabank, Unibank and Kapital Bank.

ADIF launched payment of compensations to depositors of Texnikabank on February 12.

Payment of compensations to the insured depositors of Bank Standard started October 11, 2016 at the banks main office and its branches in the regions of Azerbaijan and will continue for one year.

The licenses of all the banks were revoked in 2016, as their assets were not classified in line with the law, and they didnt create adequate reserves and their aggregate capital did not meet the minimum requirements.

Some 32 banks are currently implementing their activities in the country.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 December 2016 17:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan`s Economy Ministry has announced that it will send an export mission to Pakistan next February.

The export mission will include companies specializing in the production of fruits, vegetables, mineral water, fruit juices, sugar and confectionery, cotton, chemical and industrial products.

Companies to be part of the mission will be selected through a competition to be organized by the Economy Ministry and Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO).

Today Azerbaijan outputs more than 250 kinds of home-made products in food, light, heavy and construction industries.

In order to bring the economy to a new level Azerbaijan started promoting the Made in Azerbaijan brand in foreign markets. The country is keen to penetrate widely in the international commodity markets with its products branded 'Made in Azerbaijan'.

Azerbaijan is sending trade missions to various countries since November 2016 to increase its exports. Missions have already been organized to China and the UAE, while the list of planned destinations for 2017 also includes Germany and Afghanistan.

Only 10 export missions may be held within a year, while exporters participating in missions are freely provided with accommodation, transport and translation services.

A total of 3 million manats ($1.84 million) has been allocated out of the Azerbaijani Presidents Reserve Fund in the 2016 State Budget to finance the export support measures.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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30 December 2016 14:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Iran's Information and Communications Technology Minister and Co-chairman of Azerbaijan-Iran Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, Mahmoud Vaezi, visited Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on the third day of his ongoing visit to Azerbaijan.

The visit took place within the 11th joint economic commission between Iran and Azerbaijan that started on December 27 in Baku.

Relations between Iran and Nakhchivan in scientific, educational, energy, transport, economic and trade fields became the main topic of discussions during a meeting between the Iranian minister and Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of Nakhchivan Vasif Talibov.

The sides also hailed the importance the Nakhchivan-Tabriz-Tehran-Mashhad passenger train, which envisages running from Nakhchivan through the Julfa, Tabriz and Tehran stations to Mashhad.

The railway communication is expected to promote further development of tourism between the two countries. The project is envisaged within the framework of the agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and Iran on the coordination of railways of the two countries. Being located in the in the northeast of Iran, Mashhad is considered to be the second most densely populated city in Iran. The train is scheduled to depart twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays.

Vaezi earlier said that Nakhchivan enjoys proper trade opportunities and discussions during his visit to the Autonomous Republic would cover investment-related issues.

Baku and Tehran earlier agreed to cooperate on the construction of two plants near the Aras River borderline in the Iranian town Marazad and Nakhcivans Ordubad. Also, Azerbaijan supplies gas to Iran within the framework of swap operations to provide Nakhchivan with gas.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran amounted to $175 million in January-November 2016, with some $130.13 million accounting for the import from Iran, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.

--

Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

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30 December 2016 17:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

The Strategic Road Map for the development of logistics and trade in Azerbaijan is expected to ensure a GDP growth by roughly 605 million manats ($ 342.5 million).

Nearly 18,900 new working places will be created in the country till 2020.

The document defined three strategic objectives to be reached in the sphere of logistics and trade.

The objectives include creation of a favorable environment for the increase of trade turnover, getting of higher value added from transit operations, as well as introduction of a mechanism for the implementation of measures in the sphere.

Under the Road Map, successful implementation of the measures envisaged in the document will up the share of Azerbaijan in marine cargo transshipments en route Central Asia  the Black Sea by some 40 percent. An increase of 25 percent is expected en route Central Asia  Europe, up to 3 percent on China-Europe, 40 percent on Russia  Iran and some 25 percent on Iran the Black Sea route.

Besides, revenues from air operations will increase by 5 percent till 2020.

Nearly 5 logistics and trade centers will be constructed in the country by that period.

Due to its strategic location on the most convenient route from North-Eastern Europe to Central Asia and the Middle East, Azerbaijan has a vibrant transport sector and intends to turn into a regional transportation hub.

The completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Alat Port is expected to position Azerbaijan as a viable transit route for trade between East, Central, and South Asia and Europe.

--

Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

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29 December 2016 18:22 (UTC+04:00)

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry strongly condemns another provocation, committed on December 29 morning by a reconnaissance group of the Armenian armed forces on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border and deliberate actions aimed at escalating the situation, the ministry said in a message Dec. 29.

According to the message, Armenia is trying to disrupt the negotiations by taking various provocative actions.

Armenia continues the aggression against Azerbaijan, strengthens its presence in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, maintains the status quo by trying to involve a third party in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict instead of taking concrete actions to resolve the conflict, the ministry said.

"Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the continuation of Armenias aggression and the presence of Armenian troops in the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan is a major threat to peace and security in the region, as well as the main cause of ceasefire violation and incidents, the message said.

The April events which occurred as a result of Armenias provocation and incitement testify to it," the ministry said.

Also, the message touched upon the recent statements by the CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha. According to the message, Azerbaijan finds Bordyuzhas comments on this issue one-sided.

Bordyuzhas calling the unrecognized regime, established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" in contrast to the official position of the CSTO member-states and essence of the negotiations carried out under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group, is unacceptable, the ministry said.

Before making comments or statements, the CSTO secretary general must correctly analyze and assess the situation, the message said.

Together with the OSCE Minsk Groups co-chairmen, Azerbaijan will continue to make efforts to resolve the conflict in accordance with the norms and principles of the international law, the UN Security Councils resolutions, eliminate the consequences of aggression and occupation by Armenia and ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country, the ministry said.

Earlier on Dec. 29, a reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders.

The enemy suffered losses in the ensuing clash and had to retreat, said the ministry.

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 December 2016 11:36 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

A drone of the Armenian armed forces was seized on December 29, Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry reported.

The ministry said the drone was lowered to the ground using a special method as it attempted to fly over the positions of the Azerbaijani army.

In early December, the Azerbaijan army destroyed other two Armenian drones in the line of contact between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in Azerbaijans Talish village and in Fuzuli region.

Last month, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces destroyed also two drones of Armenia  one in Fuzuli region, and the second on the line of contact in the direction of Azerbaijans Tartar region. All the UAVs were doing reconnaissance flights over the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

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.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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Authorities have identified a Lincoln man as the victim of a two-vehicle crash on Highway 77 Thursday.

According to a press release from the Sheriffs Office, Harry N. Hart III, 41, of Lincoln, was driving a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu north on Highway 77.

His father was traveling in a separate vehicle just ahead of him going the same direction.

Just past Blue Springs, Hart met a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox driven by Lora Lee Stohs, 63, of Marysville, Kan., traveling south on Highway 77. Her two grandsons were also in the vehicle.

The press release stated Stohs vehicle crossed the painted center line and the left front of her vehicle collided with the left front of Harts vehicle. Stohs vehicle spun around and came to a rest on the south shoulder of Highway 77.

Harts vehicle flipped over, coming to a rest on its roof in the north ditch.

StarCare medical helicopter and ambulances and fire department personnel from Blue Springs, Wymore, and Beatrice were dispatched to the scene.

Hart was pronounced dead at the scene and it's believed he died instantly from injuries sustained in the accident.

Drivers of both vehicles and the passengers were wearing seat belts. The Wymore Fire Department and the Blue Springs Fire Department used hydraulic rescue tools to extricate Stohs and remove Hart from his vehicle.

Stohs was transported to Bryan Health West by StarCare air ambulance. Her 12-year-old grandson was transported to Bryan Health West by Beatrice Fire and Rescuce and her other grandson was transported to Beatrice Community Hospital for treatment.

The Gage County Sheriffs Office was assisted by the Nebraska State Patrol, Wymore Police Department, and the Nebraska Department of Roads.

The Nebraska State Patrol was contacted and troopers responded to the scene to provide traffic control and a trooper who has specialized training as an accident reconstructionist is assisting with the traffic accident investigation.

The press release stated the accident doesnt appear to be caused by alcohol or excessive speed.
30 December 2016 13:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenias armed provocation against Azerbaijan has been prepared by Yerevan in advance, Azerbaijans military expert, former deputy defense minister, retired lieutenant-general, Chingiz Mammadov, told Trend.

On December 29, Azerbaijani Armed Forces have prevented an attempt by an Armenian reconnaissance-raiding group to cross the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border. After the shootout the Armenian units were forced to retreat, suffering loses.

Yerevan, refusing to sit at a negation table with Baku, again resorts to armed and political provocations with a view to keep the status-quo.

Mammadov said that Yerevan committed a provocation to draw attention of the CSTO member-states to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict after the Armenian delegation failed to achieve election of an Armenian representative as the CSTO secretary general at the organizations recent session in St. Petersburg.

The military expert said that while gradually spreading misinformation about diversions in the region, not related to the Nagorno-Karabakh area, Armenia aims to artificially expand the scale of the conflict and involve other CSTO members in it.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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30 December 2016 12:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijans Defense Ministry currently is working with relevant structures to receive the body of Azerbaijani soldier, who died as a result of the Armenian provocation on December 29.

"Despite the fact that initially, the Armenian side denied that it has the body of Azerbaijani soldier, shortly after the relevant measures taken by the Defense Ministry and the availability of conclusive evidences forced Armenia to disseminate photos of the soldier's body on social media," the ministry said, commenting on the soldiers photos shared in the social media by Armenians.

Unfortunately, Armenia once again demonstrated its inhuman attitude towards Azerbaijani people by deceiving representatives of international organizations, the ministry told Trend on December 30.

In order to receive the body of the Azerbaijani soldier, Chingiz Gurbanov, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry officially appealed to the Azerbaijani representation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), OSCE Minsk Group, as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on December 29 morning. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders.

The enemy, suffering losses, was forced to retreat, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry's message.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, 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.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 December 2016 13:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was one of the main challenges for the German presidency in the OSCE, Chairperson-in-office, and Foreign Minister of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on December 29 while summing up his country's presidency in the organization.

He noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has perhaps not been in the limelight of the European public for a while, but it gained a prominent role this year after new escalations had occurred this April.

"The OSCEs conflict settlement efforts there were important to create room for de-escalation. Hopefully this opens opportunities for talks on a political solution," Steinmeier said.

On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire of large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers by Armenian army. Azerbaijani counter-attack led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population.

Military operations on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies were stopped on April 5 at 12:00 with mutual consent of the sides. However, Armenian side still continues violating the ceasefire.

The Four-Day War saw heavy casualties by Armenian side and liberation of some Armenian-held territory for the first time since the 1994 ceasefire.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, 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.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 December 2016 13:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The State Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing People is implementing measures to receive the body of Azerbaijani soldier Chingiz Gurbanov, the State Commission said in a message on December 30.

The State Commission says Armenia carries all the responsibility for the provocation at the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border.

"The Armenian side has once again demonstrated disrespect for the norms of international humanitarian law by distributing photos of the body of the Azerbaijani soldier killed in combat in the media and social networks, and used abusive language against the Azerbaijani people and the mentioned soldier, said the message.

The ministry said in the message that the Armenian side openly demonstrates its inhumane essence, and grossly violates the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, which it had also joined.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on December 29 morning. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders.

The enemy was forced to retreat, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry's message.

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.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 December 2016 16:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

A new U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, established for peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has been appointed.

Richard Hoagland will be the interim co-chair starting from January 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan reported on December 30.

Hoagland, a diplomat with over 30 years of experience, will replace James Warlick, who will step down on December 31. Hoagland is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in States Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.

Warlick was appointed as U.S. Minsk Group co-chair on August 2013 and assumed the office in September 2013 of that year.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acts as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, it failed to make any move to achieve a breakthrough in the peace process so far.

Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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30 December 2016 17:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to assist in returning the body of Azerbaijani soldier, Chingiz Gurbanov, who was killed as a result of the Armenian provocation on December 29.

Head of Public Relations Department of Azerbaijani representation of the ICRC Ilaha Huseynova made the remark while talking to Trend on on December 30.

Currently, the Committee is holding negotiations with both sides. The Committee is monitoring the situation and is ready to provide a neutral mediation in order to return the soldiers body, said Huseynova.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on Thursday morning. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the border.

The enemy was forced to retreat, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry's message.

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.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
31 December 2016 00:01 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The last day of each year is special for Azerbaijanis as on December 31 Azerbaijanis living across the world celebrate their Solidarity Day.

Producing a symbol of unity this day brings together around 50-million Azerbaijanis scattered across the globe under the auspices of national and spiritual values, as well as national history and culture.

On this occasion, President Ilham Aliyev congratulated the world Azerbaijanis, voicing his confidence that their concerted activities will make us even stronger.



I do believe that concerted activities of all our fellow countrymen, their invincible loyalty to native Azerbaijani soil will make us even stronger and help us solve as soon as possible our only problem  the Armenian military aggression  and restore our territorial integrity, the president said in an annual message to Azerbaijanis on the eve of the World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day.

The president said what happened on the frontline in the wake of the Armenian military provocation in April proved that the Azerbaijani armed forces are well ready to liberate the occupied lands anytime.

President Aliyev urged the world Azerbaijanis to unite and resolutely protect national interests and wage a principled fight against anti-Azerbaijani provocations in any part of the world.

The Solidarity Day was initiated by Azerbaijan's national leader, former President Heydar Aliyev on December 16, 1993. In accordance with a presidential decree, the last day of December is annually celebrated as a day of Azerbaijani unity.

Later, Heydar Aliyev described it with the need for national solidarity.

After Azerbaijan gained independence, Azerbaijanism as the leading idea, became the basic one for the Azerbaijanis living both in the country and across the world. We should unite around this idea," Aliyev said. "Azerbaijanism means preserving national identity, national and spiritual values, and at the same time enrichment them with universal values, as well as ensuring the development of any person.

About 50 million Azerbaijanis live in more than 70 countries, according to the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora.

Over nine million people live in Azerbaijan and about 30 million ethnic Azerbaijanis reside in Iran. Turkey, for example, is home for about 3 million, while Russia is for almost 2 million Azerbaijanis and then follows Georgia, Kazakhstan and Germany.

This is several times exceeds the number of people residing in Azerbaijan, that's why the Solidarity Day is so important as a symbol of the fact that, despite the great distance, the Azerbaijani people are still united.

This summer Baku hosted 4th Congress of World Azerbaijanis joined by more than 500 representatives of Azerbaijani diaspora organizations from 49 countries to discuss the governments role in solving the problems facing Azerbaijanis abroad.

During the congress the participants exchanged their views on duties lying ahead as to informing the world community of Azerbaijani realities, use of modern methods and information technologies in raising awareness, current problems relating to protection of Azerbaijanis rights and freedoms, and possible solutions to these problems, youths involvement in diaspora work, lobby-building and other issues.

The first Congress of World Azerbaijanis was held on the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev in 2001. The second and thirds congresses took place in 2006 and 2011, respectively.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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30 December 2016 09:59 (UTC+04:00)

A new print edition of the AZERNEWS online newspaper was released on December 30.

The new edition includes articles about: SOCAR commissions highly productive offshore well; Khankendi, under Armenian hostage for 25 years; Construction industry can add 10,000 jobs by 2020; Land of Fire hopes to welcome more Iranian tourists, 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 December 2016 15:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The last plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament for 2016 kicked off on December 30, while the parliamentarians considered 25 issues during the session.

The parliamentarians approved a draft law "On regulation of tax debts of taxpayers from January 1, 2017", stipulating tax amnesty.

The tax amnesty will cover more than 44,700 representatives of the private sector including 1,037 in public sector.

The bill covers two types of tax debts: the first article of the bill envisages cancellation of all interest accrued for non-payment of debt, and the second article - writing-off of the financial sanctions.

In case of repayment of one third of the financial sanctions during January 2017, remaining 70 percent will be written off. In case of repayment of half of tax sanctions during January-February, other 50 percent will be written off, while if 70 percent of financial sanctions during repaid in January-March, remaining 30 percent will be written off.

The Parliament also discussed the Law on Budget system. Chairman of the Standing Commission on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship of the Parliament, Ziyad Samadzade clarified that its offered to annul the article #6.6 of the Law on Budget system.

Under the draft law, in case the implementation of projects financed from the reserve funds specified requires a period longer than the current budget year, use of funds allocated from financing of those projects will not be carried on the next budget year.

Also, its offered to amend the Article #19.5 (Cash execution of the state budget). Under the draft amendment, balances of all treasury accounts for the yearend are transferred to the unified treasury account of the state budget. The amendments were approved.

Moreover, the structure of the Parliament was reshuffled. Latif Huseynov, Head of the Parliamentary Department of Legislation and State Building was dismissed from his post.

Mirhashim Seyid was appointed to this position. Formerly he worked as the deputy head of the department.

The head of sector at the department Fuad Mammadov was appointed as deputy head of the department.

Head of the Parliament's apparatus Safa Mirzayev presented new head and his deputy to the staff.

Speaker Ogtay Asadov, summing up the results of the session,said a fruitful work was done in the autumn session, during which 195 laws and decisions were adopted.

He added that Azerbaijani MPs paid more than 50 visits to 24 countries and observed the parliamentary and presidential elections in several countries.

The Parliament also sent a message to world Azerbaijanis on the occasion on December 31 -- Solidarity Day of World Azerbaijanis, calling for the preservation of national traditions and spiritual values of the Azerbaijani people.

The appeal emphasizes that the Azerbaijanis all over the world have one important task -- to preserve national values, customs and traditions of the people, and achievement of this goal requires efforts of all Azerbaijanis in the world.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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30 December 2016 11:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbbasova

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) has approved a guarantee of some $1.2 billion on the loan allocated for the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project, a core pipe of the ambitious Southern Gas Corridor project (SGC).

The guarantee is expected to help draw in commercial banks that will contribute to long-term financing needs of the project. Reinsurance capacity is also expected to be mobilized, a source in MIGA told Trend.

The WBs Board of Executive Directors earlier approved two loans each worth $400 million for Turkey and Azerbaijan for the implementation of the project, which is aimed at diversification of Azerbaijans gas export markets and provision of energy security in Turkey and South Eastern Europe.

The recipients of funding are the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) Closed Joint Stock Company with the guarantee of Azerbaijan and the Boru Hatlar Ile Petrol Tasma Anonim Sirketi (BOTAS) with the guarantee of Turkey.

Being a member of the World Bank Group, MIGA promotes foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries to help support economic growth, reduce poverty, while its strategy is to attract investors and private insurers in operating environments.

TANAP shareholders are Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR (58 percent), BOTAS (30 percent) and BP (12 percent).The length of the pipe is 1,800 kilometers with the initial capacity of 16 billion cubic meters

. Some 6 bcm of gas will be delivered to Turkey, while the remaining volume will be supplied to Europe. The construction process of TANAP is currently on track, while the project is completed by almost 55 percent. Some 19 underground passages have so far been built as part of the project.

Given the importance of the SGC for all countries involved, a number of international financial institutions are supporting the project, including the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the World Bank Group (WBG).

--

Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

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Ruling made in Beatrice 6 case

Jurors in a civil rights trial awarded $28.1 million to six wrongfully convicted people in early July, and the legal saga has continued since.

The three-week trial ended with a ruling in favor of the so-called Beatrice 6, and Gage County has been working to appeal the case or find a way to pay for the ruling since, bringing in several attorneys to work on the case.

The Beatrice 6 served a combined 77 years in prison for the crime which DNA evidence later proved they didn't commit.

The jury voted to award $7.3 million to the estate of Joseph White, Tom Winslow and JoAnn Taylor, three of the Beatrice 6 who sued Gage County, Sheriff's Deputy Burt Searcey, Wayne Price, a psychologist and reserve deputy, and the late Sheriff Jerry DeWitt, arguing they conducted an investigation four years after Helen Wilson's brutal death that was so reckless it shocked the conscience.

The verdict awarded total damages of $28,105,000 against Gage County, plus Searcey and Price individually.

A previous civil rights trial in 2014 ended in a hung jury.

The county has hired bankruptcy attorneys, as well as firms to untangle an insurance debacle to find if Gage County would be at least partially covered for the ruling.

Bond issues voted down

For the second time, Beatrice Public Schools district voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal for a new elementary school to be built north of Beatrice High School.

The general obligation bond of $34.88 million would have funded a new elementary school for all preschoolers through fifth graders (roughly 1,000 students) of the Beatrice Public Schools district.

The measure needed more than 50 percent voter approval to pass and was rejected with 4,224 votes against the measure and 1,969 votes for. The same proposal was voted down by 60.79 percent of voters in September 2015.

School officials had hoped to build on the land north of the high school, which is owned by the district and leased to farmers. Included in the $35 million figure were costs to demolish each of the existing four elementary schools, built in the 1950s.

November voters across 15 counties in Southeast Nebraska, including Gage, also defeated a $369 million proposal to overhaul Southeast Community College's facilities in Lincoln, Beatrice and Milford.

Locally, the bond issue included a $127 million overhaul of SCC's Beatrice campus, as well as upgrades to six learning center locations identified in other places in Southeast Nebraska.

Biodiesel produced in Beatrice

In September, the long-dormant biodiesel plant began production after a massive overhaul.

The plant was originally built in 2008, but was not finished and never operated.

Three years later, the plant was purchased by Duonix Beatrice, a joint venture between Flint Hills Resources, which is a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc., and Benefuel Inc., in late 2011.

Originally constructed at a cost of $50 million, the plant was sent to auction and purchased for $5 million.

Despite never being put into service, Flint Hills Resources and Benefuel needed to invest more than $100 million to retrofit the plant for operation.

Officials said around 70 percent of the structure remains original, but nearly all of the piping in the plant had to be retrofitted to make use of the companys technology.

The company can use various feedstock to make its product, whereas many other companies build a plant tailored to using one product.

The product is further enhanced by an upgraded distillation process that removes additional impurities which, when used on high free fatty acid feedstocks such as distillers corn oil, produces a higher quality biodiesel with superior cold weather performance.

The process was tested at a small pilot plant in Beatrice before the full-scale plant was put into operation. Beatrices plant is the first full-scale use of the technology.

Husqvarna building sold

After sitting empty for around six years, it was announced that an international mower company that already had a Beatrice presence was expanding to the former Husqvarna building in north Beatrice.

Worldlawn Power Equipment Inc., a global manufacturer whose U.S. headquarters is based in Beatrice, purchased the 274,000-square-foot facility in north Beatrice in late June to house an expansion.

Worldlawn President Hardy Shao said at the time that the company was growing and saw the building as an opportunity to expand its presence in Beatrice.

The company was established in California in 2004 and has been in Beatrice since 2011 when the World Lawn purchased Encore Manufacturing.

The company manufactures outdoor power equipment, including professional and commercial lawnmowers, residential lawnmowers, and snow throwers.

Worldlawn currently operates from a 100,000-square-foot facility in the nearby Gage County Industrial Park.

The new building acquisition will serve as a means for diversification, expansion, warehousing and solidifying the companys long-term goals.

Humane Society construction

The Beatrice Humane Society is preparing for a move after a new animal shelter was built this year.

The $1.3 million project is adding a 7,000-square-foot facility in west Beatrice, across from Southeast Community Colleges facility.

The hew shelter will be able to house more animals and include amenities the current facility at 300 Ella St. does not have, including animal visitation rooms.

The current 4,320-square-foot facility has 17 regular dog cages, as well as four fractious cages.

The new building will also be a garage bay for law enforcement to bring in dogs, reducing the chance a dog will escape when being brought in.

At the current facility, all of the dogs, regardless of size, are in the same area. Officials have said the current facility has never met the Humane Societys needs, and the new 5.3 acre facility west of town on Highway 136 will have about 27 cages.

The new shelter will also have separate areas for diseased animals, animals that have just come in and need to be monitored, and animals that are being held for an entity of the city like animal control or the police.

Downtown grant awarded

Downtown building facades will be eligible for upgrades after the city was awarded a grant to enhance the downtown district for the second time this decade.

The second phase of a Community Development Block Grant was awarded this month.

The $350,000 grant will be used to restore facades of downtown buildings, with the building owners contributing a proposed 25 percent of the cost.

The grant requires a 25 percent match on the citys end, and its anticipated that the match will be paid by business owners at the same rate.

The cost of facade improvements is estimated at $95 to $110 per square foot.

A committee will be formed early in 2017 to finalize the details of the facade improvement program.

The match could have come in the form of other infrastructure projects, though the city opted to include the match in the facade program itself to avoid additional studies.

The city used the same type of grant to renovate North Fifth Street in the downtown area, a project that was completed three years ago.

Northridge addition finished

A development in north Beatrice that houses several businesses was finished this year.

The buildings at Northridge Village, located at Highway 77 and Sargent Street, north of the Indian Creek Mall, are home to 10 businesses, with room for one more.

The complex, owned by Southwick Enterprises, features the recent addition of a 5,000-square-foot building, which Southwick Chiropractic is moving to.

First State Bank relocated to the corner building from its previous location farther south on Sixth Street.

Southwick Chiropractic moved to the newest building in part to give the bank better visibility from the highway.

Last year, Radiation Oncology Consultants and Edward Jones Financial Investments moved into the most recent building on the west side of the development.

A few of the other tenants include Godfathers Pizza and El Canelo Mexican Restaurant.

With the four buildings now finished, theres no more room to build at the location and officials have declared the development finished after six years.

Hospital expansion finished

An expansion to Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center gave some departments needed space when it was completed earlier this year.

The Women and Childrens Clinic and the Infusion Center, both previously on the second floor of the hospital, were two areas to benefit from the $7.2 million expansion.

The 17,500-square-foot expansion building relocated the Women and Childrens Clinic and the Infusion Center to the expansions first floor.

The Health Information Management Department was relocated, and the Physician Clinic on the second floor was renovated.

The expansion project was partially the result of growth, as hospital officials said the Infusion Center had grown 27 percent, the Women and Childrens Clinic experienced a 33 percent growth and the Pediatrics Department increased 128 percent.

The 12 exam rooms, utilized by eight medical providers, were doubled to 24 exam rooms with the expansion.

The new building has its own entrance, with nearby parking and curbside access. A total of 86 patient parking stalls were added, in addition to 29 additional employee parking stalls.

Another renovation prompted by patient feedback was a check-in area with more privacy, accomplished by longer walls separating the stations.

Downtown Beatrice made a historic district

Efforts to preserve downtown were rewarded with an August announcement that downtown Beatrice was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Nebraska State Historical Society announced that the district centered around Court and Sixth streets was added to the register after more than eight months of research and evaluation.

Local organizations had worked with the state historical society for a year, documenting the history of Beatrice's downtown area and crafting a proposal for the National Park Service, which maintains the national register.

The historic designation comes with several benefits, including economic benefits lime state and federal historic tax credits for building improvements and rehabilitations.

Three potential tax incentives include a 10 percent rehabilitation tax credit, a 20 percent Nebraska rehabilitation tax credit and a Nebraska historic property tax freeze. The tax freeze essentially keeps the building at its original valuation so the owner doesn't have to pay extra taxes for any rehabilitation improvements.

Within the boundary of the new downtown district are 119 historic buildings that represent Beatrice's early development from the mid-1800s through downtown revitalization efforts in the 1960s.

Turkeys coming to Beatrice

The Beatrice City Council finalized plans to add a turkey hatchery facility to the industrial park in November.

Real estate was officially sold to Hendrix Genetics, the company that will build and operate Hybrid Turkeys LLC. The company bought land in the Industrial Park from the city for $60,000.

Plans were announced in June that Hybrid Turkeys will build a hatchery in the northwest portion of the Gage County Industrial Park.

The hatchery is expected to be operational by July 2017 at the 30,000-square-feet site.

Estimates for how many jobs the hatchery will add to Beatrice have been anywhere from 10-15 jobs.

Hybrid Turkeys is part of Hendrix Genetics, a leading multi-species breeding company with primary activities in turkeys, layers, pigs, aquaculture and traditional poultry.

Headquartered in Boxmeer, in the Netherlands, Hendrix Genetics provides expertise and resources to producers in more than 100 countries, with operations and joint ventures in 24 countries and more than 2,400 employees worldwide.

County changes wind regulations

Years of planning and discussions culminated in March when the Gage County Board of Supervisors approved an updated set of regulations for commercial wind energy.

The board increased setback requirements of wind turbines and lowered the maximum decibel level for non-participating land owners.

Participating properties are those under an agreement with a wind energy system company, while nonparticipating properties are those that are not under an agreement.

The maximum decibel level for nonparticipating properties was lowered to 45 decibels during the day and 40 at night.

The decibel limit allows for an additional 5 decibels at certain times to account for ambient sound.

Previous regulations called for a maximum decibel level of 60 for participating landowners. The board amended this to allow sound levels to exceed 60 decibels for participating landowners, if the landowner reaches an agreement with the wind energy company.

The decibel limit for nonparticipating properties was the most contested aspect of the regulations, and neighbors of potential wind farms expressed concerns that noise levels would disrupt the daily lives of themselves and their children.

Planning and Zoning recommended setback requirements of 5/16 of a mile, or three times the total tower height, whichever is greater, from a residence on a nonparticipating property. The County Board ultimately approved a setback requirement of 3/8 of a mile.
30 December 2016 12:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Kazakhstan and the United States have started mutual issuing of 10-year visas, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported.

Starting from December 29, Kazakh citizens visiting the United States for business, private or tourist purposes, are able to get US visas for up to 10 years. The American citizens traveling to Kazakhstan can receive Kazakhstans visas for 10 years as well.

The migration services of two countries will determine a period of stay of visa-holders in accordance with domestic laws.

Meanwhile, the U.S. citizens are allowed to stay in Kazakhstan without visas for up to 30 days.

Increasing of visa validity term will contribute a maximum simplification of mutual trips of citizens of the two countries and is aimed at the development of the Kazakh-American cooperation in trade-economic, scientific-technical, cultural, humanitarian, tourism and other spheres, the ministry said.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 December 2016 15:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Ceasefire in Syria is a major achievement, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif twitted on December 30.

Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror, he said.

The Syrian government and armed opposition groups have reached an agreement on a ceasefire on Syrian territory and on readiness to start peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 29.

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since early 2011. Since then, more than a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced across the war-torn country, according to the UN.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 December 2016 16:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkey will tentatively hold parliamentary and presidential elections on November 3, 2019, a source in the Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey (YSK) told Trend on December 30.

The parliamentary and presidential elections are expected to be held on the same day, according to the new draft constitution approved at the meeting of the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee of the country.

Earlier, a source in the Turkish Parliament told Trend that the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee approved a number of articles in the countrys draft constitution.

The approved articles increase the number of seats in the Turkish Parliament from 550 to 600.

The draft constitution proposes to allow Turkish citizens to run for the post of the MP from the age of 18. Currently, the lowest age limit for this is 25.

One of the approved articles also offers to hold parliamentary elections every 5 years. Currently, the parliamentary elections are held every 4 years.

A Turkish citizen not younger than 40 and with higher education can become president of Turkey, according to the draft constitution. The Turkish president will also have the powers to appoint ministers and replace them.

The newly approved articles stipulate that the president-elect is not obliged to be a non-party nominee.

All the above mentioned proposals approved by the Constitutional Committee must be submitted to the Turkish Parliaments General Assembly. The constitutional amendments would then be discussed at two parliamentary sessions of the General Assembly.

During the first session, the four political parties in the General Assembly and the government would discuss the proposals as a whole and the articles separately, as well as any motions for amendment. The second session would be devoted only to the discussion of motions on amendments to articles.

If the draft constitution gets more than 367 votes, it can pass directly without the need for a referendum. However, the AK Party, the ruling party in Turkey, has said it will hold a referendum even if none is needed.

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30 December 2016 16:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Russias energy major Gazprom has approved a loan worth 310 million to its subsidiary South Stream Transport B.V. to finance expenses associated with the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, which aims to transfer Russian natural gas to Europe via the Black Sea and Turkey.

The loan will be granted for three and a half years, while the sum will be used to finance payments under the contracts for the supply of tubular products and equipment, storage and performance of construction work, contracts for the purchase of goods, work and services, as well as general administrative expenses.

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller earlier said that the company completed the construction of facilities required to feed gas to the Turkish Stream pipeline and the Russian side is fully ready for supplies.

The laying of the pipeline in the Black Sea is expected to start in 2017. The full implementation of the two-leg gas pipeline will reportedly require some 7 billion.

The intergovernmental agreement, which specifies the terms of the implementation, was signed on October 10. The time of completion of the work is late 2019. The agreement envisages construction of two branches of the pipeline under the Black Sea, with the capacity of each branch being 15.75 bcm of gas.

The first line intends to meet Turkeys demands in the energy source, while the second is aimed to provide demand of consumers in Southeastern Europe. The construction of the first branch of the project, which is planned to meet gas demand of Turkey, does not cause any doubts, while opinions on the possibility of the implementation of the second branch are controversial.

Russias Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov earlier said that the second line has a good potential, emphasizing that Moscow needs ironclad guarantees that the European Commission will not veto the construction of the second line of the Turkish Stream and the project will not see the fate of the abandoned South Stream.

The European Commission was against the implementation of the South Stream as the project was allegedly in breach of the EU third energy package, which envisages that one and the same company is not eligible to implement delivery and operate the pipeline.

The European Commission has not yet totally refused the possibility of getting supplies from the Turkish Stream. ECs Vice President for Energy Union Morosh Shefchovych earlier said that the issue needs to be analyzed and much will depend on the level of gas demand and commercial reasonability.

--

Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNews
Im ending this years series of year-end currency reviews with the Swissy, and for good reason.

Unlike the clear-cut (more or less) price action on the other currencies, price action on the Swissy was rather  chaotic, with plenty of diverging price action, so much so that I wouldnt blame you if you had the exact same reaction to the chart as the image below.

On a more serious note, the messy price action on the Swissy indicates that drivers for the opposing currencies were, well, driving price action on the various Swissy pairs.

Still, the Swiss franc had more losses, scoring wins only against the euro and the pound, the two currencies that got the brunt of the major events this year. And the Swissys rather uninspiring performance this year was likely due to two factors:

The search for higher returns

The sneaky SNBs shenanigans

The Search for Higher Returns

There were plenty of risk events in 2016, as you may have gleaned from my Monthly Review of 2016s Trading Themes. So why are the major equity indices (other than Chinese equity indices) in the green year-to-date, as of December 29, 2016?

The DOW ( DJI ) is up by 13.82% to 19,833.68 for the year

S&P 500 ( SPX ) is up by 10.08% to 2,249.92 for the year

The Euro Stoxx 50 ( STOXX50E ) is up by 0.15% to 3,273.50 for the year

The FTSE 100 ( FTSE ) is up by 13.73% to 7,099.90 for the year

The DAX ( GDAXI ) is up by 6.46% to 11,442.50 for the year

Nikkei 225 ( N225 ) is up by 0.59% to 19,145.14 for the year

Sure, risk sentiment did improve by a lot after Trump won in November. And there were also other, more particular factors, such as demand for export-oriented British companies after the pound plunged in the wake of the pro-Brexit vote. Still, the question remains. What drove equity indices to be broadly higher this year despite risk events aplenty?

Well, thats actually a rather pointless question because the heading already gave away the answer. Also, you may already have an idea about it, since I mentioned it in passing in my year-end reviews for the Aussie and the Kiwi.

Anyhow, the search for higher returns in a low-yield, low-growth world is also one of the major themes driving the global markets this year, at least before the Trump Effect came into play in November.

The gist of it is that the QE programs of the major central banks mainly target government bonds for their asset purchase programs, which drive up bond prices.

And as you have learned from our Schools lesson on How Bond Yields Affect Currency Movements, bond yields and bond prices are inversely correlated, so higher bond prices mean lower bond yields, which then means that bonds are no longer very attractive as investments.

This forces hedge funds and other big players to search for higher returns elsewhere. Some go to higher-yielding bonds from developing countries. Some go to higher-yielding currencies, such as the Kiwi or the Aussie. And others go to equities, despite their relatively riskier investment profile.

Demand for equities in a low-yield world, in particular, is something that Goldman Sachs mentioned in its 2016 outlook. And an article from The Economist points to the search for higher returns as one of the drivers for the broad-based equities rally before the Trump Effect came into effect in November. Theres even a cute article for individual investors from Forbes titled How To Invest For Income In A Low-Yield World and its basically all about stock-picking.

Anyhow, the search for higher returns also means lower demand for the lower-yielding Swiss franc. But wait, shouldnt price action on the Swissy and the yen be similar, given that both are safe-havens and there were plenty of risk events before risk sentiment improved post-Trump? So why was price action on the Swissy more chaotic and subdued compared to the yen?

Well, theres

The Sneaky SNBs Shenanigans

If you can no longer remember, the SNB was forced to remove the 1.2000 floor on EUR/CHF last year, which caused the Swissy to appreciate tremendously across the board.

And because of that appreciation, SNB officials have been threatening in every SNB monetary policy assessment, including the most recent one, that theyll remain active in the foreign exchange market as necessary because the Swissy is still significantly overvalued, so currency manipulation, er, I meant to say being active in the forex market is intended to make Swiss franc investments less attractive, thereby easing pressure on the currency.

And SNB officials really do make good on their threat of intervention. And you can see this when you look at the sight deposits with the SNB, as well as the SNBs foreign currency investments.

Lets take a look at the sight deposits first. Oh, for those who dont know sight deposits are a given banks most liquid assets that are deposited in the SNB, which are then entered into the SNBs own books as liabilities.

Domestic Swiss banks, in particular, have sight deposits to meet their minimum reserve requirements. And these sight deposits that are just parking there in the SNB are used to finance currency manipulation operations. Oops! I said it again. I meant to say being active in the forex market.

Anyway, rising sight deposits, therefore, imply that the SNB is being active in the forex market and as you can see on the table below, the SNB has been very active in the forex market all year.

Note, in particular, the relatively large increases in June and November. The large rise in November was very likely a response to higher safe-haven demand because of uncertainty related to the U.S. elections while the very large increase in June was very definitely due to Brexit. And Im 100% sure that it was due to Brexit because the SNB blatantly admitted that it intervened, saying the following in an email published by Bloomberg.

Following the United Kingdoms vote to leave the European Union, the Swiss franc came under upward pressure  The Swiss National Bank has intervened in the foreign exchange market to stabilize the situation and will remain active in that market.

As for the SNBs main targets when its being active in the forex market, below is a table showing how the SNB has been hoarding foreign currencies.

As you can see, the SNB primarily targets the euro, which accounts for around 43% of total foreign currency purchases as of Q3. This makes sense, given that the lions share of Switzerlands exports makes their way to the Euro Zone (Germany mainly), with exports to the Euro Zone accounting for CHF 8,324 million (44.3%) of Switzerlands CHF 18,787 million worth of exports in November.

The second biggest target for being active in the forex market is the Greenback, which accounts for 33.3% of total foreign currency investments. This also makes sense, since the U.S. is the second biggest market for Swiss exports, accounting for about CHF 2,768 million (14.7%).

Also note, that SNBs foreign currency investments have been ballooning, which goes to show that they are trying really hard to weaken to Swiss franc.

Although the SNB did lighten up a bit on their yen holdings by the end of Q3, which is a really smart move, given how rapidly the yen depreciated in the wake of Trumps victory in November.

And the SNBs efforts do appear to be somewhat effective, given how the Swissy performed this year. And while the Swissy did manage to win out against the euro, pushing EUR/CHF lower for the year, EUR/CHF happens to have the smallest loss among the major euro pairs, so the SNBs efforts do seem to have an effect.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 at the St. Peters Lutheran Church, southwest of Elk Creek, with Rev. Robert Schermbeck officiating. Visitation will be at the Wherry Mortuary in Tecumseh on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with family greeting friends from 6-8 p.m. Interment will be in the St. Peters Lutheran Cemetery, rural Elk Creek, with full military honors with the Tracy Bates American Legion Post #370.
The Board of Directors of Work Service S.A. ("the Issuer") hereby informs about the todays conclusion of a credit agreement ("the Agreement") with Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski S.A. ("PKO BP").



The subject matter of the Agreement is granting a credit in the amount of PLN 55,000,000.00 (fifty five million Polish zloty) for the purpose of financing of current liabilities of the Issuer. The credit repayment date has been fixed for 20 months from the date of conclusion of the Agreement.



The financial conditions of the Agreement stipulate interest on the granted credit based on the WIBOR 1M rate, increased by the relevant margin. Additionally, the Agreement envisages a standard payment of the preparatory commission (payable on the day of concluding the Agreement) and the commission on commitment (calculated from the unused and available credit amount) by the Issuer.



The credit may be used subject to the Issuer submitting a notarial statement on subjection to enforcement, following the procedure set out in Article 777 (1) of the Civil Code, to the amount of 150% of the credit amount, as well as subject to establishing a security over 75% of shares in the Issuer's subsidiary - Prohuman 2004 Kft, registered in Hungary ("Security").



During the financing period, the Issuer will be obliged to: (i) maintain net debt to EBITDA ratio at a specific level, (ii) maintain the leverage ratio (ratio of net debt to equity increased by minority interest) at the level below a specific value; these financial ratios are subject to control conducted every six months and will be calculated on the basis of consolidated financial statements of the Issuer's group of companies, on the basis of the results for the last 12 months.



According to the Agreement, the Issuer has undertaken to establish a security over the shares in Prohuman 2004 Kft within 3 months from the date of signing of the Agreement. The Agreement also envisages an additional security in the form acceptable for PKO BP, in the event of deterioration  in the opinion of the bank  of the economic and financial situation of the Issuer, resulting in the need to create write-downs according to IAS, in the amount sufficient to eliminate the need to create such write-downs.



The Issuer will be entitled to a dividend payment once per a financial year, provided that the following conditions are met: (i) the planned payment will not cause occurrence of a breach of the obligations contained in the Agreement nor is such a breach present, (ii) settlement of the financial ratios for the previous period has been presented to and accepted by PKO BP, (iii) payment to shareholders does not exceed 50% of the annual net profit and does not exceed the reserve capital available for dividend payments, (iv) the net debt to EBITDA ratio does not exceed 3.0 for the previous financial year as compared to the date of the dividend payment.



As a result of the conducted analysis, the Issuer concluded that the value of the credit, constituting the subject matter of the Agreement, justifies classifying information on the Agreement as confidential information, as defined by Article 17 (1) of MAR, subject to publication in the form of this report.



Legal basis:



Article 17 (1) of MAR (Regulation of the European Parliament and the European Council (EU) No. 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 on market abuse ()


"For four years of exceptionally meritorious service to the National Guard while serving as the governor of the state of North Carolina, Governor Pat McCrory distinguished himself by consistently demonstrating sound judgment, integrity, and professionalism in the face of political pressure, natural disaster, and local conflict. His steadfast leadership and resolve to levy the resources at his disposal for the benefit of his constituents and the North Carolina National Guard was admirable. Governor McCrory's high standard of commitment and governance reflect great credit upon himself, the North Carolina National Guard and the state of North Carolina."

Contact: McCrory Communications

McCrory Communications govpress@nc.gov

Raleigh, N.C. The North Carolina National Guard has recognized Governor Pat McCrory for his dedication, leadership and support to the National Guard throughout his governorship. Adjutant General Greg Lusk, Major General of the North Carolina National Guard, presented Governor McCrory with the Meritorious Service Medal for his service to the National Guard and state of North Carolina at the Executive Mansion.said Governor McCrory.In recent months, Governor McCrory has hailed the North Carolina National Guard for its service during civil unrest in Charlotte and Hurricane Matthew. Those events are among the many noted in the award, which states:In addition to leading the National Guard, last year, Governor McCrory championed the Connect NC bond initiative that will invest $70 million to update three National Guard Readiness Centers.
In two weeks, Ben Affleck's "Live By Night" will premiere in theaters across the country, showcasing Ybor City and a piece of Tampa history.

And believe it or not, local leaders aren't that happy about it. That's because filmmakers passed on shooting the movie in Ybor City, instead opting to build a fake set in Georgia. Because of film incentives, it was cheaper to build a set elsewhere.

Lawmakers in Tallahassee have refused to fund incentives package

Film commissioner wants state leaders to change stance

Study shows 'The Infiltrator' pumped money into economy

Click here to read study, or scroll down



Dale Gordon, Tampa Hillsborough Film and Digital Media Commissioner, calls it a devastating blow. Gordon again called on state lawmakers to fund a state incentives package to lure major motion pictures to the area.

"It's heartbreaking to know that part of our heritage, part of our story, part of what makes Tampa and Ybor unique, is being told elsewhere," said Gordon.

Georgia offered millions in incentives, making it an easy choice for Affleck and crew to recreate Ybor City and save a bundle in the process.

Do you think Florida should offer economic incentives to lure major motion pictures to our state? @BN9  Erin Maloney (@ErinOnTV) December 30, 2016

Lawmakers in Tallahassee have repeatedly refused to fund an incentives package, after money ran out in 2014.

But Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan said local leaders will continue to provide local incentives to bring films to the area. It worked in securing "The Infiltrator," starring Brian Cranston, which filmed here for weeks.

A study conducted by HCP Associates, and provided by the film commission, shows for every dollar the county spent in incentives, it received nearly $4 in return.

The study says the $250,000 incentives package pumped $957,020 back into the local economy.

"Live By Night," though, could have been a game-changer, Hagan said.

"This could have been our version of Dolphin Tale," Hagan said.

He's referring to the blockbuster film that reportedly pumped $1 billion into the local tourism industry and reshaped the Clearwater Aquarium.

Hagan said the county has budgeted nearly $500,000 in incentives to lure projects to town. But filmmakers must meet requirements such as employing local workers and spending the money locally.

Although Affleck didn't film in the real Ybor City, you may see him in the area soon. Leaders are in talks to bring him into town for a VIP screening of the new film, in an effort to boost Ybor tourism.

Even so, leaders like Gordon and Hagan call it a missed opportunity to put "the real" Ybor City back on the silver screen.
With the Democrats losing the presidency, after winning the popular vote by over 2 million votes more than the victor, Donald J. Trump: Should the constitutional provision of the Electoral College be scrapped? Yes, the votes for president should be concentrated in the population centers. No, the Electoral College provides for better representation from the less populated states. I rarely vote because I have little knowledge of the issues. 103 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



The foreign policy preferences that Donald Trump espoused on the campaign trail, both in the primary and general elections, were marred by contradictions and an evident lack of intellectual curiosity. Trump seemed dangerously unaware of world affairs in various theaters, an example being when he was apparently ignorant of Russia's annexation of Crimea in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. This lack of understanding led to many foolish remarks on his part, examples coming when he spoke in favor of Japan and South Korea obtaining nuclear weapons and also when said that he would be "neutral" in dealings between Israel and Palestine, among other things. The President-Elect's brazen criticism of NATO also revealed how little he understood with regards to Russian aggression and the important firewall the organization puts up to counter it. Since his election and throughout the transition, however, Trump's words and actions when it comes to foreign policy have shown much promise.For example, Trump has made some excellent cabinet nominations in roles pertaining to foreign policy-making. The most notable being the legendary Marine Corps General Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis. Not only is General Mattis a gifted leader of men, but also a brilliant battlefield strategist, an intellectual with a keen understanding of history and a warrior through and through. Trump tapped General Mattis to head the Pentagon as Secretary of Defense, which is a department in dire need of the leadership Mattis will provide. Beyond pure administrative matters, however, I expect for Mattis to have Trump's ear on critical foreign policy issues, and to be the voice of both reason and reality when it comes to solving international problems with strong American leadership. Moreover, the appointment of Governor Nikki Haley to the post of ambassador to the U.N. is also reassuring. While Trump tends to drift, to a fault in most cases, from conservative Republican orthodoxy on several foreign policy issues, most notably with his stance on Russia, Haley's views on foreign affairs closely resemble that of the hawkish Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), whom she endorsed in the Republican primary. This a good thing. When it comes to the morally bankrupt and bullying United Nations, it is essential to have someone with a realist worldview dealing on behalf of the United States, particularly in Security Council dealings with Russia and China. Haley will be a tough leader on the global stage, just as she was as the chief executive of South Carolina.Furthermore, Trump has also hit all the right notes so far when it comes to dealing with Israel, especially considering his careless words in favor of a "neutral" stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the primary. This starts with his nomination of David Friedman to the post of Ambassador to Israel. Friedman's views are very much in line with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's on important issues, and he will be a friend to Israel in the battle against threats like the ruthless terrorism of Hamas and an Iran emboldened by the Obama presidency. Importantly, Friedman also supports moving the Israeli capital from Tel Aviv to it's rightful place in Jerusalem. Trump has also been excellent in his support for Israel against the UN's misguided resolution condemning Israeli settlements, and these types of stands will be critical going forward as the UN often treats Israel as a punching bag while ignoring the human rights abuses of countries like Russia, China and Saudi Arabia. Although the recent abstention seemed to be another example of the Obama administration's weakness on the international stage, more and more evidence is beginning to be released showing that the U.S. had a key role in formulating the resolution, such as the reports that Vice President Joe Biden actively lobbied other countries on the Security Council to ensure that the resolution passed unopposed. For those of us who don't like emboldening terrorists and denigrating important allies, it will be a nice change to see American support for Israel again, the only western-style democracy in the Middle East.Trump's toughness on China has also been a welcome change. While some of his talk on trade is still a little disconcerting and misguided, he seems more than willing to stand up to Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, which, if left unchecked, could pose a real threat to U.S. economic and military interests in the region. The most notable action that he has taken thus far with regards to China, however, involves his conversation with the President of Taiwan. While many on the left were enraged by Trump's 'audacity' and his 'violation of diplomatic norms', Ted Cruz took to twitter to make the important point that he "would much rather have Donald Trump talking to President Tsai than to Cuba's Raul Castro or Iran's Hasan Rouhani." Moreover, the notion that the president of our country can't directly communicate with the freely elected leader of a democratic country because it would anger a dictatorship is appalling, weak and a perfect anecdote for the deterioration of the United States as a force on the global stage.Unfortunately, many of these positive signs from Trump have been overshadowed by President Obama's last ditch efforts to implement his increasingly incoherent foreign policy agenda. Between the UN abstention and his last minute diplomatic sanctions on Russia, Obama has been even more brazen and confusing than usual as of late. While I do support sanctioning Russia and investigating their cyber offenses, what the President did yesterday in expelling Russian diplomats and shutting down several Russian facilities remains too little, too late and unsurprisingly only came after the Russians seemed to hurt him in a concrete political sense. The fact remains that Putin wiped the floor with Obama in their global chess match, and there is very little that can be done by the current administration in the next three weeks to change that. Trump's gullibility when it comes to Putin and Russia is still a point of concern, however, he has seemed to change his tone to some extent as of late, an example coming in his promise to strengthen our weakened nuclear arsenal following Putin's announcement of his intention to do the same. While no one wants to see an arms race, much less a nuclear war, it is important that Putin gets the signal from Trump that Russian aggression will no longer be met with passivity. Moreover, while both Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Flynn and Rex Tillerson, his nominee for Secretary of State, have demonstrated views on Russia that are unbelievably naive, the voices of Mattis and Haley, along with key Congressional Republicans, could very well neutralize this.While the Obama administration, and to some extent the Bush administration before it, have left America as a less influential global power and have therefore left the world a much more volatile place, the instincts Trump has demonstrated thus far should provide some hope. Trump replaces Obama's professor-esque lectures about moral relativism in foreign affairs with a clear desire to protect American interests. Not only is this refreshing, but it is an absolute necessity if America is to be kept safe in the years to come.
James Franklin "Jim" Hayes passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016, after a long and courageous battle with numerous health issues.

Jim was born on Oct. 30, 1944, in Casper, Wyo., to James Boggs and Ruth Grondal Boggs Lane.

He began his broadcasting career at the age of fourteen when he became a deejay at KATI radio. After graduating from Natrona High School in Casper in 1962, he attended the University of Wyoming where he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity, becoming its president during his sophomore year. He quickly became the main emcee for University activities. Jim was also an active member of ROTC at UW.

His studies were interrupted in 1967, when he was drafted into the U.S. Army as a 2nd LT. This resulted in his going to Vietnam for a year. Upon his return, he and Anne Coe were married on Aug. 15, 1969. After a year at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla., their first anniversary was spent with Jim on his return to Vietnam for a second tour. He was honorably discharged as a captain in January, 1972. He returned to college and received a degree in journalism in 1973.

Jim and Anne moved to Cody where he purchased KODI radio and later KTAG radio, forming Shoshone Communications. Jim enjoyed many years of radio journalism in the Cody area, his voice becoming a familiar backdrop to community events and news. Jim was elected president of the Wyoming Broadcasters' Association.

Jim was a member of the Cody Volunteer Fire Department for many years. During that time he held the post of captain and chief. He loved his time on the Department and formed many great and lasting friendships while there.

Jim was a lifetime member of the Lions, the Elks, the Masons, and the VFW (Volunteers of Foreign Wars).

He was also a lifetime member of the Episcopal Church, eventually completing its EFM (Episcopalians for the Ministry) three-year course.

Jim and Anne's family grew; James Franklin "Jay" Hayes Jr., was born in 1974. He was followed by Margaret Ruth "Meg" Hayes in 1976.

In their retirement, Jim and Anne traveled often to Colorado to spend time with their son Jay, his wife Brittany and their three children, Colin, Addison, and Camden. In 2015, the entire family celebrated the wedding of their daughter Meg to William Frere; in 2016, they welcomed a new grandchild, Anne-Margaret, to their family. Family, friends, and faith remained the focal point of Jim's life in later years.

Those who knew Jim will remember his leadership, service and wonderful sense of humor. They will also remember his grace and courage as illness claimed his body but never his alert and focused mind. Jim set an example for all of us in coping with life's setbacks and making the best of every opportunity. He will be remembered with love.

Jim was preceded in death by his birth father James Boggs, his brother Bill Hayes, and his mother-in-law, Margaret "Peg" Shaw Coe.

He is survived by his wife, Anne Coe Hayes, of Cody; his mother, Ruth Grondal Lane, of Cody; his son, James "Jay" F. Hayes Jr. (Brittany) of Fort Collins, Colo.; daughter Margaret "Meg" Ruth Hayes Frere (William) of Geneva, Switzerland; grandchildren Colin Hayes, Addison Hayes, Camden Hayes, and Anne-Margaret Frere; brothers-in-Law Sen. Henry Coe and Robert Coe (Angela) of Cody; nephews H.R. Coe (Thai), Rob Coe, and Hubbard Coe; and nieces Carey Coe (Jeff) Johnson and Bethany Coe Boydstun as well as several great-nephews and -nieces.

The Hayes family extends their thanks to all of the caregivers who have assisted them through the years.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cody Fire Department (1125 11th Street, Cody, WY, 82414), Christ Episcopal Church (825 Simpson Ave., Cody, WY, 82414) or the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (720 Sheridan Ave., Cody, WY, 82414).

Go with God, Jim.

Services are planned for 2 p.m., Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, at Christ Episcopal Church in Cody, with interment to follow at Riverside Cemetery. A celebration of Jims life will follow at the Olive Glenn Country Club.

Services have been entrusted to Ballard Funeral Home. An online memorial is available at www.BallardFH.com.
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Wring out the old and wring in the new because a way-above-average rainy year deserves another round of storms before the clock strikes 2017.

People usually "ring" in the new year and greet it with fireworks, but lighting fuses might be difficult in a rainstorm.

The National Weather Service is predicting heavy rain for New Year's Eve in the Beaumont area, as the first of several cold fronts approaches the region, said Roger Erickson, warning coordination meteorologist for the weather service's Lake Charles office.

From 1 to 2 inches of rain could fall from Saturday afternoon through the early hours of Sunday, Erickson said.

That could complicate New Year's Eve festivities with localized street flooding, he said.

Earlier this week, a heavy rainstorm stymied afternoon drive-time traffic at underpasses and other low-lying areas, particularly along some Interstate 10 on-and off-ramps.

That rainfall added to the year-to-date total of 74.5 inches recorded at the weather service's Jack Brooks Regional Airport rain gauge, which put the region 14.5 inches above normal for 2016 so far.

That just about equals the year-to-date rainfall for 2015, which was 74 inches, Erickson said.

Normal rainfall is 60 inches a year, determined by the records of the previous 30 years.

Saturday's rain could come in succeeding bands.

"It could fall fast enough to close some roads," Erickson said.

The weather service is predicting residual rain on Sunday as the mass of saturated air moves into Louisiana. On Monday, any rain left in the forecast for Southeast Texas likely will fall in Tyler, Jasper and Newton counties, Erickson said.

Temperatures will remain warm throughout the weekend and ahead of the front with lows in the 50s or 60s and highs in the low- to mid-70s.

A series of fronts will begin to move through the region next week, bringing a cooling trend, Erickson said.

DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/dwallach
The new documentary movie, "Wild Trout, A Montana Fish Story" will be shown on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at the Magic City Fly Fishers meeting at the Billings Rod and Gun Club.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

"Wild Trout" follows the history of how Montana moved from a hatchery produced trout culture to a nearly exclusive wild trout fishery in Montanas blue ribbon trout streams.

Billings native Pat Byorth, director of Montana Trout Unlimiteds Western Water Project and director of the movie, will also discuss his role in preserving cold water for Montana trout through the acquisition of instream flows and landowner partnerships to reclaim riparian land that benefit trout.

John Bradley, eastern field representative for the Montana Wildlife Federation, will start the meeting with a review of the federations legislative goals and current Eastern Montana projects.
President-elect Donald J. Trump could make big changes to the Veterans Affairs medical care, according to the New York Times.

After meeting with private hospital system executives earlier this week, Mr. Trump made it known that he wanted to change medical care options for veterans, who traditionally received care at VA hospitals. One of Mr. Trump's officials described the potential changes, which would allow veterans to seek care at a VA facility or private physician in a "public-private option."

According to the report, Mr. Trump's official did not provide details about how the "public-private option" would work or cost details. The president-elect did not discuss unintended consequences of privatizing the VA, although his official reported that Mr. Trump's thinking on the matter was "advanced."

While campaigning for Mr. Trump's opponent in the general election, President Barack Obama spoke against privatizing the VA, stating it would "dismantle the VA healthcare system" that veterans depend on.

According to the NYT, Mr. Trump is considering forming a committee to reshape the VA that could include several of the private hospital leaders he met with earlier in the week: Mayo Clinic President John H. Noseworthy; Johns Hopkins Medicine CEO Paul Rothman; Chief Executive of Partners HealthCare David Torchiana; and Chief Executive of Cleveland Clinic Delos Cosgrove.
Marlborough, Mass.-based Boston Scientific's annual Connected Patient Challenge  co-sponsored by Mountain View-Calif.-based Google  aims to revolutionize data analytics in healthcare by awarding a $50,000 prize to an analytic-based start-up, the Boston Business Journal reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. Companies can apply through Jan. 15, 2017. An event will be held at Google's Cambridge, Mass.-based office honoring the finalists.

2. Entries are on a social media-based research platform the public can use to ask questions and provide feedback on them.

3. Boston Scientific has a significant portion of its business facing digital health, and is looking for ways to spur innovation.
Here are five statistics on EHR threats to patient privacy, according to the Medscape EHR Report 2016: Physicians Rate Top EHRs.

When Medscape conducted the survey in 2012, 77 percent of physician respondents said they didn't have privacy concerns about EHRs. However, this past year the number of physicians without concerned dropped to 8 percent. The top patient privacy concerns among physicians in relationship to EHRs are:

1. Internal sabotage of records: 24 percent

2. HIPAA compliance: 35 percent

3. Loss of patient information through a malfunction: 57 percent

4. Unauthorized access to patient information: 57 percent

5. Hacking and misusing information: 60 percent
Donald Trump met with some of the nation's leading healthcare executives on Dec. 28, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla., according to the Washington Post.

Here are five things to know:

1. The guests included Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic President and CEO John Noseworthy, MD; Baltimore-based The Johns Hopkins Medicine CEO Paul Rothman, MD; Boston-based Partners HealthCare President and CEO David Torchiana, MD; and Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Toby Cosgrove.

2. After the meeting with Mr. Trump, Dr. Noseworthy's office issued a statement saying the goal of the meeting was to "share his perspective on the future of healthcare delivery, research and excellence" and that he was "pleased for the opportunity."

3. As chief executive of Johns Hopkins, Dr. Rothman oversees both the school of medicine and the Johns Hopkins Health System, which features six hospitals, hundreds of community physicians and a self-funded health plan.

4. Partners HealthCare operates in a state perceived to be on the forefront of healthcare reform, The Washington Post reports. As chief executive, Dr. Torchina oversees Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospital, both in Boston.

5. Dr. Cosgrove, a heart surgeon, has made news as of late over being Mr. Trump's number one pick to lead the Department of Veteran Affairs.
CMS and Philadelphia-based Wills Eye Hospital are at odds over the agency classifying Wills Eye as an ASC, according to Philly.com.

Here are five key points:

1. Wills Eye re-established inpatient care services at its main building in 2013 and then applied for Medicare enrollment as a hospital. Prior to adding these serves, the eye center fell under ASC classification.

2. Following its application, the eye center relinquished its state ASC license. However, CMS denied the application saying most of Wills Eye's primary services were outpatient.

3. Wills Eyes filed a complaint on Dec. 23, 2016, saying CMS made the decision randomly and if CMS made the decision for other facilities in the future, many high-profile hospitals will forgo Medicare participation.

4. A CMS official previously estimated 17 percent of Wills Eye's cases were inpatient, at most, making the percent too low for the facility to quality as a hospital. Wills Eyes countered the claim using American Hospital Association data that showed four major hospitals that had inpatient ratios of less than 2 percent in fiscal year 2011.

5. Pennsylvania Department of Health, which licensed Wills Eyes as a hospital, had officials advocating on Wills Eye's behalf. However, an administrative law judge ruled against the facility in February 2016 and another judge ruled against the facility in October 2016.
Breaking news, CMS measures and Donald Trump's gastroenterologist Harold Bornstein, MD, captured the attention of Becker's ASC Review gastroenterology/endoscopy readers in 2016.

The following are among the most popular GI/endoscopy stories from Becker's this year.

1. Physicians accept blame for Joan Rivers' death

The family of Comedienne Joan Rivers reached a settlement with Yorkville Endoscopy in New York City after physicians at the center botched a procedure that caused the her death.

2. Who is Donald Trump's gastroenterologist, Dr. Harold Bornstein?

After handwriting a four-paragraph letter earlier this year proclaiming the health of President-elect Donald Trump, then the Republican presidential nominee, readers wanted to know more about Harold Bornstein, MD.

3. CMS proposed 2017 physician fee schedule eliminates moderate sedation from endoscopic procedures

CMS began looking to separate moderate sedation services from procedure codes in all specialties back in 2014, including gastrointestinal endoscopy. They announced a new rule in July 2016 that separated moderate sedation services from several GI/endoscopy procedures under Medicare Part B. However, there wasnt any financial impact on physicians performing their own moderate sedation.

4. St. Mary's Hospital settles lawsuit related to endoscopy death; investigation of gastroenterologist closed

St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, Wis., settled a lawsuit following the death of an endoscopy patient in 2013. The hospital settled for an undisclosed amount, but the total was anticipated to be around $3.75 million.

5. Olympus under fire: Internal emails reveal US execs told not to issue warning about possible fatal scope infection

Olympus' internal emails revealed the company told U.S. executives not to issue a broad warning to hospitals regarding a deadly infection from tainted scopes that was later linked to numerous deaths at major hospitals.

6. Olympus of the Americas pays $646M settlement in kickback case

Olympus of the Americas paid millions in a civil and criminal penalties suit to settle kickback charges. Olympus admitted to paying physicians and hospitals in the United States bribes to promote its medical devices. The company's Latin American unit is also resolving allegations it paid around $3 million to government-employed healthcare practitioners to increase sales.

7. Schizophrenic son of gastroenterologist Dr. William Wu found guilty of stabbing him

The son of gastroenterologist William Wu, MD, who attacked him with a pair of knives on Nov. 24, 2015, was found guilty but insane by a Lane County Circuit judge in July 2016.

8. CMS releases clinical quality measures for gastroenterology

CMS released its clinical quality measures for seven different specialties, including gastroenterology in February 2016.

9. FDA approves 1st CRC screening blood test

The FDA has approved Epigenomics' Epi proColon, making it the first and only FDA-approved blood-based colorectal cancer screening test.

10. GI societies object to American Board of Internal Medicine's certification proposals

The American Board of Internal Medicine recently released two proposed pathways for its maintenance of certification program. The American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American College of Gastroenterology and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases has objected to them proposals.
Belhaven, N.C., lost the fight to reopen Pungo District Hospital, the town's only hospital, when demolition began Wednesday evening, The News & Observer reported.

The hospital was taken over by Greenville, N.C.-based Vidant Health in 2011 in an effort to keep the hospital open amid financial troubles. Vidant decided to close the hospital in 2014 and replace it with a 24-hour clinic, according to the report. However, the clinic doesn't accept ambulances and patients must travel for an hour to reach the nearest emergency room, The News & Observer reported.

The town has been fighting to reopen the hospital, and Mayor Adam O'Neal has even marched more than 700 miles to Washington, D.C., and the state capital in an attempt to save Pungo. Mr. O'Neal has worked with activist groups, including the NAACP, to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to repurchase the hospital.

Mr. O'Neal's group has been unsuccessful in attempts to acquire Pungo District Hospital, but secured a temporary restraining order that stopped demolition. The pro-hospital group sought a preliminary injunction to protect the facility more permanently, but a judge denied the request Wednesday and dissolved the restraining order, according to the report.

Demolition began at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening.

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Here are companies that debuted revenue cycle management products for healthcare vendors and providers in 2016.

1. Surgical Notes, a nationwide provider of revenue cycle solutions, including transcription, coding, revenue cycle management, document management and EHR applications, for the ASC and surgical hospital markets, launched a new program for clients.

2. Healthcare Revenue Strategies, a provider of revenue management software and services, revealed a new website aimed at assisting healthcare organizations in dealing with "increasing complexities in claims."

3. RelayHealth Financial, a subsidiary of McKesson, teamed up with Emergency Recovery Incorporated to provide revenue recovery services to hospitals and healthcare providers.

4. iPatientCare, which provides cloud-based ambulatory EHR and RCM services, will conduct regular monthly educational sessions for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.

5. Infor, a New York City-based enterprise software provider, is now offering the next generation of Infor Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management, version 3.6.0.

6. AudioEducator, a website offering webinars and conferences across specialties in medical coding and billing, designed the 2017 CPT Coding Update Value Bundle to help coders, billers and healthcare leaders prepare and tackle massive reform in the coding system.

7. International investment management firm BNY Mellon introduced an automated medical claims payment platform to facilitate electronic transactions between payers and providers.

8. Codixim launched Text2Codes, a web based computer assisted coding app.

9. TransUnion Healthcare, a TransUnion subsidiary and a provider of revenue cycle management solutions, integrated its Patient Financial Clearance solutions with the Epic Outgoing Address Verification Query Interface.

10. Aprima Medical Software, a provider of EHR, practice management and revenue cycle management solutions for medical practices, introduced a new, integrated cloud-based faxing solution from Kno2, a healthcare workflow optimization company.

11. iHealth Innovations, a revenue performance and advisory company for physician practices and medical groups, now offers Wellness and Revenue Assistance Program services.

12. Change Healthcare, a provider of software and analytics, network solutions and technology-enabled services, released a Merchant Services enhancement to its SmartPay solution.

13. Ontario Systems, an accounts receivable management and healthcare revenue cycle management software and services provider, introduced the Artiva HCx solution.

14. ezDI, a computer-assisted coding technology provider, launched a coding compliance and auditing platform called "ezAssess."

15. Dynamic Healthcare Systems updated its Voyager Premium Billing solution to give health plans offering Medicare Advantage products better control and flexibility in managing members' premiums, dues and payments.

16. SNF A/R Consulting and Billing Services, a full-service medical billing and consulting company, now offers accounts receivable consulting and billing services designed for nursing homes.

17. PowerHealth Solutions formed a joint venture with Adaptive Insights, a corporate performance management solutions provider, to combine IT products in a business planning and budgeting solution.

18. Billing Blues now offers an end-to-end revenue cycle management solution to large and small medical facilities.

19. Medical billing services provider Sybrid MD introduced its $1 Billing solution for physicians and medical practices.

20. ScribeAmerica introduced HealthChannels, a group comprised of three distinct companies that aim to help hospitals and health systems manage clinical and financial processes.

21. The American Hospital Association created a tool to help hospitals and providers prepare for MACRA compliance.

22. Gem, a blockchain platform provider, unveiled a revenue cycle management pilot program that runs on the Gem Health Network.

23. Windham Brannon, an audit and accounting firm, will provide advisory and financial assistance to rural hospitals through its revenue cycle consortium.

24. Fiserv, a financial services technology provider, introduced a payment platform designed to help utility, insurance, lending, healthcare and telecommunication companies customize billing and payment options for customers.

25. FAIR Health launched a mobile app aimed at promoting healthcare literacy among Connecticut patients.

26. Medical billing business owners Jean Chenette and Jennifer Gomm released their medical billing support service, Help My Biller.

27. Healthcare technology company RemitDATA and StarHealth Provider Solutions launched a comparative analytics tool.

28. Shamrock Solutions released a digital explanation of benefits solution.

29. CareCredit launched a digital application that enables patients to apply for and use CareCredit financing during appointments at physicians' offices.

30. Payment software provider Elavon released updates to its Payment Navigator system to help providers improve patient financial experience.

31. MAP Health Management, a practice management services and technology firm, introduced a new subsidiary focused on revenue cycle management solutions.

32. MedBill-IQ launched an app through which consumers can upload their medical bills for review by a licensed healthcare professional.

33. Healthcare Payment Specialists launched two revenue cycle management products: Uncompensated Care Analytics and Complex DRG Review.

34. Windham Brannon, an audit and accounting firm, will provide advisory and financial assistance to rural hospitals through its revenue cycle consortium.

35. Medical Transcription Billing launched a hospital receivables management solution.

36. EveryPatient launched a patient satisfaction platform.

37. PokitDok partnered with PillPack to power an app that seeks to improve patient experience for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries and Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit plan members.

38. Medidata introduced a new component of its cloud-based clinical research platform that enables contract research organizations and clinical trial sponsors to calculate and disburse reimbursements.

39. XpertDox launched a hospital search functionality tool to help patients find the best facilities for their medical needs.

40. Connance expanded its Reimbursement Optimization solution.

41. Amino launched a new tool that enhances consumers' search of procedure prices based on physicians and insurers.

42. Aprima, an EHR, practice management and revenue cycle management technology provider, now offers a practice management platform compliant with rules under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act and Medicare's Merit-Based Incentive Payment System.

43. ezDI, a computer-assisted coding technology provider, released a clinical documentation improvement application built with natural language processing capabilities.

44. GAFFEY Healthcare, a revenue cycle management firm, enhanced its collections automation workflow to help providers focus on account underpayments and denials.

45. Change Healthcare added patient access functionalities to its software platform.

46. nThrive, created by the integration of MedAssets-Precyse and Equation, launched a suite of products to help providers maximize point-of-service collections, reduce denials and implement new reimbursement models.

47. Connance unveiled new and expanded components to its revenue cycle analytics suite.

48. Deloitte introduced a suite of solutions aimed at helping healthcare organization administrators manage and improve financial and operational efficiencies.

49. RelayHealth Financial, introduced a new tool to help healthcare organizations more easily track, create and file appeals for denied claims.

50. Computer-assisted coding provider Artificial Medical Intelligence launched new coding and reimbursement software.

51. CPSI introduced a new program to help providers improve revenue cycle functions and use the financial savings toward an EHR migration.

52. PatientPay launched a new revenue cycle management solution to help RCM vendors transition to a paperless patient billing model.

53. MedAssets-Precyse, a supplier of end-to-end revenue cycle services, technology and education, released its SaaS-based technology platform for health information management.

54. In an effort to prepare providers for EHR transitions, RelayHealth Financial developed an EMR-revenue cycle education portal to help providers successfully manage revenue cycle during EMR moves.

55. Access Healthcare introduced a new queuing method to automate its accounts receivables process.

56. Connance expanded its Reimbursement Optimization solution.

57. ChartLogic introduced a product designed to measure key billing metrics for physician practices and healthcare providers.

58. Experian introduced three revenue cycle management products and services.

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Some Kentucky residents next year will pay a tax based on property value to help fund ambulance service in their area, according to a Daily News report.

Here are five things to know about the ambulance tax.

1. Residents of Barren County will pay the tax.

2. The tax, which was approved Thursday by the Barren Fiscal Court, will take effect starting next November.

3. The money collected will be used to fund a portion of an ambulance service that covers Barren and Metcalfe Counties in Kentucky, according to the article.

4. Barren County has set the tax at 2.4 cents per $100 of assessed value.

5. Previously, Barren County has used general fund monies to pay for its portion of the Barren-Metcalfe County Ambulance Service's operational expenses, according to the report. Barren County and Glasgow, Ky., a city in Barren County, each pay 30 percent of the service's operational costs and Metcalfe County and T.J. Samson Community Hospital in Glasgow divide the remaining 40 percent, the report states. According to the report, the goal with the new ambulance tax is to help close Barren County's budget shortfall.

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PORTLAND  A federal judge has denied Oregon refuge occupier Ryan Payne's request to withdraw his guilty plea.

U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown ruled Wednesday that Payne's plea in the Oregon case wasn't, as his attorney argued, contingent on reaching a plea agreement in a case against him in Nevada.

"Payne's factual statements supporting his guilty plea were both thorough and unequivocal," Brown wrote in her 32-page ruling.

Payne, of Anaconda, acknowledged in July that he conspired with others to prevent Interior Department employees from doing their jobs during the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Payne was one of 11 defendants to plead guilty before others in the case went to trial and were found not guilty.

Payne was one of three co-defendants who filed motions to withdraw guilty pleas. The judge hasn't issued rulings on the other motions filed by Joseph O'Shaughnessy and Eric Flores.

In Nevada, he's accused of organizing "armed protection" in an April 2014 standoff over impounding Cliven Bundy's cattle.

Payne's attorney had also argued that his client's plea should be withdrawn because Ammon Bundy  Cliven Bundy's son  and others were acquitted of the same charges. Brown ruled that the plea stood on those grounds as well.

"This is not a case in which there is a new question as to Payne's factual innocence after the trial of his co-defendants," Brown said. "Indeed, it remains undisputed that Payne was a leader of the occupation of the (Malheur National Wildlife Refuge)."

Under the plea agreement, federal prosecutors were to recommend a 12-year sentence, but Payne could have argued for seven years. It is unclear if that recommended sentence will remain since no plea agreement has been reached in the Nevada case.

Payne will be sentenced at a later date.
The busy lives of hospital and health system CEOs are full of time constraints. Therefore, when these leaders do find the time to sit down and read, a discerning choice is key. In 2016, four CEOs told Becker's Hospital Review about the last memorable thing they read.

Below are their responses.

Patrick Battey, MD, CEO of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital:I read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It's a story about a young, blind French girl and an orphaned German boy who are sort of running parallel tracks dealing with the horrendous conditions during World War II, and their paths come together on the coast of Nazi-occupied France. And in spite of all the things that happen to them, they wind up trying to help each other, which is reflective of people trying to help each other throughout these horrible times. Just a very moving story. The imagery is incredible through the eyes of a young girl who went blind when she was maybe 3 or 4 [years old]. She still remembers some of her old environment and has to become accustomed to a new environment in another city.

Marna Borgstrom, CEO of Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Health System: My fun read was Sweet Bitter by Stephanie Danler. I also enjoyed Bryce Hoffman's American Icon, which is about former Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

Akram Boutros, MD, president and CEO of The MetroHealth System (Cleveland): [The last memorable thing I read is] The Story of Ferdinand. I just have it here in my office, and I was trying to explain to someone the difference between kindness and weakness. As an executive, some folks believe they can't show kindness because it will be misinterpreted as weakness. I believe you should always be kind.

Michael Young, president and CEO of PinnacleHealth System (Harrisburg, Pa.): I like to read about other leaders' strengths and weaknesses. One of the last things I read was Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General. It has interesting biographical vignettes of the major players from the end of the war, and it's a good general overview of the greater-than-life [George S.] Patton.
A 44-year-old man faces several charges after he allegedly punched a police officer at St. Mary's Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colo., early Wednesday morning, according to The Daily Sentinel.

According to arresting documents, police brought Patrick Eugene Pool to St. Mary's Tuesday night for an undisclosed reason. Mr. Pool would not cooperate with hospital staff and demanded to speak to "a man" instead of the female attending physician, according to the affidavit for Mr. Pool's arrest.

Police officers arrived back at the hospital after midnight, and Mr. Pool reportedly refused to leave with them. Officers put Mr. Pool in a wheelchair, and Grand Junction police officer Jacob Edmiston restrained him by holding onto his right hand. When it appeared Mr. Pool was attempting to bite Mr. Edmiston, another officer pushed Mr. Pool's head. Mr. Pool responded by punching the other officer in the chin, according to the arresting documents.

After police loaded Mr. Pool into a patrol car, he allegedly damaged the transport cage inside the vehicle.

Mr. Pool is charged with second-degree assault on a police officer, which is a felony, and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, criminal mischief and trespass.

He is being held in Mesa County Jail and is scheduled to return to court Jan. 5.

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Americans have been caught in a cyclical struggle with the abuse of pain medications since before the 1900s with the advent of morphine and the commercial production and sale of heroin as a cough suppressant, according to CNN.

The nation's current opioid abuse epidemic took root in the late 1990s with the release and dissemination of drugs like OxyContin. The past year brought several new developments in America's modern struggle with opioids.

Here are four ways the opioid epidemic changed in 2016.

1. New CDC pain medication prescribing guidelines: In 2016, the CDC released new guidelines for opioid prescription for chronic pain. The new guidance recommends nonopioid therapies as the preferred treatment methods for chronic pain. The new guidelines garnered quick reactions industry groups.

While organizations like the American Pharmacists Association expressed support for the new guidelines, others like the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network reacted with concern over possible unintended consequences of the recommendations.

"We are disappointed that the CDC guideline...did not address our previously stated concern about needed access to opioid analgesics for cancer survivors who experience severe pain that limits their quality of life," said ACS CAN President Chris Hansen. "We remain concerned that without a balanced approach that accounts for the full continuum of care for cancer survivors, the emphasis on reducing inappropriate use of pain medications will impede access to necessary pain relief for individuals fighting pain from cancer."

The push and pull between how to humanely treat pain and curb drug addiction will be one to watch in 2017.

2. Surging heroin overdoses: In 2016, the country's troubles with heroin continued. As policies come into play to crack down on freewheeling pain medication prescribing habits  which helped fuel the nation's current drug epidemic  addicts turned to cheaper, easier-to-obtain street drugs with deadly potency.

In 2016, the CDC released data on opioid-related deaths for the year prior. More than 30,000 people died of opioid overdoses in 2015, nearly 13,000 of which were at least partially attributable to heroin. The number marks the first time in modern U.S. history heroin surpassed gun homicides as the more prolific killer.

3. The rise of synthetic opioids: The surging rates of heroin overdoses are closely linked to the rise of synthetic opioids. Heroin laced with drugs like fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than morphine, was responsible for a wave of overdoses across the nation in 2016. The drug is primarily manufactured in China and often pushed into American streets by drug cartels. However, the U.S. Postal Service unknowingly delivers a substantial amount of fentanyl via orders placed on black market websites.

The synthetic opioid carfentanil  which is 1,000 times more potent than fentanyl and designed to sedate large animals like elephants  also found its way into America's illicit drug supply in 2016 and was linked to opioid overdose deaths in states like Indiana and Ohio.

In what could be a harbinger of what's to come, fentanyl surpassed heroin as the more deadly opioid in Massachusetts in 2016.

4. Federal actions taken: In addition to CDC guidelines, the federal government also took legal action to combat the nation's opioid epidemic in 2016. On July 22, President Barack Obama signed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act bill into law. The new law was designed to expand alcohol and drug prevention education, increase collaboration with law enforcement and criminal justice systems and create more disposal and turn-in sites for unwanted prescription medications. The passage of the law creates substantial opportunities to change the way America addresses drug abuse.

In early October, the Drug Enforcement Administration reduced the number of almost every opioid medication approved for manufacturing in 2017 by 25 percent or more.

Some experts, however, expressed doubt regarding the potential effectiveness of the DEA's actions.

"It's really too little too late," Jerry Epps, MD, CMO of University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, told Becker's during an interview. "If this had happened 10 to 15 years ago when the epidemic was surging, I might have a different answer. In 2013, the DEA allowed manufactures to increase opioid production by 25 percent because they thought there was going to be shortage. The new reduction still puts us above where we were in 2010 and 2012...I don't think DEA's efforts are going to make that much difference at all."

More on population health:

Millennials with broad social media use more likely to be depressed, study finds

LA wins $100M in grants to fight homelessness

Drugmakers push new 'abuse-deterrent' opioids  unclear if they will reduce overdoses
Acquisitions, distributorships and major recalls captured the attention of Becker's Spine Review readers in 2016.

The following are among the most popular spine and orthopedic device and implant stories this year:

1. Has Xenco Medical ushered in the future of spine surgery?

When UCSF released its finding that Xenco Medicals disposable, plastic surgical instrument outperformed a metal counterpart in a comparative strength study last October, the news spread quickly in the spinal device industry.

2. Medtronic, Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, DePuy Synthes, Smith & Nephew: Who had the best 2015? 32 things to know

Healthcare themes in 2015 included consolidation, continuum of care integration and diversification; the year was no different for orthopedic device companies.

3. Are Stryker's hip implants about to be recalled?

After the Australian government issued a warning about Stryker's LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 femoral heads, physician/lawyer Shezad Malik believes a recall could be "imminent."

4. PODs under attack again  5 key notes from the Senate Finance Committee's report

The Senate Finance Committee released a new report on physician-owned distributorships, focusing on spine surgeons.

5. Is the Johnson & Johnson job cut an ominous sign for the medical device industry? 5 key thoughts

Johnson & Johnson plans to cut around 3,000 jobs over the next two years as the company restructures its medical device business. Does this hint at disaster for the industry?

6. Smith & Nephew acquires Blue Belt Technologies  Will Stryker make its move soon? 5 key notes

Smith & Nephew has completed the acquisition of Blue Belt Holdings, also known as Blue Belt Technologies.

7. Zimmer Biomet to acquire LDR in $1B transaction  9 things to know

Warsaw, Ind.-based Zimmer Biomet will acquire Austin, Texas-based LDR Holding for $1 billion.

8. Beyond the implant  DePuy Synthes pushes innovation inside & out of the OR

DePuy Synthes, part of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices companies, continues to push the boundaries of business with innovation that goes beyond device development.

9. Where global spine market leaders are headed: 7 key notes on Medtronic, DePuy Synthes, Stryker & more

Here are key notes on some of the leading companies in the spine device market space  where they are today and where they're headed.

10. Zimmer Biomet, Stryker, J&J & more: 26 key notes  AAOS edition

Twenty-six key notes on orthopedic and spine device companies from early March 2016.
Here are five spine surgeons making headlines last week.

Jeffrey Carlson, MD, a spine surgeon practicing in Newport News, Va., penned an article titled "Do I Really Need to Have Surgery?" for the Daily Press, in which he addresses the many stigmas surrounding surgery.

Kamshad Raiszadeh, MD, medical director for the Advanced Spine Institute & Minimally Invasive Spine Center at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, went on KPBS to promote his new book "Take Back Control."

David Segal settled with the Iowa Board of Medicine over charges alleging that he failed to prevent "excessive infections" among his patients, ABC9 reports.

Harshawardhan Hegde, MD, visited Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Muscat Daily reports.

Richard Nachwalter, MD, discussed the latest innovations trends in spine surgery. Dr. Nachwalter considers himself among the first to use the Synthesis Cervical Total Disc Replacement and O-Arm Surgical Imaging Systems.
Breaking news and surgeon honors captured the attention of Becker's Spine Review readers in 2016.

The following are among the most popular spinal care stories this year:

1. 341 spine surgeons to know  2016

Here are 341 spine surgeons to know.

2. Suicide likely cause of Dr. Sandeep Sherlekar's death, police report shows  6 things to know

Sgt. Andrew Alcorn, a Frederick, Md.-based police criminal investigation division supervisor, reported Sandeep Sherlekar, MD, likely committed suicide, based on review of evidence. Dr. Sherlekar was a co-founder of Frederick-based American Spine Center.

3. Police investigate death of American Spine Center's physician accused in federal kickback scheme  6 things to know

The Frederick (Md.) Police Department is investigating the death of Sandeep Sherlekar, MD, co-founder of the American Spine Center. Dr. Sherlekar and four other medical professionals were indicted by a federal grand jury in June for a kickback scheme that allegedly linked $1.37 million back to the practice.

4. 22 spine surgeon leadership awards | 2016

Here are 22 spine surgeons who received the Spine Surgeon Leadership Award in 2016 from Becker's Healthcare.

5. Dr. Kevin Pauza unsurprised with Tiger Woods' slow back surgery recovery  5 insights

Kevin Pauza, MD, of Pauza Disc Treatment Center in Tyler, Texas, isn't optimistic about Tiger Woods' back surgery recovery.

6. Oregon spine surgeon implicated in $22M lawsuit for paralyzing patient with dropped instrument  5 things to know

A $22 million lawsuit has been filed against Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University and an orthopedic spine surgeon for allegedly paralyzing a man by dropping a tool on his back.

7. Understanding the impact of the CMS 2017 ASC Payment Rule on Spine Procedures

On November 1, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the 2017 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgery Center Payment System final rule. The policy changes contained in the rule signal that the reimbursement environment for spine surgery is continuing to evolve, and this shift is not confined to Medicare.

8. Dr. Gregory Sherr sues HealthEast, CentraCare & 6 neurosurgeons for allegedly ruining his reputation & career  6 things to know

Neurosurgeon Gregory Sherr, MD, is suing HealthEast Care System, CentraCare Health and six affiliated physicians for an alleged "pattern of anti-competitive, tortious and otherwise illegal conduct." Both healthcare systems are based in St. Cloud, Minn.

9. 6 spine physicians ranked #1 on Google  2016

Each year, spine specialists contribute patient education content to www.Spine-health.com, which is read by more than 200 million patients struggling with neck and back conditions. This sizable audience is proof of the positive impact that physicians can have when patient education is done right.

10. UPMC to pay $2.5M+ to settle neurosurgery-related False Claims Act violation allegations  7 things to know

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center will pay the federal government more than $2.5 million to settle a case alleging violation of the False Claims Act.
Former Taoiseach Charles Haughey with former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher during their meeting in May 1980

Controversy over the extradition of a priest who allegedly worked for the IRA left Anglo-Irish relations "at the bottom of the pit".

Fr Patrick Ryan was at the centre of a lengthy legal battle in the late 1980s.

The Tipperary-born former Pallottine priest was said to be quartermaster for an IRA unit operating in Belgium.

In June 1988, two months after the murder of three off-duty British servicemen in the Netherlands, Belgian police arrested Fr Ryan and found large quantities of cash and bomb-making equipment in his home.

While he embarked on a hunger strike, the Government attempted to have him extradited from Belgium. But the authorities sent him back to Dublin, where he was at the centre of a diplomatic row.

New details of the controversy emerged in papers released by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

In a memo sent in late 1988 the British Ambassador to Dublin said the affair had undone months of progress.

Sir Nicholas Fenn wrote: "Until 25 November it seemed that we were making progress in digging ourselves out of the pit into which we had fallen at the beginning of the year. Then Patrick Ryan was hurriedly repatriated from Belgium.

"The Irish failed to arrest him. The resulting British anger provoked defensive resentment in Ireland."

After a formal request for his extradition was lodged in Dublin, Margaret Thatcher effectively called the priest a terrorist.

She told the Commons: "The failure to secure Ryan's arrest is a matter of very grave concern to the Government.

"It is no use governments (of Belgium and Ireland) adopting great declarations and commitments about fighting terrorism if they then lack the resolve to put them into practice."

In December 1988 then Taoiseach Charles Haughey told the Dail the serious charges levelled against Ryan should be investigated by a court in Ireland.

He claimed that prejudicial remarks made in the House of Commons meant the priest could not expect a fair trial in Britain.

Sir Nicholas wrote: "British opinion was insulted, and we were back at the bottom of our pit. We have now decided to seek extraterritorial prosecution if the witnesses can be mustered; half a loaf is better than no bread."

In October 1989 the director of Public Prosecutions in the Republic announced that he had decided not to initiate proceedings against Ryan. The affair led to heated discussions at the Anglo-Irish intergovernmental conference in Belfast, where there were angry exchanges between then Secretary of State Tom King and Irish foreign affairs minister Brian Lenihan.
Former First Minister Peter Robinson was plotting to declare Northern Ireland an independent State amid a feared bloodbath in the aftermath of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, British officials believed.

In one of a flurry of high-level inter-governmental meetings in 1986, British Cabinet Secretary Sir Robert Armstrong - the UK's top-ranking official - told counterparts in the Republic Mr Robinson was "saying things about independence".

"We may be tending to treat this as unthinkable and to say 'they can't really want it', but the issue may become more real," he warned.

Sir Robert was head of the UK Civil Service and chief adviser to Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Cabinet.

Notes from the meeting at Whitehall marked 'Secret' were sent back from London to Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald in Dublin. Sir Robert told officials that unionists who feared the recently-signed Agreement was a precursor to a British withdrawal would prefer an independent Northern Ireland rather than a united Ireland.

"However, they do not appear to have thought out the full consequences of this course - and enthusiasm for it is far less than widespread," he said.

"They obviously have not given full weight to the financial consequences and do not appear to have considered what their position would be vis a vis the European Community and in the international context."

He told the meeting a lot of unionist thinking "particularly on the part of (Ian) Paisley" was based on the premise that "at some time the British would pull the rug out and that then Northern Ireland would have to go it alone".

"Paisley wanted to be in a position to blame the British if this happened - and also to be at the top of the heap," he said, according to Irish official notes of the meeting, just released into Dublin's National Archives under the 30-year rule.

Concerns of a Rhodesia-style unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) in Belfast were raised repeatedly during several confidential Anglo-Irish meetings that year, the State papers show.

In a meeting with Secretary of State Tom King at the Irish Embassy in London in February, Mr FitzGerald said a risk with keeping the Northern Ireland Assembly going at the time was its being used "to declare UDI".

Mr King, who wanted to keep the forum going "for letting off steam, if nothing else", agreed that was possible.

"Robinson was certainly thinking in those terms," he said.

Mr King said there was "real trouble ahead" as Catholics feared a Protestant backlash to the Agreement, citing a television programme that showed the terrorist UDA and UVF getting organised.

"The British were unhappy about the role of some politicians," notes of the meeting reveal.
Thatcher and FitzGerald shake hands on the Anglo-Irish Agreement

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher told officials from the Republic of Ireland that the UK "got it wrong in 1921" with the Northern Ireland border.

A series of extraordinary admissions between Mrs Thatcher and Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald emerge in previously classified papers made public for the first time today.

Documents released in Belfast, Dublin and London provide a new insight into political developments on both sides of the Irish Sea in the late 1980s.

They have been made public under the 30-year rule, which has seen a trove of previously secret Government papers declassified.

Both leaders were in close contact throughout 1986 as the UK and Republic attempted to stand behind the Anglo-Irish Agreement amid growing unionist anger.

The agreement had granted the Republic a formal role in Northern Ireland for the first time.

The Prime Minister and Taoiseach met on December 6, 1986, in London - and Mrs Thatcher made a series of blunt admissions in assessing the security situation along the border.

"You (the Republic) haven't the resources to maintain protection on the other side of the border," she said.

"I do feel very depressed at times about the whole situation. The violence has not been defeated. The SDLP have not done what we are expecting them to do.

"However, it is Christmas - and I had better stop feeling depressed," she said.

Mr FitzGerald praised the RUC for the work it had done in co-operating with the Garda.

"And he pressed for all UDR patrols to be accompanied by the police.

But he warned: "Both forces have a next-to-impossible border to watch."

Mrs Thatcher bluntly admitted: "Yes, we got it wrong in 1921."

The meeting concluded with one Irish civil servant noting: "The Prime Minister then went on... including a rather wistful reference to whether she could continue, in all seriousness, to send young men to their death in Northern Ireland."

Both Governments expressed repeated concerns about the security situation.

This was due to the upsurge in unionist and loyalist protests and demonstrations over the Anglo-Irish deal.

Mrs Thatcher warned that such a reaction was "negative and very dangerous".

"The unionists are saying they have lost everything and have got nothing," she said.

One briefing note warned that RUC Chief Constable Sir John Hermon (below) was "genuinely frightened" by the implications of one demonstration at Hillsborough.

Another briefing note warned that: "Dublin has not grasped the fundamental reality that Northern Ireland is and will remain ungovernable."

Files released by the Public Record Office in Belfast include new insights into Anglo-Irish relations in the 1980s.

One memo from the British Ambassador to Dublin stated "if it were not for history we should get on well with the Irish", noting good relations on every matter - except Northern Ireland.

In London, the files shed new light on the fall of Mrs Thatcher after 11 years in power.
The move will see it take on the likes of British Airways, which flies a number of transatlantic routes

Budget airline Norwegian is finalising plans to launch ultra-low cost flights for as little at 56 to New York as it ramps up the pressure on its rivals.

The carrier, which already offers one-way fares from Britain to the US from 135, is expected to slash prices further in summer 2017 in a bid to shake up the transatlantic airline market.

The company will use fuel efficient aircraft to lay on flights from Edinburgh, Scotland, and Cork and Shannon in Ireland to secondary airports in New York and Boston where airport charges are cheaper.

A Norwegian spokesperson said: "We are working on plans for new transatlantic routes from Edinburgh and Ireland which we expect to launch in 2017, and a key part of our plans are to make sure they are truly affordable, allowing as many people as possible to fly.

"A number of airports are being looked at while we finalise our plans but smaller airports in the US present us with an opportunity to offer some ground-breaking fares to passengers in the UK, Ireland and the US."

The move will see it take on the likes of British Airways, which flies a number of transatlantic routes.

Norwegian currently flies to eight US cities from London Gatwick: New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San-Francisco-Oakland, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico.

Earlier this month, Norwegian said it will increase the number of flights to the US by 55% from next summer.

The company is expected to publish full details and prices in February.
WASHINGTON  It is axiomatic that if someone is sufficiently eager to disbelieve something, there is no Everest of evidence too large to be ignored. This explains today's revival of protectionism, which is a plan to make America great again by making it 1953 again.

This was when manufacturing's postwar share of the labor force peaked at about 30 percent. The decline that began then was not caused by manufactured imports from today's designated villain, China, which was a peasant society. Rather, the war-devastated economies of competitor nations were reviving. And, domestically, the age of highly technological manufacturing was dawning.

Since 1900, the portion of the American workforce in agriculture has declined from 40 percent to 2 percent. Output per remaining farmer and per acre has soared since millions of agricultural workers made the modernization trek from farms to more productive employment in city factories. Was this trek regrettable?

According to a Ball State University study, of the 5.6 million manufacturing jobs lost between 2000 and 2010, trade accounted for 13 percent of job losses and productivity improvements accounted for more than 85 percent: "Had we kept 2000-levels of productivity and applied them to 2010-levels of production, we would have required 20.9 million manufacturing workers [in 2010]. Instead, we employed only 12.1 million." Is this regrettable? China, too, is shedding manufacturing jobs because of productivity improvements.

Douglas A. Irwin of Dartmouth College notes that Chinese imports may have cost almost one million manufacturing jobs in nearly a decade, but "the normal churn of U.S. labor markets results in roughly 1.7 million layoffs every month." He notes that here are more than 45 million Americans in poverty, "stretching every dollar they have." The apparel industry employs 135,000 Americans. Can one really justify tariffs that increase the price of clothing for the 45 million in order to save some of the 135,000 low-wage jobs? Anyway, if tariffs target apparel imports from China, imports will surge from other low-wage developing nations.

The Wall Street Journal's Greg Ip, who reports that there currently are 334,000 vacant manufacturing jobs, says that when Jimmy Carter tried to protect U.S. manufacturers by restricting imports of Japanese televisions, imports from South Korea and Taiwan increased. When those were restricted, Mexican and Singapore manufacturers benefited.

In his book "An Extraordinary Time: The End of the Postwar Boom and the Return of the Ordinary Economy," Marc Levinson notes that Ronald Reagan imposed "voluntary restraints" on Japanese automobile exports, thereby creating 44,100 U.S. jobs. But the cost to consumers was $8.5 billion in higher prices, or $193,000 per job created, six times the average annual pay of a U.S. autoworker. And there were job losses in sectors of the economy into which the $8.5 billion of consumer spending could not flow. The Japanese responded by sending higher-end cars, from which they made higher profits, which they used to build North American assembly plants and to develop more expensive and profitable cars to compete with those of U.S. manufacturers.

In 2012, Barack Obama boasted that "over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires." But this cost about $900,000 per job, paid by American purchasers of vehicles and tires. And the Peterson Institute for International Economics says that this money taken from consumers reduced their spending on other retail goods, bringing the net job loss from the job-saving tire tariffs to around 2,500. And this was before China imposed retaliatory duties on U.S. chicken parts, costing the U.S. industry $1 billion in sales. Imports of low-end tires from Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and elsewhere largely replaced Chinese imports.

The past is prologue. The future probably will feature many more such self-defeating government interventions in the name of compassion as protectionist America tries to cower its way to being great again.
Around 160 investors are demanding Ulster Bank owner Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) shores up corporate governance by creating a shareholder committee. The aim is to sniff out "poor stewardship" and avoid a rerun of the bank's near collapse in 2008.

The move would prevent RBS from repeating the chain of events that triggered the lender's crash during the financial crisis, according to investor groups ShareSoc and the UK Shareholders' Association (UKSA).

Mark Northway, chairman of ShareSoc, said shareholders deserved a new approach that gave more effective input.

"One objective is to stop the events that took place at RBS from ever happening again," Mr Northway said.

"A dominant CEO, concealing the true financial position of the company from investors, proceeding with a reckless acquisition, and then publishing a rights prospectus which concealed the problems faced by the company. These are not examples of good governance."

In April 2008 RBS asked existing shareholders to inject 12bn into the firm to strengthen its reserves after the bank had splurged 49bn to acquire Dutch bank ABN Amro.

The deal proved toxic and, just months later, the value of RBS shares plunged 90% and the Government had to step in with a 45bn bailout. RBS remains 73% owned by the UK taxpayer.

UKSA chairman John Hunter said there was a need for companies to step up and make capitalism work for everyone.

It comes after reports said the RBS remuneration committee was discussing plans to cut the maximum amount chief executive Ross McEwan can earn under his long-term incentive plan from 3m to 1.75m.

Business Secretary Greg Clark announced a new package of corporate governance reforms which could require firms to make public the ratio between the pay of bosses and workers, and provide seats for staff on company boards.

RBS must decide whether the proposal meets the requirements to face a vote at its AGM.
The parents of Thomas Owen Boyle got the Christmas present they had been wishing for when their precious bundle was deemed well enough to be transferred from the Royal Victoria Hospital to Altnagelvin.

Thomas Owen was not due to be born until the end of January, but he arrived in October, weighing just over a pound.

Complications during pregnancy meant his mum Stacey Thompson had to undergo a Caesarean section at 28 weeks to give her son the best chance of survival.

Every day Stacey and Thomas Owen's dad Terry Boyle travelled the 150-mile round trip from their Londonderry home to the Royal in Belfast, and watched over their tiny son as doctors and nurses battled to ensure he made it.

Since then Thomas Owen has shown real tenacity and strength of character by beating the odds and thriving.

He was such a fighter that just a few days before Christmas Stacey and Terry got the call they had been wishing for, telling them that Thomas Owen had been safely moved to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Terry said: "The medical team at the Royal had tried to transfer Thomas Owen two weeks ahead of Christmas, but they had to turn back again almost immediately because he just wasn't well enough.

"We were incredibly disappointed, so when they said they would try again a few days before Christmas we were too scared to get our hopes up in case it didn't work out again.

"They called us to say Thomas Owen had been safety transferred to Altnagelvin and our Christmas was made right then. Christmas Day at the hospital was brilliant, better than we could have hoped for. The nurses and doctors couldn't do enough for all the families.

"Santa came on to the ward and brought presents for Thomas Owen, and he also got a wee memento for the tree that we will treasure forever.

"Having him so close to home means we can spend so much more time with him, but it has also meant his two grannies and two grandas have been able to see him too.

"Visiting is still restricted to me, Stacey and the grannies and grandas, but Thomas Owen has a great-granda too who is waiting patiently to meet his first great-grandson, and the rest of the families are just as keen."

Just before Thomas Owen made his premature arrival, the couple, who both worked at a restaurant in the Waterside area of Derry, were made redundant when the business closed.

This brought more misfortune when the couple were forced to give up their home but, as the new year approaches, 2017 is shaping up to be a good one for the family.

Terry explained: "Thomas Owen is doing so well, we hope he will be well enough to be discharged from hospital all together, which, considering he wasn't due to be born until January 27, isn't too bad at all.

"I have found work now too, which is bringing in money, so I can provide for my family, and we are saving hard and hope to be able to buy our own house later in 2017.

"We got our Christmas wish when Thomas Owen got moved to Altnagelvin, and it looks like we have so much to look forward to when the new year comes."
Belfast student Rory Campbell to return to court in February

Belfast student Rory Campbell appeared in court on Friday accused of making and distributing an indecent image of a child.

Campbell is charged with three separate offences allegedly committed over a 12-month period.

The 20-year-old, of Harberton Park in Belfast, was allegedly in possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo photograph of a child.

He faces further counts of making and distributing or showing an indecent image.

The alleged offences took place on dates between June 2015 and June 2016.

Campbell spoke only to confirm he understood the charges during his first appearance before Belfast Magistrates' Court.

A prosecution lawyer indicated the case was ultimately expected to go to the Crown Court.

She said: "Some time is required to formulate the charges and look at the images."

Deputy District Judge Peter Prenter was told the accused is currently a student.

He agreed to an eight-week adjournment, telling Campbell to return to court in February.
There has been anger among Ulster holiday makers after their plans to celebrate the New Year in London were grounded due to freezing fog.

A number of flights to London airports from both Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport were cancelled on Friday.

The cancelled flights included services operated by British Airways, Flybe, Easyjet and Ryanair to airports including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead, Luton and Southampton.

Co Antrim man Craig Lutton told the Belfast Telegraph he and his family have missed out on his planned New Years celebrations in London due to the chaos.

He said their trip had been booked and looked forward to since Feburary.

They had been booked on to a Flybe flight to London City Airport due to depart at 1.25pm on Friday, but instead he left the airport to return home to Ballymena on Friday evening.

Totally devastated missing our family trip to London for NYE, he said.

No one for answering questions. A shambolic day, George Best would have been ashamed of his airport!

Mr Lutton said it was not confirmed that the flight was cancelled until 4pm leaving a number of passengers extremely frustrated.

He is a music student studying in London and said while the flight he has been offered will get him back in time for the new term

Belfast man David McCleery was also due to be on the same flight, and described the scenes as chaos.

We checked in, then no info until we were told flight cancelled at 4pm, he told the Belfast Telegraph.

Totally understand the problems with weather, but the airport lack of management was disgraceful with no-one prepared to take ownership of the total chaos - only a few junior airport staff sent out with no info to pass on - and it was really unfair on them to be put in that situation amongst hundreds of stranded passengers.

Mr McCleery currently lives in Bristol and had been home in Belfast for the festive season.

I managed to get help by contacting Flybe on Twitter - and got them to rebook me on a flight to Exeter tomorrow (Saturday) - as it looked like that was the only way of getting back to England before 2 or 3 Jan (I checked all airlines, from both Belfast airports, Derry, Knock and Dublin!).

I was due to go to Suffolk for NYE but have cancelled those plans, as by the time I get back to London, it will be too late to head up to Suffolk!

A spokeswoman for Flybe said the airline has "experienced disruption to a number of its flights to the South of England today due to heavy fog".

"Passengers whose flights have been cancelled are being accommodated on the next available flight or offered a full refund," she said.

"Passengers who are delayed for two hours or more will be given refreshment vouchers in the airport by airport staff.

"Flybe regrets the inconvenience experienced due to the adverse weather conditions that are entirely out of its control.

"The safety of its passengers and crew is the airlines number one priority and it would like to thank its customers for their continued patience."

The blanket of fog covered the south east of England on Friday causing cancellations and delays at major airports.

Travelling today? Tweet your Airline for flight info or call:@AerLingus 0333 006 6920@flybe 0371 700 2000@British_Airways 0844 493 0787  Belfast City Airport (@BELFASTCITY_AIR) December 30, 2016

A spokesman for Belfast City Airport said it remained fully operational, but the adverse weather conditions in southern England caused a number of flights to be cancelled.

A spokesman for Belfast International Airport confirmed flights had been cancelled there too.

He advised passengers hoping to travel to London this weekend to keep in contact with airlines for further information.
Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the Rev Dr John Dunlop, encouraged his children to leave Northern Ireland in the 1980s, newly released archives show

A former leader of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland encouraged his children to move away from Northern Ireland because he believed Britain will eventually pull out, according to just released state papers.

Rev John Dunlop, a North Belfast minister known for his cross-community peace-building and who went on to become Moderator of the church, met an Irish government official at his home in December 1986.

Notes of the meeting, just released in the National Archives in Dublin, show Rev Dunlop "speculated that, in the longer term, the British Government would decide for financial reasons to withdraw from Northern Ireland".

"The (Anglo-Irish) Agreement already pointed in this direction.

"He believed that in that eventuality a lot of unionists would move to Britain.

"Already quite a few unionists (including himself) were advising their children to seek employment not in Northern Ireland but in Britain."
He was granted bail but banned from any contact with the alleged victim.

A man arrested with a knife in west Belfast had allegedly made Facebook threats to kill his brother, a court heard today.

Eamon McKee, 28, was detained on Thursday night following social media exchanges his lawyer described as just two siblings "puffing their chests out".

The 28-year-old, of Corrib Avenue in the Lenadoon district, appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with threats to kill and possessing a blade or point in the Beechmount Walk area.

He was granted bail but banned from any contact with the alleged victim.

Police had opposed McKee's release, claiming there risks to his safety and that of his brother.

The court heard the accused had tried to commit suicide over the Christmas period.

"That together with the fact he threatened his own brother and was carrying a knife would be our main concerns," a PSNI constable said.

Defence solicitor Paul Farrell argued that McKee had told police about the blade in his pocket when they arrived at the scene close to his mother's home.

Mr Farrell claimed the alleged threat on Facebook was provoked by similar comments from the alleged victim.

"The police case is the defendant sent a photograph of himself holding a knife to his brother, making veiled threats of 'I will see you' and things along those lines," he told the court.

"It's two brothers effectively puffing their chests out against each other."

He added that his client only had the knife for possible self-harm.

Granting bail, Deputy District Judge Peter Prenter imposed a curfew and ordered McKee to seek any mental health treatment his GP feels is required.

He also told the accused: "You are to have no contact with the injured party directly, indirectly or on social media."
Rescue services at the Lagan Weir last night during the serach for a missing man

A man was pulled from the River Lagan in Belfast last night in a dramatic joint rescue operation.

NI Fire and Rescue Service personnel joined the Community Rescue Service team in the late night operation, which was co-ordinated by the PSNI.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph last night, Sean McCarry of the Community Rescue Service said: "We were called out following a report of a man entering the Lagan just above the weir.

"After a search in the darkness, one of our boats spotted him and was able to pull the man out of the water."

He received first aid at the river's edge, but Ambulance Service paramedics felt his condition was so serious he was rushed by ambulance to hospital for treatment."
A Co Down man who molested three young boys under the age of 13 over a six-year period has been sent to jail

A Co Down man who molested three young boys under the age of 13 over a six-year period has been sent to jail.

The 53-year-old grandfather, who cannot be named, was yesterday jailed for 12 months by Judge Piers Grant, and was also informed he will spend an additional 18 months on probation following his release from prison.

Sending the man down, Judge Grant said he targeted vulnerable young boys "in a planned, premeditated and calculated way".

Downpatrick Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, heard that the abuse occurred over a six-year period between 1977 and 1983.

The abuse occurred in various locations in the Co Down village where both the abuser and his three young victims lived, including in their homes as he babysat, and in a disused lorry.

At the time of the offending the defendant was aged between 14 and 19.

Passing sentence, Judge Grant noted that two of the complainants had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, while the third had an adjustment disorder.

Judge Grant also noted that the defendant had himself been abused as a youngster by four men.

The judge said that, due to this experience, the defendant knew what he was doing to his three young victims was wrong, but added that despite this he "continued to behave in this way".

Despite initial denials, the 53-year-old pleaded guilty to a total of 22 offences, including multiple counts of indecent assault and gross indecency.

The court heard that the defendant's offending came to light in 2014 after the first complainant came forward.

He told police that, during the summer of 1981, he was abused by the defendant. The first incident he remembered was in his parents' bedroom when he was aged 12 and the defendant was 17.

When the defendant was arrested in October 2014 and questioned about allegations made against him, he initially denied the claims.

But he did inform police that he had abused another young boy.

When this victim was contacted, he provided police with a full and detailed statement during which he said he was abused regularly by the defendant over a 10-month period.

He also said that, on some occasions, the defendant had offered him money to perform sex acts. This complainant was targeted when he was aged eight and the defendant was 14.

The third complainant said he was sexually abused by the defendant on a regular basis for around two years.

Judge Grant said this victim was "threatened into silence" by the defendant, who at the time told his victim not to tell anyone or he would be in trouble.

Sending the man to prison, Judge Grant told him that it was "quite clear that on each occasion, you isolated the victims in order to abuse them... and you kept them available to you and you alone".

Accepting that the defendant had a troubled upbringing and was an alcoholic, Judge Grant noted there had been no further offending since 1985.

As well as being handed a jail term, the man was made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, and was placed on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.
What would repeal of the federal Affordable Care Act mean for the 61,000 Montanans who have Medicaid coverage under that law?

According to Montana law, their Medicaid would end if the federal government stops paying 90 percent or more of the costs of their care. The ACA says that funding will never be less than 90 percent of costs.

Last year, the Republican majority in Congress passed a bill repealing parts of the Affordable Care Act, including provisions that authorize funding for Medicaid expansion in the 50 states. President Barack Obama vetoed that bill.

In 2016, the federal government paid virtually 100 percent of the costs of caring for the 61,000 new enrollees. By contrast, the state of Montana is responsible for about 30 percent of the costs of caring for the rest of its Medicaid enrollees  children, disabled and elderly adults.

The 2015 Montana HELP Act authorized the state to start enrolling low-income people of all ages. The law received bipartisan support from Montanas health care providers, business leaders, clergy and human service organizations.

Since Montana began enrolling folks under the HELP Act on Jan. 1, 2016, Montana hospitals are seeing fewer people who have no money to pay for needed care. The federal Medicaid money is helping to trim losses at our community hospitals that care for indigent patients.

New Medicaid enrollees live in all 56 counties, including 8,174 in Yellowstone County.

The HELP Act has been tremendously successful in 2016. If Congress repeals it, all Montanans will feel the pain. The cost shift of indigent care to those who have insurance will intensify. Lives will be disrupted as people scramble to find care they need, but cant afford.

The Washington, D.C., GOP idea of repealing the ACA without first figuring out a replacement plan is bad medicine for the nation and for Montana.

Congress should not rip health care away from tens of thousands of Montanans and millions of Americans without first presenting a real and viable alternative that protects patients and that provides a foundation for states, health care providers and insurers to responsibly plan for the future, Gov. Steve Bullock wrote in a letter to U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy the week before Christmas. Bullock is right.

The leader of the Montana House agrees that Montanans cant be left without the coverage they got starting in January 2016. The state of Montana is going to have to look at trying to help keep those people covered, Speaker Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson, told The Gazette.

But neither the governor nor the Montana Legislature can know how to plan until Congress presents its plan. We call on Montanas Congressional delegation  Jon Tester, Steve Daines and Ryan Zinke  to ensure that Montana is protected from ACA repeal without replacement.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Tom King, right, with Commonwealth Secretary Geoffrey Howe, second from right, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher shaking hands with Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Tom King was "a major problem" during a critical episode in Anglo-Irish relations, a high-ranking official reported.

In a secret briefing to then Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald in January 1986, Lord King was described as "not bright", outraged by the Anglo-Irish Agreement and distrustful of Dublin.

The official Irish assessment, just released into the National Archives in Dublin, was written up by Michael Lillis, who co-headed the Anglo-Irish Secretariat in Belfast at the time.

The fledgling peace-building institution was set up in the wake of the landmark Anglo-Irish Agreement, signed by Mr FitzGerald and Margaret Thatcher just months beforehand.

In a 13-page analysis of "some serious problems" amid an unexpectedly vociferous unionist backlash to the accord, Mr King was highlighted as one.

Mr Lillis reported to Dublin that he had been told by people very close to Mr King that he is "not bright" and "in his 'gut'opposed to, even outraged by, the Agreement" which he thought unfair to unionists.

Furthermore, the Secretary of State was convinced that British negotiators were mistaken and misled in their "estimate of the effects of the Agreement" on unionists and Mr King was also "distrustful of Dublin".

But because of a changing of senior British government figures in the region, he had become the "untrammelled supremo on the British side" and as such would set the pace of the Agreement's implementation.

This was causing problems for Dublin, who wanted to reforms made quickly and clearly.

Mr King, at the time, believed progress should be more subtle in the face of a growing revolt.

In a clearly pessimistic view of him, Mr Lillis suggested the only positive factor about the Secretary of State was that his appointment was a "demotion" and so his "last chance to restore his career" which effectively meant making a success out of the Agreement.
Members of the Ulster Defence Regiment mount a guard of honour for the Queen at Hillsborough Castle in 1977

Officers lacked control over part-time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment during the Troubles, an Army review said.

Some members of the regiment have been accused of passing weapons to loyalists.

A major internal stock take more than 25 years ago found weaknesses in the manning system for officers.

The 1989 report, endorsed by the Chief of the General Staff, also showed police security checking was slow and inefficient and those with no Irish connections transferring from the regular Army were not fully screened.

There was no security interview of potential applicants or security declaration required.

The military report said: "The current manning system for officers in the UDR and for part-time soldiers operating in the UDR has security weaknesses.

"Officers from the same area as their soldiers can have divided loyalties. There is a lack of control over the part-time element."

It said screening was heavily reliant upon accurate Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) information, an area outside the Army's control.

"The RUC manual card system can be slow and less than completely efficient.

"There is a lack of a single computerised database to speed passage of information."

The UDR was a largely homegrown regiment dedicated to supporting the Royal Ulster Constabulary in combating paramilitarism. Well-respected former members include Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Tom Elliott.

While unionists have lauded it for holding the line against terrorism there have been claims of collusion with loyalists, including the passing on of weapons, since the 1970s.

Last year, victims' relatives took legal action, claiming a murder gang based at a farm in Glenanne, Armagh, contained members of the RUC and UDR.

Up to 120 murders in nearly 90 incidents in Mid Ulster and Irish border areas were under scrutiny.

An internal report on the UDR was released in official files published by the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) on Friday.

It said the UDR selection board lacked a dedicated officer so could not pay sufficient attention to detail during the recruitment process.

"Soldiers with no Irish connection transferring from the regular Army to the UDR are not fully screened," it said.

It added that there was no formal system of re-screening once individuals had joined the UDR.
John Stalker was asked to investigate the RUC shootings of six people but was removed from the inquiry shortly before it was due to report in 1986

A police chief who investigated an alleged shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland confided in a diplomat that he was not concerned about a cover-up but "murder, six murders", newly declassified files show.

There were also behind-the-scenes fears that a Masonic plot within the police against John Stalker could be revealed during one of the most controversial episodes of the Troubles, according to the documents marked "Secret".

Mr Stalker was asked to investigate the RUC shootings of six people but was removed from the inquiry shortly before it was due to report in 1986.

He was taken off the case at the moment he believed he was about to obtain an MI5 tape of one of the shootings.

Suspended over allegations of associating with criminals, he was later cleared of any wrongdoing and reinstated in his job as deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester Police but his report was never published.

Mr Stalker unexpectedly turned up at the opening of the Irish Centre in Manchester in November 1986, just months after his controversial suspension from the inquiry.

Then Irish ambassador to London Noel Dorr wrote to then taoiseach Garret FitzGerald about a brief private conversation with the police chief at the event.

Mr Stalker complained he never had access to politicians at any stage during this inquiry and was "convinced" had he been allowed to talk to then home secretary Douglas Hurd "he would have got attention to what he was saying".

"Stalker said that what he was trying as forcefully as he could to bring to attention ('to shout') was that what he was concerned with was not the minor question of lying or covering something up - 'it was murder, six murders'," Mr Dorr wrote.

"He believed very strongly that if he could have got through to Ministers with this message they would have supported him."

He added: "Instead he had, at all times, to go through the Chief Constable and the Home Office Inspectorate and they blocked and muffled what he wanted to say."

At the time, Mr Stalker told the Irish diplomat he had completed reports into five of the six deaths as well as 90% of his report into the RUC and "very much feared now that what he had done will be rewritten by other hands".

"In general he found the RUC were all right except for some people very near the top who were very much to blame," wrote Mr Dorr.

It was "sad and ironic" that the force's opposition to his investigation had damaged it much more than had it co-operated, acknowledged wrongdoing and turned over a new leaf, Mr Stalker said to him.

The classified files also revealed a behind-the-scenes furore over Mr Stalker being photographed at the Irish Centre launch along with Dublin's then foreign affairs minister Peter Barry.

Secretary of state Tom King summoned a senior Irish official in Belfast and "using very strong language ... for some time" let it be known he was extremely shocked to see the photo in the newspapers.

"He said the impact in Northern Ireland was damaging and that the police believed that the minister had deliberately set up the situation to support Stalker and demoralise them," Mr King told the official, according to the notes.

Some months beforehand in July, a senior Irish official met with Andrew Mackay MP, then parliamentary private secretary to Mr King, for lunch in London.

During the meeting, Mr Mackay - who would later become shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland - said he feared a police plot against Mr Stalker.

"On the Stalker affair, he sincerely hopes that a Masonic or other plot within the police to stifle Stalker will not be revealed," the MP told the official, according to notes of the meeting.

"If it is, he believes that the implications would be wide-reaching and very serious: certainly involving, he feels, (RUC Chief Constable John) Hermon's resignation.

"He hoped, rather, that the matter will be resolved in such a way as to allow the contents of the report to be finalised and acted on."
The SDLP has vowed to fight "tooth and nail" against a Sinn Fein proposal to increase rate bills for up to 7,000 homes.

Belfast councillor Declan Boyle described the proposed rise as "grossly unfair".

He also said the cash for ash scandal showed the Executive could not be trusted not to squander ratepayers' money on "hare-brained projects".

Councillor Boyle and South Belfast MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell are organising a public meeting next month to oppose the removal of the cap on domestic rates.

Sinn Fein Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir announced what he called "the biggest shake-up in rating policy in a generation" last month.

Under the current system, a house with a rateable value of more than 400,000 has its rates bill assessed as though it was valued at 400,000.

Rates are property taxes paid by households and businesses, and are based on the value of the property.

But Mr O Muilleoir wants rates to be levied on the portion above 400,000 in order to ensure a "more proportionate contribution" from those in high-value homes.

It has been estimated that this would raise around 4.5m for the Executive. But the DUP in November voiced support for the current rate.

Councillor Boyle said he had been inundated with calls from residents in his south Belfast constituency who fear their rates could double, leaving them with bills of up to 6,000 per year.

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Springwell Lodge provides a unique opportunity to purchase a large family detached home set on circa 4 acres comprising of gardens, patios, a full sized tennis court, and a raised deck with panoramic views over rolling countryside towards the Irish Sea past the country Antrim headlands to Scotland and the Mournes to the rear. Set between Donaghadee and Bangor, within easy reach of Newtownards, =No 9 - 1,350,000 - Springwell Lodge, Springwell Road, Bangor. Springwell Lodge provides a unique opportunity to purchase a large family detached home set on circa 4 acres comprising of gardens, patios, a full sized tennis court, and a raised deck with panoramic views over rolling countryside towards the Irish Sea past the country Antrim headlands to Scotland and the Mournes to the rear. Set between Donaghadee and Bangor, within easy reach of Newtownards, No 9 - 1,350,000 - Tall River Lodge, Richhill, Armagh. No 9 - 1,350,000 - Tall River Lodge, Richhill, Armagh. 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No 7 - 1,395,000- Connor Road, Parkgate, Ballyclare.The use of high quality materials throughout, together with meticulous attention to detail, this is a home that undoubtedly can only be fully appreciated upon personal inspection. The accommodation, which extends to approximately 7000 Sq. Ft. provides for an exceptionally versatile layout which would surely impress even the most discerning of purchasers. No 7 - 1,395,000- Connor Road, Parkgate, Ballyclare.The use of high quality materials throughout, together with meticulous attention to detail, this is a home that undoubtedly can only be fully appreciated upon personal inspection. The accommodation, which extends to approximately 7000 Sq. Ft. provides for an exceptionally versatile layout which would surely impress even the most discerning of purchasers. No 6 - 1,400,000 Bladon Park, Malone, Belfast. No 5 - 1,450,000 - Whitethorn House & Whitethorn Cottages. Tullynagardy Road, Craigantlet. 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The sale of "Foxleigh Hall" represents a truly unique opportunity to purchase which is unquestionably one of the finest homes in County Down, if not, Northern Ireland. Quality, grandeur and luxury abound in a home which has raised considerably the benchmark for prestige establishing itself as a magnificent landmark residence in one of County Down's most sought after locations. No 1 - 2,500,000 - Verona, 42 Malone Park, Belfast - Exceptional detached family residence situated No 1 - 2,500,000 - Verona, 42 Malone Park, Belfast - Exceptional detached family residence situated / Facebook

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Whatsapp =No 9 - 1,350,000 - Springwell Lodge, Springwell Road, Bangor. Springwell Lodge provides a unique opportunity to purchase a large family detached home set on circa 4 acres comprising of gardens, patios, a full sized tennis court, and a raised deck with panoramic views over rolling countryside towards the Irish Sea past the country Antrim headlands to Scotland and the Mournes to the rear. Set between Donaghadee and Bangor, within easy reach of Newtownards,

Above - Check out Northern Ireland's 10 most expensive homes December 2016

He also claimed there were many pensioners living on meagre incomes, but whose houses had a high rateable value.

"The idea that people in big houses can well afford a rise in rates at first may seem reasonable," Mr Boyle said.

"But it's based on the totally wrong perception that residents of Stranmillis, Lisburn and the Malone Road are all loaded.

"There are plenty of people who worked hard to buy their homes, but whose incomes have shrunk considerably through time or circumstance.

"If rates are to rise, it would be fairer to introduce means-testing, rather than to hand someone a huge bill based purely on their address."

Councillor Boyle said the property crash meant that the rateable value of many homes in south Belfast was substantially higher than their current market value.

"People are being asked to pay rates based on an old valuation that is totally unrealistic today," he added.

"And homeowners don't deserve another property tax. They already paid one when they bought their houses - stamp duty."

Mr Boyle also claimed ratepayers had no faith that the Executive would use their money wisely. "They fear that this will be another few million going down the Stormont drain," he said.
Arlene Foster is facing fresh calls to release all documents relating to the cash for ash scandal following the emergence of letters she wrote to a number of major banks.

The messages, which were signed by Mrs Foster in her previous role as Minister of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), were sent to the Northern Ireland chiefs of Ulster Bank, Danske Bank, Bank of Ireland, First Trust, HSBC, Barclays and Santander.

In them, Mrs Foster asked the banks to look favourably upon approaches from businesses seeking finance to install renewable technologies. The government support on offer through the incentive schemes is reliable, long-term and offers a good return on investment, she wrote.

If you would find it useful, DETI officials would be happy to arrange a seminar for financial institutions to explain further the current and proposed financial mechanisms.

Your support in working towards a more secure and sustainable energy future would be much appreciated.

Two political parties last night expressed concerns at the revelation that Mrs Foster had promoted the scheme.

UUP MLA Steve Aiken said the Executive needs to publish all material in relation to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. TUV leader Jim Allister, meanwhile called for a full judicial inquiry.

With each new revelation, the need for a full judicial inquiry becomes more imperative, he stressed.

It emerged earlier this year that the RHI programme, which was launched by DETI in November 2012 to encourage more people to invest in renewable energy technologies, was fundamentally flawed.

Under its terms, people who successfully applied were able to earn money for pointlessly burning fuel, without breaking the law while doing so.

Earlier this month former DETI minister Jonathan Bell dramatically made a number of shocking claims about how the scheme was handled in an explosive interview with the Stephen Nolan show.

Mr Bell has not commented on the issue since then, but he has indicated that he is considering taking legal action against Mrs Foster over comments she made in a responding interview on the shame show.

After the programme was aired, the SDLP put to the Assembly a no-confidence motion against Mrs Foster as First Minister, but it failed.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has previously called for her to step aside while an investigation is carried out into the RHI scheme.

The First Minister has also backed calls for an inquiry to be carried out.
Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster has remained defiant amid the 'ash for cash' RHI scandal

One of Arlene Foster's ministerial colleagues has claimed political rivals calling for her resignation as Stormont First Minister are more interested in a scalp than the truth.

Stormont Economy minister and fellow Democratic Unionist Simon Hamilton defended his party leader after a renewed wave of calls for her to step aside over her handling of a botched green energy scheme.

He accused opposition MLAs attacking the DUP leader over the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scandal of offering nothing more than "party political attacks and resignation calls".

"On the one hand they call for a process to establish the facts but they have already decided what the outcome should be," he said.

Mr Hamilton was reacting to the publication of a letter Mrs Foster sent to bankers about the RHI when she was economy minister in January 2013.

In it she said payments made under the scheme would be "guaranteed" - an assertion that prompted rivals to rubbish her current stance that half of the estimated 490 million overspend could be clawed back.

In the two-page letter to Northern Ireland's leading banks, Mrs Foster said the state-funded eco-subsidies offered applicants a "good return on investment".

Errors in the RHI have left Stormont facing a huge overspend bill over the next 20 years.

It was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the tariffs were set too high, and without a cap, so it ended up paying significantly more than the price of fuel.

This enabled applicants to "burn to earn" - getting free heat and making a profit as they did it.

Claims of widespread abuse include a farmer allegedly set to pocket around 1 million in the next two decades for heating an empty shed.

Mr Hamilton, who issued a statement through the DUP, not his department, said Mrs Foster wrote the letter before the fatal weaknesses in the scheme came to light.

"These letters, issued in 2013, once again highlight the fact that there was a significant underspend in the early years of the RHI scheme and far from highlighting an awareness of the issues which have subsequently come to light, further reinforce the fact that the department was operating, at that time, under a serious misapprehension about the scheme," he said.

He added: "Had the scheme operated as described in the letter then the present problems would not exist.

"The DUP supports an investigation which can be entirely free from political interference and which can report speedily in order to assist public confidence."

Jim Allister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party, said: "So the DUP's latest excuse for the biggest taxpayer rip-off in our history is that Arlene Foster acted under a 'misapprehension' when she approved the RHI scheme.

"So incompetence in government is now the DUP's refuge - a commentary in itself."

Mrs Foster, who was in charge of the scheme's development during her time as economy minister, has faced down calls to quit from all the other main Stormont parties, including the DUP's partner in the ruling executive, Sinn Fein.

She has remained defiant amid the "ash for cash" furore and insisted the projected overspend can be halved.

That prediction was challenged after the contents of the bank letter were revealed on Thursday night.

She wrote: " Tariffs are 'grandfathered', providing certainty for investors by setting a guaranteed support level for projects for their lifetime in a scheme, regardless of future reviews."

Mrs Foster added: "The government support, on offer through the incentive schemes, is reliable, long term and offers a good return on investment."

The letter was written to encourage banks to lend to would-be RHI applicants who needed initial capital to purchase the costly green boilers.

Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt claimed the First Minister's leadership was characterised by "incompetence, ineptitude and haplessness".

"Mrs Foster has not only failed to do the honourable thing, by accepting the consequences of ministerial responsibility and resigning, she has spun a web in which she now finds herself trapped, ensuring a legacy of debt to be paid by children yet to be born, and leaving her reputation as a competent minister in tatters," he said.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: "Arlene Foster's instinctive resistance to calls for her to stand aside pending a public inquiry is understandable but it is fundamentally misguided.

"This is about more than the career of one politician. The longer the First Minister stays, the more lasting damage she does to the institutions and to faith in government.

"If Arlene Foster has done nothing wrong, as she claims, then she has nothing to fear from a public inquiry with full powers to compel witnesses and evidence."

It was originally envisaged that the Treasury would foot the bill for the RHI, but the costs spiralled well beyond London's financial commitment. The total RHI spend in Northern Ireland is estimated at 1,150 million over the next 20 years.

The Treasury is set to cover 660 million of that, with Stormont landed with the remaining 490 million.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Economy said Mrs Foster's letter was "reasonable and appropriate" given the context facing the minister in January 2013.

She said the flaws in the scheme were not well documented at the time the letter was written.

In his new year message, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams claimed the DUP had "seriously damaged the credibility of the Assembly, Executive and the office of the First and Deputy First Minister".

"The DUP's actions are not acceptable and this issue is not going away," he added.

"I hope that First Minister Arlene Foster is using this time to reflect on the crisis and that she will facilitate the sort of robust and thorough investigation that is required to deal with this scandal."
Sir John Hermon was Chief Constable of Royal Ulster Constabulary from 1980 to 1989 (PSNI/PA)

A former chief constable of the RUC argued against the reintroduction of the death penalty in Northern Ireland in 1983.

Sir John Hermon said it was unlikely to deter terrorists claiming political motivation.

The exchange was revealed in the 1990 official files made public at the Public Records Office Northern Ireland (PRONI). The issue had been revisited by the Government that year, with then chief constable Sir Hugh Annesley reiterating his predecessor's advice about the impact of the sentence.

Sir John wrote: "They are much more likely to see and use the 'death penalty' as a vehicle by which to extend their political influence and to attract support both nationally and internationally to their 'cause'."

Sir John led the force from 1980 to 1989.

He wrote: "No sound reason can be found for the re-introduction of capital punishment that could be supported at the present either by logic or argument.

"The main perpetrators of these crimes are terrorists claiming political motivation and they are most unlikely to be influenced by any fear of death as a legal consequence of their actions."

The negative effects on security in Northern Ireland of introducing the capital sentence had been acknowledged by Sir John in a report he prepared for Government in 1983.

Seven years later the NIO revisited the issue and sought the advice of Sir Hugh.

Sir John said many terrorists were on the fringe of 18 years old, possibly too young for the death penalty.

"The death penalty could be avoided by increasing the 'use' of young persons by terrorist organisations," he added.
Avoca Court in west Belfast, where police were last night investigating the death of a teenager in a flat

A teenager was found dead in his bed at a Belfast apartment yesterday.

Police officers sealed off the scene at Avoca Court as they launched a probe into the cause of the young man's death.

Initial reports suggested the dead teenager was found by a relative.

Sinn Fein councillor Steven Corr said: "At this point we can only pray for the young man and for his family.

"I want to offer the family my sincere condolences on their tragic loss."

It is believed the young man worked in the technology industry, carrying out computer and smartphone repairs from his address.

How the teenager died is at this stage unknown.

It is expected that a post-mortem examination will be carried out in the near future.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service confirmed last night that police had not asked paramedics to attend the scene of the death.
HELENA  In the wake of recent anti-Semitic threats and online harassment in Montana, members of the Jewish community gathered in the Capitol Wednesday for the annual menorah lighting ceremony.

The gathering celebrated Hanukkah, and Jewish leaders emphasized the importance of bringing light into an often dark world.

Gov. Steve Bullock joined the ceremony, and spoke to over 60 people in the rotunda. He co-authored an open letter to Montanans with Attorney General Tim Fox, Rep. Ryan Zinke and Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester earlier this week to denounce threats made toward the Jewish community in Whitefish. The letter said the officials will stand together despite any political differences to stand up for whats right.

On Wednesday, Gov. Bullock reiterated his support for the Jewish community in Montana. He called on Montanans to recommit to shared values of humility, charity and tolerance.

We gather here to do more than light a candle. We gather to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, spirituality over materiality, and of purity over adulteration, Bullock said. May we continue this commitment long beyond Hanukkah and the holiday season.

On Dec. 20, a column was published in the Missoulian by Laurie Franklin, a spiritual leader of Har Shalom in Missoula. She was unable to make it to Helena on Wednesday, but her letter was read in full.

After the Jewish people defeated Antiochus IV and his invading forces, she explains, they rededicated their Holy Temple by lighting the temple lamp with the one remaining jug of holy oil. It was only supposed to keep the menorah lit for one night, but instead lasted eight days.

Hanukkah, or the festival of lights, celebrates the miracle by lighting one candle each night until all eight are lit. The word Hanukkah means dedication, and Franklin wrote that she will be rededicating herself to freedom.

Once again, I declare to the world, I am a Jew, and I love my religious and cultural heritage, my ancestors, my family and my Jewish community, she wrote.

Franklin invited Montanans to join her in placing a menorah in their window in solidarity after neo-Nazi fliers were distributed in Missoula.

We will not remain silent when fellow citizens applaud the ugliness of the Nazi regime and dare to suggest that it offers a model for society. We will do everything in our power to oppose the rise of hateful rhetoric and action directed towards Jews and all other groups," she wrote.

Rabbi Chaim Bruk of Bozeman provided a teaching on why the menorah has nine candles. The ninth candle is called the shamash, or the helping candle, and typically sits higher than the other eight candles.

Bruk said he encourages people to embody the helping candle by going above and beyond to help others and perform simple acts of kindness, especially in a time when Jewish people in Montana are being threatened and harassed. Instead of reacting to evil with anger, Bruk called for the community to respond to hateful people with love.

They are absolutely allergic to light, he said. Respond with something they cant counter with.

While the Jewish community has a history full of persecution, Rabbi Ed Stafman of Bozeman acknowledged the need to stand up for any group who faces oppression. He said the Bible repeatedly says people should not mistreat or oppress foreigners, because they were strangers themselves in Egypt.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there were almost 900 incidents of harassment or intimidation in the 10 days after the election. Of the reported incidents, 100 were anti-Semitic and 49 were anti-Muslim. President-elect Donald Trump has called for a ban on Muslim immigration, and said he was open to a registry of Muslims already in the country.

Ill be the first one to register, Stafman said.
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, seen here with his wife in 2008, was head of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland in 1986

Northern Ireland's top civil servant suggested "doing nothing" to tackle loyalist violence to teach unionists that it "does not pay", according to secret files just released under the 30- year rule.

Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, who went on to become the region's Victims Commissioner, told Irish officials during a confidential meeting in April 1986 that a "completely logical line of action" amid increasing unrest would be no action at all.

There was a ferocious unionist backlash at the time to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

"The situation in the North is becoming more serious by the week," he said, according to notes of his meeting with senior Anglo-Irish negotiators at Government Buildings in Dublin.

"The petrol bombing and attacks on police houses are particularly worrying."

Sir Kenneth said senior politicians were "becoming more concerned daily".

He suggested: "One alternative would be to look to a long campaign of violence and attrition - doing nothing and bringing home to the unionists that this sort of action just does not pay.

"There may be arguments for this, which could be a completely logical line of action."

But he added: "On the other hand, there are arguments now for discussions, which could bring constitutional politics back into the picture again."

He went on to say: "There is much to be said for encouraging dialogues within Northern Ireland among the political parties."

Sir Kenneth was head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service at the time.
Aodan Mac Poilin, who died yesterday aged 69, was a champion of the Irish language.

He had a particular gift for calming dissension - and he needed it because there were many fights he could have become embroiled in.

He knew that he was perceived by Sinn Fein as a problem, a safe pair of hands for Irish language funding during the Troubles.

He also knew that some saw him as enabling the Government in those days to present itself as helping the language while at the same time keeping a distance from republicans.

As director of the Ultach Trust, Mr Mac Poilin sought to promote the language without its political connotations.

There were others who sought to use it as a tribal badge, even to rewrite the history of the IRA to view its campaign as a struggle for language rights. But Aodan did not want the language to be anyone's weapon, or shield.

He also knew that past government efforts in the South to revive the language through funding and legislation had failed.

Mr Mac Poilin was a fluent speaker, part of a Gaeltacht community formed on the Shaw's Road in Belfast in 1969. He was a founder member of the Ultach Trust, which sought to reach across the communities in Northern Ireland, perhaps not least by the use of the Irish for Ulster (Ultach) in the title.

He was at the forefront of much Irish language promotion, through TG4, the Ultach Trust and the Cultural Traditions Group, and he was also a member of the board of the Seamus Heaney Centre.

His preference for the diplomatic management of conflict shone through in two recent quarrels.

When funding was cut to Ultach Trust education projects, he declined the opportunity to take a swipe at the then Culture Minister, Caral Ni Chuilin, claiming that she was more likely to have been asleep on the job than to be avenging herself on him. And when, on another occasion, language activists accused senior civil servants of a bias against the Irish language, he sought to deflect that charge to DUP ministers who had not done as much as they could have done.

This is the Aodan that I met at many committee meetings in the Cultural Traditions Group, or when I approached him as a journalist to try and tease a news angle out of him.

I was most often rebuffed with a soft chuckle and a deflection, an easy confidence that things would work out, or at least turn out for the better if he did not get rattled.

He was a cultural egalitarian, who wanted as much to preserve the Ulster-Scots tradition as the Gaelic one. He perhaps got little thanks for that.

Two years ago, the cross-border body Foras na Gaeilge, charged with supporting the language on an all-island basis, stopped funding the Ultach Trust and other Northern groups.

Aodan pledged then that Ultach would continue on a voluntary basis; no other group, in his view, having the reach into the Protestant community that Ultach had.

Yesterday, it lost its leader.
Tony Blair was rumoured to have been planning a comeback

Tony Blair will not return to the House of Commons while Jeremy Corbyn is in charge of Labour, the party leader has said.

Mr Corbyn said "nuanced differences of opinion" would prevent the former prime minister's return to Parliamentary politics inside Labour, which he led to three successive general election victories between 1997 and 2005.

This summer Mr Corbyn backed a motion declaring his predecessor guilty of "contempt" following the release of the Chilcot Report, while Mr Blair was later reported to be mulling a comeback because he considered the Islington North MP a "nutter".

Mr Corbyn told The Guardian: "I think the nuanced differences of opinion between me and Tony Blair are quite well known.

"I dont see Tony Blair and I working together. I dont think he does either."

Mr Blair ruled himself out of the upcoming byelection in Copeland, Cumbria, triggered by Jamie Reed's resignation, the Labour leader added. Mr Reed has been a public critic of Mr Corbyn, describing himself light-heartedly as Red Leader, Rebel Alliance on Twitter.

Labour is ramping up preparations to relaunch Mr Corbyn as a left-wing populist figure in the new year as it seeks to ride an anti-politics mood following Brexit.

Senior party officials reportedly believe his unpolished authenticity could gather support from the same anti-establishment sentiment that has heralded the popularity of the likes of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, and believe this could bolster his chances in a potential early election.

In an interview with The Independent, Mr Corbyn said his MPs would back a vote for an early election if Theresa May decided to call one.
The Irish Coast Guard co-ordinated responses to 2,500 incidents from its main bases in 2016

More than 400 lives were saved during sea rescues this year, the Coast Guard has said.

The rescue missions were among 2,500 incidents co-ordinated from the agency's main bases at Dublin, Malin, Co Donegal, and Valentia, Co Kerry.

At the end of 2016, the Coast Guard also warned of an increase in kayaking and surfing-related incidents.

It was called out to 45 kayaking and surfing incidents during the year.

The year also saw tragedy strike the rescue service, with the loss of volunteer Caitriona Lucas, who died during a search operation off Kilkee, Co Clare, in September.

She was the first volunteer member to lose her life on operational service.

The Coast Guard said the death had "cast a dark shadow" over all its activities.

Also during the year, the Coast Guard:

:: Transferred nine patients to the UK for emergency procedures mainly relating to organ transplant

:: Conducted 20 long-range offshore missions involving casualty evacuations more 100 miles from land

:: Flew on 23 suspected pollution investigation missions arising from satellite-based reports

:: Participated in 86 mountain rescue missions

In relation to drowning, the Coast Guard said men remained the most likely victims, with preliminary reports showing that well over half of people needing rescue were not wearing lifejackets.

Eugene Clonan, acting Coast Guard director, thanked all staff and volunteers involved in missions during 2016.

"Sadly, at this time we remember the family of Caitriona Lucas and recall Caitriona as a person who so embodied the volunteer ethos," he added.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said the avian influenza subtype H5N8 was detected in a wild duck in Wexford town

A strain of bird flu has been confirmed in a duck in Co Wexford.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said the avian influenza subtype H5N8 was detected in a wild duck in Wexford town.

The bird was found alive but unable to fly on December 28.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre said although the H5N8 subtype can cause serious disease in poultry and other birds, no human infections with the virus have been reported worldwide.

The risk to humans has therefore been rated as very low.

The department said the detection was not unexpected, as there had been infections of a "highly pathogenic" variant detected in Great Britain in the last two weeks.

Last week Agriculture Minister Michael Creed introduced regulations under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 requiring the compulsory housing of poultry as a result of the increased threat.

Further tests are being carried out to determine whether the virus found in Ireland is the same highly pathogenic strain that is currently present in Great Britain and mainland Europe.

The results of the tests will not be available until the middle of next week.

A department spokesman said: "The Department reiterates that strict bio-security measures are necessary to prevent the introduction of avian influenza into poultry and captive bird flocks.

"Flock owners should remain vigilant for any signs of disease in their flocks, and report any disease suspicion to their nearest Department Veterinary Office."
Peter Robinson was 'saying things about independence', then-British Cabinet secretary Sir Robert Armstrong said

Northern Ireland's former First Minister Peter Robinson was plotting to declare an independent state amid a feared bloodbath in the aftermath of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, British officials believed.

In one of a flurry of high-level intergovernmental meetings in 1986, then-British Cabinet secretary Sir Robert Armstrong - the UK's top-ranking official - told Irish counterparts Mr Robinson was "saying things about independence".

"We may be tending to treat this as unthinkable and to say 'they can't really want it', but the issue may become more real," he warned.

Sir Robert was head of the British civil service and chief advisor to Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher and the Tory Cabinet.

Notes from the meeting at Whitehall, marked "Secret", were sent back from London to then-Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald in Dublin.

Sir Robert told officials that unionists who feared the recently-signed agreement was a precursor to a British withdrawal would prefer an independent Northern Ireland rather than a united Ireland.

"However, they do not appear to have thought out the full consequences of this course - and enthusiasm for it is far less than widespread," he said.

"They obviously have not given full weight to the financial consequences and do not appeared to have considered what their position would be vis a vis the European Community and in the international context."

He told the meeting a lot of unionist thinking "particularly on the part of (Ian) Paisley" was based on the premise that "at some time the British would pull the rug out and that then Northern Ireland would have to go it alone."

"Paisley wanted to be in a position to blame the British if this happened - and also to be at the top of the heap," he said, according to Irish official notes of the meeting, just released into Dublin's National Archives under the 30-year rule.

Concerns of a Rhodesia-style Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in Belfast were raised repeatedly during several confidential Anglo-Irish meetings that year, the State papers show.

In a meeting with then-Secretary of State Tom King at the Irish Embassy in London in February, Mr Fitzgerald said a risk with keeping the Northern Ireland Assembly going at the time was its being used "to declare UDI".

Mr King, who wanted to keep the forum going "for letting off steam, if nothing else", agreed that was possible.

"Robinson was certainly thinking in those terms," he said.

Mr King said there was "real trouble ahead" as Catholics feared a Protestant backlash to the Agreement, citing a television programme that showed the UDA and UVF getting organised.

"The British were unhappy about the role of some politicians," notes of the meeting state.

"Peter Robinson was certainly in touch with the paramilitaries and the British were also extremely dubious about the role of (former UUP deputy leader) Harold McCusker.

"Even Paisley was now looking over his shoulder to the paramilitaries."

Ken Bloomfield, then head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, also warned Irish officials in April about an attempted revival of Ulster nationalism.

"Unionists are now beginning to realise that the choice facing them is whether to preserve the union or preserve their ascendancy," he said.

"People going for ascendancy may find themselves, logically, on the independence road - however untenable that may be economically and politically."

Also in April, Mr Fitzgerald met with then-Ulster Unionist Belfast Lord Mayor John Carson.

One of the mayor's officials, Alfie Redpath, told the meeting there were close links between some politicians and the paramilitaries, saying the "thuggery is being manipulated with a purpose".

"Paisley and Robinson seem to be working with a scenario of UDI in mind," he told the Taoiseach.

"They will say, when the violence has reached a certain point, that the only way out is for Ulster to look after itself.

"We could run into a bloodbath."

Mr Fitzgerald responded that unionists purported to support the union but "what they are doing is the opposite".

In March, Sir Robert told Irish ambassador to London Noel Dorr that references to UDI were "highly undesirable" and that the British government had expressed "in the strongest possible terms their opposition to the idea".

No British government could "contemplate UDI on any basis other than one which followed agreement, to take into account, minority problems", the meeting was told.
Seamus Mallon, left, and John Hume were fundamentally split on the definitive issue of a united Ireland

John Hume and Seamus Mallon - the two titans of the SDLP in its heyday - had an open row about whether nationalists really cared about a united Ireland.

The party leader and his deputy, whose differences were mostly kept under wraps during their dominance of northern nationalism for much of the Troubles, were fundamentally split on the definitive issue.

The schism erupted during a meal at the Irish embassy in London in January 1986.

They had been invited, along with other SDLP members and family, by then ambassador Noel Dorr to mark MP Mr Mallon officially taking his newly-won seat for the first time at Westminster.

In a missive - marked "secret" - sent back to Dublin, Mr Dorr told the Irish government "considerable differences of outlook and approach between John Hume and Seamus Mallon came out quite clearly in discussion".

"An argument developed between them in which Hume spoke of the ambivalence of Northern nationalists about Irish unity - they want it but they know the time is not ripe for it and the concept of unity is more important as a factor in what he called 'the tribal conflict' than in itself," the diplomat reported.

Mr Hume argued that his native and predominantly nationalist Derry had closer links with Glasgow than the west of Ireland or even Dublin, according to the newly-declassified documents released into the National Archives.

"Mallon on the other hand disagreed with this and spoke of the desire for Irish unity as a deep motivating force North and South of the border," Mr Dorr said in the letter which was copied to the Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald and Tanaiste Dick Spring.

"He also challenged Hume's view that Irish unity, of necessity, would have to be a very long-term prospect.

"Mallon sees the Anglo-Irish Agreement as a kind of last throw by constitutional Irish nationalism."

The fledgling agreement had been signed just two months beforehand and was facing a revolt from unionists.

Mr Mallon told the dinner party if it failed the outlook would be "bleak".

But his party leader "dissented" from this analysis - insisting the treaty which gave Dublin an advisory role in Northern Ireland was a new beginning rather than a last opportunity.

Mr Hume argued that a substantial number of Northern Catholics would never support violence in any circumstances, and agreed with a suggestion that there would be "another agreement if the Anglo-Irish Agreement failed".

The pair also appeared to differ on what direction the SDLP should take in the immediate aftermath of the agreement.

Mr Hume said the choice was to "play it safe" by appealing to their own supporters, or to reach out to unionists to resolve the "fundamental historic problem".

He strongly favoured reaching out to unionists and wanted to do it sooner rather than later.

But Mr Mallon had a "longer timetable in mind" and said his voters - many of whom gave him conditional support - were giving the agreement a chance and wanted to see it delivered.

In the letter, Mr Dorr appeals for discretion around his report as he was sure neither Mr Hume nor Mr Mallon would appreciate having their differences talked about.
Northern Ireland workers who lost their jobs as a result of the collapse of high street stalwart BHS are understood to be among hundreds who have contacted a hardship charity once chaired by Charles Dickens.

The firm's administration affected 164 stores and 11,000 employees, including 152 staff at four outlets here.

The Fashion and Textile Children's Trust said it had received applications from a record 460 families over the past six months, and around 275 of them related to former BHS workers, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The charity was founded in 1853 by a group of merchants in the textile industry. It helps children whose parents work in retail but are struggling financially.

In August BHS workers in Belfast were left in tears as the shutters were pulled down on the city centre store for the last time.

Several of the 57 staff were long-serving, with many having worked there for 40 years-plus.

The collapse of BHS after 88 years on the high street affected a total of 22,000 pensions, and sparked a lengthy parliamentary inquiry.

Retail billionaire Sir Philip Green has borne the brunt of the public fallout, having been branded "the unacceptable face of capitalism" by MPs. Sir Philip owned BHS for 15 years before selling it to Dominic Chappell for 1 last year.

He came under fire for taking more than 400m in dividends, leaving BHS with a 571m pension deficit, and for selling the business to a man with no retail experience.

BHS International, formed by the Al Mana Group, is relaunching the brand online, allowing shoppers to buy products from 23 UK-based suppliers.

The company has stressed the online retailer has no links with Sir Philip or Mr Chappell.
File photo dated 22/04/1989 of fans gathering at Anfield for a ceremony of remembrance following the Hillsborough disaster. The final annual Hillsborough memorial service at Anfield will take place later to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Friday April 15, 2016. Thousands of ordinary fans are expected to gather with the families of those who died in the tragedy to pay their respects one last time at the home of Liverpool FC. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: PA/PA Wire

File photo dated 15/04/1989 of overcrowding at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough. The final annual Hillsborough memorial service at Anfield will take place later to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Friday April 15, 2016. Thousands of ordinary fans are expected to gather with the families of those who died in the tragedy to pay their respects one last time at the home of Liverpool FC. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: David Giles/PA Wire

People gather at Anfield around the Hillsborough memorial before the last memorial service to be held at the Liverpool ground to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

A banner in tribute to the victims of Hillsborough on a shop front outside Anfield, Liverpool, before the last memorial service to be held at the ground to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Flowers are placed at the Hillsborough memorial before the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Roses are carried to be placed at the Hillsborough memorial before the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Flowers are placed at the Hillsborough memorial before the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Roses are placed on the side of the pitch before the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

People look at the list of victims' names at the temporary Hillsborough memorial, ahead of a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image was created as an Equirectangular Panorama. Import image into a panoramic player to create an interactive 360 degree view.) People arrive for a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives took part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool rung during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Flowers and football scarves are pictured at the temporary Hillsborough memorial, ahead of a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Seats with the number 96 before the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Flowers are pictured at the temporary Hillsborough memorial, ahead of a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

People pay their respects at the temporary Hillsborough memorial, ahead of a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

A man prepares to lay flowers bearing a photograph of one of the Hillsborough Disaster victims at the temporary Hillsborough memorial, ahead of a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Flowers and football scarves lay in front of the temporary Hillsborough memorial, ahead of a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Tributes are left outside Anfield stadium before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives took part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool rung during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: People arrive for a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The congregation gathers before the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: People leave tributes outside Anfield stadium before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Tributes are left outside Anfield stadium before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: A bus displays a message reading 'Remembering the 96' next to it's route information as it drives past Anfield stadium before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: A general view of Anfield stadium before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish arrives for the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Manager Jurgen Klopp arrives for the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish arrives for the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: A Liverpool fan deep in thought before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Two young mascots for Liverpool FC and Everton FC walk hand in hand across the pitch before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers (R), and former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher (C) arrive for a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Former Liverpool player and BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson arrives for the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Liverpool's Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet (C) sits with teammates as they attend a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp (L) and Liverpool's English midfielder Jordan Henderson attend a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Former Liverpool players Ian Rush (centre left) and Robbie Fowler (centre) during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: A banner is unfurled in front of supporters before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Fans, relatives and Liverpool FC staff and players during a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives took part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool rung out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: A bouquet of flowers in the shape of a football is placed on the pitch before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

People attend a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Former Liverpool players Bruce Grobbelaar and Phil Thompson (centre) and Alan Hansen during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Tributes are placed on the pitch before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives will take part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Former past and present players and managers take their place during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Children lay flowers on the pitch during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

A banner with former Liverpool player Steven Gerrard is displayed during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: An Everton FC supporter holds up a Liverpool FC supporters shirt during a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives took part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool rung out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Flowers and balloons at the side of the pitch during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Liverpool FC supporters clap during a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives took part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool rang out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Current and former Liverpool players during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Hillsborough campaigners Margaret Aspinal and Trevor Hicks during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp (R) arrives with his players to attend a memorial service at Anfield in Liverpool, north west Engand on April 15, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. 96 Liverpool supporters died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, northern England. 2016 will be the final year a memorial service is held at Anfield. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

LThe 'Eternal Ring' is seen as Liverpool FC fans sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' during a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Children lay flowers on the pitch during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Daglish arrives for the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Liverpool FC supporters applaud during a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives took part in the final Anfield memorial service for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Earlier this year relatives of the victims agreed that this year's service would be the last. Bells across the City of Liverpool rang out during a one minute silence in memory of the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Members of the crowd during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Members of the crowd during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham shakes hands with former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Daglish before the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 15, 2016. The 96 Liverpool fans died in the crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium after going to see their team play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. See PA story MEMORIAL Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Members of the crowd during the last memorial service to be held at Anfield, Liverpool, to mark 27 years to the day since the tragedy claimed 96 lives. PA

People leave tributes outside Anfield stadium before a memorial service to mark the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, on April 15, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Liverpool scarves cover 96 seats in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster 25 years ago during the FA Cup Semi Final match at Wembley Stadium, London

The Liverpool players acknowledge a minutes silence for the Hillsborough victims on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

96 empty seats are draped with Liverpool scarves to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster prior to the FA Cup Semi-Final match between Wigan Athletic and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on April 12, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: View of floral tributes laid in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: View of club scarves placed in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: View of floral tributes laid in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: A young fan stands next to floral tributes laid in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

A badge is shown in memory of the Hillsborough disaster, before the Barclays Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: View of the Hillsborough memorial, on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: View of floral tributes laid in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

A tribute to the 96 fans who died during the Hillsborough disaster, outside the ground before the Sky Bet Championship match at Hillsborough, Sheffield

Liverpool supporters hold banners prior to a minute's silence at their match on Sunday

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: A woman walks past a Hillsborough tribute banner as fans arrive in Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Fans arrive in Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Members of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign group march to Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

A scarf is tied to the Shankly Gates at Anfield, before the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service

Family members of Keith McGrath lay flowers at the Hillsborough memorial at Anfield, before the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service

A fan ties a scarf to the Shankly Gates at Anfield, before the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service

Harley Hanson (aged nine) from Sheffield places flowers ahead of the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Hillsborough, Sheffield

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Members of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign group march to Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: The Liverpool and Manchester City players acknowledge a minutes silence for the Hillsborough victims on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: The Liverpool FC flag hangs at half mast as fans arrive in Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: An Everton fan arrives in Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Members of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign group march to Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

96, made up of fans scarves, fills the centre circle before the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 15, 2014. See PA story SOCCER Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

A general view during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 15, 2014. See PA story SOCCER Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

A Liverpool fan pays her respect to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in Market Square, Nottingham. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 15, 2014. Photo credit: Rowan Staszkiewicz/PA Wire

A Nottingham Forest fan pays his respect to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in Market Square, Nottingham. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 15, 2014. Photo credit: Rowan Staszkiewicz/PA Wire

Liverpool fans pay their respect to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in Market Square, Nottingham. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 15, 2014. Photo credit: Rowan Staszkiewicz/PA Wire

Members of the public and football fans gather together during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Hillsborough, Sheffield. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 15, 2014. See PA story SOCCER Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire

Messages on floral tributes left during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Hillsborough, Sheffield. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 15, 2014. See PA story SOCCER Hillsborough. Photo credit should read: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: Members of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign group embrace as they arrive at Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (top row, third left) stands with his team mates, during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool

Young fans during the screening of the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Goodison Park, Liverpool

Liverpool's (left-right) Glen Johnson, Daniel Sturridge, Luis Suarez, Daniel Agger and Steven Gerrard arrive for the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool

Liverpool's Xabi Alonso wearing a black armband in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster

A sea of flowers at Hillsborough stadium, in memory of the Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough

Hillsborough disaster victim Andrew Devine who is now communicating by pressing a micro switch

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, his wife Marina and daughter Kelly during the memorial service for the victims of the Hillsborough Tragedy.

A distraught young Liverpool fan in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster

Bent and twisted fencing at Hillsborough in the aftermath of the tragedy

Injured fans lie on advertising boards which were used as makeshift stretchers

Kevin Williams stretchered off on the Hillsborough pitch during the Hillsborough disaster

Hillsborough disaster policeman looks at a pile of police helmets lying on pitch amongst debris

An injured fan sits against the goalpost with his leg in a splint

Gill and Brian Caldwell being crushed against the fence in the Liverpool enclosure at Hillsborough

Fans receiving attention on the pitch. Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield will always bear the scar of England's worst football tragedy. On April 15th 1989, 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives having gone to watch their side contest an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest

Fans on the pitch at Hillsborough. FA Cup semi final April 1989 between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. 96 football fans lost their lives in Britain's worst stadium disaster

Hillsborough tragedy - the horror and the anguish on the darkest of days [Photos] Close

Queen's University academic Phil Scraton has turned down an OBE.

The 67-year-old, who is originally from Liverpool, was instrumental in exposing the truth about what happened in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

He has been named in the Queen's New Year Honours List, but has refused it saying that he could not receive it "on the recommendation of those who remained unresponsive" to those who campaigned for the truth about what happened.

In a statement he outlined his reason for rejecting the title.

"I headed the panel's research team and was a consultant to the families' lawyers throughout the new inquests," he said.

"I could not receive an honour on the recommendation of those who remained unresponsive to the determined efforts of bereaved families and survivors to secure truth and justice."

Ninety-six people died as a consequence of gates being locked on disproportionately filled areas of Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground on April 15, 1989.

In April this year, an inquest jury concluded the fans were unlawfully killed. Prof Scraton's book, Hillsborough: The Truth, is widely accepted as the definitive account of the disaster.

He was appointed to the Hillsborough Independent Panel and penned much of its subsequent report which led directly to the quashing of the 96 inquest verdicts of accidental death, and the ordering of the new inquests and a full criminal investigation into the tragedy.

In the statement, the author and criminologist reiterated criticism of the failure of successive governments to act on behalf of those affected by the disaster.

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He said: "I researched Hillsborough from 1989, publishing reports, articles and the first edition of Hillsborough: The Truth in 1990. Until 2009, and despite compelling evidence, successive governments declined to pursue a thorough, independent review of the context, consequences and aftermath of the disaster. This changed as a direct result of the families and survivors' brave, persistent campaign. It led to the Hillsborough Independent Panel, its ground-breaking findings, new inquests and their crucially significant verdicts."

Prof Scraton provided submissions to the 1997-1998 judicial scrutiny undertaken by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith and remained highly critical of the inquiry, describing it as a "debacle".

Some Hillsborough campaigners have already received honours from the Queen.

Prof Scraton acknowledged his decision "might come as a disappointment to some Hillsborough families, survivors and whoever nominated me".

However, he added: "Finally, I could not accept an honour tied in name to the 'British Empire'. In my scholarship and teaching I remain a strong critic of the historical, cultural and political contexts of imperialism and their international legacy."
BUTTE  If you keep your head up, you may see more walkers and bicyclists around Butte, if state and local planners get their way.

Despite the occasional curb that needs adjusting and sidewalks that need extension or repair, Butte could become more easily accessible for everyone.

That is the overall plan, eventually.

Reflecting a nationwide trend to make communities more walkable, bike-able and livable, a state group and a Butte committee are advancing slowly but surely on those objectives.

On Jan. 5, 2017, the Building Active Communities Initiative (BACI) starts taking applications for a three-day training and networking workshop set for May 16-18 in Butte.

It will follow a 45-day public review of the Butte Transportation Coordinating Committee action report, which includes potential biking and walking improvements.

Hopefully, there is a BACI team from Butte, said Cathy Costakis, a Built Environment senior consultant bringing her considerable experience from Bozeman to town to share. Wed love to see an application from Butte.

Costakiss staff will select six teams from across the state to attend the training for free.

We want a multi-sector of teams representing different disciplines, added Costakis. Maybe a planner, public works director, health department, hospital, business, nonprofits, schools  those are the types of people we want on the team.

After the training is done, this is for people who will make things happen in the community. We totally expect them to go out and increase their team once the training is over.

Cassie Wick, Montana Independent Living Project independent living specialist, has taken the BACI training previously in Helena and plans to work with whoever is selected.

Its really, really cool, said Wick, who is part of a separate Walk and Roll Butte campaign that promotes bike events, safety and awareness through events like the Pub, Pedal and Crawl. We split into groups and assessed the walkability in Helena. Its cool just to see your community from a sidewalk view, because the more you walk around, the more you see the barriers.

For instance, poorly designed or dangerous curbs, the lack of auditory alerts for the blind at stoplights or cracks in the sidewalk can throw many citizens off-balance who are trying to navigate a city without a vehicle.

One possible solution: putting out temporary barriers, like hay bales, to experiment with a roundabout at a four-way intersection, as Whitefish tried.

Called a walking audit, the training calls for participants of all ages  including children  to walk a neighborhood and notice what's present and what may be missing along a potential biking or walking route: safe sidewalks to get to a school, well-marked pedestrian crossings, enough litter receptacles.

Its a mentality shift, said Wick, who bikes regularly from her house on Mercury Street to destinations on Harrison Avenue.

Dave Schultz, Butte-Silver Bow public works director, said folks determined to drive everywhere must realize that it takes time and planning to develop safer sidewalks and curbing for walkers and bicyclists around town.

Some residents want to make sure the county fills all potholes before expanding such amenities.

But Schultz says that may not be practical. Were the same as every other town. If we were to wait until every pothole was filled, we wouldnt get around to  these amenities.

An increasing number of bicyclists, including families, appreciate the dedicated marked bike lanes, like the ones on Montana Street.

Jon Sesso, BSB city planner and state senator, said the Butte Transportation Coordinating Committee is currently reviewing feedback the public has left in a comments portal on the county website concerning transportation wishes and suggestions.

There was a lot of input by pedestrians and bicyclists asking for a lot of emphasis and development of trails. There have been a lot of comments associated with the progress weve made so far. People can still chime in on the website.

BSB Assistant Planning Director Lori Casey said the public clearly "would like to see more protected bike lanes.

By Jan. 11, the committee will release the findings for public review via kiosks at the BSB Courthouse and the Butte Civic Center so that the major initiatives outlined in the plan are shown to people. Then there will be a 45-day public comment period, followed by formal adoption in front of the county commissioners.

Safe biking infrastructure is important to the community, Schultz added. We want to promote an active lifestyle, not just for kids, but for everybody in the community."

Costakis said the purpose for the BACI training is to educate, set priorities in each community, provide technical assistance and resources and become inclusive.

If the community feels more walkable, our kids will participate in it more, said Wick. She added that if the disabled are able to get around town freely without barriers, then everyone will.

Costakis asks workshop participants: What kind of community do you envision?

Just because you drive a car, its okay, but there are people who ride a bike, so should they be at risk? You need to make it equitable and safe for everyone.

The Community Action Team of Butte  formerly known as the Suicide Prevention Team  is considering such healthier changes to encourage healthier behaviors in children and all citizens.

The more walkable a community is, the healthier it is, added Wick, a CAT member.
A search is under way for the missing aircraft

The chief executive of a drinks distribution company was piloting a plane carrying his wife, two sons and two other people when it quickly lost altitude after take-off in Ohio and vanished from radar, according to his family.

The parents of Superior Beverage Company executive John T Fleming confirmed he was piloting the plane from Cleveland's lakeshore airport to Columbus when it disappeared late on Thursday about two miles over Lake Erie.

Mr Fleming's father said the other five people on the plane were the executive's wife, two teenage sons, a neighbour and the neighbour's daughter. John W Fleming described his son as "an experienced pilot".

Crews combing Lake Erie for the plane remain hopeful that the occupants could be found alive, and were in search-and-rescue mode, not recovery mode, as they scoured waters about 50ft deep, said Captain Michael Mullen, the chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District.

Tracking service FlightAware logged only three location pings for the plane after take-off from Burke Lakefront Airport, and the last one indicated rapid altitude loss. Authorities have said there were no distress signals from the pilot.

The aircraft took off westward from Burke, then turned north across the lake, according to the tracking service flightradar24.com. The departure procedure at Burke could take an aircraft north over the lake before turning south towards a destination, Mr Mullen said.

The plane, which had made the roughly half-hour trip from Columbus earlier in the day, is registered to a limited liability company under the same Columbus address as Superior Beverage.

Authorities have detected "faint hints" but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help find the plane, Mr Mullen said. Searchers have found no sign of debris.

"We're very hopeful. We will be very hopeful up until the point that we have to turn the search off and we switch over to assisting with recovery," Mr Mullen said at a news conference.

But when asked about the possibility of the two-engine jet landing safely on Lake Erie, he said: "Aircraft are not designed to float, especially in 12ft seas."

The search overnight was made difficult by snow squalls, high seas and darkness, Mr Mullen said. Weather prevented smaller Coast Guard boats in the Cleveland area from launching. A US Coast Guard helicopter and a Royal Canadian Air Force plane were used along with a Coast Guard ship from Detroit.

It would have been the pilot's responsibility to determine whether it was safe to fly, Mr Mullen said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna Citation 525 plane left Burke at 10.50pm local time, and the Coast Guard said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control at Burke about 30 minutes later. Investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are heading to Cleveland.

The aircraft was headed to Ohio State University Airport north west of central Columbus.

AP
US President Barack Obama speaking at the White House in Washington, DC on December 16, 2016 and Vladimir Putin speaking in Moscow on December 23, 2016. AFP/Getty Images

Vladimir Putin has ruled out expelling US diplomats in the wake of fresh US sanctions and the ordered expulsion of 35 Russians in retaliation for alleged cyber-meddling in the US election.

The Russian president also said that his country will not target US diplomats and their families days before New Years celebrations.

"Russian diplomats will spend the New Year holidays in the circle of relatives and friends - at home. We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone.

"We will not prohibit their families and children to use their usual vacation spots in the New Year's holidays. Moreover, all children of American diplomats accredited in Russia, I invite you to New Year's celebrations in the Kremlin."

Calling the US moves a "provocation", Putin said he would not "stoop to the level of irresponsible diplomacy".

Putin said he regretted that Obama is ending his term in such a way, and wished him, Donald Trump and the American people a happy New Year.

He said: "It is a pity that the Obama administration ends his term in such a way, but, nevertheless, I wish him and his family a Happy New Year.

"I congratulate President-elect Donald Trump and the entire American people! I wish all health and prosperity!"

The Kremlin said that a government plane will be sent to the US to evacuate the expelled diplomats and their families.

Nigel Farage was among those praising Putin's response. "Pleased to see a mature response from Putin," the ex-Ukip leader wrote on Twitter. "A @realDonaldTrump presidency can't come soon enough."

The diplomatic showdown between Washington and Moscow, which had been festering even before the November 8 presidential election saw Donald Trump elevated to the presidency, puts pressure on the billionaire businessman not to let Russia off the hook after he takes office on January 20.

Russia's government continues to deny US accusations that it hacked and stole emails to try to help Mr Trump defeat his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

On Thursday US president Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats and ordered more sanctions against Russian officials and intelligence services in response to alleged 'election hacking'.

"All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions. These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government," Obama said.

"Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year.

"We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised."

The diplomats were given 72 hours to leave US soil.

"These actions were taken to respond to Russian harassment of American diplomats and actions by the diplomats that we have assessed to be not consistent with diplomatic practice," an unnamed official told Reuters.

Russia's foreign ministry said the moves were counterproductive and will harm the restoration of bilateral ties.

Pleased to see a mature response from Putin. A @realDonaldTrump presidency can't come soon enough.  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) December 30, 2016

Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said: "In our point of view such actions of the US current administration are a manifestation of an unpredictable and even aggressive foreign policy.

"We regret the fact that this decision was taken by the US administration and President Obama personally. As was said before, we consider this decision and these sanctions unjustified and illegal under international law.

Mr Peskov warned that the restrictions wont go unanswered by Moscow promising adequate, reciprocal reaction that will deliver significant discomfort to the US side in the same areas. However, he added that "theres no need to rush".

Putin has previously denied the hacking claims and called on Obama and his administration to either provide evidence or stop making accusations.

The move ensures action before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

The move also puts Mr Trump in the position of having to decide whether to roll back the measures once in office and could potentially cause difficulties for his nominees during their confirmation hearings in the Senate, where support for sanctioning Russia is strong.

"We have to sanction Russia for these cyber attacks (and) send a clear message to the incoming administration that there is a lot of bipartisan support in Congress for going after this," Senator Amy Klobuchar told the Associated Press (AP) by phone from Latvia while on a trip to discuss security issues, including cyber security, with eastern European allies.

She said politicians on both sides were in favour of quick action.

Ms Klobuchar joined Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham on their visits to the Baltic states, Ukraine and Georgia - all Russian neighbours - as well as Montenegro.

Russia responded angrily in anticipation of the announcement and suggested it might retaliate against US diplomats.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called it a last blow by President Barack Obama to US-Russia relations, and added: "We are tired of lies about Russian hackers that continue to be spread in the United States from the very top."

"If Washington takes new hostile steps, it will receive an answer," Ms Zakharova said in a statement.

"This applies to any actions against Russian diplomatic missions in the United States, which will immediately backfire at US diplomats in Russia."

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Russian officials have denied the Obama administration's accusation that the Russian government was involved at the highest levels in trying to influence the US presidential election.

A secret CIA report concluded that Russia's goal was to help Mr Trump win - an assessment Mr Trump has dismissed as ridiculous.

The claims previously drew a rebuke from Trumps transition team, which said in a statement: "These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction."

Can you imagine if the election results were the opposite and WE tried to play the Russia/CIA card. It would be called conspiracy theory! Trump tweeted previously.

Mr Trump rejected the CIA's conclusion that Russia tried to interfere with the presidential election and blamed "very embarrassed" Democrats for the public release of the assessment. The Washington Post first reported the CIA finding on Friday.

"It's ridiculous," Mr Trump said of the CIA's assessment. He added, however, that he does not necessarily oppose President Barack Obama's order for a review of campaign-season hacking. "If you're going to do that, I think you should not just say 'Russia'. You should say other countries also, and maybe other individuals."

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The US has already sanctioned Russia over Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine.

WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange has denied that emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta were hacked and leaked to his organisation by the Russian government.

In an interview with Sean Hannity he was asked: "So in other words, let me be clear...Russia did not give you the Podesta documents or anything from the DNC?"

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The Australian founder of the whistleblowing website, who has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for over four years, responded: "That's correct."

Assange said: "Were unhappy that we felt that we needed to even say that it wasnt a state party. Normally, we say nothing at all.

"We have ... a strong interest in protecting our sources, and so we never say anything about them, never ruling anyone in or anyone out.

"And so here, in order to prevent a distraction attack against our publications, weve had to come out and say no, its not a state party. Stop trying to distract in that way and pay attention to the content of the publication," he told Hannity.

Assange also revealed that WikiLeaks received "about three pages of information to do with the [Republican National Committee] and Donald Trump [during the campaign], but it was already public somewhere else."

Craig Murray, the former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, who is a close associate of Assange, also dismissed the CIA's claims that Russia was the source of the emails as "bulls***".

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The accounts by Murray and Assange directly contradict the story advanced by the CIA.

The Washington Post reported on a 'secret assessment' by the CIA, which concluded that Russian intelligence hacked the Democratic National Committee's servers and that of Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta, specifically to help Trump win the presidency.

Mr Murray said: "I know who leaked them. Ive met the person who leaked them, and they are certainly not Russian and it's an insider. Its a leak, not a hack; the two are different things.

If what the CIA are saying is true, and the CIAs statement refers to people who are known to be linked to the Russian state, they would have arrested someone if it was someone inside the United States.

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America has not been shy about arresting whistleblowers and its not been shy about extraditing hackers. They plainly have no knowledge whatsoever.

He then revealed to Dailymail.com that he had flown to Washington DC for a secret hand-off with one of the sources in September.

He said that he met an intermediary in a wooded area near a US university to retrieve a package.

Intelligence assessments

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which oversees the 17 agency-strong US intelligence community, has not embraced the CIA's assessment, sources have told Reuters.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose standards require it to make cases that can stand up in court, also declined to accept the CIA's analysis.

In an angry letter sent to ODNI chief James Clapper on Monday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said he was dismayed that the top US intelligence official had not informed the panel of the CIA's analysis and the difference between its judgment and the FBIs assessment, Reuters reported.

"ODNI is not arguing that the agency (CIA) is wrong, only that they can't prove intent," one of the officials told the news agency. "Of course they can't, absent agents in on the decision-making in Moscow.

The ODNI was formed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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'Thin reed'

[It was] a thin reed upon which to base an analytical judgment, another official said in response to the speculation. He stressed that the judgment based on the fact that Russian entities hacked both Democrats and Republicans and only the Democratic information was leaked.

Republican Senator John McCain said on Monday there was "no information" that Russian hacking of US political organisations was aimed at influencing the election.

"It's obvious that the Russians hacked into our campaigns," McCain said told Reuters.

"But there is no information that they were intending to affect the outcome of our election and that's why we need a congressional investigation."
The ceasefire represents a turning point in six years of fighting that has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people (AP)

A Syrian ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey which took effect at midnight was holding on Friday despite minor violations, marking a potential breakthrough in the six years of fighting that has left more than 250,000 dead and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes between troops and rebels in the central province of Hama and near the capital, Damascus, early on Friday but said there have been no reports of civilian casualties since the truce began.

Opposition activist Mazen al-Shami, who is based in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said minor clashes nearby left one rebel wounded. Activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, in the southern Daraa province, said government forces had opened fire on rebel-held areas.

Several past attempts at halting the fighting have failed. As with previous agreements, the current ceasefire excludes both the al Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front, which fights alongside other rebel factions, and the Islamic State group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the ceasefire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran. Moscow and Tehran provide crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.

Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one denied signing it.

The truce came on the heels of a Russian-Turkish agreement earlier this month to evacuate the last rebels from eastern Aleppo after they were confined to a tiny enclave by a government offensive. The retaking of all of Aleppo marked Assad's greatest victory since the start of the 2011 uprising against his family's four-decade rule.

"The defeat of the terrorists in Aleppo is an important step toward ending the war," he said in an interview with TG5, an Italian TV station, adding that the capture of the city does not mean that the war has ended because "terrorists" are still in Syria.

The United States was left out of both agreements, reflecting the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington after the failure of previous diplomatic efforts on Syria.

In the interview with TG5, Assad said "we are more optimistic, with caution" about the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested greater co-operation with Russia against extremist groups.

"We can say part of the optimism could be related to better relation between the United States and Russia," Assad said, speaking in English.

"Mr Trump, during his campaign - (said) that his priority is fighting terrorism, and we believe that this is the beginning of the solution, if he can implement what he announced," Assad said in the interview, which was apparently filmed before the ceasefire was announced.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency meanwhile quoted the military as saying Russia carried out three air strikes against Islamic State targets near the northern town of al-Bab, where Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces have been battling the extremist group. The strikes indicated that Russia and Turkey may work together to combat IS once the fighting elsewhere in Syria has been halted.

The Turkish military statement quoted by Anadolu did not say when the Russian air strikes took place, but said they killed 12 IS militants.

Separately, 26 IS militants, including some senior commanders, were killed in Turkish air strikes on al-Bab and the Daglabash region, and some 17 IS targets were destroyed, Anadolu reported. It said a Turkish soldier was killed in an IS attack on troops south of the al-Azrak area.

Turkey sent troops and tanks into northern Syria in August to help opposition forces clear a border area of IS militants and curb the advances of US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, who are also battling the extremist group.

AP
Bangladeshi border police in Teknaf watch over Rohingya Muslims who were detained after trying to cross into Bangladesh from Myanmar, Dec. 25, 2016.

Bangladeshs foreign ministry on Thursday summoned Myanmars ambassador for the second time in five weeks to complain about Rohingya Muslims fleeing into Bangladesh, saying some 50,000 refugees had arrived since Oct. 9.

Bilateral and Consular Secretary Kamrul Ahsan also protested a Burmese trawlers unprovoked attack and firing on a Bangladeshi fishing boat two days ago that seriously injured four Bangladeshi fishermen, a foreign ministry statement said.

In his meeting with Ambassador Myo Myint Than, Ahsan expressed deep concern at the continued influx of Muslims from the Rakhine State of Myanmar and said that around 50,000 Myanmar citizens took shelter into Bangladesh since Oct. 9, 2016.

The Secretary (Bilateral & Consular) demanded early repatriation of [the] entire Myanmar population staying in Bangladesh, the statement said, referring to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who have sheltered in southeastern Coxs Bazar district for years.

He also requested the Myanmar government to urgently address the root cause of the problem in the Rakhine State so that Rakhine Muslims are not required to desperately seek shelter across the border.

The Rohingya are a stateless minority largely concentrated in western Myanmars Rakhine state. According to Bangladeshi government estimates, some 300,000 to 500,000 Rohingya refugees live in and around Coxs Bazar.

Most have fled persecution at the hands of Myanmars Buddhist majority. Since early October, tens of thousands of Rohingya have crossed over from Rakhine amid deadly violence and a military crackdown that followed the killing of nine Burmese border guards in Muangdaw township.

When Ahsan first summoned the Burmese envoy on Nov. 23, he handed him a diplomatic letter conveying Bangladeshs concerns over the influx. The local border police have tried to repel it by turning away hundreds of boats carrying Rohingya across the Naaf River that separates the neighboring countries.

Unprovoked

The ministry also lodged a diplomatic protest over an alleged shooting incident in Bangladesh waters near Myanmars western coastline on Tuesday.

The statement alleged that the crew of a Burmese trawler fired on the F.V. Janiva Khaleda, then took the boat and the fishermen aboard it to a Myanmar navy ship patrolling nearby.

Myanmar navy personnel seized the belongings of the fishermen and released them after 4 (four) hours. [The Secretary] demanded [an] appropriate investigation into the matter, the ministry said, noting that four Bangladeshi fishermen were seriously injured.

The ambassador from Myanmar did not talk to reporters after Thursdays meeting. It was not immediately clear whether officials in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar, had responded to the incident or the summoning of their diplomat.

According to a high-ranking Bangladesh Navy officer stationed in the Chittagong region in the southeast, the shooting arose from competition over fishing grounds in Bay of Bengal waters around St. Martins Island, which belongs to Bangladesh.

The incident happened over fishing; the Myanmar fishermen also go there for fishing. After we came to know about the incident, our Navy and Coast Guard went there for patrolling, the officer told BenarNews on condition of anonymity.

Abdul Malek, a local fisherman, told BenarNews over the phone that many fishermen from Myanmar enter Bangladeshi waters to catch fish.

Our navy should fire on them when they intrude in our waters, he told BenarNews.
HELENA  Many of Montanas most vulnerable residents who already fear the states court system feel they have nowhere to turn to get help with legal problems.

Those who earn low-to moderate incomes, as well as the homeless population, Native Americans, veterans, senior citizens, domestic violence victims, children and people with disabilities dont know how to access legal assistance or overcome other hurdles such as daunting paperwork and bad past experiences with the courts.

Between October 2015 and October 2016, the Montana Supreme Courts Access to Justice Commission held public forums in seven towns around the state to hear from Montanans about their struggles with legal problems.

The commission found that many poor people in legal crisis over housing problems, parenting and custody disputes, domestic violence and debt collection often have other non-legal problems at the same time.

Mental illness, substance abuse, threats to safety and lack of transportation can intensify legal problems, and legal problems can exacerbate already challenging situations.

An inability to access services can turn many civil legal problems into criminal legal problems, made worse by an inability to access programs and services, the commission found.

Many homeless people remain so due to legal issues such as violent crimes, scams, illegal hiring practices and civil and criminal fines, the report found. Without a permanent address its difficult for people to access assistance. In every community where forums were held  Kalispell, Great Falls, Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Butte and Helena  people said housing problems were connected with civil legal problems.

American Indians often experience the legal system in a punitive way and fear unfairness, the report says. Theres a lack of social services on many of the states seven reservations. And many Indians face significant levels of incarceration and hurdles to being released from prison, including an inability to meet sentencing requirements, lack of mental health services, suspended drivers licenses and other issues. Indians represented 17 percent of adult offenders in the Department of Corrections, though their population as a percentage of the state is closer to 7 percent, according to a 2015 report by the department.

The report found there is only one statewide organization focused on addressing the legal needs of Montanas disabled population, which totals 148,000. People with disabilities face challenges including abuse and neglect; lack of access to programs, facilities and mental health services; employment discrimination; education needs, and housing issues.

Montana is facing a rising need in the area of elder law, the report says. The number of people 65 and older has increased 21 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to the U.S. Census, with many living in rural areas. Seniors are vulnerable to scams and can face health-care problems that cause financial challenges. Many cannot navigate services online and have no link to legal aid organizations or volunteer attorney programs.

The report also said veterans and children younger than 18 without parents or guardians struggle within the legal system.

The commission made several recommendations, including developing a statewide inventory of services and programs available in each region and creating a way for people who need help to get in contact with the services. It also recommended promoting a better understanding that civil legal needs can have a negative effect on health outcomes, housing, school attendance, job performance, the transition for returning veterans, the re-entry into the community for offenders and the protection of seniors. It also recommended securing stable funding to create a continuum of services from self-help programs to civil legal aid, mediation and resolution dispute.

Specifics will be further developed and addressed through the Commissions strategic planning process.

The report is available here: http://courts.mt.gov/Portals/113/supreme/boards/a2j/a2jfs/fr.pdf
Malaysian cartoonist Zunar speaks during an interview at his office in Kuala Lumpur, April 13, 2015.

Malaysian satirical cartoonist Zunar said he would not have to report to a police station in the Kuala Lumpur area for questioning on Friday, as he had expected, because officials postponed the meeting indefinitely without explanation.

Zunar, a BenarNews contributor who has been arrested twice since late November over allegations of sedition and activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy for cartoons critical of Malaysias government and judiciary, said he still expected to be summoned later.

My lawyer has contacted the Dang Wangi district police station this afternoon and was told that I did not need to report to the police station tomorrow as requested two weeks ago, Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, told BenarNews by phone on Thursday.

My lawyer was informed that the police will call and give a new date, and also did not give the reason why I should not be present at IPD [District Police Headquarters] tomorrow, Zunar added.

Police and government officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The cartoonist was last arrested while appearing at a charity event, Tea With Zunar, at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Dec. 17.

Police seized more than 1,000 copies of his cartoon books, sketches and cartoon T-shirts, which he valued at around 40,000 ringgit [U.S. $10,000].

He was arrested then along with four other people and taken to the Dang Wangi police station as part of an investigation under Section 124 of Malaysias Penal Code, which covers activities deemed as detrimental to democracy. He was released six hours later.

On Nov. 26, Zunar was arrested under the Sedition Act and his artwork that was on display at an exhibit in George Town, Penang state, was also confiscated by the authorities. He was released the following day.

When contacted Thursday, Zunar said his legal team was gathering information to enable him to take legal action against the government and police in order to retrieve all copies of his confiscated works.

The winner of the 2016 Cartooning for Peace Award has been barred from leaving Malaysia since June. He is also facing nine sedition charges for allegedly insulting the judiciary in tweets made regarding the conviction of former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in a sodomy case in February 2015. If convicted on all nine charges he could be sentenced to 43 years in jail.

International rights and free speech advocacy groups have called for the authorities to drop all charges against the cartoonist, saying the government was going after him for criticizing it in his cartoons.

On Tuesday, Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued a statement in which it noted that Zunar had been told to report for interrogation by police on Friday, following his Dec. 17 arrest.

We call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all charges against this cartoonist and we urge the Malaysian authorities to stop using the Sedition Act to intimidate and threaten journalists, RSF editor-in-chief Virginie Dangles said.
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 Meagher County attorney is fighting a potential liquor license suspension at the bar she owns amid an ongoing dispute with the sheriff's office.

The Montana Department of Revenue filed four violations against Bar 47, a White Sulphur Springs establishment owned by Meagher County Attorney Kimberly Deschene.

The violations, first reported by the Meagher County Sheriff's Office, include transferring ownership of the bar without her partner's final signature and locking the bar during business hours when a deputy was trying to get inside.

The department proposes a suspension of the bar's liquor license for 12 days and a fine of $1,850. A hearing is set for May 10, 2017, before Department of Revenue officials.

While Meagher County Sheriff Jon Lopp said that his office was simply reporting violations to the state, Deschene said she's been unfairly targeted by local law enforcement due to her dual roles as county attorney and bar owner.

Lopp said his deputies haven't put undue focus on Deschene's bar or its patrons.

Absolutely not," he said. "We treat everybody the same.

Deschene purchased Bar 47 in 2014, months before she won re-election to a second term. Lopp has been the sheriff since 2009.

The two department heads have been at either end of Meagher County infighting for more than a year. Deschene said the infractions referred to the state were "petty."

Which is incredible, given the nature of the alleged violations," she said. "The violations were honestly clerical.

The Department of Revenue gave notice of the four violations on Sept. 1.

First, the department said Deschene finalized the paperwork to take ownership of Bar 47 without the signature of the previous co-owner. While an initial application was submitted with both signatures, a subsequent purchase agreement was signed only by Deschene, according to department documents.

Deschene told the department that the co-owner was unavailable to sign the document. In a later investigation, the co-owner, Katherine Boedecker, said she was available to sign but was not in contact with Deschene.

The second violation was that Deschene locked the bar at 1:50 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2015, when a sheriff's deputy tried to enter. Patrons were still inside the bar, according to documents.

Lopp said the deputy was investigating a fight that happened elsewhere.

He went down there to talk to a witness, and the doors were locked, he said.

The two other violations stemmed from two events that Bar 47 catered without first obtaining permits.

To challenge the allegations, Deschene subpoenaed the Meagher County Sheriff's Office for all communications between the sheriff's office and the Department of Revenue.

That request is pending as Lopp consults an outside attorney, which has been common in Meagher County in a number of cases for which a conflict might arise between the public duties and business dealings of officials.

Close calls

Conflict-of-interest allegations against Deschene came to a head earlier this year, when a county resident sought a recall petition to unseat the county attorney.

Lopp said earlier this year that he was concerned about Deschene's DUI prosecution. Court records showed that about one-fifth as many DUI cases were filed in Meagher County Justice Court than in neighboring Judith Basin County, which has a similar population.

A judge dismissed the recall petition in September, noting that there are narrow legal grounds for a successful recall of an elected official.

Deschene and Meagher County commissioners have denied any inherent conflict in owning a bar and prosecuting crimes.

Its very rare that a conflict arises, and when they do I follow the conflict of interest protocols, Deschene said.

Deschene has called in outside prosecutors for cases, including one DUI case involving a friend and Bar 47 employee. Deschene, who would normally have prosecuted that case, showed up alongside the DUI defendant when she met with law enforcement.

And Deschene isn't the only county official in a similar situation. Meagher County Justice of the Peace Paula Wildman received a citation for serving a minor at a bar she owns in Ringling, just south of White Sulphur Springs.

Lopp said this happened during a compliance check. He said Wildman has paid the fine on the citation.

Normally, Wildman herself would have overseen this type of case, which happened in county jurisdiction.

The spat between Lopp and Deschene spilled into the Meagher County Commission meeting in November, when both sides sat down to explain their grievances. Lopp said his office was just doing its job; Deschene said she received unfair attention.

Commissioner Ben Hurwitz said Dec. 22 that there was no conflict, and the importance lies in keeping a viable business running in the small town.

They recuse themselves whenever necessary and we need both those people," he said of Deschene and Wildman. "We need their businesses. But of course the cops, it just pisses them off that theyre in the business of selling liquor and food.

Commissioner Herb Townsend described the situation as a small disagreement Thursday, adding that there wasn't much of a story to tell.

The county will pay for Lopp's legal fees as his colleague fights her violations with the Department of Revenue. He said that he's likely to be summoned as a witness in the eventual hearing.
For Immediate Release, December 30, 2016 Contact: Brett Hartl, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org Reward Increased to $10,000 for Information on Illegal Killing of Endangered Red Wolf One of Only 45 Red Wolves Remaining Found Dead on North Carolina Refuge RALEIGH, N.C. The Center for Biological Diversity today added $7,500 to the reward for information leading to a conviction or fine in the latest illegal killing of an endangered red wolf in North Carolina. The dead wolf was discovered Dec. 21 on the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, where red wolves are given the greatest amount of protection under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has already offered a $2,500 reward in the case.



There are only 45 red wolves left in the wild, so the deliberate killing of any individual wolf is a terrible blow to the conservation of this amazing species, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center. This deplorable slaughter is a stark reminder of why federal regulators must quickly rejuvenate their stalled efforts to save this precious species before it disappears forever. Although once abundant along the entire coastal plain of the Southeast, red wolves were pushed to the brink of extinction after decades of relentless persecution. After the species was declared endangered in 1973, 17 wild red wolves were captured for captive breeding. Wolf releases began in North Carolinas Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in the mid-1980s, but recovery efforts have repeatedly been thwarted by illegal shootings. Were adding to this reward because red wolves are a critical part of Americas heritage, and we shouldnt let a few killers deny future generations their opportunity to see these animals in the wild, said Hartl. The best available science demonstrates that red wolves can be recovered if these illegal killings end. A 2014 report by the Wildlife Management Institute concluded that if red wolves are going to recover, two additional populations need to be established in the wild, and additional resources need to be invested to build local support for their recovery. The Center for Biological Diversity submitted an emergency petition in May 2016 to strengthen rules protecting red wolves from illegal shootings and to identify additional reintroduction sites where red wolves can thrive. Anyone with information about the killing should contact North Carolina Wildlife Officer Frank Simms at (252) 216-7504 or Special Agent Jason Keith at (919) 856-4520, ext. 34. 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.
2016: A Year of Lifesaving Victories This year is ending on a tough note after the election, but we're pausing for a moment to reflect on some of the Center for Biological Diversity's important accomplishments of 2016 -- including the protection of dozens of species and millions of acres, putting a stop to numerous fossil fuel auctions on public lands, and securing vital new protections from the seafood industry for whales and dolphins. We also celebrated a huge late-year victory as President Obama banned offshore oil and gas drilling across 115 million acres of the Arctic.



These accomplishments are also yours -- we couldn't do what we do without your help. The fight ahead will be difficult, there's no doubt about that. And we'll be here every single day of 2017 to protect wildlife, wild places, and the right of all people and creatures to a livable future.



We're grateful to have you at our side.
TOKYO: The president of Japan's biggest advertising agency said he plans to step down, a year after an employee suicide linked to allegations of extreme overwork at the company.

123RF

The announcement came as Japanese authorities referred Dentsu and one of its executives to prosecutors on suspicion of violating Japan's labour law by forcing the 24-year-old employee to work illegally long hours.

Matsuri Takahashi, a graduate of the prestigious University of Tokyo, committed suicide on Christmas Day 2015 at a company dormitory.

She had worked more than 100 hours of overtime every month having joined the company in April of the same year, Japanese media reported.

She had posted on Twitter a wish to die and said she "would be happier" if she did.

Hundreds of deaths from overwork -- known as "karoshi" in Japan -- due to strokes, heart attacks and suicides are reported every year, along with a host of serious health problems.

The phenomenon has sparked lawsuits and calls to urgently tackle the problem.

Tadashi Ishii, Dentsu president, announced late Wednesday he would leave his post next month.

"An excessive amount of work should never happen," he told reporters. "I deeply regret and feel responsible for this. I will take full responsiblity and resign as president at January's board meeting."

Ishii however said the company should not prevent employees from doing their best.

"But I deeply regret that I couldn't put a break on (excessive workloads) and that I couldn't set a certain standard," he added.

The socially influential agency is notorious for its demanding work culture, but has come in for harsh criticism since Takahashi's death.

While the popular image of Japanese salaried men and women toiling long hours for the company before taking the last train home is changing, many still spend far more hours at the workplace than their counterparts in other modern economies.

According to a government survey released in October, more than one in five Japanese companies have employees who work such long hours they are at serious risk of death.

The survey was part of the nation's first white paper on "karoshi" endorsed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet.

Source: AFP
The year wasn't pretty but from its ashes may rise important scientific advances that could change the course of history. As 2016 winds to a close, we look back at the stories that made headlines, including the viruses reminding us that progress against infectious diseases is never easily won or maintained. Plus, we remember the political scandal that just kept giving and the deaths that shocked us all.

Neglected but deadly

First discovered in Uganda in 1947, the Zika virus continued its rise from neglected disease to the stuff of headlines in 2016.

In February, the World Health Organisation declared the Zika virus a public health emergency of international concern after almost 4,000 babies are suspected to have been born with microcephaly, a rare neurological condition in which infants heads are abnormally small.

For months, the scientific community speculated that microcephaly could be caused by the Zika virus and, in April, they had their answer as the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that Zika did cause the severe brain defect.

CDC director Tom Frieden called it a turning point in the Zika outbreak, in a statement.

Meanwhile, a fellow neglected tropical disease, yellow fever, also seemed to embark on its own comeback tour as international humanitarian organisations rushed to quell outbreaks in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

In November, the Zika virus moved from being a public health emergency to a significant enduring public health challenge, as the WHO declared the worst was behind us but that the Zika virus may forever be with us.

The worlds largest antiretroviral programme got bigger

It was a banner year for HIV treatment and prevention. On September 1, South Africa began offering HIV treatment to anyone who has been diagnosed with the virus regardless of CD4 count. CD4 counts are a measure of the immune systems strength.

Since the dawn of HIV treatment, most people living with the virus had to wait until their CD4 counts fell to low levels before beginning treatment.

But in 2015, two large-scale clinical trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that early antiretroviral (ARV) treatment was better for patients and cut peoples risk of serious illness or death by at least 44%.

South African sex workers were the first to get immediate access to HIV treatment, following a March announcement. Ten sites are also providing the HIV prevention pill, Truvada, to up to 5,000 sex workers.

Truvada contains two of the ARVs that people with HIV use to suppress the virus in their bodies. When ARV treatment is used by HIV-negative people to reduce their chances of contracting HIV, its called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Research has shown that, when taken once a day at more or less the same time, Truvada can reduce a persons risk of contracting HIV by more than 90%.

Young women and men who have sex with men are likely to be the next in line to access the HIV prevention pill.

Bye-bye, Benny

Controversial Free State health MEC Benny Malakoane finally left his post in the embattled province, which saw a mass exodus of healthcare workers during his tenure. Malakoane now heads the provinces department of economic and small business development, tourism and environmental affairs.

Source: Dumelang News

The ANC maintained Malakoanes removal had bogger-all to do with health activists two-year public campaign to get him fired, according to Free State ANC spokesperson Thabo Meeko.

Malakoane faces several serious charges of fraud and corruption in a court case that has been postponed numerous times.

The charges relate to him and others allegedly receiving kickbacks worth R13m for irregularly awarded contracts in Matjhabeng local municipality in 2007/2008 when Malakoane was a municipal manager there.

Health lobby group the Treatment Action Campaign has been advocating for his removal through its #firebenny campaign, claiming that the provincial health system has limped from crisis to crisis with people who rely on it left traumatised by death and pain under Malakoanes reign.

Bhekisisa exposed several instances of alleged wrongdoing in the provinces healthcare system during Malakoanes three-and-a-half years in office, including claims that he robbed a dying woman of her hospital bed and gave it to an ANC official, and that Malakoane dismissed hundreds of community health workers unfairly.

Our best shot at an HIV vaccine?

The largest and most advanced HIV vaccine trial to be undertaken in South Africa kicked off this year. At its centre is a tiny jab likely to be the strongest experimental vaccine against the virus the world has ever seen.

The HVTN 702 vaccine is a new and improved version of the worlds only moderately successful HIV inoculation to date. In 2009, Thai researchers found that an experimental HIV vaccine tested there reduced new infections in clinical trial participants by about 60% but that protection fell quickly to 31%. This meant the vaccine was too weak to be marketed.

Now, researchers have supercharged the Thai vaccine  adding a booster to make sure any protection it may offer participants lasts. Theyve also thrown in an adjuvant or an extra ingredient to kick-start the production of HIV antibodies among participants. They are hoping that these antibodies, or proteins used by the immune system to fight off bacteria or viruses such as HIV, will eventually protect people from HIV infection.

If by 2021 the vaccine has been shown to cut HIV infection rates by at least 50%, it could become available in Southern Africa, with other regions not far behind.

The rise of the superbugs continues

This year, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases put South Africa on alert for cases of multidrug-resistant yeast infections on the heels of similar warnings in the United States.

Although the bug largely only affects patients who have recently been hospitalised, it is just the latest superbug to make headlines.

The WHO says antimicrobial resistance now threatens the prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. The international bodys website now ranks antimicrobial resistance as a threat to global public health.

This year saw the first ever high-level United Nations General Assembly on drug resistance. One of only four such meetings to ever be convened on a health issue, the gathering resulted in all 193 member states signing a declaration to combat rising rates of antimicrobial resistance.

Drug resistance is nothing new in South Africa as the country continues to battle one of the worlds worst epidemics of drug-resistant tuberculosis. On the bright side, the country has a national plan to combat growing drug resistance that includes, for instance, restricting the use of antimicrobials designed for humans to, well, humans and keeping them out of our food.

But South Africa remains one of only roughly 20 African countries tracking drug resistance and, as this years drug-resistant yeast strain shows, antimicrobial resistance knows no borders.

Scores of mental health patients die in Gauteng

This year proved deadly for dozens of state mental health patients in Gauteng after they were removed from the care of private hospital group Life Healthcare.

In June 2015, Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu announced that about 2 000 patients from the groups Life Esidimeni facilities would be sent home or placed in the care of community-based nongovernmental organisations. Civil society groups such as the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, the South African Federation for Mental Health and the South African Society of Psychiatrists fiercely opposed the move. Many of the community organisations identified by the department lacked the ability to care for severely ill patients who needed high-level care, these groups said.

Several of the groups unsuccessfully sought a Johannesburg high court interdict to halt some of the patient transfers.

At least 36 of the transferred patients have since died, according to Mahlangu. In November, the Democratic Alliance claimed the number is as high as 60. Several community organisations were also found to be operating without licences.

In an exclusive interview with Bhekisisa, Mahlangu said that many patients have been removed from of community organisations. But she could not recall how many patients have died nor how many community organisations still had patients.

The countrys recently created health ombudsman is investigating the issue. As families of Life Esidimeni patients wait for answers about how so many patients could have died in such a short space of time, the incident stands as a reminder of the promise and peril of continuing to move mental healthcare out of hospitals.
Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos's daughter, reportedly Africa's richest woman, has been cleared to head the national oil company Sonangol, after a court rejected a legal challenge.

Isabel dos Santos was put in charge of Sonangol in June in a move some analysts said was the first sign of succession plans for the country's long-time ruler.

The president, in power since 1979, later announced that he would stand down in 2017, though no successor has officially been named.

His daughter's appointment was disputed by 12 lawyers who said the law did not allow public officials to nominate family members, but the supreme court ruled in her favour on December 22, an official said Thursday.

"According to the decision... the appointment of Isabel dos Santos by her father does not violate the law on public probity or the Angolan constitution," said David Mendes, a spokesman for the lawyers.

The country's opposition had equated her Sonangol appointment with nepotism, prompting the legal challenge.

Mendes said the lawyers would appeal the decision at the country's constitutional court.

"The judgement of the supreme court has many shortcomings and does not satisfactorily answer the questions we asked," he said.

Nicknamed the "Princess", the president's 43-year-old daughter has been ranked by Forbes magazine as the richest woman on the continent with a fortune of around $3bn.

She owns stakes in several companies in Angola and former colonial power Portugal, notably in the banking and telecommunications sectors.

Three years ago the president appointed his son Jose Filomeno dos Santos to chair the country's $5bn Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Sonangol has been mired in financial difficulties since the fall in global oil prices. Since her appointment in the summer the president's daughter has pledged to turn the company around.

Earlier this month Sonangol announced it would not pay dividends to the state this year -- a first for the country's main source of foreign currency.

Angola's vast oil wealth has not trickled down to the masses and critics accuse both dos Santos and his family of amassing huge wealth by siphoning off state funds.
According to statistics on murders and violent crimes on farms in the Free State, recorded by the VKB/FSA Safety Desk for the year up to now, there has been a decrease in murders and farm attacks. Farmers, however, need to remain vigilant and Free State Agriculture (FSA) suggests that farmers take a look at the safety tips that they share on their website and ensure that they are a member of the local farm safety structure.

2allmankind via pixabay

We would like to share the statistics form 1 January until 14 December 2016. Farm attacks and murders are recorded on the database in terms of the Polices definition of such incidents and every incident noted on the database has a registered SAPS case number.

 Up until now, 57 attacks and seven murders have been recorded on farms in the Free State for 2016. A total of five murders were on farm workers (Bultfontein, two at Harrismith, Kroonstad, and Thaba Nchu) and two on farmers (Rouxville and Cornelia/Ascent). Most of the incidents, 25, took place in the northern Free State, followed by the southern and eastern Free State with 18 and 14 attacks respectively. For the following towns, two or more attacks were recorded; Bloemfontein (6); Ficksburg, Clocolan, Cornelia and Harrismith (3 each), Boithuso, Brandfort, Bultfontein, Heilbron, Kroonstad, Ladybrand, Vierfontein and Welkom (2 each). Farm attacks have been reported at 40 towns in the Free State this year.

 A total of 26 of the 57 attacks were on workers or upcoming farmers. Altogether 37 of the attacks were house or armed robberies that included other crimes as well. In 13 incidents charges of attempted murder are being investigated.

 Most of the incidents occurred on a Saturday (13), followed by Fridays (10) and Wednesdays (9). Two-thirds of the attacks were recorded between Wednesdays and Saturdays.

 Altogether 38,6 % (22) of the attacks took place during the day (6am-6pm), and 61,4% at night (6pm-6am) - 19 before midnight and 16 in the early hours of the morning.

 During 14 attacks two victims were attacked, while victims were attacked/robbed by three to five attackers during seven attacks.

 A total of 40 of the 88 victims for the year were older than 50 - 15 were between 60-69 years old, 14 were between 50-59 years old and 11 were between 70-79 years old.

 During 17 attacks two attackers were involved, and in 29 incidents between three and six attackers were involved. A total of 80,7% of the attacks (46) were carried out by between two and five attackers, with offenders using firearms in 27 attacks.

 In 18 attacks the attackers used vehicles to travel to the farm and/or to flee the scene (also including the victims vehicle in some cases).

 Cell phones, cash, and firearms, are the most sought after items during house robberies on farms/smallholdings.

 In 15 of the attacks, suspects were arrested by means of cooperation between the SAPS and farmers.

 Altogether 14 attacks took place due to negligence on the side of the victim (leaving doors unlocked, no burglar bars, investigating why dogs are barking/when hearing strange noises outside.)

During the same period in 2015, 66 attacks that included 11 murders, were recorded in the Free State. These numbers differ from the numbers released in January 2016, as some of the cases of murders of farm workers  that were initially registered as murders on farms  have been changed to cases of murder/incidents in terms of domestic violence or alcohol abuse. A significant decrease can be observed in terms of farm attacks and murders when the numbers for 2016 are compared to the numbers for 2015. This can mainly be attributed to good cooperation and relationships between farmers and the SAPS from local to provincial level.

Free State Agriculture
While most South African families were celebrating Christmas Day, the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team started their journey to South America for Dakar 2017. The race gets under way on 2 January 2017, in the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion, but there is still a mass of work to be done before the flag drops for the start.

"The two Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Hilux were shipped to our partners at Toyota Argentina, north of Buenos Aires, at the beginning of December. However, the cars were partly disassembled for shipping, and now need to be fully reassembled and tested," explains team principal, Glyn Hall.

In addition to preparing the race vehicles, the crew also needs to prepare the support vehicles and trucks, which follow the entire Dakar route with personnel and spare parts, tools and the infrastructure needed to service the race vehicles each day.

"The Dakar is a truly mammoth undertaking," continues Hall. "Our spares inventory includes more than a thousand items, each catalogued according to a system that makes it easy for the logistics manager to find each part on demand."

Once the race vehicles are fully assembled and all the logistics taken care of, Toyota Gazoo Racing SA will travel from Argentina to Asuncion in Paraguay for the opening ceremony of the race.

Dakar 2017 sees Toyota Gazoo Racing SA enter two race proven Toyota Hilux. Car #301 belongs to newcomers to the team, Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel, while Car #302 is in the hands of Toyota stalwarts Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz. Al-Attiyah has won the Dakar twice before, while De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz won the first South American edition in 2009.

The race gets under way with a short stage from Asuncion, Paraguay, on 2 January. Stage 1 will take the teams from Paraguay into the northern regions of Argentina, with a total stage distance of 454 km. The first bivouac of Dakar 2017 will be at Resistencia, and the race continues from there into Bolivia and back into Argentina, before concluding in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires on 14 January 2017.
SANTIAGO: Yellow underwear is flying off the shelves these days in the Chilean capital Santiago, where tradition holds that it brings prosperity and love if you wear it on New Year's Eve.

That's just one of many colourful New Year's rituals in Latin America, where some spend the evening walking around with a suitcase, others put potatoes under the bed and still others throw buckets of water out the window.

"The yellow underwear is for love, luck, money and so that this year will go well for everyone," says Gladys Leal, a saleswoman at a lingerie stand in Santiago's Meiggs neighborhood.

This time of year, she specializes in yellow undergarments in all shapes and sizes, for women and men alike.

But there's a catch, says her colleague, Jesica Silva: "The underwear has to be given as a gift to bring luck."

Yellow, she says, "represents the golden rays of abundance and prosperity."

Some even say the undies should be worn inside-out to guarantee a year full of passion.

"Beyond yellow lingerie, the tradition is more tied to the colour itself," says Chilean writer Hector Velis-Meza, author of a book called "The Secret History of Christmas and New Year's."

Yellow is seen in Latin America as a symbol of the sun, an eternal light, he says.

Chile is not the only country that adheres to the tradition.

It also exists in Mexico, Peru and Ecuador, with slight variations. Some say you should wear red undies for love, yellow for money.

In Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil, pink is the color of choice.

And in Venezuela, revelers are supposed to wear only new clothes -- a tall order this year as the once-booming oil exporter struggles through an economic crisis.

For some, it is indispensable to welcome the New Year by eating lentils.

For others, it's 12 grapes -- one at each strike of the clock at midnight, a tradition inhered from Spain.

In many countries, revelers ring in the new year by walking around the neighbourhood with a suitcase, a ritual meant to guarantee a year of journeys.

In Uruguay, people often throw buckets of water out the window to wipe the slate clean for the new year.

Some throw their old calendars, too.

In Brazil, many people dress in white and make offerings to Yemanja, the goddess of the sea in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomble.

Thousands of people swarm the beaches of Rio de Janeiro each year to launch makeshift boats with flowers and other gifts for Yemanja, seeking love, happiness or money.

Colombians meanwhile put potatoes under their beds to bring good luck.

And in Peru and Ecuador, revelers burn in effigy politicians and others they loved to hate in the outgoing year.

The custom has its roots in ancient indigenous practices in the Andes mountains.

But for the most part, the region's rituals have their origins in European traditions imported by Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors, says Velis-Meza.

That is the case for both the grapes and the lentils.

In Europe, the custom was to eat lentils, a hearty dish, in preparation for winter, he said.

In much of Latin America, though, New Year's falls in the middle of summer.

Source: AFP
Sea Harvest has enjoyed two years of significant success. The company's shareholders invested close to R600 million in capital and investment growth this year alone, seeing Sea Harvest becoming one of the largest vertically integrated black-owned fishing companies in the country.

Acquisitions and investments

It has been a prosperous period for Sea Harvest where the company acquired 19.9% of Mareterram Limited, (an Australian vertically integrated agribusiness) listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Sea Harvest further increased its stake in Mareterram to 56%, a controlling interest, in July this year. We are very excited by our acquisition in Australia. It allows us to fortify our ability to earn foreign currency and provides a great platform for further growth in Australia. Even though cross-border acquisitions are never easy we have an experienced team on that side that is more than capable of delivering on the group strategy of being a diversified agribusiness, said Felix Ratheb, Sea Harvests chief executive officer and non-executive director of Mareterram, who is also an independent trustee on the Board of Trustees for the Marine Stewardship Council.

Further investments made by the business over the past 24 months include a R300 million outlay in vessels and infrastructure to ensure it continues to be efficient, sustainable and at the forefront of innovation.

At a shareholder level, Brimstone Investment Corporation invested R250 million in acquiring Kagiso Tiso Holding's share of Sea Harvest, thus allowing it to increase its controlling share to 85%. This acquisition consolidated the companys position as one of the most transformed fishing companies in the industry, now being 91% black-owned. Our commitment to transformation and job creation in the fishing industry will continue into the future, said Fred Robertson, Sea Harvest and Brimstone Chairman.

Employment and employee benefits

The company is committed to spreading the benefits and in mid-2015 created and launched an Employee Share Scheme where Sea Harvests permanent employees hold shares in the business through a trust made possible by the shareholders. This is our way of showing our employees how much we value their contribution to the ongoing success of Sea Harvest. The share scheme was initiated at no cost to the employees and the value of shares owned by them is now approximately R30 million, explains Ratheb.

As the single largest employer in the Saldanha Bay Municipality, the company continues to make a significant economic impact in a rural area to over 2,400 employees and their families through job creation and corporate social investment. The community the company operates in is critical to the lifeblood of the business, and Sea Harvest is committed to continue creating good sustainable jobs to foster local area development along the West Coast.

Positive growth

The fishing industry is a competitive and constantly evolving industry where barriers to entry are high, but one in which Sea Harvest is flourishing. In 2016, positive revenue growth can be seen in most markets, particularly in Europe. We continue to experience positive growth in all markets as the demand for sustainably caught hake grows, the opportunities for us to diversify our currency are there as we seek to make Cape Hake the protein of choice the world over, says Konrad Geldenhuys, Sea Harvests sales and marketing director.

After the difficulties faced by the business after the 2008 global financial and southern European sovereign debt crises, the business has seen a turnaround where its current compound annual growth rate (CAGR) on revenue has increased by over 10% since 2011, and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) has increased by over 60% since 2014.

Sea Harvest is well poised for organic and acquisitive growth. Ratheb acknowledges that without his experienced management team, supportive shareholders and a dedicated workforce, Sea Harvests many successes over the past three years could not have been achieved. All of their efforts and hard work has seen Sea Harvest be recognised by consumers through the Icon Brand consumer survey and voted the number seven Icon Brand in South Africa. A leader is only as strong as his team, and for us to be industry champions we need to constantly broaden our knowledge and experience. We look forward to an even bigger and more successful 2017.
ABUJA: Nigeria has struck off 50,000 "ghost workers" from the state payrolls this year, saving nearly 630 million euros, the presidency said on Tuesday.

The office of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was voted into power last year vowing to stamp out endemic graft in Africa's most populous country, said 11 people were undergoing probes in this connection and some of them were on trial.

"The Federal government payroll has been rid of 50,000 ghost workers, saving the country a huge amount of 200 billion naira," spokesman Garba Shehu said.

"The flagship programme of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to rid the system of fraud and instill good governance is on course," it said.

Last week, the Nigerian government promised to protect and hand out hefty rewards to whistleblowers who could be entitled to between 2.5 and five percent of funds recovered from information they provide about corruption.

Buhari has repeatedly accused the government of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan of a "mind-boggling" looting of the treasury.

Dozens of prominent members of the Jonathan regime, including ministers, politicians and relatives, have been charged with graft.

Several senior judges face charges of fraud, bribery and money laundering.

Source: AFP
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HELENA  The Montana Department of Transportation is no longer reporting any traffic issues on Highway 200 at the bottom of Rogers Pass, where an overturned semi-truck was partially blocking traffic Friday morning.

The rollover occurred just north of the intersection of Highway 200 and Little Wolf Creek Road. The road in the area is wet and slushy, MDT reported.

The accident was reported at 6:35 a.m. Friday, and no injuries have been reported, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.

Visit the Montana Department of Transportation website for the latest road conditions in Montana.
MISSOULA  Getting nearly naked wasnt enough to keep Catherine Lila Roberts from being arrested Tuesday on drug charges.

Roberts, 39, appeared this week before Ravalli County Justice Jim Bailey on a felony count of possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia.

According to an affidavit, a sheriffs deputy was dispatched to the home of Roberts and Michael Curtis Sullivan on Indian Prairie Loop in Stevensville to serve two active arrest warrants on the woman.

When the deputy pulled into the driveway, he spoke to Sullivan, who said Roberts was inside the house.

At that point, Roberts daughter was sitting inside a nearby vehicle.

When the deputy knocked on the door, Roberts refused to answer. Her daughter then walked up to the house and opened the door for the deputy.

Roberts was located in a back bedroom behind a locked door.

Through the door, the deputy told Roberts about the active warrants and the woman opened the door slightly.

The affidavit said Roberts then began to argue with the deputy and attempted to shut the door. When the deputy pushed back on the door, it broke off.

Roberts then allegedly stripped off her clothes and remained nearly naked for the next 20 to 30 minutes while she argued about the warrants.

The deputy eventually convinced Roberts to put on some clothes and she was transported to the Ravalli County Detention Center.

While inside the home, the deputy saw marijuana and methamphetamine pipes in plain view in the bedroom and a baggy of marijuana in the living room.

The affidavit said Sullivan was questioned about the drugs. He allegedly admitted to owning the marijuana, but denied ownership of the methamphetamine.

After obtaining search warrants, the urine of Roberts and Sullivan was tested.

Roberts urine was positive for buprenorphine. Methamphetamine and marijuana were detected in Sullivans urine.

Sullivan was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor charges involving the marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Sullivan was released on his own recognizance with a requirement to wear a drug monitoring device.

Bailey set Roberts bail at $20,000.
A familiar name in dentistry has expanded to a practice in northwest Mandan. Prairie Rose opened its doors in November to serve the Mandan community.

The new location has two dentists, Sid Schmidt, who relocated from the south Bismarck location, and Riley Parker, from the north location.

According to the Prairie Rose website, Schmidt is a Bismarck native who attended Bismarck State College and North Dakota State University and graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in 1995. He was the recipient of a health professions scholarship and entered the U.S. Navy as an officer. He completed an advanced education in general dentistry residency at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, then accepted a three-year assignment at Yokosuka Naval Base near Tokyo.

Schmidt provided care for thousands of active duty, family members and civilians. During his four years of military service he received advanced training in all aspects of dentistry, in particular endodontics and exodontia. He also is certified in clear aligner orthodontic treatment. After the Navy, Schmidt joined Prairie Rose Family Dentists in 1999 as a general dentist.

Prairie Rose Family Dentists is excited to bring a state of the art, comprehensive dental facility to the community of Mandan, said Schmidt.

The clinic offers 3D technologies, crowns and all areas of general dentistry and is looking to add a pediatric dentist in the near future.

The thing I am looking forward to most at the new Mandan location is building lifelong relationships with patients and their families, said Parker.

Born and raised in Hazen, Parker attended Dickinson State University, graduating with a bachelor of science in biology and chemistry. He continued his education at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health and graduated in 2008. He also received a certificate of public health from A.T. Still University along with his doctorate.

Parker began his career in dentistry in Oregon, returning to North Dakota in 2010. While living in Bismarck, he provided care for a nearby community health center until opening his practice in 2013. Parker joined Prairie Rose Family Dentists in 2016.

The Mandan clinic is located at 2500 Overlook Lane off Interstate 94 near Walmart and Thrifty White Drug. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. For more information, visit www.prairierosedentists.com or call 701-751-3237.
A Cause for Claws Thrift Store (701-751-5828)  Seeks volunteers to sort, test, repair and set up store displays. All profits support a low-cost spay and neuter clinic.

Abused Adult Resource Center (701-222-8370)  Volunteers advocates needed to help answer the crisis calls in the evenings and on weekends. An advocates role is to listen, offer support and give options. Free training provided.

AID Inc. (701-663-2122 or 701-663-1274)  Adults to sort clothing, sort other donations, pricing, cashiering, cleaning, organizing, hanging clothes, sorting, testing and repairing electrical items and other various tasks.

American Cancer Society (701-433-7582)  Volunteer drivers for Road to Recovery Program.

American Red Cross (701-223-6700)  Disaster and Health and Safety Services to teach CPR/first aid courses, aid in disaster response locally and nationwide, training provided. Adults and youth 16 and older.

Arc of Bismarck (701-222-1854)  Work in the thrift store.

Baptist Health Care Center (701-223-3040)  Assist residents with clinic appointments, activities, meals, chapel on Sunday and bingo.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (701-222-0797)  Be a mentor for youth.

Bismarck-Mandan Chapter of SCORE (701-328-5861)  Volunteer management counselors to provide free and confidential mentoring and counseling for those who wish to start a small business. Call or stop by the office at the Bank of North Dakota building on Memorial Highway.

Buckstop Junction/Missouri Valley Historical Society (701-250-8575)  Conduct tours of historic buildings, help with The Shoppe, building or grounds maintenance, general office work, Corn Feed/Old Settlers Day, publicity or adopt a building.

Burleigh County Senior Adult Program (701-255-4648)  Deliver meals to homebound elderly individuals and assist as nutrition servers, gift shop attendants, Wii bowling scorekeeper and answering phones.

Central Dakota Humane Society (701-667-2020)  Provide companionship, exercise and socialization to the dogs and cats; assist with basic animal care; assist with special events.

Charles Hall Youth Services (701-255-2773, ext. 303)  Volunteer mentors needed to commit to supporting, guiding and mentoring at-risk youth. Mentors serve as positive role models, teaching youth healthy and safe ways to have fun and to meet positive academic, career and personal goals. Mentors must be minimum of 21 years of age. Training provided.

CHI St. Alexius Health (701-530-7159)  Deliver mail and flowers, escort patients, help with the gift shop.

CHI St. Alexius Home Health & Hospice (701-530-4500)  Share your time, energy and compassion while enriching your own life and lives of others. Help with a variety of activities such as companionship, errands, respite care, administrative and bereavement support. Volunteers who are a veteran, can play an instrument for music therapy and/or perform pet therapy are particularly needed.

Community Action (701-258-2240)  Help in the donation center and the food pantry.

Cystic Fibrosis Association (701-222-3998)  Help with mailings and fundraising events.

Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch (701-223-7979)  Help in thrift store and perform janitorial duties.

Dakota Zoo (701-223-7543)  Accepting applications for adult volunteers to provide animal conservation programs and animal handling for educational programs. Training provided. Also looking for general volunteers for light building and repair projects. Carpentry, mechanical and fencing skills are a plus but not needed.

Foster Grandparent Program (701-258-5436)  Provide one-on-one assistance to children in schools, Head Start and child care centers. Listen to children read, assist with homework, etc.

Good Samaritan Society (701-323-3274)  Volunteers needed.

Lutheran Social Services Senior Companions (701-838-7800)  Seniors 55 and older who are healthy, active and interested in helping their older neighbors.

Make-A-Wish (701-280-9474)  Help with upcoming special events.

Manchester House (701-223-5600)  Be a mentor for youth. Must be at least 18.

Mandan Golden Age Services (701-663-6528)  Pick up prepared meals at Mandan Senior Center and deliver them to the homes of the elderly.

McLean Family Resource Center (701-462-8643)  Assist with crisis line.

Mental Health America of North Dakota (701-255-3692)  Help with data entry, various office duties.

Neighbors Network Program (701-323-4277)  Volunteers with pickups to help move donated furniture items to clients homes.

New Song Church (701-258-5683)  Janitorial and light maintenance work. For details, email erickson.e.michael@gmail.com.

North Dakota Operation Lifesaver (701-223-6372)  Help spread the message about railroad safety.

Pride Inc. (701-258-7838)  Support people with disabilities in social and recreational activities, especially between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily, Monday-Friday, also evenings and weekends. Staff on site to assist at all times.

Public Health Emergency Volunteer Reserve Corps/Medical Reserve Corps (701-328-1334)  Accepting registration of volunteers to assist with public health emergencies. Medical and non-medical volunteers needed. Choose to help only in own county, in the surrounding counties, statewide or anywhere in the U.S. Register at www.ndhealth.gov/EPR/volunteer.

RSVP+ Central North Dakota (701-258-5436)  RSVP+ will connect volunteers of all ages to a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the community.

Ruth Meiers House (701-222-2108)  Sorting donations, stocking food pantry shelves, dining room servers, childrens learning center aides, baby boutique program assistants and special event help. More information: www.ruthmeiers.org.

St. Vincents Care Center (701-323-1974)  Entertainers for background music for Sunday social events.

Salvation Army (701-223-1889)  Assist with meals, activities and tutoring in the youth program; stock food pantry shelves; light maintenance work.

Sanford Health (701-323-6011)  Greet and assist visitors in the surgical waiting room, deliver flowers, help in the Gift Shoppe and Koffee Korner and assist with special projects.

Sanford Health Hospice (701-323-8400)  Volunteers needed to assist terminally ill patients. Assistance commonly includes visiting, reading and taking walks; child care assistance; bereavement support; and administrative/clerical work. Orientation, training and support provided.

Seeds of Hope store (701-222-8370)  Greeters, price clothes, stock and straighten shelves, Diggers Delight and more. Creative people needed for designing gift baskets and store displays.

Tracys Sanctuary House (701-258-5889)  Perform daily housekeeping tasks, answer phones, stock kitchen and food pantry.

Volunteer Care Givers for the Elderly (701-223-9290)  Assist with transportation, yardwork, light housekeeping, respite care, errands and shopping and other companionship activities with the elderly.

Welcome House Inc. (701-391-5184)  Assist with food pantry, kitchen and front desk.
State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said she's planning a trip next month to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation to learn more about a makeshift "resource school" for parents homeschooling their children at one of the Dakota Access Pipeline protest camps.

Baesler is meeting with the Home, Education and Welfare Committee of the Standing Rock Tribe on Jan. 17, 2017. In October, she had sent a letter to the tribal council stating that the school needs to meet certain state requirements in order to operate lawfully.

The school, called the Defenders of the Water School, is located at the Oceti Sakowin, or Seven Council Fires, camp in Morton County, just north of the reservation.

The school was first established in August and had about 40 students on its first day, ranging from preschool children to 16-year-olds. The school is said to be a resource for homeschooling parents  with lessons in Lakota language and traditional subjects.

The school, however, is not currently operating, according to April Rain, the director of development for the school. Rain referenced a statement posted to the school's website that said the schools and its teachers "will be taking a break from conducting daily classes and will instead be focusing our energies on the exciting work of creating a long-term project and culturally based school."

Baesler said she also has been made aware of some school-age children living at the camp, but is unaware if the children are enrolled in a nearby school or whether necessary homeschool paperwork was filed with Mandan or Solen school districts.

She said the meeting also will include tribal consultation for the new Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires the state education agency meet with each tribe that exists within their states boundaries.

Baesler said it's not clear how many children reside at the camp.

I just hope to learn more on January 17th," Baesler said.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Just as Brandonites have finished digging out of the snow dump received on Christmas Day, another storm is heading across the Prairies  but Brandon might narrowly escape the worst of it.

An Alberta clipper, a small and intense low-pressure system that moves very quickly across the Prairies, is expected to coast through Manitoba beginning this morning, said John Paul Cragg, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.

(An Alberta clipper) often forms in Alberta, hence the name, and it really starts to get going in Saskatchewan and it can mature quite nicely in Manitoba, Cragg said. What you often see with these storms is a fairly thin band of 10 to 15 centimetres of snow to the north of the system and strong winds in behind usually around 40 to 60 kilometres an hour in these types of systems.

Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun A semi-trailer makes its way south along Brandons Eastern Access Route on Thursday, as gusting winds blow snow across the roadway. Expect much more blowing snow as an Alberta clipper is set move through Westman today.

Areas surrounding Dauphin and Riding Mountain National Park are more likely to see the dump of snow, while Brandon is more likely to only suffer the high winds, Cragg said.

Brandon  is just on the edge of where that band of snow could possibly go through, but Brandon will more certainly see those strong winds  all the snow thats on the ground could blow around and we could see some reduced visibilities on roads, Cragg said. So even if Brandon doesnt receive that 10 centimetres (of snow), conditions for driving will be quite bad.

In the meantime, city crews have been working round the clock to continue residential snow clearing, said Pam Penner, manager of public works with the City of Brandon.

Were pretty happy with the work that weve got completed to date, Penner said. We arent sure whether that storm will hit us and what that impact will be, but we do have crews that will continue to work all weekend to clear the city and we are prepared if we need to go back into those areas  If the snow does hit us, were ready.

Penner encouraged residents to keep an eye on the snow-clearing map on Brandons website, so they know when crews will be in their area.

(People) can anticipate when we are going to be starting so they can move their vehicles off the road if needed and we can do a good job while were in there. We would really appreciate it, Penner said.

The Alberta clipper is quite fast moving, and should be through Manitoba in about 12 hours, Cragg said, adding that colder weather is expected to follow the storm.

The Arctic air will take a couple days to sink into the Southwestern Manitoba area  were forecasting the Brandon area getting down to about -21 C by Jan. 1, and an average of -25 C for the rest of the week, Cragg said.

 edebooy@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @erindebooy
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/12/2016 (2135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Making their daughter proud, Stacie Robertson and husband Dan banded their workplaces together in support of Teen Challenge, whose Christian-based addictions ministry operates just outside of Brandon.

Between Stacies workplace at the Brandon Regional Hospitals Surgical Suite and Dans workplace at Brandons Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba office, the couple helped raise $750 and 20 large boxes and bags of material.

This material included food, clothing, books, bath stuff, school supplies and various items young women might need or want during their stay with the organization.

Submitted Donated items for Teen Challenge are piled up in Stacie and Dan Robertson's living room. The couple helped raise $750 and 20 large boxes and bags of material for the addictions ministry.

They also tied in some feel-good Christmas presents, Stacie said  items they hoped would make the women feel better.

Teen Challenge Brandon is an addictions ministry that houses young women during their battles against addiction.

Three of their participants recently visited the local 100 Women Who Care organization to make a plea for funding.

While 100 Women Who Care selected another organization as this years beneficiary, something about their story resonated with Stacie, inspiring her to take action.

We all see our kids making some bad decisions, however that happens, she explained. Weve all done it  I would only hope that that centre were there for my daughter if she ever needed it.

A semi-retired nurse, Stacie asked her co-workers to adopt Teen Challenge as this Christmas seasons charity, and they agreed.

Dans co-workers followed suit, and they quickly amassed a pile of donations that Stacie considers overwhelming  one that she doesnt want to take too much credit for.

It was a real combined joint effort, she said.

To find so many people band together in support of the young women at Teen Challenge has been a heartwarming experience, director of womens ministries Kim Lowes shared this week.

A huge blessing, she affirmed. The girls are always absolutely blown away  Its an absolute gift for the girls at this time of year.

Given their status as addicts in recovery, the gifts resonated particularly well, Lowes added, clarifying that addicts are more commonly shoved aside and not factored into charitable efforts such as what the Robertsons have offered.

To have other people in the community rally around the women and just say were here to help you, it blows me away, Lowes said. It really does  Its just that sense of being cared for by somebody is awesome.

This is the kind of support these girls will continue to need as they progress through the program and into the outside world.

Like most community stewards, it wasnt Stacie or Dan who alerted the media as to their efforts, who didnt do it for publicity.

Daughter Blair Robertson, 22, alerted the press, commending her parents thoughtful behaviour during the Christmas season.

Its not only her parents who deserve commendation, she added, but also those at the Brandon Regional Hospital and the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba.

I was completely blown away with how generous the people were, she said.

Where a lot of people dont undertake such fundraising initiatives out of pessimism that they wouldnt be able to raise enough to make a difference, the Robertson couple proves that when people set their minds out to do something, even the unlikelys possible.

People are generous, especially over Christmas time, and this really, really proves it, the proud daughter noted. I just think it was absolutely incredible and I just feel their story needs to be shared.

The Brandon-area Teen Challenge currently has six students due to recent graduations, although the present capacity is eight. Theyre in the process of a significant expansion that will find this capacity double to 16 during the next year.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After being part of the first Syrian refugee family in Brandon, Mohamed Armoush is helping other new families get adjusted to his new hometown.

Adjusting was very easy  I was expecting a harder time but the people have been so wonderful, Armoush said. Its just incredible to be settled.

Armoush, his wife and their three children came to Brandon in September. They have been busy learning English and Canadian culture. Armoush recently got his drivers licence and hopes to get a job driving heavy duty equipment, he said.

Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun Mohamed Armoush (left), whose family were the first Syrian refugees in Brandon, now helps other newcomers get adjusted to living in the city, including Mohamed Masri (right).

Theres a lot of respect between people here  I just love every aspect of it, Armoush said.

To date, Westman Immigration Services has welcomed around 60 people to Brandon, said settlement services manager Wendy Petersen.

Were responsible for them for their first 21 days  we pick them up from the airport and provide life skills training, show them how to use the bus and buy groceries, register them for English classes, kids get registered for school, and we help them find permanent housing, which is really critical, Petersen said. Weve been very fortunate, we havent been having a lot of trouble finding permanent housing, so its been kind of a win-win that way  the community has been great.

They also help the families get medical treatment, which can range in severity, said Petersen.

We have multiple health issues, whether its  gunshot wounds that havent been dealt with, broken bones that havent been set right, dental issues, vision issues, hearing loss  we try to deal with within the first few days, Petersen said. Were very lucky here in Brandon  we have a lot of Arabic-speaking doctors and that makes it very easy for us  because they can communicate with the doctor in their first language, which is a sense of relief for them.

Petersen said the Brandon community is unique in that private sponsors and government-assisted refugee programs work together as a community for the new families rather than separately.

The extra volunteers are a huge help  we are really proud of how Brandon has come together as a community  they are the communitys families and weve really worked hard to make them feel like they are part of the community, Petersen said.

For Armoush, helping the community that welcomed him is the least he can do.

Its our duty to (volunteer)  I have to help, theres no second thought about it, Armoush said.

Petersen said this has been a valuable learning experience.

This isnt just about us helping them, theyre helping us, Petersen said. Theyre helping us to learn more about ourselves, learning more about our community, helping us expand our thoughts and live outside of the box for a minute  They want to be helping. They just dont want to take, they want to give back.

 edebooy@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @erindebooy
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

2017 is already just about here. Now its time to look back at 2016 in Manitoban beer.

Barn Hammer Brewing became the first brewery to open up in Manitoba since Half Pints Brewing opened up in Winnipeg back in 2006  it took a whole decade for Manitobas third brewery to open! Ever since Barn Hammer opened, a bunch of new breweries and even a distillery opened up.

Following Barn Hammer was Torque Brewing, Torque is also the first new brewery to also have beer available in cans/bottle  they currently have most of their offerings in 473 ml cans but plan on doing special one-off 650 ml bottles for special one-off releases including sours and barrel aged ales.

La Resolution, Born in a Day APA, St Sylvestre 3 Monts

Neepawas Farmery Brewing became the first brewery to open up in western Manitoba since Empire Brewing closed in Brandon back in the 1930s. Their offerings currently include a lager, pale ale, a berry ale and a pink lemonade malt cooler.

PEG Brewing was expected to be the first of the new batch of brewers to open up back in 2015. They werent able to start brewing until only a few months ago, they are also the only brewpub/tasting room with a full kitchen.

Winnipegs Capital K Distillery became Manitobas first new distillery in Manitoba. Capital Ks two Manitoban grain-based vodkas  Crystal Vodka and Tall Grass Vodka are available at local Liquor Marts now.

One month ago, Little Brown Jug opened up right in Winnipegs Exchange District. They currently brew one beer  a 1919 Belgian Pale Ale. The Little Brown Jugs brewmaster, Bernie Weiland, is originally from Westman so its great to see someone from this area involved heavily in brewing operations.

Lastly and most recently  Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries announced they were cancelling the $5-million loan program for new breweries and distilleries. None of the new breweries or distilleries were able to take advantage of the loan program in the first place as the program was essentially non-existent as soon as the Progressive Conservatives came to power in April. It may slow down on potential new breweries and distilleries opening up in Winnipeg, but there will still be many more breweries opening up in the next two years  stay tuned!

With it being New Years Eve tomorrow, I felt like it was a good time to have a New Years Eve-themed beer edition of First Draught. Heres three beers I feel would be great additions to a great New Years Eve party.

La Resolution

With a name like La Resolution, I just had to include this beer first. My main resolution for 2017 is to travel more and check out the exploding beer scenes beyond Manitoba or Montreal.

Unibroues La Resolution is a rich dark ale that tops out at 10 per cent. It has an aroma of dark fruits, brown sugar, a light touch of burnt caramel and a hint of gingerbread.

The flavour is rich and boozy, notes of gingerbread, nutmeg, burnt caramel, a light spiciness to it and a bit of dark fruit (prunes, raisins).

A great beer to warm up to seeing that its 10 per cent. $8.71 per 750 ml bottle.

Pint rating: 4.5 out of 5

St Sylvestre 3 Monts

Half a decade back, MLCC used to have this great beer called DeuS Brut des Flandres, it was the perfect New Years Eve toasting beer as it was very fizzy, sweet and even reminiscent to champagne as it was aged in champagne barrels. Unfortunately, the beer is no longer available in Manitoba, so I find 3 Monts Golden Ale to be a decent substitute to DeuS.

3 Monts pours a pale straw golden ale with a great amount of fizz at first, but quickly diminishes to just a few bubbles here and there as well as a decent thick white head that diminishes to a light amount of white film with a liberal amount of lacing on the side of the glass.

The aroma is a sweet honey and herbal aroma with notes of champagne, a hint of European lager skunk and a hint of lemon.

The taste gives off a sweet, flavour thats aiming towards the direction of a champagne but misses out on the fizzy goodness of a champagne. The beer is very sweet, almost like a white mead, with flavours of lemongrass, a hint of hop presence to give it just a hint of bitterness and a bit of a profile that I can only explain as sparkling wine aftertaste.

While this beer cant compare to DeuS, I actually really like the white mead honey-like sweetness and for a New Years Eve beer toasting, this certainly works for me! 8.5 per cent ABV. $6.68 per 750 ml bottle.

Pint rating: 3.5 out of 5

Born in a Day APA

Fairly new to Manitoba Liquor Marts, Born in a Day is an Australian-style pale ale by Irish brewery Boyne Brewhouse. Pours a cloudy amber ale with a lot of carbonation, thick amount of light beige head. The majority of the aroma I get is a grainy aroma with notes of lemon, a hint of grapefruit and a bit of caramel malt.

The taste is reminiscent of an Original 16 which is an American pale ale  its grassy, grainy, a bit of toasted bread, hint of lemon, a bit of caramel for sweetness and a hint of bitterness from the hops lingering for the aftertaste.

I honestly wasnt knowing what to expect for an Australian pale ale out of Ireland, but I expected more tropical hops. Instead, its more reminiscent to the lighter end of American pale ales to me. Its very easy to drink and mildly bitter at the very end. 4.8 per cent ABV, $3.99 per 500 ml bottle.

Pint rating: 3 out of 5
Gov. Doug Burgum pitched his ideas for fostering economic development and entrepreneurship at a grass roots level to more than a dozen mayors across the state Thursday.

The meeting, put on by the North Dakota League of Cities, was held at the North Dakota Heritage Center, where Burgum shared his vision about his "Main Street Initiative."

Burgum proposes to build economic success with a skilled workforce, efficient infrastructure and vibrant communities, according to his web page. The initiative encourages "reinventing" education to match employers' needs, creating sustainable growth and infrastructure, restoring and rebuilding old neighborhoods, honoring the past, using new technology, better internet connectivity and making communities more walkable.

"It was very informational, educational and exciting," Bismarck Mayor Mike Seminary said Friday, noting the governor and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford spent nearly four hours with the city leaders. "The initiative essentially is how cities will play a critical role in how the state moves forward in a global marketplace in the 21st century: how we can have vibrant, active downtowns, how we use public dollars that stimulate private investment, how to minimize (operation and maintenance) costs. He talked about public-private partnerships and technology."

Seminary concurred with many of the points made, saying cities and their leadership will play an important role in attracting and keeping talent and encouraging entrepreneurs. He said it mirrors what Bismarck is trying to do.

"We have an active downtown, a growing startup (entrepreneurship) community. It was very exciting and encouraging to spend that much time in one sitting with the governor," he said.

Mandan Mayor Tim Helbling echoed those sentiments and characterized the meeting as reflecting "a new style of leadership."

"I'm impressed with him and the lieutenant governor," Helbling said, who indicated both leaders took the time to thoroughly listen to the mayors attending. "There is legislation to change the Renaissance Zone and TIF (Tax Increment Financing) districts. These have been very important to Mandan.

He favored the governor's discussion about so many downtown parking lots being underused and said the unoccupied grocery store on West Main Street in Mandan would fit into the governor's initiative.

"I never sat in with a governor for so long in one sitting. They were both very sincere and wanted to listen to every side," Helbling said.

Lincoln Mayor Gerarld Wise said he could not attend the meeting but hopes to meet with the governor in the future.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

That smells like unbaked bread.

I looked in astonishment at my husband as he made that pronouncement about the Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut from Italy.

Youre just saying that because Ive told you thats my favourite thing about real Champagne! I said accusingly.

No  I can really smell and taste it in that, he insisted, indicating the Mionetto.

To say I was delighted would be an understatement. I was thrilled! He, who always professes to not be able to smell or taste the scents and flavours that I can, or come up with anything he smells or tastes without prompting, could conjure up that assessment? I was so proud!

And he was absolutely right, not just because he agreed with me, although that certainly didnt hurt. But the aroma wafting up from the glass of Mionetto was definitely that yeasty, doughy fragrance I love in bubbly wine. In my experience, its particularly apparent in Champagne, but Ive found some other sparkling wines boast those same qualities, whether theyre made by methode champenoise or not.

By way of explanation, because I usually hate getting into all this technical stuff (but Ill deal with this at greater length in a later column), methode champenoise requires a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Champagnes and high-quality sparkling wines are made that way. But if you see the word charmat on a label, it means the secondary fermentation has happened in a tank, not in the bottle.

While the latter is not considered the best method, Im all about aroma and taste. I sort of dont care how it gets there as long as it gets there. And the yeasty doughiness that I love so much in real Champagne can still be achieved through the other method  its just perhaps not as pronounced.

It can also be accomplished by good wine-making, and that certainly seems to be the case with the Mionetto. And I think thats why my hubby preferred it to the Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne I so adore  hes not as wild about the yeastiness as I am. But with delicate notes, such as in the Mionetto, he was more than OK with it. And we both liked that, while the Veuve Brut is $71.49, the Mionetto sells for a mere $19.99 a bottle. And its delish!

Im writing about bubbly today, of course, because tomorrow is New Years Eve. And while I think bubbly should be drunk much more frequently than it is  people tend to save it for celebrations and occasions  but truly, a sparkling wine is a delight at any time. As an aperitif, as a lovely reward after an accomplishment  even something so simple as making it through a tough day at work  theres no alcoholic-beverage-indulging time when sparkling wine is inappropriate.

But its certainly associated with parties, and New Years Eve is often the biggest one of the year. And while I think its a bit of a fabricated occasion, one that doesnt warrant all the hoopla associated with it, Ive certainly done my share of celebrating on Dec. 31st over the years. Any excuse for a party and Im there! And with its sense of promise, its suggestion of a new beginning, perhaps it is worth acknowledging. Heck, anything that brings people together to share conversation, fun and optimism is more than all right in my books.

So if you want to hoist a glass or two of bubbly to usher in the new year, here are some suggestions, in addition to the two mentioned above.

I love Mumm Napa Brut Prestige, which sells for $22.49, and its certainly a lot less than Mumm Champagne ($63.99) and is almost indiscernible from its parent product.

Im also a big fan of the Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava from Spain. This is the workhorse of the sparklers  a whole lot of wine for only $14.95 a bottle. But this year, the company has introduced Segura Viudas Vintage Gran Reserva Brut Cava, a real coup as far as Im concerned. For three dollars more  $17.95 a bottle  I think its almost twice the wine the other is. Again, that doughy quality I love comes shining through, and its really not discernible in the $15 one.

And speaking of workhorses, theres good old Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava Brut  always reliable and always good. A 750 ml bottle is $14.49, while the 1.5 litre bottle  perfect for a party  sells for $24.95.

For those who like something with a touch  but only a touch  of sweetness, I highly recommend the Lion Nathan Sophora Sparkling Rose ($19.99) and the La Marca Prosecco ($19.99).

Slightly sweeter still are the Devils Rock Riesling Dry Sparkling ($13.99) and the Royal de Neuville Cuvee de Prestige Rose ($14.01).

Those who like an extra touch of glam  and the wine is good, too  should check out the Bottega Il Vino de Poeti Gold Brut Prosecco ($27.99). The bottle makes for a lovely keepsake given its shiny gold wrapping.

And if you want to celebrate all that is Canadian as you usher in 2017, the Sumac Ridge Stellers Jay Brut ($25.99) from the Okanagan is a real treat.

Since 2016, for a variety of reasons, is a year many of us want see in the rear view mirror, perhaps this is one New Years Eve to celebrate with extra enthusiasm. Out with the old and in with the new!

Heres not so much to whats been as what is yet to come. Happy New Year! Cheers to 2017!
President Barack Obama has today imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services.

This was in retaliation for Russia's alleged interference in the US presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts.

The state department has also kicked out 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the US.

The diplomats were declared persona non grata for acting in a "manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status".

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman says Moscow regrets the new US sanctions, and will consider retaliatory measures.

In a tweet, the embassy's UK Twitter account shot back and posted a meme.

It is a photo of a duckling with the word "LAME" over it.

The text states: "President Obama expels 35 (Russian flag emoji) diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl (American flag emoji) people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm."
Up to 25,000 tourists will come to Dublin for Failte Ireland's annual New Year festival, joining the same number of locals for the festivities.

It starts today for three days and is worth 13m to the tourist industry.
Fornmer Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald ordered an overhaul of preparations for a mass exodus of "refugees" from Northern Ireland in the event of chaos breaking out after the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

Secret files, just released under the 30-year rule, show defence and health chiefs in Dublin were told in 1986 to update contingency plans previously drawn up in 1974 and 1975 - among the bloodiest years of the Troubles.

The revamped preparations would take into account the then new hospital at Letterkenny in Co Donegal being used for casualties and expanded Irish Army bases to house the "initial reception of refugees".

The updated contingency plan was ordered against a background of growing fears of a loyalist backlash to the 1985 accord signed between Mr Fitzgerald and Margaret Thatcher descending into a full-blown emergency.

The Irish government's Inter-departmental Committee on Wartime Emergency Preparations, which first met in October 1986, had raised the "planning assumptions in relation to Northern Ireland".

In a secret letter to the Department of Health in December, the Taoiseach's office sought confirmation that "plans previously drawn up by your department to cater for such an eventuality have been kept in place and updated to take account of developments such as the opening of the major new hospital in Letterkenny".

The contingency referred to "medical and hospital treatment of casualties".

In a similar missive to the Department of Defence, the Taoiseach's office said the likelihood of such an exodus across the border "as far as it can be foreseen" was "not particularly strong" at the time.

But it added: "However, in view of the unpredictable nature of the situation and outlook in Northern Ireland, it is considered advisable to seek confirmation that the plans previously drawn up in your department have been kept in place and updated to take account of any subsequent developments."

These included "for example some premises being no longer available or an expansion in accommodation in Army premises that could be utilised for the initial reception of refugees: it is clearly necessary that plans for this contingency should be up to date".
Despite rebels in Syria clashing with government forces and their allies near Damascus today, a ceasefire in Syria appears to be largely holding.

The ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and thousands of opposition fighters was brokered by Russia and Turkey.
Southeast Judicial District Court Judge Jerod Tufte says, as he takes on his position as a member of the states highest court, his previous experience as a judge and prosecutor will lend valuable insight into the complex cases that come before it.

Tufte takes the seat of outgoing North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Dale Sandstrom in January, becoming the newest member of the five-justice court.

He said the main change from being a district court judge will be the significant increase in administrative duties justices take on while serving.

(But) I think itll be quite a comfortable transition, Tufte said.

Tufte won his seat for a 10-year term on the Supreme Court last month, earning 60.7 percent of the vote.

Tufte has been serving as a district judge since 2014 after being appointed by former Gov. Jack Dalrymple. He served as the governors legal counsel for three years prior to that.

During the transition hes spent a few days at the court meeting with staff, getting to know the ropes around the office as well as studying some cases that are slated to come before the court shortly after he takes office.

As with other state agencies, Tufte said budget work during the upcoming session will be critical. He hopes to do his part working with legislators hes known since his time in the governors office to help guide talks on the courts budget.

A lot of time and effort (is) needed to ensure needs are met, Tufte said, adding that the court is just one part of a larger system that needs to be running efficiently in all areas.

Sandstrom said the transition has gone well, with Tufte having access to court documents to prepare for January cases to be heard. He said the recent blizzard has made the moving out of the office a bit difficult but otherwise things have gone smoothly.

Im sure hell do a good job. He brings a good legal background to the court, Sandstrom said.

Sandstrom added that Tuftes technological background should lend itself well to continuing the IT work Sandstroms done while in office.

Tufte is a graduate of the Arizona State University School of Law. He served as a lawyer in private practice and was also previously a law clerk for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Tufte also previously served as a states attorney in Kidder and Sheridan counties as well as a Judge Advocate General for the North Dakota National Guard.

He said his body of work should lend itself well to a court that already contains a wealth of experience.

I think weve got a good mix of experience and background on the court, Tufte said.

Tufte said with his background in technology hed be an asset in maintaining the website and online presence the court has developed under Sandstroms leadership. He said once he gets acquainted with his duties hed like to take an active role in handling those responsibilities.
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Five degrees of separation? In Canberra, it's more like one degree. And, in a nice twist, Cross of Valour recipient Allan Sparkes knows the family of our latest rescue hero, Zach Rolfe.

We told you about the remarkable rescue this week of two tourists in the Northern Territory by police officer Zach Rolfe, a former Canberra Grammar student and the son of Canberra identities Debbie and Richard Rolfe.

Allan Sparkes in 1996 going down a manhole to rescue a child stuck in a flooded stormwater drain.

Mr Sparkes, meanwhile, is one of only five recipients of Australia's highest bravery decoration and civilian award, the Cross of Valour.

The then NSW police officer received the honour for rescuing a boy from a flooded stormwater drain in Coffs Harbour in 1996.
Steven Freeman's death in custody sparked a coroner's inquest and an independent inquiry. Prosecutors are appealing his sentence on grounds it was "manifestly inadequate". In the first murder trial of 2016, a jury found Danny Klobucar, 27, not guilty due to mental impairment for the bashing death of grandfather Miodrag Gajic on New Year's day in 2014. His case is now before the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Marcus Rappel waiats sentencing for killing Tara Costigan. Awaiting justice

Gabrielle Woutersz's month-long trial for the alleged murder of her mother in Dunlop ended the year with a rare deadlocked jury after almost three weeks of deliberations. Justice Michael Elkaim was sworn in as the fifth ACT Supreme Court judge in July. Credit:Graham Tidy Woutersz, 25, is now set to face a jury for the second time next August after jurors failed to reach a verdict in the matricide case, which hinged on the accused's mental state at the time. Axe killer Marcus Rappel still awaits news of his fate for the brutal slaying of his former partner, mother-of-three Tara Costigan, 28, in Calwell in March 2015. Emotions ran high in court as prosecutors urged a life sentence for Rappel's "heinous, callous, pitiless slaughter" of Ms Costigan, while his defence team said his remorse was genuine as they called for a lesser jail term.

Case dropped over worksite death The devastated mother of Ben Catanzariti, 21, warned there would be "another death in the ACT" after prosecutors in May suddenly dropped their case against two companies charged over his 2012 worksite death. Kay Catanzariti wore the jumper her son died in as she carried his ashes to court. "This is my son, I don't get that back," she said. Catanzariti was killed when a faulty concrete pump boom collapsed on him at a construction site on the Kingston Foreshore. An inquest into his death is set to reopen next year.

Path again cleared for Eastman retrial David Harold Eastman vowed he would continue to protest his innocence after losing his latest bid to block a second murder trial for the assassination of senior AFP officer Colin Stanley Winchester in 1989. Eastman appeared in court for the first time since he was released from prison after his murder conviction for the killing was quashed in 2014. He was there to challenge the Court of Appeal's decision to dismiss his application for a permanent stay of proceedings after a fresh trial was ordered. His appeal was dismissed after a three-day hearing, meaning Eastman will likely face a planned six-month retrial set down for July.

Civil stoushes Michael Jones' bitter and protracted legal battle, one of the most high-profile cases to hit the courts in 2016, began with allegations the University of Canberra pressured the Brumbies board to stand him down as chief executive. It ended five months later with a confidential late night settlement and Mr Jones' frustration at the "broken" legal process. The trigger, he claimed, had been his decision to raise serious questions about a land deal involving its former Griffith headquarters and a new site at the university. Mr Jones used the territory's whistleblower laws to allege he had been unfairly treated after disclosing serious irregularities with the deal.
But while it may be shorter in deference to the attention spans of the target audience, and have a smaller cast than a full scale ballet, it's not intended to be in any way cut-rate. This new production has been choreographed by the company's artistic director, David McAllister and features new costumes and sets designed by Krystal Giddings.

In 2015, the Australian Ballet began its Storytime Ballet series with Sleeping Beauty, a mainstage production aimed at children aged from three to nine. Now, it's touring another Tchaikovsky ballet, also adapted especially for young children in an abridged version with a narrator  The Nutcracker. It will be coming to the Canberra Theatre in January.

McAllister says the production condenses the story into about an hour. It is narrated by one of the characters, the toymaker and magician Dr Drosselmeyer, who gives young Clara the Nutcracker doll that comes to life. They go to a magical world of animated toys, dancing sweets, and other wonders.

He says families have come to Storytime Ballet with children as young as two and three up to early school age, eight and nine-year-olds with their parents and grandparents who can enjoy the high quality dancing by the performers, a few of them principal dancers, most of them drawn from the ensemble of the Australian Ballet.

"It's a good way of introducing young people to ballet and theatre," he says.

McAllister says there's "not that much difference" in choreographing a ballet for children as distinct from an adult audience: it's still about telling a story and making sense of it through dance.

"You do have to make sure the story is clear and attractive," he says. It's important, too, to make sure the audience's attention is directed to the most important elements on stage so they can follow the story. Having a character on stage as narrator helps, but there still has to be plenty of well co-ordinated movement around him.
A Canberra man was brought before court on Friday after he was charged four times in four months for drink or drug driving.

The 23-year-old man was stopped by police on December 29 in Belconnen. A drug test came back positive for methamphetamines, the ACT Magistrates Court heard on Friday.

The man had been stopped by police two days earlier, on December 27, when he was also charged with drug driving. On December 17, he was stopped and charged with drink driving, court documents say.

On August 17, he had been charged with drug driving.

These alleged matters were ongoing, but the court on Friday heard the man also had three convictions for drug driving.
A North Dakota judge says he'll keep the states ban on abortion from taking effect because there's a "substantial probability that a constitutional challenge to the law will succeed in court. Judge Bruce Romanicks Monday ruling means abortion is still legal in North Dakota. However, Romanick said the question of whether abortion is a constitutional right in the state has not been decided. The states only clinic  the Red River Womens Clinic of Fargo  closed as it challenged the ban and has moved across the the border to neighboring Minnesota.
Greens member Caroline Le Couteur wants to improve planning in the ACT. Credit:Jay Cronan "We were creating a new better community, a Utopia," she said. "Almost all of us were in our early 20s. I mean we did have a few older people but not many and we didn't have a really have any kids and so we started producing our own. ACT Labor and Greens members Caroline Le Couteur and Shane Rattenbury with ACT Chief minister Andrew Barr and ACT Labor Yvette Berry. Le Couteur has promised to hold the government to account. Credit:Jay Cronan "We all built our own houses, there were mud brick houses houses built out of stone.

"It was a blank canvas. I thought at the time I'd die there, not that I planned on dying anytime soon, but me and most other people there thought we were going to be there for the rest of our lives." Caroline Le Couteur said Shane Rattenbury did a great job last term as the sole Green in government. Credit:Jay Cronan We were creating a new better community, a Utopia. Caroline Le Couteur To an extent, the community lived off the land but they still needed to bring money in. In the late 1970s Le Couteur ended up selling early versions of solar panels.

"We were selling NASA rejects because that's all there was, no one was producing them commercially because who would buy them," she said. "In the community I was in there was no electricity from the grid and where we were competing economically was with candles. "One of the saddest things was a house burnt down with a candle and a baby died, that was...that was one of the reasons we went into PVs because they were a lot safer than candles and gas." After more a decade of scraping a living off the land, the shine wore off and Le Couteur decided to return Canberra to care for her mother, who had a major stroke. "After a while you get tired of grinding poverty," she said wryly.

Le Couteur described herself as an "accidental politician". She was one of seven Greens who stood for election in 1998, not because she had any desire or intention to become a politician, but because she supported the party. She stood again in 2008 as the second Green for Molonglo, only to find herself elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly. "Nobody thought there'd be two Greens elected in Molonglo, the Greens didn't even think that," she said. Le Couteur was one of four Greens elected that term who helped to usher in sweeping changes to the territory's education, health and public transport systems.

They also sowed the seeds for the ACT's nation-leading clean energy policies. But a backlash at the polls in 2012 saw every Greens member, bar Shane Rattenbury, wiped out. Getting booted from parliament was a "disappointment" but In her "gap years" she worked in shareholder activism, advocated for natural burials and enjoyed time with her two grandchildren. But after being re-elected in October, Le Couteur said she wanted to hold the government to account on fraught issues like planning. During the first sitting week, Le Couteur proved good on her word, rebelling against Labor and siding with the Liberals over the Land Development Agency's "integrity and probity".
At the start of the week, fund manager Peter Hall's stake in the investment company bearing his name was worth $39 million. By the end of the week, he reckoned it wasn't even worth a third of that as he rushed to the exit, sealing a deal with Washington H. Soul Pattinson that could result in the conglomerate's takeover of the firm.

"I am now 56 years old and it is time to spend more time with my family and following my personal interests," Mr Hall said in a personal statement filed with the ASX on Friday afternoon to explain his sudden exit, and outline the agreement he struck with the conglomerate.

Minutes before trading on the ASX closed for the year, Mr Hall said he had sold a 19.9 per cent stake in his company to Soul Pattinson for $1 a share, with the buyer agreeing to bid for all shares of the company for "at least $1 a share". At $1 a share, his holding is worth just $12 million. Mr Hall pledged to accept Soul Pattinson's offer for his remaining stock in absence of a better offer.

" I have known Washington Soul Pattinson for many years having first met patriarch Jim Millner in his office above the chemist shop in Pitt Street in 1985", Mr Hall said. "WHSP is a very fine Australian institution with diversified interests.
Radio announcer John Laws used a cow bell to warn listeners he was about to mention a sponsor. Credit:Kate Geraghty The same goes for news published online  it is unregulated unless the publisher is a member of the Press Council or the article is written by a unionised journalist bound by a code of ethics. How many people realise television streamed on online is unregulated. And why did Laws and Jones get into so much trouble when no one cares about all the undisclosed endorsements by minor celebrities on Twitter and Instagram? Two Big Brother contestants who ''turkey slapped'' a female contestant. The incident was streamed live on Big Brother Uncut in July 2006. "It's not that nobody cares, it is just that the media regulation construct that exists and that we administer does not apply," Mr Bean told Fairfax Media.

ACMA does not regulate any aspect of social media because "there isn't a specific power to make something along the lines of the Disclosure Standard in relation to social media," according to Mr Bean. In other words, the law has not kept up with technology. There is similar confusion in television, where shows streamed from Ten, Seven, Nine, ABC, SBS, Stan or Netflix are not covered by any of the broadcasting regulations or codes of conduct. These rules include matters such as a minimum amount of Australian content, captions for the hearing impaired, and regulations on the number of advertisements per hour. ACMA regularly investigates complaints that television broadcasts are biased, inappropriate or unfair. But none of these minimum standards apply to online shows. Chief executive of Free TV Australia, Brett Savill, said the only rule about Australian TV watched through websites was "a prohibition on material classified Refused Classification, X18+, R18+".

Free-to-air television has to be factual, accurate and ensure that viewpoints included in the program are not misrepresented under the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, according to Mr Savill. These protections meant that "fake news is not an issue on Free TV", he said. Stan and Netflix operate beyond reach of broadcast regulations, but Mr Bean believes the free-to-air networks have a "powerful incentive " not to stream content that would be unacceptable on broadcast TV for fear of damaging their reputation. And we have the infamous turkey slap to thank for that. Network Ten learnt the hard way nearly a decade ago that what it puts online might not be regulated, but it still affects the network's operations and political influence. It all started in the early hours of Saturday in July 2006, when Ten's Big Brother Uncut live streamed two males sexually assaulting a female. Ten was already under pressure from conservative politicians about Big Brother's content and the turkey slap was the final straw. It caused national outrage and led to then prime minister John Howard questioning Ten's standards.

"The business community is always saying to me 'let us self-regulate'. Well here's a great opportunity for Channel Ten to do a bit of self-regulation and get this stupid program off the air," Mr Howard said at the time. The government launched a review of reality television and inserted new provisions into the Code of Conduct specifically banning shows that "present participants in reality television programs in a highly demeaning or highly exploitative manner". The new provision was totally powerless against live streams, but it made everyone feel better. Ten eventually dropped the show in 2008, but Nine took it up again in 2012. Live streams and catch-up services are becoming more popular now and networks can put whatever they like online. But Ten is careful about maintaining its broadcasting standards online, even though it doesn't have to. "Programs available through [streaming service] Ten Play are not covered by the commercial free-to-air broadcast rules but we are very conscious of the expectations of our audiences when making content available online," Channel Ten spokesman Neil Shoebridge told Fairfax Media recently.

"We would not run a program on Ten Play that we would not run on Ten, Eleven or One." A reputation for accuracy, and defamation laws, are the only thing maintaining standards on television news programs' websites. Networks are free to run content online that would breach the broadcasting standards, although the cost of producing online-only content is prohibitive. And technically the online articles and versions of shows such as A Current Affair, Sixty Minutes and network nightly news have no oversight because none of the networks are members of Australia's Press Council [APC]. The council promotes good journalism standards and handles complaints about false reports, inappropriate content, bias and invasions of privacy. It has 950 members, mostly newspapers, but also some online-only members, such as nine.com.au, Daily Mail Australia, Huffington Post Australia and smaller publishers such as New Daily, New Matilda, Crikey and Mumbrella.

However, some well-known news sites like The Guardian and Buzzfeed are not members and news from overseas sites are not subject to APC standards, a spokesman confirmed. Seven West Media, which publishes Who, New Idea and The West Australian, is not a member. With more people relying on their social media feeds for news, they may not realise stories from non-APC members have no minimum standards for accuracy and fairness, which is why fake news runs rampant online. "Facebook is not one of APC's publisher members, nor is it a broadcaster subject to ACMA's standards which apply to broadcasters," the APC's spokesman said, noting Facebook was free to join press councils but would have to set minimum standards and handle complaints. Nor is the social media site, Instagram, subject to any rules about accuracy or disclosure. It is governed only by California's laws and its Terms of Use require every user to agree that: "we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such". Instagram is full of secret advertising deals between businesses and influential users  people with hundreds of thousands of followers  who receive cash or free goods in exchange for simply including the business's product in their posts.

Lawyer at LegalVision, Thomas Kaldor, said it was up to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to protect consumers from misleading and deceptive conduct. However, chasing every Instagrammer who received free clothing and meals was not a great use of taxpayers' money. "In a practical use of resources, the ACCC might be more inclined to go after the larger business breaching the rules around using non-genuine testimonials than the individual influencer," Mr Kaldor said. So far the commission has only gone after Australia Post and the South Australia Tourism Commission for paying influencers who did not disclose the deal in tweets and posts. Influencers may not realise they are breaking Australian Consumer Law and risk being taken to court if they do not disclose freebies or are "paid to promote a product or service [and] do not make it clear to an ordinary consumer that it is a paid-for advertisement". Whether consumers need so much protection is up for debate and is not limited to social media. For example, do celebrities need to disclose every free dress they get for the red carpet?
The Australian Human Rights Commission's sole mission is to protect and promote human rights. It is an independent statutory body that has successfully conciliated thousands of complaints for people who have been discriminated against because of their race, disability, age or gender, like women who get fired for being pregnant. It conducts inquiries into important human rights matters like Indigenous deaths in custody. The news that Sudanese refugee Faysal Ahmed died from what appears to be inadequate medical care and acute neglect on Manus Island, becoming the fourth refugee to die, only highlights the necessity of the commission's work.

It's to be expected that governments disagree with a commission charged with investigating human rights abuses that happen on their watch. But the sustained personal attacks on Professor Triggs, from the most senior members of government, represent a different beast altogether  designed to smear, silence and delegitimise the nation's foremost human rights body and its president.

And in December Resources Minister Matt Canavan attacked our beloved national broadcaster. Canavan sounded supremely confident when he stood beside the Australian head of mining giant Adani and all but promised a $1 billion taxpayer-funded loan to a single coal mine project.

A few days later, the ABC ran a series of investigative stories, revealing that Adani is being investigated by India's Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for "siphoning money offshore and artificially inflating power prices". When asked whether he knew about the corruption and fraud investigations, Canavan not only failed to answer the question eight times, he then criticised the ABC, saying "so many of your reports have been nothing but fake news".

This is an extraordinary smear on the national broadcaster and one we should take seriously, because it won't be the last. Fake news came to prominence during the US presidential election and is connected to the misogynist, white nationalist "alt-right". It has seen fringe-conspiracy fake news stories from the most paranoid and extreme chatrooms of the internet be treated like real news by Facebook's algorithm, like the fake news story alleging a Washington DC pizzeria was a front for a child sex-trafficking ring operated by senior Democrats. Thankfully, no one was killed when a gunman, incensed by the story, opened fire in the pizzeria.
Six-year-old Oshin Kiszko's parents made a harrowing choice to refuse consent for cancer treatments, the long-term physical and mental burdens of which they believed outweighed the chances of saving his life.

It led to a state-first Family Court case as Oshin's doctors attempted to enforce those treatments.

They won, in the case of chemotherapy, but lost it in the case of radiotherapy, a treatment in which the consequences for a six-year-old's brain development would have been more profound and also would have a diminished likelihood of succeeding given the time that  by then  had elapsed.

Whichever side they were on, all those who cared for Oshin  medical professional, family or friend  had heavy hearts on Thursday. Princess Margaret Hospital staff offered to attend the funeral. The lawyer who represented Oshin's parents in court turned up to pay his respects.
Quitting sugar. Going to the gym at least four times a week. Saying yes to every invitation extended my way. My New Year's resolutions have always been, shall we say, ambitious. But while most have come to a natural end around mid Jan (as if I want to entertain your parents' neighbours who are over from the UK for an evening), there has been one resolution that I saw right through until the bitter end: quitting clothes shopping for an entire year.

But first, a bit of context. When it comes to my clothes, I'm not typically one for expensive labels yet my spending was still spiralling out of control  and not just on clothes. Over the course of ten years I had gradually racked up a staggering $27k in debt and I had nothing to show for it except a wardrobe groaning under the weight of yet another ASOS flash sale and a very faded tan.

The only New Year's resolution Nicola Appleton kept was to give up clothes shopping for a year. Credit:Stocksy

My debt cast a shadow over my life. Every purchase I made was tinged with guilt, every plan for the future was marred with the realisation that I was spending money that wasn't my own. What had started as a financial lifeline while I was away at uni was now an albatross around my neck and breaking my bad habits seemed like an impossible feat.

And so, one balmy New Year's Eve, I finally decided to stop burying my head in the sand and address my dire financial situation head on. Not only was I going to start living within my means, I was going to clear my debt once and for all. What's more, I was going to do it within a year  and culling my clothes shopping habit was my first step to financial solvency. Ambitious, no?
With the end of the year comes the end of a grim annual tally of dead women in Australia.

On December 8, the counter flicked to 70; by the 20th, Sarah Thomas' murder by a man she knew in a courthouse in WA forced the figure to 71.

In 2015, 80 women across Australia died at the hands of violence. Destroy the Joint, which meticulously collates the Counting Dead Women register, estimates that 80 per cent of those deaths were the result of domestic violence.

Half-way through the year, the figure was 34  down from 47 at the same time in 2015, but a number that Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Fiona McCormack said was still of "epidemic proportions". In the six months since, 37 more women died due to violence.
An alleged multimillion-dollar drug smuggling ring smashed by police on Christmas Day used quad bike tyres to hide one shipment but allegedly made no attempt to conceal their biggest  a 606-kilogram haul of cocaine on a Panama-flagged yacht.

The syndicate of 15 men, comprising several commercial fishermen, former NRL star John Tobin and flashy eastern suburbs entrepreneur Darren John Mohr, were arrested this week in the largest bust in Australian history.

Fairfax Media can reveal an Australian father, Ethan Kai, 35, is also serving 15 years in a Fiji prison for attempting to export 32 kilograms of heroin in the group's first alleged attempted shipment in December 2014.

An Australian-Fijian businessman Mohammed Shaheed Khan was acquitted in Fiji's High Court last year.
Three men have died and two other bodies have been been recovered in separate incidents at NSW beaches and waterways on Friday.

It comes after a tragic week on the water, with the death toll now at 14 since Christmas.

A 73-year-old man is the latest to die after he was pulled out of the water unconscious at Brighton Le Sands at about 4pm.

Police said the man, who was in the water with a relative, was initially taken to St George Hospital in a critical condition.
A 40-year-old man has been charged by counter-terrorism police with making online threats relating to Sydney's New Year's Eve celebrations.

Damien James O'Neil was arrested as he got off a flight from London on Thursday.

NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn is among the applicants for the top job at WA Police.

Police will allege Mr O'Neil, from Chippendale in inner Sydney, uploaded a document to the online blog hosting site Live Journal in which he threatened to kill or maim random members of the public on New Year's Eve.

Police attached to the Terrorism Investigation Squad were investigating posts allegedly made by Mr O'Neil after a tip-off from a member of the public.
A reformatted Bis-Man Transit plan with a promised "guaranteed ride program" for both after hour paratransit and fixed route passengers for the metro area was approved by all five Bismarck City Commissioners on Thursday.

The approved option to streamline 12 bus routes into six direct arrival and return routes will also launch a pilot program to give rides to University of Mary students.

Although more palatable to paratransit riders who objected to losing 24-hour curbside service, the latest plan is estimated to still cause Bis-Man Transit to lose $5,000 per month. Executive director Roy Rickert said providing fixed route service would not increase cost, but could drive up the revenue potential for the transit.

"I think it's better than what we had," said Trevor Vannett, a paratransit rider. "But I'm very concerned about the guaranteed ride. I want them to tell us more about that." Vannett said transit service hasn't specified if it will be a bus or taxi that provides the service.

Charlie Spencer, also a regular paratransit rider, echoed that sentiment and wanted a solid plan in place for the after-hour ride program.

"As long as they guarantee riders with jobs a ride home, that will be OK," Spencer said. "But if they cut the 24-hour service before they get the guaranteed ride program, I do not support that."

Mayor Mike Seminary specified that commissioners did not want to micromanage the bus services, noting the Bis-Man Transit Board has lost $35,000 per month since July when it first asked for revisions in the plan, but no action was taken. He likened the decision to "kicking the can down the road" with the deficit spending. "I think we put them in a precarious position. I'm glad we came to some decision. They've got work to do, figure out what the next thing to do is. They are still going to be in deficit position."

Seminary asked Rickert if the deficit spending would prove unfavorable in its grant applications. Rickert said no for now.

"If we're starting our triannual review, and they say 'hey why aren't you doing this. This isn't how you should be handling that money,' they can say they aren't going give you more. I don't think we're at that point yet, but I'd like to not be at that point," Rickert said.

"It's not perfect. It's not great. At least it will allow people to have 24-hour access," said Commissioner Josh Askvig, who understood the guaranteed ride program would involve a taxi voucher service.

Commissioners hedged some on the U-Mary transport, asking if it put all the risk on the transit if no money was fronted by the university itself to support it.

"You're going to have to look at numbers again hard once the University of Mary thing is done," said Commissioner Shawn Oban. Rickert assured they would review it and were constantly tweaking the program for efficiency.

The pilot program would continue if ridership from the university would create a revenue source of at least $40,000, or 500 passengers per semester. "I personally think we're going to realize more than what was projected," Rickert said.

Commissioner Nancy Guy voiced doubts about only the transit carrying the risks, but said "this one is close enough to my concerns that I can support it."

Commissioner Steve Marquardt characterized it as a "work in progress," as it can fluctuate the programming to help everyone. "I think the University of Mary is a good thing. We'll see an increase in ridership." He agreed the city shouldn't micromanage and allow the service to make changes that will be more financially viable for them in the future.

Askvig asked if the gap in the 45 hours of limited holiday service provided by the transit would be covered by the guaranteed ride program.

Thirty-one Lincoln riders can still keep using the service throughout 2017 if the city contributes $20,000.

The new plan will be phased in throughout 2017 and the transit will announce the changes as they occur.
Good morning.

For the penultimate day of 2016, temperatures are forecast to hit 36 in the CBD and 38 in Parramatta. There's an even chance of storms from the late afternoon, the Bureau reckons.

Time to pass, prices to rise

Life is about to become more expensive for drivers, asthmatics, pensioners, home-owners and people with sweet tooths. Few consumer groups are unaffected by yearly changes to laws and regulations.

Opal fares are frozen till July but tolls will increase between 1 and 8 for cars using several motorways, so too will fares for the Manly Ferry East.
A young woman has died after she was hit by a falling tree branch at a festival ground on the NSW Central Coast.

The woman was helping to set up the Lost Paradise music festival in the Glenworth Valley on Wednesday afternoon when she sat down in front of a tree.

A branch snapped off just before 4pm, hitting her in the head and causing critical injuries.

No attendees were at the site, where the festival kicked off on Thursday.
Gold Coast lifesavers are bracing for a busy New Year's after pulling more than 100 swimmers from the water in just two days.

Huge crowds are expected at the region's 39 beaches this weekend as more rough and unstable surf conditions are forecast.

Lifeguards plucked a total 114 swimmers from Gold Coast waters on Wednesday and Thursday. Credit:Andrew Taylor

Gold Coast chief lifeguard Warren Young said it was concerning given many tourists were inexperienced swimmers who weren't used to such dangerous surf.

"With these conditions you only need to drift out a little bit to get caught in a rip," he said.
A faulty power cable has disrupted plans to start up Victoria's $3.5 billion desalination plant so it can deliver its first ever water order.

However Water Minister Lisa Neville promised on Friday that the 50 gigalitres of water (about a tenth of Sydney Harbour's capacity) that is contractually due to be delivered by June 30 will still arrive on time.

The problems began on December 11, when the desalination plant started to power up to be ready to produce fresh water.

During the restart, a power cable triggered a circuit breaker, indicating that there was some fault with the cable, explained Ms Neville.
A cyclist attempts to cross a fallen tree at the Creek Parade Bridge at Nothcote on Friday morning. Credit:Eddie Jim Trains are still feeling the effects of yesterday's downpour, with part of the Belgrave line suspended and services across the network cancelled. It is not just the train lines that were impacted - water damage to the ceiling at South Yarra Station forced the closure of half of the platforms until about 10am. Elwood resident cleans up on Friday morning. Credit:Neelima Choahan Platforms four to six had to be closed, and trains on the Frankston and Pakenham/Cranbourne lines had to skip the station until the ceiling was repaired.

Seven train lines were suspended on Thursday and while the lines are open again this morning, last night's disruption has left trains out of position. Mitford st in Elwood after Thursday's flash flooding. Credit:Wayne Taylor A Metro Trains spokesman said the cancellations would be in the early morning, and would clear once the network got back to normal speed. But a section of the Belgrave line between Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave remains closed while crews inspect tracks for flood damage, and replacement buses have been organised for the affected area. Brighton beach goers cross Brighton Rd as the wild weather hit Melbourne. Credit:Penny Stephens

It means anyone travelling into the city from Belgrave on Friday is set for a lengthy commute, having to take two sets of replacement buses as trains are not running further along the line between Ringwood and Box Hill because of level crossing works. The Metro spokesman apologised for the delay and urged Belgrave passengers to allocate extra travel time. But Melbourne's roads have mostly recovered from the downpour, and traffic is running smoothly along major roads this morning. A VicRoads spokeswoman said there had not been any major delays, but urged motorists to call 13 11 70 if they spotted any debris on roads. Melburnians again endured a hot and humid night, but it was not as uncomfortable as Wednesday night, which was the warmest night of the year.

The overnight temperature did not drop below 20 degrees, but high humidity levels trapped the heat and made it seem up to three degrees warmer. Bureau of meteorology senior forecaster Beren Bradshaw said the fog and humidity should dissipate within the next few hours as the temperature rises on Friday. And after a week of nights with temperatures in their 20s, tonight is expected to be a cool one in the mid-teens. "It will be a welcome relief," Ms Bradshaw said. She said torrential rain during Thursday's thunderstorms fell so rapidly that it would have been in excess of a one in-a-100 year event in some places.

"In a lot of those locations we are looking at at least a one-in-10 year event. But in some locations we have recorded rainfall in excess of a one-in-100-year event," In metropolitan Melbourne, the rain fell most rapidly in places like Viewbank in Melbourne's north east, and Scoresby, in the east, which received more than one month's rainfall in mere hours. A severe weather warning remains in place for heavy rain in the state's east. The area for which the flash flooding warning has been issued. Credit:Craig Butt

As of 7pm on Thursday, more than 35 SES crews were working across suburban Melbourne. Emergency services rescued motorists stranded in cars in floodwater, and numerous "good samaritan" rescues of trapped motorists also occurred in the suburbs. In Elwood, residents were forced to wade along footpaths in water that was knee-deep, and water inundated verandahs and at least one home in the suburb. One Elwood resident told Channel Nine that "at the worst of it, we had four inches of water through the entire house". He also said: "It was like a river coming up the side of the house, filling the backyard, coming up under the door, under all the doors ... under the floor, through the floor, under the skirting boards, everything, everything. It just came in every angle. You just couldn't get towels down quick enough."

Geoffrey Love, secretary of the Elwood Floods Action Group, said the flooding that hit Elwood had caused "significant" damage in the suburb. Mr Love said Wave Street was flooded after the Elwood Canal broke its banks, while Mitford Street was flooded by water from the sudden downpour, which damaged properties. Mr Love urged the four councils that were home to the Elster Creek catchment, Melbourne Water and the state government to work cooperatively to reduce the risk of flooding in Elwood. The Elster Creek flows into the Elwood Canal. Loading He called for consistent council policies that would help reduce the amount of stormwater run-off, the use of permeable surfaces instead of hard surfaces and the construction of levees to catch and contain floodwater.
Police are appealing for help to locate a missing 15-year-old boy who vanished two weeks ago.

Matthew McAuliffe was last seen in the Sunshine area on December 15.

Matthew McAulife was last seen in the Sunshine area two weeks ago.

Police have released a picture of the teenager in the hope someone recognises him.

He is described as 175cm tall, with a medium build and short blond hair.
Sao Paulo: Brazilian police suspect a body discovered inside a charred vehicle in Rio de Janeiro is Greece's ambassador to Brazil who went missing three days ago, television channel Globo reported on Thursday.

A police spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.

Greek ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis presents his credentials to Brazilian President Michel Temer in May. Credit:Itamaraty/Twitter

Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was last seen on Monday evening leaving the home of friends of his Brazilian wife in a poor and violent suburb of Rio's metropolitan area, police had said earlier.

A Rio state police official said the ambassador's wife reported him as missing on Wednesday.
It is easy to be sceptical about the most recent Syrian ceasefire. Half a dozen previous ceasefires all speedily collapsed. There are disagreements about crucial details. And if the mighty United States was not able to end the fighting, why should we expect more of the ill-matched trio of Russia, Turkey and Iran?

That may be the point. The US may be mighty but its credibility in the region is at rock bottom. After Obama's "Red Line" fiasco, Western involvement against the Assad regime has been little more than rhetorical.

New order: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, left, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, centre, and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Moscow on December 20. Credit:AP

The Islamisation of the Syrian rebellion has left our objectives hopelessly confused. And the US, by using the Kurds as a ground army, has alienated the Turks, who are pivotal and who have now joined with the Russians.

The Russians have shown no such muddle-headedness. Their aim from the beginning has been to sustain Bashar al-Assad in order to block the Islamist alternative. They have been ruthless - as in the Aleppo bloodbath. And it may have worked. The bottom line is that the parties on the ground are more impressed by Russian bombs than by US words.
Bangkok: More than a dozen Nobel peace prize winners have criticised their fellow laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, for failing to protect Rohingyas in Myanmar's strife-torn Rakhine state.

Among the 22 signatories of the letter were East Timor's former president and prime minister Jose Ramos Horta and South African archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The group also urged the United Nations Security Council to act to stop what it called "a human tragedy amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity unfolding in Myanmar".

"If we fail to take action, people may starve to death if they are not killed with bullets," the group said in an unusual joint letter, adding the violence bears the hallmarks of Rwanda's 1994 genocide as well as ethnic cleansing seen in Sudan's western Darfur region, Bosnia and Kosovo.
New York: Russia urged the UN Security Council on Friday to give its blessing to a fragile ceasefire in Syria, the third truce this year seeking to end the nearly six years of war in Syria.

The Security Council met behind closed doors for an hour to consider a proposed resolution endorsing the ceasefire that Russia and Turkey announced on Thursday.

A vote is possible as early as Saturday, although Security Council members recommended changes to the draft and it will likely be revised, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia told reporters after the meeting.

"I think those accommodations can be easily absorbed into the draft," he said.
Clyde Tom Nassif, 58, Houston, Texas, passed away unexpectedly, Dec. 27, 2016, most likely due to heart complications and was pronounced deceased at St. Lukes Hospital in Houston, after attempts to resuscitate him failed.

An open-casket visitation will be held at Twinwood Mortuary Service, 4801 Almeda Road, Houston, Texas, 77004, on Monday, Jan. 2, from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a celebration of life lunch at Pappas BBQ, 1217 Pierce St., Houston, Texas 77002.

A celebration of Clydes life will also be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 27, 2017, at St. Georges Episcopal Church, Bismarck. Following the celebration, lunch will be served and a burial will be held at Fairview Cemetery, Bismarck.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in honor of Clyde can go to St. Georges Episcopal Church, 601 N. Fourth St., Bismarck, N.D. 58501.

Born March 7, 1958, to Gabriel and Rita Nassif, in Bismarck, Clyde was a kind and gentle soul his entire life. He studied nursing, was a medical assistant for several years for a Houston doctor as well as a home health care assistant for a Houston judge. Prior to moving to Houston in 1987, Clyde worked for North Dakotas coroner, where he was an assistant during autopsies, as well as for then-Medcenter One, where he was an environmental aid.

An avid power lifter in his youth, Clyde was known for his brute strength and was able to dead-lift 1,500 pounds  as well as pick up the back end of cars  as noted by many family members who experienced this show of strength firsthand. Sharp, witty and funny, Clyde was the quintessential bookworm, reading and collecting thousands of books, and intelligently discussing facts from all aspects of life. He was a good listener and friend, and possessed the wisdom to say the right words to boost a persons morale or soothe an ailing soul.

Clyde graduated in 1977 from Bismarck High School and attended Hughes Junior High School and Will-Moore Grade School in Bismarck. He also studied at North Dakota State University, Fargo, and Bismarck Junior College.

Clyde is survived by LeRoy Nassif, brother, of Houston; Bill, Clarice (Nassif), Sophia and Gabriel Ransom, his brother-in-law, sister, niece and nephew, of the Washington, D.C. area; Tanya and Preston Sabot, of Florida, his niece and great-nephew; Joshua Sabot, nephew, and Matthew Sabot, nephew, of North Dakota; as well as several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends everywhere.

Clyde was preceded in death by Gabriel and Rita Nassif, his parents; Lillian LuLu Nassif and Nancy Nassif Sabot, his sisters; as well as grandparents, aunts and uncles from both sides of the family.

Go to www.eastgatefuneral.com to share memories of Clyde and sign the online guest book. (Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck)
Grab a taste of South Asian ice cream at these Bucks County shops

Heritage Kulfi, a South Asian ice cream business in Princeton, first launched in 2021. Their pints are now available in Bucks and Montgomery counties.
If Dec 7, 1941, is the day that Franklin D. Roosevelt said "will live in infamy," then Dec. 20, 2016, has got to be a close second. No Americans died that day as they did at Pearl Harbor but the American Century, as Time magazine founder Henry Luce called it, came to a crashing end. Turkey, Iran and Russia met in Moscow to settle matters in the Middle East. The United States wasn't even asked to the meeting.

Winston Churchill said in 1942 that he had not become Great Britain's "First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire." Nonetheless, by the end of the 40s, much of the empire was gone. Churchill was an unapologetic colonialist, but he was up against liberation movements of all kinds, not to mention the antipathy of the U.S. to imperialist ambitions  in short, history itself. Churchill had a marvelous way with words and greatness accompanied him like a shadow, but in certain ways he was a 19th-century man wandering, confounded, in the 20th.

Barack Obama is quite the reverse. He is a 21st-century man who never quite appreciated the lessons of the 20th. He has been all too happy to preside over the loss of American influence. Aleppo, now a pile of rubble, is where countless died  as did American influence. The Russians polished it off from the air, doing for the Syrian regime what the U.S. could not figure out how to do for the rebels. The city hemorrhaged civilian dead and America, once the pre-eminent power in the region, did virtually nothing.

It could be that Obama was right. It could be that all along he knew that the rebels were beyond saving  although he predicted that Bashar Assad would be toppled  and, anyway, the United States was not going to again get into some Middle Eastern quagmire. America had twice made war in Iraq; it had lost Marines in Lebanon. Though perhaps these were just excuses to do nothing. After all, no one ever recommended putting boots on the ground in Syria. That was Obama's straw man.

Time will tell, is the appropriate cliche. But I, along with others, thought that the United States could have limited the blood-letting, that it could have established no-fly zones where Syrian helicopters could not have dropped barrel bombs. It could also have established safe zones for refugees. The Russians managed to do what they wanted to do. Why not the U.S.?

The answer has always been clear to me  Obama did not care enough. Not from him ever came a thundering demand that Russia and Iran get out and stay out. Behind the arguably persuasive reasons to do little in Syria was an emotional coldness: This was not Obama's fight.

Say what you will about Donald Trump, he cares. He cares about things I don't and he has some awful ideas and he is an amoral man in so many ways. But, in contrast to Obama, his emotions are no mystery. When the Chinese fished a U.S. Navy drone from the Pacific Ocean, the White House reacted so coolly you would think freedom of the seas didn't matter. Trump, however, tweeted his indignation, finally telling Beijing it could keep the drone  a way of telling them to stuff it.

Hillary Clinton lost the election for a host of reasons, not the least of them her shortcomings as a candidate. And Trump won for many reasons, not the least of them his political talents. But Clinton had to defend an administration that was cold to the touch. Kellyanne Conway keeps pointing out that Clinton had no message. True. Neither, for that matter, did Obama. He waved a droopy flag. He did not want to make America great again. It was great enough for him already.

That coolness, that no-drama Obama, cost lives in Syria. Instead of rallying America to a worthy cause  intervening to save lives and avoid a refugee crisis that is still destabilizing Europe  he threw in the towel. The banner he flew was one of American diminishment. One could agree. One could not be proud.

Since the end of World War II, American leadership has been essential to maintain world peace. Whether we liked it or not, we were the world's policeman. There was no other cop on the beat. Now that leadership is gone. So, increasingly, will be peace.
FBI has 'credible information' about 'broad threat' to NJ synagogues

Law enforcement agencies as well as synagogues across the state increased security and patrols Thursday, after alerts from the FBI.
The world's most valuable company is looking at Bengaluru to set up an iPhone manufacturing plant, as it looks to replicate its China success in the fastest growing smartphone market in the world.
Ola and Uber drivers in Hyderabad have called for a five-day strike from December 31 to January 4 to protest against low earnings due to more number of vehicles and insufficient bookings. The representatives of all cab driver associations in the state have assembled at Gachibowli on Friday and decided to stop the services in the city from the midnight onwards.
My family has no VC or start-up or experience. I had some tough times wading through this new, complex maze.
has submitted a proposal to the Odisha government to establish a domestic tariff area (DTA) at Gopalpur on the Southern coast. The steel company is developing an industrial park there where it is the anchor tenant. It has a special economic zone (SEZ) notified the facility in the park spread over 500 hectares (or 1,250 acres) land. The entire park is being developed on 2,900 acres of land.

"We are keen to set up a DTA at Gopalpur, which needs 1,565 acres of land. The DTA will help us expanding our scope for pulling investments. This area is meant for attracting domestic investors across sectors as opposed to SEZ, which is more export oriented. The DTA will enable the domestic investors to put up their facilities and enjoy incentives provided by the state government for industrial parks", said Arun Misra, vice-president of Tata Steel's Gopalpur project and managing director at SEZ Ltd (TTSL).

The company wants the land proposed for the DTA to be registered in the name of TTSL, a subsidiary, as has been done by the state government for the SEZ. DTA means an area within the country outside of a SEZ. It can include any area which is not under the jurisdiction of a custom bonded area.

A government official said, "Tata Steel is coming up with a domestic tariff area (DTA) adjacent to its SEZ at Gopalpur. It will be helpful for the domestic industrial units to thrive. With state government taking big steps to attract the investments with mouthwatering policy incentives, the DTA will be an icing on the cake."

As the anchor tenant for the industrial park, Tata Steel has put up a ferrochrome plant with an annual capacity of 55,000 tonne per annum. The plant built up at a cost of Rs 542 crore, was inaugurated on November 30 this year by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Other than Tata Steel, the park has drawn one investment. Mumbai-based Sure Safety Solutions Ltd in collaboration with UK's Meggitt Defence has started operations of the aerial target manufacturing facility at the Gopalpur park.

Tata Steel has been intensifying efforts to lure investors for the industrial park which has the potential to attract investments of the order of Rs 20,000 crore. The steel company has staged roadshows in both overseas and domestic locations to pull investors. It is also believed to be in talks with some foreign for investments in heavy industries at the Gopalpur SEZ.
The year 2016 has been witness to many unprecedented events, most of them dampening for business and industry in general.
The year 2016 was very important for the Indian space programme which scored prominent and significant successes in the launch vehicle, satellite, applications and space exploration domains.



This year also saw two successful advanced launch vehicle technology initiatives of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) - the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) and Scramjet technology demonstrator - which had their maiden test flights.


A number of global majors in various sectors  energy, infrastructure, aviation, defence, electricals, among others  are set to participate in the eighth edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017 (VGGS 2017). These include the likes of Boeing International, Cisco Systems, RasGas Company, Suzuki Motor & Corporation, Capgemini, Sistema, Dell EMC, Vodafone, and 3M.
Police say a Grand Forks woman shot by her adult son before he took his own life has died of her injuries. Authorities say 53-year-old Jennifer Harrison died at Altru Hospital days after she was found in her home with multiple gunshot wounds to her torso and head. According to officials, 21-year-old Tyler Harrison shot his mother Wednesday at the home they shared in Grand Forks. Police say he turned the gun on himself and was found dead in their driveway. Officials say the shooting was domestic-related, but that their investigation is continuing.
has issued a warning for its citizens travelling to India ahead of the new year celebrations citing a "concrete basic threat" and advised to avoid parties and gatherings particularly in south-west part of the country.

"We are warning Israeli tourists in India of the possibility of imminent terrorist attacks against western targets and tourists, particularly in the southwest of that country," Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau said yesterday in a statement, released by the Prime Minister's office.

"We ask to focus on events in the coming days related to the Christian New Year's holiday, placing particular emphasis on beach parties and clubs, where there is larger concentration of tourists," it said.

"Israeli tourists travelling in India have been asked to stay alert and to pay attention to local media reports and security agencies. Furthermore, families with relatives in India are asked to update them about the travel warning and recommendation," the warning said.

Security sources here said that the parties on new year's eve on the beaches of Goa are popular among Israeli youngsters and other western tourists. Such gatherings can be easy targets of certain hostile Islamic groups.

has in the past issued such warnings too, especially for Goa, but this time the sources feel that all such places frequented by large number of western tourists in southern and western parts of India can be the target of a terror attack.

The south-west part of the country -- which covers popular holiday destinations like Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin -- are particularly at risk, the warning said.

An Israeli Embassy spokesman in New Delhi confirmed the warning and said, " has issued a travel advisory surrounding New Year's Eve celebrations events in south-west India, with specific regard to beach parties, clubs and highly-populated tourist sites. Israeli tourist are advised to avoid such events and other densely-populated areas."

In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas.

Notably, the travel warning was published on Friday, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, when government offices close for business.

The bureau did not specify what prompted the warning, however, additional security arrangements have been made all around the world for New Year eve in view of the Berlin terror attack on a Christmas market last week that killed 12 people.

India remains a popular tourist destination for Israeli citizens and according to Jewish Post an estimated 20,000 former Israeli soldiers travel to India every year.

Israeli citizens and Jewish sites in India have been attacked in the past, the most infamous incident occurred during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack when members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group targeted the local Chabad House, among other sites, in Mumbai.

In 2012, Tal Yehoshua Koren, the wife of an Israeli Defense Ministry representative, was moderately wounded in an explosion in her car near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi.
The death toll in the Jharkhand mine collapse in Lalmatia rose to seven as an investigation into the accident and rescue operations are still underway.

According to initial reports, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has said that around 40-50 workers along with some machinery of a private company are suspected to be trapped under the debris.

The bodies were recovered during the rescue operation that started on Friday morning, Jharkhand Director General of Police (DGP) D.K. Pandey said.

The chances of survival of all trapped people were negligible, police sources said.

A heap of mud caved in at the entry point of Lalmatia mines of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), the police said.

At the time of the cave-in at the Rajmahal Open Cast Mines of Paharia Bhorya site, more than 70 vehicles were inside.

Rescue operation could not begin due to night fog, the police said.

While the Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team reached around 11 am from Patna, local police and administration continued the rescue operation.

The Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS) has sent a team to the spot to investigate. According to a DGMS official, the safety measures were overlooked during mining.

The locals said there was a crack in the heap of mud which collapsed and blocked the entry point of the mine. Mining operations were taking place about 200 feet beneath the ground.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and enquired about the incident.

The Chief Minister has also announced Rs.two lakh compensation to the families of the deceased and Rs 25,000 for the injured. He also said that stern action would be taken against those responsible for the mine collapse.

Discussing the reason behind this incident, Chairman and Managing Director of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said, "A higher committee has been formed and a Deputy General Manager will also enquire. The prima facie which has been found is the entire surface has collapsed. This is a unique phenomenon. But let us see what the reports say."

Misha further said that three excavators and seven dumpers were present there at the mining site.
From arresting three Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students on charges of sedition to the booking of several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, 2016 saw Delhi Police battling a series of controversies even as it cracked a number of high-profile cases, nabbed wanted terrorists and busted an espionage ring involving a Pakistan High Commission staffer.

Crime against women continued to rise and a number of brutal rape and assault cases kept the police on its toes though it managed to solve some of them in quick time.

In June, a multi-city kidney racket involving doctors and touts was busted by Delhi Police, while it arrested Khalistan Liberation Front chief Harminder Singh Mintoo who had escaped from Nabha jail. A number of persons suspected to have links with ISIS and al Qaeda were also caught in the course of the year.

Women safety in the capital continued to be a cause of concern with 1,981 cases of rape being reported till November 30 even as police launched a number of initiatives to contain crime against women.

The brutal stabbing of a 21-year-old girl in Burari in broad daylight in September by a man who was allegedly stalking her for several months, and the videos of the shocking incident left people horrified.

In February, the arrest of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and two others on charges of sedition for allegedly organising an event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, triggered a huge controversy with Opposition political parties slamming police for "working at the behest of ruling BJP".

The arrest of Kumar catapulted him to fame and resulted in students protests across the country. The arrests also led to a nationwide debate on nationalism. Police had also come under severe criticism following attacks on journalists and students and teachers of JNU at the Patiala House court by some lawyers just before Kanhaiya was to be produced.

In October, JNU student Najeeb Ahmed went missing, a day after he was allegedly involved in a brawl with some students including ABVP activists, leading to an agitation with students alleging police inaction in tracing him.

The uneasy relationship between the AAP government and Delhi Police continued this year as police arrested nine AAP MLAs, drawing angry reaction from the party with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging the law enforcing agency was acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The MLAs arrested are Dinesh Mohaniya, Prakash Karwal, Gulab Singh, Amanatullah Khan, Somnath Bharti, Rituraj Govind, Naresh Balyan, Sharad Chauhan and Jagdeep Singh and the charges ranged from rioting, outraging the modesty of woman, sexual harassment, criminal intimidation and assault.

Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked as Cabinet Minister over an "objectionable" CD, was arrested on rape charges on the complaint of the woman who purportedly figured in the CD.

The Anti-Corruption headed by Mukesh Kumar Meena, was also involved in a tussle with the AAP dispensation over registration of cases and questioning of AAP ministers and MLAs, including deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Kapil Mishra, Gopal Rai, Amanatullah Khan.

The brutal killing of a 23-year-old Congolese by three youths following a brawl over hiring an auto-rickshaw in south Delhi in May made national headlines as the government rushed to assure the African community in India of their safety.

Delhi Police's Special Cell continued to clamp down on terror activities with the arrest of six people for suspected links with al Qaeda and ISIS.

The year ended with them nabbing Mintoo, who had escaped from Nabha jail, from Nizamuddin railway station here.

In October, the Crime Branch also busted an espionage ring with the arrest of four people who were allegedly sharing sensitive defence documents and deployment details of BSF along the Indo-Pak border with a Pakistan High Commission staffer.

The staffer Mehmood Akhtar was later declared persona non-grata by the government and he had to leave the country.

Following the demonetisation of high-value currencies, police raided various areas across the city and recovered over Rs 17 crore in illegal cash.

The year ended with a 20-year-old girl, who was on a job hunt, allegedly being raped in a car in South Delhi's Moti Bagh area, a grim throwback to the horrific Delhi gangrape of a para-medic student in a moving bus four years ago.

The alleged suicides by former Director General Corporate Affairs B K Bansal and his son in September, two months after his wife and daughter committed suicide, allegedly due to harassment by CBI, not only drew criticism for the premier investigating agency but also for police as it didn't register any case despite the presence of purported suicide notes of Bansal and his son.

The contentious case of Sunanda Pushkar didn't see any headway for the second consecutive year even as police accepted that her death was not natural and questioned her husband Shashi Tharoor and Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar in February.

Some of the other developments in the case included the formation of a medical board to study the FBI report, sending reminders to Canada to send details of deleted chats from Tharoor and Sunanda's Blackberry phones, and Enforcement Directorate being requested to investigate the financial irregularities related to now-defunct Kochi IPL franchise.

Some of the high-profile cases being investigated by Delhi Police included hacking of Twitter and email accounts of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and missing files concerning Ishrat Jahan encounter from MHA.

The Crime Branch cracked down on the notorious red light G B Road in the heart of the city in August dismantling a vast human trafficking and prostitution racket, arresting the kingpin couple and their several accomplices.

The suicide by an ex-serviceman close to Ministry of Defence building over the OROP issue kept police busy with many politicians raising the issue and slamming Modi government.

As many as 3,400 personnel of paramilitary and Delhi Police were deployed at banks and ATMs across the national capital after serpentine queues led to law-and-order problem in some areas.

In the new year, police envisages to modernise its operations and reduce the burden on its more than 80,000 personnel by mulling over the possibility of introducing eight-hour shifts on the lines of its Mumbai counterpart.

Delhi Police will also be setting up a separate control room for handling calls on phone number 112, which will be India's equivalent of 911 of the US' all-in-one emergency services, that will be rolled out from January 1 and the closure of 100 that is the go-to solution for people in distress.
The Law School Admission Test for India (LSAT-India) registrations have already started on September 14, 2016. Earlier the last date for registration was April 10, 2017, but the same been extended to May 3, 2017. The entrance exam date has been postponed from April 23 to May 21, 2017.
The Central Bureau of Invetigation in Friday arrested actor-turned-politician in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam after interrogating him for nearly four hours.
Market volatility in 2016 put a major damper on corporate deal-making with many failed mergers and acquisitions. For instance, Pfizer and Allergan's $152 billion deal failed after the Obama administration tweaked tax rules that eroded the financial advantages the former hoped to reap. Merger and acquisition deals between Honeywell and United Technologies, Mondelez International and Hershey, Anbang Insurance and Starwood Hotels also failed for one reason or the other.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on New Years Eve, will address a nation expecting promised gains after 50 days of note ban pain. The word from the government is people wont be disappointed.
The majority of ATMs continue to run dry as the demonetisation exercise draws to a close. According to sources, 60 per cent of ATMs are cash-starved with those in remote locations worse off.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had seized about Rs 10 crore in cash from government officials in Chhatisharh, in 85 different cases of corruption. The seizures were made after traps were set to catch the perpetrators accepting bribes, and raids were conducted in disproportionate asset cases.
Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 announced his governments surprise move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, the rules on the use, withdrawal and deposit the scrapped banknotes have undergone various changes and modifications.
India will start imposing capital gains tax on investments coming from Singapore from April and fully withdraw exemptions in two years as the two countries agreed to amend a decade-old treaty after New Delhi rolled back similar concessions to Mauritius and Cyprus earlier this year.
The government signed a pact with its Singapore counterpart on Friday, amending their decade-old tax treaty, gaining taxation rights over capital gains. This is the third double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) amended so far this financial year with a zero or low tax jurisdiction. The other two were with Mauritius and Cyprus. According to tax consultants, Mauritius would be the most attractive source of investments into India for debt funds and Singapore for equity investments.
One of the most notable differences between the Narendra Modi regime and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, both headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, is the nature of the relationship between the government and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at one level and between the political executive and party functionaries at the other level. During the Vajpayee era, party officials felt left out, yet, could do little but indulge in gossip with one another and media. However, the RSS worked at cross purposes and periodically acted as the real opposition as its affiliates ranging from Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and most importantly Swadeshi Jagran Manch agitated against government policies. Even the RSS sarsanghchalak, KS Sudarshan made offensive statements against the prime minister and his government.



The reason for the absence of animosity between government and RSS this time is partially due to past time-sharing between Modi and Mohan Bhagwat. Born within days of each other in September 1950, the two, share a relationship that dates back to the early 1970s when they were young pracharaks. Having being groomed in the RSS culture both respect both relationships and offices the two hold, yet, are also aware of limitations, most importantly being aware that friendship cannot be leveraged.
With the deadline set by the Indian government to exchange old notes in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 expiring on Friday, India has said that it will make "special arrangements" for Nepal to replace all demonetised bills.

According to the Kathmandu Post, New Delhi will soon dispatch a team to Kathmandu to hold consultations with Nepal Rastra Bank officials to finalise the modality of exchanging the notes.

Earlier, a team led by the NRB deputy governor with representatives from the Ministry of Finance was scheduled to visit India.

Authorities in India, however, have said there was no need for Nepali officials to visit India as they were busy managing the situation arising from the decision to pull the notes back from circulation.

India had formed an inter-ministerial committee earlier to suggest ways for resolving the problems faced by the diplomatic community and holders of the currency in Nepal and Bhutan. The replacement of old notes is likely in the first week of January.

"There will be some provisions for exchanging the old notes in Nepal for a limited period," an Indian official said requesting anonymity. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu is in regular contact with Finance Ministry officials for addressing the problem.

In a meeting with Nepali Ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyaya, India's Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. (Retired) V K Singh had pledged measures to replace the notes.

"We have received assurances that there will be some provisions and we are awaiting a decision," Ambassador Upadhyaya said.

Officials say there will be a short window for exchanging the notes. There could be difficulties for people residing in rural areas to get the new notes. Nepal has requested India to allow a Nepali to exchange the notes worth up to Rs 25,000.

As per the Indian government's decision, Indian banks will not accept the old notes after December 30.

The remaining notes could be deposited to designated branches of the Reserve Bank of India until March 31 with sufficient explanation for the delay.
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Dr Jitendra Singh presents achievements of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions during the Year 2016

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, while briefing the media here today after releasing the Year-end Review 2016 of the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, said, what is most significant and noteworthy is that the greatest success stories of the Ministry emerged from the areas which were inspired directly by the innovative inputs from the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. For example, he said, it was PMs idea to widen the scope of annual PM Awards presented on Civil Services Day in order to include the priority programmes and flagship schemes. The result of this, he said, was that in Swachh Vidyalaya programme category, the award went to the militancy infested district of Anantnag in Jammu & Kashmir along with other lesser competitive Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Ananthapuram in Northeast & Hill States, UTs and Other States groups respectively. Similarly, he said, under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana category, the award went to Nagaon in Assam in Northeast & Hill States, UTs and Other States category. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, DoPT could take a decision which none of the previous governments had mustered courage to take in the last seven years. This, he said, was the decision to abolish interviews for selection to junior posts from the 1st of January 2016. This, he said, offered a level-playing field for job-seeking candidates from diverse backgrounds regardless of their socio-economic strata.

It was on the advice of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, that for the first time in 70 years history of independent India, a new designation of Assistant Secretary was introduced in Government of India in order to enable the IAS probationers coming out of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie to spend a three-month stint in the Government of India before proceeding to their respective State cadres of posting. The experiment has not only proved highly successful, but has also inspired an unusual excitement and enthusiasm among the new IAS officers for having gained a rare opportunity to directly interact with the Prime Minister even before joining their first posting in Government of India.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 2014 batch IAS officers and later also second time, chaired the Valedictory Session for the same officers who made three selected presentations before him on various themes of governance such as DBT, Swachh Bharat, e-Courts, Tourism, Health and Satellite Applications in Governance, etc. he added.

Referring to some of the other path-breaking unique initiatives taken during the year, Dr Jitendra Singh referred to the six major online initiatives of DoPT announced on Good Governance Day marking the birthday of former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 25th December this year. The initiatives launched included online Immovable Property Returns, online Recruitment Rules Formation, mandatory online filing of APARs by IAS officers and revamped website of DoPT.

Earlier, on October 28, 2016, Dr Jitendra Singh said, an Employees Online (EO) App was launched as a mobile application which enables its users, including officers, media persons and stakeholders to stay updated on real-time basis with all the appointments and postings, including those made by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).

Seeding of Aadhaar numbers in Pensioners accounts was accomplished in the first-half of 2016, said Dr Jitendra Singh, and similarly for the convenience of officers, the DoPT has eased the guidelines for Leave Travel Concession (LTC). Meanwhile, a new concept was initiated to receive telephone feedback of grievance redressal.

On the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh also referred to some of the unprecedented accomplishments of the Department of Space and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), for which 2016 proved to be an eventful year marked by two successful launch vehicle technology initiatives including Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) and SCRAMJET technology demonstrator. Additionally, it is a matter of pride that Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) of India completed two years in its orbit and proved its worth as a 100% Make-in-India mission, he said.
Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) entered 75th year of existence ushering in yearlong Platinum Jubilee celebrations which were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the President of CSIR.

Recalling CSIRs pioneering inventions, the Prime Minister also held an interactive session with farmers from various parts of the country and launched improved varieties of medicinal and aromatic plants, developed by various labs of CSIR which would help in transforming the rural economy by enhancing the income of farmers.

Hailing CSIRs role in building and nurturing the nations scientific & technological prowess, he said that starting with the indelible ink which is the hallmark of Indias democratic fabric, CSIR has left an indelible mark on every sphere of life. He urged CSIR to create an 'Ease of doing Technology Business' platform to bring in right stakeholders so technologies reach beneficiaries.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a catalyst and driver of sustainable socio-economic change through application of science and technology. CSIR has commercialized several technologies for the society and industry in the areas of food and agriculture, generic drugs, leather, chemicals and petrochemicals, biopharmaceuticals, and materials.

CSIR is recognized to be among the International leaders knowledge creation. CSIR has been ranked 12th in the world amongst the government institutions in world according to the prestigious Scimago Institutions Rankings 2016 Report.

CSIR is granted 90% of the US patents granted to any Indian publicly funded R&D organization. The scientific staff of CSIR though constitutes only about 3-4% of Indias scientific manpower but it has an overwhelming contribution amounting to 9.6% of Indias scientific outputs.

CSIR is presently supporting around 8500 Research fellows, awarded 2251 Junior Research Fellowships and 65 Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Fellowship. CSIR is supporting more than 1000 research schemes to various universities.

CSIR is addressing national goals and Missions such as Swachh Bharat, Swastha Bharat, Samarth Bharat, Make in India, Innovate for India, Start-up India, Skill India etc.

Today, CSIR is attempting a Parivartan from Knowledge creation to Value creation. These includes emphasis on technology development and commercialization for the society, industry and the strategic sector, creation of S&T based entrepreneurship and participation in the national Skill Development initiative in addition to human resource development. Towards this, several new initiatives and policy changes are being brought in.

Some key achievements of the CSIR maturing during 2016 include:

CSIR Achievements

 CSIRs Global Positioning as a Front Rank R&D System

CSIR has been ranked 12th in the world amongst the government institutions in world during the said year, thus improving its previous position of being at 14th spot for three consecutive years, according to 2016 report of the prestigious Scimago Institutions Rankings. The overall global ranking of CSIR also improved from 110 to 99th position.

 Strategic Sector:

 Drishti Systems at Main Runway 28-10 of IGI Airport: Drishti transmissometer, a visibility measuring system provides information to pilots on visibility for safe landing and take-off operations and is suitable for all airport categories. 27 Systems installed in 10 major Indian airports across the country, in collaboration with IMD. Tata Power SED has signed Memorandum of Agreement with Tata Power SED for the supply of 54 Drishti Systems for installation in Indian Air Force Airfields; 22 units have been delivered out of which three have been installed.

 Head-Up-Display (HUD) In high-tech areas, CSIR-NAL made significant contribution by developing indigenous Head-Up- display(HUD) for Indian Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas. HUD aids the pilot in flying the aircraft and in critical flight maneuvers including weapon aiming.

 Design and Development of Indigenous Gyrotron: Addressing the challenges of technology denial: Design and development of indigenous gyrotron for nuclear fusion reactor has been accomplished.

 Energy & Environment:

 Solar Tree: On July 22nd a solar tree designed by CSIR- CMERI lab in Durgapur was launched which occupies minimum space to produce clean power.

 Wax Deoiling Technology: Technology developed for recovery of wax developed in collaboration with Engineers India Limited (EIL) and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd., (NRL). Country's largest wax producing (50,000 metric ton) plant has been commissioned at NRL with investment of over Rs 600 crore.

 Simultaneous Production of US Grade Gasoline and Pure Benzene: Technology for producing US grade gasoline and pure benzene has been developed. Plant of 700,000 tonnes per annum capacity costing Rs.160 crore was commissioned at Reliance Jamnagar Refinery.

 Lithium Ion Battery: Indias first lithium ion battery fabrication facility based on indigenous novel materials for making 4.0 V/14 h standard cells has been established. The so developed technology on the Li-ion batteries to be commercialized soon.

 Value added Agriculture:

 Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Enhanced cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the country brought about through development of new varieties and agro-technologies. The estimated area under cultivation is more than 3.3 lakh hectares with an estimated value of Rs 3568 crores and generated employment of 7.31 crore mandays. India leads globally in Menthol Mint production due to CSIR efforts.

 Samba Mahsuri Rice Variety  Bacterial Blight Resistant: CSIR has in collaboration with DRR (ICAR) and DBT part funding developed an improved bacterial blight resistant Samba Mahsuri variety. It is being cultivated in ~ 90,000 hectares in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

 Rice Cultivar (Muktashree) for Arsenic Contaminated Areas: A rice variety has been developed which restricts assimilation of Arsenic within permissible limit. The variety has been released to farmers of West Bengal.

 White-fly resistant Cotton variety: Developed a transgenic cotton line which is resistant to whiteflies. It is expected to render it commercially cultivable in 10 years, after due regulatory clearances.

Healthcare:

 JD Vaccine for Farm Animals: Vaccine developed and commercialized for Johnes disease affecting Sheep, Goat, Cow and Buffalo so as to immunize them and increase milk and meat production.

 Plasma Gelsolin Diagnostic Kit for Premature Births, and Sepsis related Deaths: A new kit is being developed to diagnose pre-mature birth and sepsis.

 Genomics and other omics technologies for Enabling Medical Decision  GOMED: Genetic diseases, though are individually rare, cumulatively affect a large number of individuals. A programme called GOMED (Genomics and other omics technologies for Enabling Medical Decision) has been developed by the CSIR which provides a platform of disease genomics to solve clinical problems. The present portfolio includes over 80 genes and sequencing of mitochondrial loci for mitochondrial disorders. In a short span of 9 months which encompassed the proof-of-concept stage, GOMED has catered to over 600 patients from across the country.

Food & Nutrition:

 Ksheer-scanner: The Ksheer Scanner, a new technological invention by CSIR-CEERI detects the level of milk adulteration and adulterants in 45 seconds at the cost of 10 paise, thereby putting adulterators in the milk trade in notice was launched on 20TH February. 50 systems have been deployed at diaries across Goa, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. A hand-held device Ksheer Tester, a mini version of Ksheer-scanner has also been developed.

 Double-Fortified Salt: Salt fortified with iodine and iron having improved properties developed and tested for addressing anaemia in people. To be launched in the market soon.

 Anti-obesity DAG Oil: Oil enriched with Diacylglycerol (DAG) instead of conventional triacylglycerol (TAG) developed. To be launched in the market soon.

Water:

 Aquifer Mapping of Water Scarce Areas: Heliborne transient electromagnetic and surface magnetic technique based aquifer mapping carried out in six different geological locations in Rajasthan (2), Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

 Understanding the Special Properties of the Ganga Water: Assessment of Water Quality & Sediment Analysis of Ganga from different parts being done.

I Waste to Wealth:

 Non-toxic Radiation Shielding Material for X-ray Protection: Non-toxic radiation shielding materials utilizing industrial waste like red mud (from aluminum industries) and fly ash (Thermal Power Plants) developed which has been accredited by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for application in diagnostic X-Ray rooms.

 Waste Plastic to Fuel: Process for conversion of waste plastics to gasoline/diesel or aromatics developed.

Skill development: CSIR is building a structured large scale Skill development Initiative using the state of the art infrastructure and human resources of CSIR. About 30 High Tech Skill/Training programmes are being launched for imparting skills to over 5000 candidates annually. The skill development programmes cover the following areas: Leather process Technology; Leather Footwear & Garments; Paints & coatings for corrosion protection; Electroplating & Metal Finishing; Lead Acid Battery maintenance; Glass Beaded Jewellery / Blue Pottery; Industrial Maintenance Engineering; Internet of Things (IoT); and Regulatory  Preclinical Toxicology.

Recently an Agreement has been signed between CSIR and Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Caste Co-operative Finance Corporation Ltd. (APSCCFC) for Skill training and Entrepreneurship in Leather Sector. The initiative is set to benefit 10,000 Scheduled Caste Candidates from Andhra Pradesh, creating income generation assets to the households and thus enabling social and economic development. An investment of Rs. 30.00 Crore is being made by APSCCFC in next 2-3 years.

CSIRs participation in the India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Pragati Maidan marked showcasing of various technologies in healthcare, leather, petrochemicals, aeronautical engineering, drinking water, solar power, and energy and agricultural sector. The CSIR pavilion bagged the Gold medal among all government ministries and departments.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), a constituent lab of CSIR, organized the India International Science Festival, (IISF) which brought together more than 500 Einstein enthusiasts in the iconic scientists trademark garb, complete with his wig and moustache. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Science and Technology Dr. Harshvardhan were prominent visitors to the festival with its focus on Science for the Masses.
Search and Rescue Operation by NDRF in Jharkhand

Five Search and Rescue teams of NDRF comprising more than 200 responders have been mobilized to respond to a landslide incident at Gudda district of Jharkhand. Four teams from Bihar and one team from Ranchi were mobilized for rescue operation. One team of NDRF which left the NDRF base Patna reached this afternoon and immediately launched massive search and rescue operation with the help of latest life detector and equipment.

The NDRF responders are displaying true grit and professionalism to locate the trapped victims below the debris with the help of Canine who are trained to detect live victims and live detecting equipment. As victims are trapped under the rubble, due care and diligence is being taken into consideration by NDRF team.
Update on ECL Rajmahal Coal Mine Accident

Rescue Operations going on

Ex- Gratia compensation of Rs. 5 Lakh to each family of the deceased announced

Control Room Set Up at Project Office of Rajmahal Open Cast Expansion Project

CMD, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) has reported that an incidence of overburden dump slide/subsidence has occurred in the second shift of 29.12.2016 at about 7.30 P. M. in the Rajmahal Open Cast Expansion Project in district Goda, Jharkhand, causing the unfortunate demise of 7 workers. The company has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs each to the family of the deceased, in addition to the amount to be paid under the Workmen's Compensation Act. All the necessary help to the families of the deceased is being extended by ECL. Two persons have met with injuries and treated in the Area Hospital. One of them has been sent to Durgapur for further treatment.

Prima facie, it is observed that the incidence is unprecedented, since an area of 300 m length by 110 m wide solid floor of the Over Burden dump area has slid down by about 35 m involving around 9.5 million cubic meters of earth material.

This could be due to failure of the bench edge along the hidden fault line/slip.
WILLISTON  Oil companies are hiring in the Bakken, and more jobs are expected to open up next year.

Job Service North Dakota announced six oil companies are looking for workers to man fracking crews in the new year, said Cindy Sanford, customer service office manager of Job Services Williston branch. She said she couldnt reveal the names of the companies due to confidentiality clauses, but she said the companies are looking to hire 45 to 65 workers per crew. On the low end, that could bring 300 hires to the Bakken, she said.

Its getting busier in our offices, as far as not only with job seekers but also the companies, said Phil Davis, the agencys western area director. We are seeing more of the service rigs  not so much the drilling rigs  but our service rigs and workover rigs, jobs are coming back there, which is a great thing.

Oil companies announced in October they would post positions for workers in the Bakken as oil prices climbed to an 18-month high in December. Oil on the New York Mercantile rang out Thursday at $53.83, almost a 50 percent increase over last year. Thats down from an all-time high of $136.29, which was set July 3, 2008, but almost double the 10-year low  barrels of oil went for less than $27 in early 2016.

After peaking in June 2014, oil prices started to fall off, causing oil companies to lay off workers and take rigs offline. As of Thursday, North Dakotas rig count was 39. Thats down from its all-time high of 218 in May 2012, but the count has been on a slight increase over the past several months.

The recent job postings in western North Dakota mostly are for service or workover rigs, which are used to complete a well and install the pump after drilling is done.

As of Thursday, almost 500 jobs posted on Job Service North Dakota mentioned oil.

Novembers increase from October for all job openings for Stark County, where oil jobs once were abundant before the bust, was 140, while Williams County, the heart of fracking, saw a 50-job increase.

The December numbers are expected to come out Wednesday, Davis said. He added companies are looking for workers who have more skills than the crews hired when the oil boom began in the early 2010s, which saw a lot of greenhorns come to North Dakota, he said.

Davis couldnt say whether the job openings meant the oil industry could turn around since it went bust in recent years, but he did say it was exciting to see the jobs come back.

Im kind of excited to see what the December numbers bring us, he said. Im expecting a little bit of an increase.
Year End review-2016 Ministry of Minority Affairs Highlights Of The Ministry Of Minority Affairs

-The Central Government increased the Budgetary Outlay in respect of Ministry of Minority Affairs from Rs. 3712.78 Crore in 2015-16 to Rs. 3800 Crore for 2016-17. The increase is of about Rs. 87 Crore for 2016-17. In addition to these Rs. 3800 Crore the Central Government also channelizes minimum 15% financial resources and physical targets from other flagship schemes of various Ministries/Departments under Prime Ministers New 15 Point Programme for welfare & development of Minorities. For 2016-17, the Ministry of Minority Affairs prioritized its focus areas in tune with the National priority for educational and economic empowerment through Skill Development. -The Nai Manzil scheme was launched, for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme was launched for girls in Srinagar on 20th January, 2016 in three institutions. The institutions are Skill Development Centre, University of Kashmir and two Madarsas (Madarsa Shahi-i-Hamdan in Pampore and Madarsa Imam Sadique in Shadi pur ,Bandipora. Under the scheme girls from minority communities are being imparted three-month skill development training in seven identified sectors relevant to the region. These include training in saffron processing, food processing, embroidery, computers IT (both software and hardware), Tourism/hospitality, electronics and plumbing. Trainees are also given stipend of Rs.4500/-for the course. -The Ministry of Minority Affairs organised the two months long cultural spectacle Everlasting Flame International Programme celebrating Multicultural Ethos of the Parsi-Zoroastrian Community. The Everlasting Flame International Programme here today. The Everlasting Flame International Programme presented three exhibitions, titled The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination at the National Museum, Threads of Continuity: Zoroastrian Life and Culture at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and Painted Encounters: Parsi Traders and the Community at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) along with many cultural and educational programme. -The Minority Affairs Ministry launched innovative entrepreneurship and skill development programme of Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills (MANAS) through leading national/ international experts in different skill sets. Two training centres of Beauty & Wellness Sector, one in Okhla and another in Daryaganj area were inaugurated for the purpose. In Okhla Centre, Sh. Jawed Habib, known for impetus to revolutionize the art of Hair Styling in India, provides scientific and systematic training to the aspirants wishing to pursue a career in cosmetology. Ms. Shahnaz Hussain imparts training to aspirants at Daryaganj centre in the field of natural care and cure. Speaking on the occasion.

--The Ministry of Minority Affairs organised Hunar Haat (Skill Haat), an exhibition of handicrafts, embroidery etc made by the artisans from the Minority Communities at the India International Trade Fair. The exhibition was an amazing gathering of artisans from every corner of the country. One of the special feature of this unique Hunar Haat was that besides providing free of cost stall to artisans/craftsmen, the Minority Affairs Ministry also made arrangements for their transport and helped in their daily expenses so that these expert artisans can reach to Delhi easily and display their arts/skills at the international platform in the form of International Trade Fair.

-The work related to management of Haj pilgrimage, including administration of the Haj Committee Act, 2002 and rules made thereunder has been transferred from Ministry of External Affairs to Ministry of Minority Affairs. Ministry of Minority Affairs has taken over the work of Haj Division of MEA with effect from 1st October, 2016. With the transfer of Haj related works from MEA, M/o Minority Affairs will be the nodal Ministry for all matters related to Haj pilgrimage.

Hajj is one of the most complex organizational tasks undertaken by Government of India outside Indian borders. Indian pilgrims constitute the third largest national group performing the Hajj. It is a yearlong managerial exercise and a part of it for this year pilgrimage was also executed by the Ministry.

--The Minister of State(IC) Minority Affairs launched and held Progress Panchayats, an information campaign at ground level. Progress Panchayat will prove to be an effective mission for informing people about welfare measures as there is no dearth of schemes and funds for development of Muslim and other Minority communities.

-The Ministry also launched the trilingual website www.haj.gov.in relating to Haj Matters. The website in Hindi, Urdu and English languages will facilitate online application for Haj. Besides giving information about Ministry of Minority Affairs, Haj Department, Haj Pilgrimage, rules and regulations on Haj, Haj Committee of India and private tour operators, the website also has Dos and Donts during Haj and also a film informing about various aspects of the pilgrimage.
Nepal and China will hold their first ever joint military exercise early 2017.

Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesperson Yang Yujun said China and Nepal had been in "initial communication" on the military exercise, and that the details would be released in due course of time.

Although Nepal has been holding joint military exercises with other countries, including India and the United States, this is the first time Nepali military would be holding such an exercise with China.

According to reports, the military drill will be held in February next year and will focus on training Nepali soldiers in dealing with hostage scenarios involving terror groups, My Republica reported.

The new development is seen as China's growing interest in the Himalayan republic since the deterioration of relations between Nepal and India due to the border blockade last year, the daily said.
Officials say that an Enter Air plane was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff in after hitting a bird.

The Chopin Airport said on Twitter that the landing occurred without any problem and that the passengers were safe.

The plane was scheduled to make a stop in Larnaca, Cyprus, before flying on to Mombasa, Kenya.

Enter Air director Grzegorz Polaniecki told the broadcaster TVN that the plane hit a bird and that the pilots returned to Warsaw's airport so the plane could be inspected as a precaution.

The airport spokesman, Przemyslaw Przybylski, said there were 187 passengers on board and six crew members.

The plane circled for about an hour and a half to burn fuel before landing.
Pakistan's Foreign Office has rejected a new formula for evaluation of the candidature of non-Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) states for the Nuclear Suppliers Groups (NSG) membership as "discriminatory" and "unhelpful".

At the weekly media briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said: "This would be clearly discriminatory and would contribute nothing in terms of furthering the non-proliferation objectives of the NSG," Dawn News reported.

Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina had been appointed as a facilitator for discussions among the members after Seoul plenary meeting of the 48-nation nuclear trade cartel ended in a stalemate over membership applications from India and Pakistan.

The deadlock persisted at the extraordinary plenary held in Vienna last month.

Ambassador Grossi this month submitted a two-page revised document to the member countries containing a nine-point proposal on considering the applications of India and Pakistan, both of whom are non-NPT countries.

The members last week again met in Vienna for discussing the document called "revised version of a draft 'Exchange of Notes' for Non-NPT applicants".

Pakistan, Zakaria said, continues to emphasise the imperative for a non-discriminatory criteria-based approach for the NSG membership of non-NPT states in a non-discriminatory manner, Dawn News said.

"Such a criteria-based approach will further the non-proliferation objective of the NSG as well as the objective of strategic stability in South Asia," he said.

The spokesman reminded the NSG members of "the heavy responsibility" they bore with respect to admission of non-NPT states.

"It is important for the credibility of the NSG and the future of the non-proliferation regime that the NSG be seen as a rule-based organisation rather than a grouping which is driven by commercial and political considerations that trump its non-proliferation objectives," he maintained.
authorities will deploy dozens of trucks on city streets during New Year's eve celebrations, to boost security in the wake of recent truck attacks in Europe, the police said on Friday.

About 65 sand and sanitation trucks will be placed in "strategic locations" around Times Square, where more than a million people are expected to attend the traditional New Year's Eve ball drop, police Chief of Department Carlos Gomez told a news conference.

An additional hundred or more "blocker" vehicles will be deployed elsewhere throughout the city to prevent vehicles from plowing into the crowd, he added.

"We paid close attention to events in Nice and Berlin, we have enhanced security measures," Gomez said.

The deployment will reinforce the already massive security regime adopted in recent years, including some 7,000 police and anti-terrorist forces in uniform and plain clothes patrolling the areas around Times Square and other planned festivities across the city, he added.

Pedestrians wishing to access Times Square will have to settle for carrying only small bags and passing through at least two security checks, where any objects deemed dangerous -- including alcohol and even umbrellas -- will be prohibited.

In July, a truck driven by a radicalized Tunisian man cut down a crowd gathered in the French city of Nice to mark the national Bastille Day holiday, killing 86 people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last week, another Tunisian killed 12 people when he smashed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin. Italian police killed the alleged perpetrator several days later after stopping him for a document check in Milan.
President struck back at Russia on Thursday for its efforts to influence the 2016 election, ejecting 35 suspected Russian intelligence operatives from the United States and imposing sanctions on Russias two leading intelligence services.
has said it "categorically" rejected US claims of meddling in its presidential election after Washington imposed tough sanctions on the country's top two intelligence agencies, expelled agents and shut down two Russian compounds on US soil.

"We categorically reject the unfounded assertions and accusations made about Russia," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, according to the Ria-Novosti news agency.

also pledged "adequate reprisals" over US sanctions and accused Washington of trying to destroy ties.

The United States wants to "definitively destroy US- relations which have already reached a low" Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Russia will "react in an adequate manner based on the principles of reciprocity".
President said Moscow would not expel anyone in response to Washington's decision to throw out 35 suspected Russian spies and sanction intelligence agencies it believes were involved in computer hacking in the 2016 presidential election.
The auto parts maker is nearing a sweeping settlement with federal prosecutors over airbags that can violently explode, according to two people briefed on the discussions. The devices have been linked to many deaths and injuries and prompted the largest recall in automotive history.
surged 7% to Rs 485 on the BSE in intra-day trade after the company received contract worth of Rs 271 crore from Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) for supply of components and services for 2 thermal power projects in Tamil Nadu.
Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to former Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal (Retd.) S.P. Tyagi after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved the higher court seeking cancellation of his bail in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case.

On December 26, a special CBI court had granted bail to Tyagi and questioned the manner in which the CBI had investigated the case so far.

The CBI has moved the Delhi High Court against trial court's order.

On Thursday, the CBI received replies from all eight countries to its Letters Rogatory in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case.

Sources said the information provided by the UAE and Singapore is of crucial importance to the CBI.

"Both countries were recently approached through diplomatic channels for execution of the CBI's letters rogatory (LRs) or judicial requests at the earliest. Now the agency has received responses to the LRs it sent to eight countries for establishing money trail in the Rs. 3,767 crore Agusta Westland VVIP helicopter deal case," said sources.

Mauritius, Tunisia, Italy, British Virgin Island, the UK and Switzerland are the other six countries where Letter Rogatory (a letter of formal request from court to a foreign court) was sent by the CBI, seeking assistance in probe and collection of documents in connection with this case.

The CBI will very soon start a fresh round of questioning.

Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan were arrested on December 10 in connection with this case. The court had on December 17 sent all the three accused to judicial custody till December 30.

The former air chief was yesterday granted bail on the condition that he will not leave Delhi or try to contact any witness in the case.

Tyagi, who headed the Indian Air Force between 2004 and 2007, has been accused of abusing his official position to help AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italy-based Finmeccanica, win the deal to supply a dozen helicopters meant for the country's top politicians.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leading public sector bank Bank of Baroda has announced signing of an MOU with Heritage Foods Ltd. (HFL) with an objective to provide dairy loans to the farmers through the network of Bank of Baroda branches pan India.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Head Rural Banking (Agri and FI) and CSR, G.B Bhuyan and Zonal head of Heritage Foods Ltd. (HFL), Hyderabad, Ch Satyanarayan.

"We have entered memorandum of understanding with Heritage Foods Ltd. (HFL) to work jointly to provide dairy loans to the farmers," said Head Rural Banking (Agri and FI) and CSR, G.B Bhuyan.

"This relationship of Bank of Baroda, one of the premier banks of our country, with Heritage Foods Ltd (HFL) will immensely benefit the farmers in increasing their productivity and earnings under allied activities," added Bhuyan.

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Dubbing (SP) as a 'Parivarwadi Party', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that the family feud in the Uttar Pradesh ruling party is merely a drama to deviate people from the main issue.

"The people of this country will finally name as Parivarwadi party because they have nothing to do with samaj. They only think about their parivar and are only concerned about the welfare of a singular family," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

Patra further said that the SP leaders are not concerned about development in the state and how it has taken a back seat there.

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP leader Shrikant Sharma said, "It is a drama to deviate people from main issues and people have understood it and are all set to bid adieu to this corrupt party."

He further said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's failure, false promises and betraying people are the main issues in UP adding, "Be it medical facilities, educational facilities, electricity or infrastructure, he has failed on every front. If we talk about the law and order, women fear to go out and police fear to arrest criminals here. "

Akhilesh Yadav earlier on Thursday released a list of 235 candidates out of the total 403 seats for upcoming state assembly elections, a day after his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had released the official list.

Some pro-Akhilesh MLAs had earlier said the unhappy Chief Minister was likely to release a parallel list of candidates for state assembly elections slated for early 2017.

Akhilesh met Mulayam Singh, but as per sources, the party chief refused to make any change in the list of 325 candidates issued by him yesterday.

"We have declared list of 325 candidates for the 2017 assembly polls; 78 seats still remain. Name of candidates for rest of the 78 seats will be announced soon," Mulayam said yesterday while announcing the list.

The supremo announced the first list in the absence of his son, who is at loggerheads with his uncle Shivpal Yadav over the distribution of tickets.

Mulayam announced the name of his brother Shivpal from Jaswant Nagar Assembly seat.

Akhilesh's name did not figure in the first list. Mulayam, however, said that his son, being the Chief Minister, can contest from any assembly seat he wishes to.
New Delhi [India], Dec. 30 (ANI): My thoughts go back twelve years ago, to the last week of December, when I travelled with then Defence Minister George Fernandes to Arunachal Pradesh as he was keen on personally distributing Christmas cakes to Indian Army soldiers posted on the border.

The cakes were manufactured at Koshy's Bakery in Bengaluru, and their cost was borne by Fernandes and his family, and personally distributed by him among soldiers posted in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.

The process used to take about a week.

I was Information Advisor in the Defence Ministry following the 1999 Kargil Operations to help in updating the operation publicity guidelines.

In 2004, George Fernandes flew to Tezpur to review the situation on the border, particularly the problems created by militants who had set up camps in Bhutan and visited Bomdi La and Tawang. He also visited the Thagla Ridge on the Line of Actual Control along the India-China border.

After distributing the cakes, Fernandes arrived in Tawang, laid a wreath at the memorial raised in memory of the martyred Indian soldiers of the India-China conflict of 1962.

Later, he flew back to Gauhati to take an Indian Airlines flight to Delhi. Unfortunately, the Indian Airlines flight was cancelled that evening, but Fernandes was keen to reach Delhi the same day to take the flight to Ladakh to distribute cakes to the soldiers posted there.

The only available flight that evening was a cargo aircraft of the Indian Air Force. I remember travelling with him seated in bucket seats of the cargo compartment of an IL76 aircraft. No conversation was possible, as we had to sit with our ears closed.

As defence minister in the Democratic Alliance Government, George Fernandes made it a point to visit Siachen every three months and meet every contingent of Indian soldiers posted there. He would personally ensure that the soldiers posted there had adequate facilities.

Fernandes was keen to assess the conditions under which the soldiers, sailors and airmen worked and lived. He travelled in a Light Combat Aircraft developed by the Hindustan Aircraft Limited after subjecting himself to the tests that every pilot has to pass through.

Staying at 3, Krishna Menon Marg, he would walk to his office in the defence ministry. Later he was stuck by Alzheimer's.

Fernandes today is unable to recall his memories as a labour leader in the sixties, underground agitator during the Emergency in the seventies, Commerce Minister in the Janata Government, Railway Minister in the NDA Government and was the Defence Minister during the Kargil War.

Mr. I. Ramamohan Rao is a former Principal Information Officer of the Government of India. He can be reached at raoramamohan@hotmail.com.

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Habiburrahman Hekmatyar, the son of reconciled l eader of Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has termed the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the country as slaves of foreigners.

"Recently, these murderers and slaves are named as Khawarij in the media, but I must say that they [Taliban] are worse than Khawarij," said Habiburrahman at a gathering commemorating the death of those killed in the Taliban attack on MP Mir Wali's house last week.

The participants, who included senior government officials and MPs, expressing anger over the attack said the militant group has sold out to Russians while they claim to be Mujahids.

Hafizullah Barikzai, son of Uruzgan lawmaker Obaidullah Barikzai, was also killed in the suicide raid by the Taliban.

"I call on Taliban to stop their subversive activities and it is enough. Neither China nor Russians will bring you peace," said Obaidullah.

Meanwhile, former president Hamid Karzai also delivered a speech via a phone call where he strongly condemned the attack on the MP's house.

A message from Gulbuddin was also read out by his son where he anticipated bigger price for those targeting civilians.

The attack on the MP's house left at least eight people dead and wounded several others. Taliban claimed responsibility for the raid.

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India and Singapore have amended the DTAA for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, by signing a Third Protocol today.

This is in line with India's treaty policy to prevent double non-taxation, curb revenue loss and check the menace of black money through automatic exchange of information, as reflected in India's recently revised treaties with Mauritius and Cyprus and the joint declaration signed with Switzerland.

The Protocol for amendment of the India-Mauritius Convention signed on 10th May, 2016, provides for source-based taxation of capital gains arising from alienation of shares acquired from 1st April, 2017 in a company resident in India. Simultaneously, investments made before 1st April, 2017 have been grandfathered and will not be subject to capital gains taxation in India.

Where such capital gains arise during the transition period from 1st April, 2017 to 31st March, 2019, the tax rate will be limited to 50 percent of the domestic tax rate of India. However, the benefit of 50 percent reduction in tax rate during the transition period shall be subject to the Limitation of Benefits Article. Taxation in India at full domestic tax rate will take place from financial year 2019-20 onwards.

The revised DTAA between India and Cyprus signed on 18th November, 2016, provides for source based taxation of capital gains arising from alienation of shares, instead of residence based taxation provided under the DTAA signed in 1994.

However, a grandfathering clause has been provided for investments made prior to 1st April, 2017, in respect of which capital gains would continue to be taxed in the country of which taxpayer is a resident. It also provides for assistance between the two countries for collection of taxes and updates the provisions related to Exchange of Information to accepted international standards.

Fighting the menace of Black Money stashed in offshore accounts has been a key priority area for the Government. To further this goal, the 'Joint Declaration' for the implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) between India and Switzerland was signed in November, 2016. It will now be possible for India to receive from September, 2019 onwards, the financial information of accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland for 2018 and subsequent years, on an automatic basis.

The India-Singapore DTAA at present provides for residence based taxation

of capital gains of shares in a company. The Third Protocol amends the DTAA with effect from 1st April, 2017 to provide for source based taxation of capital gains arising on transfer of shares in a company.

This will curb revenue loss, prevent double non-taxation and streamline the flow of investments. In order to provide certainty to investors, investments in shares made before 1st April, 2017 have been grandfathered subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause as per 2005 Protocol.

Further, a two year transition period from 1st April, 2017 to 31st March, 2019 has been provided during which capital gains on shares will be taxed in source country at half of normal tax rate, subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause.

The third protocol also inserts provisions to facilitate relieving of economic double taxation in transfer pricing cases. This is a taxpayer friendly measure and is in line with India's commitments under Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan to meet the minimum standard of providing Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) access in transfer pricing cases. The Third Protocol also enables application of domestic law and measures concerning prevention of tax avoidance or tax evasion.

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Expressing concern following the release of separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat, the Panthers Party (NPP) has trained its guns on the ruling BJP-PDP Government in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the state government has taken this step in line with its appeasement policy towards the separatists.

Bhat, who has been in preventive custody under the Public Safety Act (PSA) since April 2015, was on Thursday released from Kathua Jail following the orders from the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

"It's worrisome that a dreaded terrorist like Masarat Alam, who had been booked under PSA, has been released by the government despite his involvement in several other offences," NPP leader Harshdev Singh told ANI.

"Bhat was accused of sedition charges of having wage war against the state and numerous criminal complaints against him in various police stations. Despite that the government has released him only under its political compulsions and to favour the separatists in Kashmir," he added.

The NPP leader further alleged that the move to release Bhat was only done in line with the appeasement policy followed by the PDP-BJP government.

'We believe that Bhat's release could be disastrous, as he is an out and out Pakistani agent, and the government was within its rights to book him under various other offences, but chose to release him in order to continue with its appeasement policy towards the separatists," the NPP leader said.

Bhat, a senior Hurriyat Conference leader, was booked under the PSA several times since April 2015 and the latest order was issued by the district magistrate of Baramulla.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court order, Bhat was accused of making the ongoing agitation "successful" while in the custody of the state authorities.

A case was registered against Bhat at the Baramulla Police Station on August 30, two days before the detention order against him was passed by the deputy commissioner.

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The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday criticised Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for presenting data and claiming an increase in tax recovery, saying that he was doing so to boast about the success of the government's demonetisation drive.

"We cannot understand how he is presenting the data. When he presents the budget, then only the right figures will come to light. He is only boasting right now in order to get appreciation for their policy," NCP leader Nawab Malik told ANI.

Malik also demanded accurate data and figures to be presented in parliament.

"The finance minister will have to pay attention to the problems of the people. He should also tell how tax recovery has increased. He should give the information related to the budget in parliament," he said.

Jaitley on Thursday said post the government's November 8 demonetisation announcement, a lot more money had come into the banking system providing banks with the opportunity to lend more.

"The revenue figures that have been updated are significant. The direct tax figures of income tax are now available with an increase of 14.4 percent with a net increase of 13.6 percent till December 19, 2016," said Jaitley.

"The indirect tax figures till November 30th are updated with an increase in the central indirect taxes of 26.2 percent," said the minister while thanking the people of India for supporting the demonetisation move.

"Life insurance, international tourism, petroleum consumption, flow into mutual funds has increased by 11 percent," Jaitley said.

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Death toll in the Jharkhand mine collapse in Lalmatia rose to seven as investigation into the accident and rescue operations are still underway.

According to initial reports, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has said that around 40-50 workers along with some machinery of a private company are suspected to be trapped under the debris.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and enquired about the incident.

The Chief Minister has also announced Rs. two lakh compensation to the families of the deceased and Rs. 25,000 for the injured. He also said that stern action would be taken against those responsible for the mine collapse.

Discussing about the reason behind this incident, Chairman and Managing Director of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) Rajiv Ranjan Mishra

said, "A higher committee has been formed and a Deputy General Manager will also enquire. The prima facie which has been found is the entire surface has collapsed. This is a unique phenomenon. But let us see what the reports says."

Misha further said that three excavators and seven dumpers were present there at the mining site.

"According to the rules, one person is allowed per equipment and as two dumpers fled during the incident, so, the number of people trapped may be less than seven," he said.

Meanwhile, Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said that government is assessing the situation and rescue efforts are underway.

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Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik was on Friday detained by police in Pulwama here, after he tried to protest against refugees' domicile issue.

The protest was carried out against the issue of identity certificates to West Pakistan refugees living in Pulwama.

Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on December 27 also expressed dissent over the government's announcement to issue 'domicile certificates' to West Pakistan Refuees.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, in coalition with the Jammu and Kashmir's ruling People's Democratic Party, took the stand of initiating steps to fulfil he long pending demands of the refugees, which stirred up controversy in the Valley.

On December 23, the Valley witnessed a complete shutdown on the call of separatists in the wake of the initiative taken by the government.

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Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], Dec.30 (ANI): The political instability in the sensitive border state of Arunachal Pradesh since December 2015 continues, justifying the unanimous truth of kissa kursi ka.

The ruling Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) late on Thursday night temporarily suspended chief minister Pema Khandu, deputy CM Chowna Mein and five other legislators from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect for alleged anti-party activities.

The Other five MLAs shown against their assembly constituency are Jambey Tashi (Lumla), Passang Dorjee Sona (Mechuka), Chow Tewa Mein (Chowkham), Zingnu Namchom (Namsai) and Kamlung Mossang (Miao).

However, the spokesman of the state government, Bamang Felix, told press persons at the Press Club that Khandu-led government had the support of 49 legislators in the 60 member house.

The supporters included 35 PPA, 12 BJP and 2 independents. On the possibility of joining BJP, Felix said that "We are still member of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA)."

While PPA president Kahfa Bengia, in his suspension order, said prima facie he was satisfied with the proof of their indulgence in gross "anti-party" activities and "Khandu now ceased to be the leader of the PPA Legislature Party", Felix claimed that the PPA president had issued a circular for a party meeting on December 20 last which was not received by any MLA.

"Just not attending the party cannot be termed as anti-party activity or if the decision to suspend seven MLAs was unanimous PPA or individual decision is not known ," Felix said.

Asked about difference in the party, floating the name of sitting minister Takam Parior as next PPA leader and dropping of few ministers including Pario from the ministry, Felix clarified that "the difference could be personal not at party level and doors are open to wipe out the differences. The dropping of ministers would be made public soon".

Bengia had directed party MLAs and PPA functionaries not to attend any meeting called by Khandu, and said any member failing to comply with the order will have to face disciplinary action. He, in a letter to assembly Speaker T Norbu Thongdok, requested him to declare the suspended MLAs as unattached members of the House and arrange separate sitting for them and communicate the development to the governor.

In the 60-member house, PPA had 43 MLAs, BJP 12, Congress-3 and independent 2. The strength of BJP had increased from 11 to 12 with the election of former CM late Kalikho Pul's wife Dasanglu Pul on November 22 to Hayuliang assembly seat by-election as BJP candidate with 944 votes.

With Indian politicians adding "everything is fair in politics' to common adage "Everything is fair in love and war" to redefine government - by the people, of the people and for the people - the political upheaval in the state has been getting murkier by brining state's development process to a grinding halt.

Pul was forced to resign in July 16 following the apex court verdict and had joined the PPA with 29 dissident Congress MLAs on March 3, 2016. After serving as CM from 19.02.16 to 13.07.16 he had committed suicide in CM's bungalow here on August 9.

The then Governor J P Rajkhowa had preponed assembly session from to January 14-18, 2016 from December 16-18, 2015 without consulting then chief minister Nabam Tuki and his council of ministers, that had set the political instability ball rolling.

However, the Supreme Court in its historic July 13 verdict had reversed the clock to December 15, 2015 by terming all decisions taken by the Governor as "illegal and unconstitutional" and ordered restoration of previous government.

The Congress Legislature Party leader Nabam Tuki, while chairing CLP meeting on July 16 last, had resigned and proposed the name of Pema Khandu as new leader. In a volte-face, ousted CM Kalikho Pul, had returned to the Congress fold with 29 dissident MLAs.

Khandu, 37, the son of late Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, was sworn in as the eighth Chief Minister by Governor Tathagata Roy at Raj Bhavan here on July 17 last marking the culmination of fast-paced political developments in the state while Chowna Mein was sworn in as the DyCM.

Khandu sprung a surprise on?September 16 by leaving the Congress and joining the PPA along with 42 MLAs. In a House of 60 members, with an effective strength of 58, the PPA had 43, BJP 11 and Congress one, independent two and one seat vacant.

But the PPA joined the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), formed on May 24 last as part of the NDA with Himanta Biswa Sarma as its convenor, on September 18.

Sarma, after chairing a joint legislature party meeting with 43 PPA, MLAs, 11 BJP MLAs and two Independents at Itanagar on September 18, had told reporters that "It will be decided at the BJP Executive meeting at Calicut this week on whether BJP will continue to extend its outside support or be a part of the PPA government led by Khandu."

While blaming the Congress high command for the mess in the party, state BJP president Tapir Gao on had said party president Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi should have taken care of this. on the possibility of PPA MLAs merging with the BJP, Gao said the party's door was open.

The Congress, however, had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of "foul play" and committing a "fraud on democracy" after Khandu along with 41 Congress MLAs quit the party and joined PPA.

"Modi's and BJP's foul play and fraud on democracy has come to a full circle in Arunachal Pradesh today," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had told reporters in New Delhi. "PPA is the illegitimate child of the BJP's diabolical design to decimate democracy," he alleged.

With severe criticism of Rajkhowa and Congress squarely blaming him Union MoS Kiren Rijiju for toppling Congress government, the Centre was left with no other alternative but to pressurize Rajkhowa to quit but he refused prompting President of India Pranab Mukharjee to remove on September 12 last.

With the induction of BJP Legislator Party Leader Tamyio Taga on October 14 last into Khandu ministry, Arunachal Pradesh had become the 14th state with the BJP is in power and the sixth state where it shared power with regional parties.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has called for a Samajwadi Party core group meeting at his residence on Kalidas Marg here today.

The meet is to be held shortly and is expected to see the participation of both, senior leaders and young leaders.

On Thursday, Akhilesh released a list of 235 candidates out of a total of 403 seats for the upcoming state assembly elections, a day after his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had released the official list, hinting at a deepening crisis within the party.

Some pro-Akhilesh MLAs had earlier said that an unhappy chief minister was likely to release a parallel list of candidates for the state assembly elections slated.

Intense political activities continued at the Samajwadi Party headquarters and at official residence of the chief minister yesterday.

Akhilesh met Mulayam Singh, but as per sources, the party chief refused to make changes in the list of 325 candidates issued by him on Wednesday.

"We have declared list of 325 candidates for the 2017 assembly polls. 78 seats still remain. Name of candidates for rest of the 78 seats will be announced soon," Mulayam had said while announcing the list.

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Braving all odds, Dr. Hitendra Mahajan and Dr. Mahendra Mahajan, brothers from Nasik, created history recently by covering a distance of at least 6,000 kilometres in just 10 days and 20 hours.

The brothers, who started their journey from the Gateway of India on 18th December 2016, completed their trip yesterday.

The 6,000-kilometer journey which spanned across Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi saw the brothers promoting the very idea of following rules for a prosperous India.

"This cycle ride is dedicated to the nation. If everyone follows their duty, then, I think, that our country will be unstoppable," Dr. Hitendra said.

"Our theme was following the rules, India will rule," he added.

The race started from Mumbai to Chennai via Bangalore and moved on from Chennai to Kolkata, Kolkata to New Delhi and finally from New Delhi back to Mumbai.

Other major cities came in their route were Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Jaipur, Kanpur, Pune, Surat, Nellore, Guntur, Vijayawada and Vishakapatnam.

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Nepal and China will hold their first ever joint military exercise early next year.

The Kathmandu Post and the state-owned People's Daily of China quoted the Chinese Ministry of National Defence (MOD), as saying that the drill will be conducted in 2017.

The announcement was made through a tweet by Chinese MOD Spokesperson Senior Colonel Yang Yujun.

Senior Colonel Yang was further quoted, as saying by the media that that both China and Nepal have had "initial communication" about joint army exercises, and details would be announced in due time. He, however, did not give any details related to the proposed first joint exercise between the defence forces of the two countries.

It is expected that the military drill code named "Pratikar-1" will focus on training Nepali soldiers in dealing with hostage scenarios involving international terror groups.

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Reacting to the expulsion of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from the Samajwadi Party, political parties across all spectrums on Friday called the fiasco as the internal matter and denied any major impact on the forthcoming state assembly polls.

"In family-centered parties, if the family breaks up, the party also falls apart," BJP spokesperson Shrikant Sharma told ANI here.

"People of Uttar Pradesh had already waved Akhilesh off, his expulsion doesn't have much impact," he added.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav called the fiasco as unfortunate and termed it as party's internal matter.

"It is unfortunate. However it is their internal matter," he said.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday evening expelled his son Akhilesh from the party just ahead of crucial elections in Uttar Pradesh. He has also expelled his cousin and senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav for the second time in months, accused him of "spoiling the career of the chief minister."

The Samajwadi Party chief said both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal have been sacked for weakening the party.

Earlier in the day, Mulayam issued a showcause notice to Akhilesh for issuing a candidate list separately for the upcoming state assembly polls.

I will decide as to who will be the chief ministerial candidate of the party," Mulayam said.

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Come January 7, 2017, and the Pakistan government has taken the principled decision that all terrorism-related cases will be dealt by special trial courts rather than military courts.

According to The News, a new law is likely to be introduced to hand over jurisdictional authority to these special speedy trial courts and end the two-year-long role of military courts that were set up under the 21st Amendment of the Pakistan Constitution.

The government has said that will enforce the Anti-Terrorism Act drafted by the Interior Ministry that will include the top clauses of the Protection of Pakistan Act (POPA).

However, it added that the Rangers and other law enforcement agencies will continue to enjoy police powers to maintain peace and thwart terrorist activities.

Steps will also be taken to lawfully protect witnesses in these cases. The sources say the government has the power to promulgate an ordinance in the absence of the National Assembly session.

The Senate will meet on January 9 and the National Assembly on January 26. So there will be no constitutional gap after the abolishment of the military courts on January 7. The sources say that to bridge the gap to be caused by the expiry of the military courts, the Senate passed two substitute laws which are tagged as private members bills.

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Condemning the opposition for its stand on demonetisation, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said it always dreams about the prime minister's resignation.

"The opposition has nothing else to do. In their dreams also, they demand resignation from the prime minister. They are criticising for the sake of criticising, but even they know that the prime minister is doing very good work," Chouhan told ANI.

Chouhan described demonetisation as a bold step taken by the prime minister and believed the entire nation is supporting the move.

"The country is moving towards an economy revolution. Some people are protesting, but the nation knows the truth," he said.

On Thursday, Centre came for sharp criticism launching a campaign to inform citizens about the benefits of demonetisation.

Prime Minister Modi had earlier urged the nation to give him 50 days demonetisation to get things back on track post.

The government has taken several steps to ensure that the people face no hardship, especially tourists and industry, and changes have been incorporated from time to time.

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As Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday will take oath as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan, his first challenge will be the composition of the larger bench that will hear the Panamagate case.

The Supreme Court in November took up a slew of petitions seeking Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's disqualification in the wake of Panama Papers, which in April revealed that his family members have stashed money in offshore companies, reports the The Express Tribune.

The outgoing Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who was also heading the bench and conducted 10 hearings of the case, adjourned the case till first week of January. His retirement today will dissolve the current bench.

Justice Nisar will reconstitute the bench with many options available to him.

He can replace the outgoing CJP by sitting himself in the bench or hand over the command of the new bench to Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who will be the senior most judge, once Justice Nisar assumes office.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has expressed desire that the same four judges, who were part of the bench, should hear the case.

Both the ruling PML-N and the PTI are eagerly waiting for the new CJP's decision about constitution of the new bench.

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President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday approved the promulgation of the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, 2016.

The Ordinance is a follow-up to the decision taken by the Centre to cancel the legal tender character of the existing series of banknotes, as on November 8 in the denominations of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 in circulation.

The main objectives of the Ordinance is to provide clarity and finality to the liability of the Reserve Bank of India and the Government of India for the Specified Bank Notes(SBN), to provide an opportunity to those persons who were unable to deposit the SBNs within the time provided and to declare holding, transferring or receiving SBNs as illegal, with provisions for penalty for contravention of any of the provisions of the Ordinance.

This decision follows a number of steps taken to eliminate the menace of unaccounted money in the economy including setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), enacting a law regarding undisclosed foreign income and assets, amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements between India and Mauritius and India and Cyprus, reaching an understanding with Switzerland for getting information on Bank accounts held by Indians with HSBC, encouraging the use of non-cash and digital payments, amendments to the Benami Transactions Act, and implementation of the Income Declaration Scheme 2016. It is a move in line with the government's initiatives to curb unaccounted money in the system, money laundering and tax avoidance.

Accordingly, this facility has been granted to all Indian citizens who were outside India from November 9 to December 30, to tender these SBNs at the specified Issue Offices of RBI until March 31 next year. For those citizens of India who are not resident in India, this facility would be available till June 30, 2017 in order to allow them adequate time to plan a visit as per their convenience.

The above facility would be subject to the regulations of the notification "Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2015. As per these Regulations bringing back such currency into the country is restricted to Rs.25,000/- per person. Separate FEMA provisions are applicable to persons in Nepal and Bhutan which would continue to apply.

At the time of return to India the number and denominations of the SBN will need to be declared to the Customs authorities at the airports and other entry points. Necessary form for such declaration will be given out by the CBEC. The details of the declaration and statements that are required to be submitted along with the SBNs at the time of deposit in RBI Issue Offices will be separately announced by RBI. Any false declaration will invite a fine of Rs. 50,000 or five times the amount of the face value of the SBN tendered, whichever is higher.

After the period of exchange is over, the liabilities of the Reserve Bank and the guarantee of the Central Government towards the Specified Bank Notes will stand extinguished. Further, to prevent any continued parallel transactions with the SBNs by unscrupulous elements, after this period, holding, transferring and receiving SBNs will attract a fine of Rs.10,000 or five times the amount of the face value of the SBN involved in the contravention, whichever is higher.

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Roz Leighton resigned as executive director of the North Dakota Republican Party earlier this month to take a job with the committee overseeing the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Leightons new role as Cabinet affairs liaison with the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee involves coordinating events, travel logistics and ensuring that theres a clear line of communication between the  committee and the stakeholder groups, she said Thursday.

Leightons tenure with the North Dakota Republicans saw the party assume an even stronger majority in the state Legislature. During this years state Republican convention, the state was the focus of some brief national attention over the partys presidential candidates scramble for delegates, prompting a visit from former Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz.

It was an incredible experience, Leighton said.

Leighton previously worked as a staffer for Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and for the Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead. She was also assistant to House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, and the House GOP caucus during the 2015 legislative session.

The state Republican Party is accepting applications through Jan. 6 2017, according to a post on its website. The job description includes working with the partys district leadership, fundraising and overseeing the partys operations and finances.

There has been pretty strong interest in the position, Leighton said.
Russia has ordered the closure of the American School of Moscow in retaliation of US sanctions.



This comes after the United States on Thursday ordered 35 Russian diplomats in Washington and San Francisco to leave the country in the next 72 hours as a realiatory measure against Russian election hack.

The order from the Russian government closes the school, which serves children of US, British and Canadian embassy personnel, to US and foreign nationals, reports the CNN.

The order also closes access to the US Embassy vacation house in Serebryany Bor, near Moscow.

The US administration described Russia's involvement as "Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities" and sanctioned four Russian individuals and five Russian entities for what it said was election interference.

However, Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have denied all allegations regarding meddling in the US presidential election.

Meanwhile a Russian Foreign Ministry official called the US sanctions over cyber-hacking counterproductive, saying it will harm restoration of ties.

Russian spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said about the Obama administration: "It's not an administration; it's a group of foreign policy losers, angry and ignorant."
A United States Congress Research report has revealed that India has emerged as the second largest purchaser of arms among developing nations after Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The latest report says that that arms supply to India was sanctioned in view of regional situation which is "a matter of ongoing concern to the United States because of long-standing tensions between Pakistan and India".

Arms deliveries to developing nations, 2008-2015: The leading recipients (in millions of current US dollars) rank recipient deliveries value 2008-2011- (1) Saudi Arabia 13,000,(2) India 11,100 (3) Pakistan 7,200 (4) Algeria 5,500 (5) Egypt 5,000 (6) South Korea 4,500 (7) China 4,100 (8) Venezuela 4,100 (9) Israel 4,000 (10) U.A.E. 3,700.

Between 2008 and 2015, India purchased defence equipment worth $34 billion, which is a distant second after Saudi Arabia's $93.5 billion, said the report 'Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations 2008-2015' released by Congressional Research Service (CRS).

As the name reflects, CRS is an independent bipartisan research wing of the US Congress. It prepares reports on a wide range of issues for lawmakers to make informed decisions. CRS reports are not considered official reports of the US Congress, reports the London-based newspaper, The Nation.

"Saudi Arabia was the leading developing arms purchaser from 2008-2015, with agreements totalling USD 93.5 billion. India was the second largest developing arms purchaser from 2008 to 2015, making arms transfer agreements totalling $34 billion during these years (in current dollars)," it said, adding these increases reflect the military modernisation efforts by India.

In its report, CRS highlights recent Indian efforts to diversify its procurement of arms, of which the US has been a major beneficiary."It is notable that India, while the principal Russian arms customer, during recent years has sought to diversify its weapons supplier base, purchasing the Phalcon early warning defence system aircraft in 2004 from Israel and numerous items from France in 2005, in particular six Scorpene diesel attack submarines. In 2008, India purchased six C130J cargo aircraft from the United States," CRS said.

In 2010, the UK sold India 57 Hawk jet trainers for $1 billion. In 2010, Italy also sold India 12 AW101 helicopters.

In 2011, France secured a $2.4 billion contract with India to upgrade 51 of its Mirage-2000 combat fighters, and the US agreed to sell India 10 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for $4.1 billion, it said.

"This pattern of Indian arms purchases indicates that Russia will likely face strong new competition from other major weapons suppliers for the India arms market, and it can no longer be assured that India will consistently purchase its major combat systems," CRS said.

Indeed, India in 2011 had eliminated Russia from the international competition to supply a new-generation combat fighter aircraft, a competition won by France.

In 2015, Russia and India agreed to a contract in which India would procure at least 200 Ka-226T helicopter, the report said.

With India reducing its reliance on Russia on arms purchase, Moscow is looking for other options, it added.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan's National Assembly Defence Committee has already been informed this year that Saudi Arabia is the largest importer of Pakistani arms, and has purchased small and medium conventional weaponry worth millions of USD.

The committee was being briefed at Parliament House by Lt. Gen. Omar Mahmood Hayat, chairman Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF). "During the current fiscal year, POF has secured export order worth USD 81 million, and Saudi Arabia remains the biggest importer of arms and ammunition from Pakistan," said Hayat.

Chairman POF also added that during the last decade, POF has introduced 72 new weaponry products without getting any financing from the government.

Hayat disclosed during the briefing that POF is working on a new assault rifle, to replace the reliable and long-serving G-3."Production of LSR sniper rifle has also been started at POF, with a unit cost USD 6500 compared to the import price of USD 12,500 per rifle.

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Secret government files said to hold details of British involvement in the assault on the Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest shrine, in June 1984, that claimed the lives of hundreds of people, should be released to the public, campaigners have urged.

Members of the Sikh Federation believe the documents will show there was a greater level of cooperation between the British and Indian governments over the latter's attempts to clear militants from the Golden Temple in the summer of 1984 than has previously been acknowledged, the Guardian reported on Thursday.

According to the London-based newspaper, The Nation, they have launched an appeal to the information tribunal, due to be heard next year, to try to force through the release of the files under freedom of information laws, having been thwarted in their attempts thus far.

"The public has a right to know the truth about what happened 30 years ago. We believe these files are being held back - not for security reasons but for political reasons that would prove embarrassing to the Conservative Party, since it was Margaret Thatcher and her discussions with the Indian regime," said Davinder Singh, of the Sikh Federation.

The federation wants greater transparency over Britain's involvement in the Indian government's effort to drive Sikh militants seeking a separate homeland out of the Golden Temple in Amritsar - the religion's most holy site.

The Indian government has put the death toll from the action, named Operation Blue Star, at about 400 people, whereas Sikh groups say many more were killed - including pilgrims - when the then-prime minister, Indira Gandhi, sent in the troops. More than 100 Indian soldiers died.

Whitehall correspondence released in 2014 said an SAS officer had been asked to plan an operation to remove militants from the temple. That plan was then approved by Gandhi, the letter said. But an inquiry ordered by David Cameron found no evidence of British involvement in the massacre.

Suspected Sikh militants surrendered after the Indian government's 1984 assault on the Golden Temple. "Around four months before the event, at the request of the Indian government, a single UK military officer provided some advice. But, critically, this advice was not followed, and it was a one-off. There is absolutely no evidence of UK government involvement in the operation itself," Cameron said, summarising the findings of Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood.

The campaigners, however, believe the closed files will shed more light on the extent of Britain's involvement. One of the four files relates to "UK/Indian relations: situation in Punjab; activities of Sikh extremists", as well as a visit to the UK by Rajiv Gandhi, who took office after his mother, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards in October 1984 in retaliation for the Amritsar attack.

Another file covers meetings between Margaret Thatcher and an aide to Indira Gandhi, as well as the latter's assassination and Thatcher's visit to India to attend her funeral. The final document is entitled simply: "India: political".

Some of the information has already been released to the National Archives, while other portions have been withheld from the public. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "The first tier tribunal will consider this case in the New Year and it would be inappropriate to comment any further.

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A leader of the minority Sikh community, Lala Del Souz, was killed by an unknown gunman in northern Afghanistan's Kunduz city.

The incident took place when Del Souz, a naturopath, was reportedly on his way to his shop.

Tolo News quoted relatives of the deceased as saying that he had survived an assassination attempt on him five years ago.

Confirming the incident, Kunduz Security Chief Masoum Stanikzai said three suspects have been arrested by the police for the attack.

He said investigations will continue.

The head of Kunduz regional hospital, Naeem Mangal said Del Souz succumbed while being taken to the hospital.

Del Souz's uncle, Prem said the deceased had been well liked and had no enemies.

The incident sparked uproar on social media as many people condemned the attack and sent their condolences to his family.

Del Souz's uncle, Prem, has asked government to thoroughly investigate the attack and make sure those responsible are brought to justice.

He said the few remaining Sikhs will leave the province if those behind the incident are not brought to justice.

Del Souz was living with his uncle in their Daramsal (a Sikh's temple).

Many Sikhs have left the province. Currently, there are only three families still there. Sikhs have lived in the region for over thirty years and at one time there were as many as 40 families in the area.
A ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia has come into effect across Syria after President Bashar al-Assad's regime and the opposition agreed to a nationwide deal.

The deal came into force at midnight (10 p.m. GMT) on Thursday, however, there were reports of clashes two hours later, reports the Guardian.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said rebels had violated the truce deal and taken over a position in Hama province. A rebel group also accused the government of shelling areas in Atshan and Skeik villages in Idlib province, which borders Hama.

It is the third ceasefire agreement this year.

There was confusion over which rebel groups have signed up, but officials from all sides said they hoped this time the pact would hold in the run-up to talks next month in Kazakhstan.

"We consider the ceasefire an important step to resolve the Syrian conflict. Along with the Russian Federation, we support this arrangement as a guarantor," said Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman for the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Notably absent from the brokering of the deal was the US, which has moved to the sidelines in recent months as Moscow has stepped up military and diplomatic involvement in Syria.

Rebel groups, including the Ahrar al-Sham Islamist movement and Jaysh al-Islam, which operates mostly near Damascus, signed up to the agreement after hours of negotiations in Ankara.

The Syrian military said it would cease combat operations except against terrorist groups including Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the former al-Qaida wing in Syria that has publicly severed ties with the global terror network.

"We have just received news that a few hours ago the event we have all been waiting for and working towards has happened," Russian President Vladimir Putin said of the signing of the deal.

Putin said that three documents had been signed: a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and the armed opposition; a list of control mechanisms to ensure the ceasefire would work; and a statement of intent to begin negotiations on a political end to the conflict.

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A thanksgiving ceremony for the creation of the new district of Kamjong was held at the Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Chingmeirong, Imphal, yesterday.

The ceremony was organised by the District Administration Kamjong. In connection with the thanksgiving ceremony, four developmental projects were dedicated to the people of Kamjong district.

The projects include the tribal inclusive infrastructure projects at Phungyar and Kasom Khullen; the augmentation of water supply scheme at Phungyar and the Eklayavas Model Residential School at Kamjong.

The function was attended by Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh as chief guest, Deputy Chief Minister and state Home Minister Gaikhangam Gangmei as president, Revenue and Law Minister I. Hemochandra Singh, PHED, Labour and Employment Minister T. Manga Vaiphei, Commerce and Industries, Sericulture and Veterinary Minister Govindas Konthoujam, Social Welfare and Co-operation Minister Km. Ak. Mirabai Devi, Parliamentary Secretary (Tribal Affairs and Hills and IT) Victor Keishing, former chief minister and former Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Rishang Keishing as guest of honours.

The district collector (DC) of the newly created Kamjong District Armstrong Pame, top officials of the district administration, the chief and people of Kamjong also attended the function.

The augmentation of water supply scheme at Phungyar is built at the estimated cost of Rs. 382 lakh, out of which, the Centre's share is Rs 381.87 lakh and state's share is Rs 38.19 lakh under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR).

The water supply scheme will benefit the population of 1,630. It will have four numbers of service reservoirs, six numbers of zonal reservoirs, surface water tank, conveyance and distribution pipes, and chowkidar's quarter, godown and gutter and drop pipes.

The source of the water supply scheme is rainwater. The scheme was started on July 7, 2014.

The Eklayavas Model Residential School was set up under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India in all the tribal districts. The co-educational residential school in Kamjong will have Classes from VI-XII. 480 students will be enrolled per year. The school is fully funded by the ministry in terms of infrastructure, student's maintenance fee along with all requirement @Rs 42,000 per student per annum.

For the academic session 2017-18 the school will start enrolling students from Class VI-IX.

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United States President Barack Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's alleged interference in the November 2016 U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts.

The State Department also has expelled 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the United States.

The diplomats were declared persona non grata for acting in a "manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status", reports the Dawn.

Obama said Russians will no longer have access to two Russian government-owned compounds in the United States, in Maryland and in New York.

Russian officials have denied the Obama administration's accusation that Moscow trying to influence the U.S. presidential election.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia's goal was to help Donald Trump win, an assessment Trump has dismissed as ridiculous.

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The UK Prime Minister has distanced the United Kingdom from the United States over John Kerry's condemnation of Israel.

This move is being assessed as an attempt to build bridges with the incoming Trump administration, reports the Guardian.

Outgoing U S Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a robust speech this week that criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government as the "most rightwing coalition in Israeli history" and warned that the rapid expansion of settlements in the occupied territories meant that "the status quo is leading toward one state and perpetual occupation".

A spokesperson for the British prime Minister said that May thought it was not appropriate to make such strongly worded attacks on the makeup of a government or to focus solely on the issue of Israeli settlements.

"We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally. The government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the community," he said.

Even as UK backed the UN resolution passed last week that condemned the continued expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian occupied territory, May's spokesman said she was concerned about the language Kerry had used.

Following the development, a U S State Department spokesperson said: "We are surprised by the UK Prime Minister's office statement given that Secretary Kerry's remarks-which covered the full range of threats to a two-state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlements were in-line with the UK's own longstanding policy and its vote at the United Nations last week.
Urgent need to set up 'collaborative monitoring framework'

Considering that Indian cyberspace is vulnerable to cyber crime, the country must formulate a crisis management plan to tackle cyber attacks, cyber terrorism and cyber espionage attempts, noted a recent ASSOCHAM-PwC joint study.

It is imperative for law enforcement agencies to have a system which will have a collaborative framework for receiving video feeds on a need basis from closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance systems and subsystems, highlighted an ASSOCHAM-PwC joint study titled 'Safe cities: Collaborative monitoring - For the community, by the community.'

Leveraging the capabilities of a good video management system (VMS), when clubbed with video analytics, will also allow efficient access to these external camera feeds at the command and control centre.

Collaborative monitoring of video feeds not only facilitates greater coverage of video surveillance within the city but also serves as deterrence for crimes and assists law enforcement agencies in controlling incident escalation, crime detection and its investigation, said the study.

Collaborative monitoring is a unique tool, wherein the security and law enforcement agency takes advantage of the extensive network of surveillance cameras deployed by communities across the city as well as the cameras of other private and government establishments on a need basis.

It is an extremely prudent enabler for police department, as while they strengthen their bond with the communities, they can use any information or footage gathered from these security cameras to support investigation and the prosecution of criminals.

The advantage provided by leveraging the extensive network of external cameras ensures enhanced crime monitoring through a cost-effective, widespread and scalable model.

However, while implementing the collaborative monitoring framework there is a need to carefully manage certain risks like conflict with existing laws and regulatory proposals, lack of awareness within communities, funding related issues, privacy and anonymity related issues and others to garner maximum fruits out of such initiatives.

Showcasing the examples of the impact of collaborative surveillance, the study highlighted that crime graph in Hyderabad came down by 14 per cent in 2015 compared to that in previous year. While UK based Scotland Yard security agency used CCTV footage as evidence in 95 per cent of murder cases.

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Engineers India fell 8.07% to Rs 153.80 at 11:00 IST on BSE on profit booking after a recent rally.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 213.65 points, or 0.81%, to 26,579.80.

On the BSE, so far 6.51 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volumes of 2.41 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 163 and a low of Rs 152.65 so far during the day.

The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 169.90 on 29 December 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 71.63 on 17 February 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past 30 days till 29 December 2016, rising 14.37% compared with the 1.08% fall in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 34.97% as against Sensex's 5.38% decline.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 168.47 crore. Face value per share is Rs 5.

Shares of Engineers India rose 10.77% in three trading sessions to settle at Rs 334.65 yesterday, 29 December 2016, from its close of Rs 302.10 on 26 December 2016.

Engineers India's net profit rose 21.4% to Rs 93.75 crore on 24.6% decline in net sales to Rs 338.89 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

State-run Engineers India provides engineering consultancy and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services. The Government of India holds 59.37% in Engineers India (as per shareholding pattern as on 30 September 2016).

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GE Power India jumped 6.34% to Rs 480.50 at 10.25 IST on BSE after the company said it has secured a contract worth about Rs 271.1 crore from Bharat Heavy Electricals.

The announcement was made before market hours today, 30 December 2016.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 185.17 points or 0.7% at 26,551.32.

On the BSE, 1,336 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 1,393 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 484.55 and a low of Rs 471 so far during the day.

The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 702 on 4 January 2016 and a 52-week low of Rs 440.50 on 21 November 2016. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 29 December 2016, declining 1.98% compared with the Sensex's 0.11% fall. The scrip had also underperformed the market over the past one quarter declining 17.84% as against the Sensex's 5.25% fall.

The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 67.23 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

GE Power India announced that it has been awarded a contract worth about Rs 271.1 crore by Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) to supply components and services for the supercritical steam generator island packages.

The first package is for 2x800 megawatts (MW) coal-based Uppur thermal power project (contract value about Rs 162.6 crore) and the second package is for 1x800 MW coal-based North Chennai supercritical thermal power project stage-III (contract value about Rs 108.5 crore).

Both the thermal power projects are located in Tamil Nadu. This is in line with the government's focus on upgrading the power infrastructure in the country.

GE Power India reported net loss of Rs 97.10 crore in Q2 September 2016, higher than net loss of Rs 48.02 crore in Q2 September 2015. Net sales declined 9.8% to Rs 477.65 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

GE Power India is engaged in power generation with deep domain expertise to help customers deliver electricity from a wide spectrum of fuel sources.

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India and Singapore have amended the DTAA for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, by signing a Third Protocol today. This is in line with India's treaty policy to prevent double non-taxation, curb revenue loss and check the menace of black money through automatic exchange of information, as reflected in India's recently revised treaties with Mauritius and Cyprus and the joint declaration signed with Switzerland.

The Protocol for amendment of the India-Mauritius Convention signed on 10th May, 2016, provides for source-based taxation of capital gains arising from alienation of shares acquired from 1st April, 2017 in a company resident in India. Simultaneously, investments made before 1st April, 2017 have been grandfathered and will not be subject to capital gains taxation in India. Where such capital gains arise during the transition period from 1st April, 2017 to 31st March, 2019, the tax rate will be limited to 50% of the domestic tax rate of India. However, the benefit of 50% reduction in tax rate during the transition period shall be subject to the Limitation of Benefits Article. Taxation in India at full domestic tax rate will take place from financial year 2019-20 onwards.

The revised DTAA between India and Cyprus signed on 18th November, 2016, provides for source based taxation of capital gains arising from alienation of shares, instead of residence based taxation provided under the DTAA signed in 1994. However, a grandfathering clause has been provided for investments made prior to 1st April, 2017, in respect of which capital gains would continue to be taxed in the country of which taxpayer is a resident. It also provides for assistance between the two countries for collection of taxes and updates the provisions related to Exchange of Information to accepted international standards.

Fighting the menace of Black Money stashed in offshore accounts has been a key priority area for the Government.

To further this goal, the 'Joint Declaration' for the implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) between India and Switzerland was signed in November, 2016. It will now be possible for India to receive from September, 2019 onwards, the financial information of accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland for 2018 and subsequent years, on an automatic basis.

The India-Singapore DTAA at present provides for residence based taxation of capital gains of shares in a company. The Third Protocol amends the DTAA with effect from 1st April, 2017 to provide for source based taxation of capital gains arising on transfer of shares in a company. This will curb revenue loss, prevent double non-taxation and streamline the flow of investments. In order to provide certainty to investors, investments in shares made before 1st April, 2017 have been grandfathered subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause as per 2005 Protocol. Further, a two year transition period from 1st April, 2017 to 31st March, 2019 has been provided during which capital gains on shares will be taxed in source country at half of normal tax rate, subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause.

The Third Protocol also inserts provisions to facilitate relieving of economic double taxation in transfer pricing cases. This is a taxpayer friendly measure and is in line with India's commitments under Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan to meet the minimum standard of providing Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) access in transfer pricing cases. The Third Protocol also enables application of domestic law and measures concerning prevention of tax avoidance or tax evasion.

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The market is likely to open higher on the last trading day of calendar year 2016. Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 11 points at the opening bell. The government will release data for several economic indicators today, 30 December 2016 including fiscal deficit, foreign exchange reserves, foreign debt and trade figures.

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading higher. US stocks closed fractionally lower yesterday, 29 December 2016 as investors remained reluctant to make big bets in a thinly-traded session ahead of long holiday weekend.

On the US data front, jobless claims declined by 10,000 to 265,000 for the week ending 24 December 2016, according to Labor Department report. This marks the 95th straight week that claims were below 300,000, a threshold associated with a healthy labor market. Meanwhile, the country's trade deficit in goods grew last month, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. The initial estimate, which does not include trade in services, showed that the country exported $1.2 billion less in November than in October. Imports rose by $2.2 billion during the month.

Back home,key benchmark indices logged modest gains yesterday, 29 December 2016 led by rise in index heavyweights HDFC and Reliance Industries (RIL) amid expiry of December 2016 derivatives contracts and lacklustre global cues. The Sensex rose 155.47 points or 0.59% to settle at 26,366.15, its highest closing level since 19 December 2016.

The trading activity on that day showed that the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 662.29 crore yesterday, 29 December 2016, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 957.83 crore yesterday, 29 December 2016, as per provisional data.

Among corporate news,Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (Sun Pharma) clarified after market hours yesterday, 29 December 2016, that with respect to news suggesting blast at Sun Pharma unit that on 28 December 2016, a fire broke out at its Ahmednagar factory during excavation work, causing burn injuries to four workmen at the excavation site. All the four injured workmen were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.

Two of the injured workmen succumbed to burn injuries and other two are being treated at the hospital. According to preliminary updates, both of them are responding well to treatment. The company is currently investigating the matter with the help of local law enforcement. There is no loss of production at Ahmednagar factory on account of this incident. This is not a material event nor would have any bearing on the operations/performance of the company, Sun Pharma added.

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Trading for the last day of the week and the calendar year 2016 kicked-off on an upbeat note on positive Asian stocks. At 9:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 151.18 points or 0.57% at 26,517.33. The Nifty 50 index was currently up 43.95 points or 0.54% at 8,147.55.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was currently up 0.96%. The BSE Small-Cap index was currently up 0.69%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 951 shares rose and 206 shares fell. A total of 40 shares were unchanged.

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading higher. US stocks closed fractionally lower yesterday, 29 December 2016 as investors remained reluctant to make big bets in a thinly-traded session ahead of long holiday weekend.

On the US data front, jobless claims declined by 10,000 to 265,000 for the week ending 24 December 2016, according to Labor Department report. This marks the 95th straight week that claims were below 300,000, a threshold associated with a healthy labor market. Meanwhile, the country's trade deficit in goods grew last month, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. The initial estimate, which does not include trade in services, showed that the country exported $1.2 billion less in November than in October. Imports rose by $2.2 billion during the month.

Back home, Maruti Suzuki India (up 1.09%), ICICI Bank (up 1.02%) and GAIL (India) (up 0.85%) were the key gainers from the 30-share Sensex pack.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (Sun Pharma) rose 0.97%. Sun Pharma clarified after market hours yesterday, 29 December 2016, that with respect to news suggesting blast at Sun Pharma unit that on 28 December 2016, a fire broke out at its Ahmednagar factory during excavation work, causing burn injuries to four workmen at the excavation site. All the four injured workmen were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.

Two of the injured workmen succumbed to burn injuries and other two are being treated at the hospital. According to preliminary updates, both of them are responding well to treatment. The company is currently investigating the matter with the help of local law enforcement. There is no loss of production at Ahmednagar factory on account of this incident. This is not a material event nor would have any bearing on the operations/performance of the company, Sun Pharma added.

Meanwhile, the government will release data for several economic indicators today, 30 December 2016 including fiscal deficit, foreign exchange reserves, foreign debt and trade figures.

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On conversion of warrants

Riga Sugar Company Ltd has informed BSE that the 'Committee for Issue of Shares/Warrants' in its meeting held on December 30, 2016 has allotted.

- 5,50,000 Equity Shares to the Promoter Group by converting 5,50,000 Convertible Equity Share Warrants.

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Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (Sun Pharma) clarified after market hours yesterday, 29 December 2016, with respect to news suggesting blast at the company's unit on 28 December 2016. A fire broke out at its Ahmednagar factory during excavation work, causing burn injuries to four workmen at the excavation site. All the four injured workmen were immediately rushed to a nearby Hospital.

Two of the injured workmen succumbed to burn injuries and other two are being treated at the hospital. According to preliminary updates, both of them are responding well to treatment. The company is currently investigating the matter with the help of local law enforcement. There is no loss of production at Ahmednagar factory on account of this incident. This is not a material event nor would have any bearing on the operations/performance of the company, Sun Pharma added.

Jagran Prakashan announced that the meeting of the board of directors of company is scheduled to be held on 5 January 2017, inter-alia, to consider the proposal for buy-back of shares. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 December 2016.

Godrej Properties announced that it has entered into a partnership to develop a residential group housing project in the prime locality of Bavdhan, West Pune. This project will be developed under the profit share arrangement. The announcement was made before market hours today, 30 December 2016.

GE Power India announced that it has been awarded a contract worth about Rs 271.1 crore by Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) to supply components and services for the supercritical steam generator island packages for 2x800 megawatts (MW) coal-based Uppur thermal power project (contract value about Rs 162.6 crore) and 1x800 MW coal-based North Chennai supercritical thermal power project stage-III (contract value about Rs 108.5 crore). Both the thermal power projects are located in Tamil Nadu. This is in line with the government's focus on upgrading the power infrastructure in the country. The announcement was made before market hours today, 30 December 2016.

Shriram Transport Finance Company announced that the allotment committee-non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of the company in a meeting held yesterday, 29 December 2016, allotted debentures aggregating to Rs 75 crore on private placement basis. The debentures have tenure of 10 years and carry coupon rate of 8.5% per annum. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 December 2016.

R S Software (India) announced that the company has made further investment of Rs 5.9 crore in Paypermint, its subsidiary, for allotment of 59 lakh equity shares of Rs 10 each. The company is no longer holding the entire shareholdings of Paypermint. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 December 2016.

Paypermint is into its first year of operations and is operating in the field of online payment facilitation. The acquisition is made to effect growth of subsidiary. The company will hold 75% and 25% will be held by Rajnit Rai Jain in Paypermint.

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A court here on Friday extended the judicial custody of two persons arrested in multi-million-dollar AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scam.

Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Sumeet Anand extended the judicial custody of Sanjeev Tyagi and Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan for 14 more days. They were arrested on December 9.

Sanjeev Tyagi is a cousin of former Indian Air Force chief S.P. Tyagi, who too was arrested and is out on bail in the case.

The verdict on the bail of Sanjeev Tyagi and Khaitan will be delivered on January 4 by a Special Court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

They were allegedly involved in irregularities in the procurement of 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters from Britain-based AgustaWestland, although both Sanjeev Tyagi and Gautam Khaitan have denied the charge.

The CBI alleges that Tyagi and the other accused had received bribes from AgustaWestland, helping the manufacturer to win the $556.262 million contract for purchase of its helicopters for the Communication Squadron of the Indian Air Force to carry the President, the Prime Minister and other VVIPs.

The accused had allegedly hatched a conspiracy to reduce the service ceiling of the helicopters from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres to make AgustaWestland eligible to bid for the contract.

A first information report was registered against them on March 12, 2013, under various charges dealing with criminal conspiracy, cheating and for violations of the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

--IANS

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Soon after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was on Friday expelled from the Samajwadi Party (SP), a group of his supporters gathered outside his 5, Kalidas Marg, residence here and raised slogans.

Accusing the SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav of doing "injustice" by expelling Akhilesh and his (Mulayam's) cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, which was announced at a hurriedly convened presser in the state capital by the former Defence Minister, the supporters waved banners and posters with pictures of the Chief Minister.

--IANS

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The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has summoned the Myanmar ambassador in Dhaka and demanded the early repatriation of all its Rohingya Muslim citizens, a media report said.

Ambassador Myo Myint Than was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet Ambassador Kamrul Ahsan, Secretary (Bilateral and Consular), the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday,

During the meeting, Ahsan expressed deep concern at the continued influx of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar's Rakhine state into Bangladesh, bdnews24 reported.

He mentioned that around 50,000 Myanmar citizens have taken shelter in Bangladesh since October 9.

Around 300,000 Myanmar nationals have been in Bangladesh for years.

The Secretary demanded the early repatriation of the entire Myanmar population staying in Bangladesh and expressed Dhaka's readiness to engage with Myanmar to discuss the modalities of repatriation.

He also requested the Myanmar government to urgently address the "root cause" of the problem in Rakhine state so that Rohingya Muslims do not have to seek shelter across the border.

Earlier in November the foreign ministry summoned the Myanmar envoy and expressed concerns over a renewed crisis as more Rohingyas, fleeing persecution, were crossing into Bangladesh.

--IANS

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The Reserve Bank of India has refused to reveal the reasons for scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, besides declining to disclose the minutes of the RBI Board meeting when demonetisation was discussed on November 8, an RTI activist said.

The RBI said it was not bound to disclose such information given the issue of national security and related implications in it.

The information was sought by an RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak.

"RBI rejected access to its board meeting minutes and recommendations made to the government and related file notings under Sections 8(1)(a), 7 (9) of the RTI Act," Nayak told IANS.

Section 8(1)(a) has various grounds of sovereignty, integrity, economic interests, security interests, scientific interests and foreign relations.

While Section 7(9) was the ground for refusing to give information in the form in which it was asked for reasons that it should not result in destruction of records or excessive expenses towards compilation of the information.

"The refusal to disclose the minutes of the RBI Board meeting where the decision was taken to recommend demonetisation is perplexing to say the very least," Nayak said.

While confidentiality prior to the making of the decision was understandable, continued secrecy after the decision was implemented was difficult to understand, Nayak added.

This was especially when crores of Indians were facing difficulties due to the shortage of cash supply, he said.

Nayak had also filed a separate RTI with the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Finance Ministry seeking copies of the cabinet note regarding the scrapping of the old currency notes.

"I also sought to know whether the government had sought people's views on the issue prior to making the demonetisation decision," he said.

"Despite 40 days lapsing since the delivery of the RTI application to the DEA, it has not responded," he added.

Not responding to an RTI application for 30 days is deemed as a refusal to disclose the requested information under Section 7(2) of the RTI Act.

Nayak, however, said that the lack of response on the part of DEA was not surprising because the decision to maintain undue secrecy appeared to be sanctioned at the highest level of the bureaucracy.

"When the DEA and RBI want every citizen of the country to come clean in the name of combating black money, corruption and fake currency notes, their reluctance to become equally transparent and accountable is unjustified, to the say the very least," Nayak said.

"RBI and DEA have a statutory obligation to be completely transparent and accountable to the people of India on the subject of demonetisation," he added.

If there cannot be complete transparency on this issue, then it must be assumed that the transparency regime has simply not taken roots in India even after 11 years of implementation of the RTI Act, Nayak said.

The activist said that he has already appealed against the DEA for not replying to his RTI query.

He also said that he would soon appeal against the RBI decision to not disclose the reasons behind the demonetisation.

--IANS

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On December 27, 2016, at the age of 86, Thomas Sowell published his last column. After publishing dozens of books and hundreds of columns, Dr. Sowells retirement may mark the beginning of the end of an era of black intellectuals who were champions of political and economic liberty. Other black scholars like Walter Williams, W.B. Allen, and Shelby Steele are all in the 70s or 80s and there does not seem to be a cadre of like-minded black scholars in their wake.



While in Atlanta for Christmas, I stumbled upon a June 1994 issue of National Minority Politics magazine at my parents home. The magazine began as a newsletter in the 1980s and eventually became a monthly periodical that was renamed Headway before publication ceased in 1999. Willie and Gwen Richardson published Headway to feature leading black and Hispanic conservative voices like Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Raoul Contreas, Roger Hernandez, Linda Chavez, Kay Cole James, Deroy Murdock, and others. The magazine hosted leadership conferences that created conversations between minority conservatives and politicians like William Bennett, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Phil Gramm, and Gary Franks. Many of Headways events were captured on C-SPAN in the mid-1990s.

The political philosophy of Headway included the following:

1) Strong families. The foundation of any stable society isfirst and foremoststrong families in every community. We should stress to our youth the importance of marriage and keeping families together.

2) Individual responsibility. Almost every human being is endowed with the necessary means to be successfula sound mind and the ability to think, reason and make choices. These natural gifts are accompanied with the equal obligation to take responsibility for ones actions.

3) Free enterprise. Our nation has been the most successful on earth in fostering and promoting a free enterprise system with opportunity for all. Strengthening this system is our best hope for a thriving economy in the future.

4) Less government. The size and influence of government at all levels must be minimized in order to guarantee a free society. Government should play a role in performing certain functions, like maintaining a strong defense, but we should not expect government to solve all our problems.

5) Strong Defense. While it is not Americas role to be the worlds policeman, there are sometimes threats to American lives and interests which we cannot tolerate.

6) Community-based problem solving. Rather than looking to the federal government to solve local problems, such as crime and education, we can and should develop solutions in our local communities.

7) Good taste and common sense in popular culture. The level of violence, promiscuous sex and immoral behavior on television, in movies and in music lyrics should be reduced as it has adverse effects on society, especially our children.

8) Compassionate conservatism. While stressing the importance of free enterprise and less government, we must recognize our responsibility as a society to help those who help themselves, or who are unable to help themselves through no fault of their own.

Whats missing from this list is an issue that became a defining position of the conservative coalition in the mid-1990s: abortion. With the rise of Newt Gingrich as the 50th Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the passing of the Partial-Birth Abortion Act of 1995, abortion became a centerpiece of American conservatism beyond the concerns of economics and public policy. Before that, abortion had not been a centerpiece of black conservatism because many black conservatives were more aligned with classical liberal political philosophy and Austrian economics, like Sowell and Williams, rather than religious right conservatism.

The inclusion of pro-life politics into political and economic conservatism inadvertently took the wind out of the sails of many conservative African American scholars who were more concerned with issues of political and economic liberty. For example, black conservatives like Condolezza Rice, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Shelby Steele, John McWhorter, Kiron Skinner, and the like, have never made abortion a key issue.

Sadly, it seems that with the retirement of Thomas Sowell, and the inevitable retirement of scholars like Walter Williams, Shelby Steele, black scholars, as champions of political and economic liberty, will continue to fade away if abortion remains the litmus test for identifying ones allegiance to conservatism. This is the end of an era. Black conservatism was its most winsome and popular when it primarily addressed issues other than abortion.

Finally, were left with the question of whether or not there ever again be a coalition of black and Hispanic scholars who have the political philosophy like the one outlined at Headway magazine? Or, is the best yet to come?
Criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "disruptive" demonetisation move is "inconsequential" in comparison to the tremendous support it has received, a top official said here on Friday.

"Despite tremendous amount of pain, people, especially the common man, have supported him. The criticism is inconsequential compared to the tremendous amount of support," Ajay Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said here at an event.

Dubbing it as a "major disruption" that is constructive for India, Mittal said the future will ultimately tell us of the move's impact.

"What ultimately comes out future will tell us. There was a state of cosy equilibrium. We knew something is wrong. The PM disrupted that equilibrium that had been accepted over the last few decades. The way society and economy was going, you and I felt that something needs to be done. No one had the courage. So he came and he disrupted," Mittal added.

--IANS

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Party planners and event managers in this eastern metropolis are battling payment hassles and logistics disruption post-demonetisation as they struggle to pull off New Year Eve bashes.

The cash crunch has put a spanner in the works of small private parties, while the brains behind big shows are literally scrambling to deliver on their commitments, which were made before the surprise November 8 demonetisation.

Recent RBI regulations on depositing new currency have sent officials at the event management company Actor Studio, which is presenting actress Sunny Leone's maiden show in Kolkata, into a tizzy.

"We are facing a lot of problems, particularly over the RBI regulation on depositing new currency. The tickets for the show were sold in new currency. Axis Bank is refusing to deposit them. Although the artistes' payments are done through online banking, the majority of the tickets have been sold in cash which we are unable to deposit," Abhishek De Sarkar of Actor Studio, also an acting and modeling institute, told IANS.

Sarkar said the "fight is still on" to put up a stellar show, although sponsorships have not been easy to come by.

"It has been hard to get sponsorship this year. But we are relying on credit and the credit support has been good. Since we had planned the event in October, we have to do it. There is a huge rush for tickets because it is Sunny Leone," he said.

Observing the infrastructure to transform India into a cashless economy is "not ready", Sarkar said demonetisation is bound to dent New Year's Eve celebrations this time around, with mobile wallets like Paytm "overburdened".

Avishek Basu, Regional Head, Public Performance Licensing - East, for The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), said around four to five organisers who applied for licenses have cancelled their events.

The IPRS issues licenses for performance and/or communication to the public of the works owned by it. The organisation has slapped around 20 to 25 legal notices on event organisers, including hotels, for evading the mandatory license application.

"As many as four to five organisers of privately-booked events, who had applied with us for licence, have cancelled their events. Though they can pay us via online banking, they need hard cash to pay off those responsible for power generators and security personnel and others needed to hold a party. So they had to cancel them," Basu told IANS.

However, restaurants are hoping demonetisation doesn't kill their guests' appetites.

The Lalit Great Eastern promises a "family party" with international acts, music, dance and delicacies from London in a huge buffet spread with the focus on bringing London to Kolkata.

"We hope demonetisation doesn't affect our special arrangements as people have the option to pay via POS machines and New Year's Eve 2016 will not come again," an official told IANS.

(Sahana Ghosh can be contacted at sahana.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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A group of activists has requested US President Barack Obama to reject asylum application of Afghanistan's first female pilot, Captain Niloofar Rahmani, and deport her to the war-torn country.

The activists insisted that the first fixed-wing female pilot does not face any kind of threats, Khaama Press here reported on Friday.

"Rahmani, who filled an asylum application in the US, does not face any threat in the country. She enjoys a safe atmosphere with some extraordinary security measures," the letter from the White Assembly, which consists of youths, policy makers, human rights activists and analysts, said in a letter to Obama.

"There is no threat or obstacle for her to carry out her duties safely and securely in Afghanistan," the letter said.

"We believe that granting asylum to such individuals who hold vital position and have important responsibilities, not only has bad impact on the country, but also encourages other citizens to seek asylum through illegal ways," it said.

The nation was shocked when news emerged last week about Rahmani seeking an asylum in the US. Some condemned the act while others spoke in her favour.

Rahmani is one of the celebrated pilots in the history of Afghanistan and was presented the International Women of Courage award for the year 2015 in Washington.

--IANS

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Superstar Rajinikanth is mighty pleased with the digitally re-mastered version of his iconic 1995 Tamil film "Baashha", which is gearing up for re-release next month.

Directed by Suresh Krissna, the film was produced by R.M. Veerappan, and his son Thangaraj is the visionary behind the idea to digitize and re-release "Baashha".

In a statement, Thangaraj said: "Rajini sir had seen the trailer of the remastered version of the film and really liked it. He asked if it was my father's idea to re-release 'Baashha', and I told him it was mine. I explained to him what we had achieved technically with the film and he was delighted to know composer Deva sir had rescored for the entire film."

The film chronicles the story of a hardworking auto-rickshaw driver who once ruled as a dreadful gangster.

Recalling his meeting with Rajinikanth, Thangaraj said: "He shared anecdotes about how my father modified 'Baashha', and how he was responsible in the success of the film."

He also said special plans are being made for the film's release.

"We are planning to have a red carpet event, a charity show in London, and have fans from Japan over to watch the film," he said.

--IANS

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The Egyptian cabinet approved a maritime border demarcation agreement signed between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, local media reports said.

According to state-run MENA news agency, the cabinet decided to refer the agreement to the House of Representatives after finalizing all required preparations and procedures for endorsement in line with the constitution, Xinhua news agency reported.

Egypt's cabinet announced in April that the joint Egyptian-Saudi technical maritime border drawing showed the islands of Tiran and Sanafir fall within the Saudi waters.

The agreement provoked an immediate backlash in Egypt, with hundreds of people protesting against "selling the islands".

The administrative court later ruled that "all rights of the two islands to Saudi Arabia are null and void". The State Lawsuits Authority, the body representing the government in legal cases, then appealed the decision.

On December 19, Egypt's High Administrative Court has set January 16 as the date when it will rule on the government's appeal against its earlier ruling nullifying the demarcation agreement with Saudi Arabia.

The islands, which have a strategic significance in the area, are currently inhabited only by military personnel from Egypt as well as the multinational force and observers.

The government's decision Thursday came as relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been going through ups and downs due to their different visions on various issues including the Syrian crisis, the war in Yemen and other issues.

--IANS

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Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that from Saturday onwards, the entire currency in circulation will be legitimate, Friday being the last day to deposit the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in banks.

"With effect from tomorrow the entire currency in circulation would be legitimate," Jaitley told reporters at a press briefing here on Friday.

From Saturday the legitimate currency that would continue to be legal tender is Rs 100 and other lower denomination notes along with the new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has printed, he added.

The deadline to deposit old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in banks ends on Friday.

Refusing to give any details on the deposits received in old notes post-demonetisation, he said that the data was yet to be tabulated.

"The banks will now have the re-circulated currency, plus what the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is injecting," Jaitley said.

The RBI on Friday asked the banks, which have accumulated old notes to deposit it in the office of the central bank or a currency chest by December 31.

The old notes cannot form part of banks' cash balances from the close of business as on Saturday, the central bank added.

From next week onward, those still holding the scrapped currency can deposit it only with the Reserve Bank of India till March 31, 2017.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes would no longer be legal tender.

--IANS

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Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday said that he does not agree with Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao's comments about "rampant corruption and weak governance" in the state, and will meet him to put his points across.

"In fact, while I was leaving, I told the person accompanying me that I want to go and meet the Archbishop sometime," Parsekar told IANS at the State Secretariat.

On Wednesday, the Goa Archbishop at his annual civic reception at the Bishop's palace here which was attended by top dignitaries including Governor Mridula Sinha, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Parsekar himself, had said that the state government was corrupt and weak.

"It has been an assault on our community and our natural wealth. More distressingly, it has been a loss to our children and future generations. Are we not answerable to them? Or are they going to remember us as an irresponsible generation that has squandered natural wealth for the benefit of a few," he had said.

Ferrao is the spiritual and religious leader of Goa's Catholics, who account for around 26 per cent of the state's 1.5 million population.

Meanwhile, Parrikar has refused to comment on the Archbishop's comments.

'Zero tolerance to corruption' was a key poll plank of the BJP-led coalition government in Goa, which was elected to power in 2012.

--IANS

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Dubai, Dec 30 (IANS/WAM) The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) celebrated the second Gulf Wildlife Day on Friday with the aim of enhancing cooperation in the field of wildlife conservation among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Held on December 30 every year, Gulf Wildlife Day is celebrated in the region by environmental authorities organising wide-ranging activities to raise awareness about wildlife conservation.

Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: "Our country has rich biodiversity that includes a set of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems."

"The government is working to preserve this status through developing legislation and adopting initiatives designed to achieve the national goals of the UAE Biodiversity Strategy by 2021," he said.

The government has also launched Wildlife Sustainability Programme to adopt policies, procedures and research activities concerning the conservation of native species as well as regulation of trade in animals and plants in line with international environmental conventions.

--IANS

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IMPORTANT NOTE TO MOTORISTS: If I turn on the windscreen wipers of a rental car, this indicates that I am turning right or left; please memorise.

Mind you, I have just spent time in China, where the Highway Code appears to have only one rule: the biggest vehicle has right of way.

Trucks take precedence over cars which take precedence over motorbikes which take precedence over bicycles which take precedence over humans. If an alien intergalactic mothership landed in that country, all 1.4 billion residents would automatically be found guilty of breaking the Failing to Get Out of the Way of a Big Flashy Conveyance Ordinance.

Not long ago, the Chinese government promulgated a law requiring drivers to stop at yellow lights. I hope one day they'll try to make motorists stop at red lights, too.

Yet a creative streak can be seen among the country's traffic cops. In the scooter-dominated southern Chinese city of Sanya, police don't just stop bad drivers. They follow them to their offices. They then assemble the entire staff of the company, from bosses to cleaners, before giving the motorist a severe scolding. The idea is to use the Asian horror of "losing face" to scare drivers into behaving. If this happened to me, I'd be on my knees, stuffing bribes into the officer's pockets. Please! Execute me in a stadium on live TV instead! I beg you!

Removal of face as a social tool is also used in parts of India. I speak of hijras, people born male who grow up to wear make-up and sarees. They have traditionally been paid to congregate outside the homes of tax-dodgers, who race to the inland revenue offices to pay up before neighbours question their masculinity. But hijras are becoming socially acceptable, which is surely a good thing, although some are annoyed at the loss of a fun, paid job, and you can see their point. Imagine receiving taxpayer cash to humiliate chauvinists!

This columnist once interviewed actor Michael Palin, who said that one of the most terrifying moments of his life was playing a humiliated Pontius Pilate facing a huge, laughing crowd. Instead of starting wars against despots, we should just send people to laugh at them, he said. I know this happens in India, where people do gather to chuckle as a protest against powerful corporate evildoers. Note: Only do this in large groups. Solo sessions of politically directed hysterical laughter will only get you labeled "lunatic". I know this now.

But going back to driving problems, it is a fact that motorists now have an extra chance to get on the right side of traffic cops. Cop: We saw you driving erratically and holding your phone. Me: Sorry, I was playing Pokemon Go and saw an Articuno. Cop: It is against the law to...You say you saw an Articuno? Where exactly was this Articuno?

Incidentally, please note that talking to traffic cops is an art in itself. If you remember nothing else from this column, remember this: When a cop says: "Do I look stupid to you," it is a rhetorical question. I know this now. You're welcome.

(Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send ideas and comments his Facebook page)

--IANS

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The Centre is concerned about the challenges presented by the advent of new media, especially in the absence of a regulatory framework, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary said on Friday.

"An important area of challenge in the new media is that there is unfortunately no regulatory framework. What you cannot see on TV or hear on your radio, it is all possibly up there in open access," Ministry Secretary Ajay Mittal said here at an event organised by the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI).

Mittal said much more was needed to be done to prepare the government and its officers to deal with the "completely new paradigm of digital media".

"The ministry is in talks with the state governments and we are now going to train their people in the information sector so that they can deal with the challenges created by new media that is causing a whole lot of concern," he said.

Mittal said, "It is regularly being raised in Parliament... this issue of digital media without any boundaries. We are very clear that in the media space the best form of regulation is self regulation and the government would like to keep away as far as possible."

--IANS

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Carnival Cruise Line(WATERLOO, Iowa) -- The co-owner of a cabinet manufacturing company in Iowa is thanking his 800-plus employees for a successful year by offering them a free, week-long Caribbean cruise.



Employees of Bertch Cabinets in Waterloo, Iowa, learned on Dec. 15 that they had met the company's previously announced quality and financial goals and that their free vacation was set for January, the company's co-owner and president, Gary Bertch, told ABC News Friday.



About 600 employees took Bertch up on the offer and will join him on a chartered flight on Jan. 8 from Waterloo to Miami, where they will board the Victory, a Carnival cruise ship, and spend five days in the Caribbean.



The other 200 or so employees of Bertch Cabinets will get that week off work plus a $900 cash bonus, Bertch said.



"We gave people the option of the cash bonus or the vacation," the company president told ABC News. "We'd love to have everyone come on vacation with us, but know it isn't possible for all for personal reasons, so we wanted to have that alternative available to them."



Those going on the cruise can bring their spouses for free, according to Bertch.



Bertch first offered its employees vacation incentives in 1989 but hasn't put forward a companywide vacation since 2005 due to the recent recession, Bertch said.



Employee Tony Means told ABC News that he is looking forward to "getting out of the cold weather" and going on cruise-led excursions such as snorkeling and swimming with dolphins.



Means, a marketing associate for the company, said he's also "really excited to hang out with co-workers outside of the work atmosphere."



"This is a really unique opportunity," he said. "We're just all very thankful to the Bertches."



The vacation is just one example of how the company shows it values its employees, Means said.



"I work right across the hallway from our vice president, Becky Bertch, and 20 feet away from Gary Bertch, and I can tell you that they have an open-door policy, and they always welcome anyone to come in and speak to them any time without a meeting or appointment," he said.



"We all get along pretty well here," Means said. "It's like one big family."

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
At the beginning of 2016, I compiled a list that included 1,034 predictions for the coming year. I later went through and narrowed it down to the top 500 that I was absolutely certain would happen. Even after cutting the list down, though, I only managed to achieve a 67 percent accuracy rate. (Unfortunately, I forgot to post that list in public so it is difficult to verify. Youll just have to take my word for it.)

This year, in an attempt to get 100 percent correct, Ive cut my list of predictions to the ones that Im absolutely sure will come true. Here are 14 cant-miss predictions for 2017:



 Agricultural subsidies will come under increased scrutiny after the discovery that soylent green, one of the Americas most heavily subsidized crops, is people.

 A bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans agree to filibuster a proposed bill only to discover that Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse was not introducing new legislation but merely reading the text of the U.S. Constitution.

 The mainstream medias fascination with Pope Francis will finally end after they discover that the Pope is indeed still Catholic.

 An existential crisis brought on by constant criticism will cause the fact-checking organization Polifact to change its name to Pilatefact and its slogan to What is post-truth?

 A rogue architect will use dynamite to blow up the Cortlandt Homes housing project.

 The United Nations will be the subject of another scandal after its discovered that no-bid contracts were offered to Halliburton for the purchase of the UNs fleet of Black Helicopters.

 Congress fails to pass an immigration reform bill. Hungry, job-less workers, with no discernible skills or ability to speak our language will continue to pour in from Canada.

 Donald Trump will copyright #MAGA and use the proceeds from the royalty payments to reduce the FY2017 budget deficit.

 Iraq will officially change the countrys name back to Babylon in a successful attempt to freak out pre-millennial dispensational Evangelicals.

 After selecting on fleek as their Word of the Year, the Oxford English Dictionary pronounces the official death of the English language.

 Peter Jackson will announce hes begun filming a 12-hour version of The Silmarillion in order to complete his lifelong ambition of ruining every book written by J. R. R. Tolkien.

 Twitter will join with GEICO to sell an insurance policy that provides a years worth of income if you are fired because of something you posted on Twitter.

 Acton senior research fellow Jordan Ballor will win the 2017 Wolfgang Musculus Award for being the only person alive who has heard of Wolfgang Musculus.

 For the 64th year in a row, political activists will once again attempt to immanentize the eschaton.
Russias Foreign Ministry on Friday proposed expelling 35 American diplomats in response to the recent sanctions imposed by Washington.

"Russia's Foreign Ministry and their colleagues from other agencies have proposed that President Vladimir Putin proclaim 31 employees of the US Embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US Consulate service in St. Petersburg as persona non-grata," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, as cited by Russian agencies.

The proposal also includes a ban on using a recreation facility and storage facility used by American diplomats in Moscow, according to Lavrov.

"We hope these proposals will be reviewed as quickly as possible," he said.

At the same time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova refuted a report by CNN that Russia will close a school for children of English-speaking diplomats.

Earlier in the morning, CNN said that the Russian authorities "ordered the closure of the Anglo-American School of Moscow" in retaliation for the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomatic staff from the US. The news channel cited an anonymous "US official briefed on the matter" as the source of the information.

The school "serves children of US, British and Canadian embassy personnel, to US and foreign nationals", the report said.

"This is lies. Apparently the White House has gone completely mad and begun to invent sanctions against their own children," Zakhrarova wrote on her Facebook page.

She added, apparently addressing journalist: "And don't write that 'Moscow has denied... or Moscow will not...' Write it as it is: 'CNN and other Western Media once again spread false information citing US officials.'"

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
International/Diplomacy/Terrorism/2016 in Retrospect

By Arul Louis

United Nations, Dec 30 (IANS) As Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed away this year, India followed a strategy of quiet diplomacy while projecting its soft power at the world body, even as it suffered a setback in the fight against .

A.R. Rahman's concert commemorating that of M.S. Subbulakshmi at the UN 50 years ago was the highlight of a series of events this year promoting India's cultural influence. The Oscar-winner's tribute to the "Queen of Music" in August was an evocation of universal harmony, blending traditions, time, faiths and languages at the General Assembly chamber in a show of 21st century pizzazz.

On Gandhi Jayanti -- October 2 -- which is commemorated at the UN as the International Day of Nonviolence, the UN postal service released a commemorative stamp in Subbulakshmi's honour.

India had a low profile on the diplomatic front that masked a lot of behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

After having made a trip to Washington to address the Congress, Modi did not attend the annual general debate of the General Assembly that brings together heads of state and government from the 193 members of the UN.

New Delhi's strategy of quiet diplomacy started outside the UN at the Nonaligned Summit in Venezuela held just before the General Assembly session in September. (Modi did not attend that either.)

The trio of Vice President Hamid Ansari, Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar and Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin began the diplomatic drive there to boost India's influence as an emerging economic and political power and to neutralise Pakistan's bid to rake up the Kashmir issue.

It was carried forward by Akbar and Akbaruddin to the General Assembly's general debate that followed in New York. Over a week they met scores of world leaders and the various geographic, political and economic groups before External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj came to deliver India's speech at the general debate on its last day.

As a result, support for India's bid for a permanent seat in the Security Council was solidified among key groups of nations, the universal risks from was highlighted and Pakistan was isolated on Kashmir.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was left plodding on a lonely road among nations more concerned about .

Ninety per cent of the speakers mentioned terrorism, but none, except Sharif, talked of Kashmir, Akbaruddin pointed out and asked: "Diplomacy is the art of the possible; are you seeing any other countries raising the issues Pakistan has?"

After Sharif's general debate speech glorifying Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Eenam Gambhir, a young diplomat at the Indian mission, hammered Pakistan's association with terrorism in a reply that made her a mini-celebrity in India.

"The land of Taxila, one of the greatest learning centres of ancient times, is now host to the Ivy League of terrorism," she said in a memorable line.

India, however, had a setback in fighting terrorism as China continued to provide cover for Pakistan and for terrorists based there who are behind attacks on India.

Beijing blocked New Delhi's request to have Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, who was behind the attack on the Pathankot air force base, declared a terrorist by the Security Council committee that imposes sanctions on terrorists linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

This was to be expected of a Council that Akbaruddin had ridiculed as functioning in a "random mix of ad-hocism, scrambling and political paralysis".

Attempts to reform the Council suffered another setback that directly hit India's quest for a permanent seat on the high table.

The Inter-governmental Negotiations (IGN) on reforming the Council lost the momentum built up last year. The General Assembly decided in July to put off further negotiations on reforms to the next session after discussions spluttered. The new session that started in September has not yet taken it up.

This was despite 113 countries of the 122 that responded to an IGN survey in 2014 supported expanding the Council, according to Akbaruddin.

India's cultural push included an exhibit, "Africans in India: From Slaves to Generals", that depicted India's tradition of openness that raised those who came as slaves to positions of power as rulers and military leaders.

The Second International Yoga Day was celebrated under the leadership of the Sadhguru at the UN in June with several hundred people, including Mogens Lykketoft, the president of the General Assembly, doing a round of asanas in front of the UN.

To celebrate Deepavali, the towering glass-fronted UN Secretariat was lit up with the image of a traditional lamp and "Happy Diwali" projected on it in letters several stories high.

Although not sponsored by India, an exhibition at the UN in September paid tributes to Mother Teresa, an Indian citizen by adoption, whose sisters work across the globe among the poor and the forgotten -- even in New York where the UN headquarters is located.

On the climate change and economic fronts, India and France launched in April a solar finance programme with a potential to raise more than $1 trillion in investment for members of the International Solar Alliance.

A familial bond at the highest level for India came with election of the former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres as elected Secretary-General: His wife Catarina de Almeida Vaz Pinto was born in Goa.

(This is a part of a series of articles from IANS that look back at the year that was. Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In yet another measure to curb generation of black money, India on Friday amended its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Singapore, the Indian government said.

"We have today (Friday) amended the DTAA with Singapore on the same terns as the agreement signed with Mauritius earlier this year," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters here.

"The year 2016 has been historic for the three DTAAs concluded with the countries that provided the routes for tax evasion...these have been blocked," he said, adding that the third DTAA amendment agreement signed earlier this year was with the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus.

Pointing out that all the three DTAAs had been the focus of attention, and even cause for uproar in Parliament, because of widespread suspicion that they were being used to evade capital gains tax, facilitating, thereby, the round tripping of funds anf generation of black money.

"The apprehension was of round tripping by which the flight of domestic black money was being organised to these 3 countries, which do not have capital gains tax, and bringing back the money through these 3 routes - Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore.

Between April 200 and September 2016, Mauritius and Singapore accounted for 49 per cent of all foreign direct investmentn(FDI) inflows into India.

"The Third Protocol amends the India-Singapore DTAA with effect from 1st April, 2017, to provide for source based taxation of capital gains arising on transfer of shares in a company," an Indian Finance Ministry release here said.

"Like the Mauritius agreement, the Singapore DTAA envisages that investments in shares made before 1st April, 2017, will be grandfathered," Jaitley said.

"Thereafter, a two-year transition period from 1st April, 2017, to 31st March, 2019, has been provided during which capital gains liability on shares will be shared half with the source country," he said.

"After the end of the transition period in 2019, the entire capital gains will come to India," he added.

Jaitley also said that in another move against black money stashed abroad, India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed an agreement with Swiss authorities for implementing the "Automatic Exchange of Information" (AEOI) between India and Switzerland.

Under this agreement it will now be possible for India to receive, from September, 2019 onwards, all financial information of accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland for 2018 and subsequent years, on an automatic basis," the Finance Minister said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hundreds of Indian women, mainly from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, are entering Bahrain on forged visit visas to work as domestic helps, a media report said Saturday.

Unscrupulous recruitment agents are helping these women, who mainly come from poor backgrounds and are willing to pay a large amount of money to work in the Gulf nation, which is causing a major problem for Bahraini families, the Gulf Daily News reported.

"These housemaids, mainly from Andhra Pradesh, are leaving India based on a photocopy of a forged visit visa," an official of the Indian embassy in Bahrain was quoted as saying.

"This is not a valid visit visa issued by Bahraini authorities."

The official said unscrupulous agents in India make sure that these domestic workers clear the immigration process.

Once they enter Bahrain, agents there give them legitimate working visas.

The official said these women mainly come to Bahrain to work for a short time.

"Based on all the cases we have dealt with so far, these women start working in Bahraini households initially and after three months run away and come to us saying they want to go back," he said, adding that many Bahraini families have suffered because of this.

According to Indian law, only women aged 30 years and above are eligible to work as housemaids abroad and they require a $2,500 refundable deposit.

According to the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS), which runs a shelter for distressed women in Bahrain, the problem was complex and escalating.

"I cannot even tell you at this point how many cases related to women from Andhra Pradesh we have dealt since last year, who sneak out of the country illegally using forged visit visas," MWPS chairperson Marietta Dias said.

"We dealt with about 80 cases last year, of which 60 were related to women from Andhra Pradesh," she said.

Bahrain is home to around 300,000 expatriate Indians.
Accusing Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh of "lying" to Punjab's youths, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday asked if he was honest about giving them jobs.

Talking to reporters here, Kejriwal posed five questions for Captain Amarinder Singh.

"Captain (Amarinder) promised 60 lakh jobs to youths when only four lakh jobs are there. Why is Captain lying to Punjab youths?" Kejriwal asked.

Referring to a 2002 order, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor inquired: "If Captain is promising government jobs in every household now, why did he abolish all government job vacancies when he was the Chief Minister in May 2002?"

"Captain is promising pensions to employees. Why did he abolish the existing pensions during his tenure in 2004?"

"AAP demands that Captain tells the Punjab electorate which of his promises are false and which will he fulfil," Kejriwal added.

He also asked Captain Amarinder to clarify if he "took permission from Congress's undeclared CM candidate Navjot Singh Sidhu about his promises".

Kejriwal on Wednesday announced that AAP's Delhi legislator Jarnail Singh would contest against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi in the 2017 assembly elections.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CPI-M on Friday asked the government to immediately remove restrictions on cash withdrawals as the 50-day window sought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expired.

"Since the deadline of December 30 is over, all restrictions on the withdrawal of money by people from their own hard-earned money in the banks must be removed forthwith," the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) said in a statement.

It said that since the demonetisation has pushed the "beleaguered and stumbling Indian economy into a tailspin causing immense misery to the poor and the downtrodden" who survive on daily cash earnings, and hence some "corrective steps" need to be taken by the government.

The party has demanded immediate debt waiver for farmers, doubling the allocation for MNREGA to ensure 100 days of employment for all those who are enrolled, tax rebate to small and medium enterprises whose economic activity has suffered and removal of all restrictions on deposits and withdrawals of funds from the cooperative banks.

"This demonetisation will lead to a significant revenue loss in many states. To address this crucial issue, the Centre must compensate the state governments for the loss in revenue that they are incurring and the borrowing ceiling on the state governments in accordance to the FRBM Act must be raised form 3-4 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product," it said.

The CPI-M said that since the Prime Minister is constantly emphasising on the need to shift to a cashless economy, it is necessary to ensure that people are not burdened with additional costs and all costs on digital transactions should be removed.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After storming to power in West Bengal for a second consecutive term, 2016 saw Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee striving for a bigger role in national as she emerged among the most vocal adversaries of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his moves, particularly demonetisation.

Despite odds heavily stacked against her, including rivals Left Front and the Congress joining ranks and her own party facing severe corruption charges, Banerjee single-handedly decimated the opposition in West Bengal as the Trinamool captured 211 of the 294 seats in the assembly polls earlier this year.

Her strong desire to extend Trinamool's influence beyond Bengal and position it as the pivot to an anti-Modi and anti-BJP political battle was evident the very day she was sworn in.

The guests of honour included key anti-BJP leaders like RJD Chief Lalu Prasad, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah who all have pitched for an alternative secular front.

Often accused by political rivals of having a "tacit understanding" with the BJP, Banerjee steadily upped the ante against Modi and repeatedly accused him of destroying the federal structure of the country and "financially depriving" Bengal.

Her aspiration of playing a key role in the capital's got a fillip in September when the Trinamool got national party status from the Election Commission, and she continued her rants against Modi over various issues.

But it was the Prime Minister's November 8 move to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes that Banerjee has used to the hilt to mount a massive assault.

All prominent opposition leaders including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal vehemently opposed the note-ban, but Banerjee took centre stage, holding successive meetings in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and letting loose a no-holds-barred attack on Modi through her daily tweets.

Inside Parliament, Trinamool leaders raised the pitch against the ruling BJP.

In her bid to rev up the anti-demonetisation war, she even dialled archrival Yehcury, CPI-M General Secretary, and got BJP ally Shiv Sena -- otherwise a pariah for her brand of -- on board for a march to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking rollback of the currency spike decision.

Joining forces with Kejriwal, she held two rallies in the national capital, getting support from key leaders like Janata Dal-United's Sharad Yadav, and National Conference's Omar Abdullah.

Using every issue to assail the BJP government, Banerjee termed as a "coup attempt" the deployment of army personnel at toll plazas in her state claiming her administration had been kept "in the dark".

Known for her theatrics, Banerjee stayed put at the state secretariat overnight protesting against the deployment which the army called a routine exercise carried out with prior information to the state administration.

In the same vein, Banerjee also raised objections to CRPF personnel providing security to income-tax officials during search operations in Bengal.

Political observers believe Banerjee has successfully used demonetisation to assert herself in national politics.

"The Trinamool was nearly isolated from national politics following the Saradha chit fund scam. But the demonetisation protest has catapulted it back into reckoning. She (Banerjee) has revved up her image both as pro-poor and anti-Modi," analyst Biswanath Chakraborty told IANS.

Praveen Rai, from the Centre for Study of Developing Societies, too opined that Banerjee has successfully asserted her presence in national politics.

"Considering BJP's stint at the Centre so far, coupled with the way it has implemented demonetisation, Mamata sensed the opportunity of offering an alternative... Mamata has very wisely used the opportunity to come to the fore by leading the protest," Rai told IANS.

It's not just demonetisation, Banerjee has been firing one salvo after another at Modi.

On November 30, when an aircraft ferrying her had to hover over the Kolkata airport for some time before landing, the Trinamool sniffed a conspiracy to "silence" Banerjee for being at the forefront of the anti-demonetisation protest, and raised a hue and cry in parliament. The government was forced to order a probe.

She has used popular imageries to drive home her point nationally. For instance, she likened the Income Tax department to the legendary villainous character Gabbar Singh from the Hindi movie Sholay.

"It is Christmas but instead of celebrating, people are scared. They fear that Income Tax officials may turn up. Suddenly, Gabbar Singh may turn up. This is the state of the country," Banerjee said referring to the IT raids across the country.

(This is a part of a series of articles from IANS that look back at the year that was. Anurag Dey can be contacted at anurag.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reiterating her demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday batted for the formation of a national government, comprising all major political parties, till the next general elections.

She went all guns blazing against the Modi government over demonetisation and the arrest of Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul by CBI in the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, fired salvos at Modi and targeted the BJP on a day which co-coincided with Modi's self-set 50-day demonetisation deadline.

"A national government (comprising all parties) may be formed, if required, to govern the country till the next general elections. The country is not safe under this government," she said.

Referring to Paul's arrest, a furious Banerjee said it was obvious that someone from her party would be arrested on the 50th day deadline as the central agencies are functioning under "instructions" from the BJP government.

"I knew that they would arrest someone from our party today as we plan to intensify our protest post the 50-day deadline of the demonetisation. I have the documents from CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) that clearly state who all are in their list," she claimed.

Banerjee also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of having association with a chit fund scam and dared the Modi government to arrest her and her party MPs and legislators.

"I don't care if they arrest all my MPs. Let them arrest me. I will not be surprised if they arrest all our MPs. Arrest all my MPs. How many MLAs will you arrest? You do not need to summon us. We are ready to present ourselves," Banerjee said.

"The SEBI and RBI did not act against the chit fund companies," she said.

"BJP is connected to Pearl group chit fund scam worth Rs 50,000 crore. (BJP leaders) Babul Supriyo and Rupa Ganguly also were associated with Rose Valley," she claimed, likening the situation to the "terror of pre-Independence era."

She asserted that Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, who too was summoned by the central agency in the same case, has not done anything wrong and would definitely appear before the CBI.

She said Paul's arrest reeks of political vendetta as the party is protesting against the Centre over demonetisation while slamming the Modi government for failing to restore normalcy by Friday.

"111 people have lost their lives. How many BJP leaders visited their house? Why is RBI not disclosing how much money has been released to which state?"

"People have been misled. Your 50 days are up and you have failed in your 'agni pariksha'. The PM must apologise to the nation and step down. If BJP thinks they have majority, then make someone else the PM," she said.

She said Modi and the BJP "despise" the poor, the scheduled caste and tribes and the minorities.

Banerjee also flayed Modi for naming e-wallet app BHIM after BR Ambedkar.

"How could the government name a lottery app in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar who is the architect of the Indian Constitution? They have no right to insult the statesmen of the country and hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Castes in the country," she said.

Asked about the ongoing rift within the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the elections, she said she doesn't want to comment on any party's internal matter.

"... but I will be happy if BJP is defeated. BJP must be defeated in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand and wherever there are elections," she added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Australian counter-terrorism police have arrested a man for making online threats against the upcoming New Year's Eve festivities in the Sydney harbour, which are expected to be attended by some one million people, officials said on Friday.

The arrest took place at Sydney International Airport on Thursday after the suspect returned from Britain, Efe news reported.

At the time of the arrest, the police also raided an apartment and a storage facility in Sydney, and seized documents and computer hard disks.

The man, who is expected to appear in court on January 10, has been charged with a Crimes Act offence but not a terrorist offence, Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Mennilli told the media here on Friday.

Authorities believe it to be an isolated case as the man did not have any links to terrorist groups.

Police forces last week arrested seven people who were planning to detonate explosives during Christmas festivities in Sydney.

Australia raised its terror alert in September 2014 and has since tightened security besides adopting a number of counter-terrorism laws to prevent attacks on its soil.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Metro Museum here on Friday launched a special brochure in braille for the blind to commemorate its eighth anniversary.

The brochure, printed in Hindi and English, will help visually impaired people to read information related to the museum.

The new brochure was launched at the Metro Museum, Patel Chowk, by Veerbala, wife of DMRC's Managing Director Mangu Singh and the wives of the other directors of the transporter.

On the occasion, visually challenged children from the NGO Saksham performed a skit titled 'Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahi', in which they discussed about the various challenges as well as the facilities available for the visually challenged.

A special storytelling session was also organised by the museum in which a professional storyteller was roped in to narrate inspiring stories to the children.

A six-day exhibition 'Metro Through Their Eyes', was also inaugurated which showcased artworks created by a few orthopaedically challenged children from NGO Prerna Niketan Sangh, depicting their love of metro trains.

The Delhi Metro Museum is one of the few museums globally which are dedicated to Metro railway. A treasure trove of display panels, historical photographs and exhibits, the museum traces the genesis of the Delhi Metro.

The Delhi Metro has been sensitive to the needs of the marginalised and has organised drawing competitions, workshops etc before also.

It has also organised special visits for physically challenged children and kids undergoing treatment for cancer.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You can set your UPI PIN by going to Main Menu -Bank Accounts -Set UPI-PIN for the selected account. You will be prompted to enter the last 6 digits of your Debit/ATM card along with the expiry date. You will then receive an OTP which you will enter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched an Aadhaar-based mobile payment application at Digi Dhan Mela to promote and make digital transactions easier.



Here is all you need to know about the app:

1. The app is called (Bharat Interface for Money) -- a re-branded version of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data).

2. Modi said app was very simple to use and a thumb impression was enough to operate it.

3. No internet needed: "Be it a smartphone or feature phone of Rs 1,000-1,200, app can be used. There is no need to have Internet connectivity. One only needs a thumb. There was a time when an illiterate was called 'angutha chchap'. Now, time has changed. Your thumb is your bank now. It has become your identity now."

4. Modi said that 'Lucky Grahak Yojana' and 'DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana' were a Chrismas gift to the nation.

Over 100 days, several prizes of Rs 1,000 will be given to people through lucky draws. The mega draw will be held on April 14, the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.



5.How it works: BHIM can also be downloaded on playstore.



. Register your bank account with BHIM, and set a UPI PIN for the bank account. Your mobile number is your payment address (PA), and you can start transacting.

7. Send / Receive Money: Send money to or receive money from friends, family and customers through a mobile number or payment address. Money can also be sent to non UPI supported banks using IFSC and MMID. You can also collect money by sending a request and reverse payments if required.

8. QR Code: You can scan a QR code for faster entry of payment addresses. Merchants can easily print their QR Code for display.

8. Transaction Limits: Maximum of Rs. 10,000 per transaction and Rs. 20,000 within 24 hours.

9 Language supported: Hindi and English. More languages coming soon!

10 Supported Banks: Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank, Central Bank of India, DCB Bank, Dena Bank, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, IDFC Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, IndusInd Bank, Karnataka Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, RBL Bank, South Indian Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, State Bank of India, Syndicate Bank, Union Bank of India, United Bank of India, Vijaya Bank.
Commercial pilots have expressed concerns about Australia's drone laws, saying they raise the risk of fatal collisions between unmanned drones and passenger planes.

In a submission to the Senate committee which is investigating the safety of the new drone laws, pilots from Qantas and Virgin Australia have asked the government to reconsider the law change, under which drones two kilograms and lighter will no longer need approval to fly in public spaces, Xinhua news agency reported.

Drones will not, however, be allowed to fly within 5.5 km of an airport and not within 30 metres of buildings.

In a Senate submission published on Friday, Qantas chief pilot Richard Tobiano said if the laws are relaxed, there will be more drone pilots flying their small, dangerous aircraft despite no training.

"Against this context, it would be opportune for the airline industry to confirm best-practice processes in managing the ramifications of an incident ahead of time," Tobiano said in the submission.

He said if the laws were to stay, it would up to police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure untrained pilots aren't breaking the laws and flying near airports, or too high, in order to minimize the threat to passenger flights.

"As with lasers and model rockets, this regime should involve education of - and strategic and tactical coordination between - state and federal law enforcement agencies, local government and CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority)," Tobiano said.

"Critically, it must also include a comprehensive suite of offence provisions and penalties to ensure general and specific deterrence."

Meanwhile, Virgin Australia's pilot John Lyons said drones would cause much more - even fatal - damage compared to something such as a bird being sucked into a jet engine.

"Launching a drone close to an airport, particularly in proximity to an uncontrolled aerodrome, exposes aircraft (which are often jet powered) to the risk of collision which could result in substantial damage, loss of control and potentially, loss of life," Lyons said.

"Collision with an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) could be considerably more dangerous than striking a bird."
As the opposition accused the Prime Minister of changing the narrative on demonetisation and asking whether any of its avowed objectives were achieved at the end of 50-day deadline set by him, an unperturbed Narendra Modi pitched for less-cash economy and digital transactions.

On Friday, when the deadline for depositing scrapped notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 ended, the Congress dubbed the November 8 demonetisation a "decision taken without forethought".

The party said all its stated objectives have failed and the government's insistence on digital transactions is infested with "serious issues", including of privacy.

"It is now abundantly clear that the whole exercise (scrapping notes) was undertaken without forethought and planning; without consulting key officials; without understanding the crucial role of money in circulation; and without assessing the capacity of the currency printing presses to supply new notes," senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said.

He said that "events of the last 50 days have proved that none of the stated objectives has been served".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of high-denomination currency notes on November 8 night, and subsequently sought 50 days to put things in order.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi sought to know from Modi the amount of black money recovered after the demonetisation.

Other opposition parties accused the Modi government of changing the narrative from fighting black money and corruption to transforming India into a cashless economy.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist questioned the government over what it said was economic mess and job loss caused by demonetisation.

"What is the government's estimation of the economic loss to the nation as a result of this move? How many people have lost their jobs and livelihood since demonetisation was announced on November 8?" the Left party said.

"The Prime Minister must publicly declare the quantum of demonetised money that has returned to the banks. What is the quantum and value of new notes that have been printed so far? By when will the full value of demonetised money be back in the system through new notes?" the CPI-M added.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad accused Prime Minister Modi of eviscerating the Indian economy.

"If lungs, liver, kidneys, intestine and blood are taken out of your body, would you be able to survive? That's what has been done with our economy," Lalu said in a tweet.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been at the forefront of anti-demonetisation agitation, said a democratic government should always be accountable to the people it serves.

"The Centre is saying one can withdraw up to Rs 24,000 a week, which means around Rs 96,000 a month. However, in reality, daily wage workers are not even able to withdraw around Rs 5,000 (in a month) as banks have no money," she alleged.

The Prime Minister hit back at the opposition, saying that during the earlier United Progressive Alliance rule at the Centre, money lost in the scams made news but now the nation is talking about money coming back into the system.

He was speaking after launching an new Aadhaar-based mobile payment application in Delhi to make digital transactions easier.

"Look at the newspapers or video clips from three years ago -- the news was all about what we lost in scams. However, today, it is about what has come back or what is the gain," Modi said.

He said boosting digital connectivity will "do wonders for our nation", as he launched BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app -- a re-branded version of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD.

Making a pitch for digital transactions, Modi said that the day was not far off when the cash-based transaction will turn completely digital.

Meanwhile, crowds were thin compared with even a week back at banks and functional ATMs.

Although Automated Teller Machines at last seemed to hold some cash, the opinion on the cash situation was mixed.

"Nothing much has changed. We are still getting reduced amount from the RBI (Reserve Bank of India); so we are still not giving more than Rs 10,000 to each customer," a Punjab National Bank official told IANS, declining to be named.

However, a manager at Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) said the cash situation is pretty smooth and that the worst days of cash crunch are now past.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Demanding that the Prime Minister should apologise and resign taking responsibility for his "failure" on demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister on Saturday dared the Centre to arrest all the TMC MPs, charging the Modi government of pursuing "vendetta politics".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately step down taking responsibility for his failure to give relief to the people even after 50 days of demonetisation," she told a press conference at the state secretariat.

Furious over the arrest of her party MP Tapas Pal for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley chit fund scam, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, "He (Modi) can arrest all of our MPs, I do not care. This is nothing but vendetta . We will continue with our protest (against demonetisation).

"I came to know that they (CBI) have arrested one of our MPs. It is only because of our protest against 'notebandi' that this is happening. This is nothing but vendetta ."

Claiming that she has "all the information" about the Centre's next step, Banerjee said, "I already have the list of my party leaders who will be summoned next (by the CBI)."

Asked if TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay, who too was summoned by the central agency in the same case, would appear before the CBI, Banerjee said, "He will definitely go. He will be proud to go. He has not done anything wrong.

"The Sebi and RBI did not perform their duties by not acting against the chit fund companies. These companies are not under the jurisdiction of our state. They have given them protection."

The TMC supremo wondered how could a person, well established in public life as an actor or a sportsperson, be arrested for accepting the hospitality of a company.

"How did these chit fund companies get the permission for uplinking (TV) channels. Sportspersons and actors are brand ambassadors of many companies. I do not intend to show disrespect to anyone, but Amitabh Bachchan too is the brand ambassador of Gujarat and Shah Rukh Khan is the brand ambassador of Bengal," she said.

Banerjee referred to Sahara group, which too is under the lens, and wondered if the central agencies were "sleeping" at that point of time.

Continuing her tirade against Modi, the chief minister said either someone else in the BJP should take over as the prime minister or a " government" (comprising all the parties) should govern the country till the next general election.

"The country has never witnessed such a situation even during the British rule or Emergency," she added.
Asking the banks to report collections of demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes on December 30 itself, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday notified the closure of the deposit and exchange of the old notes.

"With the closure of the facility of exchange of specified bank notes, all banks should report information on collection on December 30, itself. Banks should make arrangements to gather the information from all its branches accordingly," the RBI said in a notification here.

From next week onward, those still holding the scrapped currency can deposit it only with the RBI till March 31, 2017.

All bank branches, except district cooperative central bank (DCCBs), which have accumulated old notes at the close of business on Friday, are required to deposit these in the office of the RBI or a currency chest on Saturday, the RBI said.

The old notes cannot form part of banks' cash balances from the close of business as on Saturday, the central bank added.

However, DCCBs may retain the demonetised currency received between November 10-14, till further instructions.

The government had on November 8 announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes were no longer the legal tender.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Turkish armed forces on Friday said that Russian aircraft carried out three air strikes against Islamic State (IS) positions in Syria, killing 12 militants.

The attacks were launched on Thursday in support of Turkey's military operation against IS in the northern town of Al-Bab, Hurriyet Daily News reported citing military officials.

Russian forces staged three attacks in support of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), an ally of Turkey.

Turkish forces also launched airstrikes against Al-Bab, which reportedly killed a further 26 IS members.

A Turkish soldier died and five others were injured in a counter-attack by IS militants.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday denounced a lack of support from NATO countries in the fight against IS in Syria, Efe news reported.

Erdogan said Turkey, as a NATO ally, needed the organisation's support.

His country had not seen any support from NATO nor from allied countries, he said during a speech in Ankara capital city.

The head of state also condemned Washington's support of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey.

The Russian attacks came hours after a ceasefire, struck between the Syrian government regime of President Bashar al-Assad and rebel groups, came into effect and is being safeguarded by both Russia and Turkey.

The ceasefire did not apply to groups considered terrorist organisations by the United Nations Security Council, as in the case of IS.

In August, Turkey launched the Euphrates Shield operation in order to expel IS fighters from its borders and prevent the advance of Kurdish-Syrian militias across northern Syria.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A civic group on Friday installed a statue of a girl symbolising victims of Japanese wartime sex slavery in front of the Japanese consulate in South Korea's city of Busan, a move that could strain Japan-South Korea relations, the media reported.

The local ward office said two days earlier that it would remove the "comfort women" statue if it was installed, but it reversed course, saying it would not forcibly remove the one-tonne figure, reported the Japan Times.

"We will not stop the civic group from installing the statue in front of the consulate if they wish to do so," city official Park Sam-seok said.

According to a live video streamed by the civic group, the statue was carried by forklift to the front of the consulate, as members of the group chanted "Victory to the people!".

The move comes after the civic group attempted to erect the statue at the site on Wednesday, the first anniversary of an agreement between Seoul and Tokyo that provides compensation for comfort women.

The police and ward officials forcibly separated the group from the figure and removed it about four hours later.

But ward officials then got swamped with phone calls of protest from the public. They held talks with the group and decided to give them the permission.

The civic group plans to hold a ceremony on Saturday evening to mark the unveiling of the statue.

The statue is similar to another figure installed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Feeling offended, Japan has demanded that it be removed.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) appeared headed for a split on Friday as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav raised the banner of revolt against his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Party sources have conceded that all "fire fighting measures have failed".

With the warring factions headed by Akhilesh Yadav and state Samajwadi Party chief Shivpal Singh Yadav refusing to retreat, the party is facing its toughest crisis yet since its inception 25 years ago.

Shivpal on Thursday midnight released a list of 68 more 'official' candidates of the party for the state assembly eletions due early next year, virtually shutting all doors for some settlement with Akhilesh, his nephew.

With state assembly elections round the corner, the dispute augurs ill for the party, which till not so long ago was claiming to return to power, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav has called a meeting of the party's core group where he is likely to take stock of the situation and decide the future course of action, in consultation with his close aides.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Police arrested three persons, including a graphic designer, here for shooting at a rape victim's mother with the intention to kill her, police said on Friday.

Those arrested are Faisal Hussain, 36, the key conspirator and resident of Shaheen Bagh, Wasim, 30, a resident of Jasola village, and Mohd Iqbal, 46, a resident of Okhla village, police said.

They were arrested by separate police teams following raids on Wednesday and Thursday nights at Batla House and nearby areas in Jamia Nagar.

"Wasim and Iqbal worked for Hussain, a graphic designer. Wasim and Iqbal admitted that they shot the rape victim's mother on the instruction of Hussain. They had no personal enmity with the rape victim's family," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Romil Banniya said.

However, interrogation of the accused gave an altogether new twist to the tale, which initially seemed to be one of bumping off the complainant.

According to the DCP, the main accused Sajid, a local builder, who had gang-raped the victim along with three others, had made some investments in real estate with the help of one Bunty, also a local builder and broker.

Hussain also had some stake in the deal struck by Sajid and Bunty. But later, Hussain developed some differences with Sajid over the deal.

Taking advantage of the circumstances, Hussain hired Wasim and Iqbal to get the rape victim's mother eliminated, so as to implicate Sajid in the murder case. This would have solved his own problems with Sajid, DCP Banniya said.

Hussain also told interrogators that he hatched the plan after he came to know that Sajid was involved in a rape case and that the rape victim's mother had filed a complaint of life threat against him a couple of weeks ago.

Wasim and Iqbal on December 23 opened fired at the woman when she was on her way to a hospital, along with her daughter (the rape victim), in Jamia Nagar area. The bullet pierced her back, and amid the chaos, the shooters managed to escape, police said.

Police later arrested Sajid from his hideout in Uttar Pradesh. During the interrogation, he confessed to have raped the victim but denied shooting at her mother.

He hinted that Hussain could be behind the attack as he would have benefited if he (Sajid) is sent to jail for a long period, the officer said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With New Year around the corner, hotels and sightseeing destinations are reporting a big boom in the desert state of Rajasthan.

According to sources, tourist arrivals are so high that finding a room in a hotel is getting difficult.

"There has been a big rush of mainly domestic tourists to cities like Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Pushkar and Jodhpur, to name a few," said Sobhan Singh, manager with a Jaipur based travel agency that deals in inbound tourists.

"This rush has started from December 25 and is to continue till January 1-2 at least," he said.

"Look at Jaipur, on Thursday alone over 12,000 tourists visited Amber Fort....out of this 9,000 were domestic," Singh said.

"Similar scenes are being reported from other cities in the state," he said

"Almost all the big and leading and even budget hotels are reporting good business especially from December 25-January 2. Though before this period business was affected due to demonetisation," said Akhilesh Sharma, a tour operator.

"Domestic tourists are much more than foreign this time period. Majority of bookings in hotels this year are coming from neighbouring states like Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat to name a few," said R.S.Rathore, general manager of a five star hotel in Jaipur.

"One should forget about getting discounts in hotels at least till the first week of January. On the other hand one should be happy even to get a room," Sobhan Singh said.

According to travel industry pundits, good air, rail and road connectivity and peaceful atmosphere coupled with lots of sightseeing places and shopping are some of the reasons attracting tourists to these Rajasthan cities.

On an average Rajasthan attracts over 12 lakh foreign and over 2 crore domestic tourists every year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin with a $450 million contract to develop F-35 fighter jets for South Korea.

The contract is a modification of a previous $920 million deal for Lockheed Martin to manufacture 94 various models of F-35s for the US and its allies, Pentagon said in a statement on Thursday.

"This modification continues the integration work to implement the development and delivery of the F-35A Air System to South Korea under the Foreign Military Sales programme," it said.

The work will be carried out in Texas and is expected to complete by August 2019.

The Foreign Military Sales programme allows the Pentagon to facilitate contracts between foreign governments and US arms manufacturers.

President-elect Donald Trump has recently blasted Lockheed Martin for the "out of control costs" of its F-35s. He has also complained that the new Air Force Ones, built by Boeing at $4 billion each, are too expensive.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and told him that US was aware of Islamabads complaint against New Delhi's alleged violation of Indus Waters Treaty and wanted to see an amicable solution, said an official statement on Friday.

"US would like to see an amicable solution to this issue," Kerry was quoted as saying by the federal government.

Dar told Kerry that Indus Waters Treaty was an international commitment and it is the responsibility of the World Bank to make sure that India honours this treaty and the water rights of hundreds of millions of people of Pakistan are protected.

Earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said India's violation of the treaty would set a dangerous precedent for other countries to behave similarly, but remained hopeful that India would refrain from such actions.

According to the statement, Dar also shared the latest developments in the economy and the Pakistan Stock Exchange and said that all economic indicators had improved over the last three years.

"The (Pakistan) government after having achieved macro-economic stability is now focused on achieving higher sustainable and inclusive economic growth," the statement quoted him as saying, adding that Kerry congratulated Dar on the economic recovery brought about by the Nawaz Sharif government.

Dar also congratulated Kerry on his statement this week on the Middle East peace process and Palestinian rights.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Steve Jobss resurrection of Apples fortunes from the late 1990s is a much repeated business parable. But, it may contain a lesson important for Indian governments seeking to reform the dysfunctional legacies of a state that between meddling in industrial production, running a lousy airline and creating a vast bureaucratic apparatus has done little in public education and public health relative to our neighbours in Southeast Asia and even Bangladesh. The lesson from the late Steve Jobs triumphant return to Apple is that he and the company learned to focus. Jobs whittled down a product line that included 12 different types of Macintoshes and computer peripherals to essentially four products: one computer and laptop each for the consumer market and the professional market. As Jobs said, Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.
Anti-national: The it gaali of 2016. You could be hit with it if you were so subversive as to not want sloganeering students in jail. Or if you opposed the governments currency ban or, heaven forbid, supported the idea of Pakistani artists working in Bollywood.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday expelled his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister as well as general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years for gross indiscipline, a decision that will lead to a political crisis in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress today expressed concern over growing political instability in Uttar Pradesh in wake of the dramatic developments in ruling Samajwadi Party and claimed the BJP is dreaming of "assuming power in the state through the backdoor" by fishing in troubled waters.

"Congress doesn't delve into internal divisions in another party, but we are deeply concerned about growing political instability in UP," party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

"More alarming are reports that BJP is dreaming of assuming power through the back door by fishing in troubled waters," he claimed.

He said BJP earlier tried it in the neighbouring state of Uttrakhand and failed. "The Congress government was similiarly brought down in Arunanchal by engineering defections."



"We sincerely hope that the Modi government would take the cue from strictures passed in the two cases by Supreme Court and will not abuse the powers of the Union government or the office of Governor to disrespect people's mandate," he added.
The on Friday reiterated its demand for making public the minutes of a meeting of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Board on November 8-- hours before the Prime Minister announced the demonetisation-- as well as the Union Cabinet note of that day.

"We demand that the minutes and agenda of the meeting of the RBI Board as well as the Cabinet note of November 8 should be made public. The people have the right to know as to how things transpired on that day," senior leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.

Dubbing demonetisation a decision taken "without consulting key officials", Chidambaram said everything worked "as per the set script" wherein all the players had pre-defined roles.

"As far as I know, the RBI Board met around 5.30 p.m. on November 8. The Board has 14 members, but 10 positions are vacant. Only three members attended the meeting that lasted barely half an hour," he said.

"Now, in those 30 minutes, how the three wise men decided to scrap 86 per cent of the country's currency is something that should be in the public domain. We demand, and the RBI has an obligation, to disclose the agenda and the minutes of that meeting," the senior leader added.

"The RBI Board, within half an hour, sent its recommendation to scrap the old notes to the Cabinet, which was waiting. So everything was working according to a script and everyone had his role defined," he said.
Demanding that the prime minister should apologise and resign taking responsibility for his "failure" on demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister on Saturday dared the Centre to arrest all the TMC MPs, charging the Modi government of pursuing "vendetta politics".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately step down taking responsibility for his failure to give relief to the people even after 50 days of demonetisation," she told a press conference at the state secretariat.

Furious over the arrest of her party MP Tapas Pal for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley chit fund scam, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, "He (Modi) can arrest all of our MPs, I do not care. This is nothing but vendetta . We will continue with our protest (against demonetisation).

"I came to know that they (CBI) have arrested one of our MPs. It is only because of our protest against 'notebandi' that this is happening. This is nothing but vendetta ."

Claiming that she has "all the information" about the Centre's next step, Banerjee said, "I already have the list of my party leaders who will be summoned next (by the CBI)."

Asked if TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay, who too was summoned by the central agency in the same case, would appear before the CBI, Banerjee said, "He will definitely go. He will be proud to go. He has not done anything wrong.

"The SEBI and RBI did not perform their duties by not acting against the chit fund companies. These companies are not under the jurisdiction of our state. They (SEBI and RBI) have given them protection."

The TMC supremo wondered how could a person, well established in public life as an actor or a sportsperson, be arrested for accepting the hospitality of a company.

"How did these chit fund companies get the permission for uplinking (TV) channels. Sportspersons and actors are brand ambassadors of many companies. I do not intend to show disrespect to anyone, but Amitabh Bachchan too is the brand ambassador of Gujarat and Shah Rukh Khan is the brand ambassador of Bengal," she said.

Banerjee referred to Sahara group, which too is under the lens, and wondered if the central agencies were "sleeping" at that point of time.

Continuing her tirade against Modi, the chief minister said either someone else in the BJP should take over as the prime minister or a " government" (comprising all the parties) should govern the country till the next general election.

"The country has never witnessed such a situation even during the British rule or Emergency," she added.
Delhi Chief Minister on Friday dared the Centre to get all the appointments made by his government probed after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR into the appointment of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain's OSD.

Asserting that he was not afraid of any probe, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief also wondered whether the Centre would accept a Delhi government-appointed committee to look into the Sahara Birla papers.

Kejriwal alleged that the CBI has filed "seven FIRs" against Jain and "two" against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, but did not elaborate.

In fresh trouble for the AAP government, the CBI has filed an FIR into the appointment of Jain's OSD while the LG office has recommended a probe by the agency into the appointment of his daughter Soumya Jain as a functionary in the Mohalla Clinic project.

"You (Centre) make your committee and get all our appointments probed. And we will form one, and you get the Sahara Birla matter probed with it. Agree?

"We are not scared of any probe as we have not done any wrong. Then why are you scared of a probe?" Kejriwal tweeted.
Customs officials seized 1.2 kg gold, worth Rs 35 lakh, from four passengers when they were allegedly trying to smuggle it at the international airport here today.

"Based on specific intelligence, the Customs officers of the Air Intelligence Unit at the airport in co-ordination with special task force officers of Telangana Police seized 1200 gram of gold of foreign origin valued at Rs 35.05 lakh from four passengers, who arrived from Jeddah," a senior customs official said.

They had concealed gold bars in a pocket specially designed in undergarment.

Asked if anyone was arrested in connection with the seizure, the official said further investigations are on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A West Bengal-based executive, who was abducted on Tuesday, has been rescued from Chakla village on the outskirts of Ranchi and two alleged abductors who had demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh to release him have been arrested, police said today.

Sudipto Mukherjee, general manager of Kolkata-based Purushottam Homeo Vikash Company, was abducted from village Sardarpur on G T Road (NH 2) on the night of December 27 when he and his company's managing director Trinath Chatterjee were proceeding to Varanasi on business assignment, Superintendent of Police Bhimsen Tuti said.

An FIR was registered in this connection under Chauparan Police station of Hazaribagh.

Tuti said a police team led by Awadhesh Kumar Singh (Barhi Circle) and Sudama Singh, Officer-In-Charge of Chouparan police station, conducted raid in the house of Bhola Pandey in Ormanjhi police station area of Ranchi and rescued Mukherjee yesterday.

Police have also arrested two alleged kidnappers Chandan Kumar Sao of Jamui and Kundan Kumar Mandal of Baijanpur Thana of Kharagpur in Munger in Bihar.

The kidnappers had demanded ransom of Rs 50 lakhs for his release, Tuti said.

Giving details of the incident, police said Chatterjee and Mukherjee were proceeding to Varanasi from Kolkata in an SUV which met with an accident with a truck near village Sardarpur.

As the car was damaged the duo asked their office in Kolkata to send another vehicle for the onward journey and went to a dhaba in village Sardarpur to have meal and take rest, the police said.

The duo later came across some people, numbering about six, who offered them liquor at the dhaba. Mukherjee then approached a nearby paan shop to purchase cigarette when he was forcibly lifted in another SUV waiting few yards away and driven away.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nearly 20 heads of state and ministers serving in different governments across the world will attend the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, to be held here next month.

The summit will be held at Mahatma Mandir convention centre here from January 10-13.

Some of the global dignitaries would interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also participate in different seminars during the summit, said Additional Chief Secretary (Industries and Mines), P K Taneja at a press conference here today.

"We are privileged to host these leaders from around the world. These leaders include Prime Ministers, ministers and Presidents of various countries," said Taneja, adding that nine Nobel laureates as well as 58 CEOs from India and abroad would also be attending the mega business event.

Some of the prominent dignitaries include Nisha Desai Biswal, an Indian-American serving as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State, said Taneja.

Others include President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa, PM of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, Deputy PM of Russia Dmitry Rogozin, first Deputy PM and Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Poland, Poitr Glinski.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, France, Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan, Hiroshige Seko among many others.

The summit will be officially inaugurated by the Prime Minister at around 3:30 PM on January 10.

The 12 nations that have agreed to become partner countries for the event are - USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Sweden and UAE.

According to Taneja, demonetisation and its impact on the Indian economy would be discussed during the summit.

"On January 11, there is an important seminar about GST implementation, which will be chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely. I firmly believe that dignitaries would discuss the demonetisation move and and its subsequent effects on economy during that seminar," said Taneja.

"This is my first visit to India and I am now proud of



Marwahs in India," said Dr. Marwa Mahdi Hadi Al Salihi from Iraq. I am happy to learn that there is already an Indo Afghanistan Cultural Forum working so well from Noida," said Pamir Khan Pasoon delegate from Afghanistan. "We are thankful to AAFT for giving a large number of film makers to Bhutan," said Ugyen Bidha



from Bhutan.

"We are enthusiastic about Indo Egypt Cultural Forum formed by Marwah in India," said Dr.Entsar Sayed Abdou Sayed of Egypt. The activities at Indo Guatemala Film and Cultural Forum have impressed me," added Evelyn Azucena, delegate from Guatemala.

Sandeep Marwah presented life memberships of World Peace Development and Research Foundation to every delegate along with the memento of Global Media and Entertainment Summit 2017. During the summit Sandeep Marwah was nominated and awarded by all the delegates as the Global Cultural Minister for his untiring contribution to world unity. Ashok Tyagi, Secretary General ICMEI; Padmini Parameshwaran, India Head of Teesside University also spoke on the occasion. Later, Sandeep Marwah honoured Prof. Ronan Paterson with the life membership of International Film and Television Club of AAFT and Dr. Rishi Raj Singh with Summit Memento.

About AAFT



AAFT - Asian Academy of Film and Television is the first of ten best film schools of the world conducting 55 different courses in films, television, media, fashion and new media. The academy has churned out more than 12000 students hailing from 120 countries of the world.

The institution has been bestowed upon more than 200 awards from all over the world.

For more information visit http://www.Aaft.Com



Media contact:



Viney Kumar



+91-0120-4831143



Info@aaft.Com



Asian Society of Film & Television



Photo: http://photos.Prnewswire.Com/prnh/20140814/10104379-a Source: Asian Society of Film & TV.
As many as 20 commercial sex



workers, two of them Bangladeshi nationals, were today arrested during a raid in Kalyan here, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (ATHC), Thane Police raided a spot near Kalyan railway station and arrested the women for allegedly openly soliciting customers, inspector Ravindra Doundkar of AHTC said.

An offence has been lodged under relevant sections of Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, while the two Bangladeshi women were also booked under Passport (Entry Into India) Act-1950 and Foreigners Act-1946 for entering India without a valid passport, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
About 135 films out of all the Hindi releases in 2015-16 were granted "A" certificate.

According to the CBFC annual report, in 2012, about 59 Hindi films were cleared with "A" certificate. The number increased 44 in 2013-14 while in 2014-15, the number rose to 102 and in 2015-16, it was 135.

About 65 Hindi films were given U certificate, 140 UA and 135 A certificate for this period, the report added.

The report said a total of 1,021 films were censored by CBFC in 2015-16.

Out of the 259 Tamil films released during the year, 10.24 per cent were adult certified, while the figures for "A" certified films in Malayalam stood at 7.09 per cent.

Similarly, between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016 about 67 Bhojpuri films were certified out of which 54 per cent were for adult viewing.

Out of the 180 Marathi films released during 2015-16, 12 were given A certificate while in 2014-15, 127 films were cleared out of which four were given A certificate.

The report said 94 films were denied censor certificate due to vulgarity and objections on script.

In 2015-16, 82 Marathi films were given U certificate, 86 UA and 12 Adult. For Telugu films the figures were 78 U, 130 UA, and 67 A which comes to 17.58 per cent. For Kannada it was 89 UA, 88 U, 27 A which is 7.09 per cent. For Malayalam, it



was 123 U, 40 UA and 5 A which 1.31 per cent.

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Twenty-three people have been sent to jail for up to 15 years by a court in eastern China for smuggling refined oil.

The gang members were fined and sentenced to jail terms for up to 15 years, while their smuggling vessels, two oil tankers, were confiscated, Nanjing Customs said, citing a statement from Yangzhou City Intermediate People's Court in Jiangsu Province.

In November last year, Yangzhou Customs staff found an oil tanker coded "Haiguanshan No.66" was illegally transporting refined oil products in ports along the Yangzhou section of the Yangtze River.

Further investigation showed another oil tanker was also involved.

Yangzhou Customs found that the smugglers had asked overseas ships to dock in international waters, and sent the oil in Chinese ships.

Financial transactions were conducted via underground banks, state-run Xinhua agency reported today.

The gang had smuggled more than 35,000 tonnes of oil products since 2013, customs staff said.

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Three persons have been booked for allegedly duping a woman of Rs 5.9 lakh on the pretext of helping to ward off the 'evil spirits' causing problems in her family life, police said today.

The main accused, residing at the police quarters in the city, and the woman were well acquainted. After her marriage, the woman moved with her husband to Sharjah.

But, after some time she was allegedly harassed by her husband, police said quoting the complaint.

The woman came to India in January this year, and she met the accused and told him about the problems in her family. The accused then offered to resolve her problems by performing some rituals. The woman then gave him money after which he performed the rituals to ward off the evil spirits. Later, she left for Sharjah, police said.

However, as the things did not improve, the woman again contacted the accused who demanded more money to perform some rituals again.

However, as she continued to face problems in her family life, she realised that she was cheated by the accused.

The woman, who again came here earlier this month from Sharjah, filed a complaint with the Rabodi police yesterday, alleging that she paid Rs 5.9 lakh to the accused till April this year.

Based on the complaint, police registered offences under IPC section 420 (cheating) and section 3 of The Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act-2013, against the main accused, the victim's female friend and the latter's son, who were also party to the offence.

No arrest has been made so far in this connection, police added.

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Three persons were injured today in security forces' action against a group of stone-pelting protesters in Pampore area of south Kashmir Pulwama district.

Security forces conducted search operations in Naristan and Samboora areas of the district in the morning following information about movement of suspicious persons there, a police official said.

As the security forces were withdrawing after concluding the operations, some youth started pelting stones at them, he said.

Three persons were injured as security personnel fired a few rounds to disperse the mob, the official said adding the injured have been admitted to a hospital here for treatment.

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At least 31 people were injured when a bus hit a lorry on NH6 due to dense fog in West Bengal's Howrah district today, police said.

The private bus with a complement of 50 passengers was heading to the beach resort of Digha from Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas when it hit the lorry from behind at Ashariya village on NH6 near Bagnan, a police officer said.

At least 31 people, including the driver and the helper, were injured and rushed to Uluberia General hospital. The condition of four, including a woman, was stated to be critical, the officer said.

The lorry driver fled with the vehicle but the bus, which sustained damage, has been seized, the officer said.

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Apple is all set to start manufacturing its iconic iPhones in India at Bengaluru, as part of efforts to cash in on the world's second largest smartphone market in a big way.

Local manufacturing is expected to help Apple price its phones more competitively in India as it currently attracts 12.5 per cent additional duty on imports.

The phones would be manufactured by Wistron, a Taiwanese OEM maker for Apple, according to top government sources.

"Wistron has plans for setting up iPhone manufacturing plant for domestic market in Peenya," top government sources familiar with the developments told PTI.

Another senior government official said Bengaluru has the talent required for quality high technology products and that was the reason for selecting the city.

The official added that Foxconn, which also manufactures iPhones for Apple, had come with similar plans to the city some time back.

This would be Apple's second big project for Bengaluru. In May, Apple had announced setting up a design and development accelerator in the City to grow the iOS developer community.

The announcement was made as part of the visit of Apple CEO Tim Cook to India.

The Cupertino-based company has been in discussions with Indian government seeking incentives to set up a manufacturing unit in the country.

A group of senior officials from ministries, including commerce and finance, will early next month deliberate on the incentives sought by Apple to set up a manufacturing unit in the country.

Apple had asked for several tax and other incentives to enter India in the manufacturing sector.

The company has been ramping up its efforts to expand its business in India, one of its fastest growing markets. Apple is also keen on setting up retail presence in India and has sought relaxation in local sourcing norms.

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Terming tradition and culture as the biggest asset of any nation, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asserted that concerted efforts have been made during SAD-BJP government to conserve the glorious cultural heritage of the state.

Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone for constructing a memorial of great Sikh martyr Baba Jai Singh Khalkat at his native village here, the CM said those nations who tend to forget their cultural past and heritage were bound to be vanished with the passage of time.

It was often said that Punjabis were known for creating history but they could not preserve it, he said.

"For the first time in history of state concerted efforts have been made to conserve our rich cultural heritage for the future generations," Badal said.

The CM said it goes to the credit of SAD-BJP government, which undertook momentous task to preserve the glorious cultural legacy of Punjab through state-of-the-art memorials and monuments.

The historic monument, to be constructed over four acres of land, would keep "our younger generations abreast with the sacrifices in the Sikh history,"he said.

Baba Jai Singh Khalkat was skinned alive after being hung upside down from the tree, and set on fire as ordered by the then Mughal regime in 1753. His entire family, including his wife Dhan Kaur, two sons Karraka Singh and Kharrak Singh and his younger daughter-in-law Amar Kaur were also martyred.

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One of the fisherman released from a Pakistan jail has claimed that inmates were "beaten up" on several occasions in the aftermath of the surgical strikes conducted by India across LoC.

"After the surgical strikes by India across LoC we were forced to work in two shifts which was against the rules and beaten up for not performing duties to the satisfaction of jail authorities," Ramchandra Tandel, a native of Navsari, who arrived at coastal town of Veraval after being released from Pakistani jail on December 25, told PTI today.

The fishermen also missed watching Bollywood movies while in the jail after Pakistani authorities banned screening of Indian films for past some months.

"In the initial period of our custody, all of us were allowed to watch Indian movies. However, it was suddenly stopped and only Pakistani movies were screened," said Tandel, who was arrested from Okha port about 12 months ago on charges of entering Pakistani territorial waters.

"We even requested Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to direct jail authorities to start screening of Indian movies," he said.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Fishermen Association (GFA) has blamed the jail authorities for deteriorating health condition of one of the fisherman, Bhagwan Solanki, who suffered a paralytic stroke in jail.

"His (Solanki's) health is in very bad condition as he suffered a severe paralytic stroke in jail. How can a healthy person suffer attack in jail? It raises questions on negligence of Pakistani authorities in providing medical treatment to the jailed fisherman," Velji Masani senior vice-president of GFA said.

"The jail officials even did not inform the family members about the stroke suffered by Solanki," said Masani.

He observed that had Pakistani authorities sent him (Solanki) to Gujarat soon after suffering attack on humanitarian ground, this situation would not have arised.

The 110 fishermen released on December 25 by Pakistan, arrived in Veraval about 300 kms from Vadodara today.

Pakistan has decided to release 439 Indian fishermen in two batches as a goodwill gesture to strengthen ties amid cross border tension. A batch of 220 fishermen was released on December 25 with another batch of 219 to be released on January 5, 2017.

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Former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, arrested in a money laundering case, today said the application filed by an activist questioning his prolonged stay at hospital was aimed at obfuscating the main issue of his health and maligning his image.

Activist Anjali Damania had last month approached the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases, contending that due to "negligence of duty" by the government-run J J Hospital and the Arthur Road jail authorities, Bhujbal was living in the private-run Bombay Hospital since November 2.

The NCP leader was "misusing" a court order, she had said.

Bhujbal, in his reply filed today, questioned Damania's locus standi (right to move the court). Her application was aimed at "derailing the main purpose" (health issues for which he was hospitalised) and focused on maligning his image, he said and sought dismissal of her plea.

Damania also alleged that several politicians met Bhujbal in the hospital without the court's permission.

The court is likely to take up the matter next week.

Following Damania's plea, on December 14 the court had directed that Bhujbal be sent back to the jail.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Bhujbal, who held PWD portfolio in the previous Congress-NCP government, on March 14 this year.

FIR in the case alleged irregularities in contract for construction of Maharashtra Sadan, state guest-house in Delhi built at the cost of Rs 100 crore, and payment of kickbacks to Bhujbal.

Another FIR alleged that Bhujbal received kickbacks in the contract for state central library on Kalina campus of Mumbai University.

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The law has caught up with TMC MP Tapas Pal, BJP said after he was today arrested in the Rose Valley Chit Fund scam case and rejected West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banrjee's charge of vendetta politics.

"Finally, the law has caught up with TMC MP Tapas Pal. CBI is following the process of the law and Mamataji should not give a political twist by questioning the timing and calling it political vendetta.

"We have seen in the past that she tried to web a conspiracy theory of plane crash and army coup but nobody bought them," its National Secretary Sidharth Nath Singh said.

Singh, who is also the party's co-incharge for the state, said the TMC chief should know that "sins" of her rule are being exposed by the law now.

"Why TMC leaders are involved in all chit fund scams? Sins of her misrule are being challenged by the law of the land," he said.

Pal was arrested by CBI in Kolkata for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley Chit Fund scam case after being interrogated for four hours.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today declined to comment on the internal squabbles of the Samajwadi Party, but said whoever wins the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, BJP should not get a single vote.

"It is SP's internal matter. I do not want to say anything on it," she told a press conference at the state secretariat when asked to comment on the developments in that party.

"But whoever wins, be it BSP or SP, BJP should not get a single vote. They (Modi government) are threatening Mayawati. They are threatening those who have opposed their (demonetisation) decision. They are only spreading lies and canards. They believe in the theory of Goebbels," she added.

Banerjee had addressed a public meeting against demonetisation in Lucknow last month which had been attended by Uttar Pradesh ministers.

"They (BJP) are committing mistakes everyday. They had committed a mistake in Bihar where Lalu (Prasad) and Nitish (Kumar) won the election," she said.

Continuing with her attack on the saffron party, Banerjee said, "Within seven days of Jayalalithaa's demise, they had conducted a raid (on the Tamil Nadu chief secretary). If Chandrababu Naidu raises his voice, they will conduct a raid on him as well.

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An unidentified gang broke into a house in Ukkadam here and decamped with gold ornaments and cash Rs 1.32 lakh, police said today.

The incident came to light this morning when the owner of the house, Younis returned from Kerala and noticed that the main door of his house was broken open, they said.

He was also shocked to find 36 sovereigns of gold ornaments and cash to the tune of Rs 1.32 lakh besides a Rado watch missing from the almirah, police said.

A case has been registered and investigation is on, they added.

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Residents of Bihar, who have been witnessing a foggy and chilly weather conditions for the past two days, are likely to witness dense foggy morning followed by sunshine for the next two days.

Patna Meteorological Centre has forecast that residents of major parts of Bihar are likely to welcome new year with dense foggy morning and chilly weather conditions.

"There would be cold weather conditions in the state including the state capital due to the chilly wind coming from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh which have witnessed snowfall. It would cause shivering as the temperature is likely to fall further," MeT official said.

MeT office has forecast another foggy morning followed by mainly clear sky later in the day in the state's four major cities -- Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea.

Residents of Patna woke up amid dense fog.

According to MeT bulletin, the minimum temperature recorded at Patna was 11.2 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 10.7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum was registered at 18.4 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 20.2 degrees Celsius.

Both maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be around 18 and 11 degrees Celsius respectively tomorrow, an official said.

Gaya recorded a low of 11.4 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 21.3 degrees Celsius, the MeT bulletin said.

Bhagalpur recorded a minimum of 12.4 degrees Celsius and maximum of 19 degrees Celsius.

Purnea registered a minimum of 13.1 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 26 degrees Celsius which is the highest maximum temperature recorded among the major cities of the state.

The lowest temperature of 8 degrees Celsius was recorded at Sabour in Bhagalpur district, the MeT office said.

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China's State Grid Corporation is set to build a USD 1.5-billion power line across Pakistan to enable the transmission of 4,000 megawatts of electricity from the country's north to south, the government said today.

Pakistani and Chinese officials signed an investment agreement in Beijing yesterday to build the country's first high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) line, according to a government statement.

The power transmission line would link the national grid between the southern Pakistani town of Matiari and easternmost city of Lahore, some 1,000 kilometres apart.

Pakistan has been struggling to provide enough power to its nearly 200 million citizens for years, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to solve the crisis by 2018.

Sharif inaugurated Pakistan's fourth nuclear power plant on Wednesday, a joint collaboration with China that adds 340 megawatts to the national grid as part of the government's efforts to end a growth-sapping energy deficit.

The energy sector has traditionally struggled to cover the cost of producing electricity, leading the government to divert USD 2 billion annually as a subsidy, according to a recent report commissioned by the British government.

China is ramping up investment in its South Asian neighbour as part of a USD 46-billion project unveiled last year that will link its far-western Xinjiang region to Pakistan's Gwadar port with a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades.

Last week Pakistan's main bourse announced that a Chinese consortium was set to acquire a 40 percent stake in the stock exchange in a deal estimated at $84 million.

Shanghai Electric announced in August it would buy a majority stake in the utility that supplies energy to Karachi for USD 1.7 billion, in the country's biggest ever private- sector acquisition.

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Delhi High Court today sought the response of ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi, who is on bail after being arrested in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, on CBI's plea challenging his bail claiming its probe would be "hampered" if he remains out.

Justice Vipin Sanghi issued notice to Tyagi, who was arrested on December 9 and granted bail on December 26, listed the matter for hearing on January 3 after CBI said the bail pleas of other accused in the case are likely to be heard by the trial court on January 4.

Justice Sanghi said the endeavour of the court would be to dispose of the matter on January 3 after hearing all the parties.

CBI argued before the high court that each day Tyagi remained out on bail would lead to its line of investigation being "exposed" and "hampered" and the evidence could also be destroyed.

The agency also said its probe was "multi-layered" as it was spread across several countries since various companies were allegedly used to "camouflage the bribe money".

The contention came in response to the high court's query as to why should the 72-year old former Chief of Air Staff be retained in judicial custody at this stage when he was in the custody of the agency for a week prior to getting bail.

CBI admitted before the high court that though the FIR was registered in 2013, "real core investigation started only a few months back" and hence it did not want Tyagi to be out on bail till the charge sheet is filed.

It contended that if Tyagi remained out on bail, he could "alert other potential accused".

A special court had on December 26 this year granted bail to Tyagi, saying CBI has failed to state the alleged bribe amount and when it was paid.

Tyagi, who was interrogated by CBI in its custody for seven days, was asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs two lakh and a surety of like amount as pre-requisites for his release on bail.

The trial court had asked Tyagi not to leave the National



Capital Region without its permission and ordered him not to tamper with evidence or try to influence witnesses.

It had noted that Tyagi had joined investigation as and when CBI called him and it was not the case that he either tampered with evidence after registration of the FIR or influenced any witness in the case.

While granting the relief, the trial court also took note of Tyagi's advancing age and his health conditions and said no purpose would be served by keeping him behind bars.

Tyagi, who retired in 2007, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan were arrested on December 9 by CBI in connection with the case which relates to procurement of 12 VVIP choppers from UK-based AgustaWestland during the UPA-2 regime.

The court had on December 17 sent all the three accused to judicial custody till December 30.
The Congress today complained to President Pranab Mukherjee against the new land acquisition law passed by the TRS government in Telangana, alleging that "the law was enacted to make it easier for government to acquire land while curtailing rights of people."



"State government has enacted amendments to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. These amendments, while mostly identical to the amendments introduced by the Central Government by way of Ordinance in December 2014, are in gross violation of the principal Act," a Telangana Congress release quoted the party leaders as saying in a memorandum submitted to the President here.

State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other leaders pointed out that section 107 of the 2013 Act (brought under the UPA regime) makes it clear that no amendments could be carried out unless they enhance the benefits and safeguards provided under the 2013 law.

They claimed that the amendments made by the state government do not satisfy these requirements and instead seek to dilute the protections, safeguards and benefits given under the 2013 law.

The sole purpose behind this is to make the process of acquiring land easier for the state authorities while curtailing the rights given to the people by the 2013 law, they alleged.

Maintaining that the Social Impact Assessment or SIA is the heart and soul of the law, the leaders claimed that the amendments abandon the process of social impact assessment and preparation of social impact management plan.

"The President has the right to refuse approval if, after careful consideration, the State amendments are seen as a method to bypass critical safeguards and infringe upon the rights provided to the affected families," they said.

The leaders of the main opposition appealed to the President that the state law be seen as an alleged attempt "to take away the hard fought rights and protections afforded to the affected families, all in the name of administrative convenience in land acquisition."



The President is in Hyderabad for his annual southern sojourn during which he stays at the Rashtrapati Nilayam, one of the Presidential Retreats.

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A Chhattisgarh bandh called today by the Congress to protest against the Centre's demonetisation exercise evoked a mixed response with most of the business establishments remaining open in several districts.

The bandh was partial in some districts while in major districts like Raipur it virtually did not receive much response.

As many as 509 Congress workers, including state chief Bhupesh Baghel and Rajya Sabha MP Chhaya Verma, were arrested alone in Raipur district during the protest, a police official said, adding they were later released unconditionally.

However, Congress claimed the bandh was successful.

"The protest garnered response right from the villages to cities as a large number of people came out in its support.

"BJP and its government at Centre and state are (feeling) threatened to see the peoples' anger against its demonetisation decision and therefore they used hundreds of policemen to suppress a peaceful protest by Congress," Baghel said.

He claimed over 20,000 Congress leaders and workers were forcefully arrested during the peaceful agitations across the state.

Though no major untoward incident was reported from any part of the state, at some places Congress activists were involved in minor scuffles with the police when they were prevented from disrupting traffic.

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Demanding lifting of cash withdrawal limits with immediate effect, Congress today said 18 per cent per annum interest should be given to all bank account holders till post-demonetisation restrictions are in place.

AICC General Secretary and in-charge of party's Punjab affairs Asha Kumari also termed demonetisation a "surgical strike" by the Centre on poor, farmers, labourers, small businesses, middle class and the entire unorganised sector.

"All restrictions on withdrawal of money be lifted with immediate effect. Till the time these restrictions are in place, a special interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum should be given to all bank account holders," she said here.

The Congress also demanded that all charges on digital transactions should be abolished forthwith, she said.

Besides, an Income Tax and Sales tax rebate of 50 per cent should be given to small shopkeepers and businesses, she said, adding that the Central government should compensate the state governments for the loss of revenue incurred on account of this exemption.

She said that the number of guaranteed work days and the wage rate under MGNREGA should be doubled for a year.

"The government should organise a special drive to identify and register all those who have lost their jobs since November 8, 2016, and provide them compensation at the applicable minimum wage rate for a time period extending up to 31st March, 2017," she added.

She said that the rate of rations distributed under the PDS system should be halved for the period of a year under the provisions of the Food Security Act.

"In addition, a special one-time bonus of 20 per cent should be provided over and above the MSP of all Rabi crops," the party's Punjab in-charge said.

Deploring the demonetisation as "biggest scandal", she said the development of country has been badly affected since November 8.

"Through demonetisation Modi has hit out at 99 per cent people of the country at the cost of mere 50 families," she said.

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The opposition Congress in Tripura today said it will hold demonstration before the government offices against the demonetisation drive which has caused "limitless inconveniences" to the common people.

"Demonetisation has caused limitless inconveniences to the common people throughout the country including our state. So, the state Congress has decided to demonstrate before the offices of DMs, SDMs and other government offices in the state," TPCC President Birajit Sinha told reporters.

"We will demonstrate before the government offices including District Magistrates and Sub-divisional Magistrates on January 5 to protest against demonetisation," he said.

Ramen Barthakur, AICC Coordinator and in-charge of Tripura said, "The process of demonetisation is anti-people and anti-poor. It is a disaster caused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People want a relief from it".

Barthakur said, "It is one of the biggest scams aimed at benefiting the corporate. Rahul Gandhi had asked many questions including the quantity of black money recovered due to this step, but he remained silent.

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Holding Congress responsible for the "plight" of refugees from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the West Pakistan, BJP today said whatever the settlers had to face was due to the "failed" policies of the Congress-led governments.

"Whatever the displaced people from Pakistan occupied Kashmir and West Pakistan had to face were due to the failed policies of Congress and its successive governments in the state and the Centre," BJP state president Sat Sharma said.

Congress "betrayed" the displaced people from PoK. Now when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up their plight and came forward to grant them financial assistance, Congress leaders, instead of appreciating the decision of BJP-led government, are once again trying to mislead them, he said.

"It is most unfortunate that whatever is being done for the displaced people by the Modi government is being criticised by Congress leaders, which is reflection of their frustration," Sharma said.

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President Pranab Mukherjee today said cooperative spirit within the country will help it to become self-sufficient, self-dependent and self-reliant in all the fields.

He said the developmental objectives of thenation can be achieved with the efforts of both government andpeople's organisations supplementing each other.

"Bengaluru is emerging as an education hub and the health hub of the rest of India. Thanks to the educationists, philanthropists and medical practitioners andscientists for making their city a centre of botheducation and health," Mukherjee said.

"I have no doubt the way in which the people are developing the spirit of cooperation, the cooperative spirit will truly translate to convert our country to be self-sufficient, self-dependent and self-reliant in all thefields," he added.

The President was speaking after inaugurating 'Adamya Chetana Seva Utsava 2017' and Sri Shankara National Centre forCancer Prevention and Research here, that was attended by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala and Chief MinisterSiddaramaiah among others.

Adamya Chetana is a charitable organisation started byUnion Minister Ananth Kumar in 1997 in the memory of his late mother Girija Narayana Shastry, of which he is the chief patron. The organisation works in the field of education with food, education and health as its core intervention.

Lauding Ananth and his wife, Tejaswini for their service to society through Adamya Chetana, the President said "We cannot expect government to do everything".

"There are many problems which we cannot solveon our own... Yes government can do much more than anyindividual or institutions, but government cannot do everything," he said.

Recalling a summit of the heads of governments held in 1995 in Denmark, in which he participated as Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, he said the summit had recognised that it is the responsibility of people at large to remove social inequality, and highlighted the importance of feeding the hungry children.

He said "Ten commitments were adopted at the summit,out of which one important commitment was to feed the hungry children, because when you feed a child you feed a generation,you feed your future".

Noting that it is students who are going to be our future and generation next, the President said if they become healthy, educated and energetic, they will be an asset to society and family.

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Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today alleged the decision prohibiting cooperative banks from accepting scrapped notes was taken three days after Rs 500 crore was deposited in an Ahmedabad cooperative bank, in which BJP President Amit Shah is a director.

Chavan clarified that Shah had not deposited Rs 500 crore in the cooperative bank.

"Does the ban on cooperative banks from doing business, which has hurt the rural economy extremely badly in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat, got anything to do with the (Ahmedabad District Cooperative) bank having Amit Shah as the director and the deposit of Rs 500 crore. We are going to ask them (BJP)," the senior congress leader told reporters here.

"Shah is a director in one of the Ahmedabad cooperative banks. I didn't say he deposited the money (himself). The money was deposited in that bank."



"Interestingly, three days after 500 crore was deposited in the bank, there was a ban imposed on cooperative banks from doing business," he claimed.

Chavan said the Congress has demanded a 'white paper' and also a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the deposits made in all the banks on or before November 8, and also deposits made immediately later.

He demanded that the Gujarat government release footage of the CDs of the CCTV cameras installed at the Ashram Road Branch, "the headquarter-branch of the Ahmedabad District Cooperative bank."



Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a surprise announcement on November 8 declared the old Rs 500 and 1,000 notes invalid.

Asked whether the Congress has sought an explanation from former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for calling Sahara-Birla diaries fictitious, a line of argument taken by BJP, Chavan said "Mrs Dikshit has clarified and told Congress party that everyone whose names are in the diaries should be investigated."



Chavan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should inform the country over the status of the investigation conducted by tax authorities.

"Mrs Sheila Dikshit had said let the investigation go on. Has the Prime Minister stopped the investigation? Is the investigation on? Is there (any) interim report? He should take the country into confidence. The Prime Minister should say something," he said.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had recently alleged that Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister had taken money from Sahara and Birla groups and demanded an independent inquiry into it, a charge BJP has rejected.

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Comedian D L Hughley is facing backlash on Twitter and has been accused of making insensitive, race-related joke about the death of movie icon Debbie Reynolds.

The Hollywood veteran died on Wednesday, a day after losing her daughter, "Star Wars" legend Carrie Fisher, and while many celebrity fans and friends used social media to express their grief, Hughley decided to have a little fun with the sad news, reported Variety.

He wrote, "Debbie Reynolds died a day after her daughter did! Black Mama's don't die cuz they kids do! They cry and say God don't make no mistakes (sic)."



His tweet did not sit well with many followers, who attacked Hughley for the insensitive barb.

"This is a perfect example of inserting race where it is inappropriate to do so," one wrote. "A family lost two people in two days, and THAT'S what you say?"



Another user posted, "As a human being you could have more compassion. As a father you could have more heart. As a comedian, you should have a seat."



Another responded, "Somehow you have managed to trivialize the death of two beloved phenoms and the pain of black mothers who lost their kids."



Earlier this week following Fisher's death on Tuesday, Cinnabon was also met with backlash online.

The company tweeted a picture of cinnamon arranged in the shape of Fisher's "Star Wars" character Princess Leia with a cinnamon roll in place of her signature hairstyle. The company later deleted the tweet and apologized.

Actor Steve Martin also came under fire for a tweet intended as a tribute. He originally wrote, "When I was a young man, Carrie Fisher was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. She turned out to be witty and bright as well," but later deleted the tweet.

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The prominence of dance music has exponentially grown across the globe and in 2016 India became one of the markets that the genre tapped into with performances by some of the biggest DJs in various cities throughout the year.

The music festival scene in India was mostly ruled by dance music as some of the popular names in the industry headlined two of the biggest festivals in 2016 -- Sunburn and Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) India.

While Sunburn, the biggest music festival in Asia, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with its massive lineup for the 4-day event in Pune this weekend, EDC announced its debut edition here in November.

Its India debut brings the madness that ensues every year at the festival's finale in Las Vegas.

A slew of world renowned DJs along with home-grown talent performed at the two-day event which delivered a first-of-its-kind experience to ravers with the spectacular stage productions, lasers and sound design.

Steve Aoki, Yellow Claw, Afrojack and Alesso, Nucleya, Ferry Corsten and Markus Schulz were some of the headliners who performed across three stages designed for fans with different taste in genres.

Pasquale Rotella, Founder and CEO of Insomniac Events, who had earlier hinted about expanding the festival's base and bringing it to Asian countries had said then, "Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated by the country's colourful and exotic culture. I know it's a place where the magic of EDC can come alive in a truly unique way.

Besides EDC, there were other festivals that made first-



ever trip to India. Sensation debuted in March in Hyderabad, while Mad Decent Block Party, curated by American DJ Diplo's label -- 'Mad Decent', toured Bengaluru and Mumbai in February.

Even the DJs have become aware that Indian subcontinent comprises of their most loyal fans who have helped in the collective growth of the genre by thronging city concerts and annual festivals in large numbers despite the hefty price of tickets.

Last year's world number one DJs Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike believe EDM is on the rise in India. They performed in Mumbai and Hyderabad in October for 'Sunburn Arena' and are set to return for the finale in Pune tomorrrow.

"Dance music scene in India is crazy now. We started performing at smaller clubs and now its like a 10,000 people event," the Belgian DJs told
The new year is likely to be greeted by 'very poor' quality air in the national capital with relatively windy conditions poised to prevent any major build up of suspended particulates, SAFAR today forecast.

The agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences said while current pollution level is also in the very poor category, the situation will see a marginal deterioration from tomorrow before improving from January 2.

"The pollution level at present is in very poor category. It is likely to remain in very poor category until new year. However, a marginal increase in the level of PM 2.5 is predicted from 164 micrograms per cubic metre on Dec 30 to 192 on January 1. Thereafter, a significant drop to 159 on January 2 is expected," the forecast said.

Although, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) pitched for early implementation of the CPCB-mandated and SC approved graded response system saying pollution was once again hitting the "emergency level".

"If the notification of graded action plan, as directed by the Supreme Court is delayed, it can worsen the health emergency. The Ministry of Environment must notify it under section 3 of the Environment Protection Act immediately," the green NGO said.

The National Air Quality Index (NAQI) of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had a reading of 345 (running average) based on the data of seven monitoring stations across the city, as against yesterday's 402.

SAFAR said the drop in temperature, which will bring down the inversion level which contributes towards accumulation of pollutants, will be offset by moderate wind speed at around 6-8 km per hour.

"If wind becomes calm (unlikely) then air quality may deteriorate but probability of calm wind situation is less than 20 per cent," it said.

SAFAR recorded today's average levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10 (24 hour, rolling) at 164 and 262 micrograms per cubic metre respectively as against the prescribed standards of 60 and 100.

A person may develop respiratory illness on prolonged exposure to 'very poor' quality air while 'severe' may affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing respiratory diseases, CPCB guidelines say.

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Terming demonetisation as the "biggest scam in the political history of India," Congress in Madhya Pradesh said it would hold protests in every district on January 6 to create awareness among masses on the issue.

"BJP wanted to monopolise corruption through demonetisation, which is the biggest scam of country's political history. Congress will stage protest on January 6 in Madhya Pradesh as part of party's nationwide agitation on the issue," All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Mohan Prakash told reporters here.

During these protests, Congress workers would hold a march and submit memorandum to the concerned authorities, he added.

Prakash, who is in-charge of party's affairs in Madhya Pradesh, compared America's "9/11" terrorist strike to demonetisation, terming it as "8/11."



"There was 9/11 in America. The people there are still suffering due to that attack. Here it was 8/11. Only difference is that terrorists were behind 9/11 but it was country's Prime Minister who is behind 8/11," he alleged while referring to the date of demonetisation's announcement.

Prakash alleged that Prime Minister was under pressure from foreign companies, which rule the digital transaction business.

"These companies are charging 2.5 per cent of service charge on every transaction. Why the people are being forced to pay more?," he asked.

AICC general secretary reiterated Congress' claim that demonetisation was done for the benefit of some 'industrialist friends' of the Prime Minister.

"At a time when common people are standing in queue to get Rs 2000, the new currency is being found in bulk of Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore from those close to the ruling party at Centre," he alleged.

(REOPENS CAL21)



Claiming that there was no effort by the Modi government to retrieve black money from abroad despite having detailed information, Jha said now also all the "big shots" have managed to convert their black money into white while the common man was made to suffer due to demonetisation.

The Congress leader also sought a thorough investigation into the money deposited in banks before note ban as he termed demonetisation as "part of a conspiracy to mislead people before assembly elections" in some states.

Charging Modi with causing economic anarchy due to the note ban, he claimed that development has come to a grinding halt marked by economic instability in the country and death of more than 100 people due to cash crunch.

Dubbing note ban as organised plunder, he said money was taken from people's pockets and put in banks, while some BJP leaders have been caught with huge amounts of new currency notes which needs to be thoroughly probed.

Jha said PM Modi's credibility is under cloud as his name has allegedly surfaced in diaries for receiving kickbacks when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister, a charge rejected by BJP.
Demonetisation, attack on Indian Air Force Base in Pathankot, imposition of liquor ban in Bihar, fire in Puttingal temple in Kerala, the terrorist attack in Uri and Manipur activist Irom Sharmila ending her 16-year long hunger strike made headlines in the year 2015.

Assembly elections in TamilNadu, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry brought landslide victories for the AIADMK, BJP, TMC and Congress respectively.

The demise of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, months-long Kashmir turmoil, Supreme Court's order to play the National Anthem in cinemas before films and the sacking of Cyrus Mistry as the Chairman of the Tata Sons were other issues that made .

The landmark Goods and Services Tax Bill was passed in the parliament, and the Government of India accepted the 7th Pay Commission recommendations to increase salaries of employees.

Following is the diary of domestic events:



Jan 2: New Delhi: Veteran Communist Party of India leader A B Bardhan, who steered the party during the turbulent period of coalition politics at national level in 1990s, died here tonight after prolonged illness.

Jan 2: Pathankot (Punjab): Heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists today attempted to storm the Air Force base here, triggering a day-long gunbattle in which three securitymen and four infiltrators were killed, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise stopover in Lahore.

Jan 3:New Delhi: Two Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were suspected to have sneaked into the national capital and were planning high-profile attacks, including taking hostages, following which security was today stepped up in the city, a day after the Pathankot Air Base strike by the same Pakistan-based outfit.

Jan 4: New Delhi: Juveniles of 16 years of age and above can now be tried as adults if they commit heinous offences like rape and murder as President Pranab Mukherjee has given assent to an Act in this regard.

Jan 4: Imphal/Guwahati: At least nine persons were killed and over 100 injured as a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake epicentred in Manipur today struck the northeastern and eastern regions, damaging buildings and sparking panic that sent people scampering out of their homes.

Jan 5: Pathankot: Bringing the curtains down on Day 4, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said all six terrorists at the Pathankot air base have been killed but admitted to "some gaps" in security that led to the terror attack in which some "Pakistan-made material" have been used.

Jan 7: New Delhi: Putting the ball squarely in Pakistan's court, India today linked the Foreign Secretary-level talks to Islamabad's "prompt and decisive" action in the Pathankot terror attack for which it has provided "actionable intelligence".

Jan 7: New Delhi/Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who crafted an impossible coalition with BJP in the Muslim-majority state, died today and just hours later his party PDP chose his daughter Mehbooba Mufti as his successor.

Jan 8: New Delhi/Chennai: The four-year-old ban on holding



of controversial bull taming sport Jallikattu was lifted today in poll-bound Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions, angering animal rights activists who said it is cruel and abusive and vowed to move the Supreme Court against it.

Jan 9: Pathankot: Accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the Pathankot air base and voices satisfaction over the counter offensive mounted by the security forces to eliminate the perpetrators.

Jan 9: Srinagar/New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir is placed under Governor's rule with the process of new government formation following the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed taking some time.

Jan 11: Srinagar: As suspense mounts over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah rules out the party's unilateral support to PDP from outside in any new dispensation with Congress backing.

Jan 13: New Delhi: Syria said it received "positive response" from India to its requests on intelligence sharing and economic aid especially in terms of food grains and medicines as worn-torn country battles terrorism on one side and sanctions imposed by the West on the other.

Jan 13: New Delhi: India says it has received no confirmation of detention of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar despite widespread reports of his having been apprehended in connection with the Pathankot attack of which he is suspected to be the mastermind.

Jan 15: New Delhi: The sensational case of the death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, reaches a new stage with the US-based FBI endorsing the AIIMS report of poisoning as the cause and also saying that a "dangerous chemical" was present in her body that may have killed her.

Jan 17: Srinagar: Meeting nine days after Jammu and Kashmir was brought under Governor's rule, the PDP's core group meets and indicates it was veering to the idea of forming a coalition government with BJP, but its president Mehbooba Mufti says she is in no hurry to take over as chief minister.

Jan 18: Gurgaon: Two men, suspected to have links with terror group al-Qaeda have been arrested from Haryana's Mewat district in a joint operation by Delhi Police and Intelligence Bureau, Mewat Police says.

Jan 19: New Delhi: The head of the AIIMS medical board, which gave its opinion last week on the cause of Sunanda Pushkar's death, says that Delhi Police caused "unnecessary delay" in sending Sunanda's viscera sample to the FBI lab on account of which its contents degraded.

Jan 19: Hyderabad/Pune: Protests over the alleged suicide by a Dalit research scholar escalates in Hyderabad and Delhi and also spreads to other cities including Pune, Chennai and Gandhinagar with the incident being described as an "institutional murder".

Jan 20: New Delhi: No difference can be made between good and bad terrorists and all forms of terrorism and manner of support to them need to be completely eradicated, says President Pranab Mukherjee.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said no communal clash took place at Dhulagarh in Howrah district and termed it as "local problem".

"It is a small matter. It is a local problem. That was not a communal problem. I will stick to police's version," she told mediapersons at the state secretariat.

Earlier in the day the Chief Minister denied any incident of rioting at Dhulagarh and alleged that "wrong information" was being given on social media.

"In the last 15 days, social media is running wrong information on an incident which did not take place at all," Banerjee said at a programme here in an apparent reference to reports of violence earlier this month at Dhulagarh, which is barely 20 km from the state secretariat.

"In order to break one must not act irresponsibly. If something has really happened then you (media) have every right to report it but I think a field survey must be done," she said.

Her remarks came even as a senior government official had yesterday said strict actions were taken against those involved in the Dhulagarh violence and the process of giving compensation to the affected has started.

The state government, Banerjee said today, is the first to help a family when their home is damaged or they are affected.

"If there is an accident, we immediately take steps to help the family.... We do it on humanitarian grounds but we do not do any publicity," she said.

District police said inhabitants are wary of returning to their homes at Dhulagarh.

Delegations of BJP, CPI(M) and Congress were stopped from visiting the troubled areas of the district and police superintendent of Howrah (Rural) Sabyasachi Raman Mishra was transferred in the wake of violence within less than a fortnight of his appointment.

BJP has hit out at Banerjee over the Dhulagarh incident.

"This is height of politics of appeasement. I want to ask those intellectuals, who cried over 2002 riots in Gujarat and then intolerant India, that when are they going to Kolkata," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said yesterday.

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Eight miners were killed and some others feared trapped following a cave-in at Lalmatia opencast coal mine at Rajmahal area of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) last night.

"So far, bodies of eight miners have been recovered from the mine. Rescue work is on," R R Mishra, officiating CMD of ECL, a Coal India arm, told PTI today.

There was a mishap at the mine in Godda district at around 7.30 PM last night when excavators and tippers were working there following which rescue operations were launched immediately, Mishra said.

Director General of Mines Safety and senior officials were there to supervise the rescue operation, Mishra said.

He said 10 equipments -- three excavators and seven tipper trucks -- have been recovered.

A high-level committee has been formed to inquire into the reasons behind the mishap, Mishra said.

Police said two persons were injured in the incident and were being treated at a hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Raghubar Das over phone and took stock of the situation.

The PM said Jharkhand Government and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal were "working to restore normalcy".

The National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) has been engaged for rescue & relief operations.

"Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside. Spoke to CM Raghubar Das on the situation," Modi said on twitter.

Expressing sorrow, the Jharkhand Chief Minister today announced assistance of Rs two lakh for the families of the miners who died in the accident.

He also announced Rs 25,000 to the injured, official sources said.

"All senior officials have been asked to stay at the site," the CM tweeted.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will take a final call on selection of the BJP candidates for upcoming BMC polls.

"Fadnavis himself will be carefully screening the candidates for ensuing BMC elections (due next year)," BJP's city unit president Ashish Shelar told reporters today.

He, however, evaded a query on prospects of a seat-sharing pact with its junior alliance partner Shiv Sena.

However, sources in the BJP said the party would want Sena to allocate them 110 out of total 227 seats.

According to sources, the CM himself has taken charge of the party's preparation for the polls.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, ruled by Sena in alliance with the BJP, is the country's richest civic body.

However, Sena leader and Industries Minister Subhash Desai said his party would contest all 227 seats though the BJP has been stating that it was keen for an alliance with Sena for BMC elections.

Desai said Sena has learnt its lessons from the experience it had with the BJP in run-up to 2014 Assembly elections when BJP kept negotiating on seat sharing till last minute before calling off the alliance ahead of polls.

"Hence, Sena is ready with its plans to contest all 227 seats irrespective of materialisation of pre-poll alliance with the BJP," Desai said.

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A 35-year-old former Uzbek athlete, who was confined to a wheelchair two years ago following a mistaken tumour surgery, went back on his feet after undergoing a procedure at a city hospital.

Bekzod Abdulakhatov, suffered from spinal Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM), a common birth defect, which could have been easily diagnosed and treated at an adolescent age, but it went unnoticed for 33 years, the hospital authorities said.

"When diagnosed, it was mistaken for a tumour near spine for which the former athlete had to undergo critical open surgery at his home town Tashkent two years ago to remove the tumour.

"This surgery went wrong to an extent that Bekzod was reduced to a wheelchair and lost his movement completely," they said.

The surgery that helped the Uzbekisatni national walk back again was conducted by a team of neurosurgeons at BLK Super Speciality Hospital, which involved a simple procedure -- Digital Spine Analysis (DSA) and embolisation of venous malfunction to correct the abnormal flow of blood between his spinal artery and vein.

"Bekzod came on a wheelchair but was determined to stand up on his feet again, displaying the true spirit of an athlete. He was apparently doing well two years ago, and then he was diagnosed with AVM which was mistaken for spinal tumour.

"Following the surgery, his condition worsened and he was reduced to wheelchair with very weak lower limbs," said Dr Vikas Gupta, Director, Neurosurgery and Interventional and Endovascular Neurosurgery, BLK Centre for Neurosciences.

Arteriovenous Malformation (AVMs) are defects of the circulatory system that are generally believed to arise during embryonic or foetal development, or soon after birth. It is an abnormal connection between arteries and veins, bypassing the capillary system, the hospital authorities said.

"As a result, they can cause intense pain or bleeding or lead to other serious medical problems. Bekzod's AVM was misdiagnosed, so it was not cured from the roots. After the surgery although the blood clot around his spine was absent for a few weeks, but it reappeared and started to choke on his spinal cord with high pressure enough to cripple him," Gupta said.

"An eight-hour-long embolisation procedure was done to correct the anomaly on December 1.

"He was kept under observation and monitored closely in neurosurgery ICU. Power in both lower limbs improved slightly in first few days and eventually the patient was able to stand up on his own and walk after two years of disability," he added.

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The dense fog enveloping northern and western India today hit air and rail traffic with more than a dozen flights being delayed at Jaipur international airport and several trains running behind schedule in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Flights arriving - from Mumbai and Delhi - at the Jaipur airport were delayed by more than an hour before noon. Tweleve flights departing from the airport were delayed too.

Delhi witnessed a chilly day as the maximum temperature dipped to 18.5 degrees Celsius, two notches below the normal. Foggy weather during morning hours delayed nearly 70 trains, another 34 were rescheduled.

Visibility at Palam airport was recorded at 300 metres early today but improved later in the morning by 100 metres.

The situation was similar in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where people have been witnessing chilly weather condition for some time now.

The Patna Meteorological Centre has forecast that people across Bihar are likely to battle cold weather through the New Year due to chilly wind coming from Kashmir and Himachal, where thousands of tourists have thronged to witness snowfall likely to occur on December 31. The lowest temperature of 8 degrees Celsius was recorded at Sabour in Bhagalpur district.

Himachal's weather department has forecast snowfall or rainfall in mid and higher hills tomorrow. The minimum temperatures oscillated between minus 8.0 and minus 13.0 degrees Celsius in the high-altitude tribal areas. The minimum temperature in the picturesque Manali was 0.4 degree.

The prevailing dry spell in Kashmir, the longest in nearly four decades, is likely to end next week as the Met department in the state has forecast a spell of rain or snow in the Valley where night temperatures dipped once again.

Kashmir has been witnessing dry spell for 35 to 40 years. There has been negligible rainfall in past five months, Met department officials said.

Srinagar's night temperature was recorded at minus 4.3, while it was minus 3.4 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam hill resort and it was a low of zero in famous ski-resort of Gulmarg.

Sikar was the coldest place in Rajasthan with a minimum temperature of 6.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Churu (7.5C).

Haryana's Narnaul was the coldest place in the state at 4.6 degrees Celsius, a notch below the normal.

In cities of the country minimum temperatures were recorded at 12.8 in Ahmedabad; 14.8 in Bengaluru; 15.9 in Kolkata; 0.0 in Madurai; 0.0 in Nagpur; 9.4 in Pune; 21.5 in Mumbai.

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A 15-year-old girl was killed in a firing at Hind village in Shamli district, following which tension prevailed here and police force was deployed to control the situation.

The incident took place at the village under Thanabhawan police station last night, when five people entered into a house and opened indiscriminate fire in which Khushnuma died on the spot, circle officer Sunil Kumar told PTI here today.

The girl had come to visit her maternal uncle's house here, Kumar said, adding her aunt registered an FIR with the police after the incident.

In the police complaint, old enmity was said to be reason behind the incident.

The police has registered a case against five people who were identified as Usman, Dabbel, Kheru, Adan and Hakikat, all of them absconding.

Irate villagers protested and refused to handover the girl's body, the officer said, adding, senior police officers pacified them later and the body was sent for postmortem.

Security has been tightened and extra police force has been deployed in the village, he said.

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Five persons, including three children, were killed and three others were injured when they were run over by a mini-truck at a victory procession of a sarpanch in Sehra taluka of Panchmahal district today, police said.

The accident occurred when the truck driver lost his control on the vehicle while going downhill on a road near Jethli-Bor village in evening.

The deceased included a 6-year-old girl, two boys in age group of 16 to 17 and two men.

"Around 50 to 60 persons took out a procession to celebrate the victory of a local sarpanch who won in Gram Panchayat polls after yesterday's counting. The deceased were also among the revellers who were walking ahead of the mini-truck which was also part of the procession," said Sehra police sub-inspector A A Chaudhary.

Yesterday, counting of votes was held across Gujarat for more than 8000 Gram Panchayats, which went to polls on December 27.

Primary facie, brake failure on a gradient caused the accident.

"As soon as the procession reached downhill slope, the truck, which was behind them, lost control and ploughed into the revellers. Five of them died on the spot while three others were injured.

"Since the truck was very old, there is a high possibility that its breaks failed," Chaudhary said.

He said a case is being registered in this regard.

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Gur Dhayya prices hardened by Rs 100 per quintal at the wholesale gur (jaggery) market in the national capital today following pick up in seasonal demand amid thin supples.

Muzaffarnagar and Muradnagar gur markets also displayed a firm trend with prices rising up to Rs 100 per quintal on paucity of stocks.

Marketmen said, robust demand triggered by winter season and amdist fall in arrivals from manufacturing belts due to adverse weather conditions buoyed trading sentiments at Delhi, Muzaffarnagar and Muradnagar.

In Delhi, gur Dhayya prices quoted higher by Rs 100 to end at Rs 3,400-3,500 per quintal.

At Muzaffarnagar, gur Khurpa and Laddoo prices were trading higher at Rs 2,700-2,750 and Rs 2,950-3,050 as compared to overnight close of Rs 2,600-2,650 and Rs 2,900-2,950, revealing a rise up to Rs 100 per quintal each.

Gur Chakku also gained Rs 50 to close at Rs 2,800-3,000 per quintal.

At Muradnagar, prices of gur pedi enquired higher by Rs 50 to conclude at Rs 2,800-2,850 per quintal.

Following are today's rates (in Rs per quintal):



Gur chakku Rs 3,000-3,100, pedi Rs 3,200-3,300, dhayya Rs 3,400-3,500 and shakkar Rs 3,500-3,600.

Muzaffarnagar: Rasket Rs 2,500-2,600, chakku Rs 2,800-3,000, khurpa Rs 2,700-2,750 and Ladoo Rs 2,950-3,050.

Muradnagar: Pedi Rs 2,800-2,850 and dhayya Rs 2,850-2,900.

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Gut microorganisms can interfere with human physiology by modulating the levels of serotonin - a neurotransmitter which carries messages to the brain, a new study suggests.

The finding could shed new light on the complex community of trillions of microorganisms living in all our guts, and how they interact with our bodies, researchers said.

Scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK and University of Zaragoza in Spain studied a protein known as TLR2, a critical detector of the microbiota found in the intestine.

They found that it regulates levels of serotonin - a neurotransmitter which carries messages to the brain, and is also found in the gut, where it regulates our bowel routines.

The research, carried out in cell cultures and verified in mice, provides strong evidence that microbiota can interfere with human physiology by modulating the serotonin transporter activity.

Serotonin transporter is a target for numerous diseases and it seems that microbiota living in our guts is able to interfere with this transporter, controlling our serotonin levels.

The finding comes as scientists across the world are working to understand the complicated interactions between the "invisible world" of the microbiota in our bodies and the impact they have on our health and even our moods.

Recently, US scientists found evidence that the bacteria in the gut play a role in causing Parkinson's Disease.

It may also help explain how the microbiota in our guts affect our physiology. Inflammatory bowel disease is thought to be triggered when TLR2 is not functioning properly, but so far, the mechanisms behind this have not been fully understood.

"This paper has concluded that the protein TLR2 alters the availability of serotonin, which is important in a range of conditions from depression to inflammatory bowel disease," Eva Latorre, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Exeter Medical School, said.

"We need to understand much more about the relationship between the microbiota in our guts and how they interact, before we can hope to harness effective new treatments," said Latorre.

The research team examined human cells in a model of the intestine in the laboratory, looking at how they express proteins and RNA - activities which regulate how they behave. They found that TLR2 controls serotonin transporter - obtaining the same result in studies on mice.

"We have concluded that TLR2 not only can detect microbiota, but also modulate serotonin transport, one of the crucial mechanism in neurological and inflammatory diseases," said Principal investigator of the study, Professor Jose E Mesonero, at the University of Zaragoza.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

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It will be a Happy New Year indeed for millions of the lowest-paid workers. 19 states, including New York and California, will ring in the year with an increase in the minimum wage.

Massachusetts and Washington will have the highest new minimum wages in the country, at $11 per hour.

California will raise its wage to $10.50 for businesses with 26 or more employees. New York state is taking a regional approach, with the wage rising to $11 in New York City, $10 in its downstate suburbs and $9.70 elsewhere.

"This $1.50 increase, I cannot even comprehend or tell you how important this will be," said Alvin Major, a New York City fast-food worker. The 51-year-old father of four helped lead the fight for the increase in his state, one of several successful efforts by fast-food workers and other low wage workers around the country. "The price of food has gone up.

Rent has gone up. Everything has gone up. ... This will make a difference for so many people."

Voters in Arizona, Maine, Colorado and Washington approved increases in this year's election. Seven other states, Alaska, Florida, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio and South Dakota, are automatically raising the wage based on indexing. The other states seeing increases are Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Michigan and Vermont.

In Arizona, the state Chamber of Commerce and Industry filed a lawsuit challenging the increase, which will raise the minimum wage from $8.05 to $10. Yesterday, the Arizona Supreme Court refused to temporarily block the raise.

Workers and labor advocates argue the increases will help low-wage workers now barely making ends meet and boost the economy by giving some consumers more money to spend. But many business owners opposed the higher wages, saying they would lead to higher prices and greater automation.

Some restaurant owners may consider reducing portion sizes or charging for side dishes that were once included in the price of a meal to absorb the increase, according to Melissa Fleischut, president of the New York State Restaurant Association.

"I'm sure prices will go up where they can, but restaurants want to avoid sticker shock," she said. "They're going to have to get creative."

The adjustments in Oregon, New York, California and several other states are part of a series of gradual increases to a $12 or $15 hourly wage.

The minimum wage will also go up this weekend in 22 cities and counties, including San Diego, San Jose and Seattle.

The high number of states and localities raising the wage this year reflects the successful work of fast-food workers and organised labor, according to Tsedeye Gebreselassie, senior staff attorney at the National Employment Law Project, as well as federal inaction on the wage. The national minimum was last raised, to $7.25, in 2009.

"These aren't only teens trying to make some pocket money," she said. "Increasingly it's adults who are using this money to support their families.
A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, the CPI(M) today raised a flurry of questions to know if all demonetised money has returned to banks and the estimated loss the move has caused to India's economy even as Centre's demonetisation deadline ends today.

In its statement, party Politburo demanded to know why the government has not constituted probes into alleged Sahara-Birla diaries and Vyapam scam at a time when the Prime Minister was "talking a lot" about ending corruption.

Describing demonetisation as "one man made disaster" which has pushed the "beleaguered" Indian economy into a tailspin, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused the Prime Minister of running away from questions in this regard, raised in Parliament or by media or through RTI.

"Though PM does not like questions either in Parliament, by the press or via RTI. We must continue to do what we must and ask them," Yechury tweeted.

The CPI(M) asked the government to lift all restrictions on the withdrawal of money by people from banks and remove all costs on such dealings given the Centre is pitching for increased digital transactions.

Among other, the party demanded the government to compensate families of 100 people who have reportedly died while queueing up to withdraw money from banks/ATMs and sought to know how many people have lost jobs since demonetisation was announced.

"The PM must publicly declare the quantum of demonetised money that has returned to the banks ... Has all of the demonetised money come back into the banks now? What is the quantum and value of new notes that have been printed so far?" it asked.

"What is the government's estimation of the economic loss to the nation as a result of this move? How many people have lost their jobs and livelihood since demonetisation was announced on November 8, 2016?" it sought to know.

Referring to Modi's pitch for ending corruption, the Left party asked the government why it has not instituted probes into the various alleged scams like Vyapam and Sahara-Birla dairies, etc.

Alleging that demonetisation caused "immense misery" to the poor and downtrodden, the Politburo asked the NDA government to double the allocation for the MNREGA to ensure 100 days of employment for all those who are enrolled.

Provide tax rebate to small and medium enterprises and remove all restrictions on deposits and withdrawals of funds from the cooperative banks, it said.

"If there are any specific cases of malpractices against any bank, they should be proceeded against on criminal charges, but the cooperative banking system which is the backbone for rural India cannot be destroyed," it insisted.

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Taking to Twitter to target Modi, Yechury reiterated allegations that BJP and its "friends" were tipped off about the demonetisation move and asked why no inquiry was initiated into their dealings.

To drive his point in this regard, the Marxist leader alleged that the BJP's West Bengal unit deposited Rs 3 crore in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes "just before" the demonetisation announcement and had purchased lands in the run up to the declaration.

He questioned why the Rs 1.12 lakh crore loans of corporate houses were written off when farmers are made to repay debts.

"Why did your govt not allow Condolence in Parliament which we, the Opposition proposed on Nov 21 for more than 100 dead #Demonetisation," he asked.

The Rajya Sabha member also sought to know from the Prime Minister whether he will take "responsibility for Indian army losing twice the number of soldiers to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir recently than in past two years".

Hitting out at Modi for allegedly not providing two crore jobs a year as promised during 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Yechury said "instead, there have only been job losses."



The government, he said, boasted about constructing roads of 40 km length per day, but only 6 km were made and questioned whether this was its "Good Governance".
The Delhi High Court today granted parole for one day to ex-Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, serving a 10-year jail term in teachers' recruitment scam case, to attend his grandson and MP Dushyant Chautala's engagement on January 3, 2017.

Justice Vipin Sanghi ordered Chautala's release for a day on his furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 and directed the INLD leader to surrender on January 4 at 11 AM.

The court said it will hear Chautala's main petition against the Delhi government's December 14, 2016 decision dismissing his plea for six months' parole on medical grounds, on January 17.

The INLD leader, in his interim application filed through advocate Amit Sahni, had sought two days' parole to attend his grandson's 'roka' and 'ring' ceremonies.

The Delhi government opposed the grant of interim parole saying Ajay Chautala, also a convict in the case, was already out on parole to attend the marriage function of his son Dushyant.

Sahni, however, said that as per the parole norms, under special circumstances like in the instant case, two convicts of a case can be granted the relief simultaneously.

In his main plea, O P Chautala has contended that the Delhi government's December 14 decision was passed in "an extremely unfair manner upon flimsy grounds".

82-year-old Chautala also said that he is "polio-affected since his birth and has permanent disability of 60 per cent".

He said he was on bail during the trial and was released on parole, but he has never misused the same.

Chautala, his son Ajay and three others are serving 10-years jail term in the case.

The Supreme Court on August 3 last year had dismissed the Chautalas' appeals against the high court's verdict upholding their conviction and sentence of 10 years awarded by a trial court in the junior basic trained (JBT) teachers recruitment scam case.

The high court had on March 5, 2015 upheld the 10-year jail term awarded to Chautalas and three others, saying, "The overwhelming evidence showed spine-chilling state of affairs in the country."



The father-son duo and 53 others, including two IAS officers, were among 55 persons convicted on January 16, 2013 by the trial court for illegally recruiting 3,206 JBT teachers in Haryana in 2000.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court bench today dismissed a petition filed by a former police head constable to quash the order issued by the DIG of Ramanathapuram district, directing him to go on compulsory retirement from August 3, 2016 for allegedly colluding with gold smugglers.

Rejecting the appeal by Muniasamy, former head constable attached to Mandalamanickam police station in Ramanathapuram district, Justice S Vaidhyanathan said the departmental investigation conducted into the incident has revealed that the car from which gold and cash worth Rs 55.99 lakh were seized, belonged to the petitioner.

The petitioner submitted that he had sold his vehicle to one Gajendran, who was involved in smuggling, and had taken Rs One lakh as advance for the sale, while the remaining amount was to be paid before September 28,2014.

However, without settling the balance amount, Gajendran had used his car to smuggle the gold and cash and later paid the money, he alleged.

During a vehicle check in 2014, the car was intercepted by the police, who arrested two persons including Gajendran and seized Rs 50.91 lakh worth of gold and cash that was handed over to the customs officials.

The petitioner also submitted that he had produced documents to prove that the car had been handed over to Gajendran after collecting the advance.

Even the customs officials did not mention of his involvement in the smuggling, he pointed out.

Yet, the DSP had come to a conclusion that he had abetted the accused to smuggle, he said.

Meanwhile, the probe report submitted before this court stated that the petitioner was involved in helping the smugglers and had accepted Rs 5000 to 10,000 for lending his vehicle besides taking Rs 2 lakh after the work was done.

It also said that the department had asked Muniasamy to go on compulsory retirement and his appeal against it was also dismissed by the DIG.

Hence, the petitioner moved the court seeking to quash the orders of the police department against him.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Expressing concern over overcrowding in jails, the Bombay High Court has asked the Maharashtra Government to establish a new prison with kitchen and other facilities which would solve the problem of space constraint.

A bench of justices Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed, hearing a petition, asked the state government to submit a plan for setting up a new prison by January 2017 so that the problem of overcrowding in jails is solved.

Such a prison should be an ideal one with all necessary infrastructure and facilities required by house inmates, said the bench in a recent order.

Citing an instance, the bench said that Central Prison at Arthur Road in Mumbai was also very crowded earlier but the government built another prison at Taloja in Navi Mumbai and this solved the problem of overcrowding in the jail.

Similarly on these lines, the government should consider setting up a new prison which not only provides space to the inmates but also has all the modern facilities for the prisoners to perform their daily chores, the bench added.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Shaikh Ibrahim Abdul who is lodged in Yerwada jail in Pune.

The petitioner's lawyer Uday Warunjikar pointed out the "poor" living conditions in the prison and urged the court to issue directions to tackle the problem.

At a previous hearing, the government had informed that the food quality of Yerwada jail was good but there was space crunch in the prison. It said that Yerwada jail has the capacity to house 2,323 prisoners but currently the prison has about 6,000 inmates.

The Bench then asked the government to submit a plan of a new prison to resolve the problem of overcrowding in jails.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid today expressed hope that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would agree to his party's stance on demonetisation after the latter reviewed his decision on the move.

"After reviewing his decision on the completion of 50 days of demonetisation, Nitish Kumar would take a decision after consulting his party keeping in mind the ground realities in Bihar. But we would like Nitish Kumar to be with us in our struggle and movement that we have launched against demonetisation especially with regard to its poor implementation," Khurshid told reporters here.

Notably, Nitish Kumar had supported the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move but his party had later made it clear that it would review its decision (on demonetisation) after completion of 50 days i.E. After December 30.

In reply to a query, Khurshid said that talks were being held with JD(U) on the issue to convince them on demonetisation and its ill-effects.

"We are not resorting to any kind of any illegal pressure. We are trying to convince (our partner in Bihar)," he said when pointed out Congress is putting pressure on JD(U) to join it on the issue.

While on Lalu Prasad, he said "his party is walking along with us on demonetisation".

Cornered by the media repeatedly over Nitish Kumar having taken different approach than that of Congress on demonetisation, Bihar Congress Chief Ashok Choudhary had to intervene into the matter saying that everyone should wait for Kumar's decision.

"This is a grand alliance of three parties which is being run on the basis of common minimum programme. Political parties may have different national views. RJD and Congress have taken a view (on demonetisation). Nitish Kumar has said that his party would review its decision on demonetisation and we should wait for it," Choudhary said.

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India and Egypt had a fulfilling year in 2016 as the leadership of the two countries agreed to step up their defence and security cooperation to tackle the twin challenges of terrorism and radicalisation besides enhancing economic and people-to-people engagements.

This year also witnessed some of the high-level meetings between the two countries including the visit of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee in September to discuss ways to develop bilateral cooperation in different fields.

A series of decisions to combat terrorism were taken in wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and al-Sisi as the two countries have been engaged in staving off the threat of extremism and radicalism.

Identifying terrorism as one of the "gravest threats", they decided to have greater information and operational exchanges, apart from ramping up defence cooperation, signalling a major shift in ties. Both sides also inked a pact on maritime transport which will facilitate maritime commerce and transit of naval vessels.

India's Ambassador to Cairo Sanjay Bhattacharyya told PTI that his wishes for the coming year are to deepen and intensify the exchanges between India and Egypt in different fields and see the continuation of high-level engagements.

The ambassador also added that 2016 has witnessed a number of cooperation opportunities, which will be increased in the coming year.

One of the key cooperation moments in 2016 is that the Vocational Training Centre on Textiles in Shoubra El Kheima, Cairo, was formally inaugurated in August with the support of the Indian government.

The Vocational Centre is one of the largest training centres in Egypt offering several courses in printing, electrical, mechanical, energy, textile, upgraded to state-of- the-art technologies in the field of spinning, weaving, dyeing and printing.

In September, another key cooperation moment took place after the first Indian Chair in Egypt at the Ain Shams University was operationalised with the arrival of Indian professor Naidu Subbarao.

The Chair, which is at the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, is not only the first Indian Chair in Egypt but also in the Arab world.

Next year will see more cooperation opportunities in different areas, the Ambassador said.

"On the defence side, I think the tempo has been very very strong and we would like to see more exchanges and more concrete collaborative work on the two sides," Bhattacharyya said, adding he is very satisfied with the progress that has been made in the field of security during the last year.

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"We already have an agenda which will take further. We will also have some more discussions on other transnational crimes issues to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation, all this will provide us also, very potently, with closer cooperation and cooperation in the field of the fight against terrorism," Bhattacharyya said.

On the economy front, the ambassador said he is hoping that the trade situation will pick up.

"We are looking at the diversification of our trade basket so that we are not subject to the rises or fall in the prices of one commodity affecting our trade to such an extent," he explained.

He said the coming period will witness exchange of visits on the economic side between the two countries, which will lead to many new ventures.

"Both sides strongly committed to the international development efforts of each other," Bhattacharyya added.

On the culture field, he said the Embassy of India in Egypt currently is making plans for the India by the Nile (IBN) 2017.

"This year's festival is going to be a special edition because it coincides with India's 70th year of independence and it will be the fifth anniversary of IBN," the Ambassador said.

The mega festival will take place from early March to the end of April.

"It will be a much longer festival, with many more events, and hopefully we will be able to go out for more cities as well," he said, adding he also wishes to have a broader Tagore Festival this year.
India will supply an additional 80 MW of power to Nepal from January 1, which will increase the total total transmission of electricity to the neighbouring nation to 400 MW.

"From the first day of the new year, January 1, 2017, additional power transfer of 80 MW to Nepal is expected to commence. With this, the total supply of electricity to Nepal from India will be about 400 MW," Power Ministry said in a statement today.

According to the statement, Nepal Energy Minister Janardan Sharma held discussions with Power Minister Piyush Goyal during his recent visit to India.

Besides reviewing cooperation and expanding ties between the two countries in the power/energy sector, Sharma had asked for an additional supply of 80 MW to alleviate power shortage in Nepal due to seasonal reduction in supply from domestic hydro projects in winter months, it said.

In a swift response, within 20 days the Power Grid Corp installed an additional 220/132kV, 100MVA transformer at Muzaffarpur substation in India.

This transformer will facilitate additional power supply up to 80 MW to Nepal through the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar (Nepal) transmission line. With this augmentation, a total of 160 MW can now be supplied to Nepal through this transmission line, it added.

The electrical grids of India and Nepal are connected through various radial lines at 132kV, 33kV and 11kV voltage levels.

Prior to February 2016, as per the request received from Nepal from time to time, various short-term augmentation schemes were carried out which resulted in enhancement of power flow to Nepal from 50 MW to about 240 MW.

In February 2016, Prime Ministers of India and Nepal inaugurated the first high capacity 400kV cross-border line, initially being operated at 132kV, from Muzaffarpur to Dhalkebar.

This had resulted in additional flow of 80 MW, enhancing the total power supply to Nepal to about 320MW.

The Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar line is planned to be charged at 220kV with the commissioning of 220kV Dhalkebar substation in Nepal by March 2017.

This will facilitate additional 150 MW of power transfer to Nepal. This would be followed by commissioning of 400 kV substation at Dhalkebar, which would enable operation of Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar 400 kV DC line at its rated voltage, leading to increase in power transfer to Nepal by 300-400 MW.

India is also working with Nepal to supply power through two more radial 132kV lines -- Raxaul-Parwanipur and Kataiya-Kushaha, which are being commissioned through the grant assistance of Government of India.

India, through PGCIL, has also assisted Nepal in preparation of electricity Master Plan for Nepal- short term (up to 2018-19), medium term (up to 2021-22) and long term (up to 2035).

Accordingly, a number of high capacity cross-border interconnections are being considered between India and Nepal. Initially, these interconnections would be utilised for transfer of power from India to Nepal and later with the development of hydro projects in Nepal, these links would be utilised for transfer of surplus power from Nepal to India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Americans from across the country will gather in the US capital next week to celebrate the historic win of five Indian Americans to the Congress.

These include Ami Bera, who has been reelected for a third consecutive term, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal who have made their maiden entry into the US legislature.

In the Senate, they are joined by California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Harris is the first Indian American to have entered the US Senate.

Several top Congressional leaders including Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, Senator Tim Kaine, the 2016 Democratic vice presidential candidate, Senator Mark Warner and Republican Congressman George Holding have already confirmed their participation.

"We will honour the Indian-Americans recently elected to Congress as well as those appointed to senior positions in the incoming Presidential administration," said M R Rangaswami, a Silicon Valley-based philanthropist and venture capitalist.

The two Indian Americans nominated in the incoming Trump administration including Nikki Haley, who is set to be the first Indian American cabinet-level appointee, have also been invited for the gala.

"We are one per cent of the population, and now we are one per cent of the Congress. So definitely, we have achieved a status commensurate with our size. But when we benchmark ourselves with Jewish Americans who are two per cent of the population, but they are 10 per cent of the Congress, we have a long way to go," Rangaswami told PTI.

"Our role is to motive inspire Indian Americans all over the country to get engaged in the political process, to run for office. It's time for Indian Americans to get really engaged in political and civic responsibilities," he said.

The event is also an effort to send the message that Indian Americans have achieved success "across the spectrum" and not just in some areas like science, medicines and academics.

In any profession, now one will find an Indian American, he added.

Proud of their Indian heritage, which the community has brought from India, including yoga, food, cooking and cultural values, Rangaswami said all this has added value to the American cultural milieu.

"The message is politics, how well we are doing now, we have to do more; we are breaking boundaries across professions and are doing well in multiple fields and not just in technology and medicine. And finally heritage is going to serve this country well, our values, our cooking, our art, everything," he said.

"Indian Americans are now mainstream," Rangaswami asserted, adding that the community is no longer an ethnic minority.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP today termed the infighting in the Samajwadi Party as a "scripted drama" to divert people's attention from the "all-round failures" of the Akhilesh Yadav government.

"Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has betrayed the people of Uttar Pradesh with the all-round failures of his government. He has not fulfilled any promise. People are feeling betrayed. What is happening in SP is a scripted drama to divert people's attention," its National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

People had voted for SP in 2012 as they were angry with the Mayawati government over poor law and order and development but it has also let them down, he said, blaming Yadav for "deteriorating law and order" as his portfolios includes the home ministry.

Voters will not fall in this trap this time, Sharma said, adding that they have made up their mind to vote for BJP. "There is wave in our support," he claimed.

BJP governments in various states have brought development and ensured double digit growth, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif today welcomed a nationwide truce in Syria as a "major achievement" that could lead to renewed peace talks.

On the deal brokered by Russia and Turkey - potentially a significant breakthrough in the nearly six-year conflict - Zarif said: "Ceasefire in Syria is a major achievement.

"Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he posted on Twitter.

Zarif spoke by telephone yesterday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the latest developments in Syria, where Iran has offered considerable military, financial and diplomatic aid to defend President Bashar al-Assad.

"Both sides welcomed the nationwide ceasefire and emphasised the fight against terrorism, Islamic State (IS) and Al-Nusra groups and their allies," the official IRNA agency said.

Zarif and Lavrov agreed to "continue consultation and coordination within the framework of the tripartite agreement among Turkey, Iran and Russia to hold talks between the Syrian government and rebels" in Kazakstan, it added.

Turkey and Russia are pushing for talks between the regime and rebels in Astana to begin next month.

The ceasefire, announced yesterday by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition, does not include designated "terrorists" such as IS.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israel today issued an "immediate and severe" travel warning for Western tourists in India, citing an immediate threat of attack on tourist targets during New Year celebrations, particularly in south-west part of the country.

"We are warning Israeli tourists in India of the possibility of imminent terrorist attacks against western targets and tourists, particularly in the southwest of that country," Israel's anti-terrorism directorate said in a statement released by the Prime Minister's office.

"A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high," the warning said.

The south-west part of the country -- which covers popular holiday destinations like Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin -- are particularly at risk, it said.

The statement further recommended that tourists avoid participation in beach and New Year parties at popular tourist spots.

"Israeli tourists traveling in India are asked to stay alert and to pay attention to local media reports and security agencies," it added.

Meanwhile, an Israeli Embassy spokesman in New Delhi confirmed the warning and said: "Israel has issued a travel advisory surrounding New Year's Eve celebrations events in south-west India, with specific regard to beach parties, clubs and highly-populated tourist sites. Israeli tourist are advised to avoid such events and other densly-populated areas."



The warning also called on Israeli families to contact their relatives in India and tell them of the threat.

In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas.

Notably, the travel warning was published on Friday, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, when government offices close for business.

The directorate did not specify what prompted the warning, however, additional security arrangements have been made all around the world for New Year eve in view of the Berlin terror attack on a Christmas market last week that killed 12 people.

India remains a popular tourist destination for Israeli citizens and according to Jewish Post an estimated 20,000 former Israeli soldiers travel to India every year.

Israeli citizens and Jewish sites in India have been attacked in the past, the most infamous incident occurred during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack when members of the Pakistani-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) targeted the local Chabad House, among other sites, in Mumbai.

In 2012, Tal Yehoshua Koren, the wife of an Israeli Defense Ministry representative, was moderately wounded in an explosion in her car near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid series of punitive actions against Russia by the Obama administration, President-elect Donald Trump has said that it's time for the US to "move on" to "bigger and better things" as he decided to meet top intelligence officials next week "to be updated on the facts" on alleged Russian hacking during the presidential elections.

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," Trump said.

Trump's vaguely worded statement, which did not mention Russia directly, came soon after the Obama Administration yesterday announced a series of punitive measures against alleged Russian hackings during the presidential elections.

A top Trump advisor said that it is time to move on.

"He'll receive an intelligence briefing this coming week. And in the meantime, he believes it's time to move on," Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the president-elect, told CNN.

"I've been reading all the reports about these retaliations, these sanctions put forward by President Obama and his administration. Some of them seem largely symbolic. The GRU doesn't travel here, doesn't keep its assets here. No reason allies will follow suit. We're yet to see all of the intelligence reports," she said.

Trump, she noted, believes it's time to move on to bigger and better things for the country.

President Barack Obama has sanctioned Russia, expelled 35 Russian officials and shut down two Russian-owned compounds in the US over alleged Russian hacking during the presidential election.

Meanwhile, announcement of sanctions against Russia was welcomed by lawmakers from across the aisle.

"Russia does not share America's interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. Whiletoday's action by the administrationis overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. It serves as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreignpolicy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world," House Speaker Paul Ryan said.

The retaliatory measures announced by the Obama Administration are long overdue, said Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

"But ultimately, they are a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy. We intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia,"the two Senators said in a joint statement.

After years of weakness that have invited and encouraged Russian aggression, the actions by President Obama are long overdue, said Senator Marco Rubio.

"Vladimir Putin has made it abundantly clear he is not an ally or partner of the United States, and that his interests are fundamentally not our interests," he said as he welcomed the sanctions against Russia.

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Jaipur franchise, the newest addition to the Pro Wrestling League (PWL), today unveiled its team logo at a sparkling ceremony here.

The franchise, to be known as Jaipur Ninjas, also unveiled the team anthem and the athletes, who are all set to vie for top honours at the second edition of the PWL, starting here on January 2.

The team has in its ranks the youngest of the Phogat sisters, Ritu, who will ply her trade in women's 48kg category during the tournament.

Incidentally Ritu became the highest Indian female wrestler during the PWL auctions earlier this month.

The Ninjas have also roped in the talented women wrestlers like Rio Games bronze medallist Jenny Franson of Sweden in 75kg and Venezuela's Betzabeth Arguello in 53kg, besides the heavyweight Georgian duo of Elizbar Odikadze in men's 97kg and Yakob Makarashvili in men's 74kg.

Apart from Ritu, other Indians to be featuring in team are Pooja Dhanda (women's 58kg), Utkarsh Kale (men's 57kg), Rahul Mann (men's 65kg) and Vinod Kumar (men's 70kg).

Ritu feels that the team has got the required ammunition to fire during the competition.

"We have a very good squad and the mood in the camp is quite positive. We are training really hard for the league and have gelled well with each other. It has been quite impressive that we have become such a cohesive unit in such a short span of time and that will surely help in achieving a lot of success," said Ritu.

"All of us are raring to hit the mat and will give our all to win the title," she added.

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Outbreak of jaundice, Scrub typhus and a child swapping case rattled Himachal Pradesh in 2016 which saw clamour for the ouster of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh generating political acrimony.

The year, which coincided with completion of four years of the Congress government in power, started on a sad note with jaundice outbreak in Shimla and adjoining areas resulting in 22 deaths and over 1,500 people getting infected.

Investigations pointed out that sewage mixed with drinking water and 10 people including engineers of Irrigation and Public Health department and contractor of sewerage treatment plant were arrested.

Pumping of water from the source was taken over from IPH department and entire control of water supply including pumping and distribution was handed over to Shimla Municipal Corporation.

Close on the heels of the jaundice outbreak, Scrub typhus gripped the state and 30 people died while over 900 were infected.

The recovery of skeletal remains of four-year-old Yug Gupta from a water tank at Kelston here more than two years after he was kidnapped rocked the town and massive protests including candle marches continued for days. All three accused arrested in the case are facing trial in the court.

A case of child swapping in government-run Kamla Nehru hospital here came to light and the swapped children, a baby boy and girl were united with their biological parents after five months following DNA tests and intervention of the court.

More than 80 people died in six major road accidents in Chamba, Kinnaur, Kangra and Mandi districts while five youth from Punjab were washed away in cloudburst nearChewadi, on Sunni-Luhriroad ofShimla district.

On the political front, Singh faced attacks from BJP over the cases registered against him by Income Tax department, CBI and Enforcement Directorate and after a year-long campaign, it submitted a charge sheet vowing to oust Congress from power.

The state Congress too mounted attack on Modi government and launched statewide campaign "Modi ke bol, jumlon ke dhol" to remind people of "unfulfilled poll promises".

Asha Kumar, a former minister and sitting Congress MLA was convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment by a Chamba court in a land grab case. However, the high court stayed the sentence and the matter is pending.

The Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), floated by BJP dissidents ahead of assembly polls in 2012, was virtually wound up with its president Maheshwar Singh and other senior leaders merging with the BJP and the residual leaders joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). (MORE) PTI PCL ZMN



YEAR-HIMACHAL 2 LAST



The strength of BJP in the 68-member state assembly rose to 28 with addition of lone HLP MLA Maheshwar Singh but was again reduced to 27 with the death of veteran party leader and six-time MLA Ishwar Dass Dhiman.

Monkey menace remained a major issue of contention and under pressure from farmers' organisations, monkeys were declared vermins in Shimla Municipal Corporation areas and 38 tehsils but not even a single monkey was shot by people who wanted the government to kill them.

The government passed the HP Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act, providing for regularisation of all illegal structures on "as is, where is basis", kicking a row and the governor withheld assent to the bill.

The Centre sanctioned 61 new national highways to the state but the state government was yet to prepare the detailed project reports (DPRs) of these projects and both the Congress and the BJP were blaming each other.

The state government launched an intensive campaign against drugs and cannabisand opium and over 3.60 cannabis plants were uprooted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with jawans in Kinnaur district and also addressed a BJP rally at Mandi in run-up to assembly polls and Amit Shah addressed the workers at Solan.

Congress too invited Rahul Gandhi, who addressed a rally at Dharamsala to mark completion of four years of Congress government in power on December 24 last.

The Raghunath temple takeover in Kullu stirred a war of words between BJP and Congress and the high court stayed the orders of the government on a petition filed by BJP MLA Maheshwar Singh, who is chief caretaker of the shrine and who claims it was his private property.

Congress swept the first ever elections held to newly created Dharamsala Municipal Corporation, winning 14 of the 17 seats.

Himachal Pradesh also earned the distinction of becoming the first open defecation-free state in the country.

The appointment of V C Pharka, a 1983 batch IAS officer as chief secretary, superseding five senior IAS officers raised some eyebrows and two seniormost IAS officers Deepak Shanan and Vineet Chowdhary are on leave since June while Upma Chowdhary has taken over as Director Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy at Mussoorie.

The Himachal Pradesh University, under attack for abolishing direct elections to central student associations and hasty implementation of RUSA, got "A" Grade from NAAC for the first time.

The strength of BJP in the 68-member state assembly rose



to 28 with addition of lone HLP MLA Maheshwar Singh but was again reduced to 27 with the death of veteran party leader and six-time MLA Ishwar Dass Dhiman.

Monkey menace remained a major issue of contention and under pressure from farmers' organisations, monkeys were declared vermins in Shimla Municipal Corporation areas and 38 tehsils but not even a single monkey was shot by people who wanted the government to kill them.

The government passed the HP Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act, providing for regularisation of all illegal structures on "as is, where is basis", kicking a row and the governor withheld assent to the bill.

The Centre sanctioned 61 new national highways to the state but the state government was yet to prepare the detailed project reports (DPRs) of these projects and both the Congress and the BJP were blaming each other.

The state government launched an intensive campaign against drugs and cannabisand opium and over 3.60 cannabis plants were uprooted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with jawans in Kinnaur district and also addressed a BJP rally at Mandi in run-up to assembly polls and Amit Shah addressed the workers at Solan.

Congress too invited Rahul Gandhi, who addressed a rally at Dharamsala to mark completion of four years of Congress government in power on December 24 last.

The Raghunath temple takeover in Kullu stirred a war of words between BJP and Congress and the high court stayed the orders of the government on a petition filed by BJP MLA Maheshwar Singh, who is chief caretaker of the shrine and who claims it was his private property.

Congress swept the first ever elections held to newly created Dharamsala Municipal Corporation, winning 14 of the 17 seats.

Himachal Pradesh also earned the distinction of becoming the first open defecation-free state in the country.

The appointment of V C Pharka, a 1983 batch IAS officer as chief secretary, superseding five senior IAS officers raised some eyebrows and two seniormost IAS officers Deepak Shanan and Vineet Chowdhary are on leave since June while Upma Chowdhary has taken over as Director Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy at Mussoorie.

The Himachal Pradesh University, under attack for abolishing direct elections to central student associations and hasty implementation of RUSA, got "A" Grade from NAAC for the first time.
In a major land deal, realty firm K Raheja Corp and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC will jointly purchase a property located at Worli, Mumbai for Rs 610 crore from Siemens.

Siemens, in a filing to the BSE, today informed that the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with K Raheja Corp Group and GIC to transfer its leasehold interest in the property.

Siemens and Whispering Heights Real Estate, a proposed joint venture entity of GIC affiliate Reco Solis Pte Ltd and the K Raheja Corp Group, have executed the MoU for the transfer and assignment of leasehold interest in the property located at Worli "for a total consideration of Rs 610 crore", the company said in the filing.

The proposed deal is subject to receipt of all requisite statutory and regulatory approvals from the concerned authorities and signing of firm agreements between the two parties, it added.

Siemens group is engaged in various businesses including energy, healthcare, industrial automation, building technologies, drive technology, mobility, financing, consumer products and services.

K Raheja Corp is a leading real estate developer in Mumbai.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari today held Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendar Jain responsible for "violation of administrative procedures" in Nikunj Agarwal's appointment and said the Chief Minister didn't learn lesson from the raids in his secretary Rajendra Kumar's case.

CBI today carried out searches at the office of Nikunj Agarwal in connection with alleged irregularities in his appointment at Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya and subsequently as officer on special duty to Jain.

Tiwari charged the Delhi Chief Minister is "responsible" for this second raid by the CBI at Delhi Secretariat in one year.

"Had Kejriwal learnt his lessons from his secretary Rajendra Kumar's matter and rectified irregularities in his government, the raid today could have been avoided," he said in a statement.

Tiwari also accused the Kejriwal government of "nepotism" claiming that Nikunj Agarwal is a "relative" of the Chief Minister.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With Goa beach parties being a major attraction around New Year, the coastal state has been seeing an increase in visitors from the LGBT community.

"There is something in Goa which makes us feel secure. We can celebrate our new year, the way we want," said a transgender from Pune, who is visiting Goa around the New Year to party with fellow community members.

The coastal belt of Sinquerim-Candolim-Calangute-Baga has the highest number of transgenders gathering.

"Usually when you party, you are not bothered about the gender issues. It's time for fun," one of them said.

The coastal belt has some exclusive parties lined-up for LGBT community members to usher in the new year.

Several LGBT community members have already made Goa their home by picking up odd jobs here.

"I have been here for last couple of years doing some odd jobs. I find this place much friendly to work," said a member of the community, hailing from Bengaluru.

One of them, an engineering graduate, found it hard to get work as per her qualification in Bengaluru due to her gender status, prompting her to shift to Goa.

"We live here in a community. Unlike other cities, we don't find any problem in getting accommodation on rent," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
City of Gautier collage.jpg

(L to R): Gautier Mayor Gordon Gollott, City Manager Paula Yancey, (Bottom Right to Left): Gautier Police Chief Dante Elbin and former City Manager, Samantha Abell have been named in a lawsuit by former police officer, Jerry Cooksey alleging misappropriation of funds and wrongful termination. (file photos)

GAUTIER, Miss. - A storm is brewing in Gautier after a former police captain alleges corruption has taken place in the city and police department in a federal lawsuit filed in Gulfport on Thursday.

The lawsuit also calls for citizens of Gautier and Jackson County to join the lawsuit to recover what was described as "misappropriated" tax dollars.

Former police captain Jerry Cooksey filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Gulfport and named the City of Gautier and Police Chief Dante Elbin individually and in his official capacity as chief of police.

Within the lawsuit, Cooksey alleged that while he was an employed police officer with the City of Gautier, he became privy to criminal acts within the department to which he alleges Elbin was aware.

Former police officer Jerry Cooksey filed suit against the City of Gautier and the Gautier Police Department on Thursday citing fraud and misappropriation of funds in the department.

Cooksey continues in the suit, saying that he "approached Chief Elbin and informed him of the criminal acts he uncovered." Those criminal acts range from, fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion, and other crimes within the police department.

After presenting the information to Elbin, Cooksey says he was told by Elbin that, "he would be able to explain it away and that no one would question his reasons," according to the suit.

According to the suit, Cooksey contests that his Constitutional and statutory rights were violated and that he has suffered, "humiliation, embarrassment, and loss of reputation and professional credibility."

Therefore, according to the suit, "Cooksey brings this action on behalf of the taxpayers for the City of Gautier and Jackson County and invites any other citizens to join the suit against the Defendants for the recovery of tax amounts misspent and misappropriated by the City and its administration."

Within the suit, Cooksey alleges multiple cases of wrongdoing in which Elbin was fully aware of such as "time sheet fraud." Employees even admitted to the time card fraud and disciplinary action was not taken against them. The suit goes on to say that the fraud continued, "costing the City of Gautier and its taxpayers of money, constituting the crimes of fraud, false pretense, and/or embezzlement."

He also alleges that Elbin unlawfully used DUI grant money to pay wages to employees not involved with DUI enforcement. Because of Elbin's alleged refusal to cease the fraudulent use of grant money, according to the lawsuit, Cooksey refused to sign off on any further time cards that Elbin directed to be fraudulently paid from the grant money.

Cooksey also alleges that the city used reserve funds to pay employees to avoid the payment of taxes, which constitutes tax evasion and criminal violations of state law. The suit alleges that city money was placed into a reserve account and was used to pay employees without the deduction of any taxes, paid to either the state or federal government.

The suit goes on to allege that a number of officers left the department because of the actions of the chief and other city officials.

In the summer of 2015, Elbin was out on vacation, which Cooksey served as the Chief during his absence. According to the suit, then City Manager Samantha Abell met with Cooksey to discuss the high turnover rate in the police department. During their meeting according to the suit, Cooksey informed Abell to the wrongdoing within the department to which he reported to Elbin.

Cooksey alleges that Abell became irritated after disclosing his findings within the department to her and that she accused him of lying. Although Abell did not believe his findings, she did interview a total of 15 officers about the accusations.

After those interviews according to the suit, Cooksey said officers told him Abell seemed "less than interested" in the truth, but rather in discrediting his accusations.

After meeting with the officers, Abell produced a report, according to the suit that stated that Cooksey was trying to undermine Elbin. The report made no mention to the accusations of criminal conduct made by Cooksey.

Cooksey then met with Abell in private and told her that it appeared that she was attempting to cover up these matters for the chief, to which Abell responded, "it would probably be best if you would just leave the department."

Abell later announced her plans to resign from her position as City Manager in April 2016. Abell contested to the council to allow her to two months to train her successor, but the city council declined and she was relieved of her duties days later.

Later that same day, Elbin called Cooksey into a meeting and admonished him for talking to the city manager. He stripped Cooksey of his title as Captain of Administration and transferred him to the Patrol Division.

The Mississippi Press did attempt to contact Abell about the allegations at her place of employment as the new City Manager in Gulf Breeze, FL, but she could not be reached.

In September of 2016, Cooksey was placed on leave and was questioned by new City Manager Paula Yancey and City Attorney Josh Danos about the previous report left by Abell, the suit says. Shortly after his questioning, Cooksey was offered the stipulation to either resign or be fired.

The suit alleges that other officers were interviewed about Cooksey, but does not specify who interviewed the officers. Cooksey said within the lawsuit that he learned other officers job security was threatened if they made mention to anyone about the interview, spoke to Cooksey, or any attorney hired by Cooksey to investigate the matters.

Cooksey agreed to resign from his position with the police department per the stipulation by the city that he did not pursue claims against the city. Cooksey became privy to a position that had become available in Moss Point, but learned if he was terminated, his transfer from one department to the other could not be completed. He then agreed to withdraw his complaint with the Civil Service Commission if the city rescinded their termination of his position.

The suit claims that the City of Gautier manufactured a deal to ensure Cooksey would wave his claims against the city and would ensure he would be unable to secure a position with the City of Moss Point.

Days later, Cooksey was set to be hired by Moss Point until questions arose regarding his termination or resignation from Gautier. The suit alleges Yancey and other administrators elected not to inform the Moss Point Board of Aldermen of Cooksey's work status and the issue was tabled despite administrators' presence at the board meeting.

Yancey released the following statement on Friday regarding Cooksey's lawsuit:

"I have recently become aware that former Gautier police officer, Jerry Cooksey, has filed a federal action against the City. It is our policy to refrain from commenting on the substance of ongoing litigation. However, after a brief review of the filing, it is clear that many of the allegations are completely and demonstrably fabricated. If and when the City is served with the lawsuit, we will move forward in vigorously defending these false claims, and I trust that justice will prevail."

Gautier Mayor Gordon Gollott said he had become privy to the filing of the lawsuit early Friday morning, but had not had the chance to read through it in its entirety. He had no further comment.
The simultaneous launch of 83 satellites and the fast breeder reactor going critical are some of the targets set by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), respectively, as they look forward to 2017 to put behind the lows of this year  losing the Antrix Devas case and missing out on the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is aiming at a major feat in January with the launch of nearly 83 satellites, 80 of them being foreign, at one go.

"We are also launching GSLV Mark III and five communication satellites next year, including the South Asian satellite," ISRO chairman and Department of Space Secretary A S Kirankumar told PTI.

Launching of GSLV Mark III will be a crucial development in the country's space history.

"Next year, we are hopeful that the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor goes critical," said Sekhar Basu, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and DAE Secretary.

If India achieves success in the project, which has been on for over two and a half decades now, it will become the first country to successfully execute the project. It will also see India graduating to a second stage in its nuke energy programme.

The year 2016 saw ISRO launching several satellites, with a major achievement being the completion of the constellation of regional navigation satellites. The year also recorded ISRO's feat of launching 20 satellites at one go.

Apart from this, the space agency also launched GSAT-18, RESOURCESAT-2A, Cartosat-2 Series Satellites for communication, agriculture and weather-related works respectively.

The country's space agency also experimented with projects that would have a long-term impact on its future missions.

For instance, the successful tests of the Reusable Launch Vehicles, capable of launching satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter the atmosphere, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

India also joined a select club of nations by successfully test-firing its futuristic Scramjet Rocket Engine using oxygen from the atmosphere.

However, its achievements were marred by a few jolts. The space agency lost a major case in the Antrix-Devas deal, where ISRO has been asked to cough up several million dollars by a Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal based in the Hague.

The prime minister's ambitious SAARC satellite project also suffered a setback after Pakistan backed out of the endeavour. The satellite, which was to be launched this month, has now been renamed as the South Asian Satellite.

ISRO also signed several international cooperation agreements with France, UAE, the US and Israel.

For the DAE, 2016 was a significant year as Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant unit 2 got operational. It also became an associate member of the prestigious organisation CERN, which is the world's largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory.

However, it also saw Kakrapar Nuclear Power Station unit 1 detecting a radioactive leak, raising concerns over the safety of atomic reactors in the country.

A major setback for India was not getting a berth in the 48-member NSG bloc. India has been trying hard to become a member of the coveted group, entry of which will give DAE access to critical technologies in the atomic sector.

However, despite the backing of France, the US, the UK, Russia, Australia, Japan and several member countries, India's bid was opposed by China.

China has been insisting that only Non-Proliferation Treaty-signatory nations should be a part of the group.

Another major feather in the cap was the signing of the Indo-Japan nuclear deal. After much negotiations stretching over the last few years, the two countries managed to crack the deal, without succumbing to the stringent norms laid down by Japan.

The advantage for India in this would be that the deal is expected to have far-reaching impact on future nuclear projects as India can now import equipment needed for the projects.

Manufacturing such equipment in India or procuring them from other parts of the globe other than Japan would have increased the cost.

In a significant move aimed at putting an end to the contentious nuclear liability issue and assuage suppliers' concerns, India also ratified the Convention of Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, marking an important step in addressing matters related to civil nuclear liabilities.
A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly committing a series of chain snatchings in outer and Rohini districts, police said.

The man, identified as Vikram, figures in the list of top snatchers of outer and Rohini districts.

He has previously been involved in 125 cases under NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, chain snatching, assault on police party, robbery etc, registered in various areas of Delhi, said Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (Crime).

With his arrest, police has worked out 12 cases of chain snatchings in outer and Rohini districts. After being granted bail, he usually did not attend court proceedings, said the officer.

On December 25, a secret input was received about Vikram coming near Pansali Prahlad Pur road to dispose off a robbed chain.

A trap was laid and he was apprehended on the spot along with the robbed chain that was broken and the bike, Yadav added.

"Vikram is a resident of Mangolpuri. In 2005, he was arrested for the first time in a chain snatching case. After his release, he became very active and became top snatcher of Delhi.

"He used to commit crime on stolen and borrowed motorcycles. He used to change vehicles frequently to evade apprehension. He used to change his hideouts in NCR frequently," said the officer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pakistani man wrongly arrested for the Berlin truck attack today said he had told German police he could not even drive and was now afraid for the safety of his family back home.

Naveed Baloch, an asylum seeker from the troubled province of Balochistan, told the Guardian newspaper he had just left a friend's house and was crossing a street when he saw a police car approaching fast and picked up his pace.

He said he was arrested and taken to a police station, where he was undressed and photographed.

"When I resisted, they started slapping me," the 24-year-old, who has been living in a secret location provided by police since his release because he says he is afraid for his life, told the British daily.

Baloch, who sought refuge in Germany as a member of a secular separatist movement in Balochistan, said he struggled to communicate because no translator could be found who could speak his native Balochi.

"I calmly told them I cannot drive at all. Neither can I even start a vehicle," he said.

Baloch was arrested on December 19 in the hours after the attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin in which 12 people were killed.

Police released Baloch 24 hours later, after failing to find evidence of his involvement.

They instead identified rejected Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri as the prime suspect.

Amri was shot dead by Italian police on December 23 after fleeing a manhunt in Germany.

Baloch, a shepherd by profession, said members of his family in the village of Mand in Balochistan in southwest Pakistan had received threatening phone calls following his arrest.

"Now they all know I fled to Germany, fearful of my life, and that I am claiming asylum here. It leaves my family very vulnerable and there's nothing I can do to protect them," he told the Guardian.

Baloch said he left Pakistan around a year ago, arriving in Germany via Iran, Turkey and Greece, because of death threats he had received for his activism for the Baloch National Movement.

"Most of the people I worked with have been arrested and killed. I knew it was a matter of time before they came for me. That's the reason I came to Germany," he said.

Mineral-rich Balochistan province has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency and sectarian killings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Sri Lanka will hold the second round of ministerial-level meeting here next week to find a solution to the vexed fishermen issue, Lankan Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has said.

First round of discussions was held in November in New Delhi with a view to arriving at a permanent solution on the issue. The delegation comprised Amaraweera, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera and other senior officials.

The second round is scheduled to be held on January 2, 2017 here, Amaraweera said. Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh is expected to attend the meeting. It is not yet clear if External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj would attend the meeting as she is recuperating from an operation.

"We have held Indian boats for doing illegal fishing here. We have released people while confiscating boats. This has helped us reduce the number of illegal fishing incidents by 50 per cent," Amaraweera said, adding that over 120 boats of Indians indulging in illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters are being currently held by Sri Lanka.

India and Sri Lanka on November 4 decided to set up a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries to meet every three months and hold a meeting between the Ministers for Fisheries every six months during the first round of extensive ministerial-level talks held in New Delhi on possible mechanisms to find a permanent solution to the emotive issue of fishermen.

There have been several alleged incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing at Indian fishermen fishing in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats.

The Palk Strait, which is a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both the countries.

The fishermen associations of India and Sri Lanka had held talks on the issue here last month where the delegation from the island nation rejected demands for relaxation of norms for fishermen from Tamil Nadu to use fishing trawlers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mobile data services resumed today in Manipur as law and order situation in the state has improved.

The decision to resume the services this morning was taken after analysing the existing situation in the state, said a telecom official.

Mobile data services had been snapped since December 17 last after tension erupted when a mob protesting the indefinite economic blockade by United Naga Council (UNC) on the Imphal-Ukhrul road connecting landlocked Manipur allegedly vandalised 22 vehicles.

The December 17 incident which was preceded by a series of attacks on Manipur police by suspected militants in the hill districts of the north eastern state prompted the authorities to clamp curfew in the twin districts of Imphal.

Though curfew was withdrawn from Imphal West district, night time curfew beginning from 9 pm continues to remain enforced in some parts of Imphal East district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union health minister JP Nadda today laid the foundation of a Rs 150-crore super-speciality hospital in Rajasthan's Bikaner, which, he said, will give "a new direction" to health care facilities in the state.

The hospital, which will have 168 beds in its super- speciality block, 46 beds in ICU and seven operation theatres, is to come up at the Sardar Patel Medical College here.

International standards will be followed to build the hospital in which paediatric surgery, neurosurgery, gastric surgery, nephrology, gastroenterology and neurology facilities will be available, Nadda said.

Fourteen new seats for PG courses will be given to the college.

Nadda claimed the hospital's super-speciality block will change the scenario of health-care if readied by December 2017.

Speaking about his ministry's work, he said the Union government has chosen 70 medical colleges across India for upgradation. In Rajasthan, medical colleges in Bikaner, Kota and Udaipur are being upgraded as super-speciality centres.

The government is setting up 58 medical colleges with expenditure of Rs 190 crore each and eight of them will be in Rajasthan in Alwar, Bharatpur, Dungarpur, Barmer, Churu, Bhilwara, Pali and Sikar districts, he added.

Two national cancer centres and 50 tertiary cancer-care centres have been proposed, including one tertiary cancer-care centre in Bikaner.

He said his ministry was working to open more Deendayal Amrit shops, which provides medicines at discounted prices.

Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, who was also present at the event, hailed Maharaja Ganga Singh, who built the college and hospital.

State Health and Family Welfare Minister Kalicharan Saraf said Union and state governments were working to improve healthcare facilities in Rajasthan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The first explorers on Mars may build their homes using the ice beneath their feet to effectively protect them from the harsh martian environment and provide a safe place to call home, NASA scientists say.

When astronauts set foot on Mars, they may stay for months rather than days as they did during Apollo missions to the Moon.

The surface of Mars has extreme temperatures and the atmosphere does not provide adequate protection from high-energy radiation, NASA said.

These explorers will need shelters to effectively protect them from the harsh Martian environment and provide a safe place to call home.

According to researchers at NASA's Langley Research Centre in Virginia, the best building material for a new home on Mars may lie in an unexpected material: ice.

"Mars Ice Dome," is one of many potential concepts for sustainable habitation on the red planet in support of the agency's journey to Mars, NASA researchers said.

"After a day dedicated to identifying needs, goals and constraints we rapidly assessed many crazy, out of the box ideas and finally converged on the current Ice Home design, which provides a sound engineering solution," said Kevin Vipavetz, Langley senior systems engineer.

The "Mars Ice Home" is a large inflatable torus, a shape similar to an inner tube, that is surrounded by a shell of water ice.

The Mars Ice Home design has several advantages that make it an appealing concept, according to NASA. It is lightweight and can be transported and deployed with simple robotics, then filled with water before the crew arrives.

It incorporates materials extracted from Mars and because water in the Ice Home could potentially be converted to rocket fuel for the Mars Ascent Vehicle, the structure itself doubles as a storage tank that can be refilled for the next crew.

Another critical benefit is that water, a hydrogen-rich material, is an excellent shielding material for galactic cosmic rays - and many areas of Mars have abundant water ice just below the surface.

Galactic cosmic rays are one of the biggest risks of long stays on Mars. This high-energy radiation can pass right through the skin, damaging cells or DNA along the way that can mean an increased risk for cancer later in life or, at its worst, acute radiation sickness.

Space radiation is also a significant challenge for those designing potential Mars outposts. For example, one approach would envision habitats buried underneath the Martian surface to provide radiation shielding.

However, burying the habitats before the crews arrive would require heavy robotic equipment that would need to be transported from Earth.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As a fresh political drama unfolded in Arunachal Pradesh after Chief Minister Pema Khandu was suspended from PPA along with six other MLAs, his government today claimed majority support and the BJP backed him but the ruling party said there will be change in leadership.

The Pema Khandu government claimed support of 49 of the 60 MLAs, including 35 of Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) legislators, a day after he was suspended from his own party.

Government spokesperson Bamang Felix claimed that 35 out of the 43 PPA MLAs have reposed their faith and allegiance in the leadership of Khandu.

"We have support of 49 MLAs including 35 PPA, 12 BJP along with one associate BJP member and one independent," he claimed at a press conference here.

"Everything is going normally as usual and the chief minister is still enjoying absolute majority from PPA, BJP and independent MLAs," Felix said in response to queries.

The PPA, which has total 43 MLAs, had midnight last night temporarily suspended Khandu, deputy chief minister Chhowna Mein and five other MLAs from the primary membership of the party for their alleged "anti-party activities".

Stating that there was no question of change in leadership, Felix said, "We are looking at the legal aspects of the suspension of seven MLAs including Khandu."



"The PPA is not a single man party. Whatever decision was taken by the party's president Kahfa Bengia was his own.

"We are trying to sort out the differences among the party MLAs and our door is open for all," the spokesman added.

Responding to a query on BJP's claim that process is on for the PPA MLAs to join it, Felix said that since PPA is an alliance partner of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) government "no such question arises".

BJP during the day made it clear that it will "only" support the Khandu government in the state and "will never" support any other chief minister.

Bengia on his part said that Takam Pario, PHED minister, is likely to be the next chief minister.

"The sudden decision of the PPA is not acceptable to us as they have never discussed with us. In the interest of development of the state and its people, BJP cannot be a party to change of government every six months," BJP legislature party leader Tamiyo Taga told a press conference.

Taga, who is also the Textile and Handicraft Minister, further said that the party has decided to support Khandu on the floor of the assembly if the Governor issues directives for a floor test.

Khandu broke away from the Congress along with 42 lawmakers in September this year, managing a coup that suddenly left the party out of power in the state.

Arunachal has been battling political instability since December last year when Congress dissidents revolted against former chief minister Nabam Tuki.

After a series of dramatic developments, which included a special session held at a hotel to vote out Tuki, Congress rebel Kalikho Pul became chief minister in February with the help of 11 BJP lawmakers.

The Congress then moved Supreme Court, which turned the clock back and restored Tuki's government.

But Tuki was out within days as he did not enjoy a majority in the 60-member assembly.

Pul, who insisted that he be reinstated as chief minister, was left alone in the last minute when lawmakers supposedly backing him shifted their loyalties to Khandu.

Pul committed suicide in August and a month later, Khandu walked out of Congress with 42 lawmakers and joined the PPA.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the 50-day window to deposit scrapped higher denomination notes in banks ended today, less rush was witnessed at various city banks.

A senior executive with a private sector bank said only few people visited their branch in South Mumbai here today on the last day of depositing old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as compared to the initial days of demonetisation.

"Situation from last one week is just like any other regular day at the bank," he said.

"I deposited all my savings in the first two weeks after demonetisation was announced. I wish I would have been more patient and deposited it in the last few days as there is no rush at my nearest bank branch," Ghatkopar resident Shyamlal Dhulia said.

Meanwhile, queues to withdraw cash also truncated as many ATMs continued to remain shut.

Dhulia said three ATMs in the vicinity of his house have been functioning intermittently in the last one month.

Juhu-based entrepreneur Sunil Sharma said panic among people during the initial days (of demonetisation) had led customers rushing to banks and deposit their money.

"Honest tax payers should have been provided with some arrangement or should have been given preferential treatment to deposit or exchange their cash," he said.

A grocery shop owner in suburban Andheri said, "Though there is no maddening queues outside ATMs, but cash crunch still persists, specifically for current account holders."



Nagesh Dubey, a chartered accountant, said the step will prove to be beneficial in the long run and that it was needed for the overhaul the currency management.

"The demonetisation process is going to overhaul the entire currency management and will also bring unaccounted money into the system which will provide a road-map to the government to launch and execute developmental projects. This is going to be beneficial in the long run.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
James Devaney/GC ImagesThe young patients at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego received a surprise visit Thursday from Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth in conjunction with Miley's Happy Hippie Foundation.

The hospital posted to it's Facebook account a slideshow of images of Miley and Liam visiting some of the patients.

"Today we received a surprise special visit from a couple of people you might recognize! Thank you to Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth and The Happy Hippie Foundation for bringing joy and laughter to our patients!" the hospital captioned the slideshow.



Miley also posted a series of picture to her Instagram account from the day, including one featuring her and Liam by the bedside of a surprised looking patient, "Thank you for having us today! Beautiful children everywhere," she wrote, adding, "@liamhemsworth is OFFICIALLY a #happyhippie !!!!"



Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego is a 551-bed, non-profit pediatric care facility. Miley founded the Happy Hippie Foundation in 2014 with the mission of "rallying young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations."

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Even if Anthony had a year to analyze and dissect each piece...(he couldn't tell if it would)... stand the harsh light of public exposure.

WUWT insider Willis Eschenbach tells you all you need to know about Anthony Watts and his blog, WattsUpWithThat (WUWT). As part of his scathing commentary , Wondering Willis accuses Anthony Watts of being clueless about the blog articles he posts. To paraphrase: Click here to read more.
In a bid to encourage cashless transaction, state Chief Secretary A P Padhi today inaugurated the online system at the Odisha State Beverages Corporation Limited (OSBCL).

Inaugurating the module, Padhi said, "This is another step forward towards making ease of doing business which is a priority area of the state government. The module will enable quick and transparent transactions thereby helping the retailers to do their business without hurdles from Corporation side."



Padhi directed the corporation to initiate steps for automating other operations like go-down management, inventory management up to retail level etc of the Corporation.

Excise Secretary B Sethi said that the online system has been developed within a week because of the active support of the State Bank of India and National Informatics Center, Bhubaneswar.

He added that OSBCL started its journey towards online e-governance from August 2015.

It has won the National Level Skoch Award in 2016 because of smart and successful e-governance applications, Sethi said adding that this online payment module would make the business of the Corporation hassle-free and more transparent and would facilitate real time transaction tracking.

Managing Director of the Corporation Dwijaraj Kara said that in the meanwhile OBSCL has implemented online system for generation of indent by the liquor suppliers, purchase orders by the Corporation, excise permits by the excise authority, consignment dispatch note by the liquor supplier and stock receipt note by the Corporation on a cent percent realtime platform.

The Corporation has nine Depots in various places like Chandikhol, Khordha, Nirgundi, Angul, Sambalpur, Balasore, Berhampur, Rayagada and Bolagir.

There are about 1,600 retailers attached to these depots.

In the first phase the online payment module would be implemented in Chandikhol depot. The system would be rolled out to other depots within a period of 2 to 3 months said IT manager of the Corporation, Sethi said.

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Indian aviation is no more a rich man's prerogative and growth will continue on high trajectory in the new year, Union Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said as the sector saw the much-needed reforms taking off in 2016 with new policy and ambitious regional connectivity plans.

2016 bloomed as a "very meaningful year" with over 20 per cent domestic air passenger growth while scrapping of the once famous '5/20' overseas flying norms and relaxing of foreign domestic investment rules added to the sector's mojo.

Turning operationally profitable in the last financial year provided the much-needed impetus to Air India amid stiff competition among domestic carriers in 2016 even as they reaped benefits of lower oil prices -- a scenario unlikely to remain the same next year with changing geopolitical vibes.

Against this benign backdrop, passengers have a lot to cheer with airlines -- from budget to full-service ones -- coming up with discounted ticket prices as they look to fill more seats even as many ancillary services come at a price.

Also, biometric access for passengers has been tested at Hyderabad International Airport while tag-free hand baggage system is being tried at various airports.

As Raju remarked about the aviation sector, "It is a win-win situation."

All said and done, the sector's trajectory had its share of air pockets with the abrupt sacking of Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman RK Srivastava as well as confusing signals over possible capping of air fares, an issue that has lost steam.

As the year wound down, this week's incident of 15 fliers getting injured after a Jet Airways flight veering off the runway at Goa airport and two planes coming close to collision at the Delhi aerodrome stoked concerns over safety.

Buoyed by high passenger growth numbers and headway in bridging the skill gap, Raju described 2016 as a "rather significant and a very meaningful year" for the aviation sector.

Asserting that flying is "no more a rich man's prerogative", Raju, known for keeping a low profile and speaking his heart, said more people are flying and that India is the world's largest growing aviation market.

"Things are much better than what they were. Of course, the scope for improvement is a continuous process. Wherever you are, there is always scope for improvement," he said.

"This growth is not going to be for eternity... Once you reach your levels, there will be a flattening out of growth, but India has scope for growth and we will continue to grow. There is no reason why we should not grow," he noted.

After years of much back and forth, the government in June finally came out with the much-awaited and talked-about civil aviation policy.

The framework, rolled out for the first time since Independence, seeks to propel sectoral growth across segments -- airlines, airports, cargo and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), to name a few. In addition, various measures for improved ease of doing business and passenger-friendly ways are there.

Seen as a milestone for the new-age domestic airlines, 2016 saw the government doing away with the '5/20' norm whereby only those carriers having five years of operational experience and minimum of 20 planes were allowed to fly overseas.

Paving the way for more foreign funds inflows into the aviation space, non-airline players can put in up to 100 per cent FDI in local carriers.

At the same time, UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) -- the ambitious regional connectivity plan to make flying more affordable by connecting unserved and under-served airports -- is in the air with the wow factor.

The scheme, most likely to practically take wing in January, would see fares being capped at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights. But on the flip side, a levy of Rs 8,500 per flight on busy routes to fund the regional connectivity scheme has ruffled feathers of established domestic players even as the government is targeting long-term benefits.

Staying with passengers, the government revised the compensation upwards for flight delays and cancellations, apart from rolling out digital complaints filing system -- AirSewa -- with the promise of speedier redressal.

For the first time in 10 years, flag carrier Air India posted Rs 105 crore operational profit for 2015-16 while its subsidiary and international budget arm, Air India Express also flew into the black by making a net profit of Rs 361.68 crore in the previous fiscal.

The airline also created history by launching the world's longest flight on the Delhi-San Francisco route over the Pacific Ocean.

The Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways, which saw an accident at the fag end of the year after its Boeing 737 plane skidded on the runway at the Goa airport just prior to take off for Mumbai, moved its European gateway to Dutch capital Amsterdam from Brussels after nearly nine years of operating flights from the Belgian capital.

During the year, budget carrier IndiGo became the first Indian airline to operate the fuel-efficient A320 Neo plane while its peer GoAir became eligible for international operations as it inducted the much-needed 20th aircraft, an Airbus A320 Neo, into the fleet. It also received government's permission to fly to nine international airports, including Iran and Uzbekitan.
Over 35 dacoits have been arrested in the last two years by Rajasthan police from the Chambal ravines and its adjoining regions, police said.

27 dacoits were held last year and nine have been arrested this year, including Lal Singh who was carrying a reward of Rs 23,000 on his head, announced by Agra IG, Rajasthan CID-CB and Madhya Pradesh police this year.

Another wanted dacoit, Niranjan Gurjar, was also arrested in a joint operation by Karauli and Dholpur police, Dholpur SP Rajesh Singh said.

"Several other dacoits who were active and involved in various crimes in Chambal ravines were also arrested in the last two years," he said adding the police launched an operation against the dacoits and cracked on their network.

The accused held were mostly involved in kidnapping, robberies and murder. The deep ravines of Chambal have been home to generation of such bandits for decades.

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Analysing a person's painting strokes may help detect the risk of several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests.

Researchers from University of Liverpool in the UK examined 2,092 paintings from the careers of seven famous artists who experienced both normal ageing and neurodegenerative disorders.

Of the seven, two had suffered from Parkinson's disease (Salvador Dali and Norval Morrisseau), two had suffered from Alzheimer's disease (James Brooks and Willem De Kooning) and three had no recorded neurodegenerative disorders (Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet).

The brushstrokes of each of the paintings were analysed using a method of applying non-traditional mathematics to patterns known as 'Fractal' analyses to identify complex geometric patterns.

Fractals are mathematical characterisations of self-repeating patterns often described as the 'fingerprints of nature'.

They can be found in natural phenomena such as clouds, snowflakes, trees, rivers and mountains. This method has also been used to determine the authenticity of major works of art.

Although painters work within a different style or genre, the fractal dimension in which they operate should remain comparable.

The results were examined to see if the variations in an artist's unique 'fractals' in their work over their career were due to them just increasing in age or because of ongoing cognitive deterioration.

The study showed clear patterns of change in the fractal dimension of the paintings differentiated artists who suffered neurological deterioration from those ageing normally.

"Art has long been embraced by psychologists an effective method of improving the quality of life for those persons living with cognitive disorders," said Dr Alex Forsythe from the university's School of Psychology.

"We have built on this tradition by unpicking artists 'handwriting' through the analysis of their individual connection with the brush and paint. This process offers the potential for the detection of emerging neurological problems," said Forsythe.

"We hope that our innovation may open up new research directions that will help to diagnose neurological disease in the early stages," Forsythe added.

The study was published in the journal Neuropsychology.

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Slain Afghan Taliban supremo Mullah Mansour, who was killed in a US drone strike inside Pakistan, was issued a Pakistani national identity card in 2005, Interior Minister Chaurdhy Nisar admitted today.

Khan, however, blamed the past government of overtly issuing ID cards and passports to foreigners.

The minister said the incumbent government paid enough attention to the issue of fake CNICs and passports, adding that it was not only difficult, rather it is impossible to work honestly in the country.

Mansour was issued a Pakistani computerised national identity card in 2005, Geo quoted Khan as saying.

Mansour and another male combatant were targeted on May 21 by multiple unmanned aircraft operated by US Special Operations forces as the duo rode in a vehicle in a remote area near the town of Ahmad Wal in Pakistan's restive Baluchistan province close to the Afghan border.

Mansour had assumed the leadership of Taliban in July 2015, replacing Taliban founder and the one-eyed reclusive long-time spiritual head Mullah Mohammad Omar in Pakistan in 2013.

Khan said, "The government cancelled 32,400 passports and blocked 22,3000 CNICs during last three years. It also verified 101 million CNICs across the country." he said.

"The past government merely cancelled 500 passports."



"Besides this, around 95 million unregistered mobile SIM cards were blocked in just 90 days," he added.

Chaudhry Nisar said the former governments issued passports and CNICs to foreigners, which were used in human trafficking. He, however, said an 18-member committee is being formed to review wrongly blocked CNICs.

He said the ones involved in facilitating issuance of fake CNICs and passports will be taken to task in another phase.

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:Photographs of two persons wanted by CB-CID's Special Investigating Team to provide information on the murder of a Hindu Munnani functionary here, has been released by the agency.

A CB-CID release said that Saddam and Mubarak, both from Saibaba Colony here, were not at their residence and family members had not been able to provide any information on their whereabouts.

The two had also not appeared before agency despite several notices, it said and asked them to appear before the office of SID CBCID here.

The agency said members of the public could also pass on information about these persons of interest to it.

Any information may also be passed on to V S S Anand Arockiaraj, Inspector of Police, SID CBCID, Coimbatore,through 9498174230 or 0422-2241752 or 044-28513500, the release said.

Hindu Munnani functionary C Sasikumar was murdered on the night of September 22 by a four member gang when he was going home on his two wheeler.

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US Coast Guard crews searched Lake Erie today for a plane carrying six people that disappeared shortly after takeoff from a small Cleveland airport along the shore.

The Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport late yesterday with three children and three adults aboard and vanished from radar about 2 miles over the lake. Why remains unclear.

Searchers had found no sign of any debris or the people aboard the plane as of today morning, the agency said. Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, New York, also said no emergency beacon had been detected.

Weather prevented a boat search overnight, but a US Coast Guard helicopter and a Canadian air crew in a plane were being used. A ship also was headed from Detroit to help with the search.

The waters in the search area are about 50 feet deep, the Coast Guard said.

The plane left the airport at 10:50 PM, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said. The Coast Guard has said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control around 11:30 PM.

The plane was headed to Ohio State University Airport northwest of downtown Columbus. Cox said the plane is kept at a hangar at the airfield, but the six people aboard the aircraft aren't affiliated with OSU. Their names weren't released, pending notification of their families.

Petty Officer Joel Altman, a public affairs officer in Cleveland with the Ninth Coast Guard District, said he couldn't immediately confirm whether the passengers were related or provide the ages of the children.

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Authorities believe that Greece's ambassador to Brazil was killed at the home his wife kept in the Rio de Janeiro area, a police investigator said today.

Kyriakos Amiridis went missing on Monday in the city of Nova Iguacu, 25 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. Greece's Embassy in Brasilia said the ambassador had been on vacation near Rio. The couple lived most of the time in Brasilia, the country's capital.

Rio de Janeiro police investigator Giniton Lages told The Associated Press that blood spots believed to be those of the ambassador were found on a sofa inside the home of his Brazilian wife, Francoise Amiridis. Lages named the wife, along with another woman and two men, as suspects in the case.

A conference was scheduled for later in the day. The wife was being interrogated at a police station today in connection with her husband's disappearance. Authorities believe she had been having an extramarital affair with a police officer.

Lages said authorities believe the ambassador's body was taken from the house to a car that he had rented on Dec. 21. A burned vehicle matching the description of the rented car was found with a body inside it in Nova Iguacu, but forensics experts have not yet identified the dead person.

The Greek Embassy website in Brazil says Amiridis started his career as diplomat in 1985 in Athens and became Greece's top diplomat in Brazil in 2016.

He earlier was Greece's ambassador to Libya and worked as consul in Rio from 2001-2004.

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Portugal plans to extradite to Italy a former CIA agent convicted over the 2003 abduction of a radical Egyptian imam, a case that highlighted the controversial US secret rendition programme.

Sabrina de Sousa, arrested at Lisbon airport in October 2015 under a European warrant, said today that the extradition procedure was due to start "after January 3".

De Sousa and 23 others were convicted in absentia by an Italian court in 2009 over the kidnapping of Abu Omar from a Milan street in an operation allegedly led jointly by the CIA and the Italian intelligence services.

The trial took place under intense scrutiny because it was the first time anyone had been brought to justice over the extraordinary renditions by the US and its allies after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Omar, who had been given political asylum in Italy in 2001, claimed he was tortured after being flown to Egypt via Germany.

De Sousa, 60, told AFP that Portugal's decision to proceed with extradition had been expected, after it was delayed in June over whether she would be granted a fresh trial or the chance to appeal her conviction.

"I will have to explore options, if any are available to me," said the Portuguese-American dual national.

In 2012, a top Italian court upheld the jail terms given to de Sousa, 22 other CIA operatives and a US soldier over the abduction. But her sentence was later reduced to four years.

A letter from Rome to Lisbon in September ruled out any new trial even though this was a Portuguese condition for her extradition.

De Sousa says she served as an interpreter for the CIA team that organised Omar's abduction but denies any direct role in the operation.

Asked if she felt betrayed by the United States, she said: "Betrayal was a sentiment I felt many years ago.

"I am disappointed that having served the US government in good faith I was left with few options after having been excluded from a US-sponsored pardon.

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If the great bears are delisted, the states will take charge of managing them, and public officials in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming seem to be champing at the bit to open trophy-hunting seasons on them. Photo by John E. Swallow

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With just three weeks until the Obama team transfers executive power to the Trump Administration, the current leadership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is running out of time to remove federal Endangered Species Act protections from the grizzly bear population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Yet, with many leaders within the conventional wildlife management industry calling for delisting, the animals still face a looming crisis. The likely incoming Interior Secretary, Congressman Ryan Zinke of Montana, is almost certainly going to face home-state pressure to eliminate federal protections for the bears.

If the great bears are delisted, the states will take charge of managing them, and public officials in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming seem to be champing at the bit to open trophy-hunting seasons on them  for the first time in 40 years. This will be one of the first tests for Mr. Zinke in his new role.

It wont take him long to find out that the majority of Americans are strongly opposed to the delisting of grizzly bears, and a supermajority are opposed to trophy hunting. The grizzly bear is not only a lure for hundreds of thousands of tourists who trek to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks every year to catch a glimpse of the bears  generating millions in commerce for surrounding communities  but they are also a sacred animal to Native nations in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond.

Earlier this week, the Crow Tribe (the tribe that adopted President Obama) organized more than 125 tribes from Canada and throughout the United States to sign a proclamation opposing delisting and trophy hunting. This treaty is only the third cross-border First Nations/Native American treaty in 150 years, and the incoming administration would be wise to heed their plea. In describing this historic treaty, Native News stated: the document has become a symbol of intertribal unity in defense of sovereignty, spiritual and religious protections, treaty rights, sacred site preservation and holding the federal government accountable for its trust responsibility to tribes.

Last May, nearly 60 prominent biologists and conservationists submitted a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service criticizing the delisting plan. Earlier this month, filmmakers Anthony Birkholz and Marni Walsh released a short video, Yellowstones Grizzly Science, featuring leading conservation and carnivore biologists, as well as climate change scientists, who express grave concerns about delisting the grizzly bears. The video urges the continued protection of this iconic species by restoring them to suitable habitat and reconnecting isolated populations, rather than allowing trophy hunters to gun them down.

Even without the opening of a trophy-hunting season, Yellowstones grizzly bears already face a multitude of threats to survival. Within the last two years alone, there have been more than 115 confirmed deaths  out of a population of only 700 or so individuals. Some biologists speculate that the deaths of approximately one-half to two-thirds of grizzly bears killed by humans go unreported. The bears dont reach sexual maturity for a number of years, and they are slow to reproduce, so this level of human-caused mortality is at a level that puts the viability and future of the species at risk.

Other threats loom. The grizzly bears primary foods, white bark pine and cutthroat trout, have dramatically diminished, perhaps due to climate change, requiring them to use more energy to find other food sources and forcing them into more conflicts with people  a circumstance where the bears almost always lose.

It was just about a year and a half ago that Americans and other people of conscience throughout the world expressed shock and dismay and indignation after they learned that an American trophy hunter shot an African lion right outside of Zimbabwes most famous national park. Whats the difference here? The grizzly bear is one of North Americas largest carnivores, an economic engine for the rural reaches of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and a species still struggling to survive. Nobody kills African lions or grizzly bears for food, but merely for the bragging rights and the trophies. To unleash trophy hunters on this small population of Yellowstone region bears would be a disgrace, would be a gut-punch to the tourism industry, and would ignite a firestorm for a new administration that already has plenty of controversy on its to-do list. Keep the federal protections. Let the bears be.
Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla today said that the policies of the previous Congress governments are responsible for the pathetic condition of farmers in the state.

During the second day of his Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra here, the Union Minister said that the Beant Singh government in 1992 had misled the farmers by falsely claiming to waive off their debts.

He said, "On one hand Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh is claiming that he himself will waive off the debts, but on the other hand he and the whole Congress leadership is requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relinquish farmers' debts".

Sampla said the Modi government had allotted the largest sum ever for the agri-sector and rural development as the BJP's prime objective is to look for a permanent solution to the agricultural crisis.

He said, "The Congress regime was full of scams while the Modi government is coming up with numerous welfare schemes now and then".

During the past two-and-a-half years of the Modi government, more than 90 schemes have been introduced for farmers, women, poor, labourers, backward classes and industries which have changed their lives, he said.

"Earlier, our leaders dreamt of transforming India into America but it is for the first time, that taking inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, American president-elect Donald Trump has stated that he will work like him," he said.

Taking on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sampla said, "AAP promised CCTVs for women security, schools, colleges and free wi-fi, but failed to keep its promises.

Drugs are openly used during rave parties in Delhi but nothing like this happens in Punjab, he said.

Still, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi are defaming Punjab's youth by terming them addicts, he said.

"It's hard to understand that how are those leaders seeking votes from Punjabis who have been accused of selling tickets, corruption, sexual exploitation by their very own party workers," he said.

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The AAP government has directed 285 private schools, running on DDA and government land in the national capital, to withhold nursery admission process for the next academic session till new guidelines are notified by the city administration.

Last week, the education department had sent a file to the L-G office for approval of new guidelines for nursery admission but it is yet to get nod.

The department had issued a circular on December 19 directing the 285 schools not to start admission process for nursery class.

The government's directive to withhold the process came after the department came to know that some schools have issued notices to start admissions from January 2 which is in violation of its order.

According to the order issued today, the government has warned of strict action against those schools violating the December 19 circular.

"The circular has restrained schools from commencing admission process till separate guidelines are issued in this regard. It also said schools will not refuse admission of children from neighbourhood and at least 75 per cent of the newly admitted students should be from the locality," a senior government official said.

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Immunisation of infants will be made convenient through specially designed digital lockets which will be given to newborns delivered in 81 sub-health centres in Udaipur from next month.

The locket, named 'Khushi Baby', will have a chip containing details of the child and immunisation details which will be updated through tablets provided to ANMs (Auxiliary nurse midwife) at 81 sub-centres in Udaipur from next month, Dr Ashok Aditya, Reproductive Child Health officer (RCHO) of Udaipur told PTI today.

He said the pilot project will be run in 81 sub-centres in 5 blocks of Udaipur by the district administration and anNGO run by one Ruchir Naagar who has developed the digital locket.

"At present, we give a 'Mamta Card' for immunisation of the child. Sometimes it is lost or damaged so many children are not immunised properly. All the details of RCH registers will be uploaded in the tablets and the lockets will also be updated each time accordingly when the child is immunised," he said.

"When the locket is attached to the tablet, we can see the details and status of immunisation of the child," Aditya said.

The officer said record keeping will become convenient by providing both the card and the locket.

Udaipur District Collector Rohit Gupta said the district administration has provided logistical support to the NGO which will take care of the other facets.

There are a total of 647 sub health centres in Udaipur.

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The Reserve Bank today allowed White Label ATM Operators (WLAOs) to source cash from retail outlets as they are facing difficulties in getting cash from banks post demonetisation.

Following demonetisation, most of the white label ATMs are running dry.

RBI said that it has been brought to its notice that WLAOs are having difficulties in sourcing cash from their sponsor bank(s).

"In order to facilitate cash availability for WLAOs, it has been decided to allow them to source cash from retail outlets...," the central bank said in a notification.

White label ATMs are set up by private non-bank companies that own and operate their own brand of ATMs.

For this, WLAOs will have to enter into bilateral arrangement with retail outlets from where they desire to source cash based on their Board approved policy.

"Sixty per cent of the cash sourced using such arrangement(s) shall be dispensed through WLAs located in rural and semi-urban areas," the notification said.

Also, WLAOs will be solely responsible for the quality and genuineness of currency notes dispensed through their ATMs. Only ATM-fit notes shall be used for this purpose.

As per the notification, liability and disputes, if any, arising out of arrangements with retail outlets will be the responsibility of WLAOs.

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The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to report details of deposits of old Rs 500/1,000 notes to it after the close of banking hours on Friday, which is the last date to accept the invalid currency.

"With the closure of the facility of exchange of SBNs (defunct notes) as at the close of business on December 30, 2016, all banks should report information on collection of SBNs on December 30, 2016, itself at e-mail," the central bank said in a notification.

All lenders, including public, private, rural and cooperative banks, have been asked to make arrangements to gather information on deposits of the Specified Bank Notes (SBNs).

All bank branches -- other than those of District Central Co-operative Banks (DCCBs) -- that have accumulated the SBNs as at the close of business today are required to deposit the same at any issue office of the Reserve Bank or a currency chest by Saturday itself.

RBI further said the old-high denomination notes "cannot form part of banks' cash balances from the close of business as on December 31, 2016".

However, DCCBs may retain the SBNs received on November 10-14 till receipt of further instructions.

Further, banks maintaining currency chests have been asked to make necessary arrangements to facilitate the deposit of SBNs received through linked branches or other branches of banks and post offices.

Reporting of the transactions in Integrated Computerised Currency Operations and Management System (ICCOMS) will be enabled beyond 9 till all the deposits are received and accounted for.

"To facilitate storage of SBNs, banks maintaining currency chests may utilise additional space in their existing currency chest or additional storage space at the same centre with the proviso that it is as safe and secure as a currency chest," RBI added.
A day after the police trashed reports of funds being raised to meet the legal expenses of arrested alleged al-Qaeda terror operative Abdul Rehman, the locals today staged a dharna in front of Salepur police station demanding a thorough probe into the incident to clear the air on the sensitive issue.

Sheikh Tahimur Ali (53) of Sahipada village lodged a police complaint yesterday alleging that some youths of the village were "coercing" him to donate Rs 50,000 towards the legal expenses of Rehman.

He also alleged that he and his son were threatened of dire consequences if he did not cough up the amount.

Salepur police, after conducting an investigation, came to the conclusion that the allegations were "baseless and false".

"He (Tahimur) had lodged the complaint against the youths, implicating them with Rehman, only to teach them a lesson due to a grudge related to a personal rivalry," police had said.

But, as rumours spread that Tahimur had approached the police at the behest of one Ranjit Das of the locality, the latter today sat on the dharna in front of the police station along with his supporters.

Claiming that he had no role in the entire incident, Das demanded a thorough probe into the matter as also into the "secret meetings" held in the locality to garner support for Rehman.

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: Cochin International Airport Ltd today handed over the state's share of dividend, totalling Rs 27.84 crore for 2015-16 fiscal.

The demand draft for the amount was handed over to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas, who is also a director of the airport company.

In the 2015-16 financial year, CIAL's income had touched Rs 524.5 crore and the profit after tax was Rs 175.22 crore, a CIAL press release said.

From 2004-05, the company had been handing over the state share without fail.

The shareholders have been given a dividend of 25 per cent during the fiscal.

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A total of Rs 5.21 crore has been seized by the police here in cases related to demonetisation ever since it was announced on November 8 and the money handed over to the Income Tax department.

"We have seized as much as Rs 5.21 crore from the city in cases related to demonetisation since November 8 and the amount has been handed over to the Income Tax Department," City Police Commissioner Nahar Singh Megharikh told reporters while giving out the year-on-year crime statistics here.

As many as 12 FIRs were filed by the police, raids were conducted and a number of persons arrested in association with the I-T department officials, Megharikh said.

Police also handed over 12 other cases to the I-T department, he said.

"The action was initiated by police on tip offs given by the public," Megharikh said.

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Saudi Arabia has invited regional rival Iran to discuss a return of its nationals to next year's hajj after Iranians were excluded from the pilgrimage following a major diplomatic row, reports said today.

The Al-Hayat daily reported that Riyadh's pilgrims minister Mohammed Bentin had opened discussions with more than 80 countries, including Iran, to work out the details of the 2017 hajj.

"Iran's hajj delegation was invited to come to the kingdom" for preparations, the paper said.

The Arab daily said Riyadh would welcome pilgrims for hajj and the smaller umra rite "irrespective of their nationalities or sectarian affiliations, including Iranian pilgrims".

More than 1.8 million faithful took part in this year's hajj, but Iranians stayed at home after tensions between Riyadh and Tehran boiled over following a deadly stampede during the 2015 pilgrimage.

Iran says it lost 464 people in the crush outside Mecca.

They were among more than 2,300 people killed in the worst ever disaster to strike the hajj - one of the five pillars of Islam - which capable Muslims must perform at least once.

Shiite Iran and predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia are at odds over a raft of regional issues, notably the conflicts in Syria and Yemen in which they support opposing sides.

Riyadh cut ties with Tehran in January after Iranian demonstrators torched its embassy and a consulate following its execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

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A plea by a group of lawyers challenging the elevation of Justice J S Khehar as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) was dismissed today by the Supreme Court which asserted that there was "no question" of him being considered ineligible for the post.

The apex court rejected the arguments that Justice Khehar, while heading a five-judge constitution bench that had struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), had benefitted himself as the judgement had revived the collegium system for appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.

While disapproving the grounds for entertaining the PIL, a bench of Justices R K Agrawal and D Y Chandrachud noted that there were averments in the petition praising the "quality" of the judge who is to be sworn as CJI on January 4.

"Since the petitioners have praised the quality of Justice J S Khehar, there is no question of him being considered ineligible for being appointed as the Chief Justice of India," the bench said.

"So far as this allegation is concerned, it is sufficient to mention that collegium not only consist of the CJI but also four other senior-most judges of the Supreme Court," the bench said.

The apex court also said that as far as correctness of the NJAC case judgement is concerned, "we are of the opinion that petitioner has the right to apply for review or file curative petition".

"We do not find any merit in the petition and the same is dismissed," the bench said while rejecting the plea filed by National Lawyers' Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms.

Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, appearing for the lawyers' body, argued that the issue of judiciary's independence and appointment of judges was important and it was "painful" for them to approach the apex court with such a petition.

He claimed that judges in the higher judiciary were coming from "a few families only" and "it cannot be the exclusive domain of some persons".

"This court has to listen to the critics. Democracy is all about criticism," he said, adding that Justice Khehar should refuse to become the next CJI.

As the lawyer was arguing on a high pitch, the bench told



Nedumpara, "Mr counsel, can't you argue in your normal voice? Why are you raising your voice? Why are you shouting? Be in your normal voice. We are hearing you".

Nedumpara also claimed that the apex court registry should become citizen-friendly as it raised a lot of objections when a lawyer filed a petition.

The vice president of the lawyers' body also told the bench that Justice Khehar had "restored the collegium" and was its beneficiary and, if he became the CJI, "it will create some doubt in the mind of general public that he had struck down the NJAC for his benefit".

Another counsel for the petitioner argued that "lawyers and judges today are coming from a very small pool of family because these lawyers are entertained in the Supreme Court and the High Courts".

He alleged that 85 per cent SLPs filed by common advocates were being dismissed by the apex court within seconds, as these lawyers do not have the "face value".

The lawyer also referred to the Salman Khan case where Bombay High Court granted him interim bail, without having the copy of the trial court judgement convicting the Bollywood actor in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

He also said that judges, who are part of the collegium, should not be part of constitution bench in matters like the NJAC, asking "how can one be the judge for his own cause".

The petitioners also told the court that they have sought a direction to the Centre to seek review of the NJAC verdict so that there is a transparent mechanism for judges' appointment.

"50 per cent judges in the high courts are from family of judges or senior advocates. The collegium is appointing judges with a narrow view," Nedumpara said.

On December 23, the apex court had termed as "virtually infructuous" a petition filed by the lawyers' body opposing elevation of Justice Khehar as the next CJI observing that the President has already issued a notification in this regard.

The bench had noted in its order that the notification appointing Justice Khehar as the next CJI has been issued on December 19.

On December 19, President Pranab Mukherjee had cleared the name of Justice Khehar as the next CJI. The incumbent, Justice T S Thakur, demits office on January 3 next year.
2017-02-23

NVDA's drop ... why ? such a great company !

it is a great company with high price tag .. how much is reasonable for NVDA ?

i am willing to give it a PE 24 , rather than 38.80 ( current )



NVDA $76~$84 is a much reasonable price .





i used to manufacture Video Cards back in 1997 when no one knew about Nvidia .. only .. Tseng Lab .. Trident . .which all died .

By the way .. all these are Taiwanese companies .. all died .. , AMD was another good one , Intel was in the market to kill all those companies.



please do not tell me how good Nvidia is ... ! but I did buy some NVIDIA , AMD shares today due to the drop .. ( 12-29-2016 , and sold it next day)



Stock is not about good or bad .. , it is about when you buy it , it goes up , then you are good .



and you sell / short , it goes down , then you did a good job .



please do not tell me how good Nvidia is ... ! but I did buy some NVIDIA , AMD shares today due to the drop .. ( 12-29-2016 )

when Nvidia will fumble , and they will .. and you just have to watch out ..

the above chart just tell you why I asked " any one dares to short NVIDA ? " last week when it approaching all time high .



anyone heard of Cirrus Logic ? which made video chip as well ..


Scotland Yard has stepped up security measures for New Year's Eve in London by locking down a majority of the roads and increasing the number of armed police officers on patrol in the wake of terror attacks in Berlin and Nice.

Concrete barriers have been put up around the city centre to monitor party-goers attending the annual Mayor of London's fireworks display on the banks of the River Thames tomorrow night.

The number of armed Metropolitan Police officers deployed will be higher than the 2,000 on duty for last year's festivities and armed British Transport Police officers will also patrol the transport network here.

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: "I can assure you that there is a big armed operation over London. There are more armed police this year than there have been ever before.

"There are far more bollards that have been put in place than ever before."



In total, 3,800 police officers will be on duty in central London, with thousands more in the rest of the capital.

The Met Police has confirmed that the security review took place in the wake of terrorist attacks in Berlin and Nice earlier this year.

Deputy Superintendent Phil Langworthy said: "We have been looking at what has happened around the world in terms of Berlin, Nice, etc and have adjusted our plans and continue to adjust our plans.

"We police around 3,500 large events every year including on New Year's Eve and we meticulously plan those events... And we look at our tactics and we look around the world and adjust our tactics if need be."



He underlined that there was no specific intelligence for an attack on London but encouraged people to report "anything suspicious".

Thousands are expected to ring in the New Year on the banks of the Thames and other tourist hot-spots such as Trafalgar Square.

Earlier this month, a truck was driven into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring nearly 50 others in a terror strike which was claimed by the dreaded ISIS.

In a similar attack in July also claimed by the ISIS, 86 people were killed when a 19-tonne lorry was driven into crowds thronging Nice's seafront promenade during the annual Bastille Day celebrations.

Forces across Europe have been tightening their street securyt, with Madrid announcing today it would ban private vehicles of 3.5 tons or more from entering the city in the run-up to major festive parades marking the feast of Epiphany next week.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Markets regulator Sebi today ordered attachment of bank and demat accounts of Infocare Infra and Silicon Projects India to recover dues worth Rs 21 crore.

These companies have failed to comply with Sebi's direction of making refund to investors. The firms had raised money by issuing securities to investors without complying with the public issue norms under the Companies Act.

In two separate orders, the regulator has directed attachment of bank and demat accounts of Infocare Infra to recover Rs 2.89 crore and Rs 18.03 crore from Silicon Projects.

Similarly, the regulator has directed depositories - NSDL and CDSL - to attach all demat accounts of the defaulters.

The watchdog has also asked for various details of the accounts held by the firms, including account statements.

The markets regulator has been given powers to attach properties and bank accounts, among other things, of persons and entities which have failed to comply with directions involving payment of penalties and other dues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A panel of noted researchers and professors extensively discussed how science, technology and innovation contributed to the economic and social progress in the 21st century at a seminar organised here by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC).

MACIC, the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Egypt organised the seminar yesterday as part of 'MACIC Roundtable', a monthly series of seminars involving youth, academicians and civil society on the issues of mutual interest to India and Egypt.

The panel comprised of noted speakers -- Walid Mohamed El Rodeny, senior Researcher, Agricultural Research Centre, in Giza, Haitham Akah, Head of Space Communications Department at NARSS and Professor Naidu Subba Rao, ICCR Visiting Professor of Bioinformatics at Ain Shams University.

The speakers discussed how Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) became the engines of economic and social progress in the 21st century.

According to the speakers, aspirations of India and Egypt for a faster, sustainable and inclusive growth and development can be fulfilled only when STI is made the corner stone of the developmental process.

They also discussed the progress of STI and the challenges associated with it, in achieving the goals that cut across fields like agriculture, health, space and information technology.

The speakers also mentioned the importance of imposing the scientific concept among the youth in both the countries.

India's Ambassador to Cairo Sanjay Bhattacharyya said that the conversation between the panelists was very "stimulating".

"The gap is narrowing between the countries and the request of development is becoming something that all countries and all societies aspire for," he said.

The seminar was followed by an interactive session with the audience.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seizing on the Income Tax searches at offices and homes of two priests in Trimbakeshwar in Nashik earlier this week, Shiv Sena today sought to know if the authorities will show the same courage when it comes to places of worship other than Hindu temples.

"Even if they (priests) do have money, the wealth is not created by illegal means. There is nothing wrong in earning money by working hard in extreme weather conditions," Sena, an ally of ruling BJP, said in an editorial in its mouthpiece "Saamana" today.

"Trimbakeshwar is a place where all kinds of Hindu rituals are performed for which hundreds of people from across the nation come. People say priests here must be having a lot of money. But how much money will priests have? Even if they do have money, the wealth is not collected by illegal means," it said.

According to reports , searches were conducted on the offices and homes of priests last Tuesday for alleged possession of unaccounted cash.

Searches are being conducted by the I-T Department and the Enforcement Directorate all over the country ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a bid to fight the menace of black money, announced the scrapping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Shiv Sena today said they would be filing a formal complaint against Archbishop of Goa and Daman Rev Fr Filipe Neri Ferrao for "interfering" in the election process.

"Church is a religious place and Archbishop heads it. He cannot call all the political leaders and speak about his community. Election Commission should take cognizance of it," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters in Goa.

He was referring to the recent statement by the Archbishop that Church would be guiding the faithfuls on voting during upcoming Goa elections.

The Archbishop gave the speech in presence of Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

Raut said those who were sitting in front of the Archbishop should also face action.

"We will be filing a formal complaint to the Election Commission of India in this regard," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Shiv Sena today said it would be filing a complaint with the Election Commission against Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Ferrao, alleging that he was "interfering" in the poll process.

"Church is a religious place and Archbishop heads it. He cannot call all the political leaders and speak about his community. Election Commission should take cognizance of it," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters in Goa.

At a function here recently, the Archbishop had said the "We (church) do issue guidelines for the faithful on how to exercise their franchise and thus fulfil one of their sacred civic duties."



The Church, however, had clarified that it would not canvass for any candidate or the party.

The Archbishop gave the address in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

Raut said those who were sitting in front of the Archbishop should also face action.

"We will be filing a complaint to the Election Commission of India in this regard," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hundreds of Carrie Fisher fans staged a silent lightsaber tribute to the late "Star Wars" icon in California.

Devotees, some dressed as her "Star Wars" character Princess Leia, gathered at the Disneyland complex in Anaheim to honour the star by holding lightsabers aloft, reported Rolling Stone magazine.

"It was a random thing," said event organiser Jeff Rowan.

"A lightsaber vigil was very fitting, even though technically she never really even carried a lightsaber (as Leia)."



Fisher died on Tuesday, four days after suffering a massive heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles.

There was also a major lightsaber vigil on Wednesday in Austin, Texas.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AAP Punjab unit convener Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi today alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was creating his "private army" for misuse in the upcoming Assembly polls.

"It is highly deplorable that in the garb of recruitment in the special intelligence cadre, Sukhbir is creating his private army for misuse during poll," he alleged.

He claimed that out of 22 youths recruited so far, 21 belong to the Sukhbir's Assembly segment of Jalalabad.

He urged the Election Commission to take notice of it and claimed that it was a political gimmick.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sun Group, India's one of the leading international trading and consultancy organisations, is considering to set up a USD 40 million phosphate production plant in Egypt.

The plant to be set up in cooperation with Phosphate Misr and other Egyptian companies will contribute to increasing Egyptian phosphate and boost local market share of exports to global markets, Egypt's Minister of Trade and Industry Tarek Kabil said in a statement.

The decision was taken after Kabil met Sun Group CEO and founder Vikramjit Sahney last week.

India's Ambassador to Cairo Sanjay Bhattacharyya told PTI that there are a number of Indian companies that are very keen to enter the Egyptian market.

"The Sun Group has visited Egypt recently after doing certain market studies. They are excited about the prospects in Egypt. They've had some discussions and they hope to establish a presence in the Egyptian market soon," the Ambassador said.

"They will be setting up a joint venture with Egyptian companies for the manufacturing of fertilisers and I believe this will be very useful for Egypt's development because it will help it in its agriculture production and self-reliance as also utilise the material that is available locally," Bhattacharyya said.

The phosphate plant will be established in el-Seba'eia area in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, the Minister of Trade said in his statement.

"The Sun Group has considerable experience in the middle eastern market. They have presence in some of the other countries in the Gulf area as well and they have good experience overseas," the Ambassador said.

The Minister of Trade's statement added that both sides are considering signing of MoU in coming period to start working on the project during 2017.

"I hope that in the new year we will see the finalisation of this project," the Ambassador said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A suspended Maharashtra ATS officer told a court in Solapur that two of the absconding accused in 2008 Malegaon blasts case are dead but are falsely shown as "alive" by probe agencies.

Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad's former senior inspector Mehmood Mujawar has, in an application filed in August before a magistrate court in Solapur, alleged that Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra, accused in the Malegaon blasts case, are "no more".

Notably, Mujawar was suspended after a case under Arms Act and criminal intimidation was filed against him in a Solapur court.

Mujawar, in his application submitted before the Magistrate court, said, "Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra are in fact no more but are shown alive in Malegaon bomb blast case by high ranking police officers."



The application was filed in the court by Mujawar on August 19 this year seeking early disposal of the case under Arms Act registered against him.

Mujawar, in his application, alleged that the case was filed against him as a conspiracy and was a pressure tactic as he wanted to reveal the truth about the death of Dange and Kalsangra.

When asked about Mujawar's claim, former ATS chief K P Raghuvanshi rubbished it saying, "I don't even remember who this Mujawar is or if he was even part of the team that investigated the case."



"At least, in my tenure in ATS, nothing of this sort has happened," Raghuvanshi told PTI.

A retired police official, who has worked in the ATS, questioned Mujawar's claim, asking as to why the allegation is being made now after eight years.

"Who had stopped this official from revealing these important facts before. We must not believe these claims," the official, requesting anonymity, said.

A bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded in Malegaon on September 29, 2008, killing seven people and injuring around 100.

Meanwhile, NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said the allegation



should be probed and it is a matter of inquiry what action was taken on the allegations.

According to the investigating agencies, the Malegaon blasts was carried out by right wing extremists and a total of 11 persons are presently in jail in the case, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

The state ATS, which was initially probing the case, had charged the accused under various sections of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code, Indian Explosives Act and the Arms Act.

However, when the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the agency filed a supplementary chargesheet by which charges under MCOCA were dropped on the ground that there wasn't sufficient material.

The NIA chargesheet also dropped Sadhvi and five others from the list of the accused. Apart from Sadhvi, those given clean chit by NIA are Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Shyam Sahu, Praveen Takkalki, Lokesh Sharma and Dhan Singh.
UPDATED

The Buffalo school board voted 6-2 on Thursday to oust Carl Paladino from the citys school board, giving him 24 hours to resign before it petitions the states education commissioner to remove him.

Paladino, who served as co-chair of President-elect Donald Trumps New York campaign, is in hot water over racist comments published in the Artvoice , a Buffalo weekly, in which he said his wishes for 2017 included President Barack Obama dying from mad cow disease and for First Lady Michelle Obama to return to being a male and set loose in Zimbabwe.

Board members who supported the resolution said Paladinos comments were the latest in a string of offenses that include bullying board members. One board member said the impact of Paladinos words on students, particularly African-American students, was incalculable.

Board President Barbara Seals Nevergold said she had heard from people all over the country who were incredulous that a sitting school board member would say the things that Paladino confirmed to the paper were his responses.

They would like me to tell you youre fired,  Nevergold said. But those are not my words, so I am asking you to do the right thing, and resign.

Words matter, Mr. Paladino, she said.

Paladinos statements were roundly condemned, and petitions calling for him to resign his seat on the school board quickly gained steam.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the New York state teachers union, which represents educators and healthcare professionals, were among the prominent groups that are calling for State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia to remove Paladino from his position.

Paladino has been on the school board since 2013, and he has said that he has no plans to quit. He said he intended to send the responses to his friends and not the newspaper.

He did not attend the meeting.

The commissioner can remove school board members in New York for willful misconduct or neglect of duty, but they can only be removed after a formal petition is filed with the state and a hearing is held, according to the New York Daily News.

The state education agency said that it was closely monitoring the actions of the Buffalo school board and other groups.

Once we receive an application for removal, we will review it as quickly as possible, a spokeswoman, Emily DeSantis, said. We will continue to review all of our options.

The special school board meeting came after a morning rally in Buffalo calling on Paladino to resign.

Thursdays resolution, introduced by board member Hope Jay, called Paladinos comments unambiguously racist, morally repugnant, flagrantly disrespectful, inflammatory and inexcusable.

An earlier version read, in part:

These unambiguously racist, morally repugnant, flagrantly disrespectful, inflammatory and inexcusable comments by Mr. Paladino have garnered both local, national, and international attention that reflects negatively on the Buffalo Board of Education, the City of Buffalo and its leadership and its citizens, the State of New York, and every decent human being in America and abroad who has been shocked and offended by his words; And,

Whereas, Mr. Paladinos behavior has irrevocably impacted the work of the Buffalo Board of Education by negatively impacting the Buffalo City School District in its goal of safeguarding the rights of all students in promoting a safe and healthy environment in which students are treated respectfully, by everyone, And, the inalienable right, guaranteed by the New York State Constitution and the Dignity for All Students Act, afforded to the children of the City of Buffalo to be provided an education free of discrimination and harassment; And,

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Buffalo Board of Education demands that Mr. Paladino immediately resign within 24 hours from his position with the Board. In the event that Mr. Paladino declines to resign within 24 hours, the Board resolves that it shall retain outside legal counsel to file a 306 Petition with NYS Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia to pursue Mr. Paladinos removal from the Buffalo Board of Education. Recommendations for outside counsel shall be made by the General Counsel.

Jay received loud applause and a standing ovation when she read the part of resolution demanding Paladinos resignation. According to the resolution, more than 70 percent of the districts students and families are people of color, immigrants, or other minorities.

Patricia Pierce, one of the two board members who voted against the resolution, said Paladino should be given the opportunity to apologize and learn from his mistake. The absence of her name from the resolution did not mean that she approved of Paladino comments, Pierce said.

With the country and the world watching what happens in Buffalo, the city should take a page from Charleston, S.C., where some family members of the victims of Dylann Roofs massacre of black churchgoers showed forgiveness, she said.

I suggest that we take this opportunity to show the entire country that we are city of good neighbors and that we are about forgiveness, said Pierce, who said she was a friend of Paladinos.

She was loudly interrupted by attendees.

She called on Paladino to step up, apologize, and learn, along with the community, that we must live, work, and play together, and that all of us matter to each other.

But board member Paulette Woods said that if a Buffalo public school student had said what Paladino saidsuch as wishing the president dead and questioning someones genderthat student would be suspended.

Lawmakers should not be lawbreakers, Woods said.

In a statement to The New York Times, Paladino said that the school boards vote was certainly not an illustration of a profile in courage or leadership.

Similarly, he told the Buffalo News that the efforts by local politicians, including members of the school board, county executive, and city council, were politically-motivated.

I will fight to the end to continue to expose the corruption, he said.

Image: Carl Paladino speaks to members of the media at Trump Tower, Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, in New York.

--Andrew Harnik/AP
A nationwide ceasefire was holding across most of Syria today but clashes near Damascus underlined the fragility of the deal brokered by Turkey and Russia.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government and rebel forces were fighting in the Wadi Barada area, where opposition fighters have cut water supplies to the capital.

A resident confirmed the sound of shelling in the area this morning.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said it was unclear who had started the clashes, with both sides blaming the other.

Syria's government had been shelling the area before the truce began at midnight as it pushes rebels there to accept a "reconciliation deal" and leave the area.

Among the forces present there is former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, which Syria's government says is excluded from the ceasefire.

Opposition figures however say the truce applies to all opposition-held territory, even where Fateh al-Sham is present.

Last week, rebels attacked water infrastructure in Wadi Barada and neighbouring Ain al-Fijeh, cutting supplies to the capital.

Four million people in Damascus and its suburbs have now been without water for a week, the UN says.

The clashes in Wadi Barada were the most serious of several isolated incidents of violence since the truce began.

The Observatory reported early morning clashes in the central province of Hama between the government and jihadist fighters.

Elsewhere, AFP correspondents in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held area outside Damascus, and Idlib province in northwest Syria reported quiet.

The ceasefire is the first nationwide truce to be implemented in the country since September, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan being organised by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Syria's government hailed it as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

It was also welcomed by key regime ally Iran as a "major achievement."



And despite being left out of the process, Washington also described the truce as a "positive development".

Analysts were cautious but said the involvement of key regime backers Russia and Iran along with rebel supporter Turkey could be important.

Sam Heller, fellow at The New Century Foundation, said there was "real interest and urgency" from Moscow and Ankara, but expressed doubts about whether Iran and Syria's government were on board. "All indications are that Iran and the regime want to continue towards a military conclusion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A nationwide ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and Turkey took effect at midnight (local time), in a potentially major breakthrough in the conflict of more than five years.

The deal, which does not include designated "terrorists" like the Islamic State group, was announced hours earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been "total calm since the start of the ceasefire in many provinces all over Syria" adding that "no violations were monitored in all regions".

According to an AFP correspondent in Eastern Ghouta, the shelling and airstrikes stopped for more than one hour in the region after intensive shelling and raids on Thursday.

AFP correspondents in Damascus and Idlib said there had been no sound of shelling, airstrikes or clashes since midnight.

The agreement, hailed by Syria's government as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, comes a week after the regime recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

The deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, but does not involve Washington, which has negotiated previous ceasefires with Moscow.

Putin said Damascus and the "main forces of the armed opposition" had inked a truce and a document expressing a readiness to start peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Putin said he would also reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria that has been flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad since last year.

The Kremlin strongman, however, said Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" in Syria and maintain its support for the regime.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said seven opposition groups, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, had signed the deal and those who failed to adhere would be considered "terrorists".

Erdogan indicated Turkey would press on with its four-month incursion into Syria against Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish militia.

Syria's army said the deal did not include IS and the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front.

That could cause complications in areas like Idlib in northwestern Syria, where Fateh al-Sham is allied with rebel groups that have signed on to the deal.

Syria's political opposition and rebels had confirmed their backing for the truce, saying it applied to all parts of the country.

"The agreement is for all of Syria and contains no exceptions or preconditions," said Osama Abou Zeid, a legal adviser to rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner.
A fragile calm was holding across Syria today after a truce brokered by Russia and Turkey came into effect, a potentially major breakthrough after nearly six years of conflict.

There were reports of isolated violence, including clashes in central Hama province between government forces and jihadist factions, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were casualties among regime forces in the clashes after midnight with jihadists near the town of Mahardeh.

The fighters were believed to be from a faction that did not sign the ceasefire announced yesterday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and confirmed by Syria's army and mainstream opposition bodies.

The Observatory reported other minor violations, including the firing of a single missile by regime forces in southern Daraa province, but said the truce was largely holding.

"There have not been any large violations," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"From midnight until 8:00 am (0600GMT) there have been no civilian deaths recorded," he added.

AFP correspondents on the ground in rebel-held territory in northwest Idlib province and Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus also reported calm after the truce began.

The ceasefire is the first nationwide truce to be implemented in the country since September, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan sponsored by Russia and Turkey.

Syria's government hailed the agreement as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

And despite being left out of the process, Washington also hailed the truce agreement as a "positive development", saying it hoped it would bring new negotiations.

The agreement comes a week after the regime, which is backed by ally Russia, recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Putin said Damascus and the "main forces of the armed opposition" had inked a truce and a document expressing readiness to start peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" and urged states with influence on the ground to show "the necessary sensitivity" to ensure the truce held.

Syria's conflict has become a complex multi-front battle, with a range of outside players intervening, including Russia, which launched a military campaign to bolster President Bashar al-Assad last year.

Putin said Friday he would now reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria, though he added Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" and maintain its support for the government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If it were not for the locked doors, knives chained to the table and uniformed staff, the food factory inside Taoyuan women's prison would resemble any commercial kitchen.

Inmates wearing masks and hair nets mix cocoa powder to make chocolate, or chop cabbage to marinate for kimchi.

They are part of a burgeoning food industry in Taiwan -- artisan snacks, made behind bars.

The additive-free delicacies made by prison inmates have gained a loyal public following, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Demand is driven by quality and affordability after a string of food safety scandals has made Taiwan consumers extra vigilant.

Last year sales revenue reached more than 500 million Taiwanese dollars (USD 15.62 million), with money going towards victim compensation, improvement of facilities and a wage for inmates.

Some prisoners, like 39-year-old Chen, had little culinary experience before joining the production line in Taoyuan, in the north of the island.

The prison rolls out a wide range of snacks, from sweets to fermented tofu.

"I'm happy to learn some useful skills," Chen told AFP.

"I didn't know how to use a kitchen knife properly before as my mother always cooked for me and I didn't need to go into the kitchen.

"I've learnt that it looks simple to make food, but it's actually quite complicated."



Inmates near release or parole can apply for the programme and are prioritised. Long-term prisoners who are judged to have behaved well or have relevant experience can also apply.

The range of jail-made food bought from prisons across Taiwan includes local favourites such as pineapple cake and peanut brittle, as well as soy sauce and free-range chicken.

More than 50 prisons make around 300 types of product which can be ordered by the public by phone, online or by fax, or bought direct from prison offices.

"We use good ingredients and we do not use additives or over-process food to make profits," said Chiu Hung-chi, deputy chief of the Agency of Corrections.

"Our foods are natural, high quality and inexpensive," he added.

It is a winning sales pitch to a public wary after big-name companies were found to have adulterated their products with banned chemicals or recycled "gutter oil" to lower costs, which led to massive recalls of food items in recent years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taiwan's president will transit through Houston and San Francisco next month while traveling to Central America, stops that will likely irritate Beijing, which has urged Washington to prevent the self-ruled island's leader from landing in the United States.

Citing the presidential office, Taiwan's official Central Agency said Friday that President Tsai Ing-wen and her delegation will stop in Houston on Jan. 7 on their way to visit diplomatic allies Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. They will stop in San Francisco on Jan 13 on their return trip.

China has repeatedly urged the US not to allow Tsai to transit through the US to avoid "sending the wrong signal to Taiwanese independence forces."



US lawmakers often meet with Taiwanese presidents when they transit through the US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With pubs, restaurants and bars anticipating a crowded New Year's eve, Delhi Police is putting final touches to the security arrangements to avert any untoward incident tomorrow.

More than 2,000 security personnel, including from ITBP, CRPF, RAF, will be deployed at Connaught Place that will witness a huge crowd of revelers tomorrow evening, a senior police officer said.

Cops from Special Branch will also be present in plainclothes at restaurants to ensure that festivities go peacefully.

Entry will be restricted to Connaught Place post 8.30 PM as residents of the area, with valid ID cards and families with invitation cards of restaurants or car parking stickers will be allowed, he said.

Groups of boys without any proof of booking at any restaurant won't be allowed entry. There will be five arrest parties and PCR vehicles will be patrolling the area.

Cops have also been holding meetings with pub and bar owners asking them to ensure that their CCTV cameras and hand held metal detectors and door frame metal detectors are in working condition.

They have also been asked to sensitise their waiters to be alert in case of any suspicious activity or persons.

Staff in plainclothes will be patrolling the venues to ensure that drugs are not being consumed in washrooms and linking areas.

The venues have also been asked to ensure that female guests, who are too drunk to drive or leave on their own, are escorted in cabs by the staff to their houses. Venues have also been instructed to ensure that the cabs are arranged for customers who are not accompanied by a sober driver or who are too drunk to drive on their own.

There will be different patrolling parties at the Inner, Middle and Outer Circle in Connaught Place.

There will be restrictions on exit of passengers at the Rajiv Chowk Metro station.

"The exit of passengers from the Rajiv Chowk Metro station will not be permitted from 9 PM onwards on New Year's Eve. This is to enable authorities to maintain peace and law and order during the celebrations," a DMRC spokesperson said.

Passengers will be allowed to enter the Rajiv Chowk Metro station from 'F' and 'B' block side gates after 9 PM for boarding the trains, he said.

"Interchange facility between Line-2 (HUDA City Centre - Samaypur Badli) and Line-3/4 (Dwarka Sec-21 - NOIDA City Centre/Vaishali) will continue as usual at Rajiv Chowk Metro station till the end of revenue services," he added.

In south district, there will be extra security personnel and commandos deployed outside malls in Saket and Hauz Khas Village. Police has been holding meetings with mall managers and pub and bar owners requesting them to deploy additional security guards at the entry and exit points.

Similarly, other districts like south east and west, where there will be a number of house parties, will see a strong deployment of police personnel. In west district, Police Mitras will also be helping cops in maintaining law and order in the area.

(REOPENS DES22)



Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police spokesperson and Joint Commissioner of Police (South West), said, "There will be adequate police presence in entire Delhi, particularly in high footfall areas to ensure that New Year celebrations go off in an orderly way."



"There will also be patrolling and police personnel in plainclothes. Almost 400 Police Mitras will be deployed at critical points to assist police," he said.
: Trainees who completed the Automobile Technician and Air Force Police course for induction into the Indian Air Force, took part in a ceremonial passing out parade at the Mechanical Transport Training Institute here.

Air Commodore C R Mohan, Commandent, Air Force Technical College, Bangalore reviewed the Passing Out Parade, an official release said here today.

After presenting the trophies to meritorious trainees, Mohan emphasised the trainees for optimum contribution towards the service of the country, it said.

A series of events marked the occasion which include dismantling and re-assembling a Maruti Gypsy car in less than five minutes.

The Air Force police also demonstrated its weapon handling capabilities.

Trainee Dmanu Sibasis Dora was adjudged as the Best All Rounder in Automobile technician trade and Amandeep Khajuria under the Air Force Police, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President-elect Donald Trump will meet intelligence officials next week "to be updated on the facts" after the Obama administration sanctioned Russian intelligence services, expelled 35 Russian officials and shuttered two Russian-owned compounds in the US.

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," Trump said.

Trump's vaguely worded statement, which did not mention Russia directly, came soon after the Obama Administration yesterday announced a series of punitive measures against alleged Russian hackings during the presidential elections.

A top Trump advisor said that it is time to move on.

"He'll receive an intelligence briefing this coming week. And in the meantime, he believes it's time to move on," Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the president-elect, told CNN.

"I've been reading all the reports about these retaliations, these sanctions put forward by President Obama and his administration. Some of them seem largely symbolic. The GRU doesn't travel here, doesn't keep its assets here. No reason allies will follow suit. We're yet to see all of the intelligence reports," she said.

Trump, she noted, believes it's time to move on to bigger and better things for the country.

Meanwhile, announcement of sanctions against Russia was welcomed by lawmakers from across the aisle.

"Russia does not share America's interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. Whiletoday's action by the administrationis overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. It serves as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreignpolicy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world," House Speaker Paul Ryan said.

The retaliatory measures announced by the Obama Administration are long overdue, said Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

"But ultimately, they are a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy. We intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia,"the two Senators said in a joint statement.

After years of weakness that have invited and encouraged Russian aggression, the actions by President Obama are long overdue, said Senator Marco Rubio.

"Vladimir Putin has made it abundantly clear he is not an ally or partner of the United States, and that his interests are fundamentally not our interests," he said as he welcomed the sanctions against Russia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A vicar in the UAE has said he has got "strong indications" to believe that Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the Indian priest who was abducted nearly nine months ago from war-torn Yemen, is alive, a media report said today.

The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia said it is making "all efforts to secure a safe release" of the priest kidnapped from Aden in March, Khaleej Times reported.

A video of Uzhunnalil had surfaced this week in which he made an appeal to the Indian government, Pope Francis and Bishop Paul Hinder, to save his life.

Hinder, who is based in Abu Dhabi, is the current Vicar Apostolic of the vicariate.

"The features of the person speaking in the video bear a close likeness to Father Tom. However, the source of the video, the date of its creation and the circumstances under which it was recorded are unknown. Even though we have no information about Father Tom's present whereabouts, we have strong indications to believe that he is still alive," the vicariate said in a statement.

The church said it has made countless appeals from the highest levels to secure Uzhunnalil's release as well as made concrete efforts by way of working in close collaboration with both international and local diplomatic channels, it reported.

"Paul Hinder is in touch with the different channels, which are working and leading the dialogues to secure a safe release. More details cannot be disclosed at this stage," the statement said.

The bishop has led calls for prayer throughout the churches in the vicariate for Uzhunnalil. During the Christmas mass, the bishop and thousands gathered at the cathedral parish of St Joseph's Abu Dhabi to pray for the priest's safety.

"The Salesian Congregation to which Father Tom belongs and the Catholic Bishops Conference of India has been in touch with government channels," the statement added.

The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is a territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church covering the UAE, Oman and Yemen. The office of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is based at St Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi.

Father Uzhunnalil, who hails from Kerala, was abducted in March by terror group Islamic State which attacked an old-age home run by Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity in southern Yemeni city of Aden.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The British government has said peace between Israel and the Palestinians cannot be brokered by focusing solely on settlement construction, following a stern warning over the practice by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesperson said Britain supports a two-state solution and believes the construction of settlements on Palestinian lands is illegal.

"But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict.

"In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The comments from Downing Street come a day after Kerry issued a stern warning to Israel in which he said building settlements threatens the country's future as a democracy.

Kerry accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of allowing Israel to slide towards a "perpetual occupation."



Without referring to the secretary of state's comments, the British government's comments appeared to criticise Kerry's speech.

"We do not, therefore, believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is so deeply complex," May's spokesperson said.

"And we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally. The government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community," they added.

The statement follows a UN Security Council resolution last week which effectively declared Israel's settlements on areas of east Jerusalem and the West Bank beyond its 1967 border illegal.

In a rare move the US refrained from vetoing the resolution, which was backed by all the remaining members of the 15-member council including Britain.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Updated

North Carolinas appointed school board members said Wednesday they will file a lawsuit against the states legislature over HB 17, which gives significantly more power to the states elected superintendent over department staff and state education policy, according to the Associated Press.

Last week, the states Republican-dominated legislature passed in a special session a bill that stripped the board of many of its powers and handed them, instead, to recently elected Republican Superintendent Mark Johnson. Outgoing Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, later signed the bill.

The new law will place most of the state education department under the state superintendents control, rather than under the state school board, the members of which are appointed by the governor. The superintendent will be able to oversee the states office of charter schools, appoint the superintendent of the states turnaround district, and hire and fire officials within the education department. Several other tasks historically given to the state board of education also would fall under the state superintendent.

Recently elected Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will appoint all of his own state board members.

The board said its attorneys will file a lawsuit that argues that the states constitution places many of those powers under the states board of education.

On Thursday, a judge halted the law from going into effect until the lawsuit is heard in court.

Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale would inaugurate the central office of Reserve Category Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RICCI), a body of reserved category entrepreneurs.

"RICCI was formed to protect the interests of the businessmen and entrepreneurs belonging to the served category. We are expanding fast and the central office of the organisation will be inaugurate by the union social justice minister on January 3 in Jaipur," RICCI Patron Gopal Denwal told reporters here.

He informed that the first trade fair will be organised in Chandigarh where zonal office will also be opened.

Similar zonal offices will be opened in Delhi next month, Ujjain and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh in February and trade fair will be held in Jaipur in April.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar today said good education was key to any country's sustainable progress, and the government was launching several initiatives to reverse the 'brain drain'.

Countries with good universities achieve "sustainable progress" and "where the quality of education is not good, that country does not progress," said Javadekar, speaking at convocation of Savitribai Phule Pune University here.

"My best of the best students are going out (of the country)" despite the government investing a lot in the education and "that is my worry", he said.

Students go abroad because they get good resources and infrastructure for research, scholarships, etc., the minister said, adding "I want to retain them and turn this brain drain into brain gain by providing good research and innovation facilities here."



"We are starting a global research interactive network in which students will be provided good scholarship and opportunity to work with top-end foreign laboratories and again come back to India and continue with research," he said.

Government had approved establishment of 'Higher Education Financing Agency' (HEFA) to provide research labs of international standards, scholarships, good teachers and opportunity to students to visit foreign varsities, he said.

The Government wanted to create 20 world-class universities in India, ten private and ten public, he said.

"I am in favour of autonomy and those who will do the good work, they will get maximum autonomy and those who will not work, there will be more regulations for them," said Javadekar.

He urged the students to keep in mind that society, including the poor classes, contributes to their education through payment of taxes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nigeria has recently trumpeted a major victory in its battle against Boko Haram, claiming that its army has routed the jihadists from their forest bastion, but the war against them is far from over.

After years of devastating battles and a recent surge in attacks, the fear in Nigeria is that Boko Haram will simply decamp from the Sambisa forest enclave to other areas nearby.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announced on Christmas Eve that a months-long campaign had led to the "final crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa Forest".

The Nigerian military said troops were chasing fleeing Boko Haram militants, claiming that the fight against the jihadists was in its final stages.

But yesterday, Boko Haram's elusive leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video to dispute the government's claim.

"We are safe. We have not been flushed out of anywhere," Shekau said in the 25-minute video, flanked by masked armed fighters.

As access to the conflict zones is heavily restricted, claims from both sides cannot be independently verified.

According to a military source who asked not to be named, Boko Haram jihadists have been "tremendously weakened and are trying to avoid confrontation ... By hiding in some obscure locations."



Islamists routed from Sambisa have reportedly fled to areas on the edge of the forest, islets on Lake Chad as well as villages on the Cameroon border.

"They were sighted in large numbers in ... The Kala-Balge area," said a vigilante helping in the fight, referring to a region near Cameroon.

The head of the fishermen's union in Borno state, the epicentre of Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency, said some fighters had regrouped on Lake Chad, which straddles Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

It provides the jihadists with a "convenient sanctuary", with its 400 islets covered with dense vegetation that makes aerial detection and ground operations dangerous, Abubakar Gamandi said.

"The islets are between one and two square kilometres and the fresh water and abundant fish in the lake make them habitable," said Gamandi, who has fished in Lake Chad for 40 years.

Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the leader of a Boko Haram faction recognised by the Islamic State group, has already been living on the lake since his group split from Shekau's leadership in August, residents and vigilantes say.

Should Shekau and his troops move there, it is unclear whether the two rival factions will end up battling each other.

Cameroonian troops have intensified their operations along their nation's frontier with Nigeria, where fleeing Boko Haram fighters have also sought refuge, according to a vigilante in the Nigerian border town of Banki.

"Cameroon has upped security along the border which has forced fleeing Boko Haram (fighters) to head to Kala-Balge, where Nigerian troops are deploying", said the vigilante, who did not want to give his name.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
JKLF chairman Yasin Malik was today detained at Pulwama as he led his supporters to stage a protest march against Jammu and Kashmir government's decision to issue identity certificates to West Pakistani Refugees.

Malik was detained along with several of his supporters. They were taken into preventive custody, a police official said.

Separatists groups had called for protests today against the government decision to issue identity certificates to West Pakistan Refugees living in the state since partition in 1947.

The state government has decided to issue identity cards to the refugees and had to issue clarification after protests from opposition parties and separatists against the move.

Initially, reports had said the opposition was against the government move to issue domicile certificates, but the state government said it was issuing identity certificates.

Other political organisations, including BJP and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, have slammed separatists for opposing the issuance of certificates to the refugees.

The refugees, settled in Jammu and Kashmir, are citizens of India and have the right to vote in parliamentary polls.

However, they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution. They do not enjoy voting rights to the state assembly and local bodies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
From David Bowie and Prince to Leonard Cohen and, most recently, George Michael, weve lost many to 2016. Even Coldplays Global Citizen Festival in Mumbai, which once shone brightly on everyone's radar, was buried under heaps of other performances. But with a host of new beginnings, the New Year seems promising enough, like the proposed-resurrection of the Backstreet Boys. The boy band is headed to Las Vegas for a trial residency and, if all goes well, theyll announce new gigs. Nikita Puri lines up the other musical events to look forward to in 2017.
The year 2016 witnessed a number of cyber attacks, from influencing US elections to leaking debit card and email information, setting off alarm bells across the globe. Here are some major hacks that took place during the year:
Since 2014, Facebooks Safety Check feature has allowed people in areas stricken by natural disasters and terror attacks to swiftly tell their friends that theyre unharmed. On Tuesday, it was activated for The Explosion in Bangkok, Thailand.



If youre wondering why you havent read or heard anything about a deadly explosion in Bangkok on Tuesday, its because there wasnt a deadly explosion in Bangkok on Tuesday. And the resulting confusion illustrated a downside of Facebooks switch to automating tasks once left up to the judgment of humans.
As the year comes to an end, it is also time to say final goodbye to the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that these two notes were no longer valid as legal tender on November 8, the country slid into complete chaos as the ensuing cash crunch adversely affected people.

Today is the last day for people to exchange the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes at banks. Tomorrow onwards, anyone holding Rs 500 or Rs 1000 notes could be levied hefty fines. Prime Minister Modi, in a speech, had requested people to give him 50 days to bring things back to normal and described demonetisation as a bitter pill to fight black money and terrorism.

Even though the 50 days deadline now comes to an end, the cash crunch which has resulted in long ATM queues across the country are not likely to end soon. The Reserve Bank of India is struggling to put out enough cash back in the market to bring back things to normal. Reports suggest that the bank is trying to import huge quantities of paper to print new notes but it will take time. The government, amid the cash chaos, begun to stress on the digitalisation of the Indian economy and announced freebies for digital transactions.

ALSO READ: 50 days of demonetisation: What all happened

According to reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to make another speech on demonetisation on the New Year's eve. If sources are to be believed, he will highlight the 'success' of the note ban and also announce some New Year 'gifts. It remains to be seen what these 'gifts' will be, if there are any.

Meanwhile, he also gave his first interview after demonetisation to India Today, in which he defended demonetisation. He reiterated from his speech that the short-term pain would lead to long-term gain due to demonetisation.

"This decision (demonetisation) is so huge that even our best economists remain confused in their calculations. India's 1.25 billion citizens, however, have welcomed it wholeheartedly and supported it even in the face of great personal difficulties, intuitively understanding its impact and importance," he said.

He added: "I believe India is standing at a watershed moment, on the cusp of actualising its inherent potential as a developed nation and global leader. An India which is Swachh from all forms of filth."









Prime Minister Modi's assurances aside, there is little doubt that the cash crunch that the country is facing will continue for some more time. And, until people begin to easily get access to their own money there is going to be a lot of pressure on the government.
Delhi registered the highest per capita income among all states and union territories during 2015-16 at about Rs 2,80,000, over three times the national average, according to the latest official data released today.

The national capital is trailed by neighbouring Chandigarh, with a per capita income of Rs 2,42,386, while Sikkim occupied the third spot with Rs 2,27,465.

Delhis current figure is an increase of over Rs 28,000, or 13 per cent, compared to the previous year when it was 2,52,011, a Statistical Handbook released by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia showed.

"(The) deputy chief minister informed that the per capita income of Delhi is 2,80,142 during 2015-16 (at current prices). It has increased by 28,131 in comparison to 2014-15. The per capita income at national level is found to be 93,293 during 2015-16," an official statement said.

According to the data released by Oxford Economics in November, Delhi has emerged as the economic capital of India, pipping Mumbai as per GDP in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP).


The ordinance on demonetised currency does not propose a jail term for those holding more than 10 junked notes, but imposes a minimum fine of Rs 10,000.

The draft ordinance, which will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent, will come into force from December 31.

There was a proposal for prescribing a four-year jail term, but the draft ordinance does not contain any such provision.

Those keeping the junked notes for "study, research or numismatics" purposes would be exempt from penalty provided they hold not more than 25 number of such notes irrespective of the denomination.

Besides, people authorised by RBI or its agencies or those holding junked notes under directions of a court would also not be penalised, as per Section 5 of the draft ordinance.

It provides for making holding of old 1,000 and 500 rupee notes after March 31 a criminal offence that will attract a fine of Rs 10,000 or five times the cash held, whichever is higher.

According to Section 6 of the 'Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, 2016', whoever knowingly and wilfully makes any false declarations regarding junked notes would be liable for a fine "which may extend to Rs 50,000 or five times the amount of the face value of specified bank notes tendered, whichever is higher".

The ordinance also provides for amending the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934 to provide legislative support for extinguishing the central bank and government's liability on the demonetised banknotes that are not returned.

While the deadline for the deposit of old currency in bank or post office accounts expires on Friday, there is time till March 31 for depositing them at select RBI counters with stiff conditions.

Sources said a proposal for a four-year jail term for anyone possessing large number of demonetised currency after March 31, 2017 was not approved by the Cabinet.

As per the draft ordinance, citizens who were abroad between November 9 and December 30 are entitled to deposit the junked notes till March 31 with RBI.

The government would also bring out a separate notification for "such class of persons and for such reasons as may be specified" to ensure that people are not harassed and those with genuine reasons can deposit the cancelled notes.

At the time of announcing demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8, the government had allowed holders to either exchange them or deposit in bank and post office accounts.

According to the government, the main reason for bringing out the ordinance is to "have clarity and finality to the liabilities of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the central government" arising from the demonetisation of high value currency notes.

In case of companies found holding more than 10 junked notes, action would be taken against the officials concerned.

Proceedings could be initiated against "any director, manager, secretary, or other officer or employee" of the particular company.

The ordinance also provides safeguard for the government and the central bank from facing any legal proceedings.

"No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against government, RBI or any of their officers for anything or intended to be done in good faith under this ordinance," it noted.

In 1978, a similar Ordinance was issued to end the government's liability after Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 notes were demonetised by the Morarji Desai-led government.

Sources said the legal amendments are needed every time the government decides to scrap any legal tender to put an end to its promissory note.

Of the Rs 15.4 lakh crore worth of currency that was scrapped, about Rs 14 lakh crore has been deposited in banks or exchanged.
In the 1860s, illustrator and idiot Leopold Trouvelot deliberately brought gypsy moths from France to America. Some outsmarted him and escaped, and they now cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage each year. This charming film tells the tale and explains our greatest and grossest hope for eradicating them: baculovirus.

Flora Lichtman directed this lovely and colorful concoction. Even the melting caterpillars are kind of pretty.

From the accompanying article at the California Academy of Sciences:

In the 1860s, artist and amateur scientist Leopold Trouvelot hatched an ill-conceived plan to create a new type of silka plan that included importing gypsy moth caterpillars (Lymantria dispar) from France to America. Instead of a better textile, Trouvelot created an ecological disaster. When some of his caterpillars escaped into the surrounding Massachusetts countryside, they thrived. Free from many of their native predators, they stripped trees bare as they munched their way across an ever-expanding territory. Nearly 150 years later, gypsy moth populations are still spreading, causing significant damage to deciduous forests wherever they go. (This past summer, caterpillar-induced defoliation was so extensive across New England and the Mid-Atlantic states that it could be seen from space.) But there's hope for the trees. A virus that causes the caterpillars to melt into piles of goo is helping to keep the gypsy moth in checkand limiting its impact on countless U.S. forests.

 Invisible Nature: Invasion of the Caterpillars

(via Biographic)
SabbaticalHomes.com is like Airbnb for academics looking to rent their homes during sabbaticals. Sounds genteel, but many states allow long-term guests to establish tenancy, often after 30 days. Mother Jones has an infuriating and cautionary tale about the homestay marketplace: the sharing economy can intersect with tenant rights, and the people who know how to work that system might decide not to pay rent or leave until evicted.

Summary: Elizabeth Abel planned a semester in Paris, and after placing a listing on SabbaticalHomes.com, she decided to rent to a political scientist at Sarah Lawrence College named David Peritz, starting in January.

By the time April 1 came and went without a rent check, Abel had had enough. She wrote Peritz to tell him she was taking him to small-claims court. Around the same time, Abel's neighbors began writing her increasingly concerned emails. One of them had even seen Peritz taking her furniture down the driveway to the office in the garage late at night. They rarely, if ever, saw his wife or son. Abel got in touch with the Kensington Police Department, which sent an officer by the house to talk with Peritz. The officer emailed Abel to tell her that he thought Peritz was "trying to establish squatters rights or lock you out," and that she should have a cop accompany her when she eventually came back home. Someone from the police department would tell her she should start the eviction process as soon as possible. It might take weeks, even months, to get Peritz out of her house.

It gets ugly from there. Includes epic Judith Butler email excoriation of Peritz.

 The Crazy Story of the Professor Who Came to Stayand Wouldn't Leave (Mother Jones)

Image: jen light
CAMEROUN :: THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS aka AMBAZONIA BIBLE & HYMN INTO HER FINAL INDEPENDENCE STAMPEDE.To the millennial Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) Freedom is NOT Given, it is Fought For

Now that dialogue between the oppressor and the oppressed is failing woefully, now that we cannot continue contenting ourselves with half measures and keep on waiting for manna to fall from heaven, now that the fettering fever of increasing provocation has reached the climax of vexation, now that the unbearable burden of intimidation has reached the canopy of disgruntlement, I reckon that it is about time all of us Ambazonians rise to our feet and dash into the warm embrace of our INDEPENDENCE either in peace or in pieces. Be you at Bakingili, at Babanki, at Nguti, at Njinibi, at Eshimbi or at Ikiriwindi, be you resident in the hinterlands of the rural resort or in the heart of the urban metropolis, be you resident at home or abroad, imbibe the courage of Shakespeares Macbeth saying, Put on mine armour Hang out our banners on the outward walls We have almost forgot the taste of fears Arm, arm and out! Ring the alarum bells!  blow, wind! Come, wrack! At least, well die with harness on our back.

This is that divine-appointed moment for all of us Ambazonians to stretch out to breaking point, to unleash our hatchets against the forces of evil which have eaten into our fabric like cankerworms, which have robbed and robbed us, which have cracked and crooked us, which have pecked and plundered us, which have gripped and grounded us, which have toppled and trodden us to the surface of the earth. To the streets all of us! Men, women and children  young and old like Denis Brutus in At a Funeral saying, Arise! The brassy shout of freedom stirs our earth Better that we should die, than that we should lie down. Also, like Shakespeares Mark Anthony saying, [We] have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do [lives with them]. None of us should give the least opportunity to our slave masters to tread on our grounds any longer. They have done more than enough damage on our landscape. We should send them packing bag and baggage. Hands in glove, we should all return triumphantly to our native land like Hardy in Return of the Native and Roy Campbells Horses on the Camargue saying, With coal-red eyes and Cataracting mane, heading his course for home Though sixty foreign leagues before him sweep, will never rest until he breathes the foam and hears the native thunder of the deep.

What shall biographers say about us? Shall they say that we were born slaves and died slaves? What shall historians say about us? Shall they say that we touched our independence with our hands and cowardly let it go? No, they should say that without hesitating, we grabbed it in a legendary display of intrepid. They should say that we took the bull by its horns. They should say that we were modern-day Spartans who never surrendered in the face of every adversity. They should say that we were that appointed generation which restored the glaring glory, the earning honor and the dazzling dignity of Ambazonia. They should say that we were a generation to be forever exampled. Like Tennyson in Ulysses, they should say that we defied the tempest and embarked for sea adventure, saying, Tis not too late to seek a newer world It may be that the gulfs will wash us down It may be that we shall touch the Happy Isles Though much is taken, much abides To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

The last word to our people

The confusion is in the minds of those who are confused about what they want. The vast majority of Ambazonians want independence. I mean an absolute majority. That is true for those in the homeland and in the Diaspora.

This majority are also those who began the coffin resistance: those who have died, detained and brutalized. The consortium guys are federalist who think they can reform colonialism and adjust themselves inside. They are also the SDF elites who are nervous about the collapse of the system. So you must realize that there is an inter conflict between our people are Cameroun and an intra conflict between our people and a small vocal minority.

Those who are for the restoration of the independence & statehood of the Southern Cameroons People aka Ambazonia are not confused. They are busy churning out flags across the world and in the homeland. The flag scares those who want the system to survive because it represents something new.

We cannot resolve this conflict. Biya alone will do it and he has already begun doing so. The Lawyers and Teachers will see the truth soon. They saw it in 1994 when Biya turned a constitutional conference into a phone and fax exercise. They saw it in 1995 when he rejected federalism. Our people are determined and they will prevail.

Only the devil ask you to leave your Bible home when going to church. Take your cross and follow the Lord Hold your flag, wear your T shirt. Those are your Bible and Hymns.

Warnings to MTN, Orange and Nextell, Camtel etc. Your services will be decapitated in you interfere with the network in any way, shape or form. We accepted your previous apology but not this time around.

All Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) Pledge: We will Stand on our feet dying than on our knees begging AGAIN ENOUGH is ENOUGH

The State Department

Governing Council

For and on behalf of the Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) Peoples
Teachers Trade Unionists remain United and Resolute Wilson MUSA

Trade union leaders of English sub system of education has rejected an invitation to attend a meeting Friday December 30, 2016 by 3pm, from Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo in his capacity as chairperson of a committee put in place to look at general problems faced by teachers in both Francophone and Anglophone schools.

The decision not to attend the meeting whose invitation came late Thursday was taken after a late night meeting with the trade Unionists in Bamenda, North West region.

The President of Teachers Association of Cameroon, TAC, TAME Valentine said, He invited us but we are not going, we cannot be going to such statutory issues when there is a crisis situation at hand. They will be discussing general issues; we want to handle identity issues first. Its a semester kind of thing.

The meeting comes on the heels of another in Bamenda where the teachers backed out as government envoys failed to grant their request.

Among others the teachers are asking for the youths arrested in Bamenda and Kumba released without conditions, the redeployment of Anglophone teachers teaching in French sub system of education to that of English and vice versa.
Bamenda At Heart of Strike Action Last November Wilson MUSA

A Press conference organized by Human Rights Cameroon on cases of human rights violation in the Bamenda crisis previewed for Friday in a local hotel in Yaounde One municipality has been banned.

Orders to ban the gathering we are told came from the Divisional Officer after due consultation with the Police Commissioner of the area. According to Evans Tebo, an official of Human Rights Cameroon, the Commissioner claimed that the Press conference cannot hold because the country is in delicate situation with happenings in Bamenda and that the Head of State will also address the nation this Saturday during his traditional end of year address to the nation. He said , the D.O called the Commissioner and asked her to investigate what we are all about, so the D.O did not know anything,it is when the Commissioner gave her reports that the D.O called me to hand back my document.

However Evans Tebo said cases of human rights violation were appalling in the twin strike action that hit the city of Bamenda. He disclose that the images are horrible, terrifying and only goes a long way to show how Police used force to extend of shooting live bullets on the striking population.

We were the ones who visited prisoners, each and every one of them shared with us what happened how they were arrested and bad treatment they had, we went to the State Council in Bamenda where they were charged and released that same day. Three of them were left because they did not have identification documents, 21 out of the 25 released and 1 was remanded because he was caught with Marijuana. Evans told reporters.
Below is a press release following the Cabinet Meeting of Thursday 29 December 2016.

ADS









The Prime Minister, Head of Government, H.E Philemon YANG, chaired an important Cabinet Meeting this Thursday, 29 December 2016 at 9:00 a.m. in the Prime Ministers Office.



The meeting was attended by Ministers of State, Ministers, Ministers-Delegate and Secretaries of State.



Two items featured on the agenda:



1. A statement by the Minister of Social Affairs on strategy for developing social entrepreneurship to fight vulnerabilities;



2. A statement by the Minister of Arts and Culture on the Reform of the management of copyright and neighbouring rights in the musical arts category.







Taking the floor after the Prime Ministers introductory statement, the Minister of Social Affairs stated that social entrepreneurship seeks to fight against social exclusion, as defined by the President of the Republic, by providing support to socially vulnerable persons and contributing to the creation of jobs for inclusive growth. Social entrepreneurship is achieved through private social work and national solidarity.



As regards bodies providing private social welfare, the procedures for their establishment and operation are governed by Decree No. 77/495 of 7 December 1977. This decree covers the activities of any duly authorized association, institution, company or service established for humanitarian and apolitical purposes or created by a natural person to provide material and moral or educational support to persons of any age, sex or race, to families or social groups, in order to promote their development.



National solidarity, for its part, refers to actions and activities organized and streamlined by policies and programmes that seek to provide multi-faceted support to individuals, groups or communities who on their own cannot find solutions to their temporary or permanent vulnerability. As such, national solidarity calls for synergy between the State, civil society, the private sector, and development partners.



Thereafter, the Minister of Social Affairs presented the broad aspects of Governments Strategy for developing Social Entrepreneurship. These include (i) the promotion of a new dynamics of social work, primarily geared towards greater control over initiatives and reinforced coordination; (ii) the consolidation of a system of national solidarity by facilitating the socio-economic integration/reintegration of socially vulnerable persons, and the promotion and diversification of partnerships for social development.



This strategy will be operationalized as part of the Programme for the Vocational Integration and Reintegration of Vulnerable Persons (PAIRPPEV), implemented under a Convention between the Ministry of Social Affairs and the National Employment Fund. Emphasis is also laid on rehabilitating and modernizing public institutions which provide support to socially vulnerable persons.



Speaking after her, the Minister of Arts and Culture presented a statement on the reform of the management of copyright and neighbouring rights in the musical arts category. He gave a brief historical overview of copyright management in Cameroon, before stressing that the Head of State instructed that this very important sector of activity be reformed to put an end to the constant crises that have plagued the sector for over a decade.



Continuing his statement, he pointed out that the working sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee set up by the Head of Government to resolve this issue revealed that copyright collection societies for musical arts in particular have faced four major challenges namely: (i) their legality and legitimacy; (ii) recurrent leadership struggles between the ministry in charge and these societies; (iii) poor organizational and management skills and (iv) insignificant amounts of royalties.



The Minister of Arts and Culture equally noted that the strategic thrusts of the sector reform cover both legal and institutional aspects. At the legal level, several instruments were drafted to amend provisions deemed obsolete or to supplement others. This is the case with Decree No. 2015/3979/PM of 25 September 2015 to lay down the implementing conditions of Law No. 2000/011 of 19 December 2000 on copyright and neighbouring rights, as amended and supplemented by Decree No. 2016/4281/PM of 21 September 2016.



The innovations of this decree include: (i) the re-organization of art categories subject to collective management, with the possibility of creating a company dedicated only to neighbouring rights; (ii) the requirement for the managers and main leaders of copyright collection societies to be Cameroonian; and (iii) the adoption of common measures applicable to statutes, electoral codes, and general rules of these societies. At the institutional level, several bodies were created such as the Commission for the Control of Copyright Collection Societies which now has a Permanent Secretariat and an Arbitration Committee. Moreover, a National Register for Copyright Owners is being constituted.



At the end of this statement, the Prime Minister threw the floor open for discussions. Thereafter, he instructed the Minister of Social Affairs to intensify cooperation to diversify technical and financial partnerships within the framework of social entrepreneurship and the promotion of private social actions. He also instructed the Minister of Arts and Culture to carry out the popularization of the national register of authors and holders of neighbouring rights, and carry through the registration of artistes with the National Social Insurance Fund, so as to ensure their honourable retirement.



The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m., after examining issues relating to Government action.-







Yaounde, 29 December 2016



Seraphin Magloire FOUDA,



Secretary-General of the



Prime Ministers Office

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The world's oldest male panda, Pan Pan, has died in China.

Pan Pan, 31, was diagnosed with cancer six months ago, having lived almost all his life in captivity. He was captured in Sichuan as a six-month old cub. The BBC reports that his name means "Hope."

The centre described the news of the death of the "hero-father" panda as "heart-wrenching".

Keepers said he had stopped moving and eating, and lost consciousness, as his health had deteriorated rapidly over the preceding three days.

In September, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that the status pandas had been changed from "endangered" to "vulnerable", as numbers had begun to increase.

The latest Chinese estimates show a population of 1,864 adults, as well as  according to China's State Forestry Administration  422 in captivity.
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 ...
Eric Schlosser's book and film Command and Control look at the terrifying prospects of nuclear friendly fire, where one of America's nukes detonates on US soil. It also looks at what might happen if a false alarm gets relayed to a trigger-happy general or President. He starts this New Yorker piece with a terrifying story from June 3, 1980:

President Jimmy Carter's national-security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, was asleep in Washington, D.C., when the phone rang. His military aide, General William Odom, was calling to inform him that two hundred and twenty missiles launched from Soviet submarines were heading toward the United States. Brzezinski told Odom to get confirmation of the attack. A retaliatory strike would have to be ordered quickly; Washington might be destroyed within minutes. Odom called back and offered a correction: twenty-two hundred Soviet missiles had been launched. Brzezinski decided not to wake up his wife, preferring that she die in her sleep. As he prepared to call Carter and recommend an American counterattack, the phone rang for a third time. Odom apologizedit was a false alarm. An investigation later found that a defective computer chip in a communications device at norad headquarters had generated the erroneous warning. The chip cost forty-six cents.

Lots more scary info at the Command and Control film website.

 World War Three, by mistake (New Yorker)

Image: Maxwell Hamilton
Goals include 'rejuvenating' western China and country's economy, transportation official says

In the next five years, China will invest 3.5 trillion yuan ($503 billion) to accelerate railway construction, including expansion of the country's high-speed rail network to 30,000 kilometers, a senior official said on Thursday.

"By 2020, more than 80 percent of China's major cities will be connected by high-speed railways," said Yang Yudong, vice-minister of transportation.

China released a white paper titled "Development of China's Transport" on Thursday, which Hu Kaihong, director of the State Council Information Office's Press Bureau, said is the first white paper to review the sector's tremendous changes in recent decades and to set goals for its future.

In the past few years, China's railway network, especially high-speed rail, has undergone dramatic change. From 2011 to 2015, China invested 3.58 trillion yuan to build 30,000 km of railway. By the end of this year, the nation's total railway length will reach 124,000 km, including 20,000 km of high-speed railway, accounting for 65 percent of the world's total high-speed rail.

In July, the National Development and Reform Commission issued an updated national railway development plan envisioning a 175,000-km rail network by the end of 2025, with 38,000 km of high-speed rail.

However, the high-speed railway network still faces challenges, especially in the less-developed western part of China. Yang, the vice-minister of transportation, said he is confident that lines in western China will eventually become profitable.

"Plus, building high-speed railway in less-developed regions is not only about recouping investment. It is part of the big project of rejuvenating the whole region and the country's economy," said Yang.

The high-speed rail linking Beijing and Shanghai showed a profit last year, Xinhua News Agency reported in July, quoting Tianjin Railway Construction Co, a shareholder of Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Co.

Yang Hao, a professor of rail transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University, said the economic returns of a high-speed railway network shouldn't be judged solely on whether lines are profitable, since these rail-ways can leverage the development of such industries as tourism, logistics and real estate.

According to China Railway Corp, construction began on Thursday on a high-speed rail line linking Guiyang, Guizhou province - a transportation hub connecting members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - and Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The 482-km line will connect the Shanghai-Kunming railway and the Chengdu-Gui-yang railway to the north and will also link to southern coastal areas including Hainan province and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The new railway will accelerate communication between China and ASEAN countries and play an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Contact the writers at suzhou@chinadaily.com.cn

The world's highest bridge, at 565 meters, opened on Thursday at the border of Southwest China's Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. By the end of last year, China's highways totaled 4.58 million km.He Junyi / For China Daily

(China Daily 12/30/2016 page3)
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In a bid to establish education centres for higher education to minorities the Union government has decided to set up five new universities for including medical. The announcement was made by Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announced here on Thursday.

"We want to establish five universities with world class institutions where higher education including medical and skill development will be imparted as part of efforts to empower minorities. These universities will have big campuses for residential schools, Ayurved, Unani medical education," the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Minorities Affairs said.

According to him the government plans to offer 40 per cent reservation to girl students at the "world class institutions" under the proposed varsities, where, he stated, students from other than minority communities can also undertake education.

The announcement was part of a meeting of general body of Maulana Azad Education Foundation. The Minister said the Ministry has approved 16 Gurukul-type schools in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Jharkhand.

Regarding attaching minority tags to the universities, Naqvi said, "The committee will work out details and decide. But students belonging to other than minority communities can learn there. We will try to give 40 per cent quota to girl students to empower them. It will not be based on religion."

"A high-level committee will be formed in a day or two to work out roadmap within next two months, help identify places where the universities "with world class institutions" will be established and start academic sessions by 2018," Naqvi said.

"Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has already suggested us five properties including three in Jaipur and one in Kota for the purpose," he added.

The Ministry has, via the Foundation, decided to float 'Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centres' across the country.

Offering 'Begum Hazrat Mahal' scholarships to girl students. Besides, students undertaking mainstream education at madrasas will also be offered scholarship henceforth to encourage them, he added.

Eight JNU Students Suspended for Misconduct and Violence
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About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com

From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 40 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

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News / Local

by Staff Reporter

President Robert Mugabe's successor will soon be picked by war veterans as they have indicated that they will not campaign for the veteran ruler.The group has anchored Mugabe's election campaigns since 2000, when the first major opposition to the president emerged with the formation in 1999 of the main opposition party Movement For Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai.Early this year, the liberation fighters told Mugabe to step down.According to the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) secretary-general Victor Matemadanda, consultation process to pick the next president will be done soon."We have not made a decision, but we will be consulting. In the next two months, we will gather all war veterans to find a solution."However, we are very clear that the madness that came out of the Zanu PF conference early this month cannot be supported by any right-thinking Zimbabwean".He said Mugabe (92) can no longer be trusted.However, Zanu PF national political commissar Savior Kasukuwere said the war veterans should not trouble the party candidate."Please leave our candidate alone. Zanu PF has made a decision and nobody can change that," he is quoted saying.
More than a month after Cadillac announced details on the CT6 for the US market, the GM-owned brand has announced pricing for China.



Available in two variants priced from RMB 558,800 ($80,325) and RMB 658,800 ($94,585), respectively, the hybrid luxury sedan aimed at the Peoples Republic uses the same 2.0-liter SIDI direct-injected turbocharged engine and two electric motors as its North American twin.

In this form, output sits at 340 PS (335 HP) and 586 Nm (432 lb-ft) of torque, allowing it to go from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.4 seconds, while consuming as low as 1.7 l/100 km (138.37 mpg US) with the use of the electric motor, the best in the segment.

A lithium-ion battery pack, with 192 cells and an 18.4 kWh capacity offers a zero-emissions driving range of 80 km (50 miles), which increases to 935 km (581 miles) once the internal combustion mill kicks in. Cadillac says that the CT6 Plug-In Hybrid can be topped up in five hours or less using a 220V charger, and owners can check the charging time via OnStar or MyCadillac app.

Additionally, drivers can select between three operating modes: Cruise, billed as perfect for daily commutes, Sport, for a more aggressive throttle and agile steering, and Hold, suitable for long-distance highway cruising. These are offered alongside more than 20 standard features that include the Enhanced Safety Strategy package, and OnStar 4G LTE with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.

PHOTO GALLERY
The global chief executive of Faraday Future has stepped down from his position just days before CES 2017 kicks off.



The automaker startup never had an official CEO, but it is reported that Ding Lei (pictured above right) served as a key executive within the firm and has helped run things from his position at LeEco, Faraday Futures key Chinese investor.

The Verge reports that Lei was appointed as chairman of LeSupercar and served as a key spokesperson for Faraday Future and LeEco. The founder and chairman of LeEco, Yia Yueting, appointed Lei as acting global CEO of Faraday Future last year as the brand searched for a permanent replacement.

This news comes just before the brand unveils a concept variant of its first production car in just four days time. FF promises that the all-electric crossover will be faster than any Tesla and bring with it a host of advanced technologies.

PHOTO GALLERY
A man has died in Tampa, Florida after running naked into the path of oncoming traffic and jumping on various cars.



On Thursday at 5:30am last week, police assert that 39-year-old Nathan Howard Hamilton left the Howard Johnson hotel near Spruce street and started acting erratically.

CCTV footage shows a completely naked Howard Hamilton running onto the street and jumping onto the windscreen of an oncoming car. He then banged his head so hard that he broke the glass. It is reported that he did the same to a number of other cars before being taken into custody with heavy bleeding.

The Tampa Bay Times says that the man suffered a medical problem while in the back of a patrol car and was later pronounced dead at St. Josephs Hospital.

In a call to 911, an unidentified man described the scene saying We just had a man just run out the hotel, butt naked, run out here on Dale Mabry and just jumped on somebodys car on the highway here.

You need to hurry up and get here cause I dont know what he doing, but hes trying to break peoples windows and whatever, he said.

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Developing a supercar means that practicality and comfort take a back seat to extravagant design, power and driving dynamics. So where does a four-door Aventador S fit in?



Well, in short, nowhere, but that doesnt mean we cant check out one of X-Tomis creations that sees the most recent Aventador S grow an extra pair of doors and an extended wheelbase.

Even the company itself toyed with the idea, with the Estoque concept, before deciding to ditch it in favor of an SUV.

Thus, it is already readying the Urus that will challenge the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and the upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan, among others, as almost everyone, bar Ferrari and McLaren, have jumped on the crossover bandwagon. The Urus will also mark the addition of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, as the brands R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani recently confirmed, a first for a production Lamborghini.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: CTV

A man is in custody after a fight with a woman led her to take refuge in the emergency room at Penticton Regional Hospital.

RCMP got a call from PRH at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday night, and say a woman and her boyfriend were fighting near Government Street, when a passing car stopped nearby. The driver allegedly saw the man chase the woman and grab her.

The passerby rolled down the window and asked if everything was okay, at which point the man apparently let go of the woman and the car drove away.

Police are asking that the driver of the car contact Cst. Dave Dixon of the Penticton RCMP at 250-492-4300.

The man, a 27-year-old Summerland resident, appeared in court on Thursday on charges of assault, forcible confinement and criminal harassment.

He was released on bail with conditions, including not to have contact with the woman or to be within 100 metres of her home, school or work.
Photo: CTV

Charges have been laid over a cheetah that was spotted near a B.C. highway.

Authorities searched for the cheetah, which was reportedly seen between Kootenay Bay and Crawford Bay on Highway 3A in mid-December last year, but were unable to locate it.

A witness had called RCMP after taking pictures of the cheetah, which was wearing a collar.

An investigation was conducted and now two people face charges from the Conservation Officer Service under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation.

Earl Pfeifer and Carol Plato face charges of possessing an alien species without permit, and are set to appear in court in Creston on Feb. 17.

Two cheetahs lived with the pair according to reports from 2013 and 2014.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: The Canadian Press

Massive 20-ton sanitation trucks, weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand, will surround the iconic New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, officials said Thursday, describing a security measure meant to stop deadly truck-driving attacks into crowds like those in Germany and France.

The placement of the 65 trucks, along with 100 patrol cars, at intersections surrounding Times Square is a new element to an already heavily policed event that will include 7,000 officers, specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs.

"We live in a changing world now," New York Police Department Commissioner James O'Neil said. "It can't just be, 'What happens in New York, what happens in the United States?' It has to be more, 'What happens worldwide?'"

A Tunisian man who plowed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin this month killed 12 people and injured 56 others. His attack followed a more deadly assault in Nice, France, in July that left 86 people dead when a man drove a 20-ton refrigerated truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day.

New York police studied those events in planning their Times Square security.

"As we formulated this year's plan, we paid close attention to world events and we learned from those events," said Carlos Gomez, the NYPD's chief of department.

More than 1 million people are expected to attend the annual ball drop countdown in Manhattan, and officials said they didn't know of any terror threats.

The security measures are part of augmented precautions across the nation for New Year's Eve. To keep Las Vegas' lavish celebration secure, the entire police force will be working or on-call with help from the FBI, the National Guard and the Secret Service and will close roads and beef up barriers to prevent vehicle attacks.

Times Square revelers, who are prohibited from carrying umbrellas and large bags, will be screened at two points: once when they approach the Crossroads of the World and again when they enter one of the 65 pens that hold thousands of people each.

And, as in past years, officials have removed trash bins and mailboxes, sealed manhole covers and done sweeps of parking garages and hotels.
A nationwide Syrian ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that went into effect at midnight was holding Friday despite minor violations, marking a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has been shredding high-level peace initiatives for over five years.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes early Friday between troops and rebels in the central province of Hama and near the capital, Damascus, but said there have been no reports of civilian casualties since the truce began. The group also reported an aerial attack on the rebel-held Barda Valley near Damascus.

Opposition activist Mazen al-Shami, who is based in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said minor clashes nearby left one rebel wounded. Activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, in the southern Daraa province, said government forces had opened fire on rebel-held areas.

Several past attempts at halting the fighting have failed. As with previous agreements, the current ceasefire excludes both the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front, which fights alongside other rebel factions, and the Islamic State group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the ceasefire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran. Moscow and Tehran provide crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the ceasefire a "major achievement" in a tweet Friday. "Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he added.

Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one denied signing it.

The truce came on the heels of a Russian-Turkish agreement earlier this month to evacuate the last rebels from eastern Aleppo after they were confined to a tiny enclave by a government offensive. The retaking of all of Aleppo marked Assad's greatest victory since the start of the 2011 uprising against his family's four-decade rule.

"The defeat of the terrorists in Aleppo is an important step toward ending the war," Assad said in an interview with TG5, an Italian TV station, adding that the capture of the city does not mean that the war has ended because "terrorists" are still in Syria.
News / Local

by Alice Dube

The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) on Thursday handed the Zimbabwe People First leader, Joyce Mujuru a 15 day ultimatum to submit her heads of arguments on her bond notes case.That will enable the ConCourt to set a date on which Mujuru's challenge would be heard before a full bench."In terms of Practice Direction No 2 of 2013, the applicant is required to file heads of argument within 15 days from the date of service of the letter."In terms of paragraph 9(11), the respondent is required within 10 days of receiving the applicant's heads of argument to file with the registrar its heads of argument. Please not that if you fail to comply with the above, the application shall be regarded as abandoned and shall be deemed to have been dismissed".A few months ago, Mujuru approached the ConCourt challenging the introduction of bond notes, but the court ruled that her contestation was premature because the surrogate currency was not yet in circulation.The court advised her to wait and file her challenge after the notes had hit the streets.
Photo: Smithsonian

A volcano on a remote island in Alaska's Aleutian chain has erupted again, prompting an aviation alert.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory says the Bogoslof volcano sent an ash plume about 20,000 feet in the air by early Friday morning.

The eruption caused the observatory to issue its highest alert level for aircraft.

During an eruption of the volcano last week, the Federal Aviation Administration said flights were rerouted around the plume.

The centre says the volcano began erupting shortly before midnight Thursday and its activity was recorded by seismic data and in satellite images.

The volcano is located on an island of the same name in the Bering Sea about 850 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Photo: Contributed

An Indonesian budget airline has fired a pilot who was suspected of trying to fly a plane while he was drunk.

Citilink president director Albert Burhan also announced Friday that he and the production director would resign over the impropriety. Citilink is a subsidiary of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.

On Wednesday, pilot Tekad Purna was preparing to fly an Airbus A320 from Surabaya to the capital, Jakarta, when passengers became suspicious of the slurred words and unclear announcements from the cockpit.

Some of them left the plane and asked for a replacement of the pilot they believed to be either drunk or under drug influence. A number of passengers reportedly decided to cancel their flights.
Photo: WEWS

UPDATE: 11:45 a.m.

The chief executive of a beverage distribution company and his family were among six people on a plane that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from Cleveland's lakeshore airport, his family said Friday.

The parents of Superior Beverage Company executive John T. Fleming confirmed to multiple media outlets that he was the pilot of the Columbus-bound plane carrying three children and three adults when it vanished from radar late Thursday about 2 miles over Lake Erie.

Fleming's father tells The Blade newspaper in Toledo that the other five people on the plane were Fleming's wife, two teenage sons, a neighbour and the neighbour's daughter. John W. Fleming also described his son as "an experienced pilot."

Crews combing Lake Erie for the plane on Friday remain hopeful that the occupants could be found alive, and they are in search-and-rescue mode, not recovery mode, as they ply waters about 50 feet deep, said Capt. Michael Mullen, the chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District.

Authorities have detected "faint hints" but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help find the plane, Mullen said. Searchers have found no sign of debris.

"We're very hopeful. We will be very hopeful up until the point that we have to turn the search off and we switch over to assisting with recovery," Mullen said at news conference Friday.

But when asked about the possibility of the single-engine jet landing safely on Lake Erie, Mullen said, "Aircraft are not designed to float, especially in 12-foot seas."

The search overnight was made difficult by snow squalls, high seas and darkness, Mullen said. Weather prevented smaller Coast Guard boats in the Cleveland area from launching. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and a Royal Canadian Air Force plane were used along with a Coast Guard ship from Detroit began the search overnight that has continued in the daylight hours Friday.

ORIGINAL: 6:44 a.m.

U.S. Coast Guard crews were searching Lake Erie on Friday for a plane that went missing overnight shortly after takeoff from a small Cleveland airport along the shore.

The Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport late Thursday night with six people aboard and disappeared from radar about 2 miles over the lake. Why remains unclear.

Searchers had found no sign of any debris or the people aboard the plane as of Friday morning, the agency said. Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, New York, also said no emergency beacon had been detected.

Weather prevented a boat search overnight, but a U.S. Coast guard helicopter and a Canadian air crew in a plane were being used. A ship also was headed from Detroit to help with the search.

The waters in the search area are about 50 feet deep, the Coast Guard said.

The plane was headed to Ohio State University Airport northwest of downtown Columbus. Cox said the plane is kept at a hangar at the airfield, but the six people aboard the aircraft aren't affiliated with OSU. Their names weren't released, pending notification of their families.
Photo: Contributed

An internal Miami police investigation has found three rookie officers joked in a group chat about using the city's primarily black neighbourhoods for target practice, a newspaper reported Friday.

According to investigation documents obtained by the Miami Herald, the officers told an investigator they were only joking. The newspaper said officers Kevin Bergnes, Miguel Valdes and Bruce Alcin were fired two days before Christmas. It said Alcin is African-American and Valdes has a black grandfather.

The remarks upset colleagues and came as the department is under supervision of the U.S. Department of Justice following a series of police shootings.

"It was senseless, young and reckless. It shouldn't be tolerated," Justin Pinn, an African-American member of a civilian board tasked with monitoring Miami's federal policing agreement, told the paper. "Officers are supposed to be guardians not warriors. I don't think what they expressed reflects the values of the department."

Attorney Stephen Lopez, who represents the three officers, said the remarks were taken out of context and that there was no misconduct.

"Two of the officers have black blood pumping through their veins," he told the newspaper. "To say that they're racist is outrageous and ludicrous."

Police union president Lt. Javier Ortiz maintained that the officers should have been reprimanded, not fired since their "messages were in poor taste, but weren't in any way racial."

The incident happened June 30 as the three officers were responding to other rookie officers' questions about shooting ranges in a WhatsApp chat they often communicated in, the paper said. According to documents obtained by the Herald, the officers-in-training shared department information on that thread.

It said the documents show Bargnes, who is known by friends as a wise guy, sarcastically suggested the friend looking for a shooting range try a Bank of America, adding "they'll even give you some cash." He then suggested Model City  the police district that includes Liberty City and handles the bulk of the city's shootings  as another shooting range location.

Valdes suggested a particular intersection in the Overtown community, according to the paper. It added Alcin followed up, saying Valdes "wouldn't understand" until he's worked there.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin castigated the United States on Friday for imposing sanctions and expelling Russian diplomats amid allegations of Russian meddling in the American presidential election, but said no U.S. diplomats will be ousted in reprisal for President Barack Obama's moves in the wake of hacking attacks.

In a burgeoning controversy surrounding complaints from the Obama administration about a cyberattack against America's political system, the White House on Thursday unleashed a string of sanctions and coupled them with an order that 35 Russians be expelled.

Putin, however, said on Friday that Moscow would not eject American diplomats in response to what he described as "provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations" less than a month before Donald Trump is to take over the White House.

The decision came as a surprise; tit-for-tat expulsions are common diplomatic practice and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had suggested hours before Putin's announcement that Russia would oust 31 American diplomats.

"The Russian diplomats returning home will spend the New Year holidays with their relatives and dear ones," Putin said in a statement published on the Kremlin website. "We will not create problems for U.S. diplomats. We will not expel anybody."

He added: "Moreover, I am inviting all children of U.S. diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas parties at the Kremlin."

Putin appeared to aim at playing a long game and at making a barbed reminder that Obama is a lame duck.

"Putin's asymmetric response to Obama's new sanctions is an investment in the incoming Trump presidency," Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said on Twitter. "A different kind of tit-for-tat: even as Obama seeks to constrain Trump in his Russia policy, Putin counters that step with a show of magnanimity."

The diplomatic confrontation between Washington and Moscow, which had been festering even before Trump won the Nov. 8 presidential election, puts pressure on the billionaire businessman not to let Russia off the hook after he takes office on Jan. 20.

Russia's government had threatened retaliation, and it continues to deny U.S. accusations that it hacked and stole emails to try to help Trump win.

Trump said the U.S. should move on, but in a sign he was no longer totally brushing off the allegations, he plans to meet with U.S. intelligence leaders next week to learn more.

Obama on Thursday ordered sanctions against the GRU and FSB, the Russian intelligence agencies the U.S. said were involved in the hacking attacks. In an elaborately co-ordinated response by at least five federal agencies, the Obama administration also sought to expose Russia's cyber tactics with a detailed technical report and hinted it might still launch a covert counterattack.

"All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," said Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii.
Photo: Creep Hunters

A group called Vernon Creep Hunters claims to have caught a 23-year-old Salmon Arm man in its net.

The group, like Creep Catchers, publicly names and shames people they claim are child predators.

Their efforts are not condoned by the RCMP.

In its video on Facebook, two women who do not identify themselves but say they are from Creep Hunters, take iPhone video of the man outside a local mall.

According to the group, the man initiated contact with Lily, a fictitious 14-year-old girl that is used as a lure.

The group states the man had rented a place for the two of them.

On the video, he says he had no intention of having sex with the girl.

An RCMP spokesperson refused comment on this specific claim however Cpl. Dan Moskaluk stated: "The RCMP does not condone vigilantism and would recommend the public to leave investigations to the police. We are always concerned when people decide to bypass law enforcement and take matters into their own hands. When that happens there is a risk that investigations can be jeopardized and key evidence can be lost.



This activity is not something the RCMP would condone or recommend. Individuals who engage in this type of action can risk their personal safety or the safety of other youths and the community. In regard to monitoring criminal activities online, this work should be left to police officers who can do this in a controlled environment. This way evidence can be obtained to support charges, which is the best way to get dangerous offenders off our streets.

We strongly advises individuals to contact their local police service or cybertip.ca to report suspected on-line child exploitation to ensure that they do not place themselves in a potentially dangerous position."
Photo: Nate Alguire

Another bobcat has been spotted on the prowl in Kelowna  this time in the heart of Rutland.

Nate Alguire tells Castanet he was walking to his front door when he saw "a big, multi-coloured furry thing" on the step.

Another bobcat was spotted earlier this week, on Hobson Road in the Mission. But it's a far more unusual incident in Alguire's neighbourhood on Badke Road, across from Ben Lee Park  an area that is much more densely populated.

Alguire says he was walking up to the apartment complex after parking his vehicle when he was shocked to see the wildcat this morning.

"I went 'Woah!' really loud and kind of startled it," he said. "I was really excited and kind of made a commotion."

The bobcat jumped and turned before taking off around the building.

"Guys up on one of the balconies were like: 'Did you see that? That's crazy!'"

The animal hopped onto another resident's balcony and ripped the screen on a window as well as knocked over some patio furniture.

The woman came to the window, and Alguire told her not to come out.

Alguire backed off, and the cat, which he estimated was about the size of a German shepherd dog, scurried away into a green area beside Heritage Christian School.
Photo: Samantha Pohl

Hardy souls can shake off New Year's Eve hangovers, or just get an invigorating start to 2018, by taking part in one of several polar bear dips around the region.

The New Year's Day tradition continues in Kelowna, with the annual dip at Tugboat Bay.

The event kicks off at 1:30 p.m., and dippers will hit the chilly waters of Okanagan Lake at 2 p.m.

Donations from the event will go to CRIS Adaptive Adventures. The Community Recreational Initiatives Society is a charitable organization that uses adaptive equipment to provide outdoor recreation opportunities for people with disabilities.

In Peachland, swimmers will take the plunge on the downtown waterfront at 1 p.m. Check in at the community centre at 12:30 p.m. to sign a waiver.

Other polar bear dips around the region include ones at Sun-Oka beach in Summerland, on the Shuswap River in Enderby, at the Canoe boat launch near Salmon Arm, at the Oyama Community Hall in Oyama and on the Thompson River in Kamloops.
News / Local

by Alice Dube

Gweru

dialogue

Provincial Hospital has issued several ultimatum's to its unpaid patients or risk grabbing their properties.The hospital which seeks to recover over $500 000 owed in outstanding medical bills gave patients just eight hours to pay up.Its not clear how many unpaid patients are affected.According to reports, the hospital sent text messages to patients with outstanding bills."Having seen that you do not want to enter intoto resolve this issue, we have started a legal process which will see you lose your valuable property and other accessories."You are hereby warned that if you do not make frantic efforts to settle this debt within eight hours after receiving this letter you will be liable for costs and other expenses incurred in our efforts to recover the same" reads the message.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Concerned about the need for renewable energy in Africa, particularly Zimbabwe, Simbarashe Mhuriro founded Oxygen Africa in 2009 as an investment advisory company to help facilitate foreign investors in Zimbabwe.To date, Oxygen Africa has raised $7 million and is developing two grid-connected solar plants in Zimbabwe.Mhuriro, 32, was born in Marondera, Zimbabwe. After high school, he tried out various jobs including disc jockey and primary school teacher, as well as working full time in the central reservations department at Meikles Hotel, Harare, in 2003.Mhuriro moved to Dubai in 2007 for seven years, working with Tsogo Sun Hotels before returning home in 2013 to focus solely on Oxygen Africa.In 2016 Mhuriro was named one of Africa's 30 most promising and inspirational young entrepreneurs by Forbes Magazine. In 2016 Africa Youth Awards recognized him as one of the 100 most Influential Young Africans for 2016.Mhuriro told AFKInsider how he got started and what he plans for the future.AFKInsider: How and why did you get into the energy sector?Simbarashe Mhuriro: I looked for a product that fit the following description: It is consumed where it is produced, required by all aspects of our lives, there is a clear need or deficit, it provides constant predictable income and its raw materials are easily accessible. Solar in particular provided all of the above including minimum operations and maintenance. The (solar) plants have no moving parts. And it is very flexible as the plants can be deployed anywhere, in different sizes and relatively quickly.AFKInsider: Who inspired you and what prompted you to launch Oxygen Africa?Simbarashe Mhuriro: A desire to build a homegrown Zimbabwean company like Innscor Africa (a manufacturing group that produces iconic Zimbabwean products) that may one day have a pan-African footprint like Old Mutual, Standard Bank, Remgro, or Tsogo Sun Group. But in this case in renewable energy like Globeleq (a power and electricity generation company) owned by the CDC Group.AFKInsider: Explain what Oxygen Africa does.Simbarashe Mhuriro: We are an independent power producer and renewable energy development company specializing in both utility scale power plants and commercial scale rooftop projects.AFKInsider: How did you fund the startup?Simbarashe Mhuriro: Funding a startup is always a challenge. (Even more so) I soon learned, in energy and infrastructure due to the fact that there is a very long gestation period from inception to financial closure and construction of a project. So we funded the startup through a combination of savings which very soon ran out. Then I had to dispose of personal assets (property, vehicle, etc.) to continue to fund the business. But fortunately I had friends and colleagues with businesses that assisted with infrastructure such as office space, back of the house, until we were able to get our own.AFKInsider: What are some of the other companies you have started?Simbarashe Mhuriro: I have tried out a number of ideas which failed due to various reasons including a lingerie brand called Gillian Intimate Apparel, which folded after I couldn't secure funding to service an order from a large retail chain. That business was fun though, and inspired by Theo Paphitis, the British retail magnate who then owned La Senza (now a Canadian fashion retailer that sells lingerie and intimate apparel). Outside of that, Oxygen it is the only company that I have started and now energy is our only focus.AFKInsider: What do you enjoy the most about being an entrepreneur?Simbarashe Mhuriro: Apart from the usual benefits of being an entrepreneur  like making money, doing what you love, being your own boss, the hours  in my journey I found five benefits in particular that I enjoy.First, standing up for what I believe in. I love my country and I believe I am a patriot. Being an entrepreneur I find myself constantly standing up against negative perceptions of Zimbabwe, debunking myths and spreading the word how great it is and the opportunities she has. Every time I step in front of a panel of investors, potential partners or international financing institutions it's like stepping into an arena or ring and fighting for your country.Second, being the bravest of the brave. Try being an entrepreneur in a challenging economy like Zimbabwe with sporadic, little or no income, no security. Should you succeed, the rewards will be indescribably spectacular.Third, having better relationships. It's easy to build fake relationships. It's easy to lose them, too, because as soon as you step outside your comfort zone and encounter the risks I have highlighted above people will leave you and those that stay are the real relationships you need.Fourth, faster adaptation. Have you ever gone to a meeting with five to 10-or-more people? Some like your idea, some don't understand it, some want to kill it or give you a hard time. You constantly have to think on your feet, adapt and move fast midway during the meeting. What I lack in size as a small company we make up for in mobility and creativity.Fifth, I create my own opportunities and destiny, and in the process, solve problems and hopefully make a difference. With renewable energy you also get to effect change in people's thoughts and actions.AFKInsider: Why is renewable energy so vital to Africa?Simbarashe Mhuriro: This is also why I got into renewable energy. According to IRENA (The International Renewable Energy Agency), Africa is undergoing unprecedented and sustained growth. By 2050, the continent will be home to at least 2 billion people  twice as many as today  with 40 percent living in rural areas. In 2010, about 590 million African people (57 percent of the population) had no access to electricity, and 700 million (68 percent of the population) were living without clean cooking facilities. If these current energy access trends continue, in 2030 there will still be 655 million people in Africa (42 percent of the population) without access to power, and 866 million (56 percent of the population) without clean cooking facilities, depriving the majority of the population of the opportunity to pursue a healthy and productive life.Research by the African Development Bank shows that Africa is rich in renewable resources and could benefit from the increasing use of renewable energy, such as hydropower and geothermal energy. These energy sources offer a clean alternative to traditional sources of energy, particularly fossil fuels, thus a massive opportunity as a business.AFKInsider: What are some of the challenges of doing business in your country?Simbarashe Mhuriro: Zimbabwe has its challenges but the biggest of all is very negative perceptions and often exaggerated perceived political risks which make long-term financing difficult. And when you do manage to secure it, (it's) very expensive. This then translates to higher tariffs that make it difficult for independent power producers like ourselves to compete with the national utility tariffs.AFKInsider: What's ahead for Oxygen Africa?Simbarashe Mhuriro: We are in the process of being acquired by a large institutional investor after which will transform more from an independent power producer to a financing and asset management company for renewable energy projects  a fund of some sort.AFKInsider: Please tell us more about being honored by Awards Africa?Simbarashe Mhuriro: Honestly, I do not know what to say. I am truly humbled by the recognition and it was totally unexpected. It's fantastic that we young Africans  have taken the step to promote, highlight and celebrate youth across the continent that excel in their various fields. I'm confident Awards Africa will grow and I pray they get more recognition globally for the work that they do.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

A political observer and analyst Abel H Sibanda has described the view that a Zimbabwean popular businessman Strive Masiyiwa should be a President after Robert Mugabe can be a disaster of the nation.He said there is growing speculation that Strive Masiyiwa might consider running for President of Zimbabwe in #Elections2018 "Citing from his facebook post which he said he is preparing to announce, something different that will shock you' and also said its not like my previous ventures' most of the people concluded that the Zimbabwe's richest man will announce his candidature January 2017. So this Christmas I would like to go line by line explaining the dangers of electing business people #NonPoliticians to any political position not only the presidency," Sibanda wrote on a blog."I have nothing against the Telecoms magnate but I wanna pool the wool out of many people's eyes. Zimbabweans we have been reduced to #ChauyaChaya we want anything that is not Zanu PF and Mugabe, but this mentality will plunge us into an un escapable crisis. Business success does not depict good governance, and I think all internationalists like me are still dealing with the bad hangover that was left by the unexpected, Trump electoral collage victory which earned him the presidency.""We might say electoral collage does not really reflect the will of the people but still lets face it he might have lost the popular vote but still 62 million are real voters, people who consider Trump to be better citing reasons that they want someone who runs America like a business. But only to realize that they voted in someone who will run America for his business," he added.Sibanda said on July the 7th 2016 Econet Wireless Zimbabwe blocked social media for the whole population of Zimbabwe in an attempt to silence activists who were communicating mostly on social media to organize protests against oppression."By helping Mugabe to silence descent Strive Masiyiwa is equally guilty. After all despite the fact that some of us have bought daily bundles which expire in a day we were robbed off our hard gotten dollars and we were not compensated. So his presidency will lead in the crusade to block social media since he holds much shares in Econet Zimbabwe the largest network provider," he said."He might sound cool when he speaks from the west but most of his African partners are chest beating ultra-nationalist leaders like Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Paul Kagame and Yoweri Museveni. Like Kabila it is his relationship with old dictators which sees him being one at a very tender age, so lets look up to see Supreme Leader Masiyiwa."He said Masiyiwa might attempt the risky step to join Zimbabwean politics emboldened by the Trump victory which proves that money can buy voters and and also confined by the links he have to Africa's Strong man but it is good for Zimbabweans to think twice, thrice before they cast a vote for him, because he might be a charismatic leader Africa is really thirsty of but that comes with a price, loosened labor laws which will attract Foreign Direct Investment with the population paying a heavy price for it."Instant employment termination, long working ours and child labor will be the order of the day. Most importantly his presidency will be a part time job since he is getting extra money from it, while his decisions will be made with the direct consideration of his financial interests, hence national interests will be forgotten," he said.But Masiyiwa's through facebook has distanced himself from the Presidency ambitions.
TIANJIN -- Smog returned to parts of northern China Friday as red and orange alerts were issued for the new round of pollution over the weekend.

PM2.5 readings in many areas of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province exceeded 200 Friday afternoon. In Shijiazhuang, Hebei provincial capital, the index exceeded 400, meaning serious pollution.

Beijing started its orange alert, the second-highest level, Friday. The alert will continue Saturday and Sunday.

Tianjin began an orange alert Thursday night, banning heavy diesel trucks from roads and cutting 30 percent of pollutant emissions of key factories.

Eight cities, including Shijiazhuang in Hebei, activated red alerts, the highest level response, Thursday night.

Seven cities in Henan, including provincial capital Zhengzhou, began a red alert Friday. Zhengzhou suspended school classes Friday.

The new round of pollution is forecast to last until Jan 5 in Hebei and Henan.

The smog also hit Shandong Province, where Jinan, Dezhou and Liaocheng cities will be put on red alert Friday night.

Measures such as suspension of school classes and restriction of cars, will be adopted in red alert areas.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Chicken rearing could soon be banned in Harare as they make too much noise.The ban will affect people rearing them for commercial purposes in residential areas, H-Metro reported.The council is planning on amending Harare (Public Health) by-laws 2016."During the discussions, it was agreed to amend S.I 582/62 so that relevant changes could be effectively captured and include provisions that would encompass provisions in line with currently global trends and also enable council to effectively enforce the public health by-laws and any other municipal by-laws in the municipal area of Harare."This would ensure that residents do not keep for commercial purposes chicken on residential properties to the detriment of other residents," read minutes of the Environmental Management Committee as quoted by H-Metro.According to the report, many residents have complained about noise made by the chickens."The chicken made noise, caused stench smell and discomfort to the neighbours."Hence it was noted that the Harare (Public Health) by-laws S.I 582/62 needed to be updated to ensure that the number of chickens allowed per household was prescribed. Thereafter authorities would be able to enforce by-laws".With the economic situation further deteriorating many people are now resorting to chicken rearing for survival.
Opinion / Columnist

The Chapter that Refuses to Close

A Keyhole Perspective



A Political Economy Perspective

The Clash of Political Paradigms

Solomon Mujuru's Ghost



The Year of the Monster

Dinizulu Mbikokayise Macaphulana is South Africa based Zimbabwean Political Scientist and Semiotician: dinizulumacaphulana@yahoo.com.

It was a stern Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Minister of State Security, who looked at Ken Flower in the eye told him that Robert Mugabe, "the Prime Minister wishes you to know that the Commissioner of Police has reported to him that you have been spending much of your time recently trying to murder him." Ken Flower did not deny the allegations, feigning fear; he all but confessed and asked whether he was supposed to defend himself or justify the murderous intentions before the PM. A dramatically quivering spy boss disclosed that even men of the Special Branch of the police that the Commissioner led were part of the bloody plot. After confiding that the Prime Minister intended to do nothing about the allegations, Mnangagwa loudly wondered why whites and fellow Rhodies would so readily sell each other out like that.A week after this tense and tricky meeting of the 25th of May 1980, Robert Mugabe and Ken Flower met eye ball to eye ball. Chuckling, Mugabe assured Flower that the Police Commissioner was a simple police informer who was not to be taken seriously. What Mugabe did not tell Ken Flower was that he had thanked the Commissioner of Police for the valuable intelligence and promised to act on it in his own way. Mugabe laughed away Ken Flower's intentions to confess details about the plans to kill him. Bigger things were at issue.From Ken Flower, Robert Mugabe asked for a special relationship that would allow the two of them to work generally but also do some work in interpersonal confidence, where Flower could convey some information directly to Mugabe not via the Minister of State Security. Ken Flower was the Director General of the Central Intelligence Organisation a position he held from the formation of the organisation in 1963. Allum Peter Kevin, the snitching Commissioner of the police too was a relic of the Rhodesian security apparatus. Not only these two Rhodesian securocrats were retained by the Robert Mugabe regime, a multiplicity of middle and lower rank spies, police and some soldiers were kept apparently to maintain standards and secure professionalism in the force.The Rhodesian securocrats so badly needed employment as they could not get it elsewhere in the world, they were not trained for regular security and military operations but for the purposes of crushing so called terrorists, dirty tricks and brutality were their stock in trade. No democratic country in the world could employ them. The dangerous Rhodesian security relics were kept at great expense as they were paid in hefty expatriate rates.Evidence partly from the writings of Peter Stiff, Ibbo Mandaza, Miles Tendi and others points to that Ken Flower was a double agent who reported both to the MI6 and to the Rhodesian regime. Whether he retired from his double agency when he started reporting to the Robert Mugabe regime cannot be confirmed, the wise guess is that he simply became a triple agent. Some sources link him to the formation of RENAMO in Mozambique. As cited by Ibbo Mandaza in an enriching article that I engage below, Sydney Sekeramayi was reported on the Herald of the 24th of April 2013 saying that the British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) officially left Zimbabwe in 2001. The military and intelligence relations between the Mugabe regime and the British establishment only soured and froze only in the year 2000.Neatly, the Robert Mugabe regime inherited not only Rhodesian security laws but also securocrats and security and insecurity expertise that were embodied by individual Rhodies and Britons. I begin this article with this curious history of Zimbabwean securocracy because from all appearances, 2017 is the year when the security and insecurity monster that Robert Mugabe built will for better and for worse become visible. The proverbial "Mugabe way" will this year dangle out as the monster decomposes and splinters into feuding organs. This curious history is also important as it also illuminates the complicity of the British in the Gukurahundi genocide and other human rights violations in Zimbabwe after 1980. The unholy relationship between Mugabe and the British political underworld is much under researched. Further, the way Mugabe used the Commissioner of Police against the Director General of Intelligence and managed to secure both their 'loyalty' and eventually to use them to dispense with ZAPU and ZIPRA may help us to read the political events of the here and now in Zimbabwe. The monster that I refer to here is a security and insecurity organism that was built to carry out a genocide, whose footprints would later be found after the ashes of senior army generals, the disappearance of solitary activists, assassination of opponent politicians or the murder of their children to dispirit them. This monstrosity will eventually lead to the implosion of what has become the state, party and nation summarised in one very old body of one man.The unmaking, unbecoming and decomposition of this monster, from the look of present things, will not be as neat and as stealth as its making that was the work of true evil art. The decomposition of living and working organisms is almost always ugly and smelly business. Before I explore the present condition of the monstrous securocratic condition of Zimbabwe, it is important to reflect on the historical conditions that produced the Gukurahundi genocide, a crime against humanity that will gain new importance in Zimbabwe this year as parties, individuals and factions will invoke it while others will seek to silence and erase it from public discourse out of fear and guilt.Three toxic forces contributed to the political and historical climate that produced the Gukurahundi genocide. Dangerous Rhodesian and British securocrats trained in dirty warfare badly needed employment and a home in Zimbabwe after the dethronement of the Ian Smith regime. After the Lancaster House negotiated political settlement the British establishment wanted a political and economic environment in Zimbabwe where capitalism could thrive and British economic interests could be secured. Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF were desperate to get rid of Joshua Nkomo, ZAPU and the dreaded ZIPRA armed wing. This unholy political trinity put Joshua Nkomo, ZAPU and ZIPRA literary on the menu. Gukurahundi became both a systemic and systematic crime, the ZIPRA records that were seized by Emmerson Mnangagwa were mathematically used to trace families of ZIPRA cadres that were then methodically punished by death at most and other forms of pain at least.Ken Flower discloses that Emmerson Mnangagwa asked him to continue work as he did for the Rhodesian regime and promised to provide political cover for whatever his deeds. On record the North Koreans provided training for the Fifth Brigade, which was not really a brigade but a crack unit that was specifically trained for large scale massacres. Off the record, the British provided financial support, weapons and on the ground experts who provided advice and direction. The Rhodesian and British securocrats that directed the operations and that Emmerson Mnangagwa relied on were assassins, torturers and experts in biological warfare and dirty war. Now that they are gone, Emmerson Mnangagwa remains behind desperately trying to close a bloody chapter that cannot be closed. Even the attempt to settle trusted intelligence officials in commercial farms where there are mass graves in Matabeleland is not enough. Tragically, even a scholar with respect for evidence such as Blessing-Miles Tendi could write on the 3rd of May 2012 that "there has never been genocide in Zimbabwe." The Gukurahundi genocide began and happened as a crime of fear and hatred, it now continues as a crime of guilt and denialism, politically and intellectually. Out of guilt and denialism, remaining perpetrators of the genocide are prepared to kill more multitudes.After "interviews with senior intelligence operatives, high ranking military officers and members of the Mujuru and Mnangagwa factions" Blessing-Miles Tendi published an important article in the African Affairs journal. For the calibre of the interviewees that included Emmerson Mnangagwa, Joice Mujuru, other senior politicians and some unnamed 'key planners' in the ZANU-PF factional fights Tendi's article is a rich contribution. Titled "State Intelligence and the Politics of Zimbabwe's Presidential Succession" the article provides a keyhole view into the battles for power inside ZANU-PF, the military and intelligence sectors. We learn from Tendi that Joice Mujuru was fired on the basis of an intelligence dossier given to Mugabe by the Mnangagwa aligned Military Intelligence. In contrast, a section of the Central Intelligence Organisation also produced another dossier that sought to prop up Joice Mujuru and demean Mnangagwa but Mugabe was inclined to the MI report because of the long ranging suspicion he held of the late Solomon Mujuru, whose death in 2011 was, from Tendi's sources, a political assassination. While intelligence officers from the Rhodesian regime and ZANLA were intergrated into the Zimbabwean security sector, those from ZIPRA, Tendi notes, were marginalised in fear that they would pass on information to Dumiso Dabengwa and Swazini Ndlovu, ZAPU intelligence leaders.Importantly, Tendi also records how corruption has set in and intelligence officials have been reduced, presently, to runners in the making of money by the Chefes. Another explosive expose from Tendi is that phones are bugged in Zimbabwe and Military Intelligence details have imported from Kazakhstan, special slow poisons that can degenerate a victim's body over a period of 2 to 3 years, making their death look like demise from common disease. While Robert Mugabe himself in 2013 publicly thanked Jonathan Moyo for masterminding the much unexpected electoral victory of ZANU-PF, interestingly, Blessing-Miles Tendi's research identifies Mnangagwa, war veterans, Jabulani Sibanda, Constantine Chiwenga and other mandarins as the forces behind the political victory that shocked the world. Clearly, what Blessing-Miles Tendi has provided is but part of the picture of the political and security monster that has been behind Robert Mugabe and that is degenerating towards a cataclysmic implosion in 2017. Effectively, Tendi has exposed the dangerous and dirty insecurity tricks that sections of the intelligence in Zimbabwe are equipped for and are capable of, but his belief that there was never a genocide in Zimbabwe has prevented his otherwise good study from unmasking how the Gukurahundi genocide became a school where black Zimbabweans securocrats were taught by Rhodesian and British renegades murderous and genocidal politics of mass murder, assassinations and poisoning. The Gukurahundi genocide became a site where hired foreign mass murderers produced for Zimbabwe the security sector that continues to dog the country with political violence.Ibbo Mandaza advances a picture where the continuity of the colonial state, colonial politics and securocracy in Zimbabwe has produced ZANU-PF into a state and political party rolled in one, and where Robert Mugabe has not escaped the "Big Man" and "life presidency" syndrome that comes with the politics of patronage and corruption. In such a scenario, violence and the threat of it are turned into the commonsense of politics and life. Instead of Zimbabwe transforming from its colonial condition to a democratic and developmental dispensation, Mandaza notes, the country only transitioned to a similar if not worse condition. A class of individuals now relies on the party/state for income and huge profits, behind the rhetoric of indigenisation and resource nationalism looting and primitive accumulation thrive. In the present securocratic condition of Zimbabwe, a condition that is degenerating, national interest and national security actually mean regime interest and regime security. The article " The Political Economy of the State in Zimbabwe: The Rise and of the Securocrat State" by Ibbo Mandaza is one good New Year's read for anyone who wishes to sense where the present state of security decline and degeneration is taking Zimbabwe.Our fascination with factions and factional fights in ZANU-PF has concealed rather than revealed exactly what is happening in Zimbabwe. The G40 and the Lacoste have become vivid metaphors that hide the nature of the struggle that is playing out even within the opposition political parties and civil society. There is a section of Zimbabweans that has come to believe in war as the natural state of affairs and peaceful resolution of political conflicts as temporary. A blind Rambo culture of war as life has found traction; thinking and dialoguing are being expelled from common sense. Gukurahundi as an ideology has assumed the status of a political paradigm. G40 and Lacoste as metaphors of political paradigms are present in the opposition, the media and academia. The security forces, uniformed and otherwise are also torn asunder between those who deny Gukurahundi genocide and purvey the Gukurahundi ideology and those who believe that political contests can be conducted in bloodless competition.Fifth Brigadiers, civilian and military, learnt of politics as war and death from Rhodesian and British renegade securocrats and are not prepared to unlearn that paradigm. On the other hand, throughout Zimbabwe, well beyond ZANU-PF, a generation has arisen that is disgusted by the history of genocide and political violence and demands an end to the Gukurahundi paradigm. Within ZANU-PF, Robert Mugabe who has learnt to play individuals and groups against each other, from the Rhodesian and British renegades to the present securocrats, while keeping their support and loyalty is now playing a tricky game of juggling that approaches an explosion in 2017.In one of his writings Blessing-Miles Tendi wonders why the British are obsessed with Mugabe and the question of "what went wrong" with him. The answer is that at some point Mugabe was a British insider who held the promise for the endurance of British interests in Zimbabwe, for the trouble they helped him dispense with Nkomo and they gave him a Knighthood in 1994, but when he thought he could kill white commercial farmers and the British look away he blundered. When the British and the Americans accuse Mugabe of genocide they accuse him of a crime that they have full inside knowledge of. Their fingerprints might not be on the crime scene but the footprint of their money, skills and weapons is prominently there.Curiously, as revealed in both Ibbo Mandaza and Blessing-Miles Tendi's papers, most of the senior securocrats that Robert Mugabe is supposed to rely on are or have been Solomon Mujuru's mentees. In understandable distrust, Robert Mugabe has had to create many other different intelligence gathering groups, well beyond the MI and CIO divide that Tendi so ably exposes. With the retreat of the British and the fading away of the Rhodesians, Robert Mugabe has relied on contracting, at huge expense, foreign private security companies. The Chinese have also contributed their experts. As a result, Zimbabwe is full of many security groups composed of dangerous individuals, some local others foreign and many of them are double and triple timing agents who report to many different authorities. A many handed and many headed securocratic monster roams Zimbabwe today and Robert Mugabe himself is fast losing control. Robert Mugabe's distrust and even fear of Solomon Mujuru led him to creating many intelligence and counter-intelligence groups that are now impossible to control, and worse these are hordes of young men and women who have been taught the taste of human blood, the art of killing for money and power. As Robert Mugabe naturally degenerates physically, this securocratic monstrosity will increasingly gain a life of its own and God help Zimbabwe! In one of the terse letters that Joshua Nkomo wrote to Robert Mugabe from exile he said "you do not teach young people to be contemptuous of human life and expect them to respect your own." Sadly, there are so many spooks on the loose in Zimbabwe who are prepared to abduct people, shoot and burn them, kill their children, and administer tablets that simulate symptoms of AIDS and cancer all for money and political patronage. On the pay-roll of the establishment are many Ari Ben Menashe types and other dodgy characters with their own dangerous agendas, creating in Zimbabwe fertile ground for a bloody civil war.The much anticipated 2018 election in Zimbabwe is too far. In any case, a simple lottery of votes cannot account for the political problem in Zimbabwe, a problem of political culture and decline of human values. That Robert Mugabe each day wakes up with his spring and stride is now either God's grace or his punishment. Zimbabwe is approaching a security situation where one day the spies, police, soldiers and other security groupings including the mercenaries will wake up not knowing where they must report. The seemingly peaceful and stoic Zimbabwean population is not in peace, it is only silent, and the riots of late mid 2016 were a proverbial tip of the iceberg. Early 2017 is the time for sober Zimbabweans beyond narrow party lines to look each other in the eye and selflessly seek an urgent solution to the degenerated human and national security condition. The Fifth-brigadiaring of us the so called analysts, commentators and intellectuals who purvey triumphalism, denialism and trumpet falsehoods and easy victories of our parties and leaders is more dangerous than the diggers of mass graves, carriers of poison tablets and the arsonists. At long last, national security and human security should come before party and regime security that brought us to this mess in the first place. Failure to this, a few brave Zimbabweans might have, as a last resort, to come together and build a bigger monster than the present evil organism, remove all the present captains of the monstrosity by any means necessary, and construct a benevolent but forceful regime that will restore Zimbabwe to normalcy and secure lives.
Opinion / Columnist

As 2016 closes we have to ask a question: What do ordinary or normal thinking Zimbabweans, without invested interest in this madness say regarding the country condition and its politics of sordid brutality and cruelty. The answer I got, is loud and clear. It ranged from its pathetic, it's a shame, its embarrassing its traumatic, a typical failing state. In many ways than one the answer shows a giving up spirit, even on the part of those supposedly leading opposition politics. Zimbabwe situation is our own creation from greedy, vanity and willpower to bitterly subdue others than elevating them up. Our masses have a bitter story to tell at the end of this saga.From being able to buy and eat bread, it honestly can be said without shame that eating bread is a luxury that has met with extreme tirvializing from Zanu and surrogates What becomes more diabolical than political is when Zanu Pf wants to blame her failures on the lack of patriotism from those residing in western worlds and attributing Zanu failure to unfair actions taken by western communities on Zimbabwe. This is an old irrelevant story. For on another extreme side we have never head the infamous President Robert Mugabe decrying the lack of medicine in the country or the bewailing flight of doctors from hospital and industry from the country. These are things Zanu has failed to manage irrespective of how they may want to pass the buck by blaming the western nations or opposition politics. Sadly, the opposition politics has conceded to some of this unfounded propaganda to an extend, due to lack of open journalism, the masses has fallen into this political cabbage.Unfortunately, the victims are the ordinary people and not Zanu and her surrogates. Whether we like it or not, the missing of moneys in small sums or big sums has had a cumulative effect on the nation's economy and hence the nation is broke and broken. The mysterious disappearance of the 15 Billion of USD sums on allegedly diamond minerals in Zimbabwe in 2014 and 2015 appears a fiction story that will die a natural death. No doubt there must a relationship to the ambition of hanging on to power by Zanu and these spirals of corruption ongoing in high places that no revelations could ever be done except when Zanu is beaten. The weakness of Zimbabwe opposition politics is harshly indicted here by its failure to carry a strong quantitative follow up and ask for resignation of government over failure to account for national wealth while masses are dying of poverty, neglect and without strategy for a sustainable development plan on the economy.Except for Zanu Pf surrogates, who obviously are beneficiaries on the length of Mr. Mugabe's stay in power; many of Zimbabweans focus on what next day has to offer in order to put food on the table and live on. A prevailing, no one cares if you die spirit, is audible. A resigned spirit even in Zanu, except for their growing culture on corruption and vanity, is visible loaded with questions of how long the situation of the country's poor governance will endure. The saddest aspect of Zimbabwe politics is that the strata of intelligentsia is entrenched in the culture of corruption and vanity. Here, we are looking at all service chiefs and high ranking officials in the army, Central Intelligence Agents (CIO), police, secret service guys and Prison services top guys who have silent benefit packages including an allocation to undisclosed thousands and thousands of hectares of land.Even though Zanu would want to play an-all-is well Dutch-courage approach to the country condition and economic turn around, ground events are very worrying to the poor because the coming 2018 elections will be sorrowful, brutal and savage since Zanu realizes she either fights the odds or she will be taken out and many of these officials will likely be put on trial for bankrupting the country's economy. While it used to appear vindictive to bring culprits on poor governance to justice, it no longer is a case of debate for honesty leadership if we are to talk of justice being seen to be done than merely becoming a talking point in the history of Zimbabwean politics on economic pillage.What, though, is more worrying is the politics of divisions compounded by short sighted persons who legitimately took part in the liberation struggle, but who never understood the dynamics in politics of decay, and if they did, it was nicer then than now. Lack of sight and vision is always a danger that creates much painful talking, which in itself only succeeds in producing political lethargy, silence and trauma from defeatism and resignation that promises the waiting approach to the soon to die mentality. Inevitably, the country will witness many persons both abroad and inside the country, going insane from the failure to fully grasp the contradictions of a neoliberal nationalists like Comrade Robert Mugabe and his age mates whose misguidance to policy had both a basis of ignorance and self preservation motives.The sad factor is that opposition has become an organized debate crew who cannot in honesty fathom the spirit of "bring-to-revelation' the simple truth on corruption statics of how Mr. Mugabe and many others can claim to be billionaires in thirty years on a salary of less than hundred thousand USD annually. If much study was done to expose corruption it would have shaken the heart of bad politics in Zimbabwe, revealing a team of honesty and sincere soldiers constantly fighting for freedom. As is, it is a case of how much "economic-dirt" exists even among those in opposition politics who cannot account for to their meteorological success. Some, in opposition politics who virtually could not afford a two pairs of shoes to themselves now put quality suites far more than at any time of their entire career. This supersonic rise in both income and fame of status suggests that politics of poverty accrues power to the top unashamedly as well as funds with zero questioning from the grassroots. The struggle of any independence was meant to raise awareness and reduce poverty in distribution of incomes and wealth which never happens.The ones who know more truth on prevailing social injustices in any oppressed country, but due to circumstances in none discriminatory brutality that systematically are aimed randomly at critics of corruption than on the ideology of opposition politics, are the masses. They are the people one would reasonably refer to as the "People In Between" whose vision for honesty and truth wavers between temptations of being used by the system and then thrown out, or being discarded even though they are enslaved into being willful supporters who should, by force, attend political rallies. With many who are honesty and truthful, and yet suffer from systematic elimination processes staged managed from Zanu offices, the masses rationale in political apathy and fatigue can on face value be justified.People today focus on either survival knowing Zanu does not care or looking at the way to leave the country into exile. The fact that Zanu has strengthened her alliance in corruption with top officers in various ministries and services chiefs mean that unless pushed from outside by an outside force, Zanu can rule over the people for as long as she wishes.One solution untried is that of strength of opposition politics based on literacy of factual propaganda in areas of government corruption, vanity and bribery as well as threat to any whistle blowers on secrecy of who is involved behind corruption. Inevitably the government of Zimbabwe has owned the media and fought against free media establishing herself in the country. The history of the Zimbabwe independent news media has had numerous bombing and closure from government itself than from business trading failures.It is hard to imagine a culture of transparency, accountability and integrity strictly adhered to by any of our opposition politics as currently composed. Except for political expedience the need and purpose of running a Transitional government based on a team of technical personnel who have no allegiance to any political party is the only politically viable method to growing a transparent democracy in Zimbabwe. To many Zimbabweans admire what Mr. Mugabe fought to enrich himself as a sane way of self rewarding. People with best ethics on best practices in governance, not necessarily too rich or poor but with knowledge on how it is to make money, build team work and account for deliverables.
Opinion / Letters

My first question to you Bantu bakithi is, how ready are we to govern ourselves? Here I am asking all of you Mthwakazi political parties. I understand that MLF and MLO among others have already declared that they will never contest elections in Zimbabwe, they will only contest in a free Mthwakazi, and the question is when is Mthwakazi independence?While the seemingly firebrand MRP led by Mqondisi Moyo on the other hand has not openly said they will contest elections or not, though it is believed by many that it will contest the upcoming Council and parliamentary in Zimbabwean elections come 2018. What is your plan B in the absence of elections? I am asking all of you.My second question is, what if we don't get our independence in the foreseeable future, does it mean we will continue boycotting elections and running to South Africa while our neighbors occupy space in Mthwakazi, as vendors, civil servants, our representatives in council and Parliamentary being Shona in Bulawayo and the rest of Mthwakazi, while we continue to haul insults on Shona people on Social media? Why?I can't say which of the Mthwakazi parties I support, but I must admit Mqondisi Moyo and his team are doing a splendid job and I am tempted to support them, unless and until other Mthwakazi formations comes up with a convincing plan of achieving our Mthwakazi independence soon I will join MRP and vote for it come 2018, because this to me is a sure attempt of trying to protect our space and doing something for our region, instead of continuing writing long articles of empty threats while our parents are crying for a solution in Lupane, Tsholotsho, Gwanda, Lower Gwelo, among other places.My humble submission is that may all Mthwakazi formations humble themselves and work together for the greater good of our Mthwakazi people. I wish to see a united front of Mthwakazi formations working together in 2018 with the sole purpose of defending our space in 2018 as a short term measure, while the long term plan and the final destination being a free Mthwakazi. To me contesting elections is a good attempt towards Restoration, honestly you have nothing to lose because you have already lost everything.The Scotland National Party in Britain which have been there for many years have been contesting elections in their local space and winning but they have never abandoned their struggle, their MPs voted for a referendum, which was well published in all major international News as a success on its own though they lost to a NO Vote and Mthwakazi we need this, we so the then Prime Minister Mr. Cameroon running to Scotland trying hard to stop Scotland exit by offering the best he could which include semi autonomy, which to me was a success for the people of Scotland achieving that without going to war.That is the advantage of political power which we currently don't have as Mthwakazi.I have read most of MLF and MLO press statements and I must say I am not impressed every time I so them I try to read and I find out its one and the same thing empty threats, no action, and no solution. If I am not mistaken these political organizations have been there longer than now, the only achievement they have is fighting amongst themselves probably because they have nothing to offer like myself in Diaspora, we in diaspora must accept that there is little we can do now except supporting those at home. On the other hand I must commend MRP for a job well done so far so good, guys keep it up you are doing a good job, you have popularized the Mthwakazi struggle with real action, I have never met where you guys have threatened anyone your radicalism is within the law yet you are doing a marvelous job I enjoy reading your statements.But I must say you are disappointing me by keeping us guessing on whether you will participate on elections or not, time is running out on you guys I understand you intend to make a resolution at your Congress, but as you have post ponned your congress for lack of resources are you still going to get it anytime soon or what if you don't get money for Congress?I must commend and salute you Mqondisi Moyo MRP President together with your team, you have shown good leadership qualities and maturity in your dealings, after the insults I read about you that were wrote by Dr Guduza of MLF I expected you to respond you didn't, recently you commended Mzila after his party launch there are few people who can do that, I salute you guys for that. You promised us that you will set up a Website soon and a manifesto but not yet thus where you are lacking by now you should have made everything you promised like, Mthwakazi Parliament, Petition, International lobby committee, elections issue and Website.These are exciting products MRP proposed I don't know why it is taking long to fulfill. You are the only party we have put our trust on as helpless Mthwakazi people.My humble submission Mthwakazi ka Mzilikazi Bantu beNkosi is that Mthwakazi parties refusing to take part in election, are doing so because of fear of losing those elections because they have never went to people since their inception, I doubt very much if ever they have the capacity to at least field candidates let alone campaigning. Let's stop being emotional in politics and face reality, and the reality demands that we get into elections as Councilors and MPs as a sure way of getting political power that we are in so much in need of as Mthwakazi people.It doesn't make sense to me that Mthwakazi region is a strong hold of Shona led parties like MDC-T and ZANU PF this is not good for us. Why are we even allowing them to freely campaign in Mthwakazi while we are on Facebook, are you guys Facebook politicians? If so let us aware so that we don't waste our time on you. I wish to see Mthwakazi Mayor in Bulawayo after 2018, to me this is more realistic than a free Matabeleland anytime soon. That criminal Emerson Damdudzo Mnangagwa is looking set to take over from Mugabe, where would you start from? I encourage you to partake in elections let ZANU PF steal those elections that would justify your resolve to go to war or any other means possible, because you would have exhausted all peaceful and legal channels accepted by the international community.In whatever decision your individual political parties will come up with, remember the ordinary poor people in the whole of Mthwakazi, remember that the scars of Gukurahundi genocide are still fresh in people in Mthwakazi. I have seen calls of war on Facebook by many of our frustrated Mthwakazi youths, its ok they are showing their anger and frustration but you as leaders must come up with a solution. Seat down Mthwakazi omuhle and dialogue amongst yourselves.I fear that if Jesus had to come today very few Mthwakazi people will go to Heaven because of bitterness, Mthwakazi people are an angry people, and the reckless statements being made by the likes of Linda Masarira and likeminded lunatics in Harare is not making things any better.I pray that all Mthwakazi political parties consider participating in the upcoming elections in 2018 let's start from there. I Nqobizitha Khumalo I am a firm believer in Mthwakazi Restoration, and the Restoration of Mthwakazi King and I fully support Stanley Raphael Khumalo, what he is doing is of GOD and I encourage him to continue to seek for dialogue with our tormenters which are Britain and Zimbabwe on our behalf. GOD is aware of our situation and I believe he is ready to rescue us like he did to Israelites taking them out of Egypt to Canaan Mthwakazi we are also going to Canaan soon.Writing in his personal capacity as a concerned Mthwakazi citizen currently based in United Kingdom.
Friday, December 30, 2016 at 1:36PM

Credit: Minustah / Logan AbassiEEW Magazine News // Direct Relief

Direct Relief airlifted 82 tons of medical aid to Haiti to help treat cholera and other diseases that have spread widely since Hurricane Matthew struck in October, incapacitating the country's already overstretched health care system.

Direct Relief's warehouse staff worked through the holidays to prepare 258 pallets of essential medications and supplies with a wholesale value of $39.9 million.

The shipment  the largest by value in Direct Relief's 69-year history  traveled by a chartered cargo jet from Los Angeles to Port-au-Prince.

Dozens of health care companies that support Direct Relief's humanitarian health efforts contributed the supplies, augmented by funds contributed by donors to Direct Relief specifically for Hurricane Matthew assistance.

While the Haiti crisis has faded from the headlines, the situation remains urgent. More than 1.4 million people require assistance months after the storm wiped out food crops and damaged more than 90 percent of fruit and forest trees, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Direct Relief responded to requests for help from Haiti immediately after the storm made landfall, but a critical and ongoing need for aid persists.

"The facilities receiving support from this airlift were especially hard-hit and are struggling to recover from the effects of Hurricane Matthew," said Andrew MacCalla, Direct Relief's Director of International Programs. "Many of their patients had homes damaged or destroyed and their livelihoods cut off."

"The situation in southern Haiti after Hurricane Matthew is dire, and the risks of disease and famine are dangerously high," said Conor Shapiro of the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, a Direct Relief partner that provides health care, educational opportunities and community development programs.

The supplies on this shipment were requested by 37 Haitian organizations, including St. Boniface, that represent more than 200 health care facilities in Haiti, which often are unable to access or afford the essential medicines they need to meet the demands of their patient populations.

Among the airlift's contents are 16 specially designed cholera modules that include infusion therapy supplies to help rehydrate patients, as well as antibiotics. Each module can treat 40 severe and 60 moderate cases of cholera.

Because cholera prevention hinges on the availability of safe drinking water, Direct Relief is also sending enough P&G Purifier of Water sachets to purify 1.5 million gallons of water.

Haiti has also seen a rise in cases of diphtheria, a potentially deadly bacterial infection. To help patients suffering from diphtheria, the shipment contains antibiotics and respiratory supplies. Also included in the shipment are hygiene products, soaps, detergent and bleach, and medications to treat chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and depression.

This delivery adds to several from Direct Relief to Haiti since the storm hit, including a 17-ton consignment that FedEx delivered in October free of charge on a chartered 757 flight.

RELATED: Tasha Cobbs Ministries raises $10,000 toward Haiti relief
Security Fixes Keep SMS Safe in Contact Center Solutions

Today, security concerns are on everyones minds, both consumers and companies that handle their personal information. While were all aware of security risks via telephone or email (how many Nigerian princes are there, exactly?), fewer consumers are aware of the risks with other channels, including those becoming more popular for customer support.

Text messaging is one of our favorite communications channels today. Its brief and to the point, as well as effortless. Its instantaneous and synchronous (meaning you can have a live conversation, unlike email), and eliminates most of the need for polite small-talk (unlike telephone). Aspects Consumer Experience Index compiled earlier this year found that 38 percent of consumers would rather use messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to engage with customer service versus phone calls. Text is also becoming one of the primary factors in double- and triple-factor security authentication, as anyone who has ever reset a password using a code sent by text knows.

But the question is, how secure is SMS, or text?

In a recent blog post, Aspects Keiron Dalton noted that despite the popularity of companies delivering one-time passwords to customers via SMS to authenticate their credentials, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently came a step closer to banning SMS-based two-factor authentication. Why? Its simply not secure enough.

The draft NIST Special Publication 800-63-3: Digital Authentication Guideline, has called for the deprecation of SMS-based two factor authentication, identifying its inherent security flaws, wrote Dalton. The guideline asserts that U.S. government service providers should start to phase out using SMS as the second factor when confirming user identities because of the possibility that one-time codes could be intercepted or redirected.

One of the practices that is compromising the security of SMS password authentication is the practice of SIM swap fraud in which fraudsters unlawfully obtain an identical SIM card to a mobile user and re-direct communications, including their text messages, away from the intended recipient and towards the fraudsters, which allows hackers to reset victims passwords and drain their bank accounts.

This isnt necessarily the end of SMS for security purposes, however. Dalton noted that SMS can and should continue to play a central role in the authentication process, as long as companies such as banks are willing to spend a little extra time checking and supporting interactions in a way that doesnt compromise contact center solutions or customer convenience and ease of transaction. There are technologies today that promote undetectable verification, but dont create friction at any point during the customer experience.

Aspect Verify is one such tool that supports verification with additional checks to identify the right information, context and user behaviors, wrote Dalton. These checks must be largely imperceptible to the customer, lest they interrupt their user experience. Examples include deploying sophisticated fraud detection techniques such as SIM Swap and divert detection, as well as location checks using readily available mobile data, to ascertain user identity.

As with any communications channels, SMS can be misused by those who seek to gain from them (as can the telephone, email and even postal mail). For companies wishing to retain this very easy and convenient way of communications for customer support as well as security, a few technology precautions in their contact center solutions can go a long way toward keeping SMS secure.

Edited by Maurice Nagle
Ever wondered how the fate of champagne bubbles from their birth to their death with a pop enhances our perception of aromas? These concerns, which are relevant to champagne producers, are the focus of a special issue of EPJ Special Topics, due to be published in early January 2017--celebrating the 10th anniversary of the publication. Thanks to scientists, champagne producers are now aware of the many neuro-physico-chemical mechanisms responsible for aroma release and flavour perception. The taste results from the complex interplay between the level of CO2 and the agents responsible for the aroma--known as volatile organic compounds--dispersed in champagne bubbles, as well as temperature, glass shape, and bubbling rate.

In the first part of the Special Topic issue, Gerard Liger-Belair from CNRS in Reims, France, has created a model to describe, in minute detail, the journey of the gas contained in each bubble. It starts from the yeast-based fermentation process in grapes, which creates CO2, and goes all the way to the nucleation and rise of gaseous CO2 bubbles in the champagne flute. It also includes how the CO2 within the sealed bottle is kept in a form of finely tuned equilibrium and then goes into the fascinating cork-popping process.

The second part of this Special Issue is a tutorial review demystifying the process behind the collapse of bubbles. It is mainly based on recent investigations conducted by a team of fluid physicists from Pierre and Marie Curie University, in Paris, France, led by Thomas Seon. When a champagne bubble reaches an air-liquid interface, it bursts, projecting a multitude of tiny droplets into the air, creating an aerosol containing a concentration of wine aromas.
Another Chicago-area patron of the Golden Arches is suing a McDonald's franchisee for deceptive trade practices and claiming that some Extra Value Meals actually cost more than buying the items a la carte.

Eleven cents  that's the added cost of buying a McDonald's Sausage Burrito Extra Value Meal at a downtown Chicago McDonald's, instead of buying the items a la carte, according to a lawsuit filed Dec. 22 in Cook County Circuit Court against McDonald's and Salabad LLC, a Chicago-area franchisee. Plaintiff Kelly Killeen alleged she bought the value meal for $5.08 at the McDonald's at 36 W. Randolph St., when the two burritos, hash browns and medium coffee would have cost a total of $4.97 individually.

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Killeen's lawsuit accuses both Oak Brook-based McDonald's and Salabad of violating state law on consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices.

But the problem is far more widespread than just the one location, according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleges that McDonald's "complete or substantial control" of its restaurants caused locations throughout Illinois to charge more for certain Extra Value Meals than if the items were bought individually, despite extensive national marketing indicating otherwise.

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The lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status, seeks to "redress the pervasive pattern of fraudulent, deceptive and otherwise improper advertising, sales and marketing practices that McDonald's continues to engage in" with certain Extra Value Meals, including the Two Cheeseburger Extra Value Meal and the Sausage Burrito Extra Value Meal.

A McDonald's spokeswoman did not return requests for comment. A Salabad representative could not be immediately reached.

Earlier this month, James Gertie, of Des Plaines, filed a lawsuit against Karis Management Co. of Des Plaines, which operates about 10 locations in the area and charges $5.49 for two cheeseburgers, medium fries and a medium fountain drink when purchased individually, but the value meal costs $5.90. Gertie bought the two cheeseburger value meal at five McDonald's locations across Des Plaines and Niles operated by the franchisee in October and November, according to the lawsuit. Gertie's lawsuit also is seeking class-action status.

gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
The CEO of a major health system in Illinois. A soon-to-be former secretary of commerce. An Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce executive on a mission to diversify the city's tech scene. Each will take on new challenges in 2017 that make them among the Chicago businesspeople worth watching. Here are 10 local Chicago business leaders who deserve attention in 2017.

Sean Connolly, CEO of Conagra Brands, will be revamping Slim Jims in 2017, among other initiatives at the food company that's newly relocated to Chicago. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Sean Connolly, CEO, Conagra Brands

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Among Connolly's challenges in 2017 will be sprucing up the company's stable of brands, including older products such as Slim Jim, Healthy Choice and Chef Boyardee. Conagra hopes to position its product line to better appeal to today's consumers, many of whom are willing to pay more for food and drink they consider to be natural, healthy, sustainably sourced and generally higher in quality. By modernizing ingredients and products, Connolly is hoping his company will be able to sell more food without having to offer discounts. In June, ConAgra moved its headquarters to Chicago from its longtime home in Omaha, Neb. Expect the company and its executives to further settle into the fabric of Chicago's business community in 2017.

Mary Dillon, CEO of Bolingbrook-based Ulta, may have a busy year ahead. The beauty chain recently announced plans to add hundreds more stores than previously targeted. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Mary Dillon, CEO, Ulta

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The Bolingbrook-based beauty company's most recent quarter was the best in its history as a public company. Sales in stores open at least a year grew 16.7 percent. The beauty chain is growing like crazy and recently announced plans to add hundreds more stores than previously targeted. Ulta has mostly been big in suburban markets, but it's planning to push into urban markets too.

Omar Duque, president and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, is wokring to diversify Chicago's tech scene. Duque's group launched a new incubator aimed at helping Latinos tap into the startup world. (Keri Wiginton / Chicago Tribune)

Omar Duque, CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Duque is working to diversify Chicago's tech scene. The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO recently launched a new incubator at tech hub 1871 aimed at helping Chicago's Latino population tap into the city's startup sector. The part-time program will last about 12 weeks and aims to accept 12 early-stage companies whose founders will participate in once-a-week daylong sessions on topics including finance, marketing, technology and funding. Duque's goal is to expose, educate and begin to get more people from diverse communities employed in the world of technology.

Lee Golub, principal at real estate investment and development firm Golub & Co., opened five apartment towers in 2016 and has more projects on tap for 2017. (Erich Shrempp)

Lee Golub, principal, Golub & Co.

The Chicago-based real estate investor and developer opened five apartment towers in 2016, including the 690-unit Marquee at Block 37 in the Loop, the 397-unit at 1001 South State in the South Loop, the 50-unit Sienna in the Gold Coast neighborhood, Moment at 545 N. McClurg Court and a $90 million, 21-story, 270-unit building known as Vantage Oak Park. In 2017, stay tuned for more developments, including, most notably, Golub's planned redevelopment with Los-Angeles based CIM Group of the iconic Tribune Tower into mixed-use hotel and retail space and a redevelopment in Oak Brook that will include Michael Jordan's restaurant set to open in the summer.

Eric Lefkofsky, former CEO of Groupon, has founded Tempus, a startup that uses data to help doctors customize treatment for cancer patients. (Tempus photo)

Eric Lefkofsky, former CEO, Groupon; current CEO of Tempus

In his quest to cure cancer, Lefkofsky has founded Tempus, a company that uses data and analytics to help doctors customize treatment for cancer patients. The startup recently has teamed with the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center, Rush University, Northwestern's Lurie Cancer Center, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the University of Michigan. In 2017, Lefkofsky plans to continue connecting with physicians and hospitals to give them access to Tempus' tools. A spokesperson said new partnerships will be announced, but declined to be more specific.

Brian Nienhaus, president and CEO of We Are Unlimited, leads a team of roughly 200 at the new advertising agency set up to handle McDonald's marketing. (Andre Wells / We Are Unlimited)

Brian Nienhaus, recently named president and CEO of We Are Unlimited, a new Omnicom agency set up to market McDonald's

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It'll be interesting to see what the former senior vice president at advertising firm BBDO and his team of roughly 200 do to support the fast-food giant's efforts to bring in more customers and modernize its marketing campaign. In 2016, Omnicom, which owns DDB and BBDO, won a monthslong competition to control McDonald's nearly $1 billion advertising business. The global advertising firm then tapped Nienhaus, formerly of BBDO, to head the new agency it created to market McDonald's.

Penny Pritzker, commerce secretary under President Barack Obama, will leave her government post in January. She's planning to take some time off before re-entering the private sector. (Ron Sachs / Consolidated News Photos)

Penny Pritzker, businesswoman, soon-to-be former secretary of commerce

Pritzker, a Chicago native, will wind down her post at the Commerce Department in January along with the rest of the Obama administration. She's planning to take some time off before returning to Chicago to re-enter the private sector. There's a lot of speculation about what she'll do next. At least for now, Pritzker is keeping those details to herself.

Irene Rosenfeld, CEO of Mondelez International, may face challenges from a more restrictive U.S. trade policy under President-elect Donald Trump. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Irene Rosenfeld, CEO, Mondelez International

The Deerfield-based snack and confectionary manufacturer tried  and failed  to acquire The Hershey Co. in 2016. What's next for the company behind brands like Oreos and Chips Ahoy? Some say Mondelez itself is an acquisition target. And with President-Elect Donald Trump's promises to clamp down on U.S. trade policy, where will Rosenfeld lead Mondelez in 2017, especially since the global firm has no qualms about moving some operations to other countries and selling products back into the U.S.?

Jim Skogsbergh, CEO of Advocate Health Care, would become co-CEO if a merger with NorthShore University HealthSystem wins court approval to move forward. Here he's pictured with wife Diana Skogsbergh. (James C. Svehla / Chicago Tribune)

Jim Skogsbergh, CEO of Advocate Health Care

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If Advocate Health Care succeeds in pulling off a proposed merger with NorthShore University HealthSystem, Skogsbergh will spend 2017 integrating the two operations. As co-CEO of the combined entity  a title he and Mark Neaman, CEO of NorthShore, would share for a time  Skogsbergh maintains that the merger will benefit consumers by lowering costs while maintaining high-quality care. The merger has been tied up in the courts, but a ruling on whether it should be allowed to move forward is expected in early 2017. The merger would create the 11th largest health system in the country.

Pallavi Verma, senior managing director for the Midwest at Accenture, was promoted to her current role in December. She will lead Accenture's business in 12 Midwestern states. (Joshua Albanese / Accenture)

Pallavi Verma, senior managing director for the Midwest, Accenture

In 2017, expect Verma to focus on bringing innovation to clients, attracting top talent and strengthening the company's impact in its local communities, including the major cities of Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis and Detroit. Verma was promoted to her current role in December. Based in Chicago, she will lead Accenture's business in 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Lauren Zumbach and Greg Trotter contributed.

crshropshire@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @corilyns
Kudos to Genesee Theater

A big thank you to the Genesee Theater in Waukegan. We went to the Kenny G concert and truly enjoyed the wonderful show. He is so talented as are the members of his band. It was such a joy to be there. Thank you for all the new programs that are happening more often at the Genesee Theater.

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No training required

Think about it. To be a doctor requires 10 or more years of training. To be a teacher requires four to nine years or more of training. All professions require many years of training. Skilled jobs also require many years of training. The most important job in America, the president of the United States, requires no training. Donald Trump says he has the answer to most of our problems, which is to build a fence. He must have spent days solving this problem. God help us.

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Seeking change

Hillary Clinton shot emails for years all over the world. We voted Donald Trump in because we wanted change.

Fight animal cruelty

I'm calling about the guy who killed four dogs. I hope he gets thrown in prison. Animals only give you love. This guy should not be out on the street.

Difference of opinion

It's amazing that Michelle Obama says she has no hope now because Donald Trump was elected. She expects the country to agree with her. There were 60 million who voted for Trump, and I'm one of them. I didn't have any hope when President Obama was elected in 2008. He runs this country like a Socialist/Marxist nation. He will go down in history as a poor president. I finally have hope after eight years.

Twitter @NewsSun

Editor's Note

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Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or email talkofthecounty@tribpub.com. For a continuously updating blog of Talk of the County comments, go to newssunonline.com/talk.
Snaggletooth, home to Chicago's most beautiful bagels and lox, is one of many restaurants that will co-host brunch with Avec in 2017. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

The Friends of Avec brunch series is back for 2017.

If you're unfamiliar, it's pretty much what it sounds like: Avec chef Perry Hendrix invites pals from other Chicago restaurants to cook with him at his West Loop kitchen on Sundays.

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The 2017 series kicks off Jan. 8 with Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Chefs and owners Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp, known for making fried chicken slathered in butter, join Hendrix at Avec.

The brunch series started in 2014 with 15 past participants to date, including Big Star, Parachute and Bang Bang Pie. This year it runs through April with Lost Lake (Feb. 5), Cellar Door Provisions (Feb. 26), Half Acre Beer (March 12), Snaggletooth (April 2) and recently opened Logan Square bar Spilt Milk (April 23).

The menu is already in the works for the Honey Butter takeover. One-time-only collaboration dishes include what chefs call an Avecd Up OG Sandwich with fried chicken strips, candied jalapeno mayo, crunchy slaw and a fried egg on Avec's house-made ciabatta. Plus look for fried chicken strips over buttermilk biscuits with rosemary gravy, roasted fennel and preserved lemon; and fried chicken and French toast with bourbon maple syrup and honey butter. (All chicken can be substituted with locally made Phoenix Bean tofu, as at Honey Butter's restaurant.)

We started the series with the intention of spending some Sundays at the restaurant with people we like, wrote Hendrix in an email. We work enough that it is hard to get out to eat when we want to, so it was a way of getting beer, cocktails and food from those producers that we don't get a chance to visit.

"I actually used to work at Avec and made the desserts for the restaurant, so it's always been a place that's been close to my heart, added Cikowski. I also think it'll be fun to approach the restaurant from a brunch perspective.

The regular Avec menu will also be available. Reservations welcomed for brunch; Avec is still walk-in only during dinner hours.

Avec, 615 W. Randolph St., 312-377-2002, www.avecrestaurant.com

lchu@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @louisachu






Phil Stefani and his daugher Gina Stefani, pictured at MAD Social restaurant in the West Loop, will open a restaurant in Lincolnwood. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Veteran restaurateur Phil Stefani has purchased the closed Chinese-American classic restaurant property Kow Kow in Lincolnwood and plans to tear down the building to open an Italian steak and seafood restaurant by summer 2017, with help from his daughter Gina Stefani.

Gina Stefani owns MAD Social in the West Loop.

The Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants group owns a number of Chicago-area establishments, including five locations of Tuscany restaurant, Riva at Navy Pier, and The Flamingo Rum Club, which opened in River North last week.

Were going to start from scratch rather than try to remodel the existing building, which would be pretty difficult, said the senior Stefani.

The new, still-unnamed restaurant will have 175 seats in the dining room, dine-in bar and a private dining room.

The chef is also yet to be named, but Stefani said guest chefs from Italy may be possible. He travels there five time a year, staying in Lucca in Tuscany, where he restored his mothers house.

Why Lincolnwood? I live in the neighborhood, he said by phone. My wife grew up in the neighborhood."

"And I guess I'm just trying to save 45 minutes of driving all the way downtown if I get hungry."

6755 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, 312-275-9000, www.stefanirestaurants.com

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lchu@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @louisachu






Kaitlin Olson (left) and Scott MacArthur star on the new Fox series "The Mick." (Fox)

Actor-writer Scott MacArthur fondly recalls attending dozens of Cubs games in 2003, despite an erratic schedule of odd jobs and Chicago improv performances and a broken leg from a stickball incident.

Thirteen years later, MacArthur was back in the Wrigley Field stands for Game 3 of the World Series. He accompanied actress Kaitlin Olson, his co-star on the Fox comedy "The Mick," which is scheduled to premiere 7 p.m. Sunday.

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"They were the nicest seats I've ever sat in at a Cubs game, by far. The whole thing was surreal," MacArthur said in a phone interview with the Tribune. "At some point, (Fox) cut over and showed an image of Kaitlin and I. In that given moment, I was unaware that it went up on TV. I've never received so many emails and text messages in my life, like, 'Hey, what were you doing on TV? You disappeared 10 years ago.'"

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MacArthur, 37, said he grew up in Wrigleyville and went to college and graduate school in the Northeast. He returned to Chicago to train at iO and the Second City Conservatory before moving to New York and Los Angeles.

A writing gig on "The Mick" turned into a job playing Jimmy on the show. Jimmy dates Olson's character, Mackenzie "Mickey" Murphy, a moocher who gets stuck caring for her spoiled nephews and niece. MacArthur describes Jimmy as the "dog that bites everybody, and yet Mickey still keeps him around."

"I think especially in the beginning, Jimmy is this winner-adjacent and he gets to enjoy the good life," MacArthur said.

For MacArthur, this job on "The Mick" is a "dream come true" after years of guest roles. He has appeared in episodes of "NCIS," "Body of Proof" and other series "as kind of the red-herring criminal/murderer/rapist."

"Any time you're starting out... there's a delicate balance of say yes to everything and say yes to almost everything," MacArthur said.

He said he started writing by himself in his garage eight years ago, a springboard to "The Mick" writing job. MacArthur's character was played by a different actor in the original pilot who had other commitments when the pilot was picked up to series.

"Everything just kind of fell into place at this exact moment, and it's awesome," MacArthur said. "It makes everything in the last 10 years so completely worth it."

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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)
A few years ago, the Graefs bought one-way tickets from Chicago to Hawaii to be closer to family. We were so happy for them (and jealous too).

Last year, the Tinajeros packed up and headed west to Naperville. They left a two-bedroom apartment in Chicago for a single-family home with a yard on a tree-lined street. Even though they're still in the area, we don't get to see them nearly as much as we did when we all lived in the same building.

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And this past summer, we hugged the Shihs goodbye as movers boxed up their Little Italy condo. They settled into a 100-year-old farmhouse on 10 acres in Lexington, Ky.

"My dreams are coming true," Amanda Shih told me before the big move. My heart burst with both excitement and sadness.

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It feels as if living in Chicago  or, perhaps, any big city  means learning to say goodbye in your 30s. Landing a job in the city is a college graduate's dream. But then we grow up and want things like the luxury of raising our children close to family (read: free child care), a house with a yard and, for some, 10 acres of land.

The Shihs, who have a 5-year-old daughter, Emma, are eager to spread out and enjoy the country.

"We're going to get some animals," she said. "We're going to keep bees and chickens. We want to get back to our roots."

Isn't there a saying about roots and wings? So many of us come to Chicago on the wings of ambition and success. As we get older and more settled in our own skin, roots become important not only in our own life but in our family's life as well.

"People are constantly shifting in what their vision is for themselves and their families," said Jeffrey Sumber, a psychotherapist whose practice is in Andersonville. This means that people will change, and some will leave, Sumber said.

And he's right: My husband and I often think about moving our own family out of Chicago  whether to the suburbs or beyond. So, we can't exactly be upset when friends leave the city for the very same reasons we're considering it too.

The question then becomes: When is it our turn? Or will we be the last ones standing below the skyline?

Chicago lost nearly 3,000 residents between 2014 and 2015, according to U.S. Census data. Meanwhile, the greater Chicago area lost more than 6,000 residents  the biggest loss of any U.S. metropolitan area. This year, Illinois has seen more than 37,000 residents exit, which puts the population at the lowest it has been in nearly a decade, according to census data released in December.

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A United Van Lines moving study found the top reasons for leaving Illinois in 2015 included job, family and lifestyle.

Sumber said he's also seen patients leave Chicago because of weather, parking and violence.

"Violence in the city is sometimes anxiety-provoking for people," he said.

This was also a factor for the Shihs.

"(Emma) asked me if she could go ride her bike down the street, and I had to say no," said Amanda Shih, adding that her daughter wouldn't have to ask in the future because their new home is in an environment with fewer restrictions and more safety.

My daughter isn't yet old enough to ask me if she can ride her bike or walk to a friend's house, so maybe the constraints of the city haven't sunk in for us yet. For now, the heartache the city brings us is from its transient nature.

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The experience, at least, is making us grateful for the time we do have with friends.

"Having safe, healthy attachments is the only defense against the pain of someone leaving," Sumber said.

He explained that we naturally get comfortable with how a friendship looks: how long it takes to get to their house, what you like to do together. When someone moves, what most likely causes fear and sadness is wondering whether the friendship will endure when it no longer looks the same.

"It's trusting the connection over the geography," he said.

At least for us, Lexington is only five hours away.

Emily Perschbacher is a freelancer.

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A worker helps sculpt the Ice Castles creation in Midway, Utah. Hundreds of thousands of icicles make up the thick walls, jagged mazes and fountains of the castle. (Rick Bowmer / AP)

The biggest splash in Wisconsin Dells this winter is all about frozen water.

A massive ice castle compound has put down its frosty foundation in the self-proclaimed Waterpark Capital of the World. Expected to open in early January, the creation will contain two 50-foot-long slides and a domed room with a waterfall. Plans call for tunnels, towers, thrones and trails lined with crushed ice and snow.

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The Ice Castles LLC project  a first for the Dells  is one of five in North America. Others are in Midway, Utah; Lincoln, N.H.; Stillwater, Minn.; and Edmonton in Canada. The Utah location opened Dec. 27, making it the first of the bunch to debut this season.

Icicles are the unorthodox building blocks for the castles, which are said to weigh an average of 25 million pounds and sport walls measuring 10 feet thick.

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When the weather cooperates, 10,000 icicles are created a day. They're strategically placed on a 1.5-acre parcel at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park near downtown in the Dells.

"Lots of people think ice castles are structures made out of blocks of ice, symmetrical and with straight edges; ours have more of a natural feel," Brent Christensen said about his patented construction process. "We capture the beauty that happens" as icicles form, drip and merge.

The Utah father of six, who used to own a lawn-mower-repair business, has a hankering for invention and experimentation. That's what led him to build an ice castle on a whim in 2009. The "work of curiosity" ended up being taller than his house.

"We had so many people stopping by, I thought maybe this could go on a bigger scale," Christensen said. His work snowballed into structures that draw crowds and traffic jams to this day.

Above-freezing temperatures in December complicated his Wisconsin crew's progress. The ice castle is expected to open around Jan. 6. The exact date depends on how weather affects construction.

Project work began in the Dells, a roughly 3.5-hour drive from downtown Chicago, in late October. Under the icy floor are miles-long networks of water and electrical lines. Workers use pickaxes and chain saws to chisel and refine what Mother Nature creates.

Castle admission will be by timed entry, and prices will vary by day of the week. Friday-to-Sunday tickets cost between $8.95 and $12.95 when bought online, or $12 to $18 when purchased on-site. The castle will be closed Tuesdays. Other weekdays, prices range from $6.95 to $15; www.icecastles.com/wisconsin-dells.

Mary Bergin is a freelance writer.

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Another day, another Garry McCarthy interview laying into the tactics of the Chicago Police Department.

This time, it's for a national audience. And the former police superintendent again doesn't hold back, telling CBS's "60 Minutes" that the city's police are in a "crisis."

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Due to be broadcast Sunday, the "60 Minutes" segment repeats a narrative that has been repeatedly told locally since Mayor Rahm Emanuel in October 2015 said cops had gone "fetal" in the face of protests about police violence.

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It focuses on the 80 percent decline in street stops by police and fall in arrests this year, even as the homicide rate soars to more than 750 people killed  a drum McCarthy has been banging for weeks in a series of speeches and interviews.

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"When you have activity falling off the way it is and crime skyrocketing, that's a huge problem," McCarthy told reporter Bill Whitaker in a preview released by CBS. When Whittaker suggested that there was a policing crisis, McCarthy responded, "When people are dying, yes, there's crisis. No two ways about it."

"The police activity is horrific. Honestly. And there, and there's not an excuse that could be made in my book," he said. "The noncompliance of the law is becoming legitimized. And the police are on their heels. ... We're reaching a state of lawlessness," McCarthy said.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who may or may not be tiring of answering the barbs of his predecessor while facing an ongoing federal probe of his department, allowed that his officers have been more "cautious." He also was interviewed for the "60 Minutes" piece.

"Well, you know, there may be some" officers who are more reluctant to police aggressively, Johnson told Whitaker. But he disputed the link between the crime rate and the dropoff in stops and arrests, blaming stricter policies and increased paperwork for the decline in stops.

"It's not what the police officers are not doing," Johnson said. "It's more about what these  criminal offenders are doing."

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
When shootings spiked in January 2016 in Los Angeles, police officials quelled violence in the hardest-hit area by swiftly analyzing data and holding daily conference calls among station commanders to decide where to send officers. Over the following months, shootings in that part of the city dropped.

As a devastatingly violent year in Chicago ends, police officials here plan to launch a similar effort in January, focusing on the long-suffering Englewood and Harrison police districts first.

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Empowering district commanders and staff to analyze crime patterns and make quick, strategic decisions is part of the Chicago Police Department's latest effort to find solutions to a surge in gun violence that has left more than 4,300 wounded and more than 750 dead, the city's most homicides since 1997.

The unrelenting year of violence, with an increase of 57 percent in homicides, left few parts of the city untouched and immeasurable sorrow and shock in its wake. For those living in the most dangerous neighborhoods, the violence began to feel almost normal, and a hopelessness set in.

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Some, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, linked the increase in part to the fallout from the Laquan McDonald shooting scandal that played out over 2016. Intense scrutiny of the Police Department followed, including a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that may conclude in January.

The fallout exposed the Police Department's frayed relations with the city's minority communities and contributed to complex problems that law enforcement face in 2017  a fractured gang structure with young, impulsive members; a seemingly endless supply of guns on the street; a police force grown hesitant amid heightened attention and criticism; and crime surging in neighborhoods that for decades have suffered from inadequate resources and opportunity.

"It's just easier to get a gun than it is to get a job," said William Sampson, who heads public policy studies at DePaul University.

A draft report released Thursday from the University of Chicago Crime Lab could find no single reason for the meteoric increase in the city's homicides and shootings.

Solutions to the epidemic were just as difficult to define, researchers said. But they noted the undeniable fact that guns are ravaging Chicago. Over the past 25 years, no other major city has had such a dramatic single-year increase in homicides as Chicago did, and more homicides were committed with guns in Chicago than in any other major city.

For that reason, a crackdown on criminals with guns is a major focus of authorities in the new year. Also essential, experts say, is restoring police morale and improving officer training. In the neighborhoods most racked by violence, the city and private companies are launching new investment efforts to offer an alternative to crime: a job.

Advocates say it's paramount that the solutions be comprehensive, not piecemeal, as Chicago confronts its public safety emergency.

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Hot-spot policing

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Massive gang organizations like the Vice Lords and Gangster Disciples once claimed large swaths of territory in Chicago, protecting both the gang's reputation and drug trade with guns and violence. At the height of the crack-cocaine epidemic in the 1990s, more than 900 people were killed annually in the city in some years.

Shells of those larger gangs remain today, splintered into smaller block-by-block associations. Conflicts over drug territories remain a factor in Chicago's violence, but the immediacy of social media has exacerbated the problem, with personal disputes and challenges by gang rivals posing a constant threat. Many of the shootings appear to be retaliatory, leaving police searching for ways to interrupt the back-and-forth violence.

Chicago police attributed 75 percent of homicides in the city in 2015 and 2016 to altercations  most involving street gangs, according to the University of Chicago Crime Lab draft report.

On the neighborhood-level, former gang members are still coordinating conflict interventions through church, community and city-affiliated programs, with a new program launched in 2016 on the historically troubled West Side. CeaseFire Illinois, founded 16 years ago, also remains active, though on a more limited basis after losing financial support from the state and city.

The Police Department's 12-page gang reduction strategy, last revised in January 2016, ranged from gang audits intended to monitor rivalries and changing boundaries to the department's signature "strategic subject list," a computerized algorithm designed to zero in on about 1,400 people, primarily gang members, considered most likely to shoot someone or become a victim of violence.

With the LAPD's recent guidance, Chicago police now plan to take an old concept  hot-spot policing  and decentralize it. Beginning this month, a single room in each of the 22 districts will be dedicated to tracking shootings, calls for help and information gathered on the street from beat officers. Armed with those data, district intelligence analysts, community policing officers and command staff will decide daily where to send teams of officers to try to counteract the violence.

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"These rooms will be running 24/7, as opposed to (intelligence) coming from headquarters," First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro said in an interview at police headquarters.

The Justice Department also has been paying for two consultants to provide Chicago with expert help. One of those is former Illinois State Police Chief Terrance Gainer, who began his long career in law enforcement as a Chicago cop. Gainer, who helped coordinate LAPD's recent visit, said the district-level focus fits with Chicago's existing data-driven approach.

"You are trying to empower each roll call," he told the Tribune. " 'Here is where we think the problem will be this weekend.' You get the officers in the district focused and psyched up with what you want them to do."

Los Angeles police officials said they are hopeful Chicago's plan to use their strategy will help. But, they say Los Angeles did more than refocus where cops patrolled.

"An important component was community engagement," said LAPD First Assistant Chief Michel Moore. Cops made outreach efforts in neighborhoods with the highest number of gang shootings, he said, "so that residents could feel safe coming out and, in a number of instances, providing information."

Still, a single policing strategy is no cure-all.

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When Los Angeles used this targeted effort last spring in one area, Moore noted, crime jumped in other parts of the city. And homicides and shootings overall in that city were up slightly over 2015.

"We have to be mindful that other problems can erupt," Moore said.

Targeting repeat gun offenders

Chicago's increase in homicides was driven overwhelmingly by gun violence. The University of Chicago's draft report found that in 2016, 91 percent of homicides were committed with a gun. By comparison, between 2011 and 2015, the share of gun homicides averaged 72 percent in Los Angeles and 60 percent in New York.

It's incredibly frustrating when an officer locks someone up for a gun on a Thursday, and then next Wednesday sees this same guy.  Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson

Since taking office in March, Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has repeatedly called for tougher gun laws for people with repeat gun convictions, saying they are unafraid of serious consequences for their actions.

"It's incredibly frustrating when an officer locks someone up for a gun on a Thursday, and then next Wednesday sees this same guy" back on the street, he said in a recent interview with the Tribune.

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The idea of stiffer sentencing for gun crimes has been criticized, however. Ed Yohnka, a spokesman for the ACLU of Illinois, said questions remain about whether tougher sentences really have an impact. Yohnka pointed to the state's budget crisis as a more immediate problem, saying the impasse drains services that would help prevent crime.

Johnson said he was sensitive to the inequalities of the criminal justice system but feels consequences aren't dire enough to deter crime.

"I don't believe in mass incarceration or disproportionately arresting minorities," he said. "But what I do believe is if you pick up a freakin' gun and you pull the trigger  you should go to prison. That is just the bottom line. You should go to prison."

Johnson has an ally in newly elected Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, who said in a Tribune interview that fighting gun violence is "our No. 1 issue" and that her focus will be on targeting gun-trafficking networks. She also plans to bring in a top New York prosecutor and specialist in trafficking cases to set up a new gun crimes unit.

Foxx said she wants to identify the most violent criminals and is looking to forge partnerships with academics to try to better understand the root of the gun problem.

"We want to go after those who pull the trigger. We want to make sure that they are held accountable, and we also want to make sure that the next person who is thinking about picking up a gun doesn't," Foxx said.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 15 The scene where a person was shot Dec. 26, 2016, near the intersection of South Hermitage Avenue and West 45th Street in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Nina Vinik, program director for the Joyce Foundation's Gun Violence Prevention Program, said policymakers also should be looking at laws that tighten regulation and licensing of Illinois gun shops, where handguns can be illegally obtained through straw purchases.

"There needs to be a focus on the sources of crime guns that are flooding Chicago's streets," Vinik said. "Chicago has an exponentially greater challenge with illegal guns than LA or New York. There is no silver bullet. We need to do lots and lots of different things. We need to reform the Chicago Police Department and restore community trust. But we also need to get our arms around our illegal gun problem."

Absent from much of the rhetoric, experts say, is more concrete research on the gun issue. There has been a long-standing frustration in the public health community that Congress does not fund research on gun violence like other health epidemics, said Roberta Rakove, senior vice president for Sinai Health Systems.

Just this December, however, a group of academics, hospitals and public health researchers in Chicago pledged to cooperate on new research on gun violence.

"Given the nature of the emergency here in Chicago, we really couldn't wait," Rakove said.

Improving morale, professionalism

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In the Laquan McDonald case, the court-ordered release in November 2015 of disturbing police dashboard camera video showing white Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting the black 17-year-old 16 times had a ripple effect on police all year. Superintendent Garry McCarthy was fired within days of the video's release, and the Justice Department probe of police practices followed.

In the ensuing months, the department drew withering criticism, especially for its failure over the decades to properly punish officers for a wide range of misconduct, including excessive force, as Tribune investigations found. The misconduct damaged relations with the public, which experts say makes it all the more difficult for police to get the community's help in fighting crime.

Officers, in turn, were stung by the unprecedented scrutiny and public anger. In stories published in the Tribune in 2016, officers described plunging morale, and their more cautious approach on the street. The Tribune found officers made fewer stops of citizens for information, and fewer arrests. Some officers believe the new scrutiny of police also emboldened criminals, now more likely to carry guns and taunt officers, and contributed to rising violence.

Whether any of this had an impact on crime is not immediately clear. But Chicago police will have a better chance of chipping away at the violence if the department can make headway not only in restoring community trust, but in steadying officers, said Anne Kirkpatrick, who heads the department's Bureau of Professional Standards.

"When officers are trained with the best practices and constitutional policing ... they can be confident they are staying within the boundaries," she said. "And when they stay within the boundaries, they don't need to worry about getting into trouble."

In September, the city scrapped the Independent Police Review Authority, the agency charged with investigating police misconduct, and announced a new board that would have somewhat expanded powers and authority.

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The Police Department has also proposed changes to its policy regarding when officers can use force. The department also launched two-day retraining that emphasizes "de-escalation" tactics to try to reduce the number of fatal confrontations, with aims to train its entire force in a year.

Chicago police bought more Tasers to give officers more options in potentially deadly confrontations. And it expanded its use of body-worn cameras to improve transparency. On Wednesday, the department announced an accelerated rollout of the cameras, saying all officers would be outfitted by the end of 2017.

Emanuel also has pledged he will add about 1,000 more officers to the current count of some 12,000 sworn department members. A Tribune examination of department rosters last month, however, showed that the city has some catching up to do when it comes to manpower. The number of sworn officers has shrunk approximately 7 percent over six years  including the loss of about 600 officers since Emanuel took office in 2011.

The mayor has committed to creating a citizens' oversight board to monitor the department, as other cities across the country have done when faced with intense criticism of police practices. Emanuel, though, has yet to offer specifics on when that board would be created, how it would be structured or whether he would control a majority of its appointments.

Experts note that giving power to a strong citizen board will be critical going forward.

"That is really important," said Samuel Sinyangwe, co-founder of Campaign Zero, a national policy platform that grew from the national concern over police-involved shootings of citizens and now tracks and researches reform. "(From) the changes to the strategies of the Police Department to ensuring the department is behaving appropriately, that can only happen with strong community oversight."

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Hopelessness and poverty

Over the decades in Chicago, the same communities that have suffered from pernicious poverty and joblessness also have endured the highest rates of violence. Last year was no different.

When you are nothing, you have nothing to lose. The only way to become something is to pick up a gun.  William Sampson, DePaul University public policy studies department

The largest increases in homicides occurred in five communities  Englewood, West Englewood, New City, Austin and West Garfield Park. More than 37 percent of the population in those areas live below the poverty line, compared with 23 percent citywide, according to the Crime Lab draft report.

These five neighborhoods contain just 8 percent of the city's population but accounted for an estimated 32 percent of the city's homicides, researchers noted.

The decline in Chicago's poor minority neighborhoods began decades ago when good-paying factory jobs  once available to anyone with a high school diploma  dried up, said Sampson, the public policy expert.

Socioeconomic factors and a blatantly racist real estate market kept many neighborhoods on the South and West sides segregated and isolated. Many blacks and Latinos, the primary residents of these neighborhoods, also became entangled in a criminal justice system that punishes most harshly those without financial means, leading to a cycle of poverty and prison.

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These facts are known, but solving systemic poverty remains daunting.

New attempts to offer economic opportunities have surfaced periodically on South and West sides. In Englewood last year, for example, a new Whole Foods opened, with shoppers cheering as they pushed carts through the front doors.

But while he championed the effort, Sampson cautioned that it will take a lot more to rebound from decadeslong economic neglect. A massive effort is needed, combining tax dollars with private enterprise, the DePaul professor said.

"No one piece is going to do it," he said. "If you try to fix piece by piece, you're just spitting in the wind."

Some attempts at addressing those needs are in the works.

In September, there was the launch of Chicago Trend, a for-profit development organization that aims to lure stable investment, including big chains, to marginal neighborhoods, relying in part on deep data dives on the buying power that could be capitalized, according to the organization.

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Chase Bank announced in October it would fund $3.5 million in micro-loans and other efforts to draw retail  and the jobs that come with it  to distressed areas.

And Emanuel launched the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, allowing developers to build at higher densities in an expanded downtown area in return for channeling money toward development and job training in economically disadvantaged areas.

The mayor has been criticized for his cuts to mental health services early in his tenure, which some argue has contributed to an increasingly frayed network of support for these hard-hit communities.

Still, in September, Emanuel announced a $36 million initiative to support mentoring throughout the city to try to bring stability to kids growing up in the most troubled areas. Long-term relationship-building with young people, through such programming, may be the best hope at reducing the sway of gangs in the first place, say neighborhood organizers.

The work is hard and requires not just a financial commitment but a strong, emotional investment, outreach groups say.

"Young people get together and they engage in negative behavior like violence, and there's no one to say, 'Here's how you become a better friend,' " said Joshua Brooks, an outreach worker who teaches nonviolence to students at Austin College and Career Academy. "There has to be some sort of relationship that forms to teach peace."

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Need for long-range plans

Despite the city's efforts, proposals so far for decreasing violence have been short-sighted, say many community groups.

In a 16-page report released in November, a wide-ranging group of nearly 50 Chicago organizations called out the city for a fundamental problem with its violence response  the lack of an in-depth, over-arching strategy.

"Chicago remains without a comprehensive plan to prevent and respond to (gun violence). Such a plan is sorely needed," the group concluded.

Emanuel's September speech outlining his own public safety strategy, in which he detailed his proposals to hire more officers and improve mentoring and shore up economic development, falls short, they said.

A woman talks with members of the Chicago Police Department at the scene where two people were killed and were wounded in the 8600 block of South Maryland Avenue on Dec. 25, 2016. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

The group  which ranged from the ACLU of Illinois to small storefront church ministries  called for a deeper assessment and a multi-year plan with stable funding to achieve the "scale, staffing, population targeting, program fidelity" to really address the violence.

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"There are ways to implement cost-effective programs to target violence," said Stephanie Kollmann, policy director of Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University's law school, a signatory on the report. "The long-term, systemic answers require funding. A full answer would be expensive. Obviously it requires real investment and certainly redistribution of some resources from some parts of the city to another."

Emanuel's spokesman, Adam Collins, agreed the problem is multifaceted and said the mayor's speech laid out his commitment to broader plans to address those issues. He also said the mayor's expansion of summer jobs for youth is key.

"The reality is that it is a complex challenge that will require a comprehensive solution," he said. "That is what the mayor outlined in September, and that was the intention behind the approach."

Whatever help might materialize can't come soon enough, Sampson said. With problems so deeply ingrained, hopelessness could lead to desperation, and desperation to yet more violence.

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"We live in a society where your worth is measured by what you have, and these folks have nothing," Sampson said of those living in neighborhoods wracked by violence. "When you are nothing, you have nothing to lose. The only way to become something is to pick up a gun."

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Managing stress takes practice, something The Bridge Youth & Family Services in Palatine illustrates to young clients by using a soda bottle.

Do they react to a difficult situation by exploding like a shaken soda? Do they show no signs of agitation  like a soda that's lost its fizz? Or do they size up a situation and respond accordingly, similar to a slow-release bottle?

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"We talk about understanding how trauma triggers how they react," said Stephanie Beck, a child and family therapist for the organization known as The Bridge. "We look at what things they're doing that get them in trouble. We're not judging them, but trying to get them to understand and think what to do instead."

The Bridge, named in the 1970s when Simon & Garfunkel were singing the now-iconic "Bridge Over Troubled Water," sees young clients through age 19 who are experiencing problems at home, school or elsewhere.

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The difficulties could be due to "adverse childhood experiences," which include loss of a parent through separation, divorce or death; psychological, verbal, physical or sexual abuse; a household member with a substance abuse problem or mental illness; incarceration of a parent and violence between adults at home.

Ninety-one percent of The Bridge's clients have at least one adverse experience in their background, with the average being three. Almost a quarter of the clients have five, said executive director Gregg Stockey.

"Research suggests the more things they have, the more they're set up for life-long problems, not only mental health issues but physical ailments, being homeless or incarcerated," Stockey said.

"A person can develop bad coping skills, but counseling or mentoring can prevent their development," he said, changing the trajectory of a child's life.

The Bridge does individual and group counseling, has a crisis intervention team for runaway, locked-out and homeless teens, and offers mentoring, parenting classes and leadership development. It is funded primarily by the state, but also receives support from Palatine Township, United Way and organizations such as Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Foundation fund. Clients pay what they can.

Participation is voluntary, but having such resources in the community is invaluable, said Paul Budin, coordinator of social work services for School District 15, which has 15 elementary schools and four junior highs.

"School social work by definition is work in the schools to help enhance the social and emotional functioning of students," Budin said. "But now, with as many issues as there are, with family stressors from economics to divorce and loss, we don't have enough time in the day," for those needing extra help.

Bringing the "baggage" of home to school often gets in the way of learning, said Mark Kovack, associate superintendent for student services, in School District 211.

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"The Bridge helps us connect a family to resources to get to the crux of the problem," he said.

At the agency, the child's behavior is evaluated and goals for treatment are set and signed off on by the child, parents and therapists. Those goals are the guideposts for determining if treatment is working. The school is notified of the plan if parents agree.

"Early trauma takes time to find," said Selene Mehta, the agency's clinical supervisor. "We have to find out how a child is functioning at home, at school and in the community."

While therapists occasionally confront stubborn preconceptions or stigmas concerning treatment for mental health issues, many families are relieved to address whatever is bothering their child, Mehta said.

"It takes a lot for parents to reach for the phone and say, 'we need help,'" she said.

Sometimes the adults also need assistance, such as when feelings about abuse that happened to them in childhood resurface as they parent their children, Mehta said. Referrals are made for counseling, or food banks if the issues are more economic.

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After getting to the root of what might be causing performance issues at school, the inability to make or keep friends, self-hurting or other symptoms, treatment usually involves dismantling what Beck calls MUPS  coping strategies that can "mess you up"  and finding new ways to deal with stressful situations. Examples of harmful strategies are drinking, smoking, overeating, getting into fights, risky sexual behavior, too much screen time, isolation and constantly taking care of others.

Understanding that MUPS might offer temporary relief, but also might make things worse, is important for developing the ability to let them go, Beck said. That leads to seeing there are choices going forward.

"You can't make your parents stop arguing," she said. "But you can distract yourself."

Turning around a dysfunctional pattern  the earlier the better  can prevent a child from "floundering through life," said Heather Mlynek, who supervises The Bridge's crisis team.

"Kids may end up in jail or attempting suicide. They're unable to be successful in the work world. It can be multi-generational," Mlynek said. "But kids are resilient and outcomes are more positive if there's intervention."

She said the agency is meeting the demand for services, but needs more Spanish-speaking therapists. And Stockey wants to offer services in more locations, saying surveys indicate transportation and going to a "strange" place are barriers to seeking help. The concept of schools as community centers might be an answer, he said.

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"We need to try to interrupt this pattern of life-long misery," Stockey said. "It affects us all."

Kay Manning is a freelance reporter.
President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and sanctioned Russian intelligence officials who Washington believes were involved in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election.

The measures, taken during the last days of Obama's presidency, mark a new low in U.S.-Russian relations which have deteriorated over serious differences on Ukraine and Syria.

"These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior," Obama said in a statement from vacation in Hawaii.

It was not immediately clear whether President-elect Donald Trump, who has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and nominated people seen as friendly toward Moscow to senior administration posts, would seek to roll back the measures once he takes office on Jan. 20.

Obama is seeking to deter Russia and other foreign governments from leveraging cyber attacks in the future to meddle in U.S. politics, former officials and cyber security experts said.

Obama has been under growing pressure from within his own administration and lawmakers of both political parties to respond more forcefully to the cyber attacks, which included leaked emails of Democratic Party operatives that became part of the media coverage in the campaign for the Nov. 8 presidential election.

The Russian foreign ministry said on Thursday the sanctions were counter-productive and would harm the restoration of bilateral ties. Moscow denies the hacking allegation.

Obama sanctioned two Russian intelligence agencies, the GRU and the FSB, four GRU officers and three companies "that provided material support to the GRU's cyber operations. Obama said the State Department declared as "persona non grata" 35 Russian intelligence operatives and is closing two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that were used by Russian personnel for "intelligence-related purposes". The State Department originally said the 35 were diplomats.

A senior U.S. official told Reuters the move would affect the Russian embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco.

The Russians have 72 hours to leave the United States, the official said. Access to the two compounds, which are used by Russian officials for intelligence gathering, will be denied to all Russian officials as of noon on Friday, the senior U.S. official added.

"These actions were taken to respond to Russian harassment of American diplomats and actions by the diplomats that we have assessed to be not consistent with diplomatic practice," the official said.

The State Department has long complained that Russian security agents and traffic police have harassed U.S. diplomats in Moscow, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has raised the issue with Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.

"By imposing costs on the Russian diplomats in the United States, by denying them access to the two facilities, we hope the Russian government reevaluates its own actions, which have impeded the ability and safety of our own embassy personnel in Russia," the official said.

The U.S. official declined to name the Russian diplomats who would be affected, although it is understood that Russia's ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, will not be one of those expelled.
Police in Wisconsin have released surveillance photos of two men they say stole a car from the South Side of Chicago and drove to a town just west of Milwaukee where they robbed a pharmacy at gunpoint.



The photos show people inside Swan Pharmacy in Wauwatosa taking cover as the men entered the store around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday and pulled out a gun. Police said the two did not want cash, just drugs.



"They simply wanted the opiates, the narcotics, then they were on their way in a matter of minutes," said Wauwatosa police Lt. Brian Zalewski.



The robbers' car was discovered abandoned about half a mile away near a school in the town, police said. It had been stolen hours earlier in Chicago, Zalewski said.



One of the robbers was described as black, 20 to 25 years old, with a thin build and wearing a maroon "varsity style" jacket, a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and gray gloves. He displayed a black semi-automatic handgun during the robbery, police said.



The other robber was described as black, 20 to 25 years old, with a thin build and wearing a gray and black jacket with a multicolored scarf.



In an alert, police said the two should be considered armed and dangerous. They asked anyone with information to call the Wauwatosa Police Department at 414-471-8430 or anonymously contact Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers at 414-771-8672.
Amber Pasztor, 29, of Fort Wayne, Ind., was arrested on two counts of murder Sept. 26, 2016. (Elkhart Police Department)

GOSHEN, Ind.  An Indiana woman accused of fatally smothering her two young children told a judge in a handwritten letter that she's guilty and ready to accept life in prison.

Amber Pasztor, 29, of Fort Wayne, faces two counts of murder in the Sept. 26 killings of 7-year-old Liliana Hernandez and 6-year-old Rene Pasztor. The children were killed after being abducted from their custodial grandparents' home.

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Her attorneys are seeking to present a defense of mental disease or defect, saying they believe she cannot fully understand the legal proceedings or help prepare her defense. But in the letter, Pasztor said she was competent and would refuse to see another doctor for mental health evaluations.

"I made a lot of bad decisions in my life but this one really did it," she wrote. "I am guilty and I accept my consequences thank you so much for your time."

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Pasztor has also admitted to fatally shooting her neighbor, 65-year-old Frank Macomber, and taking his car. She has not been charged in the death, but prosecutors have said she is a suspect. Investigators believe Macomber was shot the same day the children were killed. His body was found the next day in a wooded area near Fort Wayne.

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Pasztor's letter to Elkhart Circuit Court Judge Terry Shewmaker was dated Dec. 14 but filed with the court on Tuesday, The Goshen News and The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette reported.

Shewmaker gave prosecutors a copy of Pasztor's letter during a Thursday court hearing, which Pasztor didn't attend. The judge made no ruling on the letter, but pushed Pasztor's trial date from late January until March 20 so a second competency evaluation could be completed.

Pasztor's defense attorney, Clifford Williams, told The Goshen News that he wouldn't discuss the letter. The Associated Press left a telephone message for Williams on Thursday seeking comment.

According to investigators, Pasztor parked a car outside the Elkhart Police Department hours after the children were abducted and told an officer her children's bodies were the back seat. Elkhart is about 70 miles northwest of Fort Wayne.

Pasztor said in an October jailhouse interview with WANE-TV that she decided to kill her children after hearing an Amber Alert for them. She said she killed the children so they would be safe in heaven.

Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence without parole for Pasztor.

Associated Press
A 20-year-old man and a teen boy are accused of firing shots at an off-duty officer before trying to make off with the officer's car last week, Chicago police said.

Colquitt Thomas, 20, is charged with attempted robbery with a firearm. He is being held on $300,000 bail, according to the Cook County Jail's website. A 17-year-old boy is charged with attempted robbery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm at a police officer.

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The officer was not injured in the attack, which happened about 4:45 p.m. Thursday in the 100 block of East 89th Street in the city's West Chesterfield neighborhood, police said.

Two attackers walked up to the off-duty officer and fired shots at the officer's vehicle before trying to take it, police said.

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Officers responded to a call of shots fired, and the two assailants fled east on 89th but were arrested.

A gun was recovered from the scene, police said.

Thomas is scheduled to appear in court again Thursday.
President Barack Obama will give his farewell speech Jan. 10 in Chicago.

Coming 10 days before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as Democrats cede the White House to Republicans, Obama's hometown address is expected to serve as his closing words to the nation as president.

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The appearance will be open to the public and followed by a "family reunion" for alumni of Obama's former campaigns, according to a save-the-date notice sent to Obama alumni and obtained by The Associated Press. The White House has not confirmed Obama's speech or trip to Chicago.

Ahead of the speech, Obama and Democratic lawmakers next week will meet to try to forge a common strategy to prevent Republicans from destroying the president's signature health-care law.

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On Wednesday morning, Obama travels to the Capitol for the meeting with House and Senate Democrats, according to an invitation sent to lawmakers. The White House is casting it as an effort to unite Democrats behind a plan to protect the law, known as the Affordable Care Act, before Republicans have a chance to settle on their own plan for repealing it.

Democrats are on edge over the future of the ACA, given the GOP's disdain for "Obamacare" and Trump's vows to gut it. Though Republicans are united behind the notion of repealing the law, they're split over how best to replace it. Some want to strip out unpopular provisions while leaving others intact, while other Republicans prefer a start-from-scratch approach.

It's that lack of unanimity among Republicans that Obama and Democrats hope can be exploited, if they can lay the groundwork before Trump takes office. To that end, Obama also planned to answer questions about the future of the health care law next Friday during a livestreamed event at Blair House, just across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.

Initially stunned by the defeat of Hillary Clinton, Democrats are now trying to organize a counterattack to preserve the ACA, among the most significant expansions of the social safety net since Medicare and Medicaid were created 50 years ago. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has urged her lawmakers to make health care their focus at the start of the year.

Since the ACA passed, about 20 million people have gained coverage and the uninsured rate has dropped to a historic low of around 9 percent. Some of the coverage gains are due to employers offering jobs with health care in a stronger economy, but most experts mainly credit Obama's law.

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Vice President-elect Mike Pence was in the Loop for an Illinois Republican fundraiser at The Chicago Club on Dec. 30, 2016. After his arrival, about 150 protesters gathered. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Vice President-elect Mike Pence appeared at a Chicago fundraiser Friday where the Illinois GOP hoped to raise as much as $1 million for the Republican National Committee.

On the host committee for the $2,700-per-ticket fundraiser were some of Illinois' most prominent Republicans, including Gov. Bruce Rauner, seven of the eight Illinois GOP congressmen and Ron Gidwitz, a businessman who led President-elect Donald Trump's Illinois campaign fundraising effort.

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The Indiana governor arrived in the Loop shortly before 11 a.m. and entered the Chicago Club through a back door not visible from the barricaded sidewalks in front of the building. Pence was not greeted by protesters, although they arrived later while he was inside.

Illinois Republican Chairman Tim Schneider said a fractured state party during the primary season has since coalesced around Trump and Pence.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 7 Protesters demonstrate along Michigan Avenue outside a fundraiser where Vice President-elect Mike Pence made an apperance Dec. 30, 2016, at The Chicago Club. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

"Chicago is the hub of the Midwest and it's also very close to his roots in Indiana, so he can draw from those folks who are supporters from Indiana," said Schneider, a Cook County commissioner, of Pence's visit to the city. "I think we have a great number of supporters here in Chicago who believe in this new Trump-Pence administration, and that's why they're here."

Not listed as part of the host committee were U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and U.S. Rep. Robert Dold of Kenilworth, who distanced themselves from Trump but ultimately lost their re-election bids last month. Rauner has been reluctant to even say Trump's name, which didn't stop Democrats from cobbling together a TV attack ad during the fall attempting to link the governor to the GOP standard bearer. Rauner confirmed that he has spoken to Trump since the election.

About 150 protesters have gathered outside Vice President Elect Mike Pence's Loop fundraiser at The Chicago Club. pic.twitter.com/N6138ZJYkC  Bill Ruthhart (@BillRuthhart) December 30, 2016

Rauner did not attend the event, however, as he had traveled out West with his family.

About 150 protesters gathered at Michigan Avenue and Van Buren Street. Many of them waved signs that read "We say no to racism, sexism & war!"

Among the chants they repeated: "Our bodies, our lives, our right to decide!" and "Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Mike Pence go away!" and "No Trump, no Pence! No KKK! No fascist USA!"

There was, however, a Trump supporter who responded to the chants through a megaphone of his own. The man, who only would identify himself by the fake name of "Alexander Hamilton," was approached by a handful of demonstrators who screamed and cursed at him as a Chicago police officer watched nearby.

A lone Donald Trump supporter chants back with his megaphone as 150 others protest Vice President-Elect Mike Pence's Chicago fundraiser. pic.twitter.com/GI4RpOXBT7  Bill Ruthhart (@BillRuthhart) December 30, 2016

"Donald Trump will make America great again!" the man chanted over and over again.

A Republican official indicated the fundraiser was expected to raise $500,000 to $1 million. Those making the maximum $33,400 contribution got a roundtable and photo with Pence, while those contributing $10,000 got a photo with him.

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WEST CHESTER, Pa.  Anita Foeman's students had just gotten the results from their genetic tests, and they couldn't wait to talk.

One said her dad cheered when she told him she has Zulu roots. A girl with curly red hair said her family always gathers around a Nativity scene on Christmas Eve and sings carols over the baby Jesus. This year, after learning that she's 1 percent Jewish, she said, "We're going to sing the dreidel song!"

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When a white student said that 1 percent of his ancestry was African, two black students sitting next to him gave him fist bumps and said: "Yes! Brother."

"Some people have never had a happy conversation about race," Foeman said. But in her class at West Chester University, there was laughter. Eagerness. And easy connections where there might have been chasms. "Our differences are fascinating," she said.

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At a time when tensions over race and politics are so raw, the stakes, Foeman said, seem particularly high. Her students have been talking all fall about riots, building walls, terrorist attacks, immigration, the election. "You can feel it buzzing around the halls like electricity," Foeman said.

Asking people to take DNA tests - an idea that has spread to a campuswide effort at this public university - grew out of consulting work Foeman does in race mediation. Instead of a confrontational approach, trying to provoke people into recognizing their own biases, she wanted something that would pull people together, or at least give them a neutral place from which to start to talk. And with racial divides so stark, she wanted to add some nuance and depth.

She wondered: What if people started finding out things they didn't know about themselves?

So she begins with a short survey asking people their race and what they know about their ancestry. They spit into a vial. Several weeks later, they get an email with an estimate of their ethnic makeup, a color-coded map of their past.

That leads to questions, and stories, and curiosity. It is a welcome reset from awkwardness, defensiveness, suspicion. Now that the DNA tests are cheaper, Foeman is able to ask all the students in her honors class - almost all of them freshmen just getting to know or redefine themselves - to take the test.

There's a broad range of people at this state school in Pennsylvania. There are students whose parents are college professors and children of coal miners. There are students from abroad, from inner cities and from parts of the state so rural that hunting helps put dinner on the table. There are transgender students, students who reject gender entirely, Bernie Sanders voters, Donald Trump voters, black people who have heard racial slurs, a biracial student who was told by a stranger last month to "go back to Mexico" and a student who, growing up in a neighborhood where most people are black, was bullied because he is white. ("Who advocates for him?" Foeman asked. "The election and the protests have pushed that conversation forward.")

Foeman, who is African-American - and genetically more than one-quarter European, as she now knows - would like to test as many people as she can. It's a way to study everything from medicine to history. Most of all, she'd like to get everyone talking.

She has found people willing, even eager, to take part, with more than 1,500 on campus volunteering.

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"I think people want this," she said. "That surprises me - in a good way."

"When I opened my results, the first thing that greeted me was 6 percent African," said a student with very pale skin in the back of the classroom, smacking herself in the forehead, mouth open wide, to re-create her reaction the night before: "Whaaaaat?"

West Chester University professor Anita Foeman explains to a student how much saliva is required for a DNA test that students in her class must take. (Melissa Rudolph / West Chester University handout)

"I guess I shouldn't be that surprised," she added. "I know a lot of African-American people have some white DNA, so I shouldn't be surprised there's some African in me."

Another student said that when she called her parents to tell them she was 75 percent Irish and 10 percent Scandinavian, "My mom started cheering through the phone," she said. "I was like, 'Why are you cheering?' "

"It's interesting the ones you cheer for and the ones you go, 'Ehhhhhhh,' " Foeman said. "There are ones you lean into."

That's how family histories get told and identities defined, she says. Some things are exaggerated, some covered up or forgotten. "There are all kinds of secrets in families."

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A student with bright-red hair sent her mother an image of her results, telling her, " 'We're not Irish at all.' Her first response was: 'You must have the wrong data.' "

And then: " 'Don't tell your grandfather. It might kill him.' "

Foeman has seen people drop out of the project after getting their results, including three people who identified as African-American who were upset to learn how much European ancestry they had. Some people refuse to take the test. A woman of Chinese descent told Foeman: "It's okay for you - you already know you're mixed up. I don't want to find out I'm not pure."

And some people resist some of the findings, such as the student who insisted he just tans easily.

Statistically, Foeman and her colleague Bessie Lawton have found that people overestimate their European heritage and whiteness and underestimate ancestry from other regions. Half the people say their families will respond positively to results before they take the test. Afterward, fewer than 1 in 10 say so.

"People don't realize they think this stuff," Foeman said. "They would say they have no prejudices. They just get quiet."

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West Chester University student Emma Krentler checks her DNA sample in a class at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, in which students gave saliva samples to be used for DNA testing. (Melissa Rudolph / Handout)

In class, there were a few quiet moments. But mostly people were rushing to talk - to tell about the great-grandfather who was a Portuguese pirate, the grandfather who was a Black Panther, the grandmother who doesn't like black people, the great-grandmother whose skin is so much lighter than her siblings' and everyone will be very angry if anyone asks why that is. The grandmother who, on her deathbed at 99, insisted that the family's roots went back to William the Conqueror, although no one thought the family was of British descent. (That student's test results indicated they were, in fact, British. "Even up to the end, you gave Grandma no respect!" Foeman teased.)

Emma Krentler, who has pale skin and brown hair, told the class she knew of Italian and German ancestors and expected some kind of a split between the two. Instead, she found a much more intricate tapestry: 2 percent North African, 13 percent West Asian, 2 percent Jewish. And when she saw Middle Eastern, "I was like: 'What? What?' It was complete and utter surprise."

"Who are these people?!" Foeman laughed with her.

Strummer Steele, whose results indicated an Arab-Jewish identity, said that in these times, neither of those feels safe to highlight: "There were swastikas painted in Philly yesterday."

After the election, Foeman said, "people on all sides are smarting. How do we start to approach each other again?"

Several students said genetic testing could help. Amari Gilmore, who is African-American, mentioned the historical labeling of people as black if they had even one black ancestor. Cassandra Carabello, who identifies as Hispanic, said her results indicated she was almost one-fifth African. "That would change everything," she said. "Black lives matter?"

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"If everyone had the opportunity to take this test, it would just bring us closer together," Carabello said. "I'm 7 percent Irish. Now I feel connected to that in some way." She's 41 percent Native American. For every race, she said, she now feels that, viscerally, "we have something in common."

Lawton said the results show what researchers already know: that people are 99.9 percent the same in terms of DNA. "The only part that makes us look different is .1 percent," she said.

James Devor, who voted for Trump, said people talk about politics in class in ways they don't elsewhere on campus. One student told the class about how she started to tell a group of friends she's Republican and they walked away, furious with her. The class listened. People talked about being scared of deportations, and the class listened. A black student described how she was saddened by test results that evoked some of the horrors of slavery, and the class listened.

The DNA test "helps us understand we're not all from one special place, which is really peculiar to America," Devor said. "Because we're all from different areas, with different ideas that come with that ethnic culture. What makes America great is we have all those cultures combined."
Syrian Abu Khaled looks at the rubble of his destroyed house in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, on December 30, 2016. (Abd Doumany / AFP/Getty Images)

BEIRUT  A nationwide Syrian cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey that went into effect at midnight held Friday despite minor violations, marking a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has disregarded high-level peace initiatives for over five years.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes early Friday between troops and rebels in the central province of Hama and near the capital, Damascus. It said that later in the day a man was killed by sniper fire in eastern suburbs of Damascus, becoming the first fatality since the truce went into effect. The group also reported an aerial attack on the rebel-held Barada Valley near Damascus.

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The Syrian army denied reports it was bombarding the Barada Valley region saying opposition claims aim to show that the army is not abiding by the truce.

Opposition activist Mazen al-Shami, who is based in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said minor clashes nearby left one rebel wounded. Activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, in the southern Daraa province, said government forces had opened fire on rebel-held areas.

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Several past attempts at halting the fighting have failed. As with previous agreements, the current cease-fire excludes both the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front, which fights alongside other rebel factions, and the Islamic State group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran. Moscow and Tehran provide crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.

If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country's mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Putin said in announcing the agreement. He described it, however, as "quite fragile" and requiring "special attention and patience."

Dozens of Syrians take part in a small gathering calling for the fall of the regime on December 30, 2016, in the northwestern city of Idlib. (Omar Haj Kadour / AFP/Getty Images)

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the cease-fire a "major achievement" in a tweet Friday. "Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he added.

Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one denied signing it.

A U.N. official said he hopes that cease-fire would allow them to take aid to 15 besieged areas where some 700,000 people live. Jan Egeland, Special, Advisor to the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, told The Associated Press that "we desperately need this ceasefire. The reports I have from the field is that there is a decrease, a marked decrease in fighting, in bombing, in violence, compared to yesterday. But certainly there's been a number of violations."

"We're willing, we're able to go to all of the 15 remaining besieged areas beyond east Aleppo. We can go in the next (few) days to all of them. But then we need unimpeded access," he said. "We need the government to give us all of the permits that they require us to have before we can go. We need security guarantees from all sides and we're not given them."

"January needs to be really different," Egeland added, "If not  there will be starvation, there will be untold, unnecessary deaths."

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The truce came on the heels of a Russian-Turkish agreement earlier this month to evacuate the last rebels from eastern Aleppo after they were confined to a tiny enclave by a government offensive. The retaking of all of Aleppo marked Assad's greatest victory since the start of the 2011 uprising against his family's four-decade rule.

"The defeat of the terrorists in Aleppo is an important step toward ending the war," Assad said in an interview with TG5, an Italian TV station, adding that the capture of the city does not mean that the war has ended because "terrorists" are still in Syria.

The United States was left out of both agreements, reflecting the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington after the failure of previous diplomatic efforts on Syria.

Assad told TG5 "we are more optimistic, with caution," about the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested greater cooperation with Russia against extremist groups.

"We can say part of the optimism could be related to better relation between the United States and Russia," Assad said, speaking in English.

"Mr. Trump, during his campaign - (said) that his priority is fighting terrorism, and we believe that this is the beginning of the solution, if he can implement what he announced," Assad said in the interview, which was apparently filmed before the cease-fire was announced.

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Syrian men dance during a demonstration against the Syrian regime in the rebel-held town of Saqba, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus, on December 30, 2016. (Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP/Getty Images)

Asked about the possibility of the United States' participation in the peace process in Kazakhstan, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the process would "be open to everyone."

"I hope that this cease-fire holds and turns into a lasting peace so that the deaths of more innocent people, of civilians and children is halted and 2017 brings calm," Yildirim said.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency meanwhile quoted the military as saying Russia carried out three airstrikes against Islamic State targets near the northern town of al-Bab, where Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces have been battling the extremist group. The strikes indicated that Russia and Turkey may work together to combat IS once the fighting elsewhere in Syria has been halted.

Turkish Foreign Mevlut Cavusoglu Minister said the U.S.-led coalition forces resumed aerial operations around al-Bab on Thursday, after Turkey complained that it was not getting support from its allies in its fight against IS there.

The Turkish military statement quoted by Anadolu did not say when the Russian air strikes took place, but said they killed 12 IS militants.

Separately, 26 IS militants, including some senior commanders, were killed in Turkish airstrikes on al-Bab and the Daglabash region, and some 17 IS targets were destroyed, Anadolu reported. It said a Turkish soldier was kill in a IS attack on troops south of the al-Azrak area.

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It said among those killed was an IS commander known as Abu Hussein al-Tunsi.

Turkey sent troops and tanks into northern Syria in August to help opposition forces clear a border area of IS militants and curb the advances of U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, who are also battling the extremist group.



Associated Press
Capt. Michael Mullen of the U.S. Coast Guard answers questions during a news conference at Burke Lakefront Airport on Dec. 30, 2016, in Cleveland. (Tony Dejak / AP)

CLEVELAND  The chief executive of a beverage distribution company was piloting a plane carrying his wife, two sons and two other people when it quickly lost altitude after takeoff from Cleveland's lakeshore airport and vanished from radar, according to his family and a flight-tracking service Friday.

Superior Beverage Group executive John T. Fleming was piloting the Columbus-bound plane when it disappeared late Thursday about 2 miles over Lake Erie, his parents and company confirmed.

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The five other people on the plane were Fleming's wife, Sue, teenage sons Jack and Andrew, a neighbor and the neighbor's daughter, said John W. Fleming, the pilot's father, and Joseph McHenry, an executive vice president at Superior Beverage.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday it was suspending search-and-rescue efforts and is no longer expecting to find anyone alive.

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Coast Guard Capt. Michael Mullen says deciding to end a search is never easy. He says the Coast Guard extends its condolences to "the family and friends of those who lost loved ones during this tragedy."

The Coast Guard had been using planes, helicopters and a 140-foot-long cutter in searching a 128-square-mile area in the lake after the plane lost radar contact late Thursday.

Tracking service FlightAware logged only three location pings for the plane after takeoff from Burke Lakefront Airport, and the last one indicated rapid altitude loss. Authorities have said there were no distress signals from the pilot.

The aircraft took off westward from Burke, then turned north across the lake, according to the tracking service flightradar24.com. The departure procedure at Burke could take an aircraft north over the lake before turning south toward a destination, Mullen said.

The plane, which had made the roughly half-hour trip from Columbus earlier in the day, is registered to a limited liability company under the same Columbus address as Superior Beverage.

Authorities have detected "faint hints" but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help find the plane, Mullen said. Searchers have found no sign of debris.

The search overnight was made difficult by snow squalls, high seas and darkness, Mullen said. Weather prevented smaller Coast Guard boats in the Cleveland area from launching. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and a Royal Canadian Air Force plane were used along with a Coast Guard ship from Detroit began the search overnight that has continued in the daylight hours Friday.

It would have been the pilot's responsibility to determine whether it was safe to fly, Mullen said.

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The Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna Citation 525 plane left Burke at 10:50 p.m., and the Coast Guard said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control at Burke about 30 minutes later. Investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive in Cleveland on Friday.

The aircraft was headed to Ohio State University Airport northwest of downtown Columbus.

Associated Press
An American flag rests on a Certificate of Citizenship during a naturalization ceremony at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, in New York. (Mary Altaffer, AP)

"What are the two houses of Congress?" my grandfather asked. He was sitting across the table from Ba and me, playing the role of a U.S. agent.

"The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha," my Ba declared with confidence.

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My heart sank. "How is she going to make it?" I wondered. I turned to my grandfather and said, "Dada, those are the two houses of the Indian Parliament! She needs to know the name of the House of Representatives and the Senate."

"Ba," as I had always known my 4-foot-11 grandmother, was doing her first "dress rehearsal" for her U.S. citizenship interview, which was to be held in just three days. Ba wasn't messing around. Dada had just popped a brand new pair of batteries in my Ba's hearing aids. I knew he was serious. Just like Americans who lived through the Depression, you can take my grandparents out of India, but you can't take the India or its related life experiences out of my grandparents. You didn't spend money on new batteries unless it was something big, like a wedding or a birthday. The fact that my Dada was splurging on new hearing-aid batteries for a rehearsal confirmed to me that he didn't want anything to go wrong.

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"I'm going to be putting a new set in on Thursday," he said before our rehearsal began. "We can't take any chances.

"Supal, that's why you are the translator. The Lok Sabha is the House and the Rajya Sabha is the Senate," my Dada responded to my question about the two houses of Congress.

"I understand Dada, but she needs to say 'The House of Representatives and Senate' explicitly. I don't feel comfortable translating that to the interviewer."

This wasn't our first go-round with Ba trying to become a U.S. citizen, something that she and my Dada wanted so desperately to achieve. My Dada had acquired his American citizenship a decade ago, the latest member in our family to become an American. My Ba, unfortunately, had failed the interview exam, a combination of her being a bundle of nerves during the interview, not understanding the questions because she is legally deaf and her being barely able to understand English. This time around she would be able to do the interview in Gujarati, her native tongue from her birthplace of India, a privilege granted to her because of her advanced age as well as the fact that she has been living in the United States full time for 24 years. I would be her translator. For me, this was a tremendous honor, and I was struggling to keep it together emotionally. Question after question, my Ba was nailing the answers correctly with gusto.

"Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer," she said when asked who our state's senators were. When Dada asked her who the president was, Ba said, "Barack Obama currently; on January 20th, Donald J. Trump."

She turned and looked up into my eyes. At 6-foot-3, I felt like a giant.

"I don't want it to be too easy. I think I should do the interview in English  so that it's a challenge. Ask me what our rights are as Americans?" she instructed to my Dada.

She was too excited to wait for him to ask before responding, "The freedom of speech and the freedom to practice our religion."

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She raised her tiny hand and gave me a fist bump. She knew she was going to ace the interview. She had practiced every possible question a gazillion times. I saw the same excited twinkle in her eyes that I saw more than 30 years ago as I looked into her eyes as a 7-year-old kid the night my dad took my mom to the hospital in Waynesboro, Va., for the arrival of the first American citizen in our family, my baby sister. Since then, my father, mother, grandfather and I had become naturalized American citizens. Even though we told her that she was an American in our hearts, Ba wanted it declared to her by the American government.

Ba grew up in the British Raj and witnessed the birth of the world's largest democracy during the Indian independence from Great Britain. She saw the birth of the our family's first citizen in the world's greatest democracy, and now my Ba was not about to be denied her due.

I told her, "You are going to nail it, Ba. I will come back the day before so we do a final rehearsal."

She responded, "What time are you going to be coming? I want to know so that I am prepared by that time."

That's when I knew: My Ba was about to make America great again.

Supal Vora is a financial planner from Temecula, Calif.
WASHINGTON  "When the chips are down, I have Israel's back."

 President Barack Obama, AIPAC conference, March 4, 2012

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The audience  overwhelmingly Jewish, passionately pro-Israel and supremely gullible  applauded wildly. Four years later  his last election behind him, with a month to go in office and with no need to fool Jew or gentile again  President Barack Obama took the measure of Israel's back and slid a knife into it.

People don't quite understand the damage done to Israel by the U.S. abstention that permitted passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel over settlements. The administration pretends this is nothing but a restatement of long-standing U.S. opposition to settlements.

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Nonsense. For the last 35 years, every administration, including a re-election-seeking Obama himself in 2011, has protected Israel with the U.S. veto because such a Security Council resolution gives immense legal ammunition to every boycotter, anti-Semite and zealous European prosecutor to penalize and punish Israelis.

An ordinary Israeli who lives or works in the Old City of Jerusalem becomes an international pariah, a potential outlaw. To say nothing of the soldiers of Israel's citizen army. "Every pilot and every officer and every soldier," said a confidant of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, "we are waiting for him at The Hague." I.e., the International Criminal Court.

Moreover, the resolution undermines the very foundation of a half-century of American Middle East policy. What becomes of "land for peace" if the territories Israel was to have traded for peace are, in advance, declared to be Palestinian land to which Israel has no claim?

The peace parameters enunciated so ostentatiously earlier this week by Secretary of State John Kerry are nearly identical to the Clinton parameters that Yasser Arafat was offered and rejected in 2000 and that Abbas was offered by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in 2008. Abbas, too, walked away.

Kerry mentioned none of this because it undermines his blame-Israel narrative. Yet Palestinian rejectionism works. The Security Council just declared the territories legally Palestinian  without the Palestinians having to concede anything, let alone peace.

The administration claims a kind of passive innocence on the text of the resolution, as if it had come upon it at the last moment. We are to believe that the ostensible sponsors  New Zealand, Senegal, Malaysia and a Venezuela that cannot provide its own people with toilet paper, let alone food  had for months been sweating the details of Jewish housing in East Jerusalem.

Nothing new here, protests deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes: "When we see the facts on the ground, again deep into the West Bank, beyond the separation barrier, we feel compelled to speak up against those actions."

This is a deception. Everyone knows that remote outposts are not the issue. Under any peace, they will be swept away. Even the right-wing Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who lives in one of these West Bank settlements, has stated publicly that "I even agree to vacate my settlement if there really will be a two-state solution." Where's the obstacle to peace?

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A second category of settlement is the close-in blocs that border 1967 Israel. Here, too, we know in advance how these will be disposed of: They'll become Israeli territory and, in exchange, Israel will swap over some of its land to a Palestinian state. Where's the obstacle to peace here?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks up as he speaks in his Jerusalem office on Dec. 28, 2016, following the speech by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Netanyahu spoke at length in English and slammed both Kerry speech and the Obama administration and again claimed he is doing everything possible to speak directly with the Palestinians. (Jim Hollander, EPA)

It's the third category of "settlement" that is the most contentious and that Security Council resolution 2334 explicitly condemns: East Jerusalem. This is not just scandalous; it's absurd. America acquiesces to a declaration that, as a matter of international law, the Jewish state has no claim on the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, indeed the entire Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem. They belong to Palestine.

The Temple Mount is the most sacred site in all of Judaism. That it should be declared foreign to the Jewish people is as if the Security Council declared Mecca and Medina to be territory to which Islam has no claim. Such is the Orwellian universe Israel inhabits.

At the very least, Obama should have insisted that any reference to East Jerusalem be dropped from the resolution or face a U.S. veto. Why did he not? It's incomprehensible  except as a parting shot of personal revenge on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Or perhaps as a revelation of a deep-seated antipathy to Israel that simply awaited a safe political interval for public expression.

Another legacy moment for Barack Obama. And his most shameful.

Washington Post Writers Group

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Charles Krauthammer is a Washington Post columnist.

letters@charleskrauthammer.com
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, arrives for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump on Dec. 12, 2016 in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City. (Albin Lohr-Jones, CNP / TNS)

By almost every measure for the incoming Trump administration, Ryan Zinke, the president-elect's pick to run the U.S. Department of Interior, has the perfect resume.

He's a former commander in the Navy's Seal Team Six special-forces branch, which among other things took out Osama bin Laden. He's the lone congressman from Montana, where the Interior Department figures large because it owns significant swaths of land used for grazing and mining. And Zinke is all for developing and exploiting resources on public lands, earning him a lifetime score of just 3 out of 100 from the League of Conservation Voters.

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But for those who still embrace the goals of the Sagebrush Rebellion, a loose coalition of ranchers, miners, drillers, hunters, off-road enthusiasts, libertarians and anti-government die-hards, Zinke is a heretic. The reason is that he is an unshakable foe of selling federal lands or transferring them to the states.

Repeatedly, Zinke has joined Democrats in opposing legislation that would require the department he has been named to head to shed its vast real-estate holdings. In July 2015, he voted for an amendment to block funding of "extra legal ways to transfer federal lands to private owners." Earlier in the year he voted against a Republican-sponsored budget resolution that would have set up a fund to do the same thing.

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As Zinke, 55, explained it at the time, he grew up hunting and fishing in Montana and sees the value in making sure that what's public stays public. This year he voted to block the sale of a couple of million acres of federal forest land for logging.

Zinke has been so at odds with his party on this point that he resigned from the committee that drafted the Republican Party convention platform because, as usual, it included a passage about selling some of the 640 million acres owned by the federal government.

As was reported when Trump nominated him, Zinke was personally vetted for the Interior post by Donald Trump Jr., an avid hunter and angler. And though you can't imagine the president-elect himself in a deer stand, on the campaign trail he said he would work to preserve access for hunters to public land.

The confounding thing about the argument for transferring federal land to the states or selling it to private owners is that those who make it might have the most to lose.

States such as Utah, Idaho and Nevada, where the federal government owns a majority of the land, often say they can do a better job of managing the real estate within their borders.

In Utah, for example, legislation adopted in 2012  and ignored by the federal government  demanding a massive land transfer said the state would benefit because "cumbersome federal rules, regulations, processes, and management policies often prevent development of these resources resulting in diminished revenue to the State and its citizens."

Leaving aside the question of whether state employees are any more productive than federal employees, one implication is that the state would get a higher return for use of the land.

That actually wouldn't be hard to do, although ranchers, miners, loggers and others might not like it very much. As a rule, the federal government charges users much less than market rates. The same is true for other uses of federal land: The prices the U.S. government charges are way below market rates. As such, this represents a considerable subsidy to the private sector, particularly in Western states.

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Just how big is hard to quantify, partly because federal land ownership is spread among several different agencies. One study estimated that letting cattle graze on federal land cost the U.S. government $261 million a year, while others have placed it as high as $1 billion. The timber industry and hard-rock mining have similar advantages. Miners pay a maximum of $5 an acre for extraction rights under a law adopted in 1872.

Other studies have concluded that the states might rue the day they assumed ownership of federal lands because expenses would outweigh potential sources of revenue. Someone would have to pay for maintaining roads, dams and other infrastructure  not to mention the hefty cost of fighting forest fires or remediating the environmental harm and pollution caused by mining, deforestation and erosion.

If states wind up owning large chunks of what is now federal land, it isn't hard to imagine a time when legislatures see real-estate holdings as an easy asset to sell for closing a budget gap. Once the land is out of the public domain, it's gone for good.

There is a lot that conservationists don't like about Zinke, who supports more extraction and exploitation of the natural resources on federal property. But at least he isn't on board with getting rid of the land that all Americans should consider part of their national birthright.

Bloomberg View

James Greiff is an editor for Bloomberg View.
Democratic Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan speaks to the media on Dec. 4, 2016, after a meeting with Gov. Bruce Rauner. (Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune)

The new year brings still more menacing news to Illinois.

No, not just the chance that Democratic state reps will re-elect Michael Madigan speaker of the Illinois House.

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No, not the end of a stopgap spending plan, the closest to a balanced state budget that Madigan and his minion, Senate President John Cullerton, can write.

No, not the continuing exodus from Illinois, with census numbers showing that 114,000 more people have fled.

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No, today we bring fresher evidence of decline: Illinois now risks losing not one but two seats in Congress after the 2020 census. That'd be two fewer House members voting with national Democrats or Republicans, two fewer U.S. reps advocating for Illinois, two fewer politicians bringing home the bacon.

Walk through the numbers with us:

When Madigan was born 75 years ago this April, Illinois was a political juggernaut, boasting 27 seats in the U.S. House. Yet in recent decades as the growth-squelching, hostile-to-employers agenda of Madigan & Co. drives people to jobs-friendly states, that number of U.S. House seats has plummeted to 18. Now math wizards at RealClearPolitics say Illinois is one of only four states that would lose yet another seat if the next reapportionment occurred today; that is, Illinois' count would drop to 17. It gets worse: RCP says the dire population pattern suggests that "Illinois is close to losing a second seat" after the 2020 census.

Not that Illinois' most clouted pol appears to care that his state is bleeding. What does Madigan suffer as, year after year, expats take their talents, their incomes and their futures elsewhere? Nor do Madigan and Cullerton, with their combined 84 years in Springfield (in 2017 they'll make it 86 years!) confess their deep complicity in this once-proud state's humiliating fall.

Their Illinois model of government  ruinously spending and borrowing so that every Tomorrow has to pay for Yesterday and Today  creates pension and other policies that devastate more than state government alone. There's Chicago Public Schools, a district gravely overstretched. And Chicago's indebted City Hall. And suburban and downstate local governments terrified of their pension time bombs. And school districts that let their personnel costs spiral upward. And universities that never had to balance spending with productivity. And ...

Yet for Madigan and Cullerton, history begins anew every morning. They want no consequences for the decisions they've made, including the sweetheart pension deals that have driven Illinois taxpayers' unfunded obligation to $130 billion. Nope, Madigan & Co. aren't responsible, all of this just happened on their watch. We've noted that the Greek philosopher Diogenes, searching for an honest pol, could scour Springfield and not hear the words, "All in all, my tenure has been just a disaster for Illinois."

That brings us to the Madigan plan for 2017, which opens with no state budget, no more six-month stopgap, nothing.

Madigan remains in denial that angry voters who wanted change in Springfield elected Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, now completing his second year in office. So the Madigan agenda is more failure, more gridlock, followed by the restoration of the governorship to Democratic control in 2018. So as Rauner offers an evolving menu of possible budget deals, Madigan delays and offers nothing. Never mind all the disadvantaged people and social service organizations that get hurt. Madigan knows the clock is running. His intentional failure in 2017 is something he can try to blame on Rauner in 2018.

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Maybe that'll work. Or maybe voters who dumped a few Democratic legislators in 2016 will make Madigan and more of his caucus members face consequences.

Madigan, like the public employee union leaders and the trial lawyers he counts as allies, has never encountered an opponent as resilient as Rauner. The $50 million Rauner just added to his campaign coffer indicates he's eager not only to defend the governorship, but to help Republican candidates replace more of Madigan's House enablers.

Madigan surely sees the danger in Illinois hemorrhaging population: All of us know families saddened over the loss of children and grandchildren to states with more prosperous economies, more job opportunities  and not so many gazillions in taxpayer debts.

The possible loss of two more seats in Congress merely ties it all together: Mike Madigan's Illinois is fading away.

We wonder: Will Democratic state reps re-elect Madigan as their speaker? Will they doom themselves to the punishing attacks that would follow such a vote?

Or will they look at a shrinking Illinois, witness the Madigan agenda of "No! Just no!" and instead elect a speaker who will help rebuild this state?

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Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
Chicago, the nation's third largest city, ends 2016 with more homicides than the two larger cities  New York and Los Angeles  put together. Everyone is shocked but not everyone is surprised.

More than 750 people were killed in Chicago in 2016, the highest total since 1997, and more than 4,300 were wounded by firearms.

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Dr. Gary Slutkin, the University of Illinois at Chicago epidemiologist who founded the CeaseFire Illinois violence-reduction program also known as Cure Violence, warned Gov. Bruce Rauner in a March 2015 letter of a probable surge in Chicago shootings if the program's funding was not restored.

A $4.5 million grant from the state represented most of the funding for CeaseFire Illinois, which serves sites across six cities in the state, Slutkin said.

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"Lives depend on this program," he wrote.

Sure, just about every social service program makes life-or-death pleas when its funding is cut. Crime rises and falls for a variety of reasons. But the doctor had some startling statistics on his side.

A look at factors driving Chicago violence as the city sees dramatic increases in the number of shooting victims and homicides. (Jemal R. Brinson / Chicago Tribune) (Tribune graphics/Chicago Tribune)

Slutkin had seen similar interruptions in funding precede violent crime surges in Chicago four times since CeaseFire took to Chicago streets in 2001, too often to be brushed off as mere coincidence.

After a 2007 interruption in funding by Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, for example, the program shut down 15 sites and shootings spiked. Funding was restored a year later  and violence returned to its previous level.

Now, a similarly tragic trend has followed suspension in March 2015 of the $4.5 state million grant that represented most of the funding to CeaseFire Illinois. More than a year later, a six-month spending plan that is now expiring granted $4.4 million to CeaseFire Illinois.

Slutkin, as he told me in a telephone interview, hates to see that his prediction was right.

Now the only one of Chicago's 22 police districts to experience a reduction in shootings over the past year also happened to be the only district in which CeaseFire has been able to consistently maintain its full program of operations.

Also, having expanded to 22 other cities, including New York and Los Angeles, Cure Violence now sadly faces its biggest hurdles in Chicago, largely because, after years of overspending, the city and state governments are broke.

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Republican Rauner campaigned with promises to balance the state's budget, but as governor he has insisted on including other reforms before he'll pass a budget. That has drawn fierce opposition from the state's Democratic-controlled legislature, and Illinois is now into its second year without a full budget.

As you should have guessed by now, I like the Cure Violence approach. No program is perfect, but Slutkin's approach of treating violence epidemics in much the same way that we think of conventional epidemics has proved its merits in numerous evaluations by the Justice Department and university studies.

Perhaps you saw it featured in an award-winning Kartemquin Films documentary called "The Interrupters," which can be viewed on the PBS "Frontline" website. It is worth seeing by those who are too eagerly willing to write off high crime communities and the people who inhabit them as a lost cause. Inside every "ghetto," I argue, there's a neighborhood trying to break free.

Slutkin, a former World Health Organization official, constructed the Cure Violence program to treat violence like a contagious disease. Most violent crimes result from personal beefs. A minor personal offense quickly escalates into a violent response to save face  and possibly leads to more retaliatory violence.

Cure Violence enlists and dispatches "interrupters," including former gangbangers and other ex-offenders, like germ-fighting antibodies into high-violence neighborhoods to use their connections and street credibility to defuse potential violence before it boils over.

Done right, it encourages family members, friends, hospital workers and others who might not want to call police and have nowhere else to turn to call in the "interrupters," who try to intervene and settle the grievances peacefully.

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If you wait until after police have arrived, as one interrupter put it, "it's too late."

Yet, since Cure Violence programs most effective interrupters include ex-offenders, cooperation with police tends to be at arms-length. Police sometimes complain that the interrupters aren't helping them enough and trust in police is so low in many neighborhoods that the interrupters don't want to be seen as becoming too cozy with the cops.

As I say, no program is perfect. But there is no one-size-fits-all solution to urban violence like that faced by Chicago and smaller cities that have even higher violence rates. We need to try everything that works. CureViolence appears to have passed that test.

As for the funding challenges, we need to ask in a city that has become desensitized too often by killings of small children and other innocent bystanders, how much are the lives of our children worth? Priceless.

Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage.

cpage@chicagotribune.com

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Arlington Heights police said they are investigating a recent report of an elderly resident who was swindled out of more than $2,000 in a sweepstakes-related phone scam earlier this month.

Someone unknown to the victim contacted her by phone in early December, telling her she was the winner of a "grand prize" in the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, with the award including cash and a new car, Crime Prevention Officer Brandi Romag said.

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The victim then wire transferred more than $2,000 from her personal bank account to pay for what the offender  who was not affiliated with the publishing company  claimed were required fees in order to claim the prizes, Romag said.

"The Illinois Attorney General's Office suggests to anyone who receives these calls, 'just hang up,'" Romag said. "These scams target elderly residents by knowing where they live, and finding their phone numbers."

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Romag said police also advise family members and caretakers of elderly residents to warn them about the many scams that target older members of the community, reminding them to never give out any personal information or transfer any money over the phone, online or in person.

"We always tell senior citizens to hang up on these callers, and never give out their information," Romag said. "But for many elderly residents, they just can't do that, because they're friendly and glad to have gotten the call."

kcullotta@tribpub.com

Twitter: @kcullotta
Aurora residents line up to vote outside Crossroads Community Church in Aurora in November. In 2017, residents will again go to the polls to vote in local races. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)

When people look back at Aurora city government in 2017, they might consider it to have been a turning point.

That's because at the very least, there will be a lot of change.

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The most noticeable change will be in the mayor's office. As the year begins, there are four candidates on the ballot vying to become the new mayor, succeeding interim Mayor Robert O'Connor, who is finishing the term of former Mayor Tom Weisner, who headed City Hall government for 11 years. He elected not to run again for health reasons. There are also a number of write-in candidates running for mayor, which will force a mayoral primary Feb. 28.

There will be no primaries in the aldermanic races in Aurora. O'Connor will face challenger Matt Harrington in the battle for alderman at large in April. There also will be a contest for the 10th Ward aldermanic seat on the city's far northeast side. Keith Bradley, Judd Lofchie and Robert H. Paolicchi filed for that position. That race will have no incumbent because current Alderman Lynne Johnson failed to file.

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In the other wards with seats up for re-election, only the incumbents filed, and will run unopposed. They are Juany Garza, 2nd Ward; William Donnell, 4th Ward; Scheketa Hart-Burns, 7th Ward; and Edward Bugg, 9th Ward.

There will be elections in April for village boards, city councils, school boards, park boards and more throughout the Aurora area. One of the most historic will be for the Fox Valley Park District Board, whose members will be elected for the first time. Park Board members have been chosen in the past by the Kane and DuPage County Board chairmen. Eleven candidates are running for seven seats on the board.

Elections are expected to bring new faces to school boards in East Aurora School District 131, West Aurora School District 129 and Oswego-based Community Unit School District 308.

In West Aurora, four candidates are vying for three open seats on the board, and two incumbents did not file to run again. In East Aurora, five candidates are running for three seats, and two incumbents did not file to run again. In District 308, where there are four open seats, eight candidates have filed to run. One incumbent is not running again.

And with some long-time, high-ranking Aurora city employees leaving  Finance Director Brian Caputo taking a job at the College of DuPage and Rosario DeLeon, director of public properties, retiring  there will be plenty of new faces at the top at Aurora City Hall.

Of course, no matter who's directing city government, there will be plenty of ongoing issues in 2017 carrying over from 2016.

Perhaps the biggest of those are issues relating to the development of downtown Aurora, which has been an ongoing issue for years in the city.

In 2016, many things happened that made officials optimistic about the way downtown is beginning to look, and will look as time goes on. The steps taken in 2016 made Alderman Michael Saville, 6th Ward, a mayoral candidate, say downtown looks better now than it has in at least 30 years. He even said Aurora is "a happening city."

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In 2017, look for work to begin on the remodeling of the former Waubonsee Community College building at Stolp Avenue and Galena Boulevard, next to the Paramount Theater, into a $35 million arts center. Aldermen have approved agreements to get that project underway, and work should begin this coming year and continue all year. At the earliest, though, the project would not be finished until midway through 2018.

Work should begin in 2017 to turn the vacant, former Waubonsee Community College building at Stolp Avenue and Galena Boulevard in Aurora, into an arts center, with a performing arts school and artist-preference housing. (Steve Lord / The Beacon-News)

Part of that project is a 5,000-square-foot restaurant space, and the development of more restaurants downtown should be another issue in 2017.

One restaurant due to open within the year will be the as-yet named one in the first floor of The Mayan, the apartment complex that opened in 2016 in the former Elks Club building at Stolp Avenue and Benton Street.

That restaurant, to be run by Karademas Hospitality, which also runs Leland Legends restaurant in the first floor of the Leland Tower apartments, which opened in 2016, is the final part of renovation of The Mayan.

There also may be redevelopment of other downtown historic buildings, such as the Terminal Building, at Galena and Broadway, the Hobbs Building, at Galena and River Street, and the former West Aurora Schools Administration Center at River and Benton.

The Terminal Building is so named because it was once the terminal for the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railroad. But it probably is better known as the home for the long-time Broadway Restaurant. At least one developer has shown an interest in redeveloping the building into luxury apartments.

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The Hobbs Building has not had recent interest, but in 2016, the city took ownership of the building and took steps to take control of almost that entire block of River Street, between Galena and New York Street. Officials will continue to market that block for major redevelopment.

The city also owns the former West Aurora Schools Administration building, and it marketing that for redevelopment.

This coming year, the banquet center being developed by Moveable Feast caterers, based in Geneva, at River and Cross Street downtown should be opened, as should the combination coffeehouse and gaming center being redeveloped into a building at Stolp and Downer Place.

Construction will also continue in both the East and West Aurora school districts.

In West Aurora School District 129, a new Hill Elementary building is expected to open for the 2017-18 school year next to the current, aging school, which is set to be torn down. The coming year will also likely see other building additions and renovations wrap up. The work is part of $84.2 million in voter-approved construction, which is set to also include early childhood and career centers. Some of the work, including some building additions, a new district office and new heating and cooling systems in some schools, has already been completed.

East Aurora School District 131 is set to see the completion of a new high school stadium. Work will continue on additions and renovations at the high school, with various pieces expected to be complete at different times. Construction is also slated for district middle schools. All told, the district has planned more than $70 million in construction and related costs at its schools.

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Construction work will continue at East Aurora High School in 2017. (The Beacon-News / Sarah Freishtat)

Community Unit School District 308 in Oswego will see students begin to shift schools in the coming year as part of new boundaries recently approved by the school board. The new boundaries will begin to take effect for the 2017-18 school year, though current sixth- and seventh-graders will not be phased into the new boundary line system until they reach high school.

slord@tribpub.com

sfreishtat@tribpub.com

Twitter @srfreish
An Aurora apartment building fire was among the 135 fires American Red Cross workers responded to in December in northern Illinois. (Aurora Fire Department)

The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois has responded to 135 fires in December, the highest number of fires for the month in nearly a decade, officials said.

The increasing number of fires as of Dec. 29 for the nonprofit agency is the highest it has had in at least the past seven years, said Cat Rabenstine, regional marketing programs manager of the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois

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"The winter months typically have more fires - there's been a lot happening particularly this month," Rabenstine said.

The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois covers 21 counties including Kane, Kendall, DuPage and Cook counties.

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"We are fortunate to have the support of dedicated volunteers who respond to fires. Our responders are on-call and will go to a fire in the middle of the night if needed," Rabenstine said.

From Dec. 1 through Dec. 29, the Red Cross has helped 665 people, including 274 children whose lives were impacted by fires this month.

In Kane County, there were 4 responses, with 10 individuals receiving assistance and 17 children receiving aid. In Kendall County, there have been 3 responses, with 4 adults and 9 children receiving help.

The Red Cross has responded to 100 fires in Cook County and helped 295 adults and 196 children there. In DuPage County, there were 2 responses, with 19 adults and 4 children who received assistance by Dec. 29.

"There is sadness associated with responding to these tragedies, but it is an opportunity for the Red Cross to assist people in times of need," said Kathleen O'Shea, disaster program manager.

O'Shea said volunteers are dispatched to calls all hours of the day. "They show up to the scene to provide comfort and reassurance to people experiencing the worst day of their lives," she said.

The Red Cross has roughly 1,200 volunteers that it relies on to serve the 21 counties. The agency provides shelter, food, clothing and health services as well as emotional support during the early stages of recovery from the loss suffered in a devastating fire. The Red Cross also has case workers to assist families as well.

Home fires commonly occur during the colder months of the year, with many of the culprits being portable heaters, burning candles or kitchen ovens used to generate heat, she said.

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"Everything you own in your whole life is in the one space so when everything is (destroyed) it can be traumatic and scary," said O'Shea, who responded to a multi-unit residential fire in Elgin.

"The family in Elgin was extremely worried about their children," she said.

The American Red Cross recently responded to an apartment building fire in Aurora that displaced more than a dozen tenants by helping them with shelter, clothing and food.

O'Shea said the Red Cross provides the initial financial assistance to help individuals and families get through the first 48 hours after a disaster. "We make sure they have a roof over their head and that they can buy food and have clothing to go to work or school. It's enough to get them started onto the road to recovery."

O'Shea said the volunteers assist people with "basic psychological first-aid" on the scene to try to help people process and cope with the tragedy.

"Volunteers are there to let people know the Red Cross is there to help them and empower them to move forward with their lives. They provide a hug and support to families... Your trajectory changes instantaneously," O'Shea said.

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She said the Red Cross has nurses who are on-call to help people replace medications and medical equipment lost in the fire.

"The nurses help out so people don't have to worry about where they are going to get their next dose or how are they going to get a prescription refill or replace a cane or walker," O'Shea said.

She said often times they are notified of a fire through fire departments. The agency's dispatch center will also reach out to determine if the Red Cross is needed as well. "We gladly go and provide assistance wherever needed," she said.

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
A family's vehicle and a large pile of discarded boxes caught fire in the driveway of a Geneva home, according to officials.

The Geneva Fire Department responded to the home on the 600 block of North First Street shortly after 9:15 a.m. Wednesday. They found a vehicle and the boxes, which were from an ongoing home renovation, "well-involved" in fire about eight feet from the garage, fire officials said in a statement.

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Officials continued to investigate the cause of the fire Thursday, they said.

The home's occupants and several construction workers on site evacuated the home safely. The fire did not reach into the home, but the exterior saw minor heat and smoke damage, according to the fire department.

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No one was injured while fighting the fire. The burned vehicle was "severely" damaged, according to fire officials.

Estimates of the value of the damage were not yet compiled Thursday afternoon, according to the department.

Firefighters from departments in Batavia, St. Charles and Elburn assisted the Geneva Fire Department at the scene, fire officials said. West Chicago firefighters filled in at Geneva's fire station headquarters.
A woman with local ties, but currently in an Arizona prison, has been indicted in Kane County on identity theft charges, court records show.

Heather Legner, 38, is accused of using an Aurora woman's birth date and Social Security number in 2014 to, among other things, open credit card accounts and to obtain a Nissan SUV. Legner faces three counts of identity theft and a single count of registration forgery. The indictment issued in November comes nine months after a Kane County judge issued an arrest warrant for Legner.

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Arizona Department of Corrections records show a Kane County warrant hold on Legner, who is serving an 18-month prison sentence on drug paraphernalia charges and unlawful use of a means of transportation under a different last name.

Legner has served time in Illinois prisons on at least three occasions since 2005 for theft and fraud convictions. In the Aurora case, prosecutors allege Legner used the friend's information to finance a commercial lawn mower in addition to running up thousands of dollars on credit cards.

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In addition to the new indictments in Kane, Legner is wanted on a DuPage County warrant for deceptive practices.

Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
A tragic love story, the shooting death of a dog, video of a confrontation between bikers and motorists, straight talk about suicide, and Donald Trump are themes of some of this year's most read stories in the Beacon-News. Here's a look at the 10 most popular stories on the web in 2016:

Tragic love story of long-grieving husband and his slain bride

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Denise Crosby's column about the death of Chuck Hall, the husband of Cheryl Lynn Hall, who was murdered in their Aurora apartment in 1981. Denise began the column with, "It is perhaps the most tragic love story I never wrote."

After confrontation, pickup truck drives into motorcyclists

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During the annual La Carne Azada motorcycle ride in Aurora, a fight erupted and a pickup truck drove through a crowd of motorcyclists. It was all shared on video via social media.

Owner of dog shot dead in Boulder Hill park says, 'He loved everyone'

A man with a concealed carry permit shot Oreo, a chocolate pit-bull mix with a white belly and stripe between his eyes, in a Boulder Hill park April 9.

16 men accused of gang ties, charged with 96 felonies

In August, 16 men were charged with multiple felonies and accused of being members of the Latin Kings street gang after a long-term investigation into drug dealing and firearm sales in the Aurora area.

Woman whose obituary launched discussion about depression, suicide remembered

Family, friends, colleagues and community members remember Aletha Meyer Pinnow, whose suicide following a lifelong battle with depression touched thousands after her sister wrote a candid Beacon-News obituary about her struggles.

Wife charged with homicide accused of bringing son along for heroin deal

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Catherine Smith was charged with drug-induced homicide after her husband, Richard Gregoire, overdosed on heroin and fentanyl and authorities said the couple took their 9-year-old son from their Kane County home to meet a drug dealer in Chicago.

Friends reeling after Geneva man's death from poisoned smoothie

The death of Eduardo Gutierrez, of Geneva, whose wife Julia Gutierrez is accused of poisoning him with a smoothie and trying to kill him in a similar way in 2002, shocked those who knew them..

Fox Valley Mall evacuated following fights among teens

Fox Valley Mall in Aurora was evacuated and closed the day after Christmas after "unusually large crowds" of teens congregated and some fights broke out.

Federal officials seize 150 pounds of cocaine, 75 pounds of heroin

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Three men are taken into custody after federal authorities seized almost 150 pounds of cocaine and 75 pounds of heroin at an Aurora warehouse, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

Sugar Grove man shares inside view of Trump pageant controversy

Jim Gibson of Sugar Grove, who was involved with the Miss Universe Organization for more than 35 years and was Donald Trump's director of pageant affairs, speaks out in response to allegations by Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado and says he has never seen Trump acting unprofessionally with contestants.
Camille Fountas, 18, stocks food boxes at Barrington Middle School - Station Campus. Volunteers were organizing donations for the annual Barrington Giving Day. (Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press)

As the holiday season winds down, service organizations in Barrington and Lake Zurich again saw a steady flow of donations during one of the most charitable times of year.

The continued support from the community year after year during the holidays hasn't gone unnoticed by organizers, who put on major donation drives in both villages before the year's end.

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The annual "Giving Day" at Barrington High School has seen tremendous support in recent years, according to Morgan Thorndyke, a junior and member of the Giving Day Youth Board who has helped organize the charitable drive since she was a freshman.

"I think Giving Day has become so big because people don't realize how many families are in need in our area, especially during the holidays," Thorndyke said.

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Each December, Barrington School District 220 families with students on the free and reduced lunch program can receive donated clothes, books, food and other gifts from individuals and community groups for the "Giving Day" event, according to its website.

With needs increasing each year, the "Giving Day" event this past December provided donated items to nearly 400 area families, about the same number of families who received donations in 2015, said Patricia Karon, executive director of Giving Day.

Nearly 200 senior citizens also received $50 gift cards and other items this year, a slight increase from 2015, she said.

A 2016 graduate of Barrington High School, Christopher Nevarez helped set up distribution areas at Barrington Middle School  Station Campus before the Giving Day event for the eighth consecutive year.

Nevarez, now a student at University of Illinois-Chicago, has seen the community rally behind the charitable event since he became involved with it as a sixth grader.

"This may be the only toys these children receive," he said. "The whole community gets together and lends a hand to helping families in need."

For more than 30 years, the Ela Area Public Library has organized the "Mitten Day Holiday Collection" event in Lake Zurich. People first bring clothes to the library from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2 to be placed on a Christmas tree, said Terri Meyer, event coordinator for the library.

More than 1,500 pieces of clothes typically are donated and delivered to St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lake Zurich for distribution, she said.

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For the past 10 years, area knitting groups also have made hats, scarves and mittens for the charity drive.

"Every year, I'm amazed at the generosity of this community," Meyer said.

St. Francis de Sales Parish also has participated in a Sharing Parish program, helping support members of Our Lady of Tepeyac Church located near the lower West Side of Chicago.

Although its a year-round program, St. Francis members collect the most items for the church during the holiday season, said Patricia Linares, who organizes the program at St. Francis.

Roughly 2,000 books, bicycles, gifts and clothing items were distributed this season to students at the church's high school and elementary school, said Linares, who has been a member of St. Francis for 22 years.

"The church is 95 percent Hispanic and it has 2,500 families," Linares said. "The people at St. Francis respond to any need and help the poor and needy."

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Twitter @tshields19
A Chicago man tried to negotiate for free sex with a 16-year-old girl he met through an ad for escorts, prosecutors say, before killing her on Christmas Eve in Markham.

On Friday, a Cook County judge denied bail for Antonio Rosales, 32, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Desiree Robinson.

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At the hearing, a man who sat with Robinson's family threatened Rosales and stormed out of the courtroom shortly after bond was set.

An autopsy determined Robinson was beaten, strangled and had her throat cut, prosecutors said.

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Rosales saw a picture of the teenager on a posting on the website Backpage.com and had sex with her in a truck on Dec. 24, prosecutors said.

Robinson was found in a pool of blood about 8:30 a.m. by friends inside a garage in the 16200 block of South Hamlin Avenue, authorities said. A bloody knife was found in the garage, prosecutors said.

Robinson's mother Yvonne Robinson-Ambrose said she was grateful for the calls and tips that came into police regarding her daughter, who had been missing from their home since the middle of December.

"I'm just numb," said Robinson-Ambrose, of Chicago.

Robinson-Ambrose said the girl's family had been in contact with her for days before the death and believed at the time she was still in Chicago.

"She wouldn't let us know where she was," she said.

Their worries grew even more when she stopped contacting the family altogether before Christmas, she said.

Prosecutors say Rosales was attending a party in a garage in Markham that started on Dec. 23 and continued into the early morning hours of Dec. 24. About 3 a.m., Rosales left the garage and came back with Robinson, whom he introduced to witnesses as his friend, prosecutors said.

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But Rosales knew Robinson through an advertisement for paid escorts, prosecutors said.

One witness recalled seeing Robinson and Rosales appearing to have sex in a truck, prosecutors said. Robinson left shortly afterward, prosecutors added.

Robinson returned to Markham later that morning with two friends, prosecutors said. They picked up Rosales a couple blocks from the party, which had tapered down, and brought him to the party site, prosecutors said.

The two friends stayed in a vehicle and fell asleep while Robinson and Rosales walked into the garage, prosecutors said.

While in custody on Dec. 27, Rosales admitted to strangling and punching Robinson, prosecutors said. He told police he had no money for a second encounter and tried to negotiate for an additional free 15 minutes.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Robinson refused and insulted him, prosecutors said. Rosales punched her in the face and strangled her as she tried to call for help, prosecutors said.

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He also took the teen's clothes off but fled after he saw a pool of blood around her body, prosecutors added.

At some point, Rosales knocked on a vehicle's window and told Robinson's friends that she would be "out shortly" before leaving the area, prosecutors said.

About 9 a.m., the two friends woke up and searched the house for Robinson, prosecutors said. A witness inside the home eventually opened the garage for them, where they found Robinson's naked body, they added.

Earlier this year, Alisha Walker was found guilty of the second-degree murder of Brother Rice High School teacher Al Filan. Authorities said Filan solicited Walker for sex through the Backpage website.

Rosales returns to court Jan. 18.

Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
New Work on display from Jan. 9-31 at Moraine Valley Community Colleges Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery includes archival prints of homemade collage such as Untitled from Diet and Exercise series by Tyler Hewitt. (Photo courtesy of Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery)

Students may wonder how proficient a teacher is in his or her field. The next exhibit at Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery in Palos Hills sheds some light on that.

Ten Moraine Valley Community College art faculty members including Oak Lawn and Orland Park residents exhibit pieces during "New Work" in both the gallery and the Atrium. Originally slated to open Jan. 3, the popular annual group show now is scheduled for Jan. 9-31.

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"We encourage every artist who is on the art faculty to be involved. This is artwork made from 2015-2016 by our full-time art faculty and adjunct art faculty who work in the arts programs at Moraine Valley," said Rachel McDermott, coordinator of Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery since July.

"It's anything from sculpture to digital work to web design. It's just a way to showcase their work to both their students and the community, to show who really works at Moraine and who's teaching the students that come here."

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Other mediums represented include acrylic painting, clay and ceramics, digital photography, drawing with colored pencils and charcoal, and oil painting.

"It gives students a way to see what their teachers are creating and to help inspire them to create this connection past just the student and teacher, to see into the lives of their faculty," McDermott said.

"Also, it helps the faculty member and gives them  since this show happens every year  a reason to keep creating their artwork along with teaching."

Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, which is located in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, is accepting solo and group exhibition proposals for the 2017-18 academic year. The deadline is Jan. 31 with selections to be made in March.

"Our space is very unique in the Southland area because it's a blank canvas. Artists can come in and exhibit contemporary works that would regularly not be bought at a gallery installation," McDermott said.

"Then you have a bunch of audiences that the work is shown to. You have faculty that are artists themselves, artists that come in from around Chicago to come see it, the community members that come to see the theater shows and then students.

"You have this wide variety and diverse variety to see your artwork. It's a really great way to have a solo show in Chicago even though it's a little bit outside of the city and it's still close enough that people will travel to be here and a lot of people will see it."

Upcoming exhibits include large-scale abstract paintings made using repurposed billboard prints in "Sample the Remix" by Joshua Brennan, of Boston, from Feb. 6-March 7, with his "Live Streaming: Prints" in the Atrium.

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Blue Island's Eisenhower; Evergreen Park; Oak Lawn's Oak Lawn Community, Reavis and Richards; Orland Park's Sandburg; Palos Heights' Chicago Christian and Shepard; Palos Hills' Stagg; Summit's Argo Community and Tinley Park's Andrew share in "33rd Annual High School Art Exhibition" (March 15-20).

Other exhibits include "Modern David," a photographic documentation of people named David, by Chicago's Mariah Karson (March 25-April 25), with her "American Legion" in the Atrium; "MVCC Juried Student Art Exhibition" (May 1-26) and "Gallery 2017 Juried Community Art Exhibition" (June 1-Aug. 1).

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

'New Work'

When: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays Jan. 9-31 and during most Fine and Performing Arts Center performances

Where: Moraine Valley Community College's Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, 9000 W. College Parkway, Palos Hills

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Admission: free

Information: 708-608-4231 (Rachel McDermott) or www.morainevalley.edu/fpac (click Art Gallery under Season Overview)

Etc.: featuring pieces by MVCC art faculty; reception from 2:30-4 p.m. Jan. 26 with artist talk at 3 p.m.
Five area suburbs  Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park, Palos Heights and Tinley Park  are once again offering a "Safe Ride Home" for New Year's Eve revelers.

Rides home from establishments within the participating communities will be available starting at midnight Saturday until 4 a.m. Sunday.

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Revelers needing a ride can call Via Limo at (708) 349-7700, specifying that they are calling for a safe ride home in order to receive a free ride. The company is adding additional vehicles this year for the Safe Ride program, according to Orland Park, which launched the program nearly 20 years ago.

Nearly 100 people took advantage of free rides last year, the village said in a news release.

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Via Limo will transport revelers home and not to other establishments, according to the release.

The safe ride program is funded by the five communities, a donation by Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin, as well as through a grant from the Michael P. Gordon Memorial Foundation, established in memory of Chicago Police Officer Michael Gordon. He and a partner were nearly done with their shift on Aug. 8, 2004, when a drunk driver ran a red light at the intersection of Jackson and Sacramento boulevards, killing Gordon and seriously injuring his partner.
A federal probe of finances in a local high school district, and a lawsuit alleging discrimination by a southwest suburb were among the Southland's top news stories of 2016.

The year also saw racially charged protests following a fatal police-involved shooting in a Southwest Side community, and the region rallied behind a rookie suburban police officer who was severely wounded in a shootout.

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Here are some of the major stories of the past year as determined by the Daily Southtown staff.

Federal authorities zeroed in on possible financial improprieties in Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 as a series of stories by the Chicago Tribune and Daily Southtown that, among other things, brought to light a history of overspending, as well as risky borrowing and planning moves that have saddled district taxpayers with hundreds of millions of dollars in bond debt.

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In May, the U.S. Attorney's office issued a subpoena for records relating to the district's finances and former Superintendent Lawrence Wyllie, who led the district from 1989 to 2013. Wyllie has not been charged with any crime.

Prosecutors also subpoenaed the Frankfort Square Park District for records relating to Superdog, a controversial dog training school built by Wyllie that current Supt. Scott Tingley acknowledged had no student benefit or board approval.

Separately, the federal Securities and Exchange Commission in June launched a probe to determine whether the district's spending and borrowing may have violated securities laws.

The closing of Lincoln-Way North High School in a bid to shore up the district's financial condition was briefly fought in court by residents who filed a lawsuit, later dismissed, seeking to block the closure.

Lincoln-Way North High School held its final graduation ceremony in June. (Allen Cunningham / Daily Southtown)

Also drawing the scrutiny of the federal government this year were plans to build apartments in Tinley Park that would be targeted to low-income renters.

The Justice Department in late November sued the village, alleging officials violated federal fair housing laws in not approving the project, The Reserve. It has been on hold since early February, when the Village's Plan commission tabled a vote on the 47-unit building amid strong opposition by residents.

That community backlash, the lawsuit alleges, was "based on discriminatory attitudes toward African Americans and other groups based on race," and that by denying approval of the project, village officials "engaged in a pattern or practice of unlawful discrimination." Tinley Park has denied that racism has been a factor.

In Chicago's 19th Ward, a proposal in September by Ald. Matt O'Shea to consolidate two high-performing majority black schools in order to accommodate the expansion of a predominantly white school drew the ire of many residents. The plan was later shelved.

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The alderman proposed consolidating Kellogg and Sutherland Elementary in Sutherland's building in Chicago's Beverly community; moving Keller Regional Gifted Center from Mount Greenwood to the former Kellogg building in North Beverly; and creating a second campus for Mount Greenwood Elementary within the former Keller building. Money freed up by the reshuffling would have been used to upgrade crumbling Esmond Elementary, a nearly all-black, low-income school in Morgan Park that O'Shea has called "the greatest need in our community."

Protests following the Nov. 5 fatal shooting of Joshua Beal by off-duty police touched off tense clashes in the Mount Greenwood community, home to many police officers and firefighters.

Many carrying signs, demonstrators and police supporters often traded inflammatory and at times expletive-laced barbs, although racial rhetoric that marked protests immediately after the shooting eased in subsequent demonstrations. Beal, of Indianapolis, had attended a funeral for his cousin and was shot during an altercation in which, authorities said, he pointed a gun at police and refused orders to lower the weapon.

Further fanning the flames were racially charged comments on social media allegedly shared by some students at Marist High School, which resulted in two female students being expelled, although they subsequently sued the private Catholic school. Community leaders and police are also promising regular meetings, and a series of community town hall sessions are in the works, all aimed at improving race relations.

Development and redevelopment

Orland Park, in December, welcomed the opening of the $61 million University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care, while shoppers in and around Evergreen Park hailed the September opening of a new slimmed-down Carson Pirie Scott, part of a redevelopment of that suburb's Evergreen Plaza shopping center.

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Part of Orland Park's Main Street Triangle development, the four-story, 108,000-square-foot U of C clinic, northwest of LaGrange Road and 143rd Street, could mean shorter trips for care for many patients in the southwest suburbs who now travel to the main hospital in Chicago's Hyde Park community for tests and treatment. A parking garage built next door to the medical center will serve the clinic, as well as additional commercial development the village anticipates taking place within the Triangle.

The new two-story Carson's store near 98th Street and Western Avenue replaces the department store chain's old store in the shopping center, where it's been an anchor for more than five decades. Opened as an outdoor shopping center in 1952 by real estate magnate Arthur Rubloff, Evergreen Plaza was enclosed in 1963, becoming the nation's first suburban indoor mall.

A new c department store is part of a redevelopment of Evergreen Plaza in Evergreen Park. (Zak Koeske / Daily Southtown)

Now, a redevelopment by Lormax Stern, which specializes in restoring or redeveloping old shopping malls, and DeBartolo Development is turning it back into an open-air retail center. The de-malling  similar to the successful redevelopment several years ago of the dying Orland Park Place mall  also will bring retailers, such as Dick's Sporting Goods, 365 by Whole Foods, T.J. Maxx, Petco and Ulta.

Will County officials in October celebrated the groundbreaking of a new $30 million public safety building that will house the sheriff's department and create a consolidated 911 dispatch center. The 85,000-square-foot building is scheduled to be ready by the end of 2017.

The county is embarking on a major building project to replace aging and outmoded buildings, and issued $275 million in bonds to finance the work. Once the public safety building is finished, work is expected to start on a new courthouse.

An Oak Lawn restaurant that has been plagued by violent incidents that faced possible disciplinary action will instead leave the village, but that could end up being a benefit for the village. When Chuck E. Cheese's will vacate its building at 95th Street and Pulaski Road is still being worked out, but village officials see the departure as perhaps paving the way for redevelopment of the shopping center where the restaurant is located.

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Drivers throughout the southwest suburbs also welcomed the finish in late fall of the bulk of construction along LaGrange Road through Orland Park and Tinley Park, which now has three lanes open in each direction. Some work won't be completed until next year, including additional landscaping and installing sidewalks alongside some portions of the road.

Crime and punishment

The Southland rallied behind a rookie Park Forest police officer after he was shot and severely wounded during a March 19 gunfight as police responded to an early-morning call about a break-in at a vacant house.

Support poured in in 2016 for seriously wounded Park Forest Police Officer Tim Jones. (Park Forest Police Department / HANDOUT)

Fundraisers were held to help cover medical expenses for Officer Tim Jones, who was moved to a rehabilitation center following an extensive hospital stay, and a GoFundMe page dedicated to the officer has reached nearly $90,000. The Park Forest Police Department, on its Facebook page, reported recently that $3,000 has been raised for a scholarship in Jones' name that will be awarded to a Park Forest student who plans to study criminal justice in college next year.

In early October, an Oak Park man was fatally shot by police outside a Markham nightclub when a fight broke out in the club's rear parking lot. Stadium Plus closed its doors following the shooting. The club, 16300 Dixie Highway, formerly was known as Adrianna's, and under that name, the popular nightclub saw at least eight people shot, two fatally, between Christmas Eve 2010 and July of this year, police and court records show. An autopsy of the Oct. 2 shooting of 36-year-old Donte Jones showed he was struck five times by bullets, including once in the back.

In March, an admitted prostitute was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the Jan. 18, 2014 murder of popular Brother Rice High School teacher Al Filan in his Orland Park home. Alisha Walker had been found guilty in January of this year of second-degree murder in Filan's death.

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Also in March, Jemetric Nicholson was sentenced to natural life in prison for the Sept. 27, 2006 shooting death of Metra Police Officer Thomas Cook. The officer, in his marked squad, was on special patrol near the 147th Street Metra station in Harvey when he was shot twice in the back of the head.

Nicholson was convicted of first-degree murder this past January after a judge in October 2015 had declared a mistrial when jurors couldn't reach a verdict in Nicholson's first trial. Prior to the sentence in Cook's murder, Nicholson was already serving time in prison for, among other crimes, the attempted murder of a Harvey police officer less than 30 hours before Cook was killed.

A parolee was charged with first-degree murder for the Nov. 26 slaying of railroad security guard Tyrone Hardin, who was shot while patrolling Canadian National Railway property in the 15800 block of West Avenue in Harvey. Rashad Williams, who has addresses in East Hazel Crest and Park Forest, has prior convictions for gun crimes and was on parole for a 2014 conviction when he shot Hardin.

Other news making headlines in 2016

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In late October, the famed Willowbrook Ballroom in Willow Springs was destroyed by fire. The nearly century-old dance hall had hosted such diverse performers as Count Basie, Artie Shaw, the Village People and the Chippendales dancers.

Fire destroyed the famed Willowbrook Ballroom in Willow Springs in late October. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Orland Park's mayor will get a salary boost after next April's election. The part-time position now pays $40,000, plus an additional $3,000 a year for serving as liquor commissioner, but in October, the Village Board approved boosting the base pay to $150,000. The job will be expanded to full-time, with the added responsibilities of being Orland Park's lead person on economic development matters.

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A state review board in March approved Franciscan Health's plan to end inpatient operations at its aging Chicago Heights hospital while expanding a newer facility in Olympia Fields. Franciscan anticipates finishing the expansion by October 2018.

Although Balmoral Park in Crete closed a year ago, the former harness racing track was purchased in late May by a New York company, Horse Shows in the Sun, which plans to hold show-jumping events at the 200-acre property starting next spring.

Following the September death of Cook County Commissioner Joan Murphy, Democratic Party committeemen in the 6th District, meeting in October, selected Worth Township Highway Commissioner Ed Moody to fill the vacancy.

Inside the historic train station in downtown Lockport, Midwest SOARRING (Save Our Ancestors Remains and Resources Indigenous Network Group) in April opened a center dedicated to Native American culture.

Along with the spring birth of baby bison at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Wilmington, the installation in December of a webcam lets people peek in on the herd from the comfort of their computer screen. A high-definition camera, installed 25 feet above the ground, covers areas where the bison have been known to graze.
Paul and Roula Bezanis talk about their efforts to raise funds and avoid eviction from the home where they care for their son. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown) (Chicago Tribune)

The cabinets and appliances in the kitchen of the Bezanis home off 131st Street in Palos Park show the dings and dents that are casualties of collisions with the wheelchair used by Nikolas Bezanis, 28.

A ramp leads from the asphalt driveway of the ranch home to a front doorway that has been widened to accommodate the family's permanently disabled son, the oldest of three adult children. Another ramp leads from the kitchen to a sunken living room. A bathroom has been customized to meet the needs of Nikolas Bezanis in the home where he's lived his entire life.

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The Bezanis family is relying on the kindness of strangers to help raise money they need to stay in the home where they have lived for 30 years. As of Friday afternoon, $99,988 had been donated through a crowdfunding campaign.

Parents Paul and Roula Bezanis said they need to raise $250,000 before a Jan. 9 hearing in an eviction proceeding. They've arranged a loan for $89,000, leaving them about $60,000 short of their goal.

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A scrolling feed on contributions on the Crowdrise fundraising site shows nearly all the donations are in smaller denominations of $10, $25, $50 and $100.

"The response has been amazing," Paul Bezanis, 57, said.

"It's overwhelming," Roula Bezanis, 56, said.

"We hope we can reach our goal," Paul Bezanis said.

"A big percentage (of supporters) are strangers," Roula Bezanis said.

The family's two younger children are attending college. Adam Bezanis, 26, is studying to become a chiropractor at National University of Health Sciences. Dana Bezanis, 20, is studying marketing at Illinois State University.

The crowdfunding campaign was suggested by Mark Hellner, an attorney with the Chicago-based Center for Disability & Elder Law. Hellner said he's been representing the family in the eviction proceeding for more than two years.

The center provides legal services at no cost to low-income Cook County residents who are elderly or who have permanent disabilities.

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"I've been attempting to find a resolution to allow them to remain in the home as long-term tenants," Hellner told me. "We weren't able to reach an agreement."

Hellner said in early December he brokered an oral agreement with the property owners to allow the Bezanis family to buy the home if they could raise $250,000 by Jan. 9.

If the goal is not met, the judge could rule that eviction proceedings may continue. The family wouldn't be thrown out on the street the next day, Hellner said, but would be given a reasonable amount of time to vacate the premises.

"The order of possession that gives the owner the right (to evict tenants) is usually stayed for a period of time depending on the unique circumstances," Hellner said. "The biggest issue in this case is Niko's medical needs."

Nikolas Bezanis was paralyzed after he dove headfirst into 3 feet of water on Petite Lake in the Fox River's Chain O'Lakes system at about 5:45 p.m. on Aug. 21, 2008, according to court records.

An appellate court ruled in 2012 that the Fox Waterway Agency and the Lake County sheriff were not liable to warn boaters of the shallow sandbar 400 feet from shore, and the Illinois Supreme Court declined to take up the case.

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The family exhausted $5 million in medical insurance coverage due to the extent of injuries to Nikolas Bezanis, his parents said. Since the incident, Nikolas Bezanis has progressively shown signs of traumatic brain injury, they said. Due to medications, his weight has ballooned to 574 pounds, they said.

"We were paying a lot of money out-of-pocket for (physical) therapy," Roula Bezanis said.

Property records show Paul and Roula Bezanis sold their home in 2001 for $300,000. Paul Bezanis said they had since built up more than $50,000 in equity through a lease-to-own agreement, but that equity evaporated when the property was foreclosed.

Cook County recorder of deeds records show a third-party, Intercounty Judicial Sales Corp., obtained the deed to the property from a bank on Nov. 5, 2013 after previous owner Robert Pettas surrendered the deed during a foreclosure proceeding on May 1, 2012.

Hellner said he began representing the family in 2014 after the third-party obtained ownership through a sheriff's sale and moved to evict the family from the property. The lease has since expired, and the family has no legal recourse to remain in the home unless the owners agree, he said.

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Paul Bezanis, a contractor, said he's been unable to work since injuring his arm while trying to lift his son. Roula Bezanis said when Nikolas Bezanis was injured, she gave up a hair salon in Orland Park she founded to care for him full-time.

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Donations are being made at www.crowdrise.com/save-nikos-home.

In addition to the crowdfunding campaign, local businesses, including the Original Island Shrimp House in Palos Park have been hosting fundraisers for the family.

Sitting at their kitchen table, I asked Paul and Roula Bezanis what would happen if they did not reach their goal of raising $250,000 by Jan. 9. What was their Plan B?

"There is no Plan B at the moment," Paul Bezanis said. "I'll worry about Plan B when Plan A is done."

tslowik@tribpub.com

Twitter @tedslowik
Alex Spungen, 18, of Deerfield, after he helped resuce two swimmers on a beach in Hawaii on Dec. 24, 2016. (Anna Razdolsky photo)

A Deerfield teen helped rescue a 65-year-old man and his 11-year-old son after he spotted the two struggling to stay afloat in big waves off the coast of Maui on Christmas Eve.

Buffalo Grove resident Anna Razdolsky said she was vacationing at the Fairmont Kea Lani resort in Wailea, Hawaii, when she spotted Alex Spungen trying to a help a man back to shore who she said appeared to be completely unresponsive.

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"(Spungen) had somebody in his arms and the waves were covering him. And I see he's trying to hold onto the body," Razdolsky said. "To me it was a dead body. He was dragging a dead body. The man he was carrying did not move. He was motionless."

Spungen, a student at Northwestern University, said he was swimming at Polo Beach, located in front of the resort, and noticed an 11-year-old boy floating in the waves near a buoy marking the maximum distance swimmers should stray from the shore. He said the 11-year-old called for helped and the 65-year-old man swam out to him.

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He said the two appeared to be struggling to make it back to shore in the rough surf.

"The kid started calling out for help again and that's when I realized they were in trouble," Spungen said.

Spungen said he helped guide the child back to the shore and when he turned around the boy's father was still in the water.

"He was unresponsive," he said. "I dragged him back closer to shore and people at the beach noticed and helped me carry him onto the shore."

Maui fire officials responded to the scene shortly before 1 p.m. Dec. 24, said Edward Taomoto, fire services chief for the Maui Fire Department. A report filed by the fire captain on scene said the 65-year-old man was found lying on the beach and was attended to by the resort's security staff. The report states the man appeared "really exhausted" and "he must have blacked out because he only remembered waking up on shore."

According to the fire official's account, Spungen assisted the man's 11-year-old son back to shore while bystanders helped pull the father to safety.

Taomoto said the man was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center. He said he wasn't aware of his current condition.

Spungen said medical professionals on scene told him the man would be fine and "that was the last I heard of him."

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Razdolsky said she spotted the struggling swimmers while beachgoers participated in a Christmas-themed celebration. She said she discerned something was wrong from Spungen's face . Razdolsky said she called for help and told beachgoers to call 911. Her husband, Yan, who practices orthodontics in Buffalo Grove, helped carry the man ashore, according to Razdolsky.

Razdolsky said she was so impressed by Spungen's heroic act that she asked for his name and where he was from. The two learned they live in neighboring communities and have since discovered mutual connections through her husband's orthodontics practice.

Razdolsky publicized the incident via her Facebook page because she said she believes Spungen "deserves the recognition."

Spungen, who graduated from Deerfield High School this year, said he acted on instinct.

"Basically, I saw somebody was struggling and I didn't have time to think what's the best thing to do. I just thought what is the quickest and fastest thing to do to help these people," he said. "It wasn't until after I helped them that I realized, wow, I saved these people from significant harm."

Spungen said he's "brushed off" the recognition he's received from friends and acquaintances since the rescue was publicized.

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"I'm sure there are plenty of other people who have done the same thing and have gone unnoticed. But it feels good being able to help people out," he said.

Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Faithwalk Harvest Center pastor Dexter Ball is one Carpentersville pastor who will be involved in the relaunched Clergy Committee. (Erin Sauder / The Courier-News)

A panel that disbanded in Carpentersville several years ago is about to have a resurrection of sorts.

Several local heads of churches plan to relaunch the Clergy Committee.

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"A lot of the pastors that were in the committee relocated so we paused for a few years," said Faithwalk Harvest Center pastor Dexter Ball. "And now (we're) ready to begin again."

The vision, said Ball, "is to create a platform where pastors or various faiths can come together in unity to pray for each other, our village and surrounding communities."

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"We would also like to share our perspectives with one another and help strengthen and encourage one another as we work together for a common goal, which is to be the salt and light of the earth," he said.

The committee's other goal is to work with Carpentersville officials to create more interaction between the churches and community, which will include involvement in community-wide projects and events.

Trustee Pat Schultz shares Ball's desire to create more community engagement.

"What I'm hoping ultimately is we will get feedback from (the pastors) as to what they're hearing in their parishes," she said. "And if there's anything we can change or do better and in turn hopefully engage our residents too in attending our special events and being current in what's going on with the village."

Members of the previous Clergy Committee held prayer services, holiday events that involved the area's youth and monthly fellowships where each pastor would share with the others.

"Our impact extended from our village into the community and surrounding schools as we worked to bring more unity in our area," Ball said. "It was extremely successful previously and we expect no less as we move forward again."

Adam Parchert, founder and pastor of the Carpentersville-based H2O Church, is happy to be involved in the committee.

"I think any time that pastors who are serving in the same area or community get together, it helps all of them be more effective in serving the community," he said. "As pastors and churches, we have so much in common that we shouldn't let minor differences prevent us from teaming to be the hands and feet of Jesus to our community."

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Erin Sauder is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Randy Hopp has filed an objection against board treasurer Susan Moylan this week due to slash marks she made on her economic interests statement. (Provided by Randy Hopp)

A former Gail Borden Public Library District Trustee, once again running for the board and once banned from the library, has requested a challenger's name stricken off the April 4 ballot.

Randolph "Randy" Hopp has filed an objection against board treasurer Susan Moylan this week, according to the Kane County Clerk's Office. The reasoning revolves around Moylan's writing style.

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Both Hopp and Moylan, along with two others, are running for four-year terms on the library board, with three seats up for a vote.

In objection documents obtained from the county clerk's office, Hopp claims Moylan did not follow the rules of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act by not typing or hand printing her responses in the required economic interests statement. When answering questions regarding economic interests and potential conflicts of interest, Moylan put slashes through the writing space and Hopp challenged it.

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According to the objection, Hopp wrote her method to filling out the form was "defective and objectionable," despite the statement having a date stamp from the county on it.

When asked to elaborate on his reasoning for questioning Moylan's forms via a phone interview Thursday, Hopp did not comment, only adding that for more information "come to the hearing next week."

Moylan, in a phone interview, said she has no conflicts of interest the county needed to be aware of. "Frankly, I have a library card but I don't receive a nickel. When I went through it, none of it applied for me, so I top to bottom did (slashes through the answer spaces), and he is objecting to that."

When asked about Hopp's objection, she said "he has a right to do it and he did it."

Hopp is no stranger to the Gail Borden community and leadership, as he has previously served on the board. Hopp won a seat on the board of trustees in 2009; Moylan, too, won her first term during the 2009 election. However, he lost in 2013 and ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2015. He also lost a bid for Kane County Board in November.

Shortly after winning in 2009, Hopp was banned from Gail Borden, with records stating staff felt harassed by him over the years preceding the ban. He has since been allowed back to the library. He is banned from the Elgin Community College and Judson University libraries.

The hearing, which will make a decision on the objection, is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Kane County Clerk's Office, 719 S. Batavia Ave., Building B in Geneva. Moylan said she will be there.

The Gail Borden objection is one of four the county received by the Tuesday deadline. The other three involve candidates in the East Aurora School District and the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District.

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raguerrero@tribpub.com
A number of blighted structures in Kane County were demolished or rehabbed in 2016, leaving a positive mark on neighborhoods, officials said.

Four blighted properties were demolished by the county this year and two more demolitions are pending, Development Director Mark VanKerkhoff said. Homes torn down included 1565 Dearborn Ave., 1386 Pearl St. and 1222 S. Union St., all in Aurora Township, and a home at 1341 Ridgeway Ave., in Aurora Township, was recently approved for demolition, he said.

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The county goes through a civil court process to get property owners to demolish or rehab blighted homes or gets a court order allowing the county to pay for the demolition and list the cost as a lien against the property.

Four other homes were demolished by property owners or banks, three were rehabbed by new owners and one property is currently being rehabbed, VanKerkhoff said.

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A home at 35W141 Duchesne Drive, Dundee Township, was demolished by the bank that owned it, which is ideal because it saves the county money, he said.

Some homes have been problems for years, he said. A home at 1434 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Township, for instance, has been the subject of complaints since 2008, he said.

The blighted structures program has proved useful, said Theresa Barreiro, who represents District 2 in Aurora.

"I am very proud of this program," she said, adding that she had been working on a blighted house that had been an eyesore for 20 years when she was first elected to the board. The county was able to secure $50,000 in Grand Victoria Riverboat funds to launch the program and the home was eventually demolished, she said.

Such homes negatively affect property values and are a safety hazard, she said.

"Once (a blighted house) comes down, the whole neighborhood changes and the price value goes up. It's a win-win for the county. It's imperative we stay on the situation," she said.

Development and Community Services staff have applied for a $150,000 grant from the state to help fund the program, VanKerkhoff said. It received about $30,000 from a Grand Victoria Riverboat grant in 2016 and is slated to receive about $45,000 in the new year, he said.

"We are going to continue to identify the worst of the worst and bring more resolutions in 2017," VanKerkhoff said.

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Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
The redevelopment of the Tower Building in downtown Elgin should be complete in 2017. (Mike Danahey / The Courier-News)

The redevelopment of the Tower Building in downtown Elgin began in 2016, and work should be complete sometime in 2017.

The city is providing $6.35 million in development assistance for the project, which has an estimated $16.6 million construction budget.

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Once completed, the 15-story, 1929-built Tower Building will house 45 one- and two-bedroom apartments, with rents set between $863 and $1,200 a month. Residents will pay for monthly parking passes for downtown parking spots, 55 of which will be set aside for Tower residents, city officials said.

Missouri-based Capstone Development Group and Chicago developer Richard Souyoul had been working on a deal for the iconic downtown structure since 2014, after plans for Wisconsin-based Gorman & Co. to purchase the building fell through.

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Of the project, City Council member Rose Martinez said, "It's a new beginning and a key piece in the puzzle for the downtown redevelopment and bringing in people."

Elgin cops to use body cameras

In February, the Elgin Police Department will begin issuing body cameras to officers, and by the end of the year each and every sworn member of the department will have the equipment.

The process leading to the purchase was overseen by Cmdr. Ana Lalley and began with a committee of police staff formed in 2014. A core group of eight to 10 officers tested equipment from seven vendors.

In June 2015, the department applied for an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and was awarded $250,000 in September 2015. The grant requires Elgin to match any dollar amount awarded, and Elgin will use drug asset forfeiture money for its $250,000 contribution, Lalley said.

The city's purchase is set to include 215 Taser Axon Body 2 body cameras for sworn officers' use and 30 of Taser's Flex 2 cameras for use by the department's SWAT team. The agreement also calls for using Taser International's Evidence.com to store the videos, which will relieve the burden of server and storage maintenance and software updates and upgrades from the city's information technology staff.

Past the initial outlay, the agreement with Taser calls for three $170,640 license payments for Evidence.com due a year, two years, then three years after the initial contract execution. The city's 2017 budget also includes a full-time civilian position in the Police Department, at a salary of almost $61,000 per year, for someone who would oversee the video program.

The city intends to use money from its general fund to pay for these outlays.

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Four Elgin City Council seats on ballot

The spring election for Elgin City Council has a ballot that includes incumbents RIch Dunne, Terry Gavin, John Prigge and Carol Rauschenberger and just three challengers  Brandon Yaniz, Corey Dixon and Brenda Rodgers.

The first announced candidates' forum is set for 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26 at the Solid Rock Free Will Baptist Church, 36W540 South St. The forum is being conducted by the Elgin OCTAVE.

In recent cycles, Council elections have drawn less than 13 percent of registered Elgin voters to the polls.

Kane County board to work with budget

One doesn't need a crystal ball to predict the Kane County board will struggle to pass a balanced budget its fiscal year 2018.

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The budget process doesn't begin until mid-year, but Chief Financial Officer Joe Onzick has already raised a red flag about the county's finances. The county board has a few options: find new revenue sources, make deep cuts or consider unfreezing a tax levy that has been in place for five years. It is a decision that rests solely on county board members.

Curriculum, teacher contracts on docket for District U46

In 2015, the U46 school board election was seen as a battle between two ideologies: the status quo and a change in direction.

This April, a similar battle is brewing, as six candidates of different philosophies vie for three school board seats. Three of the candidates are incumbents  school board president Donna Smith, Veronica Noland and Cody Holt. The three challengers each have differing backgrounds. Tracy Smodilla lost a bid for state Senate as a Republican in the 22nd Legislative District this fall. Melissa Owens is the president of the district's Citizens Advisory Council. And school board minutes from September and October show Enoch Essendrop spoke out against the district's policy on transgender student locker room access.

The school board has voted 5-2 and 4-3 in several instances over the past two years, often down ideological lines. A tilt in one direction or another would have significant repercussions over many items, such as the district's $500-million-plus budget. Key votes to come in 2017 include the budget, new curriculum and materials in social studies, and a new contract for the teachers.

Plans for outlet mall in Huntley

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In 2017, Village Manager David Johnson said Huntley is actively seeking ways to repurpose the Huntley Prime Outlet Mall property.

The mall was purchased in April by Capital Companies, an Elgin-based firm that has been developing buildings in Elgin, Bartlett and East Dundee over the past 20 years.

Huntley officials are planning to to repurpose the Huntley Prime Outlet Mall property in 2017. (John Handley / The Courier-News)

The 77-acre property offers more than 279,000 square feet of retail space and is currently home to about a dozen stores.

"A lot of people have been calling with ideas for different uses for the mall," Rich Turasky, owner and founder of Capital Companies said in April. "There is a lot of demand."

The village also has an ambitious plan to construct a multi-use path along Illinois Route 47 from Del Webb Boulevard to Kreutzer Road. With a projected cost of $1,078,400 the path will include signalized crosswalks with push-button pedestals, audible walk indicators, countdown timers and traffic islands to assist pedestrians in crossing the highway. The off-road, pedestrian access would connect Huntley Grove, where Wal-Mart is located, to Huntley Crossings and beyond to Village Green, where the Jewel-Osco is located.

Financing for the project will be provided through an 80 percent reimbursement grant offered by the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program.

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Construction projects planned in South Elgin

In 2017, South Elgin plans to continue its expanded road construction program, village Manager Steve Super said.

"That is probably  the biggest thing our residents will see," he said.

The village added $1 million to its road construction program in 2016 and 2017, and anticipates continuing to budget at those levels for the next several years, he said.

The Springs of South Elgin, a 300-unit luxury apartment complex, is expected to begin construction at Bowes and Randall roads this year, and more single family home are expected in the Silver Glenn Road region, Super said.

New businesses coming to Carpentersville

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Carpentersville will see the opening of several new businesses in 2017.

A Jersey Mike's Subs and American Mattress are expected to open in April on the former Rosati's site at 125 S. Western Ave.

The Burger King restaurant and drive-through under construction along Randall Road is set to open in mid-February.

While developers of the Southern Belle's Pancake House have not set an opening date, work continues on the building at 152 S. Western Ave., formerly home to City Buffet, and China Buffet before that.

A barbecue restaurant could make its debut this spring in the former Garibaldi's Italian Eatery building on Randall Road, village officials said.

A multi-business development is slated to go into the outlot just north of the AutoZone located in the Meadowdale Shopping Center, according to village officials. The development will create space for five tenants.

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mdanahey@tribpub.com

raguerrero@tribpub.com

Janelle Walker, Erin Sauder, Jeanie Mayer and Gloria Casas are freelance reporters.
IDNR Region II Stream Specialist Steve Pescitelli shows off a flathead catfish caught in the Fox River in St. Charles by electorfishing, a technique used to conduct population counts. (R. Miller / handout)

Fish stories from the Fox River, a kidnapping and torture case, a mural depicting a lynch mob, a crash involving a limousine, and a clown sighting were among the most popular stories on the web for Courier-News readers:

3rd woman charged in Elgin kidnapping, torture case

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During a February home invasion and kidnapping, a teen was beaten and burned with cigarettes in Elgin. Five people were charged.

Local fishermen reeling in giant catfish off shores of Fox River

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Some local fisherman were catching monsters from the Fox River  and were happy to share lots of lore about the fish they let loose to live another murky day.

Elgin artist: Mural connected to lynching photo was created to get people talking about history

The artist behind the Elgin mural that depicts a portion of a famous photo of a 1930 lynching of two black men in Indiana said the piece was intended to get people to ask questions, think about issues and consider their own place in history.

Teacher at Carpentersville school charged with sexual contact with a minor

A 47-year-old teacher at Carpentersville Middle School and the director of Elgin's Summer Theatre productions was charged with sexual assault or abuse stemming from incidents in 2013.

Haeger Potteries to shut down operations after 145 years in East Dundee

Haeger Potteries, which was founded in 1871, announced in April it would cease its manufacturing operations in East Dundee.

Police investigate report of clown

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Elgin officers were called to the area of College Green Drive in October to investigate the report of someone dressed as a clown lurking in the area. The sighting was one of many nationwide.

Pedestrian killed by Metra train

In January, a pedestrian was struck and killed near the Kimball Street bridge Metra crossing in Elgin

Two killed in South Elgin crash

Two people died following an early morning crash in November in South Elgin.

Limo company involved in fatal crash ordered to cease operations

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The limousine company involved in a fatal crash on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway was ordered to cease all intrastate and interstate operations because the company poses an "imminent hazard to public safety."

Billboards of missing South Elgin girl erected throughout Chicago area

South Elgin teen Kianna Galvin, 18, was reported missing May 6.
Photographer Ernie Schweit has started an arts alliance in Grayslake, where he lives with his wife and fellow artist, Maureen Fisher Rivkin. (Ernie Schweit)

When Ernie Schweit and his wife, Maureen Fisher Rivkin, moved to Grayslake a little over a year ago, they wanted to get to know their new community.

"We walked around downtown," Schweit said, "and coming from an art background, we thought, 'This is a cool little downtown with nice shops and restaurants, but where are the art galleries?'"

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Schweit, a published photographer and author, and Rivkin, an artist and French teacher in Waukegan, wanted to bring a greater art presence to the village.

So they formed the Grayslake Arts Alliance, which will have its second free public show on Jan. 14 at the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum. Scheduled to run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the show will feature exhibits by local artists along with jazz music and refreshments.

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The group  with about 60 local artist members  has grand goals. The members would like to create an arts center in Grayslake, provide arts education to the community and host monthly shows for the public.

Schweit, whose photography has appeared in the book "Wisconsin Barns," said he met with village and chamber officials and other community leaders, who embraced his idea of creating an arts alliance.

"We also met with some other local artists, including Rebecca Stahr," he said. Stahr said she had had similar thoughts over the years about starting such a group.

But just like there's always that perfect time to snap the prize-winning photo, now is the perfect time to start an arts alliance, Stahr and Schweit agreed.

"Make no small plans," said Schweit, referring to the quote by Daniel Burnham, an American architect and designer of Chicago's master plan as well as the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

The Grayslake Arts Alliance hosted its first free public art show featuring 60 local artists during the village's tree-lighting ceremony at the end of November. More than 500 people came to view the exhibits and listen to music, he said.

"That was really a smashing success," said David Oberg, executive director of the Heritage Center and Museum, who detailed plans for the January show.

"We'll turn the community room over to them to display paintings and photographs. It's going to be a nice night, and a great chance for people to get out," he said. "Plus the museum's galleries will be open. There's a lot of interest in the community for access to the fine arts. We're excited to see where this group grows."

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Schweit said he thinks an arts center  either in a stand-alone building or housed within the museum or elsewhere  will help the village toward its goal of becoming a destination center.

"I have a lot of background and experience in other arts groups, and I know wherever you put an art center, there is always peripheral development," said Schweit, who has exhibited his works along with his wife's in Door County and other arts-focused regions.

"Shops and restaurants come in. Grayslake already has that going on  the city is committed to developing the downtown as a tourist engine," he said. "I just think all the pieces are there. The momentum is going in the right direction. Creating an arts center is a natural piece of the puzzle."

Schweit added that the group hopes to educate the community about the arts, saying "that's really important. It brings people together, being creative. It develops the psyche of the community."

Stahr said art brings together people who might not have anything else in common, and a greater art presence will bring more people to Grayslake.

"We don't have Milwaukee Avenue running down the middle of town, so people don't necessarily choose to come here," she said. "There's so much potential. We thought, as artists, if we came together, we could totally be a powerful force and get the community together through arts and culture."

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Stahr, who works in an ancient medium that uses beeswax, pigments and heat, said art creates feeling. "It goes across language and other barriers," she said.

"Her work is so beautiful," Schweit said. "It flows. It's so colorful and has texture. It draws you in and makes you use your imagination. It gets you involved."

He hopes the alliance will also get more involved in the Grayslake community as it produces art festivals, shows and educational opportunities and expands to other arts including music. He added the group will focus on Grayslake artists and musicians.

"We want to keep it local," he said. "There are so many great artists in Grayslake."

Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
North Chicago High School graduate Marcus McGee (right) was one of three firefighters in Richmond, Va., who withstood a dangerous flashover with heat soaring to more than 1,000 degrees to rescue a baby who survived with minor smoke inhalation injuries on Dec. 17. (Richmond Fire Department)

In a dramatic rescue, a former North Chicago resident who now works in Virginia saved a baby's life from a raging fire earlier this month, authorities said.

Marcus McGee, 30, a 2004 graduate of North Chicago High School, has been on the Richmond Fire Department in Virginia for about three years. On Dec. 17, he was one of four firefighters whose engine was first on the scene of an apartment building fire with an 11-month-old girl trapped inside, Richmond Fire Department Chief Patrick Schoeffel said.

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It was one of the worst scenes he has witnessed in his more than 30-year career, Schoeffel said.

It was a fire where every second mattered, the chief said.

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McGee and three other firefighters arrived on the scene within 33 seconds of getting the call, Schoeffel said. Thick black smoke, however, caused zero visibility along the street and the engine was forced to stop 100 feet short of the building, Schoeffel said.

As Firefighter Korey Pettiford parked the engine and tapped the hose to the hydrant, McGee, who served as acting lieutenant that day, and two others ran toward the fire, Schoeffel said.

North Chicago High School graduate Marcus McGee, 30, who is now a firefighter in Richmond, Va., was one of three firefighters who survived a flash fire to rescue a baby on Dec. 17. The fire melted their helmets and burned their coats, leaving the firefighters with burns to their ears. (Richmond Fire Department)

From that instant, it took the firefighters one minute and 49 seconds to get the baby out of the house, the chief and McGee said.

The building had four apartments. Neighbors told the firefighters that a baby was still inside, but they did not know which apartment, and were blinded by the smoke.

"I let the guys know in the back that we had a rescue, and we got (from neighbors) that it was possibly a baby that was trapped," McGee told the News-Sun.

In the third apartment they entered, which was on the second floor, the crew found the fire's source, which was in a bedroom to the right and they heard crying coming from a bedroom to the right, Schoeffel said.

While in the smoke-filled hallway, Schoeffel said, one of the most dangerous and frightening things occurred: a flashover.

"Basically, the smoke and everything turned to a ball of fire," the chief said, adding that flashover temperatures can easily exceed 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. "When you are caught in a flashover, it scares you so bad."

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North Chicago High School graduate Marcus McGee, 30, who is now a firefighter in Richmond, Va., was one of three firefighters who survived a flash fire to rescue a baby on Dec. 17. The fire melted their helmets and burned their coats, leaving the firefighters with burns to their ears. (Richmond Fire Department)

The chief said this was only the second flashover he or his department has experienced in his career. Most often, it is so startling that the firefighters will quickly exit the building and regroup outside. But McGee and the two others stayed.

"When that flashover happened, it was kind of like an 'oh my God' moment," McGee said.

McGee said they could hear the baby crying, and he expected the worst. McGee and another firefighter, Parker Ramsey, who has been with the department a year, addressed the blaze, while 5-year veteran Carlos Samuels found the child.

"They are basically risking everything searching for this child," the chief said.

Because the hallway was now ablaze, Samuels covered the baby "as best he could and shot out of there down the steps," Schoeffel said

All of that happened in under two minutes, the chief said.

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"This kid probably had a minute or less to live," Schoeffel said. "They did an outstanding job. They are a younger crew, and they performed outstandingly."

On the left, Marcus McGee is pictured during his freshman year at North Chicago High School. On the right, McGee is pictured with his grandmother when he graduated from North Chicago High School in 2004. Now 30 and living in Virginia, he is credited with saving a babys life while working for as a firefighter for the Richmond Fire Department on Dec. 17. (Provided by Debra McGee)

Soot made the baby appear to be burned, but she was not.

"This kid is probably 10 feet away from (the flashover) and didn't get burned," Schoeffel said.

"The baby didn't look like it was going to be a good outcome," McGee said.

She was treated for smoke inhalation and released from the hospital the following day, the chief said.

Meanwhile, the heat from the flashover melted the three firefighters' gear and burned their ears.

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"Everything was ruined except for their boots," the chief said. "Everything they had on suffered such a heat blast that it burned holes, and it can't be used anymore."

McGee is the father of four, including a one-year-old son.

"I really wanted to see my kids at that time, especially the little one," McGee said. "I probably held him the rest of the night."

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire and surrounding circumstances, the chief said.

"I've been on the job 34 years  it ranks up there with a couple of the top rescues I've seen occur, that I've been involved with," the chief said. "Hats off to these guys."

Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
Just before Christmas, a summit in Moscow brought together the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey. President Vladimir Putin of Russia orchestrated this major meeting. After the discussions, his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced significant agreement to extend a ceasefire beyond the devastated city of Aleppo, and to guarantee humanitarian aid and safety of civilians. His government may or may not live up to these promises.

Undeniable is that Putin's power in the Mideast is now dramatically confirmed. Russia and Turkey are traditional enemies. Syria and Turkey have been at odds since 2011. The United States had no role in this important summit.

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The decision last year by Putin to intervene with military force in the brutal combat in Syria furthered this expansion of regional influence. In the short term, Moscow greatly increased the staying power of the beleaguered regime of Syria President Bashar al-Assad.

Historically, Moscow has been preoccupied with secure national borders, especially in Eastern Europe, and generally abstained from sending military forces long distances. This traditional approach has now been abandoned by Putin, who has become a daring military gambler in the Mideast.

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Russia has a long history of involvement in the volatile region, especially Syria. The profoundly serious Suez Crisis of 1956 resulted in sharp rupture among western allies, as the Eisenhower administration refused to support a combined military assault by Britain, France and Israel to retake the Suez Canal and seize the Sinai Peninsula from nationalist Egypt.

From that time until the end of the Cold War, Moscow had significant influence. Hafez al-Assad, father of the current president, helped instigate a successful 1963 coup. By 1970, he consolidated his position and ruled until 2000. Ironically given developments today, he was regarded as relatively moderate and an economic modernizer, though in the context of a dictatorship.

Syria developed a close military partnership with Egypt, and the two nations went to war together against Israel in October 1973. The Yom Kippur War also witnessed American-Soviet nuclear confrontation. This crisis arguably was as serious as the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, though conducted almost entirely outside public view, in great contrast to the confrontation over missiles in Cuba.

The Watergate domestic political crisis colors recollections among some Nixon administration officials. Nevertheless, reasonable conclusions can be drawn.

First, Nixon aggressively pursued the essential need to get aid to Israel. At the same time, Israel was pressured successfully to show restraint regarding encircled Egyptian forces. In short, vital U.S. interests in the region were recognized clearly and protected.

Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Second, visible actions were taken to demonstrate U.S. military resolve: B-52 bombers were moved from Guam to the U.S., the Army's 82nd Airborne Division was placed on alert.

Third, the U.S. ultimately did not pursue a proposed joint "condominium" proposed by the Soviets. Interests were too divergent on both sides. This bears directly on diplomatic efforts by Putin for international collaboration regarding Syria. The Moscow summit is a culmination of his strategy.

President Jimmy Carter brokered Egypt-Israel peace. President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State James Baker initiated complex multilateral negotiations which resulted in partial Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Moscow was involved.

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President Barack Obama declared use of poison gas by Damascus would be a "red line," and indicated military retaliation. When poison gas was used, he did nothing.

Putin seized the opportunity and persuaded Syria to abandon nuclear weapons. In the future, this event may be seen as the beginning of declining American influence.

Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War."

acyr@carthage.edu
Morton Grove police are investigating after a mother and son were found dead in a home in the 8900 block of Meade Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Police responded to the residence for a well-being check after receiving a call around noon that mail had been gathering in front of the home and the residents hadn't been seen for some time, said Investigations Commander Paul Yaras with Morton Grove police.

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Officers checked the outside of the home and tried to reach the people inside. They eventually entered the home and found the mother, 94, and son, 62, dead in beds in separate bedrooms, Yaras said.

The Cook County medical examiner's office classified both of their deaths as natural causes, following an autopsy done Thursday.

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The son died about Nov. 16, Yaras said, and the mother likely died a few days later.

No signs of criminal or gang activity were found, police said . And police said they do not consider the deaths a sign of a greater threat to the community.

No names have been released pending notification of next of kin, Yaras said, adding that relatives have been difficult to track down.

Rosemary Regina Sobol contributed to this report.

gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GenevieveBook
The Graham's Countryside BP gas station at Midlothian Road and Route 60/83 was denied a state video gambling license and recently asked to cancel its annexation agreement with Mundelein. (Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press)

Mundelein village officials say they will soon move to reclaim a strip of land they sold to a local gas station as part of an annexation agreement.

Graham's Countryside BP gas station was denied a gambling license in early September and by mid-November notified Mundelein of its intention to use an exit clause in the annexation contract, citing a provision that says acquiring video gambling is a condition of the deal.

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Village Administrator John Lobaito said the contract also reverses a property sale between Mundelein and the gas station. He said village trustees on Jan. 9 will vote to begin that process.

The land was previously slated to be a public road, but once sold it put the gas station's property at over three acres, which was interpreted as one of the state's requirements for a truck stop video gambling license.

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The state ultimately denied the license saying the station did not meet requirements.

Though the long process has come undone, Lobaito said Mundelein did not lose money in the annexation attempt. He said sales tax and property tax, among other fees collected in the process, offset the lawyer costs involved with negotiating the annexation contract and fighting a lawsuit filed by nearby homeowners.

Mundelein will gain $43,627 in the losing ordeal, according to a village document. Lobaito said some of the taxes collected during the gas station's brief stay are still being processed through the state.

"Although the village has estimated that it will receive more revenues than its expenses, the village would prefer that the Grahams not exercise their rights in the agreement to disconnect from the village," Lobaito told Pioneer Press in an email. "We understand this was a business decision and we respect their decision."

Among the reasons for denying the license, state officials told the gas station owners that having three acres of property is not the same as having a three-acre truck stop facility.

Tempers flared at a recent board meeting when one of the neighbors who sued Mundelein criticized village officials during the public comments while pointing to a news article about the immanent reversal.

"I would like you all to apologize for all the time and money I wasted," said Ralph Dillon, who has attended board meetings and Illinois Gaming Board meetings to oppose the gas station's license. "You should also apologize to the Mundelein residents for all the time and money they wasted."

Village Trustee Ray Semple was among the officials Dillon criticized on Nov. 28. Semple cited a copy of Dillon's property tax bill and said that he lives in an unincorporated area.

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"I Google searched (your address) and it's the house directly behind Graham Oil," Semple said. "Why couldn't you have been truthful this whole time that you're just a NIMBY, a not-in-my-back-yard guy?"

The two then exchanged their interpretations of past events.

"You are the most disingenuous man I have ever seen in my years of service at this board," Semple said. "You're not a resident and I don't care about you, Ralph. You are irrelevant Ralph to me."

When contacted afterward, Dillon said he and other neighbors invested almost 400 hours of time into fighting the annexation and gambling license, but he declined to say how much money they spent.

Mundelein's financial paperwork says the village paid $1,006 in legal fees to review Freedom of Information Act requests relating to the annexation and $9,500 in legal fees to represent the village in court over Dillon's lawsuit.

Mundelein spent $10,188 in legal fees through October 2015, when the zoning and annexation were originally supposed to be finalized, documents show.

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Mundelein also spent another $22,125 on the annexation lawyer from October 2015 throughout November 2016, a time period that involved redoing the zoning hearing as a result of Dillon's lawsuit and working with the gas station owner on extending certain deadlines while waiting for state officials to review the gambling application.

In total, financial document shows Mundelein spent $44,058 on the attempted annexation of Graham's Countryside BP  not including salaried employee time. It also says Mundelein is expected to collect $115,685 from sales tax, property tax, various fees and the property sale.

However, Lobaito said Mundelein will soon reimburse Graham $28,000 when the roadway is given back.

Semple later said he has no regrets in trying to bring the gas station into the village. He said the store already sells hard liquor and would be limited to only beer and wine if it joined Mundelein. Furthermore, he said the new tax revenue could have significantly helped the village's budget.

rkambic@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @Rick_Kambic
Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico, left, and Rabbi Mendy Goldstein of the Chabad Jewish Center prepare to light the 6th candle of the menorah Thursday during a Festival of Lights ceremony along the Naperville Riverwalk. (David Sharos / Naperville Sun)

The Jewish Festival of Lights was celebrated Thursday night with the outdoor lighting of a large menorah along the Riverwalk in Naperville.

The annual Chanukah event, attended by about 40 people, was led by Rabbi Mendy Goldstein of the Chabad Jewish Center in Naperville.

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"The message about Chanukah is the universal message of light over dark, and while we face many challenges right now, even a little light dispels the darkness," Goldstein said. "The fact that we want the public to participate in this is symbolic. And while most of the people that attend this are Jewish, we always have a mix of both those who are and are not."

The lighting of the 8-foot-high menorah was followed by a sharing of traditional fried foods  doughnuts and latkes  as well as dancing and music inside the Napervile Municipal Building.

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This year Chanukah began on Dec. 24, and will end Jan. 1. The dates vary from year to year, and that it happened to line up with the Christian Christmas holidays this year was a happy coincidence for some.

"There is a joyous occasion in that it coincides with Christmas, which doesn't happen that often," Naperville resident Steve Berry said. "I love all the lights I see at Christmas time and having Chanukah fall within the same time as Christmas makes it even more special."

Goldstein said Chanukah can fall anywhere from the last week of November to the end of December. The last time Christmas and Chanukah occurred at the same time might go back as far as the 1970s, he said.

Chuck and Vicki Robinson, of Naperville, were among Thursday night's guests.

"We like to come as it's nice to be here with others who are Jewish since there aren't as many Jewish people here in the suburbs," Chuck Robinson said. "We're empty nesters and the kids aren't there to light the candles each night, and so we wanted to come out and be with others. To me, Chanukah is mostly about family celebrations."

Vicki Robinson agreed.

"We appreciate having this opportunity," she said. "Chanukah is something you hope your kids glob onto as they grow up and feel special about during the Christmas season."

Alan Jacobson, of Naperville, and his daughter Rachel also attended Thursday's ceremony because they wanted to celebrate it in a "community atmosphere."

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"It's great to have this during Christmas and have people come together as a community," Alan Jacobson said. "I don't know if having 'the light' is more important or needed this year than any other. There is always something going on, always some trying times. My dad is 89 and says you can look back at any year he's been alive and find something."

Carolyn Finzer said she is a fourth generation Naperville resident who believes in celebrating all cultural groups and religions.

"I'm Roman Catholic but believe we should be friend makers to the world," Finzer said. "I want to accept and learn about others' religions and believe that community peace is possible."

Mayor Steve Chirico attended this year's ceremony and spoke about the history of the tradition.

"I feel very privileged to have been invited by Rabbi Mendy Goldstein to take part in this commemoration of the reclaiming of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees more than 2,000 years ago," Chirico said. "The lighting of the menorah is more than just a celebration of history, though. It is a celebration of great things to come as the light from a menorah is meant to inspire people to perform acts of kindness to others regardless of religious preference.

"As a lifelong resident of Naperville, I firmly believe that kindness and compassion are sentiments we all share here."

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David Sharos is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Emergency workers respond to Naperville North High School, where students said they felt sick after eating gummy bears on Dec. 6, 2016, Naperville District 203 officials said. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)

A former resident's essay about growing up black in Naperville, a wild pig, new restaurants and drug-laced candy were among the 10 most popular stories on napersun.com in 2016.

 What it's like to be black in Naperville, America

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Brian Crooks, who moved to Naperville when he was in the fifth grade, wrote a Facebook post about his experiences growing up in Naperville as an African-American. Portions of it appeared in the Naperville Sun in July.

 Naperville North students fall ill after eating tainted gummy bears

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More than a dozen Naperville North High School students were transported to the hospital in December after some ate gummy bears that appeared to be laced with marijuana.

 Naperville ranked wealthiest city in the Midwest

Naperville ranks as the wealthiest city in the Midwest and the 19th wealthiest city in the nation based on income, housing prices and credit availability, according to a report released in May by financial website NerdWallet.

 13-year-old skipping middle and high school to attend college

Kelly Li, a 13-year-old Naperville girl, opted to forgo her final year at Crone Middle School and her entire high school experience at Neuqua Valley to get a jump start on university life this fall at Mary Baldwin College, an all-women's institution in Staunton, Va.

 On-the-lam Naperville pig meets his end

A pig that was roaming Naperville was killed by a USDA sharpshooter in the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve on the city's far south side after it was declared a nuisance animal because of the damage he was doing.

 Naperville man charged with arson in Huber campsite fire

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A 71-year-old Naperville man has been charged with arson in connection with the fire that destroyed the campsite home of self-styled political protester Scott Huber.

 Naperville community activist shot to death in Chicago

After playing cards with old friends in Chicago's Austin community, where his insurance agency had thrived for four decades, Naperville resident Ronald Allen, 73, was shot and killed. Detectives said they do not know if Allen, a social activist in DuPage County, was the intended target of the shooting.

 Naperville Sun's guide to Christmas lights and holiday house displays

Always one of the most popular features, the Naperville Sun highlighted some of the best decorated houses in town.

 New food, bar options come to downtown Naperville

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Diners and imbibers have a few new options in downtown Naperville to choose from, and even more to look forward to in 2017.

 Christkindlmarket moves its suburban location to Naperville

Christkindlmarket, a German holiday bazaar that's become an institution in Chicago, moved its suburban location to Naper Settlement, allowing it to nearly double in size and establishing an ongoing event for Naperville.
Democrats pointing finger

Now we begin the official Democratic spin on the election loss.

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"It was caused by angry, white men, or James Comey" (Bill Clinton); "Russian hacking" (Obama); "Racism, or media's non-stop coverage of Trump, or the hillbilly-elegy crowd" (Clinton supporters).

They have a need to avoid blame for the loss, and instead, point the finger at everyone else but themselves and their candidate. Just like Benghazi, they do not want to accept any responsibility. Just like eight years of stagnant job creation, they want to point fingers at the other party. Blame deplorable, ill-informed, or dumb people for not being enlightened.

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Blame the FBI for investigating something that never should have happened in the first place -- unsecured email server usage. Blame racist, white guys and forget that 90 percent of blacks voted for Obama and Clinton. Blame hackers for finding and releasing existing information that was not attractive to Democrats. Blame the media for endlessly keeping Trump in the news and ignore the fact that all the news about him was negative.

Yes, spin the outcome to blame everyone else and do not take responsibility for your actions, then wonder why you lost the election.

Ray Schomas, Naperville

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Maya Reynolds, 18, works out at the new Marvin Lustbader Center for Wellness and Fitness. (Irv Leavitt / Pioneer Press)

A handful of patrons were all done working out by 8 p.m. Wednesday, leaving fitness specialist Cameron Hill all alone in the three-week-old, 13,000-square-foot health club wing to the Bernard Weinger JCC in Northbrook, two hours before closing time.

"I can find something to occupy myself," he said.

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It's that period of time in the start-up of a new fitness facility that can get operators nervous, said Alan Sataloff, the four-year CEO of JCC Chicago. He remembers, while a California Jewish Community Center CEO, the quiet rooms after he opened a fitness center in Palo Alto.

"Oh my God, what have we done?" he remembers asking himself as he looked at rows of empty exercise machines.

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"But it's now a big success," he said. "It can take three or four years for one of these to get up to capacity."

The Bernard Weinger fitness operation has been closed for months as the old 1,500-square-foot gym was replaced with the Marvin Lustbader Center for Health, Wellness and Fitness in a $6.5 million project.

Sataloff said the Lustbader center, which opened Dec. 10, is intended to draw people into the facility, and the sight of Jewish art lining the walls will draw them into many of the cultural offerings of the center at 300 Revere Drive.

The art isn't there yet, but the hallways' look has been softened by replacement of the black tile on the floors with wood-like covering, and installation of modern lighting in the ceiling.

The front desk has been moved from behind a window-wall to bring staff into easy contact with visitors, Sataloff said.

The new facility includes a big room with about 50 exercise machines and free weights, a smaller room with a score of spinners and six rowing machines, a dance/Pilates room, and men's and women's and family locker rooms, serving both the fitness center and the existing indoor pool.

And there's also a shvitz, a traditional steam room for Jewish people.

"I'm a steam guy. Without the shvitz, I'm not here," said Barry Levin of Deerfield.

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He said that he belongs to two other area gyms which also have a steam room, but he's trying out Lustbader for three months, on a $79 month-to-month basis, for other reasons. Among the things he likes is that almost everything, except for personal training and Pilates, is free with membership.

"They've really built it the right way," he said.

He said he liked the new equipment, and the newness of the facility: "Everything is bright and cheery. I think they'll do very well."

He came in, for the first time, because he was looking for a place that was open on Christmas, and he found it.

Highland Park's Suresh Kurra, working out a few machines down, was not looking for a place to work out on Christmas.

"You don't have to be Jewish, right?" he asked. "I just got a flier in the mail and decided to come in. I've been here five, six times. Every where I go in the area, I don't find anything better."

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Hill said that the dozens of free fitness classes offered by the Lustbader center will swell the ranks. Levin said that it may depend on whether a new, attractive facility is worth losing most of your "gym buddies" from another location. Sataloff said that the feeling of community and common culture will appeal to many Jews.

"People will feel that this place belongs to them," he said.

ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @IrvLeavitt
Six Oak Park residents who are in the races to become village clerk or village trustee now face objections to their candidate filing petitions.

Oak Park resident Kevin Peppard has officially objected to the petitions of trustee candidates Peter Barber, Glenn Brewer and Emily Masalski and village clerk candidates Mas Takiguchi, Elia Gallegos and Lori Malinski.

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Peppard, a 1966 graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, said his only interest with the objections is to have a "clean election."

"I don't have a dog in the fight," Peppard said. "It's about enforcing the election code."

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According to Oak Park Village Clerk Teresa Powell, residents Robert Milstein and George Lazewski have also filed separate objections, which pertain to the same candidates.

The matter will be heard before the Oak Park Municipal Officers Electoral Board at 2 p.m. Jan. 5 at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. The electoral board will consist of Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb, Powell and Village Trustee Colette Lueck.

In one challenge, Peppard alleges the three candidates endorsed by the Village Manager Association  trustee candidates Brewer and Barber and village clerk candidate Malinski  should have each submitted 251 signatures to appear on the April ballot, rather than "bundle" the signatures collected together for all three candidates.

According to his challenge, Peppard said the three submitted a total of 735 signatures when the three should have submitted a total of 753.

Peppard also alleges the three candidates have "corrupted the petition signing process by inducing people to think that to sign for one, they must sign for all, even if a signer wanted to sign only for one" candidate.

Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley, the campaign manager for the Barber, Brewer & Malinski campaign, said the candidates are positive their petitions will be deemed valid.

"We are confident that our petitions are in compliance with the Illinois Election Code and look forward to ensuring that the vibrant diversity of the community is reflected on the ballot this spring for Oak Park voters," Mbekeani-Wiley said.

In challenging Takiguchi's petition, Peppard alleges several of the candidate's petition sheets are "invalid for lack of notarization," while one sheet is an "invalid affidavit" due to issues with the signatures of relatives of Takiguchi. According to Peppard, Takiguchi submitted 257 raw signatures, which left him a margin of only six signatures. Peppard says the loss of those sheets would leave him several signatures short of the required amount to appear on the ballot.

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A message left with Takiguchi seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Regarding trustee candidate Masalski's petition, Peppard alleges she submitted the nominating papers without specifying a date of election, sought to run as a nonpartisan where only independent and partisan were available, filed for a primary election when she meant consolidated election and has an insufficient number of signatures.

"I think the attention to Mr. Peppard's challenges will only increase the Oak Park sentiment that we have free and open elections in America and in our village," Masalski said. "Mr. Peppard is a self-appointed 'referee' who would like to stifle voters in local municipal elections. Oak Parkers are not in favor of a village government that could be influenced by patronage or party factionalism. We should let the voters decide who is worthy of representing the citizens of Oak Park. I want to make sure [the village] continues to thrive and the whole community has a voice."

In challenging clerk candidate Gallegos' signature petition, Peppard alleges she "failed to fasten those papers in any manner," which makes them invalid.

A message left with Gallegos seeking comment was not immediately returned.

In his objections, Peppard is seeking to have the names of all six candidates removed from the April 4, 2017 ballot.

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sschering@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @steveschering
Cynthia Ogorek highlighted her railroad books at the recent Railroad Show and Swap Meet in Crown Point. (Sue Ellen Ross / Post-Tribune)

Although Cynthia Ogorek has spent her entire life within a mile of the Indiana/Illinois border, the historian and author found she had a lot to learn about the Calumet Region.

Ogorek's post-college goal was to become an author of history, but the Calumet City, Illinois, resident first took a job as a museum director in Illinois. While writing a proposal for the Lincoln Highway, she expanded her research to include the entire Calumet Region. She has since written four books; the most recent one, "The Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad," was highlighted last month at Miles Books in Highland.

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"This book was written in partnership with South Suburban railroad historian and expert, Bill Molony," Ogorek said at the book-signing event. "It takes readers from the Ideal Section in Dyer to Geneva, Illinois, via the south suburbs of Chicago. All of these routes have had an impact on living in Northwest Indiana."

This book focuses on the terminal line that allowed four railroads to enter Chicago from Indiana more efficiently and less expensively, starting in 1879.

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Those four railroads were the Monon, the Erie, the Grand Trunk and the Wabash. The fifth line, the Chicago and Eastern Illinois, also came out of Indiana, but from the Evansville area.

All of these railroads gained access to the Chicago markets via Dearborn Station at the south end of Chicago's Loop

Her third book, "Along the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad" was motivated by her work as a hostess/narrator while offering informational trips of the South Shore Railroad.

"Various groups hired me to do these tours," she said. "I realized that so many people didn't know the important facts involved with this railroad, so this led me to write my third book."

The South Shore Line is the last electric interurban rail line in the nation.

The second book, "The Lincoln Highway Around Chicago," involved much more research, and some historical societies agreed to let her use their photos. Her first book, "Along the Calumet River," was published in 2004.

Ogorek, who has been a member of the Lincoln Highway Association since 1998, hopes her readers will enjoy taking a little tour of local history, learning something they may not have been aware of, and value the heritage they grew up with.

Regarding her take on history research and reporting, Ogorek feels she is making a mark in the community in a unique way.

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"Our area, on an international level, is very interesting," she said. "In my small way, I'm leaving a documentation of what's gone on for the last 175 years in the Calumet Region."

Future plans for Ogorek include completing a book about Chicago's Hegewisch community.

Ogorek's books are available at local bookstores and online at Amazon.

Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A group of women who identified themselves as family of the three children killed in an apartment fire overnight, hang teddy bears by a tree on Dec. 24, 2016, in Gary. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)

Funeral plans have been made for three children who died in a Gary apartment fire, according to Powell Coleman Funeral Home.

A wake is scheduled for 9 a.m., followed by a funeral at 11 a.m., Tuesday at Christian Valley M.B. Church at 19th Avenue and Adams Street in Gary, a representative from Powell Coleman Funeral Home, which handled the arrangements, said in an email.

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Cousins Jayden Mitchell, 5; Alaya Pickens, 4; and Yaleah Cohen, 2, died in a fire that occurred late Dec. 23 into Christmas Eve morning in the 4400 block of West 23rd Court, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office and Gary Fire Department. While a preliminary determination has been made, their manners of death will not be released until tests are completed, which could take four to six weeks, said Scott Sefton, chief deputy.

A man, who has not been named, was also being treated for burns from the fire, according to Gary police and fire departments.

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The fire was ruled arson earlier this week, started by an incendiary device, but a specific object was unknown, said Mark Jones, chief of operations at the fire department, in an email. The Indiana State Fire Marshal is assisting in an investigation, but Jones and Lt. Dawn Westerfield, of Gary police, said there were no updates in the investigation as of Friday afternoon.

Gary police "urgently asked" in a release Thursday for people with "knowledge of the events that occurred, leading up to, during and after this tragic fire" to "come forward." Those with information are asked to contact Detective Sgt. Shauna Poirer-Peter of the Lake County Metro Homicide Unit at 219-755-3855 or the crime tip line at 866-274-6347.

Community members brought stuffed animals and offered prayers for the families in the days after the fire. Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson offered her support and thanked first responders for their efforts in the fire, saying, "Any fire is sad, but a fire where you lose three children is simply devastating."

Indiana's American Red Cross also offered help to the children's families and neighors who may have been affected by the fire, said Duchess Adjei, regional communication director.

rejacobs@post-trib.com

Twitter @ruthyjacobs
Many of the residents of the 62 or so homes slated for demolition in Hammond said they're willing to go  if the price is right  to make room for the proposed Gateway South Shore station on a highly anticipated new line for the South Shore commuter railroad.

If the Federal Transportation Administration approves the Westlake line and provides half of the $600 million price tag over 30 years, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore, will build the Gateway station on Wabash Avenue in the city's oldest neighborhood.

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The area is bounded by CSX freight railroad tracks to the south, a South Shore double track to the north, and from Sheffield Avenue west to the state line. The Gateway Station would allow travelers to head east-west and north-south from one point.

Many of the affected homeowners are on the 200 block of Hanover St., between Sheffield Avenue and Wabash Street. Matt Jakubczyk, 89, a retired firefighter and lifelong Hammond resident, said he'd pull up stakes and move, if he has to.

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Allen Dixon talks about how NICTD plans will affect his neighbors on the 200 block of Hanover. (Jim Karczewski / Post-Tribune)

"It's like anything else, it's the future," he said on the porch of his tidy brick home with a postage-stamp front yard. "I don't mind. I think (the train station is) a good idea for a lot of people. If they give me a good price, I'll sell."

Jakubczyk said he would move into assisted living because he doesn't want to shovel snow and maintain property

Maria Jordan, 36, who lives with her elderly grandfather, a daughter, 11, and an autistic 2-year-old son, was not happy with the prospect of moving and said she would have to make special arrangements for her son.

"It's just life-changing plans. I'm just trying to figure out what to do," she said.

"We grew up here," Jordan said, pointing from her front door at homes along the street where neighbors said they all look out for each other. "Great-grandkids, grandkids, kids. My grandma grew up here. It's a family home."

While the federal approval and funding process takes a long time, NICTD and city officials said they will soon begin plans to buy the properties needed for the new line and the new station.

Rick Lomeli will sell if he has to, but then will move to Munster. (Jim Karczewski / Post-Tribune)

In November, the Hammond City Council unanimously passed the "Hammond Is My Home" ordinance, offering owners market price to sell their homes and an additional $5,000 if they relocate in Hammond. Those who do not sell likely will face eminent domain proceedings.

The decision to support the Westlake corridor, the Gateway station and a nearby maintenance yard was difficult, but it makes sense in the long run, said Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr. The city will invest about $900,000 in local option income tax proceeds over 30 years, or about $27 million, but it will get upward of $300 million in economic development, he said.

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The city recently ran into a similar situation when it widened Gostlin Ave., McDermott said. Some residents happily sold their homes, while others resisted, forcing the city to use legal means to get the necessary properties.

The same could happen in the north Hammond area, McDermott said.

"Some people will be devastated, and some will be happy, so we're going to run the gamut of responses," he said. "It's a super tough call, because you know people have worked for decades to improve their houses.

"But, as mayor, this is too good an opportunity to pass up for the City of Hammond, and I would be committing malpractice, as the mayor, if I didn't take advantage of this opportunity for the city."

James Douglas, who lives on the 200 block of Hanover in Hammond, keeps neighbors informed about the planned development. (Jim Karczewski / Post-Tribune)

There Mike Noland, CEO and general manager of NICTD, also expects mixed reactions.

"There's no doubt there's going to be some people who are not happy, but there may be others who may think this is like money from heaven," he said.

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Rick Lomelli, who has lived on the corner of Sheffield and Hanover for 30 years, said he'll take the money and sell his house, but will move to Munster.

James Douglas, 45, who lives in a two-story home in the middle of the block, pointed to each home and gave a brief history of its ownership. Douglas, who said he is on disability and cannot work, keeps neighbors informed of development details.

"All of us are kind of like family, because we're kind of secluded, being between the sets of railroad tracks. Everything's up for grabs, still. I would like to stay in Hammond, but, of course, they're breaking up our whole family here," he said.

Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
The U.S. Attorney's office announced securities fraud charges against a 66-year-old Lowell man Thursday.

Richard E. Gearhart is charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud and wire fraud, stated a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office. Gearhart's business partner, George R. McKown, 65, of Indianapolis, faces identical charges.

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Federal authorities said Gearhart and McKown sold securities to individuals who transferred their traditional pensions, annuities, 401ks and cash to invest in their Schererville-based company, Asset Preservation Specialists Inc., and promised them a guaranteed rate of return.

Gearhart and McKown were not registered with the SEC or the State of Indiana to sell securities, according to the indictment.

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"Gearhart had all the warning signs of a typical Ponzi scheme," said Secretary of State Connie Lawson. "He took advantage of people he knew and wasn't registered with my office to sell securities."

Gearhart's troubles began in 2013 when he filed Chapter 13 federal bankruptcy, according to court records. Several clients filed complaints against Gearhart in the bankruptcy case, claiming losses of more than $2 million collectively.

The indictment against Gearhart and McKown was the result of a joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana Secretary of State Securities Division.

Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Three Republicans filed as of Friday to fill the District 1 seat on the Porter County Council that's being vacated by Jim Biggs, who has been elected to the Board of Commissioners.

County Republican Party Chairman Michael Simpson said Andy Bozak, Thomas Fieffer and James Ton have filed for the spot so far.

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Gordon Sheffer, who filed by Friday with the others, has since dropped out.

Biggs, of Chesterton, was elected to replace John Evans, who did not seek another term as commissioner representing the North District.

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Bozak, of Burns Harbor, is in his first term on the town council there.

Fieffer, of Chesterton, is the Portage fire chief.

Ton, of Chesterton, is retired as a longtime educator in the Duneland schools and is on the Chesterton Town Council.

A caucus to fill the vacancy will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at Chesterton Town Hall, 726 Broadway, Chesterton.

Union Township vacancy

Union Township advisory board member James Foreman has submitted his resignation, effective Friday, so Porter County Republicans will hold a caucus to fill the vacancy at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at the Union Township Trustee's Office, located at 251 N. County Road West.

Any person looking to fill the vacancy must be a resident of Union Township.

All persons interested must submit a declaration of candidacy form to the County Clerk. The form is available at the Office of Voter Registration in the Porter County Administration Building, located at 155 Indiana Avenue, Room 105, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383. The phone number is (219) 465-3486.

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All declaration of candidacy forms must be hand delivered or mailed to the Office of Voter Registration not later than 72 hours prior to the Caucus. Additionally, a letter of intent must be forwarded to the Porter County Republican Party Chairman Michael Simpson

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A man walks at a seasonally decorated street with illuminations for Christmas and the New Year installed in Moscow on Dec. 28, 2016. (SERGEI ILNITSKY / EPA)

Nothing much changes on New Year's Day except our calendars. We all know this. Yet we still attach meaning to an otherwise meaningless date.

We do this each new year with hopes of new habits, new plans, new dreams, and a new outlook on our lives. For most of us, however, it should be less about attempting new habits and more about abandoning old habits. Old bad habits, that is.

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Due to the daily comfort of repetition and familiarity, we're all habitual offenders of some kind. Our challenge is to leave behind those bad habits which, for the most part, define us although we forgot why or how we started them in the first place.

Maybe it's overeating to fill a bottomless void in your life. Maybe it's drinking booze so often that when you're not drinking booze it feels like something crucial is missing in your life. Maybe it's harboring so many angry, destructive thoughts that you forgot who you're so mad at. Or why you're so angry so often.

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Regrets can turn into bitterness in the blink of a lifetime. This may sound like poetic prose until you live several decades and realize you're still imprisoned by something that happened 40 years ago. Or as a teenager. Or as a child. Before you know it, you can't easily recall a moment in your life before resentment kidnapped your hope.

In our brains, bits of electrical or chemical information flow from one neuron to another neuron across a synapse, which contains a small gap separating the neurons. Too often we use the same pathways of thought because they're so familiar to us, so convenient to our thinking process.

The older we get, the tougher it becomes to forge new paths of thought, sparking new synapses in our mind. I view this brainy image as if we're making our way through a thicket of jungle by following the same paths that were forged earlier. Yes, it's easier and faster but not if it leads to the same quicksand each time.

Personally, I have too many thoughts that lead to emotional quicksand. I can get there in a nanosecond and, before I know it, I'm sinking in negative thoughts. Maybe this resonates with you too?

If so, what better time than now to realize this and act on it. Then you can begin to abandon those habits that have become your identity to others. Or worse yet, to yourself.

Otherwise it's easy to get bogged down in the daily muck of our lives, confusing complacency with normalcy. This is especially true after a long year of unchecked habits and routines.

In years past, most of my resolutions have been based on fear. Fear of getting too fat, too lazy, too complacent, too arrogant, too something.

In fact, fear is what pushed me into the newspaper industry more than 20 years ago. I feared losing my family's food business, so I sought a backup plan. It somehow turned into a career, without any kind of hope-filled resolution to launch it.

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A few years ago, I promised myself I would finally get out of credit card debt. It didn't come from an epiphany on New Year's Day. It came from a lecture hosted by Dave Ramsey, the best-selling author, radio show host and "money-vangelist."

His preachy four-hour seminar in Grand Rapids, Mich., attracted more than 9,000 believers, skeptics and potential converts. His charming Tennessee drawl and folksy colloquialisms served as disarming testimonials to his "I'm one of you" public persona.

Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" promised to get attendees out of debt before graduating from "Financial Peace University," as he called it.

"I stole everything I know from God and your grandmother," Ramsey told the audience. "Your great-grandparents thought credit was a sin."

I showed up reluctantly, as I do most everything, figuring Ramsey's "debt snowball" sales pitch wouldn't knock any financial sense into my plastic-friendly spending habits.

"Being broke is normal in this country," Ramsey told the crowd. "I want to be weird."

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I realized that I had been normal for too long. I also wanted to be financially weird. But it didn't come overnight. Or from Ramsey's well-polished sermon, which included didactic scripture, entertaining stories and good old-fashioned common sense.

"Live on less than you make," Ramsey said.

Simple as this: Live on less than you make.

Such fiscal simplicity stayed with me through the years. Ramsey told us flatly that no company will save us. No government policy will save us. And no foreign country will save us. Period. This also stuck with me.

I began changing my spending habits (there's that word again) and paying off credit card debt differently. I knocked out smaller debts before aiming at my larger debts. It wasn't easy. I still charged items, but I did so smartly, usually with zero percent "promo" financing.

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I paid off one credit card at a time. I cut up each card after I paid it off. I used only one card for monthly purchases, accumulating reward points along the way.

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In 2016, I finally paid off all of my lingering credit card debt. I felt like I lost 50 pounds.

I didn't do it by adopting new habits so much as by curbing my old spending habits. I didn't start it on New Year's Day. I didn't harbor pie-in-sky dreams that were unattainable in one year's time. Yet I eventually shed that debt.

No, nothing much changes on New Year's Day except our calendars. But we can attach some kind of currency to this milestone date.

If you recognize only one bad habit to finally shed from your life, today will be anything but meaningless.

jdavich@post-trib.com

Twitter@jdavich
In 2016, we saw the Russian government interfere in our elections by supporting and perhaps ordering computer hacking into U.S. election systems, possibly to help Donald Trump win the election. (Don Emmert AFP/Getty Images)

Adios, 2016; don't let the door hit you in the backside on your way out.

Welcome, 2017; let's all have a happier new year.

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The aforementioned old year ranked with the rankest. The world became a scarier place, largely because Russia took on a more aggressive posture. We saw horrifying violence in Syria, perpetrated against the Syrian people by their own government, with the help of Russia. We saw Russia commit illegal aggression against the people of Ukraine. We even saw the Russian government interfere in our elections by supporting and perhaps ordering computer hacking into U.S. election systems.

At home, we saw acts of terrorism committed by American citizens, including the worst in history in Orlando, Fla., shocking violence against and by police officers, and here in the Chicago area we saw gun violence, mostly involving gangs, that led to scores of appalling injuries and tragic deaths of innocent children.

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Our election process, which has always been a reason to be proud of America, degenerated to unheard of levels of insult and personal attacks. Most disturbingly, it apparently worked, as the candidate who ran the rudest and crudest campaign rolled over his Republican primary opponents and squeaked out an electoral college victory despite losing the popular vote by almost 3 million. What we admire as Americans apparently is changing.

And here in Illinois, state government remained stalemated as leaders of both political parties decided there was nothing to be gained by having serious discussions with the opposition

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On top of all this, the Cubs won the World Series  and Armageddon did not follow. Some South Siders might say the Cubs winning is Armageddon, but most of us celebrated  didn't we?

Overall, 2016 was not our most favorite year. Let's hope for a better 2017.

Let's hope President-elect Trump can succeed in his promise to shake up the federal government and make it function in the best interests of all Americans. President Obama has been telling us that if Trump is successful, America will be successful. Maybe he's right.

Let's hope Gov. Rauner and Speaker Madigan can get together and have a conversation, maybe even get the state government running again.

Let's hope someone, anyone, can find a way to end the gun violence that plagues many of our communities and threatens all of them.

Perhaps most importantly, let's hope the new year sees Americans everywhere do a better job of communicating with each other. One shocking lesson we all learned during 2016 was that we have divided ourselves into groups that don't talk, that don't even have an idea what the other is thinking and why. That's a recipe for big trouble.

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Let's hope 2017 is a brighter, more peaceful year. Happy New Year to our neighbors near and far.
What's Quickly? It's where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com.

Rick Perry in charge of the nuclear arsenal is more that scary. In fact, this whole new administration is a real nightmare attempting to take us back 200 years.

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Have you noticed in the last 60 to 90 days everything Obama does is historic or bringing hope to the future, his egotism amazes me. He has always spent more time writing his personal legacy narrative then performing his duties as president.

About the Popular Vote Compact, this year it was just a few states  Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio  that decided the election using the Electoral College. In 2000 when Bush lost the popular vote it was just Florida by 500 votes. So your complaint that California, New York, Illinois and Texas could decide the election is really pointless; it's just a few states deciding things no matter which way you go. I like one person, one vote and the majority wins.

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All of you Trump supporters are going to have egg all over your faces when you see how well Trump sticks it to the middle class. Voucherizing Medicare, raising the Social Security retirement age and shafting veterans. But I'm sure his family and businesses will make a fortune, just like in a third world dictatorship.

From the very beginning of his campaign, Donald Trump stated that he would make no cuts to Social Security because that was money contributed by payroll deductions from earnings. He also stated he would end the funding of Obamacare from Medicare cuts because Medicare was also built up from payroll deductions from hard working Americans. One thing you cannot deny about Donald Trump  he is a man of his word.

For the last two months, watching the Quickly liberals having a melt down has been the best New Year's gift of my life. Thanks, Donald Trump!

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Taking his cue from Donald Trump, a prominent Israeli official is referring to our Secretary of State John Kerry as "pathetic." Is this how Trump intends to Make America Great Again, by encouraging disrespect of American officials and institutions around the globe?

Reputable psychiatrists and psychologists seriously suggest that Donald Trump is mentally unstable, and yet we have Quickly contributors who just can't wait for him to work his special magic and make the U.S. "so great" again. If the prospect of Trump assuming the presidency on January 20th does not strike terror in your heart, then you plainly are not paying the slightest bit of attention to his erratic and dangerous behavior.

Obama didn't ignore drug pricing. He was stonewalled by the do-nothing Congress for eight years and their buddies in the pharmaceutical industry.

If you wanted a president to address social concerns such as drug companies gouging us and approval to purchase drugs from overseas, you should have voted for Bernie not Trump.

Don't be fooled by the Quickly barker that wants you to believe that the Republican Party is laden with incredible wealth. There are more millionaire Democrats than there are Republicans.

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President-elect Donald Trump isn't having problems coming up with performers at his inauguration speech like a commenter suggest. He just doesn't want Lady Gaga or Madonna or Beyonce or Bruce Springsteen. They all played for the losing team.

Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly
What's Quickly? It's where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com.

Whoever would have thought the time would come when if you asked 100 people to name the greatest threat to our national security, more than half would say "the man who is about to become president"?

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I don't live in Chicago, but I feel that the new bag tax would make me avoid shopping there as much as possible.

Medicare Part D was a Republican program signed into law by President George W Bush. He insisted that the law not allow the US government to negotiate lower, bulk prices with the pharmaceutical companies. This is because Big Pharma lobbyists literally wrote the law and the GOP happily passed it to keep their campaign donors happy. Educate yourself.

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You mean if we were in the Popular Vote Compact the majority of citizens who vote will actually get to choose our president? What a novel concept, majority rules. That almost sounds like a democracy.

Republicans have painted our economy as a disaster area for the past eight years. Now, all of a sudden, the economy is wonderful, all because Donald Trump was elected  less than two months ago. It's as though the steady improvement of the economy for the past 96 months under Obama just never happened. In the meantime, Trump sends out tweet after tweet congratulating himself. Disgusting.

Why is the P-T putting people who are proud to be ignorant bigots on the front page? That's just rewarding bad behavior. What's next, a feature article on some local Klansmen?

Trump did not get the majority of the American people's vote on election day. The Electoral College went against the will of the American people when they voted Trump into office. Its time for the Electoral College to go.

How funny, House Republicans want to slap penalties on lawmakers who protested on the House floor over gun control. But they thought nothing about the eight long years of gridlock they created.

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Your character shows that your private words and deeds match your public ones.

You call what Obama is doing "leaving a mess"? I say he is trying to protect the laws for the will of those elected him by a majority. Trying to stop Trump from doing damage isn't exactly what I would call "leaving a mess". President Obama is trying to avoid the mess that is coming.

We do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we are. Observation is really reflective.

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Until they start seriously separating church and state, all churches need to start paying taxes. No exceptions.

The Porter County tax assessor is upset because a tax hearing for a Hebron apartment complex has been moved to Indianapolis. Why in the world would a for-profit 80-unit apartment complex have a tax-exempt status?

Twitter gives stupid people the opportunity to let millions of people know they are stupid instead of just those within ear shot. Unfortunately one of those people is President-elect Trump.

Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly
A high-speed train runs along the Shanghai-Kunming railway line on December 28, 2016. [Photo/China.org.cn]

In the next five years, China will invest 3.5 trillion yuan ($503 billion) to accelerate railway construction, including expansion of the country's high-speed rail network to 30,000 kilometers, a senior official said on Thursday.

"By 2020, more than 80 percent of China's major cities will be connected by high-speed railways," said Yang Yudong, vice-minister of transportation.

China released a white paper titled "Development of China's Transport" on Thursday, which Hu Kaihong, director of the State Council Information Office's Press Bureau, said is the first white paper to review the sector's tremendous changes in recent decades and to set goals for its future.

In the past few years, China's railway network, especially high-speed rail, has undergone dramatic change. From 2011 to 2015, China invested 3.58 trillion yuan to build 30,000 km of railway. By the end of this year, the nation's total railway length will reach 124,000 km, including 20,000 km of high-speed railway, accounting for 65 percent of the world's total high-speed rail.

In July, the National Development and Reform Commission issued an updated national railway development plan envisioning a 175,000-km rail network by the end of 2025, with 38,000 km of high-speed rail.

However, the high-speed railway network still faces challenges, especially in the less-developed western part of China. Yang, the vice-minister of transportation, said he is confident that lines in western China will eventually become profitable.

"Plus, building high-speed railway in less-developed regions is not only about recouping investment. It is part of the big project of rejuvenating the whole region and the country's economy," said Yang.

The high-speed rail linking Beijing and Shanghai showed a profit last year, Xinhua News Agency reported in July, quoting Tianjin Railway Construction Co, a shareholder of Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Co.

Yang Hao, a professor of rail transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University, said the economic returns of a high-speed railway network shouldn't be judged solely on whether lines are profitable, since these rail-ways can leverage the development of such industries as tourism, logistics and real estate.

According to China Railway Corp, construction began on Thursday on a high-speed rail line linking Guiyang, Guizhou provincea transportation hub connecting members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nationsand Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The 482-km line will connect the Shanghai-Kunming railway and the Chengdu-Guiyang railway to the north and will also link to southern coastal areas including Hainan province and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The new railway will accelerate communication between China and ASEAN countries and play an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Yang Yujun [Photo: Defense Ministry]

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun on Thursday voiced the Chinese armed forces' strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine.

During his recent visit to Hawaii, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not show the slightest remorse, but used the word "brave" to refer to Japanese military officers who died in the Pearl Harbor attack, said Yang at a regular press briefing.

Abe even mentioned the Japanese empire in his speech, Yang said, adding that all peace-loving people across the world should be on a high alert against such words and deeds.

"The aggression launched by Japanese militarism brought calamities to the people in related regions and countries. History is a mirror. There is no future if one cannot face the past sincerely," he said.

The notorious Tokyo war shrine, which honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from the WWII, is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.
 Flash

More than 200 people have died in the past year after taking psychoactive drugs known as "legal highs", the Home Office, Britain's interior department, revealed Thursday.

The Home Office said nearly 500 people have been arrested by law enforcers since a landmark psychoactive substances law came into force six months ago which made so-called designer drugs illegal.

New powers were introduced under the new law to tackle what officials described as the menace of so-called legal highs.

Home Office figures showed that new psychoactive substances were involved in 204 deaths in Britain in the last year, an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous 12 months.

Government minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism Sarah Newton said: "We banned new psychoactive substances because they are not safe, they can devastate lives and we will not tolerate them in this country."

Police forces have stopped 332 shops across Britain from selling the substances since the new law came into force.

Police Commander Simon Bray, from the National Police Chief's Council, said that the Psychoactive Substances Act has fundamentally changed the way police tackle the supply and distribution of these dangerous drugs.

Offenders can face up to 7 years in prison for the supply, production, possession with intent to supply, importation or exportation of a psychoactive substance.

Police can also use new powers to shut shops or online dealerships selling the newly banned substances.
 Flash

The 6th meeting of the Join Cooperation Committee (JCC) on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is held in Beijing on 29 December 2016. [Photo/China.org.cn]

The 6th meeting of the Join Cooperation Committee (JCC) on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was held in Beijing on 29 December 2016. The meeting was co-chaired by Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development and Reform (MPD &R) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Mr. Wang Xiaotao, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the Peoples Republic of China.

Federal Minister for Railway Khwaja Saad Rafique, Chief Ministers, Sindh Mr. Murad Ali Shah, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Mr. Pervez Khattak, Balochistan Sardar Sanullah Zehri and Gilgit-Baltistan Mr. Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rahman, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi and Chairman Board of Investment Dr. Miftah Ismail, besides concerned Federal Secretaries and officials also participated in the JCC.

The meeting was held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. Both sides underscored the significant of the CPEC for both countries to integrate with regional economics and become a model for win-win cooperation. The two sides reviewed the progress achieved after the 5th JCC meeting and discussed various issues concerned different projects under CPEC.

During the JCC, Pakistan and China discussed inter-alia; progress on long-term plan for CPEC, energy cooperation, transport infrastructure, Gwadar and Industrial cooperation. The two sides expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved on projects relating to the energy cooperation and transport infrastructure while emphasizing on the need to speed up the work on projects concerning Gwadar and Industrial Cooperation. They also discussed the way forward for the effective and timely implantation of various projects under CPEC.

Following the conclusion of the JCC, the two sides signed minutes of the meetings of JCC and various working groups including Agreements and MoUs relating to transport infrastructure, Gwadar and transmission line.

It was decided that the next (7th) JCC will be held in Islamabad next year, the dates for which will be decided by the two sides through mutual consultations.
 Flash

Beijing has denounced as "greatly ironic" the Japanese defense chief's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, which came shortly after she returned from accompanying Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his visit to Pearl Harbor.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying speaks at a regular news conference in Beijing on Dec. 29, 2016. [Photo/www.fmprc.gov.cn]



"This not only reflects some Japanese people's obstinately wrong view of history, it is also greatly ironic given the Pearl Harbor reconciliation trip," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday at a regular news conference.

Hua was asked about Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada's visit on Thursday to the shrine, which honors Japan's 2.5 million dead during World War II as well as 14 Class-A war criminals convicted of plotting and carrying out the war. She said that Beijing would lodge a protest with Tokyo.

The visit came right after Inada returned from the trip with Abe to Hawaii. The two joined US President Barack Obama on Tuesday for the first visit by a Japanese leader and a US president to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, to commemorate the victims of the Japanese attack in 1941.

The Chinese Defense Ministry also voiced "strong dissatisfaction and opposition" to the shrine visit on Thursday.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun speaks at the ministry's regular news briefing in Beijing on Dec. 29, 2016. [Photo/www.mod.gov.cn]



"I also want to add that Prime Minister Abe's speech in Hawaii bore no sense of guilt but publicly called Japanese military officers 'brave', " spokesman Yang Yujun said at the ministrys regular news briefing.

During the Pearl Harbor visit, Abe did not apologize for wartime acts, but just conceded that Japan "must never repeat the horrors of war again". Yang said, "Peace-loving people around the world should be very alert for such remarks and actions."

South Korea's foreign and defense ministries also deplored Inada's visit, summoning Tokyo's diplomats in Seoul on Thursday.

Zhou Yongsheng, a professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said Inada's visit to the shrine right after she returned to Japan is "apparently a deliberate plan" to clarify the Japanese government's real attitude toward history.

"Abe apparently was putting on a show in Pearl Harbor for practical reasons and hiding Japan's own strategic purposes," he said, adding it is an embarrassment for Obama.

Wang Dong, a researcher of Northeast Asian studies at Peking University, said that although Inada's visit came one day after that of Japan's disaster reconstruction minister, it can be considered more serious given her position.

"After the Pearl Harbor tour, Abe is using the defense chief's shrine visit to respond to right-wing forces," he said. "The US has stepped back again and again on the issue of Japan's history, eyeing collaboration with Japan to counterbalance China. Such an attitude is sowing uncertainty in East Asia."
Police block road in front of the court

during Yang Huas trial.

(Photo: China Aid)

China Aid

(Guiyang, GuizhouDec. 28, 2016) A secretive trial was held for a prominent pastor in Chinas central Guizhou province on Monday. His lawyers said the court refused to grant the requests they and their client made during two pre-trial sessions, likely skewing the trial in favor of the prosecution.

The trial, which commenced at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 26, reviewed the case of Yang Hua, a pastor from Huoshi Church held on a falsified divulging state secrets charge. While incarcerated, the prosecutors visited Yang, tortured him, and threatened his family in order to extort a confession. As a result, Yang requested that the prosecutors be barred from trying the case. Yangs lawyers, Chen Jiangang and Zhao Yonglin, sued these prosecutors in response to this mistreatment. Despite these actions, the court permitted the prosecutors to remain on the case and received forged evidence from them that incriminated Yang, who entered the courtroom with two bailiffs holding his arms.

In 2015, two Huoshi Church attendees leaked a confidential document that revealed the existence of a state-run headquarters dedicated to dealing with their church. The institution, named the Guiyang Municipal Command and Control Center for Dealing with Huoshi Church, reserves the right to control other government departments throughout Guiyang, prompting the lawyers to request that the trial be moved to a court outside of the centers jurisdiction. Officials ignored this request, jeopardizing the impartiality of the trial.

Because the case dealt with so-called state secrets, police blocked the road in front of the court and did not permit anyone from the public to enter. Yangs wife, Wang Hongwu, arrived at the hearing at 7:00 a.m. but was forcibly escorted home two hours later. Throughout the day, police patrolled outside of her apartment complex.

Yang Huas defense attorneys, Chen Jiangang (left) and Zhao

Yonglin, right, were among the only people allowed to hear

Yangs case. (Photo: China Aid)

On Friday, officials forced Su Tianfu, another of Huoshi Churchs pastors, to take a trip. Currently, China Aid does not know his whereabouts, intended destination, the purpose of the trip, or how long he will be gone.

Yang was originally taken into police custody on Dec. 9, 2015, when he tried to prevent officials from confiscating a church hard drive during a raid. The next day, he received two consecutive, five-day administrative detention sentences for the crime of obstructing justice and gathering a crowd to disturb public order. When Wang came to pick him up on Dec. 20, 2015, she saw him being forced to wear a black hood and herded into an unlicensed vehicle. Upon inquiry, she learned that he had been charged with illegally possessing state secrets and was being transferred to criminal detention in another facility. On Jan. 22, he was formally arrested for divulging state secrets.

The judge has yet to sentence Yang.

China Aid exposes abuses, such as those experienced by Yang Hu and Su Tianfu, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom in China.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here


By Kang Siew Li, South China Morning Post | Dec. 30, 2016

Having a licence does not assure that a new airline can take to the skies in Malaysia. And even if the airlines have been in operation for a few years, there is no guarantee that they can keep their licence forever.

Rayani Air Sdn Bhd, Suasa Airlines Sdn Bhd and more recently, Eaglexpress Air Charter Sdn Bhd, found out the hard way about this.

Last week, the four-year old Eaglexpress had its air service permit (ASP) -- which allows a company to operate charter flights -- revoked by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) after it failed to comply with certain conditions imposed by the aviation regulator within the stipulated deadlines.

While declining to disclose what those conditions were, a Mavcom spokesman tells The Edge that the decision to revoke Eaglexpress' ASP was based on the commission's evaluation after a thorough review.

"The commission thoroughly reviews and assesses any application for an ASP or air service licence [ASL] based on criteria, such as the experience and competency of the management team of the company, feasibility of the proposed business plan and financial viability of the business."

"We have stringent processes to ensure that ASPs or ASLs that have been approved meet the set criteria. We evaluate and benchmark our criteria based on industry standard," he says via email.

Eaglexpress is the second airline to lose its licence this year after Rayani Air, which had its ASL revoked in June following a number of safety regulation violations and economic concerns about its viability.

A check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) reveals that Eaglexpress is 25 percent owned by its director Chan Kah Woh, 20 per cent by its CEO Captain Azlan Zainal Abidin and 15 per cent by Kasmani Abdul Kadir. Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, director Datuk Wan Ismail Abd Rahman, director Shafie Ismail and former home ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Aseh Che Mat each hold a 10 per cent stake in the airline.

The airline turned profitable in the second year of operation, posting a net profit of RM267,421 (US$59,632) in the financial year ended June 30, 2013 (FY2013), compared with a net loss of RM4.93 million (US$1.10 million)in FY2012.

For FY2014, its net profit surged more than 21 times to RM5.75 million (US$1.28 million) from the previous year, while revenue more than doubled to RM129.67 million (US$28.9 million) from RM57.47 million (US$12.8 million) in FY2013. It has yet to file its financial results for FY2015 and FY2016 with the SSM.

According to Eaglexpress' website, it was serving 19 destinations with umrah and haj flights to Saudi Arabia from North Africa, the Middle East, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Malaysia before Mavcom pulled the plug on the airline, which employs more than 300 staff, mostly based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Its fleet includes four Boeing 747-400s and an Airbus A330-200 and it was due to add a further two aircraft in 2016. By the end of 2019, Eaglexpress had planned to have 30 aircraft operating - a combination of six 747-400s, 12 A330-200s and 12 737-800s.

News of problems at Eaglexpress surfaced in June this year, when it was reported that it had failed to pay its employees salary and allowance arrears for several months.

The National Union for Flight Attendants Malaysia was also reported as saying that Eaglexpress had failed to pay employee benefits such as Employees Provident Fund and Socso since November 2015.

More recently, over 200 Eaglexpress passengers were left stranded in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, after the airline delayed and cancelled its maiden umrah flight to Jeddah, scheduled for December12, without proper reason.

The latest episode has also brought into question the vetting process of the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia (DCA), which was responsible for airline licensing prior to the establishment of Mavcom on March 1, 2016. For one thing, Eaglexpress was granted an aircraft operating certificate (AOC) and ASP to operate non-scheduled air services (passenger and cargo) in August 2012 by DCA.

Asked whether DCA had been lax in its award of licences to operate commercial air services, the Mavcom spokesman says it is not in a position to explain how the processes are undertaken by another agency.

"The aviation industry is highly competitive and often challenging. Industry players or interested parties will need to be prepared as it requires a high degree of planning, financial depth, operational know-how and execution competency to stand any chance of succeeding," he says.

"A strong commercial foundation and depth is crucial in order to become a long-term and successful player in this industry," he adds.

To date, Mavcom has evaluated and approved issuance/renewal of six ASLs and 16 ASPs. However, the spokesman did not say whether there are concerns over the approval of the licences or whether more revocations will take place.

In the case of Rayani Air, the Mavcom spokesman says the airline has returned its ASL to Mavcom.

"Should Rayani Air intend to be a player in the civil aviation space in Malaysia, it can apply for a new ASL with Mavcom," he says.

In July this year, Mavcom had also launched an investigation into allegations that Suasa Airlines -- which operates Monspace Sky Airlines -- was operating a commercial flight without a valid licence from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang to Langkawi. A police report was lodged against Monspace Sky Airlines for misleading the public by marketing itself as an airline.

"For Suasa Airlines, prosecution has been instituted and therefore it is a court matter now. Investigations of Monspace Sky Airlines are still ongoing and we are not able to share any information," says the Mavcom spokesman.

In order for an entity to operate a commercial airline business, it is required to hold an ASP or ASL, as well as an AOC.

The AOC -- which is granted by the DCA, an agency under the Ministry of Transport -- certifies that an airline complies with relevant technical competence and safety requirements. An ASP allows a company to operate charter flights, while an ASL allows it to conduct scheduled passenger services, like those of Malaysia Airlines Bhd and AirAsia Bhd. The issuance of the ASP and ASL comes under the purview of Mavcom which started operations in March this year.

Related News:

Malaysia Grounds First Syariah-Compliant Airline Rayani Air, 6 Months After Launch
Downtown Cleveland, Ohio, was once so desolate that a city councilman said on public radio that a bowling ball could be rolled down the main street without hitting anyone.

A decline in steel manufacturing jobsformerly the economic bedrock of the once fourth-largest city in the United Statescoincided with urban flight in the 1970s and 1980s, when middle-class residents left Cleveland for more spacious homes in nearby suburbs.

Home values in the city dropped as much as 90 percent in some neighborhoods during the years after the 2008 recession, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and many areas still haven't recovered. From a population of 900,000 in 1950, the city now has about 385,000 residents.

But Cleveland has had a resurgence, so much so that it was the site for the Republican convention in July.

Cleveland has transitioned from a manufacturing center to a more service-based economy. Occupancy rates in apartment buildings have climbed more than 90 percent.

Real estate developers say the city's resurgence might not have happened if they had not received some timely assistance  money  that has come largely from Chinese immigrant investors and the EB-5 visa program.

EB-5 was created to stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment. It targets foreign investors who put at least $500,000 into a project that creates a minimum of 10 jobs in an economically depressed region. In return, the investors receive a two-year visa with a good chance of obtaining permanent residency for themselves and their families.

In 2014, the US issued more than 10,000 of the visas and about 85 percent went to applicants from China. This month, the Congress approved a measure to continue funding the program until April 2, 2017, when changes are expected to be made to the program.

The Cleveland International Fund is one of several regional centers in the US designated by US Customs and Immigration to direct EB-5 investments. Of the eight projects built at a total cost of $2.3 billion, the fund claims that foreign investors have provided more than $220 million, and of that amount, Chinese immigrants have been responsible for roughly 85 percent, according to Cleveland International Fund CEO Stephen Strnisha.

Strnisha said that EB-5 financing was a key element for an office building and hotel becoming a reality. That money went into not only the East Bank offices and hotel, but also into a $70 million renovation that created a 484-room Westin Hotel, two blocks from City Hall, he added.
Conglomerate claims sufficient funding on hand, but nuclear business risks signal trouble

Toshiba Corp's impending multibillion-dollar writedown has triggered one of the worst-ever share declines for a major Japanese company, with ratings downgrades and investor pessimism erasing almost all of its 87 percent rally this year.

Shares in the electronics and industrial conglomerate fell 17 percent to 259 yen at the close on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday. Toshiba said it may write down billions of dollars of an acquisition made by US unit Westinghouse Electric, fueling a share decline this week that has wiped out about 800 billion yen ($6.8 billion) in market value.

Moody's Investors Service, Rating and Investment Information Inc and S&P Global Ratings all responded by cutting Toshiba's credit ratings.

"Investor concerns are peaking, given that there are figures running into the several hundred billions of yen and no idea of what the actual losses are," said Masahiko Ishino, an analyst at Tokai Tokyo Securities.

"Amid the uncertainty, the share prices reflect the search for an appropriate level of value."

Toshiba can't seem to get past its accounting problems. The Tokyo-based company was recovering from a profit-padding scandal last year that claimed the jobs of three presidents led to record losses and prompted the company to cut staff and sell off businesses.

Toshiba was narrowing the scope of its business lines and counting on its nuclear reactors, which make up about a third of revenue, to fuel growth. A dispute over the value of a nuclear construction business acquired by Westinghouse Electric may result in a loss of as much as $4.3 billion, according to broadcaster NHK.

"We can't help but determine that the risk of a loss close to the reported figure is possible," Yukihiko Shimada, an analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc, wrote in a report.

Toshiba said earlier this week that the writedown would exceed an initially anticipated amount of $87 million, and would probably be in the billions. It didn't elaborate further. Still, such a loss would eclipse the 168 billion yen in net income that analysts were projecting, on average, for Toshiba's current fiscal year through March.

Hirokazu Tsukimoto, a spokesman for Toshiba, said on Thursday that the company has sufficient funding on hand. "There is no reason to think that there will be an immediate impact on our financing," he said.

The conglomerate makes everything from refrigerators, chips and computers to nuclear power equipment. The potential writedown is related to a dispute over the value of CB&I Stone & Webster, a nuclear construction and services company that Westinghouse bought in January. It was involved in the building of advanced nuclear reactors at two US facilities, which are behind schedule and over budget.

Toshiba's financial standing could come under further strain, according to a statement from S&P. The risk that emerged in its nuclear business may negatively impact the evaluation of the company's risks, R&I said. The agency added that it can't ignore the fact that being on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's alert list would limit Toshiba's means to increase capital.

Bloomberg
Visitors to the congress stand in front of a 3D tunnel at the 33rd Chaos Communication Congress on its opening day on Dec 27, 2016 in Hamburg, Germany. The annual event brings together 12,000 computer hackers and activists over four days to share expertise and discuss topics related to society and the digital world. [Photo/IC]
BEIJING - China will maintain fiscal support for supply-side structural reform next year, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Thursday.

The MOF will help cutting industrial capacity, reducing the housing inventory, lowering leverage and cutting corporate costs, said a statement released after a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Xiao Jie.

Redundancies and loss-making "zombie companies" were highlighted in the statement.

The meeting agreed on support for the real economy, agricultural reform, poverty alleviation, technological innovation and manufacturing upgrades in 2017.

The MOF reiterated China's proactive fiscal policy and said it will expand expenditure to help hold the economy within a reasonable range.

More tax breaks and less administrative fees will be extended for businesses, the statement said.

Other issues discussed included taxation reforms, management of local government debt and international cooperation.
BEIJING - China is opening more sectors to foreign investment along with measures to level the playing field.

The State Council's executive meeting on Wednesday chaired by Premier Li Keqiang approved a new guideline to further attract foreign investment and advance China's opening up.

"We should take measures with great effectiveness in attracting foreign capital," Li stressed.

According to the new guideline, foreign investment access hurdles will be dropped in a number of manufacturing sectors, including rail transportation, motorbikes, ethanol fuels. Foreign capital will have access to energy, water conservancy, environmental protection and utilities via franchise agreements.

Catalog for industrial access for foreign investors will be amended to match the new measures. Foreign capital will be encouraged to enter high-end manufacturing industry, as well as manufacturing related services, such as industrial design and modern logistics.

"China's economy develops as we continue our opening-up strategy. Besides advanced technology and experience in management, China also need capital investment from overseas," Li said.

Accounting and auditing, architecture design and rating services will be open to foreign investment for the first time. Foreign funded firms will be cleared to join the national science and technology program as equally as domestic firms, and enjoy favorable policies designed for the "Made in China 2025 Strategy".

The new guideline emphasizes equal treatment for foreign investors, and no additional restriction is allowed.

Li emphasized that government at all levels should further streamline administration to reinforce the implementation of existing policies in attracting foreign investment and reduce institutional cost.

The new guideline highlights consistency in policies designed to attract foreign investment. Better protection of IPR for foreign investors is also covered.

The government will work to provide more convenience to help foreign investors and experts live and work in the country. In central and western part of China, foreign investment in the "encouraged category" will enjoy financing, land and taxation incentives.
Dongyang wood carving master Lu Tingfeng teaches Frenchman Guilhem Bouissou carving skills in Dongyang, East China's Zhejiang province, Dec 29, 2016. [Photo/IC]

Frenchman Guilhem Bouissou resigned his teaching job last October and then fully devoted himself to learning the Chinese craft of Dongyang wood carving in East China's Zhejiang province.

Dongyang wood carving, named after its place of origin, Zhejiang's Dongyang city, has a long history that can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Bouissou's passion for this art was inspired by a trip to Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, in 2013, when he became fascinated with a set of Dongyang wood carving artworks displayed at the Leifeng Pagoda. The carvings were based on the touching classic story, the Legend of White Snake.

At that moment, he decided he wanted to learn how to make Dongyang wood carvings from the carvers who created the artworks he saw.

With help from a friend, Bouissou was introduced to a master named Lu Tingfeng, one of the creators of the artwork.

Although Lu refused Bouissou's request in the beginning because of concerns over language barriers, he finally took him on as an apprentice after being touched by the young man's sincerity.

Lu said Bouissou is very diligent and is now able to use a variety of carving tools and has mastered the basic skills.

Bouissou's wood carvings won several prizes in China this year.
Darius Adamczyk, CEO-in-waiting of Honeywell, will take office in March 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Speed will separate winners from losers in the internet age, says Honeywell's CEO-in-waiting

Sitting in front of a room-sized aerospace simulator for pilots, Darius Adamczyk, president and chief operating officer of Honeywell, deftly shifts from topic to topicincluding in his animated discussion such diverse topics as aerospace, to the group's new line of the breathable masks that help protect people during the high pollution days in China.

The wide range of his interests reflects the extraordinary range of businesses of the $40 billion technology and manufacturing giant, from aerospace to control technologies for buildings, homes and turbochargers, to performance materials.

But Adamczyk, 50, who is to be the new CEO from the end of March next year, is pushing for even more changes in his groupdetermined to take the company to even higher levels of involvement in the digital age.

On his recent trips to China, he talked to his Chinese teams about how the multinational would gain more growth from blending its strengths in hardware with stronger presences in software in the digital age and how to encourage them to create new ideas as startups rather than in an established industrial conglomerate.

He believes the place to achieve such "breakthroughs" is in China, its second largest market after the United States. Adamczyk is clear about how committed Honeywell is to the countrywith its major presence, 13,000 employees and diversified businesses in manufacturing and research and development, serving both the Chinese market and international markets.

Honeywell wants to be viewed as a local player, acting at the brisk performance levels achieved by many domestic companies, he said.

"When I think about China, I can't think of a company that's more aligned to the needs of where the country is heading," said Adamczyk, citing the key areas of energy conservation, energy solutions, clean air and water, smart buildings, chemicals and work safety.

Recently he spoke with China Daily about the company's strategy and business opportunities in China. The following is the edited excerpts from the interview.

What are your strategies for the company in the long term?

No 1 is to continue to provide superior value to our customers and No 2 is to drive digitalization throughout Honeywell. We have a strong presence in software. But we have more opportunities to drive it. And all aspects of our business and strategies of software are very customer-centric.

Lastly I want to make sure that we operate in segments that are exciting and growing, and well aligned with mega trends.

How are you going to blend software programing with Honeywell's existing physical products?

Honeywell has been developing in internet of things and we have access to data. Honeywell is the company that has those products that actually generates that data.

However, we've used that information just to make the basically functional products. We now aim to integrate that data, with the information across the whole installation base that we have and across all our products, and think about our customers' challenges differently. We now have opportunities to redefine how we create new value for our customers through our software capability, installation base and domain knowledge.

What do you think are the most challenging issues for Honeywell to be more flexible and nimble in the internet era?

The speed is something that's going to separate the winners from losers. And in this new industrial softwareand certainly one of the things that I'm trying to enable in Honeywellit's important for us to be able to operate and come up with ideas at a whole different rate of speed than ever before.

What's your definition of a breakthrough?

I'm never satisfied with the current speed in growth. When we think of growth, I think about it as continuing to gain a share in our core markets, but also coming up with adjacent strategies that will enhance our overall growth.

So I'm pushing and driving the organization to be more creative to think about our offerings differently, to rethink what breakthrough growth means and to take the time to set metrics and expectations to make sure that happens.

What kind of incentives are you going to offer to your employees to be creative and to develop new products and new applications?

I am encouraging all of our businesses to create new ideas and create new organizational structures, to create new small businesses.

I want them to operate like startups. So I want to remove a lot of bureaucracy and encourage our people and businesses to embrace higher-risk, higher-reward breakthrough initiatives to really drive growth.

How do you prioritize your business portfolio to meet this goal?

As a new CEO takes over, we can take a look at the markets we are in and the markets we are not in and optimize our operations and where we are today.

I really want to align our businesses towards a lot of longer-term global macro trends. But most importantly for Honeywell, we have to be in segments where you differentiate yourself by technology.

Honeywell is a technology company.

How have Honeywell's Chinese operations performed this years, and what are their prospects?

They continue to do very well. We've had another strong year in China and we are anticipating it to be even stronger in 2017. We have seen a recovery in some areas.

One of the more challenging market sectors in China has been the oil and gas segment due to what's been happening there.

But overall, it has been a very strong year in 2016 and we look forward to an even stronger 2017.

You started your career as an engineer. What is your advice to people making the transition from engineering to management?

It's the most challenging thing to make that first transition from being an engineer. In my case, I happened to bridge my engineering career with an MBA, to go into the world of business.

But my advice to engineers is to take an assignment outside core engineering. Because the broader understanding you have, the more effectively you can make that progress.

You've been praised for succeeding in every business leadership role you have ever held. What's your secret?

It's about having strategies, having a group of people to work with and having the tactics to make sure the strategy is being executed every day, every week, every month, every year.

Everybody in the organization should be able to say how they are contributing to that strategy. Then it's about putting the operational systems in place. And lastly, people are critical.

What is the most important quality for a leader?

As a leader, you have to put a lot of energy and a lot of passion into the business. You have to be the spark that moves the organization.

That's something that I am always trying to do. I think the job of leader is to always set the bar higher, to always challenge the organization.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?

I spend all my spare time with my family. To make sure that you stay really grounded, what's truly important is your family.

CV

Age: 50

Career:

2017 March: CEO of Honeywell

Currently: President and Chief Operating Officer of Honeywell

Previous positions include: President and CEO of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies; President of Honeywell Process Solutions; President of Honeywell Scanning & Mobility;

Senior associate at Booz Allen Hamilton;

Electrical engineer at General Electric.

Education:

MBA from Harvard University;

Master's degree in computer engineering from Syracuse University;

Bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering from Michigan State University
Signage for Huawei Technologies Co is displayed at the annual Huawei Global Mobile Broadband (MBB) Forum in Chiba, Japan, Nov 24, 2016. [Photo/VCG]

Steve LaValle, the former chief scientist for Oculus who's now a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said on his Facebook page that he will join Huawei as the chief scientist of VR/AR/MR, in charge of global research and product development.

He Gang, the head of Huawei Technologies' smartphone unit, confirmed to The Paper on Thursday that LaValle will join Huawei. In June, He also said that China lacks VR/AR talents and Huawei plans to recruit top technical experts from across the world.

Steve LaValle. [Photo/Steve LaValle's Facebook]

Oculus, a famous VR equipment maker, was acquired by Facebook in 2014. Steve LaValle started working with Oculus VR in September 2012, and has been the chief scientist of Oculus till January 2015.

He developed head tracking methods based on inertial measurement units (IMUs) and computer vision, led a team of perceptual psychologists, and provided solutions for virtual reality calibration system and user experience comfort design.

He is also a co-inventor of Oculus SDK and helped Oculus develop two core technology patents.

LaValle said Huawei is a global business company, and China a burgeoning VR/AR market.

"Our visions of the future closely align, which is that a holistic approach to VR/AR research and product development is absolutely necessary, and must tightly integrate hardware, software, human perception, and neuroscience," said LaValle.

LaValle also shared a photo on his Facebook page in which he is wearing Huawei's uniform.

Huawei Consumer BG CEO Yu Chengdong also confirmed that LaValle will join Huawei. Yu said he interviewed LaValle in person.

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, one of the world's largest telecom equipment makers, said on Friday it expects to record a 32 percent jump in revenue for 2016, thanks to a strong performance across its business platforms.

The Shenzhen-based company forecasts revenue will reach 520 billion yuan ($74.8 billion), said Xu Zhijun, Huawei rotating chief executive.

Agencies contributed to this story.
China has accelerated its anti-corruption pace ahead of a key meeting next week by announcing developments on three major cases on Thursday.

The Defense Ministry confirmed a bribery investigation against Wang Jianping, the deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, the top leading body of the People's Liberation Army.

Wang, a 63-year-old general, is the highest active duty military official to fall from grace since President Xi Jinping began a sweeping anti-graft campaign in late 2012, according to public records.

Wang Jianping [Photo/China Daily]

"Military prosecutors have been looking into his case," said ministry spokesman Yang Yujun. "The army continues to advance in anti-graft efforts, and in recent years it has caught many major suspects."

The last three generals arrested on corruption charges were two former vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission, Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong, and the former political commissar of the PLA Air Force, Tian Xiusi. They were all retired at the time of their arrest.

Wang joined the service in 1969 and spent nearly 20 years in the Army, according to his resume. He transferred to the Chinese Armed Police Force in 1996 and was promoted to general rank in 2014.

In another development, Su Rong, a former deputy State level official, stood trial on Thursday at a local court in Shandong province on charges of taking bribes and abusing power.

Prosecutors alleged that Su, former vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, took advantage of official positions to offer business favors and promotions to groups and individuals, accepting bribes worth about 110 million yuan ($15.8 million) from 2002 to 2014.

Su Rong [Photo/China Daily]

Su could not explain how he obtained additional assets worth over 80 million yuan, according to prosecutors. He pleaded guilty and expressed remorse during the trial. A verdict will be announced at a later date, the court said.

Also on Thursday, Xu Gang, former vice-governor of Fujian province, was sentenced to 13 years in prison by an Anhui province court for taking bribes of about 20 million yuan.

From 2002 to 2014, Xu abused his official positions to grant favors to enterprises and individuals in business operations and job promotions, the verdict said.

The announcements about the three cases came ahead of next week's plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China's top discipline watchdog.

Members of the commission will meet in Beijing from Jan 6 to 8 to report on their work in 2016 and discuss tasks for the coming year.

Xu Gang [Photo/China Daily]

Yang Weidong, a law professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said: "The news on the three cases on Thursday shows that pressure against graft has not been weakened and will remain high next year."

Xinhua contributed to this story. Contact the writer at zhangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn
A high-speed intercity train pulls out of the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, Oct 26, 2010. [Photo/VCG]

In the next five years, China will invest 3.5 trillion yuan ($503 billion) to accelerate railway construction, including expansion of the country's high-speed rail network to 30,000 kilometers, a senior official said on Thursday.

"By 2020, more than 80 percent of China's major cities will be connected by high-speed railways," said Yang Yudong, vice-minister of transportation.

China released a white paper titled "Development of China's Transport" on Thursday, which Hu Kaihong, director of the State Council Information Office's Press Bureau, said is the first white paper to review the sector's tremendous changes in recent decades and to set goals for its future.

In the past few years, China's railway network, especially high-speed rail, has undergone dramatic change. From 2011 to 2015, China invested 3.58 trillion yuan to build 30,000 km of railway. By the end of this year, the nation's total railway length will reach 124,000 km, including 20,000 km of high-speed railway, accounting for 65 percent of the world's total high-speed rail.

In July, the National Development and Reform Commission issued an updated national railway development plan envisioning a 175,000-km rail network by the end of 2025, with 38,000 km of high-speed rail.

However, the high-speed railway network still faces challenges, especially in the less-developed western part of China. Yang, the vice-minister of transportation, said he is confident that lines in western China will eventually become profitable.

"Plus, building high-speed railway in less-developed regions is not only about recouping investment. It is part of the big project of rejuvenating the whole region and the country's economy," said Yang.

The high-speed rail linking Beijing and Shanghai showed a profit last year, Xinhua News Agency reported in July, quoting Tianjin Railway Construction Co, a shareholder of Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Co.

Yang Hao, a professor of rail transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University, said the economic returns of a high-speed railway network shouldn't be judged solely on whether lines are profitable, since these rail-ways can leverage the development of such industries as tourism, logistics and real estate.

According to China Railway Corp, construction began on Thursday on a high-speed rail line linking Guiyang, Guizhou provincea transportation hub connecting members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nationsand Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The 482-km line will connect the Shanghai-Kunming railway and the Chengdu-Gui-yang railway to the north and will also link to southern coastal areas including Hainan province and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The new railway will accelerate communication between China and ASEAN countries and play an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Contact the writers at suzhou@chinadaily.com.cn
By Li Yingqing in Kunming and Zhang Yi in Beijing | China Daily | Updated: 2016-12-30 07:38

Tan Jianhua watches traffic during a patrol drill. Photo By Qian Cheng / For China Daily

Ship's captain joined police patrols after 13 friends were killed in 2011 massacre on the river

Tan Jianhua is not far past the midpoint of his career as a ship's captain, but he knows he wants to spend the rest of it ensuring safer navigation on the Mekong River.

After years at the helm of a ship, Tan became a surveillance officer in Yunnan province's border patrol police department, performing marine patrol and law enforcement duties on the river.

He took up the role five years ago, in response to a call for experienced helmsmen following a mass shooting on the river in October 2011 that shocked the world.

All 13 Chinese crew members aboard two cargo ships were killed and dumped in the Mekong River near the point where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, a notorious drug-producing region known as the Golden Triangle.

In response, China reached an agreement with the three neighboring countries to jointly patrol the river.

Tan became a member of the police patrol police in November that year.

"I was excited when I set off to patrol the river for the first time as a police officer. I am happy to see my old friends who are able to navigate the river without worrying about their safety or their lives," the 40-year-old veteran seaman said. "I was acquainted with all of the 13 victims. We sailed together, we shared meals and we shot the breeze.

"Some of my old friends left the river after the massacre and some waited for things to get better. I chose to stay by the Mekong River because I have spent most of my career here."

Tan is a native of Chongqing municipality who came to Yunnan soon after graduating from a river transport services school two decades ago.

He gradually worked his way up the ranks, becoming a captain in 2004.
Dai Xiaolei last saw her son in 2014, when he was 17 months old and living with her in-laws in Baoding, a city in Hebei province about 156 kilometers from Beijing.

Her marriage was crumbling and, as relations deteriorated, she claims her husband's family blocked her from taking her son with her back to the capital.

"The last time I saw my son was at the end of this alley. It's like a fortress," the 37-year-old said outside her in-laws former home.

Reuters was unable to independently verify Dai's claim that the family has blocked all attempts to see her son.

Her husband, Liu Jie, filed for divorce, arguing that the marriage had fallen apart due to "conflicts in character, ideas and living habits", according to court documents. Dai pushed for custody, but in April, a judge ruled that it was best for the boy's physical and mental health to stay with his father.

Liu, a movie stunt coordinator, and his parents declined to comment.

As China's divorce rate rises, so too have calls by legal professionals for new laws that would clamp down on aggressive tactics used by some parents to take or retain possession of a child to gain the upper hand in custody battles.

Lawyers say judges tend to favor the parent who already has physical possession of the child in order to avoid further disruption to their life.

Dai appealed the custody ruling and lost. The court said the child's living environment was relatively stable and any change would not benefit his upbringing.

There are no laws against one parent taking sole possession of a child against the wishes of the other, lawyers say, reflecting a traditional view that family conflicts should handled privately.

The Supreme People's Court declined to comment on specific cases, but it said, "Maximizing benefit to the child is the basic principle by which custody decisions are made."
An anti-graft official in Sichuan province has been placed under investigation after he was caught soliciting a prostitute.

The probe into Liu Rui, former director of Deyang city's discipline inspection commission, was announced on Thursday, a day after the country's core leadership called for more supervision of officials involved in the crackdown on corruption.

Liu, 53, was still head of the anti-graft watchdog when he committed serious disciplinary violations, namely soliciting a sex worker, according to Li Yong, a spokesman for the city government.

The Sichuan Commission for Discipline Inspection, which released the news of the investigation, said it had no further comment on the case when contacted by China Daily.

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the core leadership, held a meeting on Wednesday to step up the anti-corruption campaign, especially in terms of supervising disciplinary officials.

Anti-graft agencies and supervision departments at different levels should accept oversight from the Party, the public and the media, and improve self-supervision, the Politburo said in a statement after the meeting.

China should also push forward reform of the State supervision system, it added.

The Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection, the top-level watchdog, is expected to hold its seventh plenary meeting from Jan 6 to 8.

Wang Qishan, head of the CCDI, has pledged that his agency will close loopholes in the system to ensure officials are loyal and clean.

"We should provide a suitable answer to the question of who can supervise discipline inspection commissions," he was quoted as saying in a Dec 6 statement on the CCDI website.

The anti-corruption agency is expected to draft guidelines next year to steer the work of discipline watchdogs at all levels, according to the same statement.

The CCDI said it has punished 38 discipline officials working at the national level since November 2012, when the Party held its 18th Party Congress. Seventeen of them were placed under investigation over allegations of serious disciplinary violations.

Meanwhile, disciplinary agencies at all levels nationwide punished a total of more than 7,200 employees involved in the crackdown on corruption over the same period, according to the statement.

Huang Zhiling contributed to this story.
A terrorist attack that left five dead in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Wednesday has come at the end of a year in which China has made significant progress in combating terrorism, a security analyst has said.

Three attackers slashed people with knives and detonated an explosive device after driving up to the Party committee of Moyu county, in the southern Hotan prefecture, at 4:50 pm.

An official and a security worker were killed, and three others were injured.

Police shot dead all three attackers at the scene, the Ministry of Public Security was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency on Thursday. The case is still being investigated, it added.

Li Wei, a counter-terrorism expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the violence came at the end of an otherwise largely peaceful year thanks to government efforts.

"Besides the Moyu attack, no major terrorist attacks have happened in China this year, as authorities have been striking hard against terrorist activities in accordance with the law," he said. "The measures to fight terrorism have been proven to be effective."

The attackers targeted government authorities during office hours, clearly a move to demonstrate their political goals, Li added.

Xinjiang, which has a predominantly Muslim population, has been China's main battleground in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Even with the prevention measures now in place, Li said it is extremely difficult to stop every attack. He said the public and authorities should be prepared and stay vigilant to threats from home and abroad.

People in Hotan prefecture are known for fighting back against terrorists. In August 2014, more than 30,000 villagers in Moyu joined with police officers to help capture 10 suspects, while in June 2014, people of Hotan city fought off three knife-wielding attackers.

Chen Quanguo, who was appointed as Party chief of Xinjiang in August, said in November that preventing terrorism and maintaining social stability are the overriding political goals for the region.

The region has introduced strict security measures in public places, such as shopping centers and on public transportation, with round-the-clock armed patrols and compulsory checks on bags and luggage.

Chen urged Xinjiang officials to crack down on existing terrorist cells and prevent more people from getting involved in terrorist or separatist activities.
The newest 200 State-level drug inspectors were sworn in at a work conference held by the top drug authority on Thursday, bringing the total number of inspectors within the force to 649, including 108 who specialize in overseas inspections.

The team performs on-site inspections at pharmaceutical factories to ensure drug safety and public health, said Bi Jingquan, head of the China Food and Drug Administration.

It's the latest move by the country to establish a full-time professional on-site drug inspection team.

"Their inspections cover the whole process, including drug research and development, manufacturing and sales, while discipline supervision over their work ensures an open and fair practice," he said.

Previously, drug inspections in China mainly involved standard checking of end products rather than a system addressing the whole process, according to Zang Kecheng, administrative office chief of the CFDA's Center for Food and Drug Inspection. Most of the inspectors work part time on the task.

"There were not enough staff members to meet demand. Also, focusing only on the standard of end products cannot guarantee quality and safety, as regulations can be circumvented," he said.

For example, in previous food safety cases involving gutter oil, the end product - illegal cooking oil recycled from waste oil collected from sources such as sewer drains - actually met standards during tests.

To avert such a situation, "inspections covering the entire production process must be in place to better protect the people", Zang said.

Zhang Hua, a veteran drug inspector from Shanghai, said inspections at drug manufacturing plants usually take four to five days and mainly target infrastructure, workers' competence and quality control systems.

"It's technically challenging and requires inspectors to have a professional background in pharmaceutical chemistry and a knowledge of the industry as a whole," she said.

Zhang also has to have a strong command of the English language as she performs her duties overseas, largely on production sites of foreign pharmaceutical companies that export drugs to China.

"We are short staffed, so my colleague and I are traveling 200 days a year doing inspections," she said.

Zang said the government has been building up the team and capacity for drug inspections, adding that the US Food and Drug Administration has 5,000 full-time drug inspectors.
A keeper feeds Pan Pan at the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Dec 21.Xue Yubin / Xinhua

Pan Pan, the world's oldest male panda, died age 31 in Sichuan province at 4:35 am on Wednesday.

An autopsy is being carried out to discover the cause of his death, though the circumstances are not thought to be suspicious.

"Pan Pan was equivalent to about 100 human years, but he had been living with cancer and his health had deteriorated in the past three days," said Tan Chengbin, a keeper at the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. "He lost consciousness and did not recover."

Pan Pan was genetically linked to several pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington. A report on the Washingtonian website described Pan Pan as linked to about one-fourth of the world's population of captive-born pandas, including Tian Tian and three cubs raised at the National Zoo in Washington since 2005.

Though born in the wild in Sichuan's Baoxing county in 1985, Pan Pan lived in captivity from just a few months old.

"Panda Grandpa", as he became known, was diagnosed with cancer in June, and also suffered from common old-age conditions, such as cataracts and poor dental health.

A reporter from Xinhua News Agency, who last saw Pan Pan on Dec 21, said he was in a "nursing home" for elderly pandas, and though he was very thin, he was in good spirits.

"When the keeper called his name and offered him food, usually steamed cornbread or fresh bamboo leaves, he was able to respond and move outside to eat," the reporter said.

Pandas are notoriously difficult to breed, but Pan Pan lived a particularly active life for a panda and fathered many cubs over the past 20 years, and is said to have had more than 130 descendants.

The average life span of wild pandas is normally 20 years, but those in captivity usually live longer.
Students at Beijing's Bayi School, President Xi Jinping's alma mater, have a new reason to boast: They worked with space scientists to develop and launch Chinese teenagers' first satellite, which is now orbiting hundreds of kilometers above Earth.

The 2.4-kg mini-satellite, Bayi Youngsters' Expedition, was launched atop a Long March 2D carrier rocket on Wednesday morning from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province. The major task of the launch was to lift two commercial Earth-observation satellites that are much larger and heavier.

The mini-spacecraft has a designed life span of 180 days in a sun-synchronous orbit and then will be controlled to fly back into the atmosphere to burn out so it won't become space debris, said Zhou Xiubin, a senior researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp who oversees the project.

He said the satellite has equipment to take pictures of the ground and to conduct radio communication and audio transmission experiments.

The spacecraft and instruments were designed and assembled by about 40 Bayi students instructed by more than 20 experts at the China Center for Aerospace Science and Technology International Communications, where Zhou is a deputy director, as well as the China Academy of Space Technology and Nanjing University of Science and Technology.

"Students who were at a ground tracking and control station in Kashgar (in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region) received signals sent from the satellite as soon as it started to orbit Earth yesterday," he said on Thursday. "It is working well. Now we can call the project a success."

Zhu Kai, vice-dean of Bayi School, said his students plan to use the spacecraft to observe Earth and to transmit Chinese songs back to Earth. He said the school will take advantage of the satellite to popularize space knowledge.

Bayi School has built a ground tracking and control station on its campus and is training its students to use the facility, according to Zhu.

Before Wednesday's launch, President Xi sent a letter to students at Bayi School who are taking part in the project, saying he was pleased with their passion and bravery in the exploration of science and technology.

Xi also said he hopes the students will remain interested in exploring new things.

Yang Shangwen, a satellite designer who mentored students in the satellite's development, said that the United States, Russia and Israel are among other countries that have launched satellites designed by teenagers. He said the Chinese students were selected from applicants according to their academic performance in science and innovation.

Xu Yifei, a Bayi student and member of the development team, said she helped design the satellite's power system. She also has applied to take part in the tracking work because "I have been charmed by the beauty of space exploration and want very much to continue to be part of the satellite's operations".
Boys at an elementary school in south China's Guangzhou City were forced to apply first before going to the toilet even during breaks as a punishment for failing to follow a dress code, according to Guangzhou Daily.

The rule has been enforced since Dec. 12 for a class of third graders in Shuiyinlu Elementary School in Guangdong Province. In the 10-minute break, children have been required by the head teacher Liu to sit on their seats and make an application if they want to answer the call of nature.

Reports say Liu made the requirement after the class lost a collective honor because several boys forgot to wear red scarfs.

The harsh requirement has lead to discomfort among some pupils.

Parents said some boys now suffer from urinary problems. One child had to relieve himself in the classroom, bringing him shame and causing him to return home in tears.

Teacher Liu is strict with students, according to parents, ordering students as well as parents to make written apologies for poor performances in a subject.

Several parents once wrote a joint letter demanding another head teacher when the students were first graders, accusing her of lacking compassion and pursuing fame through improper means.

But the teacher said she has more than 20 years of teaching experience and parents have no right to decide whether her methods are good or bad.

She refused to give an explaination when a reporter tried to reach her.

Education authorities in Guangzhou's Yuexiu District said they had started an investigation.
He Wenxun, born in Pan county, Guizhou, in 1929, joined the army of the Communist Party in 1948. He was allocated to Ceheng county as an official in charge of infrastructure construction after the founding of the People's Republic of China. [Photo/sohu.com]

For 41 years, He Wenxun has lived a double life. By day, he was a father, grandfather, husband and a seemingly-ordinary citizen; by night, he was the guardian of a secret government shelter beneath his home.

The octogenarian man from Guizhou province guarded and maintained a government air-raid shelter in secret for more than 40 years after receiving the command from his then superior officer.

Only now has He revealed his secret duty, after becoming concerned that his bad health would prevent him from taking care of the shelter.

Comrades at the people's armed forces department in Ceheng county in the Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture were amazed when He walked in to seek relief from his duties. Not only had the department forgotten that He was never officially relieved of his post, they had no official record of the shelter even existing.

He told an official of the department that he had been watching over the air-raid shelter for more than four decades and that he was too old to continue the job, so he had to tell the department.

He Wenxun said that he was assigned by the then head of the people's armed forces department to set up an air-raid shelter in 1975. The work was required to be kept a secret and no drawings were allowed to remain of the building after its completion. Though difficult, He finished the construction in four months with the help of about 100 people which were selected strictly.

However, the tumultuousness of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) upset the original plan and the people who were in charge of the project were transferred, leaving He the sole guardian of the shelter.

To accomplish the work, He lived in a small house built above the shelter and checked and cleaned it regularly. He kept the secret to himself and even to his children, expecting the people's armed forces to contact him at some point.

When his family tried to persuade him to move house and live with them, they were bemused when He flatly refused to do so.

"Now we finally know why he refused to move," said He Wenxun's son. "My father just wanted stay with the shelter."

He felt his body is getting worse and was worried there would be no one to maintain the shelter when he passed away, so he decided to make contact with the government.

Ren Bo from the people's armed forces department explained that because all the information about the shelter was lost in the chaos time, they didn't know there was a shelter.

At the office of the department, the old man retold the story while sketching the layout of the shelter. The officials then checked the shelter under He's guidance and found it was well preserved even after almost half a century.

As a tribute to He's unwavering commitment to his post, the local people's army department have honored him as a moral model.

As for the shelter, the county's Civil Air Defense Office will take it over and convert it to make it suitable for modern air defense use.

He can now happily retire without the burden of secrecy.

Edited by Jacob Hooson
Two former officials indicted for graft in China

Xinhua | Updated: 2016-12-30 13:41

BEIJING - Gong Qinggai, a former senior Taiwan affairs official, and Liu Zhigeng, former vice governor of southern China's Guangdong Province, have been indicted on suspicions of bribery, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Friday.



Gong, former deputy head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, was indicted by local prosecutors in Anyang City, Henan Province.



According to the indictment, Gong is accused of taking advantage of his posts when he worked in Fujian Province to seek benefits for others, asking for and illegally accepting a huge amount of money and property.



Liu was indicted by local prosecutors in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.



He is accused of taking advantage of his posts when he worked in Guangdong to seek benefits for others and illegally accepting a large amount of money and property, according to the indictment.
Xinjiang prosecutors set up anti-terrorism team

Xinhua | Updated: 2016-12-30 14:36

URUMQI - The Xinjiang regional procuratorate said it has set up a special team to handle cases related to terrorism.



The team will consist of 30 prosecutors in the prefectures of Kashgar, Hotan, Aksu, Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin and Urumqi, six important regions for targeting terrorism, said Guo Lianshan, deputy prosecutor-in-general of the regional People's Procuratorate.



Xinjiang aims to have 5,808 people working at different levels of procuratorates, including 2,119 prosecutors plus assistants and administrative staff, Guo said.



On Wednesday, three knife-wielding rioters attacked the Moyu County Committee of the Communist Party of China and detonated explosives, killing two people and injuring three others. The Ministry of Public Security said the three rioters were shot dead at the site.



Moyu is located in Hotan prefecture.
Host Jin Xing (left) talks with a female guest and her family members during the show. [Photo/Weibo.com]

A new dating show is sparking huge controversy online after inviting bachelors' parents to judge if a candidate is a good match for their son, leaving the audience questioning whether Chinese men are overindulged and their families meddle too much in marriage.

The first episode of Chinese-style Blind Date premiered on Shanghai Dragon Television Saturday. It involves five single men, who are required to stay in a separated room offstage while watching a monitor as their parents interact with the single women. During the process, family members can press the light in front of them if they are satisfied with the candidates.

When asked to describe their ideal daughter-in-law, parents almost unanimously agreed that she should be hardworking, intelligent, pretty and caring. Some of the standards seemed prejudiced. For example, the mother of a 23-year-old Tianjin native Zhao Haoran insisted that her son should not marry someone with cold hands, alleging that such a woman may give birth to unhealthy babies. Only one family said their son's preference would come first.

The show culminated when a contestant, Lin Jiali, stepped onto the stage with her homemade soup, seemingly winning the hearts of all the family members and the bachelors. However their attitude changed dramatically when Lin revealed that she is, 40 years old, divorced and has a son. Only Zhao Haoran expressed interest in Lin but the two failed to "hold hands", under the strong objection of Zhao's parents, who said that they would like two to three grandchildren, implying Lin is too old for that.

The show immediately provoked hot debate among viewers. Some netizens condemned it, saying it objectifies women and is a step backwards to the arranged marriage based on utilitarianism in feudalistic times.

"It is not right to bring a women on stage to be judged by others," one Weibo user said. "I am furious when some parents asked disrespectful and intruding questions to the candidates, such as their age and if they had any plastic surgeries."

"They are looking for a combination of breeding machine, a nanny and a tool for money. I didn't feel any sincerity," commented another.

Others said that parents spoil their sons too much and have raised them to be "mama's boys", " giant babies" and men with "straight-man cancer", a term referring to some men's clinging on to traditional Chinese norms in relationships, such as suppressing women's rights, devaluing female labor and branding educated women as unattractive.

"I am disappointed at the behavior of the men, who have zero respect for women," said one Weibo user, referring to the male participants' self-centered and blunt comments on the bachelorettes.

"The giant babies should better be left with their parents for life."

There are also viewers who believe the show to some extent reflects the reality of contemporary Chinese society.

"This is how marriage works in many Chinese families. There is no need to disguise it", a viewer said.

Liu Yuan, producer of the show, said in a Guangzhou Daily report that rather than an old-style, parent-arranged blind date, the show provides a channel for young people to communicate with the elder generation. "The parents and the matchmaking host are just providing suggestions and cannot make the final decision," Liu said.

When asked whether this is unfair for the women, Liu said the show will turn around in the next episode by asking women's families to select men.
NANNING -- A man convicted of setting a bus on fire two years ago was sentenced to death Friday by the Intermediate People's Court of Liuzhou city, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The defendant Song Yanli set the bus on fire using gasoline to vent his anger over a personal dispute on Nov 21, 2014 in Liuzhou, Guangxi.

Eleven people were injured, and the bus was left as an empty shell. Song fled the scene but was caught by police three days later.

Song, convicted of arson, posed a severe threat to public security and showed no remorse, a court statement said. Accordingly, the court sentenced Song to the death penalty.

The statement did not mention whether the defendant would appeal.
GUANGZHOU -- Ma Xingrui was appointed acting governor of South China's Guangdong province on Friday.

Ma was also named deputy governor of the province at a session of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, which accepted the request of Zhu Xiaodan to leave the post of governor.

Ma is currently deputy secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the secretary of the CPC Shenzhen City Committee.
BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for more efforts to carry out reforms in the next year, stressing policy coordination and responsibility.

China will push forward reform measures in key areas, which are state-owned enterprises, taxation, finance, land, urbanization, social security, ecological progress and opening up, according to a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform, chaired by Xi.

A slew of guidelines and plans were also passed during the meeting.

Friday marks the third anniversary of birth of the leading group, which has convened a total of 31 meetings since its establishment, with hundreds of measures designed and released to propel reforms.
BEIJING -- China on Friday welcomed a nationwide ceasefire agreement signed by the Syrian government and major opposition groups Thursday, adding that implementation of the ceasfire was of key importance.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a press briefing.

She said China supports the positive efforts made by concerned parties in reaching the truce.

The agreement, brokered by Russia and Turkey and agreed upon by the Syrian government and major opposition groups, came into force at midnight local time Thursday, as the latest attempt to end nearly six years of civil war.

Hua stressed that the ceasefire is an important guarantee for pushing forward a political settlement to the Syrian crisis.

It will also help ease humanitarian tension and step up the fight against terrorism in Syria, she added.

China hopes the Syrian government and major opposition groups will seriously implement the truce, said Hua, calling on other opposition groups to join the agreement as soon as possible.

China hopes that all parties can resolve their concerns through peaceful means and finally reach a political solution that will help stabilize Syria and benefit the Syrian people, she said.
QINGDAO -- China's expedition ship "Xiangyanghong 01" returned to Qingdao Port Friday afternoon after its maiden scientific research trip to the Indian Ocean.

The ship left the port in eastern China's Shandong Province on Oct. 19 with about 80 researchers and more than 40 sets of equipment. It sailed 13,000 plus nautical miles in 73 days.

According to Liu Lin, chief scientist of the expedition, they gained first-hand physical, chemical, biological and meteorological data from the southern part of the Indian Ocean.

Before the journey Liu told Xinhua that they would study monsoons in the Indian Ocean and the impact of air-sea exchanges on East Asian climate change.

"Xiangyanghong 01" was commissioned in June. It is a new-generation ocean-going expedition ship, with a displacement of 4,980 tonnes and a range of 15,000 nautical miles.
ZHENGZHOU -- Le Dake, a former senior legislator in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for taking bribes on Friday.

According to the court, Le was also fined 2 million yuan ($290,000), and his illegal gains shall be recovered and turned over to the state treasury.

Le, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress, was found to have taken advantage of various official posts from 2005 to 2014 to seek benefits for others in project contracting and official promotions and reassignment.

He accepted bribes worth over 18.7 million yuan either himself or through his relatives, according to the ruling.

Zhengzhou City Intermediate People's Court in central China's Henan Province said it showed leniency as Le confessed to his crimes, expressed remorse and voluntarily returned his illegal gains.
CHANGSHA -- Three people were killed and another was injured in a highway pileup in Central China's Hunan province on Friday.

The accident struck at around 8:20 am on the Hunan's Changde section of a highway linking Inner Mongolia in north China with Guangdong Province in the south, according to the provincial expressway traffic police bureau.

The victims were travelling in a van. Two of them were killed on the spot while the other died in hospital.

One of the vehicles was a tanker containing phosphoric acid, according to the provincial expressway management bureau.

Traffic resumed at around 6 pm.
China rebutted a recent report that Zimbabwe had sent wild animals, including 35 elephant calves, to China to pay for a military debt, saying it is "sheer nonsense with an ulterior motive".

The Times newspaper in London reported on Monday that Grace Mugabe, wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, had sent safari animals to a Chinese wildlife park to pay for military uniforms for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"I want to emphasize that this is a normal commercial activity, which is in line with relevant international conventions and laws in both countries" Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news conference on Thursday.
Madrid's city hall on Wednesday announced that it had ordered half of most private cars off the roads to fight pollution, a first in Spain.

From Thursday, "vehicles with even-number registration plates will be allowed to drive around on even-number days and cars with odd-number registration plates on odd-number days," it said in a statement.

The measure will be re-evaluated on a daily basis depending on pollution levels.
The first Chinese Culture Talk on the Silk Road in Xinjiang and relations between Luoyang and the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was held in Latvia recently.

Wubuli, deputy-director of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Bureau of Cultural Heritage, and Zhang Deshui, deputy-director of the Henan Museum, were invited to give the joint lecture.

Wubuli introduced the Silk Road's history and its contribution to bridging Asia and Europe. The Silk Road is an historic route of commerce, pilgrimage and cultural communication between the two continents.

He said the part in Xinjiang is the most important section and that it covers 1/4 of the Silk Road's entire length. The Silk Road was divided into many branches, which went to East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia. Two civilizations based in agriculture and a nomadic lifestyle met in Xinjiang and formed a unique, diversified culture.

Zhang started his lecture by introducing Luoyang and its importance in Chinese history. As the starting point of the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty, Luoyang was the center of politics, economy and culture in ancient China in that era.

2016 marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Latvia. An exhibition featuring a series of cultural relics from Henan and Xinjiang also was held, along with the culture talk.

About Chinese Culture Talk

Chinese Culture Talk is a series of high-level cultural and academic lectures launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Culture of China. More than 70 lectures had been held in about 30 countries by the end of 2016, including the US, France, Italy, Cambodia and Indonesia. The content varies from philosophy, religion, cultural heritage, literature and art, costume, cooking and Chinese medicine.
Discover the best things to do in Beijing with our weekly roundup of art and exhibitions, music and performances, and the trending activities around the town.

[Photo/Beijing Exhibition Theater]

Stage:

Riverdance

Irish dance phenomenon Riverdance's China tour will land in Beijing next week. The dance show is the pinnacle of traditional Irish step dancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while the body and arms are kept largely stationary. Since its premier in Dublin in the 1990s, Riverdance has toured the world with more than 20,000 shows.

If you go:

7:30 pm, Jan 5-8. Beijing Exhibition Theater.

Contact: 400 610 3721 or 010 10103721

Ticket: 280-1,280 yuan
US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lay wreaths at the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii on Tuesday. [Photo/Agencies]

Shinzo Abe did indeed make history, of sorts, by becoming the first Japanese leader to visit the memorial above the wreckage of the USS Arizona in Hawaii and offering his "sincere and everlasting condolences" to those who died 75 years ago when Japan launched its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Apparently, both the Japanese prime minister and the incumbent president of the United States, Barack Obama, wanted to give the impression that these former foes are seemingly "transcending recriminatory impulses" and putting behind them their historical enmity.

But does expressing condolences in this way really close the book?

Maybe Americans have bigger hearts than Japan's close neighborsso big that sincerity does not matter, and they are willing to ignore Abe's attempts to wipe away other shameful events from that period of his country's past.

To many in China and the Republic of Korea, at least, sincerity matters a lot when it comes to Japan's approach to its wartime past, since they bore the brunt of its savage ambitions.

It may not matter that Abe would probably not have visited Pearl Harbor had Obama not visited Hiroshima and offered condolences to those who died when the US dropped an atomic bomb on the city in 1945.

But it does matter that these reciprocal actions stem not from a genuine desire to learn from the past but rather from their geopolitical need for each other.

That Abe's trip was not undertaken with sincerity, or driven by any heart-felt repentance, is evident from the visit of his defense minister to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine immediately after she returned to Tokyo from Pearl Harbor.

To Japan's neighbors, Tomomi Inada's pilgrimage to the shrine where Class-A World War II war criminals, some directly responsible for Pearl Harbor, are enshrined, unmasks the true feelings of those currently in power in Japan.

There have been calls for Abe to visit Nanjing in China, where the invading Japanese troops massacred hundreds of thousands of Chinese in 1937. But the utilitarian motivation that drove him to Pearl Harbor does not exist here.

Nor would any condolences be welcome, when it is clear from the words and deeds of Abe and his colleagues that any sympathy would not be sincere and simply proffered to practical ends.

Therefore, instead of repeating that useless plea to Abe, or counting on his administration to seek a historic spirit of reconciliation, Beijing and Seoul had better concentrate on readying themselves for a long-term regional landscape featuring a disruptive and emboldened Japan.
A gavel in a court. [Photo/IC]

An official from the Supreme People's Procuratorate said it was difficult to collect evidence in cases of campus violence involving minors. He proposes setting up a special agency to deal with the crimes of minors. An editorial on Beijing News comments:

According to the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the number of primary and secondary school pupils dealt with for campus violence was 2,337 between January and November this year. But it should be understood that more cases are left unreported and more perpetrators go unpunished.

It is common sense that campus violence must be curbed. However, we still lack effective measures to fight it and campus violence is still a problem.

The problem lies in the lack of coordination among various departments. The education departments, the judiciary, and the police do not work together, and in some cases they simply pass the buck. More important, the stipulations in the law about campus violence are rather technical and each department has its own explanation.

Thus a professional agency able to mobilize all the resources and coordinate among all the departments is needed. The agency should be able to coordinate among the police, the education bureau, and the prosecutors' office, so that they can work together for the prevention of campus violence.

A professional and coordinated approach is inevitable if campus violence is to be tackled effectively. We need to aim at "preventing", not only "curbing" campus violence; we do not want campus violence to happen in the first place. In order to realize that goal, education is of key importance.
A Moroccan policeman stands guard outside the COP22 village during the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco, on Nov 15, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

As Confucius taught us, there are three methods to gaining wisdom. "Reflection, which is the noblest. Imitation, which is in essence perhaps the easiest. Experience, which is the bitterest." The climate agreement, approved by nearly 200 states at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris last year, embodies these three elements precisely.

First, in the run-up to the conference, every country was invited to "reflect" on its contribution to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Also, a five-year cycle of reflection to measure progress was agreed.

Second, countries are learning from and building on each other. Leading countries developing the right policies and leading companies developing new technologies are closely watched and "imitated" by others. These collective efforts must eventually add up to limiting the global average temperature rise to 1.5 C to 2 C, as agreed in Paris.

Third, we are already learning from bitter "experiences" that multiply the risks of poverty, migrations and conflicts. To help those who are most vulnerable to these hardships adapt to climate change, agreements regarding climate finance were also made in Paris.

China is taking a lead in realizing the historic Paris Agreement, which has been now ratified by 119 parties. At the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, Beijing submitted its ratification document of the Paris Agreement to the UN.

The Chinese government takes climate change seriously and has taken practical actions to fight it. In 2011, it started carbon trading pilot programs in seven provinces, exploring ways to reduce the cost of controlling greenhouse gas emissions via the market. Drawing on the experience of these pilots, China is building a national carbon trading scheme that covers all key industrial sectors, which is expected to be introduced in 2017.

China is also running several low carbon demonstrations at provincial, city, industrial park and community levels. And the extensive low-carbon programs have contributed to its climate change response.

For China, it is clear that economic growth and addressing climate change to achieve sustainable development can, will and must proceed hand-in-hand. Such an approach will make societies and countries, like China, only stronger and more resilient, or in other words: future-proof.

Most notably, a great opportunity lies in carbon pricing as a critical instrument to unlock the public and the private capital needed for the transition to low-carbon technologies. Putting a meaningful price on carbon, for instance, will stimulate energy efficiency technology and make renewable energy more competitive.

Our generation is pivotal: we have a moral duty to act on the science that is irrefutable. By putting a meaningful price on carbon, the current generation can take responsibility for its carbon footprint and anchor addressing climate change into our economic system.

The unprecedented challenge of climate change is now recognized by central banks, too. Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, recently called climate change a "tragedy of the horizons" because the impact of climate stretches beyond the traditional horizons of business and governments. From the perspective of international financial stability, an interest all countries share, he promotes addressing climate change with more urgency.

The political momentum for carbon pricing is unparalleled. Along with China, about 40 countries and more than 20 cities, states and provinces are already implementing mechanisms to tax or trade carbon, or are planning to do so.

This is why it is important for governments, businesses, universities and other parties to share the best practices, learning from each other to set definitions, to measure, to set targets and to report progress, to share the experience of working with carbon pricing and creating the most effective carbon-pricing system and policies. Several initiatives are emerging to facilitate such collaboration. It is noteworthy that more than 700 companies are considering an internal carbon price. Another 500 companies already have set an internal carbon price.

While designing and implementing carbon-pricing systems and policies comes with many challenges, the stakes couldn't be higher. Accelerated implementation of a meaningful carbon price across the globe can turn the notion of "tragedy of the commons" into an "opportunity of the commons" and create low-carbon prosperity for all. It not only makes business sense: our children and generations to come will thank us for finally stepping up.

Xie Zhenhua is China special representative for climate change affairs and vice chairman, committee of population, resources and environment, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Feike Sijbesma is CEO of Royal DSM and co-chairman Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition.
Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao delivers a speech at the 10th China-Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Business Summit in Tangshan, North China's Hebei province, Oct 14, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

During his recent trip to South America for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference leaders' meeting, President Xi Jinping laid out a vision for deeper Chinese engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the context of an increasing Asia-Pacific economic integration. This agenda is an opportunity to strengthen and expand this relationship, as our region's ties with China will be central to our future development strategies.

The timing is fortuitous, as the China-LAC relationship is entering a new phase after a decade of extraordinary growth. Trade grew by an average 31 percent a year between 2003 and 2011. China invested billions of dollars in energy, mining, infrastructure and manufacturing throughout our region. And LAC governments forged closer ties with Beijing through a host of free trade agreements, cooperation initiatives, and multilateral engagement on various issues.

This initial boom brought considerable gains for all partners. LAC saw a surge in exports that drove record growth, while China gained access to key inputs and new markets. However, trade growth has stalled amid a challenging global environment. This new scenario compels us to find new drivers, as well as to address remaining barriers to closer integration. Xi identified several areas where we should work together.

Given the strong complementarity of our economies, trade will continue to be a key driver. China is expected to import $8 trillion worth of goods over the next five years. LAC has a strong interest in gaining a larger share of those imports, building on its comparative advantage in natural resources to provide a broader range of food products, refined minerals and metals to Chinese consumers and companies.

China is also poised to play a larger role in inter-regional integration. The Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, first proposed by China in 2014, has renewed momentum after the APEC meeting, as has the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which attracted attention from several LAC countries.

Bilateral agreements remain important mechanisms to deepen trade. China already has free trade agreements with Chile, Costa Rica and Peru. Xi announced a "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Chile and Ecuadorthe highest level of Chinese diplomatic relations with other countriesand further enhanced its comprehensive strategic partnership with Peru.

Direct investment, particularly in infrastructure, is another key pillar. Enhancing connectivity through infrastructure is a major priority for LAC, where transport costs still hinder trade. China can leverage resources and expertise to promote infrastructure development in our region, including its experience with the Belt and Road Initiative (the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road) will facilitate trade and smooth operations of Chinese enterprises in our region.

As China grows as a major source of outward foreign direct investment, which Xi estimated at $750 billion over the next five years, Chinese capital will target a growing range of manufacturing, services, technology and natural resource sectors in LAC, helping us develop our economic apparatus while giving Chinese companies greater access to our markets.

A final pillar for strengthening China-LAC relations is government-to-government cooperation. Opportunities exist in areas such as tackling global challenges. Xi made climate change a key theme of his message to LAC leaders, and China recently announced it would convene a global dialogue on the topic.

China's success in making technological leaps in industry holds development lessons for our region, while LAC countries have been pioneers in social policies, such as conditional cash transfers, which are relevant to the Chinese context.

Finally, we should deepen our cultural, educational, and people-to-people ties. China has made great strides through its Confucian Institutes. As with other areas, cooperation can be pursued both through bilateral agreements as well as multilateral initiatives such as the China-CELAC forum.

The China-LAC relationship has evolved into a mature partnership based on trade, investment and cooperation. But there are many opportunities to build on the past decade's gains. As China assumes a leading role on more and more global issues, the time is right for us to move forward on this agenda of mutually beneficial engagement.

The author is president of Inter-American Development Bank, a leading multilateral source of long-term financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. China joined the IDB as a donor member country in 2009.
US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lay wreaths at the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii on December 27, 2016. [Agencies]

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Pearl Harbor to lay a wreath and the Japanese made it very clear that he was not there to apologize for the attack on the US in 1941. Actually, he does not need to apologize as the Americans believe the Japanese are honorable warriors living by the samurai code of honor, not sneaky attacks. This is what the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshida Suga said, The visit to Pearl Harbor was to console the souls of the war dead, not to apologize.

What was the purpose of the visit to Hawaii, where they attacked with all their might and killed so many Americans, if Abe refused to apologize? Was to claim that Japan did nothing wrong, that theres nothing to apologize for? OK, got the message.

We must never repeat the horrors of war again. This is the solemn vow we, the people of Japan, have taken, said Abe. No more wars, no more atrocities! Then why did Abe and his cabinet tore away the pacifist Constitution that forbade Japan to go to war unless attacked? Why is Japan so eager to engage in wars abroad, to support wars overseas, including fighting alongside the US?

Hard to believe someone talking about peace and no war when the same person not only tore away the pacifist Constitution, but also remilitarizes his armed forces with bigger defense budget and happily sends the soldiers to theaters of war all over the world.

Is Abe a liar or an honorable man who can be trusted not to conduct wars? The refusal to apologize to the victims of the sneaky attack on Pearl Harbor speaks volumes about what is inside Abes head and what he stands for. He does not see it necessary to visit the war memorials of all the countries that Japan invaded during the Japanese invasion of Asia and Southeast Asia except Pearl Harbor, all because US President Barack Obama had to visit the memorial site in Hiroshima first. Abe has never visited the memorial sites in Koreas and China, two countries that suffered the most from the invading Japanese Imperial army. But he has on many occasions visited the Yasukuni Shrine that honors the war criminals of Japan.

What does all this say of Abe and of the Japanese people? Can anyone trust Abe and his gang not to start war again?

The author is a political observer from Singapore.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and don't represent views of China Daily website.
Osama Abu Zaid, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army rebel alliance, shows the text of the agreement about a ceasefire between Syrian opposition groups and the Syrian government during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, December 29, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIRUT - A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start after midnight on Friday (2200 GMT on Thursday) in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of bloodshed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition.

Monitors and a rebel official reported clashes between insurgents and government forces along the provincial boundary between Idlib and Hama, and isolated incidents of gunfire further south less than two hours after the truce began. Warring sides appeared to have stopped firing in many other areas, however.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States could join the peace process once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. He also wanted Egypt to join, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the United Nations.

A number of rebel groups have signed the agreement, Russia's Defence Ministry said. Several rebel officials acknowledged the deal, and a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a loose alliance of insurgent groups, said it would abide by the truce.

One FSA commander was optimistic about the truce deal, the third serious attempt this year at a nationwide ceasefire.

"This time I have confidence in its seriousness. There is new international input," Colonel Fares al-Bayoush said without elaborating.

Syria's civil war, which began when a peaceful uprising descended into violence in 2011, has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths and displaced over 11 million people, half its pre-war population.

The ceasefire, in the waning days of President Barack Obama's administration, was the first major international diplomatic initiative in the Middle East in decades not to involve the United States.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan prepares for an interview in New York City, US September 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

ANKARA -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized its NATO allies on Thursday, particularly the US, for not supporting Ankara's struggle against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Syria's al Bab region.

Once more, Erdogan accused the US of supplying weapons to Kurdish fighters in Syria.

"NATO allies must stand by their partner Turkey in Syria, not the terrorist groups," said the Turkish president, referring to the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"You sent arms to terrorist organizations, then said 'we sent ammunition, not arms,'" Erdogan said. "We're not buying it, nor accepting it."

"Despite our NATO alliance, you support terrorist organizations, instead of us," the Turkish president said. "Are the terrorist organizations your partners in NATO?"

"If we are NATO strategic partners, then you should support us," Erdogan said, addressing the US administration.

"Terrorist organizations will eventually attack nations supporting them too," he warned.
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk into a photo opportunity before their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York September 28, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON -- Three weeks before leaving office, US President Barack Obama on Thursday struck back at Russia over alleged election hacking in a move to box in his successor Donald Trump who had so far showed willingness to work with Russia.

Nine Russian entities and individuals, including two Russian intelligence services, were sanctioned for their alleged interfering with the US election, Obama said in a statement.

In addition, the US State Department on Thursday announced expelling 35 Russian government officials from the United States, calling them "acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status."

Two Russian government-owned compounds, one in US State of Maryland and one in New York, would also soon be shuttered, according to the State Department.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that Moscow regretted the new sanctions and the measures signaled Obama's "unpredictable" and "aggressive foreign policy."

According to Russia's Interfax News Agency, Peskov said that the dual aims of the White House were "to ruin once and for all Russian-American relations" and "to strike a blow against the foreign-policy plans of the future administration and the new US president."

The Obama administration in October officially blamed Russia for hacking US political institutions and persons to interfere with the US election process, an accusation immediately dismissed as "nonsense" by Moscow.

The episode reached its climax early this month when the US daily Washington Post uncovered a secret Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assessment report in which the agency claimed that Russia's meddling in the US election was aimed at helping Republican Donald Trump win the White House.

According to the CIA assessment, Russians were believed to have hacked both Republican and Democratic organizations, though only damaging documents from Democrats were leaked to the public.
BEIJING -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday called on the United States and Russia to properly handle disagreements through friendly negotiation.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks when asked to comment on a possible improvement in US-Russia ties following Donald Trump's upcoming presidential inauguration.

The question, which was raised at a routine press briefing, came after the US government's announcement on Thursday about tough sanctions against Russian entities and ejection of 35 Russian officials.

Hua said the Chinese side expects "smooth development" of relations between the United States and Russia, and stressed the two countries have major responsibilities in promoting world peace and development.

Enhancing cooperation and facilitating sound interaction among China, the United States and Russia are in line with the fundamental interests of the three countries and peoples, Hua said.

Hua expressed China's willingness to deepen exchanges with the United States and Russia and to jointly deal with global challenges.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's appreciation of the China-Russia partnership during his annual year-end press conference demonstrated Russia's positive attitude, Hua said, adding that both sides agree their mature bilateral ties will not be altered.

China vows to work with Russia to consolidate the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination and protect world peace, security and stability, Hua said.
For the last day of each year, millions of strangers come from across the world and gather at Times Square in New York to see performances and concerts and, of course, watch the ball drop.

This year, plenty of Chinese tourists are also looking forward to the event.

Mani Xu, a tour guide with Manhattan-based L&L Travel Enterprises, the largest Chinese travel agency in the US, is guiding a group of 36 tourists who came to New York to attend the New Year Countdown.

The total number of tourists joining L&L tours for the countdown was 264 this year, most of them on the young side and mostly Chinese.

Ma Yan, 32, a media practitioner from Beijing, is visiting the US for the first time.

Ma watched the Times Square Countdown on television for the last two years. "I chose to

attend this group tour in particular because I really want to experience the atmosphere for myself," said Ma.

"I like Ryan Seacrest," Ma said. "I listen to his radio program everyday on my drive to work."

"He was on the TV broadcast for the last two years, I hope to see him and hear the live versions of this year's hit songs on Times Square," Ma added.

Ma and his wife are already well prepared with warmers, down jackets and diapers - brought all the way from China.

Ma joked that as a Chinese, he knew how to survive in a crowd. "We are experienced. Sometimes we go to see large-scale concerts, we prepare just like this," said Ma.

Zou Yuxuan, a 20-year-old Chinese college student studying in Missouri, was traveling in the group with her friend.

"All of my schoolmates and friends who had experienced the countdown at Times Square told me it was crazy and they would never ever do it again," said Zou.

"But we are still heading to it! Without hesitation! Because it's exciting and we are young!" Zou said excitedly.

"There was no holiday atmosphere in our school because all the American students went back home, even the Chinese restaurant closed and the only open market is Walmart," Zou said.

Before joining the group, Zou and her friends traveled with another group to Florida. Zou said, during holidays, most Chinese students studying in the US leave school and travel, if they don't have plans to go back to home. She even met some of her schoolmates who were also visiting the East Coast.

"I once attended countdown in Tiananmen Square," said Zhang Kai, 26, a Chinese communication industry practitioner, temporarily working in Latin America. "It aroused my patriotic feelings as a Chinese.

"But in New York it's totally different, it made me have a more cosmopolitan feeling," said Zhang.

Before arriving in the Big Apple, the group had visited Philadelphia, Washington and Boston over the past week. Most still have jet lag and are feeling a bit exhausted.

"No matter what, I believe it will be a valuable experience that I can share with my kids when I go back," said Ma, father of a two-year-old and a three-month-old.

"I believe if you want to experience the world's most ambitious, the best countdown, you have to bear the pain that ordinary people cannot bear," Zhang joked.

"I was ready when I made my decision to come," Zhang said firmly.

Xu and his colleagues will start to head to the countdown area at noon on Dec 31.

L & L will set up a rest stop on West 48th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, where the traffic is less.

There will be buses parked there to bring tourists back to their hotels after the countdown.

"But if any of our guests fail to make it to midnight, they come out from the area and we will get them back to hotels," Xu said.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 12/30/2016 page1)
(Photo : Getty Images) Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen's proposed stop over in the United States has raised political temperatures with China.

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Taiwan Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that the country's President Tsai Ing-Wen will pass through the United States during her visit to Latin America, a move that has angered China.



China has a deep suspicion of Tsai and has urged the United States to not allow such stop-over.



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China believes that the Taiwanese leader only wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, which is currently a self-governing island that China regards as its renegade Province and thus is not eligible for state-to-state relations.



China believes that Taiwan's intentions are clear and is urging the United States not to entertain her.



"We hope the United States can abide by the 'one China' policy... and not let her pass through their border, not give any false signals to Taiwan independence forces, and through concrete actions safeguard overall US-China relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan strait," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.



Taiwanese media also speculated that Tsai will seek to have a meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team.



Donald Trump caused uproar in China when he held a phone conversation with Tsai earlier this month, breaking a decade-long diplomatic protocol. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the mainland in 1979. It now recognizes that there is only 'One China' and that Taiwan is a province of the mainland.



China is worried that Trump's incoming administration might not be committed to upholding the 'One China' policy.



President Tsai's office said that the President will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador during her Latin America visit. She is expected to leave Taiwan on Jan. 7 and return on Jan. 15.



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Tagschina, United States, Taiwan, China and Taiwan
(Photo : Getty Images) Philippine president Duterte said he is not worried of China's alleged militarization activities in the disputed South China Sea islands.

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said that the United States' abject failure to block China from building artificial islands in the South China Sea shows that there is no reason to be concerned by Beijing's militarization or reclamation work in the disputed area.



In Duterte's view, if China's activities in the South China Sea were a cause for concern, then the United States should have taken the lead in trying to stop it.



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The controversial president also repeated his earlier comments that he is not interested in a confrontation with China, adding that there is no urgent need to press the mainland to abide by the July ruling by an international tribunal on the South China Sea that favored the Philippines.



During a television interview, Duterte said that he would address the South China Sea issue but was not yet ready to give his views on the ruling by The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration. He added that China is also not prepared to comment on the issue.



"I cannot let it pass and be neglected," Duterte said during the interview, referring to the ruling that rejected China's claim of ownership of extensive stretches of the South China Sea.



Duterte has previously downplayed the South China Sea stand-off, saying it would "take a back seat" during his meeting with China last October.



Duterte made a diplomatic u-turn a few months ago when he turned his back to its long-time ally, the United States, and made overtures on China. The President has been pouring effusive praises on China, saying that he wants the Asian giant to play a bigger role in the Philippines' economy.



Duterte said that the only situation where he would be forced to take a stand against China was if Beijing were to start exploiting natural resources within the Philippine's sovereign borders. The Philippines is endowed with rich reserves of oil and gas but lacks the resources to exploit them.



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TagsRodrigo Duterte, china, South China Sea
(Photo : Getty Images) The North Korean dictator uses executions to solidify his power base.

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A new report by a South Korean think tank claimed that North Korean Dictator Kim Jon Un has ordered the execution of at least 340 people since he took power in 2011.



In a report entitled "The Misgoverning of Kim Jon Un's Five Years in Power," the Institute for National Security Strategy under the National Intelligence Service detailed how the North Korean despot used executions to tighten his grip on power.



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Although North Korea's dictatorial government rarely allows news to come out of the country, tales of Kim's violent executions have sometimes filtered out in the last five years.



Of those reportedly killed, approximately 140 were senior government officials, including military personnel and members of the ruling Korean Worker's Party.



In June this year, North Korea's top education official Kim Yong Jin was also executed by a firing squad on claims that he exercised a bad attitude during the country's Supreme People's Assembly.



North Korea's Defense Minister Hyon Yong Chol was also killed in May 2015 with an anti-aircraft gun in front of an audience at a school in the country's capital Pyongyang. And Kim even made the minister's family witness his execution.



The North Korean leader also had his uncle executed in 2013 for trying to overthrow the government. The country's media described him as a "traitor for all ages."



According to Hawaii Pacific University professor Seung-Kyun Ko, Kim has a tendency for bluntness and can be quite extreme when dealing with perceived threats.



"During his upbringing, he has been spoiled because he was the son of Kim Jong II. The major danger is there is no one in his leadership circle to restrain him," Ko said.



Ko believes that Kim is desperate to live up to the expectation that he will be a great leader, and in order to achieve that goal, he has been pushing around the country's top leaders to show that he is the boss.



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(Photo : Getty Images) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently visited Pearl Harbor in the company of US President Barack Obama.

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A senior Japanese official's decision to pay his respects at a controversial shrine for war dead on Wednesday has prompted an angry reaction from China and South Korea.



The visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine for war dead by Masahiro Imamura, Japan's minster for reconstruction, could also potentially mar Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's earlier historic visit to Pearl Harbor accompanied by outgoing US President Barack Obama.



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China and South Korea see the Yasukuni shrine as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.



"China is firmly against any visit by Japanese cabinet members to the Yasukuni shrine which worships class-A criminals in Second World War," Hua Chunying, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said.



Hua said that China is urging Japan to look squarely and deeply reflect upon the past history of aggression, adding that Japan should assume a responsible attitude to properly handle relevant issues.



She further urged Japan to make concrete moves to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the world.



Abe's visit to the United States 75 years after the devastating attack of Pearl Harbor marked the first of such trip in decades by a Japanese prime minister. While in the US, Abe attended that USS Arizona memorial.



Japan's attack on the Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 led to the death of 2,403 Americans.



Some of Abe's critics noted that his visit and reconciliation with the United States are in sharp contrast with Japan's frosty relations with China and South Korea.



There is deep anger towards Japan in both China and South Korea. Many people in the two countries feel that Japan has not fully made amends for their brutal actions during World War II.



The most sensitive issue is the Japanese army's vicious attack on Nanking in 1937, which is believed to have left hundreds of thousands of Chinese dead and thousands others raped.



South Korea, on the other hand, was occupied by Japan for much of the first half of the 20th century, and the plight of the so-called comfort women, basically sex slaves who were forced to serve Japanese soldiers, is still a sore area.



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(Photo : Getty Images) Researchers are urging authorities to set up awareness programs to inform teenagers on the possible effects of marijuana.

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A study in Washington discovered that teenagers' consumption and perception towards cannabis since its legalization as a recreational drug in 2015 has shifted.



Researchers at the UC Davis and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health said that marijuana consumption among 13 to 14 year olds and 15 to 16 year olds increased by 2 and 4 percent, respectively, in Washington since the law was introduced. Furthermore, the same groups' negative perceptions about marijuana declined by 14 and 16 percent, respectively.



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Nine states in the United States have now legalized the use of marijuana as a recreational drug, while at least 26 others for medicinal purposes.



In Nov. 26, the states of California, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts voted to change their marijuana laws.



Colorado legalized marijuana in 2012. Oregon, Alaska, and the state of Washington legalized it in 2015, while the United States capital Washington DC in 2014.



Any person over the age of 21 years is now legally allowed to procure at least an ounce of marijuana for recreational use. People are also legally allowed to cultivate six marijuana plants away from the view of the public.



"While legalization for recreational purposes is currently limited to adults, potential impacts on adolescent marijuana use are of particular concern," Magdalena Cerda, the author of the study, said.



Due to the increasing number of states that are legalizing the use of marijuana, the researchers are of the opinion that changes to the laws should be accompanied by prevention programs, which can be used to inform teenagers on the potential risks associated with marijuana use.



The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics.



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(Photo : Getty Images) In a bid to push up the fledgling economy, China plans to expand country's high-speed rail network to 30,000 kilometers (18,600 miles) by the end of the decade.

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The Chinese government has turned to high speed rail network to boost the country's fading economic growth rate. It plans to expand country's high-speed rail network to 30,000 kilometers (18,600 miles) by 2020.



This was revealed by China's Vice Transport Minister, Yang Yudong, while speaking on plans to improve the nation's transportation services. The minister informed that the Chinese government plans to pour $504 billion (3.5 trillion yuan) to meet the project deadline by the end of the decade.



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Yang claimed that through rail expansion, more than 80 percent of China's major cities will be inter- connected. The authorities plan to implement the expansion plan through renovation of expressways and rapid construction of railway lines in the economically backward regions of central and western China.



According to Chinese state media, the expanded line will span across 2,252 kilometers (1,400 miles) that will pass through five provinces and will reduce the travel time from 25 hours to merely 11 hours.



In the previous year, China's high-speed railway network stood at approximately 19,000 kilometers (11,800 miles).



The Chinese government over the last two years responded to on-going economic recession by shoring up spending on key infrastructure projects. The government has announced big ticket projects for rail, road, and high bridges in a bid to rescue the recession hit economy.



Several economists have described the current recession as the worst economic crisis that the country has faced in over two decades.



Apart from infrastructure spending, Chinese government has also announced stimulus packages for many of the critical sectors. However, economists claim that the move has pushed up the government's fiscal deficit to unprecedented level.



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(Photo : Getty Images) The new Honda 2014 Odyssey minivan is displayed at the 2013 New York International Auto Show on March 27, 2013 in New York City.

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Honda announced on Thursday that it is issuing a recall order covering more than 634,000 Honda Odyssey cars. The auto maker said that the recall was prompted in order to fix a defect that could cause the second row of seats in the Odyssey car to shift suddenly in a crash.



According to CNBC, Honda will be executing two separate recalls because of the defect. The larger recall involves 634,000 Odyssey minivans with 2011 until 2016 model years. These cars were manufactured from Aug. 17, 2010 to Oct. 1, 2015. The smaller recall covers about 7,600 Odyssey minivans with 2016 model year.



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Honda said that the company had already notified the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the perceived defect of select Odyssey cars. In a report, Honda stated that the defect involves a release level that has a possibility to remain in the unlocked position unintentionally, which will allow the seats to move suddenly.



In a document posted on the agency's website, the NHTSA wrote that the flaw "increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant during a crash." Honda said that the company had not received any report of injuries or deaths linked to the defect. On the other hand, Honda did confirm that the company received 689 warranty claims as of Dec. 16, according to USA Today.



Honda said that affected owners of the larger recall will be notified in February. The company added that the parts to fix the defect will not be ready until spring. Those who are affected by the smaller recall will be notified as early as January. Honda dealers will install the necessary parts to fix the defect completely free of charge.



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TagsHonda, Honda recall, Recall, odyssey, odyssey recall, honda odyssey recall
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) Samsung is preparing to debut its first quantum dot curved computer monitors designed primarily for gamers.

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South Korean tech giant Samsung is preparing to debut its first quantum dot curved computer monitors, with plans to unveil it at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, which is slated to open its doors early in January.



Samsung said that its new quantum dot curved monitors were designed primarily for gamers. Regarding quantum dots, these are semiconductor nanocrystals that work in the same way as OLED displays.



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Headlining the company's new series of monitors is the CH711 Quantum Dot curved monitor, which comes in 27-inch or 31.5-inch display sizes. Both models feature a 1,800 curvature and support a resolution of up to 2560 x 1440 and 125 percent sRGB color coverage, according to Engadget.



The other two Quantum Dot curved monitors from Samsung are the CFG70 and CF791. Both models are currently available to buy for interested buyers, and Samsung will officially debut it at the upcoming CES conference as well.



The CFG70 is aimed primarily for gamers with its 1ms response time and 144Hz refresh rate. The monitor supports AMD FreeSync and has a resolution of up to 1080p. The monitor has a Gaming UX interface and Advanced Calibration Options for gamers to properly tweak the monitor to suit their gameplay style. According to PC Mag, the 24-inch model of the CFG70 costs $349.99, while the 27-inch model costs $449.99.



The CF791, on the other hand, is a 34-inch monitor with 1,500R curvature. The display has a 21:9 aspect ratio and support resolution of up to 3440 x 1440. The monitor has a 4ms response time. Samsung also designed the CF791 in such a way that it can be wall mounted. The monitor costs $999.99.



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TagsSamsung, quantum dot, curved monitor, gaming monitor, samsung ch711, samsung cfg70, samsung cf791
(Photo : Getty Images) China's state prosecutor on Friday charged former deputy head of Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office under bribery and abuse of power case.

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The former deputy head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office was put on legal trial on Friday, after China's state prosecutor accused him of bribery and abuse of power.



In a brief statement, the state prosecutor said Gong Qinggai abused his executive powers to "seek benefits for others" and took large sums of illicit money.



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It was not possible to reach out to Gong for his reaction and is not clear if he will be allowed to get legal assistance during the trail.



It has been suspected that Gong indulged in wrongdoings when he held several key posts in the south-eastern Chinese province of Fujian. This was apparently much before he was appointed as deputy head of Taiwan Affairs Office in 2013.



He was put under investigation in January by Chinese authorities, a decision that was seen as a part of President Xi Jingping's ongoing nationwide crackdown against corruption.



In April, the ruling Communist Party also accused Gong of taking part in "superstitious activities," which is prohibited under Chinese law.



Xi's ongoing nationwide crackdown against corruption has led to prosecution of several high ranking officials, while several have also been convicted by Chinese courts. The Chinese leader started the nationwide crackdown soon after taking over the office in 2013 with a mission to wipe out corruption from Chinese society.



Meanwhile, it is not clear whether the prosecution of Gong Qinggai will have any impact on cross-strait relation, which is already going through considerable strain. China and Taiwan have been on crossroads ever since the pro-independent Tsai Ing-wen swept the Taiwanese presidential election in January.



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Last week I heard the mayors announcement that the city would donate one million dollars to the Childrens Hospital in memory of the students killed in the Woodmore bus crash. One million dollars.

What a very generous donation from our kindhearted mayor. I guess we all could be equally kind if we were pledging other peoples money. I, too, find the Childrens Hospital to be an excellent charitable contribution. I also mourn the loss of the innocent children killed in the bus crash. What I dont agree with is the mayors heavily media-covered, timely pre-election donation, absent Council approval (see below), totally paid for by taxpayers and not from anything having to do with the mayor personally. I see his glory, but where is his sacrifice?

And, speaking of glory and no sacrifice, did you see how many of our City Council members running for re-election swarmed Berke at his donation news conference? They were like flies to honey. I cannot remember that the mayor ever had this much Council support for anything. Notably absent was Larry Grohn who states that the first he heard of it was when he saw it on the news. Funny, all the other Council members were invited to the news conference. The one member of the Council not invited to share in the glory was the one member running against the mayor. (Councilman Chip Henderson was absent. Kudos to him.)

I am not a Trump supporter, but I do understand the peoples frustration with politics as usual. Apparently our city leaders did not get the message. People are tired of politics as usual. We are tired of the last minute pre-election feel good stunts designed to try to motivate voters. We are tired of our government leaders assuming that we are not smart enough to see through their ridiculously veiled efforts to throw us a bone to get a vote. Obviously, your political challengers are not able to do the same. In this case, your declaration of a million dollar donation (on the backs of the taxpayers) also looks like you are using a tragedy for your own personal political gain. That is despicable.

I have looked up the balance in your political war chest. It is something in the neighborhood of $275,000, paling in comparison to any of your political challengers. If, as you say, your current term as mayor is as successful as you think it is, you do not need such a war chest. I challenge you to donate $250,000 from your donated campaign war chest to Childrens Hospital or from your personal bank account. It is not against the rules for political contributions to be donated. This would show all of us that you, Andy Berke, are personally committed to a meaningful voluntary donation while you forcefully require taxpayers to donate four times that amount. Show us that this million dollar taxpayer donation is more than the usual well-timed political stunt aimed at attempting to "buy votes". If, as you say, you have now seen how very important the Children's Hospital is in helping children in tragic situations, you will step up to the plate with your own money.

Lynn Ashton

Chattanooga

P.S. Why did you not pledge a million dollars to Erlanger for treating the five service members who tragically lost their lives defending Chattanooga (our country) in July 2015? Not close enough to the election?

* * *

Thank you, Lynn Ashton. I am impressed with the way you tackled the mayors $1,000,000 taxpayers' contribution. If I were holding a political office, I would be proud to have you serving on my staff. Its evident that you research your information before disseminating it to the public, unlike one contributing writer we must be offered to read in the opinion section of the website, and you are well spoken.

I would add that if the mayor pledges $250,000 of his own money for his attempt to buy votes, he could buy a lot more of them if he would make a quick call to the Northshore and ask his Uncle Ronnie and the rest of the family to make up the additional $750,000. I will give the mayor one positive/negative. The first week in office he cleaned house of all the good ole boys that had been there for years. The problem is that he created his own good ole boy network meanwhile.

As for the City Council, I have been talking to lots of people from varied backgrounds in Chattanooga. Everyone I have spoken to has suggested that Mayor Berke has the council in his pocket. The only two exceptions mentioned were Larry Grohn and Chip Henderson. Its time for a mayor, City Council, and might I add, a chief of police that are truly concerned with the challenges the citizenry of Chattanooga face. These political positions are not meant to line your pockets with money or to serve as a stepping stone for a further political career.

Rusty Munger

Chattanooga

* * *

I personally don't see what the problem is. The city used to fund Erlanger every year for at least $1 million. No one seemed upset about that. But this you have a problem with?

It was all pretty clear to me when I read the article. The city is funding it through the budget. They did that last year for Chambliss Center if I recall. No one freaked out about that. I think this is just a bunch of friends of Berke's opponents who are stomping their feet and crying because all they can do is send out negative releases and act like crybabies. Seriously, all of the stuff I've seen come out from the Crockett or Grohn campaign has been negative.

Why aren't they having a press conference about what they are going to do? Stop talking about what you don't like about someone else and tell me your plan to make it better. That's what a real leader does. They do things, they make plans, they help people. They don't just sit around and sling mud.

Steve Myers






Outrage continues from both Republicans and Democrats, as well as the international Jewish community, following the Obama administrations UN decision not to support Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The U.S. took what many are calling a decidedly anti-Israel stance when its UN Security Council representative abstained from voting on an important measure that determined whether Israel had a legitimate claim to the West Bank. The U.S. also did not use its power to veto this measure.

Many have said that Obama and his administration had direct involvement in passing the measure against Israel. According to the Washington Free Beacon, Vice-president Joe Biden even spoke with foreign leaders, most notably Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko, to encourage them to support the resolution.

Although Biden and the Obama administration denies that they had any involvement in lobbying foreign leaders to vote for the resolution, Israeli officials, as well as many U.S. lawmakers, beg to differ.

Biden lobbied Ukraine and of course administration officials are too cowardly to admit it, said a senior pro-Israel official who is working with Congress regarding the resolution. With everything thats going on involving Russia, Iran, and Syria, this is how the Obama administration choose to spend its precious diplomatic capital. They decided to twist arms and trade favors for a resolution that cuts off Jews from Jerusalem, a city that is Israels capital city according to American law.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio accused the Obama administration of Denying Israels right to exist, and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz called Obama one of the worst foreign-policy presidents ever.

Even those who generally support the Obama administration took issue with this resolution.

We are outraged over the U.S. failure to veto this biased and unconstructive UNSC resolution on Israel, Jonathan A. Greenblatt, a former Obama administration official who now heads the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement. This resolution will do little to renew peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians. It will only encourage further Palestinian intransigence vis-a-vis direct negotiations with Israel in favor of unilateral, one-sided initiatives.

Dissenters are hopeful, however, that the incoming Trump administration will be able to strengthen U.S. relations with Israel.

Photo courtesy: flickr.com

Publication date: December 30, 2016
Editors note: With the BreakPoint staff off for the holidays, we are re-airing some of the most talked about commentaries of the year.

In 2007, Iowa enacted a law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The law applies to what are known as public accommodations.

Now federal law typically considers public accommodations to be facilities like restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, retail establishments, and parks.

But recently, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission added something atypical to that list: church services.

In its Providers Guide, the Commission offered an answer to the question, Does this law apply to churches? with a resounding Sometimes. What follows is troubling: Iowa law provides that these protections do not apply to religious institutions with respect to any religion-based qualifications when such qualifications are related to a bona fide religious purpose.

I say troubling because implied in that statement is that the state gets to determine what is and what is not a bona fide religious purpose.

And what follows that goes from troubling to outrageous: Where qualifications are not related to a bona fide religious purpose, churches are still subject to the laws provisions: For example, a child care facility operated at a church or a church service open to the public. Which, as the Alliance Defending Freedom rightly pointed out, encompasses most events that churches hold.

If the Commission interpretation stands, then churchesat any service open to the publicwould be prohibited from doing or saying anything that would  directly or indirectly make persons of any particular . . . gender identity feel unwelcome in conjunction with church services, events, and other religious activities.

Given the almost limitless capacity for people to take offense or feel unwelcome, this would effectively ban sermons or other religious instruction about traditional Christian sexual ethics. This is what the Supreme Court famously dubbed a chilling effect on the freedom of religion and of speech.

Now if youre wondering how is this even legal? youre not alone. Paul Gowder, who teaches constitutional law at the University of Iowa, told the Des Moines Register that any attempt to regulate the content of sermons is blatantly unconstitutional and absurd on its face.

Thats why the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), representing two Iowa churches, has filed what is known as a pre-enforcement challenge, which challenges the constitutionality of the measure before it even takes effect.

Lets hope and pray that the ADF prevails. But even if they do, its a sobering reminder of three things.

First, this didnt happen at the Supreme Court or in left-leaning Washington State: it happened in the heartland, in Iowa. Religious freedom is in a precarious condition.

Second, it shows how wrong those who insisted, Oh, theyll never make pastors do this," or "Theyll never make churches do that really were. The state of Iowa is pretending to arbitrate what counts as a bona fide religious purpose. Everything a church does should have a religious purpose, especially outreach. Thats why every church service is open to the public.

Finally, it brings to mind Martin Niemollers famous line about failing to stand for others until there was no one left to stand up for him. Too many pastors failed to stand up for the freedoms of people in the pew because, well, they werent bakers or photographers or florists. And the pastors assumed they were safe. Clearly they arent.

The unprecedented attempt to regulate religious speech in Iowa shows the lengths to which enemies of religious freedom are prepared to go, proving it was never about cakes or photos in the first place.

This column originally aired July 7, 2016.

BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on todays news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions.

John Stonestreet, the host of The Point, a daily national radio program, provides thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

Publication date: December 29, 2016
This week at Charisma News, Michael Snyder wrote a piece entitled, 10 Times God Has Hit America with a Major Disaster after the US Attempted to Divide the Land of Israel.

He wrote this piece in response to the recent United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel for building settlements on land they acquired in 1967. Snyder points to events in which the United States participated in talks or treaties that would result in Israel giving up land or instances in which United States politicians may have slighted Israeli leaders. Then he connects these events to natural disasters or scandalous political developments and argues that the United States concessions to Israels neighbors led to this catastrophic suffering.

In every one of Snyders ten connections between disasters and US foreign policy, he takes unconnected events and pronounces that one was divine retribution for the other. In some of these cases, particularly the one involving Benjamin Netanyahus January 21, 1998 visit to the White House, he takes one interpretation of the event and makes it the final authority on what happened.

Snyder connects these events because he argues that, In the Scriptures, we are repeatedly told that God will bless those that bless Israel and will curse those that curse Israel. Snyder doesnt quote any of these passages in which we are repeatedly told this. In fact, the Bible doesnt say this at all. Snyder makes this assertion on a misunderstanding of a promise God makes to Abram in Genesis 12:3. Isaac then repeats a portion of this promise to Jacob in Genesis 27:29 and Balaam references it in relation to the exodus in Numbers 24:9.

To gain a proper understanding of Gods promise to Abram, we need to look at the passage in its proper context. After the events of the Tower of Babel and the Table of Nations in Genesis 10:1-11:26, the writer of Genesis introduces us to Abram. In Genesis 12:1-3, he says, Now the LORD said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. God promises Abraham that he will live in the land he will give him, will have numerous offspring, and know Gods blessing. God will protect Abraham by blessing those who bless him and cursing those who curse him. In addition to the blessings to Abraham, God will bless the scattered nations through the descendants of Abraham.

Before we apply blessings and curses from the Old Testament to the present day, we should pause and ask how the New Testament understands them. In Galatians 3, Paul wrestles with the question of who constitutes Abrahams offspring. He says, Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed. So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Paul argues that the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 was God heralding the work he would do through Christ to Abraham 2,000 years before it happened. God blesses the nations of the world through Christ who gave his life for sinners and was raised from the dead. He accomplishes this through the people who, like Abraham, have faith in Gods promised salvation and then take this message and make disciples of all nations.

The greatest misstep in Michael Snyders article is his taking Gods promise to bring salvation to the world through a descendant of Abraham and using it to say that God has cursed the United States of America because of a foreign policy decision. The promises of Genesis 12:1-3 should not lead us to think about the United States support of the geopolitical state of Israel, but instead should encourage us to have faith in Jesus Christ because everyone who trusts in him inherits all the promises of God.

Snyder also makes the unfortunate decision to explicitly identify natural disasters and mechanical failures as the judgment of God for individual United States foreign policy decisions. When we read Scripture, we do come to understand that all sickness, evil, death, and disaster is the result of sins entry into the world. Tornadoes, cancer, hurricanes, and heart attacks exist because we live in a world broken and tainted by sin. However, we do not have any biblical warrant whatsoever for directly claiming that a natural disaster is the judgment of God for a particular sin.

When we blame a natural disaster and terrorist attack on perceived national sins, we almost always say it happened because of some sin for which we dont wrestle with ourselves. In addition, many Christians often attribute the disaster to different sources. Snyder mentioned Hurricane Georges, which he mistakenly called George, that hit the United States mainland in 1998. I remember this hurricane well because I was in college in Mobile, Alabama at the time and had a friend come home from church bearing interesting news about this storm. While it was still in the Caribbean, a lady at his church declared that the Lord had revealed to her that Georges was Gods judgment on a wicked city and would destroy either New Orleans or Panama City. It made landfall in Biloxi, Mississippi. Which interpretation of Hurricane Georges should we accept? Is it Snyders assertion that it happened because Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was finalizing a plan that would cause Israel to give up thirteen percent of Judea and Samaria or the explanation that it would be God's judgment on a so-called wicked city? Also, we should ask why these disasters are always blamed on abortion, gay marriage, or our lack of support for Israel and never for racism, lack of concern for the poor, or Trinitarian heresy.

In the future, Christians must think carefully about how we interpret current events. We cannot continue to tell our culture that God hates everything we hate and affirms everything we affirm. Instead, we must speak of these disasters in a way that accurately reflects the message of Scripture, and that also evidences thoughtful sensitivity towards those who are suffering.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: December 30, 2016
The United Methodist Church will be launching a "Praying Our Way Forward" initiative on New Year's Day with 75 weeks of focused prayer before the revision of Book of Discipline on the topic of human sexuality.

"We share with you a deep commitment to the unity of the church in Christ our Lord... Our president shared the deep pain we feel. We have all prayed for months and continue to do so. We seek, in this kairos moment, a way forward for profound unity on human sexuality and other matters," said a statement issued by UMC Bishops, addressed to fellow clergy members and laity.

"The aim of 'Praying Our Way Forward' is to ask and listen for God's leadership at this critical time in the life of our church," said Bishop Al Gwinn, who co-chairs the initiative.

In the past, several media reports have suggested that members are divided over the issue of same-sex marriage. The issue was also discussed in the 2016 quadrennial General Conference in Portland about eight months ago, but the decision on gay marriage's legitimacy was then subjected to further discussions by specialized committees and panels.

The UMC currently does not formally accept homosexuality and deems it incompatible with the Christian faith. The church sources its position on sexuality from the denomination's Book of Discipline which says that "self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church."

The church had been praying for the last six months as well, and the January initiative is a second phase of prayers which will also have a broader commitment to plead for the restoration of the church and its global mission.

In 2016, some 5,000 people joined a special website (umcprays.org) dedicated to prayers to intercede for the General Conference. Members from around the world offered their spiritual support to the church through this website.

The website, formerly called 60daysofprayer.org, has listed the annual conferences of different regions on calendar and each conference will intentionally pray for the worldwide UMC mission for one week.
First Image, which operates four Portland-area pregnancy resource centers and Oregons first mobile ultrasound unit, recently received four new ultrasound machinesa donation worth more than $120,000.

To do so, the evangelical ministry first had to overcome a theological barrier to forge a deeper partnership with pro-life Catholics.

As an affiliate of the Care Net network, First Images statement of faith is adapted from the National Association of Evangelicals. Those beliefs are not completely in accord with Catholic faith and teaching, according to the Archbishop of Portland, Alexander K. Sample.

Yet after more than a year of dialogue between First Image and the archdiocese, the two groups signed an agreement that made a way for Catholics to further support the evangelical ministrys outreach while preserving their doctrinal distinctions.

Our posture has always been to collaborate with as broad a swath as possible while holding to our evangelical core, said Larry Gadbaugh, First Image CEO and a former pastor. We wanted to further the mission that we had a common conviction about.

Their collaboration allowed 4US, a charity founded by Catholics, to donate the machines to First Image despite the theological disagreements over its mission statement.

Its been both a blessing and an unfortunate reenactment of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, said Diego Wendt, co-founder of 4US, which has donated 44 machines to clinics across America. When were dialoging, sometimes I feel like were going back 500 years. But its been a very beneficial walk.

We are seeing the unity in the body of Christ that all of us prayed ...

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There are so many events planned to mark the Protestant Reformations 500th anniversary that sometimes its hard to keep track. Fresh conversations have been sparked in churches, the press, and seminar rooms. Wittenberg and other Reformation sites in Germany have been beautifully restored, even Disneyfied. Exhibitions, conferences, and lectures abound, as do articles in newspapers and magazines.

Meanwhile, we find ourselves in the midst of an avalanche of publishing, both popular and scholarly, as biographies of Luther appear with head-spinning regularity, accompanied by general accounts of the Reformation and studies of other key figures and their writings.

Not surprisingly, some of these books are de rigueur anniversary items that, like those heavily advertised tours to Wittenberg, revisit old ground and retell familiar stories. But there are plenty of new things to notice and get excited about, not least a growing commitment among authors and scholars to address new and changed audiences. No longer can one take for granted that students, clergy, laity, or the wider public understand the significance of the Reformationhow it convulsed the 16th century, and how it decisively shapes contemporary Christianity and the modern world.

The Reformation anniversary, then, comes as a gift for historians and theologians. Its an opportunity not only to freshly appraise the seminal religious event of the 16th century, but also to show its relevance to matters of faith and culture in our own time. Among the current wave of Reformation publishing are innovative books that pull readers out of their modern assumptions into the radically different world of Luther and his fellow Reformers.

The Difficult Hero

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Three times last year I asked a Christian audience this question: Which story in Scripture bothers you most? There are numerous candidatesthe flood, the destruction of Sodom, the Passover, the conquest of Canaanmost involving large numbers of people being killed. But each time, I got the same answer: the passage about Elisha and the bears (2 Kings 2:2325, ESV used throughout).

It is certainly a bizarre story. Elisha is heading to Bethel when a group of young lads come out of the city and jeer at him: Go up, you baldhead! So Elisha curses them in the Lords name, and two bears come out of the woods and maul 42 of them. Then Elisha heads off to Mount Carmel. As I said: bizarre.

What should we conclude? That God is happy to kill children for making a joke? That biblical prophets have no sense of humor? That, as one British newspaper columnist put it, God is the sort of deity who feeds children to bears?

Yet by reading the story through modern eyes, there are several elements we are likely to miss. For instance, we probably imagine a group of kindergarten boys having harmless fun. But the Hebrew word for small boys used in verse 23 applies to Joseph when he is 17, to Joshua when he serves in the tabernacle alongside Moses, to Abimelechs armor-bearer, and to David as he goes to fight Goliath. Solomon calls himself a little child in 1 Kings 3, despite being both married and the newly crowned king of Israel. So were probably not talking about a bunch of 6-year-olds.

And dont neglect the fact that these young men are coming from Bethel. In Elishas day, Bethel was one of two key centers of idolatry in Israel. Jeroboam had established ...

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Jesus did not show up to defend ISISand the first to celebrate was a Muslim.

The [ISIS] myth of their great battle in Dabiq is finished, Ahmed Osman, a Free Syrian Army officer, told Reuters in October after coalition forces drove more than 1,000 extremists from the backwater Syrian city known as the Armageddon of Islamic eschatology. The jihadists had expected the Messiah to appear and bloody his lance on approaching Christian crusaders.

Muslim belief in the end-times return of Jesus may seem surprising, but according to recent polls, they expect him with greater anticipation than do many American Christians.

A Pew Research Center survey in 2012 found that more than half of Muslims in Iraq, Lebanon, and Tunisiaand just under 50 percent in Morocco and the Palestinian territoriesbelieve in the imminent return of Jesus. Outside the Arab world, more than half of Muslims in Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Thailand say Jesus will return to Earth in their lifetime.

By contrast, a 2015 poll by the Brookings Institute found that only 12 percent of US evangelicals believe that Jesus will return in their lifetime.

Past polls communicate a greater expectancy. In 2010, Pew found that 27 percent of US Christians expected Jesus to definitely return within the next 40 years, while another 20 percent found it probable. Among white evangelicals, 34 percent said definitely while 24 percent said probably.

The Quran alludes to the return of Jesus (accompanied by a figure called the Mehdi), who on the Day of Resurrection will be a witness against Christians who claim him as the Son of God. But Muslim eschatology is derived primarily from Islamic traditions that have ...

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Riverbend Festival has new look for 2017. The new look includes a couple of schedule changes to note:

Toby Keith's performance has moved from Wednesday, June 14, to Friday, June 16. Keith's team encountered a conflict with the June 14 date.

The Sheila E. performance that was previously scheduled for Thursday, June 15, has been canceled. Management for Sheila E. discovered a conflict with her performance schedule as well.

Previously announced acts include: The Purple Xperience- the Ultimate Prince Tribute Band, Old Dominion, and Brett Young.

Buy admission early online and save: Star seating for Toby Keith and Old Dominion is available at riverbendfestival.com. General admission is $42, a $13 savings. General admission is needed to support reserved seating.

The only VIP experience available to the public is Club Riverbend and it's on sale now for $220 per person. Club Riverbend includes a seat from the pier, catering, a cash bar, VIP parking and more.

Group admission sales are underway as well. Purchase at least 50 general admission wristbands for $35 each or 100+ for $30 each. Pass on the savings to a group or se them as a way to say 'thank you' to employees or clients. For more information call 756-2211 or email gina@riverbendfestival.com.
Obama-Kerry Betray Israel and American Values

Palestinian Authority and Hamas Government Refuse to Acknowledge Israel's Right to Exist



Contact: Liberty Counsel, 407-875-1776, Media@LC.org; Press Kit

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- When President Obama directed the U.S. Ambassador to Israel to allow a UN committee to pass an anti-Israel resolution, he betrayed Israel and America. Secretary of State John Kerry made matters worse when he ranted for over an hour against Israel.

Obama's anti-Israel rhetoric in the final days of his presidency is not surprising since we have known his support for Israel has never been strong. "The two-state idea for a lasting peace is a fallacy. It is a failed experiment. There can be no lasting solution for peace until the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas government in Gaza recognize Israel's right to exist," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel and President of Christians in Defense of Israel.

Most people do not realize that there are two competing factions of Muslim Arabs in Israel. Mahmood Abbas is the figurehead for the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. He was booted out of Gaza when Hamas took control of the government. Hamas is a recognized terrorist organization. Neither group has authority over the other. "Neither the Palestinian Authority nor Hamas in Gaza have a mandate from the people they represent to negotiate peace with Israel. Neither group acknowledges Israel's right to exist. Both groups want all of Israel and want to exile all Jews from the land. There can never be a two state solution under these circumstances," said Staver.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton hosted Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) negotiator Mahmood Abbas for the signing of the Oslo Accords. The following year, the Israeli and Palestinian signers received the Nobel Peace Prize. The Oslo Accords created the Palestinian Authority (PA) and transferred control of certain Palestinian populated areas to the PA. The Israeli Defense Forces and security began to phase out of Gaza and later from Bethlehem. But, instead of securing peace, the Oslo Accords have worsened the situation. Gaza is now controlled by Hamas and continues to launch missiles into Israel. Jews, Christians, and even Arab Muslims are not safe in Gaza. Jews and Christians have fled Gaza. Many Jews and Christians have also fled Bethlehem. Entering Bethlehem, Jews are confronted with a sign warning them not to enter.

"The best way to fail in the future is to continue the same failed policies of the past. When the Hamas government encourages Arab Muslim children to become suicide bombers and when their children are taught that Jews are pigs or the Satan, there can be no foreseeable two state solution. The anti-Israel rhetoric of Obama and Kerry is shameful and will soon be gone. The anti-Israel resolution by the U.N. is more than just cause to defund that incompetent organization," said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.

Christians in Defense of Israel is an educational ministry of Liberty Counsel focused on educating and mobilizing Christians regarding Israel.
Walk for Life Names Reggie Littlejohn Keynote Speaker

Contact: Reggie Littlejohn, Women's Rights Without Frontiers, 310-592-5722



SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 29, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Women's Rights Without Frontiers is thrilled to announce that our president, Reggie Littlejohn, has been named keynote speaker of the Walk for Life, West Coast. 50,000 people are expected to march at noon on January 21 in San Francisco.



Littlejohn stated, "It is a great honor to be given the opportunity to speak in this powerful venue on behalf of the women and babies of China. I thank Eva Muntean and the other organizers of the Walk for embracing international issues. Something few people realize is that the Chinese Communist Party boasts that it has 'prevented' 400 million lives through its brutal One Child Policy. That's greater than the entire populations of the United States and Canada combined. And too many of these lives were 'prevented' by forced abortion. Millions of girls have been selectively aborted and abandoned as well. These issues continue under the Two-Child Policy as well. The greatest hemorrhage of human life in the world is flowing out of China today."

Littlejohn will be joined by fellow keynote speakers Pam Tebow, mother of Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, Melissa Ohden, survivor of a failed saline abortion, and Rev. Childress, founder of Black Genocide.org.

All are encouraged to join Reggie and 50,000 others at the Walk for Life West Coast 2017!
Kidnapped Activist's Whereabouts Still Unknown as Officials Deny Lawyer Meeting Contact: ChinaAid Media Team, 432-553-1080 cell, 888-889-7757, 432-689-6985, media@chinaaid.org CHANGSHA, Hunan, China, Dec. 30, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Authorities refused to allow the attorney of a detained Christian human rights activist to meet with his client yesterday, December 29, 2016, and have been keeping knowledge of the defendant's whereabouts restricted within the public security bureau.



Photo: In this document, authorities refused to allow Jiang Tianyong's lawyer to meet with him. (Photo: China Aid)



The lawyer representing Jiang Tianyong, a Christian activist who served as a human rights attorney until the Chinese government revoked his license in 2007, reported that he was denied access to his client on Dec. 29.



According to a graphic provided by the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, officials claim that permitting the prisoner to meet with his defense would risk spreading state secrets and interfere with the investigation.



Jiang disappeared on Nov. 21 while returning to Beijing after visiting the wife of another incarcerated lawyer in Changsha, Hunan. At the time, no one outside of the public security bureau knew his location. However, on Dec. 22, his father-in-law received a notice stating that he was being held in an unnamed place in an unofficial "black jail" on suspicion of "subverting state power."



China Aid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by Jiang Tianyong, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom and human rights.

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34 Christians Die, Over 100 Taken Ill After Drinking Tainted Liquor on Christmas Day in Pakistan

What was intended to be a joyous celebration of Christmas turned into a nightmare in Pakistan when at least 34 Christian partygoers died after drinking tainted home-made liquor.

More than a hundred other people also fell ill, some seriously, as a result of the tragedy that took place on Christmas Eve in a Christian neighbourhood in the town of Toba Tek Singh some 340 kilometres south of Islamabad, reports said.

Pakistani police have caught three men accused of preparing the home-made liquor mixed with aftershave, according to an AFP report. A fourth suspect died after having also drunk the toxic brew. Two are in critical condition while the fourth is in police custody, a police official said.

The lone suspect in police custody had confessed to preparing the brew by mixing it with 20 litres of aftershave and other chemicals, according to police.

It was one of the country's deadliest cases of mass alcohol poisoning.

"The men who belong to the Christian community drank liquor on the night of 25 December and went home," local police officer Mohammad Nadeem told the BBC. "Tragedy struck the next morning when many did not rise from their beds, while others got sick."

The sale of alcohol is illegal in Muslim-majority Pakistan. However, Christians and other religious minorities can still buy alcohol after securing a special permit from local and federal authorities.

Because of the strict alcohol laws in Pakistan, many non-Muslims and even Muslims are forced to brew their own liquor or buy bootlegged alcohol.

Since alcoholic beverages were banned in Pakistan in 1977, the illegal production and sale of liquor has become a multi-million dollar industry in the country.

Nadeem said the liquor consumed by the Christmas Eve partygoers was also believed to be a homemade alcohol.

Nadeem said two men were asked to buy the liquor from an illegal retailer, but the latter turned out to have run out of stock.

"The local sellers were out of stock so they went and bought it from somewhere else," the police officer explained. "Both [men] have died."

This is not the first time that there has been mass poisoning in Pakistan resulting from the consumption of homemade alcohol, The Christian Post reported.

Just last Oct. 5, Pakistani authorities reported that at least 21 people died in the city of Karachi in the Sindh province after consuming toxic liquor while celebrating the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha.

The week before, 19 others in Karachi died from poisoning from the same cause.
6 Reasons Why Christian Parents Should Share Their Faith With Their Kids

The recent Theos report  Passing on Faith  helpfully draws together research on faith and families, all of which shows the powerful impact that Christian parents can have in 'passing on the faith.'

While this is great news, the author notes that many Christian parents don't see this as a priority. Some see the faith of their children as the responsibility of others, while others fear their child will be alienated from their peers if brought up as a Christian.

Having interviewed a number of families on how they pass on faith in the home, here are six things I've found helpful for encouraging Christian parents in this area.

1. God calls us to pass on the faith

Modelling and teaching faith in the home is something that God calls us to do. Passages like Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Ephesians 6:4 emphasise the role of parents in passing on the faith, and church leaders throughout history have driven the point home.

One example is that of the great American theologian Jonathan Edwards. Writing in the 18th century, Edwards encouraged each Christian family to be, "as it were a little church", and explained that what happens in the family is a "chief means of grace," a way in which God shapes our children to grow in Christ. God, of course, is the one who gives the gift of faith, but God works through parents as they seek to model and teach faith in the home.

2. We're passing on something!

While some secularists naively believe that they're raising their children 'neutrally,' it's impossible to be 'neutral' when it comes to passing on our values and faith. If we don't teach our kids about faith, we're telling them  in a silence louder than words  that faith really isn't that important.

If, however, we believe that knowing Jesus is the treasure above all else, then we need to be intentional in helping our kids discover this truth. As the Theos report makes clear, the way we live our Christian lives, and what we say about faith, have a profound influence on our children's developing faith.

3. Faith is caught...

As any parent knows, our children observe us all the time and often 'mirror back' the habits and practices we reveal each day. When it comes to faith, children will be impacted by parents who are passionate about Jesus, who spend time in prayer and with Scripture, and who serve others sacrificially.

The Theos report also notes that children can also be put off Christianity by parents who 'talk the talk' without living a life that's consistent with their faith. This doesn't mean that parents need to be perfect, but it does mean that parents need to be growing in their own faith too.

4. ... and faith is taught

The sociologist of religion Christian Smith has observed that parents and church leaders have often neglected to teach their kids the faith, but if kids are not taught about Christianity at home or church then they'll be taught about it elsewhere. The 'teaching' of faith involves not just doctrine but also practices, things like praying, reading Scripture, and serving the poor.

We can 'teach' our kids about these things by doing them with them. Having regular family worship or devotions is one way that such teaching takes place, where parents and children can talk to God together and be nourished by the words of Scripture.

5. You're not alone

While our biological families are important, God has also called us into a new family, the church. This is our 'first family', the place where we find other brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, dads, mums, and grandparents, and where together we seek to nurture and support the children in our midst.

Raising kids is hard, and raising kids for a life of faith is perhaps even more challenging in today's changing times. But when we seek to nurture our children's faith as an entire church, we have the best chance of seeing it grow.

6. Your children are in God's hands

In all that Christian parents do, the lives of our children are ultimately in God's hands, not our own. Parents who faithfully teach and model faith at home raise kids who wander from the church, while others come to faith from homes without any Christian influence at all.

Nonetheless, Christian parents are called to be faithful to the God who has granted them the gift of children, sharing with those closest to home  those within our homes  the transforming love of God.

Ed Mackenzie is a discipleship development officer for the Methodist Church, an associate lecturer at Cliff College, and the co-author (with Gareth Crispin) of Together with God: Introducing Family Worship (Morse-Brown Publishing, 2016), www.togetherwithGod.org.uk. He lives in Derbyshire with his wife and their two sons.
How To Allow God To Use Your Life For Extraordinary Things

David Tomlinson was extraordinary because he was so normal.

A wife, two kids, a career in retail management and a comfortable home  the picture of middle England Christianity. Except Tomlinson could not be further removed from that.

"In many ways I'm an idealist," said Tomlinson, and his career wasn't make him happy.

Together with his wife Davina, he has run an open home for years. It started by having people over for dinner most nights. That gradually extended until they had four or five adults staying with them at any one time  most of whom had been homeless.

"My own childhood was quite broken so when I came to the faith at the age of 14 my Christianity was a whole new world to me," Tomlinson said in an interview with Christian Today.

"I struggled to understand why more Christians didn't live differently."

Tomlinson's story is told in Agape Love Stories  a new book by the Archbishop of York. The collection features a range of stories of "God's love changing lives today". It mainly consists of how people's lives have been turned around after tragedy  murder, disability, and FGM.

But for Tomlinson, his story's beginning is remarkably ordinary.

Challenged that this was what God had called them to, the family moved to Torrisdale on the west coast of Scotland where they could afford a larger house. They renovated it, and it wasn't long before people began to flock to it.

"We found ourselves sharing our home with people in all kinds of need," Tomlinson said.

Many in their new community viewed them suspiciously, unsure of the strange and potentially dangerous people being welcomed into the area.

There were also difficulties within the home. "We had one guy who slashed his wrists in the living room one night so that was one of the more unpleasant moments," he said.

"But most of it was good and happy."

It wasn't until foster children started arriving at the Tomlinsons' that the locals' attitudes changed. "When people saw these troubled teens living with us and getting along fine, often their view of what we were doing changed and we began to be greeted warmly all over the place. There were always people who were good to us, but we now felt a genuine sense of neighbourliness."

And so they became, in Tomlinson's words, "foster carers by default".

Now, 25 years later, they have fostered more than 60 children.

"I wouldn't say it has been an ordinary life," he told Christian Today. "But we did it because we believe that was an application of our Christian identity.

"I would say all my life has been shaped by what being a Christian means to me.

"Part of that is holding lightly to the things and possessions that we have in order to share them in a way that enables people to have some sort of quality of life and healing and restoration."

Asked what prompted him to leave a life that most middle-class churchgoers could identify with, he said: "I think sounding naive but it's true, [it] has been a determination to love God first. Therefore my life has already been shaped around my faith rather than my faith shaped around my life.

"We are called to love each other and if we don't get that right we don't get anything right. It seems very often that is bottom of the list and everything else comes above loving each other, enabling flourishing and caring for orphans and widows and the most vulnerable people.

"But if we don't do that then we're not loving God."

An idealist he might be, but Tomlinson's life is remarkably attractive. Now in his 60s, he reflected on how to turn a mundane life into something remarkable.

"I think probably the place to start is by being who God is calling us to be. I don't think we listen to a voice. I think it's about looking inside ourselves and seeing those yearnings and desires and if you like who we are already and allowing that to come to the fore.

"Inevitably all our gifts are different... I think God is the kind of God who works through those things that make us who we already are.

"So it's about being ourselves authentically and allowing God to use those things for his Kingdom."

'Agape Love Stories: 22 stories of God's love changing lives today' (Darton Longman & Todd, 9.99) is available to buy now.
The Highs And Lows Of 2016 On Christian Today

The New Year is a chance to look back over the previous 12 months. Reviewing the year gives us cause for thanksgiving, joy, sorrow and perhaps fear for the future. We can take it all to God in prayer.

This was 2016 on Christian Today:

January

Saeed Abedini was released from prison. An Iranian-born convert to Christianity who worked in Iran to found a network of house churches, he was arrested in 2012 and found guilty in January 2013 of undermining the Iranian government.

He was eventually released as part of a prisoner swap, creating a problem for Republican nominees who were forced to welcome his release. Abedini became a Trump supporter and claimed God told him he would be elected.

Larycia Hawkins, the Wheaton College professor suspended for saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God, withstood an increasing backlash from evangelical luminaries including Franklin Graham, who took her to task on Facebook: no, he said, we don't.

Demonstrations were held in support of the Bodnariu family, whose children were taken from them by Norwegian children's authorities after they were accused of spanking them.

February

Pope Francis visited Mexico and conducted a mass at the border with the US. It was inevitably seen as a political statement as immigration was a hot topic in the Republican primaries. A more significant encounter for the Pope was his meeting with Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, at an airport in Havana. Carefully choreographed, it resulted in a statement (pre-agreed, obviously) which was widely thought to be a diplomatic win for Moscow. Conservatives on both sides hated the whole idea.

The Barnabas Fund released a document detailing various allegations against it and its founder Patrick Sookhdeo and denying them all. It was critical of the Evangelical Alliance, which rebutted the claims as "unfounded".

The demolition of the Calais Jungle began, with teargas and rubber bullets deployed. It would be many months before the process was complete.

March

Terrorist attacks dominated the headlines. Three co-ordinated suicide bombings took place in Brussels, two at the Zaventem airport and one at the Maalbeek metro station. Thirty-two people were killed, along with the three perpetrators, and more than 300 injured. Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Another terrorist outrage targeted Christians in Lahore, Pakistan, killing 73 people. The Easter Sunday bombing took place in a park where Christians had gathered to celebrate the feast.

Church authorities continued to deny knowing anything about the fate of Fr Tom Uzhunalil, kidnapped by IS in Yemen. Unfounded rumours of his crucifixion continued to circulate.

Billy Graham's grandson Tullian Tchividjian, who was deposed from his Coral Ridge Church after his marriage broke down, was fired from Willow Creek Church after an unconfessed affair came to light.

April

Pope Francis published his reflection on the results of the two synods on the family sponsored by the Vatican. Amoris Laetitia ('The Joy of Love'), as predicted, disappointed people who wanted him to come out in support of gay marriage and easy divorce (he didn't) and also those who wanted him to take a harder line on the evils of the modern world (he didn't do that either).

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was informed that his real father was Sir Winston Churchill's private secretary rather than Gavin Welby, as he  and his mother  had always thought. She had had a brief relationship with Sir Anthony Montague Browne, Welby's biological father.

Gospel for Asia fought back against fraud allegations. The giant mission organisation, facing accusations of financial mismanagement and deliberate attempts to deceive its donors, filed papers seeking to have a suit against it dismissed.

May

The pressure Christians in Egypt face was highlighted by an attack on a 70-year-old woman who was stripped and beaten by her Muslim neighbours. Egypt's President Abel Fattah al-Sisi said the violence was "regrettable" and promised the culprits would be caught.

Open Doors, which supports the persecuted Church, said Saudi Arabians are turning to Christianity in secret. While the kingdom has been accused of "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom", the number of native believers is rising.

The World Council of Churches and Israel had a major row over the treatment of WCC delegates to a conference on climate change; the WCC said they were treated with an "unprecedented" level of aggression and intimidation before being deported.

June

Britain voted to leave the EU. Attacks on immigrant communities followed, leading to the Archbishop of Canterbury. saying that people of "evil will" were using Brexit as an excuse to express their hatred. The implications of the vote are still not clear, but the fallout has been long and bitter. Remain voter the Dean of Exeter was forced to apologise after he tweeted: "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups." Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by a man who shouted "Britain first" as he stabbed her.

The Pan Orthodox Council, designed to bring together all 14 Orthodox Churches in Crete, was thrown into disarray by the last-minute withdrawal of several participants including the giant Russian Orthodox Church.

There were terror attacks on an Istanbul airport (45 dead and more than 230 injured) and a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida (49 dead and 53 wounded). The latter led to heart-searching among American evangelicals about how they spoke about gay people.

July

France was hit by terrorist attacks. One claimed the lives of 86 people as an extremist drove a truck along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The other saw Fr Jacques Hamel, an 85-year-old French priest, murdered by two Muslims claiming allegiance to Islamic State as he celebrated mass. The world mourned.

An attempted coup in Turkey was crushed but has led to massive repression which has affected Christians too.

Russia's crackdown on evangelicals and other minority religious believers came into effect when President Putin signed the controversial 'Yarovaya Law'.

August

A massive earthquake hit central Italy, killing nearly 300 people and destroying countless ancient buildings including historic churches. There was particular damage to the town of Amatrice, including to the church of Sant'Agostino, whose facade and rose window were destroyed.

The Olympics and Paralympics took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They were widely thought to be successful though they were dogged by accusations of under-preparedness, pollution, injustice to people who lost their homes to venues, and environmental damage.

The manager of World Vision's Gaza operation was charged with channelling vast funds to Hamas. Observers have ridiculed the accusations and World Vision has flatly denied them.

September

A continuing row over how to deal with the Calais refugee crisis saw the Archbishop of Canterbury condemn the government over its failure to unite unaccompanied refugee children with their families in Britain. A Unicef report accused the government of putting children at risk of trafficking and abuse.

A minister in Canada who doesn't believe in God was put on notice by a United Church of Canada panel that said her views weren't compatible with her ministry. Her congregation applauded her, however.

Science populariser Prof Brian Cox, himself an atheist, called for believers and non-believing scientists to acknowledge each others' contribution to human beings' search for meaning and to avoid "toxic" dismissals of different worldviews.

October

The long-awaited assault on Mosul, held by Islamic State since 2014, began. ISIS fighters reacted by massacring hundreds of men and boys in the city; according to a CNN report 284 bodies were dumped in a mass grave. Christians had previously been driven out of the city or murdered. Christian villages began to be liberated.

The US election contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton grew increasingly ugly. A member of Trump's Evangelical Executive Advisory Council, James MacDonald, denounced him as "lecherous and worthless" following the release of a 2007 videotape showing him making crude remarks about women.

The owners of Ashers Baking Company in Northern Ireland lost their appeal in the gay cake case.

November

In a stunning reversal of most predictions, Donald Trump was elected to succeed Barack Obama as president of the US. A divisive figure even within his own party, Trump had made a number of pledges during the campaign but began to row back on them almost immediately, offering some hope that he might be open to negotiation.

The Christian governor of Jakarta in Muslim-majority Indonesia was accused of blasphemy after he quoted the Qur'an in a speech. Demonstrations opposing and supporting him saw thousands take to the streets.

Five people accused of taking part in the murders that saw a Christian Pakistani couple thrown into brick kilns, possibly while they were still alive, were sentenced to be hanged.

December

There were more terrorist attacks by Islamist militants. A Coptic church in Cairo was bombed, killing 25 people; at least two more died later from their injuries. A man drove a lorry into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 and injuring many others. The Berlin incident fuelled fears in Europe that migrants would be targeted in revenge attacks.

The first Nigerian bishop in the Church of England was announced. Rev Woyin Karowei Dorgu, at present vicar of St John's in Upper Holloway and a former medical doctor, is to be Bishop of Woolwich.

More than 50 converts from Islam in Stoke on Trent are spending their first Christmas as Christians.
UK Defends Israel Against Kerry's Attack

Britain scolded US Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the "most right-wing in Israeli history", a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump.

In a 70-minute speech just weeks before the Obama administration hands over to President-elect Trump, Kerry warned on Wednesday that Israel's building of settlements was endangering Middle East peace.

A spokesman for May said the British government believed that while the construction of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories was illegal, it was clear that the settlements were far from the only problem in this conflict.

"We do not ... believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue," May's spokesman said in a statement. "And we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally."

Kerry's remarks added to the strain in the relationship between Israel's government and the outgoing Obama administration after the US cleared the way for a UN resolution last week that demanded an end to Israeli settlement building.

Trump had openly lobbied against the UN resolution and criticized Obama's handling of the relationship. Britain supported the UN resolution.
UK's Largest Pentecostal Church Aims To Plant 100 More In 2017

The largest Pentecostal church in the UK is looking to open another 100 churches in 2017, according to the Guardian.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), is set on a radical growth project aimed at recruiting white Brits and those who might not otherwise be interested in the black-majority charismatic churches.

In an interview with the Guardian Pastor Agu Irukwu, head of Jesus House, the largest RCCG outfit, said it was an intentional move to plant churches "other than the traditional places you would expect to find us".

RCCG, which already has almost 800 places of worship in the UK, is now the country's largest and fastest growing Pentecostal movement.

"Some people call what we're doing 'reverse mission'," Pastor Agu told the Guardian. "I don't use that term, but there's a bit of truth in it. We're working to bring the good news back to this country which in some ways has lost it."

RCCG was founded in Nigeria, where Pastor Agu is also from, and started with a handful of communities in the UK.

"We believe this nation paid a big price in bringing the gospel to far-flung parts of the world," he said.

"I see myself as fruit of the missionary effort and missionary sacrifice. People like me feel we owe these missionaries  and by extrapolation, their country  for a lot that has happened to us."

He added: "I feel a church has to be open, has to reach out to all the groups wherever that church is  exactly what the missionaries did. London, especially, is a multicultural melting pot, and if a church is in London it should aim to look like London."

The Nigerian-based church is conservative in its teaching on sexuality but Agu insisted it was open to people of all backgrounds.

"I might disagree with you about your lifestyle or orientation, but that doesn't preclude me loving you and welcoming you," he said. "Any church that condemns is not preaching the full message of the gospel of Christ."

He added his church had a "fabulous relationship" with the Church of England which in the throws of a decades-long row over its teaching on sexuality.

Pastor Agu said the two denominations had a lot to learn from one another.

"In black majority churches, prayer is a big thing. We have a culture of prayer. And the C of E is light years ahead of black majority churches on theology  we just don't have the depth that the C of E has."
Veteran Exorcist Explains Difference Between Mental Illness and Real Demonic Possession

Don't be misled: Not all who show signs of demonic possession are actually possessed.

Veteran exorcist Father Cipriano de Meo told CNA's Italian agency ACI Stampa that since he began working as an exorcist in 1952, he has found out that typically a person apparently showing signs of demonic possession is actually just struggling with a physical or mental illness.

He said there are two ways of finding out if a person making bizarre action is truly possessed. First, there could be real demonic possession if the person discerns that a prayer is being said for him by an exorcist. Second, possession could be real based on the person's reaction to the exorcist and the prayers being said for him.

The exorcist will typically say "prolonged prayer to the point where if the adversary [demon] is present, there's a reaction," de Meo said.

The priest then described the usual reaction that a possessed person makes in response to the exorcist's prayer.

"There's no lack of frightening facial expressions, threatening words or gestures and other things, but especially blasphemies against God and Our Lady," de Meo said.

The renowned exorcist explained that not all cases of possession look the same and that they are not as common as cases of psychological illness.

Father de Meo said the best defence against demonic possession is a simple life of prayer. "It's absolutely fundamental to get rid of sin and live in the grace of God," he said.

Aside from this, the exorcist said people could guard against demonic possession by rejecting any activity that involves recourse to Satan or demons, or attempts to conjure the dead or reveal future events.

He cited paragraph 2116 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which lists down the activities that must be avoided: "Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone."

As for the exorcists, they have to remain humble and to always bear in mind that their power comes from Christ, de Meo said.
Back Alley Productions announces its 2017 season, including a 12-show lineup of dramas, dark comedies, family classics and a little bit of Shakespeare. Back Alley is housed at the historic Mars Theater at 117 N. Chattanooga St. in LaFayette and brings in actors from the North Georgia and Chattanooga area.

Our community is excited and hungry for the performing arts, Kaylee Smith, executive director for Back Alley Productions, said. We had no idea what to expect when we started our journey at the Mars Theater back in early 2016. We are now a fully operating theater company with a growing fanbase and a roster of talented directors and actors. The community has supported us beyond our wildest dreams. We cant wait to see everyone in 2017.

The award-winning theater company will begin its season with Irish Courage, a musical adaptation of the classic Irish script The Playboy of the Western World featuring live Irish music. Auditions are set for Thursday, Jan. 5, and Friday, Jan. 6, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. each night, or by appointment on Saturday, Jan. 7. Call Director Thomas White at 356-7437 to schedule an appointment.

If you love Irish traditions and culture then this is your opportunity to show it off to the community, Mr. White said. We need people experience in traditional Irish music, ballads, or Irish step dancing. There are acting roles for women ages 20-30, and men ages 20-30 and 45-older.

The show is set to perform March 10-28, including a special Saint Patricks Day show on Friday, March 17. The play is about Christy Mahon, a young man on the run who claims to have killed his father. The locals of a tavern vicariously enjoy the drama of Christys retelling.

Next, auditions for A Few Good Men are set for Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The play is about the two Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine and the tense legal tribulations that follow. Performances are weekends, April 7-23.

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest will audition on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The play is seen from Bromden, a docile inmate in an insanity ward who narrates the antics of the rebellious Randle McMurphy who faked insanity to serve a sentence in the hospital rather than in prison. Performances are weekends, May 4-21.

The remaining season includes the following. Audition dates will be announced later.

? It's A Disaster, directed by Kaylee Smith

? Ordinary People, directed by Christopher Smith

? Deathtrap, directed by Zack Jordan

? The Twelfth Night, directed by Kaylee Smith (a traveling Shakespeare show, which will perform in Chattanooga and North Georgia)

? Lost in Yonkers, directed by Ronald King

? The Glass Menagerie, directed by Kelsea Rambin-Smith

? Dracula, directed by Kaylee Smith

? The Crucible, directed by Joseph Watts

? A Christmas Carol, directed by Kaylee Smith






What are Latinos expecting for 2017 in Houston?

That is the question we asked Latinos directly and through social media and found a general mood that Patricia Gras, a media producer and owner of Love Smart Living Media in Houston, describes in just one word: "Uncertainty." They are still processing the potential impact that a Donald Trump presidency could have in the life of a population that, in its majority, felt offended by the President-elect's campaign.

However, there are also bold assessments and calls to action for the City of Houston when Latinos reflect on their priorities and expectations for 2017. Here are edited examples of the answers we received:

Rose Mary Salum, director of Literal Magazine:

Latinos will have to be more present. That is, make the rest of the country understand that we will not disappear from the map as of January 21 (the day after Donald Trump presidential inauguration). We have to make sure that our contributions to the economy and culture are, and continue to be, evident. We have to seek more political participation and, above all, a fair representation. No more, no less. Last but not least, we have to start getting the vote ready for 2020!

Lupe Mendez, published poet and educator:

A challenge next year will be finding the leaders who will take on the role of leading Texas-based Latinx (Latino) electorate.

Though I am not entirely certain of the numbers in Harris County, I know enough hasn't been done to get younger Latino voters to come out. We need to promote and connect Latino communities. We do not have time for only Mexican or South American or Central American issues. We have to cultivate an agreement (among all), celebrate moments of unity.We need to generate dialogue and action. We need to support art and community event, political and informative events. #TodosJuntos ( #AllTogether ), because what affects some, affects us all.

Frida Villalobos, a manager at Neighborhood Centers Inc.

'Uncertainty' is a great word to begin with when thinking about 2017. At this point, we do not have a clear sense of what will happen to the millions of undocumented individuals in our country. I strongly believe we need to showcase support to those who are living in this uncertainty and make sure they are not being taken advantage of.

Latinos came out in record numbers during the elections, and we need to continue to build on this. Civic and voter engagement is key to (mobilize) low propensity communities, and we need to do more to motivate them to come out to vote.



David D. Medina, director of Multicultural Community Relations at Rice University:

We have to make sure that the safety nets created for the poor and working classes are not disassembled by the new administration (in the White House).

Mario A. Salinas, co-founder of the Emerging Latino Leaders Fellowship:

Harris County had record Latino registration and turnout in 2016, and more young Latinos are reaching voting age every day. Will the election of Trump and any actions he takes against the Latino community dampen Latino (especially young Latinos) civic engagement? Or will Trump give them something to mobilize against (much like the historic marches of 2006) both in the voting booth and in other ways (prolonged pressure on elected officials and the emergence of a new generation of Latino leaders, as Lupe Mendez states)?

In other words, will we continue to claim the power and influence that our numbers deserve? And will we be able to protect public institutions, as David D. Medina states?

It seems like the reckless style of (Donald) Trump and his supporters reflect an attitude. They cannot own the collective house that is our nation due to the demographic shift that has already happened.

They are happy to burn the house down because, after all, in their eyes, Latinos can't be "real Americans" so why support public schools and other institutions that are key to their achievement?

In the next year, the local fight will be to get Mayor Turner and City Council to enact protections for undocumented Houstonians. At the state house, we will have to fight many anti-Latino, anti-immigrant bills from an emboldened Republican party.





Tony Diaz, librotraficante and political analyst on "What's Your Point" Fox 26 Houston:

Texas will celebrate at least one great textbook, if not more, for approval for statewide use for Mexican American Studies.

Texas will pave the way for the new agenda for Latinos nation-wide, #TexasStyle.

Republicans and Democrats are pitted against each other nation-wide. However, in Texas, 10 Republican representatives of the Texas State Board of Education together with five Democrats voted down the racist textbook (Mexican American Heritage) submitted for use in Texas schools. They also voted to re-open the call for culturally relevant books.

As we enter 2017, Texas will create similar coalitions all year long to lead the way for Latino causes.

Amanda De Rosario, artist and public relations specialist:

It appears that a lot of Latinos are finally opening their eyes and realizing the powerful role they play in their communities. I believe they will make a better effort to understand and engage to all of what is going on around them.

For many Latinos, a challenge will continue to be finding a good source for information- there is a lot of debate everywhere on so many issues. I'm certain they want to learn more, but their pride will impede them for not understanding English and the government system. They may overcome their challenges and be more proactive in issues that affect them.

I hope Latinos will not give in to racist ridicule that leads to fights and loss of life. The best demonstrations they can do is to be an example of progress.

Jose Andrade, director of Somos Hispanos Magazine:

The Hispanic or Latino community is facing great challenges, but the most important will be coping with the racist policies that will come under the (Donald) Trump government.

Its essential for this challenge that the Hispanic communities work on unifying a single fight instead of being atomized. We have seen in the past elections that there is no unified political force to combat the attacks of those who degraded our communities.

We must keep pushing for the DACA and DAPA programs to continue in place (NOTE: DACA and DAPA are executive actions providing temporary protection against deportation and work permit for certain immigrants, such as some young people that came to America without immigration documents when they were minors. President-elect Donald Trump's said he will cancel these two programs).

In Houston, permanent communication with the Mayor (Sylvester Turner) must be established to devise policies to safeguard immigrants. Its necessary to put pressure on the Mayor and the City Council to promote support for these groups. We need to promote more political education among Hispanics to understand that voting is important to get more representation in the political decision-making process.

Angel Quesada, Muralist and cultural worker:

I believe we should strive for higher standards of creativity, and more importantly, cultivate our emerging leaders to do the things that bring us together as one of the fastest growing "minorities" in the country. #todosjuntos.

Ray Ruiz, founder of El Gato Media Network:

Nationally, Latinos will continue to see less media representation in 2017. Traditional media is not investing in young Latino talent. The web page is becoming less and less important for News consumption. And gifted young Latino journalists no longer seek to enter traditional media like they once did. Digital media is the preferred destination.

The important thing locally, of course, is that Dr. Cindy (my wife, and the emergency room director for Jackson County) is going to start helping Houston Latinos navigate the health system and address their health needs on a systemic level.

Yohanna Afonso De Colina, a Venezuelan living in Houston:

The Reality is already unpredictable. Reality is in suspense now. There is a lot of deterioration in many ways. The world is in suspense waiting for a future that we could describe. It's sad but it's the way it is. There is so much moral deterioration, fear of what will happen!

Amira Grynsztejn, owner of the event production company Animas Productions:

We will have what we are capable of forging. I vote for education. For the abolition of Mega churches and pastors who are hungry for power, for money, and for Pavlovian parishioners. I vote for education, so when crossing the river or the desert, we will not continue to perpetuate ignorance and slavery, even if its now in English.





***

Olivia.Tallet@chron.com

Twitter: @OliviaPTallet
The Cleveland Advocate's Dec. 26 issue published a letter from Congressman Kevin Brady optimistically looking forward to 2017. Notwithstanding his positive comments, many questions still linger about addressing the nation's problems in the upcoming year.

Congressman Brady states: "This is a time for excitement for Americans who have given up hope of finding full time work, or any work for that matter, in this disappointing economy." Despite his upbeat comment, in November, the U.S. government reported that 95 million people have dropped out of the work force. He does not explain to his readers why they should feel excitement given the ongoing economic problems the nation continues to experience, but instead abruptly diverts his subject from employment to Obamacare.

"health experts from both political parties admitting that ObamaCare is simply not fixable, it's time for Republicans and Democrats in Congress to work together to offer health care that finally meets the needs of Americans in the 21st Century."

After years of difficult transition, higher premiums, and limited coverage, why has it taken eight years for government officials to realize this truth about the Affordable Healthcare Act? During this time, how much harm has it caused people with lost coverage, unmanageable premiums, and a loss of medical freedom?

Like many programs assembled in folly and without forethought, this healthcare program has failed owing to poor makeshift planning. As long as healthcare functions under an insurance contract, providers will continually raise rates to meet their obligation of financial solvency. It can no longer offer inexpensive coverage for all Americans who cannot afford regular coverage at market rates because of the number of claims users file with insurance companies.

Congressman Brady states that he assembled the Ways and Means Committee during a Congressional recess to reform the tax code. Yet, he does not share with his readers what ideas, proposals, and changes will help provide economic incentives to United States' businesses and households. As the nation approaches a 20 trillion dollar deficit, how can tax code changes give financial relief to average citizens and yet responsibly fund U.S. economic and social programs?

Indeterminate and uncertain in his article, how can these vague reforms he mentions help an average working person? Can the U.S. government create and administer a healthcare program that covers all citizens similar to European countries? Furthermore, how can Brady's programs provide a catalyst for most of the 95 million people who left the work force to return to active employment?

Government leaders must see the moral responsibility to provide healthcare as a birthright to every citizen. What programs and incentives can the U.S. government provide to create good positions that encourage its citizens to seek employment? Moreover, how can the nation eliminate the 20 trillion dollar deficit it carries and the economic problems and hardships this reckless spending produces?

Congressman Brady, instead of conjecturing obscure and conceiving uncertain ideas, have you addressed these issues and concerns, and can you advance concrete, workable solutions?

Congressman Brady, do you dare tell the American people the far-reaching consequences of not resolving these issues and concerns?

Robert Hoffman

Coldspring, Texas
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Jeff Staton is a fan of vintage firecracker packaging art and has collected hundreds of labels from around the world.

The labels range from the fantastical to the absurd. Most are crudely drawn with animal motifs or carry patriotic themes. Staton collects most firecracker packages from before 1972.

I look for labels on eBay and antique shops as well as trading with other collectors, Staton says. There are nearly 1,000 known brands of firecrackers he writes on his website.

A BIGGER BANG: Video shows 20K pounds of fireworks go up in smoke

Some firecracker labels can go for hundreds of dollars on eBay according to a recent search of the auction site. The earlier labels feature artwork reminiscent of traditional sailor tattoos or Asian tapestries.

Staton says that if youd like to get into collecting, it can get pricey. Some of the vintage brands that are the most sought after include Anchor, Rocket, Dixie Boy and Red Devil, according to Staton.

The Black Cat brand has remained timeless.

California native Staton says that he started collecting the labels as a kid, keeping the labels he found on the beach the day after Independence Day.

Most firecracker packaging made after 1972 is worth less than a dollar per package.

"The most I've ever spent by far is $1,400 for a Flamingo label," says Staton.

When I got older, I was fascinated to learn that there were other collectors. Of course, I'm always on the lookout when travelling. I've even made two trips to Macau, he says.

TRAGEDY: Child burned in Mexico fireworks explosion doing well at Shriners Galveston

The former Portuguese territory of Macau is a favorite of firecracker fanatics like Staton, who often make pilgrimages to the area to see now-shuttered factories and wharves where some of the firecrackers came from.

"When I went the first time, I met five other collectors in Taiwan and then we all flew together to Macau. It is a very small place with a lot of people, so it is very congested," he says.

According to Collectors Weekly, President Richard Nixons lift of a trade embargo with China in 1972 led to that country becoming a firecracker superpower. It was cheaper to manufacture them there.

There is even a grading system for the packaging, not unlike comic books or trading cards.

Firecracker label collectors like Staton are a special breed as they are chasing an item that was usually thrown away right after all the fun was had.

The 2000 book Firecrackers: The Art and History by Warren Dotz, Jack Mingo, and George Moyer serves as a great primer on the world of firecrackers.
Members of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors are looking for legal guidance regarding the board's appointment to The Woodlands Road Utility District No. 1 board.

"I have concern with the legality of serving on this board (and the township board at the same time)," township board Chairman Gordy Bunch said during the Dec. 7 meeting. "This is another taxing entity in the same jurisdiction that we are elected to serve."

Bunch said he asked Robin Cross, the township's counsel, for information on the issue and asked for representatives from the RUD to make a presentation to the township in January regarding its mission.

In June 2013, the Texas Legislature created two appointed positions on the RUD board. House Bill 3895, authored by then-state Rep. Steve Toth, amended the RUD's enabling legislation to allow the board to expand its number of directors, with those two positions being filled by "one or more political subdivisions other than a school district and municipality." The RUD board was governed by a five-member elected board and the new appointed positions expanded it to seven.

The move helped broaden representation on the RUD board, as there previously have been only a few legally registered voters in the RUD.

In December 2014, the township appointed former board member Mike Bass to fill one seat; and in January 2015, Montgomery County Commissioners Court appointed County Judge Craig Doyal to fill the second seat on the RUD board.

"This wasn't a request made by this board; this was broadening legislation sought after by The Woodlands Road Utility District," Bunch said. "Just because someone invites you doesn't mean you have to show up."

The board agrees. Board member Laura Fillault said she understands having a township board member on the RUD board but had questions as well.

"I would be interested to hear about the legality of it," she said.

According to the Texas Ethics Commission, a local governing body is prohibited from appointing one of its own members to a public office position. However, that prohibition may be overcome if state or federal law allows for the appointment.

Bunch said he had "issues" with the RUD as a whole.

"I have moral issues with copious amounts of debt issued by only a few people and the people have to pay the taxes; business people like me, have no vote in that process," Bunch said.

The RUD was created by legislation in 1991. It is funded through property taxes from commercial businesses at a rate of 36 cents per $100 property valuation.

Directors serve two-year terms on a rotating basis. Two seats will be up for election in May. The board also is considering a bond for May frame, but an amount and specific projects have not been decided.

However, because the RUD only taxes commercial property, those who vote for the directors and a potential bond referendum would have to reside in that commercial area.

The township board unanimously agreed to table the decision until January.
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The Dalton Police Department is asking for the publics help with identifying a woman who stole a purse from a shopping cart at Walmart after apparently trying to cash checks written to other people. The suspect was recorded on store surveillance.

The incident happened around noon on Monday, at the Shugart Road Walmart location. The victim left her purse sitting in the front of her shopping cart while browsing the store. When the victim decided to leave without buying anything, she realized that her purse was missing. The purse contained approximately $100 in cash as well as the victims bank cards, a check book, and the victims AARP card.

A review of the stores surveillance shows a white female take the victims purse from her cart before leaving the store quickly. The woman left in a white early-to-mid-2000s Ford Focus which was parked in one of the handicapped spots near the store entrance. The suspect has shoulder length brown hair that was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore a long-sleeved shirt with green sleeves and jeans.



Further investigation of the stores surveillance system showed the suspect going to the Customer Service Center before the theft. The suspect attempted to cash a $4,000 check and an $8,000 check that were made out to two different people, but the clerk refused to cash the checks because the suspects ID was not for either name. The suspect presented a Georgia ID to the clerk, who did not remember the name. The clerk told an investigator that one of the checks was likely a social security check.



Anyone who can identify this suspect or who has any information about this crime is asked to contact Detective Jacob Burger at 706-278-9085, dial 9 and enter extension 325.


The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Washington County Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics assistance in a homicide investigation that began on Christmas Eve.At the request of 1st District Attorney General Tony Clark, TBI special agents are working alongside detectives with the Washington County Sheriffs Office to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a female whose body was discovered Saturday afternoon along Herb Hodge Road in Gray. The victim has been identified as 40-year-old Keila Marie Taylor.An autopsy is being performed to determine the cause of death.At this time the investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information about this case, specifically Keila Taylors whereabouts prior to Saturday afternoon, is asked to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND or the Washington County Sheriffs Office at 423-788-1414.
10/20/2022

A new restaurant, Honey Seed, that will offer breakfast and brunch every day, from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. is opening at 1705 Market St. The majority owner, Robert Werk, has a long history working ... more
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Eight malnourished and parasite-ridden horses were confiscated from an Acres Homes property Wednesday, according to the Houston Humane Society.

"The environment they were in, it was deplorable," said Humane Society spokeswoman Monica Schmidt.

The suffering horses - ages 3 to 20 - were stranded ankle-deep in muck and manure, showed signs of rain rot on their coats and suffered from untreated wounds, according to a Humane Society press release.

Wednesday's rescue - which stemmed from an anonymous tip - is just the latest in a long string of horse neglect and abuse cases in Montgomery and Harris counties in the past couple years.

In the latest case, authorities saved the horses in the 1000 block of Glen Avenue in what Schmidt said was one of the Humane Society's more severe horse cruelty cases.

"I think what makes it a little worse is the fact that usually we're dealing with one or two horses, but when you're dealing with eight that's eight times the abuse and neglect," she said.

"And definitely there's a lot of long-term neglect going on here."

The confiscated horses had no signs of hoof or dental care, suffered from intestinal parasites and were visibly underweight.

Houston Police Department and Precinct 5 Constables helped seize the animals, which are currently being cared for at the Houston Humane Society's Animal Wellness Clinic.

On Friday, Houston police said they have yet to file animal cruelty charges against the owner in the ongoing case. Schmidt explained that typically in such cases criminal counts don't come until after a civil case.

"We have a civil court date set for January 3 where the caretaker of the horses will have a chance to give his side of the story," Schmidt said.

She's optimistic that the case will eventually end in criminal prosecution.

"In a case as egregious as this, I think we have a good chance of the district attorney's office accepting charges," Schmidt said.

Police made two arrests at the scene on unrelated charges: Robert Herman Smith, 43, was taken into custody after HPD officers learned he was wanted on a warrant from Harris County Precinct 4 in connection with an outstanding home burglary case. Jeffrey Murphy, 60, was arrested for cocaine possession after telling the officers he had "powder" in his pocket, HPD officials said.

Authorities did not immediately name the horse's owner.

Even though no one was arrested for animal cruelty, two male suspects were collared at the scene.

Police made two arrests at the scene on unrelated charges: Robert Herman Smith, 43, was taken into custody after HPD officers learned he was wanted on a warrant from Harris County Precinct 4 in connection with an outstanding home burglary case. Jeffrey Murphy, 60, was arrested for cocaine possession after telling the officers he had "powder" in his pocket, HPD officials said.

It's still not clear why there were so many horses on the property, which Schmidt said is relatively small and not a farm.

Although they have a long recovery ahead, all of the horses are expected to survive.

"We have high hopes that all eight will make it," Schmidt said. Two of the younger horses are small for their ages and their growth could be permanently stunted, but an equine veterinarian offered a "fairly good prognosis" for all eight.

Last June, a much bigger seizure drew the media spotlight when the the Houston SPCA rescued more than 200 emaciated horses from a dairy farm in Conroe, as the Chronicle previously reported.

Even before then, horse abuse and neglect had been an ongoing problem, especially in the Acres Homes area, which has a high horse population.

In January 2015, a horse named Monty died after collapsing in rush hour traffic with his owner on his back. In response, the Humane Society got together with other local agencies to create Monty's Task Force, a program geared toward ending horse cruelty in Acres Homes and surrounding areas.

The task force launched in January 2016 and has since held two low-cost horse care clinics, offered low-cost de-worming and vaccination and provided free microchipping. They've also offered education for horse owners and, when those proactive efforts aren't enough, they have helped confiscate and care for 16 horses.

Overall, the community response has been positive, Schmidt said. There's been an uptick in cruelty tips and a glut of supportive phone calls and Facebook comments.

"I think people are fed up," Schmidt said, "of driving down the street and seeing emaciated horses along the side of the road or of seeing a horse that died of starvation being dragged down the road for heavy trash pick-up.
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"Finish 290."

Someone with a spray can of black paint and a lot of frustration left that clear message overnight on an overpass and huge drainage pipes waiting to be installed at U.S. 290 and Gessner.

Can Y'all Finish 290 so I ain't gotta miss my Exit and End up in Katy somewhere ? https://t.co/eFpCWXYEVD  LaFlare

The sentiment is no surprise to anyone who has been driving the infamously congested highway for the past five years while upgrades have been underway.

Unfortunately, Texas Department of Transportation officials said last week most of the work segments will be completed sometime in 2018. Earlier, they hoped it could be finished in 2017.

ONE OF MANY: Grand Parkway work drives more mobility projects

Some drivers say they consider driving the road while construction is under way not only frustrating but dangerous.

""Oh my god, it's terrible," Piper Kwasniewski recently told the Houston Chronicle. "I feel like I am going to die."

Kwasniewski, 29, who lives near the freeway close to Cy-Fair High School, described how unsafe she feels so close to heavy trucks in those spots where the freeway has no shoulders.

Eventually, U.S. 290 will be at least five lanes in each direction with a single reversible high occupancy toll lane from Loop 610 to Texas 6. West of Texas 6, the freeway will be four lanes in each direction with the solo high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane.
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A man was shot to death early Friday morning at an apartment complex in southeast Houston.

The shooting happened about 12:15 a.m. at 19100 Glenwest Drive near Baybrook Mall, said Sgt. Kenneth Daignault, a homicide investigator with the Houston Police Department.

Witnesses at the scene said several men entered the apartment complex and demanded property at gunpoint, according to HPD spokesman Victor Senties.

The male shooting victim, whose name has not been released, died at the scene in a passageway on the second floor. No other injuries were reported.

When police arrived on scene, they saw a vehicle speeding off and questioned the people in the car, who are not considered suspects in the case.

Daignault said it was unclear if the shots were fired inside an apartment or the shooting occurred in a hallway or on stairway landing. It was also unclear if the man had been in a third-floor unit, where a group of people had gathered, was a resident at the complex or was visiting someone else who lived at the apartments.

The shooter or shooters were still at large by Saturday afternoon and, so far, investigators have no suspect or motive in the case.
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This story perhaps should be headlined, "Bride's dress goes missing in Groom."

That's essentially what happened Wednesday to newlyweds Ben and Merissa McNeal as they drove through Texas on Interstate 40, on their way from Oklahoma to California, according to KOCO in Oklahoma City.

GOOD SAMARITANS: Men honored for quick action to save trapped teens

Married in September in Hawaii, the couple were starting a roadtrip to move to San Diego, KOCO reported. When they got to Groom, near Amarillo, they realized the dress, packaged in a "preservation box," was gone from the bed of their truck.

But, good news: In another testament to the power of social media, they were reunited Thursday with the dress after the Texas Department of Transportation posted a message on its Twitter account.

WHO IS 'SMURFETTE'? Detectives seeking identity four years later

TxDOT posted an alert on social media, which was seen by Richard Hawthorne and his family, KOCO reported. The Hawthornes decided to look for the dress as they drove to Oklahoma from Pampa, Texas, and were lucky enough to spot it in the Interstate median not far from Oklahoma City, according to KOCO.

The internet, of course, celebrated along with the couple. "I love getting good news congrats to the new couple!" said JPowers on Twitter.

The box is a little torn, but the dress is fine.
SAN ANTONIO  A male pedestrian was struck and killed Thursday by an oncoming train near Interstate 35 on the Northeast Side, according to police.

Emergency personnel responded at about noon to the intersection of Interstate 35 and Eisenhauer Road on the train tracks near the frontage road, where a body was found with serious injuries following a train crash. The man's body was dragged under the train.
11/3/2022

NOTICE: The Hamilton County Registers Office did not publish this data. All information in the Registers Office is public information as set out in T.C.A. 10-7-503. For questions regarding ... more
A shot was fired Wednesday afternoon at a man who took off running after he tried to rebuff a carjacking.

The shot that was fired by a 15-year-old missed in the incident in the 900 block of E. 4th Street near the Erlanger campus.

Police made an arrest of Nikolas Lebron Milton, 24. The teen said Milton convinced him to carry out the carjacking.

The victim said he was parking his car when two people approached, including the teen with the gun. He said they told him to hand over his keys. However, he refused and began running after pushing the gun away.



An arriving officer spotted Milton with two other suspects. The three ran away, but Milton was later found behind a house. A loaded .45 caliber pistol was nearby.

The 15-year-old boy was also detained. The victim said he was the one who shot in his direction.

Milton was charged with attempted carjacking, aggravated assault, tampering with fabricated evidence, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, resisting arrest, and possessing a firearm with intent to go armed.
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.
photo by Chuck Hartung photo by Chuck Hartung photo by Chuck Hartung Previous Next

Fire broke out at the Royal Arms Apartments on McBrien Road on Thursday afternoon, but firefighters were able to get it under control after it had spread from a porch to an attic.

At 4:52 p.m., a call came into Hamilton County 911 for the apartment fire.

Six Chattanooga fire companies responded with the first units on the scene at 4:56 p.m. They reported fire on the outside of one of the apartments in the porch area.

Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire while arriving fire crews insured that all apartments were evacuated. The fire climbed up the exterior wall and extended into the attic, according to Battalion Chief Chris Warren.

A second alarm was called at 5:17 p.m. for six additional fire companies to fill in throughout the Brainerd area and to assist on the scene. The fire was called under control at 5:43 p.m.

The extent of the damage is still not known at this time nor is a cause. Fire crews were still on the scene at 7:15 p.m.. No injuries were reported.

Hamilton County EMS, Chattanooga Police, and the Electric Power Board were on scene to assist.
Pipeline company sought to limit required safeguards for soil Navigator CO2 Ventures wanted to reduce its obligations to sample and restore topsoil for the construction of its proposed carbon...

Popular holiday Scrooge Contest to begin The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the return of its Christmas season Celebrity Scrooge Contest. This years...
The year 2016 was big for CJR: We welcomed a new editor and publisher, launched a new partnership with Columbias Tow Center, and experienced record traffic for CJR.org. We also published some notable content, such as our interview with Edward Snowden, an oral history of the 2016 campaign in collaboration with Guardian US, and our Delacorte study on news brands. If you want a good excuse to get away from your family during the holidays, feel free to revisit our 10 most read stories of the year. Heres the countdown:

10. Why the controversy over an Iowa cartoonist is no laughing matter

A cartoonist named Rick Friday had been publishing cartoons in rural-Iowa newspaper Farm News for 21 years before his tenure was ended by a cartoon targeting Big Ag. A client affiliated with one of the companies mentioned in the cartoon pulled its advertising from the paper, and the publication dropped Friday. Former Delacorte fellow Jack Murtha looks at the history of cartoonist controversies as well as the reason why they draw so much scrutiny and anger.

9. The Finkbeiner Test

World Federation of Science Journalists President Curtis Brainard discusses how journalists treat every female scientist they profile as an archetype of perseverance. Brainard explains the seven-part test reporters can use when writing about female scientists to avoid gratuitous gender profiles. To pass the test, the story cannot mention the fact that shes a woman, her child-care arrangements, her husbands job, and other gender-oriented facts. (By the way, this is an archived story from way back in 2013; we have Buzzfeed to thank for giving it another run.)

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8. Maneuvering a new reality for US journalism

Nic Dawes, who heads media at Human Rights Watch in New York, warns journalists that things are about to change under Trumps administration. Dawes encourages journalists to get acquainted with tools they will need to fight for access in an autocracy. He warns that Trump will act on his vow to review Americas libel law framework, and get rid of presidential access as we know it. In response, journalists must band together around positive principlesindependence, accountability, ethical standards, and the defence of your rights, which must be fought for.

7. What the media really should focus on with the release of Hillary Clintons emails

Months before the election, Freedom of the Press Foundation executive director Trevor Timm pointed out a flaw in the medias coverage of Hillary Clintons emails. Despite having been accused of lying to the press and over-classifying information, news outlets regarded the CIA as a neutral, all-seeing arbiter when it comes to secrecy. Timm urges the media to stop treating the contents of the email like they are huge national security secrets that imperiled the nation just because US intelligence agencies said so.

6. Eight steps reporters should take before Trump assumes office

The results of the 2016 election caused journalists to do some soul searching. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post reporter Dana Priest offered reporters eight steps to take before Trump enters the White House, including joining forces to put together news tips. She also advises newsrooms to donate to legal defense organizations that will act when Trump attempts to squash press access.

5. What media companies dont want you to know about ad blockers

In June, The New York Times Co. CEO Mark Thompson took a strong stance, announcing plans to prevent users with ad blockers from accessing its website. A week after, CJR columnist Timm wrote a column for CJR highlighting the fact that the Times was one of several major news outlets that gave users harmful malware through its ad networks. Additionally, Timm explains that advertisers often track users of news outlets. A Princeton study found that news sites were more likely to feature trackers than porn sites.

4. For journalists covering Trump, a Murrow moment

As news outlets began aggressively calling Trump out for falsehoods, we published a piece about journalists shedding detachment and objectivity. David Mindich, a professor of media studies at Saint Michaels College in Vermont, references Edward R. Murrows famous report condemning Sen. Joseph R. McCarthys fearmongering. Mindich argues that because Trumps views continued to fall outside acceptable societal norms, journalists were free to push explicitly against him just as the CBS broadcaster had done against McCarthy in 1954.

3. Vice shows how not to treat freelancers

Journalists who worked with Vice revealed to CJR that the edgy publication has not exactly coddled its freelancers. Our late-August report revealed works were published without payment, promises of assignments were later rescinded, and questions about compensation were dodged. The report was written by freelancer Yardena Schwartz, who had a similar experience with Vice. After the report was published, the publication sent a memo to its global editorial staff detailing a series of steps to improve working relationships with freelance journalists.

2. In David Bowie coverage, the media forgot to mention a major aspect of the rockstars life

The world lost David Bowie within the first two weeks of 2016 (which, in hindsight, may have been a harbinger for other horrible events of the year). Bill Wyman, former arts editor of NPR and Salon.com, wrote a piece pointing out that many obituaries glossed over the rockstars sexuality. He disclosed his same-sex attractions several times throughout his life despite having public relationships with women such as supermodel Iman. Wyman points out that Bowie came out at a time when homosexual acts were still criminalized in Britain.

1. Facebook is eating the world

Our most-read piece of 2016 was a lightly edited version of a speech given by Emily Bell, director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University. She notes social media now controls the distribution of news, and news publishers have decided to work with the machinenot against it. Bell explains that tech companies did not create the technology with the goal of owning news and are alarmed that this is the outcome of their engineering success. Bell ends the piece arguing that to be sustainable, news and journalism companies will need to radically alter their cost base.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Justin Ray is an audience editor at the Los Angeles Times. Follow him on Twitter @jray05.
Pennsylvanias avalanche of opioids that rolled from factories through pharmacies to medicine cabinets, and then tumbled into the streets with tragic results, may finally be slowing thanks to pressure on the prescribing practices of its doctors.

This year, the long-lagging state caught up with the regulatory steps of many of its neighbors, as Gov. Tom Wolf and legislators from overdose-plagued districts wrote new laws. Initial data suggests that attention to the overprescribing of opioids  widely blamed for starting addictions that progress to heroin use  has started to affect doctors decisions.

I think that our message is getting out, and I think there is the beginning of a change in prescribing culture, said state Physician General Rachel Levine. There is evidence that there has been, both in Pennsylvania and nationally, less prescribing for opioids by physicians and other health care providers.

Highmark shared data showing that the number of prescriptions for opioids it reimbursed in each of the past three months was lower than in any of the prior nine months. UPMC Health Plan would not provide detailed data or an interview, but wrote that 16 percent of its insured population received at least one opioid prescription this year, down from 20 percent in 2015.

Highmark is working to identify and treat patients with conditions like depression, which can lead to prescription abuse and illicit drug use, said Dr. Charles DeShazer, the insurers vice president and executive medical director for clinical services. And in West Virginia, the insurer has hired Axial Healthcare to comb its data for indications of overprescribing, so that it can discuss with (doctors) appropriate behaviors and prescribing guidelines, he said. If it works, Highmark may expand that effort to Pennsylvania.

UPMC Health Plan indicated it is using an algorithm to identify patients who may be at risk for opioid addiction, and training doctors to use other pain management tools.

If the experiences of Highmark and UPMC are any indication, this year might mark a turning point following more than a decade of stubbornly rising opioid prescribing that continued through 2015. The Drug Enforcement Administration reported last week that more than 3.7 million prescriptions were filled by Pennsylvania pharmacies for 283 million oxycodone pills, up 3.8 percent from the prior year.

In the eastern half of the state, federal prosecutors working with the DEA and FBI have continued to criminally charge high-prescribing physicians. Former Philadelphia physician Jeffrey Bado, who had vigorously defended his opioid prescribing, was found guilty this month of 308 federal felony counts, including one count of drug distribution resulting in death. He faces sentencing in March.

Spurred largely by such prosecutions, the state Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine this year acted against the licenses of at least 18 Pennsylvania doctors accused of overprescribing narcotics. From 2011 through 2015, those boards totaled just 53 such actions, fewer than 11 a year, a rate far lower than that of numerous other states.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in May found that over the past five years, 608 physicians were disciplined for their narcotics prescribing practices in seven Appalachian states, of which Pennsylvania had taken the fewest measures to rein in rogue doctors.

In October, the General Assembly passed, and Wolf signed, laws that could lead to more disciplinary actions should doctors wantonly prescribe opioids.

Doctors can no longer prescribe more than a weeks worth of opioids to minors, unless they thoroughly document the need.

Effective next week, emergency medicine practitioners will also be largely restricted to prescribing a weeks supply of opioids.

Also in 2017, medical schools will have to include proper narcotics prescribing in the curriculum.

Doctors will be required to take biennial refresher courses in painkiller practices.

Practitioners planning to prescribe opioids or benzodiazepine tranquilizers will have to first check the patients drug history using an online database.

If that database shows that the patient is getting prescriptions from multiple sources  called doctor shopping  the physician can refer them to rehab. That database, though, doesnt yet connect to similar programs in neighboring states, so abusers or pill pushers might be able to get drugs via multiple physicians by crossing borders. Dr. Levine said the state intends to link its database to those of its neighbors, but has no timeline for doing so.

Experts are not predicting any quick reversal of the surge of heroin and fentanyl that, along with prescription narcotics, was implicated in 81 percent of the states 3,383 fatal overdoses last year.

The pills still supply a feeder system to the heroin epidemic, said Gary Tuggle, special agent in charge of the DEA for Pennsylvania. Its still an issue, and its always going to be an issue, until we can get a handle on overprescribing, diversion and doctor shopping.

Hopefully, said Tuggle, gone are the days of just mass prescribing.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Outgoing Sole Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell, at her final public meeting, made three new appointments to the Walker County Water Authority.

However, she denied that she has a job lined up at the water office.

Ms. Heiskell, 76, said she had no firm plans and was "looking for a job."

Some 40 people crowded the small room at the commissioner's office.

Ms. Heiskell is stepping down from the Walker County Water Authority along with David Ashburn and W.E. Kinser. She appointed Bill Cooke, Michael Haney and Leon Ellis to those posts.

She named Bobby Teems and Melody Day to the Walker County Joint Development Authority and appointed Dr. Ben Benson to fill the unexpired term of Dr. Bob Smalley on the Walker County Animal Control Authority for a three-year term.

She also approved a controversial rezoning at the corner of James Street and Wilson Road. Dennis M. King plans to open a laundromat at the site and has the building ready.

She approved rezoning the site from residential to commercial.

David Roden, a member of the opposition, said there had been meetings throughout the summer on the issue. The opponents hired an attorney to argue their case, and he called it spot zoning.

There are nine nearby residential properties and there is a storage facility across the street.



Ms. Heiskell will be replaced on Sunday by Shannon Whitfield, who took the oath of office on Wednesday afternoon at the courthouse in LaFayette.
Repeat drunken drivers will face more time behind bars in Wisconsin starting New Years Day under a law the state Legislature passed overwhelmingly nearly a year ago.

The new law doesnt make the first offense a criminal violation, leaving Wisconsin as the only state that treats a first offense as a civil violation. Advocates for sober driving say lawmakers need to go further in the upcoming session, starting by expanding ignition interlock use.

(The new penalties are) just closing some loopholes that currently exist, said Frank Harris, state government affairs director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. By the time someones a repeat offender prosecutors need every tool in the tool box.

The new law, sponsored by Rep. Jim Ott, a Mequon Republican, makes a fourth drunken driving offense a felony punishable by up to six years in prison regardless of when its committed. Right now a fourth offense is a felony only if its committed within five years of a third offense.

The law also increases the maximum sentence for fifth and sixth offenses from three years to five. Maximum sentences for seventh, eighth and ninth offenses will increase from five years to seven years and six months. The maximum sentence for a 10th or subsequent offense will increase from seven years and six months to a decade in prison. The new penalties will go into effect Jan. 1.

Drunken driving has plagued Wisconsin for decades. The state Department of Transportation has tracked more than 4,000 alcohol-related crashes every year from 2012 through 2015. Eighty-five people died in alcohol-related crashes last year, according to the state agencys data.

The states drunken driving laws have been notoriously lax. Wisconsin is the only state where a first offense is treated similar to a speeding ticket. The offender can lose a drivers license but doesnt face any jail time and can obtain occupational licenses allowing travel to certain destinations during certain hours.

Prohibitive cost estimates and resistance from powerful Tavern League lobbyists have scuttled attempts to create harsher penalties. The Department of Corrections, for example, projects it may have to spend as much as $129 million annually as well as another $157 million to construct a dozen drug abuse centers to accommodate the additional offenders under the new law.

Still, sober driving advocates seem to be gaining some momentum. Ott has insisted the cost estimates are exaggerated and the Tavern League registered in support of the new law. The Senate passed the measure in January on a voice vote, a procedure reserved for non-controversial legislation, and the Assembly passed it 95-1 in February.

MADDs Harris wants more. He wants to see Sen. Van Wanggard, a Racine Republican, reintroduce a bill that would allow first-time offenders to obtain a special license allowing them to drive wherever they wish if they install ignition interlock devices on their vehicles.

The devices work like breathalyzers. The driver blows into it and if his or her breath exceeds a certain alcohol content the vehicle wont start. Under the bill, a license holder who drives a vehicle without such a device could face six months behind bars.

A fiscal estimate attached to the bill found fees for the new licenses would generate about $1.1 million annually but the measure never got a floor vote last session.

Harris said 28 other states already permit such a practice, which he called an in-car probation officer.

Wanggard said Tuesday hell bring the bill back this session, adding that the measure will encourage people to stay sober. He said he also plans to bring back a proposal to revoke a persons license permanently if he or she has five or more operating while intoxicated offenses.

Ott, meanwhile, plans to reintroduce bills that would require a minimum 18-month prison sentence for fifth and sixth offenses and a mandatory seven-year sentence for committing a homicide while driving drunk.

By working to close loopholes and strengthen sentencing, Ott spokesman Ryan Augustyn said in a statement, we send the message that OWI is a serious offense with potentially life-changing consequences.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Jim Owens, a former Decatur, Ill., police officer, teaches his students a lot more than how to shoot straight and load their weapons.

The motto of his concealed carry instruction school is win the fight, which translates to surviving an attack and ending a deadly threat.

In a recent session attended by three women and two men, Owens taught them how to quickly reload a handgun while in the middle of a gun battle.

You need to be carrying another magazine, two magazines at least, said Owens, who works full-time as an investigator with the Macon County States Attorneys Office. Youre not going to count rounds in a gun fight.

He advised his students to prepare for a confrontation by throwing spent shell casings on the ground, to take a mental picture of how many shots they have already fired.

If I have a 17-round magazine, Ive got only three rounds left, what should I do next? Owens asked during an indoor class session, held at the Warrensburg fire station. Im still in the gun fight.

For the next 20 minutes, he drilled the students in dropping the magazine from their guns while loading full magazines almost simultaneously.

In the third year since concealed carry was enacted into law in Illinois, there are several local businesses that have sprung up to teach basic shooting and safety techniques, as well as other aspects of carrying firearms away from ones residence or business.

Owens partnered with two other men, Zack Wakeland and John Wyatt, to form Resolute Dynamics, a company specializing in instruction for the concealed carry license.

One of the conditions set by the state in order to obtain a concealed carry license is 16 hours of firearms training by an instructor approved by the Illinois State Police. Those who sign up with Resolute Dynamics complete this training in a weekend.

Our classes are current and relevant, said Owens, who learned to shoot as a child, but received formalized firearm training while serving in the Army in the 1990s. He was certified as a firearms instructor by the Illinois State Police while working for the Decatur police. While serving as a part-time officer in Warrensburg, he received additional training and certification at the University of Illinois Police Training Institute. I went through six different training classes this year. We are always trying to keep up on whats relevant, including the law and recent court decisions.

Training involves scenarios, during which students are put under pressure to perform.

GUN! he shouts, signaling for the students to draw their guns from their holsters and point them forward. Wheres your gun pointed?

At the signal of SPEED LOAD! the students are expected to eject the magazines in the gun grips and quickly slide in the fresh ones.

Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, Owens yells, followed by a word of encouragement. Much better.

Since Owens started training people shortly after the ink dried on the 2013 Concealed Carry Act, he has trained about 1,400 people to qualify for their licenses and use them responsibly.

In order to qualify on the shooting range, each applicant must shoot a minimum of 10 rounds each at targets five, seven and 10 yards away. The minimum hits of an approved target area is 21 out of 30.

In one of the most recent sessions taught by Owens, all passed, with three out of five hitting 30 out of 30.

We always teach people to be respectful, Owens said. We tell our student not to go into places youre not supposed to. Be respectful of the no guns signs.

Owens said the demographics of his students during the past few years are about one-third women, mostly between about 28 and 50 years old. There have been some as young as 21. Most of the men are a bit older, mostly in their 50s, but others have ranged between 35 and 60.

Most are city dwellers, mostly blue collar, Owens said. There have been 15 or 20 physicians and eight pastors from Decatur. Their concern is they are preaching and someone comes up and shoots them.

Bob Squires, a former Decatur police sergeant and Marine Corps veteran, became a firearm instructor 30 years ago, a master instructor a year or so later. He has helped Owens teach a couple of concealed carry classes to civilians in the past, but specializes in teaching classes geared specifically for retired police officers.

Just about anything that comes up that involves firearms Ive done it or am doing it, said Squires, who has been serving as a court security officer at the Macon County Courts Facility for about 10 years.

Squires said he believes the Illinois concealed carry program is a good one.

Theyre doing background checks, to try to keep them out of the hand of the bad guys, he said.

People are Fearful

Tina Shambaugh, 44, of Oakley, recently successfully completed her training with Resolute Dynamics, earning her training certificate on the final day, which she sent in to the State Police to complete her application process.

She said she trained for her license in order to exercise her Second Amendment right to bear arms.

The conceal carry law tells me we can do that on a regular basis, she said.

Prior to taking the course, she had little shooting experience, just a bit of going out shooting with friends.

Yes, I am going to carry, Shambaugh said, adding that she might not pack a gun all the time. She said she would absolutely use her gun to protect someone else. I would expect the same from them if they were in the same situation.

A recent hire at the Decatur Fire Department, Brandon Mandernach, said he wanted to be able to protect himself and his family.

With the recent addition of a little girl, I thought now is the time, said Mandernach, 34. Youre not always at home. This gives you a little bit of more ability to handle whatever situation presents itself.

Owens said that when he asks students why they are going through the training, the most common thing he hears is that people are fearful right now.

With all these shootings by crazy people, there is a real fear they wont be able to defend themselves, he said. They say its my right as a citizen and theyd like to exercise their rights.

Although the rights of gun owners versus gun control advocates is a hot button issue, Owens said this seldom comes up in class discussions.

They are more concerned with terrorism rather than someone coming in and taking away their guns, Owens said. Some people arent comfortable with talking about politics publicly. We say we dont let things get political in the class. We focus on mindset and how to use your firearm and the law.

People are more concerned about their physical safety.

One-to-one Training

Kevin Mante, a law enforcement patrol sergeant and firearms training officer (he prefers not to mention the specific agency), teaches concealed carry sessions, specializing in small groups for enhanced one-to-one instruction.

Our business model is a mobile teaching concept. We will go to your location; we teach at ranges, clasrooms, said Mante, who served in the Air Force in ground security and weapons training earlier in his career. Since leaving the military, he has worked full-time in law enforcement.

His company, Applied Combative Solutions LLC, works in partnership with Accuracy Firearms, a gun shop in Effingham which recently opened a firing range.

Mante teaches about six to eight concealed carry sessions each year, with six to 10 students in each session.

He has seen a broad-based demographic of students, but noticed since last year that more women are applying for his classes.

We have had a request for women-only concealed carry, Mante said. They want an environment with all women, no stress, not a competitive thing.

Mante is also teaching classes for those who want more than certification for their concealed carry licenses.

We will train people to effectively defend themselves with a handgun, Mante said, adding that the combative skill sessions will be limited to five students. These are one-day classes designed to develop certain skill sets we dont have the time to do with typical conceal carry classes.
Retirees Karen and Richard Bennett were supposed to pay off their Woods Cross, Utah, home by 2013. Instead, they had to take out a $133,000 home equity loan that year to help pay for repairs caused by their home sinking 2 inches.

The Bennetts home is one of at least 20 houses in a subdivision built in the 1990s that have moderate to severe damage from sinking foundations, said Woods Cross City Manager Gary Uresk. He said the problem seems to be spreading within the 200-home subdivision in the city north of Salt Lake City.

It appears to be getting worse, Uresk said. Its not stopping.

City officials dont know for sure what is causing the problem, but Uresk said it could be linked to a sinking water table thats 20-30 feet deep. When the homes were built, it was 5 feet above the surface. The concentration of clay in the soil may also be a contributing factor, he said.

The development was approved based off a 1986 geological study that determined the land was adequate for home building, Uresk said.

What weve pieced together so far is that as the table drops and pulls water out of the clay, that soil tends to collapse, Uresk said.

The values of the homes are plummeting as the sinking foundations crack ceilings and walls and cause sagging patios and floors, the Deseret News reports. Others have minor damages such as cracked driveways.

Many of the homes are being appraised at less than half their previous values by county assessors as a result.

The city has requested funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency but that the problem is not widespread enough to qualify for money, Uresk said. The city is also exploring whether the state emergency management division has any way to help.

The city plans to issue a new report in January with a summary of what officials have discovered from research that has included boring into the soil to determine whats causing the sinking.

At the Bennetts house, drywall began separating on their ceiling and trusses inside walls were twisting with their edges pulling apart. That led them to the tough decision of taking out the loan.

We had no choice. It was either that or give up what weve already put into our home, Karen Bennett said. The city had said if the trusses had pulled completely away, they would have condemned the home. We would have had to move out.

Stephen Lambs problems are more evident in the basement, where the floor slants to the south, doors dont close and cracks spider around windows. He said he has decided to wait until the city determines a cause and to find out if he can receive any state or federal assistance.

I just want to wait and see, Lamb said. Lets define the whole scope of the problem first.

The Bennetts worry that some neighbors dont realize what is happening.

I think some people are in real trouble, and others are in denial, he said. Im most concerned for those who have bought not knowing what theyve got.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Drug abuse, I-77: On Dec. 7, police observed a green Chevy with no rear license plate illumination traveling southbound on I-77. When the officer approached the vehicle, he watched a backseat passenger attempting to eat something.

The man quickly started gagging and ended up spitting up on himself. The backseat passenger, a juvenile, was arrested. While searching the car, police found marijuana.

Apparently the passenger attempted to swallow a baggie of marijuana. The driver admitted to having just purchased a few baggies of marijuana. While searching the car, police found six baggies of marijuana, a grinder, a pipe and rolling papers.

The driver was arrested for drug abuse and drug paraphernalia possession. The backseat passenger was arrested for drug abuse and obstructing justice.

Drunken driving, Broadview Road: On Dec. 11, police observed a weaving black Pontiac Grand Am make an extremely wide turn onto Broadview Road and then drive fast in icy conditions.

While talking to the driver, police observed an open container in the cup holder. The officer also smelled alcohol coming from the driver, who slurred his words. When asked if he had been drinking, the man said, "I'm not drunk." He did admit to drinking vodka and cranberry before driving.

After failing a field sobriety test, during which he staggered around, he was arrested for drunken driving. He was also cited for speeding, open container, driving left of center, not wearing a seat belt and not driving in marked lanes.

Criminal mischief, Seneca Boulevard: On Dec. 10, police were dispatched to Seneca Boulevard after a resident complained her husband's ex-girlfriend kept texting.

The woman believed the ex had previously slashed her tire but she didn't have any proof. While the officer was present, the ex called the woman. She admitted to slashing the tire.

When the officer contacted the ex, she denied slashing the tire even though he heard her admit to the crime. The woman eventually admitted to the crime. She was cited for criminal mischief.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
ORANGE, Ohio -- Assist rescue squad, permitting drug abuse, marijuana possession, drug paraphernalia, drug abuse; Orange Place: Two men were facing multiple charges after police responded to the Super 8 motel around 1:15 a.m. on Dec. 26 for a report of a man, 26, who had overdosed on an undetermined drug and was not breathing.

An officer revived him with Narcan, and the Sagamore Hills man, with an active warrant out of Macedonia, was taken to a local hospital. There was no one else in the room when emergency crews arrived, but the man who rented it out was found circling the lot, then attempting to leave.

The South Euclid man, 41, was arrested on multiple charges after police found a small amount of marijuana and roughly 135 pills in several containers and sandwich bags. He said he had prescriptions for all of them although none were in their proper containers.

As for a substance that looked like jello and was marked as hash oil for medical use, along with four gold foil-wrapped cubes containing a caramel-colored substance, he said they were legal forms of marijuana in other states that he had purchased from someone else.

He was taken to the Beachwood Jail, and police also seized two cell phones found in the motel room.

Grand theft vehicle (unfounded); Harvard Road: A woman who had been caring for her brother up until his death on Dec. 14 reported eight days later that his 2010 Lexus RX 350 had been removed from her driveway. The keys were still in her home there were tire marks indicating that a tow vehicle may have been there. Police later learned that a Walton Hills-based finance company had repossessed the car.

Road hazard, I-271, Harvard Road: Police responded to reports of at least three vehicles having to pull off the highway around 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 24 after hitting what turned out to be a desk and a piece of duct work that had dropped onto the roadway. Police were unable to locate the suspect and private tows were called.

Departmental Information, Lander Road, Orange Place: Officers were asked to check motels in the area for a runaway girl from University Heights on the afternoon of Dec. 26, although they pointed out that Orange has no Motel 6 or Red Roof Inn, which is where the girl said she was going.

Suspicion. Lander Road: A caller reported on the afternoon of Dec. 26 that there was suspected drug activity at a house just down the road from the police station. Officers determined, upon asking for any information that the caller appeared to be making it up.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
cuycountyheadquarters.jpg

Cuyahoga County avoided further debt this year but faced other issues.

(Karen Farkas, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish vowed that the county would not take on additional debt in 2016 given that existing debt totals $1 billion.

And Budish remained true to his vow.

Officials found ways to re-purpose and reallocate money for priorities such as supporting preschool education, reducing infant mortality and demolishing blighted properties.

And the expected requests for the county to provide tens of millions of dollars to transform the MetroHealth System's Cleveland campus did not materialize.

But financial issues and other problems did arise.

Here are some highlights and some ongoing issues.

Highlights:

1. The new Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel opened in July, in time for the Republican National Convention. The $310 million project was completed on time and under budget by about $20 million. Officials said the county has received $4.7 million in revenue from the hotel.

The county decided to spend $10.8 million for an underground walkway from the hotel to the Huntington Park Garage. it is scheduled to open in 2017.

2. The county, which had been asked by the Cleveland Cavaliers to provide $70 million toward a proposed $140 million upgrade of Quicken Loans Arena, instead will provide $16 million by dipping into the reserve fund it set up for the convention center and the hotel, both of which are complete.

The Cavs will contribute half the cost and the city of Cleveland and Destination Cleveland will provide funds.

3. The county no longer has to find a way to finance $1 billion for the MetroHealth System. MetroHealth announced in November that it plans to borrow $1.25 billion to build a new hospital, transforming its main campus on West 25th Street.

4. The county provided several million dollars in loans that led to companies expanding or relocating to the county.

5. Efforts to improve workforce development led to the opening of the Workforce Opportunities Resource Center in the Virgil E. Brown Neighborhood Center.

6. A comprehensive reentry program was established at the Euclid County Jail to help men find jobs after leaving prison.

7. Women inmates set to be released in six to nine months can participate in the Chopping for Change culinary training program.

8. The county worked with city of Cleveland leaders and others to develop First Year Cleveland, a collaborative program to reduce infant mortality.

9. The county's Invest in Children is the lead agency for the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program. In 2016, the county secured $10 million in public funds to expand the program. In December the county received a $374,000 federal grant to study the prekindergarten program.

Ongoing issues:

1. The county froze its regional health insurance program after discovering a $9.5 million budget shortfall -- plus the depletion of a $12 million healthcare reserve fund.

The problems are in the county's health insurance programs for employees as well as in a regional program in which municipal governments and other public agencies take advantage of the county's buying power to get lower rates.

The county, which has a tight $374 million general fund budget, plans to cover the shortfall with money from a rainy day fund.

2. Cleveland's proposed lakefront bridge, which was supposed to be finished in 2017, is in limbo. The county has committed $10 million toward the project, which is expected to cost at least $25 million.

The bridge would extend 900 feet from the downtown Mall C over railroad tracks and the Shoreway to North Coast Harbor.

3. Cuyahoga County jail inmates will pay more for phone calls under a contract with a new company, Securus Technologies Inc.. An FCC commissioner criticized the increased cost.

Officials say additional services, such as video visitation, will help inmates' families save money.

Inmates paid 18.5 cents per minute for an in-state call, or $2.77 for a maximum 15-minute call. The new in-state rate is 35 cents the first minute and 24 cents for each additional minute, for a total of $3.95 for a 15-minute call.

4. The Justice Center needs more public parking.

The county is spending $20 million to repair and rehabilitate the 40-year-old Huntington Park Garage, which is connected to the old Lakeside Courthouse.

But 410 spaces are reserved for the new Hilton and 100 spaces for the Huntington Convention Center and Global Center for Health Innovation.

The county is considering building a new parking deck.

5. A court ruling in June could result in the county owing more than $10 million to 140 employees whose pay was cut when their jobs were reclassified under the new charter government. The county is appealing the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court ruling.

6. The county has to find a new chief innovation officer. Daro Mott left this week to return to Louisville.

Mott is returning to the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government, where he had worked from 2006 until coming to Cuyahoga County in January. He will take a new position there.
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Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds appear before the camera in their real roles of happy parents as they and their young daughter, Carrie Frances Fisher, pose for their first family group picture, in Hollywood, Jan. 2, 1957. (AP Photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds" will air January 7 at 8 p.m. on HBO.

The documentary, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, was originally scheduled to debut in March, but HBO moved up the release following the deaths of the iconic mother/daughter duo.

Billed in HBO's press release as "the story of a family's complicated love" and "an intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty in all its eccentricity," the film includes vintage home movies from Fisher's childhood as well as recent interviews with both actresses.

The movie was directed by Alexis Bloom (producer, "We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks") and Oscar winner Fisher Stevens ("The Cove").

"It's life with Carrie and Debbie," HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins told Variety. "It's about both of them trying to stand upright, both having their frailties -- age on the one hand and mental illness on the other. It's a love story about a mother and daughter -- they happen to be Carrie and Debbie."

In another tribute to Fisher, who died Tuesday at 60, HBO will re-air her one-woman show from 2010, "Wishful Drinking," on Jan. 1 at 9 p.m. The program, which touches upon her Hollywood upbringing, role as Princess Leia and addiction to drugs, is also available for streaming now on HBO Now and HBO Go.

Reynolds, 84, died the day after her daughter's passing from a possible stroke. Cleveland Cinemas is honoring the Hollywood legend by screening her Oscar-nominated turn in "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" at the Cedar Lee Theater in Cleveland Heights on Jan. 7 and 8.

"Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds" video preview
One of the recurring themes of both the Old and New Testaments is that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and leads to all sorts of temporal and eternal benefits. Smack dab in the middle of Isaiahs Immanuel Prophecies, we find this warning in Isaiah 8:12-15, You are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. (NASU) One paragraph later God warns against consulting the so-called wisdom of the world. Rather than following the follies of the world, we ought to follow Gods law, His teaching, and His testimony. To do otherwise will be to live in famine, distress, hardship, and gloomy darkness. The Messiah came to be both a rock to stumble over and a cornerstone to build on. For those who do not recognize Him and reject Him as Messiah, He will be a stumbling stone which will bring them to destruction. For those who trust Him, He will be a cornerstone on which to build their temporal and eternal lives.

Isaiah 9:1-2 proclaims hope not only for Israel but for the whole world, But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. (NASU) Matthew chapter four connects this passage to Jesus of Nazareth, establishing Him as the long awaited Messiah, Savior of all who will put their faith in Him. Jesus withdrew into Galilee and Matthew four proclaims that this is to fulfill the Isaiah 8-9 passage. Matthew 4:17 concludes the passage with, From that time Jesus began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (NASU)

This verse is the beginning of Jesus public ministry in the book of Matthew. This great light promised in Isaiah 8-9 and fulfilled in Matthew 4 arose to shine on both the Jews and the Gentiles. This great light was none other than Jesus Himself. The dawning of that great light called for repentance on the part of the people. We confess our sins not because God does not already know about them but simply as a way of agreeing with Him that what we have done is rebellion against Him. After acknowledging our sins, God expects, yes demands, that we turn toward Him and away from those sins. Isaiah 8 began this discussion of the great light by turning us toward the fear of the Lord and rightly so. 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 warns, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. (NASU) Faith in Christ yields eternity in heaven but do not miss the fact that we will receive recompense for our deeds. The Great Light reveals all.
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Gilmour Academy's head of school Kathy Kenny (center) congratulates Larry Kennedy (left) and Patti Pfundstein Miller (right), Man of the Year and Woman of the Year.

(Neal Busch)

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio --Two loyal Gilmour Academy alumni received special recognition at the school's annual Christmas at the Academy holiday party in December. Larry Kennedy '66, of Solon, and Patti Pfundstein Miller '85, also of Solon, received the 2016 Alumni Man and Woman of the Year Awards. Both shared gratitude for their families and friends as well as Gilmour Academy's impact on their lives.

Kennedy and his wife, Maryann, recently established an endowed-in-process scholarship at Gilmour, the Lawrence '66 and Maryann Kennedy Scholarship Fund, which will begin in 2017. Kennedy described the impact of a $400 scholarship Maryann received when she was young that set her on her career path, where she eventually met Larry. Maryann is a registered pharmacist who worked with Roche Labs for 35 years and retired as a national director in 2013. Larry enjoyed a 30-year pharmaceutical sales career with Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, which became Searle Labs.

The couple has established scholarships at Maryann's alma mater, The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, and Larry's alma mater, Trine University's Ketner School of Business, in addition to the one at Gilmour.

Miller was recognized for her leadership roles at the school since her oldest son transferred to Gilmour in 2013. She became involved in Gilmour's Women's Club, serving as the group's vice president during the 2015-2016 school year and currently serving as its president. In that time, the Women's Club has raised more than $100,000 for student programming.

Gilmour's Head of School, Kathy Kenny, described Miller as having "a special sense of leadership that is collaborative and has brought so many more into the fold."

Miller recalled spending time on Gilmour's campus as a younger girl attending various CYO functions. She told her parents that she wanted to attend the school and was disappointed to find out that, at the time, it was an all-boys school. She told her parents she would be the first girl to graduate from Gilmour. After starting her freshman year at another high school, Miller saw in the newspaper that Gilmour was merging with Glen Oak School and would be open to female students. She showed the clipping to her parents and became one of the first females to graduate from Gilmour.

Gilmour Academy is a Catholic, independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Ind., with a Montessori program beginning at 18-months-old and a Lower School, Middle School and Upper School. A boarding program is offered to students in Grades 7 through 12. It is at 34001 Cedar Road in Gates Mills, Ohio. For more information visit www.gilmour.org Gilmour's motto is "Educating the Mind. Empowering the Heart."

A memory: I enjoyed working for about a year and a half in the 1990s as an evening study hall tutor at Gilmour. It was a rewarding experience. At the time, I was surprised to learn that some students from overseas boarded there, from as far away as Japan and South Korea. I offered encouragement in studies as well as strategic help. Schools help shape our identity - whether we are enrolled, teaching, working for, and "in the vicinity."

The Hillcrest area is endowed with a wide range of schools, each with distinctive personality and flavor. It's exciting to get to know schools from the inside -- moving beyond the quick drive-by experience.

A good fit in school is ideal -- and it doesn't always happen. Parents can agonize over this along with their offspring. A curriculum is one thing; a community is another. I cherish having reconnected with a few childhood friends from my elementary school as my family moved away. Facilities may change, but the heart-to-heart bonds can endure.

Tip on adaptive recreation opportunities: According to the SELREC (South Euclid-Lyndhurst Recreation) program guide, there are still tempting learning and recreational activities for all ages in 2017. And through efforts of Mayfield Communities and the Adaptive Recreation Committee, there are local opportunities that some may not know about for those with developmental, sensory, or physical disabilities. Learn more! Both teen and adult volunteers can help the effort, too. Check out one of these websites to learn more:

The mother-child bond. Few are unmoved at the recent death of writer/actress Carrie Fisher, followed by the death of her mom, Debbie Reynolds. What struck me as word of the synchronicity of loss spread was not that these two had the disagreements and frustrations typical in any family, but that they reconciled. Both women had both immense gifts and steep challenges in their lives. Despite their differences in generation and temperament, they were joined in possessing extraordinary talent and, clearly, deep love for each others. And, near the end of their lives, they seem to truly have had each others' backs, as the saying goes.

Watching a few of their joint appearances on talk shows, I pondered: How does family reconciliation happen? I have no precise prescription but I suspect that one of the ingredients is the willingness to have an open heart - and an awareness broad enough to envision a new future. Of course, a healthy serving of mutual forgiveness for all that has been said, or unsaid.

Keep me in the loop! I'm waiting to hear from you! My in-box is not full enough! Make it easy for me to find your submissions by kindly putting "Sun Messages" in the subject line. Contact mariashinestewart@gmail.com
Cleveland.com identified renewable energy as a topic of focus for 2016 and what resulted was our series entitled Impact 2016: The path to green energy. We found a lot to write about, including Republicans in Columbus who were hostile to government support for the wind and solar industries.

And at the end of the year, Ohio Gov. John Kasich took the spotlight by vetoing a bill that would have frozen renewable energy mandates for another two years. His actions were hailed by renewable energy advocates, all but guaranteeing a showdown between Kasich and anti-subsidy politicians in his own party.

One project that made a lot of news is the effort to erect an offshore wind farm in Lake Erie. Dubbed Icebreaker, the demonstration farm gained a lot of steam, including a $40 million federal grant.

This slideshow provides an overview of our coverage during the year. At the end of the slideshow there will be a link to the full stories for those who want to read more.

How has Ohio embraced renewable energy?

Looking back at renewable energy news for 2016

By Peter Krouse

Dec. 30, 2016

We started out our Impact 2016 coverage by telling readers that Ohio has been missing out on the benefits of renewable energy, namely the jobs that come with it. Ohio, we said, gets less than one percent of its electricity from wind power and even less from solar power.

Next slide: What states lead the way in harnessing wind and solar power

Photo by Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer

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States that lead the way in harnessing wind and solar energy

We explained how Iowa gets more than 28 percent of its electricity from the wind and Minnesota almost 16 percent. And that when it comes to the sheer volume of wind-generated electricity and the jobs associated with it, Texas leads the way in both areas.

Next slide: California tops in solar

Photo courtesy of the American Wind Energy Association

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California tops in solar

And then we showed how California leads the way on the solar side, getting almost 10 percent of its electricity from the sun and providing more than 75,000 solar-related jobs. California obviously has abundant sunshine, especially in the desert where massive utility-sized solar farms have been erected, but it has also been promoting solar energy a lot longer than most.

Next slide: Ohio missing out on jobs

Photo courtesy of the Solar Energy Industries Association

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Ohio missing out on jobs

Consequently, from a jobs standpoint, Ohio was not reaping many of the economic benefits that other states were experiencing because of their greater commitment to renewable energy. The state ranked 20th in the country when it came to wind-related jobs, which totaled less than 1,000.

On the solar side, Ohio was a more respectable 11th place in solar-related jobs, totaling 4,811, with the largest chunk being employed at the First Solar plant south of Toledo where solar panels are manufactured.

Next slide: Icebreaker

Photo by Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

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Testing being conducted in 2013 in the area where the erection of six wind turbines is expected to begin in 2018.

Icebreaker

There was one bright spot that got even brighter as the year went on, and that was Icebreaker. Icebreaker is a project undertaken by the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. to build a 6-turbine demonstration wind farm in Lake Erie, several miles from the Cleveland Harbor.

Next slide: Tapping expertise from Europe

Photo by Howard Tucker, courtesy of Grossi Public Relations

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Tapping expertise from Europe

The company sought out help from Europe, where developers have experience putting wind turbines in water, even in areas where it freezes.

Next slide: A lot of progress in 2016

Photo courtesy of the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp.

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A lot of progress in 2016

A lot of the work has been done, but a couple more regulatory hurdles still need to be cleared. The project was bolstered tremendously by a $40 million grant from the Department of Energy, a s well as a commitment from Cuyahoga County to buy some of the electricity.

This map shows where the turbines would located and where the cable would be run to bring the electricity to shore.

Next slide: Cuyahoga County's support hinged on job creation.

Map courtesy of the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp.

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Cuyahoga County's support focused on jobs

The Cuyahoga County Council threw its support behind Icebreaker by agreeing in a 10-year, power purchase agreement with Cleveland Public Power to buy a percentage of the electricity generated by the turbine farm. For some of the council members, support hinged on the promise that Icebreaker will bring much-need manufacturing jobs to the region.

Next slide: A boat ride to the future

Photo by AT&F

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A boat ride to the future

In September, we took a boat ride with Lorry Wagner, CEO of LEEDCo, to the area near where the turbines will be erected. Check out the video.

Next slide: Northwest Ohio has the wind

Video by Peter Krouse, cleveland.com

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Northwest Ohio has the wind

While it appears that the Cleveland area's best chance at harnessing wind is out in the lake, the northwest quadrant of Ohio enjoys more favorable wind conditions over land. This is the area where wind developers are focusing their attention.

We reported on the growth and how it has been stymied by a 2014 change in Ohio law that limits how close a turbine can be erected to unoccupied property. Wind advocates are hoping to get this law amended so that counties that welcome wind turbines are not shut out.

Next slide: The biggest wind farm in Ohio

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The biggest wind farm in Ohio

Before the new setback standards were put in place, Avangrid Renewables (formerly Iberdrola Renewable) erected 152 wind turbines across Van Wert and Paulding counties. They constitute the largest, and one of the only, wind farms in the state.

Avangrid and others would like to add more turbines if they can convince the legislature to provide them more favorable siting regulations.

Next slide: Solar energy enthusiasts not sitting still

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The Brooklyn municipal landfill, which is closed, is on Memphis Avenue.

Solar energy enthusiasts not sitting still

Cuyahoga County Council's power-purchase agreement with Cleveland Public Power also includes a deal to buy electricity that is generated by an as-yet-to-be built solar farm. The county is examining several sites to locate the solar farm but is likely to select the Brooklyn municipal landfill, which is closed, assuming Brooklyn officials go along with it.

Next slide: Landfills as solar farms

Photo by Peter Krouse, cleveland.com

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Landfills as solar farms

The Brooklyn landfill, we explained, would be a good location for a solar farm for several reasons, including no questions about ownership and no environmental concerns. To avoid puncturing the liner beneath the topsoil, solar panels would be erected on the landfill using a ballast method that weighs them down instead of fixing them to a foundation below the ground.

Photo by Peter Krouse, cleveland.com

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Rooftop solar in Ohio

Bolstered by the 30 percent federal tax benefit, more and more residential and commercial homes are erecting solar panels on their roofs.

We featured a story in May about a Shaker Heights family that installed solar panels on their new home. The house is on the short end of the 10-12 year payback range, primarily because it has a metal roof that makes panel installation easier.

In general, rooftop solar costs have been coming down thanks to lower panel prices and installation efficiencies.

Next slide: Community solar is new to Ohio

Photo by Peter Krouse, cleveland.com

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Community solar is new to Ohio

The Community Power Network in Washington, D.C., has been spreading the gospel of rooftop solar to several states. In Ohio, it operates as OH SUN (Solar United Neighborhoods), which has several co-ops in the works in Ohio, including ones in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties.

As of last October, the Cuyahoga County co-op had about 130 homes signed up. The deadline to sign up is Dec. 31, 2016. Signing up does not commit you to installing solar panels on your roof; it just means you can have the designated installer analyze your roof to provide a detailed cost estimate and the opportunity to sign a contract.

The co-op said it can reduce the cost of rooftop solar by 20 percent by being able to negotiate installation prices with a limited number of installers.

Next slide: Kasich's veto bolsters green energy advocates

Photo courtesy of Third Sun Solar

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Kasich's veto bolsters renewable energy advocates

The Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly is no friend to renewable energy mandates and was hoping to continue a freeze on those mandates for at least another two years. But Ohio Gov. John Kasich wasn't having it. Citing the contributions renewable energy has made to job growth in Ohio, and the need to be mindful of the desires of some companies' desire to utilize clean energy, Kasich vetoed the bill. But that's hardly the last word in the renewable energy debate in Ohio.

Next slide: The future

Photo (l) by Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer and (r) by the Associated Press

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The future

Will Ohio improve its legacy when it comes to renewable energy, a legacy that began back in the late 1880s when Charles Brush created this wind turbine that brought electricity to his Cleveland home? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, the Ohio legislature will have a lot to say about it next year when politicians meet to decide whether subsidizing wind and solar energy in Ohio is worth it.

Two of the politicians who led the charge to freeze mandates - State Sens. Keith Faber and Bill Seitz - are term-limited but will be rejoining the legislature in January as members of the Ohio House of Representatives.

Stay tuned.

Next slide: Read more

Photo courtesy of Western Reserve Historical Society

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Read more

To read the full stories from the Impact 2016: The path to renewable energy series, click here and enjoy.

Photo by Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer
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Cleveland police's Mounted Unit will march in Donald Trump's inaugural parade Jan. 20.

(Cleveland State University)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Police's Mounted Unit will travel to Washington D.C. next month to march in President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural parade.

The decision was announced Friday morning by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Cleveland's Mounted Unit will be one of at least 40 organizations participating in the parade, which is slated to occur after Trump takes the oath of office on Jan. 20.

A time has not yet been announced. The parade will be open to the public.

Cleveland police will join mounted units and equestrian corps from across the nation, as well as high school and university marching bands, veterans and military groups, and other first responders.

Cleveland Police's Mounted Unit is the only group from Ohio currently slated to march in the parade, according to the committee's news release.

Other organizations may be added to the lineup in the future.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The second annual celebration of Kwanzaa at the Karamu House focused on educating visitors about the seven-day holiday that honors African heritage. Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits of the harvest," starts Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1.

The fourth day of Kwanzaa celebrates Ujamaa, or the principle of economics. The foundation of Kwanzaa is the Seven Principles, or Nguzo Saba. The Seven Principles are Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith).

During the week-long celebration, one candle is lit each day on a kinara, or candle holder, to celebrate the seven days of Kwanzaa. Three red candles are lit on the left and three green candles are lit on the right, with a single black candle in the center.

Developed by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966 and was created to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture. Karmamu House also held arts education workshops after the ceremony.
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The purple dots represent areas where the county has identified solid-waste disposal sites that could be evaluated for placement of a solar farm in the future.

(Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, Ohio EPA and Cuyahoga County Board of Health)

CLEVELAND, OHIO - Some people are actually jazzed by the fact that Cuyahoga County is home to more than 100 solid-waste disposal sites, many of them old municipal dumps.

Why the excitement?

Because somebody might one day want to use the otherwise development-challenged sites for solar farms that would provide a clean and renewable source of energy for the region.

Mike Foley, director of sustainability for the county, requested an inventory of sites to get a better idea of the tainted land resources that could be used to produce green energy in the future.

The county already has such a project in the works. It plans to use a developer to erect a solar farm on an as-yet-to-be-chosen site. The project is part of a 10-year, power purchase agreement with Cleveland Public Power that calls for the county to buy locally generated wind and solar energy.

The leading contender for the farm is the Brooklyn municipal landfill, which is closed.

The electricity generated by the solar farm will be used to power county-owned buildings. As party of the power purchase agreement, the county will also buy some of the electricity that will be generated by an offshore wind farm planned for Lake Erie.

But Foley wants to know what else is out there in case there is interest in reclaiming more landfills or brownfields in the future to generate clean energy from solar power.

As it turned out, Jessica Fenos, principal planner at the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, had been compiling a much more comprehensive list of waste disposal sites from information provided by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.

A shorter list provided to Foley does not include sites that may have hazardous substances, Fenos said. Sites that are on the list include those used to dispose of municipal waste, construction and demolition debris and fly ash. Fly ash is particulate generated by furnaces.

While landfills may not be suitable for extensive development, in part because of the methane gas that often accumulates underground, they might accommodate panels that don't pierce through the landfill's protective cap.

In many cases, the sites are areas that functioned as city dumps years ago, Fenos said.

Fenos said the list is an initial stab at creating an inventory of potential sites and that there could be additions and subtractions along the way.

"It will be refined as we go," she said.

The identified sites can be found throughout the county, with a heavy concentration in and around Cuyahoga Heights and Garfield Heights.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- No debris has been found from the plane that went missing Thursday night at Burke Lakefront Airport, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

No signs of any kind of wreckage have been located in the two- to three-mile search area, Capt. Michael Mullen, chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland, said at a Friday news conference.

The plane was carrying six people, including a Columbus beverage executive who was piloting the plane. He and the others, his family and neighbors, including three children, went to a Cleveland Cavaliers game at Quicken Loans Arena Thursday night.

".....There's several faint hits of an ELT (emergency locating transmitter) but we have not received a strong steady pulse of an ELT signal at this time," he said.

Mullen did not say what caused the disappearance.

He said he believes there could be survivors, and search teams are out there looking for them.

When asked how long someone could last in the cold water, Mullen said it all comes down to a "will to survive."

The aircraft dropped off the radar around 11 p.m., according to Christopher Yaw, public affairs specialist with the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland. He indicated it was two miles away from the airport above the lake when the last signal came through.

The plane, which can hold up to 11 people, was heading to Ohio State University Airport. The plane was based at the airport, said an OSU official.

At the time of the flight there was light snow.

The plane is a Cessna 525, Yaw said.

A helicopter from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit is assisting as well as a plane from the Royal Canadian Airforce, Yaw said.

Water depth in the search area is around 50 feet and winds are 30 to 35 miles an hour.

Bristol Bay out of Detroit is helping in the search.
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that application of the Exclusionary Rule Reform Act (ERRA), Tenn. Code Ann.  40-6-108(a), to cases in which the evidence was seized prior to the statutes enactment does not violate the constitutional prohibition against ex post facto laws.

Ex post facto laws are laws that are passed and take effect after an event takes place but are still applied to that event. Both the United States and Tennessee constitutions prohibit such laws under certain circumstances.

The ERRA provides that evidence seized pursuant to a search warrant shall be admissible notwithstanding a good faith mistake or technical violation made by a law enforcement officer, court official, or issuing magistrate. In determining that retroactive application of the ERRA did not violate the federal or state constitution, the Court concluded that the ex post facto clause of Tennessees Constitution is similar in definition and scope to that contained in the United States Constitution, overruling prior precedent that held that our states ex post facto clause provided greater protection than its federal counterpart.



This case arose when law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for the residence of the defendant, John Henry Pruitt, executed a search, and seized evidence of a crime that was later admitted into evidence against the defendant at trial. The warrant displayed two dates, October 18 and 19, 2010, giving rise to a question of when the warrant was actually issued. Testimony at the pre-trial suppression hearing established that any error in the warrant was a technical error or a mistake due to the time of daythe proximity to midnightand that the warrant was not executed prior to being officially issued.



The trial court ruled that the ERRA applied to the defendants case, even though the statute did not take effect until July 1, 2011. Following a trial, the defendant was convicted of two counts of first degree premeditated murder, one count of attempted premeditated murder, and three counts of aggravated assault. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The defendant appealed to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, which upheld the defendants convictions on different grounds than the trial court.



The Supreme Court granted the defendants application for permission to appeal to consider whether retroactive application of the ERRA would violate constitutional protections against ex post facto laws and to reevaluate prior Tennessee ex post facto analysis. The ex post facto challenge was the only constitutional issue involving the ERRA that was at issue in this case.



In a unanimous opinion released Friday, the Court concluded that retroactive application of the ERRA does not infringe upon ones constitutional protection against ex post facto laws. The Court explained that to run afoul of the ex post facto prohibition, a statute must fall into one of four prohibited categories: it criminalizes an action that was innocent when done; it aggravates a crime; it changes the punishment for the crime; or it changes the rules of evidence to lower the quantum of evidence required to convict the offender. The ERRA does not fall into any of those categories.



Moreover, the Court revisited prior Tennessee precedent analyzing our constitutions ex post facto clause and concluded that nothing within the text of our constitution or our States history supports the conclusion that our ex post facto clause is more expansive than its federal counterpart. This Court overruled prior precedent to the contrary.



Read the opinion in State v. John Henry Pruitt, authored by Justice Roger Page.






India's program to remove 500 and 1,000 rupee bank notes (around $7.36 and $14.72) from the financial system has entered its final day on Friday, but it wasn't clear when the subcontinent's economy would get back to normal.

The program, dubbed demonetization, was aimed at removing around 86 percent of India's hard currency from circulation, leading to huge lines at banks around the country as consumers tried to deposit their notes.

Supporters had hailed the move, which was initially pegged as an important step in the fight against counterfeit notes as well as the so-called black money that has plagued the economy for years. But the unexpected step also spurred hardship as much of the country's economy is cash-based, especially in poorer areas.

The government planned to replace the defunct notes with new 500 and 2,000 notes, but media reports indicated the distribution of the new bills to banks was slow.

While the program may have largely succeeded in getting India's people to take their bank notes out of their mattresses and put them in a bank account, spending the money has become a sticky wicket for returning the economy to normal.

Bank withdrawals remained limited, with account holders only able to remove around 24,000 rupees a week (around $353), or around 2,500 rupees a day from cash machines.

"The money has been deposited in the banks. For people to use it, they need to make withdrawals," noted Radhika Rao, an India economist at DBS Bank. "Those limits on withdrawals need to be lifted. That part has been extremely slow. It's not allowing people to spend."
President Barack Obama announced on Thursday a decision to expel the 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying and to impose sanctions on the two Russian intelligence agencies over their alleged involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election.

In a move that overturns an earlier plan by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to expel 35 U.S. diplomatic staff from Moscow and close two facilities used by the U.S. embassy, the RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-U.S. relations.

President Vladimir Putin ruled out on Friday expelling anyone in retaliation for Washington's decision to throw out 35 Russian diplomats and impose sanctions on two of the country's intelligence agencies.

As well as rejecting Lavrov's plan, Putin also said he saw the sanctions as another step to undermine relations between Moscow and Washington, and he regretted that the Obama administration was ending its term in such a way.

"We regard the recent unfriendly steps taken by the outgoing US administration as provocative and aimed at further weakening the Russia-US relationship. This runs contrary to the fundamental interests of both the Russian and American people. Considering the global security responsibilities of Russia and the United States, this is also damaging to international relations as a whole," Putin said in translated statement on the Kremlin's English-language website.

Putin went on to add that he would be inviting "all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas children's parties in the Kremlin."

"It is regrettable that the Obama Administration is ending its term in this manner. Nevertheless, I offer my New Year greetings to President Obama and his family," Putin added.

"My season's greetings also to President-elect Donald Trump and the American people."

A total of 96 Russians, including expelled diplomats and their families, are expected to leave the U.S. due to the sanctions, Reuters said, citing Russia's Foreign Ministry from a TASS news agency report.

Earlier Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said the Obama administration was ending its term in "anti-Russia death throes."

The U.S. sanctions also closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for "intelligence-related purposes."

Earlier on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova already warned of payback after the White House penalized Moscow for alleged interference in the U.S. 2016 election.



"We can only add that if Washington takes new hostile steps, it will receive an answer. This applies to any actions against Russian diplomatic missions in the United States, which will immediately backfire at U.S. diplomats in Russia. The Obama administration probably does not care at all about the future of bilateral relations, but history will hardly forgive it for this apres-nous-le-deluge attitude," she said in an official statement.
The Tennessee Supreme Court has clarified that the criminal offense of stalking, as defined under Tennessee law, contains both an objective element and a subjective element of significant mental suffering or distress that must be met to sustain a conviction. The Court emphasized that the State must present evidence that a victim actually experienced significant mental suffering or distress.This matter arose when the defendant, Nicole Flowers, placed disparaging signs at the home and workplace of the alleged victim, Jason Dale, with whom she had a daughter.In addition to the signs accusing Mr. Dale of being a deadbeat dad, Ms. Flowers also initiated several unwanted text messages in which she chastised Mr. Dale for his lack of involvement in their daughters life. The culminating event occurred when Ms. Flowers followed Mr. Dale by vehicle when he left his place of employment. This event ended when Mr. Dale arrived at the local sheriffs department, parked his vehicle, and walked inside. Ms. Flowers was subsequently arrested and charged with stalking.In a bench trial, Mr. Dale testified generally that he did not want to be defamed and that Ms. Flowers had placed his job in jeopardy. The trial court concluded that the facts of the case established the element of significant mental suffering or distress. The trial court also rejected Ms. Flowerss argument asserting that her actions were protected as freedom of speech under the First Amendment. She was sentenced to a term of eleven months, twenty-nine days, all of which was to be served on probation. Ms. Flowers appealed to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, which upheld Ms. Flowerss conviction.The Supreme Court granted Ms. Flowerss permission to appeal to consider whether the evidence presented in the bench trial was sufficient to sustain her conviction and whether her placing disparaging signs in the community was an exercise of free speech that was protected by the First Amendment.In a unanimous opinion released today, the Court concluded that the evidence presented at Ms. Flowerss trial was insufficient to sustain her conviction of stalking. Specifically, the Court held that while the facts of this case could objectively cause significant mental suffering or distress, Mr. Dale did not testify that he personally or actually experienced such feelings, as required by the subjective element of the offense.Because the Courts opinion regarding the sufficiency of the evidence resolved the case, the Court did not address Ms. Flowerss argument that the conviction violated her right to freedom of speech.To read the unanimous opinion in State v. Nicole Flowers, authored by Justice Roger Page, visit the opinions section of TNCourts.gov
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It has been a roller-coaster ride for sterling in 2016 as the currency plunged to levels not seen in more than a generation on the back of the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union but analysts expect the currency to strengthen from current lows as Brexit negotiations start to take shape. "The long-term outlook for sterling will be heavily influenced by the outcome of the Brexit negotiations," Kallum Pickering, senior UK economist at Berenberg told CNBC via email. He further explained that Brexit represents a long-term supply-side shock for the U.K. through less trade, migration and investment with the EU. "A soft outcome for Brexit would mean a less negative long-term impact growth and a stronger long-term rise in sterling."



Sterling 'flash crash'

The currency has seen a lot of volatility since the referendum vote on June 23. While the initial moves were dramatic, plunging from the highs of $1.50 to a 31-year low of $1.32, the pound continues to remain under pressure at current levels of $1.22. The currency is down nearly 17percent since the start of the year and nearly 17 percent down since the referendum day. However, some analysts have said the pound will start to strengthen now. "The British Pound has been the worst performing G-10 currency this year, reaching a 31-year low. Our analysis shows that GBP will strengthen against the Euro. We expect the worst case scenario is largely priced into GBP, which is at or near its structural nadir," Martin Arnold, director, FX and Macro strategist at ETF Securities told CNBC via email. Arnold also said that the uncertainty surrounding the referendum and its impact on the pound will slowly fade. "While we feel the GBP is at its structural nadir, we expect some volatility will accompany the Supreme Court decision. Nonetheless, we expect the Pound to benefit in 2017. The Euro is likely to weaken as the ECB stays its current stimulatory course," Arnold said.



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A number of analysts have said that while trade-weighted sterling has appreciated during the past month as economic data has come in strong, the pound is expected to appreciate further as there is more certainty on U.K.'s exit from the EU. "We expect the rough outline of a post-Brexit deal with the EU to take shape before the German elections in Q4 2017," Stephen Gallo, European head of FX strategy at BMO Financial Group, told CNBC via email. "In order to contain populist uprisings in their own jurisdictions, EU politicians that occupy the center ground will be less able to take an aggressive stance towards the U.K." Gallo said he expects sterling to fall to $1.21 in the next six months but then climb back up to $1.36 by the end of 2017. "Political tensions in the euro zone should deflect flows in Europe away from the EUR towards the GBP" Gallo said.

Is monetary policy a driver?

While uncertainty around the actual timing of Brexit and geopolitical events such as the U.S. election and Italian referendum continue to be a big driver for currency movements, speculations around the change in central banks' monetary policy also contributes to the volatility. ETF Securities' Arnold explained that the currency market will remain dominated by monetary policy changes from central banks across the world. "Currency volatility will be at the forefront of investors' minds, heightened by ongoing QE policies and political uncertainty. As central bank quantitative easing (QE) policies have kept currency market volatility elevated, the outlook for currencies remains dominated by the global path for monetary policy in 2017."


Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Mylan  The drugmaker announced the launch of a generic version of Johnson & Johnson's Concerta, a drug designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Lockheed Martin  Lockheed was awarded a $450 million modification contract by the Pentagon, related to the development and delivery of F-35A aircraft to South Korea.

General Dynamics  General Dynamics was awarded a $324.5 million modification contract by the Navy for ESB (Expeditionary Sea Base) 5.

Gulfport Energy  The oil and natural gas exploration company said Chief Financial Officer Aaron Gaydosik is resigning, effective Jan. 4, to pursue other opportunities.

Amazon.com , Wal-Mart  Amazon and Wal-Mart were sued by Run-DMC founder Darryl McDaniels, who accuses the retail giants of selling clothing and accessories with the rap group's name without permission.

 Petrobras announced a number of asset sales to end the year, but the Brazilian state-run oil company fell short of the $15.1 billion it had planned to divest for 2015 and 2016. Asset sales for the two years totaled $13.6 billion.

Qualcomm  Qualcomm settled a dispute with Chinese smartphone maker Meizu Technology, signing a worldwide patent licensing agreement. Qualcomm had sued Meizu in a number of countries in an attempt to get the company to license Qualcomm patents.

Charter Communications  Charter and Comcast's NBCUniversal are at a contract impasse, which could result in NBC channels being pulled off Charter systems on New Year's Day. Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal.

Royal Bank of Scotland  The bank has been asked by shareholder groups to create an investor committee to improve corporate governance.

Apple  Apple's iPhones will be made in Bengaluru, India beginning in April, according to a Times of India report. Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Wistron is building a factory that will make those phones.

Sprint  The mobile phone company may be making the right moves to prompt a merger with T-Mobile US , according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced it is extending the feedback period for comments about use of the word "healthy" on food packaging.

The move gives the food industry and consumer groups more time to weigh in on whether the government should redefine the meaning of "healthy" on food labels.

But it also gives the incoming Trump administration more time to review the issue, and could ultimately lead to reforms in the way the government comes up with food and labeling guidelines.



Use of the term "healthy" to make certain nutrient claims has become controversial over the years, prompting the FDA to issue warnings to certain manufacturers.

Back in September, the FDA indicated it wanted to receive comments from the public by Jan. 26; it has now has extended that date to April 26.

"They are collecting endless comments," said Marion Nestle, a New York University professor specializing in nutrition, food studies and public health. "What this does is move all of this to the new administration, and who knows what they will do about these things."



The delay in the comment period comes as President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to reduce business regulations. In September, Trump made a speech lashing out at the cost of regulations; one area his campaign has targeted is the FDA.



"Mr. Trump is on record saying that the FDA is 'food police' and he doesn't like that," said NYU's Nestle. "Everything that the FDA is doing is up for grabs."

The FDA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Trump's choice for HHS secretary is Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, a six-term GOP lawmaker and a physician. In 2009, Price voted against a bill that would have expanded the FDA's authority to regulate food products.



In a statement Friday, the FDA told CNBC the agency "extended the comment period on the use of the term 'healthy' in the labeling of food products to April 26, 2017, in response to requests for additional time to submit comments. The FDA also intends to hold a public meeting to facilitate further dialogue on this topic."



Earlier this year, the Grocery Manufacturers Association  a trade group representing the large food and beverage brands as well as major grocers  asked the FDA to review the nutrition content claims and health claims regulations.



The FDA's current "guidance" to industry manufacturers is that foods can make the "healthy" claim if they "have a fat profile makeup of predominantly mono and polyunsaturated fats" or "contain at least 10 percent" of daily recommended potassium or vitamin D.



In the past, the FDA has issued warnings when it felt these guidelines were not being followed. One such company that received a "warning letter" in March 2015 was Kind, a New York-based snack company known for its fruit and nut bars.



Kind fought the agency's claims that it had wrongly made nutrient content claims. The FDA ended up reversing its position, and Kind issued a press release in May touting how it can once gain use "healthy" on its labels. Kind didn't return requests for comment at deadline.

While the FDA considers how to redefine the term "healthy," "food manufacturers can continue to use the term...on foods that meet the current regulatory definition," the agency's website states.
Oil pump oil rig energy industrial machine for petroleum. Getty Images

The OPEC and non-OPEC landmark deal to cut production by 1.8 million barrels a day in 2017 enters into force this Sunday. The first month of implementation will be key to understand whether everyone will respect the deal, but according to analysts full compliance is very unlikely. January will be "the first big test," Alex Dryden, global market strategist at JP Morgan, told CNBC over the phone. Dryden doesn't expect 100 percent compliance among OPEC members, but a broad compliance of about 80 percent. Furthermore, risks related with non-OPEC members, shale gas production, and a stronger dollar could compromise the success of the deal even further.

Participants attend the opening session of the 15th International Energy Forum in Algiers on September 27, 2016. Ryad Kramidi | AFP | Getty Images

In late November, OPEC members pledged to cut production by 1.2 million barrels per day  for the first time in eight years. In early December, some non-OPEC countries, such as Russia, joined their efforts and promised to cut output by 600,000 barrels per day. Their aim is to lift oil prices. "OPEC production cuts will help alleviate the current oversupply, allowing recent price gains to be sustained, and possibly providing momentum for even higher prices," Thomas Watters, global ratings credit analyst at Standard and Poor's, said last week in a note. "But, as higher prices kick in, shale production would likely quickly ramp up, effectively capping oil prices above $60," he added. So far, Venezuela, an OPEC-member, has already confirmed that it will cut production by 95 000 barrels a day as of January 1. Given its economic struggles, implementing the deal is in its interest. But according to Dryden from JP Morgan, the U.S. dollar is likely to strengthen in 2017 which could force countries, like Venezuela to keep production at present levels. "A stronger dollar puts pressure (on financial balance sheets for some countries, like Venezuela)," Dryden said. A stronger dollar means that some countries will be more indebted and thus forced to produce more oil to offset the impact on their balance sheets.

Russia seen as a question mark

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Timing is everything. And President Obama has made a timing mistake that threatens to damage his legacy for many years to come.

This has already been the busiest and most tumultuous transition period in modern American history. Donald Trump has been uncharacteristically active for a President-elect, making deals with individual companies to keep jobs in the U.S., making several highly controversial cabinet choices, and continuing to tweet and speak out with brash regularity.

Of course, President Obama has been uncharacteristically active for an outgoing president too. He's breaking records for the sheer number of pardons and commuted sentences he's ordered, especially for Americans still imprisoned for non-violent drug crimes. He's moving to block oil and other energy exploration in a massive swath of U.S. lands and waters. And now, the White House is announcing new sanctions and booting many Russian diplomats out of the country to retaliate against Moscow's alleged interference in the presidential election. Russia has already promised to respond with measures of its own.

This could get ugly, but each of the above actions are political positives for President Obama. They're all popular with most of the American public. As an added bonus for the Obama team and his fellow Democrats, the Russia story weakens Trump. That was clear even in the case of the usually unfiltered and sharp spoken President-elect Trump.

When asked Wednesday night about the Russian hacking and the impending Obama administration retaliation, Trump uncharacteristically couldn't say anything definitive and he almost mumbled limp responses like, "America should move on," and "Computers have complicated lives." Huh?

But here's the problem for President Obama: None of the above is going to really matter. Because none of these political point-scoring moves will stir up as much media attention, controversy, and brew such new animosity against President Obama and his administration as his decision to punish Israel at the United Nations when it allowed the Security Council to adopt a resolution condemning Israeli settlements. In short, President Obama is blowing a chance to go out of office on a popularity high.
President Barack Obama's decision to expel 35 Russian diplomats and impose new sanctions on Moscow was necessary, given President-elect Donald Trump's "dismissive" comments about hacking reports, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia said Friday.

"I think most importantly what the Obama administration did yesterday was to assign direct attribution with overwhelming evidence with who interfered in our election process," Michael McFaul said on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

Obama announced the sanctions on Thursday, citing Russia's alleged involvement in hacking political groups in the 2016 presidential election. In a statement, Trump said, "It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things."

"I thought it was necessary," McFaul said, referring to Obama's actions. "Especially given that the next president, President-elect Trump, has been so dismissive of the intelligence."

Trump did say Thursday he plans to meet with intelligence leaders next week for an update in the situation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ruled out expelling anyone in retaliation for now to see what Trump does after he takes office on Jan. 20.

McFaul, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, said Putin's response was unusual.



"Usually in one of these instances, there's a tit-for-tat response," he said. "And even Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov already had put together the names of diplomats to expel. But obviously President Putin has decided he's going to wait and deal with the next guy."

Olga Oliker, senior adviser and director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at CSIS, said a "tit-for-tat" response is usually how major governments behave in such situations. She said Obama's decision makes it clear how the U.S. will respond to future allegations of election hacking.



"The new executive order provides a good bit of leeway there," Oliker said on "Squawk Box."

McFaul said Washington's action are not enough, and that more should be done about the alleged hacking.



"I still have 100 different questions about what happened and how the Obama administration responded to the intelligence that they received in real time during the election," McFaul said. "We can't just think of this as a bump in the road and move on."

One key challenge the Trump administration will face in 2017 is making the nation's systems more secure from cyber attacks, Former Assistant Attorney General John Carlin told CNBC on Friday.



"I think as we move towards this new approach of figuring out who did it, making it public and imposing consequences that we have to get faster at it," he said.

"What we're seeing is not just governments being target and not just companies  large, small, medium sized  by crooks, terrorist and spies, but we're seeing everyday users. Just because it happens through cyber enabled means doesn't mean you get away with a free pass," he said.
This year has been a roller-coaster one for news, full of political upsets and shock outcomes. But while the Brexit vote and the U.S. election were making headlines, so too were apparently genuine stories that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton sold weapons to ISIS. After being fact-checked, it quickly became apparent that these stories were almost entirely fabricated. And while a slightly closer inspection would have shown that Popes are traditionally politically independent and no evidence has been found that Hillary Clinton has financial links to the so-called Islamic State, many people took the stories at face value. According to data from Buzzfeed published last month, these stories boasted nearly two million Facebook engagements, in the three months leading up to the U.S. election. To put that figure into perspective, during the same period, the top performing Facebook story for the New York Times racked up just over 370,000 engagements. A Buzzfeed investigation traced some of these fake publishers to a small town in Macedonia called Veles - where it discovered that over 140 fake news sites are based. CNBC looks at some of the biggest top performing fake stories of 2016, using engagement figures from Buzzfeed.



"Pope Francis shocks world, endorses Donald Trump for president"

Pope Francis Giampiero Sposito | Reuters

The story was originally published by a site called WTOE 5 News before being copied by a popular fake news publisher Ending the Fed. By November 8, the story had picked up 960,000 Facebook engagements, according to Buzzfeed. WTO5 News has since shut down its website. However, when it was operational, it openly admitted to fabricating content and even had a disclaimer on its homepage saying: "most articles on wt0e5news.com are satire or pure fantasy." Ending the Fed has taken down its version of the article, but is still publishing fake news and growing its audience on Facebook; it currently has over 350,000 followers. During a press conference on October 2, Pope Francis spoke publicly about the U.S. election for the first time, saying "I never say a word about electoral campaigns" and that there were "difficulties" with both candidates; Reuters reported. Francis also spoke out against the dangers of fake news on December 7 in an interview with the Belgian Catholic Weekly, calling it a "sickness."



"Donald Trump sent his own plane to transport 200 stranded marines"

Donald Trump Shannon Stapleton | Reuters

This was published by Americanmilitarynews.com in May and racked up 893,000 engagements, according to Buzzfeed's data. The article claimed that back in 1991, a bunch of Marines had been left stranded after Operation Desert Storm, and that Donald Trump had found out about it and sent his own plane to collect them. The story can be traced back to Sean Hannity, a popular conservative political commentator. His site, Hannity.com, still has the article up and says it has been confirmed by Trump's team. The Washington Post fact-checked Hannity's article and the real story is slightly different. A Trump-branded plane did indeed pick up the Marines, but it wasn't Donald Trump's personal jet. It was a Boeing 727 that was part of Trump Shuttle Inc, an airline owned by the president-elect from 1989-1992. TSI never turned a profit and by 1990 it had defaulted on its loans. The planes were eventually seized but, before the business was sold, TSI contracted out planes to the U.S. Army.



John Podesta Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory emerged after WikiLeaks released emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. Reading the emails, online communities such as 4chan and Reddit began theorizing about possible double meanings which could be inferred from the exchanges. It was quickly decided that emails about social gatherings involving "pizza," were code for something much darker; a secret underground human trafficking/child sex abuse ring, involving senior members of the Clinton campaign. There has been no evidence to support claims that Comet, the Washington pizzeria mentioned in the emails is up to any wrongdoing. In fact, after investigating the claims, the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia characterised the matter as a "fictitious conspiracy theory". The New York Times, Fox News and the Washington Post have also failed to find any unlawful activity at the restaurant.



"Ireland is now officially accepting Trump refugees from America"

columbiahillen | iStock | Getty Images

Nearly a million people read this story on Facebook. Actually the piece did not even mention Ireland, it references Inishturk - a small island off the coast of Ireland which has no say on Irish immigration policy. Furthermore the article, which was published by Winning Democrats, referenced how Canada has adopted an open door immigration policy for disgruntled Americans - which it hasn't. Nonetheless, the story generated 810,000 engagements.



"WikiLeaks confirms Hillary sold weapons to ISIS  Then drops another bombshell"

Reuters

Published on August 4, this article was written by The Political Insider after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made comments about Hillary Clinton during an interview in late July. The article states that Assange contended "Hillary Clinton and her State department were actively arming Islamic jihadists, which includes ISIS" and generated some 789,000 engagements, according to Buzzfeed data. What Assange actually said, was that a Hillary Clinton-led State Department had approved weapon shipments to Libya during the intervention in 2011, and that those weapons had later ended up in the hands of jihadists. Before Election Day, the article had 789,000 engagements according to Buzzfeed.



"FBI agent suspected in Hillary email leaks found dead in apartment murder-suicide"

The article, which generated some 567,000 Facebook engagements, according to Buzzfeed, was originally published by the Denver Guardian on November 5. The site has since been deleted, but it once called itself "Denver's oldest news source". In reality, that title belongs to the Denver Post, which has been publishing since 1892.The Denver Guardian article prompted the Post to publish a piece titled "There is no such thing as the Denver Guardian, despite that Facebook post you saw." In its article, the Denver Post draws attention to the fact that the contact address listed for the Denver Guardian is actually just a vacant car park.

"FBI director received millions from Clinton Foundation, his brothers law firm does Clintons taxes"

FBI director James Comey Getty Images

This was another big clicker for the website Ending the Fed with over 538,000 Facebook engagements, but a lot of the content seems to have been sourced from the right-wing news and commentary site Breitbart News. All that can really be proven is that FBI Director James Comey has worked for organizations in the past that have donated money or partnered with the Clinton Foundation. Brietbart has so far been unable to produce proof Comey directly took part in, or benefitted from any of the transactions. As for the taxes claim: Peter Comey is employed in some capacity by DLA Piper - a multinational law firm. According to Breitbart, DLA Piper conducted an independent audit of the Clinton Foundation in 2015, although there is no evidence to support this claim. The only clear link between DLA Piper and the Clinton Foundation is one of the firm's partners, Kathy Keneally. Before joining DLA Piper's New York office in 2014, Keneally worked as the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division. During her time at the DOJ Keneally carried out a four-year-long review of the Clinton Foundation's tax returns between 2010 and 2013.



"ISIS leader calls for American Muslim voters to support Hillary Clinton"

A fighter of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, holds a flag and a weapon. Reuters

WNDR is a self-confessed fake news outlet and the site's disclaimer points out that its content is fictional in nature and meant to be read as satire. Nonetheless, this article went viral among Trump supporters online and racked up over half a million engagements before November. WNDR alleged that a top ISIS leader released a video endorsing Hillary Clinton and threatening potential Donald Trump voters, calling them "infidels". This is another story copied and reposted by hundreds of fake news sites, often shared with the hashtag #ISISwithher, and clocked up some 522,000 Facebook engagements according to Buzzfeed.



"Hillary Clinton in 2013: I would like to see people like Donald Trump run for office; theyre honest and cant be bought"

Hillary Clinton, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, smiles during a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Within its first week, this article had already captured the attention of 481,000 readers, according to Buzzfeed. It has been published by a plethora of fake news sites, but it got the most attention on ConservativeState.com, one of the best performing Macedonian fake news outlets. While the quote was made up, it is loosely based on a comment Hillary Clinton made in a private speech to Goldman Sachs, an excerpt of which was published by WikiLeaks. What Clinton actually said was that she would like to see more successful business people enter politics.



"RuPaul claims Trump touched him inappropriately in the 90s"

Cosmetics company founder Francois Nars, German model and actress Veruschka von Lehndorff, American actor, model, and recording artist RuPaul, American fashion photographer Steven Meisel, and Canadian model Linda Evangelista, circa 1996. Rose Hartman | Archive Photos | Getty Images

After tapes surfaced of Donald Trump and broadcaster Billy Bush making obscene comments about women, so did this satirical story about the President-elect fondling one of America's most famous drag queens. Published by the satirical site World News Daily Report on October 15, the article said that RuPaul had been grabbed by the president-elect during a party in 1995. Buzzfeed data shows that before Election Day, this article had over 285,000 Facebook engagements.


Donald Trump threw more praise to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, a day after the Obama administration announced sanctions on people and organizations it believes were involved in suspected Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

The president-elect applauded Putin for holding off on retaliating to the U.S. actions, which included sanctions on nine entities and individuals and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats. Trump, breaking with many members of his Republican party, has so far downplayed the White House's actions and bipartisan concerns about possible Russian meddling, seeing them as attempts to delegitimize his election.

In a tweet, Trump called it a "great move" for Putin to wait before retaliating, adding that "I always knew he was very smart!" Giving it more exposure, he also pinned the tweet to his account, meaning more recent tweets will not appear above it as they normally would.

Trump tweet: Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!



On Friday, Putin called the measures "provocative" and "aimed at further weakening the Russia-U.S. relationship." But he said Russia would not expel any U.S. diplomats in response, after Russia's foreign minister earlier indicated that Moscow could. The move was interpreted as waiting to see if Trump will adopt a more conciliatory approach when he takes office next month.

The White House's actions were seen as putting Trump in a difficult spot, as top congressional Republicans called the sanctions "overdue" and more hawkish GOP senators said they would seek tougher measures against Russia. Trump's lauding of Putin comes after a statement Thursday night in which he said "it's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things" than concerns about Russia. He also said he will talk to the intelligence community next week about the "facts" that led to the sanctions.

Trump has received bipartisan criticism for appearing too warm with Putin. Trump has not yet said if he will keep Obama's sanctions, seek harsher actions or even roll back other existing measures.

In a statement Thursday, President Barack Obama said that "actions intended to interfere with the U.S. election process ... could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government." U.S. officials told NBC News earlier this month that they believe with a "high level" of confidence that Putin became personally involved in the suspected electoral meddling.

Trump's tweet Friday took a decidedly different tone from responses House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave to the sanctions Thursday. Ryan said in a statement that Russia has "consistently sought to undermine" America's interests and called Obama's actions "overdue."

McConnell, meanwhile, said that "the Russians are not our friends" and called the sanctions "a good initial step." He urged an "overwhelming response" to cyberattacks against the U.S.

Sen. John McCain, a hawk on policy toward Russia, has set a hearing on foreign cyberattacks against the U.S. for next week.

Trump's quote about Putin was also distributed more widely Friday on his Instagram account.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's relationship with its traditional ally, the U.S., took a rocky turn earlier this month following the passing of a UN Resolution which demanded an end to Israel's settlement building on Palestinian territory.

The U.S. abstained from its vote at the UN Security Council rather than vetoing the motion, and in the furore that followed Secretary of State John Kerry criticized Netanyahu's coalition as "the most right-wing in Israeli history."

But, while 14 out of the 15 UN Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution on December 23, Netanyahu's position may not be as isolated as it initially seemed.

Though Britain voted for the resolution, a spokesman for U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement Thursday afternoon that, "we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally."

He added that, "the (U.K.) Government believes that negotiations (between Israelis and Palestinians) will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community." The spokesman also said that peace would not be established "by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements," considering that the conflict was "so deeply complex."
The question that politicians should be discussing now is what kind of education is needed to stay ahead of automation, or more likely, to complement technology. Previous changes in the nature of work all required massive policy shifts in education. Universal high school started at the beginning of the 19th Century in the move from the farm to the factory. The move from the factory to the office in the 1960s and 1970s required education after high school and began the universal college movement. But higher education attainment in the U.S. has essentially leveled off during the past few decades. Even as more students have attempted college, not all are finishing. What's needed from the major presidential candidates is not just promises of making college more affordable, but a menu of policies that better align higher education with the workforce of the 21st Century.

A strategy to fill 'middle-skills jobs'

First, a strategy is needed to fill so-called "middle-skills jobs." These are positions that in previous generations would have been filled by high-school graduates, but today require more than a high-school diploma but less than a four-year degree. They include jobs in advanced manufacturing, health care, and information technology. Nearly half of the American workforce has these jobs today, but many of them are filled by aging Baby Boomers who soon will be retiring. It's expected that as many as 25 million new job openings in the next decade will be for middle-skills jobs. In a 2014 survey, Accenture found that 69 percent of human-resources executives said that middle-skill talent shortages "regularly affect their performance."

Unfortunately, too many high-school students who could take these jobs are discouraged from pursuing apprenticeships or community college degrees. Instead, parents and counselors encourage them to follow the well-plotted and well-trod course to a four-year college. But only about half of students who start at a four-year institution finish with a bachelor's degree. There are 12.5 million adults who leave college short of a degree, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.



Education for fifth job, not just first Another key reform to make higher education relevant for the 21st century workforce is to ensure that colleges and universities are not just training students, but educating them. Many colleges are chasing the latest and hottest career fields by creating new majors and programs narrowly tailored to get students a job right out of college. But in doing so, they are often paring back the liberal arts that supply students with the problem-solving abilities and communication skills critical to the workforce of the future.

Instead, our entire education system from primary school through college seems so focused on teaching skills that will be automated in the future. The jobs that are growing the most are those that require high social skills as well as analytical skills, according to David Deming, an associate professor of education and economics at Harvard University.

When high-school and college were first deemed necessary to succeed in the American economy, a one-size-fits-all approach to preparing for the workforce seemed adequate. But today, in a global, information economy, we need an education system with multiple pathways and approaches to ensure employment opportunities for workers at all skill levels and with varied backgrounds.
Some experts say there could be a temporary jump of 20 percent or more in the national average at some point in the spring when driving season picks up. Demand is softer in the winter months, but prices could get a bit higher through January and February.

Prices should be up in the new year, in large part because of higher oil prices but also because of the growing export market for U.S.-refined gasoline. Last week, the U.S. exported a record 1.1 million barrels a day, most likely to Mexico and South America.

After a year of relatively cheap driving, gasoline prices are creeping higher and consumers could even see a price spike by mid-2017.

Gasoline has already begun its climb. After holding below $2.30 per gallon of unleaded for 200 straight days, the national average for gasoline crossed that level Thursday. It was at $2.31 per gallon Friday, according to AAA. Gasoline futures, meanwhile, have risen in 9 of the last 11 sessions.

"There will be a spike and everyone will be talking about it and it will probably be between Easter and Memorial Day," said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service.

That spike could take the price at the pump temporarily to a national average of $2.75 to $2.85 per gallon, he said. Gasoline prices averaged about $2.12 per gallon this year, and the 2017 national average could range between $2.399 and $2.519 for unleaded, Kloza said.

Gas prices were about $2.40 in 2015, but higher for several years before that with the average $3.34 in 2014. There were some super low prices in the U.S. in 2016, with some drivers paying around $1.60 per gallon, but there were also price spikes, including in the Southeast when the Colonial pipe line was temporarily shut down.



"It's going to be front-end loaded. We're going to see a spike and then we'll see prices ease from that spike," Kloza said of 2017 pump prices. Some places, like Connecticut, California and Pennsylvania could temporarily see prices over $3 per gallon.

"That forecast depends on no hurricane and no border tax. The border tax is a new wild card that I just don't think is going to get passed," he said. The border tax is a congressional proposal to tax goods and services coming into the U.S. but not tax exports. The refining industry is opposed to it as it could be applied to oil imports.

"Part of the national average is being driven higher by the New Jersey gas tax and other taxes that will kick in starting New Year's," said John Kilduff of Again Capital. He said a handful of states are raising taxes on gasoline, including Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Kilduff said he sees gasoline prices trending higher just because of the rise in crude prices, up 45 percent in 2016 and 20 percent just since the election. The most recent runup is credited to a production deal between OPEC and non-OPEC producers, like Russia.

Whether gasoline will spike, however, is not clear, he said. "It has the potential, given all the exports," said Kilduff. "That's been the change, especially the sales to Mexico. What's going to happen to Venezuela is anybody's guess and they have refinery capacity that would be a problem if it's lost for any period of time."

Kloza said supply will also be impacted when refineries take capacity offline for maintenance ahead of the switch to summer fuels. About 30 percent of capacity will be affected by the turnaround, he said.

The exports should also support prices, he said. "It's a double-edged sword. It is the big difference maker going into 2017, compared to 2016," said Kloza.

The U.S. produces between 9 million and 10 million barrels of gasoline a day. Last week, U.S. consumers used about 9.3 million barrels a day of gasoline, while refiners also exported a record 1.1 million barrels a day.



The U.S. also imports gasoline to the East Coast from Europe, the Caribbean and Venezuela. That amounted to 434,000 barrels a day last week, down by about half of what was imported last year at the same time.



Kloza said the exports helped with a glut of gasoline in the U.S. "In the summertime, we got to where we made more than 10 million barrels a day of gasoline and manufactured more than 5 million barrels a day of distillates. That was a big deal. ... We thought you'd have 9 [million] and 4 [million] for domestic demand. If it weren't for gasoline exports  and the highest months can be December and January  we'd be looking at matching that big inventory buildup we had last January," he said.

Gasoline supplies surged in early 2016, to a record 258 million barrels.

Kloza said Mexico and South America are the key destinations for U.S. gasoline and diesel fuel. He expects Mexico is now importing about 500,000 barrels a day of U.S. gasoline. Mexico also exports about 500,000 barrels of oil per day to the U.S. In September, government data show Mexico imported 390,000 barrels a day. Detailed December data will be available in several months.

"We're the bread basket and the refiner to the world," said Kilduff. The U.S. also exported 1.4 million barrels a day of diesel fuel last week.

Kilduff said it's more difficult than usual to predict where oil and gasoline prices are heading in 2017.

"There's wild cards out there. Does the OPEC production deal hold together? Do the frackers come back in a big way? This is a tough year to call. In my opinion, it's the hardest one to call in a while because of all the policy uncertainty," he said. "The only thing that's supportive is we don't have an aggressive Saudi posture any longer. That's a big change."

Oil prices cratered in February 2016, after 14 months of a new Saudi Arabia-driven OPEC policy to let the market set prices. That policy led to a giant crude surplus which ultimately became a refined product glut as well.

As for gasoline, Kilduff said if margins improve, refiners will go full tilt. "They'll ramp up productive capacity. It's going to be a very up-and-down year," he said.
OWEGO, N.Y.  Businesses and organizations in Tioga County can apply for on-the-job (OJT) training funds from the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce during 2017.

The funding from the New York State Department of Labor can help businesses and organizations offset training costs for their employees, the Tioga County Chamber said in a news release.

The chamber will administer the program in partnership with the Tioga Employment Center.

The program begins Jan. 1.

The chamber OJT program provides support for local businesses that are either hiring a new employee or promoting a current employee to a new position.

In both cases, recipients will use the training grant to provide the employee with the additional training needed in order to fulfill the increased job responsibilities.

The OJT program offers businesses up to 50 percent of the wages paid for each new or existing full-time worker who participates.

The Tioga Employment Center will assist the chamber in the screening and assessment of trainees for the OJT program and provide additional assistance with program development and marketing.

Employers seeking more information about the OJT program can call Gwen Kania, president and CEO of the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, at (607) 687-2020, or email: business@tiogachamber.com.

They can also call Sheri McCall, manager of the Tioga Employment Center at (607) 687-8504 or email: McCallS@co.tioga.ny.us.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
Its not often that an Eisenhower dollar turns up today in general circulation. Bill O'Rourke suggests a better way to get them, in this week's top post on CoinWorld.com.

Its time to catch up on the week that was in numismatic insights and news.

Coin World is looking back at its five most-read stories of the week.

Click the links to read the stories. Here they are, in reverse order:

5. Gold poised to maintain its streak of consecutive weekly losses: Bloomberg News reports golds performance is maintaining its string of consecutive weekly losses, the longest decline in more than a year.

4. Coin Heist at the Philadelphia Mint? Its only a Netflix movie: Netflix will debut an original movie Jan. 6 that provides a fictional account of the planned theft of $10 million from the Philadelphia Mint.

3. Here are Coin Worlds Top 10 Stories of 2016: Monday Morning Brief: Its that time of year when Coin Worlds editors recap the top numismatic stories of the year.

2. Top 10 of 2016: American Liberty silver medals hot numismatic items: Collectors waited a year, until 2016, before the U.S. Mint finally issued the American Liberty silver medals.

1. Youre not likely to find an Eisenhower dollar in general circulation: Are you all ready to start a new year? Columnist O'Rourke is, and he advises a truly useful resolution.

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70-millimeter bronze medal captures the effects World War I had on Belgium when Germany invaded the nation in August 1914.

Numerous medals were issued during World War I that documented the horrors of the conflict.

Readers Ask column from the Jan. 16, 2017, issue of Coin World:

Upon my fathers passing some 20 years ago, I received a number of things he had collected in his lifetime, including some medals. One medal appears to be bronze and bears designs military in nature. Ive attached images to help in its identification.

Charles Howerton / Via email

The 70-millimeter gilded bronze medal is indeed military in nature. Designed, engraved and signed by Belgian engraver Pierre Theunis, its obverse and reverse designs reflect effects of Germanys 1914 invasion of Belgium during the early stages of World War I.

The obverse depicts the city of Namur as a crowned woman standing, her arms crossed in defiance, flanked by two nude female figures, seated and resting. The seated figures personify the Sambre and Meuse rivers.

Inscribed around the top border is NAMUR BRAVE LES OBUS AUTRICHIENS, which translates from French into English as Namur braves the Austrian shells. A bridge and mountainscape are in the background.

The engravers signature, P. THEUNIS, appears above the exergue, in which is inscribed 425 AOUT 1914 (August 4 to 25, 1914). A circled AM monogram below the nude at right stands for the Amis de la Medaille d Art (Friends of the Art Medal). The dates mark the Aug. 4 start of German forces shelling Namur, using heavy artillery on loan from Austria-Hungary, and the end of the bombardment Aug. 25 with the citys last fort leveled, forcing the evacuation of Belgian forces to Antwerp by way of Ostend.

On the medals reverse, in the left foreground a soldier stands while another soldier sits at right; P. THEUNIS is below. In the background, soldiers disembark from a military ship at right; the tower of St. Pauls Church of Ostend is seen at left. Inscribed around is SA GARNISON DEBARQUE A OSTENDE (Garrison landing in Ostend). In the exergue, in two lines, appears 2 ET 3 SEPTEMBRE / -1914. (Sept. 2 and 3, 1914).

Uncirculated examples of the Belgian medal have sold on eBay for under $150.
Dick Portillo's Suburban Home With Indoor Pool & Tiki Bar Is Up For Sale (Corrected)

By Rachel Cromidas in Food on Dec 30, 2016 5:42PM

Updated 1:30 p.m.:

You can own the former home of Dick Portillo, the founder of the iconic restaurant chain Portillo's known to some as "the hot dog king."

Portillo's swanky suburban Addison home has a tiki bar and an indoor pool. According to the real estate listing, which lists the 2,600 square-foot home at $549,000, other features of the 220 N. Cardinal home included heated floor tiles, a billiards room, California Bamboo hardwood floors, an aromatherapy steam shower and a pool room sauna.

[HT Curbed]

Correction: We and other outlets previously reported that home was owned by "Hot Dog King" Ira Helfner, the Chicagoan who introduced the Chicago-style Vienna beef hotdog to Honolulu, based on information in the real estate listing. It was owned by Portillo, not Helfner, the listing agent told Chicagoist Friday afternoon. We regret the error.
Donna James Leads a Bold Plan to Revive Victorias Secret

James has a proven record as a C-suite executive and adviser. Now, shes guiding the lingerie giant toward a more inclusive, financially sound future.
Photos: Protesters Tell Pence To 'Go Away' Outside Illinois GOP Fundraiser

By aaroncynic in News on Dec 30, 2016 8:50PM

More than 100 people demonstrated outside the Chicago Club in the Loop midday Friday where Vice President Elect Mike Pence attended a fundraiser the Illinois GOP held for the Republican National Committee.

Demonstrators, who chanted Racist, sexist, anti-gayMike Pence go away began to line the barricades shortly after Pence was ushered through a back door away from the front sidewalks.



No one who doesnt have a vagina has any business talking about vaginas, said Betty Holcolmb, a board member for the Coalition for Reproductive Choice. I will fight forever for reproductive rights, for women to be able to control their bodies.

Marie Cobb, a senior citizen, told the crowd she came to speak out against Pence and Trump over fears of what the new administration could do to gut social services for seniors and people with disabilities.

Some people are saying we should give them a chance, said Cobb. I dont understand thatwith all the people hes appointing to his cabinet, we know exactly what the plan is.

The biggest thing were trying to get out to people is that we are going to need to fight, said John Beacham of the ANSWER Coaltion. We are gonna organize and unite and protect immigrants, Muslims, women, people of color, LGBTQ people, the environment, the disabled and, honestl,y the list goes on and on.

While the fundraiser, which began at $2,700 a ticket, was not attended by Gov. Bruce Rauner, his name was listed on the host committee along with several other prominent Illinois Republicans. According to the Chicago Tribune, an official said the event was expected to raise between $500,000 and $1 million.

Meanwhile outside, at least one person was doing some fundraising of their own. Veep look-alike Mike Hot-Pence was on hand wearing a blue suit and shorts collecting money for Planned Parenthood. I read about two weeks ago Mike Pence was planning a big fundraiser, said the New York native. While a lot of us have been licking our wounds for the past 8 weeks hes been planning and mobilizing. He certainly has his eye on the 2018 and 2020 races so I thought it was important to get out here today to raise some awareness and dollars for causes and people hes abandoned.


Startup culture introduced a lot of change to the traditional workplace by normalizing open office plans, fun break rooms, free food and flexible schedules. Part of these perks are a way to compete for the top tech talent, but they also serve as a way to keep current employees happy, encouraging them to stay with the company for the long haul.

But now that companies like Facebook, Google and HubSpot have grown up, moving past their startup nature, they've started taking employee benefits a step further, offering huge benefits to workers. These 10 tech companies each offer employees at least one benefit that flies in the face of traditional employee benefits.

AirBnB's travel credit

Rated by Glassdoor as the best company to work for, AirBnB offers each employee a $2,000 yearly travel credit to use on AirBnB. Employees can enjoy the site they work for, using that stipend to stay in an AirBnB rental anywhere in the world. Reviews on Glassdoor also praise the company's dedication to becoming an increasingly family-friendly business for employees. Employee reviews reference 10 weeks of parental leave, regular on-site family activities, flexible work schedules, pre-tax childcare benefits and full-employer paid health benefits.

Hubspot's sabbatical

Hubspot is ranked fourth on Glassdoor's list of best places to work, the company offers no shortage of unique employee perks. Reviewers on Glassdoor mention free subscriptions to the Kindle Books program, beer on tap and even a nap room as just a few of the unique perks at HubSpot. But the most impressive benefit is HubSpot's sabbatical program, which gives workers one month paid leave once they reach their five-year anniversary with the company. That's a month to travel, work on personal projects or just relax to come back to work reinvigorated and refreshed.

[ Related story: 4 employee benefits that will improve retention ]

Facebook's paternity leave

Facebook was one of the early tech startups that helped popularize free lunches, commuter reimbursement, onsite gyms and unique office spaces. But as the company has grown, and as Mark Zuckerberg's family has grown, the company recently brought its employee benefits up a notch. After taking his own extended paternity leave, Zuckerberg decided to do the same for all his employees, extending the maternity and paternity leave to four months that new parents can take anytime during the year after their baby's birth. In addition to extended leave, Facebook also gives employees $4,000 after they have a baby to use on anything for their new child.

Netflix's parental leave

If Facebook made headlines for its generous paternity and maternity leave, Netflix has one upped them by offering new parents a full year to take as much time off as they need to. During that year, new parents can choose to work a flexible schedule, part-time, or not at all, but will still receive their full salary and benefits. And to sweeten the deal even further, Netflix extended its generous parental leave to hourly workers as well as full-time employees.

LinkedIn's wellness credit

LinkedIn offers a lot of the same benefits as other tech companies; employees enjoy free food, free healthcare, pet insurance and on-site fitness, and employees generally seem happy, with a 4.7 rating on Glassdoor. But LinkedIn takes its dedication to employee wellness even further by giving each worker $2,000 a year to be spent on wellness activities like massages or fitness classes. In addition to wellness activities, employees can also choose to spend the money on things like childcare.

[ Related story: Why employee experience trumps company culture ]

Spotify's fertility coverage

Spotify made headlines for coming first in a comparison of companies with the best fertility coverage. In fact, the data found that out of every industry, tech companies generally offered the most expansive and comprehensive fertility coverage. These tech companies also had the most flexible policies around who can take advantage of the fertility coverage. Employees on Glassdoor note that the coverage doesn't have a cap and that it extends to both fertility treatments and egg freezing.

Salesforce's paid volunteer work

Salesforce isn't the first company to encourage its employees to give back to the community, but it is one of the few that pays its workers to do so; employees at Salesforce get seven paid volunteer days off every year. The company even incentivizes its most charitable employees, granting $10,000 to each of the 100 top volunteers every fiscal year for them to donate to a non-profit organization of their choice. And for teams that want to volunteer together, the company offers grants to help fund those initiatives.

PwC's student loan pay down

Companies are realizing that their entry-level workers are entering the workforce saddled with debt from their education, which is why PwC introduced a Student Loan Paydown program. Associates or senior associates can get up to $1,200 every year to put towards their loans. Employees can take advantage of the program for up to six years with the company, and the intent is to help new employees pay down their loan as soon as three years faster. PwC also calculates that the program can save workers up to $10,000 on principal and interest as long as they continue making the extra $100 payment after the program ends.

[ Related story: Family-friendly benefits key to attracting top tech talent ]

Accenture's gender reassignment

Accenture prides itself on an inclusive work environment that embraces diversity, and they made that point extra clear by becoming the first consulting firm to offer employees coverage for gender reassignment surgery. The benefits include coverage for cross-border assignment benefits as well as a global medical plan for employees that need to travel for procedures. Gender reassignment coverage is just one aspect of Accenture's commitment to building an inclusive environment for everyone, including LGBT employees.

Zillow's extensive coverage

Zillow doesn't have just one employee benefit that stands out, instead the company offers what one employee on Glassdoor calls, "an absolutely phenomenal benefits package." Employee reviews of Zillow's benefits on Glassdoor have one common theme -- Zillow created a thoughtful, expansive benefits package that has something for every employee. In fact, one employee even commented that her doctors and pharmacy were blown away by their healthcare plan, while another says that the health benefits only get better with each passing year at the company. Employees enjoy perks like unlimited PTO, free food, complete health coverage, commuter and gym reimbursement, 401k matching and generous parental leave.

Related Video

This story, "10 companies with employee benefits you won't believe" was originally published by CIO .
President-elect Donald Trump has quite a presence on Twitter with over 18 million followers. He tweets, companies scurry under the rug. His supporters flock to retweet what he says, and the trolls who try to mock him are essentially lost in a haze of confusion. Say what you want about his political views, but hes one of the few successful users on Twitter, perhaps even winning the election in 140-characters.

The rest of us out in the digital domain? While Trump has millions of followers, many Twitter users are content with a few hundred or a few thousand. When you tweet, a stalker-type can easily invade your stream and start harassing you all day long. Its hard not to notice. You can report this, but theres a void. You can block certain phrases, but the trolls will find workarounds.

In a fairly unprecedented move, the CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, decided to invite users to give their opinions about what Twitter needs to do to improve. He spent about six hours replying to tweets yesterday. Some of the user suggestions are a little underwhelming. Having a way to edit a post might seem novel to the Twitterverse, but its been an option on Facebook for years. Twitter is what I would call too binary in that they care about things like character limits for users and whether your username should count in that limit. Having a big debate about editing tweets seems like a way to move some of the dirt around in their grave site. The hole is already there.

Twitter doesnt seem to be aware of online harassment or abuse, or at least has not taken the issue seriously enough. My hope is that the service finds a way to make it clearer who is actually doing the trolling -- being able to find a real name would help, in the same way you have the right to find out who ran into you on the highway.

One user yesterday suggested that any report of online abuse would create a case and a Twitter rep would respond quickly to it. Another said there should be more verified accounts, instead of those that are utterly anonymous. Maybe that could work.

One of my biggest issues with Twitter is that the service has lost its relevancy. That has created what is essentially a Dark Twitter, a forum where abuse and intolerance run rampant. It doesnt take long before you bump into it. If you look at almost any tweet by Jeb Bush, there is a long list of harassing tweets -- calling him stupid over and over again. Maybe you would say he deserves that, or that its just trash talk, or people have the right to express their opinions. Its an open forum, unlike Facebook, in that anyone can comment on anything you say.

My view is that, having verified real names and addresses at least provides some level of accountability. Im sure Governor Bush mostly ignores these tweets, but some of them cross the line into harassment. At this point, theres no way to find out anything about JimmyBob101 other than his location is Earth and he likely used a throwaway email to register.

If there was more accountability, maybe people would think twice. Hiding behind a Twitter account and trolling around making comments on people you dont like needs to end. If Twitter thought this was an important issue, they would have certainly done something about it by now.
May tilts to Israel (and to Trump) after voting against it (and working with Obama)

The Prime Ministers spokesman criticised John Kerry, the outgoing US Secretary of State, after he described the Israeli government as the most Right-wing in history. Mrs May does not believe that it is appropriate for Mr Kerry to attack the make-up of the democratically elected Israeli government, the spokesman said. Her decision to speak out came as president-elect Trump accused Barack Obama and his government of treating Israel with total disdain and disrespect. Mr Kerry had criticised Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, for undermining the two-state solution with his settlement policy in the West Bank.  Daily Telegraph

U.S Government surprised by May remarks  The Guardian

> Yesterday: Columnist Garvan Walshe- Israeli settlers eat Kerrys lunch

As she works up an American-style plan to stay in Europol

The PM is drawing up plans for the UK to continue a key role in the organisation along a similar model to the US, which has permanent staff based in Europols HQ despite not being in the EU. Ministers believe the UKs leading role in setting up the EU-wide intelligence agency as well as the fact a Brit currently heads up the organisation will force other EU leaders to agree to a new data-sharing deal despite our departure from the troubled union. A senior Government source said: We provide a lot of the expertise and the data when it comes to Europol and we use it more than most, so were pushing for an American-style model where were outside the EU but very much still part of Europol.  The Sun

More migrants will come to UK than entire EU populations if Britain stays in single market, warns Migration Watch  Daily Telegraph

More migrants will come to UK than entire EU populations if Britain stays in single market, warns Migration Watch  Daily Telegraph General Medical Council says that proper tests on doctors from the continent will be impossible if Britain stays in the Single Market  Daily Express

Lord Hill says that May needs to move forward rapidly on Brexit  The Sun

New challengers join British Influence Single Market case  The Guardian

May could face Northern Ireland legal challenge if she tries to leave ECHR  The Independent

Johnson told off for giving his bodyguards the slip to run errands and take strolls  The Sun

Referendum boosted relationship counsellors workload  Daily Express

Number Ten plays down Cameron-for-NATO claims  The Guardian

The Queen and Melvyn King: battling for Brexit  Trevor Kavanagh, The Sun

> Today: ToryDiary  The Joy of Brex

> Yesterday: Andrew Green on Comment  Single market membership means more mass immigration

Fox says that 16 billion has been invested in Britain since the EU referendum

The international trade secretary faces accusations that he will have little to do for two years while Britain remains inside the EU, which limits Britains abilities to sign its own trade deals. Critics have also warned that Britain could be a less attractive venue for investment after it leaves the bloc. However, Dr Fox said that his Department for International Trade had brought in billions of investment in the past five months across sectors including property development, infrastructure and renewable energy. Government figures show that 2,213 foreign investment projects were secured in 2015-16, an 11 per cent increase on the previous year.  The Times ()

Will roaming charges rise?  Financial Times

The UK economy in numbers in 2016  Financial Times

Economists expect Euro to hit dollar parity in 2017  Financial Times

Living wage has pushed prices up  Daily Mail

As Brexit looms, its time for the scandal of business rates to be properly addressed  Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph

Quitting the EU will not hit foreign investment  Daily Express editorial

Andrew Jones: Learner drivers are to be allowed on motorways for the first time

Andrew Jones, the Transport minister, said: We have some of the safest roads in the world and we want to make them even safer. These changes will equip learners with a wider range of experience and greater skill set which will improve safety levels on our roads. Steve Gooding, the RAC Director, said: The casualty statistics tell us that motorways are our safest roads, but they can feel anything but safe to a newly qualified driver heading down the slip road for the first time to join a fast moving, often heavy, flow of traffic. Many are so intimidated by the motorway environment that they choose instead to use statistically more dangerous roads, so we welcome this move which will help new drivers get the training they need to use motorways safely.  Daily Telegraph

Javid to quiz Surreys Hodge over proposed council tax rise to pay for social care

Surrey County Council is understood to be considering a vote on a 16 per cent rise, which would push up the charge on an average band-D property by 203 to 1,471 next year. Its Tory leader David Hodge has said the local authority simply cannot cope as it faces a budget shortfall of 45 million. Mr Hodge is understood to have been summoned to see Mr Javid over the referendum, which may cost up to 1 million to holdThe Local Government Association has said the social care funding gap will reach 2.6billion by the end of this Parliament. It warned measures announced by Mr Javid, including the rise in the ceiling for demand increases, fall well short of what is needed.  Daily Mail

Thatcher, milk saver. She blocked Ken Clarke from ending free milk for children in day care

An official wrote to the PM: You will see from Kenneth Clarkes minute that he has decided to end free welfare milk for children in day care from the end of this school term. In response she scrawled, NO, underlining the word twice. This will cause a terrible row  all for 4 million. I know  I went through it 19 years ago. Any scheme for saving 400 million or more I will look at. But not 4m. She also struck through a paragraph asking if she wanted to know more.  Daily Mail

Those Thatcher papers in full. She 

Corbyns New Year message. He says: I understand Brexit.

People didnt trust politicians and they didnt trust the European Union, he says. I understand that. Ive spent over 40 years in politics campaigning for a better way of doing things, standing up for people, taking on the establishment and opposing decisions that would make us worse off. He promises to fight against a Brexit deal that would safeguard the interests of City banks or continue corporate handouts to big businesses, saying: Labour was founded to stand up for people, and we founded the institutions that do that day in and day out, like our NHS. We are the party that listens to you and makes Britain better. Lets do that, together, in 2017.  The Guardian

Working people need fairer share of economic gains, says TUC head  The Guardian

> Today: Peter Cuthbertson on Comment  Labours prison policy is a threat to public safety

Michael Gove: The discreet triumph of the bourgeoisie

For much of mans history most of mankind lived at the level of bare subsistence. As recently as 1800 the average human consumed the equivalent of  at most  three dollars a day. Now the average citizen of a bourgeois nation such as France or Japan spends around one hundred dollars a day. Its an exponential growth in human welfare, a transition from a world where infant mortality, illiteracy, periodic starvation and back-breaking manual labour were the norm for all but a tiny sliver of society to one where life expectancy is rising, liberty is expanding, racial and sexual discrimination is in retreat and science brings new miracles every day. And it is all the result of the triumph of middle-class morals.  The Times ()

> Yesterday: ToryDiary  Our survey. Gove is Leave campaigner of the year.

Obama expels Russian spies

President Barack Obama said that he had issued sanctions against Russias two main intelligence services  the FSB and the GRU  along with sanctions against six individuals: four of them high-ranking GRU members and two of them individual Russian hackers. Separately, the state department also expelled 35 Russian intelligence operatives stationed in the Russian embassy in Washington and the Russian consulate in San Francisco for activity that the US said was inconsistent with their diplomatic status. This, it said, was in response to alleged harassment of US diplomats by Russia. The Russian officials have been given 72 hours to leave the country.  Financial Times

Putin calls end to war in Syria after deal with Erdogan  The Times ()

The West must stop meddling in the Middle East  Max Hastings, Daily Mail

News in Brief
As Home Secretary, Theresa May was all for withdrawing from the European Court on Human Rights, and incorporating the contents of the convention into our own law (a move she first hinted at during her speech to a ConservativeHome conference). As a Tory leadership candidate, she promptly dropped the aspiration  presumably mindful that, without a manifesto commitment to leave, the move would not get through Parliament.

Now it has been briefed that she will seek to write withdrawal into the next Conservative election manifesto. This may or may not be chaff to cover the postponement, if not the abandonment, of the British Bill of Rights promised in the last one.

The Bill of Rights would replace the Human Rights Act. Downing Street seems to think that there isnt a majority for scrapping the latter in the Commons, let alone the Lords. It also appears to have concluded that theres little point in abolishing the Act if Britain is still subject to the European Court.

If one is to have judge-made law at all, it makes sense to have our own judges draw it up, since they are more likely to be sensitive to British conditions and culture. So the Prime Minister has a point. But, as with so much else, the context for these considerations has been radically altered by Junes Brexit vote.

The European Convention on Human Rights is written into the text of the Belfast Agreement as a safeguard. It is true that the convention is not the same thing as the court. But as the recent report of Lords EU Committee put it, the Convention is a crucial safeguard to the agreement. Anything that touches on it could have knock-on effects on Northern Irelands stability, and possible ones for the independence debate in Scotland, too. May should proceed with care.
The Supreme Court will rule on the Brexit-related appeals before it during mid-January. If it takes a different view from the High Court, Theresa May will meet her deadline, and Article 50 will be moved by March 31. But the likelihood is that it will not. In such circumstances, Government will therefore need to produce a Bill. Readers will be familiar with the assertion that if such a Bill is brief it will be very difficult to amend  and this one would certainly be very short indeed (unless the court rules otherwise, as Lady Hale has suggested it might).

This claim is a misunderstanding of Parliamentary procedure. A Bill can be amended in any way that the Speaker rules to be order. He relies on the view of the clerks. ConservativeHome is told that they would see such a Bill, unsuprisingly, as being no different from any other. And while a brief bill offers fewer opportunities for amendment than a longer one, the potential to amend it is there if MPs and peers are ingenious enough.

So Ministers aim in producing a short bill, in these circumstances, would not be quite as sometimes claimed. They are arguably less concerned with procedure than psychology. To table a brief bill would be to throw down a gauntlet to peers and MPs. The British people have voted for Brexit, the move would proclaim. Defy them and block Article 50 if you dare.

The long and short of it is that while 2016 saw a sudden win for the forces of Brexit, 2017 may turn out to be a slow haul. If there is a Bill, and peers and MPs then dig their heels in, the Prime Minister may miss her end of March deadline for moving Article 50. But if the deadline is met, dont expect swift progress either. One cant have a negotiation without interlocuters to negotiate with, and elections next year may change them, not least Germanys in the autumn. Furthermore, the unexpected usually happens. There may be new legal challenges and rulings. Or else there is a sudden denouement after all: Britain is presented with an expensive divorce bill, refuses to pay it, talks break down  and we career towards Brexit in 2019 and trade on WTO terms.

One certainty amidst the unknowns is that  whatever the Fixed Terms Parliament Act may say  the country cant long be denied a general election if it needs it. Suppose, for example, that an amendment is tabled to an Article 50 Bill requiring the Government to seek Single Market membership as a negotiating aim. May could and should respond by making it clear that such an amendment would unacceptable to the Government.

In effect, she would be making its rejection a matter of confidence. As those with long enough memories will confirm, Who governs Britain? elections are risky. But it is hard to imagine the Prime Minister not returning from a snap election with a majority. Jeremy Corbyn is in a terrible place, and Labour is not recovering in Scotland. Liberal Democrats opportunities are limited. UKIP starts from a long way behind.

All in all, it is not at all difficult to see the date of Brexit getting pushed back. But it is much harder to imagine leaving the EU being prevented altogether. The way the Article 50 process works and the shape of British politics combine to make Brexit a slow train coming. The condition of Labour MPs in particular is likely to be decisive. They saw their colleagues in Scotland wiped out at a stroke in 2015. 2016 brought a big Leave vote in their midlands and northern heartlands. Donald Trumps win has reminded them of how blue collar voters can abandon left-of-centre parties.

They are therefore unlikely to rally around continued Single Market membership  assuming they get the opportunity  if the price is leaving immigration uncontrolled (as it would be). The Brexit coming down the tracks is thus likely to be hardish. This will give those who claim that the fall-out of the referendum has been a joyless business new cause for complaint. But they are confusing joy with excitement. Only one electoral event has been greeted with mass enthusiasm in modern times: Tony Blairs landslide victory in 1997.

We know how that story ended. So if the aftermath of the Brexit vote feels different  and it does  that is doubtless all for the best. The vote to leave the European Union, though carried on an emphatic turnout, was a close-run thing: 52 per cent played 48 per cent. But that figure is out of date in at least one sense. As Anthony Wells of YouGov writes: it is clear from current polling that that has not been any significant shift in public opinion since the referendum, most people think the Government is obliged to deliver on the referendum result and that most people do not currently want a second referendum.

In other words, whatever their view on whether Britain was right to vote to leave, most people believe that the referendum result must be honoured. My best sense of the national mood (and yours is as good as mine if not better) is that it is set. Quietly but emphatically, with reluctance in some quarters but acceptance in nearly all, the British people have decided that, as someone or other has put it, Brexit must mean Brexit. This determination is not to be confused with excitement. But it is likely to last for longer. And its not a bad state of mind in which to glance back at what has passed during this extraordinary year.
Disney has won a copyright infringement case against a Chinese plagiarism of Disney/Pixar's animated feature "Cars" in a Shanghai court on Thursday.

Disney Enterprises Inc. and Pixar, holders of the copyrights of animated comedies "Cars" and "Cars 2" as well as the character images, filed the lawsuit in June to sue G-Point in Beijing and Bluemtv in Xiamen, after they found images and posters of the animated movie "The Autobots" resembling those of "Cars" and "Cars 2."

Two posters comparing Zhuo Jianrong's "The Autobots" (2015) and Pixar's "Cars 2" (2011), which are almost identical. [China.org.cn]

"The Autobots," screened in July 2015, was produced by Bluemtv and released by G-Point.

Shanghai New Pudong District Peoples Court ruled on Thursday that the defendants infringed on the intellectual property rights of Disney/Pixar and caused unfair competition. Therefore, the two companies have to pay 1.35 million yuan (US$194,100) in damages to Disney/Pixar, the court ruled.

The plaintiffs' lawyers previously complained at the court that images of the main characters in "The Autobots" -- "K1" and "K2" -- plagiarized the characters "Lightening McQueen" and "Francesco Bernoulli" in "Cars" and "Cars 2." They also said the Chinese name of the movie bore a high resemblance to the Disney and Pixar movies.

Attorneys for the defendants replied that images of "K1" and "K2" were created independently, based on the appearance of real automobiles. They also argued they had emphasized that "The Autobots" was a domestic movie, so consumers would not be confused by the name.

"The Autobots" director Zhuo Jianrong has been under fire since 2015, when critics dismissed the film as a copycat. Even the English title of the film has been copied from another Hollywood blockbuster franchise "Transformers."

Zhuo fought the accusations and insisted he had never seen the movie "Cars." He said his movie was independently produced and the story is completely different. Zhuo also said he would make a sequel but so far has not secured investment as the first installment lost money and attracted criticism and lawsuits.

After he lost his case on Thursday, Zhuo stated that he would appeal the verdict.
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An entomologist in China has put up a mosquito factory to create good mosquitos that can combat the Zika virus and dengue epidemic. The Michigan State University researcher Zhiong Xi is spearheading this mission to eradicate these diseases in a more traditional way.

The Mosquito Factory

Located in Sun Yat-Sen University's science campus in Guangdo, the laboratory spans over 3,500 square feet and houses as much as 6,000 mosquito larvae. According to CNN, up to 5 million mosquitos are being engineered per week, and the focus is on a particular specie that is rampant in Asia.

The male insects would be injected with a bacteria called Wolbachia, which has the ability to block the transfer of the Zika virus or dengue to humans and makes the mosquitos sterile. Even if they mate with females in the wild, the potential eggs won't be able to hatch. This prevents the species from growing and keeps the spread of the virus at bay.

Effects of Zika Virus

If this method would be proved successful, then the casualties from the Zika virus and dengue epidemic could significantly decrease.

The threat of the Zika virus is still strong today, with new studies showing how deadly it could be to people. A report posted on NPR details how the illness could hinder brain development of babies when their mothers become infected. They could be born with microcephaly, a condition where the baby's head would be significantly tiny, which then causes severe brain damage.

Dengue has also caused the deaths of thousands, particularly with those who were treated days after symptoms of high fever and vomiting showed up.

Will the unconventional method in the China mosquito factory remedy the spread of Zika Virus and that of the worsening dengue epidemic?

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It has long been established that sex has several health benefits, particularly when it comes to physical wellness. Now, a new study shows that humans can enjoy better immune function, which could help prevent certain diseases because of sex.

Researchers from Stirling University found that constant sexual activity could yield antibodies that can resist parasites. According to IFL Science, the team used waterflea, a bacteria that could reproduce sexually and asexually. Then, the offspring produced from the two methods would be exposed to parasites to see which ones survived longer.

The results of the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, indicated that those born from sexual reproduction were able to resist infections more. This is because those that were produced asexually had the same genetic makeup as their parent, making them susceptible to parasites that affected their parent as well.

On the other hand, mixing the genetics of two parents from intercourse can lead to future generations resisting diseases even as they evolved. They are less prone to sickness and illness because of their new genetic makeup.

Another study conducted at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania support this theory, saying that having regular sex leads to the production of more antibodies that can fight the common cold and other immuno-diseases.

Additionally, doctors agree that among the sex health benefits include the decrease of oxytocin in blood, resulting in lower stress levels. It also normalizes the levels of testosterone and estrogen in a person's body, decreasing risks of high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Men's World Journal also noted that sex leads to the secretion of happy hormones, which double as pain relievers, which is why pain isn't felt as much during sex.

Furthermore, people who engage in sexual activity 4 times a week generally look 8 to 12 years younger than they are.

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The first Ebola vaccine named as rVSV-ZEBOV has shown impressive results in the final trial and it could just be the answer to the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Ira Longini, a biostatistician at the University of Florida, who helped test the vaccine delivered the news on Thursday that the medicine's efficacy during the experiements was 100 percent.

If placed in a group much larger than the test group, then the efficacy sits somewhere between 70 to 100 percent, according to the scientist.

Back in 2015, the biostatistician and his team tested the rVSV-ZEBOV on about 4,000 people in Guinea during the time it was spreading in the country. This group were at high risk of getting the virus because they had contact with someone who was infected.

After they were vaccinated, many of them reportedly did not get ill, which would mean that they were protected from the disease. However, some patients experienced side effects, which included fever and an allergic reaction, according to Daily Trust.

Despite the effects, the studies hope to get biological samples from people who have taken the vaccine so the immune response can be analyzed.

As of writing this article, rVSV-ZEBOV is not yet approved by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, the researchers predict that the Ebola vaccine can be used in 2018.

But for NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, there are still some questions about the drug that need to be answered. "If you give health care workers the vaccine, for example, how long would they be protected? That's very important to learn," Fauci said at the National Institutes of Health.

The Ebola outbreak struck West Africa a few years ago, and it became a major concern as there was no vaccine for it. More than 11,000 people have died, while nearly 30,000 were infected, according to WBEZ Org.

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Sun Ping, a Peking Opera master, is worried that there are not many English translations and research materials of her art in foreign countries, which has driven her to lead a project to translate 100 opera classics.

A press conference to announce the publication of the second volume of "The Translation Series of 100 Peking Opera Classics" is held in Beijing, Dec. 27, 2016. [Photo by Zhang Yanling / China.org.cn]

On Tuesday afternoon, a press conference was held in Beijing to announce the publication of 10 new books from "The Translation Series of 100 Peking Opera Classics." Famous Peking Opera actress Sun, editor-in-chief of the series, told China.org.cn that this mission is urgent and significant.

Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) had several translated works when he traveled to the United States and Europe in the 1930s, which set good examples for Sun on how to promote Chinese art overseas.

"Besides synopsis translation, Mr. Mei also made Chinese flavored gifts for American audiences at that time, including handkerchiefs and folding fans. He even translated musical notation into stave," she remembered.

However, the promotion of Peking Opera ended after Mei's efforts. Decades passed, and when Sun visited Yale University in 1999, she couldn't find English-language Peking Opera scripts in the library when her American students asked for reference books.

In 2011, after returning to China, she decided to start a project to translate scripts from 100 Peking Opera classics, each with a bilingual guide, preamble, music score and photos. There will be 10 volumes as each volume covers 10 classical Peking Opera works.

"The Translation Series of 100 Peking Opera Classics" got support from Chinese leaders, including Liu Yandong, current vice premier of China, who attended the launch ceremony of the project in 2011.

Renmin University of China, the Beijing Foreign Studies University and the University of Hawaii worked together to compile the series, and Sun's 40-person team also got help from veteran experts, academic masters and heavyweight translators, including 99-year-old Guo Hangcheng, China's top opera historian from the Chinese National Academy of Arts, and Xu Yuanchong, a 95-year-old translator and professor at Peking University.

Sun told China.org.cn that with two volumes of the series already out, two other volumes will be published soon in the next year. The books will be going to China's embassies and consulates overseas as well as to Confucius Institutes worldwide, while many foreign universities as well as the presidential libraries of Richard Nixon and George H. W. Bush also inducted the books.

"The Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum will also collect the books," Sun revealed, adding that many South Korean and Japanese publishers are knocking on her door.

"My feeling is complicated to see the books of series published one by one," she said. "I'm happy, but I feel its a little too late. China doesn't lack culture, art and masters, but the world has not yet seen them and looked at them clearly and deeply with understanding and knowledge. We need to hurry up."
Dai Xiaolei last saw her son in 2014, when he was 17 months old and living with her in-laws in Baoding, a city in Hebei province about 156 kilometers from Beijing.

Her marriage was crumbling and, as relations deteriorated, she claims her husband's family blocked her from taking her son with her back to the capital.

"The last time I saw my son was at the end of this alley. It's like a fortress," the 37-year-old said outside her in-laws former home.

Reuters was unable to independently verify Dai's claim that the family has blocked all attempts to see her son.

Her husband, Liu Jie, filed for divorce, arguing that the marriage had fallen apart due to "conflicts in character, ideas and living habits", according to court documents. Dai pushed for custody, but in April, a judge ruled that it was best for the boy's physical and mental health to stay with his father.

Liu, a movie stunt coordinator, and his parents declined to comment.

As China's divorce rate rises, so too have calls by legal professionals for new laws that would clamp down on aggressive tactics used by some parents to take or retain possession of a child to gain the upper hand in custody battles.

Lawyers say judges tend to favor the parent who already has physical possession of the child in order to avoid further disruption to their life.

Dai appealed the custody ruling and lost. The court said the child's living environment was relatively stable and any change would not benefit his upbringing.

There are no laws against one parent taking sole possession of a child against the wishes of the other, lawyers say, reflecting a traditional view that family conflicts should handled privately.

The Supreme People's Court declined to comment on specific cases, but it said, "Maximizing benefit to the child is the basic principle by which custody decisions are made."

Joint custody rare

China's divorce rate more than tripled between 2002 and 2015, reaching 2.8 per 1,000 people, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. This is higher than the most recent estimate for the European Union (2.1 per 1,000 people in 2011) and is not far off the rate in the United States (3.2 in 2014).

While no official data is available publicly, Yan Jun, a district court judge in Beijing, estimated that one parent will snatch a child from the other in 60 percent of cases in which both spouses are seeking custody.

Under the law, parents are rarely granted joint custody, as is the case in some countries. Instead, judges usually give one parent "direct custody", often preferring to maintain the status quo living arrangement for a child aged 2 to 10.

A lawyer at a Beijing family law firm, who declined to be identified, said child-snatching regularly takes place before divorce proceedings, which allows one parent to argue the child has a stable living environment. Li Ying, a Beijing lawyer and advocate for parental rights, said snatching tactics should be prosecuted when a new domestic violence law is enacted in March.

Under this law, beatings, verbal abuse and threatening behavior are considered forms of domestic violence. Some family law experts have said preventing a child from seeing their mother or father, or vice versa, should also be considered psycho-logical abuse.

Even when judges rule in their favor, some mothers complain about a lack of enforcement and sometimes take matters into their own hands.

One, who did not want to be named because her dealings with the courts are still ongoing, said she hired a private detective who found her son living under a fake name with her ex-husband's aunt in northern China.

The court had awarded her custody, but when she complained months later that the order had not been enforced, a court official was blunt.

"She told me: 'Don't just depend on the courts. Are you working hard enough or are you just depending on us to get your child back?'"
It's that time of year again! Time to revisit and perhaps rebalance the investments in your retirement portfolio. While it is a sad fact that many people lack significant retirement savings, it is nonetheless useful for those interested in consumer finance (and investment companies, pensions, etc.) to think about how retirement savings plans work and to be able to offer some advice, for example, to debtors emerging from bankruptcy with their clean slate. William Birdthistle, of Chicago-Kent law school, has recently released Empire of the Fund, a magnificent new work on the most common vehicle that carries individuals' retirement savings in the US: mutual funds.

I have heard that Birdthistle, who teaches across town from me, is legendary in the classroom. Having read his new book, I'm not at all surprised. While his fairly esoteric subject matter made me hesitate to nominate his book in response to Katie's post, Birdthistle has really pulled one off here by managing to make a book about the structure and pitfalls of mutual funds and retirement savings ... extremely entertaining! It is masterfully written, with both erudite references to relevant comments by literary and historical figures, along with laugh-out-loud allusions to modern culture ("OMG! Friends, right! Mutual funds are lame!"). This book is an absolutely brilliant example of how to make a work on an otherwise dry financial subject not only accessible to the general public, but a real pleasure to read. It is no wonder the New York Times calls this "a lively new book."
A towering bridge hanging 565 meters above a gorge in southwest China opened to traffic yesterday, making it the worlds highest bridge. The Beipanjiang Bridge spans 1.34 kilometers between the city of Xuanwei in Yunnan Province and Shuicheng County in Guizhou Province. It cost more than 1 billion yuan (US$140 million) to build, according to China Central Television. The four-lane bridge, which took three years to build, will cut the journey time between Xuanwei and Shuicheng from more than four hours to about an hour. [Xinhua]

China is aiming to build a faster, greener and safer public transport system throughout the country by 2020, it said yesterday.

The government plans to build more high-speed railways, with the aim of having some 30,000 kilometers of high-speed track linking more than 80 percent of major cities by then.

Vice Minister of Transport Yang Yudong said China plans to invest 3.5 trillion yuan (US$503.3 billion) in railway construction during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).

High-speed rail has become a symbol of Made-in-China and going-global products, and "China's technologies for high-speed, alpine, plateau and heavy-haul railways have reached the world's advanced level," according to a white paper released by the State Council Information Office yesterday.

Such expertise has enabled major geological challenges to be overcome, it adds, citing the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

"High-performance railway equipment technologies with proprietary intellectual property rights, represented by high-speed railways and high-power locomotives, have reached the advanced world level, with some of them leading the world," it says.

Besides high-speed rail, China's key construction technologies for offshore deep-water ports, improved technologies for large estuary waterways and long waterways, and construction technologies for large-scale airports are leading the world, the white paper says.

It also details plans to renovate some 30,000 kilometers of expressways and the provision of tarmac and cement roads and shuttle bus services for villages, all of which will have access to a mail service.

Commuting circles of one to two hours between central cities and peripheral cities will be created, along with one-hour commuting circles between central cities and key peripheral towns.

The development of urban rail and bus rapid transit systems will be speeded up, along with other means of high-capacity public transport, it says.

By 2020, intercity railway networks will be completed in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta areas.

More efforts will be made in cities with a population of 3 million or more to create urban rail transport networks, and about 3,000 kilometers of new tracks will be added to the current urban rail transit system.

Building integrated transport hubs, promoting the green and intelligent development of transport services and improving safety in the industry is also a priority, the paper says.

The eventual aim is a comprehensive transport network that spreads from east to west and south to north with passageways that extend beyond China's borders and the development of sea routes for the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road.

Over past decades, China's transport network has undergone drastic changes, the railway sector in particular.

When the People's Republic was founded in 1949, railways totaled just 21,800 kilometers, half of which were dormant.

By the end of last year, some 121,000 kilometers of track was in use, including 19,000 kilometers of high-speed railways, the most of any country.

But while connectivity has been enhanced in large swathes of the country, construction lagged in less developed regions in the southwest.

Yesterday, construction began on the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway in the southwest.

The 482-kilometer line will cut the time between Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province, from over 10 hours to two and half hours, said Ding Rongfu, chairman of China Railway Airport Construction Group Co.

With a maximum speed of 350kph, the line is expected to go into service in 2022.

On Wednesday, China put into operation one of the world's longest high-speed railways. The 2,252-kilometer Shanghai-Kunming line crosses five provinces and cuts the travel time between the two cities from 35 to 11 hours.

Also launched was a high-speed line linking Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and Nanning.
The Open Doors USA 2017 World Watch List, detailing the countries where Christian persecution is the most severe will be released in just a couple weeks.

According to Mission Network News, the last few years have presented troubling trends for Christian persecution worldwide. The year 2016 was the third year in a row in which persecution continued to rise significantly.

Countries that ranked highest on the 2016 World Watch List were Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, and at number one, North Korea.

Those countries appear likely to continue the trend of brutal persecution of Christians. In fact, Open Doors has already revealed that North Korea will again top the World Watch List in 2017. That will mark the countrys 15th year as the worst country for Christian persecution.

Even though persecution is horrific in places like Iraq, Syria, Somalia, theres no country that quite has the restrictions, violence, or targeting of Christians like North Korea, stated Emily Fuentes of Open Doors.

The International Business Times also reported on the increase in Christian persecution. The IBT reveals shocking Christian persecution statistics. Nearly 90,000 Christians were killed for their faith in the past year, which is the equivalent of one Christian being martyred every six minutes.

In addition to the astounding number of Christians killed for their faith, millions of others were prevented from freely practicing their religion.

Although the plight of Christians in many places around the world is grim, Mission Network News offers action steps Christians can take to help their brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing persecution.

Remembering these Christians in prayer is very important, as well as simply being aware of what countries need the most prayer. Open Doors 2017 World Watch List will be released on January 11.

The number one thing is to be praying for the countries on the World Watch List, said Fuentes.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: December 30, 2016
Many visitors told Wei Hua, a panda keeper in southwest China's Sichuan Province, that they were envious when they saw him playing with the cute cubs, but they hadn't seen the moment the 41-year-old had both wrists broken by one of the animals.

Wei quit his job at the zoo of Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, three years ago to become a keeper at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.

The holder of a master's degree in wildlife protection was employed to train pandas in the Wolong National Nature Reserve so that they could survive when released into the wild.

"I like Wolong, where I have more chances to take part in wild panda research and protection," he said.

The Tiantai Mountain training center where he works is some 2,500 to 3,100 meters above sea level. The work is not as easy as some panda lovers had imagined.

Wei is usually wet through with sweat after cleaning the pandas' enclosures. On rainy days the panda excrement sticks to his clothes. When the weather is bad, he and his colleagues stay in the forest all day long, eating cold food and drinking water from the stream. The reserve is also prone to disasters such as landslides.

"But my efforts pay off when I see the cute animals grow up to be healthy," he said.

One of his current favorites is Xi Mei, a female panda sent for training a fortnight ago. "She is graceful and smart," Wei said. "She loves playing with water, and she likes to be pretty."

Observing Xi Mei over one two-day period, Wei noted that Xi Mei's daughter Ba Xi was nowhere to be seen.

He wondered if she could have been involved in an accident and, on December 17, decided to go into the training area to try to find the animal.

After a long search, her monitoring signal was detected and a relieved Wei approached the animal. "So you are here," he said as he approached. "I've been worried about you for two days. Don't hide from me again."

But as he and his fellow keepers were about to leave, Xi Mei suddenly appeared and, in an apparent bid to protect her daughter, attacked the keepers.

Wei came off the worst. When he was dragged from danger, his hat and glasses were gone. He had a deep cut on his head, a broken finger bone was visible, and his trousers were soaked in blood.

In hospital, doctors found a tendon on his foot was ruptured and both wrists were broken. The panda has also bitten a chunk out of his left hand.

Despite it all, colleague Qiu Yu said, his first question was "are the pandas all right?"

Wei is one of four panda keepers at the training center.

"Where there are pandas, there are panda keepers," Qiu said. "They monitor the pandas' condition, collect first-hand data and pave the way for pandas to go back to the wild."
MILFORD - Two Bridgeport man have been arrested in connection with a shoplifting at the Lids Locker Room store in the Connecticut Post mall Wednesday evening.

Officer Joseph Dempsey says one of the man fled from police and was later captured by a police K-9 team.
PeopleBY HARRIET SOKMENSUER@HGSOKMENSUERDECEMBER 28, 2016To his neighbors, Lee Kaplan was quiet and aloof. His three-bedroom Pennsylvania home was hidden behind overgrown shrubbery and at times almost seemed empty. However, behind closed doors, authorities allege Kaplan was living with 12 young girls who considered him a prophet of God as he repeatedly sexually abused them.To Kaplan, six of the girls were not only his followers but also his wives, Bucks County authorities allege.Kaplan had constructed his own sick family unit in which he was the [girls] father, prophet and God, Rick Ross, founder and director of the Cult Education Institute, tells PEOPLE, describing law enforcement allegations against the Pennsylvania man. And these girls were his followers.In June the girls were rescued by Lower Southampton police, and in November Kaplan pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges including rape of a child and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.He allegedly not only fathered two children with the eldest girl but also sexually abused five of her younger sisters over the course of years, with the consent of their parents, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said.This guy set up a virtual feeding ground of victims, Weintraub told PEOPLE in a previous interview, calling the situation cult-like.He preyed upon [the girls] one by one, he said.Ryan Hyde, Kaplans attorney, denounces claims that Kaplan led a cult.I believe Mr. Kaplan befriended this family and really thought this was a family and friend relationship, Hyde tells PEOPLE. Hes really hurt by the allegations.Ross, who has worked with authorities and victims in cult cases for more than 30 years, says Kaplan isnt the first person accused of successfully running a cult in plain sight. The 51-year-old allegedly took advantage of the girls parents, Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus, Ross tells PEOPLE. They were vulnerable in both finances and faith, which is common, he says.The couple are themselves facing child endangerment charges but will not face any additional charges, Weintraub said in November. They have pleaded not guilty.Exploiting the Familys ValuesAuthorities say Kaplan went unnoticed for years because the girls parents also believed Kaplan was a prophet.The children were raised Amish, born with no birth certificates and home schooled together, officials say, but the Stoltzfus family left the Amish community after they met Kaplan, a former business partner of Daniels.The newly independent family was vulnerable and preconditioned to relying on faith for answers, Ross says.[Cult leaders] can be functional and charming, but they dont have empathy or sympathy, he says of the men and women who establish cults.In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Craig Penglase, Savillas attorney, says he believes Kaplan always planned on taking advantage of the simple-minded family.I think he knew from the beginning  he met Daniel and he presented himself immediately as this God figure, Penglase tells PEOPLE.During police questioning following their childrens rescue, Daniel and Savilla told authorities that in exchange for financial support, their eldest daughter, who was 14 at the time, was gifted to Kaplan.In a previous interview, Penglase defended his clients agreement as a difference in culture.Everything [Savilla] did was for her family, and what she did in this case was what she thought was right, Penglase said. It may have been misguided, it may have been weird to you and me, but that was her belief.Penglase says Kaplan later allegedly convinced Daniel to give him his wife, who then had a sexual relationship with her daughters alleged abuser as part of his preaching.Its very sad. Shes very sad, Penglase says. She was traded [by Daniel] just like the children were.Penglase reveals Savilla, David and their daughters still believe Kaplan is a prophet of God: This man destroyed an entire family.Daniels attorney could not be reached for comment.A Controlled EnvironmentBefore the eldest girl moved into Kaplans home more than four years ago, the girl told authorities she and Kaplan shared a bedroom at her parents Lancaster County home in Pennsylvania.But that wasnt enough for Kaplan, authorities allege. So the girl moved to his home and Savilla and her other daughters followed shortly after. (Savilla only learned about her daughters alleged sexual abuse by Kaplan when she learned about the teens first pregnancy, Penglase has said.)Ross says it essential for cult leaders to keep their followers close and in a controlled environment.These children  had no conception of what was right and what was wrong other than what Kaplan told them, the Cults Inside and Out author explains. He was able to completely control everything that went into their minds. They had no alternate frame of reference, it was simply what Kaplan said and that was it..Ross alleges that moving the girls into his home was Kaplans final step in creating his family cult.The human mind really is fragile, and if you place a person in such an environment  is you can begin to manipulate the mind itself, Ross says, describing the process as a form of brainwashing.These [girls] accepted it because they knew no other life, he says.A New LifeSince their rescue, the girls been taken into the custody of the state, Bucks County officials say, and they are receiving treatment. Penglase says all of the children are preparing to testify in court.Through his experience of working with children of cults, Ross says the girls could one day live normal lives  but it will be hard.Hopefully these girls can be helped and they can make a journey where they begin to realize, gradually, step by step, what happened to them and unwind it, Ross says.In November, Kaplan waived his right to a preliminary hearing.He remains behind bars in the Bucks County Jail awaiting trial in 2017, court officials tell PEOPLE.
Shanghai legislators reached a consensus to add the stipulations in the new law to better protect local children and increase the public awareness.

Children under 12 will be banned from sitting besides vehicle drivers from March.

The ban is part of the city's new road and traffic management law that was approved by the Shanghai legislature yesterday.

Child safety seats will also become mandatory for private cars carrying children under the age of 4, according to the amendment to the regulation that takes effect on March 25.

"The legislators reached a consensus to add the stipulations in the new law to better protect local children and increase the public awareness," said Lin Huabin, a senior legislator in the Shanghai People's Congress, the legislative body.

The Juveniles Protection Regulation bans children from sitting in the front and also requires the use of child safety seats for very young children, but the regulations are often largely ignored because of a lack of public awareness.

The amendment also bans drivers from using mobile phones or watching other electronic devices while driving, putting the city in line with many foreign countries.

"We found it common for drivers to read short messages or chat on WeChat on their mobile phones, which has become a major threat to driving safety," Lin said.

The new clauses join a raft of offenses that include speeding, incorrect lane changing, not wearing a seat belt and overloading. Offenders face fines of up to 200 yuan (US$28.80) as well as demerit points.

The amendment has imposed tougher punishment on those who take the demerit points of others. Motorists who ask other drivers to take demerits on their license for them will be fined 500 to 2,000 yuan. Those who take demerits for others will be fined 1,000 to 5,000 yuan and may have their license suspended for up to three months.

Police said the practise of taking demerits for others had become rampant among local drivers because those who tot up 12 points within a year have to take a 7-day training course and retake a driving test to regain their license.

The new regulation also targets a range of infractions as well as promoting green and public transport, said Ding Wei, a deputy director with the legislative affairs commission of the Shanghai People's Congress.

The city's original traffic regulation was made in 1997 and was amended three times from 1999 to 2001. However, the stipulation could no longer meet the management demands with the rising numbers of vehicles and drivers as well as increasing traffic congestion, said Ding.

More than 85 percent of the clauses of the original traffic law have been amended this time, he told a press conference yesterday.

Apart from the tougher regulations, the new amendment bill also focused on public transport development, Ding said. More road resources would be assigned to develop public transport and to make roads more convenient for pedestrians and cyclists.

The legislature had widely solicited opinions from residents, traffic police and drivers, Ding said.

According to Ding, the congress received 132 suggestions via letters, faxes and e-mails during the evaluation on the amendment and took these suggestions into account.
Civil War Gala to be held Saturday in Somerset

The 14th annual Col. Robert Cummins Civil War Gala will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Somerset Church of the Brethren, 606 Berlin Plank Road in Somerset.
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Ma Xingrui was appointed acting governor of south China's Guangdong Province on Friday.

Ma was also named deputy governor of the province at a session of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, which accepted the request of Zhu Xiaodan to leave the post of governor.

Ma is currently deputy secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the secretary of the CPC Shenzhen City Committee.
Ed Vaizey received a brusque festive message from No 10

When ex-culture minister Ed Vaizey, 48, received a seasonal message from No 10 brusquely wishing him Merry Christmas Vaizey, he responded sarcastically: I like the new formal approach Theresa May is adopting with her back benchers.

The Tory partys so-called director general, Alan Mabbutt, explains that the insultingly brief email was a technical error (which) may have distracted from the sincerity of the message.

Ill say! But Ed, a chum of David Cameron sacked by Mrs May, had little reason to suppose it wasnt genuine.

Days Without End, the raved-about new novel by Dubliner Sebastian Barry, 61, about two Irish famine refugees in the 19th-century Wild West, is likely to interest correct-thinking filmmakers.

Its heroes Thomas McNulty and John Cole are gay lovers who abhor racism, dress as pretty women to perform in burlesque shows, adopt a Native Americans chiefs eight-year-old daughter to save her life and fight for Abraham Lincolns slave-freeing Union Army in the Civil War.

Bloody and action-packed, its also commendably LGBT-sensitive.

Days Without End, the raved-about new novel by Dubliner Sebastian Barry (above), 61, about two Irish famine refugees in the 19th-century Wild West, is likely to interest correct-thinking filmmakers - its heroes Thomas McNulty and John Cole are gay lovers who abhor racism

Screen star Debbie Reynolds, who has died aged 84, recalled in a 2015 memoir how she fended off Wichita Lineman crooner Glen Campbell, 80.

Delectable Singin in the Rain star Debbie said Campbell made his move while they were rehearsing for a performance.

Always a gymnast, I wiggled out from his grasp and was in my car before he knew it, she confided, adding politely: I adore Glen, but not when he is looking for afternoon delight. Afternoon delight!?

Screen star Debbie Reynolds, who has died aged 84, recalled in a 2015 memoir how she fended off Wichita Lineman crooner Glen Campbell, 80

Gordon Ramsay, 50, discussing his love of mixed martial arts on Radio 4s Today programme, says he enjoys cage fighting, adding: Ive been into a cage. Ive wrestled heavily, Ive grappled heavily, and its something Ive kept up my sleeve for the last couple of years.

His former employer, rival chef Marco Pierre White, 55, will be amused.

He has recalled: I once yelled at him and the next thing I knew he was sobbing in the corner, holding his head in his hands, with tears rolling down his cheeks, saying things like, I dont care what you do to me. Hit me. I dont care. Shouldnt promoters fix a Ramsay/White cage fight soon?

Amanda Wakeley, 54, comments that the Prime Minister wears the controversial, 995 leather trousers she designed because of the inner confidence that, hopefully, wearing Wakeley gives you.

This is all about knowing you feel a bit taller and a bit sexier, but without screaming look at me. Id always imagined Mrs Mays clothes  and leopard-print shoes  were expressly chosen for their look at me factor.
A survey has revealed that which star sign you are could indicate whether you are more likely to cheat on your spouse.

Australian extra-marital dating website Victoria Milan found there was some correlation between people who were likely to cheat and which of the 12 zodiac signs they were born under.

The website, which targets customers who are married or in relationships but looking to cheat, analysed the profiles of its many members.

What's your star sign? A survey revealed your star sign could make you more likely to cheat on your spouse

The results showed that in 2016, the majority of the site's users were Aquarians, Aries or Pisces. according to Mamamia.

Almost 11 per cent of users were born under Aquarius, while 10.1 per cent were Pisces and 10 per cent were Aries.

Sigurd Vedal, the company's CEO, took the blame away from those born under the 11th astrological sign.

He said Aquarians are 'hot-blooded, sexual characters and can't be blamed for what's written under the stars.'

The figures also seemed to show that fewer Leos and Scorpios were having extra-marital affairs using the dating site as they had some of the lowest registration numbers.

Cheaters: The results show the majority of Victoria Milan's users were Aquarians or born under the signs of Aries or Pisces (stock image)

And those who married a Sagittarius should thank their lucky stars.

The data also revealed that only 6.5 per cent of Victoria Milan's members had November and December birthdays.

Earlier this month, a separate study revealed that more than two-thirds of women who cheat look for a younger man because they perform better in the bedroom.

The survey of 11,000 married women, conducted by extra-marital dating website Gleeden, questioned them about why they are committing adultery.
Nora Ephron famously wrote that she felt 'bad about my neck' and other signs of ageing in 2006.

But the great writer herself never lived to see the foundation of Nexsey - a tape that tightens the neckline by pulling back on the loose flesh dangling around it.

Nexsey is designed to make women's necks look thinner and younger, without forcing them to resort to surgery.

And if that's not enough to sign you up, the company claims it's been medically tested, too.

Scroll down for video

Miracle: Nexsey claims to tighten the neckline by pulling back the loose flesh dangling around it (pictured)

No more turkey neck: Nexsey is designed to make women's necks look thinner and younger, without forcing them to resort to surgery

'I heard from women all over the world asking about options for other "trouble areas" and neck issues were at the top of the list!,' the company's creator, Linda Gomez, writes on the About page.

'As I started to learn about the options for sagging skin around the neckline, it became obvious that even for women who had undergone a facelift, many still showed signs of aging in the neck area.'

Ms Gomez writes that not everyone either wants - or can afford - neck surgery.

Personally, she said she was looking for a way to 'help tighten the neckline without any need for expensive or painful procedures'.

Personal thing: The founder of the tape, Lisa Gomez, wrote that not everyone wants - or can afford - neck surgery, but she wanted something that could 'tighten the neckline' (pictured)

Nexsey is the result of Ms Gomez's testing, and as several beauty bloggers have shown, it also works for slimming your neck, too.

The tape works by gathering any excess skin you might have underneath it and securing it in place at the nape of your neck, hidden behind your hair.

'Depending on the look you are trying to achieve, you can use more than one strip. Place one higher for the upper neck and jaw area and one below it for the lower area of the neck,' it reads on the website.

Love: Beauty bloggers (pictured) have fallen in love with the neck tape - which both reduces the signs of ageing and slims down the neck

Science: The tape works by gathering any excess skin you might have underneath it and securing it in place at the nape of your neck, hidden behind your hair (pictured)

The unusual product retails for USD $19.99 (AUD $27.64; GBP 16.28) and comes in a 10 foot roll designed to be cut to your designed length.

The company also assure people that the tape should not hurt to remove or apply.

A recent video shared on the Learn Makeup Facebook page showing the tape in action racked up more than three million views.
The festive season is traditionally time for catching up with loved ones and reflecting on the year as it draws to a close.

And it seems Prince Harry has been spending the Christmas and New Year break doing just that, after he was snapped leaving the Jam Tree in Chelsea following a pub lunch yesterday afternoon.

It followed the 32-year-old's get together with his close friend and mentor Mark Dyer the previous day, at a pub in Sand's End in South West London.

A smartly dressed Prince Harry was snapped getting into a car after leaving the Jam Tree in Chelsea yesterday

The royal had dressed smartly for his visit to the pub on King's Road, in a blue suit and a pale blue tie.

On Wednesday Harry spent the afternoon with former Army officer Mark Dyer - who was once dubbed the prince's 'second father' - after returning to London following Christmas Day with the Royal Family at Sandringham.

The Prince was seen laughing with his friend over cocktails and a bottle of red wine.

Before heading to the Queen's Norfolk retreat, Harry had spent time with his girlfriend, the Suits actress Meghan Markle, in London.

Prince Harry travelled with Prince William and his family to the Queen's annual lunch at Buckingham Palace ahead of Christmas

The couple were snapped strolling together on a romantic night in London's West End.

The pair headed to the Gielgud Theatre to catch the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

While her boyfriend was in Norfolk, Meghan spent a quiet Christmas in Toronto, where she lives, with her mother, Doria Radlan.
After vowing to end the audio issues in their programmes earlier this year, it appears the BBC's mumbling problem has returned.

Viewers were less than impressed with the sound quality of To Walk Invisible, a one-off drama telling the story of the Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne and their brother Branwell, that aired last night.

Complaints flooded Twitter about the BBC One drama, with one Twitter user saying: 'So disappointed by #ToWalkInvisible spoiled by bad sound quality. Visually beautiful and well-acted but much was muffled drowned by soundtrack.'

The latest sound problem comes months after the BBC director general Tony Hall told executives to look into 'audibility' issues following complaints from fans of shows like Happy Valley.

To Walk Invisible followed the story of the Bronte sister, Charlotte, Emily and Anne who fought for recognition in their work but viewers struggled to hear because of sound issues

Viewers were unimpressed with the sound quality of the two-hour long drama stating that the dialogue was inaudible

Last night, viewers took to social media in their droves to comment on the problem.

'Can't understand what anyone's saying. Mumbling and speaking so fast. Apart from that brilliant portrayal,' said one.

Others said they were 'disappointed' by the audio fail and other added that they couldn't 'hear a word' anyone was saying.

Some viewers complained that they couldn't understand what was going on in the drama and they had to put subtitles on

The three Bronte sisters: Anne, played by Charlie Murphy, Charlotte, played by Finn Atkins, and Emily played by Chloe Pirrie

The two-hour long drama was praised by many fans for the stunning scenery and story line following the historical figures

While many viewers were not happy with the sound quality many praised the show and creator Sally Wainwright

It's a problem they have been plagued with over the years with shows like Jamaica in 2014, War and Peace this January and November's Rillington Place all appearing to have the same issue.

Fans have continued to share their difficulties trying to understand what was going on in their favourite shows, even resorting to subtitles to follow the plots.

Originally the BBC said the sound quality in Happy Valley was due to the Yorkshire accents, but that comment angered those from West Yorkshire where the show was set, saying even they couldn't understand the show.

Happy Valley, which starred Sarah Lancashire, was also hit with complaints from fans who couldn't hear the dialogue properly

Patronising rubbish, said another. [The BBC] cant even admit when they get it wrong. How on earth can we not understand the Yorkshire dialect?

Earlier this year Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC TV Channels and iPlayer, told the Voice of the Listener and Viewer conference that they were going to do everything they could to prevent the problem again, including creating a new set of guidelines.

Back in 2013, Lord Hall said the corporation could look at how to stop actors muttering in its TV dramas.

I dont want to sound like a grumpy old man, but I also think muttering is something we could have a look at, he said. Actors muttering can be testing - you find you have missed a line - you have to remember that you have an audience.

While many struggled to understand what the actors were saying during the two-hour long programme last night, viewers still praised the show and the creator Sally Wainwright for the portrayal of the Bronte family.

'To Walk Invisible was stunning. Beautiful and moving and so well directed. Perfect way to spend the evening,' gushed one.
Girls have plenty of accessories to choose from when putting together an outfit, from shoes to bags to jewelry. But guys who want to spruce up their wardrobe with a little something extra have less to work with.

Yet one teenager from Virginia has found a pretty creative way to keep his style coordinated for school.

According to pictures posted by one his classmates that have gone viral, 16-year-old Brian Milan matches his drink to his shirt every day.

Color-coordinated: Brian Milan, 16, matches his drink to his shirt at school every day

He's got fans: His classmate, Chloe Alwes, noticed and posted pictures online

His classmate, Chloe Alwes, first noticed the habit and took photos for a few days before sharing them on Twitter, writing: 'he matches his drink and shirt everyday.'

The day he wore a red shirt, his drink was red too. He brought a blue thirst-quencher on his blue shirt day. He carried black when he wore back, orange when he wore orange, and so on.

And it's clearly no coincidence, either. Brian often reuses a Fiji water bottle, filling it up with different colorful flavors of Gatorade and Kool-Aid.

The Stafford County teen explained to BuzzFeed that he first came up with the idea as a joke to keep himself amused.

The teen started the tradition at the beginning of the year to amuse himself

Teachers and students began to notice, though some assumed that it was a coincidence  until they realized it was happening way too frequently.

'My friend and I asked and he said he did on purpose,' Chloe said. 'I'm not sure why but it's hilarious.'

On Twitter, her photos have been liked a whopping 300,000 times, and the snaps were also popular on Reddit.

The pictures have picked up so much steam that Brian even updated one classmate on his outfit one day when she wasn't in class, sending her a picture of his red drink and shirt.

Fun! He usually drinks Gatorade or Kool-Aid and now takes color requests

Brian added that he plans to keep up the matching, and has even taken requests from classmates.

'My parents laughed when I told them,' he added. Strangers, too, have had something to say.

'A legend if I ever saw one, wrote one Twitter user. Another added: 'This is the level of extra I want to be on.'
The last act is often the best, and Barack Obama's decision to order the U.S. to abstain in UN Security Council votes might be one of the most devastating of his presidency. However, it was probably inevitable.

Israeli-U.S. relations have sunk to a new low. Apparently, Obama didn't like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the first time they met, and the feeling was mutual. Both considered each other arrogant, and there were structural differences in views on Middle East developments.

A focal point has become Netanyahu's policy of incessant encroachment and settlement building in occupied territories. There is no sane person who cannot see where such a policy is leading.

There was a time when politicians of the Israeli left opposed this policy, but their heyday in local politics is long gone. As a result, this single incident at the UN has become a cause celebre for Palestinian groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Netanyahu also suffers from a Messianic complex, and likes to regard himself as the "Savior of his people." That inevitably clouds his judgment about Iran and Palestine, and leads him on to an even more assertive foreign policy.

But, there's a deeper game being played here, and it is of a structural nature.

Over the last decade or so, Americans, as well as much of the rest of the Western world, have grown tired of the Middle East tensions. Hopes of transforming it into a region of peace have faded, as has the hope of promoting democracy. The region is beset with ancient cultural feuds, and is considered to have become a strategic hell, with ever declining importance among strategic community.

The demographics are exploding, and there is no economic growth in sight. Added to that are the uniquely regressive cultural conflicts and great power sectarian games.

The Western public is fed up with trying to solve such cultural conflicts in a faraway region with which they have little in common, other than terrorism and the hordes of refugees on the move. That is evident in hundreds of PEW surveys, where Americans and Westerners in general want their leaders to get out of Middle East. Obama, and Trump, both,have somehow tapped into this feeling.

If one notices, there is a qualitative similarity between Obama and Trump, which makes them different from McCain, Romney, Rubio or Clinton, in the sense, they are both cold-eyed and transactional. Obama, despite his humanitarian rhetoric, has perhaps been the most cynical president in recent history.

The policy he tried is called "buck-passing" in international relations, where Obama tried to let regional rivals deal with regional problems, as he calculated that, in the grand strategy of the U.S., the Middle East was of relatively low importance, a claim supported by much academic research.

However, the downside is that, in order to gamble away the Middle East's future to Iran and Russia, Obama had to turn to an appeal to Iranian hardliners that required him to be harsh to Israel.

I'm not saying that is the only cause; Israel itself is responsible for this fiasco, but it must have played on Obama's mind that Israel is not quite acting like a proper client state, given the fact that it is almost uniquely dependant on American financial and technological and diplomatic backing. It was a way of making that point clear to Netanyahu.

Such is the curse of time, that everything changes inevitably, even alliances. The importance of Israel was also tied to U.S. due to the curious geostrategic interests in the region. As that fades, slowly and steadily, the importance of Israel also fades.

Younger generations of voters, and policy makers, who were born after the collapse of the Soviet Union, fail to comprehend why the U.S. would ally itself with states who, for no reason, listen to none of the dictates of the bigger power. And if Israel cannot mend its ways and change according to the needs of the times, it stands to lose the future generosity of its American benefactors, no matter who occupies the White House.

Sumantra Maitra is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SumantraMaitra.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Princess Diana was in high spirits  it was one of her good days  when George Michael came to a halt in his swanky cabriolet outside the entrance to her apartments at Kensington Palace.

Hearing the car pull up, she rushed into the kitchen, where her chef, Darren McGrady was preparing lunch for the pair, and yelled excitedly: Darren, Darren, come here!

Darren followed the boss into the dining room and watched her sprint across the floor to the sash window, pull it up with one swift tug and put her head outside.

Princes Diana talks to George Michael (second right) ahead of a concert of Hope at Wembley Arena in London, to mark World Aids Day in 1993 - the two became firm friends

She said, Look, look, and there was this soft-top, a super nice one, and I looked down and on the passenger seat in the front there were two magazines  and on the cover of each was George Michael, recalls Darren.

She said, George Michaels just arrived, hes downstairs, can you believe he has ridden all the way through Kensington High Street just gazing at those images of himself on the magazines. How vain can you get! She said it to him, too, and he just laughed. He didnt take any offence at all.

Lunch proceeded in a similarly exuberant vein.

They were great friends, says Darren. She loved his sense of humour. She felt relaxed with him. He was like one of the girls, someone she could be comfortable and relaxed with and say anything to.

She would tease him, she loved teasing. He would laugh and give as much back.

Each of them held true superstar status and it was this empathy they had for each other, their instinctive understanding of how crazy the others life was, that drew them to one another.

George was gay but there was speculation about the nature of his relationship with Diana

That and the way they both loved a good old gossip (and even favoured, for a time, the same bouffant Eighties hairdo). And, of course, the fact that they were both superbly good looking.

Now sadly, these two iconic figures have another thing in common: their untimely deaths, following George Michaels sudden passing on Christmas Day aged 53.

George was gay, of course, but there has long been speculation about the nature of the pairs relationship and how far it went.

And it was gossipy George, no less, in an interview with the Huffington Post, who fuelled the flames in an interview in 2009.

I was invited to the Palace many, many times before I actually met with her because I was so afraid of the publicity if we did become friends.

And when we did meet, I think we clicked in a way that was a little bit intangible, and it probably had more to do with our upbringing than anything else. (George had a difficult relationship with his father, while Diana did not always see eye to eye with her stepmother, Raine).

Darren McGrady chef to the Queen and the Royal Family for fifteen years says that Diana loved a good old gossip with her pal George

There were certain things that happened that made it clear she was very attracted to me, he said. There was no question.

Asked by the interviewer whether he had considered taking things further, he replied, somewhat obliquely: I knew it would have been a disastrous thing to do.

It seems, then, that Diana reluctantly accepted Georges sexuality, and settled for a friendship.

It was flirtatious on both sides, says Darren.

Whatever did or did not go on within the confines of Kensington Palace  or KP as it is known by the royals  will never be known.

But what is clear from the account of Darren McGrady is that Diana and George enjoyed a close and often uproarious friendship for several years after meeting at a concert held on World Aids Day in 1993.

For following her separation from Prince Charles in 1992, Diana was eager to carve out a new life for herself, identifying herself firmly with the causes she believed in  one of which was raising awareness into HIV/Aids, also close to George Michaels heart.

And now living alone in two apartments at Kensington Palace, the Princess had a certain degree of freedom.

With Charles and his more traditional tastes out of her life, she had the dining room redecorated, with burnt orange walls, a round wooden table and cane chairs.

It was more of an Italian rustic style, not at all formal, says Darren, who joined the staff as her personal chef in 1993 and stayed with her until her death aged just 36 in 1997 following the car crash in Paris with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.

By then, he had already known Diana for many years, having joined the Royal Household in 1982, working for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Diana loved having friends over for lunch, away from the spotlight.

In the evenings, Darren would prepare a low-fat meal for the Princess which would be wheeled into her sitting room on a little cart so that she could enjoy a TV dinner  the soap opera Brookside, he says, was her favourite programme.

It was a small household, just Darren, a maid and a butler.

We were like a family, he recalls. But although Diana had lost her HRH title by then, we always called her Your Royal Highness, out of respect.

Diana loved having friends over for lunch, away from the spotlight - including Elton John and George Michael

Before he started coming for lunch, George was already on the Princesss radar.

At a Kensington drinks reception in 1992, according to royal commentator Dickie Arbiter, the Princess had commented to a guest about George in the earshot of Prince Harry: Isnt it a shame he doesnt like the ladies?

It was around 1994, says Darren, that George became a regular visitor. He used to come over quite a bit. She felt comfortable with him.

Some people would meet Princess Diana and theyd be bowing, curtseying and nervous, whereas with George it was like meeting his sister. He didnt care what came out of his mouth.

Sometimes, says Darren, George would arrive with his friends, Elton John and designer Gianni Versace, who was also to die tragically  he was shot dead outside his Miami home just a month before Dianas death in Paris. Shed have Elton and George Michael and Versace over and she would come alive when they were here.

She used to laugh like crazy. I think they all called her Diana. Elton was a little bit more reserved than George, hed have his dry quips.

She loved catching up on all the showbusiness gossip. She loved Georges sense of humour. He was vibrant and alive and she loved his music.

Darren, 54, could always tell when Diana, who was often rather up and down in her mood, was having a good day. On one of these good days, she would play George Michael at full blast in her bedroom.

He [George Michael] would tell her jokes that were really risque and she would share them and I would say, Oh my gosh, Your Royal Highness, and she would laugh even more that she had shocked me. Darren Grady, former Royal chef

Outside apartments eight and nine at KP, where the Princess was, there was a quadrangle and we had huge sash windows. Id have the window open and youd hear George Michael music blaring out of her bedroom apartment.

Im sure Princess Margaret could hear it, it was blasting out. It was that or Phil Collins, shed blast him out, too. On the bad days, there was no music.

Maybe she was having lunch in the kitchen and she would see Charles and Camilla on the news and that was always embarrassing. Or if shed had a bad press day. There were good days and bad days. She would be down and I would get on with my work.

But she loved it when the boys William and Harry  were staying. They were in the kitchen all the time. Theyd come in and hide from their nanny and William would have ice cream. And George Michael could always be relied on to cheer her up if shed had a bad day.

He would tell her jokes that were really risque and she would share them and I would say, Oh my gosh, Your Royal Highness, and she would laugh even more that she had shocked me. Diana enjoyed the company of men. And while George was a favourite, it didnt hurt to invite an alpha male or two over for lunch.

Pop stars George Michael (top) and Elton John leave Westminster Abbey after the funeral service of Diana Princess of Wales in 1997 - they were both very close to the Royal

And so it was that a guest one day was another living legend, the American actor Clint Eastwood. Darren says he and Diana were involved in a charity project together.

The Princess wasnt a great meat eater, but when she had a man to lunch she felt she had to offer meat. So when Clint Eastwood came over she said, Lets do rack of lamb. I did it with a parsley sauce.

I have cooked for many celebrities, but he was the only person who asked to meet the chef to thank him personally.

I walked into the dining room and he stood up, he had on big cowboy boots.

He said, That was a delicious lunch. And I said, Oh, did it make your day? (The catchphrase of Dirty Harry, arguably Eastwoods most memorable character).

He laughed so much and the Princess just sat there looking, as though to say, What are you talking about? She could be so naive, which was one of the lovely things about her.

Diana also met another Hollywood star during this period  Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise was filming Mission Impossible, recalls Darren, who prepared the menus for State Banquets for the American Presidents Reagan, Clinton and Bush while he was in the employ of the Queen. She said shed been invited to go out to the studios and see the set and meet Tom Cruise.

She came back later that afternoon and said, Well, thats another one off the list, hes too short. Just those quips that shed come out with, I miss those.

Darren was devastated when she died.

It was awful, an awful time. Being inside KP and watching the flowers get higher and higher.

Going to the Chapel Royal and seeing her there.

George Michael sent flowers, of course, and attended the funeral, clearly distraught and weeping.

I hadnt seen her for a couple of years by the time she died, he told the Huffington Post in 2009.

We nearly got together on that St Tropez trip (where Diana was on holiday before the fateful trip to Paris). I was supposed to go on to the boat, and Im quite glad I didnt because it would have been so fresh when she died, it would have been even more upsetting.

Dianas death shattered many. Her loyal chef, Darren McGrady, was so upset he couldnt bear to remain in England.

He moved to America, got married and had three children, and now runs a catering company called, fittingly, Eating Royally.

He wrote a cookbook of the same name and has given all the proceeds to the Elizabeth Glaser Aids Foundation.

Diana supported Aids charities and childrens charities so it felt right, he says.

This week, the sea of flowers outside George Michaels Oxfordshire home has been steadily growing, just as it did outside Kensington Palace after Diana died.

But for Darren McGrady, that warm summers day, when this charismatic pair met for lunch and Diana teased George about his magazine covers on the seat of his cabriolet, is an even more poignant memory.
Dame Sally Davies has denied she acts like a 'nanny-in-chief' by repeatedly warning women of the dangers of alcohol.

The Government's chief medical officer cautioned of a 'direct line' between alcohol consumption and breast cancer.

But she admitted she would welcome in the New Year with a glass of wine, and would not be giving up alcohol for January.

Dame Sally was accused of a nanny state attitude earlier this year, when she told the Commons Science and Technology committee that women should 'do as I do' and think about the risks of breast cancer every time they reach for a glass of wine.

Dame Sally Davies, the Government's chief medical officer, admitted she would welcome in the New Year with a glass of wine, and would not be giving up alcohol for January

She admitted she chose those words poorly - but defended her repeated attempts to set out the risks of drinking too much.

Dame Sally, who was guest editing the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, accused her critics of sexism.

'I think it's very sexist,' she told the programme. 'I'm the first female chief medical officer, the 16th - the post has been there statutorily for 168 years.

'Would they have called my male predecessors nannies, let alone nanny-in-chief?'

She added: 'Let me start by saying I could have framed that better, couldn't I, when I was in front of the select committee.

'And everyone knows, who knows me well, that I enjoy a glass of wine too.

But she also cautioned of a 'direct line' between alcohol consumption and breast cancer

'What I was trying to get over is, what are the low-risk guidance for drinking?'

She added: 'There is a straight line in the relationship in the amount of alcohol that is drunk and breast cancer. But our guidelines were aimed at low-risk.

'I will be enjoying a glass of wine on New Year's Eve, as will everybody else.

I will be enjoying a glass of wine on New Year's Eve, as will everybody else Dame Sally Davies

'What we are aiming at is those who are drinking to harm themselves - my job is to tell them the evidence, it is not to be nanny and tell them they must, but they do need to think about it.'

Dame Sally in January set out tough new guidance which cut the recommended drinking limit to 14 units a week - the equivalent of seven glasses of wine - for men and women.

Since she was appointed chief medical officer in 2010 Dame Sally has launched a crusade to influence the nation's unhealthy lifestyle.

WHY ONE GLASS OF WINE CAN KILL YOU Drinking just one glass of wine or bottle of beer a day could trigger a dangerous 'heart flutter', experts warned earlier this month. Data from more than 900,000 people suggested regular drinking - even at light levels - can be dangerous to the heart. Australian experts found drinking one 'standard' drink a day - defined as about 340ml of 5 per cent strength beer, or 140ml of 12 per cent strength wine - increased the risk of an abnormal heart rhythm by 8 per cent. And every extra drink consumed daily increases the risk by another 8 per cent, they found. Advertisement

And the 67-year-old has often pointed to her own practice as an example of healthy behaviour.

She has been repeatedly urged people to take more exercise, claiming she runs most mornings, eat more healthily  she makes herself packed lunches of raw vegetables - and drink less.

This summer she advised adults to ditch online grocery shopping and walk to supermarkets  as carrying heavy bags would burn off more calories.

She has also told commuters get off the bus two stops early and go the rest of the way on foot, and take the stairs rather than the lift.

Dame Sally defended her messages.

'The big thing for us is how do we change behaviours, not just the public's, but our own. It is very difficult.'

She also raised concerns about the number of people killed by traffic pollution.

Dame Sally, who is married to Dutch haematologist Willem Ouwehand, said diesel cars should 'be steadily phased out' to reduce emissions.
India's demonetisation decision has bamboozled the best economists around the world but 1.25 billion citizens have welcomed the move wholeheartedly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told India Today magazine in an exclusive interview, as he defended his decision to abolish 86 per cent of the country's cash overnight.

While critics have found fault with the government's preparedness in implementing the November 8 decision, the PM said he was well aware of the magnitude and complexity of the challenge.

'It is no small thing that no significant incident of unrest has taken place in the country,' he told India Today Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have called the decision a 'massive scam' and a 'political move' while they held protests demanding the government retract the step.

'At the same time, as with every other process, there is always room for improvement, and I believe that we can, and must, always improve.'

The abolition of high-value bank notes aimed at constricting the nation's shadow economy has also hit millions of legitimate businesses and millions of people who lack bank accounts and use cash to pay for everything from groceries to hospital stays to land purchases.

But Modi said demonetisation has forced black money out into the open, whomsoever it may belong to - corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen or professionals.

'Holders of black money may hide behind the bank accounts of others, but unlike cash holdings, they can be traced. In this game of hide and seek, they have a few days to hide, but the government has the time, mechanisms and, most importantly, the will to seek them out,' he warned.

'Demonetisation, on the other hand, is an unprecedented step to confiscate the loot of the corrupt.'

The Prime Minister pointed out that eminent economists such as James Henry, Prof Kenneth Rogoff and Prof Larry Summers have been advocates of demonetisation.

'In India, too, demonetisation has been recommended since the 1970s. The Wanchoo Committee, headed by a retired CJI and with leading economists and chartered accountants as members, had in 1971 recommended the demonetisation of 85 per cent of the currency, comprising Rs 10 and Rs 100 notes,' he said.

'People across the political spectrum have since called for its implementation, ranging from then Congress CM Giani Zail Singh in the National Development Council to then CPI(M) MP Jyotirmoy Basu in Parliament.

'What we have done now is broadly in accordance with the recommendations of that committee.'

'If anything, India is 40 years late in this decision of demonetisation, Modi said.

'It would seem a matter of common sense to understand that if India's economy was weak, this decision could not have been made,' he added.

'It was consciously taken when the economy is in good shape, as such a sharp correction could have only been made then to fortify its foundations and give it a further boost.'

Many private indicators have signalled that India's $2 trillion economy will be hurt by the currency switch.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have called the decision a 'massive scam' and a 'political move' while they held protests demanding the government retract the step.

But Modi hit back at rivals, accusing them of trying to shield the corrupt.

'I pity some of our opponents, especially the Congress leadership, for the desperation they have been exhibiting,' he said.

'On the one hand, they say I took this decision for political dividends, and on the other, they say the people have been troubled and are deeply unhappy. How can the two go together? Maybe, as members of the Opposition, they have to conjure something up to criticise me about, however illogical it may be. I sympathise with their difficulty.'

He took a dig at his predecessor Manmohan Singh, who called the decision to scrap high-value currency notes 'organised loot' and a 'monumental mismanagement'.

'His reference to 'organised loot' was perhaps a reference to the unending string of scams under his leadership, from the coal scam to the 2G and CWG scams,' he said.

'Demonetisation, on the other hand, is an unprecedented step to confiscate the loot of the corrupt.'

Modi also quoted from former home secretary Madhav Godbole's book about how, as private secretary to then finance minister YB Chavan, he described his minister's interaction regarding demonetisation with then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

'When YB Chavan told her about the proposal for demonetisation and his view that it should be accepted and implemented forthwith, she asked Chavan only one question: 'Chavanji, are no more elections to be fought by the Congress party?'

'Chavan got the message and the recommendation was shelved.'

The PM took on detractors who have panned frequent modifications to the original decision.

'One must be able to distinguish between niti (policy) and ran-niti (strategy) and not put them in the same basket,' he said.

'The decision of demonetisation, which reflects our niti, is unequivocally clear, unwavering and categorical. Our ran-niti, however, needed to be different, aptly summarised by the age-old saying of 'Tu daal-daal, main paat-paat'.

'We must stay two steps ahead of the enemy.'

Modi's yearend speech over tequila shots

Music, merry making and Modi - city nightclubs and pubs are gearing up for an unusual New Year's Eve programme.

Bars and restaurants plan to organise a special screening of the Prime Minister's address to the nation at 7.30 pm on Saturday that coincides with the expiry of the 50-day period of post-demonetisation pain he had asked people to endure 'for the sake of the country'.

'We would love to show the live coverage of Modi's speech at this point of time when people were standing in queues for the past two months, said Siddharth Kumar, culture manager at Social-Cafe and Bar.

The deadline for depositing old notes in bank accounts ends on December 30

'Our customers would be keen to listen to the speech. Accordingly, we will plan something.'

In a similar televised address on November 8, the PM had announced a surprise ban on 500 and 1,000-rupee notes in a bid to eliminate corruption and unaccounted cash.

The deadline for depositing old notes in bank accounts ends on December 30.

Bar managers say many customers are booking tables after asking about the arrangements for Modi's speech.

'Apart from getting updates from YouTube, Twitter and news portals, people would be more comfortable watching the announcement on the screens. So we would keep the option of screening it. And on the customers demand we will telecast Modi's speech,' said Kamaljeet Kaur, manager of The Vault Cafe in Connaught Place.

Representatives at another pub said they have a satellite connection and two projectors ready.

'But for New Year's Eve we have arranged live music. However, we are keeping the screening option open for our customers,' said a representative at The Flying Saucer Cafe in Nehru Place.

People who party at home but wish to hear Modi may switch to Doordarshan or news channels. Sources say the Prime Minister is expected to speak on demonetisation and may announce a bouquet of sops.

The police department will also be more alert to deal with any fallout of the PM's address.

'Those pubs and restaurants facilitating the special screening of Modi's speech will be contacted and accordingly adequate police personnel will be deployed,' said a senior police officer.

Rohit Tandon may have converted money for influential people

Interrogation of Delhi-based lawyer Rohit Tandon arrested in connection with a massive black money haul by the Enforcement Directorate has revealed that he never went to banks to deposit cash, but had bank managers come to his house to collect them.

Questioning revealed that Tandon may have tried to convert black money into white for several influential people.

He reportedly admitted to interrogators that he had converted old notes amounting to around Rs 20 crore into new ones for several people.

Delhi-based lawyer Rohit Tandon arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday evening

Out of more than Rs 70 crore attributed to him, he had reportedly handed over Rs 51 crore to Kotak Bank manager Ashish Kumar for conversion into white money.

Interestingly, it was a tip-off from the income tax department which helped ED crack the connection between Tandon and Ashish.

Interrogation of Tandon's employees by I-T officials, who had raided his south Delhi residence earlier this month, had revealed that a certain Ashish from Kotak Bank was a regular visitor to Tandon's Greater Kailash house.

Working on this tip-off, ED sleuths managed to identify the link between the two.

Ashish, who has also been arrested by ED, had allegedly created nine fake accounts in Kotak Bank at Kasturba Gandhi Marg and and deposited Rs 38 crore into these accounts.

ED sources said nine lockers connected with Tandon in Delhi and Kolkata had been checked so far.

Three hard disks had been seized and voluminous documents recovered during the raids.

Interrogation of Tandon and alleged hawala operator Parasmal Lodha also revealed that the latter was converting black money into white for Tandon.

Parasmal has been arrested in connection with his black money links to Tandon and mining baron J Sekhar Reddy.

Parasmal reportedly admitted to the links and this is being presented as a crucial evidence against Tandon, who had been denying them.
The inter-ministerial task force set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for correcting India's under-utilisation of its allocated share of waters under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has just held its first meeting.

The water-related issue facing India, however, is much larger: The continuing absence of institutionalised, integrated policy-making in India, which has prevented proper management of the country's increasingly scarce water resources.

Indeed, India stands out for its lack of a national action plan to build water security.

IWT was negotiated in a period when water shortages were uncommon in most parts of India

Scarcity

When the Indian Republic was established, the framers of its Constitution did not visualise water scarcity in the decades ahead, given the relative abundance of water resources then.

Therefore, they left water as a state-level subject, rather than making it a federal issue.

Similarly, the IWT, under which India big-heartedly agreed in 1960 to the exclusive reservation of the largest three of the six Indus system rivers for Pakistan, was negotiated in a period when water shortages were uncommon in most parts of India.

India's political negligence on this issue has been so deep and extensive that it can be remedied only through hands-on political direction and in coordination with the state chief ministers.

This led India to sign an extraordinary treaty whose terms commit India to indefinitely reserve over four-fifths of the total waters of the Indus system for Pakistan.

The treaty uniquely parceled out entire rivers to Pakistan. It granted Pakistan virtually exclusive rights to use the waters of the Chenab, the Jhelum, and the main Indus stream - known together as the 'western rivers'.

The average replenishable flows of the three western rivers total 167.2 billion cubic meters (BCM) per year.

As its own share, India settled for a mere 40.4 BCM, or the total yearly flows of the three so-called eastern rivers - the Sutlej, the Beas, and the Ravi.

Four of these six rivers originate in India (three of them in Himachal Pradesh), and two (the main Indus stream and the Sutlej) originate in Tibet.

Only the Jhelum originates in Jammu and Kashmir. Today, the national water situation in India is far worse than in China.

China's population is not even 10 per cent larger than India's but its internally renewable water resources (2,813 BCM) are almost twice as large as India's.

In aggregate water availability, including external inflows (which are sizeable in India's case), China boasts virtually 50 per cent larger resources than India.

India must treat water as a strategic resource for its own well-being

Yet India serves as a case study of how a disjointed policy approach and lack of vision on managing water resources can exact serious costs by creating water shortages across much of the country.

In a sense, India's fragmented approach is exactly the opposite of China's highly centralised approach centred on mega-projects.

Accountability

The startling fact is that the responsibility for water issues is so fragmented within India's central government that 12 different departments or ministries deal with different segments of water resources.

To promote clear responsibility and accountability in national water management and to facilitate integrated policy-making, India must end its present fragmented approach on water issues.

As for India's under-utilisation of its IWT allocated water share, the task facing the task-force is formidable.

For example, the waters of the three eastern rivers not utilised by India aggregate to 10.37 BCM yearly according to Pakistan or, according to the UN, 11.1 BCM.

These bonus outflows to Pakistan alone amount to six times Mexico's total water share under its treaty with the US, and are many times greater than the total volumes spelled out in the Israel-Jordan water arrangements.

Although the IWT permits India to store 4.4 BCM of waters from the Pakistanreserved rivers, a careless India has built no storage.

And despite the treaty allowing India to build hydropower plants with no dam reservoir, India's total installed generating capacity in J&K currently does not equal the size of a single new dam in Pakistan like the 4,500-megawatt Diamer- Bhasha, whose financing for construction was approved recently.

Background

Against this background, the task force set up by Modi, with his principal secretary as its chairman, may be a step in the right direction.

But constituting this committee is hardly an adequate response to fixing the anomaly in India's under-utilisation of its water share.

Made up of senior bureaucrats who are already busy attending to other tasks, the committee cannot by itself remove the bureaucratic hurdles in the proper utilisation of water resources.

India's political negligence on this issue has been so deep and extensive that it can be remedied only through hands-on political direction and in coordination with the state chief ministers.

More fundamentally, water scarcity is a looming challenge across India. The water wars between various Indian states are highlighting how the competition over shared water resources is sharpening in an alarming manner.

India must treat water as a strategic resource for its own well-being. If the current compartmentalised approach to managing water resources persists, water shortages are going to exact growing economic and social costs in India.
More than two weeks have passed since communal violence broke out in Dhulagarh, a small town on the outskirts of Kolkata in Howrah district, and yet a sense of fear is palpable on the ground.

Many remain homeless as those who suffered mob violence are wary of returning home, barely 20 km from the state secretariat Nabanna.

Last week, the state government had removed Howrah (Rural) SP Sabyasachi Raman Mishra for failing to contain the violence.

Dhulagarh victims are terrified and worried about their future

'So far, 58 people have been arrested. There has been no fresh violence after December 14,' said Sumit Kumar, who replaced Mishra.

However, when Mail Today questioned chief minister Mamata Banerjee over the situation in Dhulagarh, she snapped: 'Nothing has happened. You should be ashamed for this.'

Yet, her government continues to impose prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC, banning the entry of Opposition parties and the media into the troubled area.

Charred remains of the households in Dhulagarh

On Thursday, the state police described the violence as an 'outcome of a dispute arising out of a local issue'.

It said situation was under total control and normal.

This week, when Mail Today travelled to Dhulagarh to assess the ground situation, it found that many had fled the area leaving behind charred remains of their houses.

'We can't live here anymore. We have taken shelter in our relatives' place elsewhere,' said Rampada Manna, as his wife Seema struggled to gather whatever belonging was left after the riots.

Riots erupted after Milad-ul-Nadi yatra

'Police came that day, but when we were attacked, even the cops fled,' he adds.

Manna, who works as a barber in a local saloon, was at home when a violent mob broke open the gate and vandalised his house.

'We are very poor. We somehow managed to buy a laptop for our son but they took it away. They also stole Rs 65,000 we had kept for LIC,' wept Seema, the horror of that day entrenched on her face.

Adjacent to the Manna household on Banerjee para lives the Mondals. Maitri Mondal, a mother of two, says she heard chants of 'Pakistan Zindabad' as the mob entered her bedroom and set it ablaze.

Mamata Banerjee is dismissive about the incident

'My son will appear for his Board exams in February, but they have destroyed everything. All his books are gutted and my son is in trauma now,' she says, pointing at the charred pages on her son's study desk.

The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 35,000 for the victims, but most say that is simply not enough.

'The hooligans destroyed my house; everything has been burnt. I can't fix them with this money,' laments Namita Sanpui, who lives in the same locality.

No one knows what exactly triggered the riots that erupted soon after Milad-Un-Nabi celebrations in the town.

Dilip Khanra was among many who had locked themselves inside a room when the mob was nearing the village, pelting crude bombs.

'When the police came, they told us to leave our house in two minutes to save our lives. They didn't even stop the mob,' he says.

His neighbour, 32-year-old Subhra Khanra, too fled for her life on that day. The mob set her house on fire forcing her family to take shelter in a nearby ashram.
Cocking a snook at Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav declared his own list of 235 candidates for the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh.

The list comprises 171 sitting MLAs and 64 new faces, the latter for the seats that the party lost in 2012 elections.

The open defiance indicates that the war in Yadav clan is far from over and may result in a vertical split of the ruling party.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has declared his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls

Akhilesh Yadav was closeted with his supporters over the day, before coming out with a parallel list late in the evening.

Sources said Akhilesh was angry for, as many as 108 candidates in the list released by Mulayam Singh were not of Akhilesh's choice and he was not taken into confidence before the official declaration.

The list was jointly declared by Mulayam and party state president Shivpal Yadav on a day when Akhilesh was on his Bundelkhand trip and when asked about the list he said that he came to know about it through the media.

Thursday witnessed a lot of turbulence in the state capital as supporters from both Akhilesh and Shivpal camp started gathering outside the CM's official residence and party supremo's residence.

On Wednesday evening, after reaching Lucknow from Bundelkhand, Akhilesh summoned his ministers and MLAs of his camp (who did'nt got a ticket) for a meeting at his residence on Thursday.

Following the order, Akhilesh's cadre started gathering since morning only to get time in the evening.

Akhilesh, after a brief chat with some of his ministers and MLAs on Thursday morning, headed towards Mulayam's residence for a closed door meeting at around 1pm.

They were later joined by Shivpal at around 2pm and the meeting ended at 3pm.

Akhilesh Yadav's list came after Mulayam Singh released his list of 325 candidates

Though details were not out, sources said that while Akhilesh expressed his discontent, Mulayam tried to pacify both his son and brother and tried to chalk out an optimum solution.

While Akhilesh left for his residence at around 3pm, Shivpal continued his chat with Mulayam and left after half an hour at around 3:30pm.

After reaching his residence, Akhilesh held a meeting with his MLAs and ministers whose names did not find a place in Mulayam's list.

Though the details were not out by the time of filing the report, those coming out of the meeting were seemingly happy and satisfied.

'I will contest the election from Ayodhya Akhilesh has assured us of full support', said Pawan Pandey, a minister in Akhilesh cabinet and whose name was omitted from Mulayam's list.

Another party MLA Indal Singh claimed that the CM will soon announce his list as MSY has denied tickets to those close to the CM.

Other MLAs and Akhilesh supporters also appeared relieved and somehow assured that they are still in the race.

Later in the evening at around 7pm, Mulayam once again summoned Shivpal to his house for a meeting.

However, the meeting ended within an hour and Shivpal left without talking to the media.

The details were not out as yet. Meanwhile, senior party leader and one of Akhilesh's ardent supporter, Ramgopal Yadav later said 'It happens (in the party) that the tickets are changed till the last moment.

'Meeting toh hogi he agar ticket nahi milega.People want Akhilesh to become the CM again and his role will be pivotal in the elections'.
The parents of the December 16 gang rape victim voiced their displeasure in no uncertain terms with the government naming the one-stop crisis centres for women 'Sakhi' instead of Nirbhaya, alleging it was a bid to erase the memory of their daughter from public discourse.

Initially, the Women and Child Development Ministry had announced setting up one-stop crisis centres across the country and name them 'Nirbhaya centres.'

But as the project rolled out, they named them 'Sakhi.'

Nirbhayas parents question the name Sakhi for govts onestop crisis centres for women.

'It's not done!' said Asha Devi, mother of the victim.

'What happened with my daughter who had sent a message to the society and government that crimes against women has crossed all boundaries and that we need to wake up and act. How can you just forget her,' she asked the government.

Nirbhaya centres, or Sakhi centres, are a one-stop crisis centre for women in distress and are funded by Union government.

They are to be set up in all 640 districts and 20 additional locations across the country.

Nirbhaya is the name given to the victim who was brutally raped in a moving bus on December 16

The programme to launch such centres was conceived as a tribute to the victim of the December 16, 2012 gang-rape case.

But, Asha Devi alleged the government was trying to wipe off the account of their daughter's sufferings.

'Government and society can forget her, but how can I? Her face flashes before my eyes, the moment I close them, and then I look deeper in her eyes and I can feel the pain she endured on that fateful night and I wake up with a soul-shattering chill.'
'We do not seem to be able to cooperate as effectively as we should,' said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar earlier this month in New Delhi.

He was referring to the disjointed approach of India and China on a variety of issues including terrorism and a seat for India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), among other things.

Running from north to the east of New Delhi is the 3488km long, unmarked and imaginary Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates the two Asian powers.

Indian & Chinese delegation leaders meet at Chushul

It has been a barometer of the warmth (or the lack of it) between the two.

Apart from witnessing a full-blown war in 1962, the LAC has also played host to several skirmishes, incursions and transgressions in the later years.

Notwithstanding the lack of cohesion in ties, the LAC has cooled down.

Transgressions (distinct from incursions) from the Chinese side into India show a sharp fall.

The Sino-Indian border, though peaceful for decades, has not been free from surprise.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India in September 2014, his arrival was punctuated with the arrival of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Ladakh where a tense stand-off followed.

Days before Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was to visit India in May 2013, the Chinese forces were locked in a bitter face off with the Indians in the Depsang, Ladakh.

Then, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had called it a 'low' and said: 'The thaw in India-China border relations was also broken in April when Indian Army was once again challenged by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) by their repeated incursions into Ladakh Sector on the LAC.'

This is the cause for many to interpret what this drop may imply. While the Army refused to share information or respond to the query, a source in the Ministry of Defence said: 'This only indicates a better understanding at the local level between the two. It would be premature to see any larger design or a change of intent.'

Indian Army's ability to detect and thwart Chinese efforts of intrusion has improved manifold and is showing results.

That apart, better coordination and understanding fostered by high level visits have helped explained an officer who did not wish to be quoted.

On Indian side, the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have their boots on the ground at the LAC.

Both have seen a ramping up of efforts with enhanced manpower and resources.

The Army has identified 14 Strategic Rail Links of which in July the government accorded 'in principle' approval for four.

The Border Roads Organisation has over 40 roads totalling over 3000km to build. On its part, Indian Air Force has activated Advanced Landing Grounds at Walong, Ziro, Along, Mechuka, Tuting and Pasighat.

One at Tawang and Vijaynagar will take longer.

IAF has also based its heavy Sukhoi 30 jets at Tezpur and Chabua and will soon activate the second squadron of C130 special operations plane at Panagarh which is home to the Army's Mountain Strike Corps, a China-centric formation being raised.

Outgoing IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on Wednesday said India was aware of the Chinese build up and was doing what was necessary for its security.

Claude Arpi, writer and China-watcher, said: 'It is definitely a combination of factors. However, it is also a fact that China is wary of opening another front, that too against India. Lastly, Jinping's military reforms initiated last December have left the Chinese with a lot of new arrangements to cater for.'
Britons who use data roaming on their mobile phones while travelling in the EU could face a hefty bill once the UK leaves the EU.

Thats unless Government can strike a comprehensive free-trade deal after Brexit. In October 2015, European MPs formally approved plans to scrap roaming charges starting from mid-June next year.

That will mean all mobile phone users throughout the EU will be able to make calls, send text messages and go online without facing extra charges from 15 June 2017 without the prospect of facing shock bills when they get home.

Footing the bill: Mobile phone bills are set to rise with users being hit by new roaming charges

But Britain will not be covered by these rules once it leaves the EU.

That will allow continental mobile networks to charge British consumers what they like, with bills potentially as high as 50 (43) for listening to a song on Spotify, for example, according to the Financial Times.

Thats in line with what U.S. visitors who dont have a special data package currently have to pay.

To make matters worse, the European Commission has ruled out a quick bilateral deal between the UK and the EU to cover roaming charges.

Gunther Oettinger, the German commissioner said in a response to the European Parliament last year that under WTO rules any bilateral agreement outside of a comprehensive free-trade deal would have to be extended to all other members.

One telecoms executive told the FT's Duncan Robinson and Nic Fildes that it is preparing for a worst case scenario in which higher wholesale prices for calls and data would spill over into higher line rental or other fees across the whole network.

Better deal: Companies with networks in the UK like Vodafone would be able to exchange access to their own infrastructure with their continental peers unlike their smaller rivals

We could be exposed to the likes of France and Spain raising prices, he said.

Post Brexit, British mobile phone operators will have to agree their own bilateral deals with other phone companies across the EU.

During these talks, companies with networks in the UK, such as Vodafone and Three, would be able to exchange access to their own infrastructure with their continental peers.

However, smaller operators who do not own infrastructure and use larger rivals networks would be unlikely to get such generous terms, one official told the FT.

From April this year, thanks to new EU regulations charges for mobile phone users travelling in another European Economic Area country (the 28 EU countries, plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) were capped at 0.05 (4p) per minute for all calls, 0.02 (2p) for text messages and each MB of data used must not incur a fee of more than 0.05 (4p) - excluding VAT.

The new rules were introduced after many travellers incurred 'shock' bills of thousands of pounds for using their mobile phones abroad, after the smartphone market exploded and mobile data consumption soared.

Data from comparison uSwitch published at the end of last year showed that one in six mobile phone users had to pay more than 100 on top of their normal bill, while the average was an extra 61, rising to 72 for 18-34 year olds.

Some mobile phone operators have already cut roaming charges.

Three already offers a 'Feel at Home' perk which wont charge extra to call or text the UK or for data use in 18 countries.

Vodafone customers paying monthly on Red and Red Value bundles pay no roaming fees in 40 European countries.

While Tesco Mobile scrapped extra roaming charges for its customers travelling to any of 31 European countries during last summer.
Public humiliation rituals happen all over the world.

But in some Chinese workplaces, shocking photos and videos have emerged of struggling employees getting shamed for their misdeeds by bosses or laypeople.

Some employees have been forced to eat worms as punishment while others have been paddled in front of their co-workers.

While article 88 of China's labour contract law does state that employers cannot humiliate their employees, these bosses clearly did not get the memo.

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LIVE WORMS

Brutal: Employees from a Chinese sales company were forced to eat live worms after not meeting their boss's sales targets

An employer in Hanzhong, China forced its employees to eat live worms following their failure to reach sales targets.

The workers were gathered in a public square on November 8 where their boss announced the names of under-performers.

He then placed live worms in glasses of Baijiu, a hard liquor with 80 to 120 proof.

The employees had to eat four worms for every client missed, Huashang Daily reported.

No mercy: A pregnant woman was one of the employees doomed to drink the substance and only got out of it when a colleague took her punishment in her place

Yikes: The worms, chopsticks and liquor indicate what's in store for some employees

Their company was a sales group called 'Ai Jia,' roughly translated as 'home loving.'

A pregnant woman was even asked to be punished until a male colleague received the punishment on her behalf.

She said: 'I can't eat worms now, I can't drink either, unless I don't want my baby.'

PADDLING

While worms may have been unpleasant, they weren't quite as violent a punishment as the public paddling one Chinese boss gave his employees.

Shocking footage from June 2016 shows the boss of Shanxi Changzhi Zhangze Agricultural and Commercial Bank in Changzhi, China.

Waiting: The employees wait for their boss to arrive, who will shout at them before the assault

Brutality: A woman gets paddled by her boss in front of many of her coworkers

He is on a stage paddling eight people, four times each, Huanqiu reported.

Meanwhile, their stunned coworkers sit in silence in the audience.

A woman can be seen nearly falling over in pain as she gets spanked.

CRAWLING

Forced

One particularly angry boss made his employees crawl around a lake as penance for not meeting sales targets.

Outrageous photos show 12 people crawling around the hard wooden walkway.

Repent: A dozen employees were forced to crawl around a lake because they did not meet sales targets

The punishment took place in Zhengzhou, China on October 2, 2015, during which employees were supposed to be on national holiday.

Employees were forced to crawl around the 23-acre Ruyi Lake and many sufferers tore their shirts and trousers during the ordeal.

At least one employee cried by the side of the road, People's Daily Online reported.

The company was not identified.

Immobile: One crawler appears to have given up as a man hovers over him - whether to encourage or scorn is not known

Too much: One crawler breaks down in tears during the harsh ordeal

Voluntary

Another crawling incident saw staff allegedly volunteer to join in the punishment of their manager.

Disquieting footage shows more than 10 people crawling outside a busy shopping mall in Baishan, China.

The incident took place on April 2, 2016.

But in a scandalous twist, the company stated that only the manager was punished - or 'motivated' - and his employees volunteered to join him, Huanqiu reported.

Most of the unidentified company's employees were outfitted in smart dress.

A man at one point shouts at the crawlers to 'fulfill their commitments.'

The company stated that the employees crawled about 220 metres (720 feet).

Voluntary AGAIN

A baker, meanwhile, made the singular decision to crawl from his branch to another branch after he did not reach his expected profit.

And his dedicated employees decided to join him in the bizarre procession.

Salvation: Bakery workers crawl with boss as penance for not meeting his hoped-for profit

Cold: The workers had to crawl on cold, snowy pavement in Northern China

The odd footage from Sina shows the boss and his staff inching along hard, snowy pavement in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, China in December 2016.

Onlookers appear to offer both encouragement and disdain.

The boss decided to crawl as a self-inflicted punishment for not reaching his 16,000 business goal, according to reports.

A strange sight: Onlookers did not know how to react to the crawling procession

KNEELING

Another peculiar scene in Shenyang, China, saw employees kneeling and chanting in front of their bosses.

The ceremony occurred at a busy public square in September 2015.

Workers chanted 'thank you for my job' and most wore red tops and black trousers while some wore white.

Thank you: Passers-by said employees were chanting 'thank you for my job'

What is going on here? The company insisted the kowtowing display was not forced

But the company, a local hot pot restaurant, claimed the display was not a humiliation so much as a spontaneous display of respect, People's Daily Online reported.

Restaurant manager Wang said that the display was a performance ceremony during which some employees chose to kowtow.

She said: 'They were chanting slogans along the lines of thanks to their parents for raising them and prosperity of business.

'It's not as the web rumours say about thanking leaders for job.'
 Flash

The number of tourists visiting Taiwan from Chinas mainland has fallen 36.2 percent in the seven months since Tsai Ing-wen became the islands leader in May, the government said yesterday.

The fall, which is compared to the same period in the previous year, was steeper than the 18.5 percent decline measured for most of 2016, the islands Mainland Affairs Council said.

Data on tourists from the mainland going to Taiwan has been closely watched since Tsai took office on May 20.

Tsai and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which advocates independence for Taiwan, have said they want to maintain peace with the mainland but have never conceded to the One China principle.

Taiwan will maintain its policy of welcoming mainland tourists, Chiu Chui-cheng, the councils deputy chief, said at a regular news briefing. But due to political factors that impact mainland tourists coming to Taiwan, our government will plan for the worst and prepare for the best.

Citing immigration figures from May 20 to December 27, he said the number of mainland tourists arriving on group tours had dropped 51.2 percent from the same period a year earlier, a greater drop than the total number of tourists for the same period.

For the full year to Tuesday this week, the number of mainland tourists arriving on group tours fell 29.9 percent.

The number of mainland residents arriving as individual tourists, a figure that is not as easy to calculate, fell at a slower pace, but still reflected double-digit drop during Tsais rule, the data showed.

The decline in tourist numbers from mainland has been keenly felt by the islands tourism industry whose members staged a large protest earlier this year, prompting the government to issue preferential loans to help struggling businesses dependent on tourism.

Also yesterday, authorities in the island said Tsai will pass through the United States when she visits Latin America next month, angering China which urged the US to block any stopovers.

Details of stopovers will be disclosed before the end of this week, the island said.

China urged the US not to let her in.

We hope the US can abide by the One China policy ... and not let her pass through their border, not give any false signals to Taiwan independence forces, and through concrete actions safeguard overall China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news briefing in Beijing.

The transit details are being closely watched as Taiwan media has speculated that Tsai will seek to meet US President-elect Donald Trumps transition team ahead of his January 20 inauguration.

Trump angered China when he spoke to Tsai earlier this month in a break with decades of precedent, a move that cast doubt on his incoming administrations commitment to the One China policy.

The US has acknowledged that there is only One China and that Taiwan is part of it.

Tsais office earlier this month said she would visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She will leave Taiwan on January 7 and return on January 15.
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A remarkable series of colour photographs, taken more than 100 years ago, have been unearthed and they paint a fascinating picture of the dying days of the Russian Empire.

Between 1905 and 1915 Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, a pioneer of colour photography, travelled the empire by railway, chronicling the lives of the many different people who lived under the rule of the doomed Tsar Nicholas II.

Prokudin-Gorsky, whose amazing journey was sponsored by the tsar himself, took a series of images which have become a time capsule, capturing the traditions and cultures which were to disappear after the Russian Revolution of 1917.

He moved to Paris after the tsar was overthrown and later executed and when he died, aged 81, in 1944 his entire collection was bought from his son by the US Library of Congress and all 2,607 can be viewed online on their archive.

These women harvesting tea on a plantation near Chavka in Georgia in 1910 are believed to be mainly Pontic Greeks, an ancient community that originally lived along the Black Sea coast of Anatolia. Many later migrated to the Caucasus, where they came under the protection of the Tsar, a fellow Orthodox Christian

This picture shows a tea packing and weighing room at the Chakva tea farm and processing plant outside Batumi in present-day Georgia, in 1910. Tea is still grown in Georgia and the vast majority of it is exported to Russia

Prokudin-Gorsky was still taking his photographs when the First World War broke out in 1914. Russia found itself fighting both Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A year later he took this photograph of Austro-Hungarian prisoners held at a camp in Karelia, north of St Petersburg, which was renamed Petrograd to make it sound less German

A merchant at a Samarkand market displays silks, cotton and wool fabrics as well as traditional carpets in 1911. At the top of the stall is a framed page of the Koran. Samarkand was captured by the Russians in 1866 but is now in Uzbekistan

Five inmates look out from a zindan, a traditional Central Asian prison in 1910. Their guard is wearing a Russian-style uniform, and is armed with a Russian rifle and bayonet. Zindan is an ancient Persian word for a dungeon but it was brought back into use in the early part of the 21st century during the war between Russia and Chechen rebels

A group of Jewish boys, in traditional dress, are pictured studying with their teacher in Samarkand in modern Uzbekistan in 1910. Samarkand is an ancient city on the Silk Road and Jews had lived their for hundreds of years but most have since emigrated to Israel or the United States

This magnificent gentleman is Muhammad Alim Khan bin Abdul-Ahad, who was the Emir of Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan from 1910 until 1920, when the emirate was abolished by Lenin's communist government

This Daghestani couple are wearing traditional dress in the Gunib region of the Northern Caucasus mountains. The photograph was taken around 1910. Daghestan is a region on the Caspian Sea coast, east of Chechnya

A family iron-mining operation in the Bakaly hills outside Ekaterinburg in 1910. Iron was smelted for the growing steelworks as the empire slowly industrialised. Ekaterinburg was ironically the place where the tsar, and the rest of the Romanov dynasty, were summarily executed in 1918

This group of men in traditional Muslim dress were photographed somewhere in Caucasus mountains in 1910. Russia, which was an Orthodox Christian country, had conquered the North Caucasus region in the 19th century and many of its subjects, like the Chechen and the Ingush, were Muslims

The subject of this photograph is Pinkhus Karlinskii, the 84-year-old supervisor of a floodgate at Chernigov. He is standing on a raft by a ferry dock on the Mariinsk canal in 1909. The canal was a vast undertaking which linked the mighty Volga river with the Baltic Sea

This man, photographed in Daghestan in 1910, is wearing traditional Sunni Muslim dress and an Astrakhan hat. His hand rests on the blue scabbard of his dagger and on his chest appears to be some sort of war medal. Five years earlier the empire had lost the Russo-Japanese War

This woman, wearing traditional Bashkir dress, was photographed on the steps leading to her home in the Ural mountains in 1910. This was long before people knew how to pose and smile in front of a camera. The Bashkirs are a Turkic people whose traditional homeland straddles the Urals

These men are convicts, who have been shackled together at a prison camp somewhere in the interior, in 1910. The term 'Gulag' was only coined later for Stalin's vast network of prison camps but in the tsar's days many prisoners were housed in equally terrible conditions

These men and boys, wearing traditional dress, are pictured in Samarkand in 1910. Prokudin-Gorsky's caption for this photograph describes them as Sarts, a term which was used at the time to describe all Central Asian ethnicities, although these men and boys are probably Uzbek or Tajik

Ethnic Russian settlers in Grafovka in the Mugan steppe region in present-day Azerbaijan in 1910. Throughout the 19th century and early 20th century the tsar and his advisers encouraged ethnic Russians to settle in the Caucasus and in Central Asia, where they played a key role in Russification and maintaining loyalty to Moscow

A Daghestani man and his wife in traditional dress, pose uncomfortably for a photograph in the Caucasus mountains in 1910. It is difficult for us to imagine how alien it was to pose for a photograph as most people had never seen an image of themself, except in a mirror

This picture shows the traditional Russian dress of the time. Taken in 1910 in the town of Zlatoust in the Ural mountains, it shows a gentleman called A P Kalganov (left) with his son and granddaughter, who both worked at the Zlatoust arms factory, which produces swords for the Russian Army. Zlatoust is near the city of Chelyabinsk

A view, from the bell tower of the Church of the Transfiguration, over the city of Tobolsk in Siberia in 1912. At the time Tobolsk's major employer was the timber industry but nowadays the city is dominated by an oil refinery

Logs being floated down the Peter I canal near the small town of Shlisselburg - which was renamed Petrokrepost in 1944 and regained its old name in 1992 - on Lake Ladoga in 1909

Prokudin-Gorsky took this image of colourfully dressed bureaucrat wearing a traditional full-length coat in Bukhara in 1910
Harry's girl: Meghan Markle, 35, is inspiring Rwandan girls to achieve their ambitions - in the spirit of Princess Diana

Meghan Markle is inspiring a generation of poverty stricken young girls from Rwanda to realise their dreams to become doctors  in the spirit of Princess Diana.

Two girls have told how Prince Harry's girlfriend has made them study to change their lives after meeting the Californian-born 'Suits' star.

Her easy charm and natural warmth with the boys and girls in the genocide-scarred east African state has echoes of Harry's mother Diana, dubbed 'The People's Princess' for the kindness she showed to others.

Markle, 35, an ambassador for Canadian charity World Vision and Harry, 32, are said to have grown close over their passion for changing the lives in Africa.

Now she appears to be continuing Diana's legacy by inspiring a generation of young people achieve their ambitions.

The yoga-loving actress based in Toronto, who spent a romantic few days with the prince in London before he spent Christmas at Sandringham, Norfolk, says: 'While my life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, coexist. And for me, they must.

'I never wanted to be a lady who lunches  I've always wanted to be a woman who works. And this type of work is what feeds my soul, and fuels my purpose,' she added.

One of the girls she met during her visit to the country is 15-year-old Cecile Mugwaneza, a gifted schoolgirl from a poor farming family.

Inspiration: As an ambassador for Canadian charity World Vision, Miss Markle is helping hard up children like Cecile Mugwaneza, pictured, realise their potential. The 15-year-old, a gifted schoolgirl from a poor farming family, said the actress had 'inspired me to become a doctor'

Life changing: Cecile was among a dozen impoverished children who got to meet the California-born actress when she visited the country in February. Markle, 35, and Harry, who met in May, are said to have bonded over their passion for improving lives in Africa

Inspiration: Cecile and other children she say yoga loving 'Suits' actress Markle along with World Vision had changed their lives by putting in new toilets where 1,650 pupils shared one. Before the new latrines were installed the children had to queue and couldn't concentrate

Cecile told MailOnline: 'I did not know Meghan Markle before I met her but she has become my friend. She asked me about my education and I told her everything. She has inspired me to become a doctor.'

Sitting on a hand-built, wooden bench, softly spoken Cecile explained how the actress, and World Vision, came to her rural school to open new toilets - and changed her life.

Cecile said she had to share one toilet with 1,650 children at the Mbandazi village school, over an hour's drive outside the capital Kigali, meaning pupils couldn't concentrate on their studies.

'Before the new latrines all the boys and girls had to share the same toilet. Now we can come here any time without waiting. We also don't have to waste time away from class. Everyone can concentrate much better now.

'I am not the best student in the class but I always try my best.

Echoes of Diana: Markle's warmth and natural rapport with children in the genocide-scarred Rwanda is in the spirit of Harry's late mother Princess Diana killed in a car crash in in 1997, dubbed 'The People's Princess' for the kindness she showed to others and humanitarian work

Determined: Markle came to Rwanda to 'see the mountain gorillas' two years ago, but once she saw how difficult life was 'she wanted to help', a World Vision director told MailOnline. She has brought the harsh reality of life in Rwanda into the homes of millions in the western world

Help: Cecile, 15, told how the 'Suits' star, who spent time with Harry in London before Christmas, came to her rural school, pictured, in February to open new latrines. Before that, the 1,650 children at the Mbandazi primary school had to share a single toilet

'I make every effort I can. If I do not understand something I asked the teacher after the class and ask her to explain it to me again.

'After I met Meghan I did my national exams. I hope I do well enough to get a place at secondary school.'

She added: 'I would like to write to her but I cannot speak English and she does not speak my language.

New hope: Cecile, pictured holding a hoe she uses to farm the family plot, told MailOnline how 35-year-old Markle has changed her life

'But if I could write her a letter I would say; "Dear Meghan, I miss you. I would love to see you again because you are my friend. You have inspired me to do my best at school, to become a doctor".'

As Cecile spoke family and friends gathered in the swept-dirt courtyard of her mud-brick home, chickens pecked the ground for insects and seeds, infant cousins played in the bushes.

Bicycles transporting hands of green bananas, bright yellow water containers and passengers along the uneven unmade road through the plant fence.

Others carry baskets, bowls and firewood on their heads. Barefoot children wave as they walk past with, their parents carry hoes, machetes and other tools as they return home from tending their fields.

Her hands caked in mud, Cecile too had just returned from the fields, a 45-minute walk-away, where she helps her farmer father Didace to grow sweet potato, cabbage and aubergines.

'Now I help my family to cultivate the land,' Cecile explained. 'We grow vegetables to eat. I get rid of the weeds and dig the earth.

'I am very good at science, which I like because it is important for the environment. If you want to be a good farmer you need to be good at science as well.

Kindness: Another girl inspired by Markle is Florence, 12, pictured left, who is from a village more than an hour's drive from a tarmac road in the remote Bugesera District.on a broken bicycle and brave a crocodile and hippo-infested river to for drinking water  her best option.

Raising awareness: Florence, and children in Rwanda like her, pictured, are forced to drop out of school  a luxury for many youngsters  due to her family's crippling poverty. Markle is working to bring their plight to world attention

Star turn: Markle visited children in Rwanda to see the work being done to improve water supplies. One of them, 15-year-old Cecile said: 'I did not know Meghan before I met her but she has become my friend.'

Charity work: Markle's interest in Rwanda, pictured, is compared with the humanitarian work done by her boyfriend, Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana. She visited Angola in 1997 to raise awareness of landmines and was a devoted campaigner for AIDS awareness in Africa

'But I want to become a doctor so I can help all of the people. I would like to specialise in treating women.'

Cecile was inspired to reach for her highest limits of her ambition after she was chosen to meet Markle.

The youngster did not know much about the British royal family but her aunt Jane told her of Princess Diana and her inspirational work, particularly in Africa where in 1997 she walked through a minefield in Angola to highlight the plight of victims.

Jane told MailOnline: 'I know Princess Diana. She helped African children. Now this lady Meghan is helping African children as well.'

Another girl inspired by Markle is Florence, 12, who is from a village more than an hour's drive from a tarmac road in the remote Bugesera District.

Compassion: Markle first visited Rwanda two years ago to see the mountain gorillas there but was struck by the resilience shown by the people in the east African country hit by civil war and genocide in 1994 when 800,000 were killed in conflict

Caring: Markle used her celebrity status to help improve lives of people living there. The actress, who lives in Toronto, met Harry in May when he was in Canada to promote the Invictus Games. He spends much of his time working for his Sentabale charity, for orphans of Lesotho

Romance: Markle and Prince Harry, 32, who spent a few days together in London before Christmas, pictured, are said to have bonded over their commitment to charities in Africa

Family: Markle, pictured in Toronto with her mother Doria Radlan, left Harry in London so that he could spend his tradition Royal family Christmas with the Queen at her Sandringham estate

She used to have to travel for up to nine hours a day on a broken bicycle and brave a crocodile and hippopotamus-infested river to draw drinking water  her best option.

Florence was forced to drop out of school  a luxury for many poor Rwandan youngsters  due to her family's crippling poverty.

She explained: 'I went to school for three years. I had lots of friends. Where we get the water is very far from home. Often I get sick when I drink the dirty water.

Markle took up the role as figurehead for the development agency after seeing first-hand the daily struggle of people in Rwanda, where 800,000 were victims in the 1994 genocide and used her celebrity status to help.

She had been drawn to the heart of Africa to experience mountain gorillas, two years ago - but the resilience of the the people there left a lasting impression and she returned to the country in February.

Bumping along dirt tracks, crossing crocodile-infested rivers and scaling some of Rwanda's countless hills the actress marvelled at how something as simple as a tap bearing clean water could transform the lives of so many.

People's Princess: Markle's work in Africa is in the spirit of Harry's mother Princess Diana, pictured in 1997 visiting children at the Icrc Orthopaedic Workshop In Luanda, Angola

Diana devoted much of her time to charity work in Africa where she raised awareness of landmine victims in Angola and the struggle with AIDS in the country before she died in 1997. Harry, pictured with her and his brother William in 1993, has kept her legacy alive in Africa

As the face of World Vision Canada, the charity that helps 600,000 people with 29 long-term projects, she brought the harsh reality of daily life in Rwanda into the homes of millions secure in the privileged western world.

'Meghan came to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas but when she saw how difficult life can be here she wanted to help,' George Gitau, National Director of World Vision Rwanda told MailOnline.
Dead: British beauty therapist Samia Shahid was raped and murdered in an honour killing in Pakistan, it is alleged

A father accused of helping to murder his British beauty therapist daughter in an alleged honour killing has revealed the moment he claims he found her slumped on the floor 'foaming at the mouth'.

Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, was allegedly raped and strangled with a scarf - the victim of a 'devious plan' by her family who wanted her dead because she left the cousin she was forced to marry, police in Pakistan claim.

In his first interview since his arrest in Pakistan, Samia's father Muhammad Shahid said: 'I saw Samia lying dead with some froth forming at her mouth. She may have fallen downstairs or somebody gave her something.

'I didn't touch her body and called police. I asked them to perform autopsy. The police lifted up her body. I handed over all her belongings including her mobile phone.'

Court papers in Pakistan claim that after arriving at her ancestral village in the Punjab her first husband Mohammed Shakeel was ordered by her father to watch her at all times.

On July 20, the day before she was due to return to her second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam in Dubai, she refused to tell Shakeel where her passport and plane ticket were kept.

Shakeel terrorised her and threw her on the bed and raped her, prosecutors claim. Shakeel started to strangle her with her scarf while Shahid held her legs, it is alleged.

Shakeel is accused of Samia's rape and murder. He remains in custody. Her father Shahid is accused of assisting in her murder. He was released on bail last week after a court in Pakistan found there was insufficient evidence to keep him in custody.

Accused: Her father Muhammad Shahid, pictured, denies assisting in murdering daughter Samia because he disapproved of her second marriage. In his first interview Shahid, who has been released on bail, told of the moment he found her lifeless body at the bottom on the stairs

Denial: Samia's first husband Muhammad Shakeel, right, taken on their wedding day in 2012, was accused of raping her before she was strangled with a scarf in Pakistan. Their marriage lasted two years before Samia left him and married second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam

Crime scene: Samia, a British beautician, 28, from Bradford, West Yorks, was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at the family home in Punjab, pictured, with a 19cm red mark around her neck. Her father claims the mark was caused by a heavy necklace she was wearing

But Shahid said: 'Samia came to my house in the morning. She was normal. She told me that she was going to lay flowers on grave of her mother-in-law. Everything was normal.

'I knew she was back at home alone after Shakeel had gone somewhere in the morning. I left my home around 12 noon and went to Samia's home. It was a routine visit. It took me two-three minutes to reach there.'

As soon as he opened the main gate he said he sensed something was wrong, Shahid said. He was shaken when he saw Samia's body, he added.

Samia was found with a 19cm red mark across her neck. Shahid said he thought the wound could have been caused by a necklance.

'She was wearing a gold chain, this scar most probably was because of that chain. There were no any torture sign on her body,' he said.

Shahid said he was 'very close' to his eldest daughter and the night before she bought him his favourite burger and chips for supper.

Claims: Shahid, pictured, is accused of holding his daughter's feet while Shakeel allegedly strangled her with a scarf. He is accused of assisting in her murder and was freed on bail from jail last week. He has given MailOnline his first full account of what happened to her

Handcuffed: Shahid, right, is led into court in Jhelum, Pakistan, at an earlier hearing with his former son-in-law Shakeel, left. Shahid said: 'It is so painful that my daughter has died and I am accused of assisting her murder. We are not allowed to mourn her death.'

In love: Samia married her second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, right, in Leeds in 2014 and the couple lived happily together in Dubai. Mr Kazam said that Samia was persuaded to travel to Pakistan in July by her family, who had told her that her father Shahid was gravely ill

Shahid said: 'Everything was normal. Samia had no problem with Shakeel. She was happy with him and went with him to the house.

'I would not shy away to get a murder case registered even if Samia's husband, my nephew, might have been involved. But first I needed to know whether she was murdered, died from natural causes or it was an accident.'

The last night before her death she brought me chips and burger. She had no problem with Shakeel. She was happy with him and went with him to the house. Samia's father Muhammad Shahid

In his near perfect English, he vowed: 'I will face this case and emerge as innocent.'

'It is so painful that my daughter has died and I am accused of being involved in her murder.

'We were not allowed to mourn her death. She was my daughter. I am grieved at her death but somebody else wants to become her legal heir and they want to get her father hanged. This is not fair.'

British Muslim Samia married first husband Shakeel in an arranged marriage in 2012.

But she left him after less than two years, divorcing him to marry Mr Kazam.

The couple's wedding was held at Leeds Town Hall in 2014. Shortly afterwards they moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Grief: Mr Kazam, pictured, claimed that his wife was the victim of an honour killing because his family had disapproved of their marriage. He said her parents were angered by their daughter converting to Shia Islam, his sect, and she was murdered for bringing 'dishonour' to the family

Legal fight: Mr Kazam, pictured, released a photo of his wife's body showing the red mark around her neck because: 'I want the world to know that she didn't die of natural causes.' Her family say their their wedding was illegal because she wasn't divorced from her first husband

Samia's family claim her second marriage was illegal because she had never obtained a proper divorce.

But Mr Kazam, 30, who works in the chemicals industry, disputes that and insists she was legally divorced.

He claims she angered her parents by converting to Shia Islam, his sect, and she was murdered for bringing 'dishonour' to the family.

Mr Kazam released a shocking photo of his wife's body showing the red mark around her neck. 'I want the world to know that she didn't die of natural causes,' he said. 'She was murdered. I'm shattered. I can't describe my pain, she is such a great loss.

At the time of her death, Samia was visiting her home in Punjab, Pakistan, after allegedly being told by her mother Imtiaz Bibi and younger sister Madiha Shahid in Bradford that her father was gravely ill.

They are wanted on suspicion of 'abetting the murder.' Prosecutors claim the pair used emotional blackmail in 'a devious plan' to lure Samia from the UAE to Pakistan.

The pair fled their home in Bradford before Christmas for a secret location in the city.

Shahid is a British-Pakistani citizen who spent 20 years living in the UK.

Marks: A post mortem found a 7.5 inch wound on Samia's neck, pictured. Her father Shahid said that the mark could have been caused by a heavy necklace she was wearing

Crime scene: Samia was allegedly raped on the bed, pictured, by her first husband Shakeel before he strangled her with a scarf and her father held her feet. Samia's father told MailOnline that they were close and that she bought him his favourite food, burger and chips for supper

Burial site: Samia's mother Imtiaz Bibi and her younger sister Madiha Shahid back in Bradford are still wanted for questioning over the suspected honour killing and police in Pakistan issued warrants for their arrest

Tragedy: Samia's body was found in one of the family homes in Pandori, a village in northern Punjab, pictured, on July 20 this year by her father, who called police to the property

'The whole world turned against us. We were not given opportunity to clear our position,' he said.

Shahid is receiving British consular assistance. Pakistan still imposes the death penalty for killers and is ranked by Amnesty International as the third most prolific executioner in the world.

He went on: 'I have always been a law abiding citizen. I lived in UK for over two decades and not received even a traffic ticket. I am not well from last four years. I am diabetic and my right foot is in a bad shape.

'I could have applied social security benefits in UK but I have never applied for any benefits. I am using my money for the treatment.'

Shahid also attacked Samia's MP for Bradford West Naz Shah for 'making a lot of noise around this case' and accused her of using his daughter's death to further her political career.

Ms Shah said: ' I will fight for justice to be served till the last breath in me. Why isn't he screaming murder and justice from the rooftops as a bereaved father?

'The fact remains that a post mortem has concluded beyond any doubt that his daughter was raped and murdered.'

Happy: Samia and Mr Kazim, pictured, were wed for two years before she was persuaded to travel to Pakistan against his wishes

Shahid's wife and daughter Imtiaz and Madiha back in Britain are still wanted for questioning over the suspected honour killing and police in Pakistan issued warrants for their arrest.

They were declared proclaimed offenders two months ago in Pakistan after leaving the country days after her death and returning to the UK.

Ms Shah described the arrest warrants as 'a significant development.'

She said: 'I welcome the fact arrest warrants have been issued because it will encourage the family to assist with the inquiry and make themselves available to police.

'If they have nothing to do with Samia's death they will have nothing to fear. I am very pleased the Pakistan authorities are investigating this. It shows they are keeping the inquiry alive and committed to getting justice for the killers.'

A Home Office spokesperson today refused to discuss 'the individual case' of Samia's mother and sister but said because there was no treaty between the two nations it would 'cause a long drawn out delay in proceedings.'
A man who was restrained and punched in the face by police officers died three days later from accidental causes, according to an autopsy report that pointed to his drug use.

Tawon Boyd of Middle River, Maryland, died on September 21, 2016 from multiple organ failure which was likely caused by a drug commonly called 'bath salts', according to the medical examiner's office.

The 21-year-old struggled with Baltimore County police officers after he made two 911 calls on September 18, but the autopsy report said it was 'unlikely that restraint by law enforcement caused or significantly contributed to his death'.

Tawon Boyd (pictured) died on September 21, 2016 from multiple organ failure, likely caused by a drug commonly called 'bath salts', according to the Maryland medical examiner's office

Boyd made two 911 calls on September 18 from his home on Akin Circle (pictured, general view), and a violent confrontation with responding officers ensued

Boyd made two 911 calls on September 18, and his girlfriend Deona Styron could be heard in the background saying he needed medical attention.

Boyd 'appeared to be confused and paranoid' and told responding officers there was someone in his house when there was in fact no intruder, according to a police.

His girlfriend also told officers he was acting 'crazy'.

The confrontation with police began after Boyd repeatedly banged on the door of a neighbor's home and officers tried to pull him away to keep him from going inside, according to the police report.

Police tried to talk with Boyd, but he began screaming. He also tried to enter several marked police cars and refused to obey orders to lie down and put his hands on his back.

He grabbed and kicked at the officers, injuring three, before one punched Boyd twice in the face as the young man held onto him, police said.

The confrontation lasted about five minutes, and officers held Boyd down with their arms and legs, the police report stated.

Boyd's girlfriend told officers he was acting 'crazy' and one officer punched Boyd twice in the face as the young man held onto him, police said

WHAT ARE BATH SALTS? Bath salts, or synthetic cathinones, are a synthetic street drug made to replicate the high of amphetamines, cocaine, and MDMA. Bath salts are known to contain mephedrone, MDPV, and methylone, which can trigger neurological and psychiatric effects. This includes rapid heartbeat, hyperthermia, breakdown of muscle fibers, palpitations, seizures, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions. MDPV is 10 times more potent than cocaine and overwhelms the brain as neurons fire like crazy. This can bring on seizures and bizarre behavior, and lingers in the body for hours or even days. And, the drug is highly addictive, causing people to keep coming back despite the terrifying effects. Advertisement

The autopsy report says emergency medical workers believed Boyd was in an 'excited delirium state' and administered the anti-psychotic medication Haldol.

Boyd calmed down, but then went into cardiac arrest, medical examiners said. He was revived by cardiopulmonary resuscitation and taken to a hospital, where he died.

Boyd's grandmother Linda Burch said police used too much force to restrain him, but an autopsy report found that was an unlikely factor in the 21-year-old's death.

The report said: 'It is unlikely that restraint by law enforcement caused or significantly contributed to his death based on the reported circumstances and timeline of the restraint.'

A. Dwight Pettit, a lawyer for Boyd's family, said questions still remain about Boyd's medical care by emergency responders, and plans to launch an independent review.

'We think that there's obviously something wrong here, beyond question, that somebody that calls to reach out for help ends up dead,' Pettit said.
More than a thousand ISIS fanatics have been killed by Iraqi forces in the battle for Mosul, it has emerged.

The death toll was revealed as Iraqi government troops launched a major new offensive to drive the terror group out of its last stronghold in the country.

Elite forces have recaptured several parts of eastern Mosul since beginning the massive operation to seize the northern city from the jihadists on October 17 - but ISIS still occupies the city's west.

Security chiefs said several neighbourhoods had been taken, with the bodies of ISIS fighters seen lying on the streets and drone footage showing others retreating.

More than a thousand ISIS fanatics have been killed by Iraqi forces in the battle for Mosul, it has emerged

The death toll was revealed as Iraqi government troops launched a major new offensive to drive the terror group out of its last stronghold in the country

Retaking Mosul could effectively end the jihadist group's days as a land-holding force in Iraq and deal a death blow to the 'caliphate' ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed in the city in June 2014.

'The second phase of liberating the left bank in Mosul was launched, and our forces began advancing toward Al-Quds neighbourhood,' said Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a senior officer in Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service.

'Our forces clashed with the enemy and there is resistance,' he told AFP, adding forces on the northern and southern fronts were also advancing.

Mosul, now the last Iraqi city in which ISIS still holds significant territory, is split by the Tigris River, with the east side referred to as the left bank and the west as the right.

Iraq's federal police commander, Raed Shaker Jawdat, said 'the enemy's line of defence has fallen back' inside the city.

'The streets of the Al-Salam, Al-Intisar, Al-Wahda, Al-Falestin and Al-Quds neighbourhoods are strewn with the bodies of Daesh fighters,' he said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.

Police had also entered deep into the district of Jadida al-Mufti.

Mosul, now the last Iraqi city in which ISIS still holds significant territory, is split by the Tigris River, with the east side referred to as the left bank and the west as the right

Iraqi pro-government forces advance in Mosul's southeastern Sumer neighbourhood

The commanding chief of the offensive, Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir Yarallah, late Thursday announced 'the liberation of the Al-Quds 1 district'.

The commander said police drones had spotted IS fighters retreating to the city's western side via a pedestrian bridge badly damaged in the fighting.

Centcom, the US military command in the Middle East, said the US-led coalition fighting ISIS had disabled 'the last bridge crossing the Tigris river inside Mosul' this week at the Iraqi government's request.

It said meanwhile that an investigation had been opened after a US-led air raid on an ISIS van during the Mosul operations on Thursday struck 'what was later determined to be a hospital compound parking lot resulting in possible civilian casualties'.

A Mosul inhabitant who requested anonymity reported hearing many explosions and said residents were holed up indoors.

The new push in the battle for Mosul comes after progress slowed to a crawl in the past few weeks.

After two months of fighting, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi last week said the army had decided to review battle plans and pause to reduce losses.

The fighting has been all the more devastating as it has been happening in a city amid civilians.

ISIS has targeted the army with car bombs on at least 900 occasions in the streets of Mosul since October 17, according to Abadi.

ISIS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to the jihadists

ISIS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to the jihadists.

Abadi had pledged that Mosul would be recaptured by year's end - a goal that is now out of reach, as operations in western Mosul have yet to begin.

The Iraqi prime minister also said this week that three months were needed to eliminate ISIS in the country.

High-ranking officials believe the battle against ISIS could drag on, and the Sunni Muslim extremist group continues to carry out attacks in areas from which it had been dislodged by the government offensive.

Last week, an ISIS triple car bombing on a market in Gogjali a few miles east of Mosul killed at least 23 people.
Margaret Thatcher (pictured) was warned she would be punished unless she completed her registration form on time

Margaret Thatcher was threatened with a fine for failing to register for the poll tax at 10 Downing Street, newly-declassified files reveal.

The Prime Minister was warned she would be punished unless she completed her registration form on time - triggering a row.

Although the issues were later smoothed out, it was an inauspicious start to the flagship policy that would later cost her the top job.

The file, which was released by the National Archives at Kew, south-west London, contains correspondence between the Cabinet Office and Westminster City Council.

In 1989, the council sent a registration letter to Downing Street residents - including Number 10 where Mrs Thatcher lived.

It required all residents to register individually for the charge, which was due to be introduced in England and Wales the following year.

The Cabinet Office complained, describing it as 'most inappropriate' for the council to send out a single form 'asking a number of essentially personal questions' about every resident.

Mrs Thatcher was then sent an individual form to complete but after she failed to respond, she was warned by council registration officer David J Hopkins.

He wrote a letter on May 22, 1989, addressed to the 'Resident/Owner' at 'Rooms First Floor, 10 Downing Street, London W1 9MN'.

'My records show that the Community Charge Registration form recently sent to you has not been returned,' he wrote.

'I wish to advise that you are required by law to supply the relevant information within 21 days of this request and failure to do so may lead to a penalty being imposed.'

Her officials hurried to complete the form on time - only to realise that the council had sent the wrong form and she had to fill it out again.

Despite the threat, Mrs Thatcher sent a cheerful note saying her first attempt had been a 'good practice run'.

But it was more difficult for her to shrug off the impending crisis surrounding her disastrous plan to introduce the 'poll tax' to the country.

The local government tax  or community charge as it was officially known  was brought in to replace the old system of rates, which were based on property values.

The new tax involved a flat-rate levy on all local residents, which Mrs Thatcher hoped would encourage high-spending Labour councils to become more financially accountable to voters.

But the charge meant higher bills in many traditional Tory areas - sparking a rebellion among her supporters and infuriating residents across the country.

Mrs Thatcher was threatened with a fine for failing to register for the poll tax (pictured, a woman with a placard ready for the anti-poll tax demonstration in London)

In a huge backlash, Conservative MPs threatened to rebel, local councillors resigned and there were protests in 'true blue' areas as Maidenhead in Berkshire - Theresa May's constituency.

The files reveal that the reaction confounded Mrs Thatcher, who had thought the public would blame councils instead of central government.

In March 1990 she told chancellor John Major: 'In recent weeks that has not happened. Rather the general public blamed the high levels of community charge on the government because of their responsibility for introducing the new system.'

She also noted that it was the 'conscientious middle'  traditionally her strongest supporters  who would be most affected by the new tax.

Those on low incomes were protected through 'safety net' measures were to be shielded from having to pay more initially.

But despite ordering a 'rapid review' of possible changes for the following year, she had already lost the support of her own MPs.
Secret plans to ban free nursery milk were blocked by Margaret Thatcher, still stung by being branded the 'Milk Snatcher' nearly two decades earlier.

The previously unknown recommendations made it to her desk in May 1989 before she demanded they be buried, National Archives files reveal.

As education secretary in Edward Heath's government, Mrs Thatcher's decision in 1970 to stop the provision of milk for junior school pupils led to her hated nickname.

She was therefore furious when health secretary Kenneth Clarke proposed to end free welfare milk for children in day care to save 4million.

Secret plans to ban free nursery milk were blocked by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (pictured)

The files show Mrs Thatcher slapped him down and the plans were dropped, leaving Mr Clarke to retire 'hurt' following the exchange.

An official wrote to the PM: 'You will see from Kenneth Clarke's minute... that he has decided to end free welfare milk for children in day care from the end of this school term.'

In response she scrawled, 'NO,' underlining the word twice. 'This will cause a terrible row - all for 4million.

'I know - I went through it 19 years ago. Any scheme for saving 400million or more I will look at. But not 4m.'

She also struck through a paragraph asking if she wanted to know more.

A suggestion that Mr Clarke might not announce the plans until after the European election met with the brusque comment: 'Or at all.'

A letter was then sent on Mrs Thatcher's behalf to the Department of Health, opening with an underlined statement that said: 'I should be grateful if you and copy recipients could ensure this letter is given only a restricted circulation to named individuals.'

It continued: 'The Prime Minister is extremely concerned about the proposal to end free welfare milk for children in day care from the end of this school term, which she thinks would be liable to cause a very great row.

'She would therefore be grateful if your Secretary of State could reconsider the position.'

Mr Clarke responded: 'I have done so and now accept that it would not be prudent to proceed with abolition as and when proposed.'

An official noted: 'Prime Minister! Your words have been heeded. Content to note that Mr Clarke has retired hurt?!'

The original proposal from Mr Clarke stated: 'The present regulations provide that any child under five attending a day nursery or registered childminder can receive a third of a pint of milk a day.

Girls at the Henry Maynard Junior School in Walthamstow, London, drinking milk which Mrs Thatcher tried to ban when she was education secretary

'This applies irrespective of family need or income and is a hangover from the days when all children in state schools received such milk.'

It concluded: 'The scheme is an increasingly expensive anomaly and although it will be a sensitive issue with some Local Authorities and voluntary bodies and cause a ritual row with the Opposition I believe it is right to end it.'

The report into the money spent on school catering, where the proposal started, noted: 'The Government intention is that the rate of spending on meals and milk should be halved. There are undoubtedly substantial savings to be made.'
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The ultra-luxurious secret world of Russian spies living in the United States has been revealed, complete with million-dollar mansions, 'vodka parties' and sprawling estates.

The lifestyles were uncovered after President Barack Obama lifted the lid on two 'spy bases' and ordered operatives out of the country as part of sanctions announced for their alleged role in hacking during the election.

Obama outlined the punishments in a statement released on Thursday, for what he said were the country's attempts to 'interfere with democratic governance' and harassment of U.S. diplomatic officials in Russia.

The President all but named Putin in his statement - saying hacking was 'ordered at the highest level'.

In the hours since the announcement, further details on the extravagant Russian compounds have emerged, after White House officials said they are: 'recreational but also used for intelligence activities'.

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This Maryland property is a luxurious, 45-acre compound that is located in Pioneer Point, and it has been identified as one of the potential Russian 'spy bases' in the US

This map shows just how close the Russian-owned compound in Maryland is to Washington D.C. and the White House

The property is believed to have been used as a vacation spot for Russian diplomats looking to get away, though it has long been suspected to be a center of espionage

The Maryland property is a luxurious, 45-acre compound that is located in Pioneer Point, according to The Washington Post.

It is believed to have been used as a vacation spot for Russian diplomats looking to get away, though there have long been suspicions it was used for much more nefarious means as well.

The compound is just 30 minutes' drive from Washington D.C., and is believed to have been a center for espionage.

There have been suspicions about the property since it was bought by the Soviet government in 1972.

The sprawling property hosts a brick mansion that has now been converted into 12 apartments, as well as a dozen cottages, each with four apartments. In total, the compound can accommodate 40 families at a time.

Photographer Gary Landsman went inside the lavish home, snapping shots of exactly what it was like behind closed doors. The compound featured massive dining rooms, one with bright red walls, impeccably decorated lounge rooms and entertaining areas, as well as a carefully landscaped garden.

Former Russian ambassador Yuri Ushakov - who was in the position from 1999 to 2008 - and his family officially called the complex home for a time, according to Washington Life magazine. The 'dacha' as the magazine called it, also has a hunting lodge that was used to 'host special visitors'.

'No one really hunts but that's what we call it,' Ushakov told the magazine while laughing at the time of the interview.

The magazine said the compound was also home to: 'Anatoly Dobrynin, who was the Soviet ambassador during the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan administrations until he returned to Moscow in 1986.'

Photographer Gary Landsman took this picture of a bright red dining room inside the Russian-owned Maryland compound

The huge home also featured impeccably decorated lounge rooms and entertaining outdoor areas. Many of the rooms had gold-plated designs and items hanging from the walls

A dog is seen wandering through the landscaped garden outside the Maryland property. The interior of the huge home was the height of luxury for those who lived there, pictures show

Russian ambassador Yuri Ushakov, who was in his position for nine years from 1999 to 2008, is seen with a telephone from a Soviet submarine inside the Maryland mansion

Russian ambassador Yuri Ushakov (right) lived at the home for a time. He is pictured with his wife, Svetlana (left), and their 10-year-old grandson, Misha

How Russia spent YEARS tracking down and training its elite team of hackers A report released on Thursday detailed just how the Russian government was able to build its elite crew of cyber soldiers over three years. The Kremlin put the call out on Russia's most popular social media platform, Vkontakta, for coders, programmers, and other tech-smart young people to join newly-created 'science squadrons', the New York Times reports. 'If you graduated from college, if you are a technical specialist, if you are ready to use your knowledge, we give you an opportunity,' one of the advertisements read. Anyone who signed up was promised 'comfortable conditions' to live in, while also being given the chance to opt out of having to enlist in the military. The newspaper reports senior Russian officials were working on the plan as early as 2013. Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister is quoted by the newspaper for saying he was on a 'head hunt in the positive meaning of the word'. Advertisement

It was also used for official Russian functions.

Washington Life claimed it was the location for many 'Victory Day' events - which are held to celebrate World War II.

The estate was once owned by John J. Raskob, a former executive at DuPont and General Motors.

Raskob is also the man who co-financed the construction of the Empire State Building.

When the Soviets purchased the home, there was resistance from neighbors who were fearful of 'nuclear submarines surfacing in the Chester River to pick up American secrets and defectors.'

But the Russians managed to win them over by throwing lavish dinner parties replete with 'gifts of vodka and caviar,' according to The New York Times.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, the Russian Federation bought the property for a reported $3million.

'I live down the road from them. We fish and crab with them. There's usually one that speaks English for the group,' a local resident named Bonnie Delph told the Associated Press back in 1992.

The other compound that is reported to have been shut down by the State Department is Killenworth, the Glen Cove estate once owned by George Dupont Pratt on the North Shore of Long Island.

Pratt, the third son of Standard Oil magnate Charles Pratt, lived in the 49-room mansion until his death in 1935.

The Soviet government bought the home in the 1950s.

Killenworth was used as a vacation retreat by Soviet diplomats and personnel who were stationed at the United Nations in New York.

The other compound that is reported to have been shut down by the State Department is Killenworth, the Glen Cove estate (pictured) once owned by George Dupont Pratt on the North Shore of Long Island

Pratt, the third son of Standard Oil magnate Charles Pratt, lived in the 49-room mansion (pictured in 1951) until his death in 1935. The Soviet government bought the home in the 1950s

Local council officials have said for decades they were offended that Russian diplomats were able to be based at the property (pictured) while they spied on the US

Killenworth was also used as a vacation retreat by Soviet diplomats and personnel who were stationed at the United Nations in New York

Russian activity at Killenworth has been controversial since it has long been rumored to house Soviet spies

In 1982, the local council clashed with the State Department after it banned Russian diplomats staying at the estate (pictured) from the beach as retaliation for what they said was Moscow's spying on Long Island defense industries

Local officials objected to the Soviets enjoying tax exempt status on the home, which deprived Glen Cove of revenue that it usually generated from property taxes

These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government. Obama accuses Putin of being behind hacking during the election

Russian activity at Killenworth has been controversial since it has long been rumored to house Soviet spies.

In 1982, the local council clashed with the State Department after it banned Russian diplomats from the beach as retaliation for what they said was Moscow's spying on Long Island defense industries, according to The New York Times.

Local officials objected to the Soviets enjoying tax exempt status on the home, which deprived Glen Cove of revenue that it usually generated from property taxes.

Some who were shocked to learn they were living near alleged spy bases angrily took to social media after the news spread on Thursday

The Glen Cove City Council angrily told the Reagan administration that it was 'still offended that the Soviets are here spying and not paying taxes, and a little offended by the callousness, condescension and almost browbeating coming from Washington.'

Some have reacted angrily to the news that the American government allowed the spy bases to remain operational, without informing locals.

'Even scarier, I live down the road from the compound,' Maryland resident Billy Ross wrote.

'I've been living on Eastern Shore of Maryland for just over two years now,' Chris Sabas, who did not know about the alleged base, wrote.

'This is like 20 minutes from my house,' Julia Girasole said of the Maryland compound.

President Obama's strongly-worded statement about sanctions against Russia is his most sweeping action against the Kremlin during his eight years in office
So-called 'Joke Theft' has become a hot topic in recent days, after funny-man James Corden (pictured top left) was accused of stealing a Ricky Gervais (pictured bottom left) joke 'word-for-word' on his Late Late Show. Speaking on the US comedy show, Corden, 44, joked about Twitter users getting angry about a poster in a town square about guitar lessons. But the clip was tweeted by Gervais, 61, who used the gag in his 2018 Netflix stand-up comedy gig Ricky Gervais: Humanity. Corden faced a backlash over the joke, with some claiming he had taken the joke 'word-for-word'. It sparked an apology from Corden who apologised and said his use of the joke was 'inadvertent', with some suggesting that one of his team might have 'f****d him over'. But then followed another claim, that Corden had previously ripped off a joke from Great British Bake-Off host Noel Fielding in 2017. The row has since sparked a wider debate in the world of comedy about 'Joke Theft', which some have suggested is part and parcel of the industry itself. But the issue has been around long before Corden and Gervais - who himself has been accused of stealing jokes - with even comedy legends such as the late Robin Williams alleged to have paid off upcoming performers for parts of their routines. Here MailOnline looks at some of the most high-profile accusations in recent years, including ones involving Jimmy Carr (pictured top centre), Jim Davidson (pictured bottom centre) and Amy Schumer (pictured top right), who was accused of taking a joke of the Twitter account of writer Nicole Conlan (pictured bottom right).
Conor famously dated Taylor Swift when she was 22 and he was 18 and in high school in 2012, shortly after his mother Mary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he is 'happy' his oldest son was arrested after getting into a fight outside a nightclub and tussling with a police officer, because he was taking a stand against bullying.

John Conor Kennedy was booked by police in the early morning hours of Thursday on a charge of disorderly conduct after brawling with a man outside an exclusive club in the tony resort town of Aspen, Colorado.

The incident started around 1.40am when authorities were called to Bootsy Bellows to escort people out of the venue following last call, and Officer Andy Atkinson witnessed Conor grab another man and 'hit him four or five times in the back of the head with his fists' outside the club.

Conor then tried to break free when Atkinson attempted to restrain him, and another individual had to aid the officer as he pinned down the 22-year-old so he could be put in handcuffs.

Police on the scene later listened as Conor explained that he was attacking the other man because he called his friend a homophobic slur, an explanation that drew praise from his father.

'Conor has always reacted against bullying. Im happy he stood up for his friend,' Robert Jr. said in a statement to The Aspen Times just hours after the incident.

Conor, who is currently in his third year as a history and literature major at Harvard University, is the the grandson of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy and the oldest son of Robert Jr. and his second wife, the late Mary Richardson.

Richardson committed suicide in 2012 by hanging herself in a barn at the family's home, two years after Robert Jr. filed for divorce.

That was the same year that Conor made headlines of his own when he began dating Taylor Swift, a romance that bloomed in spite of the fact that the 22-year-old pop star was four years Conor's senior and he was still in high school at Deerfield Academy.

The pair split soon after he returned to the prestigious Massachusetts boarding school at the start of his senior year.

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John Conor Kennedy, 22, (arrest mugshot left) was charged with disorderly conduct in Aspen on Thursday. Police say he 'punched a man five times in the head' and then tussled with Aspen police officer Andy Atkinson (right)

Earlier in the week Conor's half-sister Kick posted a photo of her dad with five of his kids, writing 'big happy family' (l to r: Kick, Aiden, William, Conor, Robert Jr. and Robert III)

Kick also posted a photo of the family at Christmas, which also included her cousin Edward Kennedy III (second left)

Model Bella Hadid was among the A-list names at Bootsy Bellows on Wednesday night when the brawl broke out. Paris Hilton was also at the club earlier this week with her cousins Sophia Umansky and Farrah Aldjufrie.

After Atkinson watched Conor hit the other man during the brawl early Thursday, he ran over to try and separate the two with the help of other officers.

At that point, the two men were rolling on the ground outside the club.

Conor continued to try and fight the other man however according to the police report, and when Atkinson tried to restrain him the 22-year-old threw his body on a snow bank and then stood up and pulled away from the officer.

Atkinson was eventually able to get Conor down on the ground and handcuff him with the help of another individual outside the club.

'I held on to Kennedy's arms and rolled him over with assistance from a bystander on to his stomach,' Atkinson wrote in his official report of the incident.

Conor apologized to Atkinson after he was cuffed, and at that point claimed that the fight began because the other man 'called my friend the f-word.'

Neither of the men were injured in the fight.

He was charged with disorderly conduct, taken to Pitkin County Jail, released without bond and issued with a summons to appear in Aspen Municipal Court on February 22.

If found guilty of disorderly conduct Conor could be facing a penalty of up to a year in jail and up to $2,650 fine.

The incident started around 1.40am when authorities were called to celebrity hot-spot Bootsy Bellows nightclub (file above) to escort people out who would not leave, Aspen police Sgt. Rick Magnuson said

Police say the 22-year-old and another man were fighting in the street and rolling around on the ground outside of club (file above) when Atkinson tried to separate them

Atkinson said: 'I held on to Kennedy's (above in 2014) arms and rolled him over with assistance from a bystander on to his stomach'

A family spokesperson said of the incident: 'Multiple witnesses to the incident have reported that two men assaulted Conor Kennedy after he rebuked them for directing a homophobic slur and threats to his close friend.

'They also report that Mr. Kennedy was cooperative, compliant and respectful towards the police from the moment they arrived on the scene.

'Mr. Kennedy looks forward to a full airing of the incident.'

Conor's father also voiced his high praise for the Aspen officers after the incident, noting their quick response when his brother Michael was killed in 1997 after crashing into a tree while playing football on skis at one of the resort town's slopes.

'The Aspen Police have been extraordinary to my family,' said Robert Jr.

'When my brother was killed, they were on the scene and treated us with incredible kindness my family will never forget.'

Michael was just 39 at the time.

He passed away just a few months after it was revealed that he had been having a three-year affair with his family's former babysitter, which began when she was just 14.

Michael claimed he had not had sex with the babysitter until she was 16 however, and the young girl refused to cooperate with authorities so charges were never filed in the case.

Soon after the news broke of his affair Michael's wife Victoria, who is the daughter of the late Frank Gifford, separated from him while he checked into rehab.

Photos on social media show that model Bella Hadid (second left) was at Bootsy Bellows in Aspen the same evening as Kennedy

Paris Hilton was at the same club earlier this week with her cousins Sophia Umansky and Farrah Aldjufrie (pictured together above at Bootsy Bellows in Aspen)

Kennedy is the oldest son of Robert Kennedy Jr. and his second wife Mary Richardson. He is pictured with his mother above in 2009. She died in an apparent suicide in in 2012

This is not the first time Kennedy has been arrested. Back in 2013 police in Washington, D.C. arrested him outside of the White House during a protest.

In addition, the Kennedy scion dated singer Taylor Swift when she was aged 22 and he was 18 and still in high school in 2012.

Their relationship began soon after the death of Conor's mother in May of that year.

The former couple first met o ver Fourth of July weekend when his aunt Rory, a documentary filmmaker, invited Swift to the family compound.

The two were frequently photographed together the rest of the summer as they spent time on the Cape and near his home in Mount Kisco, New York.

Swift even bought a house near the Kennedy family compound weeks after meeting Conor, plunking down a reported $4.8million for an oceanfront residence boasting seven bedrooms and stunning views.

The relationship between the pair fizzled out by the end of the summer when Conor returned to school and Swift began promoting her new album at the time, Red.

Swift sold the Hyannis Port home she bought in early 2013, making a tidy profit of $1million, and soon after shelled out a little less than $18million for her massive 11,000 square foot home in Watch Hill.

This is not the first time Kennedy, who formerly dated Taylor Swift in 2012, has been arrested. In 2013 police in Washington, D.C. arrested him outside of the White House during a protest. The former couple is pictured above in 2012

While they dated, Swift was often spotted at his family's compound throughout the summer of 2012 in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts (above)

Swift even bought a house near the Kennedy family compound weeks after meeting Conor, but sold the home in early 2013 after their relationship ended. They are pictured above in 2012

He had also just lost his mother Mary less than two months before he began dating Swift.

At the time of her death Richardson and Robert Jr. were two years into their contentious divorce.

Richardson was arrested for drunk driving three days after Robert Jr. filed divorce papers in 2010, and at one point lost custody of her four children.

There were rumors at the time that Robert Jr. had been having an affair with his now-wife Cheryl Hines, and in the weeks before Richardson's suicide the two had begun to make their relationship public by walking red carpet together at events.

Richardson's lawyers also stated in court papers filed after her death that Robert Jr. had cut off her credit cards and refused to pay her legal bills despite a court order, leaving her broke.

She was found in the barn by a housekeeper and her cause of death was determined to be 'asphyxiation by hanging.'

Conor was appointed the executor of his mother's estate as the oldest child.
Toan Truong was gunned down by an intruder in front of his pregnant wife and young child inside his Melbourne home in 2015

A breakthrough linking an unsolved murder case to an organised drug syndicate has been made by police 20 months after the shooting.

Toan Truong, 43, was gunned down by an intruder in front of his pregnant wife and young child inside his Sunshine West home in Melbourne around 5am on February 3, 2015.

Detectives believe the shooter was targeting a hydroponic cannabis crop in the house, as they investigate new CCTV footage of a car speeding from the scene.

Toan Truong gave chase into a rear bedroom where the intruder fired his gun at Truong, fatally wounding him in front of his young family before fleeing the bloody scene.

They believe the murderer is an associate of a syndicate that executed aggravated burglaries at properties with hydroponic cannabis crops in Melbournes suburbs.

CCTV footage obtained by police showed a dark-coloured sedan speeding away from the scene shortly after the shooting

Police have also re-issued a computer generated image of a man they wish to speak to about the incident

Five men have been arrested in relation to aggravated burglaries in Caroline Springs and Deer Park.

CCTV footage obtained by police showed a dark-coloured sedan speeding away from the area shortly after the shooting.

Investigations have identified two vehicles of interest - a dark coloured BMW two-door coupe and a Ford Falcon sedan - seen in the area about 45 minutes before the murder.

They have issued photographs of the cars, as well as a computer generated image of a man they wish to speak to about the incident, in a fresh appeal for information.

A Ford Falcon sedan is one of two vehicles of interest seen travelling in convoy in the area about 45 minutes before the murder
Sara Kelly Keenan was born with male DNA but female genitals. She has now won the right to have her birth certificate marked 'intersex' - a first for the USA

The first-known intersex birth certificate has been issued in New York City - a step towards nationwide recognition of the 'third gender'.

Sara Kelly Keenan, 55, has male genes, female genitals and mixed internal reproductive organs, now has a birth certificate that reads 'intersex' instead of 'male' or 'female'.

'Not all intersex people will choose to identify legally as intersex,' Keenan told NBC, 'and not all parents will choose to have their intersex child identified as intersex on birth documents. But for those who do, the option must exist.'

Keenan, who prefers the pronouns 'she and her', was initially believed to be a boy when she was born in 1961, but issued a female birth certificate three weeks later.

She then grew into a life that she describes as filled with 'lies and deception'.

Doctors initially recommended that her genitals be re-sculpted to resemble male organs, in line with her DNA, but her father refused.

Instead she was raised as a woman, and aged 16 she was put on a course of female hormones. She only learned about the doctors' suggestion of surgery four years ago.

But after learning that she was intersex, Keenan sought to have that represented on her birth documents - something that isn't easy at all.

For decades, victories by transgender activists have made it easy in most states to change from male to female - or vice versa - on a birth certificate and other official documents.

Intersex people, however, have it harder in this respect, since they lie outside the two commonly recognized boundaries.

That's why Keenan's birth certificate is such a triumph - and a surprise.

'I wondered if they'd actually issue it and wasn't going to believe it until I saw it,' she said. 'It is both shocking and empowering.'

The certificate may also be one of the first steps in getting the federal government to recognize intersex people in passports and other official documents - part of a movement spearheaded by Keenan and two other prominent intersex people.

Earlier this year Dana Zzyym (pronounced 'Zim') - an intersex person living in Colorado who was born Brian Whitney - sued the State Department, demanding a change in policy that would allow for an intersex-gendered passport.

In November, a federal judge in the case asked the State Department to reconsider.

This year a federal judge told the State Dept to consider giving Dana Zzyym (left) an intersex passport - the State Dept had previously said it would not

But government lawyers said it would make it difficult for officials to verify identities of applicants, because they rely on drivers' licenses and birth certificates, both of which usually have only male and female options.

In September Keenan successfully petitioned the driving agency in California - where she is a resident - to change gender status to 'non-binary'.

She was the first person in that state to get that ruling, and the second person in the US after Oregonian Jamie Shupe.

Keenan is now talking to the California Department of Motor Vehicles about ways to modify their systems in a way that would allow her to update her ID - something she says they are amenable to.

Keenan also had her DMV in California register her gender as 'non-binary' and is trying to have her ID changed in order to reflect that. This would give her two forms of intersex-confirming ID

In a Facebook comment directed at both Zzyym and Lambda Legal attorney Paul Castillo, Keenan suggested that once that step is taken, she will be able to fight the State Department.

She wrote: 'As soon as the DMVs in Calif. and Oregon create an accurate marker on licenses (which is in the works), Jamie and I will have the two pieces of ID the State Dept said it would honor if you had them, right Paul [Castillo]?

'Then we will back them into a corner with the words they spoke in court attempting to deny you [Zzyym]......unless they do the right thing first for you. That is what I hope for.'

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) says Keenan's birth certificate is the first step in overhauling the city's rules regarding gender.

'The Health Department has interpreted our gender marker rule to mean that a person may amend their birth certificate to have "intersex" reflected on their birth certificate with appropriate documentary evidence from a US-licensed doctor,' said DOHMH assistant press secretary Julien A Martinez said.

'The Department will continue to work with community partners as we adopt changes to more accurately reflect a person's sex.'
On New Year's Day Australians will welcome 2017 to find they can look forward to increased fees, charges, changed regulations and reduced benefits introduced by the government.

One of the most notable changes will be a crackdown on welfare where the government's $6 billion omnibus savings bill will kick in, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

In one of the biggest changes, from January 1, unless they are complying with a repayment plan, people who have received welfare overpayments will start paying interest of eight per cent on their debts.

the government's $6 billion omnibus savings bill ensure that people who owe money to Centrelink can be ordered not to leave the country until they pay (stock image)

The savings bill, which was passed in September, will also ensure that people who owe money to Centrelink can be ordered not to leave the country until they pay.

Arrangements will be in place to stop parents who avoid child support payments from exiting the country too. However those receiving Youth Allowance will get between $2.40 and $5.70 extra a fortnight.

Changes will take place as to whether people are eligible to receive the age pension, the disability support pension and the carers pension.

Introduction of a new test will mean reduced payments for more than 230,000 pensioners and payments stopping for about 90,000 more.

Reduced funding for adult dental services across the board will take place (stock image)

Passports will increase by $20 (stock image)

From the start of the year the cost of a new passport will increase by $20 for adults and $10 for children and seniors, while priority processing of passport applications will increase by $54.

Dental care for three million children who currently come under Family Tax Benefit Part A will have their entitlement to free dental services reduced from $1000 to $700 over two years. While reduced funding for adult dental services across the board will take place.

On a more positive note Opal fares will remain frozen until July, although the cost of some other trips will increase.

Motorists have not escaped the government charges either with toll prices increasing in Sydney between 1 and 8 for cars using the Hills M2 Motorway, M5 South-West Motorway, Westlink M7, Eastern Distributor, Cross City Tunnel and Lane Cove Tunnel.

Opal fares will remain frozen until July, although the cost of some other trips will increase (stock image)
Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner has shared a heartbreaking snap of her daughter online, claiming she spends hours each day scouring the internet to find pictures of her children in Lebanon.

Ms Faulkner said the photo 'was enough to break me into a million pieces' when she posted it to her Facebook page on Tuesday.

In the photo, which shows a group of young schoolchildren smiling at the camera, Ms Faulkner's daughter Lahela is seen standing away from the group and staring expressionless into the distance.

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'What is she thinking in this moment? She looks so lost,' Ms Faulkner said alongside the photo of her daughter Lehela (back right)

Lahela, 6, and Ms Faulkner's son Noah, 4, remain in Lebanon with their 32-year-old father Ali Elamine, who took the children to his home country under the guise of a three-week holiday and never returned.

Since Mr Elamine flew with the kids to Lebanon in May 2015, he has refused to return them to Australia or allow their mother to see them.

Ms Faulkner's Facebook post is just the most recent cry for help in a very public appeal to bring her children back home.

Sally Faulkner pictured with her daughter Lahela - who now lives in Lebanon with her father

'This was enough to break me into a million pieces today. Ali, look at our little girl's face,' Sally Faulkner wrote on Facebook

'What is she thinking in this moment? She looks so lost,' Ms Faulkner said alongside the photo.

'I miss you Lahela. I hope you were looking out the window dreaming of the moment you and your brother come home and are truly happy again.

'I just want to cuddle you and never let go. Don't be sad baby. Please don't be sad.'

Sally Faulkner wrote the words 'I love you' above her daughter's head, in the photo she shared to Facebook

Sally Faulkner (left) with her two children Lahela (centre) and Noah (right) before they were taken to Lebanon with their father and never returned

Ms Faulkner goes on to say that the fight was not over and she would eventually bring her children home to Australia.

'One day I'll make this right and you will know that your mummy never gave you up,' she said.

Ms Faulkner also pleaded with her estranged husband to look at the photo and consider the children's feelings.

'Ali, look at our little girl's face. Isn't this enough for you,' she said.

'Sickening. How's your power trip going, Ali? Still convincing yourself you've done the right thing?' Ms Faulkner posted alongside this before and after photo of her daughter, Lahela,

'Another comparison shot. You can't tell me you've done the right thing Ali,' Sally Faulkner wrote on Instagram

Ms Faulkner also posted two side-by-side snaps of her two children appearing much more sad in photos taken since their move to Lebanon.

'Another comparison shot. You can't tell me you've done the right thing Ali,' she said.

The emotional posts garnered a huge amount of attention online from people offering their support to the suffering mother.

'This is absolutely heart breaking  don't ever give up hope. Your children know you love them,' one woman said.

'I hope sense prevails soon, Sally, and Lahela and Noah are home with you,' another woman said.

'My heart breaks for you Sally. I cannot imagine what you go through on a daily basis without your babies. I will not stop praying that you are reunited with them soon and that they are both ok. Stay strong.'

Ali Elamine lives with his two children Noah (left) and Lahela (right) in Beirut, Lebanon

Ms Faulkner reportedly has not been in contact with Noah (left) or Lahela (right) since she left Beirut on April 21

Ms Faulkner's public appeal to bring her children back hit headlines in April after a botched operation with the Nine Network's 60 Minutes crew.

The crew attempted to snatch the children from their grandmother in a Beirut street but it was unsuccessful and landed crew members and Ms Faulkner in jail.

Ms Faulkner was forced to relinquish all custodial rights to the children in return for unlimited visits and holidays.

The conditions granted her release from jail on bail in Lebanon.

But since her release from jail and subsequent return to Australia, Ms Faulkner has reportedly not been allowed any contact with her children.
The parents of a five-year-old girl who was killed in a car crash are suing Apple over claims that FaceTime was to blame.

Garrett Wilhelm, 22, had been using FaceTime when he smashed into the back of James and Bethany Modisette's car going 65mph in 2014, killing their daughter Moriah who was sitting in the back seat.

Wilhelm - whose FaceTime app was still active when officers arrived on the scene - faces a manslaughter charge for the crash.

But the Modisettes claim that Apple's product was also a 'substantial factor in causing the plaintiffs' injuries and decedent's death.'

Moriah Modisette (pictured) was killed in a deadly car crash in 2014 after a driver, who was using Facetime, smashed into her family's car

James and Bethany Modisette are suing Apple claiming its FaceTime app was responsible

The couple is now suing Apple for undisclosed damages in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Filed in California last week, the lawsuit stated that Apple was liable for the fatal crash because its 'failure to install and implement' a patented design to be able to 'lock out' the app while users were driving.

The patent would have used GPS tracking to determine the speed a user was travelling to prevent the app from working. However, it is not clear how that technology would work for passengers, or people travelling on buses or other public transport.

'Despite both the technology since 2008 and a patent on that technology so it could exploit its patent without competition for 20 years,' declares the court filing, 'defendant Apple has consistently and continuously failed to implement a safer, alternative design that would lock-out and prevent use of FaceTime while driving.'

Little Moriah died from her injuries shortly after the crash on Christmas Eve in 2014

The suit claims that the conduct of the driver was 'inextricably intertwined' with Apple's failure to implement the lock-out feature.

The Modisettes claim in their filing that by failing to implement the technology, Apple has 'breached a duty of care to plaintiffs.'

They also claim that the cost of implementing the design would be 'minimal' for Apple and holds 'no conceivable disadvantage' for the tech giant, although provides no evidence in the lawsuit.

Garret Wilhelm, (pictured) of Gainesville, who was on his way to visit his parents in Keller, had slammed into the back of the family's Toyota Camry at speed

DailyMail.com has reached out to Apple for comment.

The grieving parents filed the lawsuit after the tragic loss of their daughter in the Christmas Eve crash in 2014.

James Modisette had been driving with his family on the Interstate 35W when he slowed down as he approached traffic.

Wilhelm, of Gainesville, who was on his way to visit his parents in Keller, had slammed into the back of the family's Toyota Camry at speed.

Wilhelm's Toyota 4Runner rolled 'up and over the driver's side of the Modisette car,' the lawsuit states, critically injuring James and five -year-old Moriah, seated behind him.

James, his wife Bethany, and their eight-year-old daughter Isabella were taken by ambulance to Denton Regional Medical Center, along with Wilhelm, for treatment.

Meanwhile Moriah was airlifted to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. She later died of her injuries, reports the Denton Record-Chronicle.
Almost 60 cases of food poisoning are being linked to a farm selling trendy raw milk, it emerged yesterday.

Those affected range in age from a one-year-old to 86.

A judge yesterday banned Low Sizergh Farm, near Kendal, Cumbria, from selling any more of the unpasteurised milk to customers following the potentially deadly outbreak.

Ban: A judge banned Low Sizergh Barn Farm, in Cumbria, from selling unpasteurised milk

It came as a court heard that the owner of the farm, Richard Park, knew there were quite high levels of bacteria in his unpasteurised milk three months ago but continued to sell it to customers.

Though it was not divulged exactly which bacteria had been found, the recent poisoning cases involve the campylobacter bacteria, which is estimated to cause 100 deaths a year in the UK.

The hearing at Furness Magistrates Court in Cumbria was told that Mr Park should have informed the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or Public Health England (PHE) that bacteria had been found in samples of untreated milk in September, but failed to do so.

With their slogan From Moo To You, Low Sizergh Farm had copied the US trend for fresh-from-the-udder milk sold from special dispensers at its Lake District shop.

Over the past six months, it has won various tourism awards, including the National Trusts Fine Farm Produce Award

But last week, officers from the FSA officers imposed an emergency prohibition notice and the farm suspended sales after six cases of campylobacter bacteria food poisoning were reported and linked to its untreated milk.

Negligent: A court heard the farms owner, Richard Park, knew there were quite high levels of bacteria in the trendy milk (sold in this photo) three months ago but continued to sell it

A joint investigation by the FSA, PHE and South Lakeland District Council was launched and it has since emerged that a further 50 possible cases are now being looked at, five of which are in under-18s. It is not known if any of those afflicted needed hospital treatment.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea and vomiting. Although not usually serious in adults it can prove fatal to vulnerable patients such as young children or the elderly.

A private water supply on the farm is being examined as the possible source of the bacteria, the court heard.

Judge Gerald Chalk yesterday granted the FSA application for the notice to be made into a permanent order, effectively banning the farm from selling raw milk until it identifies and rectifies the source of the outbreak. The business is still permitted to sell milk on to other businesses for pasteurisation.

Brian Rigg, a dairy hygiene inspector for the FSA, said: I visited the farm and spoke to Mr Park. He has submitted samples to an independent laboratory at his own expense to detect bacteria levels.

They came back as six samples having failed. They were done in September and they were quite high levels.

Fiona Inston, public protection manager at South Lakeland District Council, said officials were still not sure of the scale of the outbreak.

Mr Park did not attend the hearing, although Mr Rigg confirmed the farmer was aware of the application for the order and did not intend to contest it.

After the hearing, Chris McGarvey, a lawyer for the FSA, said: Our first priority is to ensure public safety and we have acted in tandem with the other regulatory bodies to make sure that the public is safe.




Todd Fisher shared a heartbreaking tribute to his late mother and sister on Thursday, a simple drawing of the pair dressed as their most prolific on-screen selves.

Carrie is depicted as Princess Leia while Debbie Reynolds is dressed as Kathy Selden from Singin' In The Rain.

A lyric from the iconic musical accompanied the image which Todd shared with Twitter fans.

'What a glorious feeling I'm happy again,' it read.

Debbie Reynolds died on Wednesday a day after her famous daughter, telling family that she wanted to be with the 60-year-old before suffering a suspected stroke at Todd's house.

Todd Fisher shared this artist's sketch of his late mother and sister in their most famous roles - Princess Leia and Kathy Selden from Singin' In The Rain - on Thursday as he grieved their deaths

Todd accompanied the post with a message to tell fans how he missed the pair 'so much'

Carrie is depicted as Princess Leia (left) in the drawing, while Debbie Reynolds is dressed as Kathy Selden from Singin' In The Rain (right)

On Thursday, as he shared the drawing online, Todd described their bond as 'everlasting'.

'This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting,' he said.

The sketch is by artist Ricky LaChance, a comic book and Star Wars fan.

Reynolds 'gently' in hospital in Los Angeles on Wednesday night hours after a suspected stroke at her son's home.

Minutes earlier, she had told him how she wanted to 'be with Carrie' who died the previous day from complications arising from a heart attack.

'She's with Carrie now and we're all heartbroken,' said Todd Fisher as he confirmed the sad news his 84-year-old mother had died.

Reynolds died on Thursday a day after her famous daughter. The Hollywood icon is believed to have suffered a stroke at her son's home while they made funeral arrangements for his sister. The trio is pictured above together with Carrie's daughter Billie Lourd

Todd revealed hopes for a joint funeral for the pair on Thursday as fans reeled from their deaths. The family is photographed above in 1998

The family is now looking in to a joint funeral for the pair.

'It's what we want to do, but we're still working on the mechanics. We like the idea, if it's at all possible. I think it's appropriate,' he told New York Daily News.

Carrie Fisher suffered a heart attack on board a flight from London to LAX on Christmas Eve. She was taken to hospital but never regained consciousness.

The 60-year-old, who is best known for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars, was in the midst of a book tour to promote her memoirs.

Her autopsy was put on hold on Thursday after her mother's sudden death.

Her mother, who shot to fame in the 1952 classic Singing' In The Rain, had an outstanding film career of her own and is universally considered a Hollywood icon.
Oscar Bermejo-Zaragoza, 19, was arrested in connection with the drive-by shooting of a boy in Kearns, Utah

Utah police have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with the drive-by shooting of a nine-year-old boy, which left the youth in critical condition.

A tweet Thursday from the Unified Police official Twitter account announced the arrest of Oscar Bermejo-Zaragoza.

Four people were detained for questioning, said Detective Ken Hansen with the Unified Police Department, according to Fox 13.

Salt Lake County jail records show Bermejo-Zaragoza was being held Thursday afternoon on suspicion of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm toward a vehicle.

Police say on Wednesday, the nine-year-old boy was sitting with several other children in the backseat of a parked SUV in the town of Kearns, about 15 miles from Salt Lake City, near where he lived, when one shot was fired from a passing black BMW sedan occupied by two men.

Police confer after the tragic drive-by shooting of a nine-year-old boy in Kearns, Utah

Authorities scour the scene on Stockton and Westslope in Kearns

The bullet went through the SUV's windshield and hit the boy in the head.

Fox 13 reported that the other suspect in the car was still being sought.

The boy underwent emergency surgery Wednesday night and remained in critical condition Thursday, police said. Unified Police Detective Ken Hansen said Thursday that doctors may not know until the weekend whether the boy will recover.

No other children were injured.

Police point towards evidence in the snow after the drive-by shooting of a boy shot in the head

Police believe the shooting was gang-related and the someone else was the target

Hansen said police believe the shooting was gang-related and someone else was the target.

'Based on the address, based on the type of crime that it was - you know, being a drive by shooting - it has all the ear markings of being gang related,' he said.

The car that the two men were seen in was later found in Salt Lake City.

Court records show Bermejo-Zaragoza faces aggravated burglary, robbery and assault charges from a September home invasion in Ogden.

Bermejo-Zaragoza has not yet entered a plea in that case. He was not in custody for that case because he had posted a $50,000 bond.

Bermejo-Zaragoza was scheduled to appear at a hearing regarding the September charges Thursday morning, but it wasn't clear if he made the appearance before his arrest Thursday.
For more than three centuries, the freedom of the Press has been a cherished feature of British civil life. It is an essential liberty that promotes open debate, strengthens the democratic process, and ensures that the rich and powerful can be held to account.

A rumbustious, inquisitive Press is a sign of a healthy society. In contrast, one of the first actions of any new totalitarian despot is to grasp control of the media.

Sadly, Press freedom in Britain has been under grave assault in recent years. As a result of the fallout from the phone hacking scandal, there has been a relentless drive to impose a heavy-handed regime of State regulation on our print media.

The judicial inquiry into the conduct of the Press, set up in 2011 and chaired by Sir Brian Leveson, was a key part of that push for greater official oversight.

But now, as we approach the New Year, the pressure for greater restrictions appears to be reaching a new level of intensity.

As a result of the fallout from the phone hacking scandal, there has been a relentless drive to impose a heavy-handed regime of State regulation on our print media. The judicial inquiry into the conduct of the Press, chaired by Sir Brian Leveson, was a key part of that push for greater official oversight. Now, the pressure for greater restrictions appears to be reaching a new level of intensity

As a result of the legacy of that inquiry, the Government has to decide shortly on whether or not to implement a plan whereby newspapers will face financial sanctions if they refuse to sign up with an officially approved regulator.

So what is wrong with that? Well, take a look at the organisation that will carry out the regulatory role.

It is none other than a self-appointed lobby group called Impress filled with anti-Press campaigners and almost entirely bankrolled  to the tune of 3.8 million  by the multi-millionaire Max Mosley, a man with a clear vendetta against popular newspapers. You couldnt make this up.

Now it might be expected that I would be in favour of some curtailment of Press freedom, given that my family was one of the high-profile victims of the hacking scandal when elements of the Press decided to investigate my personal life. It was a harrowing time, which culminated in my providing evidence for the prosecution in one of the criminal hacking trials.

But my own experience, however painful it was, does not prevent me from recognising the real dangers of taking a regulatory and financial sledgehammer to the British Press, which is already under severe strain because of ferocious competition from social media on the internet.

Y es, we must respect the rights of those who have been unfairly treated by the Press. There have to be mechanisms to provide them with redress.

For their part, Impress and its anti-Press ally Hacked Off, a hardline advocate of tough State regulation, like to pose the question: Whose side are you on: the victims or the Press?

So far no newspaper of any substance has agreed to join Max Mosleys Impress  and is it any wonder, given his hostile attitude to the Press?

But it should not be a simplistic, binary choice. We can support victims of Press intrusion without seeking to crush basic liberties that stretch back to the end of the 17th century, not least at this moment when it is the print media and properly moderated and edited information which is under the cosh. No redress exists for what is put out by unregulated bloggers on the internet.

At the heart of the new threat to Press freedom is Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013. This measure, which has yet to be implemented, is a form of coercion that aims, by using the threat of crippling financial penalties, to force newspapers into accepting what has been described as State direction.

Under Section 40, a news publication which fails to join the newly established official regulator will have to bear the entire costs of both sides in any libel action brought against it, no matter what the outcome.

So a newspaper could conduct an investigation into corruption by an individual, receive a libel suit, win the case, and still end up having to fork out for the failed litigant.

Meanwhile, the wrongdoer has not had to risk a penny. Effectively, the newspaper would have been fined for telling the truth. This is wrong on so many levels. If Section 40 is put into operation, the courts could be filled with frivolous and vexatious libel actions, while proper investigative journalism will be seriously undermined, since a newspaper would struggle to afford the consequences of a claim.

The effect on local newspapers, with fewer resources than the nationals, would be especially damaging  even though they were never in the firing line during the Leveson Inquiry.

We should not take a step that entrenches privilege, protects the rich and conceals corruption  as the implementation of Section 40 surely would

Ah, say the campaigners, that could all be avoided by just signing up to Impress, which in October was recognised as the official Press watchdog by the Press Regulation Panel, a taxpayer-funded quango created to give State approval to would-be regulators. Yet so far no newspaper of any substance has agreed to join Mosleys Impress  and is it any wonder, given his hostile attitude to the Press?

Setting out to get the tabloids might be very satisfying for those who proclaim they never read them. But in reality it is you, the public, who are being treated with contempt.

To get this in perspective, it is worth taking a deep breath and pausing to reflect on a hypothetical country that is seen by our parliamentarians to be less than democratic. If a proposition like Section 40 were to be put forward by what the liberal Left consider such an undesirable regime, would they not condemn such a proposal as illiberal?

But Section 40 is not the only problem. Despite the length and cost of the first Leveson inquiry, there are now calls for Leveson Two to examine yet again the past misconduct of the Press.

These demands have been given greater impetus by the conclusion of the last of the hacking trials, which removes legal restrictions on what another Leveson inquiry can study.

Part one of Leveson cost 5.4 million. Many think it was worth that sum. But a further burst of retrospection which tells us what we already know would not just be a waste of money but also a concentration on the past rather than the future.

The fact is that learning lessons from the past is not the same thing as living in it.

The decision on whether to implement Section 40 and start Leveson Two rests with the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley. At present, she is in the middle of a consultation exercise about both steps that ends in early January, when she will have to take a decision.

Many of my colleagues in the Labour Party will be urging her to go ahead on both fronts, partly because of their understandable outrage at the way some elements of the Press have behaved in the past.

But I would ask those on the Left to think twice before agreeing to any draconian action. We are meant to believe in fighting injustice and inequality. We should not take a step that entrenches privilege, protects the rich and conceals corruption  as the implementation of Section 40 surely would.

Nor should we lash out at what remains of the professional print industry.

We should recognise that there is a gross imbalance in the thrust of Section 40 and the Leveson proposals, in that they are focused entirely on the print media. They have nothing to say about the broadcast or social media, which can be increasingly guilty of peddling falsehoods and smears.

On several occasions, I have had inaccurate stories about me aired by the BBC, but, in contrast to the papers, I have never once received an apology, only a correction.

In post-Brexit Britain, we have more important issues to tackle than the historic failings of some tabloid newspapers. It is time we moved on.

Similarly, the eagerness to implement Section 40 shows no recognition that the current system of self-regulation, much tightened since the hacking scandal, is actually working quite well.

Under the auspices of the so-far impartial Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), which has the power to impose heavy fines and demand front-page corrections, the British Press is much more responsible than it was a decade ago. The same can hardly be said of the internet, where propaganda and lies roam freely.

There is, of course, room for argument about the future. But Section 40 is a step too far, and one that could bring an end to three centuries of treasured Press freedom.

You've read David Blunkett's view - now it's up to you: Act NOW if you want to help defend the right to read a website like MailOnline

Imagine someone throws a brick through your window. The case goes to court and the brick-thrower is convicted. But you are told you must pay for your window - and his brick.

An unbelievable injustice? Yes - but that's just what Britain's newspapers and news websites face.

In the New Year, the Culture Secretary must decide whether or not to implement a piece of legislation so pernicious, so illiberal, it is hard to believe Parliament ever passed it. But it did.

Most of our greatest injustices are exposed not by MPs or the police, but by the Press. The MPs' expenses scandal; the Rotherham sex grooming cover-up; the monumental failures over the murder of Stephen Lawrence  just a few of the investigations that would never have been possible if Section 40 was in force

Under Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, rushed into law after the Leveson Inquiry, any relevant newspapers or news websites - from MailOnline to The Guardian, Huffington Post and Buzzfeed - which refuse to join a regulator approved under the Government's Royal Charter for the Press, and are sued for libel, will be forced to pay the other side's legal costs  even if they win.

EVEN IF YOU WIN, YOU LOSE: If this law is implemented, it won't matter if an article is true, lawfully published, serves the public interest, and the complaint is thrown out by the court  any relevant newspapers or news websites not signed up to an approved regulator will face paying all the costs, every single penny.

FREE TICKET FOR CROOKS, BANKRUPTCY FOR NEWSPAPERS: Costs in High Court legal actions routinely run into hundreds of thousands of pounds  sometimes millions. This legislation gives anyone who wants to silence journalists a free ticket. News organisations that fight will face being bankrupted.

If this law is implemented it won't matter if an article is true, lawfully published, serves the public interest, and the complaint is thrown out by the court - any relevant newspapers or news website not signed up to an approved regulator will face paying all the costs

WHO WILL EXPOSE INJUSTICE? Most of our greatest injustices are exposed not by MPs or the police, but by the Press. The MPs' expenses scandal; the Rotherham sex grooming cover-up; the monumental failures over the murder of Stephen Lawrence  just a few of the investigations that would never have been possible if Section 40 was in force.

WHY NOT JOIN THE STATE-APPROVED REGULATOR? Called Impress, it claims to be independent, but is bankrolled by former F1 boss Max Mosley, on a mission to 'reform' the Press ever since a newspaper revealed his sado-masochistic orgy with five prostitutes. It has just a handful of micro-publisher members, some barely more than online blogs. No mainstream news organisation has joined.

SO WHO REGULATES THE DAILY MAIL AND MAILONLINE? MailOnline and 2,600 other news websites, newspapers, and magazines do not believe the Press can be truly free under rules imposed by politicians. We belong to a regulator which is entirely independent of the Government. Chaired by former Appeal Court Judge Sir Alan Moses, the Independent Press Standards Organisation regularly orders front page corrections and  if necessary  can impose fines of up to 1 million.

... AND THEN THERE'S LEVESON TWO: The original Leveson Inquiry and associated criminal trials have already cost the taxpayer nearly 50 million. Despite a raft of reforms to the Press, police and politics, the Culture Secretary is under pressure to go over it all again with Leveson Part Two.

WHAT CAN BE DONE? Very sensibly, the Culture Secretary has launched a consultation. The zealots of Hacked Off, and their allies in Parliament, are lobbying hard for Section 40 to become law and Leveson Two to get under way.

But this time you get your say, too. If you want to defend the right to read a news website like MailOnline, a website which holds the rich and powerful to account, which fights injustice, and which refuses to kow-tow to rules set by politicians and a regulator in the pocket of Max Mosley, you can tell the Government this unjust legislation must be repealed  and no money wasted on another Leveson Inquiry.
Thousands of families face eye-watering council tax rises of up to 16 per cent as town halls plot super-sized hikes.

In an unprecedented move to tackle the spiralling social care crisis, councils are preparing to hold referendums on whether they can ignore a 5 per cent cap on annual increases.

Chancellor Philip Hammond's own local authority, Surrey County Council, is considering a 16 per cent rise. If voters approve the increase, which would add 200 to average annual bills, officials believe a string of other councils will try to follow suit.

Thousands of families face eye-watering council tax rises of up to 16 per cent as town halls plot super-sized hikes amid a social care crisis

Lancashire County Council is also thought to be considering a vote.

The startling revelations will fuel calls for the Government to ditch its commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid. Backbench MPs say it is a scandal that 12billion a year is spent on overseas development while the UK's elderly care is in crisis.

A fortnight ago, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced he would raise the ceiling on council tax increases, leaving households facing huge bills to help fund social care. Under the new rules, councils can increase charges for next year by 5 per cent  with 3 per cent ring-fenced for adult social care  rather than the 4 per cent that had been planned.

But now councils have warned they will propose increases well above this, meaning they have to hold a referendum.

Chancellor Philip Hammond's own local authority, Surrey County Council, is considering a 16 per cent rise

Surrey County Council is understood to be considering a vote on a 16 per cent rise, which would push up the charge on an average band-D property by 203 to 1,471 next year.

Its Tory leader David Hodge has said the local authority 'simply cannot cope' as it faces a budget shortfall of 45million. Mr Hodge is understood to have been summoned to see Mr Javid over the referendum, which may cost up to 1million to hold.

Mel Few, the councillor responsible for Surrey's social care, said last night the local authority's finances were 'on a cliff edge'. He said that unless the Government came up with tens of millions of pounds of extra funding within the next fortnight, 'we are faced with an unbalanced budget and I assume at this stage the thoughts will drift towards a referendum'.

Mr Few said it was too early to speculate on the figure of the proposed rise, but added: 'We are talking big numbers.'

He said: 'There is not one county council responsible for social care that is not looking down a black hole. I think once the rest of the councils that are in desperate need see there is a way out, I would not be surprised [if they follow with their own referendums].'

The Local Government Association has said the social care funding gap will reach 2.6billion by the end of this Parliament. It warned measures announced by Mr Javid, including the rise in the ceiling for demand increases, 'fall well short' of what is needed. Councils are facing spiralling costs in providing social care because of the ageing population and the rise in salaries for care workers as a result of the increase in the minimum wage.

A fortnight ago, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced he would raise the ceiling on council tax increases, leaving households facing huge bills to help fund social care

Before Mr Javid announced the cap on increases would rise to 5 per cent, 95 per cent of local councils had said they planned jumps of 4 per cent next year, the maximum that would have been allowed without a referendum.

Only one such referendum has taken place. In February 2015, Bedfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Olly Martins, proposed a 15.8 per cent rise in the police precept, which would have resulted in an extra 24.80 on an average band D property. An overwhelming 207,551 residents (69.5 per cent) opposed the hike in a referendum estimated to have cost 600,000.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME: WHY NOT USE FOREIGN AID CASH? Ministers have refused to divert millions from Britain's bloated aid budget to help ease the social care crisis. Pressure is mounting on the Government to ditch its commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid. Some Tory MPs have asked Theresa May to use some of the 12billion budget to tackle the spending shortage for elderly care in this country. Just 0.37 per cent of the foreign aid budget would cover the 45million shortfall that Surrey County Council is understood to be facing. The shortfall is almost the same as the 44.6million given to China last year, despite a promise five years ago to stop sending aid to the world's second largest economy. Last week the Mail revealed the amount of aid being sent to the world's most corrupt countries had surged by almost 30 per cent. Advertisement

Former Lib Dem health minister Norman Lamb said last night: 'It's frankly embarrassing that Philip Hammond's own local council is having to take drastic action to plug the hole he has left in social care funding. It should not be down to local councils to pick up the pieces after this Government's catastrophic neglect of social care.'

Mel Merritt, of the Care and Support Alliance of charities, said lifting the council tax rise cap by 1 per cent was 'a drop in the ocean'. She added: 'Things are so desperate in social care that councils are looking at lots of hard options. Because the Government is not making the difficult decisions, councils are having to.'

Martin Tett, the Tory leader of Buckinghamshire County Council who sits on the LGA executive, said he expected most authorities would not seek referendums because of the fear of rejection by voters.

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said last night: 'Our long-term funding settlement means local authorities will have nearly 200billion to spend over the course of this Parliament. We've also just announced an extra 900million for social care, meaning they will have a total of 7.6billion to spend over four years.'

Lancashire County Council did not respond to a request for comment.

The Mayor of Liverpool had also planned to hold a referendum in May on a 10 per cent hike, but yesterday scrapped the plan.

Health bosses are planning to slash an extra 5billion from social care funds over the next four years, doctors' leaders warn.
He is 9ft tall, weighs over 100 stone and can tear a man apart in minutes.

But Jim Kowalczik has no fear as he larks about with the Kodiak bear he calls his son.

The former prison officer and his wife, Susan, have cared for Jimbo for almost 23 years, since he first came to the couples upstate New York haven for injured or unwanted animals as a bottle-feeding cub.

After nurturing him for so many years, the bear cheerfully slobbers over him and they enjoy a playful bear hug.

He is 9ft tall, weighs over 100 stone and can tear a man apart in minutes. But Jim Kowalczik has no fear as he larks about with the Kodiak bear he calls his son

The former prison officer, 57, and his wife, Susan, have cared for Jimbo for almost 23 years, since he first came to the couples upstate New York haven for injured or unwanted animals as a bottle-feeding cub

After nurturing him for so many years, the bear cheerfully slobbers over Jim and they enjoy a playful bear hug

Hell play with you all day if you have the time, Mr Kowalczik says.

Theyre content, theyre happy. If they werent, you would know it.

Jimmy is my best friend. It doesnt get any better than that. He loves you just for you, said Mr Kowalczik, 57.

Hes very gentle but sometimes he doesnt know his own strength - like if youre trying to walk away, he will grab your clothes or shorts and pull you back to him.

Think of the strongest person you know and magnify it by a thousand times. He has so much strength. All hed have to do is lay on you.

Jimbo is one of 11 bears living at the couples non-profit Orphaned Wildlife Center 60 miles northwest of New York City.

One of them, a black bear named Frankie, was born in the wild and found his way there in 2012 after being hit by a car.

The rest of the bears here were born in captivity, eight of them Syrian brown bears or mixes that came from a breeding programme.

Jimbo is one of 11 bears living at the couples non-profit Orphaned Wildlife Center 60 miles northwest of New York City

The Kowalcziks has been rehabilitating squirrels, ducks, deer, mink and other animals together since the early 1990s. But they are best known for their bears, with one Facebook video of Mr Kowalczik playing with Jimbo receiving more than 16 million views

Jimbo came from a West Coast game farm with an injured leg.

Kodiak brown bears are a subspecies which in the wild live exclusively on the islands in the Kodiak Archipelago off the coast of Alaska.

They are the largest bears in the world but only one person has been killed by a bear on Kodiak in the past 75 years, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Kodiak bears are omnivores, but spend more time eating grass, plants and berries than meat. Jimmy munches through 30lb of food a day - plus the occasional marshmallow as a treat.

The Kowalcziks has been rehabilitating squirrels, ducks, deer, mink and other animals together since the early 1990s.

But they are best known for their bears, with one Facebook video of Mr Kowalczik playing with Jimbo receiving more than 16 million views.

Mr Kowalczik said: The bears are like our children. Thats how much we love them and they give a lot back to you too. They love you just as much.

Susan Kowalczik (above), also 57, said: Its a wonderful thing to watch them grow up and to have them from very little and make an impression on them

Our bear family is like every other family. You love them to death but then there are other times when they drive you nuts.

They will knock you around a little bit - but not maliciously. You just have to watch that you dont get scratched or poked in the eye or something.

Most Kodiak bear cubs stay with their mothers for three years. The oldest known wild Kodiak bear was a 34-year-old female. The oldest male was 27.

Mrs Kowalczik, also 57, said: Its a wonderful thing to watch them grow up and to have them from very little and make an impression on them.

Theres no false pretences like there are with people and stuff. What you see is what you get.'
A senior aide to Margaret Thatcher claimed that cannabis use was so prevalent among the Afro-Caribbean community the drug was even given to babies, a newly released memo reveals.

Carolyn Sinclair, of the Government's policy unit, said cannabis was regarded 'as part of life' and 'the fact [it] is illegal is widely regarded as unjust'.

Ms Sinclair made the shocking comments in a memo in July 1989. At the time the Government feared Britain could soon be gripped by a so-called 'crack epidemic' similar to the one sweeping the US.

A senior aide to Margaret Thatcher, pictured, claimed that cannabis use was so prevalent among the Afro-Caribbean community the drug was even given to babies

The memo was released today by the National Archives in Kew, west London.

Ms Sinclair was writing in response to a proposal by then home secretary Douglas Hurd, who suggested launching a 'two-pronged' drug campaign and recruiting community figures to assist efforts among the Afro-Caribbean population.

At the time there was an apparent surge in the use of crack cocaine across American cities, particularly in African-American communities, and the Government was eager to prevent a similar problem in Britain.

However ministers were wary of introducing a campaign specifically targeting the Afro-Caribbean community as they feared it could spark resentment, The Times reported.

Ms Sinclair wrote: 'Afro-Caribbeans rarely take "hard" drugs such as heroin, but regard cannabis as part of life. It is given to babies.

Ms Sinclair was writing in response to a proposal by then home secretary Douglas Hurd, pictured

'The fact that cannabis is illegal is widely regarded as unjust. Most Afro-Caribbeans do not think that they, as a group, have a drug problem.

'But there are good reasons to fearing that "crack" will get a hold on Afro-Caribbeans in a way that other hard drugs have not.'

She added: 'The police and other statutory authorities all say that it is hard to get messages across to Afro-Caribbeans.

'Douglas Hurd's proposed use of informal channels may be the only way. It should be tried.'

Other files released today reveal how Mrs Thatcher considered plans to sabotage global cocaine production by spraying the source plant with biological killers.

Lord Rothschild suggested using 'aerial sprays' that would target the plants, saying they could be used 'with or without the connivance of the Government concerned'.

Mrs Thatcher wrote 'very interesting' in a scrawl on the internal memo and vowed to consider the proposal in her response to Lord Rothschild in August.
Billie Lourd (seen on Wednesday moments before her grandmother's fatal stroke) is Carrie Fisher's only child and the heir to the famous family's dynasty

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher begged the latter's daughter Billie Lourd, the sole heir to their legacy, not to enter the world of showbiz.

The 24-year-old star is a bonafide star and thriving actress with her own character in Fox's hit series Scream Queens.

She counts pop stars and Hollywood household names as friends and is believed to be dating Twilight heartthrob Taylor Lautner.

Despite her family's recent pride for her professional success, Reynolds and Fisher both tried to warn her off following in their footsteps.

In a Vanity Fair interview long before the legendary mother and daughter's consecutive deaths this week, 24-year-old Lourd told how her entire family tried to put her off showbiz.

'The one thing theyd all say my whole life was: "The last thing you want to be is an actress." They wanted me to be a doctor, a C.E.O., a trashman.

'Basically anything but an actress.'

In a bid to deter her gifted granddaughter from a life spent on-camera, Reynolds once tried to use her experience on the set of Singin' In The Rain as a war story.

The 84-year-old, who died from a stroke on Wednesday, invited Lourd to her home in Beverly Hills to present her with the diaries she had kept while filming the 1952 classic.

In an appearance on The Late Show with Seth Meyer, Lourd playfully recalled reading them aloud.

'Dear Debbie, youre sitting in the makeup chair, you have no eyebrows, youre a shell of yourself, and its 5 am. How did you get here?" read one entry.

'She gets very upset when I get called Carrie Fisher's daughter. She wants me to be called Debbie Reynolds' granddaughter,' Lourd went on.

The 24-year-old (above with her grandmother and mother in 2015) previously revealed how they tried to persuade her against acting

'It's very offensive to her. She started it so it's like, it's all her fault.'

Despite her initial protests, Reynolds became a 'huge fan' of the show. 'She is a huge fan. She is a huge fan of anything that involves a lot of fur.

'She misses that in film and TV so the fact that we're all clad in fur ear muffs and fur jackets, it's her dream show,' the 24-year-old explained.

Lourd's furry ear muffs on the show as an homage to her mother who, in her iconic role as Princess Leia, wore hair buns over her ears.

'They are a little bit of a Princess Leia homage. It's kind of a family tradition.

'I saw them in the fitting and was immediately gravitated towards them because I had to be,' she said.

It is not clear why both Reynolds and Fisher were so against Lourd pursuing a Hollywood career but both encountered brutal publicity and humiliation throughout theirs.

For Reynolds, the charm of being an MGM darling and one half of America's sweethearts wore off when her husband, Eddie Fisher, left her for her best friend Elizabeth Taylor.

Lourd (left) appears alongside Emma Roberts and Abigail Breslin in the Fox series Scream Queens

Lourd (above with fellow actresses Keke Palmer and Lea Michele) is a bonafide star in her own right

The scandal was salacious and humiliating for Reynolds who had adored the singer. Her second and third marriages both failed too and she was taken advantage of by her husbands financially.

Fisher fought against her parents' legacy and the tall shadow it cast over her as a teenager. She descended into drug addiction, a disease she battled for much of her life, and her own romantic tribulations.

After an intense affair with Harrison Ford on the set of Star Wars, Fisher married singer Paul Simon.

She later became involved with super agent Bryan Lourd, her daughter's father who abandoned her for the man he is now married to.

Lourd (pictured above as a child with her mother) confirmed her death on Tuesday

Lourd is Fisher's only child and stands to inherit her entire estate.

As such, Lourd stands to inherit all of her mother's fortune. While no details have of Fisher's estate have been released, her brother insisted there would be no quarreling over it.

'We want her to have whatever she wants. Carrie wanted that. There is a trust set up but we're pretty well off. This is all Carrie,' he said before the shattering news his mother had too died.

Though starring in Star Wars, one of the most lucrative film franchises in history, Fisher is worth less than co-stars like Harrison Ford.

Some attribute her comparatively meager earnings to her signing away her likeness rights when she agreed to appear in the movie.

Fisher lived in a Beverly Hills home near her mother, had a one-woman show and was in the middle of a book tour for her second book. She was rumored to have recently bought a property in London, where she hoped to relocate, before her death.

Her net worth is thought to be around $25million.

Reynolds is worth substantially more. Having starred in more Hollywood films than her daughter and with a raft of other business ventures under her belt, she is reported by The Richest to be worth around $60million.

Her estate is likely to be divided between her two children, with Lourd now standing to inherit her mother's share.

The 24-year-old's peers say she carries on her famous mother and grandmother's acting talent. She is Fisher's only child

Lourd and her uncle Todd Fisher are the only heirs to the dynasty left by her mother and grandmother. Todd Fisher does not have any biological children

Friends of the Lourd's quickly sent her their well wishes on social media as the sad new spread

Todd Fisher has no biological children despite his three marriages. He is close to his stepdaughter Vanessa Rivers who refers to Fisher and Reynolds as her aunt and grandmother despite having no blood connection to the famous family.

As news of her Lourd's grandmother's death gripped film fans around the world, her friends and co-stars rushed to send her their sympathies.

Patricia Arquette shared her concern for the young star.

'I can't believe that Debbie Reynolds passed away. Billie Lourd is so young to have to carry so much grief at once. Bless you child,' she wrote.

They all, however, commended the actress for carrying on her mother and grandmother's acting talents and strength.

'All love to Billie Lourd who carries this beauty & brilliance on in her every move,' said friend Lena Dunham.

Lourd's stepfather Bruce Bozzi said: 'The strength of these women live so vibrantly in you.'

Taylor Lautner, Lourd's rumored boyfriend, gave his own glowing tribute.

'This girl is one of the strongest, most fearless individuals I've ever met. Absolutely beautiful inside and out. I'm lucky to know you,' he said.

Lourd has not been seen since her grandmother's death on Wednesday. Moments before the 84-year-old is believed to have suffered a stroke, Lourd and Lautner were pictured leaving her Santa Monica home.
A man who lost a grueling, five-year lawsuit against San Diego police after being arrested for nudity during a gay pride festival has died in an apparent suicide, two weeks after the verdict.

Police found 35-year-old Will X Walters dead at his Hillcrest apartment Wednesday but it's unclear how long he'd been dead, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The medical examiner is examining the case.

Walters was arrested in 2011 during a gay pride event at Balboa Park for wearing a leather gladiator outfit that didn't fully cover his buttocks. He sued the police for anti-gay discrimination but a federal jury had recently ruled against him.

His attorney, Chris Morris, said he hadn't heard from his client since the December 13 verdict, which had left Walters in shock. He had left the courtroom immediately, after which his friends had also tried in vain to get in touch with him.

Will X Walters (left), 35, was found dead Wednesday in his San Diego apartment in an apparent suicide. He had just lost a lawsuit against San Diego police, who arrested him for nudity after he wore a gladiator costume (right) at a gay pride event in 2011

Walters' custom-made outfit cost $1,000. He took special care to make sure it obeyed the rules of the festival and it passed muster when Walters was admitted to the event, the suit reads.

Walters racked up roughly $1 million in legal costs, according to his legal team. He had said his fight against San Diego had landed him in debt, and that having an arrest on his record made it difficult to find a job.

'When people say you can't fight city hall, it's true, because all they're going to do is delay, delay, delay,' Walters told The Fight in September 2016, at a time when he was still waiting for his court date.

'They're going to run you out of money, or they're going to ruin your reputation. Both are very true. There have been some horrible things said about me. It's been difficult for me to get a job, because I now have an arrest on my record and there is no contingency in my lawsuit. Everything has been out of pocket. I'm in debt.'

Walters became an activist after launching his lawsuit, dedicating the last five years of his life to his causes. He worked as a public speaker, marched with a youth group in Ferguson at Michael Brown's funeral, and created Free Will USA, an advocacy organization to help others know and defend their rights.

'Will Walters was a valiant warrior for his cause, and he will be missed by those who knew him and the community he fought for,' Morris told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Thursday.

Walters made headlines after his 2011 arrest, which came as he was wearing a gladiator outfit with a custom-made gladiator kilt at the San Diego Pride Parade And Festival.

Police asked him to cover up, which Walters refused to do. Officers took him to jail after he declined to sign a citation for the misdemeanor.

An officer allegedly referred to Walters as a 'drama queen', but the cop denied this, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Walters later sued San Diego police saying they had violated his civil rights and had discriminated against him due to his sexual orientation.

'Will Walters is a Hispanic, gay man who owns the dubious distinction of being the only person in the history of the City of San Diego to be arrested and booked on a charge of public nudity,' his complaint stated according to Courthouse News.

'Under any definition, he was not nude, as his buttocks and genitalia were fully covered. Nonetheless, he was ushered out of the event, humiliated, arrested, and incarcerated.'

The law, according to Walters, allowed 'thongs, g-strings, and other skimpy bathing suits to be worn by participants and attendees at straight special events, but not by attendees and participants at the one gay special event, Pride'.

His custom-made outfit cost $1,000. He took special care to make sure it obeyed the rules of the festival and it passed muster when Walters was admitted to the event, the suit reads.

Underneath, he wore a pair of black Calvin Klein thong underwear.

Walters (pictured) had racked up roughly $1 million in legal costs, according to his legal team. He had created his own advocacy group to help others know and defend their rights

He had worn the outfit at a previous San Diego Pride Parade, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Police say the outfit consisted of 12" by 12" skirt flaps that revealed more buttocks when Walters moved.

SAN DIEGO NUDITY ORDINANCE Certain body parts, including genitals and buttocks, must be concealed by an opaque covering, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. A 1' strip rule had allowed g-strings at San Diego Pride Parade And Festival in previous years. However, the rules changed in 2011 and the definition of nudity became more restrictive. Advertisement

But, Walters said, an officer told him his costume was 'borderline' and several officers eventually arrested him, prompting his lengthy legal battle.

Walters had thanked his supporters in a heartfelt message on The Pride LA's Facebook page just days before the verdict. Being 'in the trenches' in court was very hard, Walters wrote, adding that his fight was 'not only about the 14th amendment, it's about defending the entire Constitution'.

'The reason I continue this fight is so that we all can continue giving our opinions and we can enjoy the luxury of equal enforcement as well as freedom of speech,' Walters added.

'We need to remember that EVERY freedom in the Bill Of Rights are rights that so many people around the world do not enjoy.

'I continue this fight not because of myself, but for everyone and I want to thank everyone for allowing me to represent them in this struggle.

'Regardless win or lose, it's been a really long journey and myself, my friends and my legal team have fought as hard as we could, but it's all to support my fellow Americans and again I want to thank everyone.

'You all are so amazing and God Bless America!'
Suicide, not combat, is the leading cause of death of soldiers deployed to the Middle East to fight ISIS.

Of the 31 troops who have died since December 27, 2014 when the campaign began, 11 were suicides, reports USA Today. Eight died in combat.

The other deaths were a result of accidents, illness or injury and, one case is being investigated.

Combat fatalities as a result of direct contact with ISIS have been limited, according to the outlet, thanks to airstrikes and drones that have killed 50,000 ISIS fighters.

Suicide outstrips US troop combat casualties in the war on ISIS

There were eight US troop combat deaths since December 2014 in Operation Inherent Freedom compared to 11 suicides

In fact, the largest loss of life in the military operation thus far was when three Special Forces soldiers were shot by a guard as they tried to enter an air base.

Operation Inherent Resolve includes casualties that occurred in Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the Mediterranean Sea east of 25 Longitude, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea, according to the Department of Defense.

The numbers do not include other operations in the Middle East, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, both of which saw far higher combat fatalities that also outstripped suicides by a significant margin, according to the Department of Defense.

As for why suicide would be more common than combat fatalities in the war on ISIS, one expert says it can't be easily explained.

Suicides by troops fighting ISIS outnumber combat casualties because of airstrikes and drones

'I dont think theres one single cause for it,' Rajeev Ramchand, a senior behavioral scientist at the Rand Corp. who has studied military suicide told the outlet. 'There are a multitude of factors.'

Ramchand says factors could include mental illnesses that enlistees had before enrollment, post-traumatic stress, and multiple combat deployments as the military has been at war for 16 years.

'I don't think there's one single cause for it' said an expert on suicide in the military

However, there is an upward trend toward suicide in the US in general, and that could be reflected in the military population, said Ramchand.

'Maybe theres a universal stress on everyone in the military that affects them in profound ways,' he said.

Between 2011 and 2010, the rate of suicide in the military doubled, said Ramchand, with a spike around 2005 when Iraq and Afghanistan casualties soared and the Army was doing most of the fighting.

The Army has the highest percentage of suicides, with 28 percent of the 269 suicides of active duty troops in 2014 being soldiers.

As a whole, the rate of suicides of military in 2014 is about equal to the general population, 20 per 100,000 troops in 2014.
A cancer expert has spoken out about his about his battle to save his son from a deadly brain tumor.

Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, the chair of Stanford University's Department of Radiology, spent much of his career studying the most aggressive form of glial tumor, a glioblastoma multiforme. Only five per cent of patients are alive five years after their diagnosis.

So he knew exactly what it meant when his 14-year-old son was diagnosed with the condition in 2013.

But that did not stop him from giving everything he could to try and fight his son Milan's illness.

'I knew the chances of beating it were so small, especially because by the time Milan's GBM was caught it was already quite spread,' he told the Stamford Medicine journal.

Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, (pictured with his wife Aruna) spent much of his career studying the most aggressive form of glial tumor, a glioblastoma multiforme. So he knew exactly what it meant when his 14-year-old son was diagnosed with the condition in 2013

'It is more frustrating and anxiety-provoking when you know what the outcomes of patients with GBM are.  And yet, you try.'

Sadly, despite all efforts, Milan died in 2015 aged just 16.

But now the groundbreaking research that his father led during his desperate search for treatment is being used in the global fight against cancer.

They include a wearable device Gambhir worked on to detect cancer recurrence - which was granted a patent after Milan's death.

The family's ordeal began back in October 2012 when Milan, Gambhir and his wife's only child, was boating with friends in Lake Tahoe.

The teen was riding on a raft, attached behind a speedboat, when he lost his grip on the handle and hit the water, hard.

When he managed to climb back into the boat, his friends said he was disorientated and confused. He was taken to hospital with a suspected mild concussion, where he underwent a CT scan.

But the results were clear; he'd suffered no bleeding or damage. His brain was healthy.

Yet within nine months, perhaps triggered by the injury or even the tiny radiation from the scan itself, Milan developed an aggressive brain tumor.

Milan Gambhir was just 14-year-old when he was diagnosed with the deadly brain tumor

Just a few days before his 15th birthday, in July 2013, he suffered a medical episode. He began 'speaking gibberish' and spilled his glass of milk.

Fearing he may be suffering a stroke, his parents rushes him to hospital where he underwent an MRI scan.

The scan revealed something much more serious. Milan had an two and a half inch tumor growing in his brain. Even worse, it was a glioblastoma multiforme, the very same aggressive tumor his father had been investigating in his lab.

Since the day of Milan's diagnosis, Gambhir had been 'madly searching, literally working around the clock trying to find something that could slow down this tumor,' he says.

'Sam was emotionally overwhelmed for a while,' said Parag Mallick, PhD, assistant professor of radiology at Stanford. 'He was still effective and reaching out across the globe to get answers, but you definitely felt this sense of helplessness and desperation  something you never feel from Sam.'

He reached out to all his Stamford colleagues, sometimes through tears, and beyond for help.

Milan underwent surgery just days after his diagnosis, and again after the tumor returned in November 2014.

Friends wrote touching messages to the teen on a guitar, bought for him as a gift, before his death in 2015

During surgery, tumor cells were gathered to begin the process of profiling its DNA for precision medicine, allowing doctors to target treatment using the tumor cells' molecular markers.

They have also been cultured so they can be grown and distributed worldwide to aid with cancer research meaning that even in death, Milan is helping the fight against cancer.

Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology at Stanford, said: 'These types of cell cultures are rare. Few labs successfully make these cultures, and even fewer distribute them widely for use. Yet they're very important for understanding the fundamental biology of these tumors and developing more effective therapies.'

WHAT IS A GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME? Glioblastomas (GBM) are tumors that arise from astrocytes - the star-shaped cells that make up the 'glue-like,' or supportive tissue of the brain. These tumors are usually highly malignant cancerous because the cells reproduce quickly and they are supported by a large network of blood vessels. Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive of the gliomas. Gliomas are divided into four grades; unfortunately, the most aggressive of these, grade 4 or glioblastoma multiforme, is also the most common in humans. Fast growing tumours are much more likely to come back after treatment than slow growing tumours. Many people live for less than a year. Source: American Brain Tumour Association and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Read Advertisement

Milan, and his mother Aruna, who has been diagnosed with cancer twice, were also diagnoses with Li-Fraumeni - a genetic adaption which makes people more likely to develop cancer.

The diagnosis means that Milan may have developed the initial tumor from that CT scan radiation as he was much more vulnerable to its effects.

'In a normal person, a CT scan wouldn't be a big deal. But in someone with this mutation, it likely increases their chances of cancer. We will never know for sure,' his father said.

The diagnosis spurred Gambhir to make advances in early detection of a variety of cancers, which do not require X-Ray or CT scans that could be harmful for people with Li-Fraumeni.

They include newer imaging techniques such as photoacoustics, where light is sent into the body, and reacts with the tumor to cause a sound which can be detected, and a similar technique using radio-frequency waves.

Stanford doctors performed the world's first prostate cancer imaging with photoacoustics in 2015.

In February 2015, Milan flew to Florida for a six week 'clinical trial of one' as he underwent an experimental stem cell transplant.

Gambhir also began research into the ashwaganda plant, known for its healing properties in India for hundreds of years.

After a year and a half of study, research found that a molecule in ashwaganda, known as Withaferin A, was an active ingredient with significant anti-brain-tumor effects.

But the research came too late for Milan who died just a few weeks after the discovery. While the family are still grieving for the tragic loss of their son, Gambhir and his lab are continuing to make strikes in cancer research and detection.

The lab is even preparing to test devices that could test for cancer as patients go about their daily lives, such as a 'smart bra' to continuously images breast tissue and a 'smart toilet' that looks for biomarkers of cancer in stool and urine.
The NHS will be powerless to carry out vital safety checks on European doctors if Theresa May opts for a 'soft Brexit', the medical regulator has warned.

The General Medical Council told MPs that if Britain stays in the EU single market, it will be unable to test properly the competence and skills of doctors from the Continent.

Brussels bans the safety checks saying they violate freedom of movement rules.

The GMC has said that if Britain opts for a soft Brexit by staying in the UK then it will be unable to test the competence and skills of doctors from the UK

The GMC said if the Prime Minister accedes to Remainers' demands to stay in the single market, it will still have to abide by the ban. It added that if the UK leaves the single market, the NHS will be free to 'enhance patient safety' with 'rigorous assessments of [doctors'] knowledge and clinical skills'.

Brexit supporters will use the GMC's argument to bolster their case that British patients can be kept safe only with a complete break from the EU.

GMC head Niall Dickson said some European doctors may struggle when they practise in the UK and that could put patients at risk

The regulator revealed it has drawn up tests for EU doctors which could be used if Britain does leave the single market.

'This will help to raise standards and provide greater assurance to the public about the competence of every doctor we register regardless of where they are from,' the GMC said in a submission to MPs. Anti-Brexit MPs are campaigning against what they call a hard Brexit, under which the UK would leave all aspects of the EU, including the single market and the customs union.

But the Leave side say this is the only way to keep control of our borders and immigration levels. Niall Dickson, head of the GMC, said: 'Some European doctors  because we haven't checked their competency  may struggle when they practise here and that could put patients at risk.'

In a submission to the Commons health committee, the GMC said it had no position on what Britain's relations with the EU should be.

U-TURN CITY BOSS: LONDON WILL STAY WORLD FINANCE HUB Change of heart: Mark Boleat A senior City figure who warned of London's decline if the UK left the EU now says he expects the country to stay the centre of the financial world. Mark Boleat, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, yesterday painted an upbeat picture of Britain and its capital following Brexit. He said: 'I have no doubt, whatever happens in 2017, the City of London will remain the world's leading financial centre  we cannot be complacent and must continue investing in infrastructure and education while working to secure the best possible business links with the EU and the world.' Last year the 67-year-old  who has run the Building Societies Association, the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Association of British Insurers  warned: 'Brexit would lead to considerable uncertainty, with a threat  [of] the City of London being smaller than it otherwise would have been.' Tory MP John Redwood said: 'It is a clear sign many people who had fears before the vote have looked at it again and realised many of the things they thought would go wrong have not.' Advertisement

But it pointed out that only by leaving the single market would it be able to test properly the language skills of EU doctors. Medics from elsewhere, including the US and Australia, must pass a three-hour written exam and half-day practical test if they want to work in the UK.

Theresa May is set to trigger Article 50 by the end of March

But freedom of movement rules mean the GMC cannot force EU citizens to undergo the same assessments. This is a 'significant weakness', the submission states.The regulator said: 'Leaving the EU could have a significant impact on the regulation, movement and education of doctors  Our long-standing position is that we would like to be able to check that doctors coming to practise here from Europe meet the same standards as those who qualify in the UK and outside Europe.'

The submission added: 'We have always argued the GMC should have the right to test the competence of European doctors  We believe the current European law which restricts us from doing so has created a weakness in the system.'

The GMC said that if the UK left the single market, it wants the Government to consider the 'opportunity to enhance patient safety and make the necessary amendments to our legal powers'. Work has begun on a testing scheme that could be introduced if the Government acts to repeal the relevant legislation.

'We are working on proposals for a Medical Licensing Assessment that could provide a cost-effective way to demonstrate that those applying for a licence to practise medicine meet a common standard for safe practice,' the document said.
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Todd Fisher was seen visiting a memorial park in Los Angeles on Thursday in his first outing since his mother Debbie Reynolds' devastating death.

A grieving Fisher confirmed to ABC News yesterday that his family is now planning a joint funeral for Reynolds and his sister Carrie Fisher, who died a day before their mother. However, no date or location has been confirmed yet for the dual service.

A member of the funeral party carried a red dress suit, the outfit Reynolds may be laid to rest in.

Fisher's 24-year-old daughter Billie Lourd was not present. Todd's wife Catherine Hickland was by his side.

Todd Fisher and his wife Catherine Hickland visited a memorial site in Westwood, California, on Thursday after the deaths of his sister Carrie and mother Debbie Reynolds

The 84-year-old died on Thursday a day after her 60-year-old daughter Carrie Fisher.

The latter's autopsy was put on hold by medical examiners in Los Angeles to allow the famous family to grieve Reynolds' shock death.

Todd, who is now Reynolds' only surviving child, also gave a touching tribute to the pair online on Thursday night.

He shared an artist's sketch of the duo, dressed in the costumes of their most iconic film roles, and told fans warmly how their love was 'everlasting'.

The party brought with them a bright red dress suit which may be what his mother will be laid to rest in

Reynolds is pictured in the suit in 2006 with Carrie Fisher (right). Todd (left looking at his phone) said his mother had left meticulous funeral instructions

Vanessa Rivers, who is Todd's stepdaughter from his second marriage to Christie Zabel, was present with her husband. She was seen chatting to Hickland as they made their way around the park

Todd, who said he has been left 'heartbroken' by the deaths of his sister and mother, earlier told of hopes for a joint funeral

The party huddled together as they were shown around the grounds a day after Reynolds' shocking death

The party was earlier seen leaving Todd's house in Beverly Hills. It was where his mother suffered a suspected stroke on Wednesday as they made plans for Carrie's funeral

'This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much,' he added.

Fisher, who was only 60 when she died on Tuesday, had not left any instructions for her family with regards to a funeral.

Her 84-year-old mother had however planned hers meticulously, Todd said, and intended to be buried in a large plot owned by the family.

Reynolds suffered a suspected stroke at Todd's Beverly Hills home while the pair were planning his sister's funeral.

She died in hospital hours later. Earlier, she told her son that she wanted to be 'with Carrie'.

He later told journalists that his sister's sudden and unexpected death was 'too much' for the 84-year-old.

Carrie suffered a heart attack on board a United Airlines flight from London to L.A.X on Christmas Eve.

She was rushed to hospital upon landing but never regained consciousness and died four days later.
Margaret Thatcher feared the fall of the Berlin Wall could lead to a return of the Nazis, newly released government papers show.

Concerns over how 'a cultured and cultivated nation had allowed itself to be brain-washed into barbarism' were raised during a meeting at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence, in March 1989, months before formal reunification of Germany. Some asked: 'If it happened once, could it not happen again?'

The national character of the German people was also discussed at the meeting, which was attended by Mrs Thatcher, historians and foreign minister Douglas Hurd.

Margaret Thatcher's misgivings over the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany ran so deep she even had to be cajoled by aides into issuing a congratulatory statement. Pictured, Mrs Thatcher with German chancellor Helmut Kohl in September 1986

The group noted Germans could be prone to angst, aggressiveness, assertiveness, bullying, egotism, inferiority complex [and] sentimentality', the Times reported.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 marked the end of the Cold War and paved the way for communist East Germany to be reunited with West Germany, ending the division that had been in place since the end of the Second World War.

But while the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe represented a triumph for the West, Mrs Thatcher feared a resurgent Germany would dominate the Continent.

Mrs Thatcher's misgivings over the reunification ran so deep she even had to be cajoled by aides into issuing a congratulatory statement.

At the Chequers meeting the prime minister expressed concerns over the country's relatively recent past under Nazi control, the Daily Telegraph reported.

An explosive memo on the Chequers meeting in March 1989 was prepared by Charles Powell, pictured with his wife, Mrs Thatcher's longstanding foreign adviser

Among those who attended was Charles Powell, Mrs Thatcher's longstanding foreign adviser. According to a minute by Mr Powell, which was released today by the National Archive at Kew, west London, questions including 'Have the Germans changed?' and 'Who are the Germans?' were considered.

According to the Daily Telegraph, he wrote that a range of views were discussed and some 'asked how a cultured and cultivated nation had allowed itself to be brain-washed into barbarism. If it had happened once, could it not happen again?

'Apprehension about Germany did not relate just to the Nazi period, but to the whole post-Bismarckian era, and inevitably caused deep distrust.'

He added there were 'no serious misgivings' about the then current political leaders but asked whether 'some of the unhappy characteristics of the past' could re-emerge in the future 'with just as destructive consequences?'

However the group ultimately decided that Britain should remain positive about its relationship with a united Germany.

Mr Powell also asked for the minute to remain confidential as 'it would be very embarrassing and gravely damaging to our interests if the contents of so frank a discussion of one of our closest allies were to become known,' The Times reported.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 marked the end of the Cold War and paved the way for communist East Germany to be reunited with West Germany, ending the division that had been in place since the end of the Second World War

The files, released today, also show how Mrs Thatcher had to be coaxed into making a positive statement when she appeared for a photocall with the West German ambassador Baron Hermann von Richthofen on eve of formal reunification in October 1990.

In a handwritten note, Mr Powell said: 'The key is to get in the words 'friend, ally and partner' (if you can bear it). Otherwise a message risks being judged negatively, which undermines the only purpose of the exercise.'

Meanwhile Mr Powell had also helped to ensure that a reunification ceremony planned by German chancellor Helmut Kohl was cancelled.

Aware it would not go ahead if US president George Bush was unable to attend, he telephoned the White House to say Mrs Thatcher would be quite happy if he stayed away.

'The prime minister wanted the president to know that October 3 would be very difficult for her and she would not at all mind if the president found that he could not attend,' Mr Powell noted.
A man accused of the 'degrading, violent' rape of a woman in a Brisbane alleyway more than five years ago was linked to the scene by DNA from a cigarette and the victim's underpants, a court has heard.

The 24-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Wednesday morning along with a 32-year-old man who was arrested in northern NSW.

The two, who are known to each another, allegedly forced the 20-year-old victim into an alleyway as she was walking along Manning Street, South Brisbane, late on the night of April 15, 2011.

Police released identikit sketches of the men as part of the original appeal for new information (police sketches)

Police launched a review of the case, with detectives from the sex crime unit joining the investigation.

CCTV footage, a video re-enactment and e-fits of the two suspects were released and two men were finally arrested.

The 24-year-old accused applied for bail in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, where prosecutor Sergeant Matt Kahler said the alleged rape was so severe the victim blacked out.

'This is a violent rape,' he told the court. 'A very, very violent rape.'

The victim was so badly injured she was unable to submit to a medical examination because of the pain and bruising, the court heard.

'It was degrading,' Sgt Kahler said. 'She was bleeding all over her legs, all over her arms.'

Police charged the two men for sexually assaulting a woman five years ago (pictured: reenactment)

Sgt Kahler also said the evidence against the man was strong. DNA evidence taken from a cigarette left at the scene and from the victim's underpants had linked the man to the area, he told the court.

Initial DNA evidence provided an unknown result and the defendant could not be pursued because he was in NSW, he added.

The court also heard the mobile phones of both defendants had placed them at the scene at the relevant time.

Sgt Kahler said the man was a flight risk because he had ties to NSW and also the potentially lengthy jail term if he were convicted.

Both defendants are charged with three counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of deprivation of liberty (pictured: reenactment)

The man's barrister, Cliff Crawford, proposed bail conditions including regular reporting to police and the surrender of the man's passport.

Mr Crawford also made an unsuccessful attempt to prohibit the publication of details heard in open court during the bail application.

'It's the nature of the information, [it] is fairly graphic,' he said.

The man was remanded in custody until January 30. Both defendants are charged with three counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of deprivation of liberty.

The case of the older man, who was extradited to Queensland on Thursday morning, was adjourned for a bail application on January 10.
Swimmers are being urged to take extra care in waters off Queensland amid warnings the deadly irukandji jellyfish is moving south this summer.

Four people have been hospitalised since Wednesday with suspected irukandji stings in the Hervey Bay area and the Fraser Island Coast, in Queensland.

A Brisbane woman, 39, who suffered stings around her neck and arm, was the first victim to be airlifted to Hervey Bay Hospital, The Morning Bulletin reported.

A French tourist, 23, and a 12-year-old girl swimming near Woralie Creek, on Fraser Island were also airlifted to the same hospital, while 23-year-old woman was rushed to hospital.

Recently data has revealed that the tiny, but deadly, irukandji jellyfish is moving further south along Australia's east coast

Three women and a 12-year-old girl have been rushed to Hervey Bay Hospital since Wednesday after they were stung by irukandji jellyfish (pictured inside a container) along the Hervey Bay and Fraser island coast area

All the victims are reportedly in a stable condition, the ABC reported.

The irukandji - the world's smallest and most venomous box jellyfish - is usually found in waters north of Mackay, about 700kilometres further north.

James Cook University Associate Professor Jamie Seymour said it was clear the species was following warming sea temperatures south.

'We've got good data now that shows quite nicely that irukandji has been spreading down the east coast of Australia, moving slowly but surely southwards,' he told ABC radio.

'It's only a matter of time before they get to the southern end of Fraser Island down to the Sunny Coast.'

Queensland Ambulance supervisor Martin Kelly said at least one of the cases off the Fraser Coast had been positively identified as an irukandji sting.

Usually found in waters north of Mackay, Queensland, James Cook University Associate Professor Jamie Seymour said the jellyfish is following warmer waters south

He said while it was enticing to swim in areas off the Queensland coast, it could also be quite dangerous.

'People can wear stinger suits but ... where you have a choice of not swimming in an environment where they (stingers) are you should do that or stay in the very shallow water,' he said.

'Prevention is far, far better than a cure.'

Irukandji jellyfish are typically difficult to see as they are only roughly a cubic centimetre in size.

Earlier this year Palm Cove beach in Queensland was closed after five people had been stung

Their stings can cause very high blood pressure or affect the heart, potentially resulting in death.

They can also cause severe muscular pain, anxious behaviour, headaches and vomiting.
Cr Ticehurst told NSW tribunal the dispute was illegally recorded and doctored

from council for five years under strict new three-strikes laws

A deputy mayor has been barred from holding office for five years under strict new laws after threatening the mayor and called her a 'b***h'.

Martin Ticehurst, an independent councillor on Lithgow Council in the NSW Blue Mountains, was laid off after unleashing a torrent of abuse to then mayor Maree Statham during a tense meeting in October 2014.

New three-strikes laws automatically disqualifying councillors from office have left Cr Ticehurst barred for half a decade, despite strongly denying the allegations, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

Martin Ticehurst has been barred from holding office for five years after threatening the mayor and called her a 'b***h'

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal discovered he called Cr Statham a 'b***h' and said 'I hope you choke on your sandwich'.

Cr Ticehurst sought an investigation of the row with the Independent Commission Against Corruption, claiming it was illegally recorded and doctored.

The tribunal rejected his version of events, citing his history with penalties and lack of remorse after the incident.

'Being respectful towards colleagues, but particularly, the presiding officer at meetings ... is important in ensuring that the local government system operates properly,' said NCAT Senior Member James Renwick, SC.

'Failing to apologise for such misconduct exacerbates the misbehaviour.'

In previous written submissions to the tribunal, Cr Ticehurst had suggested no penalty should apply for the heated exchange.
A woman who fired a gun at her neighbors has been arrested by police after a nine hour standoff that included the SWAT team being called to her San Diego apartment and her standing topless in front of her shattered window on Thursday.

Police were first called to 35-year-old Brittany Lefler's apartment on Beadnell Way around midnight after numerous neighbors complained about the noise coming from her home, CBS 8 reported.

Officers left her home once she quieted down, but around 5am, she was reportedly spotted walking around with a handgun as she allegedly threatened the neighbors who she believed called the police on her.

Brittany Lefler, 35, allegedly fired a gun at her neighbors before she ran back to her apartment and was in a nine hour standoff with authorities. At one point, Lefler stood in front of her window topless (above) as the situation continued to unfold

The situation started when police were first called to Lefler's apartment around midnight after neighbors made a noise complaint against her. She is pictured above surrendering to police

She quieted down, but around 5am, she was reportedly spotted walking around with a handgun as she allegedly threatened the neighbors who she believed called the police on her. She is pictured above surrendering to police

But around 2pm, Lefler finally came out of the apartment with her hands up and was placed in handcuffs by SWAT team members and police officers (above). She put a shirt on as well as a sweater

'She ran back into her apartment and our suspect fired at least one round through the door in the apartment,' Lt. Scott Wahl of the San Diego Police Department told CBS 8.

'It went through a couple walls and we think it lodged in a bathroom inside that apartment.'

He added that three people were inside the apartment, including a child, but no one was hurt.

When police officers arrived back to the scene, Lefler did not come out of her home and refused to do so.

During the standoff, authorities evacuated a nearby preschool, and closed Balboa in both directions from Cannington to Mount Abernathy due to Lefler still refusing to come out of the building. Above the scene is pictured

Lt. Wahl said: 'We were able to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution and nobody got hurt'. Above the scene is pictured

Her neighbors were evacuated from their homes, as police officers attempted to have her surrender.

A SWAT team was then called in around 8am to take position and prepare to enter her home if needed.

Lefler (above) was expected to be booked into the county jail on suspicion of several charges, including resisting arrest and assault with a firearm

During the standoff, authorities evacuated a nearby preschool, and closed Balboa in both directions from Cannington to Mount Abernathy due to Lefler still refusing to come out of the building.

Lefler stayed inside of her apartment for the next nine hours, as she did not follow directions from officers to exit unarmed so she could be arrested.

At one point, Lefler went to her window topless as the situation continued to unfold.

But around 2pm, she finally came out of the apartment with her hands up and was placed in handcuffs by SWAT team members.

'We were able to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution and nobody got hurt,' Lt. Wahl said.
A man who dived from a cliff into a waterhole at Tahmoor, south of Sydney, has died.

The 27-year-old Pakistani man was swimming with friends at Mermaid Pools when he dived into the water and signalled for assistance.

He was pulled unconscious from the water and emergency services were alerted to the incident, but he died at the scene.

A NSW Ambulance spokesman said the man had been winched up the cliff by emergencies after the dramatic accident.
Vladimir Putin will not be closing an American school in Moscow, Russian officials have said, countering an earlier report from CNN.

After President Obama announced a new round of sanctions against the Russian government on Thursday, CNN reported that Putin was closing an Anglo-American school in Moscow as retribution.

But the Kremlin denied the report on Friday, as Putin decided against diplomatic reprisals against the U.S.

The school described in the false report is a private English-language K-12 school in Moscow, attended mostly by the children of American, British, and Canadian diplomats. The children of wealthy Russian families also attend the school. In all, about 1,200 students are educated at the school, from 60 different countries.

Vladimir Putin (pictured on Wednesday) will NOT be closing an American school in Moscow, as previously reported by CNN

Right after Obama's speech, announcing the sanctions on Thursday, Putin's spokesman said the government was considering retaliatory steps.

But on Friday, Putin decided against the move - mocking Obama by inviting the children of U.S. diplomats to the Kremlin for a holiday party and saying he would wait to make a decision until Donald Trump takes office next month.

Putin's officials launched a tirade of abuse at Obama and his administration, calling them 'angry and shallow brained losers', while a senior member of the Russian parliament called the president a 'political corpse'.

It was previously reported that Putin's government would be closing the Anglo-American School of Moscow. The Kremlin said on Friday that the report was false

About 1,200 students from 60 different countries take classes at the school. Pictured is a visitor conducting a lesson in a classroom with students at the school

Obama imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's alleged hacking of American political sites and email accounts ahead of the November election.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday reiterated that Russia was not involved in the hacking.

Donald Trump responded to the sanctions, saying it is 'time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.'

President Obama's strongly-worded statement about sanctions against Russia is his most sweeping action against the Kremlin during his eight years in office

It echoes comments he has made publicly and on Twitter since both the CIA and FBI agreed Russia was involved in hacking during the election campaign.

But he added he'll meet with U.S. intelligence officials next week 'in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.'

Kellyanne Conway then questioned whether the sanctions are being put in place to make life difficult for her boss.

'I will tell you that even those who are sympathetic to President Obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to quote "box in" President-elect Trump,' Conway said on CNN.

'That would be very unfortunate if politics were the motivating factor here. We can't help but think that's often true.

'All we heard through the election was "Russia, Russia, Russia". Since the election, it's just this fever pitch of accusations and insinuations.'

However, despite Trump's comments, Obama has found allies within the Republican Party who celebrated his move.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell the sanctions 'a good initial step, however late in coming.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) talks to US President Barack Obama (R) during a meeting at the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, in September 2016

He then went on to accuse Obama of allowing Russia to 'expanded its sphere of influence', over the past eight years.

McConnell said, 'The Russians are not our friends' and is promising that Congress will review accusations that Moscow interfered in the U.S. election.

He added Congress will 'work to ensure that any attack against the United States is met with an overwhelming response.'

Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham also said sanctions against announced by the Obama administration are 'a small price' for Russia to pay for interfering with U.S. elections, adding they will lead efforts in Congress to impose stronger punishments.

McCain, of Arizona, and Graham, of South Carolina, called Russian cyberattacks on the 2016 election a 'brazen attack on American democracy' and say retaliation measures announced Thursday by Obama are long overdue.

Russian officials have denied the Obama administration's accusations that Putin's government was involved at the highest levels in trying to influence the U.S. presidential election.
A man who was sentenced to death in 1995 for raping and murdering the 14-year-old daughter of his girlfriend was granted a reprieve Thursday by Washington state Governor Jay Inslee.

Clark Elmore has never contested killing Kristy Ohnstad, whom he choked unconscious, stabbed in the head with a skewer and beat to death with a sledgehammer.

But Inslee, who has already stopped all executions in the state, granted the reprieve to Elmore Thursday, citing a 'lack of clear deterrent value, high frequency of sentence reversal on appeal, and rising cost,' The Bellingham Herald reported.

Reprieve: Washington governor Jay Inslee (left) has given a reprieve to Clark Elmore (right), who was sentenced to death in 1996 for raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl

Inslee announced a moratorium on executions in Washington state in 2014, saying that the punishment was being used inconsistently in different jurisdictions.

Elmore is the first of Washington's death row inmates to exhaust his appeals.

Elmore, of Bellingham, killed Kristy in a van south of the city in 1995 after she threatened to report him for abusing her as a child.

After she went missing, Elmore pretended he was grieving and helped organize a search party to find her.

When her body was found, Elmore fled before reconsidering and turning himself in to authorities. Elmore pleaded guilty as charged to aggravated first-degree murder.

At the penalty phase, a Whatcom County jury found no good cause to show leniency. He was sentenced to death May 3, 1996.

Moratorium: Inslee stopped all executions in 2014. Elmore (left, in 1996) is the first to exhaust all appeals. Inslee says the ban is based on high cost, many appeals and lack of deterrent value

Elmore has filed appeal after appeal since then, in hope of having his sentence overturned.

He has never disputed his guilt, but claimed his rights were violated during the trial because his attorney gave him bad advice and the jury saw him in shackles.

In October the US Supreme Court declined to hear his case, and weeks ago the US 9th Circuit Court denied a rehearing. An execution date was set for January 19.

The announcement that Elmore would not face the death penalty after all has shocked some, including Whatcom County Prosecutor Dave McEachran

'I am disappointed that after 21 years of appeals, in which the sentence of death has been upheld by the highest courts in the state and the United States, the governor has derailed the sentence,' he said in a statement.

But the governor's office says Inslee's moratorium is not about individual cases.

'As he stated when he announced the moratorium in 2014, the action is based on the governor's belief that the use of capital punishment across the state is inconsistent and unequally applied - sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred,' the statement from the governor's office said.

It added that Kristy's family had said they would prefer Elmore spend life in prison.

He remains at the state prison in Walla Walla, along with eight other death row inmates.
The father of a nine-year-old boy has had an extraordinary meeting with the driver accused of killing him, with the pair embracing at a church service.

Josiah Sisson was run over and killed as he admired the Christmas lights near his home in Springwood, south of Brisbane, on Christmas Day.

Adrian Murray, 24, is accused of killing Josiah and was allegedly drunk at the wheel that night.

Murray attended the church service the next day, where he and Josiah's father, Karl Sissons, shared an emotional hug.

The father of a nine-year-old boy has had an extraordinary meeting with the driver accused of killing him, with the pair embracing at a church service. Josiah Sisson's father Karl (facing away) and Adrian Murray are seen hugging

Murray and Josiah's father, Karl Sissons, shared an emotional hug at a church service

Josiah Sisson was run over and killed as he admired the Christmas lights near his home in Springwood, south of Brisbane, on Christmas Day

Mr Sisson was seen embracing Murray at the end of the service, with tears seen in Murray's eyes.

Peter Field, pastor of Potter's House Christian Church, told the Courier Mail, that Murray was at the church service with his friends and family when he spotted Mr Sisson.

'He collapsed into Karl's arms and [Mr Sissons] was brave enough and manly enough to catch him and treat him courteously,' Mr Field said.

'As you could imagine, it was a very emotional time for everyone there,' he added.

Murray has since been charged with dangerous driving causing death while affected by an intoxicating substance, and drink-driving. He is set to appear in court next year.

Josiah's parents, who have another young son, say they have forgiven Murray and want to 'move forward' with their lives.

The nine-year-old had been looking at Christmas lights when he was fatally struck by an out-of-control truck

Josiah was transported to hospital in critical condition before his family made the decision to turn off life support on Tuesday night

Earlier this week, Mr Field said: '[Josiah's family] want to say they believe in the power of forgiveness, as Christmas is about Jesus Christ being born and coming into the world to bring forgiveness.

'They are now processing this and they're moving forward. On behalf of the family they want to say thank you, in particular to the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital who have done an absolutely outstanding job since Christmas night when the boy was brought to the hospital.

'The service and the care they have given has been nothing short of sublime. The family now ask that their privacy be respected as they have to process the grief.

'They have another young son and they are all trying to come to terms with the loss of this young boy, as nobody would anticipate something like this could happen to you on Christmas.'

Police allege Murray was three-times over the limit when he careered off the road and hit Josiah before smashing through a hedge, collecting a water tank and crashing into a house

Murray has been charged with dangerous driving causing death while affected by an intoxicating substance, and drink-driving

Murray was seen leaving his home on Thursday wearing dark sunglasses and was believed to be on the way to a police station to be charged.

His friends are believed to have been among the mourners who left flowers at the scene of Josiah's death.

The nine-year-old had been looking at Christmas lights when he was fatally struck by an out-of-control truck.

Witnesses said Josiah's mother, who was standing nearby, broke down over his body in the street as neighbours rushed to perform CPR until paramedics arrived.

The boy was taken to hospital in critical condition, before his family made the decision to turn off life support on Tuesday evening.
The devastated family of 14-year-old Tu'ipulotu 'Tui' Gallaher has spoken out just hours after his lifeless body was pulled from the water at Maroubra Beach on Friday.

Tui's aunty Malia Niukapu Rudoi said the family was 'devastated' but glad to have closure now his body had been found.

'Our family is mourning the loss of our nephew. He was a sweet boy, so full of life and for him to be taken so young from his parents is devastating,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'We adored our nephew.'

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Tui Gallaher, 14, disappeared in rough surf at Maroubra beach in Sydney's east on Tuesday. On Friday, his devastated family spoke to Daily Mail Australia

A beachgoer alerted the police about a body in the water off Maroubra beach on Friday

Police confirmed on Friday morning that the search has now been called off, although the body has not yet been identified

Ms Rudoi also spoke about how much joy and pride Tui brought to her family.

'He was loved and when my sisters spoke of him it was always with such pride, you can feel he is loved,' she said.

Grief aside, Ms Rudoi said she was relieved her nephew's body had been found.

'We prayed that he wouldn't be lost at sea forever. We wanted to find him so we wouldn't spend the rest of our lives wondering where in the sea he is at,' she said.

'We are so thankful he is found so we can have closure.'

Ms Rudoi said she remembered the exact moment she discovered her nephew had been reported missing.

The mother of the teenage swimmer collapsed as the desperate search continued on Wednesday

Lifeguards rushed to her aid when she collapsed onto the sand after keeping a vigil there since Tuesday

'I looked at my phone and there was this post that said Tu'ipulotu was missing at sea. I immediately screamed out loud 'is this a joke? Tell me, who is playing this sick joke on us?' she said.

'But it wasn't a joke and we are heartbroken we have lost him.

'I pray mostly for his mother, father and siblings. We will always treasure the memories, that is all we have to remember him by.

'We miss and will love him always.'

Police reported a body had been found on the southern end of the beach just after 7.15am on Friday.

And although the body was yet to be formally identified, the search for the teenager was called off.

Surf life saving crews and police had been searching for the missing 14-year-old

Tui was swimming with his cousin at Maroubra Beach in Sydney's east about 8.30pm on Tuesday when the pair struggled with rough seas and had to be saved

Tui was swimming with his cousin at Maroubra Beach in Sydney's east about 8.30pm on Tuesday when the pair struggled with rough seas and had to be saved.

A 26-year-old man spotted one of the struggling teenagers and managed to help him to shore, but Tui disappeared in the rough surf.

Emergency services were called. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old swam back out to try and locate Tui, but was unsuccessful.

Matthew Evans from Surf Lifesaving NSW said the three to four foot swell and a number of rips was what was making the search difficult.

Mark Robson, 65, was at Maroubra Beach on Friday morning and witnessed the moment the body was discovered.

'I noticed a paddle boarder swim out. The next thing I know he's waving his arms to a mate of mine who was sitting 100m away,' Mr Robson told the Daily Telegraph.

He said it was about 7.30am when he saw the men attempting to lift the body onto the paddle board about 100 metres from the shoreline.

Tui's aunty Ms Rudoi said no date had been set for Tui's funeral as yet because they were waiting for his mother to let them know when she was ready.

But she said she the family wanted to thank the community for their help with search efforts and the support offered to her family during the past few days.
One of Los Angeles' top cops has filed for a restraining order against a Black Lives Matter activist who has allegedly been stalking him.

The Los Angeles Police Commission Matt M. Johnson alleged Trevor Gerard, a member of the protest group, followed him home and to his office in a complaint filed against the 35-year-old activist.

Johnson, who was appointed commission president in September 2015, went on to allege Gerard, 'mouthed violent threats to Johnson from the audience at board meetings and made threatening statements', according to LA Weekly.

Black Lives Matter activist Trevor Gerard (pictured) has had a restraining order taken out against him by Los Angeles Police Commission Matt M. Johnson

The magazine also said Johnson claimed Gerard made a 'a gratuitous reference' to top cop's children.

The restraining order was filed on December 19, the day after a Black Lives Matter protest was held outside Johnson's home in the leafy suburb of Sherman Oaks.

Two days prior, on December 17, the group managed to make their way inside the offices of a law firm, where Johnson is a managing partner.

Gerard hit back at the allegations, claiming Johnson is trying to spin them for his own political gain.

Johnson (pictured) alleged Trevor Gerard, a member of the protest group, followed him home and to his office in a complaint filed against the 35-year-old activist

Gerard hit back at the allegations, claiming Johnson is trying to spin them for his own political gain

'I never told him that he should be afraid of me. I never told him to meet me outside. I never threatened him with any kind of physical violence,' he told LA Weekly.

The 35-year-old then blasted the the police commission board, accusing it of contributing to many of the issues Black Lives Matter is protesting against.

'The people who sit on the commission board largely have acted as a rubber-stamp body for the extreme levels of violence that LAPD has been engaging in,' Gerard said.

'They have become too comfortable with the way that we're forced to engage them in that meeting space, which is in the LAPD headquarters itself.'
A controversial Trump ally has been told to resign his school board job a week after shocking comments about Barack and Michelle Obama.

Carl Paladino said he wished the president would die of mad cow disease while the first lady should 'return to being a male' in the 'Zimbabwean outback' in an extraordinary outburst.

He made the remarks in an email response to interview questions from the magazine Artvoice but later claimed he never intended to hit the send button.

Paladino has now been told to resign his seat on the Buffalo School Board, according to NBC.

Trump ally Carl Paladino (above with the president elect in April, 2014) has been told to step down from his school board position for controversial remarks he made about the Obamas

He previously said he had no intention of stepping down despite public backlash for the comments.

Other board members voted 6-2 to have him ousted. He was not present at the meeting on Thursday and now has 24 hours to give up his post before the issue is turned over to the Department of Education.

Paladino said he wanted Barack Obama to die from mad cow disease and hoped the First Lady would 'return to being a male'

Paladino was asked by the magazine for his political hopes for 2017 when he composed the detailed remarks about the Obamas.

'Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Herford.

'He dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to Valerie Jarret, who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a Jihady cell mate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her.

'Michelle Obama. Id like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.'

He confirmed to The Buffalo News the comments were his own, telling the newspaper: 'Of course I did. Tell them all to go f*** themselves.'

Later, the businessman said he did not intend to return them to the magazine but claimed they were intended for friends.

'Not that it makes any difference because what I wrote was inappropriate under any circumstance. I filled out the survey to send to a couple friends and forwarded it to them not realizing that I didn't hit "forward" I hit "reply." All men make mistakes.,' he said.

Paladino enjoyed a private meeting with Donald Trump at Trump Tower earlier this month.

Despite later describing the encounter as 'very warm', he said he did not anticipate a role in the new administration.

Paladino has 24 hours to resign from his position on the school board before the Department of Education is brought in

Paladino was seen visiting Trump Tower earlier this month before he made the comments. He is not expecting a role in the new administration

Paladino is CEO and founder of the Ellicott Development Company, a real estate firm in Buffalo.

He ran unsuccessfully for governor of New York in 2010 against Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

Paladino drew outrage during that election season when he said he did not want children 'brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option. 'It isn't.'

He also said Gay Pride marches were 'not the example we should be showing our children.'

He made those comments at a Brooklyn synagogue.

Paladino also came under fire in July when he opined on Twitter that U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch should be lynched. He later deleted that tweet and said it was a mistake.
A man jailed after leaving bacon sandwiches outside a mosque has been found dead in his cell.

Kevin Crehan, 35, was halfway through a one-year prison sentence he received in July after admitting the racially-motivated attack on the Jamia Mosque in Bristol earlier this year.

He was accompanied by Alison Bennett, 46, and Mark Bennett, 48, and Angelina Swales, 31, who also pleaded guilty over the incident.

Kevin Crehan, 35, pictured, was found dead in his cell at HMP Bristol on Tuesday

Crehan and three accomplices all admitted a racially-aggravated attack on a mosque in Bristol in which they tied bacon to door handles and left bacon sandwiches outside, pictured

A St George flag with the words 'no mosques' was also tied to the fence outside the building in Totterdown, Bristol, and shouted racial abuse at a worshipper.

Bacon was tied to the door handles and sandwiches made of raw meat and sliced white bread were left at the entrance, in what was described in court by the judge as an 'an attack on England'.

The prison service confirmed Crehan was found dead in his cell at HMP Bristol on Tuesday, December 27.

A spokesman told the Sun: 'HMP Bristol prisoner Kevin Crehan died in custody on Tuesday 27 December.

The gang also tied a St George flag to a nearby fence with the words 'no mosques' written on it, pictured

The incident occurred at Jamia Mosque in Totterdown, Bristol, pictured, and all four of the gang were banned from going near a mosque for 10 years

'As with all deaths in custody, the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.'

Crehan was jailed for a year while Bennett was given a nine-month sentence.

Bennett was given a six-month sentence and Swales was given a four-month sentence - both suspended for two years.
A baby boy has tragically died after he was struck by a reversing car being driven by his mum.

The seventh-month-old infant was lying in his pram when he was hit by a reversing vehicle on St Paul's Drive in Woodridge in Queensland's south-east.

The baby boy was taken to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in a serious condition on Friday afternoon but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

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A baby boy has died after he was struck by a reversing car being driven by his mother

The baby boy struck by the car as he was lying in his pram (pictured here underneath the four-wheel-drive)

Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia that they are not treating the incident as suspicious, but rather a 'tragic accident'.

His mother was not physically injured in the crash.

The fatal accident occurred outside St Paul's Catholic Primary School and church.

Senior Sergeant Tony Jackson told the ABC that the Brisbane woman was leaving a funeral at the church when she backed over the pram.

'The woman is being cared for by police and is assisting them with their investigation,' he said.

'It's a timely reminder to parents if they have children that are in prams or walking around vehicles [to] ensure that they know exactly where they are.'

Forensic Crash Unit investigations are continuing.

Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia that they are not treating the incident as suspicious, but rather a 'tragic accident'

Senior Sergeant Tony Jackson said the Brisbane mother was leaving a funeral at the church when she backed over the pram
The Coast Guard has launched a major search for a plane that disappeared over Lake Erie while heading to Ohio State University.

The Cessna Citation 525 took off from a small Ohio airport on the shores of the lake shortly before 11pm last night.

It left Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland with those on board reportedly having attended the Cleveland Cavaliers home game against Boston before heading to return the school.

The Coast Guard has launched a major search for a plane that disappeared over Lake Erie while heading to Ohio State University

A rescue boat on the look out on Lake Erie. It is understood that six people were on board the aircraft and that three of them were children

However, according to Coast Guard officials the airport's air traffic control lost connection with the plane, and it has been missing ever since.

It is understood that six people were on board the aircraft and that three of them were children, however they are not thought to be affiliated with OSU.

The Federal Aviation Administration say the plane was not visible to them on any FAA radar.

Now an aircraft from Detroit is already searching over the lake for any signs of the missing plane.

Also searching is a helicopter and a cutter, which is a Coast Guard vessel that can sail through ice.

The aircraft left Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland with those on board reportedly having attended the Cleveland Cavaliers home game against Boston

A second rescue aircraft is also headed to the scene to assist with the search from Canada.

However, there have been no sign of debris on the shores of the lake overnight and no emergency beacon has been detected either.

However, weather conditions are hampering the search and making conditions difficult.
A Pakistani girl of 13 has been married off to a 36-year-old disabled groom so her father can take the man's sister as a second wife, it has emerged.

Wazir Ahmed, of Jampur, Pakistan, arranged his daughter Saima's marriage to Mohammad Ramzan, in the hope Ramzan's sister would provide him with a son.

Ramzan, who cannot hear or speak, and Ahmed were jailed for 'a few days' after police investigated the deal.

But Saima testified in court that she was 16 and they were released. She says she told the authorities she was 16 to protect her father and husband.

A Pakistani girl of 13 (left) has been married off to a 36-year-old disabled groom (right) so her father can take the man's sister as a second wife, it has emerged

Wazir Ahmed, of Jampur, Pakistan, arranged his daughter Saima's (pictured) marriage to Mohammad Ramzan, in the hope Ramzan's sister would then provide him with a son

In an interview with the Associated Press, Ramzan had to use his fingers to count out her age when they married.

Ahmed, said she was 14, not 13, but her age was beside the point. It mattered only that she had reached puberty when he arranged her marriage as an exchange: his daughter for Ramzan's sister, whom he wanted to take as a second wife.

His first wife, Saima's mother, had given him only daughters, and he hoped his second wife would give him a son.

But Sabeel wouldn't marry him until her brother had a wife to care for him. She would be a bride in exchange for a bride.

'We gave a girl in this family for a girl in their family,' Ahmed said. 'That is our right.'

In deeply conservative regions such as this one in the south of Punjab province, the tribal practice of exchanging girls between families is so entrenched, it even has its own name in Urdu: Watta Satta, which means give and take.

A girl may be given away to pay a debt or settle a dispute between feuding families. She might be married to a cousin to keep her dowry in the family or, as in this case, married for the prospect of a male heir.

Wazir Ahmed (centre), stands with his two wives Sabeel (right) and Jannat (left) in Jampur, Pakistan. He married off his underaged daughter in exchange for a second wife

Many believe that their Islamic religion instructs fathers to marry off their daughters at puberty.

'If it is not done, our society thinks parents have not fulfilled their religious obligation,' says Faisal Tangwani, regional coordinator for the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in nearby Multan.

Ahmed sees the hand of God in his daughter's marriage to a disabled man.

'It was by God's will that he was chosen,' he says. 'It was her fate.'

Ahmed sits inside the mud-walled compound where he lives now with his two wives. Outside, stray dogs roam in packs of three and four. They bite, Ahmed warns.

He says that the fact that Ramzan is nearly three times his daughter's age is irrelevant.

But the legal marrying age here is 16, and in a rare move, police did investigate Saima's marriage after they received a complaint, possibly from a relative involved in a dispute with her father.

Ramzan (right), who cannot hear or speak, and Ahmed were jailed for 'a few days' after police investigated the deal, only for Saima (left) to testify that she was 16

In Saima's world of crushing poverty, where centuries-old tribal traditions mix with religious beliefs, a crippling cycle traps even the perpetrators with a life's burden: a father who longs for a son to help support his family; a wife who must provide that son; a daughter who must become a mother even when she is still a child.

Saima's mother, Janaat, agrees with marrying off her daughters early. She says girls are a headache after they reach puberty. They can't be left at home alone for fear of unwanted sexual activity  or worse, the daughter leaves home with a boy of her choice.

'That would be a shame for us. We would have no honor. No. When they reach puberty quickly, we have to marry them,' she says. 'Daughters are a burden, but the sons, they are the owners of the house.'

She says she accepted her husband's marriage to another woman; after all, it's her fault he only has daughters.

'I feel shame that I don't have a son. I myself allowed my husband to get a second wife,' she says.

Her husband's new wife, Sabeel, says she agreed to marry Ahmed because of her brother. She wanted him to have a wife.

Ahmed's first wife, Saima's mother, had given him only daughters, and he hoped his second wife would give him a son

'No one had been willing to give their daughters to my brother,' she says.

Ramzan is quick to extend his hand to guests who enter through the torn and tattered curtain that hangs over the front door to his compound, tucked away in a narrow alley lined with open sewers.

Ramzan's elderly parents live with him. His father rarely leaves his bed, saying he has trouble walking.

His mother begs from morning until night, sometimes knocking on doors, other times parking herself in the middle of a dusty road, her hand outstretched for donations.

Like Ramzan, she can neither hear nor speak. Both her hips and one knee have been broken. She gestures as if breaking a twig to explain her troubled knee.

Ramzan looks at Saima, her hair hidden beneath a sweeping shawl, her large brown eyes downcast.

'I didn't want to marry her so young. I said at the time, 'She is too young,' but everyone said I must,' he says through a series of gestures interpreted by those around him. He held his hand up just below his chest, showing how tall she was when they married.

Saima doesn't talk much. Her answers are short, and matter-of-fact.

'His sister and my father fell in love and they exchanged me,' Saima says.

'Yes, I am afraid of my father, but it is his decision who I will marry and when.'

Ramzan's elderly parents live with him. His father rarely leaves his bed, saying he has trouble walking

She picks at the rope bed where she sits with Ramzan. Her husband often reaches to touch the top of her head.

He gestures that he is afraid Saima will leave him one day, and says that God will be unhappy if she does. Saima had gotten pregnant soon after she came to live with Ramzan but lost the child at five months. Ramzan gestures that he wants Saima to take some medicine to help her get pregnant again.

Saima rarely looks in his direction but says she has no quarrel with him, nor does she plan to leave.

Saima says she understands her husband's gestures, but it's hard to know. Most of the translations are done by his 12-year-old niece, Haseena, Sabeel's daughter from the previous marriage.

Haseena was 10 when Saima married her uncle Ramzan and her mother left to live with the new bride's father.

Haseena stayed in the house with her uncle and her elderly grandparents to cook, clean and keep Saima company. She even prepared Saima's wedding dinner.

'When Saima married my uncle, my mother told me to leave school and be with Saima because she will be all alone at home,' Haseena says.

Haseena recalls that Saima seemed so young, the family felt sorry for her.

'At her age, she should have been playing.'
A Michigan man sat on his five-year-old stepdaughter's chest and stabbed her to death before setting her on fire because she kept asking him for food, a court heard Thursday.

Thomas McClellan, 25, of Holt, 'snapped' on Novemeber 1 when Luna Michelle Younger refused to leave his room until he gave her food, Detective Chuck Buckland said in a preliminary hearing in the 55th District Court in Mason.

McClellan is then alleged to have covered her body with sheets, poured vodka on it, and set it ablaze in the bedroom.

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Accused: Thomas McClellan (left), 25, is accused of murdering his stepdaughter. Luna Younger (right) was stabbed at least five times in the chest and her body set on fire on November 1

Video courtesy of WILX:

Luna was stabbed at least five times, a medical examiner said, and died of the wounds. She sustained burn wounds after her death from the fire.

As the flames spread through the ground-floor apartment, the Delhi Township fire department were called in to extinguish the blaze.

Firefighter Corey Drolett said he thought Luna might be hiding from the fire at first, and search a closet and under the bed before finding her under the smoldering blankets.

Drolett passed her body through a window to his colleagues outside. Commanding officer Jeffrey Young told another firefighter to 'very lightly' perform CPR on the girl's body.

Young said he knew that the child was dead, but because her mom, Victoria McClellan, was there, he wanted to show 'some effort' from the crew.

Victoria, who is married to Thomas McClellan, said she was at work when her daughter was killed, and that she had argued with him prior to going to work.

She later convinced McClellan, who has no criminal history, to turn himself in to police.

McClellan is a graduate of Everett High School and worked at a restaurant in Lansing, WDTN reported.

He has been bound over on charges of murder, first-degree child abuse and first-degree arson.

If convicted he faces up to life in prison.
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Tragedy has rocked the Lost Paradise music festival after a falling tree branch struck and killed a woman as she helped set up for the mind-body-soul event.

The festival, on NSW's Central Coast, is in its fifth year and has become famous for its relaxing 'mind-body-soul' theme and hippy dress-code.

Oblivious revellers in outrageous costumes took to social media to share smiling selfies, unaware that rescue teams were battling to save the life of a 21-year-old Canberra woman.

The woman had been working for the three-day music festival, in Glenworth Valley, when she sat under a gum tree and a falling branch hit her in the head just before 4pm on Wednesday.

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A falling tree branch struck and killed a woman, 21, as she helped set up for the Lost Paradise music festival

As festival goers descend on the Glenworth Valley camp ground, little do they know the devastating incident that occurred just a day before the event began

Revellers in outrageous costumes took to social media to share smiling selfies, unaware that rescue teams were battling to save the life of a 21-year-old Canberra woman

Festival goers dress to impress as they enjoy the mind-body-soul festival

What's the weather like up there? Revellers dress to impress as Lost Paradise organisers warn of the scorching hot temperatures

It's not just about the music: Lost Paradise is a chance for many to express their eccentric styles as they ring in the new year

The 21-year-old Canberra woman was working for the three-day music festival

Getting around the festival in style: One Lost Paradise attendee makes his way around the Glenworth Valley site on two wheels

Glamping is also on offer at Lost Paradise for the more discerning music lover

Following the accident, The young woman went into cardiac arrest and was treated by paramedics before she was airlifted from the festival grounds.

She was taken to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition with severe head, spinal and shoulder injuries.

She succumbed to her devastating injuries on Thursday.

A crime scene has been established at the festival by Brisbane Water Local Area Command Officers, inspectors from Safe Work Australia also attended the site.

Investigations are ongoing and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Scorching summer temperatures are forecast to hit their peak in the low 40C range during the three day event, and Lost Paradise orgainsers have urged festival goers to stay hydrated.

'We cannot stress this enough,' they posted on Facebook.

'Please bring copious amounts of water, a bottle to refill water with, plenty of sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, water spray bottles and protective clothing.'

While minimal clothing was a popular choice for many to keep themselves cool, others also splashed about in a river on the festival grounds in an attempt to stave off the heatstroke.

Festival goers find a revealing way to keep cool in the scorching summer temperatures at the Lost Paradise festival

Taking a break: One festival goer takes a moment to relax out of the heat of the sun on the second day of Lost Paradise

From magical to practical: Some Lost Paradise attendees kept it casual in shorts and shirts, while others glammed up in capes and face paint

The devastating accident involving the Canberra woman, 21, occurred on Wednesday, a day before the festival opened to attendees

High summer temperatures are forecast to hit their peak in the low 40C range during the three day event, and Lost Paradise orgainsers have urged festival goers to stay hydrated

Lost Paradise orgainsers have urged festival goers to stay hydrated as temperatures skyrocket during the three day event

Two men take to the water as the the mercury rose on Friday, the second day of the event

ONe festival goer just hanging around between at the 'mind-body-soul' music festival

Trees line the waterways at Lost Paradise, where an unnamed 21-year-old woman sustained fatal injuries when a branch fell on her

A tightrope walker holds on tightly to avoid falling into the water underneath him

Minimal clothing is a popular choice for many to keep themselves cool as the mercury rises in Glenworth Valley

One festival goers relaxes in the shade

'Please bring copious amounts of water, a bottle to refill water with, plenty of sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, water spray bottles and protective clothing,' Lost Paradise organisers advise

Lost Paradise is a festival known for its focus on music, arts and yoga

Getting back to nature: Two people dress up as the famous Australian cockatoo

Are they boasting about how big the fish they caught were? Two suited and booted ravers pose at Lost Paradise

The young woman went into cardiac arrest and was treated by paramedics before he was airlifted from the festival grounds

Investigations into the death of the 21-year-old are ongoing and a report will be prepared for the Coroner

Not hard to spot in a crowd: One music lover covers herself in glitter to enjoy the musical entertainment

A fairground of fun: THese woman soak up the sun and the Lost Paradise atmosphere in front of a circus tent
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The number of tigers in the world has increased for the first time since efforts to conserve their numbers began, according to the WWF. Pictured is a Sumatran tiger

While some are mourning 2016 as a year of political shocks and celebrity deaths, conservationists say it has seen some 'landmark' environmental successes.

Environmental campaigners warn global wildlife populations could have declined by two thirds on 1970 levels by the end of the decade, but said 2016 shows that people can make a difference.

Some of the world's most charismatic species have seen an upturn in their fortunes, with tiger numbers increasing for the first time since efforts to conserve them began and giant pandas moved off the 'endangered' list, wildlife charity WWF said.

Nepal has achieved two years in a row with no rhino poaching, while trade in the world's most trafficked mammal, the pangolin or scaly anteater, has been made illegal by countries meeting to discuss international wildlife trade.

This year saw the UK commit an extra 13 million to tackling the illegal wildlife trade and, elsewhere in the environmental arena, ratify the Paris Agreement, the world's first comprehensive deal by countries to tackle climate change.

In August, Scotland produced enough renewable energy on one day to power the entire country, with wind turbines generating 106 per cent of Scottish demand for electricity.

In other parts of the world, Belize suspended seismic surveying for offshore oil exploration along the longest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, the world's largest marine protected area in Antarctica got the go-ahead and Spanish national park Donana was saved from destructive dredging.

Glyn Davies, acting chief executive of WWF-UK, said: 'The world faces a challenge in keeping its beautiful places and special species.

'Global wildlife populations are likely to decline by 67 per cent from 1970 levels by the end of this decade.

'Without greater efforts, we will face a global mass extinction of wildlife for the first time since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

'The good news is that we know we can make a difference. 2016 has celebrated many landmark successes which will bolster global efforts to protect the natural world.

'Some great victories have been won, but there is still an uphill battle ahead. WWF looks to 2017 as a year where actions will need to speak louder than words.

While numbers of African rhinos, pictured, are still under threat due to poaching, Nepal has marked two years as a poaching-free zone

Giant pandas, pictured, have been downgraded from 'endangered' to 'vulnerable' according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature

'We need to see real progress in tackling illegal wildlife trade, climate change and habitat destruction and degradation.'

Some key conservation and environmental successes this year, highlighted by WWF, include:

While Africa struggles with high levels of rhino poaching for their horns, Nepal marked two years in May since its last rhino was poached in 2014, with zero poaching helping to increase the population of one-horned rhinos to a new high of 645.

On August 7, Scotland produced 106 per cent of the country's electricity needs for the day, with wind turbines providing 39,545 megawatt hours (MWh) to the grid during the day while total consumption for homes, business and industry was 37,202 MWh.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said the giant panda was being downgraded from being classified as 'endangered' to the less serious category of 'vulnerable' to extinction as a result of a 17 per cent increase in population numbers, following conservation work.

At a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), countries agreed to end all legal trade in pangolins, traded for their meat and scales for food and medicine, to save the species from extinction.

The longest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere won a reprieve from seismic surveying , after officials in Belize agreed to suspend the seismic portion of offshore oil exploration, which would have taken place close to the reef World Heritage site.

The UK was among 24 countries and the EU that signed an agreement to protect 1.55 million square kilometres (600,000 square miles) of the Ross Sea in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica, from damaging activities such as fishing to conserve wildlife.

The UK ratified the world's first comprehensive treaty on climate change, the Paris Agreement, which came into force in November, and commits countries to keeping global temperature rises to 'well below' 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to curb rises to 1.5C.

At a conference on the illegal wildlife trade in Hanoi, Vietnam, in November, the UK pledged an additional 13 million to tackling the problem, which has helped drive a drop in global wildlife populations of 58 per cent since 1970.

The Spanish government announced in December it would ban dredging of the Guadalquivir River, which - if it had gone ahead - could have seen the Donana wetlands become the EU's first natural World Heritage Site to be put on the danger list.

The world's most trafficked mammal, the pangolin or scaly anteater, pictured, has been made illegal to move by countries meeting to discuss international wildlife trade
Ambushes in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and other shootings around the country have led to a sharp increase in the number of police officers killed in the line of duty this year.

From January 1 through to Wednesday, December 28, 135 officers lost their lives.

Some died in traffic accidents, but nearly half were shot to death.

The figures represent a 56 percent increase in shooting deaths over the previous year.

Of the 64 who were fatally shot, 21 were killed in ambush attacks often fueled by anger over police use of force involving minorities.

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Tthe funeral procession for slain Baton Rouge police Corporal Montrell Jackson leaves the Living Faith Christian Center in Baton Rouge on July 25

'We've never seen a year in my memory when we've had an increase of this magnitude in officer shooting deaths,' said Craig Floyd, president and chief executive of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

'These officers were killed simply because of the uniform they wear and the job they do. This is unacceptable to the humane society that we are.'

Five red roses on the bronze medallion with another bouquet of flowers and a note in support of the Dallas Police Department are seen at The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington

In Dallas on July 7 a sniper attacked at the end of what had been a peaceful rally against police brutality. He killed five law enforcement officers and wounded nine others  the largest death toll among law enforcement from a single event since the 9/11 attacks, which killed 72 officers.

Months later, Dallas businesses and residents still display blue ribbons and banners declaring, 'We support our Dallas police officers.'

But even amid community support, the police department remains unsettled.

Hundreds of officers have retired or left the force over the past six months as the city struggles to find a way to increase pay and save a failing police and fire pension system.

Police officers Matthew Gerald, left, and Montrell Jackson, right, were killed by Gavin Eugene Long, the suspect who shot three police officers dead in Baton Rouge

Former Chief David Brown, who became a national figure in the aftermath, was among those who opted to retire.

And interim Dallas Police Association president Frederick Frazier said that morale is 'almost nonexistent.'

'A lot of us are going through the motions at work. We're hoping things will get better with our struggle,' he said.

The number of officers being killed in the line of duty has risin in recent years. The number of deaths has fluctuated over the the past two decades, with a spike in 2001 due to the September 11 terror attacks

Frazier added that the attack was a 'game changer. It changed the perception of law enforcement. It reversed the role after Ferguson. We were the pursuer and now, we're being pursued.'

Less than two weeks after the Dallas attack, a lone gunman in Baton Rouge shot and killed three officers and wounded three others outside a convenience store in the weeks after a black man, 37-year-old Alton Sterling, was shot and killed by police during a struggle.

Baton Rouge Police Cpl. Lester Mitchell was partners with Matthew Gerald, one of the three slain officers, and was among the officers who raced to the scene of the shooting that also killed sheriff's deputy Brad Garafola and officer Montrell Jackson.

Mitchell has daily reminders of the deadly shootout, driving past the scene on his way to police headquarters.

'Just passing there, you can't help but replay it over and over again,' he said.

Mitchell said the shooting has made him more alert and aware of potential dangers on patrol, sometimes in situations that wouldn't have alarmed him before, like a hand in a pocket.

The badge of Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer Evan Moses is shown with a black band over it, in Dallas on July 11

'You learn to cope with it, because if you don't, you can drive yourself crazy,' he said.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's Floyd said the impact of this year has been profound on law enforcement.

Agencies are struggling to recruit officers to their ranks and those who continue to serve 'talk about how their head is now on a swivel.'

'They're always looking over their shoulder, always worrying about the next attack that could come at any time from any direction,' Floyd said.

That was underscored by the slaying in November of a San Antonio detective who was fatally shot and killed outside police headquarters as he was writing a traffic ticket.
A heavily-tattooed gang leader is the latest to wage a war on drugs in New Zealand, haunted by the death of a young girl at the hands of her drug-affected stepfather.

Junior Kapene, the president of notorious group Black Power, is scarred by the death of Coral-Ellen Burrows who was bashed to death by Steven Williams in 2003.

Having been threatened by Kapene days earlier, a scared Williams spent a series of days high on methamphetamine and without sleep in fear of attack when he killed the six-year-old girl.

Now thirteen years on, Kapene is vowing to stamp out the drug commonly known as 'P' from across New Zealand and is being joined in his crusade by a church minister, stuff.co.nz reports.

Junior Kapene (left), the president of notorious group Black Power, and Brendon Warne (right), the leader of the Anti P Ministry, are combining to wage a war on methamphetamine across New Zealand

Kapene (pictured) said he is still haunted by the death of a young girl at the hands of her drug-affected stepfather in 2003

'I still blame myself to this day for that girl's death,' Kapene said.

'The drug was causing people to go to their deaths and I knew I was to blame for Steven Williams.

'That is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life, knowing that her mother thinks that of me.'

Williams was sentenced to 15 years jail for the murder of the young girl.

Teaming up with the 'Anti P Ministry' run by church minister Brendon Warne, the gang leader hopes to teach school children about the dangers of the drug.

But if that fails, he promises he isn't afraid to use confrontational tactics.

'You (can) come to my door and complain about the Ministry,' Kapene said.

Coral-Ellen Burrows who was bashed to death by Steven Williams in 2003, who had spent a number of days high on methamphetamine in fear he was going to be murdered by Kapene. The casket bearing the six-year-old girl's body is carried by her father Ron Burrows (left)

Jeanna Cremen, the mother of the murdered six-year-old girl, is pictured at her funeral (right) while her father Ron Burrows is pictured outside court (right) in 2003 after his daughter's killer was sentenced to 15 years in jail

Warne and Kapene are now vowing to rid every corner of New Zealand of the drug commonly known as 'P'

'(But) I'll tell you to leave once. I'll tell you to leave twice. Then I'll pull the gun out. Give you a warning shot. You still won't leave? It's in your leg.'

The pair's stand against meth follows on from an ultimatum delivered by Tribal Huk gang leader Jamie Pink.

In October, the gang leader from Ngaruawahiam south of Auckland, gave drug dealers 24 hours to leave his hometown before Tribal Huk would take action.

His strong stand left him facing weapon possession charges in court and reportedly led to him losing one eye following a confrontation.

Having seen the stance taken by Pink and his gang, Kapene also vowed Black Power would never deal the drug.

The aggressive sentiments are echoed by Warne and the Anti P Ministry.

Brandishing a glock pistol, the minister describes his group as being 'dedicated to the destruction of P the only way they know how... by fire'.

'I tell people Jesus loves you, but I don't,' Warne said.

Warne and Kapene have followed in the footsteps of Tribal Huk gang leader Jamie Pink (pictured) who in October gave drug dealers 24 hours to leave his hometown

Raiding the homes of drug dealers, the Anti P Ministry often burns drugs or replaces bags with other less harmful substances such as sulfur, while Kapene threatens dealers with guns

'I'll tell you to leave once. I'll tell you to leave twice. Then I'll pull the gun out. Give you a warning shot. You still won't leave? It's in your leg,' Kapene said

A reformed former gang member himself, Warne has collected a band of men with colourful backgrounds to help him take a stand against the drug.

Raiding the homes of drug dealers, the Anti P Ministry often burns drugs or replaces bags with other less harmful substances such as sulfur.

Warne says he's made plenty of people 'angry', but has vowed that until the drug is gone from every corner of New Zealand he won't rest - no matter what happens.

'They say people are going to come down and shoot me, but so far they're all talk,' Warne said.

'What are they going to do?'
Trent Bennett resigned from his science teaching post after writing a series of Facebook comments about the Obamas

A teacher has resigned from his position at a high school after he wrote a series of racist Facebook posts mocking the Obamas.

Trent Bennett resigned from his science teaching post at Malvern High School in Arkansas after he wrote racist comments about Barack and Michelle Obama on KTHV-TV's Facebook page on December 24.

Bennett referred to the first lady, a Harvard Law School graduate, as 'Michelle Obummer... America's First Chimp', and said he was glad to see 'that nasty chimp and her spider monkey hubby gone for good.'

He also repeatedly reiterated fake claims that President Obama, who was born in Hawaii, was 'from Kenya.'

Bennett tended his resignation acknowledging that the posts were 'disrespectful and offensive.'

Malvern School District responded to the comments on Malvern High's Facebook page.

Trent Bennett was previously employed at Malvern High School in Arkansas

Trent Bennett referred to the first lady as 'Michelle Obummer... America's First Chimp' in comments made from his personal Facebook account

A post said the District 'became aware of what appears to be a social media post by a district employee on his personal account that was inappropriate, insensitive, and used racially charged rhetoric. In no way are these posts reflective of the District.'

A special board meeting was held on Thursday, in which board members voted 6-0 too accept Bennett's immediate resignation.

Bennett told KTHV-TV in a statement that he had also deleted his social media accounts.

He said: 'I would like to issue and apology for the outrage and hurt feelings caused by these comments. I acknowledge that they were direspectful and offensive.

'I am aware of the impact this has had and although I negate that I have ever conducted myself in a less than professional manner in regard to my students, I have resigned by teaching position at Malvern High School.'

Malvern High lies about 40 miles south-west of Little Rock.

Bennett said he was glad to see 'that nasty chimp and her spider monkey hubby gone for good'
Police confirmed that Richard Peralta, pictured gunned down wife Katherine at the University of Utah yesterday afternoon

A husband has shot dead his wife in a university parking lot before turning the gun on himself in a suspected murder-suicide.

Richard Peralta, 25, gunned down wife Katherine Peralta, who worked as a researcher, outside the ARUP Laboratories at the University of Utah yesterday afternoon.

Officers were called to the scene, where they discovered 23-year-old Mrs Peralta's body and her husband, who had shot himself.

He was rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds but he later died.

Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy confirmed the incident was over before his officers arrived and now an investigation is underway.

He told KSL.com: 'It appears there was a domestic situation and this was where he came to confront his wife and it ended up in a tragedy.

'It appears there was a short confrontation and then it ended in gunfire.'

The police chief added it was unclear if there had been a history of domestic violence between the couple, who also had a young son together. It is believed that Mr Peralta served in the US Navy.

Police and forensic officers are now combing the murder scene and interviewing witnesses who were in the area at the time of the shooting.

Police and forensic officers are now combing the murder scene and interviewing witnesses who were in the area at the time of the shooting

Officers were called to the scene, where they discovered 23-year-old Mrs Peralta's body and her husband, right, who had shot himself

Police say it is unclear if there had been a history of domestic violence between the couple, who also had a young son together

One told how all those on campus were told to stay where they were after reports of shots being fired.

George Barraza told the Salt Lake Tribune: 'Everyone was kind of curious what's going on. No one knew it was a shooting.'

A representative of ARUP, where Mrs Peralta worked, declined to comment but said they would release a statement today.

ARUP is a medical testing and research company based within the University of Utah.

It employs more than 3,000 people in its building on the university campus.

Police investigators gather in a parking lot outside of the University of Utah following the shooting of Mrs Peralta
A mother claims she was assaulted and called a 'stupid Asian b***h' by a shop assistant who didn't want to refold the clothes she was browsing.

Jaya Li-Nguyen said she was inspecting a pile of t-shirts at yd. in Melbourne Central shopping centre on Thursday night when she was told not to touch them.

'Do not touch the pile, it's really hard to fold the clothes. Tell me which size you want and I will get it,' she said the staff member told her.

A mother claims she was assaulted and called a 'stupid Asian b***h' by a shop assistant who didn't want to refold the clothes she was browsing

Ms Jaya wanted to examine the range and so kept browsing, but claims as soon as she picked up a second shirt she as again told to stop.

She claimed the assistant demanded she leave the store after Ms Jaya asked 'if I have rights to browse as a customer'.

After refusing to give her name, she claimed the staff member yelled 'make a complaint if you want, leave now you stupid Asian b***h!'

Ms Jaya said she left the store and took a photo of the shopfront to use in a complaint, but was pursued outside.

'She tried to grab my phone, then she grabbed my wrists and tried to twist them and yelled "you are under arrest!",' Ms Jaya said.

Jaya Li-Nguyen (R) said she was inspecting a pile of t-shirts at yd. in Melbourne Central shopping centre on Thursday night when a staff member told her not to touch them

'I had to scream for help, she saw people gathering up and she just pushed me and yelled "leave!". I was in tears and shaking, my wrists are hurting.'

The clothing chain told Daily Mail Australia the staff member was suspended with pay pending an investigation by human resources.

'We are taking this very, very seriously and based on our actions the customer will be shopping with us again tomorrow,' a spokesman said.

The company said Ms Jaya was undecided about whether she would continue pursuing criminal charges.

'Melbourne Central management are very concerned about the incident which has occurred at the YD store,' the shopping centre said.

'We have spoken with the customer to get an understanding of what occurred and what we can do to help. We are currently in communication with YDs head office.

She claimed the assistant identified herself as a manager and demanded she leave the store after Ms Jaya asked 'if I have rights to browse as a customer'

'Melbourne Central management are very concerned about the incident which has occurred at the YD store,' the shopping centre said

'Melbourne Central is committed to providing an environment where all of our visitors feel welcome. The customer has informed us that she has reported the incident to Victoria Police.

'We are currently reviewing CCTV footage to see if we can assist police further in their enquiries.'

Ms Jaya later said Melbourne Central management assured her that 'this is definitely not the behaviour they would tolerate'.

'They are gathering all the security footage to work with YD management for investigation, also offered me contacts from the nearby store whose workers would have witnessed the assault.

'Thank you for taking immediate action towards this matter to make sure no other customer would go though this kind of shocking experience I had.

'No-one should have ever been treated the way I was treated. I just really hope this doesn't happen to anyone else.'
This is the moment two men threatened shop workers with a gun and a knife during a supermarket raid.

The CCTV footage shows the armed men rush into the Co-op store in Eltham and demand that the shop assistants hand over cash inside the till.

During the video, a female assistant can be seen rushing behind the counter to press a panic alarm as one of the robbers waves a gun at her and a colleague.

The women repeatedly pleads 'I don't have any money', leading the man with a gun to shout 'open the till now' while the other taps his knife on the counter.

The CCTV footage shows the armed men rush into the Co-op store in Eltham and demand that the shop assistants hand over cash inside the till

The women repeatedly pleads 'I don't have any money', leading the man with a gun to shout 'open the till now' while the other taps his knife on the counter

The shocking footage has been released by Metropolitan Police as officers attempt to identify the two men, who made off with cash and cigarettes.

After making their exit from the store, the pair were driven off by a third suspect in a white Range Rover Evoque.

The incident occurred at the Co-op store in Westhorne Avenue, Eltham at 10.30pm on Sunday, July 31, and police are now appealing for witnesses.

Suspect one is described as a black male, aged between 18 and 22. At the time of the robbery he was wearing a dark Ralph Lauren hooded jumper, dark Ralph Lauren tracksuit bottoms, dark Nike cap and a black balaclava. He was armed with a knife.

The incident occurred at the Co-op store in Westhorne Avenue, Eltham at 10.30pm on Sunday, July 31, and police are now appealing for witnesses

Suspect two is described as a black male, aged between 18 and 22. At the time of the robbery he was wearing black, knee-length, tracksuit bottoms, white socks pulled up and black trainers and a navy blue Nike hooded top.

Anyone who has information concerning this incident or who can identify those involved should call the incident room for Flying Squad East on 020 8345 1400 or call the police non emergency number, 101. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Eighteen suspected illegal immigrants were seized after banging was heard from the back of a lorry.

The delivery truck stopped at Greenham Business Park in Berkshire - a former top-secret nuclear missile base which featured in a Star Wars film.

The stowaways were sick and needed urgent medical treatment after making it 130 miles into Britain.

The delivery truck stopped at Greenham Business Park in Berkshire - a former top-secret nuclear missile base which featured in a Star Wars film

UK Border Force Officers were called to Ministry Road on the business park, two miles from Newbury, after people heard 'banging and shouting' coming from the back of the lorry.

The 18 foreign nationals were found in the trailer and paramedics arrived to treat a number who were dehydrated and ill.

One eyewitness said today: 'The lorry was trying to manoeuvre around the business park, but cars blocked his way through.

'He started to reverse back, which is quite a difficult manoeuvre for a 7.5-tonne lorry, and when he did that we could hear banging coming from the back.

'I ran up to the driver, but he didn't speak a word of English so I called the police.

'Eighteen of them were brought out the back and I understand quite a few of them were unwell - ambulances were there and all sorts. I've never seen anything like it.'

The lorry driver was questioned as officials were suspicious about his claims of not knowing he was carrying suspected illegal immigrants.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: 'Eighteen people were detained and the matter is now being dealt with by the Home Office.'

Greenham Common airbase was world-famous in the 1980s when the US got permission from Britain to base 96 cruise missiles aimed at Russia.

More than 50,000 'peace wimmin' joined hands and formed a human chain round the nine-mile perimeter as military guards carrying rifles kept them at bay.

Greenham Common airbase was world-famous in the 1980s when the US got permission from Britain to base 96 cruise missiles aimed at Russia

The women, many living for months on end in tents round the former RAF airfield, staged many invasions, cutting through the wire fence and even dancing on the roof of the missile silos.

Their five-year protest gradually wound down after Reagan and Gorbachev held peace talks to cool the Cold War.

The peace women celebrated when the missiles were flown back to the US in the mid-eighties and after the military left, the common became a nature reserve at the turn of the milliennium.

A thriving business park was set up in one corner of the old airfield but the bunkers and airport control tower remain.
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The photographer who captured Carrie Fisher watching in the wings as her mom Debbie Reynolds performs on stage has opened up on the pair's relationship.

Lawrence Schiller, 80, took the iconic shot in 1963 in Las Vegas of a six-year-old Fisher sat on a stool backstage as her mother appears to reach out during her curtain call.

The incident at the Riviera Hotel was not a one-off, and that the Star Wars icon would sit and watch her mother for hours.

Waiting in the wings: A six-year-old Carrie Fisher (front) sits on a stool and watches her mother Debbie Reynolds performing at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas in 1963

Photographer Lawrence Schiller who grew up in San Diego, California, having been born in Brooklyn, New York, and went on to take the iconic snap

Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (left to right) pose during TNT's 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California

Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (left) during A Celebrity Roast of Jane Fonda - Benefitting the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP) and the Star Wars icon at the New York Film Festival this year (right)

Carrie Fisher (left) and her mother Debbie Reynolds (right) posing for a picture in January last year

The photographer, who grew up in San Diego, California, having been born in Brooklyn told the New York Times: 'Her daughter was really mesmerized by her mother always.

'That's what really stood out.'

Not phased by big names, having photographed Marilyn Monroe a year earlier, he was able to get close enough to the family to realise there was a special bond between the two.

The Las Vegas photo was shared widely online this week in the wake of the two actresses' deaths a day apart.

By the time he was backstage with Ms Fisher, he had already noticed how the six-year-old looked up to her mother.

He said someone brought over a stool for the youngster, and she clambered up onto it independently to watch the whole singing-dancing act start to finish.

'You're waiting for the moment in which something you've seen is illustrated,' Mr Schiller told the New York Times.

Mr Schiller: 'Her daughter was really mesmerized by her mother always.'

'And then you don't even stop and think.

'The image is there and your camera is like a sponge to absorb the moment.'

It seemed Ms Fisher, 60, was content with watching her mother for hours, seemingly captivated by her presence.

She would sit and stare as Mr Schiller snapped away at Debbie Reynolds in various photo shoots.

Although close in recent years, the talented mother and daughter actresses didn't always see eye-to-eye.

When the Star Wars actress was in her youth, she refrained from talking to her mother for 10 years.

They became closer, however, when she got older, according to People and eventually became neighbors.

Despite having a Hollywood actress and her soon-to-be legendary daughter at his disposal, the Brooklyn-born photographer told the Times taking pictures was not as easy as it looked.

Talking of that photo in Las Vegas, he had to pick from a wide range of options to capture the perfect shot.

He took out his Leica, the same camera he always used for fly-on-the-wall pictures due to its quiet shutter.

Next he had to instinctively pick the lens, and decided on a wide angle, 28mm and set his shutter speed to slow.

'You overcome the technology and that's what allows you to be a good photojournalist,' he said.

'The technology becomes secondary.'

Although he rarely gets credit for the photo due to his name being cropped out of the reproduced versions, it has helped paint a powerful picture of their relationship in the aftermath of their tragic deaths.

Thousands of fans have shared the image, with Mary Stewart saying: 'Carrie Fisher watching Mommy from backstage. So moving. Oh, my heart.'

Fisher died on December 27 in a Los Angeles hospital after she had a heart attack on a transatlantic flight last Friday.
At 235ft high, you have to be feeling brave to ride Britain's tallest rollercoaster.

So these two workers would definitely have needed a head for heights after they were spotted climbing up The Big One rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Luca Vettese, 23, spotted two figures spotted moving on the drop of the rollercoaster while he was driving home after walking his dog Nico last week.

Up in the air: These two workers would definitely have needed a head for heights after they were spotted climbing up The Big One rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

After pulling over, to his amazement he realised they were workmen wearing hard hats scaling The Big One, which was once the world's steepest rollercoaster.

While it might appear the duo did not have safety gear, park officials said they would have had harnesses holding them to the ride which cannot be seen from behind.

Mr Vettese, manager of his family-owned ice cream parlour Notarianni's, said: 'We went on a walk down the beach with the dog in the morning

'As we were driving back home we spotted these two men clinging to the drop of the ride. We had to pull over to get a picture - I couldn't just drive past.

'I have never seen anyone up on it like that before. They must have had safety gear on but I couldn't see any as they were just so high up.

'They must have had a harness of some kind otherwise it would have been very dangerous and illegal. But I'm sure they will have been doing it by the book.

Caught on camera: Luca Vettese, 23, spotted two figures spotted moving on the drop of the rollercoaster while he was driving home after walking his dog Nico last week

'They were just working their way up, presumably doing some kind of maintenance, though I don't really know what they were doing.

'They were just climbing it. They were very chilled out as they went up it. It all seemed surprisingly natural considering how high it was.

'You wouldn't see me up there. I have never seen anything like that before and I walk past it daily. It's the kind of thing that will turn heads.'

When The Big One, formerly known as The Pepsi Max Big One, opened in 1994 it was both the tallest and steepest rollercoaster in the world.

The ride cost 12million to build and hits speeds of 85mph at its fastest - with a stomach-churning vertical angle of 65 degrees that the workers were climbing.

Spotted: After pulling over, to his amazement Mr Vettese realised they were workmen wering hard hats scaling The Big One, which was once the world's steepest rollercoaster

Mr Vettese said: 'I always take a camera out with me as I like to promote Blackpool as best we can to show its good side.

'When I saw it I thought 'this will grab people's attention' and had to get a picture. And it has - people couldn't believe it when they saw the picture.

'There is not a cat in hell's chance you would get me up there - it was very windy this morning. Not for all the money in the world.

'My pictures show them about three quarters of the way up but they carried on going all the way to the top. The ride itself is brilliant.'

A Blackpool Pleasure Beach spokesman said: 'Everyone on site is fully trained to work at height and those who do are in possession of working at height certificates.'

The ride cost 12million to build and hits speeds of 85mph at its fastest - with a stomach-churning vertical angle of 65 degrees that the workers were climbing

Big drop: When The Big One, formerly known as The Pepsi Max Big One, opened in 1994 it was both the tallest and steepest rollercoaster in the world

'They have full harnesses on which go over the waist and attach at the front so even if you can't see them, they are there.'

Big One by numbers BUILT: 1994 COST: 12million TOP SPEED: 85mph HEIGHT: 235ft LENGTH: 5,497ft Advertisement

He added: 'I would like to stress that none of our staff or contractors would be working in an area like that without wearing a harness and PPE equipment.

'In addition to this they would also have undergone full training to work at heights. '

Earlier this month, Blackpool Pleasure Beach announced they were laying the foundations for Construction 2018, a new 16million rollercoaster

The ride, which is being built in Waldkirch, Germany, plans to interact with five others at the park, including The Big One - and will open in spring 2018.
Maverick Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has been called 'Australia's Donald Trump' after taking aim at former prime minister Tony Abbott for criticising colleagues.

Mr Bernardi took to Twitter to attack his former leader Mr Abbott on Friday over an opinion piece he'd written discouraging anyone from breaking away from the Liberal party - something the South Australian senator has pledged to do.

Despite not being named in Mr Abbott's article published in The Australian or similar tweets, the senator was not afraid to hold back in his attack.

In a tweet to his 21,000 followers he accused Mr Abbott of 'talking up division' over the Christmas break and always putting himself before the party.

Maverick Liberal senator Cory Bernardi (pictured) has been called 'Australia's Donald Trump' after taking aim at former prime minister Tony Abbott for censoring colleagues

The conservative South Australian senator took to Twitter to attack Mr Abbott over his views

'While most on break only person talking up division in Lib Party this past week is @TonyAbbottMHR,' he tweeted.

'Always back the horse named self-interest.'

Renowned for being a firebrand MP, their has been widespread speculation over recent months Mr Bernardi is preparing to break away from the government.

He is rumoured to be considering forming his own 'Conservative Party' after being spotted in the United States with billionaire Gina Rinehart meeting with members of Trump's campaign in Washington in November.

It has been reported Ms Rinehart is considering bankrolling any move made by Mr Bernardi following One Nation's strong result at this year's election.

While Mr Abbott stood strong in his stance against any potential move by the South Australian senator, his colleague Eric Abetz moved to downplay the conflict.

'A split within the Liberal Party would potentially dilute the conservative voice which would slow the momentum for reform in the NSW division,' Mr Abetz told Fairfax on Friday.

An outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, Mr Bernardi and billionaire businesswoman Gina Rinehart reportedly met with members of his campaign in Washington in November

In addition to a newspaper opinion piece Mr Abbott also took to Twitter to voice his concern towards a possible break away move by Mr Bernardi

'While most on break only person talking up division in Lib Party this past week is Tony Abbott,' Mr Bernardi tweeted on Friday

'Many conservatives have been manipulatively disenfranchised by certain operatives in NSW which has led to understandable and widespread dissatisfaction.

'The answer is to remain and reform the party rather than dilute the forces for democracy and reform.'
Islamic State has executed a German Jihadi volunteer in its ranks for alleged spying.

Mario Sciannimanica's mother was contacted by terrorists in Syria earlier this year to say he had been killed in an American air strike.

But now it is revealed he was executed by the fanatics he converted to Islam for. Accused of treason, he was either beheaded or shot.

The boy from Leverkusen, in Germany's west, who fell into radical Jihadism three years ago was a member of the Isis security police Shurta Askeriya.

He fell into the ranks of Jihadists after an apprenticeship as a mechanic failed to land him a job.

German jihadi Mario Sciannimanica is pictured here with a young boy in Syria. Mario's mother was contacted by terrorists earlier this year to say he had been killed in an American air strike

Mario Sciannimanica, who is German and Italian, was a keen boxer and wannabe rapper before he converted to Islam and became radicalised

His parents spoke of false friends, rap, girl-chasing and dreams of getting rich before he started attending a radical mosque.

In one of his rap songs, the lyrics reportedly read: 'Life is not easy... but I know I am going my way to the end.'

According to media reports, he was preached to down the phone by a Salafist called Ibrahim Abou-Nagie, recently banned from handing out Korans on German streets.

The wannabe boxer became so fanatical that he abandoned his faithful pet dog Luna because it was 'unclean.' It was not long afterwards that he dreamed of joining the ranks of Isis.

'He said often he wanted to go there and help Muslims,' said his mother Heike to German newspaper BILD. 'He asked his girlfriend to go with him but she decided to remain in Germany.'

In northern Syria in 2013 he trained in a military camp and registered as an Isis fighter. He stayed in contact with his parents back home via Skype - but only on the condition that they swore allegiance to Islam.

The ISIS thug proudly shared photos of himself with weapons on his Twitter account before it was suspended

Mario, who called himself 'Lionheart', is pictured here Berlin ISIS terrorist Denis Cuspert

'We did because we did not want to lose contact with him,' said Heike. 'But it meant nothing to us.'

He called himself 'Lionheart' on social media postings to friends back home. But he begged his parents for money and, again fearful of losing him forever, they obliged.

His home was searched many times by intelligence officials and police, the last time in March this year when they believed he had returned home.

The following month they heard from him for the last time when he again wrote seeking money.

In June they heard that he had been killed in the air strike on an Isis convoy.
A suspected killer who attempted to 'emulate the Berlin lorry attack' has been arrested in Ukraine after allegedly beheading a woman and her daughter.

The 25-year-old man, named as Dmitry P. murdered a woman aged, 42, and her daughter, two, say police, who issued a picture of the suspect.

Driving a truck at high speed, he was then blocked by officers from entering Odessa, police say.

On his way he had caused a 'traffic accident' at 100mph which is why he was prevented from going beyond the city limits of the Black Sea port.

A suspected killer who attempted to 'emulate the Berlin lorry attack' has been arrested in Ukraine after allegedly beheading a woman and her daughter. Police have not named the suspect, but released a picture of him (above)

Armed response: Elite soldiers including snipers were called in as the hunt got underway today

Driving a truck at high speed, the suspect was then blocked by officers from entering Odessa, police say. The lorry is pictured

It comes nearly two weeks after an ISIS fanatic drove a lorry through crowds of revellers in Berlin, killing 12 and injuring 48.

Dmitry Golovin, head of Odessa region police, alleged the man 'aimed to repeat the Berlin terrorist attack by smashing into street crowds in a lorry' in Odessa, according to reports.

After finding the road blocked, the driver of the truck veered into a field. The lorry became stuck but the man escaped police on foot.

Sniffer dogs, elite police troops and Ukrainian national guards are all involved in the hunt, it was reported. They have cordoned a large area.

In all, 1,500 officers are chasing the 'killer', who is holed up in a sprawling area of summer country houses, which are now empty.

Locals were warned of the extreme threat of the runaway.

The mother of the woman allegedly beheaded by the truck driver told a Ukrainian TV channel: 'He set the house on fire. He stabbed my daughter to death. And my granddaughter to death'

Snipers and National Guard armed vehicles arrived early today at Gribovka village and resort in Odessa region. They were pictured on local beaches

Security forces were pictured on local beaches as they hunted the alleged killer this morning

Dmitry Golovin, head of Odessa region police, alleged the man 'aimed to repeat the Berlin terrorist attack by smashing into street crowds in a lorry' in Odessa (pictured), according to reports

The woman he is alleged to have killed is understood to be the sister of a senior tax official of the crime-ridden city of Odessa (pictured)

They were told not to approach or tackle him because it is likely he was armed and 'dangerous'.

The woman he is alleged to have killed is understood to be the sister of a senior tax official of the crime-ridden city of Odessa.

His motives for the alleged beheadings are not known, nor for his alleged intention of ramming a crowd of people in the Ukrainian city. It was not clear if he had hijacked the truck.

The man's nationality and background is as yet undisclosed. He was reported to be from Ovidiopol in Odessa region.

The mother of the woman allegedly beheaded by the truck driver told a Ukrainian TV channel: 'He set the house on fire. He stabbed my daughter to death. And my granddaughter to death.'

Armed response: All hotels and hostels, most of them currently empty, were checked for the suspect

A major police hunt was launched for the suspect who police say beheaded a woman and her daughter before driving at high speed in a lorry

The deputy head of Odessa region police Ivan Ishchenko said: 'All police, National Guards and special forces were gathered into the area where he dumped the truck'

She was too upset to say more.

Snipers and National Guard armed vehicles arrived early today at Gribovka village and resort in Odessa region. They were pictured on local beaches.

All hotels and hostels, most of them currently empty, were checked for the suspect.

His victims - a woman called Olga and her two year old daughter Maria - were beheaded overnight at their home at Ovidiopol.

The deputy head of Odessa region police Ivan Ishchenko said: 'All police, National Guards and special forces were gathered into the area where he dumped the truck.

'Every resort, summer country house, permanent living house - everything is being searched.'

It comes after Anis Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisian asylum seeker, carried out a lorry attack in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48 others.
Laura Percival, who miscarried 12 weeks into her pregnancy, was left devastated when medical tests were carried out on her baby with her knowledge or consent

A heartbroken mother who had a miscarriage was left devastated after medical tests were carried out on her baby's body without her knowledge.

Laura Percival, who miscarried 12 weeks into her pregnancy, was originally told the hospital had 'lost' her child.

But it later emerged that the baby's body had instead been taken to another hospital for tests, with Ms Percival's knowledge or consent.

The 27-year-old only found out what had happened when she managed to speak with a member of the bereavement team at Croydon University Hospital, south London, more than a month after the miscarriage.

By then, it was too late for Ms Percival to cremate her baby's remains, as she had wished.

Ms Percival said: 'I was told that they had lost my notes, and they didn't know where the baby was.

'I found out the remains had been taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting for tests, without my consent.'

Ms Percival said she had a meeting in October with the director of the gynecology department, informing her of her options for saying goodbye to her child.

She chose to have the child cremated so she could keep the ashes.

But for weeks after this meeting, Ms Percival was unable to get hold of the bereavement team.

It was when she did eventually speak to them that the mother-of-one discovered the remains had been sent off for tests to St George's Hospital without her permission.

It means she can no longer opt for cremation.

Croydon University Hospital say they carry out analysis on the tissues from miscarried babies to rule out wider health problems.

They insist they do not need to permission from the mother to do this.

Ms Percival, who lives in Croydon, said: 'Those tests must have been carried out straight after the surgery. I understand the tests were to find out if there were any markers to find out why the miscarriage happened.

The 27-year-old (left with her son Luka and right) was originally told the hospital had 'lost' her child, but it later emerged the baby's body had instead been taken to another hospital for tests

'It is an ordeal which constantly plays on my mind. I really have struggled to get closure from this ordeal.'

She said the hospital had 'messed up' and that it had been a 'heartbreaking' experience.

'First I was told that they did need my permission, and then they told me a week later that guidelines say they didn't need to get my consent,' she said.

Ms Percival has been left distressed, confused and upset by the stressful ordeal, which happened almost four months ago.

She added: 'It has all been very confusing and I hope everything can be made clearer for future patients going through this heartbreaking ordeal.

'I just don't think I can ever step foot in there again, I have no faith in them whatsoever to the point that if my other child was sick, I would try to go to another hospital.

A spokesman for Croydon University Hospital (pictured) say they carry out analysis on the tissues from miscarried babies to rule out wider health problems

'Everything has made me feel quite useless, everything seems to have been completely out of my control when it should have always been in my control.'

Ms Pervical is trying to raise money to plant a rose bush or a tree at the Croydon Crematorium for her miscarried baby.

A Croydon University Hospital said they follow national guidance which encourages them to automatically send tissue from a miscarriage for analysis to rule out certain wider health conditions.

'These guidelines treat this procedure as routine and it isn't something that patients are required to consent to,' a spokesman said.

'We release miscarriage remains to women who wish to have them. However, not all remains contain fetal tissue and sometimes they are solely tissues from the mother.

'In these cases, the law does not allow the remains to be formally buried or cremated, and the Croydon University Health Services NHS Trust is under a strict legal obligation not to sign the paperwork that would allow a formal burial.

'A miscarriage can be a devastating experience for women, and we want to make sure that they have all of the support that they need.

'We have recently appointed a pregnancy loss specialist midwife who supports our patients who have suffered a miscarriage.
A Finnish neo-Nazi has been jailed for two years following a fatal assault on an innocent bystander who died after being kicked in the chest at a violent demonstratoin.

Jesse Torniainen, 26, was found guilty of kicking Jimi Joonas Karttunen in the chest on September 10 in Helsinki.

The neo-Nazi is a member of the Finnish chapter of the so-called Nordic Resistance Movement.

Finnish neo-Nazi group member Jesse Torniainen, pictured, was jailed for two years after he kicked a protester in the chest who fell and bashed his head on the ground and later died

Torniainen, left, claimed he only intended on scaring his victim Jimi Joonas Karttunen

Helsinki District Court heard he lashed out after Mr Karttunen made a 'disparaging remark' about his neo-Nazi group and spat on the pavement.

Torniainen kicked Mr Karttunen in the chest who was knocked to the ground and banged his head off the pavement and suffered catastrophic injuries.

Mr Karttunen died six days after the attack.

During the trial, Torniainen claimed he only intended to scare his victim.

However, the court found him guilty of 'aggravated violence' despite a plea by prosecutors that he should be convicted of 'aggravated manslaughter'.

Mr Karttunen, 28, fell to the ground and smashed his head, dying six days later due to bleeding on the brain.

But according to medical reports, Karttunen, a drug abuser, had used unprescribed medications and not followed hospital instructions while receiving treatment.

A video shot by the neo-Nazi Finnish Resistance Movement, showing the victim lying on a pavement with a small pool of blood behind his head, was still visible on YouTube on Friday.

Prosecutor Anja-Riitta Rinkinen slammed the court's decision not to convict Torniainen of manslaughter, saying the victim was killed because he stood against racism.

She said: 'An act of violence directed against a person who opposed the racist incitement can be considered to have a racist motive.

'We consider the victim to be such a person.'
Parents in France no longer have the right to beat their children after a new law banning corporal punishment came into force this week.

The move leaves Britain as one of only four countries in Europe where smacking remains a legal way of disciplining children.

The French law now defines parental authority in the Civil Code as excluding 'all cruel, degrading or humiliating treatment, including any recourse to corporal violence'.

French parents have been banned from smacking their children under a new law

Centrist French MP Jean-Christophe Lagarde, pictured, criticised the new legislation claiming it was 'a ridiculous attempt to micromanage family life' by the state and its agents

Now the UK, Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic are all expected to receive mounting demands to pass a similar law against smacking.

French centrist MP Jean-Christophe Lagarde has described his country's new law as ' a ridiculous attempt to micromanage family life'.

The ban was proposed by a group of ecologist and socialist MPs as an amendment to the Equality and Citizenship bill, which went before parliament earlier this year.

The legistlation says it aims to 'set out a clear principle, which should be repeated to fathers and mothers and influence their future behaviour'.

As part of the law, brides and grooms will be reminded during the civil marriage service of their obligation not to use violence against their children.

France has come under fire from the Council of Europe and the UN in recent years for their stance on violence against children.

Pope Francis, pictured, had previously said parents should be allowed to hit their children

Now the UK, Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic are all expected to receive mounting demands to pass a similar law against smacking.

Lagarde added: 'Are we going to be told how to stack our plates, whether children should be made to dry up and whether they can help their parents with the chores?'

Thierry Vidor, director of Familles de France, added: 'To cast judgment on parents who love their children and may give them a little tap on the backside if they are naughty, is going too far. That type of act has no negative effect on a child's education.'
A woman has received 'the most Australian present ever' - a Bunnings Warehouse voucher complete with change for the iconic storefront sausage sizzle.

Kelly Hazell recently celebrated her birthday and was surprised with a $100 Bunnings gift card from her partner.

But it wasn't the card, or its monetary value which showed the most thought - it was the coins taped to the outside.

'The most Australian' present ever, a Bunnings Warehouse voucher and some coins for the barbecue in the carpark

There are often barbecue events held outside the hard ware giant's stores

The thoughtful gift included enough money to buy a sausage sandwich and a can of drink - which are often sold outside the warehouse stores.

'It was my birthday yesterday and my partner gave me a thoughtful gift... A Bunnings voucher with spare change for a snag and can of drink.' It doesn't get more Aussie than that,' Ms Hazell said.

The photo has gone viral on social media with many shoppers planning to recreate the special gift for their own loved ones.
A woman is suing a mail order company to find out who sent a bag of penis-shaped gummy candies to her at work.

Melody Lenox, the human resources director at a Dallas-based technology company, filed a lawsuit Tuesday requesting the name of the person who sent the package.

Lenox received the packed at Axxess Technology Solutions, a healthcare technology company, on December 7.

Lenox recieved the packed at her workplace, healthcare technology company Axxess Technology Solutions

The gummy candies were sent from a company called D**ks By Mail.

In the suit, Lenox says the package was sent to harass her, and belives the same person could also be responsible for keying her car and posting a series of fake Craigslist ads about her.

She is asking the company for the name, address, telephone number, and any other identifying information of the person who sent the package so that she can 'put an end to the harassment'.

Neither Lenox nor the attorney representing her and Axxess in the suit, Christopher Groves, were immediately available for comment.

The gummy candies came from a company called D**ks By Mail, which sends items anonymously through the mail

D**ks By Mail is one of a number of companies that allows people to send items anonymously through the mail, from glitter to horse manure to mayonnaise.

The D**ks By Mail website stipulates that both the recipient and purchaser must be 18 or older, and the terms of service states that senders must not harass anyone with the candy.
The Russian embassy has poked fun at Britain for its silence over the ceasefire in Syria - and asked Twitter to decide why the UK has made no comment.

A nationwide Syrian truce brokered by Russia and Turkey went into effect at midnight and was holding today despite minor violations, marking a potential breakthrough in the brutal conflict.

But staff at the Russian embassy in London have taken a swipe at Britain today, claiming there had been 'No UK reaction' to the deal.

It then asked the question, 'why?' before giving three possible reasons: 'Jealousy', 'FCO on holiday' or 'can't believe'.

The Russian embassy has poked fun at Britain for its silence over the ceasefire in Syria - and asked Twitter to decide why the UK has made no comment

A nationwide Syrian truce brokered by Russia and Turkey went into effect at midnight and was holding today despite minor violations, marking a potential breakthrough in the brutal conflict

Staff at the Russian embassy in London have taken a swipe at Britain today, claiming there had been 'No UK reaction' to the deal. Russian president Vladimir Putin is pcitured above

Twitter users are able to vote on their preferred choice and by late morning today, more than a thousand votes had been cast.

Just before noon, 'jealousy' was the leading option with 48 per cent of the vote followed by the suggestion that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was on holiday (28 per cent) and then 'can't believe' (24 per cent).

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran. Moscow and Tehran provide crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the cease-fire a 'major achievement' in a tweet Friday. 'Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror,' he added.

Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one denied signing it.

The truce came on the heels of a Russian-Turkish agreement earlier this month to evacuate the last rebels from eastern Aleppo after they were confined to a tiny enclave by a government offensive. The retaking of all of Aleppo marked Assad's greatest victory since the start of the 2011 uprising against his family's four-decade rule.

Mockery: This was how Russia's embassy in London responded to a US sanctions announcement, mocking Obama as a lame duck president

The same embassy had earlier hit back at Barack Obama's retribution for the alleged hacking of the US presidential campaign by insinuating the outgoing leader is a 'lame duck'

The embassy's provocative tweet was posted against the back drop of diplomatic tension between Russia and the West.

The same embassy had earlier hit back at Barack Obama's retribution for the alleged hacking of the US presidential campaign by insinuating the outgoing leader is a 'lame duck'.

Mr Obama ordered 35 Russian diplomats to leave the US and shut down a pair of Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.

Moscow, which denies trying to swing the election in Donald Trump's favour, threatened retaliation and branded the Obama administration 'losers'.

On Thursday, Russia's embassy in London took to Twitter where it posted a picture of a duck captioned with the word 'lame'.

'President Obama expels 35 (Russian) diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl (American) people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm,' it added.

The US says Russia was behind cyber attacks on the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman.
Toan Truong, 43, was fatally shot at his Melbourne home after discovering an intruder and confronting him

Police are hunting for a man who shot a father dead in front of his infant son and pregnant wife during a botched drug heist.

Toan Truong, 43, was fatally shot at his Melbourne home earlier this year when he stumbled upon the intruder and confronted him.

It is thought the shooter was part of a drug syndicate targeting a hydroponic cannabis growing setup inside Truong's home.

After discovering the intruder in his home in February, Truong gave chase into a rear bedroom where the intruder fired his gun, fatally wounding the father.

Investigators believe the murderer is an associate of a syndicate that executed aggravated burglaries at properties with cannabis crops in Melbourne's suburbs.

Officers say at least three men were involved in the raid.

ABC News reported that his brother, Tai Truong, described Mr Truong as your 'stereotypical larrikin' who had a good job as an engineer and was loved by those who knew him.

Truong chased the masked home invader into a back bedroom before he opened fire. Police are still hunting for a suspect matching this description

He said the family was shocked to learn Mr Truong was growing drugs in his home.

'My brother did a stupid thing, he made a mistake, and for that he's paid with his life,' Mr Tai Truong told reporters.

'He was not wanting of money ... it baffles our minds what happened to him.'

Police today launched a fresh appeal for information about Mr Toan Truong's death and released an image of a man they wish to speak to about the incident.

Police also released images of a BMW coupe (top) and Ford Falcon that were seen driving in convoy around the area shortly before the raid

CCTV footage shows a dark coloured sedan speeding away from the house shortly after the shooting.

His wife, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was unaware of the hydroponic crop because Mr Truong had told her he was renovating the room for the baby and he wanted it to be a surprise.

A month after his death, Mr Truong's baby girl was born.




An 'arrogant' property tycoon sexually assaulted a school teacher in a pub as she enjoyed a night out with her husband.

Anthony Tokatly, 45, a director at JPW Real Estate, which has assets of 2billion, grabbed the woman as she made her way to the toilet at the 18th century pub.

He reached out and touched her beneath her right breast, but when she pushed his hand away, he reached out again and cupped it.

Anthony Tokatly (pictured), 45, a director at JPW Real Estate, which has assets of 2billion, grabbed the woman as she made her way to the toilet at the 18th century pub

He reached out and touched her beneath her right breast, but when she pushed his hand away, he reached out again and cupped it

Later, after the victim told her husband he confronted a drunken Tokatly at The Ship pub in Wandsworth, south London but he denied the assault.

At Kingston Crown Court Tokatly, who also has a partner of four years and a 13-year-old son, was labelled 'arrogant and intimidating' by the judge.

In a statement the victim said: 'The whole incident made me very upset.

'I also thought of myself as quite a strong person and I do not want him to do this to anyone else or think that his behaviour is acceptable.

'I do not feel as emotionally strong as I did before and I am grateful that my husband was there was I do not know what would have happened if I had been alone.'

Tokatly is also a member of the board of the British Property Federation's Residential Management Committee, the Steering Group at Property Week and a judge on both the RESI Awards and the Daily Telegraph's prestigious International Property Awards.

Prosecutor Kate Fortescue said: 'The defendant was convicted of sexual assault after an incident at The Ship pub on 17 June this year.

'He has no previous convictions.'

Wearing a black suit and tie Tokatly listened as his defence argued he was an educated and 'remorseful' man.

At Kingston Crown Court Tokatly, who also has a partner of four years and a 13-year-old son and was labelled 'arrogant and intimidating' by the judge

Defence Kathleen Mulhern said: 'He is remorseful for what happened and he does appreciate that he should not have entered her personal space.

'He is a man of 45 and is educated. He has been a shareholder of his own company for the past 15 years and has a 13-year-old son and a long term partner of four years.

'Unfortunately he has not felt able to tell them about this.'

She added: 'This is completely out of character, being in court and going through the trial has had an effect and impact upon him.

'He will be very careful about how he acts in public going forward.'

Judge Andrew Campbell branded the tycoon's actions 'bullying and overbearing' before sentencing him.

He said: 'It seems to me that your client was over bearing, bullying and acting very unpleasantly, partially because of the drink he had had.

'It was very unpleasant, he did pen her in didn't he.'

He told Tokatly: 'You were acting in an intimidating and arrogant way which clearly upset the victim.

'The order I am going to make is that you should complete 150 hours of unpaid work within a period of 12 months.

'You may also be placed on a barring list which may prevent you working with children.'
Jack Lear, 23, started selling the novelty costumes when he was just 17 and now has business across the world

A young entrepreneur has reaped inflated profits after the blow-up fancy dress business he started as a teenager raked in 1.5million-a-year.

Jack Lear, 23, who compares himself to Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson, started selling the novelty costumes when he was just 17 and now has business across the world.

His outfits include inflatable animals, dinosaurs, and dragons as well as Sumo wrestlers and Halloween costumes.

He also sells his all in one Bodysocks outfits - skintight suits with colourful designs - which is also the name of his company.

Mr Lear, from Tenby in Pembrokeshire, said he was determined to start his own business after a meeting with a school's career's advisor when he was 15.

He said: 'I was desperate to leave school because it was holding me back from growing my business.

'After that meeting and test he told my parents there was no point in me in staying school, they might as well let me go.

'Sir Richard Branson, like me, left school at a young age and experienced issues along the way but never gave up.

Mr Lear has raked in 1.5million after his fancy dress business Bodysocks, became popular with customers around the world (pictured, people jump around in one of his costume lines)

Bodysocks now sell fancy dress costumes to 100,000 customers, and offers next day delivery to customers across the world (pictured, people jump around in the firm's costumes)

'My parents have been a big influence. As a family we have always discussed business matters openly so I always felt comfortable in that environment.'

Bodysocks now sell fancy dress costumes to 100,000 customers, and offers next day delivery to customers across the world, but Jack is looking for more.
A desperate search was launched today for two missing teenage girls as fears grow for their safety.

Natasha Wallace, 15, and Jordann Pringle, 16, were last seen in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, last night  and are believed to have now left the area.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'If you know the whereabouts of the girls or have any information which would assist in locating them, then please contact police.

Missing teenagers: Natasha Wallace (left), 15, and Jordann Pringle (right), 16, were last seen in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, last night  and are believed to have now left the area

'They may have travelled outwith Dumfries and Galloway so please feel free to share as widely as possible. We need to ensure that they are safe and well.'
Britain has already secured more than 16billion in foreign investment deals since June's Brexit vote, ministers announced today.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox hailed the splurge in foreign spending as 'a clear vote of confidence' in post-Brexit Britain.

Major international firms such as Google and Apple have pledged to create thousands of new jobs in the UK.

Mr Fox said the foreign investment since Brexit  worth an estimated 16.3billion  will boost Britain's property development, infrastructure and renewable energy sectors.

He said the investment showed foreign firms were confident of 'our strong economy post-Brexit'.

And with billions of further investment expected to be announced in the coming months, the Government is set to reach or exceed its target of 983billion in foreign direct investment already achieved between 2015 and 2016.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, pictured, hailed splurge in foreign investment in Britain since June's Brexit vote as 'a clear vote of confidence' in post-Brexit Britain

The deals are further evidence of the resilient British economy defying doom-laden predictions of financial chaos after June's vote to leave the EU.

Figures show the British economy is growing larger than expected and the London Stock exchange has enjoyed two consecutive days of record highs.

Mr Fox said that in the run-up to Christmas the Australian company Peak Resources announced a 100million investment in a new minerals refinery in the north east of England.

Chinese construction firm CNBM is investing 2.5billion to develop 25,000 modular homes in the UK.

Danish firm DONG Energy has also committed 12billion in renewable energy projects in Britain by 2020.

Dr Fox said: 'Recent major investments show how much the UK is valued as an innovative business-friendly country, and will continue to be as we leave the EU.

The investment was hailed by senior Brexit supporters Michael Gove, left, and Iain Duncan Smith, right, who said the figures were the final proof that the 'prophets of doom' from the Remain campaign were wrong

'But the benefits of foreign investment have much more impact for local communities across the UK, transforming local industry, creating jobs and tackling issues like housing and clean energy.

'Britain remains truly open for business, that's why my department is supporting businesses in the UK and across the world to attract investment to boost our economy.

'Long-term business investments like these are a clear vote of confidence in the UK and our strong economy post-Brexit.'

The investment was hailed by senior Brexit supporters who said the figures were the final proof that the 'prophets of doom' from the Remain campaign were wrong.

Former Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith said: 'This latest announcement is the turning point. You are now either in the camp that fundamentally believes that Britain can do anything, anytime and anywhere, or you are in the doom and gloom camp that doesn't believe in Britain.

'These are the little England Remainers who cannot believe for one moment that Great Britain is not little England, they actually think that this great island of ours cannot do anything without going on bended knee to Brussels.'

News of the 16bn investment came as the London stock market enjoyed two-straight days of record highs. Pictured, the FTSE 100 index over the last thirty years

Former Justice Secretary and Vote Leave champion Michael Gove said: 'This is fantastic news that the Government has secured these levels of investment.

'This is a real vote of confidence in Britain after our vote to leave the European Union. The prophets of doom have once again been found wanting.

'All the signs are that Britain can make a great success of life outside the European Union and these investors certainly believe in a great future for Britain.'

News of the 16bn investment came as the London stock market enjoyed two-straight days of record highs.

Big gains for precious metal-related stocks helped the FTSE 100 rise 14.18 points to hit a new high of 7120.26 last night, a day after it attained a record level a fraction above 7,106.
Two men have been taken to hospital following a bloody fight in Sydneys inner west on Friday night.

The men, who know each other, were fighting on the street after 7pm when emergency services were called to break them up.

The fighters, aged 49 and 54, respectively looked disgruntled as they spoke with police following the incident which occurred on a suburban street in South Granville.

Two men, pictured with police, have been taken to hospital following a fight in Sydney's inner west on Friday night

This bloodied wooden board was found discarded at the scene

Both of the men were treated for injuries on the scene by paramedics before being transferred to hospital.

One of the men was bandaged by the crews to stop bleeding which appeared to be coming from his chest.

The man was dressed in a black Von Dutch singlet and had a distinctive tattoo on his left shoulder.

One of the men appeared to be bandage from front to back with wounds to the chest

Police and paramedics attended the fight just after 7.20pm on Friday evening

One man pointed from the shadows as he spoke to police about the fight

Police believe the two men they have spoken with were the only people involved in the fight

The second man sat in the shadows as he spoke with police, and didnt appear to be bandaged up.

Police believe the men know each other and said the injuries are not life-threatening.

Photos from the scene show a large wooden board smeared with blood.

Police and paramedics attended the scene.

Police believe the men know each other and said the injuries are not life-threatening

Paramedics treated the men at the scene and also took them to a local hospital

The street was taped off while police spoke with those involved, as well as witnesses




This sickening surveillance footage captures the moment a car ploughed through an intersection sending three pedestrians flying into the air.

Hawthorne police have released the video showing a hit-and-run collision in the California city that left three pedestrians injured earlier this month.

The incident happened at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Rocket Road just before 2.15am on December 17, Hawthorne Police Department said.

In the footage a vehicle can be seen traveling at high rate of speed northbound on Crenshaw Boulevard.

Hawthorne police have released the video showing a hit-and-run collision at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Rocket Road

Four pedestrians were crossing at the time, and had right of way when the car ran a red light at Rocket, striking three of them

Four pedestrians were crossing at the time, and had right of way when the car ran a red light at Rocket, striking three of them.

The driver continued on without slowing, fleeing the scene while the injured pedestrians, three women, lay in the road, as the fourth, who was uninjured, rushed to help them.

The pedestrians were treated for at the scene by Los Angeles County Fire Department rescue units before they were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

All three women have since been released from hospital.

Police released the graphic video footage in an effort to find the driver and the vehicle used in the hit-and-run

Witnesses told police the car they had seen the car running a red light at nearby Jack Northrop Avenue before it sped through the stoplight at Rocket

Police released the graphic video footage in an effort to find the driver and the hit-and-run vehicle, which is believed to be a light-colored 1996 Toyota Camry.

Hawthorne police said the car is possibly gray, silver, or light green in color, with damage to the front-right corner.

Police initially said it was a 2006 vehicle, but later corrected the description to refer to a car a decade older.

Witnesses told police the car they had seen the car running a red light at nearby Jack Northrop Avenue before it sped through the stoplight at Rocket.

Officers are also seeking to trace a key witness, the driver of a small gray two-door pickup truck that made a U-turn after the collision, apparently to chase after the Camry.

Anyone with information about the hit-and-run is asked to call Hawthorne police at 310-349-2702 or 310-349-2727.
A New York man drove through several yards before crashing into a home and causing a pool to collapse.

Suffolk County Police arrested John Winn, 32, of Shirley, man after he crashed a vehicle into a home.

Authorities said Winn also stripped naked and fled the scene, but he was later caught by officers.

A New York man drove through several yards before crashing into a home (pictured) and causing a pool to collapse. Authorities said the man then stripped naked and fled the scene

The incident took place on Thursday night around 11.30pm on the South Shore where police and fire fighters found the collapsed pool and a flooded home

The man's blue car (pictured) was sticking out of the home and he had apparently crashed it into the home's deck

Winn was driving a 1998 Ford when he apparently lost control of his vehicle at 11.30pm at the corner of Ridgewood Drive on South Shore, police said.

When police responded to the call near Ridgewood Drive, they found the collapsed pool and a flooded home.

Winn's blue car was sticking out of the home and he had apparently crashed it into the home's deck.

Authorities told NBC that the force of the vehicle caused the deck to crumble into the pool, causing it to cave-in and flood the home.

Police said the man had driven the car onto two lawns and plowed through several fences before crashing into the home.

The man was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue, but the extent of his injuries is unknown, according to ABC 7.

Residents were in the home at the time, but no one in or around the home was injured.

He was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs (DWAI), reckless endangerment in the second degree and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting.

Authorities said the force of the vehicle caused the deck (pictured) to crumble into the pool, causing it to cave-in and flood the home. A fire also broke out at the home as firefighters worked late into the night
This is the dramatic moment firefighters walked across a dangerous frozen lake to rescue a stricken dog after it fell into the icy waters.

Firefighters from Muskegon County in Michigan were called to White Lake after reports of a dog struggling in the water.

When they arrived they spotted the elderly golden retriever desperately trying to stay afloat.

One of the rescuers ventures out on to the dangerous frozen lake wearing a specialist ice rescue suit

A colleague follows close behind and holds a rope so he can pull the man and the dog to safety

And wearing ice water rescue gear, one firefighter carrying a rope ventured out on to the dangerous ice to grab the dog.

He was followed by a colleague close behind who also holds on to the same rope and eventually they reached the pet.

One of the men then lay flat on his stomach and managed to pluck the dog from the freezing water, while another two colleagues pulled them to the shore.

The firefighter then slid along with the dog before reaching more steady ice where he got to his feet and carried the animal to safety.

The dog was then wrapped up in a blanket and carried by another firefighter to a waiting vehicle.

Eventually the rescuer manages to scoop up the elderly golden retriever and bring him to the shore

The White Lake Fire Authority wrote on Facebook: 'What a way to run the 1,000th alarm for 2016! Department personnel were requested to assist Muskegon County Animal Control for a canine in distress on White Lake.

'The Golden Retriever wandered onto the ice when MCAC Officers attempted to assist the animal in getting home.

'The canine fell through the ice roughly 100 yards from shore and could not remove himself.

The dog was then wrapped up in a blanket and carried by another firefighter to a waiting vehicle

The pet was then taken to the pound as it was not wearing a collar but has since been reunited with his owner

'Personnel donned ice rescue suits and using other safety equipment rescued of the canine.

'The animal was then turned over to MCAC for proper advanced care and safe return to its owners.'

The pet was then taken to the pound as it was not wearing a collar but has since been reunited with his owner, who confirmed the dog was 14 years old and was still recovering from the fall.
The war of words between Theresa May and Barack Obama's administration continued today as the US State Department expressed 'surprise' at her strong rebuke of John Kerry's Israel speech.

A spokesperson for Mr Kerry pointed out that nine other major nations had backed his condemnation of Mr Netanyahu over his construction of settlements in the West Bank while the UK PM had aligned herself with Donald Trump's response.

The US Secretary of State made a highly critical speech on foreign policy on Wednesday describing the current Israeli regime as the 'most right-wing in history'.

He also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for undermining the two-state solution with his settlement policy in the West Bank.

His comments sparked Downing Street to issue an unprecedented attack on the US Secretary of State, saying it was inappropriate to attack the make-up of the democratically-elected Israeli government  a key ally of both the US and Britain.

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The war of words between Theresa May, left, and Barack Obama's administration continued today as the US State Department expressed 'surprise' at her strong rebuke of John Kerry's Israel speech, pictured right

Britain backed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to Israel's construction of settlements in the hotly-disputed region but No 10 said Mr Kerry had overstepped the mark with his strongly-worded personal attack on Mr Netanyahu and his government.

Downing Street also rebuked Mr Kerry for focusing on the single issue of Israeli settlements and not the whole conflict.

A spokesman for Mrs May responded by saying: 'We do not... believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is so deeply complex.

'And we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally.

'The Government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community.'

It signals Mrs May is looking to align her foreign policy to that of Mr Trump, who weighed in to defend Mr Netanyahu after Mr Kerry's attack and told Israel to 'stay strong,' adding that his inauguration as US President on January 20 was 'fast approaching'.

In a highly critical speech on foreign policy on Wednesday the US Secretary of State John Kerry, pictured, criticised Irsaeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for undermining the two-state solution with his settlement policy in the West Bank

In a sign of escalating tensions between London and Washington, the US State Department hit straight back.

A spokesperson for Mr Kerry said: 'We are grateful for the strongly supportive statements in response to Secretary Kerry's speech from across the world, including Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others.

'We are surprised by the UK Prime Minister's office statement given that Secretary Kerry's remarkswhich covered the full range of threats to a two state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlementswere in-line with the UK's own longstanding policy and its vote at the United Nations last week.'

Mrs May's attack echoed the response by Mr Netanyahu and US President-elect Donald Trump.

The Israeli PM accused the US Secretary of State of being skewed against Israel' and talking 'obsessively' about settlements.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured accused the US Secretary of State of being skewed against Israel' and talking 'obsessively' about settlements

President-elect Donald Trump weighed in to the dispute to defend the Israeli government

In his speech on Wednesday Mr Kerry, who is leaving his post next month along with President Barack Obama, said the only way to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East is through a two-state solution to the disputed West Bank.

'That future is now in jeopardy,' the US Secretary of State said.

He added: 'The Israeli prime minister publicly supports a two-state solution, but his current coalition is the most right-wing in Israeli history with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements.

'The result is that policies of this government, which the prime minister himself just described as more committed to settlements than any Israel's history, are leading in the opposite direction. They are leading towards one state.'

Downing Street insisted it still opposed Israel's 'illegal' construction of settlements in the West Bank and said its criticism was expressing unease at his comments attacking the make-up of the Israeli government.

A spokesman said: 'The British Government continues to believe that the only way to a lasting peace in the Middle East is through a two-state solution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu derided U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's speech on Mideast peace process on Wednesday as 'unbalanced' and warned him against additional provocation in the 'waning days' of the Obama administration

'We continue to believe that the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal, which is why we supported UN Security Council Resolution 2334 last week.

'But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict. In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long.'

The US State Department hit straight back, pointing out that nine other major nations had backed Mr Kerry's condemnation of Mr Netanyahu.

A spokesperson said: 'We are grateful for the strongly supportive statements in response to Secretary Kerry's speech from across the world, including Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others.

'We are surprised by the UK Prime Minister's office statement given that Secretary Kerry's remarkswhich covered the full range of threats to a two state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlementswere in-line with the UK's own longstanding policy and its vote at the United Nations last week.'

Benjamin Netanyahu called the Kerry speech 'unbalanced' and mocked President Obama by posting a picture to his Facebook page of him as a presidential candidate in 2008 visiting the Western Wall and noted that the US is now calling it 'occupied Palestinian territory. 'Seriously?' he wrote

Mr Kerry's speech sparked a major diplomatic war of words between the US and Israeli governments.

Mr Netanyahu called the speech 'unbalanced' and said that 'Israelis do not need to be lectured on the importance of peace'.

He posted a picture to his Facebook page of Mr Obama visiting the Western Wall in 2008 when he was a presidential candidate and noted that the US is now calling it 'occupied Palestinian territory. 'Seriously?' he wrote.

Mr Netanyahu also penned a note of thanks to Mr Trump for his 'clear-cut support' for Israel.

The social media post came after Trump tweeted his own message of support for Israel.

Mr Trump and the outgoing Obama administration are now entirely at odds over Israel, with the president-elect accusing the lame-duck White House of 'disdain and neglect' for the country.

Donald Trump and the outgoing Obama administration are now entirely at odds over Israel, with the president-elect accusing the lame-duck White House of 'disdain and neglect' for the country

The Republican President-elect took to Twitter to say Israel had been treated 'very, very unfairly' by the Obama administration and maintained that countries that are 'horrible places' never get reprimanded.

He refused to directly answer a question about whether Israel should stop building settlements, saying he is 'very, very strong on Israel'.

Mr Trump said Israel is 'up for 20 reprimands' at the United Nations, whereas nations that are 'horrible places, that treat people horribly, haven't even been reprimanded.'

His comments follow the United Nations' condemnation of the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Several of the youngsters suffered fractures and

A criminal investigation has been opened in Russia after children were crushed in an appalling escalator accident at a shopping centre.

A video shows scenes of panic when a child stumbles getting off the moving stairway, and others fall over him.

People rushed to help the nine and ten-year-old children trapped helpless on the floor, but more from the group of 44 students at a local school kept coming down the escalator.

A video shows scenes of panic when a child stumbles getting off the moving stairway, and others fall over him

Five young girls from School Number 37 in the city of Stavropol remain in hospital suffering from 'lacerations and fractures' sustained in the frightening crush.

'It was lucky no-one was killed as the children piled on top of each other,' said an eyewitness.

Alexander Grets added: 'My 10-year-old sister is among the victims. She had her leg and arm broken.'

And police are now investigating teachers accompanying the group for negligence.

During the scramble, no-one appeared to know how to stop the escalator.

The children had been to the cinema on a school trip and were on their way home.

A representative of Investigative Committee - equivalent of the FBI - said: 'The victims suffered broken bones and lacerated wounds.

Five young girls from School Number 37 in the city of Stavropol remain in hospital suffering from 'lacerations and fractures' sustained in the frightening crush

The children had been to the cinema on a school trip and were on their way home

'Teachers who accompanied the group of children did not provide safety for the health and lives of the children.'

On deep escalators on the Moscow Metro, security guards routinely monitor passengers, and can halt the moving stairs in the event of problems.
Bruce Chadwick, 48, was found dead in an apparent suicide on Thursday night

A former Columbia University professor was found dead inside a rental car in Manhattan just a day after he left several suicide notes at his apartment.

Bruce Chadwick, 48, was unconscious and unresponsive when police discovered him in a red Zipcar around 11.10pm on Thursday.

Chadwick was parked just blocks away from his Harlem apartment, where his girlfriend had found multiple typed suicide notes the day before.

His death is being investigated as a suicide. Chadwick was reportedly found with a plastic bag over his head, police sources told the New York Post.

Authorities said he had no apparent signs of trauma.

Chadwick's girlfriend reported him missing after she found the notes, which indicated that he wanted to take his own life.

Chadwick's death comes just a day after his girlfriend (believed to be pictured with him here) discovered several typed suicide notes in his apartment on Wednesday night

The notes also revealed that Chadwick had become depressed after losing a job and was scared to live a life of poverty, sources told the Post.

Chadwick was last seen leaving his apartment around 9.30pm on Wednesday.

The day before he disappeared, Chadwick updated his cover photo on Facebook that showed a sunset over a pier.

Some of his friends had hoped it was a clue as to where he had gone, and many tried to figure out where the picture had been taken.

Chadwick ran his own consulting firm and was a former assistant professor of international affairs at Columbia, as well as an adjunct professor of economics and finance at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

He most recently worked as a quantitative analyst at EquityKey, according to his LinkedIn page.
Eight neglected horses were rescued from a Texas property this week.

They were seized from the Acres Homes area of Houston on Wednesday by the Houston Humane Society, the Houston Police Department and Harris County Constable's Office Precinct 5.

The underweight animals are aged between three and 20 years old, the Houston Humane Society said in a Thursday release.

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Eight neglected horses were rescued from a Texas property this week

They were seized from the Acres Homes area of Houston on Wednesday by the Houston Humane Society, the Houston Police Department and Harris County Constable's Office Precinct 5

A horse is pictured in a photograph from the Houston Humane Society

It said: 'The horses were without access to adequate food and water and living in mud and manure so deep they could barely walk.

'The equines are visibly underweight, full of intestinal parasites, and show signs of long term neglect including rain rot on their coats, lack of any hoof or dental care, and suffer from untreated wounds.

'Each one is now under veterinary care at the Houston Humane Society's Animal Wellness Clinic where they are receiving the medical attention they so desperately need.'

The underweight animals are three years old to 20 years old, the Humane Society said

It said: 'The horses were without access to adequate food and water and living in mud and manure so deep they could barely walk'

The Houston Humane Society said: 'The equines are visibly underweight, full of intestinal parasites, and show signs of long term neglect including rain rot on their coats, lack of any hoof or dental care, and suffer from untreated wounds'

The Houston Humane Society said: 'Each one is now under veterinary care at the Houston Humane Society's Animal Wellness Clinic where they are receiving the medical attention they so desperately need'

The Houston Humane Society's Monica Schmidt said 'Hooves are so overgrown that they're starting to grow upwards, like a duck bill. And that's very painful for the horses to stand on'

The Houston Humane Society's Monica Schmidt told Click 2 Houston: 'I really think, by stepping in, we saved their lives.

'They were stuck in a very small enclosure, especially too small for eight horses, that was complete mud, muck and manure.'

Schmidt revealed: 'Hooves are so overgrown that they're starting to grow upwards, like a duck bill. And that's very painful for the horses to stand on.'

She told the television station the horses dealt with months to years of neglect.

A horse is pictured with a constable for Harris County in this image

Schmidt said: 'They were stuck in a very small enclosure, especially too small for eight horses, that was complete mud, muck and manure'

The animals are now being cared for at an animal wellness clinic, the Houston Humane Society says

The Houston Humane Society said: 'HPD arrested two individuals on scene at the time of the animal seizure, one for an outstanding warrant for burglary and one for possession of cocaine.'

Authorities charged 60-year-old Jeffrey Murphy with possession of a controlled substance, and 43-year-old Robert Herman Smith was arrested on a burglary warrant, ABC13 reported.

Complaints had come in to police about malnourished horses, according to the TV station.

Authorities charged 60-year-old Jeffrey Murphy (left) with possession of a controlled substance, and 43-year-old Robert Herman Smith (right) was arrested on a burglary warrant

Complaints had come in to police about malnourished horses
A tourist visiting from Vietnam has been left bloodied and bruised after he was assaulted in a traffic incident in Sydney.

Thien Nguyen was driving to a picnic with his girlfriend in Brighton Le Sands on Friday when a man in a white Mercedes four-wheel-drive took offence to his driving.

Mr Nguyen said he had stopped his car when he heard his girlfriend apologising before his car door swung open and he received several punches to his face, Nine News reported.

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Thien Nguyen has been left bloodied and bruised after he was assaulted in a traffic incident in Sydney

'I was just sitting in the car waiting for the lights to turn green, and I hear my girlfriend saying "sorry, sorry",' Mr Nguyen said.

'And the door got opened and I came out of the car and he started hitting me repeatedly.

Mr Nguyen suffered a chipped tooth, stitches to his cheek and a bloodied nose in the short but violent attack.

The young man was taken to St George Hospital for treatment but was released a short time later.

The driver of the Mercedes four-wheel-drive is known to police. He fled the scene before briefly returning in another vehicle and then leaving again.

Mr Nguyen suffered a chipped tooth, stitches to his cheek and a bloodied nose in the short but violent attack

Thien Nguyen was driving to a picnic with his girlfriend (pictured) in Brighton Le Sands on Friday when a man in a white Mercedes four-wheel-drive took offence to his driving
Five Afghan teenagers have been convicted of gang-raping a boy in Sweden - but none of them will be deported because their homeland is 'too dangerous', it has emerged.

The victim, who is under 15, was filmed during the attack, which happened in woodland in Uppsala, south east Sweden.

He was beaten and dragged out to the forest at knife-point before being subjected to an ordeal lasting more than an hour, prosecutors say.

After a trial, the teenagers were found guilty of aggravated rape - but despite requests by prosecutors, they will not be expelled from Sweden because of their age and the dangers they would face in their homeland.

Five Afghan teenagers have been convicted of gang-raping a boy at knife-point in a forest in Uppsala (pictured) in Sweden - but none of them will be deported, it has emerged

The court said that the boys would have been 'hit very hard' by deportation because of the security situation in Afghanistan.

Four of the defendants received jail terms of 15 months while the fifth was given 13 months, Expressen reports.

Prosecutors had claimed that one of the attackers filmed parts of the assault, overnight on October 24 and 25, and posted the footage on social media.

The victim, also from Afghanistan, went to police before five suspects were detained on child rape charges, it has been reported in Sweden.

All five denied the accusations with one saying he was not present.

Two others said they did not remember what they were doing while the final pair made 'some concessions'.

Court papers said the teenagers, aged 16 and 17, 'inflicted beatings' to the child's head and body before 'grabbing the defendant, covering his mouth and dragging or carrying him into a woodland area'.

At this point, the court papers say, each of the accused carried out serious sexual assaults on the child who was also bitten on the back and spat on.

The boy was beaten and dragged out to the forest at knifepoint before being subjected to an ordeal lasting more than an hour, prosecutors say

All arrived in Sweden as unaccompanied minors seeking asylum and could be deported if convicted.

According to local media, the alleged perpetrators and the victim knew each other but the motive for the attack is not yet known.

Stefan Wallin, a defense lawyer representing one youth, said his client neither admits nor denies the charges.

"He has no recollection of the events because of alcohol intoxication," Wallin told the AP.

Defense lawyers for the others didn't immediately return requests for comment.
Kylie Minogue stunned staff and shoppers when she popped into a sweet shop in a tiny Scottish village today

Kylie Minogue stunned staff when she popped into a sweet shop in a tiny Scottish village today.

The Aussie singing sensation was pictured at Dee Valley Confectioners in Ballater, Aberdeenshire.

She was in the area to watch a local pipe band. She parked her Land Rover and walked in with two friends.

But the 48-year-old did not go for the Lucky, lucky Tatties or sample two foam hearts but instead opted for a packet of dolly mixture and a bag of soor plooms.

Wendy Anderson, who has worked at Dee Valley Confectioners for 30 years, kept having to double-take as she couldn't get out of her head who she thought had walked into the store.

Ms Anderson said: 'I kept looking at her thinking 'I know who that is', I asked her where she was from and eventually I had to ask if she was who I thought she was.

'I knew who she was but I didn't want to be ignorant and just blurt it out.

'She spent a good 10-15 minutes in the shop and was very polite and talkative.

'She was speaking about the village and Prince Charles' restaurant.'

'Unfortunately she didn't go for the lucky, lucky tatties but she seemed very happy with the boiled sweets that she bought.

'It's not every day that a star like that walks in though. I was a fan when I was younger, she was my era.

'On one occasion Eric Idle, Robin Williams and Steve Martin were all in the shop at the same time.'

The Aussie singing sensation was pictured at Dee Valley Confectioners in Ballater, Aberdeenshire

It's not the first time Kylie has visited the North-east of Scotland in recent years.

In 2009, she attended a friend's wedding at Drumtochty Castle in Auchenblae, Aberdeenshire.

She was a guest at the wedding of Kevin Main and her pal Alison McGregor.
Bigots have issued death threats against Ecuador's first transgender parents and vowed to kill their infant son, the couple have revealed.

Diane Rodriguez and her partner Fernando Machado welcomed the arrival of their son Sununu in June.

Diane, who was born a man still has not undergone her gender reassignment surgery, while Fernando, who was born a woman, also has not had the transitional treatment.

Diane Rodriguez, right, and her partner Fernando Machado, left, pictured with their son Sununu, have revealed that they have received death threats from bigots in Ecuador

The pair met on social media and became the first transgender couple to conceive naturally and give birth to a child in South America when baby Sununu arrived in June

Diane, right, 33, who was born a man, and Fernando, left, 22, who was born a woman, have both yet to undergo full gender reassignment surgery allowing them to conceive naturally

The couple met three years ago on social media and fell in love.

Last year, they revealed to the world that they were expecting their first child.

However, now they have been forced to seek

A transgender couple are being bombarded with death threats after the man, who used to be a woman, gave birth to their son.

Diane Rodriguez and her partner Fernando Machado welcomed Sununu in June.

Neither Diane or Fernando have undergone surgery during their gender reassignment process, so becoming pregnant was still possible.

But Diane revealed that the couple, who met three years ago on social media, have received death threats against their family and have asked the police for protection.

Diane, said she and Fernando wish to have more children but will adopt rather than give birth

The 34-year-old mother-of-one told The Mirror: 'In general the reaction of both my family and people in general has been positive. Transphobic and homophobic people have also become present, even threatening to kill our son.

'We have already spoken with the authorities here in Ecuador to protect us. We have asked for support also to give guaranteed safety in our house. We know that the people who want to attack us are few, but we have to take the necessary assurances.'

She said despite their ordeal, they are planning to have more children, although they may adopt in future.
President Obama said the compounds were used for spying, and officially kicked the Russians out at noon

Dramatic pictures showed the convoy of vehicles leaving estates in Maryland and on Long Island, New York

Vans with diplomatic plates were loaded with boxes and seen being driven out of the compounds on Friday

packing up government residences in Maryland and New York on Friday

, since many were struggling to book flights

Kremlin said Friday it will be sending a plane for the diplomats

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The Russian government will send a plane to ferry its diplomats out of the U.S., after President Obama expelled them in a new round of sanctions against the country for its alleged meddling in the presidential election.

On Thursday, the president labeled 35 Russian diplomats from the country's embassy in Washington, DC and consulate in San Francisco 'persona non grata' - giving them 72 hours to get out of the country.

Previous reports stated that some of the diplomats were having a hard time booking travel out of the U.S. at the last minute and during the holiday season.

The Kremlin addressed the issue on Friday, saying they would be sending a plane to the U.S. to pick up these expelled diplomats and their families, ensuring that they are out of the country by Obama's New Year's Day deadline.

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Dasvidaniya: The Russian government is sending this plane, an Ilyushin Il-96 - to the U.S. to ferry its expelled diplomats out of the country by New Year's Day

PUTIN WILL NOT EXPEL ANY U.S. DIPLOMATS IN RESPONSE TO OBAMA'S SANCTIONS Russian President Vladimir Putin held his rival Barack Obama up to ridicule on Friday by declining to engage in tit-for-tat expulsions. Putin had been expected to mirror Obama's decision to expel 35 intelligence agents with Cold War style revenge expulsions. His foreign minister had called for the measure, but instead Putin said he was waiting to deal with incoming President Donald Trump. 'We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone,' Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of U.S. diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin. Advertisement

In their announcement on Twitter, the Kremlin included a picture of the Rossiya Special Flight Squadron aircraft that will be sent to the U.S.

The plane, an Ilyushin Il-96, is part of the fleet of aircraft which ferry Putin, his ministers and senior politicians around Russia and beyond.

As he ordered the airlift, Putin also mocked Obama by declining to carry out tit-for-tat expulsions of U.S. diplomats and instead inviting their children to a holiday party at the Kremlin  as well as saying he would wait for Donald Trump to become president before deciding what to do next.

Putin's officials launched a tirade of abuse at Obama and his administration, calling them 'angry and shallow brained losers', while a senior member of the Russian parliament called the president a 'political corpse'.

The expulsion of the 35 diplomats isn't the only part of President Obama's new round of sanctions. The president is also closing two Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York, while placing sanctions on six Russian individuals and five Kremlin-associated entities.

President Obama said the sanctions were in response to Russia's allegedly coordinated hacks on the Republican and Democratic National Committees, that resulted in leaks he says were aimed at swaying the U.S. election.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied such hacks.

On Friday, the Russians quickly packed up two compounds in Maryland and New York, which President Obama is closing in the new round of sanctions. Above, the Russian compound in Centreville, Maryland on Friday, where a ladder was left propped up in the last minute move

President Obama cut off Russian access to the two buildings starting at noon on Friday. That left the Russians with little time to pack of the houses. Above, another view of the Maryland compound - where a window was left ajar

People are seen gathered outside the Russian-owned Maryland compound on Thursday

A long line of moving trucks, SUVs and buses were seen leaving the Russian government's estate in Centreville, Maryland on Friday

A convoy of vehicles with diplomatic plates driving away from the Russian compound near Centerville, Maryland on Friday

The Russian government-owned compoud in Centreville, Maryland is seen above

Vans arrived at the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC on Friday, after emptying the government's compounds

TRUMP RESPONDS: MOVE ON Donald Trump's chosen White House press secretary on Thursday urged the Obama administration to show its cards if it has solid proof that Russia was behind a series of election-year computer hacks that may have cost Hillary Clinton the presidency. Trump has shrugged off the suggestion that Moscow engineered the cyber attacks, but Sean Spicer told reporters during a morning conference call that his position could change in the face of evidence. 'If the United States has clear proof of anyone interfering with our elections, we should make that known.' Spicer said. 'Right now we need to see further facts.' President Obama announced new sanctions against Russia for the alleged hacks, a day after Donald Trump said it was time to move on. 'I think we ought to get on with our lives,' Trump said of the alleged hacking. Advertisement

On Thursday and Friday, Russian officials were seen hurriedly closing both of their estates in Maryland and New York.

President Obama gave the government until noon on Friday to get out of the compounds - which he said were used for spying - before the State Department took custody of the residences.

The compound in Maryland is located along the Corsica River in Centerville. It's unclear which Russian compound the U.S. government is closing in New York - since they own two estates on Long Island's upscale Gold Coast.

There was heavy traffic in and out of both estates - called Elmcroft and Killenworth - before the noon deadline on Friday.

Reports indicate that the 45-acre Maryland retreat was bought by the former Soviet Union in 1972 and historically served as a recreational getaway for its diplomats seeking a respite from the diplomatic whirl in nearby Washington, D.C. The Russian government maintained it, after the Soviet Union fell.

On Thursday, people who identified themselves as U.S. State Department employees asked reporters to leave when they approached the Maryland property.

When U.S. tensions were at their highest with the Soviet Union, the Federal Bureau of Investigation kept an office in Centreville, residents said.

The FBI office closed years ago, they said, and over time neighbors in this community of about 4,500 people got used to Russian-accented officials shopping at the liquor store, hunting nearby and dining at a popular Irish pub, O'Shucks.

The Russians own two compounds in New York, in the upscale Glen Clove neighborhood of Long Island. The U.S. government did not confirm which of the two estates was closing. Above - one of the Russian-owned estates, Killenworth, is seen on Friday

Cars are seen entering the Killenworth estate on Friday, as Russian officials officials closed down one of their Long Island compounds

Killenworth - one of two Russian government-owned compounds on Glen Cove, Long Island, New York - is seen from above

Alison Davis, who lives nearby, said the Russians have been using that complex for years.

'We coexist with these people peacefully. It's basically their summer cottage, but we see the diplomat tags driving here all the time, very friendly,' she said. 'We see them biking, say hello.'

Still, she said, local residents don't 'really have any interactions with them. They kind of keep to themselves.'

She said the compound has a private beach and had been known to be used for a sailing regatta at the end-of-summer Labor Day holiday weekend.

George Sigler, a Centreville councilman, said he had visited the compound several times for the regatta. There, Sigler said, he socialized with diplomats, including a former Russian ambassador to the United States, Yuri Ushakov.

'We were all talking the same language, they were all my age,' said Sigler, a former Marine who at one point in his service defended U.S. embassy compounds. 'All of us drank way too much vodka.'

Once, just hours after Sigler admired the quality of the vodka served at the compound, Ushakov had a bottle of it dropped off at the town hall, Sigler said.

But mostly, residents said, the Russians appeared to keep to themselves, outsiders in this otherwise tight-knit town, where many families have roots going back generations.

Reverend Joseph Lingan, 59, spent time at a weekend retreat for Jesuit priests next to the Russian compound. He said his foreign neighbors always felt distant when he passed them in town or on the road.

'People here tend to wave to me,' he said. He paused and gestured towards the compound. 'They don't tend to wave.'

Elmcroft, one of the Russian's two Long Island estates, is seen on Friday as movers frantically load vans with boxes

The Russians had until noon on Friday to get out of their Maryland and New York compounds before the State Department took custody

A van is seen leaving the Elmcroft estate on Friday, before the noon deadline

The Elmcroft estate (pictured above on Friday) located in the village of Upper Brookville in the town of Oyster Bay, was originally purchased by the Soviet Union in the 1950s

President Obama (right) is seen meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) at the 2012 G20 Summit in Mexico

An Associated Press story from 1992 about the sprawling property said at the time that the brick mansion had been converted into 12 apartments and a dozen cottages, each with four apartments; in total, the compound can accommodate 40 families at a time, according to that report.

That report also said the property then boasted four lighted tennis courts, a swimming pool and a soccer field - and that a summer camp was held there for Russian children and for two weeks each Christmas.

A senior U.S. law enforcement official said the U.S. government had long known the compound was used by Russia for intelligence operations, but had not previously seen it as an immediate threat.

The Russian government says that its two old Gold Coast mansions on Long Island are used as weekend retreats for its United Nations diplomats. Both are more than an hour's drive from UN headquarters in New York City.

One, the Elmcroft estate, located in the village of Upper Brookville in the town of Oyster Bay, was originally purchased by the Soviet Union in the 1950s. The other is the Killenworth mansion, not far away in the small city of Glen Cove, also bought during the Cold War era.

U.S. officials didn't clarify which of the two countryside compounds would be closed, but Glen Cove mayor Reggie Spinello said Friday that it wasn't Killenworth. And about a dozen men with badges and black SUVs who identified themselves as being with the U.S. State Department blocked the gate Friday to the Upper Brookville estate.

Both Long Island properties were the subject of long-running property battles between the Russian government and local officials, who insisted that the luxurious estates be subject to property taxes. Those disputes have since been resolved, and for years the Town of Oyster Bay has waived parking and beach permit fees for Russia's U.N. diplomatic staff as a goodwill gesture.
President-elect Donald Trump will set to work making America great again on Day One and is cutting down the length of his inaugural parade to an hour and change so he has time to 'get some work done' before the ceremonial balls he's said he'll attend.

President Barack Obama's parades took up some two hours of his day. Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential library says in 1957 it took three and a half hours to complete a three-mile route.

'This is going to be a shorter parade, an hour to hour and a half or so so he can go to work,' Alex Stroman, a spokesman for his inaugural committee, told Breitbart News. 'Thats what the American people elected him to do.'

President-elect Donald Trump will set to work making America great again on Day One and is cutting down the length of his inaugural parade to an hour and change. Above, President Barack Obama and his wife make the procession from the Capitol to the White House

Obama's parades took up some two hours of his day. He's seen here with wife Michelle at the first one in 2009

READY TO GET STARTED: Trump is shortening his parade so 'he can go to work,' a spokesman for his inaugural committee said

Trump is doing away with much of the pomp and circumstance the Obamas added to the agenda in 2009.

He'll attend dinners in his honor in addition to incoming Vice President Mike Pence and his cabinet secretaries in the days before he takes office, and hold a concert in celebration of the American people, the Presidential Inaugural Committee has said.

The day before he takes the oath of office he'll participate in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and a 'Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration' down the road at the Lincoln Memorial.

Jan. 20 he will take the Oath of Office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol and hold a parade before he attends two formal balls and one for servicemen and women that he's expanding to include wounded warriors, veterans, police fireman and other public servants.

'There will three balls instead of 10, as there were in 2009 with President Obama because this presidentDonald J. Trumpis all about getting to work and making sure Americans are safe in their homes, safe in their jobs,' PIC Communications Director Boris Epshteyn told Breitbart.

Obama's inaugural festivities lasted five days in 2009. He paid homage to Abraham Lincoln, born 200 years before, and the Gettysburg Address with a line from the Civil War speech: 'A New Birth of Freedom.'

He recreated Lincoln's 1861 whistle stop train tour, riding the rails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Washington, D.C. The former Illinois senator, who resigned his position to move into the White House, was joined by 'everyday Americans' on the ride.

Trump is doing away with much of the pomp and circumstance the Obamas added to the agenda in 2009. 'Donald J. Trump is all about getting to work and making sure Americans are safe in their homes, safe in their jobs,' PIC Communications Director Boris Epshteyn said

oe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama board their antique Pullman Georgia 300 train car at the station on January 17, 2009 in Wilmington, Delaware. Obama traveled by train from Philadelphia to Washington as homage to former President Abraham Lincoln, who took a pre-inaugural whistle-stop tour in 1861

AT LAST: The Obamas attended 10 inaugural balls on the evening of the inauguration, including one where they were serenaded by Beyonce

TRUMP INAUGURAL The Presidential Inaugural Committee says festivities associated with Donald Trump's swearing in will cover a five- day span, starting on Tuesday, Jan. 17. The president-elect will attend 'several dinners' in his honor as well as the 'ice-President-elect, and cabinet secretaries, a concert celebrating the American people, the swearing-in, the inaugural parade, two inaugural balls and a ball saluting our armed forces and first responders.' THE OFFICIAL SCHEDULE Thursday, January 19, 2017 Wreath Laying Ceremony Arlington National Cemetery Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration Lincoln Memorial (Ticket required for special viewing areas. No ticket required for general public viewing areas.) Friday, January 20, 2017 Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony US Capitol Inaugural Parade Pennsylvania Avenue (Ticket required for special viewing areas. No ticket required for general public viewing areas) Inaugural Balls (Ticket required  limited availability) Saturday, January 21, 2017 National Prayer Service Washington National Cathedral Advertisement

The following day his inaugural committee held a free 'We Are One' concert at the Lincoln Memorial that attracted 400,000 people.

On the third day of activities, a federal holiday, Obama sponsored a day of national service as a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and met with wounded warriors at their families at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington. That evening he attended three dinners honoring veterans.

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife to Obama's vice president Joe Biden, hosted a 'Kids' Inaugural: We Are the Future' at D.C.'s Verizon Center that night. Bow Wow, Jamie Foxx, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and other celebrities joined them at the appreciation event for military families.

Obama followed tradition on Inauguration Day, taking the Oath of Office in front of the U.S. Capitol and delivering an address before he partook in a bipartisan luncheon with lawmakers in the old House of Representatives' chambers, and the 1.5 mile procession from the Capitol to the White House.

The Obamas attended 10 inaugural balls that evening, memorably dancing to Beyonce's rendition of 'At Last' at one. The newly minted president went to an eleventh ball the next night for campaign staff.

The day after Obama's inauguration the first family also participated in a prayer service at Washington National Cathedral.

America's first black president, Obama had the highest attended inauguration in 2009, when the entire National Mall was opened up for the first time to fit the giant crowd. An estimated 1.8 million people packed themselves between monuments to watch his swearing in.

His second inauguration lasted only three days, however, with a formal ceremony taking place on Sun. Jan 20 and a public inaugural and address in front of the Capitol the next day.

The Obama's attended just two official galas that year, one of which was the Commander-in-Chief's Ball that George W. Bush started and Trump is expanding, and the staff ball the next night. The third day of events also saw them participate in a national day of prayer at the Washington National Cathedral again.

America's Got Talent runner-up Jackie Evancho, 16, is singing the National Anthem at Trump's swearing in ceremony. In 2009 the honor went to singing legend Aretha Franklin. Beyonce performed at 2013 ceremony, drawing flack for singing to a pre-recorded track

Trump's inaugurations is expected to have half a million attendees.

His transition inagural committee is claiming that his swearing in will have less fanfare than Obama's because he doesn't want the attention on him.

'Its all about the people,' Epshteyn told Breitbart. 'Its not about any one celebrity or any one entertainer or about any of those folks sipping champagne and cocktails somewhere in the Hamptons or in Beverly Hills.'

The committee has struggled to sign top talent for the events it is having.

America's Got Talent runner-up Jackie Evancho, 16, is singing the National Anthem at Trump's swearing in ceremony. In 2009 the honor went to singing legend Aretha Franklin. Beyonce performed at 2013 ceremony, drawing flack for singing to a pre-recorded track.

The Radio City Rockettes and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are also performing at the Trump event.
Kim Cattrall has offended the British side of her family by having a gravestone put up with her name inscribed on it  even though she is only 60 and seemingly in good health

Kim Cattrall has hit back at claims that she hijacked a family burial plot with a new gravestone featuring her own name by insisting she had no idea any other relatives existed.

The Sex and the City star was criticised by her estranged cousin for removing a headstone - which marked where four members of the family were buried - and replacing it with one that included hers and her late father's names.

Her cousin Michelle Cox, 49, accused Miss Cattrall of 'a total lack of respect' for 'bagsying' a spot in the plot in Waverley, Liverpool, without the family's permission.

But Miss Cattrall has now responded to the allegations, claiming she had no idea Mrs Cox - who is her auntie's daughter - existed.

Describing how she was 'shocked' at the revelations, she added that it had been her father's wish for him and her to be buried at the family plot.

The Liverpool-born actress said he had been 'especially proud' when she returned to her home city to star in Shakespeare's Antony And Cleopatra in 2010. The new inscription on the gravestone reads 'the Liverpool Cleopatra', in reference to that play.

She wrote on Facebook: 'When I first contacted the Vicar at Wavertree Holy Trinity regarding my father's wishes to be laid to rest in his family's grave, there was no claim on the grave.

'My Dad died 2 years later in 2012 and he was buried later that same year.

'It was also my father's wish I be buried there as well. We wanted a new headstone including his name and mine (when the time comes).

'None of my British or Canadian family had heard the name "Cox" before 4 days ago. The Cox family are not my family. I have never met them or known of them.'

Miss Cattrall added that her 'coming home' to Liverpool had been 'an important moment' for her father.

'He was especially proud of me coming home to Liverpool in 2010 to play "Cleopatra" at the Playhouse - he called me "The Liverpool Cleopatra",' she said.

'I love my Dad and he loved Liverpool as I do. It will always be home to us and our Cattrall family. I am proudly Liverpudlian.

'When the violinist at my dad's grave played "You Never Walk Alone" after the service I had never felt more connected to my birth place.'

The inscription refers to her as 'the Liverpool Cleopatra', a reference to her much-publicised return to the stage in her home city in 2010 in Shakespeare's Antony And Cleopatra. The original headstone at Holy Trinity Church in Wavertree, Liverpool, referred to their grandparents William and Edith Cattrall, Mrs Cox's mother Edna and her elder brother David

Earlier this week, Ms Cox described how she had gone to visit her mother's grave on Christmas Day when she saw that the headstone had been swapped.

Her mother Edna is buried there alongside her parents William and Edith Cattrall - the grandparents of both Miss Cattrall and Ms Cox - and her elder brother David, who died at the age of one.

But, when she arrived, she saw the headstone had been replaced to include the actress - who is 60 and in seemingly good health - and her late father Dennis, who died in 2012.

Mrs Cox, a nurse, said the headstone looks 'totally different' and said she had no idea the actress intended to be buried in the family plot.

Her cousin Michelle Cox (standing, pictured with her sister Diane), 49, has accused the actress of 'a total lack of respect' after she discovered the new gravestone on a Christmas Day visit to the family plot where her mother  Miss Cattrall's aunt  is buried

She added: 'It doesn't seem right that someone who has spent the majority of her life in Canada and the US can come to Liverpool and bagsy a grave simply by putting their name on it.'

But Miss Cattrall defended her moves, saying she had no idea there was any other family members to consider.

In the statement, she added: 'If the Cox family are related then they have never before made any contact to my British or Canadian Cattrall family.

'I have never met them or known of them. My Dad never spoke of his late sister.

'We never received birthday or Xmas card greetings nor had any idea she had children (as far as we knew she never married) other than an illegitimate child that we knew of that was laid in that grave.'

Miss Cattrall was born in Liverpool but her parents took her to Canada when she was three months old.

Miss Cattrall (right, in Sex And The City) was born in Liverpool but her parents took her to Canada when she was three months old. She returned to the city from the ages of 11 to 16 to go to secondary school

She returned to the city from the ages of 11 to 16 to go to secondary school, before returning for her part as Cleopatra.

She had revealed earlier this month that there was a headstone in Liverpool 'waiting with my name, my birthdate and then a dash and space for the date of my death'.

She said: 'It's where I want to go and rest when this fantastic ride is over. It's a family grave and there is space left for me.'

Mrs Cox said she had never met her famous cousin as a result of a family rift that began when her mother met and married her father, who was from Barbados.

Miss Cattrall's father did not approve of the mixed-race relationship, she said.

'I have never spoken to Kim,' she added. 'When we replaced the gravestone when my mum died in 1985, it was engraved with the same wording that has been there since 1939.

'This new gravestone is totally different. It doesn't feel like my mum's grave any more. I was absolutely shocked. It felt like I'd been burgled.'
American socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein has sensationally claimed she is broke after ex-husband's family trust cut off her multi-million dollar annual maintenance.

The so-called Catwoman' is as famous for her bizarre appearance after extensive plastic surgery as for her scandalous 1999 split from billionaire art dealer Alec Wildenstein.

She has been widely regarded as being one of the wealthiest women in the United States after securing a $2.5million (2 million) divorce payment and $100million (80 million) a year in maintenance.

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American socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein has sensationally claimed she is broke after ex-husband's family trust cut off her multi-million dollar annual maintenance

The 76-year-old has told international film-maker Daphne Barak that she is without an income, unable to travel or pay for basics including food after the Wildenstein family trust fund that made her monthly payments dried up

But recently the 76-year-old has told international film-maker Daphne Barak that she is without an income, unable to travel or pay for basics including food after the Wildenstein family trust fund that made her monthly payments dried up.

It came just weeks before she appeared in a New York court accused of wounding her fashion designer boyfriend Lloyd Klein with a pair of scissors

And her claims of destitution are the latest twist in a barely believable saga that began with her 1978 marriage into one of the richest and most influential families in the world.

They endured a highly publicised split a decade later after she had discovered her husband in bed with a young blonde Russian model.

Wildenstein, left, is as famous for her bizarre appearance after extensive plastic surgery as for her scandalous 1999 split from billionaire art dealer Alec Wildenstein, right

He fled to France, and claimed he was penniless and that the family fortune was all in the hands of his autocratic father, Daniel.

She eventually reached a settlement with the family that guaranteed her monthly payments of around $111,000 (90,000). But now, she says, the money has stopped.

Daniel Wildenstein died in 2001 and Alec himself passed away in 2008 aged 67 - leaving his brother Guy in control of the family art dealing and race horse breeding businesses.

However, to further complicate matters, Guy has now been charged by the French police with massive tax evasion.

Wildenstein in court last month after being accused of attacking her boyfriend with scissors. She now claims she has been left destitute

Last month Wildenstein, left, was arrested after what was described as a frenzied attack on her French couturier boyfriend Lloyd Klein, right, in their shared apartment at Trump Tower

Her ex-boyfriend Klein told Barak just days before the alleged assault that Wildenstein would not be coming to a planned meeting in Los Angeles because she could not afford the air fare from New York.

He added: Jocelyn needs help. She doesnt have a penny. I have been paying all her expenses the last year and a half. I cant anymore, I am not Wildenstein. I am not that rich.

Wildenstein later told Barak that her last monthly $111,000 (90,000) payment from the family trust in France came in March 2015.

Wildenstein with her boyfriend Klein before they split. He earlier claimed he had been paying all of her expenses for a year and a half

Then they stopped coming, she added. I wasnt ready for it. How can I pay for dental care, doctors, the expenses of my homes or travelling. I have nothing to pay with.

You know, it cannot be, that one day - all of the sudden - they stop the payments... Just leaving me like that... They expected me to live only 20 years.

The 76-year-old said she needs to sell her Trump Tower apartments to make ends meet and is now considering legal action against the trust.

The Wildenstein family trust has been approached for comment but they are yet to respond.

Wildenstein, of course, is also famous for her lavish expenditure - her facelifts have cost more than $2.5million (2 million), she has three apartments in Trump Tower in New York and spends more than $555,000 (450,000) a year on food and $62,000 (50,000) on telephone calls. At one point she is said to have kept two tigers in a bullet proof glass cage.

Last month she was arrested after what was described as a frenzied attack on her French couturier boyfriend in their shared apartment at Trump Tower.

She was accused of cutting his face and chest with scissors and throwing hot wax over him after flying into a 'violent rage'.

He was later photographed with clear wound marks on his face and it was claimed he had been forced to push her into a cupboard to prevent further attacks.

Then earlier this month, Klein was himself arrested after apparently trying to collect personal belongings.

Wildenstein is also famous for her lavish expenditure - her facelifts have cost more than $2.5million (2 million), she has three apartments in Trump Tower in New York and spends more than $555,000 (450,000) a year on food

Jocelyn Wildenstein pictured before she started having a string of plastic surgery procedures

He is said to be facing a number of charges including assault, grand larceny and criminal mischief.

Wildenstein has so far refused to discuss the latest incidents.

She told Barak that she blames her daughter Diane for failing to help her financially.

This is despite the fact that Diane has stood by her mother for years. She is now estranged from her and her other child Alec.
Armed police officers will travel on the London Underground for the first time ever

Armed police officers will travel on the London Underground for the first time ever on New Year's Eve amid heightened fears of a terrorist attack on Britain's capital.

Major cities have increased security at big events following the Berlin Christmas market massacre last week, which killed 12 people when a lorry ploughed through a crowd of people.

Extra police will be drafted in for New Year due to heightened fears of a terror attack.

The Metropolitan Police revealed they will have 3,000 officers on duty on Saturday.

And today, the British Transport Police (BTP) revealed firearms patrols will deployed on the Tube to counter the terror threat.

A spokesman for the BTP said: 'New Year's Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for the emergency services and we will have officers deployed at train and tube stations across the country to provide a safe environment for all those travelling and working.

'In order to provide further reassurance, we will be extending our regular armed patrols and specialist support  which was also the case last New Year's Eve.

'You may now regularly see armed officers on the London Underground but they're just using the tube to get around on their regular patrols.'

Yesterday, Scotland Yard said its plan was 'not the result of any specific intelligence'.

Detective superintendent Phil Langworthy, the Met's spokesperson for New Year's Eve, told the Evening Standard: 'It is an exciting time of year and we want all who come to central London to have a good time.

'Officers have been planning for several months for New Year's Eve, and that plan remains under constant review. This is not as a result of any specific intelligence.

'Officers will be out and about to deter criminals and keep crowds safe but we need you to do your bit to look after yourself and those around you as well.

Major cities have increased security at big events following the Berlin Christmas market massacre last week, which killed 12 people when a lorry ploughed through a crowd of people

The Metropolitan Police revealed they will have 3,000 officers on duty on Saturday

'If you see anything suspicious or that causes you any concern please tell a police officer or steward. Keep an eye on your belongings and only bring what you need.

'I would also urge you to plan your journey. If you have a ticket for the fireworks, arrive in plenty of time as there will be search entries so it will take longer to get into the viewing area.'

Roads in central London will be closed from 2pm on Saturday including Lambeth, Westminster, Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges.

Travel across the TfL network in London is free from 11.45pm to 4.30am on New Year's Eve.

Major cities have ramped up security at big events following the Berlin Christmas market massacre last week, which killed 12 people when a lorry ploughed through a crowd of people. Pictured is Trafalgar Square in London

Today, security barriers were erected at Trafalgar Square in London (pictured)

Last week, the Met admitted they have 'detailed plans for protecting public events over the Christmas and New Year period'.

The force said: 'These already recognise that the threat level is at 'severe', meaning an attack is highly likely, and have considered a range of threats, including the use of large vehicles.

'As a matter of routine, as a precaution, we review our plans after attacks overseas, and we are doing so at present following the awful incidents in Berlin and Ankara last night.'

The vehicle left a trail of devastation in its wake, in a chilling echo of the deadly terror attack in the French city of Nice in July

Visitors to London's Winter Wonderland have raised security fears over the huge crowds queuing to get into the attraction in the wake of the Berlin Christmas market attack.

The annual event in Hyde Park draws in millions of visitors from around the world to its fairground rides, Christmas markets and food stalls.
Distressing footage has emerged of a child being pulled from the rubble after a wave of airstrikes in the Syrian capital Damascus.

The young boy, covered in dust and his own blood, is lifted from the wreckage of a building in the war-torn capital by a team of volunteer rescuers.

A man carries him away from the scene before the youngster is passed into a waiting ambulance.

The heartbreaking clip was captured hours after a truce was agreed between rebels and forces loyal to dictator Bashar al Assad.

His medical condition remains unknown.

Distressing footage has emerged of a child being pulled from the rubble after a wave of airstrikes in the Syrian capital Damascus

The child, covered in dust and his own blood, is lifted from the wreckage of a building in the war-torn capital by a team of volunteer rescuers

The heartbreaking clip was captured hours after a truce was agreed between rebels and forces loyal to dictator Bashar al Assad

According to The Syrian Civil Defence 14 were killed in airstrikes in the city of Douma and four more perished in Irbin.

Despite the violent scenes, a nationwide Syrian cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey that went into effect at midnight appeared to be holding, marking a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has disregarded high-level peace initiatives for over five years.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes early Friday between troops and rebels in the central province of Hama and near the capital, Damascus, but claimed there have been no reports of civilian casualties since the truce began.

The group also reported an aerial attack on the rebel-held Barada Valley near Damascus.

The Syrian army denied reports it was bombarding the Barada Valley region saying opposition claims aim to show that the army is not abiding by the truce.

According to The Syrian Civil Defence 14 were killed in airstrikes in the city of Douma and four more perished in Irbin

The child was rushed to a waiting ambulance after being dragged from the rubble of the airstrike

Opposition activist Mazen al-Shami, who is based in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said minor clashes nearby left one rebel wounded. Activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, in the southern Daraa province, said government forces had opened fire on rebel-held areas.

Several past attempts at halting the fighting have failed. As with previous agreements, the current cease-fire excludes both the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front, which fights alongside other rebel factions, and the Islamic State group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran.

Moscow and Tehran provide crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.

If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country's mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Putin said in announcing the agreement. He described it, however, as 'quite fragile' and requiring 'special attention and patience.'

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the cease-fire a 'major achievement' in a tweet Friday. 'Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror,' he added.

Despite the violent scenes, a nationwide Syrian cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey that went into effect at midnight appeared to be holding, marking a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has disregarded high-level peace initiatives for over five years

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran

Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one denied signing it.

A U.N. official said he hopes that cease-fire would allow them to take aid to 15 besieged areas where some 700,000 people live. Jan Egeland, Special, Advisor to the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, told The Associated Press that 'we desperately need this ceasefire.

The reports I have from the field is that there is a decrease, a marked decrease in fighting, in bombing, in violence, compared to yesterday. But certainly there's been a number of violations.'

'We're willing, we're able to go to all of the 15 remaining besieged areas beyond east Aleppo. We can go in the next (few) days to all of them. But then we need unimpeded access,' he said.

'We need the government to give us all of the permits that they require us to have before we can go. We need security guarantees from all sides and we're not given them.'

'January needs to be really different,' Egeland added, 'If not - there will be starvation, there will be untold, unnecessary deaths.'

The truce came on the heels of a Russian-Turkish agreement earlier this month to evacuate the last rebels from eastern Aleppo after they were confined to a tiny enclave by a government offensive. The retaking of all of Aleppo marked Assad's greatest victory since the start of the 2011 uprising against his family's four-decade rule.

'The defeat of the terrorists in Aleppo is an important step toward ending the war,' Assad said in an interview with TG5, an Italian TV station, adding that the capture of the city does not mean that the war has ended because 'terrorists' are still in Syria.

The United States was left out of both agreements, reflecting the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington after the failure of previous diplomatic efforts on Syria.

Assad told TG5 'we are more optimistic, with caution,' about the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested greater cooperation with Russia against extremist groups.

Syrian men gather in the rebel-held town of Saqba, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus, during a demonstration against the Syrian regime today

'We can say part of the optimism could be related to better relation between the United States and Russia,' Assad said, speaking in English.

'Mr. Trump, during his campaign - (said) that his priority is fighting terrorism, and we believe that this is the beginning of the solution, if he can implement what he announced,' Assad said in the interview, which was apparently filmed before the cease-fire was announced.

Asked about the possibility of the United States' participation in the peace process in Kazakhstan, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the process would 'be open to everyone.'

'I hope that this cease-fire holds and turns into a lasting peace so that the deaths of more innocent people, of civilians and children is halted and 2017 brings calm,' Yildirim said.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency meanwhile quoted the military as saying Russia carried out three airstrikes against ISIS targets near the northern town of al-Bab, where Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces have been battling the extremist group.

The strikes indicated that Russia and Turkey may work together to combat IS once the fighting elsewhere in Syria has been halted.

Turkish Foreign Mevlut Cavusoglu Minister said the U.S.-led coalition forces resumed aerial operations around al-Bab on Thursday, after Turkey complained that it was not getting support from its allies in its fight against IS there.

The Turkish military statement quoted by Anadolu did not say when the Russian air strikes took place, but said they killed 12 IS militants.

Separately, 26 ISIS militants, including some senior commanders, were killed in Turkish airstrikes on al-Bab and the Daglabash region, and some 17 ISIS targets were destroyed, Anadolu reported. It said a Turkish soldier was kill in a IS attack on troops south of the al-Azrak area.

It said among those killed was an IS commander known as Abu Hussein al-Tunsi.
Two of the largest families in the world came face to face this year - with 35 children between them.

The UK's biggest brood, the Radfords of Morecambe, Lancashire, who have 19 children, travelled to Queensland, Australia, to meet their counterparts Ray and Jenny Bonell and their 16 offspring.

Although they live in very different households - the Bonells have a strict code of conduct - they could certainly agree on one thing - they both want more children.

Noel and Sue Radford, who rose to fame on Channel 4 documentary 16 Kids and Counting, brought home their newest family member - Phoebe Willow - in July of this year.

The Radfords of Morecambe, Lancashire, who have 19 children, travelled to Queensland, Australia, to meet the Bonells and their 16 offspring (pictured altogether)

And weeks later they made the trip to Australia to meet their rivals down under for special episode 19 Kids and Counting, which aired last night.

They were hosted by the Bonells at their home in Toowoomba, Queensland, where they enjoyed a huge barbecue.

Patriarch Ray Bonell, 48, said: 'It's a dream come true! All these children!'

He added: 'I want as many as possible. We have been trying for another for a couple of years but it just hasn't happened for us.'

Wife Jenny, 47, who had her 16th child two years ago, added: 'If nature didn't stop me I just would not stop [having children].'

Both families appeared to be having the time of their lives as they enjoyed each others company, despite one awkward moment when the Radfords presented the Bonells with a kangaroo pie.

After initially taking it as a joke, Mrs Bonell said: 'Well thank you very much. That is something...different.

The Radfords were hosted by the Bonells at their home in Toowoomba, Queensland

Their meeting aired on Channel 4 last night in a special episode of 19 Kids and Counting

'That's not something that we would normally eat but...we are keen to give it a go.'

Mr Radford, 46, was also worried ahead of the meeting over the strict rules the Bonells operate in their household, and their expectation they would be addressed as 'Mr and Mrs' by the Radford children.

The Bonells have a 'weekly roster' of chores assigned to each children, from helping prepare meals and sweeping floors to cleaning the bathroom and toilets, with Mrs Bonell describing the household as 'realistically traditional'.

Mr Bonell added: 'Without rules in our household, I would hate to think what would happen.'

Mrs Bonell has also named each bedroom and has colour coded them so everyone knows whose bedding is whose.

On the move: The two families met for lunch in Queenstown

The Bonell family greeted the Radfords when they arrived at their home in their van

Patriarch Ray Bonell, 48, said: 'It's a dream come true! All these children!'

Daughter Natalie Bonell, 21, said: 'In this house it's almost like living in a drill camp. You have to get up, make your bed and then you have jobs to do.'

Chloe Radford, also 21, quipped: 'We are going to go home and we are all going to have colour-coded rooms now!'

But Mr Bonell was quick to reassure the Radford children that they didn't have to live the same lives just because they both had big families.

He said: 'What works for us might not work for you guys.'

Mr Radford added: 'They [my children] are all a little bit "Oooh I'm dreading going home now!"'

The Radfords run a successful family-owned bakery and pie business and do not claim benefits.

Mr Bonell added: 'I want as many as possible. We have been trying for another for a couple of years but it just hasn't happened for us.'

Fun times: Children from both enormous families met each other in the show

Phoebe, who was born after a 40-minute labour, joins siblings Chris, 27, Sophie, 22, Chloe, 21, Jack, 19, Daniel, 17, Luke, 15, Millie, 14, Katie, 13, James, 12, Ellie, 11, Aimee, ten, Josh, nine, Max, seven, Tillie, six, Oscar, four, Casper, three and Hallie, 13 months.

Though Mr and Mrs Radford, 41, consider themselves the parents of 19 children, the couple sadly lost their son, Alfie, in July 2014, 23 weeks into the pregnancy.

They gave Hallie, who was born last summer, the middle name 'Alphia' as a tribute to her brother.

There was lots of food needed to satisfy the 35 hungry mouths

After falling pregnant with their first child when Mrs Radford was just 14-years-old, the couple decided to keep the baby as they were both given up for adoption at birth.

The family now live in a large 240,000 Victorian house, a former care home, that they bought 11 years ago and they pride themselves on having no credit cards or finance agreements.

They also enjoy a holiday abroad every year.

Mr Radford leaves for work at around 5am every morning, where he works an 11-hour shift at the bakery with help from their eldest children.

Mrs Radford, who takes care of the family at home, has to make her way through nine loads of washing a day to keep her family in clean clothes.

The children seemed to get along well as they played in the garden of the Bonell's home

There was an emotional goodbye between the families at the end of the show

The family spend 300 a week on food shopping, with 18 pints of milk, three litres of juice and three boxes of cereal being consumed every day.

When it comes to celebrating their children's birthdays they have a budget of 100 for presents, while at Christmas they set aside between 100 to 250.

When Hallie, now one, was born last summer the Radfords said that they were not planning on having any more children, but would 'leave it up to nature'.

Meanwhile the Bonells children are aged between 26 and two, and the couple uses a former schoolbus as their family vehicle due to the sheer numbers.

The Radford family at home in Lancashire. They have said they want more children

The Radford family on holiday. They spend 300 a week on food shopping.

They also do not rely on benefits, own their own home and do not have any debts, with Mr Bonell working as a full time electrician.

The five oldest children all work and contribute towards the family income, despite the eldest two having moved out.

Their house has seven bedrooms, but just one bathroom.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE RADFORDS: HOW BRITAIN'S BIGGEST FAMILY SPENDS A TYPICAL DAY After an early start in the bakery, Mr Radford returns home every day at 7.45am to sort out the children and get them to nursery at school. All their uniforms are washed and laid out the night before, while breakfast is staggered into two shifts. Six of the children are at the same primary school ten minutes away and five are at secondary school. Noel drives them in a minibus which, as it carries more than nine passengers, is entitled to use bus lanes. Meanwhile, the three youngest, Oscar, Caspar and Hallie, remain at home with Sue, though Oscar goes to nursery in the afternoons. The family do between six and 12 loads of washing a day, get through 30 bottles of washing liquid every month and use four toilet rolls a day. Incredibly they manage to feed the family on 250 a week, feeding them all pasta or a large stew using deals with their local butcher and greengrocer. Bathtime at home begins around 6pm and while the younger ones will be bathed and in bed by about 7pm, the older ones stay up until 9pm. Mr and Mrs Radford say they are in bed by 10pm. Advertisement
A man has made a desperate plea to find his pregnant wife, who disappeared while they were playing Pokemon Go.

Police in Abbotsford, British Columbia are seeking the public's help to find 38-year-old Marie Stuart, who disappeared without her medication.

She was last seen at approximately 3pm on December 27, at the Seven Oaks shopping mall in Abbotsford, a small city near Vancouver.

Her husband, Leslie Scott Schellenberg, said Stuart is five months pregnant and 'in a bit of a state.'

Marie Stuart, 38, disappeared while playing Pokemon Go with her husband

Her husband, Leslie Scott Schellenberg, said Stuart that she is five months pregnant and 'in a bit of a state'

'She's in a bit of a state and I'm worried that she might just wander aimlessly,' he told CTV News.

In a message to his wife, he said: 'I love you and I miss you and I want to see you again.'

Abbotsford Police Constable Ian MacDonald said the couple had been playing Pokemon Go on Tuesday afternoon and has missed their regular bus home.

They took another bus that stopped near the mall, but they 'became separated' shortly after getting off, he said.

In a message to his wife, Leslie Scott Schellenberg, said: 'I love you and I miss you and I want to see you again'

'The husband looked for her for a few minutes and he assumed he would see her at home which was walking distance from that bus stop,' he told the TV channel.

Schellenberg called police about an hour after his wife went missing, and officers immediately started searching for Stuart because she did not have her medication or a cell phone.

Constable MacDonald said images of Stuart were posted to social media, and police received many tips, but three that were investigated overnight 'didn't pan out'.

He added that Stuart is 'one of the most recognizable faces' in Abbotsford, which has a population of about 140,000.
The New York Police Department will roll out 65 massive 20-ton sanitation trucks, weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand, to surround the iconic New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square.

The security measure is meant to stop deadly truck-driving attacks into crowds like those in Germany and France.

Times Square will be heavily policed by 7,000 officers, specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs, officials said Thursday.

The placement of the trucks, along with 100 patrol cars, at intersections surrounding Times Square adds even more protection against potential attacks.

Massive 20-ton sanitation trucks, weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand, will surround the iconic New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, officials said Thursday. The trucks pictured were lined up outside Trump Tower on 5th Avenue after the election

The security measure is meant to stop deadly truck-driving attacks into crowds like those in Germany and France. An aerial shot shows the sanitation trucks lined up outside of Trump Tower. The trucks will be lined up similarly in Times Square and will be used as a barricade

Times Square will be heavily policed by 7,000 officers, specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs. Patrol cars will also block off several streets in Times Square

'We live in a changing world now,' New York Police Department Commissioner James O'Neil said.

'It can't just be, 'What happens in New York, what happens in the United States?' It has to be more, 'What happens worldwide?'

A Tunisian man who plowed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin this month killed 12 people and injured 56 others.

His attack followed a more deadly assault in Nice, France, in July that left 86 people dead when a man drove a 20-ton refrigerated truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day.

New York police studied those events in planning their Times Square security.

'As we formulated this year's plan, we paid close attention to world events and we learned from those events,' said Carlos Gomez, the NYPD's chief of department.

More than 1 million people are expected to attend the annual ball drop countdown in Manhattan, and officials said they didn't know of any terror threats.

The security measures are part of augmented precautions across the nation for New Year's Eve.

Investigators also are reviewing the records of truck rental companies, said James Waters, chief of the NYPD's counterterrorism bureau. A heavily armed counterterrorism officer stands in front of a shop in December 2016

A pedestrian asks directions from two heavily armed counterterrorism officers stationed in Times Square in December 2016

To keep Las Vegas' lavish celebration secure, the entire police force will be working or on-call with help from the FBI, the National Guard and the Secret Service and will close roads and beef up barriers to prevent vehicle attacks.

Times Square revelers, who are prohibited from carrying umbrellas and large bags, will be screened at two points: once when they approach the Crossroads of the World and again when they enter one of the 65 pens that hold thousands of people each.

And, as in past years, officials have removed trash bins and mailboxes, sealed manhole covers and done sweeps of parking garages and hotels.

Police in New York have used trucks as blocker vehicles before, though never on this scale.

The sand-filled trucks were deployed in November at the Thanksgiving Day parade and on Election Day, when they were posted outside Donald Trump's Trump Tower, at two Manhattan hotels and at a convention center used by Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Investigators also are reviewing the records of truck rental companies, said James Waters, chief of the NYPD's counterterrorism bureau.

The large trucks aren't the only offering from the Department of Sanitation, said Kathryn Garcia, the sanitation commissioner.

About 280 employees will be on hand to clean up between 40 and 50 tons of debris after the ball drops following the 60-second countdown to 2017, she said.

More than 1 million people are expected to attend the annual ball drop countdown in Manhattan, and officials said they didn't know of any terror threats
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Polish special forces were on high alert when the country's President attended the funeral of the truck driver killed by ISIS maniac Anis Amri before the Berlin Christmas market massacre.

Hundreds of mourners bid farewell to Lukasz Urban, 37, who was the first victim of the attack that killed a total of 12 people in the German capital on December 19.

He had been waiting to deliver a shipment of steel in Berlin when his truck was hijacked by the attacker, believed to be Tunisian man Anis Amri, who was later killed in a shoot-out with Italian police.

Polish Police special forces officers check the area before the funeral ceremony of the Polish truck driver Lukasz Urban, who was killed by the terrorist in the Berlin Christmas Market attack

The Polish special forces were on high alert and are pictured checking the bushes before the ceremony in Banie

Polish President Andrzej Duda presents condolences to a relative of Lukasz Urban at the church near Szczecin

Huge crowds gather behind the hearse as it slowly makes its way down the streets to the church in Banie near Szczecin

Mourners stand around the white coffin of Lukasz Urban who has been hailed a hero in the aftermath of the attack

Mr Urban was shot, and his body was found later in the cab of the truck.

Poland's president Andrzej Duda joined Mr Urban's family, friends and neighbours in a church in the village church in Banie, near the border with Germany.

Several other Polish political officials and a representative of the German embassy to Poland were also there and security forces personnel in full uniform using bomb detecting tools searching bushes near the church.

A letter from prime minister Beata Szydlo was also read out in which she described her 'great pain and sadness' and expressed her sympathy to Mr Urban's family.

'Poles have fallen victim to terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic fundamentalists but the tragedy that happened in Berlin is unique when it comes to the ruthlessness and cruelty of the perpetrator,' Ms Szydlo said.

Polish President Andrzej Duda gives his condolences to the wife of Lukasz Urban as they hold hands in an emotional embrace

Mourners of Lukasz Urban, who was was shot dead by ISIS maniac Anis Amri shortly before the market attack on December 19

Polish President Andrzej Duda (centre) with deputy Sejm Speaker Joachim Brudzinski (right) pray during the funeral

The coffin of Lukasz Urban inside the church in the village of Banie near Szczecin in Poland

The funeral procession makes its way through the village of Banie where the funeral of the trucker was held on December 30

Relatives of the family and representatives of Polish authorities pray in front of the coffin with remains of the Polish driver Lukasz Urban, who was killed during truck attack in Berlin

People gather in front of the church for a funeral mass of the Polish truck driver Lukasz Urban

Bishop Henryk Wejman delivered a homily in which he described Mr Urban as a man who was open to others and conscientious in his work.

'His willingness to work and serve others won him the trust of other people and the openness to fellow man,' Bishop Wejman said.

As the Mass was winding down the president bowed his head at Mr Urban's coffin before offering his condolences to the dead man's wife and teenage son.

The coffin was then carried out of the church and placed in a hearse, which drove it slowly through the village to a cemetery for burial, as mourners walked alonside it.

Before the Mass, a group of truck drivers honked the horns of their trucks to honour Mr Urban.

Polish President Andrzej Duda kneels in front of the coffin and holds his hand across his chest to pray

The view on the funeral procession after the funeral mass of the Polish truck driver Lukasz Urban

The wife of Lukasz Urban leans over to place her hand on her husband's coffin which is decorated with white roses and flowers

Huge crowds gathered for the truck driver who captured the hearts of the world as a fund was set up to help his family

Pallbearers carry the white coffin of Mr Urban to the church as solemn looking crowds gather to pay their respects

Mourners follow the hearse through the streets as more than 170,000 was raised in a fund for Mr Urban's grieving family

Three men look earnest on December 30 as the crowds gather to celebrate the life of the trucker who was killed by a terrorist

Undertakers in red shirts and red ties, black coats and white gloves carry the coffin emblazoned with his name to the church

The wife of Lukasz Urban leans over and puts her right hand on the coffin of her husband as she clutches a white rose

Mr Urban's body was discovered in his hijacked lorry after the Berlin terror attack died several hours before the attack.

A confidential coroner's report revealed that Lukasz Urban died up to three-and-a-half hours before terrorist Anis Amri ploughed into the middle of a large crowd.

It had previously been thought that he had attempted to foil the atrocity and there were calls for him to be awarded the highest medal for bravery in Germany.

It was been claimed at the time his actions stopped the death toll from soaring even higher.

The coffin is carried in to the church by the undertakers as film crews attempt to catch the event on camera

The sun beams through the stained windows at the church in Banie near Szczecin in Poland

Several Polish political officials and a representative of the German embassy to Poland attended the funeral

A woman touches the coffin of Lukasz Urban, which is surrounded by flowers in tribute to the popular trucker

Despite conflicting reports, more than 9,500 people signed the petition for him to be recognised.

Thousands of people also donated to a fund for Mr Urban's family and as of Friday afternoon, the total was at 178,000.

It was set up by British trucker Dave Duncan from Otley in West Yorkshire and more than 10,000 have donated.

He said: 'You don't know me, my name is Dave and I am a truck driver just like your brave husband.

'I am so sorry, as are all his truck driving brothers across the UK for your terrible loss.

'Your man should never have been taken this way and in my eyes he is an hero.
Evangelist Franklin Graham, who has widely publicized his anti-gay and anti-Islam views over the years, is one of six faith leaders chosen to offer prayers at Donald Trump's inauguration.

Graham will participate in the January 20 ceremony with five other religious figures, including two prosperity preachers for the first time. Prosperity preachers teach that God will make the faithful rich - a movement that many Christians categorize as heretical.

The inaugural committee on Friday also released a full list of bands slated to perform in Trump's inaugural parade, featuring marching bands from various states including Louisiana, Tennessee and Indiana - but none from Washington, DC. At least one school from the area participated in the past five parades, but none are believed to have applied this year. The parade will be shorter this year so Trump can get some work done before inaugural balls later in the day, according to the inaugural committee.

In addition to the 8,000-plus parade participants, the Radio City Rockettes and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are scheduled to perform, which has led to uproar within the Rockettes ranks and one resignation from the choir. Jackie Evancho, a 16-year-old 2010 'America's Got Talent' runner-up, will sing.

Evangelist Franklin Graham (right), who has made repeated anti-gay and anti-Islam statements in the past, is one of six faith leaders chosen to offer prayers at Donald Trump's inauguration

Six religious figures of various movements will participate in Trump's inauguration.

Graham, the son of the evangelist Billy Graham, will offer prayers alongside Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York; the Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, an evangelical group; Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which conducts education about the Holocaust and speaks out against anti-Semitism and bias, and prosperity preachers Paula White and Bishop Wayne T Jackson.

Graham, who rallied Christian voters around the country this year over the issue of appointees to the US Supreme Court, has credited God for Trump's win over Hillary Clinton.

He has publicized his anti-gay and Islamophobic views over the years, once blasting the bathroom bill as opening the door to 'sexual predators and perverts'. Graham once likened adoption by gay and lesbian couples to 'recruitment'. He has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his anti-gay politics.

The evangelist called Islam a 'wicked' and 'evil' religion after the 9/11 attacks and said in 2014 he had not softened his stance, calling it a 'religion of war'.

Some of the religious leaders slated to pray on January 20 once voiced their disagreement with Trump's positions.

Graham (pictured on the Today show) has publicized his anti-gay and Islamophobic views, once blasting the bathroom bill as opening the door to 'sexual predators and perverts'

The Wiesenthal Center had previously criticized Trump, accusing him of casting suspicion on all Muslims in his remarks on terrorism.

Hier said in a phone interview Wednesday that while he would continue to speak out against bigotry, he supports Trump's approach to Israel.

'I'm not in the camp of those who say we are now into the dark ages. I think the opposite  that America's best years are ahead of it,' Hier said.

Rodriguez, who had criticized Trump for his promises to deport millions of people in the country illegally, said Wednesday, 'I have enjoyed getting to know President-elect Trump and his team.' Rodriguez called participating in the inaugural 'a patriotic honor' and 'a sacred duty.'

Dolan said in a statement he will be reading from Scripture at the inaugural and will ask God to 'inspire and guide our new president.'

TRUMP'S INAUGURAL PARADE 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment  Fort Hood, Texas 1st Infantry Commanding Generals Mounted Color  Fort Riley, Kansas Boone County Elite 4-H Equestrian Drill Team  Burlington, Kentucky Caisson Platoon, Fort Myer  Fort Myer, Virginia Cleveland Police Mounted Unit  Cleveland, Ohio Coastal Florida Police & Fire Pipes & Drums  Palm Coast, Florida Columbus North High School Band  Columbus, Indiana Culver Academy Equestrian  Culver, Indiana First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Fishburne Military School Army JROTC Caissons Battalion - Fishburne, Virginia Frankfort High School Band  Ridgeley, West Virginia Franklin Regional High School Panther Marching Band  Murrysville, Pennsylvania Indianapolis Metro Police Motorcycle Drill Team  Indianapolis, Indiana Kids Overseas  Richmond Hill, Georgia Lil Wranglers  College Station, Texas Marist College Band  Poughkeepsie, New York Merced County Sheriffs Posse  Hilmar, California Michigan Multi-Jurisdictional Mounted Police Drill Team & Color Guard  Ann Arbor, Michigan Mid America Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team  New Buffalo, Michigan Nassau County Firefighters Pipes & Drums  East Meadow, New York North Carolina Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association  Hillsborough, North Carolina NYPD Emerald Society Pipes & Drums  East Moriches, New York Olivet Nazarene University  Bourbonnais, Illinois Palmetto Ridge High School Band  Naples, Florida Russellville High School Band  Russellville, Arkansas Talladega College Band  Talladega, Alabama Texas State University Strutters  San Marcos, Texas The Citadel Regimental Band & Pipes and Summerall Guards  Charleston, South Carolina The Freedom Riders  Kersey, Colorado Tragedy Assistance Marching Unit  Arlington, Virginia Tupelo High School Band  Tupelo, Mississippi University of Tennessee Marching Band  Knoxville, Tennessee VMI Corps of Cadets  Lexington, Virginia West Monroe High School Marching Band  West Monroe, Louisiana National: American Veterans Boy Scouts of America US Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations Disabled American Veterans US Border Patrol Pipes & Drums Wounded Warriors Each branch of the United States military will also be represented. Advertisement

The presence of White, a friend of Trump's, and Jackson, whose Detroit church hosted the Republican in September, will mark the first time preachers who spread the prosperity gospel are included in the ceremony.

Ministers in the widely popular movement often hold up their own wealth as evidence their teachings work, much like Trump campaigned on his record as a wealthy real estate developer and businessman.

The Senate Finance Committee had investigated White and five other prosperity preachers over their spending, but the inquiry ended in 2011 with no penalty for the televangelists. White said in a statement that she will pray to God at the inaugural 'that He would richly bless our extraordinary home, the United States of America'.

Anthony Pinn, a Rice University religious studies professor, described the prosperity gospel 'as a way to religiously rationalize material acquisition'. He said participating in the inauguration gives the preachers a new kind of prominence.

'You've got millions of people who will see them perform,' Pinn said. 'There's a tremendous amount of benefit that goes along with that.'

Meanwhile, a list of participants in the inaugural parade shows that DC schools have snubbed Trump's ceremony. No school from the area appeared to have applied this year, a school district spokeswoman told NBC earlier this month.

The inauguration committee has also managed to secure at least three performers in addition to parade participants, despite early reports that organizers were struggling to get celebrities to commit.

Trump has said that he didn't want stars in his inauguration and that he wanted to see the people there instead.

Still, the committee has retained the Radio City Rockettes, prompting one of them to write a heartfelt Instagram post in which she said she was 'embarrassed and disappointed' to participate.

Producers made the performance elective amid a growing rift, and an anonymous dancer has since told Marie-Claire that no Rockette of color has signed up to perform.

Meanwhile Mormon Tabernacle Choir member Jan Chamberlin resigned this week, writing: 'I only know I could never "throw roses to Hitler." And I certainly could never sing for him.'

A spokesman for the church told the Salt Lake Tribune that participation was voluntary.

The inaugural committee said the list of parade participants was an initial lineup and that more could be added in the future.
An Alabama woman has been found dead, her body wrapped in plastic with her hands and feet bound, three weeks after she was reported missing by her family.

Jeannette 'Jenny' Brannon, 30, was found at the bottom of an embankment in a wooded area behind the Cottondale home of Charles Richard Sexton.

Sexton, 58, has been charged with Brannon's murder. Investigators said he admitted to moving her body, but has changed his story multiple times as to how she died.

Brannon was last seen alive by friends who said she went to a party at Sexton's house the weekend of December 2.

The body of Jeannette 'Jenny' Brannon, 30, was found at the bottom of an embankment in a wooded area behind the Cottondale home of Charles Richard Sexton last week

Sexton, 58, has been charged with Brannon's murder. Investigators said he admitted to finding Brannon dead in his home (pictured), but changed his story multiple times as to how she died

She was seen at Sexton's home again by her friends when they returned to the home on December 6, according to Tuscaloosa News.

Authorities believe that was the day Brannon was killed, said Capt Gary Hood of the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit.

'There was alcohol, and possibly some drugs involved,' Hood said about the party. 'I can't confirm that at this point.'

Sexton told investigators he and Brannon had been involved in a physical altercation the night she died, and that she injured her head during the fight and had been bleeding heavily.

Brannon was last seen alive by friends who said she went to a party at Sexton's house the weekend of December 2

But Sexton gave 'multiple stories' as to how Brannon specifically injured her head, according to court records.

Sexton told investigators he fell asleep after the fight and found Brannon dead on the floor the next morning.

He then admitted to wrapping Brannon's body in plastic before moving her to a trash dump behind his mobile home.

Brannon was officially reported missing by her family on December 9.

Her friends were interviewed and phone records were examined before someone came forward and 'made a huge break' in the case, according to Hood.

Brannon's body was discovered behind Sexton's home on December 21.

Sexton was arrested the next day due to evidence found in his own home and statements he made to police, according to AL.com.

He was booked into Tuscaloosa County Jail and released on $75,000 bond the next day.

Brannon's family was informed on Thursday morning.

'The family reports that the police knocked on the door at 5am with the news that unfortunately they were expecting to hear,' a prepared statement read.

'They need time to grieve and take time for the information to sink in.'

It has since been revealed that Sexton has a long history of violent crimes against women.

Sexton was charged with first-degree burglary and third-degree domestic violence in 2013 after a woman claimed he had threatened her with a knife. The case was dismissed.

Sexton admitted to disposing of Brannon's body in a trash dump behind his home (pictured), but claims she injured her head during a physical altercation they had on December 6

Brannon's body was discovered behind Sexton's home (pictured) on December 21

That same year a different women reported that Sexton had punched and kicked her. He was requited to complete 16 sessions of a domestic violence intervention program.

In 2012 another women sought a restraining order against Sexton and claimed he had burned her house down and was making threatening phone calls.

She withdrew the request the following month.

A different women claimed Sexton had threatened her with a knife, punched her in the face and grabbed her hair in 2010.

He was found guilty of a misdemeanor and had to complete a court-ordered anger management program.

Last year Sexton was also charged with second-degree assault after he allegedly injured a man with a knife. The case was dismissed.
At the time of the crash, the 38-year-old was on probation stemming from DWI incident in which she was caught driving drunk with her newborn baby

Witnesses said they saw Leitner make an abrupt U-turn and drive north in

Leitner's infant son, Jordan, suffered critical injuries, as did Garske's 83-year-old father, who was the driver of the Buick struck in the crash

A woman was traveling along a Michigan highway Tuesday evening with her four-month-old son in the car when police say she made an abrupt U-turn and drove into oncoming traffic, causing a fatal crash that snuffed out two lives.

Jessica Leitner, 38, of Bay City, was pronounced dead at the scene, along with 54-year-old Ann Lynn Garske who was a passenger in a white 2017 Buick Lacrosse that was involved in the head-on collision.

Leitner's baby son, Jordan, was taken to a hospital in critical condition suffering from life-threatening injuries. The infant reportedly was not strapped into a car seat at the time of the crash.

Deadly crash: Jessica Leitner, 38 (left) was killed and her four-month-old son, Jordan (right), was critically injured when police say the mother intentionally drove into oncoming traffic

Wrong-way collision: The head-on crash took place on I-75 in Michigan Tuesday evening

George Garske, Ann Lynn's Garske's 83-year-old father who was behind the wheel of the Buick, was also hospitalized with critical injuries, reported MLive.com.

Witnesses told Michigan State Police troopers that Leitner's silver 2003 Chevrolet Impala was traveling southbound on Interstate 75 at around 5.10pm when the woman suddenly changed direction and headed north in the same lane.

Several vehicles managed to swerve out of the way before Leitner's Chevy careened into the Garskes' vehicle.

In the immediate aftermath of the collision, investigators said they did not know what might have prompted the 38-year-old mother to drive into oncoming traffic with her son in the car.

However, it has since emerged that Jessica Leitner had a troubled past that included alcohol-related traffic violations and domestic violence claims involving her on-again, off-again boyfriend.

At the time of her death, Leitner was on probation stemming from a traffic stop in August, during which she reportedly was caught driving drunk with her son, who was riding unrestrained in the car.

Jordan was just a week old at the time, and his mother's blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit.

Leitner was charged with DWI, child endangerment, driving without insurance and on a suspended license, and driving with an open intoxicant.

The mother-of-two was sentenced to 45 days in jail, followed by a year of probation. She was released two days before Thanksgiving.

Endangered: When baby Jordan was just a week old, in August 2016, his mother was pulled over for driving while intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit

A year before she was pulled over for driving drunk, Leitner pleaded guilty to a domestic violence charge for assaulting Drew Santos. She was sentenced to a 45-day jail term and eight months of probation, which was extended after she repeatedly violated the conditions of her supervised release by consuming alcohol, reported MLive.

In April 2015, Santos was arrested for allegedly choking Leitner, who was pregnant at the time, and punching her to the point that he caused the woman to miscarry.

Santos told police Leitner, who was drunk on the night of the altercation, had been threatening to kill herself by jumping in the river.

Amanda Anquetil, a friend of Leitners, told the paper that the woman, who also had a teenage son, had been struggling with alcohol addiction and on one occasion tried to talk her into a suicide pact.

As of Friday morning, investigators were still awaiting the results of toxicology tests on Jessica Leitner to determine if alcohol or drugs played a role in the fatal crash.
On Thursday, President Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats in response to the country's alleged coordinated hacks during the presidential election

That channel is funded by the Russian government and is broadcast to countries

Shortly after some Twitter users began to comment that Russia Today was also down in the

The founder of Drudge Report got a very unpleasant surprise Thursday night when the popular news aggregation website went down for 90 minutes.

Matt Drudge wrote on his Twitter account that the website had been targeted with the biggest Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) it had ever experienced in its 21 year history, leaving users unable to access content.

He also stated that the 'routing and timing' of the attack was 'VERY suspicious,' which then led him to tweet: 'Is the US government attacking DRUDGE REPORT?'

Drudge then followed up with another tweet shortly after, writing: 'Attacking coming from "thousands" of sources. Of course none of them traceable to Fort Meade...'

The suggestion that the Obama administration might have launched a targeted attack against the website polarized Twitter users, with fans of Drudge Report supporting its founder's suspicions and detractors responding with disbelief and in some cases outrage at the allegation.

Shortly before the website went down, it was announced that President Obama had deemed 35 Russian diplomats 'persona non grata' following evidence that the country used coordinated hacks to try and influence the presidential election, giving individuals just 72 hours to get out of the country.

Scroll down for video

Theory: Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge (left in 2005) questioned whether the US government (President Obama on right earlier this month) was behind his website's outage on Thursday

Question: Drudge wrote on Twitter: 'Is the US government attacking DRUDGE REPORT?' (above)

Thoughts: He also called the routing and timing of the attack 'VERY suspicious'

Supporters of Drudge's theory used the news that the website was down to immediately start attacking President Obama, who a number of individuals likened to Hitler.

One Twitter user responded to Drudge asking if it could have been a government attack by writing: 'probably , yes. Obama is hitler.'

That tweet led to another user responding: 'Pretty much! He certainly seems to hate jews! Not many days left in his reign.'

And soon after that same user tweeted: '#WorstPresidentEver = B. Hussein Obama.'

A number of those who supported Drudge's belief that the website was possibly the victim of government interference also claimed that Russia Today was also down around the same time on Thursday.

WHAT IS A DDOS ATTACK? DDoS attacks are a primitive form of hacking using botnets - networks of computers that hackers bring under their control. They do this by getting users to inadvertently download software, typically by following a link in an email or agreeing to download a corrupted file. These botnets are then used to bombard the servers with simple requests for information carried out simultaneously, causing them to become overwhelmed and shut down. Advertisement

Russia Today is a television network that is funded by the Russian government but airs outside the country.

There is also a news website that provides content in a number of languages, including English and Russian.

'Numerous reports of Russian state-run Network RT being unavailable,' wrote reporter Mikael Thalen on Twitter, noting that it coincided with what Drudge had classified as the 'biggest DDoS attack since site's inception.'

Thalen also backed up his claim the Russia Today was unavailable by posting screengrabs that showed errors when people tried to access the channel on their televisions.

'Russia Today no longer avail on my TV cable service,' wrote Ben Watson of Washington DC in one of the grabs, alongside an picture of his error message.

More problems: Shortly after some Twitter users began to comment that Russia Today was also down in the Washington DC market (above)

Coincidence: That channel is funded by the Russian government and broadcast to countries around the world

Drudge Report was back up and running on Friday, with a story about Putin and Obama front and center (above)

Another television viewer in the DC area tweeted that he too could not access the channel around that time as well.

Meanwhile, others mocked Drudge for even questioning if the government was involved, with one Hillary Clinton supporter joking: 'maybe it's a 400 pound guy in New Jersey.'

And another man tweeted at Drudge: 'Serious question: when has any one of your paranoid short-circuited half-baked garbleplops ever been right? Like, ever?'
The Crossrail carriage has been tested in a climatic wind tunnel in Vienna, Austria

The inevitable chaos when a blanket of snow falls over the tracks is a seasonal irritant for commuters - but maybe not for much longer.

Tests have been carried out on a carriage to see how it will cope in temperatures as low as -25C, or up to 40C.

The work on the Crossrail train was carried out in a climatic wind tunnel in Vienna, Austria, and the carriage is now going through night testing before going into service next year.

It was built by Derby-based manufacturer Bombardier Transportation.

The carriage will be used on the Elizabeth Line - a 60 mile Crossrail route stretching from Reading in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

Howard Smith, operations director for the line, said: 'Although we've not had snow in London yet this year, we've put the train through a white Christmas.

The train has been tested to see how it withstands temperatures as low as minus 25C

The carriage will be used in the 14.8 billion Crossrail scheme, set to open in 2019

'It's important that we check that the new trains can operate in anything that the changing British weather can throw at them and it won't be long before our customers will be able to get on board a train, with the first of them going into service in May 2017.'

Dean Taplin, a senior vehicle engineer at Bombardier, said: 'Subjecting the new trains to a range of climatic conditions, including thick snow and ice, is another crucial step towards making sure that the trains perform as intended whatever the weather.'
A senior Donald Trump aide speculated on Thursday that President Barack Obama's move to sanction Russia over election-year hacking allegations could be, in part, a political move designed to tie the president-elect's hands as he takes office.

Obama's White House expelled nearly three dozen Russian diplomats earlier in the day, and forced the closure of two U.S. waterfront estates used by Russian intelligence operatives.

Kellyanne Conway reacted in a Fox News Channel interview to a New York Times report that those moves 'appeared intended to box in President-elect Trump, who will now have to decide whether to lift the sanctions on Russian intelligence agencies when he takes office next month.'

Conway snarked: 'I hope that this isn't motivated by politics even a little bit.'

She said she was referring specifically to 'the allegation or the supposition that perhaps one reason that the sanctions are taking place is to "box in" President-elect Trump, forcing him to take a position or otherwise once he takes office.'

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Kellyanne Conway, the newly minted senior counselor to President-elect Donald Trump, scolded the Obama White House for attempting to 'box in' his successor with a raft of new sanctions against the Russian government

Obama ejected 35 Russian diplomats allegedly spying for President Vladimir Putin (left) on Thursday; Putin decided not to respond in kind

Obama has engaged an eleventh-hour torrent of regulation, executive orders and diplomatic snubs, throwing tacks in the road ahead of Trump as he prepares to hand over the Oval office on January 20.

In addition to Thursday's unprecedented actions against Moscow, he allowed an anti-Israel resolution in the United Nations Security Council to pass unopposed a week ago rather than wielding America's traditional veto.

Obama used the 110-year-old Antiquities Act this week to unilaterally declare the existence of two national monuments this week in Utah and Nevada, angering Republicans in both states who see it as a land-grab inked without any consultation.

The move puts 1.65 million acres of U.S. land off-limits to energy exploration, cattle grazing and other development.

'[This] midnight move is a slap in the face to the people of Utah, attempting to silence the voices of those who will bear the heavy burden it imposes,' Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Wednesday in a statement.

On Dec. 20 the outgoing president banned oil and gas drilling across hundreds of millions of acres owned by the federal government in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

The FBI and Homeland Security Department illustrated on Thursday how Russian operatives targeted computer networks of American political parties and government agencies, potentially impacting the result of November's presidential election

Russia's embassy in London mocked the Obama administration's new sanctions on Thursday, calling the outgoing president a 'lame duck'

Two days later he scrapped the last vestiges of a 9/11-era program that the Bush administration once used to force adult males from Muslim-majority countries to register with American immigration authorities.

The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, soon to be erased from the nation's regulatory books, was thought to be a logical framework Trump's aides could use to fulfill a campaign promise to track immigrants and visa holders from terror-prone nations  part of a philosophy he called 'extreme vetting' as he ran for the White House.

Conway took a dim view of the sudden whirlwind of activity at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

'I think within the last couple of days you see this flurry of activity by a "tough" President Obama as he exits the office,' she reflected.

'And I guess is just burnishing his last couple of moments,' she mused, cautioning that Trump 'will have an opportunity to re-examine our relationship geopolitically, across the globe' once he takes office.

She specifically took aim at the Russia sanctions, wondering aloud if they will have much effect.

'This is great political fanfare and largely symbolic, but will it have impact? Will these sanctions have impact?' Conway asked.

Among other hacking penalties, the U.S. government shuttered this 45-acre Maryland compound used as a Russian 'spy base'

Another compound shut down by Obama's State Department is Killenworth, the Glen Cove estate on the North Shore of Long Island once owned by George Dupont Pratt

Moscow's spy agency targeted by Obama's moves, the so-called 'Main Intelligence Directorate, is known by the initials GRU, short for the Russian name 'Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye.'

'The GRU, where these operatives are, they don't really travel here, they don't keep their assets here,' Conway said.

'So one wonders, you know, what the teeth of those sanctions really are.'

Hanging in the air as Obama levied penalties on Moscow is the rationale for the punishments, the White House's contention that a series of Moscow-driven computer hacks compromised Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy so much that they delivered the White House to Trump.

The net effect has been to delegitimize Trump's surprising victory, a development that the outgoing president has avoided acknowledging is his overall goal as he transitions back into private life.

'That would be very unfortunate if politics were the motivating factor here,' Conway (right) said of Obama's flurry of last-minute activity; 'We can't help but think that's often true'

Obama put Trump between a rock and a hard place last week when he ordered his United Nations ambassador not to stand in the way of an anti-Israel resolution that angered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left)

Obama was personally involved in Clintons failed campaign in its final month, actively urging Americans to choose her as his successor. Americans hadn't seen such a level of engaged campaigning by a sitting president in generations.

Conway will have the title 'Senior Counselor to the President' in the West Wing of the White House three weeks from now, giving her words significant weight as the world anxiously awaits the advent of a new administration.

Trump on Thursday night took a wait-and-see approach to Obama's slap at Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that it was 'time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.'

He also pledged to meet with U.S. intelligence officials next week to hear them out and examine the evidence on which Obama acted.

Among Obama's other eleventh-hour moves that will make Trump's tenure more difficult is the naming of new national monuments in Nevada and Utah (shown) putting 1.65 million acres of land off limits to energy exploration, cattle grazing and other development

Conway hinted that the Obama White House may have been hoping to 'bait him into a bigger response,' but warned the current administration that 'you can't have it both ways.'

'You can't on the one hand say, "Hey, just one president at a time"  and we have one for the next 22 days or so named President Barack Obama  but at the same time you want the president-elect to make new policy.'

She reiterated in an interview on CNN that the Russia sanctions were likely in part a political move calculated to make Trump's transition loaded up with rocks and hard places.

'Even those who are sympathetic to President Obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to, quote, "box in" President-elect Trump,' Conway said.

'That would be very unfortunate if politics were the motivating factor here. We can't help but think that's often true.'
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New Year's celebrations have got underway in traditional manner in Edinburgh - with thousands of 'Vikings' taking to the streets to see 2016 off.

A torchlight procession through the city kicked off the Hogmanay festivities, with around 150,000 people from 80 nations across the world expected to descend on Edinburgh.

The event runs over three days, and thousands of people lined the streets to see the stunning display this evening.

The annual celebration is borrowed from the world's largest fire festival, Up-Helly-Aa, based on Shetland.

It represents a river of fire flowing through the city centre, and is led by a group of 'vikings' carrying a longboat.

Some of the proceeds from the event have gone to international children's charity Unicef.

Vikings were among thousands of people who took part in the torchlight procession to mark the start of the celebrations

Members of Up Helly Aa Vikings take part in tonight's torchlit procession through Edinburgh, which marks the start of the three day Hogmanay celebrations

Thousands of people lit torches to take part in the annual parade, which starts the three days of festivities

Flame-filled evening: Vikings light their torches ahead of the procession, which attracted thousands as the celebrations got underway

The colourful spectacle marked the start of this year's Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh

Thousands of people take part in the annual parade, which is led by a group of 'vikings' carrying a longboat

Thousands of people lined the streets to watch the distinctive procession, which passed through the centre of Edinburgh

The huge torchlight parade is held each year, and marks the start of Hogmanay festivities in Edinburgh

The torchlight procession attracted thousands of people to Edinburgh, where 150,000 people are expected to join in the festivities over the next three days

Thousands of people, including Vikings, took part in the procession, which begins three days of New Year's celebrations

Vikings light their torches as they take part in the parade through the streets of Edinburgh, where 150,000 people are expected to attend the New Year's celebrations over three days

The Vikings are coming: Members of Up Helly Aa Vikings take part in the procession

Vikings taking part in the celebrations in Edinburgh, where three days of festivities attract thousands from all over the world

The procession is a traditional start to the three days of Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh

People lit torches in the procession, which marks the start of Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh

High spirits: 'Vikings' get into the spirit as the torchlight procession takes to the streets of Edinburgh
A Swedish police officer who gave a pickpocket the shock of his life when she tackled him to the ground wearing only a bikini, has decided to quit her job to become a personal trainer.

Mikaela Kellner, a veteran of Swedish Ninja Warrior and a police officer for 11 years, was sunbathing in a Stockholm park with friends in July when the unsuspecting pickpocket approached.

He pinched the phone but was immediately tackled by Kellner, who was off duty at the time. Pictures of the heavily muscled fitness fanatic pinning the crook to the ground went around the world.

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Hero: Mikaela Kellner, a veteran of Swedish Ninja Warrior and police officer of 11 years, tackled an unsuspecting pickpocket to the ground in a Stockholm park

Muscles: As well as being a police officer, Kellner also competes on the TV programme Swedish Ninja Warrior, as well as doing power-lifting and Crossfit

She gained 27,000 new followers on Instagram, where she shows off pictures of her unbelievably toned body.

But the Daily Telegraph reported that she was actually quitting the force in protest at its reorganisation, which has made her feel uncomfortable.

'I do not think personnel are being treated fairly, as they should,' she told Sweden's Expressen newspaper.

But overweight Swedes' gain will be a big loss for Stockholm police.

At the time of the arrest she said: 'I just acted on instinct and didn't think about it so much until after we had pinned him down,' Kellner told The Local Sweden.

'When I sat there I looked over at our other two friends who are not police officers and realised that it probably looked pretty funny.'

She confessed: 'I would have stepped in no matter what my outfit. Had I been naked I would also have intervened.

'Nothing will stop me.'

Fitness: As well as her work as a police officer, Mikaela Kellner is a fitness enthusiast and spends her free time power-lifting and doing Crossfit

Internet hit: The snapshot of the arrest, which Kellner posted to her Instagram account, has already received more than 6,000 likes in just one day

Powerful: The policewoman said 'nothing will stop me' when speaking about the incident, and insisted she would still have brought the pickpocket down even if she had been naked

She is a fitness enthusiast and spends her free time power-lifting and doing Crossfit.

She said that she was just glad to draw attention to the tactics employed by pickpockets, warning that the theft was so subtle it was 'like magic'.

Kellner said she began to suspect all was not as it seemed when the man would not take no for an answer when he approached them in the Ralambshov park in the Swedish capital.

Instinct: Kellner and another friend, who is also a police officer, pinned the unsuspecting pickpocket to the ground in Ralambshov park in Stockholm until their colleagues could arrive and arrest him

Force: She said after the incident that the pickpocket realised 'quite quickly that it wasn't worth struggling'

Off-duty: The police officer said the pickpocket was so effective that he was able to make off with the mobile phone 'like magic'

Despite her warnings to her friends to keep an eye on their possessions, he was still able to make off with the phone after laying his pile of magazines over it and picking it up as he left.

'There was no time so I ran after him, maybe 15 metres or so,' she continued. 'One of my friends is also a police officer, so we got hold of him.'
Anthony Hunter, 39, was arrested after he allegedly smashed a cash register inside a gas station before biting a police officer

A New Jersey man was arrested after he allegedly smashed a cash register inside a gas station before biting a police officer.

Anthony Hunter, 39, was demanding lottery tickets at a Lukoil station in Ewing on Monday.

Assistant Mercer County Prosecutor John Boyle said Hunter, of Trenton, rushed at and bit the officer on the right hand after police tried to arrest him.

Prosecutors say Hunter smashed the store's cash register with an ax and demanded that workers fill a bag with scratch-off lottery tickets before he ran from the station.

He has been charged with two counts of robbery.

Boyle says it was Hunter's third robbery attempt at a gas station this month.

Hunter was accused of stealing a milkshake from a Shell gas station's mini mart on Chambers Street on December 10, according to NJ.com.

In that incident, Hunter was reportedly brandishing a stick. Police caught him running down the street and he told them a man had pulled a gun on him, the newspaper reported.

Two weeks later, on December 23, Hunter went into another Shell gas station in Trenton and threatened the store clerk.

On December 23, Hunter went into another Shell gas station (pictured) in Trenton and threatened the store clerk and demanded that she hand over $60. He is currently being held on a combined $350,000 bail for the crimes

Prosecutors said Hunter put his hand in his jacket pocket in the shape of a gun and demanded money from the clerk, who believed he had a gun and handed over $60, according to NJ.com.

Hunter's attorney said that his client maintains his innocence.
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Donald Trump has praised Vladimir Putin for not retaliating against President's Obama's sanctions for Moscow's alleged hack of the presidential election.

In a dramatic intervention which puts him directly at odds with Obama, Trump said the Russian president is 'very smart.'

Putin had said he would keep his powder dry until Trump was in office, and seemed to go out of his way to praise America's president-elect in a New Year's message to world leaders.

Trump said in a tweet that it was a 'great move,' adding: 'I always knew he was very smart!'

He then tweeted later in the day: 'Russians are playing @CNN and @NBCNews for such fools - funny to watch, they don't have a clue! @FoxNews totally gets it!'

The official Twitter account of the Russian Embassy in Washington quickly retweeted the message.

A statement from the Kremlin released on Friday said: 'Putin congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump with the Christmas and New Year holidays.'

'In his congratulatory message, the head of the Russian state expressed the hope that after Trump takes office as the US president, the two states acting in a constructive and pragmatic way will be able to take real steps for restoring the mechanisms of bilateral cooperation in various fields and bring the interaction on the international scene to a qualitatively new level.'

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Intervention: The dramatic move by Trump puts him in the middle of the Cold War-style standoff Obama was having with Putin - and likely to be accused by Democrats of being too close to the Kremlin strongman

Bringing division: Putin, who handled a sword from a Russian TV show about Vikings at the Kremlin on Friday, is now the key dividing line between the 44th and 45th presidents

Cold warrior: Putin toured an archaeological exhibition (left) in the Kremlin's extensive grounds after his stand-off with Obama escalated. He then went for a walk around the Kremlin (right)

Second tweet: Trump used his social media to send out another message on Friday, accusing the U.S. media of having 'no clue' about Russia

The tweet is likely to generate uproar among Democrats who see election-year hacking and leaking of political secrets related to Hillary Clinton's failed presidential campaign as a major reason she lost to Trump.

The White House on Thursday directly accused the Kremlin of intervening in the election in an attack on democracy, a position the Trump camp does not agree with.

Trump's intervention will only heighten feelings, which Democrats have repeatedly aired, that he is too close to Moscow.

Obama's sanctions, announced on Thursday, included the expulsion of 35 diplomats the White House accused of being intelligence agents, the closure of two luxury compounds used by diplomatic aides and the announcement of economic sanctions on Moscow's spy services.

Russia, which denies hacking the election, treated the moves with derision.

Putin responded by declining to initiate tit-for-tat expulsions, and then invited American diplomats' children to the Kremlin for a New Year's party.

Dasvidaniya: The Russian government is sending this plane, an Ilyushin Il-96 - to the U.S. to ferry its expelled diplomats out of the country by New Year's Day

On Friday, the Russians quickly packed up two compounds in Maryland and New York, which President Obama is closing in the new round of sanctions. Above, the Russian compound in Centreville, Maryland on Friday, where a ladder was left propped up in the last minute move

A convoy of vehicles with diplomatic plates driving away from the Russian compound near Centerville, Maryland on Friday

The Russian government-owned compoud in Centreville, Maryland is seen above

Russian officials launched a verbal assault on President Obama and his administration, calling them 'losers.'

A key Putin ally called Obama himself a 'political corpse'.

Putin had been expected to mirror Obama's decision to expel 35 intelligence agents with Cold War-style revenge expulsions.

His foreign minister Sergey Lavrov had called for the measure, but instead Putin  who coolly met the makers of a Russian TV drama about Vikings and posed with a large sword  said he was waiting to deal with Donald Trump after his January 20 inauguration.

'We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone,' Putin said in a statement inviting children of US diplomats to the holiday soiree.

'We evaluate the new unfriendly steps by the outgoing US administration as a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations.'

A man climbs over a fence to lock the main gate of an estate in the village of Upper Brookville in the town of Oyster Bay, N.Y., on Long Island on Friday

A fence encloses an estate in the village of Upper Brookville in the town of Oyster Bay, N.Y., on Long Island on Friday

A man waves goodbye to U.S. special agents as he drives out of an estate on Friday. THe Obama administration closed this compound for Russian diplomats

A U.S. special agent checks a car with diplomatic license plates as it drives out of one of the lavish estates closed by President Obama in retaliation to the alleged Russian hacking during the election

People are seen gathered outside the Russian-owned Maryland compound on Thursday

Cars are seen entering the Killenworth estate on Friday, as Russian officials officials closed down one of their Long Island compounds

He said Moscow would plan its next steps 'based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump', while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to hit back.

Meanwhile the Kremlin foreign minister Sergey Lavrov's official spokesman slammed the Obama administration, calling them a 'group of foreign policy losers, angry and shallow-brained'.

Lavrov had fired back at Barack Obama's decision, suggesting expelling officials and closing down an area used by Americans for their summer retreat on the outskirts of Moscow and a warehouse south of Moscow.

But Putin dismissed the idea, saying he did not want to stop youngsters from being able to use the area.

The apparent decision to over-rule Lavrov is likely to have been orchestrated from the start to emphasize the options open to Moscow, rather than being done as a slap-down from Putin.

The Russians had until noon on Friday to get out of their Maryland and New York compounds before the State Department took custody

Vans arrived at the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC on Friday, after emptying the government's compounds

Television crews assemble outside the Russian embassy on Wisconsin Avenue in Washington

And Konstantin Kosachev, head of the upper house of the Russian Duma's committee on foreign affairs, was reported by The Observer to have called Obama a 'political corpse'.

'The leaving administration has no reason and no political or moral right for such drastic and disruptive steps with regards to bilateral relations with Russia,' he said.

'Forgive me for being harsh, but I just cannot find other words: this is the agony of not the lame ducks, but of political corpses.'

It was part of an attack which saw the foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claim the US and American people were 'humiliated by their own President' in what she described as the Cold War-style measures against Moscow.

Putin also dispatched a VIP airliner to take the 35 expelled diplomats home  while in Centreville, Maryland, and Long Island, New York, Russian diplomats hurriedly packed up their two luxury compounds to meet a noon deadline to get out.

HOW THE RUSSIANS 'PULLED OFF THE ELECTION HACKS' The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security determined in a report released Thursday that Russian state actors were behind computer hacks this year that exposed some of the Democratic National Committee's secrets. America's intelligence community, the report reveals, code-named the effort 'Grizzly Steppe,' and referred to specific hackers or groups of hackers by pet names including 'CosmicDuke,' 'COZYBEAR,' 'CrouchingYeti,' 'Energetic Bear,' 'Fancy Bear,' 'OnionDuke,' 'Sandworm,' 'SOURFACE' and 'Tiny Baron.' Evidence is strong, the FBI and DHS concluded, tying Russia to the DNC hack, which unmasked an intra-party plot to promote Hillary Clinton's primary candidacy while marginalizing her main opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders. The report makes no reference, however, to the more explosive leaks of emails hacked from the personal account of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. The 13-page document's main purpose is to educate government and political IT professionals about how to protect their computer systems from future cyber attacks. But its most volatile statements concern intelligence findings that establish the involvement of Russian military and civilian intelligence agencies in past hacking. Those services found ways to 'compromise and exploit networks and endpoints associated with the U.S. election, as well as a range of U.S. Government, political, and private sector entities,' Thursday's report concludes. The two agencies had already released a statement in October attributing the attacks to Russia, claiming they were an attempt to 'interfere' with America's presidential election.The new report does not expand on that specific allegation or provide new evidence to support it. The two main Russian entities identified on Thursday include a hacking group known as APT29, tied to Russia's Federal Security Service  the FSB, one of several successor agencies to the infamous KGB which Russian President Vladimir Putin once led. That group is thought to have infiltrated the DBC's computers for more than a year, pulling out documents regularly. The FBI and DHS tied another group of hackers, known as APT28, to Russia's military intelligence service, known as the GRU. Some security experts have written that APT28 was the entity behind the hack of Podesta's emails, but Thursday's report is silent on that claim. APT28, The Hill reported Thursday, is thought to be the responsible for providing stolen files and emails from both hacking operations to WikiLeaks, which published them online. The attackers, the two U.S. intelligence agencies reported, executed 'spearphishing' operations that lured computer users to click on links inside emails which led to malicious addresses. Some of those online destinations fed malware into the victims' computers, which then allowed the code to migrate into the DNC's servers, providing the hackers with long-term access. The result, the FBI and DHS concluded, was 'the exfiltration of information from multiple senior party members.' 'The U.S. Government assesses that information was leaked to the press and publicly disclosed,' the report declares. And some Russian intelligence operatives, the agencies write, continued to launch cyber attacks as recently as 'just days after' the November 8 election. Advertisement

A senior Trump aide speculated Thursday that Obama's move to sanction Russia could be, in part, a political move designed to tie the president-elect's hands as he takes office.

Kellyanne Conway reacted in a Fox News Channel interview to a New York Times report that those moves 'appeared intended to box in President-elect Trump, who will now have to decide whether to lift the sanctions on Russian intelligence agencies when he takes office next month.'

Conway snarked: 'I hope that this isn't motivated by politics even a little bit.'

She said she was referring specifically to 'the allegation or the supposition that perhaps one reason that the sanctions are taking place is to "box in" President-elect Trump, forcing him to take a position or otherwise once he takes office.'

Kellyanne Conway, the newly minted senior counselor to President-elect Donald Trump, scolded the Obama White House for attempting to 'box in' his successor with a raft of new sanctions against the Russian government

Obama ejected 35 Russian diplomats allegedly spying for President Vladimir Putin (left) on Thursday; Putin decided not to respond in kind

Obama has engaged an broader eleventh-hour torrent of regulation, executive orders and diplomatic snubs, throwing tacks in the road ahead of Trump as he prepares to hand over the Oval office on January 20.

In addition to Thursday's unprecedented actions against Moscow, he allowed an anti-Israel resolution in the United Nations Security Council to pass unopposed a week ago rather than wielding America's traditional veto.

Obama used the 110-year-old Antiquities Act this week to unilaterally declare the existence of two national monuments this week in Utah and Nevada, angering Republicans in both states who see it as a land-grab inked without any consultation.

The move puts 1.65 million acres of U.S. land off-limits to energy exploration, cattle grazing and other development.

'[This] midnight move is a slap in the face to the people of Utah, attempting to silence the voices of those who will bear the heavy burden it imposes,' Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Wednesday in a statement.

On Dec. 20 the outgoing president banned oil and gas drilling across hundreds of millions of acres owned by the federal government in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

The FBI and Homeland Security Department illustrated on Thursday how Russian operatives targeted computer networks of American political parties and government agencies, potentially impacting the result of November's presidential election

Russia's embassy in London mocked the Obama administration's new sanctions on Thursday, calling the outgoing president a 'lame duck'

Two days later he scrapped the last vestiges of a 9/11-era program that the Bush administration once used to force adult males from Muslim-majority countries to register with American immigration authorities.

The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, soon to be erased from the nation's regulatory books, was thought to be a logical framework Trump's aides could use to fulfill a campaign promise to track immigrants and visa holders from terror-prone nations  part of a philosophy he called 'extreme vetting' as he ran for the White House.

Conway took a dim view of the sudden whirlwind of activity at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

'I think within the last couple of days you see this flurry of activity by a "tough" President Obama as he exits the office,' she reflected.

'And I guess is just burnishing his last couple of moments,' she mused, cautioning that Trump 'will have an opportunity to re-examine our relationship geopolitically, across the globe' once he takes office.

She specifically took aim at the Russia sanctions, wondering aloud if they will have much effect.

'This is great political fanfare and largely symbolic, but will it have impact? Will these sanctions have impact?' Conway asked.

Among other hacking penalties, the U.S. government shuttered this 45-acre Maryland compound used as a Russian 'spy base'

Another compound shut down by Obama's State Department is Killenworth, the Glen Cove estate on the North Shore of Long Island once owned by George Dupont Pratt

Moscow's spy agency targeted by Obama's moves, the so-called 'Main Intelligence Directorate, is known by the initials GRU, short for the Russian name 'Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye.'

'The GRU, where these operatives are, they don't really travel here, they don't keep their assets here,' Conway said.

'So one wonders, you know, what the teeth of those sanctions really are.'

Hanging in the air as Obama levied penalties on Moscow is the rationale for the punishments, the White House's contention that a series of Moscow-driven computer hacks compromised Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy so much that they delivered the White House to Trump.

The net effect has been to delegitimize Trump's surprising victory, a development that the outgoing president has avoided acknowledging is his overall goal as he transitions back into private life.

Obama was personally involved in Clintons failed campaign in its final month, actively urging Americans to choose her as his successor. Americans hadn't seen such a level of engaged campaigning by a sitting president in generations.

'That would be very unfortunate if politics were the motivating factor here,' Conway (right) said of Obama's flurry of last-minute activity; 'We can't help but think that's often true'
Music revellers have described the horrific scenes at Falls Music and Arts Festival at Lorne in Victoria where at least 19 people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries following a crowd crush incident.

Social media is alight with chilling recounts of the 'stampede' with partygoers describing broken bones, large cuts and even people performing CPR on the injured after a large crowd was leaving the DMAs set.

A Reddit thread of partygoers at Falls Festival in Lorne have described the horrible crowd crush with one user claiming she could hear chilling screams from the crowd.

'The screams you can hear in that are absolutely chilling,' she wrote.

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At least 19 people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries following a crowd crush incident at the Falls Music and Arts Festival at Lorne in Victoria

Falls Music and Arts Festival released a statement claiming up to 50 people were attended to after the incident

People took to social media to express their shock at the chilling incident

'You know immediately what is happening to those people from the timbre alone, it's f****d :/'.

One woman spoke to her sister and said she described people with broken bones, people passing out and limbs covered in blood.

'No bodily function was possible, if you were lucky (sic) could only just breathe,' she wrote.

A statement from the Falls Festival Facebook page said up to 50 people were attended to after a large number of people were injured after those at the front of a crowd leaving the DMA's set on route to London Grammar lost their footing at about 9.50pm on Friday.

Police said up to 19 people were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

No one sustained life-threatening injuries but 19 people were taken to hospital with serious injuries, police said in a statement.

Medical treatment was provided on site to others with injuries.

Another man claims his friend was seriously injured at the crowd crush

One user who claims he was there described how it started

Another male said his friend was going to be airlifted out after his legs were injured.

'A guy I play footy with is waiting to be air lifted out. Has limited feeling in his legs,' he wrote.

Festival organisers have set-up an account for anyone with inquiries about the incident or the welfare of specific festival goers (patroninfo@fallsfestival.com).

Organisers also posted an official note on Facebook confirming the crowd crush incident just after Australian band the DMA's had finished playing in the Grand Theatre tent.

Horrible recounts of the crowd crush that occurred at Falls Music and Arts Festival

Event organisers will make a final decision on whether the four-day event will go ahead at midday on Saturday

Eyewitness accounts reported the crush as a 'stampede' with bones broken, shoes turn off and mobile phones crushed.

Adam Dean, of Ringwood, was in the crowd and told Fairfax Media one of his friends was injured.

'After DMA's there was a huge rush of people coming out and he got trampled, everyone was pushing people out - it was bad.'

Mr Dean said his friend was 'alright, legs got scratched up massively, reckons he basically got dragged like 10 metres over gravel from everyone trampling him. But he's all good.'

Festival-goer Lucy Spry posted on the Falls Facebook site that it began when someone slipped on gravel going through a small exit with no crowd control in sight.

Massive crowds attend the popular Falls Festival across Australia

The crowd enjoying an act at Lorne in Victoria at Falls Music and Arts Festival
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has clarified that he is not an atheist, ending years of speculation about his religious beliefs.

The revelation came in a comment underneath a post Zuckerberg originally posted on Christmas Day, wishing his followers a merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah.

Someone asked: 'But aren't you atheist [sic]?' prompting Zuckerberg to say he was not and that he believes religion to be 'very important'.

Zuckerberg, who was raised Jewish, has cultivated an interest in Buddhism through his wife and met the Pope last summer, did not elaborate on his beliefs and did not explicitly say if he subscribed to a specific movement.

Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post on Christmas Day that he is not an atheist as many thought, and revealed that after a period of questioning he believes religion is 'very important'

The revelation came underneath a post in which Zuckerberg wished his followers a merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah on December 25

Zuckerberg (pictured meeting the Pope with his wife Priscilla Chan in August) did not say whether he practices a specific religion but pointed out he was raised Jewish

The tech billionaire acknowledged that he went through a time when he 'questioned things' as he tried to figure out his stance on religion.

'I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important,' he wrote.

His original Christmas Day post wished his followers merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah from himself, his wife Priscilla Chan, their one-year-old daughter Max and their dog Beast.

'Seeing the moments of joy and family shared on Facebook today is one of my favorite things about our community,' Zuckerberg wrote.

'I hope you're surrounded by friends and loved ones, and that you have a chance to reflect on all the meaningful things in your life.

'May the light of your friendships continue to brighten your life and our entire world.'

The tech billionaire (pictured with his wife and their one-year-old daughter Max on her birthday) also has an interest in Buddhism, which Chan practices

Zuckerberg's wife practices Buddhism, a religion that Zuckerberg explored further last year during a trip to China.

'I had the opportunity to visit Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an and offer a prayer for peace and health for the world and for my family,' Zuckerberg wrote while sharing a photo of himself praying and kneeling in front of the Buddhist landmark.

After a period during which he 'questioned things', Zuckerberg feels that religion is an important part of life

'Priscilla is Buddhist and asked me to offer a prayer from her as well. Buddhism is an amazing religion and philosophy, and I have been learning more about it over time. I hope to continue understanding the faith more deeply.'

Zuckerberg and Chan met Pope Francis at the Vatican this summer and on that occasion too shared a heartfelt message.

'We told him how much we admire his message of mercy and tenderness, and how he's found new ways to communicate with people of every faith around the world, Zuckerberg wrote.

'We also discussed the importance of connecting people, especially in parts of the world without internet access.

'We gave him a model of Aquila, our solar-powered aircraft that will beam internet connectivity to places that don't have it. And we shared our work with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to help people around the world.

'It was a meeting we'll never forget. You can feel his warmth and kindness, and how deeply he cares about helping people.'
President Barack Obama is unlikely to grant pardons to whistleblowers who leaked government secrets as he exits office, experts say, but they're asking for clemency anyway.

Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who revealed the existence of global and mass surveillance programs who's living in Russia to escape prosecution by the Department of Justice, has asked Obama to give him a clean slate.

Chelsea Manning, an army intelligence analyst who went by Bradley before she was imprisoned, has asked for leniency, too. Manning is serving a 35-year-sentence for giving classified information to Wikileaks.

President Barack Obama is unlikely to grant pardons to whistleblowers who leaked government secrets as he exits office, experts say, but they're asking for clemency anyway. Edward Snowden is pictured

Retired Marine Gen. James "Hoss" Cartwright and ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou have also asked the president for pardons, according to Politico.

Cartwright was Obama's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman until 2011. He plead guilty in October to a felony charge for providing a false statement to the authorities.

The 67-year-old was accused of sharing classified information to New York Times reporter David Sanger and lying to the government about it.

The four-star general insists he was not the source of the leak to Sanger about a secret cyber attack on Iran meant to undermine its uranium enrichment system. But he told FBI agents that he didn't confirm the information, either, and has admitted his statement to the feds was untrue.

'I knew I was not the source of the story and I didnt want to be blamed for the leak,' he said in a statement. 'My only goal in talking to the reporters was to protect American interests and lives.'

He's set to be sentenced three days before Obama leaves office. He could receive five years in office, but he's likely to serve zero to six months of hard time, the Washington Post reports.

Kiriakou already served his time for blowing the lid off the CIA's George W. Bush-era waterboarding program, which the Obama administration has since defined as torture.

His two-and-a-half year term in prison finished in 2015. He's seeking vindication for his imprisonment.

Chelsea Manning, an army intelligence analyst who went by Bradley before she was imprisoned, has asked for leniency, too. Manning is serving a 35-year-sentence for giving classified information to Wikileaks

Obama could give a slew of convicts fresh starts on his way out.

On Dec. 20 he let 231 criminals out of jail, most of whom were in custody for drug crimes, the most ever in a single day since he took office. He pardoned 78 individuals that day, too.

He's granted 1,176 commutations in his eight years, 395 of which were life sentences, CNN says, and approved 148 pardons.

'The 231 individuals granted clemency today have all demonstrated that they are ready to make use -- or have already made use -- of a second chance,' White House General Counsel Neil Eggleston said a statement on Dec. 20.

'While each clemency recipient's story is unique, the common thread of rehabilitation underlies all of them.'

Eggleston told CNN Obama was likely to give out more commutations and pardons before he leaves office.

Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota, told Politico, 'I think hes going to announce a lot of names in the next few weeks. I dont think any of them will be these big-name figures.'

'This administration does have an aversion to high-profile cases generally,' he said.

Obama told German publication Der Spiegel last month that he can't pardon Snowden, who's wanted for three felony charges tied to his 2013 exposure of the NSA's bulk data program, because he hasn't presented his case in court

Retired Marine Gen. James "Hoss" Cartwright has asked the president for a pardon, too. Cartwright was Obama's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman until 2011. He plead guilty in October to a felony charge for providing a false statement to the authorities

Kiriakou already served his time for blowing the lid off the CIA's George W. Bush-era waterboarding program, which the Obama administration has since defined as torture. He wants a clean slate

Obama told German publication Der Spiegel last month that he 'can't' pardon Snowden, who's wanted for three felony charges tied to his 2013 exposure of the NSA's bulk data program, because he hasn't presented his case in court.

'I think that Mr. Snowden raised some legitimate concerns,' Obama stated. 'How he did it was something that did not follow the procedures and practices of our intelligence community.

'If everybody took the approach that I make my own decisions about these issues, then it would be very hard to have an organized government or any kind of national security system.'

Snowden has an especially difficult case to make for a pardon, legal experts told Politico, given that he's a fugitive from justice and has shown no contrition.

Manning has the best chance of being pardoned or having her sentence commuted because the punishment was so severe and her military record states she was suffering from gender identity disorder.

Chelsea Manning won a court case in September that ordered the army to pay for her gender reassignment surgery.

If Obama were to pardon someone like Snowden or a commutation to Manning on his way out the door it could taint his legacy.

Bill Clinton's pardon of hedge funder Marc Rich, on the run at the time from charges of tax evasion and racketeering, and his business partner in 2001 has haunted him since.

Rich's ex-wife, Denise, was a major donor to Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign and Bill's presidential library. The two-term president was accused of pay-for-play, allegations that dog the Clintons to this day.
A Houston man was left shaken after his home and vehicle were defaced with racist hate speech.

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office said the 51-year-old resident, who wished to remain anonymous, woke up Friday morning to his burned out SUV that had 'N****r LEAVE' and 'GET Out' painted in red on the car doors, according to KPRC.

He told the station that he was when he saw flashing lights just after 5am and noticed his car was on fire.

'I walked to the front and looked out the window and seen my car out there all burned up,' the man, who lives at the home alone, told the station.

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office said the family woke up Friday morning to their burned out SUV (pictured) that had 'N****r LEAVE' and 'GET Out' painted in red on the car doors. The same racist speech was found on the family's home as well

'It's disturbing. It's sick thoughts that makes people do these crazy things,' he said.

The same racist speech was also found on the man's home in the 300 block of San Jacinto Street.

The Highlands Fire Department responded to the scene and helped the man wash the paint off his home.

The fire marshal's office posted the disturbing photos to Facebook, asking for anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers of Houston.

Images show the burned out SUV parked in the driveway with visible burn marks along its interior.

The entire car is seared and all of the SUV's windows are broken out.

The residents of the home (pictured) were not injured. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for tips leading to an arrest or charge

In the photos, the home doesn't appear to have any more damage than racist speech painted along the front in red.

The man told KPRC that he has lived at the home for the last eight months.

He said he has five children, who were not home at the time.

The man said the whole thing has him 'kind of scared' and 'nervous', but he doesn't plan on leaving the neighborhood.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for tips leading to an arrest or charge.
from the Lords was rejected by MPs

Police are now officially able to hack into your phones and check your browsing history after the Snoopers' Charter came into force yesterday.

The law - officially called the Investigatory Powers Bill - forces electronic data to be stored by app companies for 12 months, which can be subsequently collected by law enforcement.

While critics have cited it as an attack on privacy, the Government believes the charter is essential for combating terrorism and organised crime.

The bill forces electronic data to be stored by app companies for 12 months, which can be subsequently collected by law enforcement.

The legislation replaces the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which several local authorities have been accused of abusing to snoop on people feeding pigeons and failing to clear up dog mess.

The Act was passed by the House of Lords in November, after they backed down on an amendment that would have forced the press to pay court costs for both parties in any case involving allegations of phone or email hacking, even if they were completely spurious.

One peer said it would have 'chilled' journalism and stopped papers writing about figures such as ex-BHS boss Sir Philip Green.

Peers backed down in a battle with MPs over a new law that could have prevented newspapers exposing corruption and speaking out against injustice

The following day the Lords accepted defeat in what will be seen as a victory for Press freedom.

Aside from the controversy surrounding its morality, the charter's effectiveness has also been questioned, with Virtual Private Network software already being highlighted as a potential way for internet users of getting around it.

Using a VPN means data will be scrambled and protected from the company that provides the connection.
A New Mexico fourth grade science teacher allegedly ordered his entire class to write essays about a nine-year-old boy who had been accused of bullying.

The parents of Diego Ortega said their son was so humiliated by the essays that they had to pull him out of the school and teach him at home for the rest of the year.

Alexandria Lente, Diego's mother, said the issue began after the teacher gave a presentation about bullying to class one day last fall at Katherine Gallegos Elementary School in Los Lunas.

Diego Ortega, 9, felt under attack when his fourth grade science teacher asked the entire class to write essays about how he was allegedly a bully to his peers

One of the essays (pictured) called Diego rude while another student accused Diego of calling them a 'scared-y cat'

'After the presentation, he called my son out to the classroom and asked the class to write an essay on Diego being a bully,' she told KRQE News 13.

Diego said he begin to cry in the classroom after the assignment was announced by the teacher, whose name has not been released.

One of the essays, which were obtained by the station, called Diego rude while another student accused Diego of calling them a 'scared-y cat'.

A couple of the essays claimed Diego had gotten in their faces.

Meanwhile, Diego wrote his own essay about how he felt he was being bullied by his teacher.

Lente said Diego was still bawling when she came to pick him up at school that day.

She immediately went to the principal and was told the essays were 'okay' because it had been a learning assignment.

Ortega's parents (pictured) said their son was so humiliated by the essays that they had to pull him out of the school and teach him at home for the rest of the year

Diego no longer wanted to go to school.

'He was starting to make excuses, my head hurts, my stomach hurts,' Lente said. 'Crying in the morning.'

'You think your kid is safe at school with teachers, yet you have teachers that are picking on your kids,' she added.

Diego returned to a different school in the Los Lunas district this year, and his parents said he is doing very well.

But the battle isn't over between the Oregas and the district.

The family has claimed the district did not promptly respond to their attorney's public information request for copies of the essays last December.

They are claiming that the district is thus liable for $20,000 in 'unnecessary attorney fees'.

The Los Lunas School District could not be reached for comment.
An off-duty FDNY emergency medical technician who claimed to have been viciously stabbed and robbed of his Christmas presents by a group of masked thugs in The Bronx made up the whole story, according to police.

Steven Sampson, 41, was charged on Wednesday with making a false written statement and falsely reporting an incident.

Police said the married father-of-two changed his account of what happened on Christmas Day three times, and when pressed about the inconsistencies, he finally admitted that nothing about his robbery tale was true.

'Liar, liar': Steven Sampson, 41, an EMT with the FDNY, has been charged with making a false written statement and falsely reporting an incident after police say he made up a story about a Christmas Day stabbing and robbery

Scene of the bogus crime: Sampson, a 9/11 veteran and judo black belt, initially claimed he was attacked here, at the corner of Bolton and Randall avenues in The Bronx

Sampson initially told police that he was at the intersection of Bolton and Randall avenues in The Bronx when he pulled over in his truck to reorganize the presents he was taking to his cousins' Christmas party.

It was then that the 9/11 veteran, who allegedly has a black belt in Judo, said he heard a scream from behind and turned to see four masked men coming towards him - setting in motion a violent confrontation that ended in him having his arm slashed, the New York Post initially reported.

Sampson, who is white, said one of the men shouted at him 'Hey, cracker!' before a member of the group reached for the firefighter's phone.

'I caught him in an arm bar and he was like, "Please, sir, please, sir, let me go!" but I knew I had him,' claimed Sampson, of Bronx Battalion 19. 'I smashed him in the elbow and felt his humerus crack.'

Proud papa: Sampson told police a group of thugs called him a 'cracker,' then slashed him in the arm and got away with $2,600 worth of presents, including some for his six-year-old daughter (pictured left and right)

Sampson said he then punched one of the other thugs in the jaw, dropping him immediately, but wasn't able to stop the two other men from stealing $2,600 of gifts.

They included liquor, electronics, a parrot drone for his six-year-old daughter and gift cards for his 16-year-old daughter.

Sampson said he then ran to his truck and locked the doors - and only then, he said, did he notice the blood pumping from the knife wound in his right arm.

He called his wife telling her would be late without explaining why - 'I didnt want to freak her out', he said - and drove himself to Jacobi Medical Center.

There he received nine stitches and, he said, became the envy of the local police.

'Every cop was in there,' he said. 'The [Bronx] borough chief was like, "What is he f**king Superman?"'

This week, a source told News 12 The Bronx that Sampson may have been slashed at a Christmas party but did not want his wife, Michelle, to know because he had attended the event with another woman.

Mrs Sampson came to her husband's defense in a rambling Facebook post on Thursday, insisting that her spouse was, in fact, brutally slashed and robbed; she also accused the NYPD and the news media of attacking his character.

Claims of infidelity: A source told a news station that Sampson might have concocted the story because he had gone to a Christmas part with a woman other than his wife, Michelle, pictured right alongside their younger daughter

Michelle Sampson also vehemently denied that her husband, whom she described as a 'wonderful person,' was having an affair. She claimed that he was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and that he has gained nothing from this ordeal.

In response to a comment left on her page by a sympathetic friend, Mrs Sampson wrote of Steven: ' He didn't want the police involved he doesn't want any of this.He didn't asked to get stabbed or robbed f*** the gifts that's what not important his health is what important.'
Mark Lowcock will be knighted in the New Years honours for public service

The Whitehall mandarin who presides over the bloated foreign aid budget is to be rewarded with a knighthood.

Mark Lowcock will be knighted in the New Years honours for public service, despite widespread anger over how the Department for International Development spends its vast 12 billion budget.

The decision comes just weeks after MPs criticised the 165,000-a-year bureaucrat for being evasive over who took the disastrous decision to build a 285 million airport on the remote island of St Helena where it is too windy for commercial planes to land.

Tory MP Philip Davies said Mr Lowcock, 54, should be known as Sir Waste-a-Lot after presiding over a department that had become a byword for inefficiency.

Key awards in the honours list include:

Veteran comedian Ken Dodd, 89, is knighted;

Olympic stars Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katherine Grainger are made dames, while Mo Farah is knighted;

Tennis champion Andy Murray, 29, becomes one of Britains youngest knights;

Fifteen gongs went to officials at the Home Office, where Theresa May served for six years;

Tory donor David Ord, who has given the party 930,000, is knighted for political service;

TV presenter and bowel cancer survivor Lynn Faulds Wood turned down an MBE, saying she could not accept a gong while we still have party donors donating huge amounts of money and getting an honour.

MPs criticised the 165,000-a-year bureaucrat for being evasive over who took the disastrous decision to build a 285 million airport (pictured) on the remote island of St Helena

Mo Farah (pictured at the Rio Olympics in August) has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year's Honours list

Olympic stars Jessica Ennis-Hill (pictured in Rio in August after winning silver in the women's heptathalon) has been made a dame

On Twitter last night, Mrs May said: Congratulations to all those receiving honours  its great that so many from different walks of life are recognised.

But Mr Davies added of Mr Lowcocks gong: He certainly hasnt been knighted for services to the UK taxpayer. If squandering billions of pounds on greedy consultants and corrupt countries, and having the highest paid staff in the Civil Service gets you a knighthood these days, then God help us.

It certainly detracts from the other very deserving people on the list.

Comedian Ken Dodd, 89, has been knighted in the New Year's Honours list

Team GB rower Katherine Grainger, pictured holding a silver medal, her fifth medal at five Olympic Games, has been made a dame

While it is common for long-serving Whitehall mandarins to be handed honours, the timing of Mr Lowcocks knighthood looks set to revive anger over the foreign aid budget.

He is a close friend of Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, and is said to have shared a flat with him when they were starting out in the Civil Service. He has spent his entire career at Dfid and its predecessor department, racking up a 1.1 million pension pot in the process.

For the past five years he has been the departments permanent secretary, responsible for overseeing the controversial target of spending 0.7 per cent of Britains income on foreign aid.

Television presenter Lynn Faulds Wood turned down an MBE, saying she could not accept a gong while we still have party donors donating huge amounts of money and getting an honour

Tory donor David Ord, who has given the party 930,000, is knighted for political service

During this time, Britain has doled out more than 60billion in aid, with the budget rising from 7.7billion to an estimated 12.4billion this year, at a time when other departments have faced deep cuts.

In April this year, Mr Lowcock boasted that the political debate on the value of foreign aid had been won. He added: Increasingly, people dont want to debate whether we should do development or not.

What they want to know is: are we spending the money well and getting the right results from it? I worry much less than I used to about having to make the case for development.

Tory MP Philip Davies said Mr Lowcock, 54, should be known as Sir Waste-a-Lot

But Tory MP Peter Bone said many voters still wanted the controversial 0.7 per cent aid target scrapped.

He said: The debate about overseas aid is far from over, whatever Mr Lowcock might like to think  it just shows how out of touch he is with the British people. Many of my constituents would rather see a proportion of that money spent on social care, rather than handing it over to corrupt regimes and wasting it on ridiculous projects. Just doling money out to meet a target is the wrong approach.

Earlier this month, Mr Lowcock came under fire from MPs over the disastrous St Helena airport project. The Commons public accounts committee said Dfid had made a series of staggering errors which had unquestionably failed the taxpayer.

Tory MP Peter Bone said many voters still wanted the controversial 0.7 per cent aid target scrapped

Mr Lowcock told MPs he was unable to say who had made the critical decisions, leading the committee to brand his evidence evasive. Mr Lowcock was one a series of officials whose honours are likely to raise eyebrows.

Other surprises included an MBE for services to taxpayers for Sarah Pearson, head of customer services at the personal tax division of HM Revenue and Customs, which has faced heavy criticism for its call handling in recent years.

Another surprise was the award of a Queens Police Medal to Scotland Yard Chief Supt Gordon Briggs, who oversaw the disastrous inquiries sparked by the phone hacking scandal, which were branded a politically motivated witch-hunt.

Honours to political cronies are also likely to revive calls for an overhaul of the system.

Lib Dem Shirley Williams, is among the serving and former MPs to be recognised. She has been awarded a Companion of Honour

Assistant Tory treasurer Dominic Johnson received a CBE, just months after he agreed to put up David Cameron and his family at his 4 million home in Chelsea when they left Downing Street. Alexandra Broadrick, chief of staff to controversial former Tory chairman Lord Feldman, received an MBE.

And there were awards for serving and former MPs, including Lib Dem Shirley Williams, who is made a Companion of Honour, and former Lib Dem pensions minister Steve Webb, veteran Labour MP David Crausby and former Tory defence minister Julian Brazier, who are all knighted.

There was also a CBE for David Hodge, the Tory leader of Surrey Council, which is considering a massive 16 per cent council tax rise next year.

Officials yesterday stressed that many of the nominees had been in the system since before Mrs May took office in July.

Mrs May had asked for a change in emphasis to honour more ordinary people, which would be reflected in future honours lists

Sir Jonathan Stephens, head of the main honours committee, said Mrs May had asked for a change in emphasis to honour more ordinary people, which would be reflected in future honours lists.

The Cabinet Office has criticised celebrities who revealed their inclusion on the honours list before it was published.

Victoria Beckham sparked controversy this week as she told her family about her OBE nomination over Christmas before a source close to the family leaked the news.
A university chief who allegedly had an affair with the married boss of Lloyds Bank is to quit her job.

Wendy Piatt is standing down as head of the Russell Group of elite universities in February to explore new challenges.

Her move follows an internal review set up after claims she had an affair with Lloyds chief Antonio Horta-Osorio while on a business trip to Singapore.

Wendy Piatt (pictured) is standing down as head of the Russell Group of elite universities

Ms Piatt's departure comes after an internal review investigated claims she had an affair with Lloyds chief Antonio Horta-Osorio (pictured here with his wife Ana)

The Portuguese banker, who earned 8.8million last year, was reportedly spotted enjoying days out with his alleged lover.

The pair are also claimed to have met up at his 350-a-night room at the five star Mandarin Oriental hotel.

Witnesses said Dr Piatt was seen using her own key to enter and leave Mr Horta-Osorios hotel room, while she was also on a business trip in June to build relationships with overseas universities.

Mr Horta-Osorio, 52, spent 3,276 on the hotel room, minibar and room service during his six-night stay, plus 550 on two visits to the spa, his bill showed.

Lloyds said all personal costs were paid out of his pocket and he was exonerated by an internal probe.

Dr Piatt, 46, said: I have told the board that I wish to explore new challenges in 2017

Dr Piatts departure as director general of the Russell Group  which includes Oxford and Cambridge  follows the end of an internal review into processes and protocols. This will stay secret but it is understood that there was no evidence of wrongdoing related to her travel and expenses.

In a statement Dr Piatt, 46, said: Having established and steered the Russell Group over the past ten years as a highly effective representative body for 24 of the UKs top universities, I have told the board that I wish to explore new challenges in 2017.
A prospective buyer got more than they bargained for when they took a tour of a Detroit home that was up for sale and found a mummified body.

The buyer was doing a walk-through of the home when they entered the garage and stumbled upon a 1990 or 1991 Plymouth Acclaim car covered in dust.

When the buyer opened the car, they discovered the decomposed and mummified body sitting inside the backseat.

Authorities were called to the home around 1pm on Thursday and the body was taken to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office.

A prospective buyer of a Detroit home found a mummified body inside this 1990 or 1991 Plymouth Acclaim when they took a tour of the house

The body is so badly decomposed it is not clear whether the person was a male or a female and when or how they died.

Lloyd Jackson, a spokesman for the office, said it is believed the body had been there for 'years', he told the Detroit News.

He added that the body was past the decomposition stage in which it turns brown and was found lying down in the backseat.

The body had on a shirt, sweater and pants.

A University of Michigan anthropologist will conduct special tests next week to determine the gender and perform an autopsy.

The buyer was taking a tour of the house (pictured) when they walked into the garage and decided to look inside the dust-covered car

The home's current tenants are renters who said they were told by the property owner that they could never use the garage, according to the Detroit Free Press.

They maintain that they never went inside the garage in the year they have rented the home.

Detroit police are now trying to find records that show who has lived in the house and who the car might belong to, according to Fox 2 Detroit.

They will begin their investigation after finding out how the person died.
The father of a serial killer victim is reliving the family's heartbreak following the arrest of a suspect two decades after the murder.

Denis Glennon said it was a bittersweet moment now suspected serial killer Bradley Robert Edwards, 48, had been charged for the murder of his daughter Ciara Glennon back in 1997.

'This is a very raw and bittersweet time,' Mr Glennon told Perth Now.

'We are being updated by the WA Police, and hence it is best that I do not comment on the recent developments.'

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Ciara Glennon (pictured) was 27-years-old when she disappeared on March 4, 1997 from Claremont, Perth

Mr Glennon's daughter Ciara was 27-years-old when she disappeared on March 4, 1997 after a night on the town celebrating St Patrick's Day in Perth suburb, Claremont.

Now two decades later Mr Edwards has been charged with two sex attacks and the willful murder of Ciara and another 23-year-old woman called Jane Rimmer, who also disappeared from Claremont in the 1990s.

The two murders, along with a third woman, Sarah Spiers' disappearance from Claremont at the same time, were dubbed the Claremont serial killings.

Childcare worker Jane Rimmer, 23, (pictured) vanished after leaving a venue. Her body was discovered in bushland, south of Perth, in August 1996

Sarah Spiers was just 18 years old when she became the first victim in the Claremont serial murders

Ms Glennon was a young and talented lawyer at law firm Blake Dawson Waldron when she disappeared.

Senior partner at that law firm Neil Fearis said he was with Ms Glennon and two other colleagues the night she disappeared on March 4, 1997.

He described Ms Glennon as a gifted lawyer, and a popular workmate and friend to everyone.

'Rarely do such bright stars cross our firmament; even more rarely is their trajectory cut so tragically short.'

Mr Fearis said she worked at the law firm for three years before leaving to travel overseas.

WA police have made a significant breakthrough in the Claremont serial killer investigation, charging Bradley Edwards (pictured) with two of the murders

Police commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said Mr Edwards' arrest was the result of the 'biggest and most complex police investigation in Western Australian history'.

West Australian Police have said its Special Crime Squad is in charge of investigating the murder of Ciara Glennon, Jane Rimmer, and also the disappearance of Sarah Spiers.

They said it was a 'major investigation' and they were committed to solving the crimes.
A Chelsea Pensioner is being hounded by investigators over his role in a firefight in Northern Ireland more than four decades ago.

The former Royal Marine was quizzed for four hours by Northern Ireland officers at the famous Royal Hospital Chelsea over the death of an IRA terrorist in an Army ambush in Belfast in July 1972.

The veteran, who is now 75, fired at the armed man in the heat of a battle as 'bullets rained down in all directions'.

He said he had been thrown into a 'Catch-22 monstrosity', in which he either tried to kill the man or watch his comrades be murdered.

A Chelsea Pensioner is being hounded by investigators over his role in a firefight in Northern Ireland more than four decades ago (stock photo)

Three years after the firefight, he was awarded a 'certificate of appreciation' by the commander of Northern Ireland operations, praising him for his 'good service' and 'devotion to duty'.

But last night the decorated war hero said he had been 'chased' over the incident by detectives.

He is the first known Chelsea Pensioner to be targeted by detectives dragging up historical cases from the time of Troubles.

Now the terrified veteran  who completed six tours of Northern Ireland during the height of IRA terrorism  spends his days fearing another knock at the door. He said he had been 'left to grow old' fearing prosecution. The pensioner, who also served in the Army, does not want to be named because he fears he could be attacked at his home in London.

Speaking to the Daily Mail from the hospital, he said: 'I am now under suspicion. My case is an example of how far these people are willing to go.

'Are they going to look for 95-year-old Normandy veterans next?

'It does not matter if you've served for 22 years in the Army and in the Marines, these people are still going to chase you. It does not even matter if you live in a castle in Scotland, a council estate in England, or a magnificent place like the Royal Hospital Chelsea, these people will still want to find you.'

Details of his plight came after it emerged a new unit has been set up to investigate every Army killing during the Troubles.

Up to 1,000 men in their 60s and 70s face being put through the 'witch-hunt', which has been condemned by MPs and military chiefs as 'disgraceful'.

Two ex-paratroopers are being prosecuted for murder over the killing of an IRA commander more than 40 years ago. The former soldiers, who had twice been assured they would not be hauled before the courts for gunning down Joe McCann, are the surviving members of the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment patrol that opened fire in 1972. The men, now 67 and 65, are expected to stand trial next year for the Belfast killing  and face jail if convicted. The Police Service of Northern Ireland's taxpayer-funded Legacy Investigation Branch is set to re-open 238 'fatal incidents', which led to 302 deaths.

The former Royal Marine was quizzed for four hours by Northern Ireland officers at the famous Royal Hospital Chelsea (pictured)

Speaking about the incident in 1972, the Chelsea Pensioner said he had fired at a terrorist holding a rifle in 'attack mode' towards his comrades. He does not know if his bullets killed the man.

He said: 'My company commander put me in the situation to ambush and if necessary kill an enemy who was trying to kill us.

'An ambush includes calamity never written about in any training manual. I fired at him but I don't know where my rounds landed. After 45 years, I still don't know. When I looked through my rifle scope I saw a man in the attack mode with a weapon.

'He was pointing his weapon toward my main gate where I knew there were other marines on sentry duty. I could have killed a man in July 1972, a man who was trying to kill Royal Marines that I was in a covert ambush to protect. I was acting under orders.

'This is a Catch-22 monstrosity but the act of ambush is legal in the eyes of our defence laws.'

In 1975, he received a letter from the commander and director of operations of Northern, Ireland praising him for his heroic service.

LOYAL SERVICE REWARDED The Royal Hospital Chelsea was founded by Charles II and designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century to provide a home for veterans who had given loyal service to the nation. Any former Army soldier over the age of 65, who is facing spending their advanced years alone, can apply for residence as a Chelsea Pensioner. There are currently around 320 places  less than the number of applications  so the veterans Army service record is taken into account. Although they are known for their scarlet uniforms, the pensioners wear an alternative navy blue uniform on a daily basis. This is worn with a dark shako cap bearing the initials RH. Chelsea Pensioners surrender their Army pension in return receiving board, lodging, clothing and full medical care. Women were admitted for the first time in 2009. Advertisement

The letter, seen by the Mail, says: 'I am authorised to signify by the award to you of this certificate my appreciation of the good service which you have rendered. I have given instructions that a note of your devotion to duty shall be made on your Record of Service.'

The Chelsea Pensioner said he had 'no doubt' that he was going to get another letter through the door from investigators.

He said: 'These people are going to get back to me but I don't know when. I'm worried because I'm certain they are going to jump on me.'

But he said he had taken part in a 'lawful ambush' in which 'you are there to kill and when they turn up with that weapon your job is to blow them apart'.

He added: 'For 45 years I have stood alone on this event with no offer of investigative explanation from any authority.

'Our services never needed more support than they do today.' He said the investigations were 'destroying morale' and serving as 'comfort to the enemy'.

The former soldier, who never married, decided to become a Chelsea Pensioner seven years ago.

Normally a Royal Marine cannot become a Chelsea Pensioner but because he served in the Army for six years, he was allowed to move into the famous hospital.
Dolly isnt your typical toddler. The little girl is happiest mucking in

Like many three-year-olds, Dolly Caton had a firm idea about what she wanted from Father Christmas this year.

Not a Hatchimal, or a My Little Pony light-up castle, or any of the other fleeting crazes that tempt small girls, but something else altogether.

A wheelbarrow, she tells me.

Happily, Santa obliged with a splendid red- and-yellow version, and over the past few days, Dolly has rarely been parted from it.

It may be plastic, but it certainly does a splendid job of ferrying animal feed  and even the odd chicken  around the smallholding where Dolly lives with mum Georgie Mitchell, 30, and six-year-old brother, Billy.

It makes it easier to carry things to the animals, she says.

You might have guessed already that Dolly isnt your typical toddler. While many exasperated parents are struggling to tear their children away from their computer games and television screens this Christmas season, Georgie has the opposite problem: rain or shine, she struggles to keep Dolly inside.

Instead, the little girl is happiest mucking in  quite literally  and helping with the pigs, sheep and chickens that surround the familys cosy two-bedroom cottage in Simonstone, in Lancashires picturesque Ribble Valley. Dolly wont settle in the house, says Georgie. She likes to be outside.

Shes never known anything else really  from being a baby I carted her around in a sling as I looked after the animals and shes just had to get on with it.

Her can-do attitude  bottle-feeding piglets, scooping up chickens, herding sheep and dealing with the mess that comes with it  is in stark contrast to the indoor lifestyles of many of our youngsters.

And it has led to her becoming an online star, courtesy of the Facebook page Georgie recently set up to promote her expanding small business, and which features snapshots of Dolly at her most charming, helping with the livestock.

Ive had messages from all over the world saying how lovely it is to see a little girl so at one with nature, Georgie says. Its funny really, as it just seems so normal to me, but its gone mad with people wanting to know more.

Then again, mad might be a good word to explain the whole situation, for Georgie herself would be the first to admit she is an unlikely proponent of the Good Life.

Her yoga teacher mother and electrician father dont have a farming background and, until her early 20s, Georgie was a professional snowboarder.

My mum and dad dont even really like animals, although they do love the outdoors, so there was always this thing in me about wanting to be outside, she recalls.

A back injury brought a premature end to her sporting career, and Georgie returned home to Lancashire, where she met Billy and Dollys father Adam, 30, a sandblaster.

The family rented a cottage and Georgie embarked on a teaching qualification.

That is, until she became friendly with the local farmers wife, and started to help out in lambing season.

At this point Dolly was about four months old and she loved it. There are pictures of her stuffed in a bucket with a sheepskin rug and a sheepskin hat on, Georgie says.

By the time Dolly was two, Georgie was getting more involved on the farm  and brought her work home.

When Dolly was two I came back with an orphan lamb  it was so tiny and poorly and lived in front of a cardboard box in a coal fire, she recalls.

We hand-reared her with a bottle and the kids loved it.

Dolly enjoys helping with the pigs, sheep and chickens that surround the familys cosy two-bedroom cottage in Simonstone, in Lancashires picturesque Ribble Valley

When the lamb recovered, Georgie realised she would need some land to keep it on.

By sheer fluke, some land came up close by on a little smallholding where I remember visiting as a child, so we secured that.

A flock of chickens followed, with four rare breed Oxford Down sheep hot on their heels last April. We just needed something to eat the grass, really, says Georgie.

I realised I really enjoyed working with the animals, so I started to invest in more sheep, more pigs, more hens, which involved more land.

Seventy sheep, ten chickens, eight pigs, 28 piglets, two dogs, three cats (and, until this Christmas, 20 turkeys) later, and Georgie has now given up work as a university lecturer to turn her hobby into a fledgling business, selling her meat at local markets.

Its hard work, but she has willing helpers in her children  with Dolly in particular, despite her tender years (she only turned three in September), a constant shadow as Georgie goes about the farm.

She has such an intuitive understanding of animals, explains Georgie. When she was only two, our cat was having kittens and Dolly lifted up her tail and said: Theyre not quite ready to come out yet, Mummy.

Wed never talked to her about it and she hadnt yet seen an animal give birth, so it was obviously instinctive. I think it comes from being outside and being among nature. Its all she talks about.

day in Dollys outdoor life

5.50am: Dolly is already awake. She keeps farmers hours, Georgie says.

Dolly is desperate to head outside from the moment she changes out of her pyjamas, but as her mum prepares breakfast and gets Billy ready for school, Dolly plays with the family dogs, a springer spaniel called Izzy and a sheepdog puppy called Betty.

Dolly solemnly informs us she named Betty herself. Shes my dog, really, she says. I am helping to show her what to do with the animals.

The wooden toy Aga that Santa delivered alongside her wheelbarrow keeps Dolly occupied, too.

Im a fan of more practical presents, Georgie says. One year I bought both the kids shepherds crooks and last year they got an incubator and some duck eggs to hatch. They loved them.

9am: After Billy has been dropped at school its time to let out the chickens and clean out the coop. Dolly likes fluffing out their straw and making it nice and cosy, says Georgie. In she goes, scooping up the chickens in her arms to put them outside before heading off on an egg hunt. Its lean pickings, but there are two under a distant tree.

Her can-do attitude  bottle-feeding piglets, scooping up chickens, herding sheep and dealing with the mess that comes with it  is in stark contrast to the indoor lifestyles of many of our youngsters

They went a long way last night, Mummy, she says. Dolly isnt always so helpful: she likes chasing the chickens around the field as well.

9.30am: Its over to the pig pen  theyre a bit noisy, Dolly warns  where we are greeted by a melee of squealing four-week-old piglets and one of the sows, Queen Mary.

Dolly heads in without hesitation with her bucket of feed to start cleaning out, feeding and watering the animals, although theres time for some cuddles, too. If you scratch their nose it stops them from shouting, she tells me, as one piglet wriggles in her lap and two nuzzle at her shoulder.

Its always seemed instinctive with her, says Georgie. She put them under her cardigan to keep them warm when they were newborn.

I realised, though, it was time to put her in nursery for a couple of days a week when I asked her about getting friends of her own and she said she only liked chickens, she adds.

11am: Its time to head over to the 15 pregnant sheep on the smallholding with fresh hay and water. They are kept in their barn at the moment, and in the blink of an eye Dolly is among them all, throwing feed and stroking their heads.

She watched the lambing this year and next year I think shell be ready to help deliver these babies, says Georgie.

Dolly is also a champion herder when the sheep venture outside in milder weather, especially with Betty at her side. I could almost leave her to it, her mother says.

Midday: Mum and daughter  with Dollys wheelbarrow at the ready  head off to a neighbouring field where another pig, Belinda, is tucked in a corner snuffling around her brood of 12 piglets.

You can rustle a bucket and whistle and she will come from wherever she is, Dolly says. Sure enough, over she comes to be ministered to by Dolly, although she keeps her piglets at a distance.

Belinda is more tective, says Dolly. Protective, Georgie translates.

Until before Christmas this was also turkey time as the smallholding had a clutch of the birds. Theyre huge compared with the chickens, as big as Dolly, but she wasnt frightened at all, says Georgie. She was brilliant at helping to feed and water them. Nothing fazes her.

12.30pm: Back to the cottage for lunch, today its turkey sandwiches but often its roast gammon or sausages from the pigs. And theres no squeamishness. This is from the turkey we had, Dolly says, brandishing some meat. She knows what comes from what, adds Georgie.

Both my kids know some of the animals go to the slaughterhouse and then to the butcher. People should know what they are eating. Dolly knows they have had a good life and thats what its about.

A couple of animals, however, are off limits: Nelly and Nora, sheep that Dolly chose at auction. I just liked the way they looked, she says. They are not going to become meat. Afterwards its time for play at home while her mum does housework.

4pm: Mother, daughter and Billy, now back from school, head out for a final check on the animals and to batten down the hatches. Its time for them to go to sleep, isnt it, Mummy? asks Dolly.

7.30pm: Technically, its bedtime for Dolly. She doesnt sleep straight away, she takes forever to wind down, says Georgie. Youd think all this fresh air would knock her out, but she is too excited all the time.

And there is more to come. Buoyed by the success of her burgeoning business, Georgie has plans to expand. I want to get some bees for 2017 and start producing honey, she says. Ive also come up with an idea for a module to teach basic farming skills in primary school.
Fried chicken fans now have the chance to order their favourite food by just looking into a camera.

American fast-food company KFC has introduced a facial-recognition system in a new branch in China, which is programmed to predict a customer's order after scanning his or her face, according to People's Daily Online.

The machine analyses information such as the customer's gender, age and mood before recommending a la carte, set meals and drinks.

Selfie time: new AR technology in KFC Original+ Beijing will know what you want to eat

The new technology is available at KFC's concept restaurant, known as KFC Original+, in the Chinese capital city of Beijing.

With a snap of your face in front of the screen, the augmented reality, or AR, technology enables customers to interact through emotions and movements.

The futuristic branch is a collaboration between KFC and Baidu, a Chinese internet company running China's largest search engine website.

The new store, which opened on December 24th on Jinrong Street, is the second 'smart restaurant' in KFC's China franchise. Apart from the facial-recognition food ordering kiosk, it features mobile payment service.

Prior to the opening of the store in Beijing's financial district, KFC and Baidu had successfully opened the company's first KFC Original+ concept store in Shanghai.

Pictures posted by KFC on Weibo, a Chinese micro-blogging platform, shows curious Chinese customers trying out the machine.

i-Emotion: offering a list of meal options to choose based on your mood of the day

Baidu stated that the principle behind the system was based on setting certain set meals, food and beverage choices to a specific age range, as reported in People's Daily Online.

For instance, the AR-operated machine will recommend a lunch combo of zinger burger, boneless mini fillets and coke to a 20-year-old male customer; and a breakfast of porridge and soya milk to a 50-year-old female customer.

The food suggestion leaves some customers to question: 'What if a 50-year-old wants to have fried chicken?'

'Why is the computer not recommending healthier choices to younger people?' One Chinese web user wondered.

Wu Zhongqin (second left) from Baidu joined the press conference on December 24th

However Wu Zhongqin, deputy director of the Institute of Deep Learning of Baidu, told China Daily that the facial-recognition technology would not be able to detect the customer's mood perfectly.

Wu added that the machine would mainly serve as a database of order history.

This means, when a customer re-visits the branch, his or her order history will appear on the screen after the machine takes a picture of the customer.
Chinese customs officers have seized more than three tonnes of pangolin scales in the biggest busts ever.

Three suspects have been arrested for smuggling over 100 bags of scales from Africa to China at the Shanghai border, reported People's Daily Online.

The report estimated that as many as 7,500 pangolins, an endangered animal, could have been slaughtered to produce these scales, which are known for their medicinal value in China.

Chinese customs officers have seized more than three tonnes of pangolin scales from Africa. Pictured above is a long-tailed pangolin in Congo

The discovery was made on December 10, according to the report, which also stated that it was the biggest haul of smuggled pangolin scales to have been discovered in China.

Shanghai customs officers inspected a container that was supposed to be carrying timber from Africa.

However, the goods, claimed to be wooden poles, showed a different texture as they went through the X-ray checks.

The officers opened the container and uncovered 101 bags of pangolin scales.

About 5,000 to 7,500 pangolins, each carrying 0.9 to 1.3 lbs of scales, were believed to have been slaughtered to produce these scales, estimated an expert who specialised in endangered animals and plant protection.

Three suspects, who had been purchasing pangolin scales from Africa since 2015, were arrested.

The officers opened a suspect container and uncovered 101 bags of pangolin scales

The bags of scales were found in a container that was supposed to carry timber from Africa

Under China's criminal law, individuals who catch, kill, buy or sell endangered wild animals that are under state protection are subject to fines and jail sentence.

Pangolins, listed as a second-class protected animal in China, are often hunted and smuggled.

Its meat is eaten as delicacy in certain areas such as Yunnan, according to a 2016 report by wildlife NGO Traffic China.

Its scales are commonly used as Chinese medicine to improve blood circulation. It's also believed that pangolin scales can increase the supply of breast milk by new mothers.

Although the trading of scales are illegal in China, over 60 per cent of Chinese medicine stores sell scales to customers.
The first motorised vacuum cleaner was crafted by an English engineer in 1901, and the humble invention has come a long way since then.

Robot vacuums can now automatically clean rooms and corridors around the home at just the touch of a button, making hungover New Year's Day cleaning a breeze.

This week, Samsung announced the latest of its 'Powerbot' robot vacuums, named the VR7000.

The Korean tech firm says that its newest cleaner is compatible with Amazon's new Echo voice assistant, allowing users to control the robot with voice commands.

This week, Samsung announced the latest of its 'Powerbot' robot vacuums, named the VR7000 (pictured). It is less than 10cm (4in) tall, which Samsung say allows it to skirt into hard-to-reach areas under beds and other furniture

THE VR7000'S FEATURES - Less than 10cm (4in) tall - Will likely cost in the region of 800 - Compatible with Amazon Echo - Controllable remotely via an app - 'Internet of Things' compatible - On-board AI allows it to map and remember contours of the room - Can detect and work its way around small obstacles - Self-cleaning brush Advertisement

But the futuristic vacuum is not the first robot cleaner to offer this function - the Neato Botvac Connect cleaner, released earlier this year, can connect with Echo too.

The Powerbot is less than 10cm (4in) tall, which allows it to skirt into hard-to-reach areas under beds and other furniture.

As with many models of cleaner bots Samsung's VR7000 is controllable remotely via an app.

From their mobile device, users can start and stop the cleaner, schedule the next cleaning time, and even check the bot's cleaning history.

It also has 20W of suction power, which is till significantly less than the average cord vacuum.

Samsung hasn't yet announced an official release date or pricing for its VR7000 bot.

But the older VR9300 model still sells for around 800 ($985) on the company's website.

'The Powerbot VR7000 keeps up with the floor care needs of today's busy families,' said Byung-Sam Seo, President of Home Appliances at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung claims that the VR7000 (pictured) is its smartest cleaner yet. The Korean tech firm says that its newest cleaner is compatible with Amazon's new Echo voice assistant, allowing users to control the robot with voice commands

'Just set it and watch it go to work.'

The vacuum's on-board AI allows it to map and remember contours of the room to reach every corner.

It can also detect and work its way around smaller obstacles.

Samsung says that the robot's AI power control allows it to adjust the suction power automatically depending on what surface it is on.

And the VR7000 can come within 15mm (0.5in) of walls around the home, an area the tech firm's previous robot vacuums have struggled with due to their bulky size.

Samsung says that the bot boasts a self-cleaning brush to stop hair and dust from getting trapped in the bristles.

The brush collects dust in the centre to prevent too much build up.
Ants are rarely considered one the smarter members of the animal kingdom.

But new research suggests that the tiny critters are sharper than we think.

For the first time, ants have been shown to make tiny sponges to soak up honey and take it home for lunch.

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For the first time, ants have been shown to inspect and select tools based on their suitability for a task. In this image, we see funnel ants selecting tools from a plate. Researchers found that certain species of funnel ant pick tools based on their absorbency and ease of handling

HOW CAN AN ANT'S TINY BRAIN SELECT FOR TOOLS? Tool selection is a complex task for animals with such tiny brains, so how do they do it? 'Many other accomplishments of these small-brained creatures rival those of humans or even surpass them, such as farming fungi species or using "dead reckoning", a sophisticated navigation to find their way back to the nest,' Dr Valerie Banschbach, an ant expert at Roanoke College in Virginia, told New Scientist. 'The size of brain needed for specific cognitive tasks is not clear.' Advertisement

Tool use is normally only seen in species of primate and bird such as chimpanzees or magpies.

Some species of ant use tools such as mud or sand grains to collect water and take it to the nest.

But until now it wasn't known that some species of ant can even pick out the best tool for a job.

Tool selection is a surprisingly complex technique for ants, who have a minuscule brain even for their size.

A team of researchers from the University of Szeged in Hungary found that certain species of funnel ant pick tools based on their absorbency and ease of handling.

They suggest that the critters evolved this behaviour because, unlike many other species of ant, they cannot expand their stomachs.

'They had to find a way to exploit the valuable resource of liquid food,' study co-author Professor Patrizia d'Ettorre, from the University of Paris-North, told New Scientist.

This tactic meant that, when funnel ants came across a large, nutritious stash in the forest - such as fallen fruit - they could still collect plenty of resources to take back to the colony.

The research team presented two species of funnel ants with liquids containing water and honey.

Some of the liquids offered were pure honey, while others were more diluted.

They also offered the ants a range of different tools to use for carrying the selection of sweet mixtures.

The researchers suggest that the ants evolved this behaviour because they cannot expand their stomachs. 'They had to find a way to exploit the valuable resource of liquid food,' study co-author Professor Patrizia d'Ettorre told New Scientist. (Stock image)

Some of the tools were natural to the ants, such as twigs and soil grains, and some were artificial, such as bits of paper and sponge.

After experimenting with the different tools, the ants always chose the best tool for the job.

One of the two species of funnel ant tested, known as 'Aphaenogaster subterranea', preferred to use grains for the diluted honey samples, but then used sponges for the more viscous pure honey sample.

Many of the subterranea ants even tore the sponge into smaller pieces before dipping, presumably for better handling.

The other species of funnel ant tested, known as 'Aphaenogaster senilis', began the test by using all of the tools equally, but then gradually began to use the paper and sponge tools more as they went on.

This suggests that the ants were learning which tools were best as the test progressed.

What the researchers found most interesting is that the tools the ants selected tended to be artificial rather than natural, even though these materials are not found in their typical environment.

The researchers' results suggest that funnel ants posses the mental capacity to analyse both the liquid and the tool they are using to find the best possible solution to a problem.

But how are funnel ants - creatures with relatively tiny brains - able to perform these complex tasks?

'Many other accomplishments of these small-brained creatures rival those of humans or even surpass them, such as farming fungi species or using "dead reckoning", a sophisticated navigation to find their way back to the nest,' Dr Valerie Banschbach, an ant expert at Roanoke College in Virginia who was not involved in the study, told New Scientist.
There's good news for alien hunters, as experts say that 2017 could be the year we discover extra-terrestrial life.

The Cassini space probe, which is orbiting Saturn's moons, will end its mission in September next year, and is one of the greatest contenders for revealing alien life.

Scientists are also closely monitoring Proxima B, a planet they believe could harbour life.

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There's good news for alien hunters on the lookout for extra-terrestrial life, as experts say that 2017 could be the year. Scientists are also closely monitoring Proxima B, a planet they believe could harbour life (artist's impression)

THE CASSINI MISSION Since it left earth in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004, Cassini has been touring the system with an up-close study of the planet, its rings and moons. During its journey, Cassini has made dramatic discoveries, including a global ocean within Enceladus and liquid methane seas on Titan. After nearly 20 years in space, the mission is drawing near its end because the spacecraft is running low on fuel. Cassini is scheduled to plunge into Saturn's atmosphere on 15 September 2017, beaming back its final cache of data as it goes. Advertisement

Dr Simon Foster, a physicist from Imperial College London believes that the Cassini space probe could reveal alien life next year.

Since it left Earth in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004, Cassini has been touring the system with an up-close study of the planet, its rings and moons.

Dr Foster told The Express: 'What's interesting is that one of [Saturn's] moons, Enceladus, is an icy moon and that leaves the tantalising prospect of looking for life.

'The concentration has been on Mars, and I think moons like Enceladus and Europa, there is a good prospect of finding life  microbial that is.'

As well as Saturn's moons, experts believe that life could also soon be discovered on Proxima B.

In October, a team including CNRS astrophysicists calculated the size and surface properties of the planet dubbed Proxima b, and concluded it may be an 'ocean planet' similar to Earth

In October, a team including CNRS astrophysicists calculated the size and surface properties of the planet dubbed Proxima b, and concluded it may be an 'ocean planet' similar to Earth.

Scientists announced Proxima b's discovery in August, and said it may be the first exoplanet to one day be visited by robots from Earth.

Since it left earth in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004, Cassini has been touring the system with an up-close study of the planet, its rings and moons

The planet orbits within a 'temperate' zone from its host star Proxima Centauri, some four light years from us.

'The discovery of possible planet around Proxima Centauri is very exciting,' Professor Phillip Lubin, from the University of California, Santa Barbara, told Universe Today.

'It makes the case of visiting nearby stellar systems even more compelling.'

In 2017, astronomers will closely monitor Proxima b and its sun, using a collection of giant telescopes, including the European Extremely Large Telescope, in the hopes of finding evidence of life.

Dr Foster added: 'We don't know hardly anything and when we come up against something we don't know or doesn't fit into out current understanding, it is quite nice to say that it could be aliens, whereas a lot of it is just a phenomena that we haven't discovered.

'Either way, there is a breakthrough just around the corner.'
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Just hours after this year's winter solstice, the northern lights put on a stunning display over northern Canada.

The phenomenon was captured by a Nasa satellite in infrared, as the skies over the area lit up.

The northern lights, which appeared on December 22, appear in the image as glowing swirls of clouds.

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 Slide me  Just hours after this year's winter solstice, the northern lights put on a stunning display over northern Canada. The phenomenon was captured by a Nasa satellite in infrared, as the skies over the area lit up

WHAT ARE AURORAS? There are two types of auroras - Aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.' The lights are created when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, but some enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles. These collisions emit light, in many colours although pale green and pink are common. Advertisement

Nasa's Suomi NPP spacecraft captured the image of the northern lights over British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories in Canada.

The satellite took the images from 512 miles (824 kilometres) above Earth's surface, using a Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

In a statement on its website, Nasa said: 'Just hours after the winter solstice, a mass of energetic particles from the Sun smashed into the magnetic field around Earth.

'The strong solar wind stream stirred up a display of northern lights over northern Canada.'

When solar particles collide into our planet's magnetic field, particles that are trapped around Earth are rapidly accelerated.

Those particles are sent crashing down into Earth's upper atmosphere, at altitudes of 60 to 250 miles (100 to 400 kilometres), where they excite oxygen and nitrogen molecules and release photons of lights.

The results are the distinctive swirls of dancing light in the sky.

In April this year, Nasa released an ultra-high definition 4K timelapse of the Auroras Borealis and Australis as seen from 250 miles above Earth

In April this year, Nasa released an ultra-high definition 4K timelapse of the Auroras Borealis and Australis as seen from 250 miles above Earth.

'Harmonic produced this show exclusively for Nasa TV UHD, using time-lapses shot from the International Space Station, showing both the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis,' Nasa wrote.

While the astronauts on the space station are often treated to spectacular light shows created by the aurora from their unique perspective, they are often on the Earth's horizon.

While the astronauts on the space station are often treated to spectacular light shows created by the aurora from their unique perspective, they are often on the Earth's horizon

In February the green glow, caused by electrically charged particles thrown out by the sun interacting with the gas atoms in the atmosphere, right in the path of the space station

But in February the green glow, caused by electrically charged particles thrown out by the sun interacting with the gas atoms in the atmosphere, right in the path of the space station.

Major Tim Peake managed to capture the stunning moment as the space station passed through the green haze by taking a picture out of a window.

Posting the image on Twitter, he described the aurora as being like a 'thick green fog' which was 'eerie but very beautiful'.

Major Tim Peake managed to capture the stunning moment as the space station passed through the green haze by taking a picture out of a window

Aside from being beautiful to behold, studying the aurora from space could provide scientists with details about the behaviour of the sun.

Nasa said: 'The dancing lights of the aurora provide spectacular views on the ground, but also capture the imagination of scientists who study incoming energy and particles from the sun.
The new exploit was found by hacker vincedes3 who has also provided a fix

Because iMessage can't handle the file size, it freezes - and a reboot won't fix it

The prank message contains an attachment to a large file known as a vCard

A bug found in Apple's iOS is causing the iMessage app to crash after receiving a malicious text.

The prank message contains an attachment to a large file known as a vCard.

This is a type of virtual business card that lets you share contacts on your phone.

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The prank message contains an attachment to a large file known as a vCard. This is a type of virtual business card that lets you share contacts on your phone. It can cause iPhones to crash completely (stock image)

HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE A simple solution to the problem is to open this site on the Safari browser. This will trigger a process to fix the crash and restore the iMessage app. When this is done, a message will appear on your screen saying 'I have just saved your iPhone bro ;)' in the messaging app. Advertisement

Because iMessage can't handle the file size and complexity of the vCard, it freezes completely - and a reboot won't fix the problem.

Instead, when victims who do a hard reset are greeted with a blank screen.

The new exploit was found by hacker vincedes3 who has also provided a fix.

'When you click, iOS want to read the text, the text in the file is very complicated for the system and cause a CPU average: the app freeze,' vincedes3 wrote on his site.

'You close the app, want to reopen but iOS want to reload the previous message but can't because it's the vcf file.

Vincedes3's vCard has 14,281 lines of code, which is far more than the average VCard which has around 300.

A simple solution to the problem is to open this site on the Safari browser.

This will trigger a process to fix the crash and restore the iMessage app.

When this is done, a message will appear on your screen saying 'I have just saved your iPhone bro ;)' in the messaging app.

This flaw affects the latest versions of iOS.

An annoying bug is causing iOS Messages to crash when a certain text message (pictured as shared on Twitter with part of the text removed) is received. There is no news on when a fix will be made available

This isn't the first time a messages has been found to crash an iPhone.

Last year, it emerged that a text message containing a mixture of specific words and characters would force phones to reboot.

The text message content was shared on social media, with people complaining of being repeatedly sent the message by mischievous friends.

The message contains the word 'Power' as well as Arabic and Marathi characters and the Chinese character meaning 'redundant'.

It's only effective in crashing Messages and rebooting an iPhone if sent from another Apple handset running iOS, 9to5Mac reported.

Apple fan site MacRumours additionally said they have tested the message and revealed it will crash any iPhone running the latest iOS 8.3 operating system.

Hey my Messages app won't open without crashing.Cool.  Nick Pomes (@NickPomes) May 27, 2015

Send me the text message that turns my iPhone off and I will turn yours off by throwing it out of a window!!!!   Karina (@karcoty) May 27, 2015
New Year's Eve is often a bitter disappointment for party-goers, with sky-high ticket prices, over-crowded bars and roads, and rowdy drunks.

Even people with seemingly flawless party plans are destined for disaster, according to psychologists.

That's because people are more likely to be unhappy with an event when they set their expectations high and try to stick to strict plans.

But an expert in human decision making has the answer: Make fun plans for your evening, but be careful where you set the bar for your expectations.

Even people with the best laid plans New Year's Eve plans, the last night of 2016 is likely to disappoint, according to psychologists. That's because people are more likely to be unhappy with an event when they have high expectations and strict plans. (Stock image)

Dr Robb Rutledge, a senior research associate on decision making at University College London, told the MailOnline: 'People often make big plans for NYE, and that means there is the opportunity for big disappointment if reality doesn't match up to what people were hoping for.

'In general, we want our expectations to be accurate because we use them to make decisions.

'Those expectations help us decide, for example, which NYE party to go to.

'It's fine to be expecting a fun night out with friends, but it's unrealistic to expect one of the best nights of your life.

'Most of those nights happen when we least expected them.

'So make plans for a fun night out, but don't have unrealistic expectations, and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.'

Dr Rutledge has worked on the link between expectation and happiness before.

Although the researchers' happiness formula is complicated, put simply it looks at the event (t), how important or significant the event is (w) and when the event occurred (y). EVj is the reward for taking part, and RPE is the reward compared to the expectation

'What I've found in my research is that expectations are just as important for determining how happy we feel from moment to moment as what actually happens to us,' he told MailOnline.

'I developed an equation for predicting happiness which found that happiness depends not on how well people are doing, but whether they are doing better than expected.'

A separate study found that an 83 per cent of those they surveyed were disappointed with their New Year's Eve celebration. And the people who were most disappointed were those with the highest expectations

This equation was developed during a 2014 study in which Dr Rutledge found that the 'ebb and flow' of mental happiness - the way our mood shifts moment-to-moment - is hugely impacted by our expectations of life.

Although the formula itself is complicated, put simply it looks at the event (t), how important or significant that event is to that person (w) and when the event occurred, also known as the 'forgetting factor'.

The 'forgetting factor' in particular looks at what has happened in the past to determine the current expectations.

HAPPINESS IS... USING WORDS CONTAINING THE LETTER 'I' Researchers from Germany found the articulation of vowels influence how we feel. During tests, they tracked participants' emotions by measuring changes in facial muscles linked with smiling and frowning, and found the most positive letter is 'i' and the most negative is 'o'. The team, led by the Erfurt-based psychologist Professor Ralf Rummer, was able to demonstrate the articulation of vowels systematically influences our feelings and vice versa. The scientists focused on the sound of the long 'i' vowel and that of the long, closed 'o' vowel. In the first experiment, the researchers asked participants to watch film clips designed to put them in a positive or a negative mood, and then asked them to make up ten artificial words and to speak them out loud. They found the artificial words that contained significantly more i's than o's when the test subjects were in a positive mood. In a second experiment that looked at the link between the sounds, mood and people's facial muscles. They found that participants making the 'i' sounds found things funnier than those making 'o' noises. They believe that the tendency for 'i' sounds to occur in positively charged words, such as 'like', and for 'o' sounds to occur in negatively charged words, such as 'alone', in many languages appears to be linked to the corresponding use of facial muscles. Advertisement

EVj is the average reward from taking part in a certain event, and RPE is the reward compared to the expectation the person had beforehand.

Speaking of the research at the time, Dr Rutledge said his team were surprised to find just how important expectation is.

He said: 'It is often said that you will be happier if your expectations are lower.

'We find that there is some truth to this - lower expectations make it more likely that an outcome will exceed those expectations and have a positive impact on happiness.'

The equation accurately predicts how happy people will say they are based on recent events.

The formula was put together by studying 26 people who completed a decision-making task in which their choices led to monetary gains and losses.

They were repeatedly asked how happy they were, and their brain activity was measured using MRI scans.

The scientists used the data to build a computer model, which was tested on 18,420 people using a smartphone app.

The results confirmed that people who started off with lower expectations were happier when they had better results.

The Washington Post notes that similar results were found in a 1999 study called 'The pursuit and assessment of happiness can be self-defeating,' by Duke University.

In the weeks leading up to New Year's Eve, the researchers asked 475 people about what they planned to do to see in the New Year.

They contacted the same people several weeks after New Year's Eve to find out their happiness levels.

The study found that an 83 per cent of those they surveyed ended up being disappointed with their New Year's Eve celebration.
It might be known as the red planet, but a new image captured by the Curiosity rover shows the Martian landscape speckled in purple.

It was taken on lower Mount Sharp, where purple-hued rocks can be seen scattered across the ground.

According to NASA, the colour is suggestive of the diversity in the rocks composition, and a similar phenomenon has been seen in other areas where the rover detected hematite.

It might be known as the red planet, but a new image captured by the Curiosity rover shows the Martian landscape speckled in purple. It was taken on lower Mount Sharp, where purple-hued rocks can be seen scattered across the ground

WHY THEY'RE PURPLE The image was taken on November 10, during Curiositys 1,516th Martian day (or sol), of work. In this season, winds keep the rocks mostly dust free, revealing their vibrant colours. According to NASA, the colour is suggestive of the diversity in the rocks composition, and a similar phenomenon has been seen in other areas where the rover detected hematite. Advertisement

This stunning view was captured with the Mastcams right-eye camera, and three frames were stitched together.

It shows a span of roughly 15 compass degrees, with the left edge pointing toward the southeast.

Higher layers of the region can be seen in the distance  and the rover will soon be headed there during its future explorations.

The image was taken on November 10, during Curiositys 1,516th Martian day (or sol), of work.

In this season, winds keep the rocks mostly dust free, revealing their vibrant colours.

Behind the purple rocks, a number of orange-looking features can be seen as well.

These are in the upper portion of the Murray formation, extending up to a ridge-forming layer called the Hematite Unit, according to the space agency.

The Clay Unit lies beyond this, an area thats relatively flat and thus difficult to see from this particular vantage point.

Curiositys highest planned destination will be the Sulfate Unit, the rounded hills that can be seen in the image as well.

Further beyond that, however, is an area past where the rover will drive  the higher levels of Mount Sharp.

Earlier this month, NASA's Curiosity rover revealed how the ground under its wheels was once 'perfect' for life.

The rover is climbing a layered Martian mountain, and has found the ingredients for a 'stew of life', researchers said.

 Slide me  Hematite, clay minerals and boron are among the ingredients found to be more abundant in layers farther uphill, compared with lower, older layers examined earlier in the mission.

STRANDED ON MARS Engineers are troubleshooting a snag on NASA's Curiosity that's preventing the rover from moving its robotic arm and driving to another spot on Mars, the space agency said Tuesday. The problem involves a motor in the rover's drill that is used to bore into rocks. Curiosity has been taking pictures and tracking the weather, but doing little else for the past two weeks. Advertisement

New NASA analysis revealed points to a 'evidence of how ancient lakes and wet underground environments changed, billions of years ago, creating more diverse chemical environments that affected their favorability for microbial life.'

'There is so much variability in the composition at different elevations, we've hit a jackpot,' said John Grotzinger, of Caltech in Pasadena, California.

Hematite, clay minerals and boron are among the ingredients found to be more abundant in layers farther uphill, compared with lower, older layers examined earlier in the mission.

'Variations in these minerals and elements indicate a dynamic system,' Grotzinger said.

'They interact with groundwater as well as surface water.

The water influences the chemistry of the clays, but the composition of the water also changes.

Examination of a calcium sulfate vein called "Diyogha" by the Chemical and Camera (ChemCam) instrument on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover found boron, sodium and chlorine. At left, an image from Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) shows the context of the pale vein in mudstone of the Murray formation on lower Mount Sharp. A red outline marks the area included in a magnified view, at right, from ChemCam's remote micro-imager.

'A sedimentary basin such as this is a chemical reactor,' Grotzinger said.

'Elements get rearranged.

'New minerals form and old ones dissolve. Electrons get redistributed.

'On Earth, these reactions support life.'

'We are seeing chemical complexity indicating a long, interactive history with the water.

'The more complicated the chemistry is, the better it is for habitability.

CURIOSITY'S MISSION ON MARS When Curiosity landed in Mars' Gale Crater in 2012, the mission's main goal was to determine whether the area ever offered an environment favorable for microbes. The crater's main appeal for scientists is geological layering exposed in the lower portion of its central mound, Mount Sharp. The crater's main appeal for scientists is geological layering exposed in the lower portion of its central mound, Mount Sharp. These exposures offer access to rocks that hold a record of environmental conditions from many stages of early Martian history, each layer younger than the one beneath it. The mission succeeded in its first year, finding that an ancient Martian lake environment had all the key chemical ingredients needed for life, plus chemical energy available for life. This map shows the route driven by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover from the location where it landed in August 2012 to its location in December 2016, which is in the upper half of a geological unit called the Murray formation, on lower Mount Sharp. Now, the rover is climbing lower on Mount Sharp to investigate how ancient environmental conditions changed over time. Advertisement

'The boron, hematite and clay minerals underline the mobility of elements and electrons, and that is good for life.'

Scientists are discussing what these and other variations tell about conditions under which sediments were initially deposited, and about how groundwater moving later through the accumulated layers altered and transported ingredients.

Effects of this groundwater movement are most evident in mineral veins.

What Curiosity has found: This series of pie charts shows similarities and differences in the mineral compositions of mudstones at 10 sites where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected rock-powder samples and analyzed them with the rover's Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument.

The veins formed where cracks in the layers were filled with chemicals that had been dissolved in groundwater.

The water with its dissolved contents also interacted with the rock matrix surrounding the veins, altering the chemistry both in the rock and in the water.

Members of Curiosity's science team presented an update about the mission Tuesday, Dec. 13, in San Francisco during the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
Spotting a meteor during the brief moments it shoots through the sky is pretty exciting  but this week, stargazers in Costa Rica were treated to something even better.

On Tuesday night, a camera monitoring the Turrialba Volcano caught the moment a fireball appeared to dive right through the path of an eruption.

While the scene may look apocalyptic, experts say the remarkable sight was just a very small chunk of space debris burning up upon impact with Earths atmosphere.

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On Tuesday night, a camera monitoring the Turrialba Volcano caught the moment a fireball appeared to dive right through the path of an eruption. While the scene may look apocalyptic, experts say the remarkable sight was just a very small chunk of space debris

TURRIALBA VOLCANO The Turrialba volcano is an active volcano in Costa Rica. It's known to sporadically spew ashy emissions, including a vigorous series of events in September 2016 that cause airports across the country to close. Due to an increase in activity since 2014, the park surrounding the volcano has closed. Advertisement

In the video, the fireball can be seen quickly passing from the left side of the frame and behind the erupting volcano before it disappears from sight.

When the flash of light ripped through the sky on Tuesday night, many thought theyd seen a UFO, according to Q Costa Rica.

But, footage captured by the camera at the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica shows that, while extraordinary, the event has a simple explanation.

It has all the appearance of being a meteor of a size of a size of a grain of dust, Victor Fung, of the Costa Rican Astronomy Association, explained to Q Cost Rica.

The shooting stars are pebbles the size of a grain of sand.

'As they move at high-speed and enter the atmosphere, they burn and we see the result.

Viewers in Chiapas, Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador reported seeing the mysterious flash of light, Q Costa Rica reports.

The Turrialba Volcano is currently active, and has been spewing ashy emissions sporadically since September.

The cameras at the observatory monitor the volcano around the clock, and captured this spectacular event at 10:25 p.m. Tuesday.

The Turrialba volcano is currently active, and has been spewing ashy emissions sporadically since September

Rare phenomena such as this often spike the interest of UFO hunters.

At the start of this year, a similar event had some claiming that an alien craft had caused an eruption at the Colima volcano in Mexico.

UFO Sightings Daily reported that the alleged UFO spotted in the January 3 footage was likely transporting 'someone or something' into a base beneath the volcano.

In the grainy, black-and-white video, a volcano can be seen as it begins to erupt, spewing out white light into the dark sky. About 5-seconds into the footage, a flying object appears from the right side of the shot, travelling right in the line of the eruption

Alien hunters are abuzz with theories after the sighting of what they claim is a UFO passing over a volcano in Mexico. UFO Sightings Daily even speculates that the craft was the cause of the eruption shown in the January 3 footage of the Colima Volcano

In the grainy, black-and-white video, a volcano can be seen as it begins to erupt, spewing out white light into the dark sky.

About 5-seconds into the footage, a flying object appears from the right side of the shot, travelling right in the line of the eruption.

The volcano continues to go up in lava and smoke for the next few seconds, and the 'UFO' flies behind the outburst, passing through to the other side.

Then, the object flies out of view, and the volcano continues to sizzle for another few seconds before erupting a second time.
For thousands of commuters the idea that a railway journey in Britain can be great will seem completely ridiculous.

After all, the railway system in the UK is no better than that of a developing nation in pockets, with passengers paying extortionate prices to ride on decrepit trains. Not to mention crippling strikes on Southern that have inflicted misery on the population in the south-east.

But Michael Portillo is here once more to show us that there are actually plenty of mesmerising trips to be had on the UKs trains with a new series of Great British Railway Journeys on BBC Two. And he underscored to MailOnline Travel that despite the railways bad press there is one thing we definitely get right  the stations.

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Michael Portillo is here once more to show us that there are plenty of mesmerising trips to be had on the UKs trains with a new series of Great British Railway Journeys on BBC Two

Which is a start.

He said: Well, were behind in many ways. We dont have nearly as much electrification or nearly as much high-speed rail as some of our European partners and China and Japan, but I do think our stations score very highly.

And the restoration of stations is progressing very very well. Edinburgh Waverley has recently been restored and London Kings Cross is an absolute gem. Reading has recently been rebuilt and Bristol Temple Meads is under way.

And the secret for most of them is to strip away all the clutter and get back to the basic Victoria structure, which in my view you cant beat.

And that is happening in a lot of railway stations. We now have a new-found respect for what was there originally. So I think that stations of Britain are a joy.

Michael Portillo describes London King's Cross (pictured) as an 'absolute gem'

So there are glimmers of hope amidst the gloom  and if youre a tourist thinking of travelling Britain by rail there are certainly plenty of wonderful journeys to take, too, as Mr Portillos show reveals.

But he picks out one in particular for MailOnline readers  the sleeper train from London to Scotland.

He said: I would recommend travelling on the West Highland line between Glasgow and Mallaig, passing through Fort William. And I would particularly recommend, if the tourist has arrived in London, getting on the night sleeper from Euston, and waking up on Rannoch Moor.

Mr Portillo said that he's very much looking forward to HS2 - but he's pictured here on a somewhat slower mode of transport... a pump trolley at Nene Valley Station

Its absolutely fantastic. If you go up for the weekend, particularly in summer, if it was the longest day, you could get off at Fort William and be eating haggis and drinking whiskey and enjoying the Highlands for three hours of the journey in the daylight.

Its a fantastic journey.

In the future, if all goes according to plan, other fantastic journeys will become available, according to Mr Portillo.

He said: Im immensely looking forward to the electrification of the Great Western Railway. I think its very strange that two capital cities, London and Cardiff, are not joined by an electric railway.

Anywhere else in Europe and that would be thought very strange.

I recently attended the inauguration of the Oxford to Marylebone service and that promises to be a part of an Oxford to Cambridge railway so Im hugely looking forward to that.

I am personally very much looking forward to Crossrail in London. Its going to be transformative. And I cant wait for HS2.

Mr Portillo stressed that its high-speed rail that will help Britain make the most of its glorious Victorian infrastructure.

He said: No one is a bigger admirer of the Victorian infrastructure than I am. I think realistically you need some 21st century infrastructure as well. And as Ive travelled through France and Spain and Italy and Germany, theyre all countries that have turned to high speed rail. And I dont believe Britain can turn its back on it.
He is the latest Aussie actor to make it big in Hollywood.

But behind the A-lister status, Ben Mendelsohn has battled heavy drug use and had a string of unsuccessful relationships with high-profile Australian women such as James Packer's ex Kate Fischer.

And despite the success of his latest film Rogue One, on Friday it was revealed the 47-year-old has split from his wife of four years, Emma Forrest.

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From heavy drug use and a relationship with Kate Fischer to bonafide Hollywood star and now a broken marriage: The highs and low of Ben Mendelsohn (Pictured at the premiere of Metal Skin in 1995)

In an interview with The Age in 2010, Ben described his upbringing as 'troubled' and revealed he was expelled from school at the age of 13 for setting fire to property.

With overnight success playing the Aussie boy next door in multiple roles during the early nineties, the Dark Knight Rises actor began using drugs and alcohol heavily.

At the after party of The Piano premiere in 1993, Ben was reportedly found in a comatose state,' later telling Fairfax Media he just gave way to excessive hedonism.'

Wild ways: His ex-girlfriend Kate Fischer, who briefly dated Ben after meeting on the set of Sirens in 1993, would later describe his drug use as driving her crazy with concern

'I think she broke my heart': Ben also dated fellow Australian actress Justine Clarke before she was married

His girlfriend at the time Kate Fischer, who briefly dated Ben after meeting on the set of Sirens in 1993, would later describe his drug use as driving her crazy with concern.

He also dated actress Justine Clarke before she was married, saying 'we were munchkins then, but we went overseas together and it was lovely. I think she broke my heart.'

But since those wild days, Ben now rarely drinks alcohol and is the patron of a charity which helps children whose parents abuse drugs.

'I probably didn't come from a particularly great template for relationship building': The Animal Kingdom actor previously cast doubt on his ability to maintain a longterm romantic bond (pictured with a co-star in 1987)

Despite reforming his bad boy ways, the Animal Kingdom actor previously cast doubt on his ability to maintain a long-term romantic bond.

'I probably didn't come from a particularly great template for relationship building,' he said.

'The vagaries of the job don't help either.'

Troubled: The actor previously described his childhood as troubled and he was expelled from school at 13

Often cast in antagonist roles, the quirky showman has been steadily establishing himself as a Alist actor in high-budget films such has Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings and The Dark Knight Rises.

In 2017, he will appear in Spielberg's sci-fi adventure film Ready Player One in the role of the primary villain character.

He will also star in the upcoming 2017 films Larrikins, Untogether and Darkest Hour.

Highs and lows: The sad news is at odds with his ongoing career success, with the actor appearing in one of his most highly publicised roles to date in Rogue One this year

The 47-year-old Australian has gone from success to success during his 30-year-career, which saw him move from relative obscurity to Hollywood A-lister

Ben is also reportedly in talks to play the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Robin Hood reboot, Robin Hood: Origins.

He is rumoured to be set to play the iconic role opposite Taron Egerton in the new movie, which also stars Jamie Foxx, Eve Hewson and Jamie Dornan.

Meanwhile, his estranged wife Emma has not joined Ben on the red carpet during his recent promotional tour for Rogue One.

Career on the rise! Often cast in antagonist roles, the quirky showman has been steadily establishing himself as a AAA actor in high-budget films such has Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings and The Dark Knight Rises

The last event they attended together was in February at the Vanity Fair Oscar's after party.

Forrest filed for divorce from the Emmy-winning actor, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the end of their four year marriage.

She is seeking physical custody of their 3-year-old daughter.

The pair married in June 2012.

Solo: Meanwhile, his estranged wife Emma has not joined Ben on the red carpet during his recent promotional tour for Rogue One

The filing was first reported Thursday by celebrity website TMZ.

According to TMZ, the Your Voice In My Head writer is seeking physical custody of their three-year-old daughter and wants spousal support.

Emma - who previously dated Colin Farrell - married the Emmy-award winning Australian actor in 2012 at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood.

Award-winner: Ben won an Emmy Award earlier this year for his role in Netflix's "Bloodline" series

Ben has two daughters - one with Emma and another from a previous relationship.

Ben has previously called the 40-year-old author his 'lucky charm' and admitted he relied on her for guidance.

'Emma has a lot more sense of the wider world. I'm more of a much burrower and just push narrowly, straight ahead,' he said.
She's a three-time Olympian who runs a weight loss program and appeared on Celebrity apprentice in 2011.

And fans are certain Lisa Curry will be sent into the jungle for I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! next year.

On top of that, a source has exclusively revealed to Daily Mail Australia that Lisa Curry applied for a South African visa, earlier this month.

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Packing her bags: A source has told Daily Mail Australia Lisa Curry applied for a South African visa earlier this month, as a 'well known three time Olympian' prepares to enter the jungle for I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here

The swimmer was at a post office in Victoria's Narre Warren South getting her photo taken when she was overheard telling a worker it was for the immigration document.

Lisa still spends a lot of time in her native Queensland, but her Elvis impersonator boyfriend Mark Andrew Tabone performs each weekend in Melbourne.

The source claims Lisa was with him while she had her photograph taken.

On Sunday, the upcoming reality show's social media channels released a new clue as to who might be heading into the jungle.

Melbourne based: While the Olympic swimmer spends a lot of time in her native Queensland, her fiance Mark Andrew Tabone performs as Elvis every weekend in Melbourne

'A much loved three time Olympian has had success in sport, business and TV,' it read.

Among many others, Lisa meets all these criteria, having appeared on Celebrity Apprentice and contributed to Sunrise during the Rio Olympics, as well as launching her own weight loss program.

The swimmer also had a great deal of success in the pool, breaking Commonwealth and Australian records in every stroke except backstroke, according to Sport Australia.

Matchy matchy: Lisa Curry fits all the criteria for the above clue, having competed in the Olympics in Moscow, Los Angeles and Barcelona

Fans of the show argued because Lisa had not won a medal, it made her more likely to be the face behind the clue.

'It'll be Lisa Curry - they would have surely mentioned the person being a medallist if it was Klim, Hackett, Perkins, O'Neill, Livingstone or Lewis,' wrote one man.

'Curry went to 3 Olympics ('80, '84, '92), has had much success in business and has worked in television as a commentator and presenter over the years.

'She is probably the only prominent (read: celebrity) three-time Australian Olympian who never won an Olympic medal.'

Channel Ten has been contacted for comment.
She made a name for herself playing Italian princess Carmella Cammeniti on Neighbours.

But Natalie Hoflin (nee Blair) is quickly showing she is nothing like her soap character since she moved to Los Angeles and embraced an alternative lifestyle.

The 32-year-old shared a picture to Instagram of her breastfeeding son Finn while hiking on Friday.

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'Mid hike nom noms': Former Neighbours star Natalie Hoflin breastfeeds son while hiking

The boho babe is clearly dressed for an intense walk, wearing black active wear with her dark locks up in a messy bun.

Natalie cradles her five-month-old son close to her chest as she breastfeeds him.

The doting mother looks lovingly at her child as she feeds him.

She captions the photo by gushing about the moment with her child.

New mum: The dark-haired beauty makes no secret of her love of breastfeeding, taking to social media in August to defend the technique

'Mid hike nom noms. We stopped while he nuzzled, looking out across the canyon. The peaks and valleys so very green from the recent rain, the ocean so sparkly blue and calling my name,' Natalie wrote.

'The afternoon glowy sun kissing our skin...in those moments I thought my heart might explode. Just the three of us and sweet mama earth, what more do we really need?'

The dark-haired beauty makes no secret of her love of breastfeeding, taking to social media in August to defend the technique.

Not just neighbours: While on the show she met her now-husband, David Hoflin, who she began dating in 2008 and married in 2013. The couple had a son, Finn, in July this year

Since leaving the show, Natalie shares their alternative lifestyle on social media, posting photo of their crystal use and spirituality (pictured left in 2006, right in 2016)

The controversy/shame/pressure/sexualization of the breast in relation to feeding seems even more bizarre to me now. Breastfeeding is fricking beautiful!! Finn knew how to latch almost as soon as he was placed on my chest,' she wrote on Instagram.

Natalie also added: Its instinct. Its normal. Its as nature intended. Our bodies are phenomenal and know exactly what to do. How can people be offended by something so natural? A bubba has gotta eat. Nom nom.

Soap star: Natalie played the popular Neighbours character of Carmella from 2003 to 2008, before leaving the show to pursue an acting career overseas

Natalie played the popular Neighbours character of Carmella from 2003 to 2008, before leaving the show to pursue an acting career overseas.

While on the show she met her now-husband, David Hoflin, who she began dating in 2008 and married in 2013.

Since leaving the show, the couple share their alternative lifestyle on social media, posting photo of their crystal use and spirituality.
Jessie Habermann cemented her position as the Australian WAG world's newest 'it girl' by walking down the aisle with Marc Murphy on Thursday.

And while the glittering wedding boasted an impressive celebrity guest-list, WAG Nadia Bartel was nowhere to be seen in photos taken that day.

It's unclear as to whether the fashion blogger wife of retired AFL star Jimmy Bartel was invited to the event, or whether she received an invitation but decided not to attend.

Where was she? WAG Nadia Bartel was nowhere to be seen in photos taken during Jessie Habermann's lavish wedding to Marc Murphy on Thursday

She has not posted to her Instagram page in four days, however, implying that she is perhaps enjoying some down time for the festive season.

Jessie and Nadia have no doubt become acquainted in the past, having both attended Bec's recent Jagged active-wear launch with J'Aton Couture in Melbourne.

Both Jessie and Nadia stepped out in similar strappy necklines in contrasting colours, both posting about the event and their outfits to Instagram.

Disappearing act: She has not posted to her Instagram page in four days, however, implying that she is perhaps enjoying some down time for the festive season

Clad in a yellow lace frock, Bec made sure to pose with each girl separately in social media snaps.

Bec Judd and her AFL star husband Chris led the glamourous guest-list at Jessie and Marc's wedding.

Bec looked every inch the brunette beauty as she arrived at the lavish ceremony in a dusty-pink pencil dress.

Clad in a yellow lace frock, Bec made sure to pose with each girl separately in social media snaps

During the festivities, Bec shared a snap of herself and her beau, adding the hashtag, 'Marc marries Jessie.'

The pair were among several famous faces to attend the private service, including Bryce Gibbs and his long-term partner Lauren Tscharke and Ed Curnow and his wife Emily.

Also in attendance was Simon White and his partner Jessica Buckley and Dale Thomas and his partner Hayley Robertson.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Nadia Bartel for comment.
He's been vocal about loving yourself for who you are.

But Kurt Coleman probably wishes he could have had a word to his 2013 self.

The social media personality looked browned to a crisp in an Instagram throwback snap of his ridiculous spray tan gone wrong.

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Fail! Kurt Coleman looked browned to a crisp in a ridiculous spray tan gone wrong throwback snap posted to Instagram



The selfie-loving social media personality looked - quite literally - a shadow of his former self in the image, pulling down his shorts to unveil the dramatic colour contrast.

Fans of 'top deck' chocolate bars will likely draw a quick comparison.

Kurt stood next to a friend in the image, his face almost completely obscured in dark-brown fake tan.

The social media star sported his once-trademark blonde locks in the snap.

Locks! The social media star sported his once-trademark blonde locks in the snap, to which one fan bluntly commented 'Blackface'

'30 December 2013: The day we got the darkest New Years spray tans anyone has ever seen.' He wrote in the caption.

Perhaps the image was posted as a haunting reminder, because at the ARIAs in November, the 19-year-old suggested his spray tanning days could be numbered.

Speaking to Cody Simpson's sister Alli before the show, Coleman said: 'I haven't gotten a spray tan in two months!'

All Natural! In November, the 19-year-old suggested his spray tanning days could be numbered, claiming he hadn't got a spray tan in two months

He explained: 'I don't like it [fake tan] anymore so I just went to the beach.'

The now brunette social media star revealed that he hadn't tanned naturally for three years, so his complexion was 'pale as' when he first stopped using artificial products to achieve his iconic golden glow.

Kurt later urged others to follow in his footsteps by tanning naturally in the sun.

Showing people Friday's spray tan fail snap should help his cause immensely.
They rekindled their romance in May this year, after a brief fling back in 2011.

But Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor certainly looked more in love than ever on Thursday as they indulged in a sweet PDA while on holiday in Cape Town, South Africa.

The 30-year-old hunk took to his Instagram page to upload a photo of him locking lips with his beauty, 27, as the sun went down behind them.

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Kiss and tell! Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor looked more in love than ever on Thursday as they shared a sweet PDA while on holiday in Cape Town, South Africa on Instagram

The former Made in Chelsea co-stars appeared to be besotted as they shared their passionate embrace, with their eyes closed, on social media.

Admitting he was ending the year on a definite high, Hugo wrote beside the sweet shot: 'Magical sun down drinks in Cape Town. Very lucky man!'

In a second envy-inducing snap for followers, Hugo then turned his back to the camera to pose in front of the stunning vibrant sunset of orange and gold.

Stunning: In a second envy-inducing snap for followers, Hugo then turned his back to the camera to dance in front of the vibrant sunset of orange and gold

With Millie clearly taking the picturesque photo, Hugo appeared to be having the time of his life as he danced on the sand during the gorgeous evening - a glass of wine in hand.

Keeping attention on the breathtaking view, the London native simply captioned the second shot: 'What a sunset!'

Millie and Hugo jetted to South Africa on Christmas Day, and have since posted an array of intimate photos on social media from the trip - which marks Millie's 18th holiday this year.

Puppy love: Bikini-clad Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor proved they had more than just their love of holidays in common as they showed off their tattooed backs in Cape Town

Dog-lover Millie seemed to be in her element as she perched on the sand, while surrounded by adorable pooches.

Stroking one of her canine companions as she grinned away, the reality star turned fashion designer displayed a pretty butterfly inking on the small of her back as she posed in a aubergine-coloured bikini.

The fitness enthusiast appeared make-up free and wore her auburn locks hanging in loose tendrils around her shoulders.

She captioned the snap: 'I made some new friends at the beach.'

Hugo then gave her a run for the money in the tattoo department, showcasing his tanned, heavily-inked back, which featured four large etchings, as he strolled towards the sea in another snap.

Inked up: Hugo, 30, gave Millie, 27, a run for her money in the tattoo stakes as he showcased four etchings on his back in snaps from the couple's post-Christmas break in South Africa

Although it's been a turbulent year in terms of Millie's personal life - announcing her split and subsequent divorce from rapper husband Professor Green, 33, in the early part of 2016 - she's taken her mind off things with plenty of exotic holidays.

The statuesque beauty left her Instagram followers positively green with envy as she revealed she was on her 18th holiday in 12 months on Wednesday, by posting a snap from glorious Cape Town.

Perfect blue seas and rolling waves proved to be the ultimate back-drop for a gratuitous bikini picture as she strolled towards the camera.

She simply captioned the picture: 'Trying to act natural when the sea is bloody freezing.'

In search of sun: The statuesque beauty left her Instagram followers green with envy as she revealed she was on her 18th holiday in 12 months on Wednesday

Holiday glow: Although it's been a turbulent year in terms of Millie's personal life, she's taken her mind off things with plenty of exotic holidays

Millie's surroundings weren't the only source of envy because the brunette looked like a swimwear model in her tiny black two-piece.

Toned at her middle and lithe of leg, the reality star's superfit figure proved to be the ultimate reward for her months of hard graft in the gym.

Millie and sunglasses entrepreneur Hugo flew Business Class to South Africa in the evening of Christmas Day following a low-key yuletide in London.

This time last year, Millie was celebrating her second Christmas married to rapper Pro Green.

They closely followed it up with a 'make or break' trip to Florence, Italy, in February, which turned out to be their last holiday together.

Christmas looks very different this year: Millie was waking up to beau Hugo and 'the breakfast of dreams' on Christmas Day, following her split from husband Professor Green in February

Quite the contrast... This time last year, Millie (centre with ex-husband Professor Green) was celebrating her second Christmas with her now-ex-husband, her parents and grandfather

The couple announced their separation later that month, two years and six months after tying the knot.

The ill-fated vacation in Florence was to be only Millie's first trip of 2016, since her fairytale reunion with beau Hugo has taken her globe-trotting to Monico, Mauritius, Greece and Antibes, since May.

In fact, by the time Millie and Pro Green's divorce was finalised that month, she was kicking off a string of jet-set vacations with a celebratory trip to Monte Carlo on Hugo's 30th, which came just two days after the paperwork was completed.

Millie and Hugo previously dated back in 2011 when they met on E4 reality show, Made In Chelsea.

Jet-setter: Millie and sunglasses entrepreneur Hugo flew Business Class to South Africa in the evening of Christmas Day following a low-key yuletide in London

Make-up free Millie: The former Made In Chelsea let fans know that she was happily watching the sun rise in South Africa on Tuesday

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.'

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.

Full steam ahead! Millie's string of jet-set getaways sped up in May, when she took a break to Monte Carlo for Hugo's 30th birthday just two days after her divorce was finalised

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.

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 sweet life: One of her most luxurious holidays was a trip to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius with a large group on a shoot for Hugo's sunglasses brand, Taylor Morris

The couple tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Babington House in Somerset in September 2013.

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: '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.

Romantic: While her year of holidays began with an ill-fated trip to Florence with husband Pro Green, Millie was ending 2016 with boyfriend Hugo
She's the model and presenter who now splits her time between Australia and the UK.

But Erin McNaught is still every bit the Aussie beach babe, as she holidays down under with family over the holiday period.

On Friday, the 34-year-old mother showed off her stunning physique in a yellow bikini on the beach.

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Beach babe! Erin McNaught flaunted her stunning physique in a yellow bikini as she continues her holiday in Australia with son and husband rapper Example

Sharing the picture on Instagram, Erin looked radiant as she walked along the beach.

The former MTV presenter flaunted her her trim pins and toned stomach as she smiled happily for the camera.

Her yellow bikini showcased her lithe figure as her long dark locks were lightly tousled by wind.

Wants another child: Erin recently revealed to T he Morning Show that they couple recently had a 'heartbreaking' miscarriage

Erin captioned the photo with emoticons depicting the sun and surf.

The brunette beauty now lives in London with her husband and child, however, returned to Australia this month to spend the festive season with family.

She also recently revealed to The Morning Show that they couple recently had a 'heartbreaking' miscarriage.

Christmas on the beach: The brunette beauty now lives in London, however, returned to Australia this month to spend the festive season with her husband and child

'We definitely want another baby,' Erin told the show.

'I sadly had a miscarriage last month, which is, we're totally fine, it's just one of those things that's unfortunately really, really common,' she continued.

'For me, I found solace in knowing how common it was [miscarrying], because once I got talking, you realise just how many people are affected by it,' she said.

'If I could find solace in that and I think if more people spoke about it, then it might not be as tough for people to go through it.'

'Can't believe this kid is 2': The leggy model also recently celebrated her son Evander's second birthday, sharing an adorable photo of the young family as he blew out birthday candles

The leggy model also recently celebrated her son Evander's second birthday, sharing an adorable photo of the young family as he blew out birthday candles.

'Can't believe this kid is 2,' the doting mother gushed on Instagram.

Erin has been married to English rapper Example (real name Elliot Gleave) since 2013 and had their first child a year later.
Flume had an eventful Christmas Down Under before flying off to continue his world tour.

The record producer revealed on Instagram that Virgin Australia had lost his bag - carrying presents for his family inside - and had not returned it in time before he flew to Vancouver.

The 25-year-old issued a cry for help to the airline on Christmas Day beside a sad selfie, as he prepared to fly to Canada.

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Baggage claim: Flume revealed on Instagram that Virgin Australia had lost his bag - carrying presents for his family inside - and had not returned it in time before he flew to Vancouver on Christmas Day

He said: 'Hey @virginaustralia you lost my bag yesterday and still haven't found it. It has all my family Christmas presents in it plus I'm flying to Vancouver in a few hours. Please help!!'

Flume, who picked up seven awards at this year's ARIAs, also used his social media to upload a snap in anticipation of Triple J's Australia Day Hottest 100 countdown next month.

Flume - real name Harley Edward Streten - showed his excitement for Australia Day by stripping down to patriotic boxers during his stay.

Straya: Flume, who picked up seven awards at this year's ARIAs, also used his social media to upload a snap in anticipation of Triple J's Australia Day Hottest 100 countdown next month

Up-and-coming: The artist is currently in Canada on his world tour, which will take him to America, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile in the coming months

Posting just before Christmas, the Sydney-born artist is seen standing in shallow water as he dons a pair of boxers with the Australian flag emblazoned on them.

He captioned the photo: 'Getting ready for the countdown #hottest100 @triple_j #strayamate'

Flume had earlier highlighted his need for sun during his time at home over the Christmas period, posting a snap of him at the start of the year beside one of him at the end.

Catching rays: Flume had earlier highlighted his need for sun during his time at home over the Christmas period, posting a snap of him at the start of the year (L) beside one of him at the end (R)

Jet setter: Flume will be heading to America, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile in the coming months as he continues his world tour

The Never Be Like You producer had bronzed skin at the start of the year - as opposed to his pale complexion at the end of 2016.

Flume will be heading to America, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile in the coming months as he continues his world tour.

The musician will close out a majorly successful year with a gig in Denver on New Year's Eve.
She's enjoyed an incredibly busy December - jetting to five cities around the world in just two weeks as part of her flourishing modelling career.

But Victoria's Secret model Devon Windsor proved why she has found such success in the fashion world on Thursday, as she flaunted her sensational figure on Instagram.

The blonde bombshell, 22, showed off her impeccably tanned and toned body in a sizzling snap as she hit the beach in a skimpy striped bikini in Cancun, Mexico.

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Beach babe: Victoria's Secret model Devon Windsor proved why she has found such success in the fashion world on Thursday, as she flaunted her sensational figure on Instagram

Lounging on the beach in the luxurious Punta Nizuc resort, the beauty confidently displayed her enviably lean and leggy figure in nothing but the swimwear.

Cutting into a low V at the neck, the triangle top teased at her delicate bust before securing into a single string at the back to flash plenty more of her sun-kissed skin.

Clad in nothing else but a set of equally skimpy bottoms, the striped two-piece then left her long and lithe pins on show as she posed saucily with one leg cocked for the titillating snap.

The great escape: Earlier that day the model had revealed to followers that she would be ending her year on a high by posting a photo of her on the plane preparing for take off

Tilting her head seductively, the Missouri native drew further attention to her enviably tiny waist and gym-honed stomach as she reclined effortlessly on the sand to top up her deep, golden tan.

She left her blonde locks in their every day state and dressed her face with no make-up, to show off her striking natural beauty and glowing complexion.

Earlier that day the model had revealed to followers that she would be ending her year on a high by posting a photo of her on the plane preparing for take off.

Busy lady: Devon is clearly enjoying her time off before 2017 kicks off, with the trip to Mexico her second holiday this month (first pictured above)

Shielding her svelte frame with a soft pink jumpsuit, the young beauty held up two peace signs as she announced: 'Mexico, I'm coming for you!'

Devon is clearly enjoying her time off before 2017 kicks off, with the trip to Mexico her second holiday this month.

The blonde bombshell treated her fans to further shots of her envy-inducing figure as she enjoyed a blissful beach break in the sunshine last week.

The model showcased her incredible physique as she slipped into a skimpy black bikini in a series of shots posted to her Instagram page.

Island hopping: The model showcased her incredible physique in a skimpy black bikini as she shared shots from another beach location on her Instagram last week

Posing in front of a wooden door, the blonde bombshell seductively looked into the camera as she cheekily captioned the shot: 'Anyone home?'

Devon's incredibly tanned and toned legs were on full display as she opted for a barely-there thong bikini bottom, while she teased a slight glimpse of her cleavage in a cut-out top.

In another shot, the American model showed off her statuesque figure as she casually attempted to climb a palm tree, suitably captioned: 'Monkey business'.

With her long golden tresses scraped up into an effortless up-do and little to no makeup, the stunner's natural beauty was on full display.

Cheeky break! Devon has found her own piece of heaven during an idyllic break as she shared some seductive snaps with fans this week

The beauty has been busy documenting her sun-soaked vacation, posting a rather cheeky snap of her pert posterior on Monday.

The beauty showed off the figure which made her famous, with one image of her lying seductively on the sand.

She wrote: 'In serious need of this vitamin D dose.'

Another image showed her cheekily showing off her behind, with the caption: 'Just your typical suns out buns pic.'

Hot stuff! The beauty showed off the figure which made her famous, with one image of her lying seductively on the sand

Loved up! The steamiest one showed her in a passionate embrace with her boyfriend, who still hasn't been named publically

The steamiest one showed her in a passionate embrace with her boyfriend, who still hasn't been named publically.

She wrote: 'All I want for Christmas is you you you!'

The long-legged model was first discovered at age 14 - moving to LA to model for Roxy before relocating to New York after being signed by elite agency IMG Models.

Since then, the Victoria's Secret Angel has walked runways for some of the world's most famous designers, including Tom Ford, Stella McCartney, Donna Karan, Chanel and Prada.
Ladies man: Geoffrey Streatfeilds declasse Casanova and love louse, Platonov, has a ball, keeping us all guessing

This is Chekhov unplugged. Tie loosened. A few shots of vodka inside him and shooting from the hip.

But lest it seem too disorderly, this unfinished, untitled play about a disreputable Lothario in provincial Russia has been propped up and made more theatrically respectable by playwright Michael Frayn.

The first half of the show, which is normally named after its hero Platonov, is familiar territory.

Pretty fin de siecle frocks and gentlemen in linen suits opining on love and whining about modern manners, while worrying about their finances and the fate of the family estate.

Will Bruce Alexanders seigneurial gent pluck up the courage to propose to Justine Mitchells languid yet bossy lady of the manor?

Will Sophie Rundles impressionable newlywed remain faithful to her nice but dull husband?

Geoffrey Streatfeilds declasse Casanova and love louse, Platonov, has a ball, keeping us all guessing.

But in the second half, the play turns into a Russian farce, with dacha doors slamming and all kinds of sexual subterfuge.

Plot: In the second half, the play turns into a Russian farce, with dacha doors slamming and all kinds of sexual subterfuge

Streatfeild makes a grubby drunk with his seamy complexion, greasy hair and crumpled suit. Yet that doesnt stop the ladies throwing themselves at him.

Admirers include Jo Herberts highly-strung, much-wronged village spinster and Rebecca Humphries  Platonovs devoted wife who puts up with his improbable infidelities.

The husbands and spurned lovers who are the collateral damage get the hump and take arms against Platonov.

Even with the prospect of them all perishing on the rails of a train track running across Rob Howells stage design, the problem is knowing how seriously to take it all.

Attraction: Streatfeild,left, makes a grubby drunk with his seamy complexion, greasy hair and crumpled suit. Yet that doesnt stop the ladies throwing themselves at him.

The answer, in Jonathan Kents exuberant production, is not very. We simply enjoy these sketches torn from Chekhovs notebook.

Direction was taken over by Kent from Howard Davies shortly before he died this year and I wonder if Davies might have made it less farcical?
She's a big fan of designer labels and leads a luxury-filled lifestyle.

But Lauren Goodger sparked outrage amongst her Instagram followers on Thursday night when she shared a video of her niece Ella unwrapping her Christmas present - a Fendi handbag.

The little girl's face lights up in glee as she discovers the lavish purse, with prices starting at 150.

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Designer gift: Lauren Goodger sparked outrage amongst her Instagram followers on Thursday night when she shared a video of her niece Ella unwrapping her Christmas present - a Fendi handbag

The TOWIE star captioned the video of the sweet moment: 'Giving my niece #Ellie her first designer bag for Christmas from @childsplayclothing she loved it #Fendi #christmas2016 #presents #niece'.

While Ella may have loved her luxury gift, her followers disagreed about whether the extravagant item was appropriate for a child of her age.

One fan fumed: 'Buying a CHILD a Designer Bag!? RIDICULOUS! Looks like you only did it to show off though? Why else FILM IT & put it on here!?'

Generous auntie: The TOWIE star captioned the video of the sweet moment: 'Giving my niece #Ellie her first designer bag for Christmas from @childsplayclothing she loved it #Fendi #christmas2016 #presents #niece'

Cute: The little girl's face lights up in glee as she discovers the lavish purse, with prices starting at 150

Another follower wrote: 'Silly to post something like this. obviously haven't got kids yourself'.

However, the reality star's loyal fans were quick to show their support, insisting it was a nice gesture to treat her niece.

Silencing the haters, one enthused: 'Lucky girl!!... different people, different circumstances, we all achieve what we afford, but as long as our kids are happy and loved!!!!... main thing!!'.

Following in Lauren's footsteps? The reality star is a big fan of designer labels and leads a luxury-filled lifestyle

All mine! The little girl looks over the moon with the generous and unexpected gift

High end accessory: Lauren ensured her followers got a good look at the clutch

MailOnline has contacted Lauren's representatives for comment.

Lauren also ruffled fans' feathers on Monday as she took to Instagram to share a sonogram.

The image - usually given to expectant mothers during an ultrasound examination - sent her followers into a frenzy of congratulating her on being pregnant, with one writing: 'OMG hope she is! She deserves to be happy!'

Ouch: While Ella may have loved her luxury gift, her followers disagreed about whether the extravagant item was appropriate for a child of her age

Harsh: Many fans said Lauren knew nothing about children

In her defence: However, countless other supporters rushed to defend the star

Fuming: 'Get a life', one particularly angry fan told the haters

Kind-hearted: The reality star's loyal fans insisted it was a nice gesture to treat her niece

But a closer look would have told them that the image actually featured a turkey, and the only 'baby' Lauren was referring to was of the food variety after a festive feast.

Fans soon began to call out those who had been pranked, with one follower quipping: 'It's a turkey people... is she pregnant! hilarious!'

Another added: 'Haha! Her man is in prison, how would she get pregnant? Immaculate conception. it's clearly a joke, lighten up!'

Lauren has certainly been leaving her social media squad baffled over the Christmas holidays, during which she showed off a 'meaningful' diamond ring she got for Christmas - before moving it to her wedding finger.

Sharing a gushing post about her soon-to-be released boyfriend, she then hit back in the comments section at suggestions she was 'attention-seeking' or 'engaged'.

What a turkey! The image - usually given to expectant mothers during an ultrasound examination - sent her followers into a frenzy of congratulating her on being pregnant - but eagle-eyed fans realised it was actually a picture of a turkey

Baby vows: The prank comes after Lauren revealed she wants a baby with her convicted criminal beau Joey Morrison next year. The TOWIE star has spent Christmas with his family (pictured above with Morrison's brother)

'Not long now': She posted a gushing tribute to her boyfriend on social media as she awaits his release

Posting a snap alongside her brother-in-law Kyal Johnson with her middle finger up, she enjoyed Christmas day with Joey Morrison's family.

Earlier in the day she had shared a snap of her new diamond ring on her right ring finger, before sending gossips into a spin by placing it on her left as she enjoyed a festive feast with his family.

But replying to a comment on the post, Lauren hit back at speculation that she was engaged, writing: 'not wanting attention and not engaged, I wear it on both hands depending on what I'm doing'.

'I wear it on both hands depending on what I'm doing': Sharing a gushing post about her soon-to-be released boyfriend, she then hit back in the comments section at suggestions she was 'attention-seeking' or 'engaged'

Hitting back: Lauren denied she was engaged, despite switching the diamond band to her wedding finger

Lauren then posted a gushing snap about Joey, writing: 'And whilst I'm at it with the photos Merry Christmas to this one Thank you for everything and we all wish you was here, not too long now and you will have your life back.

'I can't believe how strong you are to have done the time you have and are still happy and smiling everyday, your strength is.. you, the people who know you all know why you are in there ......

'People will speculate and form opinions but everyone I speak to who knows you speaks highly of you and cannot wait too see you. Happy Christmas and 2017 is nearly here ..if you know you know as people keep saying to me' (sic).

Christmas festivities: Lauren appeared in good spirits as she celebrated with her pals later

'I'm a very lucky girl#love': Keeping them guessing: Lauren Goodger shared snaps of her new ring earlier in the day with telling captions

The comments came after she shared snaps of her new ring earlier in the day with telling captions.

The first picture read: 'I'm a very lucky girl#love #whitegold #diamomd #engraved #Christmas #2016 #happy #thankyou #meaningful', she wrote alongside the festive snap, including heart and diamond emojis.

While she added on the second snap: 'Love my beautiful diamond ring... thanks for keeping it secret so I had a surprise on Christmas Day.'

She then shared snaps of her out with Morrison's family - and a brooding snap of the man himself, who is completing the last few months of his sentence.

'Got something special in my hand I can't wait to open in the morning' Lauren wrote on Christmas Eve

Family time: On Christmas eve she shared a snap with her sister-in-law Jacqueline Johnson, though it was not clear whether that is Joey's sibling

On Christmas eve she shared a snap with her 'sister-in-law' Jacqueline Johnson, though it was not clear whether that is Joey's sibling.

'Love this lady @johnson1985279 merry xmas sister in law', she captioned the snap.

MailOnline has contacted Lauren's representative for comment.

At the beginning of the month Lauren reveals she's planning a baby with a convicted criminal next year.

Speaking to Closer, the 30-year-old said that while she describes Joey Morrison as a 'close friend', she can't wait to become a mother.

She said: 'I'll have one [a baby] next year. I want one right now, really. Hopefully I'll have a little girl, but if I have a boy first, then it's fine because she'll have an older brother.'

Lauren's 'love interest' is currently serving an 18-year-sentence but is due to be released in a matter of months after serving half his time.

Freedom! Lauren's love interest Joey is currently serving an 18-year-sentence but is due to be released in a matter of months after serving half his tim

And the former TOWIE star couldn't be happier.

She told the publication: 'He's not a bad person because he's in prison. Yes, he's not been an angel but people deserve a second chance and his crimes never involved innocent people.'

The prison is rated as category D open prison, meaning prisoners work within the community outside of the jail and there is a more relaxed attitude for visits.

Morrison, alongside accomplice Marvin Russell Jacobs, was convicted of possession with intent to supply, possession of a firearm, kidnap, blackmail, actual bodily harm and aggravated burglary following an eight-week trial at Wood Green in North London.

Former flame: Lauren's love life has often been thrust into the limelight, and her last serious relationship was with Jake McLean, who also spent time behind bars

In one incident, the pair were accused of forcing their way into a home in Enfield and using a stun gun on a 27-year-old man while demanding 2million. When the victim told them the police were outside, the suspects fled.

The judge at the time said the victims were concerned in the supply of drugs.

Lauren's love life has often been thrust into the limelight, and her last serious relationship was with Jake McLean, who also spent time behind bars.

The couple first started dating in 2012 before splitting in 2013, only to rekindle their love for a few months between 2015 and 2016.

Prior to her relationship with Jake, Lauren was engaged to co-star Mark Wright, following a rocky ten year relationship.
Emma Forbes looked to be having plenty of fun in the sun as she took to a Barbadian beach with gal pals on Thursday.

The 51-year-old looked typically stunning in a classy white bikini with a vibrant green and yellow halter-neck cover up.

Her short brunette locks were neatly coiffed and she covered her eyes with a large pair of shades.

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Say cheese! Emma Forbes, 51, looked to be having plenty of fun in the sun as she took to a Barbadian beach with gal pals on Thursday

She got her friends to jump for joy on the wet sand as she snapped away on her phone, which had a distinctive Chaos 'Ugh!' case.

The playful moment put a smile on her face, and she was keen to show the group her photography skills as they gathered around her to take a look.

As she walked across the white sand, she ran her fingers through her hair and wore a content look on her face.

Happy! As she walked across the white sand, she ran her fingers through her hair and wore a content look on her face

Emma didn't want to waste a minute of the island's winter sun on Tuesday, stretching out on the white sands, the presenter and model couldn't help but showcase her incredible figure in a halter-neck swimsuit.

Emma - who first shot to fame on CBBC's Live & Kicking in the '90s - looked to be enjoying some R&R as she stretched out on the beach.

Cutting a youthful figure as she showed off her best beach chic look, the presenter flaunted her slender figure in a black one piece.

The form-fitting backless number allowed Emma to showoff her pert posterior thanks to it's high-leg cut.

Fun in the sun: She got her friends to jump for joy on the wet sand as she snapped away on her phone, which had a distinctive Chaos 'Ugh!' case

Keeping things simple for her morning in the sun, the London-born star only accessoried her look with a simple gold necklace, sunglasses, two bracelets and a ring.

Wearing her short brown locks swept into a messy fringe, Emma allowed her striking features - which she didn't hide behind make-up - to come to the fore.

Kicking back on a beach towel with her iPhone and some earbuds, the TV and Radio presenter stretched on the sand, inadvertently highlighted her lithe and gym-honed legs.

Here come the girls: The effort put a smile on her face and she was keen to show the group her photography skills as they gathered around her to take a look

Beating the crowds to the beach by getting their early in the morning, Emma looked to be sipping her first coffee of the day in a truly idyllic fashion.

Though it seems that her morning itinerary didn't include a swim in the crystal clear waters around the island.

After catching some rays on the beach by herself, Emma decided to hot-foot it to some shade before the sun's glare became to fierce.

Eye-catching: Emma looked typically stunning in a classy white bikini with a vibrant green and yellow halter-neck cover up

Searching for the perfect spot, it wasn't long before the TV beauty managed to bag a supreme slot on the beach.

The TV star is a regular on the island with her husband of 29-years, Graham Clemspon, a high-flying banker.

Emma made her name in the 1990s on children's TV before taking a professional break to focus on bringing up her daughter Lily and son Sam.
Once upon a time, video games were inspired by films. Now its the other way round, and heres the latest, a quite mystifyingly incoherent movie to those of us who have never played and couldnt care less about the Assassins Creed video game franchise.

But if you have, then maybe youll love it.

The film stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, and is directed by Justin Kurzel, which rather promisingly counts as a reunion from the set of last years fiercely powerful Macbeth.

It's a quite mystifyingly incoherent movie to those of us who have never played and couldnt care less about the Assassins Creed video game franchise

But its one thing drawing your source material from William Shakespeare, quite another getting it from a games console.

The plot owes something (incomprehensibility, mainly) to the movie adaptations of Dan Browns novels. As in Browns plots, there is a religious artefact at the heart of the story, in this instance the iconic Apple of Eden, which I think is meant to be the very fruit that got Adam and Eve booted out of paradise.

Of course, you might reasonably wonder how the apple still comes to be knocking around, whole, but even this film is not quite brazen enough to represent it with a single bite taken out of it.

Imbuing this with credibility is not quite within the long reach of whispering Michael Fassbender, energetically though he tries and urgently though he whispers

That would be too much of a plug for the Apple Corporation, which can already smirkingly enjoy such ludicrous lines as The Apple is everything.

Imbuing this with credibility is not quite within the long reach of whispering Michael Fassbender, energetically though he tries and urgently though he whispers.

He plays Cal Lynch, a modern-day criminal who is sprung from jail by a shadowy organisation which is run by Sofia Rikkin (Cotillard) and her creepy father, Alan (Jeremy Irons).

What the **** is going on? he cries at one point, to which the man next to me in the cinema had the perfect response: Blowed if I know.

They know that Lynch is descended from a 15th-century Spaniard called Aguilar de Nerha, who fought for the freedom-loving Assassins against the evil Templars, protecting the Apple of Eden from those who wanted it because it contains the genetic code for free will.

If they can spirit him back in time to inhabit the body and soul of his ancestor, which they do using a device rather like a Nintendo Wii (see, Im not wholly video game illiterate), then maybe he will get them the blinking apple they so covet.

Unfortunately, he seems as stumped by the narrative as the rest of us.
They recently flaunted their relationship in a racy shoot for Maxim magazine.

And now The Bachelor's Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon have taken their love on tour, at a three-day West Australian music festival.

The couple have been furiously documenting their time at Southbound Music festival on social media, and have at times appeared a little worse for wear at the event.

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'We are alive ... just': The Bachelor's Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon spend last day at festival dancing, after nursing their hangovers on the beach

Both girls shared photos as they nurse hangovers the morning of the festival's last day.

'Head hurts,' Tiffany captioned a snap which saw her lying on the beach as she cradled her head.

'Gettin' ready to back it up,' wrote Megan of one selfie, which showed the blonde beauty looking determined but tired.

'Gettin' ready to back it up': The blonde beauty looks determined but tired and ready to take on a day of festivities

'Head hurts': Tiffany captions a photo which sees her lying on the beach as she cradles her head

The girls look like they got over any hangovers quickly, with both their Instagram stories soon littered with photos and videos of the couple kicking up their heels.

In one video taken by Megan, Tiffany can be seen dancing energetically in the background as her health promotions girlfriend swivels the camera around in circles.

Another photo shared by Tiffany sees the loved-up couple with their backs turned away from the stage.

Dancing queens! In one video taken by Megan, Tiffany can be seen dancing energetically in the background as her health promotions beau swivels the camera around in circles

Instead of watching the musical act, the couple stared deeply into each other's eyes in an obviously intimate moment.

On Friday morning, Tiffany took to Instagram to share another photo of the festival and reminisce about the last fun three days.

'Hello from the otherside...of @southboundfestival we are alive...just...thanks so much for having us we said hello and took loads of pics with other festival goers and loved the sets!' the fitness fanatic gushed.

'Hello from the other side': After the festival Tiffany shared a photo of the couple, gushing about the fun they had together

Beach babes: Megan and Tiffany hit the beach to recover from the festivities

'Sage drive home everyone x #southbound (sic).'

The couple were previously pictured eating fish and chips in bikinis on Busselton beach, and showing off Tiffany's wine-stained tongue in a series of hilarious videos.

Tiffany and Megan met on this year's season of The Bachelor, falling in love during a trip to Bali.

After months of speculation that they were more than just friends, they finally confirmed their amorous relationship in October.
She's been getting pampered during a luxury Byron Bay holiday.

Now Lindy Klim has flaunted her washboard abs by the pool as she continues her relaxing vacation.

The 39-year-old beauty showed off her incredible figure in a bikini as she posed for an Instagram photo on Friday.

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Pool days! Lindy Klim flaunts her washboard abs in a bikini as she continues her holiday in Byron Bay

Holding her hand to her decolletage, the brunette beauty perched against a tropical tree in the image.

Lindy's rotated one of her long, tanned legs to expose her toned thighs.

She used the hashtag 'morning dip.'

The Balinese princess has been enjoying a two-day stay at the idyllic Rae's On Wategos resort in the northern New South Wales beach town.

'Spa days': The 39-year-old Balinese princess has been enjoying a two-day stay at the idyllic Rae's On Wategos resort in the northern New South Wales beach town

On Thursday, she shared a makeup-free selfie while enjoying a pampering session at the tourist hot spot.

'Spa days,' Lindy captioned the image, showing off a radiant complexion while covering her slender frame in a patterned throw.

The photo, shared with the beauty's 91,900 Instagram followers, saw the entrepreneur standing in the archway of an outdoor terrace.

Covering her statuesque frame in a peach-hued Aztec throw, Lindy gave the camera a good look at her stunning side profile, as she gazed wistfully in the distance.

Allowing her dark locks to fall behind her shoulders, Lindy's makeup-free skin drew attention to her radiant complexion.

Hot mama! The entrepreneur posted another bikini-clad image to Instagram just hours earlier, showing off her engagement ring from fiance Adam Ellis

Just hours earlier, Lindy took to the social media site again, this time accentuating her washboard abs and lithe arms.

The black and white image saw the mother-of-three holding her hands up to her face, showing off her stunning engagement ring from fiance Adam Ellis.

She swept her dark locks into a high bun, and wore tinted sunglasses as she stared down at the camera.

Legs for days! Lindy also shared another image of herself in a striped dress, lying down on a sunbed

Another image saw Lindy lying down on a sunbed, with the fabric of her striped wrap dress highlighting her enviably lean legs.

'Oh Byron...so good to be back!' She captioned part of the snap.

She also tagged her man, presumably as he is with her during her stay.

Earlier this week, Lindy revealed to WHO Magazine that she works out everyday for both her physical and mental well-being, and heads to the gym.

'Oh Byron... so good to be back!': Lindy and Adam are enjoying an end of year vacation together

'I go to the gym in the mornings after I've dropped the children at school,' Lindy told the publication.

'It's a small section of my day that's just for me and I find this time really important to keep me balanced both physically and mentally.'

She also revealed her beauty regime, saying she uses oils to beat dry skin.

New love: Lindy became engaged to British property developer Adam Ellis in October, with the pair being based in Bali (seen last month)

'In Australia, my skin can get a bit drier so I might add some oils to my regimen,' the Milk and Co co-founder said.

Lindy became engaged to British property developer Adam Ellis in October, with the pair being based in Bali.

It comes after she split with former Olympic swimmer Michael Klim, 39, in February, after ten years of marriage.

Case of the ex: It comes after she split with former Olympic swimmer Michael Klim, 39, in February after ten years of marriage (seen in October 2015)




She's been spending time with friends in star-studded Aspen lately, and Thursday looked to be more of the same for social butterfly Bella Hadid.

The 20-year-old was spotted giving a mystery man a friendly peck on the cheek after a night out at Bootsy Bellows in Colorado on Thursday.

Hand wrapped around her pal's neck, the catwalk queen pressed her cheek against her pal's in a friendly gesture as she also held what appeared to be a lit cigarette.

Goodbye kiss! Bella Hadid gave a pal a friendly peck on the cheek after a night out at Bootsy Bellows in Aspen, Colorado on Thursday

The star looked in top spirits and was clearly happy to see her pal, as she smiled brightly upon seeing him.

Bella had her hair scraped back into a high ponytail, wore nearly all black, along with a pair of ankle boots to complete the winter-ready look.

Good company: The star looked in top spirits and was clearly happy to see her pal, as she smiled brightly upon seeing him

Her friend, meanwhile, wore a short-sleeve black tee, vest, trousers, and boots as well.

Bella's been enjoying some downtime enjoying the holiday season lately in Aspen, and it's no doubt been a well-deserved break for the star, who has built up quite the impressive modelling resume.

The Los Angeles native recently made the cover of Paper Magazine for its Winter 2016 edition, and in the publication, she discussed becoming the new face for Dior Beauty and making her debut in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris.

Man of style: Her friend, meanwhile, wore a short-sleeve black tee, vest, trousers, and boots as well

While Bella didn't make the cut to appear in the 2015 runway show after trying out last year, she's able to see the bigger picture now.

'I tried last year [to be cast in] the show,' she told the magazine. However, 'I think everything happens for a reason.'

She also mentioned that she'd like to try new things, one of them being acting.

'I think it would be really fun because it's exciting to be in front of the camera on film instead of just pictures,' Bella said. 'I have so many goals.'
She's the busty reality star known for her eye-popping cleavage and risque fashion choices.

And The Block's most controversial alum Suzi Taylor was up to her old tricks again as she sweated her way through a workout at the gym this Friday.

Taking to Instagram with a set of two photos, the busty brunette was seen posing in a racy crop-top that could barely contain her ample bust.

Busting out! The Block's most controversial alum Suzi Taylor was up to her old tricks again as she poesd for a pair of busty workout snaps this Friday

In one photo, she is seen posing for a mirror selfie with her flat stomach and age-defying figure on show.

In the second, she is seen holding a ball above her head while presumably in the middle of a sit-up session.

The post was captioned simply: 'Friday session #workhardplayharder'.

Going solo? Suzi made headlines recently after she was forced to deny that she was dating real estate entrepreneur Drew Davison and Melbourne millionaire Geoffrey Edelsten

Suzi made headlines recently after she was forced to deny that she was dating real estate entrepreneur Drew Davison and Melbourne millionaire Geoffrey Edelsten.

However, the former glamour model strongly denied the reports telling Daily Mail Australia is 'very single'.

She also took to Instagram to posted a collage featured photos of herself with three men she's been linked to recently.

'Just friends': Suzi emphatically denied dating 73-year-old millionaire Geoffrey Edelsten, despite his claims their romance made him feel 'euphoric'

'Last month I was apparently dating Luttsy....This week I was apparently dating Geoffrey....And now I'm apparently dating Drew....Who's Next??? Just have ur (sic) photo with me and apparently it'll be you,' the mother-of-three wrote.

Suzi was recently linked to radio presenter David 'Luttsy' Lutteral, millionaire playboy Geoffrey Edelsten and real estate entrepreneur Drew Davison.

Earlier this month, Geoffrey claimed he was dating Suzi after meeting at a party in Melbourne - but she quickly denied it.

'We're just friends': Earlier this month, Geoffrey claimed he was dating Suzi after meeting at a party in Melbourne - but she said they're 'just friends'

Geoffrey told News Corp he felt 'euphoric' around Suzi, who he described as a 'beautiful looking lady.'

Within hours, Suzi told Daily Mail Australia: 'I met him at a soiree... I'm actually very friendly, we really hit it off! But we're just friends.'

The following day, the Daily Telegraph published a report that Suzi had actually been dating Drew for about six months.

The publication quoted Suzi as saying: 'Yes, I am dating someone special.'

She also confirmed KIIS FM's Summer Fling she was dating someone, but later said she was single on Instagram.
She has a figure which is out of this world.

And Alessandra Ambrosio wasn't afraid to draw attention to it as she donned a bandeau star print bikini on the beach on Thursday.

The 35-year-old model strutted her stuff on the shoreline in Florianopolis, Brazil, with pals.

Stars in our eyes: Alessandra Ambrosio wasn't afraid to draw attention to it as she donned a bandeau star print bikini on the beach on Thursday

The Victoria's Secret Angel looked fabulous once again as she flaunted her toned physique in the ocean.

The mother-of-two was sporting a glowing tan, which served to emphasise her exceptional figure even further.

Her two-piece bandeau bikini was printed with stars and made sure she eliminated as many pesky white strap marks as possible.

Looking good: The 35-year-old model strutted her stuff on the shoreline in Florianopolis, Brazil

She covered her eyes with round dark glasses and left her brunette tresses in tousled beach waves.

Her only accessories were carefully thought out silver bracelets and a pearl necklace.

Sunbathing is thirsty work, so Alessandra was careful to rehydrate - as she supped on a fresh coconut.

Beach body: The Victoria's Secret Angel looked fabulous once again as she flaunted her toned physique in the ocean

Stunning: The mother-of-two was sporting a glowing tan, which served to emphasise her exceptional figure even further

Finishing touches: Her only accessories were carefully thought out silver bracelets and a pearl necklace

All over tanning: Her two-piece bandeau star bikini made sure she eliminated as many pesky white strap marks as possible

Strike a pose: She covered her eyes with round dark glasses and popped her tousled brunette tresses in a loose low ponytail for a while

Chilling: The star made a peace sign with both hands as she soaked up the sunshine

Always at work: Alessandra posed with the Acai and fruit seller

Taking care: The star shaded from the blazing sunshine with a wide-brimmed hat and wrap

Looking peachy: Alessandra chatted to an equally perky pal

The real deal: Sunbathing is thirsty work, so Alessandra was careful to rehydrate - as she supped on a fresh coconut

She also shared a beach snap to her Instagram, in yet another bikini, likely from her own range.

The bright yellow racer back two-piece contrasted with her golden tan.

She captioned: 'Gone to the beach ...'

The star has shared a number of sexy bikini snaps during her vacay, including one captioned: ' by @raulguterres #foreveronvacation.'

Cheeky view: The model was joined by her pal in the water as they showcased their figures

Splashing about: Alessandra appeared to be having a good time with her gal pal, as she was oblivious to a man reaching for her arm

Home sweet home: The beauty has been enjoying an extended vacation over the holidays in her native Brazil

The beauty has been enjoying an extended vacation with her children over the holidays in her native Brazil.

She donned a saucy Santa outfit at the weekend, to celebrate the festive season.

The mother-of-two captioned the image, in which she wore a Santa hat and revealing red lingerie, 'Time for bed... Merry Xmas to all.'

Sunshine: She also shared a beach snap to her Instagram in a bright yellow bikini, with a racer back

Booty pic! Her photographer captioned a snap of her backside: '#beachbum  #mysterybooty'

Alessandra clearly had a great festive season, and shared images from a huge party on Instagram.

The beauty appeared to be handing out gifts to children and she captioned the snaps, 'Christmas Eve' and 'Mission Accomplished' in both English and Portuguese.

She was one of the stars at this years Victorias Secret Fashion Show, where she and fellow stunners Lily Aldridge and Jasmine Tookes wore the $3 million Bright Night Fantasy Bra.

Also on the catwalk was Karlie Kloss, sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid, Josephine Skriver, Lais Ribeiro, Martha Hunt, Romee Strijd, Sara Sampaio, Stella Maxwell and Taylor Hill

And there were plenty of big name music stars, with Bruno Mars, The Weeknd and Lady Gaga performing.
Skye Wheatley ditched her eyelashes and her trousers as she snapped a Kim Kardashian style 'belfie' on Friday.

The former Big Brother contestant said she feels 'more naked without my lashes' than without her pants on - proving the point by omitting them both from her latest upload.

Posting on Instagram, the 23-year-old wears only a small black top and skimpy knickers as she shows off her pert derriere.

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Naked ambition: Skye Wheatley ditched her eyelashes and her pants as she snapped a selfie on Friday

She captioned the pic: 'I feel more naked without my lashes then without my pants on (sic) that weird?'

The former reality star went on to promote a nutritional plan before revealing that her slender figure isn't the result of regular exercise.

She said: 'Sorry guys let me clarify...I don't spend my life in the gym nor do I work out every single day.

Laid bare: The former Big Brother contestant said she feels 'more naked without my lashes' than without her pants on - proving the point by omitting them both from her latest upload

Admission: The former reality star went on to promote a nutritional plan before revealing that her slender figure isn't the result of regular exercise

'I follow a balanced and healthy meal plan and o stay busy/active. Being active and working out are two completely different things. (sic)'

Despite uploading a video titled My Booty Workout to her YouTube page earlier this year, Skye has denied that her peachy bottom comes via gym work.

Instead, the blonde insists that she doesn't need to regularly work on keeping her backside in great shape, saying that it comes naturally.

Peachy: Despite uploading a video titled My Booty Workout to her YouTube page earlier this year, Skye has denied that her peachy bum comes via gym work

Au naturel: The blonde insists that she doesn't need to regularly work on keeping her backside in great shape, saying that it comes naturally

She said: 'Yes I uploaded a booty video for you guys because you all asked! I know what exercises you can do to grow a butt.

'I naturally have a big butt so I wouldn't need to work as hard as others who don't.'

While her bottom may be natural, Skye recently posted a gruesome video documenting the recovery process from her recent nose job.

The video charts her journey to Double Bay for the rhinoplasty surgery before showing her nose in a swollen state, complete with bloodied stitches.
There are few things worse than being drenched on the way to a television interview.

And thankfully an obliging gentleman was on hand with an umbrella to shield Cate Blanchett from the rain as she arrived for her Good Morning America chinwag in New York on Thursday.

The blonde beauty looked relieved when the lackey rushed to her side as she opened her hand to feel the drizzle dropping from overhead.

Her rain man: Cate Blanchett was shielded from the rain by an obliging lackey in NYC Thursday

The 47-year-old Lord Of The Rings star was looking great for her age in a trendy cosmic patterned leather jacket, chic floral dress and high-heeled boots.

She was promoting her turn in Anton Chekhov's The Present, an adaption of the Russian playwright's untitled first play penned by Cate's husband Andrew Upton, and which is currently showing on Broadway.

Describing the thigh-slapping show, she said: 'Someone else's mid-life crisis is always amusing. It's a unique thing, a fantastic, remarkable feeling.'

Last week the saucy Aussie acted as a judge during the cast of Hamilton's 2016 door decorating competition in New York.

Phew: Cate's blonde locks were protected from the rain by the helpful gentleman

Brolly dolly: The acclaimed actress looked in fine form indeed as she arrived for her chinwag

Drinking at the fountain of youth: It is hard to believe the fresh-faced actress is really 47

The 47-year-old actress, who donned glasses with a maxi dress and oversized sweater, was joined by fellow judges Josh Groban and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Cate, who styled her blonde locks pulled back with a deep side part, carried a clipboard as she examined the doors decorated especially for the exciting contest.

The competition took place at Richard Rodgers Theatre in the Big Apple.

Cate will be in the area for a few montsh yet, as her Broadway is on from now until March 2017 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

Cosmic: She was wearing a trendy patterned leather jacket

Hatagirl: Cate was a judge during the cast of Hamilton's 2016 door decorating competition last week
They're working together on a project about Charles Manson victim Sharon Tate.

But Kate Bosworth put work to one side as she cavorted with her husband Michael Polish in Mexico on Thursday.

The 33-year-old actress showcased her toned figure in a bright red bikini as she put on a PDA with her director husband of three years.

Red hot! Kate Bosworth sizzled in a scarlet bikini in Mexico on Thursday

The Blue Crush actress splashed about in the ocean as they looked like honeymooners.

Clearly still crazy about each other, the loved-up couple got tactile in the azure waters.

Michael, 46, ventured out into the blazing sunshine in board shorts.

Like honeymooners: She put on a PDA with her husband Michael Polish

Packing on PDA: She got close to her director husband of three years

Make-up free, Kate looked radiant as she flaunted her natural beauty.

She left her blonde tresses loose which became tousled by the sea water and sunshine.

Dark glasses covered the star's eyes to protect them from the blazing temperatures.

Stunning: Make-up free, Kate looked radiant as she flaunted her natural beauty

Taking it easy: She left her blonde tresses loose which became tousled by the sea water and sunshine

Slim: The 33-year-old actress showcased her toned figure in a bright red bikini

Sunshine break: Dark glasses covered the star's eyes to protect them from the blazing temperatures

Kate will also soon be seen in BBC miniseries SS-GB which follows the exploits of a British homicide detective who must investigate a murder in a German-occupied England during World War I

She is also set to star in The Domestics, which has been described as a thriller and a survival love story.

In it, a young husband and wife must fight to return home in a post-apocalyptic mid-western landscape plagued by brutal gangs.

Cute: Clearly still crazy about each other, the loved-up couple got tactile in the azure waters

Close: The Blue Crush actress splashed about in the ocean as they looked like honeymooners

Time for a vacay: The star was enjoying herself in the waters

Happy days: She smiled as she relaxed on her vacation

Looking good: She showcased her stunning figure in the string bikini

She will also star as actress and Manson family victim Sharon Tate in a the biopic Polish is slated to direct.

The couple have previously worked together on such films as the 2013 drama Big Sur and the 2015 mystery Amnesiac.

Their new film will be based on Greg King's 2000 biographical book Sharon Tate And The Manson Murders. Polish will be screenwriting as well as directing.

In August 1969, Sharon Tate was over eight months pregnant by her husband Roman Polanski when she was butchered in her home by members of the Manson Family.

The perpetrators not only stabbed her 16 times, but also struck down three more people in the house and a man parked in the driveway. Tate was 26 years old.
She and her beau Joshua Jackson made the heartbreaking decision to part ways in June after ten long years together.

And Diane Kruger ended her rough year with a much needed getaway as she took to Instagram to post a sexy swimwear snap on Thursday.

'Needed a vacay so badly!', the actress, 40, informed her followers as she showed off her sensationally slender physique in the sizzling, plunging one-piece.

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Getting away from it all: Diane Kruger, 40, took to Instagram to post a sexy swimwear snap on Thursday as she flaunted her sensationally slender physique in a plunging one-piece

The star's black swimwear showed off her svelte frame as she stood on her tip-toes to accentuate her already long, lean pins in the black and white image.

Diane opted for a stylish fedora hat as she stared ahead at herself in the mirror while snapping away with her phone.

On Wednesday, she was clearly in a great mood once again as she danced around in a skimpy bikini in a clip posted on Instagram.

The Inglourious Basterds actress looked in fine form indeed as she wiggled her hips and waved her arms around as she relaxed in the California sunshine.

Over: The actress and her beau Joshua Jackson, 38, made the heartbreaking decision to part ways in June after ten long years together

Sexy lady: On Wednesday, Diane was clearly in a great mood again as she danced around in the Californian sunshine in a skimpy bikini in a clip posted on Instagram

Former model Diane seemed to be having a great time showing off her incredible figure in a barely-there black bikini, patterned blouse and trilby hat.

Back in July, Diane and actor Joshua Jackson brought their 10-year relationship to a surprise end.

And the hunk, 38, admitted recently on The Ellen Degeneres Show that dating has been difficult since the split due to the digital era.

The Dawson Creek star - who dated the German beauty for more than a decade - admitted: 'Things have changed a little bit since last time I was single.'

'It would be so hard to start dating again after 10 years,' daytime talk show host Ellen inquired.

'Things have changed a little bit': The hunk admitted recently on The Ellen Degeneres Show that dating has been difficult since the split due to the digital era

Long-term: The Dawson Creek star dated the German beauty for more than a decade

'Yeah, yeah,' Joshua conceded. 'I mean, everything's on your phone now, right?'

'There's no more talking to people anymore,' said the award-winning actor. 'You talk to somebody and they're like, "Ugh! No, no, no, no, no! We don't do that anymore," so yeah, it's been quite a big change.'

Diane seems to be having better luck at dating as she's rumoured to be in a romance with actor Norman Reedus.

Earlier this month, she supported him as he launched an exhibition of his attempts at photography at the Galerie Hors-Champs in Paris, France.

Moving on? Diane is said to be in a romance with actor Norman Reedus - after they were rumoured to have a fling in 2015

It was quite the eyebrow raiser, as Diane was rumoured to have had a fling with the Walking Dead star after they co-starred in the 2015 drama Sky.

A photo posted on social media of Rosetta Getty's annual July 4th party in Tuscany , appeared to show the actress seated next to her one-time rumoured fling Norman.

An Instagram snap shared by PR firm Zoe communications shows The Walking Dead actor Norman in conversation with a blonde seated next to him.

In December, it was reported that the actress had been spotted in a New York bar with Norman.
He spent 17 days living in the Australian outback for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

And Jordan Banjo has revealed that the experience still doesn't feel real, despite the fact he bears a physical reminder in the form of scars.

Speaking on Friday's Good Morning Britain with Diversity's Ashley Banjo and Perri Kiely, the 23-year-old dancer admitted that watching the footage back was like seeing a 'different person'.

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Jordan Banjo appeared on Friday's Good Morning Britain with Diversity's Ashley Banjo (L) and Perri Kiely (R) as he reflected on his I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! experience

He explained: 'Looking back at - it being out of it for so long now - Im like mate I dont even know how I did it!

'That's a different person!'

Discussing the trials, he reflected on particularly terrifying task, Tomb Of Torment, where he was plunged in darkness whilst 120,000 critters climbed over him, Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt, ex-Strictly professional Ola Jordan, and Olympic gold medal winner Sam Quek.

Jungle fever: Jordan spent 17 days living in the Australian outback for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! but he revealed that the experience still doesn't feel real

As GMB presenter Charlotte Hawkins asked why they had their mouths open in the task, Jordan lamented: 'I was laying there and the girls were like "let's sing" and I was like "lets not!'"

However, it wasn't the critters that proved to be the most troublesome, as he admitted: 'Ive got scars on my neck from when the rats scratched me!'

Despite doing so well in the tasks, he hasn't inspired fellow Diversity star Perri to take part, as the dancer quipped: 'Ill stay well away!'

Taskmaster: Jordan reflected on particularly terrifying task, Tomb Of Torment, where he was plunged in darkness whilst 120,000 critters climbed over him and his campmates

Ouch: It wasn't the critters that proved to be the most troublesome, as Jordan admitted: 'Ive got scars on my neck from when the rats scratched me!'

In shock: He explained: 'Looking back at - it being out of it for so long now - Im like mate I dont even know how I did it! That's a different person!'

Jordan was the fourth celebrity to be eliminated on I'm A Celebrity, and immediately after leaving the jungle, he described the experience as 'overwhelming'.

Chatting to Ant and Dec in his exit interview, 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.'
She's spent a quieter Christmas helping boyfriend Robin Thicke overcome his father's death.

Which is why there was a subdued vibe to April Love Geary's latest social media post, on Thursday.

Unable to resist the sight of her own peachy derriere, the 22-year-old model shared a bikini-clad picture in which she's looking pensively out to sea.

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Peach view! April Love Geary shared a picture of her behind on Thursday, as she looked out to sea from a balcony

Alongside the perfect backdrop, April bolsters the perfect view with her lithe outline in a skimpy, striped swimsuit.

With her hair scraped away into a low-fuss topknot, April's hourglass silhouette is so sun-kissed that she complements the sunset picture perfectly.

She simply captioned the shot with a palm tree, leaving her location undisclosed as the pair prepare to ring in the New Year.

Body beautiful: Never out of a bikini, April has spent a quieter Christmas at home since she returned from Negora Island (pictured) with beau Robin Thicke

April and Robin were most recently in Santa Barbara, where they bid farewell to much-loved actor Alan Thicke.

Alan - best known for his role as Jason Seaver on the ABC television series Growing Pains - died of a heart attack on December 13, leaving behind his wife of more than a decade Tanya Callau.

Before the bad news, it had been a string of celebrations for Robin and his younger girlfriend.

Pensive: Her latest bikini snap was a more subdued one than the flirtatious bikini snaps that litter her feed

Not long since returned from their paradisaical break on Necker Island, British Virgin Isles, April and Robin were marking the model's 22nd birthday.

The couple confirmed that they were an item seven months ago, almost a year to the day since his divorce from Paula Patton was finalised.

In the midst of his divorce it was his parents that Robin credited with helping him to move on.

He told E! News last August: 'I spent a lot of time with my parents even, talking with them and getting their advice.

'I always kind of grew up thinking I knew what I was doing you know.
She's enjoying a sun-soaked new year's break with her family in Hawaii.

And giddy Jessica Alba looked as though she was having the time of her life as she joined daughter Honor, eight, for a drive in an off-road vehicle while zipping around the island on Thursday.

Treating her eldest child to a healthy snack from a fruit stand, the actress and entrepreneur, 35, couldn't contain her glee as she whizzed through the streets in a Rhino ATV with a group of friends.

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Cool riders! Giddy Jessica Alba looked as though she was having the time of her life as she joined daughter Honor, eight, for a drive in an off-road vehicle in Hawaii on Thursday

Giggling away, the screen star she was in holiday mode as she sported a casual denim shirt, a chic cream trilby and shades for their outing.

Honor looked cute as a button in a fuchsia heart-print tee as she tucked into her healthy treat in the van.

Younger sister Haven, five was no doubt being looked after by producer dad Cash Warren, 37, as Jessica and Honor enjoyed their day out.

On Wednesday, Jessica looked as though a spot of well-earned rest and relaxation was suiting her down to the ground as she picked up a bite to eat at a food truck.

Fun in the sun! Treating her eldest child to a healthy snack from a fruit stand, the actress and entrepreneur, 35, whizzed through the streets in a Rhino ATV with a group of friends

Stocking up for New Year's Eve? Earlier in the day, the mother-of-two was spotted picking up groceries for her family at Foodland ahead of Saturday's celebrations

The actress - who was named as Forbes' richest self-made woman this year thanks to her thriving business, The Honest Company - flashed her toned and tanned legs in a short, flirty black dress.

The LBD skimmed her enviable figure to perfection and plunged down the middle.

Jessica, who has been married to producer Cash since 2008, teamed the look with a denim jacket and comfortable flip-flops.

The star accessorised her look with a pair of shades, a chic straw fedora and a large backpack, which was casually slung over one shoulder.

Holiday mode: Jessica Alba as though a spot of well-earned rest and relaxation in Hawaii was suiting her down to the ground as she picked up a bite to eat on Wednesday

Effortlessly chic: The entrepreneur flashed her toned and tanned legs in a flirty black dress

Tasty treats: Having worked up an appetite, Jessica sat down to enjoy some street food with her two daughters, Honor, eight, and Haven, five

Having worked up an appetite, Jessica sat down to enjoy some street food with Honor and Haven.

Jessica also shared a sweet snap of her two girls in a gushing Instagram post later on in the day.

Clearly enjoying their holiday, the sisters shared a milkshake in the sweet snap, which their mother captioned: 'The monkeys - love them so much #familyvacay.'

The family also spent quality time together over Christmas and Jessica took to Instagram on Monday to post a loved-up festive snap of her and Cash.

The smitten pair showed off their matching Christmas red and white striped pyjamas.

'We had an awesome Xmas this year - wearing matching pajamas n all,' she wrote next to the smiling photo, which showed them posing in front of their Christmas tree.

'The monkeys!': Jessica also shared a sweet snap of her two girls sharing a milkshake

'Matching pajamas n all': The Sin City took to Instagram on Monday to post a loved-up festive snap of her and husband Cash Warren, 37, on Christmas Day

Clearly a lover of being natural, the Dark Angel star revealed: 'My mum told me to always take care of my skin, so I did from a very early age and she taught me to put coconut oil or olive oil on my hair every night.'

Recently, the mother-of-two has got into the holiday spirit by supporting the Baby2Baby charity, which helps children from low-income families.

Taking to Instagram earlier this month, she posted about the organisation: 'Today, I am proud to stand with my favourite charity @Baby2Baby and the @WhiteHouse to raise awareness about diaper need in this country.

'1 in 3 American families has to choose between food and diapers for their babies. Please share to show your support as we continue to fight to close the #DiaperGap wh.gov/DiaperGap.'

Jessica founded eco-friendly brand The Honest Company in 2012, and it is now worth $1billion.
She's currently enjoying a family vacation in Hawaii.

And on Friday, Roxy Jacenko decided to do what any vacationing mother would do by wrangling her kids for a family photo.

However, the 36-year-old PR queen seemed to have some trouble getting her youngsters to look at the camera properly.

'Trying to get everyone to look at once!' Roxy Jacenko posed for a family photo with her children Hunter and Pixie Curtis in Hawaii on Friday

While Instagram star Pixie, 5, was able to pose properly, little Hunter, 2, stared off into the distance.

'Trying to get everyone to look at once,' wrote Roxy, before adding: 'clearly got it down pat.'

The blonde businesswoman was dressed in a stylish floral dress from Dolce & Gabbana.

'Hawaii days': Earlier the 36-year-old shared a selfie as she relaxed in the sun

She paired the dress with brown Louis Vuitton sliders.

Pixie was dressed as a princess in a purple puffy dress from Disney's official clothing line.

Not to be outdone, Hunter put on a stylish display in an outfit from luxury childrenswear brand Jill and Jack.

Also joining Roxy on vacation is her mother, Doreen Jacenko.

Designer: Roxy has been showing off her designer outfits while on vacation, such as this Louis Vuitton T-shirt




They're believed to have been dating for a blissful five months.

And Vincent Cassel, 50, and Tina Kunakey, 27, looked stronger than ever as they were spotted on holiday together in Florianopolis, Brazil.

Hitting the beach together, the pair seemed in great spirits as they soaked up the sunshine.

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Holding back the years! Vincent Cassel, 50, showed off his age-defying physique in a pair of orange and cream swimming trunks as he hit the beach in Florianopolis, Brazil

Showing off his age-defying physique, the Black Swan star opted for a pair of orange and cream swimming trunks.

Tina, meanwhile, looked incredible in a skimpy yellow bikini as she towelled off after a dip in the sea.

Going make-up free, the model allowed her natural beauty to shine through whilst her trademark curly locks were loose and sodden.

Not-so mellow! Vincent was joined by his gorgeous model girlfriend Tina Kunakey, 27, who looked incredible in a skimpy yellow bikini as she towelled off after a dip in the sea

The pair were first linked back in July, when Tina shared a snap of herself cuddled up to the French actor whilst she enjoyed a cigarette.

Vincent was previously married to Italian actress Monica Bellucci and the couple share two daughters.

They announced their separation in 2013 after 14 years of marriage.

Cute couple: The pair were first linked back in July, when Tina shared a snap of herself cuddled up to the French actor whilst she enjoyed a cigarette

Model moment: It's easy to see how Tina caught Vincent's eye, as the model often shares dazzling shots of herself on Instagram

Vincent recently spoke out about the notion of love as he claimed that men and women view it very differently.

He told The Telegraph: ' The thing is, love makes you feel alive. If most women are looking for security, I think men look for adventure.

'Theres an expression in French  to go around the world with your d**k and a knife  navoir que la bite et le couteau.

Later in life, a man has the possibility to reinvent himself again and again.'
She's known for being a social butterfly- as well having numerous nip slips.

But Lady Victoria Hervey kept her famous assets firmly in place as she turned heads in a white bikini in Barbados on Thursday.

The 40-year-old socialite enjoyed a beach day, before making a splash with a jet-ski.

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Bit of al-white! Lady Victoria Hervey kept her famous assets firmly in place as she turned heads in a white bikini in Barbados on Thursday

Flaunting her fabulous form, Victoria took a walk along the picturesque beach.

With her impressive toned midriff on display, the British beauty wore the white briefs low on her hips.

And avoiding any wardrobe malfunctions, she wore a well-fitted halter-neck bikini top.

Making waves! The 40-year-old socialite enjoyed a beach day, before making a splash with a jet-ski

Styling her blonde tresses in cornrows, she covered her tanned face with oversized aviators, accessorising with a large medallion necklace.

And shielding her tanned body from the sun, she later threw on an oversized Kaftan with gold edging.

The adventurous lass soon took to a jet-ski, enjoying a splash around the blue seas.

Abs-fab! Flaunting her fabulous form, Victoria took a walk along the picturesque beach

Victoria has been the victim of frequent nip slips of late, most recently on Wednesday when an errant wave caught her by surprise.

Last month her rebel bust popped out as she enjoyed a spot of yoga in Palm Springs.

The aristocrat - who is the daughter of the late 6th Marquess of Bristol - recently told the Daily Mail's Sebastian Shakespeare that English women struggle to be sexy.

'Women in London are too conservative and dont have the courage to wear sexy outfits. Its an English thing,' she said.

'I grew up in the South of France so I have a much more international approach.'

Victoria added that she still leads by example, sporting an array of sheer ensembles at parties recently, she said: 'Its empowering to dress provocatively'.
A few days ago, she shared an adorable photograph of five-year-old daughter Harper Beckham watching the rain in the Maldives.

And Victoria Beckham posted yet another sweet snap on Friday showing the youngster writing 'I love mummy and daddy' in the sand.

'Kisses from my baby girl' wrote Victoria alongside the cute snap where Harper had drawn some flowers on the beach alongside her words.

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So sweet: Victoria Beckham shared an Instagram of Harper penning an message to her parents on the Maldives sand on Friday

The family are currently enjoying a festive break in the tropical paradise islands with friends Gordon and Tana Ramsey and their children.

However, the weather hasn't always been kind, with Victoria sharing a snap of the downpour with little Harper holding an umbrella on the beach.

Possibly paying tribute to Debbie Reynolds - who died on Wednesday afternoon - the designer, 42, captioned the snap: 'Singing in the rain'.

Debbie - who famously starred in film musical Singing in the Rain - died from a suspected stroke aged 84, just one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher passed away from a heart attack.

'Singing in the rain': Victoria revealed her family had been caught out in the rain on Thursday as she shared a sweet snap of daughter Harper, five, in the Maldives

Meanwhile, Victoria's sons Cruz and Brooklyn enjoyed a bit of a jamming session on a new video with Cruz pretended to play the drums on his knees whilst Brooklyn sang enthusiastically.

Cruz recently released his debut single If Everyday Was Christmas with the proceeds going to charity.

Despite the rain, the family's spirits are no doubt still on a high with the news that Victoria is to be made an OBE.

The former Spice Girls star has been named on the Queen's New Year's Honours list, she revealed to her family this Christmas.

On a high: Victoria is to be made an OBE in the New Year's Honours list

Expecting an OBE for her fashion empire and body of charity work, the mother-of-four will follow in David's footsteps, 13 years after he received his nod from the Queen.

Sources close to the family told MailOnline that Victoria was 'delighted and humbled for the recognition'.

The insider revealed: 'Victoria is incredibly proud of the fashion brand she has built and ever thankful for her amazing team.'

Victoria told her family - Brooklyn, 17, Romeo, 14, and Cruz, 11, along with Harper - during the festive period whilst on holiday.
They spent their first Christmas as a couple, apart.

And after spending Wednesday abseiling in Western Australia, The Bachelor's Richie Strahan and Alex Nation enjoyed a diving session at the state's Ningaloo reef.

Sharing a snap with his 161,000 followers on Friday, Richie revealed the venture was his Christmas present to his reality star girlfriend.

'I'm lucky she is mine': Bachelor couple Alex Nation and Richie Strahan enjoy a romantic reef dive

'For Christmas I wanted to surprise Alex with something she would always remember,' he captioned the photo.

'I decided to take her on an adventure to Coral Bay in WA, where we would get our PADI open water dive tickets, while checking out the beautiful Ningaloo reef!

'This is our first dive (in a pool) learning the tricks of the trade. Always dive with a buddy - I'm lucky she is mine.'

Posing for an underwater snap, the smitten couple both flashed the Shaka sign, associated with surfing culture.

Merry Christmas! The dive at the Ningaloo reef in Western Australia was Richie's Christmas present to his reality star girlfriend

On Wednesday, Alex and Richie spent the day abseiling down a cliff face at Western Australia's Statham's Quarry.

Taking to Instagram after their adventure in Beelu National Park, the pair both uploaded action shots as they abseiled down side-by-side.

Alex captioned her pic: 'So... this happened. I abseiled down a cliff face with this guy.'

Cliffhangers: Alex and Richie were well and truly on the rocks on Wednesday, spending the day abseiling down a cliff face at Statham's Quarry

Going down: Taking to Instagram after their adventure in Beelu National Park, the pair both uploaded action shots as they abseiled down side-by-side

Meanwhile, Richie, 31, wrote alongside his photo: 'Cheeky abseil with this stunner.'

The loved-up couple were joined by Richie's sister, Alana Walsh, who also used social media to share a snap of herself abseiling alongside her brother.

After arriving at the quarry in Richie's jeep, the 25-year-old snapped a selfie, adding the caption 'today we climbin'.
She's been glued to the beach this festive season.

And Lady Victoria Hervey, 40, showed off her super svelte bronzed frame once again on Friday as she stepped out in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Despite the Caribbean sunshine, the aristocrat looked to be feeling a bit nippy as she sauntered across the white sand in a stylish lime green one piece.

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Feeling nippy: Lady Victoria Hervey, 40, showed off her super svelte bronzed frame once again on Friday as she stepped out in Bridgetown, Barbados

Its unusual cut showed off her slender side and part of her toned midriff, while the one strap and low cut of the chest displayed her delicate decolletage.

The socialite looked to have embraced the vibrant nature of the island, donning a colourful bandana for her day at the beach.

The headwear kept her golden locks off her face and she protected her eyes with a large pair of aviators.

She wore a large gold pendant, a cream watch and colourful bracelet to complete her look.

Colourful: Despite the Caribbean sunshine, the aristocrat looked to be feeling a bit nippy as she sauntered across the white sand in a stylish lime green one piece

Hippie vibes: The socialite looked to have embraced the vibrant nature of the island and donned a colourful bandana for her day at the beach

Beach babe: The swimsuit's unusual cut showed off her slender side

Keen for an adrenaline rush, Lady Victoria took to the ocean on a jet ski, making quite splash as she powered along.

Wearing a life jacket, she looked completely in control as she expertly cruised along the coastline.

The aristocrat - who is the daughter of the late 6th Marquess of Bristol - recently told the Daily Mail's Sebastian Shakespeare that English women struggle to be sexy.

Leading by example: The aristocrat - who is the daughter of the late 6th Marquess of Bristol - recently told the Daily Mail's Sebastian Shakespeare that English women struggle to be sexy

Going for a ride: She was given a helping hand onto a jet ski

Easy does it: She looked deep in concentration as she slid into the driver's seat

Making a splash: Wearing a life jacket, she looked completely in control as she expertly cruised along the coastline

'Women in London are too conservative and dont have the courage to wear sexy outfits. Its an English thing,' she said.

'I grew up in the South of France so I have a much more international approach.'

Victoria added that she still leads by example, sporting an array of sheer ensembles at parties recently, she said: 'Its empowering to dress provocatively'.

Adrenaline rush: Lady Victoria certainly was afraid to twist the accelerator

Speed demon: The blonde's tanned skin glistened in the Caribbean sun
She gave birth to her second child nearly a year ago.

And Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Dorit Kemsley looked absolutely phenomenal as she hit the beach in Miami on Thursday in a clingy yellow bikini that clung to every bit of her amazing physique.

The 40-year-old star, who has only recently joined the reality show, cuddled her baby daughter Phoenix, ten months, in her arms as she gabbed with gal pals.

Yummy mummy! Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Dorit Kemsley looked absolutely phenomenal as she hit the beach in Miami on Thursday in a clingy yellow bikini that clung to every bit of her amazing physique while cuddling daughter Phoenix

Blonde hair braided back, Dorit couldn't have looked happier as she strolled in flip flops on the beach with her daughter resting on her hip.

Little Phoenix wore a precious striped bathing suit with red floral design.

Dorit looked every inch the beach babe as she rocked a patterned cover-up and straw hat, giving herself a bit of protection from the sun.

Keeping herself cool, Dorit clutched a refreshing iced coffee.

Baby love! Blonde hair braided back, Kemsley couldn't have looked happier as she strolled in flip flops on the beach with her daughter resting on her hip

The proud mom took to Instagram to share a photo of her with her oldest son Jagger.

The image was of Dorit walking hand-in-hand with her son on the sand and was captioned with a heart emoticon.

Dorit joined the cast of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills this year, appearing in the show's seventh season.

Making a splash: Dorit looked every inch the beach babe as she rocked a patterned cover-up and straw hat, giving herself a bit of protection from the sun

Born in Connecticut, Dorit has been working for nearly two decades as a fashion designer.

She got her start in Italy in her twenties, and then began her own line, which features swimsuits.

'I always wanted to work, I always wanted to be a businesswoman,' the reality star recently told DailyMail.com.

Life's a beach! The star strolled on the sand beside another bikini-clad gal pal

The reality star is married to Boy George's manager Paul 'PK' Kemsley.

The two fell in love in 2011 after meeting in New York City and then not long after that welcomed son Jagger. In 2015 they wed at the Rainbow Room in New York City.

The couple welcomed baby girl Phoenix in February 2016.
Rosamund Pike spent more than 30 minutes chatting to firefighters with her son Solo following an incident near her London home on Friday.

The Gone Girl star, 37, looked relaxed in a large grey knit, black leggings and purple Asics running trainers.

She tied her blonde locks up in a messy bun and smiled brightly as her son spoke to a crouching fireman.

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Loving mother: Rosamund Pike, 37, spent more than 30 minutes chatting to firefighters with her son Solo, four, following an incident near her London home on Friday

The makeup-free actress wore a silver statement necklace and clutched a copy of her latest film A United Kingdom to her chest.

The film movingly re-creates the then-scandalous marriage between Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana and British typist Ruth Williams.

The couple caused an international stir when they married in the late 1940s.

In the inspirational film, Rosamund takes on the role of middle-class Ruth who falls for Seretse, an Oxford graduate and African king-in-waiting - played by David Oyelowo - after being introduced to him at a missionary society dance.

Dressed down: The Gone Girl star looked relaxed in a large grey knit, black leggings and purple Asics running trainers

Playful mood: Rosamund crouched down and raised her hand to her forehead

Their whirlwind romance and wedding wreaked havoc not only among their families, but at the highest political levels in Britain and southern Africa, where Seretses own Bechuanaland, now Botswana, was a longtime protectorate under British imperial rule.

Speaking of the movie on BBC Radio 2 in November, Rosamund said: 'You see racism on both sides.

'It's this experience of a white woman craving to belong in the black world and being greeted with suspicion and hostility. They don't want a white woman to be the mother of their tribe.

A good watch: The makeup-free actress wore a silver statement necklace and clutched a copy of her latest film A United Kingdom

'How is she going to understand the concerns of the women? How is she going to understand the concerns of the country? But she stuck it out.'

And speaking of Ruth's defiant will, the actress gushed: 'Sometimes you get these characters where you're like "God, if I had half of this woman's guts bravery and courage, I'd be such a better person"!

'It's a wonderful love story.'
She's been documenting her sun-soaked trip to Barbados on social media for fans.

And Jourdan Dunn was not afraid to show off her sensational bikini body once again on Friday, as she uploaded another beach-side snap to her Instagram page.

The British beauty, 26, flaunted her unbelievably long legs and enviably toned stomach in a trendy high-waisted bikini as she posed aboard a boat in the sizzling snap.

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Life's a beach: Jourdan Dunn, 26, was not afraid to show off her sensational bikini body once again on Friday, as she uploaded another snap from her Barbados holiday to her Instagram

Poising herself against the railings on deck, the mother-of-one showcased her impeccably toned physique for all to see in a vibrant orange two-piece.

The high-rise bottoms nipped in at her middle to flatter her tiny waist and clung tightly to her impressively toned and taut tum.

Cutting high up her thigh at the side, the briefs then left her incredibly long and slender pins on show as she fiercely cocked one leg forward.

Maintaining her trendy style even in beachwear, the Hammersmith native paired the bottoms with a stylish halterneck bikini top, which fastened with a zip on one side.

Life's peachy: The model has been documenting her tropical trip away with her huge amount of Instagram followers - sharing another cheeky swimwear snap on Wednesday

Leaving her long tresses in loose waves and her face bare, Jourdan exuded natural and effortless beauty as she reflected on another successful year as a model.

Expressing her gratitude for her fans in the caption, the brunette beauty wrote beside the shot: 'Taking it alllllll in the sun,the sea and me finally hitting 2 MILLION followers!!! Thank you guys for the love and support its truly....honestly .... appreciated'

The model has been documenting her tropical trip away with her huge amount of Instagram followers - sharing another cheeky swimwear snap on Wednesday.

Wearing unusual yet stylish black beachwear, Jourdan can be seen showing off her pert derriere while gazing out to sea.

Beach babe: Jourdan is enjoying some winter sun on the Caribbean island over the festive period

She held a tropical cocktail in her other hand, the perfect accompaniment to the stunning sun-drenched setting.

On Christmas Eve the mother-of-one was seen hanging out on the beach with her seven-year-old son Riley.

The statuesque beauty gave birth to Riley when she was just 19, and was back on the catwalk just 10 weeks after welcoming her baby into the world.

Jourdan split from her former flame Jordan Cummings when Riley was just a baby, but has since gone on to become one of the world's top-earning models.

She recently posted a sweet selfie on her Instagram page which read: '7 years ago today this little joy of sunshine came into my life,It's true that every good and perfect gift is from above

'You were presented to me as a beautifully packaged gift full of humor, talent, sarcasm intelligence, beauty and love.

'Happy Birthday Bubski Mummy loves you more than you could EVER imagine!' (sic)

Jourdan was propelled to international fame when she was discovered by a model scout in a branch of budget high street store, Primark, in Hammersmith, west London, at the tender age of 15.
She's described her tiny waist and enviable figure as a gift from God.

And Kate Wright's stunning shape is certainly the gift that keeps on giving, as the beauty shared a saucy swimwear selfie on Snapchat on Friday.

Taking to a bathroom to snap the mirror shot, Kate, 25, looked sensational in a plunging black bikini top with delicate strips of material criss-crossing her tiny waist.

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Kate Wright's stunning shape is certainly the gift that keeps on giving, as the beauty shared a saucy swimwear selfie on Snapchat on Friday

The black bottoms clung to her hips and accentuated her perfect curves, while her ample cleavage was on full display.

The glam reality star wore her shades atop her head and let her golden locks fall freely over her shoulders.

In a picture she shared earlier in the day, she posed alongside her friend in a snap captioned: 'My main chick.'

She teamed her swimwear with cream and navy palazzo pants, finishing off the look with gold sandals and oversized sunglasses.

Attempting to rival Kate in the busty stakes, her pretty pal donned a plunging black dress as they enjoyed a drink in a beach bar.

Gorgeous gal pals: In a pic she shared earlier in the day, she posed alongside her friend in a snap captioned: 'My main chick.'

Orange you glad to see me? Kate has been treating her fans to an array of sexy swimwear snaps on her holiday, and on Thursday sent them wild with a saucy snapchat shot

Kate has been treating her fans to an array of sexy swimwear snaps on her holiday, and on Thursday sent them wild with a saucy snapchat shot.

Clad in an orange bikini, her ample bust was front and centre in the shot as she sipped on a cocktail.

Fans have been marvelling at her incredible figure in her bikini snaps, which Kate claims was a gift 'from God.'

What a waist! Fans have been marvelling at her incredible figure in her bikini snaps, which Kate claims was a gift 'from God' but also revealed she hits the gym every day

Speaking to MailOnline, she explained: 'My waist goes up and down but I don't know what happened there - I think God just gave me a small waist

'I feel really rubbish if I don't go to the gym, I've gone to the gym since I was 14. I used to go before school with my mum when I was 14, I've always been sporty.

'It doesn't feel right if I don't go to the gym. Even if I'm on holiday I'll go, so even if I don't go I feel groggy.'
She's a producer and award-winning actress, so it would seem Eva Longoria is good at just about anything she tries out.

But as it turns out, jet packing doesn't come as naturally for the world famous star.

The 41-year-old Texas native documented her jet pack fail during her current trip to Mexico on Snapchat on Thursday.

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Trying it out for size! Eva Longoria floated in the water as a man who appeared to be a jet pack instructor waded close by during her trip to Mexico on Thursday

The star was initially excited to try out the jet pack, explaining to her fans, 'Hey you guys, we're going to try this machine, that jet thing that you go in the air!'

After her friend went for it, Eva could be seen floating in the water with the boots strapped on as a man who appeared to be an instructor supervised.

'Going to do this jet thing!' she told the camera.

Unfortunately for Eva, the star stayed in the air for less than a few seconds, before crashing into the water.

There she goes! The actress threw her hands up into the air as she attempted to steady herself

Making a splash: The star, however, fell into the water after just seconds in the air

Eva seemed surprised at how difficult jet packing was, as she breathlessly explained after the incident.

'Okay, that was really hard!' Eva said in a separate video. 'The boot didn't fit my foot!' she wailed playfully.

'It was too big for my feet!'

Explaining herself! Eva seemed surprised at how difficult jet packing was, as she breathlessly explained after the incident

Just breathe: Longoria got in a yoga session on Friday morning

Eva has been enjoying the holidays in Mexico lately.

From yoga to kicking back on the beach, the star has made relaxation a top priority these last few days.

Eva has a lot to look forward to when she returns home.

The former Desperate Housewives star will be starring in the upcoming mini-series Decline and Fall, and is also producing the documentary Ours is a Future, which is currently in post-production.
She found fame as a Victoria's Secret model back in 2005.

But Izabel Goulart proved why she caught the attention of the famous lingerie brand on Friday, as she flaunted her incredible body on the beach in St Barts.

The Brazilian beauty, 32, showed off her impeccably toned physique in a barely-there pink bikini as she topped up her tan on the stunning Caribbean island.

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Bikini babe: Izabel Goulart, 32, flaunted her incredible body on the beach in St Barts on Friday

Abs-olutely fabulous: The Brazilian beauty showed off her impeccably toned physique in a barely-there bikini as she topped up her tan on the stunning Caribbean island

Izabel showcased her incredibly taut and toned stomach and enviably long legs for all to see as she strutted across the sand in the pink two-piece.

The halterneck triangle top gave a sexy glimpse of her plentiful bust as it plunged daringly low at her chest and secured across her cleavage with just a single string.

Not afraid to flash even more sun-kissed skin, the model paired the top with equally skimpy bottoms, which cut into a thong at her rear to display her peachy derriere to all.

Putting her bust foot foward: The halterneck triangle top gave a sexy glimpse of her plentiful bust as it plunged daringly low at her chest

Saucy: Flashing further skin, the top then secured with a single string to allude further to her cleavage

Confident: Izabel looked relaxed and comfortable as she enjoyed her day on the beach, flicking her hair in the sea breeze

Maintaining her chic model style even in beachwear however, the set was adorned with glamorous gold embellishments on the straps, and tied into a striking bow at her back for a feminine touch.

She left her brunette hair in tousled, beachy waves and kept her face make-up free to show off her naturally glowing and clear complexion.

Wanting to protect her skin from the blazing sunshine, Izabel later layered a loose beach dress on top of her bikini, which was decorated with a vibrant rainbow striped print.

Life's peachy! The skimpy briefs cut into a thong at her rear to display her enviably peachy derriere to all

Hint of glitz: Maintaining her chic model style even in beachwear however, the set was adorned with glamorous gold embellishments on the straps

Effortless: She left her brunette hair in tousled, beachy waves and kept her face make-up free to show off her naturally glowing and clear complexion

The model happily walked on the sand and paddled in the crystal clear water during her relaxing day, before she perched herself on the sand to take photos of the stunning sea view.

The beauty has been heavily documenting her time on the Caribbean island for fans on her Instagram page.

Uploading a sizzling snap of her in a bikini and Santa hot posing against the stunning coastline, she wished her adoring followers a happy festive period with the message: 'Ho ho ho #BodyByIza post card from St Barths!

Socialising: The beauty happily chatted to a friend as she soaked up more rays

Splash of colour: Wanting to protect her skin from the blazing sunshine, Izabel later sported a loose beach dress, which was decorated with a vibrant rainbow striped print

Whoops! Paddling in the sea, the star gave another flash of her pert posterior as her dress whipped up in the wind

'Merry Christmas to everyone! Enjoy the time with your loved ones!'

As one of the top winter hotspots, Izabel also appeared to be mixing with fashion's elite on the idyllic island, proving her long-lasting success in the industry.

On Thursday she uploaded a selfie of her kissing the cheek of Stefano Gabbana, one half of dominating Italian fashion duo Dolce & Gabbana.

Izabel was discovered in a supermarket at the age of 14, and moved to France to pursue modelling.

Accessories are key: She finished her stylish beach look with a set of retro rounded sunglasses

Relaxing: Izabel has been at the holiday hotspot for a week, heavily documenting her time on the island for fans on her Instagram page

However her career did not get off to the best start, after her top fell open to reveal her bare chest during her first ever catwalk appearance.

Yet, the Brazilian beauty has put the embarrassing malfunction behind her to find success - going on to model for the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Valentino and Balmain.

She became more widely known when she was named a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2005, after appearing on the cover of Vogue Brasil.

Although she is no longer an Angel, Izabel has walked in a whopping 11 shows for the luxurious lingerie brand and has wowed fans each year with her sensational body.

Statuesque: The model's unbelievably leggy figure was clear to see as she embarked on a relaxing walk along the sand

Tanning is tiring: Izabel later sat down on the golden sand after her long walk to deepen her golden glow and top herself up with more sun cream

Unique style: The Brazilian beauty also added a tribal style choker and chunky drop down earrings, to make her look more quirky

The Vogue model recently revealed she keeps in such good shape by exercising daily and embarking on a short but sweaty routine.

'Often, I'll do a quick workout in my hotel room consisting of exercises for the legs, glutes, abs, and arms with my own body weight,' she told Style.com last year.

However despite her modelling prowess, the beauty is set to turn her hand to acting this coming year, as she makes her screen debut in the 2017 remake of Baywatch.

The highly-anticipated reboot, which is released in May, also stars Zac Efron, Charlotte McKinney, Kelly Rohrbach and Priyanka Chopra, as well as iconic original cast member Pamela Anderson.
Top official urges independent Chinese Catholic Church

Catholics in China should build a more independent, socialist church, a senior Beijing official has said, as the government remains at odds with the Vatican on the issue of ordaining bishops.

The country's roughly 12 million believers are divided between those loyal to Beijing, whose clergy are chosen by the Communist Party, and members of a so-called "underground" church which swears allegiance to the Vatican.

The Holy See and Beijing have not had diplomatic ties since 1951, and although relations have improved in recent years as China's Catholic population has grown, they remain at odds over which side has the authority to appoint senior clergy.

Senior Chinese official Yu Zhengsheng says China's Catholics should build a more independent, socialist church GREG BAKER (AFP/File)

On Thursday, Chinese Catholics were told to better integrate into the country, adapt to society and benefit the people, according to the official news agency Xinhua.

They should "adhere to the principles of self-administration, run religious affairs independently and guide believers to adhere to the Sinicization path of the religion", said Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

The comments, which come as the Communist Party has increased scrutiny of foreign influence in the countrys affairs, seemed to imply that believers should distance themselves from the Pope and instead follow Beijings lead.

Catholics need to better adapt to society and unify patriotism with affection for the Church, Yu added.

Yu was speaking at a three-day national conference of Chinese Catholics -- the first such meeting in six years, coming as the Vatican has made increased overtures to Beijing.

The Vatican had condemned previous conferences because members of the unofficial church loyal to Rome had reportedly been forced to participate.

Addressing the conference earlier in the week, Wang Zuoan, head of China's State Administration for Religious Affairs, said that Beijing is willing to have constructive dialogue with the Vatican, Xinhua reported.

"The Chinese government hopes that the Vatican can adopt a more flexible and pragmatic approach to create favourable conditions for improving relations through practical actions," he said, without giving specific examples.

Chinese and Vatican officials have met at least four times since January to try to resolve the delicate issue of the appointment of bishops.

Since becoming head of the Holy See in 2013 Pope Francis has tried to mend ties with Beijing in the hope of reconnecting with Catholics in China.
S. Korea allows new 'comfort women' statue

The southern South Korean port of Busan said Friday it would allow activists to place a statue symbolising victims of Japanese wartime sex slavery outside the city's Japanese consulate.

The municipal authorities had previously removed the "comfort woman" statue, but changed track after Japan's hawkish defence minister offered prayers at a controversial war shrine in Tokyo.

Tomomi Inada's visit on Thursday to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors millions of mostly Japanese war dead -- but also senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes -- swiftly drew flack from China and South Korea.

Busan authorities say activists are free to place a symbolically charged "comfort woman" statue outside the port's Japanese consulate STR (YONHAP/AFP)

Activists had first placed their statue outside the consulate on Wednesday -- marking their opposition to a South Korea-Japan agreement reached a year ago to finally resolve the comfort women issue.

Under the accord, which both countries described as "final and irreversible," Japan offered an apology and a one-billion yen ($8.3 million) payment to surviving Korean comfort women.

Critics said the deal did not go far enough in holding Japan responsible for its wartime abuses.

The statue -- a copy of one that sits across the road from the Japanese embassy in Seoul -- was swiftly removed from outside the Busan consulate by the authorities.

But after Inada's visit stoked an outpouring of public anger, they said it would be returned to the activists.

"We won't stop the civic group from setting up the statue there if they wish to do so," Yonhap news agency quoted local official Park Sam-Seok as saying.

The statue in Seoul -- a bronze of a young, seated woman with a small bird on her shoulder -- has proved an extremely potent and popular symbol.

Japan says it should have been removed after the comfort-women accord was signed, but Seoul argued it had only agreed to look into the possibility of moving it.

For the past year, activists have maintained a 24-hour vigil to prevent the statue being taken away.
Taiwan prisoners turn artisan chefs as 'jail food' takes off

If it were not for the locked doors, knives chained to the table and uniformed staff, the food factory inside Taoyuan women's prison would resemble any commercial kitchen.

Inmates wearing masks and hair nets mix cocoa powder to make chocolate, or chop cabbage to marinate for kimchi.

They are part of a burgeoning food industry in Taiwan -- artisan snacks, made behind bars.

Prisoners packing candy in northern Taiwan: the prison system's additive-free product range has attracted many fans Sam YEH (AFP)

The additive-free delicacies made by prison inmates have gained a loyal public following, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Demand is driven by quality and affordability after a string of food safety scandals has made Taiwan consumers extra vigilant.

Last year sales revenue reached more than Tw$500 million ($15.62 million), with money going towards victim compensation, improvement of facilities and a wage for inmates.

Some prisoners, like 39-year-old Chen, had little culinary experience before joining the production line in Taoyuan, in the north of the island.

The prison rolls out a wide range of snacks, from sweets to fermented tofu.

"I'm happy to learn some useful skills," Chen told AFP.

"I didn't know how to use a kitchen knife properly before as my mother always cooked for me and I didn't need to go into the kitchen.

"I've learnt that it looks simple to make food, but it's actually quite complicated."

Inmates near release or parole can apply for the programme and are prioritised. Long-term prisoners who are judged to have behaved well or have relevant experience can also apply.

The range of jail-made food bought from prisons across Taiwan includes local favourites such as pineapple cake and peanut brittle, as well as soy sauce and free-range chicken.

- Future hopes -

What started in 2006 as a smaller programme designed to teach inmates practical skills and raise funds for prison facilities has now been rolled out to all of Taiwan's adult jails.

More than 50 prisons make around 300 types of product which can be ordered by the public by phone, online or by fax, or bought direct from prison offices.

"We use good ingredients and we do not use additives or over-process food to make profits," said Chiu Hung-chi, deputy chief of the Agency of Corrections.

"Our foods are natural, high quality and inexpensive," he added.

It is a winning sales pitch to a public wary after big-name companies were found to have adulterated their products with banned chemicals or recycled "gutter oil" to lower costs, which led to massive recalls of food items in recent years.

Shoppers at a food fair in central Taichung city organised by the agency were quick to vouch for made-in-prison food.

"I've been buying food made by inmates regularly for more than a year. They are organic, good quality and relatively cheap. I also rally my friends to place orders together," said businesswoman Wang Lung-feng, who drove nearly two hours from southern Tainan city to the fair, which lasted four days and drew thousands of visitors.

Wang spent over Tw$10,000 on noodles, chicken, soy sauce and snacks.

"I think the programme is very meaningful. The inmates are learning some skills that can help them find work and readjust to society," she told AFP.

Inmates earn an average monthly "labour allowance" of around Tw$2,000-3,000. Some responsible for top-selling items, such as soy sauce made in a prison in southern Pingtung county, can make 10 times the average pay during peak holiday seasons, according to Chiu.

Besides producing their own brand of food, some prisons make soaps and handicraft, or take orders from local factories to manufacture garments, paper bags and accessories.

Inmate Chen said she hopes to launch her own small food business after her release.

"My mother loves to cook and she cooks well. She said as long as I am not afraid of hard work she will work with me to start our small food business.

"I hope to combine my mother's cooking with what I've learnt to create better food."

More than 50 Taiwan prisons make around 300 types of product, generating some $15 million revenue for the prison system Sam YEH (AFP)
Putin refuses to expel US diplomats, Trump applauds

President-elect Donald Trump praised President Vladimir Putin for refraining from tit-for-tat expulsions of Americans in response to US punitive measures over alleged Russian interference in the November election.

Putin's decision came despite the foreign ministry asking him to send home 35 US diplomats after President Barack Obama had expelled the same number of Russian staff.

Trump's intervention -- in a tweet -- however illustrated the shifting political tide in Washington, barely three weeks before the Republican is due to succeed Obama at the White House.

US President-elect Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for not reacting immediately to Washington's move to punish it over alleged election-related interference DON EMMERT, Natalia KOLESNIKOVA (AFP/File)

"Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" the incoming US president wrote.

Russia's embassy in Washington quickly retweeted the comment, which Trump pinned so it would appear at the top of his feed for several hours.

Trump's tweet enraged his Democratic foes as well as some members of his own Republican Party.

"@realDonaldTrump alternates between embracing Russian subversion & downplaying it, but his support for Putin is constant. We must know why," wrote Evan McMullin, who ran as an independent presidential candidate after serving as policy director for the House Republican Conference.

Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote: "Our ENTIRE cyber intel community, best in world btw, agrees that this guy tried to mess in our election & the Russians are RT TrumpPutin love."

The alleged hacking of the US presidential election in November outraged Obama, culminating in the expulsions and other sanctions.

- Pinning hopes on Trump -

But outlining why he would not retaliate, Putin cited Trump's imminent accession.

"We will not expel anyone," Putin said in a statement, also inviting children of US diplomats to a holiday party at the Kremlin.

Instead, Moscow will plan its next steps "based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump," while warning that the Kremlin reserves the right to respond.

The Russian leader chided the outgoing Obama for "unfriendly steps" amounting to "a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations."

Putin's confirmed Moscow is pinning its hopes on Trump to help rebuild ties -- which have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War -- when he takes office next month.

Putin ended his statement on the sanctions by wishing Obama and Trump a Happy New Year, separately congratulating the US president-elect in a New Year message.

Prior to Trump's remarks, a State Department official's limited response illustrated the gulf between the Obama administration and the soon to be inaugurated new US president.

"We have seen President Putin's remarks. We have nothing further to add," the official said.

Obama on Thursday unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Russia over alleged cyberattacks aimed at tilting the November election in Trump's favour.

The move follows years of bad blood with Putin that had seen Washington slap sanctions on Moscow over its behavior in Ukraine and Syria.

In response to the purported hacks, dubbed "Grizzly Steppe" by US officials, Obama announced penalties against Russia's military and domestic intelligence agencies, and gave the 35 suspected "intelligence operatives" 72 hours to leave.

The Kremlin said it was sending a special plane to fly diplomats and their families from the United States, following reports they are not able to purchase plane tickets on such short notice.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian news agencies that 96 people would be leaving the US.

US intelligence has concluded that the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Trump in the Oval Office.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the hacking allegations.

- 'Americans should be alarmed' -

Trump, too, has questioned whether Russia tipped the electoral scale, painting Obama's accusations as a thinly veiled effort by a Democratic president to cover up for his party's loss.

Trump, however, has said he will meet with intelligence leaders next week for a briefing.

Obama -- who has also clashed with Trump over his Israel policy in recent days -- pointedly stated that "all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions."

It remains unclear whether Trump will move to roll back the sanctions. Leading Republican lawmakers have publicly warned him to stay tough on Putin.

Beyond the election row, Obama also linked the fresh sanctions to harassment of US diplomats in Moscow, which Washington described as "unprecedented" in the post-Cold War era.

US officials, meanwhile, played down the impact sanctions against the GRU and the FSB could have on intelligence-sharing on issues like counterterrorism, saying cooperation was already limited.

Both agencies will face penalties, as will GRU agency chief Igor Korobov and three of his deputies.

In addition, the US Treasury hit two individuals, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, with sanctions for "involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities."

The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and block US companies from doing business with them.

The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks.

Cars drive past the headquarters of the FSB security service, the successor to the KGB, in central Moscow, on December 30, 2016 Vasily Maximov (AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his ministry had asked Putin to declare 31 employees at the US embassy in Moscow and four at the country's consulate in second city Saint Petersburg personae non gratae Natalia KOLESNIKOVA (AFP/File)

Russia has also been blamed for cyberattacks on Estonia, Georgia and Ukraine Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV (AFP)

In May, then US National Intelligence Director James Clapper warned of cyberattacks against the US election campaigns, without specific reference to any source Jim Watson (AFP/File)
Death toll from Pakistan toxic liquor incident rises to 39

Thirty-nine people have now died after drinking home-made liquor mixed with aftershave on Christmas Eve in central Pakistan, officials said Friday, including two out of the four suspects accused of creating the toxic brew.

Police and hospital officials added 23 of the 121 people sickened in the incident, which happened in the town of Toba Tek Singh, some 340 kilometres (211 miles) south of Islamabad, are still in hospital.

"So far 39 people have died after consuming toxic liquor," senior police official Atif Imran, who is investigating the case, told AFP. Most of the dead were Christians.

Pakistani Christians carry a coffin for one of the victims who was killed by toxic liquor, during his funeral in Toba Tek Singh, central Pakistan, on December 27, 2016

Imran added that two of the four suspects accused of preparing the mix had died while the other two were had been charged with murder and terrorism related offences.

Though legal breweries exist in Pakistan, alcohol sales and consumption are banned for Muslims and tightly regulated for minorities and foreigners.

While wealthy Pakistanis buy foreign alcohol on the black market at heavily inflated prices, the poor often resort to home brews that can contain methanol, commonly used in anti-freeze and fuel.

Eleven Christians died in October after consuming toxic liquor at a party in Punjab province.

In October 2014 29 drinkers were killed after consuming methanol-tainted liquor over the Eid public holidays.
Clashes erupt near Damascus during fragile Syria truce

A ceasefire was holding across most of Syria on Friday but clashes near Damascus underlined the fragility of the deal brokered by rebel supporter Turkey and key regime ally Russia.

The nationwide truce, the first since September, is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan being organised by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran.

The agreement comes a week after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's army recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Syrian men inspect the rubble of a destroyed house in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, on December 30, 2016 Abd Doumany (AFP)

On the first day of the ceasefire Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported sporadic violence in the Wadi Barada area, where rebels have cut water supplies to Damascus.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said helicopters carried out raids on rebel positions but it was unclear which side had started the clashes.

Syria's government had been shelling Wadi Barada before the truce began at midnight as it pushes rebels there to accept a "reconciliation deal" and leave the area.

The forces there include former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, which Syria's government says is excluded from the ceasefire.

Opposition figures however say the truce applies to all rebel-held territory, even where Fateh al-Sham is present.

Last week, rebels attacked water infrastructure in Wadi Barada and neighbouring Ain al-Fijeh, cutting supplies to the capital.

Four million people in Damascus and its suburbs have now been without water for a week, the UN says.

The clashes in Wadi Barada were the most serious of several isolated incidents of violence since the truce began.

The Observatory reported at least 16 government air strikes across several areas in Hama province in central Syria, but no casualties, but said a person was killed by regime sniper fire in the rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

- Tired of war -

In rebel-held Idlib province, however, it was quiet and residents expressed hope for respite from the bloody conflict.

"I support the ceasefire... and I support its continuation," said 31-year-old Ahmed Astify. "Everyone, whether (they are) rebels or regular people, is tired," he added.

Mohammed, 28, said: "We hope that this will lead to the end of the war."

Syria's government and its ally Iran both welcomed the ceasefire deal.

Damascus called it a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

Despite being left out of the process, Washington described the truce as "positive".

Analysts were cautious but said the involvement of Russia, Iran and Turkey could be important.

Sam Heller, fellow at The Century Foundation, said there was "real interest and urgency" from Moscow and Ankara, but expressed doubts about whether Tehran and Damascus were on board.

"All indications are that Iran and the regime want to continue towards a military conclusion," he said.

He said renewed fighting in Wadi Barada or Eastern Ghouta could pose major threats to the truce.

- Talks in Astana -

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would now reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria, which has been fighting to bolster the government since last year.

But he added Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" and maintain its support for the government.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said Ankara would continue the operation it began in August targeting the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters.

Moscow says seven key rebel groups have signed up to the deal, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, but the truce excludes jihadist organisations like IS or Fateh al-Sham.

But Syria's political opposition and rebels said the truce applied to all parts of the country.

"The agreement includes a ceasefire in all areas held by the moderate opposition, or by the moderate opposition and elements from Fateh al-Sham, such as Idlib province," said Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the National Coalition opposition body.

Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Turkey and Russia have worked increasingly closely on Syria, brokering a deal this month to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

They are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start next month in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would "pave the way for productive talks", but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue next year.

Russia, meanwhile, submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council supporting the ceasefire and the planned peace talks and was hoping for a unanimous vote on Saturday.

Moscow and Ankara say the Astana talks are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them, and want to involve regional players like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan.

Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow said it hoped to bring US President-elect Donald Trump's administration on board once he takes office in January.

Key moments in the Syrian conflict Thomas SAINT-CRICQ, Sabrina BLANCHARD (AFP)

A boy sells vegetables in the northwestern city of Idlib on December 30, 2016 as a truce brokered by Russia and Turkey came into effect Omar haj kadour (AFP)

Syrian youths collect wood from rubble to be used for heating and cooking in the Damascus rebel-held eastern suburb of Zamalka on December 27, 2016 AMER ALMOHIBANY (AFP/File)

The nationwide truce was brokered by Russia and Turkey, days after the Syrian regime retook full control of the northern city of Aleppo George Ourfalian (AFP/File)

Syrian boy and a school guard stand outside a school in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, on December 30, 2016 Abd Doumany (AFP)
China Communist party expels former spymaster Ma

China's ruling Communist Party has expelled the former deputy chief of the country's top intelligence agency, it said Friday, the latest high-ranking figure to face prosecution in a much-publicised corruption crackdown.

Ma Jian, former deputy head of China's ministry of state security, was suspected of taking bribes and abusing power, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) -- the party's internal watchdog -- said in a statement on its website.

He "seriously violated political discipline and the code of conduct, confronted an organisational probe, as well as transferred and hid money and property related to his case", it said.

Wang Qishan (L), secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), attends the opening ceremony of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2016 Wang Zhao (AFP/File)

Ma was first put under investigation for "serious disciplinary violations" -- standard code for graft -- in January 2015.

His case is being transferred to the judiciary, the CCDI statement said, where he will almost certainly be prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison.

The announcement is part of the ongoing corruption crackdown announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping after coming to power in 2012.

Since that time, the drive has punished more than one million members of the ruling party, from lowly "flies" to powerful "tigers" like Ma and his former boss domestic security czar Zhou Yongkang, although critics liken it to a factional purge.

The campaign has gained "crushing momentum", the CCDI said Wednesday in a statement on its website that looked back at the office's annual achievements.

Moving forward, it will seek to "purge the Party's political ecosystem", it added, suggesting it could intensify its efforts.

It has already swept through the ranks of the party, which has 88 million members.

This week alone, Chinese official media have reported the convictions of a vice-chair of the national legislature and a provincial vice-governor, the trial of a senior provincial official, the indictment of a deputy head of the Taiwan affairs office and a second vice-governor, and a probe into a senior general.

Ma's case is linked to other top officials who were thought to pose a threat to Xi, who last month lashed out at what he described as "political conspiracies" against him.

Earlier this month, Ling Jihua, the brother of a senior aide to former Chinese President Hu Jintao, was sentenced to more than a decade in prison and fined 1.5 million yuan ($215,000) for accepting bribes.

Ma is "closely linked" to Ling, according to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.
Man wrongly arrested for Berlin attack fears for family: report

The Pakistani man wrongly arrested for the Berlin truck attack on Friday said he had told German police he could not even drive and was now afraid for the safety of his family back home.

Naveed Baloch, an asylum-seeker from the troubled province of Balochistan, told the Guardian newspaper he had just left a friend's house and was crossing a street when he saw a police car approaching fast and picked up his pace.

He said he was arrested and taken to a police station, where he was undressed and photographed.

The truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin lead to the wrongful arrest of Naveed Baloch, an asylum seeker from Pakistan Odd ANDERSEN (AFP/File)

"When I resisted, they started slapping me," the 24-year-old, who has been living in a secret location provided by police since his release because he says he is afraid for his life, told the British daily.

Baloch, who sought refuge in Germany as a member of a secular separatist movement in Balochistan, said he struggled to communicate because no translator could be found who could speak his native Balochi.

"I calmly told them I cannot drive at all. Neither can I even start a vehicle," he said.

Baloch was arrested on December 19 in the hours after the attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin in which 12 people were killed.

Police released him 24 hours later, after failing to find evidence of his involvement.

German authorities have since identified rejected Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri as the prime suspect in the Berlin attack.

Amri was shot dead by Italian police on December 23 after fleeing a manhunt in Germany.

- Denial -

Following the publication of the Guardian interview, Berlin police strongly denied that Baloch had been assaulted.

In a statement, police said they had asked Baloch about the allegations on Friday and that he "clearly stated he had not been beaten, injured or mistreated while in custody".

The statement also noted that there was no professional translator present during the Guardian interview.

But the newspaper's correspondent Kate Connolly later said on Twitter that "we @theguardian stand by our story on Naveed Baloch."

"It was an interview that took place over three hours and of which I have a recording," she added.

Baloch, a shepherd by profession, told the daily that members of his family in the village of Mand in Balochistan in southwest Pakistan had received threatening phone calls following his arrest.

"Now they all know I fled to Germany, fearful of my life, and that I am claiming asylum here. It leaves my family very vulnerable and there's nothing I can do to protect them," he told the Guardian.

Baloch said he left Pakistan around a year ago, arriving in Germany via Iran, Turkey and Greece, because of death threats he had received for his activism for the Baloch National Movement.
Iraqis rally for release of female journalist

Around 1,000 people protested Friday in central Baghdad demanding the release of an Iraqi female journalist after she was abducted by unknown gunmen.

"Freedom for Afrah!" cried the demonstrators, who included many women, after Afrah Shawqi was seized on Monday from her home in a southern neighbourhood of the capital.

"We demand the release of Afrah but we don't know who kidnapped her," Sana Rassoul, a woman doctor, told AFP in the capital's Tahrir Square.

Protesters hold protraits of Iraqi female journalist Afrah Shawqi during a demonstration calling for her release on December 30, 2016, in Baghdad SABAH ARAR (AFP)

The journalist's supporters joined members of civil society and backers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who demonstrate in the square every Friday against corruption.

Shawqi, 43, is employed by Asharq al-Awsat, a London-based pan-Arab newspaper, as well as a number of news websites including Aklaam.

"The real scandal is that gunmen were easily able to enter a woman's home and abduct her," said Dhikra Sarsam, another protester.

"The interior ministry has said absolutely nothing about the circumstances of her abduction."

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered the security services to do their utmost find Shawqi and track down those responsible.

Iraq is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, along with Syria and Mexico, according to press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Tunisia says 800 returning jihadists jailed or tracked

Tunisia said Friday it has jailed or closely monitored 800 jihadists who have returned from foreign battlefields in the past decade.

"Some are in prison, some are under house arrest and others are under close surveillance", government spokesperson Iyed Dahmani said of the fighters who have returned since 2007.

A little under 3,000 Tunisians have joined the ranks of jihadist groups fighting in neighbouring Libya, as well as in Syria and Iraq, Dahmani said.

Tunisian Prime minister Youssef Chahed (R) heads a council of ministers meeting with his cabinet in Tunis on December 30, 2016 FETHI BELAID (AFP)

The United Nations puts this figure at 5,000.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said all jihadists returning from fighting abroad would be immediately arrested and judged according to the country's counter-terrorism law.

Chahed said authorities had "lists of all (Tunisian) terrorists" and "all the data on them".

Last week, Interior Minister Hedi Majdoub told parliament that 800 jihadists had already returned from the front lines.

Concern about their return has increased since Tunisian Anis Amri, 24, was identified as the suspected attacker who mowed down 11 people at a Berlin Christmas market last week, and also killed the driver.

Tunisians rallied outside parliament at the weekend to protest against allowing jihadists back into the country.

The national union of internal security forces has called on the government to strip Tunisian jihadists of their nationality.

But President Beji Caid Essebsi, citing the constitution, has said the authorities cannot prevent a Tunisian from returning home.
Sprint says 5,000 pledged US jobs to be new positions

Sprint said Friday that the 5,000 US jobs the telecom firm recently pledged to create over the next 15 months are not part of an April 2015 announcement for a different 5,000 jobs.

The confusion -- which prompted the company's chief Marcelo Claure to take to Twitter in defense of the plan -- arose after Donald Trump announced Sprint's jobs commitment this week.

The president-elect claimed credit for the deal as well as an announcement earlier this month by the satellite broadband firm OneWeb of 3,000 new jobs over the next four years.

Sprint has not yet decided where new jobs will be created, saying only that they will be spread across the organization SAUL LOEB (AFP/File)

However, both new job commitments are part of a broader plan announced in October by SoftBank -- which owns 80 percent of Sprint -- to invest tens of billions of dollars in technology globally. The OneWeb project is the result of a $1.2 billion investment from the group.

SoftBank chief executive Masayoshi Son met Trump earlier this month, pledging to invest $50 billion in the US economy and create 50,000 jobs over an unspecified time.

That prompted Trump to take credit for job creation even before he assumes office in January, praising what called "the spirit and the hope" his election generated.

A Sprint spokesperson said on Friday that the 5,000 new jobs announced this week "are not related to our previous announcement about jobs and our Direct 2 You program reported on in April 2015. The announcements are unrelated."

Unlike last year's plan, the newer one is "part of Masa's 50,000 jobs commitment and it was intended to show that we are now working to help fulfill the commitment."

Claure followed Trump's example, taking to Twitter Thursday following reports that the latest Sprint job pledge is not new.

"Stop speculating," he said. "This has NOTHING to do with previously announced @sprint initiatives."

"The 5,000 jobs are NEW jobs that @sprint is creating or bringing back to the US. Great news for the country."

Sprint, which announced 2,500 layoffs in January, said the 5,000 positions will be created or brought back from overseas by the end of its 2017 fiscal year, which ends in March 2018. It has not yet decided where the jobs will be created, saying only that they will be spread across the organization.
DR Congo rivals 'on the verge' of signing crisis deal: mediator

DR Congo's government and the opposition are "on the verge" of concluding an accord to end a political crisis over President Joseph Kabila's refusal to quit power, the influential Catholic Church said Friday.

Kabila's second and final five-year term ended on December 20, but he has shown no intention of leaving office soon, sparking violent protests that have left at least 40 people dead, according to the United Nations.

The informal talks between the foes, mediated by the Catholic Church since December 8, resumed on Friday after a Christmas break.

Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila, pictured, has shown no intention of leaving office at the end of his term JEWEL SAMAD (AFP/File)

The two sides "are on the verge of concluding an accord," said Marcel Utembi, president of the Congo National Episcopal Conference (CENCO), who had pushed for a deal earlier.

"The various delegates have reached agreement on the points where divergences lay," he said, adding that the pact "is set to be signed tomorrow morning".

The working document for the deal, seen by AFP, envisages a "political transition" with fresh presidential elections to be held at the end of 2017.

The vote was supposed to be organised this year, and the government had previously said it was impossible for it to be held before April 2018.

The deal also guarantees that Kabila will not seek a third mandate -- as is banned under the constitution -- and lays the groundwork for a "national transition council" charged with carrying out the agreement.

In return, the opposition headed by 84-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi, accepts that Kabila would stay in power until he hands over to an elected successor, having previously demanded an immediate departure from public life.

Kabila, 45, has been in power since the 2001 assassination of his father Laurent at the height of the Second Congo War.

He was confirmed as leader of the mineral-rich nation in 2006 during the first free elections since independence from Belgium in 1960, and re-elected for a second term in 2011 in a vote marred by allegations of massive fraud.

Constitutionally banned from seeking a third term, he obtained a controversial court ruling in May stating that he could remain in power until a successor was chosen.
US says Islamic State chief alive, still leading

The Pentagon said Friday it believes that Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is indeed alive, despite repeated efforts by the US-led coalition to take out the jihadist group leader.

Baghdadi has kept a low profile, despite having declared himself the leader of a renewed Muslim caliphate, but last month released a defiant audio message urging his supporters to defend the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

It is not clear if he is in the besieged city, where he declared his caliphate in 2014 after the IS group seized territory covering much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has kept a low profile, despite having declared himself the leader of a renewed Muslim caliphate

"We do think Baghdadi is alive and is still leading ISIL and we are obviously doing everything we can to track his movements," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told CNN.

"If we get the opportunity, we certainly would take advantage of any opportunity to deliver him the justice he deserves," he said.

"We're doing everything we can. This is something we're spending a lot of time on."

In mid-December, the United States more than doubled the bounty on the shadowy IS leader's head to $25 million.

The group has only released one video of Baghdadi, showing a man with a black and grey beard wearing a black robe and matching turban, dating back to 2014.

Cook suggested that Baghdadi is isolated because coalition raids have killed many IS leaders.

"He's having a hard time finding advisers and confidants to speak with because a lot of them are no longer with us," the spokesman said.
US releases detailed look at Russia's election hacking

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. on Thursday released its most detailed report yet on Russia's efforts to interfere in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts.

The 13-page joint analysis by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI was the first such report ever to attribute malicious cyber activity to a particular country or actors.

It was also the first time the U.S. has officially and specifically tied intrusions into the Democratic National Committee to hackers with the Russian civilian and military intelligence services, the FSB and GRU, expanding on an Oct. 7 accusation by the Obama administration.

The report said the intelligence services were involved in "an ongoing campaign of cyber-enabled operations directed at the U.S. government and its citizens." It added, "In some cases, (the Russian intelligence services') actors masqueraded as third parties, hiding behind false online personas designed to cause the victim to misattribute the source of the attack."

Over the summer stolen emails from Democrats were posted by an online persona known as Guccifer 2.0, believed by U.S. officials to be linked to Russia. Outrage over documents that appeared to show favoritism for Hillary Clinton forced the DNC's chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to resign.

The U.S. released the report as President Barack Obama sanctioned the GRU and the FSB, the GRU's leadership and companies which the U.S. said support the GRU.

Thursday's sanctions were the administration's first use of a 2015 executive order for combatting cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and commercial espionage. Because election systems aren't considered critical infrastructure, Obama amended the order Thursday to allow for sanctions on entities "interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions."

The retaliation against Russia, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, culminated months of political handwringing about how and whether to respond to Moscow's meddling. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia's goal was to help Trump win  an assessment Trump has dismissed as ridiculous. Trump said Thursday he would meet with the intelligence community's leaders next week for an update on the situation.

The report did not go far beyond confirming details already disclosed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which was hired to investigate the DNC hacks.

It described the intelligence services' use of "spearphishing"  fake emails intended to trick victims into typing in their user names and passwords. At least one person opened attachments with malicious software. The report noted that actors "likely associated" with Russian intelligence services are continuing to engage in spearphishing campaigns, including one launched just days after the U.S. election.

The DNC was infiltrated by the FSB in summer 2015 and again by the GRU in spring 2016 using spearphishing emails that often appeared to come from legitimate or official organizations, the report said.

Russian officials have denied any involvement in hacking U.S. political sites and emails.

The report provides clues for cybersecurity workers in the private sector to identify compromised systems and prevent more intrusions. The Department of Homeland Security said it has already included this information within its own cyber threat information-sharing program, which automatically flags threats in real time for participating companies and agencies.

U.S. officials also provided antivirus vendors with two malicious software samples used by Russian intelligence services.

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Associated Press writer Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.
The Latest: Manson victim relative: Probe 'mind-boggling'

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  The Latest on a parole hearing for Patricia Krenwinkel, an accomplice of cult killer Charles Manson and the longest-serving female inmate in California (all times local):

8:40 p.m.

Anthony DiMaria, the nephew of victim Thomas Jay Sebring, said a Los Angeles County prosecutor who attended the hearing told him that the parole officials want to research whether Krenwinkel was a victim of intimate partner battery.

'For this investigation to be initiated at this point is mind-boggling," said DiMaria, who attended the hearing but left before a decision was postponed. "I don't understand where we go from a murder, the killing of eight people (including Tate's unborn child) to an intimate partner battery victim. It's absurd....It seems like the world is turned upside down. How do you kill eight people and now you're the victim?"

Jean Guccione, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, said prosecutors would not comment until the parole panel makes its recommendation after the investigation.

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8:20 p.m.

After a daylong hearing, the panel from the California Board of Parole Hearings postponed a decision on whether to free Patricia Krenwinkel "because they felt information discussed at the hearing was cause for an investigation," spokeswoman Vicky Waters said in an email.

The hearing will be continued once the investigation is concluded, she said

Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, said the parole officials told her the hearing was likely to be postponed about six months while they research to see if Krenwinkel meets the criteria for having battered women's syndrome.

Krenwinkel's attorney, Keith Wattley, did not immediately return telephone and email messages.

"She totally minimized her action and blamed everything on other people the whole hearing," Tate said.

Tate said she didn't buy the concept that Krenwinkel was a victim because she was free to leave at any time and participated in murders two nights in a row.

"We all have to be accountable for our actions. I don't buy any of this stuff. She was there because she wanted to be there. Nobody held a gun to her head," Tate said.

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7:50 p.m.

A two-member parole panel has delayed making a decision on whether to release Patricia Krenwinkel, an accomplice of cult killer Charles Manson and the longest-serving female inmate in California.

The decision to delay Thursday by the panel came after the 69-year-old Krenwinkel was previously denied parole 13 times, most recently in 2011.

Krenwinkel helped kill pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six other people at the urging of Manson 47 years ago.

The hearing was held at the California Institution for Women, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, where Krenwinkel is imprisoned.

She has a clean record behind bars, earned a bachelor's degree and taught illiterate inmates to read.

Gov. Jerry Brown has the power to block the release of inmates if parole is granted. He previously stopped the parole of two other Manson followers.

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10 a.m.

A parole hearing has started for Patricia Krenwinkel, an accomplice of cult killer Charles Manson and the longest-serving female inmate in California.

The hearing Thursday comes 47 years after Krenwinkel helped kill pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six other people, including grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary.

The 69-year-old Krenwinkel has been denied parole 13 times since her conviction in the 1969 slayings.

Los Angeles County prosecutors say she carved the word "war" into Leno LaBianca's stomach then wrote "Helter Skelter" in blood on the couple's refrigerator.

Krenwinkel contended at her previous parole hearing in 2011 that she's a changed woman.
A Texas cop accidentally shot another officer, as well as a man the officer was trying to arrest, during a confrontation following a traffic stop.

Police in Weatherford near Fort Worth say officer Chris Bumpas was conducting the stop on Thursday evening when he discovered there was a warrant for the arrest of one of three people in the vehicle.

Police said in a statement that the man became combative and struck the officer with a flashlight.

The second officer couldn't subdue the suspect using a stun gun and fired multiple shots, striking Bumpas and the suspect.

A Texas cop accidentally shot another officer, as well as a man the officer was trying to arrest, during a scuffle

The shooting happened outside the Tequila Bar Y Grill diner in Weatherford near Fort Worth

Both the officer and suspect were taken to hospital for treatment to their injuries.

Police say Bumpas is in a stable condition, and recovering from surgery on his abdomen.

The suspect, whose name hasn't been released, is in a guarded condition at a hospital.

Sgt. Jason Hayes of the Weatherford Police Department said that there should be video footage for the Texas Rangers to review

The officer who shot both men, who has not been named, has been placed on a routine administrative leave while Texas Rangers is investigating the incident.

The incident happened at about 9.30 pm outside the Tequila Bar Y Grill diner at the 2150 Tin Top Rd, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper reported.
Turkish committee clears draft expanding Erdogan's powers

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  A Turkish parliamentary commission on Friday cleared a set of draft constitutional amendments that would greatly expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The constitutional commission approved the reforms at the end of a 17-hour session that lasted into the early hours of Friday, opening the way for deliberations and a vote in the full assembly in January, with a possible referendum in the spring.

The proposals would turn the largely ceremonial presidency into one where the president enjoys full executive powers. Erdogan, who was prime minister before becoming president in 2014, has long advocated a presidential system, arguing it would give the head of state flexibility to make Turkey one of the top 10 powers in the world by 2023, when the Turkish Republic marks its centenary.

FILE - This is a Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016 file photo of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he speaks during an award ceremony in Ankara, Turkey. A Turkish parliamentary commission on Friday Dec. 30, 2016 cleared a set of draft constitutional amendments that would greatly expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Yasin Bulbul, Presidential Press Service, Pool photo via AP)

Critics fear the proposals would allow Erdogan, who is increasingly accused of authoritarian behavior, to rule with limited checks and balances.

The draft amendments were approved following 10 days of tense debate that at times resulted in altercations between the ruling party and main opposition party members on the committee. The 21 articles that were initially submitted to the committee were reduced to 18, over some objections by ruling-party legislators.

"This is the greatest democratic move in the history of the (Turkish) republic," said Resat Petek, a legislator from the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, following the committee's vote.

The main opposition party, the Republican Peoples' Party, CHP, said the draft amendments amount to a "regime change."

"It is a constitution that will destroy the century-old gains of the democratic republic," said CHP legislator Bulent Tezcan. "It is a constitution that will create a tyrannical state."

The amendments were proposed by the AKP with the newly won support of the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP. The nationalist party was expected to back the amendments in the general assembly as well.

Erdogan enjoys popularity and has rallied support following a failed military coup blamed on a movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.

The changes would allow the president to appoint the government, retain ties with his party, propose budgets and declare states of emergency. They would also allow Erdogan to serve a further two terms, ending in 2029.

Other proposed amendments would increase the number of seats in the 550-member parliament to 600, reduce the minimum age of legislators from 25 to 18 and set parliamentary and presidential elections on the same day.

The changes come at a tumultuous time for Turkey, which has been rocked by a wave of bombings, renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels in the southeast, and the failed coup attempt.

The botched July 15 coup set the stage for a sweeping purge of state institutions that has alarmed rights groups and Western governments.

On Friday, the government closed down 94 associations with alleged links to terror organizations, using powers from a state of emergency that was declared after the coup. The Interior Ministry said 42 of the associations were connected to Gulen's movement, 26 were linked to the Kurdish rebels, four were connected to the Islamic State group while 21 were tied to various far-left groups.
Turkey detains 40 suspected IS militants in raids

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  Turkey's state-run news agency says police have detained some 40 suspected Islamic State group militants in raids in southern Turkey.

Anadolu Agency says special forces police, backed by armored vehicles and a helicopter, conducted the raids in the city of Adana early on Friday.

Those detained are suspected of membership in the extremist group and of engaging in IS propaganda, the agency said.

Turkey has, since 2015, suffered a wave of deadly bombing attacks carried out either by IS militants or by Kurdish militants.
3 dead in shootout in Russia's Dagestan

MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP)  One police officer and two suspected militants have been killed in a shootout in Russia's volatile North Caucasus.

Fatina Ubaydatova, spokeswoman in Russia's republic of Dagestan, said on Friday a police squad was trying to stop a car with suspected militants outside the city of Khasavyurt late on Thursday when people in that car opened fire on them. Police identified the two men as local militants who attacked policemen earlier this week in the regional capital, Makhachkala.

Islamic insurgents in Dagestan have mounted frequent attacks on police and officials, and some have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Longtime editor Kai Diekmann leaves Germany's Bild

BERLIN (AP)  German publisher Axel Springer SE says that Kai Diekmann, the longtime editor of its mass-circulation Bild daily and one of the best-known figures in German journalism, is leaving the company.

Springer said Friday that the 52-year-old Diekmann will step down Jan. 31 at his own request and pursue "other functions outside the company." It didn't elaborate.
Israel's Netanyahu denies 'baseless' reports of new scandal

JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel's prime minister has denied what he calls "baseless" reports that he received gifts from two businessmen.

Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that "all these so-called scandals have turned out to be baseless and the same will be regarding the allegations published in the media now."

Israel's Channel 2 TV reported Thursday that Netanyahu accepted "favors" from businessmen in Israel and abroad. It said Netanyahu was the central suspect in a second investigation that also involves family members. It said a criminal probe is expected next week.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, Israel's Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, left, and Israel's air force commander Maj.General Amir Eshel attend a graduation ceremony for new pilots in the Hatzerim air force base near the city of Beersheba, Israel, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. Israel's Justice Ministry and police say they will issue an update "in due time" about an ongoing probe into suspicions surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

An opposition lawmaker is campaigning for Netanyahu to be investigated for corruption over suspicions that donors improperly transferred money for his personal use, as well as reports his personal attorney represented a German firm involved in a $1.5 billion sale of submarines to Israel.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to newly Israeli Air Force pilots during a graduation ceremony for new pilots in the Hatzerim air force base near the city of Beersheba, Israel, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. Israel's Justice Ministry and police say they will issue an update "in due time" about an ongoing probe into suspicions surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
China to ease curbs on foreign investment after complaints

BEIJING (AP)  The Chinese government said Friday it will ease restrictions on foreign investment in sectors ranging from banking and internet services to rail equipment and motorcycles, in response to mounting complaints from foreign business groups and governments.

An official with China's National Development and Reform Commission, the economic planning agency, said service sectors such as accounting and auditing, architectural design and ratings services will be open to foreign investment.

In manufacturing, barriers to foreign investment will be lowered in sectors such as rail transportation, motorcycles and ethanol fuels, according to an official transcript of a briefing by Ning Jizhe, vice-chairman of the commission.

The moves are part of a set of guidelines approved by China's Cabinet this week Beijing says are aimed at leveling the playing field for foreign companies and boosting investment, which has been slowing. No specific details were immediately released.

Ning said the guidelines would "help ensure and promote fair competition between domestic and foreign companies" and attract more investment. He said foreign investment in China rose 3.9 percent from January to November, slower than the rate of growth in the previous year.

China would also work to open up areas typically deemed sensitive by the government, such as internet services, telecoms and education, in "an orderly way," Ning said. But the extent to which such sectors would be liberalized was unclear. Earlier this year, China passed a law on cybersecurity seen as enabling the ruling Communist Party to exert greater control over the internet and technology products and moved to more tightly control schools.

Premier Li Keqiang, who chaired the State Council's executive meeting that passed the guidelines Wednesday, said China should take measures with "great effectiveness in attracting foreign capital," according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

"China's economy develops as we continue our opening-up strategy," Li was quoted as saying. "Besides advanced technology and experience in management, China also needs capital investment from overseas."

The Chinese leadership is trying to shore up economic growth which has cooled steadily over the past six years as communist leaders try to steer it to more self-sustaining growth based on consumer spending instead of trade and investment.

Washington and Europe complain Beijing blocks access to its markets in violation of its free-trade commitments. Foreign companies complain Chinese regulators are trying to squeeze them out of technology and other promising industries. In an interview with a Hong Kong newspaper published last week, the German ambassador to China said that Beijing was not living up to pledges to open its markets and give unfettered access to foreign investment.
Uber X, Lyft to begin operations at Atlanta airport

ATLANTA (AP)  After months of debate, the Uber X and Lyft ride-booking services will finally become legal at the world's busiest airport in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://bit.ly/2iKoaw9 ) that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport will begin allowing the rides Sunday under new regulations. Airport officials say passengers will pay a $3.85 surcharge per ride from the airport.

The newspaper reports that such services were not allowed in 2016 because drivers didn't have permits to serve the airport, and some were cited though enforcement was spotty.

The city of Atlanta, which owns and runs Hartsfield-Jackson, began working on regulations last year. The city council approved the rules and fees in September and set a Jan. 1 start date.
Banned Pakistani group's student wing protests US terror tag

ISLAMABAD (AP)  Dozens of activists from a student wing of the banned anti-India Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group have rallied in Islamabad to condemn a recent U.S. ban on their organization.

The protest comes two days after the U.S. State Department designated the Al-Muhammadia Students wing a terrorist organization.

At the Friday protest, Hafzala Ahmed, an Al-Muhammadia Students activist, said that they are being maligned by Washington to appease India. He said they are not linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was founded by Pakistani cleric Hafiz Saeed. India blames Lashkar-e-Taiba for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people.

Pakistan has banned Lashkar-e-Taiba but Saeed still operates openly in the country.
The Latest: Coast Guard suspends plane search; 6 onboard

CLEVELAND (AP)  The Latest on the search for a missing plane in Lake Erie near Cleveland (all times local):

7:15 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard says it's suspending search-and-rescue efforts for a plane that went missing over Lake Erie near Cleveland with six people onboard to allow the city to begin recovery efforts. The Coast Guard is no longer expecting to find anyone alive.

Capt. Michael Mullen of the U.S. Coast Guard answers questions during a news conference at Burke Lakefront Airport, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Cleveland. The U.S. Coast Guard said there's been no sign of debris or those aboard a plane that took off from the airport on the shores of Lake Erie and went missing overnight. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Coast Guard Capt. Michael Mullen says deciding to end a search is never easy. He says the Coast Guard extends its condolences to "the family and friends of those who lost loved ones during this tragedy."

The Coast Guard had been using planes, helicopters and a 140-foot-long cutter in searching a 128-square-mile area in the lake after the plane lost radar contact late Thursday.

The plane took off from Cleveland's lakefront airport piloted by John T. Fleming, president of a Columbus beverage distribution company. With him were his wife, their teenage sons, a neighbor and the neighbor's daughter.

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5:30 p.m.

An executive with the Columbus, Ohio-based beverage distributor where the pilot of a plane carrying five others over Lake Erie vanished is president and CEO says it's been a difficult day as the search continues.

Joseph McHenry says in a statement Friday that he and others are working to support the families of those on the plane piloted by Superior Beverage Group's John T. Fleming. The statement says others on the plane were Fleming's wife, Sue, their teenage sons Jack and Andrew and two close friends, who have been identified as a neighbor and the neighbor's daughter.

The U.S. Coast Guard has been searching an area about 2 miles out from the Cleveland lakeshore airport where the plane took off Thursday night. A flight-tracking service says it appears the plane rapidly lost altitude.

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2 p.m.

Data from a tracking service indicate a plane carrying six people rapidly lost altitude after taking off from a Cleveland airport along Lake Erie's shore and then vanished from radar.

The Columbus-bound aircraft disappeared about 2 miles over the lake late Thursday. Why remains unclear.

Tracking service FlightAware logged only three location pings for the plane after takeoff, and the last one indicated rapid altitude loss.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday that crews were searching for signs of the plane in waters about 50 feet deep. Searchers have found no sign of any debris or of the three adults and three children who were on board.

A Coast Guard official says there were only "faint hints" from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help find the plane.

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12:40 p.m.

Relatives say the chief executive of a beverage distribution company was piloting the plane that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from a Cleveland airport along Lake Erie's shore.

As crews searched the waters Friday, the parents of Superior Beverage Company executive John T. Fleming confirmed to multiple media outlets that he was the pilot.

Fleming's father tells The Blade newspaper in Toledo that the other five people on the plane were Fleming's wife, two teenage sons, a neighbor and the neighbor's daughter. John W. Fleming also described his son as "an experienced pilot."

The Columbus-bound aircraft disappeared from radar about 2 miles over the lake late Thursday. Why it vanished remained unclear.

Searchers have found no sign of debris. They say the waters being searched are about 50 feet deep.

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11:30 a.m.

A U.S. Coast Guard official says crews are in search-and-rescue mode, not recovery mode, as they look for a plane carrying six people that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from a Cleveland airport along Lake Erie's shore.

Capt. Michael Mullen says Friday that authorities have "faint hints" but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help find the plane.

Three children and three adults were aboard when the Columbus-bound aircraft disappeared from radar about 2 miles over the lake late Thursday. Why it vanished remained unclear. Searchers have found no sign of debris.

Mullen says snow squalls, higher seas and darkness made nighttime searching difficult. He says it would have been the pilot's responsibility to determine whether it was safe to fly.

Authorities haven't identified the travelers.

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9 a.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard says three children and three adults were on the plane that went missing overnight shortly after takeoff from a small Cleveland airport along the Lake Erie shore.

Coast Guard officials say crews searching the water had found no sign of debris or the passengers as of Friday morning, and no emergency beacon was detected.

The agency says the Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport late Thursday and disappeared from radar about 2 miles over the lake. Why remains unclear.

A Coast Guard public affairs officer said he couldn't immediately confirm whether the passengers were related.

Weather prevented a boat search overnight, but aircraft were being used and a ship was headed from Detroit to help. Waters in the area are about 50 feet deep.

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7:25 a.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard says crews are searching Lake Erie for a plane that went missing overnight shortly after takeoff from a small Cleveland airport along the shore.

The Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport late Thursday night with six people aboard and disappeared from radar about 2 miles over the lake.

The Coast Guard says there's been no sign of debris or passengers. Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, New York, says no emergency beacon has been detected.

Weather prevented a boat search overnight, but aircraft were being used. A ship was headed from Detroit to help. The agency says waters in the area are about 50 feet deep.

Cox says the plane is kept at Ohio State University's airfield, but the travelers aren't affiliated with OSU.

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6:30 a.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard says there's been no sign of debris or those aboard a plane that took off from a small Ohio airport on the shores of Lake Erie and went missing overnight.

Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, New York, says the search continues Friday for the Cessna Citation 525 that went missing after taking off from Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, headed for an Ohio State University airfield. He says no emergency beacon has been detected, either.

Cox said the plane is kept at a hangar at the airfield, but the six people aboard the aircraft aren't affiliated with OSU. Their names weren't released, pending notification of their families.

Weather prevented a search by boat overnight. A helicopter was used.

Another helicopter and a ship from Detroit plus a C-130 from Canada are headed Friday to the search site.

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2:30 a.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a missing plane that took off from a small Ohio airport on the shores of Lake Erie.

The Cessna Citation 525 took off shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday from Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland.

Coast Guard officials tell WEWS-TV that they received a report after the airport's air traffic control lost connection with the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the aircraft was headed to Ohio State University, but is not visible on FAA radar.

It was not immediately clear how many people were on board.

Capt. Michael Mullen of the U.S. Coast Guard answers questions during a news conference at Burke Lakefront Airport, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Cleveland. The U.S. Coast Guard says there's been no sign of debris or those aboard a plane that took off from the airport on the shores of Lake Erie and went missing overnight. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

A search plane flies over Lake Erie, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Cleveland. A U.S. Coast Guard official said crews are in search-and-rescue mode, not recovery mode, as they look for a plane carrying six people that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from a Cleveland airport along Lake Erie's shore. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Capt. Michael Mullen of the U.S. Coast Guard answers questions during a news conference at Burke Lakefront Airport, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Cleveland. The U.S. Coast Guard says there's been no sign of debris or those aboard a plane that took off from the airport on the shores of Lake Erie and went missing overnight. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Capt. Michael Mullen of the U.S. Coast Guard walks to a news conference at Burke Lakefront Airport, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Cleveland. The U.S. Coast Guard says there's been no sign of debris or those aboard a plane that took off from the airport on the shores of Lake Erie and went missing overnight. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Ohio court: Tigers' owner can visit seized animals

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP)  The Ohio owner of tigers, bears and other exotic animals seized by the state will be allowed to examine the ones that were sent to a South Dakota sanctuary then later relocated because of neglect, a court has ruled.

A state appeals court said Kenny Hetrick and his veterinarian should be allowed to check on the animals that were relocated to a Colorado sanctuary and ordered the state to arrange the visits within the next month.

The court said last week that a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture detailing the neglect of some of Hetrick's animals is understandably the cause of great concern for him. It also said the Ohio Department of Agriculture had a duty to make sure the animals were receiving proper care.

FILE  In this April 4, 2015, file photo, Kenny Hetrick, owner of Tiger Ridge Exotics, holds stuffed toy animals as he speaks to visitors at an Easter egg hunt fundraiser in Stony Ridge, Ohio. Hetrick, who is fighting the state for the return of his tigers and other exotic animals, will be allowed to see some of the animals. A state appeals court said the owner and his veterinarian will be allowed to examine the animals that were sent to a South Dakota sanctuary and later removed from there because of neglect. (AP Photo/Mike Householder, File)

The department took custody of 11 animals from Hetrick's roadside sanctuary near Toledo in January 2015 after officials say he ignored warnings about needing a permit. Officials hauled away the animals under a state law that came about after a man in eastern Ohio released dozens of his exotic animals before killing himself in 2011. Many of those animals were killed by law enforcement out of a public safety concern.

Hetrick's animals eventually were moved to sanctuaries in other states while he and his family continued to fight the state in court, arguing the animals were improperly taken and should be returned.

One of Hetrick's tigers sent to the South Dakota sanctuary before being removed in the fall because it was found in poor health and having trouble eating was euthanized in early December. The tiger was among a dozen animals removed from the Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in South Dakota and sent to another sanctuary in Colorado.

Meanwhile, the same state appeals court ruling that will allow Hetrick to visit his animals denied his appeal to lift a stay of a county judge's order that said the state unfairly denied a permit to him and that the tigers, bear and three other big cats should be returned to Ohio.
In '20th Century Women,' Bening found freedom in the unknown

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP)  In 1979, Annette Bening was 21-years-old. A year earlier she had moved from San Diego to San Francisco to study classical drama. She remembers it as a time of tremendous change and uncertainty and the big moments like the day Harvey Milk and George Mascone were killed, but, for the most part her head was in Chekov and Shakespeare and Shaw and Arthur Miller.

So when she read the script for Mike Mills' "20th Century Women," now in limited release, it caught her off guard. Set in 1979 Santa Barbara, he was writing about a time she lived through and a place she lived not too far from, but looking at it in a way she'd never considered. The story about a 55-year-old single mother, Dorthea (Bening), and her 15-year-old son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zunman) was set against a macro backdrop of anxiety, punk rock and Jimmy Carter telling the country that they were in a crisis of confidence.

"Somebody was contextualizing and teaching me about this period that I was in in my life in a way that nobody else had done before," Bening, now 58, said on a recent, rainy afternoon in West Hollywood. "That's why (Mills) wanted to use that Jimmy Carter speech because he's talking about searching for meaning and the materialism of the moment. They're all looking for meaning in their lives, like most of us are, but he's using that point in history when things are really turning."

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016, file photo, actress Annette Bening attends the world premiere of "20th Century Women", during the 54th New York Film Festival in New York. Bening is getting some of the best marks of her career for her portrayal of a 55-year-old single mother in 1979 Santa Barbara in Mike Mills 20th Century Women. It marks a new stage for the actress who, even as an ingenue, conveyed a maturity and preternatural elegance beyond her years. Now, shes more comfortable with herself and just letting go. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

Dorthea is based on Mills' mother, who died of cancer in 1999. He remembers her as mercurial and a trickster and was happy to find that Bening had some of that in her too.

"She's like a real rebel," said Mills, who also directs. "I got the sense that there's this non-compliance and a rascal in there which was the key for me and I hoped was there. Meeting her just proved it. I mean that as the biggest compliment."

Dorthea is the kind of character who's impossible to summarize. She winces at the ugliness of punk, but attempts to understand it anyway. She's truly impressed when she discovers how her son has been forging her signature but also tells him to not do that anymore. She loves Humphrey Bogart and wonders, sometimes, if she's stuck in life. She's both classical and modern. She is someone her son is trying to understand, and she's trying to understand him back.

She recruits two women in his life, an angry 20-something, Abbie (Greta Gerwig) and his disaffected peer Julie (Elle Fanning), to help him become a good man. But while it is her era, Bening doesn't necessarily see herself in the film.

Instead, it's got her thinking about her family, and how she relates to her own parents, who are still alive (Dad's 90, Mom's 87), and her four children with Warren Beatty.

"There's a deep love but there's almost a longing and a searching. Do you really know them? Do they really know you?" Bening wondered.

On set, no one ever knew how Bening was going to play a scene. She changed it up every time, which her co-stars and director weren't expecting for someone with so much classic training.

"If you tell Annette to go sit over there, she'll go sit somewhere else, in a great way, and with the intention to keep the scene alive for herself and to make each take its own experience," recalled Mills.

Gerwig said that it's her way of looking for new "lifeblood."

"She's always finding the truth at the minute that it's happening," she said.

In her prep, Bening worried about Dorthea's contradictions and paradoxes, but realized in time that that's "where the gold is."

"I wanted to be very empty and very clear-headed and not decided," she said. "The further I get away from those (acting) lessons that I very much needed, the more liberated I feel and I don't feel tied down by any of that."

Things are going well for Bening at the moment. On the family front, she's tremendously proud of her husband's film "Rules Don't Apply," in which she has a bit role, and takes its financial shortcomings in stride.

"He has been well rewarded in his life and he knows that," she said. "And, really, at this point in his life, movies mean a lot to him  it's his work  but he's got the kids and me."

She's also relishing this moment of great freedom that comes when the kids get a little bit older and the parents are allowed to "let go."

"Also, internally you know yourself a little better, you feel a little more free, you feel less concerned with what other people think. It's a new stage of life ... like this fabulous new opportunity. Sometimes you think being younger is always better. Not necessarily."

While the Oscar buzz is swirling around Bening's "20th Century" performance (she's already been nominated four times), she'd personally rather hear from those who've been affected by her work. It's what she wants from art too.

"I love going to the movies, to plays, to concerts, and when I go to those things, I want to be changed, I want to be moved," Bening said. "That idea that we can move people? That's the whole reason we do it."

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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2016, file photo, actress Annette Bening attends the world premiere of "20th Century Women", during the 54th New York Film Festival in New York. Bening is getting some of the best marks of her career for her portrayal of a 55-year-old single mother in 1979 Santa Barbara in Mike Mills 20th Century Women. It marks a new stage for the actress who, even as an ingenue, conveyed a maturity and preternatural elegance beyond her years. Now, shes more comfortable with herself and just letting go. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)
Aircraft carrier group returns from the Middle East

NORFOLK, Va. (AP)  Sailing on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lara Runge placed a rare phone call to her wife Jessica in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Election Day.

The women prayed together "for the safety of our country and that equality would remain consistent." Both supported Hillary Clinton, while the majority of the ship's crew voted for President-elect Donald Trump, said Runge, an aviation electronics technician on the aircraft carrier.

"With the election, it was kind of rough there for a while," Runge, 27, said Friday, after stepping off the carrier in its homeport of Norfolk.

In costume and carrying a sign reading, "Have u seen my significant otter?" Melanie Till welcomes her husband, P.O. 3rd Class David Till, home after the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Va., on Friday, Dec, 30, 2016, from a seven-month deployment to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

"You have a lot of diversity in the Navy," she said. "But there are a lot of people who don't feel that's best for the Navy."

Even for sailors who were half a world away and deployed for the past seven months, the tensions of this year's particularly divisive presidential election were unavoidable. But Runge said the ship's leadership kept the crew united and focused on the mission at hand, which included launching air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

Runge was among more than 6,000 sailors who returned home on the Eisenhower and supporting ships. The "Ike" pulled alongside a pier to cheers from hundreds of spouses and children clutching balloons and flowers and waving signs.

Justin Wright, 23, an aviation electronics technician from Little Rock, Arkansas, said there was "a little tension. But we're brothers and sisters out there."

"So a conversation about (the election) wasn't going to split us," said Wright, who voted for Trump in part because of the candidate's stances on expanding the military and reducing illegal immigration.

For many, the campaign wasn't a day-to-day concern. There was work to do  and real threats to contend with.

In October, missiles launched from the Yemeni coast failed to strike some of the American ships in the carrier's group. They defended themselves by launching Tomahawk missiles against three sites in Yemen.

"The fact that that could happen really put a reality check on the situation," said Takiyah Robinson, 30, a Navy air traffic controller from Spring Hill, Florida.

A baby was born onboard the carrier in September. According to media reports, a sailor who never revealed she was pregnant reported abdominal pains before giving birth to a 7-pound girl. Navy policy requires pregnant women to leave ships after the 20th week.

And if the election divided some sailors, the Navy's short-lived use of gender-neutral titles united many in their opposition to it.

In September, the Navy decided to eliminate dozens of enlisted sailors' job titles, including many that end in "man," such as aviation ordnanceman. But the Navy scrapped the idea earlier this month after getting an onslaught of opposition. Some of the titles were centuries old, fueling pride and identity in a particular job.

"It was a 240-year-old Band-Aid that got ripped off in a matter of seconds," said Jennifer Cotnoir as she waited for her husband, aircraft mechanic Casey Cotnoir, to step off the Eisenhower.

Airman William Samson's grandmother, Cathy Kyles, left, and parents Marie and Tony Jackson wait for his ship - the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower - to return home to Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Va., on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, after a seven-month deployment to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Family and friends wave to their sailors as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Va., on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, after a seven-month deployment to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Ashley Quackenbush, waiting for her husband P.O. 1st Class Justin Bonnega, points out the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on the horizon to the Bowser family, waiting for P.O. 2nd Class Steven Bowser, during the carrier's homecoming in Norfolk, Va., Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, after a seven-month deployment to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Sailors on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower wave flags representing different states as the carrier pulled into Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Va., on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016 after a seven-month deployment to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Charles and Benjamin Converse watch for their father Cmdr. Brad Converse, a member of The Wildcats - one of three squadrons of fighter jets assigned to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower - who returned home to Naval Air Station Oceana on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Va., following months of deployment to the Middle East. (Stephen M. Katz /The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
Police make arrest in 1995 killing

WASHINGTON (AP)  Police in Washington say they've made an arrest in a fatal shooting that happened more than 20 years ago.

On July 18, 1995, officers responded to a call for a shooting in southeast Washington and found 41-year-old Nathanial Williams suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Paramedics found no signs of life.

More than two decades later, police say they've made an arrest in the case.
Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth visit patients at kids hospital

SAN DIEGO (AP)  Miley Cyrus and her fiancee, Liam Hemsworth, have brought some holiday cheer to patients at a San Diego children's hospital.

On Instagram on Thursday, Cyrus posted selfies with patients and other highlights of the couple's trip to Rady Children's Hospital. She thanked the hospital staff for their dedication and to bettering the lives and health of the patients Cyrus called "the beautiful youngins."

Cyrus made the visit partly to promote her Happy Hippie Foundation; she dressed the part by wearing a green outfit with a hippie-like floral print.

FILE - In this Aug. 8, 2013, file photo, actor Liam Hemsworth and singer and actress Miley Cyrus arrive on the red carpet at the US premiere of the feature film "Paranoia" at the DGA Theatre in Los Angeles. Cyrus and Hemsworth visited patients at a San Diego children's hospital Dec. 29, 2016. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP, File)
Judge denies request to delay Dylann Roof hearing

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A federal judge quickly denied a request to delay a competency hearing for the white man facing a possible death sentence in the killing of nine black parishioners at a Charleston church.

Federal Judge Richard Gergel on Thursday ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Dylann Roof to take place this weekend and a hearing for Monday. In response, attorneys acting as his standby counsel asked for a delay, suggesting one week. Gergel said no.

In court documents filed later Thursday, the attorneys said they recognize the delay request could be viewed "as a 'tactic.' It is not."

They argue the quick turnaround, over a holiday weekend, is "unreasonable and risks the reliability" of the competency hearing and the sentence.

The documents also reveal why the attorneys sought another exam. Their original request, which again questioned Roof's mental state, was sealed.

Roof wants to represent himself in the penalty phase of the trial, which the attorneys' request would have delayed. Gergel's denial means it's still set to begin Tuesday before the same jurors who convicted Roof of 33 counts, including hate crimes and obstruction of religion.

Roof, a white supremacist who said he wanted to start a race war, opened fire at historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in June 2015, killing nine people. The emotional testimony earlier this month included two of the three survivors. The massacre occurred after Roof sat with his victims for almost an hour during Bible study.

The attorneys said Roof's announcement earlier this week that he won't call any witnesses or present evidence to defend himself from the death penalty suggests he lacks the mental capacity to be his own lawyer.

This "raises in especially stark fashion the question of whether the defendant is actually unable to defend himself," the document reads.

The standby attorneys note that prosecutors plan to present more than 38 witnesses and hundreds of exhibits.

In his denial, Gergel reminds them he issued a 22-page order Nov. 25 finding Roof competent, following a comprehensive exam and two-day hearing.

"Now, some five weeks later, standby counsel have moved again to challenge defendant's competency, arguing that 'new facts' had emerged," Gergel writes.

He specifies that the doctor who will evaluate Roof at the Charleston County jail this weekend is the same doctor who evaluated him last time.

Gergel reiterates that he ordered the new exam "out of an abundance of caution," but makes clear he will not "conduct a 'redo'" of the last hearing.

Since he's not hearing any evidence he's already heard, Gergel said, this one "should not be particularly arduous." He added that he's "fully confident" that the attorneys are "fully capable" of being prepared.

On Friday, an attorney for media outlets including The Associated Press filed an objection to Gergel's proposal to close the competency hearing.

"Closure serves no purpose," attorney Jay Bender wrote in his objection notice. He adds that Roof "has no privacy rights sufficient to justify exclusion of the public and press."

Bender also represents The State, The Post and Courier, WCSC, WLTX and National Public Radio.

Gergel will consider objections from Bender and others 30 minutes before Monday's hearing.
A Mexican man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. another nine times since 2003, records obtained by The Associated Press show.

Three U.S. Republican senators  including Kansas' Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts  demanded this month that the Department of Homeland Security provide immigration records for 38-year-old Tomas Martinez-Maldonado, who is charged with a felony in the alleged Sept. 27 attack aboard a bus in Geary County.

He is being held in the Geary County jail in Junction City, which is about 120 miles west of Kansas City.

Tomas Martinez-Maldonado a Mexican national accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. nine times since 2003

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, from Iowa and chairman of the judiciary committee, co-signed a Dec. 9 letter with Moran and Roberts to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, calling it 'an extremely disturbing case' and questioning how Martinez-Maldonado was able to re-enter and remain in the country.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it has placed a detainer  a request to turn Martinez-Maldonado over to ICE custody before he is released  with Geary County. ICE declined to discuss his specific case beyond its October statement regarding the 10 deportations.

Court filings show Martinez-Maldonado has two misdemeanor convictions for entering without legal permission in cases prosecuted in 2013 and 2015 in U.S. District Court of Arizona, where he was sentenced to serve 60 days and 165 days respectively.

A status hearing in the rape case is scheduled for Jan. 10. Defense attorney Lisa Hamer declined to comment on the charge, but said, 'criminal law and immigration definitely intersect and nowadays it should be the responsibility of every criminal defense attorney to know the possible ramifications in the immigration courts.'

Nationwide, 52 percent of all federal prosecutions in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 were for entry or re-entry without legal permission and similar immigration violations, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

It's not unusual to see immigrants with multiple entries without legal permission, said David Trevino, a Topeka immigration attorney also representing Martinez-Maldonado. Most of Martinez-Maldonado's family lives in Mexico, but he also has family in the United States, and the family is 'devastated,' Trevino said.

'(President-elect Donald Trump) can build a wall 100 feet high and 50 feet deep, but it is not going to keep family members separated. So if someone is deported and they have family members here ... they will find a way back  whether it is through the air, under a wall, through the coast of the United States,' Trevino said.

He declined to comment on his client's criminal history and pending charge.

Records obtained by AP show Martinez-Maldonado had eight voluntary removals before his first deportation in 2010, which was followed by another voluntary removal that same year. He was deported five more times between 2011 and 2013.

In 2013, Martinez-Maldonado was charged with entering without legal permission, a misdemeanor, and subsequently deported in early 2014 after serving his sentence. He was deported again a few months later, as well as twice in 2015  including the last one in October 2015 after he had served his second sentence, the records show.

ICE said in an emailed statement when it encounters a person who's been deported multiple times or has a significant criminal history and was removed, it routinely presents those cases to the U.S. attorney's office for possible criminal charges.

Cosme Lopez, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Arizona, declined comment on why prosecutors twice dismissed felony re-entry after deportation charges against Martinez-Maldonado in 2013 and 2015 in exchange for guilty pleas on misdemeanor entry charges.

Arizona ranks third in the nation  behind only the Southern District of Texas and the Western District of Texas  for the number of immigration prosecutions among the nation's 94 federal judicial districts for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, TRAC records show.

Moran told the AP in an emailed statement that the immigration system is 'broken.'
93 journalists killed in 2016; 29 more die in accidents

BRUSSELS (AP)  The International Federation of Journalists says that 93 journalists and media staff were killed in targeted attacks, by bombs or by crossfire in 2016 while a further 29 died in two plane crashes.

The IFJ said in its annual report released Friday that the number was down from 112 in 2015. Iraq still had the largest number of media killings with 15, ahead of Afghanistan with 13 and Mexico with 11.

Despite the slight decrease in deadly violence against journalists, IFJ President Philippe Leruth said that the statistics "give little room for comfort nor ground for hope to see the end of the current media safety crisis."
Some power restored to North Carolina's gov.-elect _ for now

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina judge granted a small victory to the state's incoming Democratic governor on Friday, temporarily blocking a law by Republican lawmakers stripping him of control over elections in a legislative power play just weeks ago.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Don Stephens blocked the new law, which would end the control governors exert over statewide and county election boards, as Gov.-Elect Roy Cooper is set to take office Sunday. Stephens ruled that the risk to future free and fair elections justified the temporary block and said he plans to review the law more closely Thursday.

North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin also could appoint a three-judge panel to hear Cooper's challenge to the law's constitutionality.

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2016 file photo, North Carolina's Governor-elect Roy Cooper holds a press conference to criticize efforts by Republicans to cut the power of the governor's office during the special session of the General Assembly that is going on a few blocks away in Raleigh, N.C. North Carolina's incoming Democratic governor has sued over a new law passed by Republican legislators to limit his powers as he prepares to take office. Cooper filed the lawsuit Friday, Dec. 30 over the law that ends the control governors exert over statewide and county election boards. (Chris Seward /The News & Observer via AP, File)

Cooper sued on Friday to block the law, which passed two weeks ago. He said the GOP-led General Assembly's action is unconstitutional because it violates separation of powers by giving legislators too much control over how election laws are administered. Under current law, all elections boards would become controlled by Democrats in 2017  unless the legislation in question takes effect.

Though that law creates a new body described as independent, Stephens got a lawyer representing Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore  both Republicans  to admit that legislators would exert the greatest control on the new, combined elections and ethics board.

"That's what I thought the answer was," Stephens said during an emergency hearing Friday.

The new law came as part of two special General Assembly sessions this month. In the first, legislators passed a package of laws limiting Cooper's power in several ways. In the second, legislators came together to repeal the law known as the "the bathroom bill." The controversial legislation directs transgender people to use public bathrooms that correspond with the gender on their birth certificates and limits other protections for LGBT people. But the deal to repeal it was thwarted, dealing Cooper another blow before he even took office.

The changes to the law at the center of Cooper's Friday lawsuit convert the five-member state elections board from one with a partisan majority matching the governor's into a bipartisan body with equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats. County election boards would have two members from each party, rather than the current three members with a majority from the governor's party

Cooper argued that the new law could create longer lines at polling places, less early voting and general difficulty for voters.

"This complex new law passed in just two days by the Republican legislature is unconstitutional and anything but bipartisan," he said in a statement. "A tie on a partisan vote would accomplish what many Republicans want: making it harder for North Carolinians to vote."

But Berger said Cooper was trying to preserve his own power.

"Given the recent weeks-(backslash)long uncertainty surrounding his own election, the governor-elect should understand better than anyone why North Carolinians deserve a system they can trust will settle election outcomes fairly and without the taint of partisanship," Berger said in a statement.

Cooper won the November election against outgoing Republican Gov. Pat McCrory by about 10,000 votes out of 4.7 million. The transition was made bumpier by a protracted debate over vote-counting. McCrory didn't concede until a month after the election.

The state Republican Party and its allies filed dozens of formal complaints about alleged voter fraud. Almost all of the protests were dismissed or sidelined by elections boards on which Republicans held the majority.

Cooper's lawsuit makes good on his previous threats to take Republicans to court over laws cutting his powers passed during a surprise special session two weeks ago.

Another of the laws requires Cooper's Cabinet choices to be confirmed by legislators. The state constitution gives the Senate the ability to "advise and consent" to the governor's appointees by a majority vote, but that provision hadn't been used in at least several decades.

Cooper attorney Jim Phillips Jr. told Stephens that more legal challenges are planned next week against the laws diminishing the incoming governor's powers.

Lawmakers themselves will face unexpected elections in 2017 after a panel of federal judges ruled that Republicans unlawfully clustered black voters when drawing legislative districts to diminish their influence. The judges ordered North Carolina lawmakers to redraw districts by March 15 and to hold new elections in November.

Also Friday, outgoing Gov. McCrory told The Associated Press in an interview that he had a cordial meeting with Cooper a day earlier and showed him around the governor's mansion. But McCrory also complained that his administration had to work through the holidays to prepare for a handover because of Cooper's decision to be sworn in minutes after midnight Jan. 1.

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Associated Press writer Jonathan Drew contributed to this report.

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Zoo euthanizes 25-year-old lion, believed to be oldest in US

PHILADELPHIA (AP)  An African lion believed to be the oldest held in an American zoo has been euthanized.

The Philadelphia Zoo says its 25-year-old big cat named Zenda recently experienced a severe decline in mobility and behavior. She was euthanized Thursday.

Zoo officials say Zenda was a popular and much-loved animal. In announcing her death Friday, the zoo noted that lions in zoos typically live about 17 years.

This undated photo provided by the Philadelphia Zoo shows an African lion named Zenda at the zoo. The Philadelphia Zoo says its 25-year-old big cat named Zenda recently experienced a severe decline in mobility and behavior. She was euthanized Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. (Philadelphia Zoo via AP)

Zenda was born at the Johannesburg Zoo in South Africa in 1991. She arrived in Philadelphia two years later, along with three other lions.

The pride relocated temporarily to the Columbus Zoo in 2004, returning to Philadelphia for the opening of the Big Cat Falls exhibit in 2006.
Islanders place goaltender Jaroslav Halak on waivers

NEW YORK (AP)  The New York Islanders have placed starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak on waivers.

The team announced the move at noon Eastern on Friday. Any of the NHL's other 29 clubs could claim Halak by that same time Saturday.

Halak is 6-8-5 with a 3.23 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 20 games this season for the Islanders, who are in last place in the Metropolitan Division. The 31-year-old Slovak counts $4.5 million against the salary cap and has one year left on his contract after this season.

Minnesota Wild's Zach Parise, left, shoots as New York Islanders' Thomas Hickey, center, and goalie Jaroslav Halak of Slovakia defend the net during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Federal regulators weigh in on proposed natural gas pipeline

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Federal regulators say the majority of adverse environmental impacts from a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cross West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina could be avoided, minimized or mitigated.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission included the finding in its draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which was released Friday.

Dominion Energy vice president of pipeline construction Leslie Hartz says the company believes the draft report confirms that "the project can be built in an environmentally responsible way."

A coalition of community and environmental groups, however, criticized the commission's findings.
Kosovo jails Albanian for 7 years for recruiting extremists

PRISTINA, Albania (AP)  A Kosovo court has sentenced an Albanian citizen convicted of recruiting for extremist groups in Syria to seven years imprisonment.

A statement Friday from the court in Ferizaj, 35 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital, Pristina, said the man collaborated with others to recruit, fund and help transport at least eight people to join the Islamic State group and the Al-Nusra Front in Syria in 2012. The man was identified only as F.R.

A day earlier another citizen, wanted after being sentenced to a four-year jail term as an IS fighter, was arrested in neighboring Albania and handed over to Kosovo.
Zsa Zsa Gabor's life, glamour, honored at funeral Mass

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP)  Zsa Zsa Gabor was remembered Friday during a funeral Mass for being the epitome of Hollywood glamour, an elegant and attention-seeking actress who paved the way for future generations of celebrities.

Around 100 mourners gathered Friday at the picturesque Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills to pay respects to Gabor, who died Dec. 18 from a heart attack at age 99.

Elaborate floral arrangements flanked the altar, where a painting Gabor made of one of her horses and a photo of Hungarian-American actress were displayed, emblazoned with the words, "Farewell My Love."

FILE- In this Aug. 15, 1986 file photo, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor smiles in Los Angeles. Gabor was remembered at a funeral mass Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, at a picturesque Beverly Hills Church not only for her fame, but also what a pastor called her lesser-known compassionate side. The Hungarian-American actress died Dec. 18, 2016, from a heart attack at age 99. (AP Photo/File)

Gabor's husband, Frederic von Anhalt, gave a 40-minute eulogy that focused on Gabor's thirst for the limelight.

"I want to remember the way she walked the red carpet," von Anhalt said. "She loved it so much. Her life was only red carpet, nothing else." He said Gabor would often duck out of events after walking the red carpet because that was the only element she was interested in.

He also recounted his wife's 1989 arrest and conviction after slapping a Beverly Hills police officer, saying Gabor turned the incident into a publicity device and a template for future generations of troubled starlets.

He said his wife's name will live on forever, in part thanks to her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"She will never be forgotten because she has her Hollywood star," von Anhalt said. "It will always be Zsa Zsa Gabor. It will never end."

During his eulogy, von Anhalt pulled a magazine out of a Louis Vuitton dog bag and spoke about the first cover story featuring them as a couple, and also displayed what he said was her favorite pink pillow from Munich.

At the end of the eulogy, he took a gold box containing Gabor's ashes and placed them inside the bag to take them to a private ceremony at the nearby Westwood Village Park Memorial Cemetery. It is the final resting place of many stars, including Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, Roy Orbison and Gabor's sister, Eva. Von Anhalt said after the service that Gabor won't be interred there, but rather with her father in Budapest.

He interrupted the closing procession and singing of "May Choirs of Angels" to draw mourners' attention to a painting his wife made of one of her horses.

A priest contrasted Gabor's public persona with her private life. "She epitomized and personified Hollywood glamour," Father Edward Benioff said. "She could write. She could act. She had many, many talents."

He said Gabor, who was known for conspicuously flaunting her wealth, also quietly gave to numerous charities including those supporting the homeless and animals. "What a lot of people don't about is Zsa Zsa had a very sensitive side, a very compassionate side," Benioff said.

Long before reality television minted stars for their behavior, Gabor was famous for being famous, despite appearing in several movies including "Moulin Rouge" and Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil."

In the 1940s Gabor began her ascent from beauty queen to millionaire's wife to minor television personality to minor film actress to major public character. Decked out in diamonds and lavish clothes, Zsa Zsa joked often about the droll burdens of wealth and her ability to attract men.

She and her family, including sisters Eva and Magda, emigrated to America around World War II and she married Conrad Hilton in 1942. They had one child together, Francesca, who died last year.

Gabor married nine times, although one shipboard ceremony was quickly annulled and was of questionable legality. She married von Anhalt in 1986, who along with a team of nurses cared for her in their Bel Air home in recent years. Von Anhalt continued to throw her lavish birthday celebrations even after she could no longer attend, and reported her maladies dutifully to the media.

Von Anhalt urged mourners to remember Gabor for her glamorous days.

"Keep her in your heart, the way she was," he said. "The way she was in Hollywood."

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This story has been corrected to change the song title to "May Choirs of Angels" in 11th paragraph.

Prince Frederic Von Anhalt attends Zsa Zsa Gabor's "Celebration of Life" memorial service at the Good Shepherd Church on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Zsa Zsa Gabor died at the age of 99 on Dec. 18, 2016. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
Who is All Quiet On The Western Front's Felix Kammerer? Actor made a name for himself on stage - before his first starring role (and Oscar buzz aplenty!) in WW1 epic
Trump meets with candidates for agriculture secretary

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP)  President-elect Donald Trump and his staff are meeting with candidates for one of the last cabinet positions he needs to fill: agriculture secretary.

Former Texas Rep. Henry Bonilla says he is under consideration for the post and believes Trump is close to making his decision.

He says he spoke with Trump Friday about reforming the food stamp program and scaling back farming regulations.

Former Texas Rep. Henry Bonilla talks with reporters after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team at Mar-a-Lago, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The president-elect also sat down briefly with Susan Combs, the former Texas agriculture commissioner. And some of his top advisers met with current Texas agricultural commissioner Sid Miller.

Two other candidates, former Texas A&M University president Elsa Murano and former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, met with Trump Wednesday.

No additional announcements on appointments are expected from the president-elect before the new year.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller waves as he arrives at Mar-a-Lago to meet with President-elect Donald Trump's transition team, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
1-sentence draft bills criticized for lack of transparency

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)  With the annual return of legislators to the Statehouse comes the predictable pile of one-sentence draft bills that give an idea of what legislators want to do but not how they're going to do it.

Take the one-sentence draft to reform Maine's highly complex school funding formula. Or the brief proposal to amend Maine's constitution to exempt lobster traps from property taxes.

Some lawmakers and advocacy groups are critical of the vague drafts, saying they can shut out the public from important policy discussions, be used as a bait-and-switch tactic or lead to unintended consequences. Several lawmakers said that after drafts have an initial hearing and get fleshed out into formal bills during the committee process, the finished product doesn't always get another public hearing.

"The troubling part for those who advocate is the old adage that the devil is the details," said lobbyist Kate Dufour, of the Maine Municipal Association, which represents nearly 500 cities and towns. "It's very difficult to state a position on a concept."

The Maine Legislature started allowing so-called concept drafts nearly two decades ago.

Since then, lawmakers have submitted 100 or so during each legislative session, according to a review by The Associated Press of public databases of state legislation. Democratic Rep. John Martin said many are fully drafted by the time they make it to committee.

The deadline for all bills was Friday, and lawmakers return Wednesday.

The National Conference of State Legislatures criticized such skeleton bills decades ago and in 1996 identified a dozen or so states that allowed such drafts. Last December, Nevada's Senate adopted a temporary rule prohibiting skeleton bills.

In Maine, the governor, state agencies and specific committees can't submit draft bills, which are put together by bill revisers and sent to committees, which can then make the drafts into bills.

"Obviously there are people who submit concept bills as a way of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing if it sticks," said Democratic Rep. Michael Devin, who last session submitted a draft on combating Maine's marine debris that eventually became law and plans to submit another draft on the issue.

He said it's possible he could have worked on the legislation with experts last year but was worried about being re-elected.

Republican Sen. James Hamper, who chairs the Legislature's appropriations committee, said it's normal for his committee to have some bill drafts just in case. But he's not a fan.

"To me, it says the legislator has not taken any time to research and make any suggestions," he said.

In 2014, Republican Sen. Roger Katz, who chairs the government oversight committee, suggested and withdrew a motion to require fleshed-out concept drafts to get a public hearing and work session. Dufour, of the Maine Municipal Association, said she'd support such a solution.

Former Democratic Rep. Sharon Treat sponsored an unsuccessful rule change in 2011 to eliminate concept drafts, which she says waste time and inhibit transparency.

"It encouraged people to have vague ideas about doing something without having to think through the process," said Treat, who helped create the Senate committee that reviews internal rules. "And I don't know what the benefit of it is."

One example of a one-sentence draft turning into a big, complex bill is a 2012 law calling for new mining rules. The sentence went to a committee in March, and a month of work sessions and two public hearings later, it became a 23-page law paving the way for conglomerate J.D. Irving to mine in northern Maine.

"These are big issues. To have those cloaked within a concept draft was, we believe, an intentional and deceptive and misuse of legislative process," said lobbyist Pete Didisheim of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. "Clearly, they had been working months on a rewrite of the law."

Didisheim said because it was an after-deadline bill, it wasn't required to have the normal public notice.

Martin, who sponsored the law, called Didisheim's criticisms "misinformed" and said the act was to help spur northern Maine's economy. "It started as a concept draft because we didn't have time to do a complete draft changing the law," Martin said.
Mexican man charged with rape had 19 deportations, removals

WICHITA, Kan. (AP)  A Mexican man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. another nine times since 2003, records obtained by The Associated Press show.

Three U.S. Republican senators  including Kansas' Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts  demanded this month that the Department of Homeland Security provide immigration records for 38-year-old Tomas Martinez-Maldonado, who is charged with a felony in the alleged Sept. 27 attack aboard a bus in Geary County. He is being held in the Geary County jail in Junction City, which is about 120 miles west of Kansas City.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, from Iowa and chairman of the judiciary committee, co-signed a Dec. 9 letter with Moran and Roberts to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, calling it "an extremely disturbing case" and questioning how Martinez-Maldonado was able to re-enter and remain in the country.

This undated photo provided by the Geary County Detention Center In Junction City, Kan., shows Tomas Martinez-Maldonado. Records obtained by The Associated Press show that Martinez-Maldonado a Mexican national accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. nine times since 2003. (Geary County Detention Center via AP)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it has placed a detainer  a request to turn Martinez-Maldonado over to ICE custody before he is released  with Geary County. ICE declined to discuss his specific case beyond its October statement regarding the 10 deportations.

Court filings show Martinez-Maldonado has two misdemeanor convictions for entering without legal permission in cases prosecuted in 2013 and 2015 in U.S. District Court of Arizona, where he was sentenced to serve 60 days and 165 days respectively.

A status hearing in the rape case is scheduled for Jan. 10. Defense attorney Lisa Hamer declined to comment on the charge, but said, "criminal law and immigration definitely intersect and nowadays it should be the responsibility of every criminal defense attorney to know the possible ramifications in the immigration courts."

Nationwide, 52 percent of all federal prosecutions in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 were for entry or re-entry without legal permission and similar immigration violations, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

It's not unusual to see immigrants with multiple entries without legal permission, said David Trevino, a Topeka immigration attorney who has provided legal advice to Martinez-Maldonado's family. Most of Martinez-Maldonado's family lives in Mexico, but he also has family in the United States, and the family is "devastated," Trevino said.

"(President-elect Donald Trump) can build a wall 100 feet high and 50 feet deep, but it is not going to keep family members separated. So if someone is deported and they have family members here ... they will find a way back  whether it is through the air, under a wall, through the coast of the United States," Trevino said.

He declined to comment on Martinez-Maldonado's criminal history and pending charge.

Records obtained by AP show Martinez-Maldonado had eight voluntary removals before his first deportation in 2010, which was followed by another voluntary removal that same year. He was deported five more times between 2011 and 2013.

In 2013, Martinez-Maldonado was charged with entering without legal permission, a misdemeanor, and subsequently deported in early 2014 after serving his sentence. He was deported again a few months later, as well as twice in 2015  including the last one in October 2015 after he had served his second sentence, the records show.

ICE said in an emailed statement that when it encounters a person who's been deported multiple times or has a significant criminal history and was removed, it routinely presents those cases to the U.S. attorney's office for possible criminal charges.

Cosme Lopez, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Arizona, declined comment on why prosecutors twice dismissed felony re-entry after deportation charges against Martinez-Maldonado in 2013 and 2015 in exchange for guilty pleas on misdemeanor entry charges.

Arizona ranks third in the nation  behind only the Southern District of Texas and the Western District of Texas  for the number of immigration prosecutions among the nation's 94 federal judicial districts for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse records show.

Moran told the AP in an email that the immigration system is "broken."

"There must be serious legislative efforts to address U.S. immigration policy, and we must have the ability to identify, prosecute and deport illegal aliens who display violent tendencies before they have an opportunity to perpetrate these crimes in the United States," he said.

___
Man charged with wife's death in Tonga wants his cash back

HONOLULU (AP)  A U.S. citizen detained in Honolulu and facing extradition to Tonga where he's accused of beating his wife to death has asked the U.S. government to return cash he had amassed from other countries including Canada and New Zealand.

A public defender for Dean Jay Fletcher filed a motion Thursday saying the government is illegally keeping the currency.

The various denominations of currency from Tonga, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States are the "only means that Mr. Fletcher has to hire an attorney and mount any meaningful defense to the charges in Tonga," Assistant Federal Defender Melinda Yamaga said in the motion.

In this Oct. 4, 2016, file photo provided by the Samoa News, Dean Jay Fletcher, left, is escorted by a police officer after his initial appearance in the District Court of American Samoa in Pago Pago, American Samoa. U.S. citizen Fletcher, detained in Honolulu and facing extradition to Tonga where he's accused of beating his wife to death, has asked the U.S. government to return cash he had amassed from other countries including Canada and New Zealand. A public defender for Dean Jay Fletcher filed a motion Thursday, Dec. 29, saying the government is illegally keeping the currency. (Ausage Fausia/SamoaNews via AP, File)

U.S. marshals brought Fletcher to Honolulu last month. Court documents say he escaped twice from a Tonga jail and sailed to American Samoa.

Fletcher was indicted in the Kingdom of Tonga on murder and other charges in the July death of his wife, Patricia Linne Kearney, according to court records filed in Honolulu.

While in police custody on July 11, Fletcher asked a detective for permission to use the toilet then ran out of the police station and was caught after a brief foot chase, authorities said. The records say officers couldn't catch him when he fled again in September and was last seen sailing away in a boat.

He traveled some 300 miles north to American Samoa, where he was arrested and later taken to Honolulu because there's no federal court in the U.S. territory.

"The murder charge has nothing to do with money," Yamaga's motion on the currency said, noting that U.S. authorities returned items of no worth such as paperwork and a journal but kept the cash, credit cards and Fletcher's boat license.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Butrick said Friday the government seized the money in accordance with a treaty with Tonga. He says the cash is worth about $10,000.

The items returned were copies, Butrick said.

"We kept the originals and we will submit those to Tonga upon his extradition," he said.

Yamaga didn't return messages Friday seeking comment.
Theresa May has distanced herself from outgoing US president Barack Obamas hardline stance on Israel.

In comments which appeared more in tune with the outlook being taken by president-elect Donald Trump, the Prime Minister said it was wrong to focus on single issues like settlement building, rather than the wider peace process.

After US secretary of state John Kerry branded the Israeli government as the most right wing in history, Downing Street said it was not appropriate to attack the composition of the administration of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Secretary of State @JohnKerry comments on U.S. engagement with Israel. pic.twitter.com/CpROmvk5nt  Department of State (@StateDept) December 28, 2016

The comments came after Mr Kerry accused the Israeli government of undermining attempts at a two state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians by continuing to build settlements in the West Bank.

While the UK said it opposed such developments in the occupied territories, Number 10 made clear a more broadly-ranged approach was needed to encourage peace.

Secretary of State John Kerry

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: The British Government continues to believe that the only way to a lasting peace in the Middle East is through a two-state solution. We continue to believe that the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal, which is why we supported UN Security Council Resolution 2334 last week.

But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict. In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long.

We do not, therefore, believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is so deeply complex.
Margaret Thatchers deep misgivings over the reunification of Germany are laid bare in newly released government papers.

Files released by the National Archives in Kew, west London, show she had to be cajoled by aides into issuing a congratulatory statement following the ending of Germanys partition into two states.

Meanwhile, British officials worked quietly behind the scenes to scupper a planned ceremony celebrating the event to be attended by world leaders.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 marked the end of the Cold War and paved the way for communist East Germany to be reunited with West Germany, ending the division that had been in place since the end of the Second World War.

But while the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe represented a triumph for the West, Mrs Thatcher feared a resurgent Germany would dominate the Continent.

The files show her concerns ran so deep she even had to be coaxed into making a positive statement when she appeared for a photocall with the West German ambassador Baron Hermann von Richthofen, a great nephew of the family of the Red Baron, on eve of formal reunification in October 1990.

The key is to get in the words friend, ally and partner (if you can bear it), Charles Powell, her longstanding foreign adviser, pleaded in a handwritten note.

Otherwise a message risks being judged negatively, which undermines the only purpose of the exercise.

At Mrs Thatchers behest, Mr Powell had already helped to ensure that a reunification ceremony planned by German chancellor Helmut Kohl was cancelled.

Well aware that it would not go ahead if US president George Bush Senior was unable to be there, he telephoned the White House to say Mrs Thatcher would be quite happy if he stayed away.

The prime minister wanted the president to know that October 3 would be very difficult for her and she would not at all mind if the president found that he could not attend, Mr Powell noted.

Former Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (PA)

I added that the prime minister thought that the celebrations were in any case more appropriate for foreign ministers to attend.

Mr Kohl did his best to allay her concerns, promising at one Downing Street meeting to keep her personally informed of his plans so as to remove any possible sources of misunderstanding or apprehension.

He would pass on even matters which his Cabinet would not know, Mr Powell reported.

However her hostility ran so deep, it even caused alarm bells to ring in Washington  to the intense irritation of No 10.

Bob Blackwill, a senior official in the National Security Council (NSC), told one British diplomat, Andrew Wood, that Mr Bush believed she even wanted an entente cordiale with the Soviet Union as a counter-balance to a united Germany.

Mr Powell said she was flabbergasted by the suggestion and ordered the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to set Mr Blackwill straight.
Bill Gates has warned the world would be "vulnerable" to a quick-spreading deadly flu outbreak.

The billionaire philanthropist said the Ebola and Zika outbreaks exposed weaknesses in the ability to swiftly tackle health crises.

Mr Gates, whose foundation has pumped billions of pounds into vaccines and improving health systems in developing countries, said the development of new drugs can also be improved.

Bill Gates (Tim Ireland/PA)

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "When weve seen Ebola or even now Zika, we realise we still havent done enough.

"Our ability to create new drugs and vaccines quickly where we have an emerging disease, our emergency response system where we get people in and try and stop these epidemics - we dont have a strong enough system."

He said countries are grappling with how to ensure that regulatory, liability and organisational boundaries do not slow down the response to health crises.

Chest infections are common, especially after a cold or flu during autumn and winter. Treatment advice: https://t.co/ixZadIZpcL  NHS (@NHSuk) December 27, 2016

He said: "So I cross my fingers all the time that some epidemic like a big flu doesnt come along in the next 10 years.

"I do think well have much better medical tools, much better response, but we are a bit vulnerable right now if something that spread very quickly, like a flu that was quite fatal.

"That would be a tragedy, and new approaches should allow us to reduce that risk a lot."

.@KGrieve13 is our newest @NHSflufighter. Have you had yours yet? Protect your family & friends this #winter & get your flu jab! #staywell pic.twitter.com/l4vwpDeO3p  NELFT (@NELFT) December 19, 2016

The Microsoft founder said greater global cooperation is needed in the development of new drugs and the deployment of health teams to tackle outbreaks.

If wealthy countries fail to step up and tackle these health problems deadly epidemics will spread across the world, he warned.

Mr Gates said: So its not just the humanitarian goal here, its strong self-interest that we want global health security.

Today's video is on the importance of taking up the offer of a free #flujab if you're pregnant or a child aged 2-7 https://t.co/ip8hMJzct1  NHS Gloucestershire (@NHSGlos) December 29, 2016

He also defended the World Health Organisation, which came in for heavy criticism for what was perceived as its slow response to the Ebola crisis.

The cooperation that weve seen, I think, needs to intensify - its the only way that global problems like epidemics will get solved, Mr Gates said.

And so although people are negative on WHO, the message to take away from that is not that that kind of multilateral cooperative effort is doomed and the money is not well spent.

Rather, we actually need to broaden their capacity, we need to rededicate ourselves to this global cooperation.

He also warned that the over-use of antibiotics and the growth of antimicrobial resistance has endangered everybodys health.

Moves to stop using antibiotics on farm animals alone are not enough and countries must look at how they treat people too, Mr Gates said.

Englands chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, rated the NHSs preparedness for a major flu outbreak at seven or eight, but warned the economy and social care sectors would also face major challenges.

She said: But its not just the NHS, the NHS looks after sick patients, its how would our social care system cope with people who werent ill enough to be in hospital but need extra support?

Got my flu jab from @EMASNHSTrust at Leicester Royal Infirmary whilst passing with work. Officially an @EMAS_CFR #FluFighters @NHSflufighter pic.twitter.com/ebzwAaXgLD  Peter Bee (@SystonCFR) December 22, 2016

Its how would our economy cope if a large proportion are too ill to work where we have a just-in-time ordering policy for delivery of food, petrol, whatever?

She said Britain is very well prepared with stockpiles and an agreement to buy flu vaccine if a pandemic breaks out.
The United States has expressed its surprise after Theresa May distanced herself from outgoing President Barack Obamas stance on Israel.

Downing Street said US Secretary of State John Kerrys description of the Israeli administration as the most right wing in history was not appropriate given that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading the democratically elected government of an ally.

It came after the US took the unusual step of abstaining in a United Nations Security Council vote condemning Israeli settlement building in the occupied territories.

Theresa May (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Secretary of State @JohnKerry comments on U.S. engagement with Israel. pic.twitter.com/CpROmvk5nt  Department of State (@StateDept) December 28, 2016

But in comments which appeared more in tune with the outlook being taken by President-elect Donald Trump, the Prime Minister said it was wrong to focus on single issues like settlement building, rather than the wider peace process.

Responding to Number 10s intervention, the US state department said in a statement: We are surprised by the UK Prime Ministers office statement given that Secretary Kerrys remarks  which covered the full range of threats to a two state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlements  were in line with the UKs own long-standing policy and its vote at the United Nations last week.

The spokesman also pointedly referred to the support for Mr Kerrys comments from around the world.

President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel! @IvankaTrump @DonaldJTrumpJr https://t.co/lURPimG0wS  Benjamin Netanyahu -   (@netanyahu) December 28, 2016

They said: We are grateful for the strongly supportive statements in response to Secretary Kerrys speech from across the world, including Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others.

The UK regards settlement building in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as illegal but Number 10 made clear a more broadly-ranged approach was needed to encourage peace.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "The British Government continues to believe that the only way to a lasting peace in the Middle East is through a two-state solution. We continue to believe that the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal, which is why we supported UN Security Council Resolution 2334 last week.

Read Secretary of State @JohnKerrys remarks on Middle East peace: https://t.co/9uMSwplotT pic.twitter.com/GnoCSp08Oz  Department of State (@StateDept) December 28, 2016

But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict. In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long.

"We do not, therefore, believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is so deeply complex.
More patients have been struck down with the norovirus vomiting bug this season compared with the previous five years, according to official figures.

Data from Public Health England (PHE) shows reports of the illness had reached 2,435 this year  12% more than the average for the same period over the last five years.

The figure is also 71% higher than the same period last year, although last winter saw unusually low levels of norovirus.

A hospital ward (Peter Byrne/PA)

If you develop sickness & diarrhoea, make sure to regularly and properly wash your hands to avoid infecting others https://t.co/s5OMrZXL39  UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) December 30, 2016

In the week ending on Christmas Day, the outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhoea resulted in more bed closures than during the same period last year  rising from an average of 559 beds closed per day to 699.

Hospitals reported 20 outbreaks of norovirus in the first two weeks of December  17 of which led to bay or ward closures and 13 of which were confirmed as the bug.

In total so far this season, there have been 163 hospital outbreaks reported.

Professor Nick Phin, deputy director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England, said: Cases of norovirus are still at the levels that we would expect to see around this time of year in the winter vomiting bug season. Exactly when the peaks in activity occur can vary season to season.

Norovirus outbreaks are more common this time of year. It's easy to identify and treat at home: https://t.co/TMo6tmiBLo pic.twitter.com/WsWOGn9dUL  NHS (@NHSuk) December 28, 2016

Those who get infected with norovirus will usually make a full recovery within one to two days. However, it is important to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, especially in the very young or elderly. Good hygiene is essential to preventing infection, this includes thorough hand washing after using the toilet and before eating or preparing foods.

The number of laboratory reports of the bug rotavirus this season is 1,136, which is also 3% higher than the average for the period from 2003 to 2013.

NHS England also released figures showing there were 291,808 calls to the NHS 111 service in the week ending on Christmas Day as temperatures plummeted and a cold weather alert was issued.

This was nearly 9% fewer than the number of calls to the helpline in the same week last year.
Mauricio Pochettino insists he is happy with his Tottenham squad and does not need to strengthen in January.

Pochettino downplayed links to Ross Barkley, Isco and Wilfried Zaha, suggesting Spurs already boast enough power in their attacking midfield ranks.

The Argentinian boss remains confident Tottenham can still fight for the Premier League title despite sitting 10 points behind pace-setters Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino

  Toby Alderweireld (@AlderweireldTob) December 30, 2016

No, no, no; I dont expect to do some business, because I am happy with the squad that I have, said Pochettino on the chance of Spurs making any January signings.

I think its not the right moment. Only if its a person who will definitely benefit us  otherwise, no.

Former Southampton boss Pochettino revealed he has no plans to send defender Kevin Wimmer on loan next month.

"With the right mentality, you can achieve great things"



 Hugo - https://t.co/anv5S22MyS pic.twitter.com/Z5LkLKsYRL  Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 30, 2016

Spurs have again been linked with January moves for Real Madrids Isco, Evertons Barkley and Crystal Palaces Zaha, but Pochettino remains convinced he already has enough quality with Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela in his squad.

I dont know where that rumour (about Barkley) has come from, he added.

Its not from myself or from my staff, that is sure. Then if some people from the club created that rumour, I dont know, or if its from outside.

TEAM NEWS: "@AlderweireldTob picked up a virus the day before Southampton. He has recovered now and we're hopeful he will be available." pic.twitter.com/fZxgtc23nh  Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 30, 2016

We are very calm and consistent with our philosophy, and the way we are developing our game. We cannot stop rumours, and we cannot confirm every time whether rumours are true or otherwise.

When quizzed on whether anyone would leave Tottenham in the new year, he replied: I dont expect that. Its not sensible. We are not talking about a loan (for Wimmer). For me I am happy with him. Hes still very young, we brought him not only for the present but also for the future.
Hundreds of mourners have bid farewell to the Polish truck driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack.

Lukasz Urban, 37, has been described as the first victim of the attack that killed a total of 12 people in the German capital on December 19.

He had been waiting to deliver a shipment of steel in Berlin when his truck was hijacked by the attacker, believed to be Tunisian man Anis Amri, who was later killed in a shoot-out with Italian police. Mr Urban was shot, and his body was found later in the cab of the truck.

The coffin of Lukasz Urban

Wonderful and emotional. Drivers from Alfred Schuon GmbH - Internationale Spedition for great Polish Hero #LukaszUrban#BerlinAttack #hero pic.twitter.com/I0eMaKQpry  Tomasz Borysiuk (@TomaszBorysiuk) December 23, 2016

Polands president Andrzej Duda joined Mr Urbans family, friends and neighbours in a church in the village church in Banie, near the border with Germany.

Several other Polish political officials and a representative of the German embassy to Poland were also there.

A letter from prime minister Beata Szydlo was also read out in which she described her great pain and sadness and expressed her sympathy to Mr Urbans family.

UK lorry driver Dave Duncan (pictured) has raised 92,894 for Lukasz Urban's family. There is still time to donate: https://t.co/WiqeaAnJy8 pic.twitter.com/uoa2QLAQJT  UK in Poland  (@ukinpoland) December 23, 2016

Poles have fallen victim to terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic fundamentalists but the tragedy that happened in Berlin is unique when it comes to the ruthlessness and cruelty of the perpetrator, Ms Szydlo said.

Bishop Henryk Wejman delivered a homily in which he described Mr Urban as a man who was open to others and conscientious in his work.

His willingness to work and serve others won him the trust of other people and the openness to fellow man, Bishop Wejman said.

As the Mass was winding down the president bowed his head at Mr Urbans coffin before offering his condolences to the dead mans wife and teenage son.
Hollywood has said its final farewell to Zsa Zsa Gabor at the actress and socialites funeral.

Gabor died at the age of 99 after suffering a heart attack at her home in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, on December 18.

An intimate memorial service was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills on Friday, hosted by her widower Frederic Prinz von Anhalt.

Zsa Zsa Gabor's "Celebration of Life" memorial service

An urn containing Gabors ashes was taken into the church in a Louis Vuitton bag and placed next to a photograph of the Hungarian-born star with the words farewell my love.

Gabors ninth husband von Anhalt, 73, paid tribute to his late wife and said his life was empty without her.

She left peacefully. It was beautiful the way she passed, he said. She was a good woman. She helped people, especially the homeless. She loved the red carpet. Her life was red carpet or nothing else. Keep her in your heart the way she was in Hollywood.

Zsa Zsa Gabor

Von Anhalt, who married Gabor in 1986, said he had brought his wifes ashes in a Louis Vuitton dog bag because of her love of dogs.

I was my wifes partner. I was her best friend, he added. It was my duty, and its the duty of any husband or any wife, to care for your partner. My wife was my life. Right now my life is empty. I was glued to my partner.

Father Ed Benioff, who led the service, said: She epitomised and personified Hollywood glamour.
U.S. senator says Russia can expect sanctions after cyber attacks

RIGA/TALLINN, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Russia and its president Vladimir Putin should expect tough sanctions after cyber attacks during the presidential election won by Donald Trump, U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, Republican and Democratic senators including Graham called for a bipartisan panel to investigate cyber attacks against the United States by foreign countries, with a focus on Russia's alleged efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.

"There will be bipartisan sanctions coming that will hit Russia hard, particularly Putin as an individual," Graham said in the Latvian capital.

NATO members Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, all ruled by Moscow in communist times, have been alarmed by Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014 and its support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

"It is now time for Russia to understand - enough is enough," Graham said.

He did not elaborate further on what the sanctions could entail.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia tried to influence the Nov. 8 election by hacking individuals and institutions, including Democratic Party bodies.

Russian officials have denied accusations of interference in the election.

"Here's what you can expect in 2017 in the United States - a bipartisan effort in Congress to push back against the Russian interference in our election," Graham said at a stop on a three-day visit to the Baltics with fellow Republican senator John McCain, seen as a bid to soothe concerns over the policy of President-elect Trump.

Separately, the Estonian defence minister said the country was increasing its efforts to defend itself against cyber attacks after NATO recognised cyber attacks as an element of warfare, alongside land, sea and air.

In what Estonian officials say was a wake-up call, the country was hit by cyber attacks on extensive private and government Internet sites in 2007. State websites were brought to a crawl and an online banking site was closed.

Lithuania also said last week the Kremlin was responsible for cyber attacks that have hit government computers there over the past two years. Putin's spokesman dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated.

Lithuanian intelligence services, in their annual report, say cyber attacks have moved from being mainly targeted at financial crimes to more political spying on state institutions.

"We have almost finished the submission for the government to create the new cyber command and it should be up and running within two years", Estonia's Defence Minister Margus Tsahkna told Reuters on Wednesday.

NATO leaders agreed earlier this year to deploy military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland for the first time and increase air and sea patrols to reassure allies on its eastern border.
Medtronic must face revived U.S. lawsuit over Infuse

By Jonathan Stempel and Toni Clarke

Dec 28 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday revived a lawsuit accusing Medtronic Plc of defrauding shareholders by covering up negative side effects from its Infuse bone growth product for nearly a decade.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul, Minnesota said a lower court judge erred in finding that the plaintiff shareholders sued too late, by waiting more than two years after learning information that could suggest an intent to defraud.

Medtronic did not respond to requests for comment.

The plaintiffs include the West Virginia Pipe Trades Health and Welfare Fund, the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii and Germany's Union Asset Management Holding AG.

Medtronic developed Infuse as an alternative to bone grafts, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it for use in some lower back spinal surgeries in 2002.

But off-label uses of Infuse eventually comprised 85 percent of sales. The FDA in 2008 warned against such uses, following reports of life-threatening complications.

Three years later, a June 28, 2011 article in The Spine Journal said clinical studies by doctors with financial ties to Medtronic understated Infuse's risks.

Then in October 2012, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee found that Medtronic was "heavily involved" in shaping the content of such studies.

Shareholders sued Medtronic on June 27, 2013, saying its activities inflated the company's stock price, and caused them to lose hundreds of millions of dollars as the truth came out.

In Wednesday's decision, Circuit Judge Raymond Gruender said it was not until The Spine Journal article was published that reasonable shareholders might have inferred that problems with Medtronic's studies reflected an intent to defraud.

Gruender also said shareholders properly alleged that they relied on Medtronic's alleged misconduct.

"A company cannot instruct individuals to take a certain action, pay to induce them to do it, and then claim any causal connection is too remote when they follow through," he wrote.

"In this way," the judge continued, "Medtronic's alleged manipulative conduct directly caused the biased clinical trial results that the market relied upon."

Shawn Williams, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he was pleased with the decision, which returns the case to the lower court for further proceedings.

Medtronic is now based in Ireland, but has offices in Minneapolis.

In March 2012, the company agreed to pay $85 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit claiming it concealed the extent of Infuse's off-label use. (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-medtronic-settlement-idUSBRE82T1A920120330)
Polish government cheers bargain da Vinci purchase

By Lidia Kelly

WARSAW, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Poland's government announced on Thursday it had bought a Leonardo da Vinci painting from a private foundation, in a transaction that forced a federal budget amendment and stirred acrimony about how the deal was arranged.

The State Treasury bought the 1490 "Lady with an Ermine" along with thousands of other pieces of art from the aristocratic Czartoryski Foundation for the equivalent of just over 100 million euros ($105 million). "It is a fraction of the market price of the collection," Piotr Glinski, Poland's minister of culture told journalists.

The government bought the collection, which includes Rembrandt's "Landscape with the Good Samaritan", as part of its broader drive to nationalise important businesses and cultural artefacts.

But the management board of the Czartoryski Foundation has resigned, saying it was not consulted about the purchase.

The da Vinci painting is on public display at the Wawel castle in Krakow.

The year-old government, led by the conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS), has long talked of buying the "Lady with an Ermine" and more than 80,000 items in the private collection, considered one of Europe's most important.

"I felt like making a donation," the Foundation's president and founder, Adam Czartoryski said, when asked why was he was willing to part with the collection for so little. "It's my choice."

The Foundation's board of management said it did not oppose selling the collection to the government but that selling without due diligence, which would provide the basis for estimating a fair price, may be against its bylaws.

Marian Wolkowski-Wolski, chairman of the board, told Reuters the board was also worried the collection was being sold at a fraction of its worth and that there was a risk of its eventual dispersal out of public control.

AMENDING BUDGET

Polish media have reported that the government had been willing to spend up to 1 billion zloty ($235 million) on buying the painting and the entire collection.

The Da Vinci painting, 54.7 cm by 40.3 cm (1'9" by 1'3"), is insured for 331 million euros for travelling, according to government officials, and the entire collection is valued, according to different estimates, at between 8 billion zloty and 10 billion zloty (2.3 billion euros, $2.4 billion).

The government's budget is squeezed but it expects to undershoot its deficit goal this year. This has enabled a budget amendment to allow the formation of a reserve pool for the purpose of "purchase of cultural goods, including historical monuments, and the rights to cultural goods with a special importance for the Polish State".

In 1991, after the fall of Communism, Adam Czartoryski established the Foundation in Krakow and, for financial and logistical reasons, left the collection amassed over two centuries under the National Museum structure.

Minister of Culture Piotr Glinski said the whole collection would now become a permanent part of the Museum.

"This ensures the right of the Polish nation to the collection," Glinski told journalists. "There is a difference between having something on deposit and being its owner."
Brazil police believe body found in Rio is missing Greek ambassador -Globo

SAO PAULO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Brazilian police suspect a body discovered inside a charred vehicle in Rio de Janeiro is Greece's ambassador to Brazil who went missing three days ago, television channel Globo reported on Thursday.

A police spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.

Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was last seen Monday evening leaving the home of friends of his Brazilian wife in a poor and violent suburb of Rio's metropolitan area, police had said earlier on Thursday.

A Rio state police official said the ambassador's wife reported him as missing on Wednesday.

Globo showed images of the burned-out white car in the Nova Iguacu neighhourhood where the ambassador went missing. The station reported that the licence plates on the car matched those of Amiridis' rental vehicle.

An official at the Greek Embassy in Brasilia would not confirm the ambassador was missing, saying only that he was on vacation in Rio and expected to return to Brasilia on Jan. 9.

Rio police inspector Evaristo Pontes had earlier told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper that he did not believe the ambassador was kidnapped.

"We're following some leads, but not that one. If it had been (a kidnapping), those who took him would have made contact by now," he said.

Amiridis previously served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004.

More recently he was Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry said it had no comment on the case, other than to say it was being fully pursued by police.
Starc brilliance earns Australia series victory

By Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Mitchell Starc shone with bat and ball as Australia dismissed Pakistan for 163 to secure an innings and 18-run victory in the second test on Friday, the win giving the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Lanky left-arm paceman Starc smashed 84 with the bat, including a record seven sixes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, then tore through Pakistan's tail with 4-36 as Australia's bowlers snatched an unlikely win from a rain-blighted match.

Pakistan's capitulation left their captain heart-broken and after falling for a second-ball duck with a rash sweep-shot, 42-year-old veteran Misbah-ul-Haq said he would consider retiring before the series finale in Sydney.

For home captain and man of the match Steve Smith, it was a golden day as he smashed an unbeaten 165 in the morning session and watched Pakistan disintegrate on a sun-bathed afternoon.

After declaring Australia's first innings at 624 for eight just before lunch, Smith gave his bowlers 68 overs to run through the tourists.

In the end, they needed only 53.2 overs of the quota as Pakistan's demise hastened against the reversing ball after tea.

"I said to the boys that cricket's a funny game and anything can happen," Smith told reporters of his morning address to his team.

"I thought Starcy was incredible.

"(It's) pretty surreal to have now wrapped up the series. We have got a lot of belief in the guys around. The guys are doing the hard yards to improve every day."

Pakistan lost the first test in Brisbane by 39 runs but won admiration for their dogged fourth innings resistance, when they put an Australian record total of 450 on the board.

Much of that acclaim evaporated on Friday as their shambolic batting followed an equally abysmal effort in the field in the morning.

LYON ROARS

Pakistan's 52-year wait for a maiden series win in Australia goes on and they have now lost four matches in succession.

"It was sheer pressure, I think," a downcast Misbah said of his team's surrender.

"In the second innings, (Australia) bowled good, really well... I think we should take the blame as a batting unit."

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon shrugged off recent form woes to bowl his best spell of the series, capturing three wickets in the middle session, two of them in three balls to remove stalwarts Younus Khan (24) and Misbah.

Rookie batsman Peter Handscomb was outstanding at short leg, clutching two tough chances to remove Younus and Asad Shafiq for 16.

Pakistan went to tea on a shaky 91-5 and three overs after the break, seamer Josh Hazlewood trapped Azhar Ali, Pakistan's last specialist batsman, lbw for 43.

Paceman Jackson Bird bowled Mohammad Amir for 11 and a sizzling Starc inswinger accounted for wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed for 43, cleaned up through the gate.

Starc returned to bowl Wahab Riaz for a duck and wrapped up the win by having Yasir Shah sky an easy catch to Bird at mid-on.

Following the Hobart thrashing by South Africa, which surrendered the series, Australia's new-look team have won their last three matches in succession.

In Melbourne it was their senior players leading from the front, with David Warner's run-a-ball 143 and Smith's 17th ton setting a platform before Lyon and Starc brought the match home.

"We're still a work in progress. We're a young team and I'm proud of the boys," Smith added.
Mayor of China's Chongqing steps down, paving way for promotion

BEIJING, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The mayor of the major southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing has stepped down, the government said on Friday, paving the way for a promotion to a more senior position, possibly alongside Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing.

Sources told Reuters earlier this year that mayor Huang Qifan was tipped to replace Yang Jing as secretary-general of the State Council, or cabinet, making him Li's right-hand man to help tackle a stalling economy.

The cabinet secretary-general helps the premier oversee the entire spectrum of portfolios, from the economy to finance, industry, agriculture, energy, the environment, state planning and technology.

The Chongqing government said in a brief statement it had approved Huang's request to step down, without giving other details or saying where he might go next.

It named deputy mayor Zhang Guoqing as Chongqing's acting mayor.

Huang is widely respected as an expert on financial and economic affairs, appearing frequently as a commentator in domestic media.

He is also a political survivor, weathering a scandal in 2012 which clipped the wings of his high-flying and flamboyant boss, Bo Xilai, then Chongqing party secretary and a member of the party's decision-making Politburo.

Bo was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 for corruption and abuse of power.

In China, the downfall of a senior politician can often spell the same fate for his closest allies.
China official dealing with Taiwan accused of bribery

BEIJING, Dec 30 (Reuters) - China's state prosecutor on Friday formally accused a former deputy head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office with bribery and abuse of power, setting the stage for his trial.

Gong Qinggai was put under investigation by the ruling Communist Party in January. He is one of many officials targeted in an ongoing crackdown on corruption led by President Xi Jinping, but the case is particuarly sensitive because of Beijing's fraught relationship with Taiwan.

In a brief statement, the state prosecutor said Gong abused his power to "seek benefits for others" and illegally took large sums of money, meaning he will be prosecuted for bribery.

It said his suspected crimes took place while he held various government positions in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian, which lies just across the narrow strait that separates China and Taiwan.

It was not possible to reach him for comment and unclear if he has been allowed to retain a lawyer. The legal system is controlled by the party, which will not challenge the accusations against him, meaning he is certain to be jailed.

In April, the party accused Gong of a variety of wrongdoing, including taking part in "superstitious activities", which usually refers to religious practices prohibited to party officials. The charge is often levelled at officials already under investigation for corruption.

Gong joined the Taiwan Affairs Office, which is in charge of policy towards the island, in 2013, having previously spent his entire working career with the Fujian government, according to his official biography.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan a wayward province to be brought under Beijing's control by force if needed. Defeated Nationalist forces fled there in 1949 at the end of China's civil war.

China has jailed dozens of senior officials since Xi launched a sweeping campaign against graft after assuming office four years, vowing to go after powerful "tigers" as well as lowly "flies".
Mexico's Maya point way to slow species loss, climate change

By Talli Nauman

FELIPE CARRILLO PUERTO, Mexico, Dec 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Maria Yam Perez scrambles eggs over a wood-saving, earth-block stove and stirs in freshly chopped chaya, a spinach-like jungle plant known for its versatility in cooking and medicine.

She points to the black soot from the hearth smoke, accumulated under the thatched roof, like tendrils of grey gossamer, and on the stick walls of the open-air kitchen.

"When a person has sweating, fever, chills, aches and cramps, this is used as medicine, mixed with honey, eggs and lime," she said. "If you go to the doctor and can't get relief, this is the traditional Maya remedy."

This day in December is a customary holiday celebrating the Mexican Virgin of Guadalupe, so later Yam Perez will don indigenous Maya dress to join in feasting, song and dance with her family and 250 others in the community of Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

Before that, she was busy making breakfast for a group visiting the community's eco-tourism centre of Sijil Noh Ha, set deep in the tropical forest of Mexico's southeastern Yucatan Peninsula, some 200 km (124 miles) southwest of the coastal resort city of Cancun.

The venture, an outgrowth of the community's forestry enterprise, discreetly showcases time-honoured native wisdom that protects biodiversity and helps build resilience to climate change - a hot topic at talks on the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held this month in Cancun.

Indigenous and community forestry is key to slowing species extinction and global warming, so governments must do more to guarantee the land rights of forest peoples, as well as their participation in decision-making, experts told the CBD's 13th major conference.

"Engaging with, and supporting indigenous peoples and local communities, is vital," said Maurizio Farhan Ferrari, environmental governance coordinator for the Forest Peoples Programme.

"Biological and cultural diversity together increase resilience to social, environmental and climate change," said Joji Carino, a working group coordinator for the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity.

BIRDS AND JAGUARS

This is especially true in countries that are rich in biodiversity like Mexico. Here, in the fifth-most biologically diverse nation on earth, some 13 million people - about half belonging to Mexico's 62 indigenous peoples - live in, and administer, community forest lands, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.

Across Mexico and Central America, indigenous peoples and local communities have legally recognised rights to around 65 percent of the forests, containing one of the world's largest diversity hotspots, the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, according to Andrew Davis, author of "Conservation and Community Rights", a book recently released by El Salvador's Regional Environment and Development Research Programme (PRISMA).

The world's ability to meet biodiversity protection targets will be a determining factor in the success of the new Paris Agreement on climate change, argues the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

The community of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, besides operating internationally certified lumber and sustainable tourism businesses, is monitoring the endangered jaguar (Panthera onca), which is of primordial importance to the Maya indigenous culture and nature's balance.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto and four other community forest enterprises in the Maya Jungle Alliance are providing ecosystem services to conserve the largest rainforest in Mexico and Central America, located in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

Yam Perez is part of a 15-member team of women and youth who monitor birds in the alliance, which provides goods and services covering an area of nearly 213,450 hectares (527,446 acres).

The team's efforts are making habitat safe for wildlife reproduction and migration in the stretch of woodland between the two biosphere reserves of Sian Khan and Kalakmul, supported by the Global Environment Facility.

Income from the alliance's tourism projects and ecosystem services now outstrips logging receipts in several places. To diversify the portfolio further, Felipe Carrillo Puerto plans to establish a certified sawmill and furniture-making enterprise.

And in a carbon trading project - part of a programme to reduce planet-warming emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, backed by the Norwegian government - community members work banding tree trunks to measure their annual growth.

LEGAL REFORM

To ensure similar successes on the ground, all levels of government need to step up efforts to implement policy and programmes on traditional knowledge and sustainable use of resources in partnership with indigenous peoples and communities, experts say.

In most cases, "there hasn't been the necessary consultation process", said Gustavo Sanchez, president of the Network of Mexican Community Forestry Organisations (Red Mocaf).

Indigenous peoples and forest communities "have had to struggle hard to have their voices heard and to have their right to free, prior and informed consent recognised", said Edwin Vasquez Campos of the Coordination of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA).

A study issued this month on forest governance by Mexican research group Environmental Legislation and Policy (Polea) found that Mexico's laws and guidelines must be fine-tuned and financed further to make the community forestry model more effective.

Upcoming legislative initiatives offer that opportunity, according to the Global Legislators Organisation (GLOBE International), which commissioned the study.

Those initiatives include comprehensive reform of Mexico's General Law on Sustainable Forest Development, the creation of a General Law of Biodiversity, a bill to update the inspection process for environmental law violations, and a new General Law of Water.
Syria ceasefire holds after initial incidents - monitors, rebel official

BEIRUT, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A ceasefire deal between Syrian government forces and rebels that took effect at midnight held early on Friday, after initial isolated clashes and gunfire, a monitoring group and a rebel official said.

The truce was violated almost immediately after it came into effect as the warring sides clashed in the northwest of the country. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said hours later that the general "calm continues".
Poland - Factors to Watch Dec. 30

Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Friday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 1 hour):

DATA

Poland's statistics office is to release December flash CPI data at 1300 GMT.

The central bank is scheduled to publish third-quarter balance of payments data also at 1300 GMT.

JSW

Coking coal miner JSW issued bonds worth 300 million zlotys ($71.46 million), which were subsequently purchased by the state-run Silesia fund, JSW said in a statement late on Thursday.

****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
Romania - Factors to watch on Dec. 30

Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Friday.

NEW PM

President Klaus Iohannis may nominate a prime minister designate to form a leftist-led Social-Democrat government.

Iohannis is widely expected to endorse the leftists' proposed premier - senior party member and former telecommunications minister Sorin Grindeanu.

The government will face a vote of confidence in parliament in the first week of 2017 and should easily win it as the new ruling coalition has outright support in parliament.

DEBT PLANS

Romania aims to sell 3.1 billion lei ($715 million) worth of leu currency bills and bonds in January, and an additional 315 million lei at non-competitive rounds of auctions.

CEE MARKETS

Romania's leu approached three-year lows against the euro on Thursday amid continuing uncertainty over fiscal policy under a leftist government that has yet to be set up.

Other Central European currencies also eased.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Romania has set the 2017 mandatory renewable energy quota at 8.3 percent.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on
China's Xinjiang sets up legal team to prosecute terror cases

BEIJING, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Prosecutors in China's violence-prone far western region of Xinjiang have set up a special team to handle terror-related cases, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday.

Hundreds of people have been killed in recent years in resource-rich Xinjiang, on the borders of central Asia, in violence between the Muslim Uighur people who call the region home and ethnic majority Han Chinese.

The government has blamed the unrest on Islamist militants, though rights groups and exiles say anger at Chinese controls on the religion and culture of Uighurs is more to blame for the unrest. China denies any repression in Xinjiang.

The team will consist of 30 prosecutors in six parts of Xinjiang including Kashgar and Hotan, deep in southern Xinjiang's Uighur heartland, as well as regional capital Urumqi, Xinhua said.

These are all "important regions for targeting terrorism", the news agency quoted Guo Lianshan, Xinjiang's deputy chief prosecutor, as saying.

Attackers drove a vehicle into a government building in southern Xinjiang this week, setting off an explosive device and using knives to kill two people before all three of the assailants were shot dead.
Taiwan says president to transit Houston, San Francisco next month

TAIPEI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through Houston and San Francisco during her January visit to allies in Latin American countries, her office said Friday, a move certain to anger China which a day earlier urged the U.S. to block a stopover.

Tsai is transiting in the United States on her way to and from visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She will leave Taiwan on Jan. 7 and return on Jan. 15.

But Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang would not comment when asked if Tsai would meet members of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team while in the United States.
Lead exposure in children: a guide to U.S. standards

By Joshua Schneyer and M.B. Pell

NEW YORK, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The following is a guide to the standards on lead exposure set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. public health monitor, and other health authorities. Lead exposure is measured in micrograms per deciliter of blood.

>0 (g/dL): Even at birth, all people have some lead in their blood. However, the CDC says no level of exposure has been deemed safe for children.

1.0 - 1.3 (g/dL): Average blood lead level among U.S. children ages 1-5.

3.5 (g/dL): The CDC is considering using this level as a new "reference value" to identify children under age six with elevated blood lead levels. The threshold is lowered periodically to reflect new data from a national health and nutritional survey.

5 (g/dL): The CDC's current reference level for an elevated childhood blood level that warrants public health action, close monitoring or case management. Some 500,000 U.S. children are at or above this level, which some states define as lead poisoning.

10 (g/dL): Children who reach this threshold require closer attention and action to limit further lead exposure. Many states conduct inspections of the poisoned child's living environment to identify exposure sources. Research shows that a blood lead level of 10 (g/dL) can lower IQ by 4 to 6 points on average.

45 (g/dL): Poisoning that may require hospitalization and chelation drug treatment, which helps the body to excrete lead. The drugs aren't considered effective for children with lower blood lead levels.

>70 (g/dL): Left unchecked, acute lead poisoning can cause seizures, coma and death.

Sources: CDC, state health agencies, poisoning prevention programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Bill Gates warns world "vulnerable" to deadly epidemic in next decade

By Emma Batha

LONDON, Dec 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates warned on Friday that the world was vulnerable to a deadly epidemic of an illness like flu, with the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks underlining weaknesses in global efforts to tackle health crises swiftly.

Gates, whose foundation invests in improving healthcare in developing countries, said the global emergency response system was not strong enough and the ability to create new drugs and vaccines quickly was lacking.

He added that there needed to be more focus on developing treatments for likely epidemics.

"I cross my fingers all the time that some epidemic like a big flu doesn't come along in the next 10 years," Microsoft Corp founder Gates told Britain's BBC radio.

"I do think we will have much better medical tools, much better response, but we are a bit vulnerable right now if something spread very quickly, like a flu, that was quite fatal."

But Gates defended the World Health Organization (WHO) over widespread criticism of its handling of the 2014 Ebola crisis that killed thousands in west Africa, saying the agency was neither funded, nor staffed, to meet all the expectations.

He also raised concerns over growing antimicrobial resistance to drugs, saying the success of antibiotics had created complacency.

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics is accelerating antimicrobial resistance which is already complicating efforts to treat tuberculosis, HIV and malaria.

Gates said richer countries must help developing nations tackle disease, both for humanitarian reasons and for their own self-interest.

He said international co-operation had almost succeeded in wiping out polio which remains endemic only in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

If there are no new cases in the next three years polio will become the second human disease to be eradicated after smallpox in 1980.
Catalan referendum on independence 'not possible' says Spain PM

By Sarah White and Sonya Dowsett

MADRID, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday flatly rejected the possibility of any referendum in the northeastern region of Catalonia on a split from Spain, telling local leaders to desist from attempts to hold one next year.

Catalan leaders have vowed to hold a referendum on secession before September 2017 with or without consent from the central government, although they would prefer a consensual vote like the one Scotland held in 2014. Scots voted to remain part of the United Kingdom.

"It is not possible to hold a referendum that will do away with national sovereignty and the equality of Spaniards," Rajoy told a year-end news conference, adding he was always open to talks over other issues but the law was clear that a referendum was illegal.

"This is not going anywhere, I'm offering something which is a lot more reasonable, dialogue," Rajoy said. "I ask that no more steps are taken in the opposite direction."

High unemployment and austerity cuts following an economic crisis have intensified a long-standing separatist movement in the wealthly northeastern region.

Catalans held a symbolic ballot on independence from Spain in 2014 following a legal block by the central government against a formal vote. Nearly two million Catalans voted in favour of seceding from Spain but turnout was low.

Many senior politicians involved in that vote, manned by grassroots pro-independence organisations, have since faced sanctions or trials for pursuing measures which were deemed illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.

Pro-independence parties came to power in the local Catalan assembly in 2015. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said on Wednesday the region would have a mandate to unilaterally declare independence if more than 50 percent of residents voted in favour of the plebiscite he wants to hold next year.

However, support for a break with Spain has ebbed over the past six months, a poll showed on Thursday.

The number of Catalans who oppose secession stood at 46.8 percent in December, up from 45.1 percent in November and 42.4 percent in June, according to the regional authority's official pollster.
Romania's Grindeanu named PM-designate, to quickly form cabinet

By Radu-Sorin Marinas

BUCHAREST, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Romania's president accepted Sorin Grindeanu for the post of prime minister on Friday after rejecting the Social Democrat Party's (PSD) previous nominee, clearing the way for a new leftist government to be formed next week.

Grindeanu, 43, a mathematician and former deputy mayor of the city of Timisoara, will seek a vote of confidence on Jan. 4 in parliament, where the PSD and a junior ally have a majority.

The PSD returns to power after being ousted just over a year ago when a deadly fire in a Bucharest nightclub brought public anger and protests over corruption and public administration failings.

Run by an official convicted of electoral fraud, which he denies, the PSD appears to have won the support of many Romanians with promises of increased social spending and economic security.

But its rule will be closely watched by Romania's European Union partners because the PSD is considered to be soft on corruption and budgetary prudence.

"I got an SMS in the morning ... I didn't have this number. It only said: 'Good luck! - Klaus Iohannis'," Grindeanu told reporters about his presidential endorsement.

PSD leader Liviu Dragnea told reporters on Friday a new cabinet should become fully functioning on Wednesday: "We've reached the final stretch so that our governing programme can be enforced the way we designed it," Dragnea said.

The PSD's first pick to lead the cabinet was Sevil Shhaideh, a close associate of Dragnea, whose conviction in a 2012 vote-rigging case ruled him out of the job.

Iohannis rejected the nomination of Shhaideh, a 52-year-old woman from Romania's 65,000-strong Muslim community, without giving a reason.

"The (PSD) are about to rule in a very comfortable governing formula, with solid support in parliament, having a young but experienced politician from the PSD's new generation," said political commentator Cristian Patrasconiu.

"A new budget will surely go as they plan, sometime in January."

Some economists warn the PSD is likely to burst the EU's budget ceiling of three percent of GDP next year.

A cut in value-added tax and a big hike in the minimum wage and state pensions are scheduled for next year, fulfilling PSD campaign promises.
Brazil police suspect wife in murder of Greek ambassador - TV report

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Rio de Janeiro investigators suspect that Greece's ambassador to Brazil was murdered at the behest of his wife and a police officer with whom she was romantically involved, Globo TV reported on Friday, citing police sources.

Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, had been missing since Monday night. His Brazilian wife, Francoise, reported him missing to police on Wednesday. The pair have a 10-year-old daughter.

Police also confirmed to Globo TV that the body has been identified as being Amiridis.

Investigators told Globo TV they believe Amiridis' wife and the police officer, Sergio Moreira, arranged and possibly carried out the murder in a home where the diplomat and his wife were staying in a northern Rio suburb.

Both Amiridis' wife and the police officer were in police custody, and it was not known if they had retained lawyers. The Greek embassy in Brasilia declined to comment.

Police and Rio state security officials along with Greek officials declined to comment to Reuters on the television report, nor would they provide any other details.

In Athens, Greek foreign ministry spokesman Stratos Efthymiou said the government had no comment about the case.

Two other suspects were in custody, but they were not identified, Globo reported.

The O Globo newspaper earlier reported that blood was found on a couch inside the home. Globo TV on Friday afternoon showed police carrying a sofa into police headquarters.

A burned corpse was found Thursday evening inside the car that Amiridis and his wife had rented. It was parked under a highway overpass in the area where the couple had been staying.

On Thursday, police confirmed that the ambassador had been missing since Monday night, when he was last seen leaving the home he owned with his wife.

The incident is another blow to Rio's image, just four months after it hosted the Summer Olympics.

The neighborhood where the car was found is dominated by powerful and politically connected armed groups mostly comprised of off-duty or retired police and firefighters who control vast areas. They are believed to often extort residents in exchange for keeping drug gangs from taking over the areas.

The armed groups have grown in strength in Rio for several years, and often curry favor with local politicians by promising to deliver votes from entire neighborhoods as long as authorities allow them to carry out their crimes.

Crime in Rio has been rising and the state is deeply indebted, often unable to pay police and other salaries on time, if at all.
Philippines may relocate naval drills with U.S. - defence minister

MANILA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked his defence minister to move joint naval exercises with the United States away from the disputed South China Sea as Duterte tries to repair Manila's ties with China.

The Philippines has already decided to reduce the number of drills it holds with its long-term ally and former colonial master after Duterte announced a sudden pivot towards China.

Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters at a military ceremony on Friday that Duterte had advised him to seek a new location for the war games.

"We might move the naval exercises facing the South China Sea to Mindanao area to avoid annoying our neighbour, so let us be sensitive of our neighbours," he said.

Duterte visited Beijing in October and announced that he was loosening ties with Washington, which has provided nearly $800 million in military aid since 2002.

Chinese-Filipino relations were strained in 2013 when Manila asked an international tribunal in The Hague to rule on China's claim to large parts of the South China Sea, where Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against China but Beijing, which has been building and fortifying artificial islands in the area, refused to recognise the decision.

Duterte reiterated on Thursday that he wanted to avoid confrontation with China and saw no need for urgency in pressing it to abide by the ruling.
Israel warns on travel to India, citing immediate threat of attacks

JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Israel's anti-terrorism directorate issued a travel warning for India on Friday, citing an immediate threat of attack to Western and tourist targets, particularly in the south-west of the country.

"A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high," part of the warning said.

The statement recommended that tourists avoid participation in such parties. It also called on families in Israel to contact their relatives in India and tell them of the threat.

In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas. Unusually, the warning was published on Friday evening in Israel, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, when government offices close for business.

The directorate did not say what prompted the warning.

In 2012, the wife of Israeli diplomat stationed in India, her driver and two others were wounded in a bomb attack on her car. Israel and India share close military ties.
Brazil says Greek ambassador murdered by wife's policeman lover

By Paulo Prada

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A Rio de Janeiro policeman confessed to murdering Greece's ambassador to Brazil in what investigators on Friday called a "cowardly act" carried out at the direction of the diplomat's Brazilian wife with whom the officer was romantically involved.

Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was missing since Monday night. Francoise, his Brazilian wife and the mother of their 10-year-old daughter, reported him missing to police on Wednesday.

Officer Sergio Moreira, 29, confessed to police on Friday that he killed the ambassador late Monday night in the Rio de Janeiro home the Amiridises owned in Nova Iguacu, a hardscrabble neighborhood in the city's sprawling, violent northern outskirts.

Investigator Evaristo Magalhaes told reporters that Francoise, 40, and Moreira had arranged the murder a few days in advance.

Both Amiridis' wife and the officer are in custody. Police have also detained a cousin of the officer, who Magalhaes said acted as a lookout while the crime was committed and helped carry the body from the house with the promise that he would be paid 80,000 reais ($25,000).

"This was a tragic, cowardly act, but we worked tirelessly to crack this case as soon as possible," Magalhaes told a news conference. "It was a crime of passion."

Brazilian President Michel Temer, in a letter addressed to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, said the ambassador's killing had caused him profound sadness and he extended his condolences to the ambassador's family, friends and the Greek people.

The Greek embassy in Brasilia declined to comment. In Athens, Greek foreign ministry spokesman Stratos Efthymiou said the government also had no comment.

Amiridis served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004. He was Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016.

BLOOD ON COUCH

Magalhaes said that blood was found on a couch inside the home and the ambassador was likely stabbed to death as no shots were reported in the area. However, he said it was not yet possible to determine the exact cause of death because the policeman had burned the ambassador's body in an attempt to cover up the crime.

A burned corpse was found on Thursday evening inside the car that Amiridis and his wife had rented. It was parked under a highway overpass in the area where the couple had been staying.

On Thursday, police confirmed that the ambassador had been missing since Monday night, when he was last seen leaving the Rio home he shared with his wife, which was located near her family's residence in Nova Iguacu.

The incident is another blow to Rio's image, just four months after it hosted the Summer Olympics.

Crime in Rio has been rising and the state is deeply indebted, often unable to pay police and other salaries on time, if at all.

The neighborhood where the car was found is dominated by powerful and politically connected armed groups comprised mostly of off-duty or retired police and firefighters who control vast areas.

They often extort residents in exchange for keeping drug gangs from taking over the areas.

The armed groups have grown for several years and often curry favor with local politicians by promising to deliver votes from entire neighborhoods as long as authorities allow them to carry out their crimes.
Prof. R. Sivachandran, a Central Committee member of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), in an interview with the Dailymirror by email, advocates the Federal structure of government for the North and East. The ITAK is the dominant ally of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at the moment. Expressing views at the time a constitution-making process is underway, he says powers cannot be devolved under a unity form of government as in today, fulfilling the aspirations of the Tamil people. Excerpts of the interview.

Q. There is a strong demand for Federalism from your end. What do you exactly refer to by a Federal solution?

What we mean is two tiers of government. Each acting directly on their citizens. A formal distribution of legislative and executive authority and allocation of revenue resources between the two orders of government. That includes some areas of authority for each order. The provision for the representation of regional views within the central policy-making institutions is also sought in this exercise.



Here, a chamber consisting of regional representatives at the centre to prevent unreasonable encroachment by the centre on regional powers is sought. In a Federal structure of government, a balance has to be maintained. Neither level of government should become dominant. One cannot dictate to the other on decision-making. One should not be legally subordinate to the other.

Devolutionary Federalism should redistribute the powers of the State among its entities that obtain autonomous status within their field of responsibility. The goal is to achieve unity among diverse and pluralist society. This system has been proved to be efficient and congenial, and it restricts the powers and promotes participatory democracy. The people far from the capital city will have greater access to wielders of power. A regional government will be able to focus on the particular concerns of the given area and act according to the wishes of people. It provides for shared rule at the centre and self-rule in the regions with dignity for people.



Q. What are the reasons for you to reject a unitary constitution?

The unitary constitutions which have been made since independence have denied equal rights to minorities. In fact, they have taken away the rights and privileges enshrined in the Constitution made by the previous colonial rule. Post-independence unitary constitutions of Sri Lanka have unfortunately been partisan documents drafted by the successive governments to suit their needs and to toe political agendas. These home-grown unitary constitutions were rejected by the minority communities. These are not consensus and all-inclusive documents at all.



Q. There is an argument that power should be decentralised and not devolved. What are your views?

Decentralisation of power has been followed for a long period of time in Sri Lanka. In the local context, this has not satisfied the needs and aspirations of the people distantly located from the capital. Under decentralisation, some central government powers of decision-making are exercised by officials of the very same central government located in various parts of the country. This lacks participation of people and their elected representations. Therefore, decentralisation is not an effective and efficient system to meet the needs of the people who are far from the capital.



Q. How do you support your argument that the North and East are the exclusive home of Tamil speaking people?

There is no doubt that the North and East are the homeland of Tamil speaking people from time immemorial -- where their language, religions, culture and distinct traits followed for centuries. This has been accepted by the colonial rulers too. In the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, it is said the North and East were historical habitation of Tamil speaking people. The words exclusive homeland can be changed to homeland. Before the settlement of people from other areas of the country through the state -sponsored colonisation schemes since the establishment of the Galoya Scheme in 1930s and other colonisation schemes, Tamil speaking people were the predominant majority in the North and East. The general trend of the world is to demarcate regions on the basis of their linguistic identity. This is applicable to the North and East as well. Tamil speaking people are the majority in the North and East, and they have a legitimate claim for their homeland as the Sinhala people in other provinces of Sri Lanka.



This sub-natural consciousness has been forced upon Tamil speaking people by discriminatory legislations introduced by the successive regimes after independence. If equal rights and privileges are given to all the communities throughout the country, all citizens, irrespective of their race and religion, feel Sri Lanka as their homeland.



Q. What are your views on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution?

The 13th amendment provided for the establishment of Provincial Councils (PCs). The PCs enjoy legislative power over subject matters specified in the Provincial Council and concurrent lists. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution and Provincial Councils Act.No.42 of 1987 did not meet the aspirations of the Tamil people, but they hoped comprehensive power devolution would evolve. This amendment is a starting point for further devolution of power. In short, people have easy access to government services after the establishment of Provincial Councils.



Councils

As the Provincial Council system functions under the unitary system, powers of the Provincial Council are restricted.

The following matters should be considered for further democratisation of the Provincial Council system; The Governor should be made a nominal head; Subjects matters under the concurrent list should be assigned to either Provincial Councils or the Central government. It means it should be abolished; Provincial Public Service should be vested in the Board of Ministers. The national Public Service should be vested with the Cabinet of Ministers; The powers relating to State lands. Police are devolved subjects. They have not been given to the Provincial Councils; The Chief Minister of the Province should be allowed to establish the Chief Ministers Fund and negotiate direct foreign aid projects in the Province.



The 13th amendment made Tamil also an official language of Sri Lanka. There has not been much progress in implementation despite our efforts made. In practice, the Tamil Language has been relegated to the position of a provisional language. Language rights of the Tamil speaking people should be ensured. Bilingual administration in the specified Divisional Secretariats should be implemented.



Q. How realistic is a political solution in keeping with the aspirations of the Tamils under the current political development?

The majority of citizens voted for a change at the Presidential election in January 2015. They voted to preserve democracy and to uphold human rights and good governance. Finding a solution to the ethnic issue is a long-felt need. This issue has affected every sector in the country. The formation of a government by the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) with minority parties has created a conducive condition to find a political solution with that can be reached.



We do not think any citizen advocates separatism. The minorities want a sense of security, peace, equal right with Sinhalese. Some politicians mislead the masses by saying Federalism is separatism. Politicians should not work for their political agenda. They should work for the well-being of the people. The politicians and leading personalities in the civil society should explain to the people how ethnic problems have been solved in developed and under-developed countries after devastating wars. Aspirations of the Tamils can be achieved under an undivided Sri Lanka. If politicians act as statesmen, it is not a major issue.
Two years after he was unseated, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the first time explicitly stated his intent to make a political comeback, saying he wants to topple the current government in 2017, the Hindu reported.

While the National Unity government, led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, has a majority in Parliament, it may not last as they are fighting each other, he told Colombo-based foreign correspondents on Thursday.

Sri Lankas Constitution disallows dissolution of the Parliament before four and a half years. The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combine currently has about 155 seats in the 225-member Parliament.

The pro- Rajapaksa faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party  which President Sirisena leads  sits in Opposition, with nearly 50 members.

In a wide-ranging discussion at his Colombo residence, Mr. Rajapaksa, attired in a multi-coloured sarong and half-sleeved shirt, spoke at length about his political project for 2017 and on Western, Chinese and Indian diplomacy in Sri Lanka. He attributed his defeat in the January 2015 presidential polls to the opposition campaign that he accused the U.S. and India of backing. That was too much for us. We didnt know what was going on inside the party, he said, alluding to President Sirisenas unexpected defection to the joint coalition that challenged him.

He blamed his successor-government of failing in management and development of the country. The biggest thing they did was they stopped all the development work and they started taking revenge.

Commenting on the governments contentious joint venture with the Hong Kong-based China Merchants Port Holdings Company  Sri Lanka plans to lease 80 per cent of the port in the southern Hambantota district to it  Mr. Rajapaksa said his administration only wanted to give the Chinese 750 acres for an industrial park, but the current government had agreed to part with 15,000 acres.

This is the peoples land. No other country would have given land like that, he said, adding he did not oppose investment, but opposed privatisation.

In a strong critique of Indian diplomacy, he said: Those days our Indian friends were shouting at me when a (Chinese) submarine came calling at the Colombo Port, they were very worried... Now they are like a mouse. Suggesting that India had other interests in forcing this apparent shift in its response to Colombo-Beijing ties, the former President said: They [India] also must be getting something. I dont know whether the Trincomalee Harbour is going to them or Palaly [airport] and Kanesanthurai [harbour], referring to projects in the north and east.

He said he opposed the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement with India, which Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has been pushing. India should not do this. They have to be very cautious about it. Because when the people go against you all, go against the country it is not good for them, not good for us.

On Indias role during the end of the war, which former NSA Shivshankar Menon speaks of in his recent book Choices, Mr. Rajapaksa admitted to receiving New Delhis help to defeat the LTTE. Yes, I have said that [before]. But they didnt want to come out. Because of South Indian attitudes.

Admitting that there was some truth in the criticism that he failed to unite the country after the civil war ended, the former President said: Unfortunately, I thought people must have their basic facilities I didnt do politics there. I first gave them everything they needed to live.

On whether he had misjudged the peoples requirements  the northern Tamils overwhelmingly voted against him in 2015 -- he said politicians and the diaspora had influenced them.

When I wanted to move on political solutions, I invited [TNA leader] Sampanthan and other political parties. They didnt want to have anything to do with me at that time. They didnt even want to discuss with me, he said, adding:

In a scathing attack of the United States, which vocally criticised him during his presidency, Mr. Rajapaksa said the US had spent nearly 650 million dollars to bring about a regime change. Blaming the current government for cosying up with the super power and roping them to train its officials, he said angrily: Let the Americans come and rule the country.

On his political future, Mr. Rajapaksa said he had initially planned to retire from politics following his January 2015 defeat, but the current government "went after him", forcing him to "respond". Asked if he was confident of making a comeback, the two-time President said: Very. Earlier when I said that I am going to defeat Prabakaran, I knew, I could he said, emphasising he felt similar confidence now.

Video by Anuradha Priyadarshana
The suspect remanded on charges of posting anaudio recording on Facebook with death threats on the President, Prime Minister and Opposition Leader was today released on bail by Colombo Additional Magistrate Aruni Attigalle.

The 26-year-old suspect, Dinush Chamara is a resident of Rathgama.

Investigations revealed that he was the administrator of a Facebook page known as 'Sokarina'. The audio recording contained, "The end of Maithripala will be from a Sinhala Buddhist, says an official attached to the President's Security Division..."

The CID said the suspectin his Facebook page also invited people to assassinatethe President, Prime Minister and Opposition Leader.

The case was postponed for January 27. (Shehan Chamika Silva)
President Maithripala Sirisena is seen paying his last respects to late former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake at Mr. Wickremanayakes resident in Horana this morning. Pix by Presidents Media
Sri Lankas rice prices have sky rocketed with Maha seasonal harvest being hit by drought and a alleged foul play by a government minister in releasing the paddy stocks held by the government. Officials say the harvest of the next Yala season in 2017 could also be damaged even if rains return

Pic by Pradeep Pathirana
State Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils Piyankara Jayaratne is reported to have tendered his resignation to President Maithripala Sirisena today.

The report of the delimitation Review Committee headed by Asoka Peiris was to be handed over to him as the Acting Minister. (Kelum Bandara)
The controversial Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) currently being negotiated with India may not create market access and competition in the scale that is expected by Sri Lanka due to toxic politics that have prevailed between the two countries for a long time, a leading economist and a policy analyst opines.

According to Prof. Razeen Sally, an Associate Professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, the politics played at both sides of the negotiation table could undermine the true results intended from the trade pact.

We are not going to see that many new markets opened, new competition and forging of much deeper integration between Sri Lanka and India because of politics of both sides and particularly of politics here (Sri Lanka), he noted.

Prof. Sally, who is also the Chairman of Institute of Policy Studies in Sri Lanka, a State-funded policy think tanknoted that the realizing of the true potential of the agreement is doubtful given the significantly high level of protectionism on the part of India when entering into trade pacts, as already seen from the unresolved non-tariff barriers (NTBs) of the existing Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The current administration and a section of economists appear to believe that the proposed ETCA as a panacea for all economic ills of Sri Lanka. However, they admit that NTBs are a key issue when trading with India.

The defensive mechanisms and the parochial mindset of the Lankans could also weigh on the proposed agreements intended results.

While agreeing that Sri Lanka needs to forge better economic links across the Palk Strait, given its location, Prof. Sally cast his doubts over the success of the final product because Sri Lankas track record in trade negations remain poor.

The negotiations werent prepared here and certainly the communication with the Sri Lankan public was not done, Prof. Sally told a public seminar in Colombo organized by Advocata Institute, an independent public policy think tank, jointly with the business magazine, Echelon recently. He stressed not just the ETCA, but even the other bi-lateral trade pacts negotiated with China and Singapore, will not result in higher trade and other intended economic outcomes without the fundamental reforms in the economy.

None of them (FTAs) is going to make a serious difference to the Sri Lankan economy at the way it operates. It requires much more fundamental reforms, he added.

He insisted on policy makers to forging better links with the four states of South India.We need much better bi-lateral links with four States of South India in addition to the ETCA negotiations, he said.

However Sri Lanka relations with the government of Tamil Nadu is strained over the alleged violation of human rights of the Tamils in the North and the illegal fishing by the South Indian fishers in Lankan waters risking the livelihoods of the Northern fishing community.

Prof. Sally, who is a classical liberal economist, was of the view that Sri Lankan businesses should plug themselves into the South Indian supply chains to make use of those links as a springboard to reach global markets.

But there is a significantly higher trade imbalance between the two countries. Trade data between the two countries for 2015 showed Sri Lanka had imported US $ 4.3 billion worth of goods from India while exporting only US $ 643 million worth of goods to India.

Prof. Sally also said Sri Lanka must invite the first tier, highly respected South Indian business houses to learn from their best practices and create competition in the local market, which is now dominated by a few who do not want competition.

We need more competition and best practice among first tier Indian business houses starting with South Indian business houses like Murugappa in Chennai. This is precisely what Sri Lanka needs and that should be a platform for better Sri Lankan companies to go global, he remarked.

Speaking about the movement of people under ETCA, which is now under negotiation, Professor Sally welcomed the move and said Sri Lanka needs Indian professionals to overcome mediocrity in the local talent pool.

In reality, we need Indian professionals in Sri Lanka. We need professionals and intellectuals from all over the world partly to overcome the mediocrity of those who are in commanding heights in business in Sri Lanka.
False report sends police to McDonald's

COLUMBUS  Columbus Police detained a male subject Wednesday evening after receiving a telephone call reporting a man with a gun at the local McDonald's.

Police said the subject was taken to the police station for questioning and later released when it was determined the call shortly after 6:30 p.m. was a false report.

Officer Scott Hanis said the incident remains under investigation.

Detention Center

The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility Tuesday was 67, with 44 from Platte County and 23 from out of county.

Police

Dec. 15

9:47 p.m.  In the 4300 block of 23rd Street, Davis Harrington, 22, 2211 24th St., was cited for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving.

Dec. 23

7:19 p.m.  At the intersection of 15th Street and 23rd Avenue, Mary Crumley, 63, 3715 18th St., was cited for a traffic signal violation.

Dec. 25

12:34 a.m.  At 2666 Prairie Place, Karell Rodriguez-Alvarez, 34, 2666 Prairie Place, was cited for third-degree domestic assault.

Dec. 27

12:09 p.m.  At the intersection of 45th Avenue and 23rd Street, traffic accident. Drivers were Amanda Novak, 18, 2021 26th St., and Duane Klein, 60, Fremont.

Dec. 28

12:30 p.m.  Criminal mischief at 2904 18th St., vehicle vandalized, $150 loss.

7:11 p.m.  Theft at 2121 25th St., $45 cash stolen.

Sheriff

Dec. 23

8:50 a.m.  On Highway 39, 3.5 miles north of St. Edward, a vehicle driven by Heather Colby, 28, Monroe, lost control and went into a ditch.

Dec. 27

1:14 a.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 22 and 310th Street, Marjie Briscoe of Madison cited for speeding.

Dec. 28

2:45 p.m.  Wanted person at the Platte County Courthouse, 2610 14th St., Morgan Fajman jailed on a Platte County warrant.

11:38 p.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 91 and 310th Avenue, Brent Podliskia of Madison cited for speeding.

11:49 p.m.  Theft at 23179 287th St. in Platte Center, $150 loss.

Fire

Dec. 27

8:57 a.m.  In the 2400 block of 29th Avenue, medical.

2:02 p.m.  On Cottonwood Drive, medical.

7:15 p.m.  In the 2200 block of 22nd Street, medical.

11:30 p.m.  In the 2200 block of 22nd Street, medical.

Dec. 28

12:08 a.m.  In the 2600 block of 18th Avenue, medical.

2 a.m.  In the 2800 block of 40th Avenue, medical.

9:49 a.m. - In the 3700 block of Lakeview Lane, medical

11:11 a.m. - In the 2600 block of Ninth Street, medical.

1:57 p.m. - In the 2200 block of 22nd Street, medical.

10:01 p.m. - Fire alarm in the 600 block of South 32nd Avenue.

10:22 p.m. - In the 4000 block of 38th Street, medical.

10:50 p.m. - In the 1500 block of 24th Avenue, medical.
LINCOLN  People acquitted of crimes or whose charges are dropped will have their Nebraska court records automatically sealed beginning in 2017.

The sweeping change, which will affect tens of thousands of cases each year, was approved by the Legislature in April at the request of an association representing the state's criminal defense attorneys.

Under the law, which takes effect Sunday, state courts will begin immediately sealing records of cases that end with a not guilty verdict or are dismissed for other reasons, unless they are the subject of an ongoing appeal.

Anyone whose record is sealed may also answer "no" on job applications when asked if they've ever been charged with a crime, assuming they don't have other charges that aren't sealed.

"It's as if it never happened, which is exactly what it should be," said Muirne Heaney, an attorney with Legal Aid of Nebraska.

The change is a "huge deal" for low-income people, Heaney said.

"Because, No. 1, they're policed more, and more likely to be arrested for things that don't stick. And yet they've got this record which would interfere with entry-level employment."

Allowing job seekers to omit the charges from applications will help them get work, she said.

The change applies to cases that end in acquittal, are dropped by prosecutors, resolved through drug court or another problem-solving court or dismissed following a hearing and not the subject of a pending appeal.

Cases dismissed before 2017 won't be expunged automatically. But Heaney believes judges may apply the new law to older records on an individual, as-requested basis.

She is working on "self-help" forms for people seeking to have past cases removed from the public record, citing the new law as justification. The forms will be available at Legal Aid locations in Lincoln and Omaha.

It's unclear exactly how many people will be affected, but the number is significant.

Nebraska courts take on more than 300,000 new cases per year, although state Supreme Court officials couldn't immediately provide data on how many end without convictions.

Police arrest records must already be withheld from the public if a person is never charged or has his or her case dismissed, under a 2007 bill by state Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha.

The new law expands to include records found in the state's online court database, known as Justice, as well as printed copies in courthouses across Nebraska, said Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, who sponsored the more recent legislation (LB505).

The court records will still exist, but once they are sealed, they can't be shared with the public unless the subject allows it, is being prosecuted, jailed or imprisoned or is an announced candidate or holder of public office.

Information also may be used for research or statistical purposes as long as the individual isn't publicly identified.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said Thursday that prosecutors and law enforcement agencies are waiting to see how the law affects their investigations.

Even without a conviction, a person's court records can be valuable to investigators, for example, when charges are dropped against cooperating witnesses, he said.

While prosecutors can still request that information, it's unclear how difficult the process will be.

"Well just see how it works," Kleine said.

Other concerns were raised when the change was proposed in 2015.

Alan Peterson, a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, called a majority of the bill "terrific" but worried about letting people who have been accused of crimes swear they never were.

Employers and other officials are prohibited from asking about sealed records during an application process, but if the question is asked anyway, the person "may respond as if the offense never occurred," the law says.

"I don't know of any place where federal or state law tells somebody they can directly lie about something," Peterson told members of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee.

Media of Nebraska, which represents news outlets including the Lincoln Journal Star, was neutral on the bill.

There might be public interest in knowing about cases even if they end in acquittal, said Korby Gilbertson, a Media of Nebraska lobbyist. To some extent, the law allows people to rewrite history, she said.

"It's a balancing of interests, there's no question about that," said Kim Dunovan, a retired Omaha attorney who crafted the bill with the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorney's Association.

But the stigma from an arrest record "weighs heavily" on people's ability to get a job or find a rental home, she said, especially now that the internet has made those records easier to find.

A majority of states offer some privacy protection for people who are legally innocent of a crime, Dunovan said. Some even allow for sealing records of convictions in nonviolent cases, including certain felonies.

Said Heaney: "I think Nebraska is late to this game."

Other law changes that take effect Sunday include:

Gas tax increase

Nebraska's tax on motor fuels will go up 1.5 cents, to 27.2 cents per gallon, because of a 2015 legislative bill that increases the tax 6 cents over a four-year period. The bill, LB610, was sponsored by Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion.

Homestead exemptions

Veterans' surviving spouses can keep their homestead exemptions even if they remarry after age 57 under a bill (LB683) sponsored by Omaha Sen. Joni Craighead.

Surgical first assistants

Trained assistants who are not surgeons can become licensed to help with surgeries under a bill (LB721) sponsored by Sen. Roy Baker of Lincoln.

Online accounts upon death

A process is now in place for Nebraskans to designate how their old online accounts (Facebook, email, etc.) should be handled when they die under a bill (LB829) sponsored by Omaha Sen. Burke Harr.

Consumer protection

Minors will be better protected from identity theft with new requirements for consumer reporting agencies under a bill (LB835) sponsored by Omaha Sen. Heath Mello at the request of Attorney General Doug Peterson.

State rules and regulations

A bill (LB867) sponsored by the Legislature's Performance Audit Committee ensures state agencies follow the formal rules and regulations process, which includes public notice and a hearing, when adopting policies that affect people's lives.
The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California Inc., AHN Accountable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS  Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASC Operators-East Bay LLC, ASC Operators-San Francisco LLC, ASC Operators-San Luis Obispo LLC, ASC Operators-Santa Rosa LLC, ASC Operators-South Bay LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Cornerstone LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Florida LLC, AbleTo Behavioral Health Services P.C., AbleTo Inc., Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting LLC, Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A.S., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Center LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Allina Health Heart and Vascular Surgery Center LLC, Allina Health Surgery Center-Brooklyn Park LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Holdings Inc., AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Kentucky LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, American Physicians Inc., Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Angiografia e Hemodinamica Madre Theodora Ltda., Anne Arundel-SCA Holdings LLC, Anne Arundel-SCA Surgicenter LLC, Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arcadia JV Holdings LLC, Arcadia Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., ArchWell Health LLC, ArchWell Health MSO LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services Holding Co., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Alabama LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services of North Carolina P.C., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Oklahoma LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Arizona LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Nebraska LLC, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., Arlington Surgery Center LLC, Aspectus Inc., Associacao Lusiadas Knowledge Center  Health Education and Research, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Aurora Hospitalist P.C., Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Aventura Medical Tower Surgery Center LLC, Avery Parent Holdings Inc., Aveta Inc., AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, BOSC Holdings LLC, BSC Holdings LLC, Ball Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Banmedica Colombia S.A.S., Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Barranca Surgery Center LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings II LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings LLC, Beaver Medical Group P.C., Bedford Physicians Risk Retention Group Inc., Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Beltway Surgery Centers L.L.C., Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Bergan Mercy Surgery Center LLC, Bergen-Passaic Cataract Laser and Surgery Center LLC, Bessler MD PLLC, Bind Benefits Inc., Bind LH Holdings Inc., Bind Re Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Bloomfield ASC LLC, Blue Ridge Day Surgery Center L.P., Blue Ridge GP LLC, Blue Ridge Properties LLC, Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery & Laser Center LTD., Bordeaux Barbados Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings III S.r.l., Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, CCEC Anesthesia Management LLC, CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA  Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO  Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS  Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos Ltda., COI  Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill Ambulatory Centers, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardinal Holding Company LLC, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Care Logistics LLC, CareMount Dental Member LLC, CareMount Health Solutions ACO LLC, CareMount Health Solutions Employer LLC, CareMount Health Solutions LLC, CareMount Holding LLC, CareMount Medical Foundation Inc., CareMount Value Partners IPA LLC, Carr PLLC, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Castle Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran 2 Unlimited Company, Catamaran Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Cedar Park JV Partners LLC, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care  Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Center for Quality Improvement LLC, Center for Restorative Surgery at Maple Grove LLC, Center for Surgery of North Coast L.P., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, CentriHealth Corporation, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro de Entrenamiento Capacitacion en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada, Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica SpA, Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centura-SCA Holdings LLC, Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Surgery Properties LTD., Charlotte-SC LLC, Chatham Orthopaedic ASC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Claims Management Systems Inc., Cleburne Surgical Center LLC, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinton Partners LLC, Clinica Alameda SpA, Clinica Bio Bio SpA, Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.p.A., Clinica Iquique S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica Portoazul S.A., Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.p.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A.S., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Cobranzas Banmedica SpA, Cogent Healthcare IPA of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare Inc., Cogent Healthcare Management of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Arizona P.C., Cogent Healthcare of California Prof. Corp., Cogent Healthcare of Georgia P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Illinois LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Iowa P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Jackson MS LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Jacksonville LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Missouri Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Montana P.C., Cogent Healthcare of New Jersey P.C., Cogent Healthcare of North Carolina P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Oregon P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Pensacola L.L.C., Cogent Healthcare of Tennessee P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Washington P.C., Cogent Medical Care P.C., Cogent Patient Safety Organization Inc., Cogent/Endion Medical Care of New York P.C., Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada S.A., Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Comprehensive Hospital Physicians of Florida Inc., ConnectYourCare Inc., ConnectYourCare LLC, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Consorcio Regenero S.A., Constructora Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Continuum Physicians Group Inc., Continuum Physicians Group of Washington PLLC, Cornell Surgicenter LLC, Cornerstone Surgery Center LLC, Cornerstone Surgicare LLC, Corpus Christi Endoscopy Center L.L.P., Country Scan Ltda., Critical Care Physician of New York P.C., Critical Care Physicians of Illinois LLC, Critical Care Physicians of New Jersey PC, Critical Care Physicians of Pennsylvania P.C., Cross Timbers Surgery Center LLC, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DSP Flint Real Estate LLC, DSP-Building C LLC, DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., Dallas Inpatient Specialist PLLC, Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Denton Endoscopy Surgery Center LLC, Denton Surgery Center LLC, Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Digestive Disease Center L.P., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Blocker LLC, Diplomat Corporate Properties LLC, Diplomat Pharmacy, Diplomat Pharmacy Inc., Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Great Lakes Distribution Center LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Chicago LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Los Angeles County LLC, Distance Learning Network Inc., Divisadero Holdings LLC, DocASAP Inc., DocASAP India Technologies Private Limited, DocASAP US LLC, Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duluth Surgical Suites LLC, Durable Medical Equipment Inc., E Street Endoscopy LLC, EM Orange Tree LLC, EP Campus I LLC, EPIC Health Plan, EPIC Management Services LLC, East Bay Endoscopy Center L.P., East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Echo Locum Tenens Inc., Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Emerald Coast Surgery Center L.P., Emisar Pharma Services LLC, Emmaus Holdings LLC, Emmaus Surgical Center LLC, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Empremedica S. A., Endion Hospitalist North P.C., Endion Hospitalist of Western New York P.C., Endion Medical Healthcare P.C., Endion Medical Services P.C., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho  Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Everett MSO Inc., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center L.L.C., Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., Eye Specialists Surgery Centers LLC, FMG Holdings LLC, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice Inc., Ferrell Physician Services P.C., Fideicomiso Clinica Barranquilla Portoazul FA-517, First Coast Orthopedic Center LLC, First Family Insurance LLC, Florence Surgery Center L.P., For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fort Sutter Medical Building a California Limited Partnership, Fort Worth Endoscopy Centers LLC, Fortified Provider Network Inc., Foundation Surgery Affiliate General of Huntingdon Valley LLC, Foundation Surgery Affiliate of Huntingdon Valley L.P., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GLBESC LLC, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology Canada Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Gladiolus Surgery Center L.L.C., Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Global One Ventures LLC, Golden Gate Endoscopy Center LLC, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grandview Surgery Center LTD., Greater New Haven ASC LLC, Greensboro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Greenville Surgery Center LLC, Greenway Surgical Suites LLC, Grossmont Surgery Center L.P., Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., H&W Indemnity SPC Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HFHS-SCA Holdings LLC, HMG Holding Corporation, HMG Holdings LLC, HMP of Baltimore  USH P.C., Harken Health Insurance Company, Harrison Endo Surgical Center LLC, Hawthorn Place Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hays JV Partners LLC, Hays Surgery Center LLC, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Affiliates Medical Group, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthEast Surgery Center-Maplewood LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Healthplex America LLC, Healthplex Dental Services Inc., Healthplex I.P.A. Inc., Healthplex Inc., Healthplex Insurance Company, Healthplex of CT Inc., Healthplex of DC Inc., Healthplex of MD Inc., Healthplex of ME Inc., Healthplex of NC Inc., Healthplex of NJ Inc., Healthplex of TX Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help Seguros de Vida S.A., Help Service S.A., Help SpA, Hemonefro  Hemodialise e Nefrologia Ltda, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Medical S.A., Honodav SpA, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of Broome County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Binghamton P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Buffalo P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Newburgh P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Nyack P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Patchogue P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Goodyear Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Nogales Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Sierra Vista Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Buncombe County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Apple Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Bakersfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Camarillo PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Crescent City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fairfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fremont PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Grass Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Jackson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oceanside PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oxnard PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Salinas PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Leandro PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Sonoma PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Thousand Oaks PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Vacaville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Brighton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Denver PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Manchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Rockville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Wallingford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Palm Coast LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Fredericksburg LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Atlanta PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - East Point PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Lavonia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Savannah PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii - Kealakekua Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho - Nampa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Downers Grove LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Elmhurst LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Rockford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Winfield LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Clinton LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Mishawaka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Terre Haute LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Cedar Rapids PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Mason City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Topeka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Alexandria Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Bossier City Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Lake Charles Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Shreveport Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Bangor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Lewiston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cheverly PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cumberland PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Frederick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Laurel PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Rockville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Brockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Dorchester PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Framingham PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Holyoke PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Natick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Norwood PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Springfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Stoughton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Taunton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Worcester PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Alpena PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Dowagiac PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Escanaba PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grand Blanc PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grayling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Kalamazoo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Plainwell PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Port Huron PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Saginaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Tawas City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Bridgeton Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Richmond Heights Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Billings PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Butte PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Miles City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Missoula PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Multiple Practice Sites LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada  TCG Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada  TCS Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - Hackensack PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - Paterson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - Clovis LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - Rio Rancho LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New York PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Burlington PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Clyde PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Elizabeth City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Jacksonville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - New Bern PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Rocky Mount PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Dakota  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Dakota  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Akron Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Batavia Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Canton Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati III Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Circleville Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Dover Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - East Liverpool Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Fairfield Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Martins Ferry Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Westerville Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Youngstown Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio  TCG Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio  TCS Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oklahoma - Oklahoma City LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oklahoma  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oklahoma  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oregon - Portland PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oregon  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oregon  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Pennsylvania P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Pennsylvania  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Pennsylvania  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Rhode Island  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Rhode Island  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Richland County Ltd., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of San Luis Obispo County Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina - Aiken LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina - Rock Hill LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Dakota  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Dakota  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee  Columbia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee  Franklin PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Amarillo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Atlanta PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Austin II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Austin PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Bryan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Burnet PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Corpus Christi II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Corpus Christi PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Cypress PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Dallas PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fort Worth II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fort Worth PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fredericksburg PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Houston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Humble PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Kerrville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Kyle PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Livingston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Lubbock PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Lufkin PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Mount Pleasant PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Plainview PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Rockwall PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Round Rock PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio IV PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio V PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VI PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VII PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Marcos PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Texarkana PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Tyler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Alexandria LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Mechanicsville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Midlothian LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Winchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Arlington PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Auburn PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bellingham PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bremerton PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Burien PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Coupeville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Enumclaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Federal Way PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Gig Harbor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Lakewood PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Mount Vernon PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Puyallup PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Vancouver PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington County LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  Martinsburg PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  South Charleston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  Wheeling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wisconsin Ltd., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming - Casper LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCS LLC, Hospitalists Management Group LLC, Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation Ontario, IEC Holdings LLC, IHD Holdings LLC, INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, Illinois Independent Care Network LLC, Imagen Technologies Inc., Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., InTouch Pharmacy LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Indiana Endoscopy Centers LLC, Inland Surgery Center L.P., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inpatient Services P.C., Inpatient Specialists of California P.C., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Instituto Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, Inter-Hospital Physicians Association Inc., International Healthcare Services Inc., Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria SpA, Ironman Holdco Inc., Ironman Intermediate Holdco LLC, Isapre Banmedica S.A., JPM Healthcare LLC, Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Jordan Ridge Family Medicine LLC, Joyable Inc., Kansal Inc. A Professional Corporation, Knox Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Kokomo Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, LDI Holding Company LLC, LDI Management Services LLC, LGH-A/Golf ASTC L.L.C., LHC Group, La Esperanza del Peru S.A., Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Landmark Group Holdings LLC, Landmark Health Holdings LLC, Landmark Health LLC, Landmark Health NY IPA LLC, Landmark Health NY PO LLC, Landmark Health Technologies Private Limited, Landmark Health of California LLC, Landmark Health of Massachusetts LLC, Landmark Health of North Carolina LLC, Landmark Health of Oregon LLC, Landmark Health of Pennsylvania LLC, Landmark Health of Washington LLC, Landmark India LLC, Landmark Intermediate Holdings LLC, Landmark MSO LLC, Landmark Medical of Idaho PC, Landmark Medical of Massachusetts PLLC, Landmark Medical of Tennessee PC, Landmark Primary Care LLC, Laser Acquisition Holdings III LLC, Leehar Distributors LLC, Lemhi Ventures Fund I LP, Lemhi Ventures Fund II LP, Level2 Medical Services P.C. Alaska, Lexington Surgery Center Ltd., Liberty Anesthesia Services LLC, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeWell. Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Limestone Medical Center LLC, Litomedica S.A., Logan Surgical Suites LLC, Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook L.P., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas Algarve S.A., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., Lutheran Campus ASC LLC, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC, MCNA Insurance Company, MCNA Systems Corp., MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, Main Line Spine Surgery Center LLC, Managed Care of North America Inc., Managed Physical Network Inc., Mansfield Endoscopy Center LLC, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care IPA Inc., March Vision Care Inc., March Vision Care of Texas Inc., Marin Health Ventures LLC, Marin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Marlin Holding Company LLC, Maryland Ambulatory Centers LLC, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, McKenzie Surgery Center L.P., MedExpress Primary Care West Virginia Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services LLC, Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memorial Houston Surgery Center LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Saddleback LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management Ltd., Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center LLC, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Medical Plaza L.C., Mobile Medical Services of New Jersey PC, Mobile-SC LTD., Modality Accountable Care Organisation Limited, Moen M.D. P.C., Mohawk Surgery Center LLC, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Monument Health LLC, Moore Orthopaedic Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Morris County Surgical Center LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Murrells Inlet ASC LLC, Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings Inc., NPN IPA Washington PLLC, NSC Channel Islands LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Greensboro West LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Naperville Surgical Centre LLC, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Navigator Health Inc., Nebraska Spine Hospital LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., New York Proton Management LLC, Newton Holdings LLC, Niagara Hospitalist P.C., Nomad Buyer Inc., North American Medical Management California Inc., North Coast Surgery Center Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, North Dallas Surgical Center LLC, North Kitsap Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgery Center L.P., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northern Utah Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Hills JV Partners LLC, Northwest Medical Group Alliance LLC, Northwest Spine and Laser Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OCC MSO LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Lda., Omesa SpA, OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., One World Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Dallas LLC, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Networks Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Care of New York Management Inc., Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Compounding Services LLC, Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Direct To Consumer Inc., Optum Financial Inc., Optum Frontier Therapies Holdings LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies II LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies LLC, Optum Genomics Inc., Optum Global Solutions Colombia S.A.S., Optum Global Solutions India Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Global Solutions Philippines Inc., Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners Holdings Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings US Inc., Optum Health & Technology Hong Kong Limited, Optum Health & Technology India Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health & Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology US LLC, Optum Health Plan of California, Optum Health Services Canada Ltd., Optum Health Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions UK Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 200 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 204 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 209 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 305 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 402 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 500 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 550 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 551 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 553 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 554 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs LLC, Optum Life Sciences Canada Inc., Optum Management Consulting Shanghai Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Operations Ireland Unlimited Company, Optum Oregon MSO LLC, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharma Services Holdings Inc., Optum Pharmacy 601 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 700 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 704 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 706 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 707 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 800 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 803 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 805 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 806 Inc., Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket LLC, Optum SCA CS JV Holdings LLC, Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Services Ireland Limited, Optum Services Puerto Rico LLC, Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Venture Global Partners II LP, Optum Venture Global Partners LP, Optum Venture Partners II LP, Optum Venture Partners III LP, Optum Venture Partners LP, Optum Washington Network LLC, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare ACO West LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare Portland LLC, OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumCare Specialty Practices LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Oregon Healthcare Resources LLC, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the South Inc., OrthoWest MSO LLC, Orthology Inc., Orthopedic Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopedic Surgery Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopro Management LLC, Ovations Inc., Owensboro Ambulatory Surgical Facility Ltd., Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans CT Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, Oxford Health Plans NJ Inc., Oxford Health Plans NY Inc., P2P Link LLC, PCCCV Inc., PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PPH Management Company L.L.C., PPH-Columbia Inc., PPH-Gardendale Inc., PS Center LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., Pacific Cardiovascular Associates Medical Group Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Panama City Surgery Center LLC, Park Hill Surgery Center LLC, Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Patient Care Associates L.L.C., PatientsLikeMe, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peninsula Eye Surgery Center LLC, Penzo Enterprises LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Perham Physical Therapy LTD, Perimeter Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Pharmaceutical Technologies LLC, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians' Surgery Center of Downey LLC, Pinnacle III LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings Inc., Pocono Ambulatory Surgery Center Limited, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Practice Partners in Healthcare LLC, Preferred Care Network Inc., Preferred Care Network of Florida Inc., Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., PreferredOne, PreferredOne Administrative Services Inc., PreferredOne Insurance Company, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Premiere Medical Resources LLC, Presidio Surgery Center LLC, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., PrimeDoc St. Francis P.C., PrimeDoc of Richmond P.C., ProHEALTH Care Associates L.L.P., ProHEALTH Care Associates of New Jersey LLP, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, ProHealth/CareMount Dental Management LLC, Procura Management Inc., Professional Coverage Services PLLC, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical LLC, Promotora Country S.A., Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Benefits Management LLC, Prospero Care Management LLC, Prospero Management Services LLC, Providence & SCA Development LLC, Providence & SCA Off-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA On-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA Outreach Markets Holdings LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., R Cubed Inc., RABessler M.D. P.C., ROC Surgery LLC, ROCS Holdings LLC, RX Ricardo Campos Ltda., Rally Health Inc., ReMedics LLC, Real Appeal Inc., Redding Surgery Center LLC, Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Reliant Medical Group Inc., Reliant Medical Group The Endoscopy Center LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, Resonancia Magnetica de Colombia Ltda., Resonancia Magnetica del Country S.A., RightCare Solutions Inc., River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Robert A. Bessler MD PLLC, Rockville Eye Surgery Center LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center LLC, SC Affiliates LLC, SCA AHN JV Holdings LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA Austin Medical Center Holdings LLC, SCA Aventura Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA Bloomfield Holdings LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Colorado Springs Holdings LLC, SCA Community Service Foundation, SCA Cottonwood Holdings LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Denver Holdings LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA Duluth Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville MSO LLC, SCA ESSC Holdings LLC, SCA Englewood Holdings LLC, SCA Global One Holdings LLC, SCA Greenway Holdings LLC, SCA Grove Creek Holdings LLC, SCA Guilford Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Health Value Enterprise LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA High Point Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Lutheran Holdings LLC, SCA Maple Grove Holdings LLC, SCA Mohawk Holdings LLC, SCA Murrells Inlet LLC, SCA Northern Utah Holdings LLC, SCA Northwest Holdings LLC, SCA Outside New Jersey LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pacific Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Palisades Holdings LLC, SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Pinnacle Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA Providence Holdings LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA Rush Oak Brook Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA San Diego Holdings LLC, SCA Skyway Holdings LLC, SCA South Ogden Holdings LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Specialty Holdings of Connecticut LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA West Health Holdings LLC, SCA Westgreen Holdings LLC, SCA Woodbury Holdings LLC, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colonial Partners LLC, SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Glenwood Holdings LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Memorial LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Morris Avenue LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Panama City Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-VLR Holdings Company LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCLHS-SCA Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SJ East Campus ASC LLC, SRPS LLC, SSSC Holdings LLC, SVHS-SCA Florida JV LLC, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Sage Medical Prof. LLC, Salem JV Holdings LLC, Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., San Diego Endoscopy Center, San Diego Sports and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center LLC, San Francisco Endoscopy Center LLC, San Luis Obispo Surgery Center a California Limited Partnership, Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Barbara Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santa Rosa Surgery Center L.P., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Sanvello Health Holdings LLC, Sanvello Health Inc., Sanvello Health Limited, Scanner Centromed S.A., Seashore Surgical Institute L.L.C., Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Serquinox Holdings LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Ltda., Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Ltda., Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., Serviclinica Inmobiliaria S.A., Serviclinica S.A. Ex Los Leones La Calera, Servisalud Inmobiliaria S.A., Servisalud S.A. Ex Los Carrera Quilpue, Shark Holdings P.C., Sierra Dental Plan Inc., Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria SpA, Solstice Administration Services Inc., Solstice Administrators Inc., Solstice Administrators of Alabama Inc., Solstice Administrators of Arizona Inc., Solstice Administrators of Missouri Inc., Solstice Administrators of North Carolina Inc., Solstice Administrators of Texas Inc., Solstice Benefit Services Inc., Solstice Benefits Inc., Solstice Health Insurance Company, Solstice Healthplans Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Arizona Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Colorado Inc., Solstice Healthplans of New Jersey Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Ohio Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Tennessee Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Texas Inc., Solstice of Illinois Inc., Solstice of Minnesota Inc., Solstice of New York Inc., Solutran LLC, Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Sound Inpatient Physicians Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Medical Group Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians of Ohio LLC, Sound Inpatient Physicians of Texas I Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians  Michigan PLLC, Sound Intensivists of Nevada RBessler M.D. PLLC, Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati Inc., Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati LLC, Sound Physicians Advisory Services Inc., Sound Physicians Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, Sound Physicians Anesthesiology of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Georgia P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kansas LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kentucky PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Louisiana Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Michigan PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Nevada Bessler PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Southern California P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of West Virginia PLLC, Sound Physicians Holdings LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Intensivists of Georgia PC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Virginia LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Palliative Care of Maryland P.C., Sound Physicians Telemedicine Inc., Sound Physicians of Florida IV LLC, Sound Physicians of Georgia III P.C., Sound Physicians of Hawaii Inc., Sound Physicians of Idaho PLLC, Sound Physicians of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Indiana LLC, Sound Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Sound Physicians of Kankakee Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Massachusetts II P.C., Sound Physicians of Massachusetts Inc., Sound Physicians of New Jersey LLC, Sound Physicians of New York PLLC, Sound Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Sound Physicians of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians of Wyoming LLC, South Arlington Surgical Providers LLC, South County Surgical Center LLC, South Sound Inpatient Physicians PLLC, Southern California Medical Practice Concepts LLC, Southland Hospitalists P.C., Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center LLC, Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Spartanburg Surgery Center LLC, Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits LLC, Specialty Billing Solutions LLC, Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy Inc., St. Cloud Outpatient Surgery Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Cardiovascular Institute LLC, St. Louis Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Stonegate JV Partners LLC, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Summer Street ASC LLC, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Cottonwood LLC, Surgery Center at Grove Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center at South Ogden LLC, Surgery Center at St. Vincent LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Fairfield County LLC, Surgery Center of Fort Collins LLC, Surgery Center of Lexington LLC, Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Mt. Scott LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Caregivers of Fort Worth LLC, Surgical Center of Greensboro LLC, Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Eye Experts LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgical Management Solutions LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Central Jersey LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Jackson Ltd. a Mississippi Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Minneapolis Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Mobile Ltd., Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, T.M. Carr M.D. P.C., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., THR-SCA Holdings LLC, TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologia de Informacion en Salud S.A., Texas Health Craig Ranch Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Flower Mound Orthopedic Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Orthopedic Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Bedford LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Chisholm Trail LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Irving LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Preston Plaza LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Rockwall LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Southwest Fort Worth LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Waxahachie LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Willow Park LLC, The Advisory Board Company, The Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Eye Surgery Center of the Carolinas L.P., The Intensivist Group of Langhorne LLC, The Lewin Group Inc., The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, The Surgery Center of Easton L.P., The Surgical Center of Connecticut LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Trauma Surgery Affiliates LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, Treasure Valley Emerald Properties LLC, Treasure Valley Hospital Limited Partnership, Tri-City Medical Center ASC Operators LLC, Tri-County Surgery Center LLC, Trinity Cardiovascular Care PLLC, Tufts Health Freedom Insurance Company, Tufts Health Freedom Plans Inc., Tuscaloosa Surgical Center L.P., U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UCSD Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas L.P., UCSD Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings I LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings II LLC, UHC Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings Ireland Limited, UHCG Services Ireland Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHG Holdings UK IV Limited, UHG Holdings UK V Limited, UHG Holdings UK VI Limited, UHIC Holdings Inc., UMR Inc., UPHT-SCA Holdings LLC, USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors LLC, USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD ASC IV1 LLC, USMD ASC IV2 LLC, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Hospital at Arlington L.P., USMD Hospital at Fort Worth L.P., USMD Inc., USMD PPM LLC, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Medical Park ASC LLC, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., United in Advancing Health Equity Foundation, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Employee Assistance Fund, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group International Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service Beijing Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Medical UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of America, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Parekh Insurance TPA Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Rockies Inc., Unity Health Network LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, VPay Benefits Corporation, VPay Inc., VPay Intermediate Holdings LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vascular Labs of the Rockies ASC LLC, Vascular Labs of the Rockies PLLC, Via Vitae MSO LLC, Vida Integra S.p.A., Vida Tres S.A., Virtua-SCA Holdings II LLC, Virtua-SCA Holdings LLC, Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wake Forest Ambulatory Ventures LLC, Walnut Creek Endoscopy Center LLC, Walnut Hill Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center LLC, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., Waypoint Minnesota PC, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, WestHealth JV Holdings LLC, WestHealth Surgery Center LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, Westgreen Surgical Center LLC, Wilson Creek Surgical Center LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, Winter Park Surgery Center L.P., Woodbury Surgery Center LLC, XAS Infusion Suites Inc., XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, divvyDOSE, divvyMED LLC, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative Inc., naviHealth Care at Home LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care SC P.C., naviHealth Holdings LLC, naviHealth Inc., naviHealth Michigan HBPC P.C., and naviHealth SM Holdings Inc..

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First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments. The company also underwrites bank-eligible securities and other fixed-income securities eligible for underwriting by financial subsidiaries; sells loans and derivatives; and offers advisory services. In addition, it offers various services, such as mortgage banking; title insurance and loan-closing; brokerage; correspondent banking; nationwide check clearing and remittance processing; trust, fiduciary, and agency; equipment finance; and investment and financial advisory services. Further, the company sells mutual fund and retail insurance products; and credit cards. It operates approximately 500 banking offices in 22 states under the First Horizon Bank brand; and 400 banking centers in 12 states under the FHN Financial brand in the United States. The company was formerly known as First Horizon National Corporation and changed its name to First Horizon Corporation in November 2020. First Horizon Corporation was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases. It also provides credit cards and payments; real estate secured lending, auto finance, and consumer lending services; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, and advice to retail and institutional clients through direct investing, advice-based, and asset management businesses; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking products and services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to corporations, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,061 branches and 3,381 automated teller machines (ATMs) in Canada, and 1,148 stores and 2,701 ATMs in the United States, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. It has a strategic alliance with Canada Post Corporation. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY  South Sioux City is planning to reroute more industrial sewage away from a neighborhood that has been afflicted with sewer gas for the past three months.

The city will begin a $60,000 project this week to keep waste from two facilities from traveling east by adjusting two blocks of sewer line near the neighborhood.

The sewage, originating from Archer Daniels Midland Animal Nutrition and Bimbo Bakeries, will instead travel north and return to the lines it flowed through before the city performed a multimillion-dollar project in August that rerouted the sewage east.

About 10 families in the five-block area are still staying in hotels after residents were driven from their homes in October due to potentially toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, which was originally tied to Big Ox Energy. Big Ox is a renewable fuels plant that shared a sewer line with the residences, going online around the same time the strong odors developed.

City officials said tests show hydrogen sulfide levels are back to normal, but that odors persist. The city's latest testing on Dec. 24 suggested there may be one culprit for the odor.

"Sampling results have shown H2S odors from other sources than the Roth Industrial Park (where Big Ox is located). Further investigation is underway to determine the source and extent of the issue," the city said.

Displaced resident Mike Klassen said he's concerned that the waste might just be pushed on to a different residential area, and that there still may be other harmful gases in his home.

"I'm not convinced that I have any H2S in my house, but I'm convinced that there's something horrible when I go in there," he said.

The city said they will monitor hydrogen sulfide gas in the area, and have been adding hydrogen peroxide into the line in order to treat the gas.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE), an S&P 500<sup></sup> urban office real estate investment trust ("REIT"), is the first, longest-tenured, and pioneering owner, operator, and developer uniquely focused on collaborative life science, technology, and agtech campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, with a total market capitalization of $31.9 billion as of December 31, 2020, and an asset base in North America of 49.7 million square feet ("SF"). The asset base in North America includes 31.9 million RSF of operating properties and 3.3 million RSF of Class A properties undergoing construction, 7.1 million RSF of near-term and intermediate-term development and redevelopment projects, and 7.4 million SF of future development projects. Founded in 1994, Alexandria pioneered this niche and has since established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A properties clustered in urban life science, technology, and agtech campuses that provide our innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity, and success. Alexandria also provides strategic capital to transformative life science, technology, and agtech companies through our venture capital platform. We believe our unique business model and diligent underwriting ensure a high-quality and diverse tenant base that results in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns, and greater long-term asset value.
The United States has unleashed a number of sanctions as well as punitive measures against Russia amidst allegations it engaged in cyber hacking during the recent presidential campaign in the U.S.

This action put pressure on U.S. president-elect Donald Trump not to lift the sanctions after taking office on January 20.

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alerts:

The government of Russia threatened some type of retaliation and has continued denying the accusations made by the U.S. that it hacked as well as stole emails in an attempt to help Trump to victory.

Trump said U.S. officials should move forward, but as a sign he might not be completely brushing the allegations off, he planned a meeting with leaders of U.S. intelligence next week so he can learn more.

One month following an election that the U.S. said Russia attempted to sway to go in Trumps favor, on Thursday President Obama sanctioned the FSB and GRU, the leading intelligence agencies in Russia that the U.S. claims were involved.

In a response elaborately coordinated by five or more federal agencies, the White House administration sought to expose the cyber tactics of Russia with a report that was detailed and hinted it could still launch its own covert counter measure.

Obama said the U.S. response was not complete and that it could take further action that could be covert, which was a thinly veiled threat to a counterstrike via cyberspace that was being considered by the U.S.

However, Trump could easily pull back the sanction when he takes office. He has insisted that Democrats and Obama are only trying to delegitimize his win in the election.

At the same time, Dmitry Medvedev the Prime Minister of Russia charged that the White House is immersed in anti-Russia death throes.

The Prime Minister, who focused on the improving of ties between the U.S. and Russia from 2008 to 2012 while president of Russia, has called this new diplomatic breach a sad one in a post on Twitter Friday morning.

Part of the sanctions leveled against Russia was the kicking out by U.S. officials of 35 diplomats from Russia in response to the harassment by Russia of U.S. diplomats.

In addition, Russian recreational areas in Maryland and New York were shuttered. The U.S. says those compounds were used by intelligence agencies from Russia.

This was the strongest action taken by the Obama administration to date in retaliation for the cyberattack and was more comprehensive that sanctions imposed last year on North Korea following its hack of Sony Pictures.
The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hemmelrath International Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Karl Woerwag Lack-und Farbenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holdings Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, Milamar Coatings LLC, OOO Tikkurila, PPG A P Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc./PPG Revetements Architecturaux Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l, PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG Business Services S.A. de C.V., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cetelon Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG Finland Oy, PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Investment (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Refinish Distribution Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG Reunion SAS, PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Korlatolt FelelosseguTarasasag (PPG Trilak Kft.), PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Tikkurila Oyj, Tikkurila Sverige AB, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, VF Specialty Products LLC, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., VersaFlex Acquisition Corp., VersaFlex Inc., VersaFlex Intermediate Holdings LLC, Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, and Worwag Coatings.

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Varian Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services medical devices and software products for treating cancer and other medical conditions worldwide. It operates through Oncology Systems and Proton Solutions segments. The Oncology Systems segment offers hardware and software products for treating cancer with radiotherapy, fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, artificial intelligence based adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, as well as quality assurance equipment. Its products include linear accelerators, brachytherapy afterloaders, treatment accessories, and quality assurance software; and information management, treatment planning, image processing, clinical knowledge exchange, patient care management, decision-making support, and practice management software. This segment serves university research and community hospitals, private and governmental institutions, healthcare agencies, physicians' offices, medical oncology practices, radiotherapy centers, and cancer care clinics. The Proton Solutions segment designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services products and systems for delivering proton therapy for the treatment of cancer. The company has a strategic agreement with McKesson Corp. to supply treatment delivery systems and planning, services, and radiotherapy information system solutions to its U.S. Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care; and a strategic partnership with Siemens AG to represent Siemens diagnostic imaging products to radiation oncology clinics in the United States and other select markets. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. was formerly known as Varian Associates, Inc. and changed its name to Varian Medical Systems, Inc. in April 1999. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
Argan, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, operations management, maintenance, project development, technical, and consulting services to the power generation and renewable energy markets. The company operates through Power Industry Services, Industrial Fabrication and Field Services, and Telecommunications Infrastructure Services segments. The Power Industry Services segment offers engineering, procurement, and construction contracting services to the owners of alternative energy facilities, such as biomass plants, wind farms, and solar fields; and design, construction, project management, start-up, and operation services for projects with approximately 15 gigawatts of power-generating capacity. This segment serves independent power project owners, public utilities, power plant equipment suppliers, and energy plant construction companies. The Industrial Fabrication and Field Services segment provides industrial field, and pipe and vessel fabrication services for forest products, industrial gas, fertilizer, and mining companies in southeast region of the United States. The Telecommunications Infrastructure Services segment offers trenchless directional boring and excavation for underground communication and power networks, as well as aerial cabling services; and installs buried cable, high and low voltage electric lines, and private area outdoor lighting systems. It also provides structured cabling, terminations, and connectivity that offers the physical transport for high-speed data, voice, video, and security networks. This segment serves state and local government agencies, regional communications service providers, electric utilities, and other commercial customers, as well as federal government facilities comprising cleared facilities in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Argan, Inc. was incorporated in 1961 and is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
Given the timing of this article and the holiday calendar  the last day of December falls on a Saturday  your window of opportunity for improving your 2016 tax situation is closing fast.

Jorgen Vik, a partner with the local financial planning firm SKV Group, says that there is no mercy when it comes to the cutoff date.

The basics on that are if youre going to gift something, it needs to be out of your control by the 31st, he said.

If you are sending a check by mail, it needs to be postmarked December 31st or sooner. Go to the post office and make sure it gets stamped, or send it certified mail; dont leave it in your mailbox on Saturday and hope the postal carrier picks it up.

Fair warning: Lobby hours on Saturday vary from one post office to another. In Charlottesville, only the Seminole Trail site is open  and only from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most surrounding locations offer limited Saturday hours, but the post office in Crozet is closed.

If you are reading this and decide youd like to gift securities, youll need to get a move on.

Financial institutions will not be open on Saturday, Vik warned. Call your advisor today and it may be possible for the firm to complete the gifting for you, but it is really pushing it. All the forms have to be signed; all the letters have to be in. If your advisor is local, it might be better to show up in person.

What can you do if you if thats not an option?

Lets say you have someone who says, Oh, Im so glad I read this article, and calls a broker to sell some stock. The trade wont settle for three business days, so if you want to get the deduction for charity, youd need to do it by cash, Vik said.

Its rather like floating yourself a loan  you give the charity cash or a check by Saturdays Dec. 31 deadline (in person or postmarked), then repay yourself when the sale of securities is complete.

Whether you try to gift stocks today or are thinking about it for the future, Vik has some broader advice.

A general thing I always say to people regarding stocks is to give away your winners and sell your losers. If you sell a loser, you can use up to $3,000 per year in capital loss to reduce your income; if you have more than that in realized losses, you carry the rest forward to future years. Its like a get-out-of-jail-free card to put in your back pocket.

Matthew McLearen with Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates agrees.

When you donate stock or mutual funds with an appreciated value from a taxable account, McLearen explains, the donation is deducted as a charitable contribution at the full market value of the stock or mutual fund on the date gifted, subject to limitations. In addition to receiving a deduction for a charitable contribution, you avoid potential tax consequences related to the appreciated value in the stock or mutual fund.

If you are an older adult with a retirement fund, you already know you cant let the money sit there forever.

Unless its a Roth IRA, you generally have to start taking withdrawals (distributions) when you are 70  and your distribution must meet a minimum threshold. McLearnen and Vik both recommend considering a qualified charitable distribution. Taxpayers ages 70.5 or older can gift up to $100,000 per year directly from an IRA.

The transfer of the gift counts as part of the required minimum distribution and is not included in taxable income, thereby lowering adjusted gross income, said McLearnen.

Vik adds an important caveat: People want to have their cake and eat it, too, but when you give a QCD, you cannot add it to your list of itemized deductions. However, while it may not reduce your taxes, by reducing adjusted gross income, it can prevent additional taxation on things like Social Security and Medicare premiums.

One more general way to get a tax advantage is to prepay a charitable gift so that when you file your taxes, your itemized deductions will exceed your standard deduction. Make your gift on Dec. 31, 2016, and let the organization know its for 2017. Its great if you work with a CPA to coordinate this kind of stuff with your financial advisor, says Vik.

Another reason this might be a good idea now? Theres a new administration coming in.

Dawn Heneberry with SunTrust Private Wealth Management cautions that while there hasnt been much talk of rules changing, President-elect Donald Trump said on at least one occasion that he was going to cap charitable gifting. Consequently, she said, Some accounting firms are advising clients to make gifts intended for 2017 in 2016 to ensure theyll get the full deduction.

The bottom line? Get it done  and documented  today. Remember that if you are mailing a check for your charitable contribution, the mailing date of the check determines when the donation can be claimed. If you are using a credit card, the determining factor is the year in which the charity actually charges your card. Always make last-minute credit card donations by phone, online or in person to ensure that you can deduct them in the correct year.

Why else might it be better to give than to receive?

Its been well-documented that donating to charity has positive effects on a givers physical and emotional well-being. Research published last year in the Journal of Economic Psychology added an interesting twist  one that actually relates to the topic of charitable giving and your taxes.

Baris K. Yoruk, associate professor of economics at the University at Albany-SUNY, authored a study that suggested a link between increases in charitable tax subsidies and improvements in health. Further expansions in charitable giving tax subsidies would not only increase the amount of charitable donations, but also may positively affect the health status of the individuals in the United States. What a fascinating possibility.

To learn more from Vik about managing your money, check out his Money and You series, offered at the Senior Center from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month.

Virginia Peale is the marketing and communications director at The Senior Center.
This calendar, published every Saturday, lists special events of a religious nature. Because of space constraints, notices about regular worship services cannot be included. Items intended for publication, including an address and phone number, should be faxed to (434) 978-7252; mailed to Worship Calendar, The Daily Progress, P.O. Box 9030, Charlottesville, VA 22906; or emailed to ewood@dailyprogress.com. Material must be received by 4 p.m. the Wednesday prior to publication.
Seventh in a 12-part series.

Charlottesville-area nonprofit leaders already have made the soup; Sonjia Smith is just adding some salt to the bowl.

Smith has worked with and donated to countless nonprofits in the community, and when she chooses where to spend her time and energy, she looks at the leadership of the organization.

The thing Ive figured out as Ive grown in my not-for-profit work is that mission and the program matter a lot less than the leadership, she said. Im very attracted to causes and organizations where I think that theres a really strong leader.

Smith attended the University of Virginia as an undergraduate and law student, and then worked in the private sector as an attorney in Chicago and New York.

I was very attracted to not-for-profit work but I had significant law school debt to pay off and then I started having kids, she said.

When she had her children, Smith stopped working and started volunteering and getting involved with nonprofits.

I was fortunate enough to be married to a husband who was incredibly supportive of my staying home, but also of my giving back to the community, and I really couldnt have done any of this work without having picked the right guy, she said.

Smith has served as advisory council of the Legal Aid Justice Center and on the boards of the Charlottesville Free Clinic and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, among others.

If people are called to do this work, if people are willing to give up the for-profit salaries that they could be making to follow their passion ... if people are willing to do that and to pour in their time and energy, not really for pay but to make the community better, how can I not be supportive of that? Smith said.

Mary Bauer, executive director of the Legal Aid Justice Center, said Smith has helped the organization in myriad ways.

In every way, she has helped make us a better, more sophisticated organization across the board, from our programs to our development to our financial circumstance, Bauer said. That shes been such a public supporter of the Legal Aid Justice Center means the world to us in this community, because what that says to other good donors is that were a great cause.

In the early days when Legal Aid was a much smaller organization and just starting to venture into the world of fundraising, Smith directly helped mentor and cultivate the groups development staff, Bauer said.

She has played an incredibly important role with me personally and with our organization and our board to help us enact best practices in a lot of different ways, Bauer said. She pushed us to be a better organization, she helped us find and provide training.

Ariana Williams, board president of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge, said whats remarkable about Smith is she doesnt just give to an organization with her treasure, but also with her time and influence.

She has taught board members how to cultivate donors correctly, Williams said. She has been a mentor to our past [executive director] and shes recently met our current [executive director] and given us lots of suggestions about how to continue our development efforts. Because she has had so much experience in development around town, what she has to say really is informed and very helpful.

In early 2016, Smith helped fill a gap when the local Big Brothers Big Sisters was going through a difficult time.

We would not have gone under, but we wouldve really suffered, we would have had to lay people off and our program wouldve suffered without her financial backing, Williams said.

For others, Smith has served as a more direct mentor. She has been involved with the Charlottesville-based Ron Brown Scholar Program, which awards talented and economically challenged African-American high school seniors $40,000 scholarships, and has served as a mentor to four scholarship recipients.

Mentoring can be really simple, it can be just talking, but it can also be really practical, Smith said. One of my mentees, I taught her how to drive. She didnt live in a household with a car. She actually hadnt spent that much time as a passenger in a car, and we spent a lot of time just behind the wheel of a car.

Little by little, she has helped the students make connections with others in their desired career field and taught them how to network.

If youre not part of that society and you dont know the rules and what affluent, white people are expecting of you, its hard to translate, Smith said. Part of what I bring is my white privilege to this work and working to use that to help people to translate themselves into a world that theyre trying to get a chokehold in.

The range of guidance she has provided to her mentees has been broad, from helping them find a place to continue their orthodontic treatment while in college to basic financial planning.

That work has had great meaning to me because sometimes I think the only way we really get to change the world is to help one person at a time, and it takes caring about individuals to have impact, she said.
LYNCHBURG  The three candidates for the 22nd Senate District special election, as well as the man theyre vying to replace, agree that jobs and the economy are the top issues facing the rural district.

While Republican Mark Peake said his main focus would be preventing government interference with business, Democrat Ryant Washington touted workforce development, and independent Joseph Hines pointed to streamlining the site development process.

The election will be held Jan. 10 to replace Republican Tom Garrett Jr., who in November won the 5th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The 22nd District includes Fluvanna and Buckingham counties and a portion of Louisa County.

Garrett, who soon will resign the seat he has represented since 2012, said the districts greatest needs are near the middle, such as in Cumberland, Buckingham and Prince Edward counties.

Ive always sort of compared the 22nd to a sandwich. Youve got bread in the south and bread in the north, but we need more meat in the middle, Garrett said.

The Lynchburg-area parts of the district are doing reasonably well, as is the northern part near Fluvanna, Louisa and Goochland counties, where economies are assisted by the Interstate 64 corridor, Garrett said.

We need to create economic opportunity. We need to create circumstances where they can stop the brain drain, brilliant kids who leave Prince Edward and go to [Northern Virginia] or Hampton Roads and never come back, said Garrett, who has endorsed Peake.

Hines, an engineer and economic development consultant from Prince Edward County, said his resume shows hes the best candidate to represent the district on those issues. Hines is the legislative advisory committee chairman for the Virginia Economic Developers Association.

When businesses look for a site to develop, they consider how fast they can complete state and federal permitting processes, Hines said. Coordination among state and federal agencies protecting different interests  such as historic or environmental resources  should be more efficient, he said.

The agencies need to make a concerted effort to work better together and to realize that the end game is for projects to be built, Hines said.

With the GO Virginia legislation passed in 2016 in development, restructuring to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership proposed and other incentives under discussion, Hines said, I think we need more business people in the legislature.

Theres going to be more economic development policy decided in the next three years than in the recent history of the commonwealth, he said.

Hines is in favor of state money going toward permanent infrastructure that will stay if the business leaves as an incentive to draw in businesses. Appropriate oversight is necessary, he said.

State contributions or investments into private businesses came under new scrutiny in 2016, including concerns over vetting in an Appomattox economic development deal.

In November, the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission released a report showing the Virginia Economic Development Partnerships unstructured and inconsistent approach to administering state incentive grant programs leaves the state vulnerable to fraud and poor use of limited resources.

In the 2016 General Assembly session, a new economic development program, GO Virginia, passed with bipartisan support. The program would send money to private interests through state and regional boards.

Its one thing to recruit companies, bring them down, show them what our advantages are. Its a different thing to give a company advantages over existing companies, said Peake, a Lynchburg attorney and longtime GOP activist.

Peake said he did not know details about GO Virginia and couldnt comment specifically on whether he would have voted for it but said, The kind of activity that government should not be involved in is spending taxpayer dollars on private enterprises.

Peake, a former member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, said Virginia is not spending our money wisely. He said he would like to see a study for an eastern bypass around Charlottesville after the western one never came to fruition after extensive state expense.

Virginia would be better off creating a more business-friendly environment statewide by removing regulations, Peake said.

Washington, the Democrat, didnt speak specifically to GO Virginia or VEDP but said collaboration between the public and private sectors involving incentives is important to attract good-paying jobs to the localities.

Importantly, we need to make sure were prioritizing transparency and accountability when it comes to the taxpayer dollars and how theyre spent, said Washington, a former Fluvanna County sheriff.

In a previous interview, Washington said he sees investments in workforce development as a key to drawing businesses to the region.

When businesses consider moving to a locality, he said, they first examine whether the local workforce has the skills it needs. He said he would speak with local chambers of commerce and educators to learn what they want in that regard, as well as examine what workforce training would best fit the region.

When we talk about the 22nd District, we realize that its rural and that a lot of the skill sets that need to be developed may be in trades, Washington said.
Mumbai: The proposed 710-km Mumbai-Nagpur Super Expressway will be going cashless with the Maharashtra government planning to use modern technology for toll levy as part of its efforts to boost digital payments.

"Instead of toll nakas, there will be RFID censors to enable commuters to pay toll," PWD Principal Secretary Ashish Kumar Singh said. Singh said for digital payments on the Expressway, commuters will have to use tag censor technology.

"There will not be toll nakas on the Expressway but only at entry and exit points. Radio frequency identification (RFID) will be used to recover toll amount from commuters. Toll amount would be deducted from the commuter directly with use of the prepaid RFID tag on the vehicles.

As soon as a vehicle takes the Expressway and till the time it is on the Expressway, the information will be gathered on the computer system at the toll plaza and the toll amount will be deducted from the RFID tag," he said.

The official said the RFID tag is operational on most state highways, but very few people know about it. To popularise the use, government plans to have only one tag on all highways in the state, he added. The proposed Expressway is expected to be completed in three years.
New Delhi: For the first time in four decades, India may open up commercial coal mining to private firms in the new year with the government keen on gradually moving out of the end-use restrictions and cutting down on dependence on imports.

"Yes. I think we could look at that. There is some interest in commercial mining. We are also keen that gradually the country moves out of these end-use restrictions and all these controls because we are seeing the surplus situation. I don't see for the next many years, the country will have any shortages of coal," Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal told PTI.

His Ministry sees the country's dependence on import of fossil fuel coming further down in the New Year.

"In such a situation, I think gradually my next step will be to move out from these end-use restrictions and hopefully in a year or two, we may be in a position that we don't need to have any restrictions. Coal could be an open commodity," the minister asserted.

Asserting that challenges are in some people's mind and he sees no challenges in the coming year in the coal sector, Goyal exuded confidence that the output of the fossil fuel would witness a good growth in 2017.

"I see no challenges (in the coal sector in 2017). Challenges are in some people's mind. For me, these are all opportunities," the Minister said.

"To my mind, we will see good growth in 2017 both in consumption of electricity, particularly thermal as well as the production of coal and bring down the imports even further," Goyal said.

The government's focus in the coming year would to implement all the plans for clean coal so that more washeries are on line. The Coal Ministry would also flex its muscles to see how coal mine operation could be made environment- friendly.

"Our focus for (2017 will be)...to see how coal mines operation can be made environment-friendly so that the people who work there, the villagers around there, don't have to suffer from pollution effects -- to see how the water that come out of the coal mine can be processed so that we don't damage the water quality and the ground quality by injecting bad quality of water in the ground or into the rivers," he said.

"So this is going to be a year where coal will integrate itself with the environmental efforts, with the big push that the Narendra Modi government is giving for cleaner environment in the country," he added.
Mumbai: In a relief to common man, the Reserve Bank tonight said cash withdrawal limit from ATMs will be increased to Rs 4,500 per day from the current Rs 2,500 from January 1.

However, there has been no change in the weekly withdrawal limit, which stands at Rs 24,000, including from ATM, for individuals (Rs 50,000 in case of small traders).

"On a review of the position, the daily limit of withdrawal from ATMs has been increased (within the overall weekly limits specified) with effect from January 1, 2017, from the existing Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,500 per day per card," the central bank said in a notification.

Following demonetisation of old Rs 500/1000 notes on November 9, limits had been imposed on withdrawal of cash from banks as well as ATMs. The Reserve Bank's notification further stated "there is no change in weekly withdrawal limits" and such disbursals "should predominantly be in the denomination of Rs 500".

Earlier in the day, the RBI had permitted White Label ATM Operators (WLAOs) to source cash from retail outlets.

Most of the White Label ATMs are running dry since demonetisation as the operators were facing difficulties in sourcing cash from their sponsor bank(s).

Today was the last day to deposit the invalid currency notes in banks. However, people still have time to exchange the currency notes at designated RBI counters till March 31 after giving valid reasons for not depositing defunct notes in their accounts by December 30.
The participants expressed their views on various provisions of the Copyright Law and their effective implementation to counter piracy.

New Delhi: The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has asked the film and TV industry to create awareness about piracy and its ill-effects, especially among the youth.

The issue was discussed during a meeting convened by the DIPP on here on Wednesday. They deliberated upon all the matters related with copyright.

"The department exhorted the industry to undertake measures to create awareness among the general public, especially the youth, about piracy and its ill-effects," the Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

The department appreciated the efforts undertaken by the Telangana Intellectual Property Crime Unit (TIPCU) to curb piracy of copyright protected material and expressed the need for other states to adopt this model to check the menace within their respective jurisdiction.

The participants expressed their views on various provisions of the Copyright Law and their effective implementation to counter piracy, it added.

The meeting was chaired by DIPP Joint Secretary Rajiv Aggarwal.
Mumbai: Though Kangana Ranaut didnt have a single release this year, the actress made headlines everywhere throughout the year, thanks to her controversial legal hassle with rumoured ex-beau Hrithik Roshan.

Soon after her Silly ex comment, the actress found herself in the midst of raging controversy. While Hrithik kept denying the affair and even claimed that Kangana was suffering from Asperger's Syndrome, the actress didnt let anything get her down. A new year is about to begin and the actress still holds her belief in love and happy endings, the reason why she is excitingly looking forward to 2017.

2017s going to a be an exciting year for the actress since she has two awaiting releases, Rangoon and Simran. However, thats not the only thing fans can expect from her. Apparently, Kangana will also be getting hitched next year!

On VH1s Inside Access show, Kangana got chatty and told the anchor I will get married, when asked what fans can expect from her next year. Well, well! When asked who the lucky guy is? The actress grinned and kept mum on the question.

Well, seems like Kanganas love story has found its happy ending in some lucky guy.
There had been widespread agitation over Pakistani artists working in India post the Uri terror attacks, which eventually culminated in a blanket ban.

Mumbai: Amid strained India-Pakistan ties and the blanket ban on Pakistani artistes in the country, a 2011 video of Mahira Khan, who stars as the female lead in Shah Rukh Khans upcoming movie Raees, has gone viral. In the video, Mahira can be seen taking a dig at India and Bollywood at a chat show.

Despite Raj Thackeray's 'go-ahead' to Shah Rukh Khan on a safe release for Raees, the video could land the makers in soup.

While most Pakistani actors have chosen to stay mum on the issue, the video that has surfaced on Twitter shows Mahira being vocal about her patriotism and commenting in what seems like a blatant tone of condescension towards India.

In the video, while she's pretty confident of her patronage of her motherland, she says, "We should never be inspired from Indians. We are not Bollywood."

Watch the video here:

Views of our patriotic Raees's Pakistani co-actress Mahira Khan about India and Bollywood.



Plz sell your self-esteem before watching Raees. pic.twitter.com/OFozL8iEY8  Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) December 29, 2016

The excerpt is from a 2011 chat show with Pakistani comedian Omar Sharif.

The Uri terror attacks in September and the retaliatory surgical strike by India had worsened the already strained relationship between the two nations.

Prior to the attack, there had been an influx of artistes from across the border, with the likes of Fawad Khan, Mahira, Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam bagging meaty roles here.

However, after a vociferous call for a blanket ban on Pakistani artistes working in India, led by Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the artistes are now prohibited from working in India in future endeavours.
While Gautham Menon is gearing up for the release of his next film Enai Nokki Paayum Thotta starring Dhanush and Megha Akash, news about his next project has already started surfacing. He had earlier announced that he would be directing Vikram for his upcoming venture.

Currently, the team is busy with the pre-production and is all set to go on floors from the second week of January. A source close to the director says, We have planned to roll from January 10 and if that doesnt materialise, we will start shooting after Pongal.

The makers are now finalising the cast and the crew of the untitled film.

There wont be any major changes in the crew and Gautham will mostly join hands with his regular team, the source adds.

According to several reports, it is said that Vikram will be sporting a new look in the film. It is a known fact that the Iru Mugan actor makes it a point to look different in each of his film. Rumours are rife that the actor will shoot for GVM and Vijay Chandars project simultaneously. However, an official confirmation regarding this is still awaited.

After Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyadas success, Gautham is likely to join hands with AR Rahman once again. In the past, the maverick director has reiterated that this film will have an international flavour to it. The film is said to be Gauthams pet project Dhruva Natchathiram, which he had initially planned to make with Suriya in the lead. Also, we hear that Nayanthara is rumoured to be approached by the team.
As sequels are in vogue in Tamil cinema, yet another flick  a travel story titled Madurai to Theni that released six years back  has now got a sequel, which has been titled Madurai to Theni 2.

While Vishwak and Sivakasi Bala play the lead actors, Sowmya and Thejaswi have been roped in as the heroines. SPS Guhan, who handled the cinematography in the original, now wields the megaphone for the second installment. Comedians Nellai Siva, Muthukaalai, Bonda Mani, and Santhanabharathy who have acted in the prequel will also be seen in the sequel.

Three VisCom students join hands to make a commercial film  what happens during their journey in a bus thereafter forms the rest of the story. The makers are also attempting something unique  people can watch the film in theaters at a ticket cost of just Rs 19!
Though Kollywood received a lot of flak this year for glorying stalking and violence, we cant dismiss the fact that this year saw several films that touched upon sensitive topics as well. 2016 saw movies that not only brought new dimensions to several issues, but also started a healthy discussion regarding the same.

Karthik Subbarajs Iraivi, which had an ensemble cast, spoke about feminism  entirely from a mans point of view and Dhanush-starrer Kodi had a subplot which was inspired by the case of mercury pollution in Kodaikanal.

We also witnessed many filmmakers touch upon politics and communal issues. Though Pa. Ranjiths earlier films spoke about Dalit politics, with Rajinikanth coming into the picture, Kabali became instrumental in raising awareness regarding caste politics amongst youngsters. Even prominent Dalit scholar Stalin Rajangam suggested that the film could have been created as a response to the 2012 Dharmapuri caste riots.

The years surprise package turned out to be Uriyadi. The film boldly dealt with student politics  and how certain politicians use caste as a tool to gain votes.

Joker was a political satire on corruption and negligence of government officials in tackling the issue of hygenic sanitation in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu. Guru Somasundaram played a mentally-challenged social worker in the film.
The first half of the year was pretty normal  I was shooting for two movies and there was nothing special and truth be said, I was generally feeling low, personally and professionally. Presently, though I cannot claim to be in a happy bubble, things are much better and I am enjoying my success and basking in the love the audience is showering on me. Frankly, I never expected to be acting outside Malayalam but luck favoured me and I got to work with Gautham Menon in Tamil. I am not someone who expects a lot; I used to expect things but the past two years have changed me and now whatever I have achieved is like a dream.

For someone who thought that I would be acting in Malayalam forever, I find no difference in the working environment in the industries. Malayalam has always been home to me since my dad has been working here for years. Most of the industry people do not consider me as an actress but as cinematographer Vipin Mohans daughter and address me by my pet name. Its different when I act in Tamil because that family feel is missing. Other than that, the working style and everything else is the same.

I have worked with Nivin Pauly, Naga Chaitanya, Vikram Prabhu and Chimbu and consider myself lucky to have shared screen space with them. They are all very dedicated. Of course, the level of commitment and acting methodology differs; some prepare a lot before a shot and some do not, but their dedication levels are high.

Working in Chennai has added another dimension to my independence. I was studying there and now I am working at the same place. Otherwise I am a very independent person and my father tells me Listen, it is ok to depend on people sometimes when you have a crisis. I am someone who will keep my problems to myself and depend on my strength to ride it through. I enjoy doing things on my own but I have friends in Chennai who are there for me. I want to go back to Malayalam and do some nice projects.

Pan south presence

Manjima Mohan started her career as a child artiste in the early 2000s. She later went on to debut as a heroine through the Nivin Pauly film Oru Vaddakan Selfie which went on to become a runaway hit. Impressed with her performance in OVS, Kollywood director Gautham Menon cast her as the female lead in his film Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada marking her debut in Tamil.
Popular writer Kona Venkat is directing a web series. Titled Ram and Juliet, all the episodes have been shot in the USA. All the artistes who acted in this series are based in America. It is about a Telugu boy who lands in the US and falls in love with a girl there, says Kona Venkat.

Akshay Reddy, from the New York Film Academy, is the lead actor while the lead actress is a French girl, Aurore Fagnen. Venkat shares that his friends asked him to do the web series and he had a months time to plan it. The response is good as we released two episodes, he says. Nine more episodes are still to come.

Meanwhile, he is doing the screenplay for the upcoming Jr NTR and Bobby (KS Ravindra) film too. He is also busy with a film starring Nani and Nivetha Thomas. The shooting has already begun and we are leaving for another schedule to the US, he says. When asked about his direction plans, he says, I dont know, but I would like to direct and I will surely announce when I decide.
Shes set to play the female lead in director G Karthik Reddys film starring Manchu Vishnu as the lead.

Malayalam and Tamil actress Miya George has signed her second Telugu film opposite actor Manchu Vishnu, even before her debut film releases. The actress is making her debut in Telugu alongside Sunil in a film directed by Kranthi Madhav. The film is still in production stage.

Manchu Vishnu

The films shooting will commence soon after Vishnu completes work on his film, Luckunnodu. G Karthik Reddy, who was supposed to direct Vishnu for the film Sarada, is helming this project. Sarada got shelved and now Vishnu has given another chance to the director. They are going to start this film with a fresh subject, shares a source in the know.

Miya George will be playing the female lead. The shoot is likely to begin in the third week of January. An official announcement about the same is awaited.
KOZHIKODE: 87-year-old NC Ayyappan, from a small village in Shournur- Killimangalam, who has not traveled anywhere outside the State, is all excited to fly for the first time. Soon, this veteran is travelling to Oman to receive the World Craft Councils Excellence Award for best craft worldwide for the specially crafted Kora mats, beating craftsmen from nearly 200 countries worldwide.

It was just a day before Iringal Sargaalaya Craft Village began its sixth edition of the International Crafts Expo that an email arrived in the mailbox of Sargaalaya announcing the international recognition for Mr Ayyappan. He has no idea of what the international recognition is, but this award was a chance for him to embrace the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan, who honoured him for this world recognition. Ayyappan has a permanent stall at Sargaalaya Crafts Village to make Kora mats other than a unit at his hometown in Killimangalam.

The year 2016 has been really wonderful because my Kora mats fetched me the Tourism Merit Award from the State Government for best crafts and the National merit award from the Central Government.

The World Craft Councils Excellence Award is the third one, said Mr Ayyappan, who started learning the art of kora mat-making when he was 18 years old. Now he has his whole family working day and night making mats in order to meet the increasing demand for the product.

Talking about the process of making Kora or sedge grass mat, Mr Ayyappan said, The process of creating the mat is painstaking and time consuming. The grass which grows to a height of 3-4 feet is green in colour. The grass is harvested in the months of September- October and February-March and is cut very finely while it is still green. The outer part of the stem is used for weaving while the inside of the stem is removed with a sharp-edged knife and the process of making it is extremely delicate and highly valued, hence we sell one piece of this craft for Rs 1,000 and above based on its size, he added.
Chennai: Chennai airport customs officials on Thursday seized Rs 65 crore worth 3.4 crore Turkish Lira from a parcel booked to Ankara from airport postal customs office during sorting and checking.

The parcel booked as medicines and prescriptions were checked on doubt by customs officials on Wednesday and found it contained high-value notes from Turkey. The parcel was booked at the George Town post office in Chennai, to Ankara in Turkey. Address given in the parcel was found to be bogus.

Following the seizure of foreign currency, which is huge in nature, state and central intelligence agencies had checked the contents.

The seizure and case will be handed over to enforcement directorate, airport sources said. Intelligence agencies were interested in the case because the money parcel was addressed to Turkey, a country fighting against ISIS.

It may be recalled that there were seizures of Turkish Lira worth many crores of rupees in the last few months in other cities in India. There were instances of gangs offering demonetised notes of Turkey for the low exchange rate to the gullible public in a few cities. One Turkish Lira can fetch Rs 19.2 in the exchange market today. So people were buying certain Lira notes for low rate without knowing that those were scrapped notes, police noted.
The cities where the raids were conducted included Chennai, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Thrissur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and New Delhi and as regards one of the firms, the raids were still on, he added. (Representational image)

Chennai: Evasion of central excise duty to the tune of Rs 50 crore allegedly by three leading jewellers in Tamil Nadu has come to the fore during raids at multiple locations over the last three days.

Following intelligence inputs, directorate of central excise Intelligence sleuths carried out simultaneous searches at the premises of the three jewellers in nine cities between December 26 and 29, a top central excise official said on Thursday.

The cities where the raids were conducted included Chennai, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Thrissur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and New Delhi and as regards one of the firms, the raids were still on, he added.

One of the leading jewellery outlets operating in Tamil Nadu with branches across the country alone has evaded central excise duty to the tune of Rs 40 crore and immediately after the raids, it paid duty of Rs 12 crore. As regards another jewellery where search operations were currently on, (raids) indicate duty evasion to the tune of Rs 14 crore and further inputs are awaited, he said. The third jewellery retailer had not paid excise duty to the tune of Rs 5 crore.
"The institute is examining the vulnerabilities that led to the hacking of the auxiliary sites and is taking steps to address them," it added. (Photo: File phot)

Chennai: Some auxiliary websites of the IIT Madras here have been found hacked and the institute on Friday said it was examining the "vulnerabilities" that led to the hacking episode.

The institute said it runs a "main website and auxiliary sites," and these were "maintained by different entities," such as "centres, labs and student bodies."

"While the main website of IIT-M has not been hacked, some of the auxiliary sites were hacked yesterday. The hacking was discovered early in the morning and the auxiliary sites were taken down and subsequently restored," the institute said in a release.

"The institute is examining the vulnerabilities that led to the hacking of the auxiliary sites and is taking steps to address them," it added.

The hacking episode is also being debated in social media.
Mumbai: In a startling revelation, a police officer who was part of the investigation into the 2008 Malegaon bombing has claimed that two key accused Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra were killed while they were in police custody.

Media reports on Friday quoted ex-inspector Mahboob Mujawar who himself is facing a trial in a separate case of alleged criminal intimidation and one under Arms Act as saying that the duo has been shown alive over the past eight years. Mujawar was deputed to the case by the then Director General of Police S S Virk.

Mujawar claims Dange and Kalsangra were killed by ATS officers.

Two police officers ACP Rajan Ghule and police inspector Ramesh More have already been under an investigation in a case relative to Dilip Patidar who has gone missing since 2008.

Patidar was brought from Indore to Mumbai for questioning in the same case but never returned home, his family claims. According to media reports Kalsangra stayed at Patidars house as a tenant.

A blast rocked a busy street in Malegaons Bhikku Chowk on September 29, 2008 killing eight and injuring several others. The Malegaon bombing coincided with a synchronous blast in Modasa in Gujarat.

The chargesheet filed by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad led by the then senior IPS officer Hemant Karkare had made the duo key accused in the case. Karkare was killed fighting with terrorists durig 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Kochi: The Kochi city police have tightened the security ahead of New Year and will monitor boats, cinema halls, tourist spots, shopping malls, backwaters, waterfront and resorts. A special control room has been opened with helpline numbers. A special team consisting of 1,500 cops would monitor the city.

A police team led by City Police Commissioner M.P. Dinesh and Deputy City Police Commissioner Arul B. Krishna will monitor the celebrations. In a press release, they said the Abkari Act will be strictly implemented. To curb drug abuse, a special team would be deployed which will patrol the city till the morning of January 1.

Stringent action will be taken against drug peddlers and users of drugs. Persons in the list of drug abuse offenders would also be monitored. A separate police team is on the look-out to check drunken driving.

Women cops and plainclothes officials would be posted for duty. Small resorts and home stays and backwaters will be monitored. Security would be provided for all the tourists in the city and 100-odd police jeeps would be deployed.

A separate police team under the Mattanchery ACP would monitor the situation in Fort Kochi. This is for the first time the city police will be keeping a tight vigil ahead of New Year. Recently, the cops had issued guidelines for the conduct of DJ parties in the city and put them under police radar.
Three persons lured a 15-year-old girl with offers in movies and raped her. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Three persons who lured a 15-year-old girl with offers in movies and raped her were arrested by the Banjara Hills police on Thursday. The trio  Shaik Akbar, 21, from Nalgonda, Tumu Venkareddy, 22, from Prakasam district and N. Paparao alias Ganesh, 31, from Visakhapatnam,  work as assistant directors in the film industry. The girls neighbor, Kumar. is absconding.

According to the police, the girl was reported missing and traced 15 days ago, when she complained about the rape.
When volunteers from People for Animals looked into the hall from a window, they found the puppies lying dead.

Hyderabad: Four one-month-old Pug puppies died of starvation after their owner went abroad leaving them in the care of his friend who failed to provide food and water for the animals for eight days.

The owner of the dogs, Elvis Cameroon, a student at Osmania University residing in Shads Villa, Yapral, went back to his home in Africa to renew his passport and entrusted the puppies and the parent Pugs to his friend C Peter. Mr Peter hurt his leg during the Christmas holidays and could not attend to the dogs.

S. Raviteja, a volunteer with People for Animals, said he received a call from a neighbour of Mr Cameroon on Thursday, saying he could no longer hear the puppies bark as they usually did. The hall window was open; we found the four puppies lying dead in the hall while the parent Pugs survived. There was no food or water in reach of the dogs, said Mr Raviteja.

No case has been booked as yet because it is unclear which police station has jurisdiction. The owner is liable to be booked under animal welfare laws for violation of IPC 429, and violation of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Sec. 11(1) of 1960 said P. Joshi, member of People for Animals.
Central agencies had warned about a possible attack by militants at Kochi and Kozhikode (Calicut) airports in Kerala, after which Bureau of Civil Aviation Security had decided to go for maximum security at airports. (Representational image)

Chennai: Following an alert of possible terror strike in airports in Kerala, security has been stepped up at all airports across south India, since Wednesday midnight, airport sources said here.

Following the heightened security, visitors entry into the airport has been banned with immediate effect till January 31, sources added.

Central agencies had warned about a possible attack by militants at Kochi and Kozhikode (Calicut) airports in Kerala, after which Bureau of Civil Aviation Security had decided to go for maximum security at airports.
Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Ram Madhav on Friday said that around 12 BJP MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh are supporting the government led by suspended Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) leader and Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

"12 BJP MLAs in Arunachal strongly backing government led by Pema Khandu," Ram Madhav said to ANI.

Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh BJP president Tapir Gao also extended support to Khandu and said that the latter was unanimously elected and their party still considers him to be the chief minister.

Read: Takam Pario may be next Arunachal CM after Pema Khandus suspension

"Our alliance is with the PPA and at this juncture, I would like to appeal to the PPA for the development of the state for the security of the state. There should not be any such clashes between the PPA legislators," he said.

According to sources, Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) MLA Takam Pario is likely to be the next chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh after Khandu was suspended temporarily last night.

Khandu, his deputy Chowna Mein and five other legislators of ruling PPA government were suspended temporarily for alleged anti-party activities.

Khandu became chief minister in July after exiting from the Congress along with 43 other MLAs to join the PPA in September.
ALAPPUZHA: Steps are afoot to get the release of Santhosh, 47, of Ambalappuzha from a jail in Oman where he has been languishing for some two decades on murder charges.

Gururatnam Gnana Thapaswi, organising secretary of Shanthigiri Ashram, Thiruvananthapuram, met his relatives at his home on Wednesday and said that the ashram representatives would meet the union home and foreign ministers and request them to send an official delegation to Oman to bring Santhosh back home. A memorandum will also be submitted to the National Human Rights Commission to take steps in the matter, he said.

Santhosh, Vadakke Velloor, Ambalappuzha north panchayat, a construction worker, had gone to Oman in 1992. He was framed with murder charge after four Pakistan natives, who were staying near his house, killed two bank security officials during a robbery attempt. They had used a concrete cutter rented out from Santhosh for the murders.

Shajahan, a Varkala native, who was also sentenced to life term in the case, has already been released. The plight of Santhosh, who was jailed in central prison, Sumail , Oman, came to light after NRI business man Habeeb Rahman from Amabalappuzha north panchayat met Santhosh in jail recently. He has also spoken to his sponsor for his release.

His mother Bharathi Amma died six years ago and his father Thankappan lives with six siblings at Ambalappuzha. They had made several attempts through the state and centre governments for his release, but nothing had worked out.
With the setting up of the harbour, 250 motor boats and 200 country vessels can be safely parked benefiting fishermen. (Photo: Representational Image)

Chennai: The Centre has given its 'administrative approval' for setting up a fishing harbour at a cost of Rs 113.90 crore at Mookaiyur in Tamil Nadu, the state government said on Friday.

The state government had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through a series of letters in 2014 and 2015, to sanction a special assistance package of Rs 1,520 crore as part of enabling fishermen to take up deep sea fishing activities and to provide infrastructure facilities in Palk Strait area, an official release said.

"Based on the request, the Centre has given its administrative approval for setting up a fishing harbour at Mookaiyur, Ramanathapuram district at a cost of Rs 113.90crore," the release said.

The state government would meet 50 per cent of the project cost, the release said, adding the harbour will comprise berthing and fish drying areas, cold storage facility, fuel station along with an administrative building. Tenders would be floated for taking up construction activities.

With the setting up of the harbour, 250 motor boats and 200 country vessels can be safely parked benefiting fishermen community of Rameswaram, Pamban and Mandapam, it said.
New Delhi: In a rebuff to India, China on Friday finally blocked its proposal to get Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief and Pathankot mastermind Masood Azhar banned as terrorist by the UN, evoking a sharp reaction from New Delhi which accused it of "double standards" in dealing with terrorism.

Terming the action by China as "surprising", External Affairs Ministry said it had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism.

"We note with concern China's decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar," India said, asserting that its proposal, submitted to the 15-member 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council in February, received the strong backing of all other members of the Committee.

With China blocking New Delhi's proposal with a Security Council veto just a day before expiry of Beijing's "technical hold", India or any other country has to now make a fresh listing request for Azhar to be banned by the global body otherwise it will remain as permanent block, officials said.

China had twice imposed "technical hold" on the Indian proposal since its submission. The block by China is also seen by many here as an action taken at the behest of its "all-weather ally" Pakistan.

However, India said it will continue to push forward with resolute determination "through the use of all options available with us to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice".

"The international community is aware that the Pakistan- based Jaish-e-Mohammed which is proscribed by the UN, has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India including the Pathankot air base attack.

"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism," MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

The decision by Beijing is "surprising" as China itself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism, the Spokesperson added.

"As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation. We had expected

China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," he added.

UN Sanction Committee's listing would have forced imposition of asset freeze and travel ban on Azhar by countries including Pakistan.
Mulayam Singh Yadav has convened a meeting in Lucknow on Saturday of the 393 candidates who have been allotted tickets by him. (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: With Samajwadi Party (SP) facing a rebellion from Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over ticket distribution, its supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has called a meeting of all the candidates allotted tickets amid hectic efforts to stave off a possible split in the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh.

The crisis reached a flash point late last night after Akhilesh "circulated" his own list of 235 candidates for the Assembly elections, the schedule for which is likely to be announced any day now.

Shivpal Yadav, the warring uncle of Akhilesh, drove to the residence of his brother and SP chief Mulayam Yadav.

Read: Open war in SP, Akhilesh Yadav releases parallel list of 235 candidates

The two were closeted for nearly an hour, but it was not immediately known what transpired at the meeting as Shivpal did not answer questions of reporters waiting outside Mulayam's residence.

Mulayam has convened a meeting in Lucknow on Saturday of the 393 candidates who have been allotted tickets by him.

Party insiders said the meeting was very crucial as the SP chief was likely gauge the sentiments of the candidates and conduct a fresh review of the list amid fears that the battle for control in SP left the party cadres divided and highly confused at grassroots level.

The meeting will be held against the backdrop of the open rebellion by Akhilesh, who "circulated" his own list of candidates for 235 seats against the official nominees announced by Mulayam.

The list, which did not carry any signature, was made available on social media by defiant party MLAs who failed to get a ticket in the official list.

As the SP grappled with the unprecedented crisis, senior leader and UP minister Azam Khan voiced deep distress over the developments and said, "Bad blood between relatives has damaged the future of the state."

He said the feud in SP was being "celebrated" by its political rivals, especially BJP.
Krishnagar: India's first transgender college principal Manabi Bandopadhyay has submitted her resignation after about one-and-a-half years in office, expressing frustration at "non-cooperation" of a section of teachers and students of her institution.

Nadia District Magistrate Sumit Gupta on Thursday said he had received her letter of resignation from the post of Principal of Krishnagar Women's College in the district on December 27 and forwarded it to the state Higher Education department on Wednesday.

Manabi alleged that she started facing non-cooperation from a section of teachers soon after she took over as the principal of the well-known women's college on June 9, 2015.

On the other hand, the teachers also levelled the same allegation against the principal, resulting in a standoff.

A four-member team, led by Joint Director of Public Instruction (DPI) RP Bhattacharjee, visited the college recently on a fact-finding mission and talked to the principal and teachers.

Manabi said, "All of my colleagues went against me. Some of the students went against me. I tried to bring back discipline and an atmosphere of education in the college. Most probably, that is why they went against me. I always got co-operation from the local administration, but never got it from my colleagues and students."

She went on to say that she had been under tremendous mental pressure and could not take it anymore, forcing her to resign.

"I feel tired due to the agitation and gherao by the students and teachers. I faced a lot of legal notices from their end. I had come to this college with new hopes and dreams but I was defeated...," she said.

Manabi (51), whose earlier name was Somnath, underwent a series of operations in 2003-2004 and became a woman. In 1995, she published the country's first transgender magazine, 'Ob-Manab' (sub-human).
This is the first time that DNA studies will be conducted to ascertain the origins and other historical details of civilisation in Telangana state. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Six DNA samples of human skeletal remains from the Megalithic period found in excavations in Piklihal, Raichur district of Karnataka (1954), Yeleshwaram, Nalgonda district (1960) and Pedda Marur, Mahbubnagar (1978) were handed over by the Department of Archaeology and Museums to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology for detailed studies and DNA analysis.

This is the first time that DNA studies will be conducted to ascertain the origins and other historical details of civilisation in Telangana state.

The objective of the study is to ascertain the ancient population and human settlements in present-day Telangana state, create an individual-wise inventory of skeletal material, and give preliminary observations of the incidence of palaeopathological lesions and anomalies, interpret results in a bio-cultural perspective, trace disease process, human details and other aspects of life in ancient times.

The State Archaeology department on Thursday signed MoUs with CCMB for scientific research and with Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune, one of the top institutions in the world for training archaeologists.

The MoUs were signed by tourism secretary B. Venkatesam, director of archaeology and museums N.R. Visalatchy, CCMB director Rakesh K. Mishra, Deccan College Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vasant S. Shinde, and CCMB senior principal scientist Thangaraj.

Telangana is the youngest state in the country, but has the oldest civilisation  over 10,000 years old or more. Excavations of a recent megalithic burial site in Pullurubanda in Siddipet district brought to light skeletal remains. It is absolutely necessary to trace the genetic background of the people who inhabited the region. Bone samples were sent to CCMB that will help ascertain patterns of genetic diversity in ancient human beings and connect them with the present population structure etc. We entered into the MoU to carry out demographical and other studies of the proto historic period in Telangana, Mr Venkatesam said.

Prof. Vasant Shinde said iron was developed in the country in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh way back in 1000 BC.

Korean scientists thought they were pioneers, first to develop and later China but studies proved them wrong. We are undertaking similar studies in Telangana too which is a potential region for historical studies, Prof. Shinde said

Mr Mishra said the country, which has the oldest population in the world, now has technology to throw some light on it and reconstruct the past through DNA.

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Bengaluru: New Year is just round the corner and its used as the reason to indulge in excess boozing. Physicians expect serious health problems if Bengalureans dont know when to put a stop. They claim binge drinking is a growing concern in India especially among youngsters.

This unhealthy habit is often misconceived as a form of recreation with health risks. Apart from the obvious physical symptoms associated with excessive consumption of alcohol, including dizziness, loss of coordination, lack of judgement, abdominal pain, severe nausea and vomiting, even loss of consciousness, it can cause serious health problems including a sudden rise in blood pressure, stroke, heart rhythm disturbances and heart attack," warns Dr. Kaiser Raja, MD, DM, Consultant, Liver Diseases and Transplantation, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore. He added that individuals can also develop serious liver damage known as alcoholic hepatitis as well as inflammation of the pancreas known as acute pancreatitis.

Binge drinking can also result in alcohol poisoning which is often fatal. While its not the same as alcohol use disorder, it significantly increases the risk of developing an alcohol abuse problem. One must keep in mind, that a shift from binge drinking to alcoholism can happen quickly, leading to serious health complications and other harmful consequences.
With the exit of Modi from Gujarat political scene leaving a leadership vacuum in BJP, Congress is hoping to make a mark in the 2017 elections. (Photo: File)

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki has not ruled out the possibility of the party projecting a chief ministerial face in 2017 assembly polls to take on BJP, which has been in power in the state for nearly two decades.

Claiming that the Congress is well equipped to take on BJP in the Prime Minister's home state, Solanki dubbed Vijay Rupani as a "rubber stamp" Chief Minister and claimed the change of guard earlier this year did not help the ruling party which has been grappling with Patel quota and Dalit stirs.

The Congress has not fought elections projecting a chief ministerial candidate in the last 20 years in Gujarat.

With the exit of Modi from Gujarat political scene leaving a leadership vacuum in BJP, Congress is hoping to make a mark in the 2017 elections.

"Though it (the leadership question) will be decided by the high command, after Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, we cannot rule it out. Let's wait and see," Solanki told PTI in an interview.

Congress has named former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh.

In a direct attack on Chief Minister Rupani, who replaced Anandiben Patel, Solanki said he is a "rubber stamp of BJP president Amit Shah."

"By changing chief minister,the BJP has lost on both fronts. Replacing a Patel and a woman Chief Minister by Rupani has not impacted the administration in a positive way. Things have gone from bad to worse," he said, when asked if the change of guard will prove disadvantageous to Congress.

The Congress, after remaining in opposition for last 20 years, is hoping for a revival, as the BJP is facing tough challenges in the form of Patel quota agitation and Dalit protests after the Una flogging incident.

"Gujarat's political scenario has changed due to two agitations - Patel quota movement and Dalit agitation. Come what may, both the communities have decided to defeat BJP in the 2017 elections," Solanki claimed.
New Delhi: A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, the CPI(M) on Friday raised a flurry of questions to know if all demonetised money has returned to banks and the estimated loss the move has caused to India's economy even as Centre's demonetisation deadline ends on Friday.

In its statement, party Politburo demanded to know why the government has not constituted probes into alleged Sahara-Birla diaries and Vyapam scam at a time when the Prime Minister was "talking a lot" about ending corruption.

Describing demonetisation as "one man made disaster" which has pushed the "beleaguered" Indian economy into a tailspin, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused the Prime Minister of running away from questions in this regard, raised in Parliament or by media or through RTI.

"Though PM does not like questions either in Parliament, by the press or via RTI. We must continue to do what we must and ask them," Yechury tweeted.

The CPI(M) asked the government to lift all restrictions on the withdrawal of money by people from banks and remove all costs on such dealings given the Centre is pitching for increased digital transactions.

Among other, the party demanded the government to compensate families of 100 people who have reportedly died while queueing up to withdraw money from banks/ATMs and sought to know how many people have lost jobs since demonetisation was announced.

"The PM must publicly declare the quantum of demonetised money that has returned to the banks ... has all of the demonetised money come back into the banks now? What is the quantum and value of new notes that have been printed so far?" it asked.

"What is the government's estimation of the economic loss to the nation as a result of this move? How many people have lost their jobs and livelihood since demonetisation was announced on November 8, 2016?" it sought to know.

Referring to Modi's pitch for ending corruption, the Left party asked the government why it has not instituted probes into the various alleged scams like Vyapam and Sahara-Birla dairies, etc.

Alleging that demonetisation caused "immense misery" to the poor and downtrodden, the Politburo asked the NDA government to double the allocation for the MNREGA to ensure 100 days of employment for all those who are enrolled.

Provide tax rebate to small and medium enterprises and remove all restrictions on deposits and withdrawals of funds from the cooperative banks, it said.

"If there are any specific cases of malpractices against any bank, they should be proceeded against on criminal charges, but the cooperative banking system which is the backbone for rural India cannot be destroyed," it insisted.
Amritsar: Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday promised the Punjab government employees that the 6th pay commission report would be implemented within 100 days of the party forming government after Assembly elections.

Accusing Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh of "cheating" the youth of the state by promising them 60 lakh jobs, he claimed that when Amarinder was chief minister, he had imposed ban on the recruitment drive in government departments.

Punjab government had set up the 6th pay commission but its report is not read yet, Kejriwal said at a press conference in Amritsar.

"We will ensure that report is submitted in time bound manner and also implemented within 100 days of forming government," the Delhi Chief Minister said.

The AAP government would ensure that all installments of Dearness Allowance (DA) announced by the Centre were given to Punjab government employees within one month, he said.

"The present SAD-BJP government had not paid arrears of previous DA installments and even pensioner's arrears of 5th pay commission are still pending. We will give Diwali bonus to all employees much before the Diwali Day," he said.

Kejriwal said presently there are only four lakh sanctioned posts in Punjab and the total number of central government employees is around 55 lakh.

He asked Amarinder why he was "cheating" youth of the state with "false promise" of job to every house.

Amarinder was always "against government jobs" and he had completely "banned" recruitment on vacant posts when he came to power in 2002, Kejriwal said.

"During his tenure he didn't fill even a single post" then why people of Punjab should trust him this time, he said.

In fact, it was Amarinder who "imposed a ban" on the recruitment drive in state government departments after issuing a notification in this regard, he said.

Kejriwal claimed that Amarinder started the system of employing people on contract and ad hoc basis.

Also during Amarinder's tenure, the pension scheme for government employees was abolished then how he can promise to give pensions to employees, he said.

"AAP government would restore the old pension scheme for state government employees," Kejriwal said.

Pointing out that during an interview Amarinder had said he lost 2007 and 2012 Assembly elections as he had not made false promises to people, the AAP leader asked, "Is this the reason why you are making so many promises which you can't fulfill."

Claiming that Navjot Singh Sidhu is the "undeclared chief ministerial candidate" of Congress, Kejriwal said, "Sidhu had refused to join AAP when we denied him the Deputy Chief Minister's post. It is a fact that he had decided to support Congress after he was promised CM's post."

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was "annoyed" with Amarinder and would "dump" him after using him for campaigning, Kejriwal claimed.

The AAP national convener also questioned Amarinder for his decision to compete polls against him.

Kejriwal said, "Why he is so keen to contest against me and not against Badals or Majithia. I am not selling drugs, it is Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia who was involved in drug racket.

"We are fighting against the Badal family and Majithia because defeating them is more important so AAP has fielded strong candidates against Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia," he said.

Kejriwal alleged that Amarinder used his influence with Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi to save Majithia from CBI in 2013 when he was about to get arrested in a drug case.

"I will advise Amarinder Singh to be loyal to people of Punjab rather than his nephew Bikram Majithia," he said. Replying to a question, Kejriwal said AAP will give the Chief Minister's to a person who will wake up at 5 in the morning and work till 10 in the night and will be available to public all the time.

"Amarinder Singh didn't meet anybody after 6 PM," the AAP convener said.
CHENNAI: Some websites managed by IIT Madras were hacked by unknown persons on Wednesday night and these sites have been brought down to find out the problem.

The websites of six departments, five centres of excellence and central facilities including the central library, central electronic centre were hacked. However, the premier institutes main website (www.iitm.ac.in) and other departments websites were not hacked.

One of the servers for our websites was hacked. It had some dynamic information like conference schedules and registration. It also had six departments sites and few centres, central facilities, said Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras.

We have to allow outside people to give input like registration for conferences in some of the sites on this server. That makes it a little more vulnerable. This server got compromised. Obviously, somebody has found the weakness. So, we have to see what the weakness is, he said.

There are two servers hosting the websites. The main website and other sites hosted on a different server in which outside people cannot input anything and it is much more secure.

These particular sites have been brought down. We can restore the sites now. But, we are trying to find out the problem and how it got affected. We dont want it to happen again, he added.

The sites of biotechnology, civil engineering, humanities and social sciences, mathematics and mechanical engineering departments were hacked.

Some hacked websites

Biotechnology: https://biotech.iitm.ac.in

Civil Engineering: http://www.civil.iitm.ac.in

Humanities and Social Sciences: https://hss.iitm.ac.in

Management studies:http://www.doms.iitm.ac.in

Mathematics: https://mat.iitm.ac.in

Mechanical Engineering: https://mech.iitm.ac.in/
New Delhi: Love and desperation drove Mumbai engineer Hamid Ansari to illegally cross over to Pakistan from Afghanistan in late 2012 leading to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment in the neighbouring country.

Four years later, the desperation to hear a word from their son has prompted Hamids parents -- Fauzia Ansari and Nehal Ansari -- to pitch a tent in the citys protest hotspot, Jantar Mantar, and knock on the Prime Ministers door.

The last time I spoke to him was on November 10, 2012 when he told me that he will be back in Mumbai by November 12 and was looking forward to take up a teaching assignment, Fauzia said.

Little did she know that, egged on by a group of people in Pakistan who may have trapped him, Hamids false bravado would plunge the family in a state of despair, with virtually no glimmer of hope.

During this period, Fauzia has written to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, met Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj five times, so much so that she recognises me even from a distance.

Allow Hamid to talk to us from prison. We have not spoken to him for over four years now. Please allow him consular access denied to him till date, reads her letter to Sharif.

Sushmaji has been extremely cooperative. Our last meeting was in August this year. She assured us that the government was pursuing the case, Fauzia said, adding that the family would submit a memorandum to the PMO.

Hamid, 31, had entered Pakistan reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online, who was being forcibly married off by her family, said Fauzia, a lecturer with a Mumbai college.

It was only in January this year that Fauzia and Nehal came to know from Pakistan governments submission in the Peshawar High Court, responding to Habeas Corpus petition, that Hamid was in military custody.

He was arrested soon after he entered Pakistan and was tried by a Pakistani military court, which awarded him three years of imprisonment.

Since he has been in jail since 2012, he has served this sentence already. But there is no clarity about when he will be released. What is intriguing is that a woman Zeenat Shehzadi, who tried to help Hamid, seems to have been targeted by agencies there. She has gone missing, Fauzia said.
Rescue operations underway at a coal mine, where several workers are trapped, in Godda, Jharkhand on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

Godda (Jharkhand): Nine miners were killed and some others feared trapped following a cave-in at Lalmatia opencast coal mine at Rajmahal area of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) on Thursday night.

"CMD, ECL, has reported that a total of nine bodies of workmen have been recovered from the accident site so far," a Coal Ministry statement said on Friday, adding two injured persons were undergoing treatment.

R R Mishra, officiating CMD of ECL, a Coal India arm, said that the mishap occurred at around 7.30 pm last night when excavators were working there following which rescue operations was launched immediately.

Director General of Mines Safety and senior officials were there to supervise the rescue operation, Mishra said.

The statement said all 10 equipments excavators and dump trucks have been recovered.

An inquiry has been ordered by the Director General of Mines Safety and a high-level committee of experts has been constituted by Coal India to investigate the causes of the accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and other leaders expressed grief over the loss of lives.

Das said an assistance of Rs two lakh will be given to the families of the miners who died in the accident while ECL also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs five lakh each to these families, in addition to the amount to be paid under the Workmen's Compensation Act.

The PM said Jharkhand Government and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal were "working to restore normalcy".

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was engaged for rescue & relief operations. "Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside. Spoke to CM Raghubar Das on the situation," Modi said on twitter.

Das also announced Rs 25,000 to the injured, official sources said.

"CMD, ECL has reported that an incident of overburden dump slide/subsidence has occurred in the second shift of December 29, at about 7.30 PM in the Rajmahal Open Cast Expansion Project in district Godda, Jharkhand....," the statement said.

Godda is about 250 kms from state capital Ranchi.

All the necessary help to the families of the deceased is being extended by ECL, it said.

"Prima facie, it is observed that the incident is unprecedented, since an area of 300 m length by 110 m wide solid floor of the Over Burden dump area has slid down by about 35 m involving around 9.5 million cubic meters of earth material. This could be due to failure of the bench edge along the hidden fault line/slip," the statement said.

Senior management of ECL and state government officials have been supervising the rescue operations since last evening, it added.

A control room has been set up at the project office of Rajmahal Open Cast Expansion Project of ECL and R R Amitabh, GM, Mining is in-charge of control room.

Goyal said that he was monitoring the rescue operation since last evening with the Chief Minister.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in a tweet "Saddened by the loss of lives in Jharkhand's #Lalmatia coal mine collapse. My prayers for recovery of injured & solace to bereaved families."
People gather near the coal mine in Godda, Jharkhand, where several workers are trapped, after it collapsed on Thursday evening. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Union Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday expressed grief over the death of people in Jharkhand coal mine incident and said that an ex gratia of rupees five lakh has been announced for the families of the victims.

"This is a very unfortunate incident and in this hour of grief, I extend my deep condolences to the families of deceased. Rescue team was there throughout and we have announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs each to the families of the deceased," Goyal told media in New Delhi.

He further said that all necessary help to the families of the deceased is being extended by the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL).

Goyal, earlier in the day, took to Twitter, to express his grief over the incident, and said that he was monitoring the rescue operation with Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das.

Read: Jharkhand: 7 dead, many trapped after coal mine caves in

In a tragic incident, a Lalmatia mine of the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) areahas collapsed here.

Taking stock of the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and sought details of the tragedy.

Chief Minister Das has announced Rs. 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs. 25,000 for the injured. He also said that stern action would be taken against those responsible for the mine collapse.

"Union Minister Piyush Goyal had talked to me over phone and gave an assurance that an enquiry has been initiated in the incident and stern action will be taken against the ones who are responsible for it, whether it be central government or state government officials," Das told ANI.

As of now, four bodies have been recovered by rescue teams from the Lalmatia mine of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) which collapsed this morning.

According to the Chairman and Managing Director of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) Rajiv Ranjan Mishra the rescue work is underway and the team is able to locate one more body under the debris.

Discussing about the reason behind this incident, Mishra said, "A higher committee has been formed and a Deputy General Manager will also enquire. The prima facie which has been found is the entire surface has collapsed. This is a unique phenomenon. But let us see what the reports says."

Misha further said that three excavators and seven dumpers were present there at the mining site.

Three more National Disaster Response Force ( NDRF) teams two from Patna, and one from Ranchi are enroute to the site.

According to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), around 40-50 workers along with some machinery of a private company are suspected to be trapped under the debris.

"On duty CISF sentry is safe. Rescue operations are underway and electricity supply is also been disrupted" said the CISF in a statement.

Additional manpower comprising one government official, two inspectors, 21 CISF personnel from the Eastern Coal Field Limited, Sheetalpur headquarters have been rushed to the site.
KOCHI: The City Corporation, which has been a good performer in the utilisation of Plan funds, managed to spend only 20 per cent of the total current fiscal allocation of Rs 138 crore. With only three months left for the fiscal year to end, civic authorities are struggling to ensure the maximum expenditure of funds to avoid cut in allocation. Since the current fiscal is the last year of the 12th five-year plan, the unspent funds will not be carried forward to the next year and will lapse.

During the last fiscal, the civic body spent 71.88 per cent of the total allocation of Rs. 146.51 crore which was termed as the highest Plan fund utilisation by any civic body in the state. The Corporation has more than 650 works that are being carried out using Plan funds.

"Plan fund utilisation till date is 20 per cent and the ongoing works are a spillover of the last fiscal. Tenders for new projects have been floated and the works will begin by January. Contractors have been asked to expedite works and the projects can be completed within three months. We expect to achieve a good per cent of fund utilization," said Gracy Joseph, Development Committee chairperson.

The civic authorities blame the frequent changes in specifications brought by the government for the delay in beginning the implementation of projects.

Meanwhile, the Opposition alleges that very few works have been started and many of the projects have not yet received the technical sanction. "If the current progress is any indication, a major per cent of the Plan funds will lapse," said V.P Chandran, CPM councillor.

The Plan fund expenditure is crucial for the civic body as the state government's fund allocation for the next fiscal would be based on the annual spending.
Chennai: Expressing doubts over former chief minister J.Jayalalithaas death, Justice S.Vaidyanathan of the Madras high court on Thursday said if this case comes before his bench, he may even order the exhumation of her body for proper probe to unravel the truth.

The judge, part of the two-judge vacation bench, along with Justice V. Parthiban, made this observation while hearing a PIL filed by AIADMK member P.A. Joseph, seeking the appointment of a commission comprising three retired judges of the Supreme Court to probe the mysterious death of Jayalalithaa, just as the death of freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose was probed by a commission on the direction of the Calcutta high court.

Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts over the statements reported in the media when Jayalalithaa was taking treatment in the hospital, said Justice Vaidyalingam.

When the case came up for hearing, senior counsel K.M. Vijayan, appearing for the petitioner, referred to the case of freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose while seeking a similar probe into Jayalalithaas death. Upon this, Justice Vaidyanathan asked advocate general R. Muthukumarasamy what he thought of Mr Vijayans petition. The AG said there was no mystery to Jayalalithaas death and pointed out that a similar petition had already been dismissed by the high court.

Justice Vaidyanathan said, Right to life is a fundamental right. We do not want to go into the issues regarding treatment. Public should know about the same. After the demise, when there is suspicion, anybody can come and question, and added, I also personally have doubt over the things that came out... We saw in newspapers that the chief minister was recovering, and that she was eating, signing papers and even conducting meetings and also that she could be discharged. And then suddenly she was dead. No revenue division officer saw the body, neither were there any medical records furnished.

The court posted the matter for January 9, 2017, while observing that the petition has to be heard at length.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the gathering at the DigiDhan Mela in New Delhi on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Speaking at the Digi-Dhan Mela in New Delhis Talkatora Stadium on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the two schemes announced to reward small traders and customers  Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana  are a Christmas gift to the nation.

Prizes will be given to those who make transactions of more than Rs 50 and less than Rs 3000, so that the poor can win, Modi said.

Over the 100 day period, several families will be given the prizes. These schemes were launched to benefit poor, Modi added.

He said that the mega draw will take place on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Earlier, Modi launched the e-wallet app BHIM to make digital payments easier, and distributed prizes to those who have made contributions to promote digital payments in the country, following a lucky draw.

Launch of the BHIM App is significant. In addition to his role in making of the Constitution, Dr Ambedkar was also a great economist. His thesis offers significant insights of various economic issues, Modi said claiming that a revolution was underway in the country.

Stating that the poor were once called angootha chaap (illiterate people who only knew to sign using thumb impressions), Modi said the BHIM App would soon enable the poor to use just thumb impressions to pay.

Asserting that furthering digital connectivity would do wonders for the nation, Modi said the biggest boon of technology is that it can empower the poor.
Kolkata: Demanding that the prime minister should apologise and resign taking responsibility for his "failure" on demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today dared the Centre to arrest all the TMC MPs, charging the Modi government of pursuing "vendetta politics".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately step down taking responsibility for his failure to give relief to the people even after 50 days of demonetisation," she told a press conference at the state secretariat.

Furious over the arrest of her party MP Tapas Pal for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley chit fund scam, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, "He (Modi) can arrest all of our MPs, I do not care. This is nothing but vendetta politics. We will continue with our protest (against demonetisation).

"I came to know that they (CBI) have arrested one of our MPs. It is only because of our protest against 'notebandi' that this is happening. This is nothing but vendetta politics."

Claiming that she has "all the information" about the Centre's next step, Banerjee said, "I already have the list of my party leaders who will be summoned next (by the CBI)."

Asked if TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay, who too was summoned by the central agency in the same case, would appear before the CBI, Banerjee said, "He will definitely go. He will be proud to go. He has not done anything wrong.

"The SEBI and RBI did not perform their duties by not acting against the chit fund companies. These companies are not under the jurisdiction of our state. They (SEBI and RBI) have given them protection."

The TMC supremo wondered how could a person, well established in public life as an actor or a sportsperson, be arrested for accepting the hospitality of a company.

"How did these chit fund companies get the permission for uplinking (TV) channels. Sportspersons and actors are brand ambassadors of many companies. I do not intend to show disrespect to anyone, but Amitabh Bachchan too is the brand ambassador of Gujarat and Shah Rukh Khan is the brand ambassador of Bengal," she said.

Banerjee referred to Sahara group, which too is under the lens, and wondered if the central agencies were "sleeping" at that point of time.

Continuing her tirade against Modi, the chief minister said either someone else in the BJP should take over as the prime minister or a "national government" (comprising all the parties) should govern the country till the next generalelection.

"The country has never witnessed such a situation even during the British rule or Emergency," she added.
The court had on December 27 reserved its orders on the bail petitions.

Chennai: A CBI court here on Friday dismissed the bail petitions of sand mining baron J Shekar Reddy and four others who were arrested in connection with alleged seizure of over Rs 170 crore, including new currency notes, from their premises.

The order was passed by Special Judge for CBI cases Vijayalakshmi.

The judge also dismissed a petition filed by CBI seeking their custody for interrogation. The five are in judicial custody.

The court had on December 27 reserved its orders on the bail petitions.

Reddy and his associates were arrested by CBI on December 21 following the "seizure" of 127 kg gold and over Rs 170 crore in cash, including new currency notes, from their premises by the Income-Tax department in coordinated searches.

The five have been accused of converting the unaccounted cash held by them in old currency notes to new notes with the help of unknown public servants of different banks within 24 days from the date of demonetisation on November 8.

Cases have been registered against them for various offences under IPC including criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy and under Sections 13(1) and (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
When the father of the youth approached Sreelakshmi to beg for forgiveness and request her not to file a case, she asked the old man to tell his son to donate Rs 25,000 to any charitable organisation. (Photo: Representational Image)

Kochi: Sreelakshmi Satheesh, a CEO of an educational consultancy firm in Kerala and a motivational speaker, had a harrowing experience when she attended a call from an unknown number.

What is your rate? Will Rs 3,000 do? Shall I book a hotel room? These were the questions put her by the caller, according to a report in India Today.

To make it worse, her phone then continued to ring a number of times, with unknown numbers calling in. When she chose not to attend the calls, text messages poured in, asking her for her rate. Sreelakshmi eventually switched her phone off, and by this time the rate had reached Rs 25,000.

After over an hour, Sreelakshmi decided to act. She switched on her phone, dialed one of the numbers from which she had got a call earlier, and spoke to the man who answered. While he seemed very enthusiastic in the beginning, the man began to beg for forgiveness after Sreelakshmi told him about her work profile.

The report says that the man got her number from a Whatsapp group. Another individual had shared this number on the Whatsapp group, referring to her as a super item.

More shocking was the fact that the man who she called was an acquaintance of hers. He was also the regional secretary of the youth wing of a national party. After she came to know this, Sreelakshmi decided to approach the police.

Party workers attempted to stop Sreelakshmi from doing so, apologising to her and offering to settle the matter outside court. However, she demanded that the man be sacked from the party.

However, after receiving no response until 8 pm on Thursday, Sreelakshmi decided to file an FIR.

When the father of the youth approached Sreelakshmi to beg for forgiveness and request her not to file a case, she asked the old man to tell his son to donate Rs 25,000 to any charitable organisation and produce the bill as proof.

The man did so, and produced a receipt as proof.

But unable to control her anger, Sreelakshmi then narrated the entire episode in a Facebook post which went viral. While she got much praise for teacher the future leader a lesson, some users also questioned the authenticity of her claims.

I didn't make this Facebook post to gain publicity. I didn't expect it to go viral either," Sreelakshmi later told a local daily. "Since the fellow is a politician, I was also apprehensive about how he would reach. A legal fight would also take considerable time to conclude. That is when I decided to use a popular social media network to unmask the man's character," she said.
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday issued a show-cause notice to his son for releasing a parallel list of candidates for the state elections.

A show-cause notice was also issued to leader Ram Gopal Yadav, for speaking against the party line in the media.

Mulayam Singh in the press conference declared that Ram Gopal Yadav had been expelled from the membership of the party for six years.

No one has the right to call for a national executive meet other than party chief. By doing this you have hurt the party's interest. How can he call for an emergency national executive meet without my permission? Normally at least 10 to 15 days notice is given before such a meeting is held, the SP chief said referring to Ram Gopal Yadav.

CM Akhilesh Yadav doesn't understand that Ram Gopal is trying to weaken him, Mulayam added.

The show-cause notice issued by Mulayam Singh Yadav to his son Akhilesh Yadav. (Photo: ANI Twitter)

The crisis in the SP reached a flash point late last night after Akhilesh "circulated" his own list of 235 candidates for the Assembly elections, the schedule for which is likely to be announced any day now.

The list, which did not carry any signature, was made available on social media by defiant party MLAs who failed to get a ticket in the official list.

Mulayam Singh Yadav has called a meeting on Saturday of all the candidates allotted tickets amid hectic efforts to stave off a possible split in the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh.

"We have declared list of 325 candidates for the 2017 assembly polls; 78 seats still remain. Name of candidates for rest of the 78 seats will be announced soon," Mulayam said on Wednesday while announcing the list.

Akhilesh's name did not figure in the first list. Mulayam, however, said that his son, being the Chief Minister, can contest from any assembly seat he wishes to

Unhappy with the list released by his father Mulayam on Wednesday, the Chief Minister held a meeting on Thursday with his loyalists, including MLAs, who have been denied tickets. Afterwards, SP MLA Indal Singh said, "Akhilesh is likely to announce his own list of candidates."

These candidates were likely to contest on a separate symbol, other than SP's 'Cycle' symbol, paving the way for a wide split in the party grappling with dissensions and unprecedented feud at a time when the crucial polls were knocking at the door.
New Delhi: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move and took a jibe at the Congress by terming its way of opposing it as a 'big flop.'

"Whatever the opposition did, has turned out to be a big flop. They first announced 'Bharat Bandh', which was not supported even by one person. Then, they held an 'Aakrosh rally' which was again a big flop," Naidu told ANI.

Naidu also targeted former prime minister Manmohan Singh for his failure to stop corruption during his decade-long regime and accused the Congress of generating black money in the past.

"Manmohan Singh was the economic adviser, finance secretary, finance minister and prime minister, still he did not do anything to curb black money. Congress is responsible for all the black money that was generated in the past," he said.

He also said Congress and corruption always go together and that it should introspect how it decreased its strength from 440 to 40.

Naidu showed faith in the move to demonetise high-denomination notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 and counted on it as a measure to switch to cashless economy.

"To ensure that the problem of corruption does not recur, we have come up with the concept of digital transfer and digital transactions. This is also done in order to reduce the cash transaction which amounts to 86 percent presently," he said.

The Prime Minister will be addressing the nation on New Year's Eve regarding demonetisation, which has completed its 50 days today.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presents a memento to President Pranab Mukherjee at the inauguration of the Indian History Congress at Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. Governor P. Sathasivam is also seen. (Photo: A.V. MUZAFAR)

Thiruvananathapuram: President Pranab Mukherjee has said that the freedom to doubt, disagree and dispute intellectually must be protected as an essential pillar of democracy. Nothing should lie outside the realm of reason and, therefore, of discussion and argument. Such freedom is vital for the progress in any field, Mr Mukherjee said.

Inaugurating the 77th session of Indian History Congress on the Kerala University Campus at Karyavattom on Thursday, he said, We must keep our eyes open for unfamiliar ideas and be ready to consider a range of different inferences and assumptions.

Asserting that Indias greatest strength is its pluralism and social, cultural and linguistic diversity, he said the countrys traditions have celebrated the argumentative Indian and not the intolerant Indian.

There has been an unfortunate tendency in the country from time-to-time to take umbrage at the expression of any view perceived to be hostile to our social or cultural institutions, past or present, Mr Mukherjee said. Similarly, critical appraisals of heroes and national icons of the past have been met with hostility or sometimes even violence, he pointed out.

No society is perfect and history must also be seen as a guide on what went wrong and what were the contradictions, deficiencies and weaknesses of the past. An objective pursuit of history, such as our best historians have attempted, requires an impartial mind of a judge and not the mind of an advocate, he said.

He also warned historians against the intrusion of personal prejudice into historical interpretation.

In my view, every branch of knowledge prospers only when clinical objectivity is maintained, he said. It is often the case in history that evidence is either so scarce that the room for speculation is extremely wide or is so massive that the historian is unable to explore more than a small part of the available data, he said.

It is natural to love ones country and see as much glory in its past as one can detect. However, patriotism should not result in blinkered approaches to interpreting history or a compromise with truth to justify an argument of choice, he said.

There is no conflict or contradiction between the promotion of regional history and the pursuit of the history of the country as a whole, he said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that attempts were being made by vested interests to distort history to suit the present government at the centre.

Mr Mukherjee released the first copy of the proceedings of the Congress by presenting it to the chief minister. Governor P. Sathasivam, ministers Kadakampally Surendran and C. Raveendranath, Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Dr P.K. Radhakrishnan and Indian History Congress president Prof Shireen Moosvi also attended the function.

President honours Iravatham

President Pranab Mukherjee presented V. K. Rajwade Award of the Indian History Congress to epigraphist and Dravidologist Iravatham Mahadevan at its inaugural function here on Thursday where IHC secretary Ishrat Alam made the announcement. The award instituted by Prof A.R. Kulkarni for lifetime services to the cause of history carries a sum of Rs 50,000.

Mr Mahadevan is known for his successful decipherment of Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and his expertise on the epigraphy of the Indus Valley Civilisation, on which he has been working for over 40 years. His publications include The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables (1977).

A Tamil speaker, he has used historical linguistics and statistical studies to examine the Dravidian components in Vedic Sanskrit, and how these might point to interpretations of the Indus Valley script.

A retired IAS officer, he developed an interest in Indian epigraphy while in service. Upon the suggestion of historian Nilakanta Sastri, he began to study cave inscriptions of Tamil Nadu, and took the world of epigraphy by storm, when he published his work on Chera inscriptions of Pugalur, in 1965.
Thrissur: Home Minister Rajnath Singh does not know who Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil is and about his abduction by the terrorists in Yemen. However, after he was briefed by BJP national council member P.K. Krishnadas and mediapersons here on Thursday, the minister promised to take appropriate action to free the Salesian priest after getting more information about his present condition.

The minister had come to Guruvayur to offer prayers at the Sree Krishna Temple. When reporters asked him about the government plans to rescue Fr. Tom, he was at a loss to answer at first. After he was told about the matter, he promised prompt action.

It may be recalled that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had made several tweets after the latest video of the abducted priest appeared in the media recently.

Referring to demonetisation, Mr Singh said that the currency shortage had been effectively dealt with. Mr Singh who reached Guruvayur on Wednesday night came to the temple at 2.50 a.m. on Thursday and offered prayers before the main deity for 10 minutes.

Though the minister was expected to leave the temple town at 10 a.m. on Thursday, due to the delay in the Guruvayur-Chennai Egmore Express, the railway level-crossing at Guruvayur was closed at that time and his journey from Guruvayur to the airport was delayed by half an hour.

Relatives meet Alencherry

The relatives of Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil met Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry of the Syro-Malabar Church on Thursday and sought his intervention to release the Salesian priest from the terrorists clutches.

Mr Thomas Uzhunnalil, Mr O.S. Mathew, Mr N.A. Thomas and Mr Roy Mathew of the Uzhunnalil Kudumbayogam urged the Archbishop to take up the issue at the Synod of Syro-Malabar Church to be held next week. Cardinal Alenchery told DC that he had not given any assurance to present the case at the Synod.
On December 19, President Pranab Mukherjee had cleared the name of Justice Khehar as the next CJI. The incumbent, Justice T S Thakur, demits office on January 3 next year. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: A plea by a group of lawyers challenging the elevation of Justice J S Khehar as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) was dismissed on Friday by the Supreme Court which asserted that there was "no question" of him being considered ineligible for the post.

The apex court rejected the arguments that Justice Khehar, while heading a five-judge constitution bench that had struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), had benefitted himself as the judgement had revived the collegium system for appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.

While disapproving the grounds for entertaining the PIL, a bench of Justices R K Agrawal and D Y Chandrachud noted that there were averments in the petition praising the "quality" of the judge who is to be sworn as CJI on January 4.

"Since the petitioners have praised the quality of Justice J S Khehar, there is no question of him being considered ineligible for being appointed as the Chief Justice of India," the bench said.

"So far as this allegation is concerned, it is sufficient to mention that collegium not only consist of the CJI but also four other senior-most judges of the Supreme Court," the bench said.

The apex court also said that as far as correctness of the NJAC case judgement is concerned, "we are of the opinion that petitioner has the right to apply for review or file curative petition".

"We do not find any merit in the petition and the same is dismissed," the bench said while rejecting the plea filed by National Lawyers' Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms.

Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, appearing for the lawyers' body, argued that the issue of judiciary's independence and appointment of judges was important and it was "painful" for them to approach the apex court with such a petition.

He claimed that judges in the higher judiciary were coming from "a few families only" and "it cannot be the exclusive domain of some persons".

"This court has to listen to the critics. Democracy is all about criticism," he said, adding that Justice Khehar should refuse to become the next CJI.

As the lawyer was arguing on a high pitch, the bench told Nedumpara, "Mr counsel, can't you argue in your normal voice? Why are you raising your voice? Why are you shouting? Be in your normal voice. We are hearing you".

Nedumpara also claimed that the apex court registry should become citizen-friendly as it raised a lot of objections when a lawyer filed a petition.

The vice president of the lawyers' body also told the bench that Justice Khehar had "restored the collegium" and was its beneficiary and, if he became the CJI, "it will create some doubt in the mind of general public that he had struck down the NJAC for his benefit".

Another counsel for the petitioner argued that "lawyers and judges today are coming from a very small pool of family because these lawyers are entertained in the Supreme Court and the High Courts".

He alleged that 85 per cent SLPs filed by common advocates were being dismissed by the apex court within seconds, as these lawyers do not have the "face value".

The lawyer also referred to the Salman Khan case where Bombay High Court granted him interim bail, without having the copy of the trial court judgement convicting the Bollywood actor in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

He also said that judges, who are part of the collegium, should not be part of constitution bench in matters like the NJAC, asking "how can one be the judge for his own cause".

The petitioners also told the court that they have sought a direction to the Centre to seek review of the NJAC verdict so that there is a transparent mechanism for judges' appointment.

"50 per cent judges in the high courts are from family of judges or senior advocates. The collegium is appointing judges with a narrow view," Nedumpara said.

On December 23, the apex court had termed as "virtually infructuous" a petition filed by the lawyers' body opposing elevation of Justice Khehar as the next CJI observing that the President has already issued a notification in this regard.

The bench had noted in its order that the notification appointing Justice Khehar as the next CJI has been issued on December 19.

On December 19, President Pranab Mukherjee had cleared the name of Justice Khehar as the next CJI. The incumbent, Justice T S Thakur, demits office on January 3 next year.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday termed the infighting in the Samajwadi Party as a "scripted drama" to divert people's attention from the "all-round failures" of the Akhilesh Yadav government.

"Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has betrayed the people of Uttar Pradesh with the all-round failures of his government. He has not fulfilled any promise. People are feeling betrayed. What is happening in SP is a scripted drama to divert people's attention," its National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

People had voted for SP in 2012 as they were angry with the Mayawati government over poor law and order and development but it has also let them down, he said, blaming Yadav for "deteriorating law and order" as his portfolios includes the home ministry.

Voters will not fall in this trap this time, Sharma said, adding that they have made up their mind to vote for BJP. "There is wave in our support," he claimed.

BJP governments in various states have brought development and ensured double digit growth, he said.
Lucknow: The ruling Samajwadi Party was on Friday on the precipice of a split with party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and general secretary Ramgopal Yadav for six years after they put up candidates against the official nominees and summoned a party meet on Sunday.

The action, dubbed by a defiant Ramgopal, Mulayam's cousin, as "unconstitutional", as the party plunged into an unprecedented crisis raising questions over the fate of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

On a day of fast-moving developments, hordes of frenzied Akhilesh supporters, especially the youth, thronged his residence to express their support.

Making the announcement at a press conference here, Mulayam said the new Chief Minister will be chosen by the Samajwadi Party.

With his brother Shivpal Yadav, who has been at loggerheads with the Chief Minister, by his side, Mulayam said he had taken the action against Akhilesh and Ramgopal to save the party which he had built through hard efforts.

"We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ramgopal," he said.

He explained that the decision was taken after Ramgopal, in his capacity as general secretary, called an emergency meeting of the party on January 1 and Akhilesh "supported" it.

Ramgopal called the meeting after a showcause notice was issued to him and Akhilesh by Mulayam for releasing a list of candidates, parallel to the one issued officially by Mulayam.

"How can he (Akhilesh) release the list when the party has declared its candidates? Both Akhilesh and Ramgopal want to finish the party. I will not let it happen. I have built this party through hard work," Mulayam said.

"I had made Akhilesh the Chief Minister with much fanfare," he added.

With regard to the emergency meeting called by Ramgopal on Sunday, Mulayam said only the party president has the power to convene such a meeting. "The party cannot run on Ramgopal's whims," Mulayam said.

He said Ramgopal has not only indulged in indiscipline but is causing a big harm to the party. "As of now we have expelled him, but we will take further action against him," he party chief asserted.

Pouring scorn on Ramgopal, Mulayam said he has "ruined" the finishing career of Akhilesh who "does not understand".

A defiant Ramgopal termed Mulayam's decision to expel him and Akhilesh as "unconstitutional" and insisted that he continues to be the general secretary of the party.

He accused party chief of indulging in "unconstitutional" activities and said the party meet called by him on Sunday will take place in any eventuality.

"If the top leadership of the party indulges in unconstitutional acts, who will call the party meeting? It is the general secretary who will do it," Ramgopal said. He questioned the list of candidates released by Mulayam, saying no meeting of Parliamentary Board was held to discuss the nominees.
Hyderabad: The TS government on Thursday told the Hyderabad High Court that so far no evidence has been found that the police has been using the services of gangster Nayeem.

The government has filed a counter-affidavit before the court, pursuant to the courts direction in a public interest litigation filed by CPI leader K. Narayana, seeking a CBI probe into the case.

In the counter-affidavit, principal secretary in TS home department Rajiv Trivedi also denied that Nayeem had links with Naxal outfits operating in other states.

The state government has also submitted to the court that the allegation that top politicians used the services of Nayeem and derived some financial benefit is not correct and so far no evidence has been found to support it.

The government told the court that the Special Investigation Team investigating the case has not found any information that proves the allegation that Nayeem had discussions with Pakistan- based Dawood Ibrahim in Dubai.

If such evidence is found, appropriate action will be taken by the SIT.

The government affidavit said that the SIT is investigating the matter of the life and death of Nayeem, his alleged activities and offences committed by him and his associates in the entire state.
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik was on Friday detained by police in Pulwama in Srinagar, after he tried to protest against refugees' domicile issue.

The protest was carried out against the issue of identity certificates to West Pakistan refugees living in Pulwama.

National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on December 27 also expressed dissent over the government's announcement to issue 'domicile certificates' to West Pakistan Refuees.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, in coalition with the Jammu and Kashmir's ruling People's Democratic Party, took the stand of initiating steps to fulfil he long pending demands of the refugees, which stirred up controversy in the Valley.

On December 23, the Valley witnessed a complete shutdown on the call of separatists in the wake of the initiative taken by the government.
New Delhi: In a rebuff to India, China on Friday finally blocked its proposal to get Pakistan-based JeM chief and Pathankot mastermind Masood Azhar banned as terrorist by the United Nations.

The move triggered a sharp reaction from New Delhi which termed it as unfortunate blow and a step that confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism.

New Delhi also said it is concerned at the surprising Chinese decision and that it had expected Beijing to be more understanding of the need to tackle the scourge of terrorism.

Sources said that though India is extremely unhappy, it is unlikely to escalate the situation since it does not want Sino-Indian ties to be held hostage to the Masood Azhar issue.

In fact, while the Indian reaction to the developments highlighted its disappointment, New Delhi did not launch a strong frontal attack on Beijing, leaving the door open for further parleys. India is likely to continue its efforts to persuade China, sources said.

Beijing, however, is unlikely to oblige New Delhi even in the future since it has made huge investments on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and is completely backing Islamabad.

If India wants to try again, it has to place a fresh proposal before the United Nations but there appears to be scepticism in Indian Government circles about the wisdom of immediately going in for such a move.
Bankers are giving priority to customers from Hyderabad city and the nodal branches are supplying more currency to the branches in the city. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Hyderabad city is getting the lions share of the currency supplied by the Reserve Bank of India while the rest of Telangana gets much less.

Telangana state has 3,000 bank branches of which 1,000, including corporate/head offices, are located within Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits.

AP and TS bank employees federation secretary M.S. Kumar says there is a greater demand for cash in Hyderabad than in other cities such as Warangal, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Tirupati in both the states.

Bankers are giving priority to customers from Hyderabad city and the nodal branches are supplying more currency to the branches in the city. This is leading to problems in rural areas and in other cities in the state, he said. He said banks in TS are unable to issue even Rs 10,000 to each customer while in AP customers are getting cash as per the guidelines given by the RBI.

Its the same situation at ATMs. Nodal branches are sending cash to ATMs in the evening and the machines get empty within one hour. But there is no cash in ATMs in rural areas. The RBI should supply more currency for the convenience of customers, he said.
The Pakistan Foreign Ministry had first described the RSS and Indian political party Shiv Sena as "Hindu extremist and terrorist organisations" on December 15. (Representational image)

New Delhi: India on Friday slammed Pakistan for labelling certain Indian political parties and social organisations including the RSS  the ruling BJPs ideological mentor  as terrorist outfits, calling it a desperate attempt at deflecting international focus from Islamabads complicity in spawning terrorist groups like LeT, JuD and JeM.

In response to a query on the Pakistan Foreign Ministry's recent comments on Jammu & Kashmir and slander against Indian organisations", the Ministry of External Affairs said, The Pakistan MoFA statement of yesterday is absurd even by their standards.

Labelling bonafide Indian political parties and social and cultural organisations as terrorist organisations seems a desperate attempt to deflect international focus from Pakistan's own complicity in spawning internationally proscribed organisations like LeT, JuD and JeM, which continue to target Pakistan's neighbours from territory under Pakistan's control."

The Pakistan Foreign Ministry had first described the RSS and Indian political party Shiv Sena as "Hindu extremist and terrorist organisations" on December 15.

According to news agency reports, the official spokesperson of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry had on Thursday alleged that "terrorist organisations such as RSS, VHP, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and other terrorist elements" are engaged in a drive to change the demography of Kashmir.
The area where the incident happened doesn't have CCTV cameras. Police have formed teams to trace the accused. (Representational image)

New Delhi: A 38-year-old woman suffered head injuries as she fell out from a speeding auto-rickshaw while trying to save her handbag from snatchers in south Delhi's Defence Colony area.

Sharmila Rai was on her way to Connaught Place with her husband, Rakesh and his nephew Gaurav, from her home in Sanwal Nagar for shopping when three men on a motorcycle came near their auto-rickshaw around the Moolchand flyover area, police siad.

One of the men, snatched the bag and while she was trying to resist his attempts, she fell out of the auto-rickshaw and injured her head, her husband said.

The snatchers fled with the bag that contained at least Rs 7,000 in new currency notes, a mobile phone, ATM cards and some other important documents, he added.

The auto-rickshaw was speeding and when Sharmila fell out, she suffered severe injuries. When Rakesh shouted, the driver stopped the auto-rickshaw and her husband and his nephew rushed to Sharmila's aid.

Sharmila was rushed to Moolchand hospital where doctors referred her to Institute of Brain and Spine (IBS) where she underwent an operation.

Currently she is recuperating, Rakesh said.

Rakesh works as a chef in India International Centre while Sharmila works at a parlour in Nizamuddin area.

The area where the incident happened doesn't have CCTV cameras. Police have formed teams to trace the accused.

The faces of the accused weren't covered but the incident happened within a few seconds hence neither Rakesh nor Gaurav could note down details of their vehicles, said a senior police officer.
Most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in Srinagar - the summer capital of the state -were shut, while public transport was minimal, officials said. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: Normal life was affected in Kashmir Valley on Friday due to a strike called by separatists against the issuance of identity certificates to West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs).

Most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in Srinagar - the summer capital of the state -were shut, while public transport was minimal, officials said.

They said there were very few street vendors visible in the city today due to the strike.

Reports of shutdown were also received from most of the other district headquarters of the Valley, the officials said.

Security forces were deployed in strength at sensitive places where barricades were also erected. The separatists have also been calling for shutdown on Friday and Saturday every week after scaling down their agitation which followed the killing of Hizbul Mujahdeen militant Burhan Wani.

The more than five-month unrest in the Valley had left 86 people dead and thousands others, including 5,000 security personnel, injured.

The separatist groups - both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF - yesterday appealed the people to observe a complete shutdown on Friday and Saturday over WPR issue.

They alleged that the decision on issuance of identity certificates to WPR was aimed at changing the demography of Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday dared the Centre to get all the appointments made by his government probed after the CBI filed an FIR into the appointment of city Health Minister Satyendar Jain's OSD.

Asserting that he was not afraid of any probe, the AAP chief also wondered whether the Centre would accept a Delhi government-appointed committee to look into the Sahara Birla papers.

Kejriwal alleged that the CBI has filed "seven FIRs" against Jain and "two" against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, but did not elaborate.

In fresh trouble for the AAP government, the CBI has filed an FIR into the appointment of Jain's OSD while the LG office has recommended a probe by the agency into the appointment of his daughter Soumya Jain as a functionary in the Mohalla Clinic project.

"You (Centre) make your committee and get all our appointments probed. And we will form one, and you get the Sahara Birla matter probed with it. Agree?

"We are not scared of any probe as we have not done any wrong. Then why are you scared of a probe?" Kejriwal tweeted.
New Delhi: The Samajwadi parivar on Friday fell apart with father and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling his rebel son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minis-ter Akhilesh Yadav for anti-party activities. The party supremo also sacked Samajwadi Party general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav, a confidant and Akhilesh loyalist for calling an emergency meeting of the party on January 1. Both the leaders have been expelled for six years.

To save the party, we have expelled both Ram Gopal and Akhilesh Yadav for six years from the party. For us, the party is most important and our priority is to save the party, Mulayam Singh Yadav, flanked by his brother and state unit chief Shivpal Yadav, declared at a press conference.

Governor may ask Akhilesh to prove majority

The party supremo also sacked Samajwadi Party general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, a close confidant and Akhilesh Yadav loyalist for calling an emergency meeting of the party on January 1. Both the leaders have been expelled for six years. After Mulayam Singh released his list of candidates on Wednesday, a defiant Akhilesh Yadav released his own list of candidates on Thursday, a move that enraged his father. Earlier on Friday, Mulayam Singh Yadav had issued a show-cause notice to Akhilesh for issuing a parallel list.

Taking his father head on after being expelled, Akhilesh Yadav summoned a meeting of SP MLAs at 9.30 am on Saturday. A split in the party is inevitable.

Reports indicated that top leaders of the party have urged Mulayam Singh Yadav to revoke the expulsion of Akhilesh Yadav.

Ram Gopal Yadav, defying the party chiefs diktat, asserted that Mulayam Singhs move to sack him and Akhilesh was unconstitutional and that he would go ahead with the emergency meeting on January 1.

Mulayam Singh appealed to party workers not to attend the meeting. Immediately after SP chief expelled Akhilesh, the BJP swung into action and demanded that the Chief Minister resign on moral grounds. All eyes are now on the Governor, Ram Naik, who said he is keeping a close watch on the developments.

While elections dates are expected to be announced on January 3, the Governor could ask Akhilesh Yadav to prove his majority on the floor of the House in the next 72 hours.
There is no doubt that the incidents of Islamist terrorism, carried out or prevented by the intelligence services and police, originated in these isolated communities. (Representational Image)

To dream a national dream

A nation must be asleep

And lumbered by its slumber

Elect a national creep.

From Selections from Diwan-e-Bachchoo (Ed, by Terry

Marco Polo)

Two reports from official UK bodies were published at the end of 2016. The first one traced the persistent isolation of immigrant communities from the mainstream of British life. The second, with no reference or connection to the first, but with a symbiotic relevance to it, was about the discrimination of race that persists in the practices of employment.

The isolationist report statistically detailed what Britain should be well aware of. In the Midlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire, the centres of towns such as Bradford are almost entirely Asian, mostly the descendants of immigrants from Mirpur in PoK and from Bangladesh. The native population of these towns has moved to the surrounding, still picturesque villages, leaving the town centres to Asian shops and restaurants and churches converted to Islamic institutions dedicated to one purpose or tother.

The mills are gone from these areas and the mosques flourish. The report highlighted the potential dangers of this sort of self-selecting apartheid. There is no doubt that the incidents of Islamist terrorism, carried out or prevented by the intelligence services and police, originated in these isolated communities. The five young British girls of Bangladeshi parentage, who ran away to Syria to volunteer as jihadi brides, came from Londons Tower Hamlets (which, incidentally boasts more mosques per square mile than Mecca).

Birmingham has in recent years experienced what the media called the Trojan Horse penetration of its schools. Several schools, legally established as Islamic institutions, were infiltrated by radical Islamicist governors who then proceeded to appoint radical Islamicist head  teachers and members of staff in order to spread their pernicious doctrines. In the same years that the British state has legalised gay marriage, these schools have been detected preaching hatred against homosexuals. Freedom of thought and expression in Britain ensures that one may have ones opinion about homosexuality or gay partnerships; and freedom of expression extends to allowing one to say in print that homosexuality is not sanctioned by God or nature. What is forbidden is the spreading of hatred or the instigation to violence against people of a different religious or sexual orientation.

The report has no instantly implementable solutions to the obvious and growing social dislocation caused by this evolved isolation. To integrate schools through a prescribed ratio of ethnic populations has been mooted but would entail the transfer of children from their neighbourhoods into alien ones and that would undoubtedly meet with parental resistance from all sides.

The only first step, short of legislated solutions to reserve housing stock, places in educational institutions and ethnic quotas in employment, which I can think of, is a change of heart and orientation through the media.

There is no conclusive proof that TV, while it informs, educates and entertains, does anything to directly influence social currents. (The exposure that TV gives presidential candidates in the US may even point the opposite way  that voters move in the opposite direction to TV persuasion.) Nevertheless it remains true that TV provides the central forum for national conversation and perhaps even for national awareness. This is not the place for a prescription as to what British TV should be doing to integrate the isolated communities and facilitate a sharing of national, if diverse, values. It can however be the medium for a story of good intentions.

A friend of mine who runs a TV production company has over the last year been researching a chain of very successful Indian restaurants called Akbars, situated in Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Bradford and Glasgow. Its owner, a young man called Bashir who likes to be called Bash set the chain up from scratch.

The TV producer friend has come to the conclusion, after the isolation report was published, that he should pitch and do something towards integration. He has observed that the workers in the Akbars chain are all Asian  mostly Muslim and Mirpuri. He now proposes that Bash begin to recruit white workers in all departments and capacities to train as chefs, waiters, managers, buyers and any other employment the chain offers.

In a radio discussion on the second report on discrimination in employment, a contributor said he sent the identical CV to several employers under his own distinctly African name and a copy under a pseudo British name. The Brit was summoned for an interview but the African was not.

Another contributor said she wasnt going to see any drama or ballet, which didnt have a racially integrated cast. I would have told her, but didnt, that I have written a pantomime which is running in London today called Bollywood Jack  featuring a distorted, ethnicised story of Jack and the beanstalk  and all the actors and musicians are distinctly non-British! She should go!
It is hard to understand why the government wants to bring in an ordinance making it punishable to keep old demonetised notes beyond a certain number after March 31, with a stiff minimum fine of Rs 10,000. The old notes will have no value after December 30, 2016, so why should someone be penalised for holding notes that are simply junk or scraps of paper? To say it is being done to prevent people from exploiting poor labourers by giving them old notes doesnt sound convincing at all. Ruling by ordinances is also disturbing, and has already earned the Narendra Modi government the label of ordinance raj. There is also a perception that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no patience with the parliamentary process. In December 2015, his government issued seven ordinances in a fortnight, amending the land reforms law, allowing FDI in insurance, auctioning of coal blocks, among other things. Finance minister Arun Jaitley proudly claimed it would convince foreign investors the reforms wouldnt be hit due to the chaos in Parliament, but it only exposed the governments weakness, showing it couldnt get the bills through the Rajya Sabha.

While there was only one ordinance this December, was it really necessary? The PM may be a man in a hurry, but it is certainly not a good practice for his government to bypass Parliament as his party doesnt have a majority in the Rajya Sabha. What was the hurry to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes without discussion in Parliament? Some of the 60-plus changes in rules the government was forced to make could have been avoided. Its true tackling black money was among the BJPs 2014 election promises, but did it manage to get any of the enormous amounts stashed overseas?

Contrast this with whats happening in Europe. The 500-euro note is being demonetised from the end of 2018, but the public has been informed well over two years in advance. No secrecy, no surgical strike, though the objectives are the same: to check black money, counterfeiting and terror financing. But see the difference: while the 500-euro note will cease to be general tender, it will retain its value, and anyone can at any time go to a branch of the central bank to exchange it. So the promise to pay the bearer is not being repudiated.

The new ordinance is also a scary reminder of Indira Gandhis Emergency. If the BJP and government claim an ordinance was the only way as Parliament was stalled, it should remember its the duty of the government, not the Opposition, to ensure Parliament functions. The BJP pointed this out repeatedly while it was in Opposition in the decade-long UPA period. If this preference for ordinance raj continues, the Indian politys democratic structure will be considerably endangered.
The year closes on the wholesome note of introspective wisdom from President Pranab Mukherjee, who counselled on Thursday that patriotism should not result in blinkered approaches to the interpretation of history which compromise the truth to justify a convenient argument. Few would fail to notice in this the oblique reference to the recent fervour promoted by the BJP and the Narendra Modi government to brand critics of the government unpatriotic and anti-national. Thus, critics of demonetisation and of the so-called surgical strike against Pakistan were called these vile names by high functionaries of the state as well as leading lights of the ruling party.

Indeed, the rubric of nationalist has been sought to be appropriated solely for the ruling party and its supporters in the narrative pushed by the political establishment these days, with critics suggesting that the BJPs credo is not nationalism but Hindu nationalism.

Addressing the Indian History Congress in Thiruvananthapuram, the President celebrated the argumentative Indian, not the intolerant Indian, and highlighted the necessity to protect the freedom to doubt, disagree, dispute, which he said was crucial to preserving Indias ethos of pluralism and diversity. Mr Mukherjee has had to return to this theme, given that fanatical elements associated with majoritarian groups have acted and spoken in an unrestrained fashion in recent times.

The Law Commission, which has consciously or in innocence sought a public debate on a uniform civil code just when major elections are due, can also heed the Rashtrapatis words since this subject is widely viewed as a part of a socially divisive agenda.
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley has chosen to see the brighter side of demonetisation because his governments treasury has benefited with the increase in direct and indirect tax collection. For the common people and specially for the economically weaker sections like daily workers and sectors that depend on cash transactions, the situation has been painful and it continues to be so as the 50-days that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked for to bring the situation to normal, expires today. Labourers in textile hubs like Tiruppur have lost their jobs and returned to their villages as the owners dont have the cash to pay them. This is the same story in agriculture where farmers have seen the price of their produce drop as traders dont have the cash to pay them. GDP growth is expected to see a dip of nearly two per cent. The IIP for November was down. Mr Jaitley seems a little removed from the ground reality. The situation may not be as distressful as it was soon after November 8 but the fact that cash is still not available as it was pre-November 8 is a reality. The RBI is expected to meet the shortfall in currency only in a few months even as the workers at its printing presses have refused to work in three shifts, according to reports.

It is difficult to fathom what Mr Jaitley means when he says that RBI has plenty of cash so there should be no shortage. It is one thing for the finance minister to say that this short-term pain is for long-term gains. But behind this pain are human beings who are going through rough times, being unable to get hold of their own hard earned money. No one doubts the good that will come and has already come for the government at least, from demonetisation. It is supposed to have given a boost to the digital revolution and hit at holders of unaccounted money, thereby curbing corruption. This is doubtful as bribe takers are demanding bribes in diamond and gold.
History is written by the winners. But what happens when hashtags dictate the story?

In a country of nearly 1.3 billion people, with Twitter users numbering a little over 23 million, and Internet subscribers just crossing 350 million, that question may seem odd, even elitist. But as 2016 draws to a close, in the style of a typically Indian paradox, hashtag wars have come to define the hype, hysteria and hope surrounding political debates and public discourse in the country.

Like it or not, today, the tech-savvy vocal few can potentially influence what the rest know, think and feel. Many a story in the mainstream media takes its cues from trends in the social media. In the beginning, this was hailed as breaching the barricades, democratisation of public discourse with everyone pitching in, unmediated by gatekeepers.

But the reality is somewhat different. The social media is hugely useful in times of crisis, during natural disasters, in reuniting lost friends. It boosts causes and commerce in equal measure. But the interactive, inherently compelling nature of the social media is also trapping users in information and ideological silos.

As Warren Buffet famously said, What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that their prior conclusions remain intact. Today, most of us hear what we want to hear. Perhaps, it has always been that way, and the hope was that the Internet would break the barriers. But the fact is that the social media is not necessarily expanding our minds. Algorithms feed us what we want, or what the computer programme thinks we want, in the name of Internet personalisation.

So where does that leave genuine diversity and freedom of thought?

In the recent Ameican elections, one saw how hashtags contributed to the dramatic shifts in public perception, in delegitimising people perceived to be elite or establishment, and fuelling the flames of public anger. A perception was created that traditional journalism was not the honest arbiter of truth but tweets were. One telling tweet from a Donald Trump supporter: @MSM hates @realDonaldTrump tweeting because they dont get the scoop first. I love it. MSM is the much reviled traditional, mainstream media.

It is true that traditional media in the United States took sides, in some cases blatantly. They chose not to see the writing on the wall. But it is equally true that the social media was also patently partisan, reinforcing existing prejudices, making biases more rigid. People followed those they wanted to follow and ignored, blocked and mocked those who had contrary views. Sometimes the diverse groups met, but only in an uber-aggressive us versus them spirit. That continues.

We are seeing a repeat of the same story in India, with the same cuss words. If the American Right curses MSM and liberals, so do the right-wing trolls in India.

In 2016, the curses grew louder on all sides, and polarisation deeper.

Take demonetisation or notebandi as it is called in street lingo. Social media recorded 650,000 tweets in 24 hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8. Will history remember it as a marker of Mr Modis dynamism and daring or will it be remembered for the acute distress and uncertainty it triggered? The jury is out.

As I write, tweets hashtagged #DeMonetisation, #IndiaFightsBlackMoney, #RaidPeRaid, #ModiFightsCorruption are jousting with #DemonetisationDisaster. Those on one set of hashtags rarely look at the other set. When they do, it is not to listen or debate, but attack in the foulest language. Mercifully, demonetisation has also led to an explosion of jokes on the social media, some of it inspired by movies. The biting cold as many Indians continue to queue outside banks and ATMs is matched by the biting satire in cyberspace.

Demonetisation inspired one @PriyaSometimes to tweet in true filmy style: Cash me if you can, a takeoff on the famous Leonardo DiCaprio movie Catch Me If You Can. Then there were Amar, Akbar, ATM-money and Cheque De India, after Bollywood blockbusters which need no introduction. Now, the focus and the hashtags have pivoted to Transforming India and Cashless.

Other hashtags which captured the public imagination in India in 2016 include #Surgicalstrike which trended after the Indian Army said it had carried out surgical strikes along the Line of Control on seven terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and caused significant casualties. The strikes took place soon after the terrorist attack on a military camp in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, that left 18 soldiers dead.

Hashtag wars have also seeped into academia. The battle for the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union was bitterly fought on the terrain and in cyberspace. The virtual tug-of-war between the ideologically-opposed hashtags boiled down to #StandWithJNU vs #ShutDownJNU.

Now Twitter trolls are targeting Taimur, newborn son of Bollywood stars Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. Hashtag warriors angrily ask why the couple named their son after an invader who killed so many Indians. But does any one person own a name? Should we boycott all Josephs because one Joseph went on to be Stalin or New Delhis legendary Nathus Sweets as the name reminds us of the man who pumped bullets into the Father of the Nation? Taimur means iron in Turkish.

A safe forecast: hashtag wars and hysteria will continue, never mind the hacking of famous Twitter accounts including that of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi by a hacker group which calls itself Legion.

But all is not gloomy on the ground or in cyberspace. Sonam Gupta brings cheer.

In 2016, Indian netizens obsessed about a person who perhaps does not exist. Sonam Gupta Bewafa hai (Sonam Gupta is deceitful) was first spotted on an old Rs 10 note. Soon, the mysterious Gupta had morphed into Google Indias third most searched person. Now, post demonetisation, deceitful Sonam has resurfaced in the social media. Someone scribbled her name again on a spanking new Rs 2,000 note. And a meme was born. Which gives me a flicker of hope. If hashtags make history, perhaps #humour can save it.
Communication is not an add-on to modern government. It is in many ways intrinsic to government and sometimes, in certain conditions, it is what governance is all about. Gifted political communicators who transition into government never lose sight of that reality.

It serves them for two reasons. First, since communication is their strong suit (as politicians), they take it into their ministerial positions as well, leveraging their skills. Second, they recognise that the old binary of communication and access to decision-making and effective messaging being important in political campaigns but less so in the humdrum period of government no longer holds. There is no divide any longer; it is all a continuum. This is true for, and a challenge for, any democracy: be it the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States or of course India.

When she entered South Block as external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj brought these skills and a practised politicians robust common sense to her office. She could have busied herself in files and meetings and diplomatic jargon and protocol  and distanced herself from her voters, her people and ordinary citizens. Indeed she has done all of those. If you draw up a list of BJP Cabinet ministers who diligently read their files and briefing notes and send back thought-out comments, Ms Swaraj will easily rank among the top two or three. She has given much of the limelight to her Prime Minister, but has worked assiduously behind the scenes.

When it has come to drawing a clearcut line, inevitably the government has had to turn to her. Diplomats at the Foreign Office speak of her hard chat with Mahinda Rajapaksa, then President of Sri Lanka; of that no-nonsense press conference in 2015 when the NSA-level talks between New Delhi and Islamabad got called off; and then the visit to Pakistan this past winter for the Heart of Asia conference that brought bilateral relations back on track  for a few short weeks at least!

That effort, that willingness to shoulder responsibility, that readiness to lend political weight to a diplomatic message, that gut instinct that can only come from a grassroots politician who knows the limits of public patience as well as the bounds of national interest, and is ready to attempt to find a sweet spot where they meet  Sushma Swaraj understands this as few others do.

The external affairs ministry is always a difficult place to be in if the Prime Minister has a strong diplomatic agenda and foreign policy orientation. This was as true of Benjamin Disraeli as Tony Blair, and in India of virtually every Prime Minister from 1947. Jawaharlal Nehru was his own foreign minister, as were for short stints all other Congress Prime Ministers. Indira Gandhi, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh ran the MEA through the Prime Ministers Office. When Dinesh Singh was ill, P.V. Narasimha Rao managed foreign policy in direct communication with the foreign secretary.

Sushma Swaraj could have worried about these precedents when she became external affairs minister, but rather than fret about the prime ministerial authorship of foreign policy  a reality in todays world or perhaps in any world  she decided to sidestep the issue and reinvent her role. Using Twitter and the social media with aplomb, she made herself accessible to ordinary people and their concerns. This helped make foreign policy and the workings of the MEA intelligible and relevant to ordinary citizens, and gave them a stake in the ministry, rather than allowed it to persist as some sort of hallowed hall into which ordinary Indians had limited entry.

Ordinary citizens come into contact with the MEA only when there are matters related to passports and visas, being stranded overseas, or a family member being at some risk in a faraway land. In such circumstances, they seek reassurance from their government and their political leadership. The consul-general in a particular overseas city may choose to be helpful but that help is episodic and individual-dependent. Regrettably, this had not been institutionalised in the MEA all these years.

It is to the credit of the Narendra Modi-Sushma Swaraj team that addressing the legitimate problems of Indian citizens at home and the Indian diaspora overseas has now been written into the mandate of all Indian diplomatic missions and of the MEA headquarters. The fact that the minister is ready to respond to that proverbial 3 am tweet gives this mechanism a certain credibility.

Sushma Swaraj has effected this shift brilliantly and has set the bar extremely high for future foreign ministers. In acting as the peoples minister, she has essentially been the first to see the MEA as a public service office, one that must touch the lives of ordinary men and women if it is to get its necessary political weight. In the times to come, they could call this transformation the Sushma Doctrine.
Despite launching its high-end Bolt and 10, HTC hasnt been able to reach its shipment target for this year.

2016 has been a struggling year for HTC. The company has reportedly been experiencing a decline in its sale. Despite launching its high-end Bolt and 10, HTC hasnt been able to reach its shipment target for this year. However, the company plans on turning that around. A latest report from Taiwan suggests that HTC might announce three smartphones in the first quarter of 2017.

The same report suggests that HTC will probably announce the first device at a press conference on January 12. This device is speculated to be its mid-range X10, the successor to last years X9. The X10 smartphone is rumoured to sport a 5.5-inch 1080p display, MediaTeks Helio P10 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 13MP rear camera.

The company will be unveiling the second device, which will most likely be the HTC 11 (codenamed HTC Ocean ) at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) that will take place on February 27 in Barcelona .

The third smartphone is rumoured to be a phablet called HTC Ocean Note. The phablet is speculated to be a bigger version of the upcoming HTC 11.

None of the above given information has been confirmed by the company yet. We will probably have to wait around for more updates.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Over 200 girls were captured from the northeast Nigeria town of Chibok in April 2014 by Boko Haram militants. (Photo: Videograb/file)

Abuja: Boko Haram is teaching its child soldiers as young as 13, how to rape hostages, it has been revealed.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, the fighters allegedly told the child recruits that they would have fun at the end of their conquests, in an apparent reference to the sexual exploitation of the hostages they would conquer after the attack.

Senior fighters spent two days teaching the children how to rape their hostages, and were told not to allow women to 'overpower' them.

The claims, made by a child soldier only identified as Ahmed, comes in the wake of the militant group issuing a video statement, claiming that they were not crushed and will fight on until an Islamic state was imposed in northern Nigeria.

One of the victims who escaped the clutches of the dreaded list, told the Daily Beast that she was raped by 'little boys' so little, that she could have fended them off in any other normal situation.

One looked like a 13-year-old having sex for the first time. But he succeeded because he had a gun, she reportedly said.

The group has reportedly turned to recruitment of child soldiers in an attempt to rebound after the terrible losses they suffered at the hands of the Nigerian military last year.

The Boko Haram fighters fleeing an attack on their base by the Nigerian military have also used hostage women and children, taken as hostage from Nigerias Chibok, as human shields, the report claimed.

The reports come in the wake of Boko Haram's elusive leader Abubakar Shekau appearing in a new video on Thursday to dispute a claim that the jihadist group had been routed from its Sambisa Forest stronghold.

"We are safe. We have not been flushed out of anywhere. And tactics and strategies cannot reveal our location except if Allah wills by his decree," Shekau said in the 25-minute video, flanked by masked armed fighters.

The government in Abuja and the military have frequently claimed victories against the Islamic State group affiliate but access to the epicentre of the conflict is strictly controlled.

That has made independent verification of official statements about victories virtually impossible.

Attacks have meanwhile continued, making claims of defeating Boko Haram questionable despite undoubted progress in pushing back the group.

The Boko Haram's insurgency has killed at least 20,000 and forced some 2.6 million others to flee their homes since 2009.

The violence has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis in the region, with thousands of children facing the risk of famine and starvation.
After years of devastating battles and a recent surge in attacks, the fear in Nigeria is that Boko Haram will simply decamp from the Sambisa forest enclave to other areas nearby. (Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Kano: Nigeria has recently trumpeted a major victory in its battle against Boko Haram, claiming that its army has routed the jihadists from their forest bastion, but the war against them is far from over.

After years of devastating battles and a recent surge in attacks, the fear in Nigeria is that Boko Haram will simply decamp from the Sambisa forest enclave to other areas nearby.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announced on Christmas Eve that a months-long campaign had led to the "final crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa Forest".

The Nigerian military said troops were chasing fleeing Boko Haram militants, claiming that the fight against the jihadists was in its final stages.

But on Thursday, Boko Haram's elusive leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video to dispute the government's claim.

"We are safe. We have not been flushed out of anywhere," Shekau said in the 25-minute video, flanked by masked armed fighters.

As access to the conflict zones is heavily restricted, claims from both sides cannot be independently verified.

A convenient sanctuary

According to a military source who asked not to be named, Boko Haram jihadists have been "tremendously weakened and are trying to avoid confrontation by hiding in some obscure locations."

Islamists routed from Sambisa have reportedly fled to areas on the edge of the forest, islets on Lake Chad as well as villages on the Cameroon border.

"They were sighted in large numbers in the Kala-Balge area," said a vigilante helping in the fight, referring to a region near Cameroon.

The head of the fishermen's union in Borno state, the epicentre of Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency, said some fighters had regrouped on Lake Chad, which straddles Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

It provides the jihadists with a "convenient sanctuary", with its 400 islets covered with dense vegetation that makes aerial detection and ground operations dangerous, Abubakar Gamandi said.

"The islets are between one and two square kilometres and the fresh water and abundant fish in the lake make them habitable," said Gamandi, who has fished in Lake Chad for 40 years.

Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the leader of a Boko Haram faction recognised by the Islamic State group, has already been living on the lake since his group split from Shekau's leadership in August, residents and vigilantes say.

Should Shekau and his troops move there, it is unclear whether the two rival factions will end up battling each other.

The next battleground

Cameroonian troops have intensified their operations along their nation's frontier with Nigeria, where fleeing Boko Haram fighters have also sought refuge, according to a vigilante in the Nigerian border town of Banki.

"Cameroon has upped security along the border which has forced fleeing Boko Haram (fighters) to head to Kala-Balge, where Nigerian troops are deploying", said the vigilante, who did not want to give his name.

"Kala-Balge may be the next battleground," said Umar Ari, a local trader.

According to Yan St-Pierre, an expert on jihadist groups, cooperation between west African governments fighting Boko Haram has "vastly improved since September."

However, "the army's biggest problem is to secure the areas it recaptures from Boko Haram," he added, referring to a spike in suicide and other guerrilla-style attacks unleashed since the jihadists began to lose ground.

Even though the Nigerian authorities have claimed several times that the end of Boko Haram was imminent, the conflict has merely continued to shift and "the army remains far from gaining the upper hand."

A matter of time

How Shekau escaped from Sambisa remains a mystery.

He "might have escaped in the intense battle to take over Camp Zero," an army source told AFP, referring to the last jihadist bastion in Sambisa Forest to fall to Nigerian troops.

He has since been spotted in Pulka village near Gwoza on the Cameroonian border and is currently believed to be hiding in a forest in Kala-Balge, a security source said.

Shekau's fighters are believed to have taken with them scores of Chibok girls held since 2014, as well as Nigerian army hostages, to use them as human shields.

Despite the odds, Nigerian troops remain defiant.

"We are closing in on Shekau and his remaining commanders," said a military officer speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It is just a matter of time before we get him, dead or alive".
Rio de Janeiro: The discovery of a burned-out car in Rio state with a body inside have sparked fears that it might be that of the Greek ambassador to Brazil, missing since Monday.

Rio police were examining the corpse and scene yesterday but could not say whether it was that of the envoy, 59-year-old Kyriakos Amiridis.

"The information that we can confirm right now is that we have found a car in (the district of) Nova Iguacu with a body and it is being investigated," a source in the homicide squad said.

The source would not say whether the license plate of the car was from the rental the ambassador was using, nor when DNA results on the body would be back.

Amiridis had been on vacation with his family in Rio de Janeiro's northern Nova Iguacu area since December 21.

He was due to fly back to Brasilia on January 9, a Greek embassy official told AFP.

But he went missing on Monday night, after going out of the apartment they were renting and taking the car, according to Brazilian media. His Brazilian wife formally declared him missing on Wednesday.

The Brazilian news website published photos of the burned car found on the slope of a busy suburban thoroughfare. It reported that police "suspected" the body inside to be that of the ambassador.

The Greek foreign ministry had earlier issued a statement saying that after Amiridis was declared missing, "the full mobilization of all the competent Brazilian authorities was requested."

Amiridis was named ambassador this year. He had previously served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004. He served as Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 to 2016.

He is married and has a daughter, according to the embassy in Brasilia.
New York: Russia has ordered the closure of the American School of Moscow in retaliation of US sanctions.

This comes after the United States on Thursday ordered 35 Russian diplomats in Washington and San Francisco to leave the country in the next 72 hours as a retaliatory measure against Russian election hack.

The order from the Russian Government closes the school, which serves children of US, British and Canadian embassy personnel, to US and foreign nationals, reports the CNN.

The order also closes access to the US embassy vacation house in Serebryany Bor, near Moscow.

The US administration described Russia's involvement as "Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities" and sanctioned four Russian individuals and five Russian entities for what it said was election interference.

However, Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have denied all allegations regarding meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

Meanwhile a Russian Foreign Ministry official called the U.S. sanctions over cyber-hacking counterproductive, saying it will harm restoration of ties.

Russian spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said about the Obama administration, "It's not an administration; it's a group of foreign policy losers, angry and ignorant."
Michigan: Three Michigan police officers, who shot two dogs for lunging and barking at them during a drug raid, were once again justified in their actions  this time by a federal appeals court.

Mark and Cheryl Brown of Battle Creek, Mich., filed suits over unreasonable seizure of their property and a violation of their constitutional rights for the deaths of their pets, according to Daily News.

According to the Battle Creek Enquirer, officers shot and killed the Browns pit bull terriers during an April 2013 operation, with Emergency Response Team members claiming one lunged at them and that the other barked as they executed a search warrant for drugs.

The standard we set out today is that a police officers use of deadly force against a dog while executing a search warrant to search a home for illegal drug activity is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment when  the dog poses an imminent threat to the officers safety, wrote Judge Eric Clay in the decision that saw the US 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati side with the U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids dismissal.
Washington: President-elect Donald Trump could reverse President Barack Obama's executive order and allow Russian intelligence officials back into the United States once he takes office, but that would be inadvisable, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

There is no reason to believe Russia will cease interfering in U.S. and other countries' elections, Obama administration officials told reporters on a conference call after the president announced sanctions against Moscow.

"We believe these steps are important because Russia is not going to stop," one official said. "We have every indication that they will interfere in democratic elections in other countries, including some of our European allies," the official aid.
$5,40,000 will be given to the Elizabethton Carter County Animal Shelter to expand the dog and cat holding areas. (Photo: Pixabay)

Tennessee: A Tennessee womans $1.2 million estate has gone to the dogs  and cats, too.

The Johnson City Press reports Glenda Taylor DeLawders bequest to an animal shelter was announced Christmas Day on the Carter County government website by Mayor Leon Humphrey.

Humphrey says $5,40,000 will be given to the Elizabethton Carter County Animal Shelter to expand the dog and cat holding areas. It also pay for a new van that can be converted to transport dogs and cats to be spayed and neutered.

Construction will begin on the shelter expansion January 9, and Humphrey says the van is scheduled to arrive by March 1. DeLawder, who is described by her family as being an avid animal lover, died in November 2015.

The mayor said the money is a great blessing to the animals and to everyone involved with the shelter. We would not be able to expand otherwise, he said.
Sydney, Australia: Counter-terrorism police have arrested a man in Sydney for allegedly making threats against New Year's Eve celebrations in an online blog, authorities said Friday.

The arrest came a week after police said they had foiled a "significant" ISIS-inspired terror plot for Christmas Day targeting central Melbourne with explosives.

The 40-year-old man was to appear in court later in the day on charges of "making threats relating to New Year's Eve", a police statement said.

Police did not provide details about the threats.

Sydney is gearing up for the giant annual New Year's Eve fireworks party on the harbour with a crowd of more than one million expected.

Acting on a tip-off from the public, officers from the New South Wales Police Force Terrorism Investigation Squad arrested the man on Thursday at Sydney's international airport as he returned from London.

Documents and hard drives were seized after searches of a home and a storage facility in the city.

Police charged the man with possessing "documents containing threats... concerning online blogs".

He was refused bail prior to an appearance at Parramatta local Court.

"Investigations into this matter so far indicate this was an isolated incident," said Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn.

"As a consequence, we are confident that there are no current or specific threats to New Years Eve... people should enjoy the celebrations."

At least a dozen terror attacks have been prevented in Australia in the past two years, according to officials. But four have taken place, including the murder of a Sydney police employee last year.

Counter-terrorism police have made a large number of arrests since late 2014, with the youth and depth of radicalisation of many of those detained a growing concern.
The coming year will determine whether Britain's surprise decision in a June referendum to walk away from the many benefits of EU membership in favour of establishing firm border controls. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

London: Europe's leaders are not expecting a smooth ride in 2017 following a year marked by political upheaval, extremist attacks, unchecked immigration, and a rising military threat from Russia.

Britain is suing for divorce, the far-right is on the march, some former Soviet satellites seem disillusioned with the West even as Russia seeks to regain its influence, and America will soon inaugurate an untested, seemingly Russia-friendly president who has voiced doubts about the usefulness of the NATO alliance. The uncertainty is thick enough to breathe.

It all looks so different from the triumphant panorama presented more than two decades ago when the European Union was expanding. Formerly captive nations freed from Soviet control seemed eager to embrace liberal democracy, capitalism and substantial subsidies - from their wealthier neighbours.

There was rosy talk of an ever-closer union, the development of a single currency, and a cooperative relationship with Russia. It hasn't turned out that way, the EU, with its touted ideals of shared democratic values and free movement of people, has never seem so frayed and vulnerable.

"The risks for 2017 remain very high," said Adam Thomson, director of the London-based European Leadership Network research group. "We Europeans need to recognize that we face a level of risk in the West-Russian confrontation that we have not seen since the 1960s. It is partly because a lot of the security rules of the road have been torn up or suspended, so there are fewer rules and less predictability."

He said most Europeans do not perceive the danger because they have been lulled by the cordial East-West relations that prevailed for years after the Soviet collapse in 1991.

"Europeans have gotten used to 25 years of peace dividend, and a stability they have come to think of as normal but in fact might be the abnormality in Europe's long history of conflict," Thomson said.

There is deep unease in the Baltics, Scandinavia and elsewhere as Russia moves more military forces to its border regions and even places nuclear capable Iskander ballistic missiles into the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, where they can threaten part of Poland, Germany, and other countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin seems emboldened by the lukewarm international response to his government's annexation of the Crimea two years ago and his strong intervention in Syria this year and by the growing support he enjoys among far-right political leaders who are gaining ground in Europe.

He has already been making inroads, with a pro-Russia candidate elected president in Moldova and a candidate calling for a European rapprochement with Russia winning in Bulgaria.

Electoral focal points in the coming year are France, where voters may bring to power a far-right National Front government that wants to follow Britain out of the European Union, and Germany and the Netherlands, where far-right parties also stand to make gains.

The increasing appeal of the far-right has been fuelled by public unhappiness with the ongoing influx of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and Africa. Events like the recent extremist attack that killed 12 people at a Christmas market in Berlin combined with earlier assaults on civilians in Paris and Brussels have made it more common for Europeans to view the incoming human tide as a potential threat.

The coming year will determine whether Britain's surprise decision in a June referendum to walk away from the many benefits of EU membership in favour of establishing firm border controls was an anomaly or a harbinger of things to come.

Elections in the Netherlands in March are expected to bring strong gains for Geert Wilders' anti-Islam, anti-EU Party for Freedom, which could emerge as the biggest party. Even if that happens, he will likely find it very difficult to find enough partners to form a majority government in a country where coalitions are the norm due to the voting system and proliferation of smaller parties.

Wilders' outspoken opposition to Islam has gained traction in a nation long known for its tolerance. He wants the Netherlands, a founding member of the EU, to leave the 28-nation bloc.

The first round of French voting in April is expected to bring far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen into the final round against conservative Francois Fillon.

Both pose a threat to the European status quo: Le Pen wants to take France out of the EU, end its use of the shared euro currency, and close the border-free zone. Both candidates favor closer ties to Russia, including a lifting of sanctions. Both want to reduce immigration and strengthen border controls, though Fillon prefers to do so from within the EU bloc.

German elections expected in September are likely to bring the nationalist Alternative for Germany party into the federal parliament for the first time. The party's strength, stemming from dissatisfaction at the influx of migrants to Germany over the past two years, has put Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democrats on the defensive - particularly after the Christmas market truck attack, apparently carried out by an asylum-seeker from Tunisia.

Some experts believe a Le Pen triumph in the final round in France in May would deal a fatal blow to the EU.

"France is the critical one," said Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe research group.

"I don't think she'll win, but if she does I think it would probably mean the end of the EU because she would start to challenge the authority of EU law," he said. "She would ignore laws she doesn't like, unilaterally start to impose border checks, and the sheer fragility of the EU would be brought into sharp relief. People don't understand how fragile it is."
Baloch was arrested on December 19 in the hours after the attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin in which 12 people were killed. (Photo: AP)

London: The Pakistani man wrongly arrested for the Berlin truck attack on Friday said he had told German police he could not even drive and was now afraid for the safety of his family back home.

Naveed Baloch, an asylum seeker from the troubled province of Balochistan, told the Guardian newspaper he had just left a friend's house and was crossing a street when he saw a police car approaching fast and picked up his pace.

He said he was arrested and taken to a police station, where he was undressed and photographed.

"When I resisted, they started slapping me," the 24-year-old, who has been living in a secret location provided by police since his release because he says he is afraid for his life, told the British daily.

Baloch, who sought refuge in Germany as a member of a secular separatist movement in Baluchistan, said he struggled to communicate because no translator could be found who could speak his native Balochi.

"I calmly told them I cannot drive at all. Neither can I even start a vehicle," he said.

Baloch was arrested on December 19 in the hours after the attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin in which 12 people were killed.

Police released Baloch 24 hours later, after failing to find evidence of his involvement.

They instead identified rejected Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri as the prime suspect.

Amri was shot dead by Italian police on December 23 after fleeing a manhunt in Germany.

Baloch, a shepherd by profession, said members of his family in the village of Mand in Balochistan in southwest Pakistan had received threatening phone calls following his arrest.

"Now they all know I fled to Germany, fearful of my life, and that I am claiming asylum here. It leaves my family very vulnerable and there's nothing I can do to protect them," he told the Guardian.

Baloch said he left Pakistan around a year ago, arriving in Germany via Iran, Turkey and Greece, because of death threats he had received for his activism for the Baloch National Movement.

"Most of the people I worked with have been arrested and killed. I knew it was a matter of time before they came for me. That's the reason I came to Germany," he said.

Mineral-rich Balochistan province has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency and sectarian killings.
Moscow: Russia on Friday moved to expel 35 US diplomats in a tit-for-tat response after President Barack Obama unleashed a barrage of punishment against Moscow over alleged election interference.

Obama's broadside over cyber attacks sent ties between Russia and the United States already at their worst since the Cold War to a fresh low less than a month ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking charge.

The outgoing US leader on Thursday gave 35 alleged Russian "intelligence operatives" based at the country's embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco 72 hours to leave the country, and hit Russia's military and domestic intelligence agencies with sanctions.

"We of course cannot leave these stunts unanswered. Reciprocity is the law in diplomacy and international relations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a televised statement, dismissing the US allegations as "groundless".

Lavrov said his ministry had asked President Vladimir Putin to declare 31 employees at the US embassy in Moscow and four at the country's consulate in second city Saint Petersburg personae non gratae.

Russia is also seeking to ban US diplomats from using a holiday home and warehouse in Moscow, Lavrov said, after Obama ordered the closure two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.

Making good on a promise to punish Putin's government for allegedly trying to tilt the 2016 election in Trump's favour, Obama on Thursday unveiled a broad range of steps against Moscow including the diplomat expulsions.

US intelligence concluded that a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton staff emails was ordered by the Kremlin and was designed to put the Republican real estate mogul in the Oval Office.

"I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election," Obama said in a statement.

In response to the hacks, dubbed "Grizzly Steppe" by US officials, Obama announced sanctions against Russia's military intelligence agency, known as GRU, and the FSB the KGB's successor.

Bull in a china shop

The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected the US accusations of cyber-interference and spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the Obama administration of trying to "definitively destroy US-Russia relations which have already reached a low."

Relations between Washington and Moscow have slumped to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War, and Obama has previously imposed sanctions over Russia's actions in Syria and Ukraine.

Peskov said ahead of Lavrov's announcement that Putin would take into account the fact Obama only has some three weeks left in office when responding, insisting Moscow would try not to act like a "bull in a china shop" in the hope of normalising ties once Trump takes charge.

The moves by Obama could also raise further tensions with his successor Trump, who has expressed his admiration for Putin and desire to improve ties with Russia.

Trump has questioned whether Russia really tipped the electoral scale, painting Obama's accusations as a thinly veiled effort by a Democratic president to delegitimise a Republican victory.

Trump said that while he believes the US should "move on to bigger and better things," he would meet with intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation.

Obama has pointedly stated that "all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions."

Frosty ties

Obama has also linked the fresh sanctions to harassment of US diplomats in Moscow, which Washington described as "unprecedented" in the post-Cold War era.

US officials played down the impact that sanctions against the GRU and the FSB could have on intelligence-sharing on issues like counterterrorism, saying cooperation was already limited.

Both agencies will face sanctions, along with four GRU officers including agency chief Igor Korobov.

In addition, the US Treasury slapped sanctions on two individuals, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, for "involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities."

The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and blocks US companies from doing business with them.

The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks.

"The United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behaviour and interfere with democratic governance," Obama said.

That reflects growing concerns that Russia could target upcoming elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Moscow: Russian flights to Egypt will resume soon, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a phone call, Sisi's office said on Thursday.

Flights to Egypt from Russia were suspended after a Russian plane crashed into the Sinai desert in October 2015. ISIS said it brought down the plane with a bomb smuggled inside a fizzy drink can.

"President Putin affirmed Russia's intention to resume regular flights between Moscow and Cairo in the very near future," the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

No date was given for flights to resume.

The Airbus A321, operated by Metrojet, had been returning Russian holiday makers from the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh to St Petersburg. The crash killed all 224 on board.

Russia and Western governments said a bomb had brought the plane down and Sisi later said the cause was terrorism. Investigators have yet to confirm this.

Britain suspended flights to Sharm al-Sheikh as a result, and Russia suspended all flights to and from Egypt, devastating Egyptian tourism, a lifeline of an already battered economy.
Damascus: A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start after midnight on Friday (2200 GMT on Thursday) in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of bloodshed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition.

Monitors and a rebel official reported clashes between insurgents and government forces along the provincial boundary between Idlib and Hama, and isolated incidents of gunfire further south less than two hours after the truce began. Warring sides appeared to have stopped firing in many other areas, however.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States(US) could join the peace process once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. He also wanted Egypt to join, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the United Nations (UN).

A number of rebel groups have signed the agreement, Russia's Defence Ministry said. Several rebel officials acknowledged the deal, and a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a loose alliance of insurgent groups, said it would abide by the truce.

One FSA commander was optimistic about the truce deal, the third serious attempt this year at a nationwide ceasefire. "This time I have confidence in its seriousness. There is new international input," Colonel Fares al-Bayoush said without elaborating.

Syria's civil war, which began when a peaceful uprising descended into violence in 2011, has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths and displaced over 11 million people, half its pre-war population. The ceasefire, in the waning days of President Barack Obama's administration, was the first major international diplomatic initiative in the Middle East in decades not to involve the United States.

Previous collapses

The previous two Syria ceasefires, brokered by Cold War foes Washington and Moscow, took effect in February and September but both collapsed within weeks as warring sides accused each other of truce violations and fighting intensified. Putin said the parties were also prepared to start peace talks intended to take place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Syrian state media said late on Thursday that these talks would take place "soon".

The Syrian government will be negotiating from a strong position after its army and their allies, including Shi'ite militias supported by Iran, along with Russian air power, routed rebels in their last major urban stronghold of Aleppo in December.

Moscow's air campaign since September last year has turned the civil war in Assad's favour, and the last rebels left Aleppo for areas that are still under rebel control to the west of the city, including the province of Idlib. Before talks can take place, the ceasefire will have to hold.

In a sign that the latest truce could be as challenging to maintain as its predecessors, there was confusion over which rebel groups would be covered by the ceasefire. The Syrian army said the agreement did not include the radical Islamist group Islamic State (ISIS), fighters affiliated to al Qaeda's former branch the Nusra Front, or any factions linked to those jihadist groups.

But several rebel officials said the agreement did include the former Nusra Front - now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham - which announced in July that it was severing ties with al Qaeda. The powerful Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham meanwhile said it had not signed the ceasefire agreement because of "reservations", which it would make clear in due course.

Assad in strong position

The deal also follows a thaw in ties between Russia and Turkey. Talks on the latest truce picked up momentum after Russia, Iran and Turkey last week said they were ready to back a peace deal and adopted a declaration setting out principles for an agreement.

Putin said opposition groups and the Syrian government had signed a number of documents, including the ceasefire, measures to monitor the truce, and a statement on readiness to start peace talks. While Ankara has been a big sponsor of the rebellion, Assad's removal has become a secondary concern to fighting the expansion of Kurdish influence in northern Syria. The chances of Assad's opponents forcing him from power now seem more remote than at any point in the war.

The United States has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due to attend the next round of peace talks in Kazakhstan, a key Russian ally. Its exclusion reflects growing frustration from both Turkey and Russia over Washington's policy on Syria, officials have said.

Washington said the news of a ceasefire was a positive. "We hope it will be implemented fully and respected by all parties," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. James Dobbins, a former senior US diplomat, said the lack of American involvement in the talks between Russia, Iran and Turkey did not preclude the United States being a major player in the region.

In this case, it was frozen out because Obama leaves office in less than a month and because Turkey and Russia are at odds with the United States over its Syria policy and other issues, said Dobbins, a fellow at RAND, a research organisation.

Trump has said he would cooperate more closely with Russia to fight terrorism but it was unclear what that policy would look like given resistance from the Pentagon and the US intelligence community for closer cooperation with Russia on Syria.
The statement further recommended that tourists avoid participation in beach and New Year parties at popular tourist spots. (Representational image)

Jerusalem: Israel today issued an "immediateand severe" travel warning for Western tourists in India, citing an immediate threat of attack on tourist targets during New Year celebrations, particularly in south-west part of the country.

"We are warning Israeli tourists in India of the possibility of imminent terrorist attacks against western targets and tourists, particularly in the southwest of that country," Israel's anti-terrorism directorate said in a statement released by the Prime Minister's office.

"A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high," the warning said.

The south-west part of the country -- which covers popular holiday destinations like Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin -- are particularly at risk, it said.

The statement further recommended that tourists avoid participation in beach and New Year parties at popular tourist spots.

"Israeli tourists traveling in India are asked to stay alert and to pay attention to local media reports and security agencies," it added.

Meanwhile, an Israeli Embassy spokesman in New Delhi confirmed the warning and said: "Israel has issued a travel advisory surrounding New Year's Eve celebrations events in south-west India, with specific regard to beach parties, clubs and highly-populated tourist sites. Israeli tourist are advised to avoid such events and other densly-populated areas."

The warning also called on Israeli families to contact their relatives in India and tell them of the threat. In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas.

Notably, the travel warning was published on Friday, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, when government offices close for business.

The directorate did not specify what prompted the warning, however, additional security arrangements have been made all around the world for New Year eve in view of the Berlin terror attack on a Christmas market last week that killed 12 people. India remains a popular tourist destination for Israeli citizens and according to Jewish Post an estimated 20,000 former Israeli soldiers travel to India every year.

Israeli citizens and Jewish sites in India have been attacked in the past, the most infamous incident occurred during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack when members of the Pakistani-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) targeted the local Chabad House, among other sites, in Mumbai.

In 2012, Tal Yehoshua Koren, the wife of an Israeli Defense Ministry representative, was moderately wounded in an explosion in her car near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi.
The article comes days after a top Pakistani Army General said India should shun enmity" with Pakistan and "join the CPEC along with Iran, Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: China is open to India and other countries joining the USD 46 billion CPEC as there is "endless demand" from Pakistan for project finance which Beijing alone cannot satisfy, state-run media reported on Friday.

"There is an endless demand for investment in Pakistan, and although it is possible that Chinese investment in the economic corridor will increase, funding from just one country is unlikely to satisfy Pakistan's appetite," an article in the state-run Global Times said.

"To broaden the scope of investment, China is expected to have an open mind about inviting third parties to join the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor). The project could also benefit countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and India as well as other major economies like Russia who may be ideal choices to take part in the CPEC," it said.

The article comes days after a top Pakistani Army General said India should "shun enmity" with Pakistan and "join the CPEC along with Iran, Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries and enjoy its benefits".

It also comes amid reports that China in principle agreed to extend USD one billion soft loan to finance three projects from Sindh, including Karachi Circular Railway and a day after the 6th Joint Cooperation Committee meeting of the project here which was attended by a number of Pakistani officials.

China has already committed to build several energy and infrastructure projects along the route but new projects are being added following criticism from provinces other than Punjab that they have been left out.

As a result, Chinese officials say more projects are being added, scaling up China's investments and the Global Times article reflects Beijing's concerns over "endless" demands from Pakistan.

"The CPEC has made great progress but also has faced criticism in Pakistan over the distribution of projects among provinces in the country.

"At the very least, it has become more urgent than ever to try to ensure an even distribution of the benefits from the CPEC across the whole of Pakistan," it said.

"Some observers have suggested that Pakistani people should think beyond their personal interests and work together to push forward the CPEC. This indeed is necessary, but a more realistic solution would be in trying to enlarge the rewards to incentivise more people to safeguard and stand behind the project," it added.
Beijing: China on Friday said India should conform to relevant UN Security Council resolutions on listing JeM Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a day before its technical hold blocking India's move to get him proscribed by the UN expires.

"I have repeated a number of times, when it comes to the listing matter of the UN Security Council 1267 Committee, we believe it should conform with relevant Security Council resolutions and the Committee's rules of procedure," Chinese

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told PTI.

Hua, however, said she has to verify what China will do when its second technical hold ends.

She had given the same response on December 2 while reacting to India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge-sheeting Azhar in the Pathankot attack case.

"Listing in the 1267 Committee must be in line with the relevant resolutions of the UNSC and the rules of procedure of the Committee," Hua said.

China, a veto wielding member of the UNSC, had blocked India's move with a six month technical hold followed by a three month extension.

Officials here say that India may have to apply again to the 1267 Committee with the charge sheet details to press for its case as its present application will lapse following Beijing's two technical holds.

The two countries have been holding talks on the issue as well as India's application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The talks have not made much headway as China on December 12 had said there is no change in its stand on both the cases.

The UN had banned the JeM in 2001 but India's efforts for a ban on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack also did not fructify as China did not allow the ban apparently at the behest of Pakistan again.

China was the only member in the 15-nation UN body to put a hold on India's application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi's bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.
Teipei: Taiwan's president will transit through Houston and San Francisco next month while travelling to Central America, stops that will likely irritate Beijing, which has urged Washington to prevent the self-ruled island's leader from landing in the United States.

Citing the presidential office, Taiwan's official Central News Agency said Friday that President Tsai Ing-wen and her delegation will stop in Houston on Jan. 7 on their way to visit diplomatic allies Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. They will stop in San Francisco on Jan. 13 on their return trip.

China has repeatedly urged the US not to allow Tsai to transit through the US to avoid "sending the wrong signal to Taiwanese independence forces."

US lawmakers often meet with Taiwanese presidents when they transit through the US.
Jampur: Mohammad Ramzan can neither hear nor speak, and he has a childlike mind. But he knew his wife, Saima, was too young when she was given to him as a bride.

The 36-year-old Ramzan smiles, eager to please, as he uses his fingers to count out her age when they married. One, two, three . . . until 13, and then he stops and looks at her, points and nods several times.

The girl's father, Wazir Ahmed, says she was 14, not 13, but her age was beside the point. It mattered only that she had reached puberty when he arranged her marriage as an exchange: his daughter for Ramzan's sister, whom he wanted to take as a second wife.

His first wife, Saima's mother, had given him only daughters, and he hoped his second wife would give him a son. But Sabeel wouldn't marry him until her brother had a wife to care for him.

She would be a bride in exchange for a bride.

"We gave a girl in this family for a girl in their family," Ahmed says. "That is our right."

In deeply conservative regions such as this one in the south of Punjab province, the tribal practice of exchanging girls between families is so entrenched, it even has its own name in Urdu: Watta Satta, which means give and take.

A girl may be given away to pay a debt or settle a dispute between feuding families. She might be married to a cousin to keep her dowry in the family or, as in this case, married for the prospect of a male heir.

Many believe that their Islamic religion instructs fathers to marry off their daughters at puberty.

"If it is not done, our society thinks parents have not fulfilled their religious obligation," says Faisal Tangwani, regional coordinator for the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in nearby Multan.

Ahmed sees the hand of God in his daughter's marriage to a disabled man.

"It was by God's will that he was chosen," he says. "It was her fate."

Ahmed sits inside the mud-walled compound where he lives now with his two wives. Outside, stray dogs roam in packs of three and four. They bite, Ahmed warns.

He says that the fact that Ramzan is nearly three times his daughter's age is irrelevant. But the legal marrying age here is 16, and in a rare move, police did investigate Saima's marriage after they received a complaint, possibly from a relative involved in a dispute with her father.

Ramzan and Ahmed were jailed for a few days, but Saima testified in court that she was 16 and they were released. She says she told the authorities she was 16 to protect her father and husband.

In Saima's world of crushing poverty, where centuries-old tribal traditions mix with religious beliefs, a crippling cycle traps even the perpetrators with a life's burden: a father who longs for a son to help support his family; a wife who must provide that son; a daughter who must become a mother even when she is still a child.

Saima's mother, Janaat, agrees with marrying off her daughters early. She says girls are a headache after they reach puberty. They can't be left at home alone for fear of unwanted sexual activity - or worse, the daughter leaves home with a boy of her choice.

"That would be a shame for us. We would have no honor. No. When they reach puberty quickly, we have to marry them," she says. "Daughters are a burden, but the sons, they are the owners of the house."

She says she accepted her husband's marriage to another woman; after all, it's her fault he only has daughters.

"I feel shame that I don't have a son. I myself allowed my husband to get a second wife," she says.

Her husband's new wife, Sabeel, says she agreed to marry Ahmed because of her brother. She wanted him to have a wife.

"No one had been willing to give their daughters to my brother," she says.

Ramzan is quick to extend his hand to guests who enter through the torn and tattered curtain that hangs over the front door to his compound, tucked away in a narrow alley lined with open sewers.

Ramzan's elderly parents live with him. His father rarely leaves his bed, saying he has trouble walking. His mother begs from morning until night, sometimes knocking on doors, other times parking herself in the middle of a dusty road, her hand outstretched for donations.

Like Ramzan, she can neither hear nor speak. Both her hips and one knee have been broken. She gestures as if breaking a twig to explain her troubled knee.

Ramzan looks at Saima, her hair hidden beneath a sweeping shawl, her large brown eyes downcast.

"I didn't want to marry her so young. I said at the time, 'She is too young,' but everyone said I must," he says through a series of gestures interpreted by those around him. He held his hand up just below his chest, showing how tall she was when they married.

Saima doesn't talk much. Her answers are short, and matter-of-fact.

"His sister and my father fell in love and they exchanged me," Saima says.

"Yes, I am afraid of my father, but it is his decision who I will marry and when."

She picks at the rope bed where she sits with Ramzan. Her husband often reaches to touch the top of her head.

He gestures that he is afraid Saima will leave him one day, and says that God will be unhappy if she does. Saima had gotten pregnant soon after she came to live with Ramzan but lost the child at five months. Ramzan gestures that he wants Saima to take some medicine to help her get pregnant again.

Saima rarely looks in his direction but says she has no quarrel with him, nor does she plan to leave.

Saima says she understands her husband's gestures, but it's hard to know. Most of the translations are done by his 12-year-old niece, Haseena, Sabeel's daughter from the previous marriage.

Haseena was 10 when Saima married her uncle Ramzan and her mother left to live with the new bride's father.

Haseena stayed in the house with her uncle and her elderly grandparents to cook, clean and keep Saima company. She even prepared Saima's wedding dinner.

"When Saima married my uncle, my mother told me to leave school and be with Saima because she will be all alone at home," Haseena says.

Haseena recalls that Saima seemed so young, the family felt sorry for her.

"At her age, she should have been playing."

Back at Saima's old home, her 7-year-old sister, Asma, wanders around, shoeless, her hair matted with dirt and dust. Asma already has been promised to her cousin, who is about 10. They will marry when she reaches puberty.
Officials said the authorities had finalised the dossier which included video evidences of an Indian submarine  spying on multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in November - and confession and statements of RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadav.

Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday sent dossier against Indian interference and alleged Research and Analysis Wing spy Kulbhushan Yadav, officials said. Yadav was arrested in Balochistan this year on charges of spying for RAW. India accepted he was a former Navy officer but denied he was linked with the government at the time of his arrest in March this year. Officials said the authorities had finalised the dossier which included video evidences of an Indian submarine  spying on multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in November - and confession and statements of RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadav.

The dossier, according to the foreign ministry officials, has been sent to Pakistans permanent representative to the UN Maleeha Lodhi in New York who will present it to the new UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in January.
Six workers were suffocated to death when a fire broke out in a bakery shop whose only exit was locked from outside in Kondhwa area here in the wee hours today.





The victims, all hailing from Uttar Pradesh, used to sleep on the loft inside the bakery shop, 'Bakes and Cakes', which is owned by three partners.



"We received a call at around 4.45 AM today and immediately fire tenders were rushed to the spot. As we reached the spot, we saw smoke emanating from the shutter of the shop, which was locked from outside," a fire brigade official said.



While efforts were on to break the shutter, the bakery shop owner came to the spot and opened it.



"As soon as the shutter was opened, we saw a huge fire inside and got information that there are bakery workers who were trapped at a loft inside the shop," the fire officer said.



The fire brigade personnel wore breathing apparatus sets and climbed a staircase inside to reach the victims.



"There were six workers, who were found in an unconscious state. They were rushed to the Sassoon General hospital, where they were declared dead," said the officer.



The deceased have been identified as - Ishad Ansari (26), Juned Ansari (25), Shanu Ansari (20), Zakir Ansari (24), Faeem Ansari (21) and Zishan Ansari (21).



"Since the main shutter was locked from outside, all the six got trapped inside and died of suffocation," the fire official informed.



Prima facie short-circuit is suspected to have caused the blaze.



"We have registered a case and investigation is on," an officer at Kondhwa police station said.
A day after a Madras High Court judge expressed doubts over the circumstances leading to the demise of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK today sought a comprehensive probe by a sitting HC judge into the death.





"A comprehensive probe must be done by a sitting judge of the High Court and people should be told the truth," DMK Treasurer M K Stalin said.



Against the backdrop of the court raising questions, he said it was imperative for the government to come out comprehensively on the medical treatment provided to the former AIADMK chief.



In a statement here, he said complete medical bulletins, video footage and photos of her getting treatment at the hospital should be released.



Citing Justice Vaidyanathan's observation yesterday that he may consider ordering exhumation of the body of the departed leader, he said "it is imperative for the government to release comprehensive information".



Stalin, who had earlier sought a white paper on the treatment given to Jayalalithaa, said there was no statement from the government ever since she was admitted to the hospital on September 22.



He said the Centre and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had a duty to answer questions related to the treatment provided for the late leader. Doctors from Delhi's AIIMS too had treated her, he said.



If the ruling regime had explained the "true (health) status" of Jayalalithaa and released pictures of her getting treatment, the issue could not have reached the doorsteps of court, he said.



He recalled a statement of his party chief Karunanidhi seeking release of pictures of Jayalalithaa being treated and said, "had the ruling side not viewed it from the prism of politics, the issue would not have come to such a pass".



Only such activities has cast a "cloud, giving room for suspicion," among the people, he said, adding it was the right of the people to know about the treatment given to her and the circumstances leading to her death.
In a bid to further push adoption of e-payments in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched an indigenous digital payments app 'BHIM' that will enable fast and secure cashless transactions using mobile phones.





Named after the architect of the Indian Constitution, Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is a simplified payment platform designed to make Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and USSD payment modes simpler and usable across feature phones and smart phones.





"The day is not far, when people will conduct their business through this app...It is a simple app and you can download it on your smartphones or feature phones. You don't even require internet connection for this," Modi said in his address at 'DigiDhan Mela' here.





The government had announced scrapping of old Rs 500 and 1,000 notes on November 8. While this led to a cash crunch and serpentine queues at banks and ATMs, the decision also pushed uptake of digital payments in the country.





Developed by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), BHIM is supported by host of banks, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and Punjab National Bank, among others.





The app, which can be downloaded from Google Playstore, is currently available in Hindi and English, and support for more languages is expected soon. BHIM is interoperable with other Unified Payment Interface (UPI) applications and bank accounts.





"We all want our country to develop, become economically stronger and a resurgent nation. Through Digital India initiative, the country has take a giant leap towards that direction," IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.





Users can register their bank account with BHIM, and set a UPI PIN for the account. The mobile number then acts as the user's identifier, enabling transactions like sending or receiving money.





NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, "It is only a matter of time before the entire country goes digital."





Digital payments company MobiKwik's Founder and CEO Bipin Preet Singh said this will further strengthen digital payment system and add to building of a cashless economy.





"Going forward, we hope that provisions would be made for adding e-wallets on UPI enabling people to pay through bank accounts or e-wallets using the BHIM app," Singh added.





Trupay Co-Founder Rahul Gochhwal said, "UPI is the most advanced payment system in the world. This will develop the overall payments ecosystem in the country."
The Enforcement Directorate has registered a criminal case against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and his organisation IRF under money laundering laws.





Officials said the agency's zonal office here has registered an FIR, called Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in ED's parlance, against Naik and others after taking cognisance of a similar complaint booked by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against them.



The ED, they said, will specifically look into the charges of alleged illegal funds laundered by the accused and the proceeds of crime in its probe.



The agency has already scanned some banking transaction documents and other details against Naik and IRF and is soon expected to issue summons to take the probe forward.



The National Investigation Agency had last month registered a case against 51-year-old Naik under anti-terror laws for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race.



After registering the case against Naik, IRF and others, NIA along with Mumbai police had carried out searches at 10 places in the megapolis, including residential premises of some of the office bearers of the foundation, which was earlier put on restricted list by the Union Home Ministry for receiving funds from abroad.



Naik, who has been staying in Saudi Arabia to evade arrest after his name surfaced during a probe into the Bangladesh terror strike earlier this year, has been booked along with unnamed IRF officials under section 153-A of IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) beside various sections of UAPA.



The charges, in the FIR registered by the NIA's branch here, were also slapped under sections 10 (being member of an unlawful organisation), 13 (punishment for being member of illegal organisation) and 18 of UAPA (punishment for being involved in a conspiracy for committing any terror act).



IRF came under the scanner of security agencies after one of the terrorists involved in the Dhaka cafe attack had allegedly posted on social media that they had been inspired by Naik's speeches.



Some of the youths from Mumbai suburbs, who had left their home to join Islamic State earlier this year, were also allegedly inspired by the preacher. Naik's speeches are banned in the UK, Canada and Malaysia.



The Home Ministry has alleged that the NGO had "dubious" links to Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, accused of propagating terrorism.



According to the Home Ministry, Naik, who heads the IRF, had allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda.



Maharashtra Police has also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalising Muslim youth and luring them into terror activities.



Naik was alleged to have transferred IRF's funds received from abroad to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes.
China today finally blocked India's proposal to list JeM chief and Pathankot mastermind Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist by the UN, triggering a sharp reaction from New Delhi which termed it as "unfortunate blow" and a step that confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism.





With China blocking India's proposal, which was submitted in February to the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, New Delhi has to make a fresh listing request for Azhar to be banned by the global body, officials said here.



After its submission, China twice imposed "technical" hold on the Indian proposal.



However, India said it will continue to push forward with resolute determination "through the use of all options available with us to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice".



Asserting that its submission received the strong backing of all other members of the 15-member Sanctions Committee, External Affairs Ministry said, "We note with concern China's decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar...



"The international community is aware that the Pakistan- based Jaish-e-Mohammed which is proscribed by the United Nations, has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India including the Pathankot Air Base attack.



"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism."



MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup also said the decision by Beijing is surprising as China itself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism.



"As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation. We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," he added.
India today signed a pact with Singapore to amend a decade old treaty to begin taxing capital gains on investments routed through the South East Asian nation from April next to check round-tripping of funds, after rolling back similar benefits to Mauritius and Cyprus.





India had in May this year signed a revised tax treaty with Mauritius, triggering a change in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Singapore.



Mauritius and Singapore are among the top sources of foreign direct investments into India and also account for a big chunk of total inflows into the country's capital markets.



Under the amended treaty with Singapore, for two years beginning April 1, 2017, capital gains tax will be imposed at 50 per cent of the prevailing domestic rate. Full rate will apply from April 1, 2019, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.



"This year on May 10 we had amended DTAA with Mauritius. Then in September we amended with Cyprus and today we amended the DTAA with Singapore," he said.



"With these three... we have successfully stopped round tripping through this route."



Of the total FDI inflows of USD 29.4 billion in April- December 2015-16, Mauritius and Singapore accounted for USD 17 billion.



Jaitley said the earlier DTAAs with the three countries gave complete exemption from payment of tax on profits made through capital gains as there was no such levy in the host countries. The beneficiary did not pay any capital gains tax in India.



"Therefore there was a reasonable apprehension that these agreements were misused for round tripping and bringing money back in country through this route," he said, adding 2016 has been significant and historic in getting these amended.



Through the revision in the treaty, "we have given a reasonable burial to the black money rule that existed," he said.



The Finance Minister said like the Mauritius pact, all investments will be grandfathered till March 2019. "Capital gains liability will be shared half and half and after that entire capital gain will come to India," he said.



Also, Switzerland will begin sharing with India from 2019 information on all investment or accounts maintained in its banks post-2018.



The CBDT had signed an agreement to this effect with Switzerland about two months back, he said.



These are "milestone in campaign against tax evasion and parking of money outside country," he said. "2016 has been historic as three DTAAs have been rewritten."



Jaitley said "the revisiting of these arrangements was extremely important and along with the battle of black money that is being fought currently in India, it is a very happy coincidence that by amending them, we have been able to give a reasonable burial to this black money route which existed".



Short term capital gain tax is levied at 15 per cent in India, while long term capital gain tax is zero.



As per the revised treaty, investments made prior to April 1, 2017, will be protected from new tax provisions.



While Mauritius was the single biggest source of foreign direct investment into India in 2014-15, accounting for about 24 per cent of USD 24.7 billion FDI, Singapore accounted for 21 per cent.



The taxation treaties with these nations is said to have been misused by many Indian and multinational companies to avoid paying tax or to route illicit funds.



India has been insisting on review of the treaties as it felt a chunk of the funds were not real foreign investment but Indians routing money through these nations to avoid domestic taxes, a practice known as "round tripping".



It wanted to ensure firms in the two nations that invest in India are not just 'shell' companies but instead have substantial operations there, such as paying staff, before qualifying for treaty terms of getting exemption from payment of capital gains tax in India.



India and Singapore today signed a Protocol to amend their bilateral Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement. The Protocol was signed between Lim Thuan Kuan, Singapore's High Commissioner to India and Sushil Chandra, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes.



"Singapore and India have reached agreement to phase out the capital gains tax exemption gradually, and have also committed to find new ways to promote bilateral investments," a statement issued by Ministry of Finance of Singapore said.



The revised pact preserves the existing tax exemption on capital gains for shares acquired before April 1, 2017, while providing a transitional arrangement for shares acquired on or after that date.



"For shares acquired on or after April 1, 2017, there will be a two-year transition period, during which the capital gains from such shares will be taxed at 50 per cent of India's domestic tax rate if the capital gains arise during April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2019," the statement said.



Jaitley and visiting Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam also agreed on steps towards a set of new initiatives for joint promotion of bilateral investments with a view to concluding an agreement in the second half of 2017, it added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said no communal clash took place at Dhulagarh in Howrah district and termed it as "local problem".





"It is a small matter. It is a local problem. That was not a communal problem. I will stick to police's version," she told mediapersons at the state secretariat.



Earlier in the day the Chief Minister denied any incident of rioting at Dhulagarh and alleged that "wrong information" was being given on social media.



"In the last 15 days, social media is running wrong information on an incident which did not take place at all," Banerjee said at a programme here in an apparent reference to reports of violence earlier this month at Dhulagarh, which is barely 20 km from the state secretariat.



"In order to break news one must not act irresponsibly. If something has really happened then you (media) have every right to report it but I think a field survey must be done," she said.



Her remarks came even as a senior government official had yesterday said strict actions were taken against those involved in the Dhulagarh violence and the process of giving compensation to the affected has started.



The state government, Banerjee said today, is the first to help a family when their home is damaged or they are affected.



"If there is an accident, we immediately take steps to help the family.... We do it on humanitarian grounds but we do not do any publicity," she said.



District police said inhabitants are wary of returning to their homes at Dhulagarh.

Delegations of BJP, CPI(M) and Congress were stopped from visiting the troubled areas of the district and police superintendent of Howrah (Rural) Sabyasachi Raman Mishra was transferred in the wake of violence within less than a fortnight of his appointment.



BJP has hit out at Banerjee over the Dhulagarh incident. "This is height of politics of appeasement. I want to ask those intellectuals, who cried over 2002 riots in Gujarat and then intolerant India, that when are they going to Kolkata," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said yesterday.
A vicar in the UAE has said he has got "strong indications" to believe that Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the Indian priest who was abducted nearly nine months ago from war-torn Yemen, is alive, a media report said today.





The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia said it is making "all efforts to secure a safe release" of the priest kidnapped from Aden in March, Khaleej Times reported.A video of Uzhunnalil had surfaced this week in which he made an appeal to the Indian government, Pope Francis and Bishop Paul Hinder, to save his life.



Hinder, who is based in Abu Dhabi, is the current Vicar Apostolic of the vicariate."The features of the person speaking in the video bear a close likeness to Father Tom. However, the source of the video, the date of its creation and the circumstances under which it was recorded are unknown. Even though we have no information about Father Tom's present whereabouts, we have strong indications to believe that he is still alive," the vicariate said in a statement.



The church said it has made countless appeals from the highest levels to secure Uzhunnalil's release as well as made concrete efforts by way of working in close collaboration with both international and local diplomatic channels, it reported.



"Paul Hinder is in touch with the different channels, which are working and leading the dialogues to secure a safe release. More details cannot be disclosed at this stage," the statement said.



The bishop has led calls for prayer throughout the churches in the vicariate for Uzhunnalil. During the Christmas mass, the bishop and thousands gathered at the cathedral parish of St Joseph's Abu Dhabi to pray for the priest's safety.



"The Salesian Congregation to which Father Tom belongs and the Catholic Bishops Conference of India has been in touch with government channels," the statement added.



The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is a territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church covering the UAE, Oman and Yemen. The office of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is based at St Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi.



Father Uzhunnalil, who hails from Kerala, was abducted in March by terror group Islamic State which attacked an old-age home run by Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity in southern Yemeni city of Aden.
In a big push for cashless transactions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a new mobile app BHIM named after Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar  that does not need Internet or a high-end smartphone.





He called it as his governments gift to the nation on the New Year. The BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app is a re-branded version of the UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) meant to facilitate users with faster, easier and reliable cashless transactions.



In two weeks, we will make one more accomplishment. Its security is being worked on. It will empower BHIM. You will only require your thumb to make a payment, Modi said.



Prime Minister was addressing a Digi Dhan Mela, organised by the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication at Talkatora Stadium. He made cashless payment to the Khadi Gram Udyog using BHIM app, purchasing an item at the event.



Entire business and trade would soon be taking place through the BHIM app. Ambedkars name is going to take the centre stage of the nations economy in the coming days, he said.



The new mobile app, which was made available for download at Google Play, can facilitate users with easy and faster digital transaction with a maximum limit of Rs 10,000 per transaction and Rs 20,000 within 24 hours, according to app specification posted on the Google Play by the developer, National Payments Corporation of India.

As many as 32 banks are currently in the list of the app for digital transaction. The mobile app currently is supported by Hindi and English languages.



More than 100 crore people of this country are enrolled to Aaadhar. The country also has more than 100 crore mobile phones. How big would it be a revolution once this (use of BHIM with thumb) begins in the next two weeks? I see it very clearly that BHIM will emerge as the biggest wonder in the world, Modi said.



Prime Minister said the BHIM app will not only facilitate easy digital transaction but also benefit people of the country in many ways.



A washer man will be able to get loan from bank with the use of BHIM app by showing records of his transaction. Such e-banking system is going to be developed through BHIM platform, he said.



Modi said migration from cash to cashless economy would take India to greater heights and bring back its glory.
In a bid to check tax evasion, India and Singapore on Friday signed a pact to amend the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement(DTAA). From April, India will start levying capital gains tax on investment coming from Singapore at the rate of 50%.





From 2019, full capital gains tax will be imposed in investments, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after signing the treaty. A similar treaty has been signed with Cyprus and Mauritius earlier this year.



The year 2016 has been historic and significant on the DTAA front. There was a reasonable apprehension that agreements were used for round tripping. After 2019, Jaitley said the entire capital gains will come to India. We have successfully stopped round tripping through these routes, Jaitley said.



Earlier, India revised its DTAA with safe haven Mauritius, which was regarded as one of the major sources of laundering black money stashed abroad.



Apart from Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore, we have also been working with Switzerland, he said.



Switzerland will share information of investments of 2018 from 2019 onwards, he added.



This year on May 10, we had amended DTAA with Mauritius. Then in September, we amended with Cyprus and today (Friday), we amended the DTAA with Singapore, he said. Of the total FDI inflows of $29.4 billion in April- December 2015-16, Mauritius and Singapore accounted for $17 billion.
International participants showcased their adventurous side during outdoor activities at 17th national jamboree of Bharat Scouts and Guides at Adakanahalli Industrial Area, on Nanjangud road, near here on Friday. The event concludes on January 4.





The overseas participants took part in over 50 adventure activities, including, commando bridge, snake tilt walk, barbed wire crossing, ladder crossing, monkey crawling, monkey bridge, tyre chimney, tyre crossing, rock climbing and rappelling and rope climbing among others.



For Shuha, a member of Maldives Girl Guides Association (MGGA), the tyre tunnel event was an electrifying and memorable experience. This is my first experience and the events are varied. I want to participate in all the events, she said enthusiastically.



Maldivian Gisama Abdulsalaam said MGGA organises several such events back home including swimming and camp fire but adventure games here are totally different and offer a good exposure to participants.



Expo strengthens bond



There were participants from Pakistan, Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia too. Participants felt that jamboree would help strengthen a bond of brotherhood across countries.



The outdoor activities challenged the participants their physical and mental strength apart from giving them a fun-filled experience.



Global Development Village, a concept that provides an opportunity of learning through activities such as pottery and converting waste into wealth attracted many. An awareness on rural development was designed to educate participants about health, hygiene and education, said an organiser.



Mysuru Darshana



Mysuru Darshana, a sight seeing programme, is also being organised as part of the jamboree. Under the programme, around 5,000 participants will everyday get an opportunity to visit historical and popular places in and around Mysuru.



On Friday, the participants took out a parade in Mysuru city and also visited various tourist spots like Mysuru Zoo, Chamundi Hills, Mysuru palace and other places. Organisers have arranged 150 KSRTC buses to ferry participants from Adakanahalli to Mysuru.



Bharat Scouts and Guides Karnataka Commissioner P G R Sindhia told DH that around 30,000 participants from across the country and eight teams from foreign countries are participating in the jamboree.
Murur, a tiny and remote hamlet on the foothills of Western Ghat lacks basic facilities like road, power, drinking water, health care and educational facilities.





The proposed visit of the Social Welfare Minister Anjaneya on the New Year eve (Saturday) has raised the hopes among villagers, especially Marli Koraga, in whose house the stay has been arranged, for better comforts.



Marli Koraga, a 65-year-old woman, is all happy and pleased to serve the minister home cooked dinner. She said she will serve the minister simple home cooked food comprising chapathi, sambar, bele saru, kucchallaki rice, soppina palya, tharakari palya and kadalebele payasa. A room in the middle of the house is unsoiled and cleaned for the ministers stay overnight.



Marli told reporters that she stays with her three daughters and a son. She has seven children and she lost her husband some years ago.



There are no proper transport facilities and health care amenities in the area and the inhabitants are expecting that lady luck to smile on ten Koraga families in the area. There are ten families in eight houses. These people walk 10 kms from Kalthod to reach Murur where they have the market, health and education facilities.



Murur has around 50 Koraga population. There is a primary school at Kappadi, one-and-a-half kilometers away and the students who want to pursue the high school studies should travel seven kms to Areshiroor.



Marli Koragas daughters Susheela and Gulabi said there are two to three buses, which ply only in morning and evening hours. The people should go to Bolamballi, walking five kms to board the bus. The autorickshaw drivers charge too much, they said.



Her another daughter Baby said the hamlet has three wells. But the water of only one well is potable. Two among these three wells dry up in summer, they said. They demanded proper roads and health care for the hamlet. Besides, they sought funds for self-employment and also a new school with better facilities.

They said they receive Rs 2 lakh in four installments for the construction of houses under Integrated Tribal Development Project. But many are people not able to procure the benefits as they do not have money to start the construction of the house and show evidences required for the release of the installments, they said.



Kalthod Gram Panchayat President Annappa Shetty said plans have been chalked out to build a footbridge at Idkallakattu. Rs 65 lakh was released last year and another Rs 35 lakh is required to complete the project, including construction of approach roads. This will provide better transport facilities. There are three wells and one-phase electricity is supplied to these families. Solar lamps are also provided, he said.



For the ministers stay, around Rs 45,000 has been spent on the construction of Western toilet.



ITDP in-charge coordinator Harish Goankar said there are 11,333 Koraga population and 2,568 families in the district. Among them, 276 are self-employed, 197 are government employed, 366 are employed in private sector, 327 are engaged as agricultural laborers and 1,963 are engaged in daily wage works.



The population of STs is 52,897, including Koraga, Marati and Malekudiyas in the district.
A 50-year-old man died on the spot in a hit-and-run accident on National Highway 4 at Kunigal Circle bypass in Nelamangala, 35 kilometres north of Bengaluru, on Friday morning.





Jayaram Lakshmaya was riding a motorcycle to Chikkanayakanahalli to attend a funeral when an unidentified vehicle knocked him down around 7.30 am, police said. He was wearing helmet but the collision was so severe that it ripped his head.



Police said they were searching for eyewitnesses as no CCTV cameras were installed near the accident spot. Jayarams brother Thammaiah has filed a complaint at the Nelamangala traffic police station.



2 held for stealing



The Parappana Agrahara police have arrested two men on charge of stealing batteries and other equipment from a newly installed Reliance Jio tower.



The arrested are Rajashekar and Vasanth Kumar. Police have recovered a cell tower router worth Rs 83 lakh, other equipment and a Tata Indica Vista car from them.



The jurisdictional police said the duo have confessed to similar offences in Parappana Agrahara, Hennur, Ramamurthynagar, KR Puram, Mahadevapura, Peenya and other areas.



As many as 21 cases have been registered against the duo at various police stations across the city. Both of them were produced before a magistrate and were remanded in judicial custody, police added.
A day after the Madras High Court raised doubts over Jayalalithaas death, political parties in Tamil Nadu on Friday sought a detailed report from the Centre and the state government on the treatment given to the late chief minister when she was in hospital for more than two months.





DMK treasurer and leader of the Opposition M K Stalin demanded a judicial probe into the mystery behind the death of Jayalalithaa.



Referring to the high court observation related to Jayalalithaas death, Stalin said the state and the central governments should come out with a detailed statement and release medical reports of her death.



PMK founder S Ramadoss demanded a probe by the CBI into Jayalalithaas death. Referring to reports about amputation of her legs, he said if that was the case, it was not known whether the consent of Jayalalithaas blood relatives was sought before the surgery.
Demonetisation may have been the single biggest decision of the Narendra Modi government in 2016.





But the year also saw many other critical policy decisions taken by the government, which was stung by the Oppositions constant criticism that it was more status quoist than a true performer.



The first two years of Modis term were bogged down by attempts to bring in a new land acquisition bill that finally had to be shelved when rivals accused the prime minister of being anti-farmer and pro-corporate.



Cut to 2016, his government began to craft a strategy that could change that perception and move towards creating a pro-poor constituency that could cut across regions.



In March, Parliament approved the Aadhaar Bill. It gave a statutory backing for the identification numbers to be used for transfer of subsidies and benefits to those eligible. Significantly, it also signalled the prime ministers willingness to wholly adopt a United Progressive Alliances idea, which the BJP had opposed.



In July, the government announced that all Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) would be linked to Aadhaar by end of 2016. All subsidies and welfare schemes are to be brought under the DBT net by March 31, 2017.



In May, the government brought the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016  which got Parliaments approval  to help in solving the crisis in public sector banks already burdened with bad loans and improving the ease of doing business ranking.



As early as March, Parliament passed the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013, which seeks to create a set of rights and obligations for consumers and developers.



Another measure was the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, passed in August  well before demonetisation. In fact, it was supposed to be a preparatory step for the big move. But it came into effect only in November. In August, Parliament passed the Goods and Services Taxes (GST) Constitutional Amendment Bill. The aim is to have one indirect tax for the whole nation. However, the rollout of the new tax regime on April 1, 2017, stands put off.



In September, the Cabinet approved the merger of the Railway and General Budgets from 2017-18, ending a 92-year-old colonial tradition. Finally, Modi sprung a surprise with his November 8 announcement to demonetise Rs 1,000 and 500 notes.



As serpentine queues outside ATMs became enduring images of 2016, the Opposition called it the year of state-sponsored disruption. Comparing it with the surgical strikes by the army on terror camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, they said Modi was forever seeking glory to write himself into history books.



Modi called it a war on black money with many economists questioning its efficacy to eradicate the ills. If you act with clarity and with the purest of motives, the results will be there for anyone to see. Whatever my critics may say, I seek no personal benefit from all this, only the greater good, was Modis way of summing up his governments actions.
The murder case of Paruchuri Surendra Kumar (51), the founder of Paruchuri Global Foundation (PGF), Global Security Services and Galaxy Capital Investments Pvt Ltd, is likely to be transferred to Central Crime Branch (CCB) for further investigation.





Surendra Kumar was shot dead by two unidentified assailants near his house in Sanjaynagar in Bengaluru on the night of October 30, 2016. Kumar, a bachelor, was staying alone in a rented bungalow in Postal Colony in Hanumaiah Layout.



A police team went to Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and questioned Kapil Saraswath, a former manager of PGF, but failed to get any leads to establish Kapils involvement in the murder. The victim had bought two acres of land in Mathura and reportedly had differences with the builder. Police had summoned the builder but his involvement in the murder was not established.



CCB police and cyber crime police are assisting Sanjaynagar police but there has hardly been any progress. Hence, senior police officers are planning to hand over the case to the CCB, said a police officer.



Recent investigations revealed that a day before the murder, between 11 am and 6 pm, the victim spent a considerable amount of time with his former personal guard Sunil and Kapils brother Maunendra Saraswath. Sunil was Parachuris guard till 2015. He quit Parachuris firm and joined an industrialist from Ballari, citing pay and personal reasons.



He told police that he had differences of opinion with Parachuri over pay but had no personal grudge against him. After a gap of four years, he chanced upon Maunendra in Bengaluru. Police said Maunendra visited Sunils house on October 29 as it was a holiday.



Police said suspicions on Maunendra were aroused when he bought a car, a bike and an expensive watch after Parachuris murder was reported. On being questioned about his source of income, Maunendra did not give a convincing reply.



Police suspect the involvement of Sunil and Maunendra but they are yet to collect evidence in this regard. Police are however, not ruling out the possibility of the two having given supari to get Parachuri eliminated.
The Bengaluru police have made elaborate security arrangements for New Years Eve not only in the popular revelry zones such as Brigade Road and MG Road but also at Lavelle Road, UB City, Indiranagar and Koramangala.





At meetings with representatives of clubs, hotels, pubs, restaurants and similar establishments, police asked them to instal enough CCTV cameras on their premises and post adequate number of security guards and bouncers, including female guards, Additional Commissioner of Police (West) K S R Charan Reddy said.



Polices central division has partnered with the Brigade Road Shops and Establishments Association (BSEA) to ensure smooth revelries. The BSEA has installed two permanent high-resolution CCTV cameras besides 20 temporary cameras along Brigade Road to monitor revellers.



We have requested police to stop traffic from 8 pm onwards and allow people to walk in one direction from Cauvery Emporium junction towards Opera House junction, Suhail Yusuff, president, BSEA, said.



A door metal frame detector will be placed at the entrance of Brigade Road from MG Road side to screen revellers. Policemen will be posted on the rooftops of buildings on Brigade Road, using night-vision binoculars to watch revellers and look out for any suspicious activity.



Police Commissioner N S Megharikh said that while the closure deadline for all restaurants, bars and pubs was 2 am, there would be no restriction on the movement of people.
5 Bollywood Actors Who Won The National Award But Didn't Really Deserve It
Dr. Sam Johnson once observed that "No man is so innocently employed as in the making of money." Alas, that was in 18th century Britain, not 21st century China. Via the Haiti Sentinel: Chinese Plastic Rice Arrives in Haiti.

Authorities in Haiti are just beginning to come to grips with the growing prevalence of plastic rice, said to have been imported from China, first discovered in Haiti in early November 2016. Deputy Abel Descolliens (Mirebalais(1)/PHTK) and the Mayorship of Mirebalais have seized upon the issue only after a family in the town had one of their children, who had consumed the product, fall ill.

The Mirebalais Mayors Office, headed by Lochard Laguerre, told a journalist from Radio Tele Zenith FM that an investigation was underway to determine how much and from what source from which the plastic rice was brought into Haiti. The journalist said Deputy Descollines office said it would be bringing the matter before members of the Chamber of Deputies to exact a response. Neither elected to speak directly on the matter during a segment on the Train Matinal, weekday mornings news and politics broadcast.

The family which was affected by their daughter consuming the rice said it was purchased from a neighbor. The mother intended to make a blended rice juice with it. A female child had consumed some of the first batch of jis diriz, rice juice, before the family discovered something wrong. They discovered that the rice, by the manner of its consistency when other batches of the juice were cooled in the refrigerator, was not a natural produce.

The provisional administration of President Jocelerme Privert has not addressed the plastic rice detected in the Haitian market. A video was posted nearly 7 weeks before the Mirebalais incident on November 7, 2016. In both instances, consumers were attempting to make jis diriz. It appears by this method of preparation, the plastic properties of the rice become more profound. It leads one to believe consumers commonly cooking the rice could possibly consume it unknowingly.

The alert over plastic rice in Haiti is the first consumer-initiated quality control scare since the 2012 scandal of salami. The imported meat product from the Dominican Republic was found to contain high levels of feces. In 2010, it was from a United Nations peacekeeper base in Mirebalais that the water sources in Haiti would be contaminated with cholera. Deaths from cholera, which had never been detected in Haiti before, topped 10,000 in the first five years.

The BBC reported on December 21, 2016 that Nigerian officials had confiscated 2.5 tons of plastic rice that was smuggled into the country by an unscrupulous businessman. The Nigerian customs service said the fake rice was intended to be sold in markets during the festive season.
Tensions have always been high with our neighbours. Pakistan to the east and China to the north. And weve kept up with the camaraderie for as long as the border lines have been drawn. And weve redrawn those lines with the blood of our soldiers over the years. Weve even fought wars with each other ever since 1947, some weve won, some our neighbours have won and some were inconclusive. The current atmosphere seems to be slowly veering towards another conflict but its all hype. Our armies have performed such acts of pre-emptive defence for decades, its just that the recent ones are getting a little too much of the limelight. But that doesnt stop us from wondering

What if?

What if we do go to war with Pakistan in this day and age? Will it ever go as far as nuking each other out? And lets say if it ever does come to that, who comes out on top?

Military Might

If we are to stand toe to toe, then it should come as no surprise that India is way ahead of Pakistan when it comes to numbers. We have 1.325 million active servicemen while Pakistan has 0.620 million. And if we count our reserve forces then the number climbs to an astounding 3.5 million soldiers ready to answer the call, outnumbering Pakistan by 3-to-1. However, war isnt just about numbers. The brave 300 spartans held out against the massive Persian army (were aware the 300 had a lot of help from the other city states) for seven days because they made the best use of local terrain. Similar examples are littered across the history pages. Rather than delving that deep let us compare the armed forces of the two nations briefly.

Naval

India, given its vast coastline, has historically paid a lot of attention towards improving its naval might. Being one of the few blue-water navies in the world, we even have our own nuclear propelled submarine. If we are to compare the best vessels from either navies i.e. the Indian Navys Kolkata Class and Pakistani Navys Zulfiquar Class then the Zulfiquar is at a disadvantage.

Everything from our sensor systems, electronic warfare systems and armament are way ahead of what the Zulfiquar has to offer. While the main cannons on both ships are 76mm, the AK-630 Close-in-Weapon-System on the Kolkata Class ships are much superior to the Chinese made Type 730B. Moreover, the Kolkata Class is capable of carrying 16 BrahMos missiles which are one of the best in class missile systems. Lets just say that given our naval superiority, Pakistan has its work cut out.



Indian Navys Kolkata Class

AirForce

In a similar vein, the Indian Air Force is way superior in terms of numbers in every class of aircraft. Our Sukhoi Su-30MKI is way better than Pakistans JF-17 Thunder which happens to be a light-weight multi-role combat aircraft. However, we lack pilots and thats a well publicised issue. Moreover, weve lost over 170 pilots in MiG-21s and theyve earned the moniker of flying coffins. Our pilot-to-cockpit ratio is 0.81 while that of Pakistan is 2.5:1. Simply put, we cant deploy our full force. Lastly, we are actively developing fifth-generation fighters while there have been no such developments in the PAF. But hey, they can always count on China to help them out.



India's Sukhoi Su-30MKI

Army

The Indian Army has proved its mettle time and time again in three wars and has come out on top every time. The 1965 war was declared a stalemate but Pakistan suffered terrible losses. And while there have been accounts of the Indian Army Chief mentioning that we were low on ammunition, it was later found that wed only used 8-14% of the ammunition stock. We are significantly ahead in armaments thanks to our indigenous weapons programmes. And its pride is the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and just recently weve announced a programme to double the range of the BrahMos system to cover Pakistan entirely. However, the Arjun Main Battle Tank has been the butt of all jokes for a while, even the army has decided not to order any further of the Arjun MBT and has sought out foreign bids. Pakistans Al Khalid is a better designed tank with a slightly better 125mm cannon.

Overall, were better off than Pakistan but is that all that counts?

Technological Efficacy

Weve said its not about the numbers. Comparing military might of two nations involves a lot more factors such as economic stability, known strategies, surveillance capabilities and more. Most of these are state secrets which makes this comparison a lot more difficult. We do have strong allies and sufficient oil reserves but Pakistan did recently declare at the 22nd Annual Technical Conference that their oil and gas reserves were far greater than previously estimated. We have five military satellites while Pakistan has none so were better off with more reliable surveillance data.

When it comes to intelligence agencies, ISI pulls strings in Kashmir and RAW does the same in Balochistan, both allegedly. However, these agencies deal in clandestine affairs making it difficult to compare them. Then come the defense mechanisms. India has the Prithvi Air Defence missile for high-altitude interception and the Advanced Air Defence missile for low-altitude interception. This two-tiered approach is instrumental in keeping our forces safe against the Pakistans tactical nukes. However, we should remember that Pakistans nuclear arsenal is the fastest growing in the world.



India's Prithvi Air Defence missile

Economy Comparison

With a 40 Billion dollar budget, we are spending a lot more than Pakistan which has to do with a 7 Billion dollar budget. We eclipse Pakistan economically so we can outlast them should we resort to a war of attrition. Also, given our GDP and booming economy we are going to bounce back sooner post war.

Allies

Pakistan will be supported by China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. India on the other hand, will be supported by Israel, Iran, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Japan. Russia and the United States will fight a proxy war with US standing behind Pakistan and Russia standing behind us. The NATO situation makes it difficult for most of the EU states to take a stance and most of the African nations are steeped in their own issues to get involved.

Cold start vs Paki counter attack

India has always had a defensive strategy, and when the 2001 Indian Parliament attacks happened there was a period when the Indian forces were mobilised and thats when it dawned upon the hierarchy the disadvantages of our existing approach. Hence, Cold Start was devised which allows rapid mobilisation of our forces to strike within 48 hours which is too less for the international community to intercede and too less for Pakistan to mobilise. To counter Cold Start, Pakistan has declared that they will use tactical nuclear payload on the Nasr missiles to halt the Indian advancement. India has a no-first-strike policy and the moment Pakistan uses its nuclear options their might be a nuclear retaliation from us.

Unleash the nukes

If we go the nuclear way, then there are quite a few possible outcomes. Firstly, both countries have missiles which can easily cover the entire gamut of the other nations territory. Pakistans Shaheen III and Indias Agni IV and Agni V are both capable of carrying nuclear payloads. However, in a comparison of the effects on nuclear hits on the top five cities in each country, India will lose 15 million lives and Pakistan will lose 10 million lives, along with widespread injuries and burns.



Indias Agni missiles are capable of carrying nuclear payloads

However, Indias missile defense system will prevent a few missiles from reaching their destined targets while Pakistan is pretty much destined to be reduced to dirt. Given our larger economy, we will be in a much better position but the sanctions that will follow will cripple our economy for quite some time.

Well definitely win the war but not in a state to celebrate the victory. If at all Pakistan does survive the initial nuclear barrage, it will not be in a state to govern itself at all. Even now, the instability of the Pakistani state is a cause for worry, even among their allies. One thing sure is certain, the history books will no longer hold Hitler and Stalin as the worst of humanity. Well have bested them all.

This article was first published in November 2016 issue of Digit magazine. To read Digit's articles first, subscribe here or download the Digit e-magazine app for Android and iOS. You could also buy Digit's previous issues here.
After an extended romance with e-commerce companies, smartphone OEMs are looking at the offline market. While no OEM will ever accept it, online giants in India just do not have the reach needed for a country like India yet. The offline space is huge, and the next billion smartphone users are in tier II and tier III cities. So, it doesnt matter whether youre a Samsung or Xiaomi, you need to hit the offline stores eventually.

Thats exactly what makes phones like the Lenovo K6 Note and Coolpad Cool 1 interesting. Theyre both available offline, and they sport specifications that disruptive online-only phones have been known for. to make the competition even clearer, both phones have 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage, 4000 mAh batteries (4060mAh on the Cool 1), and are priced at Rs. 13,999. They differ in the camera and performance departments, with the K6 Note running on a Snapdragon 430 SoC, against the Cool 1's Snapdragon 652. While we will get to the camera in time, here's a comparison of how these compare in terms of speed and regular SoC performance.

Speed

The Coolpad Cool 1 is the runaway winner as far as speed is concerned. And that was quite expected to be honest. The Snapdragon 652 is almost twice as fast as the Snapdragon 430, and that shows. On regular usage, with things like social networking and emails, theres a sluggish appeal about the Lenovo K6 Note. In comparison, the Coolpad Cool 1 is what we call snappy, and fast.

To explain a simple use case, the Lenovo K6 Note takes a good two seconds longer to launch the camera app and focus on a subject. Where the Coolpad Cool 1 takes a total of 2.35 seconds, the K6 Note takes almost 4 seconds to complete the given task. Similarly, games load faster, as do simpler apps like Facebook and Twitter. When switching apps, the Coolpad Cool 1 handles the transitions faster, too.

Heat

Interestingly, both the phones show similar performance on heat tests as well. With the outside temperature at around 13 degrees celsius, both the Lenovo K6 Note and Coolpad Cool 1 top out at 37 degree temperatures on their bodies, after 15 minutes of gaming. Since the Lenovo K6 Note cant shoot 4K videos, we couldnt use our video test on this one.

However, on shooting 1080p videos, both the phones reach the 32 degree mark. To be precise, the Coolpad Cool 1 registered readings of 33.2 degrees, while the Lenovo K6 Note registered readings of 35.3 degrees. Ideally, 4K video recording is much more taxing on the SoC, but since the Lenovo device isn't capable of the same, at least natively, that automatically puts it at a disadvantage any way.

Bottomline

From a performance perspective, the Coolpad Cool 1 is definitely the faster and more efficient smartphone amongst the two. It is noticeably faster than the Lenovo K6 Note, and given its impressive heat readings, it comes out as more efficient as well. In fact, having reviewed the Coolpad Cool 1, we can attest to its battery life as well. The Lenovo K6 Note is under review right now, but given its performance, the camera and battery will have a lot to make up for.

Buy Lenovo K6 Note at Rs. 17,450 on amazon

Buy Coolpad Cool 1 at Rs.13,999 on amazon
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Passengers in the United Kingdom and Ireland will be able to fly to New York for as little as 56 from next summer as budget airline Norwegian attempts to push down the price of trans-Atlantic flights further.

The new routes from departure points such as Edinburgh and Cork would be set up as a result of the usage of more fuel efficient planes.

The likes of British Airways and Aer Lingus have been dominant forces in the market for flights between the British Isles and the US, but budget carriers are beginning to offer more affordable alternatives.

"We are working on plans for new transatlantic routes from Edinburgh and Ireland which we expect to launch in 2017, and a key part of our plans are to make sure they are truly affordable, allowing as many people as possible to fly," a statement from Norwegian said.

Currently Norwegian already offers fares starting at 149 from London Gatwick to John F Kennedy airport in New York, as well as destinations such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Orlando.

"A number of airports are being looked at while we finalise our plans but smaller airports in the US present us with an opportunity to offer some ground-breaking fares to passengers in the UK, Ireland and the US," the spokesperson added.
London stocks edged lower at the start of the last trading session of the year a half day  after the index closed at a fresh record high in the previous session.

At 0830 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 0.2% at 7,109.26.

On Thursday, the index closed at a fresh high of 7,120.26, boosted by precious metals miners such as Fresnillo and Randgold Resources, as gold prices advanced.

Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said: Note resistance-turned-support building around 7,110 which keeps us above 7,100 and maintains the rising channel since mid-month which bodes well for further upside (another record today?). Bulls want to see overnight highs of 7,123 bettered to inspire hopes that record intraday (7,130) and out-of-hours highs (7,135) can be challenged.

Bears need to see current support at 7,110 give way.

Meanwhile, oil prices ticked higher after data from the US Energy Information Administration showed crude inventories rose by 614,000 barrels in the week 23 December, compared with expectations for a 1.2m barrel contraction. West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude were up 0.4% to $53.99 and $57.10 a barrel, respectively.

With many traders away from their desks in the run-up to the New Year, volumes were light and corporate news was thin on the ground.

Property developer Hammerson inched higher after saying it will sell its 50% stake in the Watermark leisure and dining site near the Westquay shopping centre in Southampton to GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund and the company's Westquay joint venture partner, for 48.5m.

The tenure of the Westquay joint venture will also been extended, with Hammerson receiving a fee from the joint venture for the ongoing management of the shopping centre and the deal is expected to complete before the end of the year.

Elsewhere, Royal Bank of Scotland was in focus following reports that small investors in the bank are pushing for it to set up a shareholder committee to give them a bigger say in areas such as executive pay.

There are no UK data releases of note due, but in the US, the Chicago purchasing managers index is at 1445 GMT.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,109.26 -0.15%

FTSE 250 (MCX) 18,008.21 -0.12%

techMARK (TASX) 3,360.84 -0.27%

FTSE 100 - Risers

Convatec Group (CTEC) 239.00p 1.70%

Intertek Group (ITRK) 3,452.00p 0.58%

Next (NXT) 4,967.00p 0.47%

British American Tobacco (BATS) 4,616.50p 0.44%

Whitbread (WTB) 3,750.00p 0.43%

Standard Chartered (STAN) 654.50p 0.41%

Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 1,739.00p 0.40%

Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 6,440.00p 0.39%

Royal Mail (RMG) 458.80p 0.37%

Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,739.00p 0.33%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Shire Plc (SHP) 4,594.00p -0.85%

St James's Place (STJ) 996.00p -0.80%

Tesco (TSCO) 204.80p -0.78%

Sage Group (SGE) 653.50p -0.76%

Fresnillo (FRES) 1,215.00p -0.74%

BAE Systems (BA.) 591.00p -0.67%

Vodafone Group (VOD) 199.10p -0.65%

Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,402.00p -0.64%

BP (BP.) 508.00p -0.63%

Royal Dutch Shell 'B' (RDSB) 2,344.00p -0.59%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Hastings Group Holdings (HSTG) 253.20p 2.34%

Evraz (EVR) 224.10p 2.33%

PayPoint (PAY) 1,015.00p 2.32%

Acacia Mining (ACA) 381.50p 2.20%

International Personal Finance (IPF) 174.60p 1.51%

Ferrexpo (FXPO) 135.70p 1.34%

Vectura Group (VEC) 138.60p 1.24%

Hochschild Mining (HOC) 213.50p 1.04%

Marshalls (MSLH) 289.17p 0.93%

BGEO Group (BGEO) 2,954.00p 0.85%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Euromoney Institutional Investor (ERM) 1,107.00p -4.16%

Renishaw (RSW) 2,435.00p -2.72%

Synthomer (SYNT) 374.50p -2.30%

Ted Baker (TED) 2,757.00p -2.20%

Allied Minds (ALM) 450.00p -2.17%

IP Group (IPO) 172.90p -2.15%

Countryside Properties (CSP) 235.00p -1.96%

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT) 967.00p -1.58%

Nostrum Oil & Gas (NOG) 377.90p -1.33%

Hunting (HTG) 622.00p -1.27%
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Police charge suspect who fired at police, was shot in exchange

Columbus police identified the gunman wounded by police early Thursday morning as Raymond Richard Hampton, 26, of the University District.
Via The Globe and Mail, an important story: How a little-known patent sparked Canadas deadly opioid crisis. Excerpt:

In the fall of 1992, a relatively unknown pharmaceutical company based in Pickering, Ont., filed a 47-page document with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, seeking to patent a new invention it said could transform the way doctors treat pain.

Like the millions of patent applications before it, the one filed in Gatineau, Que., by the Canadian subsidiary of U.S. drug giant Purdue Pharma promised remarkable things.

The companys researchers had surprisingly discovered a new way to treat pain. Purdues innovative pill would substantially improve the efficiency and quality of pain management, because it didnt need to be taken as often as other medications.

Most importantly, it was safer. In a section of the application called Summary of the Invention, where the benefits of the innovation are recorded, Purdue said its new pill could treat pain without unacceptable side effects.

The drug was awarded Canadian Patent No. 2,098,738. Its official title in the paperwork was listed as: controlled release oxycodone compositions. But Purdue called it OxyContin.

It would go on to become a blockbuster drug  the most popular long-acting prescription painkiller in Canada for more than a decade, and one of the most lucrative pharmaceutical inventions to hit the market.

When asked in 2014 how much money the company had made from the drug, Purdue Canada chief executive officer Craig Landau struggled to say. Im honestly not certain. I dont know. Its in the billions of dollars for sure, he told a House of Commons committee examining prescription-drug abuse.

In fact, the profits from OxyContin were massive, and growing every year. In Canada and the United States, where the drug was also patented, Purdue has made more than $30-billion (U.S.) from OxyContin since the mid-1990s.

Seeing this trend, other Canadian drug makers wanted a piece of those profits, and a series of patent wars broke out. Unwilling to wait the standard 20 years for the patent to expire in 2012, at least three pharmaceutical manufacturers went to federal court starting in 2005, seeking to produce their own versions of OxyContin.

In thousands of pages of court filings detailing those cases, which had not been made public until now, Patent 2,098,738 soon became shortened to the more manageable Patent 738, which became short form for one of the biggest backroom battles in Canadian pharmaceutical history, though few outside the business knew it was going on.

But as the drug makers fought over OxyContins spoils, deadly problems were emerging with the drug, and the industry knew it.
I posted about this NKNews report this morning and then deleted it because the report is confused and confusing. But here it is again: North Korea issues guidelines to prevent spread of bird flu. Excerpt and then a comment:

The North Korean government is increasingly concerned over the growing avian influenza (also known as bird flu) epidemic in East Asia, state-run media indicated on Thursday.

But preventive methods issued by media remain primitive, suggesting that an outbreak of H7N9 avian flu  which has a 40 percent fatality rate  in the country could have a disastrous effect.

If one is infected with the bird flu within one to two days, one will suffer from high fever and headache, followed by coughing and sputum, the North Korean ruling party organ Rodong Sinmun said on Thursday.

One would have to adapt many methods accordingly, including maintaining a high level of hygiene and working out to increase the resistance, as well as gargling with salt water and drinking garlic juice.

Pyongyang so far has remained silent about whether the country is suffering from any form of bird flu outbreak.

But it is frequently updating readers on the status of the outbreak of the disease in South Korea, with 24 articles published this month with the keywords South Korea and bird flu.

South Korea has seen the worst spate bird flu cases in ten years, with some 26 million poultry being culled after the H5N6 strain was detected in public places. There are yet to be any reported cases of humans contracting the disease.

Apart from the preventive methods suggested above, the North Korean government did not provide any other information, such as how citizens should act or where to report to if they suspect they are infected with the disease.

Rodong did not report that the H7N9 avian flu is confirmed to have about 40 percent of fatality rate. So far at least 324 out of 808 cases of infection have died, a Hong Kong government report said.

NKNews appears to cover North Korean media, and not in a friendly way. That's fine, but here the story leaps from "bird flu" to H7N9 (so far a China-local strain) and H5N6 (currently bedevilling South Korea)as if they were the same thing, which they're not.

Unless China is exporting poultry to North Korea, H7N9 isn't an imminent threat to Pyongyang. H5N6 in wild birds might be a problem, but so far that strain is far less serious to humans than H7N9.

And of course we have no idea what's really going on in North Korea. The story goes on to list North Korean mentions of "bird flu" in 2005, 2013, and 2014, but who knows how many others there may have been, and what strains they were?

The real story here is North Korea's chronic failure to report promptly and accurately on its disease outbreaks of all kinds. Whether it's advising its people on measures against this or that strain of "bird flu" is really beside the point.
Nepal and China will for the first time conduct a joint military exercise in February next year.

A Chinese defence ministry spokesperson confirmed this in Beijing today, saying that the Chinese military was looking forward to conducting a joint exercise with the Nepali Army.

''#China and #Nepal will hold their first joint military training in 2017, Chinese MOD spokesperson said on Thu'' China's state-run newspaper People's Daily tweeted. A source said the exercise would focus on preparing each others' armies to combat terrorism.

''The exact date, time frame and venue and other details have not been fixed yet,'' a Nepali Army source told The Himalayan Times. The source further said that it was a low key exercise.

Nepal in the past had conducted such joint military exercises with India and other friendly countries, including the United States.

During a press conference at his office on Thursday, foreign minister Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the drill was yet to be finalised.
India to tax Singapore investors' capital gains from April

India will start imposing capital gains tax on investments coming from Singapore from April and fully withdraw exemptions in two years as the two countries agreed to amend a decade-old treaty after New Delhi rolled back similar concessions to Mauritius and Cyprus earlier this year.

India and Singapore today entered into an amended Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, by signing a third protocol.

With the amendments, announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley, investors based in Singapore will no longer benefit from tax exemptions on capital gains taxes.

This is in line with India's treaty policy to prevent double non-taxation, curb revenue loss and check the menace of black money through automatic exchange of information, as reflected in India's recently revised treaties with Mauritius and Cyprus and the joint declaration signed with Switzerland.

The India-Singapore DTAA at present provides for residence based taxation of capital gains of shares in a company. The third protocol amends the DTAA with effect from 1 April 2017 to provide for source based taxation of capital gains arising on transfer of shares in a company. This will curb revenue loss, prevent double non-taxation and streamline the flow of investments.

In order to provide certainty to investors, investments in shares made before 1 April 2017 have been grandfathered subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause as per 2005 Protocol. Further, a two year transition period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2019 has been provided during which capital gains on shares will be taxed in source country at half of normal tax rate, subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause.

The third protocol also inserts provisions to facilitate relieving of economic double taxation in transfer pricing cases. This is a taxpayer friendly measure and is in line with India's commitments under Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan to meet the minimum standard of providing Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) access in transfer pricing cases. The third protocol also enables application of domestic law and measures concerning prevention of tax avoidance or tax evasion.

Changes to the treaty with the Asian financial centre had been widely expected after India this year similarly re-drafted a 33-year old tax treaty with Mauritius.

The tax treaty between India and Singapore had a provision that any changes in the Mauritius treaty would automatically apply to the one with the Asian country.

The move to tighten tax treaties is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's anti-corruption drive, which includes tightening loopholes for firms or rich individuals setting up a presence in jurisdictions with tax exemption treaties.

Regulators have long suspected rich Indians were routing cash through these tax jurisdictions, and channeling money back to India in a practice known as "round tripping".

"We are able to give a reasonable burial to this black money route," Jaitley told reporters at a news briefing.

Capital gains tax will be imposed on investments from Singapore that are made from April onwards. The tax rate will be half the prevailing Indian rate for the next two years and rates will then be equated by April 2019. Jaitley said.

Foreign direct investment flows from Singapore stood at $50.6 billion between April 2000 and Sept 2016, contributing more than 16 percent to total capital inflows during that period, second only to Mauritius.
Four suspects have been arrested in what law enforcement officials believe may be related cases of motor vehicle theft within the city limits of Eufaula. Since December 21, three motor vehicles have been stolen, all of which were recovered by law enforcement officers during the Christmas weekend.

Eufaula Police Chief Steve Watkins issued a press release on Tuesday, Dec. 27, stating that three individuals, of who two were 15 year-old juveniles, were arrested in connection with the theft of a Dodge Durango that was stolen on Dec. 21 from a residence in Eufaula. Donnell Green, 20, of Eufaula and the two juveniles were charged with receiving stolen property first degree.

Green is currently being held in the Eufaula City Jail following his a bond hearing, where his bond was set at $15,000. The two juveniles were turned over to the Barbour County Juvenile Probation Office. This case is still under investigation and more charges are pending according to Chief Watkins.

A second vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, stolen from a Eufaula residence on Dec. 23, was found abandoned by the Eufaula Police Department.

A Chevrolet Silverado that was stolen from a south Eufaula residence on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, was located by deputies from the Barbour County Sheriffs Office at a bridge on Tiny Mae Road on Dec. 26. At the time of discovery, the vehicle was occupied by a lone subject, 21 year-old Devon Dean of Eufaula. Dean originally told deputies that the vehicle belonged to his uncle and he had gotten it stuck in the mud and had been there since the night before. After deputies told Dean that they knew the truck was stolen, Dean changed his story and stated, according to a report from the Barbour County Sheriffs Office, that he had stolen the vehicle to go joy riding. Dean was arrested by BCSO deputies and charged with receiving stolen property first degree.

Since Deans arrest on Dec. 26 by the BCSO, the Eufaula Police Department has obtained warrants for him for three counts of theft of property first degree.

The Criminal Investigations Unit is still pursuing these cases as well as several other unlawful entries of motor vehicles, Chief Watkins noted. We have recovered some property and are actively seeking the remainder of the stolen items.

Information and advice given on the EPD Facebook page, noted that these crimes were facilitated by opportunity and now is a good time to offer the reminder to always lock your vehicle and remove the keys, even if you leave it for just a minute. Never leave valuable or attractive items in your vehicle.

If anyone has any information related to these or any other case, please call the Eufaula Police Department at 334-687-1200 or the tip line at 334-687-7100.
Holden has had a topsy-turvy turn of small cars over the years.

For decades, the Commodore has done the heavy lifting for the iconic Aussie brand while city cars, such as the Barina, Astra and more recently the Cruze, have played a secondary role. At times they've been good, but mostly they've been forgettable.

But tastes have changed. The Commodore's reign from the top is over, small cars are the most popular segment in new vehicle sales while SUVs and utes are on a charge.

Holden has, fortuitously, foreseen all these changes and is in the midst of a major product overhaul that will see 24 new or updated models in showrooms between 2015 and 2020. A significant pillar in that plan is the latest generation Astra, which takes over from Cruze as the brand's small car stalwart. So, can it withhold the pressure?

WHAT DO YOU GET?

The Astra is fresh out of the development pipeline from Holden's European partner, Opel, and arrives in local showrooms initially as a hatchback only. A sedan is likely to be added in the middle of 2017 while sportier three-door versions of the previous Astra  the GTC and VXR hot hatches  will continue to be sold until they are replaced within 18 months or so.

The hatch is available in three model grades with a starting price of $21,990 (plus on-road costs) for the entry-level Astra R powered by a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine with a six-speed manual transmission.

The mid-spec Astra RS, which costs $26,490 (plus on-roads) and the range-topping $30,990 RS-V we're testing here have a more powerful 1.6-litre engine and come with more standard equipment, including the latest safety functions which can be optioned into the R.

A six-speed automatic costs an additional $2200 across the range, although it is currently only available on the R with availability in the RS and RS-V models due to commence in March 2017.

As for what you get, the RS-V rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, has push-button start with keyless entry, heated front seats and steering wheel, fake leather trim, dual-zone climate control and the full suite of Holden's Mylink functionality within the 8.0-inch colour touch screen, including digital radio, smartphone mirroring and sat nav with live traffic updates.

From a safety perspective, it has six airbags and a suite of active driver aids  dubbed Holden Eye  that includes automated emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keeping assistance and blind spot alert.

A $1990 Touring Pack adds an electric sunroof and adaptive cruise control or the Innovations Pack, which costs an extra $2000, has those items plus full LED headlights. Both packs are exclusively available as options on the RS-V only.
The controversy over Uber staff using the companys tech to track peoples movements was reignited this week when information in a pending lawsuit began circulating in the tech press.

Uber employees can pull customer data at will, alleged Ward Spangenberg, the companys former forensic investigator, in a court declaration filed earlier this fall as part of his bid to prevent the firm from forcing his case into arbitration.

Uber staffers have been able to track high-profile politicians, celebrities and ex-significant others, Spangenberg said.

His originalcomplaint, filed in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco, centers on his dismissal from the company.

Uber continues to allow broad access to users trip information, five security professionals formerly employed at the company told Reveal.

That has been going on, they said, in spite of Ubers assertions two years ago that it had policies prohibiting such actions, following news that executives were taking advantage of its God View feature to track customers in real time without their permission.

Ubers Side of the Story

Its absolutely untrue that all or nearly all employees have access to customer data, with or without approval, maintained Uber spokesperson Sophie Schmidt.

We have built entire systems to implement technical and administrative controls to limit access to customer data to employees who require it to perform their jobs, she told TechNewsWorld. This could include multiple steps of approval  by managers and the legal team  to ensure there is a legitimate business case for providing access.

Access is granted to specific types of data based on an employees role, Schmidt asserted. All data access is logged and routinely audited, and all potential violators are quickly and thoroughly investigated.

Uber employees must acknowledge and agree to the companys data access policy, CIO John Flynn emphasized in a memo sent earlier this week.

Violators have been terminated, he reminded them.

We want our security and privacy practices and technology to be world-class, and were moving quickly toward that goal, Flynn said. Its the responsibility of each and every one of us to protect customer and driver data.

However, Ubers defense in the Spangenberg case relies mainly on procedural issues.

Its not logical for any company to proclaim that they are secure because they sent an email telling employees what to do, remarked John Gunn, VP of communications at Vasco Data Security.

In the real IT world you dont need these types of emails, because youve implemented limitations on access to sensitive data [that] you monitor and enforce, he told TechNewsWorld.

The Need for Privacy

The latest revelation follows news that Uber has tracked customers even after they left its vehicles.

Uber needs to come clean on whether [the privacy violations] occurred  and needs to have full disclosure of how it uses customer data, said Michael Jude, a program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

Frosts research indicates that people take personal security very seriously, he told TechNewsWorld.

On the other hand, consumers are becoming less concerned about exposing details about their personal information, noted Michael Patterson, CEO of Plixer.

They dont like the invasion, but they like the services and appear to be willing to compromise, he told TechNewsWorld.

Still, high-profile Uber customers, including celebrities, could be at risk, suggested Csaba Krasznay, product manager at Balabit, pointing to Kim Kardashians robbery in Paris in October as an example.

We can protect ourselves by not letting Uber and other apps use our smartphones GPS data, Krasznay told TechNewsWorld. It only takes one click.

Or consumers can decline to install the Uber app, use a VPN from their smartphone to a company in-house phone system to call Uber, or use a company credit card under someone elses name, Plixers Patterson suggested.

Ultimately, responsibility for this problem rests on the CEOs shoulders, said Frosts Jude, and the CEO should take personal responsibility for fixing it.
By Ashley Braun

From fake news to phony Twitter support, 2016 was dominated by plenty of falsities surrounding climate change and energy development. DeSmog remains dedicated to uncovering this misinformationand disinformationclouding the national conversation on climate change.

Weve put together a list of 12 of our most important and influential stories covering these issues from the last year.

In addition to shining a light on whats false, we also seek to reveal whats true: the enduring dark money influence of the Koch brothers, the international military ties of the firms policing the Dakota Access Pipeline, the differences between the trains carrying ethanol and the bomb trains carrying oil.

We also keep close tabs on the individuals and organizations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming (though sometimes those are our elected leaders).

We regularly update our Disinformation Database, so check out some of todays major players, including President-elect Donald Trump and former Exxon CEO and Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson.

Dive into some of our biggest stories of 2016 below.

1. Exclusive: Climate Hustles Marc Morano Turns Down $20k Global Warming Bets from Bill Nye the Science Guy

One of Americas most outspoken deniers of the link between fossil fuel burning and global warmingMarc Morano of the conservative think tank the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrowhas refused $20,000 in bets that the planet will keep getting hotter.

2. Senators Launch Resolution, Speech Blitz Calling Out #WebOfDenial Blocking Climate Action

Nineteen U.S. Senators who understand the need to clear the PR pollution that continues to block overdue climate policy action spoke out on the Senate floor in support of the Senate Web of Denial Resolution calling out the destructive forces of fossil fuel industry-funded climate denial.

3. New Koch-Funded Group Fueling US Forward Aims to Promote the Positives of Fossil Fuels

A long-awaited campaign to rebrand fossil fuels called Fueling U.S. Forward made its public debut at the Red State Gathering 2016, where the organizations President and CEO Charles Drevna gave attendees the inside scoop on the effort and confirmed that the campaign is backed financially by Koch Industries.

Instead of Supporting Trump, Here's What the Koch Brothers Are Doing With Their $750 Million https://t.co/fEKjkuLbrt @OpenSecretsDC  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) August 17, 2016

4. Security Firm Running Dakota Access Pipeline Intelligence has Ties to U.S. Military Work in Iraq and Afghanistan

TigerSwan is one of several security firms under investigation for its work guarding the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota while potentially without a permit. Besides this recent work on the Standing Rock Sioux protests in North Dakota, this company has offices in Iraq and Afghanistan and is run by a special forces Army veteran.

5. Ken Bone, Internet Sensation from Presidential Debate, Works for Coal Company Opposed to Climate Regulations

After Kenneth Bone asked a question about energy to presidential nominees Donald Trump and Secretary Hillary Clinton at the presidential town hall debate on Oct. 9, he quickly became a viral internet sensation. Lost in the shuffle of the viral memes, internet jokes and a Facebook fan page is a basic question: Who is Ken Bone and what does he do for a living?

About Viral Sensation Ken Bone and His Presidential Debate Question via @EcoWatch https://t.co/F2vniuB2DA

Is Bone a dirty coal guy?  Tyko Kihlstedt (@SwampGreen) October 12, 2016

6. Did an Industry Front Group Create Fake Twitter Accounts to Promote the Dakota Access Pipeline?

A DeSmog investigation has revealed the possibility that a front group supporting the controversial Dakota Access Pipelinethe Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now (MAIN)may have created fake Twitter profiles, known by some as sock puppets, to convey a pro-pipeline message over social media. And MAIN may be employing the PR services of the firm DCI Group, which has connections to the Republican Party, in order to do so.

7. The Trump Administration is Filling Up with Koch Allies

On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump boasted that he had no need for the Koch brothers, claiming to have rejected meetings with them and calling his Republican primary opponents puppets for meeting with the Kochs. Yet, today, Trumps transition team and Cabinet are quickly filling with a number of Koch affiliates, confidantes and business associates.

8. Senator Promoting Dakota Access Pipeline Invests in Bakken Oil Wells Named After Indian Tribe

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) recently came out in support of the Dakota Access pipeline, the contested Energy Transfer Partners-owned pipeline envisioned to move oil obtained via hydraulic fracturing (fracking) from North Dakotas Bakken Shale basin. What Sen. Hoevenan outspoken supporter of TransCanadas Keystone XL tar sands pipelinedid not mention, however, is his personal investment in 68 different oil-producing wells in North Dakota under the auspices of the company Mainstream Investors, LLC.

9. Revealed: Most Popular Climate Story on Social Media Told Half a Million People the Science Was a Hoax

The most popular climate change story across social media in the second half of 2016 used a debunked survey from the late 1990s to claim that tens of thousands of scientists had declared global warming a hoax, a DeSmog analysis has found.

10. There is no doubt: Exxon Knew CO2 Pollution was a Global Threat by Late 1970s

Throughout Exxons global operations, the company knew that CO2 was a harmful pollutant in the atmosphere years earlier than previously reported. DeSmog uncovered Exxon corporate documents from the late 1970s stating unequivocally there is no doubt that CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels was a growing problem well understood within the company.

11. Bomb Trains: What Can We Learn From Shipping Ethanol to Improve Oil-By-Rail Safety?

From 2010 to 2015, the total number of tank cars moving ethanol by rail was more than 1.98 million. Thats about 18 percent greater than the more than 1.68 million tank cars of crude oil shipped over the same time period. With more ethanol than crude oil moved by rail in recent years, why isnt anyone calling ethanol trains bomb trains too?

12. Watch Leonardo DiCaprios Climate Film Before The Flood Right Now

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award-winning actor, environmental activist and UN Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change. Find out how to watch it now.

Reposted with permission from our media associate DeSmogBlog.
Biggest penalty ever given to Qualcomm for unfair patent licensing.

Regulators from South Korea state that Qualcomms patent licensing techniques violate Korean unfair competition laws. As a result, the company is forced to pay a fine of 1.03 trillion won, or roughly $850 million (695 million). Qualcomm said it plans to appeal the enormous fine in court.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) noted that Qualcomm refused to license specific standard-essential patents on its chips to competitors like Intel, Samsung, and MediaTek. The commission required that Qualcomm renegotiate the licenses; the fine is the largest ever issued in Korea.

Its noted in a report that Qualcomm makes a majority of its profits  approximately $6.5 billion in the recent year  from selling the rights to its chip technology.

Qualcomm has violated its agreement to license patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms, known as FRAND, the Commission said in a statement.

Firing back, Qualcomm issued a statement stating that the punishment is an unprecedented and insupportable decision, relating to licensing practices that have been in existence in Korea and worldwide for decades. They also noted that the KFTC showed no evidence of harm to its competition that it suggests is robust among chip and handset suppliers because Qualcomms model promotes competition.

While the KFTC directive will not be official until it issues a written statement and order, which usually takes roughly four to six months, Qualcomm said that it plans to immediately appeal. The company is still required to pay the penalty within 60 days after the written order is out, but it will be subject to refund based on the appeal.

Source: Ars Technica

Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine
Dr. Peter E. Martin PhD

Dr. Peter E. Martin, PhD, 89, of Carlisle, passed away on Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at his home. He was born on June 4, 1927 in Ridgewood, NJ, and was the son of the late Harold T. and Helen (Evans) Martin Stauffer.

Peter graduated from the New York Military Academy with the class of 1945. He served in the US Army at the end of WWII. After being honorably discharged, Peter returned to Yale University and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics in 1950. He then earned his PhD from Harvard University in 1958, and in 1979, Peter earned a diploma in computer science from the St. Johns College of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Dr. Martin joined the faculty of Dickinson College as a professor of Mathematics in 1965, having previously taught at Rutgers University. He helped pioneer the Computer Science Major at Dickinson. He was a gifted musician, performing on a number of instruments including the harpsichord and guitar. He enjoyed sharing his music, giving concerts at Dickinson College. He loved reading and was an avid train buff.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 56 years, Ann (Vokes) Martin, two sons; Christopher A. Martin of Carlisle and Colin E. (and his wife, Lorraine) Martin of Mt. Wolf and one niece and three nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2017 in the St. Johns Episcopal Church, On the Square in Carlisle, with Rev. David Bateman officiating. Inurnment will be in the St. Johns Chapel of the Good Shepherd Columbarium. A time of visitation and fellowship will immediately follow the service in the church parish hall. Ewing Brothers Funeral Home, Carlisle, is in charge of arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the National Parkinsons Foundationhttp://www.parkinson.org/ or to Dickinson College, PO Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013. Visit www.Since1853.com to send condolences.
Beaver County preparing for robust Election Day turnout

As the Nov. 8 midterm election approaches, nearly 114,000 people are registered to vote in Beaver County.
BERLIN  German prosecutors said Wednesday that they have detained a Tunisian man they think may have been involved in last weeks truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.

The 40-year-old, who wasnt identified, was detained in Berlin during a search of his home and business, federal prosecutors said.

The mans telephone number was saved in the cellphone of Anis Amri, a fellow Tunisian believed to have driven a truck into the market on Dec. 19. Amri, 24, was killed in a shootout with Italian police in a suburb of Milan early Friday.

Of the new suspect, prosecutors said in a statement that further investigations indicate that he may have been involved in the attack.

Twelve people died and dozens more were injured in the truck attack. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility.

Prosecutors have until Thursday evening to determine whether the case against the 40-year-old is strong enough for them to seek a formal arrest warrant. That would allow them to keep him in custody pending possible charges.

Investigators are trying to determine whether Amri had a support network in planning and carrying out the attack, and in fleeing Berlin. Theyre also trying to piece together the route he took from Berlin to Milan.

Italian police have said Amri traveled through France, and French authorities said on Tuesday that he made a stop in the eastern French city of Lyon.

On Wednesday, Dutch authorities said it appeared Amri first had fled through the Netherlands, Germanys western neighbor.

Jirko Patist, a spokesman for the Dutch national prosecutors office, said it was highly likely that Amri had been in Nijmegen, in the eastern Netherlands, during his journey from Berlin to Milan.

Camera images recovered in Nijmagen found someone we think, rather of whom we say it is highly likely, is the same person appearing in photos from Lyon in France, Patist told Netherlands public broadcaster NOS.

Patist added that there was no reason to think the suspect was accompanied by anyone while in the Netherlands.

A SIM card found on the fugitive after he was shot led authorities to the Netherlands.

We can see that the SIM cards like this have been distributed in several locations in the Netherlands, he said.

Amri had no phone with him in Milan, only the loose SIM card.

According to Italian police, Amri also had a pocket knife and a few hundred euros in cash in a backpack that he was carrying when officers on a routine patrol stopped him to ask for identification in the Milan suburb of Sesto San Giovanni on Friday.

He also carried a .22 pistol that he then used to shoot a police officer, hitting him in the shoulder.

The Italian investigator said the weapon appeared to be the same one used in Germany to kill the Polish driver of the truck that was commandeered for the Christmas market attack, but that final ballistic tests were still being carried out.

The body of the Polish driver, Lukasz Urban, was returned to Poland on Tuesday, said Aldoma Lema, a spokeswoman for prosecutors in the Polish city of Szczecin.
Ralph Thomas thought at first the crash was the sound of a tractor-trailer banging down North Hanover Street in Carlisle around 10:37 a.m. Friday.

It took a couple seconds to realize it was something else, said Thomas, owner of BetterView Windows & Doors on the corner of North Bedford Street in Carlisle. We got up and ran outside.

People were already on the scene working to free an unidentified woman and two children from an overturned Jeep SUV with New Jersey plates.

While Thomas helped to pull out the driver, one of his employees joined in the effort to rescue the children from the back seat of the vehicle that had tipped over onto its left side.

The whole scene was recorded on video by a security camera mounted outside his 671 N. Hanover St. business.

Witnesses on the scene reported seeing no serious injuries. It is believed the woman and children were transported by ambulance to a local hospital. A call to the investigating Carlisle borough police officer was not returned by press time.

It appears that the SUV was traveling south on North Bedford Street, near the signalized intersection with North Hanover Street, when it struck a vehicle parked across from a Citizens Bank branch.

The parked car was a 2006 Mazda 3 owned by Joanna McDonald of the 600 block of North Hanover Street. The rear of her home fronts North Broad Street where she usually parks her car.

Joanna and her mother, Barbara McDonald, were at home when the crash occurred but did not hear the crash. Joanna heard the arrival of police on the scene and mother and daughter discovered the damage when they left the house to run some errands.

The video shows the SUV clipping the outside corner of the parked Mazda, Barbara McDonald said. She added that while the Mazda took the impact, the Jeep flipped onto its side.

Both vehicles were removed from the scene by flatbed tow trucks. After securing the area and investigating the crash, borough police officers cleaned up the broken glass and other debris from the southbound travel lane.

The crash site is located near where traffic from North Hanover Street can turn right onto North Bedford Street to head south toward downtown Carlisle.

People fly through here, Thomas said. Its pretty bad. I dont park anywhere along there. Joannas father, Norman McDonald, also mentioned how speeding motorists are a real problem in that area of Carlisle.

Down this street from the signal [for] so many cars it is pedal to the metal, Norman McDonald said. They are doing 40 to 45 mph. They are flying down on Bedford Street.

We have been real fortunate, he added. God has blessed us in many ways. No kids have been killed.
I forgive you.

Ive lost count of how many people have told me that since Election Day. Of course, the number pales in comparison with the legions whove told me I was wrong about everything this year and that the election of Donald Trump will spell the end of my relevance, my career and, in a few trollish instances, my life. But its the unsolicited forgiveness that stings more.

My position as a committed Never Trump (and Never Hillary) conservative in the primaries and general election earned the disappointment and wrath of a great many folks on the right, from longtime readers to longtime friends. Although I still feel in my bones that I have nothing to apologize for, it does seem to me that forgiveness, solicited or otherwise, should elicit some introspection.

Are my critics  either the forgiving ones or the menacing ones  right about me? Just how wrong was I?

I did get the election wrong. Although there were occasions when I wrote that Trump had a shot, certainly at the end I was convinced that hed lose.

And yet, defensive though it may sound, I think the claim that I got everything wrong in 2016 reveals more about my detractors than about me. No doubt I got much wrong this year (this is true of every year ending in a number divisible by 1), but the only sense in which one could plausibly claim I got everything wrong is if Donald Trump is your everything. Indeed, the bulk of those shouting that I got everything wrong seem to be the Trump can do no wrong crowd as well.

There is a weird, not quite fully baked idea out there that if you  or me  were wrong about Trumps electoral chances, that means you must be wrong about the man in full. There is no such transitive property in politics or punditry. I dont know what George Will said of Richard Nixons electoral prospects in 1972, but even if he had predicted a McGovern landslide, that wouldnt mean he was wrong about the outrageousness of Watergate.

That said, I already feel comfortable admitting that, beyond my electoral prognosticating, I got some things wrong about what a Trump presidency will look like. Though many on the left and in the media see his Cabinet appointments and policy proposals as cause for existential panic, as a conservative I find most  but by no means all  of them reassuring.

I argued frequently that Trumps conservatism was more marketing ploy than deeply held conviction. But his appointments at the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency and elsewhere suggest a level of commitment to paring back the administrative state that heartens and surprises me.

I am also surprised by the benefits of having a political novice take over the executive branch. From his phone call with Taiwan to his ad hoc bargaining with defense contractors, there is more of an upside to Trump the Disruptor than I had anticipated.

Of course, there is also a downside.

And that brings me to what I think I got right: Trumps character. I am not referring to his personal conduct toward women, a culture-war weapon that Trump and Bill Clinton together have removed from partisan arsenals for the foreseeable future. Nor am I necessarily referring to how he has managed his businesses, though I think those patterns of behavior are entirely relevant to understanding our next president.

What I have chiefly in mind is that rich nexus of unrestrained ego, impoverished impulse control and contempt for policy due diligence. I firmly and passionately believe that character is destiny. From his reported refusal to accept daily intelligence briefings to his freelancing every issue under the sun on Twitter  including, most recently, nuclear arms policy  Trumps blase attitude troubles me deeply, just as it did during the campaign.

On balance, I dont feel repentant. But I acknowledge that Trump has surrounded himself with some serious and sober-minded people who will try to constrain and contain the truly dangerous aspects of his character. If they succeed, Ill happily revisit my refusal to ask for forgiveness.
Kate Middleton and Prince William will be relocating to Kensington Palace and will be leaving their home in Norfolk. Rumors are rife that this has something to do with Queen Elizabeth's plan to prepare the royal couple for handing down the crown.

As per International Business Times, Kate and William will be moving to Kensington Palace because Prince George is set to start school next year. The royal couple is planning to enrol their eldest child in Wetherby School, the same school that William and Prince Harry had attended as children.

Currently, Prince George is attending nursery school at Westacre Montessori School which is located in Norfolk near his family home in Sandringham.

Kate Middleton and Prince William's house in Norfolk was given by Queen Elizabeth to the couple as a gift during their wedding last April 2011. And according to a certain report, William moved here because he wants to have privacy most especially when it comes to his family.

The Duke of Cambridge really wanted to keeps his life in private and to keep the media away from his life and his family. This is the reason perhaps he and wife Kate want to raise Prince George and Princess Charlotte in the normal way so they can experience the life of a normal family.

It can be recalled as reported by Elle that the Queen handed down several national charities to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge so they are expected to have additional work in 2017. Reports are circulating that the Queen has a plan to step down from the crown and she might consider her grandson, William to be her successor and that's why she is giving him additional work too.

However, with the absence of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles is stepping over for the royal family as he led them in the annual church service during Christmas even if Kate Middleton and Prince William were not present too.

If Kate Middleton and Prince William is planning to move to Kensington Palace, the reason has something to do with the welfare of their kids and not because of anything, not even Queen Elizabeth's plan.
Since the tragic passing of Carrie Fisher just this week, one of the questions that are on fan's minds is how much exactly the actress has left for her family. Fisher has been involved in a lot of projects outside of Star Wars. So, she could essentially be worth millions that she probably left to her only heir, her daughter with Bryan Lourd, Billie Lourd.

Aside from being the iconic Princes Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy, Fisher has been involved in different projects as a novelist, a screenwriter, and a producer. Some fans will quickly assume that she probably is worth a fortune because of her many project. However, varying sources have reported different figures as to Fisher's true net worth.

A report from Go Banking Rates reveals that Carrie Fisher could be worth around $25 million. The relatively large figure is, however, still significantly lower than the net worth of her fellow Star Wars co-stars.

This is due to Fisher officially signing away her character and likeness which resulted in her not earning anything from any Star Wars merchandise involving her character. This was cited by analyst as a contractual mishap that could have added a lot more money to Fisher's overall fortune.

Aside from the money she earned in the different Star Wars movies, Fisher also earned some of her total net worth as a novelist. Fisher authored an autobiographical novel titled Postcards From The Edge, which was eventually made into a movie that starred Meryl Streep. Her own autobiography titled Wishful Drinking was also adapted into an HBO documentary.

As per Hollywood Take, Fisher's other sources of income outside of Star Wars, also included her work on different movie projects, including on Hannah and Her Sisters, Shampoo, Soap Dish and When Harry Met Sally among others.

Carrie Fisher died on Dec. 27, 2016, at the age of 60. She was survived by her daughter, Billie Lourd, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, and her siblings Todd, Joely, and Tricia Leigh.
Javeed Alam died on 5 December. His death will be widely lamented. He was an activist of strong will and organisational skill. He was a political scientist of philosophical temperament and humane instinct. He was honourably and unwaveringly committed to communist politics in India, while increasingly of open mind, an undismissive interlocutor even with those who disagreed with him. As a result, his own work became more varied and subtle over the years. He was the sweetest of men. It is reported that someone in Samuel Johnsons circle of acquaintances said that he had wanted to be a philosopher, like the good Doctor himself, but cheerfulness kept breaking in. Somehow, Javeed never let the fact that he was a philosopher break in and undermine his cheerfulness. He was a person of directness and, so far as I could see, without any hostility. There was never a hint of class or intellectual condescension. He had a contagiously warm gift for lively engagement with both people and ideas that fetched him, throughout his life, the companionship of many loving friends. I feel privileged to have been among them.

He was the son of distinguished Hyderabadi parents, an activist mother and a father who was a prominent philosopher. He grew up in the company of siblings who, like him and his parents, were admirably formed from an early age towards political conviction in the service of the common good. Ever since I met him and them, I have envied him this upbringing.
For too long the West has considered itself to be the centre for organised interventions in sovereign states. Any competitor that challenges its monopoly is the villain that deserves the wrath of Western media. In Syria, Russia is the newest among the human rights violators that are being demonised with "fake news."
There is a widely held belief that Muslims in India vote en bloc and strategically to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party. This misconception has given rise to several wild theories about how Muslims participate in electoral arenathat they vote in large numbers, their decision of whom to vote for is influenced by clerics, they are more concerned about religious issues while voting, and are less supportive of Indias political institutions. This article presents a body of evidence using public opinion and election returns data from Uttar Pradesh to show that the political and electoral behaviour of Muslims is no different from that of any other major community in the state.
South Africa made full use of the second new ball to rip through Sri Lanka's last five wickets and complete a 206-run win in Port Elizabeth, an hour and 10 minutes into day five

South Africa 286 (Duminy 63, Elgar 59, Lakmal 5-63) and 406 for 6 dec (Cook 117, de Kock 69, du Plessis 67*, Elgar 52) beat Sri Lanka 205 (Philander 5-45) and 281 (Mathews 59, Mendis 58, Rabada 3-77, Maharaj 3-86) by 206 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Abject SL, awesome Rabada 9 Number of losses from 11 Tests for Sri Lanka in South Africa. They have the third-worst loss percentage in the country behind Zimbabwe and Bangladesh who are yet to win in South Africa.

2.5 Win-loss ratio for South Africa in 2016. They end the year as the second-most successful team after India. South Africa have won five Tests and lost two.

68.22 Average of Angelo Mathews in the fourth innings of Test matches. Only Bruce Mitchell, Jeffrey Stollmeyer and Don Bradman average more (min 500 runs). Mathews top-scored for Sri Lanka with 59.

36.6 Strike rate of Kagiso Rabada in 2016 - the best for any fast bowler this year (min:20 wickets). He also has four five-wicket hauls, which is also the most for any fast bowler in 2016.

South Africa made full use of the second new ball to rip through Sri Lanka's last five wickets and complete a 206-run win in Port Elizabeth, an hour and 10 minutes into day five. Once Kyle Abbott broke through early to dismiss Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva, there was little Sri Lanka's lower order could do. The margin of Sri Lanka's defeat belied how comfortable their top-order batsmen had looked on day four, and reflected how so many of them had thrown their wickets away.

Chasing 488, Sri Lanka started the final day 248 adrift with five wickets in hand and their last two recognised batsmen at the crease, one of them batting on 58. That man, Mathews, had added only one run to his score when Abbott nipped one in sharply and had a loud lbw shout upheld. Mathews had taken guard on off stump right through the Test match, and this probably played a major role in his dismissal. Jumping back and across, Mathews had to open up to access the ball that was jagging back into the stumps, and before his bat could come across to meet it, the ball had struck his retreating front pad, right in front. He reviewed more in desperation than hope.

A near-replay, down to the failed review, sent de Silva on his way 3.5 overs later. Again the batsman was standing on off stump, and again was forced to play across the line. Again the review returned an umpire's call verdict on height.

In between, Abbott had also dealt Rangana Herath a blow with a sharp lifter that struck him on the bottom hand. Having strapped up his fingers, Herath lasted a further nine balls before Vernon Philander had him caught and bowled, diving across the pitch to catch it low to his left, landing painfully on his arm, after getting the ball to stop on the batsman.
South Africa were expected to be too strong for Sri Lanka in the opening encounter, but what made the gap between the teams even wider were some of Angelo Mathews' tactics

Angelo Mathews had a front-row seat to the way captaincy could be when you are in control. He spent ten minutes short of three hours in the middle, watching as Faf du Plessis commanded his troops with scant reward on an afternoon that set South Africa up for a dominant win and which would have left Mathews wondering whether he should have been inventive with his own side.

On a fourth day pitch that behaved like a second-day surface, du Plessis was making a plan. He had his quicks bowling to 6-4 offside fields and kept a short midwicket and square leg, or short leg, in place, with only one man on the boundary to try and induce a mistake. He asked his bowlers to mix up their line-and-length disciplines with a short-ball strategy which had not worked against Mathews but which du Plessis thought may eventually overwhelm the Sri Lankan batsmen. He tasked his least effective seamer on the day - Kagiso Rabada - to implement it, just as the afternoon was growing long and Rabada "put his hand up and bowled quickly."

Coming round the wicket, the second delivery of his spell brought reward when Kusal Mendis tried to ramp Rabada over the slips and was caught behind. That brought Dinesh Chandimal to the crease and immediately got du Plessis thinking again. Chandimal was strangled with close-in fielders and his frustration grew. He had only scored 8 off 37 balls - and had already been dropped by Stephen Cook at mid-off trying to go over the top - when he handed a catch to mid-on. With a second new ball still to come, South Africa had made a match-winning breakthrough and opened Sri Lanka up, thanks to their ability to create pressure.

What Mathews was seeing was not revolutionary but it was lacking in his own leadership. The day before, with the pitch in a similarly good-for-batting condition, he had not been able to exert the same authority on South Africa. His bowlers were not as menacing with the bouncer and his spinner was neutralised. Still, instead of instructing Herath to tie South Africa down, Mathews spread the field and gave South Africa too many easy runs, albeit runs that could be scored in a chase if there had been more application from the batsmen.

By South Africa's own admission the target was chaseable although du Plessis was, perhaps, being a little generous. Yes, time was not an issue and the pitch hadn't broken up, but it's not every day that a team gets as close as Pakistan did at the Gabba. Still, even with 488 to defend du Plessis knew there was a job to do for his four-man attack.

It was never going to be easy, especially after South Africa requested more grass on the surface, specifically to stop it from deteriorating. That they were even willing to make that known publicly is in stark contrast to their usual assertion that they take whatever they get, even on home turf. After last season's drubbing in India, perhaps they're not scared to say when they are trying to make work things work in their favour, or to concede that their line-up is not as comfortable against spin as they would like it to be.

But there is a difference between the pitches they played on there - the Nagpur one was even rated poor by the ICC - and the St George's Park one they hosted Sri Lanka on here. Although South Africa were aiming to claim an advantage, it was more about the disadvantage they wanted to impose on the visitors.

A pitch that gets better for batting only suits batsmen, not a specific side. South Africa knew that if it didn't swing or seam - and it didn't do much over the last two days - their attack was unlikely to be able to make use of reverse-swing because the ball would not scuff up. They knew they would have to be disciplined and patient and they trusted that they would be. As Cook put it, they believed they could take Sri Lanka, "to their breaking point." Therein lies the real difference.

Du Plessis had an attack that bowled to the plans he made and the fields he set; Mathews did not always have that. Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera do not offer as much as Vernon Philander, Kyle Abbott and Rabada, even on an off day, and they are not as accurate. Sri Lanka could not find consistency in the second innings and "bowled in different places," according to du Plessis to help South Africa total over 400 - a total du Plessis wants them to reach more often.

That's not to say everything South Africa did was perfect, not even in the field. They dropped three catches and were sometimes messy but they stuck at it because they suspected that they would be able to overtake Sri Lanka in the long run. "We knew if we can get past Nos. 6 or 7, it is going to happen quickly," du Plessis said.

And it did. South Africa only needed 70 minutes on the final morning to repeat their bouncer barrage ploy and finish Sri Lanka off. In doing so, they also earned their bowlers an extra afternoon's rest, which could be crucial given the quick turnaround.
Colombia passes FARC amnesty law

Published: December 30, 2016

Colombias Congress passed a law granting amnesty to Marxist FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebels as part of historic peace deal reached between rebels and Government.

The Senate passed the bill 69-0 votes after the House of Representatives approved it by 121-0 votes. This is another step to formally end to 52 years of Columbian civil war (Latin Americas longest conflict).

The law grants special legal treatment, amnesty and pardons to members of the FARC accused of political and related crimes. It does not apply to FARC rebels accused of offenses such as war crimes, rape, torture and extrajudicial killings.

Background

The amnesty bill was part of a renegotiated peace pact signed between Government and rebels on November 24, 2016 to end the conflict after nearly four years of negotiations. They had renegotiated the peace deal after voters rejected an earlier peace deal (signed in September 2016) by a narrow margin in the referendum held in October 2016. The Colombian Government had decided to ratify the amnesty bill in Congress rather than risk a second referendum.

About Colombian Civil War

Colombia civil war is one of the longest civil wars in modern times and was the sole remaining armed conflict in the South (Latin) America. The five decade long civil war has killed more than 2,60,000 people and internally displaced close to seven million people. It was started in the 1960s as a rural uprising for land rights by FARC as communist-inspired guerrilla movement inspired by Cuban Revolution. The main aim of FARC was to reduce the gulf dividing rich and poor and land reform for equality in the Andean country. Over the decades, the conflict has drawn in various leftist rebel groups, drug gangs and right-wing paramilitaries. However in recent times, the FARC had shifted from their original ideology and were active in illegal drug trade, kidnapping and extortion activities.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2016

Topics: Amnesty Law  Civil War  Colombia  FARC  International

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Stefan Lehne (Carnegie Europe)

The focal point of the European Unions efforts in addressing migration challenges is a new initiative of the so-called framework partnerships with third countries (Partnership Framework), which aims to strengthen cooperation with individual third countries, especially in Africa. Following the years of unsuccessful attempts at solving the problems of migration, a new impetus is needed, though political pressures stemming from strong anti-immigration sentiments have led in many EU countries to an exceedingly narrow focus of this agreement.

EU requirements under this initiative are presented very clearly: to reduce the number of deaths in the Mediterranean Sea, to increase the number of returnees and to allow the refugees to stay as close to their home without having to risk the journey across the sea. The EU expects a significant reduction in the number of arrivals by the end of this year, which, however, requires an immediate cooperation with its African partners. The EU pledged to grant them 8 billion by 2020 to achieve this ambitious objective, though this amount will be allocated mainly by redirecting the existing development funds.

In order to make this partnership with third countries successful and to meet the above-mentioned objectives, the EU must increase the financial dimension of this concept. Likewise, transparent avenues for legal migration should be specified, such as temporary work, educational visas, scholarships and relaxed visa regime. The EU should also put a greater emphasis on the protection of individuals and provide humanitarian visa and refugee resettlement programs. Further efforts are needed to improve the voluntary return program, which, if correctly implemented, would save a lot of trauma from a challenging homecoming and would be a success for all parties involved.

The concept of partnership is definitely meaningful. It recognizes that migration is a challenge that can only be mastered with the contribution of African countries. However, in times of a political crisis, the EU is almost exclusively focused on keeping people out of Europe or sending them back. Financial incentives are hardly generous and will not be sufficient. Moreover, the agreement does not take into account the interests and needs of the individuals who are subject to this agreement. Effective measures for the return and reallocation of refugees are an essential part of the agreement but they are only one element in the overall strategy for a sustainable and managed migration. A balanced concept of partnership would not only be beneficial for the countries of origin or transit as well as receiving governments, but it should also pay due attention to the rights and the humanitarian needs of the persons concerned.

(The study can be downloaded here)
The European Union has condemned a death sentence that was handed down earlier this week in Belarus to Mr Kiryl Kazachok. This sentence is the fifth in a row after the country executed four persons this year. The EU reminded that this goes against the commitments made by Belarusian authorities to consider the introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty.

Mr Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced on Wednesday (29 December) to death for murdering his two children. A judge found Mr. Kazachok guilty of strangling his 17-year-old son Uladzislaw and nine-year-old daughter Kira at their home in Mazyr on January 31, 2016. According to the prosecution, the man killed his children to take revenge on his wife who filed for divorce in October 2015. Mr. Kazachok had previously been convicted of disorderly conduct and physical violence.

The European Union opposes capital punishment in all cases. The EU sees death penalty as an insufficient and inappropriate tool to deter crime, which moreover represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity. The EU called on Belarus, the only European country still applying capital punishment, to join a global moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards its abolition. The EU also said in its official statement that steps taken by Belarus to respect universal fundamental freedoms, rule of law and human rights, including on the death penalty, would remain key for the shaping of the EUs future policy towards the country and the mutual ties.

According to Human Rights Watch, there has been almost no improvement in the countrys human rights record except for the fact that in 2015 President Alyaksandr Lukashenka released on humanitarian grounds six opposition figures who had been imprisoned on politically motivated charges. The advocacy says that on top of the death penalty that is still being used, officials pressure and arrest human rights activists and critics on sham charges and authorities regularly harass independent and opposition journalists. Moreover, freedom of expression, in particular Internet freedom, is still heavily restricted.
Its such an easy point. A child can grasp it. You may have all the ingredients you want, in the right quantities, but without a builder, nothing functionally complex will emerge. Here, well bring you tons of lumber, nails, and pipe. Need wire? Have all you want. Anything else? Just ask, and well throw it in at no extra charge: screws, paint, glass. Why, we will even lay a bunch of tools on the ground beside the pile.

Now, let it sit there, exposed to the sun and rain for as long as you like. Billions of years even. How many expect a house or a skyscraper to emerge by natural causes alone?

Evolutionists seem strangely immune to the obviousness of the logic here. They want to explain lifes origin and complexity by reference to the availability of building blocks alone. Remember those who tried to account for the Cambrian explosion by the rise of oxygen? And the origin of life by a pinch of thickener in a jumble of common molecules? Look, we can make it much, much easier for evolution. We will even arrange all the atoms into amino acids, sugars, fats and complex organic compounds and dump them into the oceans. Have some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, citric acid, purines and pyrimidines, all brought special delivery by comets and asteroids. Plop! Into the primordial soup they go. Here, have some energy! Have all the UV light, lightning, and volcanoes you want.

The only rule is: no chemists, no mind, and no intelligence.

In Illustras film Origin, Discovery Institute biologist Ann Gauger has a pithy way of explaining the hopelessness of natural processes acting on building blocks. If I put amino acids in a test tube in my lab, even if I added heat and shook it up real well, and kept doing that for a hundred years, or a thousand years, or ten thousand years, or a million years, nothing would happen.

Evolutionists must play by the rules they agreed to. Discovery Institutes Paul Nelson explains the rules in the film:

When you come to the origin of life, the rules  and this isnt the science itself, this is the underlying philosophy  the rules say, to solve the problem, you can use matter and energy, and natural law, natural regularities and chance processes, but that exhausts your toolkit. What youre not allowed to use, fundamentally by the rules, so-called rules of science, is mind or intelligence. If you had to attach a name to this position, you cant do better than scientific materialism: a philosophy that tells you the only acceptable explanation has to be rendered in terms of matter and energy. And if you cant solve the problem using those tools, youre not allowed to change the rules. So from that perspective, how did life come to be via matter and energy alone? Now: try to solve the problem. [Emphasis added.]

To go from microbes to animals presents the same problem, because the same rules apply. Put building blocks into the hand of natural selection, add energy, and once again, nothing will happen. Natural selection is natural, not intelligent. It is matter and energy in motion. It has no foresight. It has no direction. It has no goal. Mindless entities do not compete. They do not try to outdo each other in the struggle for life. Without a mind or plan, natural selection cannot select. In a real sense, natural selection is a restatement of, Whatever will be, will be. If everything goes extinct in the next meteor strike, so be it. Nobody cares in Darwins world.

Yet paper after paper appears that fudges on the established rules. A recent example is found in Nature, where Reinhard et al. try to account for the rise of complex life by linking it to the rise of available phosphorus after billions of years. The news from Georgia Tech reads like a myth:

For three billion years or more, the evolution of the first animal life on Earth was ready to happen, practically waiting in the wings. But the breathable oxygen it likely required wasnt there, and a lack of simple nutrients may have been to blame. Then came a fierce planetary metamorphosis. Roughly 800 million years ago, in the late Proterozoic Eon, phosphorus, a chemical element essential to all life, began to accumulate in shallow ocean zones near coastlines widely considered to be the birthplace of animals and other complex organisms, according to a new study by geoscientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Yale University.

Here we go again. Poor animals; they were trying to evolve, but they couldnt breathe. They needed fertilizer.

Picture again our lumber pile, now with bags of fertilizer next to everything. Picture Ann Gaugers test tube. Add some phosphorus. Bubble in some oxygen. Any help? How will simply adding more building blocks build a building?

But, the scientists object, were talking about living cells before the first animals. Right. Saturate the oceans with bacteria, toss in the phosphorus, and watch the oxygen levels rise. Do they really expect trilobites, worms, and crustaceans to appear?

We place our phosphorus record in a quantitative biogeochemical model framework and find that a combination of enhanced phosphorus scavenging in anoxic, iron-rich oceans and a nutrient-based bistability in atmospheric oxygen levels could have resulted in a stable low-oxygen world. The combination of these factors may explain the protracted oxygenation of Earths surface over the last 3.5 billion years of Earth history. However, our analysis also suggests that a fundamental shift in the phosphorus cycle may have occurred during the late Proterozoic eon (between 800 and 635 million years ago), coincident with a previously inferred shift in marine redox states, severe perturbations to Earths climate system, and the emergence of animals.

The emergence of animals. Evidently, those animals were waiting for their phosphorus order to arrive.

Lets review whats required for animal body plans that appeared abruptly at the Cambrian explosion: (1) new cell types, (2) new tissues, (3) new organs, (4) new genes, (5) new gene regulatory networks (GRNs), (6) new systems (digestive, muscular, skeletal, reproductive, central nervous systems, brains, etc.), (7) new levels of hierarchical integration of these systems, (8) new behaviors, (9) new defenses, (10) the ability to grow all these things from a single zygote.

The authors of the paper collected thousands of samples of shallow ocean sediment deposits, and carefully measured their phosphorus levels.

Theoretical predictions and observations from the geochemical record provide strong evidence that the first 80%-90% of Earths 4.5-billion-year history was characterized by limited P burial in near-shore sediments, a pattern that we link to high C/P ratios in primary producers resulting from an Fe-based nutrient P trap. The shale record we present here, when coupled with our ocean-sediment biogeochemical model, illuminates an Earth system state in which dynamically coupled P- and N-limitation stabilized surface oxygen levels on billion-year timescales. However, there is evidence for at least periodic shifts away from pervasive Fe-rich waters in the late Tonian, or Ediacaran periods, coincident with our observed increase in sedimentary P enrichments. We propose that models seeking to explain the transition to an oxygen-rich ocean-atmosphere system in which early animals thrived and complex ecosystems developed should focus on mechanisms for overcoming enhanced P scavenging and transiting the N-fixation barrier that would act to prevent P-driven increases in ocean-atmosphere O 2 levels during nascent global oxygenation events.

Minus the jargon:

The elevated availability of nutrients and bolstered oxygen also likely fueled evolutions greatest lunge forward.

They backpedal a little, saying, The researchers are careful not to imply that phosphorous necessarily caused the chain reaction, but in sedimentary rock taken from coastal areas, the nutrient has marked the spot where that burst of life and climate change took off. So instead, they explain, That first signal of phosphorus in Earths coast shallows pops up in the shale record like a shot from a starting pistol in the race for abundant life.

Ah, now it all makes sense. Someone go over to our pile of lumber and fire a pistol.

Photo credit: Sea floor sediment from 1.9 billion years ago, by Georgia Tech/Yale, Reinhard/Planavsky.
Hi P

I left SF after many years about 3 years back. It is a FANTASTIC city and I would jump at the opportunity to live there for 2 years. You will not be rich.

Expenses: The 'biggies' expense wise are accommodation ... which appears to be taken care of if you can keep it at less than the $3000 level. The next big thing is transport. In the US people use CARS because public transport is NOT that good even if you are close to the bus / tram / BART lines ... as shopping spots are often far apart. Are you prepared to really stay in the city all the time? So location will become important ... keep close to work / the city ... no outlying neighborhoods.

So, if you want to get out and about you will need a car which will be an upfront expense and then you can sell it when you leave.

There is a Cost of Living comparison website called numbeo.com which may help. Bottom-line: SF is really great.

Hope that helps
Hi guys n gals, i posted this topic a while back on another forum but the responses were mixed confusion at bestcould i please get some opinions and advice on the following'I have done a hell of a lot of research and this is a quote from the faq's section on the CIC's website"I am sponsoring my spouse/partner, but he/she has a criminal conviction, how will this affect his/her application?If a conviction is considered spent under the UK Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, this will probably not affect his/her application. However, if the conviction has not been spent or if the offence was committed in another country, it may mean that your spouse/partner is considered inadmissible. This means that he/she cannot enter Canada. In rare cases, special permission to enter is granted."All my offences were dealt with in magistrates, i received no custodial sentences only community orders and fines for which i have completed and in july of 2017 will mark 5 years since completion of final punishmenthas anyone been through something similar to this and gained PR via spousal sponsorship?all my convictions as stands are considered spentdrink drivedriving without due care and attentionfailure to stop at an accidentusing threatening or offensive language with intent to cause distressfailure to adhere to a court ordercriminal damage under 5000 (committed as a minor)the offences between * are ones that were committed as one event so all driving offences are from the same incidenceMy crimes are considered spent as i did no jail time and they were committed nearly 6 years agoquote from pancanada immigration law group" the UK Rehabilitation of Offenders Act automatically pardons individuals after certain periods of time (depending on the circumstances) if the person was sentenced to less than 30 months in prison. Such a pardon is equivalent to a Canadian pardon and would allow the person to enter Canada."all offenses took place in the time period of 9 months where i was immature to say the least and was clearly drinking like an out of control youth, ive since been 5 years sober and as was the case then is still the case now: ive never committed a single offense whilst sobersorry for the novel, any advice appreciated
The decision by the UK to leave the European Union could have a major impact on the number of students being able to study from overseas and on staff recruitment, according to a new report.The Parliamentary Education Committee, which has received submissions from a diverse range of universities, businesses, academics and students, says that there is a degree of concern about the fate of UK universities post-Brexit.  Worries relate to a variety of issues concerning freedom of movement, including the prospects for recruiting EU students post-Brexit and the future rights of EU staff to live and work in the UK.Concerns are also being raised about how to maintain the UK as an attractive destination for EU and international students, about the financial viability of universities, and the need to ensure Britain can continue to compete on the international stage as a provider of world class university education.Its crucial that we dont allow Brexit to become a catastrophe for our university sector, said Neil Carmichael MP, chair of the Education Committee.The British Council, which represents UK cultural and educational interests abroad, pointed out that studying overseas is widely recognised as beneficial for students and working overseas likewise for staff and unless this is allowed to continue universities and colleges will suffer.To maintain our global reputation for higher education and research and to remain competitive, the UK needs to attract students and international collaboration from across the globe, the councils evidence said.In particular, it said that the UK needs to support and enhance the countrys access to international research collaboration and ensure public investment, support the UK in being an attractive destination for study and research and support UK students and staff to access global collaborations and opportunities.Research Councils UK, the umbrella body for grant funding agencies, said in its evidence that British universities fear losing large swathes of their research staff as the country faces up to Brexit.Some 31,000 academics at UK universities are non-British EU citizens and it is still unclear what their rights and status will be when the country actually leaves the EU in two years time. It says that unless the UK Government guarantees EU national academic staff the right to remain, it may not be easy for them to stay.It added that many have not lived in the UK long enough to apply for permanent residency under current rules, and a large fraction do not earn enough on academic salaries to be eligible for a skilled worker visa.There are concerns that if EU nationals were to leave the UK, basic science research would be hit harder than other disciplines. Statistics from the Department for Education show that 23% of academic staff in biology, mathematics and physics are EU citizens.Evidence from Imperial College London said that only 30% of non-UK EU staff are currently eligible to apply for permanent residency and it has already experienced examples of scholars choosing not to join Imperial citing the referendum result as a factor.Even if staff can apply for visas the cost has enormous implications. The University of Cambridge told the inquiry that visa costs for its non-UK EU staff would amount to some 1.25 million per year.
Current Affairs Today - Current Affairs - 2021 | Current Affairs - 2022

GKTodays Current Affairs Today Section provides latest and Best Daily Current Affairs 2021-2022 for UPSC, IAS/PCS, Banking, IBPS, SSC, Railway, UPPSC, RPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, TNPSC, MPSC, KPSC and other competition exams.      !

1. With respect to the National Film Awards, consider the following statements: Shabana Azmi holds the record for having won the Best Actress Award five times. Nargis won the inaugural Award for Best Actress in 1954. Riddhi Sen is the youngest recipient of the Award till date. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? ..

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) warned that several world heritage sites may become glacier-free by 2050. What are the findings of the UNESCO survey? A survey of 18,600 glaciers at 50 World Heritage Sites found that the glaciers at one-third of these sites will perish because of global warming regardless of ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: Environment Current Affairs  Reports & Indexes Current Affairs

Topics: Glacier  glacier melting  UNESCO  UNESCO World Heritage Site  World Heritage site

October 2022 witnessed the second highest collection of GST since the inception of the tax regime. ContentsHow much GST was collected?What is the trend of GST collection for the past few months?Why is there a surge in GST collection? How much GST was collected? The GST collection for October 2022 was Rs 1.52 lakh crore ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

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1. Seven states including Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh celebrate their foundation day on which day? [A] November 1[B] November 3[C] November 5[D] November 7 Show Answer Correct Answer: A [November 1] Notes:Seven states  including Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh and Union territories of Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry are ..

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Here are Todays News Headlines by GK Today for November 3, 2022 ContentsINDIAECONOMY & CORPORATEWORLD INDIA  DRDO conducts successful maiden flight-test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor off Odisha coast  Ladakh: Zojila Day commemorated at Zojila War Memorial near Drass to celebrate action by Indian troops in 1948 Operation Bison  PM inaugurates ..

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A single income tax return (ITR) form was proposed for all taxpayers. The draft of the proposed form was unveiled recently by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to receive public inputs until December 15. ContentsHow many kinds of ITR forms are there?What are the changes made in the draft ITR form?How will the ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

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Thursday, December 29, 2016

Many people have questions about the religious funeral traditions for adherents of the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Greek Orthodox faiths. These four separate podcasts on A Good Goodbye Radio with host Gail Rubin, CT, offer in-depth insights.

Jewish Funeral Traditions

Even though Jewish funeral traditions are thousands of years old, many Reform and Conservative Jews today are unfamiliar with those rites. David Zinner, founder and executive director of Kavod vNichum (Honor and Comfort), a nonprofit organization that works to restore Jewish death and bereavement practices, discusses Jewish funeral traditions on this episode of A Good Goodbye Radio.

Topics discussed during the show include:

The differences between Jewish and Christian funeral traditions;

What are the Chevrah Kaddisha, shmira and tahara;

Who can perform the washing and dressing of the dead;

How Jewish burial is naturally green burial;

Jewish traditions around dying, death, funerals, burials, cemeteries, grief and mourning.

For more information, read this blog post.

Muslim Funeral Traditions

There are approximately eight million Muslims in the United States, double the number of Jews in the U.S. Both Islamic funeral traditions and Jewish funeral traditions are remarkably similar. What do Americans need to know about the different observances of these two religions?

Dr. Ahmad-Rufai Abdullah, a leader of the Islamic Burial Society of North America, has trained hundreds of volunteers to conduct the Islamic Janazah ritual to prepare the deceased for burial. He speaks about Muslim funeral traditions on this episode of A Good Goodbye Radio.

The key elements of Islamic funeral and burial traditions

What the Janazah process of body preparation involves

Who does Muslim body preparations and who performs funerals

When funerals and burials are prohibited

Mourning traditions and how they vary by sect and culture

How to respond to a bereaved member of the Islamic faith

For more details on Islamic burial traditions, you can also read this article in the Yemen Times.

Buddhist Funeral Traditions

Buddhist funerals incorporate many elements of other faiths funerals, such as programs, flowers, ushers, and working with clergy and a funeral home. Buddhist funeral traditions also incorporate many aspects unfamiliar to most non-Buddhist Americans  the Pillow Service, altar items of fruit, food and flowers, and numerous follow-up memorial services.

Rev. Harry Gyokyo Bridge, the resident minister of the Buddhist Church of Oakland, joined host Gail Rubin on A Good Goodbye Radio to discuss Buddhist funeral traditions. Topics include:

The hallmarks of Buddhist funerals, both Japanese and American.

Specific rituals Americans need to be aware of.

How to express condolences to the family of the deceased.

Buddhist teachings related to memorial services.

Attitudes toward cremation and disposition of remains.

For more information, read this blog post.

Greek Orthodox Funeral Traditions

Did you know that my blog post on Greek Orthodox funerals is the most popular post on The Family Plot Blog? People have many questions about this religion.

In this A Good Goodbye Radio interview, Father Conan Gill with St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico talks about his churchs funeral traditions. A few of his eye-opening insights:

Greek Orthodox funerals have several separate services  a Trisagion service the night before, usually at a funeral home, a funeral at the church the next day, and burial in a cemetery.

Following the services, a Meal of Mercy, also known as a makaria, may take place at church or the home of the deceased.

The makaria is the time when eulogies and stories are best shared. The services provide no opportunity for others to speak.

At the funeral, the casket is left open during the service. The deceaseds head points to the west, as if they are standing with the congregation facing east.

Cremation is not allowed. To have a Greek Orthodox funeral service, the body must be present.

For more information, read this blog post.

You can learn about more religious funeral traditions in Gail Rubins award-winning book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Dont Plan to Die.

Another good resource is The Perfect Strangers Guide to Funerals and Grieving Practices: A Guide to Etiquette in Other Peoples Religious Ceremonies.
It looked ominous for the oil industry at the start of 2016.

In January and February, oil hit the dark depths of the bust as the price per barrel fell to $26, the lowest since 2003. It was an eye-covering, cringe-inducing moment for the industry, but it wouldnt last.

The Texas oil industry will exit this year with prices that have roughly doubled and brighter prospects for 2017. The global benchmark ended 2016 with its biggest annual gain since 2009, rising 52 percent in London.

Though more than 100,000 jobs have been lost in Texas oil since late 2014, workers have some reason for optimism. In the second half of 2016, job postings in the oil and gas industry were on the increase, according to the job search website Indeed.com.

After soaring for several years and touching off a historic drilling boom across Texas, oil prices peaked in June 2014 at $107 per barrel. The price fell after that, and the oil bust picked up momentum in 2015 as companies went into survival mode. The industry cut billions of dollars in spending and laid off tens of thousands of employees. In the Eagle Ford Shale, the 400-mile oil field that makes a lopsided smile across South Texas, oil production dipped from 1.7 million barrels daily in March 2015 to 978,000 this month. Its the the biggest decline of any U.S. shale field.

The Eagle Ford started 2016 with 71 working drilling rigs, according to service company Baker Hughes. Around 100 jobs are attached to each rig  some of them roustabouts who drill for oil, some of them office jobs. The rig count hit a bottom of 29 in late May. The recovery has been slow but steady since then: As of the end of the year, there were 46 rigs working in the field.

But drillers in South Texas spent much of 2016 on the sidelines while the drama played out in another part of the state  the Permian Basin in West Texas  and in Vienna, where OPEC holds its meetings.

Omar Garcia, CEO and president of the San Antonio-based industry group South Texas Energy & Economic Roundtable, said that at the current price point, companies have shifted their focus to the Permian Basin. The immense and historic behemoth of an oil field in West Texas and eastern New Mexico is now pumping around 2 million barrels daily.

The Permian now accounts for 264 rigs, which equates to more than 50 percent of all the nations oil rigs. The next most active area is the Eagle Ford Shale, according to weekly data collected by Baker Hughes.

Each field added two rigs this week, leading the nation as the overall rig count posted its ninth straight week of growth, according to Baker Hughes. The total oil rig count is now at 525, with shale drillers adding 100 rigs since September. Thats the biggest three-month gain since the boom times of 2014s first quarter.

Both of the big Texas oil fields head into 2017 buoyed by an OPEC decision in November to trim production. The historic deal in Vienna sent the price higher, with the companies that work in the remote shale fields of South and West Texas ending up as some of the biggest winners. No one knows if the deal will stick, but share prices of U.S. drillers rose on the news, and so did oil prices.

West Texas Intermediate ended the year up 45 percent after dipping 5 cents to $53.72 a barrel Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent closed 3 cents lower at $56.82 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Its 52 percent annual gain was its first annual advance in four years.

It was the first deal by OPEC to restrict oil production since late 2008, when the global economy was teetering on the brink of a depression and the international oil cartel agreed to cut production to prop up the collapsing price of a barrel of oil.

The new deal would remove about 1.2 million barrels per day off the world market by January  the rough equivalent of taking the entire Eagle Ford offline, or half the Permian Basin.

Much has been made about the showdown between OPEC, the worlds traditional swing producer, and the upstart U.S. shale producers, who have added 5 million daily barrels to world production in a handful of years.

Both OPEC and U.S. producers have suffered during the bust in oil prices. Oils roller coaster ride down started in earnest around Thanksgiving 2014, when OPEC met and declined to cut production. Instead, member countries pumped more and started to compete with each other for market share.

Since then, Saudi Arabia has been spending down its financial reserves. Venezuela has been on the verge of economic collapse, with food shortages and electricity blackouts. North Dakota lawmakers sliced 10 percent from their budget this year. Alaskas governor cut in half the annual oil dividend that goes to residents.

In Texas, more than 101,000 energy workers have lost jobs since late 2014, according to the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, which tracks oil and gas job losses. That drop has left an estimated 204,600 Texans on oil and gas industry payrolls.

But Houston energy investment bank Tudor, Pickering Holt & Co. expects to see rising oil prices in 2017. It forecast a price of around $55 per barrel in the first quarter of the year, rising to around $75 by year end.

Simon Flowers, chief analyst at consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, said the OPEC deal was a strong signal to the market. This deal is significant.  And it should help the market find a balance, Flowers said by email.

Had OPEC not reached a deal, Wood Mackenzie had forecast a potential drop in oil to the $40 level. With a deal, the firm thinks that oil could reach $55 to $60 per barrel in 2017. Its a measure of the significance of the agreement, but theres a caveat: This does depend on OPEC being very careful to meet the terms of the agreement, Flowers said.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas latest Beige Book, an economic outlook report, said oil and gas activity is expected to gradually pick up and that theres a sense that 2017 would be better than 2016, though it also said those expectations have moderated somewhat.

The Texas Workforce Commission reported Dec. 16 that the state added jobs for the second consecutive month in its mining and logging sector, which includes oil field workers. The sector gained 3,200 workers in November after adding 500 in October.

Thomas Tunstall, an economic development research director at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said that if oil can reach $55 and stay in that range for more than a month, The Eagle Ford, Permian, all of them will start ratcheting up.

There are positive economic signs, but Tunstall still expects flat to slow growth in the oil fields in 2017. While producers are eager to return rigs to the fields, the risk is that by adding too much to the oil supply, they could depress prices again. Tunstall also is not convinced that OPEC countries can stick to a deal. Rising prices would create an incentive for OPEC countries to outproduce their quotas.

But Garcia, of South Texas Energy & Economic Roundtable, is optimistic about the long-term health of the Eagle Ford thanks to its network of pipelines and its proximity to major ports, including the Port of Corpus Christi.

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.

That city has become a key player in moving oil out of the Eagle Ford. In 2010, its port had outbound shipments of just 245,000 barrels of oil per year, a fraction of what one large tanker can hold. It now has outbound shipments  mostly destined for other U.S. ports  of 650,000 barrels per day.

While we have seen a drop in rig counts, the Eagle Ford remains in a prime position with its proximity to the Port of Corpus Christi, Garcia said. South Texas is in a much better position thanks to the shale revolution in the Eagle Ford. New schools have been built, communities have new libraries, quality-of-life amenities have improved and the region has benefited from higher tax revenues. South Texas would look very different if not for the oil and gas activity in the Eagle Ford.

Tunstall also says the long-term picture looks good for the U.S. oil industry.

Were really in a position to change our oil outlook, he said.

And as the industry recovers, drillers should continue to add rigs back into the Eagle Ford. But the Eagle Ford is going to compete with West Texas, Tunstall said. It took a while for West Texas to get going, but it did, and it really took off. Now we have two big shale fields in Texas.

jhiller@express-news.net

Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller

Bloomberg and Houston Chronicle Staff Writer Jordan Blum contributed to this report.
Li Tang, SUB / Associated Press

BEIJING  This nations military, in a move analysts described as a challenge to President-elect Donald Trumps strident criticism of the country, deployed an aircraft carrier to patrol the contested South China Sea, officials said Tuesday.

The ship, which is known as the Liaoning and is Chinas first and only aircraft carrier, was spotted leading five other Chinese warships this week in patrols near the coasts of Taiwan and Japan.
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Three Express News photographers, when reflecting on their top photos of the year, wrote on their experience shooting military members.

Pictures of the year: Jerry Lara

Last summer, I worked on a story about veterans and suicide with photojournalists Kin Man Hui, Carolyn Van Houten and Ray Whitehouse. Hui and I traveled to the Rio Grande Valley to meet Iraqi war veterans Rick Rodriguez, 30, and Alex Almanza, 47.

As they spoke of their struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and their suicide attempts, I thought of people I knew who had killed themselves, and I became aware of the misunderstandings I had about suicide.

I remembered a friend who took his life soon after graduating from high school. I thought of a relative who did the same, leaving behind a young family. I always blamed them for the devastation left behind. They took the easy way out.

After hearing Rodriguez and Almanza, I saw the strength and support needed to overcome the thoughts and urges that lead to suicide. And to this day, they still fight that war.

It was easy to blame my friend and my relative for their deaths. How wrong I was.

Pictures of the Year: Tom Reel

The Vietnam War Summit in April in Austin became an impressive display of testimonials from journalists, leaders and soldiers who related their stories from the controversial conflict. Old film clips, 1960s music and rehashed news engaged the aging and reflective crowd.

The most poignant moment arrived unannounced when a massive, intimidating guy in a sleeveless jersey approached Luci Baines Johnson to receive a recognition medal. He'd been very noticeable in the waiting line. Tall and muscular, wearing patches denoting struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, resentment seemed to radiate from him.

Who knows what was going through his mind as he approached the daughter of the U.S. president who led the nation during the war that was to create his lifetime of personal misery. A security agent moved in close just in case.

But then the giant melted. A hug brought Anthony Klosky to tears and his speech was choked off with emotion. At his side was his fiancee, Stephanie Ivanjack, left behind in 1967 and now reunited.

In a brief encounter with a figurehead, Klosky had succinctly expressed how Vietnam had changed America forever.

Pictures of the Year: Billy Calzada

Every now and then, a photographer makes a picture that can only be described as a gift.

In April, I was sent to cover the funeral of Medal of Honor recipient Santiago J. Erevia at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Erevia did not receive the Medal of Honor until long after his heroic actions in Vietnam. He was deemed deserving only after a review of records that found many soldiers from minority groups had been passed over for decorations because of racism.

The setup for photographers covering the burial was abysmal. I usually take up a position about 30 yards from the ceremony, a respectable distance that does not intrude. But on that day, I was not allowed within about 100 yards of the event.

As the caisson carrying Erevias casket pulled up to the burial site, I proceeded to make pictures from that distance. I could see no real details of what I was shooting, and I felt dejected because I did not believe I was making pictures worthy of a man who had put his life on the line for his fellow soldiers.

However, back at the Express-News, I found that I had made this special picture of Medal of Honor recipient Ty Carter honoring Erevia.

I feel that the image was somehow given to me as a gift, a gift I willingly share. I hope that this image, which shows the deepest respect of one of Americas bravest for another, endures.

Click through the slideshow to see more of our photographers favorite photos of 2016.
Making sense (and, sometimes, nonsense) out of Current News, Issues, Politics
KABUL  The young boy shivered beneath a brown blanket as Dr. Habib Rahman placed a hand on his shaved head. After a moment, Rahman, talking in a murmur to reassure him, peeled back the blanket, exposing a stick-figure torso wrapped in white gauze.

The boy, Asadullah Mustafa, had suffered severe burns when he stumbled into a cooking fire, and to describe him as fortunate makes sense only in the context of time.

If his injuries had occurred a year or two earlier, his parents, instead of sitting next to his hospital bed as he recovered, would have stood beside his casket as it disappeared into the ground.

The family owed the change of fate to Rahman, Afghanistans lone pediatric burn surgeon. He runs the pediatric burn ward at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul, drawing parents from across the country who bring him the broken bodies of their young.

A San Antonio Express-News reporter met Rahman this fall at the institute. In recent years, aided by international medical groups, he has defied steep odds to save and improve the lives of thousands of children. He performs as many as two dozen surgeries a month, backed by a staff of nine nurses, two pediatric specialists and a relentless sense of mission.

When Im leaving the ward at night, sometimes I think, Im not coming back, said Rahman, 43, who works seven days a week, dividing his time between the institute and a nearby private hospital. But I know the needs of the families. I know I must go back.

Zarmina Mustafa, the mother of 6-year-old Asadullah, feared that her son would die by the time she and her husband arrived at the institute in late summer from Mazar-i-Sharif, a seven-hour drive from Kabul. Weeks later, as the boy gained strength and his smile reappeared, she felt that Rahman had performed not surgery but a miracle.

I was afraid I would lose him, she said, stroking her sons cheek. What Dr. Rahman has done for us, we cannot repay him. Our family is whole because of him.

Three years ago, when treating children with severe burns over 35 percent of their bodies, Rahman knew their chances of survival were small owing to the wards outdated equipment. Now he saves children with burns across twice as much of their bodies.

His patients benefit as much from Rahmans surgical skills  refined through training at hospitals in Switzerland and the U.S.  as his prowess for soliciting equipment and supplies from Western nations.

Rahman met Dr. Clemens Schiestl, director of the pediatric burn center at University Childrens Hospital in Zurich, when he traveled there for training in 2012. Schiestl has worked to obtain equipment for the Gandhi institute, and Rahman consults him by email and Skype on his most difficult cases.

In Switzerland, we have excellent facilities, a lot of resources and highly educated, well-trained surgical teams, Schiestl said. Habib has none of that in Afghanistan. To stay there and do your best to treat the children when a war is going on is a credit to him. He is one of the most dedicated burn surgeons I know around the globe.

First burn ward

Rahman, a Kabul native, grew up and learned to speak English in Pakistan, where his family fled after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979. His country remains fractured by war almost four decades later, and across its tattered health care system, access to adequate pediatric treatment ranks as perhaps the deepest deficiency.

A pediatric surgeon by training, Rahman began treating child burn victims six years ago, and recognizing the overwhelming need, he decided to devote his career to them. At the time, the country lacked a public hospital with a childrens burn ward, with young and old alike sent to the same doctors.

He persuaded administrators to establish the institutes ward in 2012, and since then, the number of beds has grown from 24 to 60, enabling him to double his caseload to 800 patients a year. Over the same period, he has more than halved the number of patients who die, lowering the toll to two or three a month.

Most of the children brought to the ward are injured in household accidents, burned by a kettle of hot water or cooking fires. In Rahmans view, their plight reflects that of the entire nation.

The parents of the children have very little education, and many of the families live in poor conditions, he said. This is because of war. We have a bad economy and we dont have enough schools. Children are unsupervised, and the parents sometimes are too young to know how to raise them. This is how accidents can happen.

Rahman sat down beside the bed of a 6-month-old boy and held a water bottle to his mouth. Zainab Amarkhil, the childs mother, explained that a teapot had tumbled from a stove and scalded his legs with boiling water.

I feel very lucky that he is healing, said Amarkhil, who has three children and lives in Kabul. I was so worried. I dont know what we could have done if the doctor wasnt here.

Hope amid despair

Rahmans work has earned him a nomination for the 2017 Zora Janzekovic Prize, awarded by the European Club for Pediatric Burns to a physician who contributes to the field while surmounting extreme adversity. Despite his rising profile, he has struggled to recruit colleagues to his specialty, their initial interest dissolving after they realize that patients face an agonizing, uncertain recovery.

When the doctors see the suffering, when they hear the crying and the screaming and dont see good results right away, they dont want to be in this ward, he said. A friend told me when I was thinking about doing this, You will need to have a strong heart. He was very much right.

The consistency of care in the ward lags behind Western hospitals as Rahman confronts faulty equipment, depleted supplies, unsanitary conditions and the limits of his stamina. There are days when the father of eight children feels his spirit rupture.

In those moments, he lies down on the sofa in his office with the door closed, waiting for the despair to recede.

After 15 or 20 minutes, he opens his eyes and stands up. He walks back to the ward, returning to the pain of the children and the anxiety of the parents, returning to provide a whisper of hope.

I want to serve the families, and I want to serve my country, he said. It is my duty as a doctor.

mkuz@express-news.net

Twitter: @MartinKuz

Zubair Babakarkhail contributed to this report.
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REYNOSA, Mexico  On a recent December morning, Guatemala native Celinda Aracely Rodriguez limped across an international bridge to seek asylum in the United States. But immigration officials sent her back to Mexico instead.

In Reynosa, within steps of the bridge, Rodriguez, 30, was snatched by a smuggler who is holding the woman until she can pay to cross the river, according to her mother, Rubiluz Lemus.

I dont know if they are good coyotes or bad ones, said Lemus, 50, from an immigrant shelter in Reynosa, voicing fears that the smugger might want more than just the usual money for getting someone into the United States illegally. What if they have bad intentions?

Asylum-seeking immigrants have clogged international ports along the Southwest border in recent months, leading U.S. immigration officials to turn many people back to Mexico until they can schedule an appointment to have their case processed.

Advocates cite federal immigration law, claiming that turning back asylum seekers is illegal.

When a noncitizen arrives at a U.S. port of entry or border and expresses a fear of return to his or her home country or otherwise expresses a desire to apply for asylum, it is unlawful for U.S. authorities to turn the individual back without first providing an opportunity for that individual to make his or her claim for asylum or other protection, said Jennifer Chang Newell, senior staff attorney at the ACLU Immigrants Rights Project.

Still others say the U.S. officials are flouting the nations international commitment to asylum-seekers, including the United Nations 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, and with little regard for their safety in gang-controlled border communities in Mexico.

What protections are they taking to make sure these people are safe? said Amy Fischer, policy director at RAICES. There are serious consequences to turning away vulnerable populations, especially into areas that are extraordinarily dangerous.

But the sheer volume of more than 35,000 immigrants arriving at land ports in October and November has baffled port officials, who must still maintain the regular flow of commercial and pedestrian traffic.

These immigrants, known as inadmissibles, who dont have legal documents to enter the country but are openly presenting themselves to authorities asking for asylum, joined the swell of more than 90,000 immigrants caught illegally crossing the Southwest border since October, evoking comparisons to the spring of 2014 when Central American families overwhelmed authorities in the Rio Grande Valley.

Non-Mexican families and unaccompanied children still make up a significant part of the immigrant flow trying to get into the United States via ports of entry from Tijuana to Matamoros: 14,718 out of the 35,134 reported as inadmissible from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30 were families traveling together and kids by themselves.

In the Laredo Field Office alone, which includes 24 international bridges from Laredo to Brownsville, there was an increase of 354 percent in unaccompanied children crossing as inadmissible, growing from 289 in October 2015 and November 2015 to 1,312 in October and November this year.

And more are on the way.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, said the Costa Rica ambassador told him that roughly 40,000 immigrants from Haiti, Africa, Asia and the Middle East will enter Costa Rica next year en route to the U.S.-Mexican border.

Seeking to address the influx, the Department of Homeland Security opened a temporary processing facility for up to 500 people in El Tornillo, near El Paso, and another by the Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge equipped to house up to 1,000 people.

At the same time, each port has been forced to adjust operations to manage the flow of immigrants. The immigration agency said it processes people on a case by case basis because there is not enough room at its port facilities for them to wait safely. Those who are not considered a high risk are given a list of social services in Mexico, and an appointment to return to the port of entry for processing, according to CBP.

Once theyve been processed, then were making appointments, theyre giving them the appropriate documents so they go back to Mexico to find the people that can take care of them in Mexico, said Director Field Operations David P. Higgerson during a press event at the the Donna holding facility.

Yet advocates who work with immigrant communities in Tijuana, Nogales and Reynosa say some people are told to go back to Mexico without scheduled appointments or direction on where to go. There have also been reports of Mexican immigration officials refusing to let immigrants pass to the United States.

Mexican immigration officials could not be reached for comment.

In Reynosa, dozens of people lingering on the international bridge and others fortunate enough to find room at a migrant shelter said their asylum requests were ignored multiple times over a period of days. Some said immigration officials told them to try their luck at another international bridge.

One early morning in December, before sunrise, Alejandra Flores, 25, sat on the bridge with her two sons, ages 3 and 10, in her lap. She was fleeing violence in Honduras, but said U.S. immigration officials told her to leave, without reviewing her case. She was denied twice more the following day.

I explained to them I had nowhere to go, Flores said as tears filled her eyes. They told me to go find a church.

With nowhere to turn, the family of three slept in a Reynosa park before returning to the bridge.

Nearby a group of a dozen Eritreans, a small nation in the Horn of Africa, said they had attempted to cross the bridge several times each day for the past week. They had traveled 8,500 miles, spent $15,000 to get this far. They would keeping trying until they got through, they said.

Families from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala at the Senda de Vida migrant shelter in Reynosa despaired over their situation.

Jorge Alberto Sanchez, 57, said on his fourth attempt to plead his case he was forced to the Mexican side of the bridge.

They shouldnt treat us this way, were people, not animals, Sanchez said.

Juan Matute, 62, wept as he held up police reports documenting the murder of his son and the disappearance of his grandson, which immigration officials refused to read, he said. His wife, two sons and two grandsons had been at the shelter for a month.

We dont have money for a coyote to take us, Matute said. We cant live in our country, theyre killing us.

An 8-year-old boy from Honduras found wandering the Texas side of the bridge on his own  no one seemed to know him  stood silently in the room.

They all feared being kidnapped in Tamaulipas, which has the highest rate of disappearances in Mexico, according to the countrys National Security System. Many had been in Reynosa long enough to see Rodriguez set out for the bridge, only to be taken by smugglers.

Rodriguez limps because she suffered a broken leg and hip in August when a smuggler transporting dozens of Central American families to the U.S. border flipped the van he was driving. Even as she tried to get into the United States two weeks ago, her body had not fully healed from the horrific accident that claimed the lives of six immigrants, including her 8-year-old daughter.

Mexican immigration officials facilitated humanitarian travel documents for her mother to Reynosa, where Rodriguez endured painful rehab before she was released. Despite the pain, she still wanted to go to the United States.

She came for that American dream, Lemus said. If God opens that door for me, Ill go, too.

RELATED: See statistics on the apprehensions of children and families who cross the border.





anelsen@express-news.net

Twitter: @amnelsen
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The number of immigrants deported from the U.S. fell for the second year in a row in 2016 while the number apprehended at the border rose, trends Obama administration officials on Friday attributed to policies narrowing who gets removed from the country and an increase in asylum seekers who go through the immigration court system.

The Department of Homeland Security deported 450,000 people from October 2015 to September of this year, according to numbers released this week, a decrease of 2.5 percent from the year before. That number includes immigrants who voluntarily leave the country after getting caught crossing the border.

Meanwhile, the number of immigrants apprehended by Border Patrol went up to 416,000, up 23 percent from last year, although officials cautioned thats a significant decrease from the number apprehended 15 years ago, at the height of illegal immigration to the U.S.

Of those deported, 94 percent fell under DHSs top priority for removal from the country, which includes immigrants considered threats to national security, gang members, convicted felons and those caught entering the U.S. illegally.

As has been the case through most of Obamas presidency, the yearly DHS statistics report drew criticism from both pro-immigration and restrictionist groups.

DHS officials said the number of people its deporting has fallen as the department shifted focus away from longtime residents of the U.S, a strategy that has been criticized because it ignores large numbers of those living in the country illegally.

The number of people deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased about 2 percent to 240,000, the first time those numbers had gone up since 2012. Almost 175,000 of those, however, were caught near the border and turned over to ICE for removal.

ICEs San Antonio field office, which includes wide stretches of South Texas and the border with Mexico, deported more than 72,000 immigrants in FY 2016, a slight decrease from last year.

Breaking immigration law is not a priority for removal under the Obama administration, said Eric Ruark, director of research for NumbersUSA, a group that advocates for restricting immigration. They have to have committed a serious crime, usually a crime against another person in the U.S.

In a statement Friday, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said the statistics show a focus on recently arrived immigrants and those whove been convicted of serious crimes and reflect the continued effort by this administration to dedicate the Department of Homeland Securitys resources to smart enforcement of our nations immigration laws, with a particular focus on public safety and border security.

Deportations have slowed as well because of the large numbers of families and unaccompanied children from Central America who cross the border and request asylum, officials said. Last year, Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 137,000 immigrants traveling as families or unaccompanied children, a record. Most of those crossed the Rio Grande in South Texas.

Many families are placed in the immigration detention centers in Dilley and Karnes City, but those facilities are the subject of litigation and at least two federal judges have made rulings limiting how long families can be detained. Once released, their asylum cases can drag on for months or years.

A DHS official speaking with reporters on the condition of anonymity during a conference call about the FY 2016 statistics said that the fact so many families and children seek out Border Patrol agents and request asylum means that fewer aliens are evading detection. However, the official said, DHS cant immediately deport asylum seekers.

Historically, most people apprehended at the border did not make asylum claims, and the great majority of them were either returned or removed almost immediately, the official said.

With most of those asylum seekers, they go through extensive processing first by DHS  they may be detained for a period of time  then theyre processed through the (immigration courts) as they have their asylum case adjudicated, and ICE follows them through that process as both the prosecuting entity in the case and then also monitoring whether theyre in detention or some kind of alternative to detention program. So you know all of those things impose an extended draw on DHS resources.

Jonathan Ryan, the executive director of the San Antonio-based Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, criticized DHSs continued focus on deporting recently arrived immigrants, including Central American families who have been living in the U.S. for a year or more while their asylum cases go through the court system. amilies seeking asylum often lose because they cant afford representation, and once their case is concluded, those who came to the U.S. since 2014 are considered priorities for deportation, Ryan said.

Theyre redefining those categories to include people whose only criminal infraction is for having crossed the border, he said.

jbuch@express-news.net

Twitter: @jlbuch
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Federal prosecutors are fighting to have two Houston lawyers banned from representing the former head of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, saying the lawyers are unindicted co-conspirators in a racketeering case involving murder, drug dealing and other crimes.

In federal court papers filed recently, prosecutors ask that Kent Schaffer and law partner James Kennedy be disqualified from the case.

The filings accuse Schaffer of furthering Bandidos operations by reviewing court papers for all members charged in any criminal case, to root out who might be cooperating with the government in exchange for leniency.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Bemporad in San Antonio ruled early this month that prosecutors had succeeded in showing that there was a potential conflict of interest but that they had not shown him anything that convinced him the men should be disqualified.

Schaffer has not yet responded in court to the latest federal motion, but he has previously denied wrongdoing. He said he was never in-house counsel for the Bandidos and never reviewed paperwork to spot informants.

I am incredibly flattered at their latest filing; obviously, this prosecutor is afraid to try the case against me, Schaffer said Thursday. They do just want me off the case.

Schaffer said the court has already rejected the prosecutions claim.

This is a rehash that the court already denied, but for some reason this prosecutor has a sense of desperation, and so they are going back for a second bite at the apple, he said.

An indictment naming former organization President Jeff Pike and others contends that the Bandidos is a criminal enterprise engaged in murder, attempted murder, robbery, extortion and drug trafficking, among other crimes. The outlaw motorcycle gang began in the Houston area in the 1960s.

Bemporad left the door open for prosecutors to show him more evidence against Schaffer, which appears to be included in a document recently filed in court. The judge has since set a Jan. 6 hearing on the matter.

In the document, prosecutors contend that they have recordings of conversations in which Bandidos discuss Schaffers alleged work for the organization, including reviewing all legal paperwork to look for snitches.

Prosecutors said multiple Bandidos will testify at trial that members were required to turn in legal paperwork when they were arrested to higher-ranking members so it could be reviewed for signs of cooperation.

Several members will testify that Mr. Schaffer was one of the attorneys that paperwork was taken to, according to the documents. Two witnesses will testify that the Bandidos (organization) maintained a retainer with Mr. Schaffer for future work in defending its leadership from criminal charges.

Prosecutors further contend that Schaffer is so intertwined in Bandidos business that he cant be permitted to represent Pike, the ex-Bandidos leader, at trial. Schaffer has represented at least two Bandidos who are expected to be called to the witness stand to testify against Pike.

That would put Schaffer in the position of perhaps not only trying to defend his own reputation while representing Pike but questioning people whom he had previously represented. As Kennedy is at the same firm, he would face a similar conflict, prosecutors contend.

Pike, of Conroe, stepped down as leader of the Bandidos this year after he and other top members of the organization were charged in the indictment unsealed in San Antonio.

Philip Hilder, a Houston lawyer who is also a former federal prosecutor, said the judge in the case will have to do a deep dive to determine exactly what is going on, including the motivations of prosecutors and whether Schaffer does indeed have a conflict of interest. He said it could be a move to get the skilled Schaffer off the case.

You are witnessing the chess moves that are expected in a high-profile case like this, Hilder said. Schaffer has a long history of representing the organizations members and has a deep understanding of the dynamics of Bandidos, and it is quite foreseeable the government is attempting to bump him from the case because he has been effective in the past.

Pike is the only Bandidos member released on bail pending trial. John Portillo, who served as Pikes vice president, remains in custody. Two other members, Justin Forster and Frederick Cortez, have been released on bail since entering into plea agreements with the government.
COMFORT  New management hopes to revive a beloved local tradition in 2017: the selection each summer of Miss Comfort and her court. But it hasnt been easy.

The tradition stumbled during a milestone celebration in July. The Independence Day merriment surrounding the 50th anniversary reunion of dozens of former members of the small towns royalty was tempered by the realization that an ongoing decline in youthful interest had brought the pageant to a crisis point.

It went great, seeing all of the courts from way back when, recalled Kathy Bohn, who reigned as a duchess in 1967, when she was known as Kathy Kirchoff.

But the former queens, princesses, duchesses and winners of a junior division added decades ago were disappointed, she said, that a new court was not chosen to represent Comfort at parades and festivals in other communities during the upcoming year.

That was what I heard: How in the world can we not have a pageant in the 50th year? said Bohn, a local florist.

The Comfort Chamber of Commerce, the events longtime sponsor, had said recent low turnout by local girls was prompting a rethinking of the calendar, to shift the event to a cooler time of year when school is in session and more kids are around.

But that didnt occur. Instead, a new group took control of the pageant just days after the reunion by filing an assumed name certificate for Miss Comfort Court at the Kendall County Courthouse. It has since then formed a nonprofit to run it.

Nobody wanted it moved to November. The community was very upset, said Reno D. Uballe, director of the new Miss Comfort Court Organization.

He and Nikki Rust, the groups assistant director, announced in a July 8 Facebook post that the pageant would resume next July and that the Miss Comfort Court from 2015-16 would continue serving until new royalty is selected.

The chamber no longer is responsible for any duties regarding the pageant, they said, meaning money was needed for a new float, supplies and to keep awarding college-bound winners with scholarships.

A Dec. 18 raffle of goods and services donated by local merchants generated $1,520  far less than the $4,000 target  but the group remains optimistic.

We feel really good about resuming the pageant based on the number of people who are going to try out and the excitement about continuing the tradition, Uballe said.

Among those donating goods for the raffle was Bohnert Lumber, where Travis Bohnert, a past chamber board member, called community and parental support critical to the pageants future success.

Well always contribute to it, said Bohnert, 37, who said hed support giving the chamber float to the new group if he were still on the board.

Chamber President Kurt Solis said the organization reconsidered its role in the pageant for several reasons, including difficulty finding someone willing to devote adequate time to overseeing it and major concerns about potential liability if a girl were injured while appearing as Comforts representative.

I had no interest in subjecting the chamber board to that kind of risk, and suddenly none of the children wanted to participate any more, and then who on the board wanted to manage it? Solis said, adding, Remember, all these people are volunteers.

The chamber published a notice in the local paper in late July wishing the new group luck and severing its affiliation with the event, stating, This assumption of responsibilities by the new organization also includes any and all current and future liabilities, financial or otherwise.

Transition talks with Uballe and Rusk were initially civil, but later, it actually got kind of contentious, Solis said.

Uballe, a 2013 Comfort High School graduate now living in San Antonio, traced the steady decline in pageant participation to chamber disregard for its traditional role in the event. The chamber hadnt wanted to do it in years, he said.

As a past pageant organizer with the chamber, Bohn said she was sorry that the group had ended its role in the event.

There hasnt been a lot of girls participating, so they just let it die, said Bohn, 67. Im a traditionalist, so I would rather see it held at July 4 like its always been,

Anne Wallendorf, like many locals, missed the Facebook and newspaper announcements about the changes but is hopeful about a July restart.

In the old days, local girls looked forward to being Miss Comfort. That was status, said Wallendorf, 65. I was sorry it didnt happen last July because that was something that had gone on for years.

Rusts experience as a parent of girls elected to the Miss Comfort Court in 2015 convinced her of the need for new blood to run it.

We have a lot of girls who are very interested, she said.

Rust said she didnt think that the chamber had intended to follow through on its November pageant idea. Shirley Solis, the chambers executive director and Kurt Solis spouse, said the only reason the chamber didnt proceed was because the new group emerged and the chamber got out of its way.

We wish them well and we hope for the success of it, she said of the new group, which has yet to apply to the chamber to be included in upcoming July Fourth activities.

The chamber is launching a new scholarship program for both boys and girls, Shirley Solis noted.

Without a float, the remaining members of the Miss Comfort Court rode in a pickup bed during the Christmas in Comfort parade and at out-of-town events held since July.

Id like to have a float, but its OK for now. Our organization is trying to get a float, said Miss Comfort Chelsea Rust, 16. Most other courts around the area know that were the same girls as last year, that were volunteering.

Despite the turmoil associated with the transition, Gracie Rust, 11, lived up to her title of Little Miss Congeniality when asked about it.

Its actually pretty fun. Its still exciting, she said.

zeke@express-news.net
Roberto Bobby Barrera, 68, was seriously burned after a 500-pound land mine exploded under his vehicle in Vietnam.

Barrera, who has worn a right-arm prosthesis provided by the Veterans Affairs Departments health system for the past 15 years, describes himself as an impatient man. Recently, when the prosthesis was in need of a new control cable, he thought it would be faster to go to an outside provider.

The provider, he said, wouldnt see him unless he bought a whole new prosthesis.

They were more concerned with making money, Barrera said. I went back to the VA.

He said the VA fixed the control cable and he waited only 30 minutes. The VAs expertise in prosthetics is one reason Barrera said privatizing the VA would be a terrible mistake.

Under a new plan being considered by President-elect Donald Trump, veterans could seek health care from private doctors outside the VA system, an official on his transition team said Wednesday.

On Thursday, local reaction to the proposal was mixed. Though some celebrate that his plan would significantly increase the number of providers available to veterans, others worry the quality of care would be diluted or that it would dismantle the VA system altogether.

During his campaign, Trump proposed a plan to supplement traditional VA care by paying for veterans to go to any doctor who accepted Medicare.

Darryl Brown, a member of American Post 38 in Floresville, said he wishes veterans had more flexibility to get treatment with local doctors. Brown, 66, said hes tired of driving from Floresville through traffic to VA health facilities in San Antonio.

If you feel you want to go to your local provider, the veteran should be able to make that choice and not have to go through a bunch of red tape, Brown said. I'm kind of just waiting for (Trump) to get in office and do what he needs to do.

Trump was careful throughout his campaign to differentiate his plan from total privatization. In May, Trump adviser Sam Clovis told the Wall Street Journal that Trump didnt want to take away the veterans hospitals and the things that are working out.

But some veterans groups see Trumps plan, and those like it, as a slippery slope toward complete privatization.

The plan would shut down VA medical centers over time, sending veterans out into their local communities to receive all of their medical treatment, the American Legion posted on its website in April.

Joe Davis, national spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars, said his organization is against privatizing the VA, but believes contracted care can complement the system.

Whats important is the understanding that the VA can be fixed, that its problems are fewer than its detractors, and that private care can complement but never replace the continuity and continuum of care that the VA currently provides our nations veterans, Davis said.

Rhett Rosenquest Smith, 66, like many veterans of his generation, said he has a great distrust of the VA system, calling it hopelessly antiquated.

Smith, who served four years in the Navy, ran and lost this year on the Libertarian platform for the 35th Congressional District. He said he supports more private options for veterans.

I hate to say it, government-only care is going to severely limit what you can do, Smith said. If its possible you could go to private care, that would be great.

Trumps plan is similar to the temporary Veterans Choice Program, which was launched by the VA in November 2014. The Choice Program allows veterans to see participating doctors outside the VA system if theyve waited more than 30 days for care or live more than 40 miles from a VA facility.

Barrera, who served as national commander of the Disabled American Veterans organization, said he uses the Choice program to see a local doctor in Del Rio when minor issues arise.

But he also believes the program has its faults. It was designed help veterans in rural communities, but in Del Rio, a lack of providers means Barrera often ends up driving to San Antonio for care anyway.

The Choice program  the intentions were good, but I dont think it is an adequate program, Barrera said. You have to find a doctor that is willing to take the pay, and even if you do find a doctor that accepts the pay, then in some instances you have waiting times.

Even if a veteran finds care in their region, he or she might have to wait weeks for authorization, according to a report released in December by the Government Accountability Office.

A spokesman for the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs said the committee would have to see the details of (Trumps) plan before commenting, but that it sounds similar to proposals made by the VA Commission on Care in July.

The commissions final report encouraged the VA to establish high-performing, integrated health networks that include both VA and community-based providers who meet stringent VA credentialing requirements.

Providers would have to meet specific education, training and experience standards in order to qualify for participation, according to the report.

Trump hasnt said what standards providers would have to meet to qualify, nor has he specified eligibility requirements beyond VA enrollment.

On Wednesday, Trump met with the president of the Mayo Clinic, and chief executives of Johns Hopkins Medicine, Partners HealthCare and the Cleveland Clinic.

Trumps transition official told The New York Times that the president-elect was considering asking the health leaders to participate in a VA advisory panel.
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Whatever your thoughts about Brexit and the presidential election, or the deaths of David Bowie and Prince, its hard to disagree that 2016 was a good year for downtown San Antonio. Years of effort by city officials to encourage development in the district seemed to finally pay off.

Weston Urban, a major local developer, revealed plans in 2016 to build a gleaming 23-story new headquarters for Frost Bank, giving downtown its first new office tower since 1989. Another big-name developer, GrayStreet Partners, renovated many of its downtown buildings into tech-friendly offices, and in December it bought the vacant Depression-era Light building with plans to turn it into state-of-the-art office space.

Thats only the beginning of the news downtown in 2016. An expansion of the Convention Center opened, and the ambitious $175 million transformation of San Pedro Creek broke ground. Developers revealed plans for numerous new skyscrapers full of hotel rooms and offices. CPS Energy bought two towers on the River Walk for its new headquarters, and the renovation of the historic Joskes building at Shops at Rivercenter was completed. A $165 million mixed-use development was announced for Hemisfair.

Near-downtown neighborhoods didnt do so badly, either. Developers released their vision for the $300 million rehabilitation of the vacant Lone Star Brewery, which is expected to transform Southtown. Another mixed-use development is planned for Denver Heights, a struggling neighborhood on the near East Side. Silver Ventures announced plans for a 10-story office tower and a new apartment building at the Pearl.

In some cases, the speedy growth near downtown and in parts of the North Side caused conflicts between developers and residents who are fed up with traffic and overcrowding. There were such faceoffs last year in Mahncke Park, Monte Vista, Ingram Hills and Villa Coronado.

San Antonios housing market boomed in 2016, causing inventory to tighten and sales prices to rise to record levels. As of November, local home sales were almost certain to beat 2015s record sales number.

Growth continued to surge on the far West Side and the far North Side, especially around the intersection of Interstate 10 and Loop 1604. A pair of developers revealed plans for a 114-acre, $320 million master-planned community along I-10 just south of UTSA. Local developer Bitterblue submitted plans to the city to build a 490-acre residential community in a former quarry near The Rim. Growth sped up even in the South Side, as aspiring homeowners sought cheaper homes and more open space.

But 2016 wasnt without its disappointments for those who are cheering on the growth in the center city. Some big projects fell through, including a boutique hotel on Houston Street, a 21-story hotel on the River Walk and a planned renovation of the vacant and historic Scobey complex on the near West Side into a mixed-use development

rwebner@express-news.net
KCR  BJP      : -      ;       
Its almost the new year, which means, as of Jan. 1, the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), will take full effect. Producers have been hearing about the change and receiving updates along the way, but for those producers who still havent fully prepared for the change, here are some important things to note.

What is it?

The VFD was initiated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine to reduce antimicrobial resistance by addressing the use of medically important antibiotics given to production animals in feed and eliminate the use of these drugs for performance enhancement. A veterinary prescription will also be required for water-soluble antibiotics.

The VFD order is a basically a prescription issued by a veterinarian to allow a producer to use a medically important feed in a manner instructed by the veterinarian.

Recent updates

Throughout the year, concerns from livestock producers and veterinarians have resulted in some changes and modifications to the ruling. According to Justin Keiffer, clinical veterinarian for Ohio States Department of Animal Sciences, one of the most recent updates to the VFD was a clarification on minor species use of VFD drugs for small livestock such as sheep and goats.

Sheep and goat producers were in a quandary because there werent many approved drugs for those animals, said Keiffer. The FDA has since made some clarifications to the ruling allowing sheep and goat producers to use VFD feeds in an extra label manner.

Another clarification was made in the use of certain VFD feeds for beef cattle and dairy beef cattle. Beef producers using tetracycline crumbles cannot use that feed to feed dairy heifers because they are a lactating animal, explained Keiffer. Dairy steers intended for the feedlot, however, can be fed these VFD feeds.

Analyze feed inventory

VFD affected drugs and examples of each:

Avilamycin: Kavault

Chlortetracycline (CTC): Aureomycin, CLTC, CTC, Chloratet, Chlorachel, ChlorMax, Chlortetracycline, Deracin, Inchlor, Pennchlor, Pfichlor

Chlortetracycline/Sulfamethazine: Aureo S, Aureomix S, Pennchlor S

Chlortetracycline/Sulfamethazine/Penicillin: Aureomix 500, Chlorachel/Pficlor SP, Pennchlor SP, ChlorMax SP

Florfenicol: Aquaflor, Nuflor

Hygromycin B: Hygromix

Lincomycin: Lincomix

Oxytetracycline (OTC): TM, OXTC, Oxytetracycline, Pennox, Terramycin

Oxytetracycline/Neomycin: Neo-Oxy, Neo-Terramycin

Penicillin: Penicillin, Penicillin G Procaine

Sulfadimethoxine/Ormetoprim: Rofenaid, Romet

Tilmicosin: Pulmotil, Tilmovet

Tylosin: Tylan, Tylosin, Tylovet

Tylosin/Sulfamethazine: Tylan Sulfa G, Tylan Plus Sulfa G, Tylosin Plus Sulfamethazine

Tylvalosin: Aivlosin

Virginiamycin: Stafec, Virginiamycin, V-Max

Drugs not affected:

Injectable medications: No injectable products affected

Ionophores: Monensin (Rumensin)

Anthelmetics: Ivermectin, Fenbendazole (Safeguard)

Beta agonists: Ractopamine (Paylean)

Coccidiostats: Decoquinate (Deccox)

Source: Penn State Extension

Keiffer said now is a good time to asses what VFD drugs have been used in your operation and if they are really necessary. Take inventory of what feed products are currently being used and note any VFD drugs they include. If you are feeding VFD drugs to your animals, ask yourself, why am I feeding them this and are they really working, said Keiffer.

Although feed companies had to update labels to reflect the feed contains a VFD drug, they were not required to include efficacy data, explained Keiffer. That means producers dont really know the effectiveness of that drug unless they have been keeping adequate records. Thats a conversation producers should have with their vet, said Keiffer.

Producers should also note any VFD feeds already being used on their farm will still require a VFD to use after Jan. 1. If producers stockpiled a bunch of this stuff this fall, even if it was purchased before Jan. 1, they still have to obtain a VFD to use it, said Keiffer.

Know your vet

If producers havent already, they really should be thinking about getting a vet out on their farm to get to know their operation, said Keiffer. A veterinarian client patient relationship, or VCPR, is going to be necessary in order to obtain a VFD and continue to use those medicated feeds for the animals health and well-being.

In a VCPR, the veterinarian assumes the responsibility for making clinical judgment regarding the health of the animal (patient), and the animal owner (client) has agreed to follow the veterinarians instructions. The veterinarian must have enough knowledge of the operation and the livestock in order to make a diagnosis and write a VFD and the veterinarian must be readily available for any follow-up treatment or evaluations.

The vet will provide oversight in the treatment process and maintain records of the animal(s) for which any VFDs were issued.

Keep good records

The veterinarian, producers and the feed mill all have to keep records of any issued VFDs for a minimum of two years. Its also important to note VFDs have an expiration date, so just because you get one, that doesnt mean you can give VFD feed to your animals indefinitely.

A duration of use, indicated by the veterinarian, is the actual number of days the producers is allowed to feed the animal that drug. According to an FDA example, a VFD-approved drug for swine, tilmicosin, has a duration of 21 days and an expiration of 90 days. This means the farmer has 90 days to obtain the VFD feed and complete the 21-day course of therapy.

4-H, FFA projects

Small- and medium-scale producers and youth livestock projects like 4-H or FFA are most likely to feel the new directive change the most because those small producers often seek out veterinary help only when there is a medical problem. They are not going to be exempt, said Keiffer. He encourages youth livestock showers to develop those relationships with a local vet now.

Its a good contact for them to have, he said, adding its also a good way to determine if those VFD drugs are really necessary. A lot of livestock health issues that require these VFD drugs can be attributed to their environment, he explained.

Enforcement

As far as the enforcement of this ruling goes, Keiffer says not to panic when the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31. The FDA is not going to be heavy-handed in enforcing these rules for the first part of the year, and the FDA has said as much, said Keiffer. Its going to be a transition as everyone works through to figure this all out, he said.

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The levy board AHDB has revealed proposals to invest more in boosting exports in the wake of the Brexit vote.

AHDB has launched a series of strategy documents for 2017 to 2020 covering the various farming sectors.

The documents have gone out for consultation, and one proposal is to switch more funding into developing export markets.

AHDB chief strategy officer Tom Hind told FarmingUK that withdrawal from the European Union was likely provide British agriculture with new opportunities for exporting to other parts of the world.

However, at the same time, farmers would be likely to face increased competition in the domestic market from foreign imports.

One eye on the new post-Brexit world

In its strategy for beef and lamb, AHDB referred specifically to a post Brexit approach.

"With one eye on the new post-Brexit world, the draft strategy proposes increasing the weighting of levy funds to export and market access work in 2019  2020."

The report said: "Post-Brexit, AHDB must continue to protect the sectors strategic interests in existing and potential overseas markets. The EU lamb market in particular is critical due to its key role in providing balance to the UK domestic market. We will work in co-operation with the industry and partners to promote exports in new and emerging markets and seek access to new markets and for new exporting companies."

It said that a key focus would be on the Chinese market. Tom Hind said that the UK had already been successful in generating export sales of pork in China.

Chinese pork exports had been increasing year on year and AHDB had played an important role in this, alongside the British pig industry.

Not just limited to pork

But Mr Hind said that the opportunities for exports were not limited just to pork.

He said that AHDB had been working on a road map for exporting beef to China. There were also opportunities for processed and manufactured products.

"And the opportunities for dairy exports are very big in China," he said.

It is not yet known what the relationship between the UK and the EU will be following the country's exit from the European Union, but Tom Hind said that AHDB had drawn up its strategy based on a number of assumptions.

"One of those is that we will be outside the customs union and so we will be free to negotiate trade agreements with other parts of the world," he said.

This assumption was based both on what the Government had been saying and on its actions since the referendum was held in June, said Mr Hind.

'Better understanding' of trade

One of those actions was the creation of a new Department for International Trade headed by Liam Fox. The International Trade Secretary has said he would have a series of trade deals ready with other parts of the world once the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Hind said there would be no need for such a department if the country intended to remain within the customs union with external tariffs set centrally, although he stressed that this did not necessarily mean the UK leaving the EU single market.

Norway was a member of the single market as a member of the EEA but was able to negotiate other trade deals independently because it was not a member of the customs union, he said.

There has been speculation that the UK could seek to retain EEA membership.

Tom Hind said that part of the increased funding would go on analysis to better understand the implications of various trade agreements.

AHDB had already produced a series of studies on the implications of Brexit and more analysis would be needed to further understand what future plans may mean. But he said extra funds would also be switched to the direct work involved in increasing exports and opening new markets.

"It is important to find new markets, anyway," he said, "we already invest in exports but we are likely to invest a bit more."

Dairy was one sector in which export initiatives could make a difference, the sector had not traditionally been involved in exporting but there were opportunities to promote overseas sales.

'Creating a worldclass farming industry'

AHDB's 2017-2020 strategy sets out a vision of "Creating a worldclass food and farming industry inspired by and competing with the best."

CEO Jane King said that AHDB was uniquely placed to deliver a blend of research, knowledge exchange, skills development, market development and economic analysis across all its six levy-paying sectors.

Together, AHDBs sectors represented a significant proportion of UK total agriculture and horticulture output, she said.

Our new vision is of a world class food and farming industry inspired by and competing with the best. We have realigned all our activities with this in mind, she said.

To become world class, farmers and growers need to become more productive  not just in terms of the crops grown and livestock reared, but in the way inputs such as fuel, water and labour are used.

There is a need to knit together the industrys fragmented knowledge exchange landscape to deliver innovation and best practice. AHDB can be the lynchpin for this, positioning ourselves at the heart of all the good work going on and becoming the go-to KE (knowledge exchange) organisation. We are exploring how we can work better with agronomists, vets, universities and commercial companies to improve the knowledge exchange pipeline.

We will also be looking to create a new farm excellence platform over the next three years, expanding our current network of monitor farms, focus farms and strategic potato farms across the country. This will put farmers and growers at the heart of innovation delivery on-farm and delivery of the right business skills.

The four strategic priorities in AHDB's plan are: Inspiring British farming and growing to be more competitive and resilient; Accelerating innovation and productivity growth through coordinated R&D and KE; Helping the industry understand and deliver what consumers will trust and buy and delivering thought leadership and horizon scanning.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has releases its New Year message, saying 2016 was a 'tumultuous' year for the farming industry, and that 2017 'must provide greater certainty'.

NFU President Meurig Raymond said the UK has seen 'continued extremes' in market returns for many farming sectors, leaving family businesses 'staring over a precipice' one moment to be replaced by recovering prices the next.

He said: Alongside the economic realities the historic EU Referendum looks likely to be a game changer for many as over 40 years of European policy is replaced by farm policy controlled at a UK level

'2017 must provide greater certainty'

Mr Raymond said 2016 had been a year of 'growing uncertainty'.

For the sake of farming, 2017 must provide greater certainty and confidence and Ill be looking to the Government, as farmers look to the NFU, to provide this.

I am proud of how the NFU and our members have responded to the Referendum result. Members message during our consultation has been clear  make the case for farming to Government; ensure we have a policy that allows farms to be profitable, competitive, and progressive; and dont regret what might be lost - seize the opportunity. NFU officeholders and staff have done just this.

It would have been impossible for the Prime Minister, Defra and Governments Brexit teams to ignore the largest-ever coalition of UK food producers led by the NFU and other UK farming unions. Together, we called for tariff-free access to the single market and continued access to a competent and reliable workforce.

Farming must flourish

Mr Raymond said it is 'paramount' for British food and farming to flourish, post-Brexit.

He said: Our letter was signed by 75 food organisations and food companies which together employ nearly a million people with a turnover of 92billion. Since then weve seen the CBI call that the Government achieves a Brexit that works for the whole economy using farming and finance as examples.

Despite the uncertainty for farms I am pleased to say that public support for British farming remains as strong as ever. We must continue to give people strong reasons to back British food and farming now and in the future.

Mr Raymond concluded: There is no doubt in my mind that 2017 will be an historic, unique opportunity to present a new deal for farming with Britain. We expect 2017 to be busy. Well set out our expectations for a post-Brexit domestic farm policy in the new year as part of our response to the anticipated Defra Green Paper, which will re-visit its unpublished 25-year plan and take Brexit into account.
Warrenton, VA (20186)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 72F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds light and variable.
Manassas, VA (20110)

Today

Clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 46F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 46F. Winds light and variable.
Where to eat and drink in the Fayetteville area this weekend
A former senior vice president at General Cable Corporate settled SEC allegations Thursday that he caused FCPA violations and knowingly circumvented internal accounting controls by approving excessive commission payments to a third-party agent in Angola.

Karl Zimmer didnt admit or deny the SEC findings. He agreed to pay a $20,000 penalty.

General Cable agreed Thursday to pay the DOJ and SEC $75.75 million to resolve FCPA violations in Angola, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, and Thailand.

The SEC said Zimmer approved commission payments to the Angola agent totalling just over $342,000. The payments were nearly double General Cables prescribed limits on third-party commissions.

The agent didnt perform any documented services for some of the payments, the SEC said.

When Zimmer approved the payments, the SEC said, General Cable had already launched an investigation of potentially improper payments to the agent. The company had prohibited the payment of past due commissions to the agent while the investigation was pending and without further approval.

In an internal administrative order (pdf), the SEC said the commission payments Zimmer approved violated General Cables Code of Ethics, company policies against excessive payments to third-parties, and executive managements instructions.

The SEC order said,

By approving these commissions, Zimmer caused GCCs violations of the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA), and knowingly circumvented a number of GCCs internal accounting controls.

Zimmer, 40, lives in Douglas, Georgia. His employment with General Cable ended in January 2015.

___

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Prince Harry has been praised for his statement condemning sexism after his relationship with Meghan Markle went public.

Prince Harry

It was "a really important moment" for society when the 32-year-old royal addressed the offensive gender inequality in reports about his new girlfriend when news broke of their relationship in November, says the found of the Everyday Sexism Project, Laura Bates.

She told the BBC: "We saw an unwarranted focus on her clothes, on her make-up, on her hairstyle" and added that "pointing out the inequality being faced by somebody in a position that he would never be in" was "a major positive."

Shortly after their relationship was revealed, the flame-haired royal released a statement claiming his lover had been on the receiving end of a "wave of abuse and harassment " including "outright sexism and racism."

The statement, released on his behalf by Kensington Palace, said: "Prince Harry is worried about Ms Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm."

Meghan, 35, was also on the receiving end of racial abuse after she went public with Prince Harry and had previously penned a gut wrenching letter about the comments she endured on social media over her role as Rachel Zane in US legal drama 'Suits'.

In the post published via Elle magazine, Meghan said: "I remember the tweets when that first episode of the Zane family aired, they ran the gamut from: 'Why would they make her dad black? She's not black' to 'Ew, she's black? I used to think she was hot.' The latter was blocked and reported.

"The reaction was unexpected, but speaks of the undercurrent of racism that is so prevalent, especially within America."
Two fake BBC accounts tweeted Queen Elizabeth II "is dead at the age of 90" in a hoax on Thursday (29.12.16) night.

Queen Elizabeth

It was claimed the British monarch had passed away in "unknown" circumstances by the accounts with the handles @BBCNewsUKI and @BBCNewsUKk and the news quickly spread across the social networking site, with the French ambassador to the U.S., Gerard Araud, retweeting the message before realizing it was a cruel prank.

The hoax tweet read: "BREAKING: Buckingham Palace announces the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 90. Circumstances are unknown. More to follow.(sic)"

The fake BBC accounts have now been suspended and Buckingham Palace has refused to comment.

It's not the first time the Queen has been the victim of a morbid hoax.

BBC reporter Ahmen Khawaja shocking posted on Twitter last year: "Elizabrth (sic) has died: @BBCWorld."

She later admitted that she hadn't realised a royal obituary rehearsal she had witnessed at work wasn't was real.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth was too ill to attend the traditional Christmas morning service at the church on her Sandringham estate in Norfolk as she was recovering from a "heavy cold," and it was the first time in 30 years that the monarh had been absent.

However, a palace spokesperson told Us Weekly she would "participate in the royal family Christmas celebrations during the day."
Editors note: Over the next several days we will look back on the stories which impacted our readers and filled the front pages of the Daily Journal in 2016. This is a multi-part series.

January

Regarding the subject of dangerous buildings in the city, Bismarck Mayor Seth Radford told the board of aldermen that the process of removing them was underway and two of the three letters had been received by the owners. He reported that the two owners had made contact with the city and hearings would be set up later if it became necessary.

The citys police department received a check in the amount of $8,605.06 through a 2015 Local Law Enforcement Block Grant for the purchase of mobile data terminals. Police Chief Kyle Colyott said the new equipment includes three Panasonic Toughbook laptops and mounts for the citys patrol cars.

Chief Colyott reported that the transmission has gone out on one of the city's patrol cars and he had checked into the cost of getting it fixed. He explained that the cost of repair would depend on whether or not the transmission could be rebuilt or a used one located that could be installed in the vehicle. At that point, the city only had two working patrol cars. Mayor Radford said he intended to check with the city of Desloge to see if Bismarck might be able to purchase one of their police cars they planned to replace.

February

Jack Mentink of Integrity Engineering, Inc. of Rolla presented an engineering report to the board of aldermen regarding suggested water system improvements for the city.

His recommendations included water distribution improvements, including extensive line upgrades to provide much larger flow rates throughout the community, along with additional valves installed to provide proper flow control; adding a SCADA monitoring and control system for both water wells, a central control unit and an IP-based monitoring system, along with the replacement of well flow meters and painting of the well house piping; and the full sand blasting and recoating of the citys elevated steel storage tank.

The estimated cost of the project was $1,880,532. He told the board that the city would be eligible for a DNR loan to cover the cost of 50 percent or more of the project, with the balance covered by the sale of revenue bonds and an increase in city water rates. Following the presentation, the board unanimously approved the city's submission of an application for a DNR loan.

March

Former city councilman J.T. Shy was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of aldermen and was sworn in as Ward II alderman by City Clerk Garner Kitchen at the top of the board's monthly meeting. Shy, who had resigned his position as Ward I alderman at the boards December meeting after moving into a new residence in Ward II, fills a vacancy left by Ward II Alderman Charles Marcee who resigned in a special meeting held Feb. 25.

The Feb. 29 resignation of Court Clerk Cecelia Ce Ce Amsden was announced by Mayor Radford.

April

In the April 5 municipal election, Bismarck voters overwhelmingly approved continuation of an existing sales tax on the purchase of out-of-state motor vehicles, trailers, boats and outboard motors, passing the measure with a vote of 108 to 66.

At the April 15 board of aldermen meeting, municipal election results were certified and the winning candidates, all incumbents who ran in uncontested races, were sworn into office by City Clerk Garner Kitchens. They included Mayor Radford, Collector Toba Welch, Ward I Alderman Ryan Wallis and Ward II Alderman J.T. Shy.

Mayor Radford announced that the chamber of commerce was combining with the city and VFW Post 6947 to plan a "grand" Fourth of July event with festivities starting on July 3 with a gospel singing and youth rally sponsored by local churches. According to Radford, the central intent of the 2016 "Freedom Fest" would be to give special tribute to veterans of the Vietnam War. Rather than having just one parade grand marshal, all Vietnam veterans, along with all of the auxiliaries, were to hold that honor.

May

Facing a 16.5 percent increase in employee health insurance this year, Mayor Radford informed the board of aldermen that the city would not be able to absorb the $12,000 to $13,000 increase in coverage costs and suggested two alternatives to alleviate the situation.

Id like to take it to the employees that either we not give them their 3 percent raise next year and keep the really good health insurance weve got or they get the raise and well have to go down one tier on the plan to absorb the cost," Radford said.

Buddy Poppy Proclamation Day was announced by the mayor and VFW Post 6947 was given permission to collect donations May 27-28 at the four-way stop.

June

The board of aldermen heard a presentation regarding the creation of a town flag given by city resident Jake Jarvis. The 2013 Bismarck High School graduate said a town flag would give the city a sense of identity. After discussion between Jarvis and the board, it was decided he would bring his finished designs to a future meeting for the aldermen to look over.

A majority of the board approved a fireworks permit to allow shooting or discharge of fireworks on personal property only between the hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. starting June 29 through July 5, except on July 4 when fireworks could be discharged until 11 p.m. Voting against the permit was Alderman Carol Baker.

July

Despite rain, Bismarck's Freedom Fest Parade went off without a hitch as the streets filled with spectators who braved the damp weather to be a part of the popular annual event. This year the Bismarck Chamber of Commerce selected local Vietnam veterans to serve as the parade's grand marshals in recognition of the controversial war's 50th anniversary. Several veterans groups marched in the parade while others rode on the back of trailers as spectators applauded as they went past.

Following the parade, the veterans, along with family members and the general public, gathered at the Bismarck School ball field for a special ceremony held to honor the Vietnam survivors, as well as those who died there in battle, went missing in action, spent time as prisoners of war or have since passed away.

After a discussion of city residents taking advantage of a loophole in the city ordinance covering weeds, high grass and other vegetation, in Mayor Radford's absence, Alderman Baker  the city's mayor pro tem  told the board she thought it was time for a new nuisance ordinance to remove what she sees as a big loophole for Bismarck citizens who don't keep up with their yard work.

She suggested that errant yard-keepers be given a warning that they have seven days in which to mow their grass or receive a ticket. In the case of a second offense, a ticket will be issued with no prior warning given.

The board voted unanimously to turn the matter over to City Attorney Dan Fall to come up with a new ordinance and present it to the board for a vote at a future meeting.

August

Mayor Radford announced that he and Chief Colyott planned to attend the Sept. 14 meeting of the St. Francois County 911 Board to discuss the poor quality of radio communications experienced between Bismarck police officers and the county's 911 Communications Center in Park Hills. During a discussion about the current state of 911 radio communications at the 911 Board's Aug. 10 meeting, Big River Fire Chief David Pratte said that something needed to be done to find a solution to the problem before an officer was seriously injured or killed.

Bismarck Chamber of Commerce President Matt Jarvis asked the board of aldermen if city workers could put up veterans banners around town purchased by individuals in recognition of family members, friends and others who have served in the U.S. military. The board approved the idea as long as the banners were uniform in size and appearance.

Mayor Radford announced that the long sought after project to put in a short section of sidewalk along Bismarck's South Cedar Street/Route N is progressing well and should be finished sometime in mid-2017.

"The [Missouri Department of Transportation] is paving South Cedar right now," he said. "It's the first step of the project to rehabilitate the road and then go from there. Next we're going to be working on the sidewalks on South Cedar. Approximately a year ago, we got MoDOT's approval that they would be on track for the 2017-18 installation of the sidewalk down to the apartment complex."

September

Local pilot, James "Ted" Villmer of Belleview, told the board of aldermen he wanted to revive the Bismarck Memorial Airport and presented the aldermen a revitalization plan at their monthly meeting. According to Villmer, the objective would be to revitalize the airport and promote local tourism. The plan also included a lease proposal for the board to consider. Mayor Radford thanked Villmer for presenting his plan to the board and assured him that after they had a chance to look over the proposal he would be contacted.

Mayor Radford announced that resurfacing work by MoDOT on Cedar Street has been completed and work on the sidewalk connecting the senior apartments to the edge of the city would be completed some time next fall. He also said the city was going to apply for a TAP grant to help pay for additional sidewalk work in the area of the post office and continuing down South Main Street. According to Radford, the grant required that the project total a minimum of $80,000.

October

Mayor Radford announced that the city would be applying for a federal Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant to assist in the cost of sidewalk improvements on Walnut and Cedar streets after a unanimous vote was taken at its October meeting. He asked the board to approve a resolution supporting the citys grant application and pledge to provide a 20 percent cash match, as well as 25 years of maintenance upkeep, for the $134,818 project which will install new sidewalks on Walnut Street from East Main to the alley and from the alley over to Cedar Street where new sidewalk will be installed from Walnut to Elm Street.

Farmington Girl Scout Troop 1181 presented the Bismarck Depot with a toy train set affixed to a 3x5 foot table. This was the final step in the troop earning the Bronze Award, the highest achievement in Junior Girl Scouts.

November

Chairing the November meeting in the absence of Mayor Radford, Alderman Baker updated a list of unfinished city projects that included installing a gas line at Davis Crossing and some much-needed street work.

The board of aldermen approved a contract for the design and construction observation of a new facility for the city's satellite L.I.F.E. Center. The center opened its doors Oct. 31 in an old storefront on Center Street. The non-profit organization that assists individuals with disabilities is planning to build a facility next door to the citys senior center.

December

With the assistance of cold but not uncomfortable temperatures, the city and chamber of commerce, the first Bismarck Christmas parade brought out a number of entries, as well as spectators. The event was followed by the annual Christmas at the Depot which is co-sponsored by the city, chamber and Depot Committee. A large crowd came out to enjoy holiday snacks and let their children have a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Mayor Radford addressed the formation of a capital improvement advisory committee on city water and wastewater needs at the board of aldermen's December meeting.

...We just kind of hit and miss a lot of times on a lot of our projects," he said. "What Id like to do is get the board of aldermen; get our planning and zoning on board with us; then get our fire chief involved on the committee for fire pressure, because thats a big part of the water system  that is a huge part. He can tell us some weak plugs, some areas of concern.

The capital improvement advisory committee is expected to meet for the first time sometime in the spring.
Indian-origin American designer Rachel Roy is Googles most searched designer of 2016 while Indian designer Anita Dongre is on the seventh place. Roy has designed for various well-known names in the West including Michelle Obama. Dongre became an international sensation after the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton wore her design during her visit to India.

Rachel Roy brand that debuted in 2004 has built ready-to-wear and accessories business into a globally recognized brand with categories including jewelry and home products. Dongre is one of the acclaimed celeb designers in the Indian fashion industry. She is known for her designs that are a blend of traditional and contemporary ideas.

Twin sisters Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Angela Simmons are second and third in the list recently launched by Google for the trending fashion designers of 2016. Designers Zendaya, Kendall, and Kylie Jenner and Beyonce are at the fourth, fifth and sixth slots. Zendaya launched her fashion label Daya in 2015 while Beyonce had introduced a new clothing line Ivy Park this year in August.

Indian-origin American designer Rachel Roy is Google's most searched designer of 2016 while Indian designer Anita Dongre is on the seventh place. Roy has designed for various well-known names in the West including Michelle Obama. Dongre became an international sensation after the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton wore her design during her visit to India.#

French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel, who died in August this year from Parkinsons disease, is at the eighth place. Rykiel was known as the Queen of knitwears for her designs and unique fashion techniques. Following Rykiel, Ivanka Trump, eldest daughter of US president-elect Donald Trump and Kanye West round off the top ten series of Googles most searched designers. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/29/16 -- AQM Copper Inc. (TSX VENTURE: AQM)(BVL: AQM) ("AQM") is pleased to announce that Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS"), a leading independent proxy advisory firm that provides voting recommendations to institutional investors, has recommended that holders ("Shareholders") of common shares ("Shares") of AQM approve the proposed transaction with Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TECK.A)(TSX: TECK.B)(NYSE: TECK) ("Teck") whereby Teck will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Shares that are not already owned by Teck or its affiliates by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "Arrangement") as described in the News Release of AQM dated November 21, 2016.

Recommendation to Shareholders

ISS has recommended that Shareholders vote FOR the special resolution to approve the proposed Arrangement. ISS cites the primary reasons for the recommendation as "the significant cash premium, the favourable market reaction, and the reasonable strategic rationale. Moreover, the proposed transaction would eliminate the need to pursue dilutive financings in the current challenging commodity price environment."

Additional information concerning the Arrangement can be found in the management information circular of AQM dated December 9, 2016 (the "Circular"). Shareholders, as well as holders of options ("Options") and deferred share units ("DSUs") of AQM (collectively, "Securityholders"), are urged to carefully review the Circular and accompanying materials as they contain important information regarding the Arrangement and its consequences to Securityholders. A copy of the Circular is available on AQM's website at www.aqmcopper.com and on its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Special Meeting of Securityholders

The special meeting of Securityholders of AQM (the "Meeting") is scheduled to be held at 9:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on Monday, January 9, 2017 at the offices of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Guinness Tower, Suite 1700, 1055 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. VOTE TODAY.

How to Vote

A proxy form or voting instruction form will accompany the Meeting materials you receive by mail. Instructions on how to vote, which vary depending on whether you are a holder of Shares, Options or DSUs are provided in the Circular.

Securityholders are encouraged to vote before 9:00 am (Vancouver time) on January 5, 2017, using the internet, telephone or facsimile.

Registered Shareholders

Registered Shareholders may vote in person at the Meeting, by mail or by:

-- Internet: vote online at www.investorvote.com using the control number located on your proxy; -- Telephone: 1-866-734-VOTE(8683), toll free in Canada and United States; or -- Fax: 1-866-249-7775, toll free in Canada and United States or 416-263- 9524 for calls outside of Canada and the United States.

Beneficial Shareholders

Beneficial Shareholders who hold AQM Shares through a bank, broker or other intermediary will have different voting instructions and should carefully follow the voting instructions provided to them on the voting instruction form included in the meeting materials they receive.

For more information, please contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group at 1-877-452-7184 (toll-free), 416-304-0211 (collect calls outside of North America) or assistance@laurelhill.com.

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.

Contacts:

Spyros Karellas

Pinnacle Capital Markets Ltd.

416-433-5696

spyros@pinnaclecapitalmarkets.ca




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.
ROME (dpa-AFX) - Italy's producer prices continued to decline in November but the pace of decrease slowed from prior year, figures from the statistical office Istat showed Friday. Producer prices decreased only 0.3 percent on a yearly basis in November after easing 0.6 percent in October. Prices fell 0.3 percent on domestic market and by 0.2 percent on foreign market. Month-on-month, producer prices slid 0.1 percent, the same pace of decline as seen in October. This was the second consecutive fall in prices. Prices were expected to grow 0.2 percent. 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.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 12/30/16 -- Dealnet Capital Corp. ("Dealnet" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: DLS) today announced that the Board of Directors granted a total of 6,395,000 stock options to directors, employees and consultants of the Company. The grant includes options for 2016 employee performance, long term incentive awards, contractual obligations and options for recent strategic hires. The stock options will vest over a period of 18 months and will be exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $0.57 per stock option.

The Company has also issued 695,890 common shares at a price of $0.57 to settle an advisory fee of $397,000 to an advisor on the acquisition of EcoHome in February 2016. The shares will be subject to a hold period expiring on May 1, 2017. The settlement is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

ABOUT DEALNET CAPITAL CORP.

Dealnet is an engagement enabled consumer finance company that is initially focused on home improvement finance solutions including heating ventilation and air conditioning financing and leasing. Dealnet leverages its large scale customer service and engagement technology platform to attract home improvement dealers by providing front and back office services to them resulting in dealer origination growth.

For additional information please visit www.sedar.com.

Neither the 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.

Contacts:

Dealnet Capital Corp.

Michael Hilmer

Chief Executive Officer

+1-855-912-3444

mhilmer@dealnetcapital.com



Dealnet Capital Corp.

Nicole Marchand

Investor Relations

+1-416-428-3533

nmarchand@dealnetcapital.com




Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 30, 2016) - Gunpowder Capital Corp. (CSE: GPC) (CSE: GPC.PR.A) (FSE: YS6N) ("Gunpowder" of the "Corporation") announced today that it has closed the third tranche of its previously announced (Nov 16th, 2016) non-brokered private placement raise. In total, Four Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty Dollars ("$435,940.00") CDN was raised via the sale of Forty-Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety-Four ("43,594") a "Class - A" Preferred Shares. No commission or finder's fee is payable with respect to the closing of this tranche of the placement.

In total, combined with the closing of both the first and second tranches of this offering, the Corporation has now raised Six Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred & Forty Dollars ("$637,440.00") CDN via the issuance of Sixty-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty-Four ("63,744") "Class - A" Preferred Shares.

The "Class - A" preferred shares will pay up to an 8% annual dividend to the holders of the preferred shares. Furthermore, holders of the Preferred Shares will also see a 25% of after tax realized gains on any capital dispositions. No special voting rights will be granted to the holders of the Preferred Shares. In connection with the preferred share offering, a finder's fee may be paid consisting of a cash commission equal up to 8% of the gross proceeds raised under the offering. The placement is expected to close on, or before, February 16th, 2017.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Frank Kordy

Interim CEO & Director

Gunpowder Capital Corp.

T: (647) 466-4037

E: frank.kordy@gunpowdercapitalcorp.com Mr. Paul Haber

CFO

Gunpowder Capital Corp.

T: (416) 363-3833

E: paul.haber@gunpowdercapitalcorp.com

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

- 30 -
We hereby inform that on 30 December, 2016, the Supervisory Council of AB Klaipedos Nafta, legal entity code 110648893, registered at Buriu st. 19, Klaipeda (hereinafter, the "Company"), adopted the decision to elect Giedrius Dusevicius to the duties of independent Board Members of the Company out of the two current vacancies until the term of office of the acting Board of the Company (29 April, 2018). The newly elected Board Member of the Company Giedrius Dusevicius also acts as a Board member of UAB "ACC Distribution". Rytis Valunas, General Counsel, +370 46 391 626

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.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Carl Paladino, co-chairman of Donald Trump's presidential campaign in New York, reportedly says he will not resign from the Buffalo school board. The board on Thursday voted 6-2 to remove him over his inflammatory and racist statements about President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. In an ultimatum delivered to Paladino on Thursday, the board asked him to either resign within 24 hours, failing which it will submit a petition to New York Education Commissioner for his dismissal from the board. The former Republican gubernatorial candidate in New York told a local newspaper that he wanted to see Obama dead of mad cow disease and his wife living with a gorilla in Zimbabwe. The newspaper, Artvoice, asked Paladino and a number of others what they wanted to see happen in 2017. The septuagenarian replied, 'Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Herford. He dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to Valerie Jarret, who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a Jihady cell mate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her.' And this was his imagination about Michelle Obama: 'I'd like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.' In a statement, Paladino said he had spoken 'about two progressive elitist ingrates who have hated their country so badly and destroyed its fabric in so many respects in eight years.' He later clarified that his comments were not meant for publication but were nevertheless 'inappropriate.' 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.
With the announcement made last week by Gov. Jay Nixon last week that Eleven Point State Park in Oregon County is among three new state parks opening to the public in southern Missouri, residents of the Parkland can't be faulted for feeling less than overjoyed by the news.

The state's plan to turn the 4,167 acres of land into a state park caused an uproar among public officials, environmental groups and ordinary citizens when it was learned that $8 million in ASARCO settlement funds would be used to fund its purchase. The funds set aside in the settlement with ASARCO were specifically meant to be used to restore and remediate the Lead Belt region.

At a public meeting held Oct. 13, 2015, in Park Hills, members of the St. Francois, Madison, iron and Oregon County commissions, as well as city councils representing areas affected by ASARCO lead and zinc contamination complained to representatives of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources that a Sept. 2, 2015, meeting held at Johnsons Shut-Ins where the purchase announcement was made had not been publicized until two days prior to it occurring, and then only on the DNR website.

Despite Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Sara Parker Pauley insistence that an email list of nearly 500 people were given prior notice of the public meeting at Johnsons Shut-Ins, no one attending the Park Hills meeting, including state representatives and members of the media, said theyd received it.

The DNR presentation was followed by a 40-day public comment period allowing the public to review the proposed projects and provide feedback. Despite receiving major opposition to the plan from the public, state elected officials, county commissions  and even the Oregon County Commission who feared a further dip in county tax revenue  the council said that after reviewing the comments made, it had elected to fund and implement a suite of six restoration projects involving acquisition of over 5,400 acres and restoration of upland, wetland and bottomland habitats which will benefit migratory birds and other species, as well as improve water quality.

In other words, even though the Oregon County purchase received strong opposition during the 40-day comment period, the state decided to buy it with ASARCO funds anyway.

With intense pressure placed on Nixon by 117th District Rep. Linda Black, R-Park Hills, 144th District Rep. Paul Fitzwater, R-Potosi, 3rd District State Senator Gary Romine, R-Farmington, and Congressman Jason Smith, R-8th District, the governor instructed DNR to fast-track several southeast Missouri ASARCO-funded projects, including the proposed Bone Hole County Park in St. Francois County and the Little St. Francis River Watershed Master Plan in Madison County. The governor even made a high-profile visit to both sites in Dec. 2015 to help stem some of the mounting criticism he was receiving from the state legislature, Lead Belt region county commissions and the general public.

In February of this year, the Missouri Senate approved Senate Bill 682, co-sponsored by Sen. Romine, that expands public notice requirements relating to land purchases made on behalf of any state department.

Responding to the governor's announcement of Eleven Point State Park, Romine said, "It's very frustrating. I talked with the governor and his staff. We're still trying to get the Pilot Knob project ... the Crane Lake project. And what is real frustrating is we're talking about those things and they were not disclosed that these other projects were in the works.

"That's a legacy I don't think the governor really wants, but going out and doing things, I guess behind the scenes or in the dark, is not a good way to leave. If he wants to be upfront and work on those projects and work on our projects it would have been a whole lot better than stiff-arming us on ours and then going ahead and doing his behind closed doors."

Rep. Fitzwater also had a strong response to the governor's announcement of Eleven Point State Park's opening.

"I guess the big thing was is how [Gov. Nixon] acquired it by using money in the ASARCO fund that was  I don't like the word 'earmarked'  but it was earmarked for cleaning up the areas of past lead contamination. That's a sour subject with me. We have 88 parks in the state of Missouri right now and we can't take care of them and to think that we're going to build three more. They're calculating that it's going to cost $212 million to repair some of the downgrades that obviously needs to be taken care of in our other state parks.

"So, I guess the bottom line is why is the governor out there spending money? I'll tell you why he's spending money  because he's leaving and doesn't really care. It's really the same rhetoric we've had for the last eight years with Gov. Nixon. Hopefully we're going to get back in January and do something about what he's doing here. I'm not sure if we can, but we're going to make an attempt."

The two other parks announced by Nixon, neither paid for with ASARCO funds, are the $4 million Bryant Creek State Park in Douglas County, located near the Ozark County line and approximately 22 miles southeast of Ava; and the $2.8 million Ozark Mountain State Park located in Taney County, northwest of Branson along Highway 465. The three new parks bring the total number of state parks in Missouri to 91.

These new state parks ensure that we can protect and preserve these valuable natural landscapes for generations to come, Gov. Nixon said in his announcement of the openings. At a time when other states are closing or even selling state parks or charging day use fees, we are expanding our system of state parks to offer more opportunities for Missourians to experience the outdoors, at no admission cost.

Missouri State Parks Director Bill Bryan said, These new parks were acquired to fill natural history gaps that were not previously represented in the state park system. For more than 20 years, the park system has been looking to add properties with these unique natural features for the public to enjoy.

According to Nixon's office, the new park lands "were selected based on goals identified in the 1992 Missouri State Park and Historic Site System Expansion Plan, which was developed following a nearly five-year process of public meetings, research and staff input. In 2004, Missouri State Parks also completed Missing Masterpieces: A Survey About Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites."

Bryan said plans for development of the properties and future use "are in the preliminary stages" with early development focusing on natural resource stewardship. The park system will hold a series of events to allow members of the public to see the properties and provide feedback on park planning.

The first of these events will be guided hikes on the property. They will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 6 at Ozark Mountain State Park, from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 7 at Eleven Point State Park and from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 8 at Bryant Creek State Park.

For information on where these hikes will begin, contact Missouri State Parks at 573-751-0761 or moparks@dnr.mo.gov. For those who cannot attend the hikes, a presentation and opportunity to provide feedback will also be available online at mostateparks.com beginning Jan 6.
MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - Claiming the intelligence received by President Barack Obama has been either 'incompetent or politicized,' former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani urged president-elect Donald Trump to conduct his own intelligence on Russia. Giuliani argued that comments from Obama downplaying the threats posed by Russia and ISIS prove that the intelligence received under the current administration is faulty. 'I would urge President Trump, when he becomes President Trump, to have his own intelligence people do their own report, let's find out who did it, and let's bang them back really hard,' Giuliani said in an interview on Fox News' 'Fox & Friends.' Giuliani also accused Obama of 'pettiness' with the sanctions announced in reaction to alleged Russian hacking related to the U.S. elections. 'Petty little actions like this don't mean very much. It's almost a mockery to say this is too little too late,' Giuliani said. 'It should have been done 10 months ago, 11 months ago, 12 months ago. If it is really true, the response should be much stronger.' The former mayor, a prominent Trump surrogate, also claimed the sanctions against Russia along with the decision to abstain from the vote on a United Nations resolution banning Israeli settlement construction reflect an effort to box Trump into a foreign policy corner. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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LEXINGTON, KY -- (Marketwired) -- 12/30/16 -- Rhino Resource Partners LP (OTCQB: RHNO) ("Rhino" or the "Partnership") announced today that it has entered into an option agreement (the "Option Agreement") with Royal Energy Resources, Inc. (OTCQB: ROYE) ("Royal"), Rhino Resource Partners Holdings, LLC ("Rhino Holdings"), an entity wholly-owned by certain investment partnerships managed by Yorktown Partners LLC ("Yorktown"), and Rhino GP LLC, the general partner of Rhino, whereby Rhino has received an option (the "Call Option") from Rhino Holdings to acquire substantially all of the outstanding common stock of Armstrong Energy, Inc. ("Armstrong Energy") that is currently owned by investment partnerships managed by Yorktown. The Option Agreement stipulates that Rhino can exercise the Call Option no earlier than January 1, 2018 and no later than December 31, 2019. In exchange for Rhino Holdings granting Rhino the Call Option to purchase Armstrong, the Partnership issued 5.0 million new common units (the "Call Option Premium Units") to Rhino Holdings upon the execution of the Option Agreement.

The Option Agreement stipulates Rhino can exercise the Call Option and purchase the common stock of Armstrong Energy, a coal producing company with mines located in the Illinois Basin in western Kentucky, in exchange for a number of newly issued Rhino common units to be issued to Rhino Holdings, which when added with the Call Option Premium Units discussed above, will result in Rhino Holdings owning 51% of the fully diluted common units of Rhino. The purchase of the Armstrong Energy common stock through the exercise of the Call Option would also require Royal to issue 51% ownership interest of Rhino GP, currently owned and controlled by Royal, to Rhino Holdings. The exercise of the Call Option in the Option Agreement is dependent upon a successful negotiation with the current bondholders of Armstrong Energy to restructure their bonds as well as the refinancing of the Partnership's current revolving credit facility.

The Option Agreement also contains an option (the "Put Option") granted from Rhino to Rhino Holdings whereby Rhino Holdings has the right, but not the obligation, to cause the Partnership to purchase substantially all of the outstanding common stock of Armstrong Energy from Rhino Holdings under the same terms and conditions discussed above for the Call Option. The exercise of the Put Option is dependent upon a successful negotiation with the current bondholders of Armstrong Energy to restructure their bonds as well as the termination and repayment of any outstanding balances under the Partnership's current revolving credit facility.

Rhino and Armstrong Energy will continue to operate and be governed as independent entities until the Call Option or Put Option is exercised if either such options were to occur.

Rhino also announced today that it has entered into a new preferred financing agreement (the "Financing Agreement") with a group of investors led by Weston Energy LLC, a Yorktown portfolio company. The investors will invest $15 million of cash in exchange for Series A Preferred units of Rhino. Rhino will use the proceeds to reduce its current outstanding debt under its credit facility as well as potentially expand the Partnership's metallurgical coal production in Central Appalachia to take advantage of the recent upturn in the worldwide metallurgical coal markets. The Series A Preferred has a five-year term and requires the Partnership to remit 50% of the free cash flow, as defined in the Financing Agreement, from Rhino's Central Appalachia operations, subject to an 8% minimum annual rate. The Series A Preferred can be converted into Rhino common units once a cumulative return of cash threshold is met under terms defined in the Financing Agreement.

About Rhino Resource Partners LP

Rhino Resource Partners LP is a diversified energy limited partnership that is focused on coal and energy related assets and activities, including energy infrastructure investments. Rhino produces metallurgical and steam coal in a variety of basins throughout the United States. Additional information regarding Rhino is available on its web site -- RhinoLP.com.

About Royal Energy Resources, Inc.

Royal Energy Resources, Inc. is a diversified energy company, with investments and holdings in coal, gas and renewable energy assets in North America. Royal is the majority equity owner of Rhino Resource Partners LP, and its general partner, Rhino GP LLC. Additional information regarding Royal is available on its web site -- royalenergy.us.

About Armstrong Energy, Inc.

Armstrong Energy, Inc., through its 100% wholly owned subsidiaries, is a leading producer of steam coal in the Illinois Basin. Armstrong controls over 550 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves and operates six mines in Western Kentucky. Armstrong ships coal to utilities via rail, truck and barge and has the capability to provide low cost custom blend coal to fuel virtually any electric power plant in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the nation. Additional information regarding Armstrong is available on its web site -- www.armstrongenergyinc.com.

About Yorktown Partners LLC

Yorktown Partners LLC is a private investment manager founded in 1991 that invests exclusively in the energy industry. Yorktown has raised 11 private equity funds totaling over $8 billion. The investors in Yorktown's funds include university endowments, foundations, families, insurance companies and other institutional investors.

Forward Looking Statements

Except for historical information, statements made in this press release are "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Rhino expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Rhino's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on Rhino's business, operating results, financial condition and similar matters. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting Rhino will turn out as Rhino anticipates. Whether actual results and developments in the future will conform to expectations is subject to significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond Rhino's control or ability to predict. Therefore, actual results and developments could materially differ from Rhino's historical experience, present expectations and what is expressed, implied or forecast in these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: Rhino's inability to obtain additional financing necessary to fund its capital expenditures, meet working capital needs and maintain and grow its operations or its inability to obtain alternative financing upon the expiration of its credit facility; Rhino's future levels of indebtedness, liquidity and compliance with debt covenants; volatility and recent declines in the price of Rhino's common units; sustained depressed levels of or decline in coal prices, which depend upon several factors such as the supply of domestic and foreign coal, the demand for domestic and foreign coal, governmental regulations, price and availability of alternative fuels for electricity generation and prevailing economic conditions; declines in demand for electricity and coal; current and future environmental laws and regulations, which could materially increase operating costs or limit Rhino's ability to produce and sell coal; extensive government regulation of mine operations, especially with respect to mine safety and health, which imposes significant actual and potential costs; difficulties in obtaining and/or renewing permits necessary for operations; the availability and prices of competing electricity generation fuels; a variety of operating risks, such as unfavorable geologic conditions, adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, mining and processing equipment unavailability, failures and unexpected maintenance problems and accidents, including fire and explosions from methane; poor mining conditions resulting from the effects of prior mining; the availability and costs of key supplies and commodities such as steel, diesel fuel and explosives; fluctuations in transportation costs or disruptions in transportation services, which could increase competition or impair Rhino's ability to supply coal; a shortage of skilled labor, increased labor costs or work stoppages; Rhino's ability to secure or acquire new or replacement high-quality coal reserves that are economically recoverable; material inaccuracies in Rhino's estimates of coal reserves and non-reserve coal deposits; existing and future laws and regulations regulating the emission of sulfur dioxide and other compounds, which could affect coal consumers and reduce demand for coal; federal and state laws restricting the emissions of greenhouse gases; Rhino's ability to acquire or failure to maintain, obtain or renew surety bonds used to secure obligations to reclaim mined property; Rhino's dependence on a few customers and its ability to find and retain customers under favorable supply contracts; changes in consumption patterns by utilities away from the use of coal, such as changes resulting from low natural gas prices; changes in governmental regulation of the electric utility industry; Rhino's ability to successfully diversify its operations into other non-coal natural resources; disruption in supplies of coal produced by contractors operating Rhino's mines; defects in title in properties that Rhino owns or losses of any of its leasehold interests; Rhino's ability to retain and attract senior management and other key personnel; material inaccuracy of assumptions underlying reclamation and mine closure obligations; and weakness in global economic conditions.

Other factors that could cause Rhino's actual results to differ from its projected results are described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Rhino undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law.

Investor Contact:

Scott Morris

+1 859.519.3622

smorris@rhinolp.com






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter on Friday to offer praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin.



The tweet from Trump came after Putin made it clear his government will not retaliate for U.S. punitive action against its 35 diplomatic officials.



'Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!' Trump said in the post on the social media site.



The Russian Foreign Ministry submitted a proposal to Putin to declare 35 U.S. diplomats - 31 personnel in the U.S. embassy in Moscow and four in the consulate general in St. Petersburg - persona non grata.



However, Putin did not accept the Foreign ministry's recommendation, saying Russia 'will not resort to irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-U.S. relations based on the policies of the Trump Administration.'



'The diplomats who are returning to Russia will spend the New Year's holidays with their families and friends,' Putin added. 'We will not create any problems for U.S. diplomats. We will not expel anyone.'



Putin concluded his statement by offering season's greetings to President Barack Obama and his family as well as Trump and the American people.



The decision by Putin came after Obama announced Thursday he has ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's alleged aggressive harassment of U.S. officials and cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election.



The actions ordered by Obama include sanctions on nine entities and individuals, including two Russian intelligence services, the GRU and the FSB.



Four individual officers of the GRU and three companies that provided material support to the GRU's cyber operations were also sanctioned.



Obama said the State Department is also shutting down two compounds used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes and ejecting 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the U.S.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/30/16 -- US Oil Sands Inc. ("US Oil Sands" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: USO), an innovator of oil extraction technologies, announces that the Company is proceeding with the previously announced share consolidation on the basis of one post-consolidation common share for every 50 pre-consolidation common shares (the "Consolidation") and the outstanding common shares will commence trading on a consolidated basis at the opening of trading on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 on the TSX Venture Exchange under the Company's existing trading symbol "USO". The shareholders approved the Consolidation at the annual and special meeting of shareholders held on May 18, 2016.

No fractional shares will be issued pursuant to the Consolidation and fractional entitlements will be rounded down to the next lowest whole number of post-consolidated common shares. Registered shareholders will be required to exchange their existing share certificates or DRS advice representing pre-consolidated common shares for post-consolidated common shares, by submitting their old certificates or information respecting the applicable DRS advice, together with a completed and signed Letter of Transmittal, to the Company 's transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada. Letters of Transmittal will be sent directly to registered shareholders and may also be obtained from Computershare Trust Company of Canada, P.O. Box 7021, 31 Adelaide Street E, Toronto, ON M5C 3H2 Attention: Corporate Actions (Tel: 1-800-564-6253) or downloaded from SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

ABOUT US OIL SANDS INC.

US Oil Sands is engaged in the exploration and development of oil sands properties and, through its wholly owned United States subsidiary US Oil Sands (Utah) Inc., has a 100% interest in bitumen leases covering 32,005 acres of land in Utah's Uinta Basin. The Company plans to develop its oil sands properties using its proprietary extraction process which uses a bio-solvent to extract bitumen from oil sands without the need for tailings ponds. The Company is in the pre-production stage, anticipating the commencement of bitumen production and sales once it has completed commissioning and start-up of its PR Spring Project.

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:

US Oil Sands Inc.

Cameron Todd

CEO

+1 403 233 9366

info@usoilsandsinc.com



US Oil Sands Inc.

Glen Snarr

President & CFO

+1 403 233 9366

info@usoilsandsinc.com

www.usoilsandsinc.com



Investor Relations

Jack Copping

Manager, Corporate Development

+1 403 233 9366 ext. 27

jack.copping@usoilsandsinc.com




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 30, 2016) - Canamex Resources Corp. (TSXV: CSQ) (OTCQX: CNMXF) (FSE: CX6) ("Canamex" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the second and final tranche of a non-brokered private placement of units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.16 per Unit for gross proceeds of $245,000 ("Unit Offering").

Accordingly, on December 30, 2016 the Company issued a total of 1,531,300 Units, each Unit being comprised of one (1) common share and one (1) transferable share purchase warrant ("Unit Warrant"). Each Unit Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) additional common share (the "Unit Warrant Share") at a price of $0.20 per Unit Warrant share for five (5) years from the date of issuance of the Unit Warrant.

In connection with the final tranche of the Unit Offering, the Company paid to one qualified party a finder's fee of $14,000 and issued 87,500 compensation warrants, which have terms similar to the Unit Warrants described above.

These securities, including any shares that may be issued on exercise of the Unit Warrants or compensation warrants issued to the finder, will be subject to a hold period expiring on May 1, 2017, and will be subject to such further restrictions on resale as may apply under applicable foreign securities laws.

This news release follows the Company's news release of October 25, 2016, in which Canamex raised gross proceeds of $716,350 in the first tranche of the Unit Offering. In both tranches of the Unit Offering, Canamex raised total gross proceeds of $961,350.

The proceeds from the Unit Offering will be used for permitting, drilling and metallurgy at the Company's Bruner Gold Property in Nye County, Nevada, and for general working capital.

The board of directors and management of Canamex would like to wish all of our shareholders, investors and the general public a very happy holiday season and a very Happy New Year in 2017.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SIGNED: "Mark Billings"

Mark Billings, Chairman and CEO

Contact: (514) 296-1641, mbillings@canamex.us



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.
Two Hindi cinema juggernauts are scheduled to release their autobiographies next month as announced by them on Twitter. Quite active on the micro blogging website, filmmaker Karan Johar and veteran actor Rishi Kapoor announced details of their autobiographies from their accounts.

While both of them had announced that they were working on their autobiographies earlier this year, Johar unveiled the trailer of the book on Twitter on the same day as Kapoor announced the release date of his book.

Johar's autobiography is titled An Unsuitable Boy, a reference to Vikram Seth's critically acclaimed book A Suitable Boy. It will explore the director's life in his personal capacity rather than the many professional hats he has donned over the years. Johar, who has co-written the book with Poonam Saxena, was planning to unveil the book on his 44th birthday on 25 May but went on to push the release to January 2017.

He spoke briefly about the book at the ninth Jaipur Literature Festival in January where he discussed his effeminate side and body shaming issues in his childhood. He also added that he has gone no holds barred on the same in his book.

However, Johar is not the only one who is going to narrate the story of his life come January. His collaborator in films like Student of the Year, Rishi Kapoor will also unveil his unabashed and uninhibited autobiography on 15 January, as revealed by the actor on Twitter.

The autobiography is aptly titled Khullam Khulla which is an appropriate adjective to his uncensored commentary on issues as well as a witty reference to his song from Ravi Tandon's 1975 romantic drama Khel Khel Mein which featured Rishi and his wife Neetu Kapoor.

My autobiography-Rishi Kapoor-uncensored! "Khullam Khulla"releases 15th January.This one's from the heart, my life and times, as I lived it! pic.twitter.com/pUyUoto35g  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) December 29, 2016

While Johar's autobiography is expected to be pensive and intense, Rishi's is touted as a humorous and light read just like the jolly off-screen personality of the actor. Irrespective of the genre, the filmy fans eagerly await January so that they can dig deeper into the lives of their favourite filmmaker and actor.
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New Delhi: After Airtel, Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank is set to launch its services in the first half of 2017. Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank is a 51:49 joint venture

between Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (ABNL) and telecom major Idea Cellular, respectively.

"The first half of 2017 will also see the launch of Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank," Idea Cellular Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rajat Mukarji said.

In November, Airtel Payments Bank became the first payments bank to go live in the country with the rollout of its banking services in Rajasthan. Since then, it has expanded services to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well. Airtel had said the pilot rollout in Rajasthan saw over one lakh customers opening savings accounts in less than two weeks of commencement of services.

With the objective of deepening financial inclusion, RBI kicked off an era of differentiated banking by allowing SFBs (small finance banks) and PBs (payments banks) to start services. A total of 21 entities were given in-principle nod last year, including 11 for payments banks. Later, three entities -- Tech Mahindra, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company and a consortium of Dilip Shanghvi, IDFC Bank and Telenor Financial Services -- backed out of the payments bank licensing.

Payments banks can accept deposits from individuals and small businesses up to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh per account.

Idea Cellular, which holds nearly 900 MHz of spectrum across TDD and FDD bands, also plans to expand its range of Idea-branded digital content across movies, music, TV, games, news and digital wallet, Mukarji said.
With less than 36 hours for the 31 December deadline, the Income Tax (I-T) department staff and officials are burning the midnight oil to complete the scrutiny assessment.

Advancing of the scrutiny deadline, demonetisation and verification of lakhs of bank accounts  all have compounded into an unprecedented workload which the department is grappling with.

The direct tax departments offices at Civic Centre on Minto Road, CR Building at ITO, Aaykar Bhawan at Laxmi Nagar in New Delhi to name a few are abuzz even after midnight, as the officials are busy in the disposal of time-barred assessment cases, which was 3.66 lakh as on 1 April.

Scrutiny assessment is the examination of the I-T returns by giving an opportunity to the assessee to substantiate the income declared and the expenses, deductions, etc claimed in the returns with evidences. The purpose of the I-T department is to verify whether the assessee has correctly shown his/her income or not.

Despite assessment, verification, search and seizures being a routine job, why has it become a Herculean task for the I-T department to meet governments demand this time?

Five key reasons

1. Advancing of the assessment deadline: Earlier, the last date of disposal of scrutiny cases was 31 March, which has been changed to 31 December from this year.

2. Demonetisation effect: After PM Narendra Modi announced demonetisation on 8 November, the I-T department got down to verifying bank accounts where large sums of money have been deposited. After 31 December, the banks will compile details of accounts where cash has been deposited and hand over a CD to I-T department by January end. There are 25 crore Jan Dhan accounts and money has been deposited in these accounts. Now the department besides its routine work, will also have to verify the suspected accounts, send notices, follow it uplarge number of cases will come up. Its going to be a mammoth job, an I-T official said.

3. Staff crunch: According to the I-T department, theres shortage of staff at multiple levels. Theres 35% shortfall at staff level. The department is top heavy, with more number of chief and principle commissioners, whereas theres acute shortage at deputy and assistant commissioner and assessment officer levels. Due to shortage of inspectors, field work is getting badly affected. Now, post-demonetisation, pressure on staff will increase multifold, Ashok Kumar Kanojia, president, Income Tax Employees Federation (ITEF), New Delhi said.

4. Infrastructure bottleneck: Government promised laptops but has not yet been given. Privacy is a problem as two officers have to share a single room and an assessee would not like to talk in presence of another officer. Besides, the department has to do online scrutiny, but the capacity of the server is so low that often an officer has to wait for long to download information. Internet bandwidth is very low in comparison to the workload, so it takes long hours to dispose cases, added associations general secretary Ajay Sharma.

5. Jugglery of numbers: Out of nearly 25 crore Permanent Account Number (PAN) registered with the I-T department, only 5.6 crore file I-T Returns. According to I-T department, nearly 3 crore people pay taxes. The department conducts scrutiny on 1% of the total cases of declarations. As on 1 April, there were 3.66 lakh scrutiny cases, which has increased by more than a lakh as on date. This itself speaks about the gigantic proportion of workload, an official remarked.

Tough days ahead

The tax officials have predicted 2017 as a tough time for them.

The workload will increase in days to come as the I-T officials would now deal with the information coming from banks. The department has been facing staff crunch for quite some time and itll have to manage with the existing staff, added former chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Praksah Chandra.

The department staff and officials have been working without any weekly-offs to meet the deadline. For the last three months large number of staff members hasnt even taken any leave. It has become cumbersome due to shortage of staff and lack of adequate infrastructure. Several times weve communicated it to the government, but to no avail. We dont have any magic wand to complete this humongous workload, added Kanojia.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers and Income Tax Employees Federation have given a one-day strike call on 15 February. The 21-point charter of demands of the joint call includes the problems being faced by the tax department.

Yet hopes are alive

There are hurdles, staff crunch, etc, but as the department is accountable towards disposal of time-barring cases, every case will be completed within deadline, how difficult it may be. Despite mounting pressure, we know the department staff will ultimately perform, said general secretary, IRS Association, Jayant Mishra said.
In an attempt to push for digital payments after the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, prime minister Narendra Modi today launched the BHIM app, which enables easier transaction.

"This is the treasury of the poor to digital payments," the prime minister said in his speech at the first weekly draw for Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana launched to encourage merchants to push adapt digital payments.

"In two weeks, India will radical shift to digital payments with just their fingerprint with this BHIM we've launched today," Modi said.

Here are all the facts you need to know about the app as explained by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which developed it:

What is Bharat Interface for Money?

Bharat Interface for Money is an app that lets you make easy and quick payment transactions using UPI. Its easier than Wallets! You will not have to fill-out those tedious bank account details again and again. You can easily make direct bank to bank payments and instantly collect money using just Mobile number or Payment address.



How fast is a transaction over Bharat Interface for Money?

As fast as it can get! All payments over Bharat Interface for Money are linked to your bank account and transaction can be completed within few seconds.

Are there any charges for using Bharat Interface for Money?

There are no charges for making transaction through Bharat Interface for Money. Note - Your bank might however levy a nominal charge as UPI or IMPS transfer fee which is not under our control. Please check with your bank for more details.

What do I need to start using Bharat Interface for Money?

Bharat Interface for Money app is currently available on Android (Version 8 and above) and iOS mobiles (Version 5 and above). We will be making our app available on other platforms very soon.

Is Bharat Interface for Money app compatible with every Mobile OS?

To start using Bharat Interface for Money all you need is a Smartphone, Internet access, an Indian bank account that supports UPI payments and mobile number linked to the bank account. Link your bank account to UPI through the app.

Do I need to enable mobile banking on my bank account to use Bharat Interface for Money?

Your account need not be enabled for mobile banking to use Bharat Interface for Money. Your mobile number shall have to be registered with the Bank.

Do I need to be a customer of particular bank to use Bharat Interface for Money?

To enable transfers directly using your bank account, your bank needs to be live on UPI (Unified Payment Interface) platform. All the banks, which are currently live on UPI, have been listed in the Bharat Interface for Money app.

How to I set the UPI-PIN for my bank account from Bharat Interface for Money?

You can set your UPI PIN by going to Main Menu -Bank Accounts -Set UPI-PIN for the selected account. You will be prompted to enter the last 6 digits of your Debit/ATM card along with the expiry date. You will then receive an OTP which you will enter and set your UPI PIN. Note - 'UPI-PIN is not the same as MPIN provided by your bank for mobile banking'.



Can I link multiple bank accounts with Bharat Interface for Money?

Currently, Bharat Interface for Money supports linking of one Bank only. At the time of account set-up, you can link your preferred bank account as the default account. In case you want to link another bank account, you can go to Main menu, choose Bank Accounts and select your default account. Any money that is transferred to you using your mobile number or payment address will be credited into your default account.

Why does my mobile number with Bharat Interface for Money and the one registered with my bank account have to be the same?

This is a banking network (UPI) requirement. The mobile number which is used to register with Bharat Interface for Money is used to match the bank accounts linked against it.

Do I have to give Bharat Interface for Money my bank a/c details?

At the time of registartion you will be providing us with the Debit card details and with the use your mobile number registered to your bank account, we will pre-fetch the details from your bank. All the information exchange happens over secure banking networks and we don't store it, your information is safe!

Can I send money to anyone using Bharat Interface for Money?

Yes, you can send money using the Bharat Interface for Money app from your UPI enabled bank account. You will need to register and set a UPI PIN using the debit card details linked to the bank account. If your beneficiarys bank account is also linked to UPI, you can simply use their mobile mobile number or Payment Address to transfer.If not, you can use IFSC code, Bank account or MMID , Mobile number to send money.



Do money transfers happen on Bharat Interface for Money only during banking hours?

All payments are instant and 24/7, regardless of your bank's working hours!

I have paid for my transaction but not received anything. What is that?

Once you complete a transaction, you should see a success status on the Bharat Interface for Money screen and receive an SMS from your bank. In some cases due to operator issues it can take longer time. In case you have not received your confirmation within an hour please contact our customer support at your bank.

How can I view my transaction history?

Go to Bharat Interface for Money Home Screen ->Transaction History. to view all your past and pending transactions.

How do I send money?

From the Bharat Interface for Money app Home screen,

1) Click Send Money Option;

2) Enter or select the receiver's mobile number or Payment Address (you can select from your contact list or enter it) or Aadhaar number

3) Enter the amount you want to send

4) Your default bank a/c gets selected

5) Enter UPI PIN and send

Alternately, you can also scan a QR code and pay via the 'Scan & Pay' option.

How do I request money?

From the Bharat Interface for Money app Home screen,

1) Select Request Money

2) Enter or select the receiver's mobile number or Payment Address (you can select from your contact list or enter it) or Adhaar number

3) Enter the amount you want to request

4) Click Send

This transaction will remain pending until the payment is received. You will be notified when the money is transferred to you. You may also request money by sharing your QR code. Goto Home Screen->Profile->Choose account to get QR code

Can I send money to a friend not on Bharat Interface for Money?

Yes. Payment can be made via (IFSC, Account number) or (MMID, Mobile number) if the person is not registered on Bharat Interface for Money.

What types of transactions can I do using Bharat Interface for Money?

Through Bharat Interface for Money you can make following type of transaction,

1. Request or Send Money via Payment Address

2. Send Money to Aadhaar Number

3. Request or Send Money to Mobile number

4. Send Money through MMID , Mobile No.

5. Send Money through IFSC code, Account No.

6. In addition, you can use the scan and pay option for Merchant payments.

How do I access a record of all my historical transactions?

Every transaction through your bank account will be recorded by the Bank and you can view all your past transactions in the 'Transaction History' section on the Bharat Interface for Money App.

My send money transaction is failing, help!

To avoid transaction failures,

1) Ensure that the UPI-PIN is entered correctly.

2) If the receiver is not on Bharat Interface for Money choose to pay via IFSC instead of mobile number.

The collect request is not reaching the Bharat Interface for Money app. What do I do?

In this case, please first check the data connectivity. If you have entered your Payment Address at the merchant app, please re-check your Payment Address and re-try the transaction. Please check your pending transactions tab to check if the collect request has reached you.
NEW DELHI China has blocked India's request to add the head of the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad to a U.N. Security Council blacklist of groups linked to al Qaeda, India said on Friday.India has accused Jaish-e-Mohammad and its top leader, Maulana Masood Azhar, of masterminding several attacks, including a deadly assault on an Indian air base in January.Pakistani security officials interrogated Azhar and his associates after the attack, and said they found no evidence linking him to it.Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council, but not Azhar, an Islamist hardliner and long-time foe of India.Foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said that India had requested that Azhar be added to the list nine months ago and had received strong backing from all other members of the council.But China, which put a hold on the move in April, had now blocked it, he said.

"We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism," he said in a statement.Swarup added that the inability of the international community to take the step showed the "prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism".China's foreign ministry said there were different views about the case, so China had put forward a "technical shelving" to give more time for consultation, but that regretfully no consensus had been reached.

China's aim is to maintain the authority and effectiveness of name listing by the committee discussing the case, which accords with Security Council resolutions and is the responsible thing to do, it said in a statement sent to Reuters.China will continue to maintain communication with all parties, it added.

India has long accused its neighbour and rival Pakistan of using Jaish-e-Mohammad as a proxy to mount attacks on Indian soil, including in the disputed Kashmir region, and earlier gave what it called "actionable intelligence" to Pakistan, including telephone intercepts.Pakistan denies giving any aid to Kashmir-based militants.If Azhar was blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council, he would face a global travel ban and asset freeze. (Reporting by Paritosh Bansal in NEW DELHI and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; editing by Mike Collett-White and Jason Neely)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Rupam Jain

| NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI Cash shortages weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to abolish large currency notes are making allies and members of his ruling party anxious, with some distancing themselves from the move ahead of a series of state elections.Modi removed 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, worth around $7.50 and $15 respectively, on Nov. 8, billing it as an attempt to root out corruption, end terror financing and move the country into the age of digital payments.He promised to replace all old bills with enough new currency notes by the end of this month. But his government has struggled to do that, leading to long lines at banks and a slump in economy activity. Nearly 90 percent of transactions in India used to be in cash.Interviews with six lawmakers from Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a senior leader of the party's ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), show his party cadre is starting to worry that the cash crunch could hurt their prospects in several states that go to the polls next year.Some parliamentarians said that while they thought Modi's decision was good, its execution had been botched and they were faced with constituents who were increasingly upset."There is no doubt that it is difficult to convince voters that everything will be fine," said Santosh Gangwar, the junior finance minister who is leading the BJP campaign in Uttar Pradesh. "Every candidate who will be contesting polls is nervous because they feel people may not vote for the BJP ... There is tension and we cannot deny it," he said. Of the BJP's 71 MPs from Uttar Pradesh, 28 have been to BJP President Amit Shah and the finance minister's office to seek solutions for the cash crunch, said a senior finance ministry official.BJP EXPECTS "BIG VICTORY"

BJP spokesman G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said that despite temporary difficulties, the prime minister continued to enjoy overwhelming support."Party cadres are highly enthused about a big victory in upcoming elections, and if a few are apprehensive, they will realise the reality soon," Rao said. Disquiet within the BJP underscores how Modi's unprecedented bet is turning into a test of popularity, and could go some way to determining his political future.It has become a central issue in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, where the outcome of elections early next year will be key for Modi's expected bid for a second term in 2019. The opposition, led by the Congress party, has joined forces, mocking the government for being ill-prepared for so-called "demonetisation" and blaming it for hardships faced by the poor as a result. It has called for Modi's resignation. The senior RSS official said they had counselled Modi days before the move to take time to prepare the ground for such a massive exercise, including setting up two new mints and expanding the banking network, and to roll it out in phases.

But the prime minister decided to press ahead, and he alone would bear responsibility for its failure or success, the official added. Earlier this month, N. Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and a political ally of Modi, abruptly distanced himself from the move. Modi and senior members of his cabinet defend demonetisation. In an interview with India Today magazine on Thursday, Modi said it would give the economy a boost and provide long-term benefits, including forcing the country's vast shadow economy into the open."GRIM SITUATION"

Modi's announcement enjoyed popular support at first, with many people prepared to endure hardship as long as others were forced to give up ill-gotten wealth or pay tax.But shortages of new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes have caused tempers to rise as millions queue at banks and ATMs to draw money. Last week, more than three dozen BJP lawmakers, many of whom came from states that go to polls next year, met with Shah to demand that the government sends more cash to their constituencies, and quickly. The MPs told Shah about severe cash shortages and hardship to local businesses and ordinary people, according to several lawmakers who attended the meeting.They told the BJP president that they did not have the courage to hold election rallies at a time when people still had to stand in line, sometimes for hours, to get money. Some said they had not started door-to-door campaigning. "The situation is grim, and we cannot ignore it," Jagdambika Pal, a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh who attended the meeting, told Reuters. "It is a challenge for every BJP lawmaker to manage the situation, but we cannot do anything if there is no money in the banks."($1 = 67.9550 rupees) (Additional reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh and Manoj Kumar; Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Mike Collett-White)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Mayank Bhardwaj

| NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday defended his decision to withdraw high denomination bank notes from circulation, as a deadline to end severe cash shortages passed with Indians still queuing at banks to deposit savings and withdraw money.Modi abolished 500 and 1,000 rupee bills on Nov. 8, taking out 86 percent of cash in circulation, in a bid to fight corruption, end terror financing and turn India into a cashless society.The move, however, caused a major cash crunch as the government struggled to replace old notes with new 500 and 2,000 rupee bills. Modi had asked for 50 days, until the end of this month, to ease the crisis.Speaking in New Delhi at the launch of a digital payment app linked with a nationwide biometric database, Modi exhorted Indians to reduce their dependence on cash."The world is surprised to see the way we've overcome the challenge after 86 percent of cash was withdrawn," Modi said. He is expected to address the nation on New Year's Eve to further talk about so-called "demonetisation".While cash shortages have eased somewhat, bankers and analysts said the situation is far from normal and could last at least another six months. They said the move could hit economic growth and lead to job losses and a drop in demand for goods.

Only 35-40 percent of ATM machines were dispensing cash, according to Ramaswamy Venkatachalam, managing director, India and South Asia, Fidelity Information Services, a banking technology provider. The government has put a weekly cap on how much an individual can withdraw from an account at 24,000 rupees, but many banks were only handing out 10-15,000 rupees to clients because they did not have enough cash to go around, said Harvinder Singh, general secretary of All India Bank Officers' Association, which represents nearly 300,000 bankers.Singh said ATM operations were unlikely to be normal before the end of February.

"I'm here to deposit a few old notes before the deadline expires," said Rakesh Kumar, lining up outside a bank in New Delhi."But I expect the government and RBI (central bank) to quickly replenish banks and ATMs with new notes so that we can withdraw without any trouble."Modi's radical decision is turning into a test of his popularity, and is already a central issue in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, where the outcome of state elections early next year will be key for Modi's expected bid for a second term in 2019.The cash shortages have started to make some allies and members of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party anxious, with some distancing themselves from the move.

The opposition, led by the Congress party, has joined forces, mocking the government for being ill-prepared and blaming it for hardships faced by the poor as a result. It has called for Modi's resignation."In the last 50 days, the people have been put (through) enormous hardship and suffering," said P. Chidambaram, a senior leader from opposition Congress party and former finance minister."Altogether, the whole exercise has been a case of total mismanagement, administrative collapse and widespread corruption," Chidambaram added, accusing the government of taking the decision in haste.Chidambaram said Modi should make "a categorical announcement" that all curbs on cash withdrawals would end. (Additional reporting by Manoj Kumar and Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Nick Macfie and Mike Collett-White)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Jonathan Stempel

| NEW YORK

NEW YORK A founder of Run-DMC on Thursday filed a lawsuit accusing Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) of selling a wide variety of clothing and accessories bearing the pioneering rap group's name without permission.Darryl McDaniels, the owner of Run-DMC Brand LLC, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, is seeking at least $50 million of damages from the retailers and other defendants over their alleged sale of glasses, hats, patches, T-shirts, wallets and other products that infringe the Run-DMC trademark registered in 2007.McDaniels called the Run-DMC brand "extremely valuable," and said it is the subject of several licensing agreements, including to endorse sneakers from Adidas AG (ADSGn.DE).He said the defendants are confusing consumers into believing that Run-DMC endorsed their products and are trading on the goodwill associated with the name, in violation of federal trademark and New York unfair competition laws.

"Plaintiff will suffer immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage" unless the infringements are stopped, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.Other defendants include Jet.com, an online retailer that Wal-Mart bought, and a variety of companies that do business with Amazon or sell products through Amazon.

Amazon, Wal-Mart and Jet.com did not immediately respond to requests for comment. McDaniels' lawyer did not immediately respond to similar requests.Run-DMC was founded in the New York City borough of Queens in 1981 by McDaniels, Joseph "Run" Simmons and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell. It became one of the best-known rap acts of the 1980s, including for the album "Raising Hell" and such songs as the Aerosmith cover "Walk This Way" and "My Adidas."

In 2009, Run-DMC became the second rap act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.The case is Run-DMC Brand LLC v Amazon.com Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-10011. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Rina Chandran

MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - One of Mumbai's best known colleges has banned female students from wearing ripped jeans, sparking the latest row against dress codes and curfews imposed on women that students say are discriminatory and sexist.St. Xavier's College, which had previously forbidden female students from wearing shorts, sleeveless tops and short dresses, this month added ripped jeans to its list of banned clothing.The Jesuit institution became the latest to incur the wrath of female students across the country who have been protesting rules that they say are discriminatory and distressing.Most universities in India have a 6 pm or 8 pm curfew for women, while men have a later timing, or no curfew. Universities also impose dress codes on women, limit or screen their male visitors, and have other rules that men don't. "In the name of safety, you can't police women and impose these patriarchal, discriminatory rules," said Devangana Kalita, a former Delhi University student who is part of Pinjra Tod, or break the cage, a Delhi-wide campaign protesting such rules."We want universities to recognise that we are adults, and that they should not be curbing our freedom and mobility. Providing a safe environment for women goes beyond just imposing rules," she said.Calls to staff at St. Xavier's College for a comment on the recent ban were not returned.

The Dean of Student Welfare in Delhi University, J.M. Khurana, said he was not aware of Pinjra Tod and that he did not wish to comment on university rules.The safety of women in India came under the spotlight after the fatal gang rape of a college student in New Delhi on a bus in December 2012 that sparked global outrage and led to the tightening of laws for crimes against women in India.Amid a widening debate on women's safety in the country, some politicians, university officials and even the police have asked women to take self-defence training, to "dress decently" and to not loiter outside after dark.

But students have demanded an end to curfews, and asked officials to focus instead on safer public transport, more female campus security personnel and better lighting in and around campuses.Kalita said early curfews are keeping women from internships, employment opportunities and campus activities."Universities say: 'your parents want the curfew'. But it's an absurd argument," Kalita said.Elsewhere, particularly in the more conservative southern states, the situation is worse, said Vandana Venkatesh, who surveyed colleges in Tamil Nadu state earlier this year.

Women students reported physical intimidation and threats of violence from college authorities for questioning discriminatory rules, she said."Many of them complained about feeling claustrophobic, anxious and belittled," she said.Earlier this month, women students in a college in the southern state of Kerala protested the hostel's 4 pm curfew and a rule banning mobile phones."There is a sense of collective strength and power now. The more women there are out on the streets, in public places, the safer we will be," Kalita said. (Reporting by Rina Chandran @rinachandran, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; 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 to see more stories.)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
In a sensational claim, a suspended Maharashtra ATS officer has told a Solapur court that two of the absconding accused in 2008 Malegaon blasts case are in fact dead but falsely shown as "alive" by high ranking police officers.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the allegation by Anti-Terrorism Squad's(ATS) former senior inspector Mehmood Mujawar as "quite serious" and said the government will look into the matter.

The application filed in August before a magistrate court in Solapur claimed that Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra, who are among the accused in the Malegaon blasts case, are "no more". The details of the application surfaced in public domain on Thursday.

Notably, Mujawar was suspended after a case under Arms Act and criminal intimidation was filed against him in a Solapur court.

"Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra are in fact no more but are shown alive in Malegaon bomb blast case by high ranking police officers," Mujawar alleged.

The application was filed in the court by Mujawar on 19 August this year seeking early disposal of the case under Arms Act registered against him.

Mujawar, in his application, alleged that the case was filed against him as a conspiracy and was a pressure tactic as he wanted to reveal the truth about the "death" of Dange and Kalsangra.

When asked about Mujawar's claim, former ATS chief KP Raghuvanshi rubbished it, saying, "I don't even remember who this Mujawar is or if he was even part of the team that investigated the case."

"At least, in my tenure in ATS, nothing of this sort has happened," Raghuvanshi told PTI.

A retired police official, who has worked in the ATS, questioned Mujawar's claim, asking as to why the allegation is being made now after eight years.

"Who had stopped this official from revealing these important facts before? We must not believe these claims," the official, requesting anonymity, said.

A bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded in Malegaon on 29 September 2008, killing seven people and injuring around 100.

"Although the allegations are quite serious, we will have to look into it because why since 2009 no action has been taken. The concerned person says that the letter was sent to DG(DGP) and still there is no action taken.

"So I think we need to verify whether what is stated in the letter is really true, whether it is really genuine. I think, as of now I can only say that we will have a serious look at the entire episode," Fadnavis told reporters when asked to comment on the claim by Mujawar. NCP spokesman Nawab Malik demanded a probe into the allegation.

According to the investigating agencies, the Malegaon blasts was carried out by right wing extremists and a total of 11 persons are presently in jail in the case, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

The state ATS, which was initially probing the case, had charged the accused under various sections of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code, Indian Explosives Act and the Arms Act.

However, when the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the agency filed a supplementary chargesheet by which charges under MCOCA were dropped on the ground that there wasn't sufficient material.

The NIA chargesheet also dropped Sadhvi and five others from the list of the accused. Apart from Sadhvi, those given clean chit by NIA are Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Shyam Sahu, Praveen Takkalki, Lokesh Sharma and Dhan Singh.

Sticking to his claims, Mujawar alleged that he was slapped with a false case with the intention of "suppressing the truth" about which he had informed the police top brass eight years back.

"I have filed an affidavit before the Solapur court regarding a false case against me in which trial is going on. Senior officials implicated me in a false case because I am aware about the killing of Sandeep Dange and Ramjee Kalsangra," Mujawar told PTI.

"To suppress this information, a false case was made against me. I won't name anyone. But, will tell everything in court. Whatever I want to speak I will speak in court only. I don't want to do media trial," he said.

"I had given this information to (the then) Director General of Police eight years before. I had sent messages to my seniors in this regard," he said.

With inputs from PTI
The Delhi High Court on Friday, on the Central Bureau Investigation's (CBI) plea, issued a notice to ex-Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi against the bail given to him on 26 December. Tyagi was granted bail by a special court in Delhi which said that the CBI had failed to state the alleged bribe amount and when it was paid. The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi on CBI's plea challenging his bail claiming its probe would be "hampered" if he remains out. Justice Vipin Sanghi issued notice to Tyagi and listed the matter for hearing on 3 January.

#FLASH: Agusta Westland case: On the plea of CBI, Delhi High Court issues notice to ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi against bail given to him  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Tyagi, who retired in 2007, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan were arrested on 9 December by the CBI in connection with a case which relates to the procurement of 12 VVIP choppers from the UK-based firm Finmeccanica, during the UPA-2 regime. The Patiala House Court on Friday extended the judicial custody of SP Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan for 14 days.The court will decide the bail pleas of Sanjeev Tyagi and Khaitan on 4 January.

#AgustaWestland : Patiala House Court extends judicial custody of SP Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan for 14 days.  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Tyagi, 72, who was interrogated by the CBI in its custody for seven days, had been asked by special CBI judge Arvind Kumar to furnish a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety of like amount as pre-requisites for his release on bail.

The court had asked Tyagi not to leave the National Capital Region (NCR) without its permission and ordered him not to tamper with the evidence or try to influence the witnesses.

"CBI failed to state as to how much cash was paid to the accused and when it was paid. Admittedly, the CBI has seized the documents regarding properties in 2013 and more than three years and nine months have passed but could not conduct probe in this regard. Accused was arrested after about three years and nine months, LOC was withdrawn by CBI, his accounts were de-frozed after the agency gave 'no objection' and accused was allowed to travel abroad," the court, in its 26 December order, had said.

It had noted that Tyagi had joined the investigation as and when CBI called him and it was not the case that he either tampered with evidence after registration of the FIR or influenced witnesses in the case.

"CBI's apprehension that the accused may tamper with the evidence is without any basis... Accused has been a senior government servant. The correctness or otherwise of the allegation as to whether the accused has taken any kickbacks and in what manner he was connected with the same, can only be looked into during the course of the trial," it had said.

While granting the relief, the court had taken note of Tyagi's advancing age and his health conditions and had said no purpose would be served by keeping him behind the bars.

During the hearing, Tyagi's advocate Manger Guruswamy had said that her client "could not be deprived of freedom if the investigation is taking time to complete".

She had also claimed that in the last four years after registration of the FIR, the CBI has never been able to confront Tyagi with any incriminating evidence till date.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, had opposed the bail pleas of the accused, saying if set free, they might influence witnesses and hamper the "multi-layered probe by various agencies in more than one jurisdictions involving several countries".

"We have evidence where the meetings unofficially took place for the purpose of crime. At this stage, please do not entertain their bail pleas. Let the probe be completed," he had said, seeking dismissal of the bail pleas of all the three accused and adding the matter has "tarnished country's name".

On the court's query whether the CBI had any material regarding SP Tyagi receiving money, the agency replied the former IAF chief had purchased several properties for which the sources of income were not disclosed by him and alleged that he had abused his official position.

Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, counsel for Khaitan, had also countered CBI's argument, claiming that the agency was trying to sensationalise the matter and there was no allegation that his client had not joined the probe or tried to influence it.

Sanjeev Tyagi's counsel Manav Gupta had also opposed CBI's contention saying there was no reason to claim that if granted the relief, his client would hamper the probe.

The accused had sought bail on the grounds that the evidence was documentary in nature and had already been seized by CBI and they have cooperated with the probe agency.

The court had on 17 December sent all the three accused to judicial custody till 30 December.

The CBI had said it was a "very serious" and "a very high-profile" case requiring interrogation to unearth larger conspiracy as the "interest of the nation was compromised".

Tyagi's counsel had earlier claimed that the decision to procure VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland was a "collective" one and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was also a part of it.

With inputs from PTI
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that made a humble beginning in 1969 with a small strength of 3,129 men, has witnessed an exponential growth in terms of strength, portfolio and revenue earning. Today, with the latest sanctioned strength of 1.8 lakh armed personnel and 12 battalions, the CISF will be the worlds third largest aviation security expert by 2020. The only security force that earns its own salary, CISF has been aiming to be the largest player in the aviation security market by 2030.

On various aspects of the security force that guards the economic installations of the country, the CISFs director-general, OP Singh, a 1983 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre spoke to Firstpost in an exclusive interview. Edited excerpts follow:

Prior to your appointment as CISF chief, you had been the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) chief and had stints in the CRPF and Special Protection Group (SPG). What challenges do you perceive as director-general of CISF?

I have worked with the CISF earlier and was in charge of 59 airports in the country. But it was only for a year. Working in the paramilitary forces is a challenging task and each (unit) has its own different way of performing its duty and dealing with crises and humanitarian work. CISF was created to secure the industrial environment. After the 1956 industrial policy, the country witnessed the emergence of large public sector undertakings (PSUs) and lots of industries. Following economic liberalisation and globalisation, there was a surge in the industrial sector and security of this sector became paramount. It emerged as a futuristic force, where the need was to secure the most sensitive installations and also those sectors like airports, seaports, Metro rail etc that have a direct impact on our economy. Our role is to protect all these vital economic installations in government, public and private sectors. Were even protecting heritage sites.

How challenging is it for CISF to secure airports, especially after the Kandahar incident in which IA flight IC-814 was hijacked in 1999?

After the hijacking incident, the government decided to revamp airport security system in a big way, when the need was felt to give the responsibility of securing airports to a professional, dedicated and strong force. CISF was assigned the job and we were given the responsibility of Jaipur airport in 2000. Earlier, it was looked after by the state police. Ever since, aviation security was a new and highly challenging assignment for us.

The aviation sector is growing by leaps and bounds, and by 2020, CISF will be the worlds third largest aviation security expert. Well be the largest player in the aviation security market by 2030. Besides, aviation security is regulated by international standards and norms; CISF has to catch up with all these challenges.

How does CISF safeguard sensitive installations in nuclear and space sectors?

Different treatment is required to protect various domains in the country. Here, technological advancement comes into play and therefore besides manual training, CISF goes for technological training, and gadgets become one of our most important USPs. From securing airports to nuclear plants and space centres, we require hi-tech gadgets. We undergo a high level of technological training combined with our soft and hard skills, physical reflexes, armed training, etc. So, CISF is a conglomeration of all these tools and techniques.

What is CISFs modernisation plan?

Technology is required in various fields of our functioning. For instance, in access control  which is the know-how required to gain access to a particular installation such as an airport building, or in perimeter security  the area of the airport which is banned for public and is under constant patrolling. You need different gadgets for these specialised jobs. For a quick response time to vulnerable and emergency situations like any terror threat, you need quick response teams to protect installations. Then screening and frisking all require technical gadgets. All CISF personnel, whether working in airports or in different fields, undergo specialised training as per requirement. Securing an airport requires different skills than for securing a nuclear power plant.

CISF wants to provide an integrated security solution under a single umbrella.

Is CISFs backhand operation equally important?

Of course. We provide training on computerisation, monitoring events via CCTV, post-investigation of incidents, analysis of events etc. On the basis of these, ground-level decisions are taken.

After the Mumbai terror attack (26 November) in 2008, what is CISF's brief in combating terror threats?

After Mumbai, the mandate of the force was broadened to provide security cover to private establishments by amending the CISF Act. We have specialised training for anti-terror activities, which is provided to our people in the training institutes based in Madhya Pradesh and Greater Noida. Then we have VIP security. We conduct mock drills at various installations to measure up our preparedness for any such eventuality.

Is CISF providing security to installations based in the Red Corridor that is home to Naxals?

Yes, in a big way. Our men have risen to the occasion by not only providing security to installations against Left-wing extremism but also in managing a big public domain  by providing safety and security to thousands of staff members working in the industrial sector. Our job is to protect all the economic installations like mines, steel and power plants, gas pipelines, rail tracks, etc in the Red Corridor from the Naxal threat looming over them.

Besides the Red Corridor, CISF is deployed in other sensitive areas in Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern states to provide security to highly vulnerable and critical establishments.

How is CISF's role evolving with the ever-expanding Delhi Metro?

Its one of the most challenging assignments, as lakhs of people commute every day  securing them is a big task. The population is increasing and the Delhi Metro network is undergoing its third phase of expansion. By sheer numerical strength of the Delhi Metro, it becomes a gigantic task to manage the network  we have to take care of access control, frisking, monitoring, safety and security of commuters, movements, tracking petty crimes, criminal behaviour, women, senior citizens, children safety, issue of human trafficking, missing children, and lost-and-found baggage systems. Were flexible in finding lost baggage both in Metros and at airports. Weve deviced a mobile app for this need.

Can you tell more about this mobile app?

It's called the 'Lost and Found App'. You can register yourself, log in and find your lost item. We can help you in finding your lost baggage. The app has received the 'Ficci Smart Policing Award'.

Does CISF have any expansion plans?

Looking at the way were expanding in various fields, the government has sanctioned an additional strength of 35,000. Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs increased the manpower ceiling and now from a 1.45-lakh-strong force, we have 1.80 lakh people. We have to undergo a process of recruitment for this and then train them. Weve been sanctioned two additional reserve battalions, one of which will be posted in the Maoist hotbed of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Now, the CISF has 12 battalions and 1.80 lakh members of personnel.

The CISF is probably the only security force that earns its salary from its-...

Very true. CISF is a cost-reimbursement force. Were the only security force in the country that earns its own salary. We provide security and get paid by our clients. We give security consultancy services to various PSUs. Weve done consultancy for IIT-Kharagpur and Chennai; IDBI and ICICI banks; integrated steel plants; Tata Steel, Tata Power; Allahabad High Court; Tirupati and Thirumala Devasthanam etc.

After the Bhopal jail break incident, the Madhya Pradesh government approached us and we provided them security consultancy. Now they have asked us to do it for Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur jails.

At present, were providing consultancy in safety paradigm and architecture to eight private installations including Reliance Refinery at Jamnagar (Gujarat), Baba Ramdevs Patanjali Food and Herbal Park in Haridwar, Electronic City in Bengaluru. So far, weve done 134 consultancy services and we earn money out of this. This is our source of revenue as well as salary. We generate revenue for the government and deposit it with the government exchequer.

How important is the role of women in CISF?

Among the Central Armed Police Forces, the CISF has the largest number of women officers and personnel and they work on par with their male counterparts. Airports and Delhi Metro Rail are two areas where women personnel play a vital role. A group of women personnel has been trained in the Filipino martial art Pekiti Tirsia Kali to respond quickly and effectively against the aggressors.

Any overseas assignments?

The first contingent of the CISF went on a UN Mission to Cambodia in 1991-92. Our officers have also served in Mozambique, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Sudan, Cyprus, and Tunisia, among other countries. The present  8th CISF contingent comprises 140 handpicked, highly-trained armed personnel, who are assisting the Haitian National Police in weapon control and public security measures.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has cancelled Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licences of about 20,000 non-profit government organisations (NGOs) ever since it came to power in May 2014. The home ministry, which took the action, has justified it saying these organisations were technically violating various provisions of the Act.

Cancellation of license would mean that these NGOs are no longer eligible to receive foreign funds. It should be noted that several of these NGOs are involved in rights-based advocacy work, especially working in the domain of human rights.

A plethora of civil society organisations have issued statements against this mass cancellation of FCRA licences stating that this is nothing but an 'abuse of legal procedures'.

They also "unequivocally condemned the present use of the FCRA as a tool of repression by the current government".

Organisations such as Greenpeace India, Amnesty International India, TARSHI Delhi and the Centre for Social Justice were all signatories to this statement.

Even the National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the home ministry on the issue.

"Prima facie it appears FCRA licence non-renewal is neither legal nor objective and thereby impinging on the rights of the human rights defenders in access to funding, including foreign funding," the apex human rights watchdog in the country said in the notice.

The FCRA is an intimidating law, especially since the original Act came into force in 1976 during the Emergency by the Indira Gandhi-led government. The Act, at that time, prohibited MPs, electoral candidates, political parties, judges from accepting foreign contributions.

Even "correspondents, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner, printer or publisher of a registered newspaper" were included in the ambit of the definition of candidate under the Act. The objective was certainly to remove all voices of political dissent, though the ostensible legislative intent suggested that the law was to restrain foreign intervention from internal, domestic matters.

The new FCRA, amended by the Finance Bill 2016, has many changes that render it more severe than its predecessor.

For one, the registration under the previous FCRA was permanent; the present law has altered this, mandating that FCRA licences would expire after five years.

A renewal process would mean that prescribed authorities, that is the State, would have arbitrary power to decide whether an NGO can renew its licence afresh.

The new law also puts a 50 percent restriction on the proportion of foreign funds, thereby controlling the way an NGO spends its money.

Another change, and perhaps a significant one, is that the 1976 law targetted political parties. The new law, however, aims at "organisations of a political nature".

The FCRA Rules, 2011, drafted by the United Progressive Alliance government, defines what "organisations of a political nature" may include - farmers' organisations, students' unions, trade unions, workers' unions, youth forums, women's wing of political parties, youth organisations based on caste, community, religion, language and "any organisation... which habitually engages itself in or employs common methods of political action like 'bandh' or 'hartal', 'rasta roko', 'rail roko' or 'jail bharo' in support of public causes". The list is astonishing as it clearly targets people and organisations that want to critique, censure and challenge present political discourse.

It is absolutely appalling that the government would amend the legislation in a way that all "organisations of a political nature" are rendered powerless, while political parties are vindicated for prior violations of the law.

In 2014, the Delhi High Court indicted both the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the Congress of receiving foreign funds in violation of provisions of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

The verdict came after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms. A division bench comprising justice Pradeep Nandrajog and justice Jayant Nath asked the government and the Election Commission (EC) to act against the two political parties for accepting foreign funds from Vedanta subsidiaries.

The question, at this juncture, is why is the government apprehensive of NGOs whose work is to democratically interrogate so that constitutional rights and freedoms are not violated. Another question is whether the FCRA is indeed a tool of repression as civil society organisations have declared?

In April 2015, a legal analysis was developed by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association.

It stated that FCRA norms and regulations "are not in conformity with international law, principles and standards". The FCRA violates the right to freedom of association, an integral freedom incorporated within the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which India is a party.

The right, though not absolute, are amenable to reasonable restriction; however, the analysis suggests that restrictions such as "public interest" and "economic interest" invoked under the FCRA cannot be termed as legitimate restrictions as they are too ambiguous and may give rise to arbitrary and discretionary powers.

Therefore, should the FCRA be repealed? Perhaps not, as regulation of NGO funding is a significant matter. However, curbing the voices in the civil society by way of a colourable legislation is unacceptable and simply put, draconian.
Krishnagar: India's first transgender college principal Manabi Bandopadhyay has submitted her resignation after about one-and-a-half years in office, expressing frustration at "non-cooperation" of a section of teachers and students of her institution.

Nadia District Magistrate Sumit Gupta on Thursday said he had received her letter of resignation from the post of Principal of Krishnagar Women's College in the district on December 27 and forwarded it to the state Higher Education department on Wednesday.

Manabi alleged that she started facing non-cooperation from a section of teachers soon after she took over as the principal of the well-known women's college on 9 June, 2015.

On the other hand, the teachers also levelled the same allegation against the principal, resulting in a standoff.

A four-member team, led by Joint Director of Public Instruction (DPI) RP Bhattacharjee, visited the college recently on a fact-finding mission and talked to the principal and teachers.

Manabi said, "All of my colleagues went against me. Some of the students went against me. I tried to bring back discipline and an atmosphere of education in the college. Most probably, that is why they went against me. I always got co-operation from the local administration, but never got it from my colleagues and students."

She went on to say that she had been under tremendous mental pressure and could not take it anymore, forcing her to resign.

"I feel tired due to the agitation and gherao by the students and teachers. I faced a lot of legal notices from their end. I had come to this college with new hopes and dreams but I was defeated...," she said.

Manabi (51), whose earlier name was Somnath, underwent a series of operations in 2003-2004 and became a woman. In 1995, she published the country's first transgender magazine, Ob-Manab (sub-human).
Srinagar: JKLF chairman Yasin Malik was on Friday detained at Pulwama as he led his supporters to stage a protest march against Jammu and Kashmir government's decision to issue identity certificates to West Pakistani Refugees.

Malik was detained along with several of his supporters. They were taken into preventive custody, a police official said.

Separatists groups had called for protests on Friday against the government decision to issue identity certificates to West Pakistan Refugees living in the state since partition in 1947.

The state government has decided to issue identity cards to the refugees and had to issue clarification after protests from opposition parties and separatists against the move.

Initially, reports had said the opposition was against the government move to issue domicile certificates, but the state government said it was issuing identity certificates.

Other political organisations, including BJP and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, have slammed separatists for opposing the issuance of certificates to the refugees.

The refugees, settled in Jammu and Kashmir, are citizens of India and have the right to vote in parliamentary polls.

However, they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution. They do not enjoy voting rights to the state assembly and local bodies.
Nine bodies have been recovered from a coal mine that collapsed late evening on Thursday in the Lal Matia colliery of Godda district in Jharkhand, reports said. Rescue operations are still on and several more are feared trapped inside.

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: 40-50 workers feared trapped under the debris, rescue operations on. NDRF team from Patna on the way. pic.twitter.com/fYyK0XAhmI  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

"So far, nine bodies have been recovered," RR Amitabh, a general manager at the ECL project office told Reuters.

While initial reports put the number of trapped at around 10, a CISF official told ANI that around 40-50 workers are suspected to be trapped inside the debris along with 40 vehicles of a private company operating at the site.

Coal India has a poor safety record, with 135 accidents reported last year, killing 37 people and injuring 141, the company said in a report, highlighting concern about working conditions.

IANS said that a heap of mud caved-in at the entry point of the colliery. Rescue operation could not begin due to night fog, the police said.

The incident, a government of India release said, took place at 7.30 pm on Thursday and that a control room has been set up at project office of Rajmahal Open Cast Expansion Project.

However, the exact number of people and vehicle trapped inside is not known. "This could only become clear after the rescue operation starts," said Harilal Chauhan, Godda Superintendent of Police, earlier.

The locals said that there was a crack in the heap of mud which collapsed and blocked the entry point of the mine.

Mining operations were taking place about 200 feet beneath the ground. Though the cause of the accident is not known, the Ministry of Coal said that "prima facie...it could have been caused by a failure of the bench edge along the hidden fault line/slip".

Police said that rescue operation is underway and that an NDRF team from Patna is already on its way to the site of the accident. It is expected to reach by noon, IANS said.

Jharkhand mine collapse:NDRF team from Patna on the way.Additional manpower comprising 1 Go's;2 insp,21 CISF from ECL sheetalpur hqrs rushed  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Meanwhile, according to The Indian Express, Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das directed the DGP and chief secretary to initiate relief and rescue operations at the earliest. As of now, there are different versions of how many machines, vehicles and people are trapped. Relief and rescue operations are being initiated, a police official told the newspaper.

Prime Minister Naredra Modi reportedly spoke with Das who announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs to the dead and Rs 25,000 to those injured in the accident. Das also tweeted saying:

                            Raghubar Das (@dasraghubar) December 30, 2016

Meanwhile, Ministry of Coal said that an Inquiry has been ordered in the incident by the director general of mines safety and CIL has constituted a high-level committee of experts to investigate into the causes of the accident. THE ECL also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakhs each to the family of the deceased.

Some of the injured are being treated in a nearby hospital, ANI tweeted.

Godda: Mine collapsed in Lalmatia in Jharkhand last night, many workers feared trapped. (injured being given medical aid in a hospital) pic.twitter.com/ixCjRNT3fS  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Mine roof collapses in Dhanbad

In another incident, four workers suffered injuries, two of them seriously, when the roof of a mine partially collapsed at Putki Balihari area in Dhanbad district on Friday, PTI reported. The mine falls under Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited.

A senior district official said the four contractual workers were taking cable to a shaft of the hydro mines in lift when a part of the roof suddenly caved in trapping them.

The four were rescued and taken to a hospital where the condition of two of them was stated to be serious, the official said.

While the cause of the collapse in the Dhanbad mine is being looked into, more details are awaited of the mine collapse in Godda district.

With inputs from agencies
Srinagar: Normal life was affected in Kashmir Valley on Friday due to a strike called by separatists against the issuance of identity certificates to West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs).

Most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in Srinagar  the summer capital of the state  were shut, while public transport was minimal, officials said.

They said there were very few street vendors visible in the city today due to the strike.

Reports of shutdown were also received from most of the other district headquarters of the Valley, the officials said.

Security forces were deployed in strength at sensitive places where barricades were also erected.

The separatists have also been calling for shutdown on Friday and Saturday every week after scaling down their agitation which followed the killing of Hizbul Mujahdeen militant Burhan Wani.

The more than five-month unrest in the Valley had left 86 people dead and thousands others, including 5,000 security personnel, injured.

The separatist groups  both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF  on Thursday appealed the people to observe a complete shutdown on Friday and Saturday over WPR issue.

They alleged that the decision on issuance of identity certificates to WPR was aimed at changing the demography of Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday dared the Centre to get all the appointments made by his government probed after the CBI filed an FIR into the appointment of city Health Minister Satyendar Jain's OSD.

Asserting that he was not afraid of any probe, the AAP chief also wondered whether the Centre would accept a Delhi government-appointed committee to look into the Sahara Birla papers.

Kejriwal alleged that the CBI has filed "seven FIRs" against Jain and "two" against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, but did not elaborate.

In fresh trouble for the AAP government, the CBI has filed an FIR into the appointment of Jain's OSD while the LG office has recommended a probe by the agency into the appointment of his daughter Soumya Jain as a functionary in the Mohalla Clinic project.

"You (Centre) make your committee and get all our appointments probed. And we will form one, and you get the Sahara Birla matter probed with it. Agree?"

"We are not scared of any probe as we have not done any wrong. Then why are you scared of a probe?" Kejriwal tweeted.
In an official acknowledgment, the Islamic State on Tuesday confirmed the death of Aman Tandel, the Kalyan youth who left for Syria to fight for the Islamic State, a report published in DNA said.

The Islamic State paid tribute to Tandel on Telegram, a social networking site. While hailing him a "martyr", the message added that he died in Raqqah  a city under the control of the terror group, the report said.

A report published in The Hindu on Thursday said that security agencies confirmed the death of the Kalyan youth. We cannot say when and how it happened, but on the basis of accounts provided by the family and other foreign agencies, it is confirmed that Tandel died in clashes in Syria, the paper quoted an official as saying.

In November, the family of Aman Tandel received an unknown call from Turkey informing them of his death in an airstrike, reported Mid Day.

Tandel, an electrical engineer, along with two others, travelled to Iraq on the pretext of a pilgrimage in June 2014. He is the second India-born Islamic State fighter to be killed after Saheem Tanki  who is believed to have been killed in August 2015, The Hindu reported.

Meanwhile, a Mumbra-based youth Tabrez Tambe, who reportedly joined the Islamic State, came under the scanner of the Maharashtra ATS after the investigation agency refused to accept his claim that he is incarcerated in Libya, reported Mumbai Mirror.

Tambe reportedly called his brother Saud two weeks back and informed him of his arrest by Libyan authorities, the report added.

However, the ATS claims it has not yet received any report on his detention from Libya. The investigative agency believed that Tambe might be faking the story to avoid being arrested in India.
Jammu: One civilian was killed, as Pakistani Army indulged in heavy cross-border firing, targeting Indian positions and civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector, prompting the Indian side to retaliate.

"Pakistani troops targeted the Indian Army posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch sector with small arms, automatic and mortars at 16:55 hours," an army officer said. He said the army was retaliating strongly and effectively to the ceasefire violation.

One civilian has been killed in the ongoing firing, a senior police officer said.

On 16 December, Pakistan had violated ceasefire by targeting Indian positions along the LoC in Balakote sector of the same district. That had come after a lull of over three weeks, after the Indian troops had launched a counter-offensive on 23 November against the killing of three soldiers in the Machhil sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

In the cross-LoC attack by suspected Pakistani terrorists, three Indian soldiers were killed on 22 November, with body of one of them being mutilated. Following the incident, the Indian Army had vowed a heavy "retribution".

The 2003 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement has virtually become redundant with over 300 incidents of firing and shelling along the LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani troops.

Over 26 people, including 14 security personnel, have been killed in ceasefire violations since the surgical strike on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday denied any incident of rioting at Dhulagarh in Howrah district and alleged that "wrong information" was being given on social media.

"In the last 15 days, social media is running wrong information on an incident which did not take place at all," Banerjee said at a programme in Kolkata, in an apparent refernce to the reports of violence in Dhulagarh, which is barely 20 km from the state secretariat.

"In order to break a news one must not act irresponsibly. If something has really happened then you (media) have every right to report but I think a field survey must be conducted," she stated.

Her remarks came even as a senior government official had said on Thursday that strict actions were taken against those involved in the Dhulagarh violence and the process of giving compensation to the affected had started. The state government, Banerjee said on Friday, is the first to help a family when their home is damaged or they are affected.

"If there is an accident, we immediately take steps to help the family.... We do it on humanitarian grounds but we do not do any publicity."

It was learnt from sources that the state government was paying compensation of around Rs 35,000 to families whose houses were damaged in the incident.

District police said inhabitants are wary of returning to their homes at Dhulagarh.

Delegations of BJP, CPI(M) and Congress were stopped from visiting the troubled areas of the district and police superintendent of Howrah (Rural) Sabyasachi Raman Mishra was transferred in the wake of violence in less than a fortnight of his appointment.

BJP has hit out at Banerjee over the Dhulagarh incident claiming that Hindus have been targeted in the violence. "This is height of the politics of appeasement. I want to ask those intellectuals, who cried over 2002 riots in Gujarat and then intolerant India, that when are they going to Kolkata," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday.
New Delhi: Its not been a great year for wildlife. More tigers and leopards were poached in 2016 than in any year of the previous decade, pangolins were killed in the hundreds while thousands of marine animals perished  this, due to the debilitating effect of climate change. Yet, the good news is that the number of tigers still rose.

"Tigers have increased but in the sphere of protection, this year has been worse for animals, including pangolins," Shekhar Niraj, Head of TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network in alliance with the WWF, told IANS.

Interestingly, an RTI application revealed that the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has no information of poachers arrested or shot, the weapons used by them, or the numbers poached.

However, IANS managed to piece together information from different independent sources. The records of the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) show that at least 129 tigers and 419 leopards died in 2016 as compared to 91 tigers and 397 leopards in 2015. Of these, at least 50 tigers and 127 leopards were poached, a record in the last 10 years.

"These numbers are not accurate, these are only those reported or caught. The actual figures would be higher," WPSI programme manager Tito Joseph told IANS.

Over 20 elephants, 18 rhinos, multiple bears (sloth, Asiatic brown and black), two snow leopards and several sea-cucumber, which are highly sought-after in Southeast Asia, were either caught being poached or their harvest such as skin and claws were seized till November 2016.

"Fifty leopards, mostly from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and at least eight elephants died in road or train accidents alone," Joseph said. He added that a large number of animals had died not just because of poaching but due to negligence in the absence of proper management plans.

Also, nature's wrath, inspired by man-induced climate change, played its part, killing at least 1,800 endangered aquatic and marine animals in first three months alone.

The year, in fact, had begun with the washing ashore of the carcases of 74 short-finned pilot whales in the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, a Bryde's whale in Mumbai, hundreds of Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha and several Gangetic and ocean dolphins. This apart, over 250 animals, including 20 rhinos, perished in Assam's Kaziranga National Park due to floods in August.

Ironically, all this happened in the year when India hosted "Third Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation", where Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to protect the country's feline population. The good news here is that India is now home to 2,226 tigers  70 percent of those in the wild in Asia. Prakash Javadekar, then the Environment and Forest Minister, was quoted at the conference as saying that the number could be as high as 2,500.

Meanwhile, the "17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CoP17 CITES)" held in South Africa in September barred tiger farming (or breeding) and listed pangolins in CITES Appendix I for their protection, considering that the species is now threatened with extinction.

For the pangolin, a nocturnal animal hunted for its expensive scales used in Chinese medicine, the year was ugly. Over 20 instances of the seizure of several kilos of its scales were reported across the country. In New Delhi alone, the CBI, in October, seized 86 kg of pangolin scales.

An adult pangolin produces 2-3 kgs of scales a year while the young produce about 500 gms.

Thus, it's little wonder that WWF's Living Planet Report released in October said the world may lose 68 percent of its wildlife by 2020  the possible prelude to "the sixth mass extinction".

The report says that about 41 per cent of mammals, 46 percent reptiles, 57 percent amphibians and 70 percent freshwater fish are "threatened with extinction" in India. Four of the 385 species of mammals are already extinct in India.

The United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol in June reported that the environmental crime industry  worth $258 billion  was the fastest-growing among crime syndicates.
Agartala: The opposition Congress in Tripura on Friday said it will hold protests before the government offices against the demonetisation drive which has caused "limitless inconveniences" to the common people.

"Demonetisation has caused limitless inconveniences to the common people throughout the country including our state. So, the state Congress has decided to demonstrate before the offices of DMs, SDMs and other government offices in the state," TPCC President Birajit Sinha told reporters.

"We will demonstrate before the government offices including District Magistrates and Sub-divisional Magistrates on January 5 to protest against demonetisation," he said.

Ramen Barthakur, AICC Coordinator and in-charge of Tripura said, "The process of demonetisation is anti-people and anti-poor. It is a disaster caused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People want a relief from it."

Barthakur said, "It is one of the biggest scams aimed at benefiting the corporate. Rahul Gandhi had asked many questions including the quantity of black money recovered due to this step, but he remained silent."
Hyderabad: A keen contest is on the cards when worlds top woman shuttler Carolina Marin crosses swords with Indias PV Sindhu in the inaugural match of Premier Badminton League (PBL) between Hyderabad Hunters and Chennai Smashers on Sunday.

Marin, who is currently ranked world number two, and Sindhu, ranked six, are excited about the competition in PBL.

"I feel excited to be here in India. I am playing for the home crowd. I hope so many fans can come and support Hyderabad Hunters. I will try to do my best. It is going to be an exciting game against Sindhu. The score is going to be very different. Its my first time with this score. So, every point is going to be important. I will try to do my best to win here," Marin, who plays for Hyderabad Hunters, told reporters in Hyderabad.

Sindhu said one needs to be alert from the start in the 11-point game format adopted for the tournament.

"I will do my best. She (Marin) is part of Hyderabad Hunters. The crowd is going to be there. The scoring system is going to be different. Its 11 points. From the starting point, we need to be alert and give our best," Sindhu, who plays for Chennai Smashers, said.

"There would not be much time to think in the 11-point game format. So, every point is important. Every team is equally tough. So, it depends on who plays better on that day," Sindhu said.

Marin and Sindhu famously clashed in the Rio Olympics where Marin won the gold and Sindhu bagged the silver.

Replying to a query, Marin said Sindhu is growing up fast and that she had to give her best whenever she played against the Indian.

"I think she is growing up very fast. She is a good player. Whenever I play against Sindhu, its always a tough match," she said.

Replying to a query, Marin said it was not always the Chinese players who dominate world badminton.

"It's not only China. There are so many countries that now play at the top," said Marin.

Sindhu, who will be playing for Chennai Smashers, is not disappointed that PBL matches will not be played in Chennai in this edition of the tournament and hopes that there would be support for the team during the matches.

The other top players present on the occasion included Jan O Jorgensen, World No. 2 two from Denmark who plays for Delhi Acers, India's Kidambi Srikanth (Awadhe Warriors) and Viktor Axelsen (Bengaluru Blasters).

Asked about Saina Nehwal, Srikanth said that the star Indian shuttler, who recently recovered from a knee injury, was fit.

"She (Saina) is fit. She is fit to play," he said.

Srikanth, who is currently ranked world number 15, said he is looking forward to give his best for his team -- Awadhe Warriors.

Jorgensen said the 11-point game format is going to be different.

"It's very different. Every point is going to be crucial. I think it makes it even more exciting for all the viewers," he said.
In an apparently sudden development, Takam Pario is all set to take over as the next chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. The move comes after the Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) on early Friday suspended Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and five other party MLAs from the primary membership of the party, temporarily with immediate effect, for alleged anti-party activities, reported India Today TV. The report added that a party meeting will be convened at 2 pm on Friday to make the decision official.

So, who is Takaram Pario? Here is an all you need to know about the next chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

Won 2014 poll on a Congress ticket

The 41-year-old Takam Pario was elected from the Palin Assembly seat in the 2014 elections. He belongs to Sangram (Dokio Langpo) village in Kurung Kumey district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Pario deserted Congress to join PPA

Elected on a Congress ticket, Pario later deserted Congress along with 42 other MLAs, and joined the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA). The PPA is part of the NDA-led North East Democratic Alliance.

Ministerial experience

In the outgoing Pema Khandu government, Pario had been the PHED (Public Health Engineering Department) minister. Pario held the same portfolio when Nabam Tuki was the chief minister.

However, Pario is reported to have fallen out of favour when the late Kalikho Pul became the chief minister earlier this year. Pul was found hanging from the bathroom of the chief minister's bungalow in August after the Supreme Court unseated him and reinstated his rival Nabam Tuki as the chief minister.

Richest Arunachal MLA

During the 2014 state assembly elections, Pario declared assets worth Rs 187 crores. Pario was the richest candidate in the fray during the polls.

With inputs from PTI
By Hugh Bronstein and Luc Cohen

| BUENOS AIRES

BUENOS AIRES An Argentine appeals court on Thursday revived a case accusing former President Christina Fernandez of trying to cover up Iran's alleged role in the bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish centre in 1994.The prosecutor who first brought the allegation, Alberto Nisman, died mysteriously in January 2015, and a judge later threw the case out for lack of evidence. But that ruling was revoked on Thursday, opening Fernandez to prosecution."The evidence does not allow for a clear dismissal of the possible commission of illicit acts," the country's official CIJ Judicial Information Center said in a statement. "The accusations must be weighed in advance of dismissal."Argentine courts have accused Iran of sponsoring the attack, which killed 85 people at the AMIA Jewish community centre.

Nisman was found in his home shot through the head days after accusing Fernandez of trying to derail the bombing investigation as part of a plan to close the country's energy gap by trading Argentine grains for Iranian oil.She dismisses the charge as absurd.Nisman's death was initially classified as a suicide, but an official investigating the case said early this year that the evidence pointed to homicide.

The hard-charging prosecutor was just hours away from a scheduled appearance in Congress to brief lawmakers on his accusations against Fernandez when his body was found on the floor of his apartment, a 22-caliber pistol by his side.Iran has repeatedly denied any link to the bombing, and an Argentine judge in February 2015 dismissed Nisman's accusations as baseless. A review panel later agreed by a 2-1 vote, finding insufficient evidence to formally investigate Fernandez.

She has faced several criminal charges since leaving office a year ago. She was indicted this week on charges arising from allegations she and top officials from her administration skimmed money intended for public works projects. (Additional reporting by Maximilian Heath and Nicolas Misculin, Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

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RIO DE JANEIRO A Rio de Janeiro police officer confessed to murdering Greece's ambassador to Brazil, possibly at the direction of the diplomat's Brazilian wife with whom the policeman was romantically involved, Globo TV reported on Friday, citing police sources. Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was missing since Monday night. Francoise, his Brazilian wife and the mother of their 10-year-old daughter, reported him missing to police on Wednesday.Globo TV reported on Friday afternoon that officer Sergio Moreira, 29, confessed to killing the ambassador on Monday night in the Rio de Janeiro home the Amiridis owned in Nova Iguacu, a hardscrabble neighbourhood in Rio's sprawling and violent northern outskirts.Globo TV reported that investigators said they believed Francoise and Moreira had arranged the murder in advance. Both Amiridis' wife and the officer were in custody, but it was not clear if they had retained lawyers.Police and Rio state security officials declined to comment on the Globo report and their investigation.The Greek embassy in Brasilia declined to comment.

In Athens, Greek foreign ministry spokesman Stratos Efthymiou said the government had no comment.Amiridis served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004. He was Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016. Globo reported that two other suspects were in custody, but they were not identified.

The O Globo newspaper earlier reported that blood was found on a couch inside the home. Globo TV on Friday showed police carrying a sofa into police headquarters. A burned corpse was found on Thursday evening inside the car that Amiridis and his wife had rented. It was parked under a highway overpass in the area where the couple had been staying. On Thursday, police confirmed that the ambassador had been missing since Monday night, when he was last seen leaving the Rio home he shared with his wife.

The incident is another blow to Rio's image, just four months after it hosted the Summer Olympics.The neighbourhood where the car was found is dominated by powerful and politically connected armed groups comprised mostly of off-duty or retired police and firefighters who control vast areas. They often extort residents in exchange for keeping drug gangs from taking over the areas.The armed groups have grown for several years and often curry favour with local politicians by promising to deliver votes from entire neighbourhoods as long as authorities allow them to carry out their crimes. Crime in Rio has been rising and the state is deeply indebted, often unable to pay police and other salaries on time, if at all. (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Sao Paulo, Paulo Prada in Rio de Janeiro and George Georgiopoulos in Athens; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Toni Reinhold)

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By John Davison

| BEIRUT

BEIRUT Clashes, shelling and air raids in western Syria marred a Russian- and Turkish-backed ceasefire that aims to end nearly six years of war and lead to peace talks between rebels and a government emboldened by recent battlefield success.Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition.The truce went into force at midnight but monitors and rebels reported almost immediate clashes, and violence appeared to escalate later on Friday as warplanes bombed areas in the country's northwest, they said.The ceasefire is meant as a first step towards fresh peace talks, after several failed international efforts this year to halt the conflict, which began as a peaceful uprising and descended into civil war in 2011. It has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths, displaced more than 11 million people and drawn in the military involvement of world and regional powers, including Moscow and Ankara.The agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey, which said they will guarantee the truce, is the first of three ceasefire deals this year not to involve the United States or United Nations.Moscow is keen to push ahead with peace talks, hosted by its ally Kazakhstan. But the first challenge will be maintaining the truce, which looked increasingly shaky on Friday.Syrian government warplanes carried out nearly 20 raids against rebels in several towns along the provincial boundary between Idlib and Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Clashes between rebel groups and government forces took place overnight in the area, the Observatory and a rebel official said.Warplanes and helicopters also struck northwest of Damascus in the rebel-held Wadi Barada valley, where government troops and allied forces clashed with rebels, the British-based Observatory reported.A military media unit run by Damascus's ally Hezbollah denied any Syrian government air strikes on the area.An official from the Nour al-Din al-Zinki rebel group said government forces had also tried to advance in southern Aleppo province.There was no immediate comment from the Syrian military on Friday's clashes.A number of rebel groups have signed the new agreement, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday. Several rebel officials acknowledged the deal, and a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a loose alliance of insurgent groups, said it would abide by the truce.

PREVIOUS COLLAPSES

The previous two Syria ceasefires, brokered by Washington and Moscow, took effect in February and September but both collapsed within weeks as warring sides accused each other of truce violations and fighting intensified.Putin said the parties were prepared to start peace talks intended to take place in Astana. Syrian state media said late on Thursday those talks would take place "soon".The Syrian government will be negotiating from a strong position after its army and their allies, including Shi'ite militias supported by Iran, along with Russian air power, routed rebels in their last major urban stronghold of Aleppo this month.Moscow's air campaign since September last year has turned the civil war in Assad's favour, and the last rebels left Aleppo for areas that are still under rebel control to the west of the city, including the province of Idlib.In another sign that the latest truce could be as challenging to maintain as its predecessors, there was confusion over which rebel groups would be covered by the ceasefire.

The Syrian army said the agreement did not include the radical Islamist group Islamic State, fighters affiliated to al Qaeda's former branch the Nusra Front, or any factions linked to those jihadist groups.But several rebel officials said on Thursday that the agreement did include the former Nusra Front - now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham - which announced in July that it was severing ties with al Qaeda.The powerful Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham said it had not signed the ceasefire agreement because of "reservations" but did not elaborate.RUSSIA-TURKEY DETENTE

The deal also follows a thaw in ties between Russia and Turkey.In a sign of the detente, the Turkish armed forces said on Friday Russian aircraft had carried out three air strikes against Islamic State in the area of al-Bab in northern Syria.

Ankara is backing rebels fighting against Islamic State, which has made enemies of all other sides involved in the conflict.While Ankara has been a big sponsor of the rebellion, Assad's removal has become a secondary concern to fighting the expansion of Kurdish influence in northern Syria. The chances of Assad's opponents forcing him from power now seem more remote than at any point in the war.Turkish demands that fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement leave Syria may not please Iran, another major Assad supporter. Hezbollah has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces against rebels.On Thursday a senior Hezbollah official said the party's military wing would remain in Syria.Hezbollah's mission in Syria was to "confront the terrorist project", Lebanon's National News Agency quoted the head of Hezbollah's political council, Sayyed Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed, as saying.UNITED STATES SIDELINED

The United States has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due take part in the peace talks in Kazakhstan although Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday the United States would be welcome to attend. The ceasefire, in the waning days of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, was the first major international diplomatic initiative in the Middle East in decades not to involve the United States.Russia has said the United States could join a fresh peace process once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. It also wants Egypt to join, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the United Nations.Trump has said he would cooperate more closely with Russia to fight terrorism but it was unclear what that policy would look like, given resistance from the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community to closer cooperation with Russia on Syria. (Additional reporting by Lisa Barrington and Ellen Francis in Beirut, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Jonathan Landay in Washington, Tulay Karadeniz and Orhan Coskun in Ankara; Editing by Anna Willard)

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Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump will meet intelligence officials next week "to be updated on the facts" after the Obama administration sanctioned Russian intelligence services, expelled 35 Russian officials and shuttered two Russian-owned compounds in the US.

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," Trump said.

Trump's vaguely worded statement, which did not mention Russia directly, came soon after the Obama Administration on Thursday announced a series of punitive measures against alleged Russian hackings during the presidential elections.

A top Trump advisor said that it is time to move on.

"He'll receive an intelligence briefing this coming week. And in the meantime, he believes it's time to move on," Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the president-elect, told CNN.

"I've been reading all the news reports about these retaliations, these sanctions put forward by President Obama and his administration. Some of them seem largely symbolic. The GRU doesn't travel here, doesn't keep its assets here. No reason allies will follow suit. We're yet to see all of the intelligence reports," she said.

Trump, she noted, believes it's time to move on to bigger and better things for the country.

Meanwhile, announcement of sanctions against Russia was welcomed by lawmakers from across the aisle.

"Russia does not share America's interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. While todays action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. It serves as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world," House Speaker Paul Ryan said.

The retaliatory measures announced by the Obama Administration are long overdue, said Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

"But ultimately, they are a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy. We intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia," the two Senators said in a joint statement.

After years of weakness that have invited and encouraged Russian aggression, the actions by President Obama are long overdue, said Senator Marco Rubio.

"Vladimir Putin has made it abundantly clear he is not an ally or partner of the United States, and that his interests are fundamentally not our interests," he said as he welcomed the sanctions against Russia.
By Oliver Denzer and Geert De Clercq

| BERLIN/PARIS

BERLIN/PARIS European capitals tightened security on Friday ahead of New Year's celebrations, erecting concrete barriers in city centres and stepping up police numbers after the Islamic State attack in Berlin last week that killed 12 people.In the German capital, police closed the Pariser Platz square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy 1,700 extra officers, many along a party strip where armoured cars will flank concrete barriers blocking off the area."Every measure is being taken to prevent a possible attack," Berlin police spokesman Thomas Neuendorf told Reuters TV. Some police officers would carry sub-machine guns, he said, an unusual tactic for German police.Last week's attack in Berlin, in which a 24-year old Tunisian ploughed a truck into a Christmas market, has prompted German lawmakers to call for tougher security measures.In Milan, where police shot the man dead, security checks were set up around the main square. Trucks were banned from the centres of Rome and Naples. Police and soldiers cradled machine guns outside tourists sites including Rome's Colosseum.Madrid plans to deploy an extra 1,600 police on the New Year weekend. For the second year running, access to the city's central Puerta del Sol square where revellers traditionally gather to bring in the New Year will be restricted to 25,000 people, with police setting up barricades to control access.In Cologne in western Germany, where hundreds of women were sexually assaulted and robbed outside the central train station on New Year's Eve last year, police have installed new video surveillance cameras to monitor the station square.The attacks in Cologne, where police said the suspects were mainly of North African and Arab appearance, fuelled criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept nearly 900,000 migrants last year.

The Berlin attack has intensified that criticism.In Frankfurt, home to the European Central Bank and Germany's biggest airport, more than 600 police officers will be on duty on New Year' Eve, twice as many as in 2015.In Brussels, where Islamist suicide bombers killed 16 people and injured more than 150 in March, the mayor was reviewing whether to cancel New Year fireworks but decided this week that they would go ahead.

PARIS PATROLS

In Paris, where Islamic State gunmen killed 130 people last November, authorities prepared for a high-security weekend, the highlight of which will be the fireworks on the Champs-Elysees, which some 600,000 people are expected to attend. Ahead of New Year's Eve, heavily armed soldiers patrolled popular Paris tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre museum. Across France, more than 90,000 police and thousands of soldiers will be on duty for New Year's Eve, authorities said.

On Wednesday, police in southwest France, arrested a man suspected of having planned an attack on New Year's Eve.Two other people, one of whom was suspected of having planned an attack on police, were arrested in a separate raid, also in southwest France near Toulouse, police sources told Reuters.In Vienna, police handed out more than a thousand pocket alarms to women, eager to avoid a repeat of the sexual assaults that blighted Cologne's New Year's Eve in 2015."At present, there is no evidence of any specific danger in Austria. However, we are talking about an increased risk situation," Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said. "We leave nothing to chance with regard to security."In Ukraine, police arrested a man on Friday who they suspect was planning a Berlin copycat attack in the city of Odessa. (Additional reporting by Maria Sheahan in Frankfurt, Kirsti Knolle in Vienna, Teis Jensen in Copenhagen, Isla Binnie in Rome, Sarah White in Madrid and Robert Muller in Prague; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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By Hilary Russ

| NEW YORK

NEW YORK New York City will deploy sand-filled trucks and thousands of police officers as part of a beefed-up plan to protect revellers at this year's New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square, mindful of two deadly truck attacks in Europe this year.As many as 2 million people are expected to gather on Saturday to welcome the new year and authorities said on Thursday they were aware of no credible threat to the annual festivities at the famed Manhattan crossroads.Even so, officials have redoubled efforts to prevent attacks like those in Germany and France this year in which suspected Islamic militants intentionally drove trucks into holiday crowds, killing dozens of civilians. "People will be safe," New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill said at a news conference, aiming to allay any security concerns about the Times Square celebration, where a giant crystal ball will descend from a tower to mark the start of 2017."We're going to have one of the most well-policed, best-protected events in one of the safest venues in the entire world given all the assets that we deploy here," he said.

New York Police Chief of Department Carlos Gomez said the truck attacks in Europe were taken into consideration in planning New York's security plan.A truck attack at a holiday market in Berlin days before Christmas killed a dozen people and injured 56, while a similar incident in Nice, France, on Bastille Day this summer killed 86 people and injured more than 400.Revellers in New York City on Saturday will find 65 large sanitation trucks filled with sand placed in strategic positions to block potential truck attacks, as well as about 100 other smaller "blocker" vehicles, officials said.

More than 80 sand trucks were used to protect the Macy's 90th Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York after Islamic State militants abroad encouraged their followers to target the event, which drew an estimated 3.5 million people to the streets of the largest U.S. city. [nL1N1DP1DQ]For New Year's Eve, the nearly 2 million visitors expected to gather in the hours before midnight may notice heavily armed police teams, bomb-sniffing dogs, helicopters and bag searches in subways. Coast Guard and police vessels will patrol the waterways surrounding Manhattan.Officers also will make sweeps of area hotels, theatres and parking garages and monitor checkpoints where they scan for radiation and weapons, police said.

Other less visible layers of security include plainclothes officers, hundreds of security cameras, the removal of trash cans, sealed manhole covers and rooftop observation points. All told, the New York Police Department has assigned nearly 7,000 police to Times Square and throughout the rest of the city on Saturday, officials said.Umbrellas, large bags and alcohol are banned and portions of 57th and 59th streets will be closed to traffic. (Reporting by Hilary Russ in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Bill Trott)

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MANILA Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked his defence minister to move joint naval exercises with the United States away from the disputed South China Sea as Duterte tries to repair Manila's ties with China.The Philippines has already decided to reduce the number of drills it holds with its long-term ally and former colonial master after Duterte announced a sudden pivot towards China.Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters at a military ceremony on Friday that Duterte had advised him to seek a new location for the war games."We might move the naval exercises facing the South China Sea to Mindanao area to avoid annoying our neighbour, so let us be sensitive of our neighbours," he said.

Duterte visited Beijing in October and announced that he was loosening ties with Washington, which has provided nearly $800 million in military aid since 2002.Chinese-Filipino relations were strained in 2013 when Manila asked an international tribunal in The Hague to rule on China's claim to large parts of the South China Sea, where Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against China but Beijing, which has been building and fortifying artificial islands in the area, refused to recognise the decision.Duterte reiterated on Thursday that he wanted to avoid confrontation with China and saw no need for urgency in pressing it to abide by the ruling.

He also played down concerns that China was militarising the South China Sea and appeared unperturbed by its dredging work and building activity, much of which falls within what Manila considers its Exclusive Economic Zone. (Reporting by Karen Lema and Manuel Mogato; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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SAO PAULO Greece's ambassador to Brazil has been missing for three days, and Rio de Janeiro state police said there was still no sign of the diplomat as of Thursday night.Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was last seen Monday evening leaving the home of friends of his Brazilian wife in a poor and violent suburb of Rio's metropolitan area, the police said. A Rio state police official said the ambassador's wife reported him as missing on Wednesday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the case.Rio police inspector Evaristo Pontes told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper that he does not believe the ambassador was kidnapped."We're following some leads, but not that one. If it had been (a kidnapping), those who took him would have made contact by now," he said.

An official at the Greek Embassy in Brasilia would not confirm the ambassador was missing, saying only that he was on vacation in Rio and expected to return to Brasilia on Jan. 9. Amiridis previously served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004.

More recently he was Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016.Brazil's Foreign Ministry said it had no comment on the case, other than to say it was being fully pursued by police.

In Athens, Greece's Foreign Ministry had no comment. (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Sao Paulo, Alonso Soto in Brasilia and George Georgiopoulos in Athens; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

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Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin castigated the United States on Friday for imposing sanctions and expelling its diplomats amid allegations of Moscow's meddling in the American presidential election, but said no US diplomats will be ousted in reprisal for President Barack Obama's moves in the wake of hacking attacks.

In a burgeoning controversy surrounding complaints from the Obama administration about a cyberattack against America's political system, the White House on Thursday unleashed a string of sanctions and coupled them with an order that 35 Russians be expelled.

Putin, however, said on Friday that Moscow would not eject American diplomats in response to what he described as "provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations" less than a month before Donald Trump is to take over the White House.

The decision came as a surprise; tit-for-tat expulsions are common diplomatic practice and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had suggested hours before Putin's announcement that Russia would oust 31 American diplomats.

"The Russian diplomats returning home will spend the New Year holidays with their relatives and dear ones," Putin said in a statement published on the Kremlin website. "We will not create problems for US diplomats. We will not expel anybody."

"Moreover, I am inviting all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas parties at the Kremlin."

Putin appeared to aim at playing a long game and at making a barbed reminder that Obama is a lame duck.

"Putin's asymmetric response to Obama's new sanctions is an investment in the incoming Trump presidency," Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said on Twitter. "A different kind of tit-for-tat: Even as Obama seeks to constrain Trump in his Russia policy, Putin counters that step with a show of magnanimity."

The diplomatic confrontation between Washington and Moscow, which had been festering even before Trump won the American presidential election, puts pressure on the billionaire businessman not to let Russia off the hook after he takes office on 20 January.

Russia's government had threatened retaliation, and it continues to deny US accusations that it hacked and stole emails to try to help Trump win. Trump said the US should move on, but in a sign that he was no longer totally brushing off the allegations, he plans to meet with US intelligence leaders next week to learn more.

In his statement published on Friday, Putin said Russia will not bar the diplomats' "families and their children from using their favorite places of recreation during the holidays".

New Year's Eve has been the main holiday in Russia since Soviet times. Russians celebrate Christmas on 7 January.

Obama on Thursday ordered sanctions against the GRU and FSB, the Russian intelligence agencies the US said were involved in the hacking attacks. In an elaborately coordinated response by at least five federal agencies, the Obama administration also sought to expose Russia's cyber tactics with a detailed technical report and hinted it might still launch a covert counterattack. "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," said Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii.

Yet the sanctions could easily be pulled back by Trump, who has insisted that Obama and Democrats are merely attempting to delegitimise his election.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev charged earlier on Friday that Washington has become immersed in "anti-Russian death throes."

Medvedev, who focused on improving U.S.-Russia ties when he was president from 2008-2012, called the latest diplomatic breach "sad" in a Twitter post.

U.S. relations with Russia have suffered during Obama's presidency as he and Putin tussled over Ukraine, Edward Snowden and Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, took to Facebook to call the Obama administration "a group of foreign policy losers, angry and ignorant."

As part of the punishment leveled against Moscow, the U.S. kicked out 35 Russian diplomats, in response to Russia's harassment of U.S. diplomats. Russian recreational compounds in New York and Maryland that U.S. officials said were being used for intelligence were also shut down.

It was the strongest retaliation the Obama administration has taken for a cyberattack, and more comprehensive than last year's sanctions on North Korea after it hacked Sony Pictures Entertainment. The new penalties add to existing U.S. sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Senior Obama administration officials said that even with the penalties, the U.S. had reason to believe Russia would keep hacking other nations' elections and might well try to hack American elections again in 2018 or 2020. The officials briefed reporters on a conference call on condition of anonymity.

Though the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint report on "Russian malicious cyber activity" the government still has not released a broader report Obama has promised detailing Russia's efforts to interfere with U.S. elections.

The report has been eagerly anticipated by those hoping to make it politically untenable for Trump to continue questioning whether Russia was really involved.

Obama's move puts Trump in the position of having to decide whether to roll back the measures once in office. U.S. officials suggested that building the case against Russia now would make it harder for Trump to justify easing up. Putin mentioned on Friday that Russia will be taking steps in the bilateral relations depending on what Trump does once he's sworn in.
Bucharest: Romania's president on Friday named social-democrat Sorin Grindeanu as the nation's new prime minister, bringing to a close weeks of uncertainty since the left won a parliamentary vote on 11 December.

The centre-right President Klaus Iohannis signed the official decree naming Grindeanu, a 43-year-old former communications minister, as the new premier.

Grindeanu now faces a confidence vote in Parliament on his programme and cabinet nominees. The vote must take place within the next 10 days.

The nomination sought to put an end to a political crisis sparked when Iohannis rejected a previous candidate who would have been the country's first female and first Muslim prime minister. The president offered no reasons for his rejection of Sevil Shhaideh, initially put forward by the Social Democrats (PSD), but there was speculation that it was due to her Syrian husband's background.

Sources close to the president had indicated on Thursday that Grindeanu was considered a better solution. "Iohannis is hoping for a smoother, less conflictual coexistence than he had with former prime minister Victor Ponta," who was forced to resign in November 2015 after street protests erupted over a deadly nightclub fire.

Grindeanu is seen in Romania as a "disciplined soldier" within the PSD ranks and said himself in a recent interview that he had joined the party very young as an outlet for his leftist convictions. After his nomination on Wednesday by PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, Grindeanu said he would obey the party chief.

"Mr Dragnea is the president of the PSD, it's very simple," he said. Dragnea had withdrawn his own bid to become prime minister because of a conviction that bars him from office.

Dragnea however made no secret of the fact he was looking for a candidate close to him. "I wanted a man I could trust, a man who wouldn't use his government position as a springboard," he said.

He also said he would not abandon his own ambitions of power, branding as "unjust" the laws barring him from office over charges of electoral fraud.

Before Grindeanu, the PSD had proposed the previously little-known Shhaideh after its thumping poll victory on 11 December, when it won 45 percent of the vote, enough to form a majority coalition with its partners ALDE.

Shhaideh, 52, who has only five months ministerial experience, is from Romania's small and long-established Turkish minority, but her Muslim faith is not thought to have been the problem.

Instead, the focus was likely on her husband, 54, who worked in the Syrian agriculture ministry for 20 years before emigrating to Romania in 2011 and marrying Shhaideh the same year, according to the PSD.

The HotNews website cited unnamed sources as saying that the security services had "strongly cautioned" against Shhaideh's nomination because of the closeness of her husband and his two brothers to President Bashar al-Assad's regime. This might have made giving Shhaideh the necessary security clearances to be the NATO member's prime minister problematic.

On Tuesday, after Shhaideh's rejection, Dragnea said the PSD was considering its options including moving to suspend Iohannis or going to the constitutional court.

However, any attempt by PSD to remove the head of State would have been problematic, because Iohannis was entitled to request a second proposal for premier. The PSD eventually agreed to make a new proposal, stating that it would be their "final" effort to avoid "political war".

The PSD's election triumph came barely a year since anger over the nightclub fire that killed 64 people forced it from office. The inferno was blamed on corruption  something Brussels has long complained about since Romania joined the EU in 2007.
Damascus: A nationwide ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and Turkey took effect at midnight (local time), in a potentially major breakthrough in the conflict of more than five years.

The deal, which does not include designated "terrorists" like the Islamic State group, was announced hours earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been "total calm since the start of the ceasefire in many provinces all over Syria" adding that "no violations were monitored in all regions".

According to an AFP correspondent in Eastern Ghouta, the shelling and airstrikes stopped from more than one hour in the region after intensive shelling and raids on Thursday.

AFP correspondents in Damascus and Idlib said there had been no sound of shelling, airstrikes or clashes since midnight.

The agreement, hailed by Syria's government as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, comes a week after the regime recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

The deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, but does not involve Washington, which has negotiated previous ceasefires with Moscow.

Putin said Damascus and the "main forces of the armed opposition" had inked a truce and a document expressing a readiness to start peace talks.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 3,10,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Putin said he would also reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria that has been flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad since last year.

The Kremlin strongman, however, said Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" in Syria and maintain its support for the regime.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said seven opposition groups, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, had signed the deal and those who failed to adhere would be considered "terrorists".

Erdogan indicated Turkey would press on with its four-month incursion into Syria against Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish militia. Syria's army said the deal did not include IS and the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front.

That could cause complications in areas like Idlib in northwestern Syria, where Fateh al-Sham is allied with rebel groups that have signed on to the deal. Syria's political opposition and rebels had confirmed their backing for the truce, saying it applied to all parts of the country.

"The agreement is for all of Syria and contains no exceptions or preconditions," said Osama Abou Zeid, a legal adviser to rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner.
ISTANBUL A Turkish court remanded journalist Ahmet Sik in custody pending trial on Friday after he was accused of spreading the propaganda of various groups, an opposition lawmaker and a lawyer said.Sik works for Cumhuriyet, one of the few newspapers still critical of the government after Turkey purged tens of thousands of people, largely from the state apparatus, in the wake of a coup attempt last July."Handcuffs have been slapped again onto journalism, reporting and the right to obtain information. Ahmet Sik has been remanded in custody," lawmaker Sezgin Tanrikulu, from the main opposition party CHP, tweeted.Lawyer Efkan Bolac said Sik had been accused of spreading propaganda for the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the far-left DHKP-C and what Ankara describes as the Gulenist Terrorist Organisation (FETO).FETO refers to supporters of the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who are accused of being behind the attempted military coup on July 15 in which more than 240 people were killed.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said Sik was also accused of insulting the state, judiciary, military and the police.The DHKP-C, which has carried out armed attacks in Turkey, and the PKK, which has fought for three decades for autonomy for Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, are considered terrorist groups by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

At least 81 journalists are imprisoned in Turkey, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and more than 130 media outlets have been shut since July. Most of those held are accused of spreading terrorist propaganda.More than 110,000 civil servants, police, academics and others have been detained, suspended or dismissed over suspected links to Gulen. Around 40,000 have been formally arrested.

Turkey's Western allies have been alarmed by the crackdown, but Ankara says it is justified by the threat posed by Gulen's network. Gulen denies the accusations against him.Sik is a long-standing critic of Gulen. In 2011 he was jailed for a year over a biography of the cleric, one of hundreds of imprisoned soldiers and journalists who said they had been the victims of Gulenist judges and prosecutors. The convictions were later overturned and the cases thrown out. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Income investors always look for reliable dividend stocks, and both Philip Morris International (PM -1.16%) and Verizon (VZ -1.49%) have done a great job of paying out much higher yields than the overall market. The tobacco giant and the wireless telecom specialist are large enough that they aren't going to win any prizes for super-fast growth, but they nevertheless have several areas that they're focusing on to drive future gains in revenue and earnings. Right now, though, some investors want to know which one of these two high-yielding favorites is the smarter pick. Let's look more closely at Philip Morris and Verizon, comparing them on a number of metrics to see which one looks more attractive right now.

Stock performance and valuation

Both Philip Morris and Verizon have been good to shareholders over the past 12 months, but the wireless giant has stronger momentum right now. Verizon has posted a total return of 20% since December 2015, compared to just 8% for Philip Morris over the same period.

Usually, you'd expect that a larger share-price advance would result in a more expensive valuation. Yet Verizon trades at much cheaper earnings multiples than Philip Morris does. When you focus on trailing earnings, Verizon stock has a multiple of less than 16 times its net income over the past 12 months. That compares to nearly 22 times trailing earnings for Philip Morris.

Verizon's value advantage persists when you build in expectations of future earnings. The telecom company has a forward multiple of just over 13, compared to Philip Morris' trading at 19 times forward earnings estimates. On valuation and stock performance, Verizon has a commanding lead over Philip Morris.

Dividends

The biggest attraction for most investors looking at Philip Morris and Verizon is their dividend yield. Right now, Philip Morris has a slight edge over Verizon, with the cigarette maker paying 4.5% compared to a 4.3% yield for the wireless network provider.

Moreover, both companies have given their investors a consistent track record of higher dividend payments over time. Verizon's track record of annual dividend increases goes back more than a decade, and Philip Morris has boosted its payouts every year since its 2008 IPO. Until recently, Philip Morris had a huge lead over Verizon in terms of the growth rate of its dividend payouts, with double-digit percentage increases being quite common. Lately, though, Philip Morris' dividend growth rate has slowed to just 2%, giving it no advantage over the 2% to 3% increases that Verizon has routinely given its shareholders.

One concern about Philip Morris is that its dividend payout ratio has climbed to precipitous heights. At 98%, the tobacco king has little room for further increases. Meanwhile, Verizon pays out just two-thirds of its earnings in the form of dividends.

For the most part, Verizon and Philip Morris look quite similar in terms of dividends. There's little basis to prefer one over the other on that score.

Growth prospects and risk

Growth has been one area in which both of these companies have had to work hard to find even minimal gains. In its most recent quarter, Philip Morris did produce some sales growth, but it was small at less than 1%, and its $0.01 per-share rise in adjusted earnings reflected the incremental progress that investors have had to accept as the best the company can do right now. Cigarette shipment volume plunged more than 5%, however, and macroeconomic factors continue to weigh on Philip Morris' results. One potential growth highlight is the iQOS heat-not-burn reduced-risk product, which the company hopes will be able to gain FDA approval and receive greater acceptance worldwide. Early results have been strong in Japan, where iQOS reached 3.5% market share during its most recent quarter. But with the U.S. dollar having once again started its climb, earnings for the multinational could remain under pressure for a while longer.

For Verizon, tough industry conditions have hurt its recent performance as well. In its fiscal third quarter, revenue fell almost 7%, leading to a double-digit percentage drop in net income. Even on an adjusted basis, earnings per share fell 3% from year-ago levels, and net additions in postpaid subscriber counts continued to see slower growth than in past quarters. The biggest question that Verizon investors have right now is whether the company will follow through with its proposed acquisition of Yahoo!, which has drawn criticism especially in light of news of email-related hacking. Some believe that Verizon might try to undo the deal or negotiate a discount, but others see the acquisition as far enough along that it will happen in some form. Whether that will produce greater growth or prove to be a quagmire remains to be seen, and investors don't seem to have reached consensus one way or the other.

Right now, Verizon and Philip Morris face tough conditions that are challenging their ability to grow. Given that uncertainty, capturing Verizon's margin of safety in its lower valuation seems like a more prudent option for most investors. Yet if Philip Morris' vision for a transformation in the cigarette industry works out, the company could end up having far greater growth -- and being worth the higher price investors would pay right now.
Uranium miners like Cameco Corp. (CCJ 0.13%) have been suffering through a rough patch. The immediate problem is falling uranium prices. But that's really a symptom of a bigger issue, which is a supply-and-demand imbalance. Investors looking at uranium as a way to play nuclear power need to understand that dynamic, and what's expected to fix the problem, before they buy into this sector.

Steep drop

In 2011, uranium prices were in the range of $70 per pound. The spot price for the nuclear fuel, which Cameco notes was "down to new 10-year lows," was around $25 per pound in the third quarter of 2016. Luckily, the world's largest publicly traded uranium miner's business is backed by long-term contracts that helped keep its realized price at just over $43 a pound.

Still, though, you see the problem. The price trend is going the wrong way -- which is why Cameco has been directing its efforts to cost-cutting and refocusing around its best mines. For example, the company reduced its capital spending projections for 2016 by around 10% when it reported third-quarter results. And, despite the downturn, it has continued to invest in its Cigar Lake mine because it's relatively cheap to operate. The recent opening of that mine helped to cut Cameco's cash costs of producing uranium by more than 20% through the first nine months of 2016.

These are solid operational moves, and they show that Cameco is working hard to adjust to a difficult environment. In fact, the miner has managed to remain profitable despite the headwinds it's faced. Still, you'll want to ensure the miner keeps making progress in these efforts from a company-specific standpoint. But when you look at the industry, which includes giant diversified miners like Rio Tinto (RIO 0.46%) and tiny upstarts like money-losing Energy Fuels, the supply-demand dynamic is the real key for uranium next year and thereafter.

Japan at the crossroads

One of the biggest issues facing uranium today actually stems from the 2011 Fukushima reactor meltdown in Japan. That event caused Japan to shut all of its nuclear power plants and even led Germany to plan a shift away from the electricity option. In addition to reminding the world of the risks involved in running nuclear reactors, the swift shutdown of so many reactors pushed supply and demand out of whack.

After Japan began to realize that doing without nuclear power was an expensive proposition, the island nation announced its intention to restart many of its shuttered nuclear facilities. However, progress has been very slow. To be fair, Japanese restarts alone won't solve the supply-demand imbalance they helped to create. But once enough of these reactors are back up and running, the uranium market will have passed a key emotional hurdle. Cameco, for example, describes the current market sentiment as "anemic." And a big part of that is the state of Japan's nuclear fleet.

Under construction

Once investors and market participants start to see that the clouds are beginning to lift, they can focus on some of the positives. One of the biggest is that there are currently 57 reactors under construction today. The new reactors are mostly in developing markets where demand for power is growing quickly, like China and India. More important, the opening of new reactors is expected to more than offset demand declines from reactors being mothballed. That, in turn, will help to correct the supply-demand imbalance.

So, as an investor, you'll want to keep a close eye on the progress at the plants that are in a state of development. About two-thirds of these are expected to come on line in the next three years.

The really long term

That said, the really long-term view for uranium isn't three years into the future -- it's decades. Which is why you also need to watch long-term construction plans. For example, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that nuclear power production will increase more than 70% by 2040. Emerging markets are expected to account for 86% of that growth, with China alone making up a massive 54%.

The only problem with this really long-term view is that sometimes big construction plans don't pan out as planned. Uranium's future won't be nearly as positive if alternative power options, like solar and wind, grab more share of the market than expected. So you need to monitor those 57 nuclear plants being built today and watch the long-term picture.

That means keeping an eye out for more nuclear power construction news. It also means watching for technology advances that can make the fuel option safer and cheaper to build. Companies like General Electric's GE Hitachi partnership are working on next-generation plants that investors should closely monitor.

Balancing out

Investors watching the uranium market in 2017 clearly should be monitoring uranium prices. But there's a lot that goes into that, both over the short term and the long term. And on that score, you'll want to watch Japan's efforts to restart shuttered nuclear power plants, the progress on the plants currently under construction, and updates on plants and technology planned but not yet built. All of that is the backdrop behind the company-specific moves that uranium miners like Cameco are making today -- with the goal of surviving the downturn so they can benefit from bright expectations for the future.

Get the latest Cameco stock news and facts.
The Boston Beer Company's (SAM 0.76%) stock rallied as much as 15% since the end of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8, but its head of steam has recently cooled off. For good reason, too, as the company is struggling amid increased competition that has led to falling sales. After the rebound in the last two months, investors shouldn't be surprised to see the stock resume its slide.

The current state of affairs

The Sam Adams lager parent has had its share price nearly halved from all-time highs in early 2015. The drop in price has come on the back of steep declines in both the top and bottom line.

After such a steep drop, one might expect Boston Beer to now be trading at a discount. That assumption would be incorrect, though, as the trailing-12-month price-to-earnings multiple is 28, and forward-12-month estimated price to earnings is at 26. Such high figures are usually reserved for high-growth stocks, a description the company currently does not fit.

In fact, the last report had management expecting full-year 2016 earnings coming in between $6.30 and $6.70, a drop of as much as 13% from last year's profitability -- and in a year that has an extra week of business. Not much light has been shed on 2017 yet, but initial expectations were for a slight increase in beer shipments at best and gross profit margins 1% to 3% lower than the highs from 2015.

A blown keg with no replacement

What is the root cause of the brewer's woes? In a word: competition.

In the 1970s, total U.S. brewers numbered as few as 100. By the end of 2015, that number had skyrocketed to more than 4,200 and the totals are still increasing. The numbers underline the resurging American interest in the hometown, or even neighborhood, brewpub or taproom, as many of the upstarts operate as local hangouts and gathering places.

Boston Beer management has admitted that the explosion of small competition is indicative of changing consumer trends. Beer drinkers have been gravitating toward smaller brewers in search of new and creative crafts. Management has also acknowledged the Brewers Association, a nonprofit economic organization that represents the craft-beer industry, which says trends are shifting toward smaller and local consumption.

This is beginning to manifest itself in Boston Beer's depletions, or beer shipped from distributors to retailers or end consumers. The metric has been on a downward trend for four quarters in a row now.

While overall shipments were still growing through most of 2015, the fact is that weakness in the company's flagship Sam Adams lineup was being reported as early as the first quarter of 2015. This was glossed over by the more than offsetting performance of the company's newer brands like Traveler and Twisted Tea. Faced with mounting pressure from smaller players, though, even some of those former areas of growth have slipped into the negative.

Waiting for a corner to be turned

The good news is that the king of the craft movement is on it. Boston Beer is working on its marketing, including label refreshes for its original Sam Adams family. It was also announced that a strategic review of the business is under way, not limited to current brands but encompassing future initiatives as well.

While those words are encouraging, I'm not yet ready to call a bottom and personally buy. Boston Beer's management itself said that industry trends suggest a continued slowdown in growth in the short term as increased competition and new-drink introductions continue to pressure the company.

Until material changes are announced at the company, or the numbers indicate a corner has been turned, I'll stick with the view that the post-election stock rally was just too good to be true.
Federal regulators say the majority of adverse environmental impacts from a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cross West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina could be avoided, minimized or mitigated.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission included the finding in its draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which was released Friday.

Dominion Energy vice president of pipeline construction Leslie Hartz says the company believes the draft report confirms that "the project can be built in an environmentally responsible way."

A coalition of community and environmental groups, however, criticized the commission's findings.

Dominion Energy is partnering with other energy companies on the approximately 600-mile-long project. The commission has the final say on interstate pipelines. It is accepting public comment on the draft report until April 6.
Oil prices settled slightly lower on Friday, the year's last trading day, but attained their biggest annual gain since 2009, after OPEC and partners agreed to cut output to reduce a supply overhang that has depressed prices for two years.

A two-rig rise in the oil rig count in the United States, the ninth weekly increase in a row, as reported by oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Inc, added to bearish sentiments.

But the total count of 525 for the week, the last for the year, was still below last year's level by 11 rigs.

U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 5 cents, or 0.1 percent, at $53.72 a barrel, while Brent fell 3 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $56.82.

"Some profit-taking ... very light trading - a lot of people have already done what they needed to do for the year." said Elaine Levin, president of Powerhouse, an energy-specialized commodities broker in Washington.

Brent rose 52 percent this year and WTI climbed around 45 percent, the largest annual gains since 2009, when the benchmarks rose 78 percent and 71 percent respectively.

Oil prices have slumped since the summer of 2014 from above $100 a barrel. The price rout, due to an oversupply thanks in part to the U.S. shale oil revolution, was accentuated later that year when Saudi Arabia rejected any deal by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut output and instead fought for market share.

But a historic OPEC agreement struck over three months from September that will reduce production from Jan. 1, marked a return to the 13-country group's old objective of defending prices.

Oman told some customers it will reduce term allocations by 5 percent in March, but did not say whether the supply reduction would continue after that.

The rise in prices can be seen as "proof of international credibility," for OPEC and partners, said Igor Yusufov, founder of the Fund Energy investment firm and a former Russian energy minister.

He said the rise, a "ponderable New Yew present" for producers, is propelled by expectations of expectations of oil demand growth.

Analysts at JBC said major forecasters diverge on their specific predictions.

"We see a big variation in demand growth assessments for 2017, ranging from +1.22 million bpd (barrels per day) ... to +1.57 million bpd," they said in a note to clients.
Smithfield Food Inc [SFII.UL], the world's biggest pork producer, is buying grain elevators and purchasing grain directly from farmers, a move that hits grain handlers already reeling from multiyear lows in corn and soybean prices.

The Virginia-based company bought two Ohio grain elevators in September. For the first time, it can ship grain directly from Ohio to feed the pigs that Smithfield slaughters at its Tar Heel, North Carolina, packing plant - the world's largest, processing about 32,000 hogs daily.

Smithfield now buys 65 percent of its animal feed directly from farmers, up from the 10 percent of feed it directly bought in 2010.

The direct buying strategy aims to lower feed costs and could provide a model for other large meat companies that still largely rely on commercial grain handlers, such as Chicago-based Archer Daniels Midland Co. Grain can account for up to 60 percent of Smithfields costs. The companys expenses in 2015 totaled $4.67 billion.

In 2014, Smithfield canceled a grain handling contract with CHS Inc, the largest U.S. farmer-owned cooperative, which had previously supplied a Smithfield feed mill in Yuma, Colorado. Smithfield has canceled contracts with other smaller grain handlers since 2010.

"They take the Walmart approach and go right to the source," said a CHS Inc employee who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

A CHS spokeswoman declined to comment.

Smithfield also aims to work directly with farmers to influence farm management, from crop rotations to fertilizer and fungicide applications that could result in higher-quality grain that speeds weight gain in hogs. Smithfield could have a say in the seeds that are planted for the grain to feed the hogs it slaughters to produce the pork it sells.

In a dirt-to-fork story, you have to start with the dirt," said Joe Kerns, president of animal agriculture consulting firm Kerns Associates. This is the first foray.

Smithfield, purchased by China's WH Group in 2013 for $4.9 billion, plans to continue reducing reliance on grain handlers, said Robbie Montgomery, Smithfield's grain origination manager.

"That's key to our strategy, our farmer relationships. It's not us buying from a dealer; it's us buying from a farmer," Montgomery said.

IMPACT ON GRAIN HANDLERS

Smithfield's push to go directly to farmers comes as ADM, Cargill and other leading grain handlers are facing sharp drops in corn and soy prices following record-large U.S. harvests. Handlers make money buying, selling, storing, transporting and processing grains around the world, typically earning small profit margins on each bushel they trade.

Trading fees for commercial grain handling can run to 20 cents a bushel in tight-supply markets, but drop to just a few pennies when grain prices are low.

Juan Luciano, chief executive officer for ADM in an August conference call said weak margins in grain handling contributed to a 26 percent fall in profits during the second quarter, before revenues improved in the third quarter.

He did not mention Smithfield in particular, and ADM declined comment on its relationship with Smithfield. Cargill did not respond to requests for comment on Smithfields efforts to bypass grain handlers.

U.S. farmers built up their elevator storage to better control their harvest, and hold back supplies when prices are low, cutting in to profits for handlers.

In the last quarter of 2016, ADM and others have tried to make up reduced returns on grain trading in the U.S. by selling grain overseas and making money on storage of abundant U.S. supplies.

The Smithfield move alone is probably not enough to hurt the big grain handlers immediately, said Kerns, the agriculture consultant. Smithfield is a long way from quitting the big grain handlers altogether, and still relies on ADM and Cargill to crush soybeans into soy meal, an animal feed.

But such companies could lose substantial business if other meat producers follow Smithfields lead, and smaller grain handlers are already feeling the impact.

Smithfield in 2015 exited a 20-year relationship with MaxYield Cooperative in Algona, in northern Iowa. MaxYield previously supplied a Smithfield-owned feed mill in Algona that can grind 50,000 bushels of corn per day.

"They want control from the ground up," said Karl Setzer, MaxYield's risk management team leader, who was told by Smithfield that the company was not renewing its contract.

Setzer declined to comment on how the loss of the contract affected MaxYields business.

BUYING DIRECT

Smithfield buys about 150 million bushels of corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum per year to feed its 16 million hogs, according to a Smithfield spokeswomen. "Smithfield has always been uneasy about their dependence on feed," said Chris Hurt, an agriculture economist at Purdue University who has advised the hog industry.

The company also is using a port it helped build in 2002, in Wilmington, North Carolina, to import feed from South America and Europe.

It has imported soy from Brazil and Argentina and feed wheat from Europe when it is cheaper than supplies shipped out of the Midwest, most recently with a bulk vessel of Brazilian corn that arrived in June.

Smithfield's vice president for business development, Joe Szaloky, said the company has become a savvy buyer.

"We think we can buy from farmers just as well as anyone else can," he said.

(Reporting by Michael Hirtzer; editing by David Greising and Brian Thevenot)
Image source: Getty Images.

After decades of rather consistent growth, Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE: MMP) seemed to hit the ceiling in 2016:

MMP EBITDA (TTM) data by YCharts.

Driving that decline is the company's direct exposure to commodity prices, which were weak in 2016. That said, prices are on the mend, which, when combined with the slew of growth projects Magellan Midstream Partners has in the pipeline, positions the company for a stronger showing in 2017. In fact, it could be the company's best year yet for adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash flow.

What went wrong in 2016

Magellan Midstream Partners entered 2016 expecting it to be a down year. After producing $1.172 billion in adjusted EBITDA and $942.9 million in distributable cash flow in 2015, the company's initial 2016 guidance for adjusted EBITDA was $1.154 billion, while it saw distributable cash flow slipping to $900 million. However, the MLP steadily increased its guidance throughout the year thanks to stronger-than-expected performance. As a result, it now expects to produce $1.193 billion in adjusted EBITDA and $925 million of distributable cash flow. While that would push adjusted EBITDA to a new record, distributable cash flow would still fall short of 2015's record level.

The primary culprit causing cash flow to slump is the company's refined products segment, where year-to-date operating margin has declined 7.2%. Driving that decline is the partnership's commodity-related activities, which have been under pressure because of weaker commodity prices in 2016. In addition to that, Magellan's marine storage segment has been under some pressure this year because of part to lower ancillary customer activities.

More fees on the way

This past year would have been a whole lot worse if it weren't for the fact that 85% of Magellan Midstream Partners' operating margin comes from fee-based activities. In fact, one of the company's goals is to increase the percentage of its operating margin that comes from fee-based activates to reduce its direct exposure to commodity prices even further. That's why it has invested $850 million in organic growth projects in 2016, which should supply growing fee-based cash flow in 2017.

One of the largest projects is the Saddlehorn Pipeline, which Magellan is building with Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE: PAA) and Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC). Both Plains All American Pipeline and Magellan own 40% of the project, which puts their total investment at $230 million apiece. They expect the project to be fully operational early next year, which is noteworthy given its robust first-year economics. Magellan estimates that it will earn eight times EBITDA on the capital deployed, or roughly $28.8 million in annual EBITDA apiece for Magellan and Plains All American Pipeline on their investment.

In addition to that, Magellan has a $300 million condensate splitter nearing completion. Theeconomics of this project are even better at six times EBITDA on invested capital, or roughly $50 million per year of EBITDA.

The steady fee-based earnings from these and other projects in the pipeline alone could push Magellan's adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash flow to new records in 2016.

Image source: Getty Images.

An improving market

In addition to the new fee-based assets going into service in 2017, Magellan should also benefit from an improving commodity price market. OPEC's recent decision to step in and support oil prices should at least stabilize crude oil prices in 2017 -- if not push them higher -- which should cause crude production in the U.S. to rebound. This improving oil market will benefit Magellan's crude oil segment by reversing the lower transportation and storage volumes the company experienced in 2016 due to weaker U.S. oil production resulting from low oil prices.

Likewise, the company's refined products and marine storage segments also stand to benefit from an improving oil market. Not only should Magellan earn higher margins on its commodity-related activities as a result of improving prices, but it should experience stronger demand for services. These improvements should drive a recovery in the operating margin of both segments, which should push distributable cash flow higher in 2017.

Investor takeaway

Weaker commodity prices marred Magellan Midstream Partners' results in 2016 because its direct exposure to those prices cut into distributable cash flow. However, the company has several large fee-based growth projects nearing completion, and there is growing reason to believe that an improving commodity price market is on tap for the year ahead. These catalysts could push the company's adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash flow to a new record in 2017, making it the company's best year yet.

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Outrage emerged among politicians from both Israel and the U.S. following the United Nations resolution passed last week condemning Israeli settlements.

[Secretary of State John Kerrys] speech was a failed attempt to defend the indefensible, Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the UN, told the FOX Business Network. The resolution that passed last Friday was a bad resolution, a one-sided resolution, a shameful resolution.

Danon added that there is anti-Semitism at the U.N. and that a clear message needs to be sent to officials at the international organization.

Promote peace, build bridges, stop with the hatred and incitement, he said.

The Ambassador said both he and the country of Israel are looking forward to working with the new administration come January 20.

I have met with President-elect Trump in the past and we know that hes connected to Israel, said Danon.
As the debate continues over the Obama administrations handling of the U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements, there are signs it is causing a divide within the Democratic Party. Electile Dysfunction author and Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz weighs in on the political fallout from the Obama administrations handling of Israel.

[The New York Times] has a story today saying only right-wing Jews condemn [Secretary of State] Kerry. Hey, Im a left-wing liberal Jew, [U.S. Senator from New York] Schumer is a liberal Jew  you know, they just make up the news, Dershowitz told the FOX Business Networks Sandra Smith.

When asked if the issue of Israel was foreshadowing a divide within the Democratic Party, Dershowitz responded, It does, and if they now appoint [Minnesota Rep.] Keith Ellison, who worked with [Nation of Islam leader] Farrakhan, to be chairman of the DNC youre going to see a lot of people leave.

Dershowitz then issued a stern warning to the Democratic Party.

Im going to tell you right here on this show and this is news, if they appoint Keith Ellison to be chairman of the Democratic Party, I will resign my membership to the Democratic Party after 50 years of being a loyal Democrat.

According to Dershowitz, he will support some individual Democratic candidates, but has concerns about the state of the Democratic Party.

I will still vote my conscience and mostly Ill vote for Democrats, but I will not be a member of a party that represents itself through a chairman like Keith Ellison and through policies like that espoused by John Kerry and Barack Obama.
The Force is strong with New York City pizza shop owner Hakki Akdeniz.

After hearing that beloved "Star Wars" actress and author Carrie Fisher had died, Akdeniz decided to honor one of his favorite stars by giving away free slices at Champion Pizza in Manhattan to customers dressed as characters from the iconic George Lucas film franchise.

The cafe owner says he met Fisher in 2005 when she came to a different pizza shop he was working at in Times Square.

Fisher died Tuesday at age 60, four days after suffering a heart attack aboard a Los Angeles bound flight from London.

ICONIC NEW YORK CITY CLOSING AFTER NEARLY 79 YEARS

Akdeniz, 36, now the owner of Champion Pizza in the bustling Soho neighborhood of downtown New York, told FoxNews.com that as a boy, Princess Leia was his heroine. Born and raised in Turkey, he says he believes women werent as respected in the culture as they should have been and Carrie Fishers character was a true hero for him, his sister, and his mother.

Talking about the memorable day Fisher visited 10 years ago, he recalls, I didnt recognize her. I only knew her as Princess Leia. I wanted to give her a hug, but I was so shy. I asked my coworker to tell her how much I loved her."

The love for the pizza-- and staff may have been mutal. "Fisher left the waitress a $100 tip, Akdeniz says.

FOR THE LATEST FOOD FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK

Lines were out the door at Champion Pizza Wednesday as the shop stayed opened until 2 a.m. to serve the many Chewbaccas and Hans Solos eager for a slice and a chance to honor Leia.

Akdeniz says he learned English watching Star Wars, and was doubly emotional learning of the death of Fishers mother, famed Debbie Reynolds.
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With an impending Champagne shortage due to challenging weather conditions in northeastern France, whats a bubbly lover to do? Stockpile your favorite Champers for later consumption or discover new sparklers (prosecco, anyone?) to enjoy on New Year's Eve?

Before you hit your local vintner, it's important to know what you're getting when it comes to high-end bubbles.

While Champagne and prosecco are both sparkling wines, the similarities pretty much end there. These wines are from different countries, made from different grape varieties and utilize very different production methods and aging regimens.

10 SPARKLING COCKTAILS TO RING IN NEW YEAR'S EVE

The Champagne region of France is considered to be the birthplace of sparkling wine and bubbly can only be called Champagne if it is from this specific region. Even sparkling wine from another wine region within France must use another name, i.e. a sparkling wine from Alsace must be called Cremant dAlsace - never Champagne.

The highly litigious Champenois have sued well-known brands such as Perrier, Apple and Miller Brewing Company due to unauthorized use of the name. Alternatively, prosecco is from Italys northern Veneto region and can only be produced in that specific place.

The grape divide

Champagne is made primarily from three different grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Prosecco, on the other hand, is made predominantly from the prosecco or Glera grape-- but can also contain Pinot Grigio, Verdiso, Pinot Bianco and a few others.

In keeping with the concept of terroir, the aromas and flavors of each sparkling wine will vary greatly depending on where the wine is from, the type of grape variety used as well as the method of production.

New versus old production methods

By law, Champagne can only be produced using the Methode Champenoise or, as it is more recently known, the Methode Traditionelle. This time and cost-intensive production method requires that wines secondary fermentation, the process that gives sparkling wine its bubbles, take place in the bottle the wine is later served from.

Once bottled, Champagne must also be aged for a minimum of 15 months to three years before it can be released. Most reputable houses usually go above and beyond this requirement! In contrast, prosecco is made much differently using the Charmat or tank method, which allows the secondary fermentation to take place in a large steel tank. After that, the bubbly is then bottled and can be released on the market for sale after only 30 to 40 days.

WHAT IS A GROWER CHAMPAGNE?

The difference in production method results in a significant difference in taste between Champagne and other sparkling wines. While Champagne undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle, the fermenting wine remains in contact with the dead yeast cells or lees which impart a desirable toasty, yeasty flavor to the wine. Since the Charmat method occurs in a stainless steel tank, prosecco is characterized by crisper, leaner flavors and a lighter body than Champagne.

Why is Champagne so much more expensive than other sparklers?

Champagne usually commands a much higher price than other sparkling wines, but is it really worth it? Sky high vineyard prices, the time-intensive Methode Traditionelle and a significant post-production aging period all contribute to Champagnes pricey-- sometimes exorbitant-- price tag. It's usually considered a special occasion only wine but if youre a fan of Champagnes complex flavor profile and appreciate the labor behind each bottle, then what's a few hundred dollars for an out-of-this world drinking experience?

Proseccos lower price point and less complex palate, on the other hand, makes it a wonderful everyday sparkler and a great choice for using in sparkling wine based drinks such as Sparkling Strawberry Sangria or Pomegranate Rosemary Royale.

Will there be enough bottles to go around in 2017?

Despite the Champagne shortage rumors, Maggie Henriquez, President and CEO of Krug Champagne, says there's no need to worry-- yet. The shortage this year impacts little. The Champagne region not only allows us to make the most beautiful and amazing sparkling wines in the world, but has also developed a number of rules to help houses and growers to go through the weather changes and the whims of nature.

Since blending is a critical part of making Champagne, most houses have an extensive library of wines from past vintages they use to create their wines. These wines can help significantly in tougher years, Henriquez explains.

In Champagne every year the CIVC, the organization that regulates the Champagne region, announces theamount of reserve [wines] that can be unblocked. Through the years this self-regulatory, long term sustainable measure allows the houses and growers to have reserve wines to go through tough years. In these short years, unblocked reserve wines can be added to the approved year volume and with this assure continuity and avoid zigzags.

WHY YOU SHOULD BE EATING CAVIAR ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

Antoine Collet, Taittinger Champagne Specialist for Kobrand, concurs adding, While it is true the 2016 vintage will be 20 to 30 percent less than last year, there is nothing to worry about. Champagne lovers can rest assured the Champagne will keep on flowing!

Cheers to a sparkling start to the New Year.
A New York City agency has issued the nations first intersex birth certificate to a 55-year-old individual born with male genes, female genitalia and mixed internal reproductive organs. The historic move could pave the way for more of such certificates, which do not indicate male or female in the gender field, but rather intersex, NBC News reported.

Experts say the decision is a step in the right direction toward improving those individuals health care, as well as simplify their efforts to access certain essential documents.

In the United States, birth certificates often provide access to a wide range of public services and critical identity documents, such as state IDs and passports," Paul Castillo, Lamda Legal attorney, who applauded the agencys decision, told NBC. "Having birth certificates with gender designations other than male or female provides an enormous sense of validation for a number of non-binary and intersex people."

NBC reported that Sara Kelly Keenan, who uses female pronouns, grew up with only a vague idea of her anatomy. When she was born in NYC, she was classified as a boy for three weeks but was abruptly issued a female birth certificate. What followed for Keenan, NBC reported, was lifelong hormone replacement therapy beginning at age 16, and doctors recommendations for surgery so she could conform to one sex. At the time, such individuals were called hermaphrodites. Keenans father did not opt for the surgical procedure, and subsequent endocrinological testing revealed Keenan was intersex, NBC reported.

"Not all intersex people will choose to identify legally as intersex," Keenan told NBC Out, "and not all parents will choose to have their intersex child identified as intersex on birth documents. But for those who do, the option must exist."

NBC reported that Keenan, who accepts her intersex status, has been inspired to help other intersex individuals obtain legal birth certificates indicating their gender. She also wants to help reduce stigma in the intersex community.
"It's 4am. My body's trembling. I'm going to die." That was reportedly one of Matsuri Takahashi's tweets not long before she killed herself last year by leaping from a dorm at Dentsu, the ad company where the 24-year-old worked, per the New York Times.

This week, Dentsu's head quit, taking responsibility for Takahashi's suicide and his firm's culture of overwork. That culture is prevalent throughout Japan, and even has its own term, "karoshi," or "death from overwork." Tadashi Ishii offered his "heartfelt apology" Wednesday and said he'd offer his resignation to Dentsu's board in January; he apologized to Takahashi's family in person on Sunday, per the Japan Times.

A labor department probe found Takahashi had been putting in more than 100 hours of overtime a month leading up to her death, and she'd noted on Twitter and to family that her bosses had harassed her and made sexist remarks.

Per the AP, an October survey in the country's first white paper on karoshi found 93 suicides or attempted suicides in 2015 tied to overwork (the Guardian says that number is more like 2,000 suicides a year), with 96 deaths from heart attacks, strokes, and other maladies linked to karoshi.

Business Insider reports Japan "has been trying desperately" to tamp down this deeply ingrained work ethic, including a "work style reform" panel led by PM Shinzo Abe.

Some firms have started encouraging more work-life balance, including Dentsu, which has a reputation as being particularly hard-core (a slogan dating to the '50s implored workers to do their job "even if it kills you").

Now Dentsu flicks the lights off at 10pm and makes workers take a minimum of five days off every six months. "[I want to] change the consciousness of every working person in Japan," Takahashi's mom says, per the Guardian.

(A deeper look at karoshi.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Japanese CEO Quits After Overworked Employee's Suicide
First of all, please quote me honestly and calmly, and try not to resort to the self-serving, often obscene, sometimes racist ranting that your supposedly polite nation has rained down on me since my Facebook post, which alleged that every Muslim extremist attack since 9/11 has come from the northern, not the southern, border.

Tens of thousands of you, including Pam Lambo the Senior Public Affairs Advocacy Officer at your embassy in Washington D.C., angrily pointed out (in her case politely) that the 9/11 hijackers did not come from Canada.

I never said they did.

I said every attack since 9/11 had come from the north not the south. Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines the word since as:

"In the period after a specified time in the past: Subsequently, (as in) has since become rich."

Other examples given by the dictionary: has stayed there ever since. She graduated four years ago and has since married. And, he left home two years ago and has since become a soldier.

In the common English that the majority of people in our nations have spoken since colonizing the New World, since equals after. In other words, what I said was that the only cross-border Muslim extremist terror attack on the United States after September 11, 2001 came from the Northern (Canada) border not the Southern (Mexico) border, which is the obsession of Americas politicians and pundits alike.

Further, you must know that if I intended to charge absurdly that the 9/11 hijackers came from Canada I would have said so in plain language, your cascade of insults notwithstanding. You are being extremely defensive, intentionally confrontational or blatantly self-serving in accusing me of not knowing where the 9/11 hijackers came from. A native-born New Yorker, I lost friends and neighbors in the 9/11 attacks and, after filing hundreds of reports from Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf and elsewhere, I know exactly where the 9/11 attackers came from.

Now, Ill move on to my contention that subsequent acts of terror emanated from Canada rather than Mexico. First, there have been some previous acts of Islamist terror from Canada into the United States. (There have been none from Mexico).

Abu Mezer and Lafi Khalil were Palestinian-born Hamas terrorists captured when heavily armed cops stormed their Brooklyn New York apartment in August 1997. The men, who infiltrated the U.S. from Canada in July 1997, were shot and wounded by cops. Five pipe bombs, which the terrorists planned to use to blow up Brooklyns Atlantic Avenue Subway, were found in the apartment.

Ahmed Ressam also known as the Millennium Bomber, planned to blow up Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Ressam, who was trying to infiltrate the U.S. from Vancouver, Canader, was captured in December 1999 in Port Angeles, Washington thanks to the great work of U.S. Customs inspector Diana Dean. Ressams vehicle was jammed with enough explosives to wreak murder and mayhem at the airport, Americas third busiest. Also eventually arrested in the conspiracy were Abdelmajid Dahoumane and Mokhtar Haouri, all illegally present in Canada.

Ressam was later linked with Zacharias Moussaoui, the al-Qaeda member arrested in August 2001 and known as the 20th hijacker.

Americas Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in December 2010, that, the terrorist threat on the northern border is higher, (than the southern border) given the large expanse of area with limited law enforcement coverage.

In February 2011, Senator Joseph Lieberman, then Senate Homeland Security chair, reached the same conclusion, saying that while Americans traditionally view their border with Mexico as more porous and dangerous, the Homeland Security Agency has concluded the risk of terrorist activity across the northern border is actually higher than across the southern border. Why? Because there are more Islamist extremist groups in Canada than Mexico, said Sen. Lieberman.

Indeed, your own 2014 Public Report On The Terrorist Threat To Canada states, The Government is aware of about 80 individuals who have returned to Canada after travel abroad for a variety of suspected terrorism-related purposes.

Now to my point about extremist Muslim cross-border attacks since, that is, after 9/11.

In April 2013, Canadian authorities arrested Raed Jaser, 35, of Toronto, and Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, of Montreal for allegedly attempting to carry out an al-Qaida-linked plot to blow up a Toronto to New York train and possibly key bridges as the train traveled via Niagara Falls and Buffalo into the United States. The pair is charged with conspiring to carry out an attack against, and conspiring to murder persons unknown for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group. 

This is the first known al-Qaeda planned attack that weve experienced in Canada, said Doug Best, superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

It is also the only Muslim extremist attack on the United States across either the northern or southern borders since, that is, after 9/11.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler is having a bad day  30 to 40 people, most of them from out of town, are protesting outside his home. I never realized what a bad guy I was, Seiler jokes.

Seiler is actually not a bad guy. But when headlines around the world screamed about 90-year-old Arnold Abbotts arrest by Fort Lauderdale police for feeding the homeless, the mayor became a universally accepted target overnight.

Homeless activists and other extreme liberal groups who have long argued that governments should have the right to regulate, make rules and pass ordinances for the common good are now saying just the opposite. Thats right, the big government crowd has gone small government when it comes to their pet project. Hmm! I asked the mayor, whos a Democrat, about this irony.

You could not have nailed it better, he told me. It is dripping with irony, it is so unbelievable. When we initially began doing this, all these groups were thanking us.

They were thanking the mayor because hes a homeless advocate who until now, thought he had a good plan to accommodate the homeless by making sure enough churches were assigned as homeless outreach centers and were coordinating with the city. However, when headlines screamed of a 90-year-old man arrested, everything changed.

Here are the facts:

The 90-year-old Arnold Abbott was not arrested. He was politely cited for not complying with the citys ordinance, which forbids mass feedings without a permit. The ordinance is aimed at regulating what homeless activists do in public parks, taking into consideration matters like public urination, public defecation, vandalism, loitering and the rights of residents to use the park for their families and children. One other thing, Mayor Seiler likes Arnold Abbott, talks to him regularly and wants to include him in the citys homeless initiative.

"If you actually read the ordinance and read what we have done in terms of a comprehensive compassionate response to addressing homelessness, increasing these programs, increasing locations to feed the homeless, says Seiler, youd see that were trying to establish a reasonable standard so that the homeless are fed in a more humane way."

But that isnt the story that most extreme homeless advocates want told, nor do they want it to go away. They accuse the Mayor of trying to criminalize homelessness and/or criminalize those who want to feed the homeless. I asked the mayor if thats what hes trying to do.

"I would say it is an absolute human right, an absolute right to feed a hungry person, and I agree with that 100 percent, says Seiler. However, we're just saying you can feed them at any of the 100-plus locations in the city, and none of them create transportation issues or barriers for other residents.

Seiler says mass feedings in public parks without a permit are not good for the homeless or the residents who live near the parks. He says that type of hand-out fails to meet the homeless communitys real needs, like mental-health counseling and intervention on alcoholism and drug addiction.

But what about those of us who choose to help the homeless individually?

"We are not going to arrest you for sharing a slice of pizza, says Seiler. The ordinance is worded to address only mass feedings.

Mass feedings could now be available to the homeless. Mayor Seiler has negotiated a deal with one of Fort Lauderdales most recognized churches to allow mass feedings just blocks from where Arnold Abbott was cited. The offer was declined. So Seiler then struck a deal to have the mass feedings at the citys renowned Aquatic Center. Now it appears that offer will also be rejected.

It begins to make you wonder if the issue really is feeding the homeless or if theres a bigger agenda here and why would he turn down legal locations to feed the homeless on Fort Lauderdale beach?" the mayor asks. "And all of a sudden we realized these issues are being hijacked by outside groups  not by Arnold, but by a group that comes in from Missouri.

And the groups will be at it again this week, trying to make lots of noise while avoiding any possible compromise with a mayor they are hell bent on making a bad guy.
President Obama appears to be ready to make good on his pledge to move forward with administrative action on immigration.

This is a short-term, temporary solution that may very well protect millions of families. But whether you agree with the presidents move or not, there is no denying that an immigration system this broken requires a long-term fix.

I offer a third way for the congressional leadership to respond: Block administrative action by rolling up your sleeves and getting to work on legislation.  Ali Noorani

Rather than cater to anti-immigrant forces and fight the president tooth and nail on administrative action, Republican leadership should seize the opportunity to get credit for creating a new immigration process that works.

Yes, Latinos would give Republicans credit for actual immigration solutions. But so would a range of conservative leaders.

Business leaders want a stable workforce where they dont have to worry about the federal government intruding on their operations. Law enforcement officials want to focus on the pursuit of criminals, not waste valuable resources on civil immigration violations. And faith leaders look forward to the day when fewer families in their congregations are separated by deportations.

Being the party of no makes for a tough road to the White House in 2016.

There are reports of a split within congressional leadership on how to respond legislatively once the president acts. One faction favors blocking the execution of administrative action step by step. The other, more extreme faction favors shutting down the government until the president cries uncle.

Both approaches fall short. A purely political response to administrative action effectively turns the microphone over to extremists, and Steve King and Ted Cruz should not define the Republican position on immigrants and immigration. Public support for immigrants and immigration will plummet, and it will be nearly impossible for Republicans to pass  and take credit for  their own set of reforms.

The central problem with both responses is this: Immigration isnt about politics. Immigration is about real people.

Even in a toxic political environment, the conservative base of faith, law enforcement and business leaders talk about immigrants as people they know, people they value. They empathize with the dreams, aspirations and struggles of the immigrant community  documented or not.

Carlos Gutierrez, President George W. Bushs commerce secretary, put it well: "The Republicans can overreact and give the impression that they're not so much against the concept of executive action but that they're against immigrants. And that would be a big problem."

In the belief Congress represents the overwhelming majority of Americans who want practical immigration solutions, I offer a third way for the congressional leadership to respond: Block administrative action by rolling up your sleeves and getting to work on legislation.

Instead of allowing the Democrats to force you into a political corner, call their bluff.

Spend these precious next few weeks preparing a clear vision and a legislative process for reform to be put in motion on the first day of the 114th Congress.

By taking the reins and actually passing reform legislation, Republicans can claim credit for permanently replacing our broken immigration system. If not, they may get credit only for separating families and further destabilizing the workforce.

Rather than retreating to the corners of rhetorical fire and poisoned wells, now is the time for Congress to come to the table and act on the simple truths that everyone knows: Our immigration system is broken. Our economy suffers as we cannot compete for talent. Immigrant families are deeply wounded. Law enforcement resources are spread thin.

Congress was just handed a golden opportunity by an electorate that gave Republicans control of both houses. Administrative action can be only short-term, and anything it fixes can be only temporary. Only Congress can put in place a solution that is permanent by replacing a system we all recognize is broken.
Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
Is it a Clash of Titans, or a Titanic crash? President Barack Obama is about to test the limits of the U. S. Constitution-backed government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Immigration reform has created a deep political fissure in the country where one side favors reform and has for several years and another opposes it. Supports comes from Democrats and Republicans, from Anglos, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians and registers overwhelmingly and consistently in national surveys.

The courts will examine this proposed order and whether or not anyone who files a lawsuit asking to enjoin the President from enforcing such an order has standing to sue. The answer is probably no.  Raoul Lowery Contreras

Anti-reform people talk about enforcing outdated immigration law designed decades ago; i.e. they demand 100 percent deportation without answering how could we possibly deport 11-12 million people?

They talk about terrorists flooding across a porous border intending to frighten people miles and many states away from the border. They talk of rising crime, destruction of a sovereign United States and invasion by Brown Hordes with scabies.

On Election Day, 57 percent of American voters told Exit Pollsters for the major networks that they support immigration reform.

At this moment, however, the only people who count are House Republicans and the President of the United States, about 250 people not the majority of Americans that favor immigration reform.

The President says he is going to reform the immigration system by himself in the coming days by issuing an executive order that  according to the New York Times  protect up to 4-5 million people from deportation who are here illegally based on length of time in the U.S., children who are U.S. citizens and a non-criminal status. The leaks also indicate that those working here should be granted work visas applied for by employers.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) call this amnesty. Without knowing the details we cannot comment on whether the Obama plan is amnesty. These men and their allies in Congress will campaign against the Presidents plan as amnesty no matter what the details are.

Before the President unveils his plan to legalize by executive order, some history.

Facts:

(1) In the Senate, Obama cast the deciding 2007 vote on a Labor-sponsored poison pill amendment to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill that originated out of the Bush White House. The bill died.

(2) As a Presidential candidate Obama promised that he would fix immigration in his first year in office. In his first and second years in office, Obama did nothing on immigration despite having huge Democrat majorities in the House and Senate.

(3) He could have passed reform in a months time, but he didnt.

(4) When a bill to legalize those brought here illegally as children (DACA) passed the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, President Obama did nothing to help push it to 60 votes in the U.S. Senate that would have short-circuited any potential filibuster; enough Republicans voted to pass it to make it a bi-partisan bill but five Democrat Senators voted against it. Those five senators are retired or were defeated by voters. Obama never even made a phone call to those senators asking for or demanding their votes.

(5) Obama claimed that he would issue executive orders on immigration reform by the end of summer earlier this year. He didnt. He declared he would issue the decree by the end of the year and made sure everyone knew he would do so after the November 4th election.

This blatant political move was recognized by voters who rejected Obama and his candidates in many, many congressional districts and states. Americans are not stupid.

Senate Majority Leader-to-be Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner have both warned that the executive action contemplated will poison the well between the Republican controlled Congress and the White House. In essence, Mr. President, as John Boehner declares, there are many things a President needs from Congress and he is jeopardizing those needs by trying to outflank Congress.

 Can the president issue executive orders? Yes, the courts have ruled since 1790 that the President has this power.

 Can the President absolve people of coming to the country illegally, or defer deportation of such people? Yes, based on his exclusive power defined in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution; to wit: he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States Citizenship is not required, only an offense against the United States.

 Can the President change current immigration laws passed under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that mandates Congress Regulate commerce and establish a uniform rule of naturalization (immigration)? No, the courts will have to examine this proposed order and whether or not anyone who files a lawsuit asking to enjoin the President from enforcing such an order has standing to sue. The answer is probably no.

The Presidents executive order threat is not timely (there is no emergency). It is legally suspect and most certainly will politically destroy Obamas last two years in office. Hispanics will not save him for he cannot run for re-election and those that love him dont write history books.
A recent Gallup poll found that Americans worry most about hacking and cybersecurity than any other crime. Perhaps this is not surprising given the rash of high-profile data breaches, coupled with the fact that hacks have affected one out of four American consumers.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday looming, now is a good time for consumers to understand key reasons why their financial security is at risk. Although awareness about what they as individuals can do to protect their payment card and financial data has risen significantly, many times, as with the high-profile security breach at Target last year, data thieves are able to exploit weaknesses in the antiquated security features in payment networks and the cards themselves.

The best solution would be for banks to take reasonable action toward use of chip and PIN equipped cards, before consumer demands push policymakers toward regulatory solutions that are likely to be more heavy-handed.  Mario H. Lopez

These security challenges are especially salient in underserved communities, where theft and security breaches can have an especially damaging effect on family budgets. Much is at stake in the big picture as well: for example, a recent report found that Hispanics, who make up nearly a fifth of the U.S. population, account for more than $1 trillion in spending power annually.

The U.S. as a whole maintains an aging cyber infrastructure and a high volume of credit card ownership. According to an April 2014 Gallup Survey, Americans own 2.6 credit cards on average. When consumers use these cards, they do so within a woefully outdated structure established in 1970.

Large American banks and credit card networks  some of which received massive, government-funded bailouts  continue to use magnetic stripe credit cards that the rest of the world has deserted. Since it's one of the last markets in the world where thieves can operate against the easy-to-outsmart magnetic stripe technology, reads a January 2014 CNBC report, there's no reason [data breaches will subside] if [new technology] isn't adopted more quickly.

This leaves many American consumers at risk. Unfortunately, banks have been resisting a transition to computer chip and PIN (Personal Identification Number) technology in use throughout the world. The result for now is grossly inadequate protection of consumers personal and financial data.

Rather than adapt to growing demands for safer measures, banks continue to disregard worldwide trends showing that chip and PIN technology is the clearest way to protect consumers. European nations have already transitioned to chip-equipped cards to combat fraud, while emerging-market nations leapfrogged over the use of outdated magnetic strip cards.

In the U.K., breach-induced losses fell from $356.5 million to $160.5 million in 2008 following chip and PIN implementation. Our Canadian neighbors (who use the modern technology) were largely spared from the financial losses that occurred from recent breaches.

Clearly, chip and PIN technology provides an added layer of security for card users that protect against hackers. Unlike current stripe cards and even chip-enabled cards that require a signature, chip and PIN cards cannot be cloned. This results in a strong frontline defense against cyber criminals who peddle stolen information, helping minimize financial fraud.

Yet here we stand as the last developed nation to adopt common sense chip and PIN technology.

There has been some progress, however. President Obama recently announced the BuySecure initiative, which requires federal agencies to upgrade all federal credit cards from magnetic stripes to chip and PIN technology. Although it only protects government credit cards issued to federal employees, it is a good first step, especially for the American taxpayer who ultimately is stuck with the bill.

Some banks are promising to distribute chip technology and increase identity theft monitoring and protection. But in reality, there will only be a slight improvement in security because the banks insist on issuing chip-equipped cards with the same old flawed magnetic stripes. Consumers will still have to sign after a purchase instead of entering a PIN number, which is vastly more secure.

For card-issuing banks and credit card companies, relying on magnetic stripe cards is less about security and more about making money through the fees they charge retailers to process transactions. It is also cheaper for the banks to maintain the existing infrastructure that supports magnetic stripe cards rather than investing in chip and PIN cards, even though consumers are exposed to more risk.

As leaders in Washington continue to contemplate cybersecurity law and related issues, now is the time to ensure commerce security for all Americans. If the government can do it, so too should the much more nimble, accountable and reliable private sector. The best solution would be for banks to take reasonable action toward use of chip and PIN equipped cards, before consumer demands push policymakers toward regulatory solutions that are likely to be more heavy-handed.
Any day now, President Obama will announce his executive action on immigration, and conservative lawmakers are not happy. "This is the wrong way to govern, said House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sent a letter to the White House warning the president against taking executive action, and questioning his authority to do so.

Like it or not, the president has authority to act alone on immigration. Not only has the Supreme Court recognized the presidents discretion over immigration matters, presidents have been taking unilateral action on immigration for decades.

Some people are uncomfortable with Obama going solo on such a contentious issue. Still, no matter what he does, his executive orders will be subject to cancellation by the next president.  Raul A. Reyes

Under Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution, the president is required to take care that the Laws be faithfully executed. Broadly speaking, President Obama has fulfilled this responsibility. He is responsible for record levels of deportations, and his administration spent $18 billion on immigration enforcement in 2012. Every night, there are roughly 34,000 undocumented immigrants in detention. So it is a stretch to charge that Obama is not faithfully executing immigration laws.

Yet just as the president has the duty to enforce immigration laws, he has the power to set immigration enforcement priorities. Under the doctrine of prosecutorial discretion, he can decide who will be a priority for deportation. In fact, the president has to set enforcement priorities for the Department of Homeland Security, because Congress only allots money to deport about 400,000 people a year  and there are an estimated 11 million undocumented people within our borders.

There are only two constitutional limits on the executive branchs discretion on immigration. The president cannot decide to enforce immigration law based on an individuals race, religion, or other impermissible factors, and the president cannot completely abdicate responsibility for immigration enforcement. President Obama is not proposing either of these prohibited moves.

With his executive action, President Obama will likely defer deportations for certain immigrants, and here he stands on solid legal footing. Consider that in September, a group of 136 law professors and legal experts sent a letter to the White House stating that the president has authority to expand deportation relief for undocumented immigrants. They noted that prosecutorial discretion is a common, long-accepted legal practice in practically every law enforcement context, and that its application is grounded in the Constitution. In addition, they pointed out that the size of any potential class of beneficiaries of executive action was irrelevant to its legality.

The Supreme Court has recognized the presidents discretion over immigration law as well. In U.S. v. Arizona (2012), the high court ruled that Arizonas SB 1070 law not only interfered with the federal government authority to act on immigration, it also interfered with the federal governments authority not to act on immigration. As Fox News host Megyn Kelly once explained to Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on air, "the president does have prosecutorial discretion when it comes to immigration, the Supreme Court made that clear as recently as 2012."

Legalities aside, executive action on immigration is nothing new. In October, the nonpartisan American Immigration Council released a report showing that presidents have taken executive action on immigration 39 times in the last 60 years  going at least as far back as President Eisenhower in 1956. Former Republican presidents Nixon, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush all took unilateral action on immigration. It was legal when they did it, and it will be legal when President Obama does it too. Actually, President Obama has already taken executive action on immigration; his 2009 decision to expand the Secure Communities program and his decision last summer to expedite the removals of child migrants were both unilateral immigration moves.

Some people are uncomfortable with Obama going solo on such a contentious issue. Still, no matter what he does, his executive orders will be subject to cancellation by the next president. He doesnt have the power to give anyone a green card or citizenship. And hes even offered to tear up his executive orders if Congress sends him a comprehensive immigration bill. The president is simply acting to move away from paralysis on immigration, and towards progress.

President Obamas executive orders on immigration will not violate the Constitution. Although his actions will no doubt be controversial, they will nonetheless be legally sound.
Change is finally coming to America. Despite warnings from opponents of comprehensive immigration reform, President Obama is on the verge of using his executive power to do what Congress has failed to do: address some of the most egregious injustices in our immigration system. Not only is the president well within his constitutional rights to act, but also in doing so he is defending some of Americas most important values.

It would certainly be better if the solution to our current immigration problems were the product of bipartisan collaboration and consensus. But the truth is that President Obama confronts one of the most deeply divided congresses in American history.  Jose Calderon

For advocates of comprehensive immigration reform, these last six years have been difficult. The White House and Congress have each insisted that they understand the importance of reforming our immigration system only to have anti-immigrant voices or some other issue (the financial crisis, health care reform, etc.) undercut it. With just two years remaining in his presidency, President Obama, in particular, risks failing to deliver on the promise of one of his most important policy objectives. Time is short and we expect the president to act boldly and decisively.

It would certainly be better if the solution to our current immigration problems were the product of bipartisan collaboration and consensus. But the truth is that President Obama confronts one of the most deeply divided congresses in American history. For years, many Republicans in Congress and some Democrats too, have either dragged their feet on immigration reform or flat out refused to negotiate in good faith with the White House. The result of this political impasse has been a dramatic increase in deportations of undocumented immigrants and a series of other enforcement measures that have inflicted great harm and pain to immigrant families and communities. In the lead-up to the midterm elections, President Obama said that while he hoped that he could work with the new Congress on immigration reform, he was prepared to use executive actions to accomplish what Congress would not. The results of the elections suggest that the president will have few partners to work alongside him in a bipartisan fashion. Simply put, if the worst parts of our immigration system are to be addressed in the next two years, it will most likely be because of the actions of the president.

Opponents of executive action say the president lacks the legal authority to go it alone. Theyre wrong. Historical precedent shows that presidentsfrom Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan to Bill Clintonhave used their executive authority to change immigration policy. Whats more, in many of these cases, presidential action has actually spurred Congress to produce meaningful legislation. We certainly hope that's the case, because as important as the president's planned actions on immigration are, they will only represent a temporary fix that address certain aspects of our broken immigration system.

The truth is also that both parties in Congress have had ample time to craft a comprehensive reform strategy that honors Americas values, protects communities, and keeps families together. In the absence of any leadership from Congress, the president has a moral obligation to use executive action to provide relief to millions of immigrant families in the United States.

The president's executive order must take aim at the most unjust elements of the current system. This is not the time to tinker with the system but to act confidently, courageously, and unapologetically in favor of reform.

Meaningful executive action would include, for instance, an immediate suspension of deportations for undocumented immigrants who pose no threat to our security, as well as broad administrative relief for the overwhelming majority of the nations eleven million undocumented residents to remain and work here legally.

Moreover, the presidents plan should go beyond solely covering immediate relatives of citizens, legal permanent residents and DACA recipients and not be limited to those residing here for 10 years or more. Access to affordable health care should also be an integral part of this plan to improve the public health of all our families and communities.

There are eleven million undocumented immigrants in America. They are our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, and our families. They cant wait another day for justice and neither should the president. The time for change is now.
The presidents decision to go ahead and take executive action was the right one for millions of families who are working hard, have strong ties to their community and are contributing to our country.

President Obama gave Republicans the space and time to act. But rather than act, Republicans made every possible excuse and refused to move on legislation.

Republicans need to demonstrate willingness and credibility on this issue. Threatening to shut down the government, impeach the President or hold up confirmation of nominees during the 114th congress isn't the way to do that.  Rep.-elect Ruben Gallego

In the months leading up to the Presidents decision, Republicans threatened to shut down the government and impeach the President if he acted. They also said that the President issuing an executive order would threaten the future of immigration reform. Despite years of inaction, Republicans insisted that this time they really meant business on immigration reform.

But that argument is just as disingenuous as the rest of the rhetoric weve heard from Republicans for years when it comes to immigration.

Weve seen what waiting on Republicans gets. Its time to act.

Executive action does not prevent Republicans from acting on comprehensive immigration reform. If anything, President Obama is giving Republicans an opportunity to present their own solution to fix our broken immigration system.

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake said yesterday that rather than blocking President Obamas action on immigration, Republicans should be focused on passing immigration reform. While Senator Flake and I disagree on much, I certainly agree with that point.

Flake and the Arizonans he represents know how multi-faceted our immigration issues are. There is neither a simple Republican nor easy Democratic answer to the problems presented by our broken immigration system. And those harmed by our current policies dont fall into any single constituency.

Our schools suffer, our businesses suffer, our communities suffer and our families suffer. If you talk to the people I will soon represent in Arizona, youll hear that everybody is impacted by our broken immigration system. The Presidents executive action recognizes this fact, but we need to keep pushing.

Comprehensive immigration reform is the long-term solution we need  and I fully recognize that we wont get there without compromise from both sides. But families are being torn apart right now and Republicans have proven that they are unwilling to move on this issue.

Every President in the past 70 years has taken executive action on immigration and used prosecutorial discretion to set priorities for immigration enforcement.

President Obama took the necessary steps within his authority to move our country forward. Now it's up to Republicans to work with the President and help permanently solve the issues with our immigration system.

I hope more Republicans join Flake and fellow Arizona Senator John McCain in pushing for immigration reform so we can start a real debate. But until that happens, Republicans need to demonstrate willingness and credibility on this issue. Threatening to shut down the government, impeach the President or hold up confirmation of nominees during the 114th congress isn't the way to do that.

Throughout my campaign, I heard over and over again how frustrated people in our community are with Washingtons inability to act. They told me they didnt trust Republicans and were losing faith that Democrats would deliver.

For my district, our broken immigration system isn't an issue to debate  it has a major impact on our every day lives.

Like me, many of the people I represent have family on both sides of the border. And many of the organizers who worked for my campaign were DREAMers who are in this country through no decision of their own, but still dont get access to the same opportunities as any other young person raised in this country.

Our immigration problems are complex, but delay only worsens the situation for those waiting on Washington.

President Obama did the right thing by taking executive action. If Republicans are serious about passing comprehensive immigration reform, Ill be among the many Democrats eager to work with them.

In the meantime, I applaud the Presidents leadership in providing temporary relief to the undocumented community and taking action to help our economy and strengthen our national security.
One of the pillars of our constitutional form of government is a separation of powers, vesting in Congress the power to legislate and in the Presidency the duty to faithfully execute the law.

However, by executive fiat this past Thursday, President Obama obliterated that pillar and circumvented safeguards that provide order to our republic.

If the president thinks he has the authority to act unilaterally, what cant he do? What else will he try to do in his final two years? And what further precedent does this set for future presidents of any political party?  Sean Reyes

Regardless of how one feels about immigration policy, the presidents process of new policy implementation should be of great concern to us all. There is a proper role for executive orders, in harmony with congressional intent. But this is not it.

The president justifies his actions as being borne out of frustrationas if indignation alone can endow him with a power he has readily acknowledged is not his.

In 2010, President Obama said, I am not a king. I cant do these things by myself. He was responding to the idea of rewriting immigration laws unilaterally. In other words, he was saying he did not have the authority to take executive action on immigration.

Also in 2010, he said such an indiscriminate approach would be both unwise and unfair. In 2011, at a Univision town hall, he said ignoring the laws on the books would not conform with my role as president.

As recently as March of this year, he said I cannot ignore  laws that are on the books, noting that he is constrained in terms of what I am able to do.

By one count, President Obama said 22 times that he lacks the constitutional authority for such executive action.

Now, though, hes doing exactly that, ignoring the law and usurping authority the Constitution has vested in Congress, not the White House. He either changed his mind completely in just a few months or lied to the countryover and over again.

As the Attorney General of Utah, it is my job to defend the laws of our state and I take the rule of law seriously. I swore an oath, just as President Obama did, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Americans should be concerned, outraged even, that our president would ignore that oath for political expediency.

Its hard to understand how the president could go back on his word in such dramatic fashion. What changed?

For one, the president is no longer accountable to voters. Hes not up for re-election and his party lost badly in the midterm elections. And when a new Congress takes office in January, he will face a Republican controlled Congress that is ready to take up immigration issues for the first time during his two terms. Politically speaking, the president has nothing to lose.

Unfortunately, the country has a lot to lose when a president ignores not only the limits to his power but also the will of the American people expressed through our representatives. It weakens the entire constitutional order and our system of checks-and-balances.

If the president thinks he has the authority to act unilaterally, what cant he do? Can he justify any action? What else will he try to do in his final two years? And what further precedent does this set for future presidents of any political party to ignore constitutional safeguards?

In February of 2013, during a White House Google hangout, President Obama said, Im the President of the United States. Im not the emperor of the United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed. That was true then. That is true now. I had hoped, for the sake of our country and constitution, that President Obama actually believed that.
Puerto Ricans are used to being treated as second class citizens. Although they are Americans, the nearly four million who live on the island dont have a representative in Congress who can vote for policies that affect them, they cant vote for a president who sends its citizens to war, and they receive a fraction of the benefits that other American citizens do, while those born and raised on the mainland are sometimes referred to as not real Americans, albeit quite ignorantly.

The one advantage Puerto Ricans have always maintained is that of comprising a well-educated, yet less costly pool of labor. The presidents executive action on immigrants will reduce that advantage, effectively hurting the second largest group of Hispanics in the U.S. as well as the already fragile Puerto Rican economy.

Given the slow recovery from the previous recession, and the several major economies around the world that are teetering on edge, our country doesnt need a reason to further suppress economic growth by creating an even tighter labor force with lower wages on top of additional federal expenditures.  Justin Velez-Hagan

Puerto Ricans living on the island are among the most well-educated and skilled in many parts of the Western world, success that is due to prolific and cheap education. With more than 50 institutions of higher learning and tuition costs far lower than the average American university, Puerto Rico graduates nearly 25,000 bilingual students every year, nearly half of these are in highly demanded STEM fields. There is no other place in the country that produces so many Hispanic STEM graduates.

The opportunity for American businesses to partner with these universities helped develop a robust manufacturing industry in pharmaceuticals, and more recently growing industries in technology and aeronautics. Over a period of decades, large manufacturers have relied upon Puerto Ricos well-educated, yet cost competitive labor market (combined with federal and local tax incentives), which has kept its tenuous economy afloat. Companies across the U.S., and from around the globe, interested in adding the label Made in America to their products, while advertising goods that are produced by American labor, can find no other place in the country to do so at such competitive costs. Puerto Rico and its people have relied upon these advantages since it became part of the United States.

Puerto Ricans born and raised on the mainland have the advantage of growing up with American culture and native English language skills, many of whom are also bilingual and have an understanding of Hispanic culture in general. Companies, large and small, are starting to realize the benefit that such diversity in skills and culture can add to their bottom line, often seeking Puerto Rican labor just for this reason. In fact, just yesterday, a large service company based in Texas contacted my organization looking to add Puerto Rican labor, from both the mainland and the island, to its payroll.

When the labor pool of legal American workers increases by millions of people, basic economics teaches us that as the supply of labor, and competition for jobs, increases, wages will be depressed. If there are not enough jobs to fulfill the increased demand (and there arent), unemployment will rise. On the mainland, Puerto Ricans will lose their legal competitive advantage, just like they will on the island, where an increasing number of Dominican migrants are competing for the few low-wage jobs available to the ever-shrinking Puerto Rican labor force.

Ironically, as some mainland Americans complain about Puerto Ricans in the diaspora taking jobs from blue-collar workers, Puerto Ricans also wont be able to compete with the influx of even lower wage labor entering Puerto Rico or in the rest of the U.S. A tight labor market for low-income Puerto Ricans will be made even tighter, pushing many more of these American citizens to reliance on the welfare system, straining the rest of the countrys finances. Fewer win that lose.

Depending on how many of the total number of new legal workers there are in the U.S., Puerto Ricans may find that they cannot be competitive anywhere without some additional, and often unattainable, educational or skills advantage.

Far too many who come to our country seeking opportunity get caught up in a terribly inefficient and outdated immigration system, often punishing those who attempt to comply with the law by pummeling our brightest applicants with paperwork, fees, and never-ending waiting lines. But, near sighted executive action has unintended side effects that the president is clearly not considering, or just doesnt care about any more.

Given the slow recovery from the previous recession, and the several major economies around the world that are teetering on edge, our country doesnt need a reason to further suppress economic growth by creating an even tighter labor force with lower wages on top of additional federal expenditures. For Puerto Ricans, the worse news is that few will notice how millions of us will, once again, suffer the brunt of the consequences.
Bravo Mr. President for having the courage or political will or for doing the hard cold political calculation finally to do the right thing for five million undocumented, but otherwise law-abiding immigrants. Those immigrants who have been here for more than five years, have citizen children, are willing to pay their fair share of taxes and are willing to register for criminal background checks will be able to stay.

They can come out of the shadows and live free of the fear of being wrenched away from their families.

What good is served by deporting and separating parents from their children? Is your life in any way disadvantaged by the undocumented immigrant serving beer in the Irish bar?  Geraldo Rivera

I understand that many good citizens are upset that the president, like others before him, is acting outside the legislative process. And that Mr. Obama promises to do something tonight that he up until now has said he had no power to do. It doesn't matter. He's as much a politician as John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, John McCain and Marco Rubio who have all spoken out of both sides of their mouths on this issue.

The real question is whether this is the right thing to do.

Does anyone really have a substantive problem with this proposal? There are 500,000 undocumented immigrants here in New York City tonight as I write this. That is approximately the population of Atlanta or Tucson or Las Vegas. And you never hear about them. Why?

It is because they live their lives, mind their business and otherwise follow the law.

By every indication, they commit fewer crimes than citizen Americans. They raise their children and care for ours; they wash our dishes; mow our lawns; deliver and serve our meals; serve in our military; start businesses, pick our fruits and vegetables, and try hard to do the best they can for themselves and their families.

What good is served by deporting and separating parents from their children? Is your life in any way disadvantaged by the undocumented immigrant serving beer in the Irish bar or selling West African purses on the corner or serving noodles in the Chinese restaurant?

These people have been demonized by hard-right wingers who have found in them convenient scapegoats to blame for whatever ails us from ISIS to Ebola. They have been cynically exploited to serve as a wedge to divide Americans. Get over them. They are here and thanks to Barack Obama they are staying. And America is better because of it.
Memo to Hal Rogers: If you fund President Obama's Executive Amnesty Order, you will own it with him.

Now that the President Obama has announced his executive amnesty order, it puts the spotlight squarely on Republican leaders such as House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, who seems to be at odds with most of the GOP.

Rogers suggested recently to a reporter that the GOP should pass a long-term spending bill even if it should include funding for Obama's upcoming executive order. Mr. Chairman: If the American people wanted Congress to fund amnesty programs, they would have kept the Democrats in charge.

Voters [will not] make the distinction between the one who gives the order vs. the one who funds the order. If funding for the President's amnesty order comes out of your committee, Mr. Rogers, you own it.  David Bozell

Whether we are talking about a continuing resolution or omnibus spending bill is completely irrelevant. American voters were not just casually opposed to the presidents naive, unworkable, and unfair policy ideas, Mr. Rogers. Voters put your party back in charge of Congress to stop paying for Obama's unconstitutional schemes with their hard-earned tax dollars, once and for all.

Republicans across the board  both conservatives and establishment alike and reportedly even the Speaker of the House himself  are calling on Congress to not provide the president with any funding to carry out his plan to grant amnesty to millions of people who entered our country illegally. Why is the Appropriations Committee Chairman seemingly alone on the proverbial island in favor of funding?

Countless conservatives ran against the presidents proposal and were overwhelmingly elected to office earlier this month  Joni Ernst, Ben Sasse, Cory Gardner, Tom Cotton, just to name a few. Ernst said, I strongly urge the president not to sidestep Congress by granting executive amnesty. By acting alone, he will only be encouraging more illegal immigration, and worsening the existing crisis on our border.

Conservative incumbents also rallied around this issue  Senators Jeff Sessions, and Ted Cruz have implored the GOP to reject the presidents demands. Even establishment Republican operative Karl Rove, certainly not known for linking arms with conservative members of his party, agreed. As he said in a recent interview, Put riders on appropriations bills that say no money shall be spent to execute this [amnesty] policy.

Most importantly, Rogers' own Speaker, John Boehner, reportedly told his Republican caucus last Thursday of the president's amnesty plans, "If [Obama] proceeds, we are going to fight it."

Before the election, the president himself said that his policies were on the ballot. The results are now in and it turns out Americans have emphatically rejected ObamaCare, amnesty, and more out-of-control spending.

Chairman Rogers is acting as if an election didnt happen, as if hes still in the nations capital where his party only controls one-half of one-third of government. Hes still living in the days of the old GOP that caves to Mr. Obama on issue after issue.

But its a new and beautiful day in Mr. Rogers neighborhood, as the GOP has a prodigious majority after double digit election gains in the House of Representatives. Over in the Senate, the GOP has already picked up eight seats and may pick up a ninth next month in Louisiana.

Even Gallup says Americans prefer the new GOP congressional majorities set the agenda going forward, not President Obama. This is not the time to return to cowering and caving; the American people want the GOP to lead.

Nor will voters make the distinction between the one who gives the order vs. the one who funds the order. If funding for the President's amnesty order comes out of your committee, Mr. Rogers, you own it.
Its official! El Papa Francisco will be visiting the United States for the very first time in October 2015. He will be attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which will be a huge rally in support of the family, an institution that has suffered many setbacks in the last few years. In some of our communities here in the United States, some might say its on life support.

The Meeting will be the culmination of a long process of investigation and reflection on the state of the family that began at the Synod on the Family. Its a process that has stirred up significant interest, debate, and even controversy, as it has touched on some hot button issues like homosexual orientation and life-long fidelity, where long standing Judeo-Christian values conflict with todays everything goes social mentality.

The right of each child to grow up with a father and a mother is a human right; the entire society reaps the benefits when children have their developmental and emotional needs met.  Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie

It has been the gleeful assumption in some quarters, and the anxious fear in others, that the Church has finally begun to assimilate itself to the notions of todays modern people, who have been able to shed thousands of years of tradition and consensus in just a few brave decades.

My father, a Latino gentleman who has been a faithful son of the church since his baptism in 1936, picked me up at the airport after my visit to Rome to attend the Synod meeting in October. He asked me wonderingly, Es verdad? Does the Church have to change? I knew then that the terms of the discussion had been framed very effectively (and incorrectly) by the mainstream media, who have trouble seeing past a 24-hour news cycle, let alone comprehending the arc of world history.

I was very happy to send my father this week the whole text of Pope Francis comments at the Humanum Conference in Rome, during which he announced his upcoming visit. This conference brought together religious leaders from many different traditions in order to explore the anthropological reality of marriage based on the complementarity of men and women. In our brave new world, it appears to be necessary to spell out, in the most basic terms, something rationally accessible to a kindergartner: the unique way a man and woman come together is what produces children and starts a family.

Pope Francis said, "we cannot qualify [family] based on ideological notions or concepts important only at one time in history. The beautiful reality that a mother and a father permanently united and raising their children together is the most spiritually and socially enriching unit of any society, is a truth that cannot be obscured or changed by current fads, no matter how aggressive their promotion.

The Pope also explained that the family is experiencing an ecological crisis. He said, social environments, like natural environments, need protectionWe have been slower to recognize that our fragile social environments are under threat as well It is therefore essential that we foster a new human ecology.

He reminded us that when the marriage culture is diminished, it is women, children, and the vulnerable poor that suffer the most, as poverty and other social ills rise. The right of each child to grow up with a father and a mother is a human right, and the entire society reaps the benefits when children have their developmental and emotional needs met. The amazing personal and social benefit of marriage as a permanent and public union transcends the feelings and momentary needs of the couple, a concept that is becoming difficult to internalize in what the Pope likes to call our culture of the temporary.

I think that the clear defense of marriage and family by the Pope in this address will reassure my father and others like him. I hope it gets the attention it deserves. It probably wont, of course. It is much more fun for some to write about the huge fortress of the Church finally surrendering to the prevailing tides and crumbling away. For two thousand years these same types have been waiting in vain.
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At the beginning of the aftermath of Michael Browns tragic death in Ferguson America had little information to guide its understanding. We knew a young, unarmed, black man was shot to death by a police officer. We learned that some witnesses had him raise his hands in the air before one or more of the fatal shots were fired.

But more importantly, we did not know the name of the officer involved in shooting. It took six full days for the police or the prosecutor to reveal the name of Officer Darren Wilson. Of course the police and the County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch knew his identity. It wouldnt be surprising if the prosecutor knew him personally since the prosecutors father and brothers were Ferguson police officers and his mother was a clerk in the department. And of course, Officer Wilsons defense counsel and his union representatives were aware that he fired all the shots in question. Indeed, they assuredly were preparing a defense to the shooting in the interim before anyone can question Wilson on the record.

A tragedy was multiplied last night. Only a federal indictment can rectify some of this harm.  Juan Cartagena

This deliberate shielding of an officer involved in shooting a civilian is nothing new in policing. In New York City it was called the 48 hour rule. It was won at the union negotiating table and literally immunized any formal investigation of any member of the Police Benevolent Union until he or she were allowed to consult with union attorneys. The practice was eventually outlawed by legislation  but that has not stopped the union from lobbying to repeal the state law and restore the respite every year.

No one else in America gets 48 hours of down time to prepare against criminal charges in advance  let alone the 144 hours that Officer Wilson got to prepare a defense.

That was only the beginning of the accommodations granted Officer Wilson in the most watched legal proceeding in years. So if you want to identify who should be held accountable for Mondays travesty of justice look no further than the prosecutors office.

Indeed, in less than a week we have two clear examples of the unique power that prosecutors hold by way of prosecutorial discretion. Last week President Obama ordered his law enforcement apparatus to stand down, announcing that it was more important to maintain families together and urge the Latino undocumented to come out of the shadows  with clear benefits to the U.S. economy  than to prosecute 5 million more deportations.

On Monday night, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch announced that his painstaking presentation of every scap of evidence to the Grand Jury in its search for the truth came back with no charges against Officer Wilson.

Each of these decisions is authorized by the discretion we place on the arm of the executive branch that decides who gets charged, what gets charged, what is bail, and what are the sentencing options. We may read quite a bit about the exclusive power of grand juries to indict and how that participation provides community checks and balances on executive power. But the reality is far different. The well-worn colloquial observation that any prosecutor worth his salt can indict even a ham sandwich says it all. Monday nights decision in Ferguson was the handiwork of McCulloch.

All grand juries are led in their deliberations by the local prosecutor. In Ferguson that prosecutor abdicated his role by playing the role of bystander rather than a representative of the victim's family. Who in that Grand Jury courtroom advanced the interest of the victim of the possible crime? Apparently, no one. That is not justice nor will it restore faith in the system for the residents of Ferguson or for black and Latino communities throughout the country.

Instead, McCulloch presented every bit of evidence at his disposal as if the grand jurys role was to decide the guilt or innocence of Officer Wilson. This is patently wrong. What it needed to decide was whether there was probable cause that any of the following crimes were committed: first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter. The first two are unlikely without some evidence of malice. But the last two are possible with evidence that the officer acted negligently.

Some accounts had Mr. Brown with his hands up at the time of the shooting. That would support probable cause. Instead, on Monday the Prosecutor referred several times to acts of shoplifting by Mr. Brown of cigarillos. McColluch then referred to the officers testimony that he was aware of the robbery. So can shoplifting ever justify the use of deadly force? In Missouri it can only do if it is in the act of a violent felony. So this begs the question of Wilsons negligence in shooting an unarmed person several times.

A tragedy was multiplied last night. Only a federal indictment can rectify some of this harm. The Brown family is in the same position as the families of Anthony Baez and countless others. Everyone now awaits Department of Justice action  it will not be easy but it needs to be done to restore some faith in the system.

But at the end of the day Mr. Brown was shot dead unarmed and with his hands in the air. That alone should have forced the local criminal justice system to act. Its failure to do so  precisely because the local prosecutor inverted the grand jurys role  cannot be excused even if the federal government steps in.
It is all too easy to misinterpret the vast volume of economic data and form bad conclusions. One such case is the well-intentioned but inaccurate editorial by Justin Velez-Hagan, President of the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, on your site. Mr. Velez-Hagan claims that the Presidents executive order to expand deferred action on a broader base of immigrants will somehow harm the Puerto Rican community.

Immigrants should not be a scapegoat for economic woes that are the result of many decades of bad administration in Puerto Rico by both leading political parties.  David Ferreira

The order was designed to keep mixed status families together in a safe harbor while Congress continues to trudge through developing a more comprehensive reform. The design was to provide protection from deportation and legal work authorization to some 4 million immigrant adults that are related to a legally residing or citizen child or through an expansion of DACA, the original Dream Act-like deferred action, to those over 30 that otherwise qualified for the program. As a result, this executive order, like President H.W. Bushs, was targeted to adults in order to keep families together.

As a member of the military, I am frankly surprised that Mr. Velez would oppose this action that will help countless mixed status families, some including military families where men and women in uniform are suddenly forced to find family to look after their children back stateside after a spouse is arrested and deported. This is an appropriate time of the year to remember that regardless of how American any of us may claim to be, for exception of Native populations, our forefathers were all immigrants, and most of them came without some permit.

With respect to the economic arguments made by Mr. Velez, those are easily discredited. He speaks to the negative impacts a large surge of immigrant workers would have on both the labor force and on wages. Mr. Velez paints the picture of four million people suddenly appearing out of thin air. The fact is that these immigrants have been here for a minimum of five years and often for decades as constructive members of our society and laborers in our economy.

A large body of academic economic research has conclusively found that immigration has a negligible effect on wages or the availability of work for U.S. Citizens. According to widely cited studies from the Harvard Business School and the University of California Berkley, immigrants have an impact of +/- 2 percent on wages depending on the state of the economy. The impact on the availability of jobs also varies very little and, like wages, the effects are limited and clustered around zero. According to a CATO Institute report from earlier this year, nowhere will you find a tradeoff where one additional immigrants means that one American loses a job in the economy.

Our hope is that, like other generations of immigrants, these will hopefully take advantage of their legal authorization to gain new skills and education so they improve their economic conditions and pass that on to their children. That said, most of the workers impacted by this order with be low wage immigrants, who pose no threat to the much higher educated Puerto Rican workforce. Mr. Velez does get one thing right  Puerto Rico offers a far more competitive workforce than virtually any other place on earth due to its low cost and high education attainment.

One provision in the executive order does allow some foreign graduates with STEM degrees to remain in the United States. Mr. Velez needs only to look at the widely available economic data that shows an insatiable appetitive for STEM graduates in our labor force due to a domestic shortage. A better question would be why does Congress delay on comprehensive immigration reform and continue to allow foreign nations to benefit from the product of our educational system? According to Forbes and a report by The Partnership for a New Economy,  25 percent of high tech companies founded between 1995 and 2005 had at least one immigrant founder. 75 percent of the companies funded by American venture capital had one core foreign born team member...

Mr. Velez also speaks to the timing of the executive order. By his account the recovery in the United States has been slow and the order would tighten the labor force. The problem is that economic data on job growth disputes this assertion, and again we need to remind Mr. Velez that these workers are already part of the labor force. These are not new additions to the economy. They have been here all along raising families, running businesses, and growing roots in our communities. Our economy is recovering, and while I wish we could snap our fingers and get full employment and recover lost net worth from the Great Recession, we are doing ok and things are getting better.

In the end, we can all sympathize with Mr. Velez frustration over the state of the Puerto Rican economy, but would urge him to redirect that frustration elsewhere. Immigrants should not be a scapegoat for economic woes that are the result of many decades of bad administration in Puerto Rico by both leading political parties.
Our Spanish forefathers brought many blessings from Europe to America: horses, Christianity, beef, wheat, rice, government, the concept of private property, literacy, a mean streak of white racism and the mordida, the bite.

Mordida: Corruption, political and financial; bribes to bureaucrats, politicians and the gendarmerie, the cops, Border Patrol, etc.

Coupling the mordida with power and Sir Edmund Burkes axiom that Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and applying the two to Mexico, we see a second-world country crumbling before our eyes.

Now with a national turmoil over the disappearance of the 43 students in the State of Guerrero and the direct involvement of a PRD mayor and his wife plus the ineffectiveness and resignation of the PRD state governor, the PRD has reached the bottom of the political well.  Raoul Lowery Contreras

The political and economic progress made by National Action Party (PAN) Presidents Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon between 2000 and 2012 is being frittered away by the return of the 70-year-long quasi-dictatorship of the 84-year-old Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and its ultra-leftist illegitimate offspring, the revolutionary Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).

The PRD was founded in 1989 by Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, the son of former leftist private property-seizing President Lazaro Cardenas (1934-1940), who ran for president and lost the 1988 Mexican election by fraud he claimed.

He had served as the PRI governor of the important state of Michoacan from 1980 through 1986. He governed as a leftist PRI governor and ran as a leftist candidate for president. He organized his new political party as a leftist alternative to the entrenched center-left PRI and the center-right up-start PAN.

The PRD was and is ultra-leftist in philosophical orientation  and corrupt in practice.

The current political chaos in Mexico is caused by PRD local politicians in the State of Guerrero (Acapulco) being directly involved in the disappearance of 43 college students on September 26th and the subsequent discovery of dozens of burned corpses in mass burial sites.

Local police officers directed by the local PRD mayor and his wife  Mayor Jose Luis Abarca and his wife, Maria de Los Angeles  allegedly disappeared the 43 students with help from the local drug cartel leader.

More: PRD Governor Angel Aguirre of the State of Guerrero resigned his office in light of the student disappearance just a few miles from the governors mansion and the involvement of PRD officials.

When Mexicans demanded real investigations into the mass disappearance of the students and the dozens of bodies discovered in mass graves, they had to turn to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who thought that his economic policies would divert attention from the war on narcotraficantes  drug cartels  that his predecessor, Felipe Calderon, waged during his presidency.

President Pena Nieto directly and indirectly pledged to ease up on the war and concentrate on economics, thinking that would raise Mexicos standing in the world economy and that rising prosperity would continue Mexicos march toward a top-six world economy in less than 10 years.

A "war"-weary Mexican nation voted for Pena Nieto in 2012 and he has made some innovative moves on oil, real property ownership, law enforcement and judicial processes as well as public relations to entice foreign investment. Predictably he has fallen short on the war on crime, drugs and now, mass student executions.

Whether or not Mexicans will punish his PRI associates next year in the congressional elections no one knows, but as certain as the disinfecting sunlight showing on the PRD, one can expect a potential political disaster in those elections for the PRD.

Ever since Governor Cardenas founded the PRD, it has been a political problem. In the 2000 election it managed to run second after Vicente Foxs PAN and split the normal PRI vote allowing Fox to win with less than 50 percent.

Six years later, a former PRI Tabasco State governor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, ran for president and was barely beaten by PANs Felipe Calderon. The PRD swept southern Mexico and lost Northern Mexico.

Lopez Obrador protested his loss claiming to have won. He called for a nationwide worker strike and shut down downtown Mexico City for weeks. Mexicos economy took a huge hit. He organized a rump government by swearing himself in as the real President of Mexico and traveled around the country appointing officials to his rump government. Mexicans tired of his pompous disregard for their vote and he slipped out of sight.

Now with a national turmoil over the disappearance of the 43 students in the state of Guerrero and the direct involvement of a PRD mayor and his wife, plus the ineffectiveness and resignation of the PRD state governor, the PRD has reached the bottom of the political well.

Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, the PRD candidate in the 1994 and 2000 presidential elections, has resigned from the party he founded.

"I am resigning irrevocably as a member of the Party of the Democratic Revolution," he wrote in a letter to the Party Chairman.

His reasons: the partys direction, leadership and office holder participation in the disappearance of students on September 26th.

After the partys embarrassment of Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors shameless refusal to accept defeat, the resignation of its founder appears to be a political death rattle for the Mexican political Party of the Democratic Revolution. Good!
When David defeats Goliath, it is big news. When two Goliaths go to battle, it is usually bigger news. However, with major policy and political news on a variety of subjects coming from Washington lately, there has been waning attention paid in the latest round of Apple and Samsung, two telecom goliaths in a court battle over smartphone patents.

This is regrettable, especially because millions, in fact potentially tens of millions, of consumers could end up as collateral damage in this legal brawl.

There is no need to turn smartphone users into collateral damage left in the wake of the seemingly never-ending litigation among the Goliaths of technology.  Mario H. Lopez

The quick overview: the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California awarded Apple financial damages of $930 million due to what it called smartphone design infringement by Samsung. Apple has attempted to petition the Court to ban all infringing Samsung devices from the market but has not been successful. The Northern California Federal Court of Appeals is reviewing the amount of financial damages awarded to Apple. The next step in this battle will be a hearing on December 4, 2014.

Patents serve an important purpose to protect intellectual property and innovations. But in this design patent dispute, Apple successfully claimed that Samsung copied a patented rectangular design and graphical user interface. As a result, Apple was awarded excessive damages based upon Samsungs total profit for the devicesa ruling that misinterpreted the law without evidence the patents in question had an impact on consumers decision to choose one device over another. Functionality and new features are the primary market differentiators influencing consumer choice, not only design.

However, in reality the design or shape of a consumer product are not necessarily primary drivers of the sale of a high-tech product. This is particularly true for consumer electronics and an application driven smartphone that contains upwards of 250,000 patents. If Apple can patent a vertical rectangle for phones, can Sony patent the horizontal rectangle for televisions or cameras? Many productslike smartphones and televisionsare a certain size and shape for functionality, not because they are particularly innovative or aesthetically pleasing.

This case matters because the outrageous damages awarded to Apple will increase consumer costs and reduce competition in the smartphone market, an outcome that would impact millions including a large portion of consumers from underserved communities. For example, Hispanics disproportionately depend on lower-cost Android based smartphones as their primary means of accessing the internet. In fact, more than half of Latinos rely on smartphones as our primary connection to the Internet.

The Pew Hispanic Center found that smartphone ownership growth in the Hispanic community is leading other demographic groups. Adopting wireless broadband has helped our communities begin to close the digital divide.

This is why the Hispanic Leadership Fund recently filed an amicus brief in the patent litigation between Apple and Samsung. Unwarranted damages like those awarded to Apple will drive up the cost of technology and is likely to impede or reverse some of this important progress.

In todays hyper-connected digital world, having Internet access has become a necessity in everyday life for students, professionals and families. Reducing affordable access to smartphones can affect everything from access to educational resources, mobile health care, government services and job opportunities. As everyone relies more and more on Internet connectivity and mobile broadband access via our smartphones, policymakers should work to ensure an environment where modern devices remain available and affordable.

On behalf of the millions of consumers that rely on their smartphones as their gateway to the Internet, our organization urges the Federal Court of Appeals to reduce the award in recognition of its unintended consequences. There is no need to turn smartphone users into collateral damage left in the wake of the seemingly never-ending litigation among the Goliaths of technology.
My name is Kimberly Helminski Keller, and I am a Latina.

My Polish surname hides the reality that the other half of my DNA is Puerto Rican, a genetic mix of Spanish, African and Taino Indian. As a child, I described my multi-ethnic heritage as Puertolack, a hybrid of Puerto Rican and Polack.

We lived in Buffalo, N.Y. in a neighborhood where most families were Polish, Italian or a combination of both. My fathers family had been there for generations. They were among the original Poles who came to the U.S. in hopes of making a good living working on the railroad. My father met my mother while he stationed at an Army base in New Jersey. Her family came to the mainland in 1929 to escape Puerto Ricos poverty. She was a definite contrast to the girls back home with her tan skin, dark brown eyes and dark, curly hair.

I was too young to understand what was happening, but all the signs told my young mind that there was something wrong with me and the people I loved most.  Kim Keller

Life in Buffalo was confusing to me. When I was with my dad, no one looked twice at me. I was just another little brown-eyed girl. However, the looks changed when my mother and brother were around. My mother was an absolute Latina beauty, and my brother inherited her tan skin and curls. They got stares from strangers. Some of our neighbors looked down their noses at them. I was too young to understand what was happening, but all the signs told my young mind that there was something wrong with me and the people I loved most.

I found solace and identity with my mothers family, especially after my parents divorce. They loved us unconditionally. You couldnt enter a room without my grandmother or aunts plastering your face with kisses. My cousins would tease me about being the whitest kid in the family and told me chocolate milk would make my skin turn brown. I drank a lot of it because I desperately wanted to be like them. My only sadness came from when we were around other Puerto Ricans in the community. People stared at me when I was outside. I knew enough Spanish to understand the muffled conversations about the white girl. They laughed when I called my grandmother, Abuela.

My life today as a multi-ethnic adult has its blessings and its challenges. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of two very different cultures. Thanks to my mixed genes, my skin doesnt show age as it does on my Caucasian friends. My hair is somewhat manageable during the summer heat; whereas, my mom, aunts and cousins rely on various straighteners to tone down frizz. I also have the ability to see life from both a white and Latina perspective.

Still, society wants to put me in an easily definable box based on the color of my skin. People get angry when I make my own box. I identify myself as Latina because my greatest influences in life came from that part of my heritage.

Unfortunately, the heritage doesnt always embrace me back. I can speak Spanish, cook traditional foods and talk about shared cultural experiences, but other Latinos often acknowledge me with a patronizing grin.

Ive met a few other people who share white and Latino genealogies. Most live their lives in the culture that best matches their physical features.

Its easier to blend in than to stand out.

I straddle the fence. I want to be part of both cultures, but I know that in reality, society says I am a culture unto myself.
What if you had to choose between your family and your job? Peggy Young was working as a UPS driver, delivering packages, when she became pregnant in 2006. On her doctors instructions, she gave her employers a note saying that she could not lift more than 20 lbs. for the first 20 weeks of her pregnancy. She asked to be temporarily placed in a light work position that did not require heavy lifting. UPS refused, forcing Young to take an unpaid leave. She sued, and last week the Supreme Court heard arguments in Young vs. UPS.

Heres hoping that the high court recognizes that pregnant women cannot be treated as second-class citizens. Existing law and basic fairness dictate that the Supreme Court should rule in Youngs favor.

It is unfair to make pregnant women choose between their families and their job. The Supreme Court should stand with working women and rule for Peggy Young.  Raul A. Reyes

UPS maintains that they are not discriminating against Young, noting that they offer accommodations to workers injured on the job, workers with disabilities, and those who lose their licenses because of a failed drug test or accident. UPS will actually make special arrangements for a driver with a DUI, just not for a pregnant woman. But under the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act, employers are required to treat pregnant women the same way they would other employees similar in their ability or inability to work. So Young should be offered the same kind of temporary accommodation that UPS provides to other employees.

When Young was placed on unpaid leave, she lost her income and her medical insurance at the time when she needed it most. Thats why the outcome of this case is so critical. Consider that about half of U.S. workers are women, and that 75 percent will become pregnant during their working lives. Or that Latinas make up 41 percent of the Hispanic work force, according to the Department of Labor. Discrimination against pregnant women also hurts their families and children, and that is simply bad policy.

It is important to note that this case doesnt necessarily apply to all pregnant women. Many women can (and do) work through their entire pregnancies. Young is bringing her suit on behalf of women like herself who may need temporary relief from certain physical duties to safeguard their pregnancy.

Youngs case has won support from legal scholars, womens organizations, and labor unions. In fact, both pro-life and pro-choice groups are in rare agreement that she should win her case. Twenty-three right-to-life organizations submitted a friend of the court brief in support of Young, as did progressive groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Womens Law Project. Economic pressure is a significant factor in many womens decision to choose abortion over childbirth, the conservative groups wrote. Protecting the ability to work can increase true freedom for women, promote the common good, and protect the most vulnerable among us. This is especially true for Latinas, who the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports are disproportionately represented among minimum wage workers  the group hit hardest by pregnancy discrimination claims.

The fact that we are still having a debate about protecting the wellbeing of pregnant women reflects poorly on us as a nation. The International Labor Organization has found that the laws of 84 countries, including Iran and Afghanistan, already provide pregnancy accommodation to women. In countries like Chile, South Africa, and Vietnam, a pregnant woman who transfers to lighter duties is guaranteed her same pay and benefits.

True, providing temporary work accommodation to pregnant women may be disruptive to UPSs business practices, or might run up costs. These arguments are undercut by the announcement that, effective January 1, UPS will offer pregnant women light work assignments, if needed. That makes it hard to argue that Youngs position is unreasonable. Maybe UPS recognizes that they are on the wrong side of this issue; nine states have recently passed laws requiring companies to make accommodations for pregnant workers. In July, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its guidelines to ensure that women receive temporary accommodations during pregnancy. Yet UPS believes that providing pregnant women with temporary work accommodation should be a matter of corporate discretion, not law.

It is unfair to make pregnant women choose between their families and their job. The Supreme Court should stand with working women and rule for Peggy Young.
The  most likely  new U.S. Defense Secretary, Ashton Carter, has plenty on his plate in far-flung corners of the globe like Yemen and Afghanistan. He will also have plenty to keep him awake at night closer to home.

Now that the White House has upped the seriousness meter after once foolishly referring to the Islamic State as the junior varsity, the entire U.S. defense apparatus has calibrated itself around confronting this very real global threat.

Placing Mexico at the same level of importance as countries in the Middle East may be unrealistic, but the country with which we share a border and a complicated security relationship should at least be in the conversation.  Nelson Balido

There are gaping holes in the U.S. border security strategy, something made plain when thousands of undocumented minors were streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border this past summer. If the Islamic State is sophisticated enough to develop its own currency, then surely its operatives were paying attention. If kids who arent even old enough to rent a car could figure out how to get into the U.S. without documentation, then we should be very concerned about what a terrorist organization could do with a little motivation.

There are various scenarios with ISIL that could play out south of the border the incoming Secretary of Defense should be prepared to respond to.

Under one possibility, the same smuggling networks that were used to shuttle the Central American kids north could easily be adapted to help facilitate the passage of individuals who are hell bent on bringing their brand of destruction to the U.S. Mexican traffickers are business people always on the lookout for new clients. Its not hard to envision smugglers who are used to shuttling drugs and illegal immigrants being exploited to help out dangerous people for the right price.

Under another scenario, the Mexican smuggling networks could balk at being drawn into any sort of deal with ISIL for reasons practical and personal. Traffickers have established relationships with Mexican law enforcement that often results in law enforcement looking the other way on illegal activity because of either a financial incentive or the threat of violence. ISIL infiltrating Mexican organized crime circles would completely upend the status quo and bring a new level of law enforcement scrutiny from both the U.S. and Mexican governments that could wreak havoc. Mexican crime bosses could determine that any deal with criminal enterprises beyond their bread and butter of drug and human trafficking isnt worth the trouble.

These are admittedly the speculative musings of someone who has observed the ebbs and flows of the U.S.-Mexico security relationship and its effect on cross-border commerce and travel. Sometimes ham-fisted attempts to increase security have resulted in a drag on the ability to conduct legitimate business. Efforts to boost security, while well meaning, have directed limited resources at the wrong place and have relied on bad information. Ask any business if it believes the various government security programs aimed at the border and supply chains have made doing business any easier or made the border any more secure and the answers will be disappointing. Border security is getting better and is getting smarter, but were not where we need to be.

The Pentagon in this new era should seek to knock down the silos that plague all bureaucracies. Leaders at Homeland Security and the Department of Defense should understand each departments priorities, strengths and weaknesses and forge a working relationship characterized by cooperation. Being on the same page is critical and having the courage of the leadership to so will factor in determining success.

President Obama pointed out that the fuzzy alliances between the U.S. and various factions in Syria are contradictions in a contradictory land and a contradictory circumstance. U.S. defense and border security agencies might have to employ that same contradictory thinking if terrorist networks gain a foothold in Mexico and the U.S. is forced to explore a tenuous alliance with elements that have typically been a law enforcement target.

The new defense secretary will face the challenge of getting his point of view across in a White House that has been criticized for turning a deaf ear to the Pentagon. Placing Mexico at the same level of importance as countries in the Middle East may be unrealistic, but the country with which we share a border and a complicated security relationship should at least be in the conversation.
The peace talks in Colombia are ready to be resumed in Havana after the suspended animation created by the now released General Ruben Dario Alzate, who was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in very contradictory and controversial circumstances on November 16th.

In what can be considered a sign of U.S. support to those negotiations, Secretary of State John Kerry visited Colombia last week to meet with President Juan Manuel Santos.

Now the peace process is ready to be resumed in Havana (...) while the nation remains evenly divided toward the conflict and the prospects of the peace process as conducted by Santos, but with a majority nonetheless hopeful for peace.  Leopoldo Martinez Nucete

The plot of the generals kidnapping triggered speculation from all sides of the public opinion spectrum  and the facts disclosed later contributed little to clarifying the impasse, which at one point led Colombian President Santos to unilaterally suspend all peace talks.

At that time, President Santos said: The FARC were responsible for this kidnapping, a totally unacceptable kidnapping, and opponents and supporters of the peace process were quick to weigh in, the most prominent voice being that of former president Alvaro Uribe, a fierce enemy of the peace process, who said that the terrorists regard the States efforts to achieve peace not as generosity but rather as weakness.

After the release of General Alzate and his resignation, Santos moved on with the peace dialogue indicating he has turned the page.

Leading newspapers and other media outlets drew attention to the fact that the General, Commander of Fuerza de Tarea Titan (Titan Task Force), was kidnapped, along with Corporal First Class Jorge Rodriguez and lawyer Gloria Urrego, in a remote region in the northeast of Colombia, where the FARC is very active, while he was dressed in civilian clothes and without the appropriate security detail.

Moreover, some media outlets reported the testimony of witnesses in the community, which accounted for a non-violent episode while the general was escorted by what appeared to be unarmed people.

In the midst of great confusion, on November 18th the FARC released a statement admitting they were holding Alzate and those with him hostage on the basis that they are enemy military personnel on active service in a war zone, as reported by BBC Mundo. Here it is important to point out that the armed conflict is not officially suspended by the ongoing peace talks in Cuba, and that the current status of the Colombian conflict has been recognized as of insurrectional nature. As such, kidnappings of this sort are characterized as hostilities.

The details of the generals release add little to no clarity. Telesur, the Venezuelan government-sponsored Latin American news network, showed pictures of General Alzate posing with guerrilla leaders in what seemed to be a non-violent retention. In his resignation letter the general himself admitted a lack of prudence, which threatened the peace process and contradicted government policy.

Almost a month later, several hypotheses are still floating in the media about the incident. Speculation runs from isolated hostile actions of undisciplined cells of FARC that are not in agreement with the peace talks, to a conspiracy against the peace process, and even more, an induced coma intended to reframe the dialogue.

In all this dust, just one thing seems certain: the generals explanations are unclear and insufficient. His whereabouts in an area of conflict without any security protocol - in what he defined as an approach to the community to promote social programs - as well as the non-violent circumstances of his retention as a hostage by the FARC are far from a traditional kidnapping.

Now the peace process is ready to be resumed in Havana, regardless of the fierce opposition of former president, now Senator Alvaro Uribe, in a nation that remains evenly divided about the conflict and the prospects of a peace process conducted by Santos, but with a majority nonetheless hopeful for peace.

Among the many political and social complex issues emerging from the process is the economic dividend of peace for Colombia.

Freeing the budget of military spending to fund infrastructure investment is critical to spike economic activity in Colombia  currently Colombia military spending doubles the average in the region, accounting for 3.7 percent of its GDP. This blocks any possibility of increasing investment in infrastructure, key to accelerate Colombias economic growth while promoting competitiveness and productivity.

However, on the other hand, much argumentation and political debate is expected after the financial package presented recently by the Peace Commission of the Colombian Congress, which estimates at US$45 billion the likely amount of potential investment for the coming years should peace be achieved.

Indeed, on October 26th, Colombias Minister of Finance Mauricio Cardenas defended his fiscal reform with the argument that the peace has its costs, but much less than the costs of war.

Cardenas fiscal plan raises revenues in the amount of US$ 6,2 billion and contemplates investments in anticipation to the conclusion of the peace talks, by investing US$ 4.5 billion in compensations to the victims of the conflict, and US$ 2.5 billion in rural infrastructure investments.

Colombias economic performance is undoubtedly a good one: growth is expected to close above 5 percent in 2014 (projected at 4.5 percent for 2015), fiscal deficit is under control at 2.2 percent of the GDP, with the total debt at 34 percent of the GDP. Nonetheless, the road ahead, as it relates to infrastructure investments, presents a significant challenge. From that perspective the peace process is almost indispensable and, more than that, a rational political move in spite of its undeniable difficulties and risks.

The recent events show that, even when fragile, the peace process will continue its course, with its political detractors defeated once again in spite of critical circumstances such as the controversial Generals kidnapping.

Rebuilding trust will not be easy, but is essential if the peace process is to be renewed and existing achievements built on.
Dealing with how we celebrated the Holiday Season when I was growing up was just the most obvious symbol of our struggle to find ourselves religiously. We were half-breeds and both halves represented strong identities. Dad was not only a practicing Catholic when he met and courted my Jewish mom; he was a lay deacon in the Catholic Church. While he nominally converted to marry mom at City Hall, he never really shed his Catholic identity.

We hated Jewish holidays because we were the only kids absent on those days and our friends wanted to know why we had off and they didnt. We were the only kids who didnt have a tree and the only ones who didnt go to church.  Geraldo Rivera

It didnt really matter when we lived in New Yorks Lower East Side, or later when we moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Both those neighborhoods had huge Jewish and Puerto Rican communities. We didnt have to pick a lane. It was easy to identify with either side because there was plenty of each. But when we moved to West Babylon, Long Island, we were not just the only Puerto Ricans, we were the only Jews. We hated Jewish holidays because we were the only kids absent on those days and our friends wanted to know why we had off and they didnt. We were the only kids who didnt have a tree and the only ones who didnt go to church.

It got so bad that shortly after my colorful Puerto Rican-dominated Bar Mitzvah I regularly attended Catholic mass and even made my confession because it was all easier than explaining to my friends that I was different.

At 14, I finally got what all my friends had, a Christmas tree. It had been a struggle. Our mom, the former Lillian Friedman, was adamant: Jewish families like ours didnt celebrate the birth of Jesus. But mom, hes Jewish, my sister and I long argued to no avail. We can call it a Chanukah Bush, didnt fly either.

The long battle ended with a sneak attack. Irene, our adopted brother Wilfredo and I convinced our dad, Cruz Rivera of Bayamon Puerto Rico that we should just get it and put it up in the living room before mom got home from her job as cashier at the local E.J. Korvette discount department store (a sort of early Walmart).

We got the tree in place, got it lit and then waited for mom. We had a plan to mitigate her expected rage. As she walked in the living room and gasped, we started singing the old Yiddish holiday classic,

"Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah

Come light the Menorah

Lets have a party

Well all dance the Horah

It went over like a lead balloon. Mom started crying and with a shrug and a sigh she spoke directly to God. Looking toward the ceiling, she said I tried. You know how hard I tried. From then until Irene got married and I went off to college, we had a Christmas tree, which disappeared as soon as we were out of the house.

We also celebrated 3 Kings Day because we convinced mom that it was a Puerto Rican holiday rather than a strictly Christian religious observance, but thats another story. I should also note that my Jewish wife Erica does not permit a Christmas tree, but we do watch the classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and annually attend the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
For 53 years, I have wondered if this day would ever come. And now that it has, I cant help thinking of my mom and dad. Im grateful they have lived long enough to see it. I think of my uncle Emilio who has died in Cuba without my getting to know him better, except for one visit to the U.S. where we fished and talked about this day.

I was born during the Cuban revolution in a place called Guanabacoa and left because of the revolution that my parents feared, not for them, but for my brothers and me. I never got to know my grandparents even though they lived and died just 90 miles away.

The table is set for what is one of the most historic foreign policy decisions in half a century. Where it goes from here will be determined by those it affects, from Iowas corn fields to Washington D.C. and Guanabacoa, Cuba.  Rick Sanchez

My older brother Rudy had it worse. He was smuggled out of Cuba by the Catholic Church and lived alone and frightened in a convent in Arizona until my mom could muster the nickels and dimes she saved up to go by train from Miami to Arizona to retrieve him.

My story is not too different from that of hundreds of thousands of others like me. We call ourselves refugees  "political refugees" is a nomenclature used with pride by Cuban-Americans to separate our experience from those of others.

So what do we say on this day when President Obama has undone 53 years of U.S. policy toward Cuba? The very notion of normalized relations with that very place we were all trained to hate seems abhorrent to every fiber in our bodies. Yet, we  like most Americans  tussle with its meaning.

The Cuba story is not just our story. It belongs to all of us. All Americans have learned about or lived through the Cuban Missile crisis, the Bay of Pigs, the Elian Ordeal, the Mariel Exodus. All Americans can think back to a time when the name Fidel Castro was only equaled on todays terms by ISIS.

That is why this story matters. President Obama is thumbing his nose at history. He isnt turning a page. Hes preparing to write an entirely new book.

When the president says he will reestablish diplomatic ties with Havana and that in the coming months he will open an embassy in Havana to carry out high-level exchanges and visits between our two governments as part of the normalization process, Im left awestruck. And so are millions of people around the world.

Now the reaction: Whether openly or behind closed doors, conservative Republicans from Midwestern agricultural states will applaud the move as a way to finally be able to compete in a market they have been excluded from in the past.

Social conservatives and those with an eye on the presidency will use it as a perfect wedge issue to all but guarantee a GOP win in Florida by stoking the anger of Cuban-American voters who will now finally have a real reason to distinguish between the parties and show up at the polls.

Democrats will likely embrace the presidents decision and so will the international community.But what about the Cuban community?

Here is how that will break down. Cuban-Americans who came to the U.S. during the first and second waves in the 1960s and 70s will affirm their stance on Obama as a communist and work their tails off to elect a Republican. Cubans who have come more recently and who, unlike the first group, routinely return to Cuba to visit relatives, will tend to back the normalization of relations.

Demographically, it breaks down quite easily. The younger Cuban demographic will tend to agree with President Obamas decision, while the older guard will be more apt to disagree.

The table is set for what is one of the most historic foreign policy decisions in half a century. Where it goes from here will be determined by those it affects, from Iowas corn fields to Washington D.C. and Guanabacoa, Cuba.
Here in Miami, theres a Wall of Martyrs in our sons Jesuit high school, lined with pictures of handsome young men who died in a failed but heroic attempt to save democracy in their little country. It was a flawed democracy, its true, but certain freedoms we take for granted here were taken for granted there: religion, association, press  even the ability to travel freely or start a business.

Will economic freedom filter down to them and offer them a chance at dignified work? Cuba is full of people who have never known hope, and it is long past time they had their chance.  Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie

Those young Cubans werent successful, of course, and some of them died on the beach or in the jungle. Some of those who survived the battle died in heinous prisons. Fidel Castro, who had attended the same Havana Jesuit school as the martyrs, proceeded to turn the country into a prison, an island of despair and dejection. My father visited last summer for the first time since his forced exile 50 years earlier. When he came home he got in bed and stayed there for two weeks, grief-stricken by the devastation, both spiritual and material, that had overtaken the beautiful island that he had visited nightly in his dreams for so many years.

One of Castros first moves as dictator was to expel the Jesuit priests who had educated him, a few of whom are still alive and educating our son. Now there is a Jesuit in Rome, a Pope who practices radical forgiveness and bridge building, even across chasms of offense and abuse. Heartbroken, Im sure, for Alan Gross, imprisoned for trying to bring some light to Jewish people trapped in this island dictatorship, Pope Francis has helped to create a rapprochement between the United States and Cuba. There has been at least one joyful result: the release of this poor, suffering hostage. If anyone doubts the cruelty of the regime, take a look at the frail and tottering man who emerged from that plane on Wednesday.

It is Pope Francis job to point to Divine Mercy and model radical forgiveness. St. John Paul II did so when he forgave the man who attempted to kill him, even visiting him in jail. I often picture him entering that prison cell when I have trouble forgiving someone who has offended me. Following this lead, even Cuban exiles are asked by the demands of the Gospel to grapple with encounter and dialogue  perhaps even to the very men who filled that wall with pictures of Jesuit martyrs.

Like many watching this moment and as a daughter of exiles living among so many others who know the evils of the Castro regime, I am filled with trepidation. The people of Cuba live lives of such wretchedness that its hard to believe it can get worse.

Still, I am trying to transition from a very intimate fear to hope. Pope Francis leads the way, and I will try to follow. I will pray that their hard hearts will finally soften, and that cruelty will end. The people thirst for, need, and deserve freedom. I think of the poor mothers who work as prostitutes in and around luxury hotel lobbies, desperate to feed their children. Will economic freedom filter down to them and offer them a chance at dignified work? Cuba is full of people who have never known hope, and it is long past time they had their chance.
The earth shook Wednesday morning while I sipped my morning coffee and watched President Barack Obama junk 50 years of American policy by prostrating the United States to an official state sponsor of terrorism, Castro Cuba.

There are his previous decisions to cancel a missile system in Eastern European countries to help protect them against Russia. Reason, to curry favor with the Russians. Or his giving in over and over to another official state sponsor of terrorism seeking nuclear weapons, Iran.

Why didnt Obama insist on open and free elections monitored by international observers? Why didnt Obama consult with Congress as he promised to do if anything major was ever discussed with Cuba?  Raoul Lowery Contreras

When fanatic terrorists in the Gaza strip commenced firing armed rockets into our ally Israel, Obamas Department of State flipped Israel off and expressed sympathy with the terrorist aggressors. Now comes Cuba.

Obama has been making baby steps to ease American pressure on Cuba. He eased individual restrictions but never publically negotiated with Cuba on the Congressionally-imposed 50-year-old embargo.

The image of Obamas new posture is the release of an American, Alan Gross, whose incarceration was illegal the moment he was arrested five years ago. He was a 60 year-old contractor sent to Cuba to help the Jewish community hook up to the Internet. Gross is back. Hooray!

But what did he cost? Castro made ransom demands that the President gave in to. Will other dictators and terrorists now kidnap Americans to keep as hostages while they negotiate ransoms?

Three convicted Cuban spies serving time in American prisons for conspiracy to murder Americans over international waters were the price. Obama gave them freedom in exchange for Gross and an unnamed intelligence asset in a Cuban prison.

Diplomatic recognition by the U.S. was another demand and Obama gave in. He received nothing in return. An embassy and an ambassador were demanded. Obama gave in, he received nothing in return.

While the President was addressing us about this New Cuban Paradigm, Cuban dictator Raul Castro was addressing his 13-million person island prison while suggesting President Obama use Executive Action to wipe out the embargo  which he cannot do as the embargo is re-imposed in what was called the Helms-Burton Act of Congress. Castro prohibited the broadcast of Obamas speech.

Using Alan Gross as an excuse, President Obama embarked on this Grand Diplomacy Tour 18 months ago according to Washington insiders. Was the announcement timed for after the election in case there was a national negative reaction that would draw more votes against Democrats? Certainly no neutral observer would argue with that posit.

How could we possibly measure a negative political reaction? Republican opposition to the New Paradigm, perhaps? Neutral observers would just shrug off GOP opposition. They would also shrug off opposition from older Cuban Americans who fled Cuba and Castro decades ago. Images of desperate people clinging to rafts and inner tubes floating 90 miles to Florida from Cuba might be too emotional, too biased; so they would say.

So who would anyone pay attention to? How about the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Democrat Robert Menendez of New Jersey and the son of people who fled the Communist Cuba the Castro Brothers imposed with a gun.

Democrat Menendez crushed Obamas huge change in policy.

Obama claims Cubans will be better off if they have more contact with Americans. More American money sent by relatives in the U.S. will help people, Obama claims. The country is one of the most poverty strangled in Latin America and it is not the fault of a lack of American tourists or cash gifts; Cuba is poverty stricken because of Communism.

Obama claims that this new policy will leave behind Americas former colonizer history in Cuba. That left me speechless what with my five university years studying Latin America. Ill use U.S. Senator Marco Rubios observation to enlighten the America-haters Obama courts with historical and political dissembling.

Senator Marco Rubio: The United States sided with and helped Cubans fighting their Spanish colonizers for independence. Spain had owned Cuba for four hundred years. It was pushed out by Cubans and Americans. The Americans stayed for two years after the war ended with Spains defeat and turned over Cuba to Cubans in 1902. What colonizer Mr. President? Is it a coincidence that Dictator Raul Castro used the exact words in his televised speech in Cuba while Obama spoke here? Was that a Castro demand, too?

Senator Rubio continued that President Obama is the worst negotiator in my (Rubios) lifetime. I agree.

Alan Olsen and one unnamed spy traded for three convicted spies responsible for the deaths of Americans. Allegedly, 53 Cuban-held political prisoners are also involved. Why didnt Obama get the right to send American observers into Cuban prisons and labor farms to interview all political prisoners?

Why didnt Obama insist on open and free elections monitored by international observers? Why didnt Obama consult with Congress as he promised to do if anything major was ever discussed with Cuba?

We must agree with Senator Marco Rubio. President Obama is the worst negotiator weve ever had. He has betrayed those people who sacrificed so much to bring freedom back to Cuba.

Amen Senator.
The protests sweeping across the country in the wake of Ferguson, Mo., and the death of Eric Garner were sparked, in part, by the notion that police can get away with things no other person can.

On Monday, the Supreme Court added fuel to the fire when it ruled, for the first time, that police are allowed to make mistakes of law during the course of enforcing the law.

"Now that the Supreme Court has in essence ruled that to err is human only if youre the police, we are left to wonder how we can go about our daily lives without being suspected of breaking some law, even imaginary ones."  Cristian A. Farias

If that doesnt make much sense, youve gotten a taste of how the Supreme Court works. Much of its decision making isnt based on reality, but on legal formalismjudge-made rules designed to bring order to the interpretation and application of the law.

In practice, however, these rules often create more confusion among law enforcement, lawyers, lower courts, and ordinary citizens. And Heien v. North Carolina, is no exception.

The case centered around Nicholas Brady Heien, who was stopped by the police while riding in a car with a broken brake light. That happens to everyone, except that it is not a traffic offense in North Carolina to drive with a broken brake light. The law there only requires that a car be equipped with a stop lamp, not two. Unaware of this distinction, the police stopped the car anyway, and a subsequent search revealed Heien had cocaine in his possession.

He got what he deserved, you may think. But not so fast. The point of the Fourth Amendment, which was at issue in this case, is not to catch criminals, but to protect everyone from government overreach. At the very least, you would think, police need to know the law theyre enforcing.

Suppose for a moment youre in the shoes of Mr. Heien, but you dont have any drugs in your car. Youd still be stopped by police on the basis of the broken brake light, and would perhaps receive a ticket. A big inconvenience. The violation is minor, so you probably wouldnt bother going to court or hiring an attorney; youd simply plead guilty, pay the fine, and call it a day.

But why would you do that? You didnt break the law. The police shouldnt have stopped you to begin with.

To the Supreme Court, none of this matters. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., who authored the 8-to-1 decision, said that it all boils down to whether an officers mistaken understanding of the law was reasonable.

But whats reasonable? In law, reasonableness means a number of things, but it generally means public officials can get away with conduct you and I cant, so long as they reasonably believed they were doing the right thing.

To be reasonable is not to be perfect, Roberts wrote, and so the Fourth Amendment allows for some mistakes on the part of government officials, giving them fair leeway for enforcing the law in the communitys protection.

That sounds laudable on paper, but in practice, the fair leeway officials are afforded is nothing but fair. It is very broadso broad, a national movement is now afoot demanding more accountability for police misconduct. Rulings like Heien, which hold public officials and citizens to different standards, do nothing to ease tensions. They empower policein the context of everyday interactions with whom they took an oath to serve and protectto be excused for mistakes others without a badge would be penalized.

Sonia Sotomayor, the lone dissenter in Heien and the only justice with criminal trial experience, acknowledged the double standard and would have ruled that an officers mistake of law, no matter how reasonable, cannot support the individualized suspicion necessary for a stop.

That was Sotomayors legal conclusion to her colleagues and scholars. But her practical conclusion reached further: the decision erodes the protection of civil liberties in a context where that protection has already been worn down.

Here shes writing to the peoplethe ones most affected by day-to-day police encounterswhether in Ferguson, New York City, or elsewhere: One wonders how a citizen seeking to be law-abiding and to structure his or her behavior to avoid these invasive, frightening, and humiliating encounters could do so.

Indeed, theres no way to know. And now that the Supreme Court has in essence ruled that to err is human only if youre the police, we are left to wonder how we can go about our daily lives without being suspected of breaking some law, even imaginary ones.
I dont recall the exact November, 1943, date that Mexican government agents hustled my Mother, me, my uncle and great-grandmother (abuelita) onto a train bound for El Norte, the United States of America. The expulsion was ordered by former President Lazaro Cardenas who accused my great-grandmother of treason for helping organize the formal opposition  Partido Accion National (PAN)  to Cardenas and his Party, the PRI.

What I do recall is that we walked across the American border on a bridge over the Rio Grande. I am told that I proudly handed an American officer my Mexican passport. He stamped it and waved us on with Bienvenidos to America. Years later I discovered I didnt need that passport for I was an American citizen via my mothers birth in California.

Among us, I am told we had $123.00 American dollars.

We boarded a train in El Paso, Texas, headed for San Diego to join relatives. The train was jammed with young sailors, soldiers and Marines headed to the Pacific to make war on the Empire of the Sun. Many of these guys had never been 20 miles from home and probably had never met a 2-year-9-month-old kid or adult who didnt speak English.

I wonder to this day if any of the soldiers, sailors and Marines I saw in newsreels of the bloody battles of Iwo Jima or Okinawa in 1945 were any of these young guys on the train that used to laugh and reward me with chocolate when I made funny faces at them. In later years I would thank them for defeating the Empire, protecting freedom and teaching me that people will pay you to entertain them, sometimes with chocolate.

What I learned from them I used for motivation later on radio and television.

Christmas of 1943, of 1944 and 1945 escape my memory, but Christmas of 1946 stands out as the first American Christmas I remember not just for the festivities, but for who was there.

My job was to grind corn masa for tortillas and tamales. My five-year-old arms almost fell off after an hour from the grinding on a grinding stone like the ones used by our Aztec ancestors.  Raoul Lowery Contreras

We started Christmas 1946 with Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, then went home and opened presents. Being the only kid and only man, the attention seemed to be on me. It was a great night.

Most of the men in the family and in San Diegos Mexican barrio were absent as they had gone to war or, like my grandfather and grand-uncle, to build military bases all over the world for the war effort. Arriving in 1943, I had never met either because they were gone.

My mothers cousin-by-marriage Luis had joined the Army the minute he could (1943) and volunteered for the 101st Airborne (they paid extra and he had just married my mothers first cousin). He was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

My uncle was 15 when we arrived in 1943, turned 16 in February of 1944 and joined the Army four months later by telling the recruiter that he had no birth certificate because he was born in a mountain village in Mexico where children didnt have birth certificates. Being a breathing body was his qualification for enlistment, so the Army took him. Off to war with his buddies.

Christmas morning started with my great-grandmother and I having our morning cafe con leche, coffee with milk, mine was mostly milk. Then family women showed up to start preparing Christmas dinner.

My job was to grind corn masa for tortillas and tamales. My five-year-old arms almost fell off after an hour from the grinding on a grinding stone like the ones used by our Aztec ancestors. My abuelita supervised all the women and carefully watched over a giant bird in the oven they told me was a turkey in the United States but a guajolote (wah-ho-loh-teh) in Mexico.

Pork, beef, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes and rice were cooking in large pots, two women were using the ground corn and making tamales with chicken, pineapple, beef and raisins and steaming them to perfection. Others were organizing the large front/dining room into a large buffet. Target time for eating was 4:00 in the afternoon. Other than helping in the kitchen, that was the only detail I knew about. The women were happy. I thought it was because Santa had brought them nice presents like he did me. It wasnt.

My grandfather and grand-uncle who had been working building Army air bases came up the stairs to the apartment above a liquor store. Then our paratrooper hero cousin Luis arrived from Germany. Some distant men relatives I didnt know bounded up the stairs to be greeted joyfully by their girlfriends and wives. Then came my Uncle Johnny, all of 18-years-old with combat ribbons from fighting in France and Germany.

I cried. I didnt know any of the men, including my grandfather. Id never met them but I knew my Uncle Johnny. I cried like a little girl and didnt care.

It was the greatest Christmas, the first American Christmas I remember. All those people are gone but the memory of Christmas 1946 is in my mind as if it was yesterday. So are they.

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad to all, a todos.
Attending college promises a secure path to the middle class, but in its mission of educating low-income students and students of colornamely, Latinosthe public university system is failing. Given that communities of color are only expected to grow, with projected population changes showing that non-Hispanic whites will no longer be a majority of college students by 2050, it is more important than ever to future generations and U.S. economic security that college completion rates reflect the country's changing population.

As things currently stand in the U.S., students from the least advantaged populations complete degree programs at a lower rate, take longer to graduate and are burdened with a greater portion of student loan debt.

While there have been improvements in the college-going rate across demographics, the gap in degree attainment is widening. In 2012, only 14 percent of U.S. Latinos over age 25 had bachelors degrees compared to 34 percent of whites. A focus on outcomes is crucial to achieving success for all students.

Despite schools in general underachieving in helping all its students achieve success, there are some standout public universities that are reversing these trends and together, they provide a model for other colleges to follow.

While there have been improvements in the college going rate across demographics, the gap in degree attainment is widening. In 2012, only 14 percent of U.S. Latinos over age 25 had bachelors degrees compared to 34 percent of whites.  Antoinette Flores

As detailed in a recent issue brief by the Center for American Progress, students of color have lower college graduation rates, take longer to graduate and have the highest student debt levels.

In 2012, non-Hispanic white students were 7 percent more likely to graduate on time than Latino students. This graduation gap has slowly decreased over the years, but given that Latinos are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups, more needs to be done. Latino students with high levels of financial need are likely to be debt averse or reluctant to borrow.

Skyrocketing tuition and increased reliance on student loans limit Latinos decision to attend college. Those that do attend are twice as likely to have student loan debt as white students.

Latino students also take longer to graduate and are more likely to leave school without a degree. At public four-year institutions, 61 percent of incoming white students attain a bachelors degree in five years, compared with just 49 percent of Latino students.

This affects students incomes for the rest of their lives: A working adult with a bachelors degree earns an average of $18,000 more per year than an adult worker with only some college education. In other words, the populations with the greatest need are burdened with high levels of debt without the promise of a degree.

Given projected demographic changes in the United States, public universities must do a better job of graduating all students at a lower cost.

Despite these statistics, some universities have closed graduation gaps across racial groups while simultaneously enrolling more students from low-income families. Three such schools are the University of California, Riverside (UCR), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). Sustained university-wide commitment to the success of all students and to providing need-based aid and student support programs have helped accomplish this goal.

As the report shows, all three universities graduate Latino students at a rate equal or higher rate than white students while they have significantly increased their percentage of low income students. Interviews with school representatives detail the policies behind the success.

First, the three universities all discussed the importance of providing need-based state, federal and university financial aid  particularly given trends of rising tuition and states decreasing funding toward higher education.

Second, student support services  such as Summer Bridge programs, first-year transition programs and a commitment to understanding diverse student bodies and their differing needs  all play a role in academic success.

Lastly, all three universities emphasized strong leadership and institutional commitment to improving graduation rates, ensuring degree affordability and student success.

Public universities often explain disparities in student performance as a result of differences in income, academic preparation and the cultural capital of students. These examples show that targeting the success of students from such different backgrounds and their varying needs can change and even equalize student success, regardless of student background.

As the population changes and the share of students of color continues to grow, college outcomes and the disparities across demographics become more important because, for the first time, it would mean that a majority of the population is struggling to finish college while being burdened with higher debt.

Eliminating gaps in degree attainment is not just a student-of-color issue, it is vital for the future of the country. Investing in college completion is important for both the future workforce and the economic performance of the country.

As the path to the middle class, our public colleges and universities must work harder to reverse this trend and assure prosperity for all.
Over the Christmas weekend, Chicago surpassed the 750-murder mark for 2016. But as blacks lay dying on the streets of Chicagos South and West Sides, a Black Lives Matter offshoot is more interested in traveling overseas to learn resistance from terrorists.

The Dream Defenders bills itself as an uprising of communities in struggle, shifting culture through transformational organizing. But an investigation conducted by the Haym Salomon Center reveals the groups embrace of anti-Semitism and collaboration with a State Department-designated terror group.

In August, Black Lives Matter singled out Israel for condemnation, declaring it an apartheid state engaged in genocide. These accusations angered Jewish leaders, many of whom had steadfastly supported the BLM cause. Nonetheless, despite what can only be described as a total lack of relevance to its own agenda, BLM did not back down.

Just like BLM, Dream Defenders proclaims solidarity with Palestinians. DD claims that the black community in America, together with Palestinians in the occupied territories of Israel, are all victims of state-sanctioned violence. As such, the two causes are related and should learn resistance from each other. After leaders from BLM and DD made their first trip to Palestinian territories in January 2015, BLMs anti-Israel advocacy remained steady, mostly lashing out at the Jewish state at rallies and protests. DD stepped up their disdain for Israel, engaging in what the U.S. government defines as anti-Semitism.

Dream Defenders website dedicates an entire page to Palestinian solidarity. While accusing Israel of existing on stolen land, there is no mention of Palestinian terrorism, including the targeting of civilians.

During the 2016 trip, the group was led around East Jerusalem by convicted terrorist and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Mahmoud Jedda. Jedda served 17 years in Israeli prison for planting bombs.

Jeddas well-known link to the PFLP was cause for celebration among the group of American activists he guided around East Jerusalem and several refugee camps in the West Bank. Last year, PFLP took responsibility for a killing spree in a Jerusalem synagogue, leaving four worshippers dead. This is the repository of wisdom from which Dream Defenders is learning resistance.

One of the Dream Defenders who participated in this past Mays trip was Florida Green Party spokesman Didier Ortiz. During his trip, Ortiz took to social media claiming Jews in Hebron are there simply to try to take as much land as possible and kill as many Palestinians as possible, concluding that #zionism must be eradicated.

As a public speaker representing the Dream Defenders, Ortiz has stated, Zionism is racism, its colonialism, its fascism  liberation will not come until Zionism is utterly destroyed.

Terrorism expert and Haym Salomon Center senior fellow Bridget Johnson recently raised concerns about anti-Israel advocates hijacking the Black Lives Matter movement. In an editorial published last week in The Hill, Johnson wrote:

Its critical to ensure that the movement does not get hijacked by interests some claim are intersectional, but are unrelated at best and nefarious at worst.

Johnson singles out the Dream Defenders for scrutiny, taking them to task for their support of the PFLP:

Declaring solidarity with an intifada puts you on the side of terror, not justice or the rule of law.

But is it possible Dream Defenders was set up to do exactly that? The list of its founders and advisory board includes name after name associated with the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. DD co-founder Ahmad Abuznaid is the son of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) ambassador and former Yasser Arafat advisor Dr. Nabil Abuznaid.

Strange bedfellows for group that began to protest Floridas Stand Your Ground laws in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting.

One of the more disturbing collaborations, presaging violent intentions, is an educational series produced by Dream Defenders that lionizes the PFLP. The curriculum, titled Blacked Out History  Rebellion Curriculum Toolkit, justifies acts of violence and terrorism under the euphemism struggle. The common core-compatible curriculum mentions various violent PFLP strategies such as hijackings, assassinations, car bombings, suicide bombings, paramilitary operations against civilian and military targets.

Hasnt black America endured enough violence already?
This year has been like the classic film Its a Wonderful Life  the part that brought George Bailey to the bridge in despair. He was despondent over a little financial trouble. Thats nothing next to what happened in 2016.

There were senseless terror attacks in Orlando, Brussels, Nice, Turkey, and too many other places. Civil war dragged on in Syria, producing images of buildings bombed to smithereens and shell-shocked children. Just when Ebola seems to be gone, we have a scary new virus, Zika. Then there were the elections that shook the world  Brexit and our own tumultuous, mud-slinging presidential campaign.

But watch to the end of the Frank Capra movie, and youre rewarded with a joyous scene: Georges friends and neighbors crowd into his living room, piling cash on a table to offset his debt. The spontaneous generosity renews Georges faith in humanity  and mine too, every time I watch it.

So how about this? Lets make the end of 2016 like the last scene of Its a Wonderful Life. In the remaining days of this difficult year, lets help others have a better life.

If you choose to give financially, youre in good company. According to a new World Vision survey, three in five Americans donate to charity in the last two weeks of the year.

For many its a last-minute chance to get a charitable tax deduction, but whatever the reason, organizations are grateful. Most nonprofits rely on booking a disproportionate amount of their total revenue in the last three months  and they need it to tackle some of lifes toughest problems: cancer, homelessness, human trafficking.

World Vision, the organization I lead, brings in more than 30 percent of cash revenue in that period, allowing us to help lift millions of people out of poverty around the world.

There are other ways to give, of course. Give blood  a direct way to give life. Volunteer at a food bank or a soup kitchen; donate gently used toys and clothes to a homeless shelter.

Every gift of time, treasure, and prayer makes a difference for someone on the edge of survival. Millions of people around the world felt the blunt force of the bad year, far greater than we did. It was a particularly harsh time for refugees, as we know from news reports from Aleppo and Mosul.

Ive met many of these refugee families. In Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, I sat in a 10-foot-by-10-foot tent with a grandmother and her three small grandchildren. As they fled Syria, the womans husband and the mother of the children were killed, and her son  the childrens father  is missing. She told me her story through sobs, mourning her loved ones and dreading her future as the childrens sole support.

If only this womans life could magically go back to normal, as George Baileys did in Its a Wonderful Life. But the Syrian war is far from over, and unfortunately, Americans compassion is going in the wrong direction, as World Vision found in a recent survey. Only 33 percent of Americans have done something to help refugees in the past two years, four percent fewer than in 2015. Sixty-four percent say they are willing to help  a seven percent drop from the previous year.

This is disappointing, and perhaps its indicative of how Americans are feeling lately.

But if Its a Wonderful Life teaches us anything, its that our lives touch others. It doesnt take a second-rate angel like Clarence to save someone on the brink of despair. You dont need to be a millionaire, either. You can feed a refugee for a week for just $10; give a child clean water for life for $50; spend just $75 to provide a goat to a family in places like Zambia.

Consider the cheerful hearts of Georges neighbors: the bar owner who raids the jukebox; the lovelorn beauty who gives the money she intended to use to start over in New York; even the Baileys housekeeper Annie, who has been saving up to get married. They gave what they had, and it felt good.

See if the same thing happens for you. Close out this crummy year on a note of hope, knowing you gave someone in much worse shape a shot at a wonderful life.
The mainstream American foreign policy establishment is aghast at the idea that a Donald Trump presidency may end the pursuit of a post-Cold War liberal world order and lead to a U.S. foreign policy centered on deal-making. But if we move past the hand-wringing and sky-is-falling rhetoric, such an approach is far more appealing than most in Washington are willing to admit.

The reality is that there isnt, and has never been, an accepted post-Cold War Liberal Order. And worse, the false assumption that one existed has contributed to two decades of decline in American global influence.

With the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the U.S. had tremendous power to shape international security developments. But this opportunity was squandered, under both Republican and Democratic presidencies, as they embraced unrealistic, even utopian, foreign policy agendas.

Both George W. Bush and Barak Obama aspired to transplant the American model around the world, toppling governments if necessary. The problem is, rather than birthing democratic regimes, this approach created failed states and vast areas of lawlessness which have become primary sources of international and regional insecurity. And because this utopian approach ignored that other world powers never bought into an imagined new world order, it has also amped-up tension between the U.S. and Russia and contributed to far-from-cooperative relations with China.

This clearly isnt working. But, having won on a promise of fundamental change, President-elect Trump has an opportunity to dramatically shift the underlying assumptions that have guided two decades of foreign policy. If Trump is serious in his desire to restore American international power, there are some clear lessons that his administration must embrace.

First, the impact of geopolitics is not nearly as diminished as American foreign policy has assumed. The Obama administration frequently condemned Russian President Putin by asserting that he was acting by the rules of 19th Century geopolitics. In fact, Putin has recognized that geography remains both a powerful asset and constraint, while Presidents Bush and Obama each demonstrated a lack of geographic concern by pursuing pet projects that established new landlocked countries, Kosovo and South Sudan. The viability of both is highly challenged by their lack of sea access, while South Sudan is further challenged by its dependence on the agreement of the state it split from to transit its oil exports.

Next, avoid the idealistic assumptions that have led to failed states and ungoverned territories  the chief sources of current insecurity. Presidents Bush and Obama helped create five failed states by encouraging the downfall of hardline leaders, despite having no plan for what happens after. Bush did it through military means in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Obama through his Asad Must Go policy that enflamed Syrias civil war. These interventions, which relied on a misbelief that power voids would be filled by democratic movements, have led to far worse conditions for the citizens and neighbors of each state than before the U.S. sought each dictators removal.

Third, maintain cooperative relations with Russia and China  or at least one of them. The U.S. has long benefitted from the fact that its two main strategic rivals border each other, and thus, face more threats from each other than from the U.S. However, as has become clear over the last several years, when the U.S. has security conflicts with both China and Russia, the two nations are driven to cooperate more closely.

Fourth, examine the motivations of a state, not just its leaders. Americas options and understanding are reduced when it views Russias policies as being just about Putin or the Syrian regimes actions as being entirely driven by Asad. In recent years, the U.S. has even intervened in domestic politics abroad, believing leadership change could fundamentally re-shape a foreign states policies. In attempts to empower Medvedev over Putin in Russia, Davutoglu over Erdogan in Turkey, Rouhani over Khamenei in Iran, and more, the U.S. was not only unsuccessful, but also counterproductive  damaging relations and its leverage to change these states policies.

Finally, President Obama recently implored President-elect Trump to not take a Realpolitik approach and cut deals with Russia and other adversaries. But an examination of Americas decades-long assumption of an idealistic world order has made clear that it is the cutting of deals that can expand policy options and bolster security. Sanctifying some non-ideal situations may at times be distasteful, but it will lead to a far better reality than well-intended policies that create real nightmares, such as we see now in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and beyond.
On Thursday afternoon, President Obama announced new sanctions against Russia for its role in hacking the Democratic National Committee and allegedly interfering in the November presidential election.

Under the sanctions, Obama has kicked 35 Russian intelligence operatives out of the US and forced the closure of two Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York. These are very real consequences.

The new sanctions also include travel bans and asset freezes targeting four top officials in the G.R.U., Russias military intelligence agency. The administration also plans to release a series of reports documenting the evidence linking Russian intelligence to the hacks.

While the G.R.U. officials will likely be unaffected by the largely symbolic sanctions, releasing information about the hacks will help the US and other nations preempt and deter future cyberattacks by Russian government operatives.

The new sanctions against Russia are welcome change from an administration that has consistently failed to stand up to Putin, and whose record is marred by Russian successes in Ukraine, Syria, and beyond.

Clearly, the Russians dangerous interference in the elections and direct targeting of American democracy demanded a serious response and, at least this time, the Obama administration has taken a meaningful first step in striking back at Putin/

Indeed, President Obama stated that, All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions.

However, all Americans should be equally alarmed by how late Obamas retaliatory efforts come, with a mere three weeks left in his two-term Presidency.

If nothing else, the Obama presidency represents eight years of weakness in global leadership and bad deals with our greatest geopolitical foe, Russia.

For nearly a decade, the Obama administrations efforts have emboldened our Russian adversaries to violate their neighbors territorial sovereignty, as well as perpetrate one of the worst terrorist attacks since 9/11 in the missile attack on Malaysian Airlines Flight 17.

Needless to say, Russian aggression has served to wholly diminish American global leadership.

From day, the Obama administrations 2009 Russian reset was as much a naive failure that allowed Putin to rebuild his conventional and nuclear military capabilities, which he is putting to deadly use today in Ukraine and Syria.

In the intervening years, Russia also repeatedly violated the already-weak 2010 New START nuclear agreement at every possible turn, while President Obama failed to follow through on the completion of the ever-necessary NATO missile shield, which would protect both Europe and America from Russian or Iranian attacks.

While the new sanctions are a step in the right direction, they will not be enough to stop Putins master plan to destroy free and democratic nations throughout the world and restore Russian power and global influence. That will take real leadership from the next President, not a last-minute scramble from lame-duck Obama.

Russias grand strategy, which I outlined in my recent book, Putins Master Plan, is designed to force the breakup of the NATO alliance and could potentially to war with the West.

While the West currently has no plan, no strategy, and no tactics as a result of Obamas feckless leadership, we must demand that the incoming Trump administration and his foreign policy team will go further to defend our allies freedom and sovereignty, build on these sanctions, and promote further measures to punish the Russians for interfering with the security of the United States and its democratic system.



Douglas E. Schoen has served as a pollster for President Bill Clinton. He has more than 30 years experience as a pollster and political consultant. He is also a Fox News contributor and co-host of "Fox News Insiders" Sundays on Fox News Channel at 7 pm ET. He is the author of 13 books. His latest is "Putin's Master Plan" (Encounter Books, September 27, 2016). Follow Doug on Twitter @DouglasESchoen.
Lets be honest: President Obama is throwing a good old-fashioned foot-stomping world class temper tantrum. He is just beside himself that the stupid American voter elected Donald Trump. How could the country willfully dismiss the erudite recommendation of nearly every news organization in the nation  as well as Obamas personal plea that not electing Hillary would be a personal insult to him? How could young people not respond to Obamas call to bend the arc of history in a better direction? It is beyond comprehension.

But it happened, and Obama is having an extremely difficult time dealing with what may be his first-ever serious setback. This is a man described by his closest advisor, Valerie Jarrett, as just too talented to do what ordinary people do. More flattering, Jarrett noted that I think Barack knew that he had God-given talents that were extraordinary. He knows exactly how smart he is.  He is so smart, said Jarrett, that hes been bored to death his whole life.

Very few people surround themselves with people capable of such uncompromising adoration. It isnt healthy. But Obama is different. He has been told over and over  even by the Nobel Committee that awarded him their coveted Peace Prize on spec that he is extraordinary. So when a man like The Donald bests him, a man Obama clearly considers a joke, he is undone.

That is certainly the way he is behaving. Not for Obama the normal gracious withdrawal into political stasis; no, he wants to prove in these waning weeks of his presidency that he was right all along. That his agenda is what The People want, even if they dont know it. That putting Americas valuable natural resources permanently off limits is the correct thing to do, because only Obama can see the future. That taking over vast swatches of the west is in the best interests of the reluctant residents there, because only Obama will protect our environment. That publicly confronting Russia for cyber misbehavior after years of looking the other way is called for, even if it complicates diplomacy in a number of theaters. Because Obama knows best.

He also knows what is best for Israelis. Upending long-standing tradition, he has allowed our only true ally  and the only democracy -- in the Middle East to be further isolated and compromised, in the interests, we are told, of seeking a meaningful peace. The reality is that Obama fully expected that by dint of his winning personality, superior insight and sympathy for the Muslim people, to conquer the divides in that region.

He was shocked that his Cairo speech did not cause the waters to part, and the wounds to heal. And he is angry that, in his mind, Bibi Netanyahu has stood between him and fulfilling this key legacy achievement. As he revealed in 2010 to an interviewer with Time magazine, [Getting peace in the Middle East] is just really hard; notably, this came as a surprise.

Make no mistake: we do need to rein in Russian misbehavior. Putin is a dangerous adversary and should never have been allowed out of the penalty box inflicted by drooping oil prices. But, Obama gave him running room by putting him in charge of the Syrian debacle and making him a key figure in the Iran nuke deal. So important were those quests to Obama that our president chose to ignore Moscows serial aggressions and misbehavior. Indeed, after the conclusion of the Iran accord, Obama called Putin to thank him for his help. Is it any wonder that an emboldened Putin felt he could act out his hostility to Hillary Clinton?

Obama is having a difficult time passing the baton, because he thinks the baton should be his in perpetuity. Unlike most of his predecessors, Obama intends to stay involved in his partys politics, and to continue living in the nations capital, better to keep his finger on the pulse. Whether Democrats want him involved, since after eight years of his leadership the partys pulse is barely discernible, remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has once again outfoxed President Obama. His response to Obamas eviction of 35 diplomats and other grave-sounding but ultimately unimportant retaliatory measures? Instead of engaging in traditional diplomatic tit for tat, the Russian leader has invited the children of U.S. diplomats to the Kremlin for a holiday party. Who looks like the adult in the room?
Twenty-two years ago, the Contract with America promised voters that, if elected to Congress, Republicans would advance legislation to shrink the size of government, balance the budget, and reform major entitlement programs.

Americans voiced decisive support for these conservative principles at the polls in the 1994 electionRepublicans won control of the House and the Senate, and Republican governors held 31 states.

Congress was acutely aware of the peoples desire to return to a limited federal government, and sought to start by empowering the states. As reported in the New York Times, incoming House Speaker Newt Gingrich astutely observed at the start of the 104th Session, [t]he governors are prepared to say to us if we will radically decentralize, give them the job, they will do the job.

Within one year, the Republican Congress delivered on its promise to reform the broken welfare system. As with all major legislation that has stood the test of time, welfare reform took shape on a bipartisan basis and the governors played a lead role in identifying the problems and constructing the solutions.

Unfortunately, the tactics employed by the Obama administration leading up to passage of the ACA stand in stark contrast to the reforms accomplished under the Contract with America.

From a position inside Congress, I had a front row seat as a brand new Democratic president and a Democratically-controlled Congress went about overhauling health care behind closed doors, along party lines, and without state input. Even as Republicans were completely shut out of the process I recall thinking, where are the governors? Why are state legislatures not involved in the discussion?

In the years that followed, our health care system has been plagued with problems. Patients have fewer choices and burdensome mandates, consumer costs continue to spike, and 30 million Americans remain uninsured. In 2016, House Speaker Paul Ryan convened Republican members to develop an alternative way to fix our broken health care systemA Better Way.

Just as they did in the 1994 election, Americans made their dissatisfaction with the status quo clear at the voting booth, and Republicans will control the White House, House, and Senate in 2017.

As the 115th Congress prepares to make good on its promise to deliver a Better Way to the American people, there is understandable anxiety driven by uncertaintywill the ACA be replaced? Will Medicaid be reformed? Will Medicare remain the same? These are all important questions, but I urge the American people to take heart.

I am confident that the new Congress will advance legislation through an open and inclusive process to empower states, patients, taxpayers, doctors, nurses, hospitals, and insurers to participate in discussions that so profoundly affect their lives.

Republicans are already taking steps to do just this. Over the past year, members of the Energy and Commerce Committee have been acquiring a deeper understanding of the challenges in the Medicaid program through the Medicaid Task Force.

On December 2, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and several Committee Chairmen sent a letter to state governors and insurance commissioners requesting ideas for how to reform our health care system for the benefit of the American people. On December 13, Senate Finance Committee Republicans sent a letter to governors seeking input on potential changes to health care, and announcing a roundtable on the Medicaid program in early January.

In many ways I see the new Congress as the rescue squadthe first responders for citizens damaged and endangered by the excesses of this experiment in nationalizing health care. But the good news is we dont have to do it alone.

By taking a page out of former Speaker Gingrichs playbook from over 20 years ago, we can leverage the power of the state and local governments, those laboratories of democracy, as a force multiplier and ally to correct the errors of the past eight years.
This is the story of how a tiny evergreen branch reminded me that God lives, that he loves us, and that Christmas miracles are real.

On Christmas night I was blessed to visit a fellow church member in jail in a neighboring county. His family had tried to visit him earlier that day but was turned away because of a paperwork snafu. It would have been the first time theyd seen him since his arrest.

This is a good young man who, despite some poor choices, has a tender heart. Hes talented. Hes kind. Hes loved.

When I learned they werent successful, I asked my own family if theyd be willing to drive to the jail with me and wait in the car for a few minutes so we could continue enjoying Christmas together. They didnt hesitate. Lets do it.

Because I am currently serving as Bishop of our local congregation, I had at least some confidence they would allow me in for a clergy visit. Before leaving our home, I made several phone calls and was promised they would do their best, despite visiting hours having already ended.

Meanwhile, the young mans family was in their home praying, praying and praying again for a Christmas miracle.

When I arrived at the jail I waited quite a while for three officers to meet me out front. I was initially told they could not let me visit and they had no record of me having called earlier seeking a clergy exception. Also, for reasons they couldnt explain, I was not in their computer system, though I have visited other inmates before.

Finally, a kind guard permitted me to enter. He led me to one of the tiny rooms where I met my young friend and we spoke by telephone on opposite sides of the glass.

He wept when I told him his family had come to visit but was turned away. Still, he was filled with gratitude at hearing the message I delivered of their overwhelming love and concern.

His longing for his mother runs particularly deep, and he wept like a homesick child that he was missing Christmas with her.

We spoke about his long days, his spiritual well-being and I testified how much God still loves him. I shared a bit of our Christmas morning church service and invited him to follow the invitation of the beautiful closing number our choir sang: Come Unto Him.

In response, he revealed a real desire to rebuild his friendship with the Savior.

As we began our goodbyes, he cried again at how badly he wished he could have seen his mother on Christmas. He wanted more than anything to give her a gift and to be with her. It was both sweet and heartbreaking to hear him bear his soul.

I told him I loved him, believed in him and would see him soon. Then I hung up the phone and pressed the intercom on the wall to alert the guards our visit was complete.

Then, as I turned to look at him again, I spotted something in the middle of the floor.

The room was sterile and spotless, as was the rest of the facility. The jail is less than three years old and youd have to be a detective to find a bit of dirt, a stick or even a stick of furniture out of place.

But there in the middle of the shiny tile floor I found a miracle. It was the small end of what appeared to be a branch from a Christmas tree.

Here it was  in a room where no personal contact is allowed  or even feasible.

Here it was  behind multiple locked doors where nearly nothing is allowed to enter.

Here it was  in my hand and two inches from my wide eyes.

I held it up for my friend to see. Your Christmas tree, I smiled, is on the wrong side of the glass.

Tears filled his eyes and even though we were no longer holding the phones to our ears, I heard him say, Please take it to mom. Then he tapped his heart with his cuffed hands. Tell her its from me.

The message was as clear and bright as the Star of Bethlehem.

We took another quiet moment to marvel at the miracle and soon a guard appeared to escort me outside.

My family rushed home and I delivered to his parents two gifts from their son  a tiny branch and a huge hug. They were overwhelmed by the Lords tender mercy and everything that humble green branch represents.

I dont know about you, but if thats not a miracle, perhaps there is no such thing.

And thats the story of how a tiny evergreen branch reminded me that God lives, that he loves us, and that Christmas miracles are real.
The sweeping electoral victory of Donald Trump has unleashed a torrent of commentary over how, and to what degree, the iconic businessmans election will influence a wide variety of public policy areas.

One area where President-elect Trumps victory will no doubt resonate is within the domestic law enforcement community.

Few professions or groups of individuals have been as assailed and maligned over the past few years as the American police officer. Detractors and critics have often painted our nations police officers as racist and brutal and the entire criminal justice system as systemically prejudiced.

Innuendo and misinformation in the wake of controversy has become the standard response among many within the public discourse.

Sadly, one area where law enforcement should have reasonably expected a basic sense of solidarity and support has been lacking as well.

The Obama administration, from the White House down through the Department of Justice, has at times done more to undermine confidence in our basic law enforcement institutions than to uphold them  a latent sense of skepticism toward any and all actions on the part of law enforcement the norm.

But with the election of Donald Trump to the presidency there is a palpable sense that things are going to change.

Candidate-Trump was unabashed in his support for law enforcement at nearly every campaign stop, vocalizing and emphasizing his respect for the men and women who risk their lives to uphold the rule of law.

And Trumps commitment to the American police officer has not wavered since the election. His nomination of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions to lead the Department of Justice sent an immediate and forceful sign of his intention to scale back activism within the DOJ.

The election of Donald Trump portends other changes affecting the law enforcement community as well, notably:

Support from the White House

This will likely be the most immediate change. Instead of the default criticism seen from the Obama administration, a Trump administration is likely to adopt a more even-handed approach in response to controversial police-related issues.

Of course, when legitimate indiscretions or outright criminality among members of the police community occur they will no doubt be dealt with swiftly and justly; however, the default presumption of guilt against members of the law enforcement community should come to an end.

Respect for the prerogatives of state and local law enforcement

Some on the ideological Left pine for a day when federal oversight of state and local law enforcement constitutes the norm rather than the exception.

To be certain, in the limited instances where clear and identifiable patterns of police misconduct are uncovered, federal oversight may be the most appropriate remedy to ensure the rights of all Americans are respected; however, state and local law enforcement remedies are often highly idiosyncratic and the most effective solutions to local problems are often community-based.

Under the Obama administration, DOJ investigations into state and local law enforcement and the pursuit of consent decrees have greatly exceeded those initiated by the preceding Bush and Clinton administrations.

A Trump Justice Department headed by Senator Sessions may be inclined to scale back on federal incursions into state and local police issues, instead respecting the local democratic process.

An increase in morale

The law enforcement community is battling not just a crisis in public relations but a crisis in morale as well. As such, recruiting, retention, and productivity efforts within law enforcement have become strained in ways unseen in decades.

The Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. police departments, among many others, are experiencing critical staffing shortages and proactive police work in the city of Chicago  investigative stops were down 90 percent in early 2016  highlight the dangerous byproduct of a decline in morale.

Improving morale through an increase in community support, inspired by a greater sense of respect and admiration for law enforcement emanating from the top of government on down, can be an amazing catalyst for turning the tide in the profession.

The American police officer is operating within what is arguably the most difficult and dangerous environment in a generation. No single event can provide immediate relief for the systemic obstacles facing the law enforcement community but the incoming Trump administration should provide a welcome start.
Latino Republican lawmakers expressed their disapproval at President Barack Obamas Thursday announcement on his executive action plan for immigration  citing worries over the presidents abuse of power and the eventual political showdown that is expected in the wake of the announcement.



From Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to leaders of conservative think tanks and policy groups, much of the clamor over the presidents executive action has less to do with the plan itself and more to do with the perceived notion that he is bypassing legislators in Washington to get his immigration deal done before Republicans take control of both chambers of Congress.



"His actions are not only unconstitutional and in defiance of the American people who said they did not want amnesty in the 2014 elections, but they are also unfair to every immigrant who has come to our nation legally," Sen. Ted Cruz in a message posted on Facebook.



"We are all the sons and daughters of immigrants who dreamed of opportunity in a nation where if you worked hard and played by the rules, you could achieve anything," Cruz wrote. "We cant let one president abandon that dream for us all."

The presidents statement and plan, however, were widely praised by a wary pro-immigration community, who has for years been tempted with promises of reform only to have them deferred for political ends.



"For us, this is not policy, this is not about politics, this is about a promise we made to each other and our families," Abraham Diaz, a leader with Minority Affairs Council from San Juan, Texas. "Yes, today is a bittersweet moment. Millions of Dreamers have U.S. citizen and permanent resident siblings, and they will experience the joy of coming home to tell their parents theyll live without the fear of deportation. Were committed to the long-term fight so people who cant experience this joy today will one day find the freedom we all seek."



Among the provisions in the presidents immigration overhaul include protection from deportation for parents of children who are U.S. citizens, expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and prioritizing deportations to focus more on recent arrivals and known criminals.



The plan will also commit more resources to border enforcement efforts, increase salaries of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and set different priority levels on the conduct for which immigrants get detained.





In a short speech Thursday night, Obama adamantly defended his actions in going ahead with the executive action and the legality of his plan.



The actions Im taking are not only lawful, theyre the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican President and every Democratic President for the past half century, Obama said during his speech. And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.



Despite the presidents assertions, many conservative lawmakers have drawn up plans to combat Obamas actions, including suing the president and making presidential nominations difficult  particularly for Loretta Lynch who has been nominated to replace Eric Holder as attorney general.



There are some in the Republican who want to defund the presidents action in an upcoming spending bill. Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), however, noted that the Citizenship and Immigration Services agency is funded through application fees, so Congress can't stop withhold its funds in a spending bill.



If all else fails for conservative lawmakers, there is the hope that they can stall certain parts of Obamas measures and repeal the rest should a Republican take over the Oval Office in the 2016 presidential elections.



"The GOP should not follow the president off of this cliff but need to bring up their own immigration reform bill," Steven Cruz, a spokesperson for the Washington D.C.-based Libre Initiative told Fox News Latino. "Id wager that Congressional Republicans would be a lot smarter than suing the president or defunding the government or shutting down the government."



While the presidents unilateral action rankled the feathers of many conservative Latino lawmakers, the plan on immigration itself was met with less scorn, as some admitted to an urgent need for a reform of the system in the U.S.



"Todays immigration framework meets neither the needs of our economy nor our security, and it definitely does not represent our national values," said Danny Vargas, the former chair of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly. "We need a practical, pragmatic, principled set of proposals that actually work toward real solutions. The time has come for the Party of Lincoln and Reagan to retake the mantle of leadership on big issues and immigration should be high on that list."
Republican lawmakers reacted with swift condemnation to President Obamas announcement that he plans to grant deferred action status to two groups of illegal immigrants, though Democratic leaders praised the president for his move.

Obama said in a Thursday speech that his administration will grant deferred action to two groups  parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents who have been in the country for five years, and young people who were brought into the country illegally as of 2010.

Soon after the speech, the top two Republicans in the House vowed to fight Obamas plan.

While House Republicans will still work to do everything we can to move the country forward, it is our obligation and responsibility to fight this brazen power grab that doesnt solve the real problems, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said in a statement.

House Speaker John Boehner said that Obama is ignoring what Americans really want, and has squandered what little credibility he had left."

His my way or the highway approach makes it harder to build the trust with the American people that is necessary to get things done on behalf of the country, Boehner, R-Ohio, said. Republicans are left with the serious responsibility of upholding our oath of office. We will not shrink from this duty, because our allegiance lies with the American people.

Their sentiments were echoed earlier by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who will become the majority leader in January when the new congressional class is sworn in.

McConnell, R-Ky., said Thursday Obama would regret choosing to ignore the will of the American people and has promised a legislative fight when Republicans take full control of Congress in 2015.

However, Obamas move was praised by prominent Democratic leaders such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi, D-Calif., praised Obama for his bold action but said Congress still needs to work together to accomplish more on the issue.

Democrats will continue to demand action on bipartisan immigration legislation that will provide lasting certainty to immigrant families, and secure the billions of dollars in economic benefits Republicans inaction has denied our country, she said.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid also praised the move on Twitter. In his speech, Obama referenced a young woman in his speech named Astrid Silva, who came to the U.S. illegally as a child.

Reid had previously referred to Silva, a Nevada resident, as his friend on Instagram and said she inspires him to fight for immigration reform.

President is exactly right, Reid, D-Nev., said. Immigrants like Astrid Silva deserve to welcomed (sic) in the only country they've called home.

Former Secretary of State and possible 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also showed her support on social media, tweeting: Thanks to POTUS for taking action on immigration in the face of inaction. Now lets turn to permanent bipartisan reform.

However, not all Democrats supported the president. One of those opposed, Sen. Joe Manchin, said he disagrees with both Obamas action and the Houses choice not to vote on an immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013.

We will only achieve sustainable, comprehensive immigration reform if all sides work together, Manchin, D-W.Va, said in a statement.

Obama said in his speech that the administration will begin accepting applications next spring from illegal immigrants who seek the deferred actions under Obamas new executive action program.

Those who qualify will be granted protections for three years, Obama said.

Mass amnesty would be unfair, Obama said during the primetime address. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character.
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As Republicans in Washington debate how to fight Obamas executive action, the real battle could take place in state legislatures that have a say over how exactly to carry out the plan.

For starters, states will have to provide proper outreach and support to help the immigrants figure out how to apply for deferred action  and state governments can vary their efforts in reaching out to undocumented populations offering assistance.

An estimated 3.7 million undocumented immigrants who are parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents are expected to benefit from Obamas new deferred action program. An additional 1.5 million people will be eligible for temporary deportation relief and work permits under the expansion of Obamas 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program or DACA.

About 45 percent of eligible applicants under 2012s DACA have yet to apply, and some attribute that to lack of outreach services in rural and urban communities that are less connected and trusting of government institutions.

Washington can make these orders but these things happen in localities, said Muzaffar Chishti, a lawyer and director of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) at New York Universitys School of Law. How activist or how resistant states or localities are in making this a success will be hugely impactful.

Another instance of the states control has to do with drivers licenses. All those who qualify under Obamas executive action are eligible to apply for drivers licenses; states could have to issue thousands or hundreds of thousands of new ones  unless governors or state legislators enact legislation specifically banning these undocumented immigrants from receiving licenses. In 2012, Nebraska and Arizona passed laws banning drivers licenses for those who qualified for DACA, which protects certain young undocumented people from deportation.

States can also decide whether or not these immigrants can qualify for in-state tuition at public universities. Twenty states offer in-state tuition to undocumented immigrant students following action taken by 16 state legislatures and by four university systems.

Another state-by-state decision will come down to whether lawmakers or governors will allow immigrants to apply for state-funded health insurance programs. Some states, such as California, Washington, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Washington, D.C., have opted to provide health insurance to low-income DACA recipients through state-funded programs. These programs could cost the states millions of dollars  which some are already arguing could place a heavy burden on states already strapped for cash.

"The cost to the people of the state of Texas is an extraordinary amount of money that this President is exacerbating with his announcement that he's going to allow for this executive order," said Texas Gov. Rick Perry at the Republican Governors Association in Florida.

If we're paying more in that area, that means less for schools, for colleges, for universities, for higher education overall, Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) told Fox News. It means less money for the things that we find important because of this move.

But others said any added costs to the states would be offset by an increased tax base.

There will be a cost attached to the integration of these people and some states may ask for a federal reimbursement, Chishti said, but on the other hand, you could arguably say that the tax base of the country will increase because the assumption is that these people will now work legally, have social security and pay taxes they havent paid before.

Under DACA, some states went out of their way to accommodate undocumented immigrants, particularly California which passed laws to make it easier for immigrants to get subsidized health insurance, in-state tuition for students, financial aid, and professional licenses to practice law and medicine.

Some immigrant rights groups are already preparing themselves for executive action. In California, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles told the Los Angeles Times that they were hiring additional staff to help hundreds of thousands of people in the state that may qualify for relief.

However, a spokesman for the group said the announcement will be bitter-sweet because there will be thousands of other immigrants who will not be part of the reprieve.

"There is excitement but there's disappointment at the same time because we know that there are a number of our loved ones who will potentially benefit from this relief and many who will be left out," Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the group, told the Times.

According to MPI data, two-thirds of the 5.2 million people who will be eligible for temporary deportation relief and work permits live in just six states: California, Texas, New York, Illinois, Florida, and New Jersey.

What remains to be seen is how states with newer populations of undocumented immigrants will respond to Obamas new program, particularly in states like Nebraska, Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Maryland  some of the seven states that saw their undocumented immigrant population increase since 2009.

States do have choices as to how they can prepare and to what degree they will provide resources, said Adam Hunter, Director of Pews Immigration and the States Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts. The new gateway states dont have the same traditions as long standing immigrant destinations.
Mounting an offensive behind his immigration directives, President Barack Obama on Friday insisted House Republicans must take up a comprehensive immigration overhaul but said the system is so unfair that it needs the type of fixes that he initiated on his own.

"Our immigration system has been broken for a very long time and everybody knows it," he said. "We can't afford it anymore."

Speaking at the Las Vegas high school where he launched his drive for Congress to send him an immigration bill, Obama outlined steps he has taken to help millions of people living in the country illegal. The measures are designed to make nearly 5 million of those immigrants eligible for protection from deportation and for work permits.

But he cautioned that his actions are limited and that only broader legislation would permanently change immigration laws and help the more than 11 million immigrants illegally in the United States.

"The actions I've taken are only a temporary first step," he said.

As if to underscore that point, a heckler interrupted Obama, chiding him for not doing enough with his executive actions to help more immigrants in the country.

"Not everyone will qualify," Obama conceded. "That's the truth. Listen, I heard you and what I'm saying is we're still going to have to pass a bill."

With Republicans accusing him of overstepping his authority, Obama and his allies are seeking to sell the executive actions on immigration as good politics and good policy.

The effort is crucial to Obama as he tries to dampen Republican cries to undo the administrative measures and, at the same time, strives to win the trust of immigrants and get them to participate.

The executive actions, which Obama laid out in a prime-time television address Thursday, would mainly cover parents of U.S. citizens and of legal residents as long as the parents have been in the U.S. for five years or more. But Obama's actions also would change enforcement priorities by emphasizing the deportation of new illegal arrivals and criminals.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Obama, in sidestepping Congress, had damaged his ability to get things done.

"By ignoring the will of the American people, President Obama has cemented his legacy of lawlessness and squandered what little credibility he had left," Boehner said in a statement following Obama's speech.

But Obama countered that it has been Republicans who have stood in the way, noting that 512 days have passed since the Senate passed a comprehensive bill.

"The only thing that's been standing in the way, is a simple yes or no vote in the House of Representatives. Just a yes or no vote," he said. "If they had allowed a vote on that kind of bill, it would have passed. I would have signed it. It would be the law right now."

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Del Sol High School in Las Vegas isnt just a backdrop to President Barack Obamas signing of his executive action on immigration Friday, it also may have kick-started the 2016 senate race pitting outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid against Nevadas Republican governor, Brian Sandoval.

Reids presence at the signing is explained precisely by the Las Vegas Suns Friday morning headlines: Why Obamas speech may be unofficial launch of Reids re-election campaign, and Why Obama chose Las Vegas to rally public support for immigration plan. The short answer is: Hispanic voters.

Reid needs to begin this election process, said David Damore, associate professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and remind people that hes been pushing the Dream Act while drawing that contrast with the Republicans.

Del Sol, where 63 percent of the student population is Hispanic, serves as a reminder to Hispanic voters in the state that hes got their back.

If Reid decides to run for a sixth term in 2016, which Damore and other believe is likely, it is Hispanic voters who are likely to determine his fate. According to Fox News exit polling in 2010, Reid won 69 percent of the Hispanic vote.

A later Latino Decisions poll put the figure at more than 90 percent.

My sense is he will run. Hes not going to go quietly after losing the Senate Majority leader position, Damore said of the 74-year-old Senator. The only caveat will be his health and his wifes health.

Over the last 30 years, the Hispanic population in Nevada has grown by more than 1,200 percent to around 753,000. More than a quarter of the state is Hispanic, which ranks fifth in the country, and Nevada has the highest proportion of undocumented immigrants of any U.S. state, according to a recent report by Pew Research.

Enter Sandoval. The popular governor is viewed by many as the best shot for Republicans to defeat Reid should he run.

Sandoval easily won re-election in November over Democrat Bob Goodman, who was not considered a serious challenger, by a 70-to-23 margin.

In the past, Sandoval has had difficulty getting Latino support, in part because he supported Arizonas controversial SB 1070 law and took a hard-line stance on immigration. As a result, he won the governors seat in 2010 despite only receiving 15 percent of the Hispanic vote.

Sandovals tone on immigration has softened substantially, and he pulled in a respectable 47 percent this time around.

If Sandoval could command those sorts of numbers, he would likely defeat Reid handily. A survey by Harper Polling over the summer showed Sandoval ahead of Reid 53 to 43 in a hypothetical race between the two.

Sandoval and Reid battled this year in what was seen as a proxy-campaign against one another over the states lieutenant governors post. The governors handpicked candidate, Republican Mark Hutchinson, won that election.

The victory frees Sandoval to run for the Senate in 2016. If he chooses runs, he will have to cede the governors mansion to the sitting lieutenant governor.

Longtime Nevada political journalist Jon Ralston noted in a blogpost from August, Sandoval has a history of leaving jobs for better opportunities. He left the Assembly to become a state gaming commissioner. He left the Gaming Commission to run for attorney general. He left the federal bench, where Reid had helped install him in one of Nevada's most delicious historical ironies, to run for governor.

Despite Sandovals popularity, many question whether the former federal judge will run.

There are a number of factors why he would not, Damore said. For one, being governor is a really great job, and if you look at Sandovals career hes never had a tough fight. He would get savagely attacked by Reid. It would be brutal. I think he has ambitions for vice president or going back to the federal bench.

Ralston agrees with Damore. He wrote that the 51-year-old loves being governor as much as any chief executive I have covered, and thats saying something.

He also noted that Sandovals advisers are very careful about keeping his image pristine, and it would likely take a hit in a bruising battle with Reid.

It doesnt help also, Damore says, that 2016 is set to be a good year for Democrats in the state, with liberal ballot measures such as the legalization of marijuana, background checks for guns and same-sex marriage possibly taking center stage.

However, pressure from fellow Republicans impressed by his improved Hispanic voter numbers, might sway Sandoval to battle Reid. The sell, in fact, has already begun.

I continue to believe Sandoval does not want to be a U.S. senator, Ralston wrote recently, adding the warning, History is littered with governors who went to Washington and regretted it.
There were tears, cheers and jeers.

Emotions ran high across the nation as immigrants and activists who have pushed for some relief for the undocumented washed President Obama announce on television his plan for relief from deportations for about 5 million people.

But after the initial burst of emotion Thursday evening at hastily organized watch parties and in living rooms, many said Obama's plan was just the first step in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform.

A snapshot of reactions across the country:

___

"This will definitely help our family no longer live in fear, fear that we will have to drop everything if our parents are deported. But there is still fear, because this is a temporary, and we need something permanent," said Isaura Pena, 20, of Portland, whose father and mother lack legal status.

___

"This is a great day for farmworkers. It's been worth the pain and sacrifice," said Jesus Zuniga, 40, who picks tomatoes in California's Central Valley and watched the speech at a union gathering in Fresno.

___

"They're going to have a chance to be what they want to be and get an education," said Maria Perez, 41, of Fresno, California. She is in the country legally, but she often worries about her nieces, ages 16 and 18, who aren't. With the president's speech, she feels hope that her nieces now can achieve her dreams.

___

Abel Rodriguez, of Phoenix, said Obama's proposal could mean that he and his wife would be able to visit their family in Mexico without fear of not being able to return to the U.S. or getting separated from their daughters. "I have not seen my family for 10 years. I have two grandsons that I don't see," Rodriguez said.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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(DEVELOPING): President Obama signed two executive orders on Friday that would delay deportation for millions of illegal immigrants. The president, who signed the controversial policies aboard Air Force One, then spoke about his action at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas.

Del Sol is the same school where he laid out his blueprint for immigration overhaul nearly two years ago.

Several hundred protestors lined the streets holding No Amnesty and Impeach Obama signs.

Others chanted worst president ever, as he drove by.

His order will grant deferred action to two illegal immigrant groups- parents of United States citizens or legal permanent residents who have been in the country for five years, and young people who who were brought into the country illegally as of 2010.

Hispanics are a growing and powerful constituency in Nevada and the state serves as fertile ground for the president to rally public support.

During a 15-minute primetime speech Thursday, Obama said his administration will start accepting applications from illegal immigrants who seek the deferred actions.

Those who qualify will be granted protections for three years, Obama said, as he laid out his sweeping plan to the public Thursday night from the East Room of the White House.

Mass amnesty would be unfair, Obama said during the primetime address. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character.

Obama, who pitched his plan as a commonsense, middle ground approach, said if you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law but warned if youre a criminal, youll be deported.

The president did not specify how many in each "deferred action" group would be granted the new status. According to recent reports, the parental group could involve upwards of 4.5 million immigrants, with those brought into the country illegally making up close to 300,000 new applications. There are an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally.

But Republicans have been quick to criticize and say the executive action is an example of Obama stretching his powers as president.

Even before the speech, conservatives said they were willing to do whatever was necessary to stop Obamas plan.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, who will become the majority leader in January when the new congressional class is sworn-in, said Obama would regret choosing to ignore the will of the American people.

McConnell, who made his statements from the Senate floor Thursday morning, has led the charge against the president and has promised a legislative fight when Republicans take full control of Congress in 2015.

If President Obama acts in defiance of the people and imposes his will on the country, Congress will act, McConnell said.

Utah Rep Jason Chaffetz, who will replace Rep. Darrell Issa as chair of the House Oversight Committee, told Fox News that the presidents timing on announcing the plan was crystal clear.

Its all about politics, Chaffetz said. He just got slaughtered in an election.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in an op-ed in Politico Wednesday that if Obama acts, the new GOP majority in the Senate should retaliate by not acting on a single one of his nominees  executive or judicial  so long as the illegal amnesty persists.
President Barack Obamas much anticipated executive order deferring the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants came from the White House Thursday night.

But on Friday, the president is heading to Nevada to expand on his remarks at a diverse high school in Las Vegas. At Del Sol High School, Obama is expected to sign his executive order, which will defer deportation for about 5 million immigrants in the country illegally, and call for Congress to pass an immigration reform law.

It will not be the first time the president has been to Del Sol High School. In 2008, he visited the school as a presidential candidate. He also spoke there in January 2013 to lay out his vision for immigration reform.

Almost two years later, President Obama is once again using the predominantly Latino school as the world stage to lay out his vision for immigration reform.

The school  which has 1,900 students and is 63 percent Hispanic  is in the Clark County School District, consistently ranked one of the poorest performing school systems in the country.

School officials and Clark County School Board members did not respond to requests for comment. No one from the White House has said why the school seems to have become a personal favorite for Obama when it comes to important immigration speeches.

I think the reason he did pick our school is because we have the largest population of Hispanics, said Satah Matus, a sophomore at Del Sol High School.

Students said they are excited to have the countrys commander-in-chief return to their school.

People are pretty interested just because its like a once-in-a-lifetime thing, said sophomore Alex Michael.

Immigration reform is a topic that hits home for many of these students. Nevada has the highest percentage of undocumented immigrants, according to a recent report from Pew Research Center. The state is 27 percent Hispanic and has the fifth-largest percentage of Latinos in the U.S., according to Pew.

At Del Sol High School, about 13 percent of the students are English-language learners.

Many of the students say they know students who come from families of undocumented immigrants.

Theyre nervous and theyre scared about whats going to happen to them, said sophomore Nicki Zuniga. They dont know if they have to go back because sometimes it can be unsafe for them.

Just like the entire countrythe Del Sol students have mixed opinions about immigration reform and pardoning those who are already here illegally.

I feel like its good and bad because, in a way, were solving problems, Michael said. At the same time were, you know, letting these people in which is not a bad thing, this is kind of bringing more revenue into the country. And these people that arent paying their taxes, they have a chance to pay their taxes and become legal.

Zuniga said the undocumented immigrants getting a temporary reprieve from deportation have earned their right to stay in the country.

The people that are here, they worked hard and they should be here because they have jobs and theyve worked hard for it, Zuniga said.

Undergrad students say theyre slightly upset because they have to deal with Secret Service sweeps throughout the daybut the presidents speech is only open to juniors and seniors.
After cruising to an easy reelection for a second term, New Mexico governor Susana Martinez earned another accolade when she was elected Friday to serve as vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam will assume the overall chairmanship, the RGA also announced.

The results Governor Martinez has achieved provide a solid foundation for New Mexicos future, and I know she will have the same record of results as vice chairman of the RGA, outgoing RGA Chairman, New Jersey Governor Christie said in a press release. She is fighting every day to make the tough decisions and move her state forward, and I have no doubt her leadership at the RGA will be vital to the success of our new governors-elect and candidates in 2015.

Martinez responded with praise for the RGA and mentioned the overwhelming number of Republican governors currently holding office following this years midterm elections.

The RGA is the most impactful political organization in the country, and Im honored to serve as the groups vice chairman as we enter 2015 with 31 Republican governors, the most for either party in 16 years, Martinez said. Republican governors offer the ideas and solutions that are moving America forward, and Im enthusiastic to work with Governor Haslam to continue the RGAs proud record of success.

Martinez, the nations first female Hispanic governor, proved earlier this month that she is in that small circle of Republicans who can generate a strong level of Latino support  she maintained a comfortable lead over her opponent in what's traditionally a Democratic-leaning state.

Martinez made history four years ago by becoming the nation's first female Hispanic governor and the first woman elected governor of New Mexico. She's considered a rising star in a party that's searching for ways nationally to appeal to Hispanic voters.

Her RGA election boosts the governor's national political standing, but Martinez maintains she's uninterested in national office or in becoming a vice presidential running mate. She has pledged to serve the full four years of her second term to fulfill campaign promises of improving schools and the economy.

The kind of appeal Martinez has been able to sustain among Latinos and voters who are not registered Republicans are qualities the GOP has indicated it would like in a presidential candidate in 2016.

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Following President Barack Obamas speech Thursday night laying out his executive action on immigration, sparse protests have sprouted across the country in response to the presidents plan.

From a one-man demonstration freezing South Dakota to a small group in New York City on Thursday night to a planned Tea Party protest to be held outside of the Las Vegas school Obama will visit Friday, opponents of the presidents executive action are gathering  in less than record numbers  to voice their anger with Obamas decree.

Our president is advocating breaking the law and giving it away to people from other countries, Karen Steelmon, the president of the Las Vegas Tea Party told Fox News Latino. Steelmon said more than 700 protesters showed up outside of Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, where Obama is expected to sign the executive actions during a rally.

Tea Party and other groups from places as far as Alabama, Missouri and California are expected to travel to Las Vegas for the protest, including the Stop The Buses Murrieta" group that gained national attention this summer when the city's mayor and residents blocked buses carrying immigrant children who were going to be processed there.

By about 8:30 in the morning in Las Vegas about 40 people had already gathered in a parking lot across the street from Del Sol High School with people shouting "Secure Our Borders" over megaphones and holding up signs in protest to Obama's executive action. Hundreds more turned up hours later.

"It is outside his powers to do such a thing," Patrice Lynes, an organizer of Stop The Buses Murrieta" told FNL in a phone call from Las Vegas. "He has violated the Constitution. It's Congress' job to make the laws, not his.

Retiring Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn warned on Thursday that the presidents speech would trigger violence and anarchy  even saying it would parallel the protest in Ferguson, Missouri over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man at the hands of police.

But the countrywide protests following Obamas Thursday night speech have been sporadic and lightly attended. Some have even been drowned out and largely overshadowed by larger pro-immigration rallies across the country supporting Obama's executive order.

In Philadelphia, pro-immigration protesters outnumbered a Tea Party group that opposed executive action.

"We were aware that some of these actions by anti-immigrants were happening," Erika Almiron, executive director of Juntos, told Philly Now, "and rather than bring hate to a place thats already filled with hate, we would show them what love is about.

But protesters were not deterred.

Braving 19 degree temperatures, Darin McDonnel of Sioux Falls, South Dakota took to the streets of his home town Thursday with a sign that read "Obama is mocking our Constitution."

McDonnel told local news media that he was angry that Obama was bypassing Congress with his executive action and that he was "doubling down" after Democrats suffered major losses in the mid-term elections.

"I'm out here because I love this country, and I think our Forefathers were brilliant," he told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. "Speed up legal immigration, but I don't think you grant people amnesty. You don't know who is here."

Obama will sign the executive action at 3:55 ET on Friday and is expected to be joined on his trip to Nevada by home state senator and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. Immigration advocacy groups scheduled news conferences Friday in multiple states to promote Obama's plans.

The executive actions, which Obama laid out in a prime-time television address Thursday, are designed to make nearly 5 million immigrants illegally in the United States eligible for protection from deportation and for work permits. It would mainly cover parents of U.S. citizens and of legal residents as long as the parents have been in the U.S. for five years or more. But Obama's actions also would change enforcement priorities by emphasizing the deportation of new illegal arrivals and criminals.

"To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill," Obama said in his national address.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Obama, in sidestepping Congress, had damaged his ability to get things done.

"By ignoring the will of the American people, President Obama has cemented his legacy of lawlessness and squandered what little credibility he had left," Boehner said in a statement following Obama's speech.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hillary Rodham Clinton says she supports President Barack Obama's executive actions to protect about 5 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, calling it a "historic step" and urging Congress to pursue a measure approved by the Senate last year.

Clinton placed the efforts aimed at changing immigration policy in the context of families, many of whom she said are longtime residents raising children and paying taxes.

"This is about people's lives," she said Friday during an appearance at the New York Historical Society, adding that it was about "people who serve us tonight, who prepared the food tonight."

Clinton is considering a presidential campaign in 2016 and her embrace of Obama's actions come in sharp contrast to Republican condemnation of the changes the president has ordered.

"I think the president took an historic step and I support it," the former secretary of state said in her first public comments on the issue. She had issued a statement shortly after Obama's speech Thursday night expressing support.

Obama's actions were in line with previous moves by Democratic and Republican presidents alike, she said. However, many Republicans in Congress accuse Obama of overstepping his executive powers.

Charging hypocrisy, the Republican National Committee released a Web video earlier in the day that included the audio of an April 2008 Clinton speech in which she criticized President George W. Bush's use of signing statements and other means "to transform the executive into an imperial presidency."

Clinton spoke about the immigration plan during an interview with Walter Isaacson, the biographer and CEO of the Aspen Institute, at the event. She said she was studying the life and presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and discussed the need for Americans to find a "common purpose."

"I think we just need to get back into that can-do, problem-solving spirit that the Roosevelts exemplified," she said.

The former first lady jumped back into the political conversation as dozens of her staunchest allies gathered at a New York hotel earlier Friday  even though she has yet to say whether she will run.

Ready for Hillary, a Democratic super PAC unaffiliated with Clinton, convened the meeting of 200 financial backers and Clinton insiders to prepare for a campaign.

"It was a leap of faith," Harold Ickes, who worked in Bill Clinton's White House, said of the Ready for Hillary effort. "We didn't know if people would come to us, but we now have 3 million names, which will be important to her if she runs."

Clinton sits far atop a hypothetical field of Democratic candidates that is beginning to take shape.

Vice President Joe Biden and outgoing Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley are potential challengers to Clinton, as is former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, who has opened an exploratory committee.

Discussions at the session included lessons learned from the 2014 election, the media landscape and what the 2016 campaign might look like.

Attendees said they had no inside knowledge on when Clinton would make her decision. But they said the early organizing on her behalf would facilitate the transition from private citizen to candidate. Ready for Hillary has identified 3 million supporters and raised more than $10 million.

"It's given her the luxury of time," said Jerry Crawford, an Iowa attorney.

They cautioned against the notion that Clinton would have a big advantage because of her existing network from her husband's two terms and her own political operation. "She's not inevitable," said Adam Parkhomenko, Ready for Hillary's executive director. "It's not going to be easy."

The ballroom included leaders of Democratic groups Priorities USA Action, American Bridge 21st Century and Correct the Record.

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President Barack Obama has the upper hand in the fierce struggle over immigration now taking shape, with a veto pen ready to kill any Republican move to reverse his executive order, Democrats united behind him and GOP congressional leaders desperate to squelch talk of a government shutdown or even impeachment.

With the public favoring changes in the current immigration system, the Republicans' best short-term response appears to be purely rhetorical: that the president is granting amnesty to millions, and exceeding his constitutional authority in the process. Beyond that, their hopes of reversing his policies appear to be either a years-long lawsuit or the 2016 presidential election.

Neither of those is likely to satisfy the tea party adherents in Congress  or the Republican presidential contenders vying for support among party activists who will play an outsized role in early primaries and caucuses just over a year away.

"We alone, I say it openly, we the Senate are waiting in our duty to stop this lawless administration and its unconstitutional amnesty," said one of them, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. In remarks on the Senate floor, according to his office, he was channeling Cicero, the ancient Roman orator.

In a portion of the oration that Cruz did not mention, Cicero referred to a Roman Senate decree calling for a conspirator against the Roman republic "to be put to death this instant."

More than 2,000 years later, impeachment in the House and a trial in the Senate stand as the sole established remedy against high crimes and misdemeanors by any president.

House Speaker John Boehner and Senate leader Mitch McConnell want none of that. Nor are they interested in provoking a government shutdown as a way to block spending needed to carry out Obama's order, viewing that as a poor way to embark on a new era of Republican control of Congress.

"We're considering a variety of options. But make no mistake. When the newly elected representatives of the people take their seats, they will act," said McConnell, who will become majority leader when his party assumes control of the Senate in January.

Led by Boehner, House Republicans on Friday filed a lawsuit accusing Obama of abusing his authority in the implementation of the health care law. Officials say the immigration executive order could be added, but it is unclear how long a final judgment might take or who will be sitting in the Oval Office when it does.

In the interim, Democrats interrupted their squabbling over dispiriting midterm election losses. "The last two weeks haven't been great weeks for us," said New York Rep. Joe Crowley. "The president is about to change that."

The political debate is well underway, although the two parties seem to be appealing to different segments of the electorate. Polls show that the country as a whole and especially Hispanics favor allowing immigrants to remain in the country and work even if here illegally. Conservatives tend to prefer deportation.

"The critics are going to call it amnesty," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., predicted correctly on Thursday in advance of Obama's speech. "But as Sen. Rubio has reminded us, doing nothing  leaving the current system in place  is amnesty."

That was a reference to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential GOP presidential contender who was a leader in passing a bipartisan immigration bill that cleared the Senate, 68-32, in 2013. The measure included a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants living in the country illegally.

Obama's order didn't go that far. It calls for suspending the threat of deportation for millions, but without the promise of a green card that bestows permanent legal status, much less citizenship.

Republicans also argue that Obama is forfeiting any chance of being able to work with Congress to achieve immigration reform.

Democrats counter that it's been about 17 months since the Senate passed the bipartisan bill.

Since then, opponents in the House have pressured Boehner successfully not to allow it to come to a vote. They also extracted a promise from him not to allow compromise negotiations with the Senate on any other measure that might ease current restrictions on immigrants.

In the hours before Obama acted, Republicans forecast bad outcomes.

"This is ... a major boon to the cartels and other gangs who control Mexico's smuggling networks. And it will almost certainly lead to thousands of people who've committed crimes in this country gaining legal status," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., envisioned a different outcome when asked if a future Republican president might reverse Obama's actions, potentially subjecting millions who step forward now to get work permits to being deported in the future.

"I wish that person luck," Reid said.

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Republicans in search of a way to oppose President Barack Obama's moves on immigration without alienating the nation's fast-growing population of Hispanic voters can find a playbook in Colorado.

GOP Rep. Cory Gardner won election to the Senate in the midterms in a state where 14 percent of voters are Hispanic. His GOP colleague, Rep. Mike Coffman, won re-election in a district where 14 percent of residents were born in foreign countries.

Both opposed last year's failed bipartisan effort in the Senate to overhaul the nation's immigration system, a top priority of immigrant-rights groups, especially its centerpiece: a pathway to citizenship for most of the 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. Both also spoke warmly of the contributions made by immigrants and shifted to the center on other immigration issues. Coffman even learned Spanish.

Coffman went on to win his race by 9 points. Gardner tied Democratic Sen. Mark Udall in two heavily Hispanic counties that normally vote overwhelmingly Democratic on his way to a narrow victory. Democrats acknowledge the two Republicans benefited from a change in how they talk about immigration, departing from a bombastic approach that emphasizes border security and deportations.

"Villainization is a huge issue," said James Mejia, former president of Denver's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "If you can stop being nasty about it, people will listen to the things you have to say."

For years, Republicans have struggled to balance a desire to improve the party's standing among Hispanic and Asian-American voters and the rock-solid opposition among conservative to anything they consider "amnesty" for people living here illegally.

Hispanic and Asian-Americans overwhelmingly voted Democratic in 2012, after GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney called for some immigrants to practice "self-deportation" and Obama responded by allowing many immigrants brought to the country illegally as children to stay and work.

Colorado's Hispanic voters had helped Democrats win every race for Senate, governor and president since 2004. Earlier this year, some Colorado Republicans feared they were in for a repeat when Ken Buck, who as a county district attorney took aggressive action against immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, started the race for the GOP Senate nomination as the favorite.

But Gardner cleared the field when he entered the Senate race and, during the summer, took steps toward the center. After initially voting to repeal Obama's executive order allowing children brought to the country illegally to work in the U.S., he voted in August to uphold it and said he supports citizenship for such immigrants who served in the military. He also said he'd be open to letting people who are in the country illegally "earn" legal residence, though not necessarily citizenship.

Perhaps as important, Gardner spoke warmly of immigrants. Asked at an event whether jobs should go to Americans or people living here illegally, he said the system needs to serve those who want to build a better life for their families.

Some immigrant rights groups were frustrated that Udall's campaign did not do more to highlight his differences with Gardner. Republicans, meanwhile, said if they can talk about immigration without insulting immigrant voters, it allows them to address other priorities.

"Immigration is important, but not as important as a strong economy that creates jobs," said Jerry Natividad, a Colorado businessman who sits on the Republican National Committee's Hispanic outreach committee.

Coffman agreed to participate in a Spanish-language television debate against his Democratic challenger, who is fluent in the language. Like Gardner, he backed a proposal in the House that would have created a path to citizenship for some immigrants who served in the military.

He reiterated his support for that proposal in a statement last week that, on one hand, criticized Obama for using immigration as a political wedge issue but also rejected forcing a government shutdown  a popular idea among immigration hardliners  to stop the president's actions.

The RNC sent field staff to organize in Colorado's Hispanic community and the state party focused on turning out voters in the Democratic strongholds of Adams and Pueblo counties, which are respectively 36 and 41 percent Hispanic. Gardner's campaign and other conservative groups spent $1 million on Spanish-language ads, featuring GOP luminaries such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

"That helped win the confidence of a segment of our electorate that is not only of great importance but has contributed so much to our state," said Ryan Call, the Spanish-speaking chairman of the Colorado Republican party.

Patty Kupfer, the Denver-based managing director of the immigrant rights group America's Voice, acknowledged that Gardner and Coffman were successful "muddying the issue" in the election. But she argued they succeeded in part because Obama's previous inaction had angered immigrants. Now that Obama is taking action, duplicating that success won't be as easy.

"I just don't see how Republicans can use the same strategy and expect to win at this point," she said.

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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Sunday that President Obama refuses to accept that only Congress has the authority to establish federal immigration laws and that members should block the presidents nominees and some funding until he rescinds his executive action on the issue.

This is a stunning and sad display by the president, Cruz, a Republican, told Fox News Sunday. We need to impose real consequence.

Cruz suggested, as he has since Obama announced the executive action Thursday, that Congress should take action next year when Republicans, who already control the House, will also have the majority in the Senate.

He said Congress, which confirms or votes down presidential nominees for judgeships and top administrative posts, should block all of Obamas judicial and executive nominations for two years, except for those of vital, national importance.

The outspoken, first-term senator would not directly say whether Congress should try to block the nomination of Loretta Lynch, Obamas pick to be the next U.S. attorney general.

Cruz was joined on Fox News Sunday by Greg Abbott, the governor-elect of Texas, which borders Mexico and deals with many illegal immigration issues.

Abbott, the states attorney general, has filed 30 legal challenges against Obama and intends to sue him over his recent executive action, which will delay deportation for an estimated 5 million people now living illegally in the United States.

We have a president who feels completely unrestrained by the Constitution of America, Abbott said
Colorado Hispanic activists are angry that the state's Democratic governor, John Hickenlooper, thinks it's fruitless to pursue citizenship for immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Hickenlooper on Wednesday told the Wall Street Journal that activists and Democrats should stop demanding a pathway to citizenship for those 11 million people and instead settle for five-year guest worker permits while securing the southern border.

On Friday, the Colorado Latino Forum slammed the governor, noting he was just re-elected with support from Hispanic voters and activists. The group said Hickenlooper "is out of touch with our community's priorities and values."

In an interview Friday, Hickenlooper said he hoped President Obama's new order granting deportation relief to some immigrants will spur congressional action. The governor called the proposal "combustible" in his Journal interview.

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President Barack Obama is dismissing criticism that he overstepped his authority by acting unilaterally on immigration to shield millions of immigrants from the threat of deportation.

In an interview with ABCs This Week broadcast nationally on Sunday, Obama said it was important to prioritize the deportation of criminals and recent arrivals while sparing people who have lived in the United States without proper documentation for at least five years and may have children who are American citizens.

Congress has a responsibility to deal with these issues and these are some things that I cant do on my own, he told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos. What I do have is the legal authority to try to make the system better. Given the resource constraints that we have, we have to prioritize.

The president then challenged House Speaker John Boehner, who charged last week that Obama was damaging the presidency, to pass a bipartisan bill tackling immigration.

If you look  the history is that I have issued fewer executive actions than most of my predecessors, by a longshot, Obama said. The difference is the response of Congress, and specifically the response of some of the Republicans. But if you ask historians, take a look at the track records of the modern presidency, Ive actually been very restrained, and Ive been very restrained with respect to immigration. I bent over backwards and will continue to do everything I can to get Congress to work because thats my preference.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, rejected Obama's claim of prosecutorial discretion. "Essentially he's gotten in the job of counterfeiting immigration papers, because there's no legal authority to do what he's doing," Cruz said on "Fox News Sunday."

A second Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said his party shares the blame for failing to get an immigration bill through the House of Representatives.

"Shame on us as Republicans for having a body that cannot generate a solution to an issue that is national security, it's cultural and it's economic. The Senate has done this three times," Graham said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Indeed, Obama cast his decision as the result of the failure of the Republican-led House to act on a comprehensive immigration bill the Senate passed with bipartisan support in June 2013, or advance legislation of its own.

He said Republicans still could pass an immigration bill.

Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, said he had pressed the Republican leadership to start passing legislation two weeks ago on the immigration issue.

"We are going to pass legislation, but it is not going to be the legislation the president is asking for," Labrador said. "We as Republicans don't believe you should give amnesty first and talk about security later, which is what the Senate bill did." Labrador spoke on "Face the Nation" on CBS.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The rhetoric is barbed, but Republican presidential hopefuls generally fell in line behind the voices of restraint in the wake of President Barack Obama's order blocking deportation for millions of immigrants in the country unlawfully.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum, a tea party favorite in the 2012 race, urged the Republican leadership in Congress to "use any means available to stop this unconstitutional attack on our liberty."

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who once filibustered the nomination of John Brennan as CIA director in a dispute over surveillance of U.S. citizens, said: "I will not sit idly by and let the president bypass Congress and our Constitution."

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who voted for the bipartisan bill that cleared the Senate in 2013, said the Congress should try to unravel Obama's actions, and he called for Republicans to call a vote early next year on a strict immigration enforcement bill.

Yet he, like nearly all other potential presidential contenders, offered no specifics on what sort of response they favor to try and force a presidential retreat.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has been an exception. He said the new Republican-controlled Senate that takes office in January should refuse to confirm any of Obama's nominees except for vital national security positions as long as the president's order remains in effect.

Interviewed on Fox on Sunday, he also said Republicans should "use the power of the purse" to attach conditions to funding, but offered no details. He disputed the suggestion that the government shutdown of a year ago inflicted long-lasting damage on the party, noting its sweeping mid-term election victories.

Republican leaders in Congress have vowed to take action in response to Obama, but have yet to say precisely how. An attempt to block his actions by restricting the use federal funds is among the possibilities, although the president could veto that. So, too, is incorporating the issue into a lawsuit the House filed on Friday against the administration's moves to implement the health care act.

Another possible response, triggering a government shutdown in hopes of turning back Obama's order, is viewed by incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker John Boehner as a non-starter, particularly at the outset of a new era of Republican control of Congress. Even more so is starting impeachment proceedings.

The general reticence among presidential hopefuls comes at a time on the political calendar when jockeying for support among party activists routinely increases. With mid-term elections in the past, the focus will inevitably turn quickly toward the first caucuses and primaries now little more than a year away.

Public polls suggest immigration is an issue that divides conservatives who form the core of the Republican party from the rest of the electorate.

In exit polls from the Nov. 4 elections, 59 percent of those surveyed said they favored allowing immigrants to remain in the country and work even if they are here illegally, and only 39 percent said they favored deportation.

Support for allowing immigrants to remain in the country was 74 percent among Hispanics, whose impact on Republican presidential primaries is generally negligible, but who represent the fastest growing part of the national electorate.

Among conservative Republicans, only 36 percent said immigrants in the country illegally should be given a way to seek legal status.

In the first few days after the president's speech, pressure from tea party activists who have been influential in the past has yet to coalesce.

Jenny Beth Martin, who heads the Tea Party Patriots, asked for signatures on a petition to Congress to "defund executive amnesty."

More than a year ago, tea party groups were instrumental in pushing GOP lawmakers to defund the president's health care law. Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, took up the cause. The ensuing struggle between the GOP-controlled House and Obama produced a partial government shutdown that sent public support for Republicans plummeting.

At a meeting of Republican governors in Florida in recent days, Tex. Gov. Rick Perry said Obama's action was akin to "sticking a finger in the eye of the American people" and said a lawsuit was "a real possibility."

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another possible presidential hopeful, blamed Obama for failing to deal with immigration, said a government shutdown should be avoided and declined to say what he would do in response. A request Friday for additional information went unanswered.

In contrast to Republicans, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted her thanks to Obama on Thursday evening "for taking action on immigration in the face of inaction."

She added, "Now let's turn to permanent bipartisan reform."

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They were criticized for being too provocative and too critical in demanding immigration reform.

When some of them arranged for youths who had been deported to try to come back across the Mexican border, setting up a showdown with the Obama administration over whether they would be allowed to return to the U.S., even the most enthusiastic immigration activists balked at their strategy.

And when these group of young activists, undocumented youths who had grown up in the United States and are known as Dreamers, locked horns with even some Democrats who were leading the push for immigration reform  particularly President Barack Obama himself  immigration activists grew frustrated, claiming it was wrong to direct criticism at the president, someone who sympathized with their cause.

The so-called Dreamers, however, did not back down  in fact, they pushed back harder when immigration reform failed to materialize.

And so when Obama delivered his prime-time speech last Thursday, announcing that he was issuing an executive order that would suspend deportation for up to 5 million undocumented immigrants, the Dreamers felt vindicated.

It was their single biggest victory so far  the largest change in immigration in many years. And with that, they recaptured the drivers seat in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform.

We got a lot of backlash for going after Obama, said Erika Andiola, one of the most prominent Dreamers pushing for immigration reform, to Fox News Latino. But he is the president of the United States, he said he supported immigrants, but Dreamers were saying he was getting them and their families deported.

At the end of the day, it was that pressure that created a moral crisis and played a part in pushing the president to issue the executive order.

[President Obama]s leaving in two years, and hed done nothing [about immigration]. This is historic, and its the result of our lobbying, going to Congress, holding vigils, civil disobedience. We took risks to make sure our stories were heard, we tried to put them in our shoes.  Lucy Allain, immigrant activist

Since 2009, the Dreamers have taken a fledgling campaign that was focused on getting a law that would provide young undocumented immigrants with a chance to live and work in the United States, and turned it into the engine of immigration advocacy that has broadened to include legalization for many groups of people who are here illegally.

Obamas executive action in large part echoes what the Dreamers  often to the chagrin of older, long-established immigration activists and advocacy groups who had preferred a more cautious, diplomatic approach  have been demanding to one degree or another for years.

Obama said he was expanding a 2012 initiative, which originally gave a two-year reprieve from deportation to immigrants who had come to the United States illegally before they were 16, who were no older than 31, had no criminal record, and met other criteria. The new executive order lifts the age cap of 31, and extends the deportation relief, as well as the accompanying eligibility to get a work permit, to many other undocumented immigrants, including parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

When I heard the announcement, I was watching TV, and many people were saying Thank God Obama finally did this, he finally realized it needed to be done, said Lucy Allain, a leader in the Dreamer movement who gained national attention when she confronted then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney at a campaign event in New York City about his hard-line stance on immigration.

It wasnt that he finally realized it on his own. The [Dreamer] community doesnt get appreciated. The whole executive action would not have been possible if there had not been a big push [by activists] for him to do it, she said. This is historic, and its the result of our lobbying, going to Congress, holding vigils, civil disobedience. We took risks to make sure our stories were heard, we tried to put them in our shoes.

The Dreamers are named after a congressional measure  the Dream Act  that calls for providing undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children a path to legal status. It has been introduced several times, but has failed to pass.

To be sure, many advocates of all ages have worked diligently to push for an overhaul of immigration laws that would give opportunities to many of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States to legalize their status.

Let's be clear, wrote immigration attorney Marty Rosenbluth on a Facebook page for human rights activists, We shouldn't just be thanking Obama. We should be thanking the tens of thousands of immigrants and others who picketed, protested, laid down in the streets, wrote letters, and drove time and time again to D.C. and to other cities to get their voices heard.

Yup, he finally did it, Rosenbluth said. But this is a victory for mass organizing, not for politics as usual.

In an interview with Fox News Latino, Rosenbluth said Obama responded to pressure. He said the executive order  which Obama had threatened to issue multiple times over the last several years, citing a lack of will by Republicans in the House to move forward an immigration reform bill  capped a sweeping and persistent grassroots effort by undocumented immigrants, their U.S. citizen and legal permanent resident relatives, and other supporters.

Obama, after all, he said, presided over the largest number of deportations  more than 2 million people since hes been in office  of any administration.

We have to see this as not that Obama kept his promise to reform immigration, Rosenbluth said, but that the immigrant community kept him to his promise. They made him keep his promise.

But the Dreamers, arguably, maintained an energy and remained vocal and visible, even when many other activists seemed to grow weary. Often, when hope for immigration reform or executive action dimmed, and activists grew exasperated and stopped to evaluate their strategies, the Dreamers got bolder, and pushed boundaries.

In one case that drew criticism from some of the older immigrant advocates, one group of dreamers even coordinated with deported immigrants in Mexico to try to cross back into the United States; they did, approaching Border Patrol agents, who arrested and detained them. Some got released and are awaiting hearings on their political asylum claims, others were deported.

Andiola, a 27-year-old from Arizona who got a two-year reprieve from Obamas 2012 initiative, has frequently pushed the boundaries to bring attention to the plight of undocumented immigrants.

This summer, she and Cesar Vargas, another undocumented immigrant and activist, went up to Republican lawmakers Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Rep. Steve King of Iowa at a fundraiser in Iowa and introduced themselves as beneficiaries of the 2012 program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

King, who has one of the most hardline views on immigration in Congress, has been a vocal opponent of DACA and any other kind of break given to undocumented immigrants.

Andiola reminded King of a notorious comment he had made about how Dreamers smuggle drugs.

King suggested that perhaps Andiola had not understood his comment.

I spoke of drug smugglers, he said in the encounter, which was videotaped. Now, youre not going to tell me youre one of them are you?

Andiola didnt miss a beat and responded: Do I look like a drug smuggler to you?

For many years, others spoke for us, Andiola said. The big non-profits spoke for us. We decided to come out of the shadows, to speak for ourselves, to tell our story directly, to come out of the shadows.

The Dreamers made it part of their modus operandi to publicize and humanize the story of people facing deportation. They put faces in front of cameras, they gave their full names, they wore shirts that said Undocumented and Unafraid.

We were called all kinds of things, she recalled. But the more we spoke out, the more we controlled the narrative, and the more we saw people were connecting with us. We also started seeing we could stop deportations, publicizing someones story actually protected them rather than hurt them.

Adds Allain, We took risks to get our point across. Our story is powerful, people can relate to it.

The Dreamers say they are glad the president finally fulfilled a part of his promise to take action on immigration unilaterally because Congress has failed to bring a reform bill for a vote.

But they say they want deportations suspended for more people, they say too many people are still being left in the shadows, too many families are being separated after an undocumented relative is put in deportation after a traffic stop, or a raid by immigration officials.

We need to move forward, we need to keep fighting, for the people who have been left out of this executive action, said Andiola, whose home immigration agents raided. We celebrate wins like DACA and the executive order, but we also know that our Mom or Dad didnt qualify.
The day after a Missouri grand jury declined to indict a white police officer over the shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old, Michael Brown, whose fatal shooting sparked weeks of sometimes violent protests  predominantly among African-Americans  Latino leaders said they sympathize with the pain and outrage that led to unrest in the city of Ferguson and elsewhere in the nation, but also expressed sadness over the violence that has resulted.

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said in a Tuesday interview that he was devastated by both the grand jury decision and the violent protests, which he said he watched on television with his wife.

We had hoped there would be a trial and a full and complete airing of all of the issues surrounding the death of the young Brown, Gutierrez said. We were saddened for the family, the parents  were parents too.

But were also saddened by the violence, violence has no place, Gutierrez said. You need to raise your voice when you see injustice but need to do it in a peaceful, non-violent manner . . . that garners public support.

In California, where there were also protests that turned violent at times, Latino civil rights groups  while not condoning the violence  said it was a reminder of the sort of experience that all minority communities struggle under.

As a nation, we mourn the tragedy that has befallen Ferguson, and we lament the grand jurys decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the senseless death of a young unarmed man, said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), an immigrant rights organization.

As immigrants seeking to be part of the American Dream, we painfully realize the dream for other U.S. citizens is also short-handed, outright denied and fraught with injustice. Life, liberty, and justice still needs to be guaranteed for all citizens.

We call on all residents of this great nation, Salas continued, to use our anger and disillusionment as the fuel that ignites our compassion and support for Browns family and our commitment to continue fighting for justice and equality for all, police accountability and stronger communities.

Latino clergy urged calm.

"The only antidote that will truly alleviate the tension and angst in Ferguson, Missouri, resides in the peace that only Christ can render, said the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/Conela. The prophetic and conciliatory concept of Shalom a peace where nothing stands missing or broken, presents the prescription for a community divided by race and fear.

We pray for peace, Rodriguez said. We plead for reconciliation. We yearn for all parties to recognize that both Michael Brown and officer Darren Wilson represent individuals created in the image of God. We call upon the God that heals to enable truth, love, justice and forgiveness to silence the voices of hatred, division, strife and violence."

After the Ferguson shooting in August, the Associated Press looked at minority representation in police departments around the country, and found that diversity was lacking, although the hiring of black law enforcement officers had increased.

Latino representation in police departments where Hispanics are a large part of the community, however, still was woefully low, the AP found.

In Anaheim, for instance, where the police department is among the least racially balanced in the nation, the police killings of two Latino men in 2012 set off angry protests. While more than half the community is Hispanic, only 23 percent of the sworn police officers are.

"There's a huge gap between community and police," said Theresa Smith, a member of the Anaheim Community Coalition, which aims to improve police oversight. Police shot and killed Smith's son in 2009. "You can't bridge that gap if people don't trust you."

The executive director of Puentes New Orleans, Carolina Hernandez, said her group has been working with local police to bridge the divide between officers and the Latino community. "If you're here to protect and serve," she said, "it's hard to accomplish that when the community automatically doesn't trust you."

Moments after the announcement by St. Louis County's top prosecutor, Bob McCulloch, crowds began pouring into Ferguson streets to protest the decision. Some taunted police, broke windows and set fire to cars. Within a few hours, several large buildings were ablaze, and frequent gunfire was heard. Officers used tear gas to try to disperse some of the gatherings.

Groups that advocate for undocumented immigrants drew parallels between the tensions and lack of trust between minorities and police and the sometimes tenuous relationship between foreign born residents and their local enforcement officers.

Whether at the border or on our streets, aggressive enforcement has been tearing apart our families and our communities," said Felipe Sousa-Rodriguez, deputy managing director of United We Dream. We need a justice system that protects us all. Our community remains fearful of those entrusted with serving and protecting us, given that many times in reporting crimes against us, were the ones who end up detained or deported.

This is bigger than one decision. Black and brown communities will continue coming together to demand change, and to show the country that young people, united, can win positive change for their families and communities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


A Nevada lawmaker who had recently become the state assembly speaker resigned from his new position this past weekend after a public outcry over comments he made about Hispanics and other minorities.

Ira Hansen announced his resignation as speaker but stuck a defiant tone in an email to the media and his colleagues on Sunday. He claims that his was forced to resign because of his opposition to a tax increase being pushed by other assembly members.

He blamed his ousting on an orchestrated attack by both the media and other lawmakers looking to remove a conservative Republican from the speakers chair.

This whole attack has very little to do with my views, Hansen said. The powers that be are planning a massive, more than one billion dollar, tax increase, and I stood in the way as speaker.

Hansens wrote his controversial remarks during his time as a columnist for the Sparks Tribune going back to 1994. His last column ran in 2010.

Most of Hansens columns are not available online but they gained traction last week after the Reno News and Review published excerpts of them.

Locally, gangs and their associated criminal activity are obviously dominated by immigrants, especially Hispanic immigrants, Hansen wrote in one of his columns. You cannot read a story about criminals or watch a news report locally without noticing a grossly disproportionate amount of Hispanic involvement.

Hansen also criticized the way Latino students allegedly flaunted the Mexican flag at a local school.

At Spanish Springs High School, the large Hispanic population has tended to congregate amongst themselves and boldly flaunt their Mexican heritage by having the green, red and white flag of Mexico displayed in various ways, he wrote.

Hansen also made inflammatory statements about African-Americans, gays and women. He wrote that he proudly keeps a confederate flag in his office, that women should not serve in the military and that pedophiles are overwhelmingly made up of gay men.

For the Nevada GOP, this controversy has put a dent on their recent good fortunes. They recently gained full control of both the state assembly and Senate during the midterm elections. They are now left with having to select a new speaker.

In a statement from his office, Republican Governor Brian Sandoval said that he asked Hansen to resign last Friday. I asked him to step down specifically because of his offensive published writings and statements regarding race, sexual preference and gender," Sandoval said. "I respect Mr. Hansen's decision to step down, in his own words, 'for the greater good of Nevada.'"

Hansen is claiming that Sandoval is one of the politicians pushing for the alleged $1 billion dollar tax increase in next years legislature.

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Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a leading voice in the House in the push for immigration reform for years, said Monday that opponents of President Barack Obamas new executive order, which could suspend deportation for some 5 million immigrants, are trying to scare people into not applying for the relief.

The fear campaign is just starting, Gutierrez said during a press call. They are trying to keep our immigrants from signing up just like they were trying to keep people from signing up for ObamaCare.

The Illinois Democrat, who as far back as 2010 has pushed the president  in the absence of congressional action  to use executive powers to give temporary relief from deportation to millions of undocumented immigrants, criticized some Republicans who have in recent days suggested that immigrants should not apply for a benefit they say stems from an act that will not stand court challenges.

"There's going to be fear-mongering from the Republican Party, Gutierrez said in the call he held with fellow Democrats Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California.

Gutierrez said he is now on a mission to spur as many of the estimated 5 million undocumented immigrants who could qualify for the three-year suspension of deportation to apply. He said he will be traveling across the country to spread the word about who qualifies for relief from deportation  a benefit that also allows people to obtain a work permit and often also a driver's license  and to encourage people to submit applications.

We received a couple of thousand phone calls, he said of his staff. They want to know if the presidents action applies to them, their families, their next-door neighbors.

He added, Were telling people to be patient and work with us to learn all the details.

Menendez, who long has led the effort in the Senate to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill, said that the president's executive order, which calls for tighter border enforcement as well as protection from deportation among other things, falls short of what he and Gutierrez and others had hoped for, but it still is a game-changer for millions.

More families will be able to stay together without fear of deportation, Menendez said.



He too noted that now supporters of the presidents executive action must put their energy into making sure people sign up, as well as continuing to push for Congress to pass a reform bill that would establish more permanent solutions.

Both Menendez and Gutierrez stressed that the executive order only temporarily addresses the almost 12 million people who live in the United States illegally. They said that only Congress, by way of immigration reform, can put forth an enduring solution.
President Barack Obama, the onetime community organizer, is returning Tuesday to the city where he first forged his ties to the Latino community to pitch his new executive actions on immigration.

Obama is trying to seize the advantage in the heated dispute over the contentious issue while Congress is on a Thanksgiving recess and Republicans scramble to coalesce behind a unified opposition strategy.

The president was scheduled to speak to Chicago community leaders, part of an ongoing effort to defend and promote his decision to bypass Congress and direct sweeping executive actions that could spare millions of immigrants illegally in the United States from being deported.

Obama will speak at a center in the city's predominantly Polish-American far northwest side, underscoring how his immigration measures would affect more than Latino immigrants. Chicago has the largest population of Poles in the United States.

Under a series of measures Obama announced last week, nearly 5 million immigrants will be eligible to avoid deportation and sign up for work permits. The number who could benefit represents about 45 percent of the total number of immigrants who either entered the country illegally or have overstayed their visas.

Republicans have vowed to rein Obama in, but have not fallen behind any specific plan.

Chicago is Obama's hometown  he worked in the city as a community organizer in the 1980s  and its metropolitan area has the fifth largest Latino population in the country.

Obama is expected to highlight what the White House says are the economic advantages of his executive decision and to counter Republican criticism that his measures exceed his authority. The Chicago visit is his second trip out of Washington to draw attention to his actions since he announced them Thursday. Last Friday, the president spoke in Las Vegas, another city with a large Latino population.

Obama has a mixed history in Chicago over the question of immigration. He conceded in his 2006 book "The Audacity of Hope" that his experiences there led him to reflect on the meaning of citizenship and "my sometimes conflicted feelings about all the changes that are taking place."

In 2006, when he was a senator from Illinois, he denied a request from about 30 Mexican nationals living in Chicago for a special piece of legislation that would protect them from deportation. The decision infuriated immigration activists in the city.

But Obama has also backed an overhaul of immigration law, and while he initially angered advocacy groups by delaying his executive actions until after this month's midterm elections, last week's measures have generally been greeted with enthusiasm from immigration advocates and Latino groups.

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Joel and Maria Flores spent decades saving up their money in order to open up their own business, a Mexican restaurant in St. Peters, Missouri, that they named El Palenque.

They moved their burgeoning eatery to the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson nine years ago, hoping to capitalize on a diverse community with a growing middle-class.

But on Monday night, as the town burned and police clashed with angry protesters, the Flores family were afraid that their lives' work would go up in flames. Twelve commercial buildings were destroyed in the unrest following the grand jury decision not to charge Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown.

Instead, the front windows were smashed, but nothing much worse.

The people destroying things are criminals  they dont care about peoples families or their jobs, Joel Flores told Fox News Latino. Theyre criminals, not protesters.

Business owners in Ferguson continue to be on edge as looting and rioting continue.

The Flores family, who own Fergusons sole Latino-owned restaurant, boarded up the front of the store after Monday night, but they continue to serve reasonably priced fare  like enchiladas and camarones al diablo (shrimp in a chili sauce)  from the restaurants fortified back entrance.

Were going to get over this. Were a strong community.  Joel Flores, owner of El Palenque restaurant

Members of the National Guard  which tripled its numbers in the Ferguson region Tuesday  were far more visible and remained posted throughout the town over night to dispel any more attempts of arson, looting or rioting, but many shop owners decided to not take any chances even with the military presence.

While the threat of violence Tuesday night wasnt as drastic as the previous evening  with the 12 buildings burned plus eight other blazes and a dozen vehicles torched  police officers in Ferguson still used tear gas and pepper spray as demonstrators set a squad car on fire and broke windows at City Hall.

Missouri governor Jay Nixon dispatched a large contingent of extra National Guard troops  up from the initial force of 700 to 2,200 - in the hopes that their presence would help local law enforcement keep order in the St. Louis suburb.

National Guard units protected the Ferguson Police Department and left crowd control, arrests and use of tear gas to local officers. In one commercial area on Wednesday morning, a soldier was stationed at every few storefronts, and some were on rooftops.

Forty-five people were arrested, most of them for failure to disperse. Outside police headquarters, one woman was taken into custody after protesters hurled what appeared to be smoke bombs, flares and frozen water bottles at a line of officers. Several other protesters were arrested after defying police instructions to get out of the street or out of the way of police vehicles.

"Lives and property must be protected," Nixon said. "This community deserves to have peace."

Joel Flores, a native of the Mexican state of Jalisco who worked in a chocolate factory in Chicago for more than 30 years, said that despite the unrest, the community would soon recover.

Were going to get over this, Flores said. Were a strong community.

While there are not many Latinos in Ferguson  they comprise only 1.2 percent of the towns population and just 2.7 percent of that in St. Louis County as a whole  Flores said that his restaurant is frequented by members of both the white and black communities and is even a popular lunch spot for the towns much-disparaged police force.

Theyre our customers. They eat at our place, he said.

While business owners believe they can weather the unrest, Flores said that it will be a long time before business bounces back. Until then, he and his employees will have to be watchful that more problems dont threaten his operations.

Were going to keep our eyes open, he said, and just keep doing what we do.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Senate Democrats' top message man is urging the party leftward in the wake of crushing midterm election losses, saying working Americans want a robust government that will promote education access, labor bargaining rights, progressive taxes and more.

At a Washington news conference, New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said his party erred five years ago by putting health care reform ahead of jobs and economic priorities. The vast majority of Americans were relatively happy with their employer-provided health insurance in 2009, he said, and the health care overhaul's message was aimed at about 5 percent of the electorate: those who lacked insurance and who voted.

"To aim a huge change in mandate at such a small percentage of the electorate made no political sense," Schumer said. "Unfortunately Democrats blew the opportunity the American people gave them. We took their mandate and put all of our focus on the wrong problem  health care reform."

He said he expressed such concerns at the time. His office later said he "expressed those concerns privately to fellow Democrats."

Schumer's remarks came a few weeks after Republicans won control of the Senate and boosted their House majority in the midterm elections. He said the way back to influence on Capitol Hill is to appeal to voters who support "an active and forceful government" to help them cope with globalization, technology and other forces keeping middle incomes stagnant.

Schumer said Democrats made it easier for Republicans to paint government as bloated and inept with "the rollout of the Obamacare exchanges, the mishandling of the surge in border crossers, ineptitude at the VA (Veterans' Administration) and the government's initial handling of the Ebola threat."

Schumer is one of the Senate's most senior and ambitious Democrats. He oversaw the party's campaign efforts in two highly successful elections, 2006 and 2008, and he now chairs the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Some see him as a potential successor to Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

His comments Tuesday could upset those who say it was wise to make the health care overhaul the first major legislative initiative after President Barack Obama's 2008 election. White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters the administration is happy to revisit the health care law "because we believe strongly that the Affordable Care Act is working."

Republicans ridiculed Schumer's call for a more robust federal government. "The failure of big-government liberalism is why liberals were overwhelmingly rebuked at the polls this month," said the conservative group YG Network.

Schumer repeatedly said Democrats must not run away from an active government.

"The 2014 election was not a repudiation of government in general," he said, but "just another sign of a deep frustration that government is not doing enough to fix our country's problems."

Schumer said he and other Democrats will propose specific policies later, but he hinted at several likely areas. He called for making college more affordable; making taxes progressive, or proportionately higher on upper incomes; spending more on infrastructure such as roads and bridges; and "changing labor laws so workers can demand more pay."

Schumer reflected Democratic divisions over expanded trade agreements. He called for "negotiating good trade policies that prevent jobs from going overseas." He said most voters feel "trade has hurt wages significantly" by encouraging imports from low-income countries.

Schumer isn't the only Democrat calling for a more robust agenda for education spending, a higher minimum wage and an end to some corporate tax breaks.

"We did a horrible job as progressives with connecting with voters on these issues because we are too tentative," Seattle-based entrepreneur Nick Hanauer said at a recent post-election forum sponsored by the Center for American Progress.

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Advocacy groups barely waited for President Barack Obama to finish speaking about sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system to start warning about scams.

"We hear horror stories about people getting taken advantage of horribly," attorney Ginger Jacobs told several dozen people who watched the president's speech at Alliance San Diego offices.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Mexican consulates sounded similar alarms after Obama promised executive action that is expected to shield about 5 million people from deportation. For decades, immigrants have fallen victim to attorneys and consultants who disappear with their money or give bad advice that may land them in deportation proceedings.

"Anything related to immigration tends to have this activity associated with it," said Laura Vazquez, senior immigration legislative analyst at National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group. "There are people who really want to get right with the law and seek any opportunity to adjust their status. They'll sometimes believe things that aren't true."

Harris, whose state is home to an estimated 2.4 million people who immigrated to the U.S. illegally, issued a lengthy "consumer alert" Tuesday, saying changes of the magnitude Obama announced often invite con artists. Her tips include making sure that attorneys are licensed and advisers are recognized by the U.S. Justice Department's Board of Immigration Appeals.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles warned of fraud when delivering Thanksgiving turkeys Wednesday and will repeat the message at a workshop next month at the Los Angeles Convention Center, said political director Apolonio Morales. The advocacy group recommends working through trusted community organizations.

There have been few reports of efforts to profit from the president's announcement, which promises work permits for parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents who have been in the country for five years and have a clean criminal record. It also makes more people who arrived as young children eligible to stay.

Some are encouraged that a 2012 reprieve for some young immigrants didn't produce widespread abuse. Dan Kowalski, editor of Bender's Immigration Bulletin, credits advocacy groups for aggressive outreach and says social media has allowed word of scams to spread quickly.

The Federal Trade Commission reported 891 complaints for immigration services last year, up from 746 the previous year but down from 1,220 in 2011. The extent of abuse is believed to be underreported.

"A lot of immigrants don't have anywhere to go," said California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, a San Diego Democrat who plans to propose disclosure requirements for anyone selling services tied to Obama's moves. "It's in the shadows."

Kowalski, like many attorneys and advocates, believes it is too early to hire anyone because the government isn't expected to publish applications for three to six months.

"There's no application date, there's no form, there's no procedure," he said. "Anyone who pays a dime is gambling."

Waiting is the hardest part for some. A woman at the San Diego gathering to watch Obama's speech asked if someone who gets stopped by police would be deported before applying.

Jacobs said she didn't know but that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was unlikely to expel someone who qualifies under Obama's announcement. She recommended carrying children's birth certificates, leases and other documents.

Another attorney, Cesar Luna, agreed that agents were unlikely to deport someone who appears eligible, saying, "They tend to give the person the benefit of the doubt."

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Many immigrants in the United States illegally who apply for work permits under President Barack Obama's new executive actions would be eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits upon reaching retirement age, according to the White House.

Under Obama's actions, immigrants who are spared deportation could obtain work permits and a Social Security number. As a result, they would pay into the Social Security system through payroll taxes.

No such "lawfully present" immigrant, however, would be immediately entitled to the benefits because like all Social Security and Medicare recipients they would have to work 10 years to become eligible for retirement payments and health care. To remain qualified, either Congress or future administrations would have to extend Obama's actions so that those immigrants would still be considered lawfully present in the country.

None of the immigrants who would be spared deportation under Obama's executive actions would be able to receive federal assistance such as welfare or food stamps, or other income-based aid. They also would not be eligible to purchase health insurance in federal exchanges set up by the new health care law, and they would not be able to apply for tax credits that would lower the cost of their health insurance.

The issue of benefits for immigrants who are illegally in the United States is a particularly sensitive one for the Obama administration. As a result, the White House has made it clear that none of the nearly 5 million immigrants affected by Obama's actions would be eligible for federal assistance. The decision to deny them access to health care exchanges and tax credits has especially disappointed immigrant advocates.

"They were specifically carved out of that, which is deeply unfortunate because it cuts directly against the spirit" of the health care law, said Avideh Moussavian, an attorney at the National Immigration Law Center. "They should have had the opportunity to buy health insurance just like anybody else."

Less clear until now was their eligibility for retirement benefits for which they would have paid into through payroll taxes.

Describing the administration's position, one official said Wednesday that any immigrant considered lawfully present and holding a Social Security number would be entitled to Social Security and Medicare upon retirement because they would have paid into the system.

Stephen Miller, a spokesman for Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a leading Republican opponent of Obama's executive actions, said making immigrants illegally in the U.S. eligible for Social Security and Medicare "is an attack on working families."

"The amnestied illegal immigrants are largely older, lower-wage and lower-skilled and will draw billions more in benefits than they will pay in," he said.

Beneficiaries would have to be of retirement age and have worked for at least 10 years. Immigrants would also be eligible for survivor benefits if the deceased worker had worked for 10 years. For disability insurance, they would have to work for 5-20 years.

A report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers this week concluded that Obama's executive actions would expand the U.S. tax base because about two-thirds of immigrants illegally working in the United States don't pay taxes.

But many immigrants currently working illegally still pay into the Social Security system because they have obtained an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Moussavian said the number has declined because the Internal Revenue Service has made it harder to apply for the identification number.

The Social Security Administration estimates that out of about 11 million immigrants now in the U.S. who either entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas, slightly more than 3 million paid payroll taxes of about $6.5 billion in 2010, with their employers contributing another $6.5 billion.

Those payments would not qualify toward the 10 year requirement needed to be eligible for benefits, the administration official said. The official was not authorized to describe the policy by name and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"It's one of many reasons why they would want to come forward," Moussavian said. "Many immigrants have contributed enormously through payroll taxes and income taxes and they go to programs that they can't currently access."

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If Christian Avila lived a few hundred miles to the west, he would have a driver's license, qualify for in-state college tuition and a host of other opportunities available to young people granted legal status by President Barack Obama two years ago.

But Avila lives in Phoenix, and the 24-year-old immigrant who was brought here from Mexico by his parents at age 9 still has to navigate the sprawling city in fear as he drives to school or work.

"You get nervous, your legs start to tingle a little bit when there's a cop behind you, when you're doing nothing wrong by driving to work,' said Avila, a community college student and immigration activist. "You're not breaking any rules, you're following the law. But unfortunately it's where we live."

With last week's action by Obama that expanded the deferred action program and added millions of other immigrants, Avila's plight highlights a harsh reality about the president's changes. The president may be allowing them to remain in the U.S., but it doesn't mean their state will let them drive a car, get an education at an affordable rate or obtain health insurance.

A patchwork of rules began to form in states  largely along political lines  after the president allowed some young immigrants to stay in the country. Conservative states like Nebraska and Arizona kept them from getting driver's licenses while liberal locations were much more welcoming in terms of state services and benefits.

Now, states must make new decisions on how to respond to the president's action that allows millions more immigrants to remain in the U.S.

In California, Democrats, immigration groups and health care advocates are pushing for the immigrants to receive health care under the state's version of the Medicaid program. The California Department of Health Care Services is deciding how to proceed. The president's action excludes immigrants who came to the country illegally from qualifying for federal health benefits.

In Nevada, officials are drawing up a bill for the Legislature making clear that unauthorized immigrants can become teachers in the state. Current rules specify that a prospective teacher must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident before they can receive a teaching license in Nevada.

A new gubernatorial administration in Arizona will have to decide whether to continue a hard-line approach toward state benefits that outgoing Gov. Jan Brewer took.

After Obama took action in 2012 granting legal status to 1.8 million young people brought to the U.S. as children, Brewer issued an executive order denying them driver's licenses or other state benefits, including in-state tuition at the state's public universities. A federal appeals court ruled the license ban was unconstitutional, and Brewer is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Our position is unilateral action by the president does nothing to change the fact that an illegal alien's presence is the United States is not authorized under federal law," Brewer spokesman Andrew Wilder said.

Arizona's Republican Governor-elect, Doug Ducey, has said he intends to continue Brewer's current ban, if it survives court challenges.

Maryland's Democratic governor, Martin O'Malley, has taken a decidedly different tack. He's a supporter of state laws granting in-state tuition to people without legal status and grants them driver's licenses. He has even been willing to get into a policy fight with Obama on the stream of unaccompanied immigrant children from Central America over the Mexican border, criticizing the White House proposal earlier this year that could have expedited the deportation of the children.

Arizona remains an outlier in its treatment of immigrants granted work permits and is among the most harsh when it comes to those who remain in the U.S. without legal authorization.

States surrounding Arizona provide in-state tuition to all residents, regardless of immigration status. And in January, California joins nine other states in allowing immigrants who can't prove they're in the U.S legally to get a driver's license.

Utah provides leniency when it comes to driving privileges and education, despite passing a law in 2011 that mirrored Arizona's landmark immigration crackdown, SB1070. The state issues driving-privilege cards that must be renewed annually for those who cannot prove they're in the country legally.

Nearly 36,300 were issued last year, said Nannette Rolfe, the director of Utah's Driver License Division. Utah also offers in-state tuition at public universities and colleges to residents not in the U.S. legally.

To be eligible, students must have attended a Utah high school for at least three years and earned a diploma or GED. They can't hold a non-immigrant visa and must file an application to legalize their immigration status when eligible to do so. In the 2012-2013 academic students, 929 students took advantage of the program.

Despite the fact that life would be easier if he left the state, Avila said he's staying put.

"This is where we got dirty as kids, this is where we learn how to speak English, this is where we learn how to do a lot of stuff," he said. "Here in Arizona is where my friends, my family, live and I don't see it as an option to run away, but rather stand up and change the conditions that we live under."

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Ruling party candidate and former president Tabare Vazquez is favored to win Uruguay's runoff election Sunday on the back of a strong economy, a result that would help secure the country's pioneering marijuana laws.

Five polls show the left-leaning Vazquez, 74, ahead of center-right challenger Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou by a roughly 10 percentage point margin.

Vazquez, who took office in 2005, was the first person to break 170 years of domination by Uruguay's Colorado and National parties.

He pursued moderate economic policies that helped Uruguay outpace neighbors while improving life for the poor. He left office in 2010 with high popularity ratings that put his party's candidate, Jose Mujica, in the president's office.

Now Mujica appears set to return the favor, with his 70 percent approval rating boosting Vazquez's candidacy. Both men belong to the Broad Front coalition.

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"Uruguay is not governed by people, it's governed by parties. In other countries the president has a more important role," said Adolfo Garce, a political scientist at Montevideo's University of the Republic. "This will be the third government of the Broad Front and it will have even more continuity than differences from the previous ones."

Lacalle Pou, 41, has criticized a plan promoted by Mujica to create the world's first national marketplace for legal marijuana in Uruguay. Although he would still allow consumers to grow pot plants at home for personal use, Lacalle Pou has said he would end the government's role in the production and sale of marijuana.

Vazquez has said he would change the marijuana law only if it proves ineffective. He has also promised to continue the coalition's mix of pro-market economic policies and social welfare plans.

A still-practicing oncologist, Vazquez expanded health care and campaigned against the use of tobacco during his presidency. He also vetoed a law to liberalize restrictions on abortion  a measure that later passed under Mujica.

Vazquez continued seeing patients one day a week during his previous presidency, but said in a recent interview that he would give up medicine to focus on the presidency if elected on Sunday.

In the first round of presidential voting on Oct. 28, he won 48 percent of the vote against 31 percent for Lacalle Pou of the National Party.

Lacalle Pou has campaigned on promises to curb rising crime and improve education. He also vowed to curb rising prices, and opposes Mujica's plan to resettle six Guantanamo prisoners in Uruguay.

Mujica, who is barred by law from running for another consecutive term, led Uruguay through stable economic growth and better wages. A former leftist guerrilla, his social agenda won praise worldwide for including the legalization of marijuana and gay marriage, although the measures remain less popular at home.

Critics also say that his government failed to bring improvements in education, security and environmental issues.

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Spain's prime minister has visited the northern region of Catalonia 20 days after its government held an informal, nonbinding poll asking residents if they favored splitting from Spain.

Speaking at a rally held Saturday by his Popular Party in Barcelona, Mariano Rajoy said the unofficial referendum had "according to its own figures, failed resoundingly."

Catalan officials said out of 6.3 million potential voters, 2.3 million cast ballots, with most favoring secession.

Rajoy, who was surrounded by many of his Cabinet ministers, said two-thirds of Catalans had not turned out to vote and that the regional government's "international propaganda operation" had fallen apart "noiselessly and without clatter."

Catalonia held the poll after plans to stage a proper referendum were suspended when Rajoy's government challenged its legality in court.

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Republicans in Congress are expected to huddle on Tuesday to hatch a plan for a push-back to President Obamas executive order on immigration.

They are weighing several options, including introducing their own bill, perhaps as early as this week, as well as targeting the funding of agencies that play a key role in the executive action, according to The Hill.

In addition, some of the most conservative GOP members would like to see their party broaden its lawsuit against Obama and the health care bill to include the presidents unilateral move on immigration.

Some political observers see the introduction of a GOP bill as the most prudent way to respond to Obamas executive order, which could spare some 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation, as well as allow them to obtain work permits, drivers licenses and a variety of federal benefits, including Medicare and Social Security.

The best way to criticize governing through fiat is to offer an alternative, said Republican activist Grover Norquist to The Hill.

What appears to be the smart move, and what theyre going to do, is do immigration reform through normal legislative [channels], said Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform. Do it in a way that Republicans find acceptable, meaning take the border seriously [and] think of Americas economic needs. Move forward on that and let him [Obama] be over in the corner stamping his feet.

Obama said earlier this month that he opted to act unilaterally on immigration because Republicans in the House, where they have a majority, had blocked any attempt to move forward on comprehensive reform of the system.

He said that while the Senate last year managed to draft and pass a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that both tightened border security and provided a path to legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants who meet a strict set of criteria, efforts to do something similar in the House had stalled.

Republicans have said that Obama cannot be trusted because he has circumvented them on such things such as his health care bill, and they said that they were leery of passing a comprehensive immigration bill because they fear he will ignore the enforcement end of it.

Republicans also are divided among themselves on just how to address immigration.

Some, such as Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, both of Florida, have expressed support for a bill that would tighten enforcement as well as give people here illegally a chance to legalize their status. They argue that the U.S. cannot realistically deport all estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants.

But other Republicans, such as Rep. Steve King of Iowa, is firmly opposed to any breaks for undocumented immigrants, saying that giving amnesty would be the same as rewarding people who flout the law, and would encourage more illegal immigration.

Alfonso Aguilar, who headed the Office of Citizenship under President George W. Bush, told The Hill that attacking Obamas executive action by defunding its sources would be futile because much of the presidents order would be under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which functions on user fees instead congressional appropriations.

Aguilar, who is head of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said a lawsuit against the White House is not feasible either, according to The Hill.

The case law is not on the Republican side, he said.

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Lame-duck lawmakers return to Washington on Monday facing a stacked agenda and not much time to get it all done before the new Congress convenes in January and a Republican takeover is complete.

Their to-do list includes keeping the government running into the new year, renewing expired tax breaks for individuals and businesses and approving a defense policy measure that has passed for more than 50 years in a row. They hope to get it all done in two weeks without stumbling into a government shutdown.

Also pending are President Barack Obama's requests for money to combat Islamic State militants, battle Ebola and deal with an influx of unaccompanied Central American children who have crossed into the U.S.

Among the lower profile items on the agenda are renewing the government's terrorism risk insurance program and extending the ban on state and federal taxes on access to the Internet.

Obama's move to protect millions of immigrants from deportation proceedings and make them eligible for work permits appears to have made it more difficult to navigate the must-do items through a Capitol where cooperation already is in short supply.

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The No. 1 item is preventing a government closure when a temporary funding measure expires on Dec. 11. The House and Senate Appropriations committees are negotiating a $1 trillion-plus spending bill for the budget year that began Oct. 1 and are promising to have it ready by the week of Dec. 8.

The tax-writing committees are trying to renew a bundle of expired tax breaks such as the deductions for state and local sales taxes and the research and experimentation credit. Some, like tax credits for renewable energy projects such as wind farms, are a hard sell for GOP conservatives but are eagerly sought by Midwestern Republicans such as Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa.

The House has passed legislation that would make several of the tax breaks permanent; the Senate's approach has been to extend them only for 2014 and 2015. Negotiators appeared close to an agreement last week only to have the White House put it on ice with a veto threat. The administration said an emerging plan by House Republicans and top Senate Democrats was tilted too far in favor of businesses.

The president's authority to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria expires Dec. 11. Lawmakers probably will renew it while postponing action until 2015 on a broader, new authorization to use military force.

Obama also is requesting more than $5 billion to pay for sending additional noncombat troops and munitions to Iraq and cover other military and intelligence costs associated with fighting the militants. He wants $6.2 billion to tackle Ebola at its source in West Africa and to secure the U.S. against any possible outbreak. Also pending is a $3.7 billion request to address the immigrant children.

Legislation to renew the government's terrorism risk insurance program, which expires at year's end, is eagerly sought by the construction, real estate and hospitality businesses. But negotiations between the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, GOP Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, and Senate Democrats, including Charles Schumer of New York, appear to have stalled. The program serves as a backstop in the event of a terrorist act that causes more than $100 million in losses.

The annual defense authorization bill has passed every year for more than five decades, and the chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees are eager to avoid breaking the streak. Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., are both retiring after long tenures in Congress. Negotiators remain at odds over the Pentagon's cost-saving proposals to trim military benefits.

Facing diminished budgets, three defense secretaries  Robert Gates, Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel  have said the cost of personnel benefits have become unsustainable and threaten the Pentagon's ability to prepare the military for fighting a war. Military pay and benefits account for the largest share of the budget, $167.2 billion out of $495.6 billion.

The Defense Department has proposed a slight increase in pharmacy copayments and a gradual reduction in the basic allowance for housing, from 100 percent for off-base housing costs to 94 percent.

The Senate Armed Services Committee endorsed the cuts, but the House committee rejected them.

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Tabare Vazquez's victory in Uruguay's presidential election is a show of support for the leftist coalition that has governed the country for the past decade and allows the government to proceed with its plan to create the world's first state-run marijuana marketplace.

Vazquez, a 74-year-old oncologist who was president from 2005 to 2010, topped center-right rival Luis Lacalle Pou of the National Party 53 percent to 40 percent in Sunday's vote.

The runoff vote drew international attention after Lacalle Pou promised to undo much of the pioneering plan to put the government in charge of regulating the production, distribution and sale of marijuana on a nationwide scale. Vazquez, meanwhile, said he would proceed with it, unless it produced negative results.

As results came in, Lacalle Pou called Vazquez to concede and wish him "great success," while supporters of Vazquez's Broad Front coalition poured into the streets to celebrate.

In his victory speech, Vazquez called on the opposition to join him in a national accord to deal with the issues of public security, health and education. "I want to be able to count on all Uruguayans, but not so they follow me, so they guide me, accompany me."

Sunday's win marked a reversal of roles for Vazquez, who shook up Uruguayan politics when he became president the first time, peacefully ending 170 years of two-party dominance. In his first presidential campaign, Vazquez promised changes that would "shake the roots of the trees." But he governed as a relatively cautious moderate, avoiding the constitutional changes and polarization that have shaken countries such as Venezuela.

His popularity on leaving office paved the way for the election of his successor, current President Jose Mujica, a former guerrilla known for his humble lifestyle and straight talk. Both men belong to the Broad Front coalition, which has been in power for a decade and has passed laws same-sex marriage, abortion and marijuana.

This time around, Mujica's popularity and a strong economy helped propel Vazquez into office, where he is now seen as the candidate of continuity, not of change.

Javier Silva, an operator at a state electrical plant, said he voted for Vazquez because he thinks the country is doing well.

"The economy is rising. The country isn't anything like it was 10 or 20 years ago, when it was in decline," said the 35-year-old.

Monica Centurion, an official at a state hospital, said she voted for Lacalle Pou because of his pledge to improve public security, which "is the principal issue."

Vazquez immediately moved to calm fears that he would introduce radical change in his second term.

"Within the Constitution and the law everything. Outside the Constitution and the law nothing," he told party militants after his win was announced.

Lacalle Pou is the son of another ex-president, Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera, who governed from 1990 to 1995.

During his campaign, he criticized the marijuana plan, saying he would shut down the state-run pot market, while allowing domestic cultivation of the plant. Polls show that despite its international popularity, most Uruguayans oppose the marijuana laws and want them repealed. Uruguayan authorities are still in the process of rolling out the pot marketplace.

Lacalle Pou was hobbled by some voters' wariness of a return to the traditional parties that ruled through most of the country's usually peaceful history, apart from a 1973-1985 military dictatorship.

Vazquez, the tall and trim son of an oil worker, grew up in a working class neighborhood of Montevideo and went on to achieve a medical degree. He continued seeing patients one day a week during his previous presidency, but said in a recent interview that he would give up medicine to focus on the presidency if elected.

In the first round of voting in October, he fell just short of an outright victory, getting 48 percent support against 31 percent for Lacalle Pou. Mujica was barred by law from running for a second consecutive term.

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Hinting that a decision on his presidential ambitions is coming "in short order," former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday condemned President Barack Obama's recent immigration order for going "way beyond" what other presidents have done  including Bush's own father.

Bush, the son of one president and brother of another, also reiterated his support for a pathway to legal status for immigrants in the U.S. illegally, but said Obama may have exceeded his constitutional authority by unilaterally lifting the threat of deportation from millions of such immigrants last month.

"The idea that, well, Reagan did it, my dad did it  they did it on a much smaller scale and they did it with consent of Congress. There are a lot of differences," Bush said Monday night at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council, an invitation-only event in Washington featuring some of the nation's most powerful CEOs.

Obama's move "makes it harder" for Congress to adopt lasting immigration reform, Bush said, speaking publicly about the order for the first time. "It's a shame."

Bushs comments came before Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnsons appearance Tuesday before the House Homeland Security Committee in which he is expected to defend the presidents action on immigration.

It will be the first testimony by a member of the administration on the topic since Obama announced plans two weeks ago to shield some 4 million immigrants here illegally from deportation and offer them work permits. The action applies to people who've been in the country more than five years and have kids who are citizens or green card holders.

"The reality is that, given our limited resources, these people are not priorities for removal. It's time we acknowledge that and encourage them to be held accountable," Johnson said in prepared testimony. "This is simple common sense."

His testimony came as lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill from a weeklong Thanksgiving break still divided on how to stop Obama.

The issue is tied in with the need to pass a government funding bill by Dec. 11, or risk a shutdown. Conservatives have been agitating to use any government funding bill to block Obama's moves, but Republican Party leaders fear that could result in a veto by Obama and a subsequent government shutdown, a scenario they are determined to avoid.

Instead, some lawmakers are pushing a different approach: a full-year spending bill for most government agencies, combined with a shorter-term measure for departments that deal with immigration.

But conservatives want more and circulated bill language Monday stipulating that no money or fees "may be used by any agency to implement, administer, enforce or carry out any of the policy changes" announced by Obama. They hope to include it in any upcoming must-pass spending bill, forcing a confrontation with Senate Democrats and potentially Obama.

All agreed they must stop Obama after November midterm elections where they retook control of the Senate and increased their majority in the House.

"The president's decision to bypass Congress and grant amnesty to millions of unlawful immigrants is unconstitutional and a threat to our democracy," the Homeland Security Committee chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said in a statement. "I will use every tool at my disposal to stop the president's unconstitutional actions from being implemented, starting with this oversight hearing."

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New polls published Monday show approval ratings for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto falling to some of the lowest levels in recent memory.

Just nine months after Pena Nieto appeared on the cover of Time magazine with the headline "Saving Mexico," scandals and crises have pushed his approval rating down to around 40 percent.

It's one of the lowest levels for a Mexican president since Ernesto Zedillo presided over the 1994-1995 economic crisis.

A Buendia & Laredo poll for the El Universal newspaper showed Pena Nieto's approval rating falling from 46 percent in August to 41 percent in November, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. A poll by the Reforma newspaper showed approval dropping from 50 percent in August to 39 percent in late November. It had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Francisco Abundis, director of the Parametria polling firm, said his company's figures showed Pena Nieto in a similar range of approval, between 42 and 43 percent, and noted that was low for a Mexican president. "It's very difficult for them (Mexican presidents) to fall below 55 or 60 percent."

But he also said that Pena Nieto has never achieved high ratings in Mexico, despite enthusiasm abroad for his market-oriented reforms.

"What we have is a president who is stuck in the high to low 40s ... but there is no tendency," Abundis said.

Political consultant Ruben Aguilar, who served as spokesman for former president Vicente Fox, said the disappearance in September of 43 students in the southern state of Guerrero played a partial role in the president's low approval ratings. The students were detained by local police in the Guerrero city of Iguala, who apparently turned them over to a drug gang that reportedly killed them and incinerated their bodies.

Aguilar also said the execution by soldiers of about 15 suspects at a warehouse in southern Mexico on June 30 played a role. "Not only were these events extremely regrettable, but the government was also slow to react," said Aguilar.

The governmental National Human Rights Commission said Monday that "violence, illegality and impunity are putting the country's stability and peaceful coexistence at risk, as never before."

That contrasts with the administration's ability to strike back-room deals to get reforms through Congress. Pena Nieto has opened the country's state-owned oil sector to private investment, tightened telecom regulation and passed a reform of the country's notoriously bad public school system.

But when events like mass disappearances or executions occur, the government  which had long downplayed violence  was caught flat-footed. "This appears to be an administration with a lot of skill ... for things that are in their game plan, but an administration that reacts badly and slowly to unexpected events that aren't in its plans," Aguilar said.

In a way, it's not surprising that Pena Nieto isn't lower; he was elected with only 38.15 percent of the vote in a three-way race. Mexico has no runoff elections. And for many other major leaders, like U.S. President Barack Obama, approval ratings in the low 40s have become the norm.

Abundis said Mexicans generally appear to try not to be negative in answering pollsters' questions: "It's for unusual for a Mexican to give a flunking grade to an authority figure."

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House Speaker John Boehner said on Tuesday that the lower chamber, where Republicans have a majority, may vote on undoing parts of President Barack Obamas executive action on immigration.

Many Republicans have denounced Obamas unilateral move on immigration as virtually despotic.

"We're looking at a number of options in terms of how to address this. This is a serious breach of our Constitution," Boehner told reporters. "It's a serious threat to our system of government, and frankly we have limited options and limited ability to deal with it directly."

The move would be mostly symbolic, since Obama would certainly veto such legislation and the Democratic-led Senate likely wouldn't go along with it. But GOP leaders hope it will assuage Republicans furious about Obama's two-week-old actions to shield some 4 million immigrants in this country illegally from deportation, and grant them work permits.

Publicly, the speaker told reporters that Republicans were considering several options and no decision had been made, but aides and lawmakers said that he indicated during a closed-door meeting with the rank and file earlier that the vote on legislation to block Obama was the leading option. It would be on a bill by Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., aimed at blocking Obama from unilaterally allowing categories of unlawful immigrants to live and work here.

Party leaders then hope to move on next week to voting on must-pass spending legislation to keep the government running. In the wake of their midterm election victories last month to win full control of Congress, Republican leaders are eager to show they can govern responsibly without risking government shutdowns. But Obama's administrative moves on immigration and the resulting GOP fury has created complications.

Boehner announced the strategy as Congress reconvened after a week-long Thanksgiving recess. It remained uncertain whether immigration hard-liners who have scuttled past efforts by Boehner to address this issue would be satisfied with the approach.

Some outside conservatives were quick to register opposition, arguing that the approach would do nothing to stop Obama's plans stripping away the money to carry out the policy.

"If conservative members agree to this plan, they are just as complicit in Obama's amnesty as everyone else. Don't be fooled, once this budget bill passes the amnesty will be irrevocable," wrote Daniel Horowitz, a columnist for the Conservative Review.

Meanwhile Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson defended Obama's new immigration plans before a House committee where Republicans took turns denouncing them as an unconstitutional power grab that would incite a new rush of illegal immigration at the border.

"The president's unilateral actions to bypass Congress undermine the Constitution and threaten our democracy," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. "We will see a wave of illegal immigration because of the president's actions."

Johnson disputed that point and others, arguing the president acted within his executive authority to temporarily defer deportations for certain immigrants who are not priorities for removal anyway. The actions apply mostly to people who've been in the country five years or more and have kids who are citizens or green card holders.

"I'm fully comfortable that we have the legal authority to push forward these reforms," Johnson said. "Deferred action is an inherent executive branch authority that can and should be used from time to time, and we've done so here."

The spending measure the House will vote on next week will top $1 trillion and fund the day-to-day operations of Cabinet agencies through the Sept. 30 end of the 2015 fiscal year.

The Department of Homeland Security  whose personnel implement Obama's orders to permit more immigrants here illegally to remain in the U.S.  may be kept on a shorter leash and be funded only into early 2015 under a plan floated by Boehner. The idea would be to try to reverse Obama's moves on immigration when revisiting its budget next year.

Boehner said no decision has been made. If GOP leaders go forward with the plan they would be rejecting demands by conservative activists to take a more confrontational approach now and try to attach legislation explicitly blocking Obama's immigration orders to the must-pass spending bill. GOP leaders fear that could have scuttled the spending bill or even could have led to a government shutdown.

Johnson spoke out strongly against such a short-term spending measure for his department, saying it could prevent him from funding needed priorities including hiring protection for presidential candidates heading into the 2016 elections.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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They gave him a thunderous ovation. They chanted Run, Ted, run!

In recent days Sen. Ted Cruz received a warm embrace by the crowd he addressed during a Zionist Organization of America dinner at a New York City hotel.

Cruz, a conservative Texas Republican, has emerged as a staunch defender of Israel. Just two months ago he made headlines when he lectured hecklers at a Christian Arab event  where he was keynote speaker  telling them anyone who hates Israel also hates America, and then walking off the stage.

At the dinner in New York, Cruz recounted that event, generating cheers from the crowd.

He also wowed them with his observation that the Hebrew month of Kislev was beginning.

A few jaws went slightly agape. This Cuban-American tea partier, son of an evangelical minister  he knows from Kislev and the Festival of Lights?  Dallas Morning News

The month of Hanukkah, a month of miracles, Cruz said, referring to the Maccabees victory over an oppressive Greek king. The few defeated the many. The righteous defeated the unrighteous.

The Dallas Morning News noted: A few jaws went slightly agape. This Cuban-American tea partier, son of an evangelical minister  he knows from Kislev and the Festival of Lights?

After Cruzs speech, some audience members shared their impressions of the senator, considered a potential presidential candidate in 2016  hence, the Run, Ted, run chants among the New York crowd.

Hes aligned with the Jewish people. Hes aligned with the Jewish calendar. He understands Jewish history. He understands that Jews, even though they have small numbers, persevere and are victorious, Len Getz, a Philadelphia accountant and board member of the Zionist group, was quoted as saying in the News. Because God is on Israels side. He understands that.

Some in the audience conceded that Cruz is a bit too far-right for their taste, though they respect his Zionism.

But many clearly were won over.

His time will come, the News quoted Ferne Hassan, a pro-Israel activist, as saying. If its not in 2016, it will come.

Harvey Friedman, a Zionist group board member, said Cruzs walkout from the Christian Arab conference and his consistent support for Israel had won his support for the senator.

This is a stand-up guy, he said. There arent a lot of politicians you can say that about. He isnt wishy-washy.

Gene Shusman, another board member, told the News that hed love to see a President Ted Cruz because I love my children and my grandchildren and I want America to be restored to its former greatness.

Quoting Genesis, Shusman said: Those who bless Israel, I will bless. And Obama and the Democrats have stuck their fingers in the eye of God. And hes watching. Do you think Santa Claus watches Dec. 25? You wait till we get up there [to heaven]. Theyre not going to get up there.

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About two dozen U.S. mayors will be meeting next week to lay the groundwork for putting in place President Obamas executive action on immigration.

The mayors of Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore and Philadelphia, among others, have formed a coalition entitled Cities United for Immigration Action, and will hold a summit in New York City on Sunday and Monday.

Last month, the president issued an executive order sparing potentially up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation, and prioritizing the removal of criminals and people who recently have crossed into the United States illegally.

Those eligible for a reprieve from deportation are people who have lived here for at least five years, and have children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

Our cities recognize and celebrate the contributions of immigrants to our nation, and we welcome immigrants in our communities, the mayors coalition said in a statement. The presidents action on immigration will strengthen our cities. It will keep families together, grow our economies and foster additional community trust in law enforcement and government."

"We are ready  and together were rolling up our sleeves to turn this policy into a better reality for millions of hardworking people in the communities we serve," the statement continued. "While we continue to urge Congress to enact comprehensive and long-lasting reform, the presidents action will help many immigrants gain the opportunities, skills and status to reach their fullest potential, which will help Americas cities prosper.

States will have to manage applications for driver's licenses, for one thing, arising from newly eligible people who will be benefiting from the president's executive action.

The mayors also vow to continue pressing Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would tighten enforcement as well as provide a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants who meet certain criteria.

In a statement announcing the meeting, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is hosting it, said on the citys official website: The Presidents soon-to-be-announced reforms will initiate an economic, political and social transformation of our cities and our country.

In New York City, I have directed a series of comprehensive initiatives to provide stability to all our immigrantsnewly-arrived and those that have lived here for generationsthat have already been promoting safer and stronger communities all across the city."

The president's executive action established a new program called Deferred Action for Parental Accountability, or DAPA, slated to launch by next spring. DAPA builds upon a 2012 program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which gave a renewable two-year reprieve from deportation to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States before the age of 16 and met other criteria.

Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, told the New York Times that the president's new executive action could generate more than 250,000 applications from New Yorkers.

He said the city could face a massive human services challenge.

Were talking about a tidal wave that could potentially swamp organizations if we dont have the right preparations in place, Mr. Choi said.

The mayors coalition, meanwhile, said that a key objective is "to come out with an unbeatable master plan that truly prepares our localities for swift implementation of changes and also advocates for further reforms from the municipal level all the way up to Washington.

The coalitions announcement listed among its goals the drafting of an outreach plan that would include immigrant communities, local authorities, among others, to inform foreign-born residents about the details of the presidents executive action, eligibility requirements and how to apply.

The mayors also plan to brainstorm ideas on how best to put in place the executive action in their cities.

The mayors say they also want to create a consensus on finding an enduring solution to the nations flawed immigration system.

But some mayors who are not part of the coalition have their misgivings about the president's executive action, and about extending breaks to undocumented immigrants.

Scott Getzschman, mayor of Fremont, Nebraska, which has an ordinance that requires renters to obtain a local license proving their citizenship, told a National Public Radio reporter in Massachusetts: I truly feel that before you would do a blanket amnesty, you must, to go any further you have to seal the borders."

Executive action, he said "is a band-aid approach to immigration reform."

"And truly I dont feel its a solution to the problem, he said.

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Nearing a decision on a presidential run in 2016, Jeb Bush on Tuesday reaffirmed his support for the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba and pushed for a foreign policy that he said could help repair the nation's credibility after Barack Obama's presidency.

"Our allies don't trust us, and our enemies don't fear us. There is no situation worse for stability and peace than that," the former Florida governor told the annual luncheon of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC. "The iron rule of superpower deterrent is 'Mean it when you say it.' And it has been broken by this president."

As an example, Bush cited Obama's decision not to follow through on his statements that there would be consequences for Syria if that country used chemical weapons. To date, the U.S. has not taken any direct military action against the government of Bashar Assad.

"Words matter," Bush said. "Presidents need to set United States aspirations and intentions where there is little gap between words and deeds."

On Monday, Bush told business leaders in Washington that he would decide "in short order" whether to launch a presidential bid. Establishment Republicans and big-money donors see a pragmatic governor who won two terms in the nation's largest swing state in part by appealing to Florida's fast-growing Hispanic population. Conservatives see Bush, the son and brother of presidents, as too moderate on immigration and other issues important to them.

Bush aimed to burnish his foreign policy credentials Tuesday while also solidifying his connection to Florida's powerful Cuban exile community. He did so primarily, for the second day in a row, by offering harsh words about the Obama administration.

He said Obama played politics with his foreign policy, setting artificial timelines for troop withdrawals in Iraq and Afghanistan that ultimately hurt U.S. standing in the Middle East and emboldened enemies such as Islamic State militants. Left unmentioned was Obama's recent decision to send 3,000 troops back to Iraq as trainers and advisers and an aggressive air campaign against IS.

Bush emphasized American exceptionalism and called on the country to play a more robust role on the world stage. He said the United States should strengthen its military and bolster its alliances with Canada, Mexico and Israel while building coalitions with Latin America.

"The United States needs to lead. Lead with humility, lead with respect  but lead," Bush said. "We are not an equal partner in a so-called community of nations. We are a leader among equals."

His remarks Tuesday also drew distinct differences between himself and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former secretary of state and the leading Democrat for her party's presidential nomination, should she decide to seek it.

Bush not only reaffirmed his support for the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba, but said America should consider strengthening it. Without naming her, he criticized efforts by Clinton and others to lift the sanctions.

Clinton, who backed the trade limits when she ran for president in 2008, reversed her position this year and now describes the embargo as "Castro's best friend," arguing that the regime uses it as a scapegoat for the island's problems.

Bush said the embargo should remain until the Castro regime is driven from power or releases its political prisoners and holds free elections. He also pledged his support for the event's host, the U.S-Cuba Democracy PAC, one of the policy's staunchest defenders.

"I am honored to be a soldier in your army," he told the crowd in Spanish.

Some of Florida's most prominent Cuban-American leaders lauded him, citing his tenure overseeing a diverse state that has often served as safe harbor for refugees from across Latin America.

"Jeb knows the world," said former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart.

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President Barack Obama is hosting incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for a private White House meeting.

The White House says Obama will meet with the Kentucky Republican on Wednesday afternoon in the Oval Office. Reporters won't be allowed in for the meeting.

It's their first one-on-one since Republicans won control of the Senate in November. The election positioned McConnell to take the helm of the Senate when the new Congress is seated in January.

The meeting comes as Congress rushes to pass a year-end spending plan to avert a government shutdown. Obama and Republicans are also at odds over Obama's executive actions on immigration.

After the election, Obama said he'd enjoy sharing some Kentucky bourbon with McConnell. There was no indication of whether Wednesday's meeting will include bourbon.

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Republicans are opposing President Barack Obama's pick to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency over her support for Obama's executive actions on immigration.

Sarah Saldana, now the U.S. attorney in Dallas, would likely be confirmed by the Democratic Senate majority anyway if her nomination is voted on before the end of the year, when Republicans will regain control. She cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 10 to 8 vote Wednesday.

Saldana claimed strong support among Republicans when she was nominated earlier in the year, including from Texas' senior senator, John Cornyn.

But Obama's move to lift the threat of deportation for millions here illegally changed that.

Saldana told senators she believed Obama acted within his authority, and Cornyn announced Wednesday he could no longer support her.

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Texas Gov.-elect Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that Texas is leading a 17-state coalition suing the Obama administration over the president's executive actions on immigration.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Texas on Wednesday, and names the heads of the top immigration enforcement agencies as defendants.

Abbott, in a news conference in Austin, said the "broken" immigration system should be fixed by Congress, not by "presidential fiat."

He said President Obama's recently announced executive actions -- a move designed to spare as many as 5 million people living illegally in the United States from deportation -- "directly violate the fundamental promise to the American people" by running afoul of the Constitution.

"The ability of the president to dispense with laws was specifically considered and unanimously rejected at the Constitutional Convention," he said.

Abbott specifically cited Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution which states the president "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed."

He said the lawsuit asks the court to require Obama to go through Congress before enforcing laws, "rather than making them up himself."

However, a White House official defended the actions as perfectly within the president's authority.

The Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that federal officials can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws, and we are confident that the Presidents executive actions are well within his legal authorities," the official told Fox News.

The announcement opens a new front in the roiling debate across the country over the immigration actions.

The legal action comes as a separate legislative battle plays out on Capitol Hill. Some Republicans want to use a must-pass spending bill as leverage to defund the president's immigration initiatives. But House Speaker John Boehner is trying to push off that battle until next year, when his party will control both chambers.

Under Obama's order, announced Nov. 20, protection from deportation and the right to work will be extended to an estimated 4.1 million parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and to hundreds of thousands more young people.

In the lawsuit, Texas is joined by 16 other, mostly southern and Midwestern states, including Alabama, Georgia, Idaho and Indiana.

Abbott argued Wednesday that Obama's action "tramples" portions of the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit raises three objections: that Obama violated the "Take Care Clause" of the U.S. Constitution that limits the scope of presidential power; that the federal government violated rulemaking procedures; and that the order will "exacerbate the humanitarian crisis along the southern border, which will affect increased state investment in law enforcement, health care and education."

Wednesday's announcement marks the 31st time the Texas attorney general has brought action against the federal government since Obama took office in 2009. The only other high-profile lawsuit against the immigration action has come on behalf of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Potential 2016 presidential candidate and current Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who leaves office in January, also spoke out against the executive order earlier Wednesday, saying it could trigger a new flood of people pouring across the Texas-Mexico border. Perry and Abbott also have said the order will promote a culture of lawlessness.

Perry said at a news conference that Obama's 2012 executive order delaying the deportation of children brought into the U.S. illegally by their parents triggered an unprecedented wave of unaccompanied minors and families, mostly from Central America, crossing into the U.S. this summer.

"In effect, his action placed a neon sign on our border, assuring people that they could ignore the law of the United States," said Perry, who has deployed up to 1,000 National Guard troops to the border.

The federal lawsuit involves the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Herman Badillo, a Bronx politician who became the first person born in Puerto Rico to become a U.S. congressman, died Wednesday morning. He was 85.

The office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. confirmed the death. Badillo died of complications of congestive heart disease at a hospital in Manhattan on Wednesday morning, according to George Arzt, a political consultant and longtime friend.

"He was a true pioneer of the city. He was the first major Latino to be elected," Arzt said.

In Congress, Badillo concentrated on the problems of inner cities and urged federal help for poor members of minority groups, according to his congressional biography. He also championed the rights of Puerto Ricans, noting in 1971 that they were subject to the draft but couldn't get federal benefits under the food stamp and school milk programs or parts of Social Security.

"I represent the original immigrant," Badillo said. "Everybody says that their parents and grandparents came here and couldn't speak English and they were poor. And in my case it wasn't my parents and grandparents. It was me."

He served in the House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977, when he resigned to become a deputy mayor during New York City Mayor Edward Koch's first term.

"Herman Badillo worked assiduously throughout his career to make a difference in the lives of countless individuals across our borough and city," said Diaz, the Bronx borough president. "He was a true Bronxite and the epitome of a passionate leader who truly cared for his community."

Badillo was born on Aug. 21, 1929, in Caguas, Puerto Rico. His parents died in a 1934 tuberculosis epidemic and he first came to New York with an aunt in 1941. He attended public schools, City College of New York and earned a law degree at Brooklyn Law School.

He started work as a city official in 1962 and his first elected position was Bronx borough president from 1965 to 1969.

He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and made repeated unsuccessful runs to become New York City mayor.

Badillo sought the Democratic nomination for mayor in 1969, 1973 and 1977. He also mounted brief runs in 1985 and 1993 but withdrew.

In 2001, he waged a bitter primary election campaign against Michael Bloomberg for the Republican mayoral nomination. Like Bloomberg, Badillo was by then a former Democrat, having run unsuccessfully for city comptroller on the Republican-Liberal Fusion line in 1993.

Former mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former police commissioner Ray Kelly will speak at his private funeral on Sunday, Arzt said.

Badillo lived in Manhattan and is survived by his wife, Gail, and his son by a previous marriage, David.

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House Republicans voted Thursday to block President Obama's immigration executive actions, though it was unclear whether the largely symbolic step would be enough to prevent a risky budget stand-off next week.

The House voted 219-197 for the bill, by Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., that declares Obama's actions "null and void and without legal effect."

The legislation is part of a three-step plan by House GOP leaders to both address Obama's immigration maneuvers and approve a new spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown. Next week, the chamber is set to vote on a bill funding most of the government through fiscal 2015, and the Department of Homeland Security through early next year. That would tee up a new fight over funding for Obama's immigration policies when Republicans control both chambers.

However, many conservative lawmakers want to wage that battle now, and use the looming Dec. 11 deadline -- when current government funding expires -- as leverage to defund the immigration plan.

They worry Yoho's legislation is an ineffective tool for doing that, as the stand-alone bill approved Thursday stands little chance of passing the Senate. The White House also has issued a veto threat, calling the bill "non-sensical."

"I'm not happy," Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., said. He said he's concerned that if Republicans don't fight the immigration policy now, it could send the wrong signal ahead of the new Congress.

Conservative sources indicate there are between 30 and 40, or more, conservatives who would bolt on any spending bill next week.

"There's a higher risk of more [members] bolting," said one source. "Let us sort of vent. I don't think [GOP leaders] thought this was going to be as big an issue."

But despite that concern, one source said GOP leaders think would-be defectors will come back to favor the plan at the end.

Asked if he was concerned that opposition could torpedo the spending bill, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said: "I don't think so. I'm hearing good things about it."

Still, House Speaker John Boehner might need Democratic support to carry the spending package across the finish line next week.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had been coy about whether she'd help pass a spending plan, said Thursday she's reached out to Boehner to extend a "hand of friendship" to keep the government open -- as long as Democrats see a bill they can support.

It's unclear whether the legislation in the works meets that criteria. She indicated Thursday that Democrats might make demands if Boehner needs their help.

"If he has 218 votes, there's no conversation. If he doesn't, we have leverage," Pelosi said.

At a press conference earlier Thursday, Boehner urged his rank-and-file to be patient, making the case for delaying the immigration fight until next year.

"Come January, we'll have a Republican House and Republican Senate, and we'll be in a stronger position to take actions," he said.

Boehner said the current plan is "the most practical way to fight the president's action."

Obama's executive actions would defer deportations and grant work permits to up to 5 million illegal immigrants.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Emboldened House Republicans issued a stern rebuke to President Barack Obama over immigration Thursday, passing a bill declaring his executive actions to curb deportations "null and void and without legal effect."

Outraged Democrats, immigrant advocates and the White House said the GOP was voting to tear families apart and eject parents.

"Rather than deport students and separate families and make it harder for law enforcement to do its job, I just want the Congress to work with us to pass a commonsense law to fix that broken immigration system," Obama said ahead of the vote.

Even supporters acknowledged that the bill by Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., which says Obama was acting "without any constitutional or statutory basis," was mostly meant to send a message. It stands no chance in the Senate, which remains under Democratic control until January, and faces the veto threat from Obama.

The real fight may lie ahead as conservatives push to use must-pass spending legislation to block Obama.

For now, Republicans insisted they must go on record denouncing what they described on the House floor as an outrageous power grab by Obama.

"The president thinks he can just sit in the Oval Office and make up his own laws. That's not the way our system of government works," said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. "This legislation says you can't do that, Mr. President. There is a rule of law."

The vote was 219 to 197, with three Democratic "yes" votes and seven Republican "no" votes. Three Republicans voted "present."

Obama's executive actions last month will extend deportation relief and work permits to some 4 million immigrants here illegally, mostly those who have been in the country more than five years and have children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. He also reordered law enforcement priorities and expanded an existing deportation deferral program for immigrants brought illegally as kids.

Compounding the GOP's anger, Obama's executive action came barely two weeks after Republicans trounced Democrats in the midterm elections, winning control of the Senate and increasing their majorities in the House.

Democratic lawmakers rallied behind the president Thursday, and immigrant advocates warned Republicans would be alienating Latinos heading into 2016 presidential elections in which the Hispanic vote is expected to be significant.

"They should remember that this is not a fight between Republicans and the president," said Clarissa Martinez de Castro, of the National Council of La Raza. "They will be picking a fight with the millions of American families who will finally find some relief."

Even as emotions ran high in debate on the bill, many involved acknowledged it was mostly a sideshow as Republicans struggled to find some way to undo what Obama has done  not just register their disapproval. Party leaders acknowledged their options were limited given Obama's veto pen, and no clear solution beckoned.

The Yoho bill was part of a two-part strategy by House GOP leadership to appease conservative immigration hardliners without risking a government shutdown. Their hope was that after approving it, Republicans would move on next week to vote on legislation to keep most of the government running for a year, with a shorter timeframe for the Homeland Security Department, which oversees immigration. The idea is to revisit Homeland Security early next year when Republicans will control both houses at the Capitol and have more leverage. The current government-funding measure expires Dec. 11 so a new one must pass by then.

But that approach doesn't go far enough for some immigration hardliners, goaded on by outside conservative groups and tea party senators including Ted Cruz of Texas. They say the only real way to stop Obama is to include language in the upcoming spending bill to block any money for his actions on immigration.

"I didn't come back here to just play games," said Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz. "Our voters who sent us back here in a resounding way in the majority, and retaking the majority in the Senate, expected us to be a little more forceful in our fight."

Republican leaders fear such spending-bill language could court an Obama veto and even a government shutdown. That's something they're determined to avoid, a year after taking a political hit for provoking a 16-day partial shutdown in an unsuccessful attempt to overturn Obama's health care law.

House Speaker John Boehner made clear Thursday that his strategy would go forward unchanged and indicated he anticipated Democratic votes would help pass the spending bill. That gives Democrats leverage, and they haven't indicated whether they will lend their support. It also could anger a bloc of conservatives in the House, but Boehner, who will control a larger House majority next year giving him more room to maneuver, showed little patience for their complaints.

"We think this is the most practical way to fight the president's action and frankly we listened to our members, and we listened to some members who are frankly griping the most. This was their idea of how to proceed," Boehner said.

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President Barack Obamas deportation rate has reached a record once again, but in the other direction.

Fewer immigrants were deported in the last year than ever during the Obama administration, according to the Los Angeles Times, which obtained a draft report by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The newspaper noted that the drop  deportations were down by 14 percent  occurred despite a rise in the number of people who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

In raw numbers, that means ICE removed 315,943 people in the last fiscal year, which runs Oct. 1, 2013 through Sept. 30, 2014.

The rise in border crossings was very likely caused by a surge of unaccompanied minors arriving illegally from Central America in that period, the newspaper said.

That may have had an impact on the lower rate of deportations as well, since many immigration and border workers had their hands full trying to keep up with processing the thousands of children, and taking care of them.

At the same time, however, the Obama administration  which long has been under fire by advocates of more lenient immigration policies for its record number of deportations, more than 2 million  made a concerted effort to shift its enforcement focus to criminals and repeat border crossers.

The Times observed that the drop in deportations is likely to give new ammunition to Republicans who accuse the administration of lax enforcement, although it could also boost the president's standing in Latino communities.

The Times quoted Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, which oversees immigration enforcement, as saying that the deportation figures demonstrate "lax interior enforcement policies.

"We essentially tell citizens of other countries, 'If you come here, you can stay  don't worry, we won't deport you,'" McCaul said in a statement to The Times. "The reality on the ground is that unless you commit multiple crimes, the chances of your being removed from this country are close to zero."

Most of the immigrants deported were from Mexico, followed by Guatemala and Honduras.

"ICE remains focused on smart and effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of convicted criminals and recent border entrants," said Gillian Christensen, the agency's press secretary, to the Times. "There is no set mandated removal number."

Last month, Obama unveiled an executive order that could spare up to five million undocumented immigrants from deportations for about three years. And that, experts say, is likely to drop the rate of deportations further.

Obama said his new executive order would expand a 2012 initiative, which originally gave a two-year reprieve from deportation to immigrants who had come to the United States illegally before they were 16, who were no older than 31, had no criminal record, and met other criteria. The new executive order lifts the age cap of 31, and extends the deportation relief, as well as the accompanying eligibility to get a work permit, to many other undocumented immigrants, including parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

On Thursday, the House passed a GOP bill that blocks the executive order from being implemented. But political observers say the move is largely symbolic because it will not get passage in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

Christensen of ICE added that a factor also influencing the drop in deportations is that fewer local and state law enforcement authorities are holding people they arrest for immigration agents to interview them and take them into their custody.

Such practices also came under criticism by many political leaders and immigrant advocates, who argued that people who were not public safety threats were being turned over to immigration, eroding trust between ethnic communities and local police.

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Two months after 43 students went missing in the Mexican state of Guerrero, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto made his first visit to the region.

The disappearance and possible deaths set off the biggest crisis of his administration, and since then the president has tried to temper critics who feel he has has been too lax in trying to find the missing students. On Thursday, Pena Nieto arrived in Guerrero to announce measures to boost the region's economy.

Speaking in Acapulco, he said that the highway toll between Mexico City and the resort city would be cut during the holiday season and that he would create a special fund to support small businesses in cities affected by violence and protests.

The announcement came a day after the government said federal police and soldiers would take over policing duties in Acapulco and 35 other municipalities in Guerrero and three neighboring states.

It was the latest response by Pena Nieto to the widespread anger triggered when police in the Guerrero city of Iguala intercepted the college students on Sept. 26 and allegedly turned them over to members of the Guerreros Unidos gang. The gang subsequently killed the young men and burned their bodies, prosecutors allege.

The case has brought weeks of demonstrations and sometimes violent protests, including in Acapulco, where activists blocked access to the city's airport for several hours one day last month. Hotel occupancy rates have been below normal, threatening jobs in the hospitality industry. In late November, the U.S. Embassy recommended its citizens avoid unnecessary travel to Acapulco.

"Organized crime has extended itself in parts of our country and even coopted authorities and police,"Pena Nieto said.

Earlier in the day, in Coyuca, Pena Nieto called for Mexico to overcome "this painful period."

Erubiel Tirado, a security expert and professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana, said Pena Nieto has reacted late to the disappearance of the students.

The president "is the leader of the Mexican state (and) it was important that he be there since the early days," Tirado said. "They should have sent the message that there was a presence."

Last week, Pena Nieto announced an anti-crime plan that calls for Mexico's municipal police forces to be dissolved and replaced by state police. He also plans to propose legislation that would Congress the power to dissolve local governments.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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Sidestepping immigration hardliners, House Republican leaders are moving to make a deal with Democrats to pass a spending bill that would keep the government running past next week.

The emerging strategy follows legislation passed Thursday by the House declaring President Barack Obama's executive actions to curb deportations "null and void." That legislation wasn't enough for some conservatives, who complained that the only way to stop Obama's actions on immigration would be to forbid them in legislation that must pass if the government is to stay open.

Republican leaders are opposed to that course of action, fearing a government shutdown that they don't want, and plan to rely on Democratic votes to pass a bill to keep the government going.

The spending bill would pay for most government agencies for a year, while extending the Homeland Security Department only for a few months. Homeland Security includes the immigration agencies that would carry out Obama's executive actions, so the approach would allow Republicans to revisit them early next year, once they have control of the Senate and a bigger majority in the House.

"We think this is the most practical way to fight the president's action," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said.

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Several conservative lawmakers sounded resigned Thursday to being ignored by Boehner, who, with a bigger majority next year, will have more room to maneuver around balky tea party lawmakers.

"My assumption is that the fix is in and they don't need us," said Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz. "They're going to vote this with a large number of Democrats."

The omnibus spending bill would cover the approximately one-third of the budget dedicated to day-to-day operations of Cabinet agencies. There's slightly more than $1 trillion for the Pentagon and domestic agencies plus more than $70 billion to tackle overseas military operations in Afghanistan and to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Obama appeared likely to get most of his $6.2 billion request for fighting Ebola at home and in Africa but not his requests for infrastructure money.

Most of the money issues are largely worked out, House Appropriations Committee spokeswoman Jennifer Hing said. But many so-called policy riders, on environmental regulations, long-haul trucker hours, labor relations and more, are unresolved.

GOP Rep. Harold Rogers of Kentucky, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, hopes to achieve the framework of a deal with Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, by the end of Friday and release it Monday.

"Until we see the bill, there's no way you can say you support it or not," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said.

The bill on deportations, which passed 219-197, put the House on record against Obama's actions granting work permits to more than 4 million immigrants in the country illegally. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., was among those who wanted more direct action to block what the president is doing.

"Having said we're going to do everything we can to stop this  and then to do nothing to stop it  really hurts," he said.

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Veto brinkmanship between congressional Republicans and President Barack Obama was virtually absent in his first six years in office, but it's about to unleash itself on Washington.

Until now, controversial Republican-backed legislation rarely reached the president's desk because Senate Democrats blocked it. Starting in January, however, Republicans will control both the House and Senate, and Obama may have to decide more often whether to sign or veto GOP-crafted bills.

Obama gave lawmakers an early taste of veto politics recently when he forced congressional leaders to drop a proposed package of tax breaks that were popular with many Republican constituents. Some Democrats did support the plan, but liberals and the White House said it tilted too heavily toward corporations, not lower-income workers.

The White House also has promised to veto any bills restricting the president's major changes to immigration policies, setting up likely showdowns early next year.

Obama's threats present the type of bind that Republicans may face repeatedly in the next two years. They can agree to many or all of the changes he demands in legislation, or they can let him use his veto and hope Americans will blame him more than them.

It's a gamble, especially with critical spending bills Congress soon must address. Some Republicans want to amend these must-pass bills to thwart Obama's bid to protect millions of immigrants, now in the country illegally, from deportation.

Assuming Obama keeps his veto promise, Republican lawmakers would have to decide whether to drop their demands or let parts of the federal government close for lack of money. GOP leaders say there will be no shutdowns, but they have yet to explain how they can force Obama to back off on immigration.

The 2013 partial government shutdown occurred under similar partisan circumstances. Polls show the public blamed congressional Republicans more than the Democratic president.

It's unclear how often Obama will face a veto decision. Even in the minority, Democratic senators can use the filibuster, the name for unlimited debate, to block many measures that break strictly along party lines.

But some proposals, such as building the Keystone XL pipeline, enjoy significant bipartisan support. They might attract enough Democratic backing to reach 60 Senate votes, overcoming a filibuster and sending the measure to Obama.

White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said if Congress assembles legislation that Obama opposes, the White House will threaten vetoes and "if Congress decides to pass them anyway, then we'll veto them."

"We're not going to go out looking for them, but we're not going to run from them either," he said.

Should Obama veto a proposal such as the Keystone project, the question would be whether two-thirds of the Senate and two-thirds of the House would vote to defy him. That's the constitutional threshold for overriding a veto.

It will be critical for Republicans to put together veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate. Because any bill would require 60 Senate votes to overcome filibusters, the Senate vote would always be bipartisan and closer to the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.

But the House would be harder, giving House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California greater sway in the end over the outcome of legislation.

Vetoes have existed since George Washington's day, but Obama issued only two fairly minor ones in his first six years as president. His two predecessors also went light on vetoes in their early years.

Democrat Bill Clinton vetoed 37 bills, all during his last six years in office, when Republicans controlled the House and Senate. Republican George W. Bush issued no vetoes during his first four-year term. After that he vetoed eight bills when Republicans controlled both congressional chambers and four bills when Democrats held both.

Starting next month, lawmakers say, veto clashes are inevitable.

"You're destined to see it," said Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.

Lawmakers say veto politics will put pressure on both parties. A veto of any bill that makes it through the Senate will frustrate some Democrats from competitive states, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.. For instance, he said, a Keystone veto "splashes over on Democrats with a political future."

Throughout the next presidential campaign, Graham said, likely Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton "will always have to answer, 'Would you have vetoed that?'"

At the same time, he said, Republicans must find a way to express their anger over Obama's executive actions on immigration without closing the government. "The politics of dealing with Obama's overreach is tough politics for Republicans," Graham said.

Some Democrats want Obama to use his veto powers on important issues.

"The fact that the president, I think, is determined to use the veto pen when necessary will help protect his legacy," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.

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Mayors from two dozen U.S. cities met in Manhattan on Monday to discuss how to implement President Barack Obamas new executive action on immigration.

In a summit hosted by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at Gracie Mansion, the mayors and representatives brainstormed about how they could coordinate resources and ideas for implementing the executive action, which would extend deportation relief and work permits to some 5 million immigrants here illegally, mostly those who have been in the country more than five years and have children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

Obama also reordered law enforcement priorities and expanded an existing deportation deferral program for immigrants brought illegally as kids.

The Presidents plan to act on immigration reform is crucial to creating a more just country, and the federal government is depending on cities to implement the plan. It is critical that we get it right, said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement released by his office.

Mayors are in the trenches and see firsthand the need for comprehensive immigration reform," de Blasio said. "We will take this opportunity to lay the ground work for a deeper national movement from the grassroots up.

The mayors discussed joining forces to push Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform measure.The cities represented at the summit included Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

The mayors committed to de Blasios Five Point Challenge, which calls for launching a mayoral war room for federal action on immigration reform, establishing local coalitions to work with the newly formed Cities United for Immigration Action, helping protect immigrants from scams promising to help them obtain legal status or benefits, and tracking services and programs to ensure that they encourage the maximum enrollment of eligible immigrants to sign up.

The mayors office added: Following the summit, the cities will take the ideas and expertise discussed and build grassroots support at the local level.

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National Republican Party brass has spoken to him.

Sen. Harry Reid may be spending some sleepless nights envisaging him nipping at his heels.

But as for Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval himself, well, hes got other things on his mind right now besides whether or not to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016  or so he says.

While his hefty 46-point margin win in the November election cranked up the volume on buzz about Sandoval possibly running in 2016 against veteran senator Reid, a Democrat who is Majority Leader for the next few weeks,the governor is downplaying expectations, insisting that hes got his hands full with his current job.

Im focused on my job. I really am. No, theres too much at stake this session to be distracted, Sandoval said, according to the Washington Post. Ive got the inaugural coming up, and even before that the budget.

That doesnt mean there arent back-room conversations taking place in the GOP about the possibility that Sandoval might go for it.

Sandoval conceded that he has spoken with Nevada's junior senator, Republican Dean Heller, about a possible senatorial run.

Weve had conversations, yes, Sandoval said.

Reid certainly is a target of GOP ambitions to keep or increase on their 54-seat Senate majority come January.

Many political experts see him as vulnerable in 2016.

Sandoval will now be working with a state legislature that is predominately Republican. His party colleagues ended Democratic majorities in both chambers of the legislature in November, and they did it partly on Sandovals coattails, the Post noted.

He helped raise and spend more than $2 million on key state senate races in Clark County, which handed his party control, the newspaper said.

But a conservative faction in Carson City that includes some lawmakers who had not been expected to win but did in the big GOP sweep  could conceivably pose some challenges for Sandoval, who is far more moderate.

He indicated that he is reaching across to them.

There are some legislators I need to meet, he said.

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Theyre seen as the sleeping giant of Florida voters.

The challenge, though, is getting that giant to awaken, get out the door and to the voting booth, experts say.

Puerto Ricans are the fastest growing part of Floridas Latino voters, and they boast their largest concentration in the state in a critical swing-vote region  the I-4 corridor in Central Florida.

But the fervor for voting that envelopes Puerto Ricans who are living on the island, which claims a roughly 80 percent turnout, seems to nearly evaporate once they settle on the mainland, say Puerto Rican leaders and political experts.

Its a phenomenon were seeing with Puerto Ricans, said Alfonso Aguilar, a former official with the George W. Bush administration and the executive director of the American Principles Projects Latino Partnership. In Puerto Rico, politics is a sport. People get excited. They have issues like Puerto Ricos political status  whether it should get statehood or be independent. When Puerto Ricans come to the mainland, politics is not as exciting.

In the mid-term election, Latinos had a 14 percent turnout in Florida. Turnout in Central Florida was low, with some towns where Puerto Ricans have a large presence having among the lowest numbers.

It was a disappointing turnout, said Fernand Amandi, a Democratic pollster and partner at Bendixen & Amandi International. It could be a combination of the mid-term effect, which tends to generate less excitement than presidential elections.

Amandi added that neither gubernatorial candidate  Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, nor former Gov. Charlie Crist, a Democrat  seemed to capture much interest among Latino voters.

Though Latinos favored Crist in the election, Amandi said, the Scott campaign, at least in paid communications, were much more aggressive at courting them.

Democrats did not pay the type of attention to the Latino vote in Florida, he added, that the Obama campaign did.

Puerto Ricans  who have settled in Central Florida by the hundreds of thousands  tend to lean Democrat, but they have proven in the Sunshine State that they are not blindly beholden to any single party.

They overwhelmingly support Barack Obama when he ran for re-election in 2012, but more than half voted for former Gov. Jeb Bush, who won some Central Florida counties with large Puerto Rican communities. And his brother, former President George W. Bush, lost Orange County by a small margin, and won Osceola County, home to many Puerto Ricans, in 2004.

Puerto Ricans in Florida are very different from Puerto Ricans in other states such as New York, where they are predominately Democrat, Aguilar said. Theyre mostly middle-class, professional, and many go back and forth to Puerto Rico.

Jorge Duany, an anthropologist at the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University, reported in his study called: "Mickey Ricans? The Recent Puerto Rican Diaspora to Florida," that Puerto Ricans coming to the mainland these days are better educated and have more financial assets than ever before. "The current Puerto Rican experience in Florida is largely unprecedented," told Yahoo News.

In recent years, Latinos in Florida have tended to be up for grabs more than they have been in the past, when Cuban-Americans were more solidly Republican-leaning.

The task for Republicans is going to be in 2016 whether they can make real inroads among Hispanic voters in the state, Amandi said.

Puerto Ricans are about 1 million strong in Florida, narrowly behind Cubans, who number 1.3 million. Puerto Ricans are 28 percent of Latino registered voters, Cubans are 32 percent. With Puerto Ricans moving to the mainland in large numbers every year, fleeing the ailing economy on the island and the dearth of economic opportunities, it wont take long for them to overtake Cubans in Florida, most likely.

People are leaving Puerto Rico at a rate of 35,000 per year, said former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre, who was the first Puerto Rico-born U.S. mayor. Theyre coming to Florida, Texas and Virginia because of jobs.

Aguilar, who was born in Puerto Rico, is pushing for political candidates in Florida to take a stand on statehood for Puerto Rico. He believes that is one way that they can get Puerto Ricans more excited about voting.

He said by not addressing the issue at all implies that the issue is not taken seriously.

Its a new community, he said, but they are keeping up with island politics.
President Barack Obama on Tuesday tried to reassure immigrants that if they register under his new executive action they won't be a priority for deportation in the future.

Obama heard from several participants in a town hall at an immigrant community center that they are fearful to give their information to the government. One young woman asked Obama what would happen to them if the next president ends the program.

Obama said although the assurance they won't be deported is temporary, he's confident they will be able to stay in the United States with their children.

"It's true that a future administration might try to reverse some of our policies," Obama said. "But I'll be honest with you, I think that the American people basically have a good heart and want to treat people fairly.

"I think any future administration that tried to punish people for doing the right thing would not have the support of the American people," he said.

He said giving people the confidence they can register will be an important part of the program's success.

Obama recently used his executive authority to extend deportation relief and work permits to some 4 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally. His action would affect those who have been here more than five years and have children.

Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who did not attend Obama's event, said the current immigration system isn't working, but Obama should have worked with lawmakers on a solution instead of taking executive action.

"I think this was kind of rolling a hand grenade in room and blew up the possibility for a good discussion that we should have had, and that long term it will be harmful to really solving the immigration situation," Haslam told reporters after a speech to the Farm Bureau in Franklin, Tennessee.

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The federal judge assigned to rule in the lawsuit over President Barack Obama's changes to immigration rules last year accused the Obama administration of participating in criminal conspiracies to smuggle children into the country by reuniting them with parents living here illegally.

In the case last year, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen suggested that the Homeland Security Department should be arresting parents living in the U.S. illegally who induce their children to cross the border illegally and often pay for the trip. Instead, the government has generally been temporarily reuniting such children with their relatives inside the United States pending deportation proceedings, which take many years.

"DHS has simply chosen not to enforce the United States' border security laws," the judge wrote. He said the government's failures to enforce immigration laws were "both dangerous and unconscionable," although he separately noted, "This court takes no position on the topic of immigration reform, nor should one read this opinion as a commentary on that issue."

Hanen was assigned through an automated system to be the judge who will preside over a lawsuit filed by 20 states trying to block Obama's expansive executive actions to spare nearly 5 million people living in the U.S. illegally from deportation and refocus enforcement efforts on "felons, not families." Hanen is one of only two judges in the Brownsville division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, so he is assigned to half of all civil cases filed there.

Last December, Hanen wrote a 10-page order in an immigrant smuggling case in which he expressed his frustration over four cases in a month in which a child who arrived in the U.S. illegally alone was reunited with a parent also in the country illegally.

"Instead of arresting (the child's mother) for instigating the conspiracy to violate our border security laws, the (Homeland Security Department) delivered the child to her  thus successfully completing the mission of the criminal conspiracy," Hanen wrote.

The judge compared the cases to the government seizing weapons being smuggled across the border and delivering them to the criminals inside the United States who ordered them.

The order highlighted the growing problem of unaccompanied child immigrants being caught at the border in South Texas. During the fiscal year that ended in September, the government apprehended more than 68,000 unaccompanied children at the border.

Most of those young immigrants were from Honduras, El Salvador or Guatemala. Under federal law, those children cannot be quickly deported and are often reunited with a parent or other relative already living in the United States. The government does not generally ask about the immigration status of parents or relatives.

Texas is leading a coalition of states suing the government. It argued in the lawsuit filed last week that Obama's decision "tramples" key portions of the Constitution. The states, including Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana and the Carolinas, aren't seeking monetary damages but want Hanen to block the president's actions.

It's not unusual for plaintiffs in sensitive civil cases to shop for a court jurisdiction friendly to their point of view, but the location of the court generally must have some connection to the case. In this case just about any court in Texas would suffice. Hanen's ruling last year  which generated some publicity then  likely swayed lawyers for Texas to file the lawsuit in Brownsville, not far from the central point of the summer's crisis over child immigrants in nearby McAllen.

"Texas is uniquely qualified to challenge the president's executive order, and South Texas is at the epicenter of where border security is of concern for Texas and the entire nation," Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a statement. Abbott was elected last month to be the next governor of Texas.

The Justice Department, which is defending the case, did not respond to requests Monday from The Associated Press to comment on the judge.

Obama announced the executive actions in November, saying lack of action by Congress forced him to make sweeping changes to immigration rules on his own.

The administrative actions don't provide legal immigration status or green cards to those in the country illegally, but millions of eligible immigrants will be able to apply for permission to stay in the country for up to three years and get a work permit.

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For President Barack Obamas talk on Tuesday about his new executive order, which could give a years-long reprieve from deportation to some 5 million undocumented immigrants, an apparently unlikely place will serve as the stage  conservative Tennessee. But the setting will be more receptive to the president's message than might at first appear.

Obama is scheduled to speak about his executive order, which Republicans in Congress are vowing to block, at an immigrant community center, Casa Azafran, in downtown Nashville.

Sprawling over 28,800 square feet, Casa Azafran houses non-profit groups that serve the immigrant and refugee communities, lending them assistance with improving English skills, finding homes, starting businesses, filing taxes and obtaining health care and legal counsel, among other things.

But Nashville itself has taken steps to help integrate immigrants and to make them feel welcome in Music City.

In September, Mayor Karl Dean signed an executive order to create the Mayors Office of New Americans, whose duties include helping immigrants by expanding educational and economic opportunities, helping them navigate government agencies, as well as referring them to community groups that can help.

The city also offers programs for helping immigrants, who have accounted for more than half of Nashvilles population growth in the last 10 years, prepare for U.S. citizenship.

Nashville is a vibrant community that is home to people from all over the world, and embracing our growing diversity only makes our city stronger, Dean said in a statement on the citys website.

In November, Dean released a statement supporting Obamas executive action, plan which will extend deportation relief and work permits to some 5 million immigrants here illegally, mostly those who have been in the country more than five years and have children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

Obama also reordered law enforcement priorities and expanded an existing deportation deferral program for immigrants brought illegally as kids.

Congress needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform, but until they do, the President's action will allow some families in Nashville to participate more fully in our community, Dean said, just hours after Obamas executive action announcement. From a local perspective, our Mayor's Office of New Americans will work with our nonprofit partners to help immigrants access the information they need.

Dean said that Nashville would prepare for the executive action by having information available for immigrants in the New Americans Corners located in public libraries as well as community centers such as Casa Azafran.

The White House, it turns out, took notice.

At a press briefing last week, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama would be visiting Nashville to deliver remarks on his recent executive actions to fix as much of our broken immigration system as possible while urging Congress to pass a comprehensive bill to get the job done.

He depicted Nashville as an ideal forum for the presidents talk, noting that it is home to one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the country and that the city has actively worked to welcome new Americans.

Through community-based programs and government initiatives, the city is empowering and engaging new American community leaders, and the citys actions are paying off, Earnest said. In fact, Nashville has been a leader in job growth among cities throughout the South and across the country.

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper told the Tennessean that it certainly doesnt hurt that the states GOP senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, supported a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed in the Senate last year.

That effort, which included tightened border security as well as provided a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants, stalled in the House, where conservative leaders vowed not to support any legislation that provides to people who are here illegally what opponents consider amnesty.

And Tennessee so far has chosen not to join the 20 states that are part of a lawsuit challenging the presidents immigration executive action. Some 124,000 immigrants are believed to be living illegally in Tennessee.

Stephanie Teatro, co-director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, or TIRRC, an immigration advocacy group that is housed in Casa Azafran, said Nashville is bucking the trend of many cities and states that have adopted hard-line policies to deal with immigrants.

In 2006, TIRRC launched a Welcoming Tennessee Initiative," modeled on an earlier one in Iowa aimed at providing support for immigrants. Tennessee's initiative then spawned similar ones in other states.

"That no doubt was noted by the White House and by other mayors across the country," Teatro said. "They saw a mayor of a new destination city, a new gateway city, who instead of responding to the uncertainty with mistrust or anger that you see in some communities said, 'We are going to do everything we can to make sure people have access.'"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Herman Badillos family is taking serious offense at New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for not even calling the late congressman's widow to pay his condolences, much less attending Badillo's funeral.

A photo posted on the Village Voices website showed the mayor working out at a Brooklyn gym while services were being held Monday at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in Manhattan for the first Puerto Rican-born U.S. Congressman.

It was insulting before, that makes it disgraceful, Gail Badillo told the New York Daily News. I see where his priorities lie.

According to the Daily News, the Voice said the photo was taken at 12:15 p.m., the same hour as the funeral.

A City Hall spokesman later said in a statement that Mayor de Blasio regretted he was unable to attend the funeral services. He will be contacting Mrs. Badillo to express the condolences of a New York City grateful for Herman Badillo's extraordinary leadership and service, the spokesman said.

Among those who did show up to pay their respects to Badillo were former mayors Rudy Giuliani and David Dinkins, U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Police Commissioner William Bratton.

Badillo died last Wednesday at age 85.

The office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. confirmed the death. he died of complications of congestive heart disease at a hospital in Manhattan last Wednesday, according to George Arzt, a political consultant and longtime friend.

"He was a true pioneer of the city. He was the first major Latino to be elected," Arzt said.

In Congress, Badillo concentrated on the problems of inner cities and urged federal help for poor members of minority groups, according to his congressional biography. He also championed the rights of Puerto Ricans, noting in 1971 that they were subject to the draft but couldn't get federal benefits under the food stamp and school milk programs or parts of Social Security.

"I represent the original immigrant," Badillo said. "Everybody says that their parents and grandparents came here and couldn't speak English and they were poor. And in my case it wasn't my parents and grandparents. It was me."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Good things come to those wait  even if takes more than 200 years.

Two centuries, and then some, after Congress vowed to hang a portrait in the U.S. Capitol of a Spanish military leader who played a critical role in the United States victory in the Revolutionary War, it is  at long, long, long last  happening.

On Tuesday evening, a portrait of General Bernardo de Galvez is being unveiled in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Room, where Sen. Robert Menendez is presiding over a ceremony paying homage to the Revolutionary War hero.

Menendez praised Galvez, after whom Galveston, Texas was named, as a Spaniard who helped give birth to America.

This portrait was destined to hang in the Capitol, said Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who is chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. A congressional resolution was passed in 1783 honoring de Galvez for not only defeating the British in Pensacola, but ensuring that colonial troops have access to the Mississippi  opening a critical supply line.

When we look at the contribution of Hispanics to American history, we need look no further than this man, Menendez said, who, in helping the 13 colonies achieve independence, symbolizes the history of the U.S.-Spain relationship and the contribution of Hispanics to the American journey.

Menendezs office said in a press release that the hanging of the portrait took so long because, among other things, it got lost.

The mission of the congressional resolution of 1783 also fell through the cracks, finally gaining momentum after a woman who was originally from Spain, Teresa Valcarce, a 45-year-old labor union secretary in Washington D.C., learned of the resolution through an article her mother sent her and found herself determined to make the long-promised recognition of Galvez a reality.

Valcarce, who became known in Washington as the Portrait Lady, eventually succeeded after making her way over to members of congress, including Menendez, at various events she attended in the capital.

Recently, Congress passed legislation granting Galvez, who served as governor of then-Spanish-controlled Louisiana, honorary U.S. citizenship.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican, introduced the citizenship measure, noting that the honorary distinction was a rare and extraordinary ceremonial recognition granted to foreigners who have rendered great service to the United States.

Others who have received honorary citizenship include Winston Churchill and Mother Theresa.

Many congressional leaders conceded that they never had heard of Galvez.

"I would be less than candid if I say this is a familiar name in American history," said Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, of the honorary citizenship measure, according to the Los Angeles Times. "But if all of my friends and colleagues, mostly from Florida, say this gentleman deserves honorary citizenship, who am I to block it?"

And how did Valcarce succeed in getting her hands on a portrait of Galvez?

The Washington Post said that the intrepid Valcarce learned that a portrait apparently commissioned of Galvez by the Spanish king to honor the military hero upon his return from battle was in a private collection in Malaga, Spain. A Spanish artist offered to copy the portrait and donate it for Valcarce's mission.

And so it was that in June, Valcarce received a lushly brushed oil painting, roughly 3 feet by 4 feet, of Bernardo de Galvez, the Post said, posed in an elegantly embroidered suit with a medal pinned to his chest.

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Senate investigators delivered a damning indictment of CIA practices Tuesday, accusing the spy agency of inflicting pain and suffering on prisoners beyond legal limits and deceiving the nation with narratives of life-saving interrogations unsubstantiated by its own records.

Treatment in secret prisons a decade ago was worse than the government told Congress or the public, the Senate Intelligence Committee's torture report found. Five hundred pages were released, representing the executive summary and conclusions of a still-classified 6,700-page full investigation.

"Under any common meaning of the term, CIA detainees were tortured," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the committee chairman, declared.

Tactics included weeks of sleep deprivation, slapping and slamming of detainees against walls, confining them to small boxes, keeping them isolated for prolonged periods and threatening them with death. Three detainees faced the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding. Many developed psychological problems.

The tactics were so harsh, the report noted, that at times even CIA people carrying them out got teary and anxious, reaching out to more senior people in the agency about whether the actions were legal.

A central figure in the controversy, Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., who was the head of the CIAs Counterterrorism Center and was in charge of the interrogations program, rebuked an officer who questioned the utility and legality of the often degrading and painful methods they used to extract information.

Strongly urge that any speculative language as to the legality of given activities or, more precisely, judgment calls as to their legality vis-a-vis operational guidelines for this activity agreed upon and vetted at the most senior levels of the agency, be refrained from in written traffic (email or cable traffic), Rodriguez wrote, according to published reports. Such language is not helpful.

Rodriguez, who retired from the CIA in 2008, wrote a book in 2012 about counterterrorism tactics titled "Hard Measures," in which he staunchly defended the controversial treatment of detainees.

"We made some al-Qaida terrorists with American blood on their hands uncomfortable for a few days," he said in an interview with CBS shortly after the release of the book. "But we did the right thing for the right reason. And the right reason was to protect the homeland and to protect American lives. So, yes, I had no qualms."

Rodriguez said in the interview that the interrogation methods "included stress positions, nudity and 'insult slaps,'" that aimed at "instilling a sense of hopelessness ... despair ... so that [the detainee] would conclude on his own that he was better off cooperating with us."

In 2005, Rodriguez, who was born in Puerto Rico and now works in the private sector, ordered the destruction of more than 90 videotapes of interrogations at a so-called black site (or secret prison) in Thailand, where two al-Qaida leaders were waterboarded. He said the images captured in the video were too disturbing and could have endangered the lives of CIA officers.

The report released Tuesday argued that the "enhanced interrogation techniques" didn't produce the results that really mattered.

It cites CIA cables, emails and interview transcripts to rebut the central justification for torture  that it thwarted terror plots and saved American lives.

The report, released after months of negotiations with the administration about what should be censored, was issued amid concerns of an anti-American backlash overseas. American embassies and military sites worldwide were taking extra precautions.

Earlier this year, Feinstein accused the CIA of infiltrating Senate computer systems in a dispute over documents as relations between the investigators and the spy agency deteriorated, the issue still sensitive years after President Barack Obama halted the interrogation practices upon taking office.

Former CIA officials disputed the report's findings. So did Senate Republicans, whose written dissent accuses Democrats of inaccuracies, sloppy analysis and cherry-picking evidence to reach a predetermined conclusion. CIA officials prepared their own response acknowledging serious mistakes, but saying they gained vital intelligence that still guides counterterrorism efforts.

"The program led to the capture of al-Qaida leaders and took them off the battlefield," said George Tenet, CIA director when the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks occurred. He said it saved "thousands of American lives."

President George W. Bush approved the program through a covert finding in 2002, but he wasn't briefed by the CIA about the details until 2006. At that time Bush expressed discomfort with the "image of a detainee, chained to the ceiling, clothed in a diaper and forced to go to the bathroom on himself." Bush said in his 2010 memoirs that he discussed the program with CIA Director George Tenet, but Tenet told the CIA inspector general that never happened.

After al-Qaida operative Abu Zubaydah was arrested in Pakistan, the CIA received permission to use waterboarding, sleep deprivation, close confinement and other techniques. Agency officials added unauthorized methods into the mix, the report says.

At least five men in CIA detention received "rectal rehydration," a form of feeding through the rectum. The report found no medical necessity for the treatment.

Others received "ice baths" and death threats. At least three in captivity were told their families would suffer, with CIA officers threatening to harm their children, sexually abuse the mother of one man, and cut the throat of another man's mother.

Zubaydah was held in a secret facility in Thailand, called "detention Site Green" in the report. Early on, with CIA officials believing he had information on an imminent plot, Zubaydah was left isolated for 47 days without questioning, the report says. Later, he was subjected to the panoply of techniques. He later suffered mental problems.

He wasn't alone. In September 2002, at a facility referred to as COBALT understood as the CIA's "Salt Pit" in Afghanistan  detainees were kept isolated and in darkness. Their cells had only a bucket for human waste.

Redha al-Najar, a former Osama bin Laden bodyguard, was the first prisoner there. After a month of sleep deprivation, CIA interrogators found him a "broken man." But the treatment got worse, with officials lowering food rations, shackling him in the cold and giving him a diaper instead of toilet access.

Gul Rahman, a suspected extremist, received enhanced interrogation there in late 2002, shackled to a wall in his cell and forced to rest on a bare concrete floor in only a sweatshirt. The next day he was dead. A CIA review and autopsy found he died of hypothermia.

Justice Department investigations into that and another death of a CIA detainee resulted in no charges.

During a waterboarding session, Zubaydah became "completely unresponsive with bubbles rising through his open full mouth," according to internal CIA records.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind, received the waterboarding treatment 183 times. Though officers noted he wasn't becoming more compliant, they waterboarded him for 10 more days. He was waterboarded for not confirming a "nuclear suitcase" plot the CIA later deemed a scam. Another time, his waterboarding produced a fabricated confession about recruiting black Muslims in Montana.

After reviewing 6 million agency documents, investigators said they could find no example of unique, life-saving intelligence gleaned from coercive techniques  another sweeping conclusion the CIA and Republicans contest.

The report claims to debunk the CIA's assertion its practices led to bin Laden's killing. The agency says its interrogation of detainee Ammar al-Baluchi revealed a known courier was taking messages to and from bin Laden.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Video: Jose Rodriguez, author of Hard Measures, speaks out on Hannity about enhanced interrogation techniques

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The Senate has passed legislation cosponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., that would direct President Barack Obama to levy sanctions against Venezuelan government officials or others accused of perpetrating acts of violence or human rights abuses of anti-government demonstrators.

The bill, passed in a voice vote on Monday evening, authorizes sanctions that would freeze the assets and ban visas of individuals involved in violating the human rights of those opposing the South American country's socialist government. During the summer, the State Department imposed a travel ban on Venezuelan officials accused of abuses during a months-long street protest movement in the winter and spring that left dozens of people dead.

"These sanctions will go after Maduro regime officials and thugs," Rubio said in a statement, "who have spent all of 2014 authorizing and carrying out assassinations, beatings, unjustified incarcerations, kangaroo court trials and absurd indictments of its political opponents and innocent Venezuelans demanding a better future."

"For too long, Venezuelans have faced state-sponsored violence at the hands of government security forces and watched their country's judiciary become a tool of political repression," said Sen. Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the author of the bipartisan Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act.

On Tuesday, a leading opposition figure, Maria Corina Machado, learned that she is being charged with conspiracy in connection with an alleged plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro, a move she called an attempt to silence her and other critics of the government. Together with fellow opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, Machado called tens of thousands of demonstrators into the streets to protest the government earlier this year. Lopez was arrested nine months ago for his role in the sometimes violent protests. He turned himself in during an emotional public event.

"Venezuelan leaders like Leopoldo Lopez and Maria Corina Machado have become the target of vicious government-led campaigns that seek to silence them for speaking out in defense of democracy and the rule of law," Menendez said in a statement. "We in the United States have an obligation to shine a bright spotlight on Venezuela's abuses and must object to the severe human rights violations committed by the Maduro government and his paramilitary thugs."

The House passed its own bill in May, and that must still be reconciled with the Senate version.

In his statement, Rubio thanked my House colleagues, particularly Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, for their work in passing Venezuela sanctions legislation earlier this year. Before this Congress adjourns, I am hopeful that, for all the challenges the Venezuelan people have faced this year, we can at least end it on a positive note by turning these sanctions into a law signed by the President and implemented by the administration.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

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A huge, $1.1 trillion spending bill funding every corner of government faces its first test in the House, where conservatives are unhappy because it fails to challenge President Barack Obama's immigration policy and many Democrats are displeased because it weakens the 2010 Dodd-Frank regulation of risky financial instruments.

Another provision drawing fire would allow pensions to be cut for current retirees covered by some economically-distressed multiemployer plans, part of a package agreed to unexpectedly Tuesday after secretive talks.

The 1,603-page measure was unveiled late Tuesday and will be scrutinized in advance of a House vote Thursday. But support from the top leaders in both the House and the Senate appears to cement its passage and prevent a government shutdown Thursday midnight, despite the presence of items in the legislation for lawmakers of all persuasions to dislike.

Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said the measure "will allow us to fulfill our constitutional duty to responsibly fund the federal government and avoid a shutdown."

The measure adheres to tight budget caps negotiated previously between the White House and Republicans, freezing agency budgets, on average. It also includes several provisions to fulfill Republican policy objectives, including significantly weakening new regulations that require banks to set up separate affiliates to deal in the more exotic and riskier forms of complex financial instruments called swaps. But some top Democrats, including Appropriations Committee member Nita Lowey of New York, supported the provision, and party leaders didn't appear to try too hard to knock it out.

The measure is laced with trade-offs. Democrats won budget increases for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Republicans won a big cut to the Internal Revenue Service budget and a smaller cut to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Democrats blocked the most ambitious attempts by Republicans to thwart Obama administration regulations on greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming, and on clean water; Republicans again won concessions exempting livestock producers from regulations on greenhouse gases and boosting exports of coal mine equipment.

The compromise spending bill will permit virtually the entire government to operate normally through the Sept. 30, 2015, end of the fiscal year, with the exception of the Homeland Security Department.

Funds for that one agency will run out again on Feb. 27, when Republicans are expected to try to use the expiration as leverage to force Obama to roll back a decision suspending the threat of deportation for an estimated 4 million immigrants living in the country illegally.

The overall spending measure reaches into every corner of government, from a provision to ease standards on school meals that were supposed to go into effect in 2017 to funds to restore the iconic Capitol Dome.

Proponents of campaign finance reforms decried a provision slipped in at the last minute that would sharply increase limits on the amount that an individual may contribute to various national political party accounts and committees each year from $32,400 to $324,000. That means individuals could give $648,000 in a two-year campaign cycle, with a married couple capped at almost $1.3 million for an election cycle.

"It is only millionaires and billionaires who can give these huge, corrupting contributions," said campaign finance activist Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21.

Earlier Tuesday, House Republicans removed one obstacle to passage of the spending measure by announcing they would pass legislation separately to renew a requirement for the government to assume some of the insurance risk in losses arising from terrorism.

In talks with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Republicans led by Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas., agreed to the renewal, but split sharply over rolling back portions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law that tightened federal regulation on the financial sector by easing rules on "end users" of complex financial instruments known as derivatives.

The stand-alone bill seemed likely to clear the House, but its fate in the Senate, where Schumer vowed to fight it, was uncertain.

The pension-related talks between Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., and George Miller, D-Calif., were designed to preserve benefits of current and future retirees at lower levels than currently exist, but higher than they would be if their pension funds ran out of money.

"We have a plan here that first and foremost works for the members of the unions, the workers in these companies, and it works for the companies," said Miller, retiring at year's end after four decades in Congress.

The AARP, which claims to represent millions of retirement-age Americans, attacked the agreement as a "secret, last-minute, closed-door deal between a group of companies, unions and Washington politicians to cut the retirement benefits that have been promised to them."

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Conservative radio talk show hosts are taking aim at him for being the architect of a House bill that they say was meant to lull those on the far right into passing a $1.1 trillion spending bill and avoiding a government shutdown.

And groups that want an end to deportations of immigrants who have no criminal background are taking aim at him, too, because the bill  which the House narrowly passed recently  calls for voiding President Barack Obamas executive order giving a years-long reprieve from deportation to up to 5 million undocumented immigrants.

On Wednesday morning, one of those groups was protesting his pivotal role in that bill outside one of his district offices.

Its a lot of new-found attention for U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, a Republican from Gainesville, Florida who has been one of the Houses most obscure members.

We feed not only Florida, we feed the nation, said Tirso Moreno of the Farmworker Association of Florida in a statement. We do the hardest work at the lowest pay, and to add insult to injury, Rep. Yoho wants us to fear detention and deportation too? He should know better.

Now, in daily press releases and public comments, Democrats are holding up the Yoho legislation -- originally known as the Executive Amnesty Prevention Act, and later the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act -- as something of the poster boy for what they depict as the GOPs anti-immigrant and anti-Latino inclinations. Democrats vow to use it as an issue during the 2016 elections, when Republicans hope to take the Oval Office and keep control of both houses of Congress.

It's the kind of buzz that, when it comes to immigration, tends to swirl around the likes of high-profile hard liners like Reps. Steve King or Steve Scalise, not the first-term congressman whom Politico described as an obscure back-bencher and large-animal vet who often interrupted his political campaign to tend to his four-legged patients.

The website noted that during the campaign Yoho -- who billed himself as an outsider running against a Washington establishment type  took an opportunity between two press interviews to castrate several miniature horses. When he was done, he held up the lopped testicles and declared: Washington needs a few more of these.

And so it was that when Republicans were scrambling to hit back at Obamas unilateral move at the end of November to scale back deportations and allow those who were eligible for relief also to obtain work permits and a several federal benefits, Yoho presented a measure he had been working on since summer.

After going through some tweaking by Republican colleagues who had been immigration lawyers, and getting House Speaker John Boehners approval, Yoho introduced the measure, originally known as the Executive Amnesty Prevention Act, and later the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act.

The measure, which was introduced the same day Obama announced his executive order, said that the presidents move to give relief from deportations to a whole class of would be null and void and without legal effect.

It passed 219-197. Seven Republicans opposed it, three GOP members voted merely present."

Many political observers, and even some within the GOP, term the measure symbolic, since it will not advance in the Democrat-controlled Senate, and Obama has vowed to veto any measure that seeks to undo his executive order.

But Republicans leaders embraced Yohos measure nonetheless as something to give to conservatives who were eager to strike back at the president for what they said was an end-run around Congress and a unilateral move to give a break to people who have broken U.S. immigration laws.

Republican leaders hoped the measure would appease conservatives enough to keep them using the spending bill to attack Obamas executive order, risking another government shutdown.

For Yoho, its been a rare moment in the spotlight for a lawmaker who is viewed by conservatives as someone whose support they can count on.

I had people say it was a symbolic gesture. We didnt put it in for symbolism, but if they want to use it for a symbolic gesture, okay, lets use it for that, Yoho said to Politico. And that symbolic gesture is, were going to hold the president accountable to the rule of law, to the Constitution.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) denounced Yohos bill as cold-hearted.

Yoho said he thought her comment was itself cold-hearted.

But Yohos Florida Republican colleague, Mario Diaz-Balart, who supports a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants, defended the vet.

Well agree or disagree with him on a number of different issues but Ive found him to be a really a straight shooter, said Diaz-Balart, who voted against Yohos bill. To me, hes been a breath of fresh air.

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In his testimony before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday on civil rights, Rep. Luis Gutierrez wanted to make a point about how minorities so often are arbitrarily subjected to profiling.

For an example, he reached into his own life, according to Roll Call.

The Illinois Democrat spoke about how he was profiled right on the steps of the Capitol when he was in his fourth year in Congress, in 1996.

I was stopped and refused admission to this very Capitol complex earlier in my career because, as the Capitol Hill police officer said, I didnt look like a congressman, he said, according to Roll Call.

Too many have faced profiling, subtle and explicit, annoying,  and yes, potentially dangerous  when the profiler has a badge or has a gun, he said.

Gutierrez has recounted the incident other times to point out how even being a U.S. lawmaker doesnt protect a person from bigotry. Gutierrez described it in his 2013 memoir, Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill.

The tense exchange with the security aide made headlines when it happened.

A Capitol Hill security aide grew upset when she saw two small unfurled Puerto Rican flags that Gutierrezs then-teenage daughter and niece were carrying  theyd taken them to a ceremony for Puerto Rican veterans of the Korean Army  and yelled the congressman and girls to put them away.

When Gutierrez tried to diffuse the situation, the aide demanded to know who he was, and scoffed when he told her he was Congressman Gutierrez.

Gutierrez, who was born in Chicago and whose family is from Puerto Rico, recounted how the aide, Stacia Hollingsworth, responded: I dont think so.

Even when he displayed his congressional identification card, Hollingsworth said that my identification must have been a fake, Gutierrez said at the time, according to Roll Call.

Then she said, `Why dont you all go back to the country where you came from. She was rabidly angry.

Hollingsworth was put on leave and assigned to sensitivity training.

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Congress has cleared and sent to President Barack Obama legislation directing him to levy sanctions against Venezuelan government officials involved in a crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Although administration officials expressed reluctance earlier in the year to support the idea of such sanctions  it is expected that the president, not wanting to use a veto on a bipartisan effort like this one which was co-authored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)  will sign the bill into law.

The Senate passed a bill Monday evening and the House approved the measure by voice vote Wednesday evening.

It authorizes sanctions that would freeze the assets and ban visas of individuals accused of perpetrating acts of violence or violating the human rights of those opposing the South American country's socialist government. During the summer, the State Department imposed a travel ban on Venezuelan officials accused of abuses during a months-long street protest movement in the winter and spring that left dozens of people dead.

"The absence of justice and the denial of human rights in Venezuela must end, and the U.S. Congress is playing a powerful part in righting this wrong," said Sen. Menendez, D-N.J., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the author of the bipartisan Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act. "When this bill becomes law, a spotlight will shine on Venezuela's abusers and target individuals responsible for human rights violations by applying asset-freezes and visa bans."

On Tuesday, a leading opposition figure, Maria Corina Machado, learned that she is being charged with conspiracy in connection with an alleged plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro, a move she called an attempt to silence her and other critics of the government. Together with fellow opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, Machado called tens of thousands of demonstrators into the streets to protest the government earlier this year. Lopez was arrested nine months ago for his role in the sometimes violent protests. He turned himself in during an emotional public event.

Venezuela's government made no immediate comment. But legislator Diosdado Cabello, president of the National Assembly, criticized the action.

"We reject sanctions as arbitrary, as immoral and because no one has the right to impose sanctions on anyone else in the world," said Cabello, who is seen as one of the most influential members of Maduro's governing socialist party.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said the bipartisan legislation signals the U.S. will not tolerate impunity of violations of human rights in Venezuela.

"We support the calls of democracy and freedom by the people of Venezuela," she said. "I call on President Obama and the State Department to vigorously enforce the sanctions against Venezuelan officials swiftly."

"Venezuelan leaders like Leopoldo Lopez and Maria Corina Machado have become the target of vicious government-led campaigns that seek to silence them for speaking out in defense of democracy and the rule of law," Menendez said in a statement released earlier this week. "We in the United States have an obligation to shine a bright spotlight on Venezuela's abuses and must object to the severe human rights violations committed by the Maduro government and his paramilitary thugs."

"For too long, Venezuelans have faced state-sponsored violence at the hands of government security forces and watched their country's judiciary become a tool of political repression," said Sen. Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the author of the bipartisan Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

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Four more states have joined a Texas-led coalition suing the Obama administration over executive action on immigration.

The addition of Arkansas, Michigan, North Dakota and Oklahoma brings to 24 the number of states fighting the order in a federal district court in Brownsville.

Announced last month, the president's unilateral move is designed to spare millions of people living illegally in the United States from deportation. But the lawsuit accuses the White House of "trampling" the U.S. Constitution.

Outgoing Attorney General Greg Abbott says Texas is uniquely qualified to sue because its sprawling border with Mexico means it will be especially harmed.

Abbott, the governor-elect of Texas, added Wednesday that the presidential decree "circumvents the will of the American people."

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Theres a date for a court showdown between Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the White House.

Dec. 22 is the date that U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell has set for a hearing in Washington D.C. on a request from the Maricopa County sheriff  who has a national reputation for his tough views on undocumented immigrants -- to block President Barack Obamas executive action granting some 5 million immigrants who are here illegally a three-year reprieve from deportation.

The presidents executive order came after what he described as frustration over Congresss failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

Arpaios lawsuit, which was filed on the same day, Nov. 20, that Obama announced his executive action, argues that the presidents unilateral move is unconstitutional, according to published reports.

The presidents plan extends deportation relief and, by extension, work permits, to millions of undocumented immigrants, mostly those who have been in the country more than five years and have children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

Obama also reordered law enforcement priorities and expanded an existing deportation deferral program for immigrants brought illegally as kids.

Arpaios lawsuit echoes the view of many opponents of Obamas executive action that the president cannot unilaterally give a relief from deportation to an entire class of people. More than two dozen states, led by Texas, are suing the Obama administration on the same grounds.

Defendant Obama and the other defendants are not engaging in individualized adjudication of illegal aliens one by one so as to involve prosecutorial discretion, their lawsuit says. These programs are wholesale legislating, not retail adjudication.

White House lawyers, however, say that the executive order falls within the powers of the president and that previous presidents also have given immigrants relief through unilateral action.

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It's now up to the Senate to pass a huge $1.1 trillion spending bill to keep the government running, but not before a battle between old school veterans and new breed freshmen such as tea partier Ted Cruz and Elizabeth Warren, a liberal with a national following.

The smart money's on old school types such as Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

The measure passed the House on Thursday after a day of drama but by a relatively comfortable 219-206 vote. The vote came after GOP leaders sent the House into a seven-hour recess to give the White House time to lobby Democrats angry that the measure weakens rules on trading risky financial products known as derivatives and allows wealthy donors to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into political parties.

In the end, 57 House Democrats voted for the bill, including two of the party's top three leaders. Democrats argued that there was too much good in the bill to scuttle it and get a worse deal next year when Republicans seize control of the Senate.

"Hold your nose and make this a better world," Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., said.

The measure would fund nearly every Cabinet agency through September 2015, awarding increases for health research, securities regulation, processing a backlog of rape kits and foreign aid. Republicans won cuts to the IRS and the Environmental Protection Agency. The 1,764-page bill is thick with carefully negotiated trade-offs on spending and policy "riders" on the environment, abortion and the lead content of ammunition. Democrats succeeded in getting the most politically toxic riders off the legislation.

Reid said he hopes the measure will clear the Senate for Obama's signature on Friday, though a vote may not come until the weekend.

Hours before the vote, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California delivered a rare public rebuke to Obama, saying she was "enormously disappointed" he had decided to embrace legislation that she described as an attempt at blackmail by Republicans. But Pelosi never lobbied Democrats to kill the bill, and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland and No. 3 Democrat Jim Clyburn of South Carolina were a steadying force in support of the measure.

Republicans, meanwhile, limited their defections to 67, mostly conservatives seeking an immediate confrontation with Obama over his moves to relax enforcement of immigration laws. Others simply refuse to vote for spending bills.

But Republicans scored many wins in the legislation, seizing on new leverage gained after their sweep in last month's midterm elections.

One provision particularly galling to many Democrats would relax new bank regulations that force riskier trades in financial instruments known as derivatives into separate affiliates unprotected by deposit insurance.

The White House stated its own objections to the bank-related proposal and other portions of the bill in a written statement. Even so, officials said Obama and Vice President Joe Biden both telephoned Democrats to secure the votes needed for passage, and the president stepped away from a White House Christmas party reception line to make last-minute calls.

In addition to the government funding, the bill also sets a new course for selected, highly shaky pension plans.

Despite the day's uncertainty, there was no threat of a shutdown in federal services  and no sign of the brinkmanship that marked other, similar episodes. Instead, the House and Senate quickly passed a measure providing a 48-hour extension in existing funding to give the Senate time to act on the larger bill.

Opposition in the Senate will be led by liberals such as Warren, D-Mass., who firmly opposes the banking provision, and conservatives such as Cruz, R-Texas, who is incensed over immigration. But once Reid and McConnell forge an alliance, the fix is in and passage is only a matter of time.

The spending measure was one of a handful on the year-end agenda, with the others including an extension of expiring tax breaks and a bill approving Obama's policy for arming Syrian forces fighting Islamic State forces. A bill extending the government's terrorism insurance backstop could get tripped up by procedural hurdles.

A provision in the big bill relating to financially failing multiemployer pension plans would allow controversial cuts for current retirees, and supporters said it was part of an effort to prevent a slow-motion collapse of a system that provides retirement income to millions.

"The multiemployer pension system is a ticking time bomb," said Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., who negotiated the agreement with Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who is retiring after 40 years in Congress.

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In small-town community centers, schools, churches and a vast city convention center, immigrant advocates are spreading the word about President Barack Obama's plan to give millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally a temporary reprieve.

The November announcement promising work permits and protection from deportation made a splash, but lawyers say the events are crucial to dispel rumors about eligibility, ward off fraud, and help immigrants determine what they might need to apply.

In Los Angeles, advocates are hosting an information session for as many as 10,000 people at the city's convention center Sunday.

"After this big forum, we're going to have daily orientations. That is what we have to do in order to deal with the demand," said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

Immigrants are eager to see if they qualify for Obama's executive actions to spare nearly 5 million people from deportation and to refocus enforcement efforts on criminals.

At least 20 states have filed a lawsuit to try to block the measure, which aims to benefit immigrants who have been in the country illegally for more than five years and have children who are American citizens or green card holders, along with some immigrants who entered the country illegally as children.

For immigrant advocates, the challenge is reaching prospective applicants in diverse communities that speak multiple languages and often know little about the United States' byzantine immigration laws. While some immigrants find strength in numbers, others shy away from public meetings because of fear or stigma over their immigration status.

At recent workshops and on telephone hotlines, immigrants have questioned advocates about who will qualify and what documents they will need. Many want to know how they can prove their identity after living under the radar for so long, and some worry they might face trouble for having worked under a false Social Security number, Salas said.

Workshops for immigrants already have been held at a high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, a church in Goshen, Indiana, and an Islamic Center in New York City. Eben Cathey, a spokesman for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, said his organization has an event almost every night.

"Every time we do an information session, it is full," he said.

At a recent forum at a San Diego community center, an immigration attorney fielded questions for two hours, and many hands were still raised when time ran out.

Anahi Maldonado, a 32-year-old mother of two American-born children, said she attended to verify that she and her husband would qualify for the program. She's been living in the U.S. for 14 years after crossing the border from Mexico and wanted to ensure she didn't need a visa to apply.

"The thing is, sometimes someone has questions that the president is not going to answer," said Maldonado, adding that she also wondered if she would need a good conduct letter from police, and how she could get one since she didn't have valid immigration papers.

Immigrant advocates are doling out whatever information they have, much of it based on their experiences with a 2012 program to assist U.S.-educated immigrant children. But there is still much that is unknown, and no application form yet.

Advocates are warning immigrants not to pay anyone to get in line to apply and to avoid being duped into filling out fake applications.

Many are also planning one-on-one consultations to help immigrants determine if they're eligible and if that's their best shot at immigration relief, since sometimes people may qualify for a visa or other benefits.

"We're definitely telling people they need to make sure they get screened," said Jorge Baron, executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, which is holding an event for as many as 650 people in Seattle. "We don't want people to go and apply on their own."

Some groups are already starting individual screenings.

Michelle Saucedo, a legal advocate for Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Los Angeles, said Asian immigrants are more likely to turn out for one-on-one consultations than group sessions because some feel a sense of shame over their immigration status. When advocates advertised large workshops about the 2012 program in the Chinese community, only one or two people would show up, she said.

Saucedo said she expects hundreds of people to seek assistance at an event Saturday.

"It is very private and people often call and say, 'Can I just see you in your office one-on-one,'" she said. "We have learned along the way."

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First it was objections by House Democrats that stood in the way of passage of a $1.1 trillion catchall spending bill. Now it's the Senate Republicans' turn, specifically Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah.

The two lawmakers demanded a vote Friday night on a proposal to cut funds from the bill that could be used to implement President Barack Obama's new immigration policy, ending any chance the measure could clear the Senate and be sent to the White House with a minimum of fuss.

Officials in both parties said the bill remains on track for clearance by early next week. Even so, the move led Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to abandon plans to adjourn the Senate for the weekend, and raised the possibility of a test vote on the spending bill shortly after midnight on Saturday.

Senate Republican leaders have pledged to challenge Obama's immigration policy early in the new year, after the GOP takes control of the Senate. But Cruz suggested they shouldn't be entirely trusted to keep their pledge.

"We will learn soon enough if those statements are genuine and sincere," he said, in a clear reference to Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker John Boehner.

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Ironically, Cruz and Lee played a major role in events slightly more than a year ago that led to a partial government shutdown  an event McConnell, Boehner and most Republicans have vowed to avoid repeating. This time, Republican officials said they may have inadvertently given Reid an opening to win confirmation for several of Obama's nominees that might otherwise have languished.

With the end of the two-year Congress approaching, Reid is pressing to confirm about 20 Obama nominees to fill posts such as surgeon general, director of the Social Security Administration and federal judgeships.

The spending measure tops the remaining items on a quarrelsome Congress' agenda. Others include renewing tax breaks for individuals and businesses and a government program supporting the market for insurance against terrorist acts. In one bit of progress, the Senate sent Obama a sweeping defense policy measure by a big bipartisan vote.

Earlier Friday, the controversial spending package won a personal endorsement from Obama and was brought before the Senate.

Obama acknowledged that the measure has "a bunch of provisions in this bill that I really do not like," and said the bill flows from "the divided government that the American people voted for."

Obama has sided with old-school pragmatists in his party like Reid, but he's split from leading liberals such as House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Warren blasted the measure in a Senate speech for the third straight day, saying it was a payoff to Citigroup, whose lobbyists helped write a provision that significantly weakens new regulations on derivatives trading by Wall Street banks.

"Enough is enough. Washington already works really well for the billionaires and the big corporations and the lawyers and the lobbyists," Warren said. "But what about the families who lost their homes or their jobs or their retirement savings the last time Citi bet big on derivatives and lost?"

Another provision loathed by many Democrats  though backed by the Democratic National Committee  raises the amount of money that wealthy donors may contribute to political parties for national conventions, election recounts and headquarters buildings.

Democrats will lose control of the Senate in January because of heavy losses in midterm elections last month and will go deeper into a House minority than at any time in nearly 70 years.

Lawmakers from both parties came to the floor to praise the underlying spending measure, which provides funding to keep nearly the entire government operating through the Sept. 30 end of the current budget year.

The sole exception is the Department of Homeland Security, which is funded only until Feb. 27. Republicans intend to try then to force the president to roll back a new immigration policy that removes the threat of deportation from millions of immigrants living in the country illegally.

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Jeb Bush's big donors and allies are tantalized by his promise to decide "in short order" whether to run for president.

But supporters are struggling to understand what his actions mean and whether they can predict his political intentions.

Bush is scheduled to give the commencement address Monday at the University of South Carolina during his second visit in recent months to the state that's set to host the South's first presidential primary.

On the eve of the appearance, he said he plans to release an electronic book early next year along with roughly 250,000 thousands of emails from his time as governor.

Surely, that's a sign the former Florida governor is in.

Bush also is expanding his private equity business, and advisers insist he's not courting a political staff Iowa and New Hampshire, even as other would-be candidates assemble their 2016 campaign teams in the early voting states.

Surely, that's a sign he's out.

About all anyone can say for certain is that, as Bush himself has said, he's still thinking about it.

"He's begun the journey. How long it will take him, I don't know," said Al Cardenas, a longtime Bush friend and former chairman of the American Conservative Union. "People are interpreting activity to conclude that he's closer to running. I'm not of that school.

"I hope he runs, but I believe the activity is based on getting serious."

Bush has said he expects to make a decision by the end of the month.

As the son of one president and brother of another, he has the power to transform the 2016 contest like no other Republican. He can tap into his family's vast political network, and his campaign would attract strong support from major donors and widespread media attention.

Bush spent much of the recent midterm campaign out of the public eye. But the address at South Carolina will be his fourth high-profile speech in recent weeks. That includes an appearance before corporate executives in Washington, where he called for his party to embrace an immigration overhaul and to focus on governing. He also said would make the call on running for president "not that far out in the future."

In an interview with ABC's Miami affiliate WPLG-TV, Bush said he was in the process of writing an e-book about his time as governor and that it would come out in the spring. At about the same time, he will make public about 250,000 emails from his time in office, in an effort to promote transparency and to "let people make up their mind."

Bush said going through the material has reminded him that "if you run with big ideas and then you're true to those ideas, and get a chance to serve and implement them and do it with passion and conviction, you can move the needle. ... And that's what we need right now in America," he said in the interview set to air Sunday.

Slater Bayliss, a longtime Florida-based Bush aide who helps lead a political action committee founded by Bush's sons, met with strategists in Iowa during a late November trip to his native state.

Former Iowa Republican Party Chairman Chuck Larson was among those who discussed with Bayliss the state's political trends, policy issues and how the state might react to a Bush campaign.

"If Jeb Bush decides to run for president, I believe he will be incredibly well received by conservatives in Iowa," Larson said.

Bush's spokeswoman, Kristy Campbell, like other advisers, said the meetings were unauthorized and unrelated to his decision-making.

She said Bush "has not yet made a decision on whether he will pursue a run in 2016, and has certainly not dispatched anyone to meet with Iowa leaders," Campbell said.

The same week Bayliss met with Iowa Republicans, Bush was named chairman and manager of a new private equity fund, BH Global Aviation. As first reported by Bloomberg, the offshore fund raised $61 million in September.

Bush's team described the investment as an expansion of an existing, and previously reported, private business, which he would review should he run. Most recent presidential candidates, including private equity investor Mitt Romney, formally cut ties with their business interests years before running.

Bush "is very proud of his investment work to grow companies," Campbell said, adding that there is no part of his business interests "that would hinder a run for president if that is the decision he makes."

There is no shortage of pressure on Bush to get into the race, including from members of his family. His older brother, former President George W. Bush, has encouraged his brother to enter the 2016 contest.

"He knows I want him to run," Bush told CNN recently. "If I need to reiterate it, I will: 'Run, Jeb.' I think he'd be a great president."

Still, associates say that the family support and a growing public profile should not necessarily be taken as a sign of anything.

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One colleague called the tactics of tea party-backed Sen. Ted Cruz on the $1.1 trillion spending bill a painful echo of last year's 16-day partial government shutdown.

Another senator said it was a strategy without an end game.

And that sniping came from Cruz's fellow Republicans.

The 43-year-old Texas freshman in a political hurry  he's considering a 2016 presidential run  infuriated several GOP colleagues with a last-minute attempt to force a vote on President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration.

"I'm concerned that we fight when we can win and get something accomplished. And of course that's what we're trying to set up for next year when we have the majority in the Senate."  Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

The move upended lawmakers' weekend plans and, more troubling for his party, gave Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., an opening to move forward on long-stalled Obama nominees.

When Cruz got his vote Saturday, he lost badly, 74-22, as even Republicans who agree with him on immigration repudiated his effort. Moments later, Congress cleared the spending bill.

"You should have an end goal in sight if you're going to do these types of things and I don't see an end goal other than irritating a lot of people," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said it was a repeat of last year's shutdown showdown over Obama's health care law, when it was engineered by Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Isakson said it was a movie he had seen before and "wouldn't have paid money to see it again." He called Cruz's move a problem, not a strategy.

Added Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.: "I fail to see what conservative ends were achieved."

For once, Democrats opted not to criticize Cruz publicly, a surefire indication they calculated that he was only hurting Republicans.

Cruz was unapologetic. He said the sole purpose of his efforts was to secure a Senate vote to "stop President Obama's amnesty"  his description of the president's plan for work visas for an estimated 5 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.

"Both Democrats and Republicans will have the opportunity to show America whether they stand with a president who is defying the will of the voters or with the millions of Americans who want a safe and legal immigration system," Cruz said in a speech to a crowded Senate chamber moments before the vote.

Reid derisively said the "junior senator from Texas" was "wrong, wrong, wrong."

In a Facebook post, Cruz had blamed Reid, arguing that Saturday's series of round-the-clock votes on nominations was to prevent the vote he sought.

Cruz said Reid was "going to an embarrassing length to tie up the floor to obstruct debate and a vote on this issue because he knows amnesty is unpopular with the American people, and he doesn't want the Democrats on the record as supporting it."

Republicans said Cruz's move had the reverse effect of his campaign on immigration, ensuring a vote on the nominee for Customs and Immigration Enforcement who would carry out Obama's executive actions.

Cruz, a Cuban-American with an Ivy League resume, time as Texas solicitor general and a Supreme Court clerkship with the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, created headlines in his first few months in the Senate with a fierce challenge to Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary.

Last fall, it was Cruz and Lee who roiled the GOP and Washington with their push to starve Obama's health overhaul of money, a drive that led to the partial shutdown.

Democrats weren't surprised that the conservative duo struck again.

"They're all about headlines. They're trying to get attention for themselves. They've succeeded in doing that," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

In his current maneuvering, Cruz sent a shot across the bow at incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, suggesting the two should not be entirely trusted to keep their promise to challenge Obama's immigration policy when the all-Republican Congress takes over in January.

"We will learn soon enough if those statements are genuine and sincere," Cruz said Friday night.

Cruz's moves troubled Republicans looking ahead to next month and their new majority.

"I'm concerned that we fight when we can win and get something accomplished. And of course that's what we're trying to set up for next year when we have the majority in the Senate," said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

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A federal judge in Pittsburgh is declaring that President Barack Obama's recent executive actions on immigration are unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab says Obama's order in November designed to spare millions living illegally in the United States from deportation amounts to "unilateral legislative action" in violation of the Constitution. Schwab issued his opinion Tuesday in a criminal case involving an immigrant here illegally from Honduras.

The administration has said the new policy does not apply to criminal cases. The Justice Department called Schwab's analysis "flatly wrong" and said he had no basis for his opinion because no one in the case had challenged the constitutionality of the president's actions.

Schwab's opinion puts forth some of the same arguments made by Texas and 23 other states in their challenge to Obama's actions on immigration. Schwab was appointed by President George W. Bush.

Case Western Reserve University law professor Jonathan Adler says he's skeptical that Schwab's opinion will stand.

Omar Jadwat, an expert in immigration law at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the opinion would have no effect on the administration's immigration policy. "It's really just the judge taking the opportunity to state his personal views," Jadwat said.

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Last year, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stood front and center in the battle against President Barack Obamas health care program, leading an effort that shut down the government because the budget bill did not include a provision to defund the presidents plan.

This year, Cruz was the lead crusader against the spending bill again, this time because it did not include a challenge to Obamas executive action on immigration, which could shield an estimated 5 million people who entered the country illegally from deportation for about three years.

His efforts did not shut down the government this time, but it delayed the vote, forcing very unhappy Democrats and equally unhappy Republicans to work an unusual weekend shift in order to finally pass the $1.1 trillion bill. Cruz's dogged determination to force a vote, unsuccessfully, on Obama's immigration order under Senate rules allowed the lame duck Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-Nev.), to begin the time-consuming process of confirming nominations on Saturday at noon  when lawmakers originally had been scheduled to be home for the weekend.

Some of the harshest criticisms of Cruz this week came from within his own party  just as they did after the government shutdown in 2013, which was capped by Cruzs 21-hour speech on the Senate floor.

"You should have an end goal in sight if you're going to do these types of things," Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said, "and I don't see an end goal other than irritating a lot of people."

Why is Cruz  who is viewed as a possible contender for the presidential elections in 2016  apparently impervious to the wrath of his own party?

Precisely because he is a possible presidential candidate, some political observers say.

Cruz, it seems, is bucking the trend of many with their eyes on the presidency who are trying to appeal to the middle-of-the-road voters, especially independents, as well as the party establishment.

Instead, he is keeping his focus solidly on conservatives, the tried-and-true tea party souls who find his denunciations of Beltway politics  even those of establishment Republicans  refreshing, according to a National Review article that cited Cruz senior advisers.

Not that he is giving up on support from some groups, such as Latinos, Jews, women and others who tend to lean Democratic. But Cruz is hoping to appeal to some of them while exciting the conservative base enough to make them as much of a factor in general elections as they tend to be during the GOP primaries.

His strategists arent planning to make a big play for so-called independent voters in the general election if Cruz wins the Republican nomination, the National Review said. According to several of the senators top advisers, Cruz sees a path to victory that relies instead on increasing conservative turnout; attracting votes from groups  including Jews, Hispanics and millennials  that have tended to favor Democrats; and, in the words of one Cruz strategist, not getting killed with independents.

Republican strategist Ford OConnell told the magazine that Cruz must figure out how not to lose his authenticity with the Republican base while expanding his reach.

To be sure, Cruzs opposition to granting a path to legal status to undocumented immigrants has made him something of a pariah to many Latinos and advocates for immigration reform.

But Cruzs advisers note that many Latinos are attracted to his views, noting that he won 40 percent of the Hispanic vote in Texas when he ran for the Senate in 2012.

As for Jewish voters, Cruz has made headlines this year with his defense of Israels actions in Gaza, even lecturing hecklers at a Christian Arab event he was speaking at, telling them that anyone who hates Israel also hates America. After which the senator walked off the stage.

At a Zionist Organization of America dinner in New York City in late November, Cruz recounted that event, generating cheers from the crowd and chants of Run, Ted, run!

The conservative base has proved increasingly important during the GOP primaries, and for the 2012 election, many candidates adopted a stricter stance on immigration during the primaries than they ever had before.

That is one reason, some GOP strategists believe, that while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a moderate Republican, could enjoy wide appeal in a general election campaign, the primaries may prove more difficult for him.

This week, the Washington Post noted that Cruz has shown an absolute contempt for the niceties of the Senate.

And theres a reason for that, it continued, Ted Cruz doesnt care if [Tennessee Senator] Bob Corker or soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell like him. In fact, he revels in the fact that they dont.

This week, unhappy Republicans accused Cruz of giving President Obama a present this holiday season  a gift certificate good for the confirmation of 12 judicial appointments, and other long-stalled nominations  not long after the voters delivered the Democrats a lump of coal in midterm elections.

Late Monday, the Senate confirmed Vivek Murthy as surgeon general. Cruz disputed the claim.

"Everyone knows Harry Reid planned to jam forward as many nominees as he could," Phil Novack, a spokesman for Cruz, said by email. "Unfortunately, there are many on both sides of the aisle who would rather stoke stories about Ted Cruz to distract from the more important debate over the president's unilateral action to grant amnesty."

But there was no dissent that Senate Democrats, who must turn over power to Republicans in January, suddenly find themselves in a position to confirm not only the judges, but 11 other appointees before the chamber wraps up work for the year.

Cruz paints his opposition to 'the way things have always worked in the Senate as in keeping with his oath to his constituents and to the Constitution, the Post said. Indeed, it went on to argue, he constantly gets confirmation that his strategy is raising his stock among conservatives.

At any sort of conservative gathering, the Post said, he is regularly the star attraction  the one person (in the eyes of his admirers) willing to stay true to his convictions in Washington.

But some political observers say the party establishment is very likely to work full-throttle to subvert Cruzs chances of winning the nomination, fearing they will lose another presidential election.

Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center told the National Review that Cruzs apparent belief that conservatives can carry him to the White House is a fantasy.

Olsen said the base isnt big enough to propel Cruz or any other candidate to the Oval Office, and that in order to have a real shot at winning, a Republican nominee would have to energize establishment Republicans and people dont call themselves conservatives.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A federal prosecutor in Dallas is the new head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Sarah Saldana, who is the U.S. attorney in Dallas, was confirmed by the Senate through a 55-39 vote on Tuesday.

She is the first Latina to lead the $6 billion federal agency that enforces federal border control, trade and immigration laws.

President Barack Obama praised her confirmation in a statement released shortly after the Senate vote.

"With her years of experience enforcing the law  most recently as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas  Sarah is the right person to lead the dedicated men and women at ICE in securing our borders, keeping American communities safe, and upholding our values," Obama said. "Since I took office, illegal border crossings are down and removal of dangerous criminals is up. Im confident Sarah will help us build on this progress while protecting our country in a smart, effective, and humane way."

Saldana had claimed strong support among many Republicans when she was nominated earlier this year, but that changed after Obama took executive actions to grant work permits to millions in the U.S. illegally.

Saldana, 62, backed Obama's move and a number of Republican senators, including senior Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, said they could no longer support her. Some said their opposition was meant to send a message to Obama that they opposed his executive moves, which her agency would be partly charged with enacting.

One of the lawmakers leading the charge against Obamas executive action and, by extension, against Saldanas confirmation has been U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican.

Saldana said in written answers to questions by a Senate panel earlier this year that she supported unilateral action by Obama on various aspects of immigration, adding that he had the legal authority to issue executive orders on the matter.

That prompted Cruz, one of the Senates most conservative members, to denounce Saldana as another rubber stamp for illegal amnesty.

Cruz has made it something of a personal mission to defeat Obamas immigration executive action, which could spare some 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation for about three years, as well as allow them to obtain work permits and, in many cases, drivers licenses.

Over the weekend, Cruz delayed a vote on the $1.1 trillion spending bill by waging a last-minute attempt to force a vote on Obama's executive action on immigration.

While Cruz drew the ire of Republicans, Democrats thanked him for his actions because it gave senators an opportunity to schedule a vote on pending nominations while Democrats are still in control of the chamber.

Im no expert in Senate procedure, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday before the vote. I do understand, based on the news reports that Ive read, that some of the shenanigans that he carried out on the Senate floor did create an opening and additional time for these highly qualified nominees to be confirmed. And if thats the case, then it may be an indication that Senator Cruz doesnt know much more about Senate floor procedure than I do. But we certainly are pleased with the outcome.

Saldana has been U.S. Attorney for her district since 2011. In 2011, Hispanic National Bar Association named Saldana as its Latina Attorney of the Year.

Earlier this year, Cruz was quoted in Politico as saying: Ms. Saldana has made it clear in a written statement that as Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement she would enable President Obamas unconstitutional amnesty.

I do not support the Presidents unconstitutional amnesty, and therefore, cannot vote for a nominee who will be another rubber stamp for illegal amnesty, Cruz said. I encourage my colleagues, especially those who oppose Obamas amnesty, to oppose this nomination.

Texass other senator, Cornyn, introduced Saldana at a confirmation hearing in mid-September, praising her qualifications to head ICE. After Obama announced his executive order, Cornyn expressed misgivings about the prosecutor.

The Dallas Morning News scolded the opposition to Saldana by Cruz and Cornyn, saying in an editorial: Such antics should be beneath Texas senators. Their beef ought to be with the president, not Saldana, who carries impeccable credentials. Its ridiculous to attack Saldana and stall countless other confirmations simply to flex political muscle toward the president.

It would be hard to find a more qualified nominee than Saldana, who combines border-state savvy with a tough prosecutors sensibility, the newspaper said.

Saldana graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas A&M University and earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University.

Before law school, she taught 8th grade.

Her background in public service includes working for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, HUD, and the Department of Labor. She was described as pivotal to the successful prosecution of the Dallas City Hall public corruption case.

The Obama administration has been looking to fill the ICE position for more than a year after John Morton stepped down last summer after four years in office.

Back in 2011, Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson called Saldana a "gutsy lady" who is "known for her tenacity, and fairness." As the U.S. Attorney, Saldana supervised prosecutors in over 100 counties in northern and western Texas from Dallas.

Saldana was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1951 and grew up as the youngest of seven children. According to a profile in her hometown paper, Saldana's mother worked nights as a nurse, and her father was an alcoholic who wasn't around much.

"My parents' lives were full of struggles," she said. "But they taught the importance of working hard."

About her role as U.S. Attorney, Saldana said on a U.S. Dept. of Justice website: To serve my country in this role is the highest of honors and I am humbled by the confidence placed in me by President Obama and Senators Hutchison and Cornyn. Serving in this role, among the fine men and women of the Department of Justice, is a privilege and the highlight of my career.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Shortly before 12 p.m., three men holding handmade posters denouncing President Barack Obama gathered near the coffee counter of Versailles Cafe, the iconic restaurant that has long served as a backdrop for anti-Fidel Castro rallies in Miami, Florida. One protester, a gray-bearded man in a blue shirt, grips a sign with misspelled words that say: Obama Administration Compiracy with Castro Terrorit.

Outnumbered by local, national, and international journalists, the trio chanted: Coward, coward, Obama, coward!

"This president is a friend of our enemy.  Pedro Acosta, 69

Yet, as word spread about President Barack Obamas decision to normalize diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, Miamis Cuban-American community has mixed feelings about the announcement. Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro also worked out a prisoner swap involving three Cuban spies incarcerated in the U.S. and two jailed Americans in Cuba. Alan Gross, one of the Americans, has already been released and reunited with his family. In addition, Obama wants to increase travel and cash remittances by U.S. citizens to the island and lift some of the economic restrictions on Cuba.

While older generations of Cuban exiles and prominent Cuban-American politicians are denouncing the presidents action, younger Cuban Americans, some of whom left their home country in the last 10 years, welcome the opportunity to reestablish ties with Americas last remaining Cold War-era foe.

Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, who stopped by Versailles, told the assembled journalists the United States government broke its policy of not negotiating with terrorists. I dont know why the United States is giving everything and not demanding anything, Regalado said.

His counterpart, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, released a statement echoing Regalados comments. "While I welcome the release of Alan Gross and another person, I am deeply disturbed that it appears that in this negotiation we did not secure freedoms for the Cuban people, Gimenez said.

Republican Cuban-American congressional representatives said they intend to block Obamas actions. In a statement, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said he will use his role on the Senates Foreign Relations Commitee to make every effort to block this dangerous and desperate attempt by the President to burnish his legacy at the Cuban peoples expense.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who sits on two budget committees that oversee the U.S. Treasury and State Department, called Obama the Appeaser-in-chief who gave unprecedented concessions to a brutal dictatorship.

Angel Cusemano, 85, was sitting with a small group of fellow elderly Cuban-Americans in the foodcourt of the Westland Mall in Hialeah, Florida, when he found out. He shook his head with disgust. This country is not supposed to negotiate with terrorists, Cusemano said. It makes no sense to cut a deal with a bloody dictatorship that executed many of our friends and family members.

The mans friends around him nodded in agreement. This president is a friend of our enemy, said Pedro Acosta, 69, who fled Cuba in 1960. Now terrorists in any other country will believe they can do the same thing.

However, a growing number of Cuban-Americans born after the Cold War or who came to Miami in the last 14 years dont share the same hardline beliefs, said Raul Martinez, a former mayor of Hialeah and Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2008.

The younger generations are more open-minded and they will see this as a positive step, Martinez said. You will have some protests from hardliners, but an overall majority of Cuban- Americans will accept what the president wants to do.

Jose Suarez, a 31-year-old plumber who left Cuba in 2005, sipped on a cafecito at the Versailles counter as he watched the protesters. Hes in favor of United States and Cuba reestablishing diplomatic ties. Young and old Cubans should get behind this, Suarez said. It is going to help people in Cuba. After more than 50 years of Cold War tactics, its time to try something new.

Peter Hernandez, a 44-year-old man of Cuban and Colombian descent, said cutting off Cuba hasnt worked for more than half a century. The old guard may just need to accept it, he said. People my age and younger are open to the relaxing of sanctions.
Cuban President Raul Castro said in a nationally broadcast speech that he welcomes the restoration of relations with the United States.

He said differences remain between Cuba and the U.S. in areas such as human rights, foreign policy and questions of sovereignty, but he says the countries have to learn to live with their differences "in a civilized manner."

While recognizing that we have deep differences, fundamentally in terms of national sovereignty, democracy, human rights and foreign policy, I reaffirm our willingness to dialogue about all these issues, Castro said, reading from a prepared text in Spanish.

Castros brother, Fidel, the architect of the revolution who nurtured adversarial relations between the two nations, appeared to have known role in the recent talks and made no speech on Tuesday. White House officials said Fidel had no official role in negotiations.

But his brother said it was a position the former leader had long wanted.

It is a position that was expressed to the U.S. government both publicly and privately by comrade Fidel at different times of our long struggle, with the approach of resolving our differences in the negotiations without renouncing to our sovereignty.

Castro, 83, said the dialogue took an important turn on Tuesday, when he reportedly held a 45-minute telephone conversation with President Obama. He thanked the Vatican, Pope Francis and the Canadian government for facilitating the negotiations.

The Cuban leader then called on President Obama to use his executive power to remove the obstacles that restrict the ties between the two countries and address the issues related to travel, direct postal service and telecommunication.

Even though the embargo measures have become law, the president of the United States can modify its implementation using his executive power, he said.

He added that the progress made in the negotiations so far show that a solution to decades-old standoff is possible.

We have to learn the art of living with our differences in a civilized manner, he said.

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When a police officer in the suburban Pittsburgh township of New Sewickley pulled over Elionardo Juarez-Escobar in April and arrested him on charges of drunken driving, its doubtful that anybody assumed that this routine traffic stop would wind up becoming the center of the U.S. immigration debate.

But after U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab, in his opinion on the case, called U.S. President Barack Obama's executive order on immigration a "unilateral legislative action" in violation of the Constitution, Juarez-Escobars case has moved onto center stage.

"President Obamas unilateral legislative action violates the separation of powers provided for in the United States constitution as well as the Take Care Clause, and, therefore, is unconstitutional," Schwab wrote in his opinion.

Juarez-Escobar, a 42-year old undocumented immigrant originally from Honduras, was driving with a minor in the car on April 7 when he drove his car around a traffic stop. The New Sewickley officer who pulled him over noticed beer cans in the back seat of the car, and thought that Juarez-Escobar appeared intoxicated.

Field sobriety and blood tests put his blood alcohol level at 0.180 percent  way above Pennsylvanias legal limit of 0.08 percent - and he was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, corruption of minors, selling/furnishing liquor to a minor and driving without a license.

Juarez-Escobars lawyer, Alonzo Burney, did not immediately respond to Fox News Latinos request for comment.

In June, Juarez-Escobars immigration status was referred to the Department of Homeland Security where it was discovered that he was in the country illegally and had already been deported once from the U.S. back in 2005 after being detained in New Mexico by Border Patrol agents.

During a court appearance in Pennsylvania, Juarez-Escobar said that he snuck back into the U.S. later in 2005 by way of Texas and made his way to New York in a van. His brother, who is a U.S. citizen, owns a landscaping business in Pittsburgh, and Juarez-Escobar made his way to that city, where he worked for his brother's company for at least two years.

"[Juarez-Escobar] presumably came to the United States in an attempt to make money and in search of a better quality of life than he had in Honduras," Schwab wrote. "[He attempted to file income taxes for 'a couple of years,' but was unable to do so because he does not have a Social Security number."

In his opinion, Schwab said that Juarez-Escobar falls into a "no-mans land" under Obamas executive action and that the presidents order may violate the inherent and constitutional rights of some of the undocumented immigrants, such as this defendant.

The Justice Department called Schwab's analysis "flatly wrong" and said he had no basis for his opinion because no one in the case had challenged the constitutionality of the president's actions.

"The decision is unfounded and the court had no basis to issue such an order," a Department of Justice spokesperson told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "No party in the case challenged the constitutionality of the immigration-related executive actions, and the departments filing made it clear that the executive actions did not apply to the criminal matter before the court. Moreover, the courts analysis of the legality of the executive actions is flatly wrong. We will respond to the courts decision at the appropriate time."

Schwab's opinion puts forth some of the same arguments made by Texas and 23 other states in their challenge to Obama's actions on immigration and was praised by many Republican lawmakers in the state.

The opinion was especially lauded by U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, who made headlines in 2006 as the then-mayor of the northeast Pennsylvania town of Hazleton who introducing the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, a city ordinance that barred landlords from renting apartments to undocumented immigrants and business owners from hiring them.

"Though this is the first of presumably many court rulings on the presidents unilateral executive amnesty, it is encouraging to see a federal court agree with what I have been saying all along," Barletta said in a statement. "It is clear that the president has overstepped his authority by creating new laws and granting sweeping amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants."
The United States and Cuba have agreed to establish diplomatic relations and open economic and travel ties, marking the most significant shift in U.S. policy toward the communist island in fifty years, American officials said Wednesday.

The announcement comes amid a series of new confidence-building measures between the longtime foes, including the release of American Alan Gross, as well as a swap for a U.S. intelligence asset held in Cuba and the freeing of three Cubans jailed in the U.S, and the release of 53 political prisoners in Cuba.

The announcement comes amid a series of new confidence-building measures between the longtime foes, including the release of American Alan Gross, as well as a swap for a U.S. intelligence asset held in Cuba and the freeing of three Cubans jailed in the U.S.

President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro were to separately address their nations around noon Wednesday. The two leaders spoke by phone for more than 45 minutes Tuesday, the first substantive presidential-level discussion between the U.S. and Cuba since 1961.

Under the agreement, the U.S. government has released three Cuban spies in exchange for a U.S. intelligence asset that has been imprisoned in Cuba for 20 years. The three Cubans were part of the so-called Cuban Five  a group of men who were part of the Wasp Network sent by Cubas then-President Fidel Castro to spy in South Florida. In exchange, Cuba freed an American intelligence official who was responsible for some of the most important intelligence and counterintelligence to come out of Cuba, according to a senior administration official, and also provided information that led to the prosecution to the Cuban Five.

It was very important that we recovered this intelligence asset. We rejected the notion that Alan was an intelligence asset and we werent going to engage in intelligence asset swaps, a senior U.S. administration official said.

The intelligence asset was not identified and government officials said they would not do so.

The Cuban government also agreed to release 53 political prisoners, a number of whom have already been released. Senior officials say Gross was released by the Cuban government under humanitarian grounds.

As part of the resuming diplomatic relations with Cuba, the U.S. will soon reopen an embassy in the capital of Havana and carry out high-level exchanges and visits between the governments. The U.S. is also easing travel bans to Cuba, including for family visits, official U.S. government business, educational activities, journalistic activity, public performances, humanitarian activities, and professional research activite, through tourist travel remains banned. Those traveling to Cuba will be able to bring up to 400 dollars of consumer goods back into the United States and 100 dollars worth of Alcohol and tobacco products, including Cuban Cigars, as long as goods are for personal consumption and not resold in the U.S.

The U.S. is also increasing the amount of money Americans can send to Cubans from $500 to $2,000 per quarter, or every three months. Early in his presidency, Obama allowed unlimited family visits by Cuban-Americans and removed a $1,200 annual cap on remittances.

Under new changes, Americans will be able to use credit and debit cards in Cuba, and U.S. financial institutions will not be able to work alongside Cuban banking insititions. The new changes will also ease trade for telecommunications and agricultural products in an effort to boost internet access and commerce in Cuba. Easing trade restrictions will specifically apply to goods used by private sector entreprenours in Cuba like restaurants, barber shops, and small businesses, as well as, agricultural equipment.

Meanwhile, the president has instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to launch review Cubas designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Cuba has been listed as State Sponsor of terrorism since 1982.

Senior US administration officials said President Obama is doing as much as he can within the boundaries of the law and would like to see the Cuban embargo ultimately lifted by Congress. It is the administrations belief that the embargo is not working and that these diplomatic changes will create greater momentum for legislation in Congress to pass that will ultimately end the embargo.

Includes reporting from The Associated Press.

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With his announcement of plans to "actively explore" running for president, former Florida Gov. Jeb. Bush is now  in the minds of many Republican donors and other party leaders  an early front-runner for the GOP's next presidential nomination.

There are good reasons for that. There are also good reasons why it's far too soon to anoint Bush as the early pacesetter in the Republican race.

A look at a few arguments in favor of, and opposed to, Bush's strong status:

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In Favor:

More On This... Immigration plan draws cheers, criticism across US

1. The Bush Name

As the brother and son of former Republican presidents, Bush's family connections make him the ultimate safe bet for the GOP's biggest donors, who above all want to reclaim the White House. He will inherit the Bushes' national political network, which includes elected officials and activists nationwide, and deep-pocketed donors in New York, Florida and Texas.

2. Hispanic Voters

Bush is a fluent Spanish speaker, is married to a native of Mexico and is the former governor of a state where nearly a quarter of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino. He has continued to support a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally in the face of fervent opposition among conservatives. Like few other Republicans, Bush has the potential to win over a growing group of voters who have voted solidly for Democrats in the past several elections.

3. Florida Experience

In his two campaigns for governor, Bush won at least 55 percent of the vote in what remains the most crucial of presidential swing states. He established a long record as an executive during his time in office, from 1999 to 2007, and in the years since has grown a private equity business. That's a record he can contrast against many potential White House rivals, whose shorter resumes are focused on serving in an unpopular Congress.

4. Ideas Guy

Bush is viewed as a policy wonk with expertise in some of the nation's most pressing issues. He led a nonprofit education organization, where he made innovation a priority. Bush could paint himself as an ideas man in a party eager to coalesce around a positive agenda.

5. Electability

Many political operatives suggest Bush gives the GOP the best chance of securing the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. He gives Republicans a good chance to win his home state of Florida, as well as Ohio, which his brother won twice. He's also poised to do well in states with large Latino populations, such as Colorado and Nevada. As a candidate considered less conservative than some White House prospects, he could help the GOP in swing states such as Wisconsin, Virginia, Iowa and New Hampshire.

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Opposed:

1. The Bush Name

This one cuts both ways. Bush's family connections could turn off conservatives who are still upset about the government growth that took place during George W. Bush's presidency. Some Republicans are already rolling their eyes about another Bush-Clinton contest, should Democrats select Hillary Rodham Clinton as their nominee.

2. Campaign Rust

Bush hasn't been a candidate for any office since 2002, when he won his second term as Florida's governor. That was years before the tea party transformed Republican politics. Twitter didn't exist, nor did the video trackers who now record a candidate's every move. Bush is certainly familiar with the pressure of presidential politics, but it's unclear how he would handle the intensity of a modern-day campaign.

3. Immigration

Bush has made immigration, including providing a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally, one of his signature issues. There is perhaps no more explosive issue among conservatives than what they call "amnesty," and Bush is showing few signs of backing off on a position viewed as a deal breaker by many conservatives.

4. Common Core

Bush has been an aggressive proponent of the Common Core education standards often demonized by conservative activists. The voluntary standards were developed and adopted by governors in both parties before critics painted them as a government takeover of education. Most ambitious Republicans have come out against the standards in recent months, while Bush has stood firm in defense of them.

5. Business Ties

A former commercial real estate developer, Bush missed out on the housing boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s. He's tried to make up for it since leaving office. Bush advised Lehman Brothers shortly before its epic collapse and more recently ramped up his work as a partner in a Florida-based private equity and business advisory group. Opposition researchers in both parties are already sifting through records of Bush's business interests, looking for attack fodder.

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December 28, 2016: A Jordanian court sentenced five members of an ISIL cell to death by hanging for acts of terrorism.





The state security court in Amman also handed jail terms of between three and 15 years to another 16 Jordanians in the same case.





They were found guilty of deadly "acts of terrorism", the manufacture of explosives and "possession of weapons and ammunition for use in terrorist acts" and recruiting people for "terrorist organisations".





The group of 21 were members of an ISIL cell that was broken up in March during a large-scale security operation in the northern town of Irbid, near the border with Syria.





Seven suspected militants and a member of the Jordanian security forces were killed during the operation.





The authorities announced later that they had foiled ISIL attacks in the kingdom, which had already been hit by deadly attacks over the past year.





Ten people were killed in a shooting rampage on December 18 in the popular tourist destination of Karak.





The attack was claimed by ISIL and marked the first time the group had targeted civilians in Jordan.





Two days later, the authorities arrested a man suspected of funding the attack in a raid on a house in Karak province.





December 26, 2016: A state security court sentenced four Jordanians to death for murdering a member of the security forces involved in the fight against drugs trafficking, a judicial source said.





Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, the source said the four were sentenced to die by hanging for killing the policeman in September in Aqaba province some 300 kilometres (180 miles) south of Amman.





The four were also convicted of "possession of automatic weapons... leading to the death of a person", the source added.





A fifth defendant in the same case was sentenced to 18 months in jail for possessing an unlicensed firearm.





The policeman had been taking part in an operation to arrest a person accused of drugs possession when he was fired on by gunmen in two cars.





In August, the authorities said more than six tonnes of illegal drugs had been seized and more than 13,000 people suspected of smuggling, possessing or using drugs were arrested during the first half of the year.





The interior ministry says 85 percent of drugs seized in Jordan are destined to be smuggled abroad.





Source: Agence France-Presse, December 26-28, 2016





Security Court hands down death sentence for killer of slain writer Nahed Hattar

December 20, 2016: Jordan's Deputy Director General of the State Security Court sentenced the killer of writer Nahed Hattar to death by hanging, al-Ghad newspaper reported.



Military judge Ziad al-Adwan added in a statement that the court had also investigated a second defendant who sold the weapon to the murderer, and a third defendant who acted as a middle-man in buying the weapon. Each were sentenced to one year in jail and fines.



Riad Ismail Abdullah, the primary suspect in Hattar's murder was convicted on charges of carrying out acts of terrorism, murder, and carrying and possession of a firearm without a license.



Hattar was gunned down on September 25 on the steps of the supreme court, and Abdullah was arrested immediately after committing the crime.



The prosecutor general of the State Security Court concluded its investigation on October 18 and referred the case file to the court for sentencing.



Source: albawaba.com, December 20, 2016

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Floridas Senator Marco Rubio issued a sharp rebuke Wednesday afternoon to President Barack Obamas decision to negotiate a prisoner swap with Cuba and restore diplomatic relations with the communist regime.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who left the island just before the Castro revolution in 1959, said while hes glad imprisoned American Alan Gross is now free, he believes the U.S. brokered a bad deal with Cuba, should not have negotiated a prisoner swap with the dictatorial regime, and should have demanded more concessions.

This president is the single worst negotiator we have had in the White House in my lifetime, who has basically given the Cuban government everything it asks for and receive no assurances of any advances in democracy and freedom in return, Rubio said in a press conference Wednesday.

He said he would make every effort to use his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee in the new Congress to block Obamas actions regarding Cuba.

Appeasing the Castro brothers will only cause other tyrants from Caracas to Tehran to Pyongyang to see that they can take advantage of President Obamas naivete during his final two years in office, he said in a statement. As a result, America will be less safe as a result of the Presidents change in policy.

President Obama said the U.S. agreed to release three Cuban spies in exchange for a U.S. intelligence asset who has been imprisoned for nearly 20 years for spying on Cuba. He said Gross, an aid worker who had been imprisoned for five years, was released separately by President Raul Castro under humanitarian grounds. The deal came about in secret meetings between US and Cuban officials held in Canada since the spring of 2013, and at the Vatican. Obama also declared the new deal marks the beginning of a new approach with relations with Cuba that expands economic and easing travel ties with Cuba while opening up a U.S. embassy in Havana.

These 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked, Obama said in his announcement Wednesday.

Rubio said the problem isnt the economic and travel measures, the problem is the administration should have demanded more in return.

There is no concessions on freedom of speech, no concessions on elections, no concessions on the freedoms of having alternative political parties, no concessions on ever having elections or anything of that matter, Rubio said on Fox News. What democratic concessions? And this notion that somehow being able to travel more to Cuba, to send more money to Cuba, and sell more consumer products in Cuba, the idea that that is going to lead to some democratic opening is absurd.

Obama said he remains seriously concerned about human rights violations in Cuba, but he did not believe the current isolation policy was going to change the governments behavior.

I do not believe we can keep doing the same thing for over five decades and expect a different result, Obama said, adding that he hopes these measures will renew an honest and serious debate about lifting the embargo in Congress.

However, Rubio, a powerful Republican in the incoming GOP-majority U.S. Senate, says debate aside, there is no support in the Senate for lifting the Cuban embargo and said the Obama administration has now undermined the purpose of the embargo in the first place.

I think the embargo is misunderstood. The embargo is not there to punish Cuba or even the Cuban government. The embargo serves as leverage, explained Rubio, who said the Obama administration. The embargo can be lifted tomorrow if Cuba opens up democratically, thats all they have to do for the embargo to be lifted  they have to become a democracy.

But Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona said Rubio was wrong to view the embargo that way.

The policy that we have had in place for the past 50 years has done more, in my view, and many view, he said, to keep the Castro regime in power than anything we could have done.
With little fanfare to mark a rare bipartisan achievement, President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed a massive, $1.1 trillion spending bill that keeps the government operating over the next nine months.

The legislation was a compromise that angered liberals and conservatives alike but avoided a government shutdown by putting off partisan clashes over immigration to next year.

The Department of Homeland Security will only receive its money through Feb. 27, a condition demanded by Republican leaders to appease critics of Obama's immigration measures. The department oversees the nation's immigration enforcement.

The spending bill was one of the last acts of Congress under the current Republican House and Democratic-controlled Senate. In January, the new Congress will return with Republicans in charge of both chambers.

The measure retains cuts negotiated in previous budget battles and rolls back some banking regulations. But it also retains spending for Obama's health care law and pays for the administration's fight against Ebola.

The agreement, negotiated mainly by Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and House and Senate Republican leaders, was the result of a determined effort by House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to avoid a government shutdown like the partial one in 2013 that damaged the GOP's standing with the public.

Still, conservatives such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas chafed at Boehner's and McConnell's decision not to use the spending bill to challenge or undo Obama's executive actions on immigration, especially ones that aim to shield more than 4 million immigrants from deportation and make them eligible for work permits.

Likewise, liberals complained about a provision that did away with a requirement that large banks spin off their lucrative derivatives business into separate subsidiaries. They also objected to a provision that permits wealthy political donors to increase substantially their contributions to the Democratic and Republican parties.

The opposition from the political left and right added drama and uncertainty to the spending bill last week. Obama made personal calls to lawmakers appealing for their votes.

Meanwhile, Cruz and liberal Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren captured the spotlight by rallying their respective sides to oppose the legislation, laying bare the kinds of intraparty squabbles that could emerge in any future compromise efforts by Obama and the GOP.

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The state of Arizona must issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants who came into the US as children, known as Dreamers, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The 6-3 ruling blocks an emergency appeal by Gov. Jan Brewer to stop the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) from issuing licenses.

The decision is the final nail in the coffin for Brewer's long fight to deny the Dreamers the right to drive.

That fight began in August 2012, when Brewer directed the MVD to deny driver's licenses to those who got deferred deportation status under Obama's executive order. She made that decision within hours of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program kicking in.

Several immigrant rights activists filed a class action lawsuit challenging Brewer's actions. The lawsuit argued that the state let immigrants with work permits get licenses, and should apply the same rules to young immigrants protected under DACA.

In July, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition and said the state must give drivers licenses to the young immigrants.

Governor Brewer then asked the court to reconsider its ruling that blocked her policy. She stood firm in her belief that the decision to grant drivers licenses should be left to the state and filed an emergency appeal to delay the issuing of licenses.

In their dissent opinion, Justices Alito, Scalia and Thomas indicated they would have granted Gov. Brewers request.

The ruling will affects an estimated 20,000 young immigrants in Arizona.

Nicholas Espiritu, a staff attorney with the National Immigration Law Center, told Fox News Latino that drivers licenses are crucial for the Dreamers development.

The young immigrants who have been granted deferred action and work authorization under the DACA program are students and young adults who are trying to pursue an education, advance their careers, support their families, and fully contribute to their communities, he said.

Espiritu said he sees progress on the issue of immigration reform, but believes Arizona is still not where it needs to be.

We know that while the country is moving forward to find solutions that fix our dysfunctional immigration system, Arizona is firmly in reverse. We will continue to fight against any attempt to discriminate against young immigrants who the federal government has authorized to be here, said Espiritu.

Governor-elect Doug Duceys press aide said he will adhere to the law once a final rendering has been reached" when he enters office.

This should serve as a wake-up call for the new governor: Do whats best for your state by allowing everyone who should be able to get a license to do so, so they can drive to school and work and participate fully in their communities, said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center.

Nebraska is now the only state denying drivers licenses to 'Dreamers'.

Governor Brewer could not be reached for immediate comment.

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The United States and Cuba will start talks on normalizing full diplomatic relations, marking the most significant shift in U.S. policy toward the communist island in decades, American officials said Wednesday. The announcement comes amid a series of new confidence-building measures between the longtime foes, including the release of American Alan Gross and the freeing of three Cubans jailed in the U.S.

President Barack Obama was to announce the policy changes from the White House at noon Wednesday.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, said the U.S. and Cuba were moving toward normalized banking and trade ties. He also said the U.S. was poised to open an embassy in Havana in the coming months.

"This is going to do absolutely nothing to further human rights and democracy in Cuba," Rubio said in an interview. "But it potentially goes a long way in providing the economic lift that the Castro regime needs to become permanent fixtures in Cuba for generations to come."

Gross, 65, was on an American government plane bound for the U.S. Wednesday morning after being released on humanitarian grounds by the Cuban government at the request of the Obama administration. As part of the secret negotiations to secure his release, the U.S. was releasing three Cuban jailed in Florida for spying.

Obama administration officials have considered Gross' imprisonment an impediment to improving relations with Cuba.

Cuba was also releasing a non-American intelligence 'asset' along with Gross, according to a U.S. official. That official and others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be identified by name before Obama's remarks.

Bonnie Rubinstein, Gross' sister, heard the news from a cousin, who saw it on television.

"We're like screaming and jumping up and down," she said in a brief telephone interview from her home in Texas.

Gross was detained in December 2009 while working to set up Internet access as a subcontractor for the U.S. government's U.S. Agency for International Development, which does work promoting democracy in the communist country. It was his fifth trip to Cuba to work with Jewish communities on setting up Internet access that bypassed local censorship.

Cuba considers USAID's programs illegal attempts by the U.S. to undermine its government, and Gross was tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The three Cubans released in exchange for Gross are part of the so-called Cuban Five  a group of men who were part of the "Wasp Network" sent by Cuba's then-President Fidel Castro to spy in South Florida. The men, who are hailed as heroes in Cuba, were convicted in 2001 in Miami on charges including conspiracy and failure to register as foreign agents in the U.S.

Two of the Cuban Five were previously released after finishing their sentences.

In a statement marking the fifth anniversary of Gross' detention earlier this month, Obama hinted that his release could lead to a thaw in relations with Cuba.

"The Cuban Government's release of Alan on humanitarian grounds would remove an impediment to more constructive relations between the United States and Cuba," Obama said in a statement.

Gross' family has said he was in ailing health. His wife, Judy, said in a statement earlier this month that Gross has lost more than 100 pounds, can barely walk due to chronic pain, and has lost five teeth and much of the sight in his right eye. He has begun refusing to see his wife and daughter, the new chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana and members of Cuba's small Jewish community, who had been visiting him on religious holidays.

Obama has taken some steps to ease U.S. restrictions on Cuba after Raul Castro took over as president in 2010 from his ailing brother. He has sought to ease travel and financial restrictions on Americans with family in Cuba, but has resisted calls to drop the embargo.

Obama and Raul Castro shook hands and exchanged pleasantries last year while both attended a memorial service in South Africa for Nelson Mandela.

The surprise prisoner swap has echoes of the deal the U.S. cut earlier this year to secure the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been held by the Taliban. In exchange for his release in May, the U.S. turned over five Taliban prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

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American officials say the U.S. and Cuba will start talks to normalize full diplomatic relations as part of the most significant shift in U.S. policy toward the communist island in decades.

Officials say the U.S. is also looking to open an embassy in Havana in the coming months. The moves are part of an agreement between the U.S. and Cuba that also includes the release of American Alan Gross and three Cubans jailed in Florida for spying.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, said the agreement includes normalizing banking and trade ties with Cuba.
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Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardsons trip in 2011 to Cuba to press for the release of Alan Gross, the American subcontractor who was jailed on the island and who was returned to the United States Wednesday, did more damage than good, according to sources close to the White House.

Richardson, a Democrat whose long roster of public service includes being a member of Congress and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, had successfully helped negotiate the release of Americans held as hostages and prisoners in sworn enemy nations.

But this trip, which Richardson, author of "How to Sweet-Talk a Shark: Strategies and Stories from a Master Negotiator, made on his own, not as an emissary of the United States, turned out badly.

Cuban officials were not happy about Richardsons visit, though the former governor has said that they encouraged him to travel there. The officials denied his request to see Gross in jail. Gross, who was working in Cuba as a subcontractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development, brought computer equipment to the Jewish community on the island, reportedly as part of a democracy project that was not authorized by the Cuban government.

Cuban authorities arrested him in 2009 on charges of "actions against the independence or the territorial integrity of the state and sentenced him to 15 years in jail.

Richardson, rebuffed by Cuban officials during his visit, angrily told the press that they were holding Gross as a political prisoner.

Any small gains U.S. officials had been making in securing Grosss release came to halt, it seems.

Richardson decided he was going to go and save the day, Politico quoted a former Obama administration official as saying. He was freelancing.

Richardson admitted as much.

In an interview last year with Newsmax, a conservative news outlet, Richardson said: I screwed that one up.

"I thought we had a deal. I went in and talked to the Cubans. The Cubans were changing their policy at the last minute, he said. Instead of shutting up and waiting for things to calm down, I was in Havana and I went to the press. I said 'Alan Gross is a political prisoner, [and] the Cubans are not playing straight.'"

Richardson said he had lost his touch after years of not working in diplomacy. The Cuba mess was sobering, he added.

"Sometimes you can't go public, you can't show your emotion," Richardson told Newsmax. "You've got to be very restrained and careful when you're negotiating."

On Wednesday, Richardson praised the release of Gross on his Facebook page.

"The release of Alan Gross from a Cuban prison is indeed welcome news especially for his wife Judy whom I know and has suffered enough," Gross said. "I fully support the exchange of Gross for the three Cuban political prisoners. It is a good and proportional deal."

"Several years ago I traveled to Cuba to seek Gross release but was stymied when the Cubans first demanded the release of the Cuban Five," Richardson added. "The removal of Alan Gross as an issue between the United States and Cuba should pave the way for a serious improvement in the relationship on a variety of bilateral fronts such as taking Cuba off of the terrorism list and Cuba improving its human rights record."

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President Barack Obamas move to normalize relations with the communist government of Cuba  setting in motion the most dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward the island nation in more than 50 years  was roundly denounced by some in Congress who called it another end-run around them and vowed to fight it next year.

Several Republicans, already reeling from Obamas unilateral move to make sweeping changes in immigration and Democratic Senators pushing through votes on more than two dozen judicial and high-ranking administration nominees, expressed outrage over the presidents Wednesday announcement about easing restrictions on travel and commerce between Cuba and the United States.

They said they plan to block Obamas nomination for ambassador to Cuba, as well as block funding for a new embassy in Havana. For decades, both nations have had only so-called interest sections in each others capitals, not full-fledged embassies. Obama announced that that is going to change now.

"I reserve the right to do everything within the rules of the Senate to prevent that sort of individual from ever even coming up for a vote," said Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who will be chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the State Department, said on his Twitter account that he will block money for an embassy in Cuba.

"Normalizing relations with Cuba is a bad idea at a bad time," tweeted Graham.

One of the most prickly attacks on Obamas move came from a fellow Democrat, Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who, like Rubio, is of Cuban descent.

Todays regulatory changes  are clearly intended to circumvent the intent and spirit of U.S. law and the U.S. Congress, said Menendez, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

When the new Congress convenes in January, I urge incoming Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker to hold hearings on this dramatic and mistaken change of policy.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday morning, senior Obama administration officials, clearly mindful of the arguments made by critics of the presidents recent controversial unilateral actions, stressed that the foreign policy shift was within the legal parameters allowed him.

They noted that Obamas policy change was not a lifting of the decades-old embargo, which only Congress can do.

We are authorizing as much travel as we possibly can within the constraints of the legislation, said a senior administration official.

The New York Times noted that Obamas overhaul of U.S.-Cuba policy is the latest and most striking example of a president unleashed from the hesitancy that characterized much of his first six years in office. It follows decisions by Mr. Obama to defy Republicans on immigration, climate change policy, the regulation of the Internet and negotiations with Iran.

Gone are the cautious political calculations that consigned contentious issues to secondary status. Mr. Obama is instead pushing aggressively on his promises and ignoring his opponents in the process, the Times said.

David Axelrod, a former senior adviser for the Obama administration, told the Times that the president is going down a checklist of thorny, longstanding problems, and hes doing whatever he can to tackle them.

These are things that have been tearing at us for decades and generations. My sense is his feeling is, 'Im not going to leave office without doing everything I can to stop them.'

It promises to be a bumpy road for the White House and a Congress with a Republican majority in both chambers.

First Russia, then Iran, now Cuba, said Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who has been one of the most vocal critics of Obamas executive order on immigration. This is one more very, very bad deal brokered by the Obama Administration.

Cruzs parents came from Cuba.

Rubio vowed to actively work against the president on the new U.S.-Cuba policy once the GOP takes over the Senate in January.

The Presidents decision to reward the Castro regime and begin the path toward the normalization of relations with Cuba is inexplicable, said Rubio. Cubas record is clear. Just as when President Eisenhower severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, the Castro family still controls the country, the economy and all levers of power.

This administrations attempts to loosen restrictions on travel in recent years have only served to benefit the regime."

A visibly angry Rubio went on to say, I intend to use my role as incoming Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committees Western Hemisphere subcommittee to make every effort to block this dangerous and desperate attempt by the president to burnish his legacy at the Cuban peoples expense.

He added that, Appeasing the Castro brothers will only cause other tyrants from Caracas to Tehran to Pyongyang to see that they can take advantage of President Obamas naivete during his final two years in office.

Many lawmakers, particularly Democrats, but some Republicans as well, surely will be fighting Rubio's and other opponents' efforts.

Opening the door with Cuba for trade, travel and the exchange of ideas, said Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, will create a force for positive change in Cuba that more than 50 years of our current policy of exclusion could not achieve.

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona praised Obama for working toward normalizing relations. Flake has been a long-time critic of the embargo.

"The policy that we have in place has done more to keep the Castro regime in power than anything we could have done," Flake said.
While the headlines and cameras focused on Alan Gross, the American federal worker who Cuba released from jail Wednesday, intrigue swirled around another prisoner who also was set free and put on a plane to the United States.

White House officials described the second man  who had spent 20 years in jail in Cuba  only as an intelligence asset who had provided crucial information to the United States that had paved the way for the prosecution of Cuban spies working within this country.

Several times, in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday before President Barack Obamas announcement about Grosss release and a major shift in U.S.-Cuba policy, the White House officials said they would not identify the intelligence asset.

But now, several media outlets are reporting that the unidentified man who was swapped as part of the deal between Cuba and the United States is very likely Rolando Roly Sarraff Trujillo, a former cryptographer in Cubas Directorate of Intelligence who did cover work for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Newsweek, the Washington Post, The Miami Herald and The New York Times were among the outlets that pointed to Trujillo as the U.S. spy who was released after 20 years in the Cuban jail.

Newsweek quoted Chris Simmons, a former Defense Intelligence Agency specialist on Cuba, as saying: I know of all the Cubans on the list of people in jail and he is the only one who fits the descriptionI am 99.9 percent sure that Roly is the guy."

Simmons added that Trujillo was an expert on cryptography for the Cuban Ministry of Interior who was arrested in 1995 and sentenced to 25 years in jail.

The Miami Herald, also quoting Simmons, said that Trujillo, now 51, and two other Cubans supplied the CIA with a trove of information, making it possible for the U.S. agency to decipher Cuban spy codes, read secret reports and track down and arrest those doing espionage for Cuba inside the United States.

He just destroyed their communications, Simmons said of Trujillo.

An Internet search for Rolando Sarraff Trujillo turned up a website called RolandoSarraff.com that described in Spanish a man who has been in jail for nearly 20 years and who is suffering a cruel imprisonmentHe has always declared himself innocent.

The site, which includes numerous posts attributed to relatives of his, says he endured harsh treatment for the simple fact that he thought differently and wanted democracy in his homeland, or at least the most basic human rights.

The website had a post on Thursday that said when relatives went to see Trujillo in jail, they were told he was no longer there and had been moved, though they said they were not told where he now was. They said that he had failed to call his family, which he did daily, the site said.

The site said the family hoped that he was among the many political prisoners who were being released by the Cuban government as a result of the U.S.-Cuba deal.

The site also includes a lot of poetry signed by Trujillo.

White House officials on Wednesday described the unnamed spy as someone who had risked his life and wellbeing to provide crucial information to the United States.

Obama said he was one of the most important intelligence agents that the United States has ever had in Cuba.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said at a press briefing Wednesday: We recovered a highly valued intelligence asset, probably the most highly valued intelligence asset on Cuban soil in American history. And that individual is now on American soil.

In their secret negotiation with Cuban government officials about the release of Gross, U.S. officials made it clear that they did not want to treat getting back the American  who was arrested five years ago after he attempted to bring computers to Jews living in Cuba and was charged with espionage  as an even exchange of spies.

They demanded that Gross be released on humanitarian grounds, based on his fragile health, and that the long-jailed spy who had helped the United States be released as a swap for three of five Cuban spies who were in U.S. jails, having been convicted in 2001 of infiltrating military installations and spying on Cuban exile groups.

Two of the so-called Cuban Five already had been released after serving their sentences.

In Cuba, three men who were providing intelligence to the CIA drew the suspicion of Cuban authorities, who put them under surveillance. The Cuban nationals contacted the CIA asking to be rescued, say published reports.

Two of the men managed to flee Cuba. The Herald said: One, Jose Cohen, lives in South Florida, where hes a top Amway salesman. He did not respond to Herald emails asking for comment. The other has never been publicly identified.

Sarraff, however, The Herald said, was arrested and has been in prison ever since.

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A bill that will sanction Venezuelan government officials accused of being behind a crackdown on protesters that left dozens dead was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Thursday.

The president's signature was widely expected after the measure was approved by both legislative chambers last week.

The bill authorizes sanctions that would freeze the assets and ban visas for anyone accused of carrying out acts of violence or violating the human rights of those opposing the South American nation's socialist government.

Last summer, the State Department imposed a travel ban on Venezuelan officials who were accused of abuses during street protests that left dozens of people dead.

The bill was a bipartisan effort and was co-authored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Venezuela's government made no immediate comment. But legislator Diosdado Cabello, president of the National Assembly, has criticized the action.

"We reject sanctions as arbitrary, as immoral and because no one has the right to impose sanctions on anyone else in the world," said Cabello, who is seen as one of the most influential members of Maduro's governing socialist party.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said the bipartisan legislation signals the U.S. will not tolerate impunity of violations of human rights in Venezuela.

"We support the calls of democracy and freedom by the people of Venezuela," she said.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

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An Arizona sheriff known for arresting hundreds of immigrants on charges of finding work using fake or stolen identities is planning to close the controversial squad that investigates such cases.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's decision to disband the criminal employment squad will end his last major foothold in immigration enforcement after the courts and federal government have gradually reined in his powers in recent years.

Since 2008, Arpaio has raided 83 businesses, leading to more than 700 immigrants in the country illegally being charged with using fake or stolen IDs to get jobs. The raids have been criticized as focusing too heavily on the workers instead of employers.

"Here is guy who abused these laws and twisted them in such a sick way to do it for political gain. But I am glad that the reign over immigrants is over," said Lydia Guzman, a civil rights advocate who documented many of Arpaio's business raids and immigration patrols.

The agency didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

The sheriff's office announced the squad's planned closure late Wednesday as part of a legal challenge to the immigrant ID-theft cases. The squad will close in January or February after it completes an investigation.

A memo by a sheriff's official said the agency will be voluntarily halting its work-related ID theft enforcement and that the decision was made after the courts have shelved certain Arizona immigration laws.

Annie Lai, one of the attorneys leading the challenge, said opponents of Arpaio's raids will try to get prosecutors to stop bringing work-related ID theft cases against immigrants arrested by other metro Phoenix police agencies.

The ID theft laws were part of a package of legislation that sought to confront employers who hire immigrants in the country illegally. Only one employer has been criminally charged in those investigations.

But the immigrants arrested for ID theft typically plead guilty to a felony, frequently face deportation and are unable to re-enter the U.S. legally.

Arpaio's immigration powers have dwindled as the federal government curtailed his authority or courts struck down several Arizona laws seeking to confront illegal immigration.

In late 2009, Washington stripped some of his deputies of their power to make federal immigration arrests. The restrictions continued when a judge ruled in May 2013 that Arpaio's office had systematically racially profiled Latinos in regular traffic and special immigration patrols. Arpaio vigorously denies the court's conclusions.

Another squad, focused on enforcing an Arizona immigrant smuggling law, has come under scrutiny from the judge in the profiling case after allegations of misconduct surfaced earlier this year, including whether a squad member had been shaking down immigrants who were in the country illegally.

A federal judge last month struck down the state's smuggling law, which was the legal underpinning for Arpaio's immigration patrols.

Still, a small number of Arizona's immigration laws have been upheld, including a key section of the state's landmark 2010 immigration law that requires police to check people's immigration status under certain circumstances.

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Colorado's top law enforcement official promises to vigorously defend the state's historic law legalizing marijuana after Nebraska and Oklahoma asked the U.S. Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional, saying the drug is freely flowing into neighboring states.

The two states filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to prevent Colorado from enforcing the measure known as Amendment 64, which was approved by voters in 2012 and allows recreational marijuana for adults over 21. The complaint says the measure runs afoul of federal law and therefore violates the Constitution's supremacy clause, which says federal laws trump state laws.

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said the lawsuit was without merit.

"Because neighboring states have expressed concern about Colorado-grown marijuana coming into their states, we are not entirely surprised by this action," he said. "However, it appears the plaintiffs' primary grievance stems from non-enforcement of federal laws regarding marijuana, as opposed to choices made by the voters of Colorado."

The lawsuit says Colorado marijuana flows into neighboring states undermining their efforts to enforce their anti-marijuana laws.

More On This... Trying to Revive Drought-Stricken Colorado River

"This contraband has been heavily trafficked into our state," Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning said at a news conference in Lincoln. "While Colorado reaps millions from the sale of pot, Nebraska taxpayers have to bear the cost."

Colorado has raised more than $60 million in taxes, licenses and fees from medical and recreational marijuana, which has been sold in stores since January.

The lawsuit says the sales have strained Nebraska and Oklahoma's finances and legal systems. Police are spending more time and money making arrests, housing inmates, impounding vehicles, seizing drugs and handling other problems related to Colorado pot.

Bruning, a Republican, blamed U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for failing to enforce the federal law's ban on drugs in Colorado.

In a policy statement last year, the U.S. Justice Department noted it doesn't have the resources to police all violations of federal marijuana law. It laid out eight federal law enforcement priorities that states need to protect if they want to authorize "marijuana-related conduct." They include keeping marijuana in-state  something Oklahoma and Nebraska says Colorado has failed to do. The suit doesn't contain statistics to support the claim.

Law enforcement agencies have long said anecdotally that they are feeling the impacts of Colorado's legal weed, making more marijuana arrests and seizing more of the drug.

But there's no way to know exactly how much legal pot is leaving Colorado.

The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area wrote in a recent report that the amount of Colorado pot seized on highways increased from an annual average of 2,763 pounds between 2005 and 2008 to a yearly average of 3,690 pounds from 2009 to 2013. The weed was headed for at least 40 different states.

Scotts Bluff County Sheriff Mark Overman, in western Nebraska, said Colorado marijuana is extra potent, making it worth more in his region and giving sellers a greater financial incentive to do business there.

"I think this is overdue, and I think other states should jump on board," Overman said of the lawsuit. "I'm very frustrated. I take an oath of office, as does every other police officer in this country. I don't just get to pick and choose which laws I enforce."

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper told The Denver Post he spoke with Nebraska and Oklahoma officials about their concerns.

"I'm not sure filing a lawsuit is the most constructive way to find a solution to whatever issues they are," he said.

Legal scholars say it's too early to know how the Supreme Court might handle the case or if it will even accept it.

"Right now, these regulations exist in legal no-man's-land," said Sam Kamin, a University of Denver law professor. "It's incredibly unusual for a state to be suing another state. (The lawsuit) certainly was a surprise to me given the movement at the federal level, which seems to be in favor of allowing states to experiment."

It was unclear if other neighboring states would take similar action. Attorneys general in Utah and New Mexico said they had no immediate plans to join the suit.

Brian Vicente, a Colorado attorney and legalization advocate who wrote Amendment 64, said the challenge is "political grandstanding" without merit. He said 23 states have enacted medical marijuana laws, and none have been overturned because of federal law.

"I think it shows they are on the wrong side of history," Vicente said. "Colorado voters passed this measure, and more and more states are passing these laws. If the attorney general has a problem with how federal laws are being enforced he should bring that up with the U.S. attorney."

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It could be several weeks before any Linn County marijuana dispensaries resume recreational sales once new rules take effect Jan. 1.

Saturday marks the end of limited retail sales from the Oregon Health Authority, which began in October 2015 following the statewide passage of Measure 91. On Jan. 1, recreational sales and licenses will be governed under the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

For medical dispensaries interested in continuing recreational sales  seen as a much more lucrative business than medical sales alone  that meant a rush to file applications, meet requirements and pay fees before Sundays deadline.

This week alone 50 OLCC staff members were processing more than 100 applications for approval in the coming days, said Mark Pettinger, spokesman for the OLCC Recreational Marijuana Program.

Its a challenging time right now, Pettinger said. There are a lot of moving parts to all of this.

But in terms of recreational marijuana, few areas have had to deal with more moving parts in the last couple of months than Linn County and the city of Albany. No retailers will be able to sell recreational marijuana to start the year, as governmental bans on those sales (later overturned by voters in the Nov. 8 election) have led to delays in the application process.

Pettinger said no Linn County dispensaries will be considered for retail applications until Jan. 3, when the city of Albany is required to reconsider land use compatibility statements, an essential document in getting OLCC approval. That means delays for the Linn County retailers and three producers that have applied for active licenses in Linn County.

Someone could submit a bunch of paperwork and forms that we require to us now, Pettinger said. We could have those, but until we get the land use compatibility statement, we dont move forward. We need that as evidence that the process is approved locally.

Over the last several weeks, the Albany City Council and the staff wrestled with crafting rules and regulations regarding where dispensaries could be located. Those issues only recently were settled. (See related story.)

For Steven Holt, manager of Going Green Albany, the process has been frustrating.

We applied right after we won the vote and it overturned the ban on recreational sales, Holt said. But the city is holding onto the land use application. So we have to wait.

Albany Mayor Sharon Konopa said the City Council was looking out for the communitys interest in banning recreational sales and worked immediately to respond to the voters once the ban was overturned.

We met the night after the election so we did our part, Konopa said. Every city has zoning rules and dispensary owners for Albany and Linn County have known this for a long time. If theyre whining about it, they knew about it.

She added that it was important to prioritize proper zoning for recreational businesses.

What we came out with as a final product is a good fit for Albany, she said. Whether they have to wait another month or so to sell recreational, well, theyve been waiting all these years to sell recreational, so whats going to be another month or so?

Todd Dalotto, a cannabis consultant and owner of Albanys CAN! Research Education and Consulting, said that loss of business could mean a loss of jobs at some dispensaries if the process faces additional delays.

Its likely that its going to take months for (Linn County and Albany dispensaries) to get approved once the land use statement is approved, Dalotto said. So just by virtue of the timing, there wont be any recreational sales in Linn County for a while.

Erin Kennedy, a former Oregon Health Authority inspector who now works with Portland-based Aperture Consulting to assist in application processes, agreed that the ban and overturning of the ban caused several delays.

It put dispensaries in a situation where they couldnt become recreational shops in the same time frame as others, Kennedy said.

Sundays transition to the OLCC could also cause problems for medical marijuana dispensaries: Any products that met approval under Oregon Health Authority regulations before Oct. 1 will no longer be valid on Jan. 1. Recreational retailers were granted an extension to sell those same products until March 1.

They were allowed to keep selling those with a label that said they dont meet current testing requirements, Kennedy said. If they still have those in stock, they cant sell them on Jan. 1.

So what can dispensaries do with the excess product?

They can transfer them back to the vendor, they can put them on sale and try to sell them as quickly possible, or they can destroy them, she said.

Rhea Graham, owner of Albanys 1st Gramsterdam, said she stands to lose dozens of products that met previous regulations.

Were talking thousands of dollars of inventory that I cant do anything with, Graham said. OLCC is letting the recreational market sell it until March but those of us who are medical and serving medical patients cant. So medical patients are getting screwed.

Graham was fighting this week to convince regulatory agencies to extend the deadline to March and in the meantime has offered those products at major discounts.

Ive been offering things at 60 percent off. Its a sale but its more like a forced sale, Graham said. I havent been able to bring on additional people that I need to because I cant sell all of my products. We got into this to get away from the black market and to help medical patients, but they are not helping us do that.
How does one end almost 54 years of hostility toward a next-door neighbor?

That's about to become clear as the Obama administration and the communist government of Raul Castro move to normalize more than a half-century of bitter animosity between the United States and Cuba.

It won't happen overnight. Some of the likely steps:

Restoring full diplomatic ties

While international relations can be subject to laws passed by Congress, the White House enjoys broad discretion in diplomatic recognition. An exchange of diplomatic notes between Washington and Havana would be enough to normalize diplomatic relations, but that must be preceded by agreement on a series of separate understandings that would govern those ties.

High-level discussions to reach those understandings will begin in late January in Havana as part of previously scheduled U.S.-Cuba immigration talks. The top U.S. diplomat for the Americas, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson, will lead the administration's delegation. Jacobson told reporters on Thursday that the process is in many ways "mechanical" and will not be contingent on reaching accords on areas of deep U.S. concern, notably Cuba's human rights record.

Nor are comprehensive settlements of outstanding U.S. and Cuban legal claims against each other and private companies required for normalization, she said. President Barack Obama and others maintain, though, that improving human rights and resolving other contentious issues, including lawsuits, will remain key U.S. priorities moving forward.

Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba were severed in 1961 but partially restored in 1977 with the creation of U.S. and Cuban interests sections staffed by diplomats in the countries' respective capitals. Those facilities are technically under the authority of Switzerland, which serves as what is known as a "protecting power" for both the United States and Cuba in each other's nation. Once full diplomatic relations are restored, those interests sections would be converted to embassies.

Reopening the U.S. Embassy in Havana and nominating an ambassador

As with recognition, the U.S. Constitution gives the executive branch wide discretion in opening and closing diplomatic facilities. But Congress must approve money to pay for them, and Senate confirmation is required for ambassadorial nominations. Several senators opposed to the administration's policy shift have threatened to withhold funding for an embassy in Havana and to block any nominee for ambassador. Since Congress has for 37 years funded the interests section in Havana and for its staff, who provide vital services to Americans and Cubans, administration officials do not believe Congress will block payments to convert the mission to an embassy. The State Department says it plans to use the building in which the current interests section is located, a six-story structure that served as the embassy from 1953 until 1961, and does not expect the change to cost significantly more than what is currently spent.

The ambassador post could be more problematic. A single senator can block a nomination. Administration officials expect that any nominee will face a difficult confirmation process but note that the functions of an ambassador are often carried out by a deputy chief of mission or charge d'affaires. The administration says it hopes to have the embassy open "within months" but that timetable will be dictated by the speed of the broader normalization effort.

Ending the U.S. embargo and removing the 'State Sponsor of Terrorism' designation

The executive branch does not have the power to abolish the 1963 embargo, but it can take steps to mitigate its effect. Ending the embargo would take an act of Congress, and administration officials admit they are not optimistic that will happen soon. Officials say, however, they believe an easing of sanctions will eventually create conditions in Cuba that will persuade opponents of normalization to vote in favor of ending the embargo.

In addition to the embargo, Cuba is subject to sanctions under other legislation, including its designation in 1982 as a "state sponsor of terrorism." That designation restricts U.S. foreign assistance, bans defense exports and sales, puts controls over exports of dual-use items and sets out numerous financial and travel restrictions. Obama announced he had instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to begin a six-month review of the designation that is required to delist Cuba. Officials refuse to pre-judge the outcome of the review but acknowledge that the White House would not have ordered it without an eye on lifting the designation.

Cuba is also subject to sanctions under the Trading With the Enemy Act, the Helms-Burton Act and other legislation, all of which would require congressional approval to repeal but not necessarily to ease.

Easing sanctions short of ending the embargo

Don't rush to Cuba to pick up cigars and rum just yet. The easing of trade, travel and currency restrictions announced on Wednesday will not take effect until the Commerce and Treasury Departments revise the regulations and publish the revisions in the Federal Register. That could take weeks, at least.

The administration says rules on visits to Cuba by Americans will be liberalized to allow for travel in categories that have in the past required special licenses from Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Those categories include: family visits, official U.S. or foreign government business, journalism, research and professional meetings, educational and religious activities, performances, workshops, competitions and expeditions and humanitarian support. Specific licenses will also no longer be required for business related to telecommunications and Internet linkages with Cuba.

In addition, Americans with family in Cuba will now be allowed to send their relatives up to $2,000 every three months, up from $500, and Americans visiting Cuba will be allowed to legally import merchandise bought there with a value of up to $400, including up to $100 in tobacco and alcohol purchases. Those purchases will also be allowed to be made with credit and debit cards issued by U.S. banks.

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Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, who are both mulling a bid for president in 2016, traded barbs on Friday over the controversial U.S.-Cuba deal.

It all started when Paul told a radio station that the embargo just hasnt worked and then said opening trade with Cuba was a good idea. Paul became the first potential Republican presidential candidate to offer some support for President Barack Obama's decision to attempt to normalize U.S. relations with Cuba.

"The 50-year embargo just hasn't worked," Paul said during a radio interview with Tom Roten of New Talk 800 WVHU in Huntington, West Virginia. "If the goal is regime change, it sure doesn't seem to be working, and probably, it punishes the people more than the regime because the regime can blame the embargo for hardship," added the Kentucky senator.

Rubio, a Cuban-American senator from Florida, quickly shot back at Paul during an interview with Fox, saying hes an isolationist.

He has no idea what he is talking about he said. "Whats hurting the Cuban people is not the embargo, whats hurting the Cuban people is the Cuban government."

Paul took to Twitter and Facebook to respond.

"Seems to me, Senator Rubio is acting like an isolationist who wants to retreat to our borders and perhaps build a moat. I reject this isolationism, Paul said.

Senator Marco Rubio believes the embargo against Cuba has been ineffective, yet he wants to continue perpetuating failed policies, Paul wrote on Facebook. After 50 years of conflict, why not try a new approach? The United States trades and engages with other communist nations, such as China and Vietnam. Why not Cuba?

Obama said Wednesday he would ease economic and travel restrictions on Cuba and attempt to partner with Congress to end the trade embargo. His announcement came after Cuba released American Alan Gross, who had been imprisoned for five years, and a Cuban who had spied for the U.S. In exchange, the U.S. freed three Cubans jailed in Florida.

Paul noted that he grew up in a family that opposed communism and at first thought opening up trade with China was a bad idea. But he said trading with China was the "best way to actually ultimately defeat communism."

His father, former Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, has supported lifting the Cuban embargo.

"The bottom line is, even the Cuban community is kind of coming around on this," Sen. Paul said.

Includes reporting by The Associated Press.

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U.S. President Barack Obama said during his end-of-year press conference at the White House that he feels confident in the renewed relations between Washington and Cuba but that the Cuban government still has great deal of work to do when it comes to human rights and personal freedoms on the island.

The president on Wednesday announced a diplomatic opening with Cuba, lifting certain travel and economic restrictions. A broader, 50-year-old economic embargo on Cuba remains in place and can only be lifted by Congress.

The historic deal with Havana was negotiated as part of Cuba's release of American Alan Gross, who had been imprisoned in Cuba for five years. The deal also involved a spy swap. Cuba released a Cuban who had been in prison for nearly 20 years for spying for the United States. The U.S. in turn released three Cubans convicted of spying.

"The whole point of having relations is that we can have greater opportunity for influence with that government," Obama said. "I would be surprised if the Cuba government purposely tries to undermine what is effectively their own policy.

"That doesn't mean over next two years we can anticipate them taking actions we might find deeply troubling, either in Cuba or with their foreign policy," Obama added. "But that's true of a lot of countries where we have an embassy.

The president also said that he also sympathizes with dissidents and human rights activists working in the working in the country. One of the U.S.s major gripes with the regime of Raul Castro is the jailing political prisoners and oppression of free speech on the island.

As part of the deal reached between Havana and Washington earlier this week, the Cuban government released over 50 political prisoners along with the two Americans and also said it would allow the International Red Cross into the country  both moves being praised by Obama.

"I share the concerns of dissidents there and human rights activists that this is still a regime that oppresses its people," he said. "I dont anticipate overnight changes, but what I know deep in my bones is that if youve done the same thing for 50 years and nothing has changed you should try something different if you want a different outcome.

In regards to any travel plans for Obama to go to Havana in the near future, the president appeared to brush the idea away, but did say that he could make a trip to Cuba sometime in his life.

"We're not at a stage where me visiting Cuba or Castro coming to U.S. is in the cards," he said. "I don't know how this relationship will develop over next several years. I'm a fairly young man so I imagine at some point in my life I will visit Cuba.

Obama also added that the only time that former Cuban leader Fidel Castro was brought up in the discussions was after the presidents opening remarks to Raul Castro, which went on for several minutes. Obama apologized to Castro, but the younger Castro brother jested about how long Fidel used to speak for.

"[Raul] Castro said don't worry about it, you are still young man and chance to break Fidels record. He spoke once for seven hours straight," Obama said. "Then his own remarks lasted at least twice as long as mine allowing me to say runs in the family."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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For decades, the politics of Cuba in Florida were simple: anything less than a hard line stance against Fidel Castro and his regime was a sure way to lose a race for office.

President Barack Obama's surprise decision this week to restore diplomatic relations with the communist nation is the surest sign yet those politics are changing, with some even suggesting it's a political gambit aimed at cracking the Cuban-American community's longtime support for the GOP.

"They want to bring Cuban Americans over to what they view as a Hispanic bloc that supports Democrats," said former Florida Republican Sen. George LeMieux. "If you end the tensions with Cuba, if that's their goal, then I think they believe that they will end some of the reason why Cuban Americans have been affiliated with the Republican Party."

As a whole, Cuban Americans make up a much smaller percentage of Florida's Hispanic population than they did 15 years ago. While Obama's moves are sure to anger older Cuban Americans, especially first- and second-generation exiles, younger Cuban Americans aren't as likely to vote on this issue alone.

Add it up, said Democratic pollster David Beattie, and it has now become politically safe in Florida to make changes America's Cuba policy.

"They just don't understand the point of a policy that they didn't connect with," Beattie said. "It's in some ways politics catching up with where the state is as a whole."

Florida is the nation's largest swing state and most crucial prize in presidential politics, and Obama did not pay a political price after loosening travel restrictions to Cuba in 2011. He not only carried Florida in his re-election effort the next year, but exit polls showed he carried about half the Cuban-American vote.

Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said you can see "in the polls, and you can see that just by going to Miami and talking to folks," how much things have changed.

"I'm as anti-Castro as they come, but it's time to move on," Nelson said. "It's time to get into the 21st century."

He agrees that if U.S. tensions with Cuba were no longer an issue for Cuban American voters, it would help Democrats win them over on other issues of interest that they share with other Hispanics.

"Bingo," Nelson said.

As expected, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush both came out firmly against Obama's decision, with Rubio attacking the new policy relentlessly in the days after its announcement.

Beattie, a Democrat, said that puts them at risk of being viewed as out of touch by voters who think normalizing relations with Cuba will help the Florida economy.

"They're talking about a set of issues that voters aren't essentially concerned about," he said. "They're concerned about the economy. They're concerned about the cost of health care."

Rubio said he doesn't care what the popular position is. He said he personally knows people who have suffered under the Castros' rule.

"I don't care if 99 percent of people in polls disagree with my position, this is my position and I feel passionately about it," Rubio said this past week. "I'm glad that I'm the side of freedom and democracy. I'm glad that I'm on the side of human rights."

Republican strategist Ana Navarro said the timing of the announcement, well after the midterm elections, is a sign that Obama knows the changes still carry the potential of political risk for Democrats and others who support them.

"Did he do it when there was a political cost to him? Did he do it in 2012? No," she said.

Nelson noted the issue historically had the power to unite Cuban Americans against Democrats, pointing to the 2000 election, when George W. Bush beat Vice President Al Gore in Florida by 537 votes  a victory that led directly to the White House. That year, Cuban Americans supported Republicans by a huge margin after being angered that President Bill Clinton's administration used armed federal agents to return a boy to his father in Cuba.

"That midnight raid to take Elian Gonzalez, that unified the Cuban American community against Democrats," Nelson said.

Navarro said Obama probably had 2000 on his mind and the influence Cuban Americans had in that race when deciding on when to reveal his plans to change the country's relationship with Cuba.

"They were afraid that come November the Cubans would remember, the way they did with Al Gore," Navarro said. "They're still very wary."

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Electricity bills. Speeding tickets. Dentist records. Money order receipts.

The search for documents is on for immigrants who may qualify for a work permit and reprieve from deportation under measures President Barack Obama announced last month. Applicants must prove they were in the country continuously since Jan. 1, 2010  a tall order for many accustomed to avoiding trails. For critics, conditions are ripe for fraud.

The administration has not said which documents it will accept, but advocates are taking guidance from a 2012 reprieve for immigrants who came to the country as young children. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, allows vehicle registrations, baptism records, mortgages, postmarked letters  and those are just some suggestions from the agency that vets applications.

Los Angeles immigration attorney Carl Shusterman uses social media postings. A Facebook photo at Disneyland might work.

"It's not the first thing I would use, but if you're here illegally and getting paid in cash, you may not have as good records as someone paying into Social Security," he said. "How do you prove you were here?"

Laura Lichter, a Denver immigration attorney, has used movie rental receipts, veterinarian bills and customer loyalty programs that detail purchase histories.

"You use what you got," she said.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told members of Congress this month that fraudulent applications could potentially "undermine the whole process" and he promised to review safeguards. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which vets applications and operates under Johnson's watch, says it has grown its anti-fraud unit and increased "the scope and frequency" of vetting.

Some advocate a more aggressive approach.

Louis D. Crocetti Jr., who headed Citizenship and Immigration Services' anti-fraud unit until he retired in 2011, recommends more random interviews of applicants and periodic home visits for recipients of immigration benefits. He said his audits of various visa programs found double-digit fraud rates, including 33 percent for religious workers in 2005 and 13 percent for high-tech workers in 2008.

"Immigration benefits is a production-oriented agency that receives tremendous pressure from the public and the Hill to process applications as quickly as possible," he said.

The government plans to begin accepting applications by mid-February for immigrants eligible for an expanded version of DACA and by mid-May for parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Leon Rodriguez said the agency will hire as many as 1,000 officers to process applications. The agency says hires will get several weeks of training.

Attorneys expect children's birth certificates will be required for parents of U.S. citizens. School transcripts, bank statements and vaccination records also will be in demand.

Irwin Diaz, a San Diego construction worker who came to the country illegally in 1990, would use paycheck stubs if he applies but says employment records are tricky for anyone who worked under an assumed Social Security number.

"Whatever everyone like me is trying to do is see if we're eligible, see if they have any tickets they owed or things like that," said Diaz, 31. "It's people in the shadows."

School administrators say DACA prepared them. The Los Angeles Unified School District received 16,000 requests for transcripts and enrollment records after the program was announced in 2012, requiring the creation of a new record processing system and hiring. In Houston, hundreds lined up for records each day for months.

"The line would be out the door, down the hall," said Brita Lindsey, the student records manager at Houston Independent School District.

More than 700,000 people have applied for DACA since 2012, with 87 percent approved, 5 percent denied and the rest pending. Applicants must go to a government office to give fingerprints, which are scanned against law enforcement databases. They are typically not interviewed.

Patrick Taurel, a legal fellow at the American Immigration Council who has advised DACA applicants, said officers often ask for additional documents.

"It's a preponderance of evidence standard," he said. "It has to be more likely than not that you meet all the evidence standards."

Advocates warn that rigorously grilling applicants may dampen interest in one of Obama's signature initiatives. An estimated 5 million people are expected to be eligible, but some may worry that admitting they are in the country illegally will expose them to deportation. Permits last three years, and it is unknown how the next president will act.

Application fees, which are $465 for DACA, may also be a deterrent.

"Who's going to spend $500, plus expose themselves to potential backlash?" Lichter said. "It's just not going to work. It's going to sour people."

Prakash Khatri, Citizenship and Immigration Services' ombudsman from 2003 to 2008, said he didn't anticipate "really extensive" questioning. He said there is little incentive to lie because getting caught would erase any prospects of permanent legal status.

Technology advances have made lying more difficult since a 1980s amnesty that was widely perceived to be tainted by document fraud.

"In 1986, we were still dealing with the first generation of computers, no Internet," Khatri said. "Today if you present a document and you say you lived at a certain place, there are so many records that can reveal whether or not you have stated the truth."

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The Pentagon said Saturday that four Afghans from the Guantanamo Bay detention center have been returned to their home country in what U.S. officials are citing as a sign of their confidence in new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Obama administration officials said they worked quickly to fulfil the request from Ghani, in office just three months, to return the four  long cleared for release  as a kind of reconciliation and mark of improved U.S.-Afghan relations.

There is no requirement that the Afghan government further detain the men, identified as Mohammed Zahir, Shawali Khan, Abdul Ghani and Khi Ali Gul. Afghanistan's High Peace Council, a government-appointed group, confirmed the transfer, but did not identify the men, saying that the four "will be reunited soon with their families."

The council also requested the repatriation of the eight Afghans who are among the 132 detainees remaining at Guantanamo.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, said in a statement that it had "full confidence in the Afghan government's ability to mitigate any threats these individuals may pose and to ensure that they are given humane treatment." The transfer "demonstrates Afghan sovereignty and U.S. trust in the strength of Afghan government institutions," according to the statement.

The move is the latest in a series of transfers during the past two months. President Barack Obama has been pushing to reduce the number of detainees as he tries to make progress toward his goal of closing the globally condemned detention center for suspected terrorists.

Administration officials, speaking on a condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, say more transfers are expected in the coming weeks.

Guantanamo now holds the lowest number of detainees since shortly after it opened nearly 13 years ago in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Those remaining include 64 approved for transfer.

Although the four Afghans have long been approved for transfer, the move sparked debate in Washington. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel did not immediately sign off after Gen. John F. Campbell, the top American commander in Afghanistan, raised concerns they could pose a danger to troops in the country. Administration officials say Campbell and all military leaders on the ground have now screened the move.

"The United States is grateful to the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for its willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility," the Pentagon said in a statement. "The United States coordinated with the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures."

One administration official involved in the review said most, if not all, the terrorism accusations against the men had been discarded and each is considered a low-level operative at best.

Before he can close Guantanamo, Obama faces the challenge of working out what to do with any detainees who aren't cleared for transfer  either because the United States wants to prosecute them or continuing holding them because they are considered too dangerous to release. Congress has passed legislation blocking detainees from coming to the U.S. for detention or trial.

Obama issued a statement Friday objecting to congressional restrictions on closing Guantanamo. He said shutting down the detention facility was a "national imperative." He also noted that the U.S. recently ended its operations of prisons for suspected terrorists in Afghanistan by releasing the final three detainees from the Parwan Detention Center.

"Yet halfway around the world, the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, remains open for the 13th consecutive year, costing the American people hundreds of millions of dollars each year and undermining America's standing in the world," Obama said.

He added, "The continued operation of this detention facility weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists."

Some Guantanamo opponents are questioning whether the United States has the authority to continue detaining prisoners captured in the Afghan conflict after the end of combat operations at year's end.

"We will certainly expect to see legal challenges to continued detention at the end of hostilities, which is just in a couple weeks," said J. Wells Dixon, an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights. Dixon has assisted on the case of Khan and said hopefully he can reunite with his father and brother after nearly 13 years at Guantanamo.

"He was sent to Guantanamo on the flimsiest of allegations that were implausible on their face and never fully investigated," Dixon argued. "He never should have been there."

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President Barack Obama said his plan to normalize relations with Cuba gives the U.S. a chance to influence events at an important moment of change for the communist nation, and he brushed off critics who accuse him of kowtowing to dictators.

Obama said a half-century of trying to push out the Castro government through isolation has not worked. He said his administration is taking a look at whether to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terror, acknowledging that Havana's inclusion makes it difficult for the U.S. to pursue closer ties.

"If we engage, we have the opportunity to influence the course of events at a time when there's going to be some generational change in that country," Obama told CNN's "State of the Union" in an interview set to air Sunday. "And I think we should seize it and I intend to do so."

Obama's move to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba elicited cheers from longtime opponents of the strict U.S. position toward Cuba. But his announcement last week also drew fierce opposition, including from some U.S. lawmakers in both parties who said Obama failed to win any commitments from Cuba to democratize before the easing of U.S. penalties and travel restrictions.

On Saturday, Cuban opposition leaders in Miami joined Cuban-American politicians and activists, pledging to oppose Obama's plan.

Cuban President Raul Castro, speaking to his National Assembly, said that Cuba would not renounce its communist system despite the normalization of ties with the U.S. He paraded three convicted spies just released from U.S. prison, and they shook their fists in victory in front of parliament.

Obama said it's wrong to accuse him of letting dictators outmaneuver him, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin as an example. After all, Russia's currency is now collapsing under the weight of U.S. and European penalties, he pointed out.

"There is this knee-jerk sense, I think, on the part of some in the foreign policy establishment that, you know, shooting first and thinking about it second projects strength," Obama said.

"We have been very firm with respect to those countries that we think are violating international law or are acting against our interests. But I have been consistent in saying that where we can solve problems diplomatically, we should do so."

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie disagrees with President Obama's decision to normalize relations with Cuba and wants the president to demand the immediate return of a convicted cop killer from the country "before any further consideration of restoration of diplomatic relations with the Cuban government."

In a letter sent to the White House Friday and made public by his office Sunday, Christie pressed for the return of Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper in 1973 during a gunbattle after being stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Chesimard was found guilty but escaped from prison and eventually fled to Cuba, where she was granted asylum by Fidel Castro. She is now living as Assata Shakur and is the first woman placed on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List.

Christie said Cuba's decision to grant Chesimard asylum "is an affront to every resident of our state, our country, and in particular, the men and women of the New Jersey State Police, who have tirelessly tried to bring this killer back to justice."

Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the White House's National Security Council, said it will "continue to press in our engagement with the Cuban government for the return of U.S. fugitives in Cuba to pursue justice for the victims of their crimes."

Christie expressed "profound disagreement" with the president's decision, but he said the moment marked an opportunity for Cuba to prove it's serious about change.

"I do not share your view that restoring diplomatic relations without a clear commitment from the Cuban government of the steps they will take to reverse decades of human rights violations will result in a better and more just Cuba for its people," Christie wrote. "However, despite my profound disagreement with this decision, I believe there is an opportunity for Cuba and its government to show the American people it is serious about change."

Christie has generally been reluctant to weigh in on contentious foreign policy issues as he mulls a run for president in 2016.

Other potential Republican candidates, most notably Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, have been publicly disputing one another's opposing stances.

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A federal judge on Monday appeared deeply skeptical of an Arizona sheriff's lawsuit seeking to halt President Barack Obama's plan to spare nearly 5 million people from deportation.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell questioned whether Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio had legal standing to challenge the immigration program announced last month. She suggested the topic is better left for Congress and the Obama administration to sort out.

In the first courtroom battle over Obama's plan, Arpaio's lawyer Larry Klayman said the president violated the Constitution by doing an end-run around Congress. He argued that the program would let more illegal immigrants enter the country and commit crimes, burdening law enforcement.

"It's not policy, he's creating law and he cannot do that under the U.S. Constitution," Klayman said of Obama.

But Justice Department lawyer Kathleen Hartnett said Arpaio's lawsuit seemed to be raising a "political dispute" rather than a legal claim the court could address. The Obama administration has called the case "speculative and unsubstantiated" and has urged the court to dismiss it.

Howell at times seemed exasperated with Klayman, a longtime conservative activist who has filed hundreds of lawsuits against the federal government, including challenges to Obama's U.S. citizenship. When Klayman said his client has been threatened because of his tough views on Obama's immigration policy, Howell responded: "That just doesn't cut it for me."

Howell, an Obama appointee, also said it did not appear that Arpaio could show a "concrete" injury he has suffered from the new policy, especially since it will take months before the bulk of it actually goes into effect.

"If Congress doesn't like it, doesn't Congress have the power to step in?" she asked.

Howell said she would issue a ruling in the case soon.

Arpaio has often clashed with the federal government over the enforcement of immigration laws and he has filed suit to stop new policies announced by Obama. He claims that more than 35 percent of immigrants living in Maricopa County illegally who wound up in Arpaio's jails in 2014 were repeat offenders, signifying in the sheriff's view that federal officials have done a poor job of deporting criminals.

Obama's plan marks the most sweeping change to the nation's immigration policies in nearly three decades and set off a fierce fight with Republicans. The changes include work permits and three-year deportation stays for more than 4 million immigrants here illegally. It mostly applies to those who've been in the country more than five years and have children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

Under the program, the Homeland Security Department would prioritize the removal of immigrants who present threats to national security, public safety or border security. DHS officials could deport someone if an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office director determined that removing the person would serve an important federal interest.

In a separate lawsuit, Texas and 23 other states allege that Obama overstepped his constitutional powers in a way that will only worsen the humanitarian problems along the southern U.S. border. That suit is pending in a federal district court in Brownsville.

The White House has insisted that Obama is acting under proper legal authority to enforce the nation's immigration laws.

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They waited in line in the dark outside motor vehicle offices, cheered when the doors opened and celebrated again upon passing their driving tests.

For many young immigrants in Arizona, Monday marked a landmark day as they were able to get driver's licenses for the first time.

Arizona was one of the last states in the country where officials refused to issue driver's licenses to young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children but allowed to remain in the country under a 2012 Obama administration program.

Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer waged a lengthy legal battle over the program to restrict licenses. Courts ruled against the state on several occasions and cleared the way for licenses to be issued Monday.

Immigrants said they were excited about getting a license after driving to their jobs without one and fearing they would be pulled over.

"It's going to be ... peace of mind knowing that I'm legally allowed to drive now, not having to watch over my back and think of, 'Oh, am I going to get pulled over and get a ticket, get my car towed, and how am I going to get to work the next day,'" said Jose Cazares, 21.

After lining up in the dark outside Motor Vehicle Division offices, the immigrants filled out paperwork then took written exams and driving tests, performing parallel-parking maneuvers surrounded by TV cameras.

"It feels pretty nice knowing that I finally have the piece of paper that I have been waiting for over two years," 19-year-old Ramon Maldonado said as he emerged with a license.

Jose Alberto Aguilar, a Mexico City native who was brought to the U.S. by his parents as a child, waited at a Motor Vehicle Division office in Tucson. The 23-year-old civil engineer rides the bus to work each day.

"It's great because it allows me to get a car and be safer too," he said.

Aguilar said he was hired as a civil engineer after an internship made possible when he acquired a Social Security number through the Obama administration program that he said "really opened a lot of doors for me."

State officials expect the rush of applicants to continue in the weeks ahead since about 20,000 immigrants could be eligible for driver's licenses.

A preliminary injunction issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge David Campbell barred the state from enforcing Brewer's license policy.

Young immigrants have said the policy made it difficult or impossible for them to get essential things done, such as going to school, work or the store. Others were thrilled to have a form of state-issued identification that makes their everyday lives easier.

Brewer moved to deny the driver's licenses after the Obama administration took steps to shield thousands of immigrants from deportation.

The president's policy applied to people younger than 30 who came to the U.S. before turning 16; have been in the country for at least five continuous years; are enrolled in or have graduated from a high school or equivalent program; or have served in the military.

In the nation's most visible challenge to Obama's deferred-action program, Brewer issued an executive order in August 2012 directing state agencies to deny driver's licenses and other public benefits to immigrants who get work authorization under the Obama policy.

Her attorneys have argued that the decision grew out of liability concerns and the desire to reduce the risk of the licenses being used to improperly access public benefits.

Despite her belief that issuing licenses is a state matter, Brewer's office confirmed she would comply with the latest development. However, she is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review her appeal.

Nebraska is the only other state to have made similar denials, and a federal judge this year dismissed a lawsuit contesting that state's policy.

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The majority of an estimated 1,200 Central American immigrants held at a southeastern New Mexico detention center over the last six months have been released, authorities said Monday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said more than two-thirds of the immigrants were released before the Artesia facility closed last week, the Albuquerque Journal reported (http://bit.ly/16NlYOq ).

Those more than 800 people face follow-up court appointments before an immigration judge. An additional 370 immigrants were deported, and 15 remaining people will be relocated to a new family detention center in Karnes, Texas, ICE spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa said.

American Civil Liberties Union officials in New Mexico say most of the immigrants plan to seek asylum, while some want to argue their cases in court.

Immigration advocates say immigrant families are often fleeing drug or gang violence in Central America and should be released to relatives already in the U.S. rather than being locked up. To qualify for asylum, immigrants must prove "credible fear of persecution" in an interview and before a judge.

The Obama administration commissioned two new facilities in Texas amid the recent influx of children pouring across the U.S.-Mexico border. A center in Dilley can house up to 2,400 women and children, while the facility in Karnes has room for 1,200.

The administration has said it wants to send the message that immigrants who cross into the U.S. illegally will be deported. The number of families caught at the south Texas border this year spiked to more than 52,000. That is a 600 percent increase, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Stephen Manning, a Portland, Oregon-based attorney, organized more than 330 lawyers to represent detained families pro bono in Artesia last July.

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Refusing to rule on the merits of the case, a federal judge has rejected an Arizona sheriff's lawsuit seeking to halt President Barack Obama's plan to spare nearly 5 million people from deportation.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said the role of courts is not to engage in policymaking that is better left to the political branches of government.

The case brought by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio "raises important questions regarding the impact of illegal immigration on this nation, but the questions amount to generalized grievances which are not proper for the judiciary to address," Howell wrote.

The sheriff filed a notice of appeal saying that he will pursue the case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the court correctly dismissed the lawsuit.

"Judge Howell's decision today confirms what the Department of Justice and scholars throughout the country have been saying all along: the president's executive actions on immigration are lawful," Schultz said. "The Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that federal officials can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws, and the actions announced by the president are consistent with those taken by administrations of both parties for the last half century."

In the first courtroom battle over Obama's plan, Arpaio's lawyer Larry Klayman said Monday that the president violated the Constitution by doing an end-run around Congress. He argued that the program would let more immigrants enter the country illegally, burdening law enforcement as some commit crimes.

"It's not policy, he's creating law and he cannot do that under the U.S. Constitution," Klayman said of Obama.

In Monday's courtroom argument, Justice Department lawyer Kathleen Hartnett said Arpaio's lawsuit seemed to be raising a "political dispute" rather than a legal claim the court could address  a position which Howell subsequently embraced in her decision.

Arpaio has often clashed with the federal government over the enforcement of immigration laws and he has filed suit to stop new policies announced by Obama. He claims that more than 35 percent of immigrants living in Maricopa County illegally who wound up in Arpaio's jails in 2014 were repeat offenders, signifying in the sheriff's view that federal officials have done a poor job of deporting criminals.

Under the program, the Homeland Security Department would prioritize the removal of immigrants who present threats to national security, public safety or border security.

At issue in the current dispute is the executive branch's use on a massive scale of an enforcement tool known as "deferred action" to implement enforcement policies and priorities.

In the context of the immigration laws, deferred action represents a decision by the Homeland Security Department not to seek the removal of an immigrant for a set period of time.

Even an ongoing threat to Arpaio by undocumented immigrants would not provide him with standing to challenge the deferred action programs at issue, Howell wrote. "The plaintiff must not only show that he is injured, but that the plaintiff's injury is fairly traceable to the challenged deferred action programs and that the injury is capable of redress by this court in this action."

In a separate lawsuit, Texas and 23 other states allege that Obama overstepped his constitutional powers in a way that will only worsen the humanitarian problems along the southern U.S. border. That suit is pending in a federal district court in Brownsville, Texas.

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Vice President Joe Biden plans to be among the mourners at the funeral for a New York City policemen gunned down last weekend.

The White House says President Barack Obama has asked Biden to attend Saturday's service for Rafael Ramos at Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale, New York. Biden's wife will also attend.

Obama is on vacation in Hawaii.

Ramos and his partner, Wenjian Liu, were ambushed Saturday. New York's police commissioner says Liu's family plans to make arrangements after arriving from China.

The deaths of Ramos and Liu were the final act in a rampage by Ismaaiyl Brinsley that began when Brinsley shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend at her home outside Baltimore, then made threatening posts online, including a vow to put "wings on pigs" and references to high-profile cases of white police officers killing unarmed black men. After shooting the officers, Brinsley ran into a subway station and committed suicide.

The killings have raised concerns and tempers in the already tense nationwide debate surrounding police conduct. Some key developments after the weekend shooting in New York:

Amid calls for restraint, protests go on

Despite calls from New York's governor, the city's mayor and others calling for restraint, hundreds of protesters marched through midtown Manhattan on Tuesday night, with some holding signs saying "Jail killer cops."

The protesters were mostly peaceful as they wound through the city's bustling shopping district.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday called for a pause in protests over police conduct. He faces a widening rift with those in a grieving police force who accuse him of creating a climate of mistrust that contributed to the killings of the officers.

Police Commissioner William Bratton, speaking Tuesday in Rhode Island, said it was "unfortunate" that some protests continued despite the mayor's plea.

Tributes, memorial visits

Landmarks including the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree dimmed their lights from 9 p.m. to 9:05 p.m. Tuesday to honor the slain officers.

A makeshift memorial has sprung up at the sight of the shooting, crammed with flowers, cards and candles. A daughter of Eric Garner, killed in a police chokehold, placed a candle at the site Monday and said she was touched by the message Ramos' young son posted online.

"It hit my heart," Emerald Snipes said.

The mayor and his wife quietly visited the site of the shooting on Tuesday morning, spending several minutes there.

De Blasio folded his hands before him and stood with his head bowed. His wife placed flowers among dozens of tributes.

Later, de Blasio observed a moment of silence at 2:47 p.m., the time the officers were shot.

About the victims

Ramos, who celebrated his 40th birthday this month, joined the New York Police Department in 2012 after working as a school security officer. He was a lifelong Brooklyn resident.

He was married with two sons: a 13-year-old who attends middle school in Brooklyn and one who is a sophomore at Bowdoin College in Maine.

The 32-year-old Liu, whose family moved from China when he was a teenager, had been a member of the police force for seven years, after serving in the police auxiliary. He moved this year to a home in Brooklyn's Gravesend section and got married two months ago.

His wife, Pei Xia Chen, gave a tearful statement to reporters Monday evening.

"This is a difficult time for both of our families," she said, expressing her condolences to Ramos' widow and children. "But we will stand together and get through this together."

Brinsley's hospitalized ex-girlfriend, Shaneka Thompson, was upgraded from critical to serious condition.

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Like tens of thousands of Cubans, Gerardo Luis wants to get to the United States and he's suddenly worried that time may be running out.

Across an island where migrating north is an obsession, the widespread jubilation over last week's historic U.S-Cuba detente is soured by fear that warming relations will eventually end Cubans' unique fast track to legal American residency.

For nearly a half-century, the Cuban Adjustment Act has given Cubans who arrive in the U.S. a virtually guaranteed path to legal residency and eventual citizenship. The knowledge that they will be shielded from deportation has drawn hundreds of thousands of Cubans on perilous raft trips to Florida and land journeys through Central America and Mexico.

"If they take away the adjustment law, it would mean Cubans would end up just like all the other Hispanics who want to enter the United States," said Luis, a 36-year-old construction worker who said he may try to reach Mexico and walk across the border if he doesn't get a visa soon.

U.S. officials say there are no immediate plans to change immigration laws or policy. But with the U.S. and Cuba negotiating a return to full diplomatic relations, many Cubans are wondering how long their extraordinary privilege can survive under restored diplomacy, and are thinking about speeding up plans to get to the U.S.

"I don't know if they will take it away," Angela Moreno, a 67-year-old retiree said of the preferential treatment, "but if they do, Cubans who go to the United States will have to do it like people from other countries."

Cubans arriving at a U.S. border or airport automatically receive permission to stay in the United States under policies stemming from the 1966 act, which allows them to apply for permanent residency after a year, almost always successfully.

Seeking to discourage mass migrations by sea, the United States developed its so-called "wet foot, dry foot policy," in which migrants who make it to the U.S. are automatically allowed to stay. Those stopped at sea are either sent back to their homeland or to a third country if they can prove a credible fear of persecution.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, said he welcomed President Barack Obama's move to create a "modern relationship" with Cuba, but Congress is not likely to alter the Cuban Adjustment Act or the U.S. trade embargo, until there have been significant steps by the Castro government.

"Major changes to a law like that or to the embargo are not going to happen unless people like me support those changes, and I'm not going to support them unless I see some movement toward freedom" Nelson told The Associated Press.

However, the restoration of diplomatic relations could cause its own complications.

Illegal immigrants caught right after crossing the border are subject to swift deportation without a hearing, a process known as expedited removal. Cubans are exempted simply by presenting proof of their nationality.

Randy McGrorty, the director of Miami's Catholic Legal Services, which helps migrants settle in the United States, noted that a section of the Immigration and Naturalization Act dealing with expedited removal of migrants excludes people from "a country in the Western Hemisphere with whose government the United States does not have full diplomatic relations" without mentioning Cuba by name. It's unclear how re-establishing full relations would affect that vital section of immigration law, he said.

The Cuban Adjustment Act was designed in an era when politics was a factor in many migrants' decision to leave. In recent years Cubans have increasingly left primarily to reunite with their families and seek better economic opportunities.

President Raul Castro's 2012 relaxation of Cuba's immigration laws means citizens can leave without applying for special permits, and maintain many of the island's social benefits even after moving to the U.S. Along with U.S. measures including the granting of five-year, multiple-entry visas, that has contributed to a rising flow of Cubans and Cuban-American traveling back and forth between the two countries.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American Republican, has criticized a growing tendency by migrants to constantly travel between the island and the United States, warning that it endangers the special treatment Cubans have long enjoyed.

If the preferential policy is in place to aid exiles fleeing political oppression, such travel "undermines that argument," Rubio said in August. "That sort of travel puts at risk the status Cubans have."

The U.S. Interests Section, which handles American consular affairs in Havana in the absence of a full embassy, approved more than 33,000 non-immigrant visas for Cubans to visit the U.S. last year, a 99 percent increase.

It has also become must faster to get such a visa, with the wait time dropping from 57 months in 2012 to five months this year. Still, it can be a grueling process. Cubans spend hours each day, starting at dawn, in a plaza near the U.S. mission that is known as the "park of sorrows" because of the long waits and the frequent rejection of paperwork.

One waiting outside the interests section this week was 75-year-old Magaly Ruedas, who wants to join her extended family in the United States and hopes the benefits for Cubans will remain in place. If the law changed, "I think that would hurt Cubans and I don't think Obama or Raul intended to do that," she said.

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Californias Department of Motor Vehicles has opened four new offices and hired more than 900 additional staff in an effort to prepare for the law that will allow undocumented immigrants to apply for a drivers license.

The applications, which require individuals to verify their identities and show proof of California residency, will be accepted beginning Jan. 2. The department expects to process approximately 1.4 million new drivers license applications in the next three years.

DMV opened new offices in Granada Hills, Stanton, Lompoc and San Jose to process new drivers license applications, including those of undocumented immigrants after the law goes into effect.

In January, the DMV will extend its Saturday hours at up to 60 offices for new license applicants with appointments.

Individuals have been able to make appointments for a new license since Nov. 12. Officials say they arent sure if there will be an initial surge of applications, but the number of people making license appointments more than doubled to 379,000 during the first two weeks immigrants were allowed to sign up.

Alliance San Diego, a social justice non-profit, has participated in more than 30 community forums to promote the law and help immigrants prepare to apply for a license. Special projects organizer Daniel Alfaro told Fox News Latino that most immigrants have said they would apply for a drivers license.

For families, I think it will make life much, much easier, he said.

But not all immigrant advocates are as encouraging.

"For the vast majority of people, getting a license is a good decision," Alison Kamhi, a staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center told the Associated Press. "At the same time, I think it is important people are aware there is some risk."

Anyone who previously obtained a driver's license under a false name or someone else's Social Security number, for instance, or those with a prior deportation order or criminal record might want to speak first with a lawyer, Kamhi said, pointing out that federal immigration and law enforcement officials can access Department of Motor Vehicles data during an investigation.

The list of documents that will be accepted to verify an applicants identity includes foreign passports, consular ID cards, and a combination of documents such as birth certificate and income tax returns.

Applicants also will need to provide a thumbprint and pass a vision assessment, as well as a written and behind-the-wheel-driving test. The tests will be available in various languages including Spanish.

Individuals will also be required to pay a new license fee and show proof of insurance if they register a vehicle.

Experts don't foresee major problems with the rollout of the program because the state has had more than a year to prepare and an ample budget  $141 million spanning three years.

In Nevada, about 90 percent of immigrants failed the required written test during the first few weeks a driver authorization card was offered because they were not prepared. In Colorado, the state had no startup funding to issue licenses and couldn't keep pace with demand, leading to monthslong waits.

Jonathan Blazer, advocacy and policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, told the AP that he expects California to license as many immigrants in the country illegally as the nine other states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico combined.

"If California is not able to do this right with the resources it put into this, other states will take notice," Blazer said.

The new IDs will be similar to ordinary California licenses but will include the phrase federal limits apply on the front, and a caution on the back that the card cant be used for official federal purposes.

Pro-immigration groups have argued that the differences could make immigrants more vulnerable to discrimination.

Isidro Ortiz, a professor at San Diego State University whose area of research focuses on immigration policy and reform, said some activists have referred to the licenses as scarlet letters, marking the bearers as being in the country illegally.

I think thats a serious concern, especially here in the border region, Ortiz said.

He said the apprehension is tied to the number of deportations that have been carried out under President Obama as well as and the stricter border security thats also called for under the immigration plan.

Alfaro said that Alliance San Diego is developing a hotline to allow immigrants to report discrimination they may face from law enforcement or other entities as a result of the new licenses.

Abel Rivera, a 37-year-old forklift driver, took a class to brush up on differences between driving in California and his native Mexico, where he was a truck driver for more than a decade. One thing he hadn't considered was how to drive on icy roads, said Rivera, who has an appointment for a license in mid-January.

"The sooner the better, because it will be safer to drive," he told the AP, adding that he hopes to qualify for better insurance coverage and avoid problems like those faced by his brother when he was pulled over and had his car impounded.
The faces of the Republican Party's most ambitious members are changing.

Long criticized as the party of old white men, the GOP's next class of presidential contenders may include two Hispanic senators, an Indian-American governor, a female business leader and an African-American neurosurgeon. In a group that could exceed a dozen Republican White House prospects, all but a few are in their 40s or 50s, while one of the oldest white men is a fluent Spanish speaker whose wife is a native Mexican.

The diverse group is a point of pride for those Republicans who have long pushed for a welcoming "big tent" party.

"This is a diverse nation, and we need to be a diverse party," said Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive and only Republican woman openly weighing a 2016 bid. "That doesn't mean we sacrifice our principles, but it means we need to look like and understand and empathize with the nation."

Republican strategists hope that a more diverse slate of candidates will help appeal to a growing minority population that has given Democrats a decided advantage in the last two presidential contests.

It's unclear, however, whether changing the faces of the GOP's messengers will be enough to take back the White House in 2016. As critics point out, Republicans have alienated some minority voters by pushing for voter identification laws that disproportionately affect nonwhites, while resisting comprehensive changes in the immigration and criminal justice systems.

"They're going to have to make a decision about whether they're going to build a meaningful multiracial coalition by respecting and defending the rights of all people in this country," said Benjamin Jealous, a former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, "or whether they're going to continue to play this dog-whistle politics that have besmirched the Republican Party since the days of Barry Goldwater."

The Republican Party has struggled with attracting support from minorities since Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Goldwater, the Republican presidential nominee, opposed it. But Jealous and others suggest there are signs of hope in a crowded and diverse 2016 Republican class.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are both Hispanic, while Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is the first Indian-American governor in the U.S.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush recently announced plans to "actively explore" a presidential bid. At 61, he is among the older would-be Republican candidates. Bush speaks fluent Spanish, is married to a native Mexican and lists as one of his signature issues an immigration overhaul that includes a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally.

The field of prospective candidates also includes Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a libertarian-minded Republican who has already shown an ability to attract younger people and minorities. Paul, who is white, was the only Republican presidential prospect to visit Ferguson, Missouri, as the city was ripped apart by racial tension this fall over a white police officer fatally shooting an unarmed, black teenager.

Retired neurosurgeon and conservative firebrand Ben Carson, who grew up in Detroit, can speak to racial issues from a unique perspective as the early field's only African-American.

"Police have to admit that maybe there are some other tactics and things that can be utilized," he said in a recent Associated Press interview. "People in neighborhoods have to recognize that people who are thugs are thugs. You can't make them into angels. Unless the two sides can admit those things, meaningful discussions will never be had."

The Republican Party's survival may depend on its ability to expand beyond its white, male base. That's according to the Republican National Committee, which commissioned a review of the 2012 presidential election that found its position "precarious" because of the nation's demographic changes.

"America is changing demographically and unless Republicans are able to grow our appeal," the authors wrote, "the changes tilt the playing field even more in the Democratic direction."

As the 2013 report notes, the American electorate was 88 percent white in 1980, according to exit polls. White voters represented just 72 percent of those who cast ballots in the 2012 presidential election. By 2050, predicts the Pew Hispanic Center, the percentage will fall to 47.

Still, GOP leaders are more confident about the demographic shifts today than they were immediately after a painful 2012 election season.

Just last month, Republicans claimed control of both chambers of Congress in part by devoting millions of dollars to minority engagement efforts that will continue in Hispanic communities across swing states like Colorado, Florida and Virginia. They also established permanent field offices in urban areas such as Detroit that have long been ignored by Republicans.

The GOP's success may be misleading, however.

Turnout in the 2014 midterms was among the lowest since World War II, and those casting ballots were older, whiter and more male than voters in recent presidential years.

Republicans have their work cut out for them in 2016, when many Democrats expect to nominate former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"Because of our successes in the midterm elections we have important building blocks in place for the presidential campaign," said Republican National Committee spokesman Kirsten Kukowski. "We are starting from a strong place."

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The race is on.

Democrats and Republicans have already started their campaigns to win over Hispanic voters for the 2016 presidential election, according to articles in various publications.

An article in Politico argues that the Democratic leadership, upset over low support and turnout by Latino voters in the 2014 midterms  in which Hispanics voted Democratic by a 28 percent margin, down from 44 percent in 2012  has responded by upping fundraising efforts in heavily Latino congressional districts, selecting the New Mexico congressman Ben Ray Lujan to head up the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and forming an Immigration Strike Team earlier this month.

Composed of members of both the White House and the Congressional Democratic Caucus, the idea behind the strike team is to coordinate talking points and media appearances to counter Republican objections to President Obamas executive actions on immigration.

The presidents approval ratings among Hispanics since announcing the moveswhich extend deportation protection to between 4 and 5 million people in the country illegally and increase some border security measuresjumped from 47 percent in September to 57 percent in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Telemundo poll released last week.

It was really bad timing for some senators who approached the president and asked him to put off taking executive action on immigration, California Rep. Tony Cardenas, the new chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucuss political action committee told Politico. Talking to Latinos, a lot of them were very bothered, a lot of them were very perplexed and confused.

The way many Democrats see it, the presidents unilateral immigration action has put the GOP on the defensive, at least where Latino voters are concerned.

I think Republicans have a problem right now with immigration reform, Lujan told Politico. Republicans are going further and further to the right instead of trying to find a way to work in the middle to get this done. Thats going to hurt GOP chances in the debates, in the presidential campaign, as well as in these House elections.

The veteran political analyst, Larry Sabato, told the International Business Times, Republicans can choose to maximize or minimize this Democratic advantage by how they handle the reaction to the executive order.

Whether that is the case or not, the Republicans have done a much better job over the last 10 years of cultivating Hispanic politicians and grooming them for prominent positions with national recognition.

Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas are widely believed to be among those who will toss their hats into the 2016 ring. And Western governors Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Bryan Sandoval of Nevada are often in the conversation when talk turns to potential vice presidential candidates.

On the Democratic side only the Castro brothers of San Antonio, Housing and Urban Development secretary Julian and U.S. congressman Joaquin, have anything approaching that kind of national reputation.

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In keeping with the newly heightened spirit of brinksmanship and confrontation that seem to have Congress and the White House on a collision course over topics like immigration and the environment, while on vacation in Hawaii President Barack Obama decided to remind Republicans that he has one Constitutional power they will find hard to overcome: the veto.

Since taking office in 2009, Obama has only vetoed legislation twice, both in fairly minor circumstances. But with Republicans set to take full control of Congress next year, Obama is losing his last bulwark against a barrage of bills he doesn't like: the Senate.

"I haven't used the veto pen very often since I've been in office," Obama said in an NPR interview airing Monday. "Now, I suspect, there are going to be some times where I've got to pull that pen out."

He added: "I'm going to defend gains that we've made in health care. I'm going to defend gains that we've made on environment and clean air and clean water."

Obama's notice to the GOP came as he sought to set the tone for a year in which Congress and the president are on a near-certain collision course. Buoyed by decisive gains in last month's midterm elections, Republicans are itching to use their newfound Senate majority to derail Obama's plans on immigration, climate change and health care, to name a few.

To overturn Obama's veto, Republicans would need the votes of two-thirds of the House and Senate. Their majorities in both chambers are not that large, so they would still need to persuade some Democrats to defy the president.

But Obama said he was hopeful that at least on some issues, that won't be necessary, because there's overlap between his interests and those of congressional Republicans. On that point, at least, he's in agreement with incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

"Bipartisan jobs bills will see the light of day and will make it to the President's desk, and he'll have to make decisions about ideology versus creating jobs for the middle class," McConnell said in response to Obama's comments. "There's a lot we can get done together if the president puts his famous pen to use signing bills rather than vetoing legislation his liberal allies don't like."

Potential areas for cooperation include tax reform and global trade deals  both issues where Obama and Republicans see at least partially eye to eye. Conversely, the likeliest points of friction surround Environmental Protection Agency regulations, the Keystone XL pipeline and Obama's unilateral steps on immigration, which let millions of people in the U.S. illegally avoid deportation and get work permits.

In the interview, recorded before Obama left Washington earlier this month for his annual Hawaii vacation, Obama also offered his most specific diagnosis to date of why Democrats fared so poorly in the midterms. He said he was "obviously frustrated" with the results.

"I think we had a great record for members of Congress to run on and I don't think we  myself and the Democratic Party  made as good of a case as we should have," Obama said. "And you know, as a consequence, we had really low voter turnout, and the results were bad."

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Just in time for the holidays, a low-profile presidential aide invited long-suffering Judy Gross into his White House office to personally give her the gift she'd been hoping for the past five years. Her husband, Alan Gross, was being released from a Cuban prison and coming home.

The meeting was the culmination of two years of quiet negotiations with Cuban officials. The man who helped handle those negotiations for President Barack Obama was Ricardo Zuniga, an American diplomat born in Honduras to a prominent political family.

The dealings involved much more than just Gross' release from a 15-year sentence, like the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba after a half-century of Cold War hostility. Obama tasked two aides with the challenge  Ben Rhodes, his long-running foreign policy adviser, and Zuniga, a foreign service officer newly detailed to the White House's National Security Council as senior director for Western Hemisphere Affairs.

Dan Restrepo, who previously held Zuniga's job, said he recommended the Cuba expert to replace him in part because he knew that relations with the country could be an important part of Obama's second-term agenda. Zuniga was serving at the U.S. Embassy in Brazil at the time, but previously had worked at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana and led the State Department's Office of Cuban Affairs.

"There's nobody in government who better knew the mechanics, the policies and politics of Cuba," Restrepo said. "That's a very complex set of interactions and laws. And how they interact and what is movable and not movable is not easy to figure out."

Another important skill that Zuniga brought to the Cuba negotiations was his fluent Spanish. He was born 44 years ago in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, the grandson of Ricardo Zuniga Augustinus, a conservative who ran unsuccessfully for president in 1981 and supported the military dictatorship of Oswaldo Lopez. He moved to the United States with his American mother as a boy and got a degree in foreign affairs and Latin American studies from the University of Virginia.

Restrepo said Zuniga is a no-nonsense professional and, although they had talked about his Honduran roots in passing, he never mentioned his grandfather or any personal or family politics.

"That's a testament to his professionalism that I don't know what his politics are, having worked very closely with him," Restrepo said in a telephone interview.

Restrepo said Zuniga had another important qualification for an issue that needed to be handled in utmost secrecy  discretion.

"He's not an attention-seeking kind of person," said Restrepo, now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. "Cuba policy development has often been notable for how quickly it ends up in the newspaper. That's not something that Ricardo traffics in."

Word of the Cuba negotiations did not leak over nearly two years of negotiations with Cuban officials, in Canada and at the Vatican at Pope Francis' invitation, with Rhodes and Zuniga personally keeping Obama updated. Beyond the negotiations with the small island country, Zuniga had a whole hemisphere of concerns to worry about, including an influx of children coming over the border from Central America and other implications of Obama's immigration policies.

When Obama made a historic phone call going over final negotiations with Cuban President Raul Castro on Dec. 16, Rhodes and Zuniga sat in front of the president on an Oval Office couch, listening with briefing books on their laps. A White House photo taken after Obama hung up shows Zuniga being embraced by his boss, National Security Adviser Susan Rice. Zuniga and Rhodes spent the next day furiously preparing Obama's remarks to announce the thaw, then took a quiet moment to watch the televised speech from Rhodes' West Wing office.

Obama's announcement was an unexpected news development during the holiday season, with Gross flying home on the second day of Hanukkah. Even Judy Gross was skeptical that a breakthrough had really come in her husband's case, which Obama had set as a requirement for improving relations with the communist nation.

Gross family attorney Scott Gilbert was with Judy Gross in Zuniga's office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Dec. 12 when she learned a deal had been reached. Zuniga told them Alan Gross would be freed the following Wednesday and invited them to come on the U.S. government flight to retrieve him.

"I think after the five years of this, Judy was still somewhat unbelieving even at that meeting and also somewhat in shock," Gilbert said in a telephone interview.

"My comment to Ricardo was he needed to get this done so that both he and Alan could go home for the holidays," Gilbert added.

He said Zuniga also had spent a lot of time away from wife and two daughters. "He was extremely committed to trying to accomplish this outcome and worked day and night to get it done."

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Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will be in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, to meet with President Barack Obama.

According to the official White House statement, "The two leaders will highlight the importance of expanding dialogue and cooperation between the United States and Mexico on economic, security and social issues, as well as underscoring the deep cultural ties and friendship that exist between our two countries."

But for Pena Nieto much more than platitudes may be at stake.

Once praised, both in Mexico and abroad, for a number of groundbreaking reforms, Pena Nieto has in the last six months seen his standing plummet thanks to the corruption scandals, rampant violence  not a small amount of which is carried out by official and unofficial agents of the government  and demonstrations that have roiled the country.

And while the U.S. visit wont turn things around completely for the Mexican leader, many analysts say it is crucial for him to secure the continued support of the U.S. in Mexico's fight against drug cartels and, just as crucially, to convince American investors to put their money on Mexico.

"He's coming to Washington to provide a boost for his presidency in 2015," Jason Marczak, the deputy director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council told Fox News Latino. "What Mexicans will be closely watching is: Will he leave Washington with something to show for his visit?"

Pena Nieto began his administration in December 2012 hoping to concentrate on economic and legal reforms and avoid the focus on drug-gang violence that dominated the term of his predecessor, Felipe Calderon. The disappearance of 43 students from the Raul Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, and the alleged collusion between a local mayor, his wife, the municipal police and a drug gang, however, have forced the issue back to the forefront.

"This is not what he would have wanted to come away from a meeting four months ago," Marczak said. "He would have liked to talk about the economy, but the situation has changed."

The meeting between Obama and Pena Nieto may be the Mexican leaders best hope for increasing the United States role in the Merida Initiative  also pejoratively known as "Plan Mexico"  the 2008 security agreement between the two countries that, among other things, has provided $2.1 billion to Mexico to combat drug trafficking.

While the Initiative is loosely modeled after a similar effort in Colombia, many critics claim that the plan is doing more harm than good  citing as evidence the widespread corruption in Mexicos local police forces and a murder rate that has soared since implementation.

The disappearance of the 43 students and the Merida Initiative have sparked outrage in the Mexican community living in the U.S., and some groups are calling for protests and demonstrations in front of the White House and outside Mexican consulates across the country during Pena Nietos visit.

The Ayotzinapa 43 have become a symbol of the over 100,000 murdered and 25,000 disappeared in the last 8 years since the escalation and increased militarization of the Drug War by the U.S. and Mexican governments, The advocacy group SOA (School of the Americas) Watch said in a statement. It is a shameless exhibition of the open support of Pena Nieto's narco-government and a slap in the face of the Mexican people in their rightful clamor for security, well-being, peace, democracy and true justice.

The other main issue facing the Mexican leader is corruption and the scandal surrounding his wife's 2012 purchase of a $7 million mansion from a company that had won extensive contracts from the State of Mexico while Enrique Pena Nieto was its governor.

Whats worrisome here isnt so much the corruption, because corruption has been so endemic for so long, said Carlos Bravo, a political analyst at the Mexican think tank, the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE), according to the Dallas Morning News. Whats utterly shocking is that were finding this out in year two of Pena Nietos six-year term. Hes so weakened that you have to ask what does he do for four years? What can he really accomplish?

Polls published earlier this month .

Just nine months after Pena Nieto appeared on the cover of Time magazine above the headline "Saving Mexico," the president can more realistically hope to save some face.

Recent polls show his approval ratings have fallen to around 40 percent. It's one of the lowest levels for a Mexican president since Ernesto Zedillo presided over the 1994-1995 economic crisis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A New York congressman who pleaded guilty to tax evasion just days ago has announced he'll resign from office next week because he would not be able to give the job his full attention anymore.

Republican Rep. Michael Grimm issued a statement late Monday saying he will resign effective Jan. 5.

"The events which led to this day did not break my spirit, nor the will of the voters," he said. "However, I do not believe that I can continue to be 100% effective in the next Congress, and therefore, out of respect for the office and the people I so proudly represent, it is time for me to start the next chapter of my life."

Grimm's guilty plea last week to aiding in the filing of a false tax return came after he was re-elected to his Staten Island seat in November, even though he was under indictment.

Following the plea, Grimm said he would stay in Congress as long as he could.

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Grimm reportedly talked with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, before deciding to step down. Boehner has forced other lawmakers to resign for lesser offenses.

Boehner has not discussed Grimm's future publicly. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said in an email, "We do not discuss private conversations the speaker has with members."

The new Congress is scheduled to open Jan. 6, and Grimm's presence would have been a distraction for Republicans who will control both the House and the Senate.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and the Democratic National Committee had called on Grimm to resign.

A former Marine and FBI agent with support from former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Grimm was elected to Congress in 2010, scoring an upset win over first-term Democratic Rep. Michael McMahon.

According to an indictment, the tax fraud began in 2007 after Grimm retired from the FBI and began investing in a small Manhattan restaurant called Healthalicious.

The indictment accused him of underreporting more than $1 million in wages and receipts to evade payroll, income and sales taxes, partly by paying immigrant workers, some of them in the country illegally, in cash.

Sentencing was scheduled for June 8. Prosecutors said a range of 24 to 30 months in prison would be appropriate, while the defense estimated the appropriate sentence as between 12 and 18 months.

After his court appearance, Grimm said he planned to stay in Congress. "As long as I'm able to serve, I'm going to serve," he said.

He also apologized for his actions. "I should not have done it and I am truly sorry for it," he said.

But in his statement Monday, Grimm said he made his "very difficult decision ... with a heavy heart" after much thought and prayer.

The New York Daily News first reported Grimm's plans to give up his seat.

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Cuban officials arrested at least three members of the political opposition Tuesday ahead of a protest art performance seen as the first major test of the government's tolerance for dissent since the declaration of detente with the United States.

Expatriate artist Tania Bruguera returned to Cuba Friday with plans to set up an open microphone for anyone to speak on the Plaza of the Revolution, a square overlooked by the president's office, military headquarters and huge portraits of revolutionary heroes Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.

Hours before the planned performance, police arrested at least three well-known dissidents and calls stopped going through to Bruguera's cellphone. Her supporters said they did not know where she was and police prevented an Associated Press reporter from approaching the door of her Havana apartment.

By 4 p.m., an hour after the scheduled protest in the symbolic heart of government authority, few people had appeared in the plaza.

Inside Cuba, where the rate of Internet usage is among the world's lowest, few ordinary citizens appeared to know about Bruguera's plans in the absence of state television, radio and newspaper coverage. Some opposition members who did know about the event said beforehand that they weren't certain about going because they saw it as unnecessarily provocative. Others said authorities had warned them to stay away.

In the end, with Bruguera absent, the event failed to materialize as promised.

The day's events appeared to be at least a short-term victory for the government of Cuban President Raul Castro, who pledged this month that the U.S.-Cuban detente both nations announced on Dec. 17 would not lead to changes in the island's single-party system. Cuba's government has long narrowly defined the bounds of acceptable speech, accusing many dissidents of being agents of the U.S. government or right-wing exile groups, and subjecting them to surveillance, temporary detention and harassment.

President Barack Obama pledged this month that easing the embargo on Cuba and normalizing diplomatic relations would be a better way of supporting Cuban civil society. Some experts said that lessening U.S.-Cuban tensions would remove a pretext for repression of domestic critics.

But Obama also said he was "under no illusion about the continued barriers to freedom that remain for ordinary Cubans," and U.S. diplomats cautioned about expecting major short-term changes.

"Freedom of expression remains core of US policy on Cuba; we support activists exercising those rights and condemn today's detentions," Roberta Jacobson, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, tweeted on Tuesday.

Dissident Antonio Rodiles told the AP by telephone that police were taking him away around 12:30 p.m. The wife of Eliecer Avila, the 29-year-old head of moderate opposition group "Somos Mas," told the AP he had also been arrested along with Reinaldo Escobar, husband of renowned blogger Yoani Sanchez

Rodiles' group publicly supported Bruguera's performance plan. It wasn't immediately clear if Escobar and Avila had planned to attend.

Avila had told the AP Monday that he was optimistic that the warming of relations with Washington would lead to positive changes inside Cuba.

"In my case I am fully convinced that the new scenario can be positive for civil society," he said.

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Last year saw a rapid deterioration of relations between their countries, but on New Year's Day, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro shook hands and expressed their desire for restored ties.

The brief, impromptu meeting in Brazil came two weeks after President Barack Obama signed legislation to impose sanctions on Venezuelan officials accused of violating human rights. Days before the sanctions were approved, Maduro had called on all Venezuelans to burn their U.S. visas in protest of "imperialist Yankee" policies.

A photograph of Biden and Maduro smiling warmly at each other at the swearing in of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff became a meme Friday, with Venezuelans inventing their own thought bubbles.

According to a U.S. administration official traveling with the vice president, Maduro told Biden he wants to improve U.S.-Venezuela ties, but is concerned about the sanctions. The official insisted on not being quoted by name in discussing what was a private diplomatic conversation.

Biden said that one step Venezuela could take toward improving relations would be to release political prisoners, but Maduro responded that the opposition was destabilizing the country and sanctions would do the same, the official said.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Maduro described the meeting with Biden as "cordial."

"What do we ask of the United States? I told Vice President Biden, and have said it 1,000 times in public and in private, we want respectful relations, nothing more," Maduro said.

The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010, and public encounters between high-level leaders are rare. Four years ago, the late President Hugo Chavez spoke with then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Brazil.

Venezuela is suffering as the price of oil plummets. The country derives 95 percent of its export earnings from oil. Earlier this week, Maduro accused the U.S of waging an "oil war" to destroy the South American country's socialist revolution.

On Friday, the director of the Venezuelan polling firm Datanalisis told local TV station Globovision that Maduro's approval ratings had fallen to a new low of 22 percent.

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The 114th Congress that convenes Tuesday will count more minorities and women than ever, although lawmakers remain overwhelmingly white and male in the Republican-controlled House and Senate.

A record 104 women will serve in Congress, and for the first time, African-American members of both genders and representing both parties will be among the ranks on Capitol Hill.

The number of female lawmakers is up slightly from 100 at the close of the last Congress, but represents about 20 percent of the total in Congress. It's far less than the nearly 51 percent of the U.S. population. A total of 94 racial minorities will serve in Congress, about 18 percent.

There are 100 senators and 435 seats in the House.

The House will have 246 Republicans and 188 Democrats. One seat is vacant following the resignation on Monday of Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., who pleaded guilty to a felony tax evasion charge.

The Senate will have 54 Republicans and 44 Democrats, plus two independents  Maine's Angus King and Vermont's Bernie Sanders. Both caucus with Democrats.

___

HOUSE

A total of 84 women will serve in the House, compared with 80 in the last Congress. The new lawmakers include Elise Stefanik, a 30-year-old New York Republican who is the youngest woman ever elected to the House. Also making history is Mia Love, 38, whose election to a suburban Salt Lake City district made her the first black female Republican to win a seat in Congress.

Forty-four African-Americans will serve in the House, including Love and another black Republican freshman, Will Hurd of Texas. Hurd made news last month as he was named chairman of an Information Technology subcommittee on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, an unusual distinction for a freshman.

There are 34 Hispanic lawmakers, including 10 Republicans, as well as 10 Asian-Americans and two Native Americans, both Oklahoma Republicans.

___

SENATE

The number of women in the Senate remains at 20, following the election of Republicans Joni Ernst of Iowa and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and the defeats of Democrats Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. (Re-elected were Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.)

Two African-Americans serve as senators  Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina and Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey. There are three Hispanic senators: Republicans Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas and Democrat Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

Democrat Mazie Hirono of Hawaii is the only Asian-American in the Senate.

____

FRESHMEN

Fifty-eight House freshmen will be sworn in on Tuesday  43 Republicans and 15 Democrats. Three other members are new to Congress but are considered veterans of a few weeks. Reps. Dave Brat, R-Va., Donald Norcross, D-N.J., and Alma Adams, D-N.C., took the oath shortly after November's elections to fill the seats of lawmakers who had left Congress.

The Senate will welcome 13 new members  12 Republicans and one Democrat, Gary Peters of Michigan.

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More than a dozen potential Republican candidates are contemplating White House bids in 2016 in what's shaping up as a crowded and diverse field.

A look at some of the challenges facing them:

TED CRUZ

His uncompromising positions have made him a hero among tea party faithful, but the first-term Texas senator must find a way to stand out in a field that includes several like-minded conservatives, as well as appeal to the independents and moderate voters who largely decide general elections.

___

MARCO RUBIO

The 43-year-old first-term senator will need to start any campaign by escaping the considerably large shadow of his political mentor, Jeb Bush. While having failed to impress at times when given high-profile opportunities, Rubio's forceful opposition to President Barack Obama's moves to restore relations with Cuba is a sign of his potential to make a mark.

___

JEB BUSH

The early favorite of the Republican establishment, the former Florida governor is sure to face resistance from voters about sending a third member of the Bush family to the White House. Even his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, while recently more supportive, said in 2013 that "we've had enough Bushes."

___

CHRIS CHRISTIE

The New Jersey governor appears to have survived a political scandal involving a scheme to create traffic jams on a bridge that links New Jersey with Manhattan. At one point, it had threatened to destroy his presidential ambitions. Still, it reinforced the perception that Christie's tactics sometimes cross the line into bullying. He will have to overcome that perception in a campaign that will draw considerable attention to his tough-talking personality.

___

RAND PAUL

The first-term Kentucky senator's greatest strength may also be his greatest liability: his father, former Texas congressman and two-time presidential candidate Ron Paul. Rand Paul is expected to inherit his father's deeply loyal base of supporters. But the senator also will have to distance himself from his father's unorthodox positions, particularly on foreign policy, to have a real shot at winning the GOP's presidential nomination.

___

BEN CARSON

The retired neurosurgeon has caught fire with conservatives and has a base of vocal supporters who are starting to organize on his behalf. But Carson, the only African American in the early GOP field, must convince the broader electorate that his career in medicine and willingness to criticize President Barack Obama qualifies him to lead the nation.

___

MIKE HUCKABEE

He won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 and continues to enjoy high name recognition because of a consistent media presence, but the former Arkansas governor must expand his support beyond the GOP's evangelical wing to become a real factor in 2016. He just announced that he was leaving his Fox News talk show as he considers whether to seek the nomination.

___

RICK SANTORUM

The former Pennsylvania senator whose main focus is social issues likely exceeded his own expectations in the 2012 White House race. Like Huckabee, he always will be popular among Christian conservative voters, but he must appeal to the broader electorate inside and outside his party.

___

PAUL RYAN

The 2012 vice presidential nominee's greatest challenge may be convincing people that he seriously is considering running. Ryan's passion is policy, and he is set to play a central role in the tax debate as the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. It will be hard to do that and run for president at the same time.

___

BOBBY JINDAL

The Louisiana governor has signaled strong interest in a White House bid, but he needs to find a consistent message while working to convince his party elders  and voters to whom he is largely unknown  to take him seriously.

___

RICK PERRY

With a criminal case pending, Perry could struggle to raise money once he leaves the Texas governor's mansion this month. His "oops" moment from the 2012 contest, however, may loom larger over his presidential ambitions and probably will until he proves himself on the debate stage.

___

SCOTT WALKER

Wisconsin's governor has built a national profile for taking on his state's public service unions and winning three elections in four years. Still, it is a huge jump to presidential politics for a man who was investigated by state prosecutors searching for campaign finance violations and has yet to be vetted nationally.

___

JOHN KASICH

He is a former congressman and now a two-term governor of Ohio, a critical swing state. Kasich's resume is impressive. But his sometimes-unorthodox personality won him few friends in Washington, and it is unclear how his approach would play in a national campaign.

___

CARLY FIORINA

Should she run, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO probably will be the only woman in the GOP field. She lost a Senate race in California in 2010 and has a big challenge in proving she can do more than play a symbolic role in the 2016 primary.

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Sen. Robert Menendez has been one of the leading Democratic critics against the presidents change in Cuba policy and says it will be difficult to confirm an ambassador to the communist country.

The Cuban-American congressman, whos the soon-to-be ex-chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNNs State of the Union on Sunday that Congress can do little to prevent the Obama administration from shifting the existing interests section in Cuba into an embassy.

But what Congress can so is refuse to confirm an ambassador. He said its difficult to see a nominee winning Senate approval.

The New Jersey senator said he wasnt told about the administrations negotiations with Cuba, and that will make him more skeptical when administration officials testify to Congress.

We got nothing in terms of democracy and human rights. We got nothing about political freedoms, Menendez said. At the end of the day, they got absolutely nothing for giving up everything that the Castro regime wants.

He continued: I understand the Castro regime only changes out of economic necessity, not out of ideological change. It seems to me what we did was throw an economic lifeline.

In the same interview, Menendez praised the imposition of sanctions on North Korea as a good first step, but that they did not go far enough to deter future cyber-attacks.

Vandalism is when you break a window. Terrorism is when you take down a building and North Korea here landed a bomb on Sonys parking lot, he said. I think there has to be real consequences to this; otherwise youll see it happen again and again.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto heads to Washington, D.C., on Monday to meet with Barack Obama amid civil unrest at home and uncertainty at his reception here.

Latinos in the U.S. upset about the government's support of Mexico's ongoing militarized war against the drug cartels are planning demonstrations across the country.

The Mexican president and his team started 2014 carrying out a slew of newly passed reforms, from breaking up telecommunications monopolies to opening the nation's energy sector, earning him international plaudits, including a Time magazine cover with his image above the caption "Saving Mexico."

Then came a 1-2-3 punch of scandals: Soldiers killing 22 civilians in a questionable "shootout"; the abduction and presumed murder of 43 college students, allegedly at the hands of local officials and police in league with a drug cartel; and revelations that Pena Nieto and his treasury secretary live in luxury homes built and financed by a favorite government contractor.

What was supposed to be "Mexico's moment," a new era of transparency and reform, felt a lot like the same old age of violence and corruption.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets since the 43 college students disappeared Sept. 26. Even institutions normally cautious about criticizing the government, including the Roman Catholic Church, have spoken out, and a Mexican protester disrupted the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway, to draw attention to the tragedy.

"The protests are an expression of people fed up with impunity, and indignant at the complicity between some authorities and criminals," said Luis Raul Gonzalez, president of the normally politic Human Rights Commission, speaking directly to Pena Nieto at a recent public event.

Roberto Lovato, one of the cofounders of #USTired2, the group coordinating the Tuesday demonstrations in cities across the U.S., said: President Pena Nietos security forces are responsible for what is hands-down the worst human rights crisis in all of Latin America and deserves our denunciation, not our tax dollars or political support.

Many analysts say that the Washington trip is essential for Pena Nieto to secure continued support of the U.S. in Mexico's fight against drug cartels and, just as crucially, to convince American investors to put their money on Mexico.

"He's coming to Washington to provide a boost for his presidency in 2015," Jason Marczak, the deputy director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council told Fox News Latino. "What Mexicans will be closely watching is: Will he leave Washington with something to show for his visit?"

When Pena Nieto took office two years ago, he promised Mexico would see a new Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI, which had ruled Mexico for 71 years, often through coercion and corruption. After losing the presidency in 2000, the party portrayed itself as repentant and reconstructed.

Disillusioned by 12 years of opposition party rule, many Mexican voters returned to the PRI on the theory it at least knows how to govern.

But the purported "new PRI" has turned out to be younger politicians operating with the old playbook. Though its leaders were lauded for passing reforms, they had nothing to fall back on when violence knocked them off their message of economic growth.

They sent police to crack down on protesters and called the unrest a plot to "destabilize" the government and undermine the reforms.

Pena Nieto told the country, just weeks after their abduction, that it was time to "move beyond" the case of the 43 students, and he took a month to meet with their families.

The administration has tried to explain away the president's $7 million mansion by saying it belonged to his wife, former soap opera actress Angelica Rivera, and it said Treasury Secretary Luis Videgaray's bought his house before he officially took office, although he was part of Pena Nieto's transition team.

Yet he is facing a Mexico much changed in the years since the PRI left office, when the country was still largely isolated, had very little investigative media and no citizen watchdogs armed with cellphone cameras and social media.

Mexicans have responded irreverently to Pena Nieto's defenses, which they have seen as arrogance and disconnect. One protest sign declared that it isn't demonstrations that are destabilizing Mexico but "your narco-government corruption."

Cabinet chief Aurelio Nuno admitted to the Spanish newspaper El Pais that the government didn't have an adequate plan to deal with insecurity because it hadn't understood the dimensions of the problem. Nevertheless, he said the answer was in the economic reforms.

Pena Nieto maintained the strategy late Sunday when he delivered a New Year's message acknowledging "a difficult year."

"The violence of organized crime hit the country once again," he said, adding that Mexico "can't continue the same." But his answer is that 2015 would be a year of lower gas, electricity and telephone bills, thanks to the reforms.

Pena Nieto's economic strategy has yet to pay off in investment or growth  one of the main reasons his approval ratings recently hit 38 percent, the lowest for any Mexican president since the peso crisis of 20 years ago. Oil prices are in the basement just as Mexico is opening its energy sector to foreign bidders, and job growth is stagnant.

Once-favorable coverage in media abroad has turned scathing.

Pressing Videgaray in an interview, CNBC correspondent Michelle Caruso-Cabrera said, "If Barbara Bush were living in a house built by Halliburton, her husband would have been impeached."

All levels of government have been sullied, with mayors and state police found to be in cahoots with organized crime, and prosecutors more interested in solving political problems than crimes.

The military, which has spearheaded anti-drug efforts, was stained by allegations that soldiers shot suspects who had already surrendered, when the army initially said it killed them in a fierce shootout in June. Federal Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam didn't investigate until three months later, after news media found witnesses who contradicted the official version.

Mexico's major parties are all viewed negatively, leaving few options for those disappointed with Pena Nieto. The city officials directly implicated in the attack on the students and state officials who carried out the initial, floundering investigation were backed by the leftist Democratic Revolution Party that has long crusaded against PRI corruption.

In his Sunday address, Pena Nieto promised to be a better listener, and to "combat corruption and impunity and strengthen transparency."

But once again, he offered no specifics.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

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Six dissidents were freed Thursday as part of a deal made between Cuba and the US to release 53 political prisoners, but a key Cuban exile and rights activist group continues to question why the deal is shrouded in secrecy.

Since Cuba agreed with the Obama Administration on December 17th to free 53 detainees, considered to be high priority political prisoners by Washington, neither Cuba nor the United States has publicly identified anyone on the list. In fact, neither government spoke publicly about the releases Thursday.

On Wednesday, the head of Cuba's Human Rights and Reconciliation Commission, Elizardo Sanchez, told The Associated Press that the three released prisoners were 19-year-old twins Diango Vargas Martin and Bianko Vargas Martin and Enrique Figuerola Miranda. On Thursday morning, he said that prisoners Ernesto Riveri Gascon, Lazaro Romero Hurtado and David Piloto had also been released.

The freed twin brothers were members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, a small dissident anti-Castro group.

While the release is a good sign that the Cuban government will follow through on its deal with the U.S., activists remain frustrated by the lack of transparency.

The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba, a Miami-based non-profit dedicated to supporting anti-Castro activists and their families, says the fact that the 53 political prisoners have not been publicly identified is an example of an administration that is too trusting of the Castro regime.

"We would like to know the names, because obviously these people are going to need help when they are released, and we want to make sure that they are released," said Francisco "Pepe" Hernandez, co-founder and president of the FHRC told Fox News Latino. "Everyone is mute, why is that?"

The frustration led the FHRC to release their own list of 57 political prisoners calling on the White House and the Vatican to demand their immediate and unconditional release. The majority of the listed prisoners have been arrested within the last two years on what they claim are bogus charges of assault and public disorder. They were sentenced anywhere from a year to life in prison. All six men released Thursday were on the FHRC list.

Hernandez's organization sends humanitarian aid to the families of political prisoners every month and aids the opposition there. He is demanding the names of the 53 political prisoners to ensure that the Castro regime is held accountable if they renege on their promise.

One of the concerns is that Castro regime could release political prisoners and then exile them for life from the island, keeping the prisoners from ever seeing their families. In the past, the regime has freed political prisoners only to exile them in an effort to stop them from promoting freedom on the island. Hernandez also thinks the Castro regime could choose to instead release common criminals, instead of actual political prisoners, because they are afraid of re-energizing the opposition on the island.

"It is something that is very disconcerting for those of us trying to help," Hernandez said. "To tell you the truth, I dont know, after all these years, how this government can be so naive with the Castros."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a Cuban-American, echoed Hernandez's sentiments demanding more clarity on the identities of the 53 Cuban political prisoners in a Jan. 6 letter to President Obama writing the least your administration can do now is hold the regime accountable for fully freeing these 53 political prisoners as well as those who have been detained in recent weeks.
Cuba has released more than half of the 53 political prisoners it promised to free as part of a deal made with the U.S. in December, a Miami-based Cuban exile and human rights activist group confirmed Thursday evening.

Thus far, 28 dissidents have been released from prisons throughout the island, according to the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC). Among the freed prisoners are 16 members of UNPACU, the Patriotic Union of Cuba, considered to be the country's most vehemently anti-government dissident group, as well as members of the Ladies in White, the opposition group made up of the wives and female relatives of jailed political prisoners in Cuba.

Among those released were Haydee Gallardo S., a Lady in White, and her husband Angel Figueredo C. who were both arrested in May 2014 on charges of "public disorder." The independent rap artist Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga, known as "El Critico," was also released Thursday. 'El Critico" was sentenced to eight years in prison without a trial in March 2013 for "resistance" against the communist regime.

The FHRC told Fox News Latino that some prisoners, particularly members of UNPACU, have been released under the condition that may never leave the island again.

Neither the Obama administration nor the Cuban government have spoken publicly about the releases, or given a full list of names of the prisoners released since both governments brokered a deal on December 17th in which Cuba agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations.

In addition to the 53 political prisoners, the U.S. secured the release of American contractor Alan Gross. For its part, the U.S. let go three Cuban citizens held as spies on American soil.

The FHRC, which sends humanitarian aid to the families of political prisoners in Cuba, said it has not received any details from the Obama Administration as to who is being released and when. The organization has had to rely on their own sources on the ground to confirm the identities of the freed prisoners.

The lack of transparency and the secrecy surrounding the identities of the political prisoners drew criticism from FHRC's leader, Francisco Hernandez, as well as from top U.S. conservatives like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, who is also a Cuban-American.

"We would like to know the names, because obviously these people are going to need help when they are released, and we want to make sure that they are released," Hernandez told Fox News Latino. "Everyone is mute, why is that?"

The FHRC is demanding the names of the 53 political prisoners to ensure that the Castro regime is held accountable if they renege on their promise.

"To tell you the truth, I dont know, after all these years, how this government can be so naive with the Castros," Hernandez said.

One of the concerns is that the Castro regime could release political prisoners and then exile them for life from the island, keeping the prisoners from ever seeing their families again. In the past, the regime has freed political prisoners only to exile them in an effort to stop them from promoting freedom on the island.

Hernandez also thinks the Castro regime could choose to instead release common criminals, instead of actual political prisoners, because they are afraid of re-energizing the opposition on the island.

An FHRC press release on Thursday reiterated that there is still work to be done.

"The FHRC continues to call on the Obama Administration and the Vatican to demand the immediate release of all remaining Human Rights activists, permanently and without conditions, including forced exile, parole, house arrest, and or any type of further harassment, detainment, or repression for political motives."
House Republicans plan to vote next week to block spending for President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration, setting up a potentially explosive showdown with no certain outcome.

The vote will come as the House considers legislation to keep the Department of Homeland Security running past February. Lawmakers said the goal is to keep the agency running on full funding  an especially critical goal in the wake of the Paris terror attacks  but to stop Obama's immigration actions from taking effect.

Obama's directives in November gave temporary relief from deportation to about 4 million immigrants in the country illegally, along with permits allowing them to work legally in the U.S. His move infuriated Republicans after their midterm election victories, and they vowed to retaliate once they assumed full control of Congress this week.

"We are not going to allow taxpayer dollars to be used to fund those unlawful orders," said Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala., who is among a group of lawmakers who've been meeting with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to develop their response.

Yet it's unclear whether a House bill blocking funding for Obama's move would clear the Senate, where Republicans are six votes short of the 60-vote majority needed to advance most measures. And it could face a veto threat from Obama.

More On This... Best pix of the week

That leaves the end game uncertain. But by starting the process in early January, House Republicans say they are giving themselves plenty of time to figure that out before Homeland Security funding expires at the end of February.

"The main goal is to fund DHS and make it clear that there are no funds, including the funds that are fee-based, for the president's illegal actions," said Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz. "We fully expect to get the president to sign it and we're going to use every bit of leverage we've got to get him to do so."

The coming clash on immigration was teed up late last year when Republicans kept the Homeland Security Department on a short leash while funding the rest of the government for a full year. Republicans figured they'd be better positioned to respond to Obama's move when they returned to Washington in control of the Senate as well as the House.

Yet Obama's veto pen gives him as much leverage as ever, and it remains unclear whether Republicans will ultimately be able to stop his immigration moves.

It also remains to be seen whether House Republicans will unite around the measure once it's finalized. In past immigration debates, tea party-backed conservatives have pushed for tougher language than that embraced by leadership. McCarthy has included conservatives in his deliberations, and at least one hardliner, Rep. Steve King of Iowa, sounded satisfied Thursday with the direction the legislation was taking.

But an outside conservative commentator, Daniel Horowitz of the Conservative Review, wrote that the House must go beyond blocking Obama's recent executive steps and also eliminate an earlier program that granted deportation reprieves and work permits to immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children.

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The campaign for Ann Roe, who is running for Congress against Lyin' Bryan Steil has come out with the best one-liner of this cycle so far: I can't argue...

1 year ago
President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things after the Obama administration issued sanctions against Russia for its alleged 2016 election hacking.

It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things, Trump said in a written response released four hours after the announcement. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation."

The Obama administration announced sanctions against Russias intelligence services, while ejecting dozens of intelligence operatives from the U.S. as part of a response to what it says are efforts by Moscow to influence the election.

Using an executive order, President Obama sanctioned the GRU and the FSB -- two of Russia's intelligence services as well as other entities and individuals associated with the GRU. The cybersecurity firm hired by the Democratic National Committee to investigate the hack of its emails earlier this year concluded the hacking came from the Fancy Bear group, believed to be affiliated with the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency.

In addition to the sanctions, the State Department has declared 35 Russian intelligence operatives "persona non grata" in the U.S., giving them 72 hours to leave, and is shutting down two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York.

The Maryland property is a 45-acre property at Pioneer Point, and was purchased by the Soviet government in 1972.

President Obama expels 35  diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl  people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

The New York property is on Long Island and is 14 acres and was purchased by the Soviet government in 1954.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said in response to the announcement that Moscow will consider retaliatory measures.

"We think that such steps by a U.S. administration that has three weeks left to work are aimed at two things: to further harm Russian-American ties, which are at a low point as it is, as well as, obviously, to deal a blow to the foreign policy plans of the incoming administration of the president-elect," Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

The Russian Embassy in the UK took a different approach, tweeting out a picture of a lame duck and blasting what it called "Cold War deja vu."

The Treasury Secretary meanwhile has named two individuals -- Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev and Aleksey Alekseyevich Belan -- it says were involved in "malicious cyber-enabled activities."

"These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior," Obama said in a statement.

Obama also announced that the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI will release declassified information on Russian cyberactivity to help "identify, detect and Russia's global campaign of malicious cyber activities."

Obama also said that the administration will be providing a report to Congress "in the coming days" about Russian attempts to interfere in the election, as well as previous election cycles.

The president also hinted that his administration intends to do more to hold Russia accountable.

"These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia's aggressive activities," Obama said. "We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized."

U.S. intelligence services have concluded that the Russians interfered in the election to try and help President-elect Donald Trump win. Trump has dismissed the conclusions.

However, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. welcomed the move in a statement.

"Russia does not share America's interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. While today's action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia," Ryan said.

Incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY., also praised the move in a statement late Thursday.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-TX., called Obama's actions "long overdue," while House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes said he's been "urging" Obama for years to take action and that this "indecision and delay" explains why "American's influence has collapsed."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump's incoming counselor said Thursday that Trump does believe its time to move on and look forward to the next administration.

In an interview on Fox News' "Hannity," Kellyanne Conway discussed the US sanctions imposed on Russia. Russia has responded to the sanctions by threatening to retaliate and has said the move was done to hurt the incoming administration.

We have complicated relations with Russia. We have for decades as the United States, Conway said. President-elect has made it clear that he is willing to work with countries who want to work on big solutions together.

Conway also discussed the relationship between the US and Israel saying, You will see President Trump having much stronger relationship with Israel.

Conway said Israel is Americas greatest friend and that we want our friends in Israel to know that help is on the way.

You see this flurry of activity by a tough President Obama as he exits the office, Conway said. You cant put daylight between the US and Israel.

We do wonder about the rush to do all these things the next couple of weeks by the Obama administration, Conway added.

January 20th will be here quickly and its very important to all of us, Conway said of the Trump administration taking office. I think its important to America that you see that peaceful transition of power from administration to administration. 


A business owner who posted a sign on the entrance of his eccentric Italian cafe in downtown Honolulu banning President Elect Donald Trump supporters, has removed the sign one day after FoxNews.com broke a story about the severe policy.

If you voted for Trump you cannot eat here! No Nazis, declared owner Robert Warner on a bright yellow, handmade sign, which he taped to his Cafe 8/12s front glass door.

"This is my place and if I don't want to serve a Trump person, I can do that," he told Hawaii News Now on Wednesday, one day after the FoxNews.com report generated thousands of adverse posts in the story comment section as well as on Yelp, Twitter and Facebook.

While Warner claims business has been better than ever since the story went viral in news media across the world, he took the notice down on Wednesday, telling Hawaii News Now: "If somebody came in and said, 'Hey, I know you can't tell who I voted for, but I voted for Trump, would you let me eat?' I would say, 'Sure, if you're nice with me and I'm nice with you and you like my food, sit down, no problem.

Jali Warner, Warners wife, told FoxNews.com the same on Tuesday, noting if a Trump supporter ate there, we dont put anything different in your food. Neither could be reached for comment by phone this week because the phone consistently rang busy.

Warner is known to channel the soup Nazi persona of New York City and Seinfeld fame -- throwing pots and pans, telling off customers, and hanging not-so-friendly reminders on butcher paper for his customers to read.

Honolulu tech guru Ryan Ozawa, who ate at Cafe 8  on Wednesday to show his support, said as long as hes known about the place, it's been provocative and cranky and cheeky.

He's (Warner) got a sharp edge but his wife offsets a lot of it. She's sweet, Ozawa said.

However, not every customer will continue to be loyal. One patron, who said on Yelp he has eaten at Cafe 8  for two years, left with his clients when they saw the sign.

I was so embarrassed as my client read this (sign) out loud. I couldn't believe what I sawMy client immediately turned to me and said I guess we aren't welcomed here. My firm will not patronize any establishment that serves up hate and discrimination and the word Nazi just because of ones political views.

It would not be a surprise if business flourished in the largely blue state. Trump only received 29 percent of the General Election vote in Hawaii. All four members of the congressional delegation, the governor, and 70 out of 76 state legislators are Democrats.

However, celebrity Beth Chapman of the CMT television series Dog and Beth on the Hunt based around her and her husband, Dwayne Dog Chapmans adventures as bounty hunters, spoke out, telling her 500,000 fans on Facebook that shed never patronize the establishment.

In a call to FoxNews.com, Chapman said, I live in Hawaii and I voted for Donald Trump for President. I would never refuse service to someone based on whom they had supported in an election. It's totally unacceptable for anyone to breed such hate in the Aloha State.
President Obama expelled 35 Russian intelligence officials and imposed sanctions as part of a necessary and appropriate response to Russias alleged interference in Novembers elections Thursday. But experts question whether it is strong enough to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I don't think they will have much impact at all, said former United Nations ambassador John Bolton Friday morning in an interview on Fox News Fox & Friends.

Bolton, who was under consideration to lead the State Department in a Trump administration, said Russias actions were an attack on our constitutional system and it is not enough to say, and people should be very careful about this, to say, well, it didn't actually have an impact on the election.

The reaction from Capitol Hill echoed Boltons assessment.

Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina issued a joint statement characterizing the sanctions as long overdue that was a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy.

McCain, who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has schedule a hearing on foreign cyber threats for next Thursday and intends to work to toughen the sanctions.

On Twitter, Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland Democrat, said the sanctions were a good start, but added that Congressional sanctions still needed.

Russian officials initially condemned the sanctions and promised to retaliate. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently issued a statement that said he was reserving the right to retaliate.

The statement read further that Russia would nt stoop to the level of kitchen irresponsible diplomacy.

Olga Oliker, director of Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says retaliatory measures will have an immediate impact by demonstrating what can be done, such as imposing sanctions on firms that deal with Russian intelligence.

In terms of the measures responding to harassment of US diplomats, the real proof of the pudding will be Russians actions going forward, she told FoxNews.com.

Other security experts concur the Obamas decision to respond sends a message, but the extent to which it will affect Putin remains unclear.

I am not sure we will see impact in terms of Russia backing down. This is more of a public move from the Obama administration to serve notice to them that we will respond to cyber attacks, Anup Ghosh, founder & CEO of the Virginia-based cybersecurity firm Invincea, Inc. told FoxNews.com

I expect Putin to continue with his propaganda campaign and attempts to influence the discussion by manipulating public opinion. At the same time, he will be welcoming of the Trump administration, he added.

The executive order largely relied on findings in a joint Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation report which claimed Russian civilian and military services were part of an ongoing campaign of cyber-enabled operations directed at the U.S. government and its citizens.

According to the report, the target of Russias cyber offensive was not limited to the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The campaign sought to infiltrate government organizations, critical infrastructure entities, think tanks, universities, political organizations, and corporations.

New York Republican Lee Zeldin, said the report which accompanied Obamas executive order was miserably brief and lacked the level of detail sought by Congress.

It uses big font and pictures and leaves certain holes in it that are bigger than the paper it is written on. Frankly, it raises more questions than it answers about Russias activities.

Zeldin believes the intelligence briefings President-elect Trump receives next week could help to shape his strategy toward dealing with Putin.

Experts say the direction Donald Trump chooses to take toward Russia is likely to determine whether Putin is deterred from further aggressive behavior.

Susan Hennessey, a Brookings Fellow in National Security Law, tells FoxNews.com that Trump has the authority to overturn the executive order should he choose to do so.

But, she adds, to do so would be politically costly because Congress, including majority of Republicans, favor taking stronger action against Russia.
A Missouri congressman has sparked outrage after a painting he approved depicting police officers as animals was placed on display in the U.S. Capitol building.

The painting, by high school senior David Pulphus, shows the unrest in Ferguson, Mo. after the 2014 death of Michael Brown. The piece won Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo.s annual Congressional Art competition in May, and so was selected to be displayed at the Capitol complex.

The piece depicts two police officers, whose heads are replaced by animal heads  one of which appears to be a pig -- aiming guns at protesters who are carrying signs saying History and Racism Kills. In the background is a crucified black man in a graduation cap holding the scales of justice.

Clay praised the piece in a press release in May, saying it portrays a colorful landscape of symbolic characters representing social injustice, the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri and the lingering elements of inequality in modern American society.

The Independent Journal Review, which first reported the development, reports that the controversial piece now hangs in a tunnel between the U.S. Capitol building and the Longworth House Office Building.

DC police expressed outrage at the image, calling it offensive and disgusting.

During a time in our society when tensions are so high that someone can be offended by a single word, this painting does nothing but attack law enforcement to its core, Andy Maybo, president of The Fraternal Order of Police District of Columbia Lodge #1 , told The Daily Caller. The fact that a member of Congress would advocate and praise such a painting is reprehensible.

Congressional Republicans also expressed dismay at the decision to display the painting in the Capitol.

It is disheartening to see this depiction of law enforcement hanging in the hallway of our nation's Capitol where officers work everyday to protect our safety and freedoms, Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., told The Independent Journal Review. Unfortunately, many people of influence have taken part in promoting offensive and inaccurate caricatures of the very people who do the most to protect our families.

Calls to the Clays offices by FoxNews.com were not immediately returned.
A New York school board demanded Thursday that the co-chairman of President-elect Donald Trumps New York campaign resign from its board, after he said he would like to see the president die of Mad Cow Disease.

Carl Paladino, an ally of Trump and a millionaire developer, told a local publication that he would like to see President Obama die of the disease, and see First Lady Michelle Obama living with a gorilla in Africa.

Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Hereford. He dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to Valerie Jarrett, who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a jihadi cellmate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her, he said, according to the New York Post.

Paladino later apologized, saying the comments werent meant for publication.

I wanted to say something as sarcastic and hurtful as possible about the people (the Obamas) so responsible for the hurt and suffering of so many others, he said, according to the Post. I was wired up, primed to be human and make a mistake. I could have not made a worse choice in the words I used to express my feelings.

The apology has not been accepted by the school board in Buffalo. It voted 6-2 Thursday to ask the state education commissioner to remove Paladino if he does not resign from office. The two who did not back the motion called on Paladino to apologize to every student. Paladino was not in attendance but has said that he will not resign.

A crowd applauded when the vote was taken, and shouted down Paladinos allies.

Words matter, Mr. Paladino. This community has been rocked, said board president Barbara Seals Nevergold.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The sun shines down on lush orange mangos hanging from trees that line the road for miles, as farmers sit behind small wooden stands, selling fresh fruit to passersby. Children can be heard laughing and playing in a nearby schoolyard.

Its like a picturesque postcard, but its definitely not the way I imagined the country of Nicaragua, a rugged place torn apart by a rampant civil war that lasted for decades. Where were the gun-toting, camouflage wearing rebels I remember seeing on grainy television news footage years ago?

Apparently its the same image still in the minds of many Americans. "Isn't Nicaragua really dangerous?" one woman asked me. "Are you crazy? You could get attacked, or kidnapped" said another, after learning I was headed to the Central American country for a visit.

While crime and corruption are still a bit of concern in some parts, according to the U.S. State Department, the Nicaraguan tourism bureau is trying to change that perception, and spreading the word that its now a very different country. "This is the safest country in the Americas" local tour guide Ernesto Ramirez told me, on a recent excursion to this rustic land. "The police here are tough, so everyone's afraid to commit a crime" he explained.

In the years since the revolutionary war of the 70's and 80's ended, something of a democracy has developed in Nicaragua. Presidential elections were held and many of the restraints on citizens were lifted. Capitalism is now slowly invading the economy, as more businesses risk development and more services become available.

As a result, curious world travelers are gradually starting to seek out this formerly menacing place. It's no surprise, as word spreads about the miles of white sandy beaches, rain forests and mountains that have become a major draw for hikers and climbers. Unique geologic rock formations left by volcanic eruptions of the past have become sought out tourist attractions.

The climate is typically warm and tropical. Dry in the summer months of November through April and rainy in the winter months of May through October.

How do you vacation? Whether youre relaxing in your own backyard, or traveling across the world, send Fox News your photos!

The Nicaraguan scenery is not so different from the one to the south, in its neighboring country, Costa Rica. The difference is, Costa Rica has become one of the most popular destinations for globetrotters in the world. Visitors flock to its lush terrain, surfers brag about catching the best waves along the coast. Dozens of surf schools and other businesses catering to tourists have cropped up throughout the country and the Costa Rican economy has thrived because of it.

Nicaragua wants that, too. Its leaders are working with travel agencies, looking for ways to make that boon spread over the border.

Since flying to Nicaragua is not on a lot of people's agendas, tour companies try to entice people who are visiting Costa Rica to take day trips over the border. Small buses carrying sightseers travel back and forth across the border everyday. Once there, many surprised visitors want to stay for more than a day.

The effort seems to be working. Travel agents claim tourism in Nicaragua is growing at about 15 percent every year. Part of the reason might be the fact that everything is so inexpensive, especially compared to Costa Rica.

Also the Nicaraguan Tourism Board just announced a partnership with the travel company Orbitz Worldwide to offer great deals on flights and hotels. With three and four star hotels in the $80-$150 a night range, and flights from the U.S. as low as $449, deals are to be had.

While the national language is Spanish, many people in the Central American country speak fluent English. In fact, they learn it in school, often beginning when they are just five years old. New hotels, resorts, restaurants and bars are opening up on the coasts and around the colonial cities, like Granada, which at first glance looks like a pretty but faded postcard. Older Spanish style buildings border the city's center square and decorated horse drawn buggies can be hired for travel around the area.

During the time I visited Granada, dozens of artists from around the country were there, hoping to sell their paintings or sculptures or wooden carvings at the city's cultural festival. Haggling was the exercise of the day.

Local music could be heard from large speakers propped up on benches, and food carts selling things like freshly made empanadas or chicken burritos were all around.

"I'm so surprised. I didn't know what to expect here," said Elsie Freeting, who was visiting from Canada. Freeting's husband Jim agreed. "My friends all thought I was crazy to come here, but I wanted to see it. Now I wish we could stay here longer."

Outside of the cities, the terrain is an outdoorsman's paradise. Nicaragua is home to the largest lake in Central America. A tour in a boat ride across the lake water includes passing of dozens of small islands, each one hosting a large home with a front yard, back yard and boat launch. Many of these homes are owned by people from the United States, my tour guide tells me.

Volcanoes and volcanic craters are the main attraction at the national park, which is well maintained by local geologists. Adventurous people can actually drive up toward the top of the mountains for a spectacular, breathtaking view across the valley. Up at the top, a protective metal barrier crowns the edge of one large crater, which still spews noxious gases from the lava churning deep below. A sign nearby posted in both Spanish and English warns visitors not to linger for more than 20 minutes at a time, for fear of ill effects from the fumes.

"In ancient times, people believed the volcanoes erupted because the gods were angry" one of the park's guides told us. "Animals and young virgins were sacrificed to keep the gods calm."

Apparently since that ritual ended, a lot more people have decided to visit.

Now travel agencies are designing duo country trips that combine visits to both Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and plans are being made for a cooperative marketing campaign to encourage tourism between the countries.

Nicaragua as a tourist mecca is still hard for many to imagine, but since those days of rebels ravishing the country, it seems to have come a long way.
A New York man says he and his husband were removed from a JetBlue flight after his husband "expressed displeasure" about flying with Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner.

Matthew Lasner said on Twitter that JetBlue staff kicked him and his husband off the flight from New York's Kennedy airport to Florida on Thursday after overhearing his husband's remarks. Lasner tweeted earlier that his husband was chasing the couple down in the terminal "to harass them."

Lasner has since deleted his Twitter account.

JetBlue cited the possibility of "the risk of escalation during flight" in explaining the decision to remove the men. The airline says the couple was rebooked for the next available flight.

A spokeswoman for the Trump family declined comment but did not dispute the accounts.
Ammar Abdirahmans mother said she sent him from Minnesota to a Somali boarding school to protect him. The teen never returned home.

Sent to Africa to be safe from gangs in Minnesota, Ammar was instead beaten and killed by locals in Somalia in May. His mother told FOX9 the teen may have been targeted because he was American. No formal homicide investigation has been launched and his family is still trying to obtain his remains, according to FOX9.

He was smart, he was inquisitive, he was asking questions, said Omar Jamal, a community leader in Minnesota. And for that, they tortured and killed him.

Ammar was born in Minnesota, the son of Somali immigrants. But his parents sent the 17-year-old to Puntland, a city far north of the infamously volatile Mogadishu, so he could learn about his culture and not get caught up with the wrong crowd in Minneapolis. Federal authorities have charged at least six Minnesota men with trying to support the terrorist group ISIS this year.

But five people attacked Ammar, who died from the beating, according to family members who spoke to FOX9. In graphic pictures of a man identified as Ammar, deep, dark scars are easily visible and multiple whip-like abrasions crisscross his torso.

He was smart, he was inquisitive, he was asking questions. And for that, they tortured and killed him.  Omar Jamal, community leader

Ammars mother, Shukri Hersi, said people in her Minnesota community are urging her to remain silent.

They try to destroy my life, my family. Cant say anything, she said.

An attorney brought in by the family, Daniel Kennedy, contacted Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who reached out to the State Department, according to FOX9.

Its sad to see the horror of what happened compounded by the lack of information, and the lack of feeling that theres something that can be done about it, Kennedy said.
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.

A right delayed is a right denied.Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.

Martin Luther King Jr.

No one is born hating another person People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

Nelson Mandela

We can disagree and still love each other, unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist

James Baldwin

There is a fine line between free speech and hate speech. Free speech encourages debate whereas hate speech incites violence.

Newton Lee

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.

Albert Einstein
A two-member parole panel delayed making a decision Thursday on whether to release an accomplice of cult killer Charles Manson who is the longest-serving female inmate in California.

After a daylong hearing, the panel from the Board of Parole Hearings postponed a decision on whether to free Patricia Krenwinkel "because they felt information discussed at the hearing was cause for an investigation," spokeswoman Vicky Waters said in an email.

The hearing will be continued once the investigation is concluded, she said

Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, said the parole officials told her the hearing was likely to be postponed about six months while they research to see if Krenwinkel meets the criteria for having bartered women's syndrome.

Krenwinkel's attorney, Keith Wattley, did not immediately return telephone and email messages.

"She totally minimized her action and blamed everything on other people the whole hearing," Tate said.

Tate said she didn't buy the concept that Krenwinkel was a victim because she was free to leave at any time and participated in murders two nights in a row.

"We all have to be accountable four our actions. I don't buy any of this stuff. She was there because she wanted to be there. Nobody held a gun to her head," Tate said.

The decision to delay by the panel came after the 69-year-old Krenwinkel was previously denied parole 13 times, most recently in 2011.

Krenwinkel acknowledged during her trial that she chased down and repeatedly stabbed Abigail Ann Folger, the 26-year-old heiress of a coffee fortune, at Tate's home and helped kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary the following night.

Los Angeles County prosecutors say Krenwinkel carved the word "war" into Leno LaBianca's stomach then wrote "Helter Skelter" in blood on the couple's refrigerator.

Krenwinkel's attorney, Keith Wattley, successfully petitioned the state to hold the parole hearing a year early at the California Institution for Women, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, where Krenwinkel is imprisoned.

"California law officially recognizes a person's capacity to change and to address the factors that contributed to their previous behavior so that they can safely be paroled," Wattley told The Associated Press in an email before the hearing.

Krenwinkel contended at her previous parole hearing in 2011 that she is a changed woman. She has a clean disciplinary record, earned a bachelor's degree behind bars, taught illiterate inmates to read and trained service dogs for disabled people.

Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, said before Thursday's hearing that killers such as Krenwinkel cannot be rehabilitated.

"She was a very prolific killer," Debra Tate said recently. "They may behave well in a controlled environment, but we cannot trust that, given the pressures of life, that they will be able to remain straight" outside prison.

Krenwinkel was a 19-year-old secretary when she met Manson at a party. She testified at her previous hearing that she left everything behind three days later to pursue what she believed was a budding romance with him.

She wept and apologized, saying she became a "monster" after she met Manson.

"I committed myself fully to him. I committed myself to the act of murder," she said then. "I was willing to sacrifice others' lives for my own."

Prosecutors say the slayings were an attempt to ignite a race war after which Manson and his followers would rise from the rubble to rule the world.

Krenwinkel was initially sentenced to death, but the California Supreme Court invalidated the death penalty in 1972.

Gov. Jerry Brown has the power to block the release of inmates if parole is granted. He previously stopped the parole of Manson followers Leslie Van Houten, 67, and Bruce Davis, 74.

Krenwinkel became the state's longest-serving female inmate when fellow Manson follower Susan Atkins died of cancer in prison in 2009.

Anthony DiMaria, the nephew of victim Thomas Jay Sebring, noted that Krenwinkel has lived a long time and denied that opportunity to her victims.
A large bear attacked and wounded a North Carolina hunter who says hes lucky to have survived the encounter.

Mike Wilson was hunting on a hill in Mitchell County, in the mountains of western North Carolina, when he came face-to-face with the 390-pound bear, WLOS-TV in Asheville reported Wednesday.

The bear was coming up the hill, and I was coming down the hill, Wilson told the station.

Wilson said he did what any hunter would do in that situation.

Shoot it, of course. And I did," he said. "But trying to get another shell in my gun, it just overrun me and knocked me down the hill."

The bear also attacked three of Wilsons hunting dogs, killing one.

WLOS reports the bear slashed Wilson in the face and neck with its paw. He said the animal came close to severing his jugular vein.

Doctors stopped the bleeding with 30 stitches.

The bear ran off after the attack and hid in a hole. Another hunter later shot and killed the bear, the station reported.
A prominent Black Lives Matter activist in Los Angeles has been hit with a temporary restraining order requiring him to stay away from the head of the police commission.

L.A. Police Commission President Matthew Johnson told a judge he was seeking the order against Trevor Gerard out of fear for his own and his children's lives.

Johnson said in court papers that he had been stalked and threatened by the Black Lives Matter leader. He charged that at various board meetings Gerard had mouthed threats, including I am going to beat your a-- and I am going to f------ kill you.

The official said that in recent weeks Gerard went looking for him at his private law office and family home. Johnson said police detained Gerard in front of his house.

The conduct and threats by [Gerard] put me in fear of harm to myself, my family and my co-workers when [he] is near, Johnson says in a court declaration accompanying the restraining order request.

The temporary restraining order signed by a judge does not allow Gerard to get within 100 yards of Johnson, his wife and children, and his law partner, except at police commission meetings. There the restriction is five yards. Gerard could be arrested if he ignores the restrictions.

A lawyer for the City of Los Angeles applied for the restraining order on Dec. 19, the day after Gerard paid the unwelcome visit to Johnsons home. The police commission is the LAPD's civilian oversight board.

LA Weekly reported Thursday that Gerard went to the home as part of a group of demonstrators with signs.

Gerard told the paper Johnson was distorting the truth in retaliation for Black Lives Matter LAs confrontational style of activism.

I never told him that he should be afraid of me, Gerald told the weekly. I never told him to meet me outside. I never threatened him with any kind of physical violence.

LA Weekly reports that Johnson advocates sharing more information with the public about police shootings.

The paper reports that Gerard regularly attends meetings of the police commission, where he has derisively addressed Johnson, who is also black, with the epithet houseboy.

The judge set Jan. 10 for a hearing on the restraining order.

Efforts by FoxNews.com to reach Johnson were unavailing.
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A Missouri Republican saw last year's debate over a proposed constitutional amendment that would have protected businesses that deny services to same-sex couples bring lawmakers to tears and grind legislative work to a halt. His potential solution: Take state government out of marriage completely.

"You can stop spending so much emotional energy on the issue, and we can move on to other things," state Rep. T.J. Berry said, adding, "I'm treating everybody the exact same way and leaving space for people to believe what they believe outside of government."

His bill, filed ahead of the 2017 legislative session, would make Missouri the first state to recognize only domestic unions for both heterosexual and gay couples, treating legal partnerships equally and leaving marriages to be done by pastors and other religious leaders.

But such peace could be elusive for several reasons. Some argue that leaving marriage to religious leaders is a way to constitutionally refuse to perform ceremonies for same-sex couples. Plus, there are potential logistical issues with stripping references to marriage in hundreds of state statutes, and the federal government recognizes only marriages for benefits. Berry's idea has been met by skepticism from pretty much all sides of the gay marriage issue.

Other states including Alabama, Indiana and Michigan failed to pass similar bills to limit the government's role in marriage, and Oklahoma representatives passed a bill that didn't make it out of the Senate.

The Missouri bill's chances are unclear, although Republican House Majority Floor Leader Mike Cierpiot, who lives 30 minutes south of Kansas City in Lee's Summit, said the issue needs to be discussed due to impassioned arguments among LGBT rights groups and religious organizations that have continued in the wake of the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

The bill is backed by states' rights group Tenth Amendment Center, whose spokesman Mike Maharrey called it a "great compromise" and referenced county clerks in other states, such as Kentucky, who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

"It removes that type of battle of conscience," he said.

While the bill "would treat all couples the same"  at least in Missouri  the legal director for the national LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign highlighted a significant issue. The federal government does not recognize domestic partnerships or other alternative unions, so Missouri's same-sex and opposite-sex couples would need to get married in another state to receive federal benefits regarding taxation, social security and military spousal benefits, Sarah Warbelow said.

Berry, who's from Kearney, about 30 minutes north of Kansas City, said he's seeking guidance from the federal government.

The bill also doesn't address the heart of tension between religious groups and gay rights groups: whether same-sex couples should have the right to wed.

Members of the Missouri Baptist Convention are concerned that endorsing Berry's measure would be seen as accepting the Supreme Court's ruling, policy director Don Hinkle said.

"We believe that the Bible is literally the words of God, and we're to keep his commandments," Hinkle said. "And he makes it very clear that marriage is to be only between a man and a woman."

Democratic House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty said the issue was settled at the federal level, calling the bill "absolutely unnecessary." She also warned that the whopping 386-page bill has unknown consequences, potentially causing problems for couples in domestic unions who move out of state.

And there's the possibility that the measure could chip away at the significance of marriage.

"If you replace marriage with domestic union, will people still take that contract as seriously?" Missouri Catholic Conference Executive Director Mike Hoey said.

Most Americans "don't want marriage to disappear," Warbelow said.

"There is something about marriage," she said. "People don't grow up dreaming about being in civil unions or domestic partnerships."

___

Follow Summer Ballentine on Twitter: @esballentine
A Mexican man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. another nine times since 2003, records obtained by The Associated Press show.

OPINION: 5 BORDER SECURITY PRIORITIES FOR TRUMP IN HIS FIRST 100 DAYS

Three U.S. Republican senators -- including Kansas' Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts -- demanded this month that the Department of Homeland Security provide immigration records for 38-year-old Tomas Martinez-Maldonado, who is charged with a felony in the alleged Sept. 27 attack aboard a bus in Geary County. He is being held in the Geary County jail in Junction City, which is about 120 miles west of Kansas City.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, from Iowa and chairman of the judiciary committee, co-signed a Dec. 9 letter with Moran and Roberts to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, calling it "an extremely disturbing case" and questioning how Martinez-Maldonado was able to re-enter and remain in the country.

MEXICO TO DEFEND NAFTA USING BORDER SECURITY AS LEVERAGE, TOP AIDES SAY

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it has placed a detainer -- a request to turn Martinez-Maldonado over to ICE custody before he is released -- with Geary County. ICE declined to discuss his specific case beyond its October statement regarding the 10 deportations.

Court filings show Martinez-Maldonado has two misdemeanor convictions for entering without legal permission in cases prosecuted in 2013 and 2015 in U.S. District Court of Arizona, where he was sentenced to serve 60 days and 165 days respectively.

A status hearing in the rape case is scheduled for Jan. 10. Defense attorney Lisa Hamer declined to comment on the charge, but said, "criminal law and immigration definitely intersect and nowadays it should be the responsibility of every criminal defense attorney to know the possible ramifications in the immigration courts."

Nationwide, 52 percent of all federal prosecutions in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 were for entry or re-entry without legal permission and similar immigration violations, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

It's not unusual to see immigrants with multiple entries without legal permission, said David Trevino, a Topeka immigration attorney also representing Martinez-Maldonado. Most of Martinez-Maldonado's family lives in Mexico, but he also has family in the United States, and the family is "devastated," Trevino said.

"(President-elect Donald Trump) can build a wall 100 feet high and 50 feet deep, but it is not going to keep family members separated. So if someone is deported and they have family members here ... they will find a way back -- whether it is through the air, under a wall, through the coast of the United States," Trevino said.

He declined to comment on his client's criminal history and pending charge.

Records obtained by AP show Martinez-Maldonado had eight voluntary removals before his first deportation in 2010, which was followed by another voluntary removal that same year. He was deported five more times between 2011 and 2013.

In 2013, Martinez-Maldonado was charged with entering without legal permission, a misdemeanor, and subsequently deported in early 2014 after serving his sentence. He was deported again a few months later, as well as twice in 2015 -- including the last one in October 2015 after he had served his second sentence, the records show.

ICE said in an emailed statement when it encounters a person who's been deported multiple times or has a significant criminal history and was removed, it routinely presents those cases to the U.S. attorney's office for possible criminal charges.

Cosme Lopez, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Arizona, declined comment on why prosecutors twice dismissed felony re-entry after deportation charges against Martinez-Maldonado in 2013 and 2015 in exchange for guilty pleas on misdemeanor entry charges.

Arizona ranks third in the nation -- behind only the Southern District of Texas and the Western District of Texas -- for the number of immigration prosecutions among the nation's 94 federal judicial districts for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, TRAC records show.

Moran told the AP in an emailed statement that the immigration system is "broken."

"There must be serious legislative efforts to address U.S. immigration policy, and we must have the ability to identify, prosecute and deport illegal aliens who display violent tendencies before they have an opportunity to perpetrate these crimes in the United States," he said.
For the next week, not only will there be no U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the Middle East, but there will be no American aircraft carriers deployed at sea anywhere else in the world, despite a host of worldwide threats facing the United States.

VIDEO: WHAT THE AIR FORCE NEEDS TO KEEP UP WITH GLOBAL DEMAND

The carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and her strike group returned to Norfolk, Va., Friday following a seven-month deployment. The Ike launched hundreds of airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria from both the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf.

Two destroyers in the Ikes strike group also saw combat. The USS Nitze and USS Mason were attacked in the Red Sea when Iranian backed Houthi forces in Yemen launched cruise misisles, which were intercepted by the Mason. A retaliatory strike by the Nitze destroyed the radar installations in Yemen in October.

IRAN CONDUCTS 'WAR-GAME' EXERCISES, THREATENS TO SHOOT DOWN TRESPASSING AIRCRAFT

The Eisenhowers replacement carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, was delayed by more than six months in the shipyards and will not be able to replace the Ike until early next year, according to Navy officials.

While there is no U.S. aircraft carrier in the Middle East right now, there is a large deck U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship with thousands of Marines on board as well as helicopters and some jets to respond to a crisis, according to officials.

In the meantime, the Navy tells Fox News the U.S. military has other jets available to make up for the aircraft carrier gap in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. The Navy can also surge a carrier now in port to deploy if necessary. But the absence of a deployed U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, long seen as a symbol of American power projection, is noteworthy. It is believed to be the first time since World War II that at least one U.S. aircraft carrier has not been deployed.

We are not going to discuss the timing of operational movements of carrier strike groups into and out of the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, said Capt. Terry Shannon, a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command spokesman, in a statement to Fox News. Centcom is tasked with control over all U.S. forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Its not the first time there was a carrier gap in the Middle East. Last fall, the U.S. Navy relied on a French aircraft carrier to fill the void when the USS Theodore Roosevelt returned home. At the time it was the first gap in carrier coverage in the Middle East since 2007.

Other factors contribute to the U.S. Navy not having an aircraft carrier deployed anywhere in the world right now. From 2011 to 2013, the Navy maintained two carriers in the Persian Gulf on the orders of Centcom's then-commander, Gen. James Mattis, who is now President-elect Donald Trumps pick for defense secretary.

The congressionally mandated budget cuts known as sequestration have also been felt on the waterfront since 2011. After billions of dollars were cut from the Navys budget, ships such as the George H.W. Bush were forced to prolong their time in the shipyards, which had a ripple effect down the line. If the Bush had left the shipyard on time, she would have relieved the Ike in the Gulf or the Mediterranean, officials tell Fox News.

Fox News recently flew out to the USS George H.W. Bush 40 miles off the coast of North Carolina to see the crew's final tuneup.

With jets landing every 60 seconds, the flight deck crew worked on getting the time between traps (landings) down to 40 seconds.

Aboard the ship, 18- to 22-year-old men and women work 14 hour days on the flight deck, with little rest -- all this before deploying and potentially dropping live rounds on ISIS.

This is the military equivalent of spring training, because once we complete this at the end of December, then we'll be going forward and it'll be real forces that we'll be going flying with and against, said Rear Adm. Kenneth Whitesell, commander, Carrier Strike 2, interviewed on his perch above the four-acre flight deck known as Vulture's Row.

In addition to fighting ISIS, the ship's commanding officer says his crew will be ready to deal with a resurgent Russia or China if necessary.

While we don't have any emergent or pending conflicts with them, certainly, it is fair to say that we have divergent interests in many cases. and so we need to be prepared to understand how we will react to that if necessary, said Capt. Will Pennington.

There is recent history with this ship.

On Aug. 8, 2014, a pair of F-18s from the Bush launched the first airstrikes against ISIS in northern Iraq.

Now, two and a half years later, the ship is headed back to the fight against the Islamic State terror group.

That doesn't mean that three months or six months from now, that will be the priority for our country. So we have to be ready to execute anywhere, anytime, any mission, said Capt. James McCall, commander of Air Wing 8, in charge of all of the aircraft on board.

Fox News' Stephen Scarola contributed to this report.
A two-member parole panel delayed making a decision Thursday on whether to release an accomplice of cult killer Charles Manson who is the longest-serving female inmate in California.

After a daylong hearing, the panel from the Board of Parole Hearings postponed a decision on whether to recommend freeing Patricia Krenwinkel "because they felt information discussed at the hearing was cause for an investigation," spokeswoman Vicky Waters said in an email.

The hearing will be continued once the investigation is concluded, she said

Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, said the parole officials told her the hearing was likely to be postponed about six months while they research to see if Krenwinkel meets the criteria for having battered women's syndrome.

Krenwinkel's attorney, Keith Wattley, confirmed that account but did not comment on the postponement.

"She totally minimized her actions and blamed everything on other people the whole hearing," Tate said.

Tate said she didn't buy the concept that Krenwinkel was a victim because she was free to leave at any time and participated in murders two nights in a row.

"We all have to be accountable for our actions. I don't buy any of this stuff. She was there because she wanted to be there. Nobody held a gun to her head," Tate said.

Anthony DiMaria, the nephew of victim Thomas Jay Sebring, said a Los Angeles County prosecutor who attended the hearing told him that the parole officials want to research whether Krenwinkel was a victim of intimate partner battery.

"For this investigation to be initiated at this point is mindboggling," said DiMaria, who attended the hearing but left before a decision was postponed. "I don't understand where we go from a murder, the killing of eight people (including Tate's unborn child) to an intimate partner battery victim. It's absurd .... It seems like the world is turned upside down. How do you kill eight people and now you're the victim?"

Jean Guccione, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, said prosecutors would not comment until the parole panel makes its recommendation after the investigation.

The decision to delay by the panel came after the 69-year-old Krenwinkel was previously denied parole 13 times, most recently in 2011.

Krenwinkel acknowledged during her trial that she chased down and repeatedly stabbed Abigail Ann Folger, the 26-year-old heiress of a coffee fortune, at Tate's home and helped kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, the following night.

Los Angeles County prosecutors say Krenwinkel carved the word "war" into Leno LaBianca's stomach then wrote "Helter Skelter" in blood on the couple's refrigerator.

Wattley successfully petitioned the state to hold the parole hearing a year early at the California Institution for Women, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, where Krenwinkel is imprisoned.

Krenwinkel contended at her previous parole hearing in 2011 that she is a changed woman. She has a clean disciplinary record, earned a bachelor's degree behind bars, taught illiterate inmates to read and trained service dogs for disabled people.

Krenwinkel was a 19-year-old secretary when she met Manson at a party. She testified at her previous hearing that she left everything behind three days later to pursue what she believed was a budding romance with him.

She wept and apologized, saying she became a "monster" after she met Manson.

"I committed myself fully to him. I committed myself to the act of murder," she said then. "I was willing to sacrifice others' lives for my own."

Prosecutors say the slayings were an attempt to ignite a race war after which Manson and his followers would rise from the rubble to rule the world.

Krenwinkel was initially sentenced to death, but the California Supreme Court invalidated the death penalty in 1972.

Gov. Jerry Brown has the power to block the release of inmates if parole is granted. He previously stopped the parole of Manson followers Leslie Van Houten, 67, and Bruce Davis, 74.

Krenwinkel became the state's longest-serving female inmate when fellow Manson follower Susan Atkins died of cancer in prison in 2009.
Police say they came up empty in their search of a house near Pittsburgh for twins who were last seen as children more than a decade ago.

Allegheny County police didn't say what prompted Thursday night's search of a North Braddock house. The search included cadaver dogs. A county detective has testified that he believes twins Ivon and Inisha Fowler are dead.

Police say the twins would be 18 now. They say the twins' mother, Patricia Fowler, has given conflicting statements about their whereabouts.

County social workers raised the question of the twins' whereabouts last summer after they removed four other children for medical neglect from Fowler's home. She faces criminal charges.
Police say a prospective home buyer made a gruesome discovery Thursday afternoon when a mummified and badly decomposed body was found inside a car in the home.

The home on Detroit's east side was up for sale. The prospective home buyer was walking through the home when they discovered a dust-covered car in the garage.

BODY FOUND IN BURNED-OUT CAR MAY BE GREEK AMBASSADOR WHO VANISHED IN RIO

The early 1990s Plymouth Acclaim had been parked there for at least a year. When they opened the car, they made the terrible discovery of the decomposing and mummified body.

The home was occupied and the people who lived in the home said they had no idea a dead body was in the garage. They told FOX 2 they never went inside the old garage. They would not go on camera.

Johnson lives across the street and was speechless.

"I've seen people walking past...I've seen my neighbors, but I don't know nothing, I ain't see nothing," Johnson said.

Detroit police are waiting to see what medical examiners are able to figure out about this unrecognizable body.

Click for more from Fox 2.
Authorities say four people died in a small plane crash Thursday night in Jefferson County, Wash. There were no survivors.

Wreckage found as crews seek missing private plane in Hood Canal area - https://t.co/LeFrjk7Xev pic.twitter.com/hCCAFNtIET  KOMO News (@komonews) December 30, 2016

The wreckage was found in woods Friday morning using radar forensics data and the planes emergency location transmitter, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

SEARCH LAUNCHED AFTER PLANE REPORTEDLY PILOTED BY CEO VANISHES IN OHIO WITH 6 ON BOARD

The names of the victims have not yet been released. Officials said more information would be released at a later time by law enforcement or the medical examiners office.

The plane, a single-engine Cessna, left Boeing Field in Seattle around 6 p.m. Thursday headed for Port Angeles. The plane lost contact with air traffic control at 6:44 p.m. in the Dabob Bay area, east of Quilcene.

The Federal Aviation Administration then contacted WSDOT which is the agency in charge of all aerial search and rescues in the state.

Click for more from Q13 Fox.
MOGADISHU, Somalia  An Islamic group that controls much of southern Somalia executed two girls by firing squad, and hundreds of residents of a town were forced to view the spectacle.

Sheik Mohamed Ibrahim on Wednesday sentenced the girls to death in the town of Belet Weyne for spying for government soldiers fighting the Islamist group al-Shabab. The local al-Shabab administration appoints judges and the only needed qualifications are that the person must be a man who knows the Quran.

Al-Shabab is linked to Al Qaeda and has carried out several whippings, amputations and executions to enforce its own strict interpretation of Islam. This was the first public execution of girls in Belet Weyne, a western Somali town.

Abdiwali Aden, a witness, told The Associated Press by phone that al-Shabab militiamen had walked through Belet Weyne's streets, informing residents about the pending executions by loudspeaker and ordering everyone to attend.

Ayan Mohamed Jama, 18, and Huriyo Ibrahim, 15, were brought before hundreds of residents. Ten masked men opened fire Wednesday on the girls, who were blindfolded, soon after the sentencing. As the girls were shot, they shouted "There is no God but Allah," said a witness who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.

A woman fainted after she saw the girls being shot, said Da'ud Ahmed, another witness.

An al-Shabab official, Sheik Yusuf Ali Ugas, said the girls had admitted to spying. But Sadia Osman, who witnessed the execution, said one of the girls said she was innocent. Ugas also warned residents against using their mobile phones or cameras to document the execution, saying violates of his rule risked amputation.

Human Rights Watch said in an April report that al-Shabab imposes "unrelenting repression and brutality."

Al-Shabab, which vows allegiance to Al Qaeda and whose members include foreign fighters, controls large parts of southern Somalia and much of the capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia has not had an effective central government for 19 years. The U.N.-backed government controls only a few blocks of Mogadishu, while its allies control much of central Somalia.
About 750 to 1,000 foreign fighters, including American citizens, are now swelling the ranks of Al Qaedas affiliate in Somalia, a senior Kenyan military official tells Fox News.

The group, known as Al-Shabaab, has taken advantage of the Arab Spring to further cement its relationship with the Al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen, the Kenyan military official added.

Amplifying the point, Macharia Kamau, Kenyas ambassador and permanent representative to the Kenya Mission at the United Nations, said that the two Al Qaeda affiliates appear to be on the verge of a fully integrated operation.

We have the bodies to prove it in Mogadishu (the Somali Capital), Kamau told Fox News, referring to the suicide car bombings. Unquestionably, the training capabilities are international and the funding behind these training capabilities are international.

Fox News has learned that in addition to training recruits in Somalia, Al Qaeda in Yemen, which is behind the last two major plots against the U.S. involving aircraft, has begun sharing bomb-making techniques with Al-Shabaab.

This is significant because the Yemeni Al Qaeda affiliate's Saudi bomb maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri, is considered a top target by U.S. intelligence because he has developed explosives that defy traditional airline security screening. Al-Asiri was behind the underwear bomb in 2009 and the cargo printer bombs last fall that were designed to bring down cargo planes over the eastern seaboard of the U.S.

Kamau said there was no convincing evidence that efforts to deter U.S. citizens from joining Al Shabaab have been successful. At least two dozen Americans, mostly of Somali descent, have joined Al-Shabaab since 2007. An Alabama native, Omar Hammami, who is under indictment in the U.S. for allegedly supporting Al Qaeda, is the public face of Al-Shabaab for the West through online videos and lectures.

Kenyan officials say the presence of Americans on the ground in Somalia is making conditions worse. There are now at least three documented cases of American suicide bombers in Somalia, and a fourth case is suspected. A month ago, Kenya began an aggressive military push into Somalia to contain Al-Shabaab.

American citizens makes the situation even more complex because you are bringing a level of competence and training that normally is not found in some of these small communities in some of these failed states," Kamau said.

As for the number of foreign jihadists and the threat they present, Kamau added, It has definitely not reduced ... the actual suicide bombers are sometimes from America or from Sweden ... where they have some of these tentacles linking back to it.

Kenya officials say that almost a third of the council that runs Al-Shabaab is tied up with Al Qaeda elements, adding that the leadership, the strategic thinking ... and the funding is tied up in the same Al Qaeda elements that are spread in many other parts of the world," including Yemen and potentially as far afield as Afghanistan.

A strategic priority is the Somali port city of Kismayo, which is seen as the main supply route for Al-Shabaab and other extremists elements in the Horn of Africa. The Kenyan ambassador said his country wants to see a naval blockade which will require international help. And while grateful for American support, given the current economic climate, Kamau said other nations whose strategic national security interests are at stake in the Horn of Africa should also bear the responsibility.

Asked if Somalia is on the verge of becoming an Al Qaeda safe haven from which it will try to launch global operations, the ambassador said, Without a doubt. Absolutely. The evidence of that is clear. Im sure your own intelligence agencies (U.S. intelligence services) here are aware of it. We (the Kenyans) are aware of it. ... The countries that surround Somalia are aware of it. We are all trying to respond appropriately.

While U.S. officials put the number of foreign fighters in Somalia at about 500 and slightly more in Yemen, they do not dispute that both affiliates are on the upswing when compared to Al Qaeda core in Pakistan that has only several hundred fighters.

While Al Qaedas core in Pakistan is weaker now than it ever has been, the initiative in the organization and attention of foreign fighters is shifting to their affiliates in Yemen and the Horn of Africa," a U.S. official told Fox News. Al Qaeda in Yemen and Al-Shabaab are threats no one is taking lightly.

While Al-Shabaab has launched attacks outside of Somalia in Kenya and Uganda, the intelligence community questions whether the group will remain a regional player or whether it will truly go global by launching international plots. Al-Shabaab has not so far. One lingering concern is that Americans, with clean passports and clean backgrounds, who train with Al-Shabaab can eventually return to the U.S.

Asked whether it is only a matter of time before Al-Shabaab becomes a global player for Al Qaeda, Kenyas U.N. ambassador framed his response carefully.

The next 12 months are critical,  Kamau said. It depends how successful we are on the ground. And what support we get from the international community. If we are successful, then we should hope that we should succeed and that should not happen. And if we fail, on the other hand, which we hope we dont, it is hard to tell what the repercussions will be for everyone.

Fox News chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge's bestselling book "The Next Wave: On the Hunt for al Qaeda's American Recruits," published by Crown, draws on her reporting for Fox News into Al-Shabaab, the American cleric Al-Awlaki and his new generation of recruits -- Al Qaeda 2.0.
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At just 13, Radomir Franz already knew he wanted to be a taxidermist.

He credits a boyhood trip to a natural science museum with capturing his imagination. More than three decades later, he's one of central Europe's most sought-after experts in the field  and says he has stuffed animals from every country except, perhaps, Greenland.

On a recent visit, some of his 15 staff  all of whom he trained because there's no other place to learn the trade in the Czech Republic  were stuffing an elephant's ear with a gooey plastic substance. A leopard on the floor was spiked with acupuncture-like needles over its face to keep the skin tight. A false eye was being placed on a huge crocodile. The walls and any available floor space were covered in snakes, lions, birds, bears, deer, gazelles and fish.

Franz, wearing safari-like clothing and a gold chain, said demand for his work never ceases, with orders from all over the world. He spends part of the year traveling to see animals in their natural habitat so that his work is as accurate as possible. He returns with thousands of photos.

He describes the practice as a mix of anatomical knowledge and chemistry.

About 40 percent of all orders come from abroad. An elephant costs more than 750,000 Czech koruna  about $37,500. And such animals can take several months. They complete about 1,000 animals a year.

The biggest animal he's worked on? A giraffe.
The al-Shabab stronghold of Barawe, a coastal town in Somalia where U.S. Navy SEALs came ashore in a failed raid last weekend, is gripped by fear and tension as residents worry they'll be accused of spying and the insurgents ready for another attack.

Foreign fighters and Somali members of al-Shabab have in recent years moved into the town, edged by red desert and emerald seas, as African Union peacekeeping troops and Somali government forces pushed the Islamic insurgent group from Somalia's capital and other areas.

Saturday's pre-dawn raid by the American commandoes was aimed at a Kenyan al-Shabab member named as a planner of al-Shabab terrorist attacks. Since the SEAL raid, more al-Shabab battle wagons  pickup trucks mounted with machine guns or recoilless rifles  can be seen prowling the sandy streets of the town, residents say.

Most of the residents of Barawe, a town which has existed for more than five centuries, rely on fishing and small businesses for income. Al-Shabab maintains strict control of the activities and life of local residents who are told to close shops and other businesses to attend the five daily Muslim prayers at mosques.

The hard-line insurgents also require women to wear Islamic dress that covers the whole body except for the face or eyes.

Residents told The Associated Press by phone that after the SEAL raid on a seaside villa, al-Shabab fighters detained several people on suspicion of spying, an allegation that often leads to public executions without any meaningful judicial process.

"We are really scared. Sounds like they think everyone is spy," said Noh, a resident who did not want to have his surname used out of fear of reprisals.

Barawe, which lies on Somalia's southeast coast between Mogadishu and the Kenyan border, has been under the control of al-Shabab since 2009, when Ethiopian troops pulled out of southern and central Somalia. The militants named a mayor of the city, which is a militant training ground and economic hub.

A July report by the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia said that al-Shabab has a "suicide training school" near Barawe.

The town hosts the largest number of foreign fighters in Somalia, most often from Kenya, Yemen and Sudan. In September 2012, militants publicly executed two men they accused of spying for African Union forces. In February the bodies of two beheaded men were found, likely killed by militants who suspected them of having links with the government, the U.N. report said.

Barawe's port is a money-maker for the insurgent group, used by ships bringing in illegal weapons and shipping out charcoal  between 600,000 and 1 million sacks per month, according to a U.N. estimate. Each sack is charged a $2 tax, netting between $1.2 million and $2 million a month for al-Shabab.

Since al-Shabab lost control of the port city of Kismayo, the Barawe income and taxes provide an important economic base for al-Shabab, which provides no social services to residents. The fighters have been able to maintain control of the town and its crumbling, arched buildings because the African Union and Somali government forces are too thinly spread to try to invade.

The Somali government and AMISOM, the acronym of the AU peacekeeping mission whose forces currently number 17,000, have repeatedly asked the U.N. for authorization and funding of more troops and attack helicopters, so far to no avail.

In September 2009 a SEAL raid in Barawe killed six people, including Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, one of the most-wanted Al Qaeda operatives in the region and an alleged plotter of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.

"The latest attack made the mujahedeen even more vigilant," said Abu Mohamed, an al-Shabab official in Barawe. "Any more attacks by them will strengthen our morale and spirit."

Saturday's SEAL raid occurred 20 years after the "Black Hawk Down" battle in Mogadishu in which a mission to capture Somali warlords in the capital went awry after militiamen shot down two U.S. helicopters. Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed in the battle, which marked the beginning of the end of that U.S. military mission to bring stability to the Horn of Africa nation.

In 1991, warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and turned on each other, plunging Somalia into chaos.
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The young boy emerged from the rubble of Warsaw, clinging to the skirt of a woman he knew only as Mrs. Wala. Then she turned and walked off, and 7-year-old Mieczyslaw Kenigswein was alone, lost in the Holocaust. It was 1944.

That little boy is now 78, an Israeli with a Hebrew name, Moshe Tirosh. During a recent visit to Warsaw, he recalled surviving the rest of the war not knowing if his parents were dead or alive  and how the kindness of strangers and random turns of fate saved his life.

Tirosh's earliest memories are of the hunger, disease and misery of the Warsaw Ghetto.

Affectionately called Miecio as a boy, he was nearly 5 when his mother, Regina, gave birth to her third child under floorboards in the ghetto, biting her knuckles to keep from screaming during labor so the Germans would not discover the newborn.

With death all around, Tirosh said his parents made the excruciating decision to part with the infant to increase his chances of survival.

With the help of a young Pole, Zygmunt Pietak, his mother smuggled the newborn out of the ghetto and left him on a street corner with a card bearing the name "Stanislaw Pomorski"  a fake surname meant to hide his Jewish origins.

Soon a Polish policeman came along and took the baby to a home for abandoned children.

The next year was 1943, and Tirosh's father, Samuel, was helping other Jews plan the uprising in the ghetto when he decided to try to flee with his family.

"He was told there was no way to escape," Tirosh recalled. But his father was determined.

Now 6, Miecio and his 4-year-old sister, Stefania, were packed in rag-padded sacks and thrown over the high ghetto walls. The parents climbed over themselves, bribing Polish guards to turn the other way.

They first found shelter with a Polish family, the Raczeks, who took them in for money. There, the family would go into hiding behind the apartment walls or in closets during inspections by Germans or visits by the Raczeks' friends or neighbors. The danger of being betrayed to the Nazis was high and the punishment for helping Jews was severe: death to any rescuer and their entire family.

Terrified, Mrs. Raczek decided after a few months she could no longer bear the risk.

Pietak stepped in again, this time to smuggle the Kenigsweins to the Warsaw zoo, where the zoo director and his wife, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, had been sheltering Jews.

It was a cold and rainy night in late 1943 when the family climbed into a horse-driven carriage for the trip to Warsaw's Praga district, a perilous journey over the Vistula River past German guards on both sides of a bridge.

Pietak sat next to the driver. When they approached the Nazi guards, he pulled out a bottle of moonshine and splashed the horses and himself with it.

"Halt!" the Germans ordered. When they smelled the alcohol, they shouted, "Polnische Schweine, Weg!"  "Polish pigs, go away!"

"And that's how we got though," Tirosh recalled. "It was the same at the second crossing and we made our way to the zoo."

By this time, most of the zoo animals had been killed or hauled off to zoos in Germany, and Zabinski had turned it into a pig farm.

Miecio and Stefania stayed in a basement for a few weeks while their parents hid out of sight in animal cages.

It was traumatic for the little girl, who often cried for her mother. Aware of the danger, Miecio covered her mouth to stifle her sobs.

The Zabinskis could not keep them indefinitely and, one day, the zookeeper's wife brought Miecio upstairs and tried to dye his dark hair blond, hoping to make him look more "Aryan." Instead, it came out red, earning him the nickname "Squirrel."

Again with the help of Pietak, the family found new shelter in the tiny apartment of a captain in Poland's underground army, Feliks Cywinski. Cywinski created a hiding place by pulling bricks out of the thick outer walls. But that couldn't serve for long  the necessity of buying so much food for such a small household was certain to arouse suspicion.

So it was decided that splitting up the family would increase their chances of survival.

A childless shopkeeper agreed to adopt Stefania but it was more difficult to hide Jewish boys, who, because they were circumcised, were at risk of being uncovered as Jews.

Eventually, Pietak found a place for Miecio with a woman he remembers only as Mrs. Wala. She had a daughter about his age and agreed to take him in for money.

"I didn't want to go, but my father explained I would be safer with her," he said.

During the bombardment of 1944, the merciless German response to the Warsaw uprising, sirens signaled for people to take shelter and Miecio ran into a cellar with Mrs. Wala and her daughter.

The bombing caused the four-story building above them to collapse. Men in the cellar used poles to knock a way out.

The survivors emerged to an apocalyptic scene of destruction.

"The street wasn't a street but a mass of rubble," Tirosh recalled.

"In one hand, Mrs. Wala held a suitcase and, in the other, her little daughter's hand. I held onto her skirt and we ran," he said.

"At one point, we stopped and I lost hold of her. And I remember this exactly to this day: She turned to me and made an expression that said she was very sorry that she was leaving me, and then she walked away with her daughter."

"I was left alone in the rubble," he said.

With Germans shooting Poles in the area, Miecio pressed his hands together and kept repeating "Jesus, where is my aunt?" It was something Mrs. Wala had taught him to do should he ever be caught alone, in an attempt to appear Catholic.

Two Polish underground fighters spotted him and pulled him into shelter.

"This must be a little Jew," one said. They gave him a card saying he was an orphan and sent him on. With the help of another stranger, he made his way to a church-run orphanage.

Soon, the orphans were evacuated to southern Poland, where Miecio lived out the rest of the war in a monastery in Stankowo, near Krakow.

"And there I endured hell," he said, describing hunger, illness, flea infestations and beatings by older boys who discovered he was Jewish after pulling his pants down during a bath.

The children subsisted on turnips and water, and whatever potato scraps they could steal from a nearby pigsty run by Germans. Disease was rife; every day, nuns carted away the corpses of children who had succumbed.

But Miecio enjoyed the protection of a priest, Father Andrzej, who gave him a little of his own soup and ordered the other boys not to hurt him.

"It's a matter of our Polish honor that this child survives the war," the priest told the boys. The beatings became fewer, but did not stop altogether.

Then, on New Year's Eve in 1944, just weeks before the arrival of the Soviet army ended the Nazi occupation, a Polish farmer and his wife came to the orphanage to adopt a boy. With the children lined up, the couple went one by one, looking into their eyes. Lifting Miecio's chin, the wife turned to the priest and said, "Father, we want this one."

"No, you don't," Father Andrzej said. "He is weak, and always sick. Please choose another one."

But the couple insisted, and Miecio was taken by sled through the snow to the farmers' home.

That night, the farmer's wife bathed him. Despite his efforts to hide his private parts, she made the inevitable discovery of his circumcision. She then put him in a warm bed and spent the night sewing new clothes for him.

The next morning, the farmer returned Miecio to the orphanage.

Today, he is grateful the couple didn't keep him. Had he stayed on that isolated farm, he thinks, he might never have been found by his mother after the war.

With 6 million Jews dead and most survivors bereft of loved ones, the Kenigsweins were lucky: Both parents and their three children survived and, with painstaking effort, Regina Kenigswein eventually tracked down her children.

The woman who had adopted Stefania did not want to give her up but was persuaded when offered enough money.

The youngest, Stanislaw, was a sick and underdeveloped 3-year-old. He had been evacuated with other foundlings to the southern Polish city of Czestochowa, where his mother found him.

She found Miecio 10 months later in a church-run orphanage in Krakow, where he was taken after the war. At first he, didn't recognize her. And the orphanage director, not knowing he was Jewish, didn't want to give him up.

"How can he be yours if you are Jewish and he is a Pole?" the director asked.

The boy was told to pull down his pants, his circumcision once again the proof of his Jewish heritage.

After the war, Samuel Kenigswein made a fortune manufacturing shoe polish and in other enterprises, and two more children were born  Rachel, in 1946, and Arie, two years later. Then the family's luck ended: Samuel Kenigswein's heart gave out in 1948, soon after his fifth child was born.

In 1957, the rest of the family immigrated to Israel. There, Tirosh became an army officer and married an Israeli woman. Today, he speaks with joy of his three children, six grandchildren and an extended family of 56. He doesn't say it, but it is understood: 56 people who could just as easily not have been here.
A makeshift camp of thousands from the Middle East, Asia and Africa has been dismantled at Budapest's Keleti train station, and its inhabitants have left for Germany. But the loathing of them lingers in Hungary, which hopes to build a border fence strong enough to keep out future waves of asylum seekers.

"We need the fence," said Istvan Szabo, a 43-year-old lathe operator having a beer at a bar next to the station, where hundreds seeking refuge in the European Union still line up daily to buy tickets to Western Europe.

The tent city sprang up last month when the government blocked the asylum seekers from traveling by train to Austria and Germany. Authorities finally gave in last weekend and sent buses to take them to the border with Austria.

Szabo, like many in this socially conservative land of 10 million, says he doesn't understand why they've come.

"If they couldn't solve their problems back where they live, why do they think they're going to be able to solve them here?" Szabo said.

Such lack of sympathy is a striking feature of the massive march this summer from Turkey through southeastern Europe. Many of the trekkers interviewed by The Associated Press say their worst experiences have come in Hungary, where farmers hiss at them in disapproval and the government leaves their care mostly up to unpaid volunteers.

A recent opinion poll sponsored by the Budapest think tank Republikon found that just 19 percent believe Hungary has a duty to take in refugees, while 66 percent deem them a threat and should not be let in. The Ipsos survey of 2,000 people, published Aug. 27 as the Keleti camp was growing, had a margin of error below 3 percentage points.

The findings reflect a country where ethnic minorities barely exist outside Budapest and right-wing beliefs dominate in small towns that strongly support the ultranationalist Jobbik party.

"Many Hungarians are racist. They lack self-confidence and see their identity under threat. And our government exploits these feelings to boost its own popularity," said Zsuzsanna Zhohar, 36, who has helped lead volunteer efforts to give food, water, medical aid and other help to those passing through Hungary.

"It can be hard to convince Hungarians that these people don't want to take our jobs, our homes, our women, our dogs," she said, laughing at the absurdity of the idea.

Yet Hungary at times has become a theater of the absurd, with police expending great effort to marshal the migrants to specific spots, only to watch them walk straight out again to snarl traffic.

Government billboards warn the newcomers to respect the country's laws and culture, but the signs all are in Hungarian, which virtually none of them can read.

Then again, it's hard to find one intending to stay in Hungary anyway.

"The government says they don't want immigrants here and they can't take our jobs away," said satirist Gergely Kovacs, a 35-year-old graphic designer. "But the truth is that nobody wants to come here. Every immigrant would spend just three days here if we kept the borders open. There's no need to hate them because they're leaving as quickly as possible."

Kovacs' tongue-in-cheek political movement, the Two-Tailed Dog Party, has mocked Prime Minister Viktor Orban's anti-immigrant campaign by erecting similarly designed billboards. One of them, in English, notes the hypocrisy in decrying immigration when hundreds of thousands of Hungarians have sought better-paid employment in Western Europe since the country was admitted to the EU in 2004.

"Come to Hungary," the billboard advises asylum seekers. "We've got jobs in London!"

Many Hungarians struggle to get by, and that helps to sour their outlook on the foreign influx. In 2011, Orban seized the public's private pension funds worth $13 billion to cover government debt and help the country exit an International Monetary Fund bailout. Its sales tax is 27 percent, the highest in Europe, and Hungary has one of the lowest average wages in Europe, barely $600 a month.

"The volunteers were throwing food and clothes at the migrants, and they wouldn't give me a stinking sandwich. Why are they so generous with them and not with me?" said Korneliusz Lecz, a former chemical engineer who is homeless. As he sat near Keleti station, he blamed the refugees for an ailment in his left eye, saying they had brought "contagious diseases."

Near the border with Serbia, farmers express resentment of people running through their fields of corn and sunflowers. They wonder how the migrants could afford to pay smugglers more than $3,000 for the journey.

"They are not poor. I am poor," said Denes Csonka, 55, sitting next to his small fields of melons, cabbage and sun-scorched corn stalks near the border town of Roszke. "Yet I have seen them almost every night taking food from my fields and trampling my crops. They are taking food from my own mouth, and they do not even ask before they do it."

Such frustrations find their grass-roots voice in Jobbik (pronounced YOB-ick), which has become the No. 2 party in opinion polls as it assails Orban's Fidesz party for being too soft on immigrants and minorities, including Gypsies, gays and Jews. On Saturday, Jobbik activists demonstrated for sterner action, waving signs that read, "Deportation, not work permits!" and "Border closures! We don't want immigrants!"

"Whoever is a liberal is scum," said Levente Muranyi, a 75-year-old former Jobbik lawmaker at the rally. He called left-wing support for aiding migrants "tantamount to treason."

He said Germany's open door for Muslims fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan would leave Hungary besieged by Islam from both west and east, even worse than when Hungary battled eastern invasion by Ottoman Turks from the 15th to 17th centuries.

Jobbik activists sometimes go to the Serbian border and shout abuse in the face of startled asylum seekers. On Tuesday, a camerawoman for a Jobbik-linked web TV channel took the hostility a step further. Journalists filming scuffles between police and migrants captured Petra Laszlo on video as she kicked a young man and a teenage girl in the knees and tripped a running man carrying a young boy. Her station fired her after the video appeared on social media.

Julia Lakatos, an analyst at the Center for Fair Political Analysis, a Budapest think tank, said Hungary was no more racist or xenophobic than other parts of Eastern Europe; it just has little experience with refugees.

"It's a gut response to fear the unknown," Lakatos said. "My personal experience is that people are really frustrated, there have been hard times in Hungary, and they are searching for a scapegoat. But anyone who came into contact with the refugees, that experience changed their minds. Personal experience overrides fears."

Csaba Toth, strategy director of Republikon, the research institute that commissioned the opinion poll, said he didn't think support for sheltering asylum seekers would ever rise above 30 percent. Most Hungarians "tend to agree with the government view that the migrants are potentially dangerous, they're certainly unwelcome, and they want them to leave for Germany," he said.

Toth noted that Orban's quips that would be deemed racist elsewhere are well- received domestically, such as when he said Hungary's tiny resident Muslim community could provide all the specialty foods Hungarians crave.

"We are truly glad that there are kebab shops on our avenues. We like buying lamb from Syrian butchers at Easter," Orban said Monday. "We are going to honor this Muslim community in Hungary, but we don't want their proportion to grow suddenly."

Orban is determined to build the 13-foot-high (4-meter-high) fence along the 110-mile (175-kilometer) frontier. But analysts don't see how Hungary realistically can block the flow.

Kovacs, the satirist, says he has a better idea: Build an overpass above Hungary "so immigrants could just walk right over us in the clouds. We wouldn't have to see them, and they wouldn't have to see us."
Police in Bahrain say they've discovered 1.5 tons of explosives in a warehouse and an underground bunker south of the capital, Manama.

Police made the announcement late Wednesday night, saying they found explosive material including C4, RDX and TNT in the Nuwaidrat residential district. Photos offered by police showed drums of what it described as explosive material, as well as hand grenades.

Police said in a statement they made "a number" of arrests, claiming those suspected of being involved had ties to Iran and the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

The tiny Arab Gulf nation of Bahrain has faced low-level unrest for more than four years, sparked by widespread 2011 protests among the country's Shiite majority demanding greater political rights from the Sunni-led monarchy.

Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.
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Sandwiched between China and Russia, landlocked Mongolia has long tread a middle path, maintaining a balance between Moscow and Beijing while referring to the U.S. and other remote allies as "third neighbors."

Now, with a wealth of mineral resources set to transform its largely agrarian economy, Mongolia is moving to cement that even-handed status by adopting permanent neutrality as a safeguard against outside dominance.

President Elbegdorj Tsakhia says the move would best serve a desire for peace, security and balanced foreign relations in the vast Asian nation of slightly under 3 million people, while boosting its global profile in international organizations such as the United Nations. Draft legislation on adopting that status was submitted to the legislature last week.

Mongolia's permanent neutrality would "contribute to the strengthening of peace, security and development in our region and the world at large," Elbegdorj said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The building blocks of neutrality are already in place, with Mongolia legally eschewing nuclear weapons and military alliances. Mongolian officials say that since the collapse of former sponsor the Soviet Union in 1992, the country has been de facto neutral, despite close relations with the U.S. that have seen it dispatch troops and instructors to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Neutrality imbues a country with protection for its territory and people as long as it refrains from involvement in armed conflict. Switzerland, Costa Rica and the Vatican City are the best-known adherents to that status, enshrined in the 1907 Hague Convention, with a long list of other countries having claimed neutrality at various times in their history.

In his writings advocating neutrality, the Harvard-educated Elbegdorj has cited Mongolia's recent history, along with its geographic location and "the uniqueness of our chosen path of development."

The country has plenty of cause to be wary of encroachments by its immediate neighbors. China is the country's biggest economic partner, absorbing 80 percent of its exports and providing 30 percent of its imports, along with more than $3.8 billion in investment.

Russia, meanwhile, provides all of Mongolia's energy imports. Bonds forged during the Cold War, when Russia dominated political life here, remain strong, with Mongolia abstaining from a United Nations vote condemning Russia over its annexation of Crimea.

Neutrality would end Mongolia's low-level engagement with NATO and the U.S., as well as precluding full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional political and economic grouping that seeks to limit U.S. influence in Central Asia and is dominated by Russia and China. Mongolia has reportedly been invited to join the bloc, although the Mongolian leadership has been cool on the idea.

"Our two neighbors are not interested in us getting close to the U.S. So, if our country becomes a permanently neutral country, we will get out of this pressure," said J. Baysakh, a professor of international relations at the National University of Mongolia.

The law would permit Mongolia to retain its armed forces, and to join a military alliance in the event its sovereignty or independence was threatened.

Yet, the move has little value unless China and Russia rein in their diplomatic and economic pressure on Mongolia, raising doubts about the significance of the exercise, said Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan, Mongolia's former representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Mongolia's foreign policy already hews to the principles of balance, pragmatism and flexibility, Enkhsaikhan said. He questions whether Mongolians need to "limit our sovereignty voluntarily."

Regardless, Mongolia seems intent on formalizing its neutral status following further dialogue between Elbegdorj and lawmakers and the passage of the necessary legislation. Foreign Minister Purevsuren Lundeg has already broadcast the country's intentions in visits abroad, including seeking neutral Switzerland's counsel.

"Having permanent neutrality doesn't mean isolation from international community," said Choinkhor Jalbuu, director of the Mongolian Geopolitical institute and former ambassador to the U.S. "In simple words, it is a position that Mongolia will not join any side against any country."
A Lithuanian court has sentenced a former employee of the country's air traffic control service to three years and three months in prison after finding him guilty of spying for Belarus.

The Vilnius district court on Thursday ruled that 57-year-old Romualdas Lipskis had provided information on Lithuania's military and strategically important companies to the Belarusian intelligence service.

Lipskis, who was arrested in 2013, said he would appeal, because "I know I am not guilty."

Prosecutors told the court that that the Belarusian service shares information with Russian counterparts and that the information collected by Lipskis was likely intended for Moscow.

The Belarusian Embassy in Vilnius did not comment on the case.
One police officer and two suspected militants have been killed in a shootout in Russia's volatile North Caucasus.

Fatina Ubaydatova, spokeswoman in Russia's republic of Dagestan, said on Friday a police squad was trying to stop a car with suspected militants outside the city of Khasavyurt late on Thursday when people in that car opened fire on them. Police identified the two men as local militants who attacked policemen earlier this week in the regional capital, Makhachkala.

Islamic insurgents in Dagestan have mounted frequent attacks on police and officials, and some have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The shootout comes a day after Russia's security agencies in Dagestan arrested seven people suspected of preparing New Year's terror attacks in Moscow on orders from the Islamic State group in Syria.
Since the fall of Aleppo to Syrian government forces last week, the outskirts of the battered city have become a mass of displacement camps where tiny children don't play hide and seek -- they play hide and shoot.

SYRIA'S NATIONWIDE CEASE-FIRE HOLDING DESPITE MINOR VIOLATIONS

According to emergency response workers who are tending to the people fleeing the eastern parts of the city that the rebels held, the mental and physical condition of the children is, as one put it, "unfathomable." Many of these children of war are now playing their own war games to pass the time.

"The little boys play 'regime versus rebels.' They make pistols with their hands and have to shoot each other," 27-year-old aid worker Amjad, whose last name is being withheld, told FoxNews.com. "They like to pretend to be strong and fighting, they pretend to be bombs, count numbers and explode."

NEARLY 100 JOURNALISTS KILLED IN 2016

Scores of orphans are said to be among the refugees stepping off the buses, with children of all ages exhibiting symptoms of depression and even schizophrenia, say aid workers. Amjad stated that "nearly all have psychiatric illness" and there is a dire need for psychologists and trauma specialists, for both the short and long term. Nights in the crowded shelters are filled with nightmares and episodes of aggression and violence among the youngsters.

"Children have been living with the dead for so long now they now live they are dead too, like ghosts," said Amjad. "They say they hate the world."

Syrian families told FoxNews.com that the children scream at the slightest noise overhead and run for shelter. Some play games where they "dive and duck"-- whoever drops the last is out -- while another player makes weapon-like noises.

Beyond the complex of psychological damage, the physical condition of many is also of deep concern.

"Many have lost limbs and have suffered severe burns with wounds infected and not properly treated," Amjad went on. "There is flu and breathing problems, skin diseases."

The cold weather and thick dusting of snowfall this week has worsened the spread of sicknesses.

Since Dec. 15, when President Bashar al-Assad's forces, supported by Russian airstrikes, regained control of most of the city, tens of thousands of Syrians have been evacuated from the worst-hit areas, mostly on buses. After several halts in the evacuation after outbreaks of fighting, it was confirmed late Thursday that the last of the departures had been completed and the government had full control of Aleppo.

Evacuees have been transported to both camps and villages in the western part of Aleppo, as well as the countryside around the nearby city of Idlib, and even to Turkey. When arriving off the buses, the newly displaced children -- many of them starving after the long siege -- are given bags containing bananas and apples. When they can, humanitarian groups supply meals of chicken and rice, rationed into small plastic containers, as well as canned items.

But no settlement of the almost six-year civil war has been reached. Officials from Russia, Turkey and Iran met in Moscow this week to begin devising a deal. The move excludes the United States and the United Nations from the table, effectively assuring that Assad, who is supported by the Russians and Iranians, will remain in power.

"Liberating Aleppo from terrorism is a victory not only for Syria, but for those who really contributed to the fight against terrorism," Assad stated this week, according to his government's news service. "Especially Iran and Russia."

Throughout the conflict, the Syrian president and his allies have maintained that all the rebel factions are foreign-backed terrorists, many of them Islamic extremists, while opposition supporters characterize them as freedom fighters seeking democratic change.

Many in the government-held western side of Aleppo are celebrating Assad's victory, seeing it as a sign the "unnecessary" war, a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, will soon be over and they can start rebuilding their lives. Meanwhile, the uprooted residents of the rebel side of the city are tasting bitter defeat.

But despite talk of peace agreements, for many, the zest to fight has not yet faded.

"Some say they will only go home when Bashar dies or steps down for judgment," one camp worker added. "Even the kids say that now."
Austrian police say they have arrested 50 people and seized cocaine, heroin, marijuana and amphetamines following a three-year investigation into a suspected drug-smuggling ring.

Vienna police said Friday that the detainees include 10 suspected couriers, who transported drugs to the city from the Netherlands, Nigeria and Cameroon, and three organizers, extradited to Austria from the Netherlands. They also include two people who confessed to robbing a bank in Austria.

Authorities say they seized 17 kilos (37.5 pounds) of cocaine and 4 kilos (8.8 pounds) of heroin as well as marijuana and amphetamines worth some 100,000 euros ($104,500).

Police say they found evidence that the ring smuggled a total of 56 kilos (123 pounds) of heroin and cocaine with a street value of at least 6 million euros ($6.3 million).
The discovery of a body in a burned-out car in Rio de Janeiro has sparked fears that it might be that of the Greek ambassador to Brazil, it has been reported.

RIO MAYOR-ELECT PROPOSES TOURIST TAX TO REIMBURSE VISITORS WHO GET MUGGED

Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, had been missing for three days since mysteriously vanishing without a trace on Monday.

The diplomat reportedly phoned his wife, who was at a local shopping center, at around 8pm telling her he was going out, but didnt say where he was heading.

She called police on Wednesday after being unable to contact her husband for two days.

UBER LOOKS TO DOMINATE IN BRAZIL WHILE TAXIS PUSH TO BAN APP

A Ford Ka Sedan car, believed to be rented by Amiridis, was found underneath an overpass at the entrance to the Nova Iguacu district of Rio yesterday afternoon.

A charred body found inside is undergoing DNA testing to find out if it is the missing ambassador.

A police spokesperson would not say whether the license plate of the car was from the rental vehicle the ambassador was using.

But a source in the Greek foreign ministry confirmed that the car was indeed the one used by Amiridis.

Its the car that the ambassador had rented, the source told AFP.

Rio de Janeiros homicide department is now investigating the disappearance.

Police chief Evaristo Magalhaes said nothing has been ruled out but that a kidnap is thought unlikely as no attempt was made to contact Amiridis family.

He added that investigators had already collected CCTV images, and solicited information about the diplomats credit cards and mobile phone activity.

Amiridis had been on vacation with his family in Rio de Janeiros northern Nova Iguacu area since December 21.

He was due to fly back to Brasilia on January 9, a Greek embassy official told AFP.

But he vanished on Monday night after going out of the apartment they were renting and taking the car, according to Brazilian media.

One official reportedly said he last spoke to the ambassador on Monday evening, but could not be sure it was him responding to messages.

Another told the Folha he may just be out of touch and added they are waiting for Brazilian authorities.

Amiridis was named ambassador this year and had previously served as Greeces consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004.

He also served as Greeces ambassador to Libya from 2012 to 2016.

The Nova Iguacu area of Rio, where he and his wife were passing the Christmas holidays, is notorious for crime and its high murder rate.

In the runup to Brazils municipal elections, at least 14 politicians were murdered in the region in nine months, blamed on death squads operating in the region.

In April this year Brazilian senator Aureo Riberito was kidnapped by four armed men in the same region and later released.

In October the well-known president of the Belford Roxo samba school, Reginaldo Gomes, was also kidnapped by four armed men on a street in Nova Iguacu.

The gang also later released him after stealing money and his car.

This story first appeared in The Sun.
People in the streets of a central Romanian town performed a traditional New Year's bear dance on Friday.

NO HORSE? NO PROBLEM: GIRL TEACHES HER PET COW TO JUMP

Locals wearing bear furs and folkloristic costumes paraded in the streets of Comanesti, some 186 miles north of the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

Fifty-two year-old Marauta, from the nearby village of Vermesti, says he's been taking part in the parade for 45 years and that the tradition is passed down from one generation to the next.

CANADIAN MAN SAYS HE PUNCHED A COUGAR IN THE HEAD TO PROTECT HIS DOG

People from all age groups could be seen dancing, playing musical instruments and singing as part of the ritual traditionally performed to mark the end of each year.

In pre-Christian rural traditions, dancers wearing costumes or animal furs toured from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil.

According to the legend, if a bear enters somebody's house it brings welfare, health and luck.

Despite Marauta's confidence in the tradition being passed from generation to generation, there are fears that this ancestral ritual may eventually disappear.

A large number of young Romanians left the area in recent years, looking for a better life within the European Union, which Romania joined in 2007.
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Mourners in Poland are gathering to bid farewell to a Polish truck driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda joined the family and friends of Lukasz Urban, 37, for his funeral in a church in Banie, a village in western Poland.

The brown stone church was packed and many more people gathered outside to pay their respects.

Outside the church a group of truck drivers honked the horns of their trucks to honor Urban.

Urban was waiting to deliver a shipment of steel in Berlin when his truck was hijacked by the Tunisian perpetrator of the attack on Dec. 19. He was shot and his body was found in the cab of the truck.
Police in Brazil believe that Greece's ambassador to the country was killed by his wife's lover under her orders in a house in the Rio area and have detained three suspects, authorities said Friday.

Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was last seen Monday night, the police said in a statement. A burned body the police believe is the diplomat's was found inside his torched car in Rio.

Francoise, his Brazilian wife and the mother of their 10-year-old daughter, reported him missing Wednesday, Reuters reported.

On Friday, police investigator Evaristo Pontes Magalhaes said that 29-year-old police officer Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho had confessed to killing Amiridis, alleging self-defense.

Globo TV reported that investigators said they believed Francoise and Moreira had arranged the murder in advance.

Francoise has denied any role in the alleged plot. According to Magalhaes, Francoise said she couldn't stop Filho from killing her husband and insisted she was not at home at the time of the crime.

A police investigator said in a press conference late Friday that the "evidence clearly puts the ambassador's wife as a co-author of the crime."

"All our evidence suggests that her motivation was to use the financial resources left by the ambassador so she could enjoy life with Sergio," the police officer, Magalhaes said.

Both Amiridis' wife and the officer were in custody, but it was not clear if they had retained lawyers, Reuters reported.

Rio de Janeiro police investigator Giniton Lages told The Associated Press that blood spots believed to be those of the ambassador were found on a sofa inside the home of the wife.

Another investigator said the ambassador and his wife fought three days before Christmas.

According to the Greek Embassy website in Brazil, Amiridis started his career as diplomat in 1985 in Athens and became Greece's top diplomat in Brazil in 2016.

He earlier was Greece's ambassador to Libya and worked as consul in Rio from 2001 and 2004.

Brazilian news website G1 reported that Amiridis' wife has an apartment in Nova Iguacu.

The Greek foreign ministry said the embassy in Brasilia was informed Wednesday by people close to the ambassador that they had been unable to communicate with him since Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Romania's president has nominated a regional politician as the next prime minister, after turning down an economist who could have become the country's first female Muslim premier.

President Klaus Iohannis on Friday endorsed Sorin Grindeanu, 43, to become premier. Grindeanu is a member of the Social Democratic Party that won Dec. 11 elections, and chairman of the Timis county council. Parliament needs to approve him.

The nomination came after Iohannis declined to endorse Sevil Shhaideh.

As well as her lack of political experience, Shhaideh sparked concerns due to reports about her Syrian-born husband's support of Syrian President Bashar Assad on his Arabic-language Facebook page.

Social Democrat chairman Liviu Dragnea cannot become premier because he was convicted this year of election fraud.
Turkey's state-run news agency says police have detained some 40 suspected Islamic State group militants in raids in southern Turkey.

Anadolu Agency says special forces police, backed by armored vehicles and a helicopter, conducted the raids in the city of Adana early on Friday.

Those detained are suspected of membership in the extremist group and of engaging in ISIS propaganda, the agency said.

Turkey has, since 2015, suffered a wave of deadly bombing attacks carried out either by ISIS militants or by Kurdish militants.

The country sent troops and tanks into northern Syria in August to support Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters in clearing a border area of the ISIS group and curbing the territorial expansion of Syrian Kurdish groups.
Among the dozens of Russians punished this week by the Obama administration over election-related hacking, the FBI has pegged two as cybercriminals among the most wanted on the planet.

PUTIN VOWS NOT TO STOOP TO OBAMA'S LEVEL AFTER INTEL OPERATIVES KICKED OUT

The cyber pros, not specifically tied to election hacking, appeared to specialize in fraud, according to the feds. They were identified as 29-year-old Alexsey Belan -- known online as "Abyrvaig" and "Fedyunya" -- and 33-year-old Yevgeny Bogachev -- AKA "lucky12345" and "slavik." The Russian nationals' specific whereabouts are unknown, according to the feds. Combined, their cyberactivity hit victims in the U.S. and abroad costing them more than $100 million, the FBI reported.

The sanctions against both men, freeezing all their assets in the U.S. and making it illegal to do business with them, were among a series of penalties imposed by the Obama administration on Thursday. The U.S. also moved to kick out 35 Russian intelligence operatives from two U.S. compounds. The Russians were declared "persona non grata" and given 72 hours to leave the country.

TRUMP RESPONDS TO SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA, SAYS IT'S TIME TO 'MOVE ON'

Obama sanctioned two Russian intelligence services, the GRU and the FSB, plus companies which the U.S. claimed supported the GRU. The cybersecurity firm hired by the Democratic National Committee to investigate theft of its emails determined earlier this year the hacking came from the Fancy Bear group, believed to be affiliated with the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency. The FSB is the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB.

"All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," Obama said, adding, "Such activities have consequences." The president also sanctioned GRU chief Igor Korobov and three of his deputies.

Photos of Belan showed him with blond and red hair -- which the feds said were dye jobs. They said he was last known to be in Greece, but may travel to Russia, Latvia, the Maldives and Thailand.

Bogachev -- often seen with a shaved head -- would travel to spots along the Black Sea in his boat, according to investigators. They said he was last known to live in Anapa, Russia -- along the sea -- but also owns property in Krasnodar, east of there.

The FBI pinpointed Belan's crimes to breaches of three U.S.-based e-commerce firms between 2012 and 2013 in California and Nevada. The feds said he stole data from millions of accounts -- including encrypted passwords -- before offering to sell them.

As for Bogachev, he allegedly created malicious software -- or malware -- known as "Zeus" to snake into computers, swiping online banking account data as early as 2009. A version of the malware known as "GameOver Zeus" sparked more than a million computer infections, according to the FBI.

The bureau is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to Belan's arrest -- and a whopping $3 million for Bogachev.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ban Ki-moon has joked to hundreds of diplomats and U.N. staff as he left United Nations headquarters for the last time as secretary-general that he feels like Cinderella because everything changes for him at midnight on New Year's Eve.

Flanked by the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, the native South Korean thanked U.N. workers Friday for their hard work and commitment during his 10-year tenure that ends at midnight Dec. 31.

He told his colleagues he had two words for them: "Thank You."

As the top U.N. official over the last decade, Ban fostered a global agreement to combat climate change and new U.N. goals to fight poverty and inequality. But he leaves amid continuing conflicts from Syria and Yemen to South Sudan and Libya.
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.
UPDATE: The jury sentenced Maldini to 50 years on the rape charge, five years on the attempted sodomy and 20 years for sexual battery and a $100,000 fine.

A full story will be filed this evening.

UPDATE: A Stafford County jury has found Michael Andrew Maldini guilty on all counts. The sentencing hearing was held immediately after the verdict, and the jury will deliberate his sentence this afternoon. He faces up to life in prison.

ORIGINAL POST: After three days of testimony, the fate of a Marine Corps reservist accused of raping a fellow reservist is now in the hands of a Stafford County jury, which deliberated for about an hour Thursday evening before the judge sent them home.

The seven-man, five-woman jury will return to Stafford Circuit Court Friday morning to continue deliberations.

Michael Andrew Maldini, facing charges of rape, attempted sodomy and aggravated sexual battery, spent about four hours on the stand Thursday. His testimony contradicted most of the accusers version of what happened on Feb. 7 and the months afterward.

The accuser, now 20, testified that Maldini, a former police officer, coaxed her into going to his North Stafford townhouse to see a puppy he didnt actually have after they had taken an ill reservist to the hospital during weekend drills. She also said the gunnery sergeant, her superior by rank, all but ordered her to drink alcohol and then forced her to have sex.

In his testimony, Maldini, a 37-year-old Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently a reservist, said the woman willingly went to his house and drank two shots of flavored Vodka. He then described how they watched the movie Minions and then turned on a pornographic movie, after she saw a signed photo of an adult film star on his wall and expressed interest. Then he said the two performed sexual acts on each other and had sex twice.

He testified that she also wanted to perform a sex act on him as he drove them back to their Washington, D.C., headquarters later that day. He said he refused that advance because he believed hed already made a big mistake by violating the Marine rule of fraternization, which does not allow such personal relationships.

Months after the encounter, Maldini told police and Marine investigators that the woman made unwanted sexual advances toward him by touching his crotch while he was driving. He did not tell the investigators that the two had sex at his home.

He testified that he didnt want that information known because it would violate Marine rules and ruin his career.

Maldini said he grew fearful of the womans intentions after she made several calls and sent a text to him on July 18. Later that night, he called a Stafford Sheriffs deputy for advice about the situation, saying she had touched his crotch and that she may be harassing him. The calls and text were part of a sting technique used by detectives to see if Maldini would make incriminating statements.

Maldini transferred from the Marine reserve unit the following day.

Prosecutors hammered away at his testimony, grilling Maldini for about two hours and then criticizing his testimony in closing arguments, calling his version of events a fantasy, ridiculous and absurd. They also said the defense teams case amounted to nothing but Maldinis story.

They also pointed out his background as a police officer, saying he knew the answers to questions he asked the deputy.

He was building a case, George Elsasser, one of the prosecutors, told jurors.

The defense in its closing argument said the case was word against word.

They claimed that the accuser had been jilted and was upset that her Marine career had appeared to hit a roadblock, so she went after Maldini by making the sexual assault accusation.

Defense attorney Corrine Magee criticized the prosecutions assertion that the accuser suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of trauma experienced in the assault. She portrayed it as a ploy cooked up by the prosecution team.

There was no rape, she said.

Magee also questioned the accusers honesty in what she portrayed as discrepancies about when the woman had her cellphone and sent text messages on the day of the encounter.

She said that Maldini admitted to making poor choices and lying to a detective, something she said was strictly an effort to save his Marine career.

His story was crazy, prosecutor Tara Mooney said in her closing argument, during which she animatedly ridiculed Maldinis testimony.

After recounting what she said were numerous lies told by Maldini, the prosecutor told the jury, Someone has not told you the truth.
Willard Wenrich still misses Brownie, his favorite of the 47 goats he lost when the barn at his farm in Caroline County caught fire and burned on July 27.

Brownie was a good milker, docile and generous. She would nurse kids who needed extra milk, even if they werent her own.

Goats have different personalities, like everything else, said Doris Wenrich, Willards wife. [Willard] thinks about [Brownie] and some of the others he liked often, and misses them.

Along with the goats, five horses and 400 bales of hay were lost when flames destroyed the Wenriches 13-stall barn that day.

With hay selling at $5 a bale, that was a loss of about $2,000 from the hay alone.

We did not have insurance on the barn or the animals, Wenrich said.

Capt. Ed Bonham with Caroline County Fire and Rescue said that the cause of the barn fire is still under investigation.

The goats provided meat, milk, cream, butter, and cheese for the Wenriches, who are in their 70s and celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary on Dec. 15. It will be seven months before they will have a fresh supply of these items, Wenrich said, as they have just started reintroducing the male and female goats.

Its five months before the kids are born, and they will need to nurse for two months, she explained.

Around 30 goats escaped the fire. Seven of those animals were badly burned and two of the seven later died from their injuries. Wenrichs favorite goat, Yentel, survived, but has a wound on her back that still hasnt healed. She also lost her ears and her horns.

The goats still lay around the area where the barn burned because that was their barn, Wenrich said.

Without the barn, finding nighttime shelter for the goats has been difficult. Willard built a 10-by-15-foot addition to the goat house for some of them; the rest are disbursed among sheds, lean-tos, and horse stalls around the 42-acre farm at night.

Wenrich said that the couple harvested their hay right after the fire. Recently, 30 bales of it were stolen from a neighbors barn.

The loss of the goats has been hardest on Willard, Doris Wenrich said, and the loss of the horses has been hardest on her. Mocee, a gentle Arabian horse, was the only one she could ride; the surviving horses are not stable enough for the 76-year-old.

I have found the kind of horse that I could ride again, but they are too expensive, she said.

A GoFundMe page set up by a neighbors daughter has brought in $3,612 through 50 donations to date. Doris estimates that it will cost $25,000 to rebuild the barn. She said Willard still hopes to rebuild the barn at some point.

Besides the barn fire, the Wenriches are dealing with a washed-out pond spillway that they cannot repair, and Doris underwent surgery in November to remove a basal cell carcinoma. However, Doris said that the prospect of new baby goats in April offers hope to her and her husband.

[Willard] thinks that when he sees how some of the younger does will doif they have nice personalities, how much milk they give, if they are easy to milkwhen they have kids, and when he has the barn built again, that then, he will be OK, she said.
PetSmart, 9751 Jefferson Davis Highway, robbery. On Dec. 15, between 10:25 and 10:28 p.m., the victim was collecting the abandoned store carts in the parking lot when two black males, dressed in black, approached the victim and asked for a cigarette, and then they asked for the victims wallet. The victim refused and was struck on the face. The victim struck the male on the nose, and then they ran away. CFS 16-117815

Cedar Hollow, 7000 block, breaking and entering. On Dec. 14, between 8 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., unknown person(s) broke a garage door glass and entered the residence. Taken was a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver, model 66, with a crack on the hand grip, and is valued at $100. The other stolen Smith & Wesson is a .38 caliber special revolver, valued at $100 and does not have a serial number. CFS 16-117419

Shenandoah Drive, breaking and entering. On Dec. 19, between 8:19 and 9:16 p.m., someone entered the home through an unlocked door and stole $5, a Sony PlayStation 4 valued at $500, and a Samsung Galaxy 5S cell phone, valued at $100. CFS 16-119047

Windsor Drive, 6000 block, grand larceny. On Dec. 14, 6:39 and 8:20 p.m., someone took $20, two gold diamond rings valued at $250 each, a gold necklace and a silver necklace valued at $100 each. CFS 16-117450

Mossy Bank Lane, 4000 block, grand larceny. Between Dec. 15, 8:20 p.m. and December 18, 8:53 p.m., someone stole a 14 karat gold engagement-wedding ring wrap set it is fused together with three diamonds on each wrap. It is valued at $500. CFS 16-118763

Iron Wood Lane, 200 block, grand larceny. On Dec. 16, between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. while the victim was shopping in the store someone stole a black Samsung Galaxy from the shopping cart. It is valued at $500. The phone was traced to an address, but no one answered when the phone was called. Investigation continues. CFS 16-117935

Home Depot, 5771 Plank Road, grand larceny. On Dec. 20, between 9 and 9:40 a.m. a white male was seen pushing four rolls of yellow electrical wire, valued at $230, through the outside fence in the green house area. The suspect did not attempt to pick up the merchandise and left in a blue Suzuki vehicle. The male is suspected of similar shopliftings at the same store. CFS 16-119154

Tidewater Animal Hospital, 10839 Tidewater Trail, grand larceny. On Dec. 15, between 6:45 a.m. and noon, someone smashed the right front window of the silver 2011 Volkswagen with a brick and stole a beige Dooney purse valued at $250, a Navy Federal credit card and a debit card. CFS 16-117651

Union First Market Bank, 4805 Lassen Lane, grand larceny. On Dec. 14, between 4 and 6 a.m., someone stole the victims wallet from the console of the unlocked Verizon van. The wallet is a brown tri-fold valued at $20, containing a social security card, four charge cards and a drivers license. CFS 16-117581

Capitol Motors, 8608 Jefferson Davis Highway, grand larceny. Between Dec. 16, 5:30 p.m. and Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m. two black males were seen on a video recording removing a battery from a vehicle, a 115 horsepower Honda pontoon boat motor valued at $6,000, and a Jet Ski trailer valued at $1,500. CFS 16-118466

Rappahannock Electric Co-Op Sub-Station, 9724 Lawyers Road, grand larceny. On Dec. 16, between 11:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. someone cut 40 feet of 19 strand copper wire, causing damage to other critical equipment. The stolen wire is valued at $300 and $20,000 in damages to the equipment. CFS 16-118090

Fairmont Lane, 7100 block, petit larceny. On Dec. 15, between 3:37 and 3:39 a.m., the victim saw a black male standing near the victims car and the other was inside the vehicle. They saw the victim and ran away. Missing are two rolls of half dollars. One was wearing a red stocking cap, and the other wore a baggy sweatshirt. CFS 16-117558

Avalon Way, 9900 block, petit larceny. On Dec. 15, between 3:36 and 4:28 p.m. someone stole both registration decals from the license plates and broke into the glove box of the black 2012 two door Jeep Wrangler. Damage is $200. CFS 16-117718

Massaponax High School, 8201 Jefferson Davis Highway, petit larceny. Between Dec. 14, 10 a.m. and Dec. 16, 10:50 a.m., someone stole the gray Nike sweat pants valued at $30, and a pair of size 8 and 8 1/2 black Nike shoes valued at $55, from the unlocked gym locker. CFS 16-118560

EXXON, 5123 Mudd Tavern Road, petit larceny. On Dec. 18, between 2:09 and 2:14 a.m., a white male and female walked around the store until they found the lighter display. The male put the two lighters in his pocketed and left without paying for them. The female paid for some items and did not pay for the lighters. He is 60, 160 lbs., wearing a black t-shirt, blue jean shorts, and a black and gray hat. CFS 16-118560

Fas Mart, 2515 Salem Church Road, petit larceny. On Dec. 18, between 9:22 and 9:25 p.m., a male left the store without paying for an 18-pack and a 12-pack of Corona beer, valued at $21.99 and $15.99. He has a very dark black complexion, 56to 58, medium build, wearing a brown stocking cap, blue jeans and a black leather jacket. CFS 16-118780

Massaponax Church Road, 3100 block, petit larceny. On Dec. 18, between 12:30 and 12:58 p.m., someone stole the rear license plate from the victims red Dodge Neon, while it was parked in the driveway of the residence. CFS 16-118662

Marye Road, 8800 block, petit larceny. Between Dec. 16, 4 p.m. and Dec. 18, 9 a.m., unknown persons entered the garage and stole five gasoline containers with four gallons of gasoline in each valued at $32, and $60 for the containers. CFS 16-118636

Cambridge Drive, 5900 block, fraud. On Dec. 17, between 1 and 8: 38 p.m., someone used the victims Naval Surface Warfare Center banking debit card information and purchased $1,821 of merchandise and withdrew cash at a Wal-Mart store in Rockford, Ill. CFS 16-117515

Crestwood Drive, 10900 block, fraud. On Dec. 19, between 9 a.m. and 6:26 p.m., someone used the victims Navy Federal Credit Union account information to make a $461 purchase and attempt a $268.65 purchase that was declined by B.J.s. CFS 16-119009

Spring Creek Drive, 10000 block, vandalism. On Dec. 14, 10:41 and 11:24 p.m., someone shattered the left front door glass of the white 2005 Mazda four-door. Property value is $100. CFS 16-117515

Cottonwood Court, 5100 block, vandalism. Between Dec. 13, 7 p.m. and Dec. 14, 8:30 a.m. someone scratched the right corner of the rear bumper and damaged the chrome molding near the left rear window of the beige 2008 Chevrolet Impala. Property value is $170. CFS 16-117588

Rose Avenue, 3000 block, vandalism. On Dec. 15, between 9 and 9:30 p.m., unknown person sprayed water on the victims vehicles while parked in the driveway. CFS 16-117809

Creek Drive, 10100 block,vandalism. On Dec. 14, between 10:41 and 11:24 p.m., someone broke the left front door glass of the white 2005 Mazda 4-door sedan while it was parked in front of the residence. Property value is $100. CFS 16-117515

Jim Morris Road, 10000 block, vandalism. Between Dec. 15, 4 p.m. and Dec. 16, 7 a.m. unknown persons punctured all of the tires of the black 40-foot Big Tex trailer and broke the windows of the white 2005 Ford E350 box van. Approximate cost to replace the glass and tires is $2,150. CFS 16-117883
After spending the entire day with his son and granddaughter visiting the Marine Corps Museum and Quantico National Cemetery, Jack Short, a World War II veteran, thought his day couldnt get any betteruntil he had dinner at Mission BBQ in Stafford County.

When the waiter handed him the receipt for his dinner, Shorts eyes welled up with tears. The restaurant had paid for the familys entire $50 bill.

Short arrived at Mission BBQ on Dec. 20 proudly wearing his WWII veteran hat. Little did he know, the restaurant strives to do more than just provide good food for their customers.

Mission BBQ is well known in the area for supporting veterans and first responders in the community through fundraisers, service projects and, in this case, paying for a veteran to sit down and have a nice meal.

Especially right around the holidays, someone paying for a meal gives you warmth and comfort, said Mary Short, his granddaughter. There is still good in the world. We had a wonderful time together, that is for sure.

Shorts granddaughter explained that when they arrived at the restaurant, the cashier thanked her grandfather for his service and shook his hand. As she waited for their drinks, her dad, Steve Short, approached with tears in his eyes. He gave her the receipt, which showed a balance of zero.

I was crying and we looked at granddaddy just sitting at his table waiting for his food, she said. They cared not just for him, but for us too.

When they brought her grandfather the receipt, he sat in disbelief for several minutes. Once the restaurants kind deed sunk in, he had a waitress take him around the restaurant to thank everyone, and two staff members posed with him for a picture.

Throughout his meal, random customers approached Short to thank him for his service. As he departed, the entire restaurant waved good-bye. He said it is difficult to describe how he felt as he left the restaurant that day, but the sense of honor and appreciation in the room was palpable.

It felt like the whole world was giving me a thank you for my service, Short said. The sincerity that business showed to a veteranit was amazing.

Short said the hat on his head was the only thing that tipped the restaurant off that he was a veteran. No questions were asked before they decided to pick up his tab.

But if the restaurant had inquired further, they would have heard quite a story.

The man behind the hat

Short and his sister, Ethel, grew up in a house built by their father on Cat Point Creek in Warsaw. In the middle of building that house, their father left to fight in World War I. Short would later follow in his footsteps. In 1944, he joined the Army Specialized Training Programa college military program instituted during World War IIat Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

But before he could finish the program, it was terminated.

At that point in the war, they knew the United States had gained air supremacy, and they already had enough cadets in supply for the rest of the war, Short said.

After going home, Short spent several months working in a warehouse in Fredericksburg before deciding to enlist as a private in the U.S. Army Air Corps, the precursor to the Air Force. He attended basic training in Mississippi, and just a month later, he was selected for overseas duty in Europe.

On his travels to Germany, Short observed destruction that few could fathom. He recounted witnessing city after city in ruins as he traveled by train from Le Havre, a French port on the English Channel, to Paris, through Belgium and into Cologne, a German city on the Rhine River.

Short explained that the only buildings to withstand the bombs were those with steel structures. So when he looked out on Cologne, he saw a vast expanse of rubble peppered with bare steel structures towering over the flattened city. The only building still standing was the Cologne Cathedral.

All of the beautiful old buildings had collapsed and most of the city was burnt to the ground, Short said. The destruction brought the end of warbut at a cost.

After arriving in Germany, he received his duty assignment: prison guard. Although his military occupational specialty was aircraft mechanic, the need for his skills began diminishing towards the end of the war. As a prison guard for German pilots, he was given simple instructions: keep them fed, keep them clothed, and keep them alive.

Short spent nearly two years in Germany, and then one dayseemingly out of the bluehe received his orders to go home. He explained that with plenty of other Army personnel in the pipeline who could take over his job, he was sent home once his replacement arrived.

One day I was guarding prisoners and the next I was on my way home, Short said.

Shorts fortitude carried over to the home front. When he returned to American soil, he worked at Rappahannock Electric in Warsaw for 9 months, making 45 cents an hour. He then went to work for the Navy at Dahlgren. He retired in 1983 to care for his ailing wife, Mary, who suffered from chronic kidney disease.

Mary died on their 39th anniversary on Nov. 13, 1993. Short credits the Navy with keeping her alive that long. Marys doctor at the naval base was a researcher at George Washington University Hospital studying penicillin. Although the antibiotic was not in common medical use when she was first diagnosed with her condition, the doctor got permission to use it.

It was an experiment that saved her life, Short said.

Although Marys doctors said it would be too dangerous for her to have children, and that she could die from complications related to childbirth, she had three sons: John, Steve and Philip.

Several years after Mary died, Short married a womanFlorahe knew from his neighborhood growing up. She died from cancer last year.

Today, he lives at an assisted living facility in Fredericksburg, and is a member of the King George American Legion. His sons and six grandchildren visit often. It warms his heart when family, friends, and even total strangers take the time to thank him for his service and remind him that his story is not forgotten.

For Short, telling his story keeps the memories alive. Looking at younger generations after nearly 90 years of life, Short feels encouraged. Mission BBQs show of appreciation is something he sees more and more of every day among younger generations.

People todayespecially young peopleare showing more appreciation today than they have since the end of World War II, he said. I dont regret a minute of my service.
ICMediaDirect - Connects With Industry Moguls At Ad:tech 2016 New York Conference

Ad:tech is an annual exhibition and conference designed to highlight the latest technological advances, breakthroughs and developments within the advertising and marketing fields.

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ICMediaDirect, a New York and DC based company specializing in a wide range of services in public relations, marketing, and reputation management, is thrilled to have connected with numerous industry experts at the ad:tech 2016 conference which took place on November 2-3. This year's conference and expo drew in an impressive number of professionals with the collective goal of moving the marketing and advertising industries forward. An ongoing sponsor for the event, ICMediaDirect is proud to endorse ad:tech and all the innovative and progressive thought, discussion, and networking the conference creates.

Ad:tech is an annual exhibition and conference designed to highlight the latest technological advances, breakthroughs and developments within the advertising and marketing fields. Bringing together media and advertising communities from across the world, the conference offers a unique opportunity for countless marketing and technology professionals to come together and advance the state of the industry. Comprised of lectures and presentations, collective networking opportunities, an expo and other events, the conference provides a wealth of opportunities to combine the brightest minds of their respective fields and incubate new ideas for the future. ICMediaDirect always looks forward to collaborating with other companies to identify industry trends and develop new strategies for the future.

Participants, attendees, and sponsors like ICMediaDirect enjoyed the variety of presentations throughout the ad:tech 2016 event. Lectures included a wide breadth of topics designed to better understand and improve marketing success - and the related technology that drives the industry forward. A notable highlight of the 2015 summit was the keynote speaker John Costello, President, Global Marketing and Innovation for Dunkin' Brands, Inc. and the current Global Chairman of the Mobile Marketing Association. During his session, entitled "Bottom Line Branding: Optimizing Mobile and Digital for Deeper Consumer Engagement," Costello discussed how Dunkin' Brands is optimizing mobile across digital touch points to better engage and drive valuable customer feedback.

Inspiration and education are among the top objectives at virtually every ad:tech event. Taking place at the Javits Center in New York, the expo allowed companies to showcase their latest products, services, and developments aimed at reshaping the business world. Ideas, strategies, and business forecasts connected events and participants between sessions. Lectures, presentations, and discussions showcased the current state of technology and helped develop the next step in the evolution of advertising media and service. All attendees of the event, including ICMediaDirect, enjoyed multiple benefits such as a reinvigorated set of skills, techniques, and tools to better compete in the rapidly advancing business world.

Founded in 1996, ICMediaDirect is a full-service Internet reputation and content marketing agency, specializing in online brand repair. Its extensive knowledge of SEO has helped industries and individuals project a positive image through the use of various media channels, building efficient messages with a strong impact on their audience. In 2015, the company has published a game-changing handbook on Google Brand Repair and has been awarded the New York Excellence Award by the SBIEC for two consecutive years. IC Media Direct attends a variety of well-known marketing conferences and events throughout the year, including SES, Affiliate Summit, and LeadsCon, where it shares its expertise and techniques with businesses from all over the world.

ICMediaDirect - PR and Marketing News: http://icmediadirectnews.com

ICMediaDirect.com - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGYnOjU3KEDbTn2xQR8Rltw

ICMediaDirect - Reputation Reviews - Reputation Management: http://icmediadirectreputationreviews.com

For more information, please visit http://www.ICMediaDirect.com

Contact Info:

Name: ICMD

Email: pr@icmediadirect.com

Organization: ICMediaDirect.com

Phone: 800-595-0821

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3QHOeY8qAM

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/icmediadirect-connects-with-industry-moguls-at-adtech-2016-new-york-conference/157855

Release ID: 157855

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Free Mold Inspections*: Home Improvement Ideas For Property Owners and Managers

The CleanUp Guys announced the continued availability of their Home Improvement "Black mold inspections" available at Simply call and make you appointment. More information can be found at https://www.thecleanupguys.com/mold-removalremediation.

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Customers looking for an exceptional Home Improvement are now able to receive free mold inspections by The CleanUp Guys. Sherman Robinson, Owner at The CleanUp Guys, has just released more in depth details of mold inspection's development.

Mold inspection is designed to appeal specifically to Home owners, property managers, commercial business owners and includes:

Free Mold Inspections in Chicago area - This was made part of the product, since the company has been here for such a long time. It is a part of this community and as a member of this community The CleanUp Guys feels it has a responsibility to contribute to the welfare of community members. So, The CleanUp Guys is offering Free Mold Inspections to their customers. If the company to comes out and performs a mold inspection and mold is detected, it will deduct the cost of the inspection, when a contract with The CleanUp Guys to do the recommended mold remediation or removal is executed. Customers who buy Black mold inspections should enjoy this particular feature, because according to the Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health, part of the Board on Health Prevention of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, there are over 119 million housing units in the United States and nearly 4.7 million commercial buildings (U.S. Census Bureau 2003), and almost all of them experience leaks, flooding,or other forms of excessive indoor dampness at some time. [SEE: Ref 1].

Mold Removal - The CleanUp Guys made sure to make this part of the Home Improvement's development as Excessive indoor dampness is not by itself a cause of ill health, but it is a determinant of the presence or source strength of several potentially problematic exposures. Damp indoor environments favor house dust mites and microbial growth, standing water supports cockroach and rodent infestations, and excessive moisture may initiate chemical emissions from building materials and furnishings. [SEE: Ref 1]. Customers will likely appreciate this because Occupants, health professionals, and others have wondered whether indoor exposure to mold and other agents might have a role in adverse health outcomes experienced by occupants of damp buildings. Prominent among these health outcomes is acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage in infants, cases of which were reported in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1990s. Residence in homes with recent water damage and in homes with visible mold (including Stachybotrys chartarum) was among the risk factors identified in the case of infants. [SEE: Ref 1].

Mold Remediation - This feature was included because the most effective way to manage mold in a building is to eliminate or limit the conditions that foster its establishment and growth. Every organism has strategies for locating a hospitable environment, obtaining water and nutrients, and reproducing. Intervention in one or more of those strategies can improve the resistance of the environment against microbial contamination. [SEE: Ref 1]. This is great news for the consumer as the key to prevention is the design and modification of buildings to limit water and nutrients. The two basic methods for accomplishing that are keeping moisture-sensitive materials dry and, when wetting is likely or unavoidable, using materials that offer a poor substrate for growth. Making modifications to prevent the recurrence of the source is paramount to preventing the return of a mold problem..

Sherman Robinson, when asked about Black mold inspections said:

"The CleanUP Guys is a Chicago water damage restoration company, an industry leader in the Chicago area and suburbs for bringing same day, next day and emergency services to those who need us there pronto! We pride ourselves in being a "one-stop shop" for all your professional cleaning and restoration concerns."

The Free Mold Inspections is just one of many services offered by The CleanUp Guys release of a product and Sherman Robinson is particularly excited about this product because CleanUP Guys are excited about this service, because it offers a complete and comprehensive mold removal service, which includes professional mold remediation, expert mold removal, mold cleanup, mold repairs of all surfaces including hardwood, tile, carpeting, drywall, fixtures, ceramics, bathrooms, kitchens, wet or leaky basements, damp and moisture-ridden areas. The mold removal assessment comes with where the problem is, what caused it, and the methodology for fixing it.

{Ref 1:information used is extracted or derived from The National Academies Press Open Book, Damp Indoor Spaces and Health(2004)}

Those interested in learning more about the services offered can do so on the business website at https://www.thecleanupguys.com/

Those interested in purchasing can go directly to the Contact Page here: https://www.thecleanupguys.com/mold-removalremedia...

Contact Info:

Name: Sherman Robinson

Email: sherm@thecleanupguys.com

Organization: The CleanUp Guys

Address: 6650 North Damen Ave., Chicago, 60645 United States



Release ID: 157314

For more information visit r



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MindStir Media Launches Website To Encourage Donations For Its Recommended Literacy & Medical Charities

MindStir Media is a book self-publishing and marketing company headquartered in Portsmouth, NH. MindStir prides itself in making book publishing easy through its award-winning full-service book publishing, book marketing and author publicity services.

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NH book publisher MindStir Media has rolled out a new website to highlight charities for those considering getting involved in philanthropy this holiday season and beyond.

MindStir Media, an award-winning book self-publisher, recently published a website displaying its recommended charities. Mindstir intends to increase awareness and donations for its favorite charitable organizations through its new website found at http://mindstirmediacharities.org/.

"I wanted to do something creative to promote the charities dear and close to my heart," said J.J. Hebert, founder of Mindstir Media. "I've always felt that giving to charity is one of the most fulfilling acts a person can take part in, but this year I decided to take it a step further and openly recommend my favorite charities to the world."

Mindstir Media supports and suggests five literacy charities listed on its new website, including First Book, which has provided 125 million new books and resources to children in need. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is among the three medical research non-profit organizations that Mindstir Media endorses and encourages donations.

About MindStir Media LLC:

MindStir Media is a book self-publishing and marketing company headquartered in Portsmouth, NH. MindStir prides itself in making book publishing easy through its award-winning full-service book publishing, book marketing and author publicity services. To learn more about self-publishing, go to http://www.mindstirmedia.com or call 800-767-0531.

For more information, please visit http://www.mindstirmedia.com

Contact Info:

Name: Rob Rop

Email: press@mindstirmedia.com

Organization: MindStir Media

Address: 45 Lafayette Rd Suite 181

Phone: 800-767-0531

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/mindstir-media-launches-website-to-encourage-donations-for-its-recommended-literacy-medical-charities/157908

Release ID: 157908

For more information visit r



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Runaki Introduces Shadow Spy Software

The software is designed to help employers and parents monitor their employees or underage children on a mobile device, reports www.shadow-spy.com.

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India-based software company Runaki Technology announced the introduction of their Shadow Spy software. Designed to be used on a smartphone or tablet, the Shadow Spy application gives employers and parents the power to monitor their employees or underage children as they use a mobile device.

A representative of Shadow Spy commented, "Smartphones and tablets have opened up a whole new world of personal technology that allows people around the globe to connect instantly and on a very intimate level. While these advances in technology can provide more opportunity for business and personal growth, it has also presented dangers that were not previously present."

The representative continued, "Now, parents have to worry about Teen Safe, child safety, while employers are raising concerns about lost productivity among their workforce. Our software aims to solve problems like this, putting parents and employers back in control."

Shadow Spy is compatible with all Android devices running like Gingerbread or a newer operating system. Requiring only an internet connection for data transfer, the application works regardless of the cellular carrier network or the location of the device being monitored. Shadow Spy runs in full stealth mode and is completely undetectable by the person using the device. All monitoring logs are updated instantly.

For those concerned about pricing, Shadow Spy offers several packages with a range of costs suitable to any parent's or employer's budget. The features of each package depend on the needs of the user, allowing them to choose the subscription length that's right for them. All packages include the use of all of Shadow Spy's Child monitoring, mobile spy, and Go Live features.

As the Shadow Spy representative went on to say, "Having access to applications that allow for parental control,employee monitoring, and mobile device logging is a must in the digital age in which we live. With the increased threat to safety and productivity comes an increased need to keep track of what employees and children are doing on their mobile devices. In turn, parents and employers will enjoy greater peace of mind as they go about their day."

About Runaki:

Runaki Technology are the makers of Shadow Spy, a leading mobile application designed for monitoring employees or underage children on a smartphone or tablet. The application runs in stealth mode and silently monitors device activities, including but not limited to call history logs, text messages tracking, GPS location tracking, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger chat monitoring, key stroke logging, notification logging and more.

For more information, please visit http://www.shadow-spy.com

Contact Info:

Name: Shadow

Organization: Runaki

Phone: +91-8328245848

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/runaki-introduces-shadow-spy-software/157936

Release ID: 157936

For more information visit r



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The Removalists Melbourne Launch New Website To Promote Their Services Locally

The Removalists Melbourne has created a new .Melbourne website to help them promote their services with a local focus, ensuring the right people get access to their services.

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Local companies are finally starting to see the benefit of listing themselves online. For the longest time, national companies could dominate search results because of their large scale advertising and ranking strategies. Now however, algorithmic updates are making it easier than ever to find local providers. The Removalists are a home moving company in Melbourne, Australia. They are tapping into this local revolution with a new .Melbourne web address, together with an all-new locally optimized website, helping people in the surrounding area get access to the best movers available.

Their new website (www.removalists.melbourne) is built within a fully responsive architecture to load seamlessly on any device, and provides comprehensive information on their services, team, and approach. The company promises comprehensive insurance is included, together with an outstanding customer experience. The site includes a contact form for visitors to receive a free, no-obligation quote.

In addition to the content itself, the website is outfitted with the latest local optimization strategies and social media integration, so individuals can contact Removalists Melbourne on Facebook or Twitter for a faster response. The company plans to be the first port of call for Melbourne's moving needs, and these strategies move them closer to that goal.

A spokesperson for The Removalists Melbourne explained, "We are pleased to be able to help as many families and businesses as possible with all their moving needs. We don't just offer a van to transport items; we provide every service possible to ensure a move can be as safe and hands-off as the customer wants. We even provide the packing materials themselves. This new website will help us promote these services in a more focused and targeted fashion, ensuring those who can benefit most from our services can find them quickly and easily when searching online."

About The Removalists Melbourne: The Removalists Melbourne offer a full range of domestic and commercial moving services, including end to end services like packing and unpacking, together with all associated products, including boxes, tape and more. The company aims to facilitate every aspect of a move to ensure it is as efficient, stress-free and economical as possible. Their experienced team are happy to offer free quotes.

For more information, please visit http://www.removalists.melbourne/

Contact Info:

Name: Michael Harris

Email: pr@removalists.melbourne

Organization: Removalists Melbourne

Address: 420 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia 3000

Phone: 1800 665 127

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/the-removalists-melbourne-launch-new-website-to-promote-their-services-locally/157946

Release ID: 157946

For more information visit r



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Global Market Analysis of Insurance Software leads to Excessive Growth at a CAGR of 4.94% Till 2020

The global insurance industry is a potential market for technology providers. The increased expenditure on technology by the insurance sector has moved the focus on productivity and efficiency, and has brought in a wide range of challenges to insurers.

December 30, 2016 (FPRC), Albany, New York: In todays world, the use of technology is widely growing is various sectors as it provides an ease to the companies and organizations. In the recent years, there has been a positive growth acquired in the insurance industry. To expand this in detail, Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently added a report titled, Global Insurance Software Market 2016-2020 to its research offerings. This study also explains the present scenario and growth prospects of the global market. The global insurance industry has come out as a potential market for technology providers, who are providing one of the best solutions for this sector. According to the key findings, analysts have estimated the global market of insurance software to achieve a CAGR of 4.94% in the time period of 2016 to 2020.



Request Free Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=902783



Initially, the report briefly highlights the key points of the market including market developments and new regulatory framework. Also, industry overview of the insurance sector is discussed in detail. It has been observed that insurance software services have been one of the key factors which driving the insurance industry. These softwares are smartly designed to resolve complex tasks and actions in such a manner that will help to manage high volume of data of client accounts. Insurance software also helps to update existing offerings, roll out new product lines and gives end-users the speed & quickness to meet rapidly changing client needs and increase their competitive positioning in the market. Also, the rise of robotic process automation in industry is driving the market growth.



Geographically, the market has been segmented into the following regions: Americas, EMEA and APAC. Additionally, it is segmented by deployment model which includes- On-premises and SaaS-based technology. From the rise of mobile users and cloud-based technology to social media interaction, technology trends for insurance agents explains the need to be more agile, efficient and accessible in order to serve todays customers. In terms of geography, adoption rate of insurance software is high in Americas as the insurers are looking to merge policy administration systems to improve efficiency.



Moreover, major market trend observed by the study are-



Increasing demand for cyber insurance

High demand for travel insurance

Advent of SaaS-based insurance software

Market challenge for the industry is also included in the report which is related to data security and adherence to compliance in insurance sector.



Browse Full Report with TOC - http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-insurance-software-market-2016-2020-report.html



The report also studies the competitive landscape of the global market by profiling the key vendors operations. Leading players included in the report are Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce and SAP. Other prominent vendors are Accenture, Computer Sciences Cororation (CSC), Pegasystems, SAS etc.



About Market Research Hub



Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.



MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.





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Recent Press Releases By The Same User

Performance of Worldwide Major Mobile Phone Vendors in 4Q 2016 Displays Remarkable Growth (Mon 13th Feb 17)

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Global Analysis of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) Market Indicates Positive Growth Until 2021 (Wed 11th Jan 17)

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By Stef Gijssels We love solo bass albums, and it seems that they keep coming in great numbers. The overview below is indeed nothing more t...
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March 21, 1934  Dec. 24, 2016

Virginia (Latshaw) Wilson was born March 21, 1934, to Florence and Stanley Latshaw in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. She died in Corvallis on Dec. 24, 2016, in the care of Ts Heart Elder Care. She was a loving wife and mother, and taught mathematics at the secondary and junior college levels. She is survived by her husband, Howard; three children, Cheryl, Randall and Brian; four grandchildren, Catherine, Nathanael, Ari and Eli; and siblings Miriam, David and Carol.

The first of four siblings, Virginia grew up in a Pennsylvania Dutch home, working on the family farm. She enjoyed school and excelled at it, graduating from high school with high honors. After graduating from Pennsylvania State University, she taught junior high mathematics for a few years outside Philadelphia. Virginia met Howard L. Wilson when they were graduate students of mathematics at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois. They were married Aug. 27, 1960.

For many years Virginias highest desire was to manage her home, nurture her children and support and love her husband. She accomplished all of these, providing her family with a safe and caring home. She cooked, she celebrated, she mourned, she offered advice, she traversed with care and sensitivity her childrens adolescent years. She supported Howard in his desire to work overseas, living in Papua New Guinea with the family in 1971 and 72. She welcomed wholeheartedly her son-in-law, Mark, and daughters-in-law, Ramey and Katherine, and her grandchildren she treasured. Compassionate and self-sacrificing, she quietly and consistently thought of others before herself.

Virginia returned to the professional world, working at OSU and then teaching algebra at LBCC, from which she derived much satisfaction and where her patience was much appreciated.

In retirement she was able to travel the world with Howard. She volunteered at the OSU Thrift Store for many years. A long-time member of the First United Methodist Church in Corvallis, she served in a variety of ways through the years  as an organist, with the United Methodist Women, and on the Congregational Care Team. Her faith was an integral part of who she was, and her dearest friends were members of the church.

Though her last years were clouded by dementia, her compassionate spirit remained to the end. Her family is thankful to have had such a wife, mother and grandmother.

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Corvallis First United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her name to Benton Hospice Service or The First United Methodist Church of Corvallis.
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.
Fire Department called to Bad Godesberg : Suspect lights fire to avoid arrest

BAD GODESBERG On Thursday, Bonn police went to the apartment of a suspect to issue an arrest warrant. The suspect resisted, setting fire in his apartment.

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Armed with an arrest warrant, police showed up at the apartment building of a man living in the Bad Godesberg area of Schweinheim on Thursday morning. They had received information that the suspect was in his apartment in a building on Quellenstrae and they arrived at around 11:25 am. The 45-year-old man was wanted on charges of damaging property and he was to serve a sentence.

The suspect did not respond to the police ringing at his apartment so they gained access to the stairwell to get to his front door. When they got there, they noticed smoke developing from underneath the doorway. The fire department was notified immediately and the building, with 13 rental apartments was evacuated.

At 12:50 pm, the man turned himself over to police. According to GA information, the man was suffering from psychological problems and he lit several Molotov cocktails in his apartment, which caused the smoke. The extent of the damage caused by the fire was also not yet known. He is now being investigated on charges of suspected arson.
bayonel3 at 30-12-2016 10:23 AM (5 years ago) (m)

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan yesterday, alleged that about 808 people were killed in southern Kaduna State with 57 injured. He also revealed that 53 villages were attacked in the state. Governor Nasir El-Rufai has described the attackers as foreign Fulani herdsmen, who were avenging past attacks on them and their livestock. The Governor had earlier revealed that he had to pay them money to stop them from further killing the people of Southern Kaduna, a claim that was brutally condemned.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan yesterday, alleged that about 808 people were killed in southern Kaduna State with 57 injured. He also revealed that 53 villages were attacked in the state. Governor Nasir El-Rufai has described the attackers as foreign Fulani herdsmen, who were avenging past attacks on them and their livestock. The Governor had earlier revealed that he had to pay them money to stop them from further killing the people of Southern Kaduna, a claim that was brutally condemned. While speaking to newsmen, at a news conference in Kafanchan, the Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan, Ibrahim Yakubu, said the government failed to protect locals.

Yakubu, who addressed reporters along with four other priests, said four local government areas had been attacked with 808 people killed and 1,422 houses, 16 churches, 19 shops, and one primary school destroyed.

He added: Unfortunately, our government both at the centre and state levels have failed woefully. If anything, government has shown outright partisanship in favour of the herdsmen to the disappointment of the majority Southern Kaduna indigenes and Christians.

The cleric, however, called for immediate end to attacks, and demanded compensation for all families that lost loved ones or property. He also called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the causes of the crisis. Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) also lamented that Southern Kaduna had become a slaughter house and a cemetery where human lives had become so cheap to destroy.

Sani, who visited his colleague representing Kaduna South, Senator Danjuma Laah, called for security presence in all the villages and towns, as well as civilians Joint Task Force (JTF) to protect the communities.

The way out of this mess is the need for security presence in all the villages and towns in Southern Kaduna. There is also need for Civilian JTF where the communities will be fully involved, funding and supporting, to protect their own communities. It is unfortunate that Southern Kaduna has become a slaughter house and a cemetery, where human lives have become so cheap to destroy.

While expressing his heart-felt sympathy to the people over the magnitude of destruction of lives and property he noted: Southern Kaduna killings is a reality in Nigeria and northern part of this country in particular of what has been happening for years. It is very clear the government is unable to protect lives and property of its citizens.

The tragedy in Southern Kaduna is also translating to Niger State, which is close to Abuja. So you can see the danger of these killings to other cities in the country. There is need for an immediate action to stop the activities of these herdsmen killing innocent people, he said

Sani suggested that there was need for an economic master plan for Southern Kaduna to address the neglect, abandonment, poverty and underdevelopment that have ravaged the zone for a very long time.

The senator argued that neutralising Southern Kaduna is not enough without any economic agenda. We must develop the area and make all parts of the area accessible by providing infrastructure and developing social amenities as the only way we can have a permanent solution.Also, there is need to have consultative community interactions to enable the natives and cattle rearers and others ethnic groups interact for better understanding.

Enough is a word that can only be qualified when there is satisfaction by the side of those who are victims. The first right in the Nigerian constitution is the right to life. The government cannot be seen to say it has done enough until and unless these killings stop. The Federal Government must provide the necessary environment.

I think ending this problem has gone beyond what people are thinking. It should be accompanied with an economic blueprint to face the problem of underdevelopment and neglect of the Southern part of the state. It is very clear that the people of Southern Kaduna are being treated as outcast. They only listen to Plateau media stations to know what is happening in Nigeria.Southern Kaduna depends on Plateau to exist as human beings. It is very unfortunate, Sani said. While speaking to newsmen, at a news conference in Kafanchan, the Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan, Ibrahim Yakubu, said the government failed to protect locals.Yakubu, who addressed reporters along with four other priests, said four local government areas had been attacked with 808 people killed and 1,422 houses, 16 churches, 19 shops, and one primary school destroyed.He added:The cleric, however, called for immediate end to attacks, and demanded compensation for all families that lost loved ones or property. He also called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the causes of the crisis. Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) also lamented that Southern Kaduna had become a slaughter house and a cemetery where human lives had become so cheap to destroy.Sani, who visited his colleague representing Kaduna South, Senator Danjuma Laah, called for security presence in all the villages and towns, as well as civilians Joint Task Force (JTF) to protect the communities.While expressing his heart-felt sympathy to the people over the magnitude of destruction of lives and property he noted: Southern Kaduna killings is a reality in Nigeria and northern part of this country in particular of what has been happening for years. It is very clear the government is unable to protect lives and property of its citizens.he saidSani suggested that there was need for an economic master plan for Southern Kaduna to address the neglect, abandonment, poverty and underdevelopment that have ravaged the zone for a very long time.The senator argued that neutralising Southern Kaduna is not enough without any economic agenda. We must develop the area and make all parts of the area accessible by providing infrastructure and developing social amenities as the only way we can have a permanent solution.Also, there is need to have consultative community interactions to enable the natives and cattle rearers and others ethnic groups interact for better understanding.Sani said.

Post Reply I scour the world wide web to bring you interesting stories from around the globe. +2348055557203 Posted: at 30-12-2016 10:23 AM (5 years ago) | Hero
A young Nigerian officer has taken to social media to share the happy news of his promotion as he becomes the youngest commissioner of police in Nigeria. A young gallant Police officer Abba Kyari has been promoted as the youngest Assistant Commissioner of Police in Nigeria at 41-years-old. He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police on 16th December, 2016 by the Nigerian Police Force.Sharing the honourable feat on social media, he wrote:

Quote

"Glory be to Almighty GOD and My Sincere Appreciation To IGP Ibrahim Idris, The Police Service commission, My Family, Friends and Well Wishers. I have been Promoted to the Prestigious Rank of Assistant Commissioner of police based on IGPs Recommendation for Gallantry, Exceptional and Superlative Performance. At 41yrs am the Youngest Assistant Commissioner of police in Nigeria Today. Please Join me to Celebrate this Great Moment."


LG G5

The first innovative smartphone kept the year soaring. LG started the year on a big note with its LG G5, but the smartphone failed to impress the masses with its inconvenient approach towards the semi-modular smartphones. Nevertheless, it's a great try from the South Korean smartphone giant.

Blackberry Priv

Blackberry's return to the smartphone area took place in 2016 and that too with Android under-the-hood. The interesting part is Blackberry kept their trademark Qwerty keyboard alive with the Priv as well as it came with support for a keyboard as well. The phone received praise from many but its steep price let it down.

Motorola Moto Z Phones

If one fails to deliver, the other succeeds in doing that. That's the same scenario with Lenovo-owned Motorola. After looking at what happened with the LG G5 and its modular system, Lenovo did not hold back and released their modular smartphones, the Moto Z series of phones.

Unlike LG G5, where you should remove the battery and replace with another mod, Motorola added 16 magnetic pins at the rear of the phone, and you can swap the Moto Mods over there. That said, the Moto Mods and its concept was a huge hit.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro

Lenovo has consistently been trying to be different from others. While their semi-modular phones under Motorola is an example of that, the company, this time in collaboration with Google, came out with a smartphone called Phab 2 Pro, which has support for some unique Augmented Reality features. But, several international tech blogs termed the phone as an unfinished project.

Xiaomi Mi Mix

Xiaomi surprised everyone with their concept phone, the Xiaomi Mi Mix. The Mi Mix was unveiled a couple of months back, and it was a huge success for the Apple of China. The phone impressed several people over the world, and the only problem with this phone is its limited stock availability.

Huawei Honor Magic

Right at the stroke of 2016, Huawei unveiled their concept phone in China to compete with the Xiaomi Mi Mix. However, the phone has several advantages over the latter because it is the company's take on artificial intelligence. For example, if you visit a theater with pre-booked tickets, then the phone will automatically open the tickets by tracking your phone's location. You can read all the features of Honor Magic's AI by clicking here.
Samsung Galaxy A Series (2017) Prices Leaked Before Official Launch News oi -Rohit Samsung Galaxy A Series(2017) is expected to launch on January 4, 2017 and these might be the official pricing of the upcoming Galaxy smartphones

Samsung is gearing up for a launch event on January 4, 2017 where the Korean tech giant will launch the new Galaxy A series handsets. The devices in the series- Galaxy A7, Galaxy A5 and the Galaxy A3 are expected to offer water-resistant design and will boast an all metal-glass construction.

We at GIZBOT informed you yesterday about the expected specifications of the smartphone, and if some reports are to be believed, these might be the official pricing of the upcoming Galaxy A series smartphones.

SEE ALSO: The New Samsung Galaxy A Series (2017) is Coming in January 2017



Some images have surfaced online (soyacincau) that hints the possible price details of the smartphones. As per the images, the Galaxy A5 (2017) will be priced around Rs. 26,000 and Galaxy A7 (2017) might cost around Rs. 29,000. The pricing of Galaxy A3 (2017) have not yet leaked.

The site further reports that the handsets are now up for pre-order and Samsung is also giving away a Level U PRO wireless headset to sweeten up the deal. The handsets are up for Pre-orders from Friday, 6th January until 15th January 2017 in Malaysia.

SEE ALSO: Twitter Might Soon Allow You to Edit Tweets



As noted, Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) could feature a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display offering full HD resolution. The device will be powered by an Exynos 7880 octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz and will be coupled with Mali-T860 MP4 GPU and 3GB of RAM. Furthermore, the smartphone will come with 32GB of onboard storage and will flaunt water-resistant design.

The Galaxy A7 (2017) might sport a bigger 5.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen. It is expected to run on an octa-core Exynos 7880 processor coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage, which is expandable via a microSD card. The new Galaxy A3 is expected to sport a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED (720x1280 pixel) display. The smartphone is expected to be powered up by a 1.5GHz octa-core Exynos 7870 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus Rumored to Feature S Pen, Does it Mark the End of Road to Galaxy Note Series?

Image Source: lowyat.net

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Law to prevent spying by retired military personnel passes 1st reading

ROC Central News Agency

2016/12/29 19:41:14

Taipei, Dec. 29 (CNA) A draft amendment to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Veterans Assistance Act, which is aimed at preventing Taiwanese retired military personnel from spying for foreign nations, passed its first reading in the Legislature on Thursday.

According to the amendment to Article 32 of the law, retired Taiwanese military personnel caught trying to breach national security, leak classified information or spy for other nations will permanently lose their subsidies, discounts for medical services, and preferential treatment in the areas of employment and education.

The amendment, which cleared the legislative Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, is aimed primarily at preventing retired military officers from being lured into spying for China or providing confidential information to Beijing.

Currently, Article 32 of the ROC Veterans Assistance Act stipulates that only retired military personnel sentenced for rebellion, treason, corruption, or homicide, shall be permanently deprived of all the privileges and benefits covered by the act.

The draft amendment bill extends those specific penalties to cover violations under the National Security Act, the Classified National Security Information Protection Act, and the National Intelligence Services Act.

The new bill is being processed in the wake of new regulations pertaining to active-duty military personnel, which were passed by the Legislature in November.

The amendment to the Act of Military Service for Officers and Noncommissioned Officers of the Armed Forces allows for the military officers -- non-commissioned and commissioned -- to be deprived of their pensions not only for rebellion and treason but also for spying, breaching national security and leaking classified information.

The efforts to deter military personnel and retired officers from leaking confidential military secrets or spying for China were launched amid concerns that retired Taiwanese generals might be lured by Chinese authorities to work as spies.

During the hearing in the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Thursday, Lee Wen-chung (), deputy head of the Veterans Affairs Council (VAC), said a delegation of eight retired generals, led by Cheng Ting-chung (), will visit China on Jan. 5 to attend a cultural festival for generals on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The eight retired generals have promised the Cabinet-level VAC that they will not make any controversial political statements during their visit to China, Lee said.

He said it was his understanding that the festival was being organized by a private enterprise, which is believed to have connections with Chinese authorities who handle Taiwan affairs.

In addition to revoking the benefits and privileges of active-duty and retired military personnel who violate the law, some lawmakers are also seeking to extend the period during which retired generals are not allowed to visit China, to more than three years after retirement.

(By Wang Chen-chung and Elaine Hou)

ENDITEM/pc

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Trump Seeks Full Report from US Intelligence Agencies on Russian Allegations

Sputnik News

04:20 30.12.2016(updated 04:50 30.12.2016)

Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said that Donald Trump will personally hear assessments from across the US intelligence community on the allegations of Russian interference in the American elections.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  President-elect Donald Trump will personally hear assessments from across the US intelligence community on the allegations of Russian interference in the November 8 elections, incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said in an interview.

"Right now we are not in a position to respond to all of these details before we have a full blown intelligence report on this matter," Preibus told Fox News on Thursday night.

Preibus said Trump would meet with representatives from the major US intelligence agencies to discuss the issue next week, adding "We need to get to a point ourselves where we can talk to these intelligence agencies and say what evidence is there."

Many media reports on the allegations, including ones that had appeared in the Washington Post and New York Times, had cited unnamed, anonymous sources, Priebus added.

"Here is the problem: We have been responding to articles from third parties' unnamed sources in Washington Post in the New York Times, and would say these 17 intelligence agencies didn't agree with each other," Priebus explained.

Earlier on Thursday, outgoing President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the United States and shut down two Russian diplomatic compounds. Moreover, the Obama administration imposed sanctions on six Russian nationals and five entities.

 Sputnik

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Trump to Meet With Intelligence Officials to Clarify Russian Spying Accusations

Sputnik News

02:10 30.12.2016(updated 06:04 30.12.2016)

"In the interest of our country and its great people," Trump promised to meet with members of the FBI, DHS, and other intelligence agencies "to be updated on the facts of this situation," according to a statement from the transition team.

The US slapped sanctions on Russia Thursday as part of retaliation for accusations that Russian intelligence services interfered with US elections. 35 Russian diplomats and their families were ordered to exit the country within 72 hours.

The US must "move on to bigger and better things," Trump's team said, but in order to uphold the American people's interests he will consult with the intelligence community about their recent findings.

"I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly," Trump said earlier this week when asked if he believed in Russian "election hacking." "The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on. We have speed, we have a lot of other things, but I'm not sure we have the kind of the security we need."

The new round of sanctions constituted an example of "severe" mismanagement by the Obama administration, former Trump adviser Carter Page told Sputnik on Thursday. In fact, Page noted that the sanctions illustrate "complete lack of diplomacy."

The expulsion of diplomats provides "yet another example of why America must redistribute the heavy-handed power of the US government," and put it "back in the hands of the people," Page added.

The Kremlin promised on Thursday that by Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin will counter with an "adequate and mirror" response that is assured to make Washington "feel very uncomfortable."

 Sputnik

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Update: air strikes against Daesh

28 December 2016

British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh

Latest update

- Thursday 22 December  Tornados destroyed a tank south-west of Sinjar in northern Iraq.

- Friday 23 December  Typhoons bombed a terrorist position north of Tabaqah in Syria; in Iraq, Tornados hit a weapons cache north-east of Haditha, and a Reaper destroyed an artillery gun near Mosul.

- Sunday 25 December  Tornados and Typhoons attacked three Daesh targets in and around Mosul.

- Tuesday 27 December  Typhoons destroyed a heavy machine-gun position whilst supporting Syrian Democratic Forces west of Raqqah.

Detail

Operations against the Daesh terrorist network have continued unabated during the holiday period, with Royal Air Force aircraft supporting Iraqi operations to liberate Mosul, and the advance on Raqqah by Syrian Democratic Forces. On Thursday 22 December, two Tornado GR4s, based at RAF Akrotiri, were tasked against one of the few tanks operated by Daesh, which had been spotted by coalition surveillance aircraft hidden under a tarpaulin in an orchard to the south-west of Sinjar. The tank was destroyed by a direct hit from a Brimstone missile. The next day, Typhoon FGR4s, armed with Paveway IV guided bombs, patrolled over Syria and successfully attacked a terrorist position which SDF fighters had encountered to the north of Tabaqah, near Lake Assad. In Iraq, Tornados used Paveway IVs to destroy a weapons stockpile some 50 miles north-east of Haditha, whilst a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft assisted the Iraqi operations in Mosul; its crew conducted a thorough check for civilians who might be at risk before a successful coalition air strike destroyed another weapons stockpile. The Reaper then delivered an attack using one of its own Hellfire missiles to destroy an artillery piece loaded on a trailer - as with the tank, the terrorists had attempted to hide the gun under a tarpaulin in thick woodland to the north-west of the city, but to no avail.

Christmas Day saw Mosul blanketed with thick cloud, but both Typhoons and Tornados were able, by dint of close cooperation with the Iraqi forces on the ground, to prosecute Daesh targets in and around the city. A pair of Typhoons used a Paveway IV to attack a small bridge used by the terrorists, whilst a Tornado flight attacked two Daesh strong-points with which the Iraqi troops were engaged in close combat; the first was destroyed by an Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb, the second  from which a machine-gun was firing  was struck by a Paveway IV. Both attacks were delivered blind through the cloud, but the Iraqi units reported direct hits which eliminated the threats that they had faced.

Typhoons continued to support the SDF operations in Syria, and on Tuesday 27 December, they used a Paveway IV to strike a heavy machine-gun position located in a building to the west of Raqqah.

UK contribution to the fight against Daesh



Map of UK forces committed to Operation Shader

Previous air strikes

Saturday 3 December: Very bad weather, including violent thunderstorms, seriously hampered air operations for several days. However, conditions improved sufficiently for a Reaper to resume operations over Mosul. It conducted one attack, using a Hellfire, against a mortar, and was able to alert other coalition forces to the location of a large number of civilians potentially at risk in the area.

Sunday 4 December: Another Reaper continued to provide close air support to the Iraqi forces as they engaged in intensive street fighting around Mosul. The Reaper's crew twice exploited the accuracy and small warhead of their Hellfire missiles to strike Daesh terrorists engaged in close combat with Iraqi troops, and also gave surveillance support to four successful attacks by coalition aircraft on heavily defended buildings, including one where a group of suicide bombers had mustered. Meanwhile, two flights of Tornados prosecuted Daesh targets in Syria: one pair joined other coalition aircraft in an attack on a large weapons factory which intelligence had established was being operated by Daesh some 15 miles west of Raqqah. The Tornados dropped three Enhanced Paveway II bombs which scored direct hits on their targets. In eastern Syria, the second Tornado flight used a pair of Paveway IV bombs to destroy a terrorist headquarters, plus an associated vehicle, located some 25 miles north-east of At Tibni.

Monday 5 December: With Iraqi forces continuing to clear Daesh positions in eastern Mosul, a Royal Air Force Reaper flew overwatch for the operation. It performed an important role in tracking the movements of civilian refugees through the area, allowing coalition attacks to be halted or delayed as necessary. The Reaper also identified a group of Daesh fighters who were subsequently struck by Coalition fast jets. The Reaper's crew then spotted a heavy machine-gun firing on Iraqi troops, and destroyed it with a Hellfire missile.

Wednesday 7 December: A pair of Typhoons, armed with Paveway IV guided bombs, and supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, attacked a Daesh bunker dug into the hills some 25 miles north-west of Haditha. After the attack, smoke rose from the tunnel entrances some distance away, proving that the strike was successful. A second pair of Typhoons operated north of Mosul, where they used a Paveway IV to destroy a Daesh-held building. Meanwhile, a Reaper continued close air support over eastern Mosul. An armoured truck was tracked as Daesh fighters attempted to hide it in a vehicle shelter, allowing it to be destroyed by coalition jets. The Reaper then conducted three attacks using its own Hellfires against groups of extremists engaged in close combat with the advancing Iraqi troops.

Thursday 8 December: Tornados and a Reaper patrolled over Mosul. The Tornados were able to use the small, highly accurate Brimstone missile to dispose safely of an armoured personnel carrier positioned close to a hospital in the south of the city. Meanwhile, the Reaper hunted targets in the city centre, using three Hellfire missiles to pick off groups of extremists caught moving in the open.

Friday 9 December: Another Reaper enjoyed similar success, when it also operated over central Mosul. It conducted three Hellfire attacks against Daesh fighters, including some armed with rocket-propelled grenades, and a mortar team that was spotted as it opened fire. In the east of the city, Typhoons assisted Iraqi forces as they fought a Daesh group holding a building at the end of a street. Particular care was taken in planning the air attack, as the Iraqi troops were very close to the target, but our aircrew were able to score a direct hit with a Paveway IV, which destroyed the building and removed the threat to the ground forces.

Monday 12 December: Intelligence analysis identified a set of buildings some miles north-east of Bayji, where Daesh were storing weapons and manufacturing explosives. A pair of Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager tanker, were tasked to attack the site. Our aircraft used three Paveway IV guided bombs against different buildings within the compound, and successfully destroyed each of these targets.

Wednesday 14 December: Operations to liberate Mosul continue, with Iraqi troops carefully clearing terrorists from areas in the east of the city. A unit encountered significant resistance from a group of Daesh fortified in a building. RAF Tornado GR4s were overhead, but unable to see the target due to thick cloud cover. Nevertheless, very careful coordination with the ground forces, who were very close to the terrorist strongpoint, allowed the Tornados to deliver a precision strike through the cloud cover with a Paveway IV which the Iraqi troops reported scored a direct hit on the building and eliminated the threat they faced.

Other RAF aircraft have continued to fly reconnaissance missions over both Syria and Iraq, with Airseeker and Sentinel surveillance platforms gathering vital intelligence on Daesh activity in recent days. Hercules transports have also continued their essential work, supporting the large British military training teams which are constantly working with coalition partners to help improve the capabilities of the Iraqi forces so that they are even better equipped to defeat the terrorists.

Thursday 15 December: Despite very heavy cloud over Mosul, Royal Air Force and other coalition aircraft continued to provide support to the Iraqi ground forces advancing into the city. Iraqi troops engaged a large group of Daesh fighters in close combat in eastern Mosul. A pair of Tornados worked in very close coordination with the Iraqi unit to establish both their precise positions and those of the terrorists. As a result, two Paveway IV guided bombs were dropped with great accuracy through the clouds. The Iraqis reported that they had scored direct hits, killing their opponents. The Tornados then provided assistance to troops fighting in the north of the city, who had encountered a building from where Daesh were directing rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine-gun fire. As before, the Tornado crews were unable to see the target themselves but were able to demolish the building with an Enhanced Paveway II guided bomb without injury to the nearby Iraqi forces.

Sunday 18 December: A Reaper operated over the northern outskirts of Mosul. Its crew observed a number of Daesh fighters on board an armoured truck which proceeded to drive at speed towards Iraqi positions just north of the city. A Hellfire missile from the Reaper brought the attempted attack to an immediate halt, knocking out the truck. The following day, two Typhoons armed with Paveway IV guided bombs attacked two buildings east of Tall Afar, which intelligence had revealed were being used by Daesh as accommodation blocks. One building was completely demolished, the other set ablaze by the strike.

Tuesday 20 December: Operating again in challenging conditions over Mosul, two Tornados were still able to support Iraqi forces as they engaged a Daesh light machine-gun team defending a building in the north-eastern area of the city. As with the attacks a few days earlier, the Iraqi troops were very close to the target, but our aircrew carried out a successful attack with a Paveway IV.

Wednesday 21 December: Typhoons tasked with the destruction of a Daesh-held building some miles to the north-east of Bayji, where intelligence reports indicated a number of improvised explosive devices had been stockpiled by the terrorists. A Paveway IV levelled the building. In eastern Mosul, Iraqi troops came upon a heavy machine-gun team, once again fortified inside a building, and sought assistance from a Tornado patrol which was able to destroy the target with a Paveway IV.

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Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 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 the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an oil wellhead.

-- Near Raqqa, six strikes engaged five ISIL tactical units, destroying a fighting position, a heavy machine gun, a mortar system and a vehicle. A bridge was disabled.

-- Near Palmyra, a strike destroyed an ISIL-held tank.

Task force officials also announced today that Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti, an ISIL gang leader in Raqqa, was killed by a Dec. 26 coalition airstrike near Syria's Tabqa Dam. He was a previous member of the ISIL's war committee, officials said, and was involved in their retaking of Palmyra, Syria, before being reassigned to Tabqa to try to improve ISIL's defenses against the Syrian Democratic Forces.

He was involved in the use of suicide vehicles, improvised explosive devices and chemical weapons against the SDF, officials added. Because of his associations with ISIL terror attack planners and war council members, they added, his death will degrade ISIL's ability to defend Raqqa and launch external operations against the West.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft, as well as rocket artillery, conducted three strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit, destroying seven front-end loaders, four command-and-control nodes, two land bridges, a vehicle-bomb factory, a vehicle and a steamroller. Twenty-four supply routes were damaged.

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 they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group'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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Kerry: Israel's settlements in Palestinian territory, violation of int'l law

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New York, Dec 29, IRNA -- US Secretary of State John Kerry has criticized the Zionist regime's officials for their recent stance on the UN anti-settlement resolution (2334), stressing that settlement construction in the Palestinian lands is a violation of the international laws.

', we have an honest, clear-eyed conversation about the uncomfortable truths and difficult choices, because the alternative that is fast becoming the reality on the ground is in nobody's interest  not the Israelis, not the Palestinians, not the region  and not the United States,' Kerry said during a weekly press briefing in Washington on December 28.

The UN Security Council has recently passed a resolution which declared Israel's settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories 'have no legal validity.'

'Regrettably, some seem to believe that the US friendship means the US must accept any policy, regardless of our own interests, our own positions, our own words, our own principles  even after urging again and again that the policy must change.

'Friends need to tell each other the hard truths, and friendships require mutual respect,' Kerry noted during his Wednesday press briefing.

The UN Resolution 2334 was adopted on December 23 by 14 votes in favor and one abstention, the US.

US abstention has infuriated Tel Aviv with the Zionist officials vowing not to abide by the resolution terms.

According to the landmark resolution, the Zionist regime is urged to stop its settelment construction activity and fulfill its obligation as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Following passage of the resolution, the Zionist regime's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Israel rejects this shameful anti-Israel resolution at the UN and will not abide by its terms."

Netanyahu spokesman has later told CNN: 'We have iron-clad information, frankly, that the Obama administration really helped push this resolution and helped craft it, from sources internationally and sources in the Arab world.'

1483**1394

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Yemeni forces shoot down Saudi Apache helicopter in Najran

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 2:5PM

Yemeni forces have shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter in the kingdom's southern Najran Province in fresh attacks in response to Riyadh's deadly military aggression.

Yemen's al-Masirah television reported that the chopper was brought down on Thursday as it was attacking positions held by the Yemeni fighters.

The report further noted that the Yemeni forces destroyed an Abrams tank and killed five Saudi soldiers at Najran's Qiyadah military base.

Three other Saudi soldiers lost their lives in Talah military base in Najran.

Two more Saudi tanks were destroyed in Najran's Rajla military base and southwestern Jizan Region.

Moreover, Yemeni snipers killed Saudi soldiers in neighboring Asir Region.

Meanwhile, the Houthis and the Yemeni army took control of several positions held by Saudi mercenaries in the Sabrin neighborhood of Yemen's northern Jawf Province.

They also thwarted an attack by Saudi mercenaries in Shabwah Province, leaving a number of the militants dead and injured.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 with the purpose of reinstalling the country's former government and crushing the Houthi Ansarullah movement. Since then, the Houthis and the Yemeni army have been defending Yemen against the Saudi offensive.

More than 11,400 Yemenis, including women and children, have been killed in the Saudi military aggression, according to the latest tally by a Yemeni monitoring group.

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4 troops killed in latest confrontation between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 1:34PM

At least four soldiers have been killed in the latest round of confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan along the shared border of the two Caucasus countries.

Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, said Thursday that three Armenian troops had been killed in the shootout that erupted near the Armenian village of Chinari.

"In the early hours of Thursday morning, Azerbaijani armed forces attempted a subversive intrusion into Armenian territory," Hovhannisyan said, adding that the fighting was still underway, "with both sides using grenade launchers and sniper rifles."

Meanwhile, Baku rejected Yerevan's claim that it had initiated the clash, saying it was the Armenians who triggered the clash by sending a "subversive group" to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Armenian group "was ambushed as it attempted to violate the Azerbaijani state border."

"The enemy suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat," it said, adding that one Azerbaijani soldier was killed in the combat.

For more than 20 years, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a bitter dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, an area which is recognized as part of Azerbaijan's territory but controlled by Armenia-backed separatists.

A bloody war over the territory, which killed some 30,000 people, ended in a truce in 1994, but cross-border fire has continued along the frontline and across the border. The two ex-soviet states are yet to sign a permanent peace deal.

Hostilities escalated in April, when Armenia and Azerbaijan were nearly on the brink of a full-out war. The surge in violence claimed at least 110 lives from the two sides before Russia intervened and brokered a ceasefire. Attempts for re-launching a peace process have failed since then.

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Colombia passes FARC amnesty law under peace deal

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 11:18AM

The Colombian congress has approved legislation that grants amnesty to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as part of a recent peace deal between the country's government and the rebel group.

The bill was passed both in Colombia's Senate and the lower house of the congress on Wednesday, forgoing prosecution against those FARC rebels who are known to have committed only minor crimes during the country's 52-year armed conflict.

The legislation covers most offenses committed by the rebels but will not absolve those who committed war crimes or human rights violations. The amnesty also applies to members of the country's military.

"Thanks to the Congress, which in a historic vote approved the amnesty law, [a] first step toward consolidating peace," Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on his Twitter page.

The measure was, however, met with strong opposition by the country's right-wing Democratic Center Party, run by former president Alvaro Uribe and his allies, whose members abstained from voting.

The opposition argued that the deal granted impunity to rebels guilty of war crimes and gave them seats in Congress rather than sending them to prison.

The leftist rebel group and Colombia's government said in a joint statement that they would determine by January 2017 how many rebels were not eligible for the clemency order.

Those rebels found guilty of serious crimes like massacres, sexual violence, or kidnapping will not be entitled to amnesty and will instead serve alternative sentences, such as working to remove land mines.

Bogota and the FARC rebels first reached a deal to end their armed conflict on September 26. That deal, which had taken some four years to negotiate, was, however, rejected unexpectedly by a razor-thin margin in a referendum on October 2, with opponents saying that it was too lenient on the rebels.

The two sides then re-launched talks to modify the deal to the satisfaction of the opponents. A final version, a 310-page document, was signed on November 24 and won unanimous approval by both the Senate and the lower house of Congress in late November and early December, finally ending 52 years of deadly violence. It was not put to a referendum again.

Santos was awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for "his resolute efforts" to put an end to the civil war in country, which has claimed the lives of at least 260,000 people, left some 60,000 missing and displaced seven million others, according to official figures.

Some 7,000 members of the FARC rebel group are expected to lay down their arms over the next six months under the peace deal.

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Dozens of Boko Haram militants surrender in Niger

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:3AM

Dozens of militants with the Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group have surrendered to Nigerien authorities, less than a week after Nigeria announced that its troops captured the group's last key bastion in the country's northeast.

"Thirty one young people from Diffa, who were enrolled a few years ago in Boko Haram, decided to surrender," Nigerien Interior Minister Bazoum Mohamed said.

The troubled Diffa region, located in the southeasternmost part of Niger, borders Nigeria's volatile Borno State, where Boko Haram hides in the dense Sambisa Forest.

One of the deserters appeared on a Nigerien public television program and recounted why they had decided to give themselves up to local authorities.

"We have deserted Boko Haram because we found that what the organization stands for is not acceptable. We expect a pardon from the government so that we can participate in the development of the country and help us get rid of the trauma," he said.

The Nigerien government has reportedly assured that it will grant an amnesty for all the deserters providing that they undergo a de-radicalization program, after which they will be enrolled in socio-economic reintegration projects.

Back in June, tens of thousands of people were forced to abandon their homes in Diffa as Boko Haram terrorists launched a sweeping offensive across the region, and in September, at least five Nigerien troopers were killed by the terror group near the village of Toumour, about 65 kilometers northeast of Diffa.

Niger has been one of the countries affected by the more than seven years of Boko Haram militancy in Nigeria. The Takfiri terrorist group has routinely launched attacks across Nigerian borders into Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

'Boko Haram likely used Chibok girls as shield'

Also on Wednesday, Major General Lucky Irabor, a Nigerian military commander, speculated that the terrorists, fleeing a major attack on their last stronghold in the Sambisa Forest on Friday, might have used abducted girls as human shields to prevent being hit by warplanes.

Irabor, who was addressing a press conference, showed aerial footage he said was filmed during the operation in the forest, indicating that the terrorists were moving with women and children.

"The haggard militants were just using them as a shield. That is why we did not engage them from the air," Irabor said in the northeastern city of Maiduguri. "We had always believed and hoped that going into the Sambisa would afford us the opportunity to get the remaining Chibok girls. What we can't tell is whether those women we can see were the Chibok girls."

On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from their secondary school in the northeastern town of Chibok in Borno. About 80 of the girls managed to escape afterward or were swapped for a number of Boko Harm prisoners, but the fate of the rest remains unknown.

Boko Haram terrorists started their reign of terror in 2009 with the aim of toppling the Nigerian government. In their heyday in early 2015, they managed to control an area in the country's northeast as vast as Belgium but lost most of that territory over the past year as the Nigerian government, along with troops from some affected neighboring countries such as Chad and Cameroon, launched a joint military campaign to eradicate the militant group.

Boko Haram terrorists have so far killed more than 20,000 people and forced over 2.7 million others from their homes.

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At Least Four Soldiers Said Killed In Armenia-Azerbaijan Clash

RFE/RL's Armenian Service December 29, 2016

Officials say at least four soldiers were killed and several others wounded in a border clash between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces early on December 29.

Armenia's Defense Ministry said three of its servicemen were killed and several wounded in a shoot-out prompted by what it described as an infiltration attempt by Azerbaijani troops at the northeastern section of the border between the two South Caucasus countries.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said one of its troops was killed in fighting.

Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovannisian wrote on Facebook that sniper rifles and grenade launchers were used in fighting near the Armenian village of Chinari.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh for years.

Nagorno-Karabakh, populated mainly by ethnic Armenians, declared independence from Azerbaijan during a 1988-94 war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

In April, a truce halted four days of fierce fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia-backed separatists and Azerbaijan's military.

About 75 soldiers were killed in the worst fighting seen in the region since the fragile 1994 cease-fire.

With reporting by AP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/nagorno-karabakh-armenia- azerbaijan-soldiers-killed/28203932.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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Oman, Iran's Closest Gulf Ally, Signals Change By Joining Saudi Alliance

RFE/RL December 29, 2016

Oman, Iran's closest ally in the Persian Gulf region, has signaled that it may be changing course by joining a Saudi-led coalition of Muslim countries fighting terrorism.

Arab news outlets said on December 28 that Oman's defense minister sent a letter to Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announcing the decision to join the Islamic Military Alliance Against Terrorism.

Gulf sources say the prince will go to Oman in the coming weeks to pave the way for a visit by Saudi King Salman to reestablish security, military, and economic cooperation between the two Gulf neighbors.

Oman's ties with Saudi Arabia have been strained in the past because of its close relationship with Iran, the kingdom's biggest regional rival.

By maintaining good relations with Tehran, the sultanate has previously sought to play the conciliator amid worries that a wider confrontation between the two regional powers could threaten its own stability.

Riyadh formed the Islamic alliance against terror a year ago in a move welcomed by Washington as it encouraged greater regional involvement in the global campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

The coalition includes neither Tehran nor its allied government in Iraq, though it is not explicitly aimed at countering Iran.

Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite-led Iran are on opposite sides of Middle East conflicts from Syria to Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. The kingdom suspended ties with Iran last year after its embassy in Tehran was attacked in a protest over the execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric.

Saudi Arabia's Gulf allies also took diplomatic steps against Tehran, who they accused of fueling Shi'ite dissent throughout the region. But Oman, which sits across the narrow Strait of Hormuz from Iran, did not join that effort to isolate Tehran.

That was in keeping with Oman's role as a regional mediator. It played a critical part in making Iran's recent nuclear agreement with world powers possible by facilitating secret talks with the United States that led to the deal.

While other Gulf Arab countries gave money and political support to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in his 1980-88 war with Iran, Oman maintained relations with Tehran and helped to mediate a cease-fire that ended the fighting.

Some analysts said Oman may be changing course because it has not seen many benefits recently from maintaining good relations with Iran.

The Arab News, which bills itself as the Middle East's leading English-language daily, said Oman's decision to join the Saudi alliance was a "victory" for Saudi Arabia that heralds "a new chapter in regional and Muslim unity."

A newspaper editorial said the move "will isolate those who have been trying to exploit disunity in regional ranks," in an apparent reference to Iran.

Oman's Foreign Minister Yousef Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah was ambivalent, however, in voicing the nation's current views in an interview with Egypt's Al-Akhbar newspaper published this week.

He said his country "has common interests with everybody, but each country has its own ways of achieving these interests and goals."

With reporting by Bloomberg, Reuters, and Arab News

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/oman-iran-closest -persian-gulf-ally-signals-change-joining-saudi -arabia-alliance-against-terror/28203061.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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Oman Joins Saudi-Led Coalition Against Terrorism

Sputnik News

01:12 29.12.2016

Oman has joined the anti-terrorism coalition of Muslim nations led by Saudi Arabia, according to a letter sent to Saudi authorities.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The letter was sent to Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman al Saud, the Al Arabiya broadcaster said on Thursday citing Saudi and Gulf sources.

A US-led coalition of over 60 countries has been bombing the positions of the Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh) terrorist group without the approval of the Syrian government since 2014.

In December 2015, a group of 34 Muslim nations from the Middle East, Africa and Asia announced the creation of a new anti-Daesh coalition in a bid to tackle Islamic extremism. The coalition, which now has 40 members, is led by Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic State radical group has ceased vast areas in Syria and Iraq. The group, banned in a wide range of countries, has become notorious for its human rights violations and multiple terrorist attacks staged around the world, including in Europe.

 Sputnik

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Somalia: Welcoming new Federal Parliament, Ban urges completion of electoral process

29 December 2016  United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the inauguration of the new Federal Parliament of Somalia on 27 December and warmly congratulated the people of Somalia on this historic achievement in their quest for universal suffrage by 2020.

"The successful inauguration of the Parliament marks further progress in ensuring political stability and security in Somalia," said a statement issued overnight by Mr. Ban's spokesman.

The tenth Parliament of Somalia was inaugurated in a ceremony yesterday that saw 283 parliamentarians take an oath of allegiance.

In the statement, the Secretary-General urged the new Parliament to now maintain the momentum by moving swiftly to complete the electoral process, with the election of the Speakers of both houses and the Federal President.

"The Parliament should tackle urgent legislative priorities, including establishing a permanent Constitution of Somalia, in the larger interest of the people of Somalia," the statement added.

Further, the Secretary-General called on the authorities to fill all remaining vacant seats in the Parliament expeditiously, while fulfilling their obligation to ensure that the seats reserved for women are filled by women. He also emphasized that any irregularity, abuse, or malpractice reported by the federal and state electoral bodies should be fully addressed to preserve the credibility of the process.

The Secretary-General commended the hard work of the Somali security forces and the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in providing a secure environment for the 2016 electoral process in Mogadishu and in the regional capitals, the statement added.

According to the UN Department of Political Affairs, the United Nations has been engaged with Somalia since 1991 to support its Government and people to advance the cause of peace and reconciliation, following two decades of lawlessness and conflict.

The Security Council established the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) on 3 June 2013 to provide policy advice to the Federal Government and AMISOM in the areas of governance, security sector reform and rule of law, and development of a federal system, including preparations for elections in 2016.

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US: Senior IS Leader Killed in Syria

By VOA News December 29, 2016

U.S. officials say a key leader of Islamic State in its de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria was killed by a coalition airstrike this week, confirming earlier reports.

A statement by the U.S.-led coalition Thursday said Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti was killed in a strike near near Tabqa Dam on Monday. It said he was a previous member of IS's War Committee.

"Abu Jandal was involved in the use of suicide vehicles, IEDs and chemical weapons against the SDF. Because of his associations with ISIL terror attack planners and War Council members, his death will degrade ISIL's ability to defend Raqqa and launch external operations against the West," the statement said.

The coalition said he also participated in the retaking of Palmyra before sent to Tabqa with the mission to improve Islamic State defenses against the U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, reported Tuesday that al-Kuwaiti was a target by U.S. led coalition aircraft and IS supporters shared on social media that he was dead.

The SDF, a coalition of Kurdish and Arab forces, launched its Raqqa offensive in early November, routing Islamic State fighters from the northern part of the province.

The ongoing offensive consists of two major front lines where SDF units, with the help of U.S. air support, are approaching Raqqa from the west, attempting to encircle the city and cut a highway link between Raqqa and the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, another IS stronghold.

The U.S. recently announced it has assigned another 200 troops to Syria to train and advise local fighters battling IS, joining 300 American fighters already authorized to operate in Syria.

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Kerry: Israeli-Palestinian Two-state Solution in 'Serious Jeopardy'

By VOA News December 29, 2016

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry unveiled broad guidelines Wednesday for an eventual peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, warning that a two-state solution to the conflict is in "serious jeopardy."

In an hour-long speech at the State Department, Kerry also defended the U.S. decision last week to abstain from a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned Israeli settlements.

The vote at the U.N. "was about preserving the two-state solution," said Kerry, rejecting criticism that the U.S. was betraying its longtime ally, Israel. "That's what we were standing up for - Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state." He noted that the vote was "in accordance" with U.S. values.

No major new proposals were included in the six parameters outlined in Kerry's speech. Rather, the address was aimed at preserving the generally agreed upon framework of a two-state solution that has been embraced by the last several U.S. administrations.

Among the principles were a "secure and recognized international border" between Israel and a "viable and contiguous Palestine," as well as an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory. Kerry also said a successful two-state solution must provide a "just, agreed, fair and realistic solution" to the Palestinian refugee crisis, declare Jerusalem as a capital for both states, and satisfy Israel's security needs.

While Kerry stressed that Israel will always be a U.S. ally, he accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of allowing Israel to slip into a state of "perpetual occupation."

"Here is the fundamental reality: if the choice is one state, Israel can be either Jewish or democratic, but it cannot be both," said Kerry, warning that the status quo is leading toward an "irreversible one-state reality" that "most people don't actually want."

Backlash

The stern rebuke of Israel, which comes in the final days of Barack Obama's presidency, prompted a fierce backlash from Israeli leaders.

"Like the Security Council resolution that Kerry advanced in the U.N., his speech tonight was skewed against Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement after the speech. "For over an hour, Kerry obsessively dealt with settlements and barely touched upon the root of the conflict - Palestinian opposition to a Jewish state in any boundaries."

In his own statement, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed his commitment to the two-state solution, saying he is willing to restart peace talks if Israel first agrees to a settlement freeze.

The next step is likely to be determined during the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has emerged as a staunch ally of Netanyahu.

In a tweet Wednesday, Trump lashed out at the Obama administration for its treatment of Israel.

"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a good friend in the U.S., but not anymore," Trump said in a tweet, adding: "Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching."

The Israeli-Palestinian issue was a main focus for Kerry when he took the top post at the State Department in February 2013, but years of negotiations, including some intense periods of shuttle diplomacy, have failed to yield an agreement.

One lingering obstacle has been Israel's continued construction of settlements in areas the Palestinians see as part of a future state.

That issue rocketed back to the forefront with last week's U.N. vote.

The U.S. move to abstain from the vote effectively allowed unanimous passage of the resolution.

Israel criticizes US abstention

Netanyahu, who has had a cool relationship with President Obama, has called the resolution "shameful'' and accused the U.S. of playing an active role in its passage.

The prime minister also said he has "incontestible" evidence showing that the U.S. helped craft the resolution and pushed for its passage. U.S. officials have rejected that notion.

Israeli officials also have launched a series of diplomatic retaliatory measures against nations and other organizations who supported the U.N. resolution

However, in a move aimed at cooling tensions, an Israeli committee on Wednesday postponed a planned vote on permits to construct hundreds of new settler homes in occupied East Jerusalem.

Hanan Rubin, a member of the Jerusalem Planning and Housing Committee, said the vote was taken off the agenda for Wednesday at the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposal involved 492 new homes in the Ramot and Ramat Shlomo neighborhoods located in areas Israel captured during the 1967 war.

Hours later, a Jerusalem municipal panel approved the construction of a separate four-story building for Jewish settlers in a Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, located in East Jerusalem.

Washington has long said it opposes Israeli settlements, calling them an obstacle to peace, but the U.S. has generally used its Security Council veto to protect Israel from censure.

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New Video: Boko Haram Leader Says Group Is 'Safe' and 'Not Crushed'

By VOA News December 29, 2016

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has appeared in a video denying Nigerian government claims that the insurgent group has been chased out of its Sambisa forest stronghold.

Shekau said it was recorded on Christmas Day, December 25, but did not say where. He spoke in both Hausa and Arabic.

"We are safe. We have not been flushed out of anywhere. And tactics and strategies cannot reveal our location except if Allah wills by his decree," Shekau said, flanked by armed fighters.

President Muhammadu Buhari said on December 23 that the Nigerian army had captured a Boko Haram camp in the Sambisa forest, one of the jihadist group's last strongholds in the country.

"You should not be telling lies to the people," Shekau said, referring to Buhari's claims.

"If you indeed crushed us, how can you see me like this? How many times have you killed us in your bogus death?" he asked.

Buhari said the capture of Camp Zero marked the "final crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa forest" in a statement, following a months-long campaign in the 1,300-square-kilometer forest located in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno.

The Boko Haram leader also distributed a video in September disputing a claim that he had been wounded in battle by Nigerian military forces.

"Our aim is to establish an Islamic Caliphate and we have our own Caliphate, we are not part of Nigeria," he said.

He also vowed to fight until an Islamic state was imposed in northern Nigeria.

On Tuesday, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu, an army commander, told the Al Jazeera news channel that his soldiers had made significant gains against Boko Haram.

"We are on top of the situation, all hands are still on deck," Ezugwu told Al Jazeera. "This defeat is final and it [Boko Haram] will not spread to other parts of West Africa."

Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks recently, after a months-long pause in their seven-year uprising that has killed more than 20,000 people. The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis.

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South Africa Ruling Party Looks to Zuma's Successor

By Thuso Khumalo December 29, 2016

In South Africa, the next presidential election is still over two years away but the possible candidates are already a hot topic of national debate after the turbulent political ups and downs of the past year.

President Jacob Zuma emerges from 2016 bruised and battered by yet another chain of corruption scandals. He survived an impeachment attempt and a string of motions for a vote of no confidence, and investigations into his conduct continue.

Although Zuma still enjoys support, some both outside and within the party are already talking about his successor as the head of the ruling African National Congress.

The ANC suffered unprecedented losses in local elections in August, losing control of several key cities. The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) cut into the ANC support base in those polls.

"There is no longer subject of doubt that Zuma's leadership has actually destroyed the integrity of the ANC. The question now is how long will it take for the ANC to come back from this," says Independent political analyst Ralph Mathekga.

Zuma can't run again in 2019. He will have served his two-term limit. Party rules will not allow him to remain as ANC head either.

A frontrunner to succeed him is his former wife and soon to be ex-African Union Commission chair, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. She steps down from the AU post in January. Dlamini-Zuma has strong support in the party's largest province of Kwazulu Natal. However, the opposite camp, largely dominated by the ANC's alliance partners, wants current Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to take the reins.

Political analyst Karima Brown says both candidates are seen as less tainted than Zuma.

"The factions are basically stacking up. What will be interesting for me is what the combinations are of the top six and it will be interesting to see if Cyril Ramaphosa's availability splits the Kwazulu Natal vote and how that impact the rest of the ANC structure," says Brown.

The ANC has dominated South African politics since the end of apartheid in 1994. The new party leader would still likely be the favorite in the 2019 presidential elections, but it won't be an easy ride.

"First of all, the new leader has to restore credibility of people in government. You have got to restore people's confidence that when wrong-doing happens there will be consequences," says Mathekga. "It doesn't mean the person has to be perfect, has got to come out with perfect policy because there is no such thing. You just need someone who is not interested in being corrupt."

Mathekga warns that a compromise candidate could emerge given the fact that Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma are supported by what looks like opposing factions.

The suspense may not end any time soon. The ANC isn't scheduled to hold the conference where it could elect a new leader until the end of 2017.

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Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 30, 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 the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, three strikes destroyed three oil wellheads and an oil tanker truck.

-- Near Shadaddi, a strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Raqqah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units, destroying a command-and-control node, a weapons cache and a fighting position.

-- Near Manbij, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

-- Near Palmyra, three strikes destroyed three ISIL-held artillery systems, a crane, a heavy machine gun and a tank.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, rotary and remotely piloted aircraft, as well as rocket artillery, conducted eight strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL-held building.

-- Near Qaim, three strikes destroyed a vehicle bomb-making facility, a bomb factory and an ISIL-held building.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit, destroying 11 ISIL-held buildings, five supply caches, three tactical vehicles, two mortar systems, two fighting positions, two vehicle bombs, a tunnel, an observation post, a research lab, a command-and-control node, an up-armored vehicle bomb, two barges and two artillery pieces. Five mortar teams were suppressed, and 20 supply routes and two repeater towers were damaged.

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 they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group'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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Rain or shine, Artillerymen support Mosul counteroffensive

By 1st Lt. Daniel Johnson December 30, 2016

IRAQ -- On Christmas Eve, Soldiers in Staff Sgt. Johnathan Walker's section shiver as freezing rain falls upon their position.

"Fire!" yells Walker as he makes a cutting motion through the rain with his hand. A round leaves the tube of the M777 artillery piece with its trademark boom and smoke, and the artillerymen begin to move again. The sounds of their boots impacting the mud and gravel echo through the gun pit.

It may be the holiday season, but the mission for the Soldiers of Battery C, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, Task Force Strike, continues. The Iraqi Security Forces are battling ISIL in Mosul, and the artillerymen are supporting them with indirect fires.

"We provide overmatch capability to the maneuver commander," explained Sgt. 1st Class Scott Young, the platoon sergeant of 2nd Platoon, Battery C, during his rounds of the gun line. "When air support isn't available, either due to weather or not having the assets in the area, we can bring effects onto targets. As long as there is an observer out there, we can shoot."

"Task Force Top Guns" has provided fire support for the Iraqi Security Forces ever since arriving in early May. The battery has fired more than 4,000 rounds in support of their maneuvers.

They're also credited with conducting the first conventional air assault mission during Operation Inherent Resolve, during which they rapidly moved artillery pieces by air to establish a new firing position. At the completion of the fires, the guns were moved back to their starting location.

"We've denied territory so the enemy can't maneuver, obscured friendly movements, and we have precision capability, which is critical in this fight," Young said, pointing in the direction of Mosul to emphasize his point.

"If there is a target in a built-up area, we can hit it while minimizing damage to the surrounding area. We pride ourselves on our accuracy."

RAIN OR SHINE

The rain picks up and a slight fog takes shape in the distance as Walker's crew awaits their next command. The weather has changed in Iraq, and the Soldiers have switched from their summer lightweight combat shirts to multiple layers in an attempt to stave off the wind-chill.

"Fire mission at my command," comes the transmission over the radio, and the artillerymen spring into action, beginning the crew drill to load the artillery piece, just as they have done for the past eight months. The Soldiers move quickly through their tasks, and Walker gives the signal once more. Another boom reverberates in the pit.

"It feels good to know that we're being called on to support the fight and we're having an effect," Walker said, in between missions. During each crew drill, he encourages his men to keep up the effort. "That's the reason why we're out here. We do everything with a sense of urgency and there's no room for mistakes."

Battery C has received multiple calls for fires as the Iraqi Security Forces have moved deeper and deeper into Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq and the site of a major operation with the goal of liberating the city. ISIL has been dug into the city for two years.

"There's a lot more variables in weather like this," said Walker. "People move a little slower, the rounds are slippery, and morale may drop. It's the job of crew chiefs on the line to keep on pushing the sections to complete the mission. Rain or shine, when we get the call, we have to react."

The radio sounds soon after, and the artillerymen are once again called to action.

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National Guard looks back on busy 2016, prepares for 2017

By Tech. Sgt. Erich B. Smith December 30, 2016

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The National Guard saw a busy 2016, meeting challenges both at home and abroad, deploying overseas, responding to large-scale emergencies and natural disasters at home while also taking part in a number of milestone events and transitioning to new roles.

One of those new roles included a change in leadership in September when Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel took the helm as the 28th chief of the National Guard Bureau. He took over from Army Gen. Frank J. Grass, who retired after four years as the chief and 46 years of service.

The Air National Guard also saw new leadership, with Air Force Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice taking the reins from Air Force Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke III, who retired, and the Army National Guard welcomed Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Kepner as the 11th sergeant major of the Army Guard.

As he took on the duties of chief, Lengyel emphasized the primary mission of today's National Guard.

"We fight our nation's wars as part of the United States Army and part of the United States Air Force," he said. "Our training for the warfight, our ability to deploy and support it, is our number one role, the number one reason why we exist."

As part of that, approximately 300 Airmen from the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing deployed late in the year in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, a joint and coalition effort to defeat and destroy ISIS.

"We are excited to generate, execute, and sustain decisive combat airpower," said Air Force Col. David C. Lyons, commander of the 407th Air Expeditionary Group, which oversees the deployed unit.

Army Guard members continued to play key roles overseas in 2016. For the first time since the Korean War, two Army National Guard division headquarters were deployed to a forward location concurrently.

Soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard's 36th Infantry Division deployed to Afghanistan, while more than 450 Soldiers from the Virginia Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Division headed to Kuwait. The 29th ID Soldiers are set to provide oversight and command and control of more than 18,000 service members taking part in a variety of operations throughout the Middle East.

"This is the epitome of the Total Force and displays how the Army National Guard is fully integrated into the Total Force," said Army Maj. Gen. Blake Ortner, the commanding general of the 29th ID, adding that the deployment will see the largest number of troops the division has led since the Second World War.

Numerous other Army and Air Guard units deployed to other locations, took part in large-scale training exercises at the National Training Center or multi-national exercises in Europe and other locations.

Back at home, January saw the East Coast blanketed with snow from winter storm Jonas, prompting governors in 12 states to call out more than 2,200 Guard members to clear snow, assist stranded motorists, provide health and wellness checks and transport first responders and emergency workers.

Later in the month Guard members from the Michigan National Guard responded to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. With high levels of lead in the city's drinking water, Michigan Guard members distributed bottled water throughout the city.

"This is why I joined the military -- to help people," said Spc. Charles Colwell, a medic with the Michigan Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment. Colwell was one of 70 Guard members activated to support water distribution efforts.

Meanwhile, more than 600 Soldiers and Airmen of the Missouri National Guard kicked off the year responding to historic flooding throughout the eastern portion of the state. While on duty, Missouri Guard members supported local authorities by staffing traffic control points, providing evacuation support, filling sandbags and purifying water.

Missouri Guard members weren't the only ones to face flooding during the year. In March, more than 1300 Soldiers and Airmen with the Louisiana National Guard responded to heavy flooding, rescuing more than 4,200 people and 354 pets and assembling emergency levee walls on river banks.

"Anything we can do to save people's businesses and lives, that's what we're here to do," said Army Staff Sgt. Tommy Dunlop, with the Louisiana Army Guard's 844th Engineer Company.

The March flooding was just the start for Louisiana Guard members. A massive, "thousand year" flood from heavy rains affected southern Louisiana in August and saw more than 3,800 Soldiers and Airmen respond. Guard members rescued more than 19,000 citizens and distributed more than 78,000 meals, nearly 500,000 bottles of water and 961,500 sandbags.

The flooding damaged more than 146,000 homes, saw more than 30,000 people leave their homes and was considered by some to be one of the worst U.S. natural disasters since Hurricane Sandy struck New York and New Jersey in 2012.

For some who responded, the large-scale flooding reminded them of Hurricane Katrina.

"It brings me back to when Hurricane Katrina passed in 2005 and I saw the National Guard around in all the neighborhoods," said Army Sgt. Bryan Campo, with the Louisiana Army Guard's 2225th Multi-role Bridge Company. Campo and other members of his unit navigated deep flood waters using boats they typically employ to erect floating bridges used to move units in combat.

"This is one of my proudest moments," he said of taking part in the response.

October saw flooding throughout the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida from Hurricane Matthew. Though the storm stayed offshore, heavy rains resulted in the mobilization of about 6,000 Guard members throughout those states.

For the Florida Guard, it was the first time in close to a decade they responded to a large flood.

"It's been almost 10 years since we've had to do this," said Army Brig. Gen. Ralph Ribas, the joint task force commander for the Florida Guard. "But there's a lot of experience and everyone's going to do what it takes to be successful."

Guard members supported rescue efforts and assisted local law enforcement agencies during the flooding.

While some regions suffered through too much water, a lack of water in other areas meant dry conditions and wildfires.

In September, aircrews from the Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Airlift Wing battled blazes in Nevada, Oregon and Idaho with C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System. The unit is the newest Air Guard unit to fly the MAFFS mission and saw aircrews fly 142 sorties, dispensing more than 3.5 million pounds of fire retardant and water.

"The actual drops [were] challenging and exhilarating," said Air Force Lt. Col. Tony Machabee, one of the first pilots from the unit to fly the MAFFS mission. "It's a great feeling to see [the] immediate results whether we are dropping a protective line of retardant between the fire and someone's property or dropping it directly on flames leaping from the tops of trees."

In July, historically dry conditions kept California Army National Guard Soldiers busy flying UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, dropping water on wildfires in the northern part of the state. Members of the Colorado Army National Guard also responded to wildfires near Nederland, Colorado, during the same month. Later in the summer, Soldiers from the South Carolina and Tennessee Army National Guard used Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinook helicopters to drop water on wildfires in eastern Tennessee.

The past year saw continued growth of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership program, which pairs up National Guard elements with partner nations worldwide. Argentina became the 73rd partner nation in November, teaming up with the Georgia National Guard.

"The SPP allows us to leverage the deep and trusting ties the National Guard has built with a very large group of foreign allies across every combatant command," Lengyel said.

During the year, the Georgia Guard built partnerships in other ways.

Soldiers with the Georgia Army Guard's 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were among the first Army Guard units to take part in the Associated Unit program, which integrates active and reserve component units at all levels for training, readiness and deployments. The brigade is aligned with the active component's 3rd Infantry Division, while an infantry battalion from the 3rd ID has been incorporated into the 48th IBCT.

"Much of [the] Army's capacity is resident in the reserve components and we must rely more heavily on them to meet the demands of a complex global environment," said Army Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff of the Army, referring to the program.

While Soldiers with the 48th IBCT donned the shoulder patch of the 3rd ID, Army Capt. Robert Killian, with the Colorado Army National Guard's B Company, 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, and Army Staff Sgt. Erich Friedlein, with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, took first place in the Lt. Gen. David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition, the first time the 33-year-old competition has been won by an Army Guard team.

"It still really hasn't totally sunk in yet," said Friedlein, after finishing the competition. "I'm just really amazed. I can't believe we did it after three days of struggling and just constantly trying to chip away [at the competition for] first place."

Army Guard teams also took first place honors in the Sullivan Cup, which names the best of the best among Army tank crews, the Army's annual best sniper competition and the International Sniper Competition.

The National Guard also expanded cyber capabilities this year with the addition of the 185th Cyber Operations Squadron, an Air National Guard unit based in Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The Guard now boasts 40 cyber units in 29 states.

"We are active in nearly every facet of cyberspace operations," said Lengyel. "And we practice our capabilities routinely at all levels."

As the year closed out, Guard members began preparations for the 58th Presidential Inauguration, scheduled for the end January. Guard members from more 40 states, territories and the District of Columbia will be among about 15,000 military service members supporting the event. More than 8,000 Guard members are scheduled to take part in a variety of roles including marching in the inaugural parade and assisting local authorities with crowd control and security assistance.

As Soldiers and Airmen from throughout the Guard look back on the past year, they also stand ready for 2017.

"Although we are proud of our heritage and our past, I am more excited about our future," said Lengyel.

This story was compiled from various reports produced in 2016.

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France hints at plan for 'long' military stay in Chad

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 30, 2016 6:47AM

Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve says French troopers stationed in Chad should "prepare for a long war" against regional militants, in a remark that reveals France's plans for prolonged military presence in its former African colony.

"We must prepare for a long war in an environment that has undergone dramatic shifts," Cazeneuve told French soldiers in Chad, where he arrived for an official visit on Thursday.

In the African country's capital city, N'Djamena, Cazeneuve met with Chadian Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke and President Idriss Deby to discuss security.

"France will always help Chad surmount its difficulties," Cazeneuve said after the meeting with Deby.

This is Cazeneuve's first foreign visit since being appointed prime minister earlier this month.

France has a 4,000-strong contingent in Chad in a declared mission to fight militancy in coordination with the United States.

The so-called Operation Barkhane, which commenced in 2014, aims to combat militant groups across huge swathes of desert land in the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert. French troops use drones, equipped with cameras and night vision equipment, for reconnaissance flights across the deserts in Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad.

Chad is a key Western ally in the region. It became a French colony in 1900 and, despite gaining independence in 1960, remains a close partner of Paris. In the 1970s and 80s, French troops led a crackdown against the Chadian National Liberation Front, or Frolinat, seeking autonomy in the Muslim-dominated north of the country.

Under the pretext of fighting an upsurge in militancy and concerns over global security, France and the US have recently expanded their foothold in the African country.

Chad is rich in gold, uranium and more recently oil. In 2003, a four-billion-dollar pipeline linked its oilfields to terminals on the Atlantic coast for export to Western countries.

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Young Continent, Old Leaders: The Aging Face of African Governance

By Anita Powell December 30, 2016

All 10 of the world's nations with the youngest populations are in Africa, according to United Nations statistics, giving the continent a median age of just under 20 yearsor, roughly half the estimated median age of the United States, (37.9 years according to CIA estimates).

Yet, by latest count, at least eight African leaders have served in office for two decades, with an average age of 72.

"Why is Africa so saddled with leaders who ought to be enjoying their retirement in peace and quiet, instead of in the unforgiving political corridors, campaign trails and taxing political brinkmanship that challenge even the youngest leaders?" asked African politics scholar David Kiwuwa.

Kiwuwa, who teaches international studies at Princeton University, thinks that the willingness of many of the leaders to use violence to quash dissent is one key to their longevity. Kiwuwa, however, says "such leaders still attract reverence and unbridled loyalty from their supporters. Equally, being seen as 'fathers of the nation,' who led independence or liberation struggles, makes them irreproachable, irrespective of their shortcomings, extending their tenure."

The result is that millions of African youth have known only one leader. In many cases, that leader is one who was born before the advent of social media and the internetand, in the case of 92-year-old Robert Mugabe, before the invention of television, electric razors and automatic bread slicers.

One effect is that many youngsters, such as 15-year-old Harare resident Saymore Johns, say they're not inspired to enter public service.

"That's not something that's encouraging the youths," he said. "Because now, some of the youths, some of them want to be president, but then when they know that our president is still there, they won't do anything about it."

In Cameroon, opposition politician Ndansi Elvis is similarly disillusioned. He was born in 1983, the year after Paul Biya became president. Elvis says when the 83-year-old Biya speaks, it would appear that he knows a lot about modernization and digitalization, but in reality cannot keep up with his population.

"When young people use social media to send messages across to him and to let him know that, these are the problems they face, they call social media a weapon of mass destruction," said Elvis. "So that's very contradictory. That shows exactly that this is a president who has lost touch with reality of todayAs to how I feel having one president in my entire life, I would say it's disastrous. I feel like someone who has never experienced democracy. Because democracy, real democracy is when people can actually go to the polls for their leader and actually see the meaning of their vote."

Many of these leaders are still lionized for their roles in bringing independence to their people. Mugabe is the only leader independent Zimbabwe has ever hadsomething that 21-year-old Tavaka Nhikwe finds commendable.

"Thirty-six years. That's a milestone," he said. "I don't think there is any president that has ever done that. That ought to be put in the Guinness Book of World Records. I really love that. Because it's so... exotic."

However, such political tenacity is anything but. Even in African nations that have seen leadership shifts, like Ghana, the new president, Nana Akufo-Addo, ran for the job in 2008 and 2012. Before that, he served as minister of foreign affairs and attorney general.

And it isn't just the victors who have stuck aroundmany notable opposition movements have been led for decades by the same man.

Mozambique's Afonso Dhlakama has led the opposition Renamo since 1979 and runs for president at every contest. Etienne Tshisekedi, opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, founded his party in 1982, serving as prime minister on three occasions in the 1990s and featuring prominently in several presidential elections. He is 84.

In Uganda, 60-year-old opposition leader Kizza Besigye ran unsuccessfully in the 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 presidential elections. He lost every one of those polls to the man who has led Uganda since 1986, Yoweri Museveni. In South Africa, 88-year-old Mangosuthu Buthelezi founded the Inkatha Freedom Party in 1976, helping form South Africa's post-apartheid government in the 1990s, He's remained a fixture in parliament ever since.

Analyst Stephanie Wolters, head of the peace and security research program at the Pretoria, South Africa Institute for Security Studies, says the big names in African politics aren't the problem. The issue, she says, is the lack of strong institutions.

"It is something that really tells us about the kinds of political parties that we have in Africa, which are still very much centered on individuals, on big names, on leaders that have been around for a very, very long time and that haven't really succeeded in building the kinds of structures, whether those are the institutional structures for their own parties and public participation in their parties, or even for succession within their parties," he said. "And I think that's a really big challenge we have on the continent today in terms of the political parties here."

Here are 10 of Africa's oldest and longest-serving leaders:

Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema, 74; 37 years in power. Deposed his uncle in a coup in 1979.

Angola's Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 74; 37 years in power. Says he will not stand for the next elections in 2018.

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, 92; 36 years in power. Won his first election in 1980 and was recently chosen as his party's presidential candidate for 2018.

Cameroon's Paul Biya, 83, who has spent 34 years as president, was previously prime minister. He removed term limits in 2008 by changing his nation's constitution.

Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, 72; 30 years as president. Recently won a fifth term in a hotly contested poll.

Swaziland's King Mswati III, 48; 30 years as Africa's last absolute monarch. Took the throne of the landlocked southern African nation at the age of 18 after his father's death.

Sudan's Omar al-Bashir, 72; 27 years in power. Seized power in a 1989 coup.

Chad's Idriss Deby, 64; 26 years in power after taking the helm after the ouster of a dictator. Recently re-elected to a fifth term.

Republic of Congo's Denis Sassou Nguesso, 73; served as president for 19 years, but was also prime minister from 1979 to 1992.

Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, 45; 15 years as president. Took power in 2001 after the assassination of the president, his father. His second presidential term was set to expire Dec. 20, 2016, but he has not set a date for new elections.

Sebastian Mhofu from Harare and Moki Edwin Kindzeka from Yaounde contributed to this report.

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Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein was executed 30 December 2006. President Bush called the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein an "important milestone" for Iraq on its path to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain and defend itself. "Saddam Hussein was executed after receiving a fair trial -- the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime," Bush said, noting that fair and open trials were "unimaginable" under his regime. We are reminded today of how far the Iraqi people have come since the end of Saddam Hussein's rule, the president said.

Saddam was found guilty by the Iraqi High Tribunal of crimes against humanity for the 1982 killing of approximately 160 men and boys in the Shiite town of Dujayl. The Appellate Chamber of the Iraqi High Tribunal rejected Saddam's appeal on December 26, upholding his conviction and clearing the way for his execution.

Footage broadcast on state television showed an apparently calm Hussein chatting with his masked executioners before the noose was placed around his neck. They wrap a black cloth around his neck, but do not put a hood over his head. The footage did not show the actual hanging.

In Saddam's last moments at the gallows he exchanged angry and sarcastic words with his apparently Shiite executioners. The executioners begin shouting prayers to God and the Prophet Mohammed, then one person calls the name "Moqtada, Moqtada, Moqtada" - a reference to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Saddam then asks them, "Is this manhood?" To which a voice tells him to go "to Hell" and he replies, "You go to Hell!" Saddam, with the noose around his neck, begins to recite the Muslim prayer known as the "Shahada," in which he says "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is His Messenger." It is during his second recitation of this verse that the trap door opens and the former strongman goes to his death.

The US-based group Human Rights Watch said the trial was "deeply flawed," and condemned Saddam's hanging as "cruel and inhuman," despite his "horrific and widespread human rights violations."

Ten years after the execution of Saddam Hussein the country is stifled by bureaucracy, conflicts and corruption. By 2015 Iraq was ranked 161st out of 168 in the Global Barometer of Corruption established by the NGO Transparency International. And the offensive against the so-called Islamic State has plunged the country into seemingly permanent turmoil with an increase in the number of displaced people.

President of Iraq since 1979 (Vice President from 1968-79), Saddam Hussein [Husayn] was a dictator who stopped at nothing to preserve personal power and regime survival. After the 1968 Ba'athist Coup, he began his career as Chief of Iraq's security services, and he executed opponents and suspected potential rivals, including scores of high-level government officials and thousands of political prisoners. Since the 1970s, he escalated and made routine the systematic torture and execution of political prisoners.

Saddam Hussein ordered the use of chemical weapons against Iranian forces in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, and against Iraq's Kurdish population in 1988. The 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war left 150,000 to 340,000 Iraqis and 450,000 to 730,000 Iranians dead. Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and destruction of Kuwait in 1990-91 with 1,000 Kuwaitis killed. Directed the 1991 bloody suppression of Kurdish and Shi'a insurgencies in northern and southern Iraq with at least 30,000 to 60,000 killed. he later ordered the destruction of southern marshes to extinguish the Shi'a insurgency.

Saddam was born in 1937, and reared in a mud hut near Tikrit, north of Baghdad. From the age of ten, Saddam was reared by an uncle, who encouraged him to dream of becoming a nationalist Arab hero, like Saladin. The chief influences during Hussein's childhood and teenage years were his mother and his uncle Khairullah Tulfah. Tulfah, an Iraqi army officer who introduced Hussein to the evils of colonialism in Iraq, was imprisoned by the British for his activism against the English-backed monarchy of King Feisal I.

The Baath (renaissance) Party, which Muslim Salah Bitar and Christian Michel Aflaq originally established, became a vehicle for Hussein. He became an enforcer for the party, and like Joseph Stalin, who fascinated Hussein, he left the intellectuals behind and climbed the ladder of Iraq politics, using a combination of intimidation, fear, nepotism, and outright murder.

In 1958, Feisal's monarchy came to a bloody end, and General Adel Karim Kasim took power. A year later, Hussein participated in a failed attempt on Kasim's life. Hussein was exiled to Egypt, where he became enamored of President Gamal abd-al-Nasser, who espoused Arab nationalism. Hussein was also instrumental in organizing Baath cells at the University of Cairo. In 1963, General Abdel-Rahman Arif overthrew Kasim, and the Baaths were in power.

By 1968 close family and tribal ties bound the Baath's ruling clique. Most notable in this regard was the emergence of Tikritis -- Sunni Arabs from the northwest town of Tikrit -- related to Ahmad Hasan al Bakr. Three of the five members of the Baath's Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) were Tikritis; two, Bakr and Hammad Shihab, were related to each other. The cabinet posts of president, prime minister, and defense minister went to Tikritis. Saddam Hussein [Husayn], a key leader behind the scenes, also was a Tikriti and a relative of Bakr. Less than two months after the formation of the Bakr government in 1968, a coalition of pro-Nasser elements, Arif supporters, and conservatives from the military attempted another coup. This event provided the rationale for numerous purges directed by Bakr and Saddam Husayn.

Saddam Hussein was a consummate party politician whose formative experiences were in organizing clandestine opposition activity. He was adept at outmaneuvering -- and at times ruthlessly eliminating -- political opponents. Although Bakr was the older and more prestigious of the two, by 1969 Saddam Hussein clearly had become the moving force behind the party. He personally directed Baathist attempts to settle the Kurdish question and he organized the party's institutional structure. Hussein was put into control of the internal security apparatus, and within a decade, he had created a police state within Iraq that was so oppressive that it has often received criticism from moderate Arab states. Between 1968 and 1973, through a series of sham trials, executions, assassinations, and intimidations, the party ruthlessly eliminated any group or person suspected of challenging Baath rule.

Despite Baath attempts to institutionalize its rule, real power remained in the hands of a narrowly based elite, united by close family and tribal ties. By 1977 the most powerful men in the Baath thus were all somehow related to the triumvirate of Saddam Hussein, Bakr, and General Adnan Khayr Allah Talfah, Saddam Hussein's brother-in-law who became minister of defense in 1978. All were members of the party, the RCC, and the cabinet, and all were members of the Talfah family of Tikrit, headed by Khayr Allah Talfah. Khayr Allah Talfah was Saddam Hussein's uncle and guardian, Adnan Khayr Allah's father, and Bakr's cousin. Saddam Hussein was married to Adnan Khayr Allah's sister and Adnan Khayr Allah was married to Bakr's daughter. Increasingly, the most sensitive military posts were going to the Tikritis.

Beginning in the mid-1970s, Bakr was beset by illness and by a series of family tragedies. He increasingly turned over power to Saddam Husayn. By 1977 the party bureaus, the intelligence mechanisms, and even ministers who, according to the Provisional Constitution, should have reported to Bakr, reported to Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein, meanwhile, was less inclined to share power, and he viewed the cabinet and the RCC as rubber stamps. On July 16, 1979, President Bakr resigned, and Saddam Hussein officially replaced him as president of the republic, secretary general of the Baath Party Regional Command, chairman of the RCC, and commander in chief of the armed forces. On July 17, 1979, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.

Saddam had been married to the same woman, former schoolteacher Sajida, since 1958. She was described as a first cousin, not unusual for Mideast marriages of that era. They had five children, three daughters and two sons.

Saddam Hussein was captured by forces from the 4th Infantry Division, coalition forces and special operations forces at approximately 8 p.m. local time on December 13, 2003, in a remote farm house near Tikrit, Iraq.





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FSB arrests suspected Daesh-linked terrorists planning attacks

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 3:34PM

Russia's domestic security agency says its forces have taken into custody several suspected Daesh-linked terrorists, who were planning to carry out terror attacks around the capital, Moscow.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that its forces had arrested seven suspects in the North Caucasus province of Dagestan.

The FSB said the suspects had been preparing to carry out terrorist attacks using automatic weapons and explosive devices in crowded places of Moscow during New Year holidays.

They were plotting "a series of high-profile terrorist actions" in the Moscow region on the direct orders of a senior Daesh commander in Syria.

This is the latest in a series of counterterrorism operations by Russian security forces which have foiled potential terrorist attacks in the capital as well as Saint Petersburg

Dagestan terrorists have a record of carrying out such attacks on Russian police forces and government officials.

Some of the extremist militants in the restive North Caucasus region have sworn allegiance to Daesh, mainly active in Iraq and Syria.

The Dagestan region and neighboring ex-Soviet Chechnya have been major breeding ground for Takfiri terrorists who travel to Syria and Iraq to join the ranks of Daesh and other terrorist groups.

Russian officials say thousands of citizens of Russia and other ex-Soviet countries have joined the ranks of Daesh.

For its part, Daesh claimed it had established a Vilayat Kavkaz militants' state in Russia.

FSB led a special operation in Talgi, near the southern city of Makhachkala in early December, killing the leader of the Kavkaz franchise, Rustam Aselderov, and several others.

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Trump dismisses talk of imposing sanctions against Russia

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:26AM

US President-elect Donald Trump has turned down talk of imposing sanctions against Russia in response to Moscow's alleged interference in the November 8 election.

Talking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Wednesday night, Trump downplayed the allegations of Russian intervention in the election and stressed the need to move forward.

"I think we ought to get on with our lives," Trump told reporters.

"I think the computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what's going on," he said.

"We have speed, we have a lot of other things, but I'm not sure we have the kind of security that we need," he added.

Trump said he has not discussed the issue of sanctions with senators yet but that he "certainly will be [discussing] over a period of time."

The administration of President Barack Obama has repeatedly claimed that the hacking attacks weeks before the election against some Democratic organizations were carried out by Russia as part of Moscow's plan to interfere in the election process in order to sway the vote in Trump's favor, a claim that has been rejected by Moscow.

According to Obama, US intelligence agencies are in possession of evidence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin supervised the hacking, which targeted the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and John Podesta, a top aide to defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Several American senators have called on the government to slap sanctions against Russia for its alleged meddling in the election.

'I don't know what Sen. Graham is doing'

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Wednesday that Moscow needed to understand it had gone too far during the election, and that new sanctions would target Russian president. "It is now time for Russia to understand  enough is enough."

In addition, Graham told CNN on Tuesday that "there are 100 United States senators... I would say that 99 percent of us believe that the Russians did this, and we're going to do something about it."

"We're going to have the hearings. We're going to put sanctions together that hit Putin as an individual and his inner circle for interfering in our election," he said.

Of speaking with Graham, Trump said, "I don't know what he's doing. I haven't spoken to Sen. Graham. As you know, he ran against me."

US likely to announce Russia sanctions today

According to reports, the Obama administration is expected to announce what it calls retaliatory actions against Russia on Thursday.

The measures are to be introduced despite warnings by Moscow against more US sanctions. Apart from the sanctions, which involve naming Russian individuals associated with the hacking, purportedly covert cyber attacks are also on Obama's agenda.

Meanwhile, Moscow has vowed retaliation if Washington issues further economic sanctions over alleged Russian cyber attacks.

"To be honest, we are tired of the lie about the 'Russian hackers', which is being poured down in the United States from the very top," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

She warned that the country would respond to any manner of "hostile steps" the US decides to undertake.

Economic sanctions against Moscow were originally introduced in March 2014, after Ukraine's strategic Black Sea peninsula of Crimea joined Russia following a referendum. Since then, the EU, the US and some other Western countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia.

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Obama orders sanctions on Russia over alleged election interference

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:33PM

The United States has announced a series of economic sanctions against Russia over allegations that it interfered in the 2016 presidential election through cyber attacks.

"I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election," outgoing President Barack Obama said on Thursday.

"These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behavior," he added.

According to statements from the White House and the Treasury Department, the sanctions target Russia's FSB and GRU intelligence agencies, four individual GRU officers, and three companies who allegedly provided support to the GRU, and two Russian individuals for using cyberattacks to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information.

Under Thursday's actions, the US also shut down of two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the United States says are used "for intelligence-related purposes."

In addition, Obama announced that the State Department will expel 35 Russian diplomats, declaring them as "persona non grata".

The diplomats are based out of the Russian embassy in Washington, DC, and the Russian consulate in San Francisco. They have been ordered to leave the US within 72 hours along with their families.

To impose the sanctions, Obama expanded the scope of a 2015 executive order giving the president the authority to punish foreign actors involved in cyberattacks against the country.

The US president also announced that the Department of Homeland Security and FBI will declassify "technical information on Russian civilian and military intelligence service cyber activity" to help networks defend against "Russia's global campaign of malicious cyber activities."

In another unprecedented announcement, Obama said the United States will carry out some covert operations to hurt Russia.

"These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia's aggressive activities," Obama said. "We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized."

The White House said in a statement that there was the consensus from the US Intelligence Community that Russia's intervention in US elections via cyberhacking as "unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

"Russia's cyberactivities were intended to influence the election, erode faith in US democratic institutions, sow doubt about the integrity of our electoral process, and undermine confidence in the institutions of the US government," the statement said. "These actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

The Obama administration has repeatedly claimed that the hacking attacks weeks before the election against some Democratic organizations were carried out by Russia as part of Moscow's plan to interfere in the election process in order to sway the vote in President-elect Donald Trump's favor, a claim that has been rejected by Moscow.

According to Obama, US intelligence agencies are in possession of evidence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin supervised the hacking, which targeted the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and John Podesta, a top aide to defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Graham, McCain, Ryan hail Obama's move

Several American lawmakers, including Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain, have called on the government to impose sanctions against Russia for its alleged meddling in the election.

They said in a joint statement that the sanctions were "overdue" yet "a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy."

The Republican senators also said that they "intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia."

In a statement released shortly after the announcement of sanctions, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan described the Obama administration's response an "overdue" yet "appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia."

"Russia does not share America's interests," the statement said. "In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world."

A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow would consider retaliating to the sanctions.

President-elect Trump has repeatedly called for better relations with Moscow. He has rejected claims that Russian intelligence agencies were responsible for the alleged hacking.

Talking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Wednesday night, Trump downplayed the allegations of Russian intervention in the election and stressed the need to move forward. He also turned down talk of imposing sanctions against Russia.

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U.S. Expected To Announce Measures Against Russia Over Election Hacking

RFE/RL December 29, 2016

U.S. media report that the United States will soon announce retaliatory measures against Russia for allegedly leaking hacked U.S. Democratic e-mails during the presidential campaign in what the CIA and others believe was an effort to help Donald Trump win the election.

The measures could include targeted economic sanctions, indictments of known hackers, restrictions on Russian diplomats, as well as covert leaks of embarrassing information about Russian officials, media outlets including Reuters and The Washington Post reported, citing unidentified U.S. officials.

Some reports said an announcement is expected on December 29.

Officials said the moves will be on par with Russia's own alleged hacking ventures so as to avoid the possibility of a cyberconflict spinning out of control.

The FBI, CIA, and the Office of Director of National Intelligence agree that Russia was behind the hacking into the U.S. Democratic Party organizations ahead of the November 8 presidential election.

The CIA has concluded the hacks and leaks were aimed to help Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

President-elect Trump has suggested he doubts Russia interfered, despite the broad agreement in the U.S. intelligence community that it did.

Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and Democrat Amy Klobuchar, who are on a trip to the Baltic states, Ukraine, Georgia, and Montenegro, said that Russia should expect a tough U.S. response over the hacking.

Graham said on December 28 that "bipartisan sanctions...will hit Russia hard, particularly Putin as an individual."

"I would say that 99 of [the 100 U.S. senators] believe the Russians did this and we're going to do something about it," Graham said.

He said that Russia "is trying to break the back of democracies all around the world."

"It is now time for Russia to understand -- enough is enough," Graham told reporters.

Trump seemed to suggest the United States should not impose new sanctions on Russia. Asked about Graham's remarks, he told reporters: "I think we ought to get on with our lives."

President Barack Obama said recently that "we need to take action and we will" against Russia for interfering in the U.S. election.

According to the Reuters news agency, Obama may choose to invoke an April 2015 executive order that empowered him to impose sanctions in response to cyberattacks perpetrated by foreign groups targeting U.S. infrastructure or done for economic purposes.

Reuters quoted an unnamed U.S. government official as saying one option would be leaking material on Russian officials or actions that Washington already has obtained in a way that would "parallel what the Russians did, but be impossible to prove."

According to Reuters, another option would be new, tougher economic sanctions against Russia. Washington has already imposed sanctions on Moscow over its seziure of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and its involvement in the war between pro-Russia separatists and Ukrainian government forces, which has killed more than 9,750 people since the conflict began in eastern Ukraine in April 2014.

However, according to Peter Harrell, a former senior State Department official, Washington is still unlikely to impose blanket embargoes against Russia because of the danger it could harm the economies of Western Europe.

Harrell, who worked on sanctions policy, said the United States may instead target specific Russian intelligence officials or military divisions believed to be involved in the cyberintrusions.

"The Russian defense sector would be fair game," Reuters quoted Harrell as saying.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, asked about reports of U.S. retaliation, said on December 28 that Russia would respond in kind to any measures announced by the White House.

Based on reporting by Reuters, MSNBC, The Washington Post, CNN, BBC, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/us-said-ready- announce-measures-retaliating-russian-hacking-november- election-trump-obama/28203108.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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U.S. Expels 35 Russian Diplomats, Announces New Sanctions For Alleged Hacking

Mike Eckel December 29, 2016

The United States says it is expelling nearly three dozen Russian diplomats as it announced new economic sanctions and other punitive measures in response to alleged Russian hacking during the presidential election.

The moves, announced on December 29 by the White House, had been widely publicized ahead of time, including by President Barack Obama in an interview earlier this month.

But the moves also come less than a month before Obama leaves office and his successor, Donald Trump, assumes the presidency. Trump has repeatedly brushed aside intelligence assessments and White House statements about the alleged Russian hacking, raising the question about whether the new sanctions will remain in place after his inauguration on January 20.

A White House statement said two Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York, believed to be involved in intelligence gathering, were ordered closed, and 35 Russians, identified as intelligence operatives, were being expelled from the country.

Additionally, nine top officials and entities associated with the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU, and the main Russian security agency, the FSB, were being hit with new financial and travel sanctions.

A senior U.S. administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the four GRU officials were directly involved in computer hacking, including that of U.S. political parties. Three companies hit with sanctions provided "material support" to GRU hacking efforts, the official said.

"These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia's aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized," Obama said in a statement.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it was behind any computer intrusions of U.S. political parties or e-mail systems, though President Vladimir Putin has also made cryptic comments suggesting possible involvement of Russian officials.

Responding to the White House announcement on December 29, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agencies that Moscow regretted the new measures, calling them unlawful and saying they would "destroy diplomatic relations with Russia."

Russia Accused Of Backing Trump Over Clinton

The CIA, the FBI, and the broader U.S. intelligence community have concluded that hackers, likely operating with the authority of the highest levels of the Russian government, broke into Internet servers and e-mail accounts belonging to the U.S. Democratic Party, and other officials during the election campaign.

On December 9, The Washington Post reported that the CIA had determined the intent of the Russia hackers was to help Trump win the presidency, not just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system.

The New York Times also reported that intelligence officials had concluded Russian hackers accessed Republican Party computers but didn't release potentially damaging e-mails or other materials.

That led analysts to conclude that the intent of the Russian hacking was to in fact help propel Trump to the White House. He ultimately prevailed in the November 8 election, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Those conclusions have been repeatedly dismissed by Trump, most recently on December 28, in remarks at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

"I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on. We have speed, we have a lot of other things, but I'm not sure we have the kind of security we need," Trump told reporters.

In a December 11 television interview, he asserted that the CIA conclusions were being used by Democrats to undermine his electoral victory.

But Trump has also faced growing pressure in Congress, including by top Republican lawmakers, who have called for a full inquiry into the extent of Russian hacking.

At least three separate Senate committees are slated to launch investigations in January.

Administration officials indicated the targeting of the 35 Russian diplomats, whom the White House identified as intelligence officers, was partly in response as well to what they said was sustained harassment against U.S. diplomats in Russia.

Those U.S. complaints have been mounting for months now, what one administration official called "behavior unprecedented in the post-Cold War era."

In conjunction with the new measures, the Department of Homeland Security released a new report detailing some of the Russian hacking, which included not only state electoral databases but other "critical infrastructure."

"To be very clear here, they have been interfering in the American democratic process and the conduct of American diplomacy, this should be of concern to all Americans and members of both parties," one administration official said.

In addition to punishing Russian activities, U.S. officials said the new measures were aimed at deterring future activity, in the United States and in what they said were U.S. allies.

"Russia is not going to stop. We have every indication that they will continue to interfere in democratic elections in other countries," the official said.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-new- sanctions-over-hacking/28204378.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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Obama Hits Russia With New Sanctions

By VOA News December 29, 2016

The Obama administration has hit Russia with new sanctions in response to Moscow's alleged hacking and interference in the November U.S. presidential elections.

"Today, I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's aggressive harassment of U.S. officials and cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior."

The sanctions include the president's order for 35 Russian intelligence operatives to leave the United States within 72 hours, and penalties on Russia's two leading intelligence services.

The Obama administration would like the sanctions to be in place before the president leaves office January 20.

Russian response

The Russian Foreign Ministry is condemning the sanctions.

"To be honest, we are already tired of the lies about 'Russian hackers' which continue to emanate from the very top of the U.S. [government]," said a statement issued Wednesday by the ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova.

"The Obama administration has launched this disinformation [campaign] half a year ago in an attempt to give a boost to its preferred candidate in the November presidential elections, and not having achieved the result it was seeking, it is looking for an excuse for its own failure, thus dealing a double blow to Russian-American relations," the statement added.

Even if new sanctions are successfully imposed, it remains unclear whether they would be maintained by the administration of President-elect Donald Trump after he takes office.

Trump team comments

Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer called for proof that Russia interfered in the election.

"A lot of folks on the left that continue to undermine the legitimacy of his [Trump's election] win; that's unfortunate," Spicer said Thursday. "If the U.S. has clear proof of anybody interfering in our elections, we should make that known."

Prominent Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham insists Russia did interfere in the recent U.S. presidential election, and said Moscow can expect hard-hitting sanctions.

He said Wednesday the U.S. Congress in 2017 will investigate Russia's involvement in the November 8 election.

"I expect there will be bipartisan sanctions coming that will hit Russia hard, particularly [President Vladimir] Putin as an individual," Graham said, without elaborating. "It is now time for Russia to understand enough is enough."

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China Surprises India as It Defends Pak-Based Militant Chief at UN

Sputnik News

17:30 30.12.2016

Despite promising joint efforts to weed out terrorism from the region, China has backed Pakistan at the UN to prevent Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar being designated a terrorist.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  India has expressed concern over China's block on an Indian request at the UN to designate Pakistan based group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as terrorist. India blames the JeM for innumerable terrorist attacks on India including the Pathankot air base attack.

"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism," read a statement released by Ministry of External Affairs.

Since April this year, China has blocked India's request to add Azhar to the UN Al Qaeda-Daesh blacklist on a temporary basis. Beijing has wielded its veto which means India could not push forward the proposal further to designate Masood Azhar a terrorist. It may be noted that UNSC has blacklisted Jaish-e-Mohammed but not its leader, Maulana Masood Azhar.

However, India says that it will continue pursue the naming of Masood Azhar through all other options available under UN rules.

India and China had held talks on the issue of Masood Azhar several times but failed to reach a consensus while Beijing keeps telling India that there should be no double standards on counter-terrorism, nor should one pursue own political gains in the name of counter-terrorism

 Sputnik

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China to Launch Stringent New Anti-corruption System in Beijing, Two Other Provinces

By Joyce Huang December 29, 2016

China says it will soon launch a powerful anti-corruption system in the capital city of Beijing and the provinces of Shanxi and Zhejiang.

Officials say the new scheme is designed to be more independent, with supervision commissions to oversee public officeholders, including within the judicial system.

Some observers praise the establishment of the new scheme, calling it a positive step toward a more integrated and autonomous watchdog system. Others doubt if the commission can be independent of the party and worry that with its expansive powers it may lead to more corruption.

"In China, almost more than 98 percent of comrade leaders or public officeholders are [Communist] party members. So, it's common in China that the party always overrides the government to have a full grip on power," Liao Ran, senior program coordinator of Transparency International, told VOA.

The new scheme has more to do with the party's continued rule in China than Chinese President Xi Jinping's own grip of power, the Oslo, Norway-based observer added, dismissing concerns that the move was connected to power struggles within the party.

State supervisory reform

The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Sunday approved a pilot reform program to centralize the nation's supervisory bodies in a bid to step up the nation's efforts to counter deep-seated graft.

Under the program, supervisory commissions will be established at both the central and provincial level that will report to the NPC. They will run independently from the central and local governments, the judicial and the procuratorate branches to provide a check on public office holders nationwide.

The commissions, whose chairperson and deputies will be appointed by the NPC and their respective local chapters, are further designed to integrate the power and duties of the government's existing anti-graft agencies, including the supervision department and the corruption prevention department.

They will be charged with investigating and punishing bribery, dereliction of duty and prevention of duty-related crimes by those on government payrolls, while transferring cases involving suspected criminal offenses to prosecutors for further court trials, according to state media Xinhua News.

The pilot program will be put to a test in Beijing and the provinces of Shanxi and Zhejiang first before a national rollout.

Expansive powers

With expanded power, the status of the new anti-graft institution will rise in the political hierarchy and enjoy the same legal footing as the government. That, by design, will make it more independent, said Ho Bing, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law.

"The former design put the supervision department under the government, which wasn't given enough autonomy," Ho said, "The new design will heighten the newly created supervision committees' level of independence, which, in a way, puts the [government's] anti-graft work on the right track."

The professor, however, warned of potential conflicts between the commission and the court, as the new body will be charged with censuring corrupt court officials, whose criminal offenses will then be tried in the court.

"The future relation between the commission and the court is hinged on the independence of judges or how to safeguard the impartiality of judges. Both the impartiality of judges and supervision committee should be upheld, which may lead to conflict," the professor added.

Transparency International's Liao Ran, in addition, argued that because the new supervisory system is under the NPC's monitor it may bend easier to the will of party-elected members, who often serve to ratify decisions handed down by the state.

"China's NPC has long been known as a rubber-stamp [parliament]. The parliament, which has no solid power, is now asked to supervise a [government] watchdog. So, how effective the commission will be remains to be seen," he added.

More corruption?

Lu Liangbiao, a lawyer with Dacheng Law Office in Beijing, described the new plan to tackle corruption as "a risky move" and questioned the new body's check-and-balance of powers.

Lu wrote Wednesday on his WeChat micromessaging account that the new mechanism, deeply imbedded within the power structure, is like "shooing away flies on a pile of dung" and may lead to more corruption given the new scheme's expansive powers.

He concluded that any efforts to counter graft will only succeed in a full-fledged democracy where the rule of law is respected, the judiciary system runs independently and the general public's participation is guaranteed along with the free press and sound elected representation.

In contrast, the ruling Communist party said the country's fight against corruption has gained "crushing momentum" and huge progress has been achieved, with no let up expected in 2017, state media Xinhua News reported late Wednesday, following a meeting of the party's Politburo, chaired by Xi.

Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has waged war against deep-rooted graft, a problem he warned could affect the party's long-term grip on power

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Chinese Carrier Moves Ahead Following Year of Increased Activity in South China Sea

By Steve Miller December 30, 2016

Chinese warships, led by the country's first aircraft carrier, the Soviet-built Liaoning, sailed past Taiwan and into the South China Sea earlier this week. It was a move that caught the attention of both Taiwan and Japan, who closely observed the six-vessel group.

"China is developing a regional military capability," said Brad Glosserman, security analyst at Pacific Forum. "The Chinese believe that they need to have the capacity and the ability to protect their interests as they become increasingly far flung. They see that a power that aspires to the status it has, will have the a fully fledged military... they're going to go from a green water, in other words a close-water navy, to blue water, which is one capable of sailing in the oceans."

Glosserman says part of that progression is possessing an aircraft carrier, and he says the world may be "very quick to tie it to other developments, and I think that we should look at this as something that China is going to do regardless."

Dismissive reaction

In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against China's land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea. Beijing dismissed the court's award to Manila saying it didn't have the requisite jurisdiction.

Paul Reichler, the lead attorney for the Philippines in the case, told VOA then, "I have heard what they have said and what they have said for the past several months. The full weight of the responsibility that China has taken upon itself to set itself outside and above the law has not yet come to bear on China."

The lack of consequences also might have contributed to Beijing's further development of reefs in the South China Sea. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative noted China had built "significant point-defense capabilities, in the form of large anti-aircraft guns and probable close-in weapons systems" on seven reefs it controls in the Spratly chain.

'Limited options'

Speaking to VOA in August, Greg Poling, the Director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, forecast these events.

"Ultimately we have limited options. If China is absolutely committed to this strategy - no matter the diplomatic cost - then it's hard to see what the international community or those most involved, like U. S. and Japan, can do," said Poling.

Poling said countries might try to deter China, but ultimately it was a long-term issue and one in which it was hoped that Beijing eventually would realize that great powers don't act outside the law.

And that, Glosserman says, is the most troubling aspect of Beijing's actions because it's "painfully obvious and it is [Beijing's] unwillingness to just be forthright about the capabilities that it is developing [and] its refusal to just acknowledge what it has... builds real distrust."

Victor Beattie contributed to this report.

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Iran has broken grandeur of hegemonic powers: IRGC deputy commander

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Karaj, Dec 29, IRNA -- Deputy Commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier-General Hossein Salami said on Thursday that Iran has broken grandeur of the hegemonic powers.

He made the remarks in a ceremony to mark anniversary of a nationwide rally in support of the outcome of the presidential election in 2009 bringing to office for the second term the former president.

Salami said that regional issues will never be solved, because Iran is an effective neighboring states in the Middle East opposed to the bullying powers.

He said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is the vanguard of international campaign against terrorism and that Islam is spreading across the world and world's big powers have knelt down before the Islamic countries' fighters, he said.

While flames of conflict are spreading in the Middle East, the Iranian nation enjoys full security and peace, Salami said.

Salami said that those who declared vote-rigging in the presidential election in 2009 were the seditionists aiming to undermine the youth belief, but the Iranian nation nipped the plot in the bud.

Noting that the Iranian nation has suffered big ulcers from the US and Britain, Salami said that Iranian nation's foresightedness will never allow the enemies' dreams to come true.

8072**1416

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Iraqi troops geared for fresh east Mosul offensive

Iran Press TV

Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:37PM

Iraqi forces are gearing up for a three-pronged attacked against Daesh terrorists in the city of Mosul following a two-week lull in their anti-terror operations, says a high-ranking Iraqi commander.

The commander of Iraq's counterterrorism forces in eastern Mosul, Lieutenant General Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, made the announcement in an interview published by the Associated Press on Wednesday.

He noted that federal police units have joined units from the military's 9th Division located to the southeast of Mosul and that forces have taken positions alongside units from the army's 16th Division on city's northern side.

Saadi refrained from giving the exact date for the advance but noted that it would begin over the next few days if weather conditions are suitable.

Since the operations to retake the city began, the counterterrorism forces have liberated a large number of neighborhoods in eastern Mosul and have reached within less than three kilometers of the Tigris River, which divides the city into two main parts.

The Iraqi commander noted that since the beginning of the operations, the terrorists have launched over 900 car bombings, 260 of which targeted his men.

"Daesh has by now realized that the battle is in the eastern sector of Mosul, and that's where most of its forces are," he added.

He went on to deny reports that the lull in the anti-terror operations was caused by a high number of casualties among his men.

"We have sustained casualties, but not much," he said, noting that the operations had slowed down to permit the arrival of reinforcement.

Saadi also went on to explain that the large number of civilians renaming in the city was the reason for the operation's slow progress.

"Daesh snipers shoot at us from the rooftops of homes occupied by families. We can only use light arms against them so as not to hurt the civilians," he added. "They fire from side streets lined by homes. Again, we can only use light arms."

On October 17, Iraqi army troops and allied fighters launched a long-awaited offensive to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul that fell to Daesh in 2014.

Defeating Daesh in Mosul would be a crushing blow to the Takfiri group that began its campaign of terror in northern and western Iraq more than two years ago.

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that the Iraqi forces needed three months to completely destroy Daesh.

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Iraqi forces launch fresh offensive to retake Mosul

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 9:58AM

Iraqi troops have launched the second phase of a major operation to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists, pushing deeper into eastern Mosul in a multi-pronged assault after a two-week lull.

Special forces on Thursday advanced into the Karama and Quds neighborhoods, while army troops and federal police gained ground in nearby Intisar, Salam and Sumor neighborhoods.

"This is the second phase of the operation to liberate Mosul conducted by the special forces, the federal police and us on this front," General Nejm Jabouri, a senior army commander, told Reuters.

Army troops and allied fighters launched the long-awaited offensive to retake Mosul nine weeks ago. Since then, they have retaken a quarter of the city but their advance has been slow in the face of fierce Daesh resistance.

The battle for Mosul involves 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of the Kurdish security forces and Shia volunteers and is the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the US invasion of the country in 2003.

Daesh terrorists, who took the city in 2014 when they overran large areas north and west of Baghdad, have executed scores of residents in recent weeks, accusing them of collaboration with government troops.

The militants are currently isolated inside the eastern bank of Mosul, military spokesman Yahia Rassol told state television on Thursday.

"In the coming days, Iraqi forces will liberate the entire left bank of Mosul and after that we will tackle the right," he said.

A senior officer said counter-terrorism forces are now less than three kilometers from the Tigris River which slices the city in half. The elite force is conducting the major part of the operation inside Mosul, with other troops remaining outside the city so far.

The operation for liberation of Mosul was initially scheduled to end by the end of 2016 but Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Tuesday it would take another three months to retake the city.

The troops have faced grueling urban fighting, often house to house against Daesh militants. Even in districts that have been recaptured, Iraqi troops have faced surprise attacks, shelling and car bombs. The extremists have launched more than 900 car bombs against Iraqi troops in and around Mosul.

Defeating Daesh in Mosul would be a crushing blow to the Takfiri group and probably spell the end for its ambition to rule over millions of people in a self-styled caliphate.

The operation has been slowed by concern to avoid casualties among civilians, who have mostly stayed in their homes rather than fleeing as was initially expected.

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Israel's attorney general orders criminal probe against Netanyahu

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:0AM

Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has approved the opening of a full criminal investigation into the financial activities of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid allegations of bribery and fraud.

Netanyahu will be investigated following a nine-month police inquiry into two unspecified matters, and will be summoned to give evidence in the coming days, Israel's Hebrew-language Channel 10 television network reported.

An unnamed spokeswoman from Israel's so-called Justice Ministry said in a statement that checks in the matter "are still ongoing and this is neither confirmation nor denial of what has been alleged."

"The attorney-general, the police and prosecutors are working in close cooperation and a public announcement will be made in due course about the investigation," she said.

Netanyahu has long been the subject of scrutiny over his financial dealings.

Mandelblit recently ordered an investigation into claims that Netanyahu accepted 1 million euros (about $1.1 million) from accused French fraudster Arnaud Mimran in the form of donations during his 2009 campaign.

In May, Comptroller Yosef Shapira issued a critical report on Netanyahu's foreign trips, some of which were taken with his wife Sara and children, from 2003 to 2005, when he was the Israeli finance minister.

The Israeli prime minister is also under investigation over the billion-dollar purchase of three submarines from Germany, where media have reported "a serious conflict of interest" on the part of Netanyahu.

Reports emerged last month that Netanyahu's personal lawyer and one of closest confidants, David Shimron, was representing the German arms manufacturer ThyssenKrupp, which is making the submarines.

Channel 10 later disclosed an email it claimed was proof that Shimron used his close relationship with Netanyahu to lobby for the deal.

A separate probe is also underway in Israel into accusation that Sara Netanyahu misused public funds for private expenses.



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Japan Criticized by East Asian Neighbors for Visit to Controversial WWII Shrine

By VOA News December 29, 2016

Japan is being roundly criticized by neighboring countries after its top military official Thursday visited a controversial shrine that honors its war dead, including convicted war criminals.

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada's visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine drew sharp rebukes from China and South Korea, which consider the shrine a symbol of Japan's wartime atrocities before and after World War II, when it colonized or invaded much of the East Asia region.

"Regardless of differences in historical views, regardless of whether they fought as enemies or allies, I believe any country can understand that we wish to express gratitude, respect and gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives for their countries," Inada told reporters after the visit.

China's relationship with Japan has been strained by what China sees as Japan's reluctance to apologize for the country's past. China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, voiced disapproval of the visit, saying, "This not only reflects some Japanese people's obstinately wrong view of history, it also forms a great irony with the Pearl Harbor reconciliation trip."

Earlier this week, Inada accompanied Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on a historic visit to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, home to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, bringing the United States into World War II.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said Inada's visit to Yasukuni was "deplorable," and that Inada visited a shrine that "beautifies past colonial invasions and invasive war and honors war criminals."

Inada's visit to Yasukuni was her first since becoming defense minister in August, although she has visited it numerous times in the past.

She has defended Japan's wartime atrocities and led a committee tasked reevaluating the judgements of wartime judicial panels that were led by the victorious allies of World War II.

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About 50,000 Rohingya Muslims flee from Myanmar to Bangladesh: Dhaka government

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 4:52PM

Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry says some 50,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled persecution and violence in Myanmar to Bangladesh since early October.

The Foreign Ministry in Dhaka said in a statement on Thursday that thousands of members of the ethnic minority had fled to Bangladesh since an eruption of unrest in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine in early October. Rakhine, home to the Rohingya Muslims, borders Bangladesh.

The ministry also summoned Myanmar's ambassador to express "deep concern at the continued influx" of Rohingya Muslims.

"(We) mentioned that around 50,000 Myanmar citizens took shelter into Bangladesh since October 9, 2016," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has confirmed that at least 43,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken shelter in Bangladesh since October.

Senior officials in Dhaka have also demanded early repatriation of all Myanmar's citizens who have been living in Bangladesh for years.

Figures show some 300,000 Rohingya Muslims are living in Bangladesh, with the vast majority of them having taken refuge in makeshift settlements, official refugee camps and villages in Bangladesh's resort district of Cox's Bazar.

Many of those interviewed by journalists have told horrific stories of gang-rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar government forces.

Myanmar's military has launched a fresh wave of crackdown on Muslims since an alleged attack on the country's border guards on October 9 left nine policemen dead. The government blamed the Rohingyas for the assault.

There have been numerous accounts by eyewitnesses of summary executions, rapes and arson attacks against Muslims since the crackdown began. The military has blocked access to Rakhine and banned journalists and aid workers from entering the zone.

The United Nations has warned that ongoing human rights violations against the Rohingyas in Rakhine could be tantamount to "crimes against humanity."

The Bangladesh government has also come under fire for pushing back Rohingya refugees, with Muslim groups and the opposition urging the country to open its border to the displaced people.

Rakhine has been the scene of communal violence at the hands of Buddhist extremists since 2012. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands have been forced from homes to live in squalid camps in dire conditions in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The government denies full citizenship to the 1.1 million-strong Rohingya population, branding them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. However, the Rohingyas are believed to be a community of ancient lineage in Myanmar.

According to the UN, the Rohingyas are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

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The Year The Collective Putin Died

Brian Whitmore December 29, 2016

Sergei Ivanov and Viktor Ivanov have a lot in common.

In addition to sharing a last name, both are KGB veterans, both are longtime cronies of Vladimir Putin -- and both were thrown under the bus by the Kremlin leader this year.

Viktor Ivanov got the boot in May when Putin liquidated the Federal Antinarcotics Service he ran, merging it into the Interior Ministry, leaving his once-influential pal out of a job and on the outside looking in.

And in August, it was Sergei Ivanov's turn.

With the stroke of a pen, Putin put his longtime cohort out to pasture, firing him as Kremlin chief of staff, one of the most powerful posts in Russia, and exiling him to the meaningless job of special assistant to the president for ecology and transportation.

It was a spectacular fall for a man who had served as Security Council secretary, defense minister, and deputy prime minister; and who was widely seen as a potential successor to Putin.

The fall of the Ivanovs made it crystal clear that 2016 would be the year the "collective Putin" died and big changes were in store for the way Russia was governed.

As political analyst Vladimir Pastukhov noted at the time, it demonstrated that "the age of the collective rule of Putin's friends is coming to an end" and that "in place of a prince who ruled with his entourage, there is now a tsar who rules over his servants."

Touching The Untouchables

Until this year, Putin's 16-year rule had been characterized by the dominance of an inner circle of about a dozen men who had worked with the Kremlin leader for decades, either in the KGB or in the St. Petersburg city government in the 1990s.

Known colloquially as the "collective Putin" or "Putin's Politburo," they were widely viewed as Russia's untouchable ruling clique.

When one of their number, Vladimir Yakunin, was fired as head of Russian Railways in August 2015, it became clear they were, in fact, quite touchable.

And this year's deeper culling of the inner circle put to rest any notion of a ruling clique.

Russian politics essentially became a one-man show and Putin became its solitary man.

Moscow-based political analyst Nikolai Petrov wrote that Putin was abandoning a model of collective leadership reminiscent of Leonid Brezhnev in favor of one oriented on a single leader, as in the time of Josef Stalin.

And in case anybody failed to get the message, in April, Putin set up a powerful National Guard, a 400,000-strong force that absorbs Russia's Interior Ministry troops, the OMON riot police, and the SOBR -- or SWAT -- forces.

The guard force is run by Putin's uber-loyal former bodyguard, Viktor Zolotov, and answers to the Kremlin leader alone.

And in September, Russian media reported that plans were in the works to reconstitute the old KGB in the form of a new Ministry of State Security, which would unite Russia's main security agencies under one roof and have the charming Stalin-era acronym MGB.

"The Kremlin and the Russian government now resemble an old-world royal court, more than a modern state," Mikhail Fishman wrote in The Moscow Times.

"Putin is remodeling the institutional power of Russia's presidency into a force under his personal control."

Ideologues And Kleptocrats

But the story of 2016 is about more than the death of the collective Putin and the rise of the personalized rule of the individual Putin.

The primary reason Putin scrapped his old system of ruling through elite consensus and balancing clan interests was because in a shrinking economy Russia's kleptocratic elite risked undermining Putin's ideological project of restoring Russia's great-power status.

And in this sense, 2016 was also the year when the Kremlin took a decisive ideological turn.

It was the year when what Mark Galeotti of the Institute of International Relations in Prague calls "ideological Russia" became ascendant over "kleptocratic Russia."

According to Galeotti, kleptocratic Russia is "the realm of the embezzling senior officials, the pampered sons and daughters of the mighty, the business people who depend as much on sweetheart deals and covert cartels as any real acumen."

Ideological Russia, on the other hand, is Putin's "vision of a nation restored to its due place in history and the world."

Both of these Russias have been present, and in constant tension, throughout Putin's long rule -- and indeed, through most of Russia's history.

And while kleptocratic Russia reigned supreme for most of Putin's 16 years in power, this year it was forced to take a back seat to the Kremlin leader's grand ideological project.

But by making examples of some of his old cronies, and by replacing them with younger sycophants who owe their careers to him, like the obscure new Kremlin chief of staff, Anton Vaino, Putin has transformed the Kremlin from a collective band of thieves into a one-man band.

And instead of protecting the interests of the collective Putin regime, the system appears now to be geared toward preserving the power of Putin the man -- and advancing his ideological dream of a great Russia.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/the-year-the-collective -putin-died/28204035.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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SPRING CREEK  The Battle Born 4-H Club of Spring Creek announces the following activities they completed in the months of October, November and December.

The club participated in the Nevada Day Parade on Oct. 28. Our float honored 100 years of mining. Club members dressed like miners and prospectors. Their costumes included hard hats, reflective vests and gold pans. The float was decorated with mining equipment and spray painted rocks that looked like ore samples.

Our club also has completed a community service by helping clean up the gun range in Elko. Club members joined other volunteers on Nov. 5 for the Elko County Public Shooting Range Cleanup Day. The club helped clean up three different ranges on the complex. The Battle Born 4-H Club has a lot of competitive shooters in the club. It was nice to return the favor by helping clean up the range.

Lastly, our club participated in the Elko Parade of Lights Dec. 10 with a float decorated as Charlie Browns Christmas. Most club members were not dressed up as characters due to the bad weather, but we did have a member dress as Charlie Brown. The float also had a white and black dog acting as Snoopy, and a Buff Silkie Chicken acting like Woodstock. Other club members brought their show rabbits to ride on the float. Other float decorations included a red dog house and a tree branch with a red Christmas ornament on it to look like Charlie Browns Christmas tree. Members rode on the float sitting on straw bales and sang Christmas Carols. It was cold and wet, but all the kids had fun participating in the parade.
Russian Army Gets First Batch of Brand New Tornado-S Rocket Artillery Systems

Sputnik News

21:18 29.12.2016(updated 00:39 30.12.2016)

The army has received the first batch of Russia's newest deadly multiple launch rocket system, the Tornado-S. An upgrade to the formidable Tornado 9A52-4, the Tornado-S includes a new automated guidance and fire control system, improved rounds, and other upgrades.

On Thursday, the press service of the Tula-based Splav State Research and Production Enterprise, the company responsible for delivering the system to the military, confirmed that the first batch of Tornado-S MRLS platforms has been delivered to the armed forces.

"The production of the Tornado-S MLRS has commenced. The first state contract for the systems' supply to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has been completed," the company's statement curtly explained. The company did not say clarify exactly how many units were delivered.

State trials for the Tornado-S were concluded earlier this year, and the Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the mass introduction of the system will start in 2017.

The 9A52-4 Tornado, Tornado-S's predecessor, is already the most advanced MLRS system available to the Russian armed forces. Designed through the 2000s and introduced in 2011, the Tornado was built as a lightweight, more mobile version of the BM-30 Smerch heavy multiple rocket launcher system. The Tornado has been gradually replacing older rocket artillery systems, including the famous BM-21 Grad and BM-27 Uragan, available to the Russian army.

Tornado-S is a substantive upgrade to the Tornado. Most prominently, it features a new automated guidance and fire-control system allowing for the simultaneous automated coordination and control of the fire of an entire artillery battalion. The system is also capable of automatically calculating target data.

The new system also has an improved range, thanks to guided rocket rounds, enabling it to fire distances up to 120 km, comparing favorably with the 90 km range of the Tornado's standard 800 kg round.

Tornado-S also has improved accuracy thanks to the integrated use of the GLONASS satellite navigation system, and can be deployed more quickly from full stop than its predecessor.

The Tornado-S will complement existing Tornado artillery battalions as both systems replace older Soviet-era systems.

Splav's production has met with growing demand in Russia and across foreign markets in recent years, with production increasing by 2.5 times in the last year alone, mainly thanks to foreign orders. The company's profits have increased by 38.5% compared with 2015. The company plans to complete the modernization of its production capabilities, in accordance with the federal program on the development of the military-industrial complex.

 Sputnik

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Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov proposes expulsion of 35 US diplomats

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 30, 2016 10:27AM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he has proposed to President Vladimir Putin to expel 35 US diplomats in retaliation for a similar move by Washington.

"Russia's Foreign Ministry... has requested that the Russian president approve declaring as personae non grata 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US consulate in Saint Petersburg," Lavrov said in televised comments.

The ministry is also seeking to ban diplomats from using a holiday home located in western Moscow and a warehouse in the north of the city, Lavrov said, after President Barack Obama said the US would close two Russian compounds.

Lavrov said the two Russian country houses in New York and Maryland were used for children's holidays and ridiculed the notion they were "nests of spies."

"We of course cannot leave these stunts unanswered. Reciprocity is the law in diplomacy and international relations," he said, hoping that Putin approves the requests "promptly."

Obama had on Thursday ordered a series of new sanctions against Russia and ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, accusing them of being suspected spies.

The US president had also imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over allegations that they interfered in the 2016 presidential election in the US through cyberattacks.

In the remarks reported on Friday, Lavrov rejected the hacking accusations and said the sanctions would not go unanswered.

Ties between the Obama administration and the Kremlin have considerably worsened over the past months but he will be in office for only several more weeks.

The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to introduce a different attitude to ties with Moscow. Trump has formerly praised Putin and has been critical of the outgoing US administration's anti-Russia stance, including most recently of the new sanctions.

The Obama administration has suggested that the alleged Russian cyberattacks had been meant to tilt the election in Trump's favor. On Thursday, Trump wrote on his Twitter page that it was time to "move on" from the claims of Russian hacking.

Medvedev's lament for Obama administration

In Moscow, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev regretted the new US sanctions.

Writing on his official Facebook page on Friday, Medvedev said Obama was ending his term in "anti-Russia agony."

"It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia agony. RIP," Medvedev wrote.

'Against international law'

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the US sanctions as "groundless and illegal from the point of view of international law."

Peskov said on Thursday that Kremlin would consider "adequate" counter measures "based on the principles of reciprocity."

"Such steps by a US administration that has three weeks left to work are aimed at two things: to further harm Russian-American ties, which are at a low point as it is, as well as, obviously, to deal a blow to the foreign policy plans of the incoming administration of the president-elect," referring to Trump.

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Putin Says Russia Will Not Expel U.S. Diplomats

RFE/RL December 30, 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Moscow will not expel any Americans from the country, opting out of a tit-for-tat retaliation after the United States kicked 35 Russian officials out over allegations of hacking aimed at interfering in the U.S. election, espionage, and harassment of U.S. diplomats in Russia.

Putin's statement came after Russia had signaled that it would hit back with a "mirror" response to the U.S. expulsions, which were part of a package of measures announced by President Barack Obama's administration that also included sanctions against Russian intelligence agencies and the closure of two recreational compounds for Russian diplomats in the United States.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had sent Putin a list of 35 U.S. diplomats and recommended their expulsion, as well as the closure of a vacation cabin and a warehouse in Moscow that are used by U.S. Embassy personnel.

But Putin's statement, posted on the Kremlin website, made clear that he wants to be seen as taking the high road and to make the Obama administration look vindictive.

It also suggested he would like to avoid an escalation of one of the biggest disputes since the Cold War just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office -- and to increase the chances that Trump, who has indicated he wants better relations with Moscow, will scrap the sanctions.

Trump on Twitter later praised Putin for holding off on retaliatory actions, calling him "very smart."

Putin said that the measures announced by the Obama administration on December 29 were "unfriendly" and "aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations. Considering the special responsibility that Russia and the United States have for preserving global security, this will deal a blow to the whole system of international relations."

But he said that while "reserving the right to take measures in response, we are not going to bring ourselves down to the level of irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy, and will base further steps to rebuild Russian-American relations on the policies that President Trump pursues."

"We will not create problems for American diplomats. We are not going to expel anybody," Putin said, pointedly adding that he was inviting "all children of American diplomats accredited in Russia" to traditional New Year and Russian Orthodox Christmas celebrations in the Kremlin.

"It is too bad that President Obama's administration is ending its work in such a way, but nonetheless, I wish him and his family a happy New Year," he said.

The CIA, the FBI, and the broader U.S. intelligence community have concluded that computer hackers, likely operating with the authority of the highest levels of the Russian government, broke into servers and e-mail accounts belonging to the U.S. Democratic Party, as well as other officials, during the campaign for the November 8 election.

In addition to expelling 35 Russian officials it identified as intelligence operatives and closing off access to shoreline compounds in Maryland and New York, the United States also imposed financial and travel sanctions on nine top officials and entities associated with Russian military intelligence (GRU) and the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

A senior U.S. administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that incuded four GRU officials who were directly involved in computer hacking, including that of U.S. political parties, and three companies that provided "material support" to GRU hacking efforts.

Trump has repeatedly made remarks casting doubt on those assertions, saying in December that "it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey" rather than hackers working at the Kremlin's behest.

Trump issued a statement on December 29 saying that "it's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things," but confirmed that he will "meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of the situation."

Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway told CNN that "even those who are sympathetic to President Obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to 'box in' President-elect Trump."

In conjunction with the new sanctions against Russia, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a new report on December 29 detailing some of the Russian hacking, which included not only state electoral databases but other "critical infrastructure."

"To be very clear here, they have been interfering in the American democratic process and the conduct of American diplomacy, this should be of concern to all Americans and members of both parties," one administration official was quoted as saying.

Republican U.S. Senator John McCain has scheduled a January 5 hearing on foreign cyberthreats to the United States.

Witnesses called to testify include Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Admiral Mike Rogers, head of the U.S. Cyber Command, according to a post on December 30 on the website of the Senate Armed Services Committee that McCain leads.

Because Obama imposed the new sanctions and expulsions by executive order, Trump could easily reverse them, but analysts say that could be a difficult step politically because prominent Republicans in Congress supported the measures -- with some saying they don't go far enough. Putin's refusal to retaliate in kind adds another factor to the decisions Trump will have to make, potentially increasing pressure he faces from the Kremlin to make concessions to Russia.

U.S.-Russian relations are at a post-Cold War low, hung up on differences over Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its continuing support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, a number of former Soviet republics' and satellites' embrace of the NATO security umbrella, divergent tacks in warring Syria, and the alleged election hacking, among other things.

Russia had vowed to retaliate in an "adequate" way to the U.S. measures, but had left its plans unknown overnight after the U.S. announcement.

Shortly before Putin's announcement was posted on the Kremlin website, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied a report by U.S. television network CNN stating that Russia would close the Anglo-American School of Moscow, which is attended by children of U.S. diplomats and expatriates from some 60 countries, as well as Russians.

"This is a lie," Zakharova wrote on Facebook. "Apparently, the White House has gone completely mad and has begun to make up sanctions against its own children."

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wrote on social media that "it is very sad the Obama administration, which began its term of office by efforts to restore cooperation" -- a reference to the so-called reset undertaken when Medvedev was president -- "is ending it with an anti-Russian agony." The post concluded "R.I.P.," an abbreviation for the funeral epitaph "rest in peace."

Peter Harrell, a former State Department official who helped craft U.S. sanctions in response to Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine, said the Obama administration should have taken such measures months ago, given the scope and duration of Russian hacking. But he argued the administration was compelled to act to deter future Russian activity.

"Better late than never," Harrell told RFE/RL. "Either we do something now, or the other outcome, with Trump coming in, is that we do nothing and for the U.S., [with] Russian influencing the elections as these guys didthat would be a terrible precedent.

"We would look weak and invite future action down the road, and for me this is something where we had to respond," he said on December 29.

Harrell also pointed out that the executive order issued by Obama in conjunction with the sanctions effectively detaches the new measures from the older measures imposed in connection with Russia's interference in Ukraine. That means that even if the conflict in Ukraine is ever resolved, the new hacking-related sanctions could still remain in place, he said.

With reporting RFE/RL's Mike Eckel, Reuters, Bloomberg, and Interfax

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-vows-adequate-response- us-sanctions-hacking/28205316.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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U.S. Senators Vow No 'Faustian Bargain' With Russia, Pledge To Target Putin 'Harder'

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service December 30, 2016

KYIV -- Senator John McCain says that the United States will not strike a "Faustian bargain" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid speculation that President-elect Donald Trump could scrap sanctions in a bid to improve ties.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service in Kyiv on December 30 along with two other U.S. senators, McCain (Republican-Arizona) said any possible deal with Putin "would interfere with and undermine the freedom and democracies that exist today."

The U.S. Congress imposed sanctions on Moscow shortly after Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and for its ongoing support for pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina) said Congress would pursue in 2017 more sanctions against Russia, targeting the energy and banking sectors, as well as "Putin and his inner circle."

"We're going to do two things: We're going after Putin harder with tougher sanctions and we're going to be more helpful to our friends, like here in Ukraine," Graham said.

McCain, Graham, and Amy Klobuchar (Democrat-Minnesota) said there is strong support in Congress to provide Ukraine with "lethal defensive weapons" to help Kyiv in its fight against Russia-backed separatists in the east.

The senators faulted Moscow for failing to fulfill its obligations under the Minsk accords -- a February 2015 agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where more than 9,750 people have died since April 2014.

"How can you have a free and fair election or debate about the power-sharing with eastern Ukraine when you have 700 Russian tanks [in eastern Ukraine]?" Graham said.

Asked whether Trump may recognize Crimea as part of Russia, Graham said Congress would block any such move.

"The president alone can't do this. And the reason the Congress will reject such a notion is because it undermines the rule of law," Graham explained.

McCain also called for tougher action against Moscow for its alleged involvement in hacks into Democratic Party e-mails before the November 8 U.S. presidential election.

"We can make them a lot tougher, ranging from travel to identifying individuals who have been involved in this hacking and specific organizations. There are a lot more stringent measures we should take," McCain said. "After all, it was an attack on the United States of America and an attack on the fundamentals of our democracy. If you destroy the elections, then you destroy democracy."

U.S. President Barack Obama on December 29 ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over what the administration says was their involvement in the hacking.

Putin said on December 30 that Moscow would not respond in kind and would not expel any Americans from Russia, accusing the U.S. administration of "irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy."

On December 30, Trump praised Putin on Twitter for holding off on retaliatory actions, calling him "very smart."

Trump has brushed aside allegations from the CIA and other intelligence agencies that Russia was behind the cyberattacks. But it is unclear whether he will seek to roll back Obama's actions.

"If you have a hard time figuring out who is behind this, that doesn't speak well of you," Graham said. "The Russians are doing it all over the world."

Klobuchar said it wasn't only the United States that was being targeted by Russian cyberattacks.

"We have learned on this trip visiting Estonia and Lithuania and hearing about these cyberattacks in Ukraine -- it has happened for years and years and years. And it's a technique that can be used in the French elections or the German elections," Klobuchar said, referring to two key upcoming elections in Europe in 2017.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/mccain- ukraine-russia-sanctions-graham- klobuchar/28206263.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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Russia Will Determine Steps in Restoring Ties With US Depending on Trump - Putin

Sputnik News

15:30 30.12.2016(updated 21:04 30.12.2016)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow will determine further steps in restoring ties with the United States depending on the policy of President-elect Donald Trump.

"Reserving the right to retaliate, we will not resort to the level of irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy and further steps toward the restoration of Russian-US relations will be based on the policy carried out by the administration of President Donald Trump."

Russia will not expel anyone as a response to US sanctions against Moscow over alleged hacking, Putin said.

However, Putin said that Russia reserves the right to respond to the new US sanctions.

"We regard the new unfriendly steps of the outgoing US administration as provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-US relations."

On Thursday, US outgoing President Barack Obama announced the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, the closing of two Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York and new sanctions against six Russian individuals and five entities over Moscow's alleged interference in the November US presidential election, which the Kremlin has repeatedly denied.

"This is clearly contrary to the fundamental interests of both the Russian and US citizens. In view of Russia's and the US' special responsibility for the preservation of global security, [this] also damages the entire system of international relations," Putin said.

Putin said that he regrets that the Obama administration finishes its work in such a way.

"It's regrettable that the President Obama administration is finishing its work in such a way, but I congratulate him and members of his family with the upcoming New Year anyway," Putin said.

Putin said that Moscow will not ban US diplomats' families and children from using their preferred holiday destinations in Russia for New Year celebrations.

"We will not create problems for US diplomats. We will not expel anyone. We will not prohibit their families and children to use their usual vacation spots in the New Year's holidays. Moreover, i am inviting all children of the US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year's and Christmas celebration in the Kremlin."

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the ministry proposed the president to consider declaring 31 US Embassy in Moscow and four US Consulate General in St. Petersburg employees 'persona non grata' as well as ban the use of a vacation retreat by US diplomats.

 Sputnik

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Trump Praises Putin's Decision Against Tit-For-Tat Sanctions

By Daniel Schearf December 30, 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will not expel U.S. diplomats in response to sanctions imposed Thursday by U.S. President Barack Obama for interference by Russian intelligence agencies in November's U.S. national election.

"We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone," Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin. "As it proceeds from international practice, Russia has reasons to respond in kind. Although we have the right to retaliate, we will not resort to irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-U.S. relations based on the policies of the Trump administration," the statement continued.

A U.S. State Department official said in response, "We have seen President Putin's remarks. We have nothing further to add."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had suggested retaliatory action against the U.S., along with banning U.S. embassy personnel from using a country house and warehouse in the Moscow area.

Obama imposed sanctions on two intelligence agencies, expelled 35 Russian agents and closed two Russian compounds inside the United States. Russia immediately denounced the sanctions as unlawful and threatened to retaliate.

Obama called his actions "a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior."

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee will conduct hearings next Thursday on foreign cyberthreats to the United States. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr. is among those scheduled to testify.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who scoffed at allegations of Russian interference in the election, has said Washington should "move on to bigger and better things."

On Friday he praised Putin for his decision against expelling U.S. diplomats.

Trump, who has intimated he still has doubts about Russia's involvement, did say he would meet with intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation. On Friday, a Trump spokesman said the president-elect had "nothing scheduled at this time" in terms of any talks involving Trump, transition staff and Moscow.

Obama's action coincided with the release Thursday of a 13-page joint analysis by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that blamed Russia's intelligence agencies for hacks intended to influence the 2016 election and provided technical details, including samples of malicious computer code said to have been used in their hacking campaign.

Among the actions ordered by Obama are sanctions against nine Russian individuals and entities: the GRU  Russia's military intelligence agency; the FSB  its foreign intelligence service; four GRU officers; and three companies that provided material support to the GRU.

In addition, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan were sanctioned. The Treasury Department calls them "notorious criminals" who are responsible for the cybertheft of more than $100 million dollars from U.S. banks, companies and other American firms.

Thirty-five Russian government officials in Washington and in the consulate in San Francisco were given 72 hours to leave the United States for "acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status and consular activities."

Russian officials also will be denied access to what the U.S. State Department calls two Russian government-owned recreational compounds in Maryland and New York. This is after U.S. diplomats in Moscow were harassed and physically assaulted.

"In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior and interfere with democratic governance," Obama said in announcing the sanctions.

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, criticized Friday the U.S. sanctions decision, saying it affects Russian children who used the compounds that have been ordered closed.

"I think it's quite scandalous that they chose to go after our kids," Churkin said. "They know full well that those two facilities which they mention in their notes, they are vacation facilities for our kids. And this is Christmastime. This is vacation time for our schools from the first of January to the 10th of January. This is the time when the kids go to those two facilities. So to block our access to them just while the holidays were starting, you know, to me was rather cynical of them. So here go their family values," he added.

Putin, for his part, has invited all children of U.S. diplomats accredited in Russia to holiday parties at the Kremlin.

Not the end

A senior White House official said Thursday's publicly announced actions are not the end of the American response. He said other measures will be taken but not made public.

The official said there has been no debate within the Obama administration over whether Russia indeed interfered in the presidential election, primarily by hacking Democratic party emails to harm the campaign of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and boost Trump's chances of winning the November 8 election.

The official said the White House believes Russia is going to try to interfere in elections in other countries.

Obama also said he has no reason to believe Russia will not try the same thing again in future U.S. contests. The next major American election will be in 2018, for the entire House of Representatives and a number of Senate seats.

Send a signal

Trump has made no secret of his desire for better ties with Moscow.

But Emma Ashford, a foreign policy expert from the Cato Institute, told VOA that Trump would face a lot of opposition from Congress if he tries to undo the sanctions.

"Part of why this has been so difficult for the Obama administration is they were also trying to find something that Trump could not on his first day in office undo," Ashford said.

She added that the Obama administration must "try to send a signal that no matter what Donald Trump might say about how much he likes Vladimir Putin and how we're going to improve relations with Russia, that there has to be some sort of penalty for what the Russians tried to do in the election."

A State Department official said Thursday that reversing Obama's orders would be "inadvisable," adding that it makes no sense to invite Russian intelligence officials back into the United States.

Some political analysts note Russian officials and state media are raising expectations for Trump, whose own Republican Party leaders supported U.S. sanctions and continued tough action against Moscow.

Trump is in a very tough position, according to Pavel Sharikov, of the Russian Academy of Science Institute for U.S. & Canada Studies.

"Since Russians still deny that they have anything to do with this hacking, they should suggest to the Trump administration full cooperation in [the] investigation [of] these hacking incidents and punishing whoever did this," said Sharikov.

Thirty-five is the second-largest number of Russian diplomats ordered out of the United States at one time since the end of the Cold War. President George W. Bush expelled 50 Russians in March 2001 for alleged spying. President Ronald Reagan deported a total of 80 Russian diplomats also suspected of spying during the fading years of the Cold War in 1986.

On the streets of Moscow Friday, Russians lamented the idea of tit-for-tat sanctions with the U.S. "We need to make the opposite  not to separate our people, but to unite them," said a woman giving only her first name as Yulia.

"I think that all the politics problems will be resolved and we will come to understanding," said a woman who also gave only her first name, Dasha. "I want the people from Russia and America to be friends."

Elizabeth Cherneff and Candace Williams contributed to this report.

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European states must stop backing Syria terrorists: Assad

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:35PM

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has called on European states to stop their support for Takfiri terrorists and recognize the Syrian nation's right to decide its own fate.

Assad made the remarks in a meeting with a joint delegation, comprising Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and members of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, in Damascus on Thursday, official SANA news agency reported.

If the European countries want to help Syrian people, they must first stop supporting terrorists and lift the unjust blockade, which affects the basics of Syrians' life, he said.

The Syrian head of state also urged European officials to recognize that the solution to the crisis in the country is only in the hands of the Syrian people.

President Assad further called on Western officials to admit that the terrorist attacks taking place in their countries are a result of their wrong policies.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Syrian president called for eliminating Wahhabism, promoted by Saudi Arabia, saying such a move is needed for the success of any anti-terror operation.

He also hailed Russia's support for Syria, saying it is not only defending the Syrians' security, but is also ensuring the security of Russians and Europeans.

Members of the delegation, for their part, stressed that their trip was aimed at witnessing the realities on the ground in Syria and expressing solidarity with the Syrian people in the war against terrorism.

They further congratulated Syrians on their recent victory in the flashpoint city of Aleppo and rejected any foreign interference in Syria's domestic affairs.

On December 22, the Syrian army announced full control over Aleppo and called it a "crushing blow" for terrorists.

It came after the last remaining Takfriri elements were evacuated from the city along with civilians under a ceasefire deal mediated by Ankara and Moscow.

Over the past almost six years, Syria has been hit by militancy it blames on some Western states and their regional allies.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that more than 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian crisis. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

Takfirism, which is trademark of some terrorist groups operating in Syria, is believed to be largely influenced by Wahhabism.

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Russia jets conduct anti-terror airstrikes in Syria's al-Bab: Dogan

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 4:1PM

For the first time since launching its anti-terror aerial campaign in Syria, Russian warplanes have reportedly hit Daesh targets around the city of al-Bab, where Turkey and its allied militants are allegedly fighting the terrorist group.

On Thursday, Turkey's Dogan news agency quoted military sources as saying that the Russian air raids took place on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the "strikes suspected to be Russian" had been hitting al-Bab for the last two days "in support of the Turkish operation."

However, there was no official confirmation of the strikes.

Moscow launched its campaign against Daesh and other terror outfits in Syria at the Damascus government's request in September 2015. Wednesday's air raids were the first such strikes targeting al-Bab.

Turkey also began a major military intervention in Syria in August, sending tanks and warplanes across the border, in a move denounced by Damascus as a breach of its sovereignty.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the operation, dubbed "Euphrates Shield," was aimed at "terror groups" such as Daesh and the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a US-backed Kurdish group based in Syria.

However, the Turkish offensive has left a large number of civilian fatalities in al-Bab and elsewhere in Syria, without scoring any major victory against Daesh terrorists.

Ankara and Moscow have long been at odds over the conflict in Syria, where Russia supports the government of President Bashar al-Assad and Turkey backs anti-Damascus militants.

Russian embassy under fresh attack

In another development, the Russian embassy in Damascus was hit by mortar shell, the third such assault since Wednesday. No casualties were reported due to the attack.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova slammed the shelling as a provocation aimed at derailing the latest diplomatic process on the conflict in Syria.

Moscow and Ankara have recently brokered a nationwide truce deal between Damascus and the foreign-backed opposition. The deal, which will take effect at midnight, excludes the Takfiri Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terror groups and their affiliates.

Syrian army makes gains

In another development on Thursday, the Syrian army managed to advance on the village of Hazrama in the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta.

Syrian forces killed and wounded several Takfiri militants with Jaysh al-Islam, which is in control of the village.

Elsewhere in Dara'a province, the Syrian troops killed a number of terrorist ringleaders and downed a radio-controlled airplane operated by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militant group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front.

Another Syrian army unit also destroyed a vehicle belonging to Daesh terrorists in the suburbs of the Qaryatayn town in Homs Province, leaving six terrorists dead.

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Syrian army announces halt to fighting by midnight

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 11:49AM

The Syrian military has announced a nationwide halt to fighting starting at midnight, in a move that could promote the diplomatic efforts aimed at ending years of Takfiri violence in the Arab state.

In a statement carried by Syrian state news agency SANA, the Syrian army said the ceasefire, which will come into effect at 0000 GMT on December 30, does not include the Takfiri Daesh and Fateh al-Sham terror groups as well as their affiliates.

"The Army and the Armed Forces General Command on Thursday declared a comprehensive cessation of hostilities across all the territories of the Syrian Arab Republic starting at 00:00 on 30/12/2016 in the wake of the victories and advances achieved by the Syrian armed forces on more than a front," read the statement.

"The ceasefire comes with the aim of creating suitable circumstances for supporting the political track of the crisis in Syria," it added.

'Real chance to end bloodshed'

Later in the day, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem hailed the ceasefire deal as a "real opportunity" for a political settlement of the deadly crisis plaguing his country since early 2011.

"It is the duty of the factions (militant groups) who have signed it to distance themselves from, and declare that they are not linked to the Nusra Front or Daesh," he said in an interview broadcast live on state TV.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Damascus and foreign-backed militant groups had reached a truce deal brokered by Moscow and Ankara.

Putin said the agreement would be followed by peace talks between the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the foreign-backed opposition.

The Russian president also announced Moscow is set to scale down its military presence in Syria following the cessation of hostilities.

"I agree with the proposal from the Defense Ministry for the reduction of our military presence in Syria," Putin said in televised comments.

Moscow will continue supporting Assad and "fighting international terrorism in Syria," he said, adding that the Russian military will maintain its presence at an air base in Syria's Latakia Province and the naval facility in the port city of Tartus.

The Russian head of state also said the agreement is the result of joint efforts by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

"We know that only recently there was a trilateral meeting in Moscow of the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Iran, where all of the nations made obligations not only to control, but also to act as guarantors of the peace process in Syria," Putin said.

Putin further said he would contact his Iranian and Turkish counterparts to discuss further steps in the Syrian peace process.

Kremlin: Assad ready to observe ceasefire

Later on Thursday, the Kremlin issues a statement noting that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has called his Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that he was ready to observe ceasefire agreement in the Arab country, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

The statement added that Putin and Assad had agreed that the opening of Syria peace talks in Kazakhstan would be "an important step towards the ultimate resolution of the crisis."

Syrian opposition backs ceasefire

Meanwhile, the so-called National Coalition, Syria's main opposition bloc based in Turkey, said it backed the nationwide ceasefire.

"The National Coalition expresses support for the agreement and urges all parties to abide by it," said the coalition spokesman, Ahmed Ramadan.

In another statement, the so-called Free Syrian Army militant group said the nationwide truce does not include Daesh or the Kurdish militias with the US-backed People's Protection Units, better known as YPG.

The countrywide ceasefire came one week after the Syrian army announced full control over Aleppo when the last remaining militants were evacuated along with civilians from the eastern sector of city under a truce deal mediated by Ankara and Moscow.

Turkey: Ankara, Moscow guarantors of Syria ceasefire

Separately, Turkey's Foreign Ministry welcomed the truce, saying Ankara and Moscow will act as guarantors of the ceasefire in Syria.

"With this agreement, parties have agreed to cease all armed attacks, including aerial, and have promised not to expand the areas they control against each other," the ministry said in a statement.

At the end of the December 20 trilateral meeting in Moscow, foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey issued a joint statement on the Syrian issue, in which they emphasized the need for expanding the Aleppo truce.

The three sides expressed "readiness to facilitate and become the guarantors of the prospective agreement being negotiated between the Syrian government and the opposition."

Erdogan: Syria truce "historic opportunity"

Commenting on the truce, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the deal is a "historic opportunity" to end the Syria conflict, which should not go to waste.

"We have an opportunity to stop the bloodshed in Syria with a political solution. We must not squander this chance. This is a historical chance, this window of opportunity should not be wasted," added the Turkish leader.

Earlier in the day, Erdogan held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart on the ceasefire before it enters into force at midnight, his spokesman said in a statement.

According to the statement, the two sides further held talks on the upcoming peace talks on Syria, which will take place in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Zarif, Lavrov discuss Syria truce

In another development on the diplomatic stage, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, over the Syria truce deal.

During the talks, the two top diplomats welcomed the Syria-wide ceasefire and stressed the need for keeping up the fight against Daesh and terrorists with the former al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, now re-branded as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, as well as their allies.

Zarif and Lavrov also agreed for Tehran and Moscow to hold constant consultations in preparation for the upcoming Astana peace talks.

Syria truce 'prelude to peace talks'

In a relevant development on Thursday, the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, issued a statement welcoming the announcement of the deal as a prelude to the upcoming UN-backed talks in Astana, expressing hope that the achievement would facilitate aid delivery to Syrian civilians and lead to fruitful discussions in the Kazakh capital.

"These developments should (also) contribute to inclusive and productive intra-Syrian negotiations to be convened under UN auspices on 8 February, 2017," De Mistura's spokeswoman said in a statement.

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Putin Says Syria Cease-Fire Deal Signed, Russia And Turkey 'Guarantors'

RFE/RL December 29, 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Syrian government and its opponents have signed an agreement on a nationwide cease-fire and a declaration expressing willingness to begin peace talks.

Putin said on December 29 that a document outlining measures to implement the cease-fire was also signed.

The truce due to take effect at midnight local time would be the first nationwide halt in fighting since a weeklong cease-fire in September that collapsed after several incidents of violence.

The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition, a major Syrian opposition group, confirmed its support for the truce.

The Syrian Army also confirmed the planned nationwide halt to fighting.

"It has just been reported that an event occurred several hours ago that we had not just waited a long time for but have worked to speed up. Three documents have been signed," Putin said in televised remarks at a meeting with his foreign and defense ministers.

He said that that "all the agreements that have been reached are very fragile and require special attention and patience, a professional approach toward these issues, and constant contact with our partners."

The announcement came days after forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government took full control of the northern city of Aleppo, forcing out rebels who had held the eastern part of the city since 2012. The key victory for Assad followed an intense offensive that drew condemnation from Western governments, human rights groups, and Syrian activists.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia and Turkey would be "guarantors" of the cease-fire in Syria. He said the cease-fire included more than 60,000 rebels and that "these groups control most of central and northern Syria."

The AFP news agency quoted a spokesman for the National Coalition, Ahmed Ramadan, as saying the group "expresses support for the agreement and urges all parties to abide by it."

Ramadan said that key rebel groups including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham and Army of Islam factions had signed the cease-fire deal, though there was no immediate confirmation from rebel officials.

Russia To Continue 'Fighting Terrorism'

The Syrian Army said the cease-fire did not apply to combat against the extremist group Islamic State (IS) and the Al-Nusra Front, which now calls itself the Fateh al-Sham Front and says it is no longer affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

A spokesman for the Free Syrian Army, Osama Abu Zaid, said the agreement also excluded the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia and that the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing would not be part of the upcoming talks to be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

That aspect of the deal was a direct concession to Turkey, which fears that a stronger Kurdish fighting force in Syria will further embolden Turkish Kurds.

Ankara supports the Free Syrian Army, a loose alliance of moderate rebel factions, some of which it is backing in operations in northern Syria designed to sweep IS and Syrian Kurdish fighters from its southern border.

Putin said that the Russian military would scale down its presence in Syria, but he didn't say how many troops and weapons would be withdrawn.

Putin said Russia will continue "fighting international terrorism in Syria" and supporting Assad's government.

The Russian military will maintain its presence at both an air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia and the naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus, Putin added.

Putin spoke hours after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey and Russia had prepared a cease-fire agreement and a document outlining a political solution to the conflict. He did not say where the agreements had been signed.

Russia and Turkey have backed opposing sides in the war, which has killed more than 250,000 people in Syria since it erupted following a deadly government crackdown on pro-democracy protests in March 2011.

Moscow has given crucial diplomatic and military support to Assad and helped avert his government's possible defeat by launching a campaign of air strikes in September 2015, while Turkey has supported rebels seeking Assad's ouster.

However, Ankara and Moscow have started to cooperate more closely on Syria in recent months.

Last week, Putin said that Turkey, Russia, and Iran were expected to take part in proposed peace talks to be hosted by Kazakhstan.

A few hours after Putin's announcement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said he and Putin discussed the cease-fire and the planned talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, during a telephone conversation on December 29.

Erdogan later told a news conference in Ankara that the cease-fire was a historic opportunity to end the conflict.

"This is a window of opportunity that has been opened and should not be squandered," he said.

"The fight against terror groups, including [Islamic State], will continue with determination until the security of our citizens is assured," he said.

During the meeting with Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on December 29 that Egypt will be invited to join the process and that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan could eventually join as well.

Lavrov also said he hopes that after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, his administration "will also join the efforts in order to channel this work in one direction based on friendly and collective cooperation."

President Barack Obama's administration worked closely with Russia in efforts to end the fighting in Syria, where it leads a coalition combating IS militants and has accused Moscow of failing to deliver on previous cease-fire agreements.

The deal comes after a localized truce, also brokered by Russia and Turkey, that set the stage for the removal of civilians and rebels from the eastern part of Aleppo earlier this month.

Putin's announcement also came amid expectation that Obama's administration will impose new sanctions on Russia over allegations that it hacked and leaked e-mails of Democratic Party organizations and operatives.

The CIA has concluded that effort was an attempt to help Trump -- who has said he would seek to improve badly strained relations with Moscow -- defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election.

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-russia-syria- cease-fire/28203509.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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The Elko Daily Free Press is counting down the days until marijuana is legal in Nevada by answering questions concerning the law.

Q: How will recreational marijuana impact Nevadas youth?

Though the impact locally will be difficult to predict, data from other states suggest that recreational marijuana often finds itself in the hands of underage users.

No one under the age of 21 will be able to purchase the drug, but numbers gathered by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area state that marijuana usage is up 20 percent in Colorado in children aged 12-17 since they legalized it in 2014.

Their data also shows 12-17 year olds using marijuana at a higher rate in Colorado than anywhere else in the country.

PACE Director Laura Oslund is concerned that the numbers in Colorado and other states that allow recreational marijuana could spell trouble for Nevada and Elko County.

If you look at Colorado, Washington and Oregon were going to have more youth use, she said. Were going to have more poisonings.

Oslund also argues that giving access to marijuana, especially at a young age, will encourage users to seek highs from other drugs.

Barbra Caskey from the Vitality Clinic also warns that students who start using the drug at a young age could have their academics negatively impacted.

Our brain is not fully developed until were about 28 or 29 years old, she said. If our basic ability to learn how to problem solve or attend to school matters or other things that require concentration is based on a time frame in which a substance was interfering with that ability to grow and develop, then as an adult were going to have less effective problem-solving skills.

However, not all the data indicates youth will be negatively impacted by recreational marijuana.

The Colorado Department of Public Health indicated that 21.2 percent of high school students in the state had used marijuana in 2015, which is down from 22 percent in 2011.
Putin, Assad Discuss Syrian Ceasefire, Astana Talks in Phone Call

Sputnik News

21:06 29.12.2016(updated 21:13 29.12.2016)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad "praised agreements on nationwide ceasefire and the transition to the political process, which have been mediated by Russia and Turkey," according to the Kremlin press service.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad discussed in a phone call on Thursday recent agreements on nationwide truce and transition to peace process in war-torn Syria, the Kremlin said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Russian and Syrian leaders "praised agreements on nationwide ceasefire and the transition to the political process, which have been mediated by Russia and Turkey."

"The Syrian leader expressed readiness to honor these agreements," the statement said.

Putin and Assad also agreed that the launch of intra-Syrian talks in Kazakh capital, Astana, "could be an important step towards the resolution of the Syrian crisis," the document added.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Democratic Front Unites Internal Opposition Groups, Including Kurds

Sputnik News

15:42 29.12.2016

The newly-created Syrian Democratic Front consists of various political irgranizations, including Committee for National Democratic Action in Syria, the Syria National Dialogue Committee and a Kurdish group, according to the Front's spokeswoman Mais Krydee.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The newly-created Syrian Democratic Front unites broad forces of the internal opposition and Kurdish groups, the Front's spokeswoman Mais Krydee told Sputnik on Thursday.

The establishment of the Syrian Democratic Front was announced on Monday.

"This front includes many forces, and it is now the most important group uniting the internal opposition representatives," Krydee said.

"It consists of the Committee for National Democratic Action in Syria [political entity made up of left-wing parties and business community], the Syria National Dialogue Committee with its four parties [the National Party, the Party of National Youth for Justice, National Syrian Kurd Coalition, Syrian National-Social Party] and a Kurdish group," she explained.

Mahmoud Marai, the secretary general of the group, said earlier in the day the Syrian Democratic Front was ready to take part in peace talks on Syrian reconciliation in Astana.

On December 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone call the possibility of a meeting in Astana between the parties to the Syrian conflict with Russia, Iran and Turkey as potential mediators.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for such talks in the Kazakh capital.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Command Announces Full Nationwide Ceasefire Starting Friday

Sputnik News

14:57 29.12.2016(updated 15:12 29.12.2016)

'Following the victories and successes' of the Syrian goverment forces, the army command declares a nationwide ceasefire in the country.

BEIRUT (Sputnik)  Syrian government forces are ending combat operations throughout the Arab republic on Friday, the Syrian Army command said Thursday.

"Following the victories and successes of our armed forces in a number of areas, the Syrian army command announced the full ceasefire throughout the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic," the command said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups have reached an agreement on a ceasefire on Syrian territory and on readiness to start peace talks.

"It was just reported that today, a few hours ago, an event occurred which we have not just been waiting for, for a long time, but which we've worked hard to bring about. Three documents have been signed," Putin said.

"The first document [is an agreement signed] between the Syrian government and the armed opposition regarding the ceasefire in the Syrian Arab Republic," he said.

"The second document is a set of measures to monitor the ceasefire arrangement, and the third document is a statement of readiness to start peace negotiations on the Syrian settlement," Putin said at a meeting with the foreign and defense ministers.

He added that the agreements on Syria are fragile, and require special attention and patience, as well as constant contact with partners.

 Sputnik

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Turkey's Role in Syria Cease-fire Raises Questions

By Dorian Jones December 29, 2016

Turkey and Russia negotiated intensely throughout December to reach a deal on a cease-fire in Syria. But the two countries still back opposite sides in the fight, which raises questions for Ankara's role in reaching a lasting peace agreement.

"The cease-fire an important step to resolve the Syrian conflict," Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Thursday. His statement said the Russian and Turkish presidents spoke Thursday to discuss the cease-fire and next month's planned Syrian peace conference in Kazakhstan.

Kalin confirmed reports that since early December Turkey had facilitated talks between Syrian rebel groups and Russian officials in Ankara.

Some political analysts in Turkey say the fact that Russia and Turkey have backed opposite sides in the war could offer the biggest chance that the cease-fire will succeed where other initiatives have failed.

"They are representing the two opposing sides in the Syrian civil war and they are negotiating," notes political columnist Semih Idiz of the Al Monitor web site. "This is why this may give help and credibility to this process. So anything they agree has some credibility."

The Turkish foreign ministry has said it will work with Russia to support and monitor the cease-fire.

Opposite sides on Assad

Moscow is the main military backer of Syrian President Bashar al Assad and has considerable leverage over his government. Analysts say Russian support was decisive in turning the tide of the war in Damascus's favor.

Ankara, however, has been the most important supporter of the rebels, not only with aid, but also providing their main supply route.

Ankara is still at loggerheads with Moscow over the future role of Syria's President Assad. The Turkish Foreign Minister has reaffirmed Turkey's call that Assad must be removed as part of any peace agreement. Both Moscow and Tehran reject the demand.

Questions remain over how far Ankara's influence extends in the conflict. "Turkey is speaking for the Free Syrian Army, and groups fighting for it," observes columnist Idiz. "But can Turkey can speak for all the groups that make up the conflict in Syria at the moment, that is going to be one of main problems. And then there are lot of proxy wars going on in Syria at the moment."

Seeking cooperation

Turkey has acknowledged that all the countries with influence on combatant groups in Syria must cooperate to secure the cease-fire. To help achieve that, this week Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks with Qatar, another key backer of the Syrian rebels.

Cavusoglu on Wednesday also called on Tehran to use its influence with Shi'ite militias operating in Syria. The foreign minister has pushed for the militias to leave Syria, which some regional analysts suggest is controversial. Tehran and Ankara are increasingly accusing one another of pursing sectarian policies in the region.

The cease-fire agreement does not include U.N.-designated terrorist groups. The Turkish foreign minister says both Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al- Sham, formally called al-Nusra, will continue to be subject to attacks. But local media report some Syrian rebel groups claim only IS will be targeted.

The cease-fire does not appear to address whether Turkey's military incursion into Syria, operation "Euphrates Shield," will continue to target the Syrian Kurdish rebel group, the YPG. Ankara calls the YPG terrorists, a stance the United Nations does not back.

But Ankara says the YPG is an affiliate of the PKK, which the U.N. does consider a terrorist group. The YPG rejects that claim, as do most of Ankara's Western allies. Turkey's government hasn't yet said what it plans for its its Syria campaign.

Despite the questions, there appears to be powerful momentum behind the process. "This is a last ditch effort, people are looking to see if it provides a result, although this will be harder than thought," says columnist Idiz.

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Fate of Syria Cease-fire Unclear

By Jamie Dettmer December 29, 2016

Much remains unclear about the nationwide Syrian cease-fire Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday  a truce that Moscow says can pave the way for Russian-brokered talks on a settlement of the five-year-long war.

But Turkey's participation gives the cease-fire proposal added significance, say Western diplomats, who have been sidelined by the proposal. Ankara can do much to strangle rebel militias that break the cease-fire, having the ability to block arms resupplies crossing its border.

The Syrian National Coalition, the main Western- and Gulf-backed political opposition group, said it would abide by the truce but warned it would respond to cease-fire violations.

The coalition issued a formal statement later Thursday, saying it could count "on all parties to work to ensure the success of the cease-fire agreement and to abide by its terms." But the coalition warned that it feared "Iran will attempt to undermine the agreement as it seeks to further escalate the violence in Syria."

It added: "The coalition confirms that the FSA groups will abide by the cease-fire agreement, but will reserve the right to respond to any violations by regime forces and the Iranian militias who violated all previous cease-fire agreements."

Abiding groups

Russian officials released a list of rebel groups that have so far signed on to the cease-fire deal. They include Faylaq al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam, Thuwwar Ahl al-Sham, Jaysh al-Mujahidin, Jaysh Idlib and Al-Jabhah al-Shamiyah. Their apparent agreement is testimony to Turkish influence.

"The big difference is the role of Turkey," said a Western diplomat based in Ankara.

He and other diplomats say the latest development is part of an unfolding process that has Moscow, Ankara and Tehran increasingly working to plot a mutually beneficial end to the war that could see Syria, in effect, diced into separate zones of influence, although Russian officials insisted Thursday there will be no partitioning of the war-ravaged country.

It was deal-making between Russia and Turkey that cleared the way for the final evacuation of rebel fighters and civilians from eastern Aleppo earlier this month. Moscow and Ankara agreed to several cease-fires that failed, but a final one held, allowing the completion of evacuations of tens of thousands from the city's eastern neighborhoods.

Iran and Russia share an interest in ensuring the survival of Assad regime, a long-term ally of both Moscow and Tehran. For Turkey, the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad has taken a back seat to blocking the emergence of a Kurdish state in northern Syria, the very existence of which would encourage Kurdish separatists in Turkey itself, fear Turkish officials.

"As is known, we have long been working hard to launch negotiations between the regime and the opposition for a comprehensive political resolution of the conflict, to cease violence and to provide humanitarian aid. As a result of our efforts, an agreement between fighting parties in Syria to begin a cease-fire as of 00.00 on Dec. 30, 2016, has been reached. We welcome this development," Turkey's Foreign Ministry declared in a written statement released Thursday.

Geographical considerations

The agreement stipulates the cessation of all armed attacks, including airstrikes. No group  including the Syrian regime  should try to make territorial gains.

"Groups deemed terror organizations by the U.N. Security Council are excluded from this agreement," Turkey's Foreign Ministry stated, adding that Turkey and Russia would act as joint guarantors overseeing the cease-fire. The deal, in effect, would exclude the Islamic State terror group and al-Qaida-linked Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the armed group formerly known as the al-Nusra Front.

There also are exclusions of certain geographical areas. Labib Nahhas, a spokesman for Ahrar al-Sham, a powerful Islamist rebel group, told the AFP news agency, "Russia wants to exclude Eastern Ghouta from the cease-fire, which is not acceptable." Eastern Ghouta is a rebel-held suburb of Damascus.

Leaders of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army say Russia also is insisting on the exclusion from the cease-fire of rebel-held Douma, 10 kilometers northeast of the Syrian capital, Damascus.

The exclusions are prompting rebel leaders to complain that Moscow and the Assad regime are gerrymandering the map, excluding areas they want to move on while prohibiting' rebels from trying to seize territory important to them.

"The agreements reached are, of course, fragile, need a special attention and involvement," Putin acknowledged Thursday when announcing the truce. One key challenge will rest in persuading foreign Shi'ite militias, including Hezbollah, the Lebanese movement, to observe the truce.

Remaining issues

On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for Hezbollah to be withdrawn from Syria altogether, though analysts say it is unlikely Hezbollah commanders will want to withdraw their forces from the strategic mountainous Qalamoun region running adjacent to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley.

Another major challenge for the fate of the cease-fire will rest with the course of any subsequent peace talks. Turkey says it backs political negotiations between the regime and opposition groups in Astana in mid-January. But Turkish officials say they will not sit at a table with Assad's representatives or discuss anything directly with them. The Turks say they still don't believe a political transition can occur while Assad remains in power.

"We have not negotiated the al-Assad issue," Cavusoglu said. He indicated for now that to ensure a cease-fire takes hold, Ankara is prepared to leave aside Assad's future. Another wrinkle could well come with Ankara's insistence that the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, be excluded from proposed peace talks in Astana.

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Nationwide Syrian Cease-fire Begins

By VOA News December 29, 2016

Reports from Syria say violent clashes broke out less than two hours after the start of a nationwide cease-fire that began at midnight Friday, local time.

The deal includes the Syrian government and several rebel groups, but not certain Islamist groups. That arrangement follows suit with previous halts in fighting.

The monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, said Friday that rebels violated the cease-fire by taking over territory in the province of Hama.

But Mohammed Rasheed, a spokesman for the Jaish al-Nasr rebel group, told Reuters news service that government forces violated the deal by shelling areas in Idlib province, which borders Hama.

Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey, which supports rebel groups, have said they would guarantee the truce, which came after Turkey, Syria and Russia last week said they were ready to broker a peace deal in the six-year war.

The cease-fire was expected to be followed by renewed peace talks next month in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called the cease-fire proposal fragile but said it had the support of the Syrian government and the "main forces of the armed opposition."

"The agreements that have been reached are of course fragile and need special attention and accompaniment for them to be preserved and developed. But nevertheless it's a notable result of our joint work," Putin told a meeting of government ministers.

Reactions

There are dozens of groups fighting in Syria, and it was not immediately clear which of them had agreed to halt hostilities.

Syria's main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, confirmed it would abide by the truce but told The Associated Press it would retaliate if attacked.

Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam, two Islamist rebel groups, also joined the cease-fire, according to a statement by Russia's Defense Ministry.

But the Free Syrian Army, a loose alliance of rebel groups supported by Ankara and Washington, said the truce did not include the Islamic State group or the Kurdish YPG militia.

"My answer is clear. This agreement is between the opposition and the regime. That means the cease-fire is between the regime and the opposition," said Osama Abu Zaid, a spokesman for the FSA.

The U.N. Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, praised the cease-fire. In a statement, he said the deal would "save civilian lives, facilitate the delivery humanitarian assistance across Syria and pave the way for productive talks in Astana."

There have been three previous attempts to secure a nationwide cease-fire in Syria. The most recent was in September, but it lasted only a little over a week.

Fighting 'likely to continue'

VOA's Moscow correspondent Daniel Schearf said some fighting was likely to continue, regardless of whether most opposition groups agreed to the truce.

"We have to be cautious, of course, because we've seen announcements similar to this in the past, not just with the cease-fire but also with Russia saying it could scale back some of its forces, and then we saw the continued assaults with Russian backing and increased military involvement both in the Mediterranean and in the skies over Syria," Schearf said.

Earlier this month, Moscow and Ankara brokered an agreement for a cease-fire and evacuation of refugees from the rebel enclave in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Last week, the Turkish, Iranian and Russian foreign ministers met in Moscow for talks on Syria.

Russia and Turkey back opposite sides in the Syrian war, but analysts say they have come to recognize each other's importance to resolving the conflict.

"These efforts are significant, but what will really determine their real significance is what results they bear," said political columnist Semih Idiz of the Al Monitor website. "We saw with the evacuation in Aleppo it bore some results. If the cease-fire does work, it will become a very important diplomatic track for Syria."

Ankara and Moscow have stated that terrorist groups will not be covered by any cease-fire. But analysts warn a potential key stumbling block remains over the designation of which rebel groups are considered terrorist organizations.

Earlier this week, Lavrov said Russia, Iran and Turkey had agreed that the priority in Syria was to fight terrorism, not the removal of Assad's government.

Putin said Thursday that he had ordered the Russian military to scale back its deployment in Syria, though he gave no specifics.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Franz Klintsevich, the deputy chairman of the Russian upper chamber's defense and security committee, as saying that Moscow would follow the "as low as reasonably practicable" principle in Syria.

"Not a single serviceman of ours who is unnecessary should remain in Syria," he said.

Russia has been a key player, especially since it launched a military intervention in Syria in 2015 in support of Assad.

The United States is not scheduled to attend next month's peace talks. But Lavrov said the U.S. could join the peace process once President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

Dorian Jones contributed to this report

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Nationwide Ceasefire Takes Effect in Syria

Sputnik News

01:00 30.12.2016(updated 08:40 30.12.2016)

A major agreement between the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad and armed opposition groups was reached on Thursday and supported by Russia, Iran and Turkey as guarantors of the peace process. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the news after emerging as a key peace broker. Last week, foreign ministers from Russia, Iran, and Turkey convened in Moscow to discuss resolutions that could bring peace and stability to the region.

"It was just reported that today, a few hours ago, an event occurred which we have not just been waiting for, for a long time, but which we've worked hard to bring about," Putin said, during a meeting with the Russian Foreign and Defense Ministers on Thursday.

All three parties attending the Moscow talks have vowed to "verify" and "implement" the ceasefire agreement, Putin said. "We realize these agreements are very fragile," he said, requiring "special care and patience" and a continued "professional approach" by Russia and its partners.

The ceasefire will apply to some 62,000 combatants in the region, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said. Turkey, which has backed the opposition groups, and Russia, which has supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, laid the groundwork for a hotline communications channel for the sides to ensure compliance with the ceasefire, Shoigu added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office stated Thursday that the truce represented an "important step to resolve the Syrian conflict.

While the US was notably excluded from the trilateral negotiations in Moscow, the State Department commented Thursday that the Kremlin's deal marked a positive development. "Any effort" that reduces fatalities and "creates the conditions for renewed and productive political negotiations would be welcome," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Thursday.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad told Putin on Thursday that Syrian forces are prepared to observe the ceasefire deal, according to the Kremlin.

The current ceasefire will be followed by a comprehensive peace negotiations, according to reports. Kazakhstan's capital Astana will host a peace conference, with the government of Syria and opposition factions participating, comprising "an important step"in "the ultimate resolution of the crisis," according to a statement by the Kremlin.

The ceasefire agreement arrived in the wake of several "successes achieved by the armed forces," according to the Syrian military. The liberation of Aleppo is seen to have proved a decisive sticking point in motivating opposition militants to work toward peace. The four-year Battle of Aleppo reached its end after President Bashar al Assad's troops drove opposition groups out of east Aleppo. The Syrian people immediately broke out in celebrations spurred by the end of the brutal battle.

It was noted that 13 militant factions agreed to sign the five-point peace agreement, public relations official Osama Abu Zeid said Thursday, speaking in Turkey.

Staffan de Mistura, UN envoy for Syria, noted that "these developments should contribute to inclusive and productive intra-Syrian negotiations to be convened under UN auspices on February 8, 2017."

 Sputnik

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Russian Jets Strike Daesh Positions Near al-Bab to Support Turkish Troops

Sputnik News

22:04 30.12.2016(updated 23:09 30.12.2016)

After brokering a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and opposition rebel groups, Russia bolstered Turkish military operations in the fight against Daesh, with three airstrikes around al-Bab.

Euphrates Shield, a Turkish operation to defend its border from terrorists, received a notable boost from Moscow. Turkish military officials announced that Russian fighter jets eliminated 12 Daesh militants in airstrikes.

The Turkish army and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) are tightening their grip on the Daesh-held city, FSA division commander Taha Atrac told Sputnik Turkey of the progress in the region. The Syrian commander expects al-Bab to be liberated "within the next few days."

One complication stalling efforts to overtake al-Bab is terrorists' use of civilians as human shields, Atrac said. The human rights atrocity of mercilessly using citizens as shields is slowing Euphrates Shield efforts. "Without all these civilians in the town we would have seized the city a long time ago."

Nevertheless, FSA's 1,500 troops have advanced from the north, east, and west of al-Bab, to surround Daesh. The FSA and Turkey must monitor the south, where jihadists can funnel in reinforcements from the Daesh stronghold of Raqqa.

Turkey hopes to secure al-Bab for strategic purposes that extend beyond ousting Daesh, since capturing the city would stop Kurdish forces from claiming the city and unifying their territories.

On Thursday, a ceasefire deal took effect nationwide in Syria, but Daesh was not party to the agreement. Hence, Turkey has looked to Russia and the US-coalition in the region for backup reinforcements in the al-Bab theater. The US has been coy in supporting Turkey as Washington has backed the Kurdish YPG, a group that has long sought to create their own nation, independent of Ankara.

Turkey claims that some 1,171 Daesh fighters and 291 Kurdish troops have been killed since the Euphrates Shield operation began roughly four months ago.

 Sputnik

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Kurds to Be Included in Syrian Gov't If They Lay Down Arms - Ankara

Sputnik News

20:08 30.12.2016(updated 23:09 30.12.2016)

The Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) will participate in the formation of the new government on condition they agree to lay down arms and support Syrian territorial integrity, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  Ankara considers the PYD and its armed wing, the YPG, to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), which has been designated a terrorist group by Turkey as well as the United States.

"The Syria's Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) will not take part in the talks on Syrian settlement in Astana. As for its armed wing, the YPG, if they lay down arms and support the territorial integrity of Syria instead of forming a terrorist canton, they will be included in the country's government. If they do not refuse terrorism we will continue our struggle against them," Cavusoglu told reporters.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups reached an agreement on a ceasefire on Syrian territory, taking effect at 00:00 on Friday. Russia and Turkey took the role of the ceasefire guarantors, but other countries may also be invited, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The Syrian Kurds have been fighting against the Daesh militant group for years and has been controlling several areas of Syria, including Manbij.

On August 24, the Turkish army with the support of US-led coalition aircraft launched the Euphrates Shield operation to clear Jarablus and the surrounding area of Daesh, outlawed in Russia and many other countries. The operation has been widely criticized both by the Syrian Kurds and Damascus accusing Ankara of violating Syria's territorial integrity.

 Sputnik

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Turkish Troops Kill Daesh Military Commander in North Syria

Sputnik News

12:38 30.12.2016

The Turkish Air Force has killed a military commander of Daesh terrorist group in an airstrike conducted in the northern part of Syria, the Turkish General Staff said in a Friday statement.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  The statement added that Daesh had exploded a car in Syria's town of Dabiq that had been liberated from Daesh by the Turkish Armed Forces.

"According to the information received from reliable sources, on Thursday the aerial operation of our Air Force has resulted in the death of one of the major Daesh military commanders in Syria Ebu Husen Tunusi, who has been sent from [Daesh-occupied Syria's] Raqqa to Al Bab," the statement obtained by RIA Novosti said.

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 Daesh. As Jarabulus was retaken, the offensive continued southwest.

The operation has been widely criticized by both the Syrian Kurds and the country's legitimate government, who have accused Turkey of violating Syria's territorial integrity.

 Sputnik

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ELKO  The community of West Wendover is about to receive a $6,519,000 school remodel.

Once the paperwork and bonds are filed the plan is to start Jan. 9 with the intent of having the project completed by mid-August, said Superintendent Jeff Zander.

MGM Construction out of Utah was unanimously awarded the bid Wednesday after they submitted a second time. Ascent Construction also resubmitted their bid but MGM offered a bid of $257,722 less than their first bid and $595,850 less than Ascents second bid. The winning bid is also $455,517 less than the architects original estimate.

The project involves a remodeling of the old West Wendover Grammar School and gymnasium. This is being undertaken to increase physical capacity and to allow a separate facility for students in seventh and eighth grades. Those students and teachers have been sharing the high school.

A brand new West Wendover Grammar School was completed in October and staff is currently moving classroom equipment to the new building. Grammar school students will be starting the New Year in a squeaky-clean, state of the art building that cost $25 million.

During the remodeling of the old grammar school the rooms will be reconfigured to accommodate the older youth. The building will also have a new science lab and heating and cooling system.

The current gym will gain bleachers and locker rooms. The modular units will also be taken away and all students will be housed in the new building.

Its important to note that we have made a significant investment to the community of Wendover, said Zander. Now we will focus on Elko and Spring Creek.
China warns US against allowing Taiwan leader's stopover

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:36PM

Beijing has called on Washington to reject the Taiwanese leader's request to make a stopover in the United States in January and possibly meet the new administration.

China had already given warning to the United States against a change in Washington's decades-long adherence to the "One China" policy and the official recognition of Taiwan as an independent state separate from the mainland.

The US, in 1979, cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, accepting that there is only one China, and Taiwan is part of it.

However, US President-elect Donald Trump recently announced that he did not feel "bound by a 'One China' policy," signaling a major detour in Washington's diplomatic relations with Beijing.

"I think everyone is very clear about the Taiwanese leader's real intentions in passing through the US. We hope the US can abide by the one-China policy  and not let her pass through their border, not give any wrong signals to Taiwan's independence forces," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday.

China's Foreign Ministry has repeatedly warned the White House officials that recognizing Taiwan as an independent state would harm bilateral ties between the two countries.

She further said American interests require Washington to "safeguard overall US-China relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan straits."

Earlier this month, the office of Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said she planned to make a stopover in the US on her way to visit Latin America next month.

Tsai's office said she would visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She will leave Taiwan on January 7 and return on January 15.

Chinese officials are deeply suspicious of anti-Beijing Tsai, whom they believe wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan.

Taiwan media outlets have speculated that Tsai plans to meet Trump's transition team ahead of his January 20 inauguration.

Trump caused political tension between the US and China after he spoke to Tsai on the phone earlier this month.

His move was considered in Beijing as undiplomatic and against decades-long commitment by the US to the "One China" policy.

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Furious China Reiterates Warning to US Over Taiwan President Visit

Sputnik News

22:42 29.12.2016(updated 03:16 30.12.2016)

Despite protests from China, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that President Tsai Ing-wen will stop in the US on her way to a diplomatic trip to Latin America.

The visit will further provoke a China already irritated by a recent telephone call between Tsai and US President-elect Donald Trump, the first such contact between an American and Taiwanese head of state since the administration of President Jimmy Carter.

Since 1979, the US has functioned on the "One China" principle, that holds that Taiwan is a part of China and is therefore incapable of conducting its own diplomatic relations. Beijing still considers Taipei to be a province, and Chinese officials say that Tsai's US visit is a transparent attempt to lobby for the country's full independence.

Increasing tensions between the two countries, a US-deployed research drone was recently intercepted by the Chinese Navy, despite Beijing being made aware that it was US property. Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told The Guardian that, "This looks like signalling from the Chinese in response to Trump's Taiwan callThe Chinese now have much better control over the military, particularly the navy. It is in China's interest to send signals before Trump is inaugurated, so that he gets the message and be more restrained once he is office."

When news of Tsai's planned US visit first broke, Beijing said they hoped that Washington would "not allow her transit, and does not send any wrong signals to 'Taiwan independence' forces."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a briefing, "We hope the U.S. can abide by the 'one China' policyand not let her pass through their border, not give any false signals to Taiwan independence forces, and through concrete actions safeguard overall U.S. China relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan strait."

Tsai's office announced earlier this month that she would make a diplomatic trip to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Ecuador, embarking on January 7 and returning January 15. It has been speculated that Tsai will attempt to meet with Trump ahead of his January 20, 2017, inauguration.

Beijing conducted military drills near Taiwan this week, which some have interpreted as a threat. Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun claimed the activity was routine, but added the Chinese military is prepared to deal with Taiwan, if the necessity arises.

He told reporters, "The military's holding of exercises is beneficial to raising our ability to oppose Taiwan independence and protecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and beneficial to protecting the peaceful development of cross-Taiwan Strait relations and peace and stability there."

Last Tuesday Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the People's Daily, "Going forward, China-US relations will face new complexities and uncertain factors Only if China and the US respect each and give consideration to other's core interests and key concerns can there be long-term, stable cooperation."

 Sputnik

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China Wants Vatican to Mend Fences With Beijing, Ditch Taiwan

Sputnik News

17:40 30.12.2016(updated 17:42 30.12.2016)

China is ready to engage in constructive dialogue with the Vatican and is hopeful that the Holy See will take practical steps to mend fences with Beijing, a senior Chinese official said.

Wang Zuo'an, Director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, made the overture in an address to the participants of China's National Catholic Congress.

Earlier, the Vatican held out hope for a normalization of relations with Beijing following its criticism of the recent ordainment of Catholic priests by Chinese bishop.

In an interview with Sputnik China, Ren Yuanzhe, an expert at China's Diplomatic Academy, underscored the importance of normal relations with the Vatican.

"China and the Vatican are trying to improve bilateral ties and Wang Zuo'an statement is fresh proof of Beijing's dersire to mend fences with the Holy See. In 2014, on his way to South Korea, the Pope sent his best wishes to President Xi Jinping and expressed a strong desire to visit China," he said.

China's Catholic community has been growing fast and Beijing's effort to promote religious freedoms in the country has not been lost on the Vatican.

"That's why China, as a major power, pays so much attention to restoring ties with the Vatican," Ren Yuanzhe said.

While reiterating the two sides' shared desire to seek mutually-acceptable compromises, Wang Zuo'an underscored Beijing's wish to see the Vatican breaking diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognizing the island as part of mainland China.

The Vatican is the only European state that maintains no diplomatic relations with China over the issue of Taiwan.

Lyubov Afonina, an expert with the Institute of the Far East in Moscow, said that the problem of Taiwan in China's relations with the Vatican will be solved when Beijing grants the Pope the right to veto candidacies for Chinese Catholic bishops presented him by Beijing.

Alexei Fenenko, an international relations expert at Moscow State University, believes that Beijing will hardly agree to what could either be seen as its outright defeat or decisive victory.

"It will take time for this mutual interest in resuming ties to mature, otherwise it is not clear why they really need each other," he told Sputnik China.

He added that in 2017 China will be looking for a new chance to mend ties with Europe and Latin America, especially in the face of US pressure that is bound to increase after Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

"Because Latin America is one of the world's few remaining Catholic strongholds and Donald Trump is going to enter the White House, China wants to to play a bigger role in the part of the globe. Hence its desire to improve ties with the Vatican, which Beijing sees as its window on Latin America."

Taiwan too is trying to expand its foothold in predominantly Catholic Latin America.

On January 7 Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen will start a nine-day tour of Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Salvador.

In June she visited Panama and Paraguay, which Taipei fears could eventually give up diplomatic ties with the island in favor of establishing formal relations with mainland China.

 Sputnik

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Turkey: No joint operation with Russia in Syria

Iran Press TV

Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:58AM

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says his country is not involved in any joint military operation with Russia in Syria's northern province of Aleppo.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the A Haber television news network on Thursday, Cavusoglu stated that there is no such offensive in the Syrian city of al-Bab, located 40 kilometers northeast of Aleppo.

On August 24, Turkish troops invaded northern Syria in a bid to support the so-called Free Syrian Army militants and rid the border area of Kurdish militants. The offensive was launched in coordination with the US military.

The incursion was the first major Turkish military intervention in Syria, which drew strong condemnation from the Damascus government for violating the Arab country's sovereignty.

Cavusoglu said Ankara was working with Moscow to establish a ceasefire in Syria before the end of the current year.

"We are on the verge of an agreement with Russia. If everything goes alright, we will make this agreement. Russia will be the guarantor" of the Syrian government, he said.

Cavusoglu also criticized the United States government for providing weapons to Kurdish militants in Syria.

"The coalition, which the US is in, has not been giving aerial support to our Euphrates Shield operation since a particular time-frame. The US is providing arms to the YPG and PYD," he said, referring to the two main Kurdish groups.

Turkey is said to be among the main supporters of militant groups in Syria and stands accused of training and arming Takfiri elements in Syria and facilitating their passage into the country.

However, a series of bombings claimed by Takfiri groups inside Turkey have apparently forced the country to step up cooperation with Russia which is helping the Syrian government in its fight against terrorists.

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Five senior PKK figures detained in southern Turkey: Interior Ministry

Iran Press TV

Fri Dec 30, 2016 1:51PM

The Turkish Interior Ministry says at least five high-profile figures of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been arrested during a series of counter-terrorism operations against the militant group as well as its affiliate, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), in the southern part of the country.

A Ministry source, requesting not to be named, said the five were arrested in the southeastern provinces of Sanliurfa and Diyarbakir in addition to the Mediterranean southwestern province of Antalya.

They were charged with establishing, controlling and and membership in a terrorist group.

One of the detainees, identified only by the initials H.A., reportedly worked in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on the border with Turkey for Hawar News Agency (ANHA).

Two others, who went by the initials S.A. and E.A., met and held talks with top terrorists at PKK positions in Mount Qandil in the far-flung mountains of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

A shaky ceasefire between the PKK, which has been calling for an autonomous Kurdish region since 1984, and the Turkish government collapsed in July 2015. Attacks on Turkish security forces have soared ever since.

Over the past few months, Turkish ground and air forces have been carrying out operations against the PKK positions in the country's troubled southeastern border region as well as northern Iraq and Syria.



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Turkey Troops Killed Some 1,170 Daesh Fighters During Euphrates Shield Operation

Sputnik News

12:01 30.12.2016

Turkish forces have killed 1,171 fighters from the Daesh jihadist group, as well as 291 militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) since the beginning of the Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria in August, the Turkish General Staff said in a Friday statement.

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 Daesh area, of a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries. As Jarabulus was retaken, the joint forces of Ankara, the coalition and Syrian rebels continued the offensive southwest.

"Since the beginning of the Operation Euphrates Shield 1,294 Daesh terrorists have been neutralized: 1,171 killed, 117 wounded, and six more captured. At the same time, 306 militants of Syrian Kurds' self-defense forces  the Kurdistan Workers' Party: 291 was killed, four injured and 11 surrendered," the statement said.

The statement added that the Turkish Air Force had also destroyed 883 terrorist targets in the operation.

 Sputnik

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Ukrainians Reflect Bitterly On 'Betrayed Hopes' Of Euromaidan

Christopher Miller December 29, 2016

KYIV -- Between classes in Kolkata, India, 17-year-old Svyatoslav Yurash was glued to a video stream of almost a million of his compatriots rallying in Ukraine's capital when he decided to join the protest that would soon swell into a revolt.

The night before in Kyiv -- on November 30, 2013 -- hundreds of demonstrators, most of them students, had been bludgeoned by riot police. The idealistic Yurash couldn't stand by any longer. He flew home and rushed to Independence Square -- better known as simply the Maidan. Soon, he would launch the influential Euromaidan PR agency that amplified voices from the barricades in half a dozen or so languages across almost as many platforms.

Out on the Maidan, the "loss of hope" that had driven Yurash out of Ukraine after the 2010 election victory of pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych faded. As he and his fellow protesters pressed their case for closer ties to the West and greater transparency, fighting back the ranks of riot police, passion swelled within him. He sensed that his country was finally on the right track, which for him meant the path toward Europe as a thriving new democracy and away from Russia's smothering sphere of influence.

Three years later, that passion has turned to frustration.

Yanukovych might be in Russian exile, but many of Ukraine's would-be revolutionaries say they are disillusioned by the lack of progress and complain that the country is now dangerously close to being rerouted from the European track set out by the uprising.

The past year has seen the collapse of the second postrevolutionary government and the departure of a number of reform-minded ministers and other officials. For the most part, they have been replaced by old-guard politicians -- including some with close ties to the president, Petro Poroshenko -- who critics say have resumed the opaque ways of Ukrainian politics.

"The post-Maidan leadership has betrayed our hope for rebuilding Ukraine anew," Yurash, now 20, tells RFE/RL. "These people kept the country together, but there has been little desire to change. Instead, they've worked in the usual corrupt way."

Indeed, corruption remains rampant in Ukraine. Moreover, prosecutors have failed to bring current or former senior officials to justice for serious crimes, including the killings of more than 100 protesters during the unrest.

And Ukraine's economy is still reeling from the 2014 chaos and subsequent conflicts with Russia and Russia-backed separatists. Its currency, the hryvnya, has plunged to historic lows. Some three-quarters of Ukrainians, who make just $200 a month on average, consider themselves poor; almost 82 percent think their lives are worse since the revolution, according to recent surveys.

Meanwhile, the passionate idealism that drove many Euromaidan demonstrators to hit the streets three years ago might have ebbed; only around 1 in 4 Ukrainians in a fresh study by pollster SOCIS expressed a willingness to participate in Euromaidan today. But the perception remains that something is amiss; nearly half of respondents in the same poll think such a protest is "likely" or "very likely" in the first half of 2017.

Chants of "Bandits out!" and "Shame!" -- popularized during the 2013-14 uprising -- are again being shouted during street protests aimed at the government and president. More than 1,000 demonstrators at a Ukrainian Federation of Trade Unions rally in front of Ukraine's parliament on December 8 chided lawmakers, saying they should be ashamed of themselves for not doing more to increase social benefits for workers as utility costs rise. Members of far-right groups returned to Independence Square on November 21, the anniversary of the start of the uprising, to demand the resignation of Ukraine's "criminal" leadership. Kyiv, which has been ground zero for two revolutions in 12 years, has been rife for months with talk of a third revolt.

"I have a strong feeling that if you leave everything as it is, awaiting us is a counterrevolution," Mustafa Nayyem, a former journalist turned lawmaker whose Facebook post on November 21, 2013, is widely viewed as the catalyst for Euromaidan, as the movement came to be called, wrote on that same social media platform on its third anniversary.

Many Ukrainians have placed the blame for the slow pace of progress on one person in particular: President Poroshenko. Several embittered reformers who have quit government accuse him and his perceived cronies of blocking their efforts to fight graft and nepotism. Most recently, a member of parliament now in self-exile accused the president and his inner circle of massive corruption -- which his administration vehemently denies.

Aivaras Abromavicius, the Lithuanian-born former economy minister, quit Ukraine's government in February, saying he wouldn't be a "puppet" for Poroshenko allies, whom he accused of blocking economic reforms and pressuring him to appoint "dubious people" to senior positions in state-controlled companies.

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili last month resigned from his presidential appointment as governor of Odesa in the south, accusing Poroshenko and his circle of unbridled corruption. Saakashvili ally Yulia Marushevska, known for her English-language "I am a Ukrainian" video before Poroshenko appointed her to head the Odesa customs department, tells RFE/RL that in the Black Sea port city she and Saakashvili found their "green light [to reform the region] turned to a red light." Almost immediately, she says, they were confronted by "a complete absence of political will and an absence of any real desire to change" from Poroshenko's allies in government, especially Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman. Marushevska resigned a week after Saakashvili.

Anticorruption campaigner Oleksandra Drik, president of the Kyiv-based Civic Lustration Committee, an NGO that monitors anticorruption reforms, says that Poroshenko and the government of Volodymyr Hroysman are treading the line between making "just enough" changes to appease Ukraine's Western backers and preserving the "old, corrupt system" that has enriched oligarchs and bled state coffers since the country's independence in 1991.

Of course, some impediments are beyond Kyiv's control. The ongoing, Russia-backed war in Ukraine's east, which exploded in the weeks after Yanukovych's ouster, and the Kremlin's forcible annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, are also strangling Ukrainian reform efforts. Poroshenko announced during a trip to the front line on December 6 that after 31 months of fighting, the conflict had reached a grim milestone: More than 10,000 people, including at least 2,500 troops and 7,500 civilians, have been killed since April 2014. Moscow has used the war as a lever to destabilize Kyiv, dialing up when it sees fit a war that Poroshenko has said costs Ukraine about $5 million a day.

The West has sought to be supportive of Kyiv. But Washington and Brussels have become increasingly annoyed by the slow pace of reforms in Kyiv and Poroshenko's personal lack of commitment to change, two diplomats from Western embassies tell RFE/RL. Officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visited Kyiv in November but left without assuring it another aid tranche, saying decisive steps must first be taken to combat corruption and prosecute and convict corrupt high-level officials. A European Court of Auditors report published on December 7 said that EU funds meant to help Ukraine reform have had "limited impact."

Dmytro Shymkiv, a deputy head of the presidential administration, tells RFE/RL that keeping a steady pace is more important than being speedy.

"If we stop, that's going to be a challenge for the country," he says. "I don't think there is a way back."

It hasn't been all gloom and doom. Ukraine has managed to launch new government anticorruption agencies, introduce electronic systems for the disclosure of public officials' assets and public procurement, modernize its military, and decrease its energy dependence on Russia (Kyiv has not purchased Russian gas for over a year), among other things.

Perhaps the most visible reform has been that of its police forces, infamous for being corrupt and violent.

"Three years ago, we were standing against the police, and now we are standing for them," says Kateryna Kruk, 25, an activist who gained notice outside of Ukraine by informing the world of Euromaidan events through Twitter.

And in December, the government adopted a series of landmark reforms that the current health minister, U.S.-born Ulana Suprun, tells RFE/RL will overhaul Ukraine's notoriously bureaucratic and corrupt health-care system. Suprun, who played an instrumental role in the makeshift medical services provided at Euromaidan, says the "revolutionary" improvements being unveiled on January 1 will guarantee that all Ukrainians have access to primary health and emergency care.

Ukrainian officials have hoped it is all enough to convince the European Union that it is worthy of a special relationship -- including a freshly minted deal to allow Ukrainians visa-free travel to the EU's Schengen zone, a key demand of Euromaidan.

But it may not be enough to convince many disaffected Ukrainians that there's still momentum for change here.

"The chance for real reforms died with the breakup of the 'Dream Team,'" Abromavicius says, in a reference to the technocratic government that he was a part of under former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. It also included an American-born finance minister, Natalie Jaresko, another favorite in Washington. That government was ousted in April.

Now, as 2016 rumbles to a close and Yurash sits in the shadow of the burned-out Trade Unions building that once housed his Euromaidan PR operation, he says he remains optimistic, despite everything. But, he adds, he is disappointed in Ukraine's leadership and what he sees as a squandered opportunity.

"Those now in power don't realize that they missed their chance to go down in history as the new Ukraine's founding fathers," he says. "Poroshenko could have been the Ukrainian George Washington. He's lost that chance."

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainians- reflect-bitterly-on-betrayed-hopes- uromaidan/28203245.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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'Tornado' Trial Tests Kyiv's Ability To Rein In Rogue Paramilitaries

Christopher Miller December 30, 2016

PRYVILLIA, Ukraine -- Eighteen months after the last of the Kyiv-backed militiamen vacated this weary town near the front lines of Europe's only active war, School No. 32 is a crime scene.

A former forward operating base for one of the ragtag "territorial defense battalions" recruited to defend Ukraine in its war against Russia-backed separatists in the east, the schoolhouse is cordoned off with razor wire.

"It's a house of horrors," an elderly woman calls out admonishingly to the RFE/RL reporter photographing it under a gray sky, as she shuffles to the nearby bus stop.

Ukrainian military prosecutors, police, and residents allege that members of the Tornado battalion tasked with policing Pryvillia and nearby communities went rogue, committing violent crimes against at least 13 civilians in the first half of 2015. The list of accusations includes rape and torture, kidnapping, illegal imprisonment, extortion, robbery, and creating a criminal gang.

Tornado was disbanded in June 2015 and 12 of its members were arrested and are now on trial behind closed doors in Kyiv's Obolon district court. The defendants include the defunct unit's leader, Ruslan Onyshchenko, a burly fighter with at least three former criminal convictions who also led a battalion previously disbanded after charges that it had pillaged towns under its control.

Eleven of the defendants have proclaimed their innocence, while the other has pleaded guilty and is said to be cooperating with authorities to build a case against his former brothers-in-arms.

Twelve more of Tornado's 170 or so former members are on a national wanted list for serious crimes.

While questions remain as to individual guilt, there is little doubt that the battalion -- motivated, locals and detectives argue, not by patriotism but by a penchant for anarchy and contempt for eastern Ukrainians they deemed to be pro-Russian -- cultivated a climate of fear and intimidation in the communities it was supposed to protect.

Of more than 20 people, including law-enforcement officials, that RFE/RL approached in Pryvillia and neighboring Lysychansk to talk about the Tornado battalion, just three -- one police officer, one local man, and one journalist -- agreed to let their names be published alongside their comments. Others demanded anonymity to avoid being targeted for retaliation by former battalion members or their sympathizers.

Even from the relative safety of the capital, observers and officials in Kyiv have been reluctant to talk publicly about the case, and media have been careful in their mostly perfunctory coverage.

Litmus Test

Ukrainians have been shaken and divided by the Tornado trial, which observers view as a test of authorities' capacity to deliver justice and hold their own fighters accountable for crimes committed in the conflict zone.

Many of those same observers have also accused Russia-backed separatist militias of war crimes and documented evidence of abuses against civilians in areas under their control.

"The Tornado case can show whether the Ukrainian legal system is willing and able to bring to justice people from the Ukrainian side who are accused of committing the most serious crimes," Anton Korynevych, a Ukrainian lawyer and researcher at U.K.-based Global Rights Compliance who has followed abuses by Ukraine's volunteer battalions, told RFE/RL. He noted that such wrongdoing might constitute war crimes and could, in theory, be taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Rights activists and lawyers note Ukraine's limited success at trying and convicting its own militiamen, despite plenty of opportunity. There was an exception in July when a court in Luhansk, near the front lines of fighting, convicted another Tornado fighter of rape and sentenced him to six years in prison.

But high-profile cases in Kyiv have failed to deliver convictions or even be carried to completion.

In one, a commander and fighter from the volunteer Aidar battalion were remanded to pretrial detention in July on suspicion of robbery and abduction, among other offenses. But the two were released after supporters blocked their transfer to court and influential deputies and the prosecutor-general, Yuriy Lutsenko, intervened personally.

Ukraine "failed completely" in that case, Maria Tomak, a civic activist at the Kyiv-based Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), told RFE/RL, citing what she said was an abundance of evidence.

So the ongoing Tornado trial in Kyiv marks perhaps the authorities' biggest test to date. But it's not so cut-and-dried.

Counterclaims

Tornado's detractors say the battalion's story is one of brutality and depravity and that it has left a stain on the mostly positive reputation of the country's patriotic volunteer fighters. Its supporters blame an alleged smear campaign orchestrated by state officials to conceal some of those same officials' illicit business dealings in separatist-controlled territories. (Officials have denied those accusations.)

Authorities and at least one member of parliament have claimed video evidence exists that proves the rape allegations against the Tornado members in Pryvillia. But the only video known to have been shown in court is a reenactment made with the help of purported eyewitnesses.

The prosecution's case rests heavily on the testimony of six alleged victims. All 12 of the accused Tornado members have refused to take polygraph tests, Current Time TV, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, reported, quoting officials.

Tornado commander Onyshchenko's partner, 26-year-old Yulia Marzhut, told reporters outside the courthouse in August that the charges were outlandish and the case politically motivated.

Onyshchenko did not have his own room in the Pryvillia schoolhouse, she said.

"He slept in a room with 10 men," Marzhut said, adding that she was also present on the makeshift base. "Tell me, when could he have raped this woman? Where was I?"

Adding to the complexity of the case, lawyers for the Tornado defendants say their clients were subjected to torture while in official custody, something that human rights officials believe may be true.

In June 2015, Ukraine's ombudswoman for human rights, Valeria Lutkovskaia, reported violence by police officers against the 12 Tornado fighters after examinations that showed "bodily injuries of various severities." Her findings were widely reported, but no legal action has come from them.

The defendants' fates in custody and other details of the case are difficult to track, since judges ordered the trials closed over the sensitive nature of the alleged crimes and because the accused and their supporters have reportedly threatened the judges and accusers.

But even with the courtroom closed to observers, the latest Tornado trial has become a public spectacle. Authorities released video footage from a court session they said shows the defendants interrupting proceedings by shouting and hurling their own feces and urine at judges and prosecutors. One defendant is heard in the video recording threatening a judge, "I'll come after you, bitch, and I'll rape your corpse with a rubber cock."

Outside the trial, Tornado backers like Donbas battalion founder and lawmaker Semen Semenchenko have protested and called for supporters to storm the courthouse. Semenchenko told RFE/RL that he believes the charges are "fabricated." A scuffle involving dozens of police and protesters in front of the courthouse in August landed several officers in the hospital.

"Threats, intimidation, and violence outside and inside the courtroom have plagued this trial and, if continued unchecked, leave no hope for justice," Tanya Cooper, head of Human Rights Watch's (HRW) Ukraine office, told RFE/RL. "Such violence seriously undermines the integrity of the proceedings."

Battalion Beginnings

Ukraine's volunteer defense battalions emerged in April 2014, when they stepped in for an underfunded and inexperienced military that was struggling to combat a sophisticated Russia-backed separatist insurgency in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. For helping stem the insurgent tide, many Ukrainians view the battalion fighters as heroes and above scrutiny.

Eventually, as the Ukrainian military gained its footing, authorities began bringing such militias into the official chain of military command. Most have complied and continue to fight in the war.

Some battalions have resisted and become problems for the government, however, maneuvering unilaterally on the battlefield and seemingly operating outside the law. The Shakhtarsk battalion was disbanded in October 2014 after repeated instances of looting in towns it was assigned to protect. Two other battalions accused by Amnesty International, HRW, and the United Nations of abuses and war crimes in eastern Ukraine -- Aidar and Azov -- remain in action in a conflict that the UN says has killed more than 9,750 people, including more than 2,000 service members.

'Everything Was Not As It Seemed'

But Tornado, whose insignia was a yin and yang pierced by a sword, is perhaps Ukraine's most notorious battalion. Formed in December 2014 when Interior Minister Arsen Avakov signed an order to create a special police battalion to protect areas in the Luhansk region, Tornado was said to have signed on many fighters from the disbanded Shakhtarsk battalion, Onyshchenko among them.

Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoly Matios has described Tornado as a motley group of mostly misfits forced out of other battalions for misconduct, members of organized criminal groups, and common criminals. In June 2015, Matios said his office had found records showing that 43 Tornado fighters -- nearly one-quarter of its ranks-- had criminal records, including some felonies.

A report in October 2015 by the Center for Civil Liberties cited an interview with a Tornado fighter who -- speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from comrades -- appeared to corroborate Matios's claim.

Tornado's commander, Onyshchenko, has at least three prior convictions, according to court documents obtained by veteran Ukrainian crime reporter Volodymyr Boyko and seen by RFE/RL.

'They Could Do No Wrong'

In separate interviews in September, Nikolai Topolskov, a Lysychansk police colonel, and a local police detective in Pryvillia who requested anonymity recalled in detail the events that followed the battalion's arrival in January 2015.

Topolskov said heavy fighting had already come and gone and "everything was back to relative normalcy" after the area had changed hands twice -- from Ukraine's to the Luhansk separatists' and back -- by the time he found accommodation for Tornado inside School No. 32.

Accusations of violence and abductions arose almost immediately.

"There was one, and then another, and then another," Topolskov told RFE/RL. "At first, we thought that, well, this was a Ukrainian battalion. We didn't believe that they could do something wrong."

The exact number of cases of missing persons is difficult to say for sure, he and the detective said, due to the large number of complaints and because they have been consolidated into one report, currently in state hands, on Tornado's alleged crimes. But both men said they had recorded "very many."

One man came to Topolskov, he said, to tell him about Tornado fighters who forced him and another male detainee at gunpoint to rape a third man who was tied to a pommel horse.

"The man told me, 'We had to do it, because they threatened us with machine guns,'" Topolskov said, recalling the witness's statement.

'Thank God They Are Gone'

On June 17, 2015, Ukrainian authorities detained Onyshchenko and seven other Tornado battalion members. Tornado fighters suggested at the time that the arrests were connected to its members stopping a train that they said was moving illicit cast iron from the separatist-held city of Alchevsk to government-controlled territory the day before.

A day later, Avakov ordered the battalion disbanded, citing a formal complaint from the Luhansk regional governor at the time, Hennadiy Moskal, about a disturbing string of alleged abuses by Tornado. Many Tornado members simply joined other battalions, according to Topolskov and the police detective, who said some still serve in the Pryvillia and Lysychansk areas.

Now, well over a year since Tornado gunmen roamed the streets of Pryvillia, its effects on the town's residents can still be seen and felt. Until they see convictions, many said, they won't rest easily.

Leonid Mikhailovich, a Privilliya pensioner who lives in a cottage across from School No. 32, speaking of a seeming conspiracy of silence among locals regarding Tornado, told RFE/RL: "People hope that by not talking about them, they will be able to forget what happened here."

"But we can never forget," he added. "We can just thank god that they are gone."

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-tornad o-battalion-rogue-paramilitaries- kyiv-trial-crimes/28205795.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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ELKO  Rural Nevada residents bid farewell to several prominent citizens over the past year, including a politician, district attorney, civil servant, engineer, and vocalist who each impacted the community with decades-long careers.

John Carpenter  Politician and Rancher

State assemblyman John Carpenter died Nov. 19 at the age of 86. A rancher, businessman and politician, Carpenters work in the Legislature secured funding that established or maintained numerous institutions including Great Basin College, South Fork Dam, the Elko Senior Citizens Center, Committee Against Domestic Violence Harbor House, the California Trail Interpretive Center and the Northeastern Nevada Museum.

Carpenter was remembered as a super strong advocate for rural Nevada and particularly Elko and Elko County, by Elko County Commissioner Delmo Andreozzi.

Named to the Assembly Hall of Distinction in 2011, Carpenters legacy will go on for years and years, forever, said friend and protege, Assemblyman John Ellison.

As an activist, Carpenter backed ranchers and rural citizens for use of public lands. With state senator Dean Rhoads, O.Q. Chris Johnson, attorney Grant Gerber, he was a prominent figure in the South Canyon Road issue that drew national attention to the countys dispute with the U.S. Forest Service.

Calling the Jarbidge Shovel Brigade a precedent-setting, grassroots movement, Carpenter helped the Jarbidge Shovel Brigade open the road and continued to fight for local control of Nevadas lands, most recently supporting the Argenta allotment dispute.

Carpenter is survived by his wife, Roseanne, and seven children: John Jet, Scott, Elizabeth, Susan, Doug, Lois, and Linda.

Mark Torvinen  District Attorney

District Attorney Mark Torvinen died suddenly in August. A longtime attorney, his first appointment to the DAs office was in 1985, winning election soon after and serving until 1990. In 2001, he was appointed a deputy district attorney and won four-year terms in as district attorney in 2010 and 2014.

Described as one Elko Countys hardest-working civil servants, Torvinen described himself as a working DA due to the increase in cases and staffing problems. He worked 60 hours a week even as he was plagued by health issues.

Appointed Chief Civil District Attorney shortly after his death, Kristin McQueary called Torvinen, a great attorney and a great boss.

A native Nevadan, Torvinen worked at the 6 Bar Ranch in Spring Creek as a teenager before attending the University of Nevada Reno and Pepperdine University. After concluding four years in the U.S. Army, he made his home in Elko with his wife Barbara and daughters Molly, Michaella, and Leah. Torvinen was 64.

Ceasar Salicchi  Elko County Treasurer

Elko County Treasurer for 36 years and an advocate for children and adults with disabilities, Ceasar Salicchi died in October at the age of 89.

A native of Elko County, Salicchi grew up on his parents ranch in Lamoille. Contracting polio in 1952, he recovered, but lost most of the use of his legs and needed crutches to walk for the rest of his life. He attended business college in Reno and worked as office manager at Elko General Hospital before being elected as Elko County Treasurer in 1970.

Serving nearly four decades in the Treasurers office before retiring in 2006, Salicchi modernized the department and managed the countys investment portfolio. He was also known for working with people and bringing a friendly atmosphere to the office.

He had real concerns for people, remembered Elko County Manager Rob Stokes.

Becoming a voice for those with disabilities, Salicchi founded what is now the Ruby Mountain Resource Center and was appointed to committees for the Developmental Disabilities Act and Employ the Handicapped Act.

Among his numerous awards, Salicchi was honored by the Elko County Commission for his years of service, named a Distinguished Nevadan by the Board of Regents, and recognized on the floor of the U.S. Senate with a congressional commendation.

Mark Chilton  Engineer, Great Basin College Founder

Best remembered for the relocation of the railroad tracks in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Mark Chilton was also a founder of Great Basin College and contributed to several building and improvement projects in Elko.

Arriving in Elko in the late 1950s with his wife Kathryn and children Cheri, Carey and Ward, Mark started Chilton Engineering a few years later. In the 1970s, the company took on Project Lifesaver, a 10-year project that removed the railroad tracks that ran through Elkos business district and next to the Humboldt River. Fifth and Twelfth street bridges were rebuilt to arch over the river and the tracks and a new pedestrian bridge was constructed at Ninth Street.

In addition to Project Lifesaver, Chiltons company was also involved in building and designing South Fork Reservoir, restoring the Henderson Bank Building and Pioneer Hotel, and creating Elko Heat Company which brought geothermal heat to several downtown buildings including his own home.

Joining with other Elko businessmen in 1967, he helped establish Great Basin College which Chilton supported over the years with donations of land and setting up scholarships for engineering students.

In honor of Chiltons contribution to the city, the Elko City Council recently voted to name the Centennial Tower after him to be built in the parking corridor at Seventh Street between Railroad and Commercial Streets.

Chilton died Nov. 9 at the age of 89.

Lynn Rubel  Ruby Mountain Symphony

Soprano and executive director of the Ruby Mountain Symphony for 30 years, Lynn Rubel died in July of an apparent heat attack.

Rubel, a classically trained soprano at the American Conservatory of Music, arrived in Elko with pianist and conductor George Rosenberg in 1986. To bring orchestra concerts to Elko, they formed the Northern Nevada Concert Orchestra Association a year later. The concerts gave young and aspiring musicians an opportunity to perform with a professionally trained orchestra.

In 2002, Rubel continued the symphony after the death of Rosenberg, taking on fundraising, grant writing, publicity, and concert managing duties.

The symphony was her baby, her life, said husband Marvin Epstein about her years of dedication to keeping the organization alive.

Jane Brown, current conductor of the symphony, praised her fortitude and dedication in bringing educational and musical opportunities to young people and the rural communities of Northern Nevada.

In honor of Rubel, the Ruby Mountain Symphony dedicated their fall concert to her and performed several of her favorite songs. Rubel was 71.
The Pittsylvania County Sheriffs Office is searching for a missing 56-year-old resident.

Timothy Wesley Barbour last was seen in the Gretna community of Pittsylvania County earlier this week, according to a news release issued late Thursday evening.

Police believe Barbour was traveling in a 1999 dark blue Jeep Cherokee with a license plate of SKN-YRD. The vehicle may appear to have front-end damage to the grill area, police said.

Barbour is considered endangered because of medical conditions.

Anyone who knows his whereabouts or who has seen or spoken to Barbour is asked to contact the Pittsylvania County Sheriffs Office at (434) 432-7931 or email sar@pittgov.org.
Four days after New Jersey resident Barbara Briley, 71, and her great-granddaughter, LaMyra Briley, 5, went missing, the two were found by a property owner Wednesday afternoon near their vehicle in a wooded area in Dinwiddie County, according to Virginia State Police.

Both are now in stable condition, according to Hamilton Township police. State police here said Barbara Briley was unconscious when discovered Wednesday and was evacuated by helicopter to VCU Medical Center, where she was listed in serious condition Wednesday night.

No foul play is suspected in their disappearance.

The family posted a message to Facebook on Thursday morning.

"On behalf of the Briley family we are happy to confirm that Barbara and LaMyra Briley have been found. Thank you everyone who has assisted our family during this time. Our prayers have been answered. We ask at this time if you will respect our privacy and a formal statement will be issued later. God bless you all and thank you again for praying for our family."

Her great-granddaughter was alert, talkative and appeared to be in good shape, authorities said. She was taken from the rescue scene for medical evaluation and is now in the custody of a family member.

The two were discovered about 45 feet from their Toyota RAV4 on rural private property in the 16000 block of Nash Road, at least a mile from the nearest public road. They were sitting together against a tree.

According to state police, Barbara Briley appears to have turned off Nash Road and onto a dirt road, which she followed about three-tenths of a mile before pulling off into the woods.

At one point, she drove over a small tree and attempted to back up, only to have the RAV4 get stuck in a remote area of the property, police said. The two apparently had enough drinks and snacks on hand to sustain them for several days.

A Dinwiddie resident called authorities upon spotting the SUV shortly before 5 p.m. The man had seen news reports, realized who the Brileys were and called 911, said Maj. William Knott of the Dinwiddie Sheriffs Office.

This person probably saved them, Knott said.

The FBI got involved Tuesday in what already had been an extensive search by police. Barbara Briley and her great-granddaughter were last seen Christmas Eve at an Exxon station in Caroline County. They were traveling to Morven, N.C., where they were to celebrate Christmas with family.

Prior to the Brileys having been found Wednesday evening, a niece of Barbara Brileys said her aunt used to work as a driver for New Jersey Transit and had made the nine-hour trip to North Carolina numerous times.

Driving is not an issue when it comes to my Aunt Barbara, said Ginger Bittle, who added that she didnt know her aunt to have any medical problems.

Relatives had repeatedly tried to reach her by phone and retraced the route they believed she was traveling, but to no avail.

On Tuesday, Barbara Brileys cellphone pinged off a Sprint tower in Dinwiddie County, prompting authorities to search an area between Petersburg and the county airport.

Surveillance video taken Christmas Eve a little after 5:30 p.m. shows Barbara Briley at the Exxon station in the 23800 block of Rogers Clark Boulevard in Ruther Glen.

Gas station clerk Joanna Strange told local media outlets Briley came inside to say she was lost and that Strange helped Briley with her GPS before she went on her way.

Officers spent much of Monday searching the Ruther Glen area and then shifted their efforts to an area south of Richmond after police in New Jersey learned that the Brileys may have been there early Tuesday, state police Sgt. Stephan Vick said.

State troopers looked up and down the Interstate 85, Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 corridors, going all the way to the North Carolina state line without luck, Vick said. They used a helicopter and hunted for signs of guardrail damage or other evidence that a car may have run off the road, he said.

Police in Hamilton Township, N.J., led the investigation.
Investigators want to know who killed a Liberty man near Barnes Street in Reidsville earlier this month.

Phillip Ray Austin, 43, was traveling on a moped at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 from his house in Liberty to Virginia when a vehicle struck him from behind on U.S. 29 North near the Barnes Street exit.

Highway Patrol spokesman Chris Knox said the impact caused Austin to fall from his moped and strike his head on the pavement. The other driver never stopped.

"They would have known they hit something," Knox said. "We believe the lights were working properly on the moped and that there was no reason not to have seen him."

Knox said the impact left little damage to the moped but hitting the pavement proved fatal.

Austin's death left investigators and his family searching for answers.

"Every morning I think I have a breakdown," said Beverly Perry, Austin's sister.

Perry and Austin were the middle children in a family of six. Most of Austin's family live in Tennessee, making his loss and the investigation even more difficult on them.

"My mother is having a hard time with it but she is faithful to the Lord and knows in her heart  and she will tell us  that even if it does not get solved here, whoever is responsible will pay for what they did in this lifetime or the next," Perry said.

Perry said Austin's daughter is having difficulty dealing with his death. It's a loss Austin and his siblings went through with their own father 28 years ago, and Perry believes learning who caused the wreck would help bring his daughter closure.

Austin first moved to North Carolina to serve at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, before moving to Greensboro, where he had visited his aunt, uncle and cousins on weekends. Eventually, he moved to Liberty.

Perry said her brother had "a heart of gold" and would give anyone the shirt off his back.

Coming to terms with what happened has been difficult.

"There's moments where you are mad," Perry said. "You are angry because you wonder if the hit-and-run driver had stopped, would the outcome have been different?"

Would help have gotten to her brother faster, she wonders.

A Reidsville Fire Department incident report shows a passerby performed CPR on Austin until paramedics arrived. He was taken to Moses Cone Hospital where he died the next day.

Perry said he died from multiple head injuries and blunt force trauma, according to the death certificate.

Knox said Austin was wearing a helmet when he was struck. Perry said troopers told the family the helmet fell off at some point after the moped was struck. She said the damage to the helmet troopers described was so severe her mother refused to look at it.

Troopers immediately began investigating how Austin was hit and who struck his moped.

"It's hard to know how to search for this vehicle because there isn't much evidence left behind from a hit-and-run with this small of a vehicle," Knox said.

Knox said troopers believe the vehicle that struck Austin's moped might have minor damage.

Early reports from the Highway Patrol indicate the wreck left skid marks from the unknown vehicle. However, Knox said troopers later determined the marks had been caused by an accident involving a deer a day earlier in the same spot.

"That's what makes this difficult," Knox said. "We really do not have any leads to go on. Really, at this point, we are hoping to generate some public calls to us from someone who saw something that night. "
To the editor:

I recently got a message from a friend who votes as an independent urging me to just get over it regarding the surprising Trump victory in the Electoral College. If by getting over it he means accepting the Republican control of the presidency, Congress, and potentially the Supreme Court as well as the 33 state governments they dominate, then I reject his advice.

I am resigned to the fact Donald Trump will be our next president on Jan. 20, but Im concerned about his flawed character, lack of experience and some of his cabinet and advisory appointments. Most of these individuals are not committed to the aspirations and expectations of the middle and working class citizens responsible for his victory.

Trump promised to drain the swamp, but his team is drawn from Wall Street, big business and opposes organized labor, public schools and environmental protection. These nominees reflect Trumps commitment to the wealthy 1 percent who wants tax cuts for the rich and corporations, no guaranteed increase in the minimum wage, a rollback of the Dodd Frank restraints on Wall Street bankers and the crippling of federal regulatory agencies like the EPA and the SEC.

So what can frustrated Democrats and progressives do in the wake of this Republican coup or, more accurately, tsunami?

First of all, we need to recommit ourselves to the core principles and values of our party, i.e. the role of government in protecting individual rights and the common good. Democrats have been faithful to the separation of church and state, the right of privacy and the protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Democrats have been the leaders in protecting the rights of women, minorities, the disabled and poor, veterans and immigrants. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare, to mention a few, are attributed to Democratic administrations. Now, these are threatened by the TrumpRyan-McConnell triumvirate.

We need to get more involved in local and state governments, where important decisions are made affecting voting rights, Medicaid expansion and police and community relations.

The recent Republican power grab in North Carolina should set off an alarm throughout the country.

Democrats must erect a firewall in our opposition to some of Trumps proposals like the potential mass deportation of illegal aliens, the banning of Muslims from entering the country and his promise to replace former Justice Antonin Scalia with an opponent of Roe v. Wade. Democratic Senators and representatives should feel the heat from constituents who insist on a vigorous opposition to the Ryan GOP agenda and Trumps dangerous initiatives.

Bipartisanship only works when there is mutual respect.

GERALD N. DAVIS

Chatham
CALGARY, Dec. 30, 2016) - Mkango Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:MKA)(AIM:MKA) (the "Company" or "Mkango"), is pleased to announce that it has received regulatory approval for its previously announced agreement (the "Agreement") to collaborate with Noble Resources International ("Noble") in the rare earths sector and for the 450,000 placing (the "Placing") with existing shareholders and new institutional investors.

The press release relating to the Agreement can be accessed via the following link: http://www.mkango.ca/s/news.asp?ReportID=773885. In connection with the Agreement, Mkango has issued 12 million common share purchase warrants ("Warrant") to Noble, aligning Noble's interests with those of Mkango's shareholders. Each whole Warrant will entitle Noble to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of 6.6 UK pence until December 30, 2018. The Warrants give Noble the right to acquire up to a 12.5% interest in Mkango. In connection with the Agreement and in respect of ongoing advice in the Asian and Australian markets, Zenith Advisory Services Pty Ltd. has been issued with warrants to acquire 1.2 million common shares of the Company on the same terms as those issued to Noble.

Complementary to and on the basis of the Agreement, Mkango completed a Placing of 12,857,124 common shares at 3.5 UK pence per common share ("Share") to raise 450,000 (430,125 net of finders' fees). As a result two specialist Swiss mutual funds, the Rare Earth Elements Fund and the Metals Exploration Fund, each hold an interest of 3.6% in Mkango.

The main uses of proceeds from the Placing will be to accelerate the optimisation of the processing flow sheet and evaluation of product marketing options to facilitate further marketing, offtake and partnership discussions, as well as to evaluate additional opportunities and other expenditures.

The Company will pay cash finders' fees totaling 19,875 and issue 567,856 non-transferable finders' warrants ("Finder's Warrants") in connection with the Placing. Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Share for 3.5 UK pence until December 30, 2017.

The securities issued in connection with the Placing will be subject to the applicable four month hold periods in Canada, in accordance with applicable securities laws and the rules of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Mkango Resources Limited

Mkango's primary business is the exploration for rare earth elements and associated minerals in the Republic of Malawi, a country whose hospitable people have earned it a reputation as "the warm heart of Africa." Mkango holds, through its wholly owned subsidiary Lancaster Exploration Limited, a 100% interest in two exclusive prospecting licenses in southern Malawi, the Phalombe licence and the Thambani licence.

The main exploration target in the Phalombe licence is the Songwe Hill rare earths' deposit, which features carbonatite hosted rare earth mineralisation and was subject to previous exploration in the late 1980s. Mkango completed an updated Pre-feasibility Study for the project in November 2015. Mkango's strategy for Songwe is to further optimise the project with a view to maximising efficiency and reducing costs, thereby providing a strong platform for entering into partnerships, marketing and offtake arrangements. The main exploration targets in the Thambani licence are uranium, niobium and tantalum. For more information, please visit www.mkango.ca.

Noble Early Warning Reporting

As a result of the Agreement and the Warrants issued thereunder, Noble (whose address is 60 Anson Road, #19-01 Mapletree Anson, Singapore 079914) now owns and controls Warrants exercisable to acquire 12,000,000 common shares of Mkango, and in the event that Noble exercises these Warrants, it would have ownership and control over 12,000,000 common shares of Mkango, representing approximately 12.5% of the common shares of Mkango (post-exercise). The Company is advised that Noble hold these securities for investment purposes and has no present intention to acquire further securities of the Company, although it may in the future acquire or dispose of securities of the Company, through the market, privately or otherwise, as circumstance or market conditions warrant. A copy of the early warning report required to be filed by Noble with applicable securities commissions in connection with this issuance of Warrants will be available for viewing under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and a copy of the early warning report may be obtained by contacting Noble via noble@thisisnoble.com or +65 6305 4888.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, delays in obtaining financing or governmental or stock exchange approvals. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.



The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.



THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES







Contact



Mkango Resources Ltd.

William Dawes, Chief Executive Officer

UK: +44 207 3722 744

Canada: +1 403 444 5979

will@mkango.ca

www.mkango.ca / @MkangoResources



Mkango Resources Ltd.

Alexander Lemon, President

alex@mkango.ca



SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP

Nominated Adviser and Broker

Jeff Keating, Caroline Rowe

UK: +44 20 3470 0470


TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - December 30, 2016) - Aura Minerals Inc. (TSX: ORA) (the "Company") announces that the Company has completed the continuance and the consolidation, described below, as approved by common shareholders on December 13, 2016.

Effective today, the Company has continued (the "Continuance") out of the jurisdiction of the Canada Business Corporations Act and into the jurisdiction of the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004, as amended. A copy of the certificate of continuance and the Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association will be available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

The Company has also given effect to the consolidation of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation Share for each ten (10) pre-consolidation Shares (the "Consolidation"). It is anticipated that the Shares will begin trading on a post-Consolidation basis on the TSX at the opening of markets on January 5, 2017. The Company's trading symbol will remain "ORA".

As a result of the Consolidation, the Company now has approximately 33,420,355 Shares outstanding. The Company has been assigned the new CUSIP number G06973104 and new ISIN number VGG069731047.

A letter of transmittal will be mailed to the registered shareholders of the Company providing instructions to surrender the certificate(s) evidencing their Shares for replacement certificates representing the number of Shares to which they are entitled as a result of the Consolidation. Shareholders holding their shares through a broker or other intermediary and consequently not having shares registered in their name will not be required to complete a letter of transmittal.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements", as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to future events or future performance and reflect the Company's current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, without limitation, statements relating to: the method of delivery of the letter of transmittal, the timing for trading of the Shares on the TSX on a post-Consolidation basis and the number of Shares outstanding.

Often, but not always, forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon, without limitation, the following estimates and assumptions: the Company will be able to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals on a timely basis.

Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to predict or control could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Specific reference is made to the factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Circular and the factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 24, 2016 and the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") dated March 24, 2016, and interim MD&As thereafter, which are available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements
While the general consensus is that 2016 was a disaster for Republicans in Nevada, not so for conservatives. An awful lot of culling of the RINO (Republicans in Name Only) herd was accomplished, as well as a thorough mucking out of the RINO stable.

And with that in mind, heres my list of the top ten Nevada conservatives for 2016 

10) Ira Hansen. Ira was one of the strongest opponents of RINO Gov. Brian Sandovals $1.4 billion tax hike and one of the biggest behind-the-scenes supporters of conservative candidates who ran against tax-hiking legislators in 2016.

9) Jim Marchant. Jim defeated tax-hiking Assemblyman Glenn Trowbridge in the Republican primary, and went on to win the seat in the general election.

8) Al Kramer. Al defeated tax-hiking Assemblyman P.K. ONeill in the Republican primary, and went on to win the seat in the general election.

7) Danny Tarkanian. Tark dispatched the Prince of RINOs, state Sen. Tax Hike Mike Roberson, in the 3rd congressional district GOP primary and refused to buckle under extreme pressure to dump Trump just weeks before the general election.

6) Dan Schwartz. Despite setback after setback in both the judicial and political arenas, Nevadas state Treasurer has plowed forward, undaunted, with efforts to make Nevadas landmark school choice program, Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), a reality.

5) Ron Knecht. The Nevada State Controller led the successful legal battle to repeal Gov. Sandovals new job-killing Commerce Tax via referendum. Alas, the Nevada Supreme Court dragged its feet and didnt clear the measure until a month before the deadline to submit signatures. As such, it didnt qualify for the ballot.

This year.

4) Wayne Root. Wayne is hands-down the most prolific preacher of the conservative gospel in Nevada. Hes an author, columnist, speaker, and radio talk show host. Wayne was also an early and outspoken supporter of Donald Trump.

3) Adam Laxalt. Nevadas attorney general has been the Energizer Bunny in fulfilling his campaign promise to protect Nevadas sovereignty from federal government overreach. Adam was also unique among Nevadas top elected officials for refusing to throw Donald Trump under the bus.

Governor Laxalt has a certain ring to it, dont you think?

2) Charles Munoz and Michael McDonald. At a time when all the experts declared that Donald Trump had absolutely no chance to win the Republican Party nomination, let alone the presidency itself, Munoz and McDonald defied conventional wisdom and boarded the Trump Train  Munoz as Trumps Nevada director and McDonald as chairman of the Nevada Republican Party.

Trump won the Nevada primary easily, and came a heckuva lot closer in the general than anyone thought possible.

1) Victor Joecks. So what did the former executive vice president of the conservative Nevada Policy Research Institute do in Nevada last year to warrant this No. 1 position?

Absolutely nothing.

Instead, Victor spent the year deployed in Iraq with the Nevada National Guard. As George Orwell would put it, Nevadans slept peaceably in their beds at night because rough men like Victor stood ready to do violence on our behalf.

He is now safely home and will soon begin fighting the conservative cause again in Nevada as an opinion columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Welcome home, Victor. More importantly  THANK YOU!
Spanish police have released a report on Operation Ice, describing the arrest of six students in Madrid on November 5, 2015. Ranging in age from 20 to 26, the students belong to Straight Edge or SXE, an anarchist group that promotes a vegan lifestyle and abstention from drugs and alcohol. Their supposed crime? Setting fire to two banks as well as storing materials to make homemade explosives.

Candela Bosch, Maria Goretty Vergara and Rosa Prieto, mothers of three of the six young people arrested in 2015. Claudio Alvarez

The case has more or less fallen off the radar but the groups alleged leader, Juan Manuel Bustamante, 26, also known as Nahuel, is still in jail and coping with a tough prison regime designed for hardcore terrorists. While his colleagues have been released on bail, Bustamante has been moved five times and denied bail almost as many. When the trial finally comes up, the students will stand in the dock on four terrorism charges that could see them put behind bars for 35 years. But the indictment  particularly when it comes to the question of the attacks on banks  is far from convincing.

To anyone familiar with the law, it is obvious that what is happening is an aberration

Manuel Cancio, Law professor

Straight Edge is just one of a number of mysterious so-called terrorist groups that have emerged in Spain following reforms to the Penal Code in March 2015, which, after agreement between the ruling Popular Party and opposition Socialists, modified the definition of terrorism with a view to combating jihadism. Terrorism can now apply, among other things, to acts of civil disorder and so when, for example, two policemen and their partners were attacked in a bar in Alsasua, Navarre, in October, their attackers found themselves labeled as terrorists. This triggered debate. Now Bustamantes indictment is under the same kind of scrutiny, as are the rulings of Judge Carmen Lamela, who is involved in both cases.

The Straight Edge anarchists are accused of setting fire to two Madrid bank branches, one in 2013 and the other in 2015, despite the fact there is no direct evidence linking them to the crime. What led the police to become convinced of their guilt was that the groups graffiti had appeared at the scene of one of these crimes two weeks earlier, posts on social networks had urged bank sabotage and a member of the group lived close to one of the bank branches in question. The groups ideology, their anti-establishment rants on Twitter and Facebook as well as several videos on YouTube aiming to subvert the Constitution have also been thrown into the mix. According to Judge Lamela, all the available evidence points to the groups involvement in what amounts to terrorism.

Meanwhile, the materials seized during police raids and alleged to be for the manufacture of explosives consist of smoke-generating canisters, flares and firecrackers  all freely available on the open market. But the police report goes on to say that the powders these products contain could be used as explosives if placed in the right container. However, the group has not been accused of planting any of these materials while substances confiscated during the raids have been found to be cooking and cleaning products and, according to police, are not ideal for making explosives, although experts suggest they could be used to make smoke bombs.

Other evidence against the students, particularly Bustamante, includes the fact that they support the Okupas squatters movement and have been involved in demonstrations such as Surround Congress and March for Dignity. Bustamante has been arrested on three occasions, accused of disturbing the peace.

Three members of the Straight Edge group after their arrest in 2015 National Police

With its roots in 1970s America, the Straight Edge movement is named after a song by the punk band, Minor Threat, which rails against the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse in punk and anarchist movements. Freedom doesnt smoke, drink or sniff; freedom conquers is one of the slogans on the Madrid SXE website, promoting a puritanical approach reminiscent of the original anarchists who saw alcohol as another capitalist tool to enslave the masses. They also promote respect for animals via veganism and deny the existence of a species hierarchy.

Madrid Straight Edge was a splinter group of the 15-M student movement of 2011, which made headlines worldwide. Their radical approach challenges the system and  the mediocre reality we live in. They consider themselves anti-fascist and libertarian. As far as Judge Lamela is concerned, the messages they post on social media are an attempt to erode the prestige and credibility of the State, particularly its security forces as well as being a call to arms. As they act collectively, the judge considers them to be an organization with Bustamante at the helm.

In response, the families of the accused gather once a week in the Puerta del Sol in the center of Madrid to demand Bustamantes release. When I tell people whats happened, they look skeptical, says Natalia Bosch, the mother of one of the Straight Edge six, Candela Betancor. They assume they must have done something if they are on a terrorism charge and, of course, I would say they were innocent because Im the mother, but when I hand them the indictment, they can hardly believe their eyes. Its madness. Theres absolutely nothing, not one shred of evidence. Its just about what they posted on social media. I used to believe in the police and the justice system, I studied law, Ive worked as a lawyer but now Im under no illusions.

In total, 46 people have been arrested and accused of terrorism since the demise of the terrorist group ETA

Meanwhile, three legal experts on terrorism have analyzed the indictment and admit to feeling perplexed. I get the idea that once again the definition of terrorism is being trivialized and the measures devised for Daesh or ETA are being applied to groups capable of disturbances and damage but not violence against the person, says Manuel Cancio, professor of criminal law at Madrids Autonomous University. The reforms last year have allowed this to happen and a lot more into the bargain. They have completely obscured our idea of what terrorism is. Cancio goes on to say that article 573 allows for inferences to be made about certain behavior and defined as terrorism in a way that would previously have been impossible. The indictment, he says, refers to ideology, tweets, books and very little thats important, namely which explosives were in their possession, what offenses they had committed and which they were planning. I dont see any evidence of serious crimes that could be labeled as terrorism, a crime that carries a sentence of at least five years.

Jose Luis Diez-Ripolles, a professor of criminal law at Malaga University, confirms that the recent reforms allow for small groups involved in minor unlawful acts to be considered as criminal gangs. Its certainly the case that with such all-encompassing interpretations, it isnt hard to find a criminal gang or group of terrorists if criminal or terrorist means someone disturbing the peace, but its no coincidence that this charge sheet is extremely vague and focuses almost entirely on social media activity. What we have here is probably a group that has never got beyond promoting anarchist ideology via social networks.

According to Carmen Lamarca, a professor of criminal law at Madrids Carlos III University, the indictment is nothing short of absurd. One thing is an anti-establishment group voicing opinions, something that is protected by freedom of speech, she says. Another thing is providing proof that they commit crimes and use violence, both of which seem highly questionable.

This charge sheet is extremely vague and focuses almost entirely on social media activity Jose Luis Diez-Ripolles, Law professor

The reforms mean a shift in the way terrorism is tackled by investigating individuals and small groups considered to be disturbing the peace, subverting the constitution or generally terrorizing the public. And though there is little evidence to prove it, Straight Edge is accused of subverting the Constitution.

Apart from anything else, the attacks they are accused of are small scale, causing no personal injury, says defense attorney Daniel Amelang. You cant even say they have disturbed the peace because the incident was not covered in the press. Another of the defense lawyers, Eduardo Gomez, adds, Its the so-called criminal law of the enemy  you are accused more for who you are than for what you have done.

For the last three years, in the wake of ETAs demise, the police have been waging war against the anarchist world and, more recently, applying the new interpretation of terrorism to those they arrest. Operation Ice is the last of five such operations. In total, 46 people have been arrested and accused of terrorism during this time.

The police went onto the offensive after two homemade un-detonated bombs were found in the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid in 2013 and others exploded in the Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar in Zaragoza, causing damage to the building and damaging the hearing of one bystander. The Director-General of the National Police, Ignacio Cosido, made a point at the time of saying that the fight against anarchy was a priority. Those arrested in subsequent operations have been accused of terrorism and a tenuous link to the Zaragoza bombers established by uncovering common membership of the umbrella group GAC  Coordinated Anarchist Groups  in the case of Straight Edge, the accused had GAC pamphlets.

While the Zaragoza bombers were sentenced to 12 years last March, they were not condemned as terrorists and the sentence has since been reduced to four-and-a-half years.

In light of this, the subsequent arrests and charges seem excessive, to say the least. To anyone familiar with the law, it is obvious that what is happening is an aberration, says Cancio, referring to the sweeping new definition of terrorism. Other countries like ours have nothing like it.

In October 2015, a week before Operation Ice, another operation called Pandora 2 was carried out in Barcelona, with nine arrests, but the charges were dropped this summer due to a lack of evidence. The other two operations pending trial are Pandora 1 dating back to December 2014 and La Pinata, which took place in March 2015.

Leaps of logic The defense for the accused in Operation Ice has bemoaned the warped and flimsy nature of the police reports. As far as materials for homemade explosives are concerned, all the substances seized during the raids have turned out to be no more than sugar, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda while a jar containing a strange liquid labeled Lombarda, was analyzed and found to be stock made from Lombard cabbage. Leaps of logic have also been made about an empty bottle of beer discovered in the home of one of the accused. It would not be relevant if it were not for the groups stance on alcohol and drugs, suggesting no other reason for having this bottle than to make a Molotov cocktail. Investigators also deduced from the fact that this particular member of the group kept a wooden and a metal box that he was in charge of the organizations finances. Among the confiscated items, there are also lyrics from songs by the pro ETA band Piperrak slating the police. Other deductions relate to graffiti associated with the anarchist group in the vicinity of the attacked bank, some of which was of a feminist nature, suggesting that at least one member of the group was a woman.

English version by Heather Galloway.
The parents of a sick child accused of charity fraud and who had been planning to flee Spain have been ordered to post a civil liability bond of 1.2 million. The judge overseeing the investigation into the allegations against Fernando Blanco and Marga Garau, the parents of eleven-year-old Nadia who suffers from the rare disease trichothiodystrophy (TTD), has ordered the father to continue to be held on remand and for the mother to be stripped of custody rights.

Nadias mother (right) gives testimony before a judge in La Seu d'Urgell on December 10. ALBERT GARCIA

Blanco and Garau had been organizing charity drives since 2008, allegedly to pay for cutting-edge medical treatment of a disease, which can delay development and cause intellectual disability.

The investigation now shows that the couple collected 918,000 over this period of time, only a fraction of which was used for Nadias medical therapy.

The investigation shows Nadias parents spent a total of 295 on medication for her

Wiretaps of conversations between the couple show Blanco was considering escape just hours before the Catalan regional police located and arrested him on December 7 in La Seu dUrgell.

The judge has ordered Nadia to remain in the custody of her aunt, who lives in Mallorca. The childs mother will be allowed to visit her under supervision.

EL PAIS and two other media outlets uncovered the fraud shortly after a donation drive in November that raised 153,000 in just four days through a television and social media campaign.

The investigation shows that between 2012 and 2016, Nadias parents spent a total of 295 on medication for her. In the meantime, a search of the family home produced a collection of luxury watches valued at 50,000. The rent on their expensive home was being paid by the charitable foundation that they set up to manage the donations.

Investigators have concluded that Blanco and Garau were living off the donations, as they were both unemployed. Blanco has a history of fraud and has served prison terms for swindling his employers.

If the couple are unable to post the 1.2 million civil liability bond, required by prosecutors in the event of a conviction, a court will arrange for their assets to be seized.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Francesc Homs, a deputy in the Spanish Congress for the Catalan pro-independence PDECAT party  formerly Convergencia  is now one step closer to joining other senior Catalan politicians in facing legal action for organizing a non-binding sovereignty referendum on November 9, 2014 that flouted a Constitutional Court ban .

Francesc Homs (l) and Artur Mas at a pro-independence rally. S. Saez (EFE)

After hearing evidence in the case, Spains Supreme Court has decided there are grounds to charge Homs with disobedience and abuse of office. If found guilty, he would face a ban from holding public office. The courts decision says that Homs disobeyed the Constitutional Court openly, obstinately, and stubbornly.

On November 4, 2014, Spains Constitutional Court vetoed a non-binding independence referendum being organized at the time by the Catalan regional government for November 9, suspending any related activity clearly and resoundingly.

Catalan politicians gave the impression the referendum process had stopped

Supreme Court judge Andres Palomo, who is overseeing the case against Homs, concludes in the decision that the politician not only omitted to suspend any activity, but also drove the process on the basis of his exclusive will.

Also facing trial for his involvement in the referendum is Artur Mas, the former regional premier of Catalonia. Prosecutors insist Mas is guilty of gross misconduct and disobedience, and he is facing a 10-year ban from public office. As councilor to the presidency of the regional government Homs was Mass right-hand man at the time.

Former Catalan deputy premier Joana Ortega and ex-regional education commissioner Irene Rigau have also been named by prosecutors as accessories in the matter and could face bans from public life of nine years.

Like Mas, the most visible figure in the lead-up to the vote in the region of 7.5 million people, Homs has argued that the Catalan regional government was no longer involved in the ballot after the Constitutional Court veto came into effect on November 4, and which was then organized by volunteers. Prosecutors claim, however, that private companies tasked with the organization continued to operate after that time, carrying out work included mass-mailing campaigns, the maintenance of websites dedicated to the vote, and IT tasks.

Homs faces a ban from office if found guilty

Along with Homs, Mas and his aides developed a complete and effective strategy of defiance after the suspension, says the Supreme Court.

Homs and the others facing prosecution moved off center stage and attempted to generate the impression that the referendum process had stopped, says the Supreme Court.

The court highlights the fact that in the two days ahead of the referendum, two companies, T-Systems and Fujitsu, delivered and set up 7,000 laptops in schools where voting stations were set up for the November 9 ballot.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Wary of a terrorist attack similar to that recently seen in Berlin , Madrid City Hall has imposed a ban on large trucks and buses in much of the center of the capital for two days from January 3, to coincide with the annual Three Kings parades held on the streets of several neighborhoods throughout the capital.

There has been an increased police presence in the capital since the Berlin attack. Fernando Alvarado (EFE)

Municipal police in the city will not fine drivers of trucks and buses weighing more than 3.5 tons in areas that have been cordoned off, and will instead redirect them to other routes, said City Hall.

Ninety minutes before and after each event, large trucks and buses will be kept out of the center of the capital and the 14 neighborhoods where parades are being held, Spanish daily El Mundo reported. Every year, Madrid hosts a huge Three Kings parade along the central Castellana boulevard on the evening of January 5.

All drivers of floats used in the traditional Three Kings parades will be vetted and trucks checked

Heavy goods vehicles have already been prevented from entering the city within the M-30 beltway over recent days as part of City Halls traffic restrictions, imposed in a bid to combat dangerously high pollution levels in Madrid. Trucks weighing more than 12 tons have been banned from the center of the Spanish capital for several years already.

City Hall added that all drivers of floats used in the traditional Three Kings parades will be vetted and trucks checked.

Access to areas where parades are being held will be restricted through a combination of bollards, plant pots, police vehicles, ambulances and fire engines.

Additional police officers have been drafted in to protect Madrids central Puerta del Sol square during the ringing in of the New Year, with access to surrounding streets severely restricted. The capital also hosts the San Silvestre Vallecana fun-run on January 31, which will also involve major constraints on the flow of traffic.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Symbio, the French producer of hydrogen fuel cell systems for transportation, reports that it has delivered 150 commercial hydrogen-electric vehicles which have now travelled a combined 220,000 miles (350,000 km). The company will be showcasing its solutions at CES 2017 next week.

The Kangoo ZE-H2 is based on the Renault Kangoo ZE Maxi. It combined a 22 kWh Li-ion battery pack with a 5 kW hydrogen fuel cell range extender, fueled with 1.7 kg of H 2 at 350 bar or 2.08 kg H 2 at 700 bar. Range is 300 km (186 miles).

Symbios core mission is to engineer complete fuel cell systems for electric vehicles, from prototyping to product. Symbio offers an end-to-end hydrogen fuel cell system compatible to different usage-cycles and types of vehicle (commercial vehicles, van, bus, trucks and boats) and from 5 kW to 300 kW.
A man accused of beating up his wife pleaded not guilty to two felonies and one misdemeanor.

Darrel Lee Montez, 42, of Green River, appeared in the Third District Court of Judge Richard Lavery at an arraignment to two felony counts of aggravated assault and battery and one misdemeanor charge of domestic battery.

If found guilty of the all three counts, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, six months in jail and a maximum fine of $20,750.

According to court documents, on Oct. 23, 2016, a Rock Springs Police officer responded to the Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County to check on a woman who claimed to have been beaten by her husband.

Upon arrival, the officer tried to speak with Victoria Klemetsen, Klemetsen was in obvious pain while laying on a hospital bed. The officer observed a large wound on her left cheek and it appeared to be bruised. The RSPD officer tried to interview Klemetsen, but she was in too much pain and he decided to stop the interview.

Montez was interviewed; and after the interview he was arrested.

The officer then went back to the hospital to interview Klemetsen again. He asked if it was alright to try another interview and she said yes. During the interview, the officer had to take multiple breaks because he could tell Klemetsen was in pain and she would get visibly upset and start breathing hard.

Klemetsen told the officer she and Montez were playing a game; and while they were playing Montez was on his cell phone. She asked him to get off of the cell phone and he got mad and told her to shut up and them proceeded to call her names. Klemetsen claims Montez allegedly hit her three times on the right cheek, once on the left cheek and twice on the top of her left shoulder. She claims he allegedly head butted her too, which caused pain in her nose.

Klemetsen said after she was hit she fell down and hit the bathroom door and toilet while she was falling to the floor. She told the officer she didnt remember where her body hit as she fell because she lost consciousness for a bit. When she tried to stand up, she fell down again. By this time Montez had left.

Klemetsen could not remember which hand Montez used to hit her or if he used and open hand or a fist, but she thought he used an open hand. Klemetsen also told the officer she and Montez had been together for 15 years and they have three children together.

A medical record on Klemetsen obtained by a police officer showed Klemetsen had a fractured shoulder and displacement of that same shoulder.
Will patients benefit from the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act? After listening to politicians and reading the headlines, most people might think its the best thing ever to come along for patients.

A new day for medical research is on the horizon, proclaimed Rep. Fred Upton, the outgoing chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee which had just won a major victory last week. The House and the Senate have passed this bipartisan legislation which will ensure our health system can keep pace with incredible advances in science and technology, Upton said in the GOPs weekly radio address. We needed to do better. And with 21st Century Cures, we will.

Media headlines mirrored Uptons victory declaration. Headlines like this from the Wall Street Journal, House Passes Health Bill to Speed Drug Approvals, Boost Biomedical Research seemed to say it all: faster drug approvals, more money for research, less pesky regulation.

Or was there more to the story? Not everyone thinks the Cures Act will be wonderful for patients. But their voices were drowned out in the slick public relations campaign Uptons committee waged over the past few years using some 200 or so patient advocacy organizations to push for the bill. Most of those groups have strong ties to the drug and medical device industry.

A recent study by Dr. Vinay Prasad, an oncologist at Oregon Health Sciences University, found that three-quarters of 68 cancer advocacy groups he studied disclosed sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies. Some groups received money from as many as 16 or 17.

Prasad told me, Ten years from now, someone with a cancer diagnosis will be worse off with this bill. People will be exposed to more things that dont work. Prasad and others say the Cures Act actually lowers the regulatory standards for drugs and devices. Its a step backward for patients.

In a nutshell the Act turns current regulatory practice on its head.

Randomized trials, the gold standard for medical research, may disappear if a drug company wants to sell a medicine for a different condition than the one its already approved for. Instead it can use real world evidence to show the drug also works for a new indication. Such evidence could be observational studies, which are less reliable than randomized trials, but are cheaper and take less time.

The FDA can use patient experience to inform its regulatory decisions  information about the impact of a disease or related therapy on patients lives. The data can come from patients, family members, caregivers, patient advocacy organizations, disease research foundations and drug manufacturers.

The agency can approve new drugs on the basis of data summaries rather than requiring the FDA to independently analyze study results for a new drug indication. Drug makers would have to submit all their data, but the FDA would not have to review it.

And although the bill authorizes billions for new medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the funding is not guaranteed, and the NIH would have to fight Congress for the money.

The Cures Act is the culmination of a 20-year effort by the drug industry and Beltway think tanks to loosen standards and permit new uses for drugs already approved in order to expand their markets. It can be traced back to the 1997 FDA Modernization Act, which was then - as the Cures Act is now - sold on the promise of getting cures to market faster. The 1997 law loosened regulatory standards and reduced the number of clinical trials needed for drug approval.

Are the changes brought about by the earlier law a harbinger of whats to come?

The reporting by John Fauber and his colleagues at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offers a cautionary tale. In the last few years the paper has reported how drug and device makers have spent huge sums of money to sell drugs for conditions that were once thought to be part of everyday life.

The reporters found that drug companies turned conditions such as overactive bladder, adult ADHD, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder into medically treatable ailments. They reported that the latter was not even recognized as a mental disorder until 13 years after the first drug treatments were on the market. Drugs used to treat the various medicalized conditions dont work that well and often have side effects that are nearly as common as the benefit, Fauber told me.

Are we turning the calendar back to 1933 when a book called 100,000,000 Guinea Pigs was published exposing the dangers of patent medicines? Federal oversight of drugs was pretty lax then, and patients died. Its obvious drug makers will benefit from looser regulation. It remains to be seen whether patients will, too.

What have been your experiences with new drugs? Write to Trudy at trudy.lieberman@gmail.com.
Dear Editor,

It has been an indescribable privilege to serve Uinta County citizens with the many legislators, staff, LSO, two governors and the many state agencies and their staff over the last 10 years. Only around 1,900 people have served as legislators since Wyoming became a state in 1890. I consider myself blessed to have been part of Wyomings state government, trying to help make the state a better place to live and do business in.

I say thanks to all who have served, those I had the privilege to serve with, and the many people who helped me learn how state government is supposed to work. The legislative process is incredible. It is very hard to get a bill passed, given all the steps a legislator must go through in the House and Senate to get a bill to the governors desk. Among the bills that I sponsored or co-sponsored, the highlight was passing legislation that stuck up for Second Amendment rights, including the right to carry concealed weapons without a permit. I am glad to report that I did not create many new laws to govern Wyoming. I feel we should get rid of a law every time we make a new law that will affect someone. Stopping bad bills is more important than passing new bills that become the laws we are governed by.

I have served during some interesting times.

I am very disappointed at the financial condition of our state. Over the last 10 years, we have expanded state government and the budgets of most agencies, including those of the five top elected officials. Legislators have allowed this to happen by thinking we can make the state better if we have more programs -- spending billions on technology and billions on state buildings, education buildings and UW buildings (with no increase in enrollment). Wyoming has more employees with high salaries and increases raises.

The governor allows contracts to be awarded without competitive bidding, which costs the state tens of millions of dollars. The Legislature and the governor spend more each year.

When the Legislature had more money than it could spend, spend it did. This caused state government to grow. We have about the same funding now that we had in 2002, but we have added many programs, reports, and employees (the state employs around 30,000) and increased salaries, especially for the higher paid employees, including salaries for the UW (which has 500 staff members making over $80,000).

Now with a huge decrease in revenues, the Legislature and governor do not have the funds to pay for what was created in past years. In the last three years, a minority of legislators have been saying we should not be expanding government. These legislators believe we should competitively bid contracts and slow state construction (last years construction totaled $700 million). Agencies should be restrained in their spending.

As a new legislative session approaches, we are faced with a big deficit, around $1 billion. Education faces a $400 million shortfall, our 15-year-old state prison needs major repairs ($80 million or build a new one for $150-plus million) and WYDOT needs millions. The Department of Health faces major expenses, including upgrades to the State Hospital. Some also say the Lander Resource Center needs repairs (although many others feel it needs to be closed as one of only two such facilities in the country). And yet Wyoming continues to add more legislative subcommittees, task forces, bureau. As we left our last budget session in March 2016, the Legislature did make some cuts, but again spent way too much (including $700 million on buildings which most say could have waited for better economic times) with hopes that our economic future would be better. Shortly after the Legislature adjourned, with the CREG report worse than projected, our governor could see we were in trouble and made more cuts to agencies.

Of course, the departments/agencies lamented this would hurt the services they provide, programs and education.

I have continually asked whether the state has a complete list of priorities ranked from highest to lowest.

So what is the remedy? The worst thing, the majority of Wyoming folks feel, is about to happen. While all legislators agree we need to make some cuts (perhaps enough to get us equal to our revenues), they feel the real solution is what we all said should not happen. That is, our leaders and some of the legislators want to raise your taxes of some kind (property, sales tax, etc.). All say Cut government spending, but they claim we cant cut enough, so we have to raise taxes to pay for the state spending we have created. (Many legislators urged their colleagues in the past not to spend as heavily as we have and to cut costs instead. But enough legislators said we could continue to spend, so the Legislature did just that).

As I will not be returning to the Legislature, I want to urge the people of Uinta County and Wyoming to stay in contact with their legislators. Let them know how you feel about what is happening in state government, and with the states roughly 100 agencies and departments. They would appreciate your thoughts about bills, our financial situation, and the things that affect their daily life.

I again say thanks for the opportunity to serve Uinta County, parts of Sweetwater County and our great state, which I really love. God bless Wyoming and the United States.

Allen Jaggi

Lyman
Sweetwater County Child Developmental Center Ryleigh Jeppesen isn't sure if she can eat all of the pizza she has left.

Kids throughout Green River also had an exciting year in 2016.

It didn't matter if they were even in school yet, they still had a good time at toddler and story times the Sweetwater County Library hosts.

When they weren't busy at the library, preschool students were having their parents read more than 2,000 books to them.

Last year, three classes at the Sweetwater County Child Developmental Center accomplished this goal and as a reward they celebrated the achievement with a pizza party.

Sweetwater County School District No. 2 students were busy learning how to swim during school hours. Cla...
Members of the Supreme Courts conservative majority are questioning the continued use of affirmative action in higher education. In lengthy arguments Monday, the justices wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race. The justices heard from six different lawyers in challenges to policies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard. Those policies consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission. One conservative justice likened affirmative action to giving some college applicants a head start in a footrace. But a liberal justice said universities are the pipelines to leadership in our society and suggested that without affirmative action minority enrollment will drop.
Two days after a court indicted her for corruption, former Argentinean president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner faces investigation for her alleged role in covering up a 1994 terrorist attack on a Jewish center in the capital of Buenos Aires that killed 85 people.

Cristina Kirchner giving a speech earlier this year. Reuters

More information Cristina Kirchner, investigada por el presunto encubrimiento del atentado a la AMIA

A federal judge has ordered the reopening of an investigation begun by public prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who accused Kirchner, who was president between 2007 and 2015, of setting up a sophisticated criminal plan to protect the identity of the Iranians responsible for the car-bombing of the Israeli-Argentina Mutual Association (AMIA).

On January 14, 2015 Nisman accused Fernandez de Kirchner, along with her foreign minister, Hector Timmerman, and two senior officials of conspiring to cover up Irans involvement.

More than two decades on, responsibility for the AMIA attack has not been established

Four days later, the day before he was due to present his findings to Congress, Nisman was found dead in his bath. He had been shot in the head. His case against Fernandez de Kirchner was subsequently shelved for lack of evidence and the circumstances of his death have never been explained.

In 2013, the government of Fernandez de Kirchner signed a deal with Iran allowing five Iranian officials and ex-officials indicted in the AMIA case to give evidence in their own country rather than in an Argentinean court. Nisman alleged that the deal was signed in return for trade agreements and Buenos Aires withdrawing its Interpol arrest warrant.

Now, the Federal Criminal Cassation Court has decided that the allegations do not permit dismissing out of hand the possible commission of illegalities evidence should be pondered before being dismissed. It also removes Judge Daniel Rafecas from the case.

Rafecas last year rejected Nismans accusations, saying that the arrest warrant was never withdrawn and that the trade deals never materialized. He concluded that there was no evidence of a cover-up by Fernandez de Kirchner.

The day before Nisman was due to present his evidence to Congress he was found dead

But in May 2016, an Argentinean court declared the agreement with Iran null and void, while organizations representing the countrys Jewish community called for Nismans evidence against Kirchner to be investigated, a request that has finally been heeded.

This is like a new beginning. We are back to the day before the death of Nisman, this is a beginning to start the investigation the public prosecutor requested. It doesnt matter who the accused are, only the charge counts. We will now see what evidence Nisman had in relation to the crime that had been reported, said Santiago Kaplun, the secretary general of the Delegation of Israeli Associations, to the TN news channel.

Alberto Nisman. Archivo

Kirchner has always denied a cover up, arguing that the bilateral trade agreement could not be the basis for a criminal case. But Nismans lengthy investigation, along with the mysterious circumstances of his death, have led many to suspect Kirchners involvement in protecting Iran.

Nisman accused Fernandez de Kirchner and her officials of deciding to negotiate and arrange impunity for the Iranian fugitives in the AMIA case with the purpose of freeing the defendants and fabricating Irans innocence, Nisman wrote in a 300-page writ.

We will now see what evidence Nisman had in relation to the crime that had been reported Santiago Kaplun of the Delegation of Jewish Associations

After 20 years, it is still not clear who set off the car bomb on July 18, 1994 at the Jewish center in Buenos Aires Once district. It was the worst attack on a diaspora Jewish community since World War II. Subsequent investigations immediately suggested that the government of Iran had been in involved.

In 2006, prosecutors Nisman and Marcelo Martinez Burgos formally accused Iran of planning the attack and Hezbollah of carrying it out. International arrest warrants were issued for suspects in the case, including Irans former defense minister Ahmad Vahidi, who at the time was a commander of a special unit of Irans Revolutionary Guards.

Other suspects include Ali Fallahijan, former Iranian intelligence minister; Mohsen Rezaee, former government advisor; Mohsen Rabbani, the then-attache at the Iranian Embassy in Buenos Aires; Ahmad Reza Asghari, a former diplomatic official; and Imad Fayez Mughniyeh, a senior member of Hezbollah who reportedly died in Syria in 2008.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Achievers

The High Point Fire Department held the graduation of the 46th Fire Recruit Class on Dec. 14 at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point.

Graduates included: Clark Brighton, Josh Bryant, Scott Burk, Justin Frank, Joseph Herrington, Jake Powers, Ryan Rathbone, Bailey Reeves, Michael Russell and Gary Wingfield.

***

Six Randolph Community College employees completed the requirements of the Presidents Educational Leadership Academy in the 2016 fall semester at RCC: Beth Arnold, system administrator; Rebekah Kingston, student services counselor; Bryan Marbert, department head for sciences/health/physical education; Garret Parker, department head for computer-integrated machining; Anna Phillips, department head for radiography; and Deanna Schrader, admissions evaluator.

***

CARF International has announced that Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina (Triad Goodwill) has been accredited for a period of three years for its Community Rehabilitation Program.

CARF accreditation demonstrates Triad Goodwills program quality, transparency and commitment to people referred by the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

***

Samuel Tesfay, a full-time chemistry teacher at the American Hebrew Academy, was featured in the CNN Money article, The steep cost of underemploying highly skilled immigrants, by Octavio Blanco.

The 34-year-old immigrated from Ethiopia to Greensboro in 2013 and has a masters degree in analytical chemistry from Addis Ababa University.

He first worked at the academy as a dishwasher, began tutoring math and is now into his second year as a chemistry teacher.

***

Andrew Caldwell of Smart Choice has been included in Insurance Business America Hot 100 list, recognizing some of the major power players who are shaping the future of the insurance industry.

***

Veronica Segarra, assistant professor of biology at High Point University, is working with Eric Baehrecke, a prominent scientist in autophagy, her field of scientific study, as a 2017 Keystone Symposia Fellow.

The research-driven fellowship educates early-career scientists on the inner workings of the life sciences community and provides a venue for interaction with established and leading scientists on a national and global scale.

***

The Triangle Business Journal named Greensboro native Chuck Purvis, president and CEO of Coastal Federal Credit Union, as the 2016 Businessperson of the Year.

Purvis graduated from Smith High School in 1975 and from UNC-Greensboro in 1979.

Awards

The High Point Human Relations Commission bestowed Lisa Hawley with its annual Humanitarian Award at the City Council meeting Dec. 19.

Hawley is the owner of Southern Roots Restaurant in Jamestown, and the founder of Feeding Lisas Kids, an organization that provides both food and cooked meals to families each month. Children are identified through the Communities in Schools program, and Feeding Lisas Kids, as well as individual donors, purchases food items, assembles delivery boxes and arranges for them to be taken to families.

Once a month, Hawley also serves a meal at Southern Roots for families at the West End Ministries.

Hawley also assists three families from the Congo, brought to High Point by World Relief. Hawley has sponsored a clothing drive for the families, and provided shoes, washing machines and transportation to them, as well.

Hawley will be the grand marshal at the Martin Luther King Jr. High Point Community Parade on Jan. 14.
GREENSBORO  On Saturday, Amber Barlow woke up late, roused her son and jumped into her van, still wearing her pajamas.

It was Christmas Eve Day, and the two were heading out on a long-distance errand, driving for more than four hours from their home in Chesapeake, Va., to Greensboro, not to shop but to adopt  an internet-famous black pit bull mix named June Cash.

Barlow had never seen June in person. But she, like thousands of other people, knew the dogs story.

And now, she would have the chance to be part of Junes happy ending.

The first time I saw her picture, I knew she was mine, Barlow said. Nothing was going to keep me from her. This was my baby.

June Cashs adoption story began in September, when her previous owners surrendered her to the Guilford County Animal Shelter.

Shelter staff members filled out her paperwork and took her to a kennel, where the dog, traumatized by the upheaval and scared of the smells and sounds around her, huddled on the floor, her nose pressed into a corner.

She relieved herself on the kennels concrete floor but was too scared to move out of the puddle.

Hours later, Tammy Graves arrived at the shelter to evaluate another dog for an area rescue. Graves, the head of the Greensboro-based Haley Graves Foundation, a nonprofit group that rescues shelter dogs, spotted June hunched in the corner. She couldnt get the dog to respond to her voice or acknowledge her presence.

Shelter protocol required June, like all dogs surrendered by their owners, to stay in the shelter for a 24-hour holding period. Graves couldnt take her home until the next day. Heartbroken, she snapped a photo of the cowering dog, went home  and couldnt get June off her mind.

Graves uploaded the photo to Facebook. Underneath, she wrote the dogs story.

It was the first time in a very long time that I cried when I left the shelter because I just couldnt stop thinking about her, she said. It bothered me all day. I cried off and on. So I just wrote what I felt.

A friend encouraged Graves to make the post public, which she did before going to bed.

When she woke up, the post had been shared 29,000 times. That afternoon, Inside Edition called for an interview. Soon, the post had been shared 139,000 times. Junes story popped up on media outlets across the country.

By then, Graves had pulled June from the shelter and placed her in a foster home. Adoption applications began to pour in. More than 500 people wanted to take June home.

About that time, Barlow sat down at her computer in Virginia and logged on to Facebook. Many of her friends own pit bulls, so it wasnt unusual for her news feed to be filled with stories and photos of the breed. But that day, one story in particular caught her eye. It was June, cowering in her kennel in Greensboro.

My heart started breaking, Barlow said. I knew that I needed to find out more about this baby.

She clicked over to the Haley Graves Foundation website and sent a message asking for more information.

I said, This is my baby,  she said. I knew it was going to take some time, but I was going to fight for this. This was my baby girl. I knew it.

***

June went into foster care, staying with James Voyatzis, an obedience trainer with Sitzen K9 Training in Greensboro. The 5-year-old dog needed treatment for heartworm, along with time to acclimate to her new surroundings and to learn to trust people. A black dog with white toes and a white chest, June also has white pockmarks on her snout, an indication that she had been abused in the past, Graves said.

Thats from, probably, being hit with sticks, she said. Shes clearly had multiple litters and spent a lot of her life tied to a tree. She was extremely shy, and we knew we had to find a home that would understand that she might take a long time to warm up.

As June settled into her foster home, Graves began contacting every person who had applied to take her home.

Graves was willing to consider an out-of-state adopter, but only if the person was willing to travel to North Carolina to meet June in person and drive  not fly  her back home.

Most werent willing to do so. Others had applied on a whim after being moved by Junes story but lost interest as weeks went by. Graves whittled the pool of applications down, then whittled it again. Eventually, two applicants were left.

One was a man who split his time between New Jersey and Florida. Graves was ready to approve his application when she received word that the homeowners association presiding over his home in Florida would not permit him to have a pit bull mix.

So she moved to the second applicant: Barlow.

I found out on a Wednesday, she said. I was at work, and they let me know that I would be her mommy, and I started crying like a baby.

Barlow and Graves arranged for a pickup time on Dec. 24. When they met face to face, Barlow explained her holiday pajamas.

She said, Dont laugh because Im in my Christmas pajamas. I wanted to be on time,  Graves said. I loved her in that moment, because there was nothing more important to her than being here on time to get her dog.

Barlow waited in the lobby as volunteers went to get June. She came out, tentatively, sniffing her surroundings, before walking directly to Barlow.

It was incredible, Barlow said. She let me pet her and love on her, and I was holding her in my arms the whole time.

After nearly a week at her new home, June is doing well, Barlow said. She loves other dogs, so Barlow arranges a play date with her friends pups almost every day. (Her new best friend is a Great Dane named Tank.) She loves to watch TV, and she sleeps in Barlows bed, nestled against her, every night.

Shell make sure everythings safe at night, and then curl up right behind my back and snore in my ear. She snores pretty loudly, honestly, Barlow said. But I love it. I sleep better at night with her next to me. I feel like she and I have had similar lives, even though shes an animal and Im a human.

She told Graves as much, early in their correspondence.

I explained to her that the white spots on June Cashs face were scars from the abuse in her life, Graves said. And Amber said, Dont we all carry some scars in our lives? Its like her and June connect on that level. Its just one of those matches that is meant to be.
GREENSBORO  About 65,000 Guilford County residents received a recorded voice message Thursday night informing them that a 66-year-old McLeansville woman was missing.

The message, sent by county officials using the new Guilford Emergency, Alert and Notification Information System, gave basic details about Shirley Slade McGill, including her age, her clothing and where she was last seen.

She suffers from a cognitive impairment, the message concluded. Please call 911 if you have information.

McGill was found injured but safe Friday morning, in part due to tips received in response to the voicemail. That message, recorded using text-to-speech, was the first deployment of GEANI, a new software system paid for and shared by the county and the cities of Greensboro and High Point.

The three municipalities have had a shared emergency-alert system in place since 2012 but changed software vendors this year, according to Don Campbell, the countys director of emergency management. Both the old and new systems allow emergency officials to send text-message, email and voicemail alerts to residents, but GEANI allows the county to quickly send phone messages to more people.

Weve always had the ability to do phone calls, but on the old system, we could only do 26 at a time  so we very rarely used it, Campbell said. Now, we can do unlimited phone messages.

The system uses a database of about 200,000 numbers, gleaned from the white and yellow pages in phone books, as well as self-registration. Residents can register their numbers at www.readyguilford.org and can also specify if they would prefer text, voice or email alerts. Not every registered number will receive a call during every emergency, Campbell said.

We use a map to basically draw a circle or square or whatever shape we want to, which tells it which numbers to call inside of that area, he said of the system. Obviously, we didnt contact everyone this time. People in Oak Ridge didnt receive messages (about McGill). We just contacted people in the area we thought would be most accurate.

Typically, residents wont receive voicemails about missing people unless the situation is urgent, Campbell said. Sheriffs deputies were particularly concerned about McGill given her cognitive impairments and the cold weather expected Thursday night.

The systems main purpose is really emergency notifications  evacuation of a neighborhood, something like that, he said.

But the alert system has been successful in other capacities in the past. Tips from a previous phone message helped the Greensboro Police Department find a missing suspect within 20 minutes. And information from this most recent message was helpful in the search for McGill, said Lt. David Pruitt of the Guilford County Sheriffs Office.

We had information that gave us a better timeline as to where people may have seen her, Pruitt said.

That qualifies as a success, Campbell said.

The goal is hopefully to get someone whos seen her and can say, I just saw her walking down the road,  he said. Really, its anything that can help in the investigation.
Brazilian police investigating the disappearance of the Greek ambassador to Brazil, Kyriakos Amiridis, suspect a charred body found inside a rental car could be that of the ambassador. Amiridis, 59, was spending his Christmas holidays in Rio de Janeiro but has not been seen since Monday night, when he was last spotted driving his rented Ford Ka in the suburb of Nova Iguacu. His Brazilian wife informed the police of his disappearance two days later.

The Greek ambassador in Brazil Kyriakos Amiridis. MARCOS CORREA (AFP)

More information Desaparecido en Rio de Janeiro el embajador griego en Brasil

A forensic team is now analyzing whether the burnt corpse they found in a vehicle with the same license plate and characteristics as the car the ambassador rented belongs to Amiridis. Police say they are likely to be able to provide more information on Friday.

Armiridis has lived in Brasilia since he was named ambassador in January of this year. He traveled to Rio on December 21 with the intention of returning on January 9, an employee at the Brazilian Greek embassy told news agency AFP.

Nova Iguacu, a city connected to Rio, is not a traditional destination for tourists

Before becoming the Greek ambassador to Brazil, Amiridis held the same post in Libya. Prior to that, he was the Greek Consul General in Rio from 2001 to 2004.

Nova Iguacu, a city connected to Rio, where Amiridiss wife has a family home and where the car was found, is not a traditional destination for tourists. It has a population of around 800,000 and is one of the 13 cities that make up the Baixada Fluminens, a violent territory where paramilitary groups and drug dealers operate with certain impunity.

Between January and November of this year, Baixada Fluminens, with a total of 3.7 million residents, accounted for 40% of murders in the state of Rio de Janeiro, which has a total population of 16.6 million people. During the same period the region saw 1,919 homicides, according to the Institute for Public Security in Rio.

English version: Alyssa McMurtry.
GREENWICH  Town and school officials are angry after learning that Greenwich will lose 90.5 percent of its state funding to education  more than any other municipality in the state.

I dont think the ECS cuts are equitable and they seem punitive, First Selectman Peter Tesei said in a statement released Friday. Greenwich, which has the largest Grand List (the aggregate valuation of taxable property in a town) in the state, sends a significant amount of money to the state. But as time goes on, what it gets in return continues to diminish.

About $20 million in state education aid for this school year is being slashed, according to a notice sent Thursday by the state Office of Policy and Management. The education cuts will affect all of Connecticut's towns and cities.

For distressed school districts like Danbury, Bridgeport and Stamford, the cut will be held to $250,000 each. In the wealthier community of Greenwich, the cut will amount to $1.3 million.

More News State to cut this school years funding

Greenwichs cut is the largest, in terms of percentage and actual dollars, in Connecticut. According to the Thursday notification from the state, Greenwichs state aid will be reduced to $136,859 for the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Superintendent of Schools Sal Corda objected to the timing of the cuts.

To implement these reductions in the middle of a fiscal year when budgets have already been approved, based on thoughtful estimates of revenue, places an unreasonable and unfair burden on municipalities, he said. Surely the state had been aware of its fiscal capabilities and the challenges it faced as this state budget was developed.

Why were school districts and municipalities not advised, before their budgets were developed, that ECS funding would not be continued at present levels and, in fact, ought to be estimated at significantly lower levels? he asked.

Our communities deserve an explanation, he added.

Education Cost Sharing grants provide education some funding for all students in a district and more money for students with higher needs, like special education students, in an aid percentage determined by the districts wealth.

The loss of this state Education Cost Sharing funding will shift a heavier financial burden onto Greenwich taxpayers, Corda said.

Reducing ECS aid does not negate the responsibility of the school district to provide the required services for youngsters with special needs. By law, those costs must be funded, he said. Therefore, the impact of a reduction in ECS aid has systemic ramifications, which certainly raises concerns.

Tesei called the cuts a hard blow to efforts to bridge the achievement gap in Greenwich. Greenwich has three Title I schools, more than 3,100 people living at the poverty line and 22 percent of all Greenwich students for whom English is their second language.

The bottom line is that perception doesnt meet reality, Tesei said. While we understand that there are communities in Connecticut that are less fortunate than ours, Greenwich does not stand unto itself. It has a population that needs assistance, not only from our generous residents who support social service agencies like the United Way, but for the myriad of agencies who provide the life-saving services residents need on a daily basis.

The reduced school funding will require a hard look at the towns annual budget, Tesei said.

With the current fiscal climate, my office already imposed a hiring freeze months ago. Open positions will be filled only upon review of the Office of the First Selectman, on a case-by-case basis, Tesei said. And with this additional loss of $1.3 million in state aid, it is a shortfall that will have to be made up in the 2017-2018 budget  a shortfall that clearly will have an impact on what already is a fiscally tight plan.

He called on local lawmakers and residents to oppose the cuts.

I know that our legislative delegation, as well as our town residents, will do all that they can to convince the state to reverse this decision that financially undercuts the efforts that we continue to undertake on a daily basis, Tesei said. I appreciate our legislative delegations dedication to ensure that the town will receive its fair share  an equitable return on the investment that we make in the Nutmeg State.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; @emiliemunson
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VERNON -- The main scapegoat throughout the wrongful imprisonment trial of his former client Michael Skakel, celebrity lawyer Mickey Sherman exhibited an unflagging loyalty Friday to the Kennedy cousin convicted of murdering Martha Moxley.

"Mr. Skakel never admitted to me that he committed this crime and I still have that belief as well," Sherman testified in state Superior Court in Vernon.

Skakel, 52, who is serving 20 years to life in prison for the 1975 slaying of the Greenwich teenager, is seeking a new trial on the basis that Sherman did not represent his best interests when a jury convicted him in 2002.

"My allegiance was to Michael Skakel, only, and the rest of the family knew that," Sherman said.

The state rested its case Friday, calling Sherman as its final witness on what was originally scheduled to be the ninth and final day of the habeas corpus trial.

But a few loose ends need to be tied up, which will force both sides to return to court Tuesday.

Moxley's mother, Dorthy, 80, who has been staying in Vernon throughout the trial, said she was going home to Summit, N.J., and not returning.

"I'm pooped," Moxley said.

A psychological profile of an early suspect in Moxley's murder -- Ken Littleton, the live-in tutor of Skakel -- emerged Friday. The evidence was sealed during Skakel's criminal trial.

The 28-page work-up on Littleton was sent to the Greenwich Police Department and the Bridgeport State's Attorney's Office in 1993, but was kept from the jury's view by Judge John Kavanewsky Jr.

Both sides are entering murky waters from a legal standpoint because the scope of Skakel's habeas corpus case is generally confined to the competence of Sherman.

A major theme of the trial has been whether or not Sherman cut corners on his third party culpability defense, including investigating the theory that Littleton might have been linked to 13 other murders.

"To spend time, effort and, money being the last consideration, frankly, to prove Ken Littleton was a serial killer when law enforcement had already gone down that road, I think, on my part, would have been presumptuous and wasteful," Sherman said.

Contrary to claims by Skakel, who broke his silence and testified Thursday, Sherman denied he photographed the judge and jurors with a camera pen during the criminal trial.

"Mr. Sherman, have you ever called yourself a media whore?" Santos asked, echoing Skakel's testimony.

"No," Sherman said.

Santos inquired whether Sherman ever made tongue-in-cheek remarks that "I'm not a lawyer. I just play one on TV."

"Sounds like something I could have done," Sherman said.

Sherman was asked if he had written a book, "How Can You Defend Those People?"

"Yes," Sherman said, muttering, "Thank you for promoting it."

Thomas Bishop, the judge trial referee in the case, asked Sherman to repeat his answer, appearing less than amused. Sherman stuck to a simple, yes.

Sherman disputed the characterization that he got caught up in the limelight of defending Skakel, saying he was already a commentator for what was then Court TV and a several cable channels.

"It was not my life," Sherman said of his media appearances. "It was more like recreation."

Sherman asserted that his media connections helped Skakel.

"I also believe that's one of the reasons they hired me," he said.

The former head of the Connecticut judicial branch arm responsible for investigating complaints against lawyers also testified in Sherman's defense Friday, saying he is not convinced Skakel had a right to know that his lawyer owed the government back taxes at the time he entered into a fee agreement with Sherman.

In 2010, Sherman pleaded guilty to tax evasion and served a year and a day at a minimum security prison and halfway house.

Attorneys for the state called Mark Dubois, who served for 7 years as the state's chief disciplinary counsel and teaches law at the University of Connecticut, to rebut claims that Sherman jeopardized Skakel's defense by failing to disclose $410,000 in pending liens placed on his property by the Internal Revenue Service and the state.

"I don't think so," Dubois said. "Retrospectively, could he or should he have said that to Mr. Skakel's lawyer? Maybe."

Santos responded that $450,000 Skakel paid Sherman at the time, one of several installments totaling $2.2 million, could have been seized by the government and been diverted from Skakel's defense.

"This was not an ordinary creditor that Mr. Sherman had. This was the IRS," Santos said.

Dubois testified that it was up to the family lawyer, a Skakel cousin who was negotiating fee arrangements with Sherman, to do his due diligence on the skeletons in Sherman's closet.

"What was he supposed to do, hire an investigator to investigate Mr. Sherman?" Santos said.

Dubois said that a simple LexisNexis search could have turned up information on Sherman's liens.

Earlier in the week, Ron Murphy, a professor of trial advocacy at UConn, testified on behalf of Skakel that Sherman's silence on his back taxes constituted a conflict of interest.

Under cross-examination from Santos, Dubois acknowledged Murphy once represented him in litigation.

Close to exhausting all of his legal options, Skakel filed a writ of habeas corpus with the court, claiming he was deprived of a competent defense because of Sherman's obsession with his celebrity status and problems with the IRS.

By law, the judge must render a decision on Skakel's petition within 120 days of the filing of post-trial briefs by both sides. A deadline for filing briefs will be set Tuesday. There is a provision for an extension if both parties are in agreement.

Sherman stumbled when Santos asked him if he could produce canceled checks for outside experts he hired on Skakel's behalf, which were subpoenaed in February. He could not.

"If you paid experts, there would be canceled checks," Bishop said from the judge's bench.

During Skakel's testimony a day earlier, the nephew of Ethel Skakel Kennedy and the late Robert F. Kennedy claimed Sherman ignored his directives on juror selection and strategy.

Sherman said he is receptive to wishes of all of his clients, whether they have a Ph.D. or a ninth-grade education.

"I'd always look to my client and ask him, `What do you think?' " Sherman said.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
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The state Supreme Court has ruled that Michael Skakel received a fair trial when he was convicted in 2002 of killing Martha Moxley.

While other legal matters are still pending, the ruling could send Skakel back to prison.

Skakel had spent 11 years behind bars for the 1975 killing of Moxley. Both were 15 years old and neighbors in Belle Haven at the time of her death. But a judge in 2013 reversed his conviction, ruling that poor judgment, financial distractions and mistakes by Skakels defense lawyer, Michael Sherman, cost him a fair trial.

The high court on Friday reversed it back, ruling that Skakels lawyers failed to prove that Shermans performance was deficient.

Skakel has been living with an elderly relative in Bedford, N.Y., since being released.

Hes taken aback, said one of Skakels defense lawyers, Stephan Seeger.

There has been no official communication from prison authorities as to what Skakel must do in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.

The Moxley family on Friday expressed support for the ruling.

The brother of Martha Moxley said he was a little shocked. But John Moxley called the 4-3 Supreme Court ruling the right decision.

Its going to take a while to sink in, but I hope this is the end of it, he said

Moxleys mother, Dorthy Moxley, whos in her mid-80s, added, This is the way it should be. I am very, very happy. It is sinking in, and I could not be more excited, more pleased.

The majority of the courts justices determined that Shermans defense met the constitutional minimum for a fair trial. The highest court in Connecticut rejected claims that Sherman should have found other witnesses and cast suspicion on another suspect in the murder, Tommy Skakel, Michaels brother.

The court stated Shermans strategy to place suspicion on another man, tutor Kenneth Littleton, and not Tommy Skakel, was defensible. It need not have been the best decision, or even a good one; it need only fall within the wide range of reasonable decisions that a defense attorney ... might make, the judges wrote. Littleton, a teacher a Brunswick School at the time, had been hired as a tutor for the Skakel children just before the murder.

The legal team trying to keep Skakel out of prison said Sherman had not called potential alibi witnesses or tried other strategies to rebut prosecution witnesses, but the court said Shermans performance did not fall below an objective standard of reasonableness.

Skakels lawyers in Hartford also argued that Sherman was distracted by financial problems and trouble with the IRS, but the court determined there was no evidence that the concern caused Sherman to otherwise alter his defense strategy.

Seeger, a Stamford criminal defense lawyer working for Skakel, said the ruling came as a disappointment. Skakels legal team, led by attorney Hubert Santos, were considering options and reading the decision closely.

Moving forward, I would contemplate there would be a motion for re-consideration filed in state Supreme Court, Seeger said. A federal motion is also in the works. Those procedures are still open to us, the lawyer said.

Skakel, now 56, has been wearing a monitoring device since he was released.

Theres been no order currently, but well await whatever instructions there are, Seeger said. Michael has never attempted to dodge appearances of any sort during these proceedings, and when an order comes down, well be prepared.

Skakel has been free from prison on a $1.2 million bond.

He has been working with defense lawyers in case he had to face another murder trial  which could have occurred had the Supreme court upheld the dismissal of his murder conviction  but the possibility appeared to be foreclosed by the high court in its ruling Friday.

The court was divided in its opinion. Dissenting from the majority, Justice Richard Palmer wrote Sherman simply was not acting as the competent counsel guaranteed by the sixth amendment.

But state prosecutors insisted that Skakel had solid legal representation. States Attorney Susann Gill said he received a more than adequate defense during his 2002 trial, telling the justices in Hartford earlier this year, This was a well-planned and thought-out defense.

She also stood by the states position that there was substantial evidence that Skakel killed Martha Moxley.

Santos argued that Sherman made numerous poor decisions, including not focusing on Skakels brother as a possible suspect. Santos told the justices, This defendant did not get a fair shake. The weight of the evidence is that Tommy Skakel killed Martha Moxley.

Santos also said Michael Skakel had an alibi on the night of the killing at 10 p.m., when he said evidence shows Moxley was killed. He cited testimony that Skakel and some relatives left the neighborhood at about 9:30 p.m. to go to his cousins house 20 minutes away to watch a Monty Python movie.

Santos also said there was no forensic or physical evidence linking Skakel to the killing.

Tommy Skakels attorney has said his client had nothing to do with the slaying.

Tommy Skakel was an early suspect in the case because he was the last person seen with Moxley. Santos said Tommy Skakel admitted to investigators hired by his father that he had a sexual encounter with Moxley in which he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down between 9:30 and 9:55 p.m. on the night of the killing. Moxley was found dead the next day, Halloween, with her pants pulled down. She was beaten and stabbed with a golf club and its broken shaft.

But prosecutors have said that highlighting Tommy Skakels relationship with Moxley would have bolstered their argument that Michael Skakel killed her in a jealous rage.

Heir to a coal and mining fortune, an relative of the countrys first political family, Skakel had been receiving high profile help to stay a free man. Robert Kennedy Jr., a cousin of Skakel and a law professor, published a book this year that laid out a legal case that Skakel was innocent of the crime. Michael Skakel didnt have anything to do with killing Martha Moxely, Kennedy said following the publication of the book, Framed. He could not be reached for comment Friday.

Much of the 2002 murder trial focused on what Skakel later told classmates at a private rehabilitation center/school in Maine about the killing, as well as his statements to an author writing about the night of the murder. The case has generated morbid fascination for decades.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Robert.Marchant@scni.com
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STAMFORD  Any visitor driving through Shippan Point would admire the large homes in beautiful yards overlooking Long Island Sound, until they got to No. 2267.

That address on Shippan Avenue would give them pause.

The taupe mailbox marks a lot overgrown with weeds 3 feet high and surrounded by unkempt hedges and a falling chain-link fence. The short driveway of cracked concrete ends in dirt and more weeds.

Why would there be an eyesore in such a coveted neighborhood? an outside visitor might ask.

There are few clues.

Two candles in glass holders sit on a stone beside the driveway. The older candle is mud-stained and printed with a Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus too faded to read. The newer candle is filled with bright pink wax and reads Divine Baby Jesus in English and Spanish, followed by a prayer: Bless and protect all those that reside here and guide them to divine grace.

But there is no house for residing, only an abandoned three-car garage at the back of the lot. Beside it are two wooden, weathered Adirondack chairs, child-size and identical.

Someone who is not a stranger to Stamford would wonder whether the chairs belonged to the 7-year-old twins, Sarah and Grace Badger, who died on Christmas Day five years ago in a fire that destroyed the house at 2267 Shippan Ave.

The twins big sister, Lily Badger, 9, died, too.

City property records show the property still is owned by their mother, Madonna Badger, who also lost her parents in the fire. Lomer and Pauline Johnson were visiting when the house ignited in fire before dawn that Christmas.

Firefighers pain

The tragedy quickly made headlines around the world. Stories described how Badger crawled out of her bedroom window, ran along the porch roof, climbed scaffolding on the outside of the house and pulled open a window to her daughters bedroom.

Rushes of heat and thick smoke kept pushing her back. Firefighters arrived and pulled her from the scaffolding, but they, too, could not get past the overwhelming heat and flames.

One firefighter burned his face, two others were injured trying to get into the house, and another inhaled a damaging amount of smoke.

But something hurt more, a captain explained: Our job is to get them out. And we didnt get them out.

After the five bodies were taken away, with the water-soaked house smoldering behind them, firefighters walked down Shippan Avenue crying.

More trouble came.

Ashes or electrical

Michael Borcina, the contractor renovating Badgers century-old Victorian home, also escaped the fire. He and Badger, who was divorced, had just begun dating.

In her hospital room that day, Badger told a fire marshal she and Borcina had swept cold ashes from the hearth into a bag, and that Borcina placed it in the mudroom.

Within hours, city investigators determined the fireplace ashes ignited the blaze. The next day, the city  without Badgers permission  tore her house down.

Police discovered Borcina was not a registered contractor in Connecticut, and he had several lawsuits against him claiming that he took money without finishing jobs, worked without permits, failed to pay subcontractors and other offenses.

Without debris to examine, Badger began to question whether the embers caused the fire. In 2012, after officials refused her requests for information, she filed a lawsuit against the city, Operations Director Ernie Orgera and Chief Building Official Robert DeMarco. It alleges that they improperly inspected the renovation work, failed to identify that Borcina was not licensed, and tore down the house to destroy possible evidence.

Among the allegations are that city investigators checked the electrical panels, but did not file a report; that there were no permits for two new panels that were installed; and that the new panels were wired into the original one.

The suit, still ongoing, claims city inspectors signed off on Borcinas work, even though it exceeded the scope of his building permit and deviated from the plans he submitted.

Borcina later changed his story to say it was Badger who placed the ashes in the mudroom.

Reclaimed peace

The tumult of the last five years is absent from the tranquil, if unattractive, lot at 2267 Shippan Ave.

In the December chill, birds grazed the tops of weeds when they flitted from hedge to hedge. As the sun set over Long Island Sound, light beams squeezed between charcoal-gray clouds, creating sparkles on the water.

Two teenage girls, perhaps a little older than Lily Badger would be now, laughed as they made a cellphone video of themselves on the rocky beach a few feet from the Badger driveway.

On the guardrail along the sea wall, someone has painted the word love, the answer Madonna Badger gives when someone asks how she endures the loss of her family.

Just before Christmas this year, Badger posted on Facebook a photograph of her retired father, who worked as a department-store Santa, with a smiling Sarah on his lap.

It will be 5 years in a few days since they all went to the other side. The pain is excruciating, Badger wrote. I think I need your prayers. Thank you.

She likely doesnt know about the two printed on candles at the end of her old driveway.

angela.carella@scni.com; 203-964-2296; stamfordadvocate.com/

angelacarella
Plenty of room to Obamas left, too. Photo: Angela N.

Mama Ayeshas is a restaurant in D.C. best known for its giant wall mural that drops the eaterys founder in the middle of every U.S. president since Dwight Eisenhower, including the only one whos ever resigned in utter disgrace. Its exhaustively patriotic, in other words  its set on the White House lawn and squeezes in a bald eagle, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, cherry-blossom trees, the Capitol Building, and multiple American flags.

What it wont have is Americas 45th president, Mama Ayesha Abrahams family told the Washingtonian yesterday. The way they see it, she exemplified the American dream as a female Muslim Palestinian who emigrated to America and became a successful businesswoman, which, even being generous here, would give Trump about 12 reasons to keep an eye on her. A family member claimed that Our official position is that it is not in the budget, probably with heavy use of air quotes. And who knows, that might be true: Accurately depicting the future POTUS in an image is not an easy task!
Check out Brooklyns newest fried-chicken spot, Pretty Southern. Photo: Melissa Hom

Every month in New York, theres bound to be a bewildering number of new dishes to eat, drinks to imbibe, and food-themed events to attend. It would be impossible to pack in every single thing each month, and the hardest part often is just figuring out whats really worth your limited time. So Grub kicks off each month with a curated collection of dishes, drinks, and events that should absolutely be on your agenda. Make your plans now.

1. Eat Chilaquiles Tacos for Brunch at Lalo

Gerardo Gonzalez has settled into his new digs at the Mexicanish Lalo, where hes now serving brunch. Here, hes taken the essential breakfast dish chilaquiles  day-old tortillas that are fried and then sauteed in salsa  and given it the breakfast-taco treatment ($10). Also on the menu: butter-toasted kasha with onion agrodolce ($12), vegan cashew grits ($12), and cocktails like a Green Eye Mimosa ($13) with cucumber-and-serrano chili.

2. Head to North End Grills Old-School French Pop-up

From January 5 through the end of the month, North End Grill will transform into Bistro au Nord. For the second year of the pop-up, chef Eric Korsh will cook the kind of nourishing French classics that sound really good right now, like pot au feu ($42), tart flambee ($17), and cheesy French-onion soup ($21). Plus, there will be a special wine menu inspired by whats hip at the wine bars of Paris.

3. Eat a New Burger From One of the Countrys Best Burger Chefs

Brendan Sodikoffs burger at Chicagos Au Cheval is outstanding. Now, you can come as close as possible to eating it (monthly) without stopping at JFK first. The chef has opened the West Village chop house 4 Charles Prime Rib, where hes serving a burger. Its not the exact Au Cheval burger, but its a diner-style double with optional egg and bacon. Just note that at $18 sans fries, its not cheap.

4. Eat Gavin Kaysens Food in New York Again

When Gavin Kaysen skipped town for his native Minneapolis, New York lost one of its most decorated chefs. His fans will be happy to hear that on January 6 through February 4, hes back in town for a brief stint as the next guest chef at the NoMad Bar. But the real hook is that hell cook new dishes from his upcoming Minnesota restaurant Bellecour. What to expect? Tarte aux oignons with fennelcreme fraiche and bone marrow, cod brandade with fried parsley, and oeufs mimosa or deviled eggs with pickled onion.

5. Drink a Fancy Whiskey-and-Coke

The whiskey-and-coke doesnt enjoy much of a reputation, mainly because its the kind of college cocktail usually made to get you as drunk as possible as fast as possible. But like the rum and coke, it can be made well. The owners of Park Slopes popular cafe Hungry Ghost are trying to prove as much at their cocktail bar Sweet Polly. There, theyre serving the Mr. Hyde ($13), made with cherry, alder-smoked cola, and rye whiskey for a truly fancy take on a trash drink.

You can have your chilaquiles and breakfast taco, too, at Lalo. Photo: Melissa Hom

6. Check Out New Yorks Newest Fried-Chicken Spot

New York has plenty of fried chicken, but Sam Talbot thinks it could use at least one more spot. The Top Chef alum and former Surf Lodge chef has opened Pretty Southern, which purports to sell a healthier version of fried bird ($2.50 to $6 a piece). Health claims aside, you can get yours with hot sauce, ranch, and other sauces. There are variations on other Southern staples, sides (all $6) like corn-bread pudding and coconut-milk grits, brown-sugar-benne butter biscuits ($4), and a blackened fish and remoulade sandwich ($13).

7. Have Dan Dan Udon Noodles for Breakfast at One of New Yorks Most Popular New Japanese Restaurants

Bessou on Bleecker Street is a charming but stylish restaurant that has picked up steam lately, thanks to its warm hospitality and inventive home cooking. Think shishomaki ($8), fried shisho leaves stuffed with sendai miso and peanuts, and scallion pancakes ($15) with tofu aioli and pomegranate. This month, owner Maiko Kyogoku and chef Emily Yeun launched with dishes like dan dan udon noodles ($17) with a spicy sesame-miso broth and a green eggs and chashu sandwich ($15) with tomato-braised Berkshire pork belly on toasted milk bread.

8. Eat Farm-to-Table Trashy Desserts at Loring Place

Everyone loves a Blizzard  even Dan Kluger. The vegetable-happy, all-things-seasonal chef has concocted a gussied up version ($12) of the Dairy Queen classic for his recently opened Loring Place. Made with a base of vanilla ice cream, its properly packed with pretzels, walnut toffee, chocolate cookie fudge, and unDairy Queen like (Grub will let it pass) Meyer lemon. Thats just the start, though. Hes also serving a take on the Hostess chocolate cupcake, served with orange creme fraiche and tangerine sherbet. Could Ding Dongs be next?

This month, Gavin Kaysen will serve his tarte aux oignons at the Nomad Bar. Photo: Libby Anderson/Bellecour

9. Warm Up With a Bowl of Tontoro Ramen

Add another bowl to the list of exciting new ramen thats recently hit New York. The fantastic Lower East Side ramen shop Nakamura, known for its subtle chicken-based tori paitan, has debuted a richer ramen for the winter. Enter the tontoro ($16), a style made with a chicken and pork-belly broth served with thick noodles, chashu, bean sprouts, and onion.

10. Check Out Il Buco Alimentaris New Menu

In the fall, Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria announced it had hired a new chef in Garrison Price, who previously worked for Jean-Georges, Curtis Duffy, and Jose Andres. This month, the restaurant will debut his revamped menu with dishes like riso nero ($17), a paella-like black-rice dish made with pork sausage and blue prawns, and agnolotti ($28) stuffed with roast duck and caramelized chestnut puree. Restaurant standards like its famous roast short ribs will remain, but there will be new meats to eat including roasted and stuffed lamb saddle ($46) served with lamb broth steeped with pine-smoked tea.

11. Learn How to Make Sausages at White Gold

If your New Years resolution is to start making your own breakfast sausage, youre in luck. April Bloomfields crew at White Gold is bringing butchering classes uptown, with the first class ($100) of 2017 set to run on January 15. Youll learn to make trimmings, grind meat, pipe and twist sausages, and more. Plus, youll leave with your class project.
A new leak from China today claims to show us Meizu's smartphone launch roadmap for 2017. The image you can see below is said to depict an internal document from the Chinese company, neatly detailing every single smartphone it plans to launch next year, along with the month of its introduction and the chipset used.

So let's dive in. The first announcement is coming in February, when the M5S is reportedly coming, powered by MediaTek's MT6753 SoC. The M5 has the MT6750, so this isn't surprising.

Next up, in June the Meizu Pro 7 will arrive with the Helio X30 chip on board. Then in July the Blue Charm S (or MS) will be launched sporting the Helio P25. In September we'll get the MX7 with a Helio P30, while the M6 Note (or Blue Charm Note 6) lands in October with a Helio P20. Finally, in December of next year Meizu will announce a new member of the Blue Charm / M series, which will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 626 chipset.

Obviously take all of this with a pinch of salt until other rumors confirm any of it, but the contents of this roadmap certainly feel believable enough, given Meizu's past antics. The one surprise is the use of that Qualcomm SoC in late 2017, which if true signifies that the two companies have finally agreed on a settlement for the chip maker's patent infringement claims against Meizu. We assume that the Chinese company has negotiated (or is in the process of doing so) a license agreement with Qualcomm, which means we may see even more Snapdragon chips inside its smartphones from 2018 onwards.

Source (in Chinese) | Via 1 (in Chinese) | Via 2
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Earlier today, we learned that the beta program for Nougat on Samsung's latest flagship pair is officially over. This was shared along with a suggested release time frame of January 2017 for the consumer version.

But, if that wasn't enough to prove Samsung is really working hard on the OTA, it appears the support documentation for both models has now been updated to reflect the OS change and is already spreading across Samsung regional servers and websites.

The originals in English can be found at the source links, if you want to dig through them, but from what we managed to gather, the lengthy PDFs hold little extra info on the upcoming software experience, lined up for the S7 pair. A few screenshots scattered here and there do showcase some aspects of the UI refresh. For instance, we can clearly see how the new top row of quick toggles on the shade is going to look and behave.

Also, a few screen grabs from the camera UI show a more polished appearance and control scheme. The camera can now lock focus on one spot of the viewfinder and then get the expose settings from a different one.

Other notable additions include the adoption of the actionable style lockscreen notifications that made a debut on the now canceled Galaxy Note7. Also, the Smart Manager might be called Device Maintenance from now on, but with no obvious change in functionality.

It is also interesting to note that Secure Folder isn't mentioned in the manual. This fits nicely with an earlier rumor that Samsung will start offering the privacy platform as a download on supported devices. This might actually debut with the OTA as well.

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Published on 2016/12/29

Offers are out to Jang Dong-gun and Hyun Bin to star in the ambitious science fiction drama "City of Stars", slated to be released late next year.

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"City of Stars" is still in talks with both actors, but is currently scheduled to start filming in January, for release in the second half of 2017. I'm happy to hear that the drama will be entirely pre-produced, because it would have been difficult to imagine such an ambitious show done on a live shoot schedule. The story is set in a future where Earth is running low on resources, and follows two aspiring astronauts on their way to space to find some more.

I don't think I've seen a Kdrama where the fate of the world hangs in the balance, so I think we can assume that we'll be dealing with problems on an epic scale. If "City of Stars" lives up to its ambitions, it could be a great comeback for both Hyun Bin, who could use a hit after 2015 flop, "Hyde, Jekyll and I" and Jang Dong-gun, who hasn't been in a drama since 2012.

Writer/director/actor Jang Jin is already attached to direct what is shaping up to be the blockbuster drama of 2017, but we'll have to wait and see if either actor signs on officially.

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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

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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

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New Obama Travel Costs Bring Eight-Year Total over $96 Million

Earth Day Travel Bill Over $1 Million, Hillary Clintons Ride on Air Force One Cost $360,000

News release from Judicial Watch, December 29, 2016

(Washington DC)Judicial Watch announced today that it has received new documents from both the Secret Service and the Air Force relating to Obama travel expenses, bringing the known total over the past eight years to $96,938,882.51. The reports contain information regarding Obamas Earth Day trip to the Florida Everglades, a political fundraising trip to San Diego, Michelle Obamas annual Aspen ski trip, her trip to Morocco, a family vacation in Marthas Vineyard, as well as Hillarys ride with Obama on Air Force One to North Carolina.

Judicial Watch filed two separate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits for Secret Service costs related to Obama travel (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:15-cv-01983)) and (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:16-cv-00863)). The Secret Service is a component of the Department of Homeland Security.

Secret Service records reveal that Barack Obamas April 22, 2015, Earth Day trip to give a global warming speech in the Florida Everglades cost taxpayers $145,752.36, which brings the total cost of the trip to at least $1,012,367.76.

The Secret Service records for Obamas October 2015 fundraising travel to San Diego reveal expenses totaling $180,187.09. Including the U.S. Air Force expenses, the total cost of Obamas San Diego trip was at least $2,181,655.99.

Michelle Obamas February 2016 ski trip to Aspen with her daughters cost taxpayers a total of $222,875.58. The Secret Service expenses were $165,806.78. Judicial Watch previously obtained records from the Air Force revealing that Michelle Obamas weekend trip to Aspen, Colorado, last year cost American taxpayers $57,068.80 in travel expenses alone for the 7.4-hour round-trip flight.

Judicial Watch obtained records from the U.S. Air Force and the Secret Service revealing that Barack Obamas trip to Cuba and Argentina in March 2016 cost taxpayers $7,146,015.18 in Secret Service and Air Force travel expenses.

Air Force records regarding Michelle Obamas trip to Morocco, Spain and Liberia with her daughters in June 2016 revealed $450,026.40 in flight expenses alone. A C-32A was flown for 28.4 hours.

Judicial Watch recently obtained Air Force records which reveal that the Obamas August 2016 vacation to Marthas Vineyard cost taxpayers $450,295 in flight expenses alone.

Judicial Watch also recently obtained records from the Air Force showing that in July 2016 taxpayers paid $360,236 for Hillary Clinton to accompany Obama on Air Force One for a campaign trip to North Carolina .

Also, in October 2016 Michele Obama joined Hillary Clinton in North Carolina for a rally reportedly to encourage early voting in North Carolina. Documents regarding this trip have been requested but have not yet been received. The First Lady typically flies in a C-32A so the 1.8 hour flight can safely be estimated to have cost taxpayers $28,522.80.

The Obamas notorious abuse of presidential travel perks wasted military resources and stressed the Secret Service. Judicial Watch estimates that the final costs of Obamas unnecessary vacation and political travel will well exceed $100 million, said Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton. President-elect Trump can immediately save taxpayers money by reforming presidential travel.

###
Who spent Hawaiis $1 billion surplus?

by Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute, December 29, 2016

The Hawaii state budget figures show a record high surplus of over $1 billion in 2016. Look at all of the extra money!

However, Governor David Ige said he already spent the surplus. How could this be?

The graph above is a snapshot of the budget taken in July of 2016. But the Governor said that most of the money was spent after the snapshot was taken.

So, where did the surplus go?

Most of the money was used to make catch-up payments into the states $11 billion unfunded liabilities for state health benefits.

Normally, the unfunded liabilities are paid in quarterly installments throughout the year, like paying off a credit card a little at a time. But last July, Governor Ige put $725 million into the Employer Union Trust Fund in one lump sum, to help make payments early.

Governor Ige also put $201 million into a rainy day emergency fund, just in case the state faces hard financial times in the future.

Saving money for the future and paying off debt is a good idea, especially during surplus years. Governor Ige and his team have successfully taken a step towards fiscal health and accountability for Hawaii.

However, public employee unions who were wishing for bigger pay raises may need to dial back on expectations, now that that extra money is all gone. Still, all is not lost as Governor Ige has said that he has planned a 1 percent pay raise for public employee union workers.

So the government surplus may have already been spent, but at least it was spent wisely. If Governor Ige and the state continue to work together, we may be able to keep our economy healthy and keep the states finances in order without raising taxes.

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The District Court of Helsinki on Thursday found the defendant guilty of a total of 22 offences, including six counts of aggravated drug offence, five counts of aggravated abuse of public office, one count of aggravated falsification of evidence and one count of witness intimidation.

Jari Aarnio, a former head of drug enforcement at the Helsinki Police Department, has been sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for a slew of drug and misconduct offences.

Aarnio was also ordered to forfeit a total of 1,306,000 euros in criminal profits and his property in Porvoo, and stripped of his military rank.

He and twelve other defendants were charged with offences related primarily to the import and distribution of six barrels  or, almost 800 kilos  of hashish in 20112012. Aarnio was found guilty of five counts of aggravated drug offence after the court established that he was an integral part of the drug smuggling and distribution ring.

Aarnio has been shown to have obstructed the investigation into the import of hashish barrels in various ways and sought in other ways to prevent himself and other people involved in the [smuggling operation] from being caught in 20122013, the District Court of Helsinki states in a press release.

He was convicted of several aggravated and lesser offences in office for having unscrupulously abused his position at the Helsinki Police Department.

Aarnio pleaded his innocence throughout the trial proceedings, arguing that his actions had been part of lawful police and informant activities.

Another member of the drug enforcement squad, Mikael Runeberg, was found guilty of four counts of aggravated abuse of public office and five counts of lesser offences in office and, consequently, sentenced to three years and six months' imprisonment. He was ruled to, for example, have been involved in an attempt to frame another man for the drug smuggling operation.

The District Court of Helsinki draws in its press release attention to the detrimental impact of the wrongdoings on public trust in the Police of Finland.

The offences were committed with premeditation while unscrupulously abusing the position of a police officer. The offenders also took advantage of the judicial system and forcible police measures. Police activities must be credible and lawful especially with respect to secret forcible measures. The actions [of the offenders] contributed to reducing public trust in police operations and were therefore damaging for the entire society, it estimates.

Aarnio has announced his intention to appeal the ruling. His defence counsel, Riitta Leppiniemi, estimated in an interview with MTV that the court failed to understand the manner in which an anti-drug force has to operate.

The Helsinki Court of Appeal in October handed down a three-year prison sentence to Aarnio for aggravated abuse of public office, aggravated fraud and aggravated acceptance of bribes in a case related to the acquisition of surveillance equipment for the Helsinki Police Department.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Martti Kainulainen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
LOCAL BRIEFS: DAR Good Citizen, Kiwanis surprise, Frostbite race

Shown, from left, are Veritas Christian Academy guidance counselor Margo Prechter, Good Citizen winner Hana Barazi and Nedra Moles, chair of the DAR Good Citizens Committee.

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DAR Good Citizen

The Abraham Kuykendall Chapter, NSDAR, of Flat Rock, honored the 2016 DAR Good Citizen Winner Hana Barazi , a senior from Veritas Christian Academy, on Dec. 8. Shown, from left, are Veritas Christian Academy guidance counselor Margo Prechter, Barazi and Nedra Moles, chair of the DAR Good Citizens Committee. The award winner was nominated by her guidance counselor for her leadership, dependability, service and patriotism. Her essay was on the topic of Our American Heritage and our Responsibility to Preserve It. She presented her essay at our chapter meeting and received $100 and her certificate. The DAR Good Citizen Award was also presented to Addie Elizabeth Lynch, of Polk County High School, and Michael Scott Woolard, of East Henderson High School.

Library launches program to encourage early reading



The Henderson County Public Library is partnering with Smart Start of Henderson County to launch its 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program in January. The program is geared toward increasing the early literacy skills of preschool children in Henderson County.

1,000 Books before Kindergarten is the result of numerous studies that demonstrate the connection between reading and early stimulation in improving brain development. The program helps guide parents to grow a reader by making reading a regular part of the day.

All babies, toddlers and preschoolers are encouraged to participate and invited to the program kickoff from 10:30 a.m. until noon Jan. 3 at the Main Library and at the Etowah branch. Every attendee will get their first reading log and a bright balloon. If parents read just one book a day with their child, theyll reach the 1,000 book goal in less than 3 years.

For more information, please contact Kathy Kirchoefer at 828-697-4725 x. 2313.

Thrive director speaks at Democratic breakfast

The Henderson County Democratic Party will hold its monthly breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, at Democratic headquarters, 905 Greenville Hwy. Guest speaker is Kristen Martin, executive director of Thrive, a local mental health agency. All-you-can-eat buffet is $9 for adults $4.50 for children under 10. First time attendees eat for free.

Frostbite race set for Sunday, Feb. 19

Henderson Countys annual 25th annual Frostbite Races will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. at the Leila Patterson Fitness & Aquatics Center, 1111 Howard Gap Road, Fletcher. Presented by Trace and Company, the Frostbite event is oldest and largest footrace in Henderson County. The distance events provide views of Hutch Mountain and are on hilly to challenging terrain, with some steep inclines on both the 10k and 5k courses. A flat and fast 1-mile course makes this premier racing event an opportunity for all running levels and ages.

Registration is now open at https://racesonline.com/events/frostbiteraces. Those who register three or more family members online (at one time) get 15 percent off youre the entry fee.

A portion of event proceeds will be used for the benefit of Big Brothers, Big Sisters and their mentor programs for underprivileged kids in our area.

For more information, or to volunteer to help out, contact events@idaph.net or visit http://idaph.net/events/frostbite-races/.

Kiwanis Club gets Christmas surprise

The Kiwanis Club of Hendersonville received an unexpected Christmas gift at its weekly meeting last week it announced the winner of its first Drawing for Kids raffle.

On Dec. 8, the club drew the winning name for the $5,000 prize. The winner was Worthy Association Management LLC, which manages the Wolfpen subdivision on Chimney Rock Road.

Kiwanis member Dick Lepak, a resident of Wolfpen, had sold the winning ticket to Worthy Association Managements manager, Marion Bachand. Lepak was present at the drawing and called Bachand to let her know her company had won the ticket.

When Kiwanis President Elizabeth Moss presented Bachand the $5,000 check, she accepted it, then told the club she had something she would like to present. Bachand handed over $5,000 check from Worthy Management to Moss. Her generous act brought the Kiwanians to their feet in a raucous ovation.

Thanks to Worthy Management and Bachand, the Kiwanis Club raised more than $10,600, doubling the funds raised for Kiwanis programs that help local children such as Terrific Kids, the Shoes and Socks program and need-based scholarships for graduating high school seniors.

Credit Union raises $1,385 to pay forward

United Federal Credit Union donated $1,385 to local families and organizations across North Carolina during the 2016 Pay It Forward initiative. As part of the Pay It Forward program, UFCU provides $15 to every employee to give to a needy individual, family, or organization of their choice. Many times departments and branches combine funds to create a more substantial donation.

Employees in Fletcher, Hendersonville, Asheville and Statesville raised money to benefit local familiessome dealing with medical or financial difficultiesas well as a variety of institutions that help local children like Hall Fletcher Elementary School in Asheville and the Blessings in a Box program held in Hendersonville.

In 2016 through the Pay It Forward initiative, UFCU collectively donated more than $11,500 to 34 different individuals and community organizations across the six states where branches are located.
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There are lots of ways to celebrate the New Years Eve and welcome the fresh 365 days with a bang. Some families dine in together as soon as the 12 AM of January 1 strikes. some lights up their fireworks to cast away the bad luck.

The way people celebrate and embrace the New Year differs in each and every country worldwide. If you wanted to know what the other nation does in welcoming the fresh brand-new year, read on!

Wear The Right Underwear  Latin America

According to the old tradition, the color of the underwear you are wearing during the New Years Eve can determine your luck for the upcoming year. Some says that if you wear the red color, you will find your soul mate in the upcoming year. Yellow should be worn if you wanted more happiness and peace in your life. White if you are wishing for fertility and good health.

Offer White Flowers to the Goddess of the Living Ocean  Brazil

In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, thousands of people wearing white gather together to offer white flowers and gifts to the queen of sea. It is believed that doing this can bring good and positive energy and strength for the brand new year. People toss their offering to the sea while some offers their gifts via makeshift boats hoping that the goddess of the ocean will grant their wishes for the New Year.

Eat 12 White Grapes at Midnight  Spain

In Spain, people eats 12 white grapes as the clock hits midnight, signaling the start of a brand new year. The 12 grapes represent the 12 months of the year and should be eaten at each bell strike of the midnight. This Spanish tradition dates back from 1895 and became a must do for the Spaniards at their New Year celebration year after year. According to the old beliefs, this tradition will lead to a year of abundance and prosperity.

Eat Lentils at Midnight  Chile

Just like eating the 12 white grapes at midnight (Spain), eating lentils at midnight brings prosperity according to the tradition of Chileans.

Burn a Scarecrow  Ecuador

For Ecuadorians, burning a scarecrow on New Years Eve is a surefire way to drive away all the negativity and bad luck of the previous year. Some Ecuadorian also burns photographs that represent the bad luck and negative things that happened in the past year.

Bang Bread Against the Wall  Ireland

Banging bread on the wall is a usual thing to do for people of Ireland during New Years Eve. For them, its an effective way to drive away evil spirits while inviting the positive or good ones as the year starts anew.

Take A Cold Plunge  Germany

This yearly, traditional New Years Day Dip will surely give you the chills! In Konstanz Germany, people jump into the freezing 6 degree Celsius cold water in Lake Constance as they welcome the brand new year. This old age tradition has been around for quite many years and became a popular event not only for the people of Konstanz but also for tourists and guests visiting their land.

Via boston.com
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

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Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

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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

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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

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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
Rory said the abuse made him think twice about using Twitter

Mrs Brown's Boys actor Rory Cowan has asked his solicitor to try and identify trolls who abused him on social media and compared him to paedophile Jimmy Savile.

The much-loved Dubliner said he received a number of abusive tweets from several accounts after he attended the Crumlin Ward Walk at the Crumlin Children's Hospital before Christmas.

"It was the strangest thing at how quick and viciously it happened," he told RTE Radio One's Today with Sean O'Rourke programme.

"I replied to a tweet and before I knew it, I was being accused of being a molester.

"People were saying 'here Rory, leave the kids alone', 'Rory will fix it' and 'I'd take my kid out of hospital if it was being met with celebrities like you'."

Shock

Cowan, who plays Rory Brown in the hit RTE show, described his shock at the torrent of abuse.

He said he normally reacts to critical tweets like "water off a duck's back", but was surprised at how offensive the messages were.

Cowan said his solicitor is dealing with the matter and they are on a mission to find the people behind the accounts before reporting the issue to gardai.

"This is something that's completely new to me, I don't know what's going to happen," he said.

"There's no point in involving the guards if we can't find out who these people are. I don't want to go and say, 'I'm a victim', you don't know where this is coming from, it could be from the UK or abroad.

"I should have ignored them. In the end, I thought I had to get on to my solicitor about this, it was taking on a life of its own. I was actually sick to my stomach.

"I couldn't believe what was coming in and so quick. It was like a kick in the stomach."

He said Twitter should be a "fun" thing, but now he thinks he will hold back a bit on the social network.

Careful

"I'll think very carefully about responding, or even what I'm writing myself," Rory said.

"It should be no problem but unfortunately, there are people out there who've accused me of the vilest things.

"I will stay on it, I like it. When you've nothing to do you go on Twitter," he said.

"If you're waiting on your TV programmes or the tea to happen.

"But I won't be engaging as much with people anymore."
Irish tourism can expect another great year in 2017, but the industry has warned that Brexit and a lack of hotel beds in Dublin could be challenging.

The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) welcomed this year's record number of 8.8m overseas visitors, most of whom visited or passed through Dublin, but added that 50 new hotels were needed in the city.

According to ITIC, tourism is now worth more than 8bn to the Irish economy.

Chief executive Eoghan O'Mara Walsh welcomed the new highs for the industry, but stressed that dozens of new hotels would be needed for the capital alone to keep up with the demand.

Crash

"There has been virtually no development of hotels in Dublin in the past five to 10 years," he told the Herald, pointing to the impact of the financial crash.

"There are a lot of hotels in development at the moment, which is to be welcomed. However, these hotels will take about two or three years to construct."

Mr O'Mara Walsh added that the impact of the Brexit vote could still pose problems, with weakened sterling an immediate challenge.

"With Article 50 due to be triggered next March, we expect sterling to remain relatively weak," he said.

"It makes holidays in Ireland seem more expensive for British visitors."

However, Mr O'Mara Walsh remained optimistic for 2017, pointing to a strong market for north American visitors.

"Brexit is the main challenge for 2017, but we are still predicting a 3pc to 5pc growth in visitor numbers next year," he said.

Overseas tourists spent 4.7bn in Ireland this year.

The domestic market was also strong, with revenue increasing to 1.75m, and 300m came from Northern Ireland visitors.

ITIC also urged the Government to commit to the creation of 50,000 new jobs in tourism and increase tourism export earnings by 50pc to 7bn by 2025.

Quality

Mr O'Mara Walsh said the quality and competitiveness of Irish tourism was key to this year's gains.

He warned against taking success for granted and called on the Government to act to sustain growth in the sector.

Meanwhile, a Red C poll found Irish citizens are least likely to vote to leave the EU.

Eighty per cent of Irish people would choose to stay in the union, while 62pc believe it is going the right direction.
Gardai believe the notorious brothers may have been behind the late-night arson attack on Karlton Barbers

A barber's shop in the north inner city that was badly damaged by fire just a week after it opened may have been petrol-bombed by two gangland brothers.

It is understood the notorious criminals have a business interest in a rival establishment elsewhere in the city.

Luckily, no one was hurt during the late-night arson attack at Karlton Barbers, at Island Key in East Wall.

Gardai from Store Street Station are treating the fire as "criminal damage".

However, no arrests have yet been made.

The barber's shop is run by a highly-respected 59-year-old man from Mauritius, who has no involvement in crime.

When the shop was contacted by the Herald, a member of staff said the owner did not wish to comment on the incident, which occurred at 1.20am on Thursday last week.

Targeted

One theory being considered by gardai is that the shop was targeted by the gangland brothers who saw it as "bad for their business".

However, the criminals have no business interest in any barber's shops in the area of the city where the petrol-bomb attack occurred.

"These are serious criminals, nasty people. While they don't own a barber shop themselves, the belief is that they have a business interest in another barbers in the city," said a source.

"The suspicion is that they carried out this attack simply to put the barber's shop out of business."

Dublin Fire Brigade quickly established that an accelerant had been used in the fire.

Gardai immediately began a major probe.

They examined CCTV footage from local petrol stations and the East Wall area.

The tightly-knit community of East Wall has rallied around Karlton Barbers and helped repair the damage caused by the fire.

The shop's owner has expressed his gratitude to the community for their help.

People described the fire-bombing as a "cowardly attack" while many posted on the barber's Facebook site that the entire community was behind the business.

Smashed

The petrol-bomb attack is not the first this year.

The Flyefit gym in Coolock, which forms part of a popular chain, had been open only a few weeks when two men smashed a car into the entrance early on July 25. They then set fire to the car.

Gardai believe the ruthless 'Mr Big' drugs mob carried out the attack after deciding the gym was a threat to its own fitness centre.

In October, it emerged that the gym would not reopen.

The Coolock fitness centre incident is not linked in any way to last week's barber shop attack.

Karlton Barbers is expected to reopen in the next few days.
Margaret Thatcher at the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement at Hillsborough Castle, 15th November 1985

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher admitted to Irish officials the UK "got it wrong in 1921" with the Northern Ireland border.

A series of extraordinary admissions between Mrs Thatcher and Taoiseach Dr Garret Fitzgerald have emerged from the 1986 archives released under the 30-year-rule.

Both leaders were in contact throughout 1986 as the UK and Ireland backed the Anglo-Irish Agreement amid furious Unionist and Loyalist opposition to the deal.

Meeting

The pair met on December 6, 1986 in London - and Mrs Thatcher made a series of blunt admissions in assessing the Irish security situation.

"You (the Republic) haven't the resources to maintain protection on the other side of the border," she said.

"I do feel very depressed at times about the whole situation. The violence has not been defeated. The SDLP have not done what we are expecting them to do."

"However, it is Christmas - and I had better stop feeling depressed."

Dr Fitzgerald praised the RUC for the work they had done in co-operating with gardai and wanted all UDR patrols accompanied by the RUC, but warned that "both forces have a next-to-impossible border to watch".

Mrs Thatcher admitted: "Yes, we got it wrong in 1921."

The meeting concluded with one Irish civil servant noting that "Thatcher went onincluding a wistful reference to whether she could continue, in all seriousness, to send young men to their death in Northern Ireland".
COMMUNITY

CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Bristol, Va., 301 Euclid Avenue, Every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday: Support group for family, friends of alcoholics, 423-764-0874, 423-878-2831, or 423-323-9886.

KINGSPORT CAROUSEL: Kingsport, Tenn., Wednesdays  Saturdays, 17 p.m.: $1. 423- 343-9834 or www.EngageKingsport.com

ALZHEIMER/DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS MEETING: Abingdon, Va., View United Methodist Church, 18416 Lee Highway. For more, call Sissy Frye or Brenda Jones at 276-783-8157 or 1-800-541-0933.Brenda Jones at 276-783-8157 or 1-800-541-0933.

PTERODACTYLS BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB: Johnson City, Tenn., 2801 Boones Creek Road, 3rd Saturday, 9 a.m. Contact David Robertson, 423-323-2046 or drobertson@btes.tv.

BRISTOL BINGO: Bristol, Va., 516 Birthplace of Country Music Way, Bingo Saturdays and Sundays, 6 p.m. early bird and 6:30 p.m. regular, sponsored by VFW Post 6975. 276-669-2446.

WATAUGA VALLEY FIFE & DRUM CORPS: Elizabethton, Tenn., Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area, 1651 West Elk Avenue. Saturdays, 10 a.m.  noon. The Fife & Drum Corps open to anyone ages 13 and up. Musical experience is welcome but not necessary. Meet volunteer coordinator John Large at the visi-tors center. Lessons are free; call and let us know youre coming. 423-543-5808.

WASHINGTON COUNTY JAM: Abingdon, Va., 25236 Hillman Hwy., Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center, after-school program, or youth (4th through 8th grade) in Washington County, who are interested in learning traditional, old-time musical instruments and Southern Appalachian culture. Classes will run through May 2016. 276-6676-6180 or programs@swva4hcenter.org.

CHEER WITH THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: Johnson City, Tenn., Oakland Ave., Princeton Arts Center, Learn cheers, jumps, splits, tumbling, dance routines, builds with National Champion Taylor Melons. Beginners cheer, ages 3-6, $25 per month; Competition Cheer, ages 7-12, $60 per month. 423-283-5800 or email tricitiestalent@hotmail.com.

MOUNT ROGERS REGIONAL ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM: Providing free GED classes at the following locations and times: Marion Baptist Church on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m., Marion Senior High Library on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m., Northwood High School - Room 105 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5- 8 p.m., Old Chilhowie High School on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-3 p.m. Classes and materials are free to adults 18 and older. 1-800-322-7748 or www.mrraep.com.

JACKSON THEATRE PHOTOS NEEDED: Jonesborough, Tenn., The Town of Jonesborough and the Heritage Alliance are seeking old photos of the Jackson Theatre in Jonesborough. Photos are needed for the exterior of the building or interior, and they can be of any time period going back to when the building was a furniture store in the very early 1900s. 423-753-1031 or virginiac@jonesboroughtn.org.

SENIOR CENTER MEMORIAL PARK COMMUNITY CENTER: Johnson City, Tenn., 510 Bert Street. Join the Senior Chorale Thursdays 10 a.m. No audition required. (423) 434-5750.

FOOD PANTRY

THE TABLE: Bristol, Va., 1754 Kingmill Pike, Community Baptist Church, every fourth Friday 1  4 p. m.: Food pantry, donations are welcome, contact Pastor Todd Crusenberry, 423-646-8760.

PARKS

BREAKS PARK: Breaks, Va., Campground and Rhododendron Restaurant open. Boat dock closed. Front lobby at the lodge will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on week-ends. The administration office will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Park lodging is open year round. Conference Center is open with regular catering services available. New activities: lodging packages with whitewater rafting excursions and elk tours. 276-865-4413 ext. 3201 or www.BreaksPark.com.

SYCAMORE SHOALS STATE HISTORIC AREA: Elizabethton, Tenn., 1651 W. Elk Ave.: October Bird Walks, Oct. 15, 22, 29, 8 a .m., 90 minute walk led by Bryan Stevens, Bristol Herald Courier columnist. The park grounds open daily from dawn to dusk. Visitors Center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 1-4:30 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays. Visitor Center open weekends 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 423-543-5808 or www.sycamoreshoalstn.org, www.tnstateparks.com/SycamoreShoals.

HOW TO SUBMIT INFORMATION

To submit calendar entries, email features@bristolnews.com (put Friday Calendar in the subject line) or fax: 276-669-3696. Deadline is noon on Monday. For information, call Dorothy Hurt, 276-645-2556 or email dhurt@bristolnews.com.
During President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration late next month, the areas apartments will be filled with fans and protesters who have booked rooms on Airbnb. To some, however, the tech upstart is just as controversial as Trump, and activists are demanding that governments across the country hamstring a hugely useful service. Regulators should resist cracking down.

The company, which is valued at $30 billion and operates in 34,000 cities in 191 countries, provides a platform for private homeowners to advertise rooms, apartments and whole houses to short-term visitors.

But it has been accused of enabling racial discrimination, as owners decline to rent to minority customers, and of reducing scarce housing stock for permanent residents in crowded cities such as New York and San Francisco.

Stories of landlords evicting renters in order to make their properties under-the-radar hotels have fueled fears that Airbnb is a menace.

New York leaders reacted recently by slapping massive fines on owners who rent whole units for fewer than 30 days. That is too much, and cities such as Washington, D.C., should be more careful.

Perhaps sensing that it must work with regulators, Airbnb has adopted a reasonable tone lately. The companys chief executive has admitted that unscrupulous landlords are a problem, but also noted that its platform is mostly used by ordinary folks.

The firm produced a report showing that units rented through its platform tend to be more dispersed throughout cities than hotels are, serving poor and minority areas. Among other things, this suggests that renting private rooms can be a valuable income source for distressed communities, even as the service offers visitors more locations to stay.

The company has also promised to restrict what landlords can do on the companys platforms in cities, such as San Francisco, concerned about preserving affordable permanent rental housing. For example: Owners cannot advertise more than one unit on the companys platform in New York and San Francisco, which deters landlords from converting apartment blocks into de facto hotels.

The company has praised a rule in New Orleans that bars owners from renting units for more than 90 days a year if they do not live in them. The company has also said it would work with local governments to pay hotel taxes. Regulations such as these are better than the punitive approach others have taken, and if Airbnb is smart, it will help apply them rigorously.

The companys service should be a win-win-win, giving visitors cheaper and more abundant lodging options, allowing owners to put their unused rooms to good  and remunerative  use, and encouraging tourism in expensive cities. Regulators should aim to enable that vision  not to appease the hotel lobby or activists who shortsightedly favor preserving the status quo.
Armenias Success in EAEU: A Summary of Two Years

It has been two years since Armenia became member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) founded by Russia. Membership in that union was justified by Armenias economic and political interests, as well as security. Hence, the Union of Informed Citizens has prepared a summary of changes in the aforementioned sectors during these two years. Economy Armenias GDP in 2014 was 11.6 billion USD. However, according to IMF, it will make up 10.7 billion USD in 2016. Armenias international reserves have decreased as well. In 2014, they formed 1.8 billion USD on average. Currently, that figure is even less than 1.7 billion USD according to the RA Central Bank. An even greater decline has been experienced in foreign trade turnover. In 2016, import has reduced by 28% compared to 2014. And though export has increased by 16% during the same period of time, it is a result of simple re-export of goods imported from Turkey to Armenia (because of the ban on Turkish products in Russia), rather than strengthening of Armenias trading positions and development of Armenian production. And if we take out the Turkish flow from the export volumes, we can assert with confidence that exports have also suffered a decline. Instead, Armenias foreign debt has increased by 26%, reaching 5.6 billion USD compared to 4.4 billion USD two years ago. Security In 2015, there was a sharp increase in border ceasefire violations (by 103%) compared to 2014, and artillery was first used after a 20-year pause. And in 2016, Azerbaijan launched a war in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), using all the weapons obtained from Russia. As a result, 100 Armenians were killed, including civilians and children. In 2014, 26 soldiers were killed due to ceasefire violations. In 2015, that number reached 40, and more than 110 in 2016. In 2014, there were no deaths among civilians as a result of ceasefire violations. However, 3 such cases were registered in 2015, and 4 in 2016. Democracy As it is known, Armenia was slowly moving towards democratization for years. The Police were making slow but steady reforms year by year, corruption rates were reducing in some sectors. Even the elections were every time more peaceful and less violent than the previous ones. However, the opposite picture was observed in 2015. During the constitutional amendments referendum on December 6, even long forgotten forms of election fraud and violence against observers and opposition representatives were applied. Moreover, in 2014, 52 citizens were detained by the Police during demonstrations and marches. The year 2015 saw an increase of that number by more than 7 times, namely, 380 people were detained. In 2016, more than 900 people were detained during peaceful protests. Previously, peaceful protestors used to be released hours after detention. Conversely, in 2016, hundreds of protestors were forced to pass a few days in prison, and more than 20 peaceful oppositionists are still in prison (not counting the members of Sasna Tsrer armed group). In June 2015, the Police only used water cannons and brutal force to disperse the protests. However, the year 2016 saw use of tear gas, stun grenades and other cruel methods, as a result of which more than 100 peaceful citizens (including journalists) appeared in hospital. Union of Informed Citizens
The German word schrecklich grimly fits last weeks attack on a German Christmas market, even more so than its English translation: horrible. Fewer innocents died in this truck attack than in the one last July in Nice, France. But the mode of the assault  plowing a vehicle into a crowd  seems to be coming into vogue. A similar incident (and fortunately, one with no fatalities) took place last month in Columbus. ISIS, which has claimed the German attack as its own, has encouraged similar attacks at, e.g., the Macys Thanksgiving Parade in New York.

The principal suspects identity as a Tunisian asylum-seeker has intensified the already fierce debate in Germany and elsewhere over the handling and scrutiny of refugees from Muslim and Arabic lands. One or two or a dozen terrorist sympathizers are a drop in the ocean when millions are fleeing the most barbaric persecution. But one or two or a dozen terrorist sympathizers can still kill an awful lot of innocent people.

Unfortunately, such a debate plays right into the hands of ISIS and like-minded groups, whose aim is to drive a wedge between the West and Islam. ISIS has explained the strategy clearly in its magazine, Dabiq: Terrorist attacks will force Western nations to crack down on Muslims generally. At that point, the Muslims in the West will quickly find themselves between one of two choices, they either apostatize and adopt the (infidel) religion propagated by Bush, Obama, Blair, Cameron, Sarkozy, and Hollande in the name of Islam so as to live amongst the (infidels) without hardship, or they (immigrate) to the Islamic State and thereby escape persecution from the crusader governments and citizens.

Thats rich. The idea that anyone, especially women, would escape persecution by immigrating to the Islamic State is laughable.

Radical Islamist groups and their hangers-on are trying to create a clash of civilizations. They must be stopped. But how? An outright ban on Muslim immigrants is foolish in that it hands ISIS exactly the kind of public relations coup it so desperately needs to convince young Muslims to join its cause. But unlimited immigration isnt the answer either, obviously. A balance must be struck. Where that balance lies, and what form it takes, is something everyone  including moderate Muslims in the West  must figure out.
Nailbiter: Astros survive in Game 5, take control of World Series in 3-2 win

Justin Verlander wins first World Series game and Jeremy Pena becomes first rookie shortstop to homer in Fall Classic in Houston's 3-2 victory.
Artsrun Hovhannisyan: Five more Azerbaijani soldiers killed overnight

18.20 According to the latest information received from Artsrun Hovhannisyan, a spokesman for Armenias Ministry of Defense, Azerbaijani armed forces have lost another soldier today. .............................. This night, we witnessed the logical development of Azerbaijans provocation on the border with Armenia. In the result of punitive actions taken by Armenian military units, the enemy had another four losses, Artsrun Hovhannisyan said on Friday. "In fact, the enemys adventurism of the last two days caused it to lose more than a dozen of soldiers. I want to remind that the Armenian Ministry of Defense has said several times that it has irrefutable evidence of the Azerbaijani attack and losses," he said. Three Armenian soldiers were killed on Armenias border with Azerbaijan, near the village of Chinari in Tavush marz early on Thursday in a firefight while preventing an attempted infiltration by Azerbaijan military units. Lieutenant Shavarsh Melikyan, Privates Edgar Narayan and Erik Abovyan died while repelling an Azerbaijani commando raid on their military post in Tavush marz. Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote on his Fecbook page that the firefight erupted at around 10:17 a.m. Armenian army units killed at least seven Azerbaijani soldiers during the fighting that continued until noon. The Azerbaijani side was quick to blame the firefight on Armenia instisting that the three Armenian soldiers were killed at the site of their service while the Armenian Ministry of Defense claims to have irrefutable evidence of the Azerbaijani attack.
TJD shows no sign of rust, IU's freshmen impress again in exhibition

Trayce Jackson-Davis posted 19 points and nine rebounds to lead five Hoosiers in double figures in Indiana's 104-59 win over St. Francis.
Kaj Munk, a Danish cleric, identified as a rightwing political and cultural figure in the Denmark of the 1930s, became the center of moral and intellectual resistance to the Nazi occupation. He was murdered by the Gestapo and Danish traitors in January 1944 as an attempt to silence the growing resistance on the part of ordinary Danish citizens who found in their church a source of moral strength to resolutely oppose the evils of the Nazis. No other clergyman has better explained why Christians must never be pacifists in the face of evil. His words should be recalled today for they are as relevant as in 1944.

When Denmark was invaded by the German army on April 9, 1940, the official line of the Danish Communist Party was that the war was a struggle of rival imperialisms (British and French against German) and that the proletariat was best served by maintaining a policy of neutrality and opposition to military preparedness.

This was fully in line with the Stalin-Hitler Non-Aggression Pact of August, 1939. V.M. Molotov, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars and People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs, on Oct. 31, 1939, declared that "...Instead of enmity, which was fostered in every way by certain European powers, we now have rapprochement and the establishment of friendly relations between the USSR and Germany."

It must be remembered that not only the Communist Left, but the "moderate" Social-Democratic Parties in the democratic and neutral states of Western Europe, most notably in Scandinavia, preached a policy of demilitarization and a willingness to sign non-Aggression pacts with Germany. Denmark did precisely that on May 31, 1939 (violated eleven months later on April 9, 1940 by a full scale German invasion against completely unprepared Danish military forces).

The Danish Left had consistently advocated a policy of avoiding any military preparedness that might "provoke" Germany together with the full authority of King Christian X, urging the population not to engage in any sabotage activity or armed resistance. This was the line that was dutifully followed for the next three and a half years by the sitting Danish government under German domination. It fell to the lot of history's many ironies that the most influential cultural figure on the Danish political right was the personality who eventually rallied the will of the people to actively resist. This was Kaj Munk.

Lutheran Pastor Kaj Harald Leininger Petersen from the island of Lolland, Denmark was raised by a family named Munk and took this name after the death of his parents. From 1924 onward, the Reverend Munk was the vicar of Veders in Western Jutland. He achieved considerable notoriety in the 1930s as a playwright and was regarded by many observers as an outspoken critic of the Marxism and Darwinism that dominated much of Danish cultural life during this period. His play Ordet (The Word) uses the naive faith of a small girl and a "mad" uncle who believes anything is possible through faith, even a miracle returning the girl's mother to life after death in the face of the accumulated "wisdom" of all those who loved her.

Kaj Munk became known for his "strong characters"-integrated people who fight wholeheartedly for their ideals, and this was regarded as another expression of his disappointment with Danish democracy and the incessant squabbling among many secular parties intent upon dealing with one central problem-dividing the cake among different segments of society.

He very quickly turned against the Nazi program of anti-Semitism in disgust for the persecution without reason of the German Jewish community. In 1938, the conservative Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published Munk's open letter to Benito Mussolini criticizing the Italian leader's blind emulation of Hitler's anti-Semitism. He also was gravely disappointed by the failure of the Scandinavian countries to come to the aid of beleaguered Finland in 1940 under the massive Soviet invasion and considered this inaction the result of a lack of unity.

Despite the warnings of friends who urged Munk to go underground, he continued to preach against Danish collaborators. In Denmark, Christian X was a puppet king. He did not choose to flee to England and help in the establishment of a government in exile as did other monarchs, such as Queen Wilhelmina of Holland and King Haakon of Norway. During the first three years of the occupation and in full agreement with the Danish government, the king had warned his fellow countrymen not to participate in acts of sabotage against the German occupation forces. This was the government line that he adhered to and which also guaranteed Denmark a special relatively mild occupation status, including no significant discriminatory measures against the Danish Jews until the planned deportation of October, 1943.

The Gestapo arrested Kaj Munk on the night of January 4, 1944, a month after he had defied a ban and preached a sermon at the national cathedral in Copenhagen, reiterating opposition to the Nazis and antisemitism. Danish Nazis were recruited to assassinate him. Half of the January 1944 issue of the resistance newspaper De Frie Danske was dedicated to him and the next page was an obituary with the text of his last sermon. Thousands of Danes attended his funeral and the newspaper published condemnations of his murder from influential Scandinavians.

The words of his last sermon from Copenhagen's Cathedral in December 1943 were a veritable call for insurrection:

This is what our old nation needs; a rejuvenating power, God's rejuvenating strength, that a new people may come forth, which is yet the old, worthy sons of the fathers. The gospel will have to teach the Danish nation to think as a great people; to choose honor rather than profit, freedom rather than a well paid guardianship; to believe in the victory of the spirit of sacrifice; to believe that life comes out of death, and that the future comes out of giving oneself.

The cross in our flag-it is long since we realized that it stands for something, and we have forgotten that now. And yet it is the cross that characterizes the flags of the North.-We have come to church-the few of us who go to church, and we have heard about the cross, about Christ's example of suffering, and Christ's words about self-denial and struggle. We have thought that this was all to be taken in a spiritual sense, and that it did not pertain to our time. We thought we were Christians when we sat in church and sang Amen. But No, No! We are Christians only when we go out into the world and say No to the devil, renounce all his works and all his ways, and say Yes to the Holy Spirit.

Lead us, thou cross in our flag, lead us into that Nordic struggle where shackled Norway and bleeding Finland fight against an idea which is directly opposed to all our ideas. Lead old Denmark forth to its new spirit. Not by the grace of others, or by their promises, shall Danneborg (The Danish flag) again become a free banner. For freedom only God can give; and he gives it only to those who accept its responsibilities. Lead us, cross in our flag, forward toward unity with other flags of the cross. With honor and liberty regained, the old Denmark in the young North.

His body was returned to the parish church, Veders, where it is buried outside the choir. A simple memorial stone cross was erected on a small hill overlooking the site where Munk's body had been dumped.

By the Liberation of Denmark on May 5, 1945, the Communists who had been passive and blindly followed the Moscow Party Line of "neutrality" during the early war years until the German attack on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, were widely seen as the most effective underground resistance movement. This was due in part to their greater experience in military training which included several dozen veterans of the Spanish Civil War and the rise in prestige of the Party due to the success of spectacular sabotage actions, especially the destruction of several factories in Copenhagen. Kaj Munk's heroic wartime role and his Christian vision deserve their full recognition by the Danish people and his words recalled.
If there were Jewish saints, my sister would probably be one. Not because she is the devoted mother of three girls, or a busy interior designer, managing a business and a family along with community works. My sister has earned her honorary halo because she does all the above, while also managing the care of my mother, who suffered a stroke almost two years ago.

I am the "long distance daughter," 1200 miles away from 'mom,' who now resides in a care facility in suburban Chicago. My long distance role is appointment scheduler, cable payer, and listening ear. (I also try to come in town whenever I can to give care.) While I schedule said appointments, she serves as driver, visitor, companion, errand runner, and emergency contact. Though my brother visits with his boys on weekends, it's my sister who shoulders the most responsibility.

With a mom in constant crisis, my siblings and I suffer from what has been called "caregiver stress." When my phone rings and a number displays from my hometown area code, I'm never sure if I'm receiving a friendly call, or a catastrophic one. It turns out we are not suffering alone, and are in good company with millions of others. With more than 44 million caregivers nationwide, "caregiver stress" has become something of an epidemic.

Longwood ACE-certified fitness and nutrition professional, author, and motivational speaker, *Bethanne Weiss, also knows something about caregiver stress. Recently, I watched Bethanne in a video excerpt from Growing Bolder https://www.growingbolder.com/confessions-of-a-caregiver-3031717/ in a piece titled "Confessions from a Caregiver." Last week we sat down and had a chat, caregiver to caregiver. Bethanne shared that like most of us, she never imagined taking care of her once highly functioning parents. As their health declined, she found herself unprepared to manage their daily lives and crises. A whopping case of "caregiver stress" ensued.

In a five-year period, her parents, Elaine and Manny, had relocated in and out of more than 20 hospitals, rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities in South Florida and then Central Florida, with each residing in separate facilities at times to meet individual needs. Needless to say, Bethanne spends countless hours managing their health, and traveled frequently to maintain regular visits. Despite her physical stamina and healthful lifestyle, the fitness professional and "Asset Queen" (specializing in having students move their "assets") found her life spiraling out of balance.

Today, Bethanne's parents live about 2 miles from her house, both in the same skilled-nursing facility, and have been stably located since moving to Central Florida four years ago. Where (and how) did Weiss find her caregiver relief?

At a friend's recommendation, Bethanne reached out to the Orlando Senior Help Desk (OSHD), a no-cost helpline sponsored by the Jewish Pavilion, and open to the entire community. Like many OSHD callers, Bethanne was overwhelmed by the enormous task of managing one crisis after another, and was looking to relocate her parents closer to her own home. She needed help finding a place that could accommodate both parents in the same community, and asked the OSHD Senior Resource specialist for help.

The OSHD specialist spent time listening to Bethanne's concerns, and recommended several homes that could meet both parent's needs. After visiting several places, she chose a Longwood facility that met the family's healthcare criteria, and felt "warm, clean, and comfortable." She shares that placing her parent's lives in other's hands was one of the most difficult choices she has ever made, and found that support from the no-cost OSHD to be "priceless."

Bethanne receives further relief by employing a weekly home care specialist, lifting some of the care-giving burden from her shoulders. The Jewish Pavilion continues to enrich Elaine and Manny's lives, with staff member Emily Newman bringing holidays, companionship, and visits right to their door.

And what about my family? While we still struggle with balance like most other families in our situation, we are very fortunate that my mom is receiving super care from her assisted-living facility, which we also found with help from the Help Desk (future blog). And until my sister is actually sainted, I owe her a big "thank you," as well as a week off for (very) good behavior when I visit later this winter.

*Bethanne will share how the Orlando Senior Help Desk and the Jewish Pavilion have impacted her parent's lives, from their choice of senior-living community to year-round holiday celebrations, at the Jewish Pavilion Gala on Jan. 8th. Register now online at http://www.jewishpavilion.org or call 407-678-9363 for more information.

Tidbits from the Sandwich Generation is a series of blogs by Pamela Ruben, Jewish Pavilion Marketing and Communications Director, about managing the multi-generations. If you are sandwiched in between raising a family of children or young adults, and caring for aging parents, take a bite out of life with this new blog! Just a 'tidbit' is recommended for anyone who spends time with older adults, or is preparing for life's next stages. Laugh, cry, and relate as our blogger is pulled from all sides by family members young and old. Check out additional posts at http://www.jewishpavilion.org/blog.

For no cost help for issues pertaining to older adults contact the Orlando Senior Help Desk, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, at 407-678-9363 or visit http://www.orlandoseniorhelpdesk.org.
I never knew Kristine Luken but I feel like I did. I feel that we were old friends, that I knew her well. It's strange because on one hand I know very little about her, but on the other hand I feel like I know most everything that was important. I feel like I know this because everything about her last day on this earth in so many ways personified her life.

At the same time that I feel like I knew her well, I am sad and I feel a deep sense of loss at not actually having known her, and more so that she was taken in such a cruel way.

Six years ago, Dec. 18, 2010, Kristine was on a hike with my friend, Kay Wilson. Kay is Jewish; an Israeli tour guide who met Kristine on a trip in Poland to bear witness to the unspeakable suffering and cruelty that was the root of the mass slaughtering of six million Jews. Many go to Poland and other parts of the vast European killing field to learn, to bear witness, mourn, pray, look for answers, etc. It's common for Israelis to do that, in fact we send our teens as part of their education. It's common for Jews around the world to attempt to understand the horrors as best as a human being can understand them as a recent part of the persecution we have suffered over the millennia.

But Kristine was neither a Jew nor an Israeli. She was a Christian. What drove her to visit Poland with Kay was her unconditional love for Israel and the Jewish people. She went to Poland in solidarity, to express love for the people she loved, and grieve at the loss of the people who as God's chosen people were shot, gassed, and burned to death.

And so Kay and Kristine became fast friends. Kay invited Kristine to visit her in Israel and on that magnificently clear, sunny, crisp Saturday afternoon, they went to hike in the Judean Mountains to absorb and appreciate the beauty of the Land together.

Despite the pristine beauty of the sunny sky, something lurked in the shadow that was a vivid contrast to the magnificence of the day. Literally lying in wait, two Palestinian Arabs had camped out along the Israel Trail waiting to set upon whomever they could find. Later in court, they not only confessed but bragged about their premeditated plan to be waiting simply to kill Jews. Kay and Kristine had the misfortune to be the ones who found this out personally.

After being bound and gagged and held at knife point for 30 minutes that seemed like eternity, as the terrorists tried to make Kay and Kristine think that they had no ill intent yet making repeated calls in Arabic to members of their terror cell, out of the blue literally, Kay noticed the sun glaring on a large machete moments before one of the terrorists plunged it into her. As Kay was being stabbed (a total of 13 times) Kristine was being attacked and butchered as well. All Kay could do as she was being hacked by this terrorist was look at and listen to the screams of her friend who lay there helpless as well. Before leaving them for dead, one terrorist plunged his weapon into Kay's chest one more time, missing her heart by millimeters.

Kay remained bound and gagged, bleeding profusely, bones crushed, and sure that she was going to die. She had no way to help Kristine so resolved that with all her strength she would find a way to get up and walk back to the main trail, certain that each step was to be her last. She had one mission, to die in a place where she would be found so she and Kristine would not die anonymously and perhaps the terrorists would be caught.

Miraculously, Kay stumbled through the forest, still bound and gagged, barefoot, for over a mile. She came upon others enjoying the beauty of the spectacular day. They called for help and saved her life. The next day, Kristine's lifeless body was found, still bound and gagged. She gasped her last breath overlooking the beauty of the Land that she so deeply loved.

Over the years I have gotten to know Kristine's family. It's one of the reasons that I feel like I know her. They are sweet, thoughtful, caring people but they bear huge invisible scars at the brutal murder and loss of Kristine. While Israelis are far too familiar with the evils of terror, with tens of thousands murdered and injured and many more tens of thousands of bereaved left behind, for Americans even after 9/11, the notion of terror that up close and personal is jarring and hard to comprehend. While there are many resources in Israel to help victims and families of victims, in America, victims and their families are largely anonymous. There are few services if any, and no network of or connection to others like them who have suffered such loss.

Kay and I have teamed up to create a living memorial so that not only will Kristine always be remembered in Israel, but because of her love for Israel it will be in a way that provides comfort to bereaved Israelis children who have suffered the kind of loss that her family has. Through The Koby Mandell Foundation, Israel's pre-eminent organization that provides therapeutic healing for families of terror victims and those who have suffered other loss, we are establishing a scholarship for Camp Koby to enable bereaved Israeli children to benefit from the healing environment that they need.

In the same way that it's rare for Christians to go to Poland to bear witness to the horrors that Jews suffered in the Holocaust, so too is it rare, maybe unprecedented, for Israeli Jews to care to remember non-Jewish non-Israeli terror victims. We're not looking for notoriety, just to do what's right.

Kristine's last day embodied who she was, a Christian who loved Israel and the Jewish people. We'd rather the story had a happier ending. But it's an honor and a responsibility to be sure her life is not forgotten, especially among the people who she loved in the Land that she loved. The Kristine Luken Camp Koby Scholarship will perpetuate her memory, embody her love, and be like a big hug to comfort children who suffered loss, in a way that she would do herself if she were still alive.

Please join us to remember Kristine, her life, and her love by making this living memorial possible.

Jonathan Feldstein was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. He has a three-decade career in nonprofit fundraising and marketing and throughout his life and career, he has become a respected bridge between Jews and Christians. He writes regularly on major Christian web sites about Israel and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel. He can be reached at FirstPersonIsrael@gmail.com.
Grandparents were VIP's at this year's Generation Celebration at Jewish Academy of Orlando

On Wednesday, Dec. 21, the last day before the students went on their Winter Break, almost 100 grandparents and special friends joined the students of the Jewish Academy of Orlando for Generation Celebration, an annual event, to share their amazing school with family and friends.

The program began with a wonderful breakfast, followed by a broadcast of the WJAO daily news. The students and their grandparents or special friends then participated in various activities throughout the school, including time in their homeroom, Innovation Lab, library, art room, photo booth and Judaic Studies classes. The program concluded with a special Chanukah assembly featuring songs by the students, the lighting of the Chanukiah (albeit a few days early) and a passionate call to action by Susan Greenberg, grandmother to Alec Sagotsky, a third-grade Jewish Academy student.

"At the Jewish Academy of Orlando, the students value their relationships with their grandparents and special friends," said Alan Rusonik, Head of School. "It was wonderful to watch the welcoming of everyone from near and far to share and truly celebrate the academic excellence and Jewish pride the students receive at the school."

For more information about the Jewish Academy of Orlando or to arrange a visit to the school, please contact Alan Rusonik, Head of School, at arusonik@myjao.org or 407-647-0713.
A Syrian civilian being loaded into a bus by members of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent at a makeshift shelter in Jibrin, on the eastern outskirts of Aleppo, Dec. 22, 2016.

(JTA)-Aleppo, one of the world's oldest cities and Syria's largest metropolis, is synonymous with one of humanity's cruelest conflicts-now surpassing the siege of Sarajevo as the deadliest and longest-running battle for a city in our time.

With an estimated 31,000 deaths, the battle for Aleppo has taken more than double the lives lost in Sarajevo. With total Syrian civilian deaths over the past five years reportedly totaling some 450,000, including 50,000 children, the latest atrocities in Aleppo write another dreadful lament in the 21st-century dirge of savagery and indifference.

The world has failed to stop the carnage and the suffering, let alone adequately condemn it. Witness the morally bankrupt record of the U.N. General Assembly, which singled out Israel 20 times-and Syria just once-in 2016. Ironically this comes at a time when the people and government of Israel not only have spoken out, but have contributed significantly to aid Syrian victims, despite the history of enmity between the two countries.

In Israel, in Chicago, and in Jewish communities and federations elsewhere, indifference to the suffering of innocents is not an option. Through our Aleppo Assistance Fund, members of our community have an opportunity to respond through a Jewish lens. Contributions go to the national American Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief, of which our federation is a member. During the past three years, the coalition has provided nearly $2 million of humanitarian aid to Syrians, reaching hundreds of thousands of people with medical supplies and assistance, especially for women and children with severe medical conditions due to abuse, torture or mutilation, and worse.

Locally, during the past few years, our federation has fostered relationships and provided educational programs with key Chicago Syrian community organizations. Everyone recognizes that the humanitarian catastrophe transcends political differences. Both Jews and Syrians hope this shared humanitarian concern for innocent civilians can pave the way for improved relations. The Syrian community recognizes and sincerely appreciates the Jewish response to this crisis.

We are heartened but not surprised by these developments. The Israeli government and Israel Defense Forces-most notably the IDF Medical Corps-continue to aid wounded civilians in the field, transferring many to Israeli hospitals. In addition, Israelis have launched grassroots efforts, such as the Just Beyond the Border crowdfunding campaign, to send emergency supplies and other aid to children in Syria. We are inspired by their actions.

During this dark time, Hanukkah brings its distinct message of perseverance and hope. We have a special Jewish obligation to bring light. As individuals, we do this through tzedakah, righteous giving. We do this by helping to bring food, medical care, shelter and other forms of relief to victims of war, terrorism and natural disaster.

The Torah teaches that in any situation of human suffering there are three parties: the oppressed, the oppressors and the indifferent. The indifferent, those who stand on the sidelines with folded arms, are allies of the oppressors. Our deep Jewish memory of persecution compels us to heed the command of the Torah not to join the tribe of folded arms, not to stand silent while the blood of our fellow humans is shed.

At a time in our country and community of overheated political rhetoric coming from all sides, with calls to federations for public statements on all sorts of issues, it is important that we come forward and announce: Enough with requests for political statements that divide a community-more important is to watch what we do. Doing for others -together -is the foundation of a strong and united community. Especially now, as we prepare to celebrate Hanukkah, we know that to ease someone's suffering brings light and turns away evil.

Steven B. Nasatir is president of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
Mourners laying flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial in Berlin near the site where two days earlier, a man drove a heavy truck into a Christmas market in an apparent terrorist attack, Dec. 21, 2016.

BERLIN (JTA)-Even before the deadly attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, Jews in Germany were divided in their approach to the arrival of hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Muslim countries since 2014.

Citing a Jewish moral duty to aid the displaced, many Jewish organizations, synagogue groups and individuals have rallied to help the newcomers, including asylum seekers fleeing the civil war in Syria. But some Jews have warned that the influx of immigrants risks importing to Germany the homicidal anti-Semitism of Muslim extremists who attacked Jewish targets in France, Belgium, Denmark and beyond.

In Monday's attack, a man described by the Islamic State terrorist group as one if its "soldiers" killed 12 people and wounded 48 by plowing a stolen truck through the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church market. While police hunt for suspects, the attack is likely to further polarize competing views on Muslim immigration in German society in general-especially among Jews who fear they will be among those targeted by Islamists here.

Following the attack, whose perpetrator is presumed to be at large, the top priority is to take on "this army of Muslims from the wildest part of the earth," said Pavel Feinstein, a member of Berlin's Jewish community who supports the far-right Alternative for Germany party, whose manifesto from April declares that "Islam is not part of Germany." AfD, as the party is known, also is accused of being a hotbed for anti-Semites.

Feinstein, 56, told JTA that he came to espouse the AfD view after hearing the slogan "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas" being chanted at an anti-Israel demonstration two years ago in Berlin.

"They weren't just Islamists, they were also normal Muslims, students and so on," he recalled. "And no one was charged or punished.

"Up to then I felt at home in Berlin. And now this feeling is gone."

The hostility expressed by Feinstein, an artist who immigrated to Germany from the former Soviet Union with his family in 1980, may be more common among Russian-speaking Jews, who constitute the largest of the three contingents that make up Germany's present-day Jewish population of some 200,000 people. And such views are likely to only harden after the attack, in which one Israeli was wounded. His wife remained missing on Wednesday and was feared to be among the dead.

Feinstein's sentiment seems less prevalent among Jews who grew up after World War II in a society whose youth were taught to reject any semblance of the murderous Nazi xenophobia and anti-Semitism. His rhetoric seems to be even rarer among the 7,500 Israelis living in Berlin, some of whom say they left for Germany partly over what they see as Israel's rising nationalism.

To be sure, many Russian-speaking Jews, including Sergey Lagodinsky, a Green Party politician and member of the Berlin Jewish community council, do not subscribe to Feinstein's embrace of a far-right vision. Meanwhile, among Jews with deeper roots in Germany, many speak openly and clearly of the risks connected to massive immigration from Arab countries, as do some of Berlin's Israeli Jews.

Jews of all backgrounds here tend to be "skeptical" of the wisdom of letting in large numbers of Muslims, as has been the policy of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Lagodinsky said. But Russian-speaking Jews in Germany generally express this "through a more populist way," including by "engaging with populist parties and ideas," he added.

Russian speakers of all religions, who make up a large minority of several million people in Germany, are not the only ones showing a proclivity to populism amid what some pundits are calling Germany's immigration crisis.

On the eve of a big election year in this country, the immigration issue is bolstering AfD, which the mainstream representatives of Jews in Germany reject for the xenophobic and sometimes anti-Semitic rhetoric of some of its members.

While the AfD missed the 5 percent mark needed to enter parliament in the last federal elections in 2013, polls from before the market attack predicted the party would win 16 percent of the vote next year. The party currently holds seats in 10 of Germany's 16 state parliaments, up from five a year ago.

Against this background, terrorist attacks may well cost the centrist Merkel her post and send Germany swinging harder to the right than it has in decades. Her decision in 2015 to allow into Germany 800,000 immigrants from the Middle East has already come under attack even inside her own party amid a string of incidents involving that population-including last summer's brutal axe attack in Wurzburg by a 17-year-old from Afghanistan.

Commenting on the attack, the Berlin director of the American Jewish Committee, Deidre Berger, told JTA that she was worried about the "more than 100,000 unaccompanied minors" among the asylum seekers who "are highly susceptible to the easy answers of radical Islamist ideology."

Such events have also brought to a head tensions over this issue within the Jewish community, where some members describe the influx of Muslim immigrants as an existential threat.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany, which is the country's main Jewish umbrella group and has also organized activities to assist Middle Eastern asylum seekers, has warned against a rightward tilt as an answer to the terrorist threat. And Charlotte Knobloch, 84-a child survivor and head of the Munich and Bavarian Jewish communal organizations-told JTA that the AfD is "totally out of the question for Jewish people."

On the other hand, in October 2015, the council's president, Josef Schuster, said in a widely read interview with Die Welt that "there is now fear that with people of Arab origins, anti-Semitism in Germany could increase. I share this concern." Schuster said the issue should be addressed by emphasizing integration initiatives among the newcomers. He also said he supported a magnanimous policy toward asylum seekers, though he added that "eventually" a quota would have to be agreed upon.

But his remarks exposed him to heated criticism by some Israelis In Berlin. Several dozen of them, along with non-Israeli activists, protested Schuster's remarks at a rally in November 2015 outside the council's offices, carrying posters of Anne Frank and of the biblical quote "Love Thy Neighbor."

"I cannot stand by when the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany assumes a far-right position, supports limiting refugee quotas and instrumentalizes anti-Semitism, homophobia and sexism while pretending to speak for 'the Jews' in Germany," wrote Shaked Shapir in Berlin's Hebrew-language magazine, Spitz, which devoted an entire edition to discussing Schuster's 2015 remarks.

German officials have been careful not to speculate as to whether the church market attack is connected to radical Islam, as many here believe. The caution appealed to some Israelis in Berlin, who contrasted it with what they regard as a tendency to jump to conclusions in Israel.

"We like the fact that in Berlin it is more calm. They are still investigating, and we will wait," said Ido Porat, who lives here with his wife and their two small children.

While most Jews in Germany don't see the influx of migrants from Middle Eastern countries as an invasion, the issue is nonetheless particularly divisive to their communities, according to the German Jewish historian Michael Wolffsohn.

"Every conscious Jew knows or remembers what refugee problems are all about," he said. "At the same time every conscious Jew knows that many Muslims are more hostile to Jews than, say, Eskimos."
Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom officiating at the wedding of his stepdaughter and her fiance in 2014.

NEW YORK (JTA)-Conservative Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom has been expelled from the Rabbinical Assembly, the movement's rabbis' association, for performing interfaith weddings.

An ordained Conservative rabbi for 44 years, Rosenbloom was expelled last month by unanimous vote, with abstentions, after a hearing of the R.A.'s Executive Council. Since 1972, the Conservative movement has prohibited its rabbis from officiating at or even attending intermarriages.

Rosenbloom told JTA a council member suggested he might be able to retain his membership in exchange for a promise not to perform any more intermarriages. Rosenbloom declined the offer.

"I don't have animus toward the R.A.," Rosenbloom told JTA Friday. "It's a futile policy, a policy that will eventually be overturned because the trend of history is against it. I have no bitterness... I don't feel shunned or like an outcast."

Rosenbloom, 72, is the retired rabbi of Congregation Adath Jeshurun, a 158-year-old synagogue near Philadelphia. He officiated at his first intermarriage, between his stepdaughter and her fiance, shortly after retiring in the summer of 2014. Since then, he has performed four additional intermarriages and has plans to conduct two more.

The R.A. wouldn't comment on Rosenbloom's expulsion, but its executive vice president, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, said the movement is constantly discussing how to approach the growing number of marriages involving Jews and non-Jews. Still, she said, the Conservative movement's fealty to halachah, or Jewish law, mandates a ban on performing intermarriages.

Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis are allowed to perform intermarriages, while Orthodox rabbis, also citing Jewish law, do not.

"We are a halachic movement and Judaism envisions the marriage ceremony as taking place between two Jewish people," she told JTA. "Through the lens and the vehicles offered by Jewish law and tradition, that's the avenue that's open to us in terms of a Jewish matrimonial ritual."

By performing mixed marriages, Rosenbloom feels like he's simply acknowledging reality. The Pew Research Center's 2013 study of American Jews found that the intermarriage rate among non-Orthodox Jews since 2005 rose to 71 percent. And a recent study from Brandeis University found that interfaith couples married only by a rabbi are significantly more likely to raise their children Jewish than those married by no rabbi or clergy of different faiths.

"We're isolating ourselves from our congregants at precisely the time they need us and want us most," Rosenbloom said. "For many of these couples, once we say no to the wedding, it's very hard for them to overcome that. The experience of rejection is far too great to even consider being part of the congregation."

For Rosenbloom's first intermarried couple, the synagogue has felt more welcoming because of their Jewish wedding, which included traditional elements like a huppah, or wedding canopy, and the breaking of a glass. Stefanie Fox, Rosenbloom's stepdaughter, and her husband recently held a baby naming for their infant at Rosenbloom's home, and the family regularly attends services at Adath Jeshurun. She and her husband have discussed his converting, though he has no immediate plans to do so.

"It's always been my feeling that rather than push away people of other religions, it makes sense to pull them into our Jewish community," said Fox, 32. "My husband is a big part of my Jewish life now. I almost feel like we've increased our Jewish community in the world today."

Expulsion from the R.A., a 1,700-member body that places rabbis in congregations and sets their professional standards, is a relatively rare event. The last expulsion, according to Schonfeld, occurred a year and a half ago, though she could not say why. Because Rosenbloom is retired, the expulsion will have little practical effect on him.

But Rosenbloom isn't the only rabbi breaking from the movement over intermarriage. Rabbi Adina Lewittes decided to leave the R.A. three years ago so she could perform interfaith weddings. Lewittes said she is hearing from an increasing number of Conservative rabbis who agree with her stance privately.

"I'm very intent in using my opportunity with the couple to convey to them we celebrate them but we also have expectations that they will continue to be engaged with Judaism and the Jewish people," said Lewittes, rabbi of Sha'ar Communities, a network of small Jewish communities in New Jersey.

Many Conservative synagogues, while not performing intermarriages, do celebrate the couple ceremonially before and after the wedding, through pre-wedding rituals and by welcoming them as congregants afterward.

"How we work with families where not everyone in the family is Jewish is tremendously important to us," Schonfeld said. "A tremendous amount of effort is invested by the Conservative movement and the Conservative rabbinate in making our synagogues really welcoming places for everyone."
Keith Ellison in letter to Conservative rabbis 'regrets' past ties with Farrakhan

WASHINGTON (JTA)-In a lengthy letter to the Conservative movement's rabbinical arm, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison said he regretted past positions that have unsettled Jews as he seeks the chairmanship of the Democratic Party.

Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, meanwhile, spoke Wednesday with about 50 Jewish Democrats about his own bid to head the Democratic National Committee and reassured them of his bona fides in the area where the Minnesota lawmaker has come under fire-support for Israel.

Ellison, beginning his three-page letter to the Rabbinical Assembly with a quote from Pirkei Avot, Jewish ethical teachings-"The one who learns, learns from everyone"-expressed regrets, as he has several times since launching his bid to lead the DNC, for his association years ago with the anti-Semitic Nation of Islam.

"At the time, I did not grasp [Louis] Farrakhan's anti-Semitism," he wrote, referring to the movement's leader.

"It was difficult for me to see that the struggle for equality for African Americans could be subverted into hatred of others, specifically anti-Semitism," Ellison wrote. "I focused on Farrakhan speaking to concerns of Black men. When I became aware that he made hateful statements about other groups, including the Jewish community with whom I was so close, I knew that I must reject his teachings. And I rejected them completely."

Ellison's letter was in response to queries from the Rabbinical Assembly.

"We are interested in understanding how will you affirmatively work to ensure that the Democratic Party condemns any and all efforts to delegitimize Israel, including efforts to deny the historic Jewish connection to the Land of Israel including Jerusalem," said the R.A. letter.

Ellison, who has routinely voted for defense assistance to Israel, also for the first time regretted his exceptional vote against additional missile defense assistance for Israel during the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.

"In my mind, confident that the Iron Dome funding that I have always strongly supported would pass, I cast a vote reflecting my commitment to restoring calm and quiet at a moment of violence," he said, referring to the anti-missile system Israel used to deflect Hamas rockets. "My voice was not being heard and I felt in the moment that casting my vote was a vital way to amplify my message. It was the wrong way to speak out and it was the wrong way to vote. I regret it deeply."

Ellison, who first publicly rejected the anti-Israel Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement in a statement last month to JTA, says in the letter that he has "fought" BDS with Jewish allies.

"Together we have fought against BDS and continuous attempts to delegitimize Israel in Minnesota, in the United States, and around the world," he said. "I have said time and time again that BDS does not help anyone advance the goal of a two-state solution."

Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, also recalls his years of combating Holocaust denial, including among Muslims.

Perez spoke for about 45 minutes with top Jewish lawmakers and fundraisers for the Democratic Party. Much of his emphasis was on his past work with the Anti-Defamation League tracking and combating hate crimes, but he also emphasized his understanding of Israel's security needs.

He described how he once stood on he Golan Heights, captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, and appreciated the nearness of Israel's enemies in Syria and Lebanon.

"It was impossible to walk around during the visit and not appreciate the strategic importance not only of the Golan Heights but of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East," Perez said.

The electors who choose the DNC chair-close to 450 of them-are state party officials and officials in state government, among others, and Israel and the Middle East will not figure highly in their considerations. They are concerned much more with rebuilding a party devastated by its across-the-board losses in November's elections.

Nonetheless, Ellison's letter and Perez's appeal reflect the importance that some in the party still place on maintaining Jewish support, a mainstay of the party for decades.

Ilyse Hogue, meantime, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights group, dropped her bid for the DNC chief. Hogue is Jewish.
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Nearly six years ago, when President Barack Obama was set to elevate one of his top emissaries to the Jewish community to the Israel ambassadorship, Dan Shapiro asked for-and got-the endorsement of one of Obama's fiercest pro-Israel critics.

"Dan has always spoken to us, patiently and carefully explaining the administration's position, and he does so with aplomb, with concern, and with intense appreciation of the other side's position," Morton Klein, the Zionist Organization of America president, said at the time.

Don't expect J Street, or the Reform movement or anyone on the liberal side of the pro-Israel spectrum to extend that embrace to David Friedman, the bankruptcy lawyer who is one of President-elect Donald Trump's top emissaries to the Jewish community and whom he nominated to be ambassador to Israel.

An "intense appreciation of the other side's position" does not describe Friedman's denigration of J Street as "not Jewish" and "worse than" Jewish collaborators with Nazis; his calling Obama "blatantly anti-Semitic," and his lament that more than half of American Jews are not pro-Israel.

The nomination of Friedman has sent shock waves through a chunk of the organized Jewish community because of the signal it sends to the 71 percent of American Jews who voted for Hillary Clinton. While Friedman's nomination was hailed by a hawkish but influential minority as a sign that Israel will get the U.S. support it deserves, it possibly sidelines a pro-Israel mainstream that believes moderation best builds a pro-Israel consensus.

"We're all trying to figure out how to navigate this administration," said Jeremy Burton, the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston. "But the notion that someone who would represent the United States would describe people as 'not Jewish' and 'kapos'"-the Jews who collaborated with the Nazi death machine-"what does that say about respect for civil discourse and what does it say about temperament in a particularly volatile region?"

"It's a very multifaceted position, they do a lot of outreach to Jewish communities in the United States," Ron Halber, the director of the Jewish Community relations Council of Greater Washington, said of ambassadors to Israel. "It's more than diplomatic, it's symbolic. I'm concerned that symbol could be tarnished by someone who has staked out extreme ideological positions on internal Israeli matters."

Those positions include a rejection of the two-state solution and unchecked expansion of the settlements-the former counter to the stated position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the latter also a challenge to longstanding U.S. and international policy.

Friedman did not return a request for comment.

A range of liberal Jewish groups have already denounced Friedman, citing his online history thick with broadsides against liberals, many appearing on the pro-settlement Israeli news site, Israel National News, as well as his extensive fundraising for the settlement movement.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., a Jewish congressman known for his close ties to the organized community, said in a statement that Friedman's "extreme views and use of such hateful language is an insult to the majority of American Jews."

J Street, the liberal Jewish Middle East policy group, joined a number of groups in pledging to do its best to keep the Senate from confirming Friedman. "Friedman should be beyond the pale for senators considering who should represent the United States in Israel," the group said in a statement last week.

The New Israel Fund launched a fund-raising appeal on Monday based on what they called Trump's "dangerous" nomination of Friedman.

Hawkish Jewish groups have welcomed the appointment, most pronouncedly Klein's ZOA. It said Friedman has "has the potential to be the greatest U.S. ambassador to Israel ever."

In an interview, Klein said he stood by his 2011 endorsement of Shapiro, who strove to reach out to right-wing Jews in the United States and hard-liners in Israel as a staffer on Obama's National Security Council and then as ambassador.

"I said I found Shapiro to be a person of integrity," Klein said. "That's true of Dan and it's true of David Friedman."

Friedman was reported to have said earlier this month at an off-the-record segment of the annual Saban Forum colloquy of U.S. and Israeli influencers that were he to become ambassador, he would not take meetings with J Street.

"He's not there to represent the views of most Jews," Klein said of Friedman, although he said he believed that Friedman's support for moving the embassy to Jerusalem and for settlement expansion was representative of the Jewish community.

Klein said he would not use "kapos" to describe J Street, which opposes settlement expansion and advocates for an assertive U.S. posture in bringing about a two-state solution, but he understood how Friedman might have done so out of "anguish and misery."

The Union for Reform Judaism stopped short of saying it would oppose Friedman, but expressed concerns about his statements and his rejection for the two-state solution.

In an interview, URJ President Rick Jacobs said that the Reform movement has relied on U.S. administrations to represent to Israel, through their ambassadors, the broad range of American Jewish opinion. An ambassador who represented only one segment of the Jewish community would diminish attachment to Israel among Jews already unsettled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's settlement policies, and by exclusion of non-Orthodox groups from civil matters like marriage and divorce, he said.

"Our larger project has been to keep people connected to Israel," Jacobs said of the URJ. "We may be seeing a series of policy shifts" under Trump "that make it harder for non-Orthodox Jews to see Israel as a place they love."

Larger groups were treading carefully around the nomination. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in response to a JTA request for comment, stuck to its longstanding position of not pronouncing on nominees. The Anti-Defamation League was also not forthcoming.

The American Jewish Committee said in a statement that it was noteworthy that nominating a Jew for the job no longer raised hackles and that it wanted to know more about what picking Friedman said about Trump's Israel policies.

Nathan Diament, the Washington director of the Orthodox Union, said in reply to a JTA query that Friedman was representative of the minority of Jews (and a majority in his community) who voted for Trump.

"Trump's selection of David Friedman to be his Administration's ambassador to Israel is consistent with the policy view Trump expressed during the campaign and consistent with the view of most of those American Jews who actually voted for Trump for president," he said.

Burton, whose Boston JCRC called on Friedman to apologize for his past remarks, said that it was key for Jews who object to Friedman not to be drawn into the polarizing invective that characterized Friedman's writings in the past.

"We have to acknowledge that some members of our community are optimistic about the next administration," he said, noting parts of Trump's Israel message that should please most Jews, including his expressions of friendship to the country and his desire for peace. "We do ourselves a disservice collectively if we are in the black or white zone on everything."
On Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, at 7:30 p.m., Chabad of Orlando will be hosting a special evening at the Embassy Suites located at 225 Shorecrest Drive in Altamonte Springs titled "Kabbalah of Sexuality and Intimacy - Ancient Wisdom to Transform Your Love Life." The event is being headlined by world-renowned author, counselor, lecturer, and philosopher Rabbi Manis Friedman.

Friedman uses ancient wisdom and modern wit as he captivates audiences around the country and around the world. He hosts his own critically acclaimed cable television series, Torah Forum with Manis Friedman, syndicated throughout North America. Over 150,000 copies of his provocative yet entertaining CDs and MP3s, both audio and video have been sold.

Rabbi Friedman's first book, "Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore?," published by Harper San Francisco in 1990, was widely praised by the media. "Blush" is currently in its fourth printing. Following the publication of the book, he was featured internationally in over 200 print articles, and interviewed on more than 50 television and radio talk shows. He has appeared on CNN, A&E Reviews, PBS, and BBC Worldwide, and has been the subject of articles in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Seventeen, Guideposts, Insight, Publisher's Weekly and others.

In an effort to empower women in Judaism, he founded the world's first yeshiva exclusively for women, Bais Chana Institute of Jewish Studies in Minnesota. Since its opening in 1971, 22,000 women of all ages, backgrounds, and from all over the world attended the institute.

His most recent film, "The Lost Key to Intimacy" was voted the winner of the Best Documentary at the Houston International Film Festival in 2015. The film was released to the public in January.

Rabbi Friedman is a noted biblical scholar, recognized for his sagacious grasp of Jewish mysticism. From 1984-1990 he served as simultaneous translator for the televised talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory.

Rabbi Friedman is a professionally ranked member of the National Speakers Association. His speaking tours take him to every part of the United States as well as Israel, England, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Canada, and Hong Kong.

Cost to attend is only $15 (before Jan. 10, 2017) and $18 at the door.

Sponsor (Includes VIP seats for 2 and autographed book by speaker) is $180.

Reserve online at www.ChabadOrlando.org or www.JewishNorthOrlando.com

Call to RSVP at 407-644-2500 (Greater Orlando) or 407-636-5994 (North Orlando).
Citizens of Israel, I would like to reassure you. The resolution that was adopted yesterday at the United Nations is distorted and shameful but we will overcome... it. The resolution determines that the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem is occupied territory. This is delusional.

The resolution determines that the Western Wall is occupied territory. This too is delusional. There is nothing more absurd than calling the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter occupied territory. There is also an attempt here, which will not succeed, to impose permanent settlement terms on Israel. You might recall that the last one who tried to do this was Carter, an extremely hostile president to Israel, and who just recently said that Hamas is not a terrorist organization. Carter passed sweeping decisions against us at the UN of a similar kind, and this was also unsuccessful. We opposed this and nothing happened.

All American presidents since Carter upheld the American commitment not to try to dictate permanent settlement terms to Israel at the Security Council. And yesterday, in complete contradiction of this commitment, including an explicit commitment by President Obama himself in 2011, the Obama administration carried out a shameful anti-Israel ploy at the UN.

I would like to tell you that the resolution that was adopted, not only doesnt bring peace closer, it drives it further away. It hurts justice; it hurts the truth. Think about this absurdity, half a million human beings are being slaughtered in Syria. Tens of thousands are being butchered in Sudan. The entire Middle East is going up in flames and the Obama administration and the Security Council choose to gang up on the only democracy in the Middle Eastthe State of Israel. What a disgrace.

My friends, I would like to tell you on the first night of Chanukah that this will not avail them. We reject this resolution outright, just as we rejected the UN resolution that determined that Zionism was racism. It took time but that resolution was rescinded; it will take time but this one will also be rescinded. Now I will tell you how it will be rescinded. It will be rescinded not because of our retreats but because of our steadfastness and that of our allies. I remind you that we withdrew from Gaza, uprooted communities and took people out of their graves. Did this help us at all at the UN? Did this improve our relations at the UN? We were hit with thousands of rockets and at the UN we were hit with the Goldstone report!

So I will tell you what is clear, I know, to the vast majority of Israeli citizens: We learned this lesson, and we will not go there. But I also want to tell you something else: We are not alone. I spoke last night with many American leaders. I was pleased to hear from members of the American Congress, from Democrats and Republicans alike, that they will fight an all-out war against this resolution with all the power at their disposal. I heard the exact same things from our friends in the incoming administration, who said that they will fight an all-out war against this resolution. And I heard this from across the spectrum of American public opinion and American politicsRepublicans, Democrats, Jews and non-Jews. As I spoke yesterday with leaders in Congress and the incoming American administration, they told me unequivocally: We are sick of this and it will not continue. We will change this resolution. We will not allow anyone to harm the State of Israel. They are declaring their intention to pass legislation to punish countries and bodies that try to harm Israel. They say that this will also include the UN itself. I remind you that the UN receives a quarter, 25%, of its budget from the US alone.

In my most recent speech to the UN, in September, I said that a storm was expected in the UN before it gets better there. We knew that this is possible and we expect that it will come. The resolution that was passed at the UN yesterday is part of the swan song of the old world that is biased against Israel, but, my friends, we are entering a new era. And just as President-elect Trump said yesterday, it will happen much sooner than you think. In the new era there is a much higher price for those who try to harm Israel, and that the price will be exacted not only by the US, but by Israel as well.

Two countries with which we have diplomatic relations cosponsored the resolution against us at the UN; therefore, I ordered yesterday that our ambassadors be recalled from, Senegal and from New Zealand. I have ordered that all Israeli assistance to Senegal be halted, and theres more to come. Those who work with us will benefit because Israel has much to give to the countries of the world. But those who work against us will losebecause there will be a diplomatic and economic price for their actions against Israel. Additionally, I have instructed the Foreign Ministry to complete, within a month, a reassessment of all of our contacts with the UN, including Israeli financing of UN institutions and the presence of UN representatives in the country. But I am not waiting; already now I have ordered to halt approximately NIS 30 million in financing for five UN institutions, five UN bodies that are especially hostile to Israel. I have already ordered that this be stopped, and there is more to come.

We are on a campaign of improving our relations with the nations of the world. And it will take more time, and I have said this as well, until our improved relations with countries on five continents are also reflected in their decisions in UN institutions. But I would like to tell you something else, and listen closely to what Im saying. Contrary to what you might expect, it is very likely that last nights scandalous resolution will accelerate this process, because it is the straw that broke the camels back. Last nights resolution is a call to arms for all of our many friends in the US and elsewhere around the world, friends who are sick of the UNs hostility toward Israel, and they intend to bring about a fundamental change in the UN. Therefore, this evening I tell you in the language of our sources, the sweet will yet come forth from the bitter and those who come to curse will yet bless.

Here, on the first night of Chanukah, I stand next to the Maccabees of our times, IDF soldiers and wounded IDF heroes. I salute you and I say to you clearly: The light will dispel the darkness. The spirit of the Maccabees will overcome. Happy Chanukah.
The Jewish Pavilion will honor two exemplary volunteers, Geanne Share and Ruth Darvin, at its Gems and Jeans Gala-an evening of gourmet dining, live music, silent auction and inspiring motivational speaker Bethanne Weiss-on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 5 p.m. at Sheraton Orlando North in Maitland. Of course, the proceeds from this fun evening benefit the seniors served in more than 70 assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities throughout Central Florida.

"I feel very honored, very excited," said Ruth Darvin after hearing she was selected to be honored. "Nothing like this has ever happened to me before!"

It is surprising that Darvin hasn't been honored before by the Pavilion. She has been a volunteer with the organization since its beginnings about 14 years ago.

"Arlene Van De Rijn started Jewish Pavilion and she went with me to the facilities and trained me and showed me what to do," Darvin stated. "I think we do a very good service."

A "very good service" is an understatement about Darvin. Every two weeks, like clockwork, she visits people one-on-one in a few of the assisted-living facilities in Winter Springs and Oviedo.

"Jewish Pavilion Volunteer Ruth Darvin has been sharing her time and talents with the elder residents in local assisted-living, independent living, Rehab and Alzheimer living facilities for almost 15 years. She is a wonderful woman who gives freely from her heart," said Judy Appleton, program director of the facilities Darvin visits.

Darvin also serves as vice president of the board of directors and until last April she had been the president of the Friends board for three years.

Her true "specialty" is visiting patients with dementia or Alzheimer's. Not everyone would or could do what she does. She quickly learned to meet her friends at their level (which could fluctuate).

"I listen to what they have to say," she said. "They like to tell me all their problems, vent. I think they like me!"

It has been proven time and again that the residents Darvin visits do like her-a lot. One lady never wants her to leave and will walk with her to the door, asking her to stay. Another gentleman worries about her when she is not there. He knows what day she will be coming and if she is late he starts to worry.

"We've seen miracles there (at the memory care facilities)," she shared. "They say the Passover blessings. They learned them as young people. When we play music, they sing along and stamp their feet."

Darvin visited one resident for more than seven years. She watched him progressively worsen-going from being able to hold a conversation to speaking gibberish and clapping his hands. She learned to be with him "where he was"-if he spoke gibberish, she did too. When he clapped his hands, she mimicked him. Then one day as she was having a "gibberish" conversation with him and clapping hands, he suddenly said, "You are the best." He then kept saying her name over and over.

Darvin has a deep respect for the residents she visits.

"I meet so many interesting people," she said, then shared a story about a man who had come from Austria. "He loved classical music and knew about every composer. Another man said he made the bomb."

Darvin wasn't so sure he wasn't just making up stories. "He told me stories about how he made the bomb."

Then, while visiting her brother, they looked him up on the computer and discovered he had a PhD in biochemistry and was a member of the Manhattan Project, which was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons.

"Everything he told me was true!" Darvin beamed. "It was hard to think he had Alzheimer's."

"Older people aren't really respected in America," Darvin said softly. "It's sad to say, but they are put in a home and their children hardly ever come to visit them."

What inspired Darvin to visit these forgotten souls, total strangers?

After moving to Florida in 1982, she would visit her parents-who lived in Rockville, Md., near her brother-about five times a year. Darvin was thankful that her sister-in-law's mother visited her parents regularly.

"I just admired what she did and I couldn't see my parents very often. It was my way to pay back for not being able to visit my parents," she said simply.

Darvin's "paying back" has blessed many people, including herself, "I get as much out of it as I'm giving," she said with a smile.

Register now for the Gems and Jeans Gala online at http://www.jewishpavilion.org, special events, or call 407-678-9363 for more information.
(JTA)President-elect Donald Trump said a resolution introduced at the United Nations Security Council against Israeli settlements should be vetoed.

As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations, Trump said in an official statement issued Thursday morning, hours after the resolution was introduced by Egypt the previous afternoon.

This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis.

The introduction of the resolution reportedly caught Israel by surprise, though one had been expected before the end of President Barack Obamas term on Jan. 20.

The United States has traditionally vetoed such resolutions, saying the two sides have to work things out, but it is unclear what Obama will do in the waning days of his administration.

The resolution states that the settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 are a violation of international law and demands that Israel completely cease all settlement activities, which it calls essential for keeping open the option of a two-state solution. It also calls upon all countries to distinguish between Israel and the occupied territories in their dealings with them and for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in a tweet sent after 3 a.m. Israel time wrote: The US should veto the anti-Israel resolution at the UN Security Council on Thursday. He canceled a scheduled public appearance on Thursday afternoon in order to deal with the vote, according to reports.
President-elect Donald Trump said during his campaign he wants to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. His nominee for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has said he hopes he will work from an embassy in the city.

Trumps transition team has affirmed the intention to move the embassy, albeit without a timeline. And now, Israels ambassador to Washington, Ron Dermer, in a forceful speech at Tuesday nights Chanukah party at the embassy here, encouraged Trump to make good on the pledge, saying it was long past due.

Dermer last night enumerated some of the arguments for the move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and they are also outlined here in a Wall Street Journal editorial.

Heres what the for argument looks like:

 The Jewish connection to Jerusalem is ancient.

 No other country is denied representation in its capital.

 Done correctly (i.e., with lots of pre-move assuaging of nerves in Arab and Muslim lands allied with the West, and with a site in western Jerusalem), it should go smoothly, especially because relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors are closer than ever due to shared interests in crushing the Islamic State and stopping Iran.

Eli Lake at Bloomberg gets at some of the against arguments, particularly regarding tentatively improving relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Heres a summary of the against case:

 The Palestinians have a claim to the city and moving the embassy before a final-status agreement preempts their claim.

 The city is a tinderbox and any disturbance of its status quo will lead to violence.

 Israels allies in the Arab and Muslim world (both unofficial and official) may reluctantly go along, but its enemiesparticularly Iran, which annually commemorates the loss of Jerusalem, and the Islamic Statewill seize the opportunity and stoke violence.

 And those Arab allies? Even the dictators have to answer to their constituencies, who would likely be violently against. This could endanger whatever nascent comprehensive peace is in the works.

Beyond the good and the bad, there is also the unpredictable. Here are some things we cant know about the move until it actually happens:

Going native

In the early 1980s, Prime Minister Menachem Begin used incentives to get journalists to move from Tel Aviv to the press center in Jerusalem, Beit Agron, because he wanted them to recognize the city as Israels capital.

Plenty of agencies bit, with an unexpected result: Whereas the journalists occasionally visited with Palestinians while based in Tel Aviv, in Jerusalem they got to know Palestinian leaders well and media understanding of the Palestinian story deepenedand not necessarily to Israels benefit.

The Americans maintain a consulate in eastern Jerusalem, and Israeli officialsand pro-Israel groupscomplain that its staff has gone native, reflecting the interests of the Arab population. The Tel Aviv staff, by contrast, is ensconced in the most western corner of Israel and has a positive outlook on Israel and the diversions it has to offer. What happens to that attitude once they move 40 miles up the hill to Jerusalem.

Who drops by? And what about the consulate?

The Israeli government frowns on diplomats taking meetings with Palestinian officials in Jerusalemit signals recognition of Palestinian claims to the city. Does that policy stick if the embassy moves there? Would Palestinian officials agree to enter its precincts? If they did, would Israel welcome the visits as an acknowledgement of Israeli sovereignty or see them as a threat to that sovereignty?

And what happens to the consulate in eastern Jerusalem that deals with Arab issues? Its continued presence would undercut Israeli claims to the entire city. Does Israels government agitate for its removal? To where?

Jerusalem is protests central

City residents with grievancesthe poor, the haredim, the Arabs, the nearby settlers and their supporterscan organize a demonstration on a moments notice. The American embassy would be a fat, juicy locus for those protests, even if the causes they represent have little to do with the United States. And what will that look like on TV broadcasts?

Dig this

Try building anything new in Jerusalem and youre bound to hit some pottery shards, possibly even bones. Depending on the significance of the find, a construction site could attract a stop order from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The residence and the schools

The American ambassador currently enjoys spacious digs in Herzliya, a place amenable to July 4 festivities and other bashes, and near some of the best schools in the country. Big spaces are hard to come by in Jerusalem. Harder still if Americans decideas a means of assuaging Arab angerto stick to the citys west in locating both an embassy and a residence.

And the schools! For ambassadors with school-age kids, what a hornets nest. Go for the international choices in Jerusalem and risk accusations youre exposing the kids to anti-Israel views. Go for Israels system and take your pick of whom to offendthe religious, the haredim, the national religious.

Modesty

The American embassy currently employs 800 staff, including 250 Americans, in Tel Aviva city where you can dress however you like. In Jerusalem, dress is (once again) a political statement. Do women on staff have to cover up? How does that play among the diplomatic corps?

The unpredictable

In my years living in Jerusalem in the 1980sand again in the 1990s and 2000sinternational incidents were sparked or almost sparked by religious Jews in the Old City dumping laundry water on Christian Boy Scouts; a nurses aide at the Notre Dame hospital across from the Old City taking a stroll in the nude on its roof; Ariel Sharon taking a stroll on the Temple Mount.

Its a city where anything can happenand often does. Theres a name for the way it makes people crazy: The Jerusalem Syndrome.

One more thing: The city is susceptible to earthquakes. Considering everything else, thats almost an afterthought.
While as Jews we celebrate our own New Year with a religious flourish for 10 days, usually in the fall, tell me you wont do at least a little family and friends this weekend. What a year, right? It looks mightily like we will, in this country of ours have four political parties by the end of 2017. The Democrats are split between the Regulars and the Progressives; the Republicans between the Regulars and the Tea Party. Not to worrywe are one of the last developed nations on earth to have only two major parties. Will things work any better? Dont bet on it.

When Rachel and I were in Israel in October we had breakfast one morning with our friends, Bennie and Ruthie Begin. Bennie has been a Member of Knesset for the past 25 years. He is of course, the son of the late prime minister, Menachem Begin, also a friend of ours. Bennie was most interested in our presidential campaign still underway at that time. I discussed the party splits with him. He said you know in Israel, we have really many parties. Under Israeli law, pretty much anybody can form a party. If your family is large enough, you can do an inter-familial party. So, Benny shrugged, we have to have coalition or it wont work.

So, I asked. How does it work?

Sometimes in chaos, Ill admit, Bennie answered, but if I want something done, I meet with a member of another party. Ill ask what he wants, tell him what I want, we do some negotiatingthen the two of us will round up a third person from yet another party and we will get the votes we need.

Okay, might sound messy, but it works fairly wellnot nearly as dysfunctional as what Washington is today.

David Friedman will be the new ambassador to Israel. Some folks on the left and of course from J Street are upset that he has no diplomatic experience. Take a look at the list of ambassadors under every president from Roosevelt to Obamaexcept in a few instances, their basic experience is as a celebrity or as a major donor.

Friedman does not believe in a Two-State Solution. His reason: Anyone of any power on the Other Side does not really want a Two-State Solutionjust the destruction of the Jewish State. Moving the embassy? Well, maybe not so fast.

Syria is a failed State. Maybe the U.N. or even the U.S. does not want to recognize it, but Assads Regime, like so many others in the region, is a participant in the thousand-year war between Sunni and Shia. It is a war that shows no sign of abating; just a changing of names of the combatants on both sides. Which begs the questionwhy are we involved at all?

The only country that seems to pay attention to history is Israel. They have made it very clear to both sides, like a Revolutionary flag of the U.S.: Dont Tread on Me.

According to Torah, God gave us dominion over the animals and the world around us. I think that means it is our responsibility to care for this earth. So far as the earth itself is concerned, well what can I say when the president-elect wants to put a man who is currently suing the EPA in charge of it. He wants to put an arsonist in charge of the fire department.

Like the country and most of the civilized world, this past year the Jewish Community has become divided. Nothis is not the case of two Jews three opinions. This is spiritual, ideological and political. When I was coming to maturity in the work of the Jewish Communitywhile we had our differences on many subjects, the State of Israel was inviolate. That she could do no wrong? That was almost taken for granted.

Obviously as Israel is full of real live people - most of whom are Jews, Israel by its very nature is going to be messy, even wrong is certain cases, butand I hate to belabor the pointwe dont live under the conditions in Israel, we do not pay taxes to the State of Israelso we have no business lecturing those who do live there and pay those ridiculous taxes.

The problem is with our younger generation, the Millenials and whatever we are calling todays Jewish teenagers. They have no historical perspective. They are exposed to as much fake news as real news (go ahead, Jimwhats real news?). I could blame their parentsbut that probably depends on the relationship between their parents and the generation before them. Dor v Dor.

Yes, like Bette Davis said: Fasten your seatbeltsit looks like a bumpy ride ahead. Heres hoping things are not as dire as some think and that there is a light at the end of this tunnel that is not a train coming at us.
I recently saw worlds being created. My students, 50 Catholic participants in the four-year degree program of the Salesian Pontifical University housed at the Ratisbonne monastery in Jerusalem, together with four priests and I, traveled north to spend a day studying with students at a yeshiva located on Kibbutz Maale Gilboa.

The monastery was built in 1874 to house the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion, an order founded by two Jewish converts to Catholicism, Alphonse and Theodore Ratisbonne. The Brothers and Sisters of Sion were dedicated from the beginning to demonstrate Gods continuing love to the Jews by means of spreading the gospel to Jews. But in the mid-20th century, the members of this congregation came to the realization that Gods love for the Jewish people would be better expressed by helping other Christians to encounter and respect Jews and Judaism. The Brothers and Sisters of Sion have been at the forefront of interreligious understanding in the Catholic Church.

Today, most of the inhabitants of the Ratisbonne Monastery are from a different community, the Salesian order. They join students from other Catholic orders (most prominently the Missionaries of Africa) in their preparation for the priesthood. The curriculum for these students, who come from more than 30 countries, includes courses and lectures about Judaism and Islam, as well as visits to synagogues and Jewish homes. Nevertheless, while the monastery is located in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Rehavia, most of the students have little contact with their Jewish neighbors. When they are not studying, they give of themselves to support the spiritual needs of foreign workers, and to run youth centers in Bethlehem and nearby Cremisan.

There was great excitement for the trip to the yeshiva among students and instructors. In fact, the trip required months of preparation, including finding a yeshiva interested and willing to welcome Catholic students at a time that would work for the schedules of both the yeshiva and Salesian Pontifical.

It has been more than half a century since the Catholic Church produced Nostra Aetate, acknowledging value and truth in other religions. Many documents have since come from the Catholic Church showing appreciation of Judaism and respect for Jews, including guidance on preaching New Testament texts that can paint Jews and Judaism in a negative light.

After a warm welcome from one of the yeshivas rabbis, we began our visit with a class studying a rabbinic text about giving tzedakah (charity). The Catholic students were deeply moved by the open methodology of question and answer, and free discussion of different meanings of the text. Most classes at Salesian Pontifical are European-style lectures, with a bit of question and answer at the end, as well as exams testing for the correct answers. The yeshivas ethic of Torah Lishmastudying Gods teaching for its own sakeand the open method of learning were new concepts for my students.

Jewish and Catholic students mingled over lunch and began to learn about each others lives and backgrounds. Most acknowledged that they had little contact with members of the other group before that day. Many of the Catholics were shocked to learn that even most of the American Jewish students had grown up in neighborhoods where they had no Christian friends. In the same way that few Catholics have experienced lived Judaism, few Jews know of the theological work that has been done by the Catholic Church, work that includes a rejection of all evangelical missionary activity toward Jews, which added to the interest in the yeshiva.

After lunch, the students divided in small groups to study in havruta (learning in pairs). They examined texts about the idea of learning Torah, exploring the connection between intellectual and spiritual experience. A longtime teacher of Talmud myself, I dont remember another time when I saw a beit midrash (study hall) full of students so eager to learn from one another.

Before this day my Catholic students would have spoken of Jews in positive terms, because they are decent people of faith who have respect for others. I suspect, however, that many believed Jews suffer at a disadvantage because they dont have faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

This attitude was changed by one day in a yeshiva, due to the generosity of spirit shown by rabbis and yeshiva students.

My students experienced God and lived Judaism in that beit midrash. They learned that rabbis are not legalistic Pharisees rejecting the spirit of life. They learned that they have much to learn from Jews. They were able to experience an idea that is increasingly emphasized by the Catholic Church generally, and which remains at the core of the teachings of the Congregation of our Lady of Sion, founded by the Ratisbonne brothers.

The yeshiva students were also deeply moved by their experience. They saw that they need not fear that Christians they meet will want to kill or convert them. They met Catholic students who were open, friendly, and respectful. They learned about similarities and differences between themselves and the Catholic students. They learned that openness to the other did not endanger their own faith, but actually created the opportunity to see God in the face of the other.

Dr. Marcie Lenk is a Shalom Hartman Institute research fellow, and the institutes director of Christian leadership programs. She teaches Patristics at the Studium Theologicum Salesianum at Ratisbonne Monastery, as well as Jewish and Christian texts at Ecce Homo Convent, Tantur Ecumenical Center and the Swedish Theological Institute.
In late November, radical protesters in London attacked a Jewish communal building. As they wrestled with police at the gates, they screamed abuse about baby killers! and cried out, Its a Holocaust! According to local media outlets, among them the Jewish Chronicle and the Jewish News, the protesters also daubed the building with graffiti that included a Star of David, a smear about a kosher Holocaust, and references to the Nazi persecution of the Jews.

What was the reason for the protesters anger, the cause of their unashamedly anti-Semitic outburst? Youre probably thinking, for good reason, that this had something to do with Israel. In fact, it didnt.

The building attacked was the kosher Kedassia abattoir (slaughterhouse), and the attackers were members of a militant vegan groupthere is such a thing, apparentlyattempting to prevent the delivery of a truckload of live chickens. Now, as insane as I regard such protestsnot to mention the obscenity of getting worked up over a bunch of chickens when real human beings are being butchered in the thousands in Syriathese people certainly have the right to protest against the production and consumption of meat.

Whats significant, though, is that the character of the protest was entirely determined by the Jewish nature of the target. To even pick on a kosher abattoir when Jews make up less than 1 percent of the British population reeks of anti-Semitism. As Shimon Cohen, a spokesman for Kedassia, observed, There are 760 million chickens a year slaughtered in this country, and the Jewish community is responsible for just under one million. I wonder why there is such a focus on us.

I can think of a couple of credible reasons. To begin with, there has always been a nasty strain of anti-Semitism in the animal rights movement. Its no coincidence that one of the first anti-Jewish measures adopted by the Nazis was a ban on shechita (kosher slaughter). In our own time, the production of kosher meat has been banned in several European countries, such as Denmark and Switzerland, and has faced legal challenges in Poland and the Netherlands. The logic here is that since shechita prohibits stunning the animal before it is killed, it is therefore a more cruel method than that involved with the production of non-kosher meat.

This highly dubious conclusion, motivated more by prejudice than by scientific evidence, is invoked to abridge the civil rights of observant Jewsand also Muslims, whose halal method of slaughter is subjected to similar objections.

Secondly, the obsession among left-wing activists with protesting against Israel in the most visceral manner imaginable has legitimized the use of Nazi imagery in the condemnation of Jewish behavior. The word Holocaust was frequently seen in 2006, when Israel fought a defensive war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and again during the three conflicts in Gaza during the past decade. If Gaza is a concentration camp, if Palestinians are facing a genocide, if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a successor to Adolf Hitlerall themes that have flown around social media with abandonthen it isnt much of a leap to employ the same images with regard to the rituals of Judaism.

All anti-Semites, whether or not their prime motivation is hatred of the state of Israel, believe that a sense of chosenness, handed down by God, is what enables Jews to think and act in ways denied to ordinary mortals. They hate us, in other words, because we think, according to their sleazy worldview, that we are better and thus have greater license to do as we wish.

These trends should worry us, because more and more of the ideas that animate politics in the Western world right now bear little correspondence to actual facts. One result of this has been the dramatic shrinking of the political center. When our own elected politicians on the left and right enable or engage with extremism, when they articulate or enable incendiary rhetoric, they make it infinitely more difficult to combat conspiracy theories and hate-based discourse among the wider public.

Even so, our democracies still contain enough politicians who are willing to recognize the dangers. A round of applause, then, is due for British Prime Minister Theresa May for announcing that her government will officially adopt the definition of anti-Semitism employed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Loathed by anti-Zionists because of its identification of the demonization of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism, the definition is a decent instrument for determining whether or not a particular speech or act is anti-Semitic.

Rightly, the definition asserts that using the historic sufferings of Jews as a stick with which to beat themwhich 99 percent of the time involves comparisons of Israel with Nazi Germanyis a form of anti-Semitism. Talking about a kosher Holocaust, whether in Gaza or in an abattoir in east London, may be legitimate or unlawful depending on where you live, but it is always hate speech.

Theresa Mays announcement is potentially historic, because it paves the way for other countries to adopt the same definition in dealing with accusations of anti-Semitism in their own territories. More broadly, it creates favorable conditions for pushing back against one of the most insidious expressions of anti-SemitismHolocaust abuse.

Holocaust abuse can take different forms. Most common is the type Ive outlined above, where Jewish behavior is analogized to that of the Nazis. But it also comes in more subtle shapes too, for example in Poland, where the nationalist government wants to proscribe any discussion of Polish complicity in the extermination of the Jews during the Nazi occupation. The distinguished Princeton University historian Jan Gross, a Polish American, is currently facing prosecution for his claim that Poles killed more Jews than did the Germans during the Second World War. Instead of leaving this claim to be adjudicated by serious historians, as has in fact been happening, the Polish government has willfully decided to portray it as an outrage (publicly insulting the nation) akin to denying the Holocaust itself

What unites all these examples is the idea that everyone involvedPalestinians, chickens, Polesis locked in a victimhood competition with the Jews. Holocaust abuse is, therefore, a central tactic in winning that competition.

Of course, no such competition exists, except in the minds of those who are fixated upon it. No two victims can ever be exactly alike, after all. But such commonplace observations hold no water for those convinced that the Jews are the prime obstacle between them and a better world, and who wield the Holocaust stick as a consequence.

Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org & The Tower Magazine, writes a weekly column for JNS.org on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics. His writings have been published in Commentary, the New York Post, Haaretz, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is the author of Some of My Best Friends: A Journey Through Twenty-First Century Antisemitism (Edition Critic, 2014).
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Amidst the din, dust and hullabulloo raised by the death of Tamil Nadus J Jayalalithaa, even as the AIADMK anoints Chinamma Sasikala Natarajan as the party general secretary, what has gone nearly unnoticed is that, for the first time in nearly 50 years, the states film industry is well and truly out of political power. For a state that witnessed a unique marriage between politics and films, holding millions in its thrall, Jayalalithaas death appears to have ended that synergy.

Neither Jayalalithaas successor Panneerselvam nor Sasikala Natarajan have anything to do with the film industry. The last vestige of the film industry in politics exists in the opposition DMK in the form of its chief M Karunanidhi. But his age, at 92, and indifferent health could mean that his son MK Stalin is a more likely chief minister if the DMK returns to power. And Stalin too has personally not been involved with the film industry.

Read: After Jayalalithaas death, AIADMK appoints Sasikala as interim party chief

It isnt the case that others in the industry havent expressed a desire to get into politics. Vijayakant, known for his roles as the firm but good cop, made the most serious bid for power at the head of a separate party. After an initial encouraging response electorally, he has all but fallen by the wayside. Another successful actor, Bhagyaraj, had forayed into politics a few years ago but quickly withdrew.

In 1996 it looked like superstar Rajinikanth would enter politics. The actor, in the run-up to the 1996 Assembly elections, had said even God cannot help Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa returns to power for her purported involvement in corruption. All that was left was for Rajinikanth to announce his entry into formal politics. But that day never dawned. It is not clear why.

Read:The political opportunity for Rajinikanth has come and gone

During Jayalalithaas stay in hospital social media speculated over Rajinis arrival into politics. But that proved incorrect. Another name that did the rounds briefly was Ajit, a moderately successful actor, but didnt fructify either.

The absence of a filmstar-politician will knock the glamour quotient off Tamil Nadus politics. M G Ramachandran and later Jayalalithaa took their roles as do-gooders in films seriously and tried to emulate that in real life. MGRs mid-day meal scheme for children and Jayalalithaas low-cost canteens, among others, made them even more popular with the people.

An accomplished script writer in Tamil movies, Karunanidhis oratory skills are legendary. Cassettes of many of his speeches sell like hot cakes across the state. And they make for riveting hearing.

With movie idols at the helm, the film industry naturally, had unhindered access to the chief ministers door. But there was a flip side as well. With Karunanidhi on one side and MGR first and later Jayalalithaa on the other, film folks often get caught in political crossfire. Kollywood grapevine has it that actors such as Vadivelu and Vivek, among others, reportedly became victims at one time or the other.

With the film industry out of politics, Tamil Nadu looks like going the way of other states where films and politics dont normally mix. For the people of a film-crazy state, it will take some time getting used to the mundane brand of politics.

K S Dakshina Murthy is a senior journalist based in Bangalore.

Views expressed are personal
Politicians are often judged by how they handle the last phase of their political lives.

And that is why with his decision to expel Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh has squandered his political legacy. Unless reversed immediately, the decision will leave Mulayam Singhs real love, the Samajwadi Party, in ruins. To understand why, trace his career.

The paradox of Mulayam Singh

Mulayam is inarticulate; he is among the worst administrators in political landscape; he has practised communal politics in the most blatant manner for at least a quarter of a century, playing on Muslim insecurities while offering them little in return.

He is also widely perceived as among the most unreliable and untrustworthy political interlocutors who can switch positions and sides at any moment and keeps channels with all sides open at all times.

Yet the man has been extraordinarily powerful in the politics of Uttar Pradesh for three decades. He has won elections repeatedly and he is a truly mass leader. And the secret of that is his rootedness, the manner in which he empowers his base, and the ability to craft social coalitions.

Ask supporters, and they are willing to do anything for Netaji. Few know the vast state of UP as well as Mulayam. In each district, Mulayam knows hundreds of people by name - and in most villages, he would know a person or two. Anecdotes abound about how Netaji went out of his way to support a workers family in times of crisis; how he travelled to remote areas, through rough roads, on a motorcycle, just to attend a wedding in the family of a sympathiser; how no loyalist would return disappointed from his home if he was in financial crisis. SP is what it is because of Mualayams sheer hard work and energetic organisation building.

But there is obviously a political story that goes beyond personal patronage. Groomed in Lohia-ite politics, Mulayam -- like Lalu next door -- recognised that Indias backward castes were political orphans. The Congress decided to focus on Brahmans, Dalits and Muslims and that demographic coalition was enough to see it remain in power for decades. But with the Green Revolution, growing economic power of the backwards, their slow inclusion in government services, OBCs were looking for political might. Mulayam filled in this vacuum. The OBCs may today be the new power elite, but one should not underestimate how their rise was a transformative moment in Indian politics.

And finally, as the Muslims got disillusioned with the Congress after the Babri Masjid demolition, Mulayam smelled an opportunity. Yadavs on their own would not be able to wrest power: in a coalition with Muslims, SP could become at least the single largest party and acquire state power.

Once state power was acquired, Mulayam was dismissive of those who thought universal welfare or development was needed to remain popular. He operated with simple logic -- those who helped him win will be rewarded, and the state exists only for his voters. That is why under the SP there is the democratisation of corruption and goondagardi, Allahabad journalist Anupam Mishra once explained. Cadres are empowered to do as they wish; the administration becomes defunct in front of them.

The riskiest gamble

But there are clear limits to this kind of politics. As the middle-class expanded (and a Yadav middle-class grew too), as there was a generational transformation and as aspirations grew, the electorate wanted not just the recognition of identity and security. Akhilesh Yadav decided to fill in this gap. And Mulayam thought that while he would retain real power, the son could be make a token CM.

But there is nothing called a token CM since power creates its own dynamics. Akhilesh realised that while caste was an essential tool of mobilisation, it could not be the only tool --- which is why he became the first Yadav leader who was not just seen as a Yadav leader. He realised that urban middle-class and opinion makers, in the information age, had far more influence than their size dictated and needed to be nourished. He realised that the younger demographic among the poor and lower middle classes wanted urbanisation, infrastructure, technology as much as the rich. He realised that while patronage and corruption were necessary ingredients of politics, it could happen by expanding the development pie. And he decided that if he wanted to do all this, he needed control over the party structure, resources, finances and build his own cadre of loyalists.

But Mulayam was just not been able to reconcile himself to this shift - and with the fact that his son was becoming more popular than the father. He regretted that he did not become CM himself in 2012.

One should never underestimate the importance of inter-personal dyamics in determining politics. It did not help that the father and son have never been particularly close; it also did not help that everyone Mulayam is close to disliked Akhilesh and vice versa. Mulayams closest associate is Anita Singh, who ran a parallel administration much to Akhileshs anger. Mulayams brother, Shivpal, has felt that he his contribution to the SP is far greater than his nephews and thus he deserved chief ministership; Mulayams second wife, Sadhana Gupta, and her family, are deeply resentful of Akhileshs power; and Mulayams old friend, Amar Singh, is keen to undercut Akhilesh, who in turn feels strongly that Singh had corrupted his father and must be kept at a distance.

There was a school of thought in Lucknow which believed that Mulayam was just being shrewd; that while there was an undercurrent of tension between the father and son, the two were actually playing a good cop and bad act; and eventually, Mulayam would just let these battles play out in his lifetime because at the end of it all, it would help Akhilesh emerge stronger. People would perceive the young CM of having taken on the old guard, and rally around him.

Politics rests on the art of deception, but the expulsion shows this is a conspiracy theory.

A battle of this nature cannot be orchestrated.

There is a divide between the father and the son, between their political styles, between their network of associates, between the grammar and language they choose to employ, and their understanding of how political power can be won and regained. And strange as it may sound, there is a battle of egos, there is envy and there is anger and hurt.

Yet, both needed each other - at least for the 2017 elections. Akhilesh does not have an organisation; Mulayam does not have a face. And that is why conventional political logic suggested they would end up coming together. With Friday evenings move, that door has been closed.

The endgame matters

What you do at the end of your political life matters.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee semi-retired after 2004, leaving people with the memory of his credible term in office. Health has now rendered him inactive but there is a surge of affection whenever his name crops up. He is remembered for the statesmanship and sobriety he brought to office.

LK Advani let ambition get the better of him. He did not bow out after the 2009 defeat, desperate for another bid at prime ministership. He was left humiliated in his party, deprived of power and influence and commands little respect either in his party or broader public.

After a rich career in public life, Manmohan Singh decided, in UPA 2, that staying on in power was more important than asserting himself at key moments - allowing the perception of corruption, policy paralysis and a weak PM to grow and tarnish his legacy. Still respected for his contribution to the economy, he evokes little political admiration.

V P Singh, after leaving office after a short but significant term as PM, moved away from electoral politics and office, and devoted him to public causes and social campaigns. He evokes respect among Indias civil rights activists and most marginalised.

Mulayams political stature may not be the same as these leaders. But he is, undoubtedly, one of North Indias most remarkable political figures.

At the end of his career though, Mulayam has lost the one element that helped him stand out --- the instinct for power. Fridays decision marks the beginning of the end of his political life. He may retain the organisation and party flag; he may still have a loyal core of Yadav and Muslim voters; he may still have enormous wealth. But Mulayam has lost his political platform, his legacy, and his son.

Read| As Yadav family feud erupts again, only a miracle can help SP win Uttar Pradesh

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On November 20, 1921, the Colonial government detained more than 90 rebels in Kerala who were said to be involved in the uprising. They were bundled into a freight wagon to the central prison in Podanur city, near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Podanur prison was running to full capacity. It was ordered that the prisoners be sent back. On their return journey, at least 60 prisoners suffocated to death. The incident, known as Wagon Tragedy, is the inspiration for the charcoal drawings made by Kochi-based artist and filmmaker Madhusudhanan, currently on display at the Vadhera Art Gallery.

Through the works titled Marx Archive- The Logic of Disappearance, the artist has attempted to show the continuous shifting positions of bronze statues of communist leaders such Marx and Lenin in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union.

An image from the series Marx Archive- Logic of Disappearance (Madhusudhanan/Vadhera Art Gallery )

Madhusudhanan has named the series Penal Colony based on a 1914 story by Franz Kafka named In the Penal Colony. The central theme of the story is a mechanical instrument designed to kill a man after a terrible 12 hour-long torture. The objective was to understand the Wagon Tragedy against the background of Kafkas story. The tragedy and Kafkas book had very different contexts and we do not see clear similarities. Yet, both are grim and involve annihilation, said Madhusudhanan.

One of the works in the series depicts Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Mysore state, with a toy, picturising his personal emblem, the tiger.

Power and Knowledge is a series of designs printed on matchboxes. The matchbox industry shifted from Calcutta to Sivakasi in 1921, the year the Wagon Tragedy took place. Images printed on these boxes include that of Tipu Sultan, a ship and hand grenade. They convey conflict in some way or the other, said the artist.

While A Marx Archive- Logic of Disappearance has been shown at the Kochi Muziris Biennale 2014-15, the series Penal Colony has been shown at the Venice Biennale 2015. This is Madhusudhanans first solo show in the country.

What: Exhibition Penal Colony solo show of Madhusudhanan

On till: 10th January

Where: Vadehra Art Gallery, D-53 Defence Colony

Call: 46103550/ 46103551

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A three-year-old child died after drowning in water tank in Bhopal on Thursday here, police said. The child was alone in the house in Kamla Nagar area when the incident happened and was rushed to the hospital by neighbours.

According to police, on Thursday evening at around 5 pm, Dharmendra Singh, who lived with his family at Sabri Nagar slums in Kamla Nagar locality, was playing in the house. His father, Banne Singh who works as a cleanliness worker at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), was on duty while his mother and two siblings were out.

Dharmendra while playing reached a water tank kept near the bathroom and fell inside it. Some neighbours saw him and rushed him to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, police added.

We got the information about the toddlers death from the hospital after which we have registered the matter under section 174 of CrPC and investigations are on. The body has been sent for post-mortem at Hamidia Hospital, said Jagdish Singh, a police official.
Patients continue to complain against behaviour of doctors and the management of Hamidia hospital in Bhopal that reported clashes between doctors and patients relatives, and irregularities, prompting the chief minister to make a surprise inspection last weekend and order a recast of top officials.

About 20 quintals of expired medicines were reportedly found from the storeroom of the hospital on Wednesday, raising questions about management of the state-run healthcare centre. Some medicines, including life-saving drugs, had expired about 40 years ago.

State minister for medical education, public health and family welfare Sharad Jain said the management of hospital affairs improved after CM Shivraj Singh Chouhans inspection. The condition of the hospital will further improve as the state government is committed to providing best-quality health services to the public, Jain told HT on Thursday.

But a reality check shows that patients are still complaining about mismanagement. I came here with my 9-year-old niece from Betul district three days ago. After she was admitted to the hospital on the first day, doctors said she was suffering from a minor attack of paralysis on her leg, said Rakesh Kumar Soni.

Doctors attended to her on that day only; after that they are not paying attention despite our requests. Doctors misbehaved with us when we approached them.

A junior doctor allegedly assaulted a 50-year-old man and tore his clothes on Tuesday after an argument over treatment to the victims son.

A relative of another patient said conditions have not changed much despite action by the administration after media reports. My sister is admitted here for the last five days. Senior doctors visit her for a few seconds during the routine morning rounds; after that junior doctors attend to her, said Anil Sonkusre.

We have to request them (junior doctors) many times to see my sister and tell us about her recovery. But they do not reply us properly, and leave.

When reporters tried to speak to Hamidia Hospital superintendent Dr Deepak Marawi, he refused to answer any question, and called security guards to remove them out of the premises.
The Chhindwara district police are looking for a Bhopal-based pastor Fr Anil Martin, whose licensed rifle was allegedly used by two men to poach the endangered blackbucks on December 13.

The matter came to light on the eve of President Pranab Mukherjees December 14 visit to the district when Chaurai police station personnel were conducting routine checks on vehicles.

Two persons, Nitin Singh Rajput and Brijesh S Sahu were arrested after police found two carcasses of blackbucks in the SUV they were travelling in.

Police also recovered a .22 rifle which was used by the duo for poaching the blackbucks in Chaurai jungles from the vehicle, sub divisional officer police (SDOP) of Chhindwara district, Shraddha Sonkar told HT on Thursday.

On interrogation, the duo revealed that the rifle belonged to one Anil Martin, who, police found out, was a pastor known to Sahu and had founded a prominent missionary school in Bhopal, the SDOP said.

Were making all possible efforts and hope to arrest Martin soon, she said, adding that he has been untraceable since his involvement in the case came to light.

It was also found that Rajput had been accused in 27 cases of heinous crime, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion and loot.

The accused were booked under sections 429 and 34 of IPC, relevant sections of Wildlife Protection Act and the Arms Act.
At a time when the local traders at tourist sites are crying foul over the impact of demonetization on their business, a press release issued by the ministry of tourism on Thursday has claimed that currency ban has had little impact on inflow of tourists in MP.

The release also said currency ban has not affected foreign tourists arrival or for that matter foreign exchange earnings in the country.

The report shows figures to corroborate the claim. According to the release, there has been a remarkable rise in sale of e-tickets in the last two months. A total of 9131 foreigners visited various sites of Madhya Pradesh in October while in November, 12,445 foreigners visited MP. However, this is the usual trend every year, said Zulfiqar Ali, superintending archaeologist, ASI, Bhopal.

Sudesh Tamrakar, senior tourist adviser said, Local tourist inflow has reduced but the number of foreigners visiting the tourist sites remains the same. Overall, the difference is insignificant.

Madhur Sharma, a tourist operator, however tells otherwise. The tourist guides who are not registered with state government, used to have an easy time drawing Rs 100-1000 from a tourist. But after note ban, most of them are struggling to manage routine expenses.

Alka Kushwaha, a local artifact vendor at Mandu says, This is the best time of the year after monsoon season when people prefer coming to Mandu. I see no difference in number of people visiting but this year, they are hesitant in spending on luxury items.

Archeological Survey of India has smoothly transitioned to cashless mode of payment by simplifying the process of e-ticketing. But the government cares little for local artisans and businessmen. They are finding it hard to make ends meet, said Vikram Manwani, business middleman at Chanderi.

Besides the heritage sites, Madhya Pradesh is also known for religious tourism. When a local vendor in Ujjain, Mahesh Tiwari, was asked about the impact of cash ban on his business, he said, We suffered huge losses in the past month. Now, most of us sell pooja parcels (basket consisting all necessary items for performing pooja in a temple) starting from Rs 500. We have also bought swipe machine so that a customer does not return empty-handed.

Raghu Ram, a bag-seller in Panchmarchi, had to ask to his helper to leave because he was unable to pay him wages. Kishan was working with me for the past six years and was not ready to leave but I was unable to pay him, Ram said.
The Jabalpur unit of the CBI has started a preliminary inquiry into the alleged conversion of demonetised currency worth 3.72 lakh into new ones at the ticket booking counters of Katni railway station, 90 km from Jabalpur.

This comes even as the agencys investigation into similar conversion of the old 500 and 1,000 notes into new currency at Habibganj and Bhopal railways stations is underway.

The suspected conversion of the old notes at Katni railway station was done within a period of 20 days from November 8, the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of the high value currency, CBI sources told Hindustan Times. The anomaly came to light following scrutiny of documents seized by the CBI and West Central Railways (WCR) vigilance department during a surprise check at Katni stations passenger ticket booking section and its cash division on December 19.

The cash division is tasked with depositing the days collection in the bank.

Earlier, a similar inquiry was registered by CBIs Bhopal office against unidentified accused on December 12 for suspected conversion of the demonetised currency totaling around 11 lakh at Habibganj and Bhopal railway stations. The inquiry was ordered following the scrutiny of documents seized from the cash division of both the railway stations during a surprise check on December 8.

As per the sources in CBI, 6 lakh and  5 lakh in old currency was converted at Habibganj and Bhopal railway stations, respectively.

CBI officials have till date questioned more than 40 employees of both the railway stations. The railways employees have claimed that the conversion was done as part of internal management of cash, which is a routine thing.

The CBI officials, sources said, would now conduct a scrutiny of the cash transactions at the two stations before demonetisation was announced.

Searches at Jabalpur station too

The vigilance department of West Central Railway (WCR) on Thursday carried searches at the ticket booking counters and the cash office at Jabalpur railway station. The searches were carried out to check if the new currency notes received at the ticket counters had been exchanged with the denotified notes of 500 and 1000, WCR chief public relations officer Surendra Yadav said. The vigilance officials are verifying the documents pertaining to cash details of the ticket counters for the period November 9 to December 22. There are six reservation ticket counters and 11 general ticket counters at the Jabalpur railway station.
Bhopal police have sent two teams to Uttar Pradesh to arrest a 35-year-old man, accused of allegedly raping a 31-year-old woman and extorting Rs 9 lakh from her, on the pretext of marrying her.

The victim, a resident of Koh-e-Fiza locality in Bhopal, had on Tuesday lodged a complaint against the accused Mohammad Hussein of allegedly raping her on different occasions and extorting about Rs 9 lakh from her, police said. Hussein, a resident of Lucknow, used to run a business in Mumbai. The victim became friends with him on a matrimonial website in January this year.

In April, Hussein came to Bhopal and stayed at the house of the victim for a couple of days where he raped her, a police official said.

In May, the family of the accused came to Bhopal for Husseins and the womans engagement. Later in June, he came to Bhopal and raped her. He also took about Rs 9 lakh from her by saying that it is needed for his business. The victim went to Mumbai to his place in July to ask her to marry her. Hussein refused to marry her and raped her.

The victim filed a case against Hussein on Tuesday.

The accused hails from Lucknow and some of his relatives live in Kanpur. Police have sent teams to both the places to know about his whereabouts and arrest him. During the initial investigations it was also found that the accused committed similar crimes with at least two other women- one from Pune, the other from Uttar Pradesh, said additional superintendent of police (zone 3), Rajesh Singh Bhadauria.

Hussein has done his MBBS and runs a business in Mumbai.

IAS aspirant says merchant navy officer raped her

A 20-year-old civil services aspirant in Gwalior district has alleged rape by a merchant navy man who is presently deployed in Mumbai.

The woman who hails from Rewa district, but has been preparing for civil services exams in Gwalior since the last two years lodged a complaint against the 30-year-old accused at Padav police station of Gwalior on Thursday.

The alleged rape survivor stated in the complaint that the accused became friends with her over WhatsApp and Facebook a year back.

Subsequently he established physical relations with her several times in Gwalior, promising to marry her soon.

Later, he backtracked from marrying her and even assaulted her recently when she asked him to keep his promise of marriage.

The woman submitted the complaint at Padav police station on Thursday after which a case of rape and criminal assault was lodged against the accused, who is posted in Mumbai, said Padav police station in charge Santosh Yadav.
A sessions court in Jabalpur on Thursday sentenced two men to death and one to life imprisonment for the kidnapping and killing of a 15-year-old boy in March 2013.

Third additional sessions judge DP Mishra awarded death sentence and fine of Rs1000 to Rajesh Yadav alias Rakesh and Raja Yadav and five years jail term and fine of Rs 500. The court also sentenced Om Prakash Yadav to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000.

Assistant public prosecutor (APP) Anil Tiwari assisted by Ashish Tiwari said the body of Ajit Pal (15) alias Bobby was found in a plastic bag in a dry well on March 29, 2013 near Khandari drain in Jabalpur.

On March 26, 2013 around 9 pm Ajit went missing near his house. Rajwant Kaur, Bobbys mother, searched for him at several places and when he was untraced lodged a missing complaint on March 27, 2013.

Amarjeet one of the family members received a phone call in which a ransom of Rs 50 lakh was demanded to release Bobby, Tiwari said.

On basis of the phone call, Rajesh Yadav alias Rakesh was taken in custody on March 29, 2013 and on basis of the information he provided the body was recovered from a dry well, Anil Tiwari said.

Simultaneously other two convicts Raja Yadav and Omprakash Yadav were arrested.

The knife by which the boy was killed was also seized.

In Bobbys fist, a bunch of hair was found which on DNA test was found to be that of Rajesh Yadav. Similarly the blood stained clothes of Rajesh were recovered and the blood was found to be of the boy.
Ever since the government announced the scrapping of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 in a surprise move on November 8, the rules on movement of the new currency and the exchange of old currency has changed at least 60 times. Here is the list of the ever-changing rules:

Cash Exchange/Deposits

November 8: Government announced that old notes worth Rs 4000 can be exchanged at banks.

November 13: Cash exchange limit over the counter increased to Rs 4500.

November 17: Limit reduced to Rs 2000.

November 24: Old notes cannot be exchanged at banks only deposits allowed. Only foreigners allowed to exchange currency up to Rs 5000 per week.

December 19: RBI imposes deposit cap of 5000 rupees until Dec 30 subject to satisfactory response on such late deposit

December 21: RBI withdraws notification

December 30: Deposit of old notes not allowed anymore at banks. They can be exchanged at RBI offices across the country.

Cash Withdrawal

November 8: Government limits ATM withdrawals at Rs 2000.

November 8: Withdrawal limit from banks fixed at Rs 20,000 for a week and a daily limit at Rs 10000.

November 13: Cash withdrawal limit at ATMs increased to Rs 2500 per day in the recalibrated ATMs.

November 13: The weekly limit for withdrawal from bank accounts increased to Rs 24,000, the daily limit is removed.

November 30: RBI tightens monthly withdrawal rules from Jan Dhan accounts for poor

Use of Old Notes

November 8: Old notes to be accepted at government hospitals, fuel stations, airports and railways.

November 9: Old notes to be accepted even at metro stations, ASI monuments, toll plazas and medicine shops.

November 10: Government announced that now- defunct currency notes of 500 and 1000 will be accepted for making payments towards fees, charges, taxes and penalties payable to the central and state governments including municipal and local bodies, and other utility charges like water and electricity.

November 14: Government extends existing exemptions for acceptance of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes up to 24 November, 2016 midnight.

November 24: Old notes of Rs 1000 cannot be used. Government allows use of Rs 500 to pay for fuel, mobile recharges, water and power bills. Government-run school and college fees can also be paid with old notes of Rs 500.

Ordinance

Government passes Ordinance to making holding of more than 10 junked notes an offence punishable with a fine. The rule starts after December 31.

Exceptions for Farmers

November 17: Farmers allowed to withdraw up to Rs. 25000 per week to ensure proper sowing of Rabi crops. Agriculture traders allowed to withdraw Rs 50000 to facilitate smooth operation of mandis.

Exceptions for Weddings

November 17: Families allowed to withdraw up to Rs 2,50,000 from their own bank accounts, in case of a wedding.
The year 2016 will be a momentous one for various reasons.

Indias economy was one of the fastest growing economies in the world in the first half of the financial year. With favourable macro-economic indicators, the countrys economic growth stood at 7.2%.

For the first time, a monetary policy framework was put in place. Moreover, two important legislations were passed.

In August, the Rajya Sabha passed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Constitutional Amendment Bill that was already approved by Lok Sabha last year. This clears the way for the implementation of the uniform indirect tax regime in the country.

Secondly, the government approved the bankruptcy code that replaces a string of archaic legislations with a modern contemporary law, allowing easy exits to companies.

But the year 2016 will be most remembered for the NDA governments shock demonetisation of high-value notes. The move has significantly slowed down the growth engine.

Read | Why were Rs 1000, 500 notes demonetised? RBI refuses to answer RTI query

On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes comprising 86% of the cash circulation. This led to an acute cash crunch. While the move was taken to weed out black money from the system, it impacted several sectors of the economy.

Though the Opposition attacked the government, saying the country was in a state of economic emergency, finance minister Arun Jaitley said the growth was on track.

We are extremely grateful to the people of India who have supported the move of demonetisation  Life insurance, tourism, petroleum consumption, mutual fund investment has increased during this period, Jaitley said.

This is a spring board year laying the foundation for economic progress in the coming years with more sustainable accountability and economic activity, noted economist Rajiv Kumar said.

The government also launched the four-month window for the income disclosure scheme, providing a chance to all black money holders to come clean. Moreover, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Kalyan Yojana  the second amnesty scheme  while the demonetisation drive was on.

In one word, I would call this year eventful ... macroeconomic conditions remain healthy and we had a good monsoon. But this year, the story would revolve around demonetisation and this has offset a few positives, DK Joshi, chief economist, Crisil told Hindustan Times.

While Indias exports market remained a matter of concern, trade deficit declined to $53.2 billion as against $78.2 billion in the corresponding period of previous year.

Read | Reality check: 50 days on, demonetization still a mixed bag across India

Subdued global oil prices helped India in reducing its current account deficit  the difference between the inflow and the outflow of dollars. CAD narrowed to 0.1% of GDP from April to June.

Investments this year remained weak, despite efforts by the government to improve the ease of doing business in the country. Despite repeated pleas to India Inc, companies shied away from investing.

Despite high expectations, the Ease of Doing business report, released by the International Finance Corporation, placed India at 130  just a notch above last years ranking.

Meanwhile, the governments fiscal deficit target of 3.5% of GDP for the current fiscal is in range.

However, the telecom spectrum auction did not yield the desired results, while the Seventh Pay Commission will lead to an additional Rs 1.02 lakh-crore outflow for the government. The government has already provided Rs 25,000 crore for bank recapitalisation.
India today amended its tax treaty with Singapore to plug gaps which allow avoidance of tax and routing of black money. First signed in 2005, the amendment will kick-in from April 2017, when capital gains tax will be implemented on investments in Indias capital markets that come from Singapore. For the first two years beginning 2017, the tax will be 50% of the prevailing domestic rate, and the full rate will apply from April 2019.

This amendment follows the changes that India made in its treaties with Mauritius and Cyprus, earlier this year.

For long Mauritius and Singapore have been the favoured destinations for foreign investors to route their money into India, for the capital gains tax benefits that both these countries offered under the treaties with India.

Of the total FDI inflows of USD 29.4 billion in April- December 2015-16, Mauritius and Singapore accounted for USD 17 billion.

This year on May 10 we had amended DTAA with Mauritius. Then in September we amended with Cyprus and today we amended the DTAA with Singapore, said finance minister Arun Jaitley. He added: We have successfully stopped round tripping through this route.

The amendment of treaties with Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore has been complimented by the Indian governments success in persuading Switzerland to share information on Indians banking with Swiss banks. This information exchange will begin from 2019.

2016 has been significant and historic as we amended these treaties, Jaitley said.

Most experts welcomed the move. The final outcome as regards the Singapore Treaty is not a surprise and most investors were expecting that it would mirror the new Mauritius Treaty, said Abhishek Goenka, partner, direct tax in PwC India.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks to report details of deposits of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to it after the close of banking hours on Friday, which is the last date to accept the invalid currency.

With the closure of the facility of exchange of SBNs (defunct notes) at the close of business on December 30, 2016, all banks should report information on collection of SBNs on December 30, 2016, itself at e-mail, the central bank said in a notification.

All lenders, including public, private, rural and cooperative banks, have been asked to make arrangements to gather information on deposits of the Specified Bank Notes (SBNs).

All bank branches -- other than those of DCCBs -- that have accumulated the SBNs as at the close of business on Friday are required to deposit the same at any issue office of the Reserve Bank or a currency chest by Saturday itself.

RBI further said the old-high denomination notes cannot form part of banks cash balances from the close of business as on December 31, 2016.

However, District Central Co-operative Banks (DCCBs) may retain the SBNs received on November 10-14 till receipt of further instructions.

Further, banks maintaining currency chests have been asked to make necessary arrangements to facilitate the deposit of SBNs received through linked branches or other branches of banks and post offices.

Reporting of the transactions in Integrated Computerised Currency Operations and Management System (ICCOMS) will be enabled beyond 9 till all the deposits are received and accounted for.

To facilitate storage of SBNs, banks maintaining currency chests may utilise additional space in their existing currency chest or additional storage space at the same centre with the proviso that it is as safe and secure as a currency chest, RBI added.
The Congress has factored in an anti-incumbency wave in some assembly seats before finalising the first list of candidates for the 2017 polls in Uttarakhand, although the party earlier hinted at repeating its sitting MLAs.

Anti-incumbency in some sitting MLAs seats cropped up during meetings of state leaders with the Congress screening committee, led by Kumari Selja, in New Delhi on December 28 and 29, party sources said.

While granting tickets to the sitting MLAs was being talked about, a section of leaders raised the possibility of an anti-incumbency wave sweeping some seats and the ways to tackle it. A final decision on those seats is likely to be taken during the next meeting scheduled for January 4 or so, a senior Congress leader, who attended the meeting, told HT on Friday on the condition of anonymity.

Party insiders said around 20 sitting legislators were told to assess ground realities in their constituencies, although state Congress office-bearers denied that a final decision has been taken on the sitting-getting formula (fielding all MLAs again).

It (the screening committee) has not finalised anything (about the sitting-getting formula) yet. That our central leadership is studying the partys current standing with such depth by listening to and seeking suggestions from state leaders shows its seriousness towards Uttarakhand, state Congress vice-president Jot Singh Bisht told HT. He denied that anti-incumbency was discussed during the meetings.

Those who met the screening committee included ministers Indira Hridayesh and Pritam Singh, MLA and Womens Congress chief Sarita Arya, Youth Congress president Bhuwan Kapri, around 25 members of the state election committee, and more than 20 ticket hopefuls. The screening committee held one-on-one discussions with the ticket aspirants.

A member of state Congress organisation said issuing tickets to sitting MLAs was an unsaid tradition of the party. Even if theres an issue of anti-incumbency in any seat, the party will find ways to fight it, said the member who did not wish to be named.

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Be it good, bad or ugly, the year 2016 has been a year of change. And, the varsities in Delhi have been no stranger to this. From the admissions in Delhi University going online to actor Shah Rukh Khan collecting his graduation degree from DU after 28 years and activist Kanhaiya Kumar getting arrested, this past year saw the campus go through its fair share of big events. As we bid adieu to 2016, here are 16 biggest things in the University that made news this year.

Admission goes online

The admission process for Delhi University went completely online this year. While the varsity had attempted the same in 2015, offline admissions were still on. What really made news, in this great move, was that the website was designed entirely by the varsity students.

Helmet Alert!

Students of Daulat Ram College participating in the helmet protest on college grounds. (Amal KS/HT Photo)

The students of Daulat Ram College (DRC) took to wearing helmets inside the college after a part of the ceiling of a classroom fell on a few students. The incident that occurred in September, this year, made news as five students were injured due to the mishap.

Star Power

Ranveer Singh and Vani Kapoor pose for a picture with the crowd at Law Faculty. (Shivam Saxena/HT Photo)

From music duo Salim-Sulaiman, singer Sunidhi Chauhan and actor Farhan Akhtar performing at the fests to Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, and Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor visiting colleges to promote their films, DU saw its fair share of star power, this year.

Scoring a 100

Students take a buggy ride as Ramjas College celebrated its completion of 100 years, at Delhi University's North Campus. (Anshuman Akash/HT Photo)

Delhi University has some really old colleges under its belt, and of which, Ramjas College was the one to host their centennial celebration, this year. The event saw a pride march, transgender fashion show, centennial parades, graffiti, performances and more. Not only did the celebrations see students of the host college have a ball, but also other colleges joined in the revelry too.

A Starry graduation

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan flaunts his degree after collecting it from Hansraj College. (Raajesh Kahyap/HT Photo)

If youve still not collected your degree, you shouldnt feel too bad. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan collected his degree from Hansraj college, after 28 years, earlier this year. The actor flaunted his degree, reminisced old days and also showered some love on his fans.

Special Selection

As a progressive move, Delhi University opened its doors to transgenders for undergraduate courses. A third gender option was introduced in the centralised admission forms and necessary policies for their admission were introduced too.

Copy That!

University photocopy shops were hit badly when three international publishers filed a suit against the sale of photocopied books and pages in DU. While the companies lost the case, the photocopy shops were later directed to maintain records of course packs photocopied and supplied by it and submit six monthly statements to the court.

What the hostel

Hostel rules in Delhi University have for long been deemed biased and sexist. But, this year saw them hit a new low, when Hindu Colleges newly-constructed girls hostel made headlines for its sanskaari dressing rule. While it was dropped later, students continued their fight against curfew timings and absurd orders.

Book Vs Facebook

Delhi University colleges blocked social networking sites such as Facebook and WhatsApp on their college Wi-Fi and it didnt go down well with the students. While a few understood the reason behind the move, others were furious for it limited the information dissemination in class groups. Some hoped that it was a technical glitch that would go away in a few days, but it didnt.

Great DU Cook-off

Students prepare their ingredients for the cook-off at Shyam Lal College. (Shivam Saxena/HT Photo)

It was a great year for foodies and chefs alike in Delhi University as Hansraj College introduced a first-of-its-kind Culinary Arts Society (CAS) and Shyam Lal College organised the second edition of University Chef  a MasterChef-style cooking competition for all colleges.

App like that

While Delhi showed its pride support in November, a DU student revealed that he and his boyfriend are developing a support App for the LGBTQ community. The app, which will release mid-January, will act not just as a support group for the community, but will also help members who need accommodation, protection and more.

From Delhi to France

A still from the movie, In A Free State.

DU student, Lubdhak Chatterjees film, In A Free State was a part of the six Bengali short films that were short-listed for the short film corner at the Cannes Film Festival. The film narrates the story of an aspiring filmmaker and an artist who paints amputated figures.

Dhaba no more

The beloved Ganga Dhaba on JNU campus shut down this year. The eatery that has been an iconic spot on campus since 1984 was served an eviction notice which left the students disappointed.

The JNU situation

Ganga Dhaba wasnt the only reason JNU made news this year. From Kanhaiya Kumar and sedition charges to the university student Najeeb Ahmeds disappearance, the varsity saw its fair share of political and emotional drama.

Bigg Screen Time

Lokesh Kumari Sharma in conversation with Salman Khan on Bigg Boss.

Though it was a brief stint, Satyawati College graduate Lokesh Kumari Sharma made it to the reality show Bigg Boss and received immense support from students in the city. After being eliminated, the student, who was then a star, visited her college and even clicked selfies with students.

Message for the braves

On Diwali, this year, The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, urged people to send sandesh (message) to soldiers. The hit campaign, in the times of heightened tensions on the border, saw students from Jamia Millia Islamia College join in full force that made news.

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The Directorate of Education (DOE) has warned of action if school on government land starts the nursery admission process from January 2 next year.

The order applies to 285 schools such as Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj, Vasant Valley and Apeejay.

The government had on December 19 issued a circular saying it will release a separate set of guidelines and schedule for these 285 schools. The new set of rules is to make schools comply with land allotment terms.

The terms state that schools running on government land will not refuse admission to residents of the locality. It says the society shall undertake to admit 75% of the students of the neighbourhood or from the locality in which the school is located.

For the remaining 1,400 schools, the nursery admission process will begin January 2.

It has come to the notice of the department that some of these schools have issued the admission notice to start the admission process from January 2, 2017 in violation of the directions, said a circular from the DOE.

Read: Nursery admissions: Shifting goalposts, litigation trouble for parents in Delhi

This order indicates the admission process for the 285 schools will be delayed and there will be two separate schedules for different schools.

All the schools around my house are on government land. I am clueless on what to do. Now I need to devote two days for going around and filling forms, said Rahul Bisht, father of a 3 year old girl and a resident of Malviya Nagar.

School principals are also worried.

It will be very difficult to start the process if the announcement from DOE comes late. It may lead to a situation where two parallel schedules will be running, and it will cause a lot of inconvenience to parents. The same parent will have to follow the schedule of schools build on DDA land and those not built on DDA land, said Ashok Pandey, principal, Ahlcon International School.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) teams on Friday visited the office of officer-on-special-Duty (OSD) to Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain to scrutinise documents in connection with its FIR alleging irregularities in his appointment.

Our teams visited the office of Dr Nikunj Aggarwal in the Delhi government secretariat and Nehru Bal Chikitsalya to seek and scrutinise documents, said a CBI official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The officer did not term the visit of CBI teams as searches.

The CBI in its FIR has alleged that Dr Aggarwal was appointed first as a senior resident in the state-run Bal Chikitsalaya and later as an OSD to the health minister in contravention of rules.

The agency registered the case on the basis of a complaint from Delhi governments deputy secretary (vigilance) KS Meena. Besides, a private person named Him Gahlot, a resident of Matraon village in the Capital, also complained about Dr Aggarwal to the CBIs anti-corruption unit.

The complaint of Meena now the part of the FIR.

The agency in its FIR named Dr Aggarwal as well as Dr Anup Mohta, the director of Bal Chkitsalaya, and unknown officials of the Delhi government as accused in the case.

Read: Jungs parting shot? CBI registers FIR against Delhi health minister Jains aide

BJP leader Vijender Gupta alleged that Dr Aggarwal is the son-in-law of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals sister-in-law.

The case was referred for a CBI probe on the directions of outgoing Delhi L-G Najeeb Jung.

Meena in his complaint said Dr Aggarwal was appointed as senior resident (ortho) in Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya on ad hoc basis on August 10, 2015 even though there was no proposal to engage an SR and no such post was available.

No advertisement was issued by the hospital for the selection of Dr Nikunj Aggarwal as SR. No walk-in interview was conducted for the purpose, it alleged.

In his reaction, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said: The CBI is conducting the raid as if the appointment of the health ministers OSD is the biggest corruption that has happened in India. They cannot prevent a small theft. To hide the scam of demonetisation, they are targeting AAP, Sisodia said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday dared the Centre to get all the appointments made by his government probed after the CBI filed an FIR into the appointment of city health minister Satyendar Jains OSD.

Asserting that he was not afraid of any probe, the AAP chief also wondered whether the Centre would accept a Delhi government-appointed committee to look into the Sahara Birla papers.

Kejriwal alleged that the CBI has filed seven FIRs against Jain and two against deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, but did not elaborate.

In fresh trouble for the AAP government, the CBI has filed an FIR into the appointment of Jains OSD while the LG office has recommended a probe by the agency into the appointment of his daughter Soumya Jain as a functionary in the Mohalla Clinic project.

You (Centre) make your committee and get all our appointments probed. And we will form one, and you get the Sahara Birla matter probed with it. Agree?

We are not scared of any probe as we have not done any wrong. Then why are you scared of a probe? Kejriwal tweeted.
New Delhi

The deadline for depositing old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 ended on Thursday, with queues outside banks and ATMs thinning considerably on the last day.

Bankers said most people had already deposited their old currency notes, especially after the government announced in the third week of December that deposits of above R 5,000 in banned banknotes can be made only once till December 30.

Though the decision was revoked later, it sent a message out to the people that the government may stop accepting old notes anytime. Therefore, the number of people coming to exchange demonetised tenders decreased substantially in the last three-four days, said a senior official of State Bank of India.

Some officials also suggested that the banks witnessed lesser crowds as people did not have a lot of money left in their accounts by the end of the month.

Bankers in most parts of Delhi said that there were very few people waiting on Thursday, the last day to get old notes changed.

The lack of queues in the last few days, however, came as a boon for some residents, like Aruna Sinha.

Sinha, a resident of Saket, was among the handful who turned up at State Bank of Indias branch in south Delhi to exchange old notes on Thursday.

I had Rs 2,000 in old notes with me, which I had thought I will use at a Metro station, but couldnt. I had so long avoided coming to a bank fearing long queues. Today, I finally mustered courage to come and luckily the queue was short, Sinha said.

A senior official of Corporation bank in North Delhi said that he got just Rs 35,000 in the form of old notes, which is the least since the demonetisation drive was announced on November 8.

Residents, however, still can get their old notes exchanged through designated RBI counters till March 31, provided they have valid reasons for not having deposited defunct notes in their accounts earlier.

A senior official of Reserve Bank of India said people can get their notes exchanged at Reserve Bank of Indias 29 branches in different states of India.

At ATMs: Small queues, no cash

A number of ATMs in the city too witnessed shorter queues. The average waiting time in some areas, however, was still as high as 30 minutes.

Although the overall situation at banks improved, many ATMs were still out of cash most time of the day.

Sources say that restrictions on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs are likely to continue beyond December 30.

After the demonetisation drive was announced on November 8, the government had fixed a limit of Rs 24,000 per week on withdrawal from bank accounts and Rs 2,500 per day from ATMs in view of the currency crunch.

Sources said the restrictions on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs are likely to continue beyond December 30.

In ATMs around Connaught Place, queues were thin with less than five people waiting at some places. However, in East Delhi neighbourhoods such as Mayur Vihar and New Ashok Nagar, the queues were comparatively longer with waiting time of up to half-an-hour. At ATMs in Saket and adjoining area too longer queues was the norm at most ATMs.

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Some pubs in and around Delhi are trying to earn a little extra this New Years Eve, with plans to live stream Narendra Modis scheduled address at 7.30pm on Saturday.

The Social cafe and bar in Delhi announced that it would offer a pint of beer or a shot of liquor for Rs31, every time the prime minister says Mitron, at all their outlets across Delhi.

Social media sites such as Facebook have been flooded with a picture shared by the company, captioned 50 days and endless ATM lines later, what does our PM have in store for us?

We are currently considering doing it, but it is subject to the authorities discretion. The special offer will be valid for half an hour between 7.30pm and 8pm, said a representative at Social in Defence Colony.

But not all are willing to jump on the bandwagon. Some said they would not screen the prime ministers address as it did not make sense to do so on a night when people might be inebriated.

Read: Full text of PM Modis address at Digital India dinner

People should not listen to him when drunk, they will not remember what Modiji said. He might have important things to say, so people should be sober, and be able to pay attention to what they are saying, said a guest relations manager at a popular club in Delhi.

Some say that New Years Eve parties start later in the day, so it does not make sense to arrange special screenings. Who will be out at a club at 7pm on New Years Eve? Our parties usually pick up after 9pm. By then Modis address would already be over, said Jaydeep Ray, the marketing manager at Smaaash in Noida.

Organisers are also worried what the actual content of the address and do not want to upset their customers.

Our party is fully booked right now, with tickets completely sold out. We need our customers to be in a good mood. We dont know what Modi will do next in terms of demonetisation, so we have decided not to risk screening the address. Let people party leaving their worries behind, said the manager of another party venue in NCR.

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A school bus helper has been arrested for allegedly molesting a four-year-old girl in north Delhis Sarai Rohilla area.

Police said a case was registered only after the girls mother informed about the incident on Wednesday.

A pre-nursery student of a private school was molested by a school bus helper. A case of molestation was registered on Wednesday. The accused was arrested within a few hours, said deputy commissioner of police (north) Jatin Narwal.

Police officials said that the girls mother noticed that her daughter was unusually quiet since the last few days and decided to ask her what had happened. She said that her daughter broke down and told her that the accused, who was a helper in the school bus in which she commuted in to and fro from school, used to touch her inappropriately. She said that the man used to threaten her that he will start doing this every day if she tells anyone about the incident.

The girls mother immediately told the police about the incident and a case was registered at the Sarai Rohilla police station.

A team was formed to nab Subhajeet, a resident of Wazirpur. He was arrested from his house, said Narwal.

Narwal further added that the girl has been medically examined and counselled. Police officials said that they are probing into whether the man has previously been involved in any such case.

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If connectivity is becoming the basis of a new geopolitics, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) should be rated the years most potent symbol of this 21st century version of the Great Game. A Great Game whose outwards manifestations are multi-lane highways, pipelines and container traffic. The $46 billion CPEC is the flagship project within the even more ambitious Belt-Road programme of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a transcontinental infrastructure project that would effectively convert the Middle Kingdom into the logistics hub of Eurasia and, potentially, the centre of the global economy.

The CPEC functions on a number of different levels. Symbolically it would be potent evidence of what economic benefits a country that allies with Beijing can expect. A rough comparison would be the Marshall Fund, the programme by which the United States rebuilt war-torn Europe, reworked the very economic structure of that continent and showcased its arrival as a superpower. Chinese officials themselves speak of how the CPEC will not be just about trade and transit, it will be about bringing stability to Pakistan. Taming, as it were, a rogue state with poured concrete. And, if successful, Beijing would be able to argue it succeeded where Washington had failed.

Read: Accept Paks olive branch and join CPEC: Chinese media suggests to India

On another level, CPEC would also be a sign of the ability of the Chinese government to act strategically on a grand scale. This is not something that comes naturally to Beijing. Even the all-powerful Communist Party is known to be nervous about domestic reaction to its foreign ventures. One reason Chinas foreign aid has been grants rather than loans has been the negative social media reaction it gets at home to the gifting of money to foreigners. The Belt-Road has also received criticism. Completing the CPEC would be evidence its public will support an expensive project of questionable economic benefits but great strategic consequence. Beijings recent imposition of capital controls is therefore not a good sign. It signals economic indigestion at the amount of capital flowing out of China.

The CPEC, finally, will be a test of Chinas ability to work holistically in a foreign land. The China and Pakistan relationship has so far been military-to-military. Building CPEC will mean working with almost every stakeholder in Pakistani society, not traditionally a strong point of Chinese foreign policy. The recent report by the Federation of Pakistani Chambers of Commerce complaining that the flood of Chinese capital and firms in the country was marginalising local business is a case in point. And Beijing is rightly nervous about the vulnerability of its workers to Balochi insurgents and Taliban militants. That the CPEC has also become a major thorn in Sino-Indian relations is almost beside the point. In the coming years the corridor will be a test not of Chinese engineering, but of that countrys ability to use its influence on a whole host of fronts  and how ready it is to be rules-making superpower.
As poll-bound Uttar Pradesh suddenly descended into a political crisis following the expulsion of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav from the Samajwadi Party (SP), constitutional experts ruled out immediate imposition of Presidents rule in the state, saying it didnt mean failure of constitutional machinery in the state.

Speculation was rife after Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik said he was keeping a watch on the political developments in SP even as he termed these as an intra-party issue.

According to Article 356 of the Constitution, Presidents rule can be imposed in a state if a situation has arisen in which the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. However, the expression breakdown of constitutional machinery has not been defined.

Generally, the governor sends a report in this regard to the Centre and its his report that forms the basis for the Union Cabinets recommendation to the President for invoking Article 356 to impose Presidents rule. However, Article 356 also says the President can take such a decision even otherwise (i.e. even in the absence of governors report).

Former Lok Sabha secretary general and constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap said: It all depends upon the President. He has to be satisfied that the constitutional machinery has broken down in the state. Constitutionally, the chief ministers expulsion does not mean anything.

Read| UP CM Akhilesh expelled: With his final play, Mulayam Singh squanders his legacy

He is the chief minister not because he is a member of Samajwadi Party but because he is the leader of the Samajwadi Party Legislature Party. So long as he enjoys the support of the majority of MLAs, he can continue to be the chief minister, he explained further.

Another former Lok Sabha secretary general, PDT Achary said: As of now Akhilesh Yadav continues to be chief minister... He continues to be the leader of the Samajwadi Party Legislature Party. If at all the Governor has any doubt about the chief minister enjoying the support of majority of the MLAs, he can ask Akhilesh Yadav to prove his majority on the floor of the House. He cant be removed otherwise.

 Whether a chief minister enjoys the confidence of majority of MLAs or not has to be tested on the floor of the House alone. If the chief minister fails to prove his majority, then the governor has to explore possibility of forming an alternative government. He can recommend imposition of Presidents rule only when an alternative government cant be formed and he has concluded that constitutional machinery has failed in the state, he added.

Political observers feel that having burnt its fingers in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand where the Supreme Court reinstated the ousted governments, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government may not indulge in another political misadventure. Also, the BJP would not like to make Akhilesh Yadav a martyr.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said Akhilesh Yadav was no longer the chief minister and the party would decide on who would succeed his son.

The Opposition was already gearing up to demand the dismissal of what they termed a minority government.
Rahul Singh, a leader of the Samajwadi Partys youth wing and a loyalist of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, tried to immolate himself by pouring kerosene in front of the CMs residence in Lucknow on Friday.

He was protesting against Akhileshs expulsion from the party over alleged indiscipline. Soon after Akhileshs father and party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, announced the shock decision, hundreds thronged to the CMs 5 Kalidas Marg residence.

Shouting slogans, they expressed solidarity with the 43-year-old Akhilesh. Singh, who was seeking an SP ticket from Lucknow East, was among them. After his immolation bid, police rushed the Lucknow University student to a hospital nearby.

Security personnel deployed outside the UP CM Akhilesh Yadav's residence. (PTI)

Fire-tenders and police teams were deployed outside the CMs residence, as supporters accused Mulayam of doing injustice by expelling Akhilesh and his (Mulayams) cousin Ram Gopal Yadav.

Later at night, a high alert was sounded across the state in the wake of the ongoing war in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP). Officials said instructions were sent to all district magistrates and police chiefs following protests.

Security arrangements were stepped up outside the SP headquarters in the state capital, the CMs residence and the house of party chief Mulayam.

(With agency inputs)

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Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to the nation during his New Year Eve address for his blunder of demonetisation.

The Prime Minister has committed a blunder by imposing demonetisation and pushed the country into a deep economic crisis. Modi had sought 50 days to implement demonetisation but there is no sign of people recovering from its aftershocks, Kejriwal said while speaking at a gathering of party supporters here.

There is no other solution other than to roll back the demonetisation, Kejriwal said.

Demanding a rollback of the November 8 demonetisation, wherein old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes were scrapped, the Aam Aadmi Party national convener said Modi should announce this in his address, scheduled for December 31 evening, to save the country and its economy.

There is no other solution other than to roll back the demonetisation, he said.

The AAP leader said the Reserve Bank of India was tight-lipped on the quantum of demonetised money, the black money seized after demonetisation and printing of the new currency.

As per the initial estimates of the RBI, a total of 14 lakh crore rupees was in circulation, which has returned to the RBI whereas only 4 lakh crore rupees in new currency of Rs 2,000 notes has been made available for circulation.

The Prime Minister should explain how much time the RBI will take to replace the demonetised currency of Rs 14 lakh crore, he said.

Accusing Modi of accepting bribes from big corporates like the Sahara and Birla groups, Kejriwal said Modi should face a probe on the issue.
A CBI court on Friday dismissed the bail petitions of sand mining baron J Shekar Reddy and four others who were arrested in connection with alleged seizure of over Rs 170 crore, including new currency notes, from their premises.

The order was passed by special judge for CBI cases Vijayalakshmi. The judge also dismissed a petition filed by CBI seeking their custody for interrogation. The five are in judicial custody.

The court on December 27 reserved its orders on the bail petitions.

Reddy and his associates were arrested by the CBI on December 21 following the seizure of 127 kg gold and over Rs 170 crore in cash, including new currency notes, from their premises by the Income-Tax department in coordinated searches.

The five have been accused of converting the unaccounted cash held by them in old currency notes to new notes with the help of unknown public servants of different banks within 24 days from the date of demonetisation on November 8.

Cases have been registered against them for various offences under IPC including criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy and under Sections 13(1) and (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
The BJP is tapping ace boxer Mary Kom for a role in the upcoming elections in Manipur, the third northeastern state it considers ready to become Congress mukt.

A bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, Kom was nominated to the Rajya Sabha on Narendra Modi governments recommendation in April this year.

She met our party president Amit Shah in New Delhi on December 15 where her possible role in Manipur election was discussed, a source privy to the development told HT.

The discussion ranged from chances of Kom campaigning for the BJP, an election ticket for her brother and her becoming the face of the party in Manipur. She is yet to take a decision.

Kom also had a meeting with Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in October. Sarma is also the convenor of North-East Democratic Alliance, the BJPs brainchild for expansion in the northeast.

The party believes Koms appeal cuts across regions and she would be an asset for them. The 33-year-old icon comes from a tribal community but also has appeal among non tribals, particularly the youth.

The BJPs campaign in Manipur is being spearheaded by general secretary Ram Madhav, who oversaw their victory in Assam. Their hope in Manipur is largely driven by the demographic profile.

Meiteis  the dominant community in the state  are primarily Hindus, whereas the tribal-dominated hills are primarily Christian. Forty of the 60 seats in the state assembly are in and around the valley, with Meitei population  this will be the BJPs target even as it hopes to pick a few seats in the tribal pockets.

Read| Creation of new districts could be game-changer in Manipur polls

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Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday backed the Centres proposal to have a single permanent tribunal to take up all inter-state disputes over river waters.

There is nothing wrong in it. Instead of separate tribunals for every dispute, one tribunal is good. They can take up all the water disputes and send us (states) their views. Only in India we have to sort out all water dispute problems, Naidu said after laying the foundation stone for concrete works for the Polavaram multipurpose project here on Friday.

Naidu batting for a single tribunal comes at a crucial time when many states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, have been bickering over sharing of water from rivers flowing through the state.

Naidu also pushed for interlinking of rivers to address water shortage in many states. The Polavaram project, he said, is an example of how surplus water from the Godavari river, which flows into the Bay of Bengal, is now utilised and diverted to the drought-prone Krishna basin. We will take the surplus water to other parts of the state. Once there is surplus in the state then we can share with others, he said.

The first phase of the Polavaram project will be completed by 2018. This year we have completed nearly `2,200 crore worth of work. On Wednesday, we were given `1,918 crore by the Centre. Now funds are available. Work is going on schedule. There is no other way as one day of delay costs anywhere between `25 crore to `30 crore, Naidu said.

Polavaram was declared a national project in 2009 with the Centre agreeing to fund the irrigation component. It was first conceptualised in 1941 by the British. The project faced huge delays with the initial cost of `10,000 crore increasing several-fold. It was during former Andhra CM Rajsekhar Reddys time that the project got a fresh impetus.

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China has again blocked Indias bid to get the UN to list Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist, provoking an angry reaction from New Delhi which said it reflected double standards in the global fight against terrorism.

Beijings technical hold on the listing of Azhar as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council has emerged as a fresh irritant in bilateral ties. This was the third time China has blocked the move since March, apparently acting at the behest of its close ally Pakistan.

There was no statement on the development from Beijing, which earlier said its technical hold was meant to allow more time for the (UN) committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties (India and Pakistan) to have further consultations.

Expressing concern at Chinas decision, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said: The inability of the international community to list (JeM) leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism.

The proposal to sanction Azhar was presented nine months ago and received the strong backing of all other members of the committee, he said.

China was the only one of the 15 members of the UN committee that opposed the move. Listing by the committee would force Pakistan to impose an asset freeze and travel ban on Azhar.

Read | China to continue opposing UN ban on Masood Azhar, says position unchanged

Swarup said the world community was aware that the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is proscribed by the United Nations, has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India, including the Pathankot airbase attack.

Chinas decision was also surprising as the country had been affected by terrorism and had declared opposition to all forms of terrorism, Swarup said. As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation, he said.

India had expected more understanding from China of the danger posed by terrorism, he said. On our part, we will continue to push forward with resolute determination through the use of all options available with us to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice, Swarup added.

Besides the listing of Azhar, China also blocked Indias application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group this year. Apparently acting at the behest of Pakistan, China said the entry of non-NPT nations would weaken the global anti-proliferation regime.

Read | China blocks Indias move to ban Jaish chief Masood Azhar, again

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Only Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav can perhaps answer why he took the suicidal decision to expel his popular chief minister-son from the party months before crucial assembly elections.

He explained that it was done in the interest of the party he had raised and reared. But the reason he offered fails to check the buzz that he sacrificed his party for the sake of his extended family, and some friends.

Party sources say Mulayams second wife Sadhana Gupta, who had never interfered with his political affairs before, started taking a keen interest after the elevation of Akhilesh Yadav.

She made her first public appearance at a political function for her ambitious daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, the candidate for Lucknow Cantonment.

Akhilesh supporters protest his expulsion from the SP, in Lucknow on Friday night. (Haidar Naqvi/HT Photo)

Akhilesh and Sadhna never shared a close rapport, though they maintain cordial relations in public.

The rising aspirations of Mulayams second family and brother Shivpal Singh Yadav provoked domestic disharmony within the clan, with friend Amar Singh fuelling the fire.

He calls me uncle, he takes me on a round of Janeshwar Park, but does not take my calls or suggestions, if any, on important matters, Singh once said about Akhilesh.

Singh has always been close to Mulayam, who feels indebted to the support from his friend during trying times.

For his part, Akhilesh often said he wouldnt allow interference of outsiders, especially if they get typewriters to write his removal from the state presidentship.

A YEAR OF CHAOS FOR THE YADAVS Fault lines have been appearing in the SP since June 2016 OCT 20: Writer and poet Salil Chaturvedi, who is wheelchair-bound due to a spinal injury, was assaulted for not standing up while the national anthem was being played before the screening of a film at a multiplex in Panaji. Salil also represented India in wheelchair tennis at the Australian Open

Writer and poet Salil Chaturvedi, who is wheelchair-bound due to a spinal injury, was assaulted for not standing up while the national anthem was being played before the screening of a film at a multiplex in Panaji. Salil also represented India in wheelchair tennis at the Australian Open JUNE 2: Akhilesh sacks cabinet minister Balram Yadav for his role in the merger of Quami Ekta Dal

Akhilesh sacks cabinet minister Balram Yadav for his role in the merger of Quami Ekta Dal JUNE 25: Samajwadi Party cancels merger of Quami Ekta Dal. Shivpal sulks AUG 14 Shivpal Yadav threatens to resign

Samajwadi Party cancels merger of Quami Ekta Dal. Shivpal sulks AUG 14 Shivpal Yadav threatens to resign AUG 15: In an apparent warning to Akhilesh, Mulayam says if his brother Shivpal resigned, SP would split

In an apparent warning to Akhilesh, Mulayam says if his brother Shivpal resigned, SP would split AUG 17: Shivpal skips a cabinet meeting AUG 19 SP puts up a show of unity as Shivpal calls upon Akhilesh. Shivpal denies differences

Shivpal skips a cabinet meeting AUG 19 SP puts up a show of unity as Shivpal calls upon Akhilesh. Shivpal denies differences SEPT 12: After the Allahabad HC upholds its order for a CBI probe into illegal mining in UP, Akhilesh sacks two tainted ministers

After the Allahabad HC upholds its order for a CBI probe into illegal mining in UP, Akhilesh sacks two tainted ministers SEPT 13: Akhilesh sacks UP chief secretary Deepak Singhal, who was considered close to Shivpal

Akhilesh sacks UP chief secretary Deepak Singhal, who was considered close to Shivpal SEPT 13: Mulayam removes Akhilesh from the post of state president and names Shivpal to the post

Mulayam removes Akhilesh from the post of state president and names Shivpal to the post SEPT 14: A sulking Shivpal is summoned to Delhi by Mulayam who tries to chalk out a solution to the present crisis

A sulking Shivpal is summoned to Delhi by Mulayam who tries to chalk out a solution to the present crisis SEPT 15: Tension escalates as Shivpal resigns from post of state president and cabinet

Tension escalates as Shivpal resigns from post of state president and cabinet SEPT 16: Mulayam rejects Shivpals resignation and says as long as he is alive party will not split

Mulayam rejects Shivpals resignation and says as long as he is alive party will not split SEPT 20: Shivpal expels seven Akhilesh supporters including three MLCs

Shivpal expels seven Akhilesh supporters including three MLCs OCT 22: SP expels Akhilesh supporter Udaiveer Singh

SP expels Akhilesh supporter Udaiveer Singh OCT 23: Akhilesh sacks Shivpal and three others from the cabinet

Akhilesh sacks Shivpal and three others from the cabinet OCT 24: Mulayam expels Ramgopal Yadav

Mulayam expels Ramgopal Yadav DEC 25: Akhilesh submits his own list of candidates to Mulayam

Akhilesh submits his own list of candidates to Mulayam DEC 28: Mulayam announces 325 candidates; many on CMs list missing

Mulayam announces 325 candidates; many on CMs list missing DEC 29: Akhilesh releases his own list of 235 candidates

Akhilesh releases his own list of 235 candidates DEC 30: Mulayam expels Akhilesh and Ramgopal Yadav for six years from the party in a late evening decision over alleged indiscipline and in a bid to save the Samajwadi Party

Mulayam did not like Akhileshs image growing bigger than him or the party, though he initially wanted his son to be counted as the best chief minister in the country. He wanted Akhilesh to toe the partys traditional line.

Akhilesh had said: My father fighting the hegemony of the upper caste in the state politics might have befriended muscle power. The politics has changed and people will vote for development.

In other words, muscle is not required to win elections. Instead of remaining a puppet chief minister, Akhilesh decided to change the face of the party, and succeeded partly. The SP with a rural face suddenly found support in urban areas.

Mulayam is known to be a shrewd politician and had fought many battles. This time he is up against his own son  trained by no other but him.
Eleven workers died and over 50 others were feared trapped when an open-cast coal mine at Paharia Bhodaye in Jharkhands Godda district collapsed on Thursday night.

The mining operation, which forms a part of the Eastern Coalfields Limiteds Rajmahal Opencast Project, was outsourced to the Mahalaxmi Company. Sources said work at the mine had resumed barely three days ago.

Police said the incident occurred during the shift change late on Thursday, and rescue operations could not be launched until the following morning due to fog and low light conditions. The rescue operation was launched at 6 am on Friday. Eleven bodies have been taken out so far. We are focusing on saving the people still trapped inside the mine, said Godda superintendent of police Hira Lal Chauhan.

Major mining disasters in Jharkhand December 27, 1975: In one of the Indias worst mining disasters, 372 miners died in an explosion  followed by flooding  at the Chasnala coal mine of the Indian Iron and Steel Company (now SAIL) near Dhanbad. September 26, 1995: As many as 64 workers died at the Gajlitand colliery of the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) in Katras area when rainfall caused flooding at the mine. February 2, 2001: Twenty-nine miners died at the BCCLs Bagdigi mines near Dhanbad. This disaster occurred when water from an adjoining mine flooded the one in which the victims were working. November 11, 2013: At least three mine workers and an officer were killed when the roof of an underground coal mine collapsed in the BCCLs Basanti Mata coal mine in Dhanbad. Over 160 workers were trapped.

Godda sub-divisional police officer Abhishek Kumar said an FIR would be lodged against the company, as per normal procedure.

The workers who died in the incident were identified as Sanjay Kumar from Ranchi; Javed Akhtar from Garhwa; Brajesh Yadav and Rajendra Yadav from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh; Harikishore Yadav and Sakil Khan from Siwan in Bihar; JP Rai and Nageshwar Paswan from Muzaffarpur in Bihar, and Ajit Patel, Vikas Patel and Nurul Hassan from Madhya Pradesh.

Tala Marandi, BJP legislator from Borio, told HT that over 50 workers were still trapped in the mine, which was nearly 300 metres deep. It may take several months to dig them all out. About 26 Volvo trucks and six to seven bulldozers are still inside, he said.

However, there seemed to be some disagreement over the number of people trapped in the mine. While Godda dub-divisional officer SK Pandey revealed the companys estimate as 17, Indian National Trade Union Congress general secretary AK Jha said as many as 80 workers  including vehicle operators  were working at the site on the fateful day.

Labourers contracted by the Mahalaxmi Company wouldnt allow the authorities to take away the bodies unless firm officials, who have reportedly absconded, were brought to the site. Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force from Kahalgaon and Patna were assisting Eastern Coalfields Limited personnel in rescuing trapped workers.

Marandi blamed lack of safety measures at the mine for the tragedy. The workers had raised objections in this regard. They even refused to work, but were forced by the management to do so, he said.

Choppers were sought from the state government to airlift workers rescued from the mine. Chief secretary Rajbala Verma and director general of police DK Pandey visited the site to monitor the operation.

Chief minister Raghubar Das announced a compensation of `2 lakh each for the deceaseds families, and `25,000 for the injured. Coal and renewable energy minister Piyush Goyal tweeted that an ex-gratia of `5 lakh would be paid for each person killed, in addition to compensation under the Workmens Compensation Act.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly telephoned Das, and expressed remorse over the incident.
Calling demonetisation a decision taken without forethought, the Congress on Friday said all its stated objectives have failed and the governments insistence on digital transactions is infested with serious issues, including of privacy.

The opposition party also accused the Modi government of changing the narrative from black money to cashless economy.

It is now abundantly clear that the whole exercise was undertaken without forethought and planning; without consulting key officials; without understanding the crucial role of money in circulation; and without assessing the capacity of the currency printing presses to supply new notes, senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram said.

Altogether, the whole exercise has been a case of total mismanagement, administrative collapse and widespread corruption, he added.

Note ban highlights: Make minutes of Nov 8 meeting public, Chidambaram asks govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of high-denomination currency notes on November 8 night, and subsequently sought 50 days to put things in order.

Chidambaram said the Congress would have pledged support to demonetisation if the objectives were to unearth and stamp out black money and end corruption, but that has not happened.

Events of the last 50 days have proved that none of the stated objectives has been served. Hoards of black money in new Rs 2,000 notes have been found. There is no guarantee that black money will not be generated in future or that bribes will not be given or taken in future in the new currency notes, Chidambaram said.

The former Union minsiter said the government had tried to change the narrative of the demonetisation move from black money and corruption to a cashless economy.

No economy can become  or has become  totally cashless. We support encouraging high-value transactions to adopt the digital mode, but to insist that even low-value transactions should go cashless is an absurd and undesirable goal.

There are serious issues of privacy and cost to the payer and the payee. These issues require serious debate, he added.

Also read | Economy to politics, banks to black money: What demonetisation did to nation
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said Centres demonetisation move had failed to curb black money in the country and questioned the real reason behind its roll out.

The rural economy has collapsed. Farmers and the cooperative movement have been affected due to denomination. The move has failed to curb black money. Rs 14.38 lakh crore out of Rs 15.42 lakh crore are deposited in banks till date. If this is the outcome of this major decision then what was the real reason behind it? he asked.

Pawar asked the people to come on the streets in a peaceful manner to protest against hypocrisy of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government.

He was speaking at an inauguration function of the refurbished YB Chavan auditorium at a cooperative bank in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.

Common people are standing in queues since the last 50 days, but no black money-holder has been seen standing there. The farmers have lost the hope due to the falling prices of agri products. All the sensible and common citizens are now worried about the future, he said.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday said doubts raised by the Madras High Court over late chief minister J Jayalalithaas death has resonated with the doubts of the people as health bulletins issued by Apollo Hospitals contained contradictory reports.

DMK party treasurer MK Stalin has called for an inquiry based on the high courts observations.

We must have an inquiry into the death of #Jayalalithaa based on what the Madras High Court observed: DMK leader MK Stalin @htTweets  Aditya Iyer (@Theadityaiyer) December 30, 2016

I think it (court) is resonating the voice of a people because during her entire stay in the hospital, no relevant or true information was forthcoming. Strangest of all things, the Tamil Nadu government did not utter a single word about the health of the CM, which was very strange, DMK leader Sarvanan told ANI.

Apart from that, the doctors reports are very contradictory. 10 news bulletins came, but none of the bulletins were signed by a doctor, except only one bulletin by Satya, she was the medical services director from Apollo Hospitals. Apart from that, everything else was issued by the chief executive officer, who was neither a doctor nor was he associated as someone treating Jayalalithaa, he added.

Justice S. Vaidyanathan of the high court expressed doubts yesterday over the demise of the former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary.

Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts about Jayalalithaas death, said Justice Vaidyalingam. He was hearing a PIL filed by an AIADMK worker PA Joseph seeking an inquiry commission to probe the circumstances leading to the death of Jayalalithaa.

I personally find in case if I have doubt, I may order the exhumation of the body of the deceased and you have not told anything when she was alive, Justice Vaidyanathan said.

The AIADMK on Friday appointed Jayalalithaas close aide VK Sasikala as the partys general secretary.

In a unanimous resolution adopted at the partys general council meeting, AIADMK members handed over control of the party to Sasikala.
On November 8, the government yanked most of its currency from circulation, jolting the economy and leaving millions scrambling for cash.

A fifty-day window for depositing or exchanging the scrapped Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes will run out on Friday.

The government has warned that people holding on to junked currency after the last date might invite stiff penalties.

Many small businesses have suffered in the absence of cash and the rural economy has crashed with farmers unable to sell their produce because of a slump in demand.

Read | Farmers forced to dump their produce as note ban turns bumper crop worthless

In cities, huge crowds outside banks and ATMs have got shorter as the currency supply has improved but in smaller towns, many still complain of erratic cash flow.

The government has strongly defended its move with Prime Minister Narendra Modi warning that he will come after black money hoarders in the new year with strict checking and tougher laws against registering properties in fake names  a common way to stash illegal income.

He is scheduled to address the nation on New Years Eve and announce sops for the poor.

WHATS HAPPENING AT THE BANKS?

In Delhi, queues outside banks were shorter than the usual crush of people seen over the past two months.

Officials said most people had already deposited their money, especially after the Reserve Bank of India had capped deposits above Rs 5000 to only one, earlier this month. Though the decision was revoked but it gave message among people that government may stop accepting old notes anytime, said a banker.

The situation at ATMS had improved but most vending machines were still running out of cash with an average waiting time of 30 minutes.

Government sources have hinted that restrictions on cash withdrawals from banks and ATMs  Rs 24,000 a week and Rs 2,500 a day respectively  might continue after Friday.

RURAL HARDSHIPS

Villages are said to be the hardest hit by the cash crunch following the governments demonetisation decision as a vast majority of the rural poor are unbanked and have little access to digital transaction methods.

Small businesses have folded up and farmers across major states have been forced to abandon their produce as wholesale farm prices have crashed. Many say the money they got for their vegetables wasnt enough to even cover transportation costs.

Read | Post demonetisation, banknotes still call the shots in cashless villages

Many villages that have earlier been touted as cashless continue to operate mostly in hard currency as ordinary people say they are reliant on banknotes for day-to-day needs.

BRUISED ECONOMY

Most analysts agree that the immediate impact of demonetisation will be seen in the GDP growth figures next quarter. The RBI has shaved half a percentage point from its forecast for this financial year and most other economist and ratings agencies concur that economic growth might slow down by about a percentage point.

In the long run, the economy is likely to see the benefits of a move to cashless transactions as increased transparency and improved tax collections are likely to boost growth.

Read | Demonetisation is immoral, theft of peoples property: Steve Forbes

But some analysts have expressed alarm over the scale of economic and social disruption, especially in Indias large informal sector. Millions of workers have been laid off semi-skilled jobs and labour, or havent been paid their salaries in weeks.

Real estate, tourism, transportation and gold and gems have been hit the hardest.

BLACK MONEY CRACKDOWN

The avowed motivation behind the demonetisation drive has been to drain illegal currency from the economy. The government has said that any unusual cash deposit will be scrutinised and Modi has said that he wont sleep after Friday in his attempt to uncover black money.

The government has also brought in a tougher law against benami properties that provides for a seven-year jail term for offenders.

A series of income tax raids across the country have recovered large stashes of cash, often in new currency, running into hundreds of crores. The chief secretary of Tamil Nadu was sacked after an IT raid found jewellery and cash disproportionate to his income.

Read | Crackdown on benami properties can help clean up real estate sector: Experts

But many analysts have said demonetisation is a poor way to check black money, which is mostly held in real estate and bullion.

RULE CHANGE CHAOS

The government lost some of its public goodwill with a frustrating string of rule changes over the past 50 days that amounted to at least 60 amendments in norms.

The government fiddled around with ATM and bank withdrawal norms many times but drew the most ire when the RBI capped cash deposits. The order was withdrawn in a day but not before widespread anger at what was seen as proof of poor planning. Many former bureaucrats have said the changes have hurt public confidence in trusted institutions, especially the central bank.

Read | RBI changes rule, exempts all KYC accounts from Rs 5000 deposit norms

POLITICS

Demonetisation deadlocked the winter session of Parliament as opposition parties demanded Modi defend the decision. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has said the PM wanted to benefit select industrialists and has leveled personal corruption allegations.

Analysts are divided over how the currency junking is going to influence crucial assembly elections due in about two months. In recent weeks, the BJP has sounded upbeat about its prospects in Uttar Pradesh as top leaders agree that the party is over the hump and the situation was improving. But a number of opposition leaders  such as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee  have emerged as the face of protests against demonetisation and have predicted that the rural and poor will teach the BJP a lesson.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SAYS

Finance minister Arun Jaitley has said one of the goals of the demonetisation drive is to shrink the paper currency in the country and introduce digital currency.

While many local businesses have heeded the governments call to move towards a digital economy, some industries have ground to a halt and laid off staff, highlighting just how dependent the country currently is on cash.

Read | Note ban effect not adverse, sharp rise in tax collection, says FM Arun Jaitley

Rubbishing critics, Jaitley said on Friday the effects of demonetisation were not as adverse as was predicted and asserted that there has been a sharp jump in tax collections and economic activity including in winter crop sowing.

Ahead of expiry of the 50-day deadline for depositing the junked Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, he said the remonetisation process has substantially advanced, significantly without a single incident of unrest anywhere in the country.

With inputs from agencies
The Enforcement Directorate has registered a criminal case against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and his organisation IRF under money laundering laws.

Officials said the agencys zonal office here has registered an FIR, called Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in EDs parlance, against Naik and others after taking cognisance of a similar complaint booked by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against them.

The FIR has been registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED, they said, will specifically look into the charges of alleged illegal funds laundered by the accused and the proceeds of crime in its probe.

The agency has already scanned some banking transaction documents and other details against Naik and IRF and is soon expected to issue summons to take the probe forward.

The National Investigation Agency had last month registered a case against 51-year-old Naik under anti-terror laws for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race.

After registering the case against Naik, IRF and others, NIA along with Mumbai police had carried out searches at 10 places in the megapolis, including residential premises of some of the office bearers of the foundation, which was earlier put on restricted list by the Union Home Ministry for receiving funds from abroad.

Naik, who has been staying in Saudi Arabia to evade arrest after his name surfaced during a probe into the Bangladesh terror strike earlier this year, has been booked along with unnamed IRF officials under section 153-A of IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) beside various sections of UAPA.

The charges, in the FIR registered by the NIAs branch here, were also slapped under sections 10 (being member of an unlawful organisation), 13 (punishment for being member of illegal organisation) and 18 of UAPA (punishment for being involved in a conspiracy for committing any terror act).

IRF came under the scanner of security agencies after one of the terrorists involved in the Dhaka cafe attack had allegedly posted on social media that they had been inspired by Naiks speeches.

Read| Zakir Naik: From a suave doctor to a polarising preacher on security radar
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said that from December 31 onwards, the entire currency in circulation will be legitimate, December 30 being the last day to deposit the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in banks.

With effect from tomorrow the entire currency in circulation would be legitimate, Jaitley said on Friday.

From Saturday, the legitimate currency will include Rs 100 and other lower denomination notes along with the new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has printed, he added.

Jaitley refused to give any details on the deposits received in old notes post-demonetisation, saying the data was yet to be tabulated.

The banks will now have the re-circulated currency, plus what the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is injecting, Jaitley said.

The RBI on Friday asked the banks, which have accumulated old notes to deposit it in the office of the central bank or a currency chest by December 31.

The old notes cannot form part of banks cash balances from the close of business as on Saturday, the central bank added.

From next week onward, those still holding the scrapped currency can deposit it only with the Reserve Bank of India till March 31, 2017.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes would no longer be legal tender.

Read | As it happened: From 2019, Switzerland will give real-time info on Indian investments in Swiss banks: FM Jaitley
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday raised the daily ATM cash withdrawal limit from the existing Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,500 a day for an individual from January 1.

However, there has been no change in the weekly withdrawal limit, which stands at Rs 24,000, including from ATM, for individuals (and Rs 50,000 in case of small traders).

Highlights From January 2017, people can withdraw a maximum of Rs 4,500 from an ATM, an increase from the previous limit of Rs 2,500. The weekly withdrawal limits from banks remain unchanged at Rs 24,000. RBI directed the banks that disbursals should predominantly be in the denomination of Rs 500.

Following the demonetisation of old Rs 500/1000 notes on November 8, limits had been imposed on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs.

Fridays move came on the last day of depositing the scrapped bills in banks, though people still have time to exchange the currencies at designated RBI counters till March 31.

In its direction to banks on withdrawals, the RBI said: Such disbursals should predominantly be in the denomination of Rs 500.

Earlier in the day, the RBI had permitted White Label ATM Operators (WLAOs) to source cash from retail outlets.

For his part, finance minister Arun Jaitley said the RBI had enough currency and the cash supply situation had improved significantly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis surprise announcement to recall high-value banknotes sparked chaos and confusion across the country, with millions of consumers queued outside banks and ATMs to change a limited number of old notes for new ones or withdraw cash.

The government said the move was aimed at rooting out black money and corruption.

Banks started accepting deposits in scrapped notes from November 10. However, very few ATMs opened on November 11, as most of the machines had to be recalibrated for dispensing the new Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes.

Although the overall situation at banks has improved, ATMs still have to do some catching up. Many vending machines are still out of cash.

(With agency inputs)
Alleging police inaction and improper investigation, the distraught family of a teenaged girl who was allegedly raped and murdered by her friend in Haryanas Sonipat district last month, has sought permission from President Pranab Mukherjee for self-immolation.

The family has written a letter to the President, highlighting the inaction of Haryana Police officials in investigating the rape and murder of the 17-year-old victim, the victims father said on Friday. The family has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.

The family wrote to the President after, they alleged, they were not allowed to meet Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Gohana town recently.

The father, who belongs to Bhanderi village in Sonipat district, alleged that the police had even failed to recover the body of his daughter despite pleas from the family.

The victim, a first-year science student, has been missing since November 12 after she left for her college.

Police, as per the victims mobile phone call records, found that the last call made from her phone was to her male friend Vikram, resident of a nearby village.

The victims family claimed that Vikram was called by police during its investigation but was allowed to go despite claims by the family that he was behind her alleged rape and murder. The familys claims were based on statements of the wife of a local hotel owner who told them that the girl was raped and murdered in the hotel by Vikram.

The accused is absconding since then.

Following protests by the family and fellow villagers, the station house officer of Baroda police station was suspended and the Haryana Police announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for any information on Vikram.

District police officers have admitted to lapses in investigation of the case.
In separate cases, CBI arrested two Income Tax officers for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh each, in Pune and Jhalwar respectively.

In Pune, the I-T officer was arrested for accepting a bribe to pass favourable orders in connection with tax liability of complainant, the agency said on Friday.

The officer had demanded Rs 2 lakh for extending the official favour and he was caught while accepting Rs 1 lakh after a trap was laid.

A case was registered under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 on a complaint against Income Tax Officer (ITO), Ward 2(2), Income Tax Office, Swargate, Pune, the agency stated in a release.

Meanwhile, searches were conducted at the office and residential premises of the officer, whose name is not mentioned, which led to recovery of incriminating documents relating to tax assessment of the complainant, it said.

According to the release, during the search, cash of Rs 5,04,030/-(approx); jewellery i.e 4 gold biscuits weighing total 350 grams (approx); (documents of) two flats in Pune, 4.5-acre land at Solapur, nine bank accounts and one bank locker (yet to be operated) was also recovered.

In another incident in Jhalwar, Rajasthan, an I-T officer was nabbed for allegedly taking bribe from an assessee for not imposing penalty on his Income Tax Return.

The agency also found new currency notes worth Rs 24 lakh during searches at his residence, CBI spokesperson said on Friday.

CBI sources said Vinay Kumar Mangla, Income Tax Officer, Jhalawar was arrested red handed while he was allegedly accepting the bribe from the Income Tax assessee.

 A case was registered U/s 7 of PC Act, 1988 against Income Tax Officer, Jhalawar on a complaint. It was alleged in the complaint that the Income Tax Officer demanded a bribe of Rs one lakh from the complainant for not imposing penalty due in the scrutiny of his income for the assessment year of 2014-15, CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said.

He said CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh from the complainant.
Israels anti-terrorism directorate issued a travel warning for India on Friday, citing an immediate threat of attack on Western and tourist targets, particularly in the south-west region of the country.

The Counter-Terrorism Bureau, in a statement released by the prime ministers office, raised the alert level and said it corresponded to a concrete basic threat.

A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high, part of the warning said.

Highlights Israels Counter-Terrorism Bureau released a statement raising the alert, saying it corresponded to a concrete basic threat The alert warns Israelis against attending events where large crowds will be gathered, such as beach parties, club events, shopping malls, and so on, where New Years eve celebrations will be on Families in Israel were also advised to contact relative travelling to India, or living here already, to be cautious The alert specifically cited southwest India, which covers places such as Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin that are popular tourist destinations There is precedent though; in 2012, an Israeli diplomats car was bombed, injuring his wife and three others

The statement recommended that tourists avoid participation in such parties. It also called on families in Israel to contact their relatives in India and tell them of the threat.

In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas. Unusually, the warning was published on Friday evening in Israel, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, when government offices close for business.

The directorate did not say what prompted the warning.

The south-west part of the country -- which covers popular holiday destinations such as Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin -- are particularly at risk, it said.

An Israeli Embassy spokesperson in New Delhi confirmed the warning and reiterated: Israel has issued a travel advisory surrounding New Years Eve celebrations events in south-west India, with specific regard to beach parties, clubs and highly-populated tourist sites.

India remains a popular tourist destination for Israeli citizens and according to Jewish Post an estimated 20,000 former Israeli soldiers travel to India every year.

Israeli citizens and Jewish sites in India have been attacked in the past, the most infamous incident occurred during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack when members of the Pakistani-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) targeted the local Chabad House, among other sites, in Mumbai.

In 2012, the wife of Israeli diplomat stationed in India, her driver and two others were wounded in a bomb attack on her car. Israel and India share close military ties.
JKLF chairman Yasin Malik was on Friday detained at Pulwama as he led his supporters to stage a protest march against Jammu and Kashmir governments decision to issue identity certificates to West Pakistani Refugees.

Malik was detained along with several of his supporters. They were taken into preventive custody, a police official said.

Separatists groups had called for protests against the government decision to issue identity certificates to West Pakistan Refugees living in the state since partition in 1947.

The state government has decided to issue identity cards to the refugees and had to issue clarification after protests from opposition parties and separatists against the move.

Initially, reports had said the opposition was against the government move to issue domicile certificates, but the state government said it was issuing identity certificates.

Other political organisations, including BJP and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, have slammed separatists for opposing the issuance of certificates to the refugees.

The refugees, settled in Jammu and Kashmir, are citizens of India and have the right to vote in parliamentary polls.

However, they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution. They do not enjoy voting rights to the state assembly and local bodies.
With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) indicating that there is going to be a shortage of currency notes, Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac on Friday said the withdrawal of December salaries could be a problem.

Interacting with the media in Kozhikode on Friday morning, Isaac said while the state government will credit the entire amount required for payment of salaries and pensions for the month of December into the bank and treasury accounts of the people, it could be a problem for people to withdraw the money.

The requirement for disbursement of salaries and pensions every month is around Rs 1,400 crore, but the RBI and other banking officials have already indicated to us that they are able to provide only around Rs 600 crore. And hence, the permissible withdrawal which now stands at Rs 24,000 could be hit, said the economist turned finance minister Isaac.

We have not agreed to it and asked all the officials (RBI and other banks) that they are duty bound to see currencies are made available, he said.

Isaac also said that given the present scenario, presenting the budget in January, would be a difficult.

The situation is such that none is able to gauge what the revenue and expenditure is going to be in the light of the demonetisation, Isaac said.

While Union finance minister Arun Jaitley claims that tax collections have gone up, we will have to wait for some more time to see what the actual position is, Isaac added.

He also said: For a budget to be realistic, one should be able to reasonably estimate. We will wait for the Union budget to be presented and once thats done, I will present my budget either at the end of February or early March.
The CBSE has extended till January 16 the last date for online submission of application form for JEE (Main)- 2017.

In a statement released here, the Board said the date has been extended up to January 16, 2017, (11.59 PM) in view of requests from candidates, parents as well as schools.

Candidates may pay fee till January 17 (11.59PM), the statement said.

Other terms and conditions for online submission of application form will remain the same, the CBSE said.

The last date for online submission of application form JEE (Main) - 2017 shall not be extended any further, the CBSE said.

Earlier January 2 was the last date for online submission of the application form.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled on Friday Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and general secretary Ramgopal Yadav from the party for six years over alleged indiscipline.

Mulayams shock move came a day after Akhilesh, his son, finalised a list of 235 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls in defiance with the party, which had announced its own picks and snubbed some leaders considered close to the CM.

More live updates here:

11pm: Samajwadi Party warns members and leaders to stay away from emergency national convention called by Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday

10:54pm: Samajwadi Party spokesperson Juhi Singh resigns from the post: ANI

10:50pm: Hundreds of SP workers put up road blocks at several places in Auraiya. Workers block roads in Etawah too, shout slogans against Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav

10:13pm: More than 10 office bearers of the party resigned in Kanpur. In Kannauj, more than 100 village party representatives resigned in protest against Akhilesh Yadavs expulsion from the party

10pm: Supporters start leaving 5 Kali Das Marg where the official residence of chief minister

9:45pm: Akhilesh supporters burn effigies of SP state president Shivpal Yadav in Badaun and Shahjahanpur city. Some of them have left for Lucknow.

9:40pm: Shahjahanpur district president Tanvir Khan, am Akhilesh loyalist, quit the party along with over 200.

9:09pm: CM to meet his supporters tomorrow at 12 noon after meeting with MLAs at 9 am

9:06pm: Akhilesh leaves his office on 5 Kalidas Marg from the rear gate

Lucknow: UP CM Akhilesh Yadav greets his supporters gathered outside his residence as his convoy leaves from the residence pic.twitter.com/Dij8hrxvlA  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

9pm: More details on the two Shivpal supporters Akhilesh dropped: UP CM replaced senior minister Manpal Singh Verma, the MLA from Kasganj, with Ishrat Ullah Khan. On Karhal seat (Mainpuri), Akhilesh dropped sitting MLA and senior party leader Sovaran Singh Yadav and fielded his nephew, Anshul Yadav. For Patiyali seat (Kasganj), Akhilesh gave ticket to Kiran Yadav. Jogendra Singh Yadav gets Etah seat candidature

8:59pm: People being asked to make way for the chief ministers cavalcade as Akhilesh Yadav wants to leave his office. However, supporters have blocked the way

8:58pm: UP CM Akhilesh Yadav directs DGP Jawed Ahmad to ensure adequate security outside Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadavs residence: ANI

Read| UP CM Akhilesh expelled: With his final play, Mulayam Singh squanders his legacy

8:40pm: Akhilesh Yadav loyalists burn images of Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav in Varanasi in protest of his expulsion from the party

8:35pm: SP leader Rahul Singh, who attempted suicide, rushed to hospital. Director general of police (DGP) Jawed Ahmad also reaches chief ministers residence

Lucknow: UP DGP Javeed Ahmed reaches CM Akhilesh Yadav's residence to meet him. pic.twitter.com/XEqlOiSdDq  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

8:31pm: UP governor Ram Naik says hes keeping a close eye on the situation in Lucknow, but says developments are an internal matter of the Samajwadi Party

8:30pm: Akhilesh Yadav drops two Shivpal Yadav supporters from his list of candidates and announces tickets on two more seats

Read| Mulayam should explain why he imposed Akhilesh on UP after 2012 election: BJP

8:27pm: SP leader Rahul Singh attempts suicide by pouring kerosene on himself in front of the chief ministers residence. Singh was seeking a ticket from Lucknow East

Supporters and press personnel at 5 Kalidas Marg where the chief ministers official residence-cum-office is located. Policemen and fire engines were deployed at the spot. (Pawan Dixit/HT Photo)

8:23pm: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav calls for a meeting with all party MLAs at 9 am on December 31: ANI

8:15pm: As crowds continues to throng outside the UP chief ministers residence, small scuffles break out

8pm: Police deployed around Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadavs residences: TV reports

Read| Mamata silent on Yadav family feud, says BJP should not get a single vote in UP

7:54pm: Upset supporters of Akhilesh Yadav stage angry protests outside Mulayam Singh Yadavs residence: PTI

7:48pm: Congress avoided commenting on the developments in the SP. There is situation of political instability in UP; its worrisome for democracy.. (but) we dont comment on internal division of any party, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala says: PTI

7:45pm: BJPs Shrikant Sharma says the in-fighting in Samajwadi Party is scripted, meant to :divert attention from Akhileshs all-round failures of his government: PTI

Read| Akhilesh expelled: Cong says BJP dreaming of assuming power in UP through back door

7:44pm: In family-centered parties, if the family breaks up, the party also falls apart, BJPs national secretary Shrikant Sharma says

7:43pm: Party workers supporting the UP chief minister tear up posters of Shivpal Yadav, the Samajwadi Partys state president

7:30pm: Supporters of Akhilesh Yadav gather outside his official residence. Women cry as news of the UP chief ministers ouster from the party spreads

#WATCH Supporters gather outside Akhilesh Yadav's residence, raise slogans in his support after SP Chief expelled him for 6 years from party pic.twitter.com/x5OFePsLVD  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

7:25pm: Want to urge party workers to come to RM Lohiya University on January 1 at 11am to discuss as to how to stop those doing wrong in party: ANI quotes Ramgopal Yadav as saying

7:20pm: Will know who is more acceptable among the public come elections, says Ramgopal

7:14pm: Netaji does not know the constitution of the party well, says Ramgopal Yadav

7:12pm: This is unconstitutional as both of us were expelled 2 hours after they gave the notice & without listening to our answers: Ramgopal Yadav

This is unconstitutional as both of us were expelled 2 hours after they gave the notice & without listening to our answers: Ram Gopal Yadav pic.twitter.com/ZjfebQ2crT  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

7:10pm: Those who are not even members of the party are now being given tickets to contest, says Ramgopal

7pm: Akhilesh expected to make a press statement after his father and party president expels him from Samajwadi Party

6:58pm: I have worked really hard to make this party, what was their role in this? I work hard and they reap the fruits?: ANI quotes Mulayam Singh Yadav as saying

6:50pm: Throngs of Akhilesh supporters gather outside the chief ministers official residence

6:49pm: For us party is the most important and our priority is to save the party: SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav

To save the party, we have expelled both Ram Gopal and Akhilesh Yadav for six years from the party: SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav pic.twitter.com/dzJZTft0lk  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

6:38pm: Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh announces expulsion of his son Akhilesh Yadav and cousin Ramgopal Yadav from the party for six years
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of marketing Chinese companies in India in the name of Paytm and sought a probe into the allegations.

I am sorry, I have full respect for a country but in the name of Paytm, the Prime Minister has brought in a few Chinese companies and is marketing them in India, she told the media here.

Why are these companies sponsored by our PM? What is the hidden agenda? We want to know publicly. I am not levelling allegations. I am only stating facts which are reported. Public money is not secure. It is not foolproof. I say Alibaba and four, not thieves, she said in a veiled reference to Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.

The Trinamool Congress supremo sought a probe as to why the Centre is promoting a company that has been blacklisted by the US Trade Representative.

It is a very serious allegation. Country is not secure. To promote a few companies PM had to become feriwala (salesman) of Paytm. What is the hidden agenda? If somebody has done something wrong, the RBI and SEBI has protected them, she added.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday declined to comment on the internal squabbles of the Samajwadi Party, but said the BJP should not get a single vote in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

It is SPs internal matter. I do not want to say anything on it, she told a press conference at the state secretariat when asked to comment on the developments in that party.

But whoever wins, be it BSP or SP, BJP should not get a single vote. They (Modi government) are threatening Mayawati. They are threatening those who have opposed their (demonetisation) decision. They are only spreading lies and canards. They believe in the theory of Goebbels, she added.

Banerjee had addressed a public meeting against demonetisation in Lucknow last month which had been attended by Uttar Pradesh ministers.

They (BJP) are committing mistakes everyday. They had committed a mistake in Bihar where Lalu (Prasad) and Nitish (Kumar) won the election, she said.

Continuing with her attack on the saffron party, Banerjee said, Within seven days of Jayalalithaas demise, they had conducted a raid (on the Tamil Nadu chief secretary). If Chandrababu Naidu raises his voice, they will conduct a raid on him as well.
One civilian was killed while an army jawan and some cattle were injured as Pakistan shelled Indian positions and civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir over the last few days.

The intermittent yet heavy firing which began at 5pm on Friday stopped a little after 6pm.

Mohammed Tanver, a resident of Noor Kot village in Khari Kamara area, was killed after being hit by shell fire from across the border. Some cattle animals were injured by splinters from the mortar shells in the same area.

Residents have been asked to remain indoors.

Pakistani troops targeted the Indian Army posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch sector with small arms, automatic and mortars at 1655 hours, an army officer said, adding they were retaliating strongly.

Sources say the ceasefire violation could be an attempt to provide cover fire to militants trying to infiltrate the border.

Defence spokesman, lieutenant colonel Manish Mehta said,  Pakistani Army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars at 4:55pm on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Poonch sector. The Indian Army posts are retaliating strongly and effectively. The firing has stooped at 6:05pm. No casualty has been reported to own troops till reports last came,

Pakistan violated the ceasefire on Thursday too, in which one jawan was injured. Naik PS Patil Suryakant was later airlifted to a military hospital in Jammu.

Earlier, on December 16, Pakistan violated ceasefire by targeting Indian positions along the LoC in Balakote sector of the same district.

The ceasefire violation had come after a lull of over three weeks, and followed the Indias counter- offensive against Pakistan on November 23 against the killing of three soldiers in the Machhil sector of north Kashmirs Kupwara district.

Over 26 people, including 14 security personnel, have been killed in ceasefire violations since the surgical strike on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was out in September.

Overall, in 2016, Pakistan violated ceasefire 437 times and killed 37 people while 179 suffered injuries. Of these, 212 violation were reported along the International Border and 216 along the LoC in Jammu region.

(With inputs from PTI)
Slain Afghan Taliban supremo Mullah Mansour, who was killed in a US drone strike inside Pakistan, was issued a Pakistani national identity card in 2005, interior minister Chaurdhy Nisar admitted on Friday.

Khan, however, blamed the past government of overtly issuing ID cards and passports to foreigners.

The minister said the incumbent government paid enough attention to the issue of fake CNICs and passports, adding that it was not only difficult, rather it is impossible to work honestly in the country.

Mansour was issued a Pakistani computerised national identity card in 2005, Geo News quoted Khan as saying.

Mansour and another male combatant were targeted on May 21 by multiple unmanned aircraft operated by US Special Operations forces as the duo rode in a vehicle in a remote area near the town of Ahmad Wal in Pakistans restive Balochistan province close to the Afghan border.

Mansour had assumed the leadership of Taliban in July 2015, replacing Taliban founder and the one-eyed reclusive long-time spiritual head Mullah Mohammad Omar in Pakistan in 2013.

Khan said, The government cancelled 32,400 passports and blocked 22,3000 CNICs during last three years. It also verified 101 million CNICs across the country. he said.

The past government merely cancelled 500 passports.

Besides this, around 95 million unregistered mobile SIM cards were blocked in just 90 days, he added.

Chaudhry Nisar said the former governments issued passports and CNICs to foreigners, which were used in human trafficking. He, however, said an 18-member committee is being formed to review wrongly blocked CNICs.

He said the ones involved in facilitating issuance of fake CNICs and passports will be taken to task in another phase.
India on Friday slammed Pakistan for labelling certain Indian political parties and social organisations as terror outfits, calling it a desperate attempt at deflecting international focus from Islamabads complicity in spawning terrorist groups like LeT, JuD and JeM.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said Pakistan foreign ministrys statement Thursday linking political parties and social organisations to terror was absurd even by Pakistans standards.

Labelling bonafide Indian political parties and social and cultural organisations as terrorist organisations seems a desperate attempt to deflect international focus from Pakistans own complicity in spawning internationally proscribed organisations like LeT, JuD and JeM, which continue to target Pakistans neighbours from territory under Pakistans control, he said.

Swarup was responding to a query on Pakistans comments Thursday on Jammu and Kashmir and allegations against certain political parties and organisations.

The official spokesperson of Pakistan foreign ministry had said, Terrorist organisations such as RSS, Vishwa Hindu Prasad, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and other terrorist elements are engaged in the drive to change demography of Kashmir.
SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav on Friday blamed state president Shivpal Yadav for the prevailing confusion in the ruling party as he endorsed the list of candidates released by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for next years assembly polls.

Ramgopal said Samajwadi Partys national president Mulayam Singh Yadav had called for a meeting on January 1 but the list of candidates was released on December 29, indicating Akhilesh was not taken into confidence or consulted before the decision was made.

No compromise is possible now. The candidates announced by the CM are my candidates, Ramgopal, who is member-secretary of SPs parliamentary board, said.

Those opposing Akhilesh Yadav will not see the assembly building after the elections; I will campaign for CMs candidates, he said.

Ramgopal was in Farrukhabad to meet Vijay Singh who figures in the list of CMs candidate and lost his father recently.

In an apparent attempt to deliver a body blow to the chief ministers camp, Shivpal had released the second list of 68 candidates late on Thursday minutes after Akhileshs parallel list of 235 seats was out.

The miffed CM came out with his own candidates list late on Thursday, triggering speculation of a split in the party besieged by a bitter family feud.

The move is being seen as a tit-for-tat response from the 43-year-old son to party patriarch Mulayam, who declared candidates for 325 of the 403 assembly seats on Wednesday and ruled out projecting Akhilesh as the candidate for the chief ministers post.

The states youngest chief minister has been engaged in an intense power struggle with the ruling familys elders, especially uncle Shivpal, who enjoys the backing of his brother Mulayam.

Ramgopal, Mulayams first cousin who backs Akhilesh, was expelled for six years on October 23 for alleged anti-party activities as the family feud began.

While announcing his expulsion, Shivpal had alleged that Ramgopal was conspiring with the BJP to weaken the Samajwadi party and tarnish the state governments image.

One man, all of you know who he is, coaxed Netaji into removing Akhilesh Yadav as the state president, this is where the problem began, otherwise everything was fine in the party, he said without naming Shivpal.

This man is not an outsider but from the party, he cant get 10 votes for anyone, he said.

Asked if the candidates in the CMs list would contest as Independents, he said the Election Commission would take the call on the issue. But dont worry the picture will be clear in next two-four days, he said.

Read| As Yadav family feud erupts again, only a miracle can help SP win Uttar Pradesh
Sasikala Natarajan, who was unanimously appointed the interim general secretary of the AIADMK on Thursday, was for thirty years defined by her association with Jayalalithaa.

Supporters call her a friend, detractors a shadow, and the late chief minister, in an uncharacteristically open statement, a surrogate sister.

The mystery surrounding her  exacerbated by her refusal to speak to media  has only furthered speculations against her and her family, who have been derided by critics as the Mannargudi mafia because of their influence on Jayalalithaa.

Born in 1957 to a farmer couple, Vivekanandam and Krishnaveni, Sasikala belongs to the influential Kallar communitya sub-caste of the powerful Thevars.

In 1973, she married M Natarajan, then a government employee and a DMK member. Party patriarch Karunanidhi presided over their wedding, attesting to the goodwill Natarajan had with the Dravidian leader.

During the Emergency, when her husband was fired and to make ends meet, Sasikala started a video rental shop in Chennai.

This fledgling business, boosted and marketed by a newly employed Natarajan, caught the attention of Jayalalithaa, an actress-turned-propaganda secretary of the ADMK, who used it to propagate visuals of party chief MG Ramachandran (MGR).

A bond between Jayalalithaa and Sasikala that took birth then, grew as the husband and wife stood by the former through the party split following MGRs death in 1987.

Although Jayalalithaa kicked out Natarajan from her Poes Garden residence in the early 1990s for allegedly conspiring against her, she kept Sasikala by her side. She then went on to adopt Sasikalas nephew, Sudhakaran, for whom she threw a lavish wedding in 1995. The garish and ostentatious display of wealth led to her defeat in the 1996 polls and subsequent separation from Sasikala.

But Sasikala, who was jailed for 10 months in other corruption cases, was welcomed back to the fold with open arms by Jayalalithaa on her release.

The AIADMK chief then began creating an image of herself as Amma: Mother to millions of her supporters and voters, inculcating a sycophantic leadership cult just as her predecessor, MGR.

Sasikala and family, meanwhile, began wielding influence and became synonymous with corruption in the state.

In 2011, Jayalalithaa again expelled Sasikala and her family from the party for allegedly conspiring against her. But, within hundred days, Sasikala  having denounced her family  was back at Poes Garden.

In a public apology, she pledged her life to the chief minister. I have no ambitions either in the party or in the government. I have always devoted my life to akka (elder sister).

Five years later, after Jayalalithaas demise, Sasikala has been crowned AIADMK chief. Her family, long out of the picture, is now back.
Six people suffocated to death when fire broke out in a Pune bakery, whose only exit was locked from outside, early Friday morning.

According to fire brigade officials, the workers were sleeping on mezzanine floor of the bakes N cakes, a bakery shop located in Kondhwa area of the city. Police have detained three persons, who had recently started bakery in partnership at the ground floor of nine storey building.

Fire brigade officials suspect that the fire broke out in the wee hours at around 4:30 am due to a short circuit inside the bakery.

Immediately after we received a call in control room at around 4:45 am, three fire tenders were dispatched to the spot. There was huge smoke emanating from the shutter of the shop, which was locked from the outside, said fire brigade officials.

The workers were sleeping inside the bakery when the fire broke out. (HT Photo )

When the fire brigade officials were trying to break the lock, the owner of the bakery reached the spot and opened the shutter. After the owner informed the officials that there were workers sleeping in the mezzanine floor, the fire brigade team climbed up the loft to recover the bodies.

Although the shutter was opened soon after we reached, it was too late as the bodies were charred, said an official. The workers were taken to Sassoon Hospital where the doctors declared them dead.

According to Pune mayor Prashant Jagtap, while returning home on Thursday night, the bakery owner had locked the shop from outside due to which all the workers got trapped inside when the fire broke out.

The bakery owner had locked his shop from outside as a result of which the employees of the bakery could not rush out when fire broke out, said Jagtap. With no place for ventilation, all the six employees sleeping inside the bakery died within minutes due to suffocation, he added.

The police have identified the deceased as Ishad Ansari (26), Juned Ansari (25), Shanu Ansari (20), Zakir Ansari (24), Faeem Ansari (21) and Zishan Ansari (21). All the workers were natives of Uttar Pradesh. While a case has been registered at Kondhwa police station, the civic body has ordered inquiry into the incident to find out the exact cause of the fire.

In another incident a few hours later, a fire broke out at a carpet godown in Punes Bibwewadi area. However, no casualties were reported in the incident though the cause of the fire was not known.
Expelled by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav from the Samajwadi Party for six years on Friday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav may have a lifeboat in the Congress.

If Akhilesh needs to prove his strength on the floor of the UP assembly, the 28 members of the Congress would come in handy. According to insiders, Akhilesh has 175 loyal MPs in the 403-member House and would need the support of 27 more to stay afloat.

Incidentally, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had described Akhilesh as a good man a few months ago.

Read | Rahul, Akhilesh mutual admiration may give way to Congress-SP alliance

Akhilesh has apparently faced action following rebellion against his father on a number of issues, including ticket distribution for the polls due early next year and alliance with the Congress.

Amid the contradictory stands of Mulayam and Akhilesh on forging an alliance with the Congress, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday said the possibility could not be ruled out.

You cannot rule out any possibility in politics, Azad, in charge of Congress in UP, told reporters in Balrampur on the sidelines of a rally, PTI reported.

Read | UP CM Akhilesh expelled: With his final play, Mulayam Singh squanders his legacy

The Congress also steered clear of the internal matters of the SPs first family. Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, added there was a need for political stability in the state. There is a situation of political instability. It has to go. The Congress doesnt want to comment on this. Rahul Gandhi had given a new paradigm shift to the issues of development in UP. And we are confident we will win over peoples support in UP.

The BJPs reaction was sharp. After the new development, Akhilesh Yadav must immediately resign, senior BJP leader Yogi Adityanath said.

Zafar Islam, spokesperson of UP BJP, saw the expulsion as a diversionary tactic of the SP. For nearly five years, the SP government didnt do anything. This is an engineered ploy to remove peoples attention from the main issues and failure of the government.

Senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, who was also expelled for six years along with Akhilesh, clarified that the CM would not resign. Why should he resign? He has overwhelming majority in the House.

Read | As Yadav family feud erupts again, only a miracle can help SP win Uttar Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh plunged into a political crisis on Friday after the ruling party temporarily suspended chief minister Pema Khandu and six legislators, allegedly pitching one of his ministers for the top post.

The 37-year-old Khandu refused to resign, despite the Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) reportedly backing public health and engineering minister Takam Pario, the easternmost states richest legislator with declared assets of Rs 187 crore, as his replacement.

Party president Kahfa Bengia suspended the chief minister, his deputy Chowna Mein, and five MLAs for alleged anti-party activities late on Thursday.

There were complaints by most MLAs that Khandu and six other legislators were indulging in activities which were hurting the PPA. Hence, it was decided to suspend them, PPA chairman Kamen Ringu said.

Deputy chief minister Chowna Mein dismissed the allegations as baseless and motivated.

This is a blow from the back to upset a stable government that has been working sincerely for the states development. We were not given any intimation or asked for an explanation, Mein said.

The PPA move met a roadblock with just 12 of its 43 lawmakers backing Pario.

Coalition partner BJP, which has 13 MLAs in the 60-member assembly, decided to support Khandu.

BJP state president Tapir Gao assured that there was no threat to the Khandu government. We continue to support him. Thirty of the 43 former Congress MLAs who joined the PPA also back him. There is no threat to his chair, he said.

Tamiyo Taga, a BJP leader and minister, maintained the partys line, saying it is not going to accept the decision that the PPA took without consulting its partner.

Khandu became chief minister in July following similar sudden and fast-changing events that the hill state recorded early this year. He was with the Congress then.

Prior to his elevation, political uncertainty dominated the state after senior minister Kalikho Pul broke away from the Congress government of Nabam Tuki with 24 MLAs to form a PPA government in February.

His government was removed after a Supreme Court verdict reinstated Tuki. But with most Congress MLAs backing Khandu, Tuki had to make way in July. A dejected Pul committed suicide in Itanagar in August. A month later, Khandu deserted the Congress with 42 MLAs to join the PPA in September.
The CBI arrested popular Bengali film star and Trinamool Congress parliamentarian Tapas Paul on Friday for his alleged role in the Rose Valley ponzi scheme, which is charged with defrauding depositors to the tune of Rs 17,000 crore.

The two-time Lok Sabha MP for Krishnanagar in West Bengal was a board member of Rose Valley Marketing India Ltd and Idea Projects Ltd  two companies of the group  for brief periods over two financial years since 2009. He allegedly accepted money in cash and cheques, details of which are being probed.

The 58-year-old actor-politician was questioned since morning at the CBIs office in a Kolkata suburb before his arrest.

The agencys action attracted a swift response from the Trinamool, which has maintained that Paul was a brand ambassador of Rose Valley and was innocent of its financial deals.

A lot of BJP leaders enjoyed hospitality offered by Rose Valley. They include Babul Supriyo (Union minister of state for heavy industries) and Rupa Ganguly (a BJP MP from Bengal). Many BJP leaders have accepted money from Rose Valley. Why dont you find out who gave the company permission to launch a TV channel? alleged West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

She said more leaders from her party could be arrested.

Read | Chit fund case: CBI summons TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Tapas Paul

The opposition BJP countered that the chief minister was belligerently opposing the notes recall to divert attention from the scams in which several top Trinamool leaders have been charged with wrongdoing.

The BJP said the arrest was overdue. This was bound to happen  There is another MP who did not turn up at the CBI office fearing he too will be arrested, said Dilip Ghosh, the BJP state president.

He was referring to Trinamool parliamentarian Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who too was summoned for questioning along with Paul.

The Trinamool tried to pay in the same coin. State education minister Partha Chatterjee alleged that Pauls arrest was part of the Centres strategy to distract the people from his partys campaign against the demonitisation drive, which chief minister had described as a mega-scam.

The Rose Valley scandal is seven times bigger than the similar, Rs 2,460-crore Saradha scam.

The West Bengal-based group allegedly robbed millions of investors, most of them from the low-income group, in at least 10 states by promising exaggerated returns. The little-known groups firms operated unlicenced financial schemes that escaped regulators scrutiny.

The group was into real estate, films, media, jewellery, hotels and resorts.

Rose Valley owner Gautam Kundu and several officials are behind bars for the past one year.

CBI officials said Paul was not cooperating with the investigators and hiding facts. He has been under the agencys lens for some time, and two of the homes in south Kolkata were searched in March last year.

Paul made headlines in 2014 when he was caught on camera provoking his supporters to kill rival CPI(M) workers and rape their women. He was censured by Banerjee, but let off lightly after he apologised for his emotional outburst.
As the Samajwadi Party implodes, two people will be smiling for now, but for different reasons. Among them, only one will have the last laugh after the Uttar Pradesh election.

Amit Shah, the BJP national president and the man who won the party the politically crucial state in the 2014 elections, would be delighted to see the turmoil in the states ruling SP.

Ever since the election climate heated up, Shah has been telling reporters that the partys main rival is the SP. And this was because the BJP felt that Muslims would still consolidate towards Mulayam Singh.

The tallest leader for Muslims in UP remains Mulayam Singh. We know Mayawati is wooing them. But our sense is that Akhileshs face plus the Muslim loyalty to SP makes them our primary adversary, an influential BJP leader had told HT in November.

Read| UP CM Akhilesh expelled: With his final play, Mulayam Singh squanders his legacy

As the news of CM Akhilesh Yadavs expulsion from the SP trickled in, the BJP felt that the winning combination was broken. A Lucknow-based leader said, The minority vote will now get divided between various parties; the opposition is fragmented; it will show only we are capable of providing a stable and decisive government in UP.

But such celebrations could be premature, for a little away from the BJP office on Vidhan Sabha Marg in Lucknow is the Mall Avenue palatial residence of the other person who would be smiling --- Mayawati.

The BSPs primary challenge so far has been convincing the Muslims that it would be a reliable representative of its interests. While the SP has never allied with the BJP, Mayawati has been in alliance with the party several times --- and this has generated suspicion among the community that she could go for a post-poll arrangement.

Read| Mulayam should explain why he imposed Akhilesh on UP after 2012 election: BJP

Conventional political wisdom in the state is that Muslims would -- to a large extent -- vote for the party best positioned to defeat the BJP. With the SP fragmented, the sense in Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is that they can now make a more convincing case to the community. Mayawati has already given 125 tickets to Muslim candidates in a bid to reach out to them.

The other way in which the BSP benefits is it is now the only party in the race with both a leader and an organisation. The BJP has the organisation, but no leader. Mulayams SP has the organisation but no face. Akhilesh will have himself but no organisation, and the Congress has neither.

It is too early to know who will smile on counting day. For now, the battle between the BJP and the BSP has become sharper.

Read| Akhilesh expelled: Cong says BJP dreaming of assuming power in UP through back door

Read| Mamata silent on Yadav family feud, says BJP should not get a single vote in UP

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Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav slapped on Friday two separate showcause notices on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav over alleged indiscipline.

Mulayams move came a day after Akhilesh, his son, finalised a list of 235 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls in defiance with the party, which had announced its own picks and snubbed some leaders considered close to the CM.

Mulayam took strong exception to Akhileshs parallel list and certain remarks made in public by Ramgopal, sources said.

Why shouldnt disciplinary action be initiated against you, asked the notice sent to Akhilesh, and reminded him that the party had already announced its nominees for 325 of the 403 seats in the state.

Akhileshs Thursday move, which triggered speculation of a split in the party besieged by a bitter family feud, came a day after Mulayam made public the SPs official list and ruled out projecting his son as the candidate for the chief ministers post.

Hours after Akhileshs move, SP state unit president Shivpal Yadav released the partys second list of 68 candidates.

The states youngest chief minister has been engaged in an intense power struggle with the ruling familys elders, especially uncle Shivpal, who enjoys the backing of his brother Mulayam.

With SP staring at a possible split, Mulayam also called a meeting on Saturday of all those allotted tickets by him, even as the CMs camp remained adamant on contesting against the official candidates of the party.

Party insiders see the meeting with immense significance as the SP chief was likely gauge the sentiments of the candidates and conduct a fresh review of the list amid fears that the battle for control in SP left the party cadres divided and highly confused at grassroots level.

On Friday morning, Shivpal met Mulayam for nearly an hour, but it was not immediately known what transpired at the meeting. Shivpal did not answer questions of reporters waiting outside Mulayams residence.

Mulayams cousin, Ramgopal Yadav, who is a vocal supporter of Akhilesh, asserted that there was no question of going back on the list prepared by the Chief Minister.

In an apparent attack on Shivpal, he said many in the party do not want to see Akhilesh as the CM again. But, the fact remains that people of the state want him back as CM, he claimed.

He said Mulayam had convened a meeting on January 1 to take a final call on ticket distribution, but due to pressure (from Shivpal), he announced the list on December 28.

Akhilesh, who was present at an official function in the morning, did not take questions from mediapersons.

Though Akhilesh loyalists were enthusiastic to fight the elections in the name of and as the face of the CM, it was still not clear as to whether they would fight as Independents or float a new party.
In a renewed push to turn India into a cashless economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched an Aadhaar-based mobile payment application that requires only the users thumb impression to operate.

Modi named the new app BHIM, short for Bharat Interface for Money, and dedicated it to Dalit icon Babasahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Dr Ambedkars mantra was to work for uplifting the poor, and the biggest power of technology lies in empowering them, he said at the DigiDhan Mela at Talkatora Stadium here.

The Prime Minister said the BHIM app can be used on all mobile devices, be it a smartphone or a feature phone costing Rs 1,000-Rs 2,000. There is no need for Internet connectivity, one only needs the thumb. There was a time when illiterate people were called angutha chchap. But times have changed, and your thumb is your bank now. It has become your identity, he added.

Modi said the government was also working towards launching a new security feature that would enable monetary transactions without the use of a phone or the Internet.

Observers see a two-pronged strategy behind naming the new government-sponsored mobile wallet after Ambedkar.

They believe it may help thwart possible criticism from the Opposition, and help the BJP woo a large number of downtrodden people  especially those from backward castes  in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh polls.

Read | Note ban: Jaitley says normalcy restored to a large extent

The new app, a re-branded version of the UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), was conceptualised after a high-level panel headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant recommended changes in the rural payment system to suit villagers who felt more comfortable using fingerprints as security codes.

Read | As it happened: BHIM app is a New Years gift to the people of India: PM Modi at DigiDhan Mela

Modi said that while money lost in scams used to create headlines during the erstwhile United Progressive Alliances regime, the entire nation was now talking about cash re-entering the system. Look at newspapers and video clips from three years ago  the news was all about what we lost in scams. However, today it is about what has come back and how much is gained, he added.

The Prime Minister said India still has the potential to become the proverbial sone ki chidiya (bird of gold), a title it once held. Boosting digital connectivity will do wonders for our nation, he proclaimed, adding that it was just a matter of time before its monetary transactions turned completely digital.

Modi dubbed the Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana as his governments Christmas gift to the nation. Several prizes worth `1,000 will be given to people through lucky draws over the next 100 days. The mega draw will be held on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar.

Also read | Demonetisation done without forethought: Congress Chidambaram hits out at Modi
The water resource departments of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are planning to construct a 40-km-long spillway to discharge excess water from Gandhi Sagar dam into Aahu river in Rajasthans Jhalawar district.

Spillway is a channel-like structure for discharge of excess water from a river body.

The project has been taken up on the suggestions of Central Water Commission to ease pressure on four old dams  Gandhi Sagar dam, Rana Pratap Sagar dam, Jawahar Sagar Dam and Kota Barrage of Chambal river basin.

Executive engineer of Madhya Pradesh water resource department, JPK Gupta, said, The dams on Chambal river system are more than five decades old now, with average age of each dam considered to be 100 years. At this point, it is very essential to ease pressure on these dams.

Of late, effects of climate change can be seen in the region in terms of excessive rains. It has been observed in the past few years that rainfall received in a week equals that received annually earlier. In such a case, Chambal River receives 10  16 lakh cusecs in a single day. Such heavy pressure can damage the dams and flood surrounding regions, Gupta told HT.

With construction of the spillway, Gandhi Sagar can handle thrice the excess water discharge. This will ensure safety of nearby human habitations and the atomic power station at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan, added Gupta.

The project is in its preliminary stages where we will conduct ground survey, followed by a technical survey and submit reports to state governments. It is anticipated that 25 kilometres of the channel will be in Rajasthan while the rest will be in Madhya Pradesh, said the executive engineer.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing Mohammed Mosiuddin alias Mussas links with Islamic State (IS), has found that social networking sites, emails and applications were the main tools used by him or the IS to spread its ideology among the youths across the world. The operatives of Mussa, IS and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB), are well conversant in cyber communication to keep these secret from the security agencies.

After arresting Mussa in the first week of July, the NIA took charge of the investigation into his IS links. The agency retrieved crucial details about his and ISs plans from his mobile phone and an Apple Macbook.

After retrieving the details, especially the discussions between Mussa and IS operatives, the NIA investigators were astonished. The sleuths learnt after going through the details of the chats that JMB was directly in touch with IS while Indian Mujahideen (IM) has joined the IS.

Sources in the agency added that Mohammed Mosiuddin alias Abu Mosa or Mussa had opened his Facebook account, mdmosiuddin, using his mobile number 8870319834. Mussa used to chat with Safi Omar alias Chhotta Moula, a resident of Vatkal in Karnataka, with his ID Yusuf Al Hind.

Safi Omar was an IM operative who later joined IS and is presently in Syria.

After a chatting session, Omar provided his Skype ID, zahirulislam, to Mussa for secure chatting. Mussa used to chat with Omar using his Skype ID, Deen Ke Liye.

Omar used to send links of Islamic sites such as jihadology.net, al-Shabab media and lectures of Anwar al Awaliki.

The NIA also found Mussa used another Facebook ID, sabillakhan, to chat with JMB leader and the mastermind of Dhakas Holy Artisan Bakery shootout, Abu Sulaiman, alias Bengal Tiger (Facebook user ID: Jihadijohn).

Mussa also used secure chat platforms such as Super Spot, Telegram, Threema and Chat Secure. He also opened another Facebook ID Muslimah Hind.

Mussas Telegram id was fakhr Bengal (pride of Bengal), twitter account was Retweet Abu, Threema ID was J96KU52E. An IS operative, Royale, based in Bangladesh had opened rehengehum@jabbar.hot-cilli.net  a chat secure ID for Mussa.

Mussa also used various social communication platforms such as protectedtext.com, yandex.com, throwawaymail.com, tutanota.com and chatsecure.com which were more secure than Telegram.

The NIA also uncovered Mussa and ISs plan to attack foreigners at Mothers House, Delhi and Kashmir as well as on Hindus from the application Telegram.

The NIA investigators also found out that Mussa had used another mobile number, 8768283331, to contact IS operatives in Syria. He had asked for videos and pdf files related to explosive belts using this number. Mussa also received the document, How to survive in the West-Mujahideen in pdf file.

Mussa also sent pdf file named 9 mm pistol, EHF handgun_ammo_book, How_to_make_disposable_silencers, BSP semi_auto, (Sahar par fatah karne wale tareeke), 12g-pistol, 9MM schematics, the method of silent killing and many more to IS operatives.
The issue of disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is all set to be raked up once again this new year. Family members of Netaji will knock on the door of Prime Minister Narendra Modi early January and urge him solve the mystery. They will also request the PM to declare January 23 (Netajis birthday) as Patriots Day.

Family members and organisations will appeal to Modi to form a panel of experts to decode the declassified files as only putting them up on government website is leading nowhere, send a high level delegation to Russia to obtain secret KGB files and to either accept or reject with reasons The Mukherjee Commission report which was rejected by Congress government without citing the reasons.

A letter has been already sent to the Prime Minister. We have sought his appointment and hopefully will meet him early January. We want Netajis birthday that falls on January 23 to be declared as Patriots Day. We do not want a holiday but the day should be remembered by the nation. After the Independence, nothing of this sort has been done, said Chandra Bose, grand nephew of Netaji.

Though PM announced declassification of secret files of Netaji in 2016, yet no major headway has been achieved in solving the mystery of his disappearance. The Prime Minister had earlier called on Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the issue of files with KGB and foreign affairs minister Sushma Swaraj wrote to Russian authorities.

We are happy that files are being declassified but the question of Netajis disappearance has remained unanswered. We will also appeal to Modiji to immediately form a panel of experts to read and interpret the declassified files. We will also request him to send a delegation to Russia as soon as possible to get the KGB files, which are very important, said Bose.

Family members and researchers have been asking for declassification and obtaining files from foreign countries, which may throw light on the disappearance or alleged death of Netaji.

The Bose family, researchers and NGOs have also demanded that the central government either accept Mukherjee Commission report or reject it with cause. The Mukherjee Commission report was rejected by the Congress government which did not cite any reason behind it. The BJP government should either accept or reject it with a cause, added Bose.

In September 2015, Mamata Banerjee declassified files on Netaji kept in the custody of the state government which highlighted snooping activities by the government against family members of the freedom fighter.

Later, a team of Netajis family members and researchers met PM Narendra Modi who announced declassification of the files with the central government. The declassification process started from January 2016.

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Simpleton Kedar failed to finish his graduation after three attempts. Gullible Kedar fell in love with the stern Saraswati.

Dadar Kirti, the 1980 movie, marked the entry of a 22-year-old Tapas Paul into the Bengali film industry. Many still remember his role as protagonist Kedar.

He had no godfather in the industry, yet he became one of the most popular Bengali actors through the 1980s and 1990s. His boyish charm helped churn out Bengali blockbusters such as Guru Dakshina, Saheb, Anurager Chowa and Bhalobasha Bhalobasha.

Now, at 58, he rarely acts in films. He has a dedicated political career to pursue.

Read | Trinamool MP Tapas Paul arrested in connection with Rose Valley chit fund scam

He was a state legislator from Alipore for two terms from 2001 and got elected to Parliament in 2009 on a Trinamool Congress ticket from Krishnanagar.

He retained the Lok Sabha seat in 2014, but hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. He was caught on camera provoking supporters to kill rival CPI(M) functionaries and rape their women.

I am also a goonda (ruffian). I will shoot you guys if a Trinamool Congress worker is ever attacked  If you insult mothers and daughters of Trinamool workers, I wont spare you. I will let loose my boys in your homes and they will rape, Paul said.

Read | Tapas Pal issues apology for his rape remark, Mamata attacks media

The harsh rhetoric of a politician was at odds with the dialogues, songs and roles he played in movies for which he is remembered in most Bengali households.

Veteran director Tarun Majumder, who introduced Paul to Bengali cinegoers as Kedar, refused comments on his arrest over the Rose Valley chit fund scam on Friday.

He simply remembered him as a fine actor. He came prepared to the sets. He not only impressed me with his acting but also the people of Bengal.

Pauls onscreen chemistry with Debasree Roy and Satabdi Roy  both Trinamool politicians now  won the hearts of the audience.

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INCARNATE

Direction: Brad Peyton

Actors: Aaron Eckhart, Carice Van Houten

Rating: 0.5 / 5

The first cut of Incarnate was ready nearly three years ago but was reportedly subjected to multiple rewrites and edit tweaks. Unfortunately, that hasnt helped the outcome a bit.

Brazenly abandoning any attempt at coherent plot or character development, the demonic-possession tale is set in motion when a leggy Vatican official (Catalina Sandino Moreno) tasks a wheelchair-bound scientist (Aaron Eckhart, in phone-in mode) with evicting a malevolent spirit romping through the nightmares of a teenage boy (David Mazouz).

The twist, if one can call it that, is that instead of the usual Catholic priest, its a man of science being called upon to battle the dark forces of evil. Also on hand, for no discernible reason other than to cluster up the narrative, are a couple of the demon hunters nerdy assistants.

Derivative in the extreme, the uninspired direction by Brad Peyton (San Andreas) relies on cheap jolts and clumsy flashbacks into the mindscape of the possessed youngster.

Derivative in the extreme, the uninspired direction by Brad Peyton (San Andreas) relies on cheap jolts and clumsy flashbacks into the mindscape of the possessed youngster.

Theres also plenty of blather about the kids divorced parents (Carice Van Houten-Matt Nable) and a car accident that left the scientist partially disabled.

The preposterous climax is merely a ploy to ensure a sequel  a proposition that is scarier than anything else in Incarnate.

Watch the trailer for Incarnate here

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The Congress is stepping up its protests against the Centres move to scrap high-value notes, as the civic elections to be held next year approach.

The BJP government at the Centre announced the demonetisation of Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes on November 8, and gave the country 50 days  December 30  to the submit old notes at banks. A day before this deadline, the state units of the Congress announced it would take its fight to the streets, while the city unit got 50 workers to tattoo their arms with a line alleging corruption by PM Narendra Modi.

The demonetisation has over the past 50 days led to a severe cash crunch in the country, leading to long queues outside ATMs and banks and protests by Opposition parties. The Centre had asked the people to bear with it, calling the move a necessary step to weed out black money. But with just weeks to go for the civic polls in Mumbai, the Congress is hitting out hard against its rival.

The state unit announced protests in all districts, while the city unit said it will gherao the suburban collectors office on January 6. The party also announced a protest on January 8 that key leaders including state unit chief Ashok Chavan, former chief ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Narayan Rane and former ministers Patangrao Kadam and Balasaheb Thorat will lead in their respective districts.

The demonetisation announced by the Modi government has resulted in endless hardships to the common people. The deadline of 50 days given by the prime minister is about to end, but there is no solution in sight. Big companies have started retrenchments, farmers are forced to throw away farm produce owing to falling prices. The government should compensate farmers, said Chavan, adding that the Modi government was hiding information related to deposits of black money and deaths of people waiting in queues. Major cash seizure cases were related to banks headed by BJP leaders, but no action was taken.

The party also asked the BJP answers to the allegations levelled by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi about the alleged corruption by the PM when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

We have been raising this question, but we have not got a clarification. We wanted to ask this question to the PM during his Mumbai visit, but we were put under house arrested, said Sanjay Nirupam, city Congress chief.

Also read

Economy to politics, banks to black money: What demonetisation did to nation
A day after a suspended police inspector claimed that two wanted accused in 2008 Malegaon blasts were killed by ATS officials, defence lawyers for few accused in the case want fresh probe.

Mehboob Mujawar, a former officer of Maharashtras anti-terrorism squad, has claimed that two key accused  Ramchandra Kalsangre and Sandeep Dange, who are currently shown as wanted  were not missing but had, in fact, been killed by the ATS on November 26, 2008. Mujwar said the two were picked up with accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and were later gunned down in Mumbai.

After the details given by the officer, some of the defense lawyers asked for a fresh probe in the case. The statement shows how agencies have dealt with the case. We now want chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to order a fresh probe, said Prashant Maggu, lawyer for some of the accused in the case.

The NIA, which is currently investigating the case, is also for probing the claim. On Friday, the issue was also brought up to the notice of the special court hearing the 2008 blast case. Special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal said, The accused on Friday brought the newspaper cuttings of the article and showed it to the court. The officer of National Investigation Agency, who was present in the court has assured the court that they would probe it and come up with its conclusion before the court.

However, not all agree and another set of defence lawyers question the credibility of the statement saying that it is a fictitious theory. Lawyer Sanjeev Punalekar questioned the credibility and timing of Mujawars statement. Mujawars theory seems fictitious as it lacks corroboration with facts. It could not have been possible that they were picked up with Sadhvi. If that was the case, Sadhvi would have raised the alarm. She is not the woman who would have not mentioned it, Punalekar said. He also alleged that the two were also spotted after November 2008 on several occasions. It is known to both the agencies that the two accused were on several occasions spotted and met people. They were roaming around openly until their name was disclosed in the investigation. The officer has some ulterior motives behind giving such a statement, Punalekar added.

The case dates back to September 29, 2008 when an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden in a motorcycle blasted killing six people and injuring 101. The ATS had arrested several people including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, and Lt Col Prasad Srikant Purohit in this connection and filed a charge sheet against 14 people, including Kalsangre and Dange, who are listed as wanted.

Read

Malegaon blast: Ex-cop claims missing accused were killed by ATS 8 yrs ago

Malegaon blasts: Charges against 6 accused dropped, Cong targets PM

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Terming the allegations by a former officer of Maharashtras anti-terrorism squad that two key accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case were not missing but had, in fact, been killed by the ATS on November 26, 2008 serious, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government would look into it. The Opposition, too, has demanded a probe into the allegations by the police officer.

Fadnavis said the government will verify if the claims by the suspended police officer, Mehboob Mujawar, are true. We will look into the entire episode. We will have to check why no inquiry was conducted if the officer had written to the then director general of police in 2009, he said.

Mujawar claimed he had written to the DGP in 2009, claiming two accused  Sandip Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra -- were killed by the ATS and later shown as absconding.

The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have demanded a probe. The government should conduct an immediate probe to check the veracity of the allegations. Although our government was in power at that time, it is not clear if then home minister RR Patil was apprised of the facts by the police, said Nawab Malik, NCP spokesman.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said they have demanded an inquiry.

Read

Malegaon blasts: Suspended cops claim makes defence seek fresh probe

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A major fire broke out inside a bakery in Pune, killing six workers in the wee hours of Friday. The fire engulfed Bakes N Cakes, located on Kondhwa Road, within minutes following a short circuit inside the shop, said fire brigade officials.

According to Pune mayor Prashant Jagtap, the bakery owner had locked his shop from outside owing to which the employees could not escape from the bakery when the fire broke out.

The owner was operating the bakery from a small premises. While returning home on Thursday night, he locked it from outside while the workers were sleeping inside, said Jagtap.

All the six workers, who were charred to death, hailed from Uttar Pradesh, said fire brigade officials.

Also read

Fire breaks out in closed company in Navi Mumbai

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Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief and Union minister Vijay Sampla played the demonetisation card to woo voters at the launch of the Vijay sankalp rath yatra of the party from the Hussainiwala memorial here on Thursday.

Encouraged by the recent victory of the party in the Chandigarh civic body polls after Prime Minister Narendra Modis note ban decision, Sampla and former state BJP chief and poll manifesto committee chairman Kamal Sharma kickstarted the partys election campaign after paying tributes to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at the national memorial at Hussainiwala, 11km from Ferozepur.

TARGETS CONG AS MAIN RIVAL

Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the country is fighting the battle of economic freedom. Meanwhile, the bugle for Punjab polls has been sounded and two main parties, the Congress and the BJP, are vying with each other to come to power in the state. The Congress is a party which nurtured the British culture in the country. While the BJP is working towards transforming the nation into a Sonay ki Chidia (golden goose), the Congress is trying hard to convert it into Sonia ki Chidia, Sampla said while addressing the gathering.

He said, The bane of corruption, unemployment, poverty and black money has been bestowed upon the nation by the Congress.

Alleging that Punjab has always been given step-motherly treatment by the Congress, he said the party had pushed the state into the black days of terrorism and subjected its water assets and farmers to loot.

Taking a dig at Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh, Sampla said, He has no time to meet the people of the state, but he does have ample time to meet his friends across the border.

PUNJABIs WONT FALL INTO KEJRIs TRAP

Sampla said AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal betrayed the people of Delhi and now, voters of Punjab wont fall into his trap.

The Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra proceeded from the Hussainiwala memorial towards Ferozepur and was welcomed by former chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) Sukhpal Singh Nannu and national vice-president of Bhartiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha at different points in Ferozepur town.

Later, the yatra moved to Fazilka in a cavalcade of cars and motorcycles escorted by cabinet minister Surjeet Kumar Jiyani, state party organisational general secretary Dinesh Kumar and state general secretary Manjit Singh Rai.
A modest double-storey house, nestled in the narrow lanes of Janta Nagar in Ludhiana has become a tourist spot these days and is attracting visitors from far and wide. Reason- the movie Dangal was shot here for three days in January this year and 8-10 scenes in the second half of the film are shot in this house.

The famed house has been daily attracting visitors of all age groups especially guests of their neighbours, who are keen to tour this house and click pictures. That is why inhabitants of the house three brothers and their families have jovially coined a new name for their house Aamir Khan Museum.

As HT team visited this home on Thursday afternoon, the members were already busy giving a guided tour to a group of visitors, of the first floor room where Aamir Khan had shot several scenes and post bidding them adieu, joined us brimming with excitement to share the now epic tale of how their house got finalised for the movie and moments of the shooting days.

I am really grateful to my cousin Jobanpreet Singh, who is an active theatre artiste and was in touch with Aamir Khan Productions while they were finalising locations for the shoot. He found out that the film crew was looking for an old style double-storey house and he instantly suggested our home which was finalised within the next two days. But, we only believed this good news when Aamir finally arrived in front of our eyes, shares 35-year-old elated Amandeep Kaur, a housewife, who was also offered a minute role of washing clothes.

Her father-in-law Daljit Singh Jagdeo, 63, has also penned dialogues of Khan in his little diary that he noted during the shoot at his house and later added a brief about different scenes shot here that the entire family saw in the film, on the first day of the release. As he turned pages, he pointed out the exact dates with timings when the shoot was held January 11 (9am to 8:50pm), 12 (2pm to 9:25pm) and 15 (1pm to 10pm).

On the last day, the family members took group pictures with Khan and on one of the framed pictures they took an autograph from Khan who has written, Thank you for welcoming us to shoot at your lovely house. Wishing you all the happiness! Love, Aamir Khan.

At Kila Raipur and Gujjarwal villages too, some old homes were chosen along with some narrow streets of both the villages which that have been showcased as Bilali village of Haryanas Bhiwani district, the roots of Phogat. Interestingly, majority of the villagers have already seen this film in the first few days of its release. As, some shops were also shot in several scenes, for some shopkeepers it a matter of pride and jubilation to spot their shops in different scenes.

Omkarjot Singh, 20, of Kila Raipur whose home was also a part of the shoot said, Having seen the film, I must say that 80% of the film is made in Ludhiana district, as even many scenes of Patiala as shown in the film are also shot in villages here or in Ludhiana. Many of us were lucky to meet and take pictures with Khan and we learnt that making films is not an easy job.

Guru Nanak stadium of the city was also used to show different tournaments that has made many players proud who come here for daily practice and besides that traditional wresting contest scenes were also shot at Leela village. It was a moment of pride for all the players, that Aamir Khan was shooting here and now having seen the same scenes on screen, our joy knows no bounds, said Harmandeep Singh, 22, a basketball player.

Meanwhile, for Dangal fans in the city, demonetisation blues seem to be meaningless, as all shows including those at single screen theatres are going houseful since the release on the last Friday. Cinema managers maintain that besides Khans huge following, the film being shot in Ludhiana is one of the core reasons for high footfall.
The chaos and the excruciating jams witnessed on the city roads could repeat itself on New Years eve. Jams that had commuters stuck for nine hours on the roads in the Industrial Area, around the Elante Mall, on Christmas eve might happen again with no concrete plan being put in place for the area.

Industrial Area, where all the citys prominent malls are located, and the stretch from Sector 31 to Sector 26 are expected to witness barely-moving traffic. Other than these, the parking of vehicles can be a major challenge in Sectors 17, 35 and 8.

With a capacity of parking of just over 5,000 vehicles inside the mall, the Elante authorities are expecting to have a footfall of around 1.5 lakh on the New Years eve. At an average of five people per car, at least 20,000 cars are expected to converge on the area. The roads leading to the Mall remained fully choked even on Christmas eve with some commuters stuck in the jam for nine hours.

The mall authorities and the police are not on the same page with each expecting the other to bear the major share of traffic burden.

We cannot control the traffic on the city roads. The police should make all possible arrangements. More visitors are expected here on the New Year than the crowd witnessed on Christmas, said Anil Malhotra, chief operating officer (COO), CSJ Infrastructure Private Limited, the firm that manages the mall.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Eish Singhal said, We will deploy police in adequate numbers near malls and parking areas in the Industrial Area and other prominent places. However, the mall officials must also come up with a traffic plan of their own as the footfall, on such occasions, is a lot more than the parking space available.

Malhotra, however, added, We always receive much higher than the normal footfall of around 50,000 during holidays and festive season. We do brainstorm on traffic management with the authorities.

Another senior police official added that the mall authorities need to make arrangements for parking before allowing entry to people.

There will be deployment of 300 traffic cops and around 200 home guard volunteers to manage the traffic in the city. We have adequate force to manage traffic on the New Years eve. We expect the crowd to be far more distributed than only on roads around the Elante as there are other places where people will go as well, said another police official.

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Outsourcing of mining operations to private companies and unchecked illegal mining led to the coal mine cave-in in Jharkhands Godda district that claimed at least 10 lives, workers and politicians said on Friday, accusing the Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) of negligence.

A private company, Mahalaxmi, was mining coal at the site where the accident took place on Thursday night. Mining operations were suspended at the site for six months and resumed three days ago, local miners said.

Godda MP Nishikant Dubey told Hindustan Times that rampant illegal mining was being carried out in the area in connivance with local leaders, contractors and officials ignoring the risk factor. The ECL outsourced mining work to private companies that did not take safety measures, the BJP leader added.

ECL needs to put a check on illegal mining and press for proper safety measures when it outsources mining operations to private stakeholders, Dubey said, adding that illegal mining in the area led to safety lapses as the miners were always in fear of getting nabbed by the police.

He said a meeting with union coal and renewable energy minister Piyush Goyal has been fixed in the first week of January to decide if private companies should be allowed to undertake mining and discuss safety measures.

In the opencast mining, the weight of the overburden  upper layer of the soil, removed and heaped around by miners to reach the underground coal  forced the mine to cave in, said RP Singh, vice president of the All India Coal Workers Federation (AICWF).

It is utter negligence on the part of the company. The overburden should have been heaped at a safe distance from the place where mining work was in progress, but the company ignored the risk, Singh said.

This is not the first time a mine has caved in in Jharkhand, where many families dwell over underground fire, risking life 24x7.

Singh said, Opencast mines are least vulnerable to such accidents if the miners are cautious about maintaining a safe distance from the overburden, but private companies usually dont want to use men or machines to remove the overburden.

Accusing the mining company of negligence, Jharkhands first chief minister Babulal Marandi said outsourcing of mining operations to private parties risked the miners lives in the area.

An ECL official from the regional office in Asansol said all safety measures were taken by the company. You should not blame ECL for the mishap. We are a public sector undertaking and safety of miners is of utmost importance to us. We do not work with the sole objective of earning profit, the official said, requesting anonymity.

Chief minister Raghubar Das said those responsible for the incident would not be spared.

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Filmmaker Krishna Vamsis highly anticipated Telugu drama Rythu, about farmers grievances, might bring together Nandamuri Balakrishna and megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

Both Krishna Vamsi and Balakrishna had met Amitji on the sets of Sarkar 3 not very long ago. They pitched the story to him and even discussed the idea of collaborating as theyre very keen on having him on board, even if it means waiting for another six months, said a source close to Vamsi.

The source added that Big B is yet to give his nod.

Apparently, hes busy till June 2017, and its only after he is relieved of his current commitments can he think of taking up this offer, he said, adding both Balakrishna and Krishna Vamsi are ready to wait.

Balakrishna Sir has decided to postpone the films shoot and commence the project from second half of next year. The project will roll with Balakrishna from July 2017, and if Amitji comes on board, he will join the team a month later, the source said.

In 2014, Amitabh Bachchan made his Telugu debut with Manam, in a special appearance.

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Superstar Mahesh Babu, who has taken a break from the shoot of his next yet-untitled Tamil-Telugu outing, is currently holidaying with his wife Namrata Shirodkar and children.

According to a source close to the actor, he will be celebrating the New Year in Zurich, Switzerland.

Mahesh, his wife and children are currently in Zurich. Maheshs sister Padmavathi too has accompanied them on this trip. They celebrated Christmas together. Mahesh is expected to return to India in the first week of January next year, said a source.

Maheshs wife Namrata Shirodkar has been sharing pictures from the trip on her Facebook page.

In one of her posts, she wrote: Christmas with family. Travel diaries. Zurich. Good times.

From January 7, Mahesh will resume shooting for AR Murugadosss upcoming bilingual film.

Also starring Rakul Preet Singh and SJ Suryah in the lead, the film has music by Harris Jayaraj.

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It is probably just the sort of closure that would have worked for Miss Havisham, the wealthy, heartbroken spinster from Charles Dickenss Great Expectations. The clocks in her mansion, stopped at the exact moment of her disgrace, would have found a welcome home at the new Los Angeles branch of the Museum of Broken Relationships.

The original museum opened in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2010 after growing out of a touring collection that crisscrossed Europe, Asia and the US.

On display in Zagreb are artifacts from failed unions, most of them mundane under ordinary circumstances. A single stiletto heel. A wine opener. A worn old Snoopy doll. But when isolated in a glass case or hanging on a white wall and accompanied by a caption, the objects become imbued with heartache or regret. Or freedom.

In Los Angeles, theres a blue chiffon top a woman wore to a cafe where her husband told her he was leaving her. As is an envelope of leaves mailed from Canada to San Diego so a long-distance paramour could experience changing seasons in southern California.

A jar of pickles purchased for a first love who, the donor explained, stopped texting before I could give it to him.

A jar of pickles purchased for a first love on display at the Museum. (AP)

After her husband asked for a divorce, Amber Clisura gave back her engagement ring, kicked him out of the house and tossed everything that reminded her of the ruined marriage. Except for one item: a polished steel barbecue smoker that her ex-husband had fashioned for her from an old oil drum.

It sat there on the patio and rusted and rusted, and it became a sad symbol of the relationship, Clisura said.

The four-legged smoker had been a treasured handmade gift, but eventually Clisura couldnt bear to look at it. She considered giving it to a neighbour or selling it for scrap but then read about a call for submissions at the new Los Angeles branch of the Museum of Broken Relationships.

Amber Clisura poses next to the meat smoker she donated to the Museum. (AP)

After some deliberation, Clisura, a textile artist and fashion designer from LA, decided to donate the smoker and drove it to the museums warehouse.

A woman met me downstairs, and as I was handing it over, I burst into tears, Clisura said, laughing now. It felt like a weight was lifted. The museum representative offered to give her a hug.

Employees have embraced their share of broken-hearted donors eager for closure, said director Alexis Hyde at the museums location on Hollywood Boulevard, a thoroughfare that, she noted, has been called the boulevard of broken dreams. Hyde has been known to brush away her own tears as she opens boxes containing donations.

Its cathartic the way a good, sad movie is cathartic, she said. On some level, you know this persons moving on, and theyve survived.

An envelope of leaves mailed from Canada to San Diego so a long-distance paramour could experience changing seasons in southern California is also on display. (AP)

Hyde pointed out not all the fizzled unions represented in the 3,500-square-foot museum were romantic. One donor had an irreparable relationship with her father. Another split from a church. A California woman who donated a Texas license plate said she separated from the Lone Star State.

My broken relationship was with myself, said Andree Vermeulen, whose donated items are the museums most talked about. The actor sent in a pair of breast implants she had removed after ending a toxic relationship with a man who made disparaging comments about her body.

Vermeulen, who lives in Los Angeles, said the implants never felt right, and since theyve been out, she has reached a place where I feel very grounded and confident. An outpouring of support on social media gave her further confidence to use the experience as fodder during storytelling performances in which she discusses body image and standards of beauty.

Vermeulen said the donation, now displayed in a glass case in the LA museums main room, symbolized the final chapter of the relationship, and her scars mark a story and a time in my life that taught me a lot about myself.

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The scene was hardly conducive to romance. She was a sick Iraqi in a wave of refugees trying to enter Serbia, while he belonged to the stern Macedonian police force keeping guard.

But Noora Arkavazi, a Kurdish Muslim, and Orthodox Christian Bobi Dodevski quickly fell in love after they met at the muddy border in early March -- and celebrated their wedding four months later.

Bobi recalls the rainy day he first saw Noora in no mans land between the two Balkan countries, when he was working only by chance after swapping shifts with a colleague.

It was destiny, the affable 35-year-old tells AFP over tea in his small apartment in the northern Macedonian town of Kumanovo, where he now lives happily with his young wife.

Noora, 20, hails from Diyala, an eastern province plagued with violence in the Iraqi conflict. She says at one point Islamic State jihadists kidnapped her father, an engineer, and demanded thousands of dollars for his return.

Early in 2016, Noora and her brother, sister and parents abandoned their home and began a long journey west, crossing the border into Turkey, taking a boat to the Greek island of Lesbos and eventually entering Macedonia.

Their path was one well-trodden by hundreds of thousands of people escaping war or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia -- and like many of their fellow travellers, the Arkavazis had set their sights on Germany.

Noora Arkavazi (L) and her husband Bobi Dodevski. (AFP photo)

While her family continued on their odyssey, Noora stayed put in Macedonia after Cupids arrow struck.

I had a simple dream to live with my family in Germany, she says. I didnt imagine a big surprise for me here.

Just dont worry

When she first met Bobi, Noora had a high fever and was desperate to know if her family could cross the border into Serbia. Balkan countries had just begun closing their doors to migrants, so the fate of those transiting through Macedonia was unclear.

The other police officers all directed her to Bobi because he spoke good English, and he made sure she and her frail mother were taken care of with medical aid and blankets.

He said just dont worry, everything will be very good in your life, Noora remembers, now laughing over the fact that he couldnt stop looking at her.

Twice-divorced Bobi says he knew he had found someone special. When I saw Noora for the first time, I saw something good in her eyes.

In the coming days, while the migrants waited in limbo in the Tabanovce transit camp, Bobi and Noora spent more time together -- he would take her and her mother to local markets to buy food and clothes.

Noora, who speaks six languages and began helping the local Red Cross, liked the way the tall policeman would play with the migrants children, unlike some of his more serious colleagues.

The Macedonian force has faced criticism for its treatment of migrants, particularly for firing tear gas at some of those trying to cross the border from Greece.

The proposal

One evening in April, Bobi invited Noora to a restaurant, where she recalls him being extremely nervous, drinking lots of water and shaking. Then he suddenly proposed.

Noora Arkavazi hugs her husband Bobi Dodevski. As a sign of their commitment, the lovers have each others names emblazoned on their forearms in matching swirly tattoos. (AFP photo)

I told him no, you are joking... but maybe ten times he repeated this, will you marry me?.

Noora eventually said yes, but she worried about her parents reaction to her marrying a non-Muslim.

She told them: I chose a good man for my life and I will marry him. I dont want to marry another guy. But they were so nervous and angry, she says.

Noora is reluctant to talk about her family now, except to say she is relieved that they are living safely in Germany.

A beautiful wedding

Noora and Bobi celebrated their wedding in Kumanovo on July 13, her birthday, in front of 120 guests of every religion, including her Red Cross colleagues.

The town is one of Macedonias most ethnically mixed, with Muslim Albanians, Serbs, Roma, Turks and other groups as well as the ethnic Macedonian majority.

It was a very beautiful and fun wedding, says Noora, describing the live music and dancing that continued into the early hours.

The couple now live with Bobis three children from previous marriages, and Noora is expecting their first baby.

Noora Arkavazi (L) with her husband Bobi Dodevski and step-daughter in Kumanovo. (AFP photo)

As a sign of their commitment, the lovers have each others names emblazoned on their forearms in matching swirly tattoos.

Believing in destiny

Noora says she misses Iraq very much, but the welcoming nature of her new neighbours reminds her of the Iraqi sense of hospitality.

I feel like its my country, the life here is so easy. Nobody here watches me like I am a refugee.

Migrant numbers at the nearby Tabanovce camp have dropped off sharply since the so-called Balkan route was effectively shut down, although some still cross the region with the help of smugglers.

Dejan Kladarin, senior protection officer at the United Nations refugee agency in Skopje, says around 200 people are now in Macedonian transit camps.

Nooras experience is a nice story and we would like to have more like this... but most of the people are eager to continue to where there are better economic prospects, Kladarin says.

Bobi hopes their romantic tale will encourage other young people to overcome barriers to be with the one they love. Noora and I want to tell people to believe in yourself and believe in love -- and in destiny.
The scene was hardly conducive to romance: she was a sick Iraqi in a wave of refugees trying to enter Serbia, while he belonged to the stern Macedonian police force keeping guard.

But Noora Arkavazi, a Kurdish Muslim, and Orthodox Christian Bobi Dodevski quickly fell in love after they met at the muddy border in early March -- and celebrated their wedding four months later.

Bobi recalls the rainy day he first saw Noora in no mans land between the two Balkan countries, when he was working only by chance after swapping shifts with a colleague.

It was destiny, the affable 35-year-old tells AFP over tea in his small apartment in the northern Macedonian town of Kumanovo, where he now lives happily with his young wife.

Noora Arkavazi (R) and her husband Bobi Dodevski decorate a Christmas tree in their home in Kumanovo on December 21, 2016. (AFP Photo)

Noora, 20, hails from Diyala, an eastern province plagued with violence in the Iraqi conflict. She says at one point Islamic State jihadists kidnapped her father, an engineer, and demanded thousands of dollars for his return.

Early in 2016, Noora and her brother, sister and parents abandoned their home and began a long journey west, crossing the border into Turkey, taking a boat to the Greek island of Lesbos and eventually entering Macedonia.

Their path was one well-trodden by hundreds of thousands of people escaping war or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia -- and like many of their fellow travellers, the Arkavazis had set their sights on Germany.

While her family continued on their odyssey, Noora stayed put in Macedonia after Cupids arrow struck.

I had a simple dream to live with my family in Germany, she says. I didnt imagine a big surprise for me here.

Just dont worry

When she first met Bobi, Noora had a high fever and was desperate to know if her family could cross the border into Serbia. Balkan countries had just begun closing their doors to migrants, so the fate of those transiting through Macedonia was unclear.

The other police officers all directed her to Bobi because he spoke good English, and he made sure she and her frail mother were taken care of with medical aid and blankets.

He said just dont worry, everything will be very good in your life, Noora remembers, now laughing over the fact that he couldnt stop looking at her.

Noora Arkavazi (L) and her husband Bobi Dodevski laugh in their home in Kumanovo on December 21, 2016. (AFP Photo)

Twice-divorced Bobi says he knew he had found someone special. When I saw Noora for the first time, I saw something good in her eyes.

In the coming days, while the migrants waited in limbo in the Tabanovce transit camp, Bobi and Noora spent more time together -- he would take her and her mother to local markets to buy food and clothes.

Noora, who speaks six languages and began helping the local Red Cross, liked the way the tall policeman would play with the migrants children, unlike some of his more serious colleagues.

Noora Arkavazi (L) poses with her husband Bobi Dodevski (R) and her step-daughter in their home in Kumanovo. (AFP Photo)

The Macedonian force has faced criticism for its treatment of migrants, particularly for firing tear gas at some of those trying to cross the border from Greece.

The proposal

One evening in April, Bobi invited Noora to a restaurant, where she recalls him being extremely nervous, drinking lots of water and shaking. Then he suddenly proposed.

I told him no, youre joking... but maybe ten times he repeated this, will you marry me?.

Noora eventually said yes, but she worried about her parents reaction to her marrying a non-Muslim.

She told them: I chose a good man for my life and I will marry him. I dont want to marry another guy. But they were so nervous and angry, she says.

Noora is reluctant to talk about her family now, except to say she is relieved that they are living safely in Germany.

Beautiful wedding

Noora and Bobi celebrated their wedding in Kumanovo on July 13, her birthday, in front of 120 guests of every religion, including her Red Cross colleagues.

The town is one of Macedonias most ethnically mixed, with Muslim Albanians, Serbs, Roma, Turks and other groups as well as the ethnic Macedonian majority.

It was a very beautiful and fun wedding, says Noora, describing the live music and dancing that continued into the early hours.

Noora Arkavazi (R) and her husband Bobi Dodevski speak in their home in Kumanovo. (AFP Photo)

The couple now live with Bobis three children from previous marriages, and Noora is expecting their first baby.

As a sign of their commitment, the lovers have each others names emblazoned on their forearms in matching swirly tattoos.

Believe in destiny

Noora says she misses Iraq very much, but the welcoming nature of her new neighbours reminds her of the Iraqi sense of hospitality.

I feel like its my country, the life here is so easy. Nobody here watches me like Im a refugee.

Migrant numbers at the nearby Tabanovce camp have dropped off sharply since the so-called Balkan route was effectively shut down, although some still cross the region with the help of smugglers.

Dejan Kladarin, senior protection officer at the United Nations refugee agency in Skopje, says around 200 people are now in Macedonian transit camps.

Nooras experience is a nice story and we would like to have more like this... but most of the people are eager to continue to where there are better economic prospects, Kladarin says.

Bobi hopes their romantic tale will encourage other young people to overcome barriers to be with the one they love.

Noora and I want to tell people to believe in yourself and believe in love -- and in destiny.
The discovery of a burned-out car in Rio state on Thursday with a body inside have sparked fears that it might be that of the Greek ambassador to Brazil, missing since Monday.

Rio police were examining the corpse and scene but could not say whether it was that of the envoy, 59-year-old Kyriakos Amiridis.

The information that we can confirm right now is that we have found a car in (the district of) Nova Iguacu with a body and it is being investigated, a source in the homicide squad told AFP.

The source would not say whether the license plate of the car was from the rental the ambassador was using, nor when DNA results on the body would be back.

Amiridis had been on vacation with his family in Rio de Janeiros northern Nova Iguacu area since December 21.

He was due to fly back to Brasilia on January 9, a Greek embassy official told AFP.

But he went missing on Monday night, after going out of the apartment they were renting and taking the car, according to Brazilian media. His Brazilian wife formally declared him missing on Wednesday.

The Brazilian news website published photos of the burned car found on the slope of a busy suburban thoroughfare. It reported that police suspected the body inside to be that of the ambassador.

The Greek foreign ministry had earlier issued a statement saying that after Amiridis was declared missing, the full mobilization of all the competent Brazilian authorities was requested.

Amiridis was named ambassador this year. He had previously served as Greeces consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004.

He served as Greeces ambassador to Libya from 2012 to 2016. He is married and has a daughter, according to the embassy in Brasilia.
Two anti-India terror organisations - Indian Mujahideen (IM) and al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)  have been added to Canadas list of proscribed groups.

Both groups were designated as terrorist entities under Canadas Criminal Code. The announcement was made by public safety and emergency preparedness minister Ralph Goodale on Wednesday.

In a statement, the nodal department Public Safety Canada said the IM had organised training in Pakistan with militant Islamist groups such as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba -- a listed entity under the Criminal Code.

Following the listing, Canada will act against groups or individuals funding or associating with these two terror organisations. The statement said, The Criminal Code mandates potentially severe penalties for persons and organisations that deal in the property or finances of a listed entity.

It is a crime to knowingly participate in, or contribute to, any activity of a listed entity for the purpose of enhancing the ability of the entity to facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity.

Public Safety Canada noted the actions of the two groups meet the legal threshold set out in the Criminal Code.

The statement added: The IMs stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims for their oppression of Muslims. The groups primary method of attack is multiple coordinated bombings in crowded areas against economic and civilian targets to maximise terror and casualties.

Describing the IM as a Sunni Islamist militant group, consisting primarily of former members of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the agency noted it is best understood as a label for a relatively amorphous, decentralised network that operates through a number of modules across India.

Following a mandatory two-year review period for listing entities, other terrorist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen remain on the Canadian list, which now totals 53 entities, including Khalistani groups such as Babbar Khalsa International and International Sikh Youth Federation.

The LeT designation includes fronts of the group, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Paasban-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Brigade) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation.

The LeTs student wing, Al-Muhammadia Students, listed recently by the US government as a foreign terrorist organisation, does not yet figure in the Canadian list.

Read: US adds Pak student group wing of banned LeT in list of terror organisations

The creation of AQIS was announced by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in September, 2014 and the group has been active in Pakistan and more recently, in Bangladesh.

The summer terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, which claimed the life of an Indian citizen among many others, was attributed to an Islamic State-affiliate in Bangladesh, though there are several linkages between AQIS and IS there.
Antonio Guterres assumes the reins of the United Nations on Sunday hoping to breathe new life into the world body, in the wake of its impotence over Syrias humanitarian catastrophe.

The former Portuguese prime minister, 67, will become the first onetime head of government to lead the UN, succeeding South Koreas Ban Ki-moon for a five-year term.

His unanimous election has energised UN diplomats who see him as a skilled politician who may be able to overcome the divisions crippling the United Nations.

One Western ambassador regretted only that a woman wasnt picked to take the post for the first time, adding with a smile that except for the gender, he is perfect.

Guterres faces a monumental task grappling with complex crises in Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, North Korea and elsewhere -- overseeing a clunky entrenched bureaucracy and a bitterly divided Security Council that will leave him little room to maneuver.

Donald Trumps arrival in the White House on January 20 likely will further complicate his task.

Guterres has acknowledged that the secretary general is not the leader of the world, but rather that his work depends on the goodwill of the worlds great powers.

After two terms under Ban, widely criticized for lacking initiative and charisma, some diplomats are banking on a change of style and personality to revitalize the UN.

This image released by the UN shows the UN Security Council taking a vote on a draft resolution aiming to impose an arms embargo (AFP file photo)

Too little, too late

An engineer by training and a practicing Catholic, Guterres fought for migrants rights as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.

He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, anchoring his country to the European Union and working to raise living standards.

He has laid out three priorities for change: working for peace, supporting sustainable development and improving internal UN management.

One issue looms above the others, however.

My deepest regret on leaving office is the continuing nightmare in Syria, Ban recently declared.

The UN has looked on helplessly as the Syrian army laid siege to the rebel stronghold of Aleppo, the countrys second city, backed by Russia and Iran.

Their sole concession to the UN was to allow a small handful of observers to follow the evacuation of thousands of civilians.

Too little, too late, one diplomat said.

During almost six years of war, Russia has protected its Syrian ally from Western pressure by using its veto in the Security Council to torpedo resolutions over the conflict six times.

Guterres inherits the portfolio with Moscow and Ankara spearheading a nationwide ceasefire effort.

Russia is pushing a political solution to the crisis that would hugely favor Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, reinforced by his conquest of Aleppo.

Western diplomats believe the incoming UN chief should put his own ideas on a settlement forward fairly quickly, without binding himself to any formal peace plan.

For the time being, he is keeping his cards close to the chest, another diplomat said.

Vowing to engage personally in conflict resolution, Guterres has remained vague about his plans.

We need more, mediation, arbitration and preventive diplomacy, he has said.

However, Ban has already gone through two Syria mediators -- Kofi Annan and Lakhdar Brahimi, who both resigned -- before appointing Staffan de Mistura, who has appeared exasperated over the UNs powerlessness over the conflict.

Time for reform

The same helplessness and at times disunity has marked the UNs response to the civil war that ravaged South Sudan for three years. A US initiative to impose an arms embargo failed, winning only seven votes from the 15 countries that sit on the Security Council.

The approximately 13,000 peacekeepers deployed in the country have been criticized for failing to protect the civilians crowding UN bases.

Elsewhere on the continent, accusations of rape have permanently tarnished the reputation of UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic.

Guterres has acknowledged the criticism, saying it is time for the United Nations to recognize its shortcomings and to reform the way it works.

The United Nations needs to be nimble, efficient and effective.

He has already begun implementing one of his promises -- working toward gender parity -- by appointing three women from developing countries to key positions, including Nigerias environment minister Amina Mohammed as deputy secretary general.

The main unknown is the impact Trumps presidency will have on the UN and global affairs.

The Republican billionaire has shown mistrust and even a degree of contempt toward the United Nations and threatened to revisit the Paris climate change agreement, one of Bans biggest successes.

That has caused concern, given he is the future leader of the UNs main donor, which contributes 22 percent of its budget.

Its also unclear what effect a US-Russia rapprochement -- something Trump advocates -- would have on the Security Council.

Last week, Trump sought in vain to prevent the council from adopting a resolution denouncing Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, after which he tweeted: As to the UN, things will be different after January 20.
A Rio de Janeiro police officer confessed to murdering Greeces ambassador to Brazil, possibly at the direction of the diplomats Brazilian wife with whom the policeman was romantically involved, Globo TV reported on Friday, citing police sources.

Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was missing since Monday night. Francoise, his Brazilian wife and the mother of their 10-year-old daughter, reported him missing to police on Wednesday.

Globo TV reported on Friday afternoon that officer Sergio Moreira, 29, confessed to killing the ambassador on Monday night in the Rio de Janeiro home the Amiridis owned in Nova Iguacu, a hardscrabble neighbourhood in Rios sprawling and violent northern outskirts.

Globo TV reported that investigators said they believed Francoise and Moreira had arranged the murder in advance.

Both Amiridis wife and the officer were in custody, but it was not clear if they had retained lawyers.

Police and Rio state security officials declined to comment on the Globo report and their investigation.

The Greek embassy in Brasilia declined to comment.

In Athens, Greek foreign ministry spokesman Stratos Efthymiou said the government had no comment.

Amiridis served as Greeces consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004. He was Greeces ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016.

Globo reported that two other suspects were in custody, but they were not identified.

The O Globo newspaper earlier reported that blood was found on a couch inside the home. Globo TV on Friday showed police carrying a sofa into police headquarters.

A burned corpse was found on Thursday evening inside the car that Amiridis and his wife had rented. It was parked under a highway overpass in the area where the couple had been staying.

On Thursday, police confirmed that the ambassador had been missing since Monday night, when he was last seen leaving the Rio home he shared with his wife.

The incident is another blow to Rios image, just four months after it hosted the Summer Olympics.

The neighbourhood where the car was found is dominated by powerful and politically connected armed groups comprised mostly of off-duty or retired police and firefighters who control vast areas. They often extort residents in exchange for keeping drug gangs from taking over the areas.

The armed groups have grown for several years and often curry favour with local politicians by promising to deliver votes from entire neighbourhoods as long as authorities allow them to carry out their crimes.

Crime in Rio has been rising and the state is deeply indebted, often unable to pay police and other salaries on time, if at all.
South Koreas government closed its website that drew fury for showing the number of women in childbearing age by each city district and region.

The ministry of the interiors website featuring the pink birth map remained closed on Friday, a day after its launch, showing instead a notice that the site is undergoing corrections to reflect public opinion.

The website had gone offline after just a few hours following criticism the government is trying to shame women for not having babies. Some said the government treated the birth rate issue as concerning only women, pointing out that no picture of men was used on the website.

Using pink as the main colour, the site contained information on birth rates, benefits from local governments on child rearing, average marriage age and other data. On top of the website, it showed a picture of a woman kissing a little girl.

In the birth map, the regions with a higher number of female residents aged 15-49 were coloured in dark pink while the regions with a lower number of such women were shown in light pink. The site also featured a ranking of regions by the number of women aged 15-49.

Users could look up how many women who can have a baby resided in their neighbourhood for the past 10 years.

Many users reacted with wonder and anger, saying they do not understand what the number of women who can get pregnant has to do with encouraging people to have more babies.

I felt so angered that it blatantly showed how the government saw womens body as the countrys reproductive tools, not that belonging to the woman, said Lee Min-kyung, a 24-year-old feminism writer. I felt like nothing has changed and the hatred of women that I have experienced appeared again.

The government had touted it as a tool to increase the publics understanding of the countrys low birth rate and compare the benefits from local governments for having a baby or raising a child.

It was established to encourage local governments to learn and compare other governments benefits and to promote free competition, the ministry said in the press release distributed at the time of its launch. Calls seeking comments were not answered Friday.

South Korea is struggling to boost its rock bottom birth rate, one of the lowest among rich countries. This year, the country also saw growth of vocal feminist movements protesting misogynist views reflected in government policies and pop culture.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has taken the unusual step of distancing her government from President Barack Obamas criticism of Israel.

A spokesman for May said the British government does not think it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally.

The comments made Thursday were in response to US Secretary of State John Kerrys outspoken speech challenging the Israeli governments policy on settlement expansion and other issues.

Mays spokesman, speaking anonymously in line with government rules, said it was wrong to focus solely on the settlement issue when the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is so complex.

The comments bring Britains government more closely into line with the view of President-elect Donald Trump, who has said the Obama administration is being far too harsh toward Israel.

A US State Department spokesperson, speaking anonymously in line with government policy, said the US was surprised by Mays statement since Kerrys remarks were in line with the UKs own longstanding policy.

The spokesperson said Kerrys speech had generated support from many countries including Germany, France, Jordan, Egypt and others.
Two glamorous Indo-Canadian sisters, detained in Nigeria on charges linked to extortion and cyberbullying, have apologised for their actions in a video posted by a website in the African country.

The sisters, Kiranjot and Taranjot Matharoo, better known as Kiran and Jyoti and residents of Toronto, appear in the video apologising to Nigerian oil tycoon Femi Otedola and his family.

They were arraigned in a Lagos court on December 23 and remanded to custody, according to reports in the Nigerian media. The local media alleged they operated a notorious website Naijagistlive, which featured salacious gossip about the private lives of prominent Nigerians, and insinuated it was a platform for blackmail.

In the video, Jyoti reads out a statement from a cellphone, in which she says, The intention was not to hurt anyone or to be malicious. The intention was not to extort anyone. She also asserted, We havent received any money from this website.

The Matharoo sisters spent time in Jaipur during their visit to India in 2015 and hung out at a luxury hotel there. (Matropolitan blog)

Politics Nigeria alleged the sisters got into trouble after Otedola, an oil billionaire, filed a complaint against them.

While the scandal has roiled Nigeria in recent days, it also received attention in Canada. Reports in the Canadian media said the government is providing consular assistance to the sisters.

The sisters appear to have modelled themselves after Americas Kardashian clan, according to their posts on Instagram and Flickr. They seem to have maintained a jet-setting lifestyle, travelling to the beach resort of Nassau in the Bahamas, Las Vegas, New York, Paris and Lagos, and even posing in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra.

That trip to India in the summer of 2015 also took them to Ludhiana, New Delhi and Jaipur, where they posed poolside at a luxury hotel.

The Matharoo sisters in India in 2015. (Matropolitan blog)

The sisters have a sizeable social media presence, with more than 50,000 followers between the two on Instagram, where they regularly posted images of themselves.

They also chronicled their chic life on a blog, Matropolitan. Those accounts remain online though the last posts on their blog date back to December 9, just before their legal wrangle in Lagos.
Pakistans foreign office rejected a new formula for evaluation of the candidature of those who are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for the Nuclear Suppliers Group membership.

At a weekly media briefing on Thursday, foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said, This will be clearly discriminatory and will contribute nothing in terms of furthering the non-proliferation objectives of the NSG, Dawn News reported.

Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina had been appointed as a facilitator for discussions among the NSG members after Seoul plenary meeting of the 48-nation nuclear trade cartel ended in a stalemate over membership applications from India and Pakistan.

Read: NSG draft rule may allow India in, but leave Pakistan out

The deadlock persisted at the extraordinary plenary held in Vienna last month.

Ambassador Grossi this month submitted a two-page revised document to the NSG member countries containing a nine-point proposal on considering the applications of India and Pakistan, both of whom are non-NPT countries.

The NSG members last week again met in Vienna to discuss a document called revised version of a draft Exchange of Notes for Non-NPT applicants.

Pakistan, Zakaria said, continues to emphasise the imperative for a non-discriminatory criteria-based approach for the NSG membership of non-NPT states in a non-discriminatory manner.

Read: Pakistan opposed to exemptions for India to enter Nuclear Suppliers Group

Such a criteria-based approach will further the non-proliferation objective of the NSG as well as the objective of strategic stability in South Asia, he said.

The spokesman reminded the NSG members of the heavy responsibility they bore with respect to admission of non-NPT states. It is important for the credibility of the NSG and the future of the non-proliferation regime that the NSG be seen as a rule-based organisation rather than a grouping which is driven by commercial and political considerations that trump its non-proliferation objectives.
Pakistans former army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif is expected to be appointed as a defence advisor of a Saudi Arabia-led military alliance of 39 countries, according to a media report.

Sharif, who arrived in Saudi Arabia as a royal guest in a special plane, will attend a grand reception being hosted in his honour in Riyadh, the capital of the kingdom, The News International reported. The reception will also be attended by members of the royal family.

The Joint Command Centre, headquarters of the military alliance, is located in Riyadh.

The Saudi-led coalition, involving several Arab nations, launched a military operation in Yemen in March 2015 after Houthis drove out the government led by President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is believed to be in exile in Saudi Arabia.

According to Saudi Arabia, the alliance is formed to fight the Islamic State and other militant outfits.

At the time of its constitution, there were 34 countries in the alliance which has raised to 39. The countries include Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen and others.
President Vladimir Putin decided on Friday not to expel any US diplomats in a shock move by Moscow after President Barack Obama unleashed a barrage of retaliatory measures for alleged Russian meddling in the American election.

Russia reserves the right to retaliate to US sanctions over hacking but will watch policy moves of president-elect Donald Trump after he enters the White House next month, Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin.

We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone, Putin said.

Reserving the right to retaliatory measures, we...will be planning our next steps in restoring the US-Russian relations based on the policies pursued by the administration of president Donald Trump.

Putin said he regretted that the Obama administration was ending its term in such a way.

Read: US intel accuses Putin of personally directing election hack

Earlier, Russia appeared poised to respond to Obamas decision to kick out 35 suspected intelligence agents, impose sanctions on two intelligence agencies and shutter two Russian compounds in the US in the furious dispute over alleged election interference.

Trump said while he believes the US should move on to bigger and better things, he would meet with intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation.

Obamas sanctions could easily be pulled back by Trump, who has insisted the president and Democrats are merely attempting to delegitimise his election.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said his ministry and other agencies had suggested that Putin should order the expulsion of 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US consulate in St Petersburg.

Another suggestion in response to Obamas sanctions was barring American diplomats from using their summer retreat on the outskirts of Moscow and a warehouse south of the city.

Lavrov said the allegations that Russia interfered in the US elections were baseless. He also said Russia would not let the US sanctions on Russian intelligence agencies unanswered.

Obama delivered on a promise to punish Putins government for allegedly trying to tilt the 2016 election in Trumps favor and unveiled the steps that will inflame tensions with both Moscow and the president-elect.

US intelligence had concluded that a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton staff emails was ordered by the Kremlin and was designed to put the Republican real estate mogul in the Oval Office.

I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian governments aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election, Obama said in a statement.

In response to the hacks  dubbed Grizzly Steppe by US officials  Obama announced sanctions against Russias military intelligence agency, known as GRU, and the FSB, the organisation that was once known as the KGB.

Read: US sanctions Russian intel agencies for poll hacking, Trump says time to move on
President Vladimir Putin rejected calls by his foreign ministry on Friday for retaliatory action against the US expulsion of Russian diplomats and sanctions in the hope of working with president-elect Donald Trump on restoration of bilateral ties.

Calling US actions irresponsible kitchen diplomacy, Putin said in Moscow: In our future steps on the way toward the restoration of Russia-United States relations, we will proceed from the policy pursued by the administration of Donald Trump.

Trump showed a similar willingness to look beyond the hacking and retaliatory action announced by President Barack Obama on Thursday, saying in a statement, Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.

The US retaliated against alleged interference by Russia in the recent elections by evicting 35 diplomats posted here and announcing sanctions against two intelligence agencies, top officials and private sector entities. American authorities also cut the Russian embassys access to two recreational compounds it owned in Maryland and New York states, alleging they were being used for intelligence activities.

Moscow could have expelled a similar number of US diplomats in retaliation and announced similar sanctions as it has in the past. But Putin and Trump have seemed eager to work with each other to reverse a worsening relationship.

The US also released a report containing declassified details of how Russian intelligence agencies carry out hacking using commandeered computers around the world without the knowledge of their owners, and the malware they use.

I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian governments aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election, Obama said in a a statement. He indicated more actions might follow.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, he said, in a thinly veiled reference to Trump, who has insisted there is no evidence of Russian involvement in the hacking, which could have been carried out by anyone.

But Trump indicated he is willing to look at the intelligence pinning Russian involvement. I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation, he said in the same statement in which he urged every one to move on.

The sanctions and measures announced on Thursday were seen as a move by the Obama administration to force Trump into a corner on improving ties with Russia, a key foreign policy objective, reversing the downward spiral of recent years.

Lifting these sanctions could pit Trump against his own party, as many senior Republican lawmakers have openly called for a congressional investigation into Russian meddling in elections and punishing Moscow for it.

Obama had vowed to retaliate and he did on Thursday. The 35 expelled diplomats were called intelligence operatives but not linked to the hacking. That was for harassment of our diplomatic personnel in Russia in recent years.

For meddling in the elections, the US sanctioned two Russian intelligence agencies, the Main Intelligence Directorate or the GRU, and the Federal Security Service, also known as FSB, the successor to the KGB of the Soviet era.

Their respective bosses  four in all  too were sanctioned, which would prevent them from travelling to the US and subject their assets in the US, which would probably be nothing, to forfeiture.

The US also named three private sector entities for helping the intelligence agencies carry out the hacking. Two other Russian individuals were designated for misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information.

US authorities released a joint analysis report by the department of homeland security and the FBI containing previously classified information known only to intelligence agencies and the cybersecurity community in the private sector.

The report contains information, for instance, on how Russian hackers used computers around the world to conduct their malicious activity in a way that makes it difficult to trace back to Russia. The report also made public details of the kind of tools  malware  Russians use, which could help network defenders and cybersecurity firms to block them, forcing Russians to come up with something new.

The report also contains general information about how Russian intelligence carries out attacks, which could help network defenders better identify new tactics or techniques that a malicious actor might deploy or detect and disrupt an ongoing intrusion.
Russian aircraft have carried out three air strikes on Islamic State around the Syrian town of al-Bab over the past 24 hours, the Turkish military said on Friday, in what appeared to be the first Russian support for Turkish army operations in the area.

The strikes came as a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start at midnight. Islamic State is not included in that agreement.

Read: Syria ceasefire comes into effect, rebels clash with forces in some parts

NATO member Turkey launched an incursion into Syria, dubbed Euphrates Shield, more than four months ago to drive Islamic State militants away from the border region. Turkish-backed Syrian rebel forces have besieged al-Bab for several weeks.

In a daily round-up of its military operations in the region, the Turkish military said it had received information that 12 Islamic State fighters had been killed in the Russian air strikes around al-Bab. It said the targets had been in the town and directly to its south.

Separately, the army said one Turkish soldier was killed and five wounded in an Islamic State attack to the south of al Azraq, west of al-Bab.

It said Turkish warplanes also carried out air strikes in the areas of al-Bab and Daglabash, destroying 17 IS targets and killing 26 militants.

Turkey on Monday called on members of the US-led coalition against Islamic State to provide air support for the operation around al-Bab, support which as yet has not been forthcoming.

Turkeys Syrian operations are also designed to prevent the Kurdish YPG militia, which it regards a terrorist group, from joining up cantons it controls along the Turkish border, fearing that would embolden Kurdish separatism at home.
Russia moved on Friday to expel 35 US diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to President Barack Obama unleashing a barrage of retaliatory measures against Moscow for meddling in the American election.

In televised remarks, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said his ministry and other agencies had suggested that President Vladimir Putin order the expulsion of 31 employees of the US Embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US consulate in St Petersburg.

Another suggestion in response to sanctions imposed by Obama was to bar American diplomats from using their summer retreat on the outskirts of Moscow and a warehouse south of the city.

Lavrov said the allegations that Russia interfered in the US elections were baseless. He also said Russia would not leave the US sanctions on Russian intelligence agencies unanswered.

Russia began eying retaliatory measures after Obama kicked out 35 suspected intelligence agents, imposed sanctions on two intelligence agencies and shuttered two Russian compounds in the US in the furious dispute over alleged election interference.

Obama delivered on a promise to punish Putins government for allegedly trying to tilt the 2016 election in Donald Trumps favor and unveiled the steps that will inflame tensions with both Moscow and the president-elect.

Read | US intelligence accuses Putin of personally directing election hack

US intelligence had concluded that a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton staff emails was ordered by the Kremlin and was designed to put the Republican real estate mogul in the Oval Office.

I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian governments aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election, Obama said in a statement.

In response to the hacks  dubbed Grizzly Steppe by US officials  Obama announced sanctions against Russias military intelligence agency, known as GRU, and the FSB, the organisation that was once known as the KGB.

The Obama administration also sought to expose Russias cyber tactics with a detailed technical report and hinted it might still launch a covert counterattack. All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, said Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii. Such activities have consequences.

Trump said while he believes the US should move on to bigger and better things, he would meet with intelligence leaders next week for a briefing on the situation.

Obamas sanctions could easily be pulled back by Trump, who has insisted that the president and Democrats are merely attempting to delegitimise his election.

Read | US sanctions Russian intelligence agencies for poll hacking, Trump says time to move on
A nationwide ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and Turkey was in effect early Friday, a potentially major breakthrough in the nearly six-year conflict, despite reports of isolated clashes.

The deal, which does not include designated terrorists like the Islamic State group, was announced hours earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition.

Read: Syria army, opposition confirm nationwide truce

While the truce was standing in most parts of the country early Friday, some fighting broke out near a Christian town in central Hama province with Islamist factions attacking regime forces, according to a monitoring group.

Fierce clashes took place between the two sides pushing regime forces to withdraw from a hill near Maharda, Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.

Small rebel groups and armed loyalists are seeking to destroy the truce because it puts an end to their presence, he said.

Damaged buildings in al-Rai town, northern Aleppo countryside, Syria. (Reuters photo)

Elsewhere, the ceasefire was reported to be holding.

According to an AFP correspondent in Eastern Ghouta, the shelling and airstrikes stopped for more than one hour in the region after intensive shelling and raids on Thursday.

AFP correspondents in Damascus and Idlib said there had been no sound of shelling, airstrikes or clashes since midnight.

The agreement, hailed by Syrias government as a real opportunity to find a political solution to the war, comes a week after the regime recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

The deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, but does not involve Washington, which has negotiated previous ceasefires with Moscow.

Putin said Damascus and the main forces of the armed opposition had inked a truce and a document expressing a readiness to start peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a historic opportunity to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Putin said he will also reduce Moscows military contingent in Syria, which has been flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad since last year.

The impact of Russian forces in Syria. (AFP photo)

The Kremlin strongman, however, said Russia will continue to fight terrorism in Syria and maintain its support for the regime. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said seven opposition groups, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, had signed the deal and those who failed to adhere will be considered terrorists.

Erdogan indicated Turkey will press on with its four-month incursion into Syria against Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish militia.

Astana peace talks

Syrias army said the deal did not include IS and the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front.

That could cause complications in areas like Idlib in northwestern Syria, where Fateh al-Sham is allied with rebel groups that have signed onto the deal.

Syrias political opposition and rebels had confirmed their backing for the truce, saying it applied to all parts of the country.

The agreement is for all of Syria and contains no exceptions or preconditions, said Osama Abou Zeid, a legal adviser to rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner.

The agreement comes after Turkey and Russia brokered a deal to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

A boy, evacuee from a rebel-held area of Aleppo, carries blankets received as aid in al-Kamouneh camp, Idlib province, Syria. (Reuters photo)

Moscow and Ankara are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start soon in Kazakhstans capital Astana.

Now we need to do everything for these agreements to come into force, for them to work, so that the negotiating teams that have been or are being formed promptly and as soon as possible arrive in Astana, Putin said.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement will pave the way for productive talks in Kazakhstan, but also reiterated he wanted negotiations mediated by his office to continue early next year.

Positive development

Russia and Turkey have both said the peace talks that they will supervise were meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them entirely.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia, Turkey and Iran were arranging for the talks and pressing for other key international players to get involved.

Lavrov said Moscow will invite Egypt and try to attract other regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan.

He added that Moscow will seek to involve US President-elect Donald Trumps administration once he takes office in less than a month, but the process does not appear to involve outgoing President Barack Obamas administration.

The complex web of alliances and relations in the Syrian conflict. (AFP photo)

The US state department called the ceasefire deal a positive development and said it hoped it would lead to fresh negotiations on Syrias political future.

Abou Zeid confirmed the truce deal was intended to pave the way for new talks in Astana, with the High Negotiations Committee -- which has represented the opposition at previous negotiations -- expected to participate.

Turkey has long backed Syrias opposition, and its relations with Russia soured last year after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane.

But the two countries have worked closely of late on Syria, and Turkey was conspicuously quiet as Assads forces retook Aleppo.
A nationwide ceasefire was holding across most of Syria on Friday but clashes near Damascus underlined the fragility of the deal brokered by Turkey and Russia.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government and rebel forces were fighting in the Wadi Barada area, where opposition fighters have cut water supplies to the capital.

A resident confirmed the sound of shelling in the area on Friday morning.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said it was unclear who had started the clashes, with both sides blaming the other.

Syrias government had been shelling the area before the truce began at midnight as it pushes rebels there to accept a reconciliation deal and leave the area.

Among the forces present there is former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, which Syrias government says is excluded from the ceasefire.

Opposition figures however say the truce applies to all opposition-held territory, even where Fateh al-Sham is present.

Last week, rebels attacked water infrastructure in Wadi Barada and neighbouring Ain al-Fijeh, cutting supplies to the capital.

Four million people in Damascus and its suburbs have now been without water for a week, the UN says.

The clashes in Wadi Barada were the most serious of several isolated incidents of violence since the truce began.

The Observatory reported early morning clashes in the central province of Hama between the government and jihadist fighters.

Elsewhere, AFP correspondents in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held area outside Damascus, and Idlib province in northwest Syria reported quiet.

Real opportunity

The ceasefire is the first nationwide truce to be implemented in the country since September, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan being organised by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Syrias government hailed it as a real opportunity to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

It was also welcomed by key regime ally Iran as a major achievement.

And despite being left out of the process, Washington also described the truce as a positive development.

Analysts were cautious but said the involvement of key regime backers Russia and Iran along with rebel supporter Turkey could be important.

Sam Heller, fellow at The Century Foundation, said there was real interest and urgency from Moscow and Ankara, but expressed doubts about whether Iran and Syrias government were on board.

All indications are that Iran and the regime want to continue towards a military conclusion, he said.

He said renewed fighting in Wadi Barada or Eastern Ghouta near the capital could pose major threats to the truce.

The agreement comes a week after the regime, which is backed by ally Russia, recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would now reduce Moscows military contingent in Syria, which has been fighting on behalf of the government since last year.

But he added Russia would continue to fight terrorism and maintain its support for the government.

Talks in Astana

Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also emphasised that Ankara would continue the operation it began in August targeting the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters.

Moscow says seven key rebel groups have signed up to the deal, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham faction, but the truce does not include jihadists such as IS or Fateh al-Sham.

But Syrias political opposition and rebels said the truce applied to all parts of the country.

The agreement includes a ceasefire in all areas held by the moderate opposition, or by the moderate opposition and elements from Fateh al-Sham, such as Idlib province, said Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the National Coalition opposition body.

Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Turkey and Russia have worked increasingly closely on Syria, brokering a deal this month to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

They are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start next month in Kazakhstans capital Astana.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would pave the way for productive talks, but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue next year.

Russia and Turkey say the Astana peace talks are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them.

Along with Turkey and Iran, Moscow says it wants to work with regional powers Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan on the talks.

Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow said it hoped to bring US President-elect Donald Trumps administration on board once he takes office in January.
Asli Erdogan, one of Turkeys most celebrated novelists, was released from jail Thursday, looking exhausted after 132 days of pre-trial detention, declaring that she could barely believe she was free.

The writer has been in prison on charges of terror propaganda on account of her links to a pro-Kurdish newspaper, in a case that has caused an international outcry over freedom of expression.

I do not realise it yet, I am in shock, she said, appearing drawn, tired and emotional in front of the Bakirkoy womens prison in Istanbul.

They take you and throw you into a hole. Its very hard, its like Im still inside, she added, before bursting into tears.

An Istanbul court ordered that Erdogan and Necmiye Alpay, an internationally prominent linguist, be released.

The pair were taken into custody in August as part of a probe into the now shut-down newspaper Ozgur Gundem, which Turkish authorities say is a mouthpiece for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

But the fate of Erdogan and Alpay, author of widely praised translations of Western novels into Turkish who had been in custody for 120 days, is still unclear.

The case against them remains active and they could still face life imprisonment if convicted. The next hearing is scheduled for January 2.

Asked by reporters what she had missed most in prison, Erdogan -- no relation to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the name is common in Turkey -- replied without hesitation: The sea... dancing, ballet, classical music.

I am a writer

The court also ordered the release of Ozgur Gundems editorial director Zana Kaya.

But it then emerged that a leading investigative journalist had been detained in a separate case. Ahmet Sik is accused of making terror propaganda and denigrating the Turkish Republic, the judicial authorities and police said, according to state-run Anadolu news agency.

He was arrested over a succession of tweets about the PKK, as well as articles for the Cumhuriyet opposition daily that criticised Turkish secret services.

Earlier Thursday, in her defence statement to a packed court in Istanbul, Erdogan ridiculed the charges against her. I will defend myself as if the laws existed, she said, quoted by the Hurriyet daily.

I am a writer and the purpose of my existence is to tell a story.

Erdogan, 49, and Alpay, 70, and seven other suspects -- who could also face life in jail -- linked to Ozgur Gundem have been charged in the case but not all have been under arrest.

Erdogan has published several well-received novels including The City in Crimson Cloak, which has also been translated into English.

They are being prosecuted for writings and thoughts that are in no way reprehensible according to Turkish law, said Baris Yarkadas, Istanbul MP for the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP).

Activists worry about a drastically worsening climate for journalists in Turkey, in particular since the state of emergency imposed in the wake of the July 15 coup attempt to topple President Erdogan.

According to the P24 Platform for Independent Journalism, 118 journalists have been arrested during the state of emergency, 80 of them within the coup probe.

Imams Army

The author of several books, Sik is one of the best-known journalists in the country and had already endured a lengthy spell in jail from 2011-2012.

He was imprisoned for 375 days during the investigation into the so-called Ergenekon alleged coup plot against the government.

That case was strongly supported by Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric whom Ankara blames for the failed putsch against President Erdogan.

But the convictions were quashed and suspects released amid accusations Gulen had perverted the process.

He has won numerous awards, including the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in 2014.

Siks books include one of the few full-scale investigations into the group of Gulen, the former ally of President Erdogan and now his arch foe.

The book, called The Imams Army examines how Gulen supporters infiltrated the Turkish bureaucracy and built up an alliance with the ruling party that has since collapsed.

The book had not even been published when Sik was arrested in March 2011 and was eventually released in November 2011 under the title 000Kitap (000Book), causing a sensation with its author still in jail.
A UK-based Sikh campaign group on Thursday said it has launched an appeal to make public the secret files believed to hold details of Britains alleged involvement in the 1984 Operation Bluestar that killed hundreds of people.

Sikh Federation UKs appeal with the UKs Information Tribunal is expected to be heard early next year.

It centres around four files withheld during an official UK government inquiry ordered by former prime minister David Cameron into Britains alleged involvement in the military action on Golden Temple in 1984. The first tier tribunal will consider this case in the New Year and it will be inappropriate to comment any further, a UK cabinet office spokesperson said.

The files include one titled UK/Indian relations: Situation in Punjab; activities of Sikh extremists; proposed visit to UK by Rajiv Gandhi in June 1985. The other documents include a Joint Intelligence Committee file on India; one with details of then British PM Margaret Thatchers meetings with a close adviser of Indira Gandhi; and other papers under India: Political related to events around Indira Gandhis assassination in October 1984.

Sikh Federation UK, which believes the closed files will shed more light on the extent of Britains alleged involvement in the military operation in Amritsar, had earlier complained to the UKs information commissioner to make these documents public but it was decided to keep the files closed as they were too sensitive.

The group has now issued an appeal against this decision on the grounds that the commissioner did not take into account the thousands of civilian casualties during the Amritsar massacre as a public interest factor in favour of disclosing the information.

In 2014, Cameron had ordered the Heywood Review into the exact nature of British involvement in the operation at Golden Temple in June 1984 after documents released previously under the 30-year declassification rule had implied British SAS commanders had advised the Indian government as it drew up plans for the removal of militants from the Sikh shrine. The report concluded that the nature of the UKs assistance was purely advisory and provided to the Indian government at an early stage of planning.
A drone strike in Yemen likely carried out by US forces on Thursday killed a local al-Qaeda chief and his guard, a security official said.

The strike hit a vehicle at Sawmaa in Al-Bayda province, killing Jalal al-Seydi, who was the emir of al-Qaeda in the town of Loder, in the neighbouring southern province of Abyan, the official said.

The United States is the only country operating drones over Yemen, but it only sporadically reports on the long-running bombing campaign against the countrys powerful al-Qaeda branch.

The US authorities consider al-Qaedas Yemen-based franchise, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to be its most dangerous.

AQAP and the Islamic State group have exploited a power vacuum created by the conflict between the government and Shia Huthi rebels to expand their presence in Yemen, especially in the south and southeast.
The US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group is likely to have killed civilians in an air strike on a hospital car park in northern Iraq on Thursday, officials said.

The Iraqi army, supported by the coalition, began the second phase of its offensive to retake Iraqs second city of Mosul, which has been under IS control for more than two years.

The coalition aircraft targeted a van carrying ISIL fighters in the area, according to CENTCOM, the US military command for the Middle East, using an alternate acronym for the IS group.

The strike took place in what was later determined to be a hospital compound parking lot resulting in possible civilian casualties, a statement read.

IS fighters had been observed firing an anti-tank gun before loading the weapon in the van and driving off, CENTCOM added, promising the incident will be fully investigated and the findings released in a timely and transparent manner.

The coalition said it was taking extensive precautions to avoid killing civilians during its bombings of IS group targets. It routinely uses precision-guided bombs or missiles to hit targets that are often observed by drones for hours before being hit.

But the coalition has already admitted to killing at least 173 civilians in its strikes in Iraq and Syria since the start of its campaign against the IS group, a number which independent observers believe is greatly understated.

The London-based NGO Airwars estimates the coalition campaign has actually killed more than 2,000 civilians.
The United States retaliated Thursday to alleged interference by Russia in recent elections by evicting 35 of its diplomats posted here and announcing sanctions against its intelligence agencies and top officials and private sector entities.

American authorities also cut Russian embassys access to two recreational compounds it owned in Maryland and New York states, alleging they were being used for carrying out intelligence activities, but gave no details.

And they released a report containing declassified details of how Russian intelligence agencies carry out hacking using commandeered computers around the world without the knowledge of their owners, and the malware they use.

I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian governments aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election, President Barack Obama said in a a statement. He indicated more actions may follow.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, he added, in a thinly veiled reference to President-elect Donald Trump, who has insisted there was no evidence of Russian hand in the hacking, which could have been carried out by anyone.

The sanctions and measures announced Thursday was also seen as an attempt by the Obama administration to force Trump into a corner on improving ties with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin, one of his key foreign policy objectives.

Lifting these sanctions could pit him against his own Republican party, whose many senior lawmakers have openly called for a congressional investigation into Russian meddling in elections and punishing Moscow for them.

Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things, Trump said in a statement, but added, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

The entire US intelligence community, comprising 16 separate entities, issued a statement in October fingering Russia for the hacking of Democratic National Committee computer system networks, and later accused Putin of personal involvement.

Moscow, which has denied any role in the hacking or rejected allegations that it interfered in US elections, has said US actions announced Thursday were being studied and a reciprocal response can be expected.

The US has called the 35 expelled diplomats intelligence operatives but did not link them to the hacking. Their expulsion was blamed on harassment of our diplomatic personnel in Russia by security personnel and police over last two years.

For meddling in elections, the US has sanctioned two of Russia top intelligence agencies, the Main Intelligence Directorate (also known as GRU), and the Federal Security Service (also known as FSB, successor to USSRs KGB).

Their respective bosses  four in all  have also been sanctioned, which would prevent them from traveling to the US and subject their assets in the US, which would probably be nothing, to forfeiture, as of their agencies.

The US also named three private sector entities for helping the intelligence agencies carry out the hacking. Two other Russian individuals were designated for misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information.

US authorities also released a joint analysis report by the department of homeland security and the FBI containing previously classified information known only to US intelligence and the cybersecurity community in the private sector.

The report contains information, for instance, on how Russian intelligence hackers use computers around the world without their owners knowledge to conduct their malicious activity in a way that makes it difficult to trace back to Russia.

The report also makes public details of the kind of tools  malware  Russians use, which could help network defenders and cybersecurity firms to block them, forcing Russians to come up with something new.

The report also contains general information about how Russian intelligence carry out attacks, which could network defenders better identify new tactics or techniques that a malicious actor might deploy or detect and disrupt an ongoing intrusion.

US intelligence has alleged that Russian state hackers attacked Democratic partys network and passed on the stolen data to WikiLeaks that released them in small tranches in the concluding stages of the presidential campaign.

The intention, US intelligence has said, was to undermine Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who, as secretary of state, had earned Putins wrath for criticizing his election in 2011 and helped Trump win the presidency.

Clinton has blamed her defeat on the hacking  calling it an attack on the US  and the release of a letter from FBI director James Comey about investigations into her use of a private email server in the end stages of the campaign.
Death came for Tom Waggoner at the end of a rope strung from a cottonwood tree in Wyoming on June 4, 1891. More than two weeks passed from the time of the lynching before anyone found his body, its feet resting on the ground and legs bent, as the rope had stretched before rigor mortis set in. The rope had cut through the flesh after it became rotten, and maggots held high carnival over the lifeless body, The Newcastle Journal reported. His face had turned black, half his mustache had sloughed off, and his eyes had swollen and burst. According to the June 10 Journal, public opinion handled Waggoners name rather recklessly in connection with the disappearance of livestock.

The hanging was one in a series of violent acts orchestrated by Wyomings cattle barons in the lead-up to the 1892 Johnson County War. Notable incidents included the double lynching of Ellen Liddy Cattle Kate Watson and Jim Averill in 1889, and the attempted murder of Nathan D. Nate Champion and Ross Gilbertson just five months after the Waggoner lynching.

At the time of his death Waggoner was in his early 30s, of medium height and build, with a swarthy complexion and dark, beady eyes. He was not known for being particularly sociable or hospitable, which left locals in the dark about his doings. The cattlemen and their range detectives said Waggoner was an abominable thief and middleman who simply stole any horses he could catch, changed their brands and branded their colts.

The district court had recently indicted Waggoner for living with a woman named Rosa Chuler. That in turn prompted a follow-up visit by local authorities, including Joe Elliott, a range detective for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association who was developing a reputation as a ruthless enforcer. The men compelled Tom to marry Rosa, who some said was mentally deficient. She had borne two children by Waggoner and was expecting a third when he was lynched in June.

The family lived a wretched existence.  Everything was squalor and misery and filth, the Journal reported on what investigators found that summer. Their log hovel comprised two rooms separated by a covered way in which a buggy was stored. One room was a stable. The living space held scarcely a stick of furniture, not even a bed. There was nothing but a bench, a few boxes and short logs turned on end as seats.

According to reports in The Buffalo Bulletin, Waggoner worked as a criminal middleman, selling off horses other parties had stolen from as far away as Idaho. Range detective William C. Billy Lykins shared a telling story with Elliott about Waggoners doings, an account that has the ring of authority. Elliott related the story to interviewer B.W. Hope in the early 1940s. Lykins claimed Waggoner had stolen several fine horses from a group of passing emigrants, and once the pilgrims had soaked long enough, he paid them a neighborly visit. When they told him their horses had been stolen, Waggoner, feigning ignorance, said the big cattlemen had stolen stock from him, too. He told them he knew where their horses were, who had them, and offered to get them back. Thanking Waggoner, the unwitting group wrote out a bill of sale to cover him if confronted while bringing in their horses. Waggoner then brought in a bunch of cayuses hed found in the hills and wished the emigrants well in their travels. As soon as theyd moved on, he took the horses hed stolen down to Lincoln, Neb., and, with bill of sale in hand, sold them.

Elliott claimed Waggoner had also stolen a team of good horses from him and changed their brands. The horses, however, got away and came straight back to Elliott. He learned the nature of their disappearance when a pair of Waggoners hired hands informed on their boss. Sometime later Elliott entered a liquor store in Merino (present-day Upton, Wyo.) to find Waggoner perched on a barrel. When Elliott confronted him about stealing the horses and doctoring the brands, Waggoner replied, What the hell are you going to do about it? At that Elliott took off his hat and smacked Waggoner across the face with it.

To Elliotts surprise Waggoner did nothing. I thought hed get up, but he didnt, the cattleman recalled. I threatened then to get him, and when he turned up missing, everybody put two and two together and knew that I was the man who had done that job. Elliott said hed get himand hes done it. Yet even as he seemed to admit his own guilt, Elliott claimed to have learned of the killing through Waggoners wife, Rosa.

About an hour after sunrise on June 4 three riders showed up at Waggoners ranch with a bay packhorse in tow. Rosa thought they were dressed suspiciously, as if to avoid recognition. They asked for directions and left, then returned two hours later. Rosa said one of the men had red hair and a red mustache, which she thought looked false. He was wearing a cap with fur earflaps, goggles, blue overalls and a black leather coat. That man stood 6 or 8 inches taller than her husband. Another she described as heavyset and wearing a full-length slicker. The third, she said, was middle-sized.

Rosa said the bigger man walked up to Tom and said, We want to get rid of you. That should have been warning enough for the couple, but Tom continued to chat calmly with Rosa, telling her he thought the men were cow owners, though he didnt recognize any of them.

But then one of the bigger men drew a gun, while the middle-sized man took Waggoners revolver and handcuffed him. The trio took him to the corral, retrieved a saddle from the stable and readied Waggoners horse. After hoisting Waggoner into the saddle, the men tied his feet beneath the horse.

John Waggoner, Toms brother, lived on the ranch and was present that morning. He claimed to have recognized one of the trio as a former hand with the Hash Knife outfit, and that two of the men had taken part in a recent local roundup. The men, however, claimed to be sheriffs from Sundance and rode off with their captive.

When Toms riderless horse arrived back on the ranch nearly two weeks later, an alarmed John Waggoner headed into Merino to find Ed Fitch, a local who might know something about his brothers arrest. Fitch suggested they ask Elliott, who had been riding that country and would know of any outstanding warrants.

I had a good idea what must have happened, Elliott recalled of his reaction to the news of Toms disappearance. I said, Hes been hung. 

According to Elliott, the men then rode out to search the ranch. They [Fitch and Waggoner] went down one gulch, Elliott said, and I went down another, and I found him. To avoid any suspicion of involvement in the crime, however, he said nothing of finding the body and instead returned to the ranch. He wanted the other two to find it. In time they did, then the three men lit out for Merino.

Returning to the ranch with a party of men, they lowered the body into a crude coffin and buried Tom near the cottonwood tree, wearing the clothes, boots and spurs hed had on when found.

News of the lynching caused a stir in the region. On June 26 the Omaha World-Heraldnoting that Waggoners reach had extended from Montana to Nebraskaspeculated that stockmen from the Big Horn Basin had hanged him, as rustlers and middlemen like Waggoner had plagued them severely for years. More of such work is to follow, the paper added. It was frequently repeated that Waggoner was to go by the necktie route. In a strange twist, the paper reported, Deputy Sheriff Fred Coates, though suspicioned as one of the hangmen, was appointed administrator of Waggoners estate.

At the time Elliott denied having had any part in the lynching, claiming instead to have been on the Rosebud River with one Sheriff Willy, pursuing a prisoner for Johnson County Sheriff William Red Angus. That may be true, but Elliott also made many self-incriminating remarks. I know that for lots of people in that country there never was any mystery about who hung [sic] Waggoner, he told interviewer Hope in the early 1940s. They know and always have known that I did it.

That wasnt the end of Joe Elliotts shady doings in Wyoming. By years end he and Sheriff Coates were rumored suspects in the attempted murder of Champion and Gilbertson in a line shack on the Powder River. The lynching of Cattle Kate and Jim Averill two years earlier, the Waggoner lynching and the attempt on Nate Champion and Ross Gilbertson were all precursors of the Johnson County War, which broke out in April 1892 (see Champion of the Johnson County War, by Ron Soodalter, in the April 2011 Wild West) and required the intervention of the U.S. Cavalry before.

Originally published in the June 2015 issue of Wild West. To subscribe, click here.
US President Barrack Obama issued sanctions to the Russian government, including the expulsion of Russia's 35 intelligence operatives on the US soil in relation to the hacking incident that affected the results of the 2016 US Presidential Elections.

Obama issued an executive order to several US government agencies giving them additional authority for responding cyber-attacks that are perpetrated by Russia that undermine the results of US election by breaching into the computer system of various US institutions.

Covered in the sanction orders are nine entities including the GRU and the FSB, two Russian intelligence services, four individual officers of the GRU, and three companies that provided support to the GRU cyber operations. The US State Department was also directed to shut down two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes. The US government has also declared 35 Russian intelligence officers as "persona non grata".

Obama also pointed out that the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are also releasing declassified technical information on Russian civilian and military intelligence service cyber activity to help network defenders in the United States and abroad identify, detect, and disrupt Russia's global campaign of malicious cyber activities.

"These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior," said Obama in a statement released by The White House.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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
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Floyd Mayweather is somewhat of an expert when it comes to strip clubs, so much so that he has decided to open his own spot in Las Vegas called Girl Collection. Floyd announced plans to open his very own strip joint over the Summer and now hes almost ready for the grand opening.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, Girl Collection will be located at 2580 S. Highland Drive, near Sahara Avenue and Interstate 15, the the site of the former Sheris Cabaret, and is expected to open soon.

Emerick [Floyds attorney] said Mayweather acquired a tavern-limited license, which allows for the sale of alcoholic beverages, and a topless club license, as well as the normal business licenses required by Las Vegas. The tavern license carries a $20,000 origination fee and an $800 semi-annual fee. Everything about Floyd is part of the procedure and everything was disclosed. Its all public record, Emerick said. Its gone very smoothly. Floyd lives in Las Vegas. Hes part of the community and he has abided by every procedure and application process and submitted everything timely and successfully.

The 6,000 sq. foot building will serve as a high end cabaret, a topless club that is allowed to serve alcohol, unlike the all-nude clubs that are prohibited from selling booze in Southern Nevada.

Girl Collection will reportedly go after high end clientele and feature multiple rooms that can be reserved for groups, as well as private one-on-one VIP rooms. Each private room has its own TV monitor, as does every urinal in the up-scale mens room. There will also be another bar upstairs in a luxurious private area that can be reserved for parties.

Mayweather is hoping the club will be open within the next month.

Girl Collection
New York City-based streetwear brand KITH are the kings of collaboration. Theyve seemingly teamed up with everyone under the sun, but are adding one more brand to their checklist: Coca-Cola. The soft drink maker may not seem like an immediate fit for a streetwear brand, but KITH makes it work. Check out shots from their latest lookbook in the gallery above.

The designs draw from all over Cokes long history, from their iconic cursive script to the polar bears from their 90s advertisements. Always looking for the esoteric, a number of the designs include Cokes branding in different languages (mostly Asia). The collections includes sweatshirts, denim jackets, hoodies, tee shirts, hats and pins. There will also be Coke Float option in the KITH Treats section of their stores if you can get to a physical location.

The collection is meant to commemorate the opening of two new KITH stores: KITH Miami and KITH Aspen. It drops tomorrow  Saturday, December 31 in store and online and will undoubtedly sell out.

Kith-CocaCola
Well heres a great story that probably wont get the attention it should. Out of the kindness of his own heart, Lil Wayne decided to make a stop at the Children Hospital in New Orleans recently, and visit a kid (named Kiron) who was shot back on December 9th and was paralyzed from the waist down after having a bullet stuck in his spine.

Wayne visited Childrens Hospital of New Orleans the day after Christmas while he was at home for the holidays, a rep reportedly told XXL. The purpose of the visit wasnt for any special reason or for publicity. He just had it on his heart to visit these kids in hopes to brighten up their holiday a little more.

If only more artists could be like the best rapper alive and do things like this. Peep the photo captured by LilWayne HQ (above) and Shaderooms (below).

Lil Wayne
Trey Songz was released from the Detroit Detention Center earlier today, after he was arrested following an onstage meltdown at the Big Show at the Joe concert last night. He began acting belligerently and throwing heavy objects after the event staff cut him off mid-performance, as he had apparently gone past his allotted set time. Police eventually rushed the stage, and according to the Detroit prosecutor, Trey struck an officer in the head, causing him to be taken to the hospital with a concussion. Trey was charged with assaulting a police officer and causing injury as well as aggravated assault.

After posting his $25,000 bail, Trey was driven away from the detention center, and on his way out, his car was greeted by a swarm of reporters as well as fans. Trey ignored the reporters, though he took the time to kiss one fan on the cheek and offer selfies to a group of overjoyed young women. Reporters tried to get a statement while he was posing for selfies, but Trey sternly told them to back off, saying, Scuse me, shes trying to take a picture.

While at the detention center, Trey apparently signed autographs for other inmates and even delivered a rendition of Silent Night, reports Koco McAboy of WDIV Detroit.

Trey is set to appear in court on January 5. Find his smiley mugshot below.

Trey Songz
Keith Avila, a 34-year-old Uber driver in Sacramento, had to play crime-stopper once he suspected some illicit activity was taking place in his vehicle. Two women got in his car with a teenage girl and asked to be driven to a nearby Holiday Inn in Elk Grove. Avila was first concerned by the girls dress, which he thought to be inappropriate for someone her age. He then overheard the women  speaking as though he wasnt present  instructing the girl about what to do once she got to the hotel. Thats when he suspected that he had found himself as a witness to a sex trafficking operation.

The women spoke of delivering the girl to a certain man at the hotel, where a monetary transaction was set to take place. Once he dropped them off, Avila drove to a safe area nearby, called police, and then went on Facebook Live to explain what had just happened in his car.

He relayed the instructions that the women had apparently given to the girl:

First thing you want to do is ask: Do you have any weapons? When youre hugging him, just ask, do you have any weapons? Pat him down. Pat him down while youre hugging him. Get the donation, first. Before you start touching him, going in there, get the donation first.

Police soon arrived at the scene and detained the two women, who turned out to be 25-year-old Destiny Pettway and 31-year-old Maria Westley. They then found the girl in a hotel room with a man who has been identified as 20-year-old Disney Vang.

The girls identity has not been disclosed, though it has been revealed that she is 16 years old and that she is a runaway. Authorities are currently trying to locate her parents or guardians, and until then, she will reportedly remain in an alternative housing situation.

Pettway and Westley were both arrested and charged with pimping and pandering. Their bail has been set at $500,000. Vang was also arrested and charged with suspicions of sexual activity with a minor, though he posted bail and was released on Tuesday.

Watch Avilas Facebook Live video below.

Uber
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The 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport is a relic from the early days of commercial aviation, a romanticized era when flying was still exciting and glamorous.

The art deco building was Houston's main aviation hub from 1940 to 1955, and it created the foundation for Houston's now extensive route network.

"It served a lot of purposes for the city of Houston," said Geoff Scripture, collections manager for the 1940 Air Terminal Museum. "It made access to the city much easier travel wise. It expanded the business end. The ability to get to far-off destinations much quicker and much more safely, including international destinations."

Today, it displays uniforms, photos and other memorabilia from those early years. The Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society began its efforts to renovate the terminal building in 1998, and it took 11 years to open the entire ground floor as a museum. Board members approved a plan in November to guide the museum's next three to five years, which includes renovating the upstairs for new exhibits, cleaning and repainting the building's exterior and improving the museum's marketing.

"It's a very important piece of history, and we all feel so passionate about it," said Amy Rogers, managing director of the museum.

Scripture, 69, has helped develop and create some of the museum's exhibits. When he's not guiding people through the various pins, banners and model aircraft, he works in the archives.

"I really don't want to start a third career, but it's hard not to get really involved in this," said Scripture, who retired from Continental Airlines in 2011 as it was consolidating with United Airlines.

Scripture likes to start his tours with the building's history. The marble floors, Texas limestone around the columns and hallways, aluminum handrails and chandelier are all original. And the terminal's first two airlines were Braniff Airways and Eastern Air Lines.

The Braniff flight attendants were famous for the so-called Braniff strip, where they removed coats and other layers during their service. And at one point, their uniforms involved a bright harlequin outfit with dress, tights and hat in the same pattern.

Near the exhibit on Eastern Air Lines, a checklist shows what flight attendants were evaluated on, such as their personality, smile, appearance, ticketing service and passenger visits. Another throwback is the display of silverware and china.

"You don't see this too much anymore unless you're sitting up in the pointy end of the airplane," Scripture said.

One of the museum's more extensive exhibits is dedicated to Continental Airlines and the carriers that preceded it, including Trans-Texas Airways that first flew in 1947.

Scripture likes to show this history through personal stories. Captain A.J. High, for instance, took his first airplane ride in 1938 from barnstormers. Barnstormers used to fly from town to town providing flights and performing aerial stunts that were impressive for those days. High taught himself to fly and was a pilot in the military before working at Mercury Airlines. He spent four years as the vice president of Trans-Texas Airways/Texas International Airlines, and he eventually retired as a pilot at Continental.

Another plaque  accompanied by a string of pearls, wings and buttons  talks about Amy Childress, who was a flight attendant at Continental. She worked her way up to assistant supervisor of flight attendants based in Chicago and later Los Angeles. She also became a base manager for flight attendants.

Most of the museum's items were donated by former airline employees. And whatever Scripture can't display, he stores in archives.

Located in an airplane hangar  the oldest remaining structure at Hobby Airport  the archives have about 300 boxes filled with treasures. Uniforms hang around the room's periphery, old scrapbooks have yellowed newspaper clippings and maintenance manuals are organized by aircraft or engine type.

"I look at it not so much for the monetary value of the item, but for the story it tells," Scripture said. "The history that keeps it alive."

There's also big stuff, like equipment from an old flight service station that provided pilots with weather briefings and flight planning assistance. And a vintage 1964 Piper Cherokee 180 awaits the museum's annual raffle. Participants can win that plane by buying a $50 ticket.

For Scripture, who is a pilot and spent more than 35 years in airport and airline management, the museum keeps him involved in the industry. He began and ended his career in Houston, so it's fun to run into old friends and friends of friends. The museum's visitors have unique stories to tell.

"I like the people that I meet coming in the front door," he said.
SAN FRANCISCO - Seven oil companies, including petroleum giant Chevron Corp., have been given until the end of the week by state officials to stop their decades-old practice of injecting oily wastewater into Central Valley aquifers or face penalties.

The state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources ordered the companies to stop pumping wastewater from drilling operations into 10 underground aquifers, which the companies were using despite federal rules protecting the groundwater.

The regulations require 30 active injection wells to be closed by Dec. 31 or "we would pursue legal action and/or penalties," said Teresa Schilling, spokeswoman for the resources agency. Violations carry fines of $2,500 to $25,000 apiece. Schilling said most operators are complying or have already complied with the order.

None of the aquifers is now used for drinking water, but environmentalists say they could be tapped in the future.

"The 10 aquifers in question were supposed to be protected by the state, but a bureaucratic snafu led officials to believe that the oil companies had obtained exemptions under the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act.

The oil companies had been dumping leftover water from drilling for three decades by the time state regulators found out in 2014 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had never granted them permission to do so.

There is no evidence that drinking water in the Central Valley has been contaminated, but the revelation caused a furor and prompted lawmakers to demand reforms at the state agency that regulates oil field operations.

"Chevron has developed alternative plans and will not be injecting into the aquifer subject to the Dec. 31, 2016, regulatory deadline," company spokeswoman Isabel Ordonez said in a statement.

California's oil fields contain large amounts of salty water, the remains of an ancient sea. As a result, oil drillers suck up 15 barrels of water for every barrel of oil they reap.

If the water is clean enough, it can be treated and used for irrigation. But most of it contains other substances too, including boron and toxins that can poison groundwater and kill birds. The recommended way to get rid of it is to inject it into the ground, preferably into the oil-bearing formation or deep enough so that it won't seep into an aquifer.

The problem is that for 33 years, state regulators have allowed oil companies to inject billions of barrels of wastewater into aquifers that contained water clean enough to be used for drinking or irrigation. Recent studies indicate that some of the injections may have caused earthquakes.
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Regina Vatterott never imagined creating a tech startup around smart pillboxes for baby boomers.

The idea came from Abe Matamoros, whose grandfather grew sick after forgetting to take his pills three days in a row.

Their joint project, EllieGrid, a pillbox that sends text alerts to loved ones if a person forgets to take their medicine, met its $40,000 fund-raising goal early on Indiegogo. The pair have now raised more than $59,000, acquired angel investors and made plans to begin manufacturing in Houston this year.

EllieGrid is just one example of how Houston's startup scene is tapping into the emerging longevity market, a tech market geared at products and services made for the 50-and-over set.

An annual report from AARP found that the age group generates $7.6 trillion in economic activity, with many in this demographic remaining employed longer and determined to stay active as they age.

Marketing expert Mary Furlong, founder of the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, said technology can address these desires. The biggest sectors, she found, are health, wellness and housing, be it aging in place or living in a retirement community.

There's growing interest in such service sectors as beauty and travel as well.

Nadia Morris, head of innovation at the AT&T Connected Health Foundry within the Texas Medical Center, said startups are rushing to address the size of the baby-boomer generation.

"There are not enough people to take care of people as they age," Morris said.

With births now declining, and an average of 10,000 people turning 65 in the U.S. each day, there's growing pressure on the generation of adults juggling older parents and children of their own. AARP found that by 2030 there will be 132 million consumers in the 50-plus market.

In part, that's why startups catering to the longevity market won't have too hard a time generating interest in the market, particularly when selling to businesses built around retirement communities.

Charles Turner, president of Houston-based Pinpoint Senior Living, which develops and operates senior living communities across the U.S. through its Lifewell arm, said the company is in the process of creating an investment wing.

"I could see that this market was very underdeveloped in terms of the use of technology," Turner said.

The goal is to invest in technology that can collect data to improve residents' quality of life while also not forcing them to fit a millennial mold for technology use, he added.

For example, the Katy community serves as a testing lab for the company. Exercise machines there are powered by a hydraulic press that can lock at a weight limit to prevent overexertion.

Residents on average see a 286 percent increase in strength.

"I'm much stronger than I was at home sitting in front of the TV," said resident Carol McKinney, 69, who regularly uses the workout machines.

For more general data collection, residents' rooms contain sensors that keep track of how long residents stay in bed or spend in the bathroom. The sensors can send an alert to the staff if they detect significant changes, Turner said.

Turner's company also is set to pilot a smart wearable that tracks motion and can be particularly helpful with residents who have dementia or Alzheimer's and could wander off.

For all the good they can offer, startups hoping to enter the longevity market will face challenges.

It can be more costly and more time-consuming to develop products that, for example, must work for people of varying levels of motor skills and touch screens that allow for more mistakes, said Dougal Cameron, co-founder and managing director of the Houston-based Golden Section Technology software firm.

Cameron, who personally invests in startups in the longevity market and whose firm is starting to tap into the market as well, said it can be harder to get investors' attention. That's especially true when competing against the millennial market.

"In the tech space, it's not sexy," he said. "Nobody wants to develop an app for a grandparent."

Yet startups like iShoe, which makes balance scales detecting a person's risk of falling, continue their work in the longevity market. The company, part of the inaugural TMCx accelerator class, sees opportunity in advances in the Internet of Things and products like wearable technology, CEO Katherine Forth said.

"The time is now to make technology to help older adults," she said.

Earlier in 2016, Patrick Talley opened the first Houston branch of Aging 2.0, a San Francisco company focused on creating startup networks focused on longevity needs.

He cited the Medical Center; the AT&T Foundry, which has a focus on aging-in-place technology like floorboards that detect and send out an alert when someone has fallen; the city's growing number of retirement communities; and the city's growing baby boomer population.

Talley hopes to create relationships between startups, caregiving businesses and investors based in Houston to build up the market in the city as experts say the next few years may show gains in investor activity.
At 103 years of age, George McDowell has earned the right to live by his own rules.

He's got seven of them, a list formed about 30 years ago when he was in his 70s. A couple of his favorites  hanging out with younger people and having a cocktail every day  ended up forming the highlight of his week: a neighborhood Friday night happy hour.

A decade ago when McDowell's wife Rae died  she was 90  he invited his Meyerland neighbors over for a cocktail.

McDowell was 93 then, and admits he was the oldest person there. But it was apparent that his neighbors, all a decade or two younger, were hungry for companionship and conversation, too.

They each had a cocktail and talked about the week's events and agreed to come back again the next week. Eventually they started rotating the host home, but McDowell says the group is still going strong.

Getting around isn't as easy as it once was, and he suffers from macular degeneration, but otherwise McDowell, a retired Air Force colonel, is in good health. He broke a hip last year and suffered a minor stroke so staying at home requires the help of 24-hour caregivers.

One recent trip out of the house was to Gallery Furniture, because McDowell had worn out his favorite recliner, a soft chenille Franklin power-lift version that helps him get up more easily. His daughter Linda Novosad, said it was originally purchased 14 years ago for her mother, who needed the help it provided after she broke a hip. (When Gallery Furniture owner Jim McIngvale learned McDowell's story, he gave him the chair as a gift.)

More Information 7 rules for living past 70 Stay intellectually challenged. When past age 70, associate with nothing but younger people. Exercise every day. (Hire a personal trainer if you can.) Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night between age 70 and 80. Between 80 and 90, get 8 hours of sleep. Between 90 and 100, get 9 hours and over 100, get 9.5 hours. Take a one-hour nap every day between 1 and 5 p.m. After that nap, have a bourbon old-fashioned. When leaving your doctor's office, if he doesn't shout "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it!" get a new doctor! See More Collapse

After her death, it became George McDowell's favorite spot for watching the news on TV.

The Dallas-area native keeps his life interesting now, but his earlier years were even more so.

Born in 1913, he graduated from the North Texas Agricultural College  now the University of Texas-Arlington  during the Great Depression. Jobs were scarce, so he applied to military schools, ending up at West Point, the U.S. Military Academy, his daughter, Linda Novosad said.

When he talks about the world events he's lived through, he includes his military career, which ranged from initially being assigned to a horse-drawn artillery unit in Oklahoma to working on the staff of U.S. Gen. George S. Patton in Morocco where they planned the invasion of Africa and eventually working in London during the Cold War, installing underground ballistic missiles that were aimed at the then-Soviet Union.

"I've seen remarkable changes," said McDowell, the only living member of his graduating class and the second-oldest West Point graduate. (There's another in Florida who's 105, Novosad said.)

Of the controversial and colorful Patton  another West Point grad  McDowell said he "stayed away from him" as much as he could.

McDowell shifted into the U.S. Air Force after it was created, and retired in 1961 as a colonel, his daughter said.

She said she lived an exciting childhood, moving between Washington D.C. and various cities around the world until she went to college in Texas. She recalled living in post-war London, where her parents let her roam the city as long as she was with her older brother, Lawrence.

"Some people think if you grow up in the military that your father's a drill sergeant. Daddy wasn't that way; he was very gentle and quiet," Novosad said.

When he finally retired, McDowell and his wife moved to Houston where he helped start Clark, McDowell and Kic Inc., a real estate management company. A certified property manager, McDowell also taught classes in the subject at the University of Houston back in the 1970s.

Today he passes time by living the seven rules he wrote down years ago. He took up oil painting to stay stimulated and goes for walks two or three times a week. He gets plenty of sleep, sees his doctor occasionally and hangs out with his younger friends, who've switched to drinking beer, he says.

He's sticking by what works  a bourbon old-fashioned.
Editor's note: Ernie Williamson - who enjoyed a storied career at both the Houston Chronicle and Houston Post and now calls himself a "retired journalist" - graciously allowed us to repost this remembrance of Debbie Reynolds from his Facebook page. Thanks, Ernie!

While working for the Burbank Daily Review during a summer break from college in the '60s , I was assigned to do a story on Debbie Reynolds. She had been Miss Burbank of 1950.
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If spending more time outdoors is on your list of things to try in 2017, Texas Parks & Wildlife has a plan for you.

Start the new year off at one of the 80 state parks hosting First Day Hikes. More than 3,000 people visited the parks on Jan. 1 of this year, and they hiked about 6,500 miles, estimates Brent Leisure, director of Texas State Parks.

First Day Hikes events range from laid-back strolls on scenic trails to backcountry treks.

"We have hikes short and long, bike rides, bird walks, paddling, even polar plunges," said Stephanie Salinas, spokesperson for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Balmorhea State Park will host a Splash into the Future polar plunge, while visitors can hike with their dogs in Pedernales Falls State Park. Closer to home, Galveston State Park is inviting people to kayak its waters, go beachcombing and take the dog on a walk down the beach.

Sheldon Lake State Park will offer a one-hour First Day Bike Ride in addition to its Bird Walk and Scavenger Hunt.

"Come out and learn something new," said ranger Hannah Buschert, Sheldon Lake State Park interpreter.

Both beginning and advanced birders are invited to scout for ruby-crowned kinglets, yellow-bellied sapsuckers and great kiskadees on an easy 1-mile hike, Buschert said.

At Lake Livingston State Park, visitors can ring in the new year around the campfire - roasting marshmallows, drinking hot chocolate and watching fireworks on the shoreline with ranger Joel Janssen.

"We want to encourage people to start the new year fresh with a helathier lifestlye," Salinas said. "And there's no better place to do that than at a state park."

Here's a rundown of what's happening at nearby parks:

Lake Livingston State Park

11 p.m.-midnight Saturday. At the First Day Campfire, visitors can write down resolutions for 2017 and throw them into the fire in the hope that they will happen. The campfire will be on the peninsula near the park's activity center. Bring a bottle of water and wear comfortable, flat-soled shoes. Leashed pets are welcome. Regular park admission fees of $5 per adult ages 13 and older apply; no additional charge for activities. No reservations necessary.

300 Park Road 65, Livingston, 936-365-2201, ext. 306

Sheldon Lake State Park

All programs are free and will begin at the Pond Center.

8 a.m. Sunday. Kick Off Your List Bird Walk. Take this 1-mile walk through the forest and along ponds while searching for bird species. Bring binoculars, water, closed-toe shoes and bird checklist.

10 a.m. Sunday. First Day Bike Ride. Visitors can ride their bikes through the park. To register for this event, call 281-456-2800 ext. 232.

3 p.m. Sunday. Scavenger Hunt. Park guests can win prizes by finding things in the park. The easy 1-mile hike is suitable for all ages and abilities.

14140 Garrett Road, 281-456-2800

Huntsville State Park

10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Sunday. Huntsville is offering a guided hike through the Piney Woods.

Meet at the Prairie Branch Loop Trailhead for a 1.5-mile hike lakeside and through the pines. Bring water. Pets on leashes are welcome.

565 Park Road 40 W., Huntsville, 936-295-5644

Galveston Island State Park

The park offers three First Day options with ranger Lisa Reznicek.

10 a.m.-noon Sunday. Be ready for winter weather on the guided Holiday Kayak Tour into Galveston Bay. The adult paddling program has limited spaces available; RSVP is required. Reserve a spot for quick instruction/refresher. Free gear rental. Starting location is the Oak Bayou picnic area.

1-2 p.m. Sunday. Beachcombing expedition includes shell-hunting workshop and identification. Bring: park permit, clothes and shoes that can get wet, water bottle, pail for collecting shells and a camera (optional).

3-4 p.m. Sunday. Happy Tails Dog Stroll. Visitors and their pets meet near picnic tables at the day-use beach, then head onto the sand for relaxing stroll to socialize and exercise your dog.

14901 FM 3005, Galveston, 409-737-1222

Brazos Bend State Park

Visitors will want to read the park's alligator safety tips before they arrive.

10-11:30 a.m. Sunday. Visitors can learn about the native plants and animals as well as park history on a 1-mile guided hike.

1-5 p.m. Sunday. For the Backcountry Trail Hike, hikers will meet at the Nature Center to explore 9 miles of the park's off-the-beaten track trails. Bring snacks and water.

5-6:30 p.m. Sunday. First Day Bird Blizzard and Night Hike. Visitors should meet at the Observation Tower on 40-Acre Lake for a 1-mile roundtrip hike to watch as flocks of migratory red-winged blackbirds settle into the marsh for the evening. Bring small flashlights only, red lens preferred.

21901 FM 762, Needville. 979-553-5101
Federal prosecutors are fighting to have two Houston lawyers banned from representing the former head of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, saying the lawyers are "unindicted co-conspirators" in the racketeering case involving murder, drug dealing and other crimes.

In federal court papers filed recently, prosecutors ask that prominent Houston lawyer Kent Schaffer and his law partner, James Kennedy, be disqualified from the case.

The filings accuse Schaffer of furthering Bandidos' operations by reviewing court papers for all members charged in any criminal case, to root out who might be cooperating with the government in exchange for leniency.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Bemporad in San Antonio ruled in early December that prosecutors had succeeded in showing there was a potential conflict of interest, but that they had not shown him anything that convinced him the men should be disqualified.

Schaffer has not yet responded in court to the latest federal motion, but he has previously strongly denied any wrongdoing. He said he was never in-house counsel for the Bandidos and never reviewed paperwork to spot informants.

"I am incredibly flattered at their latest filing; obviously this prosecutor is afraid to try the case against me," Schaffer said Thursday. "They do just want me off the case."

Schaffer said the court already has rejected the prosecution's claim.

"This is a rehash that the court already denied, but for some reason this prosecutor has a sense of desperation and so they are going back for a second bite at the apple," he said.

An indictment naming former organization President Jeff Pike and others contends the Bandidos is a criminal enterprise engaged in murder, attempted murder, robbery, extortion and drug trafficking, among other crimes. The outlaw motorcycle gang began in the Houston area in the 1960s.

Bemporad left the door open for prosecutors to show him more evidence against Schaffer, which appears to be included in a 20-page document recently filed in court. The judge has since set a Jan. 6 hearing on the matter.

In the document, prosecutors contend they have recordings of conversations in which Bandidos discuss Schaffer's alleged work for the organization, including reviewing all legal paperwork to look for snitches.

Reviewed paperwork

Prosecutors said that multiple Bandidos will testify at trial that members were required to turn in legal paperwork, when they were arrested, to higher-ranking members so that it could be reviewed for signs of cooperation.

"Several members will testify that Mr. Schaffer was one of the attorneys that paperwork was taken to," according to the documents. "Two witnesses will testify that the Bandidos (organization) maintained a retainer with Mr. Schaffer for future work in defending its leadership from criminal charges."

Prosecutors further contend that Schaffer is so intertwined in Bandidos business that he can't be permitted to represent the ex-Bandidos leader Pike at trial. Schaffer previously has represented at least two Bandidos who are expected to be called to the witness stand to testify against Pike.

That would put Schaffer in the position of perhaps not only trying to defend his own reputation while representing Pike, but questioning people whom he had previously represented. As Kennedy is at the same firm, he would face a similar conflict, prosecutors contend.

Chess moves

Pike, of Conroe, stepped down as leader of the Bandidos earlier this year after he and other top members of the organization were charged in the indictment unsealed in San Antonio.

Philip Hilder, a Houston lawyer who also is a former federal prosecutor, said the judge in the case will have to do a "deep dive" to determine exactly what is going on, including the motivations of prosecutors and whether Schaffer does indeed have a conflict of interest. He said it could be a move to get the skilled Schaffer off the case.

"You are witnessing the chess moves that are expected in a high-profile case like this," Hilder said. "Schaffer has a long history of representing the organization's members and has a deep understanding of the dynamics of Bandidos, and it is quite foreseeable the government is attempting to bump him from the case because he has been effective in the past."

Pike is the only Bandidos member released on bail pending trial. John Portillo, who served as Pike's vice president, remains in custody. Two other members, Justin Forster and Frederick Cortez, have been released on bail since entering into plea agreements with the government.
Harris County has been sued in federal court for the third time in less than a year for yet another issue related to the county's tough arrest and pretrial detention practices.

This time, civil rights advocates allege that county officials routinely charge and jail thousands of people each month without a warrant and without ever requiring police officers to supply sworn statements that adequately describe the crimes for which the defendants stand accused, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Southern District of Texas.

The plaintiffs were arrested and jailed over the Christmas holidays for non-violent offenses.

Lucas Lomas, 26, of Pasadena, was arrested Christmas Eve for allegedly pilfering five DVDs and a speaker, according to a document prepared by a prosecutor and co-signed by an officer. The filing provides no details about how the arresting officer determined Lomas had stolen the items. After a video hearing that is typical in Harris County, a hearing officer found probable cause to proceed with charges. Lomas was released after posting $15,000 bail.

Carlos Eaglin, 27, of Houston, was arrested Dec. 26 for alleged possession of less than two ounces of marijuana. Court papers co-signed by an officer and prosecutor accuse Eaglin of marijuana possession, but do not include a statement from the officer about how the substance was discovered or determined to be marijuana. After his video hearing, Eaglin was jailed on a $5,000 bond - the highest amount specified for any misdemeanor in Harris County's so-called bond schedule. He remains in jail.

The lawsuit, filed by the Texas Fair Defense Project and by the Washington D.C.-based Civil Rights Corps, seeks to compel the county to provide all people arrested with a more detailed statement of facts under oath from a police officer that is consistent with both state and federal law. Those documents then could be reviewed by what the case describes as a "neutral magistrate."

First Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard said Wednesday that county officials were still studying the allegations and preparing a response to the case.

As of Jan. 1, incoming Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg will be overseeing the prosecuting attorneys who handle the intake process for both felony and misdemeanor cases. Ogg, who is not named in the lawsuit, was not immediately available for comment Thursday.

The Civil Rights Corps and other groups previously sued the City of Houston and Harris County over other violations of the rights of criminal defendants.

Houston officials have been sued over increasing delays in the time between arrests and the time city criminal defendants first see a judge.

Harris County faces a more complex civil rights challenge to the way the county's misdemeanor judges and hearing officers set bonds for defendants accused of minor crimes - a system that has resulted in long pretrial detention, jail overcrowding and a higher conviction rate for poor people who can't afford bail.

All three lawsuits remain pending.
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Superintendent Richard Carranza announced Thursday that the Houston Independent School District has decided to conduct a detailed review of the way that it serves students with disabilities.

The effort will include asking "independent, third-party experts to conduct a deep-dive analysis of our special education operation," Carranza said.

The newly-hired superintendent announced the review in a statement, saying it would be the district's "first order of business when the new year begins."

"We will have a tough conversation about the importance of serving all children, regardless of any disability," Carranza wrote. "Together, we will find solutions that serve our children because that is what Houston expects, and that is what Houston's children deserve."

The announcement came one day after the Houston Chronicle published a story detailing how Houston ISD has deliberately denied special education services to thousands of students with disabilities over the past decade.

The story, the latest in an investigation that has revealed a widespread denial of special education throughout Texas, quoted 41 current and former Houston ISD employers speaking about how they were pressured to keep special education numbers low. Many said they were ordered to shut out disabled kids in order to comply with district and state enrollment caps.

"We had long, agonizing meetings where we tried to push as many special ed students as we could into general education," one retired teacher said.

Only 7.26 percent of Houston students receive special education, statistics show. That ranks 49th among the 50 biggest cities in America, ahead only of Dallas ISD.

The national average is 13 percent. The state average is 8.5 percent, due in part of a enrollment target of 8.5 percent that was put in place by the Texas Education Agency in 2004. Outside special education departments, the 8.5 percent target was unknown to parents, lawmakers, even many educators until the Chronicle investigation.

Also unknown until the Chronicle published its findings on Houston ISD earlier this week was that special education administrators here had set an even more restrictive internal enrollment target of 8 percent.

The story has sparked outrage across Houston. On Wednesday, Bob Sanborn, the president of Children at Risk, a prominent advocacy group, called for the immediate firing of Houston ISD special education director Sowmya Kumar.

In his statement, Carranza, who declined to comment ahead of the Chronicle story on Houston ISD, said he had seen "no evidence that such a cap drives these decisions in a systemic way."

"But," he said, "I understand that there are many stories that I have not heard."

During the review, Carranza added, "we will not talk about arbitrary bureaucratic caps that could harm children."

The Houston ISD review is the second such district effort initiated in response to the Chronicle investigation.

In September, Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he would conduct a six-month probe to find out why the district had such a low special education rate.

The U.S. Department of Education has also launched an investigation. In October, federal officials ordered the Texas Education Agency to end the 8.5 percent enrollment target unless it could prove that no disabled kids had been deprived of services. The TEA has since suspended the benchmark and said it would ultimately eliminate it.

Earlier this month, federal officials held public listening sessions throughout the state to help determine if further action was necessary. Nearly 1,000 people attended the sessions or have submitted comments online.

A report from the federal government is expected next month.
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GALVESTON - Police began a new search Thursday for a League City mother of two who disappeared three weeks ago.

Police had conducted a brief search last week for Anne-Christine Johnson, 30. This came after volunteers with Texas EquuSearch tramped through wooded areas and thick brush for at least two weeks looking for the missing waitress.

The search launched Thursday is the first major effort involving police officers.

Officer Kelly Williamson said that he could not disclose the areas being searched. "We don't want people going to where we are going to search and possibly compromising a crime scene or compromising evidence," Williamson said.

"We are at this time conducting a geographical target-specific search that is not limited to one location and we are not limiting our search area or areas to League City," he said.

EquuSearch volunteers are assisting police in the most recent search effort, Williamson said.

He declined to say what new information led authorities to conduct the new search spots, which he described as a "non-improved, wooded area."

"We are looking for anything relevant to the investigation, anything that would point to foul play, including human remains," Williamson said.

There's no set end time for the search, he said mid-afternoon Thursday.

"We got there this morning and we're going to stay out until any spot can be included or eliminated," he said.

Stephanie Johnson, the missing woman's mother, said she had an overwhelming rush of emotion earlier in the day after hearing news of a body found to the south in Texas City

"I burst into tears and called the League City Police Department and they confirmed it was not her," she said.

Johnson disappeared on Dec. 8. Police say the last person to report seeing her alive was an ex-husband, Shaun Hardy, who told police he saw her get into a car with a man he could not identify after leaving Hardy's house.

Police said Hardy is a person of interest because of a his volatile relationship with Johnson, who occasionally stayed with Hardy after the divorce.

Johnson accused Hardy of beating and choking her in a June 2015 request for a restraining order, telling the court that she feared Hardy could kill her.

Hardy filed a request for a restraining order about the same time, accusing Johnson of physical abuse.

Hardy, through an attorney, has refused further interviews with League City police, Williamson has said. Hardy's attorney could not be reached for comment.

Stephanie Johnson, meanwhile, is still holding out hope for answers.

"I feel like the police are doing everything they possibly can," she said.
MEDELLIN, Colombia - When Wilson Lopez lived in the jungle, he thought civilian life in the city meant meeting people, walking the streets and having a job. But the former Colombian guerrilla wasn't able to do any of these things.

Lopez went from a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia jungle camp to prison and then to the streets of Medellin after receiving a pardon in January. Since then, he hasn't been able to find a steady job or home, and couldn't go for stroll with his family in Medellin after he received death threats from a criminal group that said it didn't want rebels in its territory.

"I am in the mouth of the tiger," said Lopez, who agreed to speak with The Associated Press inside a warehouse in the capital of Colombia's mountainous Antioquia province. He wore a cap pulled low over his face.

'Hostile welcome'

Lopez was one of 30 rebel prisoners pardoned by the government of President Juan Manuel Santos as a confidence-building gesture to advance peace talks with the FARC, as Latin America's last major leftist guerrilla army is known. Lopez's troubles integrating into civilian life highlight the difficulties that some 8,000 FARC guerrillas and 4,000 prisoners will face in rejoining society as part of the historic peace pact ratified by the country's congress on Nov. 30.

Experts say reintegrating rebels may face an especially hostile welcome in areas with high levels of crime and drug trafficking and in areas that were previously under FARC control.

Trust is difficult to build following a 52-year conflict characterized by brutality. Fighting between guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and the armed forces has, according to government figures, left a toll of more than 220,000 dead, some 40,000 disappeared and over 5 million driven from their homes.

'Need for action'

The guerrillas recall how during 1980s peace talks that ultimately failed, the FARC established a party known as the Patriotic Union as its political arm. In just a few years, more than 3,000 leftist activists, rebel sympathizers and two presidential candidates were gunned down by paramilitaries

"There is a need for more action by the government and the creation of mechanisms to protect" rebels who lay down their arms as part of the peace deal, said Todd Howland, the representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia.

Both houses of Colombia's congress on Wednesday approved legislation on amnesty for leftist rebels under the government's peace accord with the FARC. The measure covers most offenses committed by fighters but it does not absolve any guerrillas who committed war crimes or human rights violations.

For Lopez, who had spent two decades in the FARC and was jailed in 2010, the problems for himself, his wife and two children began soon after he was released from prison.

He said he was intercepted in the street by three men who told him that guerrillas were not welcome in the area. Then he received three threatening letters signed by a gang called "The Rastrojos."

He now lives under police guard in a rural area four hours from Medellin - the area that saw the birth of Colombia's paramilitaries.
First-year college students take many intro classes. But do they really need an intro to appropriate behavior regarding sex?

The alarming prevalence of sexual violence at colleges and universities around the country proves that students often arrive woefully unprepared to live on their own in close proximity with students to whom they may be attracted.

Rice University has made an unusually strong commitment to rectify this problem. Starting next fall, Rice freshmen will take a five-week course, "Critical Thinking in Sexuality," featuring lessons in consent and how to intervene in dangerous situations ("Rice mandates course about sex for freshmen" Page A1, Monday).

The more typical informational pamphlets or 90-minute courses during campus orientation weeks on topics such as good decision-making regarding alcohol consumption have proved ineffective to combat sexual violence. Universities and colleges around the country should view Rice's preventative program as a model for how to effect real change.

If Rice's class sounds too politically correct, remedial or even ridiculous, consider the alarming statistics.

One in 4 women surveyed at Rice and 27 of the most prestigious colleges around the country said that they were victims of rape or sexual assault. Six percent of male students nationally said they were victims of sexual assault or rape, and 7 percent of Rice students.

Some experts believe that college rape and sexual assault is underreported.

Generally, students come to college able to identify rape in its most extreme form: the person in the back alley attacking strangers. But in a new relationship, some students may be clueless as to whether they need to confirm each time they have sex with their partner, "Are you OK with this?"

Students' inability to deal with the complexities of healthy relationships shouldn't be surprising. Ingrained attitudes are learned as early as the playground: "The reason he hit you is because he likes you." Parental guidance is too often a missed opportunity. If parents do address the issue, they're more likely to tell their daughters what to avoid than to tell their sons what to do - and importantly, what not to do.

Without meaningful sexual education in high school or middle school, porn and popular culture become youth's unrealistic guide to courtship.

In broader terms, our college students' confusion reflects our nation's confusion. The legal definitions for terms like rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse vary from state to state. Nor is there any single definition of consent.

Rice's leadership in addressing sexual violence on campus could not come at a more critical time.
Special ed

Regarding "HISD keeps special ed rolls arbitrarily low" (Page A1, Wednesday), members of the Board of Education and I have followed closely the statewide debate over Texas' approach to serving students with special needs. The stories of frustrated parents in school districts across Texas, including some in HISD, are heartbreaking. Let me be clear and unequivocal: There is zero tolerance for the withholding of services to any student who qualifies for an individual educational plan in HISD. Schools should be parents' allies, not their adversaries. No child should go without the services they need just because a bureaucrat is determined to meet an arbitrary goal. This is why we vehemently oppose any state-mandated cap on the number of children that a school can identify for special education services.

In my short time in Houston, I have seen no evidence that such a cap drives these decisions in a systemic way. The educators who work with HISD's most vulnerable students are passionate about serving children. But I understand that there are many stories that I have not heard. More important, there may be ways we can improve in how we serve students with special needs.

The Board of Education and I agree that our first order of business when the new year begins will be to discuss how HISD identifies and serves its most vulnerable students. HISD will work with independent, third-party experts to review our special-education operation. With the experts, as well as our special education educators, principals, teachers, parents and other stakeholders, we will quickly and appropriately address any and all concerns. We will have a tough conversation about the importance of serving all children, regardless of any disability. And we'll also talk about the things we can do better. We will not talk about arbitrary bureaucratic caps that could harm children. Throughout this process, the children of Houston will be our north star.

Together, we will find solutions that serve our children because that is what Houston expects, and that is what Houston's children deserve.

Richard Carranza, HISD superintendent

Taxing woes

Regarding "Repeal on medical innovation, devices" (Page A15, Thursday), the medical device industry is OK receiving subsidies from the federal government for research and development, but wants to hoard any profit. As long as it remains shackled to taxpayer dollars, it must abide the consequences.

G. Baker via HoustonChronicle.com

Cycle of poverty

Regarding "Texas rule that denies car registration to parents who don't pay child support in full swing" (chron.com, Wednesday), it just furthers a cycle of poverty.

You essentially need a vehicle to work; you need to work to have money to pay support. If you cannot pay support, you lose the ability to drive, and thus your ability to earn money to pay support.

Everyone does not have a social or family safety net to take them to work, and public transportation is not particularly efficient in a city built around cars. Furthermore, the likely outcome will be people driving without registration, opening them up to the criminal justice system, and specifically the spiraling debt trap that is traffic fees and fines, which Texas makes particularly difficult to escape from.

Hunter James White via Facebook
The city of Houston is finally cleaning our financial house with pension reforms. Now we're asking the Texas Legislature to do its part and approve legislation that will protect Houston's future.

As chair of the City Council's Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee and a committed fiscal conservative, I have been involved with the development of this plan, demanding a remedy that ensures long-term financial health for Houston. Digging ourselves out of this hole means that the city will continue to have the large annual pension payments that it has today. No assertion has ever been made to the contrary. Anyone who has alleviated personal debt knows they must rein in future spending while increasing payments to whom money is owed.

While the city is bound to full, annual funding of the pensions, the pension boards have agreed to cuts in benefits that were simply never sustainable without unreasonable revenue demands placed on Houstonians. And now, as the city operates under a revenue cap, the administration must continue to seek the most efficient and responsible use of your tax dollars to implement city services.

The Legislature should recognize this is a solution derived by, among and for Houstonians. The city itself cannot unilaterally dictate the terms of reform. Fixing the problem required agreement from the city's three pension boards. Ramming demands down the throats of city workers, fire fighters and police would have resulted in a continued stalemate while obligations grew. The three boards make clear that a defined contribution solution has always been a nonstarter and unacceptable to their participants. Defined contribution plans would not provide any cost savings now either. Remedying the imbalance through court-ordered solutions or bankruptcy is a nuclear option we absolutely must avoid. Inaction and continued gridlock now will continue to send us toward a more deeply challenged or altogether impossible financial scenario, with no chance for light at the end of the tunnel.

The opinions of nonpartisan, professional pension experts have approached unanimity on the merits of this proposal. Bill Fulton of the Kinder Institute for Urban Studies called the plan a "national model." Josh McGee, an expert with the largely anti-defined benefit Arnold Foundation, said the plan has the potential to be "one of the better reforms in the country." The credit rating agency Moody's has termed these reforms to be "credit positive." Fitch Ratings spoke optimistically of the reforms in August.

Houston is taking responsibility for itself and implementing a rigidly defined set of parameters referred to as the "corridor." Going forward, we share the risks of pension investment performance with the pension systems themselves. Within each of the agreements approved by each pension board, a process is outlined about how each pension system will meet with the city and agree upon what additional reductions "shall" be made if costs veer outside the corridor. And if an agreement cannot be reached, then specific reductions are required by law. This is not what "may" happen in this scenario - it is what "shall" happen.

The corridor buffers the city and taxpayers from financial pressure we have experienced unchecked in the past. And remember that plan holders will appreciate that the pensions will be fully funded per actuarially determined contributions - maximizing the health of the plans. I am also pleased that the current pension debt will be eliminated in 30 years. As with personal debt on a credit card, the goal is always to pay down what you owe, as soon as you're able. We are realizing this goal with these reforms.

This is a uniquely conservative Houston plan that I believe will be successful.

This is fair treatment of plan participants and is financially rational for taxpayers. Please tell your legislators to do their homework, and approve this plan for Houston. The Legislature should approve the Houston Sustainable Pensions Plan.

Christie is an at-large member of City Council, and chairman of City Council's Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee.
After six months, countless hours of investigations and argument by Texas County Prosecuting Attorney Parke Stevens Jr., Judge John D. Beger has sentenced a Houston man to seven years in prison for his role in a series of thefts from Texas County cemeteries between April 1 and June 1 this year.

William T. Hebert, 30, of 611 Hawthorn St. in Houston, received the maximum sentence authorized by law after pleading guilty in September for defacing and selling cemetery memorials local residents had placed next to graves of their deceased loved ones.

The defendant likely thought he could get probation. Stevens said.

Hebert requested and received a sentencing assessment report which allowed the many victims to express their feelings without having to do so in open court.

After an investigation by the Texas County Sheriffs Department, with assistance from other local law enforcement, a probable cause statement and evidence was submitted to Stevens for review.

Based on that evidence, Stevens filed a criminal complaint and requested a warrant for Heberts arrest.

This man knowingly tampered with and stole cherished belongings family members left for deceased loved ones, then sold those items for pennies, Stevens said.

Beger, circuit judge of the 25th Circuit, presided over the case and assessed punishment after consideration of all the factors.

Your actions leave me enflamed for what you have done, and I am only left with one course of action, to make you an example for others, Beger said before sentencing Hebert.

Felicia Batchelor, 29, of Summersville, is charged with receiving stolen property as a result of the cemetery theft spree. A pre-trial hearing in her case is set for Jan. 17 at the Texas County Justice Center.
A man was charged Thursday afternoon in Texas County with felony driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest by fleeing.

Dalton L. Corman, 30, of Willow Springs, was taken to the Cabool Police Department for a 12-hour hold following his 4:46 p.m. arrest. Along with the two felony charges, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Corman also faces charges of careless and imprudent driving as well as speeding.
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Scream Queens star Billie Lourd lost both her mother, Carrie Fisher, and grandmother, Debbie Reynolds, this week.

While the 24-year-old has received many messages of support during this difficult time, the one she received from her stepfather, Bruce Bozzi, is perhaps the most meaningful.

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On Instagram, Bozzi, who is Lourds fathers longtime partner, shared an image of the young actress at her university graduation, smiling alongside Fisher and Reynolds. He then captioned the post with a beautiful memory.

A photo posted by Bruce Bozzi (@brucebozzi) on Dec 29, 2016 at 10:53am PST





It's an honor to be your Stepfather, he began. This day, your NYU grad day we had so much fun! Yankee Stadium your mom and I laughed our asses off, as she kept one fantastic line coming after the other - no less when we all fell asleep the night before in the smaller ceremony because it was so boring. Every time Carrie looked at me she said how are you still awake! Your grandmother with our sweet Ava was the kindest most loving.

So...as Carrie said to me years ago I'm a good stepmother I promise I will always be, he continued. The strength of these women live so vibrantly in you. I've been lucky enough to see this for a decade! Many decades to come.....heaven just got a shit load more fun!!!! I love you @praisethelourd xo Bru Thursday 12/29/16.

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Lourds mother, Fisher, died on Tuesday, days after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Lourds grandmother, Reynolds, then passed away on Wednesday after suffering a stroke.

The 24-year-old has not yet spoken out about her loss. However, family spokesman Simon Halls did release a statement on her behalf following her mothers death.

She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly, Lourd said of her mother in the statement. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.

The actress was incredibly close to her famous mom and grandmother, as proven by her Instagram posts.

 A photo posted by Billie Lourd (@praisethelourd) on Jun 18, 2016 at 11:09am PDT

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 Happy Mother's day to my #marvelousmomby, my #FABadaba & all the #magnificentmamas out there!! A photo posted by Billie Lourd (@praisethelourd) on May 8, 2016 at 1:52pm PDT





 happy birthday to my #abadaba (yes that's what I call her hahah granny just wasn't hip enough...) the most incredible grandma a gal could ask for A photo posted by Billie Lourd (@praisethelourd) on Apr 1, 2016 at 2:10pm PDT





The last time the trio made a public appearance together was at the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where Fisher presented Reynolds with a lifetime achievement award.

Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds pose at the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

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Hawaiian poke bowls and wood-fired foods were among some of the biggest national dining trends to shape 2016, say the editors of restaurant guide Zagat.

Looking back at 12 months of new restaurant openings and menus, Zagat editors have come up with a list of eight food trends that popped up consistently across the country.

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Overall, they proclaimed 2016 the year of seasoned fish over rice, referring to the wild popularity of Hawaiian poke bowls.

Here are a few of the trends singled out by Zagat:

Hawaiian cuisine and poke

Editors call it "the poke revolution," after seeing the Hawaiian dish made up of white rice and seasoned raw fish pop up in nearly every major US city over the last year, including French chef Daniel Boulud's Cafe Boulud in New York. At the Governors Ball for this year's Oscars, chef Wolfgang Puck also offered a poke bar to his A-list guests. The popularity of poke also sparked increased interest in Hawaiian cuisine in general, with shaved ice and the Hawaiian snack musubi -- spam sushi -- appearing on restaurant menus around the country.

Handmade pasta

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While homemade restaurant pasta is hardly new, this year, editors noted the renewed appreciation for handmade pasta as a culinary art form and edible treat. Readers of food blogs are sure to agree, with cacio e pepe -- a minimalist dish that makes black pepper and grated grana padano or parmesan cheese vehicles for fresh pasta -- one of the most popular pasta dishes of 2016. Editors predict handmade pasta will become the norm at Italian restaurants in 2017.

Vegetables

Vegetables continued to get the star treatment in 2016, with some of the most anticipated restaurant openings of the year giving the humble vegetable the gastronomic treatment. In Los Angeles, for instance, turnip is salt-baked and served with shiso chimichurri. In Chicago, a restaurant serves beet tartare and tempura lemons. And in Denver, sunflower seeds get the risotto treatment.

Wood-fired everything

It's not just pizzas that were thrown into the fire this year. Zagat editors note that everything from clam pies, pork shanks, branzino, squid and even chopped salad got the wood-fired treatment. Different kinds of wood were also used to achieve a variety of smoke and flavor.

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food trends 2016

Other trends on the list include healthy, fast-casual joints, multi-purpose restaurants, Japanese cuisine and fermented foods.

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A year after a cheetah was spotted wandering along a highway in B.C., two people have been charged.

Earl Pfeifer and Carol Plato have each been charged with one count of possessing an alien species without a permit, reports CTV News.

Conservation officers spent several days looking for the animal last December, after a motorist snapped a few photos of the stray cat wandering the side of a Highway 3A in the Crawford Bay and Kootenay Bay areas on Dec. 17, 2015.

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RCMP released photos of this loose cheetah who appeared to be wearing a collar.

At the time, local residents were warned to keep an eye on small children and pets.

The search was called off the following week and a spokesman with B.C. Environment Ministry told the National Post its unclear whether the cheetah was ever found.

Shortly after the stray cheetah was spotted, the B.C. Forests Ministry said they had received a permit application to possess a cheetah in the Kootenay region, and the application was under review.

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According to Pfeifer and Plato's "Runcheetahrun" Facebook page, the couple brought two cheetahs, Robin and Annie Rose, over from South Africa in 2013 to help with rehabilitation efforts for health issues in both cats and to raise awareness and funds to help cheetah conservation efforts.

That year, the couple, who were living in Ontario at the time, were given the go-ahead by town council to bring two cheetahs to the B.C. village of Kaslo, reported the Nelson Star.

Around that time, they told the Port Perry Star that they wanted to start outreach and education programs in B.C. including a program where members of the public could pay a fee to take the cheetahs for a walk.

There was a short period in 2014 where the cheetahs were living at the Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail, Alberta. They were removed due to safety reasons, reports CBC News.

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The Facebook page has not been updated since August 2015, when a post wished one of the animals a happy birthday.

Pfeifer and Plato are scheduled to appear in court in Creston in February.

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Conservative leadership candidate Steven Blaney criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for reacting faster to an actress' death than to a terrorist attack.

Speaking in Quebec City on Thursday, the Tory MP compared Trudeau's tribute to late "Star Wars" icon Carrie Fisher to his statement on Dec. 19's Berlin terror attack.

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Well never forget you, Carrie. May the Force be with you always.  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 27, 2016

When Princess Leia passed away, the prime minister only took four hours to react, whereas for a terrorist attack where a truck caused 12 deaths in a Berlin Christmas market, it took him three days to have a decent response, Blaney said in French during a press conference, according to Le Soleil.

A readout of the prime minister's call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel offering his condolences on Dec. 22 stated the two leaders renewed their commitment to fighting terrorism together.

The Prime Ministers Office declined to comment on Blaney's remarks, saying it will not weigh in on the ongoing Tory leadership race.

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Blaney spoke out about the Berlin attack in a fundraising email the following day.

"What took place yesterday in Berlin is a stark reminder that the threat is real, and that we need to remain vigilant," the email read.

His campaign then asked supporters to donate $51  a nod to the Anti-terrorism Act, previously known as Bill C-51, which Blaney helped table as public safety minister under the former Stephen Harper government.

Blaney unveils security strategy

The Tory MP's criticism of the prime minister came the same day as the leadership candidate revealed his security strategy.

The first duty of a government is to keep its citizens safe," Thursday's release read. "As former Public Safety Minister who passed the Antiterrorism Act, I formally ask Justin Trudeaus Liberal to maintain those critical measures to ensure the safety of all Canadians."

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The strategy, aimed at keeping "Canada safe from terrorism," includes plans to create a joint task force with the RCMP and CSIS to handle individual acts of terrorism.

Blaney is one of 13 Conservative candidates vying to be the party's next leader in 2017.

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TolikoffPhotography via Getty Images Winter vacation suitcase.Travel tips

As baggage restrictions tighten, travellers are finding more creative ways to avoid fees. But even the lightest packers find it difficult to forego checking a bag when travelling to chilly winter destinations. These five expert packing tips will help you squeeze all of your winter clothes into a single carry-on, so you can spend your travel savings on lift tickets and hot toddies.

Wear It

Most experienced travellers will advise you to keep layers to a minimum when travelling by air. The less you wear, the less there is to shed when passing through security. But travelling in the winter months is different.

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While donning your bulky winter jacket, heaviest shoes, scarf and hat may be annoying for a moment during the security screening process, it could save you from having to check a bag. And you'll arrive at your destination dressed for the elements.

Don't Pack Outfits

Specific outfits, with a top and bottom worn solely with one another, are not ideal for travelling light. Instead, pack neutral-coloured pants that can be worn with multiple tops. Make sure every shirt goes with each pair of pants, and you'll never have to wear the same outfit twice.

Do Laundry

Don't pack a clean pair of pants for everyday of your trip. Instead, research if the Airbnb apartment you're renting has access to a communal laundry space, or ask the friend you're visiting if you can do a load or two throughout your stay. Wherever you travel, you'll probably find laundry services nearby, which means you can pack much less.

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Think Twice

Packing for cold weather requires much more thought than packing for a week-long trip to Jamaica. Imagine yourself at your destination and which items you'll be wearing. Leave any items behind that you won't be wearing more than twice.

Use Space Savers

It may seem a little over the top to purchase space-saving bags for a single journey, but they can be invaluable if you travel often during the winter months. There are dozens of brands available, but you can also make your own using plastic garbage bags and any vacuum cleaner with a hose.

If that seems like a little too much effort to save yourself $25 to $100 on checked baggage, carefully roll your clothing and use rubber bands to tie each piece. You'll be amazed at how much space you've been wasting by folding your clothing into your carry-on luggage.

Layer Lightly

Chunky sweaters are in style, but they're not practical when packing light. Forego packing your favourite thick wool sweater and opt for a lightweight but cozy cashmere one instead. Thermal underwear or any type of base layer can be worn on its own or under a traditional top for added warmth without bulk. Leggings work great as a bottom base layer for women, because they can be worn under pants or styled on their own.

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Pack Accessories

You should pack more accessories than any other clothing item when heading to cooler temperatures. Instead of loading your carry-on with multiple sweaters or jackets to change your look every day, pack multiple accessories. You can accessorize the same black sweater with several cute hats and scarves to turn one clothing item into countless unique looks.

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Arriving in Cartagena the day the government signed a historic peace deal with FARC (The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) heightened both my excitement and anxiety about choosing Colombia for a winter getaway. A peace deal that had been rejected by Colombian voters months before, revised, and has since been approved unanimously by parliament. Luckily, the ceasefire that came into effect between the two groups while peace talks were underway had been extended to the end of the year, just in time for me to safely enjoy my holiday, I reasoned.

Within minutes of being there, any fear I had about venturing into this post-narco controlled country quickly melted away. Cartagena is a photogenic, sexy city for the senses. With the romance and rogue bougainvillea blooms of Capri mixed with remnants of revolutionary eras not unlike Havana, I arrived at so many comparisons. In fact, Cuban flags could be seen throughout the city as Fidel Castro passed away the day after we arrived, signalling the two nations historic ties are still strong. Yet, the Caribbean city has an energy all it's own that simply can't be categorized.

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What struck me most, aside from the Spanish-colonial architecture and street art galore was the kindness, patience and chivalry of its people. When young dance troupes decide to perform in the street, traffic literally halts and waits until they're finished and the crowd had an opportunity to applaud. I even noticed some vehicles had turned on their hazard lights in an effort to safely alert oncoming cars.

Poverty isn't overtly evident in Cartagena, but there are notably some people living on the streets. What felt so different from my experiences in North America, though, was the respect and compassion shown towards these folks. Whether it be a friendly buenos dias or someone popping out of a cafe to offer a bottle of water, these gestures didn't seem charitable, instead they seemed natural.

Whether you're spending a few days, or decide to linger a little longer, here's some tips on eating, drinking and soaking in this stunning city.

What to see

While Cartagena has a modern business district with an expanding skyline of skyscrapers, you'll probably spend most of your time exploring the old city (La Ciudad Vieja). Spilt into four neighbourhoods, El Centro is the most popular, especially when the cruise ships roll in. Visit the iconic Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandria, have a coffee in Plaza Santo Domingo and buy an ensalada de frutas from one of the city's famous fruit ladies. Also squeeze in a visit (or an entire afternoon) to Abaco Libros y Cafe, a bookstore with a cafe, full bar and good selection of books by Colombian Nobel prize-winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

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San Diego to the north is slightly more modern with high-end shops and restaurants. Have a cerveza in Plaza Fernandez de Madrid and see what's playing at the Teatro Heredia.

Spend most of your time in Getsemani, an up and coming neighbourhood with a local feel. This is the epicentre of the street art craze that's been sweeping Cartagena, some of which has been commissioned by the local government. Prepare to go snap happy along Calle de la Sierpe.

Set out early before the searing heat sets in and explore Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, built by the Spanish in the 1500s. For sunset and a panoramic view of the city, take a taxi to La Popa, the highest point in Cartagena.

If it's beach time you crave, venture to Bocagrande, although better beaches and crystal blue water is only a short boat ride away at one of the nearby islands.

Where to eat

You could easily survive off of street food for your entire stay, with ceviche, paella, and fresh fruit for days. Try an arepas de huevo (disk of fried corn masa, slit open and fried again with an egg inside), especially good if you hit the rum a little too hard the night before.

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La Mulata for inventive fish dishes and funky decor. Demente for modern tapas and a retractable roof perfect for stargazing. La Cocina de Pepina for the best meal you'll have your entire trip (reservations recommended).

Where to drink

Nightlife is the cornerstone of culture in Cartagena, in part because it's the most pleasant temperature of the day.

Enjoy a few sundowners at romantic Cafe del Mar (we witnessed a few proposals here), check out Quiebra-Canto for salsa and reggae and popular Cafe Havana for live music that begins at 11pm nightly. If you're looking for something more local and nondescript, buy a six-pack of Aguila, perch on a bench in Plaza de Santisma Trinidad and people watch. Finally, a visit to Colombia isn't legit without sampling the coffee. See a proper coffee chemist at work at Cafe del Mural.

Where to stay

From small, boutique hostels to luxury hotels, there's something to suit any budget. For something charming and low key, book a private room at Mi Llave. The pretty, pink two-story has a view of downtown and is walking distance to everything in the Old City. For luxury in the heart of El Centro, book in a the Movich for it's stellar locale and breathtaking rooftop pool (also available to day visitors for a fee).

Travel advisories encourage you to "exercise a high degree of caution" when visiting, specifically in rural areas and the region bordering Venezuela. While these warnings are reasonable, Colombia has made huge strides in recent years to protect tourists specifically in cities like Cartagena, Bogota and Medellin. Be alert and be smart, just as you would traveling anywhere. But don't rule out this country on the cusp of an exciting and promising new chapter. It's a wonder to see and a pleasure to visit.

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As minister of International Development and La Francophonie, I have visited 15 or so countries and Canada's re-engagement was pointed out to me during each of them. But what does this re-engagement really mean? Here are five major achievements that speak to Canada's re-engagement on the international scene and the impact of our actions.

Policy review: A focus on women and girls

The empowerment of women and girls is at the centre of Canada's vision, as we frame our new development agenda. That means that women and girls will be consulted, take part in decision-making, and be key partners for the implementation of all of our initiatives. Empowering women and girls is essential to all of our development goals.

Accompanied by Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Canada announced that it would restore its funding to the fund for the full range of sexual and reproductive health services, including providing access to safe, reliable and high-quality family planning services, which could prevent more than 52 million unplanned pregnancies and 15 million unsafe abortions.

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Crises in Iraq and Syria

Canada announced in February its Middle East strategy in response to the crises in Iraq and Syria. We committed $1.6 billion over three years to help our partners plan long-term interventions on the ground in Syria and in neighbouring countries that are receiving millions of refugees. This funding includes $1.1 billion in humanitarian and development aid. Canadians not only welcomed thousands of Syrian refugees to Canada, but they also generously contributed over $30 million to the Syria Emergency Relief Fund.

Fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

Canada hosted the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, in Montreal. Thanks to Canada's leadership, we raised close to $13 billion, which will help to save 8 million lives by 2030 by ending these three devastating global epidemics. Canada contributed $804 million, up 24 per cent from the last replenishment period.

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Support for peace support operations

Canada will re-engage in peace support operations missions by offering the services of up to 600 troops to the United Nations. The new Peace and Stabilization Operations Program is providing $450 million over three years. This new contribution is excellent news for our humanitarian partners on the ground since development is dependent on peace.

Helping the poorest and most vulnerable

In 2016, Canada increasingly focused on those who most need our help, including by announcing support at the World Humanitarian Summit for vulnerable populations in more than 32 countries. We also restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the only UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. This contribution will allow children to remain in school and have access to health care.

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What we've got here is a list of good and bad blockbusters, MOWs, B-movies, and everything in between. And they're decidedly, unabashedly random. Why not roll the dice this week?

Casino Royale

Where to find it: Check local listings

The cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright

The synopsis: "Armed with a license to kill, Secret Agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007 and must defeat a weapons dealer in a high stakes game of poker at Casino Royale."

Think of Casino Royale as the Batman Begins of the James Bond franchise. Producers finally decided to strip away the gloss, the gadgets, and the myriad catch-phrases. End result: a badass Bond who's seriously cool to watch. Best of all, he's not annoyingly superhuman like other Bonds I could name (I'm looking at you, Roger Moore).

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So anyway, this is the James Bond movie that started it all! Even though, you know, it only came out a few years ago. Hey, time is a funny thing. Regardless, if you like your Bonds playing lengthy games of cards, this is the flick for you. I kid, of course: There's plenty of action, suspense, and even torture. Torture so nasty, there may never be a James Bond Jr. We'll just leave it at that, okay? Okay.

"Please just surrender - my arm is getting tired from this massive gun."

I Am Legend

Where to find it: Netflix DVD

The cast: Will Smith, a dog, buncha zombies

The synopsis: "Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure."

Now, this is a story all about how

My life got flipped-turned upside down

And I'd like to take a minute, just sit real pretty

I'll tell you how I became the legend of a town called New York City

In west Manhattan, born and raised

As a military virologist was how I spent mosta my days

Workin' on vaccines, my eye on the prize

When the world's population started droppin' like flies!

And then a couple of zombies who were up to no good

Started making trouble in my neighborhood

I got in one little plague, then it was plain to see

"It appears I'm the last human being alive in in NYC!"

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"Yo burning homes, smell ya later!"

X-Men: The Last Stand

Where to find it: Amazon

The cast: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry

The synopsis: When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men and the Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under the nefarious Magneto."

The X-Men should probably be called the X-People, 'cause there's a kick-ass female component at play here. There's the scaly blue naked woman, the saucy sista with the grey hair, the ginger gal who can bend spoons with her mind or whatever, and the teenager who's got grey hair too but not quite as much as the saucy sista with the grey hair. We're talking more Girl Power than 50 Spice Girls.

I'll always prefer classic X-Men like Grandma Catwoman,

Wolfman Fonzie, and Pegasus Circuit Boy. SHARE IF YOU AGREE!

Horrible Bosses

Where to find it: Netflix DVD

The cast: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis

The synopsis: "Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they're standing in the way of their happiness."

Horrible bosses: You've all had 'em. They're a rite of passage, like taxes, Bar Mitzvahs, and pretending to know all the Game of Thrones character names. And when they're not telling corny jokes or making you give them yet another appointment scheduling software tutorial, they're cutting out early to tee off at a course whose membership fees you'll never afford. But unlike the folks in this comedy, might I suggest you don't actually try and bump off your employer? By my calculations, there's an eight to ten percent chance it won't go too well.

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My dad rocked this hairdo hard for most of the '80s.

The Dukes Of Hazzard

Where to find it: Amazon

The cast: Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson

The synopsis: "Cousins Bo and Luke Duke, with a little help from their cousin Daisy and Uncle Jesse, egg on the authorities of Hazzard County."

Gotta love the casting here: There's Seann William Scott, the dude who plays Stifler in those movies where the guy has sex with the pie. And then there's Johnny Knoxville, the dude who plays Johnny Knoxville in that show where Johnny Knoxville gets a bunch of concussions. Throw in a little Jessica Simpson and the moonshine practically smuggles itself across state lines!
A watchdog has issued a safety warning about packs of prawns which carry a risk of food poisoning.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has issued a recall notice on two batches of Aldi's Specially Selected Tikka King Prawns in Scotland and Northumberland which it says could contain salmonella bacteria.

A spokesman for FSS said: "Aldi is recalling the affected product from its customers and displaying point of sale notices in stores explaining to customers the reason for recall and the actions they can take if they have bought the affected product.

"No other Aldi products are known to be affected."

FSS has advised all consumers who have purchased the product not to eat it and instead return it to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.

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The batch numbers of the prawns affected are 6K14 and 6K15 and the product carries a best before date of April 13, 2018.

An Aldi spokeswoman said: "Our Specially Selected Tikka King Prawns have been recalled from sale in our stores in Scotland and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

"This is a precautionary measure after testing detected the presence of salmonella in a very small sample of products. No other products or stores are affected and we have removed all affected products from our stores.
Our species is capable of great compassion, kindness and tolerance; it is also capable of cruelty, selfishness and hate. Which of these characteristics dominate depends on another characteristic, namely empathy, defined as "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another". This sharing of feeling could so easily be switched off if the "other" happens to have a different colour, religion or culture.

It is argued that empathy cannot be taught but could happen through our positive non-judgemental interaction with others. We need to listen and to imagine what it is like to be the other. It is always easier to interact with others if they belong to our group, and hence it is easy to empathise with them as they experience sufferings and hardships through life.

So the first step to be taken towards developing empathy is interaction, through which we can jump the psychological barriers that prevent us from reaching out to others who do not belong to our group. Our humanity is the bond that connects us all on this planet that we share with every living thing on it. Our survival as a species depends on cooperation between nations and individuals.

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Exceptionalism applied to a state or to a group who identify themselves by their ethnicity, culture or religion has led to endless wars, genocide and slavery. Exceptionalism is the mechanism by which the "other" is dehumanised and by which our empathy is turned off.

It is a fact of life that a minority in a dominant culture gets judged by the actions of its worst individuals. This, in my view, is due to a lack of interaction between the minority community and the dominant community, the correcting mechanism that tells us that this is a very small minority within the minority group does not function as it should with many people.

So next time you see or hear in the news about a crime, or a heinous act committed by an individual within a minority, resist the urge to generalise and to damn the whole community by that action. We all have the propensity to do that instinctively. What is needed is to resist instincts and to engage our brains to be objective in our reaction and the way we view the minority group.

We must resist the temptation to block our empathy by the barriers of colour, religion or ethnicity. Our humanity should trump such feelings. It is the stronger bond that bind us all to this fragile planet.

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Vast numbers of our fellow human beings are sad and miserable as a result of dislocation, escaping wars and grinding poverty through no fault of their own but the circumstances of their birth and interference by other nations. Mental illness and unhappiness as a result of homelessness, family breakups and dysfunctional relationships are on the increase particularly among our young.

We, as individuals, can't be expected to solve these problems but a little understanding, providing a listening ear that says I understand your difficulties, could bring some happiness to those vulnerable and most in need. Providing some happiness to others would boost our own happiness quotient.
Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are making their voices heard. Credit: WAGGGS

This year, we've put girls firmly in the spotlight.

We've encouraged them to speak out on a global stage, share their stories with the world and be the change they want to see.

In a world marred with challenges and conflict, many of the issues we currently face directly affects girls - and often disproportionately so. From the ongoing refugee crisis to violence and everyday sexism, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is providing a platform for girls so they can tell the world what it's like to grow up as a girl today.

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Supporting girls to speak out

As the world's biggest Movement for girls, we know that if we support girls to speak out, they will make an impact through their sheer power and passion.

Throughout 2016, I've seen Girl Guides and Girl Scouts inspire leaders, creating change in their communities, their country and internationally.

Earlier this year the UN's Commission on the Status of Women, the leading conference on gender equality and empowerment of women, took place in New York.

As experts on their own needs, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts were given an opportunity to address world leader on issues affecting them.

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Shellmith, 25, from Kenya, was one of them. Shellmith is a young leader with the Kenya Girl Guides Association. She trains girls who live in Kibera, Kenya's biggest slum, so they are able to get a job and enjoy a bright future. She told me how she's passionate about entrepreneurship and how, when girls are given support, they really can change their world

"An empowered girl with entrepreneurial skills can come up with green ventures that sustain our world better, thus be the change we all need," she said.

Shellmith is determined to see girls succeed - and she's just one of our 10 million inspiring Girl Guides and Girl Scouts who are speaking out on important issues, gaining leadership skills and making a difference.

Tackling issues

This year alone, our Girl Guides and Girl Scouts have worked on issues such as mental health, body confidence, violence and sexual harassment in schools.

At Women Deliver 2016, girls from across the world educated the international community about the importance of body confidence, sharing the skills they had learnt from their non-formal education sessions facilitated by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

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They urged leaders to recognise body confidence as a global issue, which affects all girls and young women, and called for it to be taken seriously.

Leading the way

WAGGGS' Regional Conference in Africa saw girls from across the continent share their experiences of what their lives are really like. Undeterred by challenges, these girls and young women are determined not to be bystanders, but rather leaders in their communities.

The work these young leaders are doing in country - whether it's stopping violence, making reusable sanitary pads or educating others about the importance of body confidence - is nothing short of amazing and, again, it's the same for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts across the world.

Girl Guides of Syria stand in solidarity. Credit: WAGGGS

In October, we celebrated International Day of the Girl. We called for our 10 million members to get involved, share messages and photos showing why girls' rights matter. In war-torn Syria, our Girl Guide troop in country bravely shared a photograph of the group united, standing up for girls' rights, sending a powerful message across our Movement and to the world.

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Most recently, we've worked hard to highlight the issue of sexual harassment in schools. Using our U-Report tool, we asked young people from around the world whether they believe it's an issue.

Over two thirds of young people told us sexual harassment is an overwhelming problem for girls, with more than half saying it stops them from studying and taking part in hobbies.

As a parent and as Chief Executive of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, it is a major cause for concern when girls and young women feel unsafe in a school environment, which is traditionally thought to be a safe space.

While the statistics are shocking, over 1,400 young people also took the opportunity to share how they are tackling violence in school, whether it's involving boys or holding afterschool clubs, while WAGGGS continues to encourage girls and women to speak out about it, through our Voices Against Violence curriculum

Power and passion of girls

Again, it drives home the power and passion of young people involved in our Movement.

We're so glad other people see the true value of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. I'd like to extend a warm thank you to all our volunteers and supporters who continue to donate their time and money to our Movement. It's this generosity that ensures our Member Organisations are supported so our Movement is united, thriving and growing.

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In a world beset with shock and disaster, we are committed to ensuring young women and girls have the tools they need to go forward, make their voices heard and tackle issues important to them.

As the year comes to a close and new one beckons, I hope the power and passion of girls and young women will prevail and that'll you continue to stand with us in any way you can.
Last week, I was thrilled to see a photo on Twitter of three Madagascan girls smiling next to the pipes that would bring safe, clean water to their village for the very first time.

I felt particularly touched to follow this amazing development as I met the truly inspiring girls - Noeline, Feno, and Lalasoa - earlier this year when I had the privilege of visiting the beautiful country. I was there to see the amazing work WaterAid is doing in collaboration with the communities they are helping and how Scouts are working with the charity to educate communities about good hygiene and to help campaign for water and toilets for all.

Noeline showed me the small dirty pond that was teeming with bugs from which they collected water for all their basic needs. I joined her and her friends as they carried their heavy 'jerry cans' up a steep hill, which becomes a mudslide during the rainy season. Their daily battle to simply get water shocked me, but the girls were not defeated; completely the opposite! They all spoke to me of their plans for the future and Lalasoa told me how she wanted to teach or be a doctor and to simply help others - a truly heart-warming moment.

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Thanks to WaterAid's work, they will no longer have to make this arduous journey. A safe water source in the village will completely transform the community, helping reduce disease, and giving young people more time to go to school and to play, the chance of a better future. As a result of the education the community has now received around hygiene and how to manage the new facilities, future generations will continue to benefit from this simple change.

This is just one example of the power of effective international aid, and the importance of strong partnerships to widen the reach and help increase the sustainability of the projects, projects such as 'A Million Hands'.

While in Madagascar, I also visited a community that had already gained access to clean water and toilets, and the difference this made was palpable. I also saw Scouts in action, educating their community about hygiene and speaking to politicians and journalists about the need for clean water and sanitation for all.

And such successes are being repeated across the world; every year, 78 million people are turning on a tap or using a pump for the first time. If just 8% more people are reached a year, everyone everywhere will have clean water by 2030. I would be so proud to be part of a generation that helped ensure such a momentous achievement. And I know that Scouts and young people across the globe share this ambition.

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The global water and sanitation crisis is an issue that Scouts, just like me, feel very strongly about. Despite the progress that has been made, one in ten people still live without safe water and one in three people have no access to improved sanitation. As a result, 900 children die every single day from diarrhoeal diseases. By working together, we can help to end this global crisis.

As part of our community impact campaign, A Million Hands, we are taking action on issues we care about, including helping ensure universal access to these basic human rights.

And the Scouts are not alone. I'm so pleased to live in a country that has committed 0.7% of its Gross National Income to overseas aid, and that water and sanitation is an important component of it.

I have seen first-hand how important effective, well planned, collaborative international aid is, and also feel solidarity with young people across the world. As WaterAid highlights in its new campaign, we are all Made of the Same Stuff - 60% water; this basic resource creates a unity that is stronger than the countries and cultures that divide us.

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You can't always choose what happens to you, but you can choose your response.

Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist who found deep purpose in what it meant to be a holocaust survivor, his sage like insight on how certain individuals are better able to rise above adversity (theirs and others) are more relevant than ever. With deep humility, Frankl observed a behavioural trait that can bring solutions to any problem, he wrote "everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms--to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way".

Image: Kim Pearce

In essence, Frankl is suggesting that solutions to our problems come from behavioural thoughts rather than actions, and we couldn't agree more. From our work with slum communities in India, we have witnessed that the most peacefully disruptive thing you can do to change your world is to change your thinking. It is powerful to note that our insight does not come from a psychology 101 lecture but from the makers of our slow clothing label, some have experienced the worst human rights abuses on earth but want (and need) us to remember that they are not what happened to them, they are what they choose to think possible.

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Image: Kathryn Davis

In deep contrast to what we have seen in the slums, there appears to be an epidemic of victimised thinking in the West, where self-talk (and selfies) demonstrate a belief that others have power over our choices. It's important to recognise that for billions of us, the 'set of circumstances' that we perceive as stopping us from creating the life we desire is mostly in our heads. Never before have the majority of us been better equipped to live freely, so why, as Moby poetically asks 'do so many of us spend our lives doing work that we hate to buy things we don't need'? When Einstein stated 'we will not solve our problems with the same thinking that created them', he too was offering us the opportunity to solve our problems by changing our thinking. The beauty of this approach is that it takes a choice, nothing more, nothing less!

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Image: Kim Pearce

As we welcome the New Year many of us will make re-solutions to do something differently. On a deeper level and judging from the uncertain state of global affairs, many of us truly want change but often opt for less than what is possible. It appears that as we set our intentions, we unconsciously fear the outcome, so we get what we think. What if we could reverse Moby's dilemma for example and spend more time loving our work to buy things that are worthwhile? What if we could choose to turn a scarcity mindset into an abundant one, without the need to change anything other than our minds.

Trust me, as a former economist who bought heavily into the scarcity mindset and the myth that all resources, including self, are limited, (excellent fodder for victimisation by the way) we offer you a simple check list of attitudes to help change your thinking. These attitudes are at the core of everything we have created at The Possibility Project. While it was our intention to build something using what we already had, our engagement with slum communities has opened us to so much more.

Image: The Possibility Project

Our ability to create a slow clothing label has come from four simple attitudes demonstrated to us by these slum communities. Read them slowly.

1. Compassion - Anything is possible.

2. Abundance - We already have what we need to create what we want

3. Mastery - Everybody has a gift to offer

4. Purpose - win - wins create magnificent solutions

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Image: Kim Pearce

Witness your response to each attitude, resistance is normal! When you 'think' about it, how often do we hear or see this message of possibility? Think of our political systems, our work places, our personal relationships, our food and clothing supply chains (don't even get me started on our classrooms). When are we ever reminded of our 'enoughness'? Problem solving is the essential activity of every being human, yet we have forgotten the simplest ways to create solutions.We have experienced first hand how these attitudes of compassion, abundance, mastery and purpose are freely available choices to every human being and how they can transform problems. These can be your enough starting points for 2017. When you change your thinking you will change your world, we simply wish to offer you some greater possibility.
"Steven, your last blog didn't say LGBT once? how unusual" cried my friends... or at least I assume they would have had anyone read the last blog.... But fear not hypothetical and concerned friends! I'm making my rainbow cloaked return to LGBT subject matter!

I was recently having supper with a new acquaintance (this blog partially exists to serve as a humble brag about the fact that I have made a friend) and we were discussing my studies, in particular my dissertation and how I chose to focus upon queer theory. I explained my original starting point to my dissertation was to focus upon the application of queer theory onto the prehistoric archaeological record as a means of investigating the possible existence of a queer prehistoric identity, or as I jokingly named it at the time "Is early Homosapian also Homosexual" (a title that received mixed reviews at best). My friend burst out with something along the lines of "please find some" and seemed quite chuffed when I informed him I had - at the very least- formed a solid argument about the existence of same gendered sexual activity between prehistoric people (humblebrag number 2). In my previous blog I mentioned how archaeology has the prospect to effect social conscious and morals, and I want to use this example to further explain that phenomena.

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To explore the effect of definitive proof of early queer activity (a term I adopt for this article as any other language is too specific to accurately represent this phenomena, though I understand the politically charged nature of this word and wish to clarify I am only using it in a quasi-academic context), we must currently understand the view of current queer activity. While it is mostly accepted, the manner in which it is viewed does change a great deal over different social/religious/class/cultural/geographical landscapes, which I believe to all stem from different theories of why the phenomena occurs, notably "is it natural?" or "is it a modern creation?" Both these ideas can be debated due to the little evidence of or study into queer heritage. This leaves people open to multiple interpretations, queerness may be common now because it is a strictly modern phenomenon (theory A) or queerness is more common now because society is more accepting and people are making themselves known (theory B), people who subscribe to theory A find it easier to justify homophobia and other forms of- both legal and personal- queer based discrimination because the absence of history makes it seem less legitimate. This is where evidence of early queerness comes into play, it's much harder to de-legitimise something when it is has appeared throughout time and been sewn into the fabric of various pivotal societies (such as Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Japan) and possess its own legacy.

Sandel and Nightengale write about how the lgbt community (though this point can be extrapolated to apply to all marginalized communities) are "under-served" by museums. An example of this is how, despite homophobia's prominence throughout history, it is almost entirely absent and/or neglected by both museums and the educational and academic sphere (a phenomena noted by Levin), this is where I think museums are slacking. Not only does the overlooking of queer history and heritage arguably aid homophobia's ability to infiltrate and infect societal spheres, it also misses the opportunity to reach out to the communities they neglect. One of my favorite metaphors for the lgbt community is that they are uncharted volcanic islands (a metaphor put forward by poet Alfian Sa'at), they exist but are often not recognized. A result of this is that members of the community aren't aware of the colorfulness of our own history, or how members of our community have contributed to wider society and above all else, how members of our community are just as good as everyone else. Not only does this absence make it easier for others to delegitimize the community and push us further into the fringes of society (as previously discussed), but it also makes it easier for us to doubt ourselves. A closeted youth will inevitably doubt themselves and their own worth. In my youth my mind was full of the fear that I was not breaking the mould as I liked to hope, instead I was afraid that I was just broken. This is a cavity not explored by museums who- by not reaching back into queer heritage are also not reaching out to the queer community who may need it.

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With Hanukkah starting the same day as Christmas this year, Hanukkah was completely dwarfed by Christmas with its myriad of commercials and store product displays, not to mention the nation-wide broadcast of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting. A friend asked me how it is that Hanukkah avoids commercialization. The answer is three-fold: market size, lack of awareness, and nature of practice.

Market Size

Of the 324 million people in the United States (census), 280 million of them are Christian. For companies producing holiday products, this is a very large customer base, offering a worthwhile potential market to amply justify themed commercials, decorations, and product development (of both Christmas-specific products like Santa figurines and Christmas-themed everyday items like red-and-green wrapped candies). Christmas commercialization has reached immense proportion due to a snowballing of companies playing up their holiday offerings to stand out amongst the fray.

The population of Jews in the United States, on the other hand, numbers only 5.6 million (WJC). For most large companies, this is too miniscule a market to cater to. This gap in the marketplace is filled by smaller companies specializing in products targeting the Jewish demographic. Jewish-focused companies manufacture foods, gifts, and specialized holiday products that can be found in local Jewish specialty shops, non-specialized shops in heavily-Jewish areas, and online.

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Awareness

Given that there are 5.6 million Jews and 280 million Christians in the United States, a proportional Hanukkah display would barely be noticeable. Even in New York City, known as being "very Jewish," Christians outnumber Jews by 7.4:1 (Pew). In areas with a high population of Jews, stores often have Jewish holiday displays: apples & honey and shofars (ram's horns blown during the holiday) for the Jewish New Year, matzah and Seder plates for Passover, and Hanukkiahs (the candelabras lit on Hanukkah) and dreidels (spinning tops) in windows and apartment building lobbies during Hanukkah. But with only 1.7 million Jews in the United States outside of the eight top cities, Jews in the rest of the country disappear in a mathematical rounding error.

Practice

With so many Christians in America, school breaks and legal holidays are arranged around the major holidays. This is so well-ingrained that Winter Break has become synonymous with Christmas Break. Christmas and Easter are so significant that the term C&E Christians has come into being, referring to Christians who attend church for the minimum of Christmas and Easter services. The Jewish equivalent of C&E, however, would not include Hanukkah. When celebrated, Hanukkah festivities include a brief candle lighting at home and Hanukkah parties for children and young professionals.

Jewish holidays are generally celebrated either in the home or in the synagogue, but rarely in public. Given how home-based these celebrations are, it would be easy for non-Jews to be unaware of Jewish holidays, particularly given confusion of holiday dates as the Jewish lunar-solar calendar shifts relative to the Gregorian calendar. In fact, placing the Hanukkiah in a window for others to see is about as public an observance as Judaism has.

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In short, there will never be a large Hanukkiah standing alongside the 94 foot tall Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, and that makes sense. Hanukkah itself is a minor holiday, with neither the observance nor the public awareness to justify a large display.

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With Christmas commercials, decorations, and music everywhere, it'd be hard to mistake the reach of the holiday. It is the anchor for home decorations, retail sales, elaborate window displays, and tourism, with retail sales alone topping $600 billion (Wikipedia). With so much interest and excitement over Christmas and its subsequent economic impact, it is therefore no surprise that there is so much commercialization as companies hurry to join the bandwagon.
President-elect Donald Trump should end the President's Daily Brief (PDB) prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It summarizes high level intelligence and analyses about global hot spots and national security threats as seen through the eyes of the Director.



The PDB is suitable for the President of the World. It is a distraction for the President of the United States. POTUS is elected to advance the interests of American citizens, not to go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. Under the United States Constitution, sovereignty lies with "We the People." The President is only a temporary steward of their liberties.

Except to create an invincible self-defense against actual or imminent aggression against the United States, all of President Trump's time and focus should be on providing Americans a fair opportunity to develop their faculties and pursue their ambitions. Among other things, President Trump should champion infrastructure like libraries, schools, hospitals, highways, airports, and universal internet access to all the great books of the world. Equally important, President Trump should put a knife in the back of the morally corrupt crony capitalism industry that is arresting economic growth.

The time-honored engine of prosperity is uncomplex, i.e., a marketplace where the touchstone of success is satisfying consumer wants through skill, foresight, industry, and innovation. In this system, business geniuses rise to the top the top based on building a better or more affordable mousetrap or inventing new products or ways of doing business like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, or otherwise.

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The essential fact about capitalism, according to renowned economist Joseph Schumpeter, is the process of Creative Destruction: incessant product and process innovations or inventions by which new production units replace outdated ones.

Crony capitalism, in contrast, rewards a business executive's political shrewdness in skewing business decisions to benefit key Members of Congress who hold decisive influence or control over the economic fortunes of the companies they manage. Lockheed Martin's nearly $400 billion price tag for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter--about $140 million per copy--is emblematic.

Companies from 45 states are involved in production. It is no accident that Texas enjoys the lions share. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.) is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; and, Rep. Kay Granger (R-Tex.) is vice chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. In 2015, the F-35 program comprised 20 percent of Lockheed's total revenue of $46.1 billion; and, U.S. government orders made up 78 percent.

The economic costs of crony capitalism are incalculable: the wholesale diversion of the nation's business genius from satisfying consumer wants to satisfying political imperatives. Consumer demand seldom if ever converges with the political needs of a Member.

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President Trump should begin his attack on crony capitalism with an executive order requiring the chief executives of all federal government contractors to certify under oath that none of their business decisions have been or will be compromised to benefit the district or state of any U.S. Representative or Senator.

The PDB should be discarded as the misbegotten child of the American Empire. It has been defined for at least 70 years by presidential quests for global domination and legacies as narcissistic and useless as pharaonic pyramids. The interests of American citizens have been slighted as if they were extras in a Cecil B. DeMille cinematic extravaganza.

To defend the United States from aggression, the President does not need to know the economic destitution of Zimbabwe, political upheavals in Burundi or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the strength of the Euro, or the implications of Brexit for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The President needs to know that our troops in the United States are seamlessly defending our borders, our sea lanes, our air space, and our cyberspace from enemy penetration.
PALM BEACH, FL - DECEMBER 21: President-Elect Donald J. Trump attends a meeting at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, FL on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

These are early days of course. Nothing has happened yet to directly justify a rush to judgment. But enough happened during the campaign, and enough is happening now in the interregnum between the election and the inauguration, to give genuine cause for concern. These three large concerns at the very least.

THE PROSPECT OF BAD POLICIES TO COME

Had Hillary Clinton won, we would now be contemplating the possibilities of extending access to childcare and healthcare, easing the burden of student debt, protecting a woman's right to choose, anticipating equal pay for equal work, and expecting, among other things, trade union rights to be extended and income inequality to fall. No doubt we would have been disappointed on some of this - but the trajectory of policy emanating from the White House would have been broadly progressive. But it will not be now, for at least the following two sets of reasons.

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One is that the men (and occasionally, the women) already selected by Donald J. Trump to join his cabinet, as the heads of key federal agencies, appear to be uniformly hostile to the use of the agencies they will head for any progressive purpose. Indeed, and to the contrary, many of them will enter their new roles determined to reverse some or all of their agency's recent policy initiatives; and some even have records of actively resisting those policy initiatives in the Obama years. The list of potential cabinet members already available to us is awesome and, from a progressive point of view, truly and consistently terrible. The result will be a cabinet dominated by self-made billionaires drawn from the private sector, joined by a set of controversial generals drawn from the ranks of the militarily retired. What could possibly go wrong with policy initiatives and executive actions crafted by a cabinet dominated by ex-oil executives, Wall Street insiders and the military fringe? Arguably, everything!

The second is that, what might have eased conservative worries about Hillary Clinton as President -- namely the steadfast resistance to any progressive policies she would have experienced at the hands of a Republican-controlled Congress -- is simply not going to be replicated with Donald J. Trump as President. Some of the more populist of his policy promises on the campaign trail -- his defense of Social Security, his commitment to ending free trade -- may meet a similar fate. But the bulk of his program will not, primarily because he doesn't yet have a fully calibrated program. What instead is already in place is a Tea-Party dominated Republican Party in control of both the House and the Senate, one which is publicly committed to using its majorities in both houses to, among other things, abolish the Affordable Care Act and 'reform' into oblivion vast chunks of the already depleted US welfare state. The Trump decision to appoint a leading Tea Party enthusiast to the Directorship of the Office of Management and Budget, and a leading advocate of health privatization to head the Department of Health and Social Security, suggests that this Republican onslaught on what remains of FDR's New Deal and of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society will be fully embraced by a Trump White House, rather than be blocked by it as it was when Barack Obama was President of the United States.

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THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE WHITE HOUSE WILL DIVIDE RATHER THAN UNITE US

We are currently a deeply divided nation. In fact, the depth of our current divisions is probably one of the few things on which most Americans agree -- that, and the undeniable fact that Donald J. Trump did not win in November 2016 either a majority of the popular vote or indeed as many votes as Mitt Romney did when losing to Barack Obama in 2012. Donald J. Trump used the occasion of Hillary Clinton's phone-call concession to him to announce on election night that he intended to be a president for all the American people. The question, however, is whether he will, or indeed even whether he can, now begin to heal the divisions that his campaign rhetoric so helped to exacerbate. Again, for two reasons at least, that outcome is unlikely.

One is the powerful legacy of the campaign rhetoric itself. Donald J. Trump began his campaign, as we all know, speaking unscripted about Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists -- and then went on to, among other things, dismiss Megyn Kelly as menstrual, propose a ban on the entry of Muslims to America, and brag about the way in which his fame and fortune allowed him to sexually assault women. At one of his early campaign rallies he mocked a journalist with a serious disability; and at later rallies gave vocal support to the use of violence by supporters whenever dissent manifested itself in the audience. By those means, and by others, Donald Trump's campaign released into mainstream politics ideas long resisted as "politically incorrect" by decent Americans. He gave political oxygen to groups long marginalized because of their excessive bigotry. These bigoted groups are now empowered by the Trump victory -- publicly parading their reactionary ideas and reveling in their new-found legitimacy. Which is why the countless acts of hate that have been perpetrated since November 8 make it imperative -- if Donald J. Trump genuinely wants to unite the country -- that he establish a large and rapid division between his Administration and the white nationalist fringe. Yet despite his brief insistence in late November that he has no wish to re-energize the alt-right, no such chasm has yet been opened- up by either the vocabulary of, or the policy stances laid out by, the President-elect as he prepares for office.

The other is the pattern of appointments and public pronouncements that so far have come from the Trump camp. If social unity was Donald J. Trump's goal, and a transition from campaign mode to governing mode was his intention, then it is hard to understand why Steve Bannon -- the arch conspiracy theorist and previous regular peddler of misogynistic and bigoted by-lines on Breitbart News, should now be firmly ensconced within the White House as chief strategist and senior counselor. It is also very hard, if building fences back to the 54 percent of American women who did not vote for him is part of his intention, that Donald J. Trump should have appointed so few women to senior positions in his in-coming Administration; and it is very hard to make sense of the pattern of content and silences in the tweets through which he daily communicates with us. The slightest criticism of Trump himself gets an immediate and heavily-negative Trump tweet response. Ask the cast of Saturday Night Live, or that of Hamilton, if you want further evidence of that. But when the man who co-directed his campaign in New York state, Carl Paladino, last week issued a horrendously racist set of slurs against both Barack and Michelle Obama, only to attempt later to attempt to laugh them off as a sophisticated joke, there was no equivalent tweet from the President-elect: no tweet condemning either the racism or the sense of humor said to produce it. Donald J. Trump seems not yet to have realized that, as President, what he doesn't say, and doesn't prioritize, can be as politically significant as the things that he does say and do. It is a lesson that he needs quickly to recognize and to heed.

THE SUBLIMINAL THREAT TO THE CONTINUANCE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Then there is this even more profound worry on which we would all do well carefully to reflect. Donald J. Trump comes to the presidency from the world of business, as he regularly reminds us. So too do many of his inner circle and senior advisers, not least other members of his family. The world of business is not a democratic one; and the world of family-business can often be more like the Godfather than Capitol Hill. In the world of business, hiring and firing is the prerogative of senior management, with everything justified in terms of the bottom-line and the fiduciary duty to shareholders. In the cut-throat world of family business, trimming ethical corners can be vital for survival, and a culture of dog-eat-dog very easy to consolidate. Bringing those kinds of business habits and practices to the role of US president can be incrementally corrosive of the very foundations of American democracy: because that democracy rests on the inalienable rights of citizens that no executive can simply ignore, and because those rights are grounded in a system of laws that no executive can disregard. So the question arises again. How great and permanent a rupture with the practices and ethics of vulture capitalism can we expect the incoming Trump Administration to make? And once again, for the following two reasons at least, the omens are far from reassuring.

First, there is the matter of the Trump entourage itself, and of the managerial philosophy flowing through it from the top. From outside, it is hard to judge of course, but what we know of the Trump temperament, and what we have seen from people like Kellyanne Conway when senior Democratic Party figures criticize her boss, it doesn't look good. Maybe Donald J. Trump himself will develop a thicker skin over time, as he remembers with what ferocity he challenged the basic legitimacy of his predecessor as president, and as he comes to realize that he has actually achieved his life goal -- he is now President of the United States. But even if that mellowing occurs -- and many commentators, struck by the possibility that the new President may have serious character flaws over which he has no control, doubt that it is even a possibility -- we can expect no such mellowing from his entourage. For their hold on power turns critically on their boss's credibility in the wider electorate. Their status and privilege critically depends on the credibility of his; and at least some of them bring to their new role some particularly ethically-challenged business practices from their own past. Donald J. Trump may yet prove to be a leading example of "poacher turned gamekeeper," but we are unlikely to see an equivalent turn from many of his poacher friends.

In fact, just the reverse so far. There seems to be genuine fear in parts of the civil service of an impending witch-hunt against supporters of climate change and women's rights -- the fear of a new McCarthyism in American public life, with anti-Trumpism replacing anti-communism as its driving motif. The most disturbing story that I saw this Christmas was that about the death threats and abuse heaped on a Californian professor who had the temerity to criticize Donald J. Trump in a lecture filmed (and then disseminated) by a Republican student member of her audience. There has been no Trump tweet condemning this, as far as I know: and it needs condemning. It needs condemning partly to offset the right-wing media's echo chamber -- the one that blows every tiny liberal transgression into a major threat to American democracy while remaining entirely silent on the much more dangerous conservative abuses of power. It is touching, after all, to see Fox News outraged at this apparent misuse of a teaching position, when their regular misuse of their position to spread false information, or distort by over-emphasize, is such a defining feature of what they are and do on a regular basis. And if you doubt that, check out Fox News latest contribution to the debate on welfare reform.

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But the danger to the strength of democratic institutions here in the United States runs deeper than just this one case. The danger is this. If double standards are routinely applied by the conservative media -- with them throwing every verbal slur they can at Administration critics while turning a blind-eye to Administration excesses -- the quality of the electoral process will be quickly undermined by the systematic flow of distorted information to would-be voters. Moreover, if people cannot dissent without being exposed to the threat of violence, civilized discourse in a functioning democracy will quickly become impossible. And if the academy cannot be a place in which ideas are freely discussed and critical thinking actively encouraged, then the civil society surrounding the democratic state will be irreparably damaged. The incoming Administration and its supporters are enthusiastic advocates of the Second Amendment. Yet over the last eight years, they have also enjoyed the full protection of the First Amendment -- even when pushing the lies of the birther movement -- which is why it is now time for them to recognize their responsibilities to honor both Amendments with equal determination and force.

GOING FORWARD

Now, however, is not the time for progressives to panic. Now is the time to prepare, to organize and to be ready to resist, planning to use only (but to exhaust fully) all the legal rights of opposition guaranteed to citizens under the Constitution. White racist misogynistic America reared its ugly head on November 8th, to the nation's lasting shame. Progressive candidates were beaten by a tidal wave that Donald J. Trump released but did not originate, as the Trump people organized themselves against a woman for president and against an inclusive coalition for America. Tragically, they got away with it: which is why the struggle before us now is such an enormous one. It is also why that struggle must begin with a clear insistence from progressive Americans that the opposition to the new Administration will make no concessions at all to racism, to sexism, or to xenophobia. There must be no chasing votes on the terms on which Donald J. Trump won them. Votes must be won back on progressive principles, not on reactionary ones, if those votes are going to be worth winning back at all.

There are many political battles to come; and initially many of them will likely be lost. But only initially; for as the gap opens-up between what Donald J. Trump promised he would deliver as President and what he actually delivers, the space for successful progressive politics will reappear. Indeed, it is likely to reappear even more rapidly than it would if Donald J. Trump was its only recruiting sergeant. For he is not. The Republican Party is also now in government. In 2017, it too will now have to put its policy proposals where its mouth has been. There can be no hiding by Republicans behind an anti-Obama blame sheet this time round. There can be no more pointing the finger elsewhere. What happens now will be entirely on the Republican Party's watch; and they will be judged accordingly. We can therefore expect a rapid learning curve there too, as many Republican voters find their health coverage cut and their Social Security threatened by the "reforms" that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell jointly oversee. And in the meantime, as we wait for these pennies to drop, we can take some comfort from the thought that one of Donald J. Trump's earliest responsibilities as President will likely be to record a message of welcome to immigrants newly naturalized as citizens. I well remember my own naturalization ceremony long ago -- welcomed by George W. Bush. A Republican President welcomed all of us that day without any mention of criminality or rape. Donald J. Trump will need to do the same -- or if he can't cope with the volte-face required, will need to ask Mike Pence to stand in for him.... or perhaps Alex Baldwin if neither the President or Vice-President fancy the task. Of the three, of course, Alex Baldwin would undoubtedly do the best job!

First posted with full footnotes at www.davidcoates.net
I often experience a series of completely immersive, fully dimensional and cinematic visitations that transport me back, at the speed of enlightment, to any number of precise, laser-targeted moments of time experienced and logged, which feels, during even the briefest moments of self-exploration, both prescriptive and most importantly and despite the occasional feelings of imminent danger, safe.

Most of us stagger amatuerly through life, army defended against a personal civilization of sadistic bosses, rude people, unreasonable spouses, selefish politicans and widly disappointing friends and yet there are moments that arrive, less and less frequently, when we are finally willingly to lay down our shields and swords in order to release God's chest-housed breath and allow in radiant beams of sunshine which allows us, in turn, to bake our fresh bread souls like the true artisans we all secretly all are.

When we live in that fragrant, warm moment of just rised bliss, time stops and all seems impossibly right with the world. We feel tucked in. Read to. We can close our eyes and remember the tactful touch of our mothers as they quietly swiped those few errant hairs from our foreheads as they quickly replaced their child tracing fingertips with their mommy warm, slowly descending, perfectly landed lips.

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When I was really little I had many safe places. There were tented blankets, members only, closet spaces and the exclusive, shadow underworlds of summertime boardwalks and daddy indented, chaise lounges. From those quiet places I was able to pray at the Church of the child and while offering myself to the welcoming angel arms of forever.

What I was not prepared for was this year.



2016, has been nothing more than an endless, unpredictable chain of just stepped on land mine explosions that refuses to stop no matter how many times I to convince myself that all is well

It feels like we have all been forced to stand, glued against our will to the very same spot, saluting stoically little John John, as we mournfully watch the clip, clop of the next horseless carriage of the just now extinguished hero. And the one after that.

And the one after that.

You know the endless list of loss. Prince. Glen Frey. David Bowie. George Michael. Muhammad Ali. Alan Rickman. Patty Duke. And now add Debbie Reynolds whose tiny, let's put on a show, trouper body required the proplusion of one, final massive stroke to propell her into the heavens so she could still be next door neighbors with her beloved and our beloved Carrrie.

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At this point all I can try to do is hope and pray that I run out of memory ink so I can finally breath and stare at a mercifully blank sheet brain paper.

The election, for the most of us, has been yet another land mine exploded. Killed in action, in one blinding, staggering moment of flash, has been decency, ability, talent, ethics, values, truth, facts, science, compassion, civility, inclusion, respect and educated discourse which now lie, on the scorched earth battlefields like quickly decomposing, mortally wounded, soldiers whose bodies will remain both forgotten and unclaimed for at least four more years, because avarice, just like any other chemical weapon, once fully released into the atmosphere, cannot be contained and kills on contact.

Wherever I have traveled, the traumatized, shared-loss cafe conversations have been identical. It's not even January and already those daily George Bailey-like/Potterville wild eyed faces of helplessness appear at every turn, searching desperately for answers.

It feels like, the never ending new normal ritual has been expect the best, while outside Rome burns and the Emperor waves, like a baffled, Walmart Greeter, in the lobby of a tower (which I assure you is his one and only job).

For now, and today only, the obituaries du jour will read:

Historical Hollywood glamour, forever gone.

Savage, brilliant, wit, dies at 60.

But once the dust that we literally go to and finally settles (trust me, it will. For a while at least) know this.

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Despite everything that has slammed us hard in the clay-soft, most vulnerable lunar region craters of our hearts, our individual system of gravity although threatened and endlessly under atatck, works just fine.

What we need now is one small step for a man or woman.
Anna (not her real name) came to see me because she felt 'stuck' and she'd been intrigued by a talk I gave on creating soulful relationships.

Anna was in her 60s and mother to a 'forty-something' daughter, Lily (again, not her real name). Lily was a successful small business owner, a wife and mother of a ten-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy. Lily was also a chronic alcoholic who had been through inpatient rehabilitation programs three times in 20 years and had made countless attempts to stay sober, some lasting years, some only hours. Lily had now, for the last year or so, been drinking heavily again, bringing to the end her longest ever period of sobriety.

Anna came to tell me of her concerns for Lily, or so she framed her visit. It soon became apparent that Anna was intensely focused on her own pain, and biting disappointment and anger that Lily was not the daughter she wanted her to be. Anna felt that Lily had had every opportunity to do well in life, and indeed in some ways she had excelled. However, for Anna, it was unbearable to see Lily sleeping through school pickup times, ignoring her husband and snapping at the children everyday due to alcoholism.

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I asked Anna about the state of her relationship with Lily currently, wondering why after all these years, she was here, now, talking to me.

"Did something different happen recently?" I asked, hoping to understand the situation more deeply.

"Yes, a little" answered Anna "It got worse after I wrote her a letter to let her know how difficult it was that she was drinking again, how disappointed I was and how afraid I am it is actually going to make ME sick having to deal with her like this".

"I guess that didn't help get a conversation going?" I asked, not needing to hear the answer, but hoping that asking the question might spark further reflection.

"No, it didn't" she said.

"You are worried for your health you say Anna, are you unwell?"

"No, I just wanted her to know I am afraid for my health because her drinking again makes me feel, unwell, physically sick..."

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"You wanted her to know that her actions might make you sick?"

"Yes" Anna stopped to take a tissue.

We paused a while to reflect on the situation as described so far.

"Is this the first time you've written Lily a letter about your feelings?"

"Yes. I usually tell her how I feel in person".

"And how does she usually respond to you?"

"Not well. Angrily. She shuts down for a few days and I can't see the kids, my grandchildren, and she won't speak to me or let me into their house."

We spoke for a while about how, just maybe, Lily cannot bear her own feelings easily, that she may be struggling with her own disappointment at yet another relapse, let alone the feelings of disappointment her mother has toward her. Further, Anna expressed not only disappointment, but that Lily is in danger of making her sick. We wondered together how easy that would be for Lily to read, and whether it would be helpful to hear on either side, all things considered. I comforted Anna that her feelings were absolutely normal under the circumstances, and very real.

Yet, holding that in mind, I asked if we might reflect on a question to bring a larger perspective to the situation, a situation where a lot of people are in pain, a lot of people are under pressure and being affected. I wondered with her if we might reflect through a spiritual lens, on the bigger picture of the situation as well as holding her intense feelings of this moment?

Anna agreed.

The question I wanted to ask was from the core of the talk Anna had heard that had drawn her to approach me:

"Is what I'm about to say or do likely to be helpful, to me or the other person, in the bigger picture of this situation?"

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Anna understood, and she quickly replied that she thought it was probably not helpful to criticize Lily and tell her she was making her (Anna) sick. It might be true, but it might not be helpful to Lily, to their relationship, or to staying engaged and helping the grandchildren because Lily shut Anna out of their lives whenever she felt criticized. On reflection, Anna stated that expressing her feelings to an actively alcoholic Lily had no positive outcomes for anyone, except for giving Anna a chance to vent, then regret her venting.

I asked Anna about how she has typically coped with Lily's drinking all these years, and she said she really hadn't coped well. Anna felt that a wedge had been gradually driven further and further between them over time. Anna had coped by asking Lily to stop drinking time and time again, by helping her with the family as much as she could and by praying, asking for help and wellness for Lily and all of them from God. She also prayed for Lily to show more kindness and to be less hard on the three year old boy in particular, who had developed behavioural problems. Anna often wondered why her prayers to her God felt so unanswered, why God could not help them with the change they needed. Anna attended a Christian church every week and enjoyed the fellowship aspect, but felt her faith was weakened by the lack of any perceivable answer to her desperate prayers.

Disheartened that her prayers seem always unanswered she had started looking elsewhere for help, attending different churches and coming to see me. We decided to look at the principles of her faith to see where she might translate them into practice in her relationship with Lily, rather than waiting for them to be applied from outside by praying to an interventionist image of God. We wondered if our own resources are perhaps the way Spirit expresses itself best in our lives and how we might examine that idea.

After some conversation, we came to wonder whether there was great opportunity in which Anna herself could be the carrier of the kind of change she prayed would come from a Higher Power. Did Anna have some power herself to embody a change of perspective towards Lily - whether Lily deserves it or not, whether she is angry with Lily or not?

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Anna named compassion, forgiveness and unconditional loving as the qualities she saw as most important in her Christian faith. Therefore, we decided to look at what Anna was empowered to do, what she could do to activate in herself right now a shift or a new perspective from her spiritual understanding that might bring about better outcomes with Lily.

We discussed that while Anna changing her behaviour consistently to being less judgmental and accusing towards Lily may not change Lily's drinking in the short-term, it may start to rebuild some trust on Lily's side. It may also mean that Lily might be more open to sharing the grandchildren's daily lives with Anna, rather than shutting her out in what seemed to be punitive and defensive action against feeling criticized and judged.

We looked at all the ways in which Anna might lighten Lily's perception of her load in life, without detriment to Anna herself, in order to join forces with Lily and encourage her to feel more empowered rather than exacerbating her shame, low self-esteem and feelings of overwhelm. We agreed that insisting Lily was responsible for keeping her Mum healthy by complying with her Mum's angrily expressed demands was not helpful to Lily, and therefore not helpful to maintaining wider family cohesiveness, particularly under this already strained situation.

Anna decided that the question

"Is what I am about to do or say likely to help the situation?"

was the key question she could ask before expressing herself with Lily. Being less openly critical was not necessarily going to change Lily, at least not directly, but it didn't aim to. It might however, take a lot of pressure off everybody in this crisis period.

More broadly, Anna realised once and for all, that after two decades (or I suspect perhaps even most of Lily's lifetime) telling Lily she needed to change her behaviour and her self, it was Anna who could really model being a bigger person for the sake of those who were younger than her. It was Anna who held the power to very personally embody the fundamental Christian principals she cherished such as acceptance, forgiveness, compassion for pain she may not understand, and healthy self-management of feelings.

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These were deeply Christian understandings for a deeply Christian woman, but they need not have been framed in a way that was specific to religion. Anna grasped these spiritual wellbeing principles in a new way that would also have been theoretically possible without religious beliefs, had she not had them. Anna realised that she didn't have to limit herself to just praying and waiting in seeming helplessness but that she could also activate the spirit of a loving 'higher' power through herself. Prayer could be helpful, but it wasn't always enough on its own.

One of the difficulties of pain is that we cease to see as widely as we might, our vision is narrowed and we can miss recognising the spectrum of growth opportunities possible, evoked by the suffering. We can too easily lose focus on the vast nature of who we are, that we are more than our feelings and thoughts in each moment, and that we may have more power over ourselves, than we realise. We can miss seeing that we are acting in a manner that is the opposite to that kindness, compassion and unconditional love we pray will intervene from outside ourselves.

A spiritual psychology allows us to remember the vast unlimited nature of our consciousness, of our heart, of being a good presence in the world. It helps us to see that other actions may be more helpful and ultimately rewarding than getting to express how peeved and disappointed we are in the moment. A spiritual perspective beckons us to be the 'bigger' person when our body, our thoughts, our emotions feel limiting, diminished and small.

While Lily had not stopped drinking last time I heard from Anna, Anna was enjoying more open communication and more time with Lily and the kids, than for a year prior. Anna felt she was now much better positioned to help the family as a whole. She herself felt more empowered around the situation and proud of herself for having more to share with her daughter than just ongoing anger and disappointment. Anna still prayed and she felt stronger in her spiritual life because she felt she was practically expressing her faith and employing her long-held spiritual values in ways that translated into better relating.

This quote (below) from Danielle Laporte sums up the idea of creating a spirituality that you can really use, not just a spirituality of words or images to look at from the church pews or meditation stools, but an embodied enriching way of life:

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"My version of spirituality has to be practical. It's got to work in my kitchen, it's got to work in my bedroom, and it's got to work in my heart."



Danielle Laporte, The Desire Map.

I shared the quote with Anna and she felt it was worthy of placing on her refrigerator door as a daily reminder. Anna wants to keep in touch and plans to let me know of any further progress with Lily.
U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump speaks at an event at Carrier HVAC plant in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., December 1, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Bergin

The unexpected outcome of last month's election loosed the horrors of the liberal imagination. The America that we all "knew" to exist doesn't. "They" are coming to round up all of society's victims.

Of course, we're still waiting. (With luck, Hollywood celebrities will be the first to go to the camps.) And we're likely to continue waiting for quite some time.

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But while Donald Trump has generally pleased the Right with his Cabinet appointments, he has demonstrated that he cares little for the rule of law and believes not at all in free markets. Arbitrary presidential intervention in the economy "is the way it's going to be," he declared, and "corporate America is going to have to understand." Which should worry anyone committed to free enterprise and limited government. And requires that Republicans in Congress and elsewhere to keep him within legal bounds.

The Carrier deal fulfills the worst of the president-elect's inclinations. Forget the overall argument for trade. Americans are better off if they are able to purchase cheaper products from abroad. Lower-priced goods and services are particularly important for those of modest means, who gain the most from free trade.

Moreover, job growth is stronger if the economy is more competitive. Jack up the price of steel and automobiles are more expensive, etc. If Trump closes off the economy, he shouldn't expect the rest of the world to rush to buy U.S. goods and services. No surprise, the majority of Americans favors a more open economy.

Trying to "save" high-cost jobs is expensive. Indeed, protectionism routinely spends far more per position than workers receive. It would be better to cut out complicated trade restrictions and simply pay people directly. Except that the public would then know how much they actually were pay for other people's jobs. Politicians prefer to hide the expense.

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So it is with Carrier. Those employed are happy to keep their jobs. The rest of us will bear the cost, however. The Donald wanted a high profile political win. The issue well illustrates the lessons of Public Choice economics: visible, clamorous interests gain at the expense of the inert general public.

Congress engages in boundless special interest spending for the same reason. Well-organized looters strip the Treasury bare because Americans won't lobby to save the buck or two that the ethanol producers, sugar growers, exporters, overseas investors, apartment owners, labor unions and so many others mulct from individual taxpayers. Conservatives always decried this process. They shouldn't embrace it with a nominal Republican as president.

The financial pay-off in the Carrier deal is one problem. Vice President-elect Mike Pence is still Indiana's governor, so he was able to raid that state's coffers to the tune of $7 million. Unlucky Hoosiers. (If Donald Trump, who criticized corporate subsidies for job creation during the campaign, is as rich as he claims to be, he should have offered to pay!)

Since Carrier is owned by United Technologies, a defense contractor, one could imagine promises, or threats, also being made regarding the firm's future access to military dollars. Trump claimed not to have mentioned the issue, but he didn't have to. UT's CEO indicated that it was this possibility which caused him to shift course. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called the episode "more of a mugging than a bribe."

State subsidies are a common though counter-productive means to pay firms to come or stay. Trump's high profile ploy has increased expectations of future pay-offs, meaning the price will increase. Anyone who could plausibly shift production abroad in the future need merely hint about the possibility while indicating their willingness to be bought off. How can President Trump say no?

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Of greater concern, however are the president-elect's threats. Not his drive-by-tweeting, despite the unease that it might engender simply because of the president's reputation as "the most powerful man on earth." But his threat to punish and reward companies as he sees fit. The rule of law is supposed to treat all who are equally situated equally. Yet Carrier is not the only U.S., let alone Indiana, company with plans to outsource production.

Moreover, taken literally, Trump intends to make the economy quite unfree. For instance, while celebrating his crony capitalist "success" in Indiana, he declared: "Companies are not going to leave the U.S. anymore without consequences." Indeed, he added, "Leaving the country is going to be very, very difficult." Trump tweeted "Any business that leaves our country for another country, fires its employees, builds a new factory or plant in the other country, and then thinks it will sell its product back into the U.S. ...without retribution or consequence, is WRONG!" He threatened to impose a 35 percent tariff in retaliation. That is, he would tax Americans buying those companies' products. Companies should "be forewarned prior to making a very expensive mistake!"

This policy is what one would have expected from a left-wing redistributionist and government planning enthusiast. Everything that has ever been produced here must always be produced here. Consumers should always sacrifice their interests to influential and well-organized bands of producers. Government officials know who should make what where and are entitled to treat companies accordingly.

A similar philosophy appears likely to dominate the incoming administration. At the Carrier plant, supposed conservative stalwart and Vice President-elect Mike Pence declared that "The free market has been sorting it out and America's been losing." Trump added "Every time, every time." Donald Trump's America doesn't sound that much different from Bernie Sanders' America.

But the problem is not just economic. It is the prospect of one person, whatever his intentions, utilizing essentially unaccountable, untrammeled power. And there's no reason to believe that Trump or his successors would feel constrained to only exercise their power for "good" reasons. What if a firm is seen as obstructing what the president sees as "important" national objectives? What if a company's chief executive simply has the temerity to criticize the president or his policies?

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The president-elect attacked Boeing for the potential $4 billion cost of replacing Air Force One, threatening to cancel the contract. Of course the deal is expensive. Any one-off project is going to cost more than a mass production model. Of course money could be saved somewhere, especially if the government reduced its technical requirements. But few people want to skimp when the president's safety and effectiveness are at stake.

It is unlikely that Trump has a clue as to what the new AF1 should include or cost. Yet his verbal assault came suspiciously soon after the company's CEO criticized Trump's counterproductive protectionist plans. And observers have noted that few businesses are willing to challenge policies which would hurt them as well as America. Reported the Washington Post: "At another time, talk of a steep, punitive tariff would have provoked outrage from U.S. corporations. But faced with an impulsive tweeter-in-chief, corporate America's response has been muted."

Pharmaceutical companies also may find themselves in Trump's cross-hairs. The president-elect declared to Time: "I don't like what has happened with drug prices." So what are his plans? There could be no doubt: "I'm going to bring down drug prices." That sounds good, until companies cut research since they can't count on a return sufficient to cover the costs of failures as well as successes.

Ironically, Trump's decision to not just politicize but penalize business decisions in response to market forces will discourage foreign investment, now about $3 trillion. America long has been seen an economic sanctuary in an unstable world. But if the whims of the president rather than dictates of law come to drive U.S. economic policy, companies will have good reason to look for other homes for their money.

Of course, the U.S. is not the only country where even large companies act supine when faced by demands from an overbearing government executive. One element of South Korea's ongoing political crisis is the fact that the president's shamanist friend shook down major firms for foundation contributions. Company executives admitted that they were afraid to rebuff a request that appeared to have presidential backing. Explained Huh Chang-soo, who heads GS Group and chairs the Federation of Korean Industries: "It's a South Korean reality that if there is a government request, it is difficult for companies to decline." It's not a model America should emulate.

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Federal industrial policy long has had its fans, but allowing government to pick winners and losers is bound to be a dismal failure. Worse, though, would be a presidential industrial policy, by which Trump would attack or promote companies based on the phase of the moon, or whatever else happened to motivate him that day. Despite his abundant belief in himself, not everything he does is "terrific."

Donald Trump is a new phenomenon, but the specter of presidents browbeating business is not. President John F. Kennedy was determined to roll back steel industry price hikes, and both yanked federal contracts and loosed antitrust attorneys in an attempt to enforce his will. The companies ultimately capitulated, at least in the short-term. But no one ultimately benefitted from such an abuse of power.
Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence attends a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. November 7, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Put this in the category of be careful what you wish for. The instant that Trump won the White House, the chatter about impeaching him has been non-stop. The reasons many legal scholars, ethics experts, and political analysts give boil down to this. He has business dealings with foreign governments, most notably Russia, his family management arrangement still presents business conflicts, his possible violation of the Emoluments Clause, which prohibits presidents from buying influence with federal officials or receiving special treatment, and influence peddling and gift taking from foreign governments. These are all sticky points that Trump hasn't done much to address.

But even if he doesn't, the move to impeach is a congressional call, and the chance of a GOP controlled House and Senate making that call is virtually nil at this point. However, Trump's business entanglements could continue to run afoul of federal law about money, gifts and influence with foreign entities. This could plop Trump on the congressional hot seat. But it's a seat that would be disastrous. Because with Trump out you get Vice President Mike Pence. Trump is bumptious, obnoxious, and clownish. Pence is the prototypical ultra conservative in the gray flannel suit. He is business like, efficient, and knows how to run a political office. Trump will lean on him hard to do the behind the scenes, in the trenches work with Congress to get his initiatives through.

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This will present no problem for Pence. He knows Congress, and the GOP establishment is comfortable with him. But Pence has his own agenda. It's an agenda that's been honed over time as an arch conservative Indiana governor and congressperson. Civil liberties, civil rights, and education, and environmental groups know him too. They consistently gave him straight Fs on their report cards for elected officials. He got straight As on every conservative and ultra-conservative report card, including, unsurprisingly, the report card of the National Rifle Association.

The checklist of Pence positions on the issues reads like a what's what of the Heritage Foundation and ultra-conservative think tank positions. His stance on abortion and same sex marriage is well-known. He's rabidly against both and every time he's had the chance to vote on the issues or propose initiatives when he was Indiana governor such as defunding Planned Parenthood and forcing most of its clinics to close or signing the most abortion-restrictive regulation in the nation, banning abortion even in cases where the fetus has a "genetic abnormality to do away with both, he's done it with gusto. His fondest wish in his words, "I long for the day that Roe v. Wade is sent to the ash heap of history."

Pence waged a take no prisoners war on LGBT advocates by backing the nation's harshest "religious freedom" law as governor and as a congressman trying to torpedo federal funding that would support treatment for people suffering from H.I.V. and AIDS. He flatly opposed expanding hate crime laws to include violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Pence would move fast to smash the firewall between religion and patriotic displays and the schools by mandating prayer in schools, reciting the pledge of allegiance, and making campuses a wide-open recruiting ground for ROTC and other military recruiters.



Trump is lambasted for the nightmarish America he'd usher in. Pence worked hard to bring it about. In the White House, Pence could finish the job.





While Trump talks about building a wall on the border, Pence would figure out a way to get the money and the congressional support to do it. He's been at the anti-immigrant bash game a lot longer than Trump. In 2006 he was calling for guest workers to self-deport, and slammed the door on the relocation of Muslim refugees in his state from Syria and other war torn countries.

Public schools would be almost a thing of the past if Pence had his way. He cut millions from Indiana public schools and poured the money into vouchers, religious schools, and charter schools. He even tried to scrap the Common Core requirement as governor and as a congressperson joined a handful of rabidly conservative GOP congresspersons in opposing George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative. The one area of education that conservative GOP presidents, presidential candidates, and most GOP congresspersons tout is more funding for Historically Black Colleges. Not Pence, as a congressperson, he said "no" to a measure that would have earmarked nearly $100 million in funding to HBC and Hispanic colleges.

A Pence run White House would be one that denies climate change, demand that God be put in every aspect of American life, water down hate crime laws enforcement, wipe out public schools, wall build at the border, pump massive spending into the Pentagon, toss out all regulations on Wall Street, slash corporate taxes to nothing, knock out abortion, back unrestricted expansion of the Patriot Act, pack the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary with Antonin Scalia clone judges, and put guns in just about anyone's hands.

Trump is lambasted for the nightmarish America he'd usher in. Pence, though, as Indiana Governor and in Congress, didn't just talk about this kind of America. He worked hard to bring it about. In the White House, he could finish the job. Impeach Trump, and he'd get that chance.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. He is the author of the forthcoming The Obama Legacy (Middle Passage Press) He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network.
When I was a child, the Christian church my family attended and where my grandma played the organ felt like home. I loved Sunday school. The youth ministers were like family. I enthusiastically chose to be baptized. I could recite all the books of the bible in order, although now I'm not sure why.

As I got older, my skepticism heightened and my faith lessened. When I attended church, I no longer felt the serenity I once felt after walking in those doors. I felt nothing but a newfound sense of apathy, which made me feel ashamed and profoundly sad. I knew I believed in and had faith in G-d, but I couldn't find G-d within the walls of the Christian church I called home anymore.

Desperate to find G-d again, I began searching elsewhere. I attended virtually every house of worship in my Bible belt community. Every week I was introduced to a new faith community and every week I left feeling disappointed and just as empty as when I entered. I was like an agnostic Goldilocks--this one is too conservative, this one is too hippie, this one gives me the creeps--and I was searching for the one that was just right.

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But I didn't find it. Feeling more dejected in my faith than ever before, I stopped searching. I thought maybe I'd join the growing number of fellow millennials who didn't identify with any particular religion--a "none". But all the while, my faith and desire to know G-d burned like a flame that refused to be extinguished.

During a World Religions course in college, I read and learned more about Judaism and immediately thought 'This is me. This is what I believe. These are my people.' This epiphany left me stunned. At this point in my life, I didn't really even know anyone who was Jewish, had no idea where the nearest synagogue was and really didn't know what my next step would be.

I devoured books on the basic principles of Judaism and the more I learned, the more confident I felt that these principles and beliefs closely aligned with my own. I began learning about the different denominations within Judaism--orthodox, conservative, reform--and choosing which would be the best for me to explore. I was impressed by the emphasis on inclusivity, social justice and equality within the reform community, so it seemed like a natural fit.

As a former Christian, currently living in the Bible Belt (where any Jews must be hiding in the .03 percent that selected "other" as their religion at the last census), to say I felt a bit out of place when I attended a Shabbat service for the first time would be an understatement. I was so anxious, as if I expected everyone to yell, "GENTILE!" when I entered and angrily throw their kippot at me. My mind was racing-- Should I sit here? Am I on the right page? No, I'm not even close to the right page. Is everyone staring at me? Can they tell I don't know Hebrew? I'm just going to mime the word 'watermelon' and hope no one notices.

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I remember that day; I locked eyes with an older gentleman who sat behind me. He looked like someone who would be typecast as "nice grandpa" in an Oreo commercial. He warmly smiled and said, "Shabbat shalom. I'm glad you're here." Despite my awkward nervousness, I was glad I was there too.

After visiting a couple of synagogues, I found the one that was just right. The community was vibrant and welcoming. My inquisitive nature that once brought me guilt and shame was encouraged and nurtured. It was exhilarating to witness and participate in debates during class when even the rabbis seemed to have different opinions. There's a popular quip in Jewish learning--"ask two Jews, get three different opinions." The Jewish culture is extremely open to the difference of opinions. This environment promotes critical and creative thought. Many believe this environment contributes to lifelong success beyond the temple, as Jews are disproportionately high achievers.

Finally, I felt in my heart what I had been longing for--when I entered the temple, I felt like I was home.

In one of the most helpful books I read, Choosing a Jewish Life, Anita Diamant tells an infamous story about Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis:

A story is told about Louis Brandeis (1856-1941), who was a student at Harvard Law School at a time when there were explicit limits on what Jews could hope to achieve. Quotas were in effect and many law offices were completely closed to Jewish attorneys. When Brandeis was in school, his colleagues would say, "Brandeis, you're brilliant. If you weren't a Jew, you could end up on the Supreme Court. Why don't you convert? Then all of your problems would be solved." Brandeis did not respond to such comments, but on the occasion of his official introduction to an exclusive honor society at the law school, Brandeis took the podium and announced, "I am sorry I was born a Jew." His words were greeted with enthusiastic applause, shouts, and cheers. But when the noise died down he continued. "I'm sorry I was born a Jew, but only because I wish I had the privilege of choosing Judaism on my own." The initial response of stunned silence slowly gave way to awed applause. Ultimately, his anti-Semitic peers rose and gave him a standing ovation.

This really influenced my perspective about my own journey. I am incredibly blessed to have the privilege of discovering Judaism's beauty and choosing it for myself.
No matter how many people in the transgender community I meet, and listen to, as they explain how they have and do experience dysphoria in their lives, I continue to be struck both by each person's unique experience, and the common challenges almost all of us have faced.

For the record, back in 2010, I looked forward to receiving a diagnosis of GID - Gender Identity Disorder. That was the diagnosis in DSM-IV-TR, but I knew I was not "disordered," I knew exactly who I was, but alas, was still struggling on what I would do about it.

When DSM-5 was released, a new "label" was created to replace the old one, to at the very least the way I interpret it, that those of us who are transgender or non-binary, are not disordered. The new diagnosis is Gender Dysphoria.

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Symptoms of Gender Dysphoria DSM-5 states that the initial condition for the identification of gender dysphoria in both adults and teenagers is a noticeable incongruence between the gender the patient believes they are, and what society perceives them to be. This disparity should be ongoing for at least 6 months and should consist of 2 or more of the subsequent criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2013):

Noticeable incongruence between the gender that the patient sees themselves are, and what their classified gender assignment

An intense need to do away with his or her primary or secondary sex features (or, in the case of young teenagers, to avert the maturity of the likely secondary features)

An intense desire to have the primary or secondary sex features of the other gender

A deep desire to transform into another gender

A profound need for society to treat them as another gender

A powerful assurance of having the characteristic feelings and responses of the other gender

The second necessity is that the condition should be connected with clinically important distress, or affects the individual significantly socially, at work, and in other import areas of life.

It is not easy for a therapist, let alone anyone who has not experienced dysphoria, to find the right box to file away all the possible ways someone might experience one or more of the symptoms described above. I often explain that there is no one single or correct way to be transgender. This is hard to understand both in and out of the trans community.

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For many of us, who have been on this journey, I think it is fair to say that somewhere deep inside of us there is a "knowing" of just who we really are. A "knowing" of our truth as it refers to our sense of self, regarding our gender. This may take many forms and be unique to each of us, but in most cultures and families, we may not have the words to express it, or have learned that we could only express it at great personal risk. Gender and the binary model of gender has been promulgated as the sole way of being for many societies for.... perhaps, forever!

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One might never dare to cross the gender line, whether imaginary or real, due to fears of being at the least abandoned, exiled and isolated, and even worse to be beat up, physically/sexually abused or killed.

However, as I hear story after story, week after week, year after year, gender dysphoria appears to provide each person the impetus to dare in one way or another to express their truth whether in private or in public.

For some, it may be the secret piece of underwear of the other gender, that may be tried on in private. There is usually a good hiding place for this as the fear of its discovery is a constant presence.

Once this is dared to do, some may actually wear this under their day-to-day clothing, where no body might know. I remember the days when this was part of my own journey, and I still hear many stories of people doing this.

I know many men who will their hair grow out, under the guise of a mid-life crisis, and the ear piercing also comprise the increasing "dares" that one's truth seems to empower and control.

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For many in relationships, the variety of stories explains these events can vary with a variety of tolerance, acceptance or anger.

I know many in relationships, where their partners will draw "a line in the sand." Many trans people will agree to the line and then will often dare to cross it over and over again. Trans people will of so often agree to every inch, every foot, every mile to express their truth, and yet, for so many the tolerance of each step may not be enough.

Each "line in the sand" is often blown away by the "winds in the desert."



Yet, another line will almost always be drawn, as the Dysphoria takes on a life of its own. Perhaps the symptom that is not described in the official diagnosis is that if Dysphoria is present, one's truth will no matter how knowledgeable about the risks mentioned above, dare to push the line, the risks.

For those of us who have or have had gender dysphoria we have spent our years playing the internal game of Truth or Dare. Some win, some lose, and some never stop playing. There is no one way or right way to play this game, or live one's truth.

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Just for the record, this is true for any type of dysphoria too.

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Grace Anne Stevens inspires people to find their truth and live their authentic life!

She is the author of No! Maybe? Yes! Living My Truth, and Musings on Living Authentically. Grace is available for speaking to all groups who would like to learn the values of, and how to live authentically. Workshop descriptions can be found at her website.

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Grace has been selected as an Amtrak Residency writer for 2016, and will be traveling around the USA in the spring of 2017 while sharing her experiences on the rails
by Bill Sanders, Principal and Sr. Consultant with Roebling Strauss

Time to read: 5mins

Time to implement: The rest of your working life

Now that we've identified three reasons to kill the annual performance review, (it has outlived its purpose, it is primarily one-way communication, and it isn't changing the current atmosphere of employee disengagement.) And we've identified its purpose and function, (measuring and providing feedback, indicating a career path, and providing a basis for adjusting remuneration), it's time to survey the variety of options vying to replace it.

There are any number of solutions available. As a result of my review over the past several months, I've categorized them into the following three areas:

The Increased Frequency Review

Many of the solutions proposed, fall under the heading of "Well the millennials want more frequent feedback, so let's do the review more than once a year." While that isn't the most flattering way to identify this group of suggestions, the results indicate that it's accurate.

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Part of this stems from being caught up in the dominant paradigm of big company culture. The systems are all there; the main complaint is the lack of frequency and thus relevance, so let's require the managers to have these conversations more frequently. It's a Band-Aid for being 20lbs overweight.

While performing the same annual review more frequently may increase the efficacy of the organization's ability to measure and provide feedback, most implementations retain the annual raise (now tied to 4 or 12 reviews) instead of one per year. It is also unlikely to increase engagement if it remains one-way communication, and is more likely to increase frustration if career path expectations are not met.

Software

Sometime in the early 2000's when I was still working for the remnants of what had been Mattel Interactive, I was on a call with the C-Suite as they discussed a major ERP software change that was being discussed as if it were a panacea for all the company's ills. (Names have been avoided to protect the guilty.) It struck me at the time as a "We have a completely dysfunctional family, and I hate my job, let's move to LA and see if that fixes everything" moment. I actually wrote the words "technical panacea" in my notes on the call. The only reason I was on the call was to be informed that we'd be changing our ecommerce platform, which I was running at the time.

As you can guess, I was less than thrilled. I felt strongly then, and even more so now, that technology doesn't solve problems, people do. The beauty of technology is that it is great for reducing transaction costs, the ugly is that most of the time companies implement a technology solution in response to a human problem.



Thus, I'm leery of the new Performance Management software movement. It's not that I oppose the idea. Chris Heuer, Rawn Shaw and I spent untold amounts of time, money, and heart to launch Alynd in the commitment/performance management space. In the end, however, the social change that our software required was not going to come without significant cultural, human transformation. We humans tend to love the idea of holding others accountable, but generally resist the idea of being held mutually accountable in return.

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With any software that replaces the annual review process, the question isn't how well it works, but how well is it going to work within your culture and your organization. Use it, but do your homework and make sure that the objectives, behaviors, and culture that you want to drive in your organization match the key drivers built into the software.

New Frameworks

The final area is best represented by a single book by Reid Hoffman; The Alliance. Recognizing that many of the paradigms that have driven our corporate hiring and retention behavior are relics of a distant past, he lays out a framework for honest conversations and "tours of duty" that benefit both the employee and the organization. It is less a system and more of a guideline for treating employees like human beings instead of "our most valuable resource" (that we can dispose of as we see fit).

One of the key benefits of Hoffman's approach is that anyone can use it. A manager doesn't need upstairs approval to begin to adapt her framework to the way she relates to her team. Nothing else that I've read so far provides this aspect of flexibility. There are few books I recommend all managers read. This is one of them.

Do the Heavy Lifting

Addressing what needs to change in the annual review process isn't easy. We as leaders, managers, business owners and employees are dealing every day with our careers and livelihood. And we are also impacting the livelihood and careers of others. It is incumbent upon us to not accept the status quo as if it were handed down engraved in stone.

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If 2016 didn't confirm that everything is in flux, it missed its calling. Or, the people that don't see that 'Turbulence' is the new 'Black' aren't paying attention. In this environment, we have the choice of moving past the platitudes and engaging in honest conversations about how we are going to work together to meet the conditions of our mutual satisfaction, or we'll end up as the jetsam and flotsam of the new ever-evolving economy.

In Jeffery Hayzlett's most recent book, Think Big, Act Bigger, he relates the story of when Dave Pottruck was asked to step down as Charles Schwab's CEO as a result of the impact of the first dotcom bubble burst. His assistant of 15 years, Colleen Bagan-McGill, cut her vacation short to return, resign, and help Dave find the "next thing." I haven't had the privilege of meeting either Dave or Colleen, but I'd make a substantial bet that Colleen didn't ditch her vacation because Dave gave her 15 great annual reviews.

The heavy work is before us. Research, read, sit in on the software demos, but most importantly, engage in creating the kind of culture of which you want to be a part. We aren't going to be successful in replacing the status quo if we are too comfortable with it. It's your business, your division, your career, your job. Take the risk to have honest conversations, test the various approaches and software and then share your results with the rest of us.
Five years ago, I wrote a blog piece wondering how our country would respond to homelessness if Donald Trump was elected President. That was in 2011 when almost everyone thought a Trump Presidency was simply all talk, and no reality.

In just a few weeks, however, a President Trump becomes a reality - and, not a television reality show, but true reality.

Everyone is scrambling, from environmentalists to union leaders. From immigrant rights advocates to CEOs of multi-national corporations.

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As we enter 2017, those of us in the affordable housing and homeless services world are also grappling over what it means with having a Trump Presidency.

Take the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program (created under President Reagan) that offers tax credits to developers of affordable housing units. Developers in turn sell these credits to corporations, and use the proceeds to building affordable housing.

With a potential lowering of corporate tax under a Trump administration, the demand for these tax credits is reduced, resulting in a lower value for these credits, and ultimately less number of affordable housing units.

The political attacks on the nation's Affordable Care Act - a federal program that provides healthcare coverage for tens of millions of Americans - also threaten our nation's impoverished population, including those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

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When most experts and leaders have acknowledged that homelessness is also a healthcare issue, the very idea of threatening a program that provides affordable healthcare could become a calamity for people living on our streets.

Finally, the selection for Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department - that has a $47 billion annual budget and supports 5 million low income and homeless families - is worrisome for many advocates.

Most local communities depend on federal assistance in their battle to end homelessness and provide housing for their poorest citizens. Many advocates believe that appointing a HUD leader who has publicly stated that government is incapable of helping America's most vulnerable people, threatens these communities' safety net.

So, for those who advocate for more housing and services for people living on our streets, should they resort to hopelessness?

With people suffering on our streets today, simply waiting until the next election in hopes public policy will change is not a good alternative. Instead, advocates for affordable housing and homeless services need to change how they present their message to a new President and a new Congress.

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For the next four years, the popular theme will be pro-jobs and pro-business.

Investing in housing and homeless services clearly is a pro-employment and pro-business approach to social services. Businesses and tourism desperately need solutions to resolve homelessness, or else their profits will go down.

And, furthermore, through the work of many studies we all know that the cost of housing a person who is homeless is far cheaper than allowing them to flounder on the streets.
In the story of Joseph - last week, this week, and next week, in our Torah - it is easy, and even seductive, to focus on our hero's triumphal rise.



Sold to Ishmaelite traders by his resentful brothers, Joseph comes into Egypt a slave. And, once again, in his early days in Egypt, the sense of specialness that comes with him becomes his downfall, as his master's wife engineers Joseph's imprisonment when he rejects her advances.



Then, and for a second time, Joseph is lifted out of abject depths toward distinction - his gift for dream-interpretation raising him from obscurity to become a favored advisor to the Egyptian monarch. The wording used for the Egyptian dungeon out of which Joseph is lifted up - "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him from the pit" (Genesis 41:14) - directly recalls the hole in the ground in Canaan into which he was cast by his brothers at the outset of the story.



Joseph has always had premonitions of grandeur, those dreams of his - his brothers' sheaves of wheat bowing to his own, the sun and moon and stars paying him homage. Though the compact scriptural story does not spell out such psychological details, one can imagine these visions giving Joseph the courage to distinguish himself in Egypt, emboldening him to rise at every opportunity.



Elevated farther and farther, Joseph seems to discover a flair for grandeur, and not only his own. In this week's reading, the Pharaoh sets Joseph "over all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:41), letting him wear the monarch's own ring and ride in the king's second chariot (Genesis 41:42). Next week, in the seven years of famine that he has foretold, we will see how Joseph gradually transfers virtually all the country's gold, silver, and land to the crown.



If the successor-Pharaoh who enslaves the children of Israel feels he has the right to own a whole populace in such a way, it is possible to suggest (and some voices in our interpretive tradition do contend) that Joseph first inculcated the notion in the Pharaonic line. Of course Joseph, himself having been sold as property, did not originate the idea of slavery; but there is a sense in which Joseph's talent for reversing his own situation tends to subordinate everyone around him, from the Egyptians at large to his own siblings, and even his venerable father - with the technical exception of the Pharaoh, who is required for Joseph's elevation.



When Joseph rides out in his royal livery, we are told that criers call out before him, "Avrekh!" (Genesis 41:43) As a command, the biblical Hebrew word means "Bend the knee!" Centuries later, in the parlance of rabbinic academies, Avrekh becomes a noun, denoting a dedicated young scholar - as though the world of Torah-learning were full of Joseph-like lordlings, commanding a semblance of the reverence due royalty. Respect for erudition is well and good - but how Jewish is it to suggest that everyone outside a special class is somehow less-than?



Looking at the part of the story we will read next week, in which "Joseph acquired the land for Pharaoh" (Genesis 47:20), the 1882 Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges commented, with perhaps anti-Semitic suggestiveness: "This transaction, by which, at a single stroke of business, Joseph, the Hebrew, was said to have purchased for Pharaoh the whole land of Egypt, and all the people to be Pharaoh's slaves, as the price of seed corn, probably sounded in the ears of an ancient Oriental people a masterpiece of cleverness. In our days it would rank as an outrageous piece of tyranny, that the king's Grand Vizier, taking advantage of his own monopoly in corn and of the people's destitution, should deprive them of the last shreds of their independence."



That account is prejudiced. Howbeit, there is an obnoxious aspect to the Joseph story, and a caution for our own times. The narrative is shot through with a predilection for lordliness, of a variety to which those who have experienced subordinate status (or the apprehension of it) are perhaps especially prone. It is an affinity that can lead to catastrophe for one's own people, if it is allowed to become the way of the land. Whether out of fearfulness, mere opportunism, or a sense of destiny, it is all too tempting to attach oneself to overbearing power when the chance presents itself - and even to feed that power, if it means one's own advancement in the present moment.



In the prophetic reading for the Sabbath of the Hanukkah holiday, another figure is elevated from a lowly state to near-ultimate grandeur. Like Joseph emerging from the dungeon-pit in Egypt, the High Priest Joshua - as espied in the visions of the prophet Zechariah - undergoes a change of raiment, from filthy to pure garments (Zechariah 3:3-5) as he is invited to stand in august company. In this vision, the court into which the lowly one is welcomed is none other than the divine throne room in heaven, where the High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple is admitted and is charged, in the Prophet's vision, as something like an earthly angel of the Lord.



It is perhaps not surprising - in that setting - that the elevation comes with a message of responsibility: "Thus says the Eternal One of Hosts: If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My charge, then you, too, shall judge My house and guard My courtyards, and I will give you access among these ones who stand here" (Zechariah 3:7) - where "here," remember, is the highest heavens.
The new year is nearly upon us, sure as the towering wave at Jones Beach that caught me in its undertow when I was a child and kept me there for what seemed a lifetime until it spat me out, mewling and terrified, no more a Jonah than my cat Jumpy would have been.

Last year was certainly bad, even awful in spots, a year that will be known - as long as there is anyone alive to know anything - as one of homelessness and terror, millions of refugees fleeing certain death to be met with ejection and deportation by the democratic nations of the western world, and terrorists of every stripe blowing up people more or less for the fun of it. That's the old year. And the new one? It has me more terrified than any year I've encountered or even thought about in more than seven decades of conscious living. It is the annus horribilis of Queen Elizabeth II (the year Diana was smashed in a car accident beneath the Seine) and then some. The world has moved so far to the right that most citizens of the west - and many outside it - are certain to be deprived of rights and services, of essential needs and of liberties they had taken for granted, much as the air they breathed or (certainly here in the Land of the Free) as the gum they chewed and toilets that flushed. I have spent the time since November 9 in hiding, trying to bury my head like an ostrich. I don't read newspapers, watch tv or listen to my habitual morning NPR. I can't stand even to hear the name, that thumping, humping sound, the morning's plop in the potty.



"Happy New Year" has become an oxymoron. In case some readers are unsure of the term, and unlike what popular derivation might come up with, an oxymoron is not an eight-armed or 8-headed idiot (though the idiot part is right.) An oxymoron is a figure of speech meaning sharp ("oxy") dull ("moron") with both "sharp" and "dull" having their other meanings of "clever" and "stupid." It is a contrast in opposites, like "a wise old Texas saying," or "British cuisine." A happy new year with the orange Dump as Leader of the Free World is another example, and the one that is worrying me now.



I can explain it to my friends - many of whom, thank god or their own generosity, are readers of my blog. But when someone in the elevator wishes me a happy new year as I step out on my floor, what kind of grouch or pedant would I have to be to go into the intricacies of the oxymoron, a term in itself questionable since it is not found anywhere in ancient Greek texts, but came into being much later, via 5th century Latin? And so I answer automatically, "Happy New Year" and I smile, but as well Hamlet knew ("one may smile and smile, and be a villain"), behind that smile I am sneering like a long-mustachio'd scoundrel about to steal either the house or the girl. I talk the talk, I mouth the words and in my heart of hearts (which heart is that?) I am half-convinced these people are all insane, the great wave is rising up in front of them and they cannot see it, the revolution (not the revelation), is at hand; we have come full circle back to where we started from, or at least where I started from, my parents getting out while they still could, leaving behind others who couldn't and who burned or were gassed or both or jumped rather than ride the boxcars to hell. I see dictatorship in the USA, as Philip Roth did when he postulated the election of Lindbergh over Roosevelt and the resulting fascism in The Plot Against America. Or as H.L. Mencken wrote in an article for The Baltimore Sun in 1920 (!), "As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

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And here he is. A President-elect who is supported by the Ku Klux Klan, for Christ's sake! By all the white supremacist groups. By that British monster Farage who master-minded Brexit. Because people voted for what they did not understand (Brexit should never have been offered as a referendum, since it was voted against by those who supported British exceptionalism, in the sense of Britain First - just like the America First crapola we've been given - but who had no idea of the economic and political fallout that would follow), the British voted for what they thought it was about and not for what was in front of them. In the same way American workers, hoping for better jobs and easier lives, felt relieved that someone was crashing through the barrier of privilege that stood between them and the political establishment (represented by Hillary Clinton), and voted for a man who had and has absolutely no values at all, no consistency, no logic except for his need to be worshipped, his need to be the center of attention at all times, his three-year-old's greed and iconoclasm, his inability to tell reality from illusion, his continual mirror-gazing even though we know mirrors reflect things backwards, his alliance with foreign dictators, his total corruptibility and history of past corruption, his stiffing of workers, rape of children (13 is still a child), his refusal to pay debts (he owes Deutsche Bank half a billion dollars for starters), and so much more that I have almost forgotten it by now, after having been driven to near-madness by all of it during the unbearably long and inescapable live feeding-to-the sharks known as the Campaign. So America went the way of old Germany, and Germany went the way of goodness, taking in far more refugees than it could absorb, imperiling Angela Merkel's position as Chancellor. She spoke with her heart, the only world leader to do so. Pope Francis too has been a champion of the poor and oppressed and the expanding waves of refugees. If he were our president now, with Angela at his side (The Pope being the heart and the Chancellor the brains), it would be a Happy New Year indeed. Or if Obama just hangs out, refuses to leave, doesn't recognize the Orange dishrag as commander-in-chief. Or if Joe Biden steps in, as he should have, could have from the start - my choice for Democratic candidate. Good, solid, squeaky clean Joe, a man of the working class who could have won his fellow workers away from the loudmouth billionaire or perhaps no billionaire at all, just a windbag in the Billionaire's New Clothes, a man with no credentials whatever for the job he won in that crazy lottery we called our Presidential election.
Answer by Christopher VanLang, Chemical Engineering PhD from Stanford University, on Quora:

Is there any truth to the claim that the Clinton Foundation schemed with Big Pharma to keep the price of AIDS drugs high in the U.S.? It's sort of true. If you really had to think long and hard about it, the ultimate result of years of negotiations by the Clinton Foundation was that the price of AIDS drugs ended up being high in the US.

But that consequence had the immediate result of enabling the import of millions of nearly free AIDS drugs into Africa to combat the AIDs-Pandemic, forestalling the spread of AIDS.

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So that we're clear, Bill Clinton is very proud of this. He prides himself on understanding the nuances of supply and demand and as a crazy detail oriented policy wonk who understands the needs of multiple stakeholders, this is a remarkable example of him convincing a lot of stubborn groups to compromise on a variety of issues to achieve a common goal. In this case, getting AIDS drugs to Africa. [1]

In fact, here is Bill Clinton talking about exactly this during his TED Prize acceptance speech. Also, watching this video gives a ton of insight about Hillary Clinton's (now former) strategy for healthcare and why she and Bill have strong criticisms of Obamacare.

The Clinton Health Access Initiative worked with George Bush's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund on AIDS to get drugs into Africa. Drug companies were largely in favor of giving their drugs for free to Africa, it made no sense to make people who earned pennies to pay out thousandss of dollars for drugs. Furthermore, African governments were paranoid that drug companies were a part of a massive conspiracy suppressing their countries.

Enter Bill. He understood that companies were willing to give the drugs for free. African countries were desperate to take them. The only problem was actually getting those drugs into the country without compromising the integrity of the US pharmaceutical industry. A large part was organizing the pathways for large pharmaceutical companies to negotiate with generic manufacturers and giving them licenses to manufacture and sell the same drugs directly into Africa for a fraction of the costs. In return, the African countries and generic manufacturers would respect the IP of the US drug companies and not sell the same drugs in the US markets. The Clinton Foundation enabled all of these discussions to occur and thus received a lot of the credit for making this possible.

That said, one of the beneficiaries of this agreement was Ranbaxy Laboratories (company) which in 2013, was caught for fabricating many of their generic AIDS drugs. [4] [5]

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Thus, by closing a loophole that enabled foreign generic manufacturers from selling in the US, the US pharmaceutical companies were willing to share their IP to generics which allowed for the sales of AIDS drugs with a 90% discount on costs to Africa and in doing so saved the world from the AIDS pandemic.

But with the trade off that US AIDS drugs prices would stay the same since US companies had assurance that generic manufacturers would respect their exclusivity clauses.

So yes, the Clinton Foundation did scheme with Big Pharma to keep the price of AIDS drugs high in the US.

They also helped to save Africa.

Footnotes:

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+.

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Pedro Almodovar loves women. His films feature memorable female roles: look at Kika, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Talk to Her, Volver, yet another great part for his protege Penelope Cruz, and now Julieta, the titular protagonist penned for two fine Spanish actresses: Emma Suarez as the mature Julieta, and Adriana Ugarte, Julieta as a young woman. Based on short stories by Canadian author Alice Munro, Julieta further illustrates Almodovar's literary bent--The Skin I Live In, for example was an adaptation of Thierry Jonquet's revenge tale, Migale, but just right for his style, on the verge of melodrama. His women, in every case, are out there. Last fall, I had the opportunity to talk to his stars about working with this unique Spanish auteur, and how he prepared them for playing Julieta.

Penelope Cruz has said she would drop anything to work with Pedro Almodovar. Is that the general attitude among actresses?

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Emma Suarez: He's an amazing director with an international career. So when you work with Pedro you know that film will get international distribution. Not all Spanish directors have that certainty. I have worked with many directors so I know very well what it means to go to Cannes. His movies start with a good script. You have a role. He wants everything and more. That means you also have to find more inside of you.



How did you prepare?

Each of us has to face the project from a personal place. I asked Pedro to give me references. It's not like you can naturally bring out that kind of pain, the kind he's interested in unearthing. Once the tears have dried, then you confront that place again. Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking was the determining piece for me. I had a lot of time to prepare, to read and look at art. I looked at Lucien Freud.

Tell me about his casting you.

I have been working since 1979. Pedro was starting to make cinema then. I ran into him at John Waters' Pink Flamingos. At the San Sebastian Film Festival, he told me about this project. I got some scenes to read. By the third test, Pedro said, I like you a lot. When he told me he wanted to work with me, I was hoping for a comedy.



This film is not comedy, especially the relationship of mothers and daughters.

What Pedro's really after is the mystery of why we abandon the people we love. It could be your mother, lover, someone else. The key is abandonment. Pedro added that to the story. I think that for Alice Munro, this is more a mother- daughter story--and about the generation gap. But Pedro wanted to go deeper than that.

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Almodovar treads a fine line between tragedy and melodrama. Is your character tragic?

I don't think this is a melodrama: Pedro was after was restraint. He wanted to keep things tight. This was difficult for me because the emotion had to be transmitted through the gaze, especially because the adult Julieta is mostly silent. Tragedy can be more spectacular. I don't think you have to be a mother to interpret mothers. The film is also talking about the passage of time, and ways in which the present forces you to look back at a past that remains in fog. Julieta's courage is that she knows she will go into this painful territory, and she goes there anyway. She doesn't have a choice. Maybe that is tragic.

Adriana Ugarte plays the younger Julieta. Pedro Almodovar worked with her in an entirely different way.

How were you cast?

Adriana Ugarte: I did a reading and did not know who the director was. I just was told he was a famous, important director. When I was young, I didn't allow myself to dream one day I will work with Pedro.

How is it to work with Almodovar?

For me, it is an addiction to a drug. It's complicated not to fall in love with him. The process was great. Pedro did not give me any references. I did not read the Alice Munro stories. We wanted to make something new. We built the character together. I need to hear my characters in my dreams. I wait for her voice. When I read the script, I felt that Julieta is a pure woman; she does not prejudge, she is sexual. Maybe in the '80's we were more open-minded and relaxed with our bodies. In the train she enjoyed the moment. Sometimes in life you need to do that, to believe in another reality. I needed to be Julieta.



Does he have a special gift for understanding women?

Pedro gave me advice, when I had doubts about playing Julieta well. He said, "Perfection does not exist. But, you should always look for it. Stop crying. Try again." He's a magician. He can understand women in a deep way, because he is connected with Mother Nature, and the origins of life. Everything interests him: Your mouth. A baby. He focuses on everything.



Take me through one scene and show me how he directed you.

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In the bath scene I was like a zombie; he directed me, "You are not sad, not dead, I want you to be empty. You have nothing inside. You don't have bones, muscles, or oxygen." This was a mix of very physical and psychological training. I am in the bath and the audience thinks Julieta is dead.



In your view, is Julieta a mother-daughter story?

It is about parents and children, family relations that are delicate and fragile. We think our family will not accept us in fear of the consequences. Maybe it is better to show yourself as you are, better to be sorry for the things you say than not say them. Relationships are not perfect. We try to create the perfect family, but all families have problems.



Is Julieta a tragedy?

If life is a tragedy, then this film is a tragedy. We decide many things but matters of love, health, we don't decide. We are trapped in our own drama. Julieta is a tragedy with hope.
As 2017 begins, over 5 million Baha'is worldwide are preparing for major upcoming celebrations. On October 22, 2017, in some 100,000 localities worldwide, they will celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith.

The global festivities involving people of thousands of ethnic backgrounds is demonstrative of a key message of Baha'u'llah's life and teachings: that a special time has arrived for the entire human race as it gradually moves from a stage of collective adolescence to one of maturity and wholeness.

The Baha'i writings explain:

In cycles gone by though harmony was established, yet, owing to the absence of means, the unity of all mankind could not have been achieved. Continents remained widely divided ... In this day, however, means of communication have multiplied, and the five continents of the earth have virtually merged into one.... In like manner all the members of the human family, whether peoples or governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century.

How to achieve this unity of humankind, while at the same time cherishing the tremendous diversity of the world's cultures, is at the core of the teachings of Baha'u'llah, contained in letters and books spanning over 100 volumes. Luis Gushiken, a member of Brazil's parliament in 1992 when it held a special session to pay tribute to the life of Baha'u'llah, described His writings as "the most colossal religious work written by the pen of a single Man." Readers will find that Baha'u'llah's writings are particularly fascinating because, in addition to restating the essential moral teachings of all the world's major religions which have been the basis of the great civilizations past, He also wrote about global and societal issues such as statesmanship, science, collective security, the role of the news media, international language, economic issues, life elsewhere in the universe, medicine, dreams, the environment, energy, global governance, agriculture, education and many others.

The bicentennial celebrations in the villages of Battambang in Cambodia promise to be particularly noteworthy. Some hundred and forty years ago, while imprisoned in Akka in what was then Ottoman Palestine, Baha'u'llah called on His followers to raise up "houses of worship" that should be "as perfect as possible in the world of being." Over time these edifices of worship would also be surrounded by institutions of service to the community such as a hospital, orphanage, home for the elderly, and educational institutions; thus uniting the spiritual with material, and worship with service. They are open to all and programs include readings from the scriptures of all the world's religions.

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Image: Baha'i House of Worship in Chile

Over the past decades, these houses of worship have been raised in every continent. Particularly notable recent examples include the temple in New Delhi, India, which in some years has been ranked "the most visited building in the world", and the most recently dedicated house of worship in Santiago, Chile.

With the process at the continental level complete, it is now moving simultaneously to the national and local levels across the world. Among the new houses of worship to be raised in this next phase, Battambang's will likely be the first to be dedicated and in time for the bicentennial celebrations later in 2017. In a recent conversation I had with the architect, who is of Cambodian Buddhist background, he expressed the hope that the renewed sense of inner peace and strength to be gained by the many hundreds of thousands of visitors to this building will contribute greatly to uplifting a country that has suffered tremendously over the past few decades. He expressed optimism that with this strength his people could re-discover their remarkable potential - as evidenced by the past magnificent civilizations of Angkor Wat - to make outstanding new contributions to a dynamic, emerging global community.



Image: Model of Baha'i House of Worship in Battambang

Battambang is the first of potentially many tens of thousands of villages and small towns around the world - most of which many have never heard of - to raise such a local house of worship. All these places have been influenced by the teachings of Baha'u'llah in recent years and have seen the flourishing of a systematic program of study and action inspired by His Writings for children, teenagers and adults aimed at the empowerment of individuals and communities.

In a cruel irony, while countless celebrations will take place worldwide and advanced plans are in motion in six additional countries (besides Cambodia) for more houses of worship, many Baha'is in the very city where Baha'u'llah was born (Tehran) will have to celebrate this historic occasion in prison cells. The many decades-long attempt of the Iranian government to eliminate the Baha'i Faith from the land of its birth is as futile as it is embarrassing to the history of a country that claims as its ancient heritage one of the earliest known charters of human rights. While the short term outlook of the Iranian Baha'is remains difficult, they are encouraged and sustained by promises in the Baha'i writings for an extremely bright future for the land and city where, two centuries ago, Baha'ullah's was born: the potential to become "the pride, the admiration and the envy of the peoples of the world."

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Attitudes about the morality or immorality of various lifestyle choices are in constant flux. It may be that opinions about what is morally acceptable have always been fluid, but the current of change is moving faster today than ever before.

The increased speed of change is arguably related to society's connectivity through broadcast and social media and to its lack of connectivity through the more permanent institutions of family, church and community. Today's Americans are exposed to a continual storm of public opinion, and many no longer find refuge in home or church.

According to recent Gallup polls, what Americans think is moral or immoral has been changing across all age groups. The number of people who believe it is morally acceptable to view pornography has jumped by 30 percentage points in little more than a decade, including nearly half of those between 18 to 34.

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Acceptance of premarital sex in general and sex between teens in particular has risen dramatically since 2002. Having children outside marriage, once under strong moral prohibition, is no longer even regarded as a moral issue by most people. Americans today are far more likely to grant the morality of gay and lesbian relations than they were just a decade ago.

Opinion shifts regarding issues of human sexuality are most obvious, but there have also been significant changes of opinion regarding non-sexual matters. For example, more people now consider doctor-assisted suicide to be a morally acceptable option. Fewer people regard the use of embryonic stem cells as morally unacceptable.

It is not just that people are accepting, frog-in-the-kettle like, behaviors that were once considered morally reprehensible. They are also rejecting behaviors that were once considered morally acceptable or at least neutral. Using ethnically insensitive language is now considered a serious moral failure. A growing number of people see the death penalty as morally reprehensible. The number of Americans who consider medical testing on animals to be immoral has increased by 14 percent since 2002.

What was once considered grossly immoral by most of the population now enjoys moral acceptance and, conversely, what was once considered normal by most people is now regarded by many as immoral. The North Carolina bathroom law is a case in point.

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Based on the fluidity of moral opinion in history, some people have concluded that morality is a merely human construct and is entirely subjective. Others maintain that the great body of moral beliefs has remained consistent over time, suggesting an objective morality exists that transcends human opinion. They argue that moral beliefs are like the ocean. The surface is often roiled and undulating but the great depths remain the same.

Although ethicists have not been able to come to agreement on the nature of morality, it is hard for anyone to deny that humans are moral beings through and through. In the 1950s, many people (including ethicists) considered homosexuals to be moral degenerates. In the second decade of the 21st century, many people (including ethicists) consider homophobes to be moral degenerates. What remains true, however, is that humans cannot escape the sense that some things are right and some are wrong. Whether new morality or old, there is always some morality.

Some biologists have tried to explain this inescapable moral compunction through evolutionary theory, though many ethicists have found their explanations philosophically unsophisticated and unconvincing. Even if evolutionary theory could explain how behaviors came to be considered right or wrong on prudential grounds, it fails to provide a bridge capable of supporting the weighty transition to genuine moral values.

It is highly unlikely that an evolutionary past could push us into our current moral state. It is also doubtful that morality has simply been thrust upon us from above by the threat of divine judgment, for this too would reduce morality to nothing more than prudent self-interest.
Water was all over the news in 2016. The World Economic Forum ranked its shortage as one of the top threats facing society this year after listing it as the number one threat in 2015. Water was also central to the Paris climate talks, while the United Nations dedicated Sustainable Development Goal number six to water and sanitation, and the Sioux people of North America put the previously unknown town of Standing Rock on the global map by standing up to protect their water rights.

Fortunately, scores of efforts are underway to meet the challenge, and the Electric Power Research Institute started off the year with a review of its Water Prize-winning Ohio River Basin Trading project. A January webinar outlined a multi-pronged strategy that includes promotional videos and impact investors rather than donor-based finance.

Using the project's funding, Midwest farmers such as Ken Merrick have been able to implement conservation activities to reduce fertilizer and animal waste from running into nearby waterways that flow to the Gulf of Mexico. Merrick, who operates Conser Run farm in Ohio, added a storage area for manure and a buffer strip where his cows are only occasionally allowed to graze. He also lets trees and grasses grow along the creek running through his farm, which mops up excess pollution before it reaches the water.

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The program is still in a pilot phase but, if it evolves as planned, Ohio River farmers can quantify their pollution reductions and generate stewardship credits using a market-based approach called water quality trading. They can then sell these credits to power plants and wastewater treatment facilities interested in meeting sustainability goals or to comply with regulatory requirements.

The Trading Debate

Water quality trading made headlines in 2016 after an organization called Food and Water Watch penned a paper in late 2015 condemning the entire practice and re-labeling it "pollution trading." The group charged that it undermines the Clean Water Act (CWA) and puts US waterways at great risk. Advocates of the practice dismissed the paper in August arguing trading is one of several tools states and utilities can use to improve water quality.

"Trading isn't a silver bullet. It's not a panacea," Brad Klein, a Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center says. "But we need to get on top of this issue of water pollution and water quality trading may be another arrow in the quiver."

This debate between the two camps exposed a bigger question: why doesn't an independent third party review of water quality trading, determining if the practice is indeed successful in improving water quality, exist?

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The trading space says there are enough case studies to draw from for an impartial scientific evaluation.

"As far as determining if trading is going to have environmental outcomes that are useful and increase efficiency and lower cost, I think there is enough experience right now to have that assessment," said Jessica Fox, who heads up the Ohio River Basin Trading project at EPRI.

New Ideas

Many view water quality trading as an innovative way to finance conservation activities that result in water quality improvements. In 2016, organizations looked at a few other inventive ways in which to get the job done.

In August, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) published a report on a new investment model it developed called Water Sharing Investment Partnerships, which leverage existing water markets for conservation.

"We need to get smarter about how we use every drop of water," Brian Richter, lead report author and Chief Scientist for the Water program at TNC, said when the report launched. "We can no longer build our way out of water scarcity. The closer water consumption grows toward the limits of water availability, the more we put ourselves at risk. But new approaches in water management can shift us toward long-term sustainability."

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Essentially, these partnerships solicit investor capital to acquire a portfolio of water rights. Most of these rights are either leased or sold back on the market, giving investors a financial return and ensuring farmers and cities have access to enough water. A WSIP can acquire water rights by outright purchases, but also by collaborating with farmers to implement water saving measures in irrigation.

Both of these methods free up water rights allocations to be used to divert water back to nature, restoring water flows in a manner that sustains healthy ecosystems.

Also over the summer, the water fund, another innovative way to finance and implement watershed restoration got a boost in Ecuador when California-based nonprofit Nature and Culture International established Ecuador's first water school, which will train municipal water workers in the skills required to join and administer a water fund.

"The water school is a tool to scale up and replicate a successful payment for environmental services model to provide clean abundant water to thousands of Ecuadorians while helping conserve Ecuadors incredible biodiversity," Renzo Paladines, NCI Ecuador's Executive Director who also serves on FORAGUA's board of directors, said in a statement.

Later in the year, the World Resources Institute released a study on watershed investment programs in the United States in an effort to increase knowledge-sharing among regions and programs. The report not only showcases success stories in Denver, North Carolina and Flagstaff, Arizona, it also identifies potential solutions to well-known barriers such as raising initial capital for program developers. For instance, report authors note specialized green bonds to finance urban water infrastructure are gaining traction, and a San Francisco-based startup is pushing a forest-resilience bond to address fire and water woes in California.

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Also on watershed investments, Ecosystem Marketplace closed out 2016 by publishing its semi-annual State of Watershed Investment report, which this year focused on payments for green infrastructure for water. The report tracked significant growth in 2015. Governments, water utilities, companies, and communities around the world paid nearly US$25 billion for nature-based solutions to secure reliable access to clean water.

A Year for Nature

Nature was indeed at the center of some high level discussions and policy-making throughout the year. The profile of mangroves, for instance, continues to rise as people, particularly carbon market actors, realize they're carbon storing and storm fighting potential. Ecosystem Marketplace explored this potential on World Wetlands Day in February.

In July, Peru's Ministry of Environment issued formal regulations for the country's Mecanismos de Retribucion por Servicios Ecosistemicos (MRSEs), or "Mechanisms of Compensation for Ecosystem Services" law, which essentially is a legal framework for harnessing public and private finance for conservation activities.

A few months later, California lawmakers passed groundbreaking legislation that defined five critical watersheds as part of the state's water infrastructure. The law makes it possible to funnel billions of infrastructure dollars toward restoring meadows, streams and rivers.

In the corporate world, Coca-Cola announced it met its water replenishment goal five years early during the annual World Water Week in late August. For the most part though, companies are still figuring out concepts like water neutrality and water stewardship. NGOs such as CDP and WWF are offering their expertise and encouraging businesses to set targets on their water use.

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Nature also came up during conversations in 2016 for managing water-related disasters such as this year's Hurricane Matthew that hit hard parts of Haiti and the southeastern US among other areas. As the frequency of these weather events increases, developing with nature in mind is more critical, said Environmental Defense Fund's Paxton Ramsdell. In November, he noted how broad vegetated buffers of a stream restoration site significantly reduced flooding near Raleigh, North Carolina.

Will decision-makers embrace green infrastructure and nature-based solutions to solve pressing water challenges in 2017?

And what new methods and tools are water practitioners planning to unveil over the coming year?
It's tough work, as the cliche goes, but someone has to do it. Part of my job--one of the best parts--is keeping tabs on the best new barbecue and grill restaurants. 2016 has been a banner year for live-fire cooking. The Grillworks wood burner has become the new stove in restaurants from New York to California. Elsewhere, chefs have taken a giant step backwards, installing wood burning hearths that would have been at home in colonial kitchens. Here are six of my favorite new restaurants for 2016.

Boston/Cambridge: The Smoke Shop

It's about time. Boston chef Andy Husbands has had a lifelong obsession with barbecue, and after numerous barbecue contest wins (including the Jack Daniel's for his brisket) and several excellent cookbooks (his Wicked Good Barbecue is a must read), he finally decided to open a barbecue restaurant. Look for pull-apart-tender baby backs, textbook pulled pork and monster beef plate ribs at this Cambridge smoke emporium, and don't miss the crispy grits fries and hot links with homemade pimiento cheese.

Chicago: Lena Brava

No one on the planet knows more about Mexican cuisine than Chicago chef Rick Bayless, and his latest restaurant (the name literally means "Angry Fire") specializes in modern Baja-inspired wood fire cooking. From the wood-burning oven come black cod al pastor and chicken a la lena, while the wood-fired grill turns out smoky octopus carnitas and a monster 32-ounce tomahawk steak. Smoky mezcal-based cocktails (try the Last Pina) and jewel-box-like ceviches round out a menu equally remarkable for its breadth and bold flavors.

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Chicago: Roister

"The restaurant is the kitchen. The kitchen is the restaurant." With this motto, Chicago uber chef Grant Achatz opened this equally uber hip restaurant in Chicago's Meatpacking District, with a wood-burning hearth as its focal point. The menu is eclectic enough to include smoked oysters, hearth-baked lasagna, pork butt with a dark and stormy glaze, and grade A-5 Japanese Wagyu beef with sea urchin. If this sounds too avant garde, there's always a wood-grilled, 30-day aged beef porterhouse. The noise level rivals that of an F-16 engine at takeoff. By the way, if you haven't seen it already, watch Grant Achatz's amazing life story on Netflix, Chef's Table.

Los Angeles: Charcoal

When Michelin-starred fine dining chef Josiah Citrin (owner of Melisse in Santa Monica) decided to open his second restaurant, he built the concept around charcoal. It fires a pair of Big Green Eggs, a Spanish Josper oven, and an open grill where virtually all the cooking at Charcoal is done. Sure, you could order the 35-day aged Sonoma lamb shoulder with coriander and honey or the 21-day aged Liberty duck (you should), but the dish that most stands out is lowly cabbage--the whole head roasted caveman-style in the embers and served with sumac-scented yogurt.

Miami: Kyu

This lively restaurant in Miami's Wynwood Art District is my favorite eating place in Miami. Chef Michael Lewis deftly combines Asian flavors with American smoke and fire, seasoning his smoked Wagyu brisket with sashimi pepper and serving it Vietnamese style, with lettuce leaves for wrapping, Asian barbecue sauces for dipping, and--a first for this writer--chopsticks to eat it. The Asian barbecue theme continues with grilled asparagus with miso and bacon and whole maitake mushrooms grilled with ginger and soy. The dining room is industrial modern; the duck burnt ends are out of this world.

Miami: Quinto la Huella

There are many places to sit at this sleek new South American chophouse (run by the owners of the famous La Huella in Jose Ignacio, Uruguay) at the equally slick new East Hotel in Brickell Village--at sprawling communal tables inside or on the airy spacious terrace. But you'll find me at the U-shaped asado bar in front of the massive parrilla, oak-burning open grill. The grass-fed picanha and other steaks are imported from Uruguay; the grilled fresh local snapper comes with salsa criolla (South American creole sauce), and the crusty mollejas (grilled sweetbreads) are out of this world. Wash them down with one of South America's best-kept wine secrets: a Tannat from Uruguay.

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Kansas men's basketball wins exhibition game against Pittsburg State

The Jayhawks may not have started this exhibition game well Thursday, but they were able to recover and come away with a win.
Imperial County Board of Supervisors Swearing In Ceremony

El Centro, California - Tuesday, January 3, 2017, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors will host a Swearing In Ceremony for the incoming Supervisor-elect Luis Plancarte (District 2) and re-elected Supervisors Michael Kelley (District 3) and Ryan Kelley (District 4) in El Centro. After taking the oath of office, the Board is expected to select a new Chairman and Vice-Chair for the 2017 calendar year. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Board Chambers in the Administration Building.

Immediately following the adjournment of the Boards special meeting, there will be a small reception in the adjacent conference room. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Please see below for additional details. For more information, please contact the Imperial County Clerk of the Board at (442) 265-1020.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Returns Home

Washington, DC - More than 6,000 Sailors from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 are scheduled to arrive at their homeports Dec. 30 after completing a highly successful seven-month deployment.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike), guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and guided-missile destroyers USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Nitze (DDG 94) are returning to Naval Station (NS) Norfolk. USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) is returning to its homeport of NS Mayport, Florida.



Commanded by Rear Adm. James Malloy, the Eisenhower CSG is comprised of Ike, embarked squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, CSG 10 staff and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 staff and ships.



CVW-3 is commanded by Capt. Marc Miguez and is comprised of squadrons based out of Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, NAS Whidbey Island, NAS Jacksonville, NAS Lemoore and NS Norfolk. CVW-3 includes Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) 32 "Swordsmen," VFA-86 "Sidewinders," VFA-105 "Gunslingers" and VFA-131 "Wildcats;" Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron (VAQ) 130 "Zappers;" Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123 "Screwtops;" Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 "Rawhides;" Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 "Swamp Foxes;" and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 "Dusty Dogs."



While deployed, the strike group performed admirably in the 5th and 6th U.S. Fleet areas of operations while providing maritime security, conducting combat missions and launching F/A-18 strikes against ISIL in Syria and Iraq. The strike group's support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Odyssey Resolve and Operation Oaken Steel was integral to each mission's success.



While conducting operations in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, USS Mason defended itself and other U.S. ships from multiple inbound anti-ship cruise missiles during the week of Oct. 9. In response to these threats, Sailors aboard Nitze swiftly carried out a defensive Tomahawk strike against three radar sites on the Yemeni coast. These combined actions reduced adversary capabilities in this strategic maritime chokepoint and helped ensure continued free-flow of commerce throughout the region.
Sore Loser Syndrome threatens to disrupt Americas political process

Washington, DC - At year-end, efforts are being made to disrupt the transition process of President-elect Donald Trump by rowdy crowds of disgruntled protestors. In response, Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens published the following opinion article today:

The political left suffers from sore loser syndrome in the wake of the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

Its not uncommon for depression to set in when the candidate of your choice loses an election, but the pathetic parade of despair on display among many of those who were sure that Hillary Clinton was destined to become president has reached new heights. The fact is, the anti-Trumpers are having temper tantrums.

Rather than expressing their dissent in a manner that shows them to be members of the peaceful, loyal opposition, on more and more occasions the anti-Trump protestors seem bent on disrupting Americas political. In particular, a number of radical socialists and progressives have been engaging in activities such as inciting violent demonstrations, voter intimidation in targeting Electoral College delegates, and facilitating voter fraud, which are clearly criminal and may indeed border on treason inasmuch as they are designed to disrupt our Constitutional processes. It has even been suggested that some of them are financially backed by sinister outside sources.

However, whether they are doing what they do wittingly or unwillingly is irrelevant because the future of our democracy is at stake.

When the much-maligned Richard Nixon lost the Presidential Election to John F. Kennedy by a narrow margin, he was urged to demand a recount of the vote. But he said: "Our country cannot afford the agony of a constitutional crisis and I damn well will not be a party to creating one just to become president or anything else."

The situation has grown so threatening that individuals who might, otherwise, be inclined to join the chorus of opposition to Mr. Trumps election, are slowly but surely urging acceptance.

As Juliet Pesner, a contributor to the Harvard Political Review, put it in a recent article entitled, The Folly of Anti-Trump Protests: protests that reject the presidency itself and feature the burning of American flags raise the questionat what point are we threatening the very institutions upon which our democracy stands.

When President-elect Trump takes office on January 20th, instead of a parade to celebrate the occasion a massive, potentially unruly protest is likely to greet the new President. In her Harvard Political review article, Ms. Pesner suggests that tens of thousands of protestors have already accepted online invitations to be there.

It will be a gathering of those afflicted with SLS, sore loser syndrome, and we can only hope that the leaders of the Democratic Party, including Hillary Clinton and President Obama, will intervene. Its the only known treatment that might work on those suffering from the disease.
Look Forward to 2017

Imperial, California - I hope 2017 can be a good year for you. Whatever you can do to assist with the success of your year will be very helpful. A local businessman remarked recently, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." All of us are recipients of some bad luck throughout life. Often some of our bad luck is because of people we are associated with in our lives. What other people do greatly impacts us. A spouse, a parent, a child or work associate all affect us for good or bad. It's good for us when people we are close to are successful and not so great when they mess up. However, the bottom line is that we must all individually take ownership of our lives.

I used to write weekly for a Kentucky paper called Western Recorder. The editor of that paper Chauncey Daley was so great to me. I once submitted three stories one week and he sent them all back to me covered with red marks pointing out errors and things he didn't like. It was a little painful but he was willing to invest his time to help me learn and be better. Having anybody in our lives who cares enough about us to help us with anything is a real plus. We are better benefited from good advice when we seriously listen and make application.

All advice is not necessarily helpful. We all get bad advice throughout life so it's important to be discerning about what we are told and who is doing the teaching. Some of what we hear in life is repeated with almost inerrant credibility. For example eating badly will have eventual negative results on our health. We are told to watch our intake of sugar, fried food, and red meat and to simply use common sense on our daily portions. It's good advice and it's up to us to take it or leave it. We are told to exercise routinely because it's good for our health. Nobody can make us exercise. We have to take responsibility for our physical fitness.

The best way to have a great 2017 is to make our own decisions and take responsibility for our personal happiness. If you are waiting for a fortune to drop out of the sky you are wasting your time. If you are waiting for Mr. or Mrs. Wonderful to show up and take all your despair away you are going to spend most of your life in despair. God is not going to call you on the telephone with a three step plan for the year. However, looking up instead of looking down all of the time is always more uplifting.

Just remember that if you are able to move and think then you are not stuck. I do believe people get stuck. However, if you can think and can apply some activity you are not stuck. Use the mind and life that you have to act. Thoughts lead to action. Apply yourself. Put yourself into something that is meaningful and worthwhile. Serious action and application always net some results. If you want results get up and get going and do it most every day. The end result is that your next year will most likely see some very satisfying results.

Most importantly don't wait on someone to tell you what to do. Tell yourself what to do and do it, and look forward to 2017.

Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated columnist and author of eleven books. He is read in all fifty states. Visit www.glennmollette.com
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A significant chunk of the publicity mill surrounding Rogue One's release focused on rumours of drastic reshoots.

They were fairly easily dismissed as standard practice in Hollywood film-making, and the film's critical success has shown there was never much need to worry about the fate of the first of the planned Star Wars anthology films.

However, looking back at the film's vast swathes of promotional material potentially tells a very different story, with key scenes and action sequences highlighted in Rogue One's various trailers now tellingly absent from the final cut.

How much did the reshoots actually end up altering the film's DNA? Ben Mendelsohn's interview with Collider seems to hint at something very intriguing about what ended up on the cutting room floor.

It seems as if director Gareth Edwards deliberately shot multiple versions of scenes even during principal photography to give some freedom to the editing process. Mendelsohn revealed, "We did have multiple, multiple ways of going at any given scenario, we had multiple readings of it. So should they ever decided to, there would be a wealth of ways of approaching these different things."

[SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Show all 13 1 /13 [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film 'I rebel' Straight off the bat, that instantly infamous line from Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso - "This is a rebellion, isn't it? I rebel" - is missing from the final cut. Probably a good thing, considering nobody needs Jyn's entire character motivation spelled out in quite such obvious terms. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Moody Orson Krennic This brilliantly moody shot from the film's teaser never makes it into the final cut, but there's a good chance it was never intended to, having all the hallmarks of footage deliberately shot for the trailer. Walt Disney Studios [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Moody Jyn Erso The same goes for this look at Jyn Erso in her Imperial disguise, which definitely has the look of a promotional shot to it. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film 'What will you become?' The look at Jyn's Imperial outfit coincides with the final line of a cut monologue from Saw Gerrera: "What will you become?" The confusing part here is that Saw is seen with the close-cropped hair he sports only in the prologue scenes, when Jyn is only a child. When she visits him in Jedha, his hair is much fuller and he's sporting a beard. So, was this speech somehow originally delivered to Galen Erso in a cut prologue segment? In the context of Galen's work with the Empire and his later attempts to evade them, Saw's words would make a lot more sense. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film And Moody Darth Vader Potentially another promo shot, considering this was used as the very first reveal of Darth Vader in the trailers. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Krennic and Vader However, this shot also shows a cut scene between Krennic and Vader, in which the former talks about the "power we are dealing with here". [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film 'The captain says you are a friend. I will not kill you' K-2SO has many similar lines directed to Jyn throughout the film, but they're a lot less sinister than this one. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Captured rebel pilots This shot from Jedha is missing. It doesn't exactly add anything to the story, but it's an added touch of grit which sets the tone nicely in the trailers. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film 'Good.' 'Good.' A cut moment between Jyn and Cassian, though it's a little hard to tell where this comes from - there's no moment where Jyn sits as co-pilot on the U-wing, since it's usually K-2SO in the seat. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Jyn faces off against a TIE fighter What's interesting is that this shot of Jyn limping across the Scarif communications tower is, of course, in the final film. It's just that the TIE fighter is entirely absent. Was this a cut moment? Was Krennic piloting that thing? Or was it even just cut into the trailer to keep audiences off the scent? [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Krennic on the Scarif beaches And what about this great shot of Krennic marching amongst the dead? The set-up and lighting seem to imply he survives the initial battle without getting shot by Cassian, and is on the ground when the Death Star destroys Scarif - if that's indeed the source of the glow in the background. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Jyn and Cassian in the Scarif battle In fact, the trailer footage seems to hint at a drastically different ending, which may point to what exactly got changed during the re-shoots. We see multiple shots of Jyn and Cassian running along the Scarif beach with the Death Star plans. Considering the battle is still in full swing, it suggests the archives and the communications tower may have been separate locations in the original version. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Jyn, Cassian, and K-2SO running through Scarif base And here, again, we see Cassian, Jyn, and K-2SO running with the data plans through the Scarif base. That means the droid wasn't originally meant to die (or whatever happens to droids) defending the archive room.



"And I know from having seen sort of the crucial kind of scenes throughout it, I know theres vastly different readings of at least four of those scenes," he added; referencing that the rest of the movie has "enormous differences within I wouldve said 20 or 30 of the scenes."

Rogue One follows a wayward band of Rebel fighters brought together for one improbable mission: steal the plans for the Death Star. These events, of course, directly link into the first scenes of A New Hope; when Princess Leia is seen concealing the plans in R2-D2 before she's captured by the Galactic Empire.

 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story IMAX Featurette

The film largely centres around Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso: a criminal misfit who becomes entangled in the Rebellion's ambitious, and resolutely dangerous, schemes. Donnie Yen, Diego Luna, Jian Wen, Forest Whitaker, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, and Mads Mikkelsen also star.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is in cinemas now.
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It has been a year of political shocks and celebrity deaths but conservationists say 2016 has seen some "landmark" environmental successes.

Some of the world's most charismatic species have seen an upturn in their fortunes, with tiger numbers increasing for the first time since efforts to conserve them began and giant pandas moved off the "endangered" list, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said.

Nepal has achieved two years in a row with no rhino poaching, while trade in the world's most trafficked mammal, the pangolin or scaly anteater, has been made illegal by countries meeting to discuss international wildlife trade.

This year saw the UK commit an extra 13 million to tackling the illegal wildlife trade and, elsewhere in the environmental arena, ratify the Paris Agreement, the world's first comprehensive deal by countries to tackle climate change.

In August, Scotland produced enough renewable energy on one day to power the entire country, with wind turbines generating 106% of Scottish demand for electricity.

In other parts of the world, Belize suspended seismic surveying for offshore oil exploration along the longest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, the world's largest marine protected area in Antarctica got the go-ahead and Spanish national park Donana was saved from destructive dredging.

Glyn Davies, acting chief executive of WWF-UK, said: "The world faces a challenge in keeping its beautiful places and special species.

The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The alley cat, Nayan Khanolkar, INDIA Winner, Urban At night, in the Aarey Milk Colony in a suburb of Mumbai bordering Sanjay Gandhi National Park, leopards slip ghost-like through the maze of alleys, looking for food (especially stray dogs). The Warli people living in the area respect the big cats. Positioning his flashes to mimic the alleys usual lighting and his camera so that a passing cat would not dominate the frame, he finally  after four months  got the shot he wanted. With a fleeting look of enquiry in the direction of the camera click, a leopard went about its business alongside peoples homes. Nayan hopes that those living in Mumbais new high-rise developments now impinging on the park will learn from the Warli how to coexist with the original inhabitants of the land. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Star player, Luis Javier Sandoval, MEXICO Winner, Impressions As soon as Luis slipped into the water, the curious young California sea lions came over for a better look. He had arrived the night before at the island of Espiritu Santo in the Gulf of California, sleeping aboard his boat so that he would be ready to dive at sunrise. He had in mind a picture that needed warm light, a slow shutter speed and friendly subjects. One of the pups dived down, swimming gracefully with its strong fore-flippers (sea lions are also remarkably agile on land, since they can control each of their hind flippers independently). It grabbed a starfish from the bottom and started throwing it to Luis. Angling his camera up towards the dawn light  just as the pup offered him the starfish and another youngster slipped by close to the rocks  he created his artistic impression of the sea lions playful nature. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The sand canvas, Rudi Sebastian, GERMANY Winner, Details The pristine white sand of Brazils Lencois Maranhenses National Park offers a blank canvas to the rain. In the dry season, sand from the coast is blown by powerful Atlantic winds as far as 50 kilometres (30 miles) inland, sculpting a vast expanse of crescent-shaped dunes up to 40 metres (130 feet) high. With the onset of the rains, the magic begins. An impermeable layer beneath the sand allows water to collect in the dune valleys, forming thousands of transient lagoons, some more than 90 metres (295 feet) long. Bacteria and algae tint the clear water in countless shades of green and blue, while streams carrying sediment from the distant rainforest make their mark with browns and blacks. Patterns appear as the water evaporates, leaving behind organic remains. Shooting almost vertically down from a small aircraft with the door removed, avoiding perspective or scale, he created his striking image. A few weeks later, the scene had evaporated. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Snapper party, Tony Wu, USA Winner, Underwater For several days each month (in tandem with the full moon), thousands of twospot red snappers gather to spawn around Palau in the western Pacific Ocean. On this occasion, with perfect anticipation, he managed to capture a dynamic arc of spawning fish amid clouds of eggs in the oblique morning light. Still obsessed by the dynamics and magnitude of this natural wonder, he will be returning to Palau next April to witness once again the spectacular snapper party. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Eviction attempt, Ganesh H Shankar, INDIA Winner, Birds These Indian rose-ringed parakeets were not happy. They had returned to their roosting and nesting hole high up in a tree in Indias Keoladeo National Park (also known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) to find that a Bengal monitor lizard had taken up residence. They would then harass it when it tried to come out to bask. This went on for two days. But the action only lasted a couple of seconds at a time and was fast-moving. These Indian birds are highly adaptable, and escaped captive parakeets have founded populations in many countries. In Europe, where they are known as ring-necked parakeets, they are accused of competing for nest holes with some native species, such as nuthatches, and even bats, but in turn, other birds such as starlings are quite capable of evicting the parakeets from their nest holes. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The moon and the crow, Gideon Knight, UK Winner, Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 A crow in a tree in a park: a common enough scene. It was one that Gideon had seen many times near his home in Londons Valentines Park, which he visits regularly to take photographs. Positioning himself on a slope opposite, he tried to capture the perfect composition. But the crow kept moving along the branch and turning its head away, and so getting a silhouette of it with the moon in the frame meant Gideon had to keep moving, too. Then, just as the light was about to fade beyond the point that photography was possible, his wish came true, and an ordinary London scene turned into something magical. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Requiem for an owl, Mats Andersson, SWEDEN Winner, Black and White Every day in early spring, Mats walked in the forest near his home in Bashult, southern Sweden, enjoying the company of a pair of Eurasian pygmy owls  until the night he found one of them lying dead on the forest floor. Pygmy owls, with their distinctive rounded heads and lack of ear tufts, are the smallest owls in Europe, barely 19 centimetres (7 inches) long, though with large feet that enable them to carry prey almost as big as themselves. He found this owl dead, too, and suspects that it and its mate may have been killed by one of the larger owls in the forest, not for food but because, in the breeding season, it didnt tolerate other birds of prey in its territory. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The pangolin pit, Paul Hilton, UK/AUSTRALIA Winner, The Wildlife Photojournalist Award: Single image Nothing prepared Paul for what he saw: some 4,000 defrosting pangolins (5 tons) from one of the largest seizures of the animals on record. These Asian victims, mostly Sunda pangolins, were part of a huge seizure  a joint operation between Indonesias police and the World Conservation Society  found hidden in a shipping container behind a facade of frozen fish, ready for export from the major port of Belawan in Sumatra. The dead pangolins were driven to a specially dug pit and then incinerated. The live ones were taken north and released in the rainforest. Wildlife crime is big business, says Paul. It will stop only when the demand stops. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Wind composition, Valter Binotto, ITALY Winner, Plants and Fungi With every gust of wind, showers of pollen were released, lit up by the winter sunshine. The hazel tree was near Valters home in northern Italy, and to create the dark background, he positioned himself to backlight the flowers. Hazel has both male and female flowers on the same tree, though the pollen must be transferred between trees for fertilization. And now recent research suggests that bees may also play a role. The catkins are an important source of pollen for early bees and have a beefriendly structure, while the red colour of the female flowers may entice insects to land on them. The hardest part was capturing the female flowers motionless while the catkins were moving, explains Valter. I searched for flowers on a short branch that was more stable. Using a long exposure to capture the pollens flight and a reflector to highlight the catkins, he took many pictures before the wind finally delivered the composition he had in mind. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Entwined lives, Tim Laman, USA Winner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 A young male orangutan makes the 30-metre (100-foot) climb up the thickest root of the strangler fig that has entwined itself around a tree emerging high above the canopy. The backdrop is the rich rainforest of the Gunung Palung National Park, in West Kalimantan, one of the few protected orangutan strongholds in Indonesian Borneo. He had to do three days of climbing up and down himself, by rope, to place in position several GoPro cameras that he could trigger remotely to give him a chance of not only a wide angle view of the forest below but also a view of the orangutans face from above. This shot was the one he had long visualized, looking down on the orangutan within its forest home.

"Global wildlife populations are likely to decline by 67% from 1970 levels by the end of this decade.

"Without greater efforts, we will face a global mass extinction of wildlife for the first time since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

"The good news is that we know we can make a difference. 2016 has celebrated many landmark successes which will bolster global efforts to protect the natural world.

"Some great victories have been won, but there is still an uphill battle ahead. WWF looks to 2017 as a year where actions will need to speak louder than words.

"We need to see real progress in tackling illegal wildlife trade, climate change and habitat destruction and degradation."

Environmental campaigners have nonetheless warned that global wildlife populations could have declined by two thirds on 1970 levels by the end of the decade, but said 2016 shows that people can make a difference.
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A hard Brexit preferred by Theresa May will be a mission impossible as the EU and the UK would face massive negative effects if Britain leaves the single market, the head of the German automobile industry association has warned.

In October, Matthias Wissmann warned that the UK leaving the single market could force companies to move their business elsewhere. His comments marked the first time a senior figure in the German car industry publicly outlined the consequences from a change to Britains trading arrangements with the EU.

Writing in the Suddeutsche Zeitung on Friday, Mr Wissmann highlighted the deep reciprocal dependency of the two countries automotive industries, and said both the UK and the EU should aim to keep Britain in the single market in upcoming Brexit negotiations.

British car production has boomed over the last five years, growing by a quarter to 1.6 million vehicles in 2015, with German brands accounting for 11 per cent of that figure.

Some 57 per cent of the cars made in Britain are purchased by buyers in the rest of the EU. The next largest market is the US (12 per cent), followed by China (7 per cent).

Mr Wissmann said the EU should force Britain to pay into the Brussels budget and accept the resulting rules, including the free movement of people, which has been ruled out by Theresa May.

The hard Brexit preferred by Theresa May would have severe side effects, he said.

It remains the hope that in the upcoming exit process the realisation of the nearly insurmountable hurdles prevails. A hard Brexit is indeed a mission impossible...

The aim of the talks must be: Britain should remain in the internal market and in the customs union, accept the basic freedoms and make a financial contribution to the EU budget, in return for unimpeded access to the internal market.

The 70bn-a year British car industry has made the case for government backing as the UK leaves the EU at a summit earlier in December

Although the details of the talks were private, members of trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which hosted the summit, are understood to have pressed Brexit secretary David Davis on the importance of securing tariff-free access to European markets.

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 meeting came in the wake of the controversial sweetheart deal Nissan secured from the Government to keep investing in its giant Sunderland plant.

If Britain failed to conclude a free trade deal with the rest of the EU and was forced to fall back on basic World Trade Organisation rules, British car exporters could face tariffs of up to 10 per cent.

Additional reporting by PA
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The co-chairman of Donald Trumps New York campaign, who said he hoped Barack Obama would die of mad cow disease and Michelle Obama would move to Africa and live in a cave with a gorilla, has said he will not resign from the Buffalo school board.

Despite the fact the Buffalo Board of Education voted to remove Carl Paladino, a New York developer and leading supporter of Mr Trump, on Thursday, he has said he will not be standing down.

The board voted 6-2 for a resolution to remove Paladino, the ninth member, if he did not resign within 24 hours.

Mr Paladino, a former Tea Party star, was accused of racism for his response to a local newspapers questionnaire about what he would like to see happen in 2017.

[Barack] Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Her[e]ford, he said.

He dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to [senior Obama adviser] Valerie Jarret[t], who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a Jihady [sic] cell mate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her.

Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Show all 14 1 /14 Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - NOVEMBER 23: A woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A woman walks past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A child walks past a graffiti depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a bar in the old town in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, May 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural People walk past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A man photographs a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A young woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the slogan "make everything great again," in reference to Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again," on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A morning commuter stops to look at a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Restaurant owner Dominykas Ceckauskas pose next to a mural on the wall of his establishment depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. / AFP / Petras Malukas (Photo credit should read PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP/Getty Images) Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A passerby photographs a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Getty

Referring to Michelle Obama, he said: Id like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.

Mr Paladino issued a statement four days after the remarks appeared. He apologised for the comments but condemned his critics who he described as attacking parasites and he suggested Mr Obama was a traitor to American values.

The property developer said he had not intended for the comments to be published but admitted they were inappropriate under any circumstance. He also insisted he was not a racist.

In the Buffalo school board meeting, which was broadcast online, some board members accused Mr Paladino of acting like a bully and making comments which would not be permitted from pupils.

Mr Paladino took an oath to ensure that students are afforded an environment which is free from fear and respects diversity within the school district and the community, the resolution reads.

According to the resolution, more than 70 percent of the district is non-white.

Mr Paladino told a radio station on Wednesday that he would not leave the board voluntarily. I'm the agent of change. I'm the guy that exposed the underbelly of their corrupt and dysfunctional school system, and they want me gone from the scene, he said in the interview.

This is by no means the first time Mr Paladino has found himself at the centre of controversy. During his unsuccessful 2010 run for governor, emails that he had forwarded presenting Ms Obama as a prostitute were leaked.

A representative for Mr Trump did not immediately respond to request for comment but USA Today reported that Trump's transition team has called Paladino's recent comments "absolutely reprehensible.
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A senior adviser to Donald Trump has suggested Barack Obamas actions against Russia were motivated by a desire to box in his successor at the White House.

As the fall out from Mr Obamas decision to deport 35 Russian diplomats over the alleged hacking during the election continued, it became clear Mr Trump had been handed a huge strategic headache even before he takes office.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin surprised many observers when he announced that he would not reciprocate by expelling US diplomats. Yet the RIA news agency quoted Mr Putin as saying he would consider the actions of the President-elect, when deciding on further steps in Russia-US relations.

Mr Trumps only public response to Mr Obamas actions has been to say that its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.

Yet Mr Trump will very quickly have to decide how to act. Does he continue with the sanctions and risk undermining his desire to build a new relationship with Russia, or does he lift them and leave himself open to criticism of being weak? Republicans on Capitol Hill favour sanctions against Russia.

On Thursday, The New York Times claimed that part of Mr Obamas tactics had been to box in Mr Trump. Subsequently, a senior adviser to the President-elect said it would be very unfortunate if domestic politics were involved.

I will tell you that even those who are sympathetic to President Obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to, quote, box in President-elect Trump, Kellyanne Conway told CNN.

That would be very unfortunate if politics were the motivating factor here. We can't help but think that's often true.

Ms Conway, who will advise Mr Trump in the White House, added: That is not the way that peaceful exchanges work in this democracy.

 Trump Tower evacuated after security scare

She also claimed the focus on Russias potential involvement in Democratic Party hacking  something that has been alleged by the US intelligence community  was a distraction.

All we heard through the election was Russia, Russia, Russia, she said. Since the election, its just this fever pitch of accusations and insinuations.

She said that hacks targeting the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, did not cause the Democrats to lose as much as their failed campaign strategy.

I dont believe Vladimir Putin deterred her from competing in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, she said.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had proposed expelling 35 US diplomats after Mr Obama ordered the expulsions and sanctions on Thursday.

But Mr Putin said he would wait to see what steps Mr Trump takes after he assumes office on 20 January. He even invited the children of US diplomats to a party in the Kremlin.

We will not expel anyone, Mr Putin said in a statement. While keeping the right for retaliatory measures, we will not descend to the level of the kitchen, irresponsible diplomacy.
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The cause of George Michaels death continues to be unclear after a post-mortem examination came back inconclusive.

The pop superstar died at the age of 53 of heart failure at his Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day.

Thames Valley Police said further tests would be carried out in due course. The results of these tests are unlikely to be known for several weeks.

A statement from the police force said: A Post Mortem examination was carried out yesterday as part of the investigation into the death of George Michael.

George Michael: a life in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 George Michael: a life in pictures George Michael: a life in pictures 1982 Wham perform at the Hammersmith Odeon Rex George Michael: a life in pictures 1983 George Micheal and Andrew Ridley perform in concert in June 1983 Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1984 May 1984 Exclusive Photocall with Wham When Their Song 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-go' Hit Number One in the Charts at Bbc Tv Centre George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1985 Ivor Novello Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel, George Michael (songwriter of the Year) and Andrew Ridgeley Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1985 Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael in Tiananmen Square, during their WHAM! in China tour in 1985 Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1986 rank Bruno Boxer 1986 George Michael And Frank Bruno. British And European Heavyweight Champion Frank Bruno Flew Off For A Winning Weekend In Las Vegas Yesterday And Found Himself Sitting Next To George Michael The Wham! Star. Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1986 George Michael is presented with an award by Elton John during the 1986 Brit Awards Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1986 George Michael and Freddie Mercury during a Queen party at the Groucho Club Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1991 WHAM! reunited during the "Rock in Rio" concert in Rio de Janeiro Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1993 George Michael appears outside the high court, a case where micheal fought Sony Music for failing to promote his albumn "Listen without prejudice Vol.1" Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1995 David Frost interviewed George Michael following his Sony contract dispute Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1997 The pop star was visibly moved during the funeral of Princess Diana Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 1998 Michael gave a press conference ahead of his public service for aids charity "Angel Food" following his conviction for engaging in a sex act in a public toilet Rex Features George Michael: a life in pictures 2004 George Michael poses at the Sunset Virgin Megastore where he made an apperance to sign copies of his new CD 'Patience' Getty George Michael: a life in pictures 2005 George Michael poses during the photocall of his documentary film 'George Michael - A different Story' by Southan Morris during the 55th Berlin Film Festival Getty George Michael: a life in pictures 2005 Musicians Pete Townhsend from The Who, George Michael and David Gilmour from Pink Floyd perform 'Hey Jude' with children on stage at the finale of 'Live 8 London' in Hyde Park Getty George Michael: a life in pictures 2007 George Michael arrives at Brent Magistrates Court in west London as he faces charges of driving while unfit through drugs. The former Wham! star's legal team had hoped he could be absent from the trial but he was ordered by District Judge Katherine Marshall to appear on the first day Getty George Michael: a life in pictures 2007 George Michael performs the first concert at the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium Getty George Michael: a life in pictures 2011 George Michael speaks to the media during a press conference at the Royal Opera House, central London on May 11, 2011. The event was to announce his 'Symphonica' European tour which is set to visit historic venues such as Prague's State Opera House, Paris' Palais Garnier and London's Royal Opera House Getty George Michael: a life in pictures 2012 George Michael performs during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium Getty

The cause of death is inconclusive and further tests will now be carried out. The results of these tests are unlikely to be known for several weeks.

Thames Valley Police will prepare a file for the Oxfordshire Coroner.

Mr Michaels death is still being treated as unexplained but not suspicious.

Earlier this week, his boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz, revealed he had been the one who found Michael dead in his Oxfordshire home on Christmas morning.

Its a Xmas I will never forget finding your partner dead peacefully in bed first thing in the morning, he tweeted. I will never stop missing you xx, Fawaz, who is a celebrity hairdresser, tweeted.

Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley in north London in the early 1960s, Michael formed the era-defining pop duo Wham! and fast became one of Britains biggest pop stars of the 1980s.

In the wake of his death, fans have gathered outside Michaels Oxfordshire home in the village of Goring-on-Thames and his house in Highgate, north London, to lay flowers, candles and handwritten notes at his doorstep.
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Shocking footage has revealed the moment a pair of young men threatened two shop workers with a gun and a large knife as they robbed a supermarket in south-east London.

CCTV footage released by police shows two men armed with a black handgun and a kitchen knife enter a Co-op in Eltham and threaten the members of staff, as they take money from the till and steal cigarettes.

During the ordeal, which occurred at 10:25pm on Sunday, a visibly frightened female shop worker can be heard saying: I dont have any money as the men repeat orders for her to hand over cash, brandishing their weapons.

As the two robbers move in and continue to demand money another worker appears and says he will open the till. The man holding the gun can be heard saying: Give me the money, Hurry up and Now as the member of staff enters codes to open the till.

Meanwhile, the robber wielding the knife raids shelves behind the till and steals what appears to be tobacco while the female shop worker stands by apparently shaking with fear.

After one of them has obtained the money in the till and the other filled a plastic bag with cigarette packets, the two men walk out, leaving the two workers in what appears to be a state of shock.

According to police, the suspects made their getaway in a waiting white Range Rover Evoque, driven by a third suspect.

The Metropolitan Police are now appealing for the public to help locate the two men in connection with the robbery. In a statement, the force said: Officers have released the footage after the Co-op store in Westhorne Avenue, Eltham was robbed at 22:25hrs on Sunday 31 July.

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

A quantity of cigarettes and cash was stolen from the shop by two men. One suspect was armed with a knife and the other was armed with a black handgun.

Suspect one is described as a white male, aged 18-22 years. At the time of the robbery he was wearing a dark Ralph Lauren hooded jumper, dark Ralph Lauren tracksuit bottoms, dark Nike cap and a black balaclava. He was armed with a knife.

Suspect two is described as a black male, aged 18-22 years. At the time of the robbery he was wearing black, knee-length, tracksuit bottoms, white socks pulled up and black trainers and a navy blue Nike hooded top.
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A Brexit that protects the bankers in the city and continues to give corporate handouts is not good enough, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

The Labour leader, in his three-minute New Year message, also lamented the governments handling of housing, the jobs market, the NHS and social care.

2016 will be defined in history by the referendum on European Union membership, said Eurosceptic Mr Corbyn, who voted Remain and opted against Common Market membership in 1975.

Labour accepts and respects the result of the referendum.

We wont be blocking our country leaving the EU, but we wont stand by those in charge today [who have] put the jobs market, housing, the NHS, and social care in crisis.

We cant let them mess this up. Its about everyones future.

A Brexit that protects the bankers in the city and continues to give corporate handouts to the biggest companies is not good enough.

The 67-year-old, the party leader since September 2015, has emerged in a relatively safe position after a rocky year.

Three of his junior shadow ministers resigned in January after a reshuffle that was dominated by opinions on Syria and Trident.

Recommended Ken Livingstone mentions Hitler while defending Fidel Castro

In April, he suspended former mayor Ken Livingstone over his comments about Adolf Hitler and Israel, once again linking Labour to claims of deep-rooted anti-Semitism in the party.

Sadiq Khan won the mayoral election in May, but the party witnessed a net loss of 18 local council seats and a demotion to third place behind the Conservatives in Scotland.

A wave of shadow cabinet ministers resigned after the Brexit vote, after Mr Corbyn generally kept a low profile during the campaign, and he was slapped with a 172-to-40 vote of no confidence by Labour MPs.

His party embarrassingly lost its deposit in the Richmond Park by-election, but since defeating Owen Smith in a leadership challenge by 62 per cent of the vote, his year has stabled somewhat.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you  that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the  judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up  and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty

The Islington MP also said in his message that he understands why 52 per cent of the UK population voted Leave, and appeared to show optimism for the future.

I understand that, said Mr Corbyn. We now have the chance to do things differently.

To build an economy that invests and works for everyone across all our nations and regions.

He also touched upon job insecurity, thanks to zero-hour and temporary contracts, and referenced the 124,000 children who did not have a home this Christmas.

The Independent is currently running a campaign encouraging donations for the new Centrepoint Young and Homeless Helpline.
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Armed units will be among more than 3,000 police officers being deployed to protect Londons New Years Eve celebrations amid concern over the threat of Isis-inspired terror attacks.

Security plans have been adjusted in the wake of the lorry attacks in Berlin and Nice, which followed previous shooting massacres and bombings in Brussels and Paris.

Scotland Yard said around 3,000 of its officers will be on duty across central London on 31 December, both inside and outside of ticketed areas for viewing fireworks along the Thames.

Armed British Transport Police officers will also carry guns on London Underground trains for the first time, having previously been stationed inside Tube stations, as security is increased.

Detective Superintendent Phil Langworthy said there were both over and covert measures in place to protect hundreds of thousands of people expected to gather for the Mayor's firework display.

"Clearly we have been looking at what has happened around the world in terms of Berlin, Nice, etcetera, and have adjusted our plans and continue to adjust our plans, he told the Press Association.

"We police around 3,500 large events every year including New Year's Eve and we meticulously plan those events - we have meticulously planned New Year's Eve - and we look at our tactics and we look around the world and adjust our tactics if need be.

"We have a very extensive planning period, we plan for many months, pretty much we start planning since the last event."

Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Show all 18 1 /18 Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Several people have been killed after a lorry drove into crowds at a Christmas market in Berlin REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Berlin Christmas market lorry attack 'At least nine' people have been killed and more than 50 injured. AP Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Emergency Services rush a Berlin market victim to an ambulance Associated Press Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Police cordoned off the square at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church following the incident REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Rescue workers inspect the lorry that crashed into a Christmas market close to the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church in Berlin EPA Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Emergency crews inspect the lorry that ploughed into a Berlin Christmas market, killing at least nine people AFP Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Fire crews attend the scene of the attack AFP/Getty Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Armed police secure the site of a lorry attack at a Christmas market in Berlin REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Crushed debris is visible beneath the wheels of the vehicle REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack An injured man is pushed to an ambulance REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Medics attend an injured person after the lorry attack which killed at least nine and injured more than 50 people AFP/Getty Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Firefighters examine the lorry which was rammed into a Berlin Christmas market REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack A person is carried into an ambulance REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack View of the lorry that crashed into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing at least nine and injuring at least 50 people AFP/Getty Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Rescue workers push a person on a stretcher to an ambulance Getty Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Firefighters assess the damage after the lorry rammed the Christmas market, killing 'at least nine', and injuring more than 50 people AP Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Firefighters stand beside a toppled Christmas tree at the site of the suspected terrorist attack in a Berlin Christmas market AP Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Damaged stalls at the scene of the incident at a Berlin Christmas market where at least nine people have been killed EPA

Det Supt Langworthy said there was no specific intelligence for an attack on the end-of-year event, but added: "I would encourage people on the night if they see anything suspicious or have any concerns to come and speak to one of the police officers or stewards who will be on duty."

Isis has used its propaganda outlets to call on supporters to launch attacks in countries, including Britain, that are supporting air strikes by the US-led coalition on its territories in Iraq and Syria.

The group has released detailed guidance on launching lorry attacks, car rammings, stabbings and manufacturing homemade explosives to inflict maximum casualties and terror.

Its supporters have additionally released unofficial propaganda calling for New Years Eve and the festive period to be made into bloody horror movies for disbelievers in the West.

Heightened security precautions are expected to include concrete barriers designed to shield crowds from attempted car and lorry attacks.

 Angela Merkel reacts to shooting of Berlin market attack suspect

They have been deployed around Christmas markets across Germany following the Berlin attack on 19 December, when a Tunisian Isis supporter ploughed a lorry into crowds next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, killing 12 people and injuring 50 more.

It followed the Nice attack in July, when another Tunisian man mowed down crowds celebrating Bastille Day, killing 86 people and injuring at least 400.

Theresa May urged Britain to celebrate the festive season without being cowed by terrorists following the latest atrocity, saying the security services were continuing their work after foiling several previous plots.

Det Supt Langworthy said police wanted to ensure people stayed safe and have a good time, adding: Officers have been planning for several months for New Years Eve, and that plan remains under constant review. This is not as a result of any specific intelligence.

Major cities around the world are putting security measures in place, with rubbish lorries filled with sand being used to close off streets around New Yorks Time Square. Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower in Paris have been cancelled as a precaution.
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Police are searching for a suspected gunman who appeared to point a weapon at officers following a car crash.

Officers initially tried but failed to stop the vehicle in Harlesden High Street, in Kensal Green, north London, and again pursued it with "blue lights and sirens" after spotting it in nearby Victoria Road.

The man, being originally chased in connection with a burglary, jumped from the car apparently brandishing a weapon after it later collided with another vehicle on the A40 in North Acton.

"Firearms officers were called to the scene along with the National Police Air Service and an area search was conducted," said a police spokesman.

No arrests have been made and no one, including the man in his 50s in the other car, was reported injured.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images 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

Detectives from the Trident and Area Crime Command are investigating and enquiries are ongoing after the incident at 8.45am on Thursday 29 December.

The Met Police refused to say why or how they lost track of the suspect.

Police are appealing for witnesses to call Crimestoppers on 020 7230 2171.
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Margaret Thatcher was threatened with a fine for failing to register for the poll tax, despite making it her flagship local government reform. The Prime Minister was warned she would be in breach of the law unless she completed her registration form on time. The embarrassing oversight  due in part to a bureaucratic wrangle between the Cabinet Office and Westminster City Council  was quickly rectified, but it marked an inauspicious start for a measure widely regarded as the biggest policy blunder of her 11 years in power  one which finally cost her the premiership.

In early 1989, as the political storm was gathering strength, Westminster City Council  like other authorities around the country  began issuing registration forms in preparation for the launch of the tax in England and Wales the following year. One form covering the various residencies in and around Downing Street  including Number 10, which Thatcher and her husband Denis had nominated as their main home  was sent to the Treasury.

But the Cabinet Office complained that it was most inappropriate to issue a single form asking a number of essentially personal questions on behalf of individual occupants. Individual forms were then despatched, but when there were still no details forthcoming, the council registration officer, David J Hopkins, warned he would be forced to act. In a letter dated 22 May 1989, he said: My records show that the Community Charge Registration form recently sent to you has not been returned. I wish to advise that you are required by law to supply the relevant information within 21 days of this request and failure to do so may lead to a penalty being imposed.

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The letter was addressed to the Resident/Owner at Rooms First Floor, 10 Downing Street, London, W1 9MN. Officials quickly arranged for the Prime Minister to complete the form, only to discover the council had sent the wrong one and she had to do it all again. Thatcher responded cheerfully enough, noting her first effort had been a good practice run. She could not, however, dismiss the wider political crisis so easily.

The poll tax  or Community Charge, as it was officially known  was brought in to replace the old system of rates, based on property values, with a flat-rate levy on all local residents. Thatcher had hoped it would encourage voters to kick out high-spending Labour councils by making them financially more accountable to the electorate.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images 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

But as it became apparent that residents across the country  including in many traditional Tory areas  were facing huge increases in their bills as a result of the changes there was a furious political backlash, with a wave of protests. National Archive files show Thatcher appeared bewildered by the reaction. In March 1990 she told Chancellor John Major that she had always assumed the public would blame councils for any rises. But in recent weeks that has not happened, she lamented. Rather the general public blamed the high levels of Community Charge on the Government because of their responsibility for introducing the new system.

She acknowledged that with those on low incomes protected through various safety net measures, it was the conscientious middle  traditionally her strongest supporters  who were being hit hardest. Despite ordering a rapid review of possible changes for the following year, the political damage had been done. On 31 March 1990  days before the tax was due to come into effect  a mass march through central London resulted in some of the worst rioting in the capital for decades. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Peter Imbert told the Prime Minister some of his officers came close to being murdered. It was Thatcher, however, who was fatally damaged politically and by the end of the year she was out of office.

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Theresa May has distanced herself from outgoing US president Barack Obama's hardline stance on Israel.

In comments which appeared more in tune with the outlook being taken by president-elect Donald Trump, the Prime Minister said it was wrong to focus on single issues like settlement building. Instead the wider peace process should be the aim.

After US secretary of state John Kerry branded the Israeli government as the "most right wing in history", Downing Street said it was "not appropriate" to attack the composition of the administration of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The comments came after Mr Kerry accused the Israeli government of undermining attempts at a two state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians by continuing to build settlements in the West Bank.

The US took the unusual step of abstaining in a United Nations Security Council vote condemning Israeli settlement building in the occupied territories.

While the UK said it opposed such developments in the occupied territories, Number 10 made clear a more broadly-ranged approach was needed to encourage peace.

"The British Government continues to believe that the only way to a lasting peace in the Middle East is through a two-state solution. We continue to believe that the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal, which is why we supported UN Security Council Resolution 2334 last week," a spokesman for the Prime Minister said.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

"But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict. In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long.

"We do not, therefore, believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is so deeply complex.

"And we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally. The Government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community."
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Jeremy Corbyn has said he understands some of the concerns behind the vote for Brexit in his official message for 2017.

In a video the Labour leader said the past year will be defined in history by the decision to leave the European Union and said it was not good enough for the Government to bring forward a deal that just protects the bankers in the City.

Mr Corbyn added: People didnt trust politicians and they didnt trust the EU.

And it is clear that in the coming months the Labour leaders team will attempt to capitalise on his outsider status with a populist pitch. The Labour leader added: I understand that, Ive spent over 40 years in politics campaigning for a better way of doing things. Standing up for people, taking on the establishment and opposing decisions that would make us worse off.

But in the year ahead Mr Corbyn will be well aware that the party needs to close the wide gap in the polls with Theresa Mays Conservatives. Since the summer Labour has been languishing in the polls, reaching near historic lows. Rarely have the Tories been fewer than 10 points ahead of their closest rivals in Westminster in this period.

Reflecting on 2016 in a video filmed against the skyline of the London Eye, the Labour leader also reiterated his party will not attempt to block the result of the referendum. He said: Labour accepts and respects the result of the referendum. We wont be blocking our leaving the European Union, but we wont stand by.

Those in charge today have put the jobs market, housing, the NHS and social care in crisis. We cant let them mess this up. Its about everyones future.

A Brexit that protects the bankers in the City and continues to give corporate handouts to the biggest companies is not good enough.

Mr Corbyn, who told The Independent last week his party would be ready for a general election if Theresa May called one, also used his 2017 message to attack the Government over its record on the NHS, social care and homelessness, which has risen sharply in recent years.

A Brexit that protects the bankers in the City and continues to give corporate handouts to the biggest companies is not good enough Jeremy Corbyn

He said the political system is letting down the people of this country and that decisions made in Westminster are making peoples lives harder.

He added: Whether thats elderly people not receiving the care at home they deserve, putting huge strain on them and their family, or whether its the people waiting longer in A&E or on trolleys because our National Health Service and social care system is at breaking point, despite the best efforts of the wonderful and dedicated staff.

Whether its the homeless families who are being priced out of a housing market that only works for the few. This Christmas, 120,000 children didnt have a home to call their own. Thats scandalous.

He said many Britons are struggling with the twin burdens of insecure housing and insecure work. Millions of people cant plan their lives because, whether on temporary or zero-hours contracts, they dont know what job or what hours theyll have from day to day, week to week or month to month, he said.

For many, pay is so low that it doesnt make ends meet.

Mr Corbyn added that Labour was founded to stand up for people and created institutions such as the NHS which improve the daily lives of millions of people.
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Secret plans to sabotage cocaine production abroad by introducing plant-destroying pests were discussed as the Government waged war on drugs, newly released official files reveal.

Margaret Thatcher described the idea, which was proposed by Lord Victor Rothschild in July 1989, as a characteristically brilliant and intriguing way of tackling the growing crack problem.

Lord Rothschild suggested using covert tactics and aerial sprays to introduce a bug which would attack the source of cocaine, Cabinet papers released by the National Archives at Kew, west London, show.

Margaret Thatcher outfits shown at the V&A museum - in pictures Show all 3 1 /3 Margaret Thatcher outfits shown at the V&A museum - in pictures Margaret Thatcher outfits shown at the V&A museum - in pictures Baroness Margaret Thatcher at Lord Mayor's Banquet, Guildhall, London, Britain, 1988 Rex Shutterstock Margaret Thatcher outfits shown at the V&A museum - in pictures Baroness Margaret Thatcher at the funeral of Denis Thatcher, 3 July 2003 Rex Shutterstock Margaret Thatcher outfits shown at the V&A museum - in pictures Margaret Thatcher Prime Minister With Husband Denis Thatcher Cast Their General Election Votes At Castle Lane South West London 1987. Steve Back/ANL/REX/Shutterstock

Supposing it is possible that such a pest exists or that it is possible to make one, the question arises as to how to introduce it into the relevant parts of the various countries involved, he wrote in a letter addressed to Thatcher.

One might think of aerial sprays, with or without the connivance of the government concerned; and various other methods of introduction, covert as well as overt.

A note from No 10, which was attached to the letter, stated: I am making discrete inquiries about this through the chief scientific adviser John Fairclough. In the meantime you may wish to note Lord Rothschilds suggestion."

Thatcher wrote very interesting on the internal memo and vowed to consider the proposal in her response to Lord Rothschild in August.

Thank you for your most intriguing idea for tackling the cocaine and crack problem set out in your letter of 26 July: it is characteristically brilliant, she said in the letter.

I shall look into this and will come back to you when I have more information about whether it is possible.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images 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

Papers show the Government took further steps to advance the plans and asked Mr Fairclough to investigate.

But biologist Dr Ashley Morton, who contacted the Prime Minister with a proposal to use an indigenous type of moth to control cocaine production in Peru, was told in September: The Governments position is that only the Peruvian government can decide to use biological control in Peru.

The Governments alarm at the arrival of crack cocaine to the streets of Britain is laid bare in other newly-released papers, with several officials associating the drug with the black community.

Home Secretary Douglas Hurd proposed launching a two-pronged drug campaign and recruiting community figures to assist efforts among the African-Caribbean population, according to a Number 10 memo in July 1989.

However, Carolyn Sinclair, of the Governments policy unit, said the plans would need delicately handling in her comments to the Prime Minister.

Afro-Caribbeans rarely take hard drugs such as heroin, but regard cannabis as part of life. It is given to babies, she wrote.

The fact that cannabis is illegal is widely regarded as unjust. Most Afro-Caribbeans do not think that they, as a group, have a drug problem.

But there are good reasons to fearing that crack will get a hold on Afro-Caribbeans in a way that other hard drugs have not.

She added: The police and other statutory authorities all say that it is hard to get messages across to Afro-Caribbeans.

Douglas Hurds proposed use of informal channels may be the only way. It should be tried.

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Almost two decades after she ended free school milk Margaret Thatcher still recoiled at memory of the political storm she unleashed, newly released government files reveal.

As Education Secretary in Edward Heaths government her decision in 1971 to stop the provision of milk for junior school pupils prompted the playground taunt Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher.

Files released by the National Archives show that 19 years later, Thatcher  by then Prime Minister  was horrified when Health Secretary Ken Clarke proposed finally ending free milk for nursery schoolchildren as well.

No  this will cause a terrible row  all for 4m. I know  I went through it 19 years ago, she scrawled in a handwritten note.

Health has enough to do to get the white paper and community proposals through. Any scheme for saving 400m or more I will look at. But not 4m.

Thatcher was also appalled when, six years after the Falklands War, Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe suggested he should make a courtesy call on the Argentinian foreign minister, who had just been elected President of the United Nations General Assembly.

I utterly recoil from this, and so I think would the relatives of all those who lost their lives in the Falklands. Argentina has not announced a cessation of hostilities, she wrote.

Her foreign policy adviser Charles Powell added: I must say this rather sticks in my gullet. I dont see why we have to offer to call on representatives of a country which is still technically at war with us. But perhaps I am old-fashioned.
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A body found in a charred car in Rio de Janeiro is thought to be that of Kyriakos Amiridis, Greece's ambassador to Brazil.

Mr Amiridis, 59, went missing on Wednesday following a party with his wife's friends, it was reported.

Brazilian TV channel Globo showed images of a burned-out white car in the Nova Iguacu neighbourhood and reported that the licence plates matched those of Mr Amiridis' rental vehicle.

A Rio state police official told Reuters the ambassador's wife reported him as missing on Wednesday.

Police inspector Evaristo Pontes previously told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper he did not think Mr Amiridis was kidnapped.

He said: "If it had been (a kidnapping), those who took him would have made contact by now."

The body has been taken to the Legal Medical Institute of Nova Iguacu, Globo said. Police reportedly suspect it is that of Mr Amiridis.

Mr Amiridis was Greek ambassador to Libya from 2012 until this year, when he took up the post in Brazil.
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The US has issued what is believed to be its first ever intersex birth certificate,

Sara Kelly Keenan, 55, was born with male genes, female genitalia and mixed internal reproductive organs.

But an elaborate lie between the New York orphanage where she was placed in as a baby, her doctors and her adopted parents meant the truth was hidden from her for forty years.

But after the city issued her with a new birth certificate, she is understood to be the first US citizen to be designated as intersex on the document, instead of male or female.

She told The Independent: There is nothing about being intersex that needs to be hidden or to be ashamed of. I wanted to change it so that children in the future will have a different experience than I had.

And part of that is bringing intersex out of the shameful shadows  speaking about it as just another way that humans are made.

As an abandoned hermaphrodite baby, a lot of people made decisions for me, including my sex and my name without my consent or input.

"It was very empowering for me to return to the scene of the crime.

Although it is difficult to accurately measure, since intersex conditions are not always accurately diagnosed, some experts estimate that as many as one in every 1,500 babies are born with genitals that cannot be classified as male or female.

Despite being lied to about her gender identity for most of her life Ms Keenan, who now lives in California said she always knew I wasnt a normal female.

She had grown to over six feet tall by the time she was 13. From 16, knew she would not ever be able to have children and that she would need to take hormones for the rest of her life to prevent her bones from becoming brittle.

Ive always felt like I was intergender, even before I knew about it, she said.

Ms Keenan says she always knew she wasn't a 'normal girl' (Sara Kelly Keenan)

Around seven years ago, just before her father died, she asked him about it.

He told me that he had found out about it when I was a teenager," she said. "The decision was made not to give me all the information because they thought it would confuse me in life.

They were doing what they thought was the right thing to do. And we know now that its not the right thing to do.

"It results in lifelong depression, suicides, the feeling of not belonging anywhere, ever."

Famous and gender fluid Show all 12 1 /12 Famous and gender fluid Famous and gender fluid Miley Cyrus "I didnt want to be a boy. I kind of wanted to be nothing. I dont relate to what people would say defines a girl or a boy, and I think thats what I had to understand: Being a girl isnt what I hate, its the box that I get put into" Getty Images Famous and gender fluid Tilda Swinton Actress REUTERS/Vincent Kessler Famous and gender fluid Andreja Pejic Transgender model Getty Famous and gender fluid Elly Jackson La Roux singer Getty Images Famous and gender fluid Milla Jovovich Model and actress Getty Famous and gender fluid Jaden Smith All black is pretty much my go-to look. If somebody is just wearing something for the blogs, that's really sad because they're not living for themselves, versus someone wearing a kimono who's having an awesome time. I really look to see, do you care more about what other people think, or are you having fun? Getty Famous and gender fluid Casey Legler Former Olympic swimmer, now models exclusively for menswear designers Getty Famous and gender fluid Jared Leto Actor and musician Famous and gender fluid Glenn Close Actress Reuters/Mario Anzuoni Famous and gender fluid Grace Jones Actress, singer, and model Rec Features Famous and gender fluid Annie Lennox Singer Famous and gender fluid Boy George Musician Getty Images

There are few studies of the mental health of intersex people, but one Australian survey has shown that almost two thirds thought about killing themselves and one in five had attempted to do so.

When Ms Keenan found out, she said "it made me feel angry, naive, like I was played for a fool."

She added: "It made me feel like the people with authority believed there was something wrong with me that needed to be hidden from the world, and me.

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I really wanted the intersex designation on my birth certificate to say: its okay to be intersex," Ms Keenan said. "Its just another way people come."

And she hopes her birth certificate paves the way for New York City to acknowledge "non-binary" as a designation on official documents.

This will make it possible for trans people  not just those with mixed gender anatomies  to be recognised.

"Right now the city of New York is acknowledging this as a medical reality, not as a gender reality," she said. "And the next step will be to encourage them to broaden their definition".

She added the current medical definition is leaving many non-binary people in a "limbo of suffering".

"Now New York have opened the door in acknowledging that gender is not strictly binary," she said. "They are not going to be able to close it again."
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A high school student posed as an FBI agent to pressure a prostitute into performing sex acts on him for free, police have said.

Anthony Harris, 18, was arrested after the woman he thought he was talking to online turned out to be a team of vice squad officers from the Tulsa Police Department in Oklahoma.

The student allegedly said he was an FBI agent recently assigned to the Tulsa area, and told someone he thought was a female prostitute that "if you dont want to go to jail, we will have to do some negotiating," Kfor.com reported.

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Officers told Harris, of Collinsville, Oklahoma, a prostitute would meet him at a local hotel, where they arrested him in the car park.

Police records show he has since been charged with false impersonation of an officer, soliciting prostitution and possessing drug paraphernalia.

He is due to appear in court on 4 January.
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President-elect Donald Trump seemed to dismiss the White House announcement of sanctions against Russia by saying that Americans should get on with their lives.

On Thursday, the Obama administration announced public and secret measures against Moscow for alleged meddling in Novembers presidential election. US intelligence agencies have accused Russia of hacking the Democratic Partys email servers to help Trump win the presidency.

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things," Mr Trump said in a statement Thursday. "Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation."

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

Over the course of his campaign, Mr Trump has promised better relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin while dismissing the US intelligence agencies who concluded that Russia hacked the DNC twice in the past two years. On Wednesday, he told reporters that Americans out to get on with our lives rather than speculate over the impact Russia had on this years election.
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A senior Canadian detective who was honoured for his work combating sexual exploitation, has been arrested and accused of the very same crime.

Detective James Fisher was arrested this week and charged with three counts of sexual exploitation, along with sexual assault, breach of trust and attempting to obstruct justice.

Mr Fisher was a member of the Vancouver Police Departments counter exploitation team, which investigates prostitution and criminal exploitation.

Mr Fisher received a citation for his work (Province of British Columbia)

In 2015, he received a citation for extraordinary dedication for his work in the unit, according to the Canada Press.

This week, Vancouver Police Chief Constable Adam Palmer told a press conference that the developments were very troubling news.

It was necessary to keep him on active duty while the investigation unfolded while we gathered evidence, he said. And we had safety plans in place to make sure nobody was in any danger whatsoever.

He said that one of the cases that police were looking into involved a juvenile while another involved an adult. He said that Mr Fisher had been suspended. It is not clear whether he has yet had a chance to enter a plea.

Police say he was released on bail with conditions Thursday morning and is set to appear in court again in January, though reporting restrictions mean details of the bail conditions have not been revealed.


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Chinese customs officials have seized almost three tonnes of pangolin scales being smuggled through Shanghai.

Three people were arrested after the huge 2.9-tonne shipment, said to be the largest quantity ever impounded, was uncovered in a container that was supposed to be carrying timber from Africa.

Xinhua news agency reported that such a quantity of scales meant that between 5,000 and 7,500 of the critically endangered animals had been killed by traffickers.

The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The alley cat, Nayan Khanolkar, INDIA Winner, Urban At night, in the Aarey Milk Colony in a suburb of Mumbai bordering Sanjay Gandhi National Park, leopards slip ghost-like through the maze of alleys, looking for food (especially stray dogs). The Warli people living in the area respect the big cats. Positioning his flashes to mimic the alleys usual lighting and his camera so that a passing cat would not dominate the frame, he finally  after four months  got the shot he wanted. With a fleeting look of enquiry in the direction of the camera click, a leopard went about its business alongside peoples homes. Nayan hopes that those living in Mumbais new high-rise developments now impinging on the park will learn from the Warli how to coexist with the original inhabitants of the land. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Star player, Luis Javier Sandoval, MEXICO Winner, Impressions As soon as Luis slipped into the water, the curious young California sea lions came over for a better look. He had arrived the night before at the island of Espiritu Santo in the Gulf of California, sleeping aboard his boat so that he would be ready to dive at sunrise. He had in mind a picture that needed warm light, a slow shutter speed and friendly subjects. One of the pups dived down, swimming gracefully with its strong fore-flippers (sea lions are also remarkably agile on land, since they can control each of their hind flippers independently). It grabbed a starfish from the bottom and started throwing it to Luis. Angling his camera up towards the dawn light  just as the pup offered him the starfish and another youngster slipped by close to the rocks  he created his artistic impression of the sea lions playful nature. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The sand canvas, Rudi Sebastian, GERMANY Winner, Details The pristine white sand of Brazils Lencois Maranhenses National Park offers a blank canvas to the rain. In the dry season, sand from the coast is blown by powerful Atlantic winds as far as 50 kilometres (30 miles) inland, sculpting a vast expanse of crescent-shaped dunes up to 40 metres (130 feet) high. With the onset of the rains, the magic begins. An impermeable layer beneath the sand allows water to collect in the dune valleys, forming thousands of transient lagoons, some more than 90 metres (295 feet) long. Bacteria and algae tint the clear water in countless shades of green and blue, while streams carrying sediment from the distant rainforest make their mark with browns and blacks. Patterns appear as the water evaporates, leaving behind organic remains. Shooting almost vertically down from a small aircraft with the door removed, avoiding perspective or scale, he created his striking image. A few weeks later, the scene had evaporated. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Snapper party, Tony Wu, USA Winner, Underwater For several days each month (in tandem with the full moon), thousands of twospot red snappers gather to spawn around Palau in the western Pacific Ocean. On this occasion, with perfect anticipation, he managed to capture a dynamic arc of spawning fish amid clouds of eggs in the oblique morning light. Still obsessed by the dynamics and magnitude of this natural wonder, he will be returning to Palau next April to witness once again the spectacular snapper party. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Eviction attempt, Ganesh H Shankar, INDIA Winner, Birds These Indian rose-ringed parakeets were not happy. They had returned to their roosting and nesting hole high up in a tree in Indias Keoladeo National Park (also known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) to find that a Bengal monitor lizard had taken up residence. They would then harass it when it tried to come out to bask. This went on for two days. But the action only lasted a couple of seconds at a time and was fast-moving. These Indian birds are highly adaptable, and escaped captive parakeets have founded populations in many countries. In Europe, where they are known as ring-necked parakeets, they are accused of competing for nest holes with some native species, such as nuthatches, and even bats, but in turn, other birds such as starlings are quite capable of evicting the parakeets from their nest holes. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The moon and the crow, Gideon Knight, UK Winner, Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 A crow in a tree in a park: a common enough scene. It was one that Gideon had seen many times near his home in Londons Valentines Park, which he visits regularly to take photographs. Positioning himself on a slope opposite, he tried to capture the perfect composition. But the crow kept moving along the branch and turning its head away, and so getting a silhouette of it with the moon in the frame meant Gideon had to keep moving, too. Then, just as the light was about to fade beyond the point that photography was possible, his wish came true, and an ordinary London scene turned into something magical. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Requiem for an owl, Mats Andersson, SWEDEN Winner, Black and White Every day in early spring, Mats walked in the forest near his home in Bashult, southern Sweden, enjoying the company of a pair of Eurasian pygmy owls  until the night he found one of them lying dead on the forest floor. Pygmy owls, with their distinctive rounded heads and lack of ear tufts, are the smallest owls in Europe, barely 19 centimetres (7 inches) long, though with large feet that enable them to carry prey almost as big as themselves. He found this owl dead, too, and suspects that it and its mate may have been killed by one of the larger owls in the forest, not for food but because, in the breeding season, it didnt tolerate other birds of prey in its territory. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 The pangolin pit, Paul Hilton, UK/AUSTRALIA Winner, The Wildlife Photojournalist Award: Single image Nothing prepared Paul for what he saw: some 4,000 defrosting pangolins (5 tons) from one of the largest seizures of the animals on record. These Asian victims, mostly Sunda pangolins, were part of a huge seizure  a joint operation between Indonesias police and the World Conservation Society  found hidden in a shipping container behind a facade of frozen fish, ready for export from the major port of Belawan in Sumatra. The dead pangolins were driven to a specially dug pit and then incinerated. The live ones were taken north and released in the rainforest. Wildlife crime is big business, says Paul. It will stop only when the demand stops. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Wind composition, Valter Binotto, ITALY Winner, Plants and Fungi With every gust of wind, showers of pollen were released, lit up by the winter sunshine. The hazel tree was near Valters home in northern Italy, and to create the dark background, he positioned himself to backlight the flowers. Hazel has both male and female flowers on the same tree, though the pollen must be transferred between trees for fertilization. And now recent research suggests that bees may also play a role. The catkins are an important source of pollen for early bees and have a beefriendly structure, while the red colour of the female flowers may entice insects to land on them. The hardest part was capturing the female flowers motionless while the catkins were moving, explains Valter. I searched for flowers on a short branch that was more stable. Using a long exposure to capture the pollens flight and a reflector to highlight the catkins, he took many pictures before the wind finally delivered the composition he had in mind. The 10 winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Entwined lives, Tim Laman, USA Winner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 A young male orangutan makes the 30-metre (100-foot) climb up the thickest root of the strangler fig that has entwined itself around a tree emerging high above the canopy. The backdrop is the rich rainforest of the Gunung Palung National Park, in West Kalimantan, one of the few protected orangutan strongholds in Indonesian Borneo. He had to do three days of climbing up and down himself, by rope, to place in position several GoPro cameras that he could trigger remotely to give him a chance of not only a wide angle view of the forest below but also a view of the orangutans face from above. This shot was the one he had long visualized, looking down on the orangutan within its forest home.

The enigmatic and highly intelligent pangolin is considered a delicacy in parts of Asia. Its scales are also used in traditional Chinese medicine because practitioners believe they can treat conditions like inward-growing eyelashes, boils and poor circulation.

But experts have denounced the "intolerable" trade for its "pharmaceutical pointlessness".

Also known as scaly anteaters because of their appearance, long tongues and favourite snacks, pangolins are mammals that inhabit tropical forests, dry woodlands and the savannah.

There are eight species still in existence found in India, China, south-east Asia and parts of Africa.

Pangolins are so unique they have a mammal order to themselves, Pholidota. Despite frequent comparisons to anteaters and armadillos, they have nothing taxonomically in common.

About the size of a small cat, they are completely covered with scales made of keratin, also found in human nails.

Pangolin are the world's most-trafficked animals. People who catch, kill, buy or sell them can face more than 10 years in prison plus fines, Xinhua said.

Demand has seen prices rocket from 8.50 for a kilogramme of scales in the 1990s to more than 360 today.

The increasingly lucrative trade is driving poachers to capitalise by snaring the creatures in forests and sometimes feeding them gravel to increase their weight and value.

The Smithsonian Institution magazine named believers in traditional Chinese medicine as the driving force behind trade in rhino horn, tiger bone, turtles, shark fins and bear bile.
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A Chinese activist has said he did attempt suicide as authorities claimed and instead was beaten at a detention centre.

Xing Wangli woke up from a coma after his skull was smashed at a detention centre in August.

The detention centre, in Xi county, Henan province, said Mr Xing had attempted to hang himself with a rope made of cardboard. They said he hit his head when another prisoner rescued him.

However, Mr Xing's wife told Radio Free Asia he fell unconscious after he was beaten at the detention centre, the Hong Kong Free Press reports.

 China wants to rate its citizens

They said he tried to commit suicide by hanging  its impossible", she said. "He said he was beaten."

Mr Xing underwent surgery to repair his skull last Monday, then was taken back to a detention centre in Xi county on the same day, his son, who fled to Thailand after his father's arrest, said.

He was detained in May, 2015, after he called attention to the suspicious death of an activist.

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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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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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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He was sentenced to four and a half years for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" in August and allegedly attempted to kill himself the next day.

But his family rejected police statements at the time and said their request to see surveillance footage was denied.

After they spoke to the media about Mr Xing's condition, his wife, mother and brother were reportedly put under surveillance.
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At least 10 people have died and more are feared trapped after a coal mine partially collapsed in eastern India.

Part of the open cast coal mine in Jharkhand state fell in late on Thursday but heavy smog prevented rescue workers from entering the facility until early on Friday morning.

Estimates varied on the number of people still buried under the dirt. Officials said 13 people were missing but other reports indicated that as many as 50 people could be trapped.

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Photographs from the scene also showed industrial vehicles overturned and buried.

Five teams of emergency workers from the National Disaster Response Force were dispatched to the site to help with the rescue effort.

According to local media, a slag heap collapsed and blocked the mines entrance.

Miners, thought to be mostly from the neighbouring Bihar state, were working more than 60 metres underground, the Times of India reported.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside.

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. 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He added that local officials were working to restore normalcy and that he had been in contact with the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Raghubar Das, about the incident.

Mr Das announced on social media that the injured and familes of the deceased would receive compensation. He added: God give strength to the families of the dead to endure the suffering.

He visited the site and said those responsible for the disaster would be punished.

The coal mine is owned by the state government but is leased to a private contractor.

Jharkhand is one of India's poorest states but is rich in mineral resources. It has the third-highest coal deposits of India's 29 states and the country's highest deposits of iron ore.

Mining and related industries are the state's economic backbone.
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More than a dozen Nobel laureates have criticised Burmas de facto leader and fellow peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi for not doing enough to curb the ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity against minority Rohingya Muslims in the country.

An open letter to the UN Security Council, signed by 23 peace laureates, leaders and activists, warns the offensive has killed hundreds of Rohingya people and condemns Burmese State Counsellor Ms Suu Kyi for not taking any initiative to ensure full and equal citizenship rights of the Rohingyas.

It cautions that the situation has hallmarks of recent past tragedies - Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, Kosovo.

The letter, of which the signatories include Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Malala Yousafzai, was delivered as Bangladesh announced around 50,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled the violence across its border.

Access for humanitarian aid organisations has been almost completely denied, creating an appalling humanitarian crisis in an area already extremely poor," it states.

Thousands have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, only to be sent back. Some international experts have warned of the potential for genocide. It has all the hallmarks of recent past tragedies - Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, Kosovo.

It quotes one Rohingya woman describing how her sons were arbitrarily arrested, recalling how they had their hands tied behind their backs and were beaten badly for around 30 minutes, before adding that she had not seen them since.

It condemns Ms Suu Kyi, who was awarded the 1991 Nobel peace prize and won Burmese elections to become State Counsellor last November, for not taking action to ensure Rohingyas equal rights.

Despite repeated appeals to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, we are frustrated that she has not taken any initiative to ensure full and equal citizenship rights of the Rohingyas, it states.

Daw Suu Kyi is the leader and is the one with the primary responsibility to lead, and lead with courage, humanity and compassion.

In November, Ms Suu Kyi refused to address accusations Rohingya Muslims in her country may be the victims of crimes against humanity, and while she vowed to work towards peace and national reconciliation, she gave no specific details on how her government intends to resolve the violence faced by the long-persecuted Muslim minority.

The letter goes on to urge the UN to do more to allow for aid to get into the country, as well as journalists and human rights observers. We urge the United Nations to do everything possible to encourage the government of Myanmar to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid, so that people receive emergency assistance, it states.

Access for journalists and human rights monitors should also be permitted, and an independent, international inquiry to establish the truth about the current situation should be established.

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. 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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. 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 letter urges for the members of UN Security Council to put this crisis on the Security Councils agenda as a matter of urgency and to call on the Secretary-General to visit Burma as a priority.

It is time for the international community as a whole to speak out much more strongly. After Rwanda, world leaders said never again, it concludes.

If we fail to take action, people may starve to death if they are not killed with bullets, and we may end up being the passive observers of crimes against humanity which will lead us once again to wring our hands belatedly and say never again all over again.

Other signatories include former prime minister of Italy Romano Prodi and British business leader Sir Richard Branson, as well as Nobel peace laureates Jose Ramos-Horta, the former president of East Timor and Yemeni opposition activist Tawakkol Karman.

It comes several weeks after Amnesty International said it has documented the militarys vicious and disproportionate security campaign in northern Rakhine state over the past two months, reporting that Burmese security forces have killed, raped and burned down the houses of entire villages.

The rights group accused Ms Suu Kyi, of failing to live up to both her political and moral responsibility  an accusation that was met with blanket denials of human rights violations from Burmese authorities.

The Rohingya are a minority of about a million people who, despite having lived in the country for generations, are treated as illegal immigrants and denied citizenship, and are consequently 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, where they are denied healthcare and education, and their movements are heavily restricted.

The recent bloodshed is the most deadly since hundreds were killed in clashes in 2012 and more than 100,000 were forced into squalid camps.

On Tuesday it was reported that the body of a decapitated Rohingya Muslim man was found in a river in in Burma just days after he spoke to journalists  a discovery that renewed international criticism that Ms Suu Kyi has done too little to help the Rohingya.

In 1982, Rohingyas rights to citizenship were removed, and they were rendered stateless, despite living in the country for generations.

Their plight intensified dramatically with the severe outbreaks of violence in 2012, which resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands and a new apartheid between Rohingya Muslims and their Rakhine Buddhist neighbours.
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Hundreds of mourners have gathered to attend the funeral of a Polish lorry driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack.

Lukasz Urban, 37, has been described as the first victim of the attack on December 19 that killed a total of 12 people and injured at least 50.

He was waiting to deliver a shipment of steel in Berlin when his vehicle was hijacked by 24-year-old Tunisian national Anis Amri.

Recommended Man arrested in connection with the Berlin lorry attack

Mr Urban was shot and his body was found in the cab of the lorry.

There was initial speculation that Mr Urban had fought Amri seconds before his vehicle drove into the crowd, but this has since been disproved following a postmortem examination confirming the Polish driver had been shot several hours before.

Polish President Andrzej Duda joined Mr Urban's family, friends and neighbours, gathering with them in the village church in Banie, near the Polish-German border.

The wife of Lukasz Urban, the Polish lorry driver who was killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack, during his funeral in Banie, Poland, on 30 December (AFP/Getty Images)

A day earlier, the president's spokesman said Mr Duda would attend the funeral to express his huge respect for Lukasz Urban, who in the eyes of many Poles is definitely a hero, a courageous person.

Several other Polish political officials and a representative of the German Embassy in Poland were also in attendance.

A letter from Prime Minister Beata Szydlo was read out in which she described her great pain and sadness and expressed her sympathy to Mr Urban's family.

 Berlin's Muslim community sends message of peace and solidarity after Christmas market attack

Poles have fallen victim to terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic fundamentalists but the tragedy that happened in Berlin is unique when it comes to the ruthlessness and cruelty of the perpetrator, Ms Szydlo said.

A donation page set up for the family of Mr Urban by a British lorry driver raised some 45,000 in its first day and has since surpassed 178,000.

At Mr Urbans funeral service, bishop Henryk Wejman described him as a man who was conscientious in his work.

His willingness to work and serve others awakened the trust of other people and openness to others, he said in his homily.

As the Mass was winding down, the president bowed his head before Mr Urban's coffin before approaching his wife and teenage son, whispering to them, shaking their hands and kissing the wife's hand.

The coffin was then carried out of the church and placed in a hearse, which drove slowly through the village to a cemetery for burial, mourners walking with it.

Before and after the burial, a group of lorry drivers honked the horns of their trucks to honour Mr Urban.

Additional reporting by AP
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Russia's foreign minister has called on Vladimir Putin to expel 35 American diplomats in retaliation against new US sanctions over alleged interference in the presidential election.

Sergei Lavrov proposed the President expels 31 staff members from the US Embassy in Moscow and four more from the consulate in St Petersburg.

We, of course, cannot leave these tricks unanswered, he said.Reciprocity is the law of diplomacy and foreign relations.

 Barack Obama: US will act on election hacking by Russia

Barack Obama gave 35 Russian intelligence operatives 72 hours to leave the country with their families on Thursday.

The President also announced the closure of two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York and sanctions against Russian intelligence agencies and supporting companies.

Recommended Russia threatens to throw out US diplomats in retaliation

The moves were a response to Russia's alleged interference in the US elections. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in cyber attacks believed to have benefited Donald Trump, with Mr Lavrov calling the allegations groundless" on Friday.

He said the Obama administration was "accusing Russia all mortal sins, trying to blame us for the failure of its foreign policy initiatives".

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, Mr Obama said, claiming the extent of data theft and cyber attacks uncovered could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government.

In addition to expelling the 35 intelligence operatives, the President announced sanctions against Russias FSB and GRU intelligence agencies, four GRU officers and three companies supporting its cyber operations.

Two other Russians have been blacklisted by the Treasury for using cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information and the State Department is shutting down two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York.

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Mr Obama said the actions were a response to the Russian governments aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election and followed repeated public and private warnings to the Kremlin.

These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russias aggressive activities, he added.

We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised.

Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian Prime Minister, said Mr Obama was ending his term in the grip of anti-Russia agony.

It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia agony. RIP, he said in a statement.

Mr Putins spokesman accused the outgoing US administration of harming Russian-American ties and dealing a blow on the foreign policy plans of the incoming administration of the President-elect.

There has been speculation that Donald Trump will seek to reverse Mr Obama's executive orders (Sean Gallup/Getty)

Mr Obama imposed the sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's alleged hacking of American political sites and email accounts ahead of the November election.

US intelligence agencies believe that Moscow was behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails that were then passed to Wikileaks.

Though the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint report on Russian malicious cyber activity with examples of malware code used by the Russians, it still has not released a broader report promised by the President.

Mr Trump has repeatedly dismissed allegations from the CIA and other intelligence agencies that the Kremlin was behind the cyber attacks and said he would soon be meeting with security officials.

During the election campaign, he vowed to cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama on his first day in office, without saying who would determine their constitutionality.

A senior official admitted the President-elect could reverse the expulsions once he takes office on 20 January and allow the Russian intelligence officials back into the US.
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Moscow immediately threatened to retaliate to Americas announcement that it was expelling 35 Russian diplomats - saying the USs actions were the death throes of political corpses.

In a development that plunged relations between Russia and the US to a level not seen since the Cold War, President Barack Obama on Thursday gave the diplomats 72 hours to leave and said he was sanctioning Russian intelligence officials believed to be involved in hacking the Democratic Party during the election. US intelligence has said it believes the hacking was designed to benefit Donald Trump.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, Mr Obama said, claiming the extent of data theft and cyber attacks uncovered could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government.

 President Obama vows to take action against alleged Russian hacking of election

In addition to expelling the 35 intelligence operatives, the President announced Russias FSB and GRU intelligence agencies, four GRU officers and three companies supporting its cyber operations.

Recommended Vladimir Putin rejects allegations over US election cyber attacks

Two other Russians have been blacklisted by the Treasury for using cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information and the State Department is shutting down two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York.

Mr Obama said the actions were a response to the Russian governments aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election and followed repeated public and private warnings to the Kremlin.

These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russias aggressive activities, he added.

We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised.

The US leader reportedly told Mr Putin to 'cut it out' when he confronted him about the hacking (AP)

Within minutes of the announcement, Russia indicated that it was likely to reciprocate. President Vladimir Putins spokesman said Moscow regretted the sanctions and was considering retaliatory steps.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters America's move signalled Mr Obama's unpredictable and aggressive foreign policy.

Such steps of the US administration that has three weeks left to work are aimed at two things: to further harm Russian-American ties, which are at a low point as it is, as well as, obviously, deal a blow on the foreign policy plans of the incoming administration of the President-elect, he said.

Konstantin Kosachyov, a chairman of the international affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, condemned the move and suggested there would be a fast response. He said the USs actions were the death throes of political corpses.

He also said that Russia was waiting to see what Mr Trump had to say about the steps of the Obama administration and needed to consider the circumstances of the transition period and a possible reaction of the US President-elect.

Konstantin Dolgov, Russian Foreign Ministry Commissioner for Human rights, told Interfax that Washingtons actions were counterproductive and are intended to cause harm in the future, including the process of restoring bilateral relations.

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in London tweeted a picture of duckling, with the caption LAME, writing: President Obama expels 35 Russian diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl the US people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless administration.

Mr Obama on imposed the sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's hacking of American political sites and email accounts ahead of the November election. US intelligence believes that Moscow was behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails that were then passed to Wikileaks.

At least some intelligence officials believe the hacks were carried out to try and benefit the electoral fortunes of Mr Trump, who has frequently praised the leadership of Mr Putin and vowed to reset the strategic and political relationship between the two countries.

Mr Putins spokesman, Mr Peskov, insisted that Russia was not involved in the hacking. He also said that Mr Putin had yet to study what the new sanctions involve and work out what retaliatory steps could be taken.

We will certainly response adequatelyand it will be determined in line with decisions adopted by the Russian President, he told reporters, calling the sanctions unpredictable and aggressive.
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The Russian embassy has mocked Britain over its silence the Syria ceasefire deal, by suggesting it is either jealous, "on holiday" or in a state of disbelief.

In a poll on Twitter, the embassy asked why there had been no public reaction from the UK to the truce between Russia, Turkey and Iran, which took effect at midnight local time on Thursday.

The poll asks: "No UK reaction to historic Russia-Turkey-Iran brokered all-Syria truce. Why?"

It then gives Twitter users three options for an answer: Jealousy, FCO on holiday or Cant believe.

The poll currently shows jealously as the most popular choice with 50 per cent of the vote, with FCO on holiday in second place with 28 per cent and Cant believe in third with 21 per cent.

The tweet mocking the British government comes a week after the former British Ambassador to Syria accused the Foreign Office of lying over the countrys civil war, and saying British policy there has made the situation worse.

Peter Ford said the Whitehall department led by Boris Johnson and Philip Hammond before him had gotten Syria wrong every step of the way, and was falsely claiming Syrian President ashar al-Assad could not control the country when he is well on the way to doing so.

The new Syria ceasefire agreement between government forces and rebels in the country was brokered by Turkey and Russia on Wednesday, and has so far held since it despite isolated clashes and minor violations.

As well as having the backing of Russia, Syria's chief ally, and Turkey, which has been supporting the rebels, the agreement has also been praised by Iran, another of the Syrian regime's strongest backers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if the ceasefire holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country's mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks in Kazakhstan next month.

The US has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due to attend the next round of peace talks in Kazakhstan, although Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has said President-elect Donald Trump's administration would be welcome to join the peace process once he takes office.

Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Show all 12 1 /12 Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man crosses a street in Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A vendor sits inside an antique shop in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors walk inside Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk inside the Khan al-Shounah market, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man walks past shops in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk along an alley in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors tour Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A general view shows the Old City of Aleppo as seen from Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk near Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower, Syria October 6, 2010 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man stands inside Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters

Several previous ceasefires in the Syrian civil war have collapsed.

The country's civil war, which began when a peaceful uprising descended into violence in 2011, has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths and displaced half the country's population.

It has also produced more than four million refugees, many of whom have fled fled into Europe, fuelling anti-immigration sentiment and fears over terrorism that are reshaping the continent's political landscape.
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A Saudi man has been jailed for a year after he called for an end to the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom's male guardianship system.

The unnamed man was also fined 30,000 riyals (6,500) after being convicted of "inciting to end guardianship of women", the daily Okaz newspaper reported.

He was arrested while putting up posters inside mosques which called for the government to abolish strict rules giving men control over women.

The man admitted to pinning up posters in several mosques and said he solely launched an "awareness campaign" after finding some "female relatives were facing injustice at the hands of their families," the daily newspaper said, according to the AFP news agency.

 Thousands of people share cartoon showing how ridiculous Saudi laws are for women

Saudi law states that all women must have a male guardian, typically a husband, father or brother, who gives them permission to study, travel abroad or marry.

A Human Rights Watch report on male guardianship, published in July, found "a woman's life is controlled by a man from birth until death" in Saudi Arabia, as their ability to pursue a career or make life decisions is restricted.

Despite limited reforms in 2009 and 2013 to reduce male control over women, which included no longer requiring permission for women to work and making domestic abuse illegal, the report found the system remains largely in place.

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

The report led to a social media campaign, with women across Saudi Arabia calling for an end to the guardianship system.

Others took to Twitter, using the hashtag #TogetherToEndMaleGuardianship and an Arabic translation, to show their support and demand social reform.

The court claimed the defendant had launched the Twitter campaign.

In September, more than 14,500 women signed a petition calling for an end to the system and leading women's rights campaigner Aziza al-Yousef delivered the petition to the royal court.
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Syrian government forces and their allies have clashed with rebels near Damascus, using helicopter gunships in the latest violence to disrupt a nationwide ceasefire that otherwise appears to be holding, monitors said.

The warring sides clashed in a rebel-held valley North-west of Damascus, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A rebel official also reported clashes in the area, where the Syrian army began an offensive last week to recapture the area which provides most of Damascus's water supplies.

If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country's mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks in Kazakhstan next month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said as he announced the agreement.

He described it, however, as "quite fragile" and requiring "special attention and patience".

 Vladimir Putin announces ceasefire agreement in Syria

The truce has the backing of both Russia, Syria's chief ally, and Turkey, which has been supporting the rebels. The agreement has also been praised by Iran, another of the Syrian regime's strongest backers.

The several previous ceasefires in the Syrian civil war all collapsed, some of them in a matter of days.

Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of have immediately either confirmed or denied signing it.

The latest agreement, like previous ones, does not include extremist factions such as Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra (recently rebranded to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in an effort to distance the group from al-Qaida).

Russia has circulated a proposed resolution at the UN Security Council that would endorse the ceasefire, the country's ambassador to the United Nations said.

Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters before a Security Council meeting that he hoped the council would vote on the resolution on Saturday.

Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem welcomed the ceasefire agreement and said there was a "real chance" for a political settlement.

In comments made to Syrian TV, he said the Syrian government would attend the peace talks "with an open mind", but suggested it would not be willing to compromise on the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Mr Assad's remaining in power has been a major sticking point in the crisis.

"Everything is negotiable except national sovereignty and the people's right to choose its leadership," Mr al-Moallem said.

Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Show all 12 1 /12 Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man crosses a street in Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A vendor sits inside an antique shop in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors walk inside Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk inside the Khan al-Shounah market, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man walks past shops in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk along an alley in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors tour Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A general view shows the Old City of Aleppo as seen from Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk near Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower, Syria October 6, 2010 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man stands inside Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters

The Syrian government will be negotiating from a strong position, after its army and their allies, supported by Russian air power, defeated rebels in their last major urban stronghold of Aleppo earlier this month.

Moscow's air campaign, since September last year, has turned the civil war in Mr Assad's favour.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said the truce would include 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria and that the Russian military had established a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to monitor compliance.

The United States has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due to attend the next round of peace talks in Kazakhstan.

Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said US President-elect Donald Trump's administration would be welcome to join the peace process once he took office.

Mr Putin said he ordered the Russian military to scale back its presence in Syria, where it has provided crucial support to Mr Assad's forces.

He did not say how many troops and weapons would be withdrawn, but said Russia would continue "fighting international terrorism in Syria" and supporting the Syrian military.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, welcomed the ceasefire announcement, saying he hoped the agreement would save civilian lives, allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and pave the way for productive peace talks.

Syria's civil war, which began when a peaceful uprising descended into violence in 2011, has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths and displaced half the country's population.

It has also produced more than four million refugees, many of whom have fled fled into Europe, fuelling anti-immigration sentiment and fears over terrorism that are reshaping the continent's political landscape.

Additional reporting by agencies
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The US military has said coalition forces may have killed a number of civilians after striking a van in a hospital compound in Mosul while targeting Isis fighters.

In a statement, the Pentagon said that a coalition airstrike hit a vehicle believed to be carrying Isis fighters.

The van was struck in what was later determined to be a hospital compound parking lot resulting in possible civilian casualties, it said, citing the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.

 Mosul father calls for help to adopt his child

It said it took all reports of civilian casualties seriously and would carry out a probe.

The strike comes more than two months after Iraqi operations to free Mosul began. Coalition air support has been a major asset that has enabled Iraqi advances on the ground.

The Associated Press said that on Thursday, Iraqi security forces began the second phase of their offensive against Isis fighters in the the city, pushing from three directions into eastern districts where the battle has been deadlocked for nearly a month.

Since the offensive to capture Mosul began 10 weeks ago, US-backed forces have retaken a quarter of the extremists last major stronghold in Iraq in the biggest ground operation there since the 2003 US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.


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Washington has hit back at Theresa Mays criticism of John Kerry's condemnation of Israel, expressing surprise at the UKs response as it was at odds with their vote in favour of a UN declaration condemning increased settlement activity in the occupied territories.

Theresa May had distanced herself from Mr Kerry's comments in a move which has been interpreted as a sop to the incoming Trump administration.

Mr Kerry attacked the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the most right-wing coalition in Israeli history and warned that the increased building of settlements in the West Bank means the status quo is leading towards one state and perpetual occupation.

A No 10 spokesman said the Prime Minister did not think it was appropriate to focus solely on the issue of the settlements or use such strong words against a foreign government.

He said: We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally.

The Government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community.

But the US hit back with a statement: We are surprised by the UK Prime Ministers office statement given that Secretary Kerrys remarks  which covered the full range of threats to a two state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlements  were in-line with the UKs own longstanding policy and its vote at the United Nations last week.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

We are grateful for the strongly supportive statements in response to Secretary Kerrys speech from across the world, including Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others.

Mr Kerry accused the Israeli government of undermining attempts to produce a two-state solution and bring about a solution to the conflict, which has plagued the region for half a century.

Earlier this week, the UK backed a UN resolution condemning the continued expansion of the settlements while the US took the unusual step of abstaining rather than using its veto.

The move is seen as an attempt to reign in Israels settlement activity, which has increased in recent years, before the arrival of the Trump administration, which has vowed to protect and reinforce Israels interests.

Donald Trump has indicated that he may move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in what could be interpreted as unofficial recognition of Israels claim that the city is their capital.

In contrast, the Palestinians say East Jerusalem, which was captured along with the West Bank back in the 1960s, is part of territory they would want for a possible future state.

Washington has previously followed the international line that the citys status should be determined at peace talks.

Additional reporting by agencies
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There's so much to love about the tiny Belgian city of Ghent, but if you don't want to get stuck in tourist-trap restaurants or overpriced gift shops, you need to know where to go. So we've gathered a few tips from locals.

Sweet treats

Galerie Ganache combines two great elements: Belgian chocolate and art. With interesting works displayed on the walls, and delicacate confections on your plate, what more could you want?

Galerie Ganache (Galerie Ganache/Facebook)

For more local delicacies, check out Confiserie Temmerman, where you'll find there's much more to Belgian food than moules frites. Try the cuberdons, also known as Ghent noses - raspberry-flavoured sweets made of acacia gum.

Culture fix

When walking around Ghent, local Bennie recommends downloading the Concrete Canvas Tour Map which highlights 85 eye-catching works of graffiti. One of the spots on the map is the Grindbakken, old pits where sand and gravel was transported from ships into trucks. These have now been transformed into a multi-purpose space where you can check out the art or just hang out. This is one of the city's spots where graffiti is legal; artists can use the white walls as their canvas.

Grindbakken (Bennie de Meulemeester)

"If you havent been to this museum, you havent been to Ghent," says local Nick. Which museum is he talking about? That would be STAM, the Ghent City Museum, where you can get an overview of the rich history of Ghent. You can even do your own investigation into the stolen pieces of the famous Ghent Altarpiece. Some historians say this artwork has been stolen more times than any other relic; two-thirds of the 12-panel alterpiece are now back where theybelong, in St Bavo Cathedral, while the rest is undergoing restoration at MSK (the Museum of Fine Arts) where you can see the restorers at work.

Shopping

If it's a gift you're after, even if it's just a gift for yourself, Piet Moodshop and Mus in een Plas ("Sparrow in a Puddle") are great contenders. Both are stacked with stylish home accessories, shown off in equally attractive interiors.

Mus in enn Plas (Tahnee Naesen)

Spotted by Locals is a series of apps and blogs available on iPhone and Android devices with up-to-date tips by locals in 60+ cities in Europe and North America
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When Anis Amri drove a hijacked lorry into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring dozens more, emotions ran high. It was the week before the festivities, in the heart of Berlin, and the Christmas markets occupy a particular place in German hearts. The sense of violation and the outraged sympathy for the victims were both profound.

But what of the political fallout? With a general election next autumn, Angela Merkel committed to seeking a fourth term and her time as Chancellor so closely identified with Germanys asylum policy, surely anything that so much as hints at a connection between the countrys generosity to new arrivals and an increased threat to its citizens is bound to spell electoral danger. At least, this was the immediate gut reaction  and mine, too. But it was quickly tempered.

Merkel herself showed characteristic calm and restraint in the wake of the attack. She refused to be hurried, addressing the nation only the next day. It was with sorrow rather than anger that she broached the possibility that the perpetrator had abused German hospitality, and she thanked all her many compatriots who had been helping with the reception of refugees.

Germans, by and large, have taken their cue from her. A subsequent survey, commissioned by Stern magazine, found that only 28 per cent of those asked agreed that Germanys asylum policy contributed to the Berlin attack, while 68 per cent saw no link at all with asylum policy. It is good news for Merkel and suggests that her chances of leading the centre-right CDU/CSU alliance back into government have barely been troubled, let alone scuppered, by what happened in Berlin. Not only that, but the same survey showed the CDU/CSU gaining two points in the polls, as more trusted on security matters.

 Angela Merkel reacts to shooting of Berlin market attack suspect

Yet I wonder whether this is all quite as it seems  and, specifically, whether Merkel is quite as certain to gain a fourth term as is assumed.

Take that latest Stern poll. It looks reassuring, but if you were a German, and asked that question about asylum policy and the Berlin atrocity, how would you have answered? You know what is expected of a good modern German; you know that it is wrong to generalise from the particular. You know that all faiths deserve respect and that Islam is a peaceful religion. You know that the vast majority of asylum-seekers are desperate for a place of safety and you were proud of your countrys response to their need.

But how deep do these attitudes run? When you see so many recent arrivals with little prospect of work and hear of the difficulties already besetting integration programmes, how will you vote in the secrecy of the polling booth? It wasnt Stefan or Manfred who commandeered that lorry, and then drove it into the market beside Berlins Memorial Church. It was a failed Tunisian asylum-seeker who left a video in which he pledged allegiance to Isis. The least that can be said of the Berlin attack is that it was a one-off act, committed by a lone criminal with a cause.

Nor is the public mood the only reason why the Chancellor might be less secure than she seems. As Merkel herself has admitted, the Berlin attack raises some serious questions about German security. Amri had been under surveillance, but his tracks were lost. He was free to launch his attack because, it appears, although he had been refused asylum in Germany, the deportation papers were not ready. He was then able to leave Berlin and reach Italy undetected. With an investigation now in train and Merkel herself the author of German asylum policy, the buck could ultimately stop with her.

A forceful consensus maintains that she would be safe in her job even then, for the simple reason that there is no one else to seriously challenge her. In party political terms that is true; whatever happens in September, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) is not going to top the poll and if security is a central issue then Merkels centre-right CDU/CSU alliance will always be preferred to the centre and further left.

On the personal front, however, the same argument fails to convince. Seen from abroad, including from the UK, Merkel might look even less open to challenge than she does from within Germany. She is the linchpin of Europe, the admirably consistent proponent of European values, the indispensable leader. But since when has the lack of a plausible alternative prevented the removal of a leader who is thought to have become an electoral liability? Think Margaret Thatcher. Think Tony Blair.

Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Show all 18 1 /18 Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Several people have been killed after a lorry drove into crowds at a Christmas market in Berlin REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Berlin Christmas market lorry attack 'At least nine' people have been killed and more than 50 injured. AP Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Emergency Services rush a Berlin market victim to an ambulance Associated Press Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Police cordoned off the square at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church following the incident REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Rescue workers inspect the lorry that crashed into a Christmas market close to the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church in Berlin EPA Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Emergency crews inspect the lorry that ploughed into a Berlin Christmas market, killing at least nine people AFP Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Fire crews attend the scene of the attack AFP/Getty Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Armed police secure the site of a lorry attack at a Christmas market in Berlin REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Crushed debris is visible beneath the wheels of the vehicle REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack An injured man is pushed to an ambulance REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Medics attend an injured person after the lorry attack which killed at least nine and injured more than 50 people AFP/Getty Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Firefighters examine the lorry which was rammed into a Berlin Christmas market REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack A person is carried into an ambulance REUTERS Berlin Christmas market lorry attack View of the lorry that crashed into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing at least nine and injuring at least 50 people AFP/Getty Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Rescue workers push a person on a stretcher to an ambulance Getty Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Firefighters assess the damage after the lorry rammed the Christmas market, killing 'at least nine', and injuring more than 50 people AP Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Firefighters stand beside a toppled Christmas tree at the site of the suspected terrorist attack in a Berlin Christmas market AP Berlin Christmas market lorry attack Damaged stalls at the scene of the incident at a Berlin Christmas market where at least nine people have been killed EPA

Merkel herself was a little-known politician from the East  certainly not someone seen as destined for great heights  when she brought the downfall of Helmut Kohl, the great patriarch of the CDU who had presided over reunification. There will be those in the wings, watching and waiting. If this Chancellor is at risk, the greatest threat will come from within.

Internal pressure has already forced restrictions on her open-door policy. She has curbed the rights of some refugees to permanent residence and tried to increase deportations. She has announced a largely symbolic ban on the full-face veil in some public places. The real crunch will come if a sufficient number of party dignitaries loses confidence in her ability to lead and demand concessions she feels unable to make.

This New Years Eve will be the next big test  less for the countrys security against terrorist attack, though that too  but to ensure there is no repetition of what happened last year. You can bet your last euro that German police will be out in force and that everything will be done to ensure that everyone, but especially women, feel safe on city streets.

If New Year passes without untoward incidents, Merkel has a chance, but only a chance, of remaining Chancellor through the next election. But the possible departure of Merkel, and where Europe goes from there, could be two of the biggest questions of 2017.
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Is the new Cold War postponed? The expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the closure of two intelligence-gathering operations in Maryland and New York by President Obama followed allegations that Russia had hacked into emails of prominent Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, during the election campaign. The conventional response to this, familiar during the days of the Cold War, would have been a tit-for-tat expulsion by Russia of a similar number of US diplomats posted there. This was indeed the request of the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. His ministry asked for President Putins approval to expel 31 diplomats from the US embassy in Moscow and a further four from the consulate in St Petersburg. But President Putin turned it down.

The new unfriendly measures by the US administration are regarded as provocative, designed to further undermine relations, Mr Putin said. But he added: We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone.

This is the clearest signal yet that Russia is seeking a reset of its relations with the United States, a sign that it is seeking a rapprochement with the new, inexperienced  but evidently friendly to Russia  President Trump. There are rational reasons why it should want to do so. Western sanctions have undoubtedly damaged the Russian economy, which barely grew in 2014, shrank sharply in 2015 and almost certainly fell further this year. The fall in oil and gas prices will have played a large part in this contraction, but the measures agreed by the G7 countries in 2014, following the annexation of the Crimea and the incursions into eastern Ukraine, have made recovery much more difficult. These existing sanctions were extended earlier this month by both the EU and Japan, and have now been reinforced by further measures by the US.

 Former ambassador to Russia: Putin wanted 'revenge' against Clinton

If President Putins response simply showed a desire to have better relations with the West in general  a lets-kiss-and-make-up gesture  it would be welcome. Russia has become an increasingly difficult and devious player on the world stage, and some of its actions, notably in the Middle East, have been disgraceful. But there is a disturbing subtext: that Russia is determined to attempt to prise apart the long-standing partnership between Europe and the US. And there is now a very good opportunity to do so.

Europe is distracted by internal tensions over the euro and migration, by Brexit of course, by a series of elections in three major countries  the Netherlands, France, and Germany  and by the probability of elections in a fourth, Italy. Even more important, the new US President has signalled in a number of ways that he will seek better relations with Russia, even at the expense of its continuing military support for Europe. These include suggestions that if the US is to continue its role in Nato, the EU nations will have to increase their defence spending.

Recommended Theresa May cannot pick and choose on human rights

The President-elects nomination of Rex Tillerson, chief executive of ExxonMobil, as Secretary of State, will if confirmed mean that Mr Putin has someone whom he knows well, and has personally awarded the Russian Order of Friendship, in charge of US foreign policy. As for his own business interests, he signed an agreement last summer (just one, it should be said, of several attempts to do so) to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

What we are seeing now is a classic test of what the new US administration will do next. Mr Putin wants to see how resolute Mr Trump will be in supporting the defence of Europe, but also how accommodative American foreign policy will respond to Russias other geopolitical interests. A return to the Cold War would prove counter-productive for a host of reasons. Mr Trump should be prepared to dine with Mr Putin. But he should sup with a long spoon.
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Christmas may be over, but for Jews celebrating the festival of Hanukkah festivities still are in full swing. Though the story of the Maccabees fighting their oppressors took place thousands of years ago, disputes over who should control swathes of land in Israel and Palestine are pressing and pertinent to this day.

Following last weeks United Nations Resolution 2334, which describes Israels settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians, the Israeli government has made its position clear: settlements in the occupied territories will continue growing, and any states who criticise this are making a declaration of war against Israel. Ambassadors have been recalled; meetings with leaders have been cancelled; Israeli aid to Senegal has been stopped.

This latest resolution isnt much of a development in the history of the region. Back in 1967, Resolution 242 was passed by the UN Security Council calling on Israel to withdraw its military from the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights. But after years of inaction from many of the worlds most powerful nations, the significance of this latest warning to Netanyahus government cant be underestimated.

Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Show all 12 1 /12 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The fire in my heart is beyond my ribs. You left me beloved - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Let me get enough of you, as Im still hungry for your smile my son - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict They besiege me in my homeland so I flew to heaven - Rodaina Al Agha, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict And I am still facing the pain all by myself - Lama Shakshak, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My brother, I watched you go while my heart was tearing - Helen Mo'amar, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My new doll is lonely in the rubble - Ayah Sha'ath, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict When a soul hugs another soul they never split, even in death - Ismail Matar, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Everyone is gone and I stayed alone to make the world witness the injustice done to me - Hamza Shaheen, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The hand that carries the arms carries roses too - Madeeha Al Majayda, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My eyes tell you about a dream that overcame the fence - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict A childhood caught in an unjust siege - Hadeel Quidh, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict All the details are torn after you - Hamza Shaheen, 17

This may be too little too late from Obamas administration; had such a step been taken earlier on in his tenure such action might have felt more promising, a Trump presidency now being just a matter of weeks away. But even though this attempt by the UN is unlikely to bring the expansion of Israeli occupations to a halt, active supporters of Israel living around the world must take note  my fellow Jews included.

A 2015 poll of British Jews found three quarters agreed with the statement that the expansion of settlements on the West Bank is a major obstacle to peace, while 58 per cent said Israel will be seen as an apartheid state if it tries to retain control over borders that contain more Arabs than Jews.

In short, the vast majority of Jews living in Britain simply dont support the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Yet Jewish organisations such as the Board of Deputies remain silent on the matter.

Under Netanyahus administration, this silence is being harnessed as support for Israels actions and used to justify an occupation and expansion of settlements that is breaking international law. Netanyahu is confidently asserting that diaspora Jewry want to be part of Israels success story, giddily encouraging us to move there. The occupation continues in our name.

 Jews and Muslims dance as they celebrate Hanukkah together in Bahrain

Whatever your views on the solution for the region, its now more evident than ever that the occupation of the Palestinian territories must come to an end.

Its easy for Arab nations concerns to be dismissed by a right-wing Israeli government, but actions of long-standing allies like Britain and the US cannot be brushed off. The voices of the Jewish diaspora must now join in this growing crescendo calling for the occupation to end.

Tonight, when Jews of all faiths and affiliations light the Hanukkah candles, consider the story we remember afresh. In the very same land in which Netanyahu now rules as leader, our ancestors once lived, forced into hiding as an expansionist power actively and cruelly set out to replace a nations way of life. As we say the ritualistic prayers well also be celebrating the oppressed and their uprising. Its a message we must stand by today.

Netanyahu seems intent on pursuing an expansionist agenda despite international law and condemnation. Jews in Britain might not all share a single vision for the future of Israel and Palestine, but an end to the occupation must be part of any solution. Its about time we made that clear.
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If Jeremy Corbyn had a better grasp of Tudor history he would have been able to make a much stronger point with regard to Brexit and Parliament. There is an ironical similarity in Henry VIII, a Catholic at heart, breaking with Rome and Theresa May, a Remainer in the referendum, breaking with Europe. However, Henry did not rely on royal prerogative to do this, as Corbyn suggests; it was carried out legally through a succession of acts passed by the Reformation Parliament. The constitutional argument that an act of parliament is required for Brexit is an historical argument and thoroughly convincing. So let us get the history right, and not fall back on myth and popular misconceptions.

Michael Windross

Antwerp, Belgium

Jeremy Corbyn is guilty of an outrageous slur  on Henry VIII. While there is no doubting the Kings power and his divine right, all of the major changes made during his reign were enforced by acts of parliament. The divorce from Catherine of Aragon, the break with Rome, the dissolution of the monasteries, were all voted on and passed by MPs and the House of Lords. Professor GR Elton, in his book England Under the Tudors, says that Henry could not have established his supremacy by proclamation. When drawing comparisons Corbyn should have gone further, and said that May was more autocratic than Henry VIII.

Patrick Walsh

Eastbourne

Living a lie

Robert Fisk is right: we are obviously being defrauded by those we should trust. But how can we fight back if all our political representatives are morally and intellectually corrupt? The danger of a Messianic leader looms large.

Victor Lawrance

London N12

I am usually exasperated by Robert Fisks analysis but hes nailed it at last: We handed journalism to social media. Except they stole it.

Mike Bor

London W2

Robert Fisk asks where he's heard this Nigel Farage sneer before: You all laughed at me  well, I have to say, youre not laughing now, are you? He needs to familarise himself with the works of Bob Monkhouse. This is where most people with any familiarity with popular culture over the past 30 years will have heard this joke before. It wouldn't fit quite so well into his article though.

Graham Hawker

Address withheld

Russia has outsmarted the West

Hysteria has once again reached fever pitch. This time it is triggered by Russian cyber weaponry. We are told that even election results can be manipulated by Moscow. Then there is Putin's fake news. It is apparently so beguiling that it poses a threat to Western democratic discourse  quite an achievement for the leader of a relatively impoverished country.

Putins great crime is to have outsmarted the West. This says less about Putin's astuteness and more about the West's ineptitude. The right response is not a new Cold War but a root and branch rethink of Western foreign policy.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, we are not threatened by Iran, Assad's Syria, Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis. It's time to stop mollycoddling Saudi Arabia and Nato member Turkey, both of whom facilitated the emergence of Isis. As for Ukraine, the West made matters worse by not acknowledging that it was a classic example of a young state that didn't naturally command the allegiance of all its peoples; other examples are Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan.

Western foreign policy has, indeed, been exceptional but only in so far as it is characterised by serial failure.

Yugo Kovach

Winterborne Houghton, Dorset

Only one way to end conflict in Israel

Theresa may is right to criticise US Secretary of State John Kerry for his belated criticism of Israel. Israel did little to achieve the desired goal of a two-state solution based on the consensus legitimacy of the international community. However, why did it take Mr Kerry so long to acknowledge and grasp fundamental Palestinian grievances?

We are always being presented with an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine the future and break with the grim past, and for Jerusalem to symbolise a united city for followers of the three monotheistic faiths. As King Abdullah II of Jordan put it: The solution to the conflict lies in an end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on national Palestinian soil.

Dr Munjed Farid al Qutob

London NW2

What price Scotland?

I agree that it is unfair for Edinburgh residents to suffer higher accommodation costs than the rest of Scotland. A level playing field is obviously the most desirable solution. In which case, perhaps Scotland would give up the Barnett Formula, which subsidises Scottish residents at the expense of the rest of the United Kingdom? Free markets being what they are, perhaps then rents would be lower?

Tom Callaghan

Dubai

Paul Monaghan, SNP MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, has called Scotland and Catalonia two great nations whose rebirth means the end of their subjugation. He tells the Catalans that Scotland is with you. I have two questions relating to this.

First, what makes Monaghan think that he has the right to speak for Scotland? I am aware that this is something that SNP politicians do routinely, but what is the justification for this presumptuousness? Second, does Monaghan seriously think that his avid and vocal support for Catalan separatism helps the cause of his leader, whose aim is to win the support of European states for a separate Scotland in Europe? No wonder Spain has poured cold water on her hopes.

Monaghan has form, appearing several times on the Kremlin-backed TV station RT and berating President Obama for expelling Russian diplomats for Russian interference in the US election. Are these antics what the good people of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross elected him to do?

Jill Stephenson

Edinburgh

Healing the health service

I read with interest about the difficulties facing GPs meeting the health needs of patients. As the chair of a patient participation group of an inner city medical practice, I am aware of the serious problems faced when trying to deliver appropriate healthcare. The patients registered with our practice speak more than 28 languages and have a range of needs. None of this is allowed for in the funding. Some services that were provided and funded have had funding withdrawn. At the last meeting, the patients group was informed that up to 200,000 of funding is being withdrawn due to the redirection of money to areas with a higher average age group.

I saw the NHS England response too. The extra money being quoted will not benefit our practice. It is a highly selective in its distribution. The future looks bleak. Traditional services  for example, ear syringing  will have to cease. If the practice worked to contract it would mean sending patients to hospitals for blood samples and other services withdrawn. I fear that we are being softened up for more privatisation and an end to a free service. If we do not protest and fight, we may well see an end to the delivery of the health care that we seem to cherish.

David Cemlyn

Bristol

I find Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard's classification of lumps and bleeding as non-urgent medical cases profoundly disturbing. These should be classified as urgent and there should be a designated GP in the practice on perhaps a rota basis to see the urgent cases and triage them to the appropriate clinic. The hospital service provides special sessions for breast lumps for example and for upper gastrointestinal-intestinal bleeding. Patients can be dealt with very rapidly once they are set on the right path. It would be quite possible for a suitably trained nurse to take on the triage role in GP setting.

Kenneth Taylor, consultant physician

Birmingham

In memory of journalist Mike Nicholson

After I was shot by a Serbian sniper in besieged Dubrovnik in November 1991 (on Remembrance Sunday, by chance) while covering the conflict for The Independent, I was evacuated with other wounded on a boat which first docked at Herceg Novi in Montenegro. Mike Nicholson, whom I'd known for years, happened to be on the quay, covering the arrival of the wounded for ITN. My left leg had turned dark blue, with a dum-dum (explosive) bullet still in it. Putting me before his story, Mike flew with me to Belgrade and got me on a Swissair flight to London, where my wife met me and took me to the West Middlesex Hospital near my home. The main body of the bullet was removed, although fragments remain.

I can safely say that Mike Nicholson saved, if not my life, at least my leg, which might have had to be amputated had I not been operated on in time. A gentleman journalist of the old school. Rest in peace, Mike.

Phil Davison, former Independent reporter

Richmond upon Thames

Reasons to be cheerful

By common consent, 2016 has been a challenging year; a year of disasters, what with Brexit, the election of Donald Trump as US President-elect and a litany of celebrities who have sadly passed away.

It is therefore often difficult to remember that parallel to this we are living through somewhat of an arc of progress. We are living in a world that is getting richer, with the number of people living in extreme poverty falling below 10 per cent for the first time. Indeed, since 1990 almost 1.1 billion have escaped extreme poverty. World hunger also reached its lowest point for 25 years in 2016.

For the first time ever the death penalty has become illegal in more than half of the worlds countries and the world got healthier, with a World Health Organisation report showing that since 2000 global malaria deaths have declined by 60 per cent. Since their peak a decade ago Aids-related deaths have fallen by 45 per cent and infant mortality has halved since 1990.

Taiwan is on the verge of becoming the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage and Tanzania banned child marriage.

For many 2016 may have been seen as the worst of times, but let us not forget it has been on the best of times too. So lets not be too pessimistic as we enter 2017.

Alex Orr

Edinburgh

More reasons to be cheerful

Many thanks for big crossword! Please may we have more?

Tessa Bloodworth

Gosport
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The new ceasefire in Syria will not mean an end to the shooting, but it marks a crucial development in the five-and-a-half year long civil war. It will not stop the killing because the biggest armed opposition groups  Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra  are not covered by the agreement, and have a strong motive for making sure that it fails. But what is most important about the ceasefire, which began on Thursday night and appeared at first to be taking hold, is not so much what is agreed as who is doing the agreeing.

According to a draft copy of the Russian-Turkish agreement, the Turkish government guarantees the commitment of the opposition in all the areas that the opposition controls to the ceasefire, including any type of shelling. Russia gives similar guarantees on behalf of the Syrian government and its allies.

These are bland words, but what is important here is that Turkey is distancing itself from the armed opposition groups who have depended on its support or tolerance since the uprising against Bashar al-Assad started in 2011. Without such backing, anti-Assad forces may be unable to withstand Syrian government offensives in future. In other words, there has been a decisive shift in the balance of power inside Syria against the rebels and in favour of Assad.

This was the real message of the defeat of the rebels in east Aleppo. Their former allies  Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and, on occasion, the US  did nothing to save them. Turkey is giving priority to fighting the Kurds at home and abroad; getting rid of Assad is well down its political agenda. In sharp contrast, Russia, Iran, Iraq and Hezbollah from Lebanon did everything to ensure that the Syrian army and its allies were victorious.

 Vladimir Putin announces ceasefire agreement in Syria

But the present ceasefire is not solely the result of Syrian and regional developments. The last hope of the non-Isis opposition in Syria and its foreign allies was that Hillary Clinton would win the presidential election and switch US policy to one more committed to getting rid of Assad and more hostile to Russia. Instead, they were horrified by the election of Donald Trump, a candidate even more dismissive of the non-Isis rebels, focused on destroying Isis and more favourable to a Russian alliance than President Obama.

Will the US acceptance of Russia playing a dominant role in Syria be capsized by new US sanctions against Moscow and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats? Probably not, because what Trump is proposing to do openly in Syria is not much different from what Obama was doing without publicity. It is a long time since the US was seriously interested in getting rid of Assad  it has instead been concentrating on defeating Isis. This is likely to continue under Trump and might even have done under Hillary Clinton, if she had become president. At this stage, US policy in Syria and Iraq would in any case be difficult to unglue.

But in a broader sense President Obamas measures against Russia and Secretary of State John Kerrys denunciation of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians will have an impact on every aspect of US foreign policy. This is less because of specific policy initiatives, which can be dismissed as the empty gestures of an expiring administration, but because Obamas actions are evidence that political warfare in the US post-election is not going to de-escalate. There may be a shaky ceasefire in Syria, but there is none in Washington.

The Russian-US relationship in Syria will remain a mixture of rivalry and cooperation. The most important decisions here have already been taken by Obama when he did not intervene militarily against Assad in August 2013 and when he accepted Russian intervention in September 2015. But the degree of cooperation with Russia will remain in dispute between different power centres in Washington. This was already the case, which is why the Syria ceasefire negotiated by the US and Russia in September this year almost immediately collapsed in rancour. Both sides were acutely mistrustful of the other: the US claimed that Russian and Syrian planes had deliberately bombed an aid convoy bound for east Aleppo. The Russians and Syrian government suspected that US airstrikes had deliberately targeted and killed 62 Syrian soldiers near Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria.

Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Show all 12 1 /12 Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man crosses a street in Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A vendor sits inside an antique shop in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors walk inside Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk inside the Khan al-Shounah market, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man walks past shops in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk along an alley in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors tour Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A general view shows the Old City of Aleppo as seen from Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk near Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower, Syria October 6, 2010 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man stands inside Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters

The present Russian-Turkish ceasefire suffers from some of the weaknesses of the two previous Russian-US ones in February and September: several of the major combatants have not signed up and are unlikely to do so because the ceasefire is directed against them. But all three of the ceasefires of 2016 have been serious, even when they failed, because they have involved major players in the conflict: Russia, US, Turkey and, at one remove, Iran.

The interwoven crises in Syria are of nightmarish complexity and not all the arrows point towards peace. Turkey is backing away from supporting a war to overthrow Assad, but it is also weighing up the prospects for fighting the Syrian Kurds and eliminating their de facto state. President Bashar al-Assad has signed up to the latest ceasefire, but he makes no secret of his determination to retake all of Syria. He is probably waiting for the ceasefire to collapse because of its deficiencies before resuming the offensive.

Recommended US and Russia relations fall to their worst since the Cold War

Isis, which has been on the retreat in Syria and in Iraq, is by no means out of business. As east Aleppo was falling, its fighters recaptured Palmyra and advanced on an important Syrian airbase called T4. At the same time the Iraqi armed forces, so confident two months ago that they could retake Mosul quickly, are suffering heavy casualties in ferocious street fighting in the east of the city.

The Syrian and Iraqi wars are still full of nasty surprises for all participants, as the Trump presidency may soon find out for itself. Every crisis in the region is linked to every other. One of the biggest potential crises hanging over the Middle East is not Trumps attitude to Russia, but to Iran. The role of Russia in Syria tends to be over-publicised and that of Iran, and its loose Shia coalition, tends to be under-reported. Up to the Russian military intervention in September 2015, it was the alliance with Iran that was most important to Assad. Iran certainly has not fought a long war in Syria, or in Iraq for that matter, to see the country impotent on the regional stage and divided up into zones of influence. Peace talks are to start soon in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, though the pro-Assad powers are not looking for power-sharing or compromise but a virtual surrender by the other side.

One does not have to spend long in Washington these days to find that, while there are many important people who detest Assad and Vladimir Putin, this feeling is far exceeded by the hatred they feel for the victors of the US presidential election. These divisions are bound to further envenom and shape policy decisions towards the crises and wars exploding in the Middle East.
The IRA was able to tap Garda telephone calls, the Irish government accepted.

During a security summit in London in 1986, the British wanted to know about possible infiltration of police communications.

Then-Secretary of State Tom King said the "sophistication" of the Provos was "impressive" and asked Dublin's Justice Minister, Michael Noonan, about Garda precautions.

Mr Noonan responded that the force was switching to a new nationwide radio network for rural divisions and that a contract for something similar was in the pipeline for the Dublin Metropolitan Area.

However, an Irish official intervened to say "we could not commit ourselves at this stage to saying that, in the context of Garda/RUC communications, the new equipment would be secure and this was something that needed to be examined".

Notes of the top-level meeting, just released into the National Archives, said: "As regards telephone communications, it was accepted that at present, these were not secure from IRA penetration."

During the same summit, Mr King said recent arms finds by the Garda in Sligo and Roscommon had "cheered up" the RUC greatly.

He said it would be of enormous assistance if the southern force could now find the IRA's mortar factory, which was successfully being used to make bombs to target RUC stations and was "boosting their morale".
A Red C poll found that 80pc of Irish citizens would vote to remain in the union, an increase of 2pc on 2015. Photo: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Ireland is among the least likely countries to vote to leave the European Union, new research suggests.

A Red C poll found that 80pc of Irish citizens would vote to remain in the union, an increase of 2pc on 2015.

It makes Ireland one of the most pro-EU countries on the continent, along with Spain.

The survey also shows that 62pc of Irish people believe the union is heading in the right direction.

Many other member states are also less likely to vote to leave than last year. In France, 32pc of people would support a 'leave' vote, falling from 35pc last year.

Meanwhile, 25pc of Germans said they would vote to exit the bloc compared to 28pc in 2015. However, support for leaving the EU has increased substantially in Finland, rising from 29pc last year to 40pc now.

Greece and the UK are the most in favour of rescinding their EU membership, with 46pc in both countries saying they would vote to leave. In the UK referendum, 52pc voted to leave.

Meanwhile, Irish tourism industry figures say Brexit and a lack of hotel beds in Dublin could prove challenging in 2017.

The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) welcomed this year's record number of 8.8 million international visitors.

ITIC also highlighted that tourism is now worth 8bn to the Irish economy, but warned against complacency ahead of the new year.

Eoghan O'Mara Walsh, chief executive of the ITIC, welcomed the new highs for the industry but stressed that the impact of the Brexit vote could still pose problems.

A weakened sterling would be the most immediate challenge, he said.

"With Article 50 due to be triggered next March, we expect sterling to remain relatively weak," he told the Irish Independent.

"It makes holidays in Ireland seem more expensive for British visitors."

But he remained optimistic for 2017, pointing to a strong market for North American visitors.

"Brexit is the main challenge, but we are still predicting a 3pc to 5pc growth in visitor numbers next year."

Tourists from abroad spent 4.7bn in Ireland in 2016, a 9pc increase on 2015.

The domestic market was also strong, with revenue increasing to 1.75m and a further 300m coming from Northern Irish visitors.

But Mr O'Mara Walsh said 50 new hotels would be needed in Dublin alone.
Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan has bluntly told the London government it must end delays on revealing its negotiating plans to leave the EU.

With the opening of negotiations now just 12 weeks away, and over six months after the shock British referendum result, Mr Flanagan revealed the full extent of the Irish Government's frustration at delays by Prime Minister Theresa May and her colleagues.

"Six months after the referendum, I regret that we don't have a comprehensive plan from Britain," he told the Irish Independent. "I believe it's imperative that early in the new year such a plan takes shape, that we have sight of it - and that we know what it is."

Mr Flanagan said he and his colleagues had been stressing since the June 23 referendum result that the "bond between Ireland and the UK is unique in Europe".

He said there was growing acceptance across the other EU states that this was the case.

"But that is another reason why we need to see the plan from Britain for managing Brexit," he said.

The minister said that after extensive consultations with counterparts in London, and across the rest of the EU, there were huge problems with the UK keeping free trade status after Brexit, without immigration concessions.

"My objective, and the objective of this Government, is to help keep the UK as close to the European Union as possible," he said.

"But the single market versus freedom of movement is very challenging."

Mr Flanagan said "soundings" at this stage indicated that, even if Britain left the border-free single market, it could still stay in the EU's customs union.

That would be a boon to continuing trade between Ireland and the UK, worth a cumulative 1.6bn per week.

Everyone associated with the upcoming UK-EU divorce talks expects negotiations to open before the end of next March.

The main process is expected to take two years - but working out even more serious details will take a long period of years.

Mr Flanagan again stressed that the status of the North and the insistence that there can be no return of the Border were central to Dublin's concerns.

There could be "no downgrading of the Good Friday Agreement".

"It's far too early to be talking about cameras on the Border or any other such details," he said.

Mr Flanagan was equally insistent that Ireland would approach the negotiations on the firm assumption that this country remained a full EU member state.

"We are - and we will be - 'team EU'," he said.

The minister also argued that 1916 Centenary commemorations were successful and he singled out many different organisers and participants for special praise.

They included Arts Minister Heather Humphreys, the Irish diplomatic corps, who spread the Irish message across the globe, and the Defence Forces for bringing flags to every school in the country.

But Mr Flanagan warned that much bigger challenges were coming in the remaining years of the 'Decade of Commemorations 1912-1922'.

These included next year recalling the Irishmen of both traditions slaughtered in the Battle of Messines, and the demise of the Irish Parliamentary Party in the landmark 1918 general election.

He said everyone would be challenged by the need to contemplate how we would deal with the lead-up to Civil War and the foundation of the Irish State. This was a most divisive period in Irish history.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny should be under no pressure to step aside as he is the "best qualified" person to lead Ireland through the Brexit negotiations, the Public Expenditure Minister said.

In a clear warning to those harbouring leadership ambitions, Paschal Donohoe said Mr Kenny should not bow to calls for him to reveal his retirement plan. Mr Kenny has indicated he will not lead the party into the next election but wants to be Taoiseach when Pope Francis visits in August 2018.

There is speculation some backbench TDs will move on Mr Kenny after he returns from the St Patrick's Day trip to the White House.

Mr Donohoe told the Irish Independent: "The moment a Taoiseach determines the time at which he's going to go has a massive effect on the ability of the Government to function."

He said Mr Kenny is the "best qualified" person to lead the country into two years of Brexit negotiations, and said the decision-making process will be "very, very complicated and political".

The comments will dampen the expectation of leadership frontrunners Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney as Mr Donohoe is increasingly influential within the party.
The Wild Atlantic way, where coasteering is popular, has benefited from a strategic approach, says a tourist body.

A tourism industry representative group has criticised Junior Minister Patrick O'Donovan's plan to have local authorities become more involved in tourism strategy.

Earlier this month Mr O'Donovan said he wanted every local authority to produce a tourism strategy by the end of March, saying he wanted to see "a key set of actions" that councils were going to take.

That plan was criticised by Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) chairman Paul Gallagher yesterday.

"I disagree with that policy. I think we've had far too much of everybody doing their own thing and then nothing's done in a very organised fashion," Gallagher said.

"Wild Atlantic Way has been a cross-county council development. A strategy was agreed and everybody rolled out the same offering.

"I think the funds for hospitality and tourism are so small that any fracturing of that by doing what's good locally, isn't always good for tourism."

"We don't need lots of little bits and pieces everywhere, we need things of scale. The trouble with doing little bits of things everywhere is that if you come up with a great idea in Kerry County Council, a guy in Mayo might want to do the same thing and you end up with the same stuff everywhere, which means no standout for anybody."

Mr Gallagher also said Ireland's tourism industry had benefited from recent terror attacks. "The terrorist attacks across Europe have driven business to northern Europe. And in northern Europe, Ireland has been one of the main beneficiaries of people feeling insecure, because it's very secure," he said.

He was speaking at the ITIC's end-of-year review, which flagged Brexit and a capacity constraint, particularly in Dublin, as industry priorities for next year. "Visitor number targets will not be met unless the deficit in hotel bedroom development is addressed with some urgency," he said.

"If demand and supply is out of sync, there will always be upward pressure on prices and a loss of competitiveness represents the single largest threat to tourism's future growth. Should the planned new hotels not materialise, there will need to be policy intervention to stimulate new builds," Mr Gallagher added.
The move comes after Communications Minister Denis Naughten said that future mobile phone licences will require operators to cover all of rural Ireland rather than the biggest population centres. Stock photo

Ireland's telecoms regulator says it may change future mobile phone licences to require inclusion of remote rural areas instead of just cities and big towns.

In its Electronics Communications Services Strategy Statement 2017-2019, Comreg says that it intends to address the "perception" that mobile coverage in Ireland has "deteriorated".

"Competitive forces, left to their own devices, will deliver services to a certain level and quality," said the report. "However coverage beyond this level towards ubiquitous coverage is unlikely to be provided due to the uncommercial nature of network rollout in some geographic areas."

The telecoms watchdog went on to say that "there are certain regulatory tools available that could be used to incentivise infrastructure rollout into areas currently considered uncommercial".

These included targeted areas of coverage in regions currently suffering from "perceived" bad mobile reception.

"ComReg will consider the use of coverage and rollout obligations," the report said. "In this regard, ComReg observes that the propagation characteristics of the 700 MHz band are favourable to wide area coverage and that the use of coverage and a targeted coverage and rollout obligation to enhance coverage may be appropriate for this spectrum band."

The regulator will also consider obligating site and infrastructure sharing as a further way to incentivise better rural coverage.

The move comes after Communications Minister Denis Naughten said that future mobile phone licences will require operators to cover all of rural Ireland rather than the biggest population centres.
The European Central Bank should have explained more clearly why it nearly doubled its estimated capital shortfall for the ailing Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank, which is being bailed out by the state, Italy's economy minister said.

In unusually critical comments of the euro zone's single banking supervisor, Pier Carlo Padoan said in a newspaper interview the ECB's new capital target was the result of a "very rigid stance" in its assessment of the bank's risk profile.

"It would have been useful, if not kind, to have a bit more information from the ECB about the criteria that led to this assessment," Padoan said.

Monte dei Paschi, Italy's third biggest lender and the world's oldest, said on Monday the ECB had estimated its capital shortfall at 8.8bn compared with a 5bn gap previously indicated by the bank.

The higher capital requirement substantially increases the cost of the bank's rescue by the government after it failed to raise the 5bn on the market.

The treasury is now set to pump in around 6.5bn to salvage the lender, raising concerns that its newly created 20bn bank bailout fund may not have enough money for other weak banks. The government says the fund is sufficient.

The rest of the money Monte dei Paschi needs will come from the forced conversion of its subordinated bonds into shares, in line with European rules on bank crises. The lender fared the worst in EU-wide banking stress tests published in July.

Padoan said he expected the capital increase to take place in two to three months.

The ECB told the Italian treasury of its decision in a letter, which Padoan said was just five lines long and which has not been made public.

It irked the Rome government and has quickly turned into a political issue.

A group of lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party asked Padoan and Italy's foreign minister on Wednesday to explain in parliament what had happened.

"I was a bit surprised to receive the news, out of the blue and on Christmas day," Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni told a press conference.

"It's important that the reasons behind this assessment are shared and that there is a dialogue because we need to handle this issue together ... We will stick to our guns."

The ECB has declined to comment on its rationale for the larger capital shortfall.

A source close to the matter said the bank's estimate of a 5bn capital gap was based on the results of the stress test, conducted on end-2015 data, and included assumptions such as the sale of its whole portfolio of defaulting loans - a key plank of its plan to raise money privately.

Padoan's criticism comes a day after Germany's Finance Ministry called on the ECB and the European Commission to ensure that Italy complies with European rules when aiding its bank.

Precautionary recapitalisation of banks through the government can be part of a solution "only in exceptional circumstances" and "under tight conditions," the Berlin-based ministry said by e-mail in response to questions. "Even then, owners and subordinate creditors should first be called upon."

In the interview Padoan said that the retail holders of a Paschi 2008 bond will be covered under a compensation mechanism that is part of the decree passed by the government. As a Paschi shareholder, the Rome-based Treasury "will have a look" at possible management changes while supporting its chief executive officer Marco Morelli, the minister also said.

Monte Paschi's shares remain suspended from trading in Milan until full details of the bank's capital-strengthening are available.
Dog who travelled from Portarlington to Dublin

The owner of a dog who embarked on a solo road trip to Dublin on board a train has been tracked down.

The stowaway, named Patch, boarded a train at Portarlington and was discovered by Irish Rail workers before being handed over to Kilmainham garda station.

If this is your doggie please contact Kilmainham Garda Station. He took a trip from Portarlington this morning. Hope he had a ticket! pic.twitter.com/9swxHp5ItY  Iarnrod Eireann (@IrishRail) December 30, 2016

Irish Rail thanked people for their help in tracking his owners down.

"We won't be pursuing him for a ticket," they joked on social media.

Previously the company appealed for anyone with information to contact the gardai there and joked that they hoped the wandering dog "had a ticket" for his journey.
An artist has paid homage to the dead of 2016, using the iconic cover art for Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The artist, Chris Barker, began the image the night of the US election.

At that moment, the background was a wasteland, except for a "Make America Great Again" hat.

In addition to celebrities, Barker included an image of Jo Cox, the MP who was murdered by far right extremist Thomas Mair.

Barker told indy100 he would like fans of the Sgt Pepper cover to donate to the Jo Cox memorial fund, as the image itself is not for profit.

A near complete form of the Sgt Pepper cover was posted online in November to much acclaim.

Following the news of Carrie Fisher's death on Tuesday night, Barker updated it to include her hologram from the film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

Speaking to indy100, Barker described his sadness when the time came to add Fisher to the 2016 image: "This is the biggest impact so far and in a way I'm not surprised. Carrie Fisher was the princess of the hearts of a couple of generations."

I'm really sorry everyone. This is so sad. I feel awful. #RIPCarrieFisher #sgtpepper2016 May the force be with 2017. pic.twitter.com/3HJM8mJPVQ  christhebarker (@christhebarker) 27 December 2016

Barker also included a personal item, the French Horn located to the left of the 2016 drum.

"The French horn is a personal tribute to my friend Jim who died this year who was a great French horn player and sadly missed by all his friends and family."

Writing on his blog christhebarker.tumblr.com, Barker wrote about his inspiration for the image.

"It wasnt going to be a montage of dead celebrities in the style of Sgt Peppers at first. In fact the Sgt Pepper element came quite late... Initially I was going to have Bowie in the centre and everything else orbiting around him but then I found the full length shot of Bowie that you see on the final piece and it looked so Sgt Pepper I thought I might as well go with that idea."

Video of the Day

He also made reference to one of his exemptions from the image that includes so many stars: "I ignored the millennials talking about Harambe the gorilla. Thats their thing and Im not qualified to talk about it."

Barker has also posted this guide to all the persons and items (spot the proper-sized Toblerone: bottom left) included in the cover.

( Independent News Service)
A Clare man asked his partner to marry him by singing a special version of Fairytale of New York - and the video will melt your heart.

Gary O'Donoghue surprised his partner Verona Houlihan on St Stephen's Day by proposing to her while singing a unique version of Christmas hit Fairytale of New York.

"Gary is always one for changing songs and putting his own words to them," Shona Cleary, who shared the fantastic moment, told Independent.ie.

"At his sister Linda's wedding he changed the words to a song to make it about Linda and Ruairi. At our cousin's wedding last year when he was groomsman he changed the words to Red is the Rose to make it about my cousin and how he met his wife."

"Verona knew nothing but Gary had arranged for his parents, Verona's grandparents and for their daughters Lexi and Cora to be with them in the pub on Stephen's Day. Everyone knew what was happening except for Verona, as you can tell as at the end of the clip she says, 'Are you joking?'"

The surprise proposal took place in the Copper Jug in Ennis and Gary and Verona's immediate family joined them afterwards to celebrate.

"The reaction was brilliant. And the best part was that Verona couldn't believe how the two girls Lexi and Cora had known for weeks and were part of the plan but had managed to keep it a secret," said Shona.

"They are both delighted! Gary would love to have the singing priest Fr. Ray Kelly singing at the wedding if anyone has any leads."
Garret FitzGerald with Margaret Thatcher in November, 1985. (Part of the Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection)

British prime minister Margaret Thatcher admitted to Irish officials the UK "got it wrong in 1921" with the North's border.

A series of extraordinary admissions between Mrs Thatcher and then Taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald have emerged from the 1986 archives released under the 30-year rule.

Both leaders were in close contact throughout 1986 as the UK and Ireland attempted to stand behind the Anglo-Irish Agreement amid furious unionist and loyalist opposition to the deal.

The duo met on December 6, 1986, in London - and Mrs Thatcher made a series of blunt admissions in assessing the security situation along the Border.

"You (the Republic) haven't the resources to maintain protection on the other side of the Border," she said.

"I do feel very depressed at times about the whole situation. The violence has not been defeated. The SDLP have not done what we are expecting them to do.

"However, it is Christmas - and I had better stop feeling depressed."

Dr FitzGerald praised the RUC for the work it had done in co-operating with gardai and pressed for all UDR patrols to be accompanied by the RUC.

But he warned: "Both forces have a next-to-impossible Border to watch."

Mrs Thatcher bluntly admitted: "Yes, we got it wrong in 1921."

The meeting concluded with one Irish civil servant noting: "The prime minister then went onincluding a rather wistful reference to whether she could continue, in all seriousness, to send young men to their death in Northern Ireland."

Both governments expressed their repeated concerns about the security situation in the North given the upsurge in unionist and loyalist protests and demonstrations over the Anglo-Irish deal.

Mrs Thatcher warned that such a reaction was "negative and very dangerous".

"The Unionists are saying they have lost everything and have got nothing," she said.

One briefing note warned that RUC chief constable John Hermon was "genuinely frightened" by the implications of one demonstration at Hillsborough.

Another briefing note warned: "Dublin has not grasped the fundamental reality that Northern Ireland is and will remain ungovernable."

There was also concern in both governments over Libyan arms reaching the IRA.
CIE companies face the threat of industrial action if Dublin Bus reneges on a deal that would push up workers' pensions next month.

Siptu warned there could be widespread industrial action if the operator failed to honour a recent agreement brokered at the Workplace Relations Commission to end a campaign of strikes.

The National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) said it would have no choice but to consult its members on industrial action if Dublin Bus did not honour the deal. The agreement means that pay rises worth 11.25pc over three years should be counted toward pensions from next month.

Sources said the company was in a tricky position as the CIE group had given a commitment to the Pensions Authority that there would be a freeze on pensionable pay as part of a funding proposal.

It is understood that it agreed that pay would not be ranked for pension purposes, there would be no new entrants to the schemes and a defined contribution scheme would be set up. The main unions at the group, Siptu and the Nbru, said they never agreed to this.

Members of the workforce of over 3,000 are set for a 3.75pc pay rise each year for the next three years under the agreement reached following six days of strikes in September.

Read more: Interview: Unions' demand for 4pc pay rise in private sector a 'try on' - Ibec's McCoy

Willie Noone, of Siptu, indicated there could be widespread industrial action. "Our members are not going to accept that their wage increases are not going to be ranked for pension purposes," he said.

"It is the one issue at this moment in time that would unite all grades."

NBRU general secretary Dermot O'Leary said the agreement reached at Dublin Bus was "quite clear" on the issue.

"Come February 1, the pay increases that we successfully negotiated need to be ranked for pension purposes," he said. "If not, we will have no option but to consult with our members on industrial action. We would not accept the breach of an agreement when the ink is barely dry on it."

The Workplace Relations Commission agreement delayed the issue of the pay increases being considered as pensionable pay until January.

"Without compromising the link between pay and pensions, the parties agree to defer the funding of increases in pay until the end of January 2017," it said.

Mr Noone said the pension scheme at Dublin Bus was not "gold-plated" and members with 43 years service came out with around 130 a week at retirement. He said this was because the Wages Grade Scheme, which covers 80pc of employees including drivers, operatives, mechanics and labourers, did not factor in length of service when pensions were calculated.

A further 20pc of workers, including clerical, inspectors and management, are in a superannuation scheme that is calculated on service.

A spokesperson for Dublin Bus would not say whether the company planned to count the pay increases toward pensions.
A Limerick man accused of threatening to kill another man and damaging property has been refused bail by the Special Criminal Court.

Larry McCarthy (37), with addresses at Old Cork Road, Limerick, and Cornmarket Villas in Limerick, is charged with threatening to kill Noel Moore at Windsor House, Donoughmore, Limerick on July 28 2015.

He is also charged with threatening to damage Mr Moore's house in Donoughmore on the same date. The Special Criminal Court previously fixed a trial date of June 19th next year.

Mr McCarthy is facing separate charges, also at the Special Criminal Court, that he and two other people threatened to use "unlawful violence" and that he assaulted David Foran at Cornmarket Villas on November 25th, 2014. A trial date of July 3rd next year was previously fixed for those charges.

Today, the State objected to Mr McCarthy's application for compassionate bail to attend his grandmother's funeral in Limerick.

Detective Sergeant John Cleary, of Roxboro Road Garda Station in Limerick, told the three-judge, non-jury court that there was an objection to bail on the grounds that Mr McCarthy is a "serious flight risk" and there was "potential of interfering with witnesses."

Det Sgt Cleary agreed with defence counsel, Mark Thompson BL, that there has always been strong objections to Mr McCarthy getting bail.

Mr Thompson told the court that his client wanted to pay his respects to his grandmother "in any shape or form." However Det Sgt Cleary said there were no bail conditions which Mr McCarthy could offer to appease his concerns.

Mr Justice Paul Butler said that Mr McCarthy had already been refused bail last week under Section 2A of the Bail Act on the evidence of Chief Superintendent David Sheahan.

Mr Justice Butler said that the court must be "proportionate" and nothing had changed in favour of the applicant since last week.

Mr Justice Butler, presiding with Judge Robert Eagar and Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain, then refused the accused's man application.
Irish authorities are increasingly using Facebook to investigate citizens, new figures show.

The number of State requests to Facebook seeking access to personal content quadrupled in the first six months of the year, according to the company's latest Transparency Report.

Irish authorities made 89 requests about 80 Facebook account holders in this period compared to just 20 requests about 18 Facebook account holders for the same time frame in 2015.

Facebook says that it furnished Irish authorities with some information about account holders in two-thirds of cases. According to Facebook, requests can include applications to access messages, photos, videos, timeline posts and location information.

Typical requests relate to criminal cases, Facebook said in its report, such as robberies or kidnappings.

"We may also supply law enforcement with information to help prevent or respond to fraud and other illegal activity," said the social network's report.

"In many of these cases, the government is requesting basic subscriber information, such as name and length of service. Requests may also ask for IP address logs or account content."

The social network also received 117 requests from Irish authorities to preserve records related to 320 different accounts and prevent them being deleted for 90 days.

Facebook turned down its only "emergency" request during the first six months of 2016.

According to the company, emergency requests "sometime means providing information to law enforcement officials that will help them respond to emergencies, including those that involve the immediate risk of harm, suicide prevention and the recovery of missing children".

Globally, government requests for account data increased by 27pc compared to the last six months of 2015, increasing from 46,710 to 59,229 requests overall.

However, Facebook executives were at pains to say that they do not lightly hand over user information.

"We apply a rigorous approach to every government request we receive to protect the information of the people who use our services," said Chris Sonderby, deputy general counsel for Facebook.

"We scrutinise each request for legal sufficiency, no matter which country is making the request, and challenge those that are deficient or overly broad. We do not provide governments with 'back doors' or direct access to people's information."

In total, Irish authorities made more account requests of Facebook than any other social media or technology company.

Microsoft received 32 requests during the first six months of the year while Google and Yahoo received 19 and 17 requests respectively.

Twitter only received four requests in the same time period.

Apple was served with 268 requests, but only five of these related to iCloud or iTunes accounts - 262 of the requests came in relation to device requests.
A dangerous criminal is the leader of one of Dublins most prolific burglary gangs that gardai believe is committing up to 25 raids a week.

The criminal grouping has been a prime target of gardai under Operation Thor and is suspected of being involved in the theft of a PSNI officers handgun in the North, later used to threaten a teenage girl.

The gangs leader is a 31-year-old criminal from south Dublin, who has been arrested on several occasions for burglary-related offences and for threatening gardai. He is currently before the courts on other matters.

Earlier this month, members of the gang were stopped following a chase with gardai. During a subsequent search, items that were stolen from several properties along border counties were recovered.

The operation in west Dublin helped gardai identify key members of the gang who are mainly aged in their late teens and early 20s.

Gardai now believe the criminal leader is the groups driver, who ferries the younger thugs across the country to carry out robberies and aggravated raids.

The group includes young criminals from Dublin as well as Wicklow and operates from a halting site in south-east Dublin which has been raided on several occasions by detectives.

Two of them are members of the travelling community and are related to each other. One, who is aged just 16, was previously arrested for the knife-point robbery of a 94-year-old woman at her home in Dun Laoghaire.

Despite several members of the gang being either youths or aged in their late teens, they have amassed more than 100 previous convictions for burglary offences.

They are targeting mainly homes in border counties in the Republic and in the North and are carrying out as many as 25 burglaries in one week, a source said.

The gang are also the chief suspects for the theft of a handgun registered to a PSNI officer at his home. The fact that this group now have access to firearms is of huge concern, the source added.

During the robbery in Co Armagh, a woman was held at gunpoint in the Markethill area before the raiders stole her car.

Gardai are currently liaising with their PSNI colleagues to target the crime gang. The sheer volume of burglaries means that the group potentially carried out close to 1,300 burglaries across the country since the beginning of the year.

Gardai have also been on red alert as several notorious burglary suspects were temporarily released from prison for the Christmas period.

Sources previously revealed that officers in south Dublin fear at least half a dozen prolific burglars will be freed over Christmas.

However, a special operation carried out by Dublin Eastern Garda Division in Tallaght earlier this month, against a burglary gang helped stem the flow of criminals in the area.
A baby girl died on Christmas Eve  less than a year after her five-year-old cousin passed away.

Five-month-old Margaret Alexandra Burke, from Effin, Co Limerick, was found lifeless in her cot at home on Christmas Eve, almost 12 months after her cousin, Alexandra Costa-Burke, also from Effin, died after suffering a rare form of cancer.

Read More

Now the two little girls lie close to each other in the same graveyard.

Loving granddad Walter Burke paid tribute to the baby girl, born about six weeks premature, saying: She was a beautiful little girl, it was an awful shock.

The baby was only out of hospital 10 days. Shed been in hospital because she couldnt breathe and shed been on oxygen. But she was laughing the night before, he told the Herald.

All we know is she was dead in the morning in the cot.

The hospital is doing tests. The baby seemed fine, this came out of nowhere.

Mr Burke added that the family was getting by thanks to an unbelievable support network.

Margaret Alexandra was born six or eight weeks premature, he said. She had breathing problems but you wouldnt think something like this would happen, to lose this little baby.

Her little cousin died last year and we were just finishing her headstone when this happened. Her [baby Margaret Alexandras] mother is really torn asunder.

The baby was called Margaret Alexandra after my other granddaughter. This is a terrible loss but we have great support from neighbours and friends, its unbelievable.

Walter had seen his baby granddaughter only hours before she passed away. A poignant photograph shows the infant being cradled by Father Christmas.

Hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral Mass at St Pauls Church in Kilmallock, Co Limerick, on Tuesday.

The infants mother, Margaret, was comforted by her husband Walter during the heartbreaking service.

Fr David Casey told mourners: No mother expects to live through the death of her child. I am sorry that death has come so suddenly. I am sorry your heart is pierced with pain... that life can be so hard.
Minister for Health Simon Harris during a visit to the HSE open recruitment event. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

Health Minister Simon Harris said there is no "silver bullet" to help recruit health workers back to Ireland.

The minister was speaking at a three-day HSE recruitment drive for nurses and midwives where 52 attended yesterday.

He said the HSE wants to increase the numbers employed in Ireland and is hoping to lure workers back from overseas.

"I'm not suggesting there is a magic wand or a silver bullet but what I am saying is we want 1,000 more nurses working in the Irish health service by the end of 2017," he said.

"2017 hasn't quite started yet and we have a situation where we are interviewing more than 50 people here today.

"We've seen 19 doctors and nurses offered jobs on Wednesday and we've another day on Friday. I intend to see this event rolled out right around the country."

He also expressed his "disappointment" at Siptu's decision to ballot emergency department and support workers for strike action. Those affected include hospital porters, security and catering staff as well as home help.

"I would encourage Siptu to use the mechanisms available to them within the Lansdowne Road Agreement to engage with the HSE as the employer," he said.
Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Helen McEntee has announced a new mental health plan for secondary school students to act as a "preventive measure".

Ms McEntee (FG) revealed to the Irish Sun that students will receive up to 300 hours of mental health classes to help students "maintain their own well-being".

"The Department of Education are going to be rolling out a new health and well-being programme.

This means up to Junior Cert young people will have to do 300 hours of this particular class. We have divided it into three age groups  so from 0-12, 13-18 and 19-25.

Obviously the zero to 12 will be looking at the primary school level and what it is we can do to help them maintain their own well-being but also so they can identify if theyre experiencing a problem," Ms McEntee told the Irish Sun.

The Department of Health were given 853m for mental health in the latest budget.

"Its important young people know that while celebs like Kim Kardashian are great and all, they have personal trainers and stylists looking after them  and our young people need to be happy with who they are as people," Ms McEntee told the Irish Sun.
A mother who recently shared her story about caring for her disabled daughter on national television has admitted she is disappointed, but not shocked by the lack of response at government level.

Since appearing on The Late Late Show, Johanne Powell says she has been inundated with messages of support from other carers around the country.

However, after highlighting her experience looking after her daughter Siobhan (32), Johanne says she has not been contacted by any politicians or members of the HSE, which is the main reason she went public.

To be honest, I did expect this time that they would be in contact. They try to avoid you like the plague if they can, she told Independent.ie.

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You think they would even be telling us that there is something in the pipe line, but theyve told us nothing.

We have heard nothing from those in power.

Johanne has been contacted by carers from all over Ireland who thanked her for telling it like it is.

Her daughter Siobhan has a rare chromosomal disorder, profound mental disabilities, is unable to walk or eat solid food and only has one kidney.

But Johanne says there are parents who have it more difficult than she does.

There are lone parents with two and three children; there are people who have higher medical needs than Siobhan.

I got a message from someone whose 82-year-old mother with dementia is looking after her 53-year-old disabled daughter. Its awful.

Johanne met her husband Alan in 1975 and moved to Fethard-On-Sea in Wexford.

Siobhan was born in 1984, and Johanne says she hasnt had much of a life since.

There are people in the local village who dont even know who I am as I rarely get to leave the house.

She is our daughter and we love her very dearly, but we are not getting any younger. We have lost so much of our lives because of this.

I dont want to go out every night, far from it, but it is to be able to do it and be able to take up an invitation to go to a wedding, or a christening, or a party.

Originally from Norway, Johanne has a disabled niece who had the opportunity to go to a mainstream school and now has her own flat, with full-time staff caring for her.

She accepts Norway is probably financially better off as a country, but finds it frustrating that carers in Ireland get very little respite.

I know that the cost of care is very expensive and I know Norway have the oil money etc. But all I ask for is even just one weekend every month of respite. Thats not much to ask for, is it?

We are just keeping our heads above water, but what if anything happens to one of us? Theyre telling us not to worry as she will be given care, but why cant they have it now?

She explained how there are just 158 beds available for residential care in Wexford, with 61 names on a waiting list.

As far as we know, there are no plans for an expansion of the services, so 61 people have to die to clear the list, basically.

Siobhans name has been on the waiting list since 2013.

In a statement, the HSE said that high-priority service users are provided with home support, respite and a day service until a residential place becomes available.

However, Johanne says it is not clear what counts as high-priority.

You cant even find out what position you are on the list, or what the criteria is for being on the list, thats the frustrating thing.

For 2017, Johanne hopes that there will be developments in the provision of help for carers in Ireland.

All I want is for there to be regular respite, and the sign of Siobhan being able to move into a residential home in the near future.

Years ago, when Siobhan was first born, I thought how lucky people will be in years to come when developments have been made, and people wont have the same difficulties as us.

Improvements have been made, but thirty years later, they are practically in the exact same position.
A father is pleading with the public to help fundraise money for cancer research rather than scaremongering parents into raising hundreds of thousands of euro to travel to the US for paediatric cancer treatments.

John and Margaret Foley from Co Meath watched as their "beautiful and happy" son Conor battled a rare childhood cancer called Neuroblastoma three times before he sadly passed away in 2015 at the age of 17.

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Conor was four-years-old when he was first diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma. It is such an indescribable shock as a parent to be told that your child has cancer, Margaret told Independent.ie.

Our life as a family was turned upside down.

Conors family did everything they could to help their young son battle the rare childhood cancer.

Over the next two years he underwent intensive treatment which included six months' chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant and 25 radiotherapy sessions, followed by another six months of intense treatment.

Seeing our child, our gorgeous son, being pinched and crying - its just so hard. As a parent, every bit of your instinct, of you, wants to protect your child and keep them safe and yet, you have to rail against that instinct and allow this to happen to them. You know it has to be done to beat this cancer but its awful, said Margaret.

Conor was given the all clear and after ten years in remission the family felt as though they had won the battle against cancer.

John and Margaret as well as Conors two older sisters Emma and Rachel were left devastated when Conors cancer returned for a second time in 2014.

Life was getting back to normal. You always have that worry at the back of your mind, but Conor was doing well. He started ticking off the milestones.

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His first communion came and went, he was in 5th class and we were getting him ready for secondary school. He had been 10 years cancer-free but 10 years to the day he relapsed. He was 14-years-old.

Margaret said that devastated doesnt even begin to describe how she felt.

Conor began intense cancer treatment again at Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin.

The world wide centre for paediatric oncology were knocked for six, but the oncology team of St John's ward did their absolute best to save Conors life for a second time and they did as they got Conor back into a cancer free status with no evidence of disease after two and a half years treatment, dad John told Independent.ie.

We did everything for Conor. He tried world-wide treatments and technologies but unfortunately it recurred for a third time in the November 2014.

John said that Conor pioneered worldwide cancer treatments in the hope of finding a cure, but never had to leave Ireland.

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We flew in drugs from Austria, we begged for drug companies to allow Conor the best fighting chance. He pioneered a lot of treatments but there is no guaranteed cure for Neuroblastoma.

On July 3 2015, Conor passed away at the age of 17 after battling cancer three times.

We went to the ends of the world in every country for a cure or a special tablet for Conor but there was nothing and believe me there is still nothing 16 months on. There has been no official trial to prove conclusively that any drug prevents relapse for Neuroblastoma, therefore the idea of people scaremongering and frightening vulnerable parents of these kids to have to raise 300k to 500k for treatment in the US is absolute sickening.

Money should be going to research so we can find a cure and save our kids. Crumlin in Dublin is a centre of excellence and has worldwide consultants, said John.

John said he understands that parents would do absolutely anything to help save their child.

St. Johns cancer ward is a highly stressful environment. We need to raise the hundreds of thousands of euro into research for Neuroblastoma rather than clinical trials.

Margaret said that no family should be told theres no more that we can do for your child, but if you raise 300k you could try save your child in the US.

Recently we celebrated Conors 18th birthday, but not in the normal way. All Conors family and friends were there. The only person missing was Conor.

We love and miss Conor every day. The house is so quiet especially on Saturday and Sunday mornings when Conor would be up at 7:30am, watching his cartoons and having the TV blaring. Our home was always full of noise.

The family have set up the The Conor Foley Neuroblastoma Cancer Research Foundation to focus on funding research into options for children with neuroblastoma who suffer a relapse. The charity is registered with the Irish Charity Regulatory Authority.

We want for families in the future who have to deal with this cancer to have hope, knowing that there is research being carried out in Ireland to try to find as cure- as Conor did not die in vain, said John.

You can donate to the Conor Foley Neuroblastoma Cancer Research Foundation by visiting the website at www.conorfoley.ie.
Fine Gael has begun preparations to fight a general election, its party chairman has revealed.

Martin Heydon conceded his party must work on the assumption that an election could happen in 2017 - and was perhaps more possible in 2018.

The Kildare South TD said the era of Fine Gael being "run by focus groups" was part of the reason for failure in 2016's general election.

Mr Heydon insisted this "focus group era" was now well and truly ended. Work had already begun on renewing grass roots and trying to identify candidates, while recommendations in two damning post-general election reports were being implemented.

Read more: Kenny: I admire Conor McGregor - but my own fight was to form Coalition

The Fine Gael chairman's comments came before Taoiseach Enda Kenny ruled out the prospect of voters going back to the polls in 2017. Although Mr Kenny admitted his biggest challenge in 2016 was getting a government together, he remained optimistic it would last at least another year.

"I do not see an election at all in the very foreseeable future," he said. "We have a three-year confidence and supply agreement with the Fianna Fail party, with a review at the end of 2018.

"We have 600 tasks in the Programme for Government and we are getting on with that business, and the last thing on my mind is the thought of a general election."

But Mr Heydon stressed Fine Gael's tricky role leading a minority Coalition, dependent especially on Fianna Fail, meant it was not in the driving seat when it came to calling the next election.

"An election can be called by people other than Fine Gael and we can't control that. So, we will need to put a back-up plan in place in 2017," he told the Irish Independent.

"We don't intend calling an election and we intend working with everybody, as far as we can, to avoid it. Once we continue to provide good government we will continue to try to do that," he said.

Mr Heydon avoided citing Fianna Fail as the one most likely to cause an election. But there was no doubting what he had in mind with his next reference.

"If others decide it's politically opportune for them to pick an issue to go on, that's up to them," Mr Heydon said.

The issue of water charges will be a major test for all parties in the first quarter - and an election in 2017 arising from this topic cannot be ruled out.

A special Oireachtas committee on the issue, under the chairmanship of an independent chairman, Senator Padraig O Ceidigh, will hold its first full public meeting on January 11.

The 20 committee members have until the end of March to produce recommendations for the Dail. Soundings from the committee's first meeting held in private before Christmas were quite positive.

But Mr Heydon was conscious that once it met publicly things would be different.

"Meetings in public on this issue will have a very different dynamic and a different tone," he said.

He noted that other parties had built their success on opposition to water charges.

"They won't want to see it disappear from the political agenda," he said.

Some form of compromise between the 'big two' parties could stave off a crisis as they comprise 11 of the 20 members. But Mr Heydon dismissed such speculation, insisting that given current Dail numbers a broader consensus was needed.
The scene of the attack in Dalkey, south Dublin, where a 26-year-old man was stabbed in the face with a Swiss Army knife. Photo: Frank McGrath

A young man almost lost his eye in an attack which has been described as "barbaric".

The 26-year-old victim of the stabbing in Dalkey, south Dublin, is recovering following the incident on Christmas Eve.

The attack happened shortly before midnight close to Dalkey village when a row broke out over a teenage girl.

The victim, who is from the Glenageary area of the capital, suffered huge blood loss and was lucky not to lose the sight in his eye when he was stabbed in the face with a Swiss Army knife.

Three students from a prestigious south Dublin school have now been interviewed by gardai.

His suspected attacker, a 17-year-old boy from Killiney, was arrested on Tuesday and questioned at Shankill Garda Station before being released without charge.

A file is now being prepared for the DPP.

Sources said the suspect was a student at one of the country's best-known private secondary schools, which charges substantial annual fees.

Two other 17-year-old boys, who are believed to attend the same school, have also been questioned by gardai but neither was arrested.

These two boys, who have addresses in Dalkey and Glasthule, are understood to have voluntarily presented themselves for questioning at Dun Laoghaire Garda Station hours after the attack took place. They are not considered suspects.

It is understood that the incident happened in The Metals area, near Dalkey Quarry, after an argument started outside a pub on Dalkey's Main Street.

It has been alleged that the private school students followed the victim after remarks were made to a girl in their company.

It is understood that at least three of them confronted the victim and demanded he apologise. It is alleged that a 17-year-old produced a Swiss Army knife and stabbed the man in the face.

Gardai were unable to confirm reports that the stabbing had been recorded on a mobile phone.

"It seems that he [the culprit] used the knife in a punching motion and the knife just missed the victim's eye by a fraction," a source said.

"The knife was then dragged along the injured man's face, all the way to his neck.

"He suffered huge blood loss and terrible injuries to his face. This was a barbaric incident."

Emergency services were called and the man was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital. He has since been discharged.

At one stage it is believed that medics feared his injuries were critical.

It is understood the Dart line in the area was sealed off for a time as gardai carried out a detailed forensic examination in and around the attack scene.

Meanwhile, a man was rushed to hospital after suffering serious hand injuries in a sustained attack on Wednesday evening.

The victim, who is in his 20s, was set upon and assaulted in Mill Lane, Clondalkin, west Dublin, at around 5pm.

It is believed that the man was attacked with a weapon, possibly a hatchet.

Gardai believe that at one point he attempted to protect his face but was struck in the hands with the weapon. He also suffered head injuries.

Emergency services were called to the scene and the man was transported to Tallaght Hospital by ambulance. Gardai arrived after the victim was taken to hospital.

No arrests have been made and gardai in Clondalkin are investigating the incident.
Northern Ireland's future first minister, Peter Robinson, was plotting to declare an independent state amid a feared bloodbath in the aftermath of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, British officials believed.

In one of a flurry of high-level intergovernmental meetings in 1986, British cabinet secretary Robert Armstrong - the UK's top-ranking official - told Irish counterparts that Mr Robinson was "saying things about independence".

"We may be tending to treat this as unthinkable and to say 'they can't really want it', but the issue may become more real," he warned.

Mr Armstrong was head of the British civil service and chief adviser to then prime minister Margaret Thatcher and the Tory cabinet. Notes from the meeting at Whitehall, marked 'secret', were sent from London to taoiseach Garret FitzGerald in Dublin.

Mr Armstrong told officials that unionists, who feared the recently-signed agreement was a precursor to a British withdrawal, would prefer an independent Northern Ireland rather than a united Ireland.

"However, they do not appear to have thought out the full consequences of this course - and enthusiasm for it is far less than widespread," he said. "They obviously have not given full weight to the financial consequences and do not appear to have considered what their position would be vis a vis the European Community and in the international context."

Mr Armstrong told the meeting that a lot of unionist thinking "particularly on the part of [Ian] Paisley", was based on the premise that "at some time the British would pull the rug out and that then Northern Ireland would have to go it alone".

"Paisley wanted to be in a position to blame the British if this happened - and also to be at the top of the heap," he said, according to Irish official notes of the meeting, just released into Dublin's National Archives under the 30-year rule.

Concerns of a Rhodesia-style unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) in Belfast were raised repeatedly during several confidential Anglo-Irish meetings that year, the State papers show.

In a meeting with secretary of state Tom King at the Irish Embassy in London in February, Mr Fitzgerald said a risk with keeping the Northern Ireland Assembly going was it being used "to declare UDI".

Mr King, who wanted to keep the forum going "for letting off steam, if nothing else", agreed that was possible. He said there was "real trouble ahead" as Catholics feared a Protestant backlash to the agreement, citing a television programme that showed the UDA and UVF getting organised.

"The British were unhappy about the role of some politicians," notes of the meeting state.

"Peter Robinson was certainly in touch with the paramilitaries and the British were also extremely dubious about the role of [former UUP deputy leader] Harold McCusker. Even Paisley was now looking over his shoulder to the paramilitaries."

Head of the Northern Ireland civil service Ken Bloomfield also warned Irish officials in April about an attempted revival of Ulster nationalism.

"Unionists are now beginning to realise that the choice facing them is whether to preserve the union or preserve their ascendancy," he said.

Also in April, Mr FitzGerald met with Ulster Unionist Belfast lord mayor John Carson.

One of the mayor's officials, Alfie Redpath, told the meeting there were close links between some politicians and the paramilitaries, saying the "thuggery is being manipulated with a purpose".

"Paisley and Robinson seem to be working with a scenario of UDI in mind," he told the taoiseach. "They will say, when the violence has reached a certain point, that the only way out is for Ulster to look after itself. We could run into a bloodbath."

Mr FitzGerald responded that unionists purported to support the union but "what they are doing is the opposite".
An Egyptian journalist holds a candle and a poster supporting EgyptAir during a candlelight vigil for the victims of Flight 804 (AP)

Rescue workers search for survivors at he wreckage of a chartered airplane that crashed in La Union, a mountainous area outside Medellin, Colombia, Tuesday , Nov. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides)

U.S. Navy LT JG Curtis Calabrese takes notes on board of a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion patrol aircraft from Sigonella, Sicily, Sunday, May 22, 2016, searching the area in the Mediterranean Sea where the Egyptair flight 804 en route from Paris to Cairo went missing on May 19. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

2016 has been one of the safest years in aviation history, despite recent high-profile crashes, says Oliver Smith.

The recent crashes of LaMia Airlines Flight 2933 near the Colombian city of Medellin, and a Russian military jet soon after departure from Sochi, will have done little to allay the fears of nervous fliers.

But, though it will come as no consolation to the friends and families of those who perished, 2016 has been one of the safest years in aviation history.

There has been a relatively small number of air accidents this year - a testament to the stringent safety standards now in place around the world.

Among 2016s other high-profile tragedies was EgyptAir Flight 804 from Paris to Cairo, which disappeared in the Mediterranean in May, killing all 66 on board, and Flydubai Flight 981, which crashed after an aborted landing in Russia with the loss of 62 lives.

According to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), which keeps a database of all air travel incidents, 2016 was the second safest year on record.

Expand Close Rescue workers search for survivors at he wreckage of a chartered airplane that crashed in La Union, a mountainous area outside Medellin, Colombia, Tuesday , Nov. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Rescue workers search for survivors at he wreckage of a chartered airplane that crashed in La Union, a mountainous area outside Medellin, Colombia, Tuesday , Nov. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides)

There were 19 fatal accidents this year, resulting in 325 deaths - down from 560 in 2015. Given that this year will see around 3.5 billion air passengers flown, thats just one death per 10,769,230 travellers. Two of these 19 accidents were on flights operated by airlines on the EU black list.

Only one year saw fewer deaths - 2013, with 265. But with 3.048 billion boarding a plane that year, according to the World Banks data, this amounts to a very similar number of deaths per passenger: one per 11,501,886.

Safest years in aviation history | Deaths per total number of passengers flown

2013 - one per 11,501,886

2016 - one per 10,769,230

2015 - one per 6,144,642

2012 - one per 6,079,831

2011 - one per 5,318,702

2008 - one per 3,755,102

2004 - one per 3,478,821

2014 - one per 3,253,791

2009 - one per 2,960,526

2007 - one per 2,803,299

When one discounts hijackings and sabotage, 2015 was actually the safest year on record. The crashes of a Germanwings A320 in March 2015, deliberately caused by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, and a Metrojet A321 in October, due to a suspected bomb, accounted for the majority of last year's fatalities.

Safest years in aviation history | Total deaths

2013 - 29 fatal crashes; 265 deaths

2016 - 19 fatal crashes; 325 deaths

2012 - 24 fatal crashes; 476 deaths

2011 - 36 fatal crashes; 524 deaths

2004 - 36 fatal crashes; 543 deaths

2015 - 16 fatal crashes; 560 deaths

2008 - 33 fatal crashes; 588 deaths

1984 - 39 fatal crashes; 676 deaths

2003 - 33 fatal crashes; 703 deaths

1999 - 48 fatal crashes; 706 deaths

2015 also saw the fewest number of fatal crashes involving passenger aircraft - just seven. There has been 11 so far in 2016. The general trend, however - that air travel has never been safer - is easy to see.

Since 1997 the average number of airliner accidents has shown a steady and persistent decline... thanks to the continuing efforts of international aviation organisations such as ICAO, IATA, Flight Safety Foundation and the aviation industry, said ASN President Harro Ranter.

But what of the deadliest year in aviation history?

Expand Close Emergencies Ministry members search the wreckage at the crash site of Flight number FZ981, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, at the airport of Rostov-On-Don, Russia, March 19, 2016 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Emergencies Ministry members search the wreckage at the crash site of Flight number FZ981, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, at the airport of Rostov-On-Don, Russia, March 19, 2016

For that, one must go back to 1972, which saw a remarkable 2,370 deaths and 72 fatal accidents. There were 11 crashes that saw at least 100 perish, including four Aeroflot flights, and others involving Iberia, Sterling Airways, Alitalia, British European Airways, Interflug, Spantax and Eastern Air Lines.

10 deadliest years in aviation history

1972: 72 accidents (2,373 casualties)

1973: 69 accidents (2,028 casualties)

1985: 42 accidents (2,010 casualties)

1974: 68 accidents (1,994 casualties)

1996: 57 accidents (1,844 casualties)

1979: 77 accidents (1,776 casualties)

1962: 70 accidents (1,683 casualties)

1969: 71 accidents (1,676 casualties)

1977: 61 accidents (1,652 casualties)

1976: 66 accidents (1,627 casualties)

Fearful fliers should be grateful the Seventies are over.

The following year, 1973, was the second deadliest on record, with 69 fatal crashes and 2,028 deaths. The carriers involved in the biggest disasters that year included Royal Jordanian, Libya Arab Airlines, Invicta International Airlines, Varig and Pan Am. And, of course, Aeroflot, which had a staggering 17 crashes that year.

And 1974 was the fourth deadliest year, with 1,989 fatalities from 68 crashes (eight involving Aeroflot). It should be noted that safety standards have improved drastically at the Russian airline since then - it hasn't been involved in a fatal accident since 1996.

During every year in the Seventies, there were more than 1,000 deaths, making it comfortably the deadliest decade on record (16,766 - more than twice as many as during the 2000s).

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December 20, 2016: Candles burn at a Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, Germany to commemorate the 12 victims of a truck that ploughed into the crowded market on December 19. REUTERS/Christian Mang

November 29, 2016: Brazil's Chapecoense football team pose together for the last time in front of their charter plane which crashed near Medellin, Colombia, killing 76 people.

November 21, 2016: Gardai from the technical bureau examine the scene the morning after an attack on college student Kym Owens (18) in Maynooth, Co Kildare. The young woman was seriously assaulted as she walked from the bus to her college digs on a particularly foggy night. Picture: Colin ORiordan

November 9, 2016: This picture was taken in the early hours of November 9 as Donald Trump watched election results with his family and supporters - just minutes before they realised they could be the winners of the US Presidential Election Photo: PA

November 6, 2016: Ireland face New Zealand's haka in a shape of eight in memory of coach Anthony Foley, who passed away unexpectantly the week before. Photo: INPHO/Billy Stickland

October 10, 2016: Former Isis prisoner Nadia Murad delivers her speech after winning the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. Murad escaped sex slavery at the hands of Isis to become the first survivor of captivity to be appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.

September 5, 2016: The scene of a crash in which Nicola Kenny, a young woman who had just given birth the day before, was killed. Nicola was in the car with relatives and had just received a positive phonecall about her baby who had been brought to a hospital in Dublin when they were involved in the fatal incident.

September 3, 2016: The five hearses carrying the remains of the Hawe Family, Alan and Clodagh and their three children as they made their way to St Mary's Church, Castlerahan near Ballyjamesduff. Dad-of-three Alan Hawe murdered his wife Clodagh and three children before killing himself. His mother-in-law called emergency services when she read a note on the home's back door warning her not to enter the home. Photo: Frank McGrath

August 12, 2016: Olympic heroes! The O'Donovan brothers Paul and Gary do the country proud with a silver medal... and get the nation laughing with their clever quips

July 7, 2016: Members of Tallaght Community Arts perform at the 1916 centenary celebration in St Endas Park, Rathfarnham. The event was just one of many that took place throughout the year to celebrate the centenary of 1916. Photo: Tony Gavin

June 24, 2016: David Cameron makes a speech after the Brexit 'Leave' result outside 10 Downing Street in London, with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, 5, before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister Credit: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

July 14, 2016: French police forces and forensic officers stand next to a truck that ran into a crowd celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday on the Promenade des Anglais killing at least 60 people in Nice, France. Photo: Reuters

June 12, 2016: Jermaine Towns, left, and Brandon Shuford wait down the street from a multiple shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016. Towns said his brother was in the club at the time. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

June, 2016: Irish and French fans in Lyon before Irelands Euro 2016 clash with France Photo: Mark Condren

April 21, 2016: Fans leave flowers and purple balloons at a memorial outside Paisley Park, the singer Princes home in Minneapolis. The artist's untimely death shocked the world of music and beyond. Photo: Reuters

April 9, 2016: Not a picture exactly, but this video-still was too good not to include. David Mullins (19) was delighted with his unexpected win with Rule The World at Aintree, but it was his younger brother Charlie's emotions that stole the show.

April 8, 2016: Drugs mule Michaella McCollum is freed from prison in Peru under new legislation on early release that was introduced last year. She is pictured in an upmarket area of Peru during a family visit. Photo: Mark Condren

March 24, 2016: A devastated Louise James carries the coffin of one of her sons at the church in Derry as mourners attended the Buncrana pier tragedy funeral. Louise James lost her long-term partner Sean McGrotty, her mother Ruth Daniels, her sister Jodi-Lee (15) and their children, Mark (12), Evan (8) in the incident. Baby Rioghnach-Ann was saved by a heroic passery-by. (Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

March 22, 2016: An unidentified traveller gets to his feet in a smoke-filled terminal at Brussels Airport, in Brussels after 34 people were killed and more than 200 were injured after a suicide bombing. The photo was provided to international wires by Ralph Usbeck

February 26, 2016: Taoiseach Enda Kenny is congratulated as he leaves Leinster House after his historic re-election Photo: Paul Faith

February 19, 2016: In an exclusive photograph for the Irish Independent, Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch is pictured at the funeral of his brother Eddie Hutch Snr, a taxi driver in Dublin's north inner city. The latest victim of gangland violence was not involved in crime and described as a "soft target".

February 5, 2016: A photograph taken outside the Regency Hotel in Dublin just moments before raiders in disguise entered the hotel. One man died and two others were injured in the shooting incident.

January 19, 2016: Members of the Gardai at the scene in the Grand Canal where the body of Kenneth OBrien was found. Photo: Collins Dublin, Gareth Chaney

January 10, 2016: A woman leaves flowers beneath a mural of David Bowie in Brixton, London, who passed away on January 10, 2016 Photo: Getty

They are the moments that make you stop, talk, hope, smile, cry or even pray.

Photographs can depict a whole story in just a few seconds and hold a power that words will never have.

We've looked back at the biggest stories of the year, both in Ireland and abroad, and picked one simple image from each event.

2016 was certainly a busy one.

In Ireland, we had our own General Election, our 1916 centenary commemorations, teams in green that did us proud in France and Rio and a sudden spike in the capital's gangland feud. More poignant moments included the Buncrana pier tragedy that required a heart of stone not to shed a tear, the shock after a number of murder-suicides, some of which included children, and a notable increase in Ireland's road death toll.

Terror still grips Europe and beyond, and 2016 was no exception. Attacks in Brussels, Nice, Florida and Berlin shocked nations across the globe.

Politically, UK made a stand and voted 'Leave' in Brexit and Donald Trump tweeted and rallied his way into the White House.

2016 also saw the loss of some artistic and sporting greats - David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Prince, Mohamed Ali, Gene Wilder, to name but a few.

The above gallery are photographs from Independent.ie's most-read stories, let us know if you have your own notable moment to include.
Swiss Guards arrive before Pope Francis delivered his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message from the balcony overlooking St. Peters Square at the Vatican on Christmas Day. Photo: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters

The coming year will mark the fifth centenary of the start of the Reformation. In 1517, the German monk, Martin Luther, hammered his 95 'theses' to the church door at Wittenberg objecting to various practices within the Catholic Church, not least the sale of indulgences.

The year just coming to an end saw an increasingly angry electorate hammer its own set of theses to the door of every single mainstream party in the Western world, setting off a Reformation of its own, except this time a political Reformation. This Reformation will continue into 2017.

At a minimum, Marine Le Pen will do very well in the French presidential election next year, and even if Angela Merkel becomes German chancellor for a fourth time, she will be a greatly diminished figure because of her recklessly generous refugee policy.

There were many other ways to help refugees than her opening of Germany's borders. Her policy was structurally biased in favour of young, single men because it was young, single men who were best placed to make the arduous journey from the Middle East and North Africa.

Instead, she should have flown refugees directly to Germany from the camps in Turkey. This policy would have been fairer. Why should young, single men have a better chance of finding asylum in Germany than other categories, including the old and infirm?

What is ironic is that this good woman, who has done more than almost anyone to set the conditions for Europe's new Reformation, is herself the daughter of a Lutheran pastor, and is therefore also a product of the original Reformation.

She has also set the conditions through her unswerving devotion to the euro.

It is simply a fact that a one-size-fits-all policy, which is what the euro is, and what the European Union itself is becoming, is absolutely doomed to failure in its present form and people are rightly rebelling.

The euro's value is set at a level that suits the Germans far more than the Italians or the Greeks. Or the Irish for that matter.

The interest rate set by the European Central Bank also suits the Germans more than it suits anyone else.

But here is another irony; it doesn't suit the Germans enough either because, to a certain extent, it tethers the fate of the German economy to the likes of 'feckless' Greece. This has given rise to Alternative for Germany, condemned as being 'far right' for wanting to pull Germany out of the euro and to curb immigration.

Defenders of the euro will say the fact it doesn't even suit Germany enough is proof that it involves compromises. But who do these compromises really serve? It is as though the vision of a united Europe which the euro embodies is more important than the practical and often dire effects of the euro on the ground.

Ms Merkel is now the equivalent of the popes at the time of the Reformation. She represents the old order. With Barack Obama departing the scene, she has become the major standard bearer for liberal internationalism. She is for globalisation, tout court, meaning she is for free movement of both goods and people, as well as for an ever-growing forest of international laws that undermine national sovereignty.

This promotes the global and the universal at the expense of the local and particular. Therefore, it completely ignores or denounces as 'bigotry' an absolutely ineradicable part of human nature, namely that we will always feel closest to the things that are closest to us.

Catholicism is also a universal religion. One reason Protestantism went so far, so fast, is that it allied itself strongly with local rulers. Henry VIII went for it partly because it would enhance his power and diminish the power of the Pope in Rome. Today, Rome is Brussels.

However, the Catholic Church had deep ancient local roots in almost every part of Europe. To that extent, it was both local and universal.

The euro and the Euro-federalist project, by contrast, are elitist and top-down from start to finish.

The Catholic Church painted the Protestants as 'heretics', and from its point of view that's what they were, and vice versa. Each sought to crush the other.

The mainstream parties in Europe are today what the Catholic Church was then. So is the mainstream media. Every mainstream party and most of the mainstream media are allied to liberal internationalism.

The populist parties of left and right, plus the alternative media, are the modern equivalents of the Protestants back in the 16th century.

The mainstream parties and media are furious that their power is being so badly threatened and denounce the heretics as 'bigots' and knuckle-draggers.

Just as the Catholic Church didn't trust the laity to interpret the 'Bible' properly, so the modern-day 'bishops' of the European Union don't trust the laity to properly understand the intricacies of the European project.

This is why they hate having to put European treaties to the vote and absolutely loathed Brexit. With Brexit, the British did another Henry VIII and now a modern-day Spanish Armada is determined to stop Britain leaving the fold permanently.

Donald Trump is more radical still, a sort of John Calvin to Brexit's Martin Luther. And lying in wait we have Ms Le Pen and co. Like the Catholic Church in the 16th century, the mainstream parties will hope to crush this heresy, but they will fail, just like the Catholic Church failed then. It will not be put down.

Liberal internationalism's high water mark has come and gone, just like the high water mark of the Catholic Church's power in Europe came and went in the Middle Ages.
A memorial service for the Hungarian-born star was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills

Hollywood has said its final farewell to Zsa Zsa Gabor at the actress and socialite's funeral.

Gabor died at the age of 99 after suffering a heart attack at her home in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, on December 18.

An intimate memorial service was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills on Friday, hosted by her widower Frederic Prinz von Anhalt.

An urn containing Gabor's ashes was taken into the church in a Louis Vuitton bag and placed next to a photograph of the Hungarian-born star with the words "farewell my love".

Gabor's ninth husband von Anhalt, 73, paid tribute to his late wife and said his life was "empty" without her.

"She left peacefully. It was beautiful the way she passed," he said.

"She was a good woman. She helped people, especially the homeless.

"She loved the red carpet. Her life was red carpet or nothing else.

"Keep her in your heart the way she was in Hollywood."

Von Anhalt, who married Gabor in 1986, said he had brought his wife's ashes in a Louis Vuitton dog bag because of her love of dogs.

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"I was my wife's partner. I was her best friend," he added.

"It was my duty, and it's the duty of any husband or any wife, to care for your partner.

"My wife was my life. Right now my life is empty. I was glued to my partner."

Father Ed Benioff, who led the service, hailed Gabor as a "Hollywood icon" with a "sensitive side".

"She epitomised and personified Hollywood glamour," he said.

After the service, von Anhalt said Gabor would be laid to rest in Hungary next to her late father.

Gabor had suffered from ill health since being partly paralysed in a car accident in 2002 and suffering a stroke in 2005.

Delivering the eulogy, German entrepreneur von Anhalt claimed Gabor was unaware for many months that her leg had been amputated in later life following an infection.

"She looked down and said 'there's a leg missing'," he told the congregation.

"I said, 'I'm your leg'. We moved on. We had fun."

He also recalled Gabor's friendships with the late Elizabeth Taylor and Kirk Douglas, who von Anhalt said "coached" Gabor as her health problems mounted.

Gabor, the great aunt of Paris Hilton, was better known for her string of marriages - totalling nine if a quickly annulled shipboard ceremony is included - than her work on-screen.

Born in Budapest in 1917, she started her career in the 1940s and went from being a beauty queen to a millionaire's wife and a major public figure.

The late Michael Winner, who directed her in the 1976 film Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood, once described her as largely playing a thinly veiled version of herself.

"She played Zsa Zsa Gabor the actress in real life," Winner said in 2013.

She was also known for her wit, having once said: "I am a marvellous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man I keep his house."

Gabor outlived older sister Magda and younger sister Eva, who were also actresses and socialites. Her only child, actress Francesca Hilton, died last year aged 67.

The family was dealt another tragedy following Gabor's death after it was confirmed her adopted son, Oliver Prinz von Anhalt, had died.

He was involved in a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles on December 10 and died on Christmas Day - a week after Gabor's death.
Debbie Reynolds, left, with her daughter Carrie Fisher at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles in 2011 (AP)

Hollywood star Debbie Reynolds has died of a suspected stroke barely a day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher.

The 84-year-old Singin' In The Rain star died on Wednesday, her son Todd Fisher announced, saying: "She's now with Carrie and we're all heartbroken."

"She said, 'I want to be with Carrie'," he added. "And then she was gone."

In emergency service dispatch audio obtained by celebrity website Tmz.com, Reynolds is said to have suffered a stroke.

Emergency services were called at 1pm local time on Wednesday to her son's Beverly Hills home, where they were making plans for Fisher's funeral.

Actor and director Mr Fisher, 58, speaking outside Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre where Reynolds was taken by ambulance, said the stress of his sister's death on Tuesday at 60 "was too much" for their mother.

Carrie Fisher, who rose to fame for her role playing Princess Leia in Star Wars, died in hospital days after suffering a heart attack on a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles.

Fisher's daughter, actress Billie Lourd, 24, was photographed on Wednesday in California with Scream Queens co-star Taylor Lautner just before her grandmother fell ill.

Earlier this year Reynolds was said to be "frail" by her family and had reportedly suffered two previous separate strokes in 2013 and 2015.

Reynolds was just a teenager when she landed a role in the 1950 film Three Little Words, for which she was nominated for a most promising newcomer Golden Globe .

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She was perhaps most famous for playing Kathy Selden in 1952 musical Singin' In The Rain alongside Gene Kelly.

Her first of three marriages was to musician Eddie Fisher in 1955 and with him she had Carrie and Todd.

But their relationship ended sourly after news emerged of his affair with film star Elizabeth Taylor.

Reynolds continued to have a loving relationship with her ex-husband's children, including Joely Fisher, 49, who tweeted: " Some of the magic people have left the tribe ... for the moment I am inconsolable ... "

Reynolds had paid an emotional tribute to her daughter on Facebook.

She wrote: "Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter. I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop. Love Carrie's Mother."

The actresses enjoyed a tumultuous relationship, particularly during Fisher's early forays into show business as she battled drug and alcohol addiction.

However, the bond between the mother and daughter grew stronger in later years and their homes shared the same grounds in Beverly Hills.

Earlier this year they premiered mother-daughter documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds at the Cannes Film Festival which will air on HBO next year.

In 2011 Fisher said she would be "happy" if she was like her mother "in any way".

The actress captured the hearts of a generation as the blaster-toting, bikini-wearing princess and tough resistance leader in the three original Star Wars films.

On Fisher's success as Leia, Reynolds once said: "People used to call her Debbie Reynolds' daughter ... now they call me Princess Leia's mother."

Off screen Fisher battled drink, drugs and mental illness and later emerged as a widely-lauded mental health advocate who inspired others by writing about her struggles.

In 1987 she published her semi-autobiographical novel Postcards From The Edge about a recovering drug addict film star. It became a bestseller and was turned into a 1990 film starring an Oscar-nominated Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine and Dennis Quaid.

She wrote and performed in an autobiographical one-woman show, Wishful Drinking, which went to Broadway and was turned into a book.
A fiver given as a festive gift is thought to be worth up to 50,000 thanks to a micro engraving

A rare 5 note thought to be worth up to 50,000 has been found in a Christmas card.

The note is one of four engraved with a tiny portrait of Jane Austen and was found in the Scottish Borders.

The new owner wants to remain anonymous and has decided to keep the note, frame it and hang it on their wall.

They received the note in a Christmas card from a relative in the same area, who thought they were including an ordinary 5.

The Tony Huggins-Haig Gallery in Kelso, in the Scottish Borders, launched the project with specialist micro-engraver Graham Short creating the mini artworks.

The note, discovered on Thursday, is the second of the four Bank of England notes to be found after one was handed over in change from a cafe in south Wales earlier this month.

Two more special 5 notes, spent in England and Northern Ireland, remain in general circulation and their serial numbers are AM32 885552 and AM32 885554.

Mr Huggins-Haig said the latest finder, who works in education, wants to remain anonymous but has been to the gallery to have the note verified.

He said: " They are completely delighted to have it and it's getting framed and going on the wall.

"They were given it in a Christmas card by a relative and they are delighted as well because they didn't know that's what they were putting in the card - they knew it was a 5 but not one that could be worth 50,000.

"Of the two that have been found, both are with people who want to keep them as art. They've both been found by wonderful people who are very deserving.

"We've let the 5 notes go out there and it's been brilliantly received by people."

He said the project has generated worldwide interest and he has been contacted by Russian, Chinese and Indian television companies.

Mr Huggins-Haig spent one of the notes in Granny Jean's bakery in Kelso on December 5 to start the project, sparking a huge surge in custom w hen he revealed the move days later.

Head baker Alan Malone said he was "gutted" to have inadvertently given it away in change.

Mr Short's last piece of art, a portrait of the Queen engraved on a speck of gold inside the eye of a needle, sold for 100,000.
The head of Japan's largest advertising agency has said he will resign following the "death by overwork" of a young employee who put in hundreds of hours in overtime.

Matsuri Takahashi, a 24-year-old graduate who joined Dentsu in April last year, took her own life on Christmas Day last year. She left a note for her mother which asked: "Why do things have to be so hard?"

Her death, deemed by the government as "karoshi" - or death by overwork - was the latest in a string of incidents that have thrown a spotlight on Japan's gruelling working culture and its high rates of suicide.

It is highly unusual for the head of a major Japanese firm to resign over an employee suicide.

Prosecutors

Japanese authorities have referred Dentsu and one of its executives to prosecutors on suspicion of violating labour laws by forcing Ms Takahashi to work illegally long hours.

She was part of Dentsu's online advertising division, which recently had its staff numbers cut from 14 to six, according to the Japan Times.

Ms Takahashi had worked more than 100 hours of overtime every month since joining the company in April last year, Japanese media reported.

In the weeks leading up to her death, she reportedly began writing messages on Twitter in which she complained of being forced to work extremely long hours.

"It's 4 o'clock. My body is trembling ... I just can't do this. I'm gonna die. I'm so tired," one message read.

Tadashi Ishii, the president of Dentsu, said in a statement it was "extremely regrettable" the company had failed to "prevent overwork by a new recruit.

"In order to take full responsibility, I would like to resign as president at a board meeting in January," he added.

Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, is campaigning for sweeping reforms of employment laws, which could include tighter regulation of overtime.

It is not the first time a Dentsu employee has killed themselves due to overwork.

In 2000, Japan's highest court ruled that a 24-year-old employee hanged himself due to suffering "horrendous working conditions".

It is unclear how many victims of "karoshi" there are each year in Japan, but estimates put the figure in the hundreds, or even the thousands.

Overall, in 2014, there were 25,000 suicides in Japan.

The rigorous working culture - where shifts of 12 hours or longer are often considered the norm - is understood to have begun in the 1970s, when wages were low.

The culture continued through the 1980s boom and is often credited with pushing Japan to become the world's third-largest economy.

But it has also been harshly criticised for leaving workers miserable, exhausted, and in some cases suicidal. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The world's oldest male panda named Pan Pan, has died aged 31 from cancer.

Pan Pan was born in Sichaun in China and was taken into custody when he was a few months old.

The world's oldest panda is Basi, a 36-year-old female who lives in China.

Pan Pan died early on Wednesday morning at the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda.

Keepers described his death as "heart wrenching".

Keepers said he had stopped moving and eating, and lost consciousness, as his health had deteriorated rapidly.

There is an estimated 1,864 adult pandas in China with some 422 in captivity.

It;s belieevd wild pandas have the lifespan of 20 years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, listen to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Russia on Thursday. Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

A Syrian army soldier places a Syrian national flag during a battle with rebel fighters at the Ramouseh front line, east of Aleppo. Photo: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File

Rebel fighters walk out of a mosque in al-Rai town, northern Aleppo countryside, Syria December 30, 2016. On the gate are seen Islamic State logo stickers. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Clashes, shelling and air raids in western Syria marred a Russian- and Turkish-backed ceasefire that aims to end nearly six years of war and lead to peace talks between rebels and a government emboldened by recent battlefield success.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition.

The truce went into force at midnight but monitors and rebels reported almost immediate clashes, and violence appeared to escalate later on Friday as warplanes bombed areas in the country's northwest, they said.

Asaad Hanna, a political officer in the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a loose alliance of insurgent groups, told Reuters violence had reduced but had not stopped.

"We cannot be optimistic about someone like the Russians who used to kill us for six years ... they are not angels. But we are happy because we are reducing the violence and working to find a solution for the current situation," said Hanna.

The ceasefire is meant as a first step towards fresh peace talks, after several failed international efforts this year to halt the conflict, which began as a peaceful uprising and descended into war in 2011.

It has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths, displaced more than 11 million people and drawn in the military involvement of world and regional powers, including Moscow and Ankara.

The agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey, which said they will guarantee the truce, is the first of three ceasefire deals this year not to involve the United States or United Nations.

Moscow is keen to push ahead with peace talks, hosted by its ally Kazakhstan. But the first challenge will be maintaining the truce, which looked shaky on Friday.

WARPLANES AND HELICOPTERS

Syrian government warplanes carried out nearly 20 raids against rebels in several towns along the provincial boundary between Idlib and Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Clashes between rebel groups and government forces took place overnight in the area, the Observatory and rebel officials said.

Warplanes and helicopters also struck northwest of Damascus in the rebel-held Wadi Barada valley, where government troops and allied forces clashed with rebels, the British-based Observatory reported.

A military media unit run by Damascus's ally Hezbollah denied any Syrian government air strikes on the area.

An official from the Nour al-Din al-Zinki rebel group said government forces had also tried to advance in southern Aleppo province.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian military on Friday's clashes.

Residents of several rebel-held areas, including towns and cities in Idlib province, used the relative calm to hold street protests against the Syrian government on Friday, the Observatory said.

A number of rebel groups have signed the new agreement, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday. Several rebel officials acknowledged the deal, and a FSA spokesman said it would abide by the truce.

Hanna, the FSA political officer, said late on Friday rebels were not yet responding to attacks by pro-government forces and had asked Turkey to make sure the attacks stop.

"If the breaks come again, we will reply to all the sources of fire. We are monitoring the fighting but our weapons are ready," he said.

PREVIOUS COLLAPSES

The previous two Syria ceasefires, brokered by Washington and Moscow, took effect in February and September but both collapsed within weeks as warring sides accused each other of truce violations and fighting intensified.

Putin said the parties were prepared to start peace talks intended to take place in Astana. Syrian state media said late on Thursday those talks would take place "soon".

The Syrian government will be negotiating from a strong position after its army and their allies, including Shi'ite militias supported by Iran, along with Russian air power, routed rebels in their last major urban stronghold of Aleppo this month.

Moscow's air campaign since September last year has turned the war in Assad's favour, and the last rebels left Aleppo for areas that are still under rebel control to the west of the city, including the province of Idlib.

On Friday the Russian ambassador to the United Nations said Moscow had circulated a proposed resolution at the U.N. Security Council that would endorse the ceasefire, and said he hoped the council would vote on the resolution on Saturday.

In another sign that the latest truce could be as challenging to maintain as its predecessors, there was confusion over which rebel groups would be covered by the ceasefire.

The Syrian army said the agreement did not include the radical Islamist group Islamic State, fighters from al-Qaeda's former branch the Nusra Front, or any factions linked to those jihadist groups.

But several rebel officials said on Thursday that the agreement did include the former Nusra Front - now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham - which announced in July that it was severing ties with al Qaeda.

A spokesman for Jabhat Fateh al-Sham criticized the ceasefire for not mentioning Assad's fate, and said the political solution under this agreement would "reproduce the criminal regime".

"The solution is to topple the criminal regime militarily," he said in a statement on Friday.

The powerful Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham said it had not signed the ceasefire agreement because of "reservations" but did not elaborate.

RUSSIA-TURKEY DETENTE

The deal follows a thaw in ties between Russia and Turkey.

Ankara backs rebels fighting against Islamic State, which has made enemies of all other sides involved in the conflict.

In a sign of the detente, the Turkish armed forces said on Friday Russian aircraft had carried out three air strikes against Islamic State in the area of al-Bab in northern Syria.

Ankara has insisted on the departure of Assad but his removal has become a secondary concern to fighting the expansion of Kurdish influence in northern Syria. The chances of Assad's opponents forcing him from power now seem more remote than at any point in the war.

Turkish demands that fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement leave Syria may not please Iran, another major Assad supporter. Hezbollah has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces against rebels.

On Thursday a senior Hezbollah official said the party's military wing would remain in Syria.

The United States, in the waning days of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due take part in the Kazakhstan talks.

Russia has said the United States could join a fresh peace process once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. It also wants Egypt to join, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the United Nations.

Trump has said he would cooperate more closely with Russia to fight terrorism but it was unclear what that policy would look like, given resistance from the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community to closer cooperation with Russia on Syria.
The wife of Lukasz Urban, the Polish truck driver who was killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack (AP Photo/Lukasz Szelemej)

People gather in front of the church for a funeral mass of the Polish truck driver Lukasz Urban, who was killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack (AP Photo/Lukasz Szelemej)

People gather in front of the church after a funeral mass for the Polish truck driver Lukasz Urban, who was killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack (AP Photo/Lukasz Szelemej)

Hundreds of mourners have bid farewell to the Polish truck driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack.

Lukasz Urban, 37, has been described as the first victim of the attack that killed a total of 12 people in the German capital on December 19.

He had been waiting to deliver a shipment of steel in Berlin when his truck was hijacked by the attacker, believed to be Tunisian man Anis Amri, who was later killed in a shoot-out with Italian police.

Mr Urban was shot, and his body was found later in the cab of the truck.

Poland's president Andrzej Duda joined Mr Urban's family, friends and neighbours in a church in the village church in Banie, near the border with Germany.

Several other Polish political officials and a representative of the German embassy to Poland were also there.

A letter from prime minister Beata Szydlo was also read out in which she described her "great pain and sadness" and expressed her sympathy to Mr Urban's family.

"Poles have fallen victim to terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic fundamentalists but the tragedy that happened in Berlin is unique when it comes to the ruthlessness and cruelty of the perpetrator," Ms Szydlo said.

Bishop Henryk Wejman delivered a homily in which he described Mr Urban as a man who was open to others and conscientious in his work.

"His willingness to work and serve others won him the trust of other people and the openness to fellow man," Bishop Wejman said.

As the Mass was winding down the president bowed his head at Mr Urban's coffin before offering his condolences to the dead man's wife and teenage son.

The coffin was then carried out of the church and placed in a hearse, which drove it slowly through the village to a cemetery for burial, as mourners walked alonside it.

Before the Mass, a group of truck drivers honked the horns of their trucks to honour Mr Urban.
It is easy to be sceptical about yesterday's Syrian ceasefire. Half a dozen previous ones all speedily collapsed. There are disagreements about crucial details. If the mighty United States was not able to end the fighting, why should we expect more of yesterday's ill-matched trio of power brokers; Russia, Turkey and Iran?

That may be the point. The US may be mighty but its credibility in the region is at rock bottom. After Obama's "Red Line" fiasco, Western involvement against Assad has been little more than rhetorical.

The Islamisation of the Syrian opposition has left our objectives hopelessly confused. The US, by using the Kurds as its ground army, has alienated the Turks, who are pivotal and who have now joined with the Russians. The Russians have shown no such muddle-headedness. Their aim from the beginning has been to sustain Assad in order to block the Islamist alternative. They have been ruthless - as in the Aleppo bloodbath. It may have worked.

The bottom line is the parties on the ground are more impressed by Russian bombs than US words.

2017, bringing Brexit and President Trump, already looked like an earthquake year. But if this ceasefire holds, then the familiar picture of global politics will have taken another big shock. We all knew that America's post-Cold War dominance was fading - notably with the rising self-assertion of Russia and China. But this felt comfortably slow and manageable.

Now, suddenly, the new world may be upon us. In politics, the appearance of power is as important as substance - and US pretensions in a crucial region will have been exposed as hollow.

The consequences could be drastic. In the Middle East itself,the Iranians would be riding high. The Saudis and Egyptians would be seeking reinsurance for a US guarantee they no longer trusted. Turkey, as a key regional powerbroker, would be even less attentive to the concerns of EU and Nato nations who it increasingly sees as hostile critics.

Then there is Russia; another nation which, after initially looking for cooperation with the West, is now utterly alienated. If the ceasefire sticks, it will surely conclude that there must be other places where an enfeebled West will have to learn to listen. The key lesson is that the only way to earn real respect is readiness to use force.

Enter President Trump, with his repeated emphasis on US national interests supplanting its role as global sheriff. If Mr Trump follows through on this, we in western Europe will have to think more carefully about the extent to which we can hope to isolate and coerce our Russian neighbour.

Indeed, the moment may finally have come when Europe has to face up to its own security responsibilities. ( Daily Telegraph, London)
Barack Obama imposed sweeping punishments in retaliation for Russia's hacking of American political sites and email accounts (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Vladimir Putin has condemned the US for imposing sanctions and expelling Russian diplomats amid allegations of Russian meddling in the American presidential election, but said no US diplomats will be ousted in reprisal.

In a growing controversy surrounding complaints from President Barack Obama's administration about a cyberattack against America's political system, the White House unleashed a string of sanctions and coupled them with an order that 35 Russians be expelled.

Mr Putin said on Friday that Moscow would not eject American diplomats in response to what he described as "provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations" less than a month before Donald Trump takes over the White House.

The decision came as a surprise, as tit-for-tat expulsions are common diplomatic practice and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov had suggested hours before Mr Putin's announcement that Moscow would oust 31 American diplomats.

"The Russian diplomats returning home will spend the new year holidays with their relatives and dear ones," Mr Putin said in a statement on the Kremlin website. "We will not create problems for US diplomats. We will not expel anybody."

He added: "Moreover, I am inviting all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the new year and Christmas parties at the Kremlin."

Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre, said on Twitter: "Putin's asymmetric response to Obama's new sanctions is an investment in the incoming Trump presidency. A different kind of tit-for-tat: even as Obama seeks to constrain Trump in his Russia policy, Putin counters that step with a show of magnanimity."

The diplomatic confrontation between Washington and Moscow, which had been festering even before Mr Trump won the November 8 presidential election, puts pressure on the billionaire businessman not to let Russia off the hook after he takes office on January 20.

Russia's government had threatened retaliation, and it continues to deny US accusations that it hacked and stole emails to try to help Mr Trump win.

The president-elect praised Mr Putin for holding off on retaliation, tweeting: "Great move on delay."

He added: "I always knew he was very smart!"

Mr Trump has been slow to criticise Mr Putin and has questioned US intelligence linking Russia to the hacking.

He is planning to meet US intelligence officials next week, but has said it is time for the country to move on.

Mr Obama on Thursday ordered sanctions against the GRU and FSB, the Russian intelligence agencies the US said were involved in the hacking attacks. In an elaborately co-ordinated response by at least five federal agencies, the Obama administration also sought to expose Russia's cyber tactics with a detailed technical report and hinted it might still launch a covert counter attack.

"All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," said Mr Obama.

Yet the sanctions could easily be pulled back by Mr Trump, who has insisted that Mr Obama and Democrats are merely attempting to de-legitimise his election.

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said earlier on Friday that Washington has become immersed in "anti-Russian death throes".

Mr Medvedev, who focused on improving US-Russia ties when he was president from 2008 to 2012, called the latest diplomatic breach "sad" in a Twitter post.

AP
President Vladimir Putin has said Russia will not be expelling US diplomats in response to a new round of American sanctions.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by the agencies as saying he had proposed the measures to President Vladimir Putin.

President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election.

Lavrov said Russia would not leave the sanctions unanswered and said that allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. elections were baseless.

With reporting from Reuters.
Reports in the US suggest that the front runner to be Donald Trumps Irish Ambassador is a man whose father was an advisor to Joe Kennedy, father of President John F.Kennedy.

Presidential campaign correspondent for The New York Times, Maggie Haberman, has today tweeted that Trump intends to make Brian P.Burns the ambassador to Ireland.

In my minor ambassador obsession, Trump tells me he intends to make Brian Burns, son of Joe Kennedy adviser, the ambassador to Ireland  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 30, 2016

Burns, a businessman and close personal friend of the President-elect, is the grandson of Irish immigrants, with his roots tracing back to Co Kerry.

He was the leading fundraiser behind the efforts to restore the world-famous Marshs Library at St. Patricks Close in Dublin  the oldest public library in Ireland.

He also founded an American Law Library at University College Cork and in 1963, he was named the youngest director of the American Irish Foundation, which was established that year by then-President JFK and Irelands President Eamon de Valera.

A Florida resident, he was vocal in his support of Donald Trumps bid to become president of the US.

IrishCentral also reports that he and his wife Eileen were guests of the Trump family over Thanksgiving at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.

Rumours about Trump's Irish Ambassador have been rife ahead of his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States, which will take place on Friday, January 20, 2017.

Michael George, a Wall Street businessman and native of Belfast, was also considered to be a favourite for the post.

However, Burns now seems to be the prime candidate.

Back in 2013, he was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame along with US Vice President Joe BIden.
No-one was injured in the incident

A passenger plane has been forced to make an emergency landing shortly after take-off in Warsaw after hitting a bird.

Warsaw Chopin Airport said on Twitter that the landing occurred without any problem and that the passengers on the Enter Air service are safe.

The plane was scheduled to make a stop in Larnaca, Cyprus, before flying on to Mombasa, Kenya.

Enter Air director Grzegorz Polaniecki told TVN that the plane struck a bird, and that the pilots returned to Warsaw's international airport so the aircraft could be inspected as a precaution.

The airport spokesman, Przemyslaw Przybylski, said there were 187 passengers on board and six crew members.

The plane circled for about an hour and a half to burn fuel before landing.
People pray in front of the coffin with the body of Lukasz Urban, the Polish truck driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack (AP)

Hundreds of mourners have bid farewell to the Polish truck driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack.

Lukasz Urban, 37, has been described as the first victim of the attack that killed a total of 12 people in the German capital on December 19.

He had been waiting to deliver a shipment of steel in Berlin when his truck was hijacked by the attacker, believed to be Tunisian man Anis Amri, who was later killed in a shoot-out with Italian police.

Mr Urban was shot, and his body was found later in the cab of the truck.

Poland's president Andrzej Duda joined Mr Urban's family, friends and neighbours in a church in the village church in Banie, near the border with Germany.

Several other Polish political officials and a representative of the German embassy to Poland were also there.

A letter from prime minister Beata Szydlo was also read out in which she described her "great pain and sadness" and expressed her sympathy to Mr Urban's family.

"Poles have fallen victim to terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic fundamentalists but the tragedy that happened in Berlin is unique when it comes to the ruthlessness and cruelty of the perpetrator," Ms Szydlo said.

Bishop Henryk Wejman delivered a homily in which he described Mr Urban as a man who was open to others and conscientious in his work.

"His willingness to work and serve others won him the trust of other people and the openness to fellow man," Bishop Wejman said.

As the Mass was winding down the president bowed his head at Mr Urban's coffin before offering his condolences to the dead man's wife and teenage son.

The coffin was then carried out of the church and placed in a hearse, which drove it slowly through the village to a cemetery for burial, as mourners walked alonside it.

Before the Mass, a group of truck drivers honked the horns of their trucks to honour Mr Urban.
Detective James Fisher was arrested this week and charged with three counts of sexual exploitation Photo: YouTube

A senior Canadian detective who was honoured for his work combating sexual exploitation, has been arrested and accused of the very same crime.

Detective James Fisher was arrested this week and charged with three counts of sexual exploitation, along with sexual assault, breach of trust and attempting to obstruct justice.

Mr Fisher was a member of the Vancouver Police Departments counter exploitation team, which investigates prostitution and criminal exploitation.

In 2015, he received a citation for extraordinary dedication for his work in the unit, according to the Canada Press.

This week, Vancouver Police Chief Constable Adam Palmer told a press conference that the developments were very troubling news.

It was necessary to keep him on active duty while the investigation unfolded while we gathered evidence, he said. And we had safety plans in place to make sure nobody was in any danger whatsoever.

He said that one of the cases that police were looking into involved a juvenile while another involved an adult. He said that Mr Fisher had been suspended. It is not clear whether he has yet had a chance to enter a plea.

Police say he was released on bail with conditions Thursday morning and is set to appear in court again in January, though reporting restrictions mean details of the bail conditions have not been revealed.
Relatives of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher are hoping to organise a joint memorial service for the pair as tributes continued to pour in following their deaths.

Singin' In The Rain star Reynolds, 84, died from a suspected stroke on Wednesday, just a day after the death of her daughter Carrie, 60.

The Star Wars actress died in hospital after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles on December 23.

Fisher's brother Todd said funeral plans were being made and it was "likely" his mother and sister would share a joint memorial service.

He told the New York Daily News: "It's what we want to do, but we're still working on the mechanics.

"We like the idea, if it's at all possible. I think it's appropriate."

Shortly before she fell ill, Reynolds had expressed an interest in laying her only daughter to rest at the spot where she planned to be buried, Mr Fisher added.

He had earlier shared a drawing of his mother and sister, in which they are depicted embracing each other as their most famous movie characters.

The sketch, posted on Mr Fisher's Twitter account, shows his sister Carrie dressed as Princess Leia from Star Wars and Reynolds in a raincoat as Kathy Selden from Singin' In The Rain.

He wrote in the caption: "This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting."

Video of the Day

Meanwhile, the stepfather to Fisher's only child Billie Lourd penned a heartfelt message saying he was "honoured" to be part of her family following the loss of her mother and grandmother.

Bruce Bozzi, who is married to Fisher's ex-partner Bryan Lourd, posted a photo of Scream Queens actress Billie, 24, with Fisher and Reynolds at her university graduation ceremony.

He wrote: "It's an honour to be your stepfather.

"As Carrie said to me years ago 'I'm a good stepmother' I promise I will always be & the strength of these women live so vibrantly in you."

Mr Fisher announced Reynolds' death on Wednesday as he revealed her last words were about her late daughter.

"She said, 'I want to be with Carrie'," he said. "And then she was gone."
A kissing couple is silhouetted against illuminations celebrating Christmas at Ilsan Lake Park in Goyang, South Korea (AP)

A South Korean government website which drew widespread condemnation for showing the number of women of childbearing age has been closed.

The ministry of the interior's site - which features pink birth maps displaying the number of women aged 15-49 in the regions and city districts - remains closed on Friday, a day after its launch.

It now displays a notice saying that the site is undergoing corrections to reflect public opinion.

The website went offline after just a few hours following claims the government is trying to shame women for not having babies, in light of South Korea's low birth rate.

Some critics said the government treated the birth rate issue as concerning only women, pointing out that no picture of men was used on the website.

Using pink as the main colour, the site contained information on birth rates, benefits from local governments on child rearing, average marriage age and other data.

In the birth map, the regions with a higher number of female residents aged 15-49 were coloured dark pink, while the regions with a lower number of such women were shown in light pink. The site also featured a ranking of regions by the number of women aged 15-49.

Users could also look up how many women who can have a baby have lived in their neighbourhood for the past 10 years.

Many users reacted angrily, saying they do not understand what displaying the number of women who can get pregnant has to do with encouraging people to have more babies.

"I felt so angered that it blatantly showed how the government saw women's bodies as the country's reproductive tools, not belonging to the women," said Lee Min-kyung, a 24-year-old writer.

"I felt like nothing has changed and the hatred of women that I have experienced has appeared again."

The government had touted the site as a tool to increase the public's understanding of the country's low birth rate and compare the benefits from local governments for having a baby or raising a child.

The ministry said of the site: "It was established to encourage local governments to learn and compare other governments' benefits and to promote free competition."

South Korea has struggled to boost its rock-bottom birth rate, one of the lowest among more affluent countries.

This year, the country also saw a growth in vocal feminist movements protesting against misogynist views reflected in government policies and pop culture.
Mr Putin said Russia and Turkey will act as guarantors to the peace deal (AP)

A Syrian army soldier places a Syrian national flag during the battle with rebel fighters at the Ramouseh front line, east of Aleppo (AP)

A nationwide ceasefire between Syrian government forces and opposition rebels has come into effect.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the ceasefire, which excludes extremist groups such as Islamic State and an al Qaida affiliate, will be guaranteed by Moscow and Turkey.

It will be followed by peace talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the opposition, due to be held in Kazakhstan.

The ceasefire will include all parts of Syria, including the eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus.

Syria's military said it agreed to the nationwide truce, paving the way for reactivating negotiations to end the conflict.

It added that the ceasefire comes after the "successes achieved by the armed forces", an apparent reference to the capture of rebel-held neighbourhoods of Aleppo earlier this month.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said the truce will include 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria, and that the Russian military has established a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to monitor compliance.

Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said US President-elect Donald Trump's administration will be welcome to join the Syrian peace process once he takes office.

Moscow is a key ally of Mr Assad, while Turkey is one of the main backers of the opposition.

Several previous attempts to halt the civil war have failed, but the recent warming of ties between Turkey and Russia may prove to be crucial.

The move comes on the heels of the Syrian army retaking control of Aleppo, Syria's largest city, ending the opposition's four-year hold over parts of the city.

Mr Putin said he had ordered the Russian military to scale down its presence in Syria, where it has provided crucial support to Mr Assad's forces.
Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen has already spoken to US president-elect Donald Trump (AP)

Taiwan's president will pass through Houston and San Francisco next month while travelling to Central America, in a move which is likely to irritate the Chinese government.

Beijing has urged Washington to prevent president Tsai Ing-wen and her delegation from landing in the US as she travels to visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador.

The delegation will land in Houston on the way, before stopping in San Francisco on the return trip.

China has urged the US to avoid "sending the wrong signal to Taiwanese independence forces" by allowing the delegation to land.

Beijing regards the self-governing island as part of China, and officials have raised concerns after US president-elect Donald Trump this month questioned a US policy which recognises Beijing as Taiwan's government, and has maintained only unofficial relations with Taiwan since 1979.

Mr Trump also accepted a phone call from Ms Tsai in early December, the first time an American president or president-elect has publicly spoken to a Taiwanese leader since 1979.

The Taiwanese news agency's report said Ms Tsai's delegation would arrange banquets with US-based Taiwanese people and visit companies. It did not say whether Ms Tsai would meet Donald Trump or anyone from his transition team.

US politicians often meet with Taiwanese presidents when they transit through the US - most recently in June, when Ms Tsai met Republican senator Marco Rubio of Florida in Miami.

Earlier this week, the spokesman for the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan affairs office called Taiwan the "most sensitive and complicated issue in China-US relations".
Over multiple weeks of November and December, the Rotary Club of Cabarrus County helped to collect funds for support of the Salvation Army. More than 40 Rotary volunteers rang bells to grab the attention of Sams Club shoppers.

The holiday spirit was contagious as the bell ringers sang, danced and engaged shoppers to make it more than a fundraiser. The hope was to not only raise money for the Salvation Army but to also raise awareness of the impact this organization makes.

Since its inception in 1985, the Rotary Club of Cabarrus County has been giving back to local organizations, deserving individuals and the community. Members raise money to fund grants and scholarships and work tirelessly to solve some of our communitys toughest challenges. Rotary of Cabarrus Countys efforts are supported by Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. Go to www.cabarrusrotary.org for additional information.
Well, yes, you heard it right! The whole unit of Sony TV 's Beyhadh has been shooting in Mauritius to shoot for an important sequence.

And it was there where Aneri Vajani met a newly found friend. She met a man there who told Aneri that he is like her grandpa. Coincidentally, he used to bump into her every day and they used to sit and chat for 2 hours along with his wife.

We contacted Aneri, who told us, "I used to coincidentally bump into this gentleman, who became my fan and used to tell me that he was like my grandpa. We used to bump into each other every single day and ended up chatting for 2-3 hours with his friends and wife along side. It was a great experience knowing new people in Mauritius while shooting for Beyhadh."

Work surely does takes you to places, and to new people!
Ukraine keeps ban on gold, silver exports in 2017

Ukraine keeps zero quotas for exports of gold, silver and scrap precious metals in 2017.

The requirement is outlined in government resolution No. 1009 dated December 28 approving the list of goods which exports is eligible to licensing and receiving quotas for 2017. The document was published on December 29.

The government decided not to license natural gas and anthracite exports.

"The resolution approves the smallest list of goods which exports is eligible to licensing in the past years," reads the explanatory note to the resolution.

Licensing of exports and imports of goods with ozone depleting substances (ODS) and goods imported from Macedonia under the tariff rate quota described in the free trade area agreement between the two countries.
A couple of days ago, veteran actor Anandraj had announced that he has quit his membership in AIADMK party after the death of its former supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha. He had said that he was in the party for 12 years only based on his loyalty to 'Amma'.

Now in a shocking turn of events Anandraj has filed a complaint in the Nungambakkam Police Station, Chennai stating that he has received death threats over phone calls from anonymous persons. The police have started the investigation. Police security is also provided to his house in Chennai.

It us worth noting that Anandraj went in to register his protest against V.K.Sasikala being nominated for tge party's General Secretary post after the death of Jayalalitha.
Single-digit reduction in NBS rates The revised NBS rates for ensuing Rabi season have been announced by the Government of India. New rates have not seen much steeper cuts as was widely anticipated; therefore, positive for complex (NPKs) fertilizer companies. This brings much comfort to the domestic complex fertilizer companies as a steeper cut would have entailed higher inventory losses. 03 Nov 2022 11:10 AM

October 2022 auto sales: PV and CV segments continue to impress Underlying demand trend has stayed strong for PV and CV segments. Analysts at IIFL Securities estimate October 2022 wholesale dispatches in PV, MHCV and LCV segments to have grown 30%, 24% and 14% YoY, respectively. They expect the above segments to clock 25-35% volume growth in FY23. 02 Nov 2022 11:43 AM

Initial signs of moderation in API cost pressures: IIFL Securities High raw-material inflation, elevated freight expenses, and normalization in marketing spends have impacted margins of Indian pharma players over the past 12 months. However, some of these API/RM cost pressures have started abating in Q3CY22. Cipla, Sun, JB Pharma and Torrent remain IIFL Securities top-picks in the pharma sector owing to lowest risk to IIFL Securities margin and earnings estimates for these companies. 01 Nov 2022 10:53 AM
Yanair airline (Zhytomyr) points out a serious problem with training flying staff in Ukraine, Yanair airline Director General Volodymyr Sobolev has said.

"Veterans like me are dying or retire, while young people are different. Someone has a desire, someone is dragged by the ears by parents and he does not understand what he needs this. Many persons are attracted by high wages, but they do not understand that the money is not paid for nothing. We end up with understanding that we need to train flying staff ourselves, from the green field. Unfortunately, training in Ukraine is of low quality, if to choose my words carefully," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Sobolev said that airlines train pilots themselves. For example, UIA does not train from the green field. The airline signed a contract with Lithuania and guarantees employment to students trained in Lithuania at Baltic Aviation Academy.

"We have own airport [Zhytomyr]. It is likely that we will create a flying school on its base. We have many proposals from pilots from Europe who cannot add flying hours and they are ready to pay to fly with us and get trained," he said.
Ukraine's Health Ministry has proposed to pharmaceutical manufacturers and patient organizations to initiate expansion and amendments to the national list of essential medicines, acting Health Minister Ulana Suprun said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.

"We are waiting for ideas from you to include or remove medicines from the national list. We call on all applicants to file applications and form the unified national list of high-quality financially viable medicines within next two years. We would be able to provide the patients who need these medicines with them," she said.

Suprun said that from 2019 only medicines on the national list would be bought using budget funds. 2017 and 2018 is the transitive period when the medicines are bought via international institutions.

"The national list is essential medicines for which we can guarantee 100% of payment at the hospital level and which would be included in the reimbursement program," she said.

The draft national list is under public discussion that will last for one month and then it will be approved.

Deputy Health Minister Roman Ilyk said that the current list has over 1,000 medicines, while the draft list includes 345 international nonproprietary names (INN), including 265 INN to be used in the hospital segment and 100 INN are on the additional list.
After Taimur Ali Khan, social media users have found a new hot topic to talk about and that's Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's 'rumored' engagement in Dehradun. Well, even when there is no confirmation, let us take you through the course of events that took place to make this rumor a little believable for all of us.

Twitter

1. On 24th December, rumored couple Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli arrived in Uttarakhand. They directly checked into Anandas, an exotic spa resort, where they celebrated Christmas. When fans tried gathering for one glance and selfie with Virat-Anushka, they chose not to interact. Instead of clicking pictures with fans, they chose to be selective about their social media activities. They posted just a few pictures.

In the end, It's all about cherishing the simple things in life #nature A video posted by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) on Dec 26, 2016 at 11:07pm PST

Merry Christmas everyone . Have a good day  A photo posted by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Dec 25, 2016 at 1:11am PST

2. On 27th December, Anushka and Virat had conducted a pooja for continued success and prosperity at Anant Dham, an ashram located at Ambuwala village near Haridwar. They reportedly extended their meeting with the ashram's chief preceptor Anant Maharaj and spent a few hours with him. One of their photos went viral on social media and that was how the rumor was fueled.

Twitter

3. After Haridwar, Anushka Sharma, and Virat Kohli moved to Dehradun, Uttarakhand, where Sharma's maternal side in based. And if reports are to be believed, the couple has planned to bring in the new year at the hill station.

But that's not it. According to several reports, Virat-Anushka have already got engaged or might be planning to get engaged. What further fueled the speculations was the arrival of the Bachchans and Ambanis, who reached Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport in a chartered flight last afternoon and headed straight for Ananda resort, where Virat-Anushka are staying.

Twitter

According to a TOI report, the Tehri district police under whose jurisdiction the area falls claimed that they had not been contacted for additional security at the resort. "We have only come to know that the celebrities would be staying here and will leave after a few days," said N S Napalchiyal, superintendent of police, Tehri. The hotel remained off-limits for all non-guests and according to sources, staff had also been reportedly told to switch off phones to prevent leakage of any information.

Engagement? Really? People close to Virat and Anushka have 'no clue'!

Anushka's 82-year-old paternal grandmother Urmila Sharma, who stays in Dehradun, told TOI that she was "not aware of any impending engagement yet." She added that she "likes Virat and would be happy if the two decide to get married."

She told TOI, "Anushka had last come to visit me when her grandfather expired five years ago. I regularly go to Mumbai to meet her and we also talk on the phone. I had a word with Anushka's father Ajay yesterday but he didn't mention anything about an engagement."

A YRF representative reacted to the 'engagement' rumor and claimed that the rumors are absolutely false. Virats aunt who lives in Katni in Madhya Pradesh told the media that she has no information or invitation for her nephews engagement.

Well, Virat Kohli just took to Twitter to CONFIRM that they're NOT getting engaged. Read his tweets here.

" we aren't getting engaged & if we were going to,we wouldn't hide it. Simple... (1/2)  Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) December 30, 2016
1. The infighting in the Samajwadi Party intensified on Friday with party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling his son and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav from Samjwadi Party for six years

The move by Akhilesh came a day after Mulayam, along with his brother and state party president Shivpal Singh Yadav, had declared the official list of 325 candidates. Read more here.



2. The Delhi High Court on Friday, on the Central Bureau Investigation's (CBI) plea, issued a notice to ex-Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi against the bail given to him on 26 December

Tyagi was granted bail by a special court in Delhi which said that the CBI had failed to state the alleged bribe amount and when it was paid. Read more here.

3. The website of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, one of the country's finest colleges, got hacked and pro-Pakistani messages were posted in a bid to take a dig at India

6 department websites, 5 centres of excellence sites and 5 other sites were hacked. Apparently, the website was hacked by one 'Faisal 1337x', who put up a photo of the Joker from Dark Knight in the garb of the McDonald's mascot on its page. Read more here.

4. The income tax department has stepped up its drive against those "misusing" the demonetization drive to convert "black money" into "white" and has issued over 5,000 notices and detected undisclosed income of close to Rs 4,200 crore

Of the Rs 458 crore cash seizures, Rs 105 crore, which is a tad under a quarter, was in new currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000, indicating the widespread use of banking and cash mules to convert old currency into new ones, which is stored as cash in offices and homes. Read more here.

5. Airports may soon have lie-detecting kiosks which will ask questions and detect changes in physiology and behaviour during the interview

The Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real-Time (AVATAR) is currently being tested to help border security agents determine whether travellers coming into Canada may have undisclosed motives for entering the country. Read more here.
1. A mother and daughter walk home after a meeting of women from several communities eradicating female genital mutilation, in the western Senegalese village of Diabougo. Tostan, a small Senegalese aid group credited with launching a grass roots campaign to abolish female circumcision in West Africa, will be awarded the $1.5 million Hilton Prize in New York

REUTERS/Finbarr O

2. Cori Walters, 32, (R) hugs her daughter Hannah Walters, 6, at California Institute for Women state prison in Chino, California. An annual Mother's Day event, Get On The Bus, brings children in California to visit their mothers in prison. Sixty percent of parents in state prison report being held over 100 miles (161 km) from their children

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

3. Joie Gregory and her daughter Catherine, 4, (R) walk down the street at the Easter Bonnet Parade in New York

REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

4. A woman and a girl sit in front of the Mediterranean at the beach in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. Unseasonable temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius were recorded in some areas of Israel

REUTERS/Amir Cohen

5. A girl walks with her mother after her first day of school at the Shimizu elementary school in Fukushima, northern Japan. Over 70 schools began their regular classes on Wednesday in the city of Fukushima, after the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

6. A woman carrying her baby and wrapped with a shawl walks through a sandstorm in Timbuktu

REUTERS/Joe Penney

7. A child eats ice cream with his mother during the hot weather at the South Bank in London

REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

8. Moroccan national Hayat Loukrichi dries the hair of her daughter Hiba before learning that the family's eviction has been suspended in Madrid. Their eviction, which has been caused by their failure to pay the rent to their landlord, has been postponed to October 26, 2012. Spain's bailed-out Bankia is seeking the foreclosure of the house after the landlord failed to pay the mortgage.

REUTERS/Juan Medina

9. Angelica Cagincho and her son Nixon stand at her home next to the Doe Run Peru smelter in the Andean city of La Oroya, east of Lima. Thousands of workers are demanding Peru's government save their jobs at the shuttered metals smelter high in the Andes, even if it means delaying a cleanup at the plant that has turned their town into one of the most polluted places on earth. Union members from Doe Run Peru's La Oroya factory say they will block highways in central Peru starting on Monday unless President Alan Garcia acts decisively to end a months-long crisis at the world's most diversified metals smelter.

REUTERS/Pilar Olivares

10. A woman holds her child at a repatriation centre in Peshawar, located in the North West Frontier Province. U.S. President Barack Obama said on that Pakistan's greatest threat was internal, and not from long-time rival India, as Pakistan troops took back a key town to halt a Taliban advance on the capital.

REUTERS/Adrees Latif

11. A woman, a member of the Krepysh family winter bathing club, carries her child for bathing in the Yenisei River in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk

REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin

12. A Christian mother takes her daughter to school in Islamabad

REUTERS/Sara Farid

13. A woman wraps her sleeping baby on her back after a talk with members of the Spanish Non-Governmental Organization Accion contra el Hambre (Action against hunger) about good sanitation and hygiene practices in Niomel, in the Guidimakha region, Mauritania. A full third of the country's population, amounting to around a million people, are at risk of suffering from malnutrition if rain doesn't fall by July, according to estimates from Accion contra el Hambre, which has been warning about the food crisis since the beginning of the year after poor rainfall in 2011

REUTERS/Susana Vera

14. Mercedes Santos (2nd R) shares a laugh with her partner Theresa Volpe (2nd L) while playing cards with their son Jaidon (R) and daughter Ava at their home in Chicago, Illinois. Santos and Volpe are a same-sex couple raising two of their biological children as they struggle to get same-sex marriages passed into law in Illinois.

REUTERS/Jim Young

15. A mother washes her child in the Mahmoud Ladies School which is being used as a refugee shelter for homeless tsunami families. A mother washes her child in the Mahmoud Ladies School which is being used as a refugee shelter for homeless tsunami families in Kalmunai on Sri Lanka's east coast. The death toll from the Asian tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off Indonesia on December 26, stood at 156,193 people, government and health officials said.

REUTERS/Kieran Doherty

16. A Cambodian woman goes to kiss her son while sitting on the crest of the Chuor Phnom Dangkrek Mountain, the site of the 900- year-old disputed Preah Vihear temple. Nearly 200 Cambodian residents living near the temple have taken refuge on its grounds, after recent fighting killed two Cambodian soldiers, a local Cambodia newspaper reported. The International Court of Justice awarded it to Cambodia in 1962, but the court failed to determine the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the Hindu ruins, a ruling that has rankled with Thais ever since

REUTERS/Adrees Latif
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed law No. 5114 on amendments to some laws on restricting access of foreign printed materials with anti-Ukrainian content to the Ukrainian market, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on December 8.

According to the website of the Ukrainian parliament, on December 30 the law was "returned with the president's signature."

The law comes into force on the day following the day of its publication.

At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine within three months from the date of entry into force of the law is obliged to ensure the publication of relevant legal acts, bring own regulations into conformity with this law and make ministries and other central executive authorities to bring their normative and legal acts to compliance with this law.

As reported, on December 8, 2016 the Verkhovna Rada with 237 votes banned the distribution in the territory of Ukraine of printed materials, promoting the aggressor state, and restricted its imports to Ukraine from Russia.
As 2016 draws to a close, lets dwell on the most epic device failure of the year. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was billed to be the most awesome, best Android phone of 2016. As we all know, it turned out to be anything but that. From exploding batteries to being banned on commercial airliners, its probably the only smartphone in history to be hazardous enough to warrant its own fireproof box.

Heres a look back at the timeline of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 disaster, and the consumer terror unleashed by a hotly-anticipated device that went completely bonkers after being pushed to extreme physical limits.

August launch: The highest point of Samsung Galaxy Note 7s doomed journey

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launched in early August and was made available for pre-order at a whopping Rs 59,990. It wasnt as flashy as past Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones but it had all the ingredients to pack a knockout punch to all of the years flagship devices -- including the iPhone 7 Plus -- and be the pinnacle of Android smartphones in 2016. Some of the devices initial critic reviews praised the Galaxy Note 7 and highly recommended it to consumers. But little did the South Korean consumer electronics company know that trouble was brewing in paradise, and it was all going to go horribly wrong for the Galaxy Note 7 in the blink of an eye.

Late August: The curious case of the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7

That was as good as it got for the ill-fated Samsung phone. It wasnt long before reports started surfacing from all over the world about a number of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones mysteriously exploding. Within the US alone, there were over 90 reports of exploding Note 7s, and damage caused to property because of it emerged. A guy even posted a photo of his SUV engulfed in flames caused by an exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 that hed left inside the car.

Late August: Airlines start asking passengers to switch off their Galaxy Note 7

Spurred by reports of exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7s in the US and around the world, the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) issued a clear advisory to passengers to not charge the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 onboard any aircraft in the US. Similar announcements were made by individual airlines, too, as a precautionary measure. But nothing too severe. Passengers were still being allowed to carry their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 onboard their respective flights. They were just being discouraged from charging the phone, because the initial explosion reports of the Note 7 blamed the devices fault onto its misfiring battery.

September: Official Samsung Note 7 recall begins

After a lot of damning press reports and airline travel advisories putting the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in extremely negative light, pressure started growing on the South Korean giant to do some sort of damage control. While the company reaffirmed that this was an issue found on some Galaxy Note 7 devices, Samsung officially in early September started recalling the damaged Galaxy Note 7s for exchange. Within a week or so, the company started recalling not just affected Galaxy Note 7 smartphones but all devices that were sold in the US. Similar steps were taken in other affected markets, too.

September: Samsung sends fireproof boxes for owners to return affected phones in

No kidding. They actually did that - sent fireproof boxes with instructions on how to safely turn off and pack their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 for safe return. In total, Samsung recalled over 25 lakh Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from around the world, and even released a software update which would allow Note 7 owners to find out if their device was affected or not. The company ended up replacing almost 90% of the affected Galaxy Note 7 devices in key markets like the US and South Korea.

Late September - October: Replaced Note 7s started exploding

This was just too much for Samsung. Now, even replaced Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices were exploding. Not just exploding in isolation, but also damaging property. This was also the time when a lot of speculation was rife on just exactly what was causing the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to explode. Was it really a battery issue? Or was it something more fundamental that was wrong with the device? Well, we didnt have to wonder long, did we?

Early October: Samsung kills off production of Samsung Galaxy Note 7

On October 11, less than two months after its initial launch, the ill-fated saga of the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was finally complete, as Samsung stopped production of the Note 7. The company claimed it wanted to safeguard consumers from any further damage from the device which seemed to have a mind of its own.

Following its official death, the FAA and DGCA (in India) wasted no time in putting the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 as a banned substance, not allowed it to be even carried on an aircraft -- even when its switched off. In the US, its a criminal offence to carry or stow away a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 even now, and in India, airline companies make Samsung Galaxy Note 7-related announcements before take-off -- yes, the device is still banned.

RIP Samsung Galaxy Note 7. As 2016 draws to a close, you will always be remembered as one of the most ill-fated devices in technology. No single tech gadget has managed to have such a tremendous impact (for all the wrong reasons, of course) in its short 2-month lifespan. From humorous pranks to causing over US $3 billion of losses to Samsungs annual bottom line, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is our most epic gadget failure of the year!
A West Bengal court has ordered a case against three police officials for allegedly detaining a woman for more than 24 hours at Hanskhali Police station in Nadia district. Additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM), Ranaghat, Sanghamitra Poddar issued the order against officer in charge (OC) Hanskhali police station Aninda Bose, second officer Shibshankar Bose (in charge of Bagula outpost) and police personnel Tapas Ghosh.

They were slapped with charges under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 384 (extortion), 511 (attempt to commit punishable offences), 166 (public servant disobeying law), among others.

The ACJM also visited police station after ordering the filing of the case against three officials on the complaint of Gobinda Biswas who requested her to rescue 22 year old victim. On her visit to police station, the magistrate found that no complaint had been lodged against the girl whom the cops had detained from December 23-28.

Reuters

She then ordered the OC to call all police personnel to stand in a row and asked the detained girl to identify those who went to pick her up on the night of December 23 and asked the OC on Wednesday to submit a report within 24 hours over the illegal detention of the woman.

The OC submitted the same at Ranaghat Court today in a sealed envelope but refused to comment anything. The petitioner and one of her daughters, Laxmi, appeared in the court as witnesses and evidences were taken.

Laxmi stated that the detained woman had been her friend since last ten years. She alleged in the court room that the cops had demanded Rs 2 lakh from them as bribe for letting the detained girl free.

According to the counsels of Biswas, police had taken the Delhi-based woman to police station from their home on the night of 23 December without any complaint and did not release her until December 28.

The policemen allegedly did not produce her in court and flouted the law which says that police must produce a person in court within 24 hours of picking him/her up.

ACJM Poddar rescued her from police station and took to Ranaghat in her own car.
On November 8, when the Indian Prime Minister brought his ground-breaking move to the public's notice, a lot of us couldn't make sense as to how or why this was needed.

(Also read: After Speaking At Coldplay Concert, Now Modi Will Address The Nation On New Years Eve)

The last couple of weeks have been anything but a peaceful ride. We've seen innumerable protests, ample criticism over the web, and an escalating number of deaths to prove how we weren't ready for anything like demonetization.

Standing one-day away from Modi's speech and the end of 'the-asked-tenure', India is still protesting.

In fact, a 700-km long human chain lined up across the length and breadth of Kerala in protest against Modi's demonetisation.

700 Km Human Chain in Kerala Protest, against #DemonetisationScam

Now that is what I call good communication.https://t.co/xitUcDFdd0  Bhaanu (@BhaanuSays) December 30, 2016



Kerala said, "Burn the dictator"

(Also read: There Might Be No Limit To How Much Cash You Can Withdraw From January 1)

The event was driven by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan, and the CPI-M led ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala on Thursday, saw the formation of a human chain extending from Raj Bhavan to Kasargode, to show displeasure against the Modi government's demonetisation move.

The rehearsal happened 15 minutes before the actual event and at 5 pm sharp, people started forming the human chain.

A pledge was read out that was repeated by all.

Passing through the national highway and districts like Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, the event created news around the country.

Facebook

Following this, separate chains were formed in the hilly districts of Idukki and Wayanad,

700 km long human chain formation in Kerala starts with meeting addressed by com. Pinarayi Vijayan, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and com VS. pic.twitter.com/gZMrtfDYmA  CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) December 29, 2016

"A record one million people joined the protest and even though similar human chains were formed before, today we could see that there was participation from people cutting across political affiliations... Demonetisation has crippled our economy, all sectors have been badly affected through this Tughlaq-style programme," said Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, State Secretary, CPI-M.

Let's wait for another day and see what new reforms come into action.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday registered a criminal case against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik under money laundering laws. A case has also been registered against Naiks NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). The step comes after the NIA had earlier registered an earlier FIR against Naik and IRF.

BCCL

Officials said the agencys zonal office in Mumbai has registered an FIR, called Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in EDs parlance, against Naik and others after taking cognisance of a similar complaint booked by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against them. The ED, they said, will specifically look into the charges of alleged illegal funds laundered by the accused and the proceeds of crime in its probe.

The agency has already scanned some banking transaction documents and other details against Naik and IRF and is soon expected to issue summons to take the probe forward. The National Investigation Agency had last month registered a case against 51-year-old Naik under anti-terror laws for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race.

After registering the case against Naik, IRF and others, NIA along with Mumbai police had carried out searches at 10 places in the megapolis, including residential premises of some of the office bearers of the foundation, which was earlier put on restricted list by the Union Home Ministry for receiving funds from abroad. Naik, who has been staying in Saudi Arabia to evade arrest after his name surfaced during a probe into the Bangladesh terror strike earlier this year, has been booked along with unnamed IRF officials under section 153-A of IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) besidevarious sections of UAPA.

BCCL

The charges, in the FIR registered by the NIAs branch in Mumbai, were also slapped under sections 10 (being member of an unlawful organisation), 13 (punishment for being member of illegal organisation) and 18 of UAPA (punishment for being involved in a conspiracy for committing any terror act). IRF came under the scanner of security agencies after one of the terrorists involved in the Dhaka cafe attack had allegedly posted on social media that they had been inspired by Naiks speeches.
A lot of people do a lot more than they're expected to for the human race. One such name is Vikram Sarabhai.

Tributes to Dr. #VikramSarabhai, father of Indian Space Program. Nation will remain indebted for his contribution.#DeathAnniversary pic.twitter.com/Enivq6Siww  Chuni Gohel (@mpchunigohel) December 30, 2016

An Indian scientist and innovator, Sarabhai is often regarded as the father of India's space programme.

Tribute to the father of Indian Space Program @isro Shri Vikram Sarabhai on his Death Anniversary. pic.twitter.com/IeqwUaioJb  Shankersinh Vaghela (@ShankersinhBapu) December 30, 2016





He was a great institution builder and established or helped to establish a large number of institutions in diverse fields. In fact, the establishment of Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) was the outcome of one such innovative initiative.

After returning from Cambridge to an independent India in 1947, he also established the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad. He was only 28 years old.

Remembering Vikram Sarabhai- father of Indian Space Program, a pioneer who catapulted India's global standing in space sector to new heights pic.twitter.com/Q0pETmojxm  M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) December 30, 2016

He was also Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Sarabhai received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal in 1962. The nation honoured him by awarding him the Padma Bhushan in 1966 and Padma Vibhushan (posthumously) in 1972.

Tributes to the Great Scientist, Father of Indian Space Program & founding father of @isro #VikramSarabhai on his Death Anniversary. pic.twitter.com/0MEuXDc70w  Kanwarjit Singh Rozy (@K_S_Rozy) December 30, 2016

But the establishment of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was one of his greatest achievements.

He successfully convinced the Indian government of the importance of a space programme for a developing country like India after the Russian Sputnik launch. This is how he explained the significance;

Tributes to the Great Scientist, Father of Indian Space Program & founding father of ISRO, #VikramSarabhai on his Death Anniversary. pic.twitter.com/qVZvIQ2ZTV  YAD Faridkot (@Yad_Faridkot) December 30, 2016

"There are some who question the relevance of space activities in a developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the fantasy of competing with the economically advanced nations in the exploration of the moon or the planets or manned space-flight. "

Dr Sarabhai also started a project for the fabrication and launch of an Indian satellite. As a result, the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, was put into orbit in 1975 from a Russian Cosmodrome.

#VikramSarabhai is known as the Father of Indian Space program. A great visionary mind of his time, who helped us to become a #space power. pic.twitter.com/NRSDHYxp90  Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) December 30, 2016



In 1973, the International Astronomical Union decided that a lunar crater, Bessel A, in the Sea of Serenity will be known as the Sarabhai crater.

Remembering Dr. #VikramSarabhai, the father of #Indian space program and an exemplar of innovation & vision on his death anniversary. pic.twitter.com/NZmyQSDjti  Radha Mohan Singh (@RadhamohanBJP) December 30, 2016

On this day in 1971, he passed away in 1971 at Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
2016 was a good year for Indian defence. Some major acquisitions were made, while some important milestones were reached by indigenous defence products. This gave India the ability to project its dominance as an emerging superpower.

Agni 5

DRDO

The 5,500 km range missile was tested for the fourth time successfully. Launched in the same configuration as the Army will use it  from a hermetically sealed canister  the missile brings the entire country of China within Indias nuclear range. The missile is road and rail mobile and can be launched within minutes thanks to its solid motors. Two more tests of the missile will follow  both by Strategic Forces Command, after which it will be inducted.

HAL Tejas

BCCL

The Indian Air Force finally commissioned the LCA Tejas with the 45 Sqn based in Bengaluru this year. The light fighter had a successful, if a little long, flight test program and proved its mettle at the Bahrain Airshow. An advanced design, the Tejas has been constructed out of composite materials and will soon have the ability to refuel in-flight.

Rustom-2/TAPAS-201 UAV

DRDO

Indias home-made long endurance UAV flew for the first time in 2016. The UAV will give Indian forces the ability to snoop on the enemy from high altitudes and get real-time battlefield information. At a later date, TAPAS can be armed with air to ground missiles that will let it attack the enemy once it has been spotted.

S-400 Triumf

Reuters

India signed a deal to acquire the S-400 Triumf anti-air missile with Russia in 2016. The missile system has a maximum range of 400 kms and can even target stealth aircraft. India will get 5 systems to keep an eye on the borders with China and Pakistan. Till the time India builds its own missile shield, the S-400 can also act as an anti-missile system.

Rafale

BCCL

After protracted negotiations, India and France finally signed a deal for 36 Rafale fighters in 2016. The twin-engined fighter is capable of carrying nuclear weapons, though what role the Indian Air Force will use it in remains to be seen. A further order may also be on the cards as the MMRCA program was intended for 126 fighters.

HTT-40

BCCL

An indigenous development, the basic trainer is meant to train rookie pilots of the Indian Air Force, and it flew for the first time in 2016. The HTT-40 will be used for basic flight training of flight cadets with an instructor seated in the back. There are even plans to have a weaponised variant of the plane and make it a value-for-money proposition for export to smaller countries.

INS Arihant

The Hindu

Indias first home-made nuclear submarine, the INS Arihant was quietly commissioned into the Indian Navy this year. Capable of carrying either 12 K-15 missiles of 750 km range or 4 K-4 missiles of 3,500 km range, the Arihant will undertake deterrent patrols as Indias second strike. The second boat of the Arihant-class, the Aridhaman, is also under construction in Vishakhapatnam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched UPI based mobile payment application called BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) - a re-branded version of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), at the Digi Dhan Mela event in Talkatora stadium in New Delhi.

BCCL

The app can be downloaded from Android app store.

"Be it a smartphone or feature phone of Rs 1,000-1,200, BHIM app can be used. There is no need to have Internet connectivity. One only needs a thumb. There was a time when an illiterate was called 'angutha chchap'. Now, time has changed. Your thumb is your bank now. It has become your identity now," PM said at the event.

He dedicated the new app to Dr B.R. Ambedkar and said: "The mantra of Dr Ambedkar was to work for the uplift of the poor. And the biggest power of technology is that it can empower the poor."

Taking a dig at the Congress, Modi said during the earlier United Progressive Alliance rule at the Centre, money lost in the scams made news but now the nation is talking about money coming back into the system.

"Look at the newspapers or video clips from three years ago -- the news was all about what we lost in scams. However, today, it is about what has come back or what is the gain," Modi said.

BCCL

The Prime Minister recalled the days when India was called 'sone ki chidiya' (bird of gold) and said the nation still had the potential to become the same again.

He said boosting digital connectivity will "do wonders for our nation", adding that the day was not far off when the cash-based transaction will turn completely digital.

The Prime Minister also thanked the media for highlight issues related with digital payments. For those with a positive mindset, India has several opportunities, said PM.

The day is not far when people will get loans in five minutes, PM hoped. PM Modi also asked people to atleast do five digital transactions from 1st January 2017.

How does it work?

You have to register your bank account with BHIM, and set a UPI PIN for the bank account. Your mobile number is your payment address (PA), and you can simply start transacting.

BCCL

You can send, receive from friends, family and customers through a mobile number or payment address. Money can also be sent to non UPI supported banks using IFSC and MMID. You can also collect money by sending a request and reverse payments if required.

You can check your bank balance and transactions details on the go.

You can create a custom payment address in addition to your phone number.

You can scan a QR code for faster entry of payment addresses. Merchants can easily print their QR Code for display.

Maximum of Rs. 10,000 per transaction and Rs. 20,000 within 24 hours is allowed under this.

The app supports Hindi and English, and more languages will be added in coming times.

BCCL

Other announcements at the event:

1. At the event Tihar Jail was announced a cashless society.

2. PM also felicitated winners of Lucky Grahak Yojana. At the event, PM also made payment to Khadi using the Bhim mobile application.

3. Making a pitch for digital transactions, Modi said 'Lucky Grahak Yojana' and 'DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana' were a Christmas gift to the nation.

4. Over 100 days, several prizes of Rs 1,000 will be given to people through lucky draws. The mega draw will be held on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, he added.
It's not getting any easier for the docs-to-be out there. The draft Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2016, unveiled by the Union health ministry on Thursday, said they will have to pass the National Exit Test (NEXT). The test is expected to create a level-playing field in medical education, increasingly becoming privatized.

BCCL/representational image

A central government official said NEXT would improve the quality of medical education in the country and help benchmark students. "It will substitute three tests, including NEET for postgraduate admissions, recruitment for central health services and the foreign graduate medical examination," said the official, adding it will be an outcome-based test.

BCCL/representational image

"The results of how students from individual colleges have performed in NEXT will be made public. If a college has over 90% students clearing the test, it will automatically act as an indicator. Students can make an informed choice while selecting colleges," said the official.

Also Read: Medical Aspirants Can Appear For NEET Test In Eight Languages From 2017

Dr P Shingare, who heads the state's department of medical education and research, said NEXT is a good move. "How can we equate a student from X university with one from Y University? NEXT will bring about standardisation," he said. A professor said inspection by authorities can just rate the infrastructure of a college and only the outcome of NEXT can be a tangible parameter to determine the quality of that college.

BCCL/representational image

However, cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Shetty, a former member of the Medical Council of India, felt the draft's provisions are suitable for an "economy of excess" that has an adequate number of doctors.

Reservation for medical officers evoked the sharpest comments. Dr Shetty said, "The brightest people should be allowed to pursue post-graduate studies. We are here encouraging them to take a break in their education when, ideally, they should specialize before they turn 30 years old."

BCCL/representational image

"In the last 20 years, 100 medical officers took up post-graduate studies every year. But none of these 2,000 doctors ever returned to the government system," said Dr Shingare.

Dr Gautam Sen, a former MCI member, said, "This is nothing but reduction in meritocracy. We already have reservation at undergraduate levels and post-graduate levels. What is the need to introduce another quota?" He said the government should introduce the complete Medical Council reforms instead of such piecemeal efforts.

"The bill has been cleared by Parliament. So why is the government still not introducing the entire bill?" he said.
As of today, more than 6,50,00,000 people are displaced from their homes due to war and strife. The United Nations put out an alarming report, which showed that lives of thousands of refugees are at risk only because no country is willing to take them in.

This is true, particularly in Europe, where the maximum numbers of Syrian refugees flee to, as recent records demonstrate. Most countries are reluctant to open their borders to these people as their local citizens are unwilling to accept them.

These refugees often die from lack of food and shelter, while waiting to be taken in.

licdn

This racial intolerance is so impactful in todays times that dictionary.com has declared Xenophobia as the word of the year 2016. It was the most searched word of the year. This indicates an alarming situation.

The dislike towards people who belong to other races is an anomaly in todays times, where most world leaders are pushing for a world without borders. In a recent example, the Modi government of India allowed for 100 per cent FDI in various sectors, so as to allow ease of functioning to MNCs, and to open up the economy.

On the other hand, Donald Trump won the US presidential election on the promises of pushing out immigrants, and not outsourcing jobs. Prominent American politician Bernie Sanders did not shy away from openly stating that Trump shows signs to pushing programs that support Xenophobia. Major Hollywood actors put out videos and statements making people aware of Trumps intolerance towards people who were from other cultures. Trump has often publicly endorsed his xenophobic views with statements such as building a wall along the America  Mexico border, to keep Americans out. A Trump supporter in an interview vehemently argued that Americans needed jobs to come back home, and for those who were taking their jobs, to go back home.

TOI

A London School of Economics study by Eric Kaufmann revealed that for most Trump Voters, immigration seems to be the biggest issue faced by the United States, as on date. The results of this study are eerily similar to another recent shocking event - Brexit. Most of the people who voted in favor of the UK leaving the European Union were only concerned with having persons of other countries leave Britain. They seemed to have not considered its implications.

The Euro was created with the idea of easing out trade, and providing more job opportunities in the European Union. Not only did it allow for the flexibility of finding jobs easily and relocating to most places in Europe, it also accounted for about 5% of the GDP of UK (according to the Confederation of British Influence). A European Union membership, along with helping the United Kingdom draw in revenues of around 200 billion pounds (just from exports), was also helping protect its citizens when they travelled across Europe. Yet majority of Britons chose to vote themselves out of the European Union. Experts have predicted that the impact of Britain voting out of the European Union will severely slow down the countrys economic growth and cause loss of jobs and revenues from trade.

This is a classic case of xenophobia outweighing economic considerations.

Indiatimes

Soon after the vote, reports of racist name calling and abuse reached a record high. The Guardian UK chronicled the story of South East Asian, Lakshmi D Souza, who has been living in the UK for many years. After the results of UK's referendum vote, she was taking her infant son for a stroll and was told by two different Britishers to be careful and leave now.

Forbes lists out nationalism as a strong reason for Britons voting for a Brexit. They state the growing immigrant crisis of Europe as a determining factor- many British citizens were wary of allowing them sanctuary in the UK. People who voted leave showed a general inclination against multiculturalism and a lesser propensity to accept persons of other races. Many voters were completely unaware of the financial implications of their vote.

While the UN and free trade initiatives are trying to demolish walls, and technology is trying to create a world without borders, these global events have brought forward a completely opposite mindset of people.
Better late than never, as they say. Pakistan seem to be getting its act right at least on some terrorists. A military court in Pakistan has give death sentence to top Pakistani Taliban commander, Muslim Khan whos also known as Butcher of Swat.

Khan was convicted for killing 31 people, including civilians and security personnel, the military said. He is among eight "terrorists" whose death penalty was confirmed by army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The court was setup in the wake of 2014 Peshawar school attack in which a total of 144, most children were killed by terrorists. Others whose convictions were confirmed by the army chief on Wednesday include four gunmen sentenced for involvement in a 2015 bus massacre of Ismaili Shias in Karachi, and the assassination of social activist Sabeen Mahmud, also in Karachi the same year.

But who is Muslim Khan and why is he known as Butcher of Swat?

These are major questions which need to be answered for those who dont much about Khan and acts.

Reuters

Muslim Khan, 62, was the spokesman of Pakistan Taliban till the time he was arrested in 2009. He began his journey in 1960s when he started out as a student activist of a left-wing secular party.

But in early 1990 he underwent an ideological transformation and got associated with pre-Taliban Islamist movement briefly emerged in his native Swat region. He became a chief spokesman of Swat Taliban in 2007 and was the movement's public face during its stranglehold over the region which continued until the winter of 2009.

AFP

He advocated for Talibans policy of killings, beheading and destruction of schools and other institutions in Swat region which earned him the title of Butcher of Swat from Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah .

Why military court ordered to hang him?

The military's statement said that he was involved in killing innocent civilians, attacking armed forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan

Various attack propagated by him resulted in the death of 31 people and injuries to 69 others, the military statement said, adding that he was involved in "slaughtering" four soldiers.

"He was also involved in kidnapping two Chinese engineers and a local civilian for ransom. The convict admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was awarded the death sentence."

A former BBC Urdu correspondent, Abdul Hai Kakar, who met him in September 2009, reported that he spoke several languages, including Urdu, English, Arabic and Persian, in addition to his mother tongue Pashto.

Khan also had reportedly lived and travelled in a dozen of countries in the Middle East, Europe, the US and the Far East.

He has been in custody since his arrest in 2009 during the military operation that drove the Taliban out of Swat.
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday amended the rules for aircraft alert forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in peacetime in resolution No. 1012 and allowed the military to open fire on the aircraft after the intent-to-fire message. The corresponding decision was published by the government's press service on Thursday evening.

According to the amendments, "aircraft alert forces use weapons and military equipment after the intent-to-fire message issued from cannon armament of alert interceptors (helicopters)." These changes are aimed at "terminating illegal activities of aircraft, if they are used to carry out a terrorist offense in the airspace of Ukraine, including in the area of Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO)."

The explanation document says that the decision was made "for the adaptation of the basic legislative documents on defense to the modern world and challenges under the conditions of a "hybrid war" with Russia."
I have never been to Iceland but I already know that I love the place. The images that miserably fail to capture the real beauty of the country nevertheless shine with brilliance. There's live music everywhere, as is visual art, handicrafts and locavore cuisine. The warmth of Icelanders is mind-blowing, and it is the people that have converted this place into a living heaven, and a region that can host five times its population each year.

With only some 320,000 people living there, the country is now packed with tourists flying in from all over the world, and it's no wonder why people want to visit.

Here are 15 reasons why you should visit Iceland.

#1 Arctic Fox

#2 Hofskirkja

#3 Litlanesfoss

#4 Glacial River In Iceland

#5 Landmannalaugar

#6 Aurora Borealis

#7 Jokulsarlon

#8 Rainbow Over Kirkjufell

#9 Wild Arctic Fox

#10 Crater Rust

#11 A House

#12 Just A Normal Day

#13 Plane Wreckage

#14 Kirkjufell

#15 Mountains



Pack your bags already?
While the world doesn't care much about the deaths of migrants and refugees who left their countries like Syria, Libya and Iraq in pursuit of better life in Europe, this Cemetery in Tunisia has accepted all those who were forsaken by destiny.

"I'll sometimes get a knock on my door at night when a new body has been found," says Chemseddine Marzoug, a fisherman who assisted the burial of refugees. "Autumn and winter, when the winds are stronger, is when most of the bodies wash ashore," Marzoug was quoted in Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera

There is nothing to indicate that this is a cemetery, where hundreds of people have been buried after drowning while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy. One of the latest victims, an African woman in her 30s, was found on the beach in Zarzis without any documents after floating in the sea for about a month.

Over 4,400 people have died or gone missing this year while trying to make the deadly crossing, according to the International Organization for Migration's Missing Migrants Project. Most bodies are never found, but the largest number wash ashore in Libya or Italy and are buried there.

AFP

Marzoug, 51, who assisted burying unknown refugees in Zarzis as a volunteer for the Red Crescent for the past two decades is father of five, who earns his living as a fisherman and sometimes as a taxi driver, points towards a slight mound in the sand as the wind whips around him.

AFP

"He was around 32-years-old, buried in March," he explains.

A few steps further along, he points again: "A man without a head." None of the graves are marked. "Some argued that these people were not Muslims or believers. It made me angry. Aren't we all human beings?" Marzoug says.

Whenever the National Guard or the municipality finds a new body on shores of Zazris, they call Marzoug and a Red Crescent volunteer doctor, who must confirm that the person is dead.

"In many cases they have been in the sea for months, so then it's just a skeleton without any flesh," Marzoug says.

He looks over the hilly wasteland. "Doesn't it look terrible? We have been trying to get funds for 15 years to make this cemetery look decent and to arrange more respectful burials."

AFP

Improvements such as a fence, numbered graves and a paved road leading to the site are among the needed changes, he says - along with an archive and DNA bank.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the money and equipment to take DNA," Marzoug says, citing the need for international aid organisations to step in. "It's hard to get money from Tunisians in the current crisis, and if people have money, they would rather give it to poor children than to a cemetery for dead strangers," Aljazeera quoted him.
Are we back in the Cold War era? Not quite, but the way diplomacy is going on between Russia and the United States one is reminded of the 1970s and 80s. The US on Thursday, struck back at Russia for hacking the US presidential election campaign by targeting the countrys spies and diplomats. America said Russia must pay for its actions, and in return Moscow replied by calling the Obama administration losers and threatened retaliation.

AFP

The US asked 35 Russian diplomats to leave saying they were actually intelligence operatives. America also shut down Russian compounds in New York and Maryland and said this move a response to Russias harassment of US diplomats.

Almost a month after Donald Trump won the election, America said Russia helped him win and so President Barack Obama sanctioned the GRU and FSB, leading Russian intelligence agencies, which the US said were involved. Trump can, if he wants, pull back those sanctions and he has often implied that Obama and Democrats are merely attempting to delegitimize his election.

AFP

The Obama administration, in an effort to expose Russias cyber tactics, released a detailed technical report that hinted it might launch a covert counterattack.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions. Such activities have consequences, President Obama said.

Trump issued a statement saying it was "time for our country to move on to bigger and better things." Yet in the face of newly public evidence, he suggested he was keeping an open mind.

"In the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," Trump said.

Now Russia, in response to Obamas expulsion of Russian diplomats from America, tweeted a picture of a duck with the words Lame printed across the image.

President Obama expels 35  diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl  people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

The Embassy said "everyone," including the American people, will be happy to see the Obama Administration's time end.

A 'lame duck' is a person whose political successor has already been chosen, and is seeing out his last days in his (or her) post. It can also mean an unsuccessful person. Either way, the Russian Embassy's message for Obama was far from laudatory.

With inputs from AFP and Reuters
The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested five people, including a notable politician for allegedly killing a Chinese miner and three others in the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Abubakar Sadiq-Bello, made the disclosure on Friday in Lafia while addressing journalists on the development.

He said that the suspects were arrested following security intelligence sharing and collaboration with other agencies since the killing on November 28.

The commissioner said that investigations revealed that one Yahuza Yahaya was the leader of the criminal gang responsible for the ambush and killing of the three miners and their police escort.

He disclosed that one AK-47 riffle, military uniform and two photographs of the gang leader were recovered from the suspects.

In one of photographs, the gang leader was dressed in military uniform and brandishing an AK-47 riffle.

Investigation is still on to apprehend other accomplices in the case and all the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded, Sadiq-Bello said.
RIVERS State is on a knife-edge. Its security architecture was sadistically subverted at the highest level during the December 10 national and state assembly rerun elections. Hoodlums  called cultists in local parlance  warred against the state on several fronts, shooting, bombing, and snatching electoral materials and ballot boxes. Their most bloody and bestial escapade occurred in Ujju, Ogba/Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area, where they ambushed a police patrol team and beheaded two officers. It is an unmistakable sign of a failed state when criminals upstage the security forces and shed their blood with impunity.

The police represent the symbol of authority of the state: they protect, prevent crime and prosecute offenders. But it is not so in Rivers State. Instead, the police are now easy prey for felons. The killing of policemen, however, portends serious danger: if they are mercilessly murdered, how will ordinary, law-abiding citizens protect themselves?

Rivers State has become notorious for election violence. This is a terrible baggage, but it is unquestionably true. The beheading of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mohammed Alkali, and his aide, Peter Uchi, is a grim confirmation of this bloodcurdling trend. No country surrenders its authority to criminals, as is being witnessed in the state.

Nigeria continues to demonstrate its weakness by allowing criminals to shed blood without let, and it often does nothing to enforce its authority. All we have witnessed so far is a semblance of state control. Obviously, this does nothing to tame crime. Apart from State Security Service agents, military and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, deployed 20,000 officers, 20 gunboats and three helicopters for the rerun. In a normal election, this was more than adequate.

Yet, violence erupted uncontrollably in several places, especially in Khana, Oyigbo, Ogu/Bolo and Ikwerre LGAs. The Independent National Electoral Commission, which conducted the rerun, appropriately cancelled the polls in several units because of the brigandage. But some of these areas should have been identified as flashpoints and adequate undercover and overt operations staged to foil attempts by hoodlums to disrupt the election and kill.

Kasimu Abdulkarim, the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, laid bare the security conundrum in the vicinity where Alkali and his aide were beheaded. He said, The patrol vehicle was taken away with weapons; three policemen escaped, while five were missing in action. This is the same area where soldiers of 34 Brigade were ambushed on November 20 when a soldier was killed. Also on November 21, four personnel of the NSCDC were killed and their weapons carted away. This is frightening.

Violence assumed an alarming dimension in the run-up to the 2015 general election, in which about seven people were killed in the same Rivers State. As a result, INEC suspended legislative election in eight of the states 23 LGAs. Perceptively, the European Union Election Observer Team had condemned the violence that occurred during the polls, stressing it was most pronounced in Rivers and Akwa Ibom (states). Normally, government should have investigated the mayhem and prevented a recurrence.

The March 2016 rerun was not different. Gun battles, destruction, arson and death marked it. A National Youth Service Corps member, Samuel Okonta, who served as an ad hoc INEC official, was brutally murdered, prompting an indefinite shift in the polls. An election is not war. African countries like Ghana and The Gambia just concluded elections, while violence is not part of elections in Europe and the United States. Nigeria should not be different.

The blame for the ongoing criminality in Rivers State lies with the government. The Nigerian state is too weak. Any group can undermine it at will. This is dangerous. In May 2013, the Ombatse cult slaughtered 10 SSS officers and over 60 policemen in an ambush in Nasarawa State. Weirdly, the SSS said it forgave the murderers. Just this month, Idowu Taiwo, a Superintendent of Police in the Ekiti State Command, was murdered by criminals. Solomon Sunday, a corporal in the Ondo State Command, was also gunned down by rival street gangs.

In Rivers, arrests have been made by the police. Yet, they had made several arrests in the past, but the lack of will to prosecute the criminals undermines the integrity of our elections. But it is a little comforting that this IG is talking tough. Idris said, I want to assure this country that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that those found indicted in this investigation, no matter their status, are going to be held responsible for it. These people were killed, not because of any personal issue, but because they answered the call of duty to serve  It is sad that their lives had to end like this. It will be a huge relief if the IG can deliver on his mantra. Recently, he lamented that 128 policemen were murdered by criminals in the line of duty in the three months to November.

The political parties  particularly the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party  are culpable. Governor Nyesom Wike (PDP), John Odigie-Oyegun, the APC Chairman, and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State behaved irresponsibly on the campaign train ahead of the polls with their belligerent postures. Both parties incited the voters unnecessarily. This is bad leadership. There should be a way to sanction politicians who encourage violence in their bid to win elections by all means.

Really, the brigandage in Rivers State foreshadows the testy days ahead of the 2019 general election. Save for the 2015 general election, voting in the country always resembles war. This is worrisome. For things to change, anybody that kills must be brought to book speedily. This is the only language that criminals understand.

Source: Punch
Three Ukrainian soldiers have been injured in the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) zone in the east of the country over the past day, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk has said.

"Over the past day, as a result of the fighting, none of the Ukrainian military has been killed, while three soldiers have been injured," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

In his words, grenade launcher and small arms fire was intense in the vicinity of Stanytsia Luhanska, Krymske and Popasna.

In the Donetsk sector, hostilities were seen all along the contact line excluding the Donetsk airport. Most shelling incidents occurred in the Avdiyivka industrial zone, the Svitlodarsk bulge and the outskirts of Horlivka, he said.

In the Mariupol sector, hostiles fired mortars near Talakivka and Krasnohorivka. In all, 24 provocations were observed in that area over the day, Motuzianyk said.
A woman has been arrested in Damaturu, Yobe state, north east Nigeria over the kidnap of her 10 year-old son.

The woman, identified as Barakat Daya was arrested on Wednesday by the operatives of the Department of State Services after her 10 year-old son, Mohd Yusuf Daya was rescued from kidnappers. Her friend, Rukayat Danladi was also arrested.

The DSS suspects their culpability in the kidnap case.

The DSS was called in after the boy was kidnapped on Wednesday morning at Ben Kalio Housing Estate, Damaturu. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of N5 million .

However, about 7:20pm same day, the operatives of the Service rescued the boy in Potiskum town, Potiskum LGA. The town is about 100 kms from Damaturu.

The startling revelation about the 10 year-old boys mother acting in cahoot with kidnappers was made by Tony Opuiyo in the end of the year statement cataloguing the crime busting efforts of the secret agency.

In a related development, Tony Opuiyo also revealed that the agency has uncovered a criminal gang which specialises in robbing foreigners, either visiting or living in Abuja.

Members of the gang who robbed an expatriate in a high brow hotel in Abuja and carted away his money and other valuables, have however been arrested.

According to a statement by Tony Opuiyo for the agency, two of the gang members, Ikechukwu Obadlegwu and Ikechukwu Joseph Eke are in the net.

While Obadlegwu carried out surveillance on potential targets for the group, Eke is the kingpin and mastermind of the whole operation.

DSS said it has almost recovered all the stolen items.

The DSS said it arrested a notorious fraudster at Gwaron Dutse, Kano Municipal, Kano State.

The fraudster was identified as Auwalu Abdullahi Yakasai.

He was apprehended for allegedly defrauding Jaiz and Unity Banks of N100 Million and N50 Million respectively.

The Service also arrested one Bashir Shuaibu, on 5 December, 2016 at Tsamiya village, Gezawa LGA of Kano State for obtaining money from unsuspecting victims through threat messages. He was arrested while in the process of defrauding another victim.
Happy wedding anniversary to the Emir of Kano, HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and his wife of 25 years!

The royal couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary yesterday, with this lovely cake.

The pair seem just as happy now as they did when a throwback picture of when they first got hitched surfaced online.
The Federal Government has recovered 40 brand new Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and others from a former permanent secretary who single-handedly appropriated them to himself when he left office.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this while defending the governments anti-corruption fight against allegation that it lacks a strategy. He said the government was being guided by a well-articulated strategy that had led to the recovery of the vehicles.

The anti-graft campaign has been dismissed as losing verve as it is only targeted at perceived or real enemies of the ruling party. It has also been condemned for allegedly resorting to extra-judicial measures. The Senates rejection of Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was a fallout of the perception that the campaign had failed. Thus, Mohammeds defence is an attempt to shore up support for the campaign.

Mohammed said the government was working through the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to commence a trial run of electronic asset declaration to facilitate compliance and also to search and retrieve data on the assets of public officers in 2017.In a statement issued in Lagos, the minister said the Federal Government was not just fixated on prosecution alone but was also taking preventive measures to make corruption unattractive.

He listed the strict enforcement of the Treasury Singles Account (TSA), which has largely reduced the diversion of government funds into various secret accounts, and the constant fishing out of ghost workers in the public service, which many states are now adopting, as some of the preventive measures against corruption.

The minister listed other measures perfected to strengthen the anti-corruption fight as the establishment of the Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery and the Asset Tracing; setting up of an Asset Register; and the Whistle Blower Policy.

According to him, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption is working with relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), especially the National Bureau of Statistics to improve data collection on corruption indicators generally.

Expatiating on the Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery, the minister says it meets regularly to take reports from key law enforcement agencies on governments anti-corruption effort, share information and intelligence, review the challenges faced in the anti-corruption efforts generally and give directives on the way forward.

This same body, on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, has directed a centralised management of recovered looted assets through the Central Asset Management Committee under the leadership of Minister of Finance as legal custodian of government asset.

This singular move has reduced the opportunity for re-looting of recovered assets that was prevalent under previous regimes. By this measure, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and all asset recovery law enforcement agencies are mandatorily required to furnish the Minister of Finance with full details of recovered assets whether cash or otherwise, the minister said.

According to Mohammed, data reconciliation will soon be completed and the information will be made available to the public.

On the asset register, he said it had made very difficult the looting of government physical assets, most notably vehicles, by departing political appointees as well as senior and middle level officers.

He explained that the recently approved Whistle Blower Policy was designed to further enhance governments effort to recover looted funds. People who give credible and useful information to government that leads to the recovery of stolen public assets will be rewarded with between 2.5% and 5% of the recovered fund and government will keep the identity of the whistle blower absolutely confidential.He hinted that the government was finalising the constitution of an asset tracing team to work with international reputable bodies to trace and recover public assets in private pockets.

In this regard, government will also escalate the use of non-conviction-based asset recovery methods to boost revenue and diminish corruption and the perception that crime pays or criminals can keep their loot. The Federal Government is getting Nigerians in diaspora and international civil society organisations involved in the campaign for return of looted assets, the minister added.
Towards the end of every year, the nation is besieged with a different kind of weather. The weather, which comes during the Yuletide season is known as the harmattan. It comes with its own aura and many prefer it to the cold and hot weather. The harmattan is a hot, dry and dusty wind (continental trade wind) blowing over West Africa.

Expectedly, the harmattan brings desert-like weather conditions, which lowers the humidity, dissipates cloud cover, prevents rainfall formation and sometimes, creates big clouds of dust or sand, which can even result in violent dust-storms or sandstorms; but when the haze effect is weak, this dry wind creates beautiful sunny days with plenty of clear skies.

With the haze hitting parts of the country, especially Lagos State, it is expected that the harmattan will come with mixed feeling. Perhaps, one of the disadvantages of this dry weather is disruption of flight operations in the country, especially from Lagos.



Due to the dry weather, the possibility of fire outbreaks is usually high at this time of the year. Also, as the dryness in the atmosphere increases, people are prone to be infected with various airborne diseases.

To forestall the outbreaks of fire, the Lagos State government has warned citizens against indiscriminate bush burning and careless handling of naked fire in cigarettes, firewood and cooking stoves.

Commissioner for the Environment, Babatunde Adejare, who sounded this note of warning at an interactive section with reporters in Ikeja yesterday, said the warning became necessary to avoid disasters in the state.

Adejare, who noted that harmattan currently being experienced in the state would subside by the end of February 2017 with intermittent breaks in January, urged Lagos residents to take precautionary measures by making sure that they install fire extinguishers in homes, offices, market places and motor parks.

According to him: As our environment becomes dusty and hazy with dryness to everything including trees, wooden items, leaves and furniture, we urge residents to be extremely careful with fire to prevent outbreaks because fire is nobodys friend.

Adejare urged residents to always switch off electrical appliances in their offices at the close of work and at homes when leaving for work or other endeavours as a way of preventing fire disasters, which are often rampant during the harmattan period, while motorists should ensure that they have fire extinguishers in their vehicles, maintain speed limits and observe road signs.

He also warned Lagosians to avoid bush and solid waste burning as this may lead to fire outbreak as well as to desist from the storage of petrol and other inflammable materials at homes, offices, shops and markets as their storage could aid fire outbreak, especially at this harmattan period when virtually all objects in the environment are dry and combustible.

Meanwhile, flight operations to northern parts of the country has picked up as poor visibility occasioned by the harmattan haze that crippled operations since Monday has improved.

It would be recalled that many parts of the country experienced zero visibility for a couple of days leading to cancellations and delays of flights.

Flights to Kano and Yola were cancelled on Monday due to bad weather as the harmattan haze crept in from the Sahara Desert, which saw visibility drop to about 400 metres.

Total shut down of flights to northern states was recorded on Tuesday as no flight operated into the Kano, Maiduguri, Kebbi and Sokoto airports, but a few flights were recorded by Wednesday.

An airport official, who pleaded anonymity, said the situation had improved with flights to Maiduguri, Kano and Sokoto.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had predicted thick dust haze with visibility expected to be around 1,000m over most parts since Monday.

Source: Guardian
Nigerian newspaper headlines December 30, 2016.

Punch

Over 40,000 bags of rice seized by the Nigeria Customs Service have been shared to Internally Displaced Persons camps, its Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali, has stated.

Guardian

Cleaners in annex one and two of the National Assembly yesterday withdrew their services in protest of the assemblys inability to pay their five months outstanding salaries.

Thisday

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of plotting to bomb him when he is airborne in the state-owned airplane in a desperate bid to get rid of him and capture the state at all cost.

The Nation

The army yesterday dismissed a new video in which Boko Harams elusive leader Abubakar Shekau is disputing a claim that the jihadist group had been routed from its Sambisa Forest stronghold.

Vanguard

There was tension in Enugu, yesterday, following the killing of two persons during a bloody clash between some Igbo and Fulani at Gariki Market, Enugu.

Premium Times

The Federal Government says it has recovered 40 brand new SUVs and other vehicles from a former Permanent Secretary who single-handedly appropriated the vehicles to himself when he left office.

Leadership

The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs is pushing for Diaspora voting in the coming general elections in 2019, Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Sen Monsurat Sunmonu has said.

The Sun

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, has said that importation of rice and wheat gulped over N1 trillion in foreign exchange annually.
On Monday, emergency crew in Thailand were recorded conducting an unusual rescue  removing a large rat snake from a toilet bowl.

A video posted to YouTube shows an animal rescue worker using a catch pole to snare the reptile as it moves inside a toilet in Khon Kaen.

A second rescue worker, wearing a protective glove, steps in to prevent the snake from escaping the noose and slithering down the toilet drain.

The snake, a non-venomous rat snake, was reportedly released the next day in an area considered to be a safe distance from the nearest commode.
2016 has been hard on all of us, and the Kardashians are no exception. According to TMZ, Rob Kardashian is currently being hospitalized after experiencing complications with his type 2 diabetes. The socks salesman checked himself into the hospital on Wednesday night.

Blac Chyna rushed to be by her fiances side, followed by mother Kris Jenner and her boyfriend, Corey Gamble. Chyna and Rob are currently living separately after the reality show stars got into a nasty spat that resulted in the future Mrs. Kardashian taking their 1-month-old daughter, their Eggo waffles and their BBQ sauce before leaving Rob alone in their home. Of course, the whole debacle wasbroadcast over social media.

Rob Kardashian has struggled with his weight in recent years, and was hospitalized for type 2 diabetes in December of 2015. In August, he told People that his diabetes was gone after he started working out and eating the food Chyna made for him. He has since gained the weight he lost back.

TMZ is reporting that the flare up of his type 2 diabetes came when the emotional turmoil over his relationship caused him to over-eat. He is still being stabilized at a medical center in Hidden Hills, California.

Someecards
A group of men from the ultra-nationalist Alperen Hearts protested Christmas and New Years celebrations in Turkey by holding a man dressed as Santa Claus at gunpoint on December 28 in the western province of Aydin.

The men were dressed in traditional clothes and danced to the traditional zeybek dance, while the locals were watching in shock.

The provincial head of the Alperen Hearths in Aydin said they were aiming to bring people back to their roots.

Our purpose is for people to go back to their roots. We are Muslim Turks and have been banner-bearers of Islam for a thousand years. We cannot see why there is such sensitivity for Christian traditions and not for our traditions like Hdrellez, Nevruz and other religious and national holidays. We organized this protest against Christmas celebrations, reminding people that we should be celebrating our own national holidays instead, he said.

Alperen Hearts is the youth organisation of the Great Union Party  a far-right Islamist and nationalist political party in Turkey.
There is much uncertainty surrounding the security industry for 2017, and according to experts in the field, a lot of the trepidation is directly connected to what the nations next president will do.

Heres what security vendors and analysts are predicting for the year ahead.

John B Wood, CEO of Telos Corporation, cites a need for cooperation between the government and the private sector. President-elect Donald Trump took a break from his thank you tour to meet with tech executives to smooth over a contentious time between the two sides during his campaign.

President-elect Trump has been vocal about the need for a stronger and more aggressive cyber security posture, and Im confident that hell work with leading members of Congress. Many non-political cyber experts throughout the government, various agency CISOs and [Federal Chief Information Security Officer] General Touhill will also be great resources to further refine cyber security policies to protect U.S. interests in the face of constantly changing threats, Wood said.

He also noted the renewed focus on U.S. Cyber Command. The President-elect has promised to eliminate the threat of defense sequestration and to spend more on the military. This needs to include working to roll back the budget caps for defense spending and providing additional resources for cyber security, including more money for U.S. Cyber Command, which I believe is grossly underfunded, Wood added.

Speaking of funding, Wood does not believe that a change of administration will automatically lead to a change in regulatory policy.

Although there will certainly be a big push by the Trump administration to roll back or modify overly burdensome regulations, I dont see this affecting cybersecurity regulations, like the NIST Cyber Security Framework that has been developed in consultation with the private sector, he commented.

Reuven Harrison, CTO and co-founder of Tufin, a provider of network security policy orchestration solutions for enterprise cybersecurity, said the thought of a Trump administration inevitably failing to uphold regulations will keep IT departments tossing and turning at night. If Trump implements his deregulation promises, and penalties for non-compliance with industry-wide security regulations are relaxed, security teams will need to be self-disciplined to maintain a high level of security by turning to outside resources for security best practices, he said.

Carson Sweet, co-founder and CTO at CloudPassage, said privacy will take center stage over security.

Trumps administration will create a fundamental shift in concerns as it pertains to security. Theres a new sheriff in town, and many posit that he has less regard for privacy concerns than the current administration. Case in point, Trump supported the FBI in its battle with Apple over iPhone privacy and security, Sweet stated. If this new administration demonstrates in their policies a value for law enforcement and intelligence access over citizens privacy, theyll double or triple down on the governments right to inspect data. The impact of such a reality would extend to the use of online services, cloud providers, even personal computing devices and IoT.

What that impact would be is very hard to know, but its safe to bet that it wont be positive, he said. The wars around PGP and personal encryption come to mind (anyone remember the Clipper chip?).

John Bambenek, threat systems manager at Fidelis Cybersecurity, said he never would have predicted last year that we would be talking about the DNC and hacking of elections.

Ransomware will be on the upswing and evolve in new unforeseen ways. It will be more targeted and focus on more valuable targets as we saw with healthcare. And it will continue to attack new, more damaging industries like we recently witnessed with San Francisco BART and Muni, he said.

While 2016 found the election under scrutiny because of alleged hacking by foreign powers, 2017 will continue the trend of identity theft and ransomware.

Forrester predicts that within the first 100 days, the new president will face a cybercrisis. The momentum of winning the election gives new presidents the publics support to follow through on key initiatives of their campaigns. However, the 45th president will lose that momentum coming into office by finding the administration facing a cybersecurity incident.

Forrester suggests that the administration prepare for nation-states and ideologies looking to disrupt and degrade. They believe the U.S. should be on the lookout for China, North Korea and Iran.

Political ideologies use electronic means to both recruit and spread information. DDoS attacks using IoT devices are becoming a common means of disrupting operations for companies or individuals that threat actors disagree with. A company can become a target not just because of its size or global presence but also because of its political donations or public statements. If youve never factored geopolitical concerns into your security risk analysis, you ignore them at your own firms peril.

Civilian casualties in the Cyber Cold War

Corey Nachreiner, CTO at WatchGuard Technologies, follows Forresters way of thinking. Whether you know it or not, the cyber cold war has started. Nation-states, including U.S., Russia, Israel, and China, have all started both offensive and defensive cyber security operations. Nation-states have allegedly launched malware that damaged nuclear centrifuges, stolen intellectual property from private companies, and even breached other governments confidential systems. Countries are hacking for espionage, crime investigation, and even to spread propaganda and disinformation.

Trumps administration will create a fundamental shift in concerns as it pertains to security.

Carson Sweet, CTO, CloudPassage

He believes 2017 will be much of the same: Behind the scenes, nation-states have been leveraging undiscovered vulnerabilities in their attacks, suggesting that these countries have been finding, purchasing, and hording zero-day flaws in software to power their future cyber campaigns.

In other words, the nation-state cyber cold war is an arms race to discover and horde software vulnerabilitiesoften ones in the private software we all use every day, he said.
RFD-TV Interview: Grain and Livestock Markets Blue Line Futures - Thu Nov 3, 6:38PM CDT What's on the radar for grain and livestock markets to round out the week?

Cotton Bounce Continued through Thursday Barchart - Thu Nov 3, 4:48PM CDT Front month cotton futures ended with another triple digit bounce on the day. December closed at the allotted 4c limit, while the other nearbys were 138 to 353 point gains. Census data reported 703,536... CTZ22 : 82.39 (-0.73%) CTH23 : 80.85 (-1.61%) CTK23 : 80.81 (-1.45%)

Red Thursday for Wheat Market Barchart - Thu Nov 3, 4:48PM CDT The nearby wheat market ended with mixed but mostly lower. SRW prices gave back 3 to 5 1/2 cents on the day. December stayed at a net 11 1/4 cent gain wk/wk so far. KC wheat held firmer with December up... ZWZ22 : 847-4 (+0.83%) ZWH23 : 866-2 (+0.76%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.7263 (-0.65%) KEZ22 : 950-4 (+0.98%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.9929 (+0.14%) MWZ22 : 950-2 (+0.77%)

Hog Market Fades on Thursday Barchart - Thu Nov 3, 4:48PM CDT Lean hog futures held onto minimal gains in the December contract on Thursday, while the other nearby contracts dropped by 2 to 20 cents. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price was $3.36 weaker in the... HEZ22 : 83.375s (+0.09%) HEJ23 : 92.550s (-0.11%) KMZ22 : 94.000s (+0.16%)

Weak Thursday for Cattle Market Barchart - Thu Nov 3, 4:48PM CDT Front month fat cattle futures ended the session mixed with a 55 cent gain in Dec and a 5 cent gain in the August 23 contract. The other nearby futures fell by 2 to 20 cents on a mixed / mostly weaker... LEZ22 : 151.950s (+0.36%) LEG23 : 154.875s (-0.02%) LEJ23 : 158.300s (-0.13%) GFX22 : 178.000s (-0.52%) GFF23 : 179.425s (-0.32%)

Corn Faded on Thursday Barchart - Thu Nov 3, 4:48PM CDT Thursday action in the corn market left futures 2 3/4 to 8 1/4 cents lower. For December contracts that was the lowest close since 10/19. IHS Markit expects the national U.S. corn yield at 172.9 bpa,... ZCZ22 : 682-4 (+0.48%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.7556 (-1.15%) ZCH23 : 687-6 (+0.44%) ZCK23 : 687-6 (+0.44%)
The Ukrainian Armed Forces suffered losses among personnel in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in Donbas, Ukraine's Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios said.

"There are currently losses of eight servicemen at the frontline," Matios said on Facebook.

Matios said later: "I confirm that there were three injuries in combat and five non-combat losses, such as a suicide and four servicemen that were killed in an incident with mishandling an RDG-5 hand grenade. This is war and its consequences are scary."

At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces only lost a serviceman injured in hostilities in Donbas as of 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Motuzianyk also told Interfax-Ukraine commenting on information from Matios on the Ukrainian Armed Forces' loss of eight servicemen that he receives latest updates only on combat losses from the ATO zone in Donbas, and the complete information regarding the events today will be made public at a briefing on Saturday.

Motuzianyk said a briefing in Kyiv earlier on Friday that no Ukrainian servicemen were killed and three servicemen were injured in hostilities in the past 24 hours.
Officials in Richmond held a public hearing this week on a proposed temporary ban on marijuana retailers and social clubs in the Maine town.

The Kennebec Journal reports the Planning Boards hearing was set for 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Board of Selectmen plans to hold a special town meeting Jan. 18 to vote on the moratorium and other items.

Richmond joins other Maine towns and cities that are taking a cautious approach to the new state law that legalizes marijuana.

Maine voters approved the referendum in November, and the secretary of states office signed off on the results last week. But it could be months before the state completes the rule-making process governing the legal cultivation and sale of marijuana.

Richmond voters had narrowly favored the ballot initiative.

Information from: Kennebec Journal

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Maine
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that new health insurance reforms aimed at combatting New York States heroin and opioid crisis will go into effect January 1, 2017.

These reforms were part of the legislative package that the Governor signed earlier this year. Once in effect, health insurance plans will be required to cover treatment services provided to New Yorkers suffering from opioid addiction, increase access to treatment, expand community prevention strategies and limit the over-prescription of opioids in New York.

With these landmark reforms fully enacted, we have removed artificial barriers that prevented New Yorkers from receiving the help they need and put into place new safeguards to get these drugs off the street, Governor Cuomo said in a press release issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). As families and communities across the nation grapple with the devastating effects of this heroin and opioid crisis, New York is leading the fight to stamp out this disease once and for all.

The legislative package included several best practices and recommendations identified by the Governors Heroin and Opioid Task Force and builds on New Yorks aggressive efforts to break the cycle of heroin and opioid addiction. These new insurance-related protections are the final components of the package to take effect and include four measures to remove burdensome access barriers for inpatient treatment and medication.

These measures seek to end prior insurance authorization to allow for immediate access to inpatient treatment as long as treatment is needed. It will require that insurers cover necessary inpatient services for the treatment of substance use disorders for as long as an individual needs them. In addition, the legislation establishes that utilization review by insurers can begin only after the first 14 days of treatment, ensuring that every patient receives at least two weeks of uninterrupted care before the insurance company becomes involved.

Additionally, the measures aim to end prior insurance authorization to allow for greater access to drug treatment medications. Under the reforms, insurers cannot require prior approval for emergency supplies of drug treatment medications. Similar provisions that also apply to managed care providers treating Medicaid recipients who seek access to buprenorphine and injectable naltrexone took effect in June.

The new rules require all insurance companies to use objective state approved criteria to determine the level of care for individuals suffering from substance abuse. Going forward, all insurers operating in New York State will be required to use objective, state-approved criteria when making coverage determinations for all substance use disorder treatment in order to make sure individuals get the treatment they need.

The rules also mandate insurance coverage for opioid overdose-reversal medication. The measures state that insurance companies must cover the costs of naloxone when prescribed to a person who is addicted to opioids and to members of his or her family on the same insurance plan.

The new insurance coverage requirements apply to small group and large group plans regulated by the DFS that are issued or renewed beginning January 1, as well as plans sold to individual consumers.

These new laws will save lives, said Arlene Gonzalez Sanchez of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services in the release. They will make it possible for New Yorkers in need to get help when they seek it.

Source: New York State Department of Financial Services Press Office

Related:

Topics Carriers New York Drugs
Anthony F. Markel, vice chairman of the board at the Markel Corporation will be honored by The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. Johns University as the School of Risk Managements 2016 Insurance Leader of the Year at its 22nd annual dinner.

The event will take place on Wednesday, January 18, 2017, at 6 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The Insurance Leader of the Year Award, presented annually since 1995, recognizes the contributions of outstanding individuals whose leadership in the global insurance and financial services industry sets them apart from his or her peers.

The accolade is traditionally awarded to an industry leader for distinguished achievement over a long career, or for special achievement in the year of recognition, said Kevin H. Kelley, Chief Executive Officer of Ironshore Inc. and Chairman of the SRM Board of Overseers, in a press release issued by St. Johns University. Tony Markel, in all respects, is a worthy recipient of the 22nd Annual Insurance Leader of the Year award. Under his leadership, Markel has over decades produced outstanding operating and financial results; he has generously given of his time and energy to a number of industry-wide organizational leadership positions; and he has pursued a wide array of philanthropic initiatives with a deep commitment to the needs of others. Leader, mentor, guide, and benefactor: Tony has done it all.

Founded in 1870, St. Johns is a Catholic and Vincentian university based in Queens, New York. Markel Corporation is a holding company for insurance, reinsurance, and investment operations around the world headquartered in Richmond, Va., and founded in 1930.

Source: St. Johns University

Topics New York Leadership Education Universities
General Motors has been sued over a 2014 car fire that caused more than $450,000 in damage to two central Pennsylvania homes.

Pennlive.com reports that Erie Insurance Exchange and four of its policy holders claim the blaze resulted from a defect GM officials didnt adequately address.

The fire began in the engine compartment of a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix owned by Bruce and Sheri Dohner, spread to their garage and engulfed their home. A neighbors home also was damaged.

The car was among 1.1 million recalled by GM for a defect that allowed oil to leak onto the engines hot manifolds. The lawsuit says the Dohners got the work done, but the repair didnt work.

On Tuesday, GM asked to have the case moved from Cumberland County Court, where it was originally filed, to federal court in Harrisburg.

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Topics Lawsuits Homeowners Pennsylvania
In view of the new U.S. presidential administration coming to power, which has already announced its intention to change its approach to Russia, as well as possible election of political powers in several European countries which intend to make a deal with the Russian leaders, the authorities of Ukraine and its citizens need to agree to a series of painful compromises in order to achieve peace with Russia, Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Victor Pinchuk wrote in his article for The Wall Street Journal newspaper.

He said that the West cannot make a deal with the Kremlin disregarding the opinion of more than 40 million Ukrainians. Ukrainians have demonstrated since the end of 2013 that they will fight if the prospect of living in a free, democratic, tolerant and fair country is taken away, the businessman said.

"Those looking for a 'realist' solution would be well advised to take this into account. But the instinctive response of many Ukrainians to the new circumstancesto demand the same as before, but with greater intensity and urgencymay not work," the businessman said.

Pinchuk says that Ukrainians should also adapt to the new reality and help the international friends help them instead of issuing new appeals. "The new administration in Washington can be an opportunity for Ukraine to contribute to the solution of Russia's intervention," he said.

He notes that Ukrainians must stand up for the fundamental principles of their struggle - Ukraines right to choose its own way, safeguard its territorial integrity and build a successful country.

"Yes, it goes without saying that Moscow must implement its obligations under the 2014 and 2015 Minsk agreements to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine. It must ensure enforcement of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of its fighters and heavy weapons, which it has failed to do. But this can be part of a larger picture in which we make painful compromises for peace. Consider the following ideas," Pinchuk wrote.

According to him, Ukraine should consider temporarily eliminating European Union membership from our stated goals for the near future. We can build a European country, be a privileged partner, and later discuss joining.

"While we maintain our position that Crimea is part of Ukraine and must be returned, Crimea must not get in the way of a deal that ends the war in the east on an equitable basis. It will take Ukraine from 15 to 20 years to generate enough economic growth and stabilize our infrastructure, social safety net and financial system. Everyone from Crimea will then want to live in this future Ukraine - just as East Germans wanted to become part of West Germany," he said.

Pinchuk believes that the conflict in the east was initiated from abroad and is not a genuine autonomy movement or civil war. There will not be conditions for fair elections until Ukraine has full control over its territory. But we may have to overlook this truth and accept local elections. Such compromises may mean letting down Ukrainians from the east who have suffered enormously. "But if this is what it takes to demonstrate Ukraine's commitment to peaceful reunification, then we may have to make this compromise to save thousands of lives," the businessman thinks.

According to him, we must focus on helping those who had to leave their hometowns, and cannot return to live under repressive and unsafe conditions, by offering them all possible support to rebuild their lives in a new reality.

"Finally, let's accept that Ukraine will not join NATO in the near- or midterm. The offer is not on the table, and if it were, it could lead to an international crisis of unprecedented scope. For now, we should pursue an alternative security arrangement and accept neutrality as our near-term vision for the future," the philanthropist wrote in his article.

Pinchuk says Ukraine will need security guarantees. In the 1994 Budapest Memorandum the U.S., Russia, Britain, France and China gave security assurances in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nuclear arsenal.

"We trusted this agreement but learned painfully when Russia invaded Crimea that assurances are not guarantees. Ukraine must offer realistic, detailed proposals on all of these points. We should also make clear that we are ready to accept an incremental rollback of sanctions on Russia as we move toward a solution for a free, united, peaceful and secure Ukraine," the article says.

Pinchuk says that Ukrainian lives that will be saved are worth the painful compromises he has proposed. Ukrainians must reiterate that Ukraine can be part of solving its own problems and addressing global challenges as part of a broad international coalition.

"When I hosted Donald Trump as a speaker by video link at the 2015 Yalta European Strategy annual meeting, he expressed great respect for Ukraine and the belief that we were not getting the support we deserved. I am hopeful that his sympathy for Ukraine can be the basis for meaningful negotiations, agreements and eventually a peaceful settlement," the businessman said.

Pinchuk is a Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist, an owner of investment and consulting group EastOne and Interpipe metallurgical company.
Value investor Prem Watsas Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. won regulatory approval to buy 51 percent of Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd., marking the first time Indias central bank is allowing a foreign investor to purchase a majority stake in a domestic lender.

Catholic Syrian, based in Thrissur in south Indias Kerala state, received notification of the approval Thursday from the Reserve Bank of India, director T.S. Anantharaman said in a phone interview. The 96-year-old Indian lender must now send a list of valuation companies, which can produce an estimate of Catholic Syrians worth, to the central bank for their selection before proceeding with discussions, he said Friday.

The lenders board can then negotiate a deal price with the Canadian investment firm based on the valuation report, Catholic Syrian Director S. Santhanakrishnan said by phone. The parties will need to reach a final agreement within three months of the valuation company being chosen, according to Anantharaman.

The approval for Fairfax to acquire a stake is a game-changer for banks and for Catholic Syrian Bank, Santhanakrishnan said.

Representatives for Fairfax and the RBI didnt immediately respond to e-mails seeking comment. Indias Mint newspaper reported the RBI approval earlier Friday, citing unidentified people.

Voting Rights

Catholic Syrian had 156.5 billion rupees ($2.3 billion) of assets at the end of March, according to its annual report. The lenders network includes more than 430 branches and 240 automated teller machines in India, its website shows.

Indias central bank will require Fairfax to keep its ownership level for at least five years, Santhanakrishnan said. The Canadian firm will need to reduce its shareholding to 15 percent within 12 years, according to Santhanakrishnan.

The Reserve Bank of India approval letter states Fairfax will be allowed voting rights in accordance with the guidelines contained in central bank circulars from November and May, he said. A single investors voting rights in a non-state bank cannot be more than 15 percent, according to the May guidelines.

Catholic Syrian raised about 1.2 billion rupees in October selling stock to investors including Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance Co., HDFC Standard Life Insurance Co. and Reliance Capital Ltd. at about 120 rupees per share, Santhanakrishnan said. Federal Bank Ltd. and Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd. also own stakes in the lender, according to a regulatory filing last year.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Canada India
Federal investigators said crew fatigue may have contributed to the derailment of a BNSF freight train that spilled more than 20,000 gallons of ethanol last year in western Wisconsin.

The engineer and the conductor scored poorly on the Federal Railroad Administrations fatigue analysis tool, even though they each had more than 13 hours of rest prior to beginning their shift at 1 a.m. on Nov. 17, 2015. The derailment occurred nearly 8 hours later.

Both employees passed alcohol and drug screenings.

A report said the engineer violated railroad guidelines by applying the brakes too suddenly, causing 25 cars to jump the tracks near Alma. Braking rapidly can cause momentum at the rear of a train, which can push cars off the track, the La Crosse Tribune reported.

According to the report, the freight train was traveling at 26 mph when it derailed, and was previously slowed from 54 mph. The maximum speed limit on the track where the incident occurred is 60 mph and the train was restricted to 55 mph, according to the FRA report.

The administration also determined that the layout of the more than 100-car train, which had heavily-loaded cars behind dozens of lighter and empty cars, contributed to the derailment.

The FRA characterized the incident as poor handling. Spokesman Marc Willis said the agency didnt fine the railroad because the engineer did not violate any federal regulations.

BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said as a result of the incident the engineer is no longer employed with the company.

No injuries were reported in the incident which caused about $2.1 million damage to rail equipment.

The derailment was one of several rail accidents last winter in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

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Topics Trends Wisconsin
Emergency rules drafted following the deadly 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse expired nearly a year ago and state regulators have not yet drafted a permanent rule intended to prevent such a disaster from happening again.

The rules that established design and construction requirements for outdoor event equipment, such as stage rigging, expired on Jan. 1, 2016, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.

Indiana Department of Homeland Security spokesman John Erickson said permanent rule-making to replace the emergency regulations has already started, but he acknowledged that process can take up to two years.

Indianapolis developer Craig Von Deylen, a member of the State Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, told the newspaper he was disappointed that Gov. Mike Pences administration let the rule lapse. He said the commission could have noticed the rules impending expiration and acted, had it been provided with adequate staff to do its job.

People died in an incident in the state prior to that rule, Von Deylen said. It cost the state a considerable amount of money in both legal fees and settlements.

Seven people were killed and nearly 100 were injured when high winds toppled stage rigging and sent the roof of the stage onto fans awaiting the start of a concert by the country duo Sugarland at the fairgrounds in Indianapolis on Aug. 13, 2011.

Following those deaths, the Washington, D.C.-based public safety and crisis management firm of Witt Associates determined that the state of Indiana should adopt and implement stringent regulation of the type of structure that collapsed during the state fair.

Erickson said the expired emergency rules are still being used as a guideline to assist with outdoor equipment safety. He added that the state Department of Homeland Security has been encouraged by the level of voluntary compliance with these guidelines.

The emergency rule was originally set to expire in 2014, but a bill passed by the General Assembly extended that deadline to Jan. 1, 2016, giving state regulators more time to establish permanent rules.

Commission members, however, told the newspaper the rule-making process only started this fall.

Von Deylen said the building safety commission is behind on its work because key legal and administrative staff positions that had once been in place at the state level to review and update the codes have been eliminated.

He called for Pence, the vice president-elect, to provide (the commission) with adequate staff so we can do our job. Pences term as Indianas governor ends Jan. 9.

Indiana and 19 companies were part of a $50 million settlement reached in 2015 with victims of the stage collapse. The state paid $11 million of that.

Related:

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Topics Indiana
Maryland-based Kite Technology Group and Wisconsin-based AIS Technology are merging their operations effective Jan. 2, 2017. The merged company will operate under the name Kite Technology Group.

Nick Oliver, owner and president of AIS Technology, will join Kite Technology Group (KiteTech) as executive vice president.

Oliver will serve as the executive contact for AIS Technology (AIS) clients and expand Kite Technology Groups footprint to meet the technology needs of insurance agencies nationwide.

Kite Technology Group provides managed IT services to insurance agencies, as well as other service businesses, in the mid-Atlantic region. Approximately 55 percent of Kite Technology Groups current revenue comes from independent insurance agencies.

AIS Technology is an IT managed services provider serving independent insurance agencies in twenty-two states across the United States. AIS also provides IT services to non-insurance companies in Wisconsin.

The combined entity will be owned by Greg DiDio, Nick Oliver and Kite Technology Group founder, Jeff Kite. It will continue to be headquartered in Owings Mills, Md.

Source: Kite Technology Group

Topics InsurTech Tech Maryland Wisconsin
Commissioners in Kansas Shawnee County have agreed to pay a $48,000 settlement to two women who claimed they were wrongfully terminated from their jobs in the prosecutors office because of racial and gender discrimination.

Although the settlement releases the county, the litigation will be allowed to continue against the district attorneys office, and a jury trial is expected to start Jan. 9 in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas. Thats the same day outgoing Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylors successor will be sworn into office, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

Lisa Anne Moore, of Lawrence, and Krystal L. Boxum-Debolt, of Rancho Rio, New Mexico, filed the lawsuit in 2012. The two were victim-witness specialists in the district attorneys office before they were terminated in 2010.

They contend in a court filing that Taylor had a propensity to use insulting and intensely degrading language and sexual epithets to describe women.

Taylor, who didnt run for re-election in November, has called the allegations inaccurate. He claimed the women deserved to be terminated because their work emails about colleagues featured derogatory and unprofessional comments laced with profanity.

A memorandum from county counselor Jim Crowl to the commissioners said the county denies the claims of Boxum-Debolt and Moore have any merit, (and) this settlement reflects the costs of the defense as well as the risk of an adverse judgment.

The settlement is a compromise of disputed claims, Crowl wrote in the document.

The defense has sought a judges order to exclude any allegedly sexist statements or conduct by any employee of the district attorneys office that werent done in the presence of Moore and Boxum-Debolt and were communicated to the plaintiffs secondhand. The judge hasnt ruled on the defense motion to exclude that testimony.

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Topics Lawsuits Kansas
A Texas district court judge in Austin has upheld the states right to regulate fees paid to air ambulances for transporting patients covered by workers compensation insurance, according to Texas Mutual Insurance Co.

This case involved litigation over whether the federal Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 prevents state workers compensation fee caps.

The Airline Deregulation Act was intended to free commercial passenger airlines, whose customers can price shop in competitive markets, from rate regulation, Texas Mutual reported.

Unlike commercial air passengers, air ambulance patients cannot price shop and wont know how much the air ambulance company will charge until after the transport.

PHI Air Medical LLC wanted the court to find that the Airline Deregulation Act preempts guidelines set by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers Compensation regarding what insurers pay for transports of injured workers and instead requires insurers to pay its full billed charges.

District Court Judge Stephen Yelenosky sided with Texas Mutual, upholding the states workers compensation reimbursement rate at 125 percent of the Medicare-approved fee.

Judge Yelenosky noted that the McCarran-Ferguson Act, passed by Congress in 1945 to protect state rights to regulate the insurance industry, preempts the Airline Deregulation Act as it applies to payment in the workers compensation system.

In the companys announcement, Texas Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mary Nichols said: Air ambulances charge 500 to 700 percent of their costs. These charges are often $40,000 or more versus actual costs of $7,000 or so.

Nichols added that the case is important for all consumers because, although the courts order specifically applies to workers compensation patients, more and more people are winding up with financially devastating medical bills from being balance billed for emergency air transport.

Source: Texas Mutual Insurance Co.

Topics Legislation Texas Workers' Compensation Aviation
Thomas Moore Feed in Navasota, Texas, has been cited by federal safety officials for repeat and serious health and safety violations. Proposed penalties total $91,911.

Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigators inspected the feed manufacturers facility on Aug. 24, 2016. Safety and health investigators found the employer failed repeatedly to guard machinery and protect employees against fall and grain dust hazards.

OSHAs Houston North Area office cited the employer for eight serious violations and two repeat violations. The agency cited the animal feed manufacturer for similar violations in February 2015.

Thomas Moore Feed specializes in manufacturing animal feed and employs approximately 47 employees. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA

Topics Texas Workers' Compensation Manufacturing
A Florida family sued a hospital for malpractice on Wednesday, saying their baby suffered severe burns because it took too long to remove a coin-sized battery that she swallowed.

Parents Cole Parsons and Courtney Thorne said in a lawsuit that Wolfson Childrens Hospital in Jacksonville should have taken out the lithium battery within two hours, which is recommended by poison control centers. They also sued Dr. David Smith, who they say downplayed the dangers. The battery was removed about five hours after the parents arrived at the hospital, the complaint said.

Nineteen-month-old Ava-Kate Parsons has undergone 20 surgeries since she swallowed the battery March 10. Her mother was at home at the time and saw as her daughter swallowed the coin battery that popped out of a remote control. She rushed to get it out, but it had gone down her throat, and she called 911.

The National Capital Poison Center, a nonprofit call center, said more than 1,900 children swallowed button batteries last year and there were 20 fatal or major incidents in children younger than 6. Those batteries are found in remote controls, calculators and other small devices.

At the hospital, the parents wanted the battery taken out right away because they worried the girl would be exposed to dangerous chemicals. But the father said Smith told them the incident was no different than a coin in her throat.

He seemed pretty relaxed about the whole situation, Parsons said. A little while later, we learned there is an electrical burn taking place in her esophagus, and she was rushed to emergency surgery.

The hospital did not comment on the case, citing privacy laws.

Attorney Eric Ragatz said the amount the parents are suing for is yet to be determined. He said they have spent between $300,000 and $400,000 on medical bills, not counting what they spent traveling to Boston to take Ava-Kate for treatment every two weeks. The girls mother, a nursing assistant, also took a leave from work and only returned part time to care for her daughter.

Parsons said doctors have told him their daughter may need to continue treatment to stretch out the esophagus well up into her teens. While other toddlers her age experiment with foods of many textures, she can only eat pureed food, which Parsons says has slowed down her growth.

They really dont have a lot to say about what exactly her course is going to be, Parsons said. We are stressed out about the unknown.

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Topics Lawsuits Florida
Federal investigators have concluded that a worker crushed to death by a machine at a Kentucky coal mine earlier this year wasnt wearing an emergency shut-off device, and that his managers had not provided a way to securely attach it.

Citing a U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration report, the Lexington Herald-Leader says managers at Webster County Coals Dotiki Mine knew about the problem but didnt address it, potentially exposing the company to a higher fine.

Thirty-six-year-old Nathan Phillips was pinned to a wall while trying to move a continuous-mining machine in January. The report said his transmitter, designed to shut off the machine if he got too close, had been on the floor of the mine for about a half-hour before he was killed.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Kentucky Mining
Mississippi officials are worried that the state could end up with an opioid problem like other states that have battled with drug addiction.

The Daily Journal reported that Gov. Phil Bryant issued an executive order creating an Opioid and Heroin Study Task Force.

The state hasnt seen the dramatic increases in deaths related to the misuse of prescription pain pills that places like Kentucky and Alabama have seen. Mississippi had 336 deaths in 2014, according to the CDC data. That constitutes a seven percent increase, which is not considered statistically significant. Neighboring Alabama, for example, had a 20 percent increase in opioid-related deaths between 2013 and 2014, with 723 deaths.

But officials are still worried.

People have got to wake up, said John Dowdy, director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. We are on the same pattern that these other states were.

Part of the worry comes from the fact that Mississippi has a high rate of opioid prescriptions. The paper reports that four out of five heroin users become addicted through the use of prescription opioids. A 2014 CDC analysis found that Mississippians received prescription pain pills at a rate of 120 prescriptions per 100 people.

This is a public health crisis in the making, said Mississippi State epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers.

Opioids can depress respiration, leading to unconsciousness and death. As people use opioids more regularly, they develop a tolerance and need to take higher and higher doses to achieve the effect.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Trends Mississippi Drugs
Deficit of current account of Ukraine's balance of payments down to $164 mln in Nov 2016

The deficit of the current account of Ukraine's balance of payments in November 2016 continued to decline for the second month in a row and totaled $165 million, which is 1.9 times better than in November 2015, according to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

"The main factor that caused the reduction of deficit was a significant increase in exports of goods (in monetary terms by $343 million), which exceeded the growth in imports of goods (by $281 million)," the central bank said.

According to the NBU, exports of goods increased by 11.3%, to $3.367 billion, while imports by 7.6%, to $3.958 billion.

In November, in particular, exports of oil and oilseeds reached $700 million, which accounted for 21% of total exports of goods and exceeded last year's level by 36%. In addition, exports of services grew, which is uncharacteristic for November, due to the increased volume of gas transit to Europe. Imports rose mainly due to the growth in imports of petroleum products, while imports of machinery grew as well.

The NBU said in November net revenues on the financial account amounted to $84 million ($311 million in October).

The central bank said that in November the trend of the previous months that the pace of reduction of off-bank cash currency slowed. In addition, net outflow of debt capital from the real economic sector was seen mainly thanks to payment of commercial loans by companies ($344 million).

Payment of government domestic loan bonds pegged to foreign currency held by nonresidents resulted in a decline in liabilities of the public sector by $110 million, the NBU said.

The regulator said that in November foreign direct investment (FDI) of $132 million was equally distributed between the real economic and banking sectors. FDI in the pecuniary form and in the form of transactions to transfer debt to charter capital were seen in the banking sector.

In general, the balance of payment in November posted a deficit of $80 million, while in October a surplus of $91 million was recorded.

The NBU said that in January-November 2016 the deficit of the current account was $3.1 billion.

"However the deficit of the current account was compensated by net borrowing in the financial accounts in the amount of around $4 billion," the NBU said.

The surplus of the consolidated balance of payment in January-November was some $987 million.
A lawsuit has accused a Washington school district of failing to protect a female special needs student from a male special needs classmate who sexually abused her in 2012.

The News Tribune reported the lawsuit was filed earlier this month against the Bethel School District for alleged abuse at Bethel High School in Spanaway.

Attorney for the plaintiffs, Loren Cochran, says the alleged abuser was involved in two abuse cases at his previous school district.

Case records say the first sexual assault case happened at Lochburn Middle School in Lakewood in 2011. The boy was then expelled and transferred to Hudtloff Middle School, where he was later was accused of sexually assaulting another boy.

Jerry Moberg, attorney for the school district, said he didnt want to comment on the complaint.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Washington Education
Santa Rosa, Calif. taxi company A-C Transportation Services Inc. has agreed to settle a $522,300 citation for refusing to provide its 30 drivers with workers compensation insurance coverage and for misclassifying them as independent contractors.

California Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su announced the settlement deal on Friday.

Company owners Kevin and Jennifer Kroh, also doing business as Healdsburg Cab Co., agreed to pay a fine of $200,000 in installments, with final payment in June 2021. If they default on the payments the agreement is void and the full $522,300 judgement will be due. The company also agreed to cease all operations as of Dec. 31.

The agreement comes after the taxi company was issued a stop order judgment in October by a Sonoma County Superior Court judge for continuing to refuse to provide workers comp insurance as required by law.

The labor commissioners office launched its investigation into A-C Transportation Services in 2014 and found that it had failed to provide workers comp coverage as required by law from 2011 through 2014 and was misclassifying drivers as independent contractors. A citation for $522,300 was issued and appealed by A-C Transportation claiming their drivers were independent contractors who leased taxi cabs from the businesses.

The commissioner in January 2015 affirmed the citation and determined that the taxi drivers were employees and not independent contractors. A-C Transportation Services then filed a petition to review the administrative decision in Sonoma County Superior Court.

On Sept. 16, the Court found that there was substantial evidence to support the commissioners determination and denied the petition. When A-C Transportation continued to operate and refused to secure workers comp insurance, the commissioner requested and received a stop order from the courts.

Hard working business owners across California get up every day and play by the rules, even when it isnt always easy. This case sends a powerful message to businesses that break those rules by misclassifying their employees, Su said in a statement.

The labor commissioners office is a division of the Department of Industrial Relations.

Topics California Workers' Compensation Contractors
(Bloomberg) -- The first major act of the unified Republican government in 2017 will be a vote in Congress to begin tearing down Obamacare.

But the euphoria of finally acting on a long-sought goal will quickly give way to the reality that Republicans -- and President-elect Donald Trump -- have no agreement thus far on how to replace coverage for about 20 million people who gained insurance under the health-care law.

They havent come to a consensus in the House and the Senate about the possible replacement plans, said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a conservative economist and former adviser to Senator John McCains 2008 presidential campaign. They dont know Point B.

Republicans are debating how long to delay implementing the repeal. Aides involved in the deliberations said some parts of the law may be ended quickly, such as its regulations affecting insurer health plans and businesses. Other pieces may be maintained for up to three or four years, such as insurance subsidies and the Medicaid expansion. Some parts of the law may never be repealed, such as the provision letting people under age 26 remain on a parents plan.

House conservatives want a two-year fuse for the repeal. Republican leaders prefer at least three years, and there has been discussion of putting it off until after the 2020 elections, staffers said.

In nearly seven years since Obamacare passed, dozens of comprehensive health-care alternatives have been introduced, but none has gotten off the ground. The most developed plan so far is legislation by House Budget Chairman Tom Price of Georgia, Trumps nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, which he introduced in every Congress since 2009. It had 84 cosponsors in the House.

But that bill -- centered on age-based refundable tax credits to buy insurance -- didnt receive a hearing in committee, nor was it included in Prices budget that was adopted by the House last year.

If Republicans stick together, repeal could happen quickly. The Senate plans to move first on a nonbinding budget resolution instructing committees to draft repeal legislation, with the House approving it next. The resulting proposals would be sent for final votes under a process known as reconciliation, which is used to bypass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate.

Key players tasked with executing the plan will be Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah and Health Chairman Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, and on the House side, Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady of Texas and incoming Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden of Oregon.

Replace With What?

To cushion the political blow of upending the system, party leaders are putting out a stream of statements portraying Obamacare as collapsing on its own.

But the Department of Health and Human Services reported that signups reached 6.4 million by the Dec. 19 deadline, an increase of 400,000 over the previous years number at this time. Earlier, President Barack Obama said that more than 670,000 Americans signed up for coverage on Dec. 15, "the biggest day ever for Healthcare.gov."

The overarching challenge is that the Affordable Care Act is the status quo, and disrupting the status quo in health care is always controversial, said Larry Levitt, a health policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation and former adviser to President Bill Clintons health-care efforts. There are so many moving pieces to this effort involving lots of money and lots of interest groups. So piecing together the votes is daunting.

Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin have been vague on what they want to see, but both released blueprints calling for expanding the use of tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts, allowing the sale of insurance across state lines and turning Medicaid over to states. Republicans are seeking recommendations from governors and industry leaders on what to do.

We need to put patients in charge of their health-care choices with a free-market solution that increases access and lowers the overall spiraling costs of health care, which Obamacare did nothing to address, Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia, a close Trump ally, wrote Thursday in an op-ed for the Daily Caller, a conservative website.

Translating slogans and white-papers into legislation will create problems. Undoing Obamacare would increase the number of non-seniors who are uninsured by 24 million over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Republican aides privately acknowledge that would give Democrats a potent political weapon to fight their efforts, but say their focus will be on lowering costs and expanding choice.

Trial and Error

Unifying the party may require trial and error, said Rodney Whitlock, a former health policy aide to Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, adding that Ryan will be a key figure to watch. He may have to get the Congressional Budget Office to provide estimates for how multiple proposals would affect the budget deficit, Whitlock said.

Thats the pathway to get his folks to understand the cost and coverage consequences of their policy decisions, Whitlock said. Thats not going to be easy, but I dont see how he gets his conference to consensus without an exercise like that.

Some Republican aides say they may pursue a replacement through a series of small bills as opposed to one big measure. Leading Republicans such as Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas have said they want Democratic buy-in on a replacement plan. Breaking a filibuster would require the support of at least eight Democrats.

Obamacare continues to be viewed unfavorably by Americans, but the politics of undoing the law are complicated. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll after the election showed 26% want to repeal it, while 17% want to scale it back. Nineteen percent want to move forward with implementation and 30% want to expand it.

Bring It On

Democrats have made clear they wont go along with Republican attempts to repeal Obamacare. Some are taunting the GOP as it attempts to write a replacement.

Bring it on, incoming Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said this month. They dont know what to do. Theyre like the dog that caught the bus.

Several of the laws provisions are popular, most notably the regulations prohibiting insurers from denying coverage or raising costs on people with pre-existing conditions. And of the 14 states with the largest percentage of non-elderly people with pre-existing conditions in 2015, Trump carried 12, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study released last week. He also got one electoral vote in Maine, the 13th state in that group.

Congressional Republican aides say theyre likely to soften those rules by limiting their protections to people who maintain continuous coverage.

The pre-existing condition provisions in Republican proposals are less protective, Levitt said. With fewer protections you could piece together other mechanisms to keep the market stable.

Trump has proposed high-risk pools to cover sick uninsured people, but financing them will be a challenge. A 2010 estimate in National Affairs by conservative health-care experts Tom Miller and James Capretta pegged the cost at $150 billion to $200 billion over a decade to insure up to 4 million people; House Republicans have been reluctant to spend anything close to that.

Funding Challenges Republicans are considering setting up a fund to address the cost, perhaps with savings from repealing Obamacares subsidies.

The funding challenges are substantial. Repealing the law would increase the deficit by $353 billion over a decade, or $137 billion under favorable macroeconomic assumptions, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

As they chart the path ahead, Republicans are trying to calm fears.

The new big lie, after if you like your health care plan you can keep it, is that 20 million Americans will lose their health care. Thats simply not true, Brady told reporters Dec. 15. Republicans will provide an adequate transition period to give people peace of mind that they will have those options available to them as we work through the solutions.
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The fate of the merger between T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) and Sprint Corporation (S) will soon be in the hands of Senior United States District Judge Victor Marrero, who presided over a December trial brought by 14 state attorneys general seeking to block the well-publicized hook-up. Opinions of Wall Street analysts are evenly divided on the court's decision, which may come later this month. U.S. government agencies have already stated they won't block the merger, so a "thumbs-up" here could finally end the legal battle.

T-Mobile US CEO John Legere triggered a stock decline in November when media outlets reported that he was seeking the CEO job at WeWork, the troubled start-up. That didn't happen, but the executive announced his resignation just one week later, effective when his contract expires on April 30. Unfortunately for shareholders, the drama unfolded right in the middle of the merger approval process, triggering an unneeded distraction while raising legitimate questions about his fiduciary obligations.

Even so, T-Mobile US stock is holding support at the 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) in the $70s ahead of the court decision and could gain ground regardless of the final outcome. Sprint's share price performance has deteriorated since the start of merger discussions, and many investors will be happy if the deal fails and T-Mobile gets a golden opportunity to walk away. However, volatility is likely to spike higher in the short term regardless of the outcome.

TMUS Long-Term Chart (2007  2020)

TradingView.com

The 13-year price history combines a number of mergers and acquisitions, as well as accounting changes by parent Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGY). T-Mobile US stock charged higher after opening in the mid-$20s on the first day of trading in April 2007, entering a modest uptrend that topped out just above $40 in July. The subsequent downtrend hit new lows in September, signaling the next phase of a bearish period that finally ended at an all-time low in the single digits in February 2010.

A bounce into 2011 failed in the upper teens, giving way to renewed selling pressure, followed by a successful retest of the prior low in the second quarter of 2012. That price action completed a large-scale double bottom reversal, setting the stage for a new uptrend that stalled within five points of the 2007 high in 2014. The stock ground sideways around that level into the second quarter of 2015 and broke out, but upside momentum failed to develop until the first quarter of 2016.

That rally impulse posted impressive gains into 2017, stalling in the upper $80s, ahead of a broad and volatile trading range that persisted into a February 2019 breakout. The rally posted an all-time high at $85.22 on July 26, giving way to choppy sideways action between that resistance level and range support in the mid-$70s. The holding pattern remains in force this January, while market players patiently await the finalization of the merger process.

The monthly stochastics oscillator reached the overbought level in September 2019 and crossed into a long-term sell cycle in November, predicting at least six to nine months of relative weakness. The indicator is now accelerating through the panel's midpoint, suggesting that market players believe that the merger will get blocked. Even so, underlying accumulation remains exceptionally strong, and bears should stay on the sidelines as long as price continues to hold above 2017 breakout support in the upper $60s.

The Bottom Line

T-Mobile and Sprint shareholders are awaiting the outcome of a lawsuit brought by 14 state attorneys general, which is seeking to block their well-publicized merger.

Disclosure: The author held no positions in the aforementioned securities or their derivatives at the time of publication.
If human error was somehow eliminated, it's possible that 19 out of 20 cyber breaches may not have taken place at all, making
[For Immediate Release]

Lukfook Group Once Again Commended as

"Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Manufacturing)"

(Hong Kong, 29 December 2016) - Luk Fook Holdings (International) Limited ("Lukfook" / the "Group") (Stock Code: 00590) is pleased to announce that the Group has successfully passed the audit of the "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme" co-organised by the Environment Bureau of Hong Kong, the Economic & Information Commission of Guangdong Province and major trade and industry associations in Hong Kong. The Group's subsidiary Maxigood (Guangzhou) Jewellery Company Limited was commended as "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Manufacturing)" once again, in recognition of its contribution in environmental protection.

Mr. Wong Wai Sheung, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Group said, "The Group attaches great importance to environmental protection and endeavours to promote sustainable development. We incorporate relevant environmental strategies in every aspect of our business, and implement initiatives in areas such as energy saving and waste management in manufacturing, administration and daily retail operations to mitigate the impact on the environment. Looking forward, the Group will continue to strive to achieve environmental targets and enhance cleaner production technologies. While providing our customers with high-quality products and caring services, we will actively fulfil our social responsibility to contribute to environmental protection."

Maxigood (Guangzhou) Jewellery Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Group in Nansha, Guangzhou, Guangdong, principally engages in the production and processing of jewellery products. It successfully attained the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems - Requirements and ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System certification in 2008 and 2009 respectively for its professionally recognised standards.

About the "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme"

The Environment Bureau of Hong Kong, in collaboration with the Economic & Information Commission of Guangdong Province, launched the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme in April 2008 to encourage and facilitate Hong Kong-owned factories in Hong Kong and Guangdong to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices. To further galvanise the efforts in promoting cleaner production, the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments jointly launched the "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme" in 2009, awarding commendations of "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Manufacturing)" to enterprises which demonstrate active participation in cleaner production with outstanding performance.

Photo of the Certificates:





The commendation of "Hong Kong - Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners (Manufacturing)"

~End~

About Luk Fook Holdings (International) Limited (Stock Code: 00590.HK)

The Group principally engages in the sourcing, designing, wholesaling, trademark licensing and retailing of a variety of gold and platinum jewellery and gem-set jewellery products, with over 1,480 shops in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, the United States, Canada and Australia. The Group will continue to identify new business opportunities in the international market in response to its corporate vision, "Brand of Hong Kong, Sparkling the World".

For more information, please visit the official website of Lukfook Group at www.lukfook.com.

Media Enquiries: Lukfook Group Corporate Communications Department Tel: (852) 2783 2479 Fax: (852) 3009 7509 Email: corporate@lukfook.com

JOVIAN Communications Angel Yeung Tel: (852) 2581 0168 Fax: (852) 2854 2012 Email: lukfook@joviancomm.com
The participation of representatives of both parties  Democrats and Republicans  in the U.S. Senate delegation confirms the U.S. unwavering support for Ukraine will be in the future, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has said.

Poroshenko met with the Senate delegation led by Senator John McCain (the Republican Party). The delegation also included Senators Lindsey Graham (the Republican Party) and Amy Klobuchar (the Democratic Party), the Ukrainian president's press service reported on Friday.

"The head of state emphasized the importance of traditional bipartisan support for Ukraine in the U.S. Congress and noted that the delegation included representatives of both parties. This confirms that such support will further remain in the struggle against the aggression of Russia, preservation of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine," the presidential press service said.

"It is crucially important that our people, parliament, government stand side-by-side with the American people in this struggle. We feel this reliable support and assistance. This is extremely important in such difficult days for my country," the president said.

The parties noted the importance of continuing efforts to ensure the fulfillment of Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements and maintain the policy of international sanctions against Russia until the full restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea.

The Ukrainian president offered senators to visit Donbas and get firsthand information about subversive actions of Russia and its militants that continue provocations and violate the ceasefire regime.

Poroshenko noted the importance of adopting the law on the support for stability and democracy in Ukraine by the U.S. Congress.

The head of state also said that Ukraine was fighting not only for its independence. We are fighting for freedom, values, democracy and defend them in the center of Europe in the XXI century, he stressed.

He also informed them about reforms in Ukraine and highlighted the U.S.' important role in this process.

In turn, Senator John McCain confirmed his determination to assist Ukraine in its struggle against Russia's aggression.
On a whole variety of fronts, 2016 will live long in the memory and will feature strongly in the history books in the years to come, and not for good reasons.

First and foremost, it was a year when electorates around the world rejected what we would regard as conventional politics, and the world became a much more dangerous place.

In addition, we lost many very talented people, particularly in music and the arts. David Bowie stands out for me.

The situation in the Middle East deteriorated in horrific fashion and the optimism that accompanied the Arab Spring a few years back has rapidly become a nightmare. It is very sad to see a cradle of civilisation like Syria descending into tragic chaos.

Apart from the hundreds of thousands who have been slaughtered in that country, it has unleashed a migration problem that Europe is struggling to deal with. It is now threatening the very foundations of the EU project.

In the UK, the Brexit vote unleashed a level of political chaos and uncertainty few would have imagined possible in a country like the UK.

Personally, I cannot see any real economic upside for the UK in leaving the EU at this juncture. I spoke at a Brexit event in London a few weeks after the vote and foolishly expressed those views.

The vitriolic response was quite startling and the interaction of the audience from both sides of the debate demonstrated to me just how divisive the issue is and how difficult it promises to be for prime minister Theresa May to steer Britain through this particular quagmire in 2017.

The Brexit vote was a seismic event that will fundamentally alter the UK and the EU, and most particularly Irelands relationship with the UK.

Recessions are cyclical and come and go with frightening regularity, but the likely exit of Britain from the EU would represent an event of much greater structural significance.

The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election was another seismic event.

I was in San Francisco in early September and spoke to a lot of people that I have got to know well in that city over the years. As one might expect in that city, most of them are of a liberal disposition and would typically be Democrat voters.

However, the level of hate directed at Hillary Clinton and the mistrust struck me very forcibly. Basically, they had wanted Bernie Sanders to get the Democratic nomination and were not going to vote for Ms Clinton even if it meant an individual like Mr Trump winning the prize.

I wrote this column from San Francisco at that stage and expressed the view that nobody should be shocked at a Donald Trump victory given the hatred of Hillary I encountered from surprising sources. Nevertheless, I was shocked when Mr Trump swept to victory.

The cabinet he is putting in place does nothing to assuage my sense of shock. The alleged role of Russia in the whole sorry state of affairs should certainly give cause for concern.

North Korea should also give cause for concern. It is growing as a nuclear power and is gradually managing to manufacture the odd missile capable of travelling and doing serious damage.

It is one thing trying to deal with political leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Mr Trump and Mr Assad, but trying to deal with somebody like Kim Jong-un is a much more frightening prospect entirely.

All in all, 2016 was a very strange year. I have always argued that politics render economic forecasting a total waste of time because irrational political developments such as Brexit have significant economic effects that can blow the most sophisticated economic forecasts out of the water.

2016 demonstrated this point forcibly. Finally, I would like to wish all readers a happy and peaceful new year.

Hopefully, political sanity will return in 2017.
Reverend John Dunlop, a North Belfast minister known for his cross-community peace-building and who went on to become Moderator of the church, met with an Irish government official at his home in December 1986.

Notes of the meeting, just released in the National Archives in Dublin, show Reverend Dunlop speculated, that in the longer term, the British Government would decide for financial reasons to withdraw from Northern Ireland.
Doolin unit member Catriona Lucas was the first volunteer member of the coastguard to lose her life on operational service, having been involved in a search off Clare in September.

Acting coastguard director Eugene Clonan, in an end-of-year report issued yesterday, commended all the staff and volunteers who contributed to the many missions undertaken in 2016.

Sadly, at this time, we remember the family of Caitriona Lucas and recall her as a person who so embodied the volunteer ethos, he said.

The coastguard, which coordinated 2,500 incidents throughout the year, focused on the importance of mariners using personal locator beacons and electronic position-indicating radio beacons. The devices had directly saved the lives of five mariners this year.

They included a lone yachtsman plucked from the sea by a helicopter after his vessel overturned 20 miles south of Wexford, along with three fishermen located and rescued after their vessel sunk.

In another incident, a single-crewed yacht that became dismasted off the south-west coast was found and towed into Castletownbere, Co Cork.

Coastguard units and helicopters also assisted with the recovery of 45 bodies as a result of drowning and other missing-person searches.

Through its three Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centres based in Valentia, Malin, and at the Dublin headquarters, a total of 405 people were rescued or assisted.

The numbers are categorised as lives saved on the basis the intervention precluded loss of life or severe risk of loss of life.

The report also noted an increase in kayaking- and surfing-related incidents, with a total of 45 individual incidents requiring a response being recorded.

Countrywide, a total of 43 coastguard volunteer units responded to 1,042 incidents. The units search and rescue boat, and cliff-rescue services, were utilised, in addition to local community support during inclement weather or emergencies.

As part of the service, coastguard helicopters conducted 61 patient transfers from offshore islands this year.

Separately, they transferred nine patients to the UK for emergency procedures, mainly relating to organ transplant, and assisted the HSE/National Ambulance Service on 258 occasions.

Mr Clonan also thanked the Naval Service, Air Corps, RNLI, Community Rescue Boats, gardai, Mountain Rescue teams, the National Ambulance Service, Fire Service, Irish Underwater Council, and other statutory and voluntary services which the coastguard worked with this year.

I want to particularly recognise the many volunteers who responded with such professionalism, whether that be in the coastguard, RNLI, Community Rescue Boats, or Mountain Rescue teams, he said.
Madra Michael, aged 10, was travelling with three older sisters when she became ill on Air Canada flight AC-868 en route to London Heathrow from Toronto.

Crew rushed to her assistance and located a doctor and nurse on board the plane. As they tried to revive the girl, the flight diverted to Shannon and landed at 7.40pm.
Cabinet papers from May 1986 show there were fears that ratification of the convention would also add pressure on the Government to seek the transfer of terrorist prisoners from Britain.

Minister for foreign affairs, Peter Barry, supported the signing of the document notwithstanding concerns there might be difficulty in accommodating such prisoners in already overcrowded facilities in the Republic.

However, he claimed the scale of the issue with terrorist prisoners in Britain had diminished in recent years.

Figures from the British Home Office showed there were 50 Category-A Irish prisoners in British jails at the time compared to 86 in 1983. Mr Barry said many of those prisoners were from Northern Ireland or would not wish to be repatriated here because of family ties in Britain. In total, there were 635 Irish-born prisoners in British jails at the time.

Mr Barry said Ireland was already under pressure from the Irish community in Britain to ratify the convention. He warned the Government that Britains recent ratification of the agreement would open them to greater criticism over a failure to sign.

Most other EEC countries, as well as the US and Canada, had already either signed or ratified the convention which came into force in July 1985.

Mr Barry acknowledged that as under the European Convention the cost of transfers was borne by the receiving country, Ireland could face quite high charges over the transfer of prisoners, especially if they were subversives.

Attorney general John Rogers advised the Government that a constitutional challenge could not be ruled out, although he did not believe the transfer of Irish prisoners back to Ireland from prisons abroad conflicted with any provision in the Constitution.

However, Mr Quinn opposed signing the convention because of stretched prison resources.

He claimed there was no merit in Ireland being party to a convention which it felt it could not properly honour.

Mr Quinn recommended postponement of the signing until such time as the accommodation situation in prisons improved.

Mr Barry said he believed Mr Quinns views were unduly pessimistic. He claimed such difficulties should be considered in the context of ratification rather than signature of the convention and, in any case, there were sufficient safeguards to deal with such problems as they might arise.

The Fine Gael deputy leader said Ireland should sign the convention because of its humanitarian principles.

He agreed with the view of the minister for justice, Alan Dukes, that a reservation or declaration could be entered at the time of ratification which would state that the availability of prison accommodation and the existence of close ties with Ireland would be taken into account when considering requests for transfer.

Overall, Mr Barry recommended Ireland sign the convention, adding there was total liberty to refuse requests under its terms. He conceded that the Government was likely to face strong pressure to support request for transfers and subsequently to commute sentences of returned inmates.
Mr Kenny dismissed any such move as he insisted there are no plans to jettison poorly performing ministers next year.

Mr Kenny said he wants Ireland to address the centenaries of the Civil War and War of Independence very sensitively when they take place between 2019 and 2023.

Saying the raw period should be approached in a mature and reflective way, he rejected any possibility of the two parties most closely linked to that era formally entering government together after any general election. I dont see a coming together of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail as a combined unit, said Mr Kenny.

He said he will not jettison poorly performing ministers as part of a cabinet reshuffle next year, despite concerns over the suitability of a number of key people to their roles.

Mr Kenny rejected any possibility of a reshuffle taking place in the immediate future, saying he is pleased with the achievements of his cabinet colleagues.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Kenny was asked whether he believes the planned handover of the position of junior minister for public works between Independent Alliance TDs Sean Canney and Kevin Boxer Moran would be an appropriate time for a broader reshuffle.

Despite criticism of several TDs over their performances to date  including Transport Minister Shane Ross, Skills Minister John Halligan, and Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell OConnor  Mr Kenny insisted no further changes are planned.

Im suggesting to you that there certainly wont be any reshuffle this year and Im not giving consideration to it in May either, he said.

The comment is likely to calm concerns within the higher ranks of the Fine Gael-Independent Alliance Coalition, with a number of ministers coming under pressure in recent months to explain their performance in Government to date.

It also means backbenchers who believe they were overlooked after the last election will not be given higher roles, potentially leading to a fresh wave of internal opposition to Mr Kennys leadership.

In recent months a number of ministers have been the subject of intense public scrutiny after a series of difficulties in their roles in Government.

Among the most notable incidents have been those involving Ms Mitchell OConnors achievements in bringing investment into Ireland, Mr Rosss limited budget announcements, and Mr Halligans repeated criticisms of Fine Gael.

Meanwhile, Mr Kenny has dismissed criticism of the amount of legislation being passed by the current Government, arguing that the level of new rules enacted will not necessarily define whether his Coalition is a success.

Asked about the limited amount of legislation passed to date and claims the Dail is stagnating due to the Governments dependence on opposition parties to support laws, Mr Kenny said legislation does not necessarily make good government.

Questioned on whether a general election may be called next year in a bid to address underlying difficulties in the Coalition, Mr Kenny said he does not expect any to take place.

I do not see an election at all in the very foreseeable future. We have a three-year confidence and supply agreement with the Fianna Fail party, with a review at the end of 2018, he said.

The last thing on my mind is the thought of a general election.
Junior minister for skills John Halligan made the claim as he warned the Taoiseach Enda Kenny that if there is any attempt to remove Transport Minister Shane Ross from cabinet, he will also pull out of the Government.

Speaking on Today with Sean ORourke on RTE Radio, Mr Halligan said he and other Independent Alliance TDs want the current Coalition to last, despite continuing friction with Fine Gael.

However, asked to predict how long the Government will survive, he said two or three years.

This has been difficult for some of us, he said.

I come from a left-wing background.

If we pull together, if we ensure everybody is treated with fairness and dignity it will last. I think it will see the two or three years.

The comment comes just days after Mr Kenny said he expects a general election to be held in 2019. He ruled out an election next year, raising the prospect that any change in the Fine Gael leadership may not take place until the end of the decade.

Asked about the issue late last week, Mr Kenny said he is not even contemplating an election, there wont be one for three years, a view he repeated later by saying there will be no election next year.

Meanwhile, Mr Halligan has given a fresh insight into bickering between Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance by claiming he was only told about high-profile launches in his own constituency, just hours before they took place.

Highlighting teething problems in the Coalition since it was formed in May, Mr Halligan said earlier this year, Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell OConnor took part in a Glanbia event in his Waterford constituency at 9am.

He was the local minister, but had not been informed until midnight before the early-morning event.

I was either not being informed or being informed very late. I dont want to use the words [that other ministerial colleagues were] hogging the limelight, but I had difficulties, he said.
(Xinhua) 21:01, December 29, 2016

Construction began Thursday on the Guiyang-Nanning high-speed railway, part of broader efforts to develop the China's less prosperous southwest region.

With a length of 482 km, the railway line will cut travel time from Nanning to Guiyang from over 10 hours to 2 and a half hours, said Ding Rongfu, chairman of China Railway Airport Construction Group Co.

With a maximum speed of 350 km per hour, the line is expected to go into service in 2022.

Construction will be difficult due to complicated geography and landform, Ding said, adding that 106 tunnels have to be excavated along the line.

China has more than 20,000 km of high-speed railways. According to a government plan, mileage will increase to 45,000 km by 2030.
In a year when populist voters reshaped power and politics across Europe and the US, the worlds wealthiest people are ending 2016 with $237bn more than they had at the start.

Triggered by disappointing economic data from China at the beginning, the UKs vote to leave the European Union in the middle and the election of billionaire Donald Trump at the end, the biggest fortunes on the planet whipsawed through $4.8 trillion of daily net worth gains and losses during the year, rising 5.7% to $4.4 trillion by the close of trading on Tuesday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

In general, clients rode through the volatility, said Simon Smiles, chief investment officer for ultra-high-net-worth clients at UBS Wealth Management.

2016 ended up being a spectacular year for risk assets. Pretty remarkable given the start of the year. The gains were led by Warren Buffett, who added $11.8bn during the year as his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway Inc saw its airline and banking holdings soar after Trumps surprise victory on November 8. Buffett, whos pledged to give away most of his fortune to charity, donated Berkshire Hathaway stock valued at $2.6bn in July.

Berkshire Bonanza

The US investor reclaimed his spot as the worlds second-richest person two days after Trumps victory ignited a year-end rally that pushed Buffetts wealth up 19% for the year to $74.1bn.

2016s been event-driven with global news driving prices rather than fundamentals, said Michael Cole, president of Ascent Private Capital Management, which has about $10bn of assets under administration.

The belief that Trump is going to come in and deregulate big parts of the economy is driving the markets right now. The individual gains for the year were dominated by Americans, who had four of the five biggest increases on the index, including Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates, the worlds richest person with $91.5bn, and oilman Harold Hamm.

The countrys richest were largely opposed to a Trump presidency during the election, including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who told the media in May that stocks could fall as much as 20% if Trump were to win the election.

Wealth Administration

US billionaires  including Buffett  favoured Trumps rival Hillary Clinton. Still, they profited from his victory when they added $77bn to their fortunes in the post-election rally fuelled by expectations that regulations would ease and American industry would benefit.

The New York real estate mogul is building a cabinet heavy on wealth and corporate connections, and light on government experience, a mix that hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio said last week would unleash the animal spirits of capitalism and drive markets even higher. Dalio is the worlds 63rd-richest person with $14.1bn.

Investors and executives welcomed Trumps picks, including billionaire Wilbur Ross to lead the Department of Commerce and former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as his Treasury secretary, who have a combined net worth of at least $5.6 bn, according to the index.

You know, I was not opposing Trump as much as most people, Saudi Arabian billionaire Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber said in a December 11 interview.

Hes capable and  as a businessman  hes shrewd about the bottom line. The people hes surrounding himself with have baggage but theyre also successful and shrewd.

Frances Bernard Arnault was the sole non-American representative among the five best performers, adding $7.1bn to take his fortune to $38.9bn.

His LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE said the Chinese luxury-goods market is improving.

Gates remained the worlds richest person throughout the year. Amancio Ortega, Europes richest person and founder of the Zara clothing chain, was in second place on the index for most of the year until he ceded it to Buffett in November. Ortega, who dropped $1.7bn in 2016, is the worlds third-richest person with $71.2bn.

Wildcatter Hamms fortune was propelled by a strengthening oil price and expectations a Trump administration will slash fossil-fuel regulations. Hamm added $8.4bn to more than double his fortune to $15.3bn. He led the 49 energy, metals and mining billionaires, who were the best-performing category on the ranking, adding $80bn and reversing the $32bn fall they had in 2015.

Billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch each dropped $2bn after Koch Industries reported on its website that annual revenue is estimated to be as high as $100bn, compared with the estimate of as much as $115bn that the conglomerate published on the site previously.

Company spokesman Rob Carlton said in a November 17 e-mail that Koch revenue fluctuates with the price of commodities.

Technology fortunes were the second-best performing on the ranking, with 55 billionaires adding $50bn to their fortunes over the year, despite worries that a Trump presidency might introduce policies that could hurt their companies.

I think well have to see what the policies of the administration are, Google co-founder Sergey Brin told the media gathered on the red carpet of the annual Breakthrough Prize gala in Silicon Valley in December.

I certainly hope they will be pro-science, pro-technology and all the things this world has really benefited from.

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, who doubled his fortune to $60bn in 2015, led gains among technology executives again this year, rising $7.5bn in 2016 on robust sales growth at the online retailer.

He was followed by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, who added $5.4bn.

Hidden Wealth

Some of the industrys biggest relative gains went to the founders of the worlds leading startups, such as Uber Technologies Travis Kalanick and Snaps Evan Spiegel.

The so-called unicorn billionaires, which include Spotify co-founder Martin Lorentzon, who was identified as a billionaire for the first time in 2016, secured a series of mammoth funding rounds while moving closer to testing their fortunes on the public markets.

Other billionaires uncovered by the Bloomberg index in 2016 included the father and son behind Jose Cuervo tequila, New York real estate developer Axel Stawski and Kosovo construction tycoon Behgjet Pacolli.

The index also unveiled 11 surviving family members of reclusive Thai entrepreneur Chaleo Yoovidhya, the inventor of Red Bull, whose heirs share a combined $22bn net worth, the worlds largest energy-drink fortune.

Three billionaires emerged in Argentina, including the countrys first technology billionaire Marcos Galperin, as markets rose on enthusiasm for President Mauricio Macris finance-friendly economic policies.

Most fortunes outside of the US didnt get the same boost from Trumps victory, and were hurt by fluctuating commodities prices and the rise of the dollar, the currency used for the Bloomberg ranking. Nine of the 10 biggest decliners in 2016 were from outside the US, led by Chinas second-richest person, Wang Jianlin, who lost $5.8bn.

Wang ended the year as the worlds 21st-richest person with $30.6bn.

Nigerias Aliko Dangote, the richest person in Africa, lost $4.9bn or one-third of his wealth as the combined effect of falling oil prices and the June devaluation of the naira pushed him to No 112 with $10.4bn. Dangote was the worlds 46th-richest person in June.

Saudi Arabias Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud fell $4.9bn, a 20% drop. Alwaleed said in November that all of his stakes in public companies including Citigroup are potentially for sale, reversing a longstanding policy that some of his most prized shareholdings were forever.

Chinese Downturn

Wealth creation in China turned negative for the first time since the inception of the Bloomberg index five years ago, with the countrys richest losing $11bn in 2016 amid a slump in the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index and a 7% decline for the yuan against the dollar.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd founder Jack Ma closed the year with $33.3bn, adding $3.6bn in 2016. He dropped in and out of his place as Asias richest person for the first four months of the year before claiming it for good in May after Alibabas finance affiliate, which is laying the groundwork for an initial public offering expected as soon as next year, completed a record $4.5bon equity fundraising round.

China has 31 billionaires on the index with $262bn, trailing the US which has 179 billionaires who control $1.9 trillion, and Germany, whose 39 individuals have $281bn.

Russian billionaires also began to put the negative effects of US and European sanctions behind them, reversing the combined $63bn declines for 2014 and 2015 and adding $49bn in 2016.

Looking Ahead

Wealth managers for the worlds richest are girding themselves for similarly frenetic start to 2017 as the seismic changes voters demanded this year start to take shape.

Expect the unexpected, said Sabine Kaiser, founder of SKadvisory, which advises family offices on venture capital and private equity.

I dont think family offices are overly concerned or getting too nervous but after Brexit and Trump theyve resigned themselves to market volatility.
Burma Nobel Laureates Urge UN to end Arakan Violence

A family stands beside remains of a market which was set on fire, in Rohingya village outside Maungdaw, Arakan State in October. / Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters

NEW YORK, United States  More than a dozen Nobel laureates including Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Malala Yousafzai urged the UN Security Council on Thursday to end ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in Burmas troubled Arakan State.

At least 86 people have been killed in a military crackdown in Arakan State, also known as Rakhine, launched after attacks on police posts near the border with Bangladesh on Oct. 9.

The government of predominantly Buddhist Burma has blamed Muslim Rohingyas supported by foreign militants for the coordinated attacks which killed nine police officers.

More than 30,000 people have fled to Bangladesh, escaping the violence which has renewed international criticism that Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government has done too little to help the Rohingya, who are denied citizenship in Burma.

In an open letter to the Security Council, Tutu and 22 others including fellow Nobel Peace laureates Jose Ramos-Horta and Muhammad Yunus said a human tragedy amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity is unfolding in Burma.

If we fail to take action, people may starve to death if they are not killed with bullets, the letter said.

The violence had the hallmarks of Rwandas 1994 genocide as well as ethnic cleansing in Sudans western Darfur region, Bosnia and Kosovo, it said.

The signatories to the letter said even if a group of Rohingyas was behind the Oct. 9 attacks, the armys response had been grossly disproportionate.

It would be one thing to round up suspects, interrogate them and put them on trial, the letter said. It is quite another to unleash helicopter gunships on thousands of ordinary civilians and to rape women and throw babies into a fire.

Burmas government has denied accusations that excessive military force was used following the October attacks.

The letter was initiated by Ramos-Horta, according to a spokeswoman for the former East Timor president, and Yunus, who helped revolutionize finance for the poorest in Bangladesh.

A spokeswoman for the presidency of the 15-member Security Council, currently held by Spain, confirmed it had received the letter, which also expresses frustration that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, had not ensured citizenship rights to Rohingyas.

The letter also called for the Burma government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid to Arakan State.

Officials from Burmas mission to the United Nations in New York were not immediately available for comment.
Beijing has denounced as "greatly ironic" the Japanese defense chief's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, which came shortly after she returned from accompanying Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his visit to Pearl Harbor.

"This not only reflects some Japanese people's obstinately wrong view of history, it is also greatly ironic given the Pearl Harbor reconciliation trip," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday at a regular news conference.

Hua was asked about Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada's visit on Thursday to the shrine, which honors Japan's 2.5 million dead during World War II as well as 14 Class-A war criminals convicted of plotting and carrying out the war. She said that Beijing would lodge a protest with Tokyo.

The visit came right after Inada returned from the trip with Abe to Hawaii. The two joined US President Barack Obama on Tuesday for the first visit by a Japanese leader and a US president to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, to commemorate the victims of the Japanese attack in 1941.

The Chinese Defense Ministry also voiced "strong dissatisfaction and opposition" to the shrine visit on Thursday.

"I also want to add that Prime Minister Abe's speech in Hawaii bore no sense of guilt but publicly called Japanese military officers 'brave', " spokesman Yang Yujun said at the ministrys regular news briefing.

During the Pearl Harbor visit, Abe did not apologize for wartime acts, but just conceded that Japan must never repeat the horrors of war again. Yang said, Peace-loving people around the world should be very alert for such remarks and actions.

South Korea's foreign and defense ministries also deplored Inada's visit, summoning Tokyo's diplomats in Seoul on Thursday.

Zhou Yongsheng, a professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said Inada's visit to the shrine right after she returned to Japan is "apparently a deliberate plan" to clarify the Japanese government's real attitude toward history.

"Abe apparently was putting on a show in Pearl Harbor for practical reasons and hiding Japan's own strategic purposes," he said, adding it is an embarrassment for Obama.

Wang Dong, a researcher of Northeast Asian studies at Peking University, said that although Inada's visit came one day after that of Japan's disaster reconstruction minister, it can be considered more serious given her position.

"After the Pearl Harbor tour, Abe is using the defense chief's shrine visit to respond to right-wing forces," he said. "The US has stepped back again and again on the issue of Japan's history, eyeing collaboration with Japan to counterbalance China. Such an attitude is sowing uncertainty in East Asia."
Last month, the 2017 Mazda CX-5 made its debut at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show where it got a lot of attention. The 2017 CX-5 is set to be delivered in showrooms early next year but Mazda says orders can now be placed in Japan.

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 Launches

According to a report from Car Scoops, the 2017 Mazda CX-5 will officially be launched on Feb.2, 2017. In addition, Mazda is hoping to sell 2,500 units on a monthly basis in its local auto market. In the all-wheel drive (AWD) configuration, the lowest price is at $23,340 and this is powered by a 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G petrol engine. The higher XD trim starts at $24,090 and $26,055 in the FWD and AWD drivetrains respectively, and it is powered by a 2.2-liter SkyActiv-D diesel engine as reported.

The New Design

Prior to its debut at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, Mazda released a teaser image that suggested new designs for the 2017 CX-5. When the automaker lifted the veil of the 2017 CX-5 the assumptions came into fruition. "Our goal in redesigning the CX-5 was to break through the traditional trade-off between driving pleasure and passenger comfort. And to achieve it we have further honed every aspect of the model. Mazda will continue advancing its lineup to offer all customers the joy of driving, aiming to create an emotional connection with customers and become their one-and-only brand," said Masamichi Kogai, representative director, president and CEO of Mazda in a report.

A Long Line Is Coming

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 is considered as the automaker's flagship and given how much hype it was able to generate to date, it is safe to assume that a lot of people are waiting to get their hands on the new model. And with the Japanese automaker now taking orders of the 2017 Mazda CX-5 in Japan, a long line of eager customers is to be expected.
China is taking big steps in space technology. Following the news that China would invest more on space missions, a representative from China reveals the country is planning an exploratory mission to Mars. It outlined its five-year plan to be a leader in space explorations, which includes the China Mars mission.

The China National Space Administration (its own version of NASA), divulged information about the China Mars mission. China is also scheduled to launch the Chang'e 5 to collect samples on moon's surface in 2017. It also revealed possible manned mission to the moon as well as an exploration of Jupiter and fly-by to other planets.

In a white paper released in Xinhua, the official press agency of the People's Republic of China, it was revealed that China intends to execute its first Mars exploration by 2020. The mission includes orbiting and roving exploration to bring back samples.

The year coincides with other Mars missions hosted by other countries. The European Space Agency and Russia are targets to launch the second phase of their Mars mission in 2020. Meanwhile, NASA is planning to send a rover to the red planet that year. Additionally, SpaceX also targets to do some sort of Mars mission also in 2020.

"Our overall goal is that, by around 2030, China will be among the major space powers of the world," Wu Yanhua, deputy chief of China's space agency said at a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 27, according to China Daily. He added that China is also studying the possibility of sending its first man to the moon, however, there are no immediate plans yet.

China added that its space program is dedicated for peaceful processes to protect its national security. The congress previously banned NASA to work with China on space missions due to national concerns. If the China Mars mission becomes successful, China would be the second country to soft-land a probe on Mars. Previously, China successfully had a soft landing on the moon.
Nokia P1 was recently unveiled as the first Nokia smartphone to be launched at the end of 2016 when the company makes their official comeback to the smartphone market. This Nokia-branded P1 will be released under the technology of Sharp Aquos. It is also been reported to pack the same combination of specs and features with the upcoming Sharp Aquos P1. Nokia fans couldn't wait and really excited for the upcoming Nokia P1.

Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Mi 6, the successor to the Mi 5 smartphone, is believed in the first half of 2017, with some reports earlier this week suggesting that the Xiaomi Mi 6 will be launched in either February or April. Moreover, rumors rounding up that now the Xiaomi Mi 6 will be unveiled on February 6 with sales starting in March. We will expect this Chinese phone will also be a great hit like the Xiao Mi 3 which was sold out in just 5 seconds.

Nokia P1 Camera Features

Nokia is famous for providing top-notch cameras on their phone. For some instance, the Nokia N8 with Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon flash and also the Nokia 808 Pureview With Massive 41 megapixel camera. Currently, there's little word on what to expect from the cameras on upcoming Nokia devices except passing mention of a 22.6-megapixel camera and that the P1 would have an enhanced camera.

Xiaomi Mi6 Camera Features

The camera of Xiaomi Mi6 is expected to be provided with 23 MP rear cameras and 7 MP front cameras. It also includes autofocusing, retina eye scanner, night mode and much more. Xiaomi Mi6 camera is really impressive and for sure you will get a cool picture with this latest camera technology given in this device.

The smartphone camera game has changed and improved more and more in the last few years, but there's still a lot to play for. Camera performance still gets top billing from all manufacturers so there is everything to play for. Stay tuned for more updates.
Aorus released not too long ago its 17.3-inch X7 and followed up with the much smaller 13.9-inch X3. Moreover, it is inevitable that the manufacturer would fill the bare with the new 15.6-inch X5. The X5 continues the Aorus tradition by giving off an insane performance package squeezed into a thin and stunning chassis. To push the envelope even further, the X5 is the first notebook packed with two GTX 965M GPUs and a high-resolution 3K (2880 x 1620) G-SYNC display. Top this off with 4x storage bays and 4x video outputs and you've got all the attention of gamers and enthusiasts around the world.

Aorus X5 v6 Quick Specs

Processor Intel Core i7-5700HQ 2.7 GHz (Intel Core i7). Graphics adapter is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M SLI - 4096 MB, Core of 924 MHz. A memory of 5010 MHz, 348.10. Battery Life is 2 hours and 35 minutes

The Razer Blade Pro, Once again, the company has somehow managed to squeeze a whole lot of awesomeness into the Blade Pro's 0.88-inch chassis, including an Intel Core i7 processor and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU. As if that weren't enough, the 17-inch laptop also comes with Razer's ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard -- a world's first -- and a 4K touchscreen that uses Nvidia' G-Sync anti-tearing technology. The mind-blowing performance, sleek design, and gorgeous display make the $3,699 Razer Blade Pro feel like it's worth every penny.

The Razer Blade Pro Quick Specs

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 packed with 8GB of VRAM, the Razer Blade Pro is ready for any battle you can throw at it. Equipped with a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, A Core i7 CP. However, a Nvidia GTX 1080 GPU do not make for long battery life. The Blade Pro lasted only 2 hours and 45 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test

The Alienware is the first gaming laptop maker to array this truth, updating the company's small yet powerful 13-inch laptop with a jaw-dropping 2560 x 1440 panel. Truly it has to be seen to be believed. However, the Alienware 13 is about more than its tear-inducing display. Also offers impeccable loud audio, blazing-fast transfer speeds, and also subtle graphics performance.

Alienware 13 R3 Quick Specs

Of course, this laptop computer has something bigger than its show and chassis. Under the hood, is an Intel Core i7-6700HQ for eight logical cores. This model of 1060 includes a 6GB of memory in case you favor to recreation at the panel's native resolution of 2560x1440. Comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM strolling at 2,400MHz. The Alienware 13 lasted only for 3 hours 46 minutes on a battery test.
Tech giant Apple is noteworthy for valuing its appearance, prioritizing ultra clean minimalism. It seems Apple will fight to keep it that way.

Apple has been wrestling its way into manufacturing iPhones in India, however, the tech company is seeking exemption from a certain India's product law. The packaging standards in India typically require products to have information including like name, import address, packaging date, and maximum retail sales price (MRP) in English or Hindi printed on the item. Apple says that this will get in the way with the company products' minimalist aesthetics, according to a report by the Economic Times.

India is now the world's second largest smartphone market, with a subscriber count that is expected to climb up to a billion, a scale up from the 616 million unique users in 2016. Even Chinese smartphone maker, Oppo, will be setting up an industrial park with a manufacturing unit in India. US-based Apple will definitely be there to provide its own gadgets as well.

A formal request to be exempted from that rule has been submitted by Apple to the Department of Revenue and Department of Electronics and Information Technology in India. The company would like provide a list of all the necessary product details in the software instead. Apple has also requested tax incentives.

Officials from India's commerce and finance department will soon hold a meeting early next month to deliberate on the gadget manufacturer's requests. However, according to government sources from the Hindustan Times, Apple should not be seeking additional incentives while it puts up the manufacturing unit in India. Previously, India's government has already rejected a few proposals from the company.

"Several companies in India are manufacturing mobile phones in India," a source said. "Nobody is asking for additional incentives. Currently, the government provides sufficient support to boost electronic manufacturing."
Around half of all Apple's iPhones are made in Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory that exists in large part thanks to billions of dollars of tax breaks and handouts from the Chinese government.

iPhone City's Perks

Foxconn's major iPhone manufacturing production facility in Zhengzhou, China, is locally referred as "iPhone City." According to The New York Times, around $1.5 billion was provided by local government to Foxconn to help the company build large portions of the factory and worker housing.

A report published by Apple Insider points out that the local government keeps paying bonuses for meeting export targets, continues to offer money against energy and transportation costs and is even helping Foxconn with hiring subsidies to recruit and train new staff.

As subsidies haven't been publicly disclosed by either party, it is uncertain what the full extent of Foxconn's government backing is. Officially, Apple declared that it was aware of Foxconn getting infrastructure aid, but the high-tech giant hasn't been party to the manufacturer's talks with the Chinese government and isn't aware of any specific tax breaks, subsidies, and grants.

Reports claim that the city of Zhengzhou allows Foxconn skip both VAT and corporate taxes for five years. For the following five years, the city promises to halve the rates. The amount of money took in social insurance and other payments were also lowered by up to $100 million per year.

The city of Zhengzhou has even built pipelines, power generators, paved roads and offered a five percent discount on energy bills. An airport just several miles away from the Foxconn factory was expanded with a $10 billion investment.

In order to keep its profits high, Apple has also taken advantage of low Chinese manufacturing costs, while deflecting concerns about environmental issues, safety, and labor. The high-tech American company has not completely rectified these problems even if it worked to address them.

These hidden subsidies, tax breaks and perks uncovered behind the scenes of Foxconn's operations are having a significant role in helping the production facility in Zhenghzou to became one of Apple's major global manufacturing plants, according to MacRumors.

History Of Foxconn's Zhenghzou Factory

The iPhone plant kept growing and in 2014 an estimated 230 million smartphones having been exported from Zhengzhou in the years since it had been open. The manufacturing facility includes 94 production lines for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s. The Chinese government considers the Zhenghou "iPhone City" as one of the important export centers in the country. Its work force produces 500,000 iPhones a day at peak and has "the size of a national army."

Up to this day, Foxconn remains a loyal partner in Apple's manufacturing processes, gearing up to be a major supplier of the 2017 iPhone and most recently considering expansion into the United States. After the introduction of the iPod in 2001, when Apple's sales took off, Foxconn had the expertise to meet the demand that accompanied the American tech giant's each hit product.

Foxconn's factories could quickly launch new products, build prototypes, increase production and hire hundreds of thousands of workers during peak periods. Joe O'Sullivan, a former Apple executive who worked in Asia, said that the Chinese company has brilliant tooling engineers and it is willing to invest in order to keep pace with Apple's growth.
China's top political advisor on Thursday urged Catholics to run their church independently and better integrate it into society.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, made the remarks when meeting with the new leaders of Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and Bishops Conference of Catholic Church of China after their latest national congress concluded on Thursday.

The church should adhere to the principles of self-administration, run religious affairs independently and guide believers to adhere to the sinicization path of the religion, Yu said.

Yu, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, told Chinese Catholics to better adapt to society and unify patriotism with affection for the Church.

He urged the new leadership of the Church to unite all believers to contribute to construction of the socialism with Chinese characteristics, and a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way.

The religious work is in a new historical period, said Yu, who also appreciated the previous church leadership's contribution to uniting all believers and clergy to follow a path adaptable to the socialist system and to the development of the country.

The Ninth National Congress of Chinese Catholics was held from Tuesday to Thursday, with over 360 deputies from 31 provincial regions attending the congress.

Deputies elected new leadership of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA) and the Bishops Conference of Catholic Church of China (BCCCC).

Bishop Fang Xingyao was elected chairman of the CPCA, and Bishop Ma Yinglin chairman of the BCCCC.
Artificial intelligence has been one of the tech fields that made important advances in the year 2016.

The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) can make the quality of life better and greatly impact our society in any aspect from economics to medicine, according to Laughing Squid. Most of the researchers in the field of artificial intelligence are motivated by the positive potential of this emerging technology to keep on pushing for a stronger AI system. However, some scientists say warn that it is possible these machines re-program themselves to become much better than us. In case that such a technological breakthrough knows as "the singularity" happens, humans might not be able to keep up.

According to University Herald, machine learning works typically like the human brain. By feeding a simple algorithm into the computer, the machine will naturally use "experiences" to learn. As it learns, the artificial intelligence system eliminates the need for human control. This is the reason why the quest for a stronger AI brings a fear for the loss of human functionality.

In nature, a much more intelligent species will seize control from a weaker species when it detects that the other one is not as intelligent. There is no way to know at the moment how AI will behave if it becomes more intelligent than us. This concern for artificial intelligence comes, in fact, from the fear of losing control rather than a malevolence of the technology, according to futurelife.org.

Artificial Intelligence In 2016

In a way, the year 2016 is the year when artificial intelligence made the leap with high speed from "science fiction concept" to real life. According to The Guarding, in 2016 the artificial intelligence apps have spread everywhere. For instance, food delivery app Just Eat launched an AI chatbot to ensure that customers receive the best service, period-tracking app Flo uses AI neural networks to deliver "high period forecast accuracy" and restaurant guide Borsch uses AI to help customers discover the best dishes around.

The AI revolution slowly to changes the environment we live in as well as the economic landscape. Neural network-based learning has become the computational technique that defines what we mean by artificial intelligence. Among the major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence in the year 2016 is worth to mention the victory of DeepMind's AlphaGo against South Korean professional Go player Lee Sedol. This victory was one of the last remaining milestones for a machine to reach.
A rare phenomena is about to be witnessed by the residents of the United States of America during the summer of the coming year as a total solar eclipse 2017 is predicted to happen after almost a century. NASA has previously revealed about the upcoming total eclipse of the sun and informed people about its date and path.

The next total solar eclipse that will be visible across the nation of the United States is reportedly happening on Aug. 21, 2016. According to NASA, darkness will be experienced first near the Lincoln City of Oregon at around 10:15 AM. After an hour and a half, the eclipse reportedly will travel across the country towards the east and will end near Charleston, South Carolina at around 2:50 PM. Other states to see the said eclipse include Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia as noted by EarthSky. A partial eclipse can also be observed prior and after the phenomena.

Earlier this month, the scientists from NASA, the University of Hawaii and the University of Texas Arlington have talked about the phenomena during the American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco, California.

"An eclipse teaches us so many things, but the 2017 eclipse is especially unique because of the uninterrupted land masses it will pass over," the NASA astrophysicist Lika Guhathakurta explained as cited by WSOCTV.COM. "This will allow us to maximize our chance to collect data and connect the shadow of the moon to Earth science," he explained further.

The corona of the total solar eclipse 2017 is explained by the experts to present itself in a pearly white aura. This plasma is believed by researchers to help them in understanding the effects of the corona to the planets, stars and natural satellites.

Following this rare event coming to the United States, NASA has warned the people who wish to follow the eclipse to observe safety precautions while looking at the crossover of the sun and the moon. The institution advised the viewers to use specialized filters as it will be dangerous to the eyes to look directly at the total solar eclipse 2017.


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Aircrafts perform during the Israeli Air Force (IAF) graduation ceremony at Hatzerim Airbase near Be'er Sheva, Israel, on Dec. 29, 2016. (Xinhua/JINI)
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China rebutted a recent report that Zimbabwe had sent wild animals, including 35 elephant calves, to China to pay for a military debt, saying it is "sheer nonsense with an ulterior motive".

The Times newspaper in London reported on Monday that Grace Mugabe, wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, had sent safari animals to a Chinese wildlife park to pay for military uniforms for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"I want to emphasize that this is a normal commercial activity, which is in line with relevant international conventions and laws in both countries" Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news conference on Thursday.

Hua said that wildlife parks in Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou recently imported a total of 35 African elephants from Zimbabwe. Payments have been received by Zimbabwean authorities, and the money will be used for the African country's wildlife protection, Hua said.

"It is an international practice for zoos to import foreign safari animals. The technical conditions of Chinese animal parks have met international demands and the parks can take care of the African elephants," she added.

An anonymous Chinese staff member directly involved in the transaction told China Radio International that "all the payments have been brought into the accounts of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and national parks".

He also said Zimbabwe's environmental protection minister inspected the wildlife parks in Shanghai and Hangzhou in January and assessed the conditions of elephants that had been import-ed earlier to Guangzhou.

Li Wentao, an expert on African studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the report unfairly speculated about normal China-Zimbabwe trade ties when Zimbabwe is suffering economic difficulties. "The two countries are good partners with close cooperation, and China has been providing economic assistance to the African country. However, this is no reason to make such speculation," he said.

He Wenping, a researcher at the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the misleading report shows the Western media's longtime prejudice against China-Africa cooperation.

"Anyone with commonsense will know such a report is ridiculous. Every country could have ups and downs, and China and African countries have a consensus on overcoming difficulties together," she said.
The N.C. Court of Appeals has blocked an order issued by a Forsyth County Superior Court judge that directed the N.C. Department of Transportation to start making payments to property owners in the path of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway.

The Appeals Court has issued a temporary stay of an order made by Forsyth Superior Court Judge John O. Craig on Oct. 3. Craigs order would have set in motion a procedure for the DOT to begin paying landowners who won an inverse condemnation ruling last June from the N.C. Supreme Court.

The stay will remain in place while the state files an appeal of Craigs order to the N.C. Court of Appeals.

The blocking action by the Appeals Court was the latest twist in a series of court rulings over several years regarding the fate of properties that are in the path of the Northern Beltway, but which the state has not yet bought.

When the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of landowners in June, landowners and their attorney, Matthew Bryant, cheered and predicted that the property owners long wait for the state to buy their properties would soon be over.

The Supreme Court decision stated that the DOT had caused a fundamental taking of property rights from the landowners. The state now appears ready to argue that the court didnt intend to rule on the propriety of judgment as a matter of law for those landowners, according to a motion the state filed with the Appeals Court on Nov. 28.

Bryant said that the state is now making absurd arguments to delay the inevitable payments it owes to landowners.

All we are trying to do is hold the state to what they should have done years ago, Bryant said.

State officials declined comment, but pointed to the states Nov. 28 motion in which, in part, it claims the state would have to make unauthorized expenditures of public funds if Craigs order were allowed to stand.

Craigs order would force the state to make monetary deposits relating to the lands in question, which the property owners would then be allowed to withdraw at will.

After Craig issued his order in Forsyth Superior Court, the state filed a motion on Nov. 2 to block any further action pending its appeal to the Appeals Court. Craig denied the states motion on Nov. 14. State attorneys then asked the Appeals Court to issue the temporary stay, which that court did on Nov. 29.

The state said that Craigs Oct. 3 order improperly shifted the burden of proof from the landowners to the state in deciding whether landowners had suffered losses, and called egregious that portion of Craigs ruling that allows property owners to withdraw state-deposited money before the court has ruled on the amount of compensation owed.

State attorneys argued that the landowners could immediately withdraw any money deposited, even if it turned out later that the state didnt owe the money.

To say that the property owners are upset over their latest setback would be an understatement:

How many years does it take to beat somebody down? asked landowner Ben Harris, who said he owns five houses in the McGregor Park subdivision that he built in the 1990s and still cant sell because theyre in the path of the beltway. The DOT is thumbing their noses at the people of Winston-Salem.

Paula Smith, a landowner, said shes not surprised that the state is blocking payment.

Of course they did, she said. Ive begun to not have any reaction because you dont know what is going to happen next with the state.

The lawsuits over the states failure to buy beltway properties date back to 2011, when landowners represented by Bryant filed suit in Forsyth Superior Court charging that the DOT effectively took their properties when it placed them in the designated route of the Northern Beltway in 1997 and 2008.

The beltway designation limited the ability of landowners to subdivide or develop their properties. The property owners claimed this amounted to what is called inverse condemnation: The DOT had taken the properties without paying for them, the landowners alleged.

In 2013, Judge Craig ruled against hearing the inverse condemnation claims. The Court of Appeals reversed that decision and the state appealed. The state Supreme Court affirmed that ruling last June and sent the cases back to Judge Craig.

In his Oct. 3 ruling, Craig ordered the DOT to begin the process of recording land descriptions and making compensation payments  plus interest  to the court for ultimate distribution to the landowners.

Craigs order stopped short of forcing the state to acquire the properties outright. The order left open the possibility that the state could ask its property appraisers to set values  and payments  based on the extent to which a property was devalued by being placed in the highway corridor.

At the same time, Craig wrote that because the properties would be graded and covered with asphalt, it might make more sense for the DOT to simply buy the properties outright. The full purchase of the properties  plus interest  is what all the landowners who sued the state have demanded.

Homeowner Elaine Eurey said that ever since the Supreme Court ruling she and her husband have been looking for a new place to live  thinking that the state would soon buy her house.

We are anxious to move, she said. We find this news terribly distressing. At the end of summer, it looked like the light at the end of the tunnel was not a train. I will continue to wait until the state will pay me my just due.
A 22-year-old woman was found dead in a Taco Bell restroom in King on Thursday night.

The woman has been identified as Madison Bailey Marini, an employee at the newly opened fast-food restaurant on Ingram Drive.

Police said evidence of illegal drug use was found in the bathroom. An autopsy was performed today, and results are pending, investigators said.

A fellow employee made the discovery late Thursday and called 911 for an ambulance.

Friends offered condolences Friday on Marini's Facebook page, which lists her as a West Stokes High School graduate.

"You had the biggest heart and made so many laugh," friend Roman Barker posted on Facebook. "We all lost an angel, but heaven gained one. Rest in peace Maddie I love you old friend."
BALTIMORE  Business historians are protesting North Carolinas controversial transgender law by moving the Business History Conference to Baltimores Inner Harbor.

Business History Conference secretary-treasurer Roger Horowitz tells local media that the event, scheduled for April 2018, is expected to bring 350 guests and $120,000 in spending to Baltimore. The historians announced Friday they would meet instead at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor.

The meeting was originally planned to be held in Charlotte. The new North Carolina law blocks cities from approving protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. It also states that in government buildings, individuals may only use restrooms that correspond to the sex identified on their birth certificates.

Horowitz says the conference may have members that the law would affect.
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On Dec. 14, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations (the Presidents Conference), in concert with the Embassy of Azerbaijan, held a historic Hanukkah party in Washington that will be talked about for some time. Controversy continues to swirl over not only who attended the party, but who did not.

The Presidents Conference is comprised of the presidents of 50-plus so-called major Jewish organizations. Malcolm Hoenlein serves as executive vice chair of the conference.

The Conference Hanukkah party was timed to intersect with the official White House Hanukkah party the same evening. Included among the approximate 150-200 attendees were at least 13 ambassadors and other senior diplomatic envoys, many from predominantly Muslim countries, along with Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer. The senior diplomats hailed from Turkey, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, as well as Belarus, Romania, Russia, Greece, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and even the PLO Mission, along with the Azerbaijan Embassy sponsors and Israels ambassador. Attendees happily mingled for two hours.

The highlight of the event was bestowing formal thanks to all the countries who had contributed firefighting forces to Israel during the recent wild blazes. Ambassadors Dermer and Hoenlein used the occasion to proclaim that Israel was not as isolated as many pretend.

This coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahus state visits to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, both Muslim-majority nations.

What normally would have been recorded as a diplomatic breakthrough by Hoenlein and the Israeli ambassador, unfortunately, became mired in boycott by Jewish groups as well as massive misreporting.

True, Israel was finding common ground with predominantly Muslim nations as well as other regional players. But the common ground in question was in a function room of the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. Hence, everything about the event from the attendees to those who declined all became mired in the miasma of a Trump controversy.

Suddenly, it was not important that the PLO, Turkey and numerous other countries were officially and amicably participating in a Jewish-Israeli celebration of historic national strength. All that was dwarfed to a far back burner visibly appearing at a hotel emblazoned with the moniker Trump.

The hotel was chosen by the Azerbaijani Embassy because it was just a few minutes from the White House. Many on the guest list would be shuttling between both celebrations.

Nonetheless, several Jewish organizations  members of the Conference  announced that they would be boycotting. For example, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the rabbinical association of the reform movement, complained, Holding this event at Mr. Trumps hotel is at odds with that idea and with many policies and values of Jewish life and community.

Skipping over the importance of assembling Muslim and regional diplomats to celebrate with Israeli, news of the party was soon dominated with the boycott and ensuing protest.

Beyond who attended and boycotted, confusion arose over the number of protestors outside the Trump hotel event. One major Jewish media outlet claimed in its lead sentence that hundreds of protestors assembled outside the Trump Hotel. Hundreds? That could be 300 to 900. Immediately, this number was scrutinized.

Noah Pollak, from the Emergency Committee to Save Israel, indicated mid-event that he also saw 30 to 50 assembled persons and tweeted as much, pushing back on the estimate of hundreds and calling the report fake news.

Meanwhile, the important numbers inside the function room were not recorded in the first wave of reportage. The first Jewish media outlet to write about the diplomatic attendees and the significance of the event was The Algemeiner in an article headlined Muslim Ambassadors Receive Menorahs as Gifts at Leading Jewish Groups Hanukkah Party at Trump Hotel in DC. A 17-paragraph article the next day in a leading Jewish newspaper, which focused primarily on the protestors, did not even mention the attendance of numerous ambassadors from predominantly Muslim countries as well as the PLO representative.

For its part, a member of the Conference of Presidents decried some of the coverage as fake news. The member derided one of the leading boycotting organization executives as an arsonist, bent on disrupting an important diplomatic event just because a room was rented at a Trump property. Whats more, the member derided another protesting organization as a small, obscure half member that no one has heard of for twenty years.

There is a middle ground between fake news and erroneous reporting. It is slanted news, that is, agenda-driven journalism that cherry-picks information, exaggerates negatives and positives, eschews balance, jumps at the chance to disparage, and leaves in place a false record that is uncorrected, un-retracted and not updated. Reporting on the Conferences Hanukkah party may qualify as all three.
LYNNE PATRICK, Clemmons

No mistakes

This is in response to the Dec. 26 letter God intervened? God does not make mistakes! He gives people free will to do what is right and follow him.

There is another roaming on earth who causes havoc and his name is Satan. Franklin Graham will have to stand before God and answer for this person as stated in 1 Corinthians 10:32, Do not cause anyone to stumble... Meaning do not cause anyone to turn away from God.

I would tell the letter writer to look up to God and believe in him because there is no one or nothing else out there for him to believe in. Maybe things are happening in this country because the U.S. has turned away from God.

***

BEVERLY M. BURTON, Winston-Salem

The tea party

Eight years ago the tea party came to life in reaction to fears that the newly-elected president of the United States would be a power-hungry dictator who would undermine the U.S. Constitution.

They called him Hitler and threw Nazi imagery around indiscriminately. They talked about propaganda ministers and misinformation campaigns.

Of course, President Obama turned out to be nothing like they feared. When the courts ruled against Obama, he backed down. He accepted Republican gains with grace and equanimity. And it looks like hes not going to declare martial law to stay in office after all.

But if there was any validity to the principles the tea party claimed  if they were truly opposed to the prospect of a fascist dictator running America  where are they now? Those qualities are abundant in President-elect Trump, who speaks openly about violating the Constitution, stifling the media and ruling, not through a system of principles, but through a cult of personality.

Is there anything to the tea partys patriotism? Or were their critics right, was it just a guise to cover their racist instincts in the face of a black president?

Where have you gone, tea party? A nation in search of hope wonders.

***

MARY MARTHA SMOAK, Winston-Salem

Clown college

I really thought the North Carolina legislature was ready to step up and repeal the insane HB2 passed earlier in the year. Instead it appears they moved the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, started by Irving Field and Bill Ballantine, once known as the Mecca for training clowns in America, from Sarasota, Fla., to Raleigh.

The legislature has a responsibility to spend taxpayer money and time spent in session to benefit all North Carolina citizens. The next time North Carolina makes the national news, let it be for the inclusion of all of its citizens so as not to alienate all people created equally.

While leaders are not really clowns, their behavior is like that of clowns, but no one is laughing.

***

PAUL D. WHITSON, Advance

His past behavior

Another tiresome letter (No wonder, Dec. 17) saying that President-elect Trump should be given the benefit of the doubt. What doubt?

Of those who disagree with him he has said, punch them in the face, beat the crap out of them and carry them out on stretchers. He told us how smart he was to use our bankruptcy laws to avoid paying his creditors, driving a number of them out of business, refused to pay workers after the job was done claiming they were illegal, mocked the handicapped, boasted about his despicable threat of women and only a few weeks ago paid $25 million to avoid going to court and facing fraud charges.

I do not need to let a fox into the hen house and see how it behaves to pass judgment. Past behavior is enough.

And then there are our Republican legislators in Raleigh

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

When You Write

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For more guidelines and advice on writing letters, go to journalnow.com/opinion/submit_a_letter.

The Journal welcomes original submissions for guest columns on local, regional and statewide topics. Essay length should not exceed 750 words. The writer should have some authority for writing about his or her subject. Our email address is: Letters@wsjournal.com. Essays may also be mailed to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Please include your name and address and a daytime telephone number.
Today

Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 71F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Partly cloudy in the evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers after midnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.

Tomorrow

Steady light rain in the morning. Showers continuing in the afternoon. High 71F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
In U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps book, Great Again, he said, You go to countries like China...and you look at their train systems and their public transport. Its so much better. Were like a third-world country. Despite his tough talk, Trump admires China for its GDP growth and for its infrastructure investment and engineering. He sees that, while America is aging and falling behind in certain areas, China is growing and moving forward. The U.S. can learn from China on infrastructure building, and benefit from its successes.

China is leading the world in infrastructure investment and engineering. Chinas Beipan River bridge, which connects Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, is a 4,400-feet-long cable-stayed suspension bridge that hangs 1,854 feet in the sky. That is equivalent to 200 stories, roughly the height of four Trump Towers stacked.

Another example is Guizhous high-speed railway bridge connecting Shanghai and Kunming. This amazing achievement caught the attention of some foreign scholars. Duke University Professor Ralph Litzinger (@BeijingNomad) said, Serious infrastructure investment in China. Makes the [U.S.] look like a backward country. Kingston University Professor Steve Keen (@ProfSteveKeen) called it an example of Chinas impressive engineering and said Trump could learn a lot from [China] about infrastructure planning.

America may be the contemporary example on building a great country, but China is the contemporary example on rebuilding a great country. The two massive bridges in Guizhou are a tiny example of Chinas strength in infrastructure investment and engineering. No other country in the world has lifted more than double the size of Americas entire population out of poverty in such a short period of time. Since then, China has opened the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and is building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. These are massive cooperation projects, and the hallmark of modern-day China. Meanwhile, America cannot even realize high-speed rail after years and years of planning. Rather than bash China, perhaps America should learn from and work with China.

Trump wants to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure upgrades in America to rebuild the nation and put people back to work. The problem is how to pay for it and how to do it. China knows how to fund and carry out serious infrastructure building, and deep-pocketed Chinese investors want to invest billions more in America. One way for Trump to realize his plan would be to use Chinese funds and technology. This would help return some of Americas investment in China back to America for the benefit of America, and strengthen the bilateral relationship. Trumps plan to rebuild America is bold, but it remains to be seen if he will be bold enough to do what is best for America.
A report on entrepreneurship among Chinese college students published by Renmin University of China revealed an inverse proportion between the level of students' academic degrees and their intentions to start their own businesses. According to the report, released on Dec. 28, students from prestigious universities were less willing to start businesses, likely because of high opportunity cost.

A total of 430,000 students from 1,767 universities in 31 provinces were surveyed. Of the respondents, 89.2 percent had considered starting a business, with 18.2 percent reporting firm intentions to do so. More than 70 percent said self-realization was the biggest motivation to start a business.

Common industries for college startups include catering, agriculture, IT, transportation, education and culture. According to the report, 13.8 percent of the entrepreneurs were interested in hospitality and catering, while 13.7 percent choose agriculture. Ninety percent of the students believe their universities' guidance on entrepreneurship would help their future businesses. In addition, they professed appreciation for policies intended to encourage entrepreneurship.

The report found that students majoring in art, agriculture and engineering were more willing to start businesses, while those majoring in history and science showed relatively low interest.

A lack of capital and experience is the biggest obstacle for college entrepreneurs, the report suggested, stating that 40 percent of such young entrepreneurs rely on external capital such as loans from banks, investment organizations, schools and the government.
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Special Correspondent | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) |  

Controversial videos are common on Iraqi social media. Viewed by millions, they increase social division and violence. NIQASH tries to separate two particularly disturbing examples into fact or fiction.

The divisions between the different components of Iraqi society, whether those are ethnic or religious, has only widened since the security crisis began. The extremist Islamic State group has caused neighbours to become suspicion of neighbours and split tribal groups and families along political lines. This divide is also reflected on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter where Iraqis disseminate video clips and posts that back up their own prejudices. Sometimes the Iraqi media will even pick up on the most contentious of these videos and broadcast them to a wider audience.

As the fighting around the city of Mosul, taken over by the Islamic State, or IS, group in mid-2014, has intensified over the past few months, so has partisan posting on Iraqs social media, locals say. Judging by the number of shares, re-posts, re-tweets and views, which often rise into the millions, this kind of material can have a lasting impact, not just on the current fighting but on Iraqi society long term.

In a recent video, Iraqi soldiers allegedly shoot a teenager, then crush his body under their tank.

This is why it remains vital that that video clips and pictures be properly investigated before they are shared  and particularly, before they are broadcast. And that is even if, as the investigations below reveal, the answers are not always easy to acknowledge.

The Teenager Killed By A Tank  But Whose Tank Was It?

One of the most controversial video clips circulating on Iraqi social media recently involved Iraqis in military clothing shooting a teenage boy they accused of being a member of the IS group, then running his corpse over with a tank. The video clip was widely shared and the perpetrators were accused of being members of a number of different fighting groups in the country. The clip was also re-published by international media.

The video, which looked as though it had been shot on a mobile phone camera by one of the participants in the violent act, first emerged in early November, around a month after the campaign to re-take the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from the IS group began. Some sources suggest the video was first broadcast by the IS group itself while an Iraqi Kurdish journalist was one of the first to share the clip on the K24 news channel.

The Sunni-majority Iraqi National Forces Alliance was quick to denounce the incident in the video. This is a war crime, their official statement said, and those who committed it should not escape punishment. This new crime is just the latest in a series of those committed against innocent citizens in liberated areas, the same as those that happened in Fallujah and elsewhere, they added; the political group is referring to accusations against Iraqi forces, both official and unofficial, that they take unlawful revenge on ordinary Sunni citizens in areas previously controlled by the IS group, which bases its extreme ideology on its own version of Sunni Islam.

The head of the Iraqi army in Ninawa, fighting the IS group in Mosul, denied that his forces could be involved. He said it was more likely that members of the IS group had dressed up as the Iraqi army and had made this video to spread disinformation about his troops.

After all, it is well known that the IS group had been spreading rumours in and around Mosul about what would happen if the Iraqi military pushed them out, warning of massacres and other misdeeds in an attempt to encourage locals to fight on their side. They had already used footage from unrelated incidents to cause fear among the civilian population in the city.

A still from the video shows the teenager being dragged toward the tank.

The senior military commander then called upon local media and civil society and human rights organisations to verify the events in the video. A team of NIQASH journalists have tried to follow up on this suggestion.

This is what they found: The video is filmed in a desert area and there are no significant landmarks in the video that would allow further research on the location. The tank itself isnt flying any flags that could show who it belongs to. But the make and origins of the tank would seem significant as certain fighting forces inside Iraq only have access to certain vehicles.

A closer look for the tank used in the video seems to show that it is a T-72, a tank of Soviet design that the Iraqi military has used for decades. Some of them were manufactured in Iraq too. Iraqs Shiite Muslim volunteer militias also have some of these tanks.

However, the IS group do not appear to have any of these tanks in Iraq*  the extremists have captured equipment from both the Iraqi and Syrian armies but, in parades of their hardware in Iraq, they have not shown off a T-72 tank. The IS groups tanks include US-made Abrams, captured from the Iraqi military in the early days of the security crisis, and other Soviet-era models, possibly originating with the Syrian army.

Also, worthy of closer examination is the conversation between the soldiers and the child they kill. Locals say the dialect is distinctively southern Iraqi. The way that one of the men in the video says the name Haider and then how another of the perpetrators asks the child where have you been hiding? are notable. He uses the word labed (hiding), a term used mainly in southern Iraq.

Given that southern Iraq is mostly populated by Shiite Muslim Iraqis, and that the IS group appealed mainly to Sunni Muslims, in central and northern Iraq, that is a strike against the- IS-did-it theory.

One of the other men in the video tells his colleagues that they shouldnt be doing this. He suggests that the group take the boy to the regiments headquarters. The other man refuses. Of course, this could all be an act. But if real, then the unwilling mans suggestion about headquarters does seem to rule out Shiite Muslim volunteer militias in this particular incident  they do not have regiments.

Although it looks increasingly unlikely that it was an IS ruse, it is still not clear who committed this war crime. So far, the Iraqi army has only made one statement about this widely circulated video, denying it was their soldiers. But if justice is to be done, then officials should investigate this video further.

Mosul Locals Protest Arrival of Iraqi Forces  Or Do They?

Back in the middle of 2014, when the extremist group known as the Islamic State took control of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a controversial video began to circulate in Iraq. It appeared to show the residents of Mosul throwing rocks at an official Iraqi government convoy, including military vehicles.

The video, almost three minutes long, was touted as being a sign of how the locals in Mosul, a mostly Sunni Muslim-populated city, were opposed to the mostly Shiite-Muslim-led government. More worryingly, some antagonists said it was a sign of how Mosul locals were ready and willing to cooperate with the extremist Islamic State, or IS, group, in driving the government out of their city.

The video, the current incarnation of which was loaded onto YouTube in October 2016, was widely spread on social media as well as broadcast by several satellite channels in Iraq. It has been seen almost 1.5 million times in total, probably more.

But even a small amount of research would have shown that the video had been published many times before and that its earliest date for uploading was in June 2013  that is, a full year before the IS group came to Mosul.

Additionally, further geolocation research  that is, investigating where the clip was filmed  indicates decisively that the event didnt happen anywhere near Mosul. The green and black flags hung around the neighbourhood in which the event took place are the same kind Iraqs Shiite Muslim civilians often hang from powerlines and from their homes and rooves, to indicate their sectarian affiliation. Given that Mosul is mostly populated by Sunni Muslims, that is the first sign that the event didnt take place in Mosul.

Another sign is the dialect of the young men throwing stones at the government cars in the video: Local journalists confirm that its not the way people speak in Mosul.

The final sign that the clip was not from Mosul at all, is provided by the restaurant in the background called Happy Time. Searching on the name, one finds satisfied customers and staff members who have all posted pictures of the restaurants neon sign on various social media platforms. So the location of this event could be pinpointed even more exactly: Dakhel Street in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, a well-known and mainly Shiite Muslim area of the Iraqi capital.

Earlier versions of the video also explain that the clip is of locals in Sadr City protesting a procession of government officials through their neighbourhood.

The red circles mark signs for the Happy Time restaurant in Baghdad.

*This story was corrected after it was pointed out that the IS group has captured T-72 and similar looking T-55 tanks in Syria. NIQASH reporters would be very interested to hear from anyone has seen video or footage of these tanks in Iraq.

Via Niqash.org
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TeleSur |  

The Russian diplomats will have 72 hours to leave the United States.

The United States new sanctions against Russia prove the foreign policy of the Obama administration is aggressive, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press-secretary, said Thursday, as the Kremlin indicated retaliatory measures against Washington.

In our point of view such actions of the U.S. current administration are a manifestation of an unpredictable and even aggressive foreign policy, Peskov told the media.

We consider this decision and these sanctions unjustified and illegal under international law, he added.

The United States expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland on Thursday in response to an alleged campaign of harassment against American diplomats in Moscow.

The move against the diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco is part of a series of actions announced on Thursday to punish Russia for its supposed campaign of intimidation and interference in the U.S. election.

A senior US official told Reuters the Russians have 72 hours to leave the United States.

According to Vladimir Dzhabarov, the deputy chairman of foreign policy committee of the Russian parliaments upper house, Russia will respond to the sanctions.

You realize, of course, reciprocal steps will be made and the U.S. embassy in Moscow and, quite possibly, the consulates will be cut down to size as well, he told Russian news agency TASS.

In contrast to the move by Obama, Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has called for better relations with Russia. It is not clear whether he will be able to immediately overturn the measures announced Thursday.

Via TeleSur

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

CCTV America: Obama orders sanctions against Russian officials over US elections
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

President Obamas sanctions on Russia are small potatoes and will have almost no effect on the Russian Federation. The high officials sanctioned are unlikely to have assets in the US that Washington can attach. When you hear that the US is sanctioning the FSB (the Russian CIA) and the GRU (military intelligence), that is a sign of measures taken just for show. As for the covert actions, well never know what or if those were.

Moreover, if the charge is that the Russians influenced the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, then either they did or they didnt. If they didnt, they arent very good hackers and might have been safely ignored. If they did, then why no demand that the results of the election be set aside and new elections held? Why are no specific effects of the Russian hacking demonstrated? (As regular readers know, I dont believe anything the Russians did threw the election to Trump. Sec. Clinton isnt a very good candidate, thats all. When they asked her why she took $800,000 a speech to talk to Goldman Sachs, she replied that it was what they offered.)

So why did the Obama administration put on this charade? While I dont deny that Russian hackers may have been active, I think these minor sanctions have been announced at this time as part of a Democratic Party long game against Donald J. Trump. There is nothing wrong with such a partisan ploy most politics have this form.

1. A big announcement of sanctions on Russia for interfering in the US election casts doubts on the legitimacy of Trumps election. In essence, playing the Russian card is sweet revenge on Trump for his birther lies about Obama having not been a US citizen. The Obama sanctions on Russian create the specter in the mind of the public of Trump as a Manchurian candidate. In turn, such doubts could help the Dems in 2020.

2. Placing sanctions on Russia that Trump clearly does not want puts him on the spot. If he actively rolls them back, he can be tagged by the Democrats as soft on Putin. If he does not, he risks giving Putin the idea that he is not a reliable ally.

3. These sanctions make it harder for Republicans to speak out of both sides of their mouths on the Democrats and Russia. Ideally, theyd like at the same time to maintain that Obama and the Dems were weak on Russia and that Trump is right to improve relations with it. Now they have to take one position or the other. Putin may be popular with Trump Republicans but he isnt in the country at large.

4. These sanctions on Russia cast a pigeon among the cats. They have the potential to escalate conflicts between the national security Republicans in Congress, especially, the Senate, and Trump. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham issued a statement that Obama had not gone far enough against Russia, and pledging to establish an investigatory committee to look into the charges of Russian hacking.

Since Trump himself responded that it is time for our country to move on to bigger and better things and that computers have made all our lives complicated (i.e. he refused to join in the critique of Russia), he is on a collision course with his own party.

5. The timing of the announcement of sanctions on Russia may have been intended to take the shine off of Putins achievement of a new cease-fire in Syria, one arranged between Russia and Turkey (and their respective clients) without reference to the United States. Republicans interviewed on cable tv have been complaining that Obama and the Dems have let themselves become irrelevant to the Middle East. (It is a low, hypocritical talking point; these same GOP politicians made it clear in September of 2013 that they would not vote for US military intervention in Syria over the al-Assad regimes use of chemical weapons in the civil war). In any case, it is a little hard for them to be too fulsome about Putin outplaying President Obama in Syria given the charges of Russian interference in the US political system. Besides, I wouldnt count on that cease-fire in Syria lasting too long; as usual, it excludes the most effective fighters on the rebel side.

-

Related video:

President Obama: America Should Be Alarmed By Russias Actions | MSNBC
is something I need?

driverless car

drones

So, are you eager to get yourself an Echo so you dont have to get up off the couch to find your smartphone? Do you say driverless cars and drones, bringem on? Or feh, who needs 'em. Or NO NO NO!

I am in love with Siri.

But an Echo or a Dot? Yes, indeedy. I would get one this instant, but I think they are sold out.

Alexa lives in our kitchen, and I have a Dot (the little satellite) on my desk in the sunporch and one upstairs in our bedroom.

sprinkler system

thermostats

music

news and weather and all sorts of information

Audible books

plays nature sleep sounds for Wren at bedtime

And of course we talk to Alexa as if she were a real person.

Siri and I don't get along,

What do you think Debs, if we don't have an in-home computer expert, could we do this?

DEBS: Roberta, you can do it.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:

We kids got the Echo for our parents

Pandora

fart noises

why can't you just walk over to the thermostat and turn it up yourself?

If she can tell me where they are when I wander into the kitchen again, I'm sold!
[JURIST] A spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May [official website] on Friday condemned [Reuters report] remarks made by US Secretary of State John Kerry [official website] on the current Israeli government. In a speech [text] given on Thursday, Kerry criticized the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, stating that such actions jeopardize prospects of peace in the Middle East. Kerry continued on to state that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus [official website] current coalition is the most right wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements. Mays spokesman responded by stating the remark was inappropriate and that a resolution to the current situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem will require the support of the international community. Later on Friday, the State Department expressed its surprise with the British response and stated that it was counter to both the Britains affirmative vote on the UN resolution that condemned the building of Israeli settlements and to their long-held international policies.

Recent conflicts between Israel and Palestine [HRW backgrounder] over settlements in the occupied West Bank have raised concerns over possible human rights violations. Earlier this month, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, expressed concern [JURIST report] over proposed legislation in Israel that would retroactively legalize the Israeli outposts constructed on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. Last month the Israel High Court of Justice ruled that the controversial Amona settlement in the West Bank must be dismantled [JURIST report] by December 25. Earlier the same month Israels Ministerial Committee for Legislation unanimously approved [JURIST report] the Formalization Bill to legalize the West Bank outposts, which was intended in part to stop the evacuation of Amona outpost. In March the spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern [JURIST report] over the apparent extra-judicial execution of a Palestinian man in the West Bank. In January Human Rights Watch 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 a family slept inside. In April 2015 HRW alleged [HRW report] that Israeli settlement farmers in the occupied West Bank were using Palestinian child laborers in dangerous conditions in violation of international laws.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un ordered the executions of 340 people in the five years that he has been in power, according to a report [materials in Korean] from the Institute for National Security Strategy [website in Korean], a South Korean think tank. About 140 of those executed are believed to have been senior officials in the North Korean government, according to South Koreas National Intelligence Service [website]. The 200 page INSS report details several particularly brutal executions. North Korean Defense Minister Hyon Yong Chol was killed [Korean Times report] in front of an audience with an anti-aircraft gun, with reports [Yonhap News report] that his offense was dozing off at a meeting.

North Korea has been an international source of concern due to the countrys human rights record and instability. In March UN human rights investigator Marzuki Darusman [official profile] urged [press release] the UN Human Rights Council to push for the prosecution of top North Korean government officials for crimes against humanity [JURIST report]. In February Darusman asked the UN to provide North Korea with notice [JURIST report] that Kim Jong Un may be investigated for crimes against humanity. The US House of Representatives [official website] in January approved [press release] legislation that would increase sanctions against North Korea for its continuation of nuclear testing [JURIST report]. Japan and the EU circulated [JURIST report] a draft UN resolution in November condemning North Koreas human rights abuses and encouraging the UN Security Council to refer the country to the International Criminal Court [official website], noting reports of torture, limits on freedom of mobility, restrictions on freedom of speech, restrictions on freedom of religion, privacy infringement, arbitrary imprisonment, prison camps and more.
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey [official website] announced Friday that its Commission on the Constitution approved a draft amendment to the Turkish Constitution which would give the president greater power. If the National Assembly approves the bill, which it is set to discuss in January, a referendum would have to approve the amendment as well, before it becomes law. Under the current Turkish Constitution [text, PDF] the President serves a mostly ceremonial role, while the executive power is entrusted to the Prime Minister and the general Assembly. Current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has championed the amendment, which would change Turkeys political system, moving the executive power to the president and abolishing the position of prime minister. Apart from the shift of power to the president, the amendment would also change a number of other constitutional provisions, like lowering the voting age to 18, increasing the members of the National Assembly, changing election years from every fourth to every fifth and limiting the president to sit for two terms. President Recep Tayyip Erdogans party supports the bill and, along with the nations more conservative MHP party, have the required votes to approve it. There has been some criticism from the other parties in the National Assembly, fearing that the amendment will let the President rule unchecked and that it could lead to a form of dictatorship.

Since the failed coup in Turkey in July, where Turkish military forces tried to overthrow the Government, the Turkish Government has taken several controversial steps to strengthen its power. In July Amnesty International condemned [JURIST report] Turkey for attacking the freedom of the press by issuing arrest warrants for 42 journalists. Similarly, Turkey also significantly restricted the activities of NGOs [JURIST report] like human rights organizations and childrens groups and arrested opposition party leaders [JURIST report] alleging they were connected to terror organizations. In October, Human Rights Watch warned [JURIST report] that the emergency decrees put in place after the failed coup, had resulted in serious human rights violations.
The White House [official website] on Thursday announced [press release] that sanctions would be enacted against Russia as a response to Russias involvement in hacking during the recent election and for the treatment of US diplomats in Russia. The White House alleged that Russia intentionally tried to interfere with the US election in favor of one of the candidates, by releasing a string of emails obtained through hacking, and that orders to do so could have come from the highest level of the Russian government. The White House further alleged, that Russian police and security forces have been harassing American diplomats in Russia for the last year. The sanctions [press release] consists of deporting 35 Russian officials suspected of being intelligence operatives and shutting down two Russian facilities in New York and Maryland, both suspected of being used for intelligence-related purposes. Sanctions have also been imposed on Russias two main intelligence agencies and four high ranking officers of these agencies, as well as three private Russian companies. Russia responded by criticizing the sanctions and threatening to eject US diplomats, calling the sanctions an effort from the White House to deal a blow to the foreign policy plans of the incoming administration.

The issue of cybersecurity has been adressed several times by the White House under the Obama administration. In 2015 the White House imposed sanctions [JURIST report] and higher penalties on foreign security threats. The Obama administration has also urged Congress to pass stricter cyber security laws, and in 2013 an official from the Obama administration testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee [official website] to urge Congress to amend [JURIST report] the Freedom of Information Act in order to strengthen the governments ability to prevent disclosure of information related to critical infrastructure and cybersecurity. An interesting question is, what the US can do about Russian hacking, if the US has jurisdiction [JURIST commentary] over hacking executed from outside the US.
In 2016, the world underwent profound changes.

With Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, the world witnessed two "black swan" events. The rise of far-right parties and populism in Europe are posing an unprecedented challenge to globalization. Meanwhile, the threat of terrorism shows no sign of abating, indicating that the world needs a new approach to counter-terrorism. Security in northern Asia, which is veering away from the path of peaceful development, has attracted concern from the international community. All the while, China has been steadily moving forward by tackling hard issues and embracing reform.

Amid these often disturbing developments, China has boosted the world's economy by hosting the G20 summit, made essential contributions to activating the Paris Agreement, upped its participation in global financial governance by the inclusion of RMB in the International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Right (SDR) basket, and won support in opposing the invalid South China Sea arbitration.

The universe always moves along its own path, and history will never stop marching forward, despite temporary disturbances. Time will flush away fear and tears; peace, justice and inclusiveness are the laws of nature. Looking ahead, the year 2017 is full of hope.

1. Gravitational waves detected, "voice of space" heard by humans for first time

On Feb. 11, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the detection of gravitational waves. In June, scientists declared again that they had clearly detected gravitational waves -- a significant physics milestone.

2. Refugee crisis in Europe continued, populism rose

The huge influx of refugees has caused social issues in a number of European countries, prompting members of the EU to tighten refugee policies. In May, the EU Council allowed some countries within the Schengen Area to extend internal border control, and the European Commission proposed extending the measure. In December, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigned after a major constitutional referendum failed. Meanwhile, populist parties such as the National Front in France and the Alternative for Germany are gaining popularity around Europe.

3. Britain voted to leave EU

Over half of British voters voiced their preference to leave the EU in a June referendum, and Britain's prime minister resigned shortly thereafter. The country will officially start working toward Brexit before March 2017. Brexit has left other European countries anxious in the face of economic depression, the refugee crisis and terrorist attacks. This growing anxiety and desire for change is challenging the unified identity of Europe.

4. South Korea, the U.S., North Korea and Japan made momentous decisions, adding to security concerns in northeast Asia

In July, South Korea announced plans to deploy THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense). Before and after that, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests. Since March, Japan has implemented new security laws and passed a new version of the Defense White Paper to boost the operational and geographical scope of Japan's forces oversea, which means Japan has abandoned its pacifist constitution.

5. China resolutely safeguarded international rule of law, South China Sea arbitration farce came to an end

From the beginning, China always opposed the South China Sea arbitration launched by the Philippines. China's stance won understanding and support from nearly 120 countries and 240 political parties. During Phillippines President Duterte's visit to China in October, the two countries reached a consensus to solve the South China Sea dispute through negotiation.

6. Fresh global terrorist attacks raised concerns

On July 14, at least 84 people were killed in a terrorist attack in Nice, France. On Dec. 19, the Russian ambassador to Turkey was assassinated. Terrorist attacks have plagued many countries this year, including Belgium, Turkey and Egypt. At the same time, anti-extremism wars are ongoing in Iraq and Syria. In many ways, terrorism has globalized, becoming more fragmented and widespread. China's proposition to consolidate the role of the UN in coordinating counter-terrorism efforts has been widely recognized.

. G20 summit a success in Hangzhou, China contributed to global governance

The Group of 20 (G20) summit was held in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou from Sept. 4-5. At the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the establishment of an innovative, open, interconnected and inclusive world economy, clearly enumerating China's view on global economic governance. The G20 summit facilitated pioneering achievements in economic innovation and financial governance, promoting international trade and investment and pushing forward development.

. RMB included in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket by IMF, ascending to heart of global finance

On Oct. 1, the RMB officially joined the SDR basket for the first time, in a landmark recognition of China's increased role in the global economy. The milestone demonstrates major progress in the evolution of the international financial system.

. Paris Agreement took effect, offering legal basis for global climate governance

The Paris Agreement, which officially took effect on Nov. 4, is seen as a new chapter in the fight to tackle climate change. The agreement provides a firm legal basis for global actions aimed at solving climate issues. China's efforts in pushing forward the agreement were highly praised by the international community at the November UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, Moroco.

10. Donald Trump elected next U.S. president, polarizing citizens

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump beat his rival, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, to claim the 45th U.S. presidency. Trump's campaign exacerbated political divisions, which reflected the plight of social segregation in American politics.

Photo captions:

1. U.S. Scientists announce the detection of gravitational waves

2. Refugees on their way back to Turkey following rejection of their applications for

asylum in Greece

3. Anti-Brexit protesters gather around parliament in Britain

4. South Koreans protest THAAD

5. Overseas Chinese in Australia hold massive parade to protest South China Sea

aribitration

6. French people pay tribute to victims of Nice terror attack

7. 11th G20 summit held in Hanghzou, Zhejiang province

8. President of Kenya branch of South Africa's Standard Bank exchanges RMB

9. People gather outside site of UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, Morocco,

calling for efforts to protect the environment

10. New Yorkers protest outcome of U.S. presidential election
Bethany with her Art Console

Bethany Brooke is a Connecticut-based, abstract painter whose role as a mother and philanthropist have shaped her perseverance, mission and career as an emerging artist. After working in finance for nearly 10 years, Bethany rediscovered her passion for creativity, and made it priority after her three children were born. She began to look at art as not only a way to express her zeal for life and parenthood, but as the next step of her professional career. The evolution of her abstract pieces and the exhilaration that seeps through the canvas takes form as bold, commanding colors in a delicate, organic composition, reflecting the bountiful layers of her lifes journey.

As an impassioned emerging artist, Bethany has an intense and evolving creative process. In just a short time, she has grown her portfolio tenfold and creates daily, producing works that catch the eye of interior designers and a connoisseurs interest. Symbolic, engaging and beautiful, her paintings stand on their own as captivating chronicles of life.

Grace

Bethanys artistic career doesnt just revolve around self-expression. Her involvement with Als Angels-- a Connecticut based charitable foundation whose mission is to provide comfort, joy and vital necessities to the families of children who face pediatric cancer and rare blood diseases has inspired her to connect her art with a greater cause. Bethany contributes a portion of her art sales to raise donations and awareness of this incredible organization.

When youre finished reading about Bethany and her wonderful work, make sure to visit her website to see more at www.bethanybrookeart.com, as well as follow her Instagram, @bethanybrookeart.

Here, Bethany tells JustLuxe about her majestic art and story.

Insatiable

How would you describe your art work?

My work has an organic component to it. There is fluidity and movement in all of it. However, there is also a dichotomy in my work reflecting two different sides of my personality. Because my art is an extension of me and my lifes journey, it exhibits two defining roles I have played in my life: my role as a mother and my career in finance. My body of work is graceful, fluid and all-encompassing which represents my approach to motherhood, but there are also very strong, aggressive and vibrant dimensions to my work signifying the characteristics in me that thrived throughout my corporate life.You can see the marriage between the two personas in my painting Insatiable, where the abstractness to the piece is soft and nurturing, presenting depth; however, there is a vibrant punch of neon that exemplifies a tenacity in my lifes endeavors. As I painted that piece, I was listening to a friend reflect upon a very challenging time in her career and how she harnessed the stamina to rise above it with dignity. Listening to her story inspired me as I painted and the outcome was this gorgeous piece that is graceful yet sassy. Although someone elses story at the time inspired the piece, it rings true to how I have evolved as a person and the balance between my softness and strength. Even now, there are days when looking at Green Light lifts me up, it energizes me, but there are other times when it reminds me the importance of being refined. For me, the fact that my paintings can evoke different emotions or perspective depending on my day or my mood is what makes this process fascinating.

Undercurrent

What artists influenced you the most?

A few artist that inspire my work are Yves Klein, Agnes Martin, Honza Kalab, Jane Puylagarde and Jeremy Holmes. I relate strongly to artists who create strong yet minimal works. For instance, Yves Klein and Agnes Martin are iconic, each creating works that to me are minimal yet bold. There is something so moving in simplicity. All of the artists I mentioned have a clean sophistication to their art and that really resonates with who I am and how I approach not just my art, but my life.

Guardian and Keep Installed

You worked in finance for a while, how did you make the shift from working in finance to working as an artist?

Motherhood bridged the gap between my career in finance and my career as an artist. My tenure in finance ended upon the arrival of my first child. As an at-home mother, I threw myself into all of my creative outlets, especially painting. It was during this time in my life that I took a step back to reflect upon my passions and aside from my family and friends, painting held quite a heavy weight. For me, it has been a force greater than me. I paint daily and have been for a little over one year. I am literally moved to the canvas. Since I have three very small children, I paint at home which gives me the luxury to paint throughout my entire day and I love that method. This approach to painting feels natural to me and not contrived. For example, when I painted Guardian I had just returned home from dropping my two older children off at school and was moved by how beautiful the view was of the Mill Pond right by our home. Often times when I pass that pond, I think of my father who loved the water. I literally could not wait to return home to paint, but my six-month old son was fussy, so I popped him in a baby bjorn and painted away. The result was this awe-inspiring piece that truly is majestic. My favorite part of Guardian is that I created it with my little guy along for the ride. If you look very closely at the painting in the right light there is a face deep in the center of the piece. It was unintentional, but so perfect. For me, it all came full circle, thinking about my father who has now passed, but painting with my son, a very new addition to our family.

<

Dancer

Do you feel that anyway influenced your art?

Absolutely. Firstly, both professions require a thick skin and a sense of humor. I remember a mentor of mine at J.P. Morgan giving me advice when I started working upon college graduation and the advice was you can make any mistake, but only make it once. That really resonated with me. My younger, corporate-self approached my professional and personal life trying to make as few mistakes as possible and never repeating the same mistake. Painting lends a new perspective to that advice. In painting, there are mistakes that turn into new techniques or beautiful masterpieces. How liberating is that?! It can sometimes be the unintentional stroke or drip in a painting that gives it character and emotion. For me, it is that freedom to explore new things through painting that provides a balance between how I approach my life and how I approach my art. Creating beauty from mistakes is something I did not have the freedom to explore in my prior career path and can generally be a challenge in everyday life, but on a canvas it is magic. My painting Dancer exhibits this freedom as it is a work I painted solely with my left hand. I did not expect to love the result as much as I do. Dancer was the first work I started without a color palette in mind. With the brush in my non-dominant hand, I did not have the courage to use color. I began with white and let myself go without direction. The painting evolved into a light hearted sweet abstract with a beautiful lilt to it. You can see a ballerina twirling in her tutu and the color palette evolved organically toward soft neutrals and pinks. When I began the piece, I thought it would be a painting wrought with error, but as I look at it today it reminds me how the artistic process has helped me grow.

Born1 Installed

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a series titled Born that is intuitive for me. This series is a strong representation of myself - it represents a juxtaposition between minimalism and intricacies.The aesthetic of the series is crisp, but fluid forcing the eye to wander through the work. Each piece in this series starts with an organic shape and builds from there. As the work evolves, the color palette lightens and darkens and the shapes meld occasionally providing an optical illusion. To me, this series represents self-exploration and growth. Although we are all born with certain distinctions, we evolve from our life experiences and environment. This series, Born, is a perfect summation to the current chapter of my life as an artist.

Bethany Working on Born Series

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a series titled Born that is intuitive for me. This series is a strong representation of myself - it represents a juxtaposition between minimalism and intricacies.The aesthetic of the series is crisp, but fluid forcing the eye to wander through the work. Each piece in this series starts with an organic shape and builds from there. As the work evolves, the color palette lightens and darkens and the shapes meld occasionally providing an optical illusion. To me, this series represents self-exploration and growth. Although we are all born with certain distinctions, we evolve from our life experiences and environment. This series, Born, is a perfect summation to the current chapter of my life as an artist.

All photos courtesy of Bethany Brook
The Hebei district court of Tianjin Municipality has sentenced a women to three years and six months in prison after she was found with model guns deemed by authorities to constitute illegal weapons.

Zhao Chunhua, 51, was arrested on Oct. 12 when police came to patrol Zhao's recreational shooting booth. Police discovered nine gun-shaped items, accessories and plastic bullets. They confirmed that six of the items were real guns powered by compressed gas.

Wang Yanling, Zhao's daughter, believes the guns were artificial, adding that she will appeal to a higher court.

"My mother would not have touched them had she known they were considered real under the law," Wang exclaimed. Zhao operated the booth from August to October, according to the verdict.

A 2010 document on firearms identification, issued by the Ministry of Public Security, stipulates that guns able to fire bullets with a kinetic force of over 1.8 joules per square centimeter are considered illegal firearms.

However, that criterion has been questioned by some scholars, who argue that it is too low and unreasonable a standard. Meanwhile, for most ordinary people, the criterion is nothing but a vague figure, and no authority has given a description of the injury force, according to a procuratorate daily report in August.
Recently, a picture of a 3-year-old girl asleep on an electric bike in the rain went viral online.

The photo was taken by a man surnamed Zhang in Shanghai's Baoshan district. He said he came across the girl when he emerged from his building. Sheltering her with his umbrella, Zhang waited beside the girl until her mother returned. The girl's mother is a food delivery courier. She left her daughter on the bike while she ran inside to deliver an order.

Zhang attempted to persuade the woman not to bring the girl with her to work anymore, but the woman simply extended her thanks and then departed. According to the delivery company for which she works, the woman has no relatives in Shanghai, and her daughter is too young to attend kindergarten. As a result, she had no choice but to bring her daughter to work.

Fortunately, the woman later received a 2,000-RMB ($288) subsidy from her company. After seeing the photo, netizens called for more understanding and sympathy for couriers, who deliver food through rain and storms.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

By Anakhanum Hidayatova  Trend:

Efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) were important for the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict de-escalation, said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier reviewing the highlights and challenges of the German OSCE Chairmanship.

According to Steinmeier, OSCE's efforts helped to ease the tensions, following the April armed escalations between the sides. Hopefully, this would open opportunities for talks on a political solution, he said.

Steinmeier further said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has probably not been in the limelight of the European public for a while, but it came into notice following the April escalation.

On the night of April 2, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The firing resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population.

Azerbaijan responded with a counterattack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements. Military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4) with the consent of the sides, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry had said.

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.
(Details added, first version posted at 13:21)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

Trend:

The State Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing People is implementing measures to receive the body of Azerbaijani soldier Chingiz Gurbanov, the State Commission said in a message Dec. 30.

The State Commission says Armenia carries all the responsibility for the provocation at the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border.

"The Armenian side has once again demonstrated disrespect for the norms of international humanitarian law by distributing photos of the body of the Azerbaijani soldier killed in combat in the media and social networks, and used abusive language against the Azerbaijani people and the mentioned soldier, said the message.

The ministry said in the message that the Armenian side openly demonstrates its inhumane essence, and grossly violates the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, which it had also joined.

A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on Dec. 29 morning. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders.



The enemy was forced to retreat, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry's message.



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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We live in a world that is rapidly evolving and changing. The future is uncertain as policies change, as well as politicians. No one can predict what 2017 or future years will herald. We watch as dozens of news stories pour into our mobile apps every time we check in. And for those of us that practice medicine, health care research, and news coverage can change the way we approach our patients almost daily.

While it is hard enough for doctors to keep up with all the advancing technologies and new innovations, patients are also being flooded with information, sometimes making them question if their health care provider is keeping up to date. It seems that patients fall into two main aggregations: people who are genuinely confused and misinformed about the health news they read and hear; and patients who are savvy, educated and empowered as citizen scientists that own their conditions and treatments. Now more than ever, we need to be addressing both sets of patients and facilitating dialogue while also keeping providers current.

The future of continuing medical education

One way that doctors stay atop the learning curve is by participating in continuing medical education (CME) activities. According to the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), there are nearly 1,900 CME providers across the nation. Those in the AACME system provided over 148,000 educational activities in 2015, equaling over one million hours of education.

Yet, there is a divide between where and how CME providers offer education and what clinicians need. Like much of the world, digital technology has changed the way doctors and health care providers learn. Traditionally, doctors took time away from their practices to attend onsite CME conferences. However, doctors time is ever more constrained. As they spend more time in billing and documentation, they have less time to see patients and struggle to attend CME programs in person.

In response, the medical education landscape has been evolving to meet the bandwidth challenges of doctors with an array of digital formats, ranging from live virtual events that recreate the interactivity of in-person learning to on-demand videos, podcasts, peer-reviewed articles, and audio recordings. Online CME is growing in its availability and is already the go-to for time-strapped physicians, 91 percent of whom report having participated in online CME. But the many digital formats available risk diluting the learning experience, and thus, retention of critical information. As doctors become more pressed to find face-to-face time with their patients, its imperative that they have access to comprehensive online programs that equal or surpass traditional in-person CME conferences.

CME needs to translate directly into patient outcomes

Additionally, CME has been challenged on a variety of fronts to prove its effectiveness in recent years and in the wake of the Affordable Care Act and CMS drive towards a value-based health care system. Today, there are higher expectations that CME credits translate directly into better patient outcomes. Independent medical education has fallen under much scrutiny. In one example, the CDC director, Thomas Friedan addresses the failure of his agency to make progress against winnable battles,  and it is apparent more help is needed. Doctors cannot do it alone.

Medical education needs to evolve to where there is aligned learning between health care providers and patients. True collaboration and shared decision-making can only occur when this exists, says Christian Rubio of PlatformQ Health, a leading provider of online CME and patient education. Furthermore, we need all health care providers from specialist physicians to PCPs to nurses to physician assistants to pharmacists to anyone interacting with a patient to learn at their own level of training.

Shared education: Aligning clinician and patient education

This is where a shared education model that aligns knowledge and enhances trust between provider and patient has great potential. As stated by Mr. Rubio, everyone in the healthcare setting needs education at their own level, from patients, to nurses, to doctors, to anyone interacting with patients at any level. If anyone in that continuum lacks that shared education, we fail as providers, and we will never achieve the optimal outcomes for our patients.

Life-long learning empowers doctors because it establishes the evidence of what is needed for good outcomes. This begs the question, if we expect a measurable, regulated approach to clinician education, why dont we expect the same from patient education?

Most patient education is too often awareness-focused and light on impact, or it is clinical but meant to induce demand for a specific treatment or brand that a clinician must then confront and clarify, says Rubio. The impact is muted in the former and potentially negative in the latter, and can make for a confrontational experience between the patient and their clinician. Education that aligns patients and clinicians keeps these key stakeholders current and collaborative, at their levels of understanding. And this learning must be aimed at reducing the time to correct diagnoses and maximizing good clinical outcomes.

Empowering patients to make informed decisions

Gone  in many ways thankfully  are the days of the paternalist model of medicine where doctor knows best is the tagline. Today, patients are increasingly empowered to take part in their own healthcare journeys through access to online information. But they can only do that effectively when their decisions are guided by advanced educational sources. We all know the web is riddled with a confusing mix of good and bad medical advice along with clever swindlers of mythical medicines.

Additionally, patients medication adherence and lifestyle changes are critical aspects of most treatment protocols, a realm where doctors have little control beyond the few minutes of encouragement during visits. And if the history of patient adherence to medications and lifestyle in the areas of obesity and diabetes management are indicators, doctors, and their educators are in for a tough road. Shared Education is crucial in our current medical reality.

In our ever-evolving world of fast-paced medical innovation, this needs to become the gold standard of medical care: properly educated clinicians and patients. Only when we align our knowledge and participate in shared decision making can we truly do our best for patients and allow them to make the best decisions.

Linda Girgis is a family physician who blogs at Dr. Linda.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Anti-immigration policies are hazardous to the health of immigrant patients. In the last ten years, there have been over 1,500 anti-immigration laws adopted by states across the country. These laws have come with discriminatory, racist, and xenophobic undertones, which has created a hostile environment for immigrants and citizens perceived as immigrants.

Patients dont need to be deported or detained to be harmed by these policies, laws, and language. Research shows an association between discrimination and negative health effects, such as hypertension, low birth weight, and depression. One study showed African American teens who report discrimination have higher health risk factors such as elevated blood pressure and higher rates of obesity. Another study revealed that perceived discrimination is associated with lower health services utilization which hinders management of chronic diseases. Discrimination and immigration also run along with other social determinants of health such as poverty, housing instability, social isolation, and limited educational opportunities.

Training in medicine has been insufficient in addressing the issue of discrimination in relation to health. Additionally, doctors-in-training are rarely asked to incorporate the effects of structural and political transgressions into their clinical formulation of a patients presenting complaint. The good news: There has been a mounting movement to promote whats called structural competency within the training of medicine. Structural competency is a framework to understand how illness and disease is linked to institutional and structural factors contributing to discrimination and social marginalization.

To be sure, these are complex problems that no one doctor or person can solve. The conversations can be uncomfortable and possibly contentious. Doctors may fear by discussing these issues they are bringing their own personal views and bias into the exam room. Well, guess what? It is already there, and left unspoken, it leaves patients to decide if a physician is caring for them on behalf of the patients best interest or our own. And the evidence showing that patients health is suffering is piling up.

As doctors, we took an oath to care for our patients, and with that we are sworn to protect our patients from physical, mental, and societal harm under our purview. It is for this reason physicians must become familiar with the impact anti-immigration policies will have on the patients we serve. By doing so, we can help protect our patients from unlawful discovery and deportation, which may mean separation from their family and poor health maintenance during detention.

It is our job to inform and work with patients to prevent preventable diseases and relieve suffering. Physicians should inquire about how the recent climate regarding immigration is impacting their family and if it is causing symptoms of anxiety or depression, in addition to physical symptoms of distress. Lastly, physicians should know their rights regarding what to include in medical records, as well as reporting suspected injury related to a hate crime.

Abstaining from the political fray undermines the human rights of patients. It also jeopardizes the public health of the nation by further marginalizing a population with higher likelihood of social and medical needs. Politics has come to rest on our stretchers. Its time for doctors to take a stand, and we should choose to respond by respecting humanity and protecting the health of our patients.

Courtney McMickens is a child psychiatrist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
If there is one family name even more closely linked with Kilkenny right now than Liam MacCarthy, it surely must be Smithwicks. John Smithwick in 1709 begun what was to be a 300 year association (to date) with the city.

The site around St. Francis Abbey has been associated with the brewing of beer ever since the 13th century when the records speak of the fulsome brew made there by the monks. Using quality water, taken from the Friars own wells, mixed with natural ingredients from the lands around the abbey, monks began brewing on the site almost as soon as the abbey itself was established. The Abbey grew in size, reach and importance for more than 300 uninterrupted years. The tragic mid 14th century Black Death which devastated the population of Kilkenny was recorded in stark terms by one of their members, Friar John Clynn. His is perhaps the only contemporary record to survive of this devastating plague in Europe. It took Henry VIIIs dissolution of all monasteries in 1537 to force the Abbey to ultimately close its doors and cut for ever the close religious link with the area.

John Smithwick moved to Kilkenny in the early 1700s to forge a life for himself.

He went into the brewing business with Richard Cole on a piece of land that Cole had leased from the Duke of Ormond in 1705. Smithwick worked hard and successfully, quickly becoming the sole owner. In time his business interests expanded. He was one of the few merchants who created a brisk trade selling tea. He worked with skill and diligence to build a fortune amassing wealth in both land and commercial property. Johns sons didnt follow him into the brewing trade and the brewing and other business that had started the familys fortune passed from their hands but fortunately, not for long. Edmond Smithwick, son of John Smithwick II, bought the brewery back freehold and the Smithwick family name once again hung proudly above the door. He proved himself a natural businessman

Edmond was four times Mayor of Kilkenny. He gave generously to the city. When famine hit in 1847, with others he set up a soup kitchen to feed the poor and needy. He also made substantial contributions to the high costs of construction of St. Marys Cathedral and became a great supporter of Catholic Emancipation. This interest cemented his friendship with the champion of that cause, the Irish Liberator, Daniel O Connell who was later to become godfather to one of his sons, Daniel OConnell Smithwick. They still talk of OConnells visit to the Brewery and his electrifying address on that memorable occasion.

Edmond Smithwick is credited with devising and introducing the business strategy of employing the most knowledgeable, the most progressive and the most skilled brewers and work force. He reasoned, correctly they could be relied upon to bring scientific and technical innovation to their task. The results gave Smithwicks beers a quality second to none. He even hired consultant chemists to vet and check the raw ingredients and oversee the final brew. The once, small almost obscure city brewery he had acquired was now a business to be reckoned with.

In the late 1800s export sales to England and Scotland were very difficult. Individual public houses in those countries were tied to specific English based breweries who sought to reduce competition and create for themselves captive markets by this practice. But Smithwicks found a way to survive and the company began selling mineral water and even delivered butter with their ale from the back of their drays. The business not alone survived but by 1892 Smithwicks won 1st prize in Ireland in the Dublin Rotunda Exhibition of Brewers and Distillers.

When James Smithwick took over in 1900 the fortunes of the company were at an all time low. Smithwicks still employed 200 people but output was down and auditors  never the most adventurous of advisers - recommended the brewery shut its doors. Instead the Smithwick family dug deep and keep the business going. The range of beers was reduced; new markets were sought; James won military contracts for the sale of beer to garrisoned troops. Output increased. By taking advantage of brewery closures in England he replaced and in the process upgraded his plant and machinery. Sullivans Kilkenny Breweries Ltd, his long-standing rival was bought which again provided vitally needed brewing machinery right on his door step. The new municipal water supply introduced in Kilkenny around that time was extremely pure and low in salt and was perfect for brewing ales. It eliminated dependence on local, well-water sources

Jamess son Walter Smithwick, already a successful solicitor, took control in the 1930s. At that time beer heading west went by canal barge, other destination were served by train and even by horse & cart. Walter purchased petrol lorries to serve customers as he realised distribution was to be a major key to success. On top of their salaries he incentivising his sales men all over Ireland who could now earn a commission on every barrel sold, a new and radical concept in the Ireland of the 1930s

Walter Smithwick was committed to advertising and marketing when that latter concept was hardly recognised as a separate factor in business. Large slogans referring to Smithwicks No.1 began to appear on buses, trams and in newspapers throughout the land. In October 1937 Smithwicks No.1 Ale won first prize at the London, Bottled Beer Competition. A national-wide, brand awareness was the companys far more valuable prize and result.

When the war ended in 1945 business was looking good and by 1949 sales had reached a record 51,500 barrels per annum. The next decade was one of fierce competition with Bass, Double Diamond, Macardles, Perrys and Phoenix all competing for market share. Ultimately none would prove a match for Smithwicks popular taste and sustained, high quality. By 1959 Smithwicks was as popular as ever.

Around this time Walter and his marketing director, the resourceful W. A. L. (Bill) Finnegan visited Munich and attended the long established and world famous Munich Beer Festival there. The verve, colour, music and excitement of it all captivated them both. That night a decision, which was to have a profound effect on the future progress of Kilkenny and the brewery was hatched. Kilkenny, they resolved, would have a Festival bringing all the trappings of a Bavarian Beer Festival to the banks of the Nore. The huge Beer Tent featuring a traditional Bavarian band and serving staff in suitable eye-catching uniforms is for many people one of the fondest memories of growing up in the Kilkenny during the 60. The festival proved an outstanding success for many years and can justly claim to be the first of Irelands marketing led festivals. With the strategic, guiding hand of Walter Smithwick, the drive and promotional expertise of Bill Finnegan and later the organisational skill of Mick McGuinness the festival broke new ground and put Kilkenny firmly on the tourist map, a premier position from where it never retreated but rather continued to grow and expand.

The world wide giant, Guinness & Co, one of Smithwicks oldest malting customers bought a controlling share in the business in 1964. Walter retired from the board the following year after 35 years service and his eldest son, Peter took his place marking the ninth generation this remarkable family has been associated with brewing in Kilkenny.

Peter, also a solicitor, in latter years continued a successful career as a judge and was honoured as President of the Circuit Court and later appointed by the Government as chairman of The Smithwick Enquiry. Meanwhile his high profile brother, Paul Smithwick continues to work to advance the good fortune of Kilkenny from his base in Dublin where he too practiced law for some time.

Meanwhile other branches of the family added to the name, business prowess and range of activities. The large, four story premises of D. Smithwick and Son was an imposing and significant presence on High Street. A second cousin of Walter, Joe Smithwick built up a thriving business in the large premises acquired by his family in 1910 from its previous owners - a Bank, which tradition has it failed in that year. Under his guidance the business prospered and expanded, their famous tea and other groceries being just part of its many services to the public. On his death in 1958 the business passed to his young son Daniel with the faithful John Clifford continuing on as manager. In addition to the business on High Street, Dan converted part of their old Bottling Store on New Street to develop the concept of Cash And Carry Wholesaling to smaller shops in County Kilkenny and beyond.

This was to prove a fortuitous decision when on Sunday, a far from glorious 12th of July in 1970 the entire High Street edifices was engulfed by fire and left a smouldering ruin. To make matters worst the fire took place during the Bank strike of that year and much cash and many cheques, the takings amassed over previous weeks, which perforce could not be lodged, were in jeopardy. Thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of the fire service all was rescued from the blazing building.

To this day the family are proud of the quick reactions that enabled them with the ready help of their suppliers and the generosity of the owner of a nearby vacant shop to declare it was business as usual by the following Friday  a remarkable triumph over sudden adversity and achieved in just 4 working days. The tenacity, determination and business acumen of the Smithwick family was never more tested and never more apparent than during that disastrous week. Later the business was moved in total to New Street where it continued until Daniels Smithwicks retirement recently.

It is worth recording the efforts made by the late Ron Girdham then Head Brewer in Saint Francis Abbey Brewery to re-establish the religious connection by having constructed within the walls of the old abbey a small oratory which he was pleased to title, perhaps somewhat grandly, as An International Room for Prayer and Contemplation. Rumour has it he was not much pleased when he overheard someone remark, tongue in cheek, Seems the ideal place to say an Ale-Mary!

The Smithwick name is long associated with Kilkenny, with quality and reliability reflecting the ideal combination of modern technology coupled with tradition values. Their family story embodies the best aspects of courage and confidence, enterprise and business triumph over adversity. How their story will unfold in the future we must leave to the future but if the past is anything to go by then one thing is certain, Members of the Smithwick families with continue to make their mark in Ireland and especially in their beloved Kilkenny.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

Trend:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has expressed deep concern over the recent intensification of provocations of Armenia.

The Foreign Ministry said the Armenian provocations are aimed at undermining the Vienna and St. Petersburg negotiations and the efforts on peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and are aimed at expanding the scope of the conflict.

A reconnaissance-subversive group of Armenian armed forces perpetrated yet another provocative act by violating the state border of Armenia and Azerbaijan on December 29, the ministry said.

This provocative act by Armenian armed forces has been halted and the Armenian reconnaissance-subversive group was forced to retreat with losses.

Serviceman of the armed forces of Azerbaijan Chingiz Gurbanov was killed while preventing the attack and his corpse was taken to the Armenian side, said the Foreign Ministry.

Initially, the Armenian side denied that they have the body of the Azerbaijani serviceman, the ministry said in the statement. However, later the Armenian side with a view of hiding its responsibility for the incident and misleading the international community attempted to present the situation as the violation of the state border of Armenia.

Contrary to the moral and ethic norms and basic human values, Armenian side resorted to dirty propaganda and disinformation by sharing photos of the killed Azerbaijani serviceman in social networks, said the ministry.

The Foreign Ministry added that numerous signs of torture after death were also registered on the bodies of the Azerbaijani servicemen killed during the April battles, which occurred with the provocation and instigation of the Armenian side.

Their photos were also shared in media and social networks by Armenia.

A couple of years ago the body of Mubariz Ibrahimov, a serviceman of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, was also kept by Armenia, acts of vandalism were committed on the body and only after persistent international pressure his body was returned to Azerbaijan a few months later, according to Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry.

Ignoring international humanitarian law, the Republic of Armenia pursues a systematic policy of committing acts of vandalism on the bodies of the servicemen killed during combat operations and in a consistent manner makes the return of bodies the object of political speculation, said the statement.

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the necessary and urgent measures by international humanitarian organizations, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is guided by the principles of compassion and humanism, will be taken to ensure the return of Chingiz Gurbanovs body to Azerbaijan.

Abusing his authority with regard to the abovementioned issue, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Nikolai Bordyuzha distorted the essence of the incident and claimed that it happened in the territory of Armenia, the statement said.

Besides, addressing the illegal regime established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan as Nagorno-Karabakh republic, Bordyuzha attempted to question the territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, according to the Foreign Ministry.

This irresponsible statement by the CSTO secretary general serves to undermine the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, as well as is contrary to the basic principles of the relationship with the other member-states of the organization which support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, reads the statement.

Bordyuzha has in the past made biased statements on the conflict, the Foreign Ministry reminded.

Attempts by Armenia to bring the armed conflict directly to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and to involve the CSTO in the conflict by misusing the politicians like Bordyuzha who have particular attitude and sympathy towards Armenia serve for the escalation of the political situation in the region and pose serious threats to the regional stability and security, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said.

We reject this irresponsible statement by Bordyuzha and expect other member-states of the organization to come up with the proper assessment, said the ministry.

The Republic of Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that continuation of aggression by Armenia against Azerbaijan and the illegal presence of the Armenian armed forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the main cause of the escalation and incidents in the conflict zone and the principal impediment to the political settlement of the conflict, the statement said.

The Republic of Azerbaijan calls upon the international community to enforce Armenia for peace and demand the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said.

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.
Barbara Williamss home is a lively one. Much of the year, there are four generations under one roof. Williams, age 65, shares her five-bedroom Silver Spring, Md., home with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and three young grandsonsand her 91-year-old mother visits for several months at a stretch.

While the multigenerational living arrangement may be messy at times, we had so many reasons to do it, says Williams, a retired editor of scientific journals. It not only saves money, she says, but lets her watch her grandkids grow up, allows her to split household chores with her daughter, and reduces the stress of long-distance caregiving for her mother. Even though theres more work to do, she says, doing it together makes everything easier.

Williams and her family are among the growing number of Americans forming multigenerational householdsthose that include two or more adult generations, or grandparents and grandchildren. Although many people initially turned to multigenerational living to save money during the Great Recession, the arrangements have become even more popular as baby boomers and their parents age. A record 60.6 million people, or 19% of the U.S. population, lived in such households in 2014, up from 51.5 million in 2009, according to a recent Pew Research Center analysis.

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You put more people under one roof, and thats going to save a lot of money really quickly, says John Graham, professor emeritus at the University of California Irvines business school and co-author of Together Again: A Creative Guide to Successful Multigenerational Living (M. Evans, $17). But the biggest advantage, he says, is the interpersonal and social benefit of having family members close by and helping one another out. The arrangements can relieve the isolation often suffered by seniors living alone, offer the reassurance of having caregivers close at hand, give grandparents an opportunity to pass down family traditions to their grandchildren, and give parents a helping hand in caring for young children.

Meanwhile, youre modeling what the next generation will do with their grandchildren and how theyll treat youthe parentswhen youre older, says Susan Newman, a social psychologist and author of Under One Roof Again (Lyons Press, $17), a book about multigenerational living.

But even the happiest of multigenerational homes face challenges. Every family member needs to maintain his or her privacy and respect boundaries. Housework and expenses need to be divided in a way that feels fair to everyone. Ownership of the house itself must be structured in a way that doesnt sabotage a seniors estate plan. And any home renovations or new homebuilding projects must comply with local zoning lawswhich often restrict the very features most desired by multigenerational families, such as multiple entrances or separate kitchens.

Multigenerational living, of course, is nothing new. In 1950, 21% of the population lived in multigenerational households, according to Pew Research. But that figure plummeted to a low of 12% in 1980. In the past 50 years or so, Americans adopted this crazy idea of a nuclear family, Graham says. But the interdependence of the extended family, he argues, is the natural way people have always lived.

Talk It Out

Before Mom moves in with you (or vice versa) hold at least one family meeting to discuss each persons expectations, set ground rules and hash out financial issues. Will this living arrangement be permanent or temporary? If its temporaryperhaps an adult child is living with you while he saves money for his own housemake your expectations clear, says Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United (opens in new tab), a nonprofit group that promotes intergenerational collaboration. The adult child might think that saving 10% of his salary is adequate, Butts says, but the parent might think he should save 80%.

Be realistic about whether you can all survive peacefully under one roof. Dont expect somebody to change just because theyre moving in with you, Butts says. If someone is a slob or a neat freak, theyre going to stay that way. If youre unsure about whether you can all get along, run a short-term experiment. You might go on a long vacation together and see how that works, Graham suggests.

Set some ground rules that help everyone maintain privacy and autonomy. Will you eat dinner together every night or just a couple of nights a week? Will you always take vacations together? Can Grandma have a boyfriend over without raising eyebrows? If there are young children in the house, who will take the lead parenting roles? And do those people have consistent approaches to child-rearing?

Divide the housework, lawn maintenance and other chores. One democratic way to do this: Make a list of all the chores, pass it around, and ask everyone to put his initials next to what he wants to do. It seems to work because people have had a choice, rather than being told what to do, Newman says.

If there will be seniors in the house who need care, discuss who will do the caregiving. If there are adult siblings not living in the house, involve them in the discussion, too. Most of the caregiving burden may naturally fall on the adult child whos living with the parent, but siblings living nearby could take the parent to doctor appointments or invite him or her along on vacations. Also discuss whether caregivers will be compensated. If so, youll need a personal care agreementa written contract outlining the services to be provided and the amount of compensation the caregiver will receive. If you dont define upfront what, if any, compensation theres supposed to be, invariably theres a dispute after Mom passes away, says Bernard Krooks, an estate planner in New York City.

Divvy up the household bills, perhaps using a budgeting tool, such as Mint.com, to help track expenses and divide them fairly. Allow your parents when theyre moving in to contribute in some way if they can, because they then feel they are part of the family and have some ownership of the living arrangement, Newman says. If there are family members who cant contribute financially, discuss other ways they can pitch in. An adult child who is out of a job, for example, might take care of all the yard work.

Whether youre buying a new house, renovating an existing one or simply moving Mom in with you, discuss whose name will be on the deed. If Mom is putting a lot of money into renovations or paying for the addition of an in-law suite, it may seem natural to add her name to the deed. But that can be a bad idea. If Mom later goes into a nursing home and relies on Medicaid to pay the bills, Medicaid could put a lien on the house to recover its costs after she dies.

A better idea, Krooks says, would be for Mom to purchase a life estate in the adult childs home, which gives her the legal right to live in the house for the rest of her life. That interest would automatically end at her death. The life estate protects Mom from being evicted in the event of a family feud (such as the adult childs divorce) and protects assets if Mom ultimately needs long-term care. So long as the purchase price is fair and she lives in the house for at least a year, the purchase should not affect her eligibility for Medicaid. (Typically, transfers of assets made within five years of applying for Medicaid can trigger a period of ineligibility for Medicaid.)

The value of the life estate will depend on Moms age and the value of the property. If the life interest is worth 30% of the value of the property and the property value is $500,000, for example, Mom could pay $150,000 for the life estate without affecting her Medicaid eligibility, Krooks says. If the child has owned and occupied the home for two of the past five years, he can exclude up to $250,000 of any gain ($500,000 if hes married) on the sale of the life estate interest.

If the parent and adult child are buying a home together and Medicaid is not an issue, there are still title issues to consider. If Mom and her son own the house as joint tenants with right of survivorship, her son will inherit the house when she dies, no matter what her will says. If Mom and her son own the house as tenants in common, however, Moms interest in the house will be passed down in accordance with her will.

Housing Options

Private space for each family member, multiple entrances, separate kitchens and plenty of bathrooms to go around: These are high on the list of home features desired by multigenerational households.

Shubber Ali, age 48, bought a six-bedroom house in Novato, Cal., four years ago, anticipating that his 80-year-old mother would soon come to live with him full-time. He and his wife and two children have rooms at one end of the house, while the rooms set aside for his mother at the other end of the house include a bedroom, bathroom, walk-in closet and sitting area. It feels like its almost its own little condo, but its still a part of the house, Ali says.

Perhaps you already have a home ideally suited for multigenerational living. If not, youll need to weigh the costs and benefits of renovating your house, building a granny flat in the back yard, buying an existing home, or designing and building a multigenerational dream house.

If youre adding an in-law suite or making other renovations for an aging parent, consider wider doors and hallways that allow space for wheelchairs and other features designed for aging in place. Go to the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification website at www.homemods.org (opens in new tab) for tips on making your home more accessible for people with limited mobility, vision or hearing.

If you decide to buy a house, youll find a growing number of developers offering homes specifically designed for multigenerational households. Homebuilder Lennar, for example, introduced its Next Gen house design (opens in new tab) in 2011. The homes contain a separate suite with at least one bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, a door to the main house (lockable from both sides), and in most cases, a separate exterior door. The homes, available in more than 300 communities in 14 states, range in price from about $280,000 to more than $800,000, says Kim Ashbaugh, director of Next Gen brand management at Lennar.

Whether youre renovating or building a new home from scratch, be prepared for zoning headaches. When Lindsay Grise, age 35, recently purchased land in Johnson County, Kan., she planned to build two homes: one for herself, her husband and two daughters, and a smaller one for her parents, who are both in their sixties. But she soon discovered that the small, unincorporated community had six pages of regulations on accessory dwelling units. Sometimes called granny flats, accessory dwelling units are smaller dwellings on the same property as a single-family house. In this case, the community rules limit detached accessory dwellings to 900 square feet.

That wasnt enough space for Grises parents, so Grise has moved on to plan B: building one big house, with two distinct sides connected by a hall and a screened porch. Her parents worked with the architect to design their 1,500 square feet of living space, with their own kitchen, pantry, laundry room, guest room and garage. I just want my parents to feel like this is their house, Grise says. They have control over their part of it.

As multigenerational living becomes more popular, some states and cities are relaxing laws restricting granny flats. A new California law taking effect in January, for example, streamlines parking restrictions and other regulations to make it easier for homeowners in the state to build granny flats. You can find accessory-dwelling rules for many cities across the U.S., along with tips on building your own accessory dwelling, at www.accessorydwellings.org (opens in new tab).

After Mom Moves In

Once youve unpacked the moving boxes, give the arrangement time to work out. It will not be ideal immediately, Newman says. Adjust and lower your expectations.

Schedule family dinners at a restaurant every couple of weeks for the first six months, Graham says. There, you can discuss whats working and whats notsay, the TV volume, Granddads smoking habit, taking out the trash. Holding the conversation in a public place keeps tempers from flying off the handle, he says.

Be wary of resuming old parent-child roles, such as nagging your adult daughter to comb her hair or relying on Mom to do the cooking and cleaning. When her oldest son moved back home, Nancy Meyer, age 69, of St. Louis, Mo., says she told him, Im tired of doing your laundry. You may do your own. They made a deal that he had to keep the shared living spaces cleanand he kept up his end of the bargain, she says. This year, her son moved into his own house after living at home for about 10 years. Now, she says, I kind of miss him.

Also, maintain your friendships and social activities. If your elderly parents are living with you, its easy to feel guilty about heading out to book club or bridge club, Newman says. Dont give up your social life.

Although there may be plenty of adjustments required along the way, many families find that their commitment to multigenerational living only increases over time. Its not all perfect, says Williams, the Silver Spring, Md., grandmother, noting that dirty dishes on the kitchen counter sometimes trigger family tension. When you have three little boys, youre sometimes going to have a mess, she says. But family affection overcomes that kind of stuff. And were committed to staying together at this point. We know were going to make it work.
SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The Australian and New Zealand dollars inched higher in thin holiday trading on Friday but looked set to end December lower, extending their losing streak to a third straight month.

The biggest move came against the euro, which shot higher after computer-driven buying against the U.S. dollar tripped stop-loss orders.

The single currency climbed 1.5 cents at one stage to touch A$1.4718 , before fading back to A$1.4565.

Against its U.S. counterpart, the Aussie was up 0.36 percent at $0.7238 and off a seven-month trough of $0.7160 hit last week.

The Aussie is still down nearly 2 percent in December and 0.6 percent for the year, its fourth straight annual loss.

Analysts expect more of the same in the New Year with the U.S. currency and Treasury yields on an uptrend following Donald Trump's upset victory in the U.S. presidential election last month.

Data showing the Australian economy shrank for the first time since 2011 in the third quarter, raising the spectre of a possible recession, has also weighed on the currency.

In comparison, the New Zealand dollar barely moved on Friday to stay at $0.6965, not far from a seven-month low of $0.6863 touched last week.

The Kiwi is set to end the week 1.2 percent higher after two straight losses. For the year, it is on track for a gain of 2 percent following three consecutive years of negative returns.

While the antipodean currencies were hit heavily after the U.S. election, the Kiwi has been supported by a run of strong domestic economic data and a rally in the price of milk, the country's top export earner.

New Zealand government bonds rose, sending yields about 3 basis points lower across the curve.

Australian government bond futures eased, with the three-year bond contract and the 10-year contract off 1 tick each at 97.92 and 97.175 respectively.

(Reporting by Swati Pandey; Editing by Kim Coghill)
China's finance ministry sells 3-month bills at 2.6474 pct



SHANGHAI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Finance auctioned 6 billion yuan ($863.37 million) of three-month bills in the interbank market on Friday at an average yield of 2.6474 percent, traders said. The auction yield for the three-month bills came in below Thursday's benchmark secondary market yield of 2.7023 percent for three-month government bills . For stories on Chinese debt issues, click on . ($1 = 6.9495 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

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.

kitco news
HANOI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official market and indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi at 0059 GMT.

Dec 30 Dec 29 USD/VND mid-point 22,159 22,162

USD/VND interbank 22,777/22,779 22,770/22,780 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 35.60/36.42 35.63/36.45

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)
Details added (first version posted on 19:40)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

Trend:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has expressed deep concern over the recent intensification of provocations of Armenia.

The Foreign Ministry said the Armenian provocations are aimed at undermining the Vienna and St. Petersburg negotiations and the efforts on peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and are aimed at expanding the scope of the conflict.

A reconnaissance-subversive group of Armenian armed forces perpetrated yet another provocative act by violating the state border of Armenia and Azerbaijan on December 29, the ministry said.

This provocative act by Armenian armed forces has been halted and the Armenian reconnaissance-subversive group was forced to retreat with losses.

Serviceman of the armed forces of Azerbaijan Chingiz Gurbanov was killed while preventing the attack and his corpse was taken to the Armenian side, said the Foreign Ministry.

Initially, the Armenian side denied that they have the body of the Azerbaijani serviceman, the ministry said in the statement. However, later the Armenian side with a view of hiding its responsibility for the incident and misleading the international community attempted to present the situation as the violation of the state border of Armenia.

Contrary to the moral and ethic norms and basic human values, Armenian side resorted to dirty propaganda and disinformation by sharing photos of the killed Azerbaijani serviceman in social networks, said the ministry.

The Foreign Ministry added that numerous signs of torture after death were also registered on the bodies of the Azerbaijani servicemen killed during the April battles, which occurred with the provocation and instigation of the Armenian side.

Their photos were also shared in media and social networks by Armenia.

A couple of years ago the body of Mubariz Ibrahimov, a serviceman of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, was also kept by Armenia, acts of vandalism were committed on the body and only after persistent international pressure his body was returned to Azerbaijan a few months later, according to Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry.

Ignoring international humanitarian law, the Republic of Armenia pursues a systematic policy of committing acts of vandalism on the bodies of the servicemen killed during combat operations and in a consistent manner makes the return of bodies the object of political speculation, said the statement.

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the necessary and urgent measures by international humanitarian organizations, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is guided by the principles of compassion and humanism, will be taken to ensure the return of Chingiz Gurbanovs body to Azerbaijan.

Abusing his authority with regard to the abovementioned issue, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Nikolai Bordyuzha distorted the essence of the incident and claimed that it happened in the territory of Armenia, the statement said.

Besides, addressing the illegal regime established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan as Nagorno-Karabakh republic, Bordyuzha attempted to question the territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, according to the Foreign Ministry.

This irresponsible statement by the CSTO secretary general serves to undermine the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, as well as is contrary to the basic principles of the relationship with the other member-states of the organization which support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, reads the statement.

Bordyuzha has in the past made biased statements on the conflict, the Foreign Ministry reminded.

Attempts by Armenia to bring the armed conflict directly to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and to involve the CSTO in the conflict by misusing the politicians like Bordyuzha who have particular attitude and sympathy towards Armenia serve for the escalation of the political situation in the region and pose serious threats to the regional stability and security, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said.

We reject this irresponsible statement by Bordyuzha and expect other member-states of the organization to come up with the proper assessment, said the ministry.

The Republic of Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that continuation of aggression by Armenia against Azerbaijan and the illegal presence of the Armenian armed forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the main cause of the escalation and incidents in the conflict zone and the principal impediment to the political settlement of the conflict, the statement said.

The Republic of Azerbaijan calls upon the international community to enforce Armenia for peace and demand the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said.

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.
Hanoi, Dec 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 0420 GMT.

Dec 30 Dec 29 USD/VND mid-point 22,159 22,162 USD/VND interbank 22,764/22,768 22,770/22,780 USD/VND unofficial 23,000/23,050 23,020/23,070 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 35.73/36.55 35.63/36.45

Interbank offered rates Overnight 3.0-5.0 2.5-4.5

1 week 4.0-5.0 3.8-5.0

1 month 5.0-5.5 5.0-5.5

3 months 5.2-5.5 5.1-5.5

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)
TAIPEI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan's government said on Friday it would halve the transaction tax on day trades in local shares, in a bid to bolster thin trading in the island's stock market.

Stock investors would pay a 0.15 percent day-trade transaction tax, from the current 0.3 percent, subject to approval by the legislature, Finance Minister Sheu Yu-Jer told a news briefing.

The news boosted stocks and the Taiwan dollar.

By around 0300 GMT, the benchmark share index rose 0.9 percent and the Taiwan currency was stronger against the U.S. dollar.

Daily turnover on the stock market has dropped to around T$30 billion ($937.5 million) recently, squeezing business for brokerage houses and related sectors.

"It's the turnover that has declined in the stock market, but stock prices are stable. The stock market is healthy at least," Financial Supervisory Commission chairman Lee Ruey-Tsang said at the briefing.

In addition to the proposed lower tax, the Taiwan Stock Exchange would visit major long-term investors including pension funds and sovereign funds.

(Reporting by Jeanny Kao and Faith Hung; Editing by Kim Coghill)
U.S.-based stock funds take in $11.8 bln in weekly period -Lipper



NEW YORK, Dec 29 (Reuters) - U.S.-based stock funds pulled in $11.8 billion in the week ended Dec. 28, data from Lipper showed on Thursday, ending 2016 with an enthusiasm for stocks that has been lacking for the better part of the year. Investors pulled $775 million from taxable bond funds during the same period, marking the third straight week of withdrawals, the data showed.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

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.

kitco news
Ghana 91-day bill yield rises to 16.7459 pct

ACCRA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The Bank of Ghana said the yield on its weekly 91-day bill rose to 16.7459 percent at an auction on Friday from 16.4281 percent at the last sale on Dec. 23. The bank said it had accepted 767.98 million cedis ($179.85 million) worth of bids of the 771.48 million cedis tendered for the 91-day paper, which will be issued on Jan.2. For full details, click here: ($1 = 4.27 Ghanaian cedis)

(Writing by Kwasi Kpodo; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) 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. kitco news
Fran OSullivan writes:

It is fundamentally absurd to believe Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to declare war on New Zealand in retaliation for co-sponsoring the successful UN resolution against Israel. Netanyahu has far bigger fish to fry than New Zealand.

Fran is correct.

What is at issue now is the controversial report citing two unnamed Western diplomats that said Netanyahu had phoned Foreign Minister Murray McCully and asked him to neither support the resolution nor to promote it. If you continue to promote this resolution from our point of view it will be a declaration of war. It will rupture the relations and there will be consequences, the Israeli prime minister is reported to have said to McCully. Some have misread the reported comments and interpreted them in an overly literal fashion suggesting Israel has declared war on NZ. Obviously it hasnt and wont.

Indeed. First of all the reported comments are that Israel would regard it as NZ declaring war on Israel, not that Israel would declare war on NZ. A vital difference. Also I understand the original story in Hebrew has been lost in translation a bit and it is more that the Israeli PM said that NZ voting for the resolution would be an aggressive act or act of aggression.

So yes a very strong response from the Israeli PM, but not declaration of war or anything close.

Readers might be interested in the full text of the Security Council resolution on Israel and settlements, as opposed to what some people claim was in it.

Personally I support Israel around 95% of the time, especially when it comes to their own security. But Ive never been persuaded that settlements on occupied territory are a good idea, or will lead to a two state solution. A one state solution is worse for Israel as that would mean having to give citizenship to those living in those areas and Jews would become the minority in Israel.

Hamas are evil and Fatah corrupt and the Palestinian leadership bear most of the blame for there being no peace settlement. They have rejected some very good offers in the past, and I remain sceptical that their leadership are interested in a two state solution.

However two wrongs do not make a right. In my view the settlements are wrong and provocative. Israel surrenders the moral high ground when they persist with them. The settlements are not the cause of the conflict, but they aggravate it and make peace much harder.

The settlement policy is divisive even in Israel. Most acts of the Israeli state have widespread support (such as military action against Hamas) but the settlements are a policy most associated with the Likud party. They do have majority support, but also significant opposition. So opposing the settlements is not opposing the state of Israel  just the policy of the current Government.

There have been some polls inside Israel on them. They have found:

42% say the settlements hurts security and 27% helps security

41% say Israel should leave the West Bank/Judea and Samaria and 48% are against

But you can be anti-settlements (as I am) but also regard the UN resolution as somewhat unfair to Israel in that the language around the occupied territories implicitly includes some of the holiest sites in Judaism in them. This open letter from UN Watch is a good example of the criticisms against the resolution.

For those interested my views on what should happen (but never will) are:

There should be a two state solution Palestine should be given territory equal in area to the pre-1967 borders based on the original mandate. The territory for Palestine must be good enough to allow them to form a viable prosperous state, not just a series of enclaves, and be agreed between the two parties. The settlements should cease as every extra settlement is less flexibility for agreeing final boundaries. The Palestinian leadership of Fatah and Hamas must agree in words and actions to the right of Israel to exist and cease terrorism Palestine would be a demilitarised state Jerusalem is the most difficult question and is the biggest challenge (after the fact the Palestinian leadership has little interest in peace). In theory it serves as the capital to most countries, with all citizens allowed in all of the city, but different areas under different control.

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On the occasion of the World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day and the New Year some of UNEC faculty has been awarded for their scientific- pedagogical and labor performances.

Meeting with the teaching staff awarded the honorary Diploma of UNEC, Rector, Professor Adalat Muradov wished them success and solidarity, expressed his gratitude for the affairs implemented together with them at UNEC for education.

Emphasizing that the University has a great cadres potential, A.Muradov spoke about the projects and works to be done to increase the teachers prestige. Saying UNEC teacher diverse the best of all, Rector noted the significance of the projects such as Teacher is a Source of Power and so on.

A group of UNEC teachers were awarded Honorary Diplomas within the event.

In the end, Rector and teachers exchanged their views on the projects that would be implemented in 2017 at the university.

UNEC is the brand of Azerbaijan State University of Economics. The brand of UNEC has been registered and patented by the State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patent on January 21, 2016.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Cloudy skies early then heavy thunderstorms developing overnight. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 43F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early then heavy thunderstorms developing overnight. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 43F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijans Parliament at a plenary session Dec. 30 passed the Law on Regulation of Taxpayers Liabilities as of Jan. 1, 2017, which provides for cancellation of the tax debts of the countrys citizens.

In accordance with the law, two types of tax liabilities will be written off: all the interest accrued for non-payment of the debt and a part of the financial sanctions.

If 30 percent of a financial sanction is paid in January 2017, the remaining 70 percent of the sanction will be written off.

If 50 percent of a tax penalty is paid in January-February 2017, the remaining 50 percent of the sanction will be written off, and if 70 percent of a financial sanction is paid in January-March 2017, the remaining 30 percent of the sanction will be written off.

In total, tax liabilities in Azerbaijan amount to 1.527 billion manats. Of this amount, the interest charged for the late payment of taxes amounts to 386.4 million manats and financial sanctions total 237.1 million manats.
Details added (first version posted on 12:50)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijans Financial Market Supervisory Authority has revoked licenses of three insurance companies  the International Insurance Company, Azerqarant Insurance and Buta Insurance, the company said in a message Dec. 30.

Licenses of all the three companies have been cancelled upon their own requests, according to FIMSA. The shareholders of these companies have made decisions on the companies elimination.

Shareholders of Buta Insurance have decided to liquidate the company and give its active portfolio worth 1.84 million manats to Gunay Insurance company.

A similar decision has also been made with regard to the International Insurance Company [due to low financial indicators] in October, and Azerqarant Insurance  in November.

In January-October 2016, the International Insurance Company, Azerqarant Insurance and Buta Insurance collected premiums worth 3.92 million, 0.32 million and 0.59 million manats, respectively. During the period, payments of the International Insurance Company amounted to 3.41 million manats, Azerqarant Insurance  987,890 manats and Buta Insurance  1.2 million manats.

The official exchange rate is 1.7707 AZN/USD on Dec. 30.
Crackdown on illegal fishing boats to get easier



By Nam Hyun-woo



The governments of Korea and China agreed to enhance a crackdown on illegal Chinese fishing boats, allowing the Korean authorities to punish boats equipped with defenses against inspections, immediately.



Also, they agreed on allowing fewer fishing vessels to operate in each other's exclusive economic zones next year. Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Friday it came to an agreement including details on such measures with its Chinese counterpart during their annual negotiations over next year's fishing rules, held in Beijing.



According to the ministry, the agreement bears significance because it allows Korea's Coast Guard to strengthen its patrols. So far, relevant regulations do not allow the Coast Guard to crack down on boats equipped with objects hampering officers to board and inspect. With the agreement, having such objects onboard will result in immediate punishment.



In the deal, the Chinese authority also agreed to deploy its patrol boats in the waters near the western part of the Northern Limit Line and resume cross-boarding of officers and joint patrol in the waters the two countries jointly manage.



Cross-boarding was suggested by Korea in order to show Chinese authorities the seriousness of illegal fishing in the West Sea. However, it was halted after a Chinese fishing vessel in October sank a Coast Guard speed boat off Incheon by ramming it.



The sinking led to a diplomatic dispute between the two countries and China requested a halt.



Since 2001, Korea and China have held an annual meeting to discuss fishing in the West Sea. However, this year's meeting was faced with difficulties because of the sinking, which the Coast Guard countered with use of firearms, and the two countries "managed to" agree on terms just two days before the end of 2016, according to the ministry.



In setting the number of boats allowed and the volume of fishing in the two countries' exclusive economic zones in the West Sea, the two countries agreed on allowing each other 1,540 boats and 57,750 tons of fishing next year, down 60 boats and 2,250 tons from that of this year. Among them, the number of trawlers decreased, which the ministry believes is the most problematic, by 29.



This is the first time the volume and the number of boats have declined since 2013.



Also, the ministry said it decreased the number of Chinese trawlers allowed in protective waters off Jeju Island from 62 to 50.



"The agreement was meaningful because we have urged the Chinese government to take responsible measures against illegal fishing and reduce the volume of Chinese boats fishing in restricted waters," said an official at the ministry.




Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) sold $246 million at the currency auctions held by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) in December 2016, SOFAZ said in a message Dec. 30.

In November 2016, SOFAZ sold $301.5 million, while, in total, the Azerbaijani banks bought about $4.92 billion from SOFAZ in 2016.

The state oil fund will continue selling currency through auctions in 2017.

The currency sale is carried out as part of SOFAZs transfers to the Azerbaijani state budget, which are envisaged in the volume of 7.615 billion manats for 2016.

On the days when no auction is held, manats official rate against the US dollar will be set based on the weighted average rate formed in the currency market on the basis of the currency purchase and sale transactions between banks.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
By Jhoo Dong-chan



New Year's Day is just around the corner while the nation is going through a political crisis following the Choi Soon-sil gate. Despite the absence of political and administrative leadership at the moment, there are several things to be changed next year.







Retirement age and minimum wage



The newly set retirement age of 60 will be implemented to all workplaces starting Jan. 1.



Government and public agencies as well as workplaces having more than 300 employees has implemented such retirement age so far, but the extension is now expected to be applied in all workplaces across the country.



In April 2013, the National Assembly passed a revised bill guaranteeing the right to retire at the age of 60 despite strong opposition from the business circles. Lawmakers agreed that enterprises and public institutes with more than 300 employees would be influenced by the new revision from January 2016, while the rest will be applied from January 2017.



Along with the extension of retirement age, the minimum wage is also expected to be raised by 7.3 percent to 6,470 won ($5.38) from Jan. 1.



The government has decided to increase next year's hourly minimum wage by 440 won, or 7.3 percent, from this year's 6,030 won.



The wage hike means a daily salary of 51,760 won for people who work eight hours a day, a monthly salary of 1.35 million won for those who work 40 hours per week, or 209 hours per month. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said the pay raise would affect 3.36 million workers in Korea.



Despite the hike, the decision reportedly neither labor nor management.



The labor circles, which has demanded the hourly minimum wage to be raised into 10,000 won for two years in a row, expressed their disappointment, claiming the government has ignored the desperation of workers by not allowing a double-digit increase.



The Korea Employers Federation, which represents employers, also insisted the hike would add to the woes of smaller firms and self-employed business owners already grappling with difficulties, saying the raise will mean that workplaces with fewer than 30 employees have to spend an additional 2.5 trillion won every year.







Income tax hike



The government has decided to create a new top-tier rate for income taxes. Those earning more than 500 million won per year will be subject to a 40-percent income tax rate.



It marks the first time in 16 years for South Korea's income tax rate to reach 40 percent. The highest rate bracket, which hovered around 70 percent in the 1970s, continued to decline over the past decades to reach 36 percent in 2002 and then went up to 38 percent in 2012, which currently applies to those earning more than 150 million won per year.



The finance ministry estimates around 46,000 people will be affected by the change, and the hike is expected to enable the government to collect around 600 billion won more annually.







Birth and childcare leave



Those workers who apply for birth or miscarriage leave are allowed to receive 1.5 million next year, a 150,000 won increase from the previous grant.



Applicant workers are required to submit their applications one month after their leave starts or 12 months within their returns.



In a bid to encourage married workers give births, the government will expand their subsidies to small and medium-size enterprise for child-care leave. It has subsidized 200,000 won so far, but will increase the grant in 300,000 per each worker who leave for the care.







Resident registration number



Starting May 30, Korean nationals are allowed to change their Resident Registration Number (RRN) if satisfying certain requirements.



Those Korean citizens who are considered to be threaten their life, property and rights through Personal information leakage are allowed to change their RNN. Except applicant's date of birth and sex, the last six-digit numbers in RNN will be allowed to be changed.







Eco-friendly vehicle



The government will encourage old diesel-powered vehicle drivers to change their cars next year.



Those drivers who have owned a diesel car for more than 10 years since 2006 are eligible to be exempted 70 percent of consumption tax if they buy a new car within two months after scraping their old ones, next year.



In a bid to introduce more eco-friendly cars in the streets here, the government will continue exempting maximum 4 million won for those who buy and register a new electric, plug-in, or hybrid vehicles until December 2019.




By Nam Hyun-woo





Han Jun-seong Lee Seong-gweon

A number of surprise promotions were made in domestic financial firms' year-end reshuffle, showing the government's meritocracy push is starting to blend into their personnel management.

On Dec. 28, KEB Hana Bank named Han Jun-seong as vice president to lead its Future Financial Group. Han garnered keen attention among industry insiders because he has no educational credentials higher than high school -- a rare case given most of his peers have MBA degrees or graduate school diplomas or are at least university graduates.

Since joining the bank in 1987, Han has spent most of his career at the bank's tech- or future-oriented departments, nurturing his expertise in the field.

Also with the announcement, the 50-year-old became one of Korea's youngest bank executives. Along with Han, two other new vice presidents  Chang Kyung-hoon, head of the newly established retail business group, and Chung Jeong-hee, head of the corporate business group  are also in their 50s, showing that age, educational background and salary steps are having less influence in promotions.

A day before KEB Hana's announcement, NongHyup (NH) Financial Group also made a surprise promotion. It named Lee Seong-gweon, head of NH Bank's fund management department, as the new CEO of NongHyup Futures. In its announcement, the group described Lee's leap as "extraordinary" because it had been only promoting vice presidents to CEOs before.

"Lee is a specialist in fund management having accumulated field experience," the group said. "Given the rising financial uncertainties and the characteristic of futures, the group believes it would be best to appoint an expert in the field as CEO."

On the same day, KB Financial Group announced that it named Kim Hae-kyung as CEO of KB Credit Information. The 55-year-old is the first female to head a KB group affiliate. She has been serving as head officer of a number of KB Kookmin Bank's regional offices and Seoul branches and the group said it highly appraised her leadership focusing on mid- and long-term planning.

"KB has a corporate culture of prioritizing performance over other factors including gender," a KB Financial Group official said.

Though financial firms made several surprise promotions for those whose showed strong performances, most of them opted to make a "stable" reshuffle in a broader view before scheduled changes in their CEO or chairman positions.

Shinhan Bank and Shinhan Financial Group will face a huge leadership change in March when group Chairman Han Dong-woo and bank President Cho Yong-byoung will see their terms expire.

Amid the scheduled changes, Shinhan opted to maintain 15 out of 27 executives who were subjected to this year's reshuffle. Rumors allege that Shinhan will conduct a large-scale reshuffle after March.

NongHyup Financial Group, whose Chairman Kim Yong-hwan's term will end in April, also had NongHyup Bank CEO Lee Kyung-seob remain in office in order to seek stability.

KB Kookmin, whose CEO Yoon Jong-kyoo's term ends in November next year, also promoted or rehired 12 out of 13 executives whose terms end soon.
The undated reproduction shows a religious book which was found in library of the abbey in Altomuenster, southern Germany. The impending dissolution of a 15th-century monastery in Bavaria is pitting scholars against Catholic church officials. The library in Altomuenster Abbey, accessible only to the monastery's nuns for more than five centuries, contains precious illuminated manuscripts and other treasures. Scholars worry the "holy grail" for Bridgettine Order research could be damaged, broken up or sold off before it can be catalogued and studied.



/ AP-Yonhap
By Kim Rahn



Fifth and sixth-grade elementary school textbooks will contain up to 300 Chinese characters, starting 2019, to help students better understand the Korean vocabulary originating from Chinese words, according to the Ministry of Education, Friday.



The ministry decision came after years-long debate over whether to make Chinese characters part of Korean language and literature textbooks for elementary schoolchildren. Middle and high school students learn Chinese characters but elementary schoolchildren have not been studying them for almost four decades.



It is estimated that around 50 percent of the Korean vocabulary has Chinese influence.



According to the ministry, Chinese characters will accompany Korean words that need clarification, in textbooks for fifth and sixth graders  not only for Korean language and literature but for any subject.



The ministry will designate 300 characters first and textbook authors can select from the pool.



"The characters will be used only to boost students' understanding of Korean terms," a ministry official said. "Not to put pressure on students, we will make sure schools do not force students to memorize the Chinese characters or to take a test of them."



One textbook chapter may have up to three characters, he said.



In 2014, the ministry said it would consider including Chinese characters in elementary school textbooks.



But hangeul-related civic groups opposed the idea, saying it will only aggravate academic pressure on students and cause more private tutoring.



"Under the new measure, the pronunciation and meaning of the Chinese characters will be put together with the Korean words, and students without prior knowledge about the characters will have no difficulty learning and understanding them," the ministry official said.




The Dong Ward municipality in South Korea's largest port city of Busan on Friday handed over a confiscated statue symbolizing the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery to a civic group, paving the way for it to be installed in front of the ward's Japanese Consulate.



Two days before the handover, the civic group attempted to install the statute on the sidewalk in front of the back door of the consulate but was stopped due to opposition from ward officials and police.



Members of the group seek to install the 1-ton statue, similar to another set up in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, as part of their protest against a Seoul-Tokyo deal made in December last year. Under the landmark deal, Tokyo apologized for its colonial-era atrocities and agreed to provide 1 billion yen (US$9.61 million) to a foundation aimed at supporting the victims, euphemistically called comfort women.



Citing that the statue's installation obstructed a road, the ward office prevented the group from erecting it and seized it.



Following the seizure, the ward office was swamped with calls and messages critical of the office which shutdown its website as sentiment against the move ran high. The office then apparently agreed to return the figure to the group as it has no legal grounds for the seizure.



Later in the day, the ward office and the group will hold talks to agree on the location of for the statue, mediated by the Busan city assembly. The civic group earlier planned to hold a ceremony at 9:00 p.m. Saturday in front of the consulate to unveil the statue.



South Korean victims, liberal civic groups and opposition parties have accused the South Korean government of striking the December 2015 deal hastily without obtaining Japan's acknowledgment of legal responsibility. They also said the agreement was reached without prior consultation with the victims. (Yonhap)






By Park Si-soo



This year started with many people laughing at the hilarious name "Byeong-Sin," which means "idiot."

It was made from combining "Byeong" (which means south, third or red) from the Oriental map of heavenly energy and "Sin" (monkey) from the Chinese Zodiac. The two words were put together for the first time in 60 years and the hilarious sound was considered among optimists as a sign that this year would be filled with events making people laugh and smile.

But has Murphy's Law disrupted the once-in-60-years magic?

In reality, bad news has outstripped good news this year. Inter-Korean relations have gone from bad to worse following North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January. And the political conflict between rival parties reached the point of explosion in February as the ruling Saenuri Party tried to railroad a controversial anti-terrorism bill.

The so-called "toxic humidifier disinfectant" scandal rocked the nation in May and other tragic incidents in the same month highlighted the widening gap between the haves and have-nots, the deep-seated discrimination against women and the dried-up sense of sympathy in the face of fierce competition.

A powerful 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southeastern city of Gyeongju in September, the most powerful seismic activity in the nation's modern history.

The march of bad news culminated with a corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil. The ongoing investigation has uncovered a complicated chain of corruption, through which a small group of Park's aides wielded unauthorized influence on state affairs and allegedly embezzled taxpayers' money in recent years.

People were so upset about the scandal that millions joined nationwide anti-president rallies in a self-motivated grassroots movement that pushed lawmakers to vote for the President's impeachment.

While some issues have been settled one way or another, there are many left unaddressed. How will they unfold? Will we see any kind of momentum that will turn the depressed situation around next year? And how, and when?

As British poet Samuel Butler put it, the only certainty is that nothing is certain. But here is one thing that is certain: the year of the "idiot" is coming to a close.
By Chung Hyun-chae



The Constitutional Court is speeding up proceedings toward a ruling on the impeachment motion for President Park Geun-hye by wrapping up three rounds of preparatory hearings, Friday.



It will hold the first and second official hearings on the case on Jan. 3 and Jan. 5, respectively, an unusually fast schedule for a constitutional  or even civil or criminal  case.



Political analysts interpret the timetable as reflecting the court's intention to make a swift ruling to minimize disorder in state affairs.



"We will review the case thoroughly according to transparent legal processes which people can accept, to make a fair and prompt decision," Constitutional Court President Park Han-chul said in his New Year speech.



According to legal sources, the court is likely to hold one or two hearings every week.

In 2004, the Constitutional Court held seven hearings on the nation's first presidential impeachment of former President Roh Moo-hyun, from March 30 to April 30.



The hearings may be broadcast live based on high public interest in the influence-peddling scandal involving President Park and her confidant Choi Soon-sil, just as the previous impeachment hearings for former President Roh were.



Some expect the court may be able to make its final ruling as early as January if hearings go as planned.



The three preparatory hearings  on Dec. 22, 27 and 30  were also part of efforts to expedite the deliberation process.



In Friday's hearing, the court rejected the Assembly representatives' earlier request for the President to appear as a witness. To their request, Park's defense attorneys had said the President has no legal obligation to be present in court.



The court also decided to add more witnesses, previously deciding on three including Choi and two former presidential aides  An Chong-bum and Jeong Ho-seong. The witnesses will be called in for the second hearings on Jan. 5.




National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun, center, holds hands with the floor leaders of the four major parties before their meeting at Chung's office, Friday. From left are Joo Seung-yong from the second-largest opposition People's Party, Woo Sang-ho from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Chung, Chung Woo-taik from the ruling Saenuri Party and Joo Ho-young from the New Conservative Party for Reform. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

The floor leaders of the four major parties agreed, Friday, to accelerate talks on forming a National Assembly committee tasked with Constitutional revision.

"The parties will make preparations accordingly for the committee to run quickly, possibly next month," Rep. Kim Seong-dong of the ruling Saenuri Party said during a briefing following the floor leaders' meeting presided by National Assembly Speaker Rep. Chung Sye-kyun.

The four were Chung Woo-taik of the Saenuri Party, Woo Sang-ho of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Joo Seung-yong of the second-largest opposition People's Party and Joo Ho-young of the tentatively-named New Conservative Party for Reform (NCPR).

The agreement came amid growing criticism that the current single, five-year presidency has served its purpose after nearly 30 years and that amending the Constitution concerning the presidency is necessary.

Such calls for amendment especially grew in the wake of a corruption scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye, who lost control over state affairs as her predecessors did in the final year of their tenure. Park also suggested revamping the Constitution although her offer was believed to be politically motivated to cover up the scandal.

Many potential candidates for the 2017 presidential election support the idea of the Constitutional revision. Depending on their political interests, however, they have collided over when the change should be made and also over whether to shorten the presidential term.

Although he had initially supported the Constitution revamping, Moon Jae-in the leading presidential hopeful from the main opposition Democratic Party (DPK), raised objection against it, Thursday.

His move came amid speculation that other possible contenders who are interested in the constitutional amendment may use it as a link to align with one another against Moon.

"Even a single, five-year term will be too short to clean up the political mess and carry out the reform," Moon said after a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Kim Geun-tae, a late democracy fighter. Other opposition heavyweights, such as Sohn Hak-kyu and South Chungcheong Province Governor Ahn Hee-jung were there, too.

"Raising issues on the Constitutional revision and shortening the presidential term is against the people's will at this moment," Moon said.

Sohn disagreed by saying "Any objection against the Constitutional revision is seen as advocating the imperial presidency."

However, the four floor leaders agreed to actively run a consultative body involving the government and the rival parties to stabilize state affairs.

They said the parties will hold an extraordinary parliamentary session from Jan. 9 to 20 to discuss bills on public welfare and the economy.

The meeting took place after a total of 29 lawmakers aligned against President Park Geun-hye, broke from the Saenuri Party and created a new party, NCPR, Tuesday.
By Rachel Lee



Some gifts and cards foreign envoys in Seoul had given to President Park Geun-hye were found in the house of her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, according to the independent counsel team, Friday.



The discovered gifts  supposed to be kept inside Cheong Wa Dae  show how special the relationship between the two was, the team said.



They discovered the items during a recent search of Choi's home and offices. They did not elaborate on the kinds of gifts or who sent them to the impeached President.



"We will look into how the gifts were kept in Choi's home, not at Cheong Wa Dae," an investigator said on condition of anonymity. "As it is not normal to keep presents at a friend's home, this case indicates how unusual the Park-Choi relationship was."



It could also be an act of diplomatic impudence if it is true that Park has kept gifts from ambassadors at Choi's home.



Foreign diplomats in Seoul were cautious about commenting on the news, but showed embarrassment.



"I hope the gift I gave to the President was not among those found at Choi's home," an ambassador said.



Some envoys made it clear that there was nothing "wrong" with the President giving gifts to her close friends or acquaintances.



"It is only common courtesy and diplomatic procedure to exchange gifts with each other so the problem is not about President Park's gifts being at Choi's house. It depends on the actual value of the gift and the purpose of it," a diplomat in Seoul told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity, Thursday.



Another envoy shared the same view  the price of the presents and the occasion on which the gifts were given matter.



"Every country has its own rules to accept gifts to a certain value. So at the end of the day, money matters. If the presents were pricier than the limit, it tells there is definitely something wrong," he added.



Some ambassadors declined to comment on the issue, giving reasons that what they gave to the President was no more than greeting cards sent out for occasions including the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.



"Contents of greeting cards and messages are often made public even by the sender," a top envoy said.



Some refused to comment since they were not sure their gift for the President was one of those found at Choi's place.



Choi, who has been in custody since October, is accused of abusing her close ties with the President by interfering in security and economic policies  from speechwriting to nominating officials  despite holding no official position or security clearance.



At the National Assembly special committee's questioning, Monday, Choi denied allegations, including links to other key suspects in the corruption scandal  Kim Ki-choon, Woo Byung-woo and An Chong-bum  who are suspected of being involved in Choi's meddling in state affairs to make illicit gains.



Regarding a tablet PC that contained evidence of the allegations, Choi said she first learned about the device in 2012, and does not know how to use such a computer. The President is also suspected of conspiring with Choi, which led to massive candlelight demonstrations nationwide that played a large role in prompting the National Assembly to impeach the President on Dec. 9.




By Choi Ha-young





In Myung-jin, interim leader of Saenuri Party

The interim leader of the ruling Saenuri Party urged loyalists of President Park Geun-hye to leave the party, Friday, saying reforming the party will be impossible as long as they stay.

"Some figures from the Park loyalist faction should be held responsible for making this party what it is today. They ruined the ruling party and disappointed the people," In Myung-jin said in his first press conference since taking office as the Saenuri Party interim leader, Thursday.

In, a former liberal activist, did not specify the names, but sources said he apparently targeted Reps. Lee Jung-hyun, Suh Chung-won and Choi Kyung-hwan  leading members of the loyalist faction.

In did not go so far as to ask President Park to leave the party, but indicated that the party should boot her as well.

"The interim leadership will discuss reform measures to restore the people's trust if they all leave. If they resist, there will be no reform," In said.

He asked the Park loyalists to decide by Jan. 6.

The loyalist faction strongly protested, saying In's "unrealistic" demand will drag the party into deeper chaos.

In said there are three groups that should be expelled  those who took ranking positions in the Park administration, those who are responsible for the party's defeat in the general elections in April, and those who raise groundless allegations.

Conflict between In and the Park loyalists is expected to escalate. The pro-Park faction has held the ruling party's leadership posts despite the huge scandal surrounding the impeached President.

One day before the press conference, Rep. Suh, an eight-term lawmaker, told journalists, "I will step back from the frontlines to fight in the war as a commoner," implying he will not leave the party.

Rep. Choi also said on the same day he would also not retire. "I will stay in my local constituency except when there is an official schedule in the National Assembly," he said on social media.

After the scandal involving the President came to light, the party's approval rating fell to a historic low, 15.8 percent, Thursday. At the massive candlelit rallies, protesters have demanded the party dissolve.

Further, the anti-Park faction quit the party, Tuesday, shrinking the ruling party's seats to 99. Now the Saenuri Party has less support than the new party, called the New Conservative Party for Reform, standing at 17.4 percent.

Some Park loyalists have fueled public anger for their blindly favorable remarks on the scandal-ridden President. Rep. Lee Jung-hyun was mocked for saying "I will put my hands into a pot of boiling water if the impeachment motion against Park is passed."

Rep. Yi Wan-young downplayed the public anger by saying "Every other administration had a corruption scandal," during a National Assembly hearing into the Choi Soon-sil scandal.

To overcome the crisis, In suggested two ways of taking responsibility. "The first is moral responsibility," he said. "Severely apologize in front of citizens by clearly stating what your faults are. Don't make a vague answer, for example, step back from the frontline. The second is political responsibility, which means leaving the party."

As an outside adviser, In pressed the pro-Park politicians to make their own decision "honorably," calling for the party to bring radical reforms.

"Lack of independent judgment has spoiled the party. They blindly followed faction heads without thinking," In said. "They look like college kids asking their mom which course to take."

By joining the conservative party, In was expelled from the civic organization he established, the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice. The Saenuri Party's traditional supporters have criticized his civic activism experience.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

Trend:

Board of Directors of Russias Gazprom has approved a loan worth 310 million euros to South Stream Transport B.V. to finance the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, Gazprom said in a message, TASS agency reported Dec. 30.

The loan will be granted for three and a half years.

South Stream Transport B.V. will use the funds granted by Gazprom to finance the costs on the Turkish Stream project, including payments under the contracts for the supply of tubular products and equipment, storage and performance of construction work, contracts for the purchase of goods, work and services, as well as general administrative expenses, according to the report.
An image of a lit candle is made up of 5,000 photos taken of candlelit protests since October. Millions of people took to the streets against the influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil. Through the peaceful rallies, the people showed their strong will to protect an important value of society  democracy.

/ Korea Times photo by Kim Ju-sung



By Kim Bo-eun

The year 2016 will go down in history as the year of the "candlelight revolution" that ignited a drive to unseat President Park Geun-hye and make Korea a more democratic nation.

Despite the people's disappointment with the scandalous Park administration, hopes abound for the New Year.

"The people, who united for better politics and the nation, will serve as an antidote to corruption and a catalyst to change the society," said Shin Gwang-yeong, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University.

The professor said people will continue to have a bigger say in politics and state affairs through diverse avenues in 2017, including exercising their voting rights in the year of the presidential election.

"The people will evaluate politicians with higher standards than before, and therefore expectations for 2017 are more hopeful," Shin said.

Citizens, who have poured out onto the streets at Gwanghwamun Square every Saturday since October to demand President Park step down, hope their next leader will be different.

"I wish the next President will be less authoritarian, and truly serve the people," said Bae Se-ho, 23, a university student.

The people have already put an end to the Park administration although the impeached President awaits a final call from the Constitutional Court.

They were angry as Park misused the power given by the people at the cost of such social values as democracy, fairness and law and order.

With an early presidential election expected next year, the people have strong hopes for a better president.

"Park was a leader who was intolerant of those who voiced opposition against her or criticized her," said Chung Won-sil, a 55-year-old educator. "We need a more open-minded, democratic and rational president."

Yang Mi-jeong, a 30-year-old resident in Seoul, said, "I hope the next president will be someone who can stick to the basics. I don't want to hear dazzling yet hollow pledges seeking to win votes. I want someone who endeavors to have the law kept and protect the rights of the people."

Of course, there are also many people critical of the candlelit rallies. They say the silent majority of 49 million citizens didn't participate in the protests or that the rallies are nothing more than typical herd behavior often witnessed in Korea.

Still, many say the rallies should not be underestimated.

"The embarrassing scandal disgraced the nation, but at the same time, I think, the candlelit rallies helped recover the nation's image," said Professor Shin.

"The people-led protests, a new phenomenon which spurred politicians, the government and the prosecution, will remain a very important point in politics."

What started as a crowd of 200,000 on Oct. 29 grew to 1 million on Nov. 12, 1.9 million nationwide on Nov. 26 and a record 2.32 million after the President's third national address on the scandal, in which she said she would leave her resignation up to the National Assembly.

Despite such a huge crowd gathering in central Seoul, the rallies have been peaceful. Their collective voice forced politicians to move, inducing the passage of a motion to impeach the President on Dec. 9.

The scale and duration of the protests have been unprecedented in Korea's modern history, far surpassing those of pro-democracy movements in the 1980s  as many as a total 10 million are expected to have taken part in 10 consecutive rallies by Dec. 31.

Oh Hyun-chul, a social studies education professor at Chonbuk National University, said, "The nature of the rallies held here  which are not led by political parties, labor unions, religious groups or interest groups but held voluntarily by the people, for such an extended period of time  is definitely notable."
Lee Seung-hoon skates in the men's 5,000-meter speed skating race during the national team trial for the 2017 Sapporo Asian Winter Games at the Taeneung International Skating Rink in Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap



By Baek Byung-yeul

South Korea finalized its speed skating squad for the Sapporo Asian Winter Games after Lee Seung-hoon and Kim Bo-reum topped the national team trials, Thursday.

On the last day of the trials at the Taeneung International Skating Rink in Seoul, Lee won the men's 10,000-meter race in a record 13 minutes, 59.19 seconds, edging out Lee Jin-young on 14:16.71. With the victory, Lee, who won the men's 5,000-meter race on Tuesday, became the overall winner with 157.427 points.

Kim also was the overall winner after taking the 3,000-meter race on Tuesday, the 1,500-meter on Wednesday and the 5,000-meter on Thursday.

Lee, 28, the Vancouver 10,000-meter champion, will compete in four events -- the 5,000-meter, the 10,000-meter, the mass start and team pursuit. He said he aims to win four gold medals.

"It is not going to be easy for me to win the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter because the Japanese athletes have shown significant improvement, but I will try to win four events as best I can," he said, Thursday. Lee is also a triple-crowned winner at the 2011 Asian Winter Games in the 5,000-meter, 10,000-meter and mass start.

Kim, a short-track skater turned speed skater, said she also wanted to have a good result in Japan. "I aim to win three gold medals in the 3,000-meter, 5,000-meter and mass start events in the Sapporo Asian Winter Games," she said. "As my ultimate goal is to win a medal in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, I will try my best to achieve my goal."

At the end of the trials, South Korea finalized its roster of 10 men and 10 women skaters for the Sapporo games from Feb. 19 to 26.

For the women's 500 and 1,000-meter races, Lee Sang-hwa, two-time Olympic champion in the 500-meter event, Kim Min-seon, Paek Seung-hi and Kim Hyun-young have been selected. Kim Bo-reum, Park Do-yeong, Park Ji-woo, Noh Sun-young and Jang Su-ji will race in the women's 1,500 and 3,000-meter races while Kim Bo-reum also will race in the 5,000-meter event.

For the men, Mo Tae-bum, a gold medalist in the 500 meters at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Kim Jin-soo, Jang Won-hoon and Cha Min-kyu will compete in the 500-meter race.

For the 1,500 and 5,000-meter races, Lee Seung-hoon, Kim Min-seok, Joo Hyung-joon, Kim Jin-soo and Kim Cheol-min will take part, while Lee also will race in the 10,000-meter event.

For the men's mass start, Lee Seung-hoon, Kim Min-seok and one undecided skater, who will be recommended by the Korea Skating Union (KSU), will compete. The KSU will also choose one skater for the women's mass start besides Kim Bo-reum and Park Do-yeong.
By Maija Rhee Devine





What were the young women's occupations before becoming comfort women? Who recruited them? Did the recruiters pay and to whom? Were the women sexually violated during transportation? What types of abuses did the women receive? After the war, did they get married? 125 questions, including these, were asked to 192 former Korean comfort women, and their answers were tabulated and published in "The Survey of Korean Comfort Women Used by Japanese Soldiers" by the Center for War and Women's Rights in Seoul in 2002.

Critics question the credibility of this and other surveys conducted by nationalistic Korean organizations. However, the survey contains answers that do not seem self-serving. Nor do the women's responses appear manipulated to demonize the Japanese military. Instead, the answers seem to demonstrate the women's credibility and debunk the claims of the women's numerous and ardent skeptics.

What were their occupations during their pre-comfort-women period? Nearly 80 percent of the women listed themselves as doing household work at home or were maids, agricultural workers, factory employees, students or otherwise engaged in areas outside the sex trade. Some scholars have suggested a great majority of the former comfort women were already prostitutes, who followed the Japanese military camps as contractual sex workers. However, only 4.7 listed "restaurant or wine housework" and the remaining 15 percent fell into the "unknown" category. Since "wine house" work sometimes included providing sex for hire, one might assume these women, along with all of those whose answers were unavailable, were sex workers. However, the combined 20% hardly comprises the "majority" critics claim as the number for those who had already been in the trade.

With whom did the women live before becoming comfort women? Nearly 70 percent responded they lived with immediate family, presumably under watchful eyes of their parents (61 percent of the 70 percent lived with both parents), who most likely enforced the Confucian ethic  maintaining vigilance over their female offspring's virginity until marriage. Even if one assumes the 25 percent who lived apart from their families and the 5.7 percent unknowns were all prostitutes, the combined total of 30.7 percent does not constitute a "majority."

Did they receive payment at the time of their being led/lured/forced away? Over 60 percent answered "No," (with a remaining one-third's answers unknown). However, nearly 6 percent said "Yes" and of these, 2.6 percent of the total reported their parents received the payment. Two percent said they themselves did, and 0.5 percent reported their husbands got it. These answers expose their own parents, husbands, and employers as the agents of "selling" them. Some critics have long held the opinion that comfort women's own family members or the women themselves accepted payment from recruiters, and they are right. But the number of those who "sold" their family members or fellow countrymen, 6 percent, seem a small fraction.












Even in a roomful of tinhorn dictators, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines would stand out. He has insulted President Barack Obama and Pope Francis, admitted to killing suspected criminals, called a United Nations official an "idiot" and threatened to burn down the U.N. headquarters. He's also signaled his interest in closer ties with China, a nation with which the United States has conflicts on trade, security and other matters.



Though it's unclear what kind of relationship he and President-elect Donald Trump will have, the United States may have a difficult balancing act ahead in holding Duterte to international standards while preserving its long-important relationship with the Philippines. It will be especially important to ensure that U.S. aid to the Philippines is not used for illicit purposes, such as an extrajudicial war on drugs.



Duterte's outbursts are more unsettling than braggadocio. They give the impression that he's unhinged. In September, Duterte called Obama a vulgarity because of concern that the latter intended to question him about summary executions in the Philippines' war on drugs. To be sure, Duterte was not offended by the suggestion that he did anything untoward; he just didn't feel Obama ought to press him about it.



In recent days. Duterte's comments have become increasingly outrageous, leading to more questions about how the United States should handle him. After publicly admitting to killing suspected criminals when he was the mayor of Davao City, Duterte threatened to burn down the U.N. headquarters in New York, denigrated the U.N.'s top human-rights official for suggesting that his claims of murder be investigated and referred to U.N. officials as his employees because of the membership dues his nation pays.



Now, three U.S. senators, including Marco Rubio of Florida, a state with a large Filipino population, have asked the State Department to determine whether millions of dollars the United States has provided for law-enforcement training in the Philippines were diverted to extrajudicial drug fighting.



The State Department should undertake this assessment and share its findings publicly so that, if the senators' concerns are valid, U.S. and international policy toward Duterte can be modified accordingly. He is not likely to appreciate the scrutiny. If he comes to New York, someone should be assigned to watch him.





This editorial appeared on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




By Arthur I. Cyr



Just before Christmas, a summit in Moscow brought together the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey. President Vladimir Putin of Russia orchestrated this major meeting. After the discussions, his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced significant agreement to extend a ceasefire beyond the devastated city of Aleppo, and to guarantee humanitarian aid and safety of civilians. His government may or may not live up to these promises.



Undeniable is that Putin's power in the Mideast is now dramatically confirmed. Russia and Turkey are traditional enemies. Syria and Turkey have been at odds since 2011. The United States had no role in this important summit.



The decision last year by Putin to intervene with military force in the brutal combat in Syria furthered this expansion of regional influence. In the short term, Moscow greatly increased the staying power of the beleaguered regime of Syria President Bashar al-Assad.



Historically, Moscow has been preoccupied with secure national borders, especially in Eastern Europe, and generally abstained from sending military forces long distances. This traditional approach has now been abandoned by Putin, who has become a daring military gambler in the Mideast.



Russia has a long history of involvement in the volatile region, especially Syria. The profoundly serious Suez Crisis of 1956 resulted in sharp rupture among western allies, as the Eisenhower administration refused to support a combined military assault by Britain, France and Israel to retake the Suez Canal and seize the Sinai Peninsula from nationalist Egypt.



From that time until the end of the Cold War, Moscow had significant influence. Hafez al-Assad, father of the current president, helped instigate a successful 1963 coup. By 1970, he consolidated his position and ruled until 2000. Ironically given developments today, he was regarded as relatively moderate and an economic modernizer, though in the context of a dictatorship.



Syria developed close military partnership with Egypt, and the two nations went to war together against Israel in October 1973. The Yom Kippur War also witnessed American-Soviet nuclear confrontation. This crisis arguably was as serious as the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, though conducted almost entirely outside public view, in great contrast to the confrontation over missiles in Cuba.



The Watergate domestic political crisis colors recollections among some Nixon administration officials. Nevertheless, reasonable conclusions can be drawn.



First, Nixon aggressively pursued the essential need to get aid to Israel. At the same time, Israel was pressured successfully to show restraint regarding encircled Egyptian forces. In short, vital U.S. interests in the region were recognized clearly and protected.



Second, visible actions were taken to demonstrate U.S. military resolve: B-52 bombers were moved from Guam to the U.S., the Army's 82nd Airborne Division was placed on alert.



Third, the U.S. ultimately did not pursue a proposed joint condominium' proposed by the Soviets. Interests were too divergent on both sides. This bears directly on diplomatic efforts by Putin for international collaboration regarding Syria. The Moscow summit is a culmination of his strategy.



President Jimmy Carter brokered Egypt-Israel peace. President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State James Baker initiated complex multilateral negotiations which resulted in partial Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Moscow was involved.



President Barack Obama declared use of poison gas by Damascus would be a "red line," and indicated military retaliation. When poison gas was used, he did nothing.



Putin seized the opportunity and persuaded Syria to abandon nuclear weapons. In the future, this event may be seen as the beginning of declining American influence.





Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." Contactacyr@carthage.edu




New Year is all about choosing a capable, caring leader



As Korea enters an all-important presidential election year, it is hard to find good news. Many Koreans are reeling from the worst economic woes since the financial crisis of the late 1990s.



The government's economic policies for 2017 announced Thursday, which contained only shortsighted measures, are not enough to assuage the people's concerns about the economy heading into the New Year. The government recently set the 2017 growth target at 2.6 percent, and this marks the first time since the so-called IMF era that the target has dipped below 3 percent. The job situation facing the nation's youths is particularly worrisome, as the youth unemployment rate is likely to soar beyond the record high of 12.5 percent in February 2016, as many big conglomerates have downscaled hiring.



Under these harsh economic circumstances, Koreans across generations are generally unhappy. Young people worry constantly about getting a job and settling down, while older people fear the hardships of their post-retirement livelihoods. All in all, Koreans need some serious cheering up. This can be done by choosing a leader who can inspire renewed hope and confidence among Koreans.



Depending on the Constitutional Court's final decision on the National Assembly's impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, the presidential election could come earlier than scheduled. There is not much time left for presidential hopefuls.



The nation's next leader has many difficult tasks ahead, but the biggest challenge is how to ease the deep despair of the nation's youths. A recent survey showed that Korea placed lowest among OECD countries on a happiness index of young adults. As seen with the popular term "Hell Joseon," many young Koreans are disenchanted with life in Korea amid rising taxes, lack of stable jobs, a dysfunctional education system and widespread social injustice. The younger generation does not share the faith of their parents' generation in their country, who witnessed the nation's miraculous post-war industrial leap. Also, the Choi Soon-sil scandal that led to the presidential impeachment has taken away the pride some young people had left in their hearts for this country.



To make the nation happier as a whole, a good place to start is to help young people become more hopeful about life. It is imperative that they find a good job and live their lives independently from their parents. Otherwise, they will continue to live in their parents' homes and depend on them for living expenses, which makes it harder for parents to focus on caring for themselves in their old age. Without jobs, blessings like marriage or childbirth are unthinkable for many young adults. It is no wonder Korea ranks among the world's lowest in birthrate and more people are giving up on marriage.



This year, the people should be more vigilant than ever about electing a capable candidate who can open up a new era of hope and erase the shame and fallacies of the Park presidency. Let's choose a president who can cheer up the nation, not let it down. Let's choose a leader who, above all, truly cares about the people's happiness.




The United States imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies and nine other entities and individuals on Thursday in retaliation for cyberattacks accused of interfering with the U.S. presidential election.



The U.S. also declared 35 Russian intelligence operatives "persona non grata," ordering them to leave within 72 hours, and shut down two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York that were used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes.



"Today, I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's aggressive harassment of U.S. officials and cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election," President Barack Obama said in a statement.



"These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior," he said.



Obama said the U.S. determined in October that Russia took actions intended to interfere with the U.S. election process, adding that such data theft and disclosure activities "could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government."



"Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences. Today, I have ordered a number of actions in response," he said.



Among those sanctioned are two intelligence agencies, known as the GRU and the FSB. The GRU or Main Intelligence Agency is a Russian military intelligence agency and the FSB or the Federal Security Service is considered a successor to the Soviet-era KGB.



Other blacklisted entities and individuals include four GRU officers; three companies that provided material support to the GRU's cyber operations; two Russian individuals accused of using cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information.



"These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia's aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized," Obama said.



"In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior, and interfere with democratic governance," he said. (Yonhap)




Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR will pump about 80,000 tons of oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline in January 2017, a source in SOCAR told Trend Dec. 30.

SOCAR will pump about 325,000 tons of oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline in the 1Q2017, according to the plan.

It is expected that the company will transport 1.3 million tons of oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline in 2016, as compared to 1.27 million tons in 2015.

SOCAR exports the oil produced at its own fields, as well as the oil from joint ventures and operation companies working in Azerbaijans onshore fields, through Russias Novorossiysk port.

Oil is delivered to the port via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline operated by SOCAR.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Kazakh government appointed Aybatyr Zhumagulov to the post of vice-minister of national economy, the ministry reported.

Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov introduced him to the staff of the ministry.

Before the appointment, Zhumagulov served as Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstans Housing Construction Savings Bank.

The head of the national economy ministry has also recently changed. On Dec. 28 Kazakhstans president appointed Timur Suleimenov as a new national economy ministry and dismissed Kuandyk Bishimbaev who had been serving at this post since May 2016.

Before the appointment Suleimenov was a member of the Board  Minister in charge of Economy and Financial Policy of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Kazakhstan and the United States started mutual issuing of 10-year visas, Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported.

Starting from Dec. 29 Kazakh citizens going to the US for business, private or tourist purposes, are able to get US visas for up to 10 years. The citizens of the US traveling to Kazakhstan can receive Kazakhstans visas for 10 years as well.

The migration services of two countries will determine a period of stay of visa-holders in accordance with domestic laws.

Meanwhile, the US citizens are allowed to stay in Kazakhstan without visas for up to 30 days.

Increasing of visa validity term will contribute a maximum simplification of mutual trips of citizens of the two countries and is aimed at the development of the Kazakh-American cooperation in trade-economic, scientific-technical, cultural, humanitarian, tourism and other spheres, the ministry said.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has held talks with two oil giants Shell and British Petroleum for one-year and long-term contracts, according to NIOC Director of International Affairs Mohsen Qamsari.

The NIOC has been selling more and more oil to these two companies since the first consignments were shipped to them earlier this year, said Qamsari, adding that so far two or three consignments of about 1 million barrels have been sold to each European company.

He expects that the amount of trade with these two companies will increase.

On October 4, Qamsari said Iran had started the gas condensate (ultra-light crude oil) sale to BP in the form of spot cargo, adding that the first 1-million-barrel condensate cargo had been delivered to the British company a while before.

Shell purchased one million barrels of crude oil from Iran in June. Before the sanctions, imposed in 2012, Iran was exporting 800,000 barrels per day of oil to Europe.
A Finnish court has sentenced the former head of Helsinkis anti-drugs police to 10 years in prison for drug-smuggling and other offences.

Jari Aarnio was found to have helped a gang to import nearly 800kg (1,764lb) of hashish from the Netherlands and sell it in Finland in 2011-2012.

Aarnio, 59, was found guilty of five drug crimes and 17 other offences.

These included trying to frame an innocent man for being in charge of the drug ring.



An accomplice of the former senior policeman, described as a top local criminal, was also sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Aarnio spent 30 years in the anti-drugs force and was arrested in 2013.

He denied all the charges against him, claiming his actions were all legal and undertaken in a policing capacity.

His legal team said Aarnio plans to appeal the district courts sentence in the Helsinki Court of Appeal.

In a separate case in September, Aarnio was sentenced to three years in jail for fraud.

Crime rates are relatively low in Finland compared with most other European countries.

It ranks as the second least-corrupt country, after Denmark, in the global index compiled by Transparency International.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
A project to redevelop a small house on Park Row was heard by La Jollas Development Permit Review committee (DPR) during its Dec. 20 meeting at La Jolla Rec Center. The presentation was slated as a preliminary review, and therefore the board did not vote on whether to approve the requested permits associated with the project. Instead, the board provided a list of items they need to hear more about, so the project will return at a January meeting for additional review.

Applicant Tim Golba requested a Coastal Development Permit and Site Development Permit for the Caplan Residence at 1418 Park Row. The project involves the demolition of a single family residence and construction of a 4,302-square-foot, two-story single family residence with a 579-square-foot garage.

Golba explained the new house would be a four-bedroom house, in a u-shape, with a family room, kitchen, office space and two-level theater (technically two level because there are steps required to access it), along with outdoor decks and terraces. The design is considered a traditional Spanish style, with a maximum height of 26.6 feet. The Floor Area Ratio is under, but near maxed out of, maximum allowances.

Much of the front yard massing comes from an existing tree on the property, which would not be removed with the construction. Golba did not know what type of tree it is, but said he would return with that information.

Because of the eclectic mix and orientation of houses that surround the property, the design was strategic, Golba said. There is a variety of styles on that block, and many are two-story. The immediate next door neighbor built a large blank wall that faces the property (Im going to develop), so we dont have much of a view from the ground floor, but at the second floor, the view gets much better, he said. We put the theater where we did because it is seven feet from a blank wall (which is not a good place for windows or fencing and) does not invite interactions between neighbors.

As such, much of the common areas, especially the bedrooms, are upstairs. Golba said the property is designed that way so were not looking at anyone and no one is looking at us, and we like it that way and to provide a decent view.

He said quite a bit of roof area is eligible for solar panels to ensure that 50 percent of future power is sustainable.

As for landscaping, as posed by DPR member Angeles Leira, Golba said, We dont know yet, but street trees will come up when we apply for building permits. We would try to match whatever the designated street tree is for that area. The unidentified front yard tree would also remain. Several members noted that the addition of palm trees would make the property more consistent with the neighborhood.

Also to be consistent with the neighborhood, DPR member Diane Kane said she would like to see the front fencing opened up (current renderings show a two-foot wall topped with about three feet of fencing) and palm trees installed. But overall, Kane said that she likes the project a lot because its an improvement from the plain vanilla boxes weve been getting.

As such, Golba said he would return with answers to DPR members queries on landscaping, fencing and roof options, and present any available alternative designs.

 La Jolla DPR meets 4 p.m. the second and third Tuesdays of the month at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St. lajollacpa.org
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Although Iran and Azerbaijan have made considerable efforts aimed at connecting the two countries through railways, it appears that the mission is unlikely to be completed by 2020.

Tehran and Baku have earlier agreed to connect their railways as part of the North-South Transportation Corridor.

To fulfill the ambitious plan, Iran agreed to construct inland railway segments in northern parts of the country in order to extend its railway network to the Islamic Republics border with the neighboring Azerbaijan.

The plan included Qazvin-Rasht (162 kilometers) and Rasht-Astara (175 kilometers) railways. In the meantime, Azerbaijan has launched a project to extend its railway into Irans territory through the border city of Astara, which is in its final stages and is projected to come on stream within the next three months.

According to the latest reports, the Islamic Republic has launched construction work to build the Qazvin-Rasht segment, which is expected to be completed over the next year.

But what about the longest section, Rasht-Astara?

In an interview with Trend, Nourollah Beiranvandi, an advisor to the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Company in finance and foreign investment, has said that following an earlier agreement on Azerbaijans decision to finance the 175-kilometer segment, the sides have held talks over the procedure of financing the project.

Earlier, Irans Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi told Trend that Azerbaijan agreed to open a $500 million credit line to finance the Rasht-Astara railway project. He said the Rasht-Astara railway project is expected to need $0.9-$1 billion of investment, of which $500 million will be financed through an Azerbaijani loan.

During the interview Beiranvandi said Tehran and Baku have prepared a draft document on the procedure of financing the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway segment.

He forecast that the talks on procedures of financing the project would be finalized within the next six months.

The official added that an international tender will be announced to select contractors for implementing the project once the sides reach a conclusion on the funding issue.

This is while Deputy Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railway Company for Operation Affairs Hossein Ashouri has also told Trend that the construction of the Rasht-Astara segment would take about five years.

The International North-South Transport Corridor is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia. It will serve as a link connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.

The corridor is planned to transport 6 million tons of cargo per year at the initial stage and 15-20 million tons of cargo in the future.
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...
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec 30

By Emil Ilgar  Trend:

Irans gas export to Turkey reached 6.14 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 10 months of 2016, remaining almost unchanged from the same period of 2015, the official website of Turkey Energy Regulatory reported.

According to the report, Turkeys total gas imports (including LNG) decreased by 1.65 bcm to 37.3 bcm during the 10 months of 2016.

Iran delivered about 8.6 bcm of gas to Turkey in 2015.

Turkeys gas import
After stewing for a couple of weeks about the Los Angeles Magazine article that asked What's the matter with the Los Angeles Times? and mostly decided it's editor-publisher Davan Maharaj, the Times has responded. The rebuttal takes the form of a letter from co-managing editor Larry Ingrassia that was posted Dec. 23 in the comments to the story on the magazine web site. The story is in the January issue.

The magazine and contributing writer Ed Leibowitz examine the handling of an investigative series into Oxycontin by a Times reporting team and the newsroom reputation of Maharaj. The Los Angeles piece portrays Maharaj as an obstruction to the Oxycontin story (whose two original reporters and main editor have left the Times), insecure about being over his head as editor and publisher, and insulting toward colleagues, especially women. Leibowitz tried to interview Maharaj for the story but says he was rejected each time. Most of the sources for the story's main points are anonymous, but Leibowitz wrote that he spoke to more than 40 present or past Times staffers over eight months of reporting.

The response from Ingrassia goes after Leibowitz's journalism personally and the magazine's.

Los Angeles magazines article headlined Whats the Matter with the L.A. Times? calls for an accurate response. The Los Angeles Times remains the premier newsgathering organization in the West. In the last two years, The Times has won three Pulitzer Prizes and has secured the biggest audience in our history, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors who read our journalism at latimes.com. Despite the well-documented changes in our industry, Times reporters and editors in California, the U.S. and abroad produce one of the best news reports in the world.

But thats largely missing from the story LA magazine sought to tell. Instead, the writer, Ed Leibowitz, trundles out third- and fourth-hand rumors, supplied by sources hiding behind the cloak of anonymity.



It is an irony that a story purporting to be about the health of a journalism institution would flagrantly violate the core tenets of responsible journalism  attribution, verifiability and fairness.



Mr. Leibowitzs piece contains numerous assertions masquerading as facts: about The Times editing of its acclaimed OxyContin series; about a supposed drop in the quality of Times journalism; and about its top editors, including editor-in-chief Davan Maharaj.



Especially misguided are Mr. Leibowitzs summations about the OxyContin investigation, which was the focus of much of his story. His criticism of The Times as slow to publish might more fairly be welcomed as an insistence on accuracy at a time when major media outlets have been embarrassed by avoidable errors.



It is a cardinal principle of journalism that the subject of a critical article must be given a chance, before publication, to respond to negative comments and assertions, especially if those assertions rely on anonymous sources. Mr. Leibowitz refused, despite repeated requests, to provide such an opportunity to set the record straight on many of his negative assertions  and we have the emails to prove it.



This is indefensible. Even when a subject declines to be interviewed, a writer is obliged to give the subject an opportunity to know about and to answer critical allegations and conclusions. No responsible journalist would argue otherwise. Why did Mr. Leibowitz refuse to do that? Why did his editors allow it? Perhaps because his premise would fall apart if he had to include our vigorous rebuttal.



It is telling that The Times published a powerful, revelatory investigative series about OxyContin, its manufacturer and its role in the nations opioid epidemic without relying on a single anonymous source. Mr. Leibowitz used only anonymous sources to attack the integrity and achievements of fellow journalists.



He seeks to justify this tactic by saying that former Times staffers who left the paper with early retirement packages were gagged by non-disparagement clauses, which are standard features of corporate severance, including media organizations. Mr. Leibowitz did not tell his readers that The Times  before publication  informed him and his editors that it would waive non-disclosure clauses for any former staff member who wanted to comment for publication.



The real headline here is: Whats the matter with LA magazine?



Larry Ingrassia

Managing Editor

Los Angeles Times



As far as I know, this is the only official response from the Times. Ingrassia and another co-managing editor, Marc Duvoisin, had earlier ranted on Twitter about the story. The magazine has not posted any response to the Times letter. When the story first went up on Dec. 7, editor-in-chief Mary Melton and the primary editor on the piece, Amy Wallace  both of them former LA Times staffers  wrote personal notes talking about how and why the topic was pursued. Leibowitz also included in the mainbar his own hopes that the Times thrive as an important civic institution. Here's my original post about all this.

A perhaps interesting sidenote: after the Los Angeles story ran, the Times published another installment in the Oxycontin series, bearing the co-bylines of Scott Glover and Lisa Girion, the two original reporters who have both moved on to other jobs. Glover is at CNN and Girion at Reuters. Neither bothered to tweet the Dec. 18 Times story with their bylines.

Also noted: Maybe it's just the magazine's regular web cycle, but the Times story has surprisingly little presence on the Los Angeles Magazine website for a story in the current print issue that was pushed out to media reporters when it first went up. It's not one of the 30+ stories featured on the home page or on the separate list of 10 best read. It's buried on the fourth page of the Culture Files section, below stories like "The Complicated Sadness of Getting a Gift You Secretly Hate" and "A Look Inside Tarzanas Hypnosis Motivation Institute."
This editorial appears in the December 30, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

EDITORIAL

[PDF version of this editorial]

Edited excerpt of the final portion of Lyndon LaRouche and Helga Zepp-LaRouches discussion with the Lyndon LaRouche Political Action Committee's Policy Committee on Dec. 27.

Dave Christie: I have a question, which is, it looks like theyre trying to sort of retool Obama for his after-Presidency. In other words, hes setting up his office at the World Wildlife Fund, and he did quite an insane interview where he claimed he could have beat Trump, and the dream is still alive; and such really narcissistic kind of rant. My thinking is that, first off, I think the American people have already said they reject Obama and theyre not going to fall for itbut any idea of propping him up for some sort of afterlife or being active after the Presidency, would be in effect to intimidate the Democrats, because they never have broken with Obama, and therefore, they have fallen in line with everything that he represents in that sense.

So it would almost be to keep them in line. But on the other hand, here we have these war crimes that are being exposed, mass graves in Aleppo, and the ability to actually have Obama put in prison for these sorts of crimes, well, we should do that I believe. But the question is, how much should that be an emphasis? In other words, as we try to move forward with the New Paradigm, how much effort do we actually want to expend, to have these Nazi forces in the United States brought down, like Obama? How much of an emphasis should there be on that?

Lyndon LaRouche: I dont think itll work. The rejection of Obama, whose chief characteristic was his ability to kill citizens in the United States, regularly, that was his characteristic ... When he is defeated, in a process of being defeated, he will disappear; or turn up in some prison some place. I wouldnt worry about it. Id go at the positive things right away and build them up. Thats what they need.

All the things that used to be skills, productive skills in the working classesits all been shattered, destroyed. We have to build up the people who were destroyed by what the Bush family and Obama did! Thats the issue. Or we call it the New Bush Leaguewhat were getting here, our option is the New Bush League. That means, at the end of Obama.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche: I thought it was funny that Newt Gingrich, who himself is a nasty fellow, used this image of an inflated doll; the air has gone out and it shrinks, and shrinks, and shrinks. That was my first image I had of Obama in 2008, in an editorial I wrote with the headline, Obama, The Souffle. [laughter] You know what happens to a souffle when you treat it badly: it shrinks and collapses.

I agree. I think you should go with the new paradigm, and really go with the idea that we absolutely have to leave this era of misery of sixteen years of the Bush/Obama period behind us.

LaRouche: You have to do something about that Helga, also, just from the standpoint of your voice right now. Youve got to get the people back to understanding what is available to them. Weve got to break the ice on slavery, on various kinds and degrees of slavery inside the United States. And the ruin of our educational system, all these kinds of things. These things have to be rebuilt. Because it is those kinds of things which, when done properly, will lead the recovery of the United States population.

Zepp-LaRouche: Why dont we resume the Weekly [New Paradigm] Reports, and have a series of classes on Lyns physical economy? All the discussion of Hamilton is fine, but Lyn is the author of physical economy, and we havent really been discussing it in depth for quite some time.

Kesha Rogers: Thats good, yes. That is the basis of what we discussed in our revamping of the Hamilton pamphlet, to put the educational aspect around Lyns conception of economics more up front, with the Four Laws, and then the development around that.

I wont start that discussion until were ready for it. But ...

Restore a Human Culture

Zepp-LaRouche: I dont just mean the Four Laws. I mean an in-depth economics class. Lyn has worked on this for 50 or 60 years, he has written numerous articles over this period, and there are a lot of conceptions in it which are not being talked about now, and we should absolutely revive them.

Benjamin Deniston: A few of us were looking back at what Lyn was doing around 2010, in fighting to upgrade peoples understanding of the concept of infrastructure. And this led into the NAWAPA work, but at that time you first started developing the platform conception. Ive been going back and rereading a number of your papers and some of the discussions from around that time, and I think there are a lot of very rich conceptions, and some very important conceptions, that we need to get across right now. Because theres all this talk about infrastructure, and about space, what the space policy should be, but a lot of it is not centered around any scientific conception.

And I think back to what you laid out at that time, for how to think about infrastructure as a sequence of successive stages or platforms. And you said that infrastructure is not an add-on, which is the way people normally think about it. Rather, it is the entire basis of your economy. It creates the actual synthetic environment in which the entire economy operates and which it depends upon. So when youre talking about creating new stages or levels of infrastructure platforms, it means creating anew an entire, higher-order, synthetic environment that supports a completely new level of productivity of mankind.

So thats one arc of development which I think would be really critical to bring back in this exact context right now.

We were also talking about the point you made, Helga, going back as far as Lyns conceptions around the Power of Labor, and that driving his economic discoveries. Lyn, you might have more to say about that. This goes to the question of how you came to understand the increases in relative potential population density. And these ideas that really shaped the development.

Zepp-LaRouche: Without the education of the labor force to a higher level of productivity, and naturally creativity, this cannot work. I mean by this, the tremendous deterioration of the cultural and moral level. I think you can contrast that with what Xi Jinping said about virtue and morality being the key to having the right attitude on the education question. And Putin spoke earlier about how the West has completely deteriorated culturally by throwing out all human values and replacing them with perversions. If you dont correct that, I dont think you can get the kind of productive labor force that is requiredbecause if people are still pornographic in their thinking and full of admiration for violence, how can they be creative? They cannot.

And that is something which is completely lacking in the discussion. At least I havent heard anybody other than us talking about it.

How To Inspire Creativity

LaRouche: Look at the Franklin Roosevelt administrations pioneering of a new way to greater advantages for the people of the United States and elsewhere. Take the way that worked. You have to realize how much, afterwards, was put into destroying the skills, and the minds of the skilled labor force generally, at the end World War II. Everything went rotten. The worst thing we had was not World War II, but the rottenness of the U.S. labor force critics who crushed the financial functions of the labor force. And I know that cold, detail by detail, with bitter memory.

Zepp-LaRouche: Just remember, the oligarchy cant exist if they have an intelligent population, so the moment Roosevelt was dead, the Truman administration really moved in to destroy the axioms which had made Roosevelt possible; and one of their devices was the Congress for Cultural Freedom, which had the deliberate aim of uprooting people from Classical musicTheodor Adorno, the Frankfurt School, and the Congress for Cultural Freedom, they all tried to completely destroy, on the one side to destroy the Classical tradition, but then also destroy what little was left of the Classical tradition to replace it with ugliness. Furtwangler was replaced with Herbert von Karajan, and the right interpretation was thrown out of the window; modern music was mixed with Classical music so that people would just not build up their concentration span. All of these things went into really downgrading the population over a long period of time.

LaRouche: Yes!

Zepp-LaRouche: And that has to be reversed.

Science-Driver Is the Starting Point

Deniston: One reference point weve often looked to for the general idea of educating and training the labor force, was Roosevelts Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) program. I wonder if we could look at that, and how it would need to be expanded, possibly including some of these aspects of Classical education and musical training. What Lyn just said is critical: that were obviously dealing with a deeper and longer degeneration than Franklin Roosevelt dealt with. You must also look at the drug crisis. I think we need to put more thought into all of this: how we actually uplift this population as a whole, and get it trained to the point where it can be productive and creative.

And if were seriously talking about pursuing this whole program, and we dont have that defined, then people are not going to believe us unless we have a real idea and a road map of what its going to take to transform the population. It might take a generation or more to really do . . .

Zepp-LaRouche: And if you look at all of the university teaching: Science has been replaced with algorithms; economic theory is just neoliberal monetarism; medicine is health economicsall of these subjects have been completely distorted. History is the history of imperial order interpretation . . . You can look at practically every field, and you find that there has been tremendous distortion.

LaRouche: But most of the people of the United States have been brainwashed. And I do mean, literally, brainwashed. And thats the thing youve got to correct. Youve got to bring people who are actually ignorant, not just ignorant of particular things, but ignorant in their behavior towards society in general. And if we want to win this, win a recovery of the U.S. economy, youve got to do that.

Zepp-LaRouche: But its the same thing in Germany, except that here the ignorance is paired with arrogance.

LaRouche: Weve got the arrogance all over the place; its not here, its all over the place! Every idiot is his own genius! [laughter]

Deniston: From the standpoint of my understanding of Lyns principles of economics, it seems that the starting point should be the science-driver program, the space program and fusion . . .

LaRouche: Yes. Yes!

Deniston: And the challenge is then linking that all throughout the economy as a whole, because that creates the framework in which you need to uplift the middle class, and the lower class, the downtrodden, to participate in an economy thats organized as a whole from that standpoint.

LaRouche: I think we have the latent optionin the United States for exampleI think we have a latent option for this. I think we can probably get that back again, and can push away the kind of thing that destroyed the financial system, the U.S. financial system, when President Franklin Roosevelt was crushed. It was that simple. And this is what youve got to have, the leadership which goeslike Franklin Roosevelts campaignsto the issue of what is necessary to instruct people to recognize what will make them better in terms of their behavior in society.

Rogers: Right. I think thats very good, because it gives a real direction for the thinking process of our organization as a whole, and what were actually out to create.

LaRouche: Yes. Being an old man, I know a lot of the things which are not secrets, but they were poisonous nonetheless!

Zepp-LaRouche: Yes, and no matter what the Trump team may do, they may even go after drugs, and they may do this and that, but the positive thing, I cannot see where it can come from, unless we inject it.

LaRouche: Yes. You have to educate people by using the kinds of tools of education which make them creative. That used to happen in the United States; that used to happen. And then it went down, when Franklin Roosevelt dropped out. But now weve seen everything, all the dirty business in the United States is still there, and it has to be removed. In other words, all these things from the people who were opposed to Franklin Rooseveltthat has to be removed and a vision of what Franklin Roosevelt accomplished, in a decade, particularlythats what has to be created, and what things must be based on.

Zepp-LaRouche: Okay, good! So, lets work on these things.
PRESS RELEASE

Putin Announces Syria Ceasefire Agreement; LaRouche Gives His Evaluation

Dec. 29, 2016 (EIRNS)Russian President Vladimir Putin announced, during a televised meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, that documents relating to a cease-fire have been signed by Syrian opposition groups and the government of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. Lyndon LaRouche commented, today, that the deal is insecure. "It cant be counted on, because Obama is not nailed down," he said.

"Reports have just arrived," Putin said at the outset of the meeting,

"that several hours ago there was a development that we all have looked and worked for for so long. Three documents have been signed. A ceasefire between the Syrian government and the armed opposition is one. A package of measures to control the ceasefire is another. There is also a declaration of readiness to enter peace talks on Syrian conflict settlement."

Russia, Turkey, and Iran undertook commitments to guarantee a peaceful settlement in Syria. The deal is the result of Russias cooperation with partners in the region, Putin emphasized.

Putin was clear that the really hard work is now beginning.

"No doubt, the agreements reached are fragile and demand special attention and assistance with the goal of preservation and development. But nevertheless, this is a notable result of our joint work, efforts of the Defense Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and our partners in the regions,"

he said.

"As we understand very well, all the agreements reached are very fragile, they demand special attention and patience, a professional approach to these issues, and a constant contact with our partners,"

Putin stressed.

According to the Kremlin transcript, Shoigu presented Putin with a list of the armed opposition groups that have agreed to the ceasefire, subsequently published on the Defense Ministry website, and a map of their distribution. He reported that the Defense Ministry, with Turkey acting as mediator, spent two months in negotiations with the commanders of these seven groups, which are composed of some 60,000 fighters.

Lavrov reported that the Foreign Ministry will take steps to ensure that the package of agreements that was signed be disseminated as official UN Security Council documents, and that Security Council members are briefed and their questions answered.

"It is important to increase the number of guarantor countries, and we therefore want at this stage to invite our Egyptian colleagues to join these agreements,"

Lavrov said.

"Later, at subsequent stages, we could probably get other key countries with influence on events in Syria involved too, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Jordan."

In Damascus, the Syrian Arab Armys General Command announced a "comprehensive" cessation of hostilities to take effect at midnight tonight, local time.

"The Command added that the terrorist organizations of Jabhat al-Nusra and the ISIS and the groups affiliated to them are excluded from the agreement, pointing out that the ceasefire comes with the aim of creating suitable circumstances for supporting the political track of the crisis in Syria,"

reported SANA. The signers on the opposition side, as reported by the Russian Defense Ministry, include Ahrar al Sham and Jaish al Islam, the two largest groups, as well as five smaller groups: Jaish al-Mujahideen, Faylak al-Sham, Suvar al-Sham, Jaish Idlib, and Jabhat al-Shamiya.
PRESS RELEASE

Bring Back U. S. Leadership in Nuclear Energy Based on Atoms for Peace, Says Environmental Progress Group

Dec. 29, 2016 (EiRNS)"We are writing as scientists, economists, conservationists, and citizens, to urge you to take strong action to save and grow Americas nuclear energy sector," begins a letter to President-elect Trump, sent last week by the Environmentalk Progress research group.

"In the 1960s and 70s, the U.S. was the world leader in nuclear technologies," the letter points out. Today, American entrepeneurs go abroad, including to China, to develop new concepts. China is investing in "at least five" different advanced reactor designs, World Nuclear News quotes in its report on the letter. The letter calls for the U.S. to adopt an approach based on President Dwight Eisenhowers 1953 "Atoms for Peace" initiative, starting with the financing of U.S.-made reactors for customers around the world, through institutions such as the Ex-Im Bank and World Bank. They specify loans and loan guarantees to foreign customers who could then buy American nuclear technology. In fact, this is the approach that Russia is implementing very successfully.

Environmental Progress group is also circulating a petition. In addition to the above points, it also states that President Eisehowers program recognized that cheap electricity is a key economic driver, and it "financed the peaceful use of nuclear power around the world to provide abundant electrical energy in the power-starved areas of the world."

The petition urges the President-elect and the Congress to "take bold action to make nuclear great again."
Cathy ONeil calls herself a data skeptic. A former hedge fund analyst with a PhD in mathematics from Harvard University, the Occupy Wall Street activist left finance after witnessing the damage wrought by faulty math in the wake of the housing crash.

In her latest book, Weapons of Math Destruction, ONeil warns that the statistical models hailed by big data evangelists as the solution to todays societal problems, like which teachers to fire or which criminals to give longer prison terms, can codify biases and exacerbate inequalities. Models are opinions embedded in mathematics, she writes.

Although algorithms are everywhere, the most dangerous ones, according to ONeil, have three characteristics: scale, secrecy and the capacity to do harm.

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Recently reached by phone, ONeil spoke about the prevalence of these weapons of math destruction across different industries. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

When did you first realize that big data could be used to perpetuate inequality?

I found out that the work I was doing on tailored advertising was a mechanism for for-profit colleges to find vulnerable, single black mothers. Find their pain points and promise them a better life if they signed up for online courses, which in the meantime loaded them up with debt and gave them a useless education. I was like, Thats not helping anyone; thats making their struggles worse, and its happening on my watch because I am the one building the technology for this to work very efficiently.

What is a new example of a weapon of math destruction?

Recently, I was convinced by Mona Chalabi, who is a journalist at the Guardian but who also spent time at FiveThirtyEight, that political polls are actually weapons of math destruction. Theyre very influential; people spend enormous amounts of time on them. Theyre relatively opaque. But most importantly, theyre destructive in various ways. In particular, they actually affect peoples voting patterns. The day before the election, if people think their candidate is definitely going to win, then why bother voting? Polls can change peoples actual behavior, which disrupts democracy in a direct way.

People are trying to analyze how demographics shaped the election results. The answer is that were probably not going to know or have enough information to make an educated guess until much later.

Thats right. Also, there really were new things about this election cycle that we did not have data on, so we couldnt account for them. But Im not suggesting that all we need to do is correct the polls and next time theyll be more accurate and therefore better. Im actually trying to make the argument that we should just not do them. I honestly feel like if we had a thought experiment where nobody did polls and nobody talked about polls and we all just talked about the actual issues of the campaign, then wed have a much better democracy.

In your book, you describe some relatively well-known examples of potentially harmful algorithms, such as value-added models that grade public schoolteachers based on student test scores. You tried to get the source code behind that model from the Department of Education in New York City, but you werent able to. Their defense was probably that if people knew how the scores were calculated, then teachers would be able to game the system to get higher scores.

Well, the very teachers whose jobs are on the line dont understand how theyre being evaluated. I think thats a question of justice. Everyone should have the right to know how theyre being evaluated at their job. And I should have the right to understand those models as well because Im a taxpayer, and the job is a government position. The Freedom of Information Act should apply.

Also, if you use the word gaming, first youre implying that theres a bad actor involved, which sometimes there is. Second, you can really only game a model if its weak. The weakness of the teacher value-added model is that its statistically terrible. Anybody whose job is on the line deserves to understand that weakness. And deserves to, for that matter, take advantage of it if they can. But my goal isnt for a bunch of teachers to sneakily get better scores. My goal is for the model itself to be held to high standards.

In some cases, the policymakers themselves probably dont even know how the scores are calculated.

In the case that I wrote about in my book, nobody in New York City had access to that formula. Nobody. The Department of Education did not know how to explain the scores that they were giving out to teachers.

Los Angeless Department of Children and Family Services has been exploring a risk-modeling algorithm called AURA. It was developed by SAS, a private contractor, and it scores children according to their risk of being abused so that social workers can better target their efforts. Something like this could be a weapon of math destruction  it has scale, and the formula is secret  or it could be benign.

Or even positive. It really depends on what exactly theyre doing with those scores. It also depends on how those scores are created. Even if theyre being somewhat punitive, if theyre doing it in a way that has been discussed as morally fair, then thats probably still OK. If theyre finding kids at risk of child abuse and theyre removing them from families when they have just cause, then we should think of that as a good thing. What would not be OK is if the score was elevated simply because somebody happened to be black or happened to be poor.

So youre less worried about models that target people in order to help.

Its tricky because there are different stakeholders. People who are advocating on behalf of the children might be perfectly OK with using questionable attributes that are proxies for race and class that also are proxies for other things that actually put these kids at higher risk. Its not a clear-cut case, even when there is a punitive result. You have to weigh the possibility of letting a child get abused when you could have prevented it against the possibility of punishing a parent who wasnt going to abuse their child. That decision could be implemented by the data scientist, but it should not be up to the data scientist to decide the answer to that question.

Should these issues be discussed before the algorithms are deployed?

I want to separate the moral conversations from the implementation of the data model that formalizes those decisions. I want to see algorithms as formal versions of conversations that have already taken place.

In addition to such conversations, you call for the auditing of algorithms, after they have been in use, to see whether they are, in fact, fair. Have you seen this happening in practice?

I just started a business called ORCAA [ONeil Risk Consulting and Algorithmic Auditing]. My goal is to do the auditing of the algorithms. I would love to help the people who want to use AURA, for example.

Does anything like that exist already?

There have been a few algorithms audited. Notably, ProPublica did an audit of COMPAS, a recidivism risk algorithm. Its not a full-blown audit. It didnt go as far as I would have liked in understanding the different stakeholders. Just like there are advocates for the children versus the advocates for the parents in the case of AURA, with COMPAS, there are people  the police  who care about getting the bad guys, and there are people who care about making sure that black men dont go to prison longer just because theyre black  the civil rights activists. The civil rights activists and the police need to have a conversation where they weigh the chances of letting a man go free whos going to commit a further crime versus the chance of putting a man in jail for something that he didnt do and will not do. That same kind of balanced conversation has to take place.

Also, ProPublica is a news organization. You would want to work for the policymakers themselves.

Yes, and I would want to sign an NDA. I wouldnt write it up. If youre trying to use an algorithm, Im going to help you make sure its fair. Alternatively, if theres a class of people who think that theyre unfairly judged by an algorithm and they want me to help them prove that, then I could do that, too.

Have you gotten a lot of demand for these services?

I have zero clients. A bunch of people are thinking about it. Big data is a new field, and people are essentially blindly trusting it. Also, people are still living in the era of plausible deniability. They dont want to know that their data is racist or whatever, and so far, theyve been getting away with not knowing. What would make them want to know? Only if there are legal reasons for them to want to know, or reputational risk reasons for them to want to know, or if theres simply an overwhelming demand by the public.

Have you seen any creative ways in which algorithms are adopted by the people rather than by the powerful?

Ive seen some small examples. I wrote a post a couple of months ago on [my blog] mathbabe about a college that was using big data to help find kids who would need advising.

What are some examples and characteristics of the opposite of a weapon of math destruction?

My theory is that if its scaled and its secret, then it had better be obviously not destructive. Or, if its scaled and theres potential for destruction, then you have to make it transparent. If theres potential, then we need to know more. AURA fits this perfectly. It is potentially destructive, so we need to know that it is not interfering with families that are vulnerable unfairly.

Its not obvious. Somebody really needs to worry about those kids. I speak as a child who was abused, and I would have loved for there to have been [data-driven] interventions when I was a child. We didnt even think about that stuff back then.

One defense of algorithms is that they are less biased than humans.

Some people just assume that. They dont check it.

Is it hard to tell if the algorithm is better?

Its impossible to guess; you have to actually look at the data. Thats the kind of auditing I want to do. I dont want to just audit a specific algorithm by itself, I want to audit the algorithm in the context of where its being used. And compare it to that same context without the algorithm. Like a meta-audit. Is the criminal justice system better off with recidivism-risk algorithms or without recidivism-risk algorithms? Thats an important question that we dont know the answer to. We also have the question of whether a specific recidivism-risk algorithm is itself racist. You could find that a specific algorithm is racist, but its still better than the status quo.

Youve worked in academia, finance, advertising, tech, activism and journalism. What advice would you give to socially conscious data scientists in each of these fields?

Thats a hard question. First of all, Id want them to all take ethics seriously. But it is a challenge. Just taking a job as a data scientist means youre probably working for a company for whom success means profit. So you might find yourself in the same kind of situation I found myself in, where I wasnt directly working for a for-profit college, but I was working in an industry that helped those kinds of places survive and flourish.

Maybe data science courses should also teach ethics.

Thats definitely something Im calling for. Every computer science major and any kind of data science program should have ethics, absolutely.
In July, he was a Twitter pariah. Now, Milo Yiannopoulos is going to be a published author.

The Breitbart editor and prominent gay conservative has inked a book deal with Threshold Editions, a conservative imprint of Simon & Schuster. The book, titled Dangerous, is slated to come out in March.

The Hollywood Reporter, which first broke the news, said the deal was worth $250,000. The publisher declined to confirm the amount; such figures are not commonly disclosed in publishing. But Threshold Editions did share the story from its Twitter account.

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Dangerous will be a book on free speech by the outspoken and controversial gay British writer and editor at Breitbart News who describes himself as the most fabulous supervillain on the internet,  the publisher stated in a press release.

Threshold Editions other offerings include Donald Trumps books Crippled America and Great Again, as well as titles by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin and other conservative authors.

Back in July, Yiannopoulos was permanently banned from Twitter after leading an online campaign of harassment against Leslie Jones. He called the Ghostbusters star barely literate and accused her of playing the victim when she complained about being harassed. Twitter released a statement saying Yiannopoulos had violated the sites terms of service regarding targeted abuse.

Currently, Yiannopoulos is making stops on his Dangerous Faggot college speaking tour. Earlier this month, he singled out a transgender student on a stop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He belittled the students appearance, misgendering her and saying she had failed at transitioning.

Yiannopoulos is well known as a prominent member of the alt-right, a brand of far-right conservatism that generally embraces and promotes white nationalism, racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny. As an openly gay man, Yiannopoulos has repeatedly disputed this characterization of the alt-right.

In a Breitbart article titled A Modern Conservatives Guide to the Alt-Right, Yiannopoulos and another writer described the movement as a group of young, creative, intellectual meme-makers who arent afraid to push back against the status quo.

@jessica_roy

jessica.roy@latimes.com
Fiat Chryslers Jeep division does well with its Grand Cherokee line, selling just under 200,000 of them last year in the U.S.

So its only logical the company would expand the line to include the Trailhawk badge, which signifies increased eagerness to hit the trail.

For 2017, Jeep has reintroduced a Grand Cherokee with that badge  and those capabilities. Falling in sequential order above the Laredo and Limited, but below the Summit, Overland and SRT models, the Trailhawk version aims to offer superior on-road comfort matched with superior off-road capability.

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On road, this Grand Cherokee feels much like its non-Trailhawk sibling. Its a quiet, calm, luxury SUV, built for comfort.

The big wide seats are ventilated and heated. (The rear seats are heated too.) The high ride, which requires a little step up for short people, creates excellent visibility. Front and rear passenger areas have massive head and leg room, and the cargo capacity is more than 60 cubic feet of space, with the rear seats folded flat.

Fiat Chrysler has done well with the ergonomics, and has made piloting the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk simple. The controls for navigation, climate control, radio, phone, and other media, as well as things such as seat temperature control, are all in a small dashboard screen above the center console.

Theyre easy to reach and easy to use, though I had difficulty getting my iPhone to boot into the cars system, as I have had with other Fiat Chrysler vehicles.

The drive controls are a little more complicated  because there are so many of them and they do so many things.

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is delivered standard with Jeeps Quadra-Drive II and Quadra-Trac II 4-wheel-drive systems, as well as its Selec-Terrain. Together, these allow gear selections that control traction, throttle and suspension settings to maximize power to the ground and minimize wheel spinning.

Settings include auto, sport, snow, sand/mud and rock. Those pair with Jeeps Quadra-Lift system, which can increase the ground clearance to 11 inches and is standard on this vehicle, to help the Trailhawk climb over rocks and ruts without wasting energy.

Theres a fair amount of energy to throw around.

The Trailhawk comes standard with Fiat Chryslers 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar engine, which makes 295 horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque.

The Trailhawk can also be had with a 3-liter diesel engine or a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8  both of which boost the Pentastars towing capacity to 7,400 pounds, from 6,200 pounds. (Theres even a Grand Cherokee SRT, outside the Trailhawk class, that comes with a 6.4-liter V-8 that makes 475 horsepower and 470 pound feet of torque. Fiat Chrysler is also rumored to be planning a Hellcat version of this vehicle, called the TrackHawk, with more than 700 horsepower.)

For this vehicle, that Pentastar engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, outfitted with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for easy gear selection.

For a daylong drive around Santa Claritas Rowher Flats, the Pentastar was more than adequate. Though we did not put the vehicle to any severe tests, of the kind the off-road warriors get in Moab at the annual Jeep Week, we chucked it up and over enough steep, unstable slopes to get a feel for its rock-readiness.

Jeep has given this trim line other elements to increase trail credibility. The Trailhawk comes standard with a full-size spare tire, Jeeps signature red tow hooks, fog lamps, roof rack and beefy skid plates covering the transfer case and fuel tank.

Also standard at this level are a power lift gate, keyless entry and ignition, eight-way adjustable front seats, LED tail lamps, an 8.4-inch touchscreen display monitor and rear-view back-up camera.

Options on the model we tested included a set of luxury group amenities such as special headlamps, a sunroof and a telescoping steering wheel, as well as elements from Jeeps active safety group. Among these are Adaptive Cruise Control and Advanced Brake Assist systems that are as good as the best in the business. You cant quite read a newspaper or take a nap in bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic, but almost.

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has done well in head-to-head tests with an equivalently equipped Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Despite its far higher degree of on-road comfort  which adds about 800 pounds to its overall weight  the Trailhawk was judged by several publications to manage the rough stuff just as well as its tougher-seeming brother.

To win over new buyers, it will also have to compete with Toyotas TRD, Nissans Armada and several vehicles from the Land Rover family.

But the real question isnt how it will hold up off-road, but how well it will hold up over time. The Jeep line, like a lot of Fiat Chrysler products, has been plagued by a reputation for long-term dependability issues.

In October, Consumer Reports ranked the Jeep brand 23rd, out of of 29. Of a possible 100 points for reliability, the Jeep scored a 30  better than fellow Fiat Chrysler brands Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Ram, but below Chevy and Ford.

In the last few years, the Jeeps have been subject to multiple safety recalls. One large one was designed to retrofit vehicles whose fuel tank was at risk for puncture and fire. Another massive one, issued earlier this year, involved more than 1 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles and concerns that the dial-up transmission left them subject to unexpected rollaways  of the kind that may have led to the death of actor Anton Yelchin, who was killed when his Jeep Grand Cherokee slipped out of gear and crushed him as he passed behind the vehicle.

The 2014 Grand Cherokee was subject to a whopping 14 recalls, involving problems with everything from transmissions, brakes, electrical systems, seat belts and the awesome Adaptive Cruise Control program.

The company has had time to repair and resolve those issues. But early December saw yet another recall, this one involving risk of a fuel leak fire, affecting 30,183 Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos  all outfitted with the same Pentastar engine used by the Trailhawks.

I hope they get that all sorted out. Jeep is a great American name plate. The fans passionate about their Grand Cherokees deserve the best.

2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4

Times take: A grand combination of rough and refined

Highs: Plush, powerful and off-road ready

Lows: Plagued by recalls and reliability issues

Vehicle type: 4-door, 5-passenger SUV

Base price: $43,990

Price as tested: $50,125

Powertrain: 3.6-liter V-6 gasoline engine

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Horsepower: 295

Torque: 260 pound-feet

EPA fuel economy rating: 18 miles per gallon city / 25 mpg highway / 21 mpg combined

charles.fleming@latimes.com

Twitter: @misterfleming
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec 30

By Emil Ilgar  Trend:

Irans total crude oil export to Turkey reached 5.062 million tons (equals 124,862 barrels per day) in 10 months of 2016, while this figure in the first half of 2016 was only 2.6 million tons, or 106,888 b/d.

In the other words, Irans oil export to Turkey in July-October of 2016 was 50 percent more than in January-June, the statistics of Turkey Energy Regulatory indicate.

During four months of the second half of 2016, Iran on average exported 151,823 b/d of oil to Turkey.

Before imposing sanctions against Iran, Turkey was importing about 180,000 b/d of crude oil from Iran, but the figure plunged to around 110,000 b/d during 2012-2015 due to sanctions on Iran.

The sanctions were removed in January 2016.
Burger Kings parent company is the latest fast-food giant to take a stand on the use of antibiotics to raise chickens, but food safety critics are not exactly crowing.

Restaurant Brands International pledged Thursday to avoid buying poultry fed antibiotics considered critically important to human health  a practice that has been linked to the rise of drug-resistant strains of bacteria that can be lethal to humans.

The policy applies to a relatively narrow category of the antibiotics, leaving ample leeway to feed chickens other drugs used in human medicine, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the environmental groups that has been pushing for broader bans on antibiotic use in poultry, beef and pork.

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This is a small step that is much less meaningful for humankind than Burger King would have you believe, said Dr. David Wallinga, the councils senior health officer. The fast-food industry is moving away from routine antibiotic use in their chicken supply and the chains that drag their feet will continue to fall behind.

Officials from Restaurant Brands were not immediately available for comment on the policy, which would be phased in over the next two years at its Burger King restaurants in the U.S. and Tim Hortons doughnut restaurants in Canada.

The World Health Organization defines antibiotics as critically important when they are the sole drug available to combat a microbe that can be transmitted from nonhuman sources or that can acquire resistant genes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations voluntary program to phase out antibiotic use in the nations meat supply applies to a broader category of drugs that are medically important in human health. The agency issued several new guidelines this year limiting use of antibiotics to measures considered necessary for assuring animal health under veterinary oversight or consultation.

In 2015, McDonalds and Subway joined Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill in implementing policies eliminating the use of antibiotics deemed medically important in human health. Yum Brands implemented a similar policy this year at its Taco Bell restaurants, but is under pressure from activists to broaden it to its KFC outlets.

geoffrey.mohan@latimes.com

Follow me: @LATgeoffmohan

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Its been more than a decade since a handful of ambitious entrepreneurs saw their plans to provide global telecommunications service through massive satellite constellations blow up, doomed by runaway costs.

Now, a new generation of satellite entrepreneurs is headed back to the launch pad. Backed by billions of dollars from deep-pocketed investors, they plan to blanket the earth in the next few years with perhaps thousands of miniature satellites beaming cheap, ubiquitous broadband service.

Whats different? Launching one of these smaller satellites can cost a fraction of the price for a larger, school-bus-sized satellite. These new satellites will largely be mass-produced. And consumers now demand high-speed Internet connectivity pretty much everywhere, on airplanes, cruise ships and in the remotest village in Africa.

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Companies such as SpaceX, OneWeb and Boeing have all recently proposed networks of satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide high-speed broadband access around the globe.

Even Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has aspirations to bring Internet to poorly connected areas  a plan that was derailed in September after a satellite set to beam high-speed service to areas including sub-Saharan Africa was destroyed in the explosion of a SpaceX rocket on a Florida launch pad.

If this latest wave of satellite networks gets off the ground, it could pose a challenge to a $224.6-billion industry currently dominated by telecom and cable companies with their miles of fiber optic and copper wires.

Thats going to shake up how these operators are controlling different regions, and its going to allow the consumer a little more of an option, said Taylor Palmer, industry analyst at market research firm IBISWorld.

On Dec. 19, the Arlington, Va.-based OneWeb said it secured $1.2 billion of funded capital in a round led by Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group Corp., which contributed $1 billion of the total.

The money will fund construction of a Florida satellite manufacturing plant, which is set to start production in 2018.

SoftBank is just one addition to OneWebs list of big-name investors, which includes Qualcomm Inc., Airbus Group, the Coca-Cola Co. and Richard Bransons Virgin Group.

One of the main challenges is raising financing from investors, so this proves they are able to continue doing that and theyre still attracting money from these big, established companies, said Bill Ostrove, aerospace and defense analyst at market research firm Forecast International. Thats going to be really vital.

Satellite-provided broadband service is still tiny. It generated revenues of $1.9 billion last year, according to a June report from the Tauri Group that was commissioned by the Satellite Industry Assn. trade group. That compares with $97.8 billion for satellite television.

But interest in satellite broadband is growing as consumers expect high-speed service in places that arent always well-served by fiber or cable.

Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines said it planned to equip its entire fleet of more than 700 planes with WiFi.

Theres a competitive advantage for those that have that service available, said Tom Stroup, president of the Satellite Industry Assn. Broadband has essentially become an expected fact of life.

Analysts say satellite constellations could have the biggest effect in remote areas.

In 2014, almost half of the worlds population lived in rural regions, which are largely unconnected to the Internet, according to a report from ITU, a special agency of the United Nations that handles information and communication technologies.

Internet access is fundamental for understanding of culture, cultural differences, civic understanding and participation, said Greg Wyler, founder and executive chairman of OneWeb. It helps make the unconnected economically relevant to the developed world. When theyre economically relevant, we pay a lot more attention to them.

The company has an ambitious timeline. It plans to launch the first 10 satellites into low-Earth orbit in early 2018 to test their capabilities. More launches will follow, with its broadband access beginning as early as 2019.

By 2022, OneWeb says it will connect every unconnected school to the Internet. Eventually, OneWeb plans a 700-satellite constellation.

OneWebs satellite manufacturing facility in Exploration Park, Fla. is key to these plans. The company will mass produce its micro-satellites with automated assembly capabilities similar to those used in aircraft production facilities, eventually making three a day.

OneWeb has said the satellites will weigh about 330 pounds.

Hawthorne-based SpaceX plans to eventually launch more than 4,000 satellites for its network. Each satellite would be about 13 feet long and 6 feet wide, with 19-foot-long solar arrays.

Last year, the company received a $1-billion infusion from Google Inc. and Fidelity Investments and opened an office in Redmond, Wash., near Seattle, to focus on developing the small satellites. SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk has said the whole constellation could cost $10 billion to $15 billion.

After launching an initial 800 satellites, SpaceX said it could provide broadband coverage to the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. By its final deployment, the company said it will pass over virtually all parts of the Earths surface.

Boeings proposed 2,900-satellite constellation is intended to provide broadband access to both commercial and government users worldwide. The aerospace giant said it planned to launch more than 1,300 satellites within six years of the license approval.

The satellite swarms are made possible by advances in miniaturized parts and microprocessors. They could also help shrink the price gap between satellite and terrestrial broadband access, said Palmer of IBISWorld.

In the past, satellite broadband was hampered by slower data transfer based on the long distance from Earth  a problem the companies hope to solve by putting their satellites in low-Earth orbit. They will also launch extra satellites to ensure coverage if a few break down.

If theyre really able to optimize the production ... and get it out at a cost-per-unit measurement that makes sense for a household  then it really could expand satellite broadband into a major competitor for some of these terrestrial companies, Palmer said.

But first the satellite systems must get approval from the FCC to use specific airwaves. And mobile broadband providers have fought back when proposals for certain frequencies have overlapped with their own plans.

The satellite ventures may be able to lean on their powerful investors. Several of OneWebs backers have ties to the wireless industry, including SoftBank, which has a controlling stake in Sprint Corp., and Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, a business group that includes leading Indian telecommunications company Bharti Airtel Ltd.

Wyler insists OneWeb will be a partner with the Earth-bound networks, serving as an extension of current networks. OneWebs business model is to sell the broadband connectivity and capacity on its satellites to telecommunications operators.

Were not competing at all, Wyler said. These are areas [where] the current broadband infrastructure are not designed to provide services.

In some cases, he said cellular operators might be able to put a tower in a rural area, but the location is too remote to lay cables or fiber to provide Internet service. Thats where OneWeb could step in and beam service to the tower, Wyler said.

Ultimately, an expanding market for broadband probably can accommodate both technologies, said Ostrove of Forecast International.

I think its just going to be another way  for the end user to get that service, he said.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

For more business news, follow me @smasunaga
Donald Trump gave himself kudos for the creation of 8,000 U.S. jobs by a Japanese tech mogul, saying it was proof of the spirit and the hope stirred by his victory in the presidential election.

But for those particular jobs, Trump was basically taking a bow for the second time. The jobs were part of a public commitment made Dec. 6 by Masayoshi Son upon emerging from the elevator bank at Trump Tower in New York after a meeting with Trump. Son pledged that companies controlled by his firm SoftBank would invest $50 billion in the United States and create 50,000 jobs.

On Wednesday, Trump celebrated the planned creation of 5,000 jobs by wireless carrier Sprint and 3,000 jobs by OneWeb  both companies where Son is a dominant investor.

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Speaking from the front door of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump did not outright mention Sons previous commitment but used the opportunity once again to declare a victory for U.S. workers. Although 8,000 jobs  on their own  are unlikely to dramatically move the needle toward the faster economic growth he has promised, the Trump transition team treated the jobs as a preview of things to come.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Thursday.

Ever the dealmaker, Trump has actively courted and shamed companies. The president-elect has pushed defense contractors Boeing and Lockheed-Martin to reduce their costs, and he fulfilled a campaign promise by preserving 800 jobs at the Carrier furnace plant in Indianapolis that were previously bound for Mexico.

With the Sprint and OneWeb announcement, there may be slightly less than meets the eye. There is one clear winner, though: Son, who is worth an estimated $19 billion. Since the presidential election, Sprint stock has soared roughly 40%. Sons SoftBank controls 83% of the Kansas-based carrier.

Here are some more facts about the SoftBank commitment.

Are all of Sprints pledged 5,000 jobs at the company?

No.

Of the 5,000 jobs Sprint said it would create or bring back to the United States in its upcoming fiscal year, some would be at outside contractors. The jobs will help support its customer service and sales teams, among other divisions at the company. Details about pay and benefits are being finalized, according to Sprint.

The company also said it will discuss with business partners, states and cities about where to create these jobs  but a spokeswoman said it will not receive any federal, state or local government incentives for adding the positions.

Still, Sprint probably will have fewer workers than it did when Sons firm SoftBank acquired a controlling stake in 2013. Sprint has shed about 9,000 employees since 2012; it now employs roughly 30,000, according to annual reports.

What are the 3,000 new jobs at OneWeb?

SoftBank invested $1 billion this month in OneWeb, which is building a network of satellites to provide broadband Internet. The investment will help finance the construction of a factory that could produce 15 satellites a week, generating 3,000 engineering, manufacturing and support jobs over the next four years, according to a Dec. 19 statement.

Son linked his investment to meeting with Trump.

Earlier this month I met with President-elect Trump and shared my commitment to investing and creating jobs in the U.S., he said in a statement about the investment. This is the first step in that commitment.

Who are the big winners from this announcement?

In addition to those who get hired for the new jobs, a clear victor is Son.

Trump twice praised the Japanese billionaire in December, signaling that Son might as well have a direct line to the White House. This could be helpful for Sons other business plans. Under the Obama administration, a marquee deal to merge Sprint with rival T-Mobile failed. Regulators opposed combining two of the four largest mobile telecom companies in the United States. Analysts say a Trump administration would be more likely to approve telecom mergers.

The exposure with Trump already has been lucrative for Son. Before the election, Sprint stock was trading for less than it did after SoftBank acquired the company. At the current price of about $8.80 a share, the value of SoftBanks stake has risen by more than $8 billion since Trumps victory. Son founded SoftBank in 1981 and is the companys chief executive, chairman and major shareholder.

Will this boost economic growth?

The U.S. economy is so massive that 8,000 jobs is basically a rounding error  representing just 0.36% of the 2.25 million jobs employers have added over the last 12 months. Ultimately, Trumps administration will need to introduce policies to generate faster economic growth, rather than securing promises from individual companies. Trump has said that tax reform and regulatory cuts can help lift overall economic growth to 3.5% annually, substantially above the 1.6% growth expected for 2016.

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The new year begins with two big unanswered questions on the cybercrime front: Did the Russians influence the U.S. presidential election and how did hackers gain access to 1.5 billion Yahoo accounts?

The fact that we may never have definitive answers suggests that 2017 will be just as digitally perilous for most people as last year.

Businesses, meanwhile, will continue grappling with the spread of ransomware  malicious software that encrypts and holds computer files hostage until money gets paid, typically in the form of untraceable bitcoins.

Bottom line: Hackers often have everything to gain and little to lose from their criminal activities, which leaves our increasingly techno-dependent society vulnerable to all manner of mischief.

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Someone asked me the other day how much progress weve made on cybersecurity, said James Andrew Lewis, director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, a Washington think tank. The answer is not so much.

The intelligence community seems to have reached consensus that Moscow was behind cyberattacks on Hillary Clintons campaign for the purpose of helping ensure an election victory by Donald Trump. Lewis said his intelligence sources confirmed that belief.

Its now up to investigators to determine the scope of what happened and what can be done to prevent future election tampering from abroad.

The Yahoo hacks are more easily understood  and better represent for consumers the ongoing threat to peoples privacy and digital livelihoods.

Nothing is safe. Not your email, your personal information, your photos, your files. If its stored online, its theoretically accessible to anyone with the skills and wherewithal to grab it.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, nearly 900 million records might have been accessed in almost 7,000 known data breaches since 2005. The actual number of breaches is undoubtedly higher because not all security lapses are publicized.

A few weeks ago, Yahoo reported what is believed to be the single largest security breach ever  1 billion user accounts potentially accessed in August 2013. Yahoo said it only discovered the incident recently, which does little to ease concerns.

The attack apparently was unrelated to a separate breach in 2014 involving 500 million accounts, which Yahoo revealed in September. The company blamed that one on an unnamed foreign government.

Other noteworthy breaches taking place or coming to light last year included databases penetrated at the U.S. Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, UC Berkeley, 21st Century Oncology, Premier Healthcare, LinkedIn and AdultFriendFinder.com.

Exacerbating the problem is that few if any corporate and public-sector databases are encrypted, which would make their contents unintelligible to hackers. Thus, any successful breach will result in cyber-loot to be stolen.

Using encryption would be a big improvement, Lewis told me. Big companies should be encrypting data.

The reason they dont is because its expensive and because encryption can slow things down by requiring system users to use digital keys to access data.

With Yahoo in mind, I can think of 1.5 billion reasons why those arent very good excuses.

Ransomware is a particularly insidious problem. IBM reported recently that 70% of businesses infected with ransomware have quietly paid off the perpetrators to regain access to their files and data systems. In half the cases, the ransom was at least $10,000.

Among consumers, IBMs study found that more than half of those surveyed would be willing to pay to recover financial data and 43% would cough up some cash to unlock a mobile device. Ransom demands involving individuals typically run a few hundred dollars.

Jonathan Fairtlough, managing director for cyber-security and investigations at the Los Angeles office of Kroll, said a ransomware shakedown once would have been considered a highly sophisticated crime, requiring great expertise on the part of the perpetrator.

Now its a common one, he said. Its become a self-service crime you can do easily.

In a sign of how bold hackers have become, we learned last month about a new ransomware racket called Popcorn Time. After encrypting the victims computer files and demanding a bitcoin payout, the software offers another choice: Help infect the computers of at least two of your friends.

If you do, and if they pay off the hacker, youll receive a free software key to unlock your own files. Thats just evil.

Fairtlough said there are steps businesses and consumers can take to protect themselves, but there will always be a trade-off between security and ease of use.

The more secure you make something, the less operable and interoperable it will be, he said.

And its important to have reasonable expectations. As security measures grow stronger, so too do the cunning and sophistication of hackers.

Your pricey antivirus software from the likes of Norton or McAfee will get you only so far. Its designed to respond to known threats  a not insignificant consideration. However, anything new that hackers come up with often will be beyond the powers of protective software to stop.

You can take a lot of steps to make your house secure, but thats not going to stop a battering-ram bulldozer, Fairtlough observed.

He advised consumers to use so-called multi-factor authentication when available for online accounts. Instead of just a user name and password, such systems may include additional security questions or sending an authentication code to ones mobile device.

Fairtlough also suggested having different email accounts for different needs, so that a security breach wont be catastrophic throughout your digital life, and using a password-management tool such as LastPass (which, ironically, had to patch a security hole earlier this year that could have allowed hackers access to millions of user accounts).

Will such steps keep you safe? In a word, no. Thats no longer the world we inhabit. What youll be is safer than you were before.

And until the private and public sectors step up their cybersecurity game, which they remain reluctant to do, safer is about the best you can shoot for.

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.
Chiara Ferragnis No. 1 must-have in her new home was a spare bedroom that could be converted into a closet. The 5,000-square-foot Beverly Hills house she rented 10 months ago fit the bill.

The fashion blogger and designer moved to Los Angeles two years ago from her native Milan and has leveraged her 10 million social media followers into her own brand of shoes, backpacks and T-shirts.

Given her dedication to all things fashion, her walk-in closet is the focal point of her home.

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Why is this room your favorite?

I finally have enough space for all my stuff, as well as plenty of room for my guests. I used to live in a three-bedroom house that was like a cottage in Silver Lake. For my closet, it was important for me to have space in the middle to move around. In my other place, everything was just packed in.

How did you convert the spare bedroom into a closet?

Everything is custom-made. I hired a contractor to put in shelves and racks to hold all my things. It cost about $10,000 to complete. Also, because it was a bedroom, it had its own walk-in closet, which I use to keep my more special pieces.

Ferragni says shes not a crazy shopper. I work with so many designers that I get a lot of stuff. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times )

Any idea how many shoes and bags are in here?

Maybe about 200 of each. Im not a crazy shopper. I work with so many designers that I get a lot of stuff. I like to keep pieces for my archives. My mother gave me my first Chanel bag when I was 18, and I still use it.

Is it all high-priced designer stuff or a mix?

Im all about mixing. I have things that have cost $5, and others that go up into many thousands.

How do you keep the room organized?

I might leave things in my bedroom for one or two days, but then I will bring them here and put them in their place. I know where everything is in this room.

Do you ever get rid of anything?

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Or maybe I receive things I wouldnt wear. And I do love giving things away. I do something with my friends I call a bazaar. They come over and select things I dont want any more.

If there was an emergency and you had to race out of here, what would you take?

My Hermes crocodile bag. And my favorite leather jacket.

Is there one item you really want to add to your collection?

I once saw this amazing Chanel clutch bag. It was like a Russian matryoshka nesting doll. It was impossible to find at the time, plus the price was off-limits to me back then. Id love to have that.

hotproperty@latimes.com

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The French may hold animation, graphic novels, comic books and comic strips in higher regard than Americans do, if the crowds at two museum exhibitions here are any indication.

Herge, a survey of work by Tintin creator Georges Herge Remi, is running at the venerable Grand Palais through Jan. 15; across the Seine, Art Ludique-Le Musee is offering The Art of Walt Disney Animation Studios: Movement by Nature through March 5.

Georges Herg Remi in 1969. (Vagn Hansen / Studios Herg)

In 1929 Belgian cartoonist Herge scored a hit with a comic strip about an intrepid boy reporter, Tintin, and his fox terrier, Milou (Snowy in English). It appeared in the childrens newspaper supplement le Petit Vigntieme (the Little 20th). Since then, more than 200 million Tintin books have been sold in 70 languages, and Herge's work has influenced generations of cartoonists, as well as pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. This extensive exhibit includes some of Herges previous strips, his Art Deco advertising work and some early paintings.

The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin and Alph-Art, 1978-1982, from the collection of Studios Herg. (Herg/Moulinsart 2016)

The Adventures of Tintin: We Walked on the Moon, 1954, blue coloring of plates 25 and 26, watercolor and gouache on printed proof, from the collection of Studios Herg. (Herg/Moulinsart 2016)

The Adventures of Tintin: Crab With Golden Claws, 1942, blue coloring of the cover illustration, watercolor and gouache on printed proof, from the collection of Studios Herg. (Herg/Moulinsart 2016)

The most interesting pieces in the show are the rough pencil drawings of Tintin, which show the artist looking for the shapes that will make the characters and settings read on the printed page. Herge's direct, immediately recognizable style was based on what he called "the clear line," but his roughs are masses of scribbles, erasures and re-drawn forms that reveal his mind at work.

Unfortunately, the exhibit is poorly laid out. Its often hard to tell which room should follow which, and examples of work by artists Herge cited as influences feel out of place at the end of the show. They belong at the beginning. But nearly 90 years after he went to the Soviet Union on his first assignment, Tintin shows no signs of waning popularity, and the crowds are lining up outside the Grand Palais.

The exhibition at the Grand Palais includes work by those who influenced Herg, as well as non-Tintin art by Herg. (Didier Plowy / Grand Palais / Herg-Moulinsart)

The Movement by Nature exhibition at Art Ludique, although smaller than the comprehensive Once Upon a Time, Walt Disney show held at the Grand Palais in 2006, is a well-curated and well-presented delight.

Working with the Disneys Animation Research Library, museum President Jean-Jacques Launier and his staff have chosen materials that emphasize the technical and artistic innovations Disney introduced, and the links between the classic Disney films and the studios recent string of CG blockbusters. The younger artists have clearly studied the work of their illustrious predecessors and learned from them.

A Mary Blair concept drawing for Sleeping Beauty. (Disney) (Disney )

Brittney Lees concept drawing for Frozen. (Disney) (Disney )

Joe Grants preliminary sketches of the Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs deftly capture her icy vanity; Jin Kims studies of the lead characters in Frozen and Big Hero 6 suggest a comparable level of vitality and psychological insight. Atmospheric studies by Paul Felix for Tarzan and Ryan Lang for Big Hero reflect the influence of Tyrus Wongs exquisite watercolors that set the look of Bambi. Byron Howards digital rendering for Zootopia of disgruntled fox Nick Wild in a commuter car full of rabbits telegraphs exactly what hes thinking  as do a series of studies of Pinocchio and Geppetto done in colored pencil decades earlier.

Animation drawings from Pinocchio, Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland and 101 Dalmatians by Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Woolie Reitherman and Frank Thomas  six of Disneys celebrated Nine Old Men  set the standard for fine draftsmanship and consummate acting. More recent work for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King by Ruben Aquino, James Baxter, Andreas Deja and Glen Keane showcase the influence of the older masters and the new artists individual talents.

Walt Disney drawing a fawn. (Disney) (Disney )

A studio sketch for the 1942 film Bambi. (Disney) (Disney )

Movement by Nature includes some rarely seen treasures. A page from the scenario for the groundbreaking Steamboat Willie and the accompanying animation drawing by Ub Iwerks mark the birth of Mickey Mouse, still the worlds most famous animated character. A series of watercolors by Mary Blair for Saludos Amigos reveals her transition from the more realistic style of the California School to the brilliant palette and simplified forms that mark her work for Alice and other features. The Alice studies, which pack so much color and life into a few square inches, show why Blair ranks as one of the most admired designers in the history of animation.

Art Ludique-Le Musee is across the Seine from the Cinematheque Francaise, which boasts an unmatched collection of early animation devices that complements the Disney exhibition. Together, they offer visitors to Paris rare insights into the art form. It will probably be a long time before major American museums devote comparable space to Carl Barks, the Hernandez brothers, Studio Ghibli or Aardman Animations.
Our reviewers weigh in with lists of under-seen movies from 2016, as well as trends theyd like to see more and less of.

Krisha: A superior blend of cinematic vivacity and commanding star turn, this turbulent family holiday drama marked a killer debut for director Trey Edward Shults, who cast his aunt Krisha Fairchild as the disturbed wild card at a Thanksgiving get-together. Fairchilds emotional horror show of a portrayal was one of the years strongest.

The Fits: Anna Rose Holmers remarkably self-assured debut feature about aspiring drill teamers is a burst of poetic kineticism, flavored by percolating adolescent emotions and the woozy air of a psychodramatic mystery. Young newcomer Royalty Hightower is a real find, beautifully centering a state-of-mind experience.

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Nuts!: Even a provocative, part-animated curio like Penny Lanes richly entertaining documentary can fall through the cracks. In spilling the bizarre story of an early 20th century Midwestern doctor turned radio celebrity, Lane made a cheeky, rug-pulling corker that now feels like a prescient look at our longstanding fake-news gullibility.

Year in review: Entertainment 2016 

The Measure of a Man: Quietly yet forcefully, Stephane Brizes story of a proud working class man (a superb Vincent Lindon) in the soul-crushing miasma of post-layoff survival, is this worlds anti-labor economy made achingly resonant. An everyday tragedy with a labyrinthine despair, it recalls the best work of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.

The Wailing: Murders, superstitions, demons and village hysteria are the ingredients in this unholy mauling on your most smug Ive-seen-it-all horror sensibilities, thanks to the epic genre acumen of South Korean director Na Hong-jin.

More please: Documentaries that approach their subjects with experimentation and imagination, such as Tower, Fire at Sea and I Am Not Your Negro.

No mas: Comedies that feel like one long raunch-obsessed gag list assembled by gutter-minded hacks increasingly blind to the more satisfying humor of behavior, situation and wit. The shock has long gone, but the vigor with which body parts, fluids and predictable inappropriateness routinely get mixed seems only to escalate.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 
Our reviewers weigh in with lists of under-seen movies from 2016, as well as trends theyd like to see more and less of.

Kubo and the Two Strings: In Laika animation studios best film to date, directed by Travis Knight, the Japanese-influenced designs are beautiful. The animation of the origami figures feels spontaneous. If paper could move on its own, it would move like this. Why havent more people seen it? Available on DVD and digital.

Miss Hokusai: Keiichi Haras evocative mixture of fact and fiction recounts the adventures of O-Ei, the unapologetically independent and talented daughter of the great printmaker Hokusai. Hara makes the bustling metropolis of 19th century Edo feel like a character in the story.

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My Life as a Zucchini: In contrast to the polished look of Kubo, the simple puppets and more limited animation in this touching Swiss film suggest folk art. A charming, understated work directed by Claude Barras and set in an orphanage, its slated for U.S. release in late February.

Year in review: Entertainment 2016 

Phantom Boy: This modest, noir-inflected fantasy by Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gangol reminds viewers of the intimate pleasures of drawn animation. What Phantom Boy lacks in production values, it makes up for in imagination. Available on DVD and digital.

Your Name: Writer-director Makoto Shinkais runaway hit deftly fuses a gender-bending teen romantic comedy with reflections on the trauma Japan suffered in the Fukushima disaster of 2011. Already a hit in Asia, it will get a U.S. release in late February or early March.

More, please: The current flowering of stop-motion animation, exemplified by Kubo and the Two Strings, My Life as a Zucchini and the lyrical passages in the otherwise disappointing The Little Prince. Good news: Four-time Oscar-winner Nick Park is reportedly at work on Early Man, a new clay-animated feature due in 2018.

No mas: Fart, poop, belch and pee jokes. Return them to the junior high boys locker room, where they seem funny.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band navigated The River 35th anniversary tour all the way to the bank in 2016, pulling in $268.3 million globally to score the top-grossing concert trek of the year worldwide, according to Pollstar, the concert industry-tracking publication.

Beyonce nipped close at the E Streeters heels, grossing $256.4 million from her Formation world tour, followed by Coldplay ($241 million), Guns N Roses ($188.4 million) and Adele ($167.7 million) to round out Pollstars top five.

In what has been a banner year for the concert business, the Top 10 Tours alone grossed a combined $1.67 billion, Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni noted in a statement. That is significantly better than the $1.5 billion in 2015.

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It is, in fact, an 11.3% increase.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

Adele is one of just two performers to have emerged in the new millennium to make the Top 10, the other being Justin Bieber, whose tour grossed $163.3 million, placing him at No. 6 on the list.

Thats a bit of a come down from last year, when Taylor Swift had the top-grossing tour of 2015 worldwide and the Top 10 also include such relative newcomers as One Direction and Ed Sheeran.

Following Bieber on the 2016 roster, Paul McCartney posted a worldwide gross of $110.6 million; Garth Brooks, $97 million; the Rolling Stones, $90.9 million; and Celine Dion, $85.5 million.

Coldplay, however, sold the most tickets, moving almost 2.7 million during the year, followed by Springsteen at 2.4 million and Beyonce at 2.2 million.

Dion easily had the top average ticket price of $146.26, followed by McCartney at $127.43, the Stones at $122.33, Beyonce at $114.59 and Springsteen at $111.48.

In terms of average gross per show, however, the Stones dwarfed the competition, taking in an staggering $9.1 million from just 14 performances in 10 cities. Beyonce finished second with an average of nearly $5.6 million at 49 shows in 46 cities, then Coldplay at just under $5.5 million from 60 shows in 44 cities and Guns N Roses at almost $5.4 million from 44 shows in 35 cities.

Brooks can claim the most affordable tour among the Top 10 finishers, tickets averaging just $69.29 for the 102 performances he gave in 25 cities.

Pollstar is still finalizing figures for its annual ranking of the Top 200 tours globally and in North America; results will be posted in its Jan. 6 edition.

Bongiovanni noted that Beyonce took top honors for the highest-grossing North American tour of 2016, but the figure for that portion of her world tour was not released.

Both Springsteen and Beyonce surpassed Swifts field-leading gross of $250.1 million in 2015.

randy.lewis@latimes.com

Follow @RandyLewis2 on Twitter.com

For Classic Rock coverage, join us on Facebook
Whether you considered it a three-ring circus or a welcome change of course, more than anything, 2016 will be remembered as the year that American politics made a sharp turn into the reality-television spectacle it always threatened to be. And it was all underlined by the election of a reality TV star to the highest office in the land.

But theres bad news for anyone expecting a break from the tumultuous political landscape theyve come to know and hate: 2017 isnt a fresh start; its merely Season 2.

Whether you love or loathe the incoming commander in chief, you cant deny that The Apprentice alumnus Donald Trump has a keen understanding that American culture thrives on spectacle.

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Thanks to surprise appearances by Billy Bush, a former beauty queen and John Podestas risotto recipe, America: The Reality Show garnered huge ratings, setting the stage for another round of antics. And for the second season we have the congressional hearing to look forward to.

The last months of 2016 have revolved around President-elect Trumps cabinet picks, several of which will likely face extremely trying (and televised) confirmation hearings.

As though knowing that controversy loves coverage, Trump stacked his cabinet with characters sure to cause a stir.

There will be plenty to hijack our attention in the coming months, from the Senate struggling with questions about Gen. James Mad Dog Mattis eligibility to be Defense secretary to potential Secretary of State Rex Tillersons overtly friendly ties to Russia. And then theres attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions pleading his case that he is less racially problematic than he was in 1986, when the Senate blocked his nomination for federal judgeship.

America loves a televised hearing, be it Benghazi or Iran-Contra or Clarence Thomas, so America: The Reality Show looks to have plenty of material to keep the masses hooked in Season 2.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

libby.hill@latimes.com

Twitter: @midwestspitfire
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.30



By Emil Ilgar  Trend:

Turkey stopped electricity import from Iran since the end of May 2016, while its cumulative power import from its eastern neighbour stood at 545 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in the period of five months of 2016.

Turkeys power import from Iran plunged in March (beginning of Irans fiscal year).

Turkey's electricity imports from Iran (million kilowatt hours)

Months From Iran January 215,944 February 213,122 March 110,753 April 1,088 May 2,227 Total 545,150

According to Irans Energy Ministrys official statistics, the country exported over 1.7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity to Turkey during the last fiscal year (ended on March 21).
Violent crime increased in Los Angeles for the third straight year as police tried to stem a rash of homicides and gang-related shootings while dealing with a growing homeless population.

With more than 290 people killed in the city this year, homicides also rose for the third year in a row. Still, the city remains far safer than a decade ago, when 480 people were killed and there were 46% more robberies than this year.



For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated there were two homicides in Oakland in 2016 through Dec. 18, nine in 2015 and seven in 2014. There were 80 homicides in 2016 through Dec. 25, 83 in 2015 for the same time period and 78 in 2014.

According to statistics from the Los Angeles Police Department, robberies were up by 13%, aggravated assaults were up by 10% and rapes were down by 4% through Dec. 17, compared with the same period last year. Homicides were up by 5%.

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Overall, violent crime was up by 10% over last year and 38% over two years ago.

Property crime also went up for the third consecutive year, with a 4% rise that was driven by double-digit increases in car-related thefts.

The upward trend of the last several years marks a reversal of a steady decline that began in the early 1990s, when crime was at all-time highs. In 1992, 1,094 people were killed in Los Angeles.

Similar trends were evident in the areas policed by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, where violent crime was up by 9% and property crime was up by 6% through Nov. 30 . It was the second year in a row that crime increased in sheriffs department territory, which includes unincorporated parts of the county as well as cities such as Compton and Lancaster that contract for law enforcement services.

Elsewhere in the state, crime decreased in some Bay Area cities. San Francisco saw an increase in homicides and rapes, but robberies were down 13% and crime was down 10% overall through the end of November. Through Dec. 25, Oakland had 80 homicides, compared with 83 in 2015 for the same time period and 78 in 2014. Overall, crime in Oakland was down 6%.

Early this year, in response to a spike in homicides and shootings, the LAPD sent extra platoons of elite Metropolitan Division officers to South Los Angeles and intensified its use of daily crime statistics to identify problem spots.

By the time the emergency operation ended on Oct. 1, the rate of violent crime had stabilized in South L.A. But with resources concentrated there, some other parts of the city experienced upticks in crime.

Recently, the situation in South L.A. worsened  October was the worst month of the year for homicides  and the Metropolitan Division has increased its presence there again, said Asst. Chief Michel Moore, who oversees the LAPDs patrol operations.

South Bureau, which includes much of South L.A. as well as the San Pedro area, finished the year with a 6% increase in homicides, 6% more rapes, 10% more robberies and 19% more aggravated assaults.

Overall, violent crime in South Bureau was up 15% over last year and 34% over two years ago.

The efforts of police officers on the streets have had an effect, but the root causes of crime  joblessness, homelessness, substance abuse  are deep and require the communitys help to solve, Moore said.

It is like fighting fires  spot fires, he said. We have a finite number of resources, and at the end of the day, the LAPD isnt going to fix this.

The number of shooting victims in Los Angeles  1,152 as of Dec. 17 -- was up 6% over last year and 23% over two years ago.

Any one of those could have been a homicide by another inch or centimeter, Moore said. Our most pressing matter right now is shooting victims.

Crime was up even in some parts of the city that are traditionally considered safe. In West Los Angeles, robberies were up by 16%, and motor vehicle theft was up by 31%. The LAPDs Topanga Division saw a 41% increase in robberies and a 21% increase in motor vehicle theft.

Moore attributed the crime jump in Los Angeles to a combination of factors, including a resurgence in gang violence and the growth in homelessness. He also pointed to criminal justice reforms such as Proposition 47, which was approved by California voters in November 2014 and reduced some drug and property offenses from felonies to misdemeanors.

In Los Angeles County, the jail population has decreased, from 18,500 inmates just before Prop. 47 passed to about 16,500 inmates this November. Narcotics arrests have dropped, as busy police officers decide that the time needed to process a case is not worth it.

The result, some law enforcement officials say, is that more criminals are now on the streets instead of in jail and are not receiving the drug and mental health treatment the measure had promised. Without the threat of a felony prosecution, they say, defendants are less likely to choose treatment as an alternative to serving time.

Unfortunately, we see that these programs are sold to the voters as having some positive impact, and so far in two years we havent seen that positive impact, said Assistant Sheriff Jacques Anthony La Berge, who oversees patrol for the Sheriffs Department.

But supporters of Prop. 47 dispute the theory that crime increases are connected to the measure. Misdemeanors can still result in sentences of up to a year in jail, and it is up to police officers and prosecutors to enforce those penalties, said Michael Romano, a lecturer at Stanford Law School.

The idea that Prop. 47 has been responsible for an increase in crime in California over the past year or two is fake news, as far as Im concerned, he said. Theres not one shred of evidence supporting the idea that Prop. 47 has had any impact on crime one way or another.

The recent crime increases have also coincided with steep increases in homelessness. The latest homeless survey shows an 11% rise in the city of Los Angeles between January 2016 and the previous year, with a 5.7% jump countywide.

Homeless encampments can provide cover for chronic predators, and many homeless people are victims of crime, said Moore of the LAPD.

This year in Los Angeles, 13 homicide victims were homeless  up from six the previous year  and there was a 23% increase in aggravated assaults in which transients were the victims, Moore said.

The LAPDs Central Division, which includes parts of downtown, skid row and Chinatown, saw a 59% increase in violent crime in 2015. This year, violent crime was down by 5% in Central, which Moore attributed to inroads made by police officers and social workers in homeless camps.

But crime statistics can sometimes obscure the realities of living in Los Angeles, where a single police station can serve dozens of square miles and hundreds of thousands of people.

Brent Page said his neighborhood of early 20th century Spanish and English Tudor cottages near the Inglewood border defies the image of South L.A. as a dangerous place.

At the neighborhood council meetings he leads, which are often attended by officers from the LAPDs 77th Division, residents typically complain about minor issues such as street vending and illegally parked cars.

Page sees violent crime as largely confined to gang circles.

A lot of people on these blocks know each other. Theyre like family, Page said of his neighborhood, Morningside Circle. I know what the crime stats might say, what the perception might say, but its good to talk to people actually breathing and living in an area instead of going to the LAPD website and making generalizations.

In Compton and nearby unincorporated areas, which are policed by the L.A. County Sheriffs Department, homicides were up by 61%, with 37 through the end of November this year compared with 23 last year.

Most of the killings were gang-related, according to sheriffs officials, including that of a 1-year-old girl in her crib who was hit by a bullet likely meant for her father.

The spike marks a return to the violence of years past: The Compton area had 32 homicides in 2014 and 40 homicides in 2013. Capt. Michael Thatcher, who runs the Compton Sheriffs Station, said an increase in gang conflicts is a likely cause.

I take it personally, Thatcher said. Its our responsibility. Every deputy that works in that station understands that thats something thats very troubling for us.

Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.

cindy.chang@latimes.com | Twitter: @cindychangLA

maya.lau@latimes.com | Twitter: @mayalau

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The U.S. Navy for decades has deployed bottlenose dolphins to search for underwater mines and detect enemy divers. Now, the versatile sea mammals and their San Diego-based trainers are preparing for an unprecedented challenge: locating some of the few surviving vaquita porpoises in Mexicos Upper Gulf of California.

Members of the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, the dolphins are part of a team being assembled on both sides of the border aimed at capturing live vaquitas  something that has never been accomplished. For an international group of scientists determined to save the species from near-certain extinction, it represents a final hope.

Spearheaded by Mexicos Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, the plan involves removing vaquitas from the open water in their habitat in the Upper Gulf of California and keeping them safe from illegal gill nets, where they often end up as by-catch and drown.

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A group of experts, including porpoise and veterinary care specialists, is expected to attempt the capture in the spring. It is unknown whether the small sea mammal would even survive captivity.

The operation has to be done in a very careful, staged manner, said Barbara Taylor, a conservation biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla.

Scientists say the vaquita population has dwindled over the past two decades  from 567 in an initial survey in 1997 to fewer than 60.

Despite a massive two-year plan launched in April 2015 by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nietos administration that includes an expanded ban on gill-net fishing in the porpoises habitat, the vaquita population has continued to fall  largely because of the rampant illegal fishery for totoaba, a large fish whose swim bladders fetch exorbitant prices in China.

The new approach would involve placing vaquitas inside a protective pen off the coast of San Felipe, with the hope that they might have a better chance for survival. If all goes well, they also might breed and reproduce.

We cant afford to be slow about this, Taylor said. We have to give this our mightiest effort as quickly as possible.

Based in San Diego, the Navy Marine Mammal Program uses dolphins and sea lions for a range of tasks, from finding and removing underwater mines to detecting clandestine swimmers and divers in restricted areas.

Dolphins are skilled at locating things beneath the surface through echolocation, or sonar, which allows them to interpret the echoes of sound waves, as well as through their capacity for directional hearing underwater.

The operation planned for May is the latest in a series of efforts aimed at protecting vaquitas, a small porpoise that lives only in the rich and turbid waters of the Upper Gulf of California. The animals, which must surface to breathe, not only are rare but also extremely shy and difficult to spot, as they splash little, travel in small groups and avoid boats.

In recent days, leaders of the World Wildlife Fund and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have spoken out against the plan.

Removing the vaquita will allow the fishermen to intensify their exploitation of the endangered totoaba fish, Capt. Paul Watson, Sea Shepherds founder, wrote on his Facebook page.

But defenders say the plan is worth the effort  and the risk.

NOAAs Taylor said even as the vaquita capture plan moves forward, enforcement efforts and other programs also must continue. Its not a situation where you can give up on enforcement, and give up on getting nets out of the water.

Dibble writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

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Former prisoner of war Joel D. Sollender, who was catapulted into unlikely fame in crucial swing states after starring in a pair of televised ads for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, has died. He was 92.

The highly decorated World War II combat veteran died Tuesday of congestive heart failure, said his widow, Dorothy Sollender. A burial with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is pending.

He had a great patriotic feeling about this country, and the war affected him in many profound ways, Dorothy Sollender said.

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Never having been a political man, he told the Union-Tribune in November that he was irked by remarks from presidential candidate Donald Trump during a GOP primary event in Ames, Iowa, last year.

Trump mocked John McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona and a POW during the Vietnam War, as a Navy pilot who wasnt a war hero because he was captured.

Reports of Sollenders anger reached Clintons election headquarters in Brooklyn, and a camera team taped him soon afterward for two ads.

A 30-second piece showed him and other veterans reacting strongly to a string of Trumps comments about the military. An 80-second ad featured Sollender alone, crying in his Poway, Calif., home as he reflected on his POW experience that was 70 years ago, and yesterday.

Both ads debuted on Sept. 16  National Prisoners of War Remembrance Day  and played in heavy rotation in Ohio, Pennsylvania and other battleground states.

He was devastated that Trump won and worried about the future of the country, Dorothy Sollender said.

Sollender was born in Manhattan on Nov. 11, 1924. The World War II draft tore him from his studies at the City College of New York and placed him in the 346th Regiment of the Armys 87th Infantry Division, the Golden Acorn.

He was captured on Dec. 11, 1944, in France and imprisoned in Stalag 3A near Luckenwalde, Germany, according to military records kept by the National Archives.

A half-century later, he brought his wife to the French community of Gros-Rederching, near where he was captured. Villagers led them to the pillbox he had destroyed with a grenade, shortly before his trapped unit ran out of ammo and surrendered.

We went to American cemeteries, but he wanted to visit a German one too  maybe because he killed German troops that day, Dorothy Sollender said. It came out of a sense of honor. He was very moved by Normandy and later very moved by those bunkers and all the barbed wire we climbed over to get there, and what he had to do there in 1944.

His decorations included a Bronze Star for valor, the Combat Infantryman Badge and a Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.

Besides his wife, Sollender is survived by his son, Dr. Jonathan Lee Sollender, and six grandchildren.

cprine@sduniontribune.com

Prine writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune
Los Angeles police are asking for the publics help in locating a young couple who failed to return from a Christmas weekend trip to Big Sur.

A police statement says 20-year-old Olivia Hannah Gonzalez and 21-year-old Brian Fernandez were last seen on Dec. 23 as they departed.

They were expected to return on Christmas Day but their families havent heard from them.

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Fernandez was driving a 2002 four-door tan Honda Civic with a California license plate number of 5VUD295.

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A man who urged an end to violence in Oakland after gunfire killed his son and grandson as they slept three years ago became a victim himself this week as he drove near a street memorial for his slain family.

Melvin Johnson, 39, was shot and killed Tuesday on the east side of the San Francisco Bay Area city, not far from the shrine for his 16-month-old grandson and 20-year-old son, who were fatally shot in August 2013, the East Bay Times reported Thursday.

Police have made no arrests and released no motive for Johnsons killing. They have not said if the shooting was random or if Johnson was targeted. He died at a hospital.

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In three years and four months, three generations of one family has been lost to gun violence in the streets of Oakland, community activist Sherri-Lyn Miller, a friend of Johnsons, told the Associated Press. Melvin Johnson was a giant teddy bear, and the loss has not only devastated the Johnson family, but all that knew him.

Johnson had moved his son, Andrew Drew Thomas, and grandson, Drew Leon Deon Jackson, to the Central California city of Fresno to get them away from Oaklands street violence, but they were slain while in town for a birthday party.

A shooter fired into a relatives home in the middle of the night, killing the sleeping pair. The slayings are still unsolved.

Johnsons mother, Carolyn Smith, spoke of her late son Wednesday as a good person who was committed to his family after a series of tragedies.

Another of his sons, 8-year-old Jahmel Johnson, died last month after a battle with lymphoma.

"[Melvin] helped everybody, he loved everybody, Smith told the newspaper. He didnt mess with nobody; he was like a big teddy bear. Im not saying that because I was his mother, but because I know.

Smith said his business, Drewski Designs, which made T-shirts and clothing for picnics, anniversaries, funerals and special events, helped people in the community.

A lot of people called him, wanting him to make them this and that, Smith said. He was changing his life, helping others.

Authorities are offering up to $10,000 for tips on who killed Johnson. A reward of up to $30,000 for information leading to an arrest in his sons and grandsons killings is still being offered.

In past years, Oakland has seen triple-digit annual homicide rates and been on the FBIs list of the 10 most dangerous cities in the country. Poverty is rampant in some areas, with gangs and drugs linked to as much as 90% of the killings.

This year, the mayor said Oakland has seen a double-digit drop in overall shootings. Violent crime also has dipped. But the blue-collar city of about 410,000 has yet to see the economic boom underway in neighboring San Francisco.

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Christian Guntert was lying on his back, gluing seeds to the bottom of a giant faux pizza for a Rose Parade float when a teenager made a casual comment about his wife.

When the 58-year-old Guntert told the girl that he and his longtime girlfriend actually werent married, she screamed: Youre not married?

The shocked question reverberated in the 80,000-square-foot California warehouse last December, where teams of volunteers were building a dozen floats for the annual, nationally televised parade in Pasadena.

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Soon, volunteers had surrounded Guntert and his girlfriend of 17 years, 56-year-old Susan Brown, offering their various skills to make a wedding happen right then and there on the float. One said he was an ordained minister and could perform the ceremony, another offered to sing during the wedding and a photographer said she could snap photos.

Susan kind of looked at herself and at me, we were all dirty and covered in glue and flower parts, Guntert said. Susan said, You know, Id really like to have a pretty dress. 

So the couple decided to postpone the wedding for a year. Now, Brown has a pretty dress, they have a perfectly good float, and the same team of volunteers will help make the ceremony happen on Saturday, two days before the 128th annual parade.

The couple will say I do on top of a float to be ridden by the parades queen and her court. The float will be festooned with thousands of flowers beneath a giant gold crown, which will serve as a makeshift altar for the ceremony.

The unique setting is appropriate for Guntert and Brown, who have spent the past decade volunteering to decorate Rose Parade floats  an endeavor that has them working 12-hour days between Christmas and New Years on what would be vacation time from their jobs as government workers in San Bernardino County.

Over the years, the two have formed what they call their float family, people theyve grown close to but see only once a year for the annual decorating. The entire group will be at the ceremony, along with family members and other friends.

The wedding will come 17 years after the couple first struck up a conversation online, when Internet dating was in its infancy. Though neither was looking for romance, their conversations grew into a friendship and not long after, love.

Guntert was living in Northern California at the time, and Brown and her then 6-year-old daughter were a six-hour drive south in Victorville, about 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert.

After a three-year long-distance relationship, Guntert relocated to Victorville. The pair talked about marriage over the years, but Guntert never quite got around to getting down on one knee and proposing  one of Browns few requirements.

It took their Rose Parade float family and their near-impromptu wedding last year to spur Guntert into action. On Valentines Day morning this year, he brought a cup of coffee and a ring to Brown and formally proposed marriage.

He put a ring on it, Brown said. It made me cry.

Though the wedding setting on the queens float carries a great deal of meaning for the couple, Guntert said the location doesnt make too much difference.

Ive been waiting for this a lot of years, and I couldnt be happier, he said, his arm around his soon-to-be bride. So long as shes next to me, nothing else matters.

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A six-hour SWAT standoff in Clairemont Thursday ended with the arrest of a woman suspected of firing shots at a neighbor.

One round went through the victims front door, missing her and her children, police said.

We had a very close call this morning, but thankfully no one was hurt, San Diego police Lt. Scott Wahl said.

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The 35-year-old woman was taken into custody peacefully about 2 p.m.

The shooter was upset because police had gone to her Beadnell Way apartment about 1 a.m. and issued her a warning for a noise complaint, Wahl said.

Police then got a 911 call shortly after 5 a.m. from a woman saying her neighbor just shot at her and into her apartment. A round went through the front door and an interior door and lodged in the bathroom, Wahl said.

The woman with a handgun had also threatened a male resident, Wahl said.

Officers went to the complex on the south side of Beadnell near Mount Abernathy Avenue. They began evacuating neighbors as a safety precaution but had the victim and her two children hide inside her apartment. Wahl said it was too dangerous to try to get them out.

A full SWAT team was called in about 8 a.m. Police started closing down roads, including Balboa Avenue between Mount Abernathy and Cannington Drive.

A preschool across Balboa Avenue had children stay indoors while the SWAT operation continued.

Several members of the Metro Arson Strike Team bomb squad also were sent to the incident. A spokesman said they were there in a support role for the police action.

Wahl said negotiators talked to the suspected shooter over the course of several hours, trying to persuade her to surrender peacefully.

At one point, she showed up in a window naked and yelled at the officers. She also told them they werent going to get into her apartment without a warrant.

She finally agreed to come out and was taken into custody a little before 2 p.m. She faces felony charges including assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at an inhabited home and making threats, Wahl said.
For many, 2016 was a billowing dumpster fire doused repeatedly with gasoline. We lost David Bowie and Prince and Gwen Ifill and Carrie Fisher, among so many other artists, leaders, thinkers and dreamers. We watched America tear itself apart from the inside during one of the most contentious elections in our history, all while witnessing far greater destruction in Syria.

We didnt solve racism or sexism or gun violence or police brutality. And world peace is still a faraway concept. The successes dont make up for the losses, but its worth remembering there was some good in a year stymied by the bad and the ugly.

Dear 2016: A letter from the L.A. Times Data Visualization Department 

Africa was declared free of Ebola

Liberia is finally clear of the deadly virus, marking its end in West Africa. And just last week, an experimental Ebola vaccine was proven highly effective  a milestone that could prevent the spread of another outbreak.

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Giant pandas, manatees and (most) humpback whales are no longer endangered

Pandas have been downgraded from endangered to vulnerable, manatees have been reclassified as threatened and nine of the 14 humpback whale populations have increased since they were classified as endangered in 1970.

23 giant panda cubs make public debut at Chengdu Research Base in China, where world's largest artificially-bred panda population resides. pic.twitter.com/3ejEDPqNLb  ABC News (@ABC) September 30, 2016

The viral Ice Bucket Challenge led to a breakthrough in ALS research

You did it. All the water you dumped on your friends and donations you made to ALS research in 2014 paid off. Roughly $115 million was raised, leading to the discovery of an ALS-related gene.

A few firsts for the Library of Congress

The largest library in the world has been overseen by 13 white males during its two centuries in existence. Earlier this year, President Obama appointed Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress James Billingtons successor. Hayden, the librarys first African American and female librarian, was behind the decision to keep West Baltimores library open in the midst of protests surrounding the death of Freddie Gray in 2015.

A homeless man foiled a bomb attack in New Jersey

When Lee Tyrone Parker, a 50-year-old homeless man, and his friend Ivan White, stumbled upon a backpack in Elizabeth, N.J., they unknowingly helped foil a bombing. After emptying the backpacks contents and noticing what turned out to be five pipe bombs, Parker and White took the items to the police station, where they were questioned by the FBI. The bombs had been assembled by Ahmad Khan Rahami, the suspect in the New York and New Jersey bombings that injured 30 people.

The Cubs won a World Series

It didnt matter if you were never a Cubs fan. It was was a victory America needed to see, and after 108 years, it came not a moment too soon.

Harriet Tubman will become the new face of the $20 bill

Abolitionist Harriet Tubman will become the first woman in over a century and the first African American in history to get front-bill placement on a paper note. Shell replace Andrew Jackson, nearly two centuries after he devastated the Cherokee nation. Jackson will move to the back of the bill, featured alongside an image of the White House. Its possible that well have to wait 10 years to see the change, but theres no set release date.

Hamilton continued to dominate

Sure, Lin-Manuel Mirandas hip-hopera technically debuted in 2015, but its accolades, soundtrack and near-universal obsession spilled into 2016. Well take what we can get.

SeaWorld will stop breeding captive killer whales

After outrage and criticism, SeaWorld made an agreement with the Humane Society of the United States to end its orca breeding program.

In India, more than 800,000 volunteers planted 50 million trees in one day

The world-record-breaking effort was part of an agreement India made at the Paris Climate Agreement and signed on Earth Day to combat climate change.

After Brock Turner case, Jane Doe prompts a change in law

Former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner was convicted this year of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, identified as Jane Doe. After he was released from jail after just three months, critics were outraged.

But Doe herself issued a powerful response. She penned a public letter to Turner that spurred California legislators to expand the definition of rape and increase the minimum sentence for sexual assault.

NASAs Juno spacecraft reached Jupiter

Five years and 1.8 billion miles later, Juno reached the largest planet in our solar system. Its already sent back flyby images of Jupiters north pole that have given us never-before-seen views.

We had a year to celebrate Vin Scully

Enough said.

Whats missing? Email colleen.shalby@latimes.com or send a tweet to @cshalby.

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Dear 2016: A letter from the L.A. Times Data Visualization Department
As revelers nationwide prepare to pour into the streets on New Years Eve, law enforcement officials are bracing for potential terrorism threats, amplified by recent attacks at public celebrations overseas.

In New York, 65 sanitation trucks  weighted by 15 tons of sand  will dot city blocks on Saturday night around the legendary ball drop in Times Square. The trucks, along with 100 patrol cars, strategically placed at intersections in midtown Manhattan, are a new addition this year, said law enforcement officials.

It is a changing world. And we have to look around at what is going on not just in the United States, but all around the world, New York Police Commissioner James ONeill said at a news conference this week to discuss security preparations.

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Concrete blocks rest on a sidewalk in Times Square. (Kathy Willens / Associated Press )

The sanitation trucks are meant to prevent terrorist attacks like those in Berlin this month and Nice, France, over the summer.

In Berlin, a man hijacked a 40-ton truck and crashed it into an outdoor Christmas market, killing 12 people. The attack came five months after a cargo truck plowed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, leaving 86 people dead.

Cities around the country are taking precautions of various kinds to avoid similar horrors. In Southern California, law enforcement officials are trying to guard against large vehicle attacks at the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Years Day in Pasadena.

Pasadena Police Chief Phillip L. Sanchez, right, speaks on Dec. 28, 2016, about safety issues at the Rose Parade. He is joined by Pasadena Fire Chief Bertral Washington, left, and Rob Savage, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press )

Pasadena police plan to use parked patrol cars and heavy, water-filled barricades at more than 50 intersections along the parades route.

When [attackers] use vehicles as a ramming tool, typically its because theyre able to generate a lot of speed. So were trying to take the speed out of that equation, Pasadena Police Chief Phillip L. Sanchez said earlier this week.

Several events are planned in the Atlanta-metro area on Saturday. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Parade will blanket the streets of downtown and, according to Atlanta police, about 175,000 people are expected to attend the annual Peach Drop  an event similar to the festivities in Times Square.

Law enforcement officials in Atlanta have faced terrorism first-hand. During the 1996 Summer Olympics a blast killed one person and injured more than 100 others.

In Las Vegas, where city officials estimate about 300,000 people will celebrate the new year along the Strip, preparation has been underway for several months.

Michael Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Las Vegas Police Department, said that in previous years the department has positioned barriers to prevent potential terrorist attacks in which trucks are used as weapons. These barriers will form at different junctures of the Strip, Rodriguez said.

This is standard for us, said Rodriguez, who declined to say what kind of barriers  or how many  the department will use.

While addressing the public this week, law enforcement officials in Las Vegas called on tourists to follow rules put in place for New Years Eve, which includes a ban on backpacks and glass bottles. Rodriguez said about 1,000 uniformed officers will patrol the Strip Saturday night.

ONeill, the New York police commissioner, said his department is working with the FBI and counterterrorism officials to ensure the safety of the nearly 2 million people expected to watch the ball drop.

Can we ensure that nothing will ever happen? You know, this is  its an open city, its an open society, but we have  the security plan we have in place for Time Square, ONeill said. There are multiple layers there.  The NYPD along without law enforcement partners will make sure we do our absolute best to keep people safe.

Among the items New York police have banned party-goers from carrying are large backpacks and coolers.

This fall, a man placed an improvised bomb in a garbage dumpster on West 23rd Street in Manhattan, shattering windows and spewing glass on passers-by. Twenty-nine people were slightly injured. A similar device, made out of a pressure cooker, was found unexploded a few blocks away on West 27th Street.

The sand-filled trucks being deployed for New Years were previously used in November at the Thanksgiving Day parade and have been stationed outside the Fifth Avenue home of President-elect Donald Trump.

Those sand trucks are crucial to our strategic approach this year, said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, alongside ONeill at press conference earlier this week.

Still, de Blasio insisted that the best defense against any potential terrorist threat is for patrons to be on guard.

The rule is real simple. If you think something is happening that makes you worried, go tell an officer, he said. If you think someones life might be in danger, tell a police officer. Let the professionals do their work that they do so well.

Times staff writer Maya Lau contributed to this report.

kurtis.lee@latimes.com

Twitter: @kurtisalee

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 30

By Emil Ilgar  Trend:

Ceasefire in Syria is a major achievement, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted Dec. 30.

Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror, he said.

Russias President Vladimir Putin said Dec. 29 that agreements were achieved on a ceasefire in Syria and the readiness to start peace talks.

Reports have just arrived that several hours ago there was a development that we all have for so long looked and worked for. Three documents have been signed. A ceasefire between the Syrian government and the armed opposition is one. A package of measures to control the ceasefire is another. And a declaration of readiness to enter peace talks on a settlement in Syria is the third, Putin said at a meeting with Russian foreign and defense ministers.
The chief executive of a beverage distribution company and his family were among six people on a plane that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from Clevelands lakeshore airport, his family said Friday.

The parents of Superior Beverage Co. executive John T. Fleming confirmed to multiple media outlets that he was the pilot of the Columbus-bound plane carrying three children and three adults when it vanished from radar late Thursday about 2 miles over Lake Erie.

Flemings father told the Blade newspaper in Toledo that the other five people on the plane were Flemings wife, their two teenage sons, a neighbor and the neighbors daughter. John W. Fleming also described his son as an experienced pilot.

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Crews combing Lake Erie for the plane on Friday remain hopeful that the occupants could be found alive, and they are in search-and-rescue mode, not recovery mode, as they ply waters about 50 feet deep, said Capt. Michael Mullen, the chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District.

Authorities have detected faint hints but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help find the plane, Mullen said. Searchers have found no sign of debris.

Were very hopeful. We will be very hopeful up until the point that we have to turn the search off and we switch over to assisting with recovery, Mullen said at news conference Friday.

But when asked about the possibility of the single-engine jet landing safely on Lake Erie, Mullen said, Aircraft are not designed to float, especially in 12-foot seas.

The search overnight was made difficult by snow squalls, high seas and darkness, Mullen said. Weather prevented smaller Coast Guard boats in the Cleveland area from launching. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, a Royal Canadian Air Force plane and a Coast Guard ship from Detroit began the search overnight, and it continued in the daylight hours Friday.

It would have been the pilots responsibility to determine whether it was safe to fly, Mullen said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna Citation 525 plane left Burke Lakefront Airport at 10:50 p.m., and the Coast Guard said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control at Burke about 30 minutes later. Investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive in Cleveland on Friday.

The aircraft was headed to Ohio State University Airport northwest of downtown Columbus. The plane is kept at a hangar at the airfield, but the six people aboard the aircraft arent affiliated with the university, Coast Guard representatives said.

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UPDATES:

11 a.m.: This article was updated with the identities of the planes passengers and comments from a Coast Guard captain.

This article was originally published at 7:45 a.m.
Democrats draw sharper battle lines in tug of war over party leadership By Chris Megerian Even as Democrats try to move past last years defeats, their internal fault lines show signs of deepening in the campaign for the partys leadership. The latest evidence came Wednesday when former Vice President Joe Biden endorsed Thomas E. Perez, who served as President Obamas Labor secretary, to chair the Democratic National Committee. We have a lot of good people vying for this important job, Biden said in a statement. But I do think for this moment and in this time, Tom Perez is our best bet to help bring the party back. The endorsement was seen as more evidence that key members of the recently departed Obama administration were backing Perez. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) with Sen. Bernie Sanders. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) It was followed by a statement from Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont reiterating his support for Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), another leading candidate in the race. Although Sanders lost to Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary, he has continued to try to pull Democrats to the left, and he has emphasized the need to create a grass-roots party. Obama left office with strong poll numbers, but under his watch, Democrats lost power not only in Washington but in states around the country, something Sanders and his allies have stressed in the fight over the party chairmanship. The question is simple: Do we stay with a failed status-quo approach or do we go forward with a fundamental restructuring of the Democratic Party? Sanders said. Read More Facebook

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Border Patrol chief is abruptly out after being brought in as a reformer By Brian Bennett The chief of the Border Patrol will leave his post at the end of the month, likely the result of a change in direction by the Trump administration and a reflection of the new power of the agencys union. Mark Morgan, the agencys head, was hired from the FBI in June to reform the force after a series of corruption allegations and problems with excessive force. He will leave the Border Patrol abruptly after seven months on the job, according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Morgans departure was first reported by the Associated Press. Morgan spent 20 years at the FBI and was first brought to Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrols parent agency, in 2014 to overhaul its internal affairs division. After a subsequent stint running the FBIs training academy, he started the top job at the Border Patrol in June. The Border Patrols union had opposed Morgans appointment, preferring a candidate who had risen through the ranks of the agency. The union endorsed President Trump in the election, breaking with its practice of remaining neutral in elections. News of Morgans departure comes a day after Trump announced he would build a border wall and hire 5,000 more Border Patrol agents, bringing the total force to 26,000. Trump said the Border Patrol union would have a lot of clout in department decisions. Facebook

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Trump was silent on new U.S. sanctions against Russia, but he praises Putins response By Michael A. Memoli After President Obama on Thursday announced retaliatory measures against the Russian government for what the U.S. has concluded were efforts to interfere in the election, President-elect Donald Trumps response was terse and dismissive, saying it was time to move on to bigger and better things. But after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he would not respond in kind to the U.S. actions  preferring to wait until the new administration takes office  Trump weighed in with high praise. Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2016 Trumps tweet did not appear to be off the cuff. As if to underscore his sentiment, Trump affixed the tweet to the top of his Twitter feed. And he posted an Instagram photo shortly after, quoting himself. View Instagram post Trumps effusive words were particularly striking given the bipartisan view of Putin as more adversary than ally. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said they supported the Obama administrations move to expel Russian diplomats and block access to two properties owned by its government. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) is expected to call a hearing on Russias cyber activities when the new Congress convenes next week. A Trump transition spokesman was asked earlier Friday whether Trump had spoken or planned to speak with Putin before his inauguration. The priority right now is for the president[-elect] to get an update next week from the intelligence community, Sean Spicer said. Trumps praise did get tacit approval from some quarters. The Russian embassy in Washington retweeted it. Facebook

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Most popular White House petitions included requests to label a hate group and deport Justin Bieber By Colleen Shalby Over the past five years, Americans have produced and signed nearly 5,000 petitions through the White Houses We the People site. How could we ever forget the effort to get the Obama administration on board with building a Death Star? Some, like that one and a petition to deport Justin Bieber, resulted only in conversation. But others made an impact. The Pew Research Center analyzed the petitions in a recent report. They ranged from serious, like an effort to ban gay conversion therapy at a state level that led the president in 2015 to support states bans, to playful. A request for Obama to appear on a previously unvisited talk show, for example, prompted him to appear on Real Time with Bill Maher in January 2016. In 2015, 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin requested a meeting with the first black president, something she never thought shed live to see. Her petition garnered only 19 signatures. But it nonetheless resulted in one of first couples most memorable meetings, this dance party: The petitioning system, launched in 2011, was part of Obamas open-government initiative. The most common topics for petitioning included healthcare, veterans issues and requests to honor individuals, such as Yogi Berra, and create or officially recognize holidays, like Talk Like a Pirate Day. While not every petition made a change or elicited a response from the White House, many captured a momentary pulse of the nation. Here are the five most popular: Legally recognize the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group, posted Dec. 14, 2012; 367,180 signatures. Establish justice and prevent a great catastrophe, posted April 4, 2016; 331,914 signatures. File charges against the 47 U.S. senators in violation of the Logan Act in attempting to undermine a nuclear agreement, posted March 9, 2015; gained 322,117 signatures. Ask President Obama to appear on HBOs Real Time with Bill Maher,  posted Jan. 15, 2016; 314,226 signatures. Deport Justin Bieber and revoke his green card, posted Jan. 23, 2014; 273,698 signatures. Facebook

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Obama slaps Russia with sanctions for meddling in the U.S. election By Christi Parsons In the most sweeping retaliation against Russia in decades, President Obama slapped the country with new penalties Thursday for meddling in the U.S. presidential election, kicking out dozens of suspected spies and imposing banking restrictions on five people and four organizations the administration says were involved. All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, Obama said in a statement. Such activities have consequences. Read More Facebook

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How Trump and an Obamacare rollback could affect the growing gig economy By Chicago Tribune Gabby Golub of Chicago does chalkboard art for bars and restaurants in addition to driving for Lyft and working part time at her old high school. (Kristan Lieb / Chicago Tribune) A growing share of the U.S. workforce is reyling on alternative work arrangements, which include on-demand gigs through online platforms like Lyft or Uber as well as work through temporary help agencies, freelance assignments and independent contracts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics plans to conduct a comprehensive survey of these so-called contingent workers next year, its first since 2005, helping policymakers understand the size and makeup of a workforce not covered by many labor protections or privy to the benefits that come with a traditional employer relationship. Whether policy will catch up to the labor shifts is a question experts will watch in 2017. A major conversation point has been how to develop portable benefits that give gig economy workers access to retirement plans, unemployment insurance and paid sick leave even as they move from job to job. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts plans by Sprint and OneWeb to create 8,000 U.S. jobs By Jim Puzzanghera (Don Emmert / AFP/Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday touted plans by telecom company Sprint and technology start-up OneWeb to hire a total of 8,000 workers in the U.S. in what he said was very good news for the economy. He appeared to be highlighting previously made jobs announcements. OneWeb, which is building a network of satellites to deliver high-speed Internet access, said on Dec. 19 that it expected to create nearly 3,000 jobs in the U.S. over the next four years after securing $1.2 billion in funding, mostly from Japans SoftBank Group Corp. And the head of SoftBank, which owns Sprint, said on Dec. 6 that the company had agreed to invest $50 billion in the U.S. and create 50,000 jobs here. The announcement by SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son came after he met with Trump at Trump Tower in New York City. Trump touted it that day. Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, Trump said Sprint was going to be bringing 5,000 jobs back to the United States. They have taken them from other countries. They are bringing them back to the United States, Trump said. Sprint, though, said in a statement that the jobs would be a mixture of new positions and others that were reinstated. It wasnt clear whether those jobs were part of the 50,000 that were mentioned earlier in the month at Trump Tower. We are excited to work with President-Elect Trump and his administration to do our part to drive economic growth and create jobs in the U.S., said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. We believe it is critical for business and government to partner together to create more job opportunities in the U.S. and ensure prosperity for all Americans. Trump also said the OneWeb hiring is very exciting. OneWeb did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 3:25 p.m.: This story was updated with comment from Sprint. Facebook

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Kerry offers fierce defense of Obamas support for Israel, urges resumption of Mideast peace talks By Laura King Secretary of State John Kerry outlines his proposals for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Zach Gibson / Getty Images) With President-elect Donald Trump tweeting from the sidelines, Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Wednesday outlined broad principles for reviving the moribund Israel-Palestinian peace process -- calls that quickly ignited a new burst of Israeli anger against the Obama administration. Kerrys lengthy and impassioned address, delivered at the State Department, marked the latest chapter in an unusually bitter public clash between the United States and Israel -- and the even more extraordinary spectacle of a president-elect again inserting himself into a sensitive diplomatic matter before taking office. In a speech lasting more than an hour, Kerry appealed for a hiatus in Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, called on Palestinian leaders to explicitly denounce terrorist attacks against Israelis, and warned repeatedly that the prospects for a two-state solution, with Israel and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side, were in jeopardy. We cannot in good conscience do nothing, and say nothing, when we see the hope of peace slipping away, he said. Read More Facebook

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Former California lieutenant governor will meet with Trump to discuss running Agriculture department By Michael A. Memoli Abel Maldonado. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times) President-elect Donald Trump is considering former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado to lead the Agriculture department, a move that would bring greater diversity to the Republicans Cabinet. Maldonado will meet with Trump on Wednesday at his Palm Beach, Fla., estate. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer noted that Maldonado, owner of Runway Vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley, comes from three generations of farmers and has strong roots in the agriculture industry of California. Trump will also meet with Dr. Elsa Murano, the former president of Texas A&M University and a former Agriculture undersecretary for food safety, in connection to the post, one of the few Cabinet positions yet unfilled. Maldonado, 49, was once considered to be the kind of Republican who could break through the partys struggle to attract widespread Latino support. A Santa Barbara County farmer whose parents were Mexican farmworker immigrants, he served as mayor of Santa Maria before being elected to the state Assembly in 1998. Perhaps Maldonados most notable political moment came when he worked with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to force Democrats to embrace the top-two primary system for California during negotiations on the state budget crisis in 2009. Schwarzenegger rewarded Maldonado with the appointment to the then-vacant post of lieutenant governor in 2010. But Maldonados role in helping push the nonpartisan primary system made him a pariah among many conservative Republicans, and he failed in subsequent races for Congress in 2012 and a brief flirtation with a run for governor in 2014. If nominated and confirmed, Maldonado would be the sole Latino in Trumps Cabinet. Facebook

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Trump attacks Obama over Israel just ahead of Kerrys speech on the Mideast By Michael A. Memoli The detente between President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump, as both aimed to portray a smooth transition of power, appears in jeopardy. Trump condemned the Obama administrations foreign policy on Wednesday, tweeting he was doing his best to overlook inflammatory Obama moves, while engaging in 1990s-style sarcasm. Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016 Last week, Obama decided to have the U.S. abstain from a United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity, which allowed the measure to pass. The vote angered Israeli leaders, who accused senior U.S. officials of complicity in drafting the resolution, a claim disputed by the U.S. We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but.......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016 not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016 Trumps postings came just before Secretary of State John F. Kerry delivered a major address on U.S. foreign policy that included a rebuttal to Israeli government criticisms of the Obama administration. Trumps statement of support for Israel was welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long had a tense relationship with Obama. President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel! @IvankaTrump @DonaldJTrumpJr https://t.co/lURPimG0wS  Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) December 28, 2016 Trump transition spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that the president-elects tweets speak for themselves, very clearly. He also stressed that White House officials have been helpful and generous with their time, at least in terms of the mechanics of the transition. In a brief statement to reporters Wednesday night, Trump said he had a general conversation with Obama during the day. Very, very nice, was how the president-elect described the chat, which he said Obama initiated. A White House spokesman confirmed the call and characterized it as positive. When asked whether he thinks the U.S. should exit the U.N., Trump repeated his earlier comments that the global body is not living up to its potential. When do you see the United Nations solving problems? he asked. They dont, they cause problems, so if it lives up to its potential its a great thing, if it doesnt its a waste of time. The U.N. seemed to respond to Trump on Monday, in a message pinned to the top of its Twitter feed: Here's a list of 10 ways the UN makes a difference in the lives of millions every day.



See what else we do: https://t.co/MGT7G5uPFL pic.twitter.com/nMxHV0rvkf  United Nations (@UN) December 26, 2016 Times staff writer Christi Parsons in Honolulu contributed to this report. 5:10 p.m.: This story was updated with White House comment. 2:45 p.m.: This story was updated with Trumps comments. Facebook

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John Kerry, tireless in his diplomatic efforts, often came up empty-handed By Tracy Wilkinson John F. Kerry is nothing if not indefatigable, traveling to all corners of the world as Americas top diplomat over the last four years. But as he prepares to leave office, he confronts a mixed legacy: a handful of successes coupled with searing defeats, especially in the Middle East. His inability to halt the carnage in Syria, or to block Russias growing influence, ranks as the most serious blot on his record. But he also got nowhere trying to end the Israeli-Palestinian standoff, or to stop Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, from bombing civilians in Yemen. Kerrys greatest success was the historic accord to curtail Irans nuclear development program and a landmark climate change treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming. Read More Facebook

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At Pearl Harbor, Obama says we must resist the urge to demonize those who are different By Christi Parsons Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Obama. (Marco Garcia / Associated Press) President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe scattered petals together on the waters of Pearl Harbor on Tuesday in a symbolic act aimed at laying to rest the enmity of the Japanese attack 75 years ago that drew the U.S. into World War II. In a moment consumed with history, both leaders were fixed on the future. They expressed concern that the lessons of the war might be forgotten amid a shifting world order and the anti-internationalist sentiment that has swept over politics around the globe, most notably with the ascendance of President-elect Donald Trump. Read More Facebook

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Obama and Japans Abe to visit Pearl Harbor amid renewed talk of nuclear concerns By Christi Parsons Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on Monday. (AFP/Getty Images) President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are scheduled to honor the war dead at Pearl Harbor on Tuesday, marking the 75th anniversary of the attack that thrust the U.S. into World War II. The visit was planned as a coda to Obamas visit to Hiroshima in May, where Abe hosted him as the first sitting president to visit the site where the U.S. dropped one of two nuclear bombs in 1945 to end the war, the only instances of nuclear attacks in history. But the visit has taken on a new meaning. President-elect Donald Trump reawakened old fears of a nuclear arms race last week by declaring his commitment to strengthen and expand U.S. nuclear capability. In his remarks at Pearl Harbor, Obama will have an opportunity to address those renewed anxieties and to lay out the dangers of an arms race. Obama has fought to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to secure existing caches. The visit is meant to highlight the strength of the relationship between the U.S. and Japan, an administration official said. Several Japanese prime ministers before Abe have visited the Pearl Harbor site. But Abe is the first to go to the memorial at the resting place of the battleship Arizona, where 1,177 American military personnel died in the Japanese aerial attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Facebook

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Will the Feds Janet Yellen take away the punch bowl after Trump takes office? By Don Lee After three years of almost single-handedly juicing up the slow-growing economy, Janet L. Yellen and the Federal Reserve should be looking at easier days ahead. Yellen, in what will probably be her last full year as Fed chair, may finally get help from somewhere else in Washington. Tax cuts and infrastructure spending planned by President-elect Donald Trump, if backed by the Republican-controlled Congress, would lighten the load for a Fed whose easy-money policies have been the primary economic support for the nation. She is already breathing easier on the Feds employment mandate; the jobless rate has fallen to a nine-year low of 4.6%. Inflation, too, is under control and, by all accounts, creeping toward the central banks optimal level of 2%. And yet, Yellen may come under as much economic and political pressure as ever, on both the Feds policy and the independence of the institution. Read More Facebook

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Obama says he could have beaten Trump By Tracy Wilkinson (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) President Obama says he could have defeated Donald Trump in last months election by recapturing the same vision of hope that twice carried him to the presidency. Obama also was mildly critical of the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, saying her campaign didnt do enough to get her message out. The remarks were notable because Obama has been careful since the election to avoid criticizing Trump, or to deliver a post-mortem on Clintons failed bid. Obama spoke in a wide-ranging interview with former senior advisor and now CNN commentator David Axelrod for the Democratic political operatives Axe Files podcast. The interview was released by CNN on Monday. You know, I am confident in this vision because Im confident that if I -- if I had run again and articulated it, I think I couldve mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it, Obama said. His comments were part of a wider discussion of what he called ugly sentiments of racism and xenophobia that surfaced during the 2016 campaign. Obama repeated his assertion that Clinton faced a double standard as a woman, which put her at a disadvantage. But he also said a kind of complacency set in that made the Clinton campaign too cautious and thus unable to get its message out sufficiently. If you think youre winning, then you have a tendency, just like in sports, maybe to play it safer, Obama said. During the interview, Obama also spoke of his family, the strength hed gotten from wife Michelle and the improbability of his own political career. And the president said the spirit that his candidacy originally inspired, especially among young people, was never snuffed out despite the last eight years of turmoil. The idealism and the dedication stayed with the staff and got us through some really hard times, he said. Trump later responded to the remarks on Twitter. UPDATE 2:07 p.m.: This article was updated with Trumps response. This article was originally published at 12:28 p.m. Facebook

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Obama personally authorized U.S. abstention from U.N. vote on Israeli settlements By Michael A. Memoli President Obama personally directed Friday that the U.S. abstain from a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity, seeing the escalation of settlement building as an increasing threat to the viability of a two-state solution to the regions problems. Ahead of the expected vote, Obama, who is vacationing with his family in Hawaii, convened a discussion Thursday with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and other top national security officials. The vote was postponed, but U.S. officials continued to monitor discussions over the Egyptian-authored resolution until Friday. Obama spoke with national security advisor Susan Rice on Friday to issue his final decision. President-elect Donald Trumps intervention in the discussions, which included a conversation with Egypts president Thursday that preceded the delay in the planned vote, did not affect Obamas calculations, deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters.. Theres one president at a time, he said. The decision to allow the resolution to pass, rather than cast a veto to block it is consistent with long-standing, bipartisan U.S. policy opposing Israeli settlement activity, Rhodes said. One of the administrations great concerns was that such activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has accelerated significantly since 2011, when the U.S. last vetoed a comparable resolution. U.S. officials also have been concerned about continued incitements of violence by Palestinians, and Rhodes said the resolution voted on Friday included greater balance to reflect that than past resolutions. Weve been very concerned that these accelerating trends are putting the very viability of the two-state solution at risk, Rhodes said. In that context, we therefore thought that we could not in good conscience veto a resolution that expressed concerns about the very trends that are eroding the foundation for a two-state solution. He also underscored what he called Obamas iron-clad commitment to Israel and its security, noting that the administration recently concluded a major military assistance package. The U.S. did not vote for the resolution because of continued concerns about the United Nations as a venue for Middle East peace discussions, Rhodes said. He also responded to what he called strident comments of Israeli officials criticizing the U.S. move. It seems like the Israeli government wants the conversation to be about anything other than the settlement activity, he said. Facebook

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Trump team seeks to ease fears on womens programs at State Department By Tracy Wilkinson ( Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Donald Trumps transition team said Friday its requests to the State Department for details on positions and funding for global womens programs were part of an effort to ensure and protect gender equality. The statement appeared to be an attempt to allay concerns that Trump might seek to cancel or roll back gender-focused programs at the State Department following a request by the transition team on Wednesday for information about them. Most were created or championed by Trumps campaign rival, Hillary Clinton, when she served as secretary of State during President Obamas first term. The transition team statement Friday did not outline Trumps plans for the programs, which seek to promote equality, education and vocational training for women around the world as well as combat gender-based violence. President-elect Trump will ensure the rights of women across the world are valued and protected, the statement said. To help fulfill this promise, the transition team inquired about existing programs at the State Department that helps [sic] foster gender equality, ends gender-based violence, and promotes economic and political participation  finding ways to improve them. The statement said the inquiry was one of hundreds of requests it sent to federal departments as part of the transition effort. Facebook

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Trump team asks State Department for details on programs aimed at helping women By Tracy Wilkinson Donald Trumps transition team has asked the State Department for details on programs aimed at benefiting women around the world, including identifying staff members who worked to reduce gender-based violence and promote women in the workplace. In an email sent to numerous State Department offices Wednesday, the president-elects transition team asked for urgent response to its inquiries about gender-related staffing, programming and funding. Many of the programs were begun or were championed by Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of State during President Obamas first term and who lost to Trump in November. The unusual request to the State Department follows a similar email to the Department of Energy. There the transition team asked for names of staff members who had worked on efforts to combat climate change, which Trump has dismissed as a hoax. Several Obama administration officials called that query chilling. The Trump team withdrew the request after it was widely criticized. The latest email suggests the incoming Trump administration will attempt to roll back some of the State Departments most innovative programs and may seek to penalize people who worked on them. People are freaked out, said a senior State Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The email asked the State Department to deliver issue papers from bureaus and offices (one paper max per bureau/office) outlining existing programs and activities to promote gender equality, such as ending gender-based violence, promoting womens participation in economic and political spheres, entrepreneurship, etc. It said the issue papers should note jobs whose primary functions are to promote such issues, as well as money allocated for those activities and programs in fiscal year 2017. While at State, Clinton made womens issues a top priority. An office was created to deal exclusively with global womens issues, and money was allocated for programs that promote education of girls, train women in marketable skills and offer microloans. Read More Facebook

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Trump taps seasoned Republican operative Sean Spicer as White House press secretary By Lisa Mascaro President-elect Donald Trump named Sean Spicer as his new press secretary, tapping a seasoned Republican operative as the public face of the new White House. Spicer, a top Republican National Committee strategist who brought a measure of establishment Washington to Trumps operation, is known for his combative but engaging approach to communications. He will likely take over the press podium as the top spokesman at the incoming White House. Two other veterans of the Trump campaigns press operation also will get White House jobs: Jason Miller, who had been Trumps communications chief after moving from the campaign of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, will stay in that role as communications director at the White House. Hope Hicks, who was Trumps spokesperson on the campaign trail and one of his earliest campaign aides, will be assistant to the president and director of strategic communications, and Dan Scavino will serve as director of social media. Sean, Hope, Jason and Dan have been key members of my team during the campaign and transition. I am excited they will be leading the team that will communicate my agenda that will Make America Great Again, Trump said in a statement. Facebook

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Obama eliminates post-9/11 registry for foreigners, making it harder for Trump to restart it By Brian Bennett (Don Emmert / AFP/Getty Images) The Obama administration is taking apart a controversial, dormant national registry program that tracked visitors from countries with active terrorist groups for several years following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. A final rule eliminating the program will be published in the federal register on Friday. The move would make it more difficult for President-elect Donald Trump to revive the registry, which hasnt been used since 2011. The Department of Homeland Security determined it was ineffective and didnt improve security. Civil rights advocates have long said the program was discriminatory. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to track Muslims coming to the U.S. and require them to register. He later changed his stance to say he would bar people from countries with a record of Islamist extremism. Trumps policy advisors have been looking closely at ways to jump start the registry, called the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, after he takes office at the end of January. With the program being officially dismantled on Friday, Trumps team would have to issue new federal rules to restart it, a process that could take several months and would require a period for soliciting comments from the public, which likely would be contentious. The Trump transition team is preparing several executive actions for the incoming president, Trump spokesman Jason Miller told reporters Thursday morning when asked about Obama dismantling the registry. Stopping radical Islamic terrorists from entering the U.S. is of paramount importance, Miller said. He didnt say directly if Trump would rebuild the visitor registry. The American people strongly support tough measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our country, and President-elect Trump has made clear that we will suspend admissions of those from countries with high terrorism rates and apply a strict vetting procedure for those seeking entry in order to protect American lives, he said. When asked on Wednesday if he would set up a registry for Muslims or impose a ban on Muslim immigrants in the wake of the truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, Trump said simply: You know my plans. Democratic lawmakers and civil liberties advocates have demanded in recent weeks that Obama dismantle the registry. Theyve cited a 2012 inspector general report that said Homeland Security databases collecting traveler fingerprints, flight manifests and intelligence information on foreigners are more effective at preventing terrorist attacks. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) praised the Homeland Security Departments decision to strip away dead-letter regulations no longer in use. These regulations symbolized an ineffective program based on religious and ethnic profiling, rather than individualized suspicion  a program based on fear, rather than reason, Leahy said in a statement. That has no place in this great country, under any administration. Facebook

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Trump is unwinding some foreign deals but many potential conflicts remain By Joseph Tanfani The Trump hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan, would be among the finest in the world, Donald Trump promised two years ago, another example of our involvement in only the best global development projects. But the dream of a world-class Trump Baku died this month, with Trump saying he was backing out of the deal because of delays and blown deadlines caused by the developer, a 34-year-old with close family connections to the countrys government. The demise of Trump Baku is not an isolated decision. With his inauguration less than a month away, President-elect Trumps company has pulled out of a few international business deals that might have created especially sticky conflicts and controversies for his administration. Read More Facebook

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Trump names UC Irvine professor and fierce China critic to new White House Trade Council By Don Lee Peter Navarro, left, and China expert Gordon Chang attend a screening of Death By China, the film adaptation of Navarros book, in New York in 2012. (Andy Kropa / Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump, signaling that he intends to follow through on his tough talk on trade, is establishing a new White House-based trade council to be headed by a vehement critic of Chinas economic policies. Trump on Wednesday named Peter Navarro, a Harvard-trained business professor at UC Irvine, as director of trade and industrial policy and head of the newly created White House National Trade Council. The move sends a strong message: The Trump administration will take a much more aggressive posture to shrink the nations large trade deficit and combat what the president-elect and Navarro believe are forces behind Americas manufacturing woes  unfair and mercantilist practices on the part of China and other trading partners. Read More Facebook

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The issue of race has hung over Sen. Jeff Sessions like a shadow. Heres why By Del Quentin Wilber (Scott Olson / AFP/Getty Images) Jeff Sessions uneasy history with race can be traced back to the long, winding country roads that cut through the pine forests and farm land in this deep corner of the Deep South. As a boy, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III began each day before dawn, boarding a segregated bus to his all-white school. En route he and his classmates passed the bus ferrying black students in the opposite direction. The day ended when he sat down to dinner each night with his father, an avowed segregationist until the end of his life. Reflecting on those years, Sessions acknowledged recently that he knew back then that segregation was morally wrong and regretted standing by passively as civil rights leaders in the 1960s struggled and died in the fight for equality. I should have stepped forward more and been a leader and more positive force, Sessions said in February while participating in a ceremony honoring the Selma foot soldiers. Read More Facebook

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Kellyanne Conway will join Trump in the White House By Evan Halper (Gerald Herber / Associated Press) Donald Trump has named his media-savvy campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, to advise him in the White House in the role of counselor, his transition team announced early Thursday morning. The move comes after Conway sought to put to rest speculation that she would continue to serve as the public face of the Trump team. But the new job is sure to keep her profile high. Conway will will work with senior leadership to effectively message and execute the administrations legislative priorities and actions, according to a statement from the Trump transition team. Kellyanne Conway has been a trusted advisor and strategist who played a crucial role in my victory, Trump said in the statement. She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on how to effectively communicate our message. The appointment would boost diversity in a Trump inner circle made up mostly of older white men. It also sets up another potentially competing power center on a White House staff that already will have several, including Reince Priebus, the chief of staff; Stephen K. Bannon, the chief strategist; and Stephen Miller, the policy chief. Conway had previously turned down other proposals for White House jobs, telling reporters late last month that she did not want to spend long hours away from her children. At that point, Conway said she thought she could best help Trump by forming an outside organization to support his policies. But that role appears to have gone to Brad Parscale, who ran Trumps online operations during the campaign. Conway joined Trumps campaign during the summer when it was beset with infighting and disarray. She is widely credited with helping bring message discipline and professionalism to an operation in desperate need of it. In the run-up to the election and the weeks that followed, Conway was a ubiquitous presence on cable news networks, capably moving through her talking points in tough interview settings  often on the firing line and held to account for the exaggerations and incendiary remarks Trump was prone to make on the campaign trail and Twitter. I am humbled and honored to play a role in helping transform the movement he has led into a real agenda of action and results, Conway said in the statement. She is the founder and owner of the Polling Company, inc./WomanTrend, a GOP firm that has been advising candidates for two decades. Trump has not yet chosen a press secretary. But he is believed to be considering several candidates. Sean Spicer, former communications chief of the Republican Party who has served in a spokesman role for Trump through the transition, has been a prominent possibility, although Trump reportedly has considered several women, including conservative talk radio star Laura Ingraham and Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle. Facebook

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Trump Hotel employees in Las Vegas get a union contract By Kurtis Lee (Mike Nelson / Getty Images) Its owned by President-elect Donald Trump and is among a handful of hotels on the Las Vegas Strip to not be unionized. But that will change soon. For more than a year, Trump and his staff at the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas have fought efforts by employees and the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 to negotiate a contract. But a four-year contract announced by the union on Wednesday will offer Trump employees annual wage increases, a pension and family healthcare, among other benefits. In Nevada, the culinary union is the states largest and most powerful, representing nearly 55,000 workers who serve cocktails and prepare food at hotels throughout the state. A majority of the unions members are Latino. Read More Facebook

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Wait! Dont cancel that Air Force One order just yet By Evan Halper Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2016 After Donald Trump scolded Boeing earlier this month for the escalating cost of building a new Air Force One, the companys CEO projected confidence that Trump wouldnt be following through with his threat to cancel order! The two men met together at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Wednesday. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said they spoke about a range of issues. The Air Force One project, which Trump complained would cost taxpayers more than $4 billion, invariably arose. Were going to get it done for less than that, and were committed to working together to make sure that happens, Muilenberg said. The company had previously noted that the project did not yet have a firm price tag. I was able to give the president-elect my personal commitment on behalf of the Boeing Company. This is a business thats important to us. We work on Air Force One because its important to our country, and were going to make sure that he gets the best capability and that its done affordably, Muilenberg added. He called the conversation terrific and Trump a good man who is doing the right thing. The presidential aircraft remains a long way from takeoff  a new plane wont be ready for use in the next four years. Even if Trump is reelected, he might not get to use the plane, as the earliest projected date for completion is 2024. Boeing is currently doing early development work on the plane  a modified 747  that will likely be outfitted with such gadgetry as top-secret communications equipment, countermeasures to foil missile attacks, and aerial refueling capability that would enable it to remain airborne for days at a time if necessary. The timing of delivery was among the topics that came up at Trumps meeting with the Boeing CEO. Thats what were going to work on together, Muilenberg said. We have an active 747 production line, and were eager to get started on the program. We havent actually started the build of the airplane yet, but once we finalize the requirements and make sure that its affordable, well launch on building the aircraft. Weve got a hot production line and were ready to go. The government actually has two planes outfitted to serve as Air Force One, which is the designation given to whichever plane is carrying the president. The current planes, which were put into service during the Reagan administration, are nearing the end of their design life. Facebook

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Fierce China critic and UC Irvine professor to head Trumps new trade council By Don Lee (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times) President-elect Donald Trump is establishing a new White House-based trade office that will be headed by a UC Irvine professor known for his fierce criticisms of Chinese trade and economic practices. In appointing Peter Navarro as director of trade and industrial policy and the head of the new National Trade Council inside the White House, Trump is signaling that he wants to follow through on his tough campaign rhetoric in which he blamed the Chinese for the large U.S. trade deficit and manufacturing woes. During the campaign,Trump threatened to slap a 45% tariff on Chinese imports. Navarro, a Harvard-trained economist who advised Trump during the campaign, is the author of the book Death by China: Confronting the Dragon  a Global Call to Action. Trump endorsed the 2011 book as well as Navarros film version of the polemical work. I read one of Peters books on Americas trade problems years ago and was impressed by the clarity of his arguments and thoroughness of his research, Trump said Wednesday in a statement announcing the appointment. He will fulfill an essential role in my administration as a trade advisor. Trump said the new trade office would develop policies to shrink the nations trade deficit and curb the off-shoring of jobs, as well as to lead initiatives such as the Buy America, Hire America program. Navarro, in a statement, said he would be honored to serve Trump and the nation and to advise on policies to re-balance our trade, rebuild our industrial base, and restore Americas comprehensive national power by making America great again. Facebook

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Trump stops the drain the swamp talk as new alligators emerge By Evan Halper Newt Gingrich. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press) It made for a great slogan during the campaign, but now that hes won, Donald Trump is finding that maybe he doesnt actually want to drain the swamp. In fact, the alligators seem to be doing quite well. Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski on Wednesday boasted about his access and proximity to Trump in announcing a new consulting firm he plans to open with former Trump campaign advisor Barry Bennett. The firms offices will be one block from the White House. Clients who pony up what are sure to be hefty fees for the firms services are being assured by Lewandowski in his marketing materials that he turned down multiple opportunities within the administration so he can serve them. The pitch implies Lewandowski will remain a de facto surrogate for Trump  with all the access that implies  as he bills those seeking to influence the Trump administration for his services. So perhaps the time is ripe for Trump to stop using the drain the swamp phrase. And that is what Trump has decided to do, according to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who describes himself as an outside advisor to the president-elect. Im told he now just disclaims that, Gingrich said in an interview on National Public Radio, referring to the slogan Trump used in the final phase of his campaign to crystallize his promise to cleanse Washington of insiders and self-dealers. He now says it was cute, but he doesnt want to use it anymore, Gingrich said, adding that perhaps all this swamp draining talk isnt presidential. Hes in a different role now and maybe he feels that as president, as the next president of the United States, that he should be marginally more dignified than talking about alligators in swamps, Gingrich said. I personally have, as a sense of humor, like the alligator and swamp language, he added. I think it vividly illustrates the problem, because all the people in this city who are the alligators are going to hate the swamp being drained. And theres going to be constant fighting over it. But, you know, he is my leader, and if he decides to drop the swamp and the alligator, I will drop the swamp and the alligator. Lewandowski, for his part, made no mention of swamps or alligators in announcing his new consulting firm would be open for business. Proud to launch our new venture today to support @realDonaldTrump achieve his agenda in Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/ZEot6IrvJ4  Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) December 21, 2016 Facebook

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Death penalty in steep decline, but not in Los Angeles County By David Savage Lonnie Franklin Jr. was tried and convicted of 10 counts of murder. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County and the state of California again recorded the most new death sentences this year, amid a sharp decline across the nation in both executions and new death sentences. Judges and juries in Los Angeles County imposed a death sentence on four murderers during 2016, including Lonnie Franklin Jr., the so-called Grim Sleeper, who was convicted of killing 10 women. No other county had more than one death sentence, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Since 2010, Los Angeles County has recorded 36 new death sentences, more than any county in the nation. This year marked the first time in more than 40 years where no state recorded 10 or more new death sentences, the group said in its year-end report. California had the most with nine, followed by Ohio (five), Texas (four), Alabama (three) and Florida (two). California has by far the nations largest death row, with 750 condemned inmates, but it has not carried out an execution in the past decade. Overall, the report documented the steep decline for capital punishment over the past two decades. The number of new death sentences had fallen by 90%, from 315 in 1996 to only 30 this year. And the number of executions has fallen from a high of 98 in 1999 to 20 this year. Georgia (nine) and Texas (seven) accounted for most of the executions. The only other states to put inmates to death were Alabama (two), Missouri (one) and Florida (one). Robert Dunham, the groups executive director, says the nation is clearly turning away from capital punishment. Whether its concerns about innocence, costs and discrimination, availability of life without parole as a safe alternative, or the questionable way in which states are attempting to carry out executions, the public grows increasingly uncomfortable with the death penalty each year, he said. But his report noted that Californias voters, by a 53%-47% margin, rejected a ballot measure to abolish the death penalty, and narrowly approved a measure, by a 51%-49% margin, to limit appeals and expedite executions. Facebook

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New survey finds less optimistic Democrats seeking many paths to their future success By Cathleen Decker (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Since Hillary Clintons November defeat, Democrats have squabbled over how to return to prominence. Should they continue to court ascendant voter groups in the country, such as women, minorities and young people? Or should they turn to those who have long been in their camp but abandoned the party nominee this year, such as rural and non-college-educated voters. The answer, according to a Pew Research poll published Tuesday: Democrats want to walk both paths, simultaneously. The poll asked Democrats and Republicans whether their parties had spent too much, too little or just the right amount of time meeting the interests and concerns of specific groups of voters. Among Democrats, 64% said the party had spent too little time talking to rural voters, and 58% said the same about non-college voters. Almost two-thirds of Democrats said low-income voters had not gotten enough of the partys attention, and 58% said middle-class voters had been ignored to some extent. But Democratic voters did not want to let up on the partys outreach to its stronger supporters this year. About half said that the concerns of women and African American voters had gotten too little attention, while 43% said the same about Latinos. In the case of women, African Americans, Latinos, low-income voters, rural residents and younger voters, Democrats were substantially more likely than Republicans to say their party had not put enough emphasis on the groups concerns. The poll suggested far more confidence by Republicans than Democrats in their partys current positioning. Much of that may simply be the flood of confidence that accompanies a presidential victory. When the pollsters asked before the election about their view of their party, 61% of Republicans said they were optimistic, as did 77% of Democrats about their own party. After the election those figures reversed, with 79% of Republicans optimistic compared with 61% of Democrats. A key to Trumps success also was evident in the poll: a chameleon-like ability to make the different ideological groups in the party think he was one of them. Almost 3 in 5 conservatives said that Trumps views were conservative. And among moderates, 52% said that Trumps ideology was a mix of conservative and liberal, echoing their own posture. But queries about the new presidents impact on his party drew sharply partisan responses. More than two-thirds of all voters said that Trump had forced major changes on his party. Yet 72% of Democrats cast those changes as bad ones, while 83% of Republicans cast the changes as good ones. Facebook

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The artist and the senator: One built a desert masterpiece, the other a Nevada legacy By Lisa Mascaro When Sen. Harry Reid heard about a reclusive artist building a massive land sculpture across desolate acres in the Nevada desert, he knew they should meet. Its not just that Reid enjoys eccentrics and fighters, which he does. Michael Heizer had found an unusual way to express the majesty  and artistry  of the same lonely Nevada landscape that formed Reids childhood, when he would escape the dismal, rugged conditions of tiny Searchlight to play in the deserts hidden springs and abandoned fortresses. Both men discovered in Nevada what many outsiders miss. Far from seeing a nuclear wasteland, a dumping site or even a playground for gamblers, they drew inspiration from Nevadas quiet beauty. Heizer created an American masterpiece  a milelong complex of dirt, rock and cement rising from the desert floor like modern-day pyramids or the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. For Reid, his appreciation for Nevadas unique landscape became a cornerstone of one of the most lasting yet less-familiar pieces of his political legacy. Read More Artist Michael Heizer and Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) speak in the Capitol. (Lisa Mascaro / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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With 304 votes, electoral college seals Donald Trumps election as president  despite more desertions than ever By Michael Finnegan They convened amid unusual scrutiny, widespread protests and rafts of speculation about efforts to alter the outcome, but, in the end, the nations 538 presidential electors mostly stuck to the script Monday, formally sealing Donald Trumps victory with 304 votes in the electoral college, well above what he needed to capture the White House. After all the efforts to lobby Republican electors to desert Trump, only two did  a pair from Texas, one of whom voted for former Texas Rep. Ron Paul and the other for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Indeed, instead of an uprising against Trump, the days voting was punctuated more by small, but persistent, gestures of Democratic discontent with Hillary Clinton. A handful of electors deserted her and a few more tried to, but were deterred by state faithless elector laws. Some of the Democratic dissenters were supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who lost the primaries to Clinton but galvanized the partys left wing. Others were backers of an abortive effort that had tried to recruit Democrats and Republicans to unite behind a third candidate other than Clinton or Trump. In the end, seven electors voted for a person other than the candidate who won their states  the largest number of electoral college desertions in a presidential contest in U.S. history, eclipsing a record set in 1808. Read More Facebook

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As electoral college meetings end in Hawaii, Bernie Sanders gets a vote that will stick By Michael A. Memoli David Mulinix, Hawaii elector who voted for Sanders, said Clinton wasn't qualified. Also said @POTUS wasn't progressive, but "conservative" pic.twitter.com/miCnZ6PzXI  Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) December 20, 2016 The last of the 50 states gave Bernie Sanders his first electoral college vote that counted. Hillary Clinton received three of the states four electoral votes after winning 60% of the popular vote here last month. But one elector, David Mulinix, said he cast his vote for the Vermont senator because he was the most qualified candidate. They can call me faithless, but the point is if we dont think someones qualified  and Hillary Clinton I do not feel is qualified, he said. Hawaiis electors are chosen by the major parties at their state conventions. Mulinix said he joined the party only this election cycle to support Sanders, who he said would have been elected president had he been the Democratic nominee. He had previously told the Associated Press he would cast his vote for Clinton, but said he changed his mind at the last minute. She did not lose the vote to Russian hackers; she lost the vote right there at the convention, he said, referring to the Democratic National Convention, where he said Sanders backers were treated unfairly. They robbed us, and the millennials know it. Mulinix, who, like his fellow electors, wore a lei made of green jade flowers, arrived for the vote with a list of candidates who had received votes in other electoral college meetings across the country. He was aware that an elector in Maine had tried to vote for Sanders but that his vote had been invalidated. An election official said the vote for Sanders here would count. The brief proceedings here in a nondescript conference room on the state Capitols third floor began with another elector, John Bickel, asking whether there was any penalty for electors who cast their ballots for someone other than the winner of the statewide vote. He said later that he had asked because he suspected someone might stray. The electoral college is outdated. If any election has proved the electoral college is outdated, its this one, Bickel said. Dolly Strazar, another elector and the vice chair of the state Democratic Party, said she had long supported the electoral college because it ensured some degree of competition between large states and small ones like Hawaii. It really seems in our times, its thoroughly outdated, she said. Janice Bond, the fourth elector, said she would have voted for Sanders but did not believe she was able to. She also expressed regret that President Obama, who was born in Hawaii and is vacationing here with his family, did not attend the meeting. To have him be on our island and not show face was disappointing, she said. Facebook

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No fireworks as Nevada electors cast votes for Clinton By David Montero Nevadas six electors cast their votes for Hillary Clinton on Monday afternoon in Carson City, reflecting her victory in the swing state despite losing the overall electoral college vote to President-elect Donald Trump. Clinton won Nevada by almost 3 points over Trump, and the swing state was one of her few bright spots on election day. The six electors  five from northern Nevada and one from Las Vegas  cast their ballots before about 75 people who had packed into the Old Assembly Chambers of the state Capitol. A few brought signs in support of Clinton, and there was some applause when the votes were cast. It all took place in less than a half-hour. No fireworks, said Wayne Thorley, deputy secretary of state for elections. He said about 40 people showed up in front of the state Capitol in the morning in sub-freezing temperatures to also show support for Clinton. Thorley said he hadnt anticipated a lot of controversy as the electors were required to sign a pledge before voting that said they wouldnt deviate from Nevadas Nov. 8 election results. Facebook

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In solemn ceremony, California electors cast votes for Hillary Clinton By Melanie Mason Casting my electoral vote for President and Vice President of the United States of .... https://t.co/jI2FGFCrVg pic.twitter.com/qufSJUM5WF  Susan Eggman (@SusanEggman) December 19, 2016 In a proceeding long on formalities and short on speeches, Californias 55 electors cast their vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Monday, a ceremony that coincided almost exactly with Republican Donald Trump clinching the national electoral college win. Contrasting with the spirited protests outside the state Capitol, the mood in the state Assembly chambers was muted, even a bit glum, as electors, tapped by the states Democratic establishment, convened to cast their votes for Clinton. California, which overwhelmingly backed Clinton in the presidential contest, requires all 55 electors to back the states winner. Todays solemnity and formality reminds us that in our nation, American greatness and American independence, rests on a foundation of law, said Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Cordova), who presided over the event. As written ballots were distributed, the room was completely silent, save for the clicking of camera shutters. Just moments before voting began, Trump, Clintons rival, had secured the electoral college win, with Texas, Californias perennial rival, putting him over the top. His victory went unacknowledged in the ceremony. Among the electors were current elected officials, such as Assemblywomen Susan Talamantes Eggman of Stockton and Shirley Weber of San Diego. Others included Christine Pelosi, daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Laphonza Butler, leader of the powerful labor union SEIU in California. Electors did not make individual speeches during the main ceremony, and Trumps name was hardly mentioned. But there were subtle references to the rancorous political season: Rev. Bob Oshita, the Assembly chaplain and former reverend of the Sacramento Buddhist Church, urged leaders to engage in calming self-reflection in an opening prayer. The tone grew considerably sharper at the end of the gathering, when Pelosi offered a motion calling for an investigation into Russian efforts to influence the election outcome. I move that as an Electoral College, we do not normalize this election. We do not accept Russian interference in our election, Pelosi said. Her motion was adopted by electors, with applause. View Twitter post This post was updated at 3:32 p.m. with comments from Christine Pelosi. It was originally published at 3:12 p.m. Facebook

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All of Floridas electoral votes go to Trump By Gray Rohrer Floridas electors applaud as the vote for Donald Trump is announced at the state Capitol in Tallahassee on Monday. (Steve Cannon / Associated Press) Donald Trump officially won all 29 of Floridas electoral college votes on Monday during a ceremony held at the Capitol in Tallahassee, despite pleas from protesters to electors to change their vote at the last minute. About 100 protesters gathered outside the Florida Senate chambers before the vote, chanting love trumps hate and flip the vote and holding signs that read Vote Your Conscience, Dont Make Russia Great Again! The electors, made up of Republican Party of Florida members and high-ranking elected officials like state Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi, Senate President Joe Negron and state party chairman Blaise Ingoglia, did their best to ignore the protesters. Read More Facebook

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Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim was a Trump nemesis. Now the president-elect says hes wonderful By Evan Halper Donald Trump has decided that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, one of his favorite villains during the presidential election, might not be so bad after all. Hes even wonderful, Trump now says. The two dined together Saturday at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, after which Trump had only nice things to say about Slim, according to a report in the Washington Post. Trump described the interaction with his erstwhile nemesis as a lovely dinner with a wonderful man. This is not how Trump talked about Slim, one of the worlds richest men, during the election. The Mexican billionaire was a regular target of the then-GOP nominee because of his large ownership stake in the New York Times. Add to that Slims generous contributions to the Clinton Foundation and his citizenship in the country Trump reveled in attacking, and he made for good fodder at Trump rallies. When Trump objected to the New York Times coverage of his campaign  and its reporting on the allegations by multiple women of past inappropriate sexual advances by Trump  he alleged it was all part of a conspiracy cooked up by Slim. Trump called the outlets reporters corporate lobbyists for Carlos Slim and for Hillary Clinton. The New York Times called Trumps charges a fabrication, saying Slim had never inserted himself in editorial decision making there. And Trump offered no evidence to the contrary. A spokesman for Slim said at the time the two had never met, and the Mexican businessman had no interest in involving himself in the U.S. election. Now theyve met. The takeaway from the meeting, though, is murky. Maybe it indicates Trump is softening his posture toward Mexico  or maybe it just indicates billionaires enjoy the company of other billionaires. Facebook

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Meet the California electors By Liam Dillon Among the electors are Janine Bera, the wife of Rep. Ami Bera of Elk Grove; Christine Pelosi, the daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and chairwoman of the state partys womens caucus; Eileen Feinstein Mariano, granddaughter of Sen. Dianne Feinstein; and Olivia Reyes-Becerra, daughter of Rep. Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles. State Assemblywomen Susan Eggman of Stockton and Shirley Weber of San Diego, former state Sen. Christine Kehoe of San Diego, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez and Laphonza Butler, president of the Service Employees International Union chapter that represents home care employees, also are on the list. Read More Facebook

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Three Washington state Democratic electors vote for Gen. Colin Powell, one for Faith Spotted Eagle By Rick Anderson (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press) Despite a statute binding the 12 members of the electoral college to vote for the winner of the states 2016 presidential election popular vote, four Washington electors made history and risked a $1,000 fine by voting for someone else Monday. But it wasnt Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton, supported by 57% of the states voters, wound up with eight of the 12 electoral votes at a session held in the State Capitol building here. Gen. Colin Powell received three votes. And Faith Spotted Eagle, an elder of the Yankton Sioux, received one. Read More Facebook

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Colorado elector says he was oppressed by state law into voting for Clinton By David Kelly In Denver, all nine electors voted for Hillary Clinton, after one was replaced for casting his ballot for Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich instead. A boisterous crowd packed the state Capitol and booed when elector Michael Baca was dismissed and another sworn in to take his place. Vote your conscience! someone cried. The new elector voted for Clinton. Hecklers screamed Resign! Resign! at Secretary of State Wayne Williams after he shooed Bacas lawyer off the podium. Suspense had been building for weeks over how the electors would vote. Two courts blocked their attempts to vote for someone other than Clinton. State law here says electors must support the candidate who won the popular vote. On Sunday night they went to court again, this time asking a judge to reject a new oath drawn up by the secretary of state requiring electors to pledge to support the winner of the popular vote. Their motion was denied. As they waited, the crowd sang This Land is Your Land and America the Beautiful. But once the electors filed in, it was over quickly. Elector Robert Nemanich said he was oppressed by state law into voting for Clinton and would go to the U.S. Supreme Court. He did not elaborate. Lance Armstrong, 68, stood outside with an American flag. Im glad some of the electors made a point today, he said. Any point is better than none. Facebook

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Trump officially gets 270th electoral vote, sealing his election as president By Julie Westfall Donald Trump has obtained the required 270 electoral votes to become president. Although electors in dozens of states still have to vote, the electoral balloting in Texas put Trump over the majority threshold, according to a state-by-state tally by the Associated Press. Thirty-six of the states electors voted for Trump, one for John Kasich and one for Ron Paul. The next, and last, official step in the electoral process is for Congress to count the votes. Under the procedure set out by the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, that formal process is scheduled for Jan. 6. Some anti-Trump activists had hoped against hope that they could persuade electors in states that voted for Trump to defect, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Electors are nearly all party loyalists. Additionally, they faced more than two centuries of tradition and, in some states, legal obligations that called for them to cast their ballots according to which candidate won the popular vote in their states. No defectors have ever changed the result of a presidential election. Four electors today successfully defected in Washington state. Instead of voting for Hillary Clinton, who won the states popular vote, three electors voted for former secretary of State Colin Powell and one voted for Faith Spotted Eagle, an environmental activist. Electors in two other states who tried to vote against the states winner were replaced with alternates. There may be additional defections in the remaining states, but since Trump now has a majority of the electoral votes, those would not be enough to change the result. Facebook

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Emotions high in Maryland as electors unanimously vote for Clinton By Erin Cox (Erin Cox/Baltimore Sun) As Marylands 10 electors unanimously cast votes for Democrat Hillary Clinton for president Monday, several said they were privileged to vote for the countys first female presidential nominee. Outside, hundreds of anti-Trump protesters cheered as the solemn ceremony unfolded on live-stream television. A state delegate, who had the ceremonial task of handing the electors votes to another official, wept while executing her duty. This is an emotional moment for many, many women in this country and in this state, said Del. Maggie McIntosh, a Baltimore Democrat. She added later: I guess I didnt cry enough on Nov. 8. Marylands electors were bound by state law to vote for the winner of Marylands popular vote, which Clinton secured with more than 60% of the ballots cast. About 100 protesters who had been chanting and singing around the historic State House grounds for at least four hours before the vote said they came in solidarity with protesters in Republican state capitols, pleading with electors not to endorse President-elect Donald Trump. This is appalling and unacceptable, and Im hoping the Republicans, in particular, rise above and do the right thing, said Cheryl Kreiser, a retired teacher from the Washington, D.C., suburb of Silver Spring. For an hour every day for the last 21 days, Kreiser has protested Trumps win on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It was the only way I could cope with the disappointment, she said. Marylands Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who wrote in his fathers name rather than vote for Trump on election day, opened Marylands 58th electoral college meeting but left the room before electors were sworn in. Each elector had been appointed by the Maryland Democratic Party state chair, Bruce Poole, who reminded the crowd the United States is not a direct democracy ruled by the popular vote. A lot of people lose sight of the fact that were a republic. Were not a democracy, Poole said. The whole idea was that the president would not be chosen just by the whims of the moment, but instead there would be an opportunity for people who were thoughtful, who had judgment, who had integrity to take a step back from the moment of emotion and consider what would be in the best interest of the country. Here is "the old book" where Maryland has recorded its Electoral College electors every year since 1789. pic.twitter.com/GlsaJd3F3X  Erin Cox (@ErinatThePost) December 19, 2016 Before he introduced Marylands electors, Poole lamented the state of political discourse in the country. We live in the age of information. It is not necessarily the age of wisdom or age of judgment, he said. People on both sides, on all sides, make decisions at the snap of a finger. Maryland was both the model for creating the electoral college and the first state in the country to vote to bypass it. Framers modeled todays system after the way the Maryland House of Delegates selected Maryland senators, a process the state later abandoned after it was considered undemocratic, according to a history of the electoral college written by staff at the Maryland Board of Elections. Hogan noted the state is one of six to have participated every year since 1789. In 2007, Maryland was the first state to vote to sign the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, a promise designed to award the electoral college to the winner of the national popular vote. It required enough states to comprise 270 votes to sign on for it to take effect. So far, only 10 states  including California  with a combined 165 votes have signed the compact. The president of Marylands electors, Courtney Watson, also co-chaired Clintons campaign in Maryland. She said she thought changes to the electoral college should be considered and described Monday as a poignant moment for Maryland residents. Its a very emotional time, she said. Many of us have worked long and hard, and for the first woman candidate. The point, though, is that people are still moved and even more engaged. And thats what I find promising for our future and the future of women. Facebook

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Christine Pelosi, daughter of Nancy Pelosi and California elector, demands to know the truth about Russian influence By Jazmine Ulloa Elector @sfpelosi: We won't stand down. #caleg pic.twitter.com/4cM3cE4Wb6  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) December 19, 2016 California elector Christine Pelosi on Monday told crowds gathered outside the Capitol that she has been part of a chorus of people demanding to know the truth about Russian interference in the November presidential election. Pelosi, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosis daughter, is leading 10 other electors in a call for an intelligence briefing on Russian influence. Shouting into a microphone Monday, she said Russian hackers aim to turn the American people against each other and had marginalized her and others for speaking out. They trespass on servers, she said. They receive stolen emails. They pump out stories that day after day focus on scandal rather than policy, rather than talking about climate and immigration and human rights. Californias meeting of electors is about to get underway in the state Capitol. Facebook

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After prayer for national unity, Georgia electors vote for Trump By Jenny Jarvie Outside the Georgia Capitol today, some may have held a flicker of hope that a GOP elector would refuse to cast a ballot for Donald Trump as 45th president of the United States. Yet among the inner circle of Republicans who gathered inside the cozy, wood-paneled Senate chamber, there was little doubt about what would unfold. One by one, all 16 electors - dressed in formal business suits and red dresses, bow ties and blazers -- cast their ballots for the contentious Republican candidate. It was a short ceremony, with little opportunity for disruption. Security guards prevented the public from entering the chamber, cordoning off the hallway outside the room with a red rope and locking the main door before proceedings began. The electors chosen by Georgias Republican Party included well-connected attorneys and real estate agents, a high school teacher and a farmer. As they waited for the gathering to begin, many snapped selfies and waved at loved ones above in the upper gallery. After a call to order by the Georgia Republican Party chair, the electors bowed their heads, and Rachel Little, an elector and grass-roots Republican organizer, delivered an invocation. Lord, we know we are a divided country right now, she said. We pray that you will unite us.  We pray that [those who oppose Trump] will see our conservatism lived out in a gracious way. In a short speech, Gov. Nathan Deal hit out at activists who had bombarded electors with emails, letters and phone calls in an effort to sway their votes. You have been the subject of harassment by those who perhaps are not as dedicated to the proposition of what this body is supposed to do as they are agitated by the fact that the people didnt do what they wanted them to do. I have every confidence you will not succumb to that, Deal told the electors. My words to you: Do your job. Shortly before the electors cast their ballots, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, a Republican who represents Georgias 11th District, took to the podium to present a short history of the electoral college. Our founders actually despised the idea of democracy because mob rule often results in a decision made out of pure emotion, Loudermilk told the electors, after referencing the noise of protesters outside. It does not result in good government. In fact, our founders often cited the historic trial of Jesus as how mob rule does not work. The electoral college was devised to protect the integrity of government, Loudermilk said. To protect those who live in the rural areas of America, those who work, those who are part of the farming communities and part of the industrial communities, those who live and work every day, that their interests are protected as well of those who make their living on Wall Street. For a moment earlier this year, there was an inkling of a Republican revolt against Trump in Georgia. In August, Baoky Vu, a GOP elector based in Decatur, Ga., admitted he might not cast his ballot for Trump if he won. Within hours, however, he was forced to resign. Trump went on to win 51% of Georgias popular vote. On Monday, Vu did not show up at the Capitol, and he was formally replaced by a solid Trump backer, John Padgett, the chairman of the Georgia Republican party. There seems little chance that Georgia legislators might vote to overhaul the electoral college. Earlier this year, Republican legislators authored two bipartisan pieces of legislation in Georgias House and Senate that would have made Georgias electoral votes based solely on the outcome of the national popular vote. Yet both bills stalled, and Republicans say there is little momentum to revive the debate. The system prevents the tyranny of the majority, said Kirk Shook, an elector who is a high school teacher in rural Oconee County. He scoffed at those who, since the election, had sought to overhaul the electoral college system. Theres all this weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, Shook said of those who opposed Trumps win. And rightly so. Theres going to be a Republican president, a Republican Congress and a Republican Supreme Court. With the stroke of a pen, 90 percent of what Obama considered his legacy will be gone. Facebook

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Four Washington state electors defect from Clinton; one chooses Faith Spotted Eagle instead By Associated Press (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press) Four members of the electoral college in Washington state cast their votes for a candidate other than Democrat Hillary Clinton, who won the states popular vote. Its the first time in four decades the states electors have broken from the popular vote for president. Washingtons 12 electors met Monday afternoon in the state Capitol to complete the constitutional formality. Clinton got eight votes while other candidates got the remaining four. Elector Bret Chiafalo, who earlier in the day said he planned to vote for Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, said that he ultimately changed his vote to former Secretary of State Colin Powell after conversations with other Washington electors. The exact breakdown of the other four votes wasnt immediately known, although at least one vote was cast for Faith Spotted Eagle. In last months election, Republican Donald Trump won 306 electoral votes to Clintons 232, though Clintons tally will now be lower. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win. The last time an elector broke from the popular vote in Washington was in 1976, when Mike Padden, who is currently a Republican state senator, voted for Ronald Reagan instead of Gerald Ford, who had won the state. Facebook

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Hundreds protest the electoral college at Capitol building in Sacramento By Jazmine Ulloa Protesters are now chanting, "hey hey ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go" pic.twitter.com/4nNyTMroI5  Marcus Yam  (@yamphoto) December 19, 2016 Cheers and chants of U.S.A and Keep him out filled the air Monday, as dozens of protestors gathered outside the California Capitol in a last ditch attempt to sway the electoral college from voting for president-elect Donald Trump. Speakers called Trump a celebrity and authoritarian unfit for the presidency. And they urged Congress to do away with the electoral college process, which they described as an outdated and broken system susceptible to foreign influence and manipulation. This is a secret system of voting where we are not allowed to see where the votes are actually coming from or how they are counted, Brent Turner, with the movement organization Democracy Spring, shouted into a microphone. John Franco, 52, says the electoral college is an outdated system that can be manipulated with or without hackers. #caleg pic.twitter.com/fs2L2W2HKp  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) December 19, 2016 John Franco, a 52-year-old business owner visiting Sacramento from New Orleans, said he came to the demonstration with his family to protest that secret process. We dont feel a system that can be manipulated represents the interests of the people who voted for Hillary Clinton, he said. Rochelle Towers was among hundreds to protest at the CA Capitol today: "I'll take any shot that there is. #caleg https://t.co/QcOhWklrpx pic.twitter.com/mtx76NjdEW  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) December 20, 2016 Rochelle Towers, 68, said she drove in from Oakland in an attempt to persuade the electoral college from voting for Trump. She said she would not have to live through a lot of what its decision would set in motion. But my children and grandchildren will, she said. Even though this is a real long shot, Ill take any shot that there is. Facebook

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Colorado elector removed after refusing to vote for Clinton By David Kelly A new elector is sworn in in Colorado after one refused to vote for Hillary Clinton. (David Kelly / Los Angeles Times) Eight of nine Colorado electors have voted for Hillary Clinton. One elector, Michael Baca, refused to vote for Clinton and was immediately replaced with an alternate, who was sworn in on the spot. As the crowd jeered, the new elector promptly voted for Clinton. Shouts of Resign! followed Secretary of State Wayne Williams announcement of the results. Protesters at the state capitol in Colorado. (David Kelly/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Electors say they have been barraged with emails By Nigel Duara View Twitter post Arizona elector J. Foster Morgan said he had received several letters protesting the election of Donald Trump, but experienced nothing on the scale of some his fellow Arizona electors whose email addresses were distributed to protest lists. They heard the worst thing imaginable, Morgan said. I just got a few letters. Despite protests outside the meeting, Morgan said, the vote went fine. Eleven votes for Donald Trump. Facebook

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Democratic electors in Minnesota and Maine try to vote for Bernie Sanders By Associated Press (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) A second elector  this one in Minnesota  has refused to cast a vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton in Mondays electoral college tally. It wasnt immediately clear why Muhammad Abdurrahman didnt vote for Clinton, but he was a delegate for Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention. The electors are pledged to cast Minnesotas 10 electoral votes for Clinton since she won the state. Abdurrahman was immediately replaced by an alternate who later voted for Clinton. Earlier in the day, a so-called faithless elector in Maine cast his vote for Sanders, who lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Clinton. David Bright said on his Facebook page that he cast his vote for Sanders because voting for Clinton would not have helped her win. But he ultimately voted for Clinton on a second vote after being ruled out of order. Facebook

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Utah voting goes off without incident  six for Trump By David Montero A protest sign outside the gathering of Utah electors (Rick Bowmer / Associated Press) Despite chants of vote your conscience and the whole world is watching from more than 100 protesters, Utahs six electors cast their votes for President-elect Donald Trump today in Salt Lake City. Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox announced the official results within minutes of the votes being cast, but he was drowned out by jeers of Shame on you by the protesters. I hope you know this is what our country is all about, Cox said. I hope all of us here are sincerely grateful we live in a country where we have the opportunity to express ourselves. The six electors -- two small-business owners, a custom metal worker, a farmer, a Brigham Young University professor and a Republican activist -- quickly introduced themselves before casting their ballots. The votes were largely a formality, as the state requires electors to vote for the winner. Trump defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by getting 45%t of the vote. He also withstood a challenge from Evan McMullin, who garnered 21% in what was largely a protest vote from those, many of them Mormons, who felt uncomfortable casting a ballot for Trump. Cox said the turnout for this years electoral vote was a far cry from 2012, when four people and one camera crew showed up. Im a big fan of the electoral college, Cox said to the restless crowd. You dont have to boo me now. You can boo me later. About 200 protesters and Trump supporters arrived in the rotunda of the state Capitol about three hours before the votes were cast shortly after noon. The room where the votes were cast was too small to accommodate everyone, and the fire marshal sought to limit occupancy to about 130 people. Interest was high, and the vote even drew Hawthorn Elementary School students, who helped lead the room in the Pledge of Allegiance. Cox thanked them for coming and told them they were getting an experience youll never forget. Facebook

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Clinton elector balks in Minnesota One of 10 Minnesota electors has decided not cast a vote, Muhammad Abdurrahan. An alternate is now being sworn in. #ElectoralCollege pic.twitter.com/4eN1PIrZdO  Dylan Wohlenhaus (@DylanWohlenhaus) December 19, 2016 In Minnesota, where the 10 electors had all pledged their votes to Hillary Clinton, one of them refused to go through with it. Elector Muhammad Abdurrahman opted not to vote. He was replaced by an alternate, who cast a vote for Clinton. Facebook

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As Pennsylvania went unanimously for Trump, a voice from the back: Thank you By Steve Esack Electors sworn in in Pennsylvania (Matt Rourke/Associated Press) In Pennsylvanias capital of Harrisburg, the states 20 electoral college voters selected Trump today in a ceremony marked by traditional pomp and bellowing protests. Trump won the popular vote in Pennsylvania by 44,292 votes  the first Republican presidential candidate to do so since 1988. It earned him the states 20 electoral college votes. When the result was announced shortly before 1 p.m. inside the gilded, ornate House chamber, protesters jeered and supporters cheered. Shame on you, a womans voice called down from the public balcony. Thank you, a male voters voice responded back from the floor. Facebook

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How some electors have reacted to all the mail from voters Facebook

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Protesters outside Florida Senate chambers: Trump is dangerous By Gray Rohrer Protesters gather outside the Florida Senate chambers ahead of the electoral college voting ceremony. (Gray Rohrer / Orlando Sentinel) A group of about 100 protesters huddled outside the Florida Senate chambers Monday morning as Floridas 29 electors prepared to cast their votes for Donald Trump in the formal electoral eollege vote ceremony later in the day. The protesters held signs that read You can fix this, keep America free, What would Hamilton do? and Electors: Protect Us, Trump is Dangerous, pleading for electors to change their minds and not vote for Trump, who beat Hillary Clinton by 112,911 votes in Florida, about 1.2%t of all votes cast in the state. Tallahassee resident Bonnie McCluskey held a sign reading Send it to the House. If enough electors across the country do not vote for Trump, hell fall short of the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency, sending the matter to the U.S. House. The reason Im here is because I dont trust [Trump]) and I think he will harm the United States, McCluskey said. My grandmothers were suffragettes; their ancestors were willing to be traitors to the British crown to create this democracy and I dont want to see it end. And that sounds awfully dramatic but thats how Im feeling. She said that part of the reason she doesnt trust Trump is because he didnt pay a company she worked for that did promotional videos for his buildings in 1998. They were basically given the opportunity to take 10 percent or go to court. Back then I didnt realize that was his business plan, McCluskey said. I didnt make the deal with him I was just one of the people who saw a company go bankrupt. Despite the pleas from protesters, all of Floridas electors are expected to vote for Trump. Some, such as Florida Senate President Joe Negron, have posted pictures of hundreds of letters theyve received asking them to change their vote but declaring theyll be voting for the Republican candidate. Facebook

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Colorado electors make last-ditch plea to switch votes By David Kelly Crowds await the electoral college vote at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. (David Kelly / For The Times) Colorado electors are trying a last-chance legal appeal to avoid voting for Hillary Clinton, and instead vote for an alternative candidate to replace Donald Trump. A week ago, a district court judge told them they had to vote for Clinton, who won the popular vote in Colorado. A few days ago, a federal appeals court upheld that decision. But just hours before the vote today, two electors filed suit to stop the Colorado secretary of state from requiring them to swear to vote for the candidate supported by the electorate. Their effort is part of a loose national scheme to defeat Trump by persuading Republican electors to join with Democrats, such as those in Colorado, and coalesce around an alternative candidate. There has been no decision so far. Facebook

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Chants of Shame! erupt as Wisconsin electors cast ballots for Trump By Bill Ruthhart Demonstrators erupt after Wisconsin's 10 presidential electors cast their #ElectoralCollege ballots for Republican Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/A0GrASaIbY  Bill Ruthhart (@BillRuthhart) December 19, 2016 Wisconsins 10 presidential electors unanimously cast their ballots for Republican Donald Trump as expected Wednesday, but the vote still drew chants of Shame from dozens of demonstrators who had pleaded for them to back away from the president-elect. The typically procedural vote in a fourth-floor conference room in the Wisconsin State Capitol was anything but routine as about 150 protesters greeted the 10 electors with signs pleading for them to vote your conscience not your pledge. In a short 15-minute meeting, the electors quickly cast their ballots for Trump. They did not address the controversial nature of the election and no speeches were made before the 
Scientists at the giant multinational energy company then known as Exxon were aware as early as the 1970s that burning products made from oil would contribute to global warming and, eventually, raise sea levels and alter climates.

Investigative reports published in 2015 by The Times and Inside Climate News found that the company made internal calculations about how such changes would affect its business  recognizing, for instance, that the polar ice caps were shrinking and that the companys operations in the Arctic could change dramatically as a result. But even as it privately schemed about how to handle the risks and benefits of climate change, the oil giant publicly argued that the science it knew to be right was actually murky. For years, Exxon financed projects aimed at undermining the growing scientific consensus about global warming, and continued to sell stock to investors without acknowledging either the dangers to the world of burning fossil fuels  or the threats that rising and more volatile seas posed to the companys own offshore drilling operations and coastal installations, among other climate change-related business risks.

The gap between what Exxon officials knew to be true and what they said publicly suggests both hypocrisy and a lack of concern about the fate of the planet. But whether the company violated securities law in the process is another question. That is the subject of investigations by several state attorneys general, led by those in New York and Massachusetts, who have subpoenaed hundreds of thousands of pages of documents. California has its own inquiry underway, though Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris has offered no details and her department officially has no comment on a potential or ongoing investigation. Separately, the federal Securities and Exchange Commission is also reviewing actions by Exxon Mobil, as the corporation has been known since a 1999 merger.

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Exxon Mobil has responded to the state subpoenas, but it also is trying to persuade a federal judge in Texas to close down the Massachusetts investigation, accusing the state of trampling its 1st Amendment rights. Whether a federal judge in Texas would have authority to interfere in an ongoing state investigation in Massachusetts is the subject of yet more legal wrangling.

At the same time, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the oil-friendly chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, has demanded documents from the ongoing state investigations, including from Harris office  a troubling attempt by Congress to interfere in state-level criminal investigations. Smiths committee also has sought documents from independent environmental groups that, using the campaign against the tobacco industry as a blueprint, are acting in concert to try to hold the oil industry responsible for climate change damages it knew its products were causing.

While New York and Massachusetts have been open about their investigation of Exxon (the Virgin Islands recently abandoned a similar effort, citing lack of resources), California has been quiet. Harris is not long for her job in Sacramento  she will replace Barbara Boxer in the U.S. Senate next week. Gov. Jerry Brown has nominated Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) to succeed Harris, pending confirmation by the Legislature. Assuming that happens, Becerra should put the Exxon investigation near the top of his to do list.

If investigations by California and other states find no grounds to pursue charges, so be it. Its clear in any case that Exxon Mobils behavior was at best devious and cynical. The oil giant was at the vanguard of understanding the perils inherent in burning fossil fuels, and could have been a leader in moving the world toward safer and more sustainable energy sources.

Exxon Mobils calculated manipulations cost the world an opportunity to attack global warming earlier than it did. If Exxon Mobil  and other oil companies  had acted more in the common interest rather than focusing on profit, the world might not be struggling today to ratchet back emissions and avoid catastrophic changes.

With President-elect Donald J. Trumps nomination of Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson as secretary of State, the companys climate change-denying disinformation campaign demands as full and fast a public accounting as is possible.

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My new years resolution this year is as simple as it is sad: Get a dashboard camera for my car. Once I get the car back from the body shop, that is.

Yes, my holiday season included a slow-speed fender bender. No one was hurt. Just a couple of crunched fenders. Other than the car, the only damage I suffered was my faith in other people. I wont drone on about the details (Ive already bored enough of my friends and co-workers) other than to say that I told one story to the insurance adjusters about what happened and the other person told a different story.

We both took cellphone pictures, but they dont show much other than the damage to our cars, the location on the street and the debris in the street. I dont know how much the insurance adjusters can glean from the amateur snaps taken by dazed and shaken people. Maybe a lot. Maybe enough to confirm my side of the story. Maybe nothing.

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Thats why I want a dash cam recording my journeys through the increasingly hairy streets of Los Angeles. Not just to back me up if theres another accident but because Im hoping that simply having one will make other drivers be better people.

Ever seen people actually stop when the light turns yellow at an intersection with a red-light camera or slowing down on the freeway when theres a California Highway Patrol cruiser at the side of the road? The very act of being observed makes people more likely to follow the rules and even behave better.

What researchers and officers have noticed since police have started wearing body cameras is that people are better behaved on camera. One of the first studies of the effect of the body cameras in Rialto, Calif., found officers were significantly less likely to use force against a suspect when the camera was turned on  and a suspect was less likely to be abusive toward officers. Assuming this finding holds up in later, larger studies, thats good news for everyone.

And it makes me think the same principal may apply with drivers. If someone hits my car while it is parked in a lot and notices a dash cam, will they chance taking off without leaving and owning up to their error? Maybe not. Leaving the scene of a crime carries serious consequences.

Apparently dash cameras are the rage in Russia. And after seeing this video compilation of apparently staged accident injuries, I understand why. I hate the idea of being suspicious of everyone. But I hate the idea of being taken for a ride more. Hopefully, having dash cams mean we can avoid both.

mariel.garza@latimes.com

Follow me @marielgarzaLAT
Its time to bid good riddance to everything horrible that has happened in the past year.

From headlines in the Washington Post and BuzzFeed to posts sprinkled across social media sites to casual conversations at holiday parties, were collectively writing off the past 12 months as truly terrible in the hopes that next year will be an improvement. It wasnt a bad year for me personally, a friend said to me this week, but, wow, was it an awful year for the world.

This line of thinking might seem pessimistic, the result of a depressive tendency to highlight only the worst aspects of the past 12 months. Some good things happened too, even if none immediately springs to mind. But worst year ever comments are actually unnaturally optimistic. To declare youre so over 2016 is to assume that everything that made this year difficult will come to a hard stop when the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31. To declare 2016 the worst year ever carries the audacious implication that we can leave behind the negative things that happened and start fresh.

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The things that made the year so difficult  war, economic inequality, broken democracies, entrenched racism and sexism  are not going away.

Complaints about 2016 are well-founded. The United States elected a uniquely unqualified president who embraces misogynistic and white-nationalist rhetoric  and saw a subsequent spike in hate crimes. The public mourned the deaths of beloved figures including Prince, Muhammad Ali and David Bowie. According to a BBC survey of obituaries, twice as many notable people died in 2016 as did in 2015.

Across the Atlantic, voters in the United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union, even as thousands of Syrian refugees shivered in makeshift camps from Greece to Germany. Venezuelas economy collapsed, and its democracy may follow suit. The Philippine president bragged about gunning down citizens in the streets. And there was a parade of natural disasters (wildfires in California, landslides in Indonesia) corporate scandals (Wells Fargo) and communicable diseases (Zika).

Social media compounded the effect of each piece of bad news. The awful folkways of social media  which encourage us to call out bad things in dramatic fashion and then pretend that weve been helpful  have led to something of an annual conclusion, Jia Tolentino wrote in the New Yorker. Google searches for worst year ever spike each December.

But 2016 isnt done with us.

The things that made the year so difficult  war, economic inequality, broken democracies, entrenched racism and sexism  are not going away. Important artists and cultural figures are going to die in 2017. Openly racist politicians with autocratic tendencies will be elected in 2017. Economies will collapse in 2017. Unarmed black people will be killed by police in 2017. Civilians will die in senseless wars in 2017, and many others will become refugees.

This is only cause for despair if were willing to sit idly by. Most of us have the ability to work against the forces that made this year so terrible (with the exception of human mortality, of course). We can support electoral reform efforts and opposition candidates. We can turn up in the streets to demand that our leaders protect Medicare and respect civil rights and hold police accountable. We can support organizations working to counteract the negative effects of civil wars and forced migration.

Action will require a shift in perspective. As consumers of news and social media, its easy to feel we are passively watching an endless number of heart-rending and blood-boiling stories unfold. The worst year ever frame encourages the view that we are powerless to change the headlines we read. But if we can start thinking of ourselves as agents rather than mere observers  as people who have an important role to play in changing the circumstances that currently bring us despair  the parade of negative news becomes a call to action. These compounding events are, in fact, a to-do list for the coming months.

The past is never dead, as the oft-misquoted William Faulkner line goes. It isnt even past. This is acutely true in the waning days of 2016. While it might be an exhausting truth to recall on New Years Eve, when wed rather sip bubbly wine and toast to a fresh start, next year wont be an improvement simply because its a new calendar year. If we want 2017 to be better, we have to work to make it so.

Ann Friedman is a contributing writer to Opinion. She lives in Los Angeles.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

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The last year has been invigorating for part of the labor movement as the Fight for $15 campaign progressed rapidly from pie in the sky to, in some places at least, reality, and federal labor protections were expanded.

Get ready for the snapback.

President-elect Donald J. Trump could pose the biggest threat to American workers since President Reagan, who similarly won support from working-class Americans despite policies that undercut their ability to work together for higher wages and better working conditions.

Trumps own history with labor stands as a warning, from hiring and underpaying undocumented workers to clear the site for his Trump Tower in Manhattan, to anti-union stances at some of his hotel properties. And his nominee to run the Labor Department, Andrew F. Puzder of fast-food conglomerate CKE Restaurants (Hardees, Carls Jr.), opposes minimum-wage hikes, the Obama administrations recent expansion of overtime protections and other elements enhancing workers rights.

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Maybe a profoundly anti-worker Trump administration is just what American labor needs  a galvanizing force, and a defined target.

If the Senate confirms the appointment, which seems likely, Pruzder will soon be in charge of enforcing the very things he opposes. Under federal regulatory procedures, it will take some work, but Puzder could eventually undo many of the gains achieved under Obama, and roll back protections even further.

More ominously, the National Labor Relations Board is in a similarly fraught position. The board, which adjudicates complaints about violations of labor laws, is a five-seat panel that traditionally swings to a Democratic or Republican majority depending on who is in the White House. Trump will inherit a board, though, with only three sitting members, a 2-1 Democratic majority. The term of the sole Republican, Obama-appointee Philip Miscimarra, expires in late 2017, as does that of general counsel Richard F. Griffin Jr. That means Trump will be in a position to radically reshape the NLRB with three board appointees and a new general counsel in his first year.

Whats at risk? Among other things, the boards recent quickie election rule, which speeds up the calendar for union-recognition campaigns and reduces companies ability to fight off the efforts through compulsory meetings and other heavy-handed tactics, including cynical use of legal challenges to delay the process. The NLRB has also been moving to make franchising corporations such as McDonalds share responsibility for the treatment of workers by franchisees, an effort that seems likely to fade away with a quantum shift in outlook under a Trump NLRB.

But the biggest threat could be to unions themselves. For years, anti-union activists have pushed right to work laws  barring compulsory payment of union dues to cover the costs of bargaining and maintaining contracts  at state levels with varying degrees of success. But theres also a movement at the federal level, which could get enough support within Congress and the Trump administration to pass.

That wouldnt be a death knell for unions, but it would certainly make an already difficult situation even worse.

So how dark is the future for labor? Its hard to say here on the 80th anniversary of the start of the famous Flint sit-down strike  which ushered in the rise of organized labor and, by extension, the rise of the American middle class. It was a difficult fight, one that took deep personal sacrifices of the workers themselves as they fought for their futures, and for the common good.

So maybe a profoundly anti-worker Trump administration is just what American labor needs  a galvanizing force, and a defined target. And by expanding and building on the successful fights for higher minimum wages, labor can remind remind workers that the more they fight together, the more they gain together.

Scott.Martelle@LATimes.com

Follow my posts and retweets at @smartelle on Twitter
To the editor: Kudos to The Times for its story on the big projects of big real-estate developers and their obvious  and probably natural  approval by the elected representatives who get large amounts from them as donations. These worthies include Major Eric Garcetti and other Los Angeles City Council members who get what ought to be called bribes from people like developer Rick Caruso, whose projects are claimed to be discussed and decided in City Hall based purely on their merits. (Political donations flow as Rick Caruso seeks approval for a 20-story tower near the Beverly Center, Dec. 28)

What honesty! What transparency!

These politicians dont care if there is a clear conflict of interest. Would they consider these projects purely on merit if there were no donations to go along with them? Must voters accept this has become an essential part of the political process? The pay-to-play culture pervades and has polluted politics, yet voters keep putting the culprits in power.

Is there no one who will not expect and accept these kinds of donations and rise above the culture of corruption?

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Yatindra Bhatnagar, Tujunga

..

To the editor: Let me say at the outset that I know none of the details regarding the proposal by Caruso to build a 20-story building near the Beverly Center. I am, however, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, where Caruso and his companies are rebuilding the communitys shopping district.

Throughout the many years of planning and now construction, Caruso has been both transparent and responsive to the community. He has personally presented plans to community groups, listened and responded positively to local input and has worked to mitigate the impact of construction.

I join with many of my neighbors in looking forward to completion of the project in 2018.

James W. Osterholt, Pacific Palisades

..

To the editor: The location of Carusos proposed 20-story tower is one of the most gridlocked intersections in Los Angeles. If the tower is built, it will further tie up traffic in three directions: north-south, east-west and diagonally northwest-southeast on San Vicente Boulevard.

Who will protect the residents of Los Angeles and those of adjacent cities who must deal with the consequences of L.A.s overdevelopment? Does the pay to play endemic to Los Angeless zoning variance approvals violate some law at some level of government?

Daniel Fink, Beverly Hills

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
In the two decades since Ben Santer helped write a landmark international report linking global warming and human activity, hes been criticized by politicians, accused of falsifying his data and rewarded with a dead rat on his doorstep.

He describes it as background noise, and he tries to tune it out as he presses forward with his research from a dim office the size of a walk-in closet at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory east of San Francisco. But the presidential election could crank up the volume for Santer and his colleagues: As federal government scientists, their new boss will be President-elect Donald Trump, who once described global warming as a hoax.

Imagine, if you will, that you devoted your entire career to doing one thing. Doing it as well as you possibly can, Santer said. And someone comes along and says everything youve done is worthless.

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Trumps victory sent shockwaves through the environmental community, but fears are particularly heightened among scientists who are employed by the federal government or rely on the data it generates. There are concerns that younger generations may avoid working for U.S. agencies or decide not to focus on climate change because they dont see a future working in the field.

The election may have already had a chilling effect: Some working in national laboratories declined to speak about the impact the next administration could have on research they consider to be crucial to the fate of the planet.

Santer has responded differently. Although hes soft-spoken in person, the 61-year-old scientist has become more vocal over the years in hopes of beating back claims that climate change isnt real. Noticing the grim mood in his office after the election, Santer wrote an essay that he forwarded to friends to post online.

This is not the time for despair, wrote Santer, who is as meticulous with his words as colleagues say he is with his research. Its time for leaving the sidelines and entering the public arena.

Perhaps, he said, incoming officials can still be convinced of the science to which hes dedicated his life.

Maybe there are people in the new administration who are willing to sit down and be educated and have a conversation, Santer said. I have to hope that there are those people.

While Trump has pledged to keep an open mind when it comes to addressing climate change, hes also expressed doubt about the scientific consensus on the topic. His choice to lead the Department of Energy, which oversees national laboratories like the one where Santer works, is former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who once suggested abolishing the department altogether. Hes also described climate science as a contrived phony mess.

Scientists have viewed other actions by the Trump transition team with alarm, such as a request for the names of department employees who have worked on climate issues.

They can do a lot of damage in a short period of time, said Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. The organization is working on a secure channel for government employees to report alleged attempts by the incoming administration to interfere with their research.

Scientists also worry theyll lose critical information streams from federal agencies such as NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where Trump and congressional Republicans will manage personnel and determine funding.

In the current administration there is support ... for climate science, and a respect for its findings, said Michael Mann, a professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University. I fear both will simultaneously evaporate in an anti-science presidential administration.

A spokesman for Trumps transition team did not respond to a request for comment about whether or how the federal government will support climate change research under the new administration.

National laboratories could prove to be a flashpoint in the brewing tug-of-war between California and Trump. Although Livermore is better known for its nuclear weapons research, there are also 50 researchers, computer scientists and software engineers focused on climate change, with $16 million in federal funding backing them.

Theyre concerned that they could be blacklisted, said Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), whose district includes Livermore. Swalwell wrote a letter with 26 congressional colleagues pledging to protect scientists in national laboratories, perhaps with legal action.

Because the laboratory is managed in a partnership with the University of California, Gov. Jerry Brown has promised to protect their work as president of the Board of Regents.

Gov. Jerry Brown has promised to defend climate scientists at national laboratories in California. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press )

I am going to say, Keep your hands off. That laboratory is going to pursue good science,  Brown said in a Dec. 14 speech at a science conference in San Francisco.

And, if Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch its own damn satellite, he added. Were going to collect that data.

Santer has spent years examining that data. His specialty is fingerprinting, or identifying the causes of global warming. For example, an increase in the suns output could increase the planets temperatures, but in a different way than greenhouse gas emissions from cars and factories.

The ultimate prize, he said, is the sense that maybe once or twice in your scientific career, you got one tiny piece of the puzzle that nobody else in the world has.

Santer went to Madrid in 1995 to help write the second report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which said that the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate.

That sentence changed my life, Santer said. He went on to become a MacArthur fellow and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Santer also became a target, as industry-backed groups attacked his research.

The goal of these campaigns is to create the appearance that theres still a scientific debate over the existence of global warming, said Erik Conway, the co-author of Merchants of Doubt, which chronicled attempts by industry to undermine scientific findings. And that debate has been over within science since the 1990s. What the fossil fuel lobby doesnt want is the public debate to shift from science to solutions, because solving man-made global warming means the end of their current business models.

It was a disorienting experience for Santer, who remembers his first time testifying before Congress as terrifying.

It did not feel comfortable or natural for me to be in public settings, he said.

But instead of retreating, Santer decided to speak out more, viewing that as part of his responsibility as a climate scientist. He said he tailored a research paper to combat attempts by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to cast doubt on whether the planet was significantly warming.

But Santer knows the playing field is uneven. While his research gets published in scientific journals, politicians are invited on popular late-night shows, like when Cruz chatted about climate change with Seth Meyers in March 2015.

I would love to have set the record straight on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Santer deadpanned.

Santer said scientists need to push against misinformation, even if it comes from the federal government that issues their paychecks. And communication is key, he said.

Why do you think Make America Great Again worked? Santer said. My theory is the repetition. A simple message, repeated again and again and again.

He added, Theres an important lesson there for climate scientists. Somehow weve got to find an equally effective way of communicating the message again and again and again.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Follow @chrismegerian on Twitter

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President Obama deserves our gratitude for designating the rich natural and cultural treasure of the Bears Ears region in southeastern Utah as a national monument. He had to think big. In granting 1.35 million acres of federal land new, needed protections, he preserved for the future a place of learning, grandeur, sanctuary, and healing.

Against political headwinds, Obama used the executive power inherent in the Antiquities Act of 1906  the same legislation that initially protected four of Utahs Mighty Five national parks. Arches, Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef were all presidential-proclamation monuments first; Canyonlands was created as a park by Congress.

The president acted on behalf of our children and grandchildren, on behalf of the last canyon treefrogs singing in Slickhorn Gulch along the San Juan River, on behalf of the Navajo medicine man gathering herbs on the forested mesas of the Bears Ears. His action will be a boon to Utahs rural economy.

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For Native people, these canyons and mesas arent desert or wilderness or destination. These redrock labyrinths are home. For millennia, people have woven cultural identity into this ground. Artifacts, ruins and rock art from the Ancestral Puebloans carry essential messages to the Hopi and Zuni of our time and to all of us.

The Republicans who dominate Utahs politics are already threatening to repeal not only the Bears Ears designation but the Antiquities Act itself.

For the first time in conservation history, the primary advocates for this new national monument were Native American tribes. In October 2015, the Navajo, Ute Mountain, Hopi, Zuni, and Ute nations presented the Obama administration with a proposal to preserve and co-manage public lands they consider sacred. The full membership of the National Congress of American Indians supported them. Remarkably, given the history of Indian people and the United States, the government listened.

By establishing this national monument, Obama has protected canyons actively consecrated and blessed by Native prayers, living libraries of indigenous traditional knowledge. All of us, Indian and non-Indian, will deepen our relationships with home as we come to know this landscape.

As Willie Grayeyes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition put it, protecting Bears Ears is not just about healing for the land and Native people. Its for our adversaries to be healed too. I truly believe we can all come out dancing together.

President Obama also established Gold Butte National Monument on Wednesday, at the western edge of the Grand Canyon in Nevada, taking advantage of another opportunity to protect rich archaeological resources from relentless vandalism and amplifying the vision of co-management by tribes, this time with the Moapa Paiute people.

The elected officials in Utah who argued against the national monument  including the entire Utah congressional delegation  struck the same hackneyed chords used by Utahs governor more than 50 years ago when he opposed creating Canyonlands National Park because the state might need all those rocks for building material.

A so-called compromise plan introduced by Utah Representatives Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz would have preserved far fewer acres of incomparable wildlands and accelerated energy development and mining on public lands across much of eastern Utah. The tribes turned to the president when they felt the congressmen were not listening to them.

The Republicans who dominate Utahs politics are already threatening to repeal not only the Bears Ears designation but the Antiquities Act itself. They attack the very idea of federal public lands, and repeat false claims about the monuments effects (it wont prohibit Native uses such as woodcutting and herb gathering). They rail against the exclusion of local voices in decision-making, but at a Dec. 19 press conference refused to speak to the elected tribal leaders from the Ute and Navajo nations.

The president has done right by Bears Ears, and brought into being a never-before-dreamed-of reconciliation in the form of co-management by federal agencies and tribes. He has acted boldly for preservation in Utah and elsewhere, protecting Alaskas Chukchi and Beaufort seas from risky drilling, designating the Katahdin Woods and Waters as a national monument in Maine, and establishing and extending enormous marine preserves.

When Donald Trump becomes president, there is little chance well see such irreplaceable land- and seascapes protected. With a Republican Congress bent on repealing every shred of Obamas legacy, with Bishop (chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources) angrily pushing bills that would open up public lands to development and greed, theres yet more Obama should do.

A proclamation for Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument, a preserve that permanently protects the Greater Grand Canyon watershed, awaits the presidents signature. Between now and Jan. 20 there is time enough to act again. Lyndon Johnson was still signing national monument proclamations as he dressed for Richard Nixons inauguration.

May the president keep using his pen and the power of the Antiquities Act before we lose such opportunities for the next four years, maybe eight, maybe even longer.

Salt Lake City writer Stephen Trimble is editor of the forthcoming Red Rock Stories: Three Generations of Writers Speak on Behalf of Utahs Public Lands.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

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Derogatory emails forwarded by a now former Los Angeles County Sheriffs official while he was with the Burbank Police Department led to his downfall when the messages came to light in April.

Tom Angel, who was hired as Sheriff Jim McDonnells chief of staff in 2015, forwarded messages in 2012 and 2013 using his official Burbank police email account while he was the departments deputy chief. The emails contained remarks about women, Muslims, blacks and Latinos that were deemed offensive.

The emails were first discovered in 2014 after a records request was filed by a Los Angeles attorney. It wasnt until this year that the Leader learned of the emails and subsequently published a story about them.

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One message forwarded by Angel had the subject line Royally Politically Incorrect.

I took my Biology exam last Friday, it stated. I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently Blacks and Mexicans were NOT the correct answers.

Another email, with the subject line Short Bar joke/Devout Muslims, ridiculed concerns over racially profiling Muslims as terrorism suspects.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Angel said he didnt mean to demean anyone with the messages, and that they were never intended to be seen by the public.

Anybody in the workplace, unfortunately, forwards emails from time to time that they probably shouldnt have forwarded, Angel said. I apologize if I offended anybody, but the intent was not for the public to have seen these jokes.

When news of the emails broke, McDonnell said he was disappointed, but had no immediate plans to discipline Angel because the emails were forwarded during his time with the Burbank Police Department.

Angel had previously served as a sheriffs official before joining Burbank in 2012 and left in 2015 to serve under McDonnell as part of an effort to reform the county sheriffs department amid allegations of police brutality, racism and sexual harassment.

Numerous civil rights advocates called for Angel to either step down or be fired because of the emails.

Angel resigned from the department one month after the emails were published.

In accepting Angels resignation, McDonnell said in a statement he found the incident deeply troubling.

Despite the sheriffs departments many recent efforts to fortify public trust and enhance internal and external accountability and transparency, this incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do, he said.

He said the department will institute random audits of employee emails and that the organization will look at its training and policies to ensure accountability and enhancing cultural and ethnic sensitivity.

For its part, the city of Burbank already has a policy in place regarding email misuse. Employees are prohibited from using their work emails to send demeaning or offensive messages.

Violating the policy could result in email rights being revoked or disciplinary action.

To catch any email misuse, the police department has been randomly auditing messages since 2012; however, supervisors and command staff were exempted.

It wasnt until this year that an audit of messages sent by the entire command staff was conducted.

--

Andy Nguyen, andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
Russia hopes the UN Security Council will take up a vote and unanimously adopt a draft resolution on Syria, which is based on talks and documents issued in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said, Sputnik reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks.

Putin called on the Syrian government, armed opposition and all countries with influence on the situation in the Arab republic to support the reached agreements and to take part in the anticipated talks in Astana.

"Today at the consultations, I will present it [draft resolution on Syria] to the UN Security Council members more formally," Churkin said. "We hope that tomorrow morning we can go for a vote and adopt in unanimously for the Security Council to join in this important process."

Churkin said the draft resolution had been circulated as an official UN Security Council document on Thursday night. He explained the talks in Astana had been conducted with seven major opposition groups with substantial military presence in Syria.

Churkin added any opposition group that had serious intentions to join the negotiation process is "welcome to show up in Astana".

A nationwide ceasefire between the Syrian government and opposition factions came into force at midnight on Friday. Russia and Turkey serve as guarantors of the ceasefire deal, which paves the way for negotiations between the warring parties.
Carla Arzente recently moved her Laguna Beach gallery, saltfineart, just 1.2 miles north, next to two established, well-respected galleries, Sue Greenwood Fine Art and JoAnne Artman Gallery.

Together, the three women have created a powerhouse row of contemporary art on the coast highway, and the mutual respect and friendship among the three is apparent.

Sue summed up the situation this way:

Im very good friends with Carla, and Carla called me one morning and shes like, I gotta have coffee with you. Ive got to make a change. And Im like, OK, you need to be our neighbor. And it has created a really good synergy with our block.

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I sat down with them to discuss their new arrangement, their joys and the state of the art industry in general.

Weekend: So why Laguna?

JoAnne: People come to Laguna Beach from all over the world to see the art. Although were known for the plein air and beach-type scenes, what sets our galleries apart a little bit is were more contemporary, so I think it actually works in our favor.

Sue: The majority of my clients own multiple homes. An average client of mine probably owns three homes. I do have one client who has seven homes. And each home has different art collections.

JoAnne: I have clients where I ship to Beirut to London to all parts of Europe, Australia. So its kind of crazy how people come from all over the world to this community.

Sue: The Montage [luxury hotel] brings in some pretty heavy hitters. You never know who its going to be.

JoAnne: It is fun when you Google them and youre like, oh my God.

Sue: Were like an Aspen but by the beach. You get these people and youre like, Are you on Game of Thrones?

Carla: I consider them Lucky Strike extras. Like Im really happy for the fat cats that I manage to get in, but youve got to live off the regular folks.

Weekend: Laguna now has three powerhouse galleries right next to each, all owned by women. Talk about that.

JoAnne: Its really exciting to have all of us on the block together. We all work hard, and I think whether youre male or female, its the relationships with your clients, your artists and your hard work.

Carla: I feel honored to be on the block. I feel theres a tremendous amount of energy  a sort of kinetic, moving energy that happens between us that did not happen where I used to be. People are finding it as a destination. I think JoAnne is right. Nothing surpasses hard work. Its a labor of love. Anyone who thinks from the movies that this is a glamorous business has it all wrong.

Weekend: Is there any difference in this industry between galleries owned by women versus men?

Carla: I think women are really good at multitasking. I think that that is a gift we have  often from being mothers or something that is just genetically in us  that gives us the ability to juggle 10 different balls. And I think very often I find men like to do one thing and focus on that.

Sue: I think women are more relationship-driven. I think were more nurturing. As far as curating, I feel like were more expressive. I think sometimes men can be a little more calculating about what theyre putting out there. I would say were all very genuine.

Carla: Thats an interesting point because I always feel like were curating from the heart and not from the pocketbook. And thats sometimes a detriment, but it is what it is. Each place definitely has an essence of who lives inside of us.

JoAnne: I feel like, yes, were all women, but really the core is how we value the artists and the work. We all want to succeed. So if all of us are succeeding, it makes everyone better.

Weekend: Is Lagunas long art history, particularly plein air, sometimes more of a hindrance, given that all of you favor contemporary art?

Sue: If you look at the museum, its founded on plein air, but its really interesting. In the L.A. Times recently  one of the top 10 exhibitions was at the Laguna Art Museum, and it was a minimalism show. So the whole thing is the museum is aggressively curating some pretty progressive shows.

JoAnne: I guess for me, its about showcasing art that youre passionate about. Thats what will garner the attention. You have to connect with the work. Its good to know whats going on around you and whats happening, but for me, I showcase art and artists that I personally have a connection with, that Im passionate about.

Carla: Ill be honest. To survive this long is like keeping a marriage sexy. Its almost ... impossible. You cant go out and change who you are. You have to be that known element, but youve got to somehow keep it interesting  fresh at dinner, fresh in bed, fresh on a vacation. Its the same challenge. People want it to be amazing.

Weekend: I want to understand your target market a little more. Explain how you prioritize your marketing dollars or advertising budget.

JoAnne: I dont do any print advertising anymore. When I first opened, I spent a fortune on print advertising, and sad to say, I dont feel like thats the right format for me. We do a lot of social media and we do art fairs. I think social media has become more and more important with any business that you have. So people want to see your Instagram, your Twitter, your Facebook. They want to see that youre doing things, that youre making things happen. It creates an excitement and interest in the work and the gallery.

Sue: I do printing, but since Ive been in business for 15 years, I do have clients who are say 55 to 75, so I have an older collector base.

Carla: We have lived off the door for seven years. I can genuinely tell you that thats what weve done. And for that Im grateful, for the support in the community and the people who have come by. But I want to see what we can do past our door without actually having to pony up the $20,000 to do an art fair. Im interested in seeing how playing with these different platforms might open us up to a broader audience. What intersections are there with other worlds that might bring things in?

Weekend: JoAnne, you recently opened a second location in New York. How do the markets compare?

JoAnne: When I was looking to try and open a second location, I was thinking of maybe L.A. or Palm Springs or La Jolla. But I love New York, and most of our collectors are from the East Coast, so I thought Id throw it out to the universe. Its been exciting and scary and mind-boggling. Its also a community where people come from all over the world. So there are a lot of similarities to Laguna. But I will say that people on the East Coast or over in Europe, theyve grown up with art. Art is a way of life with them. Art has been handed down for generations. Its just a different mindset. Thats not to say California collectors dont feel the same, but its a little bit different.

Weekend: Ive always wondered how much the discriminating collector relies on you for advice.

Sue: They definitely rely on you  the whole nine yards: getting the painting to the house, getting it hung properly, getting it lit properly. They definitely put a lot of trust in you. And it turns into a long-term relationship.

JoAnne: I always tell my clients, buy what you love. Thats the most important thing, something that speaks to you. Because youll have your art for the rest of your life. Youll change couches, youll change drapes, youll change interiors. Your art is going to be a part of your life forever.

Carla: You would be shocked at how personal this business is. I feel that every sale is a very intense, personal collaboration. Selling art, Ive always felt there is an element of falling in love. You cannot hurry it, you cannot push it. You can help them take the last step, but you cant create it. So its very interesting to be in a business where you have fixed costs and bills and all this stuff to pay, and youre relying on magic.

Sue: Its very true. When someone comes into the gallery, its like theyre coming into your bedroom. Here, look what I have to show you. You get to work with them intimately and ask them questions about what theyre looking for.

Weekend: Looking ahead to 2017, any significant changes or new trends on the horizon?

Sue: I have a lot of dealers that Im friends with, and I have heard over and over that some collectors are feeling like theres almost too many art fairs out there. Its the same thing over and over.

JoAnne: To me, I dont really look to trends. Again, its a gut feeling. To be successful, you have to go with your gut and what youre passionate about, because a trend may be something that you have no interest in.

Carla: Like JoAnne, I dont do trends at all. I am a dinosaur. I have an email and thats it. I dont know how to tweet, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, anything. But my gallery director is pretty savvy with this stuff. We did a lot of exploration of the art fairs, and they didnt work out for us. They have proliferated, and theyre expensive. Its almost like a scam.

They say you will get 25,000 people per day. But its like the [Laguna] Art Walk. They came for the cheese and crackers and to walk around. To me whats interesting, weve been pulling a lot of emerging artists that we find scouring Instagram. What Im interested in looking at this year is how do we help that movement. I think all of us want to look past our beautiful street. Sue sometimes does it with art fairs and a lot of collaborations with different nonprofits. JoAnne, of course, actually had the balls to open a place in New York, which is amazing.

JoAnne: Or I lost my mind.

Weekend: If you look across Orange County and Southern California, what excites you? Or has everything become a global market?

JoAnne: I think were all looking to do the best art. It doesnt matter if its in Southern California. And I hope Laguna is responsive and understands that these are some amazing artists that you may not be able to see anywhere else. I dont know that were trying to be unique to Southern California.

Sue: When I think about the amount of clients that walk in from Chicago or Milwaukee, and when they come here, it puts them in a really good mood. The fact that we can do business year-round because of our weather is great.

Carla: I do agree with what Sue is saying, that people come here and its beautiful, but for us it has been a challenge, because when weve gone to New York to different events, weve had a much easier time selling than to the local customer, to be honest. A lot of times theyre more open-minded, or theyre more interested in conceptual work. Sometimes we feel that we are doing an uphill battle because were bringing artists that nobody knows here, but like JoAnne says, theyre world-renowned. In terms of global art, Miami and New York, its much easier to sell. Its not just Orange County. Literally these guys in Los Angeles, hardly anyone knows who they are.

Weekend: Weve had some very good, progressive galleries close in Laguna. Do you think this market will ever embrace that type of art?

JoAnne: Part of it is to have the right location, the right connection and the passion.

Sue: You know up in Bergamot Station [in Santa Monica], its pretty cool. You can pull in there and you can see everything. Were kind of starting to get that here because the museum is doing some really great curating.

Carla: I will say the mile-and-a-half move is like another universe, and Im thrilled to be here, thrilled. But we used to do shows where we had a circus-themed show and  I had men on stilts during the opening. We did another show where we had a labyrinth, and we literally covered the entire gallery in cotton. I think I had fiber in my mouth for like two weeks and a weird metallic taste. And we sold one painting from that show. So you do have to moderate a bit. You arent a museum, even though its sometimes fun to curate like one. So you have to find something thats true to the voice you have within you. I do wish there was more support for the kind of edgier stuff.

JoAnne: Thats why I have New York.

Carla: Other than New York, its kind of a hard thing to find. Because most people who are open to conceptual, edgy kind of work dont want to pay anything for it.

Sue: Sometimes you have to feed that passion  but it may not have the sales potential.

JoAnne: You have to be cohesive and consistent, but at the same time you always have to be throwing something into the mix where people will have an element of discovery.

Weekend: Any advice for young artists?

Sue: I feel really honored to be involved with LCAD [Laguna College of Art and Design]. Its amazing whats happening down in our canyon. I got in an LCAD graduate and he has taken off like wildfire.

Carla: I think its an exciting time for young artists because they have more tools available to them. They can show themselves on Instagram. They can partner up and take their work to the many different art fairs if they wanted to. But nothing is going to replace hard work. I think theres a lot that the galleries can still offer these artists in guidance and growing a body of work. This is a business thats still about people and relationships, and often they dont get that.

JoAnne: We do work with some young, new artists. They want to create and thats the most important thing, but I talk to them too about construction, materials, the business of art. Theres so much more than the painting.

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DAVID HANSEN is a writer and Laguna Beach resident. He can be reached at hansen.dave@gmail.com.
If Pamela Tom hadnt watched past the end of Bambi, she might never have found the inspiration for her documentary, which will screen this week at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

The filmmaker, who lives in Los Angeles, was enjoying a family viewing of a Disney classic a decade and a half ago when a bonus feature at the end of the videotape piqued her curiosity.

When my daughter was young, around preschool, I was watching Bambi on VHS, Tom recalled. And at the end of the film, they have these little making-of documentaries, and the animators kept referring to this Chinese American artist named Tyrus Wong. I thought, A Chinese American artist in the 1930s? I need to find out more about this person.

Tom, who is Chinese American herself, put feelers out in the community and found Wongs contact information. She then invited the artist to her familys restaurant for lunch, and the two stayed in touch, for more than 15 years, in fact, as Tom raised money for her documentary and shot it in increments.

Tyrus, which tracks its subjects life from his boyhood in China to his latter-day recognition as a Disney pioneer, will be shown Tuesday at the Edwards Big Newport 6. The festival has long created a special berth for Disney on its schedule, and Toms documentary will join other related attractions on this weeks program.

The documentary The Whimsical Imagineer, about Disney artist Roland Fargo Crump, will also show Tuesday at Big Newport. (That film and Tyrus will also screen Wednesday at the Island Cinema at Fashion Island.) In addition, producers Don Hahn and Dave Bossert will host the seventh Disney Rarities, a compilation of little-seen artifacts from the studios vaults, Tuesday at the Regency South Coast Village in Santa Ana.

Like former resident John Wayne, who routinely features in Newport festival screenings, Disney has a prominent history in Orange County. According to Lohanne Cook, the festivals director of special projects, the annual Disney offerings lure a large crowd every year  and not just from the outside.

For Disney, we always have a solid audience, she said. Theres always someone who comes out, even our own employees. When they have a break  we all get one or two days off at the festival, our own time to spend for leisure  a lot of us end up going to the Disney programs, because we know its going to be a great time.

Whatever Hahn and Bossert bring out of the archives, Wongs story may be the greatest Disney rarity of all at the festival this year. The artist, who recently turned 105, endured at Disney  for a time, at least  during an era when Asian Americans were marginalized.

Wong, who emigrated at age 9 to California with his father, attended the Otis College of Art and Design on a scholarship after a teacher spotted his talent. He later had modest success as a gallery artist and, in 1938, scored a job in Disneys art department.

At first, Wong didnt have much opportunity to showcase his own style; his first duties were to take other artists images and create in-between drawings that would lead a character, such as Mickey Mouse, from one pose to another.

When Wong heard that the studio was beginning work on Bambi, however, he managed to win over Walt Disney with his nature paintings.

Those paintings, as Tyrus illustrates, contributed to the films visual look by contrasting the sharp character designs with spare, soft-focus backgrounds. In some cases, the artists brush strokes are even visible on the screen  a traditional Chinese style that, as Tom learned by talking to industry professionals, continues to influence animators.

Still, the documentary makes clear that Wong was far from a golden boy at the studio. Despite Walt Disneys admiration for his work, the two never had an actual conversation, and Wong was sometimes slighted by colleagues. When many Disney artists went on strike in 1941, Wong opted to continue working, and the resulting rancor apparently led to his firing before Bambi was completed.

In later years, Wong drew storyboards for Warner Bros. and Republic Pictures (the documentary lists Rebel Without a Cause, The Wild Bunch and Sands of Iwo Jima among his credits) before he retired from Hollywood. In later years, he kept busy as an artist, designing kites and even dinnerware.

Eventually, the studio that declined to hold onto him years ago came around to celebrate him. At one point in Tyrus, Roy Disney is shown at a Disney Legends award ceremony declaring, He only worked at the studio for three years and, during that time, devoted himself to just one movie, Bambi. But what a film it was.

Tom, who grew to appreciate Wongs influence while making her documentary, hopes that Tyrus will help to introduce its subjects name to those outside the Chinese American community.

Hes our resident artist, so to speak, she said. And then, within the Disney community, they embrace him. Artists today still look to him for influence. But outside of those two core audiences, most people dont know who he was.

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IF YOU GO

What: Tyrus

Where: Edwards Big Newport 6, 300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

When: 4:45 p.m. Tuesday

Cost: $15

Information: (949) 253-2880; newportbeachfilmfest.com

It will also screen at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach; tickets are $15.

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Rita Moreno among 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival honorees
While some of the most sought-after coastal properties remain just a click away, Newport Beach city leaders are working to keep track of short-term rentals and collect taxes on them.

The City Council kicked off discussions with staff and the public during a study session Tuesday about how to enforce city laws on short-term lodging that have been on the books for more than two decades.

Websites such as Airbnb, HomeAway and Vacation Rentals by Owner have swelled in popularity, enabling virtually any property to become a vacation rental. The sites also have made it more difficult for cities like Newport to keep track of who should be paying taxes.

The city imposes transient occupancy taxes on short-term rentals, charging 10% of the price of each rental, like it would for hotel guests.

Since before the 1950s, weekly vacation rentals have thrived in Newport Beach, bringing in a variety of tourists  and revenue.

In the early days, vacationers often would look to rental companies and real estate agents to help them find a property. The city was able to more easily regulate the rentals and ensure that the property owners were paying taxes to the city, according to city staff.

Cities across Orange County have been grappling with a host of quality-of-life issues stemming from such rentals, including trash, excessive partying and parking headaches.

Laguna Beach has placed a moratorium on new short-term rental permits, while Huntington Beach has chosen to ban them completely.

I think we need to be part of the solution for this and part of making sure it fits comfortably in our community, said Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry.

In 1992, the city adopted short-term lodging regulations that required property owners to have a city-issued permit before they could list their property to rent for less than 30 days.

While short-term lodgings were previously permitted throughout the city, current law prohibits someone from obtaining a permit to rent out a home in areas zoned only for single-family homes. However, 211 properties had their permits grandfathered in by the city when the regulation was passed, according to city Development Director Kim Brandt.

There are currently 91 active permits, the majority of them in Corona del Mar, the Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island. Owners of unpermitted short-term rental properties often are not aware that they need to pay taxes to the city, Brandt said.

The city hired a seasonal employee last year to help identify unpermitted short-term rentals throughout Newport. At the time, more than 250 non-compliant listings were identified from short-term rental sites, and the city collected about $218,700 in fees and transient occupancy taxes as a result, according to a staff presentation.

Councilman Scott Peotter voiced support for entering an agreement with Airbnb that would allow the company to collect transient occupancy taxes and give the money to the city.

The city of San Francisco recently entered a similar agreement with Airbnb that requires the company to collect taxes in exchange for the city loosening restrictions on where rentals can be permitted.

Newport city staff said that in their discussions with Airbnb, the company has indicated it would seek a similar agreement with Newport.

I dont want to give up our information or expand our area to Airbnb or any of these other guys, Peotter said. I would like for it to be a level playing field.

Councilman Tony Petros suggested creating a working group of rental companies, city staff and community members to study the issue.

City Manager Dave Kiff said staff likely would go to the council with a recommendation in about six months.
The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerces Marine Committee will meet Tuesday to discuss proposals to place statues around the Newport Harbor area.

Michael Lawler, a boating enthusiast, is the scheduled speaker for the meeting, which will begin at 5 p.m. in the Marina Park Community Room, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd.

According to a notice from the chamber, the following statues are proposed: John Wayne at Dukes Point; a sailor at the harbor entrance on the west jetty; a sea king on the east jetty; statues at three channel markers around the bay; Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at Bay Island and Vasco Nunez de Balboa on Balboa Island near Turquoise Avenue and South Bay Front.

Organizers said free parking will be available at Marina Park. For more information, call (949) 729-4408.

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Newport-Mesa names its Teachers of the Year

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District and the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers this month announced the selection of Kaiser Elementary School teacher Jackie Wiseman and Ensign Intermediate School teacher Jim Blackie as Teachers of the Year for 2016.

Wiseman, who teaches fifth grade at Kaiser Elementary in Costa Mesa, started her career at the district in 1969 and has taught at Corona del Mar Elementary, which has closed, and Andersen Elementary in Newport Beach.

Blackie teaches eighth-grade science at Ensign in Newport Beach, where he has worked for 14 years. He also is an advisor for the Ensign debate team and the Ensign Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club.

These two amazing people serve as inspiration to their peers and hundreds of students, Britt Dowdy, the federations president, said in a statement. We are extremely grateful to learn from these distinguished professionals and their passion to positively influence children.

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Surfing Magazine to hold New Years Eve event in H.B.

Huntington Beach residents can ring in the new year with professional surfers at a party at The Bungalow.

The event, sponsored by Surfing Magazine, will be held from 8 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday at the restaurant, 21058 Pacific Coast Hwy. It will include an open bar, dancing, a disc jockey and a group of professional surfers.

Tickets are limited and can be purchased for $140 at bungalow.com.

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Laguna resident appointed as O.C. Superior Court judge

Laguna Beach resident Richard Pacheco was among three people Gov. Jerry Brown appointed last week to serve as Orange County Superior Court judges.

Pacheco, 60, has been an Orange County Superior Court commissioner since 2001. He fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David McEachen.

Superior Court judges earn $191,612 a year.

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Newport group investigated 7,000 UFO cases this year

The Newport Beach-based Mutual UFO Network said it has investigated more than 7,000 cases of unidentified flying objects this year.

Since 1969, the group has solicited UFO reports from the public and collected data through field investigations, according to a news release.

Our field investigators and ... research team not only do an excellent job helping our witnesses and experiencers deal with what they have seen, but they do so with an eye for research on this important subject, Jan Harzan, the networks executive director, said in a statement.

The research team also handled more than 1,000 reports of encounters with non-human entities, according to the release.

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2017 O.C. Fair Super Passes go on sale

The OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa is offering early-bird pricing on Super Passes for next years Orange County Fair.

Super Passes allow admission to the fair throughout its run, as well as discounts on related attractions and events.

The passes now cost $25 for customers ages 13 through 59 and $18 for those 6 to 12 or older than 60. For more information or to place an order, visit ocfair.com/superpass.

The 127th annual fair will run July 14 through Aug. 13.

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Newport pub crawl raises $15,000 for nonprofit

The 11th annual Newport Beach Santa Pub Crawl raised more than $15,000 for Project Access, a nonprofit that helps low-income children, adults and senior citizens.

The event featured bars near the Balboa and Newport piers offering drink specials to patrons with special wristbands. Supporters dressed in holiday attire.

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UCI launches registry for clinical trials and studies

The UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders has coordinated with the UCI Institute for Clinical Translational Science and UCI Health to launch the UCI Consent 2 Contact Registry, which can match adults in Orange County with opportunities to participate in clinical research studies.

The confidential registry will enable UCI researchers to notify people about clinical trials or studies that relate to their interests, a news release said.

There is no obligation to join studies, and participants can withdraw at any time.

To join the registry, visit c2c.uci.edu.

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H.B. to hold first talent show for high school students

The city of Huntington Beach will hold its first talent show for high school students on March 25 at the senior center in Central Park.

The citys Community Services Department is sponsoring the Surf City Showcase, which will start at 7 p.m. at the center at 18041 Goldenwest St.

The free competition is open to high school students who live, work or go to school in Huntington Beach.

The first-place winner will receive $500, second place gets $300 and third place $200.

People can pick up applications at the city gym and pool building at 1600 Palm Ave. or online at HBsands.org.

The applications must be turned in by Jan. 27 to the gym and pool building or emailed to erin.burke@surfcity-hb.org.

For more information, call (714) 960-8884.
Your article in Forum of the Daily Pilot, Hansen: Reviewing 2016 in Laguna, (Dec. 21) was spot-on. Having lived in Laguna since 1984, we seem to be seeing a progression downward in the state of the city.

One thing I would add to your list in reviewing 2016 is downtown buildings and the deplorable condition they are in.

An example is the Fiori building on one of the major corners in the downtown area. How can a city allow such a structure to exist in the condition its been in for years? The city needs to bring the owners of these buildings to task and force some improvements.

On the bright side, the opening of The Ranch in South Laguna and the metamorphosis there are a joy to behold. It would be great if the entire city could get into the spirit that permeates that location.

Ben Jensen

Laguna Beach

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Thank you, Mr. President

Now that Barack Obama is down to a handful of days left in office, I want to express my deep admiration for the way he has conducted himself as president. I know many of my conservative USC fraternity brothers wanted him to disappear years ago, but not yours truly.

The first time I met then-Sen. Obama was in June 2007. He was attending a breakfast meeting with Orange County Democrats, and I was picked to be his wing man for the morning. For 45 minutes, I whispered into his ear little tidbits about each person he was about to meet. He was all business, but I could tell there was something special about the man. When he gave his breakthrough speech in Iowa during that states first-in-the-nation caucus in 2008, I knew I was backing a winner.

Just before he went to Denver to accept my partys nomination for president, Obama made another stop in Orange County. This time it was at the Balboa Bay Club. Having been one of a handful of supporters who helped raise $1.2 million that day, I was eager to see him again. When it was my turn to have my picture taken with Obama, he greeted me with that big smile of his and said, Hey, I remember you. You helped me a year ago.

I was floored. About the only thing I could say was, I remember you too. We both laughed as the cameras zoomed in on us.

As I stepped away, I turned back and said, Were counting on you. Obama looked at me and replied, I wont let you down.

And you know what? He didnt. I have voted in every presidential election since 1972. I was proud to have voted for Barack Obama twice.

Its not every day you get to stand next to a truly remarkable person. I always will cherish the two times I stood literally inches from Barack Obama. A month before he took office in 2009, I wrote the following for Newsweek magazine:

Barack Obamas victory was as significant as George Washington becoming Americas first president, Abraham Lincoln holding the country together during the Civil War or Franklin D. Roosevelt taking office during the depths of the Great Depression. The lasting legacy of Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt is that they governed wisely. I have every expectation that a soon-to-be President Obama will do the same.

He did, and the nation will forever be grateful. I know I always will be.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach
In Africa, an elephant is killed for ivory every 26 minutes on average, much of it to supply Chinas voracious market. But China on Friday cemented a timeline to help reduce the carnage, pledging to close down its domestic ivory market within a year.

Trade in ivory was banned internationally in 1989, but a loophole allowed southern African countries to hold occasional legal sales of their ivory stockpiles. In 2008, China was given permission by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the international body that regulates the trade in wildlife, to buy ivory legally from several southern African countries.

The move, which was supposed to reduce elephant poaching, was instead followed by a boom. Analysts say legal ivory markets often act as a cover for poached ivory, citing the problems determining which ivory is legal and which is illegally trafficked.

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Across Africa, the population crashed by 30% or around 144,000 elephants in the seven years from 2007 to 2014, according to the Great Elephant Census, a continent-wide count of elephants released in August.

In June, China and the U.S.  another significant consumer of ivory  announced they would ban the domestic ivory trade. In September, both nations agreed to cooperate in enacting the ban, including a ban on ivory trophies.

China will shut down domestic ivory carving workshops and factories by April. It will phase out registered traders and processors by the end of 2017.

A notice by the powerful State Council said the move would strengthen the protection of elephants and crack down on the illegal ivory trade. The council urged law enforcement officials to take a tougher stance on the sale, transport and smuggling of ivory.

The move represents a remarkable about-face from only a few years ago, when the Chinese government considered ivory carving an important cultural industry worth protecting.

Chinas demand for ivory has been steadily dropping in recent years, the result of rising environmental awareness, a wide-ranging crackdown on official corruption, and a promise from President Xi Jinping last year to ban the trade.

Lo Sze Ping, head of the World Wildlife Fund-China, welcomed Chinas move to close down its ivory trade swiftly, and praised its leadership in taking steps to try to reduce domestic demand for ivory.

Closing the worlds largest legal ivory market will deter people in China and beyond from buying ivory and make it harder for ivory traffickers to sell their illegal stocks, he said. China and the U.S. have shown how quickly markets can be addressed, and the sooner the better for Africas elephants.

Volunteers carry elephant tusks to a burning site for a historic destruction of illegal ivory and rhino horn confiscated mostly from poachers in Nairobi. (Tony Karumba / AFP/Getty Images )

The average wholesale price of ivory dropped from $2,100 per kilogram to $1,100 between 2014 and 2015, according to the organization.

But Ping said the ban wouldnt stop poaching if demand for illegal tusks persists. He added that it was important to continue to raise public awareness in China about elephant poaching and to keep up efforts to cut domestic demand for ivory trinkets.

According to the World Wildlife Foundation, poaching peaked at 30,000 a year in 2011 before easing to its present level of 20,000 annually.

I am very proud of my country for showing this leadership that will help ensure that elephants have a fighting chance to beat extinction, Aili Kang, Asia Executive Director at the Wildlife Conservation Society, said in a statement. This is a game changer for Africas elephants.

Kenya, whose economy relies heavily on wildlife tourism, burned 105 tons of ivory in April, the worlds biggest ivory burn, designed to send a message that there should be never again be a legal trade in ivory. But other countries in Africa, notably South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, maintain large ivory stockpiles.

At a CITES meeting in Johannesburg in October, 29 African countries proposed a total ban on ivory while Zimbabwe and Namibia proposed reopening the ivory trade. Those proposals were defeated in favor of a compromise agreement by 183 countries to shut down domestic ivory markets in countries that contributed significantly to ivory poaching or illegal ivory trade.

Under CITES, 19 African and Asian countries implicated in illegal ivory trafficking have to produce action plans to demonstrate steps they are taking to eliminate the trade.

A stack of burning elephant tusks, ivory figurines and rhinoceros horns at the Nairobi National Park in April. (Fredrik Lerneyrd / AFP/Getty Images)

Hong Kong authorities announced last week they would shut down ivory processing and trade, but only in 2021, creating a potential loophole for traffickers. A World Wildlife Foundation feasibility study estimates Hong Kong could take action within two years.

WildAid, a conservation organization in San Francisco, said in a statement last week that organized crime syndicates in Hong Kong have been running illegal wildlife products through this city with impunity for decades. To date, not a single kingpin has been arrested to date for running serious and organized wildlife trafficking syndicates that are driving iconic species towards extinction.

Another major transit point for illegal wildlife products into China is Vietnam, where authorities have turned a blind eye to the booming trade. Corruption by government officials in African source countries and African destination countries has allowed the trade to flourish. According to a report this year by Save the Elephants, Vietnam has seen a larger increase in illegal ivory carvers than any other Asian country since 2008.

There appears to be little law enforcement within Vietnam against the illegal ivory workshops and retail shops, especially in the smaller locations that few Western foreigners visit, the report found.

According to the elephant census, high numbers of elephant carcasses were found in national parks and protected areas, with staggering declines in Mozambique, Tanzania and Angola.

Poachers killed about half the elephant population in Mozambique in just five years, according to the census. Elephants had been all but wiped out in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and parts of Zambia.

Dixon reported from Johannesburg and Kaiman from Beijing.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT

jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com

Twitter: @JRKaiman

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Putin says Russia wont oust U.S. diplomats in response to hacking sanctions

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Vladimir Putin is betting that the smartest move is to do nothing.

The Russian president announced Friday that his government would not expel any U.S. diplomats in retaliation for U.S. punitive measures unveiled by the White House a day earlier in response to Russias alleged cyber-attacks.

Putins sidestep away from confrontation was widely read as a deliberate bow to President-elect Donald Trump -- and a final hard slap at President Obama in the waning weeks of the U.S. leaders tenure.

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We will not create any problems for U.S. diplomats. We will not expel anyone, Putin said in a statement posted on the Kremlin website that followed well-publicized calls from senior Russian officials for a sharp pushback against the U.S. administration over steps that included the expulsions of 35 Russian diplomats.

The Russian leader said the Kremlin would instead base future moves on the policies of the Trump administration. Trump quickly praised Putin for putting off any action, tweeting: I always knew he was very smart!

While Putins statement criticized unfriendly actions on the outgoing presidents part, he pointedly steered clear of the harsh personal mockery aimed at Obama by other Russian officials in the hours before his statement.

Those included a Facebook screed by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zarakhova, who described Obama and his team as embittered and dimwitted foreign policy losers. Underscoring that point, the Russian Embassy in London put out a derisive tweet featuring a picture of a duck emblazoned with the word Lame.

Analysts said Putins approach seemed to represent a canny calculation that a vehement Russian response to the U.S. punitive moves would have made it more difficult for Trump, once he takes office, to reverse or soften actions taken by Obama during the final three weeks of his White House tenure.

Trumps friendly stance toward Putin was a notable feature of the presidential campaign, and he has derided U.S. intelligence assessments that Russian hacking had been meant to tip the election in his favor.

Had Putin opted to escalate the confrontation over hacking, he would have put the president-elect on even more of a collision course with congressional critics, including some leading Republicans who are deeply wary of Russias intentions. Senate hearings on the Russian cyber-attacks are expected after Congress returns next week.

Putins conciliatory tone, and the scathing anti-Obama commentary that preceded it, were in all likelihood carefully orchestrated, analysts suggested.

I think he is trying to come across as reasonable, and trying to portray Obama as having taken an unfair parting shot at him, said David Kramer, a senior State Department official in the Bush administration. None of what theyre doing is ad-libbed.

Putins decision marked a break with the practice enshrined in the Cold War era and in decades beyond  that any use of diplomatic tools by either side to express displeasure would be met with a precisely calibrated response.

Putins foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, invoked that principle, noting hours before the Russian leaders statement that reciprocity is the law in diplomacy and international relations.

Lavrov had recommended that Putin expel 35 U.S. diplomats  31 from the Moscow embassy, and four from the consulate in St. Petersburg  in reply to the American eviction of the same number of Russian diplomatic personnel suspected by the U.S. of acting as intelligence operatives.

The Obama administration also imposed sanctions on leaders of two Russian spy agencies and placed off-limits two Russian-owned rural compounds, one in New York state and one on Marylands Eastern Shore, which it said were used for intelligence-related activity. Russia describes the sites as recreational getaways for diplomats and their families.

Instead of responding in kind by shuttering comparable facilities used by American diplomats in Russia, Putin opted for an elaborate show of magnanimity, even inviting the children of American diplomats to take part in traditional festive holiday gatherings at the Kremlin.

Earlier statements from Russian officials leaned heavily on the hardships for the 35 Russian diplomatic personnel who were declared persona non grata  PNGd, in diplomatic parlance  and given 72 hours to leave the U.S. The Foreign Ministry said that counting spouses and children, 96 Russian nationals in all would be forced to depart.

Accusations of Russian hacking remain likely to rank as an early foreign-policy challenge for Trump when he takes office on Jan. 20.

The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected claims that Moscow tampered with the U.S. presidential election, although it clearly telegraphed its preference of Trump over the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.

U.S. intelligence agencies determined that the Kremlin had masterminded cyber-attacks on the Democratic National Committee and leaked stolen emails with an eye toward helping Trump.

After initially rejecting those assessments as ridiculous, the president-elect said Thursday it was time to move on from the topic. But he added that he would sit for an intelligence briefing on the matter next week.

Until now, Trump has alarmed many in the foreign policy establishment by skipping most of the classified briefings offered up to prepare him for assuming the presidency.

Special correspondent Mirovalev reported from Moscow and Times staff writer King from Washington.

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UPDATES:

12:45 p.m.: Updated throughout with analysis, Trump tweet.

8:15 a.m.: This article was updated with additional background and comments from Dmitri Medvedev and Maria Zakharova.

This article was originally published at 4:55 a.m.
With the offensive to reclaim the Iraqi city of Mosul now in its third month, smartphones are everywhere on the battlefield, where the appetite for selfie photos is proving to be irresistible  and problematic.

Troops and commanders pose atop tanks, Humvees, checkpoints and even on the front lines with bullets flying. They snap pictures of themselves with a mix of generals, civilians, reporters, priests, doctors, babies and anything associated with the Islamic State, including flags, detainees and bodies.

 Times reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske speaks with Iraqi soldiers about the popularity of selfies.

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They document themselves with reality-show glee clearing Islamic State tunnels, hoisting salvaged weapons, pointing to graffiti, prisoners and corpses. The photos are far from an official archive of events. But as questions arise about the Iraqi militarys treatment of detainees and the bodies of dead fighters, amateur images may become evidence.

Human Rights Watch has cited the amateur photos and videos in complaints about extrajudicial executions of prisoners and other abuses during the offensive.

The organization posted photos and video stills online in accusing Sunni militias and allied Iraqi Security Forces of dragging the bodies of at least five dead militants and executing at least one after he surrendered in Qayyarrah, about 40 miles south of Mosul, on Oct. 3. On video, a fighter could be seen stepping on the militants body and posing for a photo, the group said. A man in an Iraqi special forces uniform calls for a razor, saying he wants the head of the dead fighter.

It never ceases to amaze me, nor stops disturbing me, that armed forces take pleasure in photographing themselves during or after committing an abuse. Over the last year, we were able to document the most serious abuses because of forces own photos, said Belkis Wille, senior Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch.

This week, troops snapped selfies with the top U.S. and Iraqi commanders as the top brass arrived at an army post east of Mosul for an update on the offensive, which began Oct. 17. Among the most popular: Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq; Maj. Gen. Najim Jabouri, Iraqi commander of the Mosul offensive, and Lt. Gen. Abdul Wahab Saadi, Iraqi Special Forces commander, recognizable thanks to Facebook.

I dont have a Facebook account, but because of the selfies they are posting, I became like a hero, Saadi said as he stood among the uniformed crowd. Many held cellphones aloft.

Saadi said the photos are good for morale, and help reassure families back home.

But they can be risky.

U.S. forces are allowed to take selfies in Iraq, as long as their commanders approve, but they may be restricted based on security classification, operational security, safety, or force protection, officials said.

Islamic State fighters monitor social media, and use it to identify and target commanders. Saadi showed video posted online by militants who recently shot at him in Mosul. The bullet lodged in a camera lens he keeps in his office.

He said Iraqi forces are advised not to take selfies in sensitive locations, including bases and areas where theyre fighting in Mosul, so the enemy will not know our position.

But judging from online posts, its a rule thats rarely enforced. Soldiers post selfies daily from in and around Mosul, especially in recent weeks as the offensive slowed.

An Iraqi soldier snaps a selfie during Shiite militia forces training south of Mosul. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times)

Many see the selfies as the digital continuation of a grand tradition.

Haval Mohamed is a Kurdish police special forces officer, grandson of a Peshmerga fighter whose photos he grew up admiring. They showed his grandfather armed, wearing a traditional red and white headdress and baggy pants, fighting then-President Saddam Husseins army to free the Kurdish north, now an autonomous region.

As Mohamed guarded a displaced persons camp this week, he scrolled through photos of himself in front of sandbags on the front lines southeast of Mosul. Five soldiers in the photo were later killed in combat, he said.

Now Mohamed, 26, snaps selfies for his daughter, 4-year-old Hasti. Her wide-eyed pictures, complete with superimposed animal faces, are mixed with his. Mohamed said his daughter has seen him in uniform, but doesnt understand the significance.

One day if I die, she will know her dad was fighting for his land and will be proud of those photos, Mohamed said.

In Shakoli, a village about 20 miles east of Mosul, Mohamed Garib, 27, showed off selfies taken with would-be Islamic State suicide bombers, who were fatally shot by his unit of Kurdish fighters before the extremists could detonate their explosive belts.

He wanted the photographs, he said, To prove to people we had fierce and hard fighting with Islamic State and to show people how dirty and criminal they were.

Several miles west in the recaptured Christian city of Bartella, special forces soldier Eskander Shamary posed for a selfie atop his Humvee this week with the popular Tiger energy drink, then scrolled through other recent photos.

In one, he wore a black and white ghost mask, used to hide his face from militants, as he guarded a crumbling strip mall. In another, he distributed water to children, making the V for victory sign with them.

The best selfie I took was with the bodies of Daesh, Shamary said, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

In the photo  a close, intimate shot in which the backdrop of a Mosul street is barely visible  the soldier looms large in the frame above the body of a bearded militant in baggy brown shirt and pants. The man had been shot several times.

Im posting them on Facebook and showing my friends and family, said Shamary, 29.

A fellow special forces soldier, Safaa Sabah, joined him to compare shots.

Sabah showed off selfies taken with a tattered black and white Islamic State flag recovered in east Mosul. In another, Sabah, 29, of Baghdad, pointed his gun at the head of a shirtless detainee  an Islamic State captive, he said.

The reason I took a selfie with Daesh was to show my people we are making progress, he said.

The Iraqi armys reputation was tarnished here two years ago when Islamic State seized Mosul, and Sabah sees the photos he takes, especially the ones of soldiers helping civilians, as a way to rebuild credibility. They want to win back not just the city, but its mostly Sunni Muslim people.

He said restrictions on selfies mostly have to do with being careful about showing too much background.

It might be a danger to us: Daesh could figure out our position, he said.

He said selfies also pose the risk of becoming Islamic State propaganda.

Sabahs Facebook account was recently hacked, his photos stolen and used by someone who misidentified the special forces as sectarian Shiite militias who had come to the mostly Sunni city to kill our people.

As they prepared to return to the front line, the soldiers said they planned to continue taking selfies. Shamary had his sights set on the ultimate shot: With commanders, celebrating the last neighborhood we liberate.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

Twitter: @mollyhf

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DC Wants Black Women To Use A Pill That Revolutionized HIV Prevention In Gay Men

staff@latinoshealth.com By Aboki Basira Dec 30, 2016 12:07 PM EST

A daily pill that reduces the risk of contracting HIV has changed how gay men talk about the virus. Washington D.C. is now embarking on the nation's first campaign to enlighten black women about this preventive measure. They are second most likely group to contract the virus in the city which is still battling an AIDS epidemic.

Studies have shown that the daily use of the drug called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by people who do not have HIV reduces the risk of infection by over 90 percent, so the district's authorities are embarking on this campaign to enlighten and convince women of color on the importance of PrEP and let them know that it is not just for gay men.

One in every six newly infected persons in D.C. is a black woman. Although new cases are declining, nearly 2 percent of residents in the nation's capital are still living with the virus, which is one of the highest rates in the United States.

Condoms are the most popular contraceptive method used to prevent the sexual transmission of the virus. But there are times when sexually active people either fail or forget to use them and most women indulge in sexual activities under the mistaken apprehension that the men are monogamous, public health experts noted.

According to reports, PrEP changes the dynamics of HIV prevention, and women can now protect themselves instead of relying on men to use condoms.

The drug which has been available since 2012, has been unknown to women of color and to counter that, the city is running an advertising campaign on Metro-buses aimed at black women with the tagline "Dominate your sex life," and also gives necessary information about the preventive pill.

"The campaign itself is really about empowering women to take control of their sexuality, control their health and know this is an option for them", LaQuandra Nesbitt, D.C. Health Department Director says. But like condoms, PrEP is not unlikely to fail, and HIV prevention counselors are encountering issues as some black women are still in doubt about the potency of the pill.

Most women equate using the drug with promiscuity, while others are still not sure whether they can commit to daily use, especially when dealing with poverty, mental illness or abusive relationships. Many African Americans do not trust public health campaigns targeted at their community because of past abuses such as the Tuskegee experiments conducted on hundreds of black men who had syphilis in Alabama, according to Washington Post.

Public health advocates compare the challenges of getting women to use the pill to the rise of birth control. Another challenge aside the high cost (more than $1,000 a month) is availability and access to the drug.

Although, Medicaid and other private insurers cover it, and the drug's manufacturer also offer a discount to people without insurance, users face co-pay fees for tests at the beginning of treatment and also follow-up visits to their doctors. District officials have noted that they are looking into ways to cover the costs, according to US pressfrom.

The campaign to get more black women to use PrEP is part of a larger effort to end the District's HIV epidemic and cut in half the number of new infections by 2020.

However, Vans that offer mobile HIV testing are also providing referrals to doctors who can prescribe the drug. The Washington AIDS Partnership in December donated more than $370,000 to three health organizations serving women to incorporate PrEP into their routines.

The MAC AIDS Fund has also donated $1 million to fund the city's PrEP for Her campaign and is closely following the work.

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Russia has one of the quickest growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world. In the year 2015, Russians were determined to have HIV that has approximately 95,000, and for the first nine months of 2016, they roughly reach to 75,000. However, there is a little sign that the administration will commit enough resources to stem the speeding up of the virus from high-hazard groups into the general population.

The New York Times reported that since late 1980's, Vadim Pokrovsky, the long-lasting leader of Moscow-based Federal AIDS Center said that around 850,000 Russians carry the HIV and 220,000 died because of it. The general estimate of casualties constitutes about 1 percent of Russia's population that counts 143 million, sufficiently to be treated as an epidemic. Further with that, they said that heterosexual would be soon top intravenous drug use as the main method for infection.

Mr. Pokrovsky said that this epidemic is considered as a threat to the whole country which the caseload is expanding around 10 percent every year. In 2016, 100,000 new infectious disease are foreseen, about 275 day by day. HIV will be the biggest epidemic in Europe and among the highest rates of disease. Under World Health Organization rules, to diminish the spread of the infection, at least 90 percent of HIV-positive patients will receive an antiviral drug.

On The Seattle Times, it stated that there is more than 37 percent who receive the treatment, as indicated to the government statistic. According to Vinay P. Saldana, the UNAIDS provincial executive that prevention projects are not working as the coverage is not adequate to break the curve. As for the UNAIDS figures, Russia is among the five nations that have almost half the new diseases globally; the other nations are South Africa, Nigeria, India, and Uganda. Even though in some of them has a much higher rate of the overall population is infected.

The annual $338 million budget of the Russian government for HIV was spent on medicines, and nothing goes to the preventive education. The health minister, Veronika Skvortsova, has repeatedly asked for extended medication programs that the administration needs. After a profound retreat, however, small new money has emerged.
As many as 40 to 50 workers are feared trapped after a mine collapsed in India's Lalmatia last night.

Apart from the workers, some machineries of private company are also feared trapped inside the debris, the CISF has said, India Today agency reported.

Those injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital.

CISF officials say rescue operations, which could not begin due to night fog, are now underway at the site and electric supply has been disrupted.

NDRF teams from Patna are on their way to the spot of the mishap. An additional manpower comprising 2 inspectors, 21 CISF personnel from ECL Sheetalpur headquarters has been sent to the site.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das is monitoring the situation closely, asks concerned officials to intensify rescue operations.
A plane flying from Las Palmas, the capital of Spains Gran Canaria, to Warsaw had to make an emergency landing in Prague amid a bomb threat, local media reported.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft had 160 passengers on board, all of them have been safely evacuated from the plane, Czech Radio said late on Friday citing the countrys Interior Minister Milan Chovanec.

The aircraft is being inspected and police have started an investigation into the incident. The suspect has been dealt with, Czech Radio said.
Ankara, Turkey, Dec. 30

By Atilla Caner  Trend:

Turkey will tentatively hold parliamentary and presidential election Nov. 3, 2019, a source in the Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey (YSK) told Trend Dec. 30.

It is expected that the parliamentary and presidential election in Turkey will be held on the same day, according to the new draft constitution approved at the meeting of the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee of the country.

Earlier, a source in the Turkish Parliament told Trend that the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee of Turkey approved a number of articles in the countrys draft constitution.

The approved articles increase the number of seats in the Turkish Parliament from 550 to 600.

The draft constitution proposes to allow Turkish citizens to run for the post of the MP from the age of 18. Currently, the lowest age limit for this is 25.

One of the approved articles also offers to hold parliamentary elections every 5 years. Currently, the parliamentary elections are held every 4 years.

A Turkish citizen not younger than 40 and with higher education can become president of Turkey, according to the draft constitution. The Turkish president will also have the powers to appoint ministers and replace them.

The newly approved articles stipulate that the president-elect is not obliged to be a non-party nominee.

All the above mentioned proposals approved by the Constitutional Committee must be submitted to the Turkish Parliaments General Assembly. The constitutional amendments would then be discussed at two parliamentary sessions of the General Assembly.

During the first session, the four political parties in the General Assembly and the government would discuss the proposals as a whole and the articles separately, as well as any motions for amendment. The second session would be devoted only to the discussion of motions on amendments to articles.

If the draft constitution gets more than 367 votes, it can pass directly without the need for a referendum. However, the AK Party, the ruling party in Turkey, has said it will hold a referendum even if none is needed.
Dec 30, 2016, 9:35am ET

Another Faraday Future exec departs ahead of CES unveiling, report claims

The latest sign of potential trouble suggests \"acting global CEO\" Ding Lei has stepped down.

Another top Faraday Future executive has reportedly left the company, further fueling speculation that the company is facing financial and organizational trouble.

The startup has mostly kept its top leadership in the shadows, but sources have told The Verge that "acting global CEO" Ding Lei is the latest departure.

The same news outlet last week claimed brand chief Marco Mattiacci and marketing VP Joerg Sommer recently left the company. Both are industry veterans; Mattiacci previously served as Ferrari North America CEO, while Sommer held leadership roles at Volkswagen and Daimler, among other automakers.

Ding Lei is said to have been considered a leading spokesman, second only to company founder Jia Yueting.

FF's structure is somewhat confusing, as Yueting is also said to be spearheading two other prospective EV startups. The executive's biggest company, LeEco, claims Ding Lei is still employed as a chairman for a separate EV project.

Skepticism surrounding Faraday Future's market ambitions has grown for months, sparked by an alleged failure to pay contractors that are building the company's $1 billion factory in Nevada. The prospective automaker plans to show its first production car in the coming week at CES in Las Vegas.
A 46-year-old New Jersey man was arrested Thursday evening after tipping a drinks server with a Valium at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Pennsylvania State Police report.

David Carnevale, of Caldwell in Essex County, was charged with possession with intent to deliver drugs.

The server reported the 6:50 p.m. incident to a supervisor, and Pennsylvania State Police stationed at the casino took Carnevale into custody.

He admitted to police to having tipped the server $5 or $10 plus one tablet of the tranquilizer after ordering a Coors Light while playing high-limit blackjack, according to court records.

Police seized the tablet and an additional Valium in the same packaging and dosage from Carnevale's pocket.

He was taken to Northampton County Prison to be arraigned at 11 p.m. before District Judge Roy Manwaring II, police said. Carnevale was released without bail, according to court records.

A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled Jan. 6 in District Judge Joseph Barner's Bethlehem court.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
This is probably to be expected.

Pennsylvania State Police at Bethlehem say a sobriety checkpoint is planned sometime Friday into Sunday in Lehigh or Northampton counties, as the Lehigh Valley says goodbye to 2016 and rings in the New Year.

In addition, state police say extra patrols focusing on three types of driving violations will be deployed from midnight Friday through midnight Sunday.

These three patrol initiatives are known by their acronyms PADEEP for PA Aggressive Driving Enforcement Education Program, STEADD for Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Drunk Driving and DRE for Drug Recognition Expert.

Capt. Brian Tobin, commanding officer of Pennsylvania State Police Troop M, speaks during the 16th annual Spirit-Free Mix Off held in December 2016 at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

"Enforcement will also concentrate on moving violations such as speeding and reckless driving, as well as seat-belt and child-safety-seat violations," the Bethlehem-based Troop M commanding officer, Capt. Brian Tobin, and the troop's community service officer, Trooper First Class Marc Allen, said in a statement.

During the three-day 2015-16 New Year's holiday period, Troop M investigated 25 crashes, three of which resulted in injuries requiring treatment, across its territory covering Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties, according to a news release.

Five of those crashes were alcohol-related, and none resulted in a fatality.

"Troopers aggressively enforced the motor-vehicle laws resulting in the issuance of 998 traffic citations," nearly half of which were for speeding on area highways, the release states. The others included seven child-seat citations and 40 seat-belt citations, in addition to 29 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.

During last weekend's four-day Christmas holiday travel period, Troop M says it investigated 55 crashes that injured 36 people, none fatally and none of which were alcohol-related. Troopers issued 642 citations, again nearly half for speeding on area highways; 14 child-seat citations and 16 seat-belt citations and made 34 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.

"The Pennsylvania State Police, Troop M, urges travelers to 'think before you drink' and be mindful of our continuing efforts to enforce the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's legal blood alcohol limit of 0.08 while operating a passenger vehicle," Tobin and Allen stated. "Motorists need to be aware of the State Police Checkpoint Strike Force initiative which calls for weekly DUI checkpoints in Troop M patrol area.

"Also, anyone under the age of 21 that chooses to drink must be reminded that Pennsylvania's Zero Tolerance Law establishes serious consequences for those who choose to drink and drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in their blood."

Police also ask drivers to slow down and steer clear when encountering emergency vehicles with flashing lights.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 29-year-old New York City man appeared intoxicated on Thursday afternoon after crashing a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero on North Delaware Drive in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania State Police report.

The man, who police did not name, is expected to be charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance once toxicology tests are returned, police said.

The man was driving north at 4:58 p.m. at Slateford Road when he lost control of the SUV on the wet road and rolled it, police said.

He was taken to Pocono Medical Center for treatment of injuries and a blood draw, police said.

Passengers Lisa Tejada, 22, of New York City, a 8-year-old boy from Hazleton and a 7-year-old girl from New York City were not hurt, police said.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

"Upon receiving the toxicology results back, both criminal and summary charges will be filed," in District Judge Alicia Rose Zito's court in Bangor, police said.

The man was taken to the hospital by Suburban EMS, and the township fire department assisted at the scene, police said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The media attends the launch of the new Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 Windows smartphones on September 5, 2012 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Spencer Platt)

Nokia is bound to make a comeback and it is expected that HMD Global will use the 2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February 2017 as the venue for launching new Nokia Android phones. HMD Global will reportedly introduce five Nokia phones in 2017.







A new Nokia Android phone, codenamed Nokia D1C, has been making the headlines for quite some time. But now, the Finnish company is developing four more phones for 2017, Digi Times reported.



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The four new Android Nokia phones could sport display sizes between 5 and 5.7 inches, in either Full HD or WQHD resolutions, the publication quoted industry sources as saying. The sources also said that panel suppliers for the devices include Century Technology, LG Display and Innolux. In addition, FIH will reportedly be a production partner.



Other details of these four upcoming Android phones were not revealed, but bits of information about Nokia D1C start to emerge. Nokia D1C is likely the first Android Nokia phone to make a debut at the MWC 2017, a Chinese language site Technews.com reported, as cited by Digi Times. The report added that the device is expected to be available in two variants: one is a cheaper device with 2 GB of RAM and a 5-inch Full HD display, priced at $150 and the other comes with a 3 GB of RAM and a larger 5.5-inch display priced at $200.



Other rumored specs of Nokia D1C include 13-megapixel and 16-megapixel cameras and 16 GB or 32 GB storage options. Nokia D1C is also likely to run on a Snapdragon 430 chip from Qualcomm and carry an Adreno 505 GPU on board.



The latest tip about the new Android Nokia phones for 2017 gives the impression that HMD Global is working on different affordable Android Nokia phones that will target different markets, Tech Shout reported. D1C is said to be not flagship worthy but HMD could be developing a premium phone that should feature a 2K display and a Carl Zeiss camera lens. Meanwhile, check out some of the rumored Nokia D1C specs and features in the video below:






It was a dog's day out for Houdini the wire haired terrier from Portarlington this morning, when he boarded the train to Dublin in Portarlington train station.

Iarnrod Eireann quickly put the call out for information on their Facebook page, looking for his owner to come forward to bring him back home.

"Lost Dog - This dog boarded a train to Dublin this morning at Portarlington. Please contact Kilmainham Garda Station +353 1 666 9700"

The story of little Houdini's adventure took off on social media.

Within hours the post was shared over 500 times. Wisecracking comments included 'he must have slipped the Laois' and 'even the dogs have had enough of Portarlington'.

Houdini walked a mile from the family home to catch his 10am train, where he was met by the Gardai on his arrival in Dublin, brought to Kilmainham Garda station and eventually Castleknock dog pound.

Owner Enya Mulligan has since made contact and is waiting to be reunited with her pet.

The pound closes for the long weekend today, so Houdini will be spending New Year in the pound, if he doesn't escape that too. Enya and her mother Siobhan will bring him back home next Tuesday, on the train, on a lead, in a cage.

"He's a little charmer. We called him Houdini because he is a notorious escape artist. They told us that in the pound in Ballacolla when we rescued him as a pup ten years ago. He regularly escapes to "do his rounds" in Portarlington, but this is his best trick ever," said Siobhan Mulligan.

"It is the biggest adventure he's ever had, and the funniest. He is safe and well, so we can laugh," she added.
Over the next few days, we will be publishing our twelve most read posts of 2016. Many thanks to the 533,000 people who have visited the site over the past tumultuous 12 months.

In our 8th most read post, Caron Lindsay argues that the social media mockery of Diane Abbott by various right wing types is not a sign of a healthy political culture.

Labour MP Diane Abbott is being roundly mocked in various parts of the internet because of a question she asked as Shadow International Development Secretary, a position she held until last week when she was promoted to Shadow Health Secretary.

She asked:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to assist people in the Indonesian province of Province of Davao del Norte affected by the drought in that province.

The reply was crushing:

There is no province called Davao del Norte in Indonesia.

Actually, there is a place called Davao del Norte suffering droughts. In the Philippines. So a staffer in Diane Abbotts office made a mistake. We all do it. Why make a fuss?

The Guido Fawkes blog has been one of those poking fun at Abbott. Its not surprising behaviour from a right wing sensationalist site.

Ultimately, Diane Abbotts question was well-intentioned and focused around helping some very vulnerable people. Her successor, if she has one who stays in office for more than five minutes, can resubmit it with the correct details. Its not a big deal.

I was more concerned seeing the story being shared by Liberal Democrats on social media. Maybe we need to get past being amused by genuine mistakes and concentrate on what really matters.

Abbotts error is a million miles away from the spectacle weve seen over the past few months of self-serving politicians setting out to deceive the country  and succeeding  purely to further their own ambitions. The tragedy of that is double-edged.

Firstly, that sort of self-serving politician is actually a pretty rare thing. Most of them, from all parties, are decent people who want to make the world a better place.

Secondly, the idea that politicians are just a bunch of self serving useless individuals is most popular amongst those who feel disengaged from politics and who have just been manipulated and deceived by the likes of Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage and Andrea Leadsom. Two of these are in the running to be Prime Minister. That is scary.

I disagree with Diane Abbott more often than I agree with her, but with so much else going on in politics at the moment, we need to concentrate on what actually is important. There are economic, political and constitutional crises emanating from the Brexit referendum to be sorted. There are many reason to worry about Labour, who seem to be caught up in the most irreconcilable differences when we need a coherent opposition, but this question isnt one of them.

Everyone makes mistakes. The right response to Abbotts is there but for the grace of the Flying Spaghetti Monster go I.

Labour of course would have been all over it had the mistake been made by someone else.

The way we conduct our politics needs to change. Rather than scoring cheap points, we need to be showing that we really are tackling the issues of the day. That way, if people see that their concerns are being heard and tackled, they will regain confidence and thats good for all of us.
First of all, I would like to express my deep sympathy to everyone who has lost close ones this year. Particularly at this festive period, I am conscious of the hell of grief many people are going through.

Im not saying anything new here. But we seem to have lost one heck of a lot of famous icons, heroines and heroes in 2016.

The Mirror has a theory on why this is:

Between 1946 and 1964, there was a massive growth in population.

This means people in their 50s, 60s and 70s now make up a much larger percentage of the population than they did four or five decades ago.

And as a result, more of them are famous, the BBC notes.

These people, dubbed baby boomers, are reaching an age where they are more likely to develop life-threatening conditions such as cancer and heart disease.

What has been particularly moving is that it seems so many of my heroines and heroes, who have been part of my life and growing up, have left us.

I suspect others have a similar feeling, perhaps related to a different list of those who have deceased in 2016. The names that occur to me are: Terry Wogan. He was just such an integral part of my life on Radio 2, that I regarded him as part of me! David Bowie  my hero growing up. Jean Alexander  Hilda Ogden was rarely off our screens when I was young. Rick Parfitt  Status Quo have been my favourite band for yonks. Ronnie Corbett. George Michael. Andrew Sachs  Fawlty Towers was another thing that I regarded as part of me. Robert Vaughan  Man from U.N.C.L.E was a real passion of mine when I was young. Carla Lane  We were always glued to Liver Birds and Butterflies. Muhammed Ali. Caroline Aherne. Victoria Wood  another person whose humour was so warm and familiar that we regarded her as part of us. Frank Kelly  another loss from the Father Ted cast.

Theres a fuller list here. I am sorry I have missed out some notable names but that is simply because the names above struck a particular personal chord with me  as I say others will have a different list.

Perhaps this is all because I am at that age where famous people I have known growing up are increasingly getting to the age where they pass on? Is it just my perception  or has 2016 been an extraordinary year for losing much-loved public figures?

I dont want to minimise the pain of grief and loss brought to those who have lost close ones in 2016. I have lost two really close and loved ones this year. And I express my deepest sympathy to the nearest and dearest of all those famous people who have passed. Me losing a hero such as David Bowie is not on the same level, or in the same ball park, as someone losing a loved one or indeed as David Bowies own familys grief at this time. But somehow, the loss of these loved famous people chips away at ones own sense of identity.

Never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.

John Donne. Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII.

The subject of perception based on age brings me to a theory I have considered recently and which relates to memory, including to our memory of famous much-loved stars.

It seems like only yesterday that I was buying Rebel Rebel in its orange RCA sleeve with its orange label and its orange adapter in the middle. It seems like only yesterday that I was listening to Terry Wogan for the first time on the Radio 1 and 2 drivetime show, when he was fresh from Ireland.

We often say that only yesterday sort of thing and, indeed, think it. Memories can be so vivid. But I wonder if recalling memories is a bit like a row of telegraph poles. When you look back on a line of telegraph poles and choose the 25th one back, without seeing the space in between the poles, it seems quite near. Thats what we are tending to do when we recall an incident many years ago without, in that same instant, considering all the things which have happened, or not happened, between when that incident occurred and now. It is only when we look at the line of telegraph poles side on, and consider all the space between the individual poles that we realise how far the 25th pole is back. When you try to remember all the endless days which have gone by since the incident in question, it starts to feel a long time ago.

I raise a glass to all the great people  famous and not famous  that we have lost in 2016. Let us hope that 2017 is a good year and may it bring you and yours health and happiness!

* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
TRAGEDY struck three families in the Limerick area over the Christmas period when a baby, a child and a teenager lost their lives in separate tragic incidences.

Five-month-old Margaret Alexandra Burke passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in her cot at her home in Effin on Christmas Eve - almost a year after her first cousin, also named Alexandra Burke, and also from Effin, died from a rare form of cancer aged just five.

Fifteen-year-old Sean Holland, from Herbertstown, sadly passed away after bravely battling a long illness, while 10-year-old Canadian girl of Nigerian extraction, Madra, died on board a flight which was diverted to Shannon Airport.

Margaret Alexandra Burke's grandfather Walter Burke from Effin last saw his granddaughter just hours before she passed away on Christmas Eve.

She was smiling mad the night she died, Walter told the Limerick Leader.

They had fed her at two oclock that morning. We are devastated. That was our Christmas, he added.

Hundreds of people gathered at St Peter and St Pauls Church in Kilmallock this Tuesday for the funeral Mass of the little girl.

At the top of the aisle, a single red rose rested on a three-foot white coffin.

A foil pink helium balloon with the word Baby swayed gently from side to side.

Sitting in the front pew, in the shadow of the Christmas crib, baby Margaret Alexandras heartbroken mother Margaret was comforted tenderly by her husband Walter. Margaret always sang Daddys Girl to her baby girl. That was her song. A friend brought Margaret a glass of water from the sacristy, everyone wanted to in some way ease her pain.

The song, Suffer Little Children to Come Unto Me, signalled the start of the Mass.

No mother expects to live through the death of her child. I am sorry that death has come so suddenly. I am sorry that your heart is pierced with pain. I am sorry that life can be so hard, said Fr David Casey, CC, Kilmallock. Baby Margaret Alexandra leaves behind three brothers, John-Ross, William and Michael and her sister Maureen.

The local undertaker had been putting the finishing touches to the headstone of her first cousin Alexandra Burke, who passed away last January, when word filtered through of the second tragedy in the family.

They had done the lovely white stones and blue stones, that Alexandra loved, when they found out about the other baby. The two little girls are buried close to one another in Effin Cemetery, Walter explained.

The little baby is buried with my father and mother, Michael and Margaret, and Alexandra, my other granddaughter who died at the start of the year, is buried with my ancestors, a small bit away, Walter added.

Earlier in the week, the Holland family from Herbertstown were plunged into mourning with the loss of 15-year-old Sean.

On December 19, Sean passed away peacefully in the wonderful care of the Childrens Ark in University Hospital Limerick.

The remarkable teenager was given just two years to live when he was diagnosed with Lissencephaly - a rare brain formation disorder - when he was a baby. Yet the beloved son of John and Pearl and brother of Niamh, from Herbertstown, lived for 13 more years than expected.

It was their love for him that kept him alive, said Fr Roy Donovan, who celebrated the Requiem Mass in Caherline church.

It was sheer love. They said he was the most kissed child in the whole world because he was so loveable. His smile was so disarming, said Fr Donovan.

The parish priest described the Mass as very emotional but also a celebration of the young mans life. Those in attendance will not forget his father, Johns moving words.

Sean had been such a part of his parents and older sisters lives. The four of them were intricately linked together through him. There was a massive bond, said Fr Donovan.

Sean is also sadly missed by his grandmother Celine, uncles, aunts, cousins, neighbours, friends and his friends in St Gabriels School.

The school did a show panel on him with photographs and quite a number of messages from teachers, care assistants and his friends in St Gabriels. They all had wonderful messages. A lot of them said he had such a wonderful smile, said Fr Donovan.

Meanwhile, the family of the 10-year-old girl, who died on a flight that was diverted to Shannon Airport on Christmas Eve, have set up a fundraising page to raise funds to bring her body back to Canada.

The young girl, who lived in Toronto, fell ill while travelling with her three sisters on board an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Heathrow, on Christmas Eve. The girl, Madra, was later pronounced dead at the scene after being examined by a local doctor.

Madra, who had sickle cell anaemia, suddenly fell ill and was found unresponsive by crew members.

Madra was traveling to Nigeria to spend the Christmas holidays with extended family. Their mother was in Nigeria at the time of the incident.

We have been in Ireland since then, waiting to take our dear sister back to Canada. The Irish police and medical teams and Air Canada have been very helpful in this situation. Our family is a single parent family of four children, so we do not have the funds to have a proper burial for our beloved Madra.

Any help you can give will be deeply appreciated by our family during this time of devastation and grief. Our lovely Madra suffered with sickle cell anaemia and any additional funds will be donated to the clinic she attended, who were so good to her always. Madra was the light of our lives, she brought joy and happiness to our household and we will never be the same without her, however we will keep her memory alive. Thank you.

The family of the doctor, who was at the scene of the incident at Shannon Airport, invited the three sisters to stay at their home over the Christmas holidays,

On Tuesday the tragic girl reposed at the doctors home, which is in the Clare region.

Tony McMahon, of McMahons Funeral Home, commended the doctor and his family, and two members of An Garda Siochana in Shannon, who escorted the family to Dublin as the girls body was being examined.
South Korean actor Lee Won-Geun plays the lead character of Jae-Ha in the upcoming film 'Misbehavior.' (Photo : YouTube/Lee Min Sung)

After playing Oh Jin-Woo in "The Net," Lee Won-Geun will star next in the upcoming film "Misbehavior." Recently, the 25-year-old actor opened up about what it is really like to shoot a bed scene with co-star Kim Ha-Neul.







In a recent interview with local media, Lee admitted that it was his first time to do a bed scene. He then revealed how he and Kim were able to manage the intimate scene without feeling agitated.



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"I didn't want to rely on Kim Ha Neul so much, so I talked to the director a lot about the scene," local newsoutlet MBN, as cited by Soompi, quoted Lee as saying. "The shoot ended quicker than I imagined."



Lee then reiterated that he does not have any worries about the said steamy scene. Since it was his first time, the Hallyu star revealed that taking his clothes off and covering certain body parts was fascinating to him.



In the upcoming film, the "Cheer Up!" actor plays a submissive student, Jae Ha, who is keenly aware of his teachers' physical and emotional physical needs. Opposite him is the 'On the Way to the Airport" actress.



Kim plays Hyo Joo, a restrained part-time instructor at an all-male high school. Emotionally torn, she discovers that her junior Hye-Young (Yoo In-Young) has nabbed a full-time position at the school through her connections.



At the "Misbehavior" press conference on Dec. 21, director Kim Tae-Yong said the upcoming film is a story about two women and their delicate personalities. One is loaded with a feeling of inadequacy, while the other audaciously pursues her own desires.



"I wanted to see how far human desire could go, and how low their ego could fall," The Kpop Herald quoted director Kim as saying. "I myself feel a sense of inferiority when comparing myself to others. I came up with this script when I started wondering, 'What is the one thing I could take from them? Could I succeed? Would that satisfy me?'"



Though the packaging of the "Misbehavior" may appear like an illicit love triangle, director Kim stressed that the film delves into the human instincts of desire, emotional dominance, and inferiority complexes.



"Misbehavior" is scheduled to be released on Jan. 5, 2017. Check out the trailer here:






Operation Proposal (Photo : Uchocospirit/YouTube)

Lay, a Chinese actor who is also a member of the popular Korean boy band EXO, said while promoting the Chinese drama Operation Love, that he prefers to do a war or military drama or movie over a romantic show or film.



The reason behind his preference is he feels uncomfortable doing romantic scenes, AllKpop reported. The 25-year-old celebrity explained he is traditional and conservative about kissing scenes since it is something people in a relationship do.



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No to Kissing Scenes



For this reason, Ive never filmed a real kiss scene. If I did, it was actually just filmed to look like a real one, Hall of Fame Magazine quoted Lay. While shooting Operation Love,  the Chinese name of the drama - there were rumors that the crew was kicked out of Sun Yat Sen University because they allegedly lacked permits to shoot inside the campus.



The incident happened on Dec. 20. However, the production crew of Operation Love explained that they left the university because of the size of the crowd that gathered to watch their shooting which could compromise the safety of the productions stars. Operation Love is adapted from a Japanese drama with the same title and has a Korean version titled Operation Proposal which stars Yoo Seung Ho and Park Eun Bin.



Plot of Movie



The co-star of Lay in Operation Love is Chinese actress Chen Duling who won a college competition. The plot of the film revolves around Yan Xiaolai, Lays character, a man who was given a second chance to return in time and tell his childhood friend that he loves her. The friend was about to marry another man, according to Asiastarz.



Besides Operation Love, Lay is also in the cast of Jackie Chans movie Kung Fu Yoga and would be the male lead in the upcoming Chinese-South Korean film Unexpected Love, in which he is cast opposite Krystal, his labelmate.






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Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook star in the tvN drama 'Goblin.' (Photo : YouTube/tvN Drama)

The tvN drama "Goblin" has captured the hearts of avid drama lovers given its interesting storyline and talented cast. Recently, the fashionable outfits that were worn by Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook became some of the hottest styles in the South Korean fashion industry.



With the tall figures and fit bodies of the "Goblin" actors Gong and Lee, many fashion styles look good on the two celebrities. In the tvN drama, both actors have already displayed their various fashion stylings from casual wear to business attires.



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The "Coffee Prince" star has recently become a fashion trendsetter with the oversized coats that he wore in "Goblin." One of the actor's coats even caught the interest of avid fashion lovers specifically the coat he wore in the drama's episode 3.



Identified as part of the Lanvin Paris 2016 fall-winter collection which costs more than 4 million won (approximately $3,310), the said fashion piece became a sold-out item in many South Korean stores, according to Korea Herald.



Some of Gong's oversized coats in "Goblin" came from the newest collection of famous fashion brands such as Givenchy coats, as well as Burberry and Tom Ford fashion pieces. Moreover, a few of the actor's outfits in the said tvN drama have yet to be released in South Korea.



Meanwhile, Gong's co-star Lee, who mostly wore classic black business suits in the tvN fantasy series, have also captured the interest of many fashion labels. The "My Girl" actor has even received several sponsorship offers from many clothing brands.



Apart from Lee and Gong's fashion stylings, the two actors and their co-stars' acting talents have also made "Goblin" one of the popular dramas in South Korea. The tvN fantasy series even topped the Content Power Index for two consecutive weeks since its release.



The drama posted a score of 313.9 points for the week period Dec. 5 to Dec. 11, according to CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, as cited by Yonhap News. During its debut week, "Goblin," also known as "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," reached 302.8 points and even dethroned the previous first placer "Legend of the Blue Sea."



"Goblin" airs every Friday and Saturday on tvN. Watch one of Gong and Lee's funny scenes in the drama below:






Students of the year In 2016, discontent erupted across campuses, cutting across political lines /news/talking-point/students-of-the-year-111647425408207.html 111647425408207 story

The year is ending on a grim note. Najeeb Ahmed, a student of biotechnology at Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University, went missing on 15 October. The 27-year-old remains missing, reportedly after an altercation with students alleged to be from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Multiple appeals have gone out; Ahmeds mother, Fatima Nafees, moved the Delhi high court, member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal spoke up, and the Delhi Police increased its reward for information from Rs50,000 to Rs10 lakh.

The year began on a grim note too.

On 18 January, Rohith Vemula, a 26-year-old Dalit PhD scholar at Hyderabad central university, hanged himself in a hostel room. Vemula was owed Rs1.75 lakhfellowship money for seven months. He was one of five Dalit students at the university who had been suspended for allegedly beating up an ABVP student leader in August 2015; the Cyberabad police contested this in an ensuing case at the Hyderabad high court. Vemulas suspension, and that of others, was revoked but, in December 2015, the universitys executive council barred them, all members of the Ambedkar Students Association, from the hostel and the administrative building, and said they couldnt contest university elections. Student groups termed these measures a social boycott"; the university said these steps were not extraordinary.

What seemed to be out of the ordinary, though, was that Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya wrote a letter to the parent Union ministry, of human resource development, saying the university had been a mute spectator" to the alleged clash between Dalit students and the ABVP student. After Vemulas suicide, a criminal case was filed against Dattatreya and others. Protests erupted in the university, with political leaders like Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, and former Manipur chief minister, the late P.A. Sangma, joining in.

In February, a case of sedition was filed against a number of people after students from ABVP protested against an event that had been organized in JNU to question the hanging of Afzal Guru. Kanhaiya Kumar, then president of the students union, and one of those arrested, was imprisoned for 20 days. This incident, like Vemulas suicide, triggered a national debate, even reaching Parliament. Home minister Rajnath Singh and then HRD minister Smriti Iraniunder fire from the oppositionmaintained that anti-national activities would not be tolerated.

Shehla Rashid, vice-president of JNUSU at the time, says it was this language of intolerance that saw students from around the country, cutting across political lines, coming together to protest. On 9 February, even students who are centrists stood up for the liberal value of letting people protest. That is why there were so many sedition cases on that day.The whole campus united," she says. Her own speech against Kumars arrest went viral on the Net.

This unity was cemented when a group of lawyers in Delhis Patiala House court complex attacked Kumar, JNU students and teachers, and journalists present there. Protests spread across campuses, such as Jadavpur University in West Bengal and Fergusson College in Pune.

If caste, free speech and dissent were some of the issues that students raised, so were patriarchy and gender injustice. Women students in Delhi had started a campaign called Pinjra Tod in August 2015 to fight gender policingstarting with different timings for men and women in campus hostels. Women from Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Ambedkar University, National Law University and JNU came together for this campaign. In May, the Delhi Commission for Women, issued notices to all 23 registered varsities in Delhi, to examine the different rules for men and women. The University Grants Commission also issued a circular to all colleges, warning them against discriminatory rules for both sexes. In September, they penned a letter to new HRD minister Prakash Javadekar, who was set to inaugurate a womens hostel on the Jamia Millia Islamia campus, pointing out the irony of how they would face disciplinary action if they didnt attend the inaugurationsymptomatic of the administrations control over their movement and choice.

At a time when dissent is readily termed anti-national, student activism has carved out a space for the language of doubt. The events of the past year also prove that the students have been able to come together on key issues. Queer student groups joined in the protests against the sedition charges on Kumar, and expressed solidarity with Hyderabad university students protesting Vemulas death. In November, Kumar and other students from JNU joined the queer pride march in New Delhi. In Hyderabad, students from various colleges joined the queer pride march led by Dalit hijra community members. It is this equitable heterogeneity that seems to have flourished across campuses this year.
(L to R) Seo Ju Hyun or Seohyun, Tiffany Hwang and Kim Taeyeon of Girls Generation arrive at the 24th Seoul Music Awards at the Olympic Park, Seoul, South Korea in 2015. (Photo : Getty Images/Chung Sung-Jun )

Back in 2015, Taeyeon decided to pursue a solo career, wherein it kicked off quite well with her major solo debut of "I." Further showing her full potential as an artist, she released several tracks that were also hitting the airwaves such as "Rain," "Why" and her latest "11:11."



The Girls' Generation member Taeyeon has already released its digital single "11:11" and has been making its way to the top 20 of the Best K-Pop Songs of 2016, according to Billboard. However, with all the hit songs that she has been releasing, Taeyeon also seems to be making a buzz on media not just with her success but also some for the wrong reasons.



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Recently, the producers of Taeyeon's newest track "11:11" have been accused of allegedly plagiarizing other artists' songs.



According to Koreaboo, a popular YouTube channel has highlighted the music and its producers, Christian Vinten and Chelcee Grimes, for plagiarizing the chord progressions of the song from other artists' tracks.



"11:11's" instrumentals has been compared to the Artist vs. Poet's "Kids Again" track, and as well as Jordin Sparks' "One Step at a Time."



After listening to the comparisons, many fans have been left agreeing with the accusations, saying that the only difference between Taeyeon's "11:11" and the other two songs is the octaves of the tracks.



Furthermore, earlier this month, Taeyeon and American rapper Wiz Khalifa were supposed to do a collaborative performance of "See You Again" during the 2016 MAMA. However, the latter claims that the former backed out of the performance, minutes before Khalifa went up on stage. The rapper took to twitter expressing his disappointments.



Meanwhile, Taeyeon posted through Instagram to share her side of the story, saying that the audio issues were the reason. Khalifa fired back, saying that the k-pop idol was lying and claimed that Taeyeon said that she has to go to the hospital the night before the performance.



Taeyeon and Khalifa have been going back and forth on social media, as the latter claimed that the k-pop idol lied about her reasons for cancelling the performance.






Open up when the world shocks you Everybody agrees 2016 was worse than most years in recent history /news/talking-point/open-up-when-the-world-shocks-you-111650556137138.html 111650556137138 story

2016 shocked. And what a task it was to deal with the shocks.

When social and moral orders change dramatically, the job of a journalist becomes more important and more difficult than ever before. I faced a very small part of that challenge.

On a personal level, there are antidotes to such shocks. Open up to the little perfections of your family, friends and the people you meet and interact with often. Open up, fully, to understand the emotion of another person, however flawed that emotion may be. Open up to relationships you have not fully understood before. Open up to awkward dichotomies and opposites.

Everybody agrees 2016 was worse than most years in recent history. Collective trauma was palpable. Let me not get into the specifics, we all know what happenedwho won, who lost, who left the world with big holes, and who stood in serpentine queues outside public sector banks the longest.

The brilliant writers in this issue will help you make sense of the year better than me. I want to talk about anger, reason and emotion. When forces much larger than usgovernments and militia, media conglomerates and voter groups, the untrammelled but short-lived power of the social mediaviolate beliefs that we have embraced and internalized after years of observing, questioning, and feeling, there comes an anger that gnaws at you beneath the walking, eating, driving and mingling, beneath the business of life. This anger is also too easy to vent today. It streams instantly. We have talked a lot this year about the world, shared each others posts, disagreed with each other using reason and emotion, and at times gone completely quiet on each other. The liberal echo chamber was more clamorous than ever beforelittle of liberal discourse disseminated to make a difference to the world. Read Salil Tripathis essay on page 7 for more on the crisis of liberalism.

For journalism, this year threw up challenges we had not foreseen. And the end to these challenges is nowhere in sight. People hated us and questioned our relevance. This years repercussions will unfold over the next few years, and we will need to constantly keep ourselves relevant. How do we do it? There is no one answer that, but one foolproof way is to continue telling stories that reveal lives which the worlds big events affect the most, but which remain in the background as alternative or parallel storiesstories that connect dots far away from each other, stories that matter for reasons other than shareability and traffic numbers.

My mistrust of binary ordersnational and anti-national, left and right, Nehru and Patel, Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwatisaved my year.

That leaves me with the exhilarating ductility of the arts. The arts can best defy binary orders. Freedom of expression is always under threat in India. This year, there were way too many instances, and thankfully, the outcry against censorship was much louder too.

I revisited the works of my grandfathera poet and essayist who wrote only in Assamese, spoke in both Assamese and English, and taught all his life in English. He wrote about the anti-immigrant students movement in Assam, exposing its narrow boundaries and bravado, about the difference between saints and kings, in gentle satire, about the town of his birth and the Calcutta of the 1920s. His words revealed my childhood (spent with him) to me in new ways. I read Malayalam author K.R. Meera (Hangwoman, The Gospel Of Yudas) and Kannada author Vivek Shanbhag (Ghachar Ghochar) in translationto be convinced yet again that the regional is universal, and there is no one authentic global" narrative.

The works of Raul Zurita, the Chilean poet and artist, came to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. I am visiting the biennale soon, at least to wade through the waters Zurita uses in his installation to give us a semblance of the pain of refugee life. One does not know if one will feel anything at all doing thatafter all, the millions of images of Syrian refugee children that we have consumed through half of 2016 have already conditioned us. But Zurita is the one who said, If poetry ends, the dream is dead," and I want to believe him.

I am on page 123 of Han Kangs The Vegetarianyet to realize the entire effect the book will have on me, but again, the universal in it works its magic. An extreme human life takes me closer to a society and culture that I have perhaps imagined as the other".

Manoj Bajpayees S.R. Siras in Hansal Mehtas Aligarh is the best film performance of 2016. Delicate, haunting and deeply emotional, some of the films moments stayed with me through the year, and they will for many years to come. There are many shades to the characters beauty and vulnerability, and all these shades had some truth in them.

My five-year-old daughter made real friends this year, braved a painful injury and tried to explain to me why only one boy in her class could defeat her in racing. I say what Aamir Khan so triumphantly said in Dangal, the years biggest and most fulfilling crowd-pleaser, Mhaari chhoriyaan chhoron se kum hain ke (Are our girls any less than our boys)?"

I am armed to take more shocks and aftershocks in 2017.

For now, lets not miss the party. Wish you a happy new year.

Sanjukta Sharma

Editor
How Pinjra Tod spread its wings Students from Patiala, Thiruvananthapuram and Cuttack used this collective to speak against gender- and caste-based discrimination /news/talking-point/how-pinjra-tod-spread-its-wings-111647425155912.html 111647425155912 story

In August 2015, an anonymous open letter was sent to the Jamia Millia Islamia vice-chancellor protesting the cancellation of women students right to stay out until late at night. It led to students across Delhi coming out on to the streets. They wanted to speak out against institutions that confine women. And Pinjra Tod, the movement, was born.

In a little more than a year, the campaign to push curfew hours has challenged the ways in which the movement of female students is restricted in the name of safety. Unlike other feminist campaigns and movements, Pinjra Tod has been attentive to gender-based discrimination and its relation to other forms of discrimination based on caste and class.

In 2016, women from educational institutions across the country joined Pinjra Tod to speak about their suppression, taking the fight against curfew hours much further, challenging deeply entrenched attitudes about womens bodiesbe it a ban on wearing shorts in some hostels, or being forced to wear a dupatta over laboratory coats, or the lack of enough accommodation. In 2016, Pinjra Tod challenged it all, facing the brunt of disgruntled institutional heads and harassment, allegedly by male students associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishadthe ABVP has denied any involvement.

Subhashini Shriya, who recently completed her law degree from Delhi University and has been part of Pinjra Tod from its inception, believes its biggest achievement has been the circular issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) last year on the prevention, prohibition and redressal of complaints of sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions. In November, Miranda House conducted elections for the appointment of the (internal complaints) committee, but the election was announced just one week in advance, such that the voting turnout was low," she says.

While the UGC circular mentioned punishment and penalties, there was no provision to hold accountable institutions with a previous record of not paying heed to sexual harassment. Shriya adds that when the campaign had begun, there was fear of retribution, and some students faced the wrath of irate teachers and institutions. But in the last one year, Pinjra Tod has been recognized as a movement, and students are less fearful.

In 2016, Pinjra Tod continued to walk the streets at night, especially through the streets in Delhi where most of the hostels are located, shouting slogans, demanding locks be broken. They documented their processes through photographs and video and shared them on social media, inspiring women from lesser-known colleges in other parts of the country to share their experiences. The anger was out on the streets, outside campuses of colleges and universities in Patiala, Thiruvananthapuram, Raipur, Cuttack, Chennai, Aligarh and Thrissur.

According to Shilpa Phadke, one of the authors of the book Why Loiter? Women And Risk On Mumbai Streets and chairperson of the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Culture at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, the presence of middle-class women on the streets at night fractures the lines between supposed good" and bad" women.

A Facebook post by Pinjra Tod stated that male students aligned with the ABVP began to scream Bharat mata ki jai!" and one even flashed a Rs100 note at one of the women during the night demonstration and street play series in Delhi in September. On their Facebook page, Pinjra Tod activists wrote: This binary of the good woman and the bad woman is the same as national and anti-national. (We) Refuse to live by their patriarchal, casteist diktats" Pinjra Tod designed a poster that said: We won't be Mother India. Nationalism cages women."

The reason Pinjra Tod is unique, says feminist historian Uma Chakravarti, is that it has been responsive to movements that challenge other forms of discrimination based on caste. Its participants travelled to Gujarat when Jignesh Mevani raised the issue of discrimination against Dalits. They have localized the movement to reflect South Asian patriarchy, which ties in with elements of caste, class and the politics of reproduction," Chakravarti says.

Though the movement made itself heard, expansion and consistency took time. It had no formal structure or set leadership; it is yet to have a face that represents the campaign. Chakravarti, who taught at Delhi University for four decades, says every batch of female students would be jostling for space and their campaigning would be limited to the time they were students. It was the teachers who would sustain the campaigns, by providing the history, context and continuation to it. But Pinjra Tod has spread to other institutions because of their sense of a feminist collective that can be replicated, as opposed to a rigid leadership. Their core team intends the movement to be issue-driven rather than leadership-driven," says Chakravarti.

The metaphor of the cage (pinjra) is reminiscent of the language used in literature by women since the 19th century," she adds. The word evokes the easily recognizable attempt to continue the patriarchal social order. This evocation has hence travelled far, and has opened a way of resistance that resonates with a lot of Indian women."

Other similar groups

 Suslu Kadnlar Bisiklet Turu or Fancy Women On Bikes is a multipronged response to the exclusion many Turkish women feel in cities like Istanbul and Izmir. By dressing up in costumes and bright make-up, these women are reclaiming their right to be seen, to be noticed, and to exist.

 A few women across Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad coordinate Girls at Dhabas" to raise noise about womens participation in public space. The idea of going to dhabas, which function as sites to relax or do nothing, may not scream out that women are not allowed there, but often men outnumber women at dhabas, and other public spaces.

 My Stealthy Freedom is an online social movement that was started by Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad in May 2014. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 women in Iran have had to cover their hair in public, but many Iranian women and men feel that wearing a hijab in public should be a personal choice. Their website is an archive of the photos and videos shared by women.
Introduction

(Image credit: Stockxpert.)

Editors Note: This article was updated on Dec. 30, 2017

Whether youre celebrating in New York City or Nashville, Tennessee, New Years Eve follows a pretty similar script: People dress up in their best duds, break out the bubbly and sing "Auld Lang Syne" at the stroke of midnight. If its a particularly rowdy party, some things may explode.

But how exactly did these traditions arise?

Many of these rituals have ancient roots and are similar around the world. It turns out that many are designed to ward off evil spirits as we enter the darkest time of the year, said Anthony Aveni, an astronomer and anthropologist at Colgate University in New York, and the author of "The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays," (Oxford University Press, 2004).

"This is a transitional period," Aveni told Live Science. "Im looking at my window at all the snow. The worst of it is just beginning because its winter. The sun goes away, and when the sun goes away we have to get it back; we have all these rituals designed to get the sun back."

From popping open a bottle of champagne to watching the ball drop in Times Square, here are the roots of 10 New Years Eve traditions. [10 Christmas Traditions from Around the World]

Smooch your sweetie

(Image credit: Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock.com)

Puckering up at the stroke of midnight is a venerable tradition with ancient roots. Many cultures considered the transition from the warm to the cold seasons to be an intensely vulnerable time, when evil spirits could run amok, Aveni said.

Many of our traditions, including kissing, originally come from the English tradition of "saining," or offering blessing or protection, during the period of Yuletide, Aveni said. (Yuletide was originally a pre-Christian Germanic festival that eventually became synonymous with Christmastide in Europe.)

Kissing, in this context, was thought to bring good luck as people entered the vulnerable, transitional period of the new year, Aveni said.

"You want to be closest to those who support you," Aveni told Live Science.

Bubbly luxury

(opens in new tab) , Shutterstock (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: Kati Molin

Popping champagne corks at the stroke of midnight is a mainstay on New Years Eve, whether at swanky parties or home celebrations. In general, overindulgence and excess are hallmarks of New Years celebrations around the world, Aveni said.

But when exactly did the peach-colored, bubbly beverage become synonymous with New Years Eve?

Despite its French name, champagnes signature fizz traces its origins back to England in the 1500s, according to "Wine Science: Principles and Applications" (Academic Press, 2008), Live Science previously reported. [Champagne Facts for the New Year (Infographic)]

At that point, people figured out how to create bubbly bottled drinks. In 1662, Christopher Merret reported to the Royal Society of London that adding sugar to bottled wine created a fizzy beverage, thanks to the yeast in the wine, which consumed the sugar to produce carbon dioxide. It took about a century to perfect the fermentation technique, however, according to Imbibe Magazine.

The use of champagne for celebrations has its roots in the Christian ritual of consuming wine during the Eucharist as the blood of Christ. In A.D. 496, a wine from the Champagne region of France was used in the baptism of the Frankish warrior Clovis, according to champagne.fr, a website run by the Champagne Committee of France. From then on, wines from the Champagne region were often used at such religious events as consecrations, and at coronations and soirees, according to the website.

"After the French Revolution, it became a part of the secular rituals that replaced formerly religious rituals," Kolleen Guy, associate professor of history at the University of Texas at San Antonio and author of "When Champagne Became French" (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003), previously told Live Science. "You could 'christen a ship' without a priest, for example, by using the 'holy water' of champagne," Guy said.

By 1789, the French had taken the two elements  the bubbles and their prized Champagne-region wine  and put the two together for royal parties and celebrations. Champagne, however, didnt become the ultimate New Years celebration beverage until producers of champagne tried to link the bubbly to festive occasions with family, and the rise of the middle class increased the purchasing power of ordinary people, according to Imbibe Magazine.

"Auld lang syne"

(Image credit: pressmaster | dreamstime)

Another classic tradition is to sing "Auld Lang Syne," a Scottish poem that was recorded on paper officially in 1788 by the Scottish poet Robert Burns, according to Scotland.org. The melody itself, however, is a much older folk song that was known in Scotland, and the Scottish Museum set Burns words to the tune when he sent it in, according to the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

"There is an old song and tune which has often thrilled through my soul," Burns said in reference to the popular melody in his 1788 letter, according to the Burns encyclopedia.

Burns admitted to drawing inspiration for "Auld Lang Syne" from an old man he heard singing the song, and other variants of the song had appeared earlier in the 1700s.

In English, the literal translation of Auld Lang Syne is "old long times," but it means something more along the lines of "once upon a time." With its touch of nostalgia, it soon became a mainstay at British and Scottish funerals, farewells and group celebrations. It didnt make it across the pond as a New Year's tradition until 1929, however, when the Guy Lombardo orchestra played it at a hotel in New York, Live Science previously reported.

Dropping the ball

(Image credit: Nancy Ann Ellis/Shutterstock.com)

At the stroke of midnight, revelers in Times Square will watch the giant ball drop in New York City. But where exactly did this tradition come from? In the old days, sailors used "time balls" to set their own timepieces while at sea. They would set these chronometers by using a spyglass to scan the harbor, looking for balls that were dropped into the water at certain times, PBS.org reported. The first time ball, which was installed in Portsmouth, England, made its first drop in 1829, and by 1845, Washington, D.C., had one installed as well, according to PBS.org.

By 1904, a big ball was present when revelers began partying in Times Square. But the first version of the ball  a wooden and iron orb that was adorned with 100 25-watt lightbulbs  dropped in 1907, according to the Times Square Alliance. That year, The New York Times publisher Adolph Ochs was hoping to find a replacement for the fireworks that had been banned by the police. (Hot ashes from the fireworks fell into the streets after the fireworks were deployed the year prior, according to PBS.org.) Ochs asked his chief electrician to conceive of an equally sparkly alternative  and the time ball was born.

Since the first ball drop, there have been seven balls, according to the Times Square Alliance. The current ball weighs 6 tons (5.4 metric tons), is 12 feet (3.65 meters) in diameter and gets its bling from 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles and 32,256 LED lights, according to the alliance.

Balls arent the only things that drop on New Years Eve. In Port Clinton, Ohio, residents watch a 600-lb. walleye fish replica fall, while Boise, Idaho, famous for its potatoes, drops a glowing "GlowTato," WNYC reported.

New Year's resolution

(opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: New Years Resolutions image via Shutterstock

Messing up and promising to do better next time may be a uniquely human instinct that has no season, but making New Years resolutions dates back at least to the time of the ancient Mesopotamians. In Ancient Babylonia, citizens made spoken resolutions in March, during their 12-day-long New Year Festival, called Akitu, Live Science previously reported. The resolutions were not undertaken for mere self-improvement: They required making an oath to the sitting (or new) king, and were considered essential to keep the kingdom in the gods favor. [Most Popular New Years Resolutions]

The Romans also had a tradition of swearing an oath of loyalty to the emperor in March, when their New Year started. Although this Roman tradition didnt directly translate to New Years resolutions, by the 1740s, the Methodist church had a practice of holding renewal services on Dec. 31. The services offer people a chance to look back at the year that passed and renew their commitment to God, Live Science reported.

In general, the act of making resolutions becomes the necessary, purifying ritual that follows the overindulgence of the new year, Aveni said. On Dec. 31, everybody is going to eat and drink to excess, "and then the next day youll wake up and hopefully youll have your resolutions to do the next year better."

Letting sparks fly

(Image credit: Hernan Seoane)

Do people ever need an excuse to make things go boom?

From China to Australia, people ring in the new year with noisemakers, sparklers and fireworks. But how did the tradition of ringing in the new year with a flash of light and a bang start?

It all comes back to the danger lurking in this transitional period, Aveni said.

In cultures around the world, people bang drums, light firecrackers and even beat the corners of their room to spook the spooky creatures lurking in the night.

"Anything to chase away the evil spirits," Aveni said.

Fireworks, for instance, were invented in the seventh century A.D. in China, and one of the express purposes of fireworks was to ward off evil spirits. From the beginning, the Chinese New Year was a reliable time to see the sparkling displays. Yet the tradition of setting off fireworks in the Western world seems to have evolved independently, Aveni said.

Superstitions abound

(Image credit: monticello/Shutterstock)

New Year's traditions around the world often come with a heavy dose of superstition.

For instance, in Brazil some avoid eating chicken in the first few minutes of the new year.

Why? Because chickens scratch the Earth backwards, consuming poultry would mean going backwards in life, rather than forward, the Rio Times reported. To avoid that fate, people eat foods that move forward, such as fish and pork. Italians, meanwhile, are supposed to reserve some of their wine grapes from the harvest to consume on New Year's Eve, which will mean they'll be frugal and financially savvy, according to Italy Magazine.

But why is the New Year so steeped in superstitious rituals? It turns out that rituals act as a buffer against anxiety and uncertainty, and what could be more uncertain than the future year, with all the events yet to come? New Year's and other holiday rituals ease that anxiety by making the world seem more predictable, according to Dimitris Xygalatas, Assistant Professor in Anthropology at the University of Connecticut

Scary start

(Image credit: Shutterstock.com)

While most New Year's traditions are cheerful affairs, others are downright frightening.

In the Japanese village of Oga, on New Year's Eve men dress in grass masks and embody the Namahage, demonic figures who go door to door searching for new members of the community. After screaming at the children and new family members to be obedient, and to study and work hard, the more established members defend the newcomers and youngsters to the demon, who leaves the house, according to the Namahage Museum.

Meanwhile in Peru, an Andean "fight club" on Christmas Day allows people to kick and punch each other to resolve differences, so they can start the New Year with a clean slate  and some black eyes, according to " A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions," (Penguin, 2016).

Money, Money, Money

(Image credit: steved_np3 | sxc.hu)

Whether it's eating pork or leftover grapes, or hopping on one foot  a huge number of New Year's traditions are all about the Benjamins  or Lira or Euros. Prosperity looms large in the roots of many New Year's traditions.

The Turks, for instance, wear red underwear, run the faucet and sprinkle salt on their doorsteps to ensure prosperity, according to the Daily Sabah, while the Swiss will drop rich dollops of whipped cream to the floor and leave them there to usher in riches, according to the Farmer's Almanac. Filipinos, meanwhile, will wear polka dots, because the rotund shape of the circles symbolizes prosperity.

People in the south, meanwhile, eat black eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread because they resemble coins, dollar bills and shiny gold, respectively.

Traditions around the world

(Image credit: melis/Shutterstock.com)

While there are some commonalities across the world, almost every culture has its unique take on the new year.

This story was originally published on Dec. 29, 2016 and updated on Dec. 29, 2017.

For instance, in Mexico, people may eat one grape for every chime of the church bells at midnight, Aveni said.

Aztecs used to burn all of their mats during the new year, as fire was considered cleansing. They would then take the clean, new fire to their homes to light their hearths, Aveni said.

The English have a tradition of leaving money out on their porch to be purified, taking the cleaned, new money into their house on the new year.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, the tradition of the "first footing" says that, for good luck, the first person to set foot in the house after the stroke of midnight should be a tall, dark male bearing a lump of coal, shortbread, salt, a black bun and a "wee dram" of whisky, according to the History and Heritage Accommodation Guide of the UK.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on Dec. 29, 2016 and was updated on Dec. 30, 2017 to include additional information on New Year's traditions in other countries.
A "leap second" will be added to the world's official clocks on Dec. 31, 2016, to accommodate Earth's gradually slowing rotation.

For one tiny heartbeat at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, a minute will be 61 seconds long.

World clocks will officially add a "leap second" at 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is the time standard set by highly precise atomic clocks. These official clocks, which set the time standard for the world, will shift to 23 hours, 59 minutes and 60 seconds before turning to midnight on Jan. 1.

The extra second of party time is designed to reconcile two ways of keeping time: atomic clocks, and clocks based on the Earth's rotation. [5 of the Most Precise Clocks Ever Made]

"Earth is slowing down over geological time, and that can lead to a problem when you've got a ton of clocks," Demetrios Matsakis, chief scientist at the U.S. Naval Observatory's Time Service Department, told Live Science last year. "What do you do when the day gets longer?"

Historically, time was hung on the rotation of the Earth in relation to far-flung celestial objects. However, the moon's tug on the Earth slows the planet's spin.

In the past century, however, scientists have shifted to using highly precise atomic clocks to count the ticking of the seconds. These atomic clocks, which are often pegged to the vibration of atoms, are so frighteningly precise that they may not lose a second over the entire age of the universe. The current official atomic clock for the United States bases the second on the vibrational frequency of the cesium atom.

As a result, every day, the rotation-based time loses between 1.5 and 2 milliseconds relative to the atomic clock. That adds up to a full second every 500 to 750 days, Live Science previously reported.

To keep these two types of time in sync, in 1972, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), which keeps time for the world, has snuck 26 leap seconds into atomic clock time. The previous bonus second was added on June 30, 2015.

These leap seconds are always added on either June 30 or Dec. 31, according to the IERS.

Originally published on Live Science.
Interested parties have until 1500 hrs local time on January 12 to submit bids

The Sheriff of the Supreme Court of Singapore is putting an arrested Hanjin Shipping containership up for sale next month.

The 1998-built, 5,302 teu Hanjin Rome has been under arrest at the Eastern Working Anchorage off Singapore ever since the South Korean carrier entered court-led receivership.

The court has given interested parties until 1500 hrs local time on January 12 to submit bids for the vessel. The bids will have to be handed in along with a S$50,000 ($34,529) deposit that will be returned to parties that were unsuccessful in the auction.

It noted that all bids will be valid for three months from the deadline and the vessel will be offloaded on an as is, where is basis.

Additionally, the buyer will have to pay S$639,134, which is the net value of bunker fuel on board the vessel, with the amount non-negotiable.

"The sheriff reserves the right not to accept the highest or any bid," the court said in a statement.

In September, the vessel received an order from the Singapore High Court to unload some of its cargo.

The authorities allowed the ship to discharge the cargoes of five container shipping lines at the port of Singapore, a Hanjin official told Lloyd's List. The official declined to name the five shipping lines mentioned.

However, the vessel remained under arrest due to unpaid charter fees owed to Rickmers Holdings, according to arresting solicitor Asia Legal LLC.

First published on www.lloydslist.com
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Smiling faces lined the aisles of Target as 100 students from Henry Cuellar Elementary School enjoyed a holiday shopping spree Thursday morning.

The spree came courtesy of Target, as part of its Heroes and Helpers outreach program. The program pairs public safety officials with community youth for shopping sprees.

This year, we donated $10,000 to the Laredo community to sponsor 100 kids with $100 gift cards, Louie Rodriguez, executive team leader of assets protection for Target, said.

Rodriguez said Target pairs local law enforcement agencies with children in need that probably wouldnt have otherwise received holiday gifts this Christmas season.

This comes down to a great day for the kids. Theyve already had their Christmas and now because of Target and their generosity they are going to have another round of presents, Garner said.

Garner said LPD is very involved in helping the community, especially small children, and appreciated the opportunity to team up with Target and bring out Blue Santa and officers to take part in the event.

Over 20 Laredo Police Department officers attended the shopping spree, assisting students in their selections of gifts for themselves or their family members.

Students didnt just shop the toy section; purchases included clothes, bedding, pajamas and other items. Shoes were a big hit Thursday, with many students asking officers to help them in finding the perfect fit.

Arlene Salazar, 6, and Pearl Gil, 6, were the first to make it to the cash registers with their selections. Both girls, while shy, said they were excited to choose gifts and glad to have the help of an officer.

It is important to have perfect attendance at school, Justin Ramirez, 9, said. While he wasnt entirely aware of how the whole event worked, Justin knew doing well in school had led to his being selected for the shopping spree.

Targets Store Manager, Daniel Garcia, said being this is the first year Target has sponsored this event in Laredo, the store looks forward to making it an annual event.

Cuellar Elementary chose two to three students from each classroom, so pre-kindergarten to fifth grade was represented at Target on Thursday, Melissa Shinn, principal of Henry Cuellar Elementary, said.

One of the campus goals is perfect attendance, so children were selected from those that had perfect attendance between August and December, Shinn said.
In efforts to raise money for Laredo Crime Stoppers, Constable for Precinct 4 Harold Devally and Dos Marias Kitchen announced January as Menudo Month during a press conference held Thursday morning.

Dos Marias Kitchen, 7720 McPherson Road, will donate $1 to Laredo Crime Stoppers for every bowl, small or large, purchased in the month of January in an effort to fight crime in the community.

The press conference also served as an announcement for the the 22nd Laredo Crime Stoppers Menudo Bowl, set to take place Saturday, Jan. 21 at LIFE grounds on U.S. 59.

Laredo Crime Stoppers is a non-profit program supported solely by fundraising events and donations from individual citizens, businesses, grants and court fees.

Formed in 1981, it is a community program comprised of local citizens who work closely with law enforcement authorities, the news media and the public in the fight against crime in the City of Laredo and Webb County.

Crime Stoppers provides a place for concerned citizens to call anonymously and reveal crucial clues to solve crimes. Informants are eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.

For every dollar spent in rewards in 2014, approximately $1,000 worth of narcotics were confiscated or stolen property was recovered.

Devally said his offices involvement is to help Crime Stoppers raise money to pay out cash rewards on the tips it receives.

The fundraising efforts assist in paying the rewards and well as continuing the operations of the organization, Colleen Rodriguez, Crime Stoppers executive director, said.

Tips received through the program have assisted in the arrests of more than 4,179 criminals throughout the Laredo and Webb County area since the programs inception in 1981.

All together, more than $296 million worth of contraband, narcotics and stolen property has been seized.

Over $500,000 in rewards has been distributed by Crime Stoppers to individuals who provided information leading to an arrest.

On Dec. 2, two tips to Crime Stoppers resulted in six arrests on unrelated enforcement actions, Laredo police said.

Authorities said both cases were developed through anonymous tips to Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477).
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: December 30 2016

Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association was awarded a $10,000 Community Connections grant to provide community services to residents of the Village of Hempstead.

Hempstead, NY - December 27, 2016 - Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association was awarded a $10,000 Community Connections grant by Wells Fargo to provide community services to residents of the Village of Hempstead.

Established in 1977, the Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association (HHCA) offers counseling and advocacy for housing development, recreational activities and instructional programs, guest speakers, parent leadership training, family counseling, and bilingual tutoring for elementary school children by high school Hispanic students.

We truly appreciate the support Wells Fargo has provided, said George Siberon, Executive Director of the Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association. We will use this grant to fund primarily our summer camp program as well as our after school tutoring program for our kids.

Under the Community Connections program, Wells Fargo team members are able to nominate a nonprofit organization that has had a positive impact in their local community. They may include organizations serving underprivileged youth, community development or other public interests.

Our local branches see which nonprofits are out in the community making a difference every day, said Wells Fargo District Manager Elizabeth Choi. We use this as an opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to HHCA for all of the value they have provided to our community over the past year.
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By Long Island News & PR Published: December 30 2016

In the most important step yet to ending the global ivory trade, the Chinese government today announced a one-year timeline for its promised ivory ban.

Beijing, China - December 30, 2016 - In the most important step yet to ending the global ivory trade, the Chinese government today announced a one-year timeline for its promised ivory ban. According to the announcement, China will stop commercially processing and selling ivory and ivory products by March 31, 2017. It will then phase out registered legal processors and traders, shutting down its legal commercial ivory trade completely by December 31, 2017.

In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to ban Chinas domestic ivory market. China later committed to deliver a timeline for implementation of the ban by the end of 2016, resulting in todays announcement.

Following is a statement from Elly Pepper, deputy director of wildlife trade for the Natural Resources Defense Council:

China has shown great leadership in the fight to save African elephants. Setting such an aggressive timeline to close  once and for all  the largest domestic ivory market in the world is globally significant. Its a game changer and could be the pivotal turning point that brings elephants back from the brink of extinction. Now, other countries, including the UK, must follow Chinas lead and close their ivory markets.

Background

Demand for elephant ivory has skyrocketed in recent years, leading to the poaching of approximately 35,000 elephants per year for their tusks. African savanna elephants have declined by 30 percent in the past seven years and if current poaching rates continue African forest elephants could be extinct in less than a decade.

The international commercial trade in ivory has been banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) since 1989. China has maintained a legal ivory market under which the government supplies registered ivory carvers with raw ivory from government stockpiles. However, as in the U.S., United Kingdom, and elsewhere, this legal ivory market has led to a parallel illegal market as it is extremely difficult to determine ivory age.

Over the past two years, the Chinese government has taken major steps to end its domestic ivory market. First, in February 2015, China placed a one-year ban on imports of all carved ivory items. A month later, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to end Chinas domestic ivory market  a commitment he reinforced in September 2015 when meeting with President Obama.

In October 2015, China placed a one-year ban on imports of African elephant trophies. In March 2016, China extended its one year ban on imports of carved ivory items and elephant hunting trophies to December 31, 2019. Finally, at the June 2016 U.S.-China Strategic and Economic (S&ED), China promised to deliver a timeline for its ivory ban by the end of 2016, spurring todays announcement.

According to the announcement, China will stop commercially processing and selling ivory and ivory products by March 31, 2017. It will then phase out registered legal processors and traders, shutting down its legal commercial ivory trade completely by December 31, 2017.

After the market closes, the Chinese Ministry of Culture will help transition ivory carvers and other ivory sector employees to other livelihoods. The Chinese government will also strengthen the management of legally-possessed ivory products and ramp up enforcement and education to combat the illegal ivory trade.

Pepper's blog on the announcement can be found here

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Travel & Local Attractions, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: December 30 2016

Nassau County will participate in the New York State STOP-DWI grant aimed at adding additional patrols for the up-coming New Years Eve weekend.

Nassau County, NY - December 30, 2016 - Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Acting Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas C. Krumpter announce that the Nassau County Police Department will participate in the New York State STOP-DWI grant aimed at adding additional patrols for the up-coming New Years Eve Weekend.



The Nassau County Police Departments Highway Patrol Bureau will coordinate and plan an effective DWI saturation enforcement strategy targeting areas throughout Nassau County.



The Nassau County Police Department will be utilizing the additional personnel in conjunction with the usual complement of police officers on patrol to aggressively apprehend DWI offenders this holiday weekend.



The police department will be out in full force and will have zero tolerance toward drinking and driving. Let us work together to ensure a safe and happy holiday season.
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Egypt is to transfer the victims' remains from the EgyptAir MS804 crash to relatives next week, state news agency MENA reported on Thursday, citing an EgyptAir hospitality official.

The Airbus A320 plunged into the Mediterranean Sea on May 19 while en route from Paris to Cairo, killing all 66 people on board, among them 40 Egyptians and 15 French nationals.

Procedures to hand over the remains of the plane crew from the main state morgue will be completed on Saturday morning and a funeral prayer will be held at various mosques in the afternoon, captain Osama Abdel Baset was quoted by MENA as saying.

The remains of the rest of the passengers will be handed over on Sunday, he added.

Civil aviation ministry sources told Al-Ahram Arabic news website that the remains of Egyptians will be handed over starting Sunday until Tuesday, while the remains of foreign passengers to be handed over on Friday.

It is expected that France will send a private jet to receive the remains of the French victims.

Earlier in December, Egypts aviation ministry announced that traces of explosives had been found on the victims' remains.

But France's BEA air crash investigation agency said it is not possible to determine what might have caused the crash. It said no detailed information has been provided on how the samples were taken leading to the detection of traces of explosives.

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Gold Surges Above $1,150, Mining Stocks Rocket Higher, Time to Buy the Dip?

The gold price is showing strength heading into the close of 2016. The gold price has advanced for five straight days and is back above $1,150. The price put in a double bottom around $1,125 during December and the recent really suggests this may have been the bottom. After taking out $1,150, the gold price steadily climbed above $1,160 per ounce today.

The relative strength index (RSI) has been oversold for six weeks and finally bounced higher over the past few days. At a reading of 45, it still has plenty of room to run higher. Of course, the gold price still has a mountain to climb before confirming a near-term bottom. Most importantly, the price needs to climb above $1,200. This price level was resistance in 2015 and support multiple times in 2016. It is also the 50-day moving average and roughly corresponds with the Fibonacci 50% retracement of the 2016 advance from $1,045 to $1,378.

Mining stocks are soaring today and offering extreme leverage to the move in gold. While gold was up 1.3% today, the Gold Miners ETF (GDX) was up a remarkable 7.5%. Over the past 5 days, gold is up 2.2%, while mining stocks are up 13.9%. This represents leverage of more than six times! I believe it is a sign of things to come as the entire sector continues to rally strongly during the first quarter of 2017.

The chart for GDX shows the sharp bounce off $18.50 to $21.75 over the past few trading sessions. This support level was both support and resistance earlier in the year and also the 50% retracement of the H1 2016 advance. Therefore, we view the bounce off this level as significant and encouraging for those invested in gold mining stocks.

The Gold Miners ETF climbed towards the 50-day moving average today, but still needs to climb above $24.50, where the 100-day and 200-day averages converge, to confirm our bullish outlook. The RSI is pointing higher with room to run, so we believe this rally in mining stocks is just getting started and will extend throughout Q1 of 2017.

Obama Announces New Sanctions Against Russia and Expels 32 Russian Diplomats

Part of the move higher today could be related to the fact that President Obama ordered 35 Russian diplomats expelled from the country and closed two Russian compounds. Obama gave those individuals and their families just 72 hours to leave the United States.

The justification he gave was Russian hacking of the Presidential election, but his administration has yet to provide any conclusive evidence of such hacking. This move on the part of the Obama administration is sure to illicit a response from Russia and escalation of the conflict. They have already made it clear that any sanctions would be met with retaliation.

Furthermore, Putins press secretary said the U.S. restrictions wont be left unanswered by Moscow. Peskov promised adequate, reciprocal reaction that will deliver significant discomfort to the US side in the same areas.

Hopefully President-elect Trump will be able to smooth things over and repair relations with Russia. No matter what you think of Putin, it is best to work together and have diplomatic relations with other nuclear powers. Putin recently lamented that the United States and Russia no longer have any open diplomatic lines or cooperation militarily due to hostile actions of the Obama administration.

Gold in 2017 and Beyond

Going into 2017, we fully expect gold to exceed the performance of 2016 and climb well above $1,500 per ounce. Mining stocks have given back roughly 50% of their massive H1 2016 gains. We believe this pullback in precious metals is overextended and that prices are due for a bounce.

Investors have been overly-optimistic about the equity markets since Trumps election, thus inflating the risk-on trade beyond rational levels. Trumps policies will take time to enact and there is only so much that a President can do to impact economic growth. Stocks valuations are very frothy and precious metals are oversold at current levels. This is likely to flip soon and we believe that today could mark the beginning of the next major rally in gold and silver.

We believe investors should take advantage of the dip in precious metals and load up on undervalued mining stocks before the next major rally. We track the progress of over 100 mining companies, looking for opportune times to enter positions ahead of bullish catalysts. This has led to the GSB portfolio racking up gains in excess of 70% this year. To follow our trades, view our portfolio and get the monthly contrarian newsletter, click here to sign up for just $45.

By Jason Hamlin

http://www.goldstockbull.com/

Jason Hamlin is the founder of Gold Stock Bull and publishes a monthly contrarian newsletter that contains in-depth research into the markets with a focus on finding undervalued gold and silver mining companies. The Premium Membership includes the newsletter, real-time access to the model portfolio and email trade alerts whenever Jason is buying or selling. Click here for instant access!

Copyright  2016 Gold Stock Bull - All Rights Reserved

All ideas, opinions, and/or forecasts, expressed or implied herein, are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to invest, trade, and/or speculate in the markets. Any investments, trades, and/or speculations made in light of the ideas, opinions, and/or forecasts, expressed or implied herein, are committed at your own risk, financial or otherwise. The information on this site has been prepared without regard to any particular investors investment objectives, financial situation, and needs. Accordingly, investors should not act on any information on this site without obtaining specific advice from their financial advisor. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Gold: No Bold Predictions for the New Year

Im not much of a fan when it comes to New Years predictions. There seems to be an almost fanatical obsession with fortune telling when it comes to the financial markets. And gold is no exception.

Some twenty years ago when I was advising my financial planning clients to own gold shares as part of a diversified investment portfolio, my focus was more permanent and long-term. Of course, that is the way I viewed other asset classes as well. There were certainly no predictions about performance over the next year or so. Since I retired in 2005, I have noticed that the time periods which we consider and focus on with respect to analysis and investing  be it stocks, real estate, etc.  have become increasingly short-term. In fact, the financial markets seem to be more characteristic of casino-type activity. Investing has become speculation.

Also the volatility is exponentially greater. At times it seems more like a crap-shoot than fundamental investing, with products such as leveraged ETFs, options on futures, and more.

Dont get me wrong. I am not against speculating. Speculators serve the markets well and provide liquidity which otherwise might not be there. Their role is critical to the orderly function of the markets. Things would always be worse without speculators. But the nature of the financial markets has changed radically and investors need to recognize that fact.

The single most serious factor of concern with regard to orderly functioning of todays financial markets is systemic risk. This is true on a world-wide basis and no country or market is immune.

With these things in mind, can anyone really make predictions with any degree of reliability or accuracy? I think not. And the predictions that are made seem to be either too traditionally conservative given the explosive  and implosive  nature of the markets; or they tend to be just plain ridiculous.

For example, if someone predicts that the S&P 500 will end 2017 up 5% over its current/2016 year-end value, does that really matter to an long-term investor? What about a decline of 5%? Should a long-term investor get out of his stocks? In other words, what is the efficacy of the prediction?

To a trader, whose outlook is more short-term, how does he know when he should get out and when he should get back in? It wouldnt be very productive to sit out an entire year if you are a trader. This is where volatility becomes more important. If the market goes up 10% quickly, and a trader takes profits, then he can wait for the eventual expected year-end results. And without further risk.

But again, the nature of todays financial markets make the reliability of the predictions suspect. Timing and extreme volatility can make peasants out of prognosticators. Case in point  gold mining shares.

In 2006, a little over one year after my retirement, I sold all of my gold shares. My reasoning at the time was that physical gold was a better choice. Also, I had accumulated substantial profits. So I pulled the trigger. At the time there was no shortage of predictions about expected potential profits still ahead. Unfortunately, for most of the owners of gold mining shares, the profits were elusive and evaporated quickly. The predictions of leveraged profits turned into sheer folly. (See my article Gold Mining Shares Are A Lousy Investment)

When gold was at $400/oz no self-respecting financial adviser wanted anything to do with it. The gold crowd writers and others at the time were touting $5000-6000/oz, even $10,000/oz. None of these predictions were of any real help to current (then) or potential owners of gold.

As the US dollar price of gold continued its assent, the predictions became more numerous and more ridiculous; and less helpful.

Currently, some are still calling for gold at $10,000/oz or more. And some are projecting gold as low as $700/oz. (And, of course, pretty much anything in between those targets.)

There are perfectly legitimate and plausible scenarios that could make either of the above extremes a reality. In the right context their validity can be enhanced considerably. Otherwise, their value to investors is minimal.

A suggestion to the gold swamis: rather than predictions, how about resolutions? Some possibilities for your consideration

Resolve to view gold for what it is  real money (NOT an investment)

Make it a point to continue to accumulate physical gold periodically, consistently

Study and learn the history of gold as money

Understand inflation and the Federal Reserve

Have a fabulous 2017!

By Kelsey Williams

http://www.kelseywilliamsgold.com

Kelsey Williams is a retired financial professional living in Southern Utah. His website, Kelseys Gold Facts, contains self-authored articles written for the purpose of educating others about Gold within an historical context.

 2016 Copyright Kelsey Williams - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




A nationwide ceasefire was holding across most of Syria on Friday but clashes near Damascus underlined the fragility of the deal brokered by Turkey and Russia.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government and rebel forces were fighting in the Wadi Barada area, where opposition fighters have cut water supplies to the capital.

A resident confirmed the sound of shelling in the area on Friday morning.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said it was unclear who had started the clashes, with both sides blaming the other.

Syria's government had been shelling the area before the truce began at midnight as it pushes rebels there to accept a "reconciliation deal" and leave the area.

Among the forces present there is former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, which Syria's government says is excluded from the ceasefire.

Opposition figures however say the truce applies to all opposition-held territory, even where Fateh al-Sham is present.

Last week, rebels attacked water infrastructure in Wadi Barada and neighbouring Ain al-Fijeh, cutting supplies to the capital.

Four million people in Damascus and its suburbs have now been without water for a week, the UN says.

The clashes in Wadi Barada were the most serious of several isolated incidents of violence since the truce began.

The Observatory reported early morning clashes in the central province of Hama between the government and Islamist militants.

Elsewhere, AFP correspondents in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held area outside Damascus, and Idlib province in northwest Syria reported quiet.

The ceasefire is the first nationwide truce to be implemented in the country since September, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan being organised by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Syria's government hailed it as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

It was also welcomed by key regime ally Iran as a "major achievement."

And despite being left out of the process, Washington also described the truce as a "positive development".

Analysts were cautious but said the involvement of key regime backers Russia and Iran along with rebel supporter Turkey could be important.

Sam Heller, fellow at The New Century Foundation, said there was "real interest and urgency" from Moscow and Ankara, but expressed doubts about whether Iran and Syria's government were on board.

"All indications are that Iran and the regime want to continue towards a military conclusion," he said.

He said renewed fighting in Wadi Barada or Eastern Ghouta near the capital could pose major threats to the truce.

The agreement comes a week after the regime, which is backed by ally Russia, recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would now reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria, which has been fighting on behalf of the government since last year.

But he added Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" and maintain its support for the government.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also emphasised that Ankara would continue the operation it began in August targeting the Islamic State (IS) militants and Kurdish fighters.

Moscow says seven key rebel groups have signed up to the deal, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham faction, but the truce does not include Islamist militants such as IS or Fateh al-Sham.

But Syria's political opposition and rebels said the truce applied to all parts of the country.

"The agreement includes a ceasefire in all areas held by the moderate opposition, or by the moderate opposition and elements from Fateh al-Sham, such as Idlib province," said Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the National Coalition opposition body.

Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Turkey and Russia have worked increasingly closely on Syria, brokering a deal this month to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

They are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start next month in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would "pave the way for productive talks", but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue next year.

Russia and Turkey say the Astana peace talks are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them.

Along with Turkey and Iran, Moscow says it wants to work with regional powers Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan on the talks.

Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow said it hoped to bring US President-elect Donald Trump's administration on board once he takes office in January.

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Bassett

The community fellowship group Morning Glories will meet from 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesday in the fellowship hall of Bassett Church of the Brethren. A representative of EMI will be the guest speaker. Bring finger foods to share; drinks will be provided.

Basset Memorial United Methodist Church, 2805 Riverside Drive, will have a New Years Eve gospel concert from 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday, featuring The Harvesters, Joyful Sound and The Longs. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted.

Star of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, 1116 Mary Hunter Drive, Bassett, will have a New Years breakfast at 8 a.m. Sunday, and morning worship at 11 a.m. There will be no Watch Night Service.

Martinsville

First Presbyterian Church will have only one service, at 11 a.m. Sunday. It will include Communion.

Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church will have Watch Night Services at 7 p.m. Sunday. The guests will be the Rev. John Adams and the congregation of First Galilee Missionary Baptist Church.

St. Joseph Catholic Church will have Blessed Virgin Mother of God Mass at 10:15 a.m. Sunday in English and at 11:5 a.m. Sunday in Spanish.

Shiloh Way of the Cross Church of Christ of the Apostolic Doctrine, 938 Brookdale St., Martinsville, will have a Watch Night Service at 10 p.m. Saturday and a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Spencer

Christian View Missionary Baptist Church will have a New Years Eve service at 6 p.m. Saturdya. Antioch Baptist Church will be in charge of the service, and the Rev. Kenneth Hairston will preach.

Mayo Missionary Baptist Church will hold a Watch Night Service at 11 p.m. Saturday.
SPRINGFIELD -- The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles plans to open its new, expanded Springfield office in the Springfield Plaza shopping center, 1250 St. James Ave., on Jan. 23.

The new office will be located in the same former movie theater building near the Chicopee line that houses Bounce! Trampoline Sport.

At 17,000 square feet, it will be 70 percent larger than the existing office on Liberty Street, a facility long considered inadequate, outmoded and landlocked with insufficient parking.

The new location will feature what the RMV calls its dual-line queuing model, which is said to be more efficient. It will have facilities for all license, ID and registration transactions, road tests, suspension hearings and a business-to-business center for car dealers and insurance agents. It will also have sufficient parking, according to the RMV.

Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack discussed the new RMV branch this week when she met here in Springfield with reporters and editors at The Republican and MassLive.

The new office comes during a time of change for the RMV. Massachusetts is transitioning to driver's licenses that meet federal Real ID requirements, and it is working to get more motorists to do their RMV business outside of RMV offices.

Pollack said the Springfield registry project moved forward despite ongoing litigation related to it.

Developers Martone Place LLC and HDC Four LLC in October sued for $50 million the city, Deputy Director of Planning Philip Dromey, Director of Public Works Christopher Cignoli, Building Commissioner Steven Desilets and retired Director of Public Works Allan R. Chwalek.

Martone Place and HDC Four allege that there was a city conspiracy against their proposal to host the RMV at a building they planned at Martone Place and St. James Avenue. Instead, the deal went to politically connected Davenport properties and Davenport Advisors, owners of Springfield Plaza.

At the time the Martone Place location was in discussion, neighbors and city officials complained about traffic in the neighborhood.

The current RMV building at 165 Liberty St. is owned by the state. Its fate is up to the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance.

Pollack this week wouldn't speculate on what the new Springfield office means for the RMV's existing Chicopee office at 1011 Chicopee St.

But she did say that the RMV is reviewing all its locations statewide to make sure the physical layout is compatible with the new federal Real ID rules. That includes security precautions at the building, two lines for customers and other precautions. Some locations might not make the cut, she said.

By 2020 everyone getting on a aircraft will need a state-issued, Real ID-compliant license or other acceptable identification such as a U.S. passport or military ID, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

One thing Real ID won't change is the state's push to get more people to do RMV business -- including license renewals -- online, at kiosks or through AAA.

"We think we might have an agreement with the federal government to do Real ID licenses at AAA," Pollack said.

Renewals are as pressing a security issue.

"The thing with Real ID that is crucial is the transaction that gets you that first license," she said.

Massachusetts will have to change its kiosk program to make sure the kiosks are compatible with disability access rules.
Earns Sears

Sears Holdings has announced the shutdowns of a number of Sears and KMart locations,. In this Tuesday, July 5, 2016, photo, customers shop at a Sears store in Salem, N.H. On Thursday, Aug. 25, Sears reports financial results. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

(AP FILE)

ENFIELD -- Sears Holdings, the parent of Sears and Kmart department stores, announced this week that it will close its Sears location at Enfield Square Mall, 90 Elm St.

The company will also close three stores in Massachusetts: two Kmart locations in Fairhaven and South Attleboro and a Sears Auto Center in Swansea.

The Sears auto store in Enfield will remain open, according to Sears Holdings.

The stores will begin liquidation sales Jan. 6 and close in mid-April, said Sears Holdings spokesman Chris Brathwaite.

"We have been strategically and aggressively evaluating our store space and productivity, and have accelerated the closing of unprofitable stores as the company previously announced it would do," Brathwaite wrote in an email.

He said Sears and Kmart hope to retain customers in the impacted communities through the company's Shop Your Way membership program and its online website and shopping apps.

He declined to share the number of jobs lost in the store closings. He said most associates are part-time and hourly workers. Those eligible for severance will receive it, and the workers at the stores that will close are eligible for jobs elsewhere at Sears and Kmart locations.

Sears makes a habit of announcing store closings one or two at a time instead of producing comprehensive lists of stores being shut down across the country.

Online retailing has been tough on Sears and on other traditional retailers.

A year ago in January, Macy's announced that it would shut down its Eastfield Mall, Enfield Square and Berkshire Mall locations.

In September, Kmart shut down 64 stores around the country including its Great Barrington location. The Great Barrington store was its last remaining Kmart in Berkshire County.

Sears will keep locations in the Holyoke Mall and at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, an outlet in Holyoke and an independent Sears Hardware location in Hadley. Kmarts remain in Springfield, Holyoke and Palmer.

In Sears Holdings' most recent financial results, the company said revenues decreased approximately $721 million to $5 billion for the quarter ended Oct. 29, compared to revenues of $5.8 billion for the quarter ended Oct. 31, 2015.

Overall, retailers reported a pretty good end to 2016, with holiday shopping expected to be the strongest it has been in years. But much of those sales were online.
Chris Freeman and Antonio Alcorn of Parsonsfield multi-instrumentalist Ben Gagliardi join forces in the trio Citizen U to open the 2017 version of The Parlor Sessions at the Parlor Room in Northampton.

The show is slated for Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.

The Parlor Sessions, held on occasional Sundays during the winter months, offer comfort food, roots music, and an open jam for all comers.

Tickets for the event are available through Ticketfly.

The Parlor Room is on 32 Masonic Street in Northampton.
Each week, MassLive showcases pets available for adoption at shelters at rescue organizations in Western Massachusetts.

With the participation of the shelters listed below, many animals should be able to find a permanent home.

We also provide some pet-related news items that we hope you will enjoy.

Teddy bear takes Detroit airport adventure after being found

Associated Press

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) -- For Detroit airport employee Steven Laudeman, the mission this week was simple: No teddy bear left behind.

The Southwest Airlines ramp agent learned through social media that the 8-year-old daughter of an old friend lost her stuffed bear named Teddy after flying from Dallas to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Eleanor Dewald's mother, Trish Dewald, put out the digital call after having no success with the airport's lost-and-found operation.

This December 2016 photo provided by Steven J. Laudeman shows Laudeman with a stuffed bear named Teddy that Eleanor Dewald, 8, lost lost flying from Dallas to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. (Steven J. Laudeman via AP)

The Detroit Free Press and WDIV-TV report Laudeman retraced Eleanor's steps before his shift began Thursday and found the bear perched atop a garbage can.

He then took Teddy on an adventure -- photographed for posterity -- into a plane's cockpit and service vehicle. Teddy also posed with other stuffed animals in a shop.

The Dewalds were thrilled about Teddy's return and Laudeman's kindness.

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WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SHELTERS:

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society

Address: 163 Montague Road, Leverett

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 548-9898

Website: www.dpvhs.org

Address: 171 Union St., Springfield

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 781-4000

Website: www.dpvhs.org



Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center

Address: 627 Cottage St., Springfield

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Thursday, noon-7 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 781-1484

Website: tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com

Westfield Homeless Cat Project

Address: 1124 East Mountain Road, Westfield

Hours: Adoption clinics, Thursday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Website: http://www.whcp.petfinder.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westfieldhomelesscatprojectadoptions



Westfield Regional Animal Shelter

Address: 178 Apremont Way, Westfield

Hours: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 564-3129

Website: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ma70.html

Franklin County Sheriff's Office Regional Dog Shelter and Adoption Center

Address: 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 676-9182

Website: http://fcrdogkennel.org/contact.html

Polverari/Southwick Animal Control Facility

Address: 11 Depot St., Southwick

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 569-5348, ext. 649

Website: http://southwickpolice.com/chief-david-a-ricardis-welcome/animal-control/

Berkshire Humane Society

Address: 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 447-7878

Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/

Purradise Feline Adoption

Address: 301 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington

Hours: Monday and Tuesday: Closed; Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Friday,10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 717-4244

Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/contact-us/

Greyhound Options, Inc.

Address: 43 Sygiel Rd., Ware, MA. 01082

Telephone: 413-967-9088

Website: greyhoundadoptions.org


Brookline police have arrested a man they accused of posing as an HVAC worker in order to infiltrate local businesses and rob them while "working."

Anthony Binsfield, 32, of Duxbury, was arraigned in Brookline Thursday and faces multiple larceny charges. According to Brookline police, Binsfield's alleged robbing spree spread to communities around Massachusetts.

Binsfield would dress up like an HVAC worker and tell employees of local businesses that he was a technician. He would then gain access to the backroom and steal cash and credit cards out of purses in the backrooms.

According to WHDH.com, Binsfield can be seen on some security camera footage climbing on ladders and moving ceiling tiles in some stores. According to defense attorney Timothy Foley, Binfield was once an HVAC worker.

Binsfield had a stolen wallet on him when he was arrested and admitted to entering multiple businesses, WHDH reported. He allegedly identified himself in some surveillance pictures as well.

Foley told the court that his client is a drug addict who upgraded to heroin after abusing painkillers he received to nurse an injury in high school.

A judge set Binsfield's jail at $15,500.
UPDATE: As of 8:36 p.m., the highway has been reopened, according to Vermont State Police.

BRATTLEBORO, Vt  Interstate 91 in Brattleboro, Vermont, has been closed in both directions between exits 2 and 3, due to a number of motor vehicle incidents, according to Vermont State Police.

Both northbound and southbound lanes of the highway have been closed, blocking off one of the major thoroughfares into Massachusetts from Vermont.

Vermont State Police say that traffic has been routed from the highway through the town of Brattleboro.

Police have asked drivers to avoid the area "if possible" and have said that the public will be notified when the highway becomes "passable" once more.
ashe 10.jpg

Republican file photo by Don Treeger - Col. William T. Whitman Jr., commander of the 3rd Brigade, 26th Infantry Division of the National Guard, talks with Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. outside the National Guard Armory on Roosevelt Avenue in Springfield. The colonel gave Ashe an order to vacate the armory.

(Staff-Shot)

NOTE: this is a reprint of an article published Feb. 17, 1990 in the Springfied Union-News, a precursor of The Republican. It is being reprinted here as Ashe prepares to step down.



Ashe seizes armory for jail // Tense takeover ensues

by BRAD SMITH and GLENN BRIERE

SPRINGFIELD - Tired of tending a crowded old jail, Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. seized a National Guard armory yesterday, trucked in 17 inmates and vowed to stay the weekend in defiance of surprised state officials who charged him with trespassing.

"My action today might seem extreme, but no more extreme than the danger to the public" posed by convicted criminals going free for lack of jail beds, Ashe said.

State Public Safety Secretary Charles V. Barry, who controls state-owned armories, said Ashe would face criminal trespass charges Tuesday when courts reopen after the Washington's Birthday holiday.

Acknowledging that he and other state officials were caught off guard by Ashe's action,

Barry said the 17 inmates could stay at the Scibelli Hall armory on Springfield's Roosevelt Avenue for the weekend.

"I told the sheriff that you just don't house prisoners in an armory when the building is not up to code," Barry said.

Gov. Michael S. Dukakis was informed of the takeover, but had no comment.

National Guard officials referred all questions to Barry.

Barry said he told Ashe: "This is no way to do business. If you would come to us to discuss the problem, we would see what we could do to accommodate you."

However, Ashe said this week's worsening crowding at Springfield's York Street jail dictated a dramatic move.

In a declaration to the commander of the National Guard, Ashe cited what he considered his powers as sheriff to take over the armory due to the "imminent danger of a serious breach of the peace."

The move drew a confused reaction from lawmakers, who said they were kept uninformed until minutes before the seizure at 1:45 p.m.

State Sen. Brian P. Lees, R-East Longmeadow, said he was unsure of the legality, and expressed shock that his district now contains both the temporary armory jail and the Ludlow site for a planned new, 1,089-bed lockup approved last month for $90 million.

"This is the boldest action I've ever seen anyone take," Lees declared.

State Rep. Paul Caron, D-Springfield, said he was concerned about neighborhood reaction to having inmates housed next door to the 150-unit Independence House, a non-profit complex for the disabled and elderly.

State Rep. Raymond A. Jordan Jr., D-Springfield, said the seizure could set a national precedent for other armories to be used to relieve the national problem of jail crowding.

"Everybody agrees we have a crisis," Jordan said.

After four hours of late afternoon meetings and telephone calls with National Guard and state officials, Ashe said he was ordered to leave the premises, but would keep 17 prisoners under guard at the armory until next week.

"I call upon the governor and the public safety commissioner to support me," Ashe said, adding that he felt compelled to secure a building to keep sentenced drug dealers and violent offenders off the streets.

Ashe said chronic jail crowding and the lack of an immediate solution have been a "great source of anger and frustration." He blamed the executive and legislative branches for not coming to his assistance.

"What I see is a lot of inaction," he said.

Edward McDonough, the sheriff's attorney, said it was unclear which court Ashe would be charged in next week, but the sheriff would respond in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield.

Ashe said he took his action after consultation all week with various District and Superior Court judges on how to relieve jail crowding.

On Wednesday, Westfield District Court Judge Philip A. Contant detained two Hampden County deputies for most of the day when they refused to take a prisoner back to the jail, acting on Ashe's orders.

Contant said he admired the job Ashe has done under trying circumstances, but said he would pursue contempt charges if prisoners were turned away from the Hampden County House of Correction which takes convicts whose sentences are less than 2 1/2 years.

The jail, built to hold 312 prisoners, is under federal orders to house no more than 450 inmates.

But the 102-year-old lockup filled up this week, and Ashe's spokesman, Richard McCarthy, said the other remedies of early release, late sentencing and housing prisoners elsewhere in Western Massachusetts were not providing enough spaces.

It was Contant who suggested that Ashe seize a National Guard armory.

Contant called Ashe's action "politically courageous."

Ashe said he made the final decision on which building to seize and kept the location to himself and key staff until mid-day yesterday.

Ashe said he considered other facilities, but most would be too expensive to renovate as temporary jail quarters, and many would face opposition from residents and elected officials.

Ashe said he has only limited county funds to staff the armory, and will be seeking more.

Deputy Jail Superintendent Nicholas Fiorentino said National Guard officials limited access to most of the armory, and refused the use of showers and kitchen facilities.

Fiorentino said the 17 inmates would be transported back to York Street jail once or twice a day for showers, hot meals and visiting hours.

Jail guards brought in cots, mattresses and cold food for the inmates during the seizure.

Ashe said the armory would be staffed with four guards per shift.

Ashe said all 17 inmates were nearing the ends of their sentences, and none were serious offenders.

In Boston, Barry said other armories have been used for beano games and housing the homeless, but required building safety and sanitation codes must be met to establish a jail.

"Had the sheriff consulted with state officials, it is possible that a plan could have been worked out to do the necessary renovations and install equipment to make the structure suitable for the housing of prisoners," Barry said.

"I understand his problem," Barry said, "but our philosophy is we like to accommodate people in emergency situations. Had he come in here with community support and agreed to do some minor renovations, there is a possibility that maybe we could have done something."

Barry termed it fortunate that no regularly scheduled National Guard drills were on tap for the armory this weekend or "we could have had a couple of hundred National Guardsmen there."

The takeover appeared tense at times during the afternoon, with National Guardsmen, jail officers and city police unsure of each other's jurisdictions.

At one point, the official in charge of the armory, Gen. Chester Gorski, commander of the 26th Yankee Infantry Division, ordered a military truck to block the gates to further jail vans transporting prisoners.

A confrontation followed with Fiorentino, who backed off after threatening to have arrests made.

Meanwhile, public safety officials checked state laws to determine the extent of a sheriff's power.

Although a law dating back to 1698 gives sheriffs broad powers to deal with a "breach of the peace," state officials said there are other laws dealing with such issues as building codes and minimum correctional standards for the housing of prisoners.

Springfield attorney Linda Thompson, who until recently represented inmates in a federal lawsuit over conditions at the York Street jail, condemned Ashe's move.

"My jaw is on the floor," Thompson said. "I just can't imagine. He cites no authority. You can see the man sounds to me like he is suffering from megalomania."

Thompson laughed at Ashe's statement that this was done to "prevent the collapse of the criminal justice system in this county due to lack of correctional facilities."

As for specific concerns about using the armory as a jail, Thompson, who was not informed of the action by the sheriff's department, said, "I don't know anything about the facility. I don't know who he plans to keep there. You notice this is happening Friday with no potential for court action until Tuesday. It seems like really terrible timing to me."
Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday welcomed a nationwide truce in Syria as a "major achievement" that could lead to renewed peace talks.

On the deal brokered by Russia and Turkey -- potentially a significant breakthrough in the nearly six-year conflict -- Zarif said: "Ceasefire in Syria is a major achievement.

"Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he posted on Twitter.

Zarif spoke by telephone Thursday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the latest developments in Syria, where Iran has offered considerable military, financial and diplomatic aid to defend President Bashar al-Assad.

"Both sides welcomed the nationwide ceasefire and emphasised the fight against terrorism, Islamic State (IS) and Al-Nusra groups and their allies," the official IRNA news agency said.

Zarif and Lavrov agreed to "continue consultation and coordination within the framework of the tripartite agreement among Turkey, Iran and Russia to hold talks between the Syrian government and rebels" in Kazakstan, it added.

Turkey and Russia are pushing for talks between the regime and rebels in Astana to begin next month.

The ceasefire, announced Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition, does not include designated "terrorists" such as IS.

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The Holyoke City Council will get a second proposed anti-panhandling ordinance to consider on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017.

(FILE PHOTO)

HOLYOKE -- Renewed efforts to limit panhandling at traffic intersections will occupy the City Council in the new year beginning Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Councilor at Large Diosdado Lopez has filed an order calling for a meeting with Police Chief James M. Neiswanger and Michael McManus, general superintendent of the Department of Public Works, to discuss establishing an ordinance to stop panhandling at specific intersections.

Lopez' order seeks discussion about a "prevention ordinance of panhandling at the following locations by creating or erecting barriers for Panhandler's to freely walk along the Road side soliciting money and interfering with the traffic flow ..."

The order identifies the intersections as Hampden and Northampton streets, Dwight and Northampton streets, Main Street at Interstate 391, High Street at I-391, Maple Street and Resnic Boulevard and on Whiting Farms Road entering the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

The council is likely to refer Lopez' order to the Ordinance Committee to schedule a meeting with the department heads.

Lopez said in a text message Thursday he wants the discussion to include "some form of education" to the public and panhandlers about the situation that has drawn complaints from drivers and police and had the City Council working on a similar rule for over a year.

Ordinance Committee Chairwoman Linda L. Vacon filed the proposed panhandling ordinance the committee has been considering. Panhandling and complaints from drivers and businesses about them have increased and the city needs to address the practice perhaps by requiring such solicitors get a permit if operating on public property, she said at a meeting in October.

Drivers at intersections have complained of panhandlers shouting and even swearing at them. And business owners have expressed concerns about trying to attract patrons to the city who then must deal with panhandlers, Vacon has said.

Other issues councilors have discussed were whether an ordinance would withstand court challenges if requiring that panhandlers get a permit from the Police Department to do such soliciting on public property such as sidewalks and traffic medians.

In a story in May under the headline "Constraints on Beggars crumble after U.S. Supreme Court Case," Bloomberg.com reported how a ruling that involved a pastor in Gilbert, Arizona posting signs to direct people to church services has formed the basis of lower courts overturning anti-panhandling ordinances.

Lower courts have taken the high court's ruling to mean that government "generally can't outlaw speech on particular subjects," such as panhandlers, Bloomberg.com reported.

Echoing comments officials here have made, the Bloomberg.com story added, "The protection for panhandling comes as cities grapple with the effects of homelessness and the post-recession challenge of promoting development and tourism in struggling downtowns."
train derails shelburne.jpg

Buckland officials say Pan Am failed to properly notify them about a Dec. 18 freight car derailment.

(Shelburne Falls Community Facebook Page)

BUCKLAND -- A freight train derailed in Buckland last month, but town officials didn't learn about it until hours later.

Now efforts are underway to make sure the rail company does a better job of communicating in the future, reports the Greenfield Recorder.

Around 2:40 a.m. on Dec. 18, four freight cars carrying grain derailed in this small Franklin County town. The cars were part of a 114-car train, and it happened not far from the village center, across the Deerfield River from Shelburne Falls.

State Police were notified more than an hour later, and town officials got the word hours after that. Part of the problem is that Pan Am told police the incident was a "mechanical failure," not a derailment, reports the Greenfield newspaper.

A Pan Am official had originally told the paper that authorities were notified "immediately" after the incident.

State Rep. Steve Kulik, D-Worthington, said his office investigated the incident, and that he shares the town's concerns. He said things could have been much worse if the train were hauling toxic materials.



Kulik said he'd like to see Pan Am and State Police adopt new notification protocols, and that he'd be willing to facilitate a meeting. If that doesn't work, Kulik said he would not be opposed to drafting statewide legislation around freight train incidents.

A Pan Am spokesperson said they followed all internal procedures during the derailment, and would be open to meeting with the town to explain their protocols.

In 2015, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection fined Pan Am nearly $12,000 after the company failed to report a Deerfield fuel spill in a timely manner.
SPRINGFIELD -- When word got out that the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center would be moving to Mill Street, the neighborhood reaction was mixed.

While some lifelong residents like Lee A. Vaughn were in favor of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department moving its addiction center to the closed Ring Nursing home, others like Rosemary Morin were not so sure.

"I didn't feel strongly either way," said Morin, who served on a neighborhood advisory council with the sheriff's department during the renovation of the building. "I wasn't totally opposed to it, but I wasn't 100 percent about it either. I was on the council to ask some tough questions."

The sheriff's department entered into a 10-year lease with the property owner, Mill Street Iconic LLC, in February. The addiction center had operated since the mid-1980s at a location on Howard Street in the South End. It was displaced by the construction of the MGM Springfield resort casino, and until several weeks ago, the center was operating out of the former Holyoke Geriatric Authority building.

After months of lawsuits, some protests and many community meetings, the sheriff's department and residents came to an agreement about the guidelines for the facility.

"You can't please everyone, but I think it's very nice. I grew up in this neighborhood and I remember when it was the nursing home," Vaughn, who also sat on the advisory council, said Wednesday night during an open house tour for neighbors of the new facility, most recently known as the Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center. "I think most of the neighbors are satisfied with how it turned out."

The advisory council was formed to make decisions about everything from the type of fencing and lighting used on the property to how the parking would be handled and even the frosting of certain windows.

"They were very receptive. We had some really good conversations and they really listened to what we suggested and what we wanted," Morin said. "We didn't agree on everything, but we came to terms with it."

Certain details were added to the building for the comfort of the community, including frosting all of the windows that face abutting neighbors' homes or the street.

All sheriff's department vehicles will park in the back parking lot of the facility so they cannot be seen from the street, and there is no signage on the outside of the building except "155 Mill Street" in bold, black letters.

"We wanted it to look like a thriving business, not a jail," Morin said. "I think they did an excellent job of making it blend into the neighborhood, and every neighbor I have talked to about it has given me good feedback."

An 8-foot wooden fence will separate the facility from a home owned by Raymon Ray, who was initially a strong opponent of the facility's move and was involved in a federal lawsuit to prevent the facility from moving to Mill Street.

Earlier this year, Holyoke attorney Shawn Allyn filed a complaint with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and a lawsuit in federal court against the project on behalf of a Mill Street resident who opposed it. HUD dismissed the complaint in March, and Allyn also withdrew the lawsuit.

"We worked very closely with Ray and with other neighbors who had specific concerns, and I feel we were able to successfully address all of it," said Steve O'Neil, public information officer for the sheriff's department.

Linda and Jim Bartlett both sit on the Maple Hill/Six Corners Neighborhood Council and came to take a look at the facility.

"I am very pleased with their collaboration with the neighborhood," Linda Bartlett said. "I think they took into consideration the residents' requests. Now time will tell if they will be good neighbors, but based on their behavior and cooperation this far, I think it will work out well."

Morin said she hopes the advisory council will continue to meet a few times a year.

"We have been offered the conference room for community events, and we are hoping to collaborate with them on some neighborhood events in the coming year," she said.

O'Neil said the sheriff's department is planning on keeping an open line of communication with the neighborhood council.

"We are a part of this neighborhood and have always intended to be good neighbors," he said.
SPRINGFIELD -- Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. is stepping down after 42 years on the job, and his resume is packed with numerous accomplishments and innovative programs.

And then there's the time when he and several armed correctional officers took over the National Guard Armory in Springfield to protest overcrowding at the old York Street Jail.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno called the takeover a brilliant move that demonstrated "intestinal fortitude." Political consultant Anthony Cignoli called one of the most daring moves by a politician he can recall.

"It was a Teddy Roosevelt move," Cignoli said.

John Larivee, president and CEO of Community Resources for Justice, a Boston organization that studies criminal justice and correctional issues, said Ashe's legacy will live on through the several vocational, educational and health care programs he introduced at the Hampden County jail over the last four decades.

But in the end, he said, Ashe is most likely to be remembered for the armory takeover.



Ashe, asked during a recent interview with The Republican for his recollections of the takeover, shrugged. Circumstances at the jail at the time simply left him with no choice, he said.

"It was a last resort," he said. "Let's keep in mind, it was the last thing in the world I was thinking."

The facts of the tale are this:

On the afternoon of Feb. 16, 1990, Ashe and a van loaded with 17 inmates from the York Street Jail and several correctional officers armed with shotguns showed up at the National Guard Armory and commandeered the building.

The move was to protest both the dangerous overcrowding at the 102-year-old York Street Jail in Springfield, and what Ashe describes as foot-dragging by politicians in building a modern replacement.

The move not only caught armory staff off guard, the element of surprise also trickled upward to the state Department of Corrections, the governor's office and even to the Pentagon.

Ashe was threatened with arrest for criminal trespassing, but ultimately was never charged.

At the time, funding for a new jail at a site in Ludlow had been approved but the permitting and design process was unresolved. Ashe's takeover placed the project on a fast track, and a new, $73 million jail opened 18 months later.

While present-day Ashe takes an aw-shucks attitude about the takeover, it was at the time at big deal. Suddenly Ashe, his jail and the issue of overcrowding became a national news story that received ink in the New York Times and airtime on the nightly news.

In Ashe's office on Liberty Street hangs a framed copy of a Time magazine article about the takeover. The headline reads, "The Sheriff strikes back," and the article calls the takeover "an act that brought a flush of pride to beleaguered lawmen across the country."

When Ashe recalls the armory takeover, he points out that it did not occur in a vacuum. It was part of a decades-long struggle to get someone -- anyone -- to pay attention to outdated and dangerously overcrowded conditions at the York Street Jail.

Articles in The Republican archive show that Ashe had been raising the issue of overcrowding and the need for a new jail at least as far back at 1980.

The York Street facility, constructed in the 1890s, was designed to hold 256 inmates. But by the 1980s, with the War on Drugs well underway, York Street was packed to the point where inmates were practically being shoehorned into the place.

"We probably had up to 600 or 700," he said.

At the time, the jail and the Sheriff's Department were under the oversight of the Hampden County Commission. The county commission form of governance across the state was eliminated in 1997.

Every Wednesday for several years, Ashe would attend meetings of the county commissioners and report on jail overcrowding. And at every meeting, he recalls, he received "lip service" in return.

"It was passing the buck. No one was confronting the issue that we were faced with," he said.

Ashe in 1988. That year he announced he would not accept new inmates at the York Street jail, which housed 724 at the time.

Eventually the courts got involved. Ashe was under a court order to hold the jail population at 450 inmates. The jail was still required to accept inmates sent over from the courts, however.

"For a long time, for every one inmate coming into the jail, I had to discharge somebody," he said. More and more, inmates were being released several months before completing their sentences, he said.

"On one hand we had overcrowding," he said. "On the other hand we were releasing people onto the streets who shouldn't be released."

In the months before the takeover, jail staff explored several alternatives to easing overcrowding. They looked at getting inmates transferred to other jails without much success. They considered installing large Army tents, equipped with heaters, in the fenced-in jail yard.

They even explored using surplus Navy vessels as temporary housing for inmates. They figured boats could be docked on the Connecticut River near the York Street location, staffed with correctional officers, and the inmates given bunks down below. That plan was scuttled when officials realized there was no way to get Navy boats from Long Island Sound past dams on the river.

"Finally I said, 'I've got to do something. I've got to call attention to the issue,'" he recalled. "And that's what I did."

Days before the takeover, two sheriff's deputies were held in contempt for several hours at Westfield District Court when they refused a court order to return an inmate to the jail. Judge William Conant at the time suggested the sheriff commandeer the state police training academy in Agawam or a state armory.

Little did he know that, two days later, Ashe would do exactly that.

Ashe recalled that the armory takeover sprung out of the realization that things could not continue as they were, and there were really no other viable options.

The entire plan hinged up a little-known state law that gave sheriffs the authority to do what they needed to do to restore order in times of "imminent danger of a breach of the peace." The law was passed in 1696, a full 80 years before the Declaration of Independence.

On a Friday before the long President's Day weekend, Ashe and his van full of inmates pulled up at the National Guard Armory. Ashe knocked on the door, sent the inmates inside, and then delivered to the commander this message:

"Whereas, it appears to the Sheriff of Hampden County that there is an imminent danger of a breach of the peace due to insufficient prison space in this County, and that reasonable and prudent steps must be taken in order to preserve the peace and quell such danger, and to preserve order among and between the prisoners duly remanded to the custody of the Sheriff. Now, therefore, the Sheriff of Hampden County deems it necessary that these quarters be used, temporarily, as a prison, until such time as is necessary to quell such danger, and that you provide such reasonable and necessary assistance to the Sheriff of Hampden County as he may request."

He told The Republican that the key to the whole plan was that he brought inmates with him. The 17 inmates, all low-risk, nonviolent offenders who were nearly finished with their sentences, were hand-picked for the action, he said.

"I had my team all lined up. We knew the key to taking over the armory was not just my knocking on the door, but obviously placing inmates inside the building," Ashe said.

The fallout was immediate. The armory commander, Gen. Chester Gorski of the 26th Yankee Infantry Division, called for Ashe to be arrested for trespassing. So too did Charles V. Barry, then the Massachusetts secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety, which was in charge of all state armories.

Then-Gov. Michael Dukakis initially declined to speak publicly on the issue. But days later he responded, "We can't have a situation where every sheriff who has a problem takes over an armory. There's a better way to deal with the situation."

Ashe, years later, recalls the governor being furious. "His whole team was in an uproar," he said.

Attempts recently to contact Dukakis, now in his 80s and a professor at Northeastern University, were unsuccessful.

Accounts from the scene of the takeover described it as being tense. Armory personnel and correctional officials glared at each other from opposite ends of a hallway, and Springfield police, armory personnel and Sheriff's Department staff argued over jurisdiction of the property.

At one point, Gorski ordered a piece of heavy equipment to block the front gate to prevent Ashe from bringing in any more inmates. Goski would later compare the surprise and speed of the takeover to "a Gestapo action."

Because the action was planned on the afternoon of a three-day weekend, the earliest anyone could be able to file a complaint against Ashe in district court would be the following Tuesday. That would give Ashe three days of headlines, three days of news coverage about overcrowded conditions at the jail.

On the fourth day, letters from ordinary citizens began to appear in the Letters to the Editor column in the morning newspaper.

"Hooray for Sheriff Mike Ashe! It's about time someone had the gumption to stand up to the 'do nothing but consider it' politicians we have in office," read a letter from Martha J. Fish of Agawam. "If Sheriff Ashe ever decides to run for president, I volunteer to be one of his campaign organizers, free."

By the time the case made it to court after the long weekend, the trespassing threat disappeared. Judge George C. Keady Jr. allowed the inmates to stay at the armory until March 12. He also ordered the sheriff's department and the armory staff to cooperate with each other.

Ashe and Gov. William Weld announced in 1991 that the Holyoke Armory would be used as a temporary jail.

The state then authorized the Sheriff's Department to use the National Guard armory in Holyoke. The gym at the York Street jail was also fitted with bunks for as many as 70 inmates.

As a practical measure, removing 17 inmates would do little to ease overcrowding at York Street. But as a symbolic gesture, Ashe admits the takeover was huge.

"I was hell bent for leather. You've got to understand that no one was listening," he said.

Sarno was working as an aide to then-Mayor Mary Hurley at the time of the takeover. He answered the phone when Ashe called to give the mayor a heads-up about it.

Twenty-six years later, Sarno can laugh easily when retelling the tale. But he recalls that at the time things were pretty tense. Sarno said when he delivered the message, Hurley's one-word response was equal parts question and exclamation: "What?!" Hurley would later speak publicly in support of the takeover.

Cignoli at the time was working as an aide for Paul Caron, the Springfield state representative whose district was the Pine Point neighborhood where the armory is located.

At 5:30 on the morning of the takeover he was awakened by Springfield state Rep. Anthony Scibelli, who called him to tip him off. His message was "Kid, you better be ready." Cignoli's instructions were to go to the Pine Point Community Center and field questions from the public about the armory being used as a jail.

But, Cignoli said, once residents understood that it was Ashe involved, they seemed more comfortable. Cignoli said he would learn this was due to Ashe's skills as a politician and a communicator. Ashe had earned a reputation as sheriff that allowed people to cut him some slack, Cignoli said.

In the days after the takeover, Ashe met several times with people who lived near the armory, and even went door-to-door to reassure people, Cignoli said.

"Every promise he made in the neighborhood, he kept -- every one," he said.

Sarno said when he looks back he still marvels at the degree of guts shown by Ashe.

"It was a brilliant strategic move," he said. "I can't say the street version but it took a lot of intestinal fortitude at the time."

Cignoli said the armory story resonates with people on this end of the state because of how Ashe spun it.

"Boston was not listening," Cignoli said. "It was a classic case of Western Massachusetts not being heard."

It could have been disastrous for Ashe, Cignoli said. He could have been arrested and prosecuted for trespassing. If he had been, he very likely would have been forced to resign or could have lost his seat in the next election. Politicians rarely take a stance that carries that degree of risk, he said.

Ashe, he said, "put it all on the line."
AMHERST -- The man charged with the murder of Jose "Joselito" Rodriguez was released from state prison 16 months before the alleged fatal shooting.

Soknang Chham was one of several people charged in connection with the pistol-whipping of a man in Lowell in March 2010, the Lowell Sun reported. He pleaded guilty to nine related charges in April 2011, according to Middlesex Superior Court records.

He was sentenced to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction for five years and a day, and was released in June 2015, according to the Department of Correction records.

The charges included two counts of assault in a dwelling, possession of a machine gun, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, intimidation of a witness and two counts of possession of a firearm without a license, according to Middlesex Superior Court records.

Last week, a Hampshire County grand jury indicted Chham, 33, on charges related to the fatal shooting of Rodriguez on Oct. 15 at Southpoint Apartments in Amherst. Another man was also shot but survived.

The charges against Chham include murder, armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon (firearm), illegal possession of a firearm (subsequent offense), and illegal possession of a firearm with two prior convictions for violent crimes.

Chham's brother Soksot Chham, 35, faces a charge in Eastern Hampshire District Court of being an accessory after the fact to the killing. He is due back in court Jan. 25.

Both men were arrested Oct. 25 in Flagstaff, Arizona.
SPRINGFIELD  The case against city resident Edwin Harrison, charged with shooting a dog on a Forest Park sidewalk on Nov. 18, has moved to Hampden Superior Court.

Harrison is slated for a Jan. 6 arraignment on eight charges. He has already denied similar charges at a Springfield District Court arraignment, but indictments have moved the case to Superior Court.

Harrison, 37, is charged with cruelty to animals, malicious killing of an animal, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, resisting arrest, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

For the firearm and ammunition counts, he is charged as a person with three prior violent or drugs arrests, which increases potential sentences. The prior convictions listed as qualifying were for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in 2014 and distribution of cocaine in 2007 and 2010.

He is charged as a subsequent offender on the drug indictments.

The owner of the dog  a Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix named "Cookie"  told responding officers that a male approached him as he was walking his pet and had a disagreement with him about his identity, according to Springfield police.

Harrison pulled out a handgun, shot the dog and then casually walked away, according to police and witnesses. The dog died instantly from a neck wound.

Harrison was arrested after a brief chase. Investigators recovered from him a .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun reported stolen in New Hampshire in 2007, as well as 47 bags of heroin and eight bags of crack cocaine packaged for sale, police said.
Natural Gas Right-of-Way Otis

This existing utility right-of-way through the Otis State Forest would be permanently widened to accommodate a Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline project.

(Mary Serreze photo)

PITTSFIELD -- In order to compensate Massachusetts residents for the loss of conservation land taken by eminent domain, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. has agreed to pay the state $640,000.

The proposed consent decree, announced Thursday, could cap a fractious legal battle and pave the way for Tennessee Gas to build two miles of new natural gas pipeline through the Otis State Forest in Sandisfield. The section through the Berkshires is part of a larger pipeline project known as the Connecticut Expansion.

Under the agreement, $300,000 would let the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation acquire additional conservation land in the vicinity. Another $300,000 would go toward mitigation and improvements to the state forest and its facilities. The remaining $40,000 is for the fair market value of pipeline easements.

A hearing on the proposed consent decree is set for Feb. 6 in Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield.

The battle over the strip of forest land has been protracted, pitting pipeline foes, land conservationists and sympathetic lawmakers against Tennessee, a subsidiary of the Texas-based Kinder Morgan. It also pit the state Constitution against a federal law designed to encourage the development of natural gas pipelines.

Under Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution, legislative approval is needed to convey or sell conservation land. But the U.S. Natural Gas Act gives pipeline developers the power to forcibly take public and private land in exchange for fair compensation.

Tennessee sued the state on March 16, moments after a legislative committee buried a bill that would have voluntarily conveyed an easement to the pipeline company. A Berkshire Superior Court judge ruled May 9 in favor of the pipeline company, granting Tennessee the right to acquire the easements.

Judge John Agostini ruled that the Natural Gas Act preempts Article 97, spelling disappointment for anti-pipeline activists, and handing defeat to Attorney General Maura Healey's environmental protection division.

The Connecticut Expansion proposes about 14 miles of infrastructure in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, including the contested portion through the state forest. The project gained major state and federal approvals in 2016, including a certificate from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Kinder Morgan, Healey, and Beaton praise agreement

Kinder Morgan announced Thursday that "after months of protracted negotiations and litigation," the company was pleased with the proposed mitigation agreement.

"For more than 30 years, Tennessee Gas has safely and responsibly operated two underground natural gas pipelines that traverse a section of the Tolland/Otis State Forest," wrote Richard Wheatley, Kinder Morgan's public affairs director.

Wheatley said part of the money will refurbish a boat ramp at the state-owned Lower Spectacle Pond, and make other recreational improvements at the Tolland and Otis State Forests.

On social media, anti-fossil fuel activists expressed disappointment. In an email to The Republican, a leading pipeline foe lashed out at Healey, Gov. Charlie Baker, and the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation.

"

While we like to think of the Attorney General as 'the People's lawyer,' her office made clear to us early on that they considered DCR to be their client in this case," wrote Katy Eiseman, director of the group MassPLAN. "And DCR's marching orders from Charlie Baker seem to be that his energy combo platter is more important than our Constitution and the natural treasures of our Commonwealth."

Eiseman was referring to recent energy legislation that requires state utilities to purchase power from offshore wind farms and Canadian hydropower generators.

Eiseman said that m

ore than 20 years ago, DCR identified the Otis State Forest as one of the most significant conservation land opportunities in the state, and that it can not be replaced. "This protected land is not fungible," she wrote. "It was protected for a reason."

In contrast, Healey and Beaton issued words of praise. The agreement "sets a very high bar" for the value of conservation land takings in Massachusetts, said Healey.

"We work hard to protect conservation land across our state, and we are pleased that this settlement requires Tennessee Gas to provide important mitigation relief during the construction of the project and assure no net loss of critical conservation land in the area," the Attorney General wrote.

Beaton said the financial package "represents the tireless work of the state" and will allow for the purchase of conservation land "that will truly benefit generations of people within the Berkshire County region and beyond."

Tennessee must pay for environmental monitoring and other mitigation, bringing the total value of the package to more than $1.2 million, said Healey and Beaton.

The pipeline, designed to serve three natural gas utilities in Connecticut, would be buried adjacent to two existing underground Tennessee Gas pipelines. The new pipeline would permanently widen an existing cleared corridor through the forest.

Tennesee had hoped for a November 2016 in-service date for the $93 million Connecticut Expansion project.
Worcester police are investigating a home invasion on Lovell Street after five men reportedly broke into an apartment and robbed eight people of their valuables.

Authorities responded to a Lovell Street apartment address for a reported home invasion around 6:49 p.m. Thursday. When the officers arrived, they identified eight people in the apartment, including six kids and teenagers and two adults.

Worcester police placed the age of the juveniles between 8 and 17 years old.

The victims told police that the five men forced their way through the back door of the apartment. Their faces were covered, and two of the men were armed with a handgun, police said.

The suspects began demanding the occupants to hand over their cash. The victims ended up handing over their cell phones, jewelry and an undisclosed amount of money,

They were then forced into a bedroom by the armed suspects and told to stay there for a specific timeframe before exiting. The victims waited a few minutes, then proceeded to call the police.

So far, authorities say they only have vague descriptions of the five suspects, other than two being about 6-foot-4 and one possibly having a Jamaican accent.

Authorities are still investigating, with members of the Worcester Police Department's Detective Bureau, Vice Squad, Operations Division and Crime Scene Unit on the case.
Reisa Clardy, as a personal representative of her late husband Trooper Thomas Clardy, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against David Njuguna, the man accused of being high on marijuana while slamming into the trooper's cruiser, killing him.

The suit, filed in Middlesex Superior Court on Friday and obtained by MassLive, seeks $20 million in damages.

Njuguna, of Webster, crashed into Clardy's cruiser on March 16 while he was pulled over on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Charlton. Clardy, 44, was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center and pronounced dead.

He left behind his wife and seven children, Timothy, Tyler, Gabryella, Lily, Emma, Eva and Noah.

"He has all those children that he left behind and this is a situation that could have been avoided," Reisa Clardy's attorney, Richard Rafferty, said.

Rafferty said they intend to investigate how Njuguna obtained his medical marijuana prescription, how much marijuana Njuguna's doctor issued the day he received his, and what criteria the doctor was using to prescribe.

The lawsuit says Clardy died "as a result of the grossly negligent or malicious, willful, wanton or reckless conduct of the defendant David Njuguna."

Njuguna is facing charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, operating to endanger, operating under the influence of marijuana and other motor vehicle charges in Worcester Superior Court.

"On March 16, 2016, the defendant, David Njuguna, so carelessly and negligently operated a motor vehicle causing it to collide with the plaintiff's decedent, Thomas L. Clardy's vehicle," the lawsuit reads. "As a direct and proximate result of the negligence of the defendant, David Njuguna, the plaintiff's decedent, Thomas L. Clardy, was greatly injured, suffered conscious pain and suffering of the body and mind, and died as a result of said injuries."
British Prime Minister Theresa May has taken the unusual step of distancing her government from President Barack Obama's criticism of Israel.

A spokesman for May said the British government does not think it is "appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally."

The comments made Thursday were in response to U.S. Secretary of State John's Kerry's outspoken speech challenging the Israeli government's policy on settlement expansion and other issues.

May's spokesman, speaking anonymously in line with government rules, said it was wrong to focus solely on the settlement issue when the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is so complex.

The comments bring Britain's government more closely into line with the view of President-elect Donald Trump, who has said the Obama administration is being far too harsh toward Israel.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson, speaking anonymously in line with government policy, said the U.S. was "surprised" by May's statement since Kerry's remarks "were in line with the U.K.'s own longstanding policy."

The spokesperson said Kerry's speech had generated support from many countries including Germany, France, Jordan, Egypt and others.

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Congress Rdp_Mand (3).jpg

A new Congress will not have an immediate impact on some of the more headline-making issues that dominate the news.

(Alex Brandon / AP)

When the members of the 115th Congress are seated on Jan. 3, they'll start, like each of the 114 congresses that preceded them, with a clean slate.

This, of course, is because the unfinished work of any Congress ends with the dissolution of that particular legislative body. If the 114th Congress was 99 percent of the way toward completing work on a certain item of business, the next Congress, if it wants to tackle that same issue at all, would begin anew.

While this might not seem the most efficient way to operate, it's the only way possible under our Constitution. And nothing else would make sense, what with new members, new committee assignments, often new leadership and all the rest.

We note this not by way of complaint, but instead to set the stage for what's likely ahead. Those who think the new Congress is likely to hit the ground running and take all sorts of action before you know it are in for a sad surprise.

One fact tells something of the tale: The Senate must confirm from 1,200 to 1,400 executive branch appointments. Though all the focus is on the big ones - Supreme Court justices and heads of major departments and agencies - the rest still have to get done. And confirming the deputy secretary of this and the assistant secretary of that takes some time.

If, as expected, President-elect Donald Trump nominates a new justice to the Supreme Court soon after he moves into the White House on Jan. 20, and if, as expected, his pick sends liberals into frenzied opposition, the ensuing hubbub will suck up an awful lot of oxygen. Threats of a filibuster. Counter-threats to change the Senate rules to forbid the filibuster. Televised hearings and grandstanding aplenty.

And all the while, as there's so much focus on that one big story, the various committees and subcommittees will be doing their work behind the scenes. Stuff will get done. Posts will be filled. Bills will begin to be crafted. Major policy revisions will be considered, debated.

But it will all take some time. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course, as the slow-moving gears of the federal legislature can serve as a check on potential overreach and over-reaction.
John Kerry

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry affirmed U.S. support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity last spring.

(Ronald Zak)

On Dec 29, the attack of the Armenian army across the border with Azerbaijan was effectively repelled.

As a member of the Kremlin-run Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan explicitly confirmed that Armenia will "coordinate its foreign policy with Russia". Armenia continues to occupy up to 20% of the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, a staunch U.S. ally, energy and security partner.

This April, Secretary of State John Kerry affirmed U.S. support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, a core principle of international law, violated by Armenia since 1994.

In 1993, UN SC adopted four resolutions 822, 853, 874, 884 calling for immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied Azerbaijan. As its co-chair, America must call the OSCE Minsk Group to express its indignation with Armenia's never-ending aggression against Azerbaijan and exert pressure on Yerevan (the capital of Armenia and its political center) to comply with international law.

Yadigar Melikova, Chicopee
Charlie Baker

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker addresses an audience Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, during a ceremonial swearing-in for Supreme Judicial Court justice Kimberly Budd at Faneuil Hall, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

"The Baker-Polito Administration looks forward to working with the Trump-Pence Administration to address the most pressing issues facing our state, region and nation," said Baker spokeswoman Lizzy Guyton. "The people of Massachusetts deserve a federal government that works collaboratively to solve those issues, unite our country and ensure the Commonwealth remains a welcoming place to live, work and raise a family."

The inauguration will be held on Friday, Jan. 20, in Washington. A Baker aide confirmed that Baker has been invited by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which is the official organizing body of presidential inaugurations.

The inauguration typically involves a day full of pomp and circumstance at the U.S. Capitol, with a procession, a swearing-in ceremony, an inaugural address, a luncheon, a parade and balls. Details of Baker's travel schedule have not yet been announced.

Baker, a Republican, did not vote for the Republican Trump, saying he did not believe Trump has the temperament to be president. But since Trump won the election, Baker has said he will look to work with the incoming administration. Massachusetts, like all states, depends on the federal government for funding for a huge number of programs, ranging from Medicaid to transportation.

Baker first told the Boston Herald Thursday that he planned to attend the inauguration.

"I plan to participate fittingly in the observance," Baker told the Herald. "It happens once every four years, and as governor of the commonwealth, with an invitation like that, I plan to honor it."
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday signed a law delaying retail pot shops as marijuana activists protested the move.



The new law does not affect personal possession and home-growing of marijuana products, provisions of a law passed by voters in November legalizing recreational pot.



But the law Baker signed delays by six months key dates for when the Cannabis Control Commission can issue licenses. For example, the state treasurer was required to appoint members of Cannabis Control Commission, the regulatory agency that would license the retail shops, by March 1, 2017, and that's now been pushed to September 2017. That pushes the opening of retail pot shops to mid-2018 at the very least.

Sen. Rosenberg defends lawmakers rushing bill delaying pot shops



The bill also delays when the Cannabis Control Commission must have its initial regulations in place to March 15, 2018, from September 15, 2017.



Baker's office notified reporters of the bill signing as a small band of protesters gathered outside the State House to protest the delay.



Marijuana advocates have called the delay unnecessary, while lawmakers like Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, who rushed the bill to the governor's desk earlier this week, defended the delay as "reasonable."

Many lawmakers opposed the legalization of marijuana, as did Gov. Baker, who campaigned against the ballot measure voters ended up endorsing in November.

The pot delay law also calls for a baseline study on marijuana use.

The Department of Public Health is tasked with choosing a research outfit to look at patterns of use, consumption methods, incidents of impaired driving and hospitalization related to marijuana, along with the economic and fiscal impact of legalization for state and local government. The deadline for the report's findings is July 1, 2018.
Marijuana activists on Friday bashed a new law delaying the regulatory structure for retail pot shops.



The delay, signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker a few hours before the activists gathered outside the State House, pushes back key timelines by six months. Retail pot shops were originally scheduled to open in early 2018.



The law doesn't affect marijuana possession and home-growing provisions, which remain legal in the Bay State.



Earlier this week, on a quiet Wednesday, Beacon Hill lawmakers signed off on the bill and sent it to the governor's desk. The State House News Service reported that just three state senators and four state representatives were present when it happened.



Beth Waterfall, a Rockland resident, blasted the delay, saying it pushes back the economic boost the state would receive from a nascent marijuana industry.



"For seven legislators to get together and say we can take another six months to wait for jobs, we can take another six months to delay the will of the voters, it frankly disgusts me," she told reporters.

Sen. Rosenberg defends rush to pass bill delaying retail pot



Waterfall said attorneys who crafted the legalization law, which was passed by Massachusetts voters in November, looked to other states and included a reasonable timeframe that didn't need to be delayed.



"These delays are just another way to inject this whole 'reefer madness,' making it seem like marijuana is a bad thing across the board when clearly it is not, because the voters have voted to bring legal marijuana to Massachusetts," she said. "And these delays are just not acceptable."



As she spoke, the Baker administration notified reporters via email that the governor had signed the delay into law.
LUDLOW  Nick Cocchi sits behind a tan metal desk that probably hasn't been the subject of an office order since the 1980s  and that's being generous.

It's almost comical in a throwback sort of way, and an aesthetically unlikely perch for someone positioned to assume remarkable political power.

After a knock-down, drag-out election, Cocchi sits poised behind that desk to take the post of Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr., who has held that seat for more than four decades. It's an odd scenario to describe to outsiders: How could a county seat wield so much cache and inspire such a fiery election?

Ashe himself set that stage, but most likely not purposefully. He was a social worker who won the relatively obscure seat in the 1970s and elevated it to one of the most coveted political positions in the region with a progressive, nationally recognized attitude toward corrections.

Along the way, Ashe made scores of hires and collected a legion of political devotees, transforming the department into a notable empire while not forgetting the mission.

Cocchi, 43, of Ludlow, rose through the ranks in the sheriff's department over the past 23 years, ultimately ascending to assistant superintendent, and became Ashe's pick as his successor.

After spending nearly a half-million dollars to win the seat and with the dust settling after the election season, Cocchi is assembling his own administration and considering the next six years as the new Hampden County sheriff.

To his credit, he avoids any cliched "there's a new sheriff in town" jokes.

During a recent interview, Cocchi talks about the whirlwind of the transition period, and meetings with hundreds of department employees to determine where they may fit in in a new administration. There have been several retirements, but Cocchi said he has not fired a single employee.

"I have not let anybody go. Have I had some very difficult discussions? Absolutely. Have I made some transfers? Yes. But I'm very proud to say I have have not had to terminate anybody," Cocchi said.

He said he will not be hesitant to revisit those "difficult discussions" if an employee shows signs of becoming "an obstacle."

He added that he has eliminated five superintendent positions  including his own  through attrition, in part responding to a frequent criticism throughout the campaign that the administration was top-heavy with upper management.

Many of Ashe's inner circle will leave with him, by choice, Cocchi says. These include Ashe's brother John "Jay" Ashe, who stayed on after his retirement as a high-paid consultant, much to the delight of Cocchi's campaign opponents, and other high-ranking confidantes. Cocchi's opponent in the general election, Assistant Deputy Superintendent James Gill, also has submitted paperwork to retire.

Among a handful of significant promotions, Cocchi has appointed James Kelleher as superintendent, or Cocchi's "number two guy."

James Kelleher

Kelleher was previously the assistant superintendent of operations, and replaces Jay Ashe's position as a full-time employee as opposed to a consultant.

"There hasn't been a (full-time) Jay Ashe since Jay Ashe left several years ago. And in fairness, it's because Jay doesn't want to come back," Cocchi said.

Chris Gelonese, a member of Cocchi's executive committee during the campaign, will be the department's new chief financial officer, replacing outgoing CFO William Christofori, who has chosen to retire.

Gelonese is a housing specialist with a background in payroll, Cocchi said.

Cocchi promoted director of security John Kenney to head operations. Kenney has over 30 years of service within the department, Cocchi said.

"I'm confident that neither inmates nor staff will be hanging from chandeliers under John," Cocchi added. "We hold inmates accountable, and we hold staff accountable."

Lou Weir

Replacing Kenney as new chief of security will be Lou Weir, one of Cocchi's staunchest campaign supporters and a member of the department's investigations team for many years.

Weir, like Cocchi, came up through the ranks at the jail, working stints as shift commander on various shifts. Cocchi said it should be no mystery that he has chosen to promote some of his campaign's inner circle.

"You want to promote someone you know who is going to support you, is going to be loyal to you. They show you day in and day out that they support you, day in and day out. And they share your vision," Cocchi said.

Part-time legal counsel Theresa Finnegan has been promoted to general counsel, and will serve as chief legal adviser to Cocchi in addition to fielding litigation for the department. Cocchi said the agency is handling far more of its legal work internally instead of farming the lion's share out to Egan Flanagan, a Springfield law firm that has acted as Ashe's legal counsel for years.

"Theresa is so competent. I want her on full-time," Cocchi said.

Theresa Finnegan

Rounding out the promotions Cocchi has publicly announced so far: He replaced the former head of human resources with Connie Burke, an assistant superintendent at the women's jail in Chicopee.

He said there will likely be more personnel changes.

One of the most prominent issues in the campaign was Ashe's use of retired employees as consultants. Cocchi said he has terminated all contracts but may review them and bring certain employees back, depending on need and budgetary constraints.

But, they won't be Ashe appointees, they will be Cocchi appointees, Cocchi argues.

In fact, he has not ruled out hiring Michael Ashe as a consultant, but said Ashe will not be paid out of state funds.

"I haven't asked him and he hasn't mentioned it, but if the sheriff is not ready to be totally done and I could use his talent, why wouldn't I?" Cocchi said.

He added that Ashe will not be running the department, nor does he need the outgoing sheriff to "hold his hand."

Cocchi said he is comfortable with the day-to-day operations of the department, security and budgetary concerns. The agency will run a $1.9 million deficit for the balance of the fiscal year because the state did not cover the cost-of-living increases for the staff it had promised, according to Cocchi. But he has plans to bridge the gap, and there have been efforts to secure a supplemental budget item to help.

He says he sees his first opportunity for growth as the new sheriff to model the relationship building and legislative partnerships Ashe built.

"If I want to call someone at MassMutual, for instance, I wouldn't immediately know who to call. But Mike Ashe does, and he knows the history of the relationship. Some people are simply philanthropists, others have family members who are in recovery. Mike Ashe knows all of that background. That's very valuable," Cocchi said.

He will officially take office after his inauguration on Jan. 4 at the Ludlow jail on Randall Road. Cocchi will be sworn in by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

Cocchi said he will be establishing certain policy changes including monthly security forums, and establishing a staff grill to offer employees better food through a self-financed venture. He said he has placed "suggestion boxes" at several spots throughout the department and they're full every day.

Cocchi said he has taken his mentor's advice on fiscal responsibility to heart.

"Between January 4th and January 5th, you won't see much of a difference of who we want to be ... We want to be the best. We want to be caring. We want to be transparent and we want to be responsible to the taxpayers," he said.
Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(Evan Vucci)

Although Donald Trump offered a largely ambivalent response to the Obama administration's announced sanctions against Russia, the president-elect praised Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday for announcing he would not retaliate against the U.S. for such actions.

Trump, who has publicly questioned U.S. intelligence officials' allegations that Russian hackers interfered in the 2016 presidential election, touted Putin's response to President Barack Obama's sanctions and expulsions relating to the reported cyber attacks.

"Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" Trump tweeted late Friday afternoon.

Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2016

The president-elect's social media praise came just hours after the Russian president announced he would not retaliate against the U.S. over the sanctions, but rather focus on steps to restore relations between the two countries based on the policies of the incoming Trump administration.

The tweet marked the second time in a week that Trump touted the Russian president on the social media website.

He recently tweeted his agreement with Putin's take on how Democrats handled the outcome of the 2016 election.

"Vladimir Putin said today about Hillary and Dems: 'In my opinion, it is humiliating. One must be able to lose with dignity.' So true!" Trump posted on Twitter last week.

Vladimir Putin said today about Hillary and Dems: "In my opinion, it is humiliating. One must be able to lose with dignity." So true!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2016

Trump, in a Thursday response to the Obama administration's sanctions, said he believes "it's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things."

He, however, offered that he would meet "with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation."

The CIA, in a recent secret assessment, concluded that Russia intervened in the U.S. presidential election to help Trump win the White House, instead of just influencing confidence in America's electoral system -- findings reportedly supported by FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr.

According to reports, individuals with connections to the Russian government allegedly provided WikiLeaks with hacked emails from the DNC and Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta as part of an operation to boost Trump.

Obama, in response to the allegations, announced sanctions against two Russian intelligence services, the GRU and FSB, as well as four individual GRU officers and three companies that provided material support to GRU's cyber operations.

The White House, among other things, further announced the expulsions of 35 Russian government officials from the country's embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, as well as revealed that it would deny access to two Russian government-owned compounds, one in Maryland and one in New York, effective noon on Friday.

Obama said the sanctions and expulsions mark just one portion of his administration's response to the alleged Russian cyber attacks.

Russian officials, however, have cast U.S. intelligence officials' allegations as "absolute nonsense."
John McCain

FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2016, file photo, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

(Susan Walsh)

Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election is expected to remain a hot topic in Washington D.C. next week, as the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee meets to consider foreign cyber threats.

The panel, which is tasked with overseeing defense and national security-related measures, will kick off its work in the 115th Congress with a Jan. 5 hearing on foreign cyber threats to the U.S.

News of the hearing came just one day after the White House announced sanctions against Russia in response to alleged cyber attacks that targeted Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign emails.

Although the Senate Armed Services Committee's agenda vaguely states that the meeting will revolve around foreign cyber threats, it is expected to focus on Russian interference with Director Of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, Jr. slated to testify.

Also set to address members, the panel announced, are: Under Secretary Of Defense For Intelligence Marcell J. Lettre II and Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the head of U.S. Cyber Command.

The CIA, in a recent secret assessment, concluded that Russia intervened in the U.S. presidential election to help Republican Donald Trump win the White House, instead of just influencing confidence in America's electoral system -- findings which Clapper and FBI Director James Comey supported.

Following the CIA assessment, Senate Armed Services Chairman U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, joined a bipartisan group of panel members in calling for congressional action in response to the alleged Russian interference.

"Democrats and Republicans must work together, and across the jurisdictional lines of the Congress, to examine these recent incidents thoroughly and devise comprehensive solutions to deter and defend against further cyber attacks," he said in an early December statement. "This cannot become a partisan issue. The stakes are too high for our country."

McCain further argued Thursday that the Obama administration's newly announced sanctions and expulsions targeting Russian officials were "long overdue, but...a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy."

The Senate Armed Services chairman added that he and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia."

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other members of the state's congressional delegation have also called for probes related to the alleged cyber attacks.

President Barack Obama on Thursday announced sanctions against two Russian intelligence services, the GRU and FSB, as well as four individual GRU officers and three companies that provided material support to GRU's cyber operations.

The secretary of the treasury, administration officials added, would designate two Russian individuals for using cyber-enabled means to "cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information."

The White House further announced the expulsions of 35 Russian government officials from the country's embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, as well as revealed that it would deny access to two Russian government-owned compounds, one in Maryland and one in New York, effective noon on Friday.

The sanctions and expulsions, Obama said, mark just one portion of his administration's response to the alleged Russian cyber attacks.

Although Russian officials have cast U.S. intelligence officials' allegations as "absolute nonsense," President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he will not retaliate against the U.S. over the sanctions.

Russia, he added, will plan its further steps to restore relations between the two countries based on the policies of the incoming Trump administration.
Despite reports that Russia may retaliate against the United States over newly announced sanctions, President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he will not resort to such a response, but rather move forward in working with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Putin called outgoing President Barack Obama's Thursday decision to issue nine sanctions, expel 35 Russian government officials and close access to two Russian government-owned compounds "provocative and aimed at further weakening the Russia-U.S. relationship."

The Russian president said while he has reasons to respond in kind, he will not resort to what he called "irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy" and "will not create any problems for US diplomats."

"We will not expel anyone. We will not prevent their families and children from using their traditional leisure sites during the New Year's holidays. Moreover, I invite all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas children's parties in the Kremlin," he said in a statement. "It is regrettable that the Obama Administration is ending its term in this manner."

Putin added that instead of retaliating against the U.S., Russia will plan its further steps to restore relations between the two countries based on the policies of the incoming Trump administration -- something he discussed in a mid-December letter to the president-elect.

Trump, who has been at odds with the Obama administration over allegations that Russia-backed cyber attacks sought to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, reiterated his contention Thursday that "it's time for (the) country to move on to bigger and better things."

He, however, offered that he would meet with intelligence community officials for more updated information on the issue.

"In the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," he said in a brief statement.

The CIA, in a recent secret assessment, concluded that Russia intervened in the U.S. presidential election to help Trump win the White House, instead of just influencing confidence in America's electoral system -- findings reportedly supported by FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr.

According to reports, individuals with connections to the Russian government allegedly provided WikiLeaks with hacked emails from the DNC and Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta as part of an operation to boost Trump.

Russian officials have cast U.S. intelligence officials' allegations as "absolute nonsense."

Trump, meanwhile, has publicly questioned claims of Russian interference in the 2016 election, as well as whether the Obama administration is politically motivated.

Noting the split between Obama and Trump, Konstantin Kosachev, the foreign affairs committee chairman of the Russian parliament's upper chamber, told the Interfax news agency Thursday that the country should see the president-elect's reaction to the sanctions before stating retaliatory measures, the Associated Press reported.

Obama on Thursday announced sanctions against two Russian intelligence services, the GRU and FSB, as well as four individual GRU officers and three companies that provided material support to GRU's cyber operations.

The secretary of the treasury, administration officials added, would designate two Russian individuals for using cyber-enabled means to "cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information."

The White House further announced the expulsions of 35 Russian government officials from the country's embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, as well as revealed that it would deny access to two Russian government-owned compounds, one in Maryland and one in New York, effective noon on Friday.

Obama added that the sanctions and expulsions mark just one portion of his administration's response to the alleged Russian cyber attacks.
IMG_6778.JPG

Snow squall moves through downtown Worcester.

(Noah R. Bombard)

Snow squalls are moving across sections of Massachusetts Friday afternoon blanketing areas with brief snow and white-out conditions.

The National Weather Service reported a squall moving at about 45 mph east along a line extending from Holden to Belchertown and Chicopee at about 12:24 p.m. The squall was seen moving into Worcester at 12:45 p.m.

Visibility in the snow squalls may be briefly less than one-quarter mile.

"If you are driving in the area between Springfield and Boston, such as on the Massachusetts Turnpike, be ready to slow down if these snow squalls approach you," the National Weather Service warned.
A Rio de Janeiro police officer confessed to murdering Greece's ambassador to Brazil, possibly at the direction of the diplomat's Brazilian wife with whom the policeman was romantically involved, Globo TV reported on Friday, citing police sources.

Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was missing since Monday night. Francoise, his Brazilian wife and the mother of their 10-year-old daughter, reported him missing to police on Wednesday.

Globo TV reported on Friday afternoon that officer Sergio Moreira, 29, confessed to killing the ambassador on Monday night in the Rio de Janeiro home the Amiridis owned in Nova Iguacu, a hardscrabble neighborhood in Rio's sprawling and violent northern outskirts.

Globo TV reported that investigators said they believed Francoise and Moreira had arranged the murder in advance.

Both Amiridis' wife and the officer were in custody, but it was not clear if they had retained lawyers.

Police and Rio state security officials declined to comment on the Globo report and their investigation.

The Greek embassy in Brasilia declined to comment.

In Athens, Greek foreign ministry spokesman Stratos Efthymiou said the government had no comment.

Amiridis served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004. He was Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016.

Globo reported that two other suspects were in custody, but they were not identified.

The O Globo newspaper earlier reported that blood was found on a couch inside the home. Globo TV on Friday showed police carrying a sofa into police headquarters.

A burned corpse was found on Thursday evening inside the car that Amiridis and his wife had rented. It was parked under a highway overpass in the area where the couple had been staying.

On Thursday, police confirmed that the ambassador had been missing since Monday night, when he was last seen leaving the Rio home he shared with his wife.

The incident is another blow to Rio's image, just four months after it hosted the Summer Olympics.

The neighborhood where the car was found is dominated by powerful and politically connected armed groups comprised mostly of off-duty or retired police and firefighters who control vast areas. They often extort residents in exchange for keeping drug gangs from taking over the areas.

The armed groups have grown for several years and often curry favor with local politicians by promising to deliver votes from entire neighborhoods as long as authorities allow them to carry out their crimes.

Crime in Rio has been rising and the state is deeply indebted, often unable to pay police and other salaries on time, if at all.

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FOR decades, automakers have been able to count on a fundamental fact of American life: You pretty much need a car to get around.

But lately, novel technologies, including ride-hailing services like Uber and advances in self-driving cars, are creating new alternatives for commuting, shuttling children and going to the store  particularly in urban settings.

There are also demographic and economic trends in play. Many younger Americans do not consider owning a car a goal or necessity  or a necessary expense. So carmakers are looking ahead to a day when the automobile plays a smaller role, or even no role at all, in many peoples daily routines.

By NEAL E. BOUDETTE

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/business/automakers-prepare-america-fewer-cars.html?hpw&rref=automobiles&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-regionion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well
The University of Wyoming is looking to boost enrollment by increasing transfer students.

Outreach School Interim Dean Alyson Hagy said at a public listening session regarding the schools five-year strategic plan that theres been a considerable dip in the number of transfer students attending UW in recent years.

Transfer student numbers peaked in 2010 with 1,159, but that number steadily dropped before bottoming out in 2015 at 930. Of 12,366 students accounted for on the fall 2016, 967 were new transfer students.

Full Story: http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/uw-eyes-increasing-transfer-students-to-boost-enrollment/article_6902fc0b-3729-59e6-b87d-fd9fd962f138.html
Every year, about 30 Americans die in avalanches, with an additional 110 deaths in Canada and Europe. Skiers and snowmobilers account for the vast majority of these deaths.

Jordy Hendrikx has lost friends and a student to such disasters. An earth sciences professor and director of the Snow and Avalanche Laboratory at Montana State University, Dr. Hendrikx studied the geophysics of snow for a decade before he decided that, to prevent avalanche accidents, human behavior in the backcountry needed to be better understood.

Scientists have a good grasp on how weather and terrain contribute to avalanches. Research suggests avalanche forecasts have about an 80 percent accuracy rate. But human activity is a huge  and unpredictable  factor in avalanches.

Full Story: http://www.montana.edu/news/16634/msu-professors-research-featured-in-dec-29-new-york-times-story
COVID-19 has reached the shores of Mauritius with a sudden and massive blow and is unfortunately progressing rapidly in our Country. In response to this outbreak, the Government of Mauritius is implementing very strong measures to contain its propagation.

These include: raising awareness of the local population on the nature of the disease, barring entry to arrivals from badly-hit countries, mandatory quarantine of passengers from affected regions, prohibiting mass gatherings, physical distancing, allowing people to work from home and more recently a total lockdown.

Mauritius still faces challenges in the coordination of its response to this pandemic. In order to face this unique crisis, by its magnitude and its impact on our society, the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), through this special call for projects, has earmarked funds to encourage entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, enterprises and start-ups implement short and medium term projects that aim at improving and accelerating the Governments response to the challenges posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and eventually contribute to counter the impacts and planning beyond of this pandemic.

Through this Special Call, the MRIC aims to contribute towards efforts being deployed nationally, through the provision of dedicated and targeted funding for Research and Innovation based actions. The objective of this Special Call is to develop and expedite the production (or adaptation) of technologies and services that will assist the health and relevant authorities in their work and in the deployment of general protection measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This Special Call for Proposals applies to applicants from Mauritius, Rodrigues and the outer islands within the Republic of Mauritius.

The priorities of this Special Call are:

i. to develop innovative and sustained counter-measures to mitigate the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on the country, and

ii. to provide a boost to enterprises and businesses willing to contribute to the response to the outbreak as part of a coherent and integrated national effort and to plan beyond the pandemic.

Projects that can be funded under this Special Call are encouraged to leverage on existing infrastructure, capabilities and networks with local partners.

Support under this Special Call is being targeted on two fronts:

i. Technology-based products and services (the maximum amount per grant is MUR 2 Million over 3 to 9 months.) : e.g. development of products, materials, innovative technologies (including software and apps) and manufacturing/production processes, practical demonstrations, equipment prototypes or the development of a scaling process for the transition from experimental production to large production; and

ii. Social and policy measures (the maximum amount per grant is MUR1 Million over 3 to 9 months): e.g., analyzing and improving logistics of the response to the outbreak; strategies to improve public awareness, knowledge and trust; new approaches to minimise misinformation, stigma and fear; cultural dimensions of the epidemic; evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of social policies to contain the outbreak (school closures, lockdown, supply shortages, travel restrictions, etc) and identifying improvements or new policies; social dynamics of transmission and vulnerability and how to improve communication of risks, uncertainties and implications as well as the psychological impacts during and after the lockdown.

Deadline for application: Friday 17th April 2020 at 14 hrs

For more information please contact the MRIC : scp.covid19@mric.mu or www.mric.mu

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President Vladimir Putin ruled out on Friday expelling anyone in retaliation for Washington's decision to throw out 35 Russian diplomats and impose sanctions on two of the country's intelligence agencies.

RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-U.S. relations.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to Putin that Moscow expel 35 U.S. diplomats and ban U.S. diplomatic staff from using two facilities in Moscow, his ministry said.

This followed President Barack Obama's decision to expel the 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying and to impose sanctions on the two Russian intelligence agencies over their alleged involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election. Lavrov said the allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. elections were baseless.

Putin rejected Lavrov's plan. "We will not expel anyone," he said in a statement. He also said he saw the sanctions as another step to undermine relations between Moscow and Washington, and he regretted that the Obama administration was ending its term in such a way.

Russian officials have portrayed the U.S. sanctions as a last act of a lame-duck president and suggested that Trump could reverse them when he takes over the White House in January.

Earlier Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said the Obama administration was ending its term in "anti-Russia death throes".

"It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia death throes. RIP," Medvedev, who served as president in 2009 when Obama tried to improve Russia-U.S. relations, wrote on his official Facebook page.

The U.S. sanctions also closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for "intelligence-related purposes".

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Rio de Janeiro investigators suspect that Greece's ambassador to Brazil was murdered at the behest of his wife and a police officer with whom she was romantically involved, Globo TV reported on Friday, citing police sources.

Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, had been missing since Monday night. His Brazilian wife, Francoise, reported him missing to police on Wednesday. The pair have a 10-year-old daughter.

Police also confirmed to Globo TV that the body has been identified as being Amiridis.

Investigators told Globo TV they believe Amiridis' wife and the police officer, Sergio Moreira, arranged and possibly carried out the murder in a home where the diplomat and his wife were staying in a northern Rio suburb.

Police and Rio state security officials along with Greek officials declined to comment to Reuters on the television report, nor would they provide any other details.

In Athens, Greek foreign ministry spokesman Stratos Efthymiou said the government had no comment about the case.

Two other suspects were in custody, but they were not identified, Globo reported.

The O Globo newspaper earlier reported that blood was found on a couch inside the home. Globo TV on Friday afternoon showed police carrying a sofa into police headquarters.

A burned corpse was found Thursday evening inside the car that Amiridis and his wife had rented. It was parked under a highway overpass in the area where the couple had been staying.

On Thursday, police confirmed that the ambassador had been missing since Monday night, when he was last seen leaving the home of his wife's family.

The incident is another blow to Rio's image, just four months after it hosted the Summer Olympics.

The neighborhood where the car was found is dominated by powerful and politically connected armed groups mostly comprised of off-duty or retired police and firefighters who control vast areas. They are believed to often extort residents in exchange for keeping drug gangs from taking over the areas.

The armed groups have grown in strength in Rio for several years, and often curry favor with local politicians by promising to deliver votes from entire neighborhoods as long as authorities allow them to carry out their crimes.

Crime in Rio has been rising and the state is deeply indebted, often unable to pay police and other salaries on time, if at all.

Amiridis served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004. He was Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016.

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3.6 million metres of land has been encroached upon in Cairo, the citys governor Atef Abdel-Hamid announced on Friday.

In press statements, Abdel-Hamid said that the governorate, along with the state, has established a committee to recover land following a comprehensive inventory that revealed that 17,000 pieces of land covering an area of 3.6 million metres has been encroached upon.

He added that the return of such state owned lands was currently ongoing between the governorate, security facilities, and the armed forces, also saying that some of those who have obtained the lands illegally have reached out to legalise their status.

He called on those holding the lands illegally to give them up instead of being involved in a conflict with the state, pointing out that the legal administration of the governorate has been mandated with receiving ownership papers to verify their legality.

The governor stressed that there was no laxity in recovering state owned lands, revealing that a second wave to recover land would take place in the coming days.

A first wave of liberating the land has lead to the retrieval of 135,000 square meters in several areas, worth EGP 1 billion, including in Maadi, El-Basateen, and Helwan.

Egypt has been pushing with efforts to retrieve looted state lands through a committee established in February that aims to redeem stolen state land in accordance with the law governing each authority.

Land recovered by the committee has been held for auction for incorporation into the government's developmental plans.

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Kare 11, Tuesday, December 27, 2016 11:13 AM

Local governments in Minnesota have adopted a new policy to automatically delete emails after 30 days. According to the policy, any email that is not "official" should automatically be deleted after a month. Transparency advocates are concerned about the procedure citing that the language "official" is vague and not retaining records for freedom of information requests.

Read the whole story at Kare 11 
by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, December 29, 2016

Google and Microsoft redefined the definition of search through messaging technology like chatbots and apps for mobile and desktop by making a case that it can reach across a brand's or retailer's Web site to find and return information on consumer queries.



Messaging creates a new form of search advertising simply by returning information based on chatbot queries. At the November 11 Bing Ads Next event in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft demonstrated how companies like airline ticket site Skyscanner, as well as Delta Airlines in a demo, use a chatbot by pulling information from its Web site to answer questions. Microsoft also demonstrated a chatbot that serves up on bing.com in search results. A restaurant called Moksha is testing the technology in the Redmond, Washington area.

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As consumers warm up to the idea of talk to machines, for brands, agencies and developers integrating the data from chatbots becomes one of the biggest challenges. The disparate systems do not communicate with each other. Apple focuses on Siri, Google on Allo, and Microsoft on Cortana. This next step  not too far into the future  will play out similar to the integration of advertising channels such as mobile, desktop and television.

Nearly one-third of consumers 28.9%  prefer to use a chatbot rather than the 29% who prefer to pick up the phone or the 27% who prefer to email when interacting with retailers, according to [24]7, a provider of chatbot and human agent assistance for retailers, released Monday.

Break down the numbers in the study  A Retailer's Guide to Chatbots, Live Chat and Messaging  and Millennials lead when it comes to adopting chat technology  chatbots and apps. Some 37% of survey respondents ages 18 to 34 rank chat as their favorite way to contact companies when making a purchase, with 30% choosing online chat and 7% selecting messaging apps.

Overall, 39% of consumers are open to interacting with a chatbot in a retail scenario, but when the study broke that down by demographics, it found that only 9% of Millennials prefer to always interact with a chatbot compared with a human. Millennials, 40%, prefer use a messaging app.

Surprisingly, the ability to chat online or through a mobile device has surpassed the use of using a phone and sending an email as the most popular way for consumers to interact with retailers, according to the [24]7 study.

While customer services seems the most popular use for online chat applications such as messaging and chatbots, a study from Support.com found a home for the technology in tech support.

It turns out that millennials are 75% more comfortable using chatbots, compared with baby boomers, when it comes to tech support. Millennials also are 138% more likely than baby boomers to think chatbots are better because they can respond faster than a live agent.

About 60% know when theyre interacting with a machine for tech support and they are not comfortable with it, with 71% of baby boomers and 65% of women agreeing.

Not all believe chatbots improve tech support. In fact 81% dont think chatbots improve tech support interactions or respond faster than a live agent, according to the Support.com study.

The survey of 2,000 consumers reveals expectations for more personalized and automated technology support in the near future. The study focuses on technical support, but through the numbers marketers can clearly see how consumers think about chatbots.

Brands planning to implement a chatbot to support consumers online, will have a lot of things to contemplate. Humanizing technology through virtual assistants and chatbots won't work for all strategies. It will depend on the company's customer base.

Privacy will become one of the biggest issues brands will need to consider when implement a chatbot.

Some consumers are reluctant to share personal information this way. Companies will need to test the waters before they fully jump in.

This column was previously published in Searchblog on November 14, 2016.
by Devon Wijesinghe , Op-Ed Contributor, December 30, 2016

Back in October, a story made the rounds in which Pope Francis shocked the world by endorsing Donald Trump for president. Though patently false, its easy to see why people fell for it: It showed up in the Facebook News Feed alongside traditional news outlets, received a ton of Likes and certainly looked like a real story.

Those elements show why fake news is such an intractable problem. Such bogus items have been capturing the worlds attention lately because they are creating real-life consequences. In addition to possibly swaying the election, there was a recent incident in Washington, D.C., in which a man walked into a pizza joint with a rifle to investigate a supposed child sex ring run by Hillary Clinton. The man had read about pizzagate, an alleged conspiracy fueled by seemingly suspicious references to the pizza restaurant in many Wikileaks emails.

In this Alice in Wonderland environment, brands have an unprecedented opportunity to use their own trustworthiness to align with legitimate news organizations and starve fake news sites of ad income. They can also use true influencer marketing  with actual influencers rather than celebs  to provide some verity in a sea of misinformation.

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How we got here

There was a time when it seemed that the Internet would provide authority to all claims. After all, once you link to the source, the matter should be settled, right? The reality, however, is that source material can be nuanced and biased ... and in other cases fabricated entirely. This has led to an atmosphere where it can be hard to know whom to believe. A North Carolina man who had previously clicked on stories claiming that Hillary Clinton was indicted and that Mexico built a wall along its nouthern border told The New York Times that he missed the days when Walter Cronkite was a trusted source of news.

As weve seen, this lack of a source of objective truth has had a corrosive effect on public discourse. It also can potentially hurt influencer marketing. Social networks are meant to be a place where you let down your hair as well as your guard. Influencers are technically required to disclose that they are being paid for this activity, but with little regulation and the fact that their credibility would be shot if anyone knew they were being paid, this happens rarely. So when these influencers are paid to talk about a brand they have no real experience with  is that not fake news? It teeters on a very thin line.

The way forward

This dilemma has been complicated by the fact that many brands have inadvertently placed their ads on fake news sites via programmatic buys. Those ads confer authority on the brands but over time will hurt the brands as well.

Thats why marketers need to recognize that in this age of relativism, brand names carry a weight of authority that media brands are losing. The old model of advertising was to use a media companys reach to get in front of a large group of viewers or readers. Now, while reach is still important, authority also plays a big role.

Influencers can not only provide an audience but provide a context for purchasing. The net effect is that both the brand and the influencer create their own authority thats separate from media. In the atmosphere of social media, a brand and an influencer can carry equal weight to The New York Times, which faces its own questions of bias and, because it traffics in native advertising, legitimacy as well.

In this strange new media environment, media companies and brands need to recreate trust, almost from scratch. Thats a real opportunity. As Facebook moves forward with a plan to block fake news, media companies will have the same opportunity. This might not be an optimum scenario, but as Cronkite himself used to say, Thats the way it is.
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, December 29, 2016

It looks like the German government is serious about its proposed ban on fake news. In the latest development, the German Ministry of Justice revealed that it is considering levying big fines on online platforms like Facebook that fail to act expeditiously to delete fake news -- as well as hate speech and other kinds of illegal content.

In order to get Facebook and other online platforms to remove prohibited content as quickly as possible, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas is proposing a fine of 500,000 euros, or $522,000, for every fake news item that isnt removed within 24 hours of being flagged. The same fine would apply to items deemed hate speech, including racism or statements inciting violence, which is illegal in Germany.

The new measures under consideration would also require online platforms to distribute corrections calling out fake news to at least the same people who saw the original bogus report. Individuals who are harmed by fake news stories would also be due compensation. Finally, foreign-owned companies would be required to maintain offices in Germany to handle these requests.

Germany lawmakers are especially concerned about the potential impact of fake news on the countrys upcoming 2017 parliamentary elections, citing speculation that bogus stories may have influenced the recent U.S. presidential race.

Germanys powerful chancellor, Angela Merkel, has previously spoken out against fake news circulating online, particularly made-up stories about the roughly one million Middle Eastern refugees who arrived in the country over the last two years. Many pundits fear fake news stories will work to the advantage of the populist, right-wing Alternative for Germany party, which wants to limit immigration and leave the euro.

For its part, Facebook has denied that fake news items influenced the U.S. presidential election, but has agreed to implement fact-checking by third party organizations, which would be incorporated into the News Feed.
by Richard Whitman , Columnist, December 29, 2016

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Back in October, 24-year-old Dentsu Japan employee Matsuri Takahashi committed suicide after routinely working 100-plus hours of overtime each month. The death was attributed to Karoshi, a Japanese reference to a culture of overwork. The death sparked a study into the culture of overworking, and in addition, Dentsu altered its policy on allowable overtime hours.As a result of this event, Dentsu Japan President Tadashi Ishii has announced that he will tender his resignation in January during a scheduled board meeting. At a news conference, Ishii said: "It is extremely regrettable that we could not prevent overwork by a new recruit. In order to take full responsibility, I would like to resign as president at a board meeting in January."Following the suicide , Ishii had said: "Excessive amounts of work is something that should never be allowed to happen. We deeply regret failing to prevent the overwork of our new recruit. I offer my sincere apologies."There are no plans for replacing Ishii at this point.It was no secret that Takahashi was under a great deal of stress. Her social media posts were filled with such commentary as "I'm physically and mentally shattered. I want to die."
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, December 29, 2016

A range of emerging technologies such as augmented and virtual reality and voice-activated search, as well as ways to use the data, could send marketers back to school, requiring forward thinkers to seek higher-ed degrees.

About seven of the top 35 universities in College Choice's ranking have a Master's degree program with a focus on digital. Even at No. 27, one of the more niche degree programs in College Choice's ranking -- the University of Connecticuts School of Business -- has a full-time MBA degree that focuses on Digital Marketing with an added specialty in Marketing Analytics.

College Choice, which ranks colleges and universities, on Thursday published its 2017 list of Best Master's in Marketing. The ranking is based on the programs' reputations along with its average return on investment. The sources for this information are drawn from a variety of publicly accessible records, including a nationwide survey published by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, U.S. News & World Report, the National Center for Education Statistics, and PayScale.com.

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University of Pennsylvania took the No. 1 rating, with a score of 100, for those looking to earn an advanced degree in marketing, according to a ranking study.

Students who want to attain a Master's degree in marketing can do so through Whartons MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania. The annual tuition for the institution is about $31,068. There are two available tracks: a marketing major or a joint major in marketing and operations management.

Marketing jobs are poised to increase at a 9% compounded annual growth rate for 10 years beginning in 2014, and jobs in marketing research analysis are expected to rise 19%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Texas A&M University took the No. 2 ranking with a score of 94.14. The annual tuition runs about $15,125 through the Mays Business School, which offers a Master's of Science in Marketing that can be completed in 16 months or 12 months for Texas A&M undergraduates.

University of Texas, Austin comes in at No. 3 with a score of 93.57 and annual tuition of $20,762. The McCombs School of Business has about 12,000 enrolled students each year, and of those, around 2,000 are graduate students. The Masters of Science in Marketing program at McCombs emphasizes marketing and data.
by Larissa Faw , December 30, 2016

SoftBank Robotics and its agency Midnight Oil recently produced a series of events designed to demonstrate its humanoid robot Pepper's capabilities and value in a traditional retail store setting.

The 4-foot tall robot can recognize key human emotions and adapt its behavior to the mood of the person it's dealing with.

These events, which showcased Pepper interacting with retail customers, took place at the B8ta" tech stores in Palo Alto and Santa Monica, CA, as well as "The Ave clothing store at the University of Southern California (USC) campus in Los Angeles.

Customers were greeted by Pepper, then were introduced to The Ave through dedicated applications built for this particular experience.

Shoppers learned about its patented printing process, shopped the stores top collections, created and purchased custom gear, and discovered the history of The Ave.

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The Ave also hosted an open house, where SoftBank product manager Nicholas Beucher spoke with students about the uniqueness of Pepper as a platform and what it means for the future of business.

The project was promoted via social media plus an editorial in the USC paper.

Peppers three-day activation at The Ave is credited with tripling revenue, bumping up foot traffic by 20% and increasing customer interactions by 98%. Pepper also grew total mentions across social media by 129% through a social media contest in which shoppers who took a selfie and shared it on Instagram or Twitter with #PepperGoesToSchool and #MeetPepper.

Now, Midnight Oil and SoftBank are turning these results into case studies and an awareness campaign aimed at software developers and retailers.

Pepper is relatively common in Japan, where the robot has served as salesperson, waiter and customer service rep in several hundred companies.
by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, December 30, 2016

Many questions about President Trump will be answered in 2017.

Donald Trump said many controversial things during the 2016 campaign and transition period about his priorities and how he might act as president.

Back in April, Trump said: Im going to be so presidential that you people will be so bored. Now that he is the president-elect, weve seen fleeting glimpses of being so presidential. So far, his signature off-the-cuff statements could prove dangerous as president.

He appeared respectful when he met with President Obama at the White House, but quickly fell back into old habits, tweeting about China and Russia with seemingly little attention paid to the diplomatic outcomes or the State Department.

Next year, we will learn how impulsive Trump is  and if he can tame his bombastic impulses as president.

With U.S.-Russia relations and his family-business conflicts leading the news, Trumps immigration policies have not been top of mind in recent weeks. But since it was a key campaign pledge, what will Trumps wall look like? How will he enact his promise to deport up to 3 million illegal immigrants with criminal records? (Note: There arent that many illegal immigrants with criminal records.)

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Also of consequence: How the Trump administration acts on its call to ban Muslims, whether partially or otherwise, from entering the United States. These policies will be particularly central should another terrorist attack shake the West.

The Trump transitions approach to the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, has been uncoordinated at best. Though removing it entirely will put undue hardships on millions of Americans, Trump and his GOP supporters have pledged to repeal and replace, no easy task.

Crucial to the future of our countrys relationship with the White House is how Trump will interact with the national press. Trumps Press Secretary Sean Spicer gave some hint, but the most we know concretely is that Trumps press operation wont be business as usual.

Neither, from all accounts, will his presidency.
by Sara Guaglione , December 30, 2016

Recent comScore data reveals U.S. mobile traffic in November propelled the site to a new record, affirming publishers investments this year in mobile.

Originally reported by Adweek, Forbes.com raked in 44.4 million unique visitors on mobile in November. Including desktop and tablet traffic, the Forbes comScore total in the U.S. last month is 56.5 million unique visitors.

Forbes mobile traffic from November is up 17.5% compared to the previous month. The numbers are a 30% increase compared to November 2015.

Chief product officer Lewis DVorkin told FishbowlNY the next step is to further monetize the mobile experience.

Theres life beyond forbes.com and life beyond Forbes magazine, he said. And that life extends to everything people are doing with their mobile phones to access information, like new kinds of mobile experiences: podcasting, virtual reality, messenger services, Snapchat and many others. Thats the path were pursuing as we march forward.

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As Publishers Daily previously reported, online magazine audiences continue to shift from desktop to mobile devices.

According to The Association of Magazine Media's Magazine Media 360 Brand Audience Report for October, desktop and laptop Web audiences were down 9%, while mobile Web viewing was up 12.2%. Of the 125 brands that were included in the report, 94% had higher mobile audiences than Web audiences.

Nearly one-quarter of these brands reported mobile audiences that were 3 times greater than their Web audiences.

Forbes wasnt the only publication to experience record traffic in November, an unusual month due to the presidential election, when more people are reading news regularly.

For example, Hearst Magazines Digital Media reported six of its brands broke individual traffic records in November, including Esquire, Country Living, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Town & Country and its newest site, Best Products.

The Washington Post had 99.1 million unique visitors in November 2016, marking a 38% increase compared to last year, according to comScore. WaPo says these numbers should be even higher, and are significantly under-reported due to Facebooks miscalculation of iPhone traffic on its Instant Articles platform.

WaPo believes once the numbers are adjusted for October and November, unique visitors will cross the 100 million mark.
by Larissa Faw , December 30, 2016

Publicis New York is using its talents to raise awareness for Syrian refugees through a passion project with Doctors of the World (DOTW), an international human-rights organization that provides long-term medical assistance to refugees in Europe and the Middle East.

In mid-December, DOTW sent a team including Publicis VP creative director Einav Jacubovich, DOTW USAs Tamera Gugelmeyer and filmmaker Cano Rojas to the Syrian border near Aleppo to spend a week documenting the frontlines. While visiting DOTW clinics and hospitals and meeting the patients there, the team discovered a powerful reason to feel fear in the face of this crisisnot fear of the refugees themselves but, fear of the worlds indifference towards them, they say.

Although they were there gathering film for additional content, they were so moved by their interviews and experiences that they moved quickly to create a larger initial film in advance of the later, more in-depth content.

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The Not Like Us film illustrates with simplicity how strangely familiar and incredibly alike everyone is to a refugee. The 1:22 minute clip shows a variety of regular Syrians stating identifying characteristics, such as "I am a nurse," "I am a father," "husband," and "principal" intermixed with computer text printing commonly held statements like "they are all terrorists" and "should go back to where they came from." "Indifference is a disease," closes the video.

It appears on the DOTW Facebook page and YouTube channel, though at this time, there are no additional paid support or additional efforts.

However, Not Like Us" will be followed with several others videos to roll out in the coming months. "While at the Turkey/Syria border, we've filmed numerous interviews with many Syrian refugees, some doctors and some patients," says Jacubovich. "From our interviews and footage we'll be creating content to release throughout 2017."

All the work Publicis NY produced for DOTW was pro-bono, with the agency covering the production costs. "We have the ability to use our capacities as an international advertising agency to aid the world, and we're proud to do so," says Jacubovich. "We're extremely dedicated and aligned with DOTW's goals and beliefs, as a human-rights NGO devoted to aiding the world's most vulnerable populations."

In the past two+ years, Publicis has been producing campaigns for DOTW for numerous initiatives, including raising money and awareness for the Ebola epidemic in 2014, the Nepal earthquake in 2015 and, for the past year, for its work in Turkey and Syria aiding the Syrian refugees.

"We were more than happy to help them, pro bono, and instantly set up time to meet," says Jacubovich. "Within a week of our first meet-and-greet with the clients, we had launched our first campaign. We've been working together ever since."
The human brain is made up of billions of cells. We do not know the identity or exact function of countless thousands of them since comprehensive efforts to catalogue neurons have just recently begun. Studying these many still unidentified cells is an important "hot-spot" in frontier brain research since it offers the discovery of new cell functions that could play important roles in many diseases. In the Department of Molecular Neurosciences at the Center for Brain Research of the Medical University of Vienna, scientists have now described many previously unknown neurons in the hypothalamus and determined the function of a hitherto uncharted dopamine cell. The study has now been published in the leading journal Nature Neuroscience.

An accurate look into the cellular and molecular composition of the brain has recently become possible thanks to a combination of traditional methods, particularly the use of microscopy to determine cellular structure, and "single-cell RNA sequencing". Using the latter method, it is by now possible to extract key molecular information that encodes the identity of each cell - and that means tens of thousands of mRNA molecules per cell.

"The hypothalamus is the area that regulates metabolic processes throughout the body by producing many different hormones. For this reason, it is the region of the brain with the greatest density of structurally and functionally distinct neurons. Considering that as few as 1,000 - 5,000 neurons can control basic hormonal processes such as stress, nutrition and sleep, the discovery of additional neuronal subtypes promises new knowledge to advance our understanding of how fundamental interactions between the brain and the body are triggered and maintained" explains Tibor Harkany, Head of the Department of Molecular Neurosciences within the Center for Brain Research.

The team from MedUni Vienna's Center for Brain Research has distinguished 62 different subtypes of neurons. Thus, it is now possible to investigate their function, including their wiring and modes of communication with other nerve cells locally, as well as in distant regions of the brain. The researchers have already succeeded in identifying the function of a particular subtype of neuron, a dopamine cell with a unique molecular signature. "We think that the secretion of some hormones (e.g. prolactin) produced in the pituitary gland only occurs when this dopamine cell is inactive. Since its activity changes during the day, it also controls circadian fluctuations in hormone levels" explains Tomas Hokfelt, visiting professor at the Center for Brain Research, who pioneered the anatomical mapping of neuropeptide systems in the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland is a sort of interface, via which the brain regulates processes such as growth, reproduction, sexuality and stress via the release of hormones.

Consequently, it might be possible to exploit these exciting findings to pinpoint drug targets in many of the newly identified neurons in order to intervene in metabolic diseases - for example in obesity, contraception, anorexia, insomnia or even narcolepsy. This line of research expects to predominantly influence metabolic processes through pharmacological modulation of hypothalamic neurons. "These findings could therefore help us to devise new ways of combating many of the most common and devastating diseases in our modern society. Our results encourage us to think that new treatment options might exist, and could target hitherto unknown hormones or receptor systems" explains Roman Romanov, lead author and brain researcher at Medical University of Vienna.

"If we continue to catalogue not only neurons but also other cell types in the brain then we will gain comprehensive insights in how complex functions arise", says Tibor Harkany "then, it might be possible to precisely explain connections, relationships and interactions between neurons and even predict how, where and when certain neurons act together, even across distant areas of the brain, to orchestrate fundamental outputs throughout life."

Like many other studies at the Department of Molecular Neurosciences, the European Research Council (ERC) and the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) frontier research programs funded this project.
Neurons in the brain store RNA molecules - DNA gene copies - in order to rapidly react to stimuli. This storage dramatically accelerates the production of proteins. This is one of the reasons why neurons in the brain can adapt quickly during learning processes. The recent results of a research group at the University of Basel's Biozentrum have been published in the current issue of Neuron.

Our brain is not only the most complex organ of the human body, it is also the most flexible. But how do neurons in the brain adapt their function in response to stimuli within a very short time frame?

The research group of Prof. Peter Scheiffele at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, has demonstrated that neurons store a reserve stock of RNA molecules, copies of the DNA, in the cell's nucleus. These RNA molecules form the blueprint for new proteins. After a neuronal stimulus the stored RNA molecules are mobilized in order to adjust the function of the neuron. The process of RNA synthesis (DNA copying) is very slow especially for large genes. Thus, this newly uncovered mechanism for mobilization of stored RNAs saves time and provides new insights regarding the fast adaptation of the brain during learning processes.

Storage for RNA molecules

The RNA blueprint for proteins is produced by a sophisticated copying process: First a basic RNA copy of the DNA is generated. From this copy, individual sections, so-called introns, are subsequently cut out to provide a finalized blueprint for the production of a specific protein. This process is called RNA splicing.

So far, it was assumed, that neuronal stimuli trigger the complete process for the production of new RNA molecules. However, the team of Peter Scheiffele now discovered that neurons in the brain pre-manufacture certain immature RNA copies which are only partially spliced. These RNA molecules still contain some introns and are stored in the cell nucleus. Signals induced by neuronal stimulation trigger the splicing completion of the immature RNA molecules.

"The copying process of the DNA, the so-called transcription, is already finalized in advance by the neurons. Hence, mature RNA molecules can be produced within minutes," explains Oriane Mauger, the first author.

Prepared copies save time

For large genes, the production of the initial version of the RNAs itself takes dozens of hours. "The fact that the RNA molecules are already available in an immature form and only need to be completed, shortens the whole process to a few minutes", says Mauger. "Since the transcription is very time-consuming, the storage of RNA means a significant time saving. This enables neurons to quickly adapt their function."

"This study reveals a completely new regulatory mechanism for the brain", declares Scheiffele. "The results provide us with a further explanation of how neurons steer rapid plasticity processes."
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine that includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It is commonly treated with one of several available biological drugs that block an inflammatory molecule called Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-alpha), but not everybody is helped by this treatment.

New research by a team of biomedical scientists at the University of California, Riverside, led by David Lo, M.D., Ph.D., now offers a valuable tip that could help make these drugs more effective.

TNF-alpha is a protein produced by the body's cells. It signals other cells that then produce additional inflammatory factors. But Lo's lab discovered earlier this year that TNF-alpha also induces specialized immune surveillance cells, called M cells, which both promote inflammation and suppress it. In other words, TNF-alpha plays a role in the destruction and the healing of tissues - a double-edged sword.

"M cells normally help the immune system detect microbes in the gut, but in the case of IBD, these may also help bacteria enter tissues and worsen the inflammation," explained Lo, a distinguished professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine.

His lab now reports that that while there are two receptors for TNF-alpha, only one receptor, TNFR2, induces M cells. Currently, TNF-alpha-targeted drugs block both TNFR1 and TNFR2.

"Newer therapies might be more effective by targeting only TNFR2," Lo said. "As an analogy, if a soldier knew her enemy was hiding in one of two caves, she would not debate which cave she should target; she might blow up both. But if she knows her enemy is in Cave A, then why would she waste ammunition and risk innocent bystanders by attacking Cave B as well?"

Study results appear online in the Journal of Crohn's and Colitis.

The body's intestinal lining has epithelial cells that form a barrier so that bacteria in the gut do not pass on into the rest of the body. During inflammation that occurs in IBD infection, TNF-alpha triggers an increase in the number of M cells along the colon. The M cells act like selective gates and serve as a conduit for pathogens to get across the barrier and into the body.

"The question is if you have more M cells, do you have better immune surveillance or do you have more bacteria getting across the barrier?" Lo said. "From a therapeutic point of view we might want to tamp M-cell production down just enough so that the immune system can do its job without having a whole lot of bacteria pass into the body from inside the gut."

Lo explained why not everybody with IBD benefits from anti-TNF drugs.

"These drugs target both TNRF-alpha receptors: TNFR1 and TNFR2," he said. "But our research identifies a distinct inflammation-inducible M-cell population that is dependent on TNFR2 signaling, but not TNFR1. If too many M cells are being produced, then the anti-TNF drug being used is not sufficiently blocking TNRF2, which induces the M cells, and is instead blocking the other receptor. If we understand why there are two receptors, then instead of drugs doing a global blockade, more focused therapeutic approaches could target only one of the receptors, resulting in a more efficient suppression of the inflammation we see in IBD."

An ongoing challenge for biomedical scientists doing IBD research is gaining a full understanding of the role M cells play in chronic inflammation. It remains unclear whether M cells help promote continuing inflammation or whether they are critical to initiating immuno-regulatory mechanisms.

"Knowing these roles should lead to more specifically targeted therapies that will promote the regulation and resolution of chronic intestinal inflammation," Lo said.

The research, done using a mouse model, was supported by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease of the National Institutes of Health.

"We would like to relate this work directly to humans in the near future because we have the same receptors, TNRF1 and TNRF2, and the pattern of inflammation in mice is similar to what we see in humans," Lo said.

He was joined in the study by UCR's Erinn A. Parnell, a postdoctoral scholar; and Erin M. Walch, a graduate student.

Lo is the senior associate dean for research at the UCR School of Medicine. He joined UCR in 2006. Two years later, his lab developed a novel peptide that targets M cells for needle-free vaccine delivery.

Article: Inducible Colonic M Cells Are Dependent on TNFR2 but Not Ltr, Identifying Distinct Signalling Requirements for Constitutive Versus Inducible M Cells, Erinn A. Parnell, Erin M. Walch, David D. Lo, Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjw212, published online 7 December 2016.
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In India, since ancient times betel leaf is used in religious rituals as it is considered auspicious. Betel leaf is a heart-shaped, deep green color leaf that belongs to the family of Piperaceae. The scientific name of betel leaf is " Piper betle ".

In India, betel leaves are commonly known as "paan leaves" and it is consumed by approximately 15-20 million people. Betel leaves are cultivated in Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, East Africa, Philippine islands and Indonesia. It is found in different regions of India such as Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Karnataka. Betel leaf also known as "paan ka patta" has a strong, pungent and aromatic flavor and it is widely used as a mouth freshener.

Approximately 85-90% of betel leaf is water, which means it has high moisture content and low calorie count. About 100 grams of betel leaves contain just 44 calories. It contains 0.4-1% fat and 3-3.5% protein, which makes it a low source of fat and moderate source of protein.

Furthermore, the betel leaf contains moderate amounts of essential nutrients such as iodine (3.4 mcg/ 100 grams), potassium (1.1-4.6%), vitamin A (1.9-2.9 mg/ 100 grams), vitamin B1 (13-70 mcg/ 100 grams), vitamin B2 (1.9-30 mcg/ 100 grams) and nicotinic acid (0.63-0.89 mg/ 100 grams).

Besides these nutrients betel leaves contain essential oils and chemical components such as betel oil and chavicol, betelphenol, eugenol, terpene and campene. These chemical components possess medicinal properties and help in the treatment and management of various diseases and disorders.

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1. Anti-diabetic Agent

Various anti-diabetic medicines have side-effects on the liver and kidneys in the long run. Research has revealed that dried betel leaf powder has the ability to reduce blood glucose levels in individuals with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and this herbal remedy comes without any side-effects.

Individuals with diabetes exhibit high levels of oxidative stress due to continuous high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia). Such high levels of blood glucose depletes the antioxidant defense system and further inactivate antioxidant enzymes. Betel leaf is a great source of antioxidant that fights oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals. Thus, betel leaf helps in lowering high blood glucose levels and aids in the management of diabetes mellitus.

2. Lowers High Cholesterol Levels

High cholesterol level is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Studies have found that betel leaf helps in lowering high levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol. Furthermore, it also helps to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Such a lipid-lowering effect of betel leaf is attributed to the presence of eugenol, a natural antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals. Eugenol further inhibits the biosynthesis of cholesterol in the liver and reduces lipid absorption in the intestine. It further increases the catabolism of "bad" LDL cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides are mobilized from plasma to the liver and then they are eliminated in the form of bile acids. Thus, through various mechanisms betel leaves help in lowering high lipid levels.

3. Anti-cancer Agent

Betel levels when consumed with tobacco and betel nuts increase the risk of oral cancer. However, betel leaf alone is a reservoir of phenolic compounds that possess antioxidant, anti-mutagenic, anti-proliferative and anti-bacterial properties. Studies have revealed chemo-preventive potential of betel leaves against various types of cancer. Furthermore, betel leaves contain an array of phytochemicals (health promoting plant chemicals) that possess cancer-fighting benefits. Oxidative stress plays a huge role in the pathophysiology of cancer. Betel leaves are an excellent source of antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and fight oxidative stress. It further inhibits the growth of cancer cells and its spread to different organs of the body.

4. Anti-microbial Agent

Essential oil present in betel leaves possess anti-bacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria namely, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aures, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, the presence of phenolics and phytochemicals in betel leaves help to protect against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

5. Helps in Wound Healing

Studies have observed that betel leaves help in the process of wound healing. It was further found that betel leaf extract has a very strong effect on wound healing in case of burn wound. Increased levels of oxidative stress causes delay in wound healing. Betel leaf is a great source of antioxidants. These antioxidants reduce oxidative stress and further help in quick wound healing. Thus, betel leaf acts as a protective agent in wound healing by increasing the wound contraction rate and total protein content.

6. Anti-asthmatic Agent

Asthma is recognized as an inflammatory condition. Betel leaf possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and thus, it helps in the treatment and management of asthma. Histamine is an inflammatory mediator that plays a major role in causing asthma. Histamine causes bronchoconstriction, a sign of asthma in which airways in the lungs get constricted due to tightening of smooth muscles. Research has found that anti-histaminic activity of betel leaf may be a causative agent in lowering bronchial asthma cases. Furthermore, betel oil and polyphenols present in betel leaf possess anti-inflammatory properties that further helps in lowering asthma cases.

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7. Helps Overcome Depression

Depression is a psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 5% population of the world. Research has revealed that besides anti-depressant drugs, herbal remedy such as chewing betel leaves have been used since ancient times for its CNS (central nervous system) stimulant activity. It was further found that chewing betel leaves produces a sense of well-being, a feeling of happiness and heightened alertness. Furthermore, betel leaves contain aromatic phenolic compounds that stimulate the release of catecholamines. A strong link is present between low level of catecholamines in the body and increased risk of depression. Therefore, chewing betel leaves is an easy way to keep depression at bay.

8. Improves Oral Health

Pathogens present in the mouth are responsible for dental infections and dental caries. Studies have observed that chewing betel leaves can inhibit the growth and activity of bacteria. Betel leaf is very popular as a mouth freshener and it can be used as a substitute for drugs that are used to treat oral or dental infections. When foods and drinks high in sugar are consumed, acid reacts with bacteria present in dental biofilm. Betel leaf protects against dental caries by inhibiting the acid produced by salivary bacteria.

9. Gastro Protective Activity

Studies have found that chewing betel leaf is an ancient traditional remedy used for treating gastric ulcers. Agents that cause ulcer damage the inner lining of the gut, reduce the production of gastric mucus and increase the level of oxidative stress. Betel leaves inhibit the formation of gastric lesions, increase the production of gastric mucus (important factor that protects against ulcer causing agents) and reduce the volume of gastric acid secretion. Phytochemicals and polyphenols present in betel leaf possess antioxidant and anti-ulcerogenic properties. They protect the inner layer of the gut against toxins and other irritants and thus reduce the overall damage.

10. Anti-malarial Agent

Studies have found that during ancient times in rural regions of Malaysia betel leaves were used as an anti-malarial remedy. Terpenes, a health promoting compound present in betel leaf possesses anti-malarial properties. Flavonoids present in betel leaf possess significant anti-parasitic activity against different parasite strains of malaria. Thus, betel leaves contain novel anti-malarial compounds that can be used in the fight against malaria.


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And finally in Francis Libiran blue ? Tickets to the 65th Miss Universe competition are on sale now! ? Photographed by @filbertdkung

A photo posted by Pia Wurtzbach | Miss Universe (@piawurtzbach) on Dec 22, 2016 at 5:34am PST
Armenia President: I will keep Iranian investments under my personal control

I will keep large investments from Iran under my personal control.President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who attended the Armenian-Iranian forum along with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, stated the aforementioned on Wednesday.In his words, at the meeting he asked his Iranian counterpart to invigorate the interest of Iranian entrepreneurs towards Armenia.For my part, I promised to present Iran to Armenian businessmen in the same light, Sargsyan said.Referring to investments from Iran, the Armenian President said that the country expects them and he will keep each large project under his personal control. The objective is clear - to bring the economic potential to the level of very developed political relations. We use only a little part of our potential in the trade and economic sphere. There is good experience of cooperation in the sphere of energy, but it should be expanded to other spheres as well, Sargsyan said.Armenia is a beneficial direction for investments, since despite external shocks, it was able to maintain its macroeconomic stability thanks to capable monetary and loan, as well as tax and budgetary policy, Sargsyan added.In the Presidents words, new investment legislation will be drawn out which will help solve possible legal disputes.Armenia also offers good conditions for entrance to large foreign markets. The country is a member of the Eurasian Union, which means that goods produced here can freely circulate in the 180-million market of the EAEU.Together with this, Armenia makes use of the GSP+ preferential regime for the export of 6400 items of goods. GSP is also used for export to U.S., Canada, Norway, Switzerland and Japan.Armenia also offers good opportunities for the transit of cargo from Iran to the Black Sea and all along to Europe. The North-South route along which concrete highway is constructed is the shortest way for this. The trade and investments will become more effective if obstacles in moving goods between the two countries are removed and cooperation is established between the free trade zonesIranian Araz (operating) and Armenian Meghri (planned)on the bank of the Araksriver.Finally, the cooperation in the innovation sphere is also very promising. Despite the limited ties with the external world, Iran has achieved great success in nanotechnologies and other spheres of innovation. Here we can join our efforts and intellectual potential to achieve wonderful results, the Armenian President concluded.
The following companies are subsidiares of Becton, Dickinson and: Accuri Cytometers, Accuri Cytometers Inc., Alverix Inc, Alverix Inc., Atto Bioscience Inc, BD Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., BD Infection Prevention BV, BD Kiestra BV, BD Kiestra Total Lab Automation, BD Rapid Diagnostic (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., BD San Luis Potosi S.A. de C.V., BD Switzerland Sarl, BD Ventures LLC, BD West Africa Limited, BDX INO LLC, Bard (Thailand) Limited, Bard ASDI Inc., Bard Access Systems Inc., Bard Acquisition Sub Inc., Bard Australia Pty. Limited, Bard Benelux N.V., Bard Brachytherapy Inc., Bard Brasil Industria e Comercio de Produtos Para a Saude Ltda., Bard Canada Inc., Bard Chile S.p.A., Bard Czech Republic s.r.o., Bard Devices Inc., Bard Dublin ITC Limited, Bard EMEA Finance Center Sp.z o.o., Bard European Distribution Center N.V., Bard Finance B.V. & Co. 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ONEOK, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in gathering, processing, storage, and transportation of natural gas in the United States. It operates through Natural Gas Gathering and Processing, Natural Gas Liquids, and Natural Gas Pipelines segments. The company owns natural gas gathering pipelines and processing plants in the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions. It also gathers, treats, fractionates, and transports natural gas liquids (NGL), as well as stores, markets, and distributes NGL products. The company owns NGL gathering and distribution pipelines in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado; terminal and storage facilities in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois; and NGL distribution and refined petroleum products pipelines in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, as well as owns and operates truck- and rail-loading, and -unloading facilities connected to NGL fractionation, storage, and pipeline assets. In addition, it operates regulated interstate and intrastate natural gas transmission pipelines and natural gas storage facilities. Further, the company owns and operates a parking garage in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma; and leases excess office space. It operates 17,500 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines; 1,500 miles of FERC-regulated interstate natural gas pipelines; 5,100 miles of state-regulated intrastate transmission pipeline; six NGL storage facilities; and eight NGL product terminals. It serves integrated and independent exploration and production companies; NGL and natural gas gathering and processing companies; crude oil and natural gas production companies; propane distributors; municipalities; ethanol producers; and petrochemical, refining, and NGL marketing companies, as well as natural gas distribution and electric generation companies, producers, processors, and marketing companies. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Smart & Final Stores, Inc. operates as a food retailer in the United States. It operates in two segments, Smart & Final and Smart Foodservice. The company's stores offer fresh perishables and everyday grocery items, such as produce, meat and deli, dairy and cheese, grocery, and beverage products, as well as paper and packaging, and restaurant equipment and janitorial supplies. It also provides various private label products under the First Street, Sun Harvest, Simply Value, La Romanella, Montecito, Iris, and Ambiance brands. The company sells its products to household and business customers; restaurants; caterers; and various other foodservice businesses, such as food trucks and coffee houses through vendors and suppliers. As of December 30, 2018, it operated 326 grocery and foodservice stores, including 59 Smart & Final stores, 201 Smart & Final Extra! stores, and 66 Smart Foodservice Warehouse stores located in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Utah, as well as 15 stores in Northwestern Mexico operated through a joint venture. Smart & Final Stores, Inc. was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Commerce, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: 17111 Waterview Pkwy LLC, ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Acme Aerospace, Acme Aerospace Inc., Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Angus Electronics Co., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Armtec Countermeasures Co., Armtec Countermeasures TNO Co., Armtec Defense Products Co., Auxitrol SAS, Auxitrol Weston Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Auxitrol Weston Services China Ltd., Auxitrol Weston Singapore Pte. Ltd., Auxitrol Weston USA Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments LLC, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp LLC, CEF Industries LLC, CMC Electronics Aurora LLC, CMC Electronics Inc., CMC Electronics ME Inc., Champion Aerospace LLC, Chelton Avionics Holdings Inc., Chelton Avionics Inc., Chelton Limited, Cobham Aero Connectivity, Cobham CTS Limited, Cobham Defence Communications Limited, Cobham Defense Products Inc., DART Aerospace, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, Darchem Engineering Limited, Darchem Holdings Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., EST Defence Company UK Limited, Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Esterline Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Europe Company LLC, Esterline Foreign Sales Corporation, Esterline International Company, Esterline Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Europe Limited, Esterline Technologies France Holding SAS, Esterline Technologies French Acquisition Limited, Esterline Technologies Global Limited, Esterline Technologies Holdings Limited, Esterline Technologies SGIP LLC, Esterline Technologies Unlimited, Esterline do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao Ltda, European Antennas Limited, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, Guizhou Leach-Tianyi Aviation Electrical Company Ltd, Harco, HarcoSemco LLC, Hartwell Corporation, Hytek Finishes Co., ILC Holdings Inc., IRVIN AEROSPACE LIMITED, IrvinGQ France SAS, IrvinGQ Limited, Janco Corporation, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Korry Electronics Co., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Leach Holding Corporation, Leach International Asia-Pacific Ltd, Leach International Corporation, Leach International Europe S.A.S., Leach International Germany GmbH, Leach International Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Leach International UK Ltd, Leach Mexico Holding LLC, Leach Technology Group Inc., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., Mason Electric Co., Mastsystem Int'l Oy, McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., NAT Seattle Inc., NMC Group Inc., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, Nordisk Aviation Products LLC, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas LLC, Norwich Aero Products Inc., Palomar Products Inc., Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Pressure Systems International Ltd, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller LLC, Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics Industries, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TA Aerospace Co., TA Mfg Limited, TDG Bavaria GmbH, TDG ESL Holdings Inc., TDG France Ultimate Parent SAS, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Telair International, Telair International GmbH, Telair International Services PTE Ltd, Telair US LLC, TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm Canada ULC, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm Technologies India Private Limited, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Wallop Defence UK Limited, Weston Aerospace Ltd, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, Young & Franklin Inc., and exas Rotronics Inc..

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The following companies are subsidiares of Johnson & Johnson: 3Dintegrated ApS, ALZA Corporation, AMO (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Beijing Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Guangzhou Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., AMO ASIA LIMITED, AMO Asia Limited (Korea Branch), AMO Asia Limited Taiwan Branch (Hong Kong), AMO Australia Pty Limited, AMO Australia Pty Limited (New Zealand Branch), AMO Canada Company, AMO Denmark ApS, AMO Development LLC, AMO France, AMO Germany GmbH, AMO Groningen B.V., AMO International Holdings Unlimited Company, AMO Ireland, AMO Ireland Ireland Branch, AMO Italy SRL, AMO Japan K.K., AMO Manufacturing USA LLC, AMO Netherlands BV, AMO Nominee Holdings LLC, AMO Norway AS, AMO Puerto Rico Manufacturing Inc., AMO Sales and Service Inc., AMO Singapore Pte. Ltd., AMO Spain Holdings LLC, AMO Switzerland GmbH, AMO U.K. Holdings LLC, AMO United Kingdom Ltd., AMO Uppsala AB, AUB Holdings LLC, Abott Medical Optics, Acclarent Inc., Actelion Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc., Actelion Treasury Unlimited Company, Akros Medical Inc., Albany Street LLC, Alios BioPharma, Alza Land Management Inc., Anakuria Therapeutics Inc., Animas Diabetes Care LLC, Animas LLC, Animas Technologies LLC, AorTx Inc., Apsis, Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, Atrionix Inc., Auris Health, Auris Health Inc., Backsvalan 2 Aktiebolag, Backsvalan 6 Handelsbolag, Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co. Ltd., BeneVir BioPharm Inc., Berna Rhein B.V., BioMedical Enterprises Inc., Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd., Biosense Webster Inc., Branch of Johnson & Johnson LLC (RU) in Kazakhstan, C Consumer Products Denmark ApS, CSATS Inc., Calibra Medical LLC, Campus-Foyer Apotheke GmbH, Carlo Erba OTC S.r.l., Centocor Biologics LLC, Centocor Research & Development Inc., Cerenovus Inc., ChromaGenics B.V., Ci:Labo Customer Marketing Co. Ltd., Ci:Labo USA Inc., Ci:z Holdings, Ci:z. Labo Co. Ltd., Cilag AG, Cilag GmbH International, Cilag Holding AG, Cilag Holding Treasury Unlimited Company, Cilag-Biotech S.L., CoTherix Inc., Coherex Medical Inc., ColBar LifeScience Ltd., Company Store.com Inc., Conor MedSystems, Cordis International Corporation, Cordis de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Corimmun GmbH, DePuy Hellas SA, DePuy International Limited, DePuy Ireland Unlimited Company, DePuy Mexico S.A. de C.V., DePuy Mitek LLC, DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., DePuy Products Inc., DePuy Spine LLC, DePuy Synthes Gorgan Limited, DePuy Synthes Inc., DePuy Synthes Institute LLC, DePuy Synthes Leto SARL, DePuy Synthes Products Inc., DePuy Synthes Sales Inc., Debs-Vogue Corporation (Proprietary) Limited, Dutch Holding LLC, ECL7 LLC, EES Holdings de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EES S.A. de C.V., EIT Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery (Europe) GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC, Ethicon Inc., Ethicon LLC, Ethicon PR Holdings Unlimited Company, Ethicon Sarl, Ethicon US LLC, Ethicon Women's Health & Urology Sarl, Ethnor (Proprietary) Limited, Ethnor Farmaceutica S.A., Ethnor del Istmo S.A., FMS Future Medical System SA, Finsbury (Development) Limited, Finsbury (Instruments) Limited, Finsbury Medical Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics International Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics Limited, GH Biotech Holdings Limited, GMED Healthcare BV, GMED Healthcare BV (Branch), Global Investment Participation B.V., Guangzhou Bioseal Biotech Co. Ltd., Hansen Medical Deutschland GmbH, Hansen Medical Inc., Hansen Medical International Inc., Hansen Medical UK Limited, Healthcare Services (Shanghai) Ltd., Hickory Merger Sub Inc., I.D. Acquisition Corp., Innomedic Gesellschaft fur innovative Medizintechnik und Informatik mbH, Innovative Surgical Solutions LLC, J & J Company West Africa Limited, J&J Pension Trustees Limited, J-C Health Care Ltd., J.C. General Services BV, JJ Surgical Vision Spain S.L., JJC Acquisition Company B.V., JJHC LLC, JJSV Belgium BV, JJSV Manufacturing Malaysia SDN. BHD., JJSV Norden AB, JJSV Produtos Oticos Ltda., JNJ Global Business Services s.r.o., JNJ Holding EMEA B.V., JNJ International Investment LLC, JOM Pharmaceutical Services Inc., Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy (Holding) Limited, Janssen BioPharma LLC, Janssen Biologics (Ireland) Limited, Janssen Biologics B.V., Janssen Biotech Inc., Janssen Cilag C.A., Janssen Cilag Farmaceutica S.A., Janssen Cilag S.p.A., Janssen Cilag SPA, Janssen Development Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Diagnostics LLC, Janssen Egypt LLC, Janssen Farmaceutica Portugal Lda, Janssen Global Services LLC, Janssen Holding GmbH, Janssen Inc., Janssen Irish Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Korea Ltd., Janssen Oncology Inc., Janssen Ortho LLC, Janssen Pharmaceutica (Proprietary) Limited, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Janssen Pharmaceutica S.A., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceutical Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. Japan Branch, Janssen Products LP, Janssen R&D Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Research & Development LLC, Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC, Janssen Supply Group LLC, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Janssen Vaccines Branch of Cilag GmbH International, Janssen Vaccines Corp., Janssen-Cilag, Janssen-Cilag (New Zealand) Limited, Janssen-Cilag A/S, Janssen-Cilag AG, Janssen-Cilag AS, Janssen-Cilag Aktiebolag, Janssen-Cilag B.V., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Lda., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Ltda., Janssen-Cilag GmbH, Janssen-Cilag International NV, Janssen-Cilag Kft., Janssen-Cilag Kft. Branch Office, Janssen-Cilag Limited, Janssen-Cilag Manufacturing LLC, Janssen-Cilag NV, Janssen-Cilag OY, Janssen-Cilag Pharma GmbH, Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceutical S.A.C.I., Janssen-Cilag Polska Sp. z o.o., Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd, Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd (Branch), Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag s.r.o., Janssen-Pharma S.L., Jevco Holding Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Johnson & Johnson (Angola) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd. Beijing Branch, Johnson & Johnson (Egypt) S.A.E., Johnson & Johnson (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Ireland) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Jamaica) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Kenya) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. (DHCC Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. (JAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. Service Center (DAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Mozambique) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (New Zealand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Thailand) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Trinidad) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Vietnam) Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson - Societa' Per Azioni, Johnson & Johnson AB, Johnson & Johnson AB Eesti filiaal (Branch), Johnson & Johnson AG, Johnson & Johnson AG (Zuchwil Branch), Johnson & Johnson Belgium Finance Company BV, Johnson & Johnson Bulgaria EOOD, Johnson & Johnson China Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Thailand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer B.V., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health Care Switzerland Branch of Janssen-Cilag AG, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Holdings France, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (Dominican Republic Branch), Johnson & Johnson Consumer NV, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Services EAME Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Del Paraguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson Dominicana S.A.S., Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc., Johnson & Johnson European Treasury Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson Finance Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Finance Limited, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH (Branch Office), Johnson & Johnson Gateway LLC, Johnson & Johnson Gesellschaft m.b.H., Johnson & Johnson GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Guatemala S.A., Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc., Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions Inc., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Commercial and Industrial S.A., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Consumer Products Commercial Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson Hemisferica S.A., Johnson & Johnson Holding GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Inc., Johnson & Johnson Industrial Ltda., Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC Inc., Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Limited, Johnson & Johnson International, Johnson & Johnson International (Belgian Branch) (European Logistics Center), Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (Branch), Johnson & Johnson International Financial Services Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson K.K., Johnson & Johnson Kft., Johnson & Johnson Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Korea Selling & Distribution LLC, Johnson & Johnson LLC, Johnson & Johnson Lda, Johnson & Johnson Limited, Johnson & Johnson Limited (Sri Lanka Branch), Johnson & Johnson Luxembourg Finance Company Sarl, Johnson & Johnson Management Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical (China) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Proprietary) Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd. Beijing Branch, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Suzhou) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical B.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group - Latin America L.L.C., Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical NV, Johnson & Johnson Medical Products GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Pty Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical S.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.C.S., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.p.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical SAS, Johnson & Johnson Medical Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Ankara Branch), Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Izmir Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East - Scientific Office, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ - LLC (Lebanese Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC (Ghana Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC (Kenya Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC Branch (TSO) (Saudi Arabia Branch), Johnson & Johnson Morocco Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson NCB (Belgian Branch), Johnson & Johnson Nordic AB, Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pakistan (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Panama S.A., Johnson & Johnson Personal Care (Chile) S.A., Johnson & Johnson Poland Sp. z o.o., Johnson & Johnson Poland sp. z o.o. oddzial w Warszawie "Consumer", Johnson & Johnson Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd. Korea Branch, Johnson & Johnson Pty. Limited, Johnson & Johnson Romania S.R.L., Johnson & Johnson S.A., Johnson & Johnson S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson S.E. Inc., Johnson & Johnson S.E. d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson SDN. BHD., Johnson & Johnson Sante Beaute France, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision India Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson UK Treasury Company Limited, Johnson & Johnson Ukraine LLC, Johnson & Johnson Urban Renewal Associates, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson de Argentina S.A.C. e. I., Johnson & Johnson de Chile Limitada, Johnson & Johnson de Chile S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Colombia S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson de Uruguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Venezuela S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Ecuador S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Peru S.A., Johnson & Johnson do Brasil Industria E Comercio de Produtos Para Saude Ltda., Johnson & Johnson for Export and Import LLC, Johnson & Johnson s.r.o., Johnson Y Johnson de Costa Rica S.A., Johnson and Johnson (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson and Johnson Sihhi Malzeme Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, LTL Management LLC, La Concha Land Investment Corporation, Latam International Investment Company Unlimited Company, Legal Entity Name, MDS Co. Ltd., McNEIL MMP LLC, McNeil AB, McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co., McNeil Denmark ApS, McNeil Healthcare (Ireland) Limited, McNeil Healthcare (UK) Limited, McNeil Healthcare LLC, McNeil Iberica S.L.U., McNeil LA LLC, McNeil Nutritionals LLC, McNeil Panama LLC, McNeil Products Limited, McNeil Sweden AB, Medical Device Business Services Inc., Medical Devices & Diagnostics Global Services LLC, Medical Devices International LLC, Medos International Sarl, Medos International Sarl succursale de Neuchatel (Branch), Medos Sarl, MegaDyne Medical Products Inc., Menlo Care De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Mentor B.V., Mentor Deutschland GmbH, Mentor Medical Systems B.V., Mentor Partnership Holding Company I LLC, Mentor Texas GP LLC, Mentor Texas L.P., Mentor Worldwide LLC, Micrus Endovascular LLC, Middlesex Assurance Company Limited, Momenta Ireland Limited, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc., NeoStrata Company Inc., NeoStrata UG (haftungsbeschrankt), Netherlands Holding Company, NeuWave Medical Inc., Neuravi Limited, Novira Therapeutics, Novira Therapeutics LLC, NuVera Medical Inc., OBTECH Medical Sarl, OGX Beauty Limited, OMJ Holding GmbH, OMJ Ireland Unlimited Company, OMJ Pharmaceuticals Inc., Obtech Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals NV, Ortho Biologics LLC, Ortho Biotech Holding LLC, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC, Orthospin Ltd., Orthotaxy, PT Integrated Healthcare Indonesia, PT. Johnson & Johnson Indonesia, Patriot Pharmaceuticals LLC, Peninsula Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pharmadirect Ltd., Pharmedica Laboratories (Proprietary) Limited, Princeton Laboratories Inc., Productos de Cuidado Personal y de La Salud de Bolivia S.R.L., Proleader S.A., Pulsar Vascular Inc., Regency Urban Renewal Associates, RespiVert Ltd., RoC International, Royalty A&M LLC, Rutan Realty LLC, SYNTHES Medical Immobilien GmbH, Scios LLC, Sedona Singapore International Pte. Ltd., Sedona Thai International Co. Ltd., Serhum S.A. de C.V., Shanghai Elsker For Mother & Baby Co. Ltd, Shanghai Elsker Mother & Baby Co. Ltd Minghang Branch, Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Ltd., Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Sightbox LLC, Sodiac ESV, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Company, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Partnership, SterilMed, SterilMed Inc., Surgical Process Institute Deutschland GmbH, Synthes Costa Rica S.C.R. Limitada, Synthes GmbH, Synthes Holding AG, Synthes Holding Limited, Synthes Inc., Synthes Medical Surgical Equipment & Instruments Trading LLC, Synthes Produktions GmbH, Synthes Proprietary Limited, Synthes S.M.P. S. de R.L. de C.V., Synthes Tuttlingen GmbH, Synthes USA LLC, Synthes USA Products LLC, TARIS Biomedical, TARIS Biomedical LLC, TearScience Inc., The Anspach Effort LLC, The Vision Care Institute LLC, Tibotec LLC, Torax Medical Inc., UAB "Johnson & Johnson", UAB Johnson & Johnson Eesti Filiaal (Estonian Branch), Vania Expansion, Verb Surgical, Verb Surgical Inc., Vision Care Finance Unlimited Company, Vogue International, Vogue International LLC, Vogue International Trading Inc., WH4110 Development Company L.L.C., XO1, XO1 Limited, Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd., Xian-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. Beijing Branch Office, Xian-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. Shanghai Branch Office, Zarbee's Inc., and Zarbee's Naturals.

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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...
President-elect Donald Trump met earlier this week with top health care executives on cutting wait times at Veterans Affairs hospitals and allowing vets more choice on private care as he edged closer to choosing a new VA secretary.

There was speculation that Trump could announce his pick Friday from a wide range of names that have been floated, but Trump aides hinted at the same possibility last week. Several people believed to be under consideration are not veterans themselves, which would be a break with tradition at the VA.

Trump met at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Wednesday with John Noseworthy, chief executive officer of the Mayo Clinic; Paul Rothman, CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine; David Torchiana, CEO of Partners HealthCare; and Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic.

For Cosgrove, who served as an Air Force medical officer in Vietnam and earned a Bronze Star, it was the second time in two weeks that he had been summoned to meet with Trump. Several news outlets have named Cosgrove as the frontrunner to replace VA Secretary Robert McDonald, although Cosgrove in the past has voiced support for the Affordable Care Act, which Trump has pledged to scrap.

A Trump transition official told Bloomberg News that the meeting Wednesday focused on "how would you implement a program that could get vets the ability to go to any hospital that they wanted to go to." The VA currently allows private treatment in some cases for veterans who have to wait for appointments in the government-run system, or who have to travel long distances to VA hospitals.

However, major veterans service organizations and advocacy groups have expressed concerns that too much choice could devastate a VA health care system focused solely on vets. More than 20 veterans organizations and advocacy groups have recommended that Trump consider retaining McDonald to continue VA reforms already underway.

During the campaign, Trump pledged that his VA choice would be a "person of great competence" and "not a political hack." He also said that he would set up a hotline at the White House that vets could call with complaints about treatment.

Trump also met last week with Luis Quinonez, founder of a health care company serving the government and the private sector. Quinonez later told Univision he was under consideration for the VA post.

Others reportedly under consideration are: Sarah Palin, the former Republican governor of Alaska and candidate for vice president; Jeff Miller, the retiring Republican chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs; Scott Brown, a former Republican senator from Massachusetts; and Pete Hegseth, a Fox News contributor and former chief executive of Concerned Veterans for America.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Thomas Hickner.jpg

Thomas Hickner stands outside his office on one of his last day's as Bay County executive, Thursday, Dec. 29. Hickner served the county's top position for the past 24 years.

(Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Tim)

BAY CITY, MI -- When Thomas Hickner left Lansing in 1992 as a state representative transitioning to Bay County's executive, he went from the top floor of the state House building overlooking the Capitol Building to the basement of the county building in Bay City across from the boiler room.

"The view wasn't as nice," Hickner said in an interview this week. "But I made it work."

Since 1993, Hickner, a Democrat, has served as Bay County's elected executive, overseeing 24 balanced budgets, managing hundreds of employees and preserving a healthy rainy day and pension fund, which is currently funded at 35 percent and 112 percent, respectively.

Hickner lost his bid for a seventh term as the county's executive following a heated primary race in August. Former state Senator and U.S. Congressman Jim Barcia won the Democratic nominee 9,110 to Hickner's 6,178 (Mark McFarlin garnered 909 votes) and went on to win the general election unopposed. Barcia starts his new job after the new year.

Hickner's last day in his office -- which is now on the fourth floor -- was Thursday, Dec. 29. The Bay City Times/MLive caught up with him to talk about the past 24 years.

After 24 years, this is your last week in the Bay County Building. What has been going through your mind?

Honestly, it's been pretty routine business. We had a budget adopted before Christmas and I've just been talking with staff. There was no need to open up any new projects. I've been cleaning out my office and getting ready to start the new year.

After more than three decades of public service, what's next for you?

I actually had a head hunter contact me about a manager's job in Racine, Wisconsin, but that's something where the learning curve to really know the organization and the people takes at least four years. I have other things I would rather do.

Like what? Another elected office?

No, I'm done with elected offices. Thirty-four years is long enough.

Are you looking at any job opportunities?

I'm going to take a consulting opportunity with Public Sector Consultants out of Lansing. And them I'm hoping to do some development and real estate work, but just need to line up financing. I have a lot of ideas, though.

So, is the story that our former county executive hopes to be the next big developer?

Well, no, probably not. We'll wait and see on that. There's just so much opportunity right now, especially in downtown Bay City, for more development.

Tell me about the consulting job.

They have a variety of different clients, and I have a working knowledge on a lot of different issues, like natural resources, health issues... There's a proposal for a project in St. Clair which is something I would start on right away.

What are you most proud of in your past 24 years as our executive?

The biggest thing is the financial management of the county. To have a more than fully funded pension fund and a rainy day fund is a big accomplishment. I always make it a point, too, to point out that we've had great personnel policies created here that has allowed us to hire the most qualified, experienced people, which makes a big difference in terms of how the county operates.

Did you have a good relationship with the Bay County Board of Commissioners?

We didn't always agree, but by and large, I feel we did have a good working relationship.

Was there anything you weren't able to accomplish that you had hoped to?

No, not that I can really think of. We always had our goals and objectives for the year and I tried to delegate as much as I could to our department and division folks and then work with them on accomplishing those goals.

Jim Barcia will be our county executive after the new year. You two had a contentious election in August. Do you have confidence in Barcia's ability to run the county?

Only time will tell.

What's Bay County's biggest opportunity right now?

Economic development has to continue to be the top priority. The best thing we can do is support Bay Future and the implementation of the Bay County Roadmap to the Future.

What are you going to miss most about your job at the county?

The biggest change will be not working with so many great people. I've worked with a lot of staff here for 24 years and have made a lot of friendships.

Any humorous stories you care to share from your time in office?

Hmmm. Well, one time I had my suit coat on the back of the chair and was leaning back talking to someone and I heard this grinding. I couldn't figure it out. Then I saw what had happened: My suit got caught in the paper shredder. Fortunately, I was able to salvage it and have it repaired.

Best of luck after the new year.

Thank you.
Because of an issue with second-row outboard seating, Honda Motor Co. is recalling more than 630,000 of its Odyssey minivans in the U.S., according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The vehicle manufacturer says affected model years include 2011 through 2016, including up to 633,753 minivans produced between Aug. 1, 2010, and Oct. 1, 2015.

Honda says the issue has to do with a release lever that allows the second-row outboard seats to move for easier access to the third row of seats.

The company says this lever may remain in an unlocked position, causing the seats to move unexpectedly, which increases the risk of injury to occupants in the event of a crash.

Honda will notify Odyssey owners come January, and dealers will install an additional bracket and spring to both second row outboard seats for free.

NHTSA reported the recall is expected to begin Jan. 23.
The pilot of the missing plane has reportedly been identified by his parents as John T. Fleming.

The Associated Press, via the Toledo Blade, reports that Fleming, "an experienced pilot," was flying a small plane containing his wife, two teenage sons, and two of his neighbors. Fleming is reportedly the CEO of Superior Beverage Company.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports in a news release that crews are searching Lake Erie Friday, Dec. 30 with the help of the Canadian Coast Guard. The plane reportedly disappeared after taking off from Burke Lakefront Airport near Cleveland.

Air traffic control notified the Coast Guard of the plane on the way for the Ohio State University Airport at 11:30 p.m. Thursday night. The FAA reports that the plane departed the Cleveland-area airport at 10:50 p.m. Thursday.

" ... a Cessna Citation 525 with six people aboard headed to Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio, had disappeared shortly after takeoff from Burke Lakefront Airport approximately 2 miles into Lake Erie," the Coast Guard reports in a news release.

Coast Guard Capt. Michael Mullen reports that crews have detected "faint hints" from an emergency locating transmitter. The coast guard reports it is in search-and-rescue mode, and not recovery.

"We're very hopeful," Mullen said at a Friday press conference, via A.P. "We will be very hopeful up until the point that we have to turn the search off and we switch over to assisting with recovery."

Search parties have not located any debris as of this Friday afternoon writing.

The Cutter Bristol Bay, of Detroit, is currently on the way to assist in the search. Already searching for the plane and its six occupants is an aircrew from the Detroit base aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and a Canadian aircrew aboard a C-130 airplane, according to the release.

The search area is said to be 50-feet deep, with current winds at about 30 knots (34.5 mph). Weather prevented a boat from searching overnight.
UPDATE:

A Columbus-bound plane with six on-board went missing overnight after taking off from a small Cleveland airport.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports in a news release that crews are searching Lake Erie Friday, Dec. 30 with the help of the Canadian Coast Guard. The plane reportedly disappeared after taking off from Burke Lakefront Airport near Cleveland.

Air traffic control notified the Coast Guard of the plane on the way for the Ohio State University Airport at 11:30 p.m. Thursday night.

The Associated Press reports there are three children and three adults aboard the small plane. It is not known if the passengers were related or not.

" ... a Cessna Citation 525 with six people aboard headed to Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio, had disappeared shortly after takeoff from Burke Lakefront Airport approximately 2 miles into Lake Erie," the Coast Guard reports in a news release.

The Cutter Bristol Bay, of Detroit, is currently on the way to assist in the search. Already searching for the plane and its six occupants is an aircrew from the Detroit base aboard a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and a Canadian aircrew aboard a C-130 airplane, according to the release.

The search area is said to be 50-feet deep, with current winds at about 30 knots (34.5 mph). Weather prevented a boat from searching overnight, A.P. reports.

James Cox, a Coast Guard official, told AP. that the passengers are not affiliated with Ohio State University.
Detroit Police Car door.jpg

(Tanya Moutzalias | MLive file)

Detroit police report that a man interested in buying a home in the city discovered a mummified body inside a parked car in a garage.

The Associated Press, via the Detroit Free Press, reports the man went into the garage sometime Thursday and found the decomposed body inside the car. The Free Press reports the body was found in the 19900 block of Spencer inside either a 1990 or 1991 Plymouth Acclaim.

The Detroit Police Department has not returned any messages seeking comment or additional detail in the incident.

Police spokesman Dan Donakowski said, via A.P., that the previous tenants of the home never entered the garage because they were told they couldn't use it.

The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office reports that it is unclear whether the body belonged to a man or woman, but an autopsy is scheduled for next week.
Steven Rhodes, a retired judge who presided over the city's bankruptcy trial, issued his farewell message as transition manager from Detroit public schools.

He took over the position in February, and was tasked with guiding the school district as legislation to reform Detroit Public Schools Community District and eliminate its massive debt makes its way through the legislature.

"After four state appointed emergency managers and me as transition manager, DPSCD is finally under local control and is virtually debt free," Rhodes wrote in a final statement. "The coming year will be another monumental year for DPSCD. It has an opportunity to start fresh and write a new story for education in Detroit.

"I sign off with a great sense of gratitude for the staff of DPSCD and for the Detroit community that supports DPSCD. I am also grateful for the courage and wisdom of the Michigan legislature and Governor Snyder in creating this fresh start for public education in Detroit."

In 2016, State legislators voted to dissolve the former Detroit Public Schools district and replace it with the debt-free Detroit Public Schools Community District. Sixty-three candidates ran for seven seats on the newly formed school board.

The board is now made up of Angelique Peterson-Mayberry, Georgia Lemmons, Iris A. Taylor, Misha Stallworth, Sonya Mays, Deborah Hunter-Harvill and LaMar Lemmons after the November Election.

Rhodes replaced Darnell Earley, the former emergency manager of Detroit schools who resigned in early 2016. Soon after accepting the position, a group of 20 protesters gathered outside the judge's Ann Arbor home.

Detroit school first came under state-run emergency management in 2009, with around $350 million in debt. Through state intervention, debt continued to pile up as it hit $467 million.

In June, lawmakers signed a package to split the former Detroit Public Schools into two. The DPSCD aims to focus on educating children, leaving the old district to collecting millages and pay off existing debt. Included in the package is $467 million to pay off longstanding debt and another $150 million to invest in the children.

The new board assumes responsibility in January, with the emergency manager position currently running the district will be eliminated.

To read the full statement from Rhodes circulated by DPSCD, see below:

"Today marks a significant moment for the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD). After four state appointed emergency managers and me as transition manager, DPSCD is finally under local control and is virtually debt free. DPSCD also has a staff of educators and administrators that have demonstrated their commitment to the children of Detroit.

The coming year will be another monumental year for DPSCD. It has an opportunity to start fresh and write a new story for education in Detroit. Our transition work has enabled this new beginning and with the leadership that DPSCD has in place, it is on a path to success.

I am hopeful that under the leadership of the new board, all stakeholders will collaborate for the good of our children. They deserve the very best.

I urge the citizens of Detroit to celebrate this fresh start with genuine support, with 100 percent focus on the children, and with integrity in all actions.

The goal is excellence in education. All students must succeed.

I sign off with a great sense of gratitude for the staff of DPSCD and for the Detroit community that supports DPSCD. I am also grateful for the courage and wisdom of the Michigan legislature and Governor Snyder in creating this fresh start for public education in Detroit.

It has been my honor to serve the children of Detroit."
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business India to sign DTAA amendment with Singapore today: Sources It would be interesting to see whether the DTAA's modification will have a provision on capital gains akin to the Mauritius Treaty, whereby any investment made by a foreign institutional investor before March 31 2017, will enjoy full capital gain exemptions, says Abhishek Goenka, Partner At PwC.
business India signs revised treaty with Singapore, focus on tax evaders Third bilateral treaty change in 2016 after similar changes in double tax avoidance agreements (DTAA) with Mauritius and Cyprus; Swiss govt to share real time data
business Note ban not right way to weed out black money: Natasha Sarin On the last day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 50-day grace period to set right the demonetisation woes, CNBC-TV18 takes opinion of foreign experts who have been following this issue closely.
Many Koreans like to make their New Year's resolutions in a beautiful setting as they watch the dawn break on the start of another year full of hope.

One of the most popular places to usher in 2014 is Ulsan's Ganjeolgot Cape, which boasts the earliest sunrise in the country. A lighthouse overlooking the sea and a forest of pine trees adds to the sweeping views so visitors can appreciate a spectacular sunrise over the sea.

Busan is another great option, particularly Haeundae and Songjeong beaches, as visitors can watch the sunrise and then go sightseeing in the southern port city. Songjeong beach, which is less crowded, offers 1.2 km of white sands, as well as a nearby lighthouse and park.

However, locals are more likely to head to Dalmaji Hill, which rises above and between the two beaches, as it also offers sweeping views of Haeundae, Dongbaek Island and Gwangan Bridge.

Meanwhile, Cheonwang Peak at the top of Mt. Jiri provides a spectacular view of the sunrise. The nation's largest national park, which is considered one of the steepest and most challenging mountains in Korea, spans three provinces and welcomes 3 million to 4 million visitors a year.

But catching sunrise here is a hit-or-miss affair as the peak is often shrouded in cloud. According to local folklore, visitors can only see the sun come out if their ancestors performed good deeds for three generations.

To avoid missing the sunrise, find more details on the website of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute at http://astro.kasi.re.kr.
Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity
Police in Rio de Janeiro say the Greek ambassador to Brazil has been missing since Monday.

Police said in a statement Thursday that Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was last seen Monday night in the city of Nova Iguacu, 40 km northwest of Rio de Janeiro.

Amiridis was vacationing in the area and was expected to return to work Jan. 9, according to embassy officials. The embassy did not confirm whether he is missing, only that diplomatic officials are "waiting for further information."
After almost two months of being closed due to the Chestnut Knob wildfire, South Mountains State Park will reopen parts of the park to the public on New Years Day.

Crews have been working since the containment of the wildfire on Dec. 5 to assess and clean up debris in the park and on the trails. The fire, which burned for 29 days, consumed more than 6,400 acres of the park.

There will be two foot trails including the Chestnut Knob trail and the Shinny trail that will still be closed off due to damage to trails and steps, hazardous trees, badly burned steps and exposed rebar, holes in the trail tread from burned root systems and other unknown hazards, according to the parks website www.ncparks.gov/south-mountains-state-park.

The Shinny Creek trail there was about a half mile section on the steepest portion of the trail that burned over to the point that the trail tread disappeared, said Jonathan Griffith, South Mountains State Park superintendent. We are probably going to have to completely reroute that half mile section of Shinny Creek.

The Chestnut Knob trail suffered greatly in that all the trail structure burned up, he said.

It (the Chestnut Knob trail) was not in a really good place anyways, so we are actually going to have to make some decisions about whether we are going to put it back in the same location the way it was or if we will reroute it slightly or if we will put it in a different location, Griffith said.

Fourteen trails, which total ed approximately 27.3 miles or nearly 60 percent of the parks trail system, were affected by the wildfire to varying degrees. Each mile has been carefully inspected for dangerous limbs, trees that might topple over, severe erosion and other hazards, as well as trail signs and gates that were damaged or destroyed, according to the website.

We have made every effort to get down all hazardous trees that we can see, but there are certainly other trees up there that we do not know about yet, he said.

Griffith cautions the public to be aware of tree root systems that may appear perfectly healthy, but have been compromised and are still dangerous. He asks that people report any downed trees or other damages to the park office or any staff member with the specific location.

They are asking the public to stay away from the closed off trails for safety reasons, he said.

Safety is paramount and you need to stay on the designated trails and watch carefully as you are hiking in the burned areas, Griffith said.

The park is planning on organizing trail clean up days were volunteers can help restore the trails.

We were waiting to get all the hazardous trees down to where it is safe to do the trail work, Griffith said. We will start scheduling some of those trail work days when we open up.

Once the days are scheduled, the park staff will post them on their website for the public to see.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the community for the outpouring of support that they gave by donating supplies, money, time and just their prayers and thoughts, he said. There were 300 firefighters on the ground here at one time  all of them said they had never seen that kind of support from the local community as they saw at this fire.

Park staff have planned a First Hike to the High Shoals waterfall on Sunday to start off the new year, said information from the park. The 2.75-mile hike will last approximately an hour and a half. Bring water, appropriate clothing and footwear. Space is limited, the information said.

Call the park office at 828-433-4772 for more information and to pre-register for this hike.

For more information about the state park, visit www.ncparks.gov/south-mountains-state-park.

Staff Writer Jonelle Bobak can be reached at jbobak@morganton.com or 828-432-8907.
Japan is being roundly criticized by neighboring countries after its top military official Thursday visited a controversial shrine that honors its war dead, including convicted war criminals.

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada's visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine drew sharp rebukes from China and South Korea, which consider the shrine a symbol of Japan's wartime atrocities before and after World War II, when it colonized or invaded much of the East Asia region.

"Regardless of differences in historical views, regardless of whether they fought as enemies or allies, I believe any country can understand that we wish to express gratitude, respect and gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives for their countries," Inada told reporters after the visit.


John McCain is fond of saying, "It's always darkest just before it goes totally black." According to a February report by Amnesty International, human rights "reached a nadir" in 2015. Not quite. The past 12 months prove that even when you hit bottom, there is always room to sink.

Few recent years have been so unrelievedly grim when it comes to freedom and democracy as 2016. Retreat from the values of human liberty and dignity was the norm. The bleak trend blanketed the globe like volcanic ash.

Rare was the country showing progress. Even the United States succumbed to illiberal impulses  electing a president who takes leadership lessons from Vladimir Putin and Saddam Hussein, praises torture, wants to curb press freedom, and endorses surveillance of "Muslim neighborhoods."

The government of China carried out a campaign against internal enemies, arresting hundreds of people to punish even the mildest dissent. "As an old-timer who's been studying China since the Mao era, I have to say it's the worst I've seen since then," University of California, San Diego scholar Susan Shirk told the Los Angeles Times.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin continued "a sweeping crackdown to silence critical voices that has included new legal restrictions on the internet, on freedom of expression, on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and on other fundamental freedoms," reported Human Rights Watch.

The CIA and FBI concluded that the Kremlin interfered in the American presidential election to help the Republican nominee. A Russian state TV news anchor exulted that "'democracy' and 'human rights' are absent from Donald Trump's lexicon."

Those terms are also not favorites of Putin's ally Bashar Assad. The Syrian despot invited prosecution for crimes against humanity in his waging of civil war, culminating in a murderous siege of the city of Aleppo. With hospitals inundated, a medical administrator told The Wall Street Journal, "death is a thousand times more merciful than being wounded."

After surviving an attempted coup, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government arrested dozens of Kurdish mayors and silenced every independent Kurdish news outlet  even though the people blamed for the plot are enemies of the Kurds. Turkey now has more journalists behind bars than any other country, double the number in runner-up China.

In Egypt, hundreds of suspected dissidents vanished through "enforced disappearance," which involves secret imprisonment without trial and sometimes torture. Saudi Arabia opened the new year by beheading 47 prisoners on terrorism charges, though a poet given the same sentence for apostasy had his punishment generously reduced to eight years in prison and 800 lashes. Tunisia retained its status as the sole democracy in the Arab world.

Elected president of the Philippines in June, Rodrigo Duterte mounted an anti-drug campaign in which more than 6,000 people have been killed by police and vigilantes  an average of 36 every day he's been in office. He bragged that as mayor of Davao City, he personally executed three criminal suspects on the street.

Poland's Supreme Court ruled that a new law to restrict public demonstrations was unconstitutional. Legendary Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, who helped liberate the country from communism, accused the right-wing government of destroying everything he fought for.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who has ruled for 22 years and once promised to rule for a billion, lost an election and agreed to step down, before changing his mind. Joseph Kabila, barred from running for a third term in the Democratic Republic of Congo, insisted on staying on after his term expired, finally agreeing to leave at the end of 2017.

Robert Mugabe, who has held power in Zimbabwe since 1980, announced he will run for re-election in 2018  for a term that would end after his 99th birthday. But Ghana, an exemplary African democracy, carried out its third peaceful transfer of power since 1992.

Cuba's Fidel Castro died at 90, but the persecution of dissent has continued under brother Raul. Venezuela's leftist regime, presiding over economic chaos, blocked a referendum that could have removed President Nicolas Maduro, who rules by decree. Said Venezuelan political scientist Maria Teresa Romero, a critic of Maduro's, "The golden age of socialism in the 21st century is over in South America."

The golden age of democracy, when dictators were falling and freedom was on the march, likewise appears to have ended. In 2016, the world marked another year in an age of lead.

Steve Chapman blogs at /www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman. Follow him on Twitter @SteveChapman13 or at www.facebook.com/stevechapman13. To find out more about Chapman, visit www.creators.com.
RALEIGH  One key consequence of the 2016 elections in North Carolina was that the states court system drew a great deal of attention. You can expect that attention to continue, and perhaps to lead to constructive change, during the coming year.

Four election stories had the effect of turning the political spotlight to the judicial branch. Democrat Mike Morgan outpolled Bob Edmunds, an incumbent Republican on the North Carolina Supreme Court, thus shifting the partisan balance on the states officially nonpartisan high court from a 4-3 Republican edge to a Democratic one. At the same time, Republican candidates won all of the elections for Court of Appeals, making that 15-member body strongly Republican.

With Democrat Roy Cooper narrowly defeating GOP Gov. Pat McCrory and Republicans retaining their supermajorities in the General Assembly, the partisan atmospherics grew stormy. Republican lawmakers concluded they had inadvertently produced Morgans victory by the following convoluted process: 1) establishing a retention election for the Edmunds seat in 2016, rather than a truly competitive one; 2) then losing the subsequent court case about it; 3) then watching the Supreme Court race revert to the previous nonpartisan system and not intervening to put party labels back on the ballot, as they had for the Court of Appeals races; and 4) then watching Morgans name get placed first on the ballot, the position GOP candidates held in other races, thus leading Republican voters to think they were choosing the GOP candidate when they voted for him.

If you look at vote totals across conservative-leaning counties, you can see why this explanation is the most plausible one. Edmunds got many fewer votes in those counties than did comparatively obscure Republican candidates for appeals court. It strains credulity to assert these voters made such careful distinctions among the Republican judges.

But what was the proper remedy? A few Republicans toyed with the notion of creating two more openings on the Supreme Court and allowing outgoing Gov. Pat McCrory to fill them, with subsequent partisan elections to be held in 2018. But McCrory himself and most other Republicans never thought this was a defensible remedy for the errors that led to Morgans win.

What happened instead was that lawmakers resurrected an old idea Roy Cooper himself had proposed while serving in the North Carolina Senate. Both the state and federal appeals courts handle most of their cases as three-judge panels. But the federal courts also occasionally hear cases en banc, meaning before all the judges of a circuit. During a post-election special session, the North Carolina legislature authorized a similar process for the state appeals court.

Why do this? Because Democrats are about to attempt to re-litigate every court challenge theyve made against Republican-enacted policies (the ones they didnt already win before a Republican-majority Supreme Court, I mean). An en banc hearing before the full Court of Appeals may add another step to the process.

Whatever you think of this change, it does signify that Republican lawmakers are willing to consider changes in the structure and operation of the state courts. Well, they are about to get many more proposals for change. The North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice, a panel created by Chief Justice Mark Martin in 2015, will publish its final report in 2017.

I serve on the commission. Our findings and recommendations address every aspect of the justice system in North Carolina, from civil litigation and criminal procedure to technology upgrades and judicial selection. During our work, we found that while most North Carolinians have confidence in our state courts and the judges who preside in them, they are also concerned about the time and money it takes to litigate cases, the independence of judges, and the treatment of juveniles, racial minorities, and low-income people, especially those who represent themselves in judicial proceedings.

The commissions report will offer legislative leaders and the new Cooper administration an opportunity to work together on important issues of mutual interest. Heres hoping they seize it.

John Hood is chairman of the John Locke Foundation and appears on the talk show NC SPIN. You can follow him @JohnHoodNC.
Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday defended suspended President Park Geun-hye's controversial deal with Japan over victims of wartime sex slavery.

"It was an agreement that was reached by the two governments and I believe the right thing to do is to have continuity and maintain it." Hwang told reporters in a lunch meeting.

Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the deal, which promised a fund worth 1 billion yen for the surviving victims of the World War II atrocity and represents compensation for the victims in all but name. But the victims said they were not consulted and there have been growing calls for it to be renegotiated or scrapped.

Hwang stressed that terms have already been met, and even if Korea wanted to renegotiate, Japan would be unlikely to accept.
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Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 76F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Political turmoil at the end of the year that is likely to result in the first ouster of a democratically elected president overshadowed most other news of the year. Images of downtown Seoul turning into a deceptively festive sea of lights were beamed around the world as over a million protesters took to the streets demand President Park Geun-hye's resignation over a scandal that keeps getting more bizarre with every fresh revelation. But it has been a turbulent year for Korea on all fronts, from earthquakes to economic woes, not forgetting a spiraling arms race in the region as North Korea accelerated nuclear and missile development and relations between the two Koreas hit an all-time low.



 Massive Corruption Scandal Brings Down President The National Assembly on Dec. 9 passed a bill impeaching President Park Geun-hye, only the second time in recent history that a democratically elected president faced a forcible ouster, though all have left in disgrace. Park stands accused of conniving with a longtime friend of no appreciable talent and without official position to squeeze billions from top conglomerates and turning Cheong Wa Dae into a vaudeville peopled by quack doctors, wannabe celebrities and bumbling fools. Park's authority and powers were suspended as the Constitutional Court reviews the impeachment bill. Every weekend until then had seen massive candlelight protests in downtown Seoul since the scandal broke in late October, calling on Park to step down, each passing off peacefully despite the record numbers and setting a new milestone in the Korean peoples political maturity. If the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment bill, Koreans must vote for a new president within 60 days of the ruling.

 N.Korean Belligerence Shuts Kaesong Industrial Complex North Korean leader Kim Jong-un went all out this year to accelerate the North's nuclear and missile programs. The North edged closer to deploying usable nuclear weapons after conducting two more nuclear tests on Jan. 6 and Sept. 9 and conducting no fewer than 24 test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. In early February, the government here announced it was shutting down the joint-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex, which had served as a source of valuable foreign currency for North Korea. The UN Security Council passed two separate sanctions against the North, but the nuclear standoff shows no signs of abating.

 Arms Race Hurts Ties with China Seoul and Washington agreed in July to deploy a U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery in South Korea to defend allied forces from the increasing North Korean nuclear and missile threat. Seongju in North Gyeongsang Province was chosen as the location of the THAAD battery, but fierce protests by locals prompted a relocation to the outskirts, but protests continue and have gained traction as a crony scandal engulfs President Park Geun-hye. The decision also angered China, which fears that the powerful radar of the THAAD battery will be used to spy on its military maneuvers. Beijing retaliated with economic shots before the bow, making it more difficult for some Korean companies and exporters to do business in China, while the number of Chinese visitors to South Korea declined. Seoul and Washington, however, intend to push ahead with the deployment of the THAAD battery.

 Strong Earthquakes Rattle Gyeongju Two earthquakes measuring 5.1 and 5.8 on the Richter scale rattled the historic city of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province on Sept. 12. It was the largest quake yet measured on the Korean Peninsula. The quakes injured 23 people and damaged thousands of properties. More than 540 aftershocks have been reported until December. The quakes spread fears that the country is no longer safe from tremors as tectonic fault lines shift, resulting in growing calls for more stringent measures to protect people and buildings.

 Anti-Graft Law Goes into Effect An anti-graft law went into effect as of Sept. 28 seeking to curb endemic small-scale corruption even as the president hoped to get away with graft on a much more comprehensive scale. The law stirred up controversy after it was passed by the National Assembly in March, with critics claiming it infringes on their right to give gifts, but the Constitutional Court gave it the green light on July 28. The law makes it illegal for anyone in a position of influence, from teachers and reporters to government officials, to accept meals exceeding W30,000, gifts in excess of W50,000 and congratulatory or condolence money totaling more than W100,000 (US$1=W1,208). But controversy continues over the legal interpretation, and it has already led to a slump in year-end sales as sweeteners are off the shopping list.

 Big Layoffs in Shipbuilding, Shipping Deepen Economic Woes Massive layoffs in the shipbuilding and shipping industries caused unemployment to soar and more households to fall into debt. Hanjin Shipping, once Korea's No. 1 shipping company, went bankrupt while Hyundai Merchant Marine failed to join by the world's biggest container-shipping alliance 2M, dealing a further blow to the domestic industry. Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, which is in the process of laying off huge numbers of workers, is still confronted with mounting losses.

 Go Champion Loses to Proto-AI Google DeepMind's proto-artificial intelligence program AlphaGo defeated baduk or go champion Lee Se-dol with a narrow fourth win in a best-of-five series. The international press watched with bated breath as a new age of artificial intelligence arrived. IBM's chess computer Deep Blue already defeated a champion in the 1990s, but baduk is far more complex, which had led to speculation that Lee would win. The match brought huge interest in AI and the scope of its impact on human lives, and kindled an interest in science among many young Koreans.
Spooky sites Fall is the season of holiday spectacle in Moorpark. In December, of course, Pinedale Road transforms into Candy Cane Lane and dazzles visitors with Santa splendor. But for those who...

Local hula group inspires global connections When the pandemic ushered everyone indoors, Moorpark resident and longtime dancer Lisa Rauschenberger decided to get people back outsidesocially distanced, of course. She began to hold weekly hula lessons at...

Teens face high stakes in the Oval Office A press room befitting Americas commander in chief was set up inside the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. Journalists and others gathered inside. Ladies and gentlemen, I need you all...
United Shore Financial Services has agreed to pay $48 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, according to the Department of Justice.



United Shore is the parent company of leading wholesaler United Wholesale Mortgage. The Justice Department alleges that United Shore knowingly originated and underwrote mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration that didnt meet FHA guidelines.



The settlement announced today holds United Shore accountable for its endorsement of ineligible loans for FHA mortgage insurance, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, who heads the DOJs Civil Division Over the past several years, the Civil Division, in collaboration with numerous US Attorneys offices, HUD and its Office of Inspector General, has diligently worked to hold FHA-approved lenders accountable for actions that deprived homeowners of their homes, wasted taxpayer funds, and contributed to the financial crisis. The settlement announced today is yet another success in this continuing effort.



The federal government insures loans on the condition that lenders comply with certain rules to safeguard federal funds, said US Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. When lenders breach their duty of due diligence and make risky loans that go bad, taxpayers pay the bill. By holding accountable lenders who fail to comply with underwriting requirements, we hope to send a message to all lenders that they must comply with government standards for federally insured loans.



United Shore acknowledged in the settlement that it failed to comply with FHA requirements, according to John W. Vaudreuil, US Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.



While USFS deserves credit for acknowledging and resolving its conduct, that conduct not only resulted in substantial losses of public funds, but also put Wisconsin homeowners at risk of losing their homes or ruining their credit, Vandreuil said. This large settlement should send a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated.



According to the Justice Department, between 2006 and 2011 United Shore failed to comply with certain FHA underwriting and quality control requirements. As part of the settlement, the company admitted that it improperly pressured underwriters to approve FHA mortgages, and that its compensation plan used a formula that expressly tied underwriting compensation to the percentage of loans approved by the underwriter and closed by the company. United Shore also falsely certified that direct-endorsement underwriters personally reviewed appraisal reports before the company approved and endorsed mortgages for FHA insurance, according to the Justice Department.



The agency also alleged that the companys internal quality-control reviews showed severe problems with FHA-insured mortgages, but that United Shore routinely failed to provide any information to senior management regarding its QC findings.



As a result of USFS conduct and omissions, HUD insured hundreds of loans approved by USFS that were not eligible for FHA mortgage insurance under the Direct Endorsement program, and that HUD would not otherwise have insured, the Justice Department said in a release. HUD subsequently incurred substantial losses when it paid insurance claims on those loans.




Midland County Sheriffs Office

A Midland man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly entering a residence without the consent of the owner, according to court documents.

Mickey Lamar Wright, 27, was being held Thursday on a $25,000 bond for a second-degree felony charge of burglary of a habitation, a $500 bond for a Class A misdemeanor charge of evading arrest and a $500 bond for a Class A misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.
Beiqi Yinxiang Automobile will start selling the Kenbo 600 SUV here in mid-January. The model falls roughly between the Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe in size but will cost about W20 million, about W5 million less than its Korean rivals (US$1=W1,208).

Chinese carmakers hope to make greater inroads into the Korean market next year.

Beiqi Yinxiang is an affiliate of BAIC Motor, one of China's top five carmakers, which already sells a minivan and mini-truck at some 30 dealerships across the country.

An importer said there is already some buzz about Chinese passenger cars being good value for money, "so we'll stake our future next year on the sales of SUVs, which are popular here."

Chinese electric vehicle makers are also eyeing the Korean market.

BYD, China's biggest automaker, will start sales here next year after establishing a Korean branch in October. BYD is expected to focus on selling small electric buses.

Foton, China's leading maker of commercial vehicles, is also eyeing the electric bus market here and is currently conducting a test run in Korea, which has drawn interest from some local governments.

But it remains to be seen whether Chinese cars can win over picky Korean motorists. The Chinese cars imported in the first 11 months this year were worth a mere US$60 million, far behind established imports from the U.S., Europe and Japan.

"Chinese automakers have improved the quality of their cars, but they'll have to overcome many obstacles like bias against Chinese products," said Lee Hang-koo of the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade.


The National Assembly on Thursday held its first plenary session since the ruling Saenuri Party split and resolved to form a special committee that will overhaul the Constitution in the wake of the scandal that has brought down President Park Geun-hye.

The committee, the first set up by the National Assembly in 30 years, will start work in January. This is an excellent opportunity to revise the framework of governance before the next presidential elections and curb the powers of future presidents so they can never again get away with the kind of disgraceful behavior Park indulged in.

Nine revisions have been made since the Constitution was drafted in 1948, but only two were spearheaded by lawmakers, the first in 1960 and the second in 1987. The second revision ensured a five-year, single-term presidency in the "era of the three Kims" -- later presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung and former prime minister Kim Jong-pil.

The fresh overhaul must ensure that governance evolves from an outdated autocratic structure to a more devolved leadership with proper checks and balances. The changes will inevitably result in a division of leadership. The biggest problem facing Korean politics is the "zero sum" leadership battle in which there can be only one survivor. A president who was elected by the support of 51 percent of the public enjoys 100 percent authority, and any type of cooperation between ruling and opposition parties has been unimaginable.

In his or her final year in office, the president becomes a complete lame duck as civil servants fold their hands in their lap and wait for the next big boss to come in. There has been no exception to this rule since the first president, Syngman Rhee.

The public knows this political structure must change, and the time is ripe. Anyone who opposes such changes is simply rejecting the flow of history. Advisory committees have been established under the National Assembly speaker several times, and a revision plan has already been prepared. The changes can be pursued even if the presidential elections come sooner than expected.

The obstacle is the resistance of the main opposition Minjoo Party, which has effective veto power and with more than 100 seats can block the necessary two-thirds majority. There is now talk of pushing for a shorter tenure for the next president and seeking a referendum on the constitutional revisions in the 2018 general election. That is worth considering.

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun wants a speedy revision of the Constitution, and the new leader of the People's Party has also vowed to push for the changes quickly. Presidential hopefuls like People's Party heavyweight Ahn Cheol-soo, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung and other lawmakers are also backing the changes, and inter-party debates are being held.

Only the Minjoo Party is trying to make hay from Park's downfall and shore up power in a dirty game that could set Korea back years. Moon has performed a volte-face and now says the time before the next election is "too short" if all the reforms sought by the public are to be discussed. But all that really means is that he wants a nice long term for himself under the current conditions because he now fancies his presidential chances.

Any president would be tempted to sit out his or her single five-year term in full splendor rather than, under a new system, have to seek re-election after just four years and cede powers to other bodies. Presidential candidates have advocated changes before but quickly forgotten about them once they were enthroned and beheld all the powers at their disposal.

That is why the special committee at the National Assembly is so important. Lawmakers can propose changes and listen to what the public wants, and the committee will not be tempted, as a newly ensconced president would be, to renege on the pledges. The parties must put their heads together and finally make these long-overdue changes.


New members inducted into Institute of ...
Stone Mill Center View Photos

Sonora, CA  The Tuolumne County Planning Commission will meet on January 4th and will discuss a site development permit for construction of three commercial buildings at the intersection of Parrotts Ferry Road and Union Hill Road.

The complex is named the Stone Mill Center and is proposed by Columbia Union LLC. Building A is proposed to be just over 5,000 square feet, building B just under 3,000 square feet and building C is the largest at nearly 8,000 square feet for a total of 15,933 square feet of commercial space on a 2.1 acre site.

Tuolumne Countys Community Resources Agency Director Bev Shane, who will be retiring in January says, Previous commercial projects approved on this site have not been pursued usually because of marketing. [Developers] find that the market is not there or there is a change in the economy, we have had several recessions over the last 30 years that this has been zoned commercial. I cant say exactly why developers choose not to build their projects but it is usually market driven. She also noted on a neighboring property there was an apartment complex approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2013 but the owners decided not to pursue the project due to CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) litigation against it. The news about that project was reported here.

The planning commission has the ability to give final approval for this new project in January. If someone has an objection to their decision, it can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors would then conduct a public hearing and decide if they will approve, conditionally approve, or deny the project. If there is no appeal to the planning commissions decision the developers and they approve the project may proceed in getting building and other construction permits to start construction.

The Tuolumne County Planning Commission meets in the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Chambers on January 4th at 6:00 PM
Andrew John Labriola next to patrol car View Photos

Sonora, CA  A Tuolumne County Sheriffs Deputy pulled over a stolen vehicle because it went through a stop sign illegally.

The 2001 Nissan Frontier pickup truck was pulled over Thursday evening at 10 pm near the intersection of Willow Street and Main Street in Tuolumne. It was being driven by 26-year-old Andrew John Labriola, and the lone passenger was 31-year-old Rachael Lynn Thomas.

The deputy soon discovered that the Nissan had been reported stolen, so Labriola and Thomas were detained while an investigation was conducted. Sheriffs Office Spokesperson, Sgt. Andrea Benson says, Labriola claimed he bought the vehicle in Modesto from an unknown Hispanic male for $1000 and the male did not have the pink slip for the vehicle. Labriola and Thomas both admitted they suspected the vehicle was stolen. Labriola admitted to painting the vehicle black and still had black paint on his hands and clothing.

The vehicle was turned over to the CHP so that it can be returned to its owner, who lives locally. Labriola and Thomas were booked into county jail for possession of a stolen vehicle.

Sgt. Benson adds that a credit card was found in Labriolas wallet, not belonging to him, so a followup investigation is being conducted to see if it was potentially stolen.
Activists across Florida protested plans for a controversial natural gas pipeline project crossing through the state Thursday.

Sabal Trail Pipeline would carry natural gas through 3 states

Activists fear it because it passes through drinking water sources

The Sabal Trail Pipeline will move natural gas through Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The 500-mile pipeline is supposed to meet future power needs for millions of people by providing gas to power plants operated by Duke Energy and Florida Power and Light, among other companies.

Dozens of pipeline protestors marched through Orlando Thursday.

"This is being installed right in our backyards," said activist LaWren Sanderson.

The pipeline runs through several Florida counties, including Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola and Sumter counties. It will connect with another pipeline to take natural gas to FPL's plant in Martin County.

Environmentalists are concerned about the underground line passing through drinking water sources.

"It makes zero sense," Sanderson said. "We are wanting to be with clean energy, something that will not hurt mother Earth, something that will protect our children down the road."

A Sabal Trail Transmission spokesperson said they held dozens of public meetings and open houses over three years to address concerns from citizens, environmental agencies and others. They also issued this statement:

"Sabal Trail is dedicated to the safe, reliable operation of facilities and the protection of the public, the environment and our employees. Natural gas pipelines monitor and control safety in many ways and use many different tools. Collectively, these tools make natural gas transmission pipelines one of the safest forms of energy transportation. Our safety programs are designed to prevent pipeline failures, detect anomalies, perform repairs and often exceed regulatory requirements. Once the facilities are placed in service, we will implement operations procedures designed to monitor the pipeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we maintain the facilities per applicable federal and state regulations."



Everyone can still say no, we dont want this happening. And lets say it does get installed. We could still stop it and thats just by simply of being aware of whos backing this up, Sanderson said.

Some areas are already being cleared to construct the pipeline. This project is scheduled to be online by the end of June 2017.
Although cold weather has briefly hit Central Florida, the waterways are still cold enough to cause problems for manatees.

Cold-stressed manatee rescued from Brevard waters

Manatee had signs such as white lesions, white ring around tail

FWC says more sea cows could be affected



On Thursday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission workers responded to a report of a manatee in distress in Melbourne's Crane Creek.

It turns out, 1,300-pound adult sea cow was suffering from cold stress.

"Generally 68 degrees and below is where they start to react poorly," said Bill Greer of the FWC.

Greer said the water temperature at the time was 63 degrees, and the manatee was showing telltale signs such as white legions on its skin and a white ring around its tail.

The prolonged cold exposure could eventually shut down the aquatic animal's digestive tract and cause it to become dehydrated as well. When it's cold for several days at a time, manatees tend to huddle together in canals and near power plant waters to stay warm.



Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission workers rescued a cold-stressed manatee from Melbourne's Crane Creek on Thursday. (FWC)

"They are definitely coming in, warming up a bit, then going about their normal activities," Greer said.

Even though this recent chilly weather isn't expected to last long, it's possible more of them could be affected, FWC said.

Ryan Wingard and his kids are visiting family in Brevard County, and seeing a manatee for the first time. They enjoyed seeing a lone manatee floating in the warmer waters of Satellite Beach's Desoto Canal. Being from the Pittsburgh area, he learned that they, too, can be affected by the cold and understands why manatees want to go where it's warmer.

"It think that's why we came down here," Wingard said.

FWC urges people seeing a sick or injured manatee to call their hotline: 1-888-404-FWCC or *FWC.
County Commissioner Precinct 1 Harold King made it clear Friday that his crews will soon be erecting locked gates on either side of a damaged bridge on County Road Z -- at the behest of the Texas Department of Transportation.

Be sure you put it in the paper that TxDOT is closing the road, he said during the county commissioners meeting Friday. The countys not ordering the road closed  its the state. Were just doing the dirty work.

The bridge in question is located three-quarters mile south of US-70 and a mile downstream from the citys sewage treatment plant. It is on a portion of the Runningwater Draw that flows with treated waste water from that plant.

Recently the dirt roadway across the bridge developed multiple sinkholes due to deterioration of the metal culverts that make up the bridge. You can look down through the holes in the road and see the little fishies swimming around, joked County Judge Bill Coleman.

To discourage traffic across the hazardous bridge, the county erected barricades and road closed signs on either side of the bridge. King said his crew often finds the barricades moved to the side to allow traffic to continue through.

County Road Z runs along the west side of the TDCJ Formby/Wheeler Prison Unit property and serves several rural residents in the immediate area. It shows evidence of fairly heavy traffic.

Initial estimates to repair the bridge were set at approximately $350,000, however the county was successful in having TxDOT add it to its bridge system. As a result, the state will be responsible for the planning and engineering as well making the repairs, which will be done on a 90-10 cost share with the county responsible for smaller amount.

TxDOT says it could be between two and five years before there is funding available to fix the bridge, and in the meanwhile since the culverts have rotted through, they want the road closed to all traffic for safety reasons, King said Friday. That means we well be putting poles in concrete on both sides of the bridge and will be installing cattle gates which will be chained shut. Well leave the barricades across the road at the top of the hill on both sides, but it wont matter anymore if they drive around the barricades. They wont be able to drive across the bridge until its repaired and safe again. But I want everyone to realize that we may be the ones putting up the gate, but we are doing it because TxDOT wants us to.

In other action Friday, commissioners:

--Authorized Bennie Garcia, Ollie Liner manager, to order multipurpose floor covering for the OLC arena. The removable floor panels will cover a 46x73-foot area and be left in place seven to eight months of the year. They will be removed for stock shows and similar events. The cost is $18,514, which includes carts for the snap-together 3-foot panels.

--Authorized Occidental Petroleum to install two waterlines underneath County Road 320 west of CR C and under CR B south of CR 320.

--Approves an increase in pay for County Corrections Officer Brandon Castillo to reflect him passing the state jailer certification Dec. 12.

--Approved new jail contracts with Tom Green County and Lubbock County. Tom Green County will pay Hale County $52 per day for any of its inmates housed here. In turn, Hale County will pay Lubbock County $65 per day for any inmates it houses there. Hale County has similar agreements with several other counties.

--Approved the hiring of Amanda DeLeon for a 30-hour per week position at the County Clerks Office.

--Approved bonds for the countys elected officials.

--Approved a $155 for tax forfeited property at 520 E. 11th St. in Hale County. The Appraisal District set the propertys value at $500, however the Hale Center City Council, as property trustee, accepted the lower offer since the tract is on a dirt road on the back side of the old rodeo grounds. The offer was made by an adjacent property owner, who likely is the only one interested in the property.

--Adopted a resolution supporting the extension of I-27 to the Midland-Odessa area and San Angelo and ultimately to Eagle Pass, Del Rio and Laredo. The resolution originated with the Ports-to-Plains Coalition.

--Approved a resolution opposing the proposed re:SearchTX system that would make court documents available on a state website. Now, those documents are only available through county and district clerks offices. The countys opposition involves the loss of fees to the state although the county and district clerks offices would still be responsible for filing and digitizing the documents. Its another way for the state to syphon off some of our local revenues, Coleman noted.

--Approved current accounts payable for Dec. 12-30, totaling $303,542.63, and approved the countys financial statement for the end of November. Funds in all accounts totaled $18,384,107.40.

--Approved changing the mileage reimbursement rate, effective Jan. 1, to 53.5 cents per mile, down from 54 cent. Thats to match a similar change in the state reimbursement rate.

--Approved the annual stipends for 2017. They include: $50,000 to the Plainview/Hale County EDC; $36,005 to Central Plains Center; $36,000 to Hale Center Ambulance, Petersburg Ambulance, Hale County Child Welfare, Abernathy Ambulance-UMC; $12,500 to Abernathy VFD, Petersburg VFD, Halfway VFD, Edmonson VFD, Hale Center VFD; $10,000 to Llano Estacado Museum; $9,500 to Unger Memorial Library; $7,500 to Hale County Senior Citizens; $6,000 to Abernathy Senior Citizens, Hale Center Senior Citizens, Petersburg Senior Citizens; $5,000 to Plainview YMCA/SAFE, Parents Place, Hale County Farm & Ranch Museum; $3,500 to Olton Volunteer Ambulance, Hale County Literacy Council, Petersburg Public Library, Abernathy Public Library, Hale County Crisis Center; $3,010 to Hale County Meals on Wheels; $3,000 to Olton Fire Protection; $1,000 to Hale County Historical Commission. Total is $380,515
Hale Center City Manager Dennis Burton isnt quite sure just how old the citys ground storage tank is, but he figures its at least 60 years old. Whats known is that the tank, located north of City Hall, was damaged in the 1965 tornado.

But its days are numbered, following a vote by the Hale County City Council to demolish the decades-old tank and replace it with a new one.

That turns out to be our best option after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found an alleged violation during its inspection this summer, Burton said this week. That lone major deficiency involved issues with the roof of the fresh water storage tank.

That could be something going back to the tornado 50 years ago, he speculates. Its hard to tell, but we plan to take out the old tank and install a new storage tank at the same site. We want to do most of the work during the winter and fall, when water usage is at its lowest. As you would expect, our peak usage is during the summer, and that would not be the best time to take that much storage offline. Theres some of the work we need to do during the warmer months, such as painting the inside. It will be the only storage tank taken out of service. Were not planning any changes to our water tower.

During the councils regular monthly meeting in mid-December, the panel heard from Burton and Kenny Friar, a representative from the engineering firm Kimley Horn, on the citys various options and their recommendations.

The option which ultimately was approved carried the recommendation of both Burton and Friar. Estimated cost is $357,000, for removing the old tank and constructing the new tank. Although it is the most costly option, Friar said a new tank will provide the longest service life. Also, there would a minimal disruption to water supply operations, reduced maintenance and a better ability to maintain current operations.

Simply repairing the roof of the current tank would have cost about $197,000. That would, according to the Hale Center American, have including the replacement of the center column rafters, roof plate and coating system along with upgrades to the hatches, ladders and manways. While that option would have met TCEQ standards, the project would have disrupted the water supply system for two to three months. Although the roof of the storage tank would then have passed muster with the TCEQ, the city would still be left with an aging storage tank with an uncertain life expectancy.

The third option would be to take the ground storage tank out of service and ultimately remove it. That option would have cost $210,000, and would limit the communitys ability to meet peak water demand during the summer. Reducing the citys overall water storage capacity by taking that tank out of service also would not provide the necessary reserve capacity needed for adequate fire protection.

While the council agreed to move forward with a plan to remove the existing tank and replace it with a new tank, Burton said the city will be exploring various funding options. Hopefully we will be able to get some funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and/or the Texas Water Development Board. What should help us out is that Hale Center is considered economically disadvantaged, Burton said.
The Rotary Club of Plainview is proud to honor Shadee Tye as our Student of the Month for January 2017. Shadee is the daughter of Brent and Codee Tye of Plainview and a senior at Plainview High School. At the high school, Shadee is a member of the varsity volleyball team, Future Career and Community Leaders of America, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society and serves as the sentinel of the Plainview FFA chapter. In the community, she is a member of the Swisher County 4-H Club, Swisher County 4-H Horse Club, Junior American Cancer Society, Bar-None Rodeo Drill Team, and the American Shorthorn Association. Shadee has volunteered at the Plainview Humane Society and Pet Paws Adoption, Snack Pack 4 Kids, and One Day 4-H Community Service Projects.

Shadee has been on the A Honor Roll and has received the Merit P, Grand and Reserve Champion Goat, and Steer and Goat Showmanship awards. She was also crowned the current Bar-None Rodeo Queen. Shadee says showing livestock has had the biggest impact on her life and has taught her important leadership skills. While most, including her, hope to win Grand Champion, she believes the greatest honor any shower can achieve is Showmanship . . . given to the participant who shows their animal in the most beneficial way they can. Shadee has been awarded showmanship several times and uses her experiences to help improve the showmanship and sportsmanship of younger 4-H members. Upon graduation, Shadee will have earned certification to become a Veterinary Technician. She plans to attend either Texas Tech or Tarleton State University to major in animal science and hopes to become an Equine and Bovine Chiropractor. If she attends Texas Tech, she says she intends to try out to be the Masked Rider.
City and town leaders learned Thursday how much less the state will be sending their municipalities for education and construction projects for the fiscal year that ends July 1.



The $50 million in midyear cuts announced Thursday afternoon by the governors budget office come after the legislature adopted a budget with $20 million in unassigned cuts to municipalities and $30 million from grants for local construction projects.



While every town is touched by the reductions announced Thursday, the cuts to education largely fall on the states wealthiest communities. For example, Greenwich, the states most affluent community, will loose $1.3 million, a 90 percent cut to its Education Cost Sharing grant. The states poorest community, Hartford, will lose $250,000, a 0.1 percent cut in education aid.



However, this $20 million mid-year cut in education aid comes in addition to the $84 million cut to education in the adopted state budget for the current fiscal year. Those cuts largely fell on the states most impoverished school districts.



Even with the cuts announced Thursday, several communities still come out ahead on state education aid from the previous year. West Hartford fares the best, with a $1.1 million increase over last year.



Although the poorest communities were largely spared from the education cuts announced Thursday, not so with reductions in the Local Capital Improvement Program. Those are expected to land heavily on poor communities. For example, Hartford is expected to lose $1.9 million while Greenwich is hit for $320,000.



In letters to leaders of the General Assembly, the governors budget director said his office had no choice but to make these cuts, given the $50 million built-in hole in the adopted state budget.



The assignment of these cuts does not affect the current fiscal years anticipated budget deficit of $41.6 million. The state budget also faces a $1.4 billion shortfall for next fiscal year.



Municipal leaders were quick to decry to cuts, as was the coalition suing the state for what they say is the states chronic underfunding of schools.



Some of these towns are seeing a sizable cut, so what are they supposed to do midyear?asked Betsy Gara, executive director of the states Council of Small Towns. They have eroded municipal revenue through the car tax cap and the municipal spending cap and other property tax exemptions. All of this hamstrings the towns to respond to cuts in education funding and other areas. They have essentially taken away any tool that we have to balance our budget.



Jim Finley, principal consultant for the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, the group of municipal leaders and educators suing the state, said the reductions bolster the groups case awaiting action by the states Supreme Court.



This latest cut to ECS underscores the importance of judicial action to ensure that the state constitutional right to an equitable and adequate educational opportunity for all public school students is honored by all branches of state government, he said.



The administration has known since August that they would need to hold back these funds from municipalities. But they chose to wait until now to let towns know how much they would lose, after half the fiscal year has already gone by, making these cuts more difficult for towns to absorb. This is poor planning at best, and at worst appears to be an attempt to bury bad news when people are focused on the holiday season, said Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano, North Haven.



In a statement, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, called the cuts untenable.



Towns and cities have already included these aid commitments in their budgetary spending plans for this fiscal year The new $30 million cut in LoCIP funds goes far beyond cuts called for the in the state budget. These cuts occur when towns have relied on agreements with the state regarding ways to address crumbling roads and bridges and other citizen safety projects, the organization wrote in an statement. The education cuts occur at a time when the CCJEF v. Rell case has proven that the state has serious education disparity issues to address. The State must develop state budgets that do not make for these late-December mid-year cuts that harm property taxpayers.






A top Russian diplomat on the West Coast blasted President Obamas order to expel four San Francisco consulate employees Friday, saying the move was unwarranted and inhumane.

Consul General Sergey Petrov brushed aside allegations by the White House that the ejected employees were working as intelligence operatives, describing one of them as the consulate chef and lamenting the absence of his culinary abilities for the offices New Years celebrations.

We will have to cook ... without his help, Petrov said during an impromptu news conference at the Green Street consulate in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco.

Eleven people were packing Friday for their trips home, he said, including the relatives and children of the four consulate employees. Petrov said the employees were bitter and did not have enough time to get their affairs in order.

The consulate office  which serves Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah in addition to California  may be slower to process visas and conduct its other duties because of the reduced staff, Petrov said, adding that consulate staff processed more than 20,000 visas in the past year for U.S. citizens.

The persona non grata designations of 35 Russians were made Thursday alongside tough new sanctions by the Obama administration against Russia and its spy agencies for cyberattacks that U.S. intelligence officials have said were intended to influence the 2016 election.

These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior, Obama said in a statement Thursday.

But the expulsions were technically a response to what a State Department briefing paper described as harassment of U.S. diplomats in Russia that has gone far beyond international diplomatic norms of behavior. Complaints of harassment have grown since Russia was slapped with international sanctions for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

We consider these sanctions completely unsubstantiated, unreasonable, very detrimental to bilateral relations between two neighbors, Petrov said, referring to the actions announced Thursday. Its just not human, frankly.

Later on Facebook, San Francisco consulate officials said in a post they were feeling very undiplomatic and that the expulsions were bizarre and ridiculous.

Petrov said he was inspired to speak publicly by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said Friday he would not immediately retaliate against the United States and instead wait to see how President-elect Donald Trump handles relations between the two countries.

I always knew he was very smart! Trump said of Putin in a tweet Friday, appearing to side with a foreign adversary over the White House.

Petrov expressed hope that the incoming administration would improve U.S.-Russian relations so the two nations can tackle climate change and fight terrorism. Echoing Putins invitation for children of American diplomats to celebrate the New Year and Orthodox Christmas next week with him at the Kremlin, Petrov invited reporters to the consulates own holiday festivities.

Hopefully, this is the lowest we can go, and we hope that we will be able to restore our relations, Petrov said.

Among the actions announced Thursday, the Treasury Department said it will sanction two Russians for allegedly misappropriating significant U.S. funds through cyberspace.

According to the FBI, one of the two, Alexsey Belan, has an open fraud case in the San Francisco office of the U.S. District Court of Northern California. He allegedly hacked into three major e-commerce companies based in California and Nevada in 2012 and 2013. Federal investigators accused Belan of stealing user databases and millions of encrypted passwords.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office handling the case said he had no public information to provide.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
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Before the children and the move to the suburbs, Joanne Hall checked out a copy of Atlas Shrugged from the local library. The due date was stamped in the front cover: July 13, 1983.

The book is now 33 years overdue. Hall, 62, was recently rummaging through storage boxes in the attic of her Pleasanton home when she found it, tucked in a slippery plastic book jacket. SFPL, read a stamp on the spine. She flipped through its pages, feeling shocked and embarrassed.

It looked like a library book, but I couldnt remember what library I had checked it out of, Hall said. I was 29 back then. I moved around a lot, and I had this book packed in a box. It came with me, and no one could read it over those 33 years. I feel so badly about that.

Hall is among an estimated 55,000 book fugitives who have been granted amnesty from the San Francisco Public Library system. From Jan. 3 to Feb. 14, if they return their overdue materials, their fines will be forgiven  along with any previously incurred fines, upon request.

The library caps all fines on overdue items at $5, whether the items are out a year or decades. But even with the cap, library officials say $4.5 million is owed them. They estimate that theyll forgive between $40,725 and $203,775  including Halls $10 fine  during the amnesty period.

Its a bargain, they say, because the value of the materials theyll recover in exchange will be greater.

In 2009, the library tried a similar fine forgiveness program with the slogan Whats your excuse? Over two weeks, more than 30,000 overdue items valued at $730,000 were returned. About $50,000 in fines was forgiven.

The slogan this time is We want you back.

This is the nature of people being very busy, said City Librarian Luis Herrera. You check out materials and forget to return them. Our goal is to have those items come back to us, and, more importantly, to eliminate barriers for folks who have accrued fines to the point that their library cards have been suspended.

The fines disproportionately affect low-income patrons, who need library services the most, Herrera said. City data show that the highest fine amounts are concentrated in historically impoverished neighborhoods. Tenderloin patrons owe $302,376, Mission residents are $227,722 in the red, and a Bayview, Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley ZIP code owes $253,302.

In comparison, Financial District residents owe $8,347 and Presidio residents owe $6,495. But any San Franciscan can earn back card privileges by dropping off late materials at one of the librarys 27 branches during the six-week campaign.

The program helps clear the stigma of having an overdue book, said Jen Schwartz, 29, of the Richmond, who has at least one overdue book. Paying a fine is not the deterrent, she said. Its admitting the transgression to a librarian and feeling her body prickle with guilt, shame and embarrassment, she said.

I have a fear that I am going to walk in to turn in the late book, and theyll see I have done this many, many times, Schwartz said. Are they going to think Im lazy and careless? Thats what Im assuming theyre thinking in the back of their minds. I am a repeat offender.

Her current overdue book has sat on her bookshelf for at least a year, she said. Its been there for so many months that she cant even remember the title. She plans to return it on Jan. 3, the first day of the fine forgiveness program.

Now I have no excuse not to march my butt right down to the library, Schwartz said. And Ill probably make a donation since I dont have to pay a fine.

But no one should plan on waiting for the next fine forgiveness program to return a load of overdue books. It might be years before the program is instituted again. Making the program sporadic discourages people from relying on it to avoid paying fees, Herrera said.

We are hoping to have a steady stream of people in here taking advantage of it, he said. Consider it part of your New Years resolution. Thats a no-brainer.

Hall said she will be one of the first patrons at the library. After 33 years with Atlas Shrugged, which she did eventually finish, it was time to return the novel.

Ive been a fugitive because of it all that time, she said. It belongs to the people of San Francisco.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
A state parole panel has put off a decision on whether to release Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel, convicted of seven murders with the Manson cult in 1969, to investigate her lawyers contention that as a teenager Krenwinkel was browbeaten and intimidated by Manson.

Krenwinkel, 69, Californias longest-serving female prisoner, has been denied parole 13 times. After a hearing that lasted all day and into the evening Thursday at the California Institution for Women in Chino, a panel of the Board of Parole hearings postponed a decision because they felt information discussed at the hearing was cause for an investigation, said the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

At an earlier hearing, Krenwinkel testified that when she met Manson at a party at age 19, she became infatuated and left everything behind to join his so-called family. Keith Wattley, her lawyer at the parole hearing, said Friday he wants the panel to consider whether Krenwinkel was suffering from intimate partner battering, formerly known as battered-womens syndrome, at the time of the murders.

I pointed out that, despite decades of reports of the ways in which Mr. Manson controlled his followers, the parole board had never conducted an investigation into the degree to which abuse through violence, threats and other coercive tactics influenced behavior in these crimes, Wattley said by email.

He noted that state law requires the parole board to give great weight to any evidence that shows an inmate seeking release was being abused by an intimate partner at the time of the crime.

According to media accounts of Krenwinkels past parole hearings, the board has commended her for good behavior in prison, for earning a college degree and for counseling other inmates, but said she could still pose a danger to the public in light of her role in the crimes.

Even if the board approves Krenwinkels release, it wont have the last word. Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed the paroles of two other Manson followers, Leslie Van Houten and Bruce Davis, citing the horrific nature of their crimes.

The only Manson acolyte to be paroled is Steve Grogan, who took part in the 1969 slaying of movie stuntman Donald Shorty Shea and helped police find Sheas body in 1977 at the Spahn Ranch in Chatsworth, west of Los Angeles. Grogan was freed in 1985, three years before California voters empowered the governor to override parole decisions. Manson himself has never been approved for parole.

Krenwinkel was convicted of the murders of actress Sharon Tate and four others, at Mansons orders, in August 1969, and of the murders of supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, the next day.

Prosecutors said Manson hoped the killings would trigger a race war that he called Helter Skelter, after the Beatles song. Witnesses said the words Death to Pigs and a misspelled Helter Skelter, scrawled in blood at the LaBiancas home, were written by Krenwinkel.

Krenwinkel, Manson and three others were sentenced to death for the murders, but the sentences were reduced to life with the possibility of parole after the state Supreme Court struck down Californias death penalty law in 1972. Legislators reinstated capital punishment over Browns veto in 1977, but the law does not apply retroactively.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
Google Maps / /

One of two men shot by a pair of assailants on a street near San Franciscos Civic Center died as he was rushed to the hospital, police said Friday.

The double shooting was reported at 5:14 p.m. Thursday on the 200 block of Golden Gate Avenue in the Tenderloin, just north of the Civic Center and U.N. Plaza, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The gunfire broke out near the front entrance of the Service Employees International Union.
Most work places don't require a sick note if you're feeling slightly under the weather. You get an allotted amount of sick days and you use them as needed.

However, some work places are extremely particular with their sick-days policy.
Dear Mr. Premack: With the inauguration less than a month away, I am wondering what to expect regarding changes to the federal estate tax under the Trump administration. My estate is currently exempt from the estate tax and I want to make sure it stays that way. - CV

The official Trump campaign website contains this statement: The Trump Plan will repeal the death tax, but capital gains held until death and valued over $10 million will be subject to tax to exempt small businesses and family farms. To prevent abuse, contributions of appreciated assets into a private charity established by the decedent or the decedents relatives will be disallowed.

Lets analyze the statement. 1) repeal the death tax. Currently, the estate tax is imposed when a single persons assets at death exceed $5.45 million in value, or a married couples assets exceed $10.9 million in value. Expect the new President to support legislation to eliminate the tax, so unlimited amounts of wealth can pass from generation to generation without taxation. Take for example, Bill Gates. His net worth is estimated to be $81 billion. Under the existing system, when both he and his wife have died, the tax would be about $32 billion, 395 million dollars. Under the Trump proposal, Mr. Gates estate tax will be zero.

That is roughly equivalent to the amount that Gates has already donated to charity, largely to the Gates Foundation (which has assets of about $40 billion). His donations helped reduce future estate taxes he would pay. If there is no estate tax, charitable giving will be reduced. Studies estimate that repeal of the estate tax would reduce charitable giving in the US by between 22 and 37 percent. Government revenue will also be reduced (the last available figure from the IRS is that about $28 billion was collected in estate taxes in 2014).

2) capital gains held until death and valued over $10 million will be subject to tax to exempt small businesses and family farms. Currently, inherited assets are given a free-step-up in basis, which eliminates capital gain taxes on inherited assets. It appears that the President-elects proposal will limit the exemption to the first $10 million in inherited value. Most Americans will not be affected while those whose estates exceed $10 million will be exposed. The wording subject to tax to exempt small business and farms is awkward, but likely means the value added to an estate by a small business or a family farm will remain exempt from the capital gain tax.

3) To prevent abuse, contributions of appreciated assets into a private charity established by the decedent or the decedents relatives will be disallowed. To avoid the capital gain tax, people will not be able to utilize private charitable foundations (like the Gates Foundation, the Trump Foundation or the Eric Trump Foundation). The proposal may continue to allow donations to other charities (like the Heart Association or the Animal Defense League).

It is possible, with the upcoming Congress, that a plan like this campaign proposal could become law. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan supports repeal of the federal estate tax. Another possibility (if compromise is necessary) would be an increase in the current exemption from $10.9 million to a much higher figure, still requiring the ultra-wealthy to pay an estate tax (as is supported by figures like Gates and Warren Buffet). Well see what the new Administration brings forward as its formal tax proposal next year and how it affects your estate planning.

Paul Premack is a Certified Elder Law Attorney with offices in San Antonio and Seattle, handling Wills and Trusts, Probate, and Business Entity issues. View past legal columns or submit free questions on legal issues via www.TexasEstateandProbate.com or www.Premack.com.
Albany

City lawmakers want to dive deeper into the municipal hiring process to better understand why some departments lack diversity and to determine if civil service laws are being followed.

A recent Times Union column by Chris Churchill questioning the methodology in hiring a relative of County Executive Daniel McCoy for a job in the Albany Fire Department has prompted scrutiny by the Common Council president and some of council members into how the city selects people through the civil service process.

"It's not so much about the civil service process because many council members are a product of the civil service system, so we know how it works," Council President Carolyn McLaughlin said. "There are so many subjective pieces to this that people need to be made aware of."

The September hiring of Nicholas Vita, 26, as an Albany firefighter raised eyebrows with many wondering how McCoy's nephew had jumped past many of the 75 candidates, including minority applicants, who scored higher on the city civil service exam.

The exam is not the only measurement by which candidates are judged by the Albany Civil Service Commission.

Among other factors in the point-system ranking are city residency, education and professional experience.

During the Wednesday caucus, Councilman Frank Commisso Jr. called for council members to convene committee meetings early next year to look into the matter. He pointed to past issues with hiring, such as the appointment of Matthew Peter to executive director of the Albany Parking Authority, who Commisso said wasn't qualified.

"It's past time for the Common Council to fulfill its oversight duties," he said. "Albany residents should be able to trust that hiring decisions are made in accordance with Civil Service law."

Mayor Kathy Sheehan called the allegations of not following civil service law "completely unwarranted" and bordering on "slanderous."

"I have a director of personnel who takes her job and civil service obligations very seriously," she said. "To make a generalized statement that somehow we are not following civil service is a very serious allegation, and it needs to come with a very specific example of where we're allegedly not following it."

Both McLaughlin and Commmiso are considering a mayoral run against Sheehan next year.

City officials offered training to council members so they can better understand the process, and in an email to Commisso, Human Resources Director Miriam Dixon detailed how Vita surpassed others on the list based on those above him withdrawing, failing the physical tests, not living in the city and other reasons.

McLaughlin said she wants details on how the administration is working to attract the black community into firefighting and other public safety jobs. She said additional points provided for things like city residency or prior experience should be examined.

"We need to really evaluate those things  are they fair?" McLaughlin said. "As an HR department that is concerned about increasing diversity in the workforce, what are they doing to address this issue?"

Sheehan noted the city struggles with diversity and invited McLaughlin to help attract the black community to the fire and police departments.

"It has been very difficult, and part of the issue is the lack of the diversity in the people who are taking the test," the mayor said.

City officials have done outreach through Armed Forces' JROTC program at Albany High School and offered mentoring for the various exams and training for the physical exam.

"We've been tabling at all kinds of events throughout the city making sure there's awareness throughout the community the fact that we need firefighters," Sheehan said.

afries@timesunion.com  518-454-5353  @mandy_fries
Albany

The Albany County commissioner of public works is expected to be appointed to the County Legislature in January to fill the seat vacated by Michael Mackey, who was elected to state Supreme Court in November.

New Scotland resident Darrell Duncan was recommended by members of the New Scotland and Bethlehem Democratic committees who reside in the 38th Legislative District to succeed Mackey, who takes his seat on the bench on Jan. 1.

The legislative Majority Office confirmed Thursday that it had received Duncan's recommendation. The legislature could vote as early as Jan. 9 on his appointment.

Between his lifelong New Scotland residency and his experience as a highway superintendent  first in New Scotland and now as head of the county's Public Works Department  Duncan shined as the candidate who would best represent the 38th District, New Scotland Democratic Committee Chairman Doug Miller said.

"He's a very good go-getter, hard worker and knows the community well," Miller said. "He's had a very good working relationship with county government and with the County Legislature."

County Executive Daniel McCoy appointed Duncan to be the commissioner in 2012, after his 18 years as the elected highway superintendent in New Scotland.

The 38th District includes two election districts in Bethlehem and five in New Scotland. Members who voted to recommend Duncan to the post were from these districts, Miller said.

Duncan will have to run for the seat in November to serve the remaining three years of the four-year term. Mackey has been the district's legislator for five years.

Retired Rensselaer County Democratic Chairman Thomas Wade sent an email to Democrats criticizing Mackey and Rensselaer County Judge Andrew Ceresia  who also was elected to the Supreme Court  for accepting the Republican endorsement in September. The two ran unopposed for the seats.

Both Ceresia and Mackey said they were ethically bound to accept the GOP line, according to a state Court of Appeals ruling.

Mackey said he's looking forward to taking on the Albany County-based judgeship, after spending decades as an attorney.

"As somebody who has tried a lot of cases and spent over 30 years litigating in Supreme Court, I can bring a longtime practitioner's perspective to the court," he said. "I really understand what attorneys, (other) parties and witnesses go through when they're involved in litigation."

afries@timesunion.com  518-454-5353  @mandy_fries
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Troy

It was an emotional moment for newly sworn in state Supreme Court Justice Andrew G. Ceresia Thursday afternoon when he turned to his father.

"Everything I've ever accomplished has been a result of his guidance," Ceresia told the audience of more than 24 judges from the federal, state, county and local courts and 150 people in the Rensselaer County Court House Ceremonial Courtroom.

Retired state Supreme Court and former Third Judicial District Administrative Justice George Ceresia, 73, smiled broadly after swearing in his 45-year-old son to his newest judicial post.

A graduate of Troy High School, the State University at Oneonta and Albany Law School, the younger justice has followed a trail blazed by his father.

"My dad has been a judge since I was born," Ceresia said.

He left his Rensselaer County Court judgeship after seven years for his new 14-year term and previously served six years as a North Greenbush town justice.

"I was delighted when he told me he wanted to go into law," the elder Ceresia said.

By emulating his father, the new Supreme Court justice also plowed head long into the rough and tumble world of Rensselaer County politics, which its practitioners proudly call a blood sport.

That element was not missing Thursday as retired Rensselaer County Democratic Chairman Thomas Wade sent an email to Democrats criticizing Ceresia and Albany County Legislator Michael Mackey for accepting the Republican endorsement in September. The two Democratic judicial candidates ran unopposed for their judgeships and were also endorsed by their party.

"I regret supporting Andy Ceresia and Mike Mackey after seeing their unscrupulous betrayal of the people who afforded them the honor of a judicial nomination," Wade said.

In a letter to the other Democratic chairmen in the seven-county Third Judicial District, Wade said the two candidates lied to the county chairs in accepting the GOP nominations, acted unethically, and insulted him by not inviting him to their swearing in ceremonies.

Both Ceresia and Mackey said they were ethically bound to accept the GOP line, according to a state Court of Appeals ruling.

"Mike and I did what the Court of Appeals says we have to do ethically," Ceresia said. "I'm not going to compromise my ethics."

County Democratic Chairman Michael J. Monescalchi said he had not seen Wade's email, adding he was celebrating Ceresia's swearing-in as a justice.

During the ceremony, Ceresia thanked his wife, Tracee, and their 10-year-old son, Braden.

He also expressed appreciation to state Supreme Court Justice Patrick McGrath for mentoring him after his election to the County Court bench and state Supreme Court Justice Raymond Elliott, who served on the North Greenbush Town Court with Ceresia.

kcrowe@timesunion.com  518-454-5084  @KennethCrowe
DANBURY - Town officials will spend the first days of 2017 in budget meetings deciding whether to raise property taxes or eliminate programs or jobs due to the states move on Thursday to make $20 million cuts in school aid.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of giving and promise, said state Sen. Toni Boucher, a Republican whose districts include Bethel, Redding and Ridgefield. Instead, these drastic cuts to education funding in the middle of the fiscal year are another rotten apple from Gov. Malloys bag of bad gifts.

Redding would lose 32 percent of the state education aid it was promised by Hartford for the 2016-17 school year, or $84,000. Ridgefield stands to lose 29 percent of state funding that it has already budgeted, or $234,000.

Danbury, along with other big city districts such as Bridgeport and Stamford, had its cut capped at $250,000, because of the extra challenges urban districts have to educate students.

More for you State to cut this school years funding

In contrast, affluent Greenwich will lose 90 percent of its funding, or $1.3 million.

In other greater Danbury towns, Bethel would lose $119,000, New Milford would lose $177,000, and Newtown would be cut by $186,000.

In the end, its Connecticuts children who will feel the pain of a lack of planning and vision by the state, said Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, a likely GOP candidate for governor in 2018.

The education cuts, announced one day before greater Danbury leaders broke for a three-day New Years weekend, include an additional $30 million cut in state reimbursements for municipal improvements to roads and buildings.

It was not clear on Friday whether the cut would affect the state reimbursement Newtown is expecting for the remodeling of its high school auditorium.

Its really hard to tell, said Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra on Friday, reading from a letter that state Office of Policy and Management Director Benjamin Barnes sent to towns and cities. I have to sit down next week with my finance director and my school superintendent to start looking at the impact.

The state is in a budget crisis. Legislators are expected to begin the new legislative session in January facing a deficit of at least $1.4 billion.

The state is also appealing an order by a judge to revamp its inequitable school aid formula after a landmark lawsuit was argued earlier this year.

Danbury, which was one of the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit, argued that it does not get state aid in proportion to its need. Danbury taxpayers contribute a greater percentage to the city school budget than most other districts in the state, yet Danbury is near the bottom of all places in the state in the money it spends per pupil. Meanwhile, the city is one of the few places in Connecticut where enrollment in growing.

Boucher took exception to a comment attributed to Barnes in the Hartford Courant that he doubted Danbury would need to lay off school employees, noting that the aid reduction is .8 percent of the $31.5 million the city receives.

Secretary Barnes has no way of knowing the budgets for every school district and municipality, Boucher said in a prepared statement. Most are already operating with lean margins because of years of the states fiscal drought and the loss of so many businesses.

Danbury schools Superintendent Sal Pascarella agreed.

This cut is going to impact us because our taxpayers are already giving us everything that they have, said Pascarella, noting it was too early to say whether layoffs would be needed. We dont have a place we can go to grab more money.
TROY  Troy police have made an arrest after a landlord was shot inside a Lansingburgh home Thursday evening.

Police had few other details about the arrest Thursday night.

The shooting occurred around 5:10 p.m. inside a two-family Lansingburgh home at 150 5th Ave. A landlord was shot in the shoulder, and taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

His name and age were not released.

Evidence technicians were on the scene Thursday night, located between 102nd and 103rd streets.

 Staff writer
One would think that as he faced a possible life sentence in federal prison for would-be domestic terrorism, Glendon Scott Crawford might have dialed back a notch on his love for a radiation weapon he bragged could silently slaughter large groups of Muslims in the Capital Region.

Nope.

If anything, Crawford, 52, spoke at his Dec. 19 sentencing like someone still pitching the X-ray device  the very thing that got him investigated and convicted in the first place.

And amazingly, Crawford took this stance while simultaneously claiming he was not involved in any plan to use the device.

"I feared for my nation's and my children's nation's future. It's no fun to be haunted,'' Crawford told Senior Judge Gary Sharpe in U.S. District Court in Albany "Nothing was being done about the metastasizing threat of terrorism. I tried for years  from Congressman Gibson to the Israeli consulate  to get somebody to see the value of this."

Crawford, from Providence in Saratoga County, acted in court as if his advocacy for the weapon was more John Q. Citizen than John Hinckley Jr.

"I tried to explain physics and its potential for fighting terror," Crawford told the judge. "Everybody looked at me like I got two heads. I don't mind being looked at and treated like a freak. If this thing could be put in the hands of somebody who's going to use it to fight terrorism, that was my goal."

Crawford left out the part where he referred to Muslims as "medical waste" he believed needed to be "sterilized," according to secret recordings made by the government. Crawford left out his "wish list" of terror targets that included the White House, Executive Mansion, United Nations, neighborhoods with large Muslim populations in Dearborn, Mich., and Queens, and an international conference of the Bilderberg Group, which holds an annual event to foster dialogue between Europe and North America.

More Information Contact Robert Gavin at 518-454- 2403 or email rgavin@timesunion.com. On Twitter: @Robert GavinTU See More Collapse

Crawford said with a straight face he "did not want to have any part of the use of the device." He said it even though the judge oversaw the trial and viewed the FBI surveillance tapes of Crawford, some which showed him making up code names for everybody involved in the plot. Crawford called the group, "Proxies For The Guild To Care For the Baby." The baby, of course, was the weapon.

Crawford even told his co-conspirators, two of whom were undercover agents, not to make their plans obvious and make it look like, "Hey, look at us. We're killing people."

It was clear very early that the judge was not buying anything Crawford had to sell. Crawford still tried. The guy about to be sentenced for would-be carnage spoke like he knew he was the smartest person in the room.

Crawford, practically smug, name-dropped several codes of federal law in a bizarre attempt to show he was not guilty of attempting to produce or use a radiological dispersal device, a 2004 law enacted to stop terrorists who would use a "dirty bomb."

"This is a nuclear or fissile event," Crawford lectured from his defendant's seat. "Under Chapter 42, Title 23, Section 2414(c) of the Atomic Energy Act, Congress wrote their official recognition of this in a reflection by the legislature that this is what constituted release. That foundation for statutes means that these statutes were authored for nuclear weapons. These statutes were written by the legislature to accomplish a few things. During the time 2232(a) became a statute ... it was right around the time the Soviet Union was collapsing and Congress was very concerned about worldwide bad guys getting their hands on the Soviet's arsenal. After being in the Navy in the '80s, I can tell you they had all kinds of nasty stuff bad guys were going to get their hands on that they could have cashed on. It was at that point that nuclear explosive devices, as partly code at that point, were made part of the weapons of mass destruction statute under 2332(a)(2)(D). OK?"

Eventually, the judge said: "Let me explain something to you, Mr. Crawford. I do not intend to sit here and listen to a recitation on your view of the science behind the statutes ..."

"May I read the Rule 7 motion that the court refused to consider?" Crawford asked Sharpe.

"No, you may not," the judge said.

"May I get on the record the fashion by which my ex post facto petitions were driven around by the prosecution from the grand jury to this very day and kept from the jurists who had no means to understand that the distinction in the law was written there and didn't know the difference and were unable to distinguish the difference Congress wrote into the statutes without having a degree in law and a degree in physics?" Crawford asked the judge.

"No, you may not," the judge replied. "Those things are beyond the scope of what we're here for."

Crawford never seemed to understand the reason he was there: that was he was the terrorist the government wanted to stop all along. At one point, Crawford criticized his trial lawyer, Kevin Luibrand.

Sharpe had heard enough.

"Mr. Luibrand is an extraordinarily well-qualified attorney. I sat through the trial," the judge said. "To the extent you're trying to impugn him for the record to disclose what, in your view, is ineffective assistance of counsel, what we've really got here is an ineffective assistance of the defendant. It's your failure to recognize your conduct and how that conduct violates the statute."
On this date in ...

1916: Harriet Low, a 16-year-old Emma Willard student, was in serious condition in the hospital after suffering injuries in a coasting (bobsledding) accident that left her unconscious for more than 10 hours. This was the most serious of eight coastings that happened on Albany-area streets, leading police Chief James Hyatt to ban coasting on city streets and instructing his officers to make arrests and mete out punishments for repeated offenders who ignored warnings.

1966: Approved motorcycle helmets and eye-protection devices would have to be used by all motorcyclists and their passengers in the state starting Jan. 1, 1967, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Safety glasses, goggles, face shields and windscreens would qualify to protect eyes. The standards were passed by the Legislature to help reduce the number of motorcycle deaths and injuries.

1991: Troy rejected the idea of building a new public safety complex where the closed Ahern Apartments stood and would instead revamp the existing State Street building, City Manager Steven G. Dworsky said. As the Troy Housing Authority took the first step toward hiring a lawyer to handle selling the 144-unit project, the city manager revealed that he was no longer interested in purchasing the four buildings. To buy the Ahern property, located between Congress and Ferry streets, would cost the city $11 to $12 million. Instead, Dworsky estimated it would cost $3 to $4 million to renovate the existing structure.

Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/
For many people, the recession of 2007-2008 is still fresh on their minds. Going through another downturn, and so soon, would be dreadful. However, terrible policies and unnecessary political confrontations between nations could plunge the world into another recession.

And it's not like we're not feeling the effects of a slow global economic growth, already. Several countries have seen their projections contract.

Related: SMBs Confident in Global Economy Despite Upfront Concerns

However, some business sectors have shown tough resilience in the face of unpredictable economic outcomes. Here is a look at some of those industries and the lessons they can offer on flexibility, and why venturing into one of these particular categories could keep you safe from a serious downturn during a future economic shakedown.

1. Trucking

The growth of the trucking industry is strong -- especially in America. Trucking is responsible for 70 percent of the U.S. freight sector. A primary way to ascertain the strength of any industry is the number of jobs it's created. Truck Driving Jobs currently lists more than half-a-million jobs available.

And that figure doesn't even take into account the other, indirect jobs this industry creates, such as the mechanics servicing the trucks and employees of the companies selling the trucks and their parts.

2. Virtual learning

When the economy slows, people strive to improve their skills, to find better job opportunities. This is where virtual learning comes in. This industry provides the education needed by people seeking to advance their careers in a tough and competitive business world. It just doesn't have the brick walls.

A 2015 growth forecast projected that the elearning industry will exceed $107 billion.

3. Ride-hailing services

Uber operates in more than 500 cities around the globe. In a 2015 Business Insider report, Uber was described as the world's biggest employer, offering 50,000 driving jobs per month. The rise of Uber in the ride-hailing industry has seen several competitors build up around this over-$40 billion dollar industry.

What makes the ride-hailing service particularly attractive is its receptiveness to the technology ecosystem. The most advanced tech companies in the world today have made important contributions to this industry. Even a hard-hitting economic recession is unlikely to its solidity.

4. Online marketplace for homes

From real estate to hospitality -- think Zillow and Airbnb -- online marketplaces are increasing their staff strength to accommodate exploding growth. Airbnb was famously born out of two founders' difficulty in paying their rent. It has since grown into a multi-billion dollar business relied on by families that want to put empty guestrooms or whole homes to use.

Related: Diversity Defines Our Global Economy. Do You Speak the Language?

This sector sees increasing growth. An example is an online marketplace dedicated to manufactured homes, where home sellers do not need to worry about a location before commencing construction.

5. Contract blogging

Blogging is a business that offers several income opportunities. More businesses are moving to include content marketing in their growth strategy or plan to increase content-marketing budgets. Being a blogger means you may well see several businesses competing for your work.

6. Ecommerce

As buyers cut down the number of times they visit brick and mortar stores, in favor of discounted online shopping, ecommerce businesses will see their growth increase. The rise of ecommerce has seen several big-name stores close their outlets.

This development means more ecommerce stores will open in more countries around the world, especially in developing countries where demand is still high.

7. Online sports betting

One of the largest sports-betting platforms, Bet365, boasts of having more than 10 million players. Data from Statista shows that the online sports-betting industry may well top $53 billion dollars by 2018.

8. Online marketplace for professionals

As the gig economy shifts online, and more people get connected to businesses via the internet, online marketplaces for professionals will see increased growth.

We can thank LinkedIn for the rise of this business model. What supports the growth of this business model is that job-seekers and employers alike embrace it. For example, The Sawaya Law Firm, based in Colorado, encourages its attorneys and lawyers to use professional marketplaces to connect with more people.

Related: 3 Proven Ways to Grow Your Business Without a Lot of Money

The unpredictability of our economy will see more customers embrace the notion of lower-cost but still experienced online professionals. And these professionals will be less vulnerable to the economy, come what may.

Related:

8 Businesses Defying the Downturn of the Global Economy

Soulja Boy Is the OG Growth Hacker

4 Keys to Boosting Your Growth Rate in 2017



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Even as voters in more U.S. states approved legalized recreational marijuana this November  and 28 states have legalized medical marijuana  the federal government still lists marijuana as an illegal drug.

However, just north of the border, Canadian leaders have started moving in the opposite direction.

Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party, created a committee in the summer of 2016 to look into the issues surrounding making marijuana legal for recreational use across the entire country.

The panel recently submitted its findings. They call for a tightly controlled, heavily regulated recreational market that aims to provide adults who want to use cannabis a safe and legal way to buy it, while at the same time cracking down on the marijuana black market.

Related: How to Retain More Customers Without Spending a Dime

The panel, chaired by former Canadian Deputy Primate Minister Anne McLellan, wrote in its report that if put into action their recommendations will strike a balance between implementing appropriate restrictions, in order to minimize the harms associated with cannabis use, and providing adults access to a regulated supply of cannabis while reducing the scope and scale of the illicit market and its social harms.

Trudeau has said he expects to file legislation based on the panels recommendations in the spring of 2017.

Different approach in Canada.

In the U.S., some in the marijuana industry have voiced concerns about President-elect Donald Trumps position on legalized marijuana, particularly since his nominee for attorney general, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, have been a vocal opponent of legalized marijuana.

In Canada, the Liberal Party has taken a clear stance on making recreational marijuana legal. On the partys website, it states: We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana.

Canadas current system of marijuana prohibition does not work, they further state. It does not prevent young people from using marijuana and too many Canadians end up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug.

Related: The Next Entrepreneurial Gold Rush

The party hopes that legalizing recreational marijuana will reduce the amount available to young people and also keep the profits out of the hands of criminals.

Getting there, according to the panel, will take a great deal of work on the part of the national government.

Key recommendations.

The lengthy panel report focuses on taking a public health approach to regulating legalized marijuana. In doing so, the panel considered health issues such as chronic use of marijuana, mixing it with abuse of other substances (such as alcohol) and young people having too much access to cannabis. They also took into consideration the dangers of interaction with the illicit marijuana market.

Some of the key recommendations include.

Regulating advertising so it will not appeal to young people, or associate marijuana with use of other substances such as tobacco or alcohol

Set the legal age limit at 18

Requiring packaging that clearly states what the product contains, including strain of cannabis and amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the ingredient in marijuana that causes the high

Conducting sales only through specialty stores licensed by the government

Homeowners could have up to four cannabis plants, and individuals could carry up to 30 grams in public

Creating a seed-to-sale tracking system for recreational cannabis production

Extending the restrictions on public smoking of tobacco products in Canada to include cannabis

Strengthening penalties for selling cannabis outside the legal system

Related: Entrepreneur.com Staffers Pick Their Favorite Solutions of 2016

While the panel concludes that creating a government-run infrastructure for cannabis sales will take time and effort, they conclude that Canada is well-positioned to undertake the complex task of legalizing and regulating cannabis carefully and safely.

Related:

Canada Takes Next Step Toward National Marijuana Legalization

Thomas Jefferson University Receives $3 Million Marijuana Research Grant

Survey Finds Oregon Residents Support Banks Working With Marijuana Industry



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Beirut

A cease-fire agreement between Syria's government and weakened rebel forces is scheduled to start Friday, a potential turning point in a nearly six-year conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

The Syrian government's strongest ally, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, announced the deal Thursday.

Many past efforts to quell the fighting, brokered under the auspices of the United Nations, have failed, and Putin himself pronounced the deal "fragile." But the rebels' loss of their stronghold in Aleppo was a major blow to their movement to oust President Bashar Assad.

The agreement was negotiated by officials from Russia, Iran and Turkey with Assad's government and rebel representatives. Before the end of January, the factions will meet for talks in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Putin later spoke by telephone with Assad, who "expressed willingness to comply" with the accords, according to the Kremlin's website.

The Obama administration, which has resisted greater involvement in what it sees as a largely intractable conflict, welcomed the news.

"Any effort that stops the violence, saves lives, and creates the conditions for renewed and productive political negotiations would be welcome," said the State Department's deputy spokesman, Mark C. Toner, reiterating its view that "there is no military solution to this nearly six-year crisis."

If the agreement holds, it could solidify Assad's grip on the country's western ridge and lead to a joint effort by Russia and the United States against Islamic State militants. But that is a big if, given the number of parties involved, their competing interests and the scope of fighting.

Joshua M. Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, was one of many skeptical observers. "The truce will not last because most militias have not signed onto it, but it is important because Turkey is putting the militias on notice that its border will be closing to them and that the world will turn its backs on the military effort to make Assad step aside," he said.

"This points toward the 'political' solution that Assad and the Russians have been demanding, which is that the world must stop supporting the insurgency," he continued. "The regime will negotiate amnesty with militias it can deal with and will kill or chase out of Syria all those who refuse to sue for peace or whom it considers unredeemable or jihadists."

Of the seven rebel groups said to be signers of the deal, five have gotten U.S. military aid. Most are mainstream groups, but the list also included Ahrar al-Sham, a hard-line Islamist group that has close operational ties with al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria.

Explicitly not included are the jihadis: the Islamic State, the Syrian affiliate of al-Qaida and "groups linked to them."

Russia, Assad's backer, and Turkey, which supports some of the rebel groups, will guarantee the truce. Military operations are to halt nationwide.

Three agreements were signed, Putin said: the cease-fire itself; an agreement detailing how it would be carried out; and a third expressing readiness to begin peace talks for a settlement to the conflict.

Russian foreign minister Sergey V. Lavrov said President-elect Donald Trump's administration would be welcome to join the peace process after the inauguration.
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Ninth-grade students at New Canaan Country School collected and delivered dove bags of food for 52 local families on Dec. 16. The Dove Program, in its 48th year, is overseen and organized by Person-to-Person, a nonprofit organization with locations in Darien and Norwalk.

The food was donated by students in grades five to nine, while the 45 ninth-graders split into blue and white teams to facilitate organization and distribution of the 150 bags, loading them into vans and then off-loading them at the food pantry.

In addition to the efforts of the ninth-grade students, the sixth grade at the independent day school spent Dec. 20 at Person-to-Person in Darien, assisting with behind-the-scenes tasks such as restocking the food pantry and organizing clothing donations.

Just in time for Christmas

Continuing a yearly tradition, Marilyn Gifford hand-picked and delivered teddy bears donated by Toys-for-Tots to all of Waveny Care Centers residents and short-term patients just in time for the holiday season.

The Waveny volunteer passed out the bears on Dec. 21.

On the deans list

Lauren Peet, a New Canaan native, qualified for the fall deans list at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours and a quality grade-point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.

Studying abroad

Miami University student Nina Church, of New Canaan, spent the summer semester in Italy as part of a study abroad group.

Church is majoring in art and architecture history at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

First selectman to speak about town

First Selectman Robert Mallozzi III will address the New Canaan Mens Club Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. in Morrill Hall at St. Marks Church. He will speak on the State of the Town, which will include the past years major accomplishments, finance, development projects, Charter revision and critical issues facing New Canaan in the coming year.

Mallozzi, a graduate of the University of Vermont, is fulfilling his third term as first selectman. He and his wife, Elizabeth Howland, and their two children have been New Canaan residents for the past 14 years, during which time Mallozzi has chaired a number of boards and groups, including the Fund for New Canaan and the New Canaan Advisory Board. He has also been a member of various committees.

For information contact, Kevin Faughnan at 203-966-5702 or visit SMCNC.org.

Opioid Prevention slogan contest

A heroin epidemic is sweeping the country, and Connecticut is no exception, with two people dying from an opioid overdose each day. The Darien Health Department is asking for local students help to get the word out about opioid abuse by participating in the Opioid Prevention Committees slogan contest.

The contest is open to middle and high school studentsfrom Darien, New Canaan, Stamford and Greenwich. Students are encouraged to submit a 30-character slogan that is attention-grabbing and warns readers about the dangers of drug use.

Contest entries must be submitted to norxabuse.com by 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 8. The winner of the contest will get $250 in prizes. Two honorable mention winners will get $100 in prizes. All participants will be acknowledged on the contest website.

The winning slogan will be announced and a public award granted as a component of the Health Needs Assessment presentation by the Darien Health Department on Jan. 19. The award will constitute the official launch of the campaign and the slogan will be the official tagline in the upcoming campaign and marketing materials to raise awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
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Toquet Hall, Westports teen center, is accepting applications for its middle school and high school governing boards.

Established in 1998 by the Westport Youth Commission as a safe, substance-free place for teens by teens, the Toquet Hall governing boards play an integral role in helping to shape the programs and style of the teen center. Through this opportunity, Toquet Hall provides a forum for youth to serve as community assets, develop leadership skills, planning and decision making skills, and interact with people of different interests and backgrounds.

The governing boards meet bimonthly to discuss upcoming programs, review press kits, assist with fundraising initiatives and create promotion strategies. Students will gain valuable volunteer experience in a fun and unique setting.

Applications are available at toquethall.org and any student who lives in Westport is eligible to join regardless of where they attend school.

Please contact Kevin Godburn or Kiernan Castro at toquethall@hotmail.com or 203-341-1155 with any questions. Also watch for upcoming programs by visiting the website or following Toquet Hall on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

Taxes are due

Westport Tax Collector Peggy Klein reminded residents that third quarter real estate taxes, personal property taxes, and sanitary sewer use and assessment charges are due Jan. 1.

Taxpayers have until Feb. 1 to pay taxes without penalty. Accounts will be subject to an 18 percent penalty charge if paid late. Minimum interest charge is $2.

Real estate taxes, personal property taxes, and sanitary sewer use and assessment bills may be paid by credit card, debit card or direct withdrawal from a checking account online at westportct.gov.

Checks should be made payable to Town of Westport and mailed to:

Tax Collector - Westport

P.O. Box 350

Westport, CT 06881

Failure to receive a bill does not abate the charges or interest.

At the Center for Senior Activities

The Westport Center for Senior Activities is located at 21 Imperial Ave. For further information or to register for activities, please call 203-341-5099 or visit westportct.gov/seniorcenter.

Award-winning miniseries: Eleanor & Franklin, which won a combined 18 Emmy awards in 1976, will be shown at the senior center. The first part, The Early Years, will air on Jan. 5 and 12 at 3:15 p.m. The White House Years will be shown on Jan. 19 at 3:15 p.m.

The event is free.

Pet safety talk: Veterinarian Melissa Shapiro will discuss pet safety (household toxins, car safety, fencing, etc.) for dogs, cats, and other pets on Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. She will also spend time discussing the importance of choosing reliable, safe pet care (dog walkers, pet sitters, kennels).

Shapiro, a graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, will bring two of her rescued shelter dogs who will entertain and visit with the audience. There will be time for an informal Q&A and discussion following the talk.

The event is free and open to all ages.

Safety reminders

Westport has experienced numerous vehicle break-ins during the month of December. In all cases of vehicles being entered, which resulted in thefts, the doors were unlocked. The recent thefts have occurred overnight.

The Westport Police Department reminds residents to please lock your car and bring your keys inside. Please remember to take valuables out of your car for the night, such as cash, purses, wallets and electronics. It is also good practice to keep outside lights on and motion lights activated.

Please notify the police department if it appears your vehicle was entered or you observe anything suspicious in your neighborhood.

Get your flu shot

The Westport Weston Health District still has flu vaccine and would like to remind students returning home for the holidays that it is a good time to get vaccinated as the flu season will peak around February.

This is a good time for older adults to also get vaccinated. Recent studies endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that the standard flu vaccine tended to wear off more quickly in older adults. Therefore, waiting to the end of the calendar year to be vaccinated helps ensure the vaccine lasts through flu season, which runs from October to May.

This year, the types of flu vaccines offered will include injectable vaccine for people three years and older, and high dose vaccine for persons 65 years and older.

The CDC does not recommend using the nasal flu spray this year due to low efficacy rates for the past two flu seasons.

The injectable flu vaccine for those under 65 years of age is quadrivalent, which means it contains four influenza strains; two influenza A and two influenza B strains. The high-dose flu vaccine for those over 65 years of age is a trivalent vaccine and contains two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain.

High dose vaccine has been shown to improve the production of antibodies, thus providing a stronger immune response against the flu. The most important issue is to get vaccinated.

To schedule an appointment call 203-227-9571, ext. 231.

Call for photos

The Fairfield Museum and History Center will hold its ninth annual IMAGES Juried Photography Show to celebrate the exceptional work of talented photographers in our region.

Entries will be accepted through Feb. 5.

Professional, serious amateur, and student photographers from Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are invited to participate.

The show will be on display from March 9 to April 30. In addition, the photography of Joe Standart will be on display.

Visit fairfieldhistory.org/exhibitions-2/images for more information or to enter.
Crowdfunding made its much-awaited debut last summer to great fanfare. The new Regulation Crowdfunding rules enacted in May 2016 -- designed to facilitate small-scale investment into private businesses -- permit securities crowdfunding under the JOBS Act of 2012 such that anyone, not just accredited investors, can acquire an equity stake directly in a company. Yet despite the rapturous articles and frenzy of social media postings, early data from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) suggests that capital raised under Regulation Crowdfunding is likely to remain a small portion of overall 2016 capital raised.

Related: How State and Federal Crowdfunding Regulations Differ

Regulation Crowdfunding was conceived to enable small companies to raise small amounts of capital from ordinary folks. The new rules allow companies to raise up to $1 million over a 12-month period, and investors are able to contribute up to $2,000 or a set percentage of their annual income or net worth (5 percent if an investors annual income or net worth is below $100,000 and 10 percent if it is above $100,000). The transactions take place over intermediary platforms, which face additional requirements for advertising and disclosure imposed largely to protect the investors.

Initial data provided by SEC Chair Mary Jo White shows that only $4.4 million in funds was committed by investors under the Regulation Crowdfunding rules within the first two months. Additional Morrison & Foerster LLP (MoFo) research reveals that, as of the beginning of November, there have been fewer than 150 offerings raising an aggregate of just under $20 million over the 19 platforms regulated and permitted by the SEC.

So why has there been a slow uptake of financing through Regulation Crowdfunding, and what should you be thinking about? Heres the most important question to ask yourself when determining whether to pursue a crowdfunding approach -- Is crowdfunding good for your business?

The question often arises because entrepreneurs need initial capital to launch their businesses. The earliest cash generally comes from friends and family -- and credit cards -- but increasingly, entrepreneurs seek out incubators or accelerators that provide business guidance alongside of initial capital. Angel investors and high-net-worth individuals, either as individuals or through networks like Angels List, can play this role as well to varying degrees.

Arguably, though, some small startup companies may benefit from an increased investor base and easier access to capital that comes from Regulation Crowdfunding. Such democratized financing can enable new products, markets and businesses to grow and succeed organically with strong buy-in from its community and customers. This view also sees crowdfunding as beneficial to investors, and even society at large, since equity ownership is diversified among people who are often not direct shareholders or investors in companies.

Related: 3 Essentials to Succeeding at Equity Crowdfunding

However, Regulation Crowdfunding may not work for some startups, especially those with a social or environmental purpose, that are particularly uncomfortable giving away equity at such an early stage and for potentially little cash. So entrepreneurs -- often those in consumer product markets -- see crowdfunding as their last best alternative to bootstrapping. Beyond this, Regulation Crowdfunding also imposes the following potential significant issues that all startups need to think about and weigh when considering whether it is a worthwhile tradeoff for them before proceeding down this financing road.

Reporting requirements.

A company that elects to take advantage of Regulation Crowdfunding is required to file comprehensive documentation with the SEC before making a securities offering. The filing will contain extensive information about the company -- including names of the companys directors and officers, anticipated business plans, financial data such as debt and the companys risk factors -- and will be publicly available. In addition, the company will need to update this information once a year going forward, and file annual financial statements that may need to be audited. Finally, the company is required to file public progress reports disclosing material changes to investors for any crowdfunding securities offering that was not completed or terminated.

Additional costs.

According to initial assessments, there are likely to be significant administrative and accounting costs, much of which are due to the heavy reporting requirements discussed above. There will also be institutional costs. For example, all crowdfunding transactions must take place through a single intermediary -- a platform that is SEC approved and registered -- which may charge a fee or take an equity position in the company as compensation.

Promotion and advertisement.

Any public announcement about the offering, including advertising and promotions, are limited to:

A statement that the company is making an offering (and the name of and link to the intermediary platform conducting the offering) The offering terms Contact information and a business description of the company.

A company may hire a promoter, but disclosure of whether the promoter received compensation is required on each communication.

Financing limitations.

For companies that want to raise small amounts of capital, Regulation Crowdfunding may be an attractive option. However, the new rules prohibit companies engaged in crowdfunding from raising more than $1 million within a 12-month period, which for many high-growth startups is prohibitively low.

Related: 3 Crowdfunding Secrets From an Entrepreneur Who Raised $11.5 Million

Management challenges.

In addition to the limitations placed on the companies, there are also restrictions on how much each investor can contribute. Because each investors contribution is limited, companies will need to manage many more shareholders than they typically would in a seed financing round. Not only is it a burden on a small company to manage many investors, but institutional investors may not be inclined to invest alongside numerous unknown and unsophisticated shareholders. As a result, companies that take advantage of Regulation Crowdfunding may find it is difficult to bring in later stage capital when ready to scale -- a critical issue since scaling is often an even bigger challenge for startups than finding initial seed capital.

To date, we have not seen any U.S. companies that have raised venture capital from outside funds after first raising capital under the new Regulation Crowdfunding rules -- although a U.K. crowdfunding platform that crowdfunded itself did receive later venture capital support.

Investor relations.

Investing is about more than money since companies often seek strategic investors who can help them with introductions, future capital raising or business guidance. However, crowdfunding is unlikely to become a major source of deal flow for professional early-stage investors. The types of companies that are mainly utilizing these platforms are smaller slow-growth companies and -- largely due to the financial limitations of Regulation Crowdfunding -- are not the types of companies that achieve the scale/return that professional investors prefer. Because of this, a company that requires experienced and strategic investors is unlikely to find them on a crowdfunding platform.

Given all of the challenges noted above, many startups that had hoped to benefit from Regulation Crowdfunding may be better served by electing a more traditional venture capital approach. For some, if not most, the reporting requirements, costs and restrictions, management difficulties and the lack of professional early-stage investors in crowdfunding will outweigh the benefits. From our vantage point, the proponents of crowdfunding have more work to do before their ultimate vision is realized.
The family of a Groves man killed while cleaning an industrial tank in Port Arthur in October is suing two companies for negligence and wrongful death, according to a filing in Jefferson County District Court earlier this month.

Allan Ramirez, 34, and his father Wilfredo Ramirez, 58, were employees of FreeFlow Services, LLC, and were cleaning a tanker delivered by Houston-based Sprint Waste Services, LP, on Nov. 4. A news release from the City of Port Arthur following the incident said the two men became trapped in the tank.
Guns, money and illegal drugs were found recently at a home in Edwardsville.

No charges have been filed although prosecutors are continuing to look into the case.

It began on Dec. 9 when the U.S. Postal Inspectors Office contacted members of the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois about a package they suspected contained illegal items, according to documents filed in Madison County Circuit Court.

The package had been shipped from California and was headed to a home on Homestead Court in Edwardsville.

It arrived there on Dec. 12 after which drug agents showed up at the home and received permission to search it.

They allegedly found nearly 42 grams of cocaine, about 1,500 grams of marijuana, two pistols, and $4,700 in cash, according to court documents.

Four days later, MEGSI agents approached the Madison County States Attorneys office and presented a case for requesting a judge to order the homeowner to forfeit the cash under the Controlled Substances Act, the Cannabis Control Act, and the Illinois Drug Asset Forfeiture Procedure Act.

The homeowner acknowledged not having a job.

The request claims that the cash was found near illegal drugs and/or drug paraphernalia, and was substantial and inexplicable.

It also claims that "the homeowner and others questioned in the investigation made statements that authorities felt were 'inconsistent and lacking in veracity,'" according to paperwork filed by the States Attorneys Office.
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Clarification: The original version of this story said if mold was found in the hallways the remediation cost could surpass $1 million. School officials say this is not accurate and the original estimate of $250,000 to $300,000 still stands whether mold is found in the halls or not. The story has been adjusted.



WESTPORT  A mold removal project at Coleytown Middle School appears to be worsening.

School officials believe the process will cost more than originally thought after mold was found in new areas throughout the school.

Over the schools Thanksgiving break, three rooms were inspected and remediated by Brooks Environmental Consulting: classroom 116, classroom 117 and the custodians office. The consultants report states that the observed levels of mold could cause coughing, wheezing, trouble breathing, asthma attacks, irritation and itching. It also mentions that the observed condition may cause biological exposuresand chemicals exposure.

Coleytown Middle School Principal Kris Szabo said, Weve had no reports of allergy onset from any staff or students in the building since all of this has started.

The initial mold problem, which stems from a design flaw in the unit ventilator of the walls and substandard insulation, was first reported by a janitor in August in classroom 133. Szabo said classroom 133 was the only instance of exposed mold in the school and all other mold discovered is concealed.

Classroom 116, where Ellen Hilton teaches French, was found to have potentially toxic mold; classroom 117, where Karen Kupinse teaches Spanish, turned up common molds and the custodians office yielded potentially toxic mold. All three rooms were stripped of mold over the Nov. 23-26 period and both classrooms were deemed to meet acceptable levels to resume instruction in. The janitors office requires further air testing.

Students inhabited the two classrooms from the start of the year until Thanksgiving break, Szabo said. They returned the Monday after break, when all abatement work was finished, and resumed class in rooms 116 and 117.

Out of 34 total rooms and two hallways, 18 rooms have been tested with nine of them containing mold. Although the entire remediation project was expected to be completed by January and cost $250,000, School Business Operations Director Elio Longo said that the hallways will not be addressed until the summer and, currently, the project is expected to cost up to $300,000.

Only two parents have inquired about the mold issue, Szabo said. One of the phone calls was to offer help and the other asked to see the school was following protocol.

John Horrigan, the co-president of the Westport Education Association, a teachers union, issued an emailed statement saying he supports the way the school district is handling the mold removal: ...my only comment would be that the Tools for Schools Committee at CMS..I serve on it as well as the head custodian for CMS and also the district head of building services..has been on top of this situation from the first notice of the problems to reviewing the report and examining spaces. I am confident that the district is doing the best they can to cope with this situation with minimal impact on teaching.

Over the winter break, they intend to inspect rooms: 103, 104, 105, 106 and if time permits, 202, 221 and 222.

Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer declined to provide a mapped-out image of the affected rooms, citing security concerns.

@chrismmarquette; cmarquette@bcnnew.com
Washington

The Obama administration struck back at Russia on Thursday for its efforts to influence the 2016 election, ejecting 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the United States and imposing sanctions on Russia's two leading intelligence services.

The administration also sanctioned four top officers of one of those services, the military intelligence unit known as the GRU, which the White House believes ordered the attacks on the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations.

The expulsion of the 35 diplomats was in response to the harassment of U.S. diplomats in Russia, officials said. None of those officials are believed to be connected to the hacking, they said. In addition, the State Department announced the closing of two "recreational facilities"  one in New York, another in Maryland  that it said were used for Russian intelligence activities, although officials would not say whether they were specifically used in the election-related hacks.

The United States also released samples of malware and other indicators of Russian cyberactivity, including network addresses of computers commonly used by the Russians to launch attacks. Taken together, the actions amount to the strongest U.S. response ever taken to a state-sponsored cyberattack aimed at the nation.

The sanctions were in part intended to box in President-elect Donald Trump who has consistently cast doubt that the Russian government had anything to do with the hacking of the DNC or other institutions, saying U.S. intelligence agencies could not be trusted.

Trump will now have to decide whether to lift the sanctions on the Russian intelligence agencies when he takes office next month, with Republicans in Congress among those calling for a public investigation into Russia's actions. Should Trump do so, it would require him to effectively reject the findings of his intelligence agencies.

Asked on Wednesday night about reports of the impending sanctions, Trump said: "I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on."

President Barack Obama, in a statement, said, "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions." He said he acted after "repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government" and called the moves "a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms."

The samples of malware were in what the Obama administration called a "joint analytic report" from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that was based in part on intelligence gathered by the National Security Agency. A more detailed report on the intelligence, ordered by Obama, will be published in the next three weeks, though much of the detail is expected to remain classified.

In Moscow, there was a sense that the Obama administration was trying to take unseemly last-minute revenge against Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

"We regret that this decision was made by the U.S. administration and President Obama personally," Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesman for Putin, told reporters. "As we have said before, we believe such decisions and such sanctions are ungrounded and illegal from the point of view of international law."

Russia is studying the details of what Washington did, he said, and some manner of reciprocal answer can be expected.

Konstantin Kosachyov, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, told Interfax that "this is the agony not even of 'lame ducks,' but of 'political corpses.' "
Jan. 1, 1937: A midnight matinee at the Granada Theater attracted several hundred who made merry and greeted 1937 with a bedlam of noise and greetings.

--More than a score of Hale County and 64th District Court officials took their oaths of office this morning, administered by County Judge H.M. LaFont. New faces in the group were Pat Connelly, county treasurer; R.A. Daugherty, Precinct 2 commissioner; and Elmer Goen, Hale Center constable.

--Mr. and Mrs. Neis left this morning for a short wedding trip to New Mexico. (The first names of the newlyweds were not printed in the brief news item.)

Jan. 1, 1967: Lockney ISD has filed a lawsuit for damages, seeking $265,000 from the contractor, architect and bonding company in connection with Lockneys elementary school which cost about a half-million dollars when constructed in 1964.

--Featured in the News of Area Servicemen column were Airman First Class Bobby C. Olson, whose wife Jelene is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Grady Hill of Hale Center; Pvt. Ronnie Kidd, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Kidd of Aiken; and Airman Scottie Haley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Graven H. Haley of Hale Center.

--Herald proofreaders Nancy Herrington and Sandy Lindeman where shown in a photo turning a table with a Happy New Year sign.

Jan. 1, 1977: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Crofford of Enid, Okla., are parents of the first baby born locally in 1977, Autumn Michelle Crofford. They have been visiting relatives in Earth over the Christmas holiday.

--Roger Pierson of Memphis, Tenn., was in satisfactory condition at Central Plains General Hospital on Saturday following an industrial accident at the United Farm Industries elevator on the Dimmitt Highway.

--Ronald Morris and Henry Rieff were sworn in Friday as new Hale County commissioners by Hale County Judge Henry Heck.

Jan. 1, 1997: Texas House Speaker Pete Laney administered the oath of office to John Thomas Boyd, chief justice of the Seventh Court of Appeals in Amarillo. Precinct 1 Commissioner Earle McDonough took his oath of office from County Judge Bill Hollars. Sheriff David Mull was sworn in by 64th District Judge Jack Miller.

--Whitewater figure Susan McDougal remained in a California jail Monday while California and federal officials argued over who would pay for transporting her back to a federal prison in Fort Worth.

--Jingle All The Way, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is now showing at the Cinema 6 movie theater.
Saying it is smarter to go after drug dealers than users, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said he sees Texas moving toward more acceptance of marijuana.

Acevedo, who recently took office, predicted that in the next few years, Texas will see a "rigorous review" of the medical benefits of marijuana.

He shared his perspectives on radio station 90.1 KPFT's Cultural Baggage program, which is hosted by Dean Becker and is set to air at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

"I think you'll have a really spirited but well-informed discussion, and at some point I could really foresee, in the future, marijuana and some other oils being legalized for medicinal purposes; it will probably be the first step in Texas," Acevedo said.

The chief also discussed his desire to implement a law-enforcement program he used in Austin, where he served as police chief before coming to Houston, that focused on giving street-corner drug dealers a second chance.

Under that program, dealers were rounded up, confronted with iron-clad criminal cases as well as members of the clergy and their families, and faced with an offer to set the charges aside if they would enter a program to turn their lives around.

Becker, a former military policeman, said after the interview that it seemed clear to him during the interview that the chief knows the drug war is not working out.

"He is ready for change," Becker said. "He knows it has been a failure."

The show will be shared with dozens of other stations in the United States and Canada over the next week.
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A Harris County judge has ruled that a death row inmate deserves a new trial because of false testimony by a Houston Police Department ballistics expert during a trial in 1993.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest court in Texas, will decide whether 46-year-old Arthur Brown, who was convicted of killing four people in a drug deal, gets a retrial, his attorney Paul Mansur said Friday.

State District Judge Mark Kent Ellis ruled earlier this month that ballistics examiner Charles Anderson testified falsely in 1993 about whether bullets found at a grisly murder scene matched two pistols connected to Brown.

BOYFRIEND ACCUSED: Man charged with capital murder in missing woman's death

"(Prosecutors) presented this false testimony as part of its attempt to tie these guns to Mr. Brown and his co-defendants," Mansur wrote in court filings.

He said police recovered two handguns in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where Brown had dealings, then connected the guns to him through friends and family. HPD firearms experts then connected the guns to the killings.

Brown was sentenced to death after being convicted of being part of a cocaine ring smuggling drugs to Alabama when six people were shot execution-style in a massive drug deal in southwest Houston in 1992.

Two of the people survived to testify against him and two other men who were convicted. One of those men is serving a life sentence. The other has been executed.

Experts found the judge's ruling perplexing because disagreements among experts are common but seldom lead to retrials. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Reiss noted that "false testimony" is different from perjury, which triggers different standards.

Read how the court decided the case at HoustonChronicle.com.
Bob Owen, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

The number of immigrants deported from the U.S. fell sightly last year while the number apprehended at the border rose, trends that can be attributed to policies narrowing who gets removed from the country and an increase in asylum seekers who go through the immigration court system, Obama Administration officials said Friday.

The Department of Homeland Security deported 450,000 people from October 2015 to September of this year, according to numbers released this week, a decrease of 2.5 percent from the year before. Meanwhile, the number of immigrants caught by the Border Patrol went up to 416,000, up 23 percent from last year, although officials cautioned thats a significant decrease from the number apprehended 15 years ago, at the height of illegal immigration to the U.S.
REYNOSA, Mexico  Immigrants seeking asylum have clogged international ports along the Southwest border in recent months, leading U.S. immigration officials to turn many people back to Mexico until they can schedule an appointment to have their case processed.

Concerned advocates claim turning them back is illegal and flouts the nations commitment to asylum seekers, with little regard for their safety in returning them to Mexicos gang-controlled border communities.
SAN ANTONIO  A fireworks hotline will be available New Years Eve for residents to report illegal fireworks within city limits.

That number, 210-207-0202, will be available for calls on Saturday from 6 p.m. until 12:30 a.m., with all calls being used to notify authorities of fireworks use within the city, according to a news release.
San Antonio political brothers Julian and Joaquin Castro didn't fully relax over the Christmas holiday, instead doubling down on their distaste for President-elect Donald Trump on Twitter.

With Julian Castro's days as housing secretary waning, he took to Twitter Dec. 26, calling the president-elect "the shadiest, most corrupt guy to take the Oval Office."
Clay County Sheriff

The 18-year-old man accused of fatally shooting his 3-year-old stepson in the head to keep him from jumping on a bed in May pleaded guilty to the crime in a North Texas court this week.

George Coty Wayman, 18, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the capital murder of a person under 10 years old, Big Country reports.
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WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald Trump met Friday with two Texas Republicans, ex-Texas agriculture commissioner and comptroller Susan Combs and former Texas U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla.

The morning meetings were announced by Trump spokesman Sean Spicer, though he didn't say what they were for. Combs has been widely assumed to be under consideration for Agriculture Secretary, one of a handful of open cabinet positions, along with Veterans Affairs and Director of National Intelligence.

She met with Vice President-elect Mike Pence last week in Washington.

Bonilla, a congressman from San Antonio between 1993 and 2007, has not entered into public cabinet discussions until now, though Trump has been under pressure to include a Hispanic in a top White House post.

The meetings come two days after Trump met with former Texas A&M President Elsa Murano, whom the Trump team has identified as a candidate for Agriculture Secretary.

Another Texan angling for the job is current Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who said he was scheduled to meet Friday with Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus and senior advisor Stephen Bannon.

Spicer's briefing on Trump appointments for Friday did not mention Miller, even though he was believed to be at the President-elect's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, for his meetings with Priebus and Bannon.

Bonilla was nominated in 2007 by then President George W. Bush to be the permanent U.S. representative to the Organization of American States, with the rank of ambassador. He requested his name be withdrawn after two months when the Senate took no action. Instead, he joined a Washington lobbying firm.

His surprise meeting with Trump Friday fueled speculation that he could be under consideration as U.S. trade representative or ambassador to Mexico, both potentially key posts as the Trump administration negotiates trade deals with its southern neighbor.

Austin GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak, a former congressional aide, said Bonilla remains well regarded on Capitol Hill. Among Hispanics Republicans who could serve in a Trump administration, Mackowiak said, "his name would have to be at the top of the list."
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When Gerry Goldstein took on his first capital murder case in 1975, he was paired with another young attorney trying to build his practice in San Antonio, Van Hilley.

That meeting between men who would become respected members of the San Antonio legal community eventually led to them creating Goldstein, Goldstein and Hilley, one of the premier criminal defense firms in the country. It paired the colorful Goldstein with the calm, collected Hilley.

Im not sure I did much for him, but he certainly complemented me, Goldstein said.

Among his accomplishments as a lawyer were serving as the president of the San Antonio Bar Association and being chosen by the U.S. district judges as the chairman of the U.S. District Court Magistrate Selection Committee for the San Antonio Division.

Hilley died Dec. 23 of brain cancer. He was 70.

A beneficiary of mentoring as a young lawyer, Hilley was always happy to share his much sought-after counsel, said his son Derek.

Despite his fathers position in the San Antonio legal community, Derek Hilley said, he was deeply involved in the lives of his children and, later, his grandchildren.

He was a great father who was heavily invested in our lives, attending events that we were participating in,, said Derek Hilley, himself a lawyer. He was always present, always there for us as kids, but I didnt know my dad was such a great attorney until later in our lives.

More Information Van G. Hilley Born: April 15, 1946, Brunswick, Georgia Died: Dec. 23, 2016, San Antonio Survivors: Wife Grace Connie Hilley; daughter Kara Mowrey; son Derek Hilley; and four grandchildren Services: Held Thursday See More Collapse

As a child in Corpus Christi, he lived seven houses down from the girl he would eventually marry. They went on their first date when he was 18 and she was 16. Van and Grace Connie Hilley were married for 45 years. Derek Hilley said his parents enjoyed traveling together and daily walks with their dog Brooksie.

Hilley was a skilled lawyer and beloved at the courthouse, said longtime friend and fellow lawyer and Longhorn Mark Murray, but was also known for what he did outside of the courtroom.

He would get very involved in trying to help his clients families and children try to get their lives together, Murray said.

Hilley had an ethical rudder that served him well in his professional and personal lives, Goldstein said. Raised Baptist, Hilley continued to attend Shearer Hills Baptist Church in San Antonio, but he wasnt the kind of person who wore it on his sleeve, Goldstein said.

Whether you were in a courtroom or a bar room or a classroom, there was a guy that you wanted to be there with you, Goldstein said.

jbuch@express-news.net
New Year's celebrations can be entertaining and extremely memorable events, but going overboard by excessively drinking and deciding to drive can turn out to be very costly. One particular problem plaguing partiers is that ignorance reins when it comes to DWI offenses.

Not only do many people not know how severely a drunk-driving charge can negatively affect their lives, but they also are largely unaware about what it takes to get them over the legal limit. Everyone getting in their cars on New Year's Eve are absolutely convinced that they are sober.

Here are some points of interest for those who do make the irrevocably irresponsible decision to overindulge in drinking this weekend.

As with any criminal charge, a person charged with driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If guilt is established (often through the defendant's own plea or after a jury trial), the penalty will depend on state law, as well as on any aggravating circumstances (such as the presence of an open bottle of liquor in the car) and the defendant's cooperation with the police.

In all states, first-offense DUI or DWI is classified as a misdemeanor, and punishable by up to six months in jail. That jail time may be increased under certain circumstances.

First offense  After your first DWI offense in Texas, you may be fined up to $2,000 and spend between three and 180 days in jail. Additionally, your license may be suspended for up to two years, and there may be an annual surcharge of as much as $2,000 to keep your license for three years.

A number of states' court sentences may include alcohol teaching and prevention programs, treatment for alcohol abuse, assessment of a person for possible alcohol or drug dependency or addiction, and community service or victim restitution. The judge may recommend these steps instead of jail time or paying fines, most likely for a first offender. Or the judge may combine them with other penalties. In Texas, for example, minors convicted of a DUI must perform community service, in addition to any other penalties.

For a DUI or DWI that's been classified as a felony  either because the driver killed or injured someone or because it's the driver's third or fourth DUI  jail sentences of several years are not uncommon. Again, this depends on state law, the facts of the case, and the discretion of the judge at trial.

I have been on all sides of the courtroom  as judge, prosecutor and defender  and know the ugly reality of DWI convictions. Your DWI problems don't end at the arrest. This type of conviction will have an extreme adverse effect on your current job, your ability to obtain new employment, and, of course, your finances.

Montgomery County's "No Refusal" policy means that drivers who refuse to submit to sobriety testing will then be targeted for warrants to obtain blood samples, which will be used as evidence for a conviction. No scientific tests are 100 percent accurate. These tests are being performed by human beings, often in the middle of the night. Mistakes do happen.

These are a few tips for protecting yourself in the event you do find yourself pulled over:

Less is more. If you are being detained, don't say anything. Everything is being recorded by law enforcement and can be used against you in the courtroom.

Call a lawyer. From the moment you are pulled over, your every move will be scrutinized. Call a lawyer to represent and advise you through the process.

Politely decline a sobriety test. If you have reason to be concerned, you can decline taking the test. If you are in Montgomery County where the "No Refusal" policy is in effect, you can opt to blow into the meter and face the possibility of being arrested. Or you can refuse and await the blood sample warrant. Your attorney can advise you throughout this process.

Cooperate with law enforcement at all times. There is no need to escalate a DWI stop into something worse. Be polite and respectful at all times. You don't need a motivated peace officer calling up the District Attorney's office to make sure you get what he or she thinks you have coming.

Knowing your rights is your best defense. When that isn't enough, contact an experienced, proven attorney who will fight to defend your rights on your behalf.

Mike Seiler is an attorney specializing in criminal and civil defense for Montgomery County and surrounding areas. He began his legal career as a prosecutor, working for the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office for 16 years before being appointed to the 435th state District Court by Gov. Rick Perry. He resigned from the bench in 2016. Today, Seiler enjoys traveling around the state of Texas representing clients in all types of cases. He is one of very few attorneys in the region who have enjoyed successful careers in all three aspects of a courtroom  prosecutor, judge and defender. For more information about Seiler, visit www.theseilerlawfirm.com or call 281-419-7770.
Doc Holliday rang in the New Year in Dallas on Jan. 1, 1875, by shooting a fellow gambler.

With a powerful planter and war hero for a father, John Henry Holliday had a lot to live up to. Not only was Major Holliday top dog in the county, he also had commanded Fannin's Avengers, a company of Georgia volunteers, in the Mexican War.

But the boy's world collapsed when his mother passed away in 1866, a calamity compounded by the sudden intrusion of an unwanted stepmother. Little John never forgave his father for remarrying and spent his adolescence punishing the widower for the betrayal.

Sent to Baltimore to study dentistry, young Holliday learned a lot more than how to pull teeth. Prowling the dockside dives that infested the harbor town, he developed an insatiable thirst for liquor and games of chance.

A licensed dentist at the age of 20, Holliday opened an office in Atlanta but feeling out of sorts consulted a local physician. The diagnosis took his breath away. The cause of Holliday's nagging cough was an incurable case of tuberculosis.

Told that a drier climate might buy him another year or two, the doomed dentist bought a one-way ticket west. Departing Atlanta without so much as a word to family and friends, he rode the train to the end of the line, which in early 1874 happened to be Dallas, Texas.

Doc, as he was known by then, went through the motions of resuming his dental practice while gravitating toward the gambling joints that lined Main Street. A natural genius at poker, he raked in enough cash to make ends meet and gave up his legitimate livelihood altogether. When any day could be his last, the melancholy young man saw no future in living for tomorrow.

The New Year's Day shooting landed Holliday in jail, but he quickly posted bail and skipped town. Beating a Dallas posse to the Red River, he hid out in the Indian Territory before taking temporary refuge at Jacksboro.

Dressing the part of a gentleman gambler, the immaculate Georgian favored gray suits and brightly colored shirts. Beneath the dapper attire, however, he was a walking arsenal. Packing a pair of pistols, one on the right hip and another in a shoulder holster, he also carried a sheath knife in his breast pocket.

Killings were such a common occurrence in rough-and-tumble Jacksboro that the stranger's first offense hardly raised an eyebrow. But the second slaying in May 1876 prompted an immediate change of address since the U.S. Army hated to lose soldiers in private combat. This time, Holliday did not stop until he reached Denver, Colorado.

During his Rocky Mountain retreat, Doc did his best not to attract attention and even adopted an alias. But a low profile was not his style, and he ultimately blew his cover by practically decapitating a poker opponent with his ever-ready knife.

Outdistancing yet another posse, Holliday returned to Texas by way of New Mexico and settled at the notorious Flats outside Fort Griffin. At this West Texas oasis for card sharks and cutthroats, he met in 1877 the lawman who became his one and only friend.

Soon after Wyatt Earp left town, the hot-tempered Southerner gutted a disgruntled customer that dared to question his integrity. Breaking with tradition, Doc stood his ground, insisting he had acted in self-defense, and went quietly off to jail.

In a matter of minutes, Holliday regretted the decision for it only took that long for a lynch mob to gather in the street. Just when it looked like he would not have to wait for the tuberculosis to run its course, a resourceful girlfriend rushed to the rescue.

Cleverly setting fire to a barn, Big Nosed Kate broke her true love out of the hoosegow while the vigilantes battled the blaze. Holliday bid Texas a not-so-fond farewell as he rode north to Dodge City.

At the Kansas cowtown in September 1878, Doc saved Earp from a back-alley ambush. A year and a half later, he followed his pal to Tombstone and the legendary fireworks at the O.K. Corral in 1881.

The next year, Holliday along with the Earp brothers vacated the Arizona Territory. Knocking around the Colorado boomtowns, Doc added several more notches to his fast gun but never saw the inside of a prison cell.

Fourteen years after receiving the medical death sentence, the terminal disease and a fondness for whiskey finally caught up with hard-living Holliday. A bedridden invalid, he lingered for weeks in a deep coma.

Doc Holliday startled the sickroom spectators on Nov. 8, 1887, by suddenly opening his eyes and demanding a drink. He downed a tumbler of whiskey, smiled faintly and said in his Dixie drawl, "This is funny."

Moments later, the Wild West enigma was dead at age 35.

Bartee's three books and ten "Best of This Week in Texas History" column collections are available for purchase at barteehaile.com.
As if it werent bad enough that the Texas Legislature will likely devote far too much energy pursuing a ban on sanctuary cities, comes news that a fight over sanctuary campuses is also percolating. Gov. Greg Abbott is pledging to withhold state funding from schools declaring themselves such.

Students and faculty at several Texas university campuses  including the University of Texas at San Antonio  are circulating petitions or otherwise urging school leaders to designate themselves sanctuaries. While it is unclear what this term means  or whether a campus can, as a practical matter, prevent federal immigration authorities from, for instance, coming on to campuses  this is an entirely unnecessary distraction from real problems in Texas.

Sanctuary cities and campuses arent problems. So, what we appear to be left with is a matter of symbology. From the state, a desire to posture as forever tough on undocumented immigration. From campuses, a desire to present a more welcoming face to the students among them who were brought to this country as young children.

In this, the campuses are on the right side from a humanitarian standpoint.

Generally, they want to prevent campus police from, in effect, becoming arms of immigration enforcement. And they dont want their schools to provide information on possible undocumented statuses of students to authorities. On this last item, again, how schools do this is unclear if a campus faces a court order.

But the governor might also not be on much solid ground in his threat to withhold state funding  generally such decisions are made by the Legislature.

We wonder if such a decision as not proactively cooperating with immigration authorities and telling campus police to stick with real crime issues even requires a declaration. And we wonder the utility  or fairness  of denying state funding for a declared sanctuary campus when most students wont be undocumented.

There is nothing fair about exposing undocumented students brought to this country at early ages by parents to any kind of repercussion. They had no choice in coming here.

Does a university or college really need a declaration to do the right thing? Does a state really need the divisiveness  and the lack of empathy this demonstrates  when it does?
In the not too distant past, auto makers needed bailouts, and financial institutions were crumbling due to bad loans.

Flash forward to the present: Almost weekly, we see stories about the lack of housing for low- or middle-income families. Families must take out large mortgages to afford homes, and I bet a lot of them will wind up defaulting.

In addition, every new car dealer has so much inventory on hand he needs three or four lots to store them. When they are all inundated, what will the manufacturers do? Lay off workers and seek government help?

I am afraid we do not learn from past mistakes, and we are headed for trouble again. We already saw what happens over and over in the oil business  boom to bust to boom. Other entities may well follow suit.

Randy Carpenter, Seguin

Some friend

Amid the bromance between president-elect Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, its time to look at the latters old job with the KGB.

What did he do in the Soviet secret service workplace back in the day? Deliver food to senior citizen homes ... serve as school crossing guard ... man a phone donation bank for stray dogs?

Yes, a dissident journalist was shot to death in recent times next to the Kremlin, but Vlad was watching the Kardashians on TV and didnt know?

Meanwhile, millions of Russians have been sent to the Gulag, voting booth freedom abridged by election monitors and Russian control their internet and television.

Donald, you need to get a better friend. Perhaps put up a photo of Stalin on a White House wall after you move in?

Mary Migliore
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Readers, this Water Cooler is a bit light, because I got started late. But an early Happy New Year to you! lambert

2016

Trump Transition

Trumps Extreme Oligarchy [Simon Johnson, Project Syndicate]. US President-elect Donald Trump is filling his cabinet with rich people. According to the latest count, his nominees include five billionaires and six multimillionaires. This is what is known as oligarchy: direct control of the state by people with substantial private economic power. As readers know, I think this is the right message, not the liberal conflict of interest talking point. To be an oligarch is to be conflicted, so yammering about conflict is to miss the point. UPDATE With Russia sanctions move, Obama leaves Trump with tough choices [Japan Times]. FWIW, I view Obamas moves as half-hearted, particularly given that Clintonites regard Trump as a witting agent of Putin (that is, a traitor (hence, should be prevented from taking office on January 20 by any means necessary)). If Obama wanted to send a strong signal, he wouldnt be closing down Russian compounds that have been around 44 years, hed be recalling our Ambassador from Moscow. I think hes out to make life hard for Trump, and to get the Clintonites  and The Blob  off his back, and not much more. Well see what the long-promised report shows, but my guess is that there will be no exposed evidence, and no named sources. That is, Obamas case will be even worse than the case Bush put together to justify the Iraq War, which at least had the status of a National Intelligence Estimate and the benefit of an inter-agency process that produced dissent (in the form of footnotes).

Our Famously Free Press

UPDATE Milo Yiannopoulos, controversial Breitbart editor, lands a reported $250,000 book deal [Los Angeles Times]. Breitbart and Pantsuit nation  peas in a pod!

Realignment and Legitimacy

[A]t least a sizeable number of Americans are quite hopeful that things will get better over the next year, at least in part because of Trumps election. It also might be worth noting that the surveys showed that much of the optimism was among older Americans. With the stock market running pretty much at record highs since November, and older Americans generally more invested in the stock market than younger people, this optimism may be related to or caused by the markets performance. But its not quite clear which is the cart and which is the horse. Are people feeling better because the stock market is doing well, or is the stock market doing well because people are feeling better, or maybe both? [Charles Cook, National Journal]. By all accounts, Bill and Hillary Clinton never had any such qualms, and now their quarter-century project to build a mutual buy-one, get-one-free Clinton dynasty has ended in her defeat, and their joint departure from the center of the national political stage they had hoped to occupy for another eight years. Their exit amounts to a finale not just for themselves, but for Clintonism as a working political ideology and electoral strategy [Politico]. If this article, and Yglesiass Smoking Rubble piece in Vox, are indicative of the political class hive mind, whatever the Clintonites are ginning up with their Russian War Scare isnt going to work (ergo, Trump will take the oath of office on January 20.) A Perez win now would be seen as a major insult to Sanders and his supporters. Precisely because there isnt an overt policy void between the two leading contenders, the Perez candidacy looks to Sanders backers like an effort to punish Ellison for having supported Sanders in the primary  or, at the very least, to make sure that those connected to Sanders personally are shut out of power [Vox]. Ellison as chair would go a long way toward redressing the grievances accumulated up over months of a long, bitterly-fought primary. Perez as chair would almost certainly exacerbate them. Pete Buttigieg, the mayor here who national Democrats often mention on the shortlist of rising stars in the party, said he is nearing a decision about whether to run for DNC chair and would step down as mayor if he were to win the job [Politico]. . And Buttigieg, who is gay, has gained attention this year after being the subject of a profile in a New York Times with the title The First Gay President? President Barack Obama also mentioned him as a top Democratic prospect for higher office in an interview with The New Yorker.  Buttigieg wrote a prizing-winning essay on Sanders in 2000. In 2016, he supported Clinton. [Chris Arnade] is politically progressive and a week before the election angered his side, and some media folk, by foretelling the victory of Donald Trump. The people he met were voting for him. Many saw the America theyd grown up in slipping away. They wanted a country that was great again. They experienced elite disdain for Trump as evidence he might be the one to turn it around [Peggy Noonan, Shining a Light on Back Row America, Wall Street Journal]. Happy New Year, everyone. May we do work worthy of the moment.

Stats Watch

Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, December 2016: Slowing in orders pulled back Decembers Chicago PMI. New orders continued to expand Backlog orders moved back into contraction, production slowed, while employment held steady. Below consensus range [Econoday]. In a special question, 51 percent of the panel see the new administrations policies helping their business next year, specifically tax reform and deregulation. Forty percent see no impact and 9 percent see negative effects. This index is quite volatile. (Consensus was between 56.0 to 58.6, versus actual 54.6. Econintersect writes that consensus was 50.7 to 54.0.) And: Below consensus [Calculated Risk].

Econintersect January 2017 Economic Forecast: We are continuing to forecast marginal improvement of the economy  with the economy frozen in a condition of snails pace growth [Econoday]. USA economic internals are pulsing and out of phase with each other. I could cherry pick dynamics and paint a very positive or very negative picture of the economy. However, barring an unexpected turn of events  we expect our index in the future to continue to moderately strengthen. Leading Indicators Conclusion: trends are generally improving, and not indicating a recession over the next six months.

Rail: Rail Week Ending 24 December 2016: An Unbelievably Good Week [Econintersect]. By unbelievable they mean not believable. So this weeks data is an outlier caused by week 51 last year ending in the week between Christmas and New Years (a low volume period)  and this year week 51s cutoff was before Christmas. It is too risky to try to logically analyze the data this week.

Shipping: [Deutsche Bahn] operator carried more than 40,000 containers along the traditional Silk Road route this year  a new record  compared to 35,000 in 2015 [Lloyds Loading List]. This paves the way to increase container units to about 100,000 by 2020, thus tripling the number transported in 2014, said DB board member and former minister of Angela Merkel, Ronald Pofalla, in a statement. Not a very large number.

Shipping: 3D printing no major threat to freight' [Lloyds Loading List]. Interview with Supply chain expert and author Mark Millar. But while Im convinced that AMs time has come, I dont see it revolutionising mass production and global supply chains as some observers are predicting, at least not in the medium term. Nor is [Millar] expecting it to exert a significant impact on intercontinental freight flows and expressed surprise at the conclusions of a research paper published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) which estimated that as much as 41% of the air cargo business and 37% of the ocean container business was at risk because of 3D printing. Well worth a read for the off-shoring/on-shoring/right-shoring discussion, relevant to policy under a Trump administration.

Shipping: This time last year few would have predicted that as the final day of this very tough 2016 looms the sector with the best fundamentals is dry bulk. Dry bulk owners have been through the mill this decade but finally after much scrapping, the Baltic Dry hitting record lows in the first quarter and massive restraint when it comes to new orders, there is no segment in shipping with better investment potential than this one [Splash 247]. A good roundup of a tumultuous year.

Household Income: According to new data derived from the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS), median annual household income in November 2016 was $58,221 . Median household income at the beginning of the great recession in December 2007 was $57,723 . The Sentier Household Income Index (HII) for November 2016 was 99.7, slightly higher than the October reading of 99.4 (January 2000 = 100). The level of real median annual household income in January 2000 was $58,410 , which marks the beginning of this statistical series [Econintersect]. Sixteen years of treading water.

Todays Fear & Greed Index: 61 Greed (previous close: 65, Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 66 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 30 at 12:31pm. Still drifting lower

Water

As Groundwater Dwindles, a Global Food Shock Looms [National Geographic]. Nearly half of our food comes from the warm, dry parts of the planet, where excessive groundwater pumping to irrigate crops is rapidly shrinking the porous underground reservoirs called aquifers. Vast swaths of India, Pakistan, southern Europe, and the western United States could face depleted aquifers by mid-century, a recent study findstaking a bite out of the food supply and leaving as many as 1.8 billion people without access to this crucial source of fresh water. Hoo boy. And water is what Michael Burry is investing in

Class Warfare

How Little Kids Figure Out Whos in Charge [New York Magazine]. Surprisingly, the form of power that kids recognize latest is perhaps the most obvious one: giving orders, which the study participants didnt seem to grasp until age 7 at the earliest. But as Jarrett noted, its to their advantage to master the subtleties early.

News of the Wired

Its a wonderful world:

Millions of people watch this woman smash her face into bread because lol we give up pic.twitter.com/mUciNaWR86  NowThis (@nowthisnews) December 30, 2016

Water Cooler will return in 2017. I expect continued volatility!

* * *

Readers, feel free to contact me with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, and (c) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. And heres todays plant (PS):

PS writes: A eucalypt with tracks in the bark made by scribbly gum moth larvae. Zig-zag pattern and retracement are characteristic.

Readers, Ive gotten many more plant images, but I can always use just a few more; having enough Plantidotes is a great angst deflator. Plants with snow and/or ice are fine!

Readers, Water Cooler is a standalone entity, not supported by the very successful Naked Capitalism fundraiser just past. Now, I understand you may feel tapped out, but when and if you are able, please use the dropdown to choose your contribution, and then click the hat! Your tip will be welcome today, and indeed any day. Water Cooler will not exist without your continued help.
Lambert here: Once again, the subhead: The phrase is a dog whistle, not a demographic. Exactly. I hate to bury this important piece on the Friday before New Years weekend but needs must

By Les Leopold, director of the Labor Institute, is currently working with unions and community organizations to build the educational infrastructure for a new anti-Wall Street movement. Originally published at Alternet.

History warns us to be very, very careful when using the phrase white working class. The reason has nothing to do with political correctness. Rather, it concerns the changing historical definitions of who is white.

Eduardo Porter in the New York Times uses this construction to ask, Did the white working class vote its economic interests? He claims that current data shows white people losing out to blacks and Hispanics in getting their fair share of the new jobs created since 2007:

Despite accounting for less than 15 percent of the labor force, Hispanics got more than half of the net additional jobs. Blacks and Asians also gained millions more jobs than they lost. But whites, who account for 78 percent of the labor force, lost more than 700,000 net jobs over the nine years.

Porter further argues this is happening because blacks and Hispanics live mostly in the thriving urban areas while most white people live in declining rural areas.

Only 472 counties voted for Hillary Clinton on Election Day. But they account for 64 percent of the nations economic activity. The 2,584 counties where Trump won, by contrast, generated only 36 percent of Americas prosperity.

Porter therefore believes that the white working class flocked to Trump as a way to protest their economic decline.

But this conclusion is flawed:

Neither the studies nor Porter provide a definition of white working class. Is it all white people? Does it include management? Professionals? Were not told.

Nor do they provide any evidence that the actual work experiences of white and black working people are starkly different no matter how the class is defined.

Rural America, also, is not lily white. Hispanics and African Americans make up a total of 17.5% of rural and small town America.

Further, the research grounding my book Runaway Inequality shows that working people as a whole (defined as the 85 percent of us who are production and non-supervisory employees) have seen their real wages fall since the late 1970sall shades, all colors.

Finally, most of the new jobs created are low-wage, part-time service sector jobsjobs that often pay poverty wages. As the Wall Street Journal reported in 2015, More than 40% of the jobs added in just the past year have come in generally lower-paying fields such as food service, retail and temporary help. So getting the lions share of these jobs is not a pathway to prosperity.

Dog-Whistle Whites

What these studies and reports do accomplish however is to sound the latest dog whistle about race in America. They create an image in our minds of a coherent white working class, hunkered down in the declining manufacturing sectorwhite rural workers who have needs and interests different from black and brown urban workers. In doing so, this image feeds into a long history of white working class creationism that divides working people by race.

An early instance of this process took place in the aftermath of Bacons rebellion (1675), during which Nathanial Bacon united black slaves, and white indentured servants into a rebellious army against Virginia planter elites. (It was less than a noble enterprise in that Bacon wanted more government attacks against Native Americans.) After the rebellion was put down, plantation owners gave special privileges to poor whites in order to drive a wedge between them and black slaves. It worked.

A dramatic redefinition of white took place during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as mass immigration and colonialization expanded. So called race scientists studied cranial size and shapes, skin color, and hair texture to create a biology of race. By 1911, the U.S. Immigration Commission published its Dictionary of Races or Peoples, that listed 29 separate races. The Southern Italian race, for example, is described as excitable, impulsive, highly imaginativehaving little adaptability to highly organized society.

Race science defined white as a narrow category that excluded virtually everyone who didnt come from northern Europe. By the First World War, U.S. immigration policy was informed by early IQ tests given to immigrants on Ellis Island that supposedly showed that 87% of Russians, 83% of Jews, 80% of Hungarians, and 79% of Italians were feeble-minded.

Management Race Science

These race scientists created a vast hierarchy of races seen in the chart below designed for a Pittsburgh steel company in 1926. It is based on the idea that each race by its intrinsic nature possesses certain skills and attributes that makes it suitable to certain work tasks.

This science provided the rationale for dividing the workforce by ethnic group which had the added virtue of weakening worker solidarity and keeping unions at bay. This became particularly acute after 4 million workers went on strike at the end of WWI. The largest strike involved 350,000 steel workers that finally collapsed after 14 weeks of pitched battles. It is highly likely that the skills chart was designed to prevent such a resurgence.

(One can only speculate why the Jewish race was placed at the bottom of the hierarchy. One reason may be because two of the largest unions in the countrythe Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the International Ladies Garment Workers Unionwere Jewish-led and represented hundreds of thousands of Jewish immigrant workers. So if you hired Jewish workers in the steel industry, the odds were high they might be predisposed to unionism or be union plants.)

The Whitening of America

A confluence of events rapidly changed the definition of white in the 1930s and 40s. The rise of American industrial unionism successfully organized unskilled immigrant workers, blacks and Hispanics into broad-based unions. So much for the race chart.

The mobilization for WWII further melded together all the lower ethnic groups except for black, brown and yellow. And after the atrocities at the Nazi death camps were revealed, the earlier race science industry was thoroughly discredited.

What Causes the Definition of Race to Change?

The definition of white and of race in general depends on the needs of the most powerful elements of society. To justify slavery and Jim Crow, race science gave Southern elites a justification for denying human rights to millions with darker skin colors.

The science of the early 1900s created finely grained racial hierarchies that conveniently justified immigration restrictions and colonialism. Colonial powers argued that since their race was at the top of the ladder, they had the right and the duty to rule lesser peoples and their countries.

To successfully mobilize America against the master race and the yellow peril during WWII, American leaders permitted white to be broadened to include most of what previously had been considered lesser races. (However, racist southern Democrats and their lock-down control of Congress, made sure that black and brown people were denied New Deal benefits and therefore would continue to suffer as separate races. The Japanese internment camps further heightened the idea of a separate race of Orientals.)

So What Color is Obama?

White mother, black father means you are black? White? Half-black? Half white? That kind of question leads us to think about race as a biological as well as a sociological category. Skin color is real biology isnt it? And what about sickle-cell anemia?

But folk science is not real science. One in 13 African-American babies is born with a sickle-cell trait. Sickle cell trait can also affect Hispanics, South Asians, Caucasians from southern Europe, and people from Middle Eastern countries.

Similarly, every effort to construct a black or white race through genetics has failed. No one yet has found a gene that signals a separate race.

Heres a fact of life that may startle you: 85 percent of all genetic variation is among people within a population and only 15 percent of the variation among humans is between different populations and continents. This means that any two black people chosen at random will have far more genetic differences from each other than a randomly selected white and a black person. Biologically speaking the old cliche is true: There is only one racethe human race.

What is race?

Over a century ago, W.E.B. Du Bois put forth perhaps the clearest, most exact definition of race: A Negro is a person who must ride Jim Crow in Georgia.

Du Bois understood, as should we, that race is a social construction, a human invention used to create a hierarchy of power. It is not genetics. It is not biology. And in the case of the white working-class, its not even accurate sociology.

When we invent the white working-class, we whitewash an increasingly diverse manufacturing workforce. Take the workforce at Carrier, which is in the news because of Trumps effort to prevent its jobs from moving to Mexico. Isnt it a perfect example of a beleaguered and declining white working-class in Indiana, looking to Trump for help?

No. The Carrier workforce is 50 percent African American. Half of the assembly line workers are women. Burmese immigrants make up 10 percent of the employees.

Drop the dubious white working-class construction and well see that Porter is asking the wrong question. Its not whether the imagined white working-class voted for its own economic interests by voting for Trump.

Rather, the real question is this: Is it even possible for working people of all kinds to vote their economic interests given the corporate orientation of both parties?
By Lambert Strether of Corrente

A cat may look at a monarch, and so I suppose a blogger can make suggestions to George Soros. Soros recently published an essay at Project Syndicate, Open Society Needs Defending, which has been reprinted across a spectrum of sites, from Zero Hedge to Down with Tyranny. Soros is not my least favorite billionaire  he does not, to my knowlege, own a super-yacht (Financial Times, Superyachts magnify billionaires worst traits)  and hes funded the Institute for New Economic Thinking, which is certainly a worthier cause than, say, the economics department of Florida State University. So today is my day to be nice! Rather than go through Soross essay in detail, Im going to make two very very simple suggestions:

Soros Should Simply Stop Funding Democrats Soros Should Simply Stop Funding Neoliberal Projects

Soros Should Simply Stop Funding Democrats

Soros has been a major funder of Democrat projects. Not only did he throw $25 million into the money pit that was the Clinton campaign, hes been a major funder of Democrat projects generally. Post Citizens United, its become very difficult to track who contributes what to whom. What is clear is that Soros is a major funder what Politico calls the institutional left (by which is most definitely not meant, say, Bernie Sanders and his supporters, hence not really left at all. Politico:

George Soros and other rich liberals who spent tens of millions of dollars trying to elect Hillary Clinton are gathering in Washington for a three-day, closed door meeting to retool the big-money left to fight back against Donald Trump. the meeting also comes as many liberals are reassessing their approach to politics  and the role of the Democracy Alliance, or DA, as the club is known in Democratic finance circles. The DA, its donors and beneficiary groups over the last decade have had a major hand in shaping the institutions of the left, including by orienting some of its key organizations around Clinton. The meeting also comes as many liberals are reassessing their approach to politics  and the role of the Democracy Alliance, or DA, as the club is known in Democratic finance circles. The DA, its donors and beneficiary groups over the last decade have had a major hand in shaping the institutions of the left, including by orienting some of its key organizations around Clinton The Democracy Alliance was launched after the 2004 election by Soros, the late insurance mogul Peter Lewis, and a handful of fellow Democratic mega-donors who had combined to spend tens of millions trying to boost then-Sen. John Kerrys ultimately unsuccessful challenge to then-President George W. Bush. Since its inception in 2005, the DA has steered upward of $500 million to a range of groups, including pillars of the political left such as the watchdog group Media Matters, the policy advocacy outfit Center for American Progress and the data firm Catalist  all of which are run by Clinton allies who are expected to send representatives to the DA meeting.

Lets look at the record. Where did the money go? The Democrats set all that money on fire and threw it into the air. I wont go into detail again in this post (but see here, here, here, here, and here); rather, Ill simply turn to Matt Yglesias, because when youve lost Yglesias

The whole Democratic Party is now a smoking pile of rubble [Besides the Presidency,] Republicans control the House, and they control the Senate. In state government things are worse, if anything. The GOP now controls historical record number of governors mansions, including a majority of New England governorships. Tuesdays election swapped around a few state legislative houses but left Democrats controlling a distinct minority. The same story applies further down ballot, where most elected attorneys general, insurance commissioners, secretaries of state, and so forth are Republicans. One could perhaps overlook all of this if the Obama years had bequeathed the nation an enduring legacy along the lines of the New Deal or the Great Society. But to a striking extent, even as President Obama prepares to leave office with strong approval ratings, his policy legacy is extraordinarily vulnerable. And the odds that it will be essentially extinguished are high. Due to a combination of bad luck and poor decisions, the story of the 21st-century Democratic Party looks to be overwhelmingly the story of failure.

When does it make sense to reinforce failure? Continuing to give the Democrats money is like putting generals Gamelin, Georges, and Weygand in charge of La Resistance after their debacle in the Battle of France. So write off the sunk costs and call it a day.

Less obviously, but more importantly, Soros should encourage organic small-d democratic institutions doing policy and electoral politics to thrive. Warren Buffet (not my favorite) had a saying: You never know whos swimming naked until the tide goes out. The liberal institutions that depend on outside funding from the wealthy are the ones who are swimming naked. The Sanders campaign showed that organizations that are self-funded by small donors are the future of small-d democratic organizing, and the best way to strengthen them is to stop artificially propping up their competitors, and to let them get on with it. Those organizations are the ones in bathing suits, so let the tide of outside money roll out.

Soros Should Simply Stop Funding Neoliberal Projects

Heres how Soros explains Trump, Brexit, the rise of LePen, and so on:

I find the current moment in history very painful. Open societies are in crisis, and various forms of closed societies  from fascist dictatorships to mafia states  are on the rise. How could this happen? The only explanation I can find is that elected leaders failed to meet voters legitimate expectations and aspirations and that this failure led electorates to become disenchanted with the prevailing versions of democracy and capitalism. Quite simply, many people felt that the elites had stolen their democracy.

Not to mention their money, as the foreclosure crisis showed.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US emerged as the sole remaining superpower, equally committed to the principles of democracy and free markets. The major development since then has been the globalization of financial markets, spearheaded by advocates who argued that globalization increases total wealth. After all, if the winners compensated the losers, they would still have something left over. The argument was misleading, because it ignored the fact that the winners seldom, if ever, compensate the losers . But the potential winners spent enough money promoting the argument that it prevailed. Globalization has had far-reaching economic and political consequences. It has brought about some economic convergence between poor and rich countries; but it increased inequality within both poor and rich countries. In the developed world, the benefits accrued mainly to large owners of financial capital , who constitute less than 1% of the population. The lack of redistributive policies is the main source of the dissatisfaction that democracys opponents have exploited. But there were other contributing factors as well, particularly in Europe.

Therefore, the neoliberal project, considered under the aspect of justice, was destined to implode, and known to be so destined from the very beginning, since ultimately for popular acceptance it depends on redistribution, but winners seldom, if ever, compensate the losers. So why throw good money after bad?

Now, to be fair, some more fair-minded mainstream academics are trying to improve neoliberalism by bringing redistribution forward. First, why  after forty years of neoliberalism  would anyone trust them? For example, a current popular topic is the replacement of all wage work by robots. And sometimes the topic How to help all those poor losers workers is vaguely discussed. Are we really to believe any help will be forthcoming? Or that, if it comes, it wont be gate-keepered and means-tested to death? History says no. Experience says no. Second, neoliberalism puts markets first. Always. So theres no reason to think that losers will ever be compensated, because theres no market in doing that. In any case, how do you put a price on a destroyed Main Street or a child dead from opiates?

The neoliberal project has finally failed. It cannot secure a popular mandate, and by its nature cannot ever secure one. Therefore, anyone dedicated to an open society should not fund it. One might argue that alternatives to that project should be funded, but I think (see above) that only small-d democratic projects can create such alternatives, and they should be self-funded.

Conclusion

I think philanthropy even on the Nineteenth Century Robber Baron model  Carnegie Libraries, the Frick Museum, or genuine scholarship[1]  would be preferable to continuing to fund Democrats, or neoliberal projects generally. Soros should consider those alternatives. Short neoliberalism.[2]

NOTE

[1] I put iNet under that heading.

[2] Hat tip ReaderOfTeaLeaves.
Just twenty four hours after hospital management urged people to stay away from South Tipperary General Hospital's Emergency Department except in cases of genuine emergency, the number on trolleys in the Clonmel hospital is again the highest in the country today.

According to the Nurses Organisation's Trolley Watch report, the number on trolleys is 35, joint top in the country with Portlaoise.

The next highest is Tullamore with 30 patients on trolleys.

As the numbers in Clonmel continue to rise, other hospitals that are usually among the highest are experiencing less pressure today - the number for Cork is 18 and for Limerick it's 14.

On Thursday the hospital said that in the previous 24 hours the hospital had seen an increase in presentations, with 118 presentations to the Emergency services at the hospital.

Management asked members of the public to only attend in the case of a genuine emergency, advising that, where possible, a GP or Caredoc out of hours service be consulted in the first instance.

It said that there would be long delays for patients attending the ED as the hospital is currently experiencing a surge in patients and long delays were expected due to the exceptional numbers of very ill people in the department.
The Rural Housing Service is expanding its manufactured housing loan guarantee program to include more refinancings of used or existing manufactured homes.

Previously, the U.S. Department of Agriculture would only refinance existing manufactured home loans that were originally financed via its RHS 502 loan guarantee program or the agency's direct loan program.

That refinancing restriction significantly narrowed the resale market for manufactured homes, according to Doug Ryan, director of affordable homeownership at the Center for Economic Development in Washington.

But that could change in the nine states where the Rural Housing Service is set to conduct a pilot program.

"Now the 502 program can be used to finance existing homes that were not previously financed through USDA," he said. "We do think that will open up the market in these states. This could be very positive.

RHS is conducting a two-year pilot program in Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Texas, Vermont, New Hampshire and Wyoming.

The RHS pilot comes with restrictions, however, that could limit the number of manufactured housing units that meet RHS' standards.

For example, the unit must have been constructed on or after Jan. 1, 2006, in conformance with the Federal Manufactured Housing Construction Safety Standards:

The home must be on a permanent foundation as certified by an engineer or architect licensed or registered in the state where the manufactured home is located.

The towing hitch and running gear must have been removed.

The unit must not have had any alterations or modifications to it since construction in the factory.

The home must have been moved from the factory or manufactured housing dealer directly to the site and the property must be classified and taxed as real estate.

Despite these restrictions, Ryan is optimistic the refinancing pilot will increase resales of manufactured homes.

"If you have a 1,000-square-foot manufactured home that is a couple years old that is titled as real estate on a permanent foundation and lot, now you have more potential buyers," he said.

RHS-guaranteed loans can be securitized and sold via Ginnie Mae.

Ryan also noted that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac might be interested in purchasing these manufactured housing loans. Under a final rule issued by the Federal Housing Finance Agency on Dec. 13, the two government-sponsored enterprises are eligible for duty to serve credit for buying manufactured housing loans that are titled as real estate.

Lesli Gooch, a senior vice president at the Manufactured Housing Institute, welcomed the Agriculture Department's refinancing program.

"The pilot program is an important first step. We look forward to working with USDA to take this important change nationwide," Gooch said in a statement.
There is something for everyone looking for lending pitfalls in the coming months.

Mortgages, commercial-and-industrial loans, subprime auto lending and student lending are ripe for setbacks and, in some cases, crises.

Here is a breakdown of each of those risk factors, the reasons behind them and the possible upsides or alternative strategies.

Mortgages

The refinance market has largely carried the mortgage industry over the past few years because consumers took advantage of historically low rates. Now that the Federal Open Market Committee has raised rates twice in the past year, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury has spiked upward since the presidential election, many expect the refinancing market to nosedive.

"We'll see refinancing all but dry up, and the mortgage business is going to really suffer" in 2017, said Donald Musso, CEO of FinPro Capital Advisors, a bank consulting firm in Gladstone, N.J.

The question becomes whether an improvement in the overall health of the housing market can take up the slack.

"It's going to be sales that drive your mortgage lending now," said Jay Pelham, president of the $3 billion-asset TotalBank in Miami.

That may be easier said than done. The incoming Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress have signaled they may reduce the mortgage interest deduction, a move that the National Association of Realtors and other housing industry groups have warned will wallop the housing market.

Banks' mortgage fortunes could vary among geographic markets, too. The South Florida market, especially downtown Miami, appears to be set for a high level of purchase activity, Pelham said.

"If you look at our downtown market, it's full of restaurants, jobs and apartments that both professionals and young people want," he said. "When I look at prices per square foot here, we are still cheap compared to New York, London and Chicago."

C&I

Tough competition for commercial-and-industrial loans has created one of the riskiest situations as many banks are said to have cut pricing to win business.

Banks have crowded into the C&I space for plenty of reasons. One is that regulators have placed a great deal of emphasis on commercial real estate loan concentrations, and banks have responded by improving risk management and bolstering capital levels. Those steps may help limit CRE losses, but they have encouraged more banks to risk expansion in C&I loans as they hunt for places to deploy their capital.

There is so much competition in the C&I market that many players have caved to borrowers' demands for lower rates and better terms, said Jon Winick, CEO of Clark Street Capital, a bank consulting firm in Chicago.

"Underwriting standards have collapsed the most in C&I," he said.

At the same time, C&I loans present significant challenges when they default as they are typically not collateralized by tangible assets.

"If a C&I project defaults, you don't have an automobile you can repossess or a house you can foreclose on," Winick said.

But there are some potential bright spots for C&I. One is that the presidential election is over, which should remove the anxiety that had led many businesses to hold back on capital spending for months because of political uncertainties, Musso said. Talk of tax cuts and regulatory relief has played well in commercial sectors.

"I actually think we may see a modest uptick there because the business community believes we'll see some relief from the Trump administration," Musso said.

Another is that banks may have already suffered through the worst part in two subcategories of C&I lending, energy and taxi medallion loans. A rebound in oil prices dampened the losses at energy lenders, while some banks like the $72 billion-asset Comerica in Dallas reduced their exposure to the sector. And executives at the $38 billion-asset Signature Bank in New York recently said that they have restructured troubled taxi loans.

"I think the new normal has come out in taxi loans," said Dave Etter, managing director of loan review services at Sheshunoff Consulting. "To try to sell taxi loans now is just impossible. You're just looking to generate some cash flow."

Finally, some banks have attempted to carve out specialties within the C&I category to diversify loan portfolios and improve yields. The $28 billion-asset First Horizon National in Memphis, Tenn., for example, has expanded in franchise finance and health care finance to help dilute its C&I exposure.

Auto Loans

For months, regulators have forcefully warned about soaring balances of subprime auto loans and the risks associated with them. The data seemed to back them up.

In March, Fitch Ratings reported that more than 5% of securitized subprime auto loans were at least 60 days late, the highest delinquency rate in 20 years.

And the 90-day delinquency rate for subprime auto loans was 2% in the third quarter, versus 1.9% a year earlier and 1.4% in the third quarter of 2012, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York report. Over the same period, delinquency rates for borrowers with higher credit scores were relatively flat. Meanwhile, about 3.6% of overall auto loan balances were 90 days behind in payments.

Lenders have downplayed those concerns, saying that they have applied strict underwriting standards.

Yet some banks have begun to take precautions. The $143 billion-asset Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati and the $147 billion-asset Citizens Financial Group in Providence, R.I., this fall announced plans to scale back indirect auto lending.

At the same time, some community banks have shown greater interest in auto lending as consumer demand for car loans continues to soar. The $4 billion-asset Fidelity Southern in Atlanta and the $9 billion-asset First Interstate BancSystem in Billings, Mont., each posted double-digit increases in auto loans in the third quarter.

Student Loans

The massive pile of student loan debt threatens to send scores of consumers into financial ruin. The Congress and the incoming Trump administration may try to address the situation by getting the U.S. government out of the student loan business. That could create an opportunity for banks to re-enter the private student loan market.

Investors are betting that will happen. Shares of SLM Corp., the Newark, Del., company known as Sallie Mae, rose 54% from Nov. 8 to Dec. 28, to $10.95. Sallie Mae is the largest private student lender.

Only a few banks remain active in student loans, including Citizens Financial. Those banks stand to benefit from the new political environment, KBW analysts wrote in a December report, and other banks may want a piece of the action.

What most analysts agree on is that the amount of student-loan debt that consumers are carrying is unsustainable.
Charles Hartman

CALIFORNIA

ORANGE

LRES has appointed David Sober as its new vice president of national sales.

Prior to joining LRES, he served as business development manager at SingleSource Property Solutions, presently known as SingleSource.

Sober also served as senior business analyst and pricing manager at Chronos Solutions, formerly Matt Martin Real Estate Management.

MARYLAND

BETHESDA

Walker & Dunlop Inc. said that Mark Strauss, senior vice president and managing director, and Rob Quarton, assistant vice president, have joined its capital markets group.

Based out of the company's Irvine, Calif., office, the team will arrange financing for commercial real estate properties.

Strauss and Quarton join Walker & Dunlop from Cohen Financial, where Strauss was a 15-year veteran and founding member of the firm's equity practice.

Strauss has over three decades of commercial real estate finance experience, while Quarton's commercial real estate career spans over 15 years.

MASSACHUSETTS

DANVERS

Mortgage Network Inc. said that James Comosa has been named president.

Comosa, who joined Mortgage Network in 2012 as the director of strategic business development, brings more than 28 years of experience to his new role, having previously served in executive positions with MetLife Home Loans, Countrywide Home Loans and North American Mortgage Co.

WINTHROP

MSA Mortgage has named Dick Lee as its new managing director.

His main role will be to work on product development, sales recruiting, technology advancement and the opening of the firm's new office in Needham, Mass.

Lee has more than 23 years of experience within the industry, having spent the last several years as the president and owner of Independent Mortgage and most recently as the managing director of Luxury Mortgage.

NEW YORK

NEW YORK

Greystone said that Ken Weber has joined the firm as a managing director of underwriting in its agency lending group.

Prior to joining Greystone, Weber served as chief underwriter at Arbor Commercial Mortgage, where he managed operations for its Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac underwriting platforms.

Previously, he held various credit and underwriting positions at RCG Longview, Gramercy Capital and JPMorgan Chase.

VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA BEACH

TowneBank Mortgage has appointed William T. Morrison as chairman and chief executive officer of TowneBank Mortgage and Realty Group.

Morrison succeeds Jacqueline Amato, who will retire as chairman and CEO of TowneBank Mortgage at the end of the year.

Both Morrison and Amato have shared the position of CEO of TowneBank Mortgage since its merger with the Monarch Mortgage division of Monarch Bank in June.

Prior to the merger, Morrison served as the CEO of Monarch Mortgage, after being promoted from executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2011.

Amato will retire after 16 years with TowneBank Mortgage, and over 30 years in the mortgage industry. She held the position of president of TowneBank Mortgage since the company's founding in 2000, until she was promoted to chairman and CEO in 2012.

Are you a mortgage professional who recently changed jobs? Let us know! Send your announcement and photo (if available) to Glenn McCullom at glenn.mccullom@sourcemedia.com.
Friday, December 30, 2016 by: JD Heyes Tags: Amazon , employees , living wage , NaturalNews.com , tents This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) It may be the worlds largest technology giant and retailer, but many of Amazons workers appear to be living like they were deployed in a war zone: In tent cities.

As reported by the UKs Courier newspaper (why hasnt an American media outlet reported on thislike Amazon founder Jeff Bezos Washington Post, which he owns?), which reported exclusively, Amazon workers at one of the companys England-based fulfillment centers are actually sleeping in tents.

Reporters for the paper recently discovered at least three tents in a wooded area beside the online retail behemoths base near Dunfermline, Scotland, which has sparked new concerns that some employees have to sink to depths unheard of for workers of other companies just to survive.

Last month the company came under heavy scrutiny and criticism from local activists who said that some employees at the fulfillment center are working as many as 60 hours per week, and for little more than the going minimum wage. They also said workers were harshly treated in some cases.

Some are forced to live in tents as the dead of winter approaches

As you might expect, Amazon officials have denied those charges, saying they value every employee and try to maintain a culture of direct dialogue with workers. But the news that some staff have been forced to live very simply and without modern conveniences as the bitterly cold winter arrives has led to new questions about the health and welfare of Amazon workers at the facility.

In fact, one employee who asked not to be identified in the story was initially reluctant to speak to the paper, but did describe the company as a poor employer while criticizing working practices at the site.

In addition, the worker added that he chose to stay in a tent because it was cheaper and easier than commuting back and forth between the facility and his home in Perth, though his tent and camping gear disappeared shortly before the report was published.

But another tent that had been set up appeared to be abandoned, with trash, discarded sleeping bags and cans of drink among the items that were thrown about.

Willie Rennie, MSP, the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party leader, has repeatedly called on Amazon to improve its working conditions and its tax record. He once again criticized the company after being told that some of the fulfillment centers workers had been forced to live in nearby woods.

Amazon should be ashamed that they pay their workers so little that they have to camp out in the dead of winter to make ends meet, he told the paper. He added the company needed to take a long, hard look at its business practices.

Company concerned about safety and wellbeing of employees?

He also said that the company only pays a small portion of its earnings in taxes, while receiving millions of the pounds from the government in the form of subsidies, so the least they should do is pay the proper living wage.

Earlier this year, Rennie demanded that Amazon receive no more public funding until executives could guarantee that they would pay their workers higher wages amid reports that some staff were being paid far less than the current living wage.

Amazon employs some 1,500 workers on a permanent basis at the Dunfermline center, but also added another 4,000 seasonal jobs to assist the company with the holiday shopping season.

The company, in a statement, said that it places its employees safety and wellbeing above everything else, as it creates several thousand new permanent jobs at the facility. And the company also said that it was paying competitive wages including overtime pay.

The fulfillment facility in Dunfermline is Amazons largest.

Sources:

TheCourier.co.uk

NaturalNews.com
Friday, December 30, 2016 by: David Gutierrez Tags: cybersecurity , hacking , quest diagnostics This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) (NaturalNews) Medical laboratory company Quest Diagnostics has announced that hackers gained access to its mobile app in later November, stealing the personal health information of 34,000 people. The company has directly contacted the patients affected.

Its no wonder that Quest Diagnostics was an alluring target for hackers. It is a Fortune 500 company that provides diagnostic services to one in three US adults every single year. Each year, it also provides services to half of the countrys hospitals and physicians.

The breach took place via its mobile app, MyQuest by Care360, which allows patients to manage their appointments and view their test results. The hack gave an unauthorized third party access to patient names, birth dates, lab results and telephone numbers. The hacked data did not contain Social Security numbers or financial or insurance information.

Patient privacy not safe

The hack is only the latest in a surging number of cyberattacks on health care companies. In the first 11 months of this year, 92 separate health care-related data breaches were reported (not including the Quest Diagnostics breach, which was reported this month). Last year, hacks compromised records for more than 12 million patients.

For hackers, developing a targeted attack is a significant effort, so its no surprise that they focus on healthcare organizations that store highly valuable patient data (significantly more valuable than credit cards  ), said Israel Levy, CEO of security company BUFFERZONE. He called the Quest Diagnostics hack yet another indication that despite regulations like HIPAA, healthcare organizations still arent doing enough to protect themselves.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires health care providers to guard the privacy of patients information. Thus, records stored or transmitted on remotely accessible networks should be protected with the highest levels of digital security  which by and large, does not seem to be happening.

In a high-profile case last year, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield  the second largest insurer in the country  suffered a data breach affecting the records of an astonishing 78.8 million people. In that case, no medical or credit card information was lost, but patients were warned that the information lost  names, birth dates, social security numbers, employment information, email addresses and even street addresses  was sufficient to fuel various types of identity theft and fraud. It also provided a way for scammers to contact patients, posing as representatives of Anthem, and try to gather more information.

Highly profitable targets

Evidence suggests that the hacked information sells for lucrative sums on the black market. Earlier this year, a hacker claimed to be selling a total of 655,000 patient records from three different health care organizations. The seller was asking for $100,000 to $395,000 per database.

Hackers can also find other ways to make money from the health care industry. In February of this year, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center paid $16,664 (40 bitcoins) in ransom to hackers who had shut down its computer network. In this type of attack, known as ransomware, hackers encrypt the victims data and provide the decryption key only upon receiving a ransom payment.

Hospital CEO Allen Stefanek said patient care was unaffected and hospital records remained uncompromised, but that administrators had decided that the quickest and most efficient way to restore our systems and administrative functions was to pay the ransom.

Computer security experts normally advise against paying ransom, although in some cases this is contradicted by law enforcement, said Adam Kujawa, head of malware intelligence for digital security company Malwarebytes.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies dont tell anybody if they had fallen victim to ransomware and especially if they have paid the criminals, Kujawa said, but I know from the experiences I hear about from various industry professionals that its a pretty common practice to just hand over the cash.

Sources:

Baltimore.cbslocal.com

FoxNews.com

FoxNews.com

FoxNews.com

Fox6Now.com

MyQuest.QuestDiagnostics.com
(Natural News) Excuse the brevity of this entry, but theres not enough time to detail all the evil thats unfolding right now. Suffice it to say that Obama is right now attempting to start a raging war before he leaves office. There are two types of attempts hes making: 1) War with Russia, and 2) War against the American people. Hes also hoping to be part of a successful Marxist coup on January 20, but thats very unlikely to go anywhere.

Obama is trying to start World War III before Jan. 20

Check DrudgeReport.com and Breitbart.com to stay up to speed on this. Paul Craig Roberts also has extremely important insight on whats shaping up (he was part of the Reagan administration), and my own contacts inside the bureaucracy are signaling that Obama is setting landmines across the bureaucracy to function as sabotage trip wires that will blow up in President Trumps face.

Barack Obama  who is quite literally a sleeper cell agent who has been trying to destroy America from day one  is now attempting to provoke Russia into military conflict. He has now begun expelling Russian diplomats from the USA as a cover story for the democrats completely fabricated Russian hacking conspiracy theory regarding the hacking of email accounts belonging to Jon Podesta and the DNC. (It was actually an inside job achieved by a Bernie Sanders supporter.)

Fortunately, it looks like Russia is mocking Obama for his incredible stupidity and not taking him seriously anymore. If cooler heads prevail in all this, Obama will be out of office in roughly 20 days, and a new President Trump will restore sane, stabilizing relations with Russia.

But until Jan. 20 comes, make no mistake that traitor Obama is trying to provoke Russia into an escalating conflict with the USA. This is deliberate, insane and deeply criminal. Im already hearing whispers of desires to see Barack Obama arrested and charged with criminal acts of treason against the United States yet it is doubtful that any such charges could really be leveled against a former President whose actions took place while he was in office (so dont get your hopes up).

Nevertheless, it is increasingly apparent to an expanding number of people that Obama is an active traitor who has deliberately given aid to Americas enemies while destroying trust among Americas allies. (Just two words prove the assertion: 1) Iran. 2) Israel.)

DrudgeReport.com suffered 90 minute blackout due to DDoS attacks

Also today, the DrudgeReport.com website, which has remained a highly effective thorn in the side of the Obama regime, was taken offline for 90 minutes by a coordinated DDoS attack believed to have come from the U.S. government itself.

A tweet from conservative media icon Matt Drudges verified Twitter account Thursday night appeared to accuse the government of interfering with his website, DrudgeReport.com, just hours after the Barack Obama administration announced new sanctions against Russia over election hacking, reports IBtimes.com.

Is the US government attacking DRUDGE REPORT? Biggest DDoS since sites inception. VERY suspicious routing [and timing], the tweet to Drudges 457,000 followers read.

Natural News warned it will be targeted for take down before President Trump is sworn in



A few weeks ago, InfoWars.com personnel received a threat that claimed their site would be taken down in a government censorship purge. Now, that same threat has been made to Natural News via channels Im not yet ready to make public.

The threat asserts that many of the websites falsely labeled Russian propaganda by the fraudulent Washington Post story have been targeted for government take down action before President Obama leaves office  all while Obama signs hundreds of pardons to protect the criminals associated with the DNC and the Clinton crime family.

Right now, sites such as DrudgeReport.com and RT are being probed in what are called DDoS stress tests to determine the level of DDoS traffic needed to bring down each site. This result is calculated into the full assault plan which will distribute government cyber attack resources across all the targeted sites in the most efficient manner, dedicating only the amount of DDoS traffic needed to bring down each site. This tactic, by the way, is something Ive heard called DDDoS or distributed-distributed denial-of-service attack. Its conducted at a scale that can only be achieved by nation states such as China, North Korea or the USA. In this case, its the USA, under Barack Obama, that would be engaging in cyber war against the independent media.

In effect, we may be looking at a situation where Barack Obama uses the full resources of the corrupt sectors of his regime to wage cyber warfare against independent journalism in order to halt the only remaining free press from warning Americans about what Obama is actually doing.

Natural News readers should prepare for our website to be subjected to heavy attacks, coordinated DDoS waves, and possibly even attempted DNS hijacking or (Obama) government confiscation of our hosting servers.

In case our DNS is taken over, you can access NaturalNews.com directly from any browser by typing in the following IP address:

162.244.66.146

You should write this down, physically, on a piece of paper and tape it to your monitor. If you ever notice that NaturalNews.com is not responding, try the IP address instead.

If Drudge, InfoWars and NaturalNews all go down, it means WAR has begun

Furthermore, if NaturalNews.com is deliberately taken down, you should interpret this as a sign that Obama is initiating a government war against the American people, and you would be wise to lock and load in preparation for the kind of Second Amendment activation that was designed to save the Republic from tyranny.

To be clear, yes, I am explicitly stating that a coordinated attack against independent media by the criminal Obama traitor should be interpreted as an act of WAR against America the final stage of Obamas long train of subversion to transform America into a Marxist police state under totalitarian control. Personally, I think he will fail in this effort, but like most radical leftists, hes insane enough to try it! (FLASHBACK: Obamas Department of Homeland Security purchases 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition, including sniper rounds.)

We are now entering the most dangerous time for America since World War II

I fully realize that to the uninformed, these warnings may sound unbelievable, but to those working inside the system right now as part of the counter coup operation to save America from Obamas last, desperate effort to destroy this nation, what Im writing here is very well understood and widely known to be true. Those of you reading this from inside the FBI, CIA, DHS and NSA know exactly what Im talking about. If youre on the side of America, I send you prayers for your strength and courage in protecting America for the next 20 days or so, after which things will significantly calm down.

If all goes well and the patriots inside the bureaucracy succeed in their mission, you will never know anything happened at all. There will be no take down of independent media websites, no war with Russia and no successful coup on Jan. 20. That is our desired outcome. We seek a peaceful transition of power to the Trump administration, where highly experienced and patriotic cabinet members will begin the arduous process of unwinding the Obama poison pills, time bombs and trip wires he has planted across the bureaucracy.

But make no mistake: Obama is an active, conscious traitor to America, and hes not going to go away without sabotaging everything in sight on his way out. His targets absolutely include free speech websites that refused to surrender to his anti-American rhetoric and subversive actions. All legitimate free press publications in America  and their editors  are now at extreme risk for the next 20 days.

Check NaturalNews.com throughout each day. We are now publishing new stories several times throughout the day, and well keep publishing as long as we are able. If we stop publishing or go offline for an extended period of time, you should quite rationally assume the worst.
(Natural News) In Magnolia, Texas, it is now a felony crime to walk your own children home from school. Er, I mean the government indoctrination center. Seriously, parents can now be charged with serious crimes for merely meeting their children at the school and walking them home.

The principal has decided that no matter how close the student lives to the school, the student must either take the bus, or the parent must wait in a long car pickup line, reports Fox 26 in Houston.

Try to walk your student off the campus and you could face criminal charges Fox26 knows of 2 other parents who were just threatened with arrest.

This is yet more evidence that even in Texas, the government thinks it owns your children. Parental rights are being obliterated across the country at a breathtaking pace, including in California where the state can now mandate government injections of your children with aluminum, mercury and other toxic substances that cause autism and neurological disorders.

The same government that has mandated these immunizations has also granted blanket legal immunity to the vaccine industry, so if a mandated vaccine harms your child, its now your problem to deal with and you cant sue the manufacturer for its defective, harmful product. In effect, the government can force you to harm your child, then deny you due process in seeking compensation for damage to your child.

Man charged with DUI for driving under the influence of caffeine

Meanwhile in California, a man was arrested and charged with a DUI for driving while under the influence of caffeine. 38-year-old Joseph Schwab has been fighting a DUI for over a year, despite the fact that he was not under the influence of any illegal drugs at the time, he did, however, test positive for caffeine, reports The Free Thought Project.

[The officer] arrested him and took him to jail so his blood could be drawn for other drugs. His blood tests came back negative for all illegal drugs. But he did test positive for caffeine. For some reason, this was enough to charge Schwab with a DUI.

In doing this, Californias incredibly stupid police state bureaucrats are setting a precedent that could get you charged with a felony crime for drinking Starbucks or Pepsi while behind the wheel.

Indeed, California can now raise all sorts of money to fund its illegal alien benefits programs by arresting and charging coffee drinkers with DUIs, generating huge cash flow revenues for the insane police state known better as Collapsifornia. (Much of the justice system in California is really just revenue generation.)

Solano County DA morons finally drop DUI charges after 16 months, admitting zero evidence

Now, after 16 months of threatening this 36-year-old driver with felony charges, the libtardocrats of Solano County have admitted they have no evidence of anything and must therefore drop the charges.

In their own twisted words, they still imply the driver was on some sort of drugs, but claim they couldnt find them even after administering a forced blood test:

After further consideration, without a confirmatory test of the specific drug in the defendants system that impaired his ability to drive, we do not believe we can prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt, says the county press release.

District Attorney Krishna Abrams typifies the kind of tyrannical bureaucrats you find throughout the California injustice system. They dont care whether theres any evidence at all. Youre guilty just because they want to get you (and the state has granted them exceptional powers to destroy the lives of innocent people).

Ive seen other California DAs ruin the lives of completely innocent people, in Ventura County and LA County in particular. Theres no question that California has the most corrupt bunch of DAs in the entire country, and they all act like salivating tyrants who seethe with anger toward anyone who refuses to bow to their power. They are far more interested in prosecuting independent-minded people than criminal-minded people, it turns out.

What this case illustrates is the arbitrary nature of the state to use any reason possible to find a person guilty, writes John Vibes at TFTP. The police state has claimed a right to search your most private property  your own blood. And, whatever they find inside it  can and will be used against you in a court of law.

Remarkably, thats true even if they find nothing at all.

Which leads me to ask the obvious question: Whats the point of blood tests when California bureaucrats have already decided youre guilty even before the test results come back?

Ultimately, this gets back to the core falsehoods of liberalism, the new religion of Collapsifornia: Evidence is not necessary when they BELIEVE they are right. This same sort of lunatic, anti-science nonsense is what underlies the entire climate change hoax, too.

See my article The top 10 most outrageous science hoaxes of 2016 to learn more.
In March 2016, a Syrian refugee named Rakan Ghebar started seeing a counsellor. He works as a vice-principal at a school for displaced Syrian children, and when he was asked for advice, he was always told to focus on the present.While the instructions may be hard to follow, it did help him and shared it with his students. And apparently, his counsellor was Karim, a psychotherapy chatbot.



Yes, that's right. According to the New Yorker, Karim is a chatbot designed by X2AI, an AI startup in Silicon Valley. The company was launched in 2014 by Michiel Rauws and Eugene Bann, an idealistic pair of young immigrant programmers who met in San Francisco.



Rauws had a personal investment on the matter, as he suffers from a lot of chronic health issues and manages them by trying to keep his stress levels in check.



According to him, he noticed that conversations he had with therapists were often formulaic, followed by a few templates and paths. When he thought of making this an automated thing, Bann was already working on an emotion-recognition algoirthm, then soon started X2AI.



The company's creation coincided with a torrent of sad news from Syria. According to Business Insider, the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network said at that time, nearly half of Syrian refugees living in a camp in Jordan feel very helpless. Addressing these needs the traditional way -- as in deploying thousands of Arabic-speaking therapists -- would be impossible.



But AI counsellors need no planes, tickets, food, protection and salaries.This gave Rauws and Bann reason to believe that their chatbot had a lot of advantages over a human therapist. The two men travelled to three sites in and around Beirut and tested Karim on a group of about 60 Syrians.



Despite initial misgivings, especially since they have to interact over text and their counselling sessions may be monitored, it was overall a good experience.Knowing that they're not talking with a person can be freeing as well, a way of avoiding social stigma that according to some younger subjects surrounds discussions of anxiety and sadness.



However, Karim is just only one member of X2AI's polylingual family of bots. Others include Emma, a Dutch-language bot designed to help those with mild anxiety and fear. There's Nema, an English-language bot that specializes in pediatric diabetes care. There's also Tess, a highly-adaptable English-language bot that can perform cognitive-behavior therapy, motivational interviewing and various other techniques.



This portfolio reflects the company and its altruistic and pragmatic design to satisfy the needs of a particular client or crisis area.



X2AI describes its bots as therapeutic assistants, which means they offer help and support rather than treatment. The bots are also designed to evaluate statements such as "cut myself" in the broader context of a user's personality and history: are they typically sarcastic, isolate and prone to outbursts?



Good data about the efficacy of AI therapists are scarce given it's a new field. However, their diagnostic capacities appear very promising.
The Solano County District Attorney's Office decided Wednesday to drop a DUI charge against a driver who only tested positive for caffeine, after his pupils were dilated and he seemed agitated and "amped up" to arresting officers at the time, NBC affiliate KCRA reported.

The charges were dropped more than 16 months after Joseph Schwab, 36, was pulled over on Interstate 680 near Gold Hill Road as he drove to his Fairfield home. The Alcohol Beverage Control agent who pulled over Schwab in August 2015 said he had been weaving in and out of traffic, and seemed very combative, KCRA reported. Inside Schwab's car, the agent found a number of workout supplements including powders, but all of them were legal.

A blood test showed that only caffeine was pumping through his system.

"After further consideration, without a confirmatory test of the specific drug in the defendant's system that impaired his ability to drive, we do not believe we can prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt," District Attorney Krishna Abrams said Wednesday in a news release.

Abrams still believes some drug other than caffeine was in Schwab's system, but that testing didn't reveal it, KCRA reported. And he will still be charged with reckless driving, the DA told KCRA, a charge Schwab's attorney said she'd fight. Abrams stressed she was not influenced by criticism from the community about overcharging the case.

"The attention from the press or the media or the social media would never dictate what we do in a case," Abrams said. "As my dad always says, 'shut out the noise and do what's right.'"

Abrams also said that field sobriety and blood tests don't screen for everything.

"Do we wish that it could test for more drugs?" Abrams said. "Absolutely, because then we would know what was in his system."

On Tuesday, Abrams said she was still moving forward with the DUI charge. But she changed course a day later after talking with forensic toxicologists and her top investigators. KCRA reported that Abrams felt she could no longer prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Schwab's attorney Stacy Barrett sent KCRA a statement saying her client is relieved the DUI is being dismissed for lack of evidence.
After a 2-year-old dog was paralyzed and later died following a haircut, the pet owner is blaming a San Jose groomer. But the business says it's not responsible for the dog's death.

Peter and Carmen Cruz still aren't sure how their dog Honey died, but they believe it stemmed from a Dec. 21 visit to Showtime Pet Grooming in San Jose.

"She was traumatized, mishandled, and there was some inattentiveness," Pete Cruz said. "Something happened. There was nothing wrong with my dog. They damaged her."

Cruz said when he picked up Honey from the appointment, her back legs couldn't move. Then the next day, her body was paralyzed, and days later, she died from what her doctors called a fractured spine.

"There could have been a neck trauma, but ... I don't know," Cruz said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I don't know what happened."

The groomer, however, believes the pet owner is just trying to ruin their businesses, especially on Yelp, after an emotional ending to a little dog's life.

Showtime owner Lisa Frederito disputes doing anything wrong. In fact, she said Honey had injuries upon arrival that day.

"We see Honey walking from the camera; her legs seem a little stiff then crossed," Frederito said, describing the scenes in surveillance footage. "That's an unnatural position for a dog, and she looks like she's in pain."

Frederito stands behind the affectionate care her groomers show for all of their animal clients, something she says is clear in the video of Honey's handling during her haircut.

"I'm absolutely, 100 percent certain no one on my staff injured Honey," she said. "I would never have someone on my staff lie to me or injure an animal."

Cruz, however, said he won't stop pushing for answers into what really took the life of his close friend.

"We've never had any issues with her before," he said.

The Cruzes are now looking to the California Senate for help with a new pet grooming bill, hoping to put stronger regulations on groomers.
An East Bay woman lost her son to war, her husband to illness and now she has lost a family heirloom that linked the two men together.

The woman on Christmas learned that a gold ring bearing the family crest had been stolen from the mausoleum where her son was laid to rest at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Lafayette.

Roxane Langevin went to the cemetery on Christmas afternoon to honor her late son, Army Specialist Sean Langevin, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007.

"Sean loved life. He loved an adventure," she said. "I keep going for him."

Sean Langevin's personal items and an urn containing ashes are displayed behind a locked glass in a nitche in a mausoleum. When Roxane Langevin visited, she noticed the ring given to her son by her husband, who died last year after a prolonged illness, was missing.

"I was upset, I was angry," she said. "I cried. I couldn't believe that someone would violate a sacred place."

No one from the cemetery was available to provide comment on the story. The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office said they have no suspects in the case, and anyone with information is urged to come forward.

Roxane Langevin said no glass was broken, but six of the seven locks on the display case were missing. She said her husband researched the family crest and had crest rings made for all the men in their family.

"I just couldn't believe that someone could do something like this to someone who served our country, fought for our country," Roxane Langevin said of the theft.

The ring is solid gold and worth several hundred dollars, but Roxane Langevin said it is not about the money.

"It's the sentimental value," she said. "My husband was all about traditions and those kind of things and carrying the family name. That was a really big deal to him."

Roxane Langevin now knows what she wants for Christmas next year.

"No questions asked. I just want it back more than anything," she said of the ring.
A San Francisco jewelry dealer was left beaten and shaken up Thursday after thieves took him by surprise and made off with up to $400,000 in merchandise.

San Francisco police were investigating the brazen heist that occurred in the North Mission around 6:30 p.m., just steps from the front door of a jewelry store on Utah Street, near Highway 101.

The victim, an independent dealer, was roughed up and robbed by at least three men, police said.

"They probably waited for him to go in, watched him, and when he came out, they ran out and jumped him," said a man who identified himself as the victim's cousin.

He said his cousin was hit in the chest, and his small suitcase full of diamonds and gold was gone.

"Theres no tracking on a diamond or gold items," he said. "Some people might pawn it off for maybe 10 percent of the value, so they might get $30,000 to $40,000 for it."

The security guard inside the jewelry store said he saw three men jumping the victim on one of his security cameras. But by the time he saw the attack, it was too late to press the silent alarm.

"Most people in this business dont carry protection on them," he said. "They should at least use pepper spray."

The victim told NBC Bay Area he believes he was followed.

Police werent providing any information on the case.
The organizers of the Titans of Mavericks surf contest are in the midst of a legal swirl that raises questions about the future of the event.

As NBC Bay Area reported, Cartel Management, which owns the rights to the surf contest, lost a $1 million lawsuit in Los Angeles last month.

The lawsuit concerned an endorsement deal gone bad with a tanning company owned by Segler Holdings LLC. Segler sued Cartel and its client actress Marisa Miller, and a jury forced Miller to pay back $300,000 and Cartel $700,000.

The San Mateo County Harbor District received a letter Thursday from a law firm representing Segler Holdings expressing concern over Cartel's efforts to have a five-year contest permit moved to Titans of Mavericks.

In the letter obtained by NBC Bay Area, attorneys for Segler states: "Segler Holdings considers the assignable permit to be an asset owned by Cartel. It is my understanding that Cartel has asked the district to transfer the permit to Titans Of Mavericks LLC. I am concerned that Cartel has asked the district to transfer the permit to Titans Of Mavericks to liquidate and/or move assets which could be used to satisfy the anticipated judgment against Cartel in the lawsuit. Such a transfer may violate the California Voidable Transactions Act."

The letter has all sides scrambling.

Harbor District Commissioner Sabrina Brennan says it raises a lot of questions on "who will ultimately own the rights to the contest? Who will put it on? Will it be put on? And does this create a financial situation or problem for Cartel to pay expenses and purse prizes?"

Brennan says she's not sure if or when the Harbor Commission might address the issue. Attempts to reach Mavericks organizers were not returned Thursday.

The window for the one-day worldwide surf contest at Pillar Point is now open through March 31.
Four Russian Consulate employees in San Francisco  including a chef accused of being a spy  are among the 35 Russian diplomats ordered to leave the United States within 72 hours by President Barack Obama, the Russian Consul General to San Francisco announced Friday.

Sergey Petrov didn't want to divulge too many details about the ouster at an impromptu news conference at the consulate on Green Street in Pacific Heights. But he did let reporters in on a "small secret" about one of the the employees told to go back home to the "motherland."

"One of the employees who will be leaving is the chef, who was characterized by the outgoing U.S. Administration as an intelligence operative, Petrov said. He added somberly: On New Years Eve, Dec. 31, we will have to cook ourselves  We will not be able to treat our guests to authentic Russian food, his hors d'oeuvres. Moments later, the Russian Consulate posted a photo of their New Year's spread for the party, which included deviled eggs and perogies. [[408833045, C]]

Petrov would not name the chef, nor would the State Department. NBC News said the names of the diplomats are not being released, because they don't want Russia to do the same for American operatives. In their Facebook post, the Consul General called Obama's accusations against their staff "bizarre and ridiculous."

The meeting was a stark contrast to how reporters were greeted by the consulate on Thursday, the day U.S.-Russian foreign relations suffered a major blow after Obama issued sweeping sanctions against Russia in response to election hacking. During that interaction, a voice boomed from an intercom: "Leave this territory." No one would come out to speak to reporters flanking the sidewalk, hoping to learn more about this surprising and mysterious announcement from the White House. Petrov's PR shift was in line with the overall Russian strategy following Obama's serious tone.

The official Twitter feed for Russia on Friday tweeted out New Year's greetings to Obama, President-elect Donald Trump and the American people, inviting "all children of the U.S. diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas children's show at the Kremlin!"

A total of eleven people are leaving the Russian Consulate in San Francisco "within hours," which includes the four employees and their families, including three children, Petrov said.

"The three kids will not see Santa, or gifts under the Firtree (in Russia it happens on the New Year eve)," the Consul General said on its Facebook page. "They only have one day to finalize their financial affairs, terminate their apartment leases, pack their belongings, as well as to prepare for the long trip, first to Los Angeles by car and then by plane to Moscow  no tickets left for shorter and more comfortable itineraries."[[408880845, C]]

"It's just not human," Petrov told reporters, adding he was hopeful the Trump administration would be able to retore relations between the two countries.

The consulate said the chef hailed from the historic city of Yaroslavl, and that his "mastery was enjoyed by hundreds of our guests at the consulate for three years." The chef will be leaving with his wife and two-year-old son.

Petrov acknowledged the loss of consul officers would prevent the consulate from being as efficient as they want to be. But he said the doors would remain open for "business as usual" for both American and Russian citizens.

A limited number of people will not allow all the consular services to all the citizens in the manner we want to do it  but we will do our best to serve all the Russian people living here as well as Americans applying for Russian visas, Petrov said.

An estimated 100,000 Russians live on the West Coast, Petrov said.

Petrov also made a plea to reporters to respect the privacy of the employees being expelled. Many of them dont even speak English, many speak limited English, he said, explaining that it was one of the reasons for not responding to the media outside the consulate Thursday.

The surprise news conference was perhaps unprecedented, and even Petrov admitted that the consulate usually doesn't comment on things like sanctions. "Today we decided to make an exception as we're trying to change many things in our relations with the U.S," he said. "It's my president who inspired me to do that."

"Is this the first time the media has been inside the consulate?" one of the reporters asked Petrov.

"Maybe it's your first time here; we invite the media to all our events." Petrov replied, smiling. He then made a general invitation to the media to attend the consulate's New Year's Eve party.

"As we are nearing the New Years, I would invite you to have a glass of champagne," he told reporters. "How about that?"
Palo Alto firefighters knocked down a two-alarm fire at a house early Friday morning where they initially thought someone was trapped inside.

Crews quickly figured out that no one was trapped inside, the department tweeted, at the blaze reported in the 2100 block of Louis Road, off US Highway 101 between Embarcadero and the Oregon Expressway. It was reported at 5 a.m.

And the homeowner was safe with one of the battalions, the department said.

Fire investigators were called to the scene to determine its cause.
Since Carrie Fishers death was announced on Tuesday, well-wishers and Star Wars fans have been paying tribute to the late Princess Leia all over the world.

That includes leaving light sabers and flowers at a pop-up star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles for the actress, author and comedian who died at age 60 following a heart attack.

Across the country, Fisher fans held a light saber vigil at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida.

Fans Pay Tribute to Princess Leia Under Yoda Fountain

Not to be outdone, some Daly City brothers, Matt and Dale Tolosa, and their friends went to the Presidio of San Francisco, and home of Lucas Film, on Wednesday to also pay tribute to Fisher.

"A bunch of us got together to honor Carrie," said Dale Tolosa, 42. "We grew up with the Star Wars movies."

Of course, the makeshift memorial, made of up of red light saber, flowers and a poster board showing a picture of Leias trademark side buns, was placed directly under the iconic Yoda water fountain in the national San Francisco park. On Thursday, the Presidio tweeted: May the Force Be With You, Princess Leia.

Film maker George Lucas, who lives in Marin County, created the first epic space opera, Star Wars, in 1977.

The Presidio is now home to the Letterman Digital and New Media Arts Center, and is the headquarters of Lucas Film. Lucas founded Lucas Film in 1971, which was bought by The Walt Disney Company in 2012.

As for Dale Tolosa's favorite Princess Leia scene? It was when she escaped from the Death Star after Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker posed as stormtroopers. "She was the first princess in cinema to rescue herself," Tolosa said.
A heartbreaking loss for a Brazilian family visiting San Jose suddenly has become a tale of tearful celebration.

Two days after Victor Camara and his family lost $6,000 and other valuables to car burglars within hours of beginning their first-ever visit to the U.S., a stranger generously offered the family $10,000.

The donor, who wished to remain anonymous, saw the family's heartbreaking story on NBC Bay Area Wednesday night and was eager to help.

"Id like to offer you $10,000," the donor told Camara during a phone call Thursday.

"This is something great to hear," Camara replied, his voice cracking as his family cried tears of joy and hugged. "Im really thankful. Im grateful for you, OK?"

"Its my pleasure, Victor," the donor said.

A heartbreaking loss for a Brazilian family visiting San Jose suddenly has become a tale of tearful celebration.

"In the world, there are more good persons than bad persons," Camara said, beaming.

The Camara family was overwhelmed with gratitude. Its been an emotional couple of days for Camara, who had saved for years to take his family on a trip to America.

On Tuesday night, surveillance cameras from a nearby gas station captured two people busting the window of Camara's rental car that he had parked outside Applebee's in San Jose just after leaving the airport on his way to his aunt's house.

What started as a family's unfortunate loss on their first night in the U.S. has now become a reminder of the good in the world.

"Take a message from this good news," Camara said. "Dont lose faith in humanity."

In another bit of good news, Camara said he and his fiancee got their stolen passports back after a homeless man in Oakland found them lying on the street and returned them Wednesday.
A divided Connecticut Supreme Court on Friday reinstated Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel's murder conviction in the 1975 killing of Martha Moxley, rejecting a lower court ruling in an appeal that his trial lawyer didn't adequately represent him.

The state's highest court issued a 4-3 decision ordering a lower court to reject Skakel's appeal.

It wasn't immediately clear if Skakel will be sent back to prison or allowed to remain free if he appeals or asks the high court to reconsider. His lawyer, Hubert Santos, said he was reviewing the ruling and had no immediate comment.

Skakel, a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel, was convicted of murder in 2002 in the killing of Moxley in a wealthy Greenwich neighborhood three decades ago when they were teenage neighbors. Moxley was bludgeoned with a golf club. Skakel was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

But he was freed in 2013 on $1.2 million bail after a judge granted him a new trial based on claims that Skakel's trial lawyer, Michael Sherman, made a series of poor decisions in representing him. The judge found, in part, that Sherman failed to argue that Skakel's brother could have been responsible for the crime and failed to present a key alibi witness for Skakel.

Sherman had defended his work. On Friday, Sherman told NBC Connecticut he believes that Skakel should have never been convicted.

During arguments before the state Supreme Court, prosecutor Susann Gill told the justices that Sherman did a competent job investigating and trying the case and that Skakel's appellate lawyers had not met the high burden under case law to prove ineffective counsel. She also stood by the state's position that there was "substantial" evidence that Michael Skakel killed Martha Moxley.

Santos argued that Sherman made numerous poor decisions, including not focusing on Skakel's older brother, Thomas Skakel, as a possible suspect.

Santos told the justices, "This defendant did not get a fair shake. The weight of the evidence is that Tommy Skakel killed Martha Moxley."

Santos also said Michael Skakel had an alibi on the night of the killing at 10 p.m., the time that he said evidence shows Moxley was killed. He cited testimony that Michael Skakel and some relatives left the neighborhood at about 9:30 p.m. to go to his cousin's house 20 minutes away to watch a Monty Python movie.

Santos also said there was no forensic or physical evidence linking Skakel to the killing.

Thomas Skakel's attorney has previously said his client had nothing to do with the slaying.

Skakel's current attorneys said they had no comment.
The Obama administration's decision to impose a new round of sanctions against Russia could restrict Donald Trump's efforts to repair U.S. relations with Moscow and puts the president-elect on a collision course with Republican lawmakers.

The White House on Thursday rolled out a set of economic sanctions and other penalties intended to squeeze Russian leaders for interfering in the 2016 election.

Obama's move to punish the Russian government puts Trump in a tough position of having to decide whether to undermine retaliatory sanctions or abandon his calls for better relations with Moscow.

Kellyanne Conway, who served as Trump's campaign manager, accused President Barack Obama in an interview with CNN's Kate Bolduon of issuing the sanctions with just weeks left in his presidency to deliberately "box-in President-elect Trump."

U.S. officials have acknowledged that Trump could use his executive authorities to reverse the sanctions, but that may cause issue with his own party.

Congressional leaders appear to be unified in the conclusion that Russia's government was responsible for hacking its way into tipping the election in favor of the GOP candidate despite Trump's refusal to accept the assessment of the intelligence community.

Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham said the sanctions are a "small price" to pay for interfering with U.S. elections, adding that they'll lead efforts in Congress to impose stronger penalties.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the sanctions "a good initial step" but criticized Obama's overall foreign policy and said the U.S. must work to ensure that attacks against the nation are met with "overwhelming response."

Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, vowed to introduce bills next month to create an independent commission to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election and hit the country with "comprehensive enhanced sanctions."

In a statement following the announcement from the Obama administration, Trump reiterated his call for the U.S. to "move on," but said he'd be briefed next week about the issue.

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things," Trump said in a statement. "Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation."

On Wednesday, Trump suggested that the U.S. and Russia lay to rest the controversy over Moscow's computer hacking of Democratic Party officials, saying, "We ought to get on with our lives."

The Intelligence Community has publicly stated Russia was behind hacks of political organizations in the U.S. But the president-elect has held firm to his skepticism of the intel apparatus he's about to inherit.

The president-elect has also belittled the intelligence agencies that he will assume command over on Jan. 20, insinuating in a tweet that they couldn't be trusted.

These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, he said.

Russia, which has repeatedly denied the hacking allegations, called the penalties a clumsy yet aggressive attempt to "harm Russian-American ties." Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would take into account the fact that Trump will soon replace Obama as it drafts retaliatory measures.

Trump has long had a cozy relationship with Putin, going out of his way to praise the Russian leader during the campaign and resisting joining the chorus of criticism over Russias alleged involvement in the elections. He has said the idea that Russia tried to help him win was ridiculous.

I think its just another excuse, Trump said in December. I dont believe it. No, I dont believe it at all.

Trump said in July that he would consider lifting previously imposed sanctions against Russia, including those against Russian state banks and corporations following its 2014 invasion of Ukraine. While the U.S. has thus far refused to recognize the legitimacy of Russian referendums in Crimea, Trump has hinted in the past that he may be prepared to do so.
Some Massachusetts lawmakers were surprised to learn a few of their colleagues passed a measure changing the marijuana legalization that was approved in last month's election.

"It's funny, everyone talks about 'open and transparent,' except when it comes to the legislature," said State Rep. Jim Lyons.

Lyons, like most state lawmakers, had no idea it was happening during what the legislature calls an "informal session."

"The power brokers use the informal system to pass what they want to pass," Lyons said.

Informal sessions take place between August and December in the second year of the legislative cycle, usually to take care of non-controversial business. They are restricted to less important matters, because it only takes one lawmaker to voice opposition. Conversely, it only takes one Republican and one Democrat to be present to push something through.

"I think this is just a minor change," said Rep. Alice Peisch, who believes the action was necessary because state agencies responsible for implementing the law need more guidance to do it responsibly.

"You can't obstruct or ignore it, but you can tweak it," said former State Sen. George Bachrach. "Simply delaying it a bit to get it right makes some sense."

Lyons thinks there was plenty of time. He agrees with the measure that was passed, but feels the process of pushing controversial legislation during informal sessions is all wrong. He intends to try to change it in 2017, he says.
Rain falls across all of southern New England as low pressure develops across eastern Massachusetts.

We are expecting up to 2 inches of snow from the Interstate 495 corridor east to Interstate 95, 3 to 6 inches across northern Massachusetts, 6 inches to a foot from the New Hampshire border north into southern New Hampshire and Vermont and up to 1-1/2 feet across central and northern New Hampshire and Maine.

Speed limits on the western part of the Massachusetts Turnpike and the southern portion of the Maine Turnpike have been reduced due to the inclement weather. New Hampshire officials are urging motorists to stay off the roads after 6 p.m. if possible.

Though it's school vacation for most, a handful of schools have cancelled classes and several courts in Massachusetts are also closing early due to the snow.

By Thursday night, slight changes have been made to the forecast. As cold air races its way into the area, snow will shift into the I-495 corridor by 9 p.m., with the heavy rainfall we experienced in the afternoon shifting to heavy snow or a wintry mix in areas, which will make for reduced visibility and slippery driving conditions.

Pockets of very heavy snow will continue into southern New Hampshire and north central Massachusetts through this evening with snowfall rates at 1 to 2 inches per hour possible.

The system will continue its track north and east, hugging the New England coastline, and the rain/snow will end for most of New England, besides the threat for snow to continue into the Crown of Maine through Friday morning. Lows will bottom out in the mid to upper 20s for most locations, which could allow for some refreezing overnight into southern New England.

High winds are also expected overnight, with wind gusts up to 50 mph expected along the coast. Some power outages could occur through Friday morning.

Friday features a few clouds and snow showers early before sunny skies move in for the remainder of the day. Gusty winds diminish late morning and highs will peak around 30 degrees north to the low 40s south.

Another weather system approaches from the Great Lakes on New Year's Eve. The first half of the day will feature partly cloudy skies before clouds build in during the afternoon. A fast-moving clipper system brings the threat of snow showers during the evening as it passes overhead. Highs will be in the mid 20s north and mid to upper 30s south.

The clipper moves away from the region by New Year's Day as high pressure noses into the region behind it. We're expecting mostly sunny skies with highs moderating into the 30s north and mid 40s south.

Looking ahead into the start of the work week, high pressure slides offshore toward the Canadian Maritimes on Monday as another weather system approaches from the southeast.

By Tuesday, the system is right over the region, bringing cloudy skies and some precipitation with it. Highs on Monday and Tuesday will be in the 30s to the north and the 40s south.
With budget negotiations halted in Springfield, it seems unlikely that Gov. Bruce Rauner and the states top legislative leaders will be able to reach a new deal before the current stopgap spending plan expires at the end of the year.

But what does that mean for Illinois residents?

The good news is, a large portion of the states spending will continue to be covered through court orders and consent decrees. In addition, elementary and secondary education have been funded through June.

Although many vital state functions will still be funded, health and human services and higher education will likely continue to suffer without a budget, which means some of the most vulnerable Illinoisans will be hit hardest by a prolonged impasse.

In April, Chicago State University was forced to lay off more than 300 employees as a result of the states budget crisis. The school now faces a year-end deficit and could be forced to make further cuts, according to the Chicago Tribune. Additionally, funding for Monetary Award Program grants expires at the end of the year, which could result in students losing tuition assistance.

Lutheran Social Services, the states largest provider of social services, announced they would cut 30 programs and 750 jobs as a result of the impasse. Other groups, like Catholic Charities, have also been affected by the ongoing stalemate.

However, a comprehensive budget deal between Gov. Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan remains elusive, as it has throughout the governors first two years in office.

Rauner has made it clear that he wont consider a new temporary budget unless it includes reforms from his turnaround agenda, like term limits and a property tax freeze. The governor halted negotiations earlier this month after House Speaker Michael Madigan and Illinois Democrats failed to put forth a budget proposal.

"The Governor and the Republican leaders remain ready to negotiate on a balanced budget with reforms to grow jobs, lower property taxes, improve schools and implement term limits," Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said in a statement earlier this month. "However, Democrative leaders continue to discuss internally whether they are prepared to present a budget proposal, so we will schedule the next Four Leaders meeting when we receive confirmation that they are ready."

Madigans office claimed Tuesday that the onus is on Rauner to propose a budget.

[Rauners] indicated hes gotten some idea, that while hes the guy who is spending the money and will determine how much he wants to spend, that somebody else should give him a plan, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown told Ward Room. Thats totally illogical, but thats all thats been happening.

While it is Rauners constitutional duty to submit a balanced budget to the General Assembly by the third Wednesday in February, the legislature has the power to make decisions on appropriations and taxes. However, Brown claimed the two sides havent discussed revenue increases, like a potential income tax hike.

The speakers said for nearly two years, it needs to be a balance between cuts and revenue, but weve never gotten beyond that, Brown said. And dont plan to, frankly, at this point.

Brown also reiterated Democrats desire to reestablish working groups, something Rauner has opposed. Brown said working groups were needed on a series of matters, including workers compensation and government consolidation.

Next month, Madigan is up for reelection as house speaker. Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly framed the election as a pivotal decision for Illinois Democrats Friday.

"Members of the majority will face a clear choice when they return to Springfield: reach a bipartisan balanced budget with reforms or support Speaker Madigan's status quo of crisis and higher taxes without any reforms to our broken system," Kelly said in a statement. "Governor Rauner will continue working with both sides of the aisle to reach a truly balanced budget with structural reforms."
Former Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy called the departments response to the citys rising violence a huge problem in a recent interview with 60 Minutes.

When people are dying, yes, theres a crisis, McCarthy said in the interview thats scheduled to air Sunday. No two ways about it.

Despite Chicago seeing more than 700 murders in 2016, 60 Minutes found that police activity has dropped in all 22 of Chicagos police districts. Similarly, a recent Chicago Sun-Times analysis found that the number of arrest in Chicago has fallen by 28 percent since 2015.

McCarthy was fired as the citys top cop in the wake of the Laquan McDonald controversy. McDonald, an African-American teen, was shot and killed by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in October of 2014. After dashcam footage of the incident was released over a year later, public outcry for McCarthys resignation grew.

McDonalds killing has had a lingering effect on community policing in Chicago. In April, the citys new police accountability task force released a report stating the communitys lack of trust in the CPD is justified and noting that McDonald posed no immediate threat to anyone at the time of his killing.

The CPD is currently being investigated by the Justice Department for potential civil rights violations. After the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue the department of racial profiling, officers have been ordered to be more selective about who they stop and are now required to write a report on each one, according to 60 Minutes."

Police Supt. Eddie Johnson told the Sun-Times that the arrest numbers reflect the CPDs focus on addressing gun violence and improving community relations.

We want to arrest the right people at the right times for the right reasons, Johnson told the paper. But just indiscriminately stopping people? No. We cannot arrest our way out of this.

Johnson told the Sun-Times that the department is relying less on broken window policing, a strategy that emphasizes heavy enforcement of low-level crimes to send a message to criminals. The superintendent explained that the CPD is prioritizing gun crimes over low-level narcotics offenses. The drop in police activity could be tied, in part, to a new state law decriminalizing possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana that took effect this summer.

Additionally, Johnson rejects the Ferguson effect, a theory that claims violence has risen because cops are holding back amid protests over police violence. However, he told the Sun-Times that many police feel vilified, while some have been slowed down learning new legal requirements for street stops.

Some officers, who spoke to the Sun-Times on the condition of not being named, told the paper that cops are being less aggressive because they're worried about being caught on video making an honest mistake in the line of duty. Others dismissed that reasoning, arguing that body cameras and documentation will help cops do their jobs.

"Those are people looking for an excuse," a veteran North Side supervisor told the Sun-Times. "What they're saying is that I liked it better when no one was recording when I trounced on someone's head."
Former Ald. Sandi Jackson claimed in court filings this week that she is currently out of work, selling her belongings and borrowing from friends to make ends meet, while her husband, former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., has a monthly income of at least $10,250 a month, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Jackson is currently seeking a divorce from the former Congressman. The couple pleaded guilty to a list of felonies in 2013 and subsequently served staggered jail sentences.

The former City Council member reportedly filed for divorce in Washington, while her husband filed in Cook County. The couple is scheduled to appear in court in Washington on Tuesday and again in Cook County on Wednesday, but its still unclear where the case will be heard.

The Jacksons, who have been married for 25 years, are grappling with a list of issues including custody of their two children, and her request for child support, alimony and attorneys fees, the Tribune reports.

According to the report, Jackson said her husband is living in a house without a mortgage while their other mortgage is in arrears. She also claimed Jackson Jr. has failed to contribute to the mortgage or any household expenses since September, something the former Congressmans lawyer refuted.

The former alderman reportedly plans to ask that the Cook County case be dismissed, according to the report.

Jackson Jr. pleaded guilty in 2013 to charges he illegally spent campaign funds on a variety of expensive items, like a $4,600 fedora owned by Michael Jackson and a $1,200 reversible mink parka. Sandi Jackson pleaded guilty to a tax fraud charge that stemmed from the same case.
A man fatally shot a teenager who attempted to rob him Friday afternoon in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, according to Chicago Police.

The 33-year-old man went to the 4800 block of West Ferdinand to purchase something he saw for sale online and was confronted by a 19-year-old man who announced a robbery and showed a gun, police said. A struggle ensued, and the 19-year-old was shot in the chest about 12:25 p.m.

The teen, identified as Carlos James, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiners office. He lived in the same block as the shooting.

Police said the 33-year-old suffered bruises during the struggle, and that a single gun was recovered at the scene. Area North detectives were investigating.
The city of Chicago told residents in a North Side neighborhood Thursday to not drink rusty, discolored water after a nearby car washs lack of backflow devices possibly lead to a contaminated waterline.

The city Thursday began handing out bottled water to homes in the 4600 and 4700 blocks of West Patterson Avenue in the city's Old Irving Park neighborhood and took water samples for analysis.

As soon as we have the results indicating that the water is safe to drink, the do not drink the water order will be lifted, the city said in a statement.

Residents in the area told NBC 5 they were having water troubles for months.

Mike and Amy Streff have been concerned about their 3-year-old's health after they say their water began sputtering and coming out discolored.

The bathtub, I was running the stub and it was coming out brown, Mike told NBC 5. Same thing with the laundry downstairs.

Across the street from the Streffs, Freda Johnson worries her pipes rattle so hard theyll soon crack.

It seems like an explosion, she said. Everybody feels like their stuff is just going to go up into space or explode.

Residents like Johnson and the Streffs say theyve been trying to get the city to fix the problems for monthswith no luck.

A day after NBC 5 reached out to the Department of Water Management, the city sent crews to the neighborhood and says it resolved the issuebut found the car wash problem.

Flyers distributed to residents Thursday warned them to wash dishes, brush their teeth or even consume the water coming from their taps.

My grandkids  I babysit them and Ive been giving them lemonade, macaroni and cheese, said resident Luz Ojega. Everything I do with the water.

The car wash has been shut down and the do not drink order will remain in effect until tests are completed, which could take up to 48 hours or longer, the city said.

It makes me worried, Ojega said. Weve been calling and they know we have a problemI dont know why it took them so long.
Robberies of two FedEx delivery trucks on Wednesday were the latest in a string of similar crimes reported in the last month  all on the South Side.

In all, at least seven robberies involving package delivery trucks have been reported in Chicago in the last month.

Among the recent crimes was a Wednesday morning incident in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood that resulted in charges against a 15-year-old boy, who is accused of stealing a FedEx truck.

About 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, a car with two people inside pulled up as a 46-year-old woman was delivering a package for FedEx in the 7500 block of South Green, authorities said. The teenager got out of the car with a gun and made the woman hand over the keys to her truck.

He took off in the truck, which was spotted as it crashed into another car at 67th and Wentworth, police said. The truck continued south on Wentworth until it hit a fence.

The teen jumped out and was arrested after a short foot chase, police said. He was treated at St. Bernard Hospital for injuries suffered in the crash and was listed in good condition.

He faces one count each of aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle and aggravated fleeing, all felonies, police said.

The safety and security of our team members is always our priority, FedEx spokeswoman Sharon Young said in an email. We are grateful that no one was seriously injured in this incident, and we are working with the authorities in their investigation. FedEx continually evaluates and implements procedures that enhance our security systems.

Later Wednesday, another package delivery driver was robbed at gunpoint in the South Chicago neighborhood. The 40-year-old woman was approached by a gunman wearing a ski mask about 11 a.m. in the 8000 block of South Saginaw, police said. He took two packages from the truck before running away.

Two days before Christmas, a delivery truck was robbed in the Englewood neighborhood. The 35-year-old woman was in the 6400 block of South May at 3:38 p.m. on Dec. 23 when a male approached her, announced a robbery and demanded the truck, police said. The woman was not injured, and officers later found the truck in the 100 block of West Swan with several packages removed.

Four days earlier, another delivery truck was stolen from the Fuller Park neighborhood. Four males walked up to the delivery driver about 6:40 p.m. on Dec. 19 in the 5100 block of South Princeton, pulled out a gun and stole his truck, police said. Officers found the truck at 54th and Shields with several items missing.

On Dec. 8, a delivery driver was robbed at gunpoint in the Chatham neighborhood. The 32-year-old man was delivering packages at 11:52 a.m. in the 700 block of East 80th Street when an armed suspect approached his truck, police said. The suspect ran away with his items, and the delivery driver ran from the scene and called police. It wasnt immediately known if any packages were stolen.

Two more delivery truck robberies happened Nov. 30 in the Greater Grand Crossing and Chatham neighborhoods.

At 8:56 p.m., a UPS delivery driver was robbed of his packages in the Chatham neighborhood. He was in the 8500 block of South Prairie when he was approached by two men with a gun who took multiple packages, personal items and cash from the driver. They also took several packages from the truck before running away.

At 11:34 a.m., a truck was stolen from the 7400 block of South Vernon, police said. The truck was found a short time later in the 7200 block of South Evans with an unknown amount of packages missing.

The delivery drivers have not been injured in any of the robberies, according to police.
Turkish president accuses US of not supporting its offensive on IS

From:chinadaily | 2016-12-30 09:46

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan prepares for an interview in New York City, US September 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

ANKARA -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized its NATO allies on Thursday, particularly the US, for not supporting Ankara's struggle against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Syria's al Bab region.Once more, Erdogan accused the US of supplying weapons to Kurdish fighters in Syria."NATO allies must stand by their partner Turkey in Syria, not the terrorist groups," said the Turkish president, referring to the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)."You sent arms to terrorist organizations, then said 'we sent ammunition, not arms,'" Erdogan said. "We're not buying it, nor accepting it.""Despite our NATO alliance, you support terrorist organizations, instead of us," the Turkish president said. "Are the terrorist organizations your partners in NATO?""If we are NATO strategic partners, then you should support us," Erdogan said, addressing the US administration."Terrorist organizations will eventually attack nations supporting them too," he warned.
Sears has announced it will be closing its location at the Enfield Square Mall.

According to company spokesman Howard Riefs, the store at 90 Elm Street will close to the public in April. A liquidation sale will begin on Jan. 6.

Riefs did not say how many employees would be losing their jobs, but said that those associates will be eligible for severance and can apply for other positions at other Sears or Kmart stores.

The Sears Auto Center is not closing.

We have been strategically and aggressively evaluating our store space and productivity, and will be accelerating the closing of unprofitable stores as we have previously announced, Riefs wrote in an email.

We often hear from our members who are disappointed when we close a store, but our Shop Your Way membership platform, websites and mobile apps allow us to maintain these valued relationships long after a store closes its doors. As a result, we hope to retain a portion of the sales previously associated with this store by maintaining our relationships with the members who shopped this location.

Enfield Mayor Scott Kaupin told NBC Connecticut that while he is concerned for the employees who will lose jobs, the closure was not unexpected.
NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters learned that it will cost New Britain nearly $80,000 to respond to a train wreck earlier this month.

City leaders are hoping to strike a deal with Pan Am Railways, Inc. and the Naugatuck Railroad company for reimbursement, according to documents obtained by NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters.

Jesse Suarez owns Leon's Liquors in the busy shopping plaza right near the site of the crash. He was working the day it happened and said "I see the cars all derailed!"

According to paperwork, $78,432.24 is the estimated cost city leaders say it took to respond to the Dec. 6 train derailment in the heart of downtown.

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters obtained this letter of reimbursement sent to Pan Am Railways and the Naugatuck Railroad Company on Wednesday.

Weeks after the accident that also impacted local business owners, who pay property taxes here in the city.

"We were here that day and I was standing right behind counter and I seen one of the cars fell off. We lose a little money, we had to shut down, no choice," Suarez reminded NBC Connecticut.

The next day, New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart informed the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters they were already sorting out the costs and figuring out who to seek reimbursement from.

"Our police costs our overtime Costs. Our DPW costs for OT. Building and Inspections Dept. Out here. We had NB EMS, so certainly a big cost to this having a lot of people on staff, on call for 24-hours," Stewart told NBC Connecticut back on Dec. 7.

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters requested invoices from city department heads; including $24,000 for police regular and overtime duties, a $40,000 bill to replace and repair a damaged brick wall, $7,700 for City Department of Public Works wages and equipment and $3,000 for fire department response.

"They should be asking for reimbursement. Taxpayers from the city of NB should not pay anything in this accident," Suarez said.

Co-owner of Leon's Liquors and the wife of Jesse Suarez, Maria Suarez, stated: "It's not our fault!"

In its reimbursement request, the city offers both companies the chance to remove the remaining brick wall at their expense, in lieu of its $40,000 replacement, leaving both companies, the rest of the $38,400 bill.

Jesse Suarez thinks that is a fair move, "To me it's not much, what they're charging. It could've been a loss of life, which would've been worse!"

A Pan Am Railways spokesman said they haven't received the letter and can't respond until they do.

The Naugatuck railroad company hasn't called NBC Connecticut back.

Meanwhile we've asked the Federal Railroad Administration for a cause and they tell us it is still under investigation. City officials say they haven't heard anything yet either.
Martinis, Manhattans and Cosmopolitans are festive ways to celebrate the new year, but Shaken, Stirred, Styled: The Art of the Cocktail, a new exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art, celebrates barware and other essential wares used to create these delicious adult beverages as works of art.

"We have a treasure trove of barware from over a hundred years in our permanent collection. This an opportunity to exhibit those wares and tell a story of the development of cocktails and cocktailers through the artwork itself," Samantha Robinson, the DMAs interim Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts and Design, said.

The exhibition is organized chronologically and begins with the ancestor of the cocktail: punch. Large punch bowls with matching cups demonstrate the British elites interest in enjoying large quantities of the beverages signature blend of water, spirits, citrus, sugar and spice.

"It is a result of trans global exploration and exchange. It is an exuberant expression of all things exotic," Robinson said.

The Industrial Revolution changed how people enjoyed alcohol as they desired something more efficient and individual. The cocktail is an American invention and American bartenders began developing cocktail recipes.

An example of the first recipe book of cocktails is part of the DMAs exhibition. How to Mix Drinks: Or, The Bon-vivants Companion was written in 1862 by Jerry Thomas, a flamboyant New York bartender and saloon owner considered "the father of American mixology."

Thomas was also a showman, juggling barware and wearing jewelry while creating drinks. His first edition of the guide is the first book to document the oral tradition of cocktail recipes and includes recipes for Brandy Daisy, Fizz, Flip, Sour, and the Old-Fashioned.

Visitors to the exhibition can flip through a digital version of the book and find their favorite classic cocktail.

"This is an example of the way one individual took contributions of many, published them, and today that is the basis of the cocktails we know," Robinson said.

World War I, anti-German sentiment, and the growing influence of the temperance movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s shaped the cocktail culture in America. In 1919, Congress passed the 18th Amendment, banning the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcohol.

It did not ban the consumption or private possession of alcohol and after World War I, people had money and wanted to celebrate the conclusion of the war. In the 1920s, advertisers preferred to use the word "beverage" instead of "cocktail" and barware designers cleverly disguised alcoholic drinks with whimsical shapes such as roosters.

The beak of the rooster unscrews to reveal the spout for the cocktail. Designers were also inspired by Art-Deco skyscrapers, lighthouses and World War I artillery shells to find creative ways to serve cocktails.

Barware design of the 1930s reflects another societal shift in America as the design is simplified and items are made with silver plate and chrome.

"The excess and extravagance of the 1920s comes to an abrupt halt in 1929 with the stock market crash and the start of the Great Depression. The chrome would have provided the consumers the allure of silver with a shiny surface they wanted, but at lower prices because they could no longer had the income to afford these wares," Robinson explained.

Once President Roosevelt repealed the 18th Amendment in 1933, mass production of bar ware increased and barware was produced efficiently and inexpensively.

Peter Muller-Munks 1937 Waring Blendor, a recent acquisition on display for the first time in this exhibition, marks an important transition in the history of the cocktail.

"It certainly suggests the mechanization of life and consumer products in the 1930s. It really demonstrates this purity of function and form. It also foreshadows after World War II the mechanization of cocktail culture. Battery-powered and electricity-powered wares became very popular in the 1950s," Robinson said.

After World War II, mixed drinks became more popular in American culture and mixing pitchers and beverage stirrers replaces cocktail shakers.

Martini glass, c. 2001

Valeri Timofeev, designer

Dallas Museum of Art, Discretionary Decorative Arts Fund

"Even though the cocktail has receded somewhat in popular consciousness, designers continue to return to these forms again and again," Robinson said.

A striking example of a modern reincarnation of classic barware is Valeri Timofeevs kaleidoscopic martini glass, combining Russian enamel techniques with a distinctly American form.

Crafted in 2001 and on display for the first time since entering the DMAs collection, it is a charming result of 100 years of cocktail history.

Shaken, Stirred, Styled: The Art of the Cocktail, presented by ROXOR Artisan Gin, will be on view through November 12, 2017 and is included in the DMAs daily free admission.

For more information about the exhibition and a special speakeasy event on February 4, visit www.dma.org.

Kimberly Richard is a North Texan with a passion for the arts. Shes worked with Theatre Three, Inc. and interned for the English National Opera and Royal Shakespeare Company. She graduated from Austin College and currently lives in Garland with her very pampered cocker spaniel, Tessa.
It's that time of year again. Flu cases are on the rise in North Texas, health officials say.

A report out Friday from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows the number of cases grew by more than 18 percent in the week before Christmas.

The trend is proving true at The Medical Center of Plano, where doctors say they've seen a 420-percent increase in cases in December compared to November. Most cases, they say, have been since Christmas Day.

Dr. Russell McDonald, with Plano Pediatrics, says usually holiday breaks are when flu cases tend to level off because kids aren't at school sharing germs.

But instead, they say cases are surging.

"If anything, to me, that's the worrisome thing. If flu is surging now and school starts next week, Tuesday, I think the middle, end of January we could be seeing a lot of flu," Russell said.

Despite the increase, it isn't being considered an outbreak. As of Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Texas has minimal levels of influenza-like illness activity.

Doctors and the state say they're also seeing more cases of RSV, a respiratory virus considered even more contagious than the flu.



Doctors aren't required by law to report RSV cases to DSHS so it's unknown how many cases have been diagnosed, and how much they may have increased.
Tarrant County struggles with a high infant mortality rate, but doctors say new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics is a step in the right direction.

In October, the organization released its recommendations to help prevent sudden infant deaths

Infants should sleep in the same bedroom as their parents for at least the first six months of their lives to minimize the risk of sleep-related deaths, according to new guidelines. Ideally, babies should stay in their parents' room at night for a full year.

Babies shouldn't share a bed with parents, however, because that increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the guidelines stress.

The safest spot for infant sleep is on a firm surface, such as a crib or bassinet without any soft bedding, bumpers or pillows.

"We never recommend co-sleeping. We recommend feeding the baby in the bed with you if you like and then putting the baby back in their own bed," said Dr. Mickey Hooper, an OB-GY N at Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth.

Hooper says the new guidelines reiterate what local health officials have emphasized for years.

Fort Worth has been the epicenter of infant mortality in Texas for years, according to doctors at Cook Children's Medical Center.

A citywide initiative trains hospital personnel on infant mortality and safe infant sleep practices.

Erica Mercado, a mother in North Richland Hills, says she knows the dangers of co-sleeping, but says it was the easiest option with her first child.

"He woke up quite a bit, breastfeeding in the middle of the night, and it was difficult and still is difficult to get him out of the bed and not sleep with us at three years old," Mercado said.

She has a new plan for baby number two.

"We're not going to do the co-sleeping thing and we're gonna have a bassinet and keep him in the bassinet," Mercado said.
Authorities said a high-speed chase ended in Dallas when a driver crashed into a pole near a building Friday morning.

Dallas County Sheriff's deputies said the chase started when they tried to stop a silver Mercedes near Interstate 30 and Hampton Road just after 5 a.m.

The driver refused and led police on a pursuit that reached speeds up to 120 mph, according to police.

Authorities said the chase ended when the driver hit a building along the Interstate 30 service road near Beckley Avenue at about 5:40 a.m.

The driver was transported to Methodist Dallas Medical Center in unknown condition.

No further details have been released.

Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change.
This weekend, more than 5,000 people will gather in Dallas for the Marvelous Nerd New Years Eve Expo to celebrate science fiction, fantasy and pop culture.

A major part of the celebration will be a tribute to deceased actress Carrie Fisher who is best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchise.

When Carrie passed away, we were asked by so many of our attendees how we were going to honor her memory and her legacy, organizer Devin Pike said. We are actually holding a memorial for Carrie on Saturday morning.

Some of Fishers friends and former co-stars will take the stage and remember her galaxy-sized legacy.

At the time, science fiction heroines screamed a lot and ran around behind rocks and hid behind the captain, Pike said. Carrie Fisher was the one who grabbed the gun, got the heroes out of a jam and was a positive role model in science fiction for women and for everybody.

Pike said Hollywood has spent decades trying to duplicate that strength because there was only one Carrie Fisher.

[She] actually finished the footage for Episode 8 which will be released next Christmas, Pike said. It will be bittersweet seeing her on screen knowing that was her last role in the Star Wars Universe. Its really hard for a lot of fans to wrap their heads around it."

Pike said Fisher did more for movies than just Star Wars.

When we were putting the tribute reel together, five people actually messaged me and said if I didnt include her work in When Harry Met Sally then it would not be complete, he said.

Fans said she meant more to the world than just her movie roles.

She was also an amazingly funny author and actress who spoke out against mental illness and addiction, Pike added. Her strength as a character is what really drew people to her.

The four-day conference is at the Downtown Dallas Sheraton and runs through Jan.1.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings wants state investigators to determine whether previous administrators of the city's ailing police and fire pension fund committed crimes that contributed to the fund's financial crisis.

Rawlings said in a Facebook post Friday that he requested the investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety and has been cooperating with the FBI. Rawlings did not specify what crimes may have been committed or name any specific administrators.

"As I have learned more in recent years and months about how the (pension fund) reached its current crisis, I have come to believe the conduct in question may rise to the level of criminal offenses," he wrote.

DPS confirmed Friday that Texas Rangers will investigate.

The fund spent almost a decade basing its financial health on artificially inflated asset values from risky real estate investments made under a previous director, Richard Tettament, who resigned in 2014. The FBI earlier this year searched an investment firm that once advised the fund.

A spokesman for the pension system released an emailed statement on behalf of the board Friday.

"The Dallas Police and Fire Pension Board and staff have been working with and fully cooperating with the FBI for more than a year on its ongoing investigation of previous activities," the statement read. "We remain focused on working with city and state officials to find long-term solutions that will safeguard previously earned and future retirement funds for Dallas first responders."

The fund devalued its assets by about $1 billion after Tettament left to get an accurate picture of its financial standing. That devaluing dropped its percentage of funded liabilities to 45 percent, which pension experts said meant it would be insolvent in 15 years.

Proposed changes to benefits aimed at addressing the solvency sent members scrambling to withdraw deferred retirement funds from the plan. Members ended up pulling more than $500 million from the plan over a four-month period, moving up the expected insolvency date to about a decade.

The board voted to freeze large withdrawals earlier this month.

Both the city and the board are working on plan changes to present to the Legislature this session in hopes of finding a way to increase the fund's solvency projections.
Dallas police say a 19-year-old woman who had been reported missing Thursday night has been located and is safe.

Dominque Jackson was last seen walking in the 1400 block of North Beckley Avenue at about 8:30 p.m., police said.

In an update Friday afternoon police said Jackson was safe. No other details were provided.
A lawmaker in Fort Worth wants to make it harder to get divorced in Texas by getting rid of no-fault divorce. He's proposing a bill in the next legislative session that would make people cite a specific reason their marriage needs to end.

The idea has sparked a lot of emotional reaction because filing for divorce is a deeply personal choice. In fact, many people call the conservative lawmaker's move to step in and ban no-fault divorce a big government overreach.

State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, doesn't see it that way. He says it's undoing a law that's already been on the books since the 1970s  one that he believes has helped break down the family structure.

Attorney Justin Sisemore is about to move into the high season for divorce, when couples who've stuck it out through the holidays decide they've had enough.

"You have so many situations where people need to feel like they can get out of a relationship," Sisemore said.

But Krause thinks it should be more difficult to end a marriage in Texas.

"I think you add a little bit more of the sacredness to marriage when you don't have no-fault divorce," Krause said. "It's more of a, 'What are we getting into here? It's not something we can get in or out of easily or quickly.'"

Under his proposed legislation, couples would have to cite a specific reason to get divorced. It's a process that Robin Hamlin says is already "incredibly stressful."

Hamlin, who has been divorced and works in Sisemore's office, said ending her marriage was the healthy choice for her children.

"It just dawned on me that they're not going to know what a normal, loving marriage can be because the example that's in front of them is not a good one," Hamlin said.

Sisemore argues that nothing will stop people from getting divorced once they reach that point, and he adds that even when there is clear fault, many people choose not to fight it out that way.

"For their children's sake, they don't want to run the other one through the nasty ringer," said Sisemore.

"I'm very sympathetic to that," Krause said. "That's not the intent of the bill. That's not what we're trying to do. But I think for public policy in Texas, we want to do what we can to promote and encourage strong Texas families, and I think no-fault divorce and its impact since the 1970s has worked against that."

This is the second time Krause has introduced this bill. Last session, his proposal made it out of committee and into a hearing.

This time, Krause says he's looking at ways to mitigate costs and to keep details of a divorce off the public record. Both are extra challenges with at-fault divorce. He also suggests there could be a way to codify emotional abuse, to include that as a cause under at-fault divorce.
Chinese Culture Talk debuts in Latvia

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-12-30 11:46

The first Chinese Culture Talk on the Silk Road in Xinjiang and relations between Luoyang and the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was held in Latvia recently.

Wubuli, deputy-director of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Bureau of Cultural Heritage, and Zhang Deshui, deputy-director of the Henan Museum, were invited to give the joint lecture.

Wubuli introduced the Silk Road's history and its contribution to bridging Asia and Europe. The Silk Road is an historic route of commerce, pilgrimage and cultural communication between the two continents.

He said the part in Xinjiang is the most important section and that it covers 1/4 of the Silk Road's entire length. The Silk Road was divided into many branches, which went to East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia. Two civilizations based in agriculture and a nomadic lifestyle met in Xinjiang and formed a unique, diversified culture.

Zhang started his lecture by introducing Luoyang and its importance in Chinese history. As the starting point of the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty, Luoyang was the center of politics, economy and culture in ancient China in that era.

2016 marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Latvia. An exhibition featuring a series of cultural relics from Henan and Xinjiang also was held, along with the culture talk.

About Chinese Culture Talk

Chinese Culture Talk is a series of high-level cultural and academic lectures launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Culture of China. More than 70 lectures had been held in about 30 countries by the end of 2016, including the US, France, Italy, Cambodia and Indonesia. The content varies from philosophy, religion, cultural heritage, literature and art, costume, cooking and Chinese medicine.
A murder warrant has been issued in the case of a Dallas mother of three who disappeared one year ago Thursday and whose remains were discovered in March.

Marisol Espinosa, 34, was last seen alive on Dec. 29, 2015, outside her home on Aurora Street in Pleasant Grove.

On March 6, a man found her remains in a wooded area near Dowdy Ferry Road.

Dallas police announced Thursday that Faustino Valdez is considered a suspect in her murder.

Earlier this year, NBC 5's media partners at The Dallas Morning News reported that family members believed Valdez, Espinosa's ex-boyfriend, killed her and fled to Mexico.

Police ask anyone with information about the case, including Valdez's current whereabouts, to call homicide detective C. Shelton at 214-283-4900.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000 as a reward for information that leads to Valdez's arrest and indictment. The number to call for Crime Stoppers is 214-373-TIPS.

The Espinosa family released the following statement through their attorney Thursday:

"One year ago Marisol was taken from her children, family, friends and colleagues; on behalf of the family, thank you to everyone who has shared their love and support throughout these trying times.

Today, we learned that Faustino Valdez has been charged with her murder; as we move forward, we ask for your assistance and prayers in bringing him to justice.

We will continue to put our faith and trust in the authorities that have worked so diligently to get us to this point, and will refrain from further comment until the appropriate time. If you have any information that will help bring Faustino Valdez to justice, please contact the authorities, immediately."
As the world awaits word on George Michaels funeral, North Texas remembers his music and legacy.

News of his death echoed through Dallas gay community.

[I am] still a little shocked. I found out Christmas Day, Chris Harvey said. My sister-in-law texted me to tell me about it and it was like the death of an uncle.

Harvey is also a member of the Turtle Creek Chorale; North Texas gay mens chorus.

"He paved the way for many other musicians who are gay and lesbian who did not have role models back in the day," he said.

Harvey said he will always remember the first time he saw George Michael perform in Dallas.

"His voice, his looks, his talent," he recalled.

Michael served as an unintentional Father Figure for a generation.

"He helped them be who they are without worrying what people will say or what would happen to their career," Harvey said.

They said Michael gave them Faith in who they could be and Freedom to simply be themselves.

"He was different. He didn't care. He was unique, Harvey said. He had problems in his personal life and he rose above them and he survived.

In 2005, Michael and his longtime partner Kenny Goss opened an art gallery in Dallas. The Goss-Michael Foundation showcases British contemporary art.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller traveled to Florida Thursday for an interview with President-elect Donald Trumps transition team regarding the Cabinet-level position of Secretary of Agriculture.

Miller, called "Donald Trumps biggest cheerleader" by his own spokesperson, has been an outspoken supporter of Trump since early in the primary campaign.

I was out there when it wasnt really popular, when a lot of people  a lot of elected officials  kind of treated Donald Trump like he was radioactive, Miller said Thursday, prior to leaving North Texas for Palm Beach, Florida, and Trumps Mar-A-Lago estate.

The agriculture secretary position is one of the final Cabinet-level positions to be filled by the President-elect.

Dressed in his signature cowboy hat and six-shooter lapel pin, Miller, a Republican from Stephenville, emphasized his ties to Texas  an important Republican stronghold  and that as Agriculture Commissioner he has made great strides in the Lone Star State in the area of improving the market for locally-grown produce and streamlining the application and inspection process for a food producer to earn organic status.

A prolific presence on social media, who has drawn more than a fair amount of criticism for his tendency to share fake news, Miller said he likens his approach to that of Donald Trump, who he said, Tells it like it is.

Recently, Miller shared a Washington Post article titled Trump doesnt threaten only President Obamas legacy. He could ruin Michelle Obamas, too. to his Facebook page, and its 367,000 followers, that he said is indicative of the approach he would take to the Secretary of Agriculture position.

If reversing policies that removed school nutrition decision making from locally elected school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, and parents, and rolling back policies that created healthy trash cans instead of healthy kids means ruining Michelle Obama's legacy than count me in, Miller wrote. In Texas we have empowered local school districts to make school nutrition decisions that are best for their districts and the children in their care. We don't need bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. or in Austin, Texas telling us how to raise our kids!

Among the policies Miller is referencing are his efforts as Agriculture Commissioner to reverse a statewide ban on soft drinks and fried food in public schools. Miller did so arguing that local school districts should have the power to make decisions on food choices at the local level.

About his impending job interview, Miller said he is not entirely sure what to expect  whether it will be much like a formal job interview or more of a casual conversation with members of the transition team. But Miller is adamant he did not have his sights set on this move when he decided to back Donald Trump.

It never really entered my mind during the campaign. My sole focus was getting to the winners circle. Its kind of like a dog chasing the bus. We were chasing the bus and then, Ill be darned, we caught it. And then we have to figure out what to do with the bus, Miller said with a laugh. So thats when the negotiation started and then the talks. But I certainly didnt join the Trump team looking for a place in the Cabinet. Ive got a really good deal and I love the job Im doing.
2016 is now drawing to a close, and the last week of 2016 has been very dry. In fact, it has been dry all December.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has recorded only 0.60 inches of rain this month. That is well below the average December rainfall of 2.55 inches. The result is a return of drought conditions to parts of the area.

Extreme drought is showing up in southeast Oklahoma, and moderate drought has even returned to parts of Dallas.

The combination of the lack of rain, gusty north winds and low humidity led to several grass fires across North Texas Thursday.

Low humidity and high winds in excess of 20 mph fueled several grass fires in North Texas Thursday.

Rainfall for the year has had its ups and downs. Rainfall was above average in April, May, July, August and November. But it was below normal the other seven months of the year. As a result, the Metroplex will finish the year a little drier than normal, with a total of 35.48 inches. That's below the average of 36.14 inches we expect in a normal year.

This final week of 2016 has also been very warm. From Dec. 24-28, DFW was in the 70s or 80s every day. We even broke records with a high of 80 degrees on Christmas Day and 83 degrees on Wednesday. Compare that to the average high temperature of 56 degrees at this time of year.

Temperatures will remain mild through New Year's Day, but we will see another blast of Arctic air arriving Tuesday night. There may even be a chance for some freezing rain, sleet or snow next week!

You can see the detailed NBC 5 forecast for the next 10 days here.
Christian Guntert was lying on his back, gluing seeds to the bottom of a giant faux pizza for a Rose Parade float when a teenager made a casual comment about his wife.

When the 58-year-old Guntert told the girl that he and his longtime girlfriend actually weren't married, she screamed: "You're not married?!"

The shocked question reverberated in the 80,000-square-foot California warehouse last December, where teams of volunteers were building a dozen floats for the annual, nationally televised parade in Pasadena.

Soon, volunteers had surrounded Guntert and his girlfriend of 17 years, 56-year-old Susan Brown, offering their various skills to make a wedding happen right then and there on the float. One said he was an ordained minister and could perform the ceremony, another offered to sing during the wedding, and a photographer said she could snap photos.

"Susan kind of looked at herself and at me, we were all dirty and covered in glue and flower parts," Guntert said. "Susan said, 'You know, I'd really like to have a pretty dress.'"

So the couple decided to postpone the wedding for a year. Now Brown has a pretty dress, they have a perfectly good float, and the same team of volunteers will help make the ceremony happen on Saturday, two days before the 128th annual parade.

The couple will say "I do" on top of a float to be ridden by the parade's queen and her court. The float will be festooned with thousands of flowers beneath a giant gold crown, which will serve as a makeshift altar for the ceremony.

The unique setting is appropriate for Guntert and Brown, who have spent the past decade volunteering to decorate Rose Parade floats  an endeavor that has them working 12-hour days between Christmas and New Year's on what would be vacation time from their jobs as government workers in San Bernardino County.

Over the years, the couple has formed what they call their "float family," people they've grown close to but only see once a year for the annual decorating. The entire group will be at the ceremony, along with family members and other friends.

The wedding will come 17 years after the couple first struck up a conversation online, when internet dating was in its infancy. Though neither was looking for romance, their conversations grew into a friendship and not long after, love.

Guntert was living in Northern California at the time, and Brown and her then 6-year-old daughter were a six-hour drive south in Victorville, about 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert.

After a three-year long-distance relationship, Guntert relocated to Victorville. The pair talked about marriage over the years but Guntert never quite got around to getting down on one knee and proposing  one of Brown's few requirements.

It took their Rose Parade "float family" and their near-impromptu wedding last year to spur Guntert into action. On Valentine's Day morning this year, he brought a cup of coffee and a ring to Brown and formally proposed marriage.

"He put a ring on it," Brown said. "It made me cry."

Though the wedding setting on the queen's float carries a great deal of meaning for the couple, Guntert said the location doesn't make too much difference.

"I've been waiting for this a lot of years and I couldn't be happier," he said, his arm around his soon-to-be bride. "So long as she's next to me, nothing else matters."
The week between Christmas and the new year is usually a busy time at Joshua Tree National Park in the deserts of Southern California.

But this week's visitation is unprecedented.

The Park Service says all campgrounds were full Thursday and visitors could expect up to an hour wait at the Joshua Tree entrance. Officials recommend arriving before 9 a.m. and entering through the fee stations at Cottonwood or Twentynine Palms.

The nearly 800,000-acre park encompasses low and high deserts -- the Colorado on the east and the Mojave on the west, where the namesake Joshua Trees live.

Visitors dwindle during fiercely hot summer months and then increase as weather moderates during fall.
A 59-year-old South Florida man accused of making Facebook threats against President-elect Donald Trump will remain in jail.

Kevin Keith Krohn agreed not to seek release during a brief appearance in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday.

The Sun Sentinel reports Krohn was arrested last week at Pembroke Pines home after U.S. Secret Service agents said he posted threats against Trump on Facebook.

Court records show he wrote above a picture of Trump: "He's not my president/He's an enemy of the state." He also posted a picture of a man in camouflage holding a scoped sniper rifle.

The comments were posted in a thread of comments about Trump staying in Palm Beach during the holidays.

Krone is represented by Robert Berube, who appeared in court with him.
A perimeter was set up Thursday evening in a Northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood as officers search for a suspect on the run.

The manhunt happening in the area of Northwest 51st Street and 2nd Avenue.

Miami-Dade detectives say an officer arrested one of two people who matched the description of the suspects involved in a shooting earlier.

The shooting happened on Northwest 48th Street and 23rd Avenue near Brownsville Middle School. One male was shot. His condition is unknown.

When officers stopped the suspects' car, one of them bailed out. The second suspect was taken into police custody.

No further information was released.
Authorities have a man linked to a rash shootings since Christmas Day in Dania Beach.

Arvis Brown was arrested Friday by U.S. Marshalls after bailing out of a car in Tallahassee. Detectives believe Brown is behind the string of shootings because he wanted revenge for his brother's murder back in 2011.

The first shooting occurred on Christmas near Northwest Sixth Avenue and Northwest Second Street. Christopher Jordan, 25, was walking home when he was shot. Fire Rescue transported him to Broward Health Medical Center where he died.

BSO deputies say Jordan was a suspect in Brown's brother's death, but the case fell apart. "It was believed by Arvis Brown that Christopher was in fact directly involved," said Sgt. Scott Champagne.

The most recent shooting Wednesday night claimed the life of 8-year-old Rasheed Cunningham Jr. and sent two adults to the hospital. Detectives believe the boy's relative, Brandon Cunningham, was the intended target. "That particular victim was attempting to shield Rasheed from that gunfire," said Sgt. Champagne.

The 8-year-old's grandmother said Brown is no stranger to the family. The 19-year-old just got out of prison last month after serving three years for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Detectives don't believe Brown acted alone. They are looking for other suspects.

A gun was recovered at the time of Brown's arrest. Police have not confirm where it is the weapon used to murder Cunningham and Jordan.

A third shooting happened on Tuesday, deputies responded to 389 Phippen-Waiters Road regarding a shooting of man, who was injured after being grazed by a bullet.

A fourth shooting happened on Monday along 8th avenue, where one man was grazed by a bullet. According to BSO, while the victim was in the area, he was approached by a suspect who tried to rob him at gunpoint. The two struggled and the suspect fired a shot that missed the victim. The victim was injured from a projectile that ricocheted off of the ground.

Broward Sheriff's Office also arrested Gregory Sims, 22, in connection to that shooting. He faces armed robbery and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charges.

Anyone with any information regarding these recent shootings is asked to contact the Broward Sheriffs Office at (954) 764-HELP (4357) or call Broward Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at (954) 493-TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips that lead to an arrest are eligible for a reward of up to $3,000.
A row of candles still burn along Northwest 6th Avenue in Dania beach where 25-year-old Christopher Jordan's life was taken Christmas day.

It was the first of four shootings in four days that have rocked this small community.

"He was a nice young man full of love. The way he died was a senseless act. This is where he died you can still see the dry blood. So, I put a pink teddy bear to cover it up, said Jeffery Higgs, Jordans friend.

The violence spanned less than a mile across Dania Beach.

On Tuesday, half a dozen shots were fired along Phippen-Waiters Road. One man was hurt but survived.

Broward Sheriff's detectives suspect both acts of violence are related to Wednesday's senseless killing of 8-year-old Rasheed Cunningham.

"We are treating each other like the other man used to treat us back in the day. We need to come together and pray. One wrong ain't going to make it right with another wrong."

Neighbors say Sunday's shooting is revenge for a murder from four years ago.

Police haven't confirmed that, but a message left at Jordan's memorial references retaliation.

One local group - Cease Fire Now - is going door to door to encourage people to come forward with information and stop the violence.

"You kill this person, you kill my family member, I'm going to kill one of your family members, it keeps going back and forth, next thing you know we'll have 6, 7, 8, 9. It doesn't make sense, we have to put a stop to this, said Rashawn Welch, president of Cease Fire Now.

A fourth shooting happened Monday along 8th avenue, one person was grazed by a bullet.

Investigators say that was a robbery case unrelated to the other three shootings.

No arrests have been made in any of the four crimes.
A neighborhood in North Miami was blocked off Thursday as police dealt with a standoff.

A perimeter was set up near Northwest 120th Street and 15th Avenue. SWAT and negotiators were called out to the scene of the standoff situation.

Cmdr. Rafael Estrugo said an armed person was barricaded inside a home. Officers said they don't know if hostages are involved.

North Miami Police said North Miami Beach Police and Miami-Dade Police were assisting them in the standoff. The standoff ended around 1 a.m. on Friday.

Police initially responded to a call regarding shots being fired at officers.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
A cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey went into effect in war-ravaged Syria at midnight Thursday, a potential breakthrough in the six years of fighting that have left more than a quarter-million people dead and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe.

If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country's mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in announcing the agreement. He described it, however, as "quite fragile" and requiring "special attention and patience."

The first half-hour of the cease-fire was one of "comprehensive calm," said Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He said that before the truce came into force, the government was bombing several areas, including the province of Aleppo and suburbs of the capital, Damascus.

The truce had the backing of both Russia, Syria's chief battlefield ally, and Turkey, which has been supporting the rebels. Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one of them denied signing.

Several previous cease-fires in the Syrian civil war all collapsed, some of them in a matter of days. And this latest agreement, like previous ones, does not include extremist factions such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida's branch in Syria.

Still, the deal raised hopes for a political settlement to the ruinous war, in part because the landscape has significantly shifted recently.

For one thing, the tide has turned in Syrian President Bashar Assad's favor militarily over the past year, with the government retaking the city of Aleppo from the rebels just days ago. Also, Turkey, which is fighting Kurdish and Islamic militants at home, appears more willing to strike a bargain with Russia if it means protecting its borders.

"This is a different political scene, and one would expect some outcomes to emerge," said Hilal Khashan, political science professor at the American University of Beirut. He cautioned, however, against expecting immediate results from the first round of talks.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem welcomed the cease-fire agreement said there is a "real chance" for a political settlement.

In comments made to Syrian TV, he said the Syrian government will attend the peace talks "with an open mind," but he suggested it would not be willing to compromise on Assad's fate. Assad's remaining in power has been a major sticking point in the crisis.

"Everything is negotiable except national sovereignty and the people's right to choose its leadership," al-Moallem said.

Putin said the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey. Turkey has been allowing opposition forces to use its long border with Syria to cross back and forth. The agreement was also praised by Iran, another of Assad's strongest backers.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the truce will include 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria and that the Russian military has established a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to monitor compliance. Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said President-elect Donald Trump's administration will be welcome to join the peace process once he takes office.

Putin said he ordered the Russian military to scale back its presence in Syria, where it has provided crucial support to Assad's forces. Putin didn't say how many troops and weapons will be withdrawn. He said Russia will continue "fighting international terrorism in Syria" and supporting Assad's military.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, welcomed the cease-fire announcement, saying he hopes the agreement will save civilian lives, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and pave the way for productive peace talks.

Earlier Thursday, Turkey called on Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Syria. The Iranian-backed extremist group has sent thousands of fighters to support Assad and has been playing an instrumental role in the civil war since 2013.

Foreign fighters from around the world have joined both sides of the Syrian conflict, which has displaced half the country's population and produced more than 4 million refugees. Many of those refugees have been streaming into Europe, fueling anti-immigration sentiment and terrorist fears that are reshaping the continent's political landscape.

Syria's military noted that the cease-fire comes after the "successes achieved by the armed forces," an apparent reference to the fierce fighting in Aleppo.

Osama Abo Zayd, a spokesman for mainstream Syrian opposition groups, told reporters in the Turkish capital of Ankara that 13 armed opposition factions have signed the agreement.

He said the peace talks will be based on the Geneva 2012 declaration that calls for a governing body with full executive powers to run Syria during a transition period. "This means that there will be no presence for Assad in the future," he said.

However, Khashan, the political analyst, said Assad's exit is "out of the question." ''Neither the Russians nor the Iranians would allow it to happen," he said.

Saeed Sadek, a professor of political sociology at Cairo's Future University, said Assad has no power to accept or reject any deals.

"He is now under the control of Moscow, Tehran and Ankara. All these countries will decide his future," he said.
What to Know Billionaire property owner Kamran Hakim is suing Public Advocate Letitia James for $15 million over his place on her worst landlords list

Hakim appeared on the list in 2015 and 2016 as one of the top 50 worst landlords in the city

The estimated value of Hakim's 129 properties throughout the city is $1.8 billion

A billionaire real state investor who made back-to-back apperances on Letitia James' "100 Worst Landlords Watchlist" has slapped the public advocate with a $15 million lawsuit.

Kamran Hakim, who owns multiple buildings throughout the city, was ranked the 52nd worst landlord in 2016 and the 34th worst landlord in 2015. He says Public Advocate Letitia James didn't do her homework and claims most of his buildings cited on the list don't have tenants, DNAInfo reported.

Darren Marks, Hakim's attorney, said the suit has been filed. They'll appear in court within the next few weeks to show cause on a restraining order on the watchlist, which Hakim wants eradicated.

The Iranian billionaire asserts that four of the six buildings cited in James' report are vacant and scheduled to be demolished. Hakim racked up 453 violations in 56 units throughout the four buildings in 2016.

James has previously included vacant buildings on her watchlist. She included the owner of the landmarked Windmere building near 57th Street and 9th Avenue on the 2014 and 2015 editions, but it had been without tenants since 2009."

"Tenants know they can count on Public Advocate James to stand up for them, even when it means taking on poweful landlords," a spokesperson for James told NBC 4 New York in a statement. "The public advocate will continue to use the Worst Landlords List and accompanying litigation and legislation, as a tool to protect New Yorkers from unscrupulous landlords."

A 2014 Bloomberg article estimates Hakim's 129 properties throughout the city to be worth $1.8 billion.
What to Know A Connecticut man was arrested after he allegedly slept while driving a school bus with children on board

Though no kids were aboard Paul Pixley's bus when he was arrested, police said he had been sleeping with kids on board earlier in the day

One student frantically snapped photos of Pixley and sent them to her mother with the captions: "OMGG" and "My bus driver is sleeping"

A Connecticut bus driver admitted to taking cough syrup and methadone before he allegedly dozed off behind the wheel with 30 children aboard earlier this month, according to an arrest report.



Paul Pixley told investigators he had taken 80 mg of methadone prior to his shift Dec. 16, the arrest report says. After initially denying being asleep several times, he confessed he maybe shouldn't have been driving, one reason being, he may have taken NyQuil instead of DayQuil.



The snooze prompted a flurry of frantic text messages to parents from kids aboard the bus. One student, who told her mother she feared for her life, snapped photos of Pixley with the captions "OMGG," "Sleep" and "My bus driver is sleeping."

"She was like, 'Mom, our bus is going to crash,'" her mother Vienna Dipiave said. "She goes, 'Our bus driver's falling asleep.' She sent me a barrage of texts: 'Mom, hurry up,' 'Mom, I'm scared.'"

Shelton Police received calls about a bus driver falling asleep at the wheel and swerving all over the road later that afternoon and pulled him over. Though no kids were aboard Paul Pixley's bus when he was arrested, police said he had been sleeping with kids on board earlier in the day.



According to the arrest report, Pixley is accused of falling asleep nearly a dozen times in little more than two hours on the job.

Pixley was charged with 30 counts of risk of injury to a minor, breach of peace, reckless endangerment and reckless driving. His bond was set at $75,000.

"Be assured that this driver will never drive for our school system ever again," Superintendent Chris Clouet said in a statement.

Greg Walter, vice President of the bus company, Landmark Student Transportation, stressed that they do background checks on all employees and that Pixley's pre-employment background test and drug test came back clean.

"We are cooperating with everyone, we want to know what happened. Our number one priority is safety and if it can't be done safely we don't want to do it," Walter said.
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U.S. Imposes Penalties on Russia

The Obama administration's decision to impose a new round of sanctions against Russia could restrict Donald Trump's efforts to repair U.S. relations with Moscow and puts the president-elect on a collision course with Republican lawmakers. The White House on Thursday rolled out a set of economic sanctions and other penalties intended to squeeze Russian leaders for interfering in the 2016 election. Obama's move to punish the Russian government puts Trump in a tough position of having to decide whether to undermine retaliatory sanctions or abandon his calls for better relations with Moscow. Meanwhile on Long Island, 49-room mansion on a 14-acre compound, purchased by the Soviet Union in 1954, is being shut down by the U.S. government. The White House said Russia had been notified that Russia would be denied access to both that compound and another one in Maryland starting noon on Friday.

Times Square Fortified for New Years

assive 20-ton sanitation trucks, weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand, will surround the iconic New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, officials said Thursday, describing a security measure meant to stop deadly truck-driving attacks into crowds like those in Germany and France. The placement of the 65 trucks, along with 100 patrol cars, at intersections surrounding Times Square is a new element to an already heavily policed event that will include 7,000 officers, specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs. More than 1 million people are expected to attend the annual ball drop countdown in Manhattan, and officials said they didn't know of any terror threats. Here are street closures and subway changes to know about.

Iconic Carnegie Deli Closes After 79 Years

After 79 years of serving up heaps of cured meat to tourists, theater patrons and workaday New Yorkers, the Carnegie Delicatessen will slice its last ridiculously oversized sandwich on Friday. It closes for good at midnight. Fans lined up all week for a last bite at the restaurant, which got a star turn in Woody Allen's 1984 film "Broadway Danny Rose" and remained a stop until the end for out-of-towners looking for the classic New York deli experience. The Carnegie, its walls now lined with photos of celebrities who have eaten there, opened in 1937, drawing its name from Carnegie Hall just a block up 7th Avenue.

Spike in Ambush Shootings of Police

This year was particularly deadly for police officers in the United States, with 21 deadly ambush shootings marking the highest number in more than two decades, according to a law enforcement advocacy group that tracks fatal shootings of officers. Those shootings, including the five officers gunned down in Dallas in July, are a 163 percent increase from 2015, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's annual fatalities report, released Thursday.

Car Leaves Path of Destruction

Authorities on Long Island say a man drove through yards and a home before crashing into a deck, ripping off his clothes and fleeing police. Officers arrived at a home in Suffolk County around 11:30 p.m. to find a collapsed pool and a flooded home with the mans blue car sticking out of it, according to police.

World's Biggest Dog

Guinness World Records says it has found the biggest dog in the world. He's a Great Dane named Freddy and he lives in Britain. See him tower over his owner.
It's Long Island's little-known secret, a Russian compound sitting in the middle of Upper Brookville, and many longtime residents weren't even aware of its existence.

Now the 49-room mansion on a 14-acre compound, purchased by the Soviet Union in 1954, is being shut down by the U.S. government. The White House said Russia had been notified that Russia would be denied access to both that compound and another one in Maryland starting noon on Friday.

About a half-hour before a noon deadline, caravans of diplomatic vehicles, some carrying boxes, left both Russian compounds under the watch of U.S. State Department agents.

Once the last vehicle pulled away, a State Department official confirmed to NBC 4 New York the compound was vacant and under its control.

The longtime getaway for Russian diplomats in Upper Brookville was also used for Russian intelligence purposes, according to U.S. government officials, and President Obama Thursday ordered both the New York and the Maryland compounds shut down, part of several actions the U.S. is taking to punish Russia for election hacking.

"I didn't even really know," a resident named Cornelia said of the compound's existence. "It's kinda really scary, in your own backyard."

Others say they heard the luxurious mansion was Russian-owned, but what went on inside was always a mystery.

"Who knows what kind of activity they're engaged in?" said Jared Greenman. "Are they diplomats, spies, hackers -- who really knows?"

"Ever since the late '70s, that's when I knew about it," said another resident named Johnny. "I was in high school."

"Never seen any activity there. Gates open, gates close, and that's it," he said.

Upper Brookville village mayor Elliot Conway said although he's never actually been invited inside the compound, "they've been quiet neighbors as long as they've been here."

Meanwhile, Penny Hallman, 68, whose home abuts the estate, told The Associated Press that the diplomats were "wonderful neighbors."

"They brought a bottle of vodka and chocolates to wish us a Merry Christmas," she said. "It's mostly a social club, a vacation spot."

The historic website pastvu.com identifies it as a true Gold Coast property, finished around 1920. It's a part of Long Island made famous in F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel "The Great Gatsby."

Its main house originally had 27 rooms and 11 baths and was constructed for an executive at a Brooklyn company that made heavy machinery and torpedoes. Later it became the home of a former New York governor, Nathan Miller.

Satellite photography shows that the grounds today include a tennis court, gardens, a soccer field and another large, modern building.

Although the White House announced at the same time it was kicking out Russian officials and closing facilities, it said those were responses to other troubling Russian behavior: harassment of U.S. diplomats by Russian personnel and police.

The 35 Russian diplomats being kicked out are intelligence operatives, Obama said. They were declared "persona non grata," and they were given 72 hours to leave the country. The State Department declined to identify them.

Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle called the sanctions against Russia long overdue.

"I just wish he had done this several years ago," said Republican congressman Peter King, who represents Long Island. "The Russians have been hacking for several years."

New York's U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement: "I hope the incoming Trump administration, which has been far too close to Russia throughout the campaign and transition, won't think for one second about weakening these new sanctions or our existing regime."

"Both parties ought to be united in standing up to Russian interference in our elections, to their cyberattacks, their illegal annexation of Crimea and other extra-legal interventions," he said.

For his part, Trump issued a statement Thursday saying it was "time for our country to move on to bigger and better things." Yet in the face of newly public evidence, he pledged to meet with members of the intelligence community next week.

Russia responded angrily in anticipation of President Obama's announcement and suggested it might retaliate against American diplomats. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called it a last blow by Obama to U.S.-Russia relations and added, "We are tired of lies about Russian hackers that continue to be spread in the United States from the very top."

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters at U.N. headquarters that the Obama administration was destroying holiday fun for the children of Russian diplomats.

"I think it's quite scandalous that they chose to throw out our kids," he said. "They know full well that those two facilities they mentioned, they are vacation facilities for our kids and this is Christmas, and this is vacation time for our schools. This is the time when the kids go to those facilities. So to close our access to them just while those holidays were starting, to me was rather silly."

A short drive away from the Upper Brookville compound, Russian diplomats stay at another grand Gold Coast estate, the Killenworth mansion, not far from the city of Glen Cove. It, too, was bought during the Cold War. Glen Cove Mayor Reggie Spinello said Friday that Killenworth was not being closed down by the government.

Both Long Island properties were the subject of long-running property-tax battles between the Russian government and local officials. Those disputes have been resolved, and for years Oyster Bay has waived parking and beach fees for Russia's U.N. diplomats as a goodwill gesture.
What to Know TJ Allen left his house early Monday afternoon to go dirt biking and never came home

He texted at least one friend that he had crashed his bike and injured his leg, but didn't respond to subsequent messages

State police launched an exhaustive search but suspended their efforts Wednesday; environmental authorities continue to look

The mother of an 18-year-old Connecticut dirt biker missing for four days says she can't even eat knowing her "little boy" is out there somewhere.

"He might be hungry, he might be cold," Christina Moses, mother of Todd Jeremiah Allen, better known as TJ, told NBC Connecticut.

Authorities have been looking for the young man since Monday; he left the house in the early afternoon to go dirt biking with his Honda XR100 and never came home. The family said TJ knows to come home before dark when he takes out his dirt bike and the teen always calls home.



Moses said the family "just knew" something was wrong when her son didn't show up.

TJ texted one of his friends around 1:30 p.m. that day saying he had hurt his leg but didn't respond to subsequent messages, police and relatives have said. Another friend told the family that TJ had texted the same message at 3 p.m.

According to state police, TJs cellphone last pinged in the area of Ross Pond in Killingly, but that area was searched extensively and nothing was found. His phone is now off or has a dead battery, authorities say.

Connecticut State Police launched an exhaustive search Monday night and scoured the air and the ground for days before suspending the search Wednesday. DEEP Environmental Conservation Police continues to engage in limited search activities on its lands as they patrol in areas of eastern Connecticut, the agency said.



Volunteers led the charge Thursday, propelled by concern over increasingly inclement weather and frigid conditions.

TJ is described as being 5'10" and about 130 pounds with shoulder-length light brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a camouflage t-shirt, blue jeans and brown work boots with a black helmet.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police.
President-elect Donald Trumps diplomatic relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appear to be strengthening.

In recent days, both leaders have condemned the Obama administrations abstention from a United Nations resolution that makes illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

As NBC News reports, Trump announced his opposition before the Obama administration took a position on the resolution. Israelis Ambassador to the United States told MSNBC Thursday that Israeli officials reached out to Trump ahead of his statement and told him they would provide him with intelligence showing Obama took an active role in passing the resolution  a charge that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry denies.
A man tried to flee after crashing a car into a Philadelphia house overnight but he didnt get far.

The driver slammed his white sedan with temporary tags into the front steps of a home near D and E Louden streets in the Feltonville neighborhood around 1 a.m. Friday.

The driver  who didnt suffer major injuries  ran off but police caught up to him a few blocks away, said Philadelphia Police.

No word on what charges the driver could face. [[238427591, C]]
The former head of a charter school in Dover is facing up to 40 years in prison after being indicted on federal theft charges.

The U.S. attorney for Delaware announced Thursday that former Academy of Dover principal Noel Rodriguez was indicted on four counts of federal program theft. Rodriguez is accused of embezzling more than $5,000 in federal funds the school received from the U.S. Department of Education from 2011 to 2014.

A June 2015 report from Delaware's state auditor said Mr. Rodriguez used school funds to pay for more than $125,000 in personal items over three years.

The report said Rodriguez reimbursed employees for buying alcohol, paid legal fees for a sexual harassment lawsuit and gave arbitrary bonuses. He resigned in 2014.

It's unclear whether Rodriguez has an attorney.
The leader of a Maplewood cub scout troop is petitioning the regional Cub Scouts council allow an 8-year-old boy to join the pack after he was kicked out of his Secaucus troop for being transgender.

Cub Scout Pack 20 leader Kyle Hackler told NBC New York Thursday that he disagreed with the Northern New Jersey Council of Boy Scouts' decision to give Joe Maldonado the boot from Pack 87 following complaints from parents.

"It breaks my heart to see that this little boy is going through this situation," he said. "All he wants to do is be with his friends."

Joe was born a girl but has identified as male for more than a year. He joined Pack 87 in Secaucus in October and was asked to leave about a month later, according to The Record. His mother, Kristie Maldonado, said Joe is accepted as a boy at school.

Though he can't cite any specfic reasons for opposition to Joe's membership, Hackler believes that a lack of knowledge about the transgender community and gender identity is what led to his dismissal. He chose to head the Maplewood troop because of the community's open and understanding nature, which is why the decision to give Joe the boot didn't sit well.

"This is a community that's supposed to be understanding," he said. "People who don't understand his situation are upset because they're letting a girl into Boy Scouts. It's deeper than that."

The Northern New Jersey Council of Boy Scouts did not respond to a request for comment.

Boy Scouts of America Spokeswoman Effie Delimarkos said Thursday in a statement to NBC New York that Joe doesn't meet the eligibility requirements to participate in the Cub Scout program. However, the organization did offer information on alternative program options.

"The BSA grants youth membership to Cub Scout to boys in the first through fifth grades, or 7 to 10 years of age," she said. "If needed we defer to the information provided for an individual's birth certificate and their biological sex."

She added that scouting "teaches its youth members and adult leaders to be respectful of other people and individual beliefs."

In a statement earlier this month, Delimarkos said the organization does not restrict members based on sexual orientation, but considers gender identity a separate issue, and that Cub Scout programs are for those identified as boys on their birth certificates.

Hackler said birth certificates aren't a required part of the application process, but noted that there is a question to indicate gender.

Earlier this year, the Boy Scouts told The Associated Press that it would admit transgender children to its coeducational programs, but not to programs that are for boys only, like the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.

Although the private youth organization has the right to do as they choose, Hacker said understanding the complexities of all scouts, transgender members in particular, is important in successfully fostering morality. He implored the Boy Scouts to look beyond the birth certificate, which only tells half the story.

He's got a message for the opposing parents and councilmembers.

"Stop, listen to the situation. Open your mind and you might learn something."
The Philadelphia Zoo is mourning the death of a longtime beloved lion.

The zoo euthanized Zenda, a 25-year-old female African lion, on Thursday, the zoo announced Friday. Zendas mobility had declined as had her behavior.

"At 25, Zenda was the oldest African lion in the United States zoo population by several years, and significantly exceeded the 17-year typical life expectancy for lions in zoos," said a news release from the zoo.

After being born at the Johannesburg Zoo in South Africa, Zenda lived at the Philadelphia zoo from the summer of 1993 until 2004 when her pride was relocated to the Columbus Zoo before returning to Philadelphia for the opening of Big Cat Falls in 2006.

"This remarkable cat will be missed by staff and guests alike, particularly by the keepers who catered to her changing needs as she grew old," said Philadelphia Zoo CEO Dr. Andy Baker.

Zenda became a fixture in the large cat habitat at the zoo.

"Despite their already advancing age, Zenda and her pridemates were eager explorers of the habitat time-share system allowed by the design of Big Cat Falls when we opened it in 2006," said Baker. "Their engagement was one of the inspirations for our pioneering Zoo-wide trail system concept. Zoo360  a new way for animals to experience a zoo  is part of Zendas legacy."

Six other African lions continue to live in the zoos Big Cat Falls  the oldest is just 7 years old.

[NATL] Adorable Zoo Babies: White Lion Cubs Nala and Simba Born in France
Patients at one San Diego hospital got quite the surprise Thursday!

Pop superstar Miley Cyrus and actor Liam Hemsworth stopped by Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego to surprise some very special patients.

A video posted on the hospital's Facebook page shows some of the patients with big smiles of their faces as the celebrities said hello and talked with them.

The visit was made possible in part by The Happy Hippie Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Miley Cyrus. The organization works to help fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations.
A 21-year-old man was forced into a car by two unknown suspects in Carmel Mountain Ranch, San Diego police confirm.

The victim was driven around the neighborhood and the suspects demanded money of him. He didnt comply and was released in the 11000 block of Stoney Peak Drive.

The kidnapping happened in the 11000 block of World Trade Drive around 10:30 a.m. Friday.

He called police and one of the suspects was later arrested for kidnapping. The other suspect is still outstanding.

There is no suspect description at this time.
A high school music teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a former student has changed his plea in his case.

Jason Mangan-Magabilin, 38, has pleaded guilty to oral copulation and penetration by a foreign object with one of his former male students, from 2010 to 2011.

Police say Mangan-Magabilin is a music teacher at Bonita Vista High School. The Sweetwater Union High School District is fully cooperating with the police investigation, the CVPD said. The school district is also conducting its own internal personnel investigation on the case.

CVPD Capt. Lon Turner said the teachers alleged relationship happened five years ago with a former student, when that student was between 15 and 17 years old.

The victim recently reported the incident to police because of mandatory reporting at job training.

Further details were not released.

The Sweetwater Union High School District released this statement concerning the case:

"We appreciate that the public has many questions regarding the recent arrests in the District pertaining to alleged inappropriate contacts between students and staff. The District is currently actively working with law enforcement on each of these matters. The District is committed to assisting law enforcement and conducting thorough personnel investigations in each matter, so we are not able to provide further comment at this time."

"We appreciate your understanding and respect of the Districts commitment to protect the integrity of all pending investigations during these challenging circumstances. We ask that you allow our staff to focus their attention during these trying times on the learning environment of our students," the statement continued.

A website for the Club Blue Instrumental Music Program at Bonita Vista High School includes a short biography on Mangan-Magabilin. The bio says he has been with the school for 10 years, and also conducts the Crusader Girls Chorus at Bonita Vista Middle School.

Hes an alumnus of the University of Southern California, where he performed as a member of the Trojan Marching Band. He also earned a masters degree in conduction from the American Band College of Sam Houston State in 2013.

At his sentencing, the judge could sentence him to anything from probation with no jail time to the maximum of three years and eight months in prison.

Regardless of the sentence, he will have to register as a sex offender for life.
The first-ever woman to hold the position of police chief for the Chula Vista police department (CVPD) will be sworn in Friday, marking a major milestone for the City of Chula Vista.

Roxana Kennedy will be sworn in as the CVPD's 24th police chief in a public ceremony at 11 a.m. in the City Council Chambers, according to the CVPD. She will take over the position for the retiring police chief David Bejarano and serve a population of 265,000 residents.

Before she was selected as chief, Kennedy supervised the Patrol Operations Division of the Chula Vista Police Department as Second in Command, said a CVPD official. She oversaw the largest division in the police department, which is responsible for 67 percent of all the sworn personnel.

Her duties included managing Patrol, Traffic, School Resource Officers, Street Team and Gang Suppression Unit, Community Policing Unit, Community Relations and Crime Analysis. According to the CVPD, those divisions involve the use of canine units, Senior Volunteer Patrol, the Reserve Unit, Crisis Negotiations, SWAT, Mobile Field Force, bilingual services and mental health assistance to the Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams (PERT).

The department regards Kennedy highly, who has a well-established reputation for her outstanding work ethic, professionalism and dedication to the community, according to the CVPD.

Her commitment to the community and her passion for police work have allowed her to rapidly shoot up the ranks to become the first ever female Police Lieutenant for Chula Vista and a Police Captain back in 2013, according to the CVPD.

Kennedy has pursued an ambitious career with the CVPD for 24 years. With broad-ranging experience, she worked as the Unit Commander for 12 years for the Crisis Negotiation Team and the Mobile Force Unit. Besides that, she's in charge of a very active Wellness/Peer Support Team for the Department.

Prior to joining the police force, Kennedy graduated from the California Coast University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. She also graduated from the FBI National Academy in Class #243 and serves on the FBI National California Chapter Board of Directions. According to the CVPD, Kennedy serves as President of the San Diego Chapter of Woman Leaders in Law Enforcement.

In her spare time, Kennedy enjoys spending time with family and friends and volunteering at two non-profit organizations, according to the CVPD. That includes Project Compassion which provides medical aid throughout the world and Athletes for Education which helps disadvantaged youth throughout San Diego County.
Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diegos food and drink scene, including a glimpse at a new restaurant in La Jolla cooking up doughnuts, fried chicken and more, and word on an ocean view bar coming to Pacific Beach.

StreetCar Merchants Bring Doughnuts & Southern Food to La Jolla

North Park's popular StreetCar Merchants of Fried Chicken, Doughnuts, & Coffee has opened an expansive full-service restaurant in downtown La Jolla. It serves the concept's signature fried chicken and doughnuts, but the menu has expanded to include salads, sandwiches and an array of traditional Southern dishes.

Oceanfront Waterbar Coming to Pacific Beach

Landing in early 2017 on the Pacific Beach boardwalk is Waterbar, a new dining and drinking destination just steps from the sand. The spacious restaurant, which spans a lounge and two bars, will feature a seafood-centric menu and craft cocktails.

Dinner Destination Two Seven Eight Opens in Hillcrest

A New American eatery has replaced The Tractor Room on 5th Avenue, bringing a refreshed interior and seasonal, small plates to the table. The dinner-only Two Seven Eight will host its soft opening this weekend, with plans to debut its craft cocktail offerings and a limited food menu.

Dining Pros Name Top Restaurant Newcomers of 2016

Eater surveyed a panel of local food media on their picks for the best new restaurants in San Diego. See the top vote-getters, which include a celebrity chef-backed hotspot in Little Italy and a buzzy neighborhood gem in Hillcrest.

Industry Experts Share Top Restaurant Standbys of 2016

Which restaurants do San Diego's dining experts frequent most often? Our panel shares their go-tos, which include a Japanese small plates spot, an Ocean Beach bistro and a cocktail bar with food.

Candice Woo is the founding editor of Eater San Diego, a leading source for news about San Diegos restaurant and bar scene. Keep up with the latest Eater San Diego content via Facebook or Twitter, and sign up for Eater San Diegos newsletter here.


The family of a 5-year-old girl killed in a mobile home fire Thursday in Escondido is dealing with more heartbreaking news.

A family spokesperson told NBC 7 that Diego Flores, a 10-year-old boy injured in the fire, is brain dead and surviving on life support, and that the family has decided to donate his organs.

The spokesperson also said that Diegos father, Domingo Flores, is in intensive care at UCSD Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Diego's 5-year-old niece, Ellie Orozco, died in the fire.

Escondido Fire Department investigators say that an unattended candle or faulty extension cord sparked the Christmas tree in the family's living room. They also say that the fire's destruction could have been limited.

The mobile home was without smoke detectors or a fire alarm, according to investigators.

The Escondido community is banding together to help a family suffering a horrific tragedy after a fire ripped through their mobile home, killing their 5-year-old daughter. NBC 7s Dave Summers reports.

So compelled by this tragedy during the holidays, the Escondido community is stepping up to help.

I couldn't process it. I was in shock, Land and Water Restaurant owner Robert Ruiz said.

Ellie's father, Felipe Orozco, works at the restaurant as a line cook. His two sons, Ethan and Enrique and wife Sandra were injured in the fire but survived.

There is nothing you can replace a father-daughter relationship. I know how hurt he is right now, Chef Brandon Nichols said.

Felipe was working Wednesday night before the fire sparked. By the time he got home, the damage was done.

The guy is a little quiet guy, back there smiling and working really hard. He's the last person you would expect to have something like this happen to, Ruiz said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but it's believed to be electrical, possibly linked to an extension cord where the lights on a Christmas tree was plugged in.

Nine people had been asleep inside the home when the fire began.

Firefighters said they did not find smoke alarms.

At the Mormon Church Washington Chapel, where the family goes for services, they are collecting clothes and money.

Annie Martinez told NBC 7 she doesn't know the family but she just wanted to help.

Christmas just came and I got a bunch of new stuff so I just gave away my old stuff, Martinez said.

Samantha Villa, a mother of two said she heard about the church efforts through social media.

My kids have so much of everything so I gave all their old stuff, because they got a bunch of new stuff for Christmas, Villa said.

The restaurant where Felipe worked also sprang into action Thursday morning. They spread the word through social media, set up an online fundraiser and are accepting donations during restaurant hours.

Ten-year old Diego remained in the hospital Thursday night. He is the last of the victims still hospitalized.

Friends and neighbors of the family living in the mobile home have been dropping off teddy bears and other gifts in remembrance of the young girl.
A ride-hailing services driver convicted of sexually assaulting women while he worked has been sentenced to one year behind bars, officials confirmed.

Jeremy Vague, 37, a former driver with Uber and Lyft in San Diego, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two women.

The first incident happened on Sept. 16 at approximately 1:15 p.m., an 18-year-old student at Palomar College San Marcos campus requested a ride to an Escondido home through Uber, police said.

Instead of taking the victim home, Vague intentionally turned off the Uber app and veered away from the route to an area where he sexually assaulted the victim, Escondido police said.

After the assault, the suspect drove the rider home and dropped her off.

The second incident happened on Sept. 7 when Vague gave a woman a ride through the Lyft service. Vague was initially charged with sexually battering the 19-year-old rider and another 19-year-old female who was waiting for her.

Escondido Police say investigators were not aware of the initial report until after the Sept. 16 investigation began.

Police said Vague's employment at Lyft and Uber has been suspended pending the investigation.

On Thursday, Vague was sentenced to 365 days in custody with three years formal probation. He will get credit for time already served: 208 days.
On New Years Eve, city inspectors will be patrolling the San Diego's iconic Gaslamp District, checking for overcrowding and code violations.

San Diego Fire Marshal Doug Perry said it is not to dampen anyones evening, but to make sure venues are operating safely, especially in light of the devastating Oakland, California warehouse fire that killed 36 people.

It was a tragic wake-up call to everyone to stay vigilant. Sometimes the public and law enforcement gets complacent, Chief Perry said. After the incident, I spoke to my inspection team and told them if you see something doesnt look right to take time to talk to someone, check on it.

Chief Perry said everyone should have a mental checklist when they enter any venue, be it a bar, club or restaurant:

Look for exits

Find the fire extinguisher

Does the venue have a sprinkler system?

Is the exit sign lit?

Is the fire alarm system working?

If a venue does not have these basic safety features, Chief Perry urges the public to report it to the city by calling (610) 533-4300. He said his team is committed to checking it every day and following up on credible reports.

My worst nightmare are the things taking place underground that we dont know about because we cant do anything about it, he said.
Some will be ringing in the New Year with a glass of champagne and some may be legally celebrating with a joint.

Marijuana delivery services are counting on cashing-in big on New Years Eve.

Forbes reports a 71 percent increase in marijuana orders on Dec. 31.

But those services, although readily available, are not yet legal in San Diego.

The San Diego City Council passed a temporary ban on recreational marijuana activities on Dec. 13.

That includes commercial cultivation, sales and delivery services.

City leaders said the 45-day ban was meant to buy them time for city officials to set-up land use and public safety regulations.

Under state law, marijuana delivery services are illegal except from a licensed retail medical marijuana dispensary.

There are currently eight legal dispensaries in San Diego, but they say they are getting pushed out of the market by illegally operating delivery services that face no regulations.

Some other legal considerations: The San Diego County Sheriffs Department is reminding people that despite Prop 64, weed remains illegal for people under 21.

It is also illegal to drive with an open container of marijuana in the car, and especially when high.

Finally, it is illegal to smoke marijuana or consume edible marijuana in public, according to a fact sheet by SDSO.

You can see the document here.
A social security employee plead guilty Thursday to stealing thousands of dollars over a period of several months

Josue Edgardo Castro, a San Ysidro resident, admitted to stealing more than $5,700 in money orders.

According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's office, the theft began in Sept. 2015.

Castro admitted that he had been in charge of accepting payments on behalf of the Social Security Administration. On at least 21 occasions, he accepted the money and deposited it into his personal bank account.

He then waived the fees charges to overpaid social security beneficiaries.

As a result, the Social Security Administration lost $9,000 due to over payment waivers filed by Castro.

Investigators discovered the theft when a victim reported that a payment was not showing up in her records.

Crimes committed by federal employees are some of the most egregious violations of the public trust. Todays guilty plea is a tangible result of my office and the Social Security Administrations commitment to root out crime wherever it may be," said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy, in a statement.

According to his plea agreement, Castro agreed to return the money he had taken from accounts and pay back the Social Security Administration for extra costs.

If he is convicted, he could face a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

His hearing is scheduled for April 3, 2017.
When President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, Republicans will have the opportunity to pull off something they have wanted to do for years  overhaul Medicaid, the program that provides health care to tens of millions of lower-income and disabled Americans.

Any changes to the $500 billion-plus program hold enormous consequences not only for recipients but also for the states, which share in the cost.

Trump initially said during the presidential campaign that he would not cut Medicaid, but later expressed support for an idea pushed for years by Republicans in Congress  sending a fixed amount of money each year to the states in the form of block grants. Backers say such a change in the Medicaid formula is one of the best ways to rein in spending, but critics say big cuts would follow.

Currently, the federal government pays an agreed-upon percentage of each state's Medicaid costs, no matter how much they rise in any given year.

Republicans have argued that states have little incentive to keep expenses under control, because no state pays more than half the total cost. Both House Speaker Paul Ryan and Trump's pick for secretary of health and human services, Georgia Rep. Tom Price, want to switch to block grants.

Key questions facing Republicans will be how the funding is structured and how much flexibility will be given to the states.

"It's exciting because you know it's not going to be the same as it was, and it's nerve-wracking because you know it's not going to be the same as it was," said Terry England, a Republican state lawmaker who chairs the House budget committee in Georgia.

Republican control of Congress and the presidency means the GOP can act on its long-held priorities of reining in entitlement programs and repealing President Barack Obama's health care law, which allowed states to expand the number of people eligible for Medicaid. Thirty-one states have opted for the expansion.

It is not clear what the GOP's replacement plan will look like. Democrats have warned of dire consequences, and any proposed changes are likely to trigger a fight in Congress.

Last week, the Democratic Governors Association warned that repealing the Affordable Care Act would end health coverage for millions of people and shift the financial burden onto the states, costing them $68.5 billion in uncompensated care over the next decade. The group said the Medicaid expansion alone has provided coverage for millions of Americans who lacked insurance and that it had been a critical tool for states in combating the opioid epidemic.

In 2012, a plan by Ryan to reduce the federal deficit included a proposal to convert Medicaid funding into block grants with a cap on the amount the federal government would provide. Advocacy groups warned that that approach would ultimately lead to fewer people receiving coverage.

The Congressional Budget Office concluded that under Ryan's proposal, "states would need to increase their spending on these programs, make considerable cutbacks in them, or both."

Earlier this year, Ryan and Republican leaders offered another, more flexible option: States would receive a fixed amount from Washington for each person enrolled. That approach would allow federal payments to grow if, for example, a recession forced more people onto Medicaid.

More than 70 million are on Medicaid, nearly 10 million of them covered as a result of the expansion.

GOP budget documents say federal spending on Medicaid has increased 200 percent in the past 15 years, and the Congressional Budget Office projects it will climb 68 percent over the next decade to $642 billion. In addition, total state spending on Medicaid is expected to rise from about $216 billion in fiscal year 2015 to more than $337 billion in 2023.

How the GOP overhaul is ultimately structured will be critical, said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

"Some of my members are looking at this and saying if this isn't done right, if the money doesn't match what needs to be done, this is potentially the greatest intergovernmental transfer of financial risk in the country's history," he said.

States, many of them struggling with budget shortfalls, could end up covering fewer procedures or medications, instituting work requirements or requiring co-pays or premiums. Those that opted to expand Medicaid could decide it's no longer sustainable.

Among those now covered because of the expansion is 59-year-old Alan Purser of Wynne, Arkansas, who tapped into the program after losing his job in 2014 when the pawnshop where he worked was sold.

A few weeks after signing up, he went to the doctor because of a bad cough. He was diagnosed with blood clots in both lungs and ended up in the hospital for 10 days.

"Honestly, I would be dead without this coverage," said Purser, who is on disability. "I never would have gone to the doctor without insurance."

Purser said he fears having his benefits reduced.

"When you live on $730 a month," he said, "you have to watch where everything goes, and you just can't start paying more and more for your medicines."
The bars at Cafe Milano, Madam's Organ and the Hard Rock Cafe all have permission from D.C. to stay open late during President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration week -- but the bar and restaurant in the Trump International Hotel do not.

The Trump hotel did not apply for approval from the D.C. liquor board to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. during the inaugural festivities, hotel spokeswoman Patricia Tang told News4.

The legal last call at BLT Prime by David Burke, the Benjamin Bar & Lounge and any events at the hotel will be 1:30 a.m., with service ending at 2 a.m.

Forty-four bars and restaurants in D.C. received approval from the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. and stay open 24 hours a day from Jan. 14 to Jan. 22.

The list includes Old Ebbitt Grill, The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown and the National Republican Club of Capitol Hill.

Go here to see the full list of bars that will stay open late during inauguration week.

Trump, who had a brother who died as an alcoholic at age 43, does not drink alcohol, The New York Times has reported.

At the hotel on Friday, a man who said he was the hotel front desk manager said they will charge $100 for anyone who wants to ring in the new year standing at the hotel bar, and at least $250 for a table in the lobby.
A cab driver is in critical but stable condition after he was shot Thursday afternoon in Annapolis, Maryland.

Police say the suspect in the shooting attempted to interfere with an unrelated arrest near the crime scene, ultimately leading police to link him to the shooting.

The 56-year-old victim, a driver for Green Taxi Cab, was shot in the unit block of Bens Drive, the Annapolis Police Department said. Officers responded shortly before 6 p.m.

While at the scene, police found a man who was wanted on a warrant for an unrelated crime. As officers arrested the man, another man -- identified as 18-year-old Davonte Johnson -- tried to push past officers to stop the arrest, police said.

After refusing to back away, Johnson was arrested and was identified as the shooter, police said.

Johnson, of Annapolis, is charged with attempted first-degree murder and 12 other related charges. He is being held without bond.

The victim was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Police have not released a possible motive in the shooting.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective John Murphy at 410-260-3439 or at jhmurphy@annapolis.gov. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may submit a tip through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-866-7LOCKUP.
What to Know An armed suspect was fatally shot. He's been identified as James L. Rich II, 52, of Edmore Road in Chestertown, Maryland.

Dfc. Warren Scott Hogan suffered a close-range shotgun blast, which a surgeon called "a devastating injury."

A sheriff's deputy, who was shot at close range while helping a victim of domestic violence Thursday, is improving -- though doctors warn he faces a long recovery.

Deputy 1st Class Warren Scott Hogan is now hospitalized in serious condition -- though he had what the sheriff's office called "issues causing some concern" overnight.

Hogan suffered a devastating injury, doctors have said, and "faces additional surgeries and a long recovery period," the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's department said in a Facebook post.

The local Fraternal Order of Police has established a GoFundMe fundraising site to cover some of Hogan's medical costs and help his family.

Hogan was shot as he helped a victim of domestic violence. He was escorting a woman as she got her belongings from a suspect's home, after she reported an altercation between them, authorities said.

Hogan was able to fire back, and James L. Rich II was shot and killed.

Hogan was struck at close range in the torso, said Dr. Thomas Scalea, physician-in-chief at R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Maryland.

"He was awake and talking, but clearly critically injured," Scalea said.

"...[A] close-range shotgun blast is a devastating injury," he said.

Hogan was flown to Shock Trauma, part of the University of Maryland Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. He may need more.

"It's a little early to tell what else we're going to have to do, and we'll see how things go over the next few days and few weeks," Scalea said.

Hogan was wearing body armor, but he was shot below the armor, Hoffman said.

Hogan was wearing a body camera during the incident. Investigators will review any footage available, Shipley said. The footage would be considered part of the ongoing investigation and would not be released, he said.

Hogan is a four-year veteran of the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office and served about seven years with another agency, Queen Anne's County Sheriff Gary Hofmann said.

"He's a really great guy," Hofmann said. "We've been here the entire time with him and his family, supporting them and help them get through this very traumatic event."

Hofmann said he visited Hogan as he awoke from surgery and appeared to be in "good spirits." Hoffman said Hogan's family was having a difficult time.

The Maryland State Police homicide unit is investigating the case.

Calls related to domestic disputes are the most dangerous types of calls for responding officers, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says.

More police officers were killed in 2016 after they responded to domestic disturbances than any other type of call, according to data the group released Thursday. Overall law enforcement fatalities rose this year to their highest level in five years, with 135 officers killed in the line of duty.
Prince George's County Police are asking the public for help finding a man wanted for the 1999 rape of a teenage girl after a DNA hit linked the suspect to the crime more than 17 years later.

Police identified the suspect as Richard Cedric Taylor, 44.

On June 6, 1999, a 15-year-old girl was socializing with friends, as well as Taylor, whom she didn't know, police said. Taylor offered to give the girl a ride home, but instead he stopped at an empty apartment on Cindy Lane in Capitol Heights, where he assaulted and raped the girl in the apartment, police said.

The case went unsolved for nearly two decades -- but on Sept. 8, police said, a DNA hit linked Taylor to the crime.

Detectives got a warrant for his arrest, but haven't been able to find him.

Taylor's last known address was the 3900 block of 28th Avenue in Temple Hills, Maryland. Detectives believe he uses several aliases, including Damion Taylor, Demetrius Taylor and Michael Scott.

Taylor is wanted on charges of second-degree rape and first- and second-degree assault.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 301-772-4908. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477), text "PGPD" plus the information to CRIMES (274537), or submit a tip online here.
Fire trucks and police cruisers have surrounded the Gucci store at an upscale shopping center in downtown D.C. after someone sprayed pepper spray inside, injuring three people, police and fire officials say.

Just after 4 p.m. Thursday, someone came into the CityCenterDC store and sprayed the employees, police said.

It's not known how many suspects were involved and police do not yet know if any store items were stolen during the assault.

D.C. fire officials said three people were taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

A hazmat crew found no hazard inside the store and are ventilating the store, fire officials said.

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for updates to this developing story.
Virginia residents looking for a little "hair of the dog" on New Year's Day can visit Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control stores; it will be the first time the stores have opened on the holiday.

WUSA-TV reported that state law previously banned the ABC shops from operating on Jan. 1, but new legislation that went into effect in July dropped the ban.

ABC stores will be open normal Sunday operating hours.
What to Know As recently as August, Paladino falsely claimed Obama was not Christian

And in 2010, Paladino was criticized after it was revealed he had forwarded to friends racially charged emails that depicted Obama as a pimp

The Trump transition team called his latest comments "absolutely reprehensible"

The co-chairman of President-elect Donald Trump's New York campaign is being asked to resign from a local school board amid ongoing backlash over his statements that he wanted to see President Obama die of mad cow disease and the first lady live with a gorilla in Africa.

Carl Paladino, a millionaire real estate developer who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2010 as a Republican, made the comments in response to a survey by Artvoice, a Buffalo publication that asked local artists, performers and business owners for their New Year's wish list.

He now says the comments weren't meant for publication but were nevertheless "inappropriate."

At a special meeting on Thursday the Buffalo school board voted 6-2 to ask the state education commissioner to remove Paladino if he doesn't resign within 24 hours.

Paladino didn't attend the meeting. He says he won't resign.

In a statement Tuesday statement, first reported on Buffalo's WBEN radio, Paladino apologized to minorities, saying he "never intended to hurt" them with his anti-Obama remarks. The comments sparked outrage from various political circles, including Trump's transition team, which called the developer's comments "absolutely reprehensible."

The White House has not commented.



The 70-year-old developer ran for governor of New York against Andrew Cuomo in 2010.

Cuomo was quick to denounce Paladino's comments, saying in a statement last week that they were "racist, ugly and reprehensible."

"While most New Yorkers know Mr. Paladino is not to be taken seriously, as his erratic behavior defies any rational analysis and he has no credibility, his words are still jarring," he said. "His remarks do not reflect the sentiments or opinions of any real New Yorker and he has embarrassed the good people of the state with his latest hate-filled rage."
A rare quintuple murder case was before a Vermont judge Friday. That judge must rule on the ability of a man accused of killing five teenagers with a vehicle to comprehend the legal proceedings and allegations against him.

"This case is of the highest priority for our office," said Bram Kranichfeld, a Chittenden County prosecutor.

Suspect Steven Bourgoin was not in court for Friday's status conference.

At his arraignment in October, Bourgoin pled not guilty to five second-degree murder charges. He was accused of going on a wild wrong-way drive on Interstate 89 that ended with a crash that killed a car full of teenagers.

The teens were childhood friends from the Harwood Union School District.

Eli Brookens, Janie Chase Cozzi, Liam Hale, Mary Harris, and Cyrus Zschau have been remembered as positive, upbeat kids who loved the outdoors and who brought joy to their many friends, relatives, and neighbors.

In a critical procedural step for the court case, the defense team for Steven Bourgoin said Friday it would not contest a doctor's finding from a psych exam that their client is able to comprehend the legal proceedings.

Judge Jim Crucitti still must rule on Bourgoin's mental competency before much of the case can advance.

"We are going to do everything we can to ensure that Mr. Bourgoin is held accountable for his actions," prosecutor Kranichfeld said.

In paperwork previously filed with the court, detectives described Bourgoin's personal life and finances as chaotic before that fatal wreck.

Prosecutors stopped short this fall of speculating whether Bourgoin was suicidal. They also have not discussed contents of toxicology tests, pending further investigation.

Lawyers on both sides said Friday they're still awaiting more details from the crash report.

The mother of one of the teenagers killed in the tragedy was in the courtroom Friday, though declined to comment.

Lead defense attorney Bob Katims also declined necn's request for comment.
Oakland officials have adopted an ordinance that prohibits the retail sale of marijuana and the establishment of social clubs in the town.

The Morning Sentinel reports that the ordinance voted on by town councilors Wednesday doesn't ban the legal use and the legal cultivation of marijuana.

Maine voters approved a referendum legalizing marijuana in November, and the secretary of state's office signed off on the results last week.

It could be months before the state completes the rule-making process governing the legal cultivation and sale of marijuana. Oakland Council Chairman Michael Perkins says the board is simply "erring on the side of caution" for the community until that happens.

Other towns and cities in Maine have passed or are considering passing temporary bans and moratoriums on marijuana-related businesses.
A Gloucester, Massachusetts man has been indicted in connection with the shooting death of a Lynn man in October.

Prosecutors say 29-year-old Sean Chandler is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 28 death of 38-year-old Donald Yancy in a Lynn apartment. Yancy died at the scene of a gunshot injury to the head.

Authorities say the two men knew each and witnesses reported that there had been some kind of dispute between them before the shooting, but the exact motive has not been disclosed.

Chandler has been held without bail since his arrest two days after the shooting. He pleaded not guilty in district court. His Superior Court arraignment has not been scheduled.

His lawyer has not commented.
For the first time in the history of Bostons First Night New Years Eve festivities, NBC Bostons Phil Lipof and Shannon Mulaire will anchor for an unprecedented 6-1/2 hours of live coverage. The program will air on Countdown NBC Boston and necn from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Telemundo Boston will broadcast live from Copley Square beginning at 11 p.m. and CSN New England will simulcast the whole program from 6-12:30 a.m.

Several NBC stars will play a part in Bostons First Night festivities, including Phil Lipofs interview with Jimmy Fallon, a performance by Harry Connick Jr, simple and easy New Years Day drinks and appetizers with Rachael Ray, and a check-in with Carson Daly live from Times Square.

Other NBC faces will be sharing New Year messages with Boston viewers throughout the night, including Dylan Dreyer and Lester Holt. Plus viewers will get a special behind the scenes sneak peak tour of the Today Show set with Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie and Dylan Dreyer.

During the night, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will be on-set with Lipof and Mulaire to talk about the history of Bostons First Night celebrations and reflect on the citys year.

The broadcast will include an appearance by the Boston Childrens Chorus, and other special Boston-based guests include Boston Common Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lisa Pierpont to discuss 2017 style trends, Director of Food and Beverage Services at the Fairmont Copley Tim Clapp who will kick off the celebrations with a sabrage demonstration, and an appearance by ImprovBoston. Fairmont Copley Canine Ambassador Carly Copley, a rescue dog who is also the canine ambassador for the Fairmont, will be wagging in the New Year from the set as well.

There will be special live performances throughout the night, including Courtney Harrell, a contestant on the current season of The Voice. Joining for live interviews and taped performances are Jessie Chris, Southboro native and a Radio Disney Country Artist, who was the youngest performer at the 2015 Country Music Association Festival, and Quinn Sullivan, a New Bedford High School senior who has been singing professionally with stars such as Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and B.B. King for most of his life.

First Night First Day 2017 is produced by Conventures, Inc. in partnership with the City of Boston. The festivities include signature fireworks, a holiday lights display, ice sculptures, arts and musical performances, the Peoples Procession, and more. The celebration culminates with the traditional Copley Countdown in anticipation of the citys dazzling light and pyrotechnics show.

All events are free and open to the public.
Authorities in Rhode Island say a young girl found unresponsive in a hotel pool was pulled out by another child and revived by her grandmother.

Smithfield Rescue Lt. Christopher Fusaro tells The Providence Journal the girl had been playing with other children at the Holiday Inn Express around 9:30 p.m. Thursday when someone noticed she was face-down in the water and pulled her out.

Fusaro says the girl's grandmother performed CPR after determining she didn't have a pulse and wasn't breathing. The girl then vomited and opened her eyes.

He says the girl was conscious and breathing but unresponsive. She was taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital. WJAR-TV reports the girl is in stable condition.
Authorities are investigating after five men, two of them reportedly armed, broke into a Massachusetts home and forced the people inside into a bedroom as they stole valuables.

Worcester police say officers responded to an apartment on Lovell Street Thursday evening for a reported home invasion.

When they arrived, they found eight people - six juveniles ranging in age from 8 to 17 and two adults - inside the apartment.

The suspects, who had their faces covered, allegedly forced their way through the apartment's rear door and demanded cash.

They stole cellphones, jewelry and an undisclosed amount of cash, but before leaving, they forced the victims inside a bedroom.

After waiting a few minutes, the victims called police.

No one was injured in the ordeal.

Police say two of the suspects were described as very tall, and one suspect possibly had a Jamaican accent.

Anyone with information is asked to call Worcester police at (508) 799-8651 or anonymously sent a text message with a tip to 274637 TIPWPD.
Police in Reading, Massachusetts, are searching for an armed robbery suspect.

According to police, officers responded to JK's Market located at 212 Main Street around 8:10 p.m. on Thursday night.

Witnesses told police the suspect entered the store with a black hunting knife then fled with an unknown amount of cash.

Police were unable to locate the suspect and believe he may have fled by vehicle.

The suspect is described as a male between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 11 inches tall.

He was wearing a black hooded jacket, a black mask, black gloves, gray sweatpants, and black and gray sneakers.

Police are investigating whether or not this robbery is connected with the robbery at P&S Convenience Store on Tuesday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.


Norfolk surgeon is a world-wide inspiration

The pioneering medical expertise of Norfolk-based surgeon Prof Jerome Pereira has inspired thousands across the world. Mike Wiltshire reports.

The remarkable story of Professor Jerome Pereira, a leading cancer surgeon, began in South India many years before when, as a teenager, he and his family were heartbroken by the death of his 12-year-old cousin, Lyn, through cancer.



Jerome visited the hospital many times before little Lyn died. He determined then to study medicine  and, years later, became a professor of surgery and an international trainer of surgical consultants.



Today, the Norfolk-based surgeons pioneering medical expertise and personal Christian faith has inspired thousands. His work has also included intensive research into leprosy which afflicts three million people who face permanent disability due to this disease, mostly in Asia and Africa.



Early in his career, Dr Pereira was himself inspired by another Christian surgeon, the late Dr Paul Brand, author of the well-known book, Ten Fingers for God.



This famous English doctor was the first surgeon in the world to use reconstructive surgery to correct leprosy-caused deformities in the hands and feet. It was said of Dr Brand (who died in 2003 at the age of 89), that he changed the worlds perception of leprosy and leprosy sufferers."



His pioneering tendon transfer techniques are still used today to allow the hands and feet of leprosy patients to function properly. It was because of Paul Brand that Jerome  half his age - took up leprosy research. Dr Brand told him: The Lord is bringing young men like you to carry the torch forward.



Dr Pereiras own research and surgical experience with leprosy patients has been foundational in his own career in helping to train other surgeons. He has a special interest in the outcomes of surgery and helped lead the national mastectomy and breast reconstruction programme. This was the first study in the world looking at the outcomes of breast cancer surgery and the largest patient outcomes study ever done in the UK.



As a consultant breast surgeon at James Paget University Hospitals in Great Yarmouth, he welcomes research which helps women make the right decisions about their treatment, with clearer advice from clinicians, thus improving quality of life after surgery.



Dr Pereira now leads advanced master-classes in online learning courses with live-link television seminars on breast surgery in 20 countries. This month has also seen the launch of a national feasibility study for the further training of NHS doctors.



He is a founder member of the Norwich School of Medicine and an honorary professor at the University of East Anglia.



Dr Pereira and his Irish-born wife, Mary, are both committed Christians whose faith that has helped them rise to many challenges in their service to others in the UK and overseas.



My work is so absorbing and our life is very full  and we travel a lot. But we relax occasionally as avid walkers, says Dr Pereira, who came to faith in Christ through the personal testimony of his wife, Mary.



With memories of a strict Catholic education as a child, he admits he initially found Marys new-found faith rather strange at first. He also recalled several years of irresponsible social life as an ambitious young medic - a lifestyle that did not help his dream of becoming a successful surgeon in the US.



Nevertheless, Marys vibrant faith impressed Jerome who admitted he felt somewhat empty despite all the eventual advantages of a successful medical career. So he began reading the Bible in spare moments  and over a period of six months, the words came alive to me, with the help of the Holy Spirit. He eventually made a personal commitment to faith in Christ and discovered a peace of heart he had not known before.



Jerome considered doing missionary medical work and made a costly decision to work for six years in the area of leprosy research. Today he just stands back amazed at the way God has helped him and Mary make the right career decisions and helped them persevere in their service to others. Mary, a former midwife, has a degree in psychology and is a trained Christian counsellor.



In the last 13 years, in addition to medical work, Jerome and Mary have helped to support training courses for more than 2,000 Christian ministers in tribal areas of India, Bhutan, Sikkim, Assam and Nepal, plus many summer camps for young people in the region.



Speaking recently at an inspirational dinner for Christian businessmen in Norwich, Dr Pereira urged his listeners to take seriously the claims of Christ. Try to find Gods plan for your life, he will definitely show you. In Johns Gospel, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, promises us: My sheep hear my voice.



Pictured above is pioneering surgeon, Dr Jerome Pereira.


INFP: In orice moment se poate produce un cutremur cu magnitudine mai mare de 7 in zona seismica Vrancea / De ce sunt atatea cutremure in zona Vrancea?
By Online Desk

The year 2016 turned out to be a memorable year for Kollywood, where close to 190 Tamil films released. This year proved to be a healthy one, with both high-cost and low-budget movies received well by the audience.

The jewel in the crown in this year is Vetrimaaran's Visaranai being chosen as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards. Produced by Dhanush, the docudrama-crime thriller was the first Tamil film to represent India at the Academy Awards in 15 years.

Before we get into the top 10 movies, let us have a look at the star of the year.

Star of the year

If there is anyone that the year belongs to, it is definitely actor Vijay Sethupathi. The talented hero had six releases in 2016. Hardly can one find a top-notch actor having six releases in a single year in the recent past.

Much to the delight of Vijay Sethupathi fans, they got to see him on the big screen every other month. He delivered successes with all his movies that released this year  Sethupathi, Dharma Durai and Aandavan Kattalai declared hits and Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum, Iraivi and Rekka turning out to be profitable ventures for the producers.

With a series of successful ventures, Vijay Sethupathi was counted on as a bankable star of small-time production houses. He is set to have another set of seven movies releasing next year. Will he be able to recreate the same success next year?

Here are the top 10 movies:

The year 2016 turned out to be a memorable year for Kollywood, where close to 190 Tamil films released. This year proved to be a healthy one, with both high-cost and low-budget movies received well by the audience. The jewel in the crown in this year is Vetrimaaran's Visaranai being chosen as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards. Produced by Dhanush, the docudrama-crime thriller was the first Tamil film to represent India at the Academy Awards in 15 years. Before we get into the top 10 movies, let us have a look at the star of the year. Star of the year If there is anyone that the year belongs to, it is definitely actor Vijay Sethupathi. The talented hero had six releases in 2016. Hardly can one find a top-notch actor having six releases in a single year in the recent past. Much to the delight of Vijay Sethupathi fans, they got to see him on the big screen every other month. He delivered successes with all his movies that released this year  Sethupathi, Dharma Durai and Aandavan Kattalai declared hits and Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum, Iraivi and Rekka turning out to be profitable ventures for the producers. With a series of successful ventures, Vijay Sethupathi was counted on as a bankable star of small-time production houses. He is set to have another set of seven movies releasing next year. Will he be able to recreate the same success next year? Here are the top 10 movies:
By Online Desk

Greater Noida Rape Case

A 16-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped and set ablaze by a youth in Greater Noida, succumbed to her injuries. The girl had suffered over 95 per cent burns and was fighting for her life at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi following the incident that occurred on March 7, 2016 at Tigri village in Greater Noida West. The accused, aged 18 years, was taken into custody. He was a neighbour of the victim's family and, according to her father, had become friendly with her. Police said the youth allegedly went to the girl's house and met her on the roof where he raped her and set her ablaze. He then fled the spot.

Ram Vrikshs cult evicted from Jawahar Bagh in Mathura

Two policemen and 22 squatters were killed in an armed conflict in the city of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh on June 2, 2016. The squatters, at Jawahar Bagh public park, an armed group led by a Ram Vriksh, once a follower of Jai Gurudev, had been occupying the site since 2014. Ram Vriksh Yadav, originally from Ghazipur, was running a parallel government, complete with administration, revenue and armed forces, within the park. It is alleged that local administrators believed that Ram Vriksh Yadav was close to some politicians, and were thus unwilling to act. After a court ordered their eviction in 2016, the police tried to forcibly remove them from the premises. The squatters responded violently, killing two senior officers, including the superintendent of police. The cops then returned fire, killing several squatters.

Bihar Topper Scam 2016

The corruption scandal came to light in Bihar on May 31, 2016 when Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Arts and Humanities topper Ruby Rai, science topper Saurabh Shrestha and the third-highest scorer in the science stream Rahul Kumar, while being interviewed by television channels, were unable to answer even basic questions. Ruby Rai, a student of Vishun Roy College, Kiratpur Raja Ram village in Vaishali district pronounced political science as prodigal science and described it as a subject related to cooking. Science topper Saurabh Shrestha was unaware what electrons and protons were and wrongly said aluminium was the most reactive element.

Delta Meghwal rape case

Delta Meghwal, a 17-year-old Dalit girl, was allegedly raped by a teacher at an institute in Bikaners Nokha town and her body was found in a water tank on March 29 this year. It was also reported that she was subjected to caste abuse by her hostel warden who sent her to clean the physical education teacher's room, who subsequently raped and killed her. While the state government claims, Meghwal committed suicide, the opposition Congress said it was murder. The Dalit Community requested a CBI probe, but there has been no movement on the case.

2016 Jharkhand mob lynching

2016 Jharkhand mob lynching refers to the case of lynching of two Muslim cattle traders allegedly by cattle-protection vigilantes in Latehar district in Jharkhand on March 18, 2016. The attackers killed 32-year-old Mazlum Ansari and 15-year-old Imteyaz Khan who were found hanging from a tree. Police arrested five people and identified them as Mithilesh Prasad Sahu alias Bunty, Pramod Kumar Sahu, Manoj Kumar Sahu, Awadhesh Sahu and Manoj Sahu. Three others were also said to be involved in the murders but were not apprehended.

Jisha murder case

Jisha, a 29-year-old Dalit law student, was murdered on April 28, 2016 at her home in Perumbavoor, Kerala. The police found the body mutilated and disturbingly sliced. Forensics concluded the body injuries showed violence, possible torture and the presence of alcohol. The report also noted that the culprit had used a sharp weapon to disembowel her. Jisha was stabbed over 30 times. Her chest was pierced with a dagger. The severe injury inflicted on her neck led to her death, according to the post mortem report. Ameerul Islam, an Assamese labourer was arrested for the rape and murder of Jisha. There were also other reports that Ameerul had an accomplice Anarul Islam and that he is at large. Opposition parties and the public have expressed fears that Ameerul was being made a scapegoat. Jishas father too has sought a CBI probe, saying the polices probe was not conducted in a fair manner.

Swathi Murder Case

Infosys techie Swathi, 24, was murdered on the platform of Nungambakkam suburban railway station in Chennai on June 24 later this year. A week after the murder, a youth named Ramkumar, whom the police claimed was Swathis stalker and murderer, was apprehended by the police and jailed. A few weeks later, police claimed that Ramkumar committed suicide inside the jail premises, raising questions about the veracity of the claims. There have been at least two similar crimes in and around Chennai since Swathis murder, in which alleged spurned suitors and jilted lovers hacked young women to death.

Greater Noida Rape Case A 16-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped and set ablaze by a youth in Greater Noida, succumbed to her injuries. The girl had suffered over 95 per cent burns and was fighting for her life at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi following the incident that occurred on March 7, 2016 at Tigri village in Greater Noida West. The accused, aged 18 years, was taken into custody. He was a neighbour of the victim's family and, according to her father, had become friendly with her. Police said the youth allegedly went to the girl's house and met her on the roof where he raped her and set her ablaze. He then fled the spot. Ram Vrikshs cult evicted from Jawahar Bagh in Mathura Two policemen and 22 squatters were killed in an armed conflict in the city of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh on June 2, 2016. The squatters, at Jawahar Bagh public park, an armed group led by a Ram Vriksh, once a follower of Jai Gurudev, had been occupying the site since 2014. Ram Vriksh Yadav, originally from Ghazipur, was running a parallel government, complete with administration, revenue and armed forces, within the park. It is alleged that local administrators believed that Ram Vriksh Yadav was close to some politicians, and were thus unwilling to act. After a court ordered their eviction in 2016, the police tried to forcibly remove them from the premises. The squatters responded violently, killing two senior officers, including the superintendent of police. The cops then returned fire, killing several squatters. Bihar Topper Scam 2016 The corruption scandal came to light in Bihar on May 31, 2016 when Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Arts and Humanities topper Ruby Rai, science topper Saurabh Shrestha and the third-highest scorer in the science stream Rahul Kumar, while being interviewed by television channels, were unable to answer even basic questions. Ruby Rai, a student of Vishun Roy College, Kiratpur Raja Ram village in Vaishali district pronounced political science as prodigal science and described it as a subject related to cooking. Science topper Saurabh Shrestha was unaware what electrons and protons were and wrongly said aluminium was the most reactive element. Delta Meghwal rape case Delta Meghwal, a 17-year-old Dalit girl, was allegedly raped by a teacher at an institute in Bikaners Nokha town and her body was found in a water tank on March 29 this year. It was also reported that she was subjected to caste abuse by her hostel warden who sent her to clean the physical education teacher's room, who subsequently raped and killed her. While the state government claims, Meghwal committed suicide, the opposition Congress said it was murder. The Dalit Community requested a CBI probe, but there has been no movement on the case. 2016 Jharkhand mob lynching 2016 Jharkhand mob lynching refers to the case of lynching of two Muslim cattle traders allegedly by cattle-protection vigilantes in Latehar district in Jharkhand on March 18, 2016. The attackers killed 32-year-old Mazlum Ansari and 15-year-old Imteyaz Khan who were found hanging from a tree. Police arrested five people and identified them as Mithilesh Prasad Sahu alias Bunty, Pramod Kumar Sahu, Manoj Kumar Sahu, Awadhesh Sahu and Manoj Sahu. Three others were also said to be involved in the murders but were not apprehended. Jisha murder case Jisha, a 29-year-old Dalit law student, was murdered on April 28, 2016 at her home in Perumbavoor, Kerala. The police found the body mutilated and disturbingly sliced. Forensics concluded the body injuries showed violence, possible torture and the presence of alcohol. The report also noted that the culprit had used a sharp weapon to disembowel her. Jisha was stabbed over 30 times. Her chest was pierced with a dagger. The severe injury inflicted on her neck led to her death, according to the post mortem report. Ameerul Islam, an Assamese labourer was arrested for the rape and murder of Jisha. There were also other reports that Ameerul had an accomplice Anarul Islam and that he is at large. Opposition parties and the public have expressed fears that Ameerul was being made a scapegoat. Jishas father too has sought a CBI probe, saying the polices probe was not conducted in a fair manner. Swathi Murder Case Infosys techie Swathi, 24, was murdered on the platform of Nungambakkam suburban railway station in Chennai on June 24 later this year. A week after the murder, a youth named Ramkumar, whom the police claimed was Swathis stalker and murderer, was apprehended by the police and jailed. A few weeks later, police claimed that Ramkumar committed suicide inside the jail premises, raising questions about the veracity of the claims. There have been at least two similar crimes in and around Chennai since Swathis murder, in which alleged spurned suitors and jilted lovers hacked young women to death.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The IIT Madrass central library website and web pages of six of the institutions departments were hacked on Thursday by unknown persons who had posted messages reading Pakistan Jindabad.

A few students and alumni of the premium technology institution told Express that they came to know of the hacking of the website around 5.30 am.

Within a few minutes, the messages posted by the hackers were removed and the webpages read that they were currently down and the restoration process was on.

The institutes officials said that a website where information posted on conferences organised by the institute was vulnerable since it was frequently accessed by many.

A few other websites operated by the institute also work out of the same server and the hackers managed to hack those sites as well.

The site for conference information has the same server for six other departments and also a few other webpages. This webpage in which the information on the conferences is posted is accessed by many outsiders also and hence it was vulnerable, said Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director of IIT Madras.

He said the websites would be restored soon. He has also asked the website maintenance in charge to make sure that the websites are not hacked again.

They (hackers) will know the password and they can hack again. So I asked the professor in charge of websites to make sure there is stricter security, he said. The websites for cultural fests are equally vulnerable, he added.

The departments whose websites were hacked are Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Biotechnology.

Besides, the institutes central library and other websites of other centres like Centre for Technology and Policies, Health Care Innovation Centre, National Cancer Tissue Biobank and National Centre for Combustion Research and Development were also hacked.

CHENNAI: The IIT Madrass central library website and web pages of six of the institutions departments were hacked on Thursday by unknown persons who had posted messages reading Pakistan Jindabad. A few students and alumni of the premium technology institution told Express that they came to know of the hacking of the website around 5.30 am. Within a few minutes, the messages posted by the hackers were removed and the webpages read that they were currently down and the restoration process was on. The institutes officials said that a website where information posted on conferences organised by the institute was vulnerable since it was frequently accessed by many. A few other websites operated by the institute also work out of the same server and the hackers managed to hack those sites as well. The site for conference information has the same server for six other departments and also a few other webpages. This webpage in which the information on the conferences is posted is accessed by many outsiders also and hence it was vulnerable, said Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director of IIT Madras. He said the websites would be restored soon. He has also asked the website maintenance in charge to make sure that the websites are not hacked again. They (hackers) will know the password and they can hack again. So I asked the professor in charge of websites to make sure there is stricter security, he said. The websites for cultural fests are equally vulnerable, he added. The departments whose websites were hacked are Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Biotechnology. Besides, the institutes central library and other websites of other centres like Centre for Technology and Policies, Health Care Innovation Centre, National Cancer Tissue Biobank and National Centre for Combustion Research and Development were also hacked.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Sanitation in the city is about to get a technological boost. Greater Hyderabad is going to be dotted with over a dozen public e-toilets (Electronic Public Toilet) with biodigesters by Janaury 2017. They are innovatively designed for towns and cities.

The proposed model has sleek and appealing aesthetics and mild built. Moreover, e-Toilets are portable, hygienic and eco-friendly. They have easy to maintain components and accessories, besides durable and its vandalism resistant enclosure is expected to address public sanitation. Installation of one eToilet comes to around `7.30 lakh for women and `6.35 lakh for men. Similar eToilets have been installed in Chennai and Bengaluru. These e-Toilets are being constructed under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and few corporates have come forward to extend support to GHMC in setting up e-Toilets at busy public places. GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy held a meeting with representatives of State Bank of Hyderabad and Indian Oil Corporation Limited at GHMC head office on Thursday.

For sustainable sanitation:

The eToilet incorporates sustainable sanitation by integrating electronics, mechanical, web-mobile technologies thereby controlling entry, usage, cleaning, exit, and remote monitoring capabilities with multiple revenue options.

GHMC officials said that eToilets are easy to install, consumes less water, are power efficient and provide enhanced cleanliness through auto flushes. They also have features such as floor washing, unmanned operations, coin-operated entry and free access, on site waste treatment using anaerobic biodegradation and no regular manual maintenance is required. The insertion of a coin opens the door of the eToilet for the user, switches on a light-thus saving energy-and even directs the person with audio commands. The toilets are programmed to flush 1.5 litres of water after three minutes of usage or 4.5 litres if usage is longer. It can also be programmed to clean the platform with a complete wash down after every 5 or 10 persons use the toilet.

HYDERABAD: Sanitation in the city is about to get a technological boost. Greater Hyderabad is going to be dotted with over a dozen public e-toilets (Electronic Public Toilet) with biodigesters by Janaury 2017. They are innovatively designed for towns and cities. The proposed model has sleek and appealing aesthetics and mild built. Moreover, e-Toilets are portable, hygienic and eco-friendly. They have easy to maintain components and accessories, besides durable and its vandalism resistant enclosure is expected to address public sanitation. Installation of one eToilet comes to around `7.30 lakh for women and `6.35 lakh for men. Similar eToilets have been installed in Chennai and Bengaluru. These e-Toilets are being constructed under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and few corporates have come forward to extend support to GHMC in setting up e-Toilets at busy public places. GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy held a meeting with representatives of State Bank of Hyderabad and Indian Oil Corporation Limited at GHMC head office on Thursday. For sustainable sanitation: The eToilet incorporates sustainable sanitation by integrating electronics, mechanical, web-mobile technologies thereby controlling entry, usage, cleaning, exit, and remote monitoring capabilities with multiple revenue options. GHMC officials said that eToilets are easy to install, consumes less water, are power efficient and provide enhanced cleanliness through auto flushes. They also have features such as floor washing, unmanned operations, coin-operated entry and free access, on site waste treatment using anaerobic biodegradation and no regular manual maintenance is required. The insertion of a coin opens the door of the eToilet for the user, switches on a light-thus saving energy-and even directs the person with audio commands. The toilets are programmed to flush 1.5 litres of water after three minutes of usage or 4.5 litres if usage is longer. It can also be programmed to clean the platform with a complete wash down after every 5 or 10 persons use the toilet.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government told the Hyderabad High Court that the allegation that the slain gangster Nayeem had ties to the police and politicians from all parties was not correct.

The state government said that a special investigation team (SIT) was investigating the gangsters activities.

They added that there was no need to entrust the investigation to CBI since there are no national or international ramifications to it. The government added that so far no evidence is found that Nayeem is alleged to have had links with various Naxal outfits operating in other states. An investigation has been completed and further investigation is under progress by four teams appointed for the purpose.

The SIT team under the leadership of Additional DGP is working briskly on the activities of Nayeem and his gang, it noted.

Denying the allegation that SIT is conducting probe as an eye-wash and to protect the alleged politicians and police who were linked with Nayeem, it said that a number of persons are still coming forward before the SIT claiming to be victims of the accused.

It is found that Nayeem acquired land and properties in his name and in the name of associates at various places in the state and outside the state and the matter is under investigation, it added. In this regard, the government, represented by principal secretary to home Rajiv Trivedi, filed a counter-affidavit in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by CPI leader K Narayana seeking a CBI probe

CPI leaders PIL

The CPI leader alleged that the investigation by SIT has not made any breakthrough in the case and the reason cited is that many top senior IAS, IPS and politicians had ties to the gangster which led him to build up a vast empire. People are not able to get a hint as to what is happening in the case for a considerable period of time, he said.

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government told the Hyderabad High Court that the allegation that the slain gangster Nayeem had ties to the police and politicians from all parties was not correct. The state government said that a special investigation team (SIT) was investigating the gangsters activities. They added that there was no need to entrust the investigation to CBI since there are no national or international ramifications to it. The government added that so far no evidence is found that Nayeem is alleged to have had links with various Naxal outfits operating in other states. An investigation has been completed and further investigation is under progress by four teams appointed for the purpose. The SIT team under the leadership of Additional DGP is working briskly on the activities of Nayeem and his gang, it noted. Denying the allegation that SIT is conducting probe as an eye-wash and to protect the alleged politicians and police who were linked with Nayeem, it said that a number of persons are still coming forward before the SIT claiming to be victims of the accused. It is found that Nayeem acquired land and properties in his name and in the name of associates at various places in the state and outside the state and the matter is under investigation, it added. In this regard, the government, represented by principal secretary to home Rajiv Trivedi, filed a counter-affidavit in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by CPI leader K Narayana seeking a CBI probe CPI leaders PIL The CPI leader alleged that the investigation by SIT has not made any breakthrough in the case and the reason cited is that many top senior IAS, IPS and politicians had ties to the gangster which led him to build up a vast empire. People are not able to get a hint as to what is happening in the case for a considerable period of time, he said.
By IANS

SRINAGAR: Eight protesters and two security men were injured in clashes on Friday in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, the state police said.

Earlier, the security forces cordoned off the Galander area of then district following an information about militant presence there.

"In order to secure the cordoned off area, the security forces stopped vehicular movement on the highway for sometime," a police officer said here.

"Angry protesters started pelting stones at the security forces as they were withdrawing after the searches."

Reports from the area said the forces used tear-smoke shells and resorted to aerial firing to break the protests.

Two of the injured protesters sustained bullet injuries and were in stable condition, the police said.

SRINAGAR: Eight protesters and two security men were injured in clashes on Friday in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, the state police said. Earlier, the security forces cordoned off the Galander area of then district following an information about militant presence there. "In order to secure the cordoned off area, the security forces stopped vehicular movement on the highway for sometime," a police officer said here. "Angry protesters started pelting stones at the security forces as they were withdrawing after the searches." Reports from the area said the forces used tear-smoke shells and resorted to aerial firing to break the protests. Two of the injured protesters sustained bullet injuries and were in stable condition, the police said.
By PTI

JAMMU: One civilian was killed as Pakistani Army indulged in heavy cross border firing targeting Indian positions and civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting the Indian side to retaliate.

"Pakistani troops targeted the Indian Army posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch sector with small arms, automatic and mortars at 1655 hours," an army officer said.

He said the army was retaliating strongly and effectively to the ceasefire violation.

One civilian has been killed in the ongoing firing, a senior police officer said. On December 16, Pakistan had violated ceasefire by targeting Indian positions along the LoC in Balakote sector of the same district.

The ceasefire violation had come after a lull of over three weeks after the Indian troops had launched a counter- offensive against Pakistan on November 23 against the killing of three soldiers in the Machhil sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

In the cross-LoC attack by suspected Pakistani terrorists, three Indian soldiers were killed on November 22, with body of one of them being mutilated. Following the incident, Indian Army had vowed a heavy "retribution".

The 2003 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement has virtually become redundant with over 300 incidents of firing and shelling along the LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani troops.

Over 26 people, including 14 security personnel, have been killed in ceasefire violations since the surgical strike on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

JAMMU: One civilian was killed as Pakistani Army indulged in heavy cross border firing targeting Indian positions and civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting the Indian side to retaliate. "Pakistani troops targeted the Indian Army posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch sector with small arms, automatic and mortars at 1655 hours," an army officer said. He said the army was retaliating strongly and effectively to the ceasefire violation. One civilian has been killed in the ongoing firing, a senior police officer said. On December 16, Pakistan had violated ceasefire by targeting Indian positions along the LoC in Balakote sector of the same district. The ceasefire violation had come after a lull of over three weeks after the Indian troops had launched a counter- offensive against Pakistan on November 23 against the killing of three soldiers in the Machhil sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district. In the cross-LoC attack by suspected Pakistani terrorists, three Indian soldiers were killed on November 22, with body of one of them being mutilated. Following the incident, Indian Army had vowed a heavy "retribution". The 2003 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement has virtually become redundant with over 300 incidents of firing and shelling along the LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani troops. Over 26 people, including 14 security personnel, have been killed in ceasefire violations since the surgical strike on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Abhijit Mulye By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: The upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections is likely to see a four-cornered fight. While the BJP and Shiv Sena have started targeting each other, the NCP has taken the lead and released a list of 45 candidates on Thursday putting to rest all speculations about an alliance with the Congress.

The NCP would contest the BMC elections with full strength. The decision in this regard was made at a recent meeting held by the party leadership. In accordance with that, we are releasing the first list of 45 candidates, said NCP city president Sachin Ahir. State Congress president and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan also refrained from speaking in favour of an alliance with the NCP. Local party units would take decisions in accordance with the local conditions, he said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Anil Parab fired a salvo against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday.

The responsibility of corruption in the Corporation ultimately lies with the urban development department and hence the chief minister, who has been handling the department for the last two years, he said reacting to Fadnavis remarks last night.

The city has a huge budget of over thousands of crores. Yet the city is not fully developed, Fadnavis said at a BJP function. There is only one reason why Mumbai is not fully developed and that is corruption, he had said without naming the Sena.

While the strength of Sena in the current house is 75, that of the Congress is 52, BJP 31, NCP 13 while the MNS has 28 out of a total of 227 seats.

MUMBAI: The upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections is likely to see a four-cornered fight. While the BJP and Shiv Sena have started targeting each other, the NCP has taken the lead and released a list of 45 candidates on Thursday putting to rest all speculations about an alliance with the Congress. The NCP would contest the BMC elections with full strength. The decision in this regard was made at a recent meeting held by the party leadership. In accordance with that, we are releasing the first list of 45 candidates, said NCP city president Sachin Ahir. State Congress president and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan also refrained from speaking in favour of an alliance with the NCP. Local party units would take decisions in accordance with the local conditions, he said. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Anil Parab fired a salvo against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday. The responsibility of corruption in the Corporation ultimately lies with the urban development department and hence the chief minister, who has been handling the department for the last two years, he said reacting to Fadnavis remarks last night. The city has a huge budget of over thousands of crores. Yet the city is not fully developed, Fadnavis said at a BJP function. There is only one reason why Mumbai is not fully developed and that is corruption, he had said without naming the Sena. While the strength of Sena in the current house is 75, that of the Congress is 52, BJP 31, NCP 13 while the MNS has 28 out of a total of 227 seats.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Criticizing Beijings move to block Indias proposal to list Pathankot terror attack mastermind and chief of JeM Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist by the UN, New Delhi has termed the move as "unfortunate blow" and a step that confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism.

Reacting sharply, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the decision by Beijing is surprising as China itself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism. As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organization.

"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism, MEA said in a statement issued in the evening.

Officials said that with China blocking India's proposal, which was submitted in February to the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, New Delhi has to make a fresh listing request for Azhar to be banned by the global body. After its submission, China twice imposed "technical" hold on the Indian proposal. However, India said it will continue to push forward with resolute determination "through the use of all options available with us to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice".

External Affairs Ministry also said, "We note with concern China's decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar.

"The international community is aware that the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed which is proscribed by the United Nations, has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India including the Pathankot Air Base attack.

"As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation. We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," Vikas Swarup added.

NEW DELHI: Criticizing Beijings move to block Indias proposal to list Pathankot terror attack mastermind and chief of JeM Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist by the UN, New Delhi has termed the move as "unfortunate blow" and a step that confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism. Reacting sharply, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the decision by Beijing is surprising as China itself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism. As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organization. "The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism, MEA said in a statement issued in the evening. Officials said that with China blocking India's proposal, which was submitted in February to the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, New Delhi has to make a fresh listing request for Azhar to be banned by the global body. After its submission, China twice imposed "technical" hold on the Indian proposal. However, India said it will continue to push forward with resolute determination "through the use of all options available with us to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice". External Affairs Ministry also said, "We note with concern China's decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar. "The international community is aware that the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed which is proscribed by the United Nations, has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India including the Pathankot Air Base attack. "As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation. We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," Vikas Swarup added.
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Indian Space Research Organisation is upbeat over its moon mission. In December next year, the space agency is all set to launch a spacecraft housing two private rovers (a space exploration vehicle) atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Interestingly, ISRO bagged the commercial launch contract just when its own Chandrayaan-2 mission, a second shot to the moon, is gaining pace with the beginning of landing experiments inside the Science City in Chitradurga.

Bengaluru-based firm TeamIndus will be attempting to become the first Indian private entity to land on the moon by deploying its own rover ECA. This rover will be competing in the $30 million Lunar XPrize, sponsored by Google. The landing site for TeamIndus is Mare Imbrium, the large plain visible to the naked eye on the top left of the moon. The second rover will be developed by Japanese firm Hakuto.

K Sivan, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, told Express that the space agency is up for the challenge. ISRO always wanted the Indian private industry to take an active part in the space explorations mission. Its a very good initiative and we wish TeamIndus all success.

However, ISROs role in the mission is limited to providing launch services and the rest is the sole responsibility of the private firm. For us, its like any other satellite.

Having successfully carried out the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008, the PSLV is fully capable of pulling off this mission as well, he said.

However, certain key interface systems like mechanical, electrical and radio systems would be analysed to ensure the rocket and satellite support the overall mission, he said.

Sivan said VSSC would design and develop the PSLV. ISRO Inertial Systems Unit at Thiruvananthapuram would develop the inertial systems for the vehicle. Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, also at Thiruvananthapuram, would develop the liquid propulsion stages for the second and fourth stages of the PSLV.

On the Chandrayaan-2, the official said the project was progressing at a good pace and several systems were at the developmental stage. The mission consists of an orbiter, lander and rover configuration.

It is planned to be launched as a composite stack by GSLV-Mk II tentatively by early 2018. The scientific payloads onboard are expected to perform elemental studies of the lunar surface.

In 2010, it was agreed that the Russian Space Agency ROSCOSMOS would be responsible for the lunar lander and ISRO responsible for orbiter and rover as well as a launch by GSLV.

However, it was later decided that the lunar lander would be developed by ISRO and Chandrayaan-2, making it an entirely Indian mission.

CHENNAI: The Indian Space Research Organisation is upbeat over its moon mission. In December next year, the space agency is all set to launch a spacecraft housing two private rovers (a space exploration vehicle) atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Interestingly, ISRO bagged the commercial launch contract just when its own Chandrayaan-2 mission, a second shot to the moon, is gaining pace with the beginning of landing experiments inside the Science City in Chitradurga. Bengaluru-based firm TeamIndus will be attempting to become the first Indian private entity to land on the moon by deploying its own rover ECA. This rover will be competing in the $30 million Lunar XPrize, sponsored by Google. The landing site for TeamIndus is Mare Imbrium, the large plain visible to the naked eye on the top left of the moon. The second rover will be developed by Japanese firm Hakuto. K Sivan, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, told Express that the space agency is up for the challenge. ISRO always wanted the Indian private industry to take an active part in the space explorations mission. Its a very good initiative and we wish TeamIndus all success. However, ISROs role in the mission is limited to providing launch services and the rest is the sole responsibility of the private firm. For us, its like any other satellite. Having successfully carried out the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008, the PSLV is fully capable of pulling off this mission as well, he said. However, certain key interface systems like mechanical, electrical and radio systems would be analysed to ensure the rocket and satellite support the overall mission, he said. Sivan said VSSC would design and develop the PSLV. ISRO Inertial Systems Unit at Thiruvananthapuram would develop the inertial systems for the vehicle. Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, also at Thiruvananthapuram, would develop the liquid propulsion stages for the second and fourth stages of the PSLV. On the Chandrayaan-2, the official said the project was progressing at a good pace and several systems were at the developmental stage. The mission consists of an orbiter, lander and rover configuration. It is planned to be launched as a composite stack by GSLV-Mk II tentatively by early 2018. The scientific payloads onboard are expected to perform elemental studies of the lunar surface. In 2010, it was agreed that the Russian Space Agency ROSCOSMOS would be responsible for the lunar lander and ISRO responsible for orbiter and rover as well as a launch by GSLV. However, it was later decided that the lunar lander would be developed by ISRO and Chandrayaan-2, making it an entirely Indian mission.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Kashmir witnessed shutdown, protests and clashes on Friday against issuance of identity certificates to West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) by the PDP-BJP coalition government while police detained pro-independence JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik when he was leading a protest demonstration.

All shops, business establishments and petrol pumps in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley remained closed while public transport was off the roads. The attendance in government offices and banks was affected by the strike.

Authorities had deployed large number of police and paramilitary personnel in sensitive areas of Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir to maintain law and order and prevent anti-India protests.

Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, who spearheaded the over five month long unrest in the Valley after killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8, had called for shutdown and protests today against the issuance of identity certificates to WPRs.

After clearance from Union Home Ministry, the J&K government had started issuing the identity certificates to WPRs. The issuance of identity certificates to WPRs is turning out to be another headache for the PDP-BJP government as separatists, opposition National Conference and Congress and Kashmir-based legislators are strongly opposing the move.

The WPRs are living in seven border districts of Jammu province since 1947 but have not been granted the State citizenship by successive J&K government. They can vote in parliamentary elections but not in State Assembly polls.

At least 5800 families from Sialkote, Pakistan had settled in border districts in J&K after partition in 1947. At present 19960 WPR families, according to West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee, are living in different areas of Jammu.

On the call of separatists, youth tool to roads at uptown area of Batamaloo in Srinagar and protested against issuance of identity certificates to WPRs.

The youth pelted stones on police and paramilitary personnel after they intercepted them. The cops fired tear smoke shells to disperse them and the clashes continued for about an hour during which protestors hurled a petrol bomb towards the police vehicle.

JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik reached South Kashmir Pulwama town early this morning. He led a protest demonstration against the issuance of domicile certificate to WPRs in the afternoon.

However, Malik was arrested by police and lodged in a nearby police station. His arrest triggered clashes in the area, which continued for over an hour.

At least eight persons were injured in clashes between stone pelting youth and security personnel in Samboora area of Pulwama district. The clashes were triggered after security personnel cordoned the area to conduct search operation.

The clashes were also reported from Tral in South Kashmir, Bandipora, Sopore and many other areas in North Kashmir and some other parts of the Valley.

Moderate Hurriyat Conference leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said refugees are refugees, be they from West Pakistan or Rohingya and cannot get state subjects rights. The WP refugees already have Adhaaar and election cards as proof of identification for seeking jobs in India so no one is going to buy the identification certificate theory of the government.

All designs and ploys to challenge the dispute nature of Jammu and Kashmir by BJP and PDP will be opposed and resisted, he added.

SRINAGAR: Kashmir witnessed shutdown, protests and clashes on Friday against issuance of identity certificates to West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) by the PDP-BJP coalition government while police detained pro-independence JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik when he was leading a protest demonstration. All shops, business establishments and petrol pumps in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley remained closed while public transport was off the roads. The attendance in government offices and banks was affected by the strike. Authorities had deployed large number of police and paramilitary personnel in sensitive areas of Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir to maintain law and order and prevent anti-India protests. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, who spearheaded the over five month long unrest in the Valley after killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8, had called for shutdown and protests today against the issuance of identity certificates to WPRs. After clearance from Union Home Ministry, the J&K government had started issuing the identity certificates to WPRs. The issuance of identity certificates to WPRs is turning out to be another headache for the PDP-BJP government as separatists, opposition National Conference and Congress and Kashmir-based legislators are strongly opposing the move. The WPRs are living in seven border districts of Jammu province since 1947 but have not been granted the State citizenship by successive J&K government. They can vote in parliamentary elections but not in State Assembly polls. At least 5800 families from Sialkote, Pakistan had settled in border districts in J&K after partition in 1947. At present 19960 WPR families, according to West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee, are living in different areas of Jammu. On the call of separatists, youth tool to roads at uptown area of Batamaloo in Srinagar and protested against issuance of identity certificates to WPRs. The youth pelted stones on police and paramilitary personnel after they intercepted them. The cops fired tear smoke shells to disperse them and the clashes continued for about an hour during which protestors hurled a petrol bomb towards the police vehicle. JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik reached South Kashmir Pulwama town early this morning. He led a protest demonstration against the issuance of domicile certificate to WPRs in the afternoon. However, Malik was arrested by police and lodged in a nearby police station. His arrest triggered clashes in the area, which continued for over an hour. At least eight persons were injured in clashes between stone pelting youth and security personnel in Samboora area of Pulwama district. The clashes were triggered after security personnel cordoned the area to conduct search operation. The clashes were also reported from Tral in South Kashmir, Bandipora, Sopore and many other areas in North Kashmir and some other parts of the Valley. Moderate Hurriyat Conference leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said refugees are refugees, be they from West Pakistan or Rohingya and cannot get state subjects rights. The WP refugees already have Adhaaar and election cards as proof of identification for seeking jobs in India so no one is going to buy the identification certificate theory of the government. All designs and ploys to challenge the dispute nature of Jammu and Kashmir by BJP and PDP will be opposed and resisted, he added.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance Court here ordered a preliminary inquiry against former chief minister Oommen Chandy, former home minister and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, former chief secretary Jiji Thomson in a case related to the appointment of Shanker Reddy as Vigilance director by the previous UDF government.

While issuing the orders, the court said that the report should be submitted on February 15. The orders were issued on a petition filed by Paichira Navaz who alleged that appointment of Shanker Reddy was illegal. He had submitted that the previous UDF government had posted Reddy as Vigilance director even when he was holding the rank of additional deputy general of police for allegedly protecting UDF leaders and senior bureaucrats from a case pertaining to irregularities in work progressing at the Kannur airport.

The government had this week submitted all documents relating to the appointment of Shanker Reddy as Vigilance director with a covering letter from the home secretary.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance Court here ordered a preliminary inquiry against former chief minister Oommen Chandy, former home minister and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, former chief secretary Jiji Thomson in a case related to the appointment of Shanker Reddy as Vigilance director by the previous UDF government. While issuing the orders, the court said that the report should be submitted on February 15. The orders were issued on a petition filed by Paichira Navaz who alleged that appointment of Shanker Reddy was illegal. He had submitted that the previous UDF government had posted Reddy as Vigilance director even when he was holding the rank of additional deputy general of police for allegedly protecting UDF leaders and senior bureaucrats from a case pertaining to irregularities in work progressing at the Kannur airport. The government had this week submitted all documents relating to the appointment of Shanker Reddy as Vigilance director with a covering letter from the home secretary.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday called for the celebration of the argumentative Indian, not the intolerant Indian, underscoring the need to protect the freedom to doubt, disagree and dispute intellectually as an essential pillar of democracy.

Nothing should lie outside the realm of reason, and therefore of discussion and argument. Such freedom is vital for progress in any field, especially a calling and craft like history, Mukherjee said, inaugurating the 77th session of the Indian History Congress at the Kerala University. The freedom of speech, he said, was one of the most important fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

Multiple views, thoughts and philosophies have competed with each other peacefully for centuries in the country. However, there has been an unfortunate tendency from time to time to take offence at the expression of views perceived to be hostile to our social or cultural institutions, past or present. Similarly, critical appraisals of heroes and national icons have been met with hostility and sometimes even violence, he said.

It is my firm conviction that Indias pluralism and social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity are our greatest strengths. Our traditions have always celebrated the argumentative Indian, not the intolerant Indian, Mukherjee said.

While it is natural to see glory in the past of ones own country, patriotism should not result in blinkered approaches to interpreting history or a compromise with truth in order to justify an argument of choice, the President said. He urged historians to engage in an objective pursuit of history, which, he said, requires the impartial mind of a judge and not the mind of an advocate. Historians should also study how a composite culture and national sentiment have grown in India over the centuries. Such a study, he said, would have valuable lessons for modern-day nation building.

What is the essential chemistry that has bound these millions and millions of people into a single identity? he said.

The President expressed the hope that the Indian History Congress would continue to remain alert and vigilant in the cause of an objective study of history. The President presented the Rajwade Award to eminent epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan for his life-long service to Indian history.

Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, ministers Kadakampally Surendran and C Raveendranath, Mayor V K Prashanth and Indian History Congress president Shireen Moosvi spoke. The congress, being hosted by the Kerala University after a gap of 58 years, will come to a close on Friday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday called for the celebration of the argumentative Indian, not the intolerant Indian, underscoring the need to protect the freedom to doubt, disagree and dispute intellectually as an essential pillar of democracy. Nothing should lie outside the realm of reason, and therefore of discussion and argument. Such freedom is vital for progress in any field, especially a calling and craft like history, Mukherjee said, inaugurating the 77th session of the Indian History Congress at the Kerala University. The freedom of speech, he said, was one of the most important fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Multiple views, thoughts and philosophies have competed with each other peacefully for centuries in the country. However, there has been an unfortunate tendency from time to time to take offence at the expression of views perceived to be hostile to our social or cultural institutions, past or present. Similarly, critical appraisals of heroes and national icons have been met with hostility and sometimes even violence, he said. It is my firm conviction that Indias pluralism and social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity are our greatest strengths. Our traditions have always celebrated the argumentative Indian, not the intolerant Indian, Mukherjee said. While it is natural to see glory in the past of ones own country, patriotism should not result in blinkered approaches to interpreting history or a compromise with truth in order to justify an argument of choice, the President said. He urged historians to engage in an objective pursuit of history, which, he said, requires the impartial mind of a judge and not the mind of an advocate. Historians should also study how a composite culture and national sentiment have grown in India over the centuries. Such a study, he said, would have valuable lessons for modern-day nation building. What is the essential chemistry that has bound these millions and millions of people into a single identity? he said. The President expressed the hope that the Indian History Congress would continue to remain alert and vigilant in the cause of an objective study of history. The President presented the Rajwade Award to eminent epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan for his life-long service to Indian history. Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, ministers Kadakampally Surendran and C Raveendranath, Mayor V K Prashanth and Indian History Congress president Shireen Moosvi spoke. The congress, being hosted by the Kerala University after a gap of 58 years, will come to a close on Friday.
Bijay Chaki By

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: 2016 was a tumultuous year for the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) which found itself on the back foot for different reasons including the death of more than 100 children due to Japanese Encephalitis in Malkangiri and malnutrition in Nagada, the Dana Majhi incident which hogged international headlines, killing of innocent tribals and dalits in alleged police firing at Gumudumaha and Mahanadi river water dispute with Chhattisgarh.

Just when the year was coming to end, a sex video allegedly featuring Bhubaneswar Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena went viral on the social media giving the opposition political parties a much-needed opportunity to take on the BJD.



Congress, the main opposition political party in the State, was also in the news for the wrong reasons during the year because of factional fights between the organisational and legislative wings of the party. Even though the party had enough opportunities during the year to corner the BJD, the organisational and legislative wings functioned in a parallel manner creating confusion in the rank and file.



Things deteriorated to such an extent that several party MLAs, including Congress whip in the Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati, launched a frontal attack on general secretary of All-India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge, Odisha BK Hariprasad for his failure to contain factionalism.



The youth and students wings of the party also caused embarrassment to the party when some of their members barged into a hotel room shouting slogans in the Capital City where senior party leaders, including Hariprasad and president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan, were busy in a meeting. Their grievance was that the party ignored late Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and did not give him due recognition.



Despite attempts to bring about a rapprochement between the warring factions in Congress, factionalism intensified with a section of senior leaders expressing unhappiness with the style of functioning of the OPCC president.

Situation in the BJP was no better either with some of the senior leaders not happy with the style of functioning of the State leadership. Factionalism also came to the fore in ruling BJD on more than one occasion because of open squabbling between Excise Minister Damodar Rout and his detractors.

Statement by leader of BJD in Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahatab about the need for an alliance with Congress to defeat BJP and its subsequent withdrawal sparked off a controversy with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik countering it and reiterating the theory of equi-distance between BJP and Congress.

The BJD had to face embarrassment as the story of Dana Majhi, a poor tribal who had to walk over 10 km carrying his wifes body on his shoulder from a Government hospital in backward Kalahandi district after being denied a hearse in August, made international news and exposed the poor healthcare facilities in the State.

The BJD Government was under attack throughout the year over issues such as death of 25 people in a hospital fire in Bhubaneswar, high infant and maternal mortality rates, corruption and power crisis. Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak had to resign taking moral responsibility for the hospital fire.

The Opposition alleged that healthcare crumbled in the State when more than 100 children died due to Japanese Encephalitis in tribal-dominated Malkangiri district within a period of two months.

The State Government also drew flak following the death of 19 children due to malnutrition at Nagada village in mineral-rich Jajpur district during June-July.

Another incident in which five tribals and dalits, including a child, were killed in firing allegedly by security forces on July 8 at Gumudumaha in Kandhamal district also evoked widespread condemnation.

While Naveen, who holds the Home portfolio, came under sharp attack for the incident, politicians made a beeline for the nondescript Gumudumaha village alleging highhandedness of security forces. Following public outrage, the State Government ordered a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the firing incident.

There was much debate over the Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh with the State Government finally approaching the Centre for constituting a tribunal to settle the matter.

The State Government also filed an injunction petition in the Supreme Court demanding that the Chhattisgarh should stop all construction activities over Mahanadi as it would drastically reduce water flow of the river in Odisha.

While the Chief Minister ignored Opposition demand for an all-party meeting to discuss the issue, all-party meeting convened by Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra on the issue was a huge success though the BJD did not participate.

BHUBANESWAR: 2016 was a tumultuous year for the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) which found itself on the back foot for different reasons including the death of more than 100 children due to Japanese Encephalitis in Malkangiri and malnutrition in Nagada, the Dana Majhi incident which hogged international headlines, killing of innocent tribals and dalits in alleged police firing at Gumudumaha and Mahanadi river water dispute with Chhattisgarh. Just when the year was coming to end, a sex video allegedly featuring Bhubaneswar Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena went viral on the social media giving the opposition political parties a much-needed opportunity to take on the BJD. Congress, the main opposition political party in the State, was also in the news for the wrong reasons during the year because of factional fights between the organisational and legislative wings of the party. Even though the party had enough opportunities during the year to corner the BJD, the organisational and legislative wings functioned in a parallel manner creating confusion in the rank and file. Things deteriorated to such an extent that several party MLAs, including Congress whip in the Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati, launched a frontal attack on general secretary of All-India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge, Odisha BK Hariprasad for his failure to contain factionalism. The youth and students wings of the party also caused embarrassment to the party when some of their members barged into a hotel room shouting slogans in the Capital City where senior party leaders, including Hariprasad and president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan, were busy in a meeting. Their grievance was that the party ignored late Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and did not give him due recognition. Despite attempts to bring about a rapprochement between the warring factions in Congress, factionalism intensified with a section of senior leaders expressing unhappiness with the style of functioning of the OPCC president. Situation in the BJP was no better either with some of the senior leaders not happy with the style of functioning of the State leadership. Factionalism also came to the fore in ruling BJD on more than one occasion because of open squabbling between Excise Minister Damodar Rout and his detractors. Statement by leader of BJD in Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahatab about the need for an alliance with Congress to defeat BJP and its subsequent withdrawal sparked off a controversy with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik countering it and reiterating the theory of equi-distance between BJP and Congress. The BJD had to face embarrassment as the story of Dana Majhi, a poor tribal who had to walk over 10 km carrying his wifes body on his shoulder from a Government hospital in backward Kalahandi district after being denied a hearse in August, made international news and exposed the poor healthcare facilities in the State. The BJD Government was under attack throughout the year over issues such as death of 25 people in a hospital fire in Bhubaneswar, high infant and maternal mortality rates, corruption and power crisis. Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak had to resign taking moral responsibility for the hospital fire. The Opposition alleged that healthcare crumbled in the State when more than 100 children died due to Japanese Encephalitis in tribal-dominated Malkangiri district within a period of two months. The State Government also drew flak following the death of 19 children due to malnutrition at Nagada village in mineral-rich Jajpur district during June-July. Another incident in which five tribals and dalits, including a child, were killed in firing allegedly by security forces on July 8 at Gumudumaha in Kandhamal district also evoked widespread condemnation. While Naveen, who holds the Home portfolio, came under sharp attack for the incident, politicians made a beeline for the nondescript Gumudumaha village alleging highhandedness of security forces. Following public outrage, the State Government ordered a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the firing incident. There was much debate over the Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh with the State Government finally approaching the Centre for constituting a tribunal to settle the matter. The State Government also filed an injunction petition in the Supreme Court demanding that the Chhattisgarh should stop all construction activities over Mahanadi as it would drastically reduce water flow of the river in Odisha. While the Chief Minister ignored Opposition demand for an all-party meeting to discuss the issue, all-party meeting convened by Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra on the issue was a huge success though the BJD did not participate.
By PTI

CUTTACK: Odisha Police today rubbished as "bogus" the complaint about donations being collected from people to raise funds to meet the legal expenses of arrested alleged al-Qaida operative Abdul Rehman.

Reports in a section of media caused flutter after it was claimed that a complaint was filed by one Sheikh Tahimur Ali of Sahipada village under Salepur police station of the state which alleged that some youths of his community were coercing him to cough up a hefty amount as donation to meet the legal expenses of Rehman.

However, a senior police official confirmed that subsequent probes revealed the complaint was bogus and no such exercise was taking place by anyone for the legal expenses of the alleged al-Qaida operative, who was arrested by the Delhi Police last year from his house here in Madhya Kachha area.

"The investigation so far revealed that Tahimur had some past rivalries with the youth of his village over his marital discord. In order to teach a lesson to the youth, Tahimur came up with the complaint implicating the youths for collecting donations for Rehman," Salepur SDPO P K Jena said tonight.

Jena, however, informed that Salepur police have registered a case based on the complaint of Tahimur.

In his written complaint, Tahimur named five youths and alleged that they had demanded an amount of Rs 50,000 from him as donations to meet the legal expenses of Rehman.

He further said in his complaint that the youths have threatened him and his son of dire consequences, if he did not cough up the money. Although, no arrests have been made in this connection

so far, the police are investigating into the development from all angles, Jena said.

CUTTACK: Odisha Police today rubbished as "bogus" the complaint about donations being collected from people to raise funds to meet the legal expenses of arrested alleged al-Qaida operative Abdul Rehman. Reports in a section of media caused flutter after it was claimed that a complaint was filed by one Sheikh Tahimur Ali of Sahipada village under Salepur police station of the state which alleged that some youths of his community were coercing him to cough up a hefty amount as donation to meet the legal expenses of Rehman. However, a senior police official confirmed that subsequent probes revealed the complaint was bogus and no such exercise was taking place by anyone for the legal expenses of the alleged al-Qaida operative, who was arrested by the Delhi Police last year from his house here in Madhya Kachha area. "The investigation so far revealed that Tahimur had some past rivalries with the youth of his village over his marital discord. In order to teach a lesson to the youth, Tahimur came up with the complaint implicating the youths for collecting donations for Rehman," Salepur SDPO P K Jena said tonight. Jena, however, informed that Salepur police have registered a case based on the complaint of Tahimur. In his written complaint, Tahimur named five youths and alleged that they had demanded an amount of Rs 50,000 from him as donations to meet the legal expenses of Rehman. He further said in his complaint that the youths have threatened him and his son of dire consequences, if he did not cough up the money. Although, no arrests have been made in this connection so far, the police are investigating into the development from all angles, Jena said.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The AIADMK general council on Thursday decided to take steps for their late leader J Jayalalithaa to be accorded the Magsaysay award and Nobel Peace Prize, and urged the Centre to declare her birthday as National Farmers Day. It also reiterated the recent demands of the Tamil Nadu Cabinet  Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa and unveiling her statue at the Parliament complex.

One of the resolutions cited the pro-poor schemes implemented by the governments headed by Jayalalithaa and said the general council would take steps required to accord the Ramon Magsaysay award to her.

Another resolution recalled Jayalalithaas speech during the 2009 Lok Sabha poll campaign on farmers welfare. She made her speech on the lines of I have a dream of Martin Luther King Jr. The Farmers Security Scheme implemented by her government and her dreams for uplifting farmers on a par with those in Japan and Germany, are enough to honour her birthday as National Farmers Day, it said.

Another resolution recalled the services of AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran and his successor J Jayalalithaa. The general council decides to observe the centenary year of MGR as a Year of Peoples Service, it added.

In all, the general council adopted 14 resolutions, most of them hailing the sacrifices made by Jayalalithaa and her concern for the poor, courage, untiring work, etc. A separate resolution was adopted condoling the death of 597 persons following the hospitalisation and death of Jayalalithaa. The death of 106 party functionaries during the past months due to accidents and other reasons was also condoled.

The deaths of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, former Singapore President SR Nathan, former ISRO chief MGK Menon, Thuglak editor Cho S Ramaswamy, and Carnatic musician M Balamurali Krishna, among others, were also condoled.

CHENNAI: The AIADMK general council on Thursday decided to take steps for their late leader J Jayalalithaa to be accorded the Magsaysay award and Nobel Peace Prize, and urged the Centre to declare her birthday as National Farmers Day. It also reiterated the recent demands of the Tamil Nadu Cabinet  Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa and unveiling her statue at the Parliament complex. One of the resolutions cited the pro-poor schemes implemented by the governments headed by Jayalalithaa and said the general council would take steps required to accord the Ramon Magsaysay award to her. Another resolution recalled Jayalalithaas speech during the 2009 Lok Sabha poll campaign on farmers welfare. She made her speech on the lines of I have a dream of Martin Luther King Jr. The Farmers Security Scheme implemented by her government and her dreams for uplifting farmers on a par with those in Japan and Germany, are enough to honour her birthday as National Farmers Day, it said. Another resolution recalled the services of AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran and his successor J Jayalalithaa. The general council decides to observe the centenary year of MGR as a Year of Peoples Service, it added. In all, the general council adopted 14 resolutions, most of them hailing the sacrifices made by Jayalalithaa and her concern for the poor, courage, untiring work, etc. A separate resolution was adopted condoling the death of 597 persons following the hospitalisation and death of Jayalalithaa. The death of 106 party functionaries during the past months due to accidents and other reasons was also condoled. The deaths of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, former Singapore President SR Nathan, former ISRO chief MGK Menon, Thuglak editor Cho S Ramaswamy, and Carnatic musician M Balamurali Krishna, among others, were also condoled.
C Shivakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is seeking the help of Germany in preparing the integrated land use planning and management for Madurai-Thoothukudi Industrial Corridor Project, which will help bring investments of about `25,000 crore and generate employment for one lakh people.

Sources said a two-year Memorandum of Understanding is being planned with German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to prepare land use applications for the State in Madurai-Thoothkudi Industrial Corridor region and Madurai district.

The note of cooperation is likely to be signed by the State Planning Department (SPD) and Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) for two years till October 2018. GIZ will also help the State Planning Commission to develop a State Land Use Policy and develop tools, instruments and guidelines for integrated land use planning and management in consultation with different planning experts and relevant officials from DTCP and SPD.

It is learnt that GIZ will also provide national land-use policy guidelines to the State and feedback at the national level wherever required thus forming a linkage with State and national-level policies and guidelines prepared under the project of Land Use Planning and Management.

GIZ will have a technical expert in the State Planning Commission office to closely coordinate with the State departments, provide technical advisory and develop human capacity under the project of land use planning and management.

It is learnt that the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu has floated a special purpose vehicle for developing the Madurai-Thoothukudi Industrial Corridor project.

Sipcot has 19,000 acres in nine districts - Ramanthapuram, Pudukottai, Dindigul, Sivaganga, Theni, Virudhnagar, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari. The core nodes of development of Madurai-Thoothkudi Industrial Corridor will focus on four manufacturing and business investment regions, two manufacturing and business investments areas, one agriculture business investment region, two knowledge hubs and three special tourism investment zones.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is seeking the help of Germany in preparing the integrated land use planning and management for Madurai-Thoothukudi Industrial Corridor Project, which will help bring investments of about `25,000 crore and generate employment for one lakh people. Sources said a two-year Memorandum of Understanding is being planned with German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to prepare land use applications for the State in Madurai-Thoothkudi Industrial Corridor region and Madurai district. The note of cooperation is likely to be signed by the State Planning Department (SPD) and Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) for two years till October 2018. GIZ will also help the State Planning Commission to develop a State Land Use Policy and develop tools, instruments and guidelines for integrated land use planning and management in consultation with different planning experts and relevant officials from DTCP and SPD. It is learnt that GIZ will also provide national land-use policy guidelines to the State and feedback at the national level wherever required thus forming a linkage with State and national-level policies and guidelines prepared under the project of Land Use Planning and Management. GIZ will have a technical expert in the State Planning Commission office to closely coordinate with the State departments, provide technical advisory and develop human capacity under the project of land use planning and management. It is learnt that the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu has floated a special purpose vehicle for developing the Madurai-Thoothukudi Industrial Corridor project. Sipcot has 19,000 acres in nine districts - Ramanthapuram, Pudukottai, Dindigul, Sivaganga, Theni, Virudhnagar, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari. The core nodes of development of Madurai-Thoothkudi Industrial Corridor will focus on four manufacturing and business investment regions, two manufacturing and business investments areas, one agriculture business investment region, two knowledge hubs and three special tourism investment zones.
By Associated Press

CLEVELAND: U.S. Coast Guard crews searched Lake Erie on Friday for a plane that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from a small Cleveland airport along the shore.

The Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport late Thursday night with three children and three adults aboard and vanished from radar about 2 miles over the lake. Why remains unclear.

Searchers had found no sign of any debris or the people aboard the plane as of Friday morning, the agency said. Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, New York, also said no emergency beacon had been detected.

Weather prevented a boat search overnight, but a U.S. Coast guard helicopter and a Canadian air crew in a plane were being used. A ship also was headed from Detroit to help with the search.

The waters in the search area are about 50 feet deep, the Coast Guard said.

The plane was headed to Ohio State University Airport north-west of downtown Columbus. Cox said the plane is kept at a hangar at the airfield, but the six people aboard the aircraft aren't affiliated with OSU. Their names weren't released, pending notification of their families.

Petty Officer Joel Altman, a public affairs officer in Cleveland with the Ninth Coast Guard District, said he couldn't immediately confirm whether the passengers were related or provide the ages of the children.

CLEVELAND: U.S. Coast Guard crews searched Lake Erie on Friday for a plane that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from a small Cleveland airport along the shore. The Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport late Thursday night with three children and three adults aboard and vanished from radar about 2 miles over the lake. Why remains unclear. Searchers had found no sign of any debris or the people aboard the plane as of Friday morning, the agency said. Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, New York, also said no emergency beacon had been detected. Weather prevented a boat search overnight, but a U.S. Coast guard helicopter and a Canadian air crew in a plane were being used. A ship also was headed from Detroit to help with the search. The waters in the search area are about 50 feet deep, the Coast Guard said. The plane was headed to Ohio State University Airport north-west of downtown Columbus. Cox said the plane is kept at a hangar at the airfield, but the six people aboard the aircraft aren't affiliated with OSU. Their names weren't released, pending notification of their families. Petty Officer Joel Altman, a public affairs officer in Cleveland with the Ninth Coast Guard District, said he couldn't immediately confirm whether the passengers were related or provide the ages of the children.
By AFP

LONDON: The Pakistani man wrongly arrested for the Berlin truck attack on Friday said he had told German police he could not even drive and was now afraid for the safety of his family back home.

Naveed Baloch, an asylum seeker from the troubled province of Balochistan, told the Guardian newspaper he had just left a friend's house and was crossing a street when he saw a police car approaching fast and picked up his pace.

He said he was arrested and taken to a police station, where he was undressed and photographed.

"When I resisted, they started slapping me," the 24-year-old, who has been living in a secret location provided by police since his release because he says he is afraid for his life, told the British daily.

Baloch, who sought refuge in Germany as a member of a secular separatist movement in Balochistan, said he struggled to communicate because no translator could be found who could speak his native Balochi.

"I calmly told them I cannot drive at all. Neither can I even start a vehicle," he said.

Baloch was arrested on December 19 in the hours after the attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin in which 12 people were killed.

Police released Baloch 24 hours later, after failing to find evidence of his involvement.

They instead identified rejected Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri as the prime suspect.

Amri was shot dead by Italian police on December 23 after fleeing a manhunt in Germany.

Baloch, a shepherd by profession, said members of his family in the village of Mand in Balochistan in southwest Pakistan had received threatening phone calls following his arrest.

"Now they all know I fled to Germany, fearful of my life, and that I am claiming asylum here. It leaves my family very vulnerable and there's nothing I can do to protect them," he told the Guardian.

Baloch said he left Pakistan around a year ago, arriving in Germany via Iran, Turkey and Greece, because of death threats he had received for his activism for the Baloch National Movement.

"Most of the people I worked with have been arrested and killed. I knew it was a matter of time before they came for me. That's the reason I came to Germany," he said.

Mineral-rich Balochistan province has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency and sectarian killings.

LONDON: The Pakistani man wrongly arrested for the Berlin truck attack on Friday said he had told German police he could not even drive and was now afraid for the safety of his family back home. Naveed Baloch, an asylum seeker from the troubled province of Balochistan, told the Guardian newspaper he had just left a friend's house and was crossing a street when he saw a police car approaching fast and picked up his pace. He said he was arrested and taken to a police station, where he was undressed and photographed. "When I resisted, they started slapping me," the 24-year-old, who has been living in a secret location provided by police since his release because he says he is afraid for his life, told the British daily. Baloch, who sought refuge in Germany as a member of a secular separatist movement in Balochistan, said he struggled to communicate because no translator could be found who could speak his native Balochi. "I calmly told them I cannot drive at all. Neither can I even start a vehicle," he said. Baloch was arrested on December 19 in the hours after the attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin in which 12 people were killed. Police released Baloch 24 hours later, after failing to find evidence of his involvement. They instead identified rejected Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri as the prime suspect. Amri was shot dead by Italian police on December 23 after fleeing a manhunt in Germany. Baloch, a shepherd by profession, said members of his family in the village of Mand in Balochistan in southwest Pakistan had received threatening phone calls following his arrest. "Now they all know I fled to Germany, fearful of my life, and that I am claiming asylum here. It leaves my family very vulnerable and there's nothing I can do to protect them," he told the Guardian. Baloch said he left Pakistan around a year ago, arriving in Germany via Iran, Turkey and Greece, because of death threats he had received for his activism for the Baloch National Movement. "Most of the people I worked with have been arrested and killed. I knew it was a matter of time before they came for me. That's the reason I came to Germany," he said. Mineral-rich Balochistan province has been plagued for decades by a separatist insurgency and sectarian killings.
By Associated Press

BANIE: The bells of a brown stone church rang across a Polish village as hundreds of mourners gathered Friday to bid farewell to a truck driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack.

Lukasz Urban, 37, has been described as the first victim of the attack on Dec. 19 that killed a total of 12 people. He was waiting to deliver a shipment of steel in Berlin when his truck was hijacked by the Tunisian perpetrator of the attack. He was shot and his body was found in the cab of the truck.

Polish President Andrzej Duda joined Urban's family, friends and neighbours, gathering with them in the village church in Banie, near the border with Germany.

A day earlier, the president's spokesman said that Duda would attend the funeral to express his "huge respect for Lukasz Urban, who in the eyes of many Poles is definitely a hero, a courageous person."

Several other Polish political officials and a representative of the German Embassy in Poland were also there.

A letter from Prime Minister Beata Szydlo was read out in which she described her "great pain and sadness" and expressed her sympathy to Urban's family.

"Poles have fallen victim to terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic fundamentalists but the tragedy that happened in Berlin is unique when it comes to the ruthlessness and cruelty of the perpetrator," Szydlo said.

A bishop, Henryk Wejman, described Urban as a man who was open to others and conscientious in his work.

"His willingness to work and serve others awakened the trust of other people and openness to others," Wejman said in his homily.

As the Mass was winding down the president bowed his head before Urban's white coffin before approaching Urban's wife and teenage son, whispering to them, shaking their hands and kissing the wife's hand.

The coffin was then carried out of the church and placed in a hearse, which drove slowly through the village to a cemetery for burial, mourners walking with it.

Before and after the burial, a group of truck drivers honked the horns of their trucks to honour Urban.

BANIE: The bells of a brown stone church rang across a Polish village as hundreds of mourners gathered Friday to bid farewell to a truck driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack. Lukasz Urban, 37, has been described as the first victim of the attack on Dec. 19 that killed a total of 12 people. He was waiting to deliver a shipment of steel in Berlin when his truck was hijacked by the Tunisian perpetrator of the attack. He was shot and his body was found in the cab of the truck. Polish President Andrzej Duda joined Urban's family, friends and neighbours, gathering with them in the village church in Banie, near the border with Germany. A day earlier, the president's spokesman said that Duda would attend the funeral to express his "huge respect for Lukasz Urban, who in the eyes of many Poles is definitely a hero, a courageous person." Several other Polish political officials and a representative of the German Embassy in Poland were also there. A letter from Prime Minister Beata Szydlo was read out in which she described her "great pain and sadness" and expressed her sympathy to Urban's family. "Poles have fallen victim to terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic fundamentalists but the tragedy that happened in Berlin is unique when it comes to the ruthlessness and cruelty of the perpetrator," Szydlo said. A bishop, Henryk Wejman, described Urban as a man who was open to others and conscientious in his work. "His willingness to work and serve others awakened the trust of other people and openness to others," Wejman said in his homily. As the Mass was winding down the president bowed his head before Urban's white coffin before approaching Urban's wife and teenage son, whispering to them, shaking their hands and kissing the wife's hand. The coffin was then carried out of the church and placed in a hearse, which drove slowly through the village to a cemetery for burial, mourners walking with it. Before and after the burial, a group of truck drivers honked the horns of their trucks to honour Urban.
By Associated Press

BEIRUT: A nationwide Syrian cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey that went into effect at midnight held Friday despite minor violations, marking a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has disregarded high-level peace initiatives for over five years.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes early Friday between troops and rebels in the central province of Hama and near the capital, Damascus. It said that later in the day a man was killed by sniper fire in eastern suburbs of Damascus, becoming the first fatality since the truce went into effect. The group also reported an aerial attack on the rebel-held Barada Valley near Damascus.

The Syrian army denied reports it was bombarding the Barada Valley region saying opposition claims aim to show that the army is not abiding by the truce.

Opposition activist Mazen al-Shami, who is based in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said minor clashes nearby left one rebel wounded. Activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, in the southern Daraa province, said government forces had opened fire on rebel-held areas.

Several past attempts at halting the fighting have failed. As with previous agreements, the current cease-fire excludes both the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front, which fights alongside other rebel factions, and the Islamic State group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran. Moscow and Tehran provide crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.

If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country's mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Putin said in announcing the agreement. He described it, however, as "quite fragile" and requiring "special attention and patience."

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the cease-fire a "major achievement" in a tweet Friday. "Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he added.

Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one denied signing it.

At U.N. headquarters in New York, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin circulated a draft resolution that would endorse the cease-fire agreement and said he hoped for a vote Saturday morning. But several council members said they needed time to study the agreement and the resolution so it wasn't clear when a vote would take place.

U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien urged the Syrian government in an interview with The Associated Press to give the green light for the United Nations to deliver aid to thousands in need in the war-ravaged country and ensure aid workers' safety.

He called the cessation of hostilities "extremely welcome" and said "incessant and relentless contacts are going on" with the government, but so far there has been no positive response.

Jan Egeland, Special Advisor to the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, told AP the U.N. especially wants to get aid to the 15 besieged areas where some 700,000 people live, but it needs security guarantees from all sides "and we're not given them."

"The reports I have from the field is that there is a decrease, a marked decrease in fighting, in bombing, in violence, compared to yesterday. But certainly there's been a number of violations," he said.

"January needs to be really different," Egeland stressed. "If not  there will be starvation, there will be untold, unnecessary deaths."

The truce came on the heels of a Russian-Turkish agreement earlier this month to evacuate the last rebels from eastern Aleppo after they were confined to a tiny enclave by a government offensive. The retaking of all of Aleppo marked Assad's greatest victory since the start of the 2011 uprising against his family's four-decade rule.

"The defeat of the terrorists in Aleppo is an important step toward ending the war," Assad said in an interview with TG5, an Italian TV station, adding that the capture of the city does not mean that the war has ended because "terrorists" are still in Syria.

The United States was left out of both agreements, reflecting the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington after the failure of previous diplomatic efforts on Syria.

Assad told TG5 "we are more optimistic, with caution," about the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested greater cooperation with Russia against extremist groups.

"We can say part of the optimism could be related to better relation between the United States and Russia," Assad said, speaking in English.

"Mr. Trump, during his campaign - (said) that his priority is fighting terrorism, and we believe that this is the beginning of the solution, if he can implement what he announced," Assad said in the interview, which was apparently filmed before the cease-fire was announced.

Asked about the possibility of the United States' participation in the peace process in Kazakhstan, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the process would "be open to everyone."

"I hope that this cease-fire holds and turns into a lasting peace so that the deaths of more innocent people, of civilians and children is halted and 2017 brings calm," Yildirim said.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency meanwhile quoted the military as saying Russia carried out three airstrikes against Islamic State targets near the northern town of al-Bab, where Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces have been battling the extremist group. The strikes indicated that Russia and Turkey may work together to combat IS once the fighting elsewhere in Syria has been halted.

Turkish Foreign Mevlut Cavusoglu Minister said the U.S.-led coalition forces resumed aerial operations around al-Bab on Thursday, after Turkey complained that it was not getting support from its allies in its fight against IS there.

The Turkish military statement quoted by Anadolu did not say when the Russian air strikes took place, but said they killed 12 IS militants.

Separately, 26 IS militants, including some senior commanders, were killed in Turkish airstrikes on al-Bab and the Daglabash region, and some 17 IS targets were destroyed, Anadolu reported. It said a Turkish soldier was kill in a IS attack on troops south of the al-Azrak area.

It said among those killed was an IS commander known as Abu Hussein al-Tunsi.

Turkey sent troops and tanks into northern Syria in August to help opposition forces clear a border area of IS militants and curb the advances of U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, who are also battling the extremist group.

BEIRUT: A nationwide Syrian cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey that went into effect at midnight held Friday despite minor violations, marking a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has disregarded high-level peace initiatives for over five years. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes early Friday between troops and rebels in the central province of Hama and near the capital, Damascus. It said that later in the day a man was killed by sniper fire in eastern suburbs of Damascus, becoming the first fatality since the truce went into effect. The group also reported an aerial attack on the rebel-held Barada Valley near Damascus. The Syrian army denied reports it was bombarding the Barada Valley region saying opposition claims aim to show that the army is not abiding by the truce. Opposition activist Mazen al-Shami, who is based in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said minor clashes nearby left one rebel wounded. Activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, in the southern Daraa province, said government forces had opened fire on rebel-held areas. Several past attempts at halting the fighting have failed. As with previous agreements, the current cease-fire excludes both the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front, which fights alongside other rebel factions, and the Islamic State group. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran. Moscow and Tehran provide crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels. If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country's mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Putin said in announcing the agreement. He described it, however, as "quite fragile" and requiring "special attention and patience." Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the cease-fire a "major achievement" in a tweet Friday. "Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he added. Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one denied signing it. At U.N. headquarters in New York, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin circulated a draft resolution that would endorse the cease-fire agreement and said he hoped for a vote Saturday morning. But several council members said they needed time to study the agreement and the resolution so it wasn't clear when a vote would take place. U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien urged the Syrian government in an interview with The Associated Press to give the green light for the United Nations to deliver aid to thousands in need in the war-ravaged country and ensure aid workers' safety. He called the cessation of hostilities "extremely welcome" and said "incessant and relentless contacts are going on" with the government, but so far there has been no positive response. Jan Egeland, Special Advisor to the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, told AP the U.N. especially wants to get aid to the 15 besieged areas where some 700,000 people live, but it needs security guarantees from all sides "and we're not given them." "The reports I have from the field is that there is a decrease, a marked decrease in fighting, in bombing, in violence, compared to yesterday. But certainly there's been a number of violations," he said. "January needs to be really different," Egeland stressed. "If not  there will be starvation, there will be untold, unnecessary deaths." The truce came on the heels of a Russian-Turkish agreement earlier this month to evacuate the last rebels from eastern Aleppo after they were confined to a tiny enclave by a government offensive. The retaking of all of Aleppo marked Assad's greatest victory since the start of the 2011 uprising against his family's four-decade rule. "The defeat of the terrorists in Aleppo is an important step toward ending the war," Assad said in an interview with TG5, an Italian TV station, adding that the capture of the city does not mean that the war has ended because "terrorists" are still in Syria. The United States was left out of both agreements, reflecting the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington after the failure of previous diplomatic efforts on Syria. Assad told TG5 "we are more optimistic, with caution," about the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested greater cooperation with Russia against extremist groups. "We can say part of the optimism could be related to better relation between the United States and Russia," Assad said, speaking in English. "Mr. Trump, during his campaign - (said) that his priority is fighting terrorism, and we believe that this is the beginning of the solution, if he can implement what he announced," Assad said in the interview, which was apparently filmed before the cease-fire was announced. Asked about the possibility of the United States' participation in the peace process in Kazakhstan, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the process would "be open to everyone." "I hope that this cease-fire holds and turns into a lasting peace so that the deaths of more innocent people, of civilians and children is halted and 2017 brings calm," Yildirim said. Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency meanwhile quoted the military as saying Russia carried out three airstrikes against Islamic State targets near the northern town of al-Bab, where Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces have been battling the extremist group. The strikes indicated that Russia and Turkey may work together to combat IS once the fighting elsewhere in Syria has been halted. Turkish Foreign Mevlut Cavusoglu Minister said the U.S.-led coalition forces resumed aerial operations around al-Bab on Thursday, after Turkey complained that it was not getting support from its allies in its fight against IS there. The Turkish military statement quoted by Anadolu did not say when the Russian air strikes took place, but said they killed 12 IS militants. Separately, 26 IS militants, including some senior commanders, were killed in Turkish airstrikes on al-Bab and the Daglabash region, and some 17 IS targets were destroyed, Anadolu reported. It said a Turkish soldier was kill in a IS attack on troops south of the al-Azrak area. It said among those killed was an IS commander known as Abu Hussein al-Tunsi. Turkey sent troops and tanks into northern Syria in August to help opposition forces clear a border area of IS militants and curb the advances of U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, who are also battling the extremist group.
Police confirmed that Santhosh (39) had broken into a house in the city and attempted to sexually assault a female student at knifepoint last December.
Spare Change: Finally! Election TV ads soon will be done

Truth is, I suspect these spots are effective. For instance, Allan Fung is portrayed as a regular Joe from Cranston.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 57F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 57F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
At 7 months old, Donovan Daniels of Westminster may not understand for some time just how serious his medical condition, biliary atresia, really is. It may be years before he knows he was the 300th pediatric liver transplant ever performed by doctors at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Keck Medicine of University of Southern California. But one day he'll know his father Dejon Daniels went under the knife so that a portion of dad's liver could help him live a longer, healthier life.

In the meantime, Dejon and Donovan's mother Jessica Valdepena got a glimpse of what that life might look like, thanks to a meeting with a young woman named Lydia Hand.

Lydia, now 18, was CHLA's first living donor liver transplant patient. As an infant, she also was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare life-threatening disease where bile ducts cannot expel bile from the liver. In 1998, Lydia received a liver from her grandmother. Today, the Lancaster resident is a college freshman majoring in music, and says her donated liver is still going strong.

"It's pretty amazing how far she has come," says Jessica. "I want Donovan to grow up and have a bright future just like Lydia is having."

CHLA's Liver and Intestinal Transplant Program has since grown to become one of the largest programs in the country - the hospital is now a consistent leader in the volume of living donor liver transplants performed nationwide among pediatric centers, with success rates well above national averages.

"But statistics are not the real story," says Daniel Thomas, MD, medical director of the Liver and Intestinal Transplant Program at CHLA. "It is seeing patients like Lydia Hand grow, accomplish, and live to be a happy young woman with a life full of dreams and hopes."

Coincidentally, the same team that worked on liver patient No. 1 also treated patient No. 300. Dr. Thomas, a Glendale resident, is both Lydia's and Donovan's hepatologist while Yuri Genyk, MD, of La Canada, was their transplant surgeon.

"Donovan's success is truly the culmination of the knowledge and skills from the 299 liver transplants that preceded him, including Lydia's," says Dr. Genyk, surgical director of the Pediatric Liver Transplant Program at CHLA and associate professor of clinical surgery in the Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Abdominal Organ Transplantation at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. "It speaks to the expertise and dedication of the entire liver transplant team, as well as the collective support we receive from all the services CHLA provides."

When Donovan's parents brought him to Children's Hospital Los Angeles in October, doctors told them Donovan urgently needed a new liver. Dejon volunteered and was found to be a match. The transplant took place Nov. 18, with Dr. Genyk performing both parts - Dejon's surgery at USC in the morning and Donovan's transplant at CHLA several hours later. Dejon was released and finally was able to visit Donovan just in time for Thanksgiving.

Lydia and Donovan's family met in Donovan's hospital room on Dec. 1, the day he was discharged.

"I've heard all the stories about my transplant from my family, but to actually see and hear what their family is going through is a special experience," says Lydia. "Donovan is me, I was once him, and it's incredible to know that hundreds of other kids have received this life-saving procedure at CHLA in the years between us," Lydia said.

By the day Donovan left the hospital, CHLA doctors had already performed three more pediatric liver transplants.
A new active pharmaceutical ingredient may help against severe forms of testicular cancer, which only respond inadequately to other therapies. In mice, the substance kills degenerated cells and allows testicular tumors to shrink. Researchers at the University of Bonn were able to demonstrate this in a recent study. However, first clinical trials are still pending. The work has now been published in the "Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine".

Testicular cancer is the most common malignant tumor disease in men between 20 and 40 years of age. It can usually be treated well. In some cases, however, the cancer hardly responds or does not respond at all to treatment. A substance that was originally destined to be an innovative contraceptive is offering new hope in these cases. An experimental drug with the cryptic name JQ1 blocks sperm maturation and was discussed to be a male contraceptive. Instead, it may be suitable for cancer therapy.

JQ1 belongs to a new class of drugs with far-reaching abilities: its members fundamentally influence which genes in the cell are active and which are not. The hereditary material DNA is similar to an extremely long strip of Morse code, on which the assembly instructions for the cellular molecules are found. To fit into the cell nuclei, this strip of Morse code is wrapped around small protein balls at regular intervals - the histones. Histones and DNA together resemble a string of pearls.

However, the histones do not only play a structural role. They also feature chemical tags - called methyl or acetyl groups. These tags signal to the synthesis machinery in the cell whether the strip of Morse code should be read at this point or not. "JQ1 inhibits those proteins that read these histone marks and thus changes the gene activity in the cell," explains Prof. Hubert Schorle from the Institute for Pathology at the University of Bonn.

The cancer cells react very sensitive to these changes: they activate a suicide program, called apoptosis. "In a testicular cancer mouse model, the tumors began to shrink after administering JQ1," explains the lead author of the study, Sina Jostes. "In contrast, healthy skin cells seem to tolerate JQ1 very well."

Especially effective in combination

Besides JQ1, other drugs that alter the marks of the histones are also known. One of these is romidepsin. The laboratory in Bonn was recently able to show that romidepsin is also very effective at fighting testicular cancer cells. Unlike JQ1, romidepsin is already approved for the treatment of patients with certain types of cancer.

"In our study, we treated mice with both JQ1 and romidepsin," explains Dr. Daniel Nettersheim, who helped in planning and performing the studies. "This way, we achieved a similar effect alike JQ1 or romidepsin treatment alone, but we could reduce the quantities of both substances. Such a combination therapy to treat testicular tumors may be much better tolerated. Chemotherapy-resistant patients could also benefit from this." However, clinical studies are now needed to move the treatment towards the clinics.
A new Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute series of reports explores the impact of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015, along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) 2016 proposal for its implementation, on radiologists. The work, conducted by a team of radiologists and health services researchers, is published online in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR).

Under MACRA, most radiologists will initially be paid through the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which applies positive or negative adjustments to fee-for-service payments. In April 2016, CMS published an initial proposed rule for MACRA, renaming it the Quality Payment Program (QPP) that will ultimately link a very large fraction of physicians' Medicare payments to the quality and value of care. Payment adjustments under MACRA will begin in 2019, although they will reflect performance during 2017.

The first part of the JACR series provides an overview of CMS' proposal for implementing MACRA legislation via the new QPP, paying specific attention to the implications and imperatives for radiologists under MIPS.

"Given that the initial MIPS performance period begins in 2017, radiologists must begin preparing for QPP and taking actions to ensure their future success under this new quality-based payment system," said Andrew Rosenkrantz, MD, MPA, the lead study author and a Neiman Institute affiliate research fellow.

In the second part of the series, the researchers found that CMS' proposed criteria for special considerations in new payment models would result in many radiologists being evaluated using measures not reflective of their practice.

"MIPS will provide special considerations for physicians with a limited degree of face-to-face patient interaction," said Bibb Allen Jr., MD, FACR, chair of the Neiman Institute advisory board and past chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors. "However, using CMS's proposed criteria for which physicians will receive special considerations, many radiologists will be deemed ineligible for these special considerations and thus be evaluated based on performance categories beyond their control."

"Alternative criteria could help ensure that radiologists are provided a fair opportunity for success in performance review under MIPS," added Rosenkrantz.

The ACR applied concepts developed in these articles to inform CMS that determination of special considerations based on face-to-face patient interaction for payment policy purposes may best be defined in terms of the number of Evaluation & Management services performed, while the number of minor procedures performed is not as useful in that determination. On Oct. 14, 2016, CMS released its final rule for MACRA implementation. This final rule modified the criteria for special considerations under MIPS, consistent with earlier ACR feedback. As now defined, at minimum, nearly 90 percent of diagnostic radiologists and 40 percent of interventional radiologists will be eligible for the special considerations and these numbers could increase to 99 percent and 87 percent if CMS determines that procedural services will not be included in its determination of patient facing status. The protections provided to radiologists by the latest modifications from CMS are supported by the data demonstrated in the second part of the series.

Rosenkrantz, Allen and their colleagues noted that continued investigation is warranted to optimally determine the extent of radiologists' face-to-face patient interactions.

Source: Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute
It's an exciting time to be an elderly mouse. Researchers believe that by removing senescent cells (cells with a persistent damage response), which naturally accumulate with age, senior rodents can regrow hair, run faster, and improve organ function. This strategy may bring us one step closer to the "fountain of youth," but it's important to be cautious and not hype, says researcher of aging Peter de Keizer of the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands. In an Opinion published December 29 in Trends in Molecule Medicine, he discusses the milestones the field still needs to hit before translation in humans is ready for discussion.

The removal of senescent cells, first discovered in the 1960s, received renewed interest in the 2010s as a therapeutic option to combat some aspects of aging. Researchers noticed that these permanently arrested cells accumulate in mature tissue and that some of them secrete factors that are harmful to tissue function and impair their neighboring cells. To explain what causes this noise in the system, de Keizer proposes a "senescence-stem lock model" in which the chronic secretion of pro-inflammatory factors by these senescent cells keeps neighboring cells in a permanent stem-like state and thereby prevents proper tissue renewal.

"When bringing in a defective car for repairs it is insufficient to remove the rust and broken parts; you also want to replace these," says de Keizer "A perfect anti-senescence therapy would not only clear senescent cells, but also kick-start tissue rejuvenation by stimulating differentiation of nearby stem cells. This may be complementary with, for instance, the exciting approaches recently made in the field of transient expression of stem cell factors (Cell, 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.052)."

There's still much basic research to be done before humans visit their local rejuvenation clinic for their annual shot of anti-aging serum. Identifying potential safety issues or off-target effects, which is currently understudied in rodents, is a major part of the process. (Senescent cells do have a temporary role in wound healing, so you don't want to eliminate them when you are injured or at the wrong point in time)

De Keizer sees three milestones for realistic translation of an anti-senescence approach:

Milestone #1: Proof of Concept

Several studies have already addressed whether senescence is a cause of aging and whether its elimination stalls this process. By taking out senescent cells, naturally aging mice lived 25% longer, which is evidence that it could be possible.

Several studies have already addressed whether senescence is a cause of aging and whether its elimination stalls this process. By taking out senescent cells, naturally aging mice lived 25% longer, which is evidence that it could be possible. Milestone #2: Safe Therapeutics

Anti-senescent drugs are already being tested, but none of them have yet to be deemed safe because they also target pathways expressed by non-senescent cells. It is likely that this marker will be passed in the near future.

Anti-senescent drugs are already being tested, but none of them have yet to be deemed safe because they also target pathways expressed by non-senescent cells. It is likely that this marker will be passed in the near future. Milestone #3: Reversal of Aging

Finally, researchers will need to identify whether clearance of senescence can also be applied retrospectively to counteract features of natural aging that have already manifested. Although aging does seem like it can be stalled through therapeutic compounds, it remains unclear whether age-related diseases can be completely deterred.

"What if we have a brilliant anti- senescence treatment, then what?" says de Keizer. "How can we hit two birds with one stone--anti-senescence and tissue rejuvenation? I would also advise caution for claiming too much, too soon about the benefits of the fast-growing list of therapeutic compounds that are being discovered. That being said, these are clearly very exciting times, and I am confident we will find applicable anti-senescence treatments that can counteract age-related pathologies."

Researchers will also need to think about when such treatments should be administered (such as before or after the onset of certain conditions) and who would benefit the most. The potentially high cost of an anti-aging therapy, as well as off-target toxicity, could also be limiting factors for widespread market use as it is translated.

De Keizer, who plans to co-found a start-up based on the discovery of anti-senescence compounds from his lab, is hopeful that cell-penetrating peptides that can block specific activities of these retired cells could be the path forward over broad-range inhibitors.

Source: Cell Press
Patient satisfaction has become an important quality measure in the US healthcare system. But some plastic surgeons question the value of subjective patient satisfaction ratings--suggesting that they might even lead to lower-quality care in some situations, according to a special topic article in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

"Increasingly used as a measure of physician performance, patient satisfaction data can be flawed and not broadly applicable," comments ASPS Member Surgeon Terence Myckatyn, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. "While patient satisfaction is important, we think that better rating tools are needed to measure it." Dr. Myckatyn's coauthors were Justin Brent Cohen, MD, and Keith Brandt, MD.

Plastic Surgeons Question Value of Subjective Patient Satisfaction Ratings

Dr. Myckatyn and colleagues share some concerns about the trend toward using patient satisfaction ratings as a measure of physician performance. The focus on patient satisfaction is driven by the fact that the United States spends more than any other nation on healthcare, but lags behind in outcomes. Patient satisfaction is now among the quality of care indicators used in "pay for performance" programs tying financial reimbursement under Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.

But using patient satisfaction ratings in this way is having some unintended consequences, the authors believe. For example, some hospitals are upgrading their physical facilities and adding luxury amenities, in an attempt to improve patient satisfaction scores. "One could argue that these costly expenses have more to do with the perception of healthcare quality rather than actual outcomes," Dr. Myckatyn and colleagues write.

There are even anecdotal reports of doctors altering their medical judgment to improve patient satisfaction and minimize negative reviews--for example, prescribing antibiotics or strong pain medications to keep patients happy and move them quickly through the system. "Behavior motivated by patient satisfaction becomes especially dangerous when ratings are directly tied to compensation," according to the authors.

Meanwhile, it's unclear whether satisfaction and other measures of patient experience are correlated with traditional measures of health care safety and quality. Dr. Myckatyn and coauthors write: "The truth is that there is little high-level evidence to support that patient satisfaction surveys will provide Americans with improved medical outcomes, but there are plenty of contradictory data."

Some studies even suggest that higher-intensity healthcare is associated with increased patient satisfaction but also with increased mortality, with no impact on objective quality measures. While other studies have linked higher satisfaction to better outcomes, interpretation of these studies is limited by the fact that patient satisfaction is "inherently subjective and labile."

As a specialty, plastic surgery doesn't have a strong body of research on patient satisfaction and its relationship to outcomes. Yet especially for aesthetic surgery, plastic surgeons have always been attuned to the importance of patient feedback.

While they don't discard the notion of assessing patient satisfaction, Dr. Myckatyn and colleagues make the point that the rubrics currently used to rate patient satisfaction "do not consistently predict improved outcomes and satisfaction." They conclude: "What is needed are reliable tools that will take into account what constitutes superior quality in a more systematic, meaningful, and validated way."
In a study published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Kathleen M. Schieffer, B.S., of the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pa., and colleagues examined the association between sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss and iron deficiency anemia in adults ages 21 to 90 years in the United States.

In 2014, approximately 15 percent of adults reported difficulty with hearing. Because iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common and easily correctable condition, further understanding of the association between IDA and all types of hearing loss may help to open new possibilities for early identification and appropriate treatment. For this study, using data obtained from deidentified electronic medical records from the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa., iron deficiency anemia was determined by low hemoglobin and ferritin levels for age and sex in 305,339 adults ages 21 to 90 years; associations between hearing loss and IDA were evaluated.

Of the patients in the study population, 43 percent were men; average age was 50 years. There was a 1.6 percent prevalence of combined hearing loss (defined as any combination of conductive hearing loss [hearing loss due to problems with the bones of the middle ear], sensorineural hearing loss, deafness, and unspecified hearing loss) and 0.7 percent prevalence of IDA. Both sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL; when there is damage to the cochlea or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain) (present in 1.1 percent of individuals with IDA) and combined hearing loss (present in 3.4 percent) were significantly associated with IDA. Analysis confirmed increased odds of SNHL and combined hearing loss among adults with IDA.

"An association exists between IDA in adults and hearing loss. The next steps are to better understand this correlation and whether promptly diagnosing and treating IDA may positively affect the overall health status of adults with hearing loss," the authors write.
Looking at before-and-after photos, plastic surgeons and nurses can't tell whether breast augmentation surgery was done using conventional round implants or newer anatomically shaped implants, reports a study in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

At least in the specific group of patients studied, the results of breast augmentation using round versus shaped implants are indistinguishable, according to the new research, led by Dr. Carlos Rubi of The IMED Hospital Department of Plastic Surgery, Valencia, Spain. The results suggest that routine use of increasingly popular "teardrop-shaped" implants is not justified.

No Visible Difference in Results between Implant Types in Before-and-After Photos

In the study, 30 plastic surgeons and plastic surgery nurses reviewed preoperative and postoperative photos of 30 women who had undergone breast augmentation with round or anatomically shaped implants15 patients in each group. The two groups were otherwise similar: all procedures were done using silicone implants, placed under the muscle (subpectoral), with an average implant size of about 300 cc.

For each set of photos, the surgeons and nurses judged whether the procedure was done using round or shaped implants. The goal was to determine if the aesthetic results of round versus shaped implants could be differentiated from each other.

For all observations, there was about a 50-50 chance that the surgeons and nurses could correctly identify the type of implant used. There was a lack of agreement not only between different raters, but also for individual raters comparing the same images several weeks later.

Plastic surgeons performed slightly better than nurses in identifying the type of implantpossibly because they could deduce which type would likely be recommended, based on the "before" photos.

Introduced recently, teardrop-shaped implants have become increasingly popular for breast augmentation surgery. "A widespread idea is that the anatomically shaped implants give more natural results than the round implants," Dr. Rubi and coauthors write.

But the new study shows that even plastic surgeons and plastic surgery nurses cannot tell the difference between the final outcomes of breast augmentation with round versus shaped implants, in a group of patients with otherwise similar characteristics. The results add to a previous study that showed similar outcomes with the two implant types used for breast reconstruction.

The inability to tell the difference between implant types for breast augmentation questions the preference for shaped implantsespecially since they cost more and carry a risk of complications related to implant rotation, compared to round implants. "The systematic use of anatomically shaped implants is not justified," Dr. Rubi comments. "Natural results are achieved with both types of implants."
A new study indicates that many women with advanced kidney disease are not receiving recommended breast or cervical cancer screening, even though they face a higher risk of developing cancer than women in the general population. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

Cancer is a significant cause of illness and death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with an approximately twofold higher prevalence than the general population. The increased risk appears to be specific for urinary tract, viral-related, digestive, and breast

cancers. Therefore, breast and cervical cancer screening is especially important in women with CKD.

A team led by Germaine Wong, PhD, (The University of Sydney, in Australia), Jade Hayward, and Danielle Nash, PhD (Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, ICES Western facility, in Ontario, Canada) examined patterns of breast and cervical cancer screening in women based on CKD stage and age. The retrospective study included information from 2002 to 2013 from the Ontario, Canada administrative healthcare databases. For their analyses on breast cancer screening and cervical cancer screening, the investigators included 141,326 and 324,548 women, respectively.

Older women with co-morbidities and with advanced stage kidney disease requiring dialysis were less likely to undergo routine breast and cervical cancer screening compared with younger women with early stage CKD. The two-year cumulative incidences of breast cancer screening were 61% among women without CKD, 54% for those with CKD stage 3, 37% for CKD stages 4 and 5, and 26% for women with kidney failure who were on dialysis. Similar patterns were observed for the three-year cumulative incidences of cervical cancer screening. Older age, greater comorbidities, and lower income were associated with a lower rate of screening.

"These results reflect the inherent healthcare priorities of dialysis patients: older women on dialysis may not have the capacity to deal with the complexity of dialysis management and may have potentially neglected less imminent issues such as preventive healthcare and early cancer detection," said Dr. Wong. "Given that cancer screening has the potential to improve cancer outcomes, targeted strategies to inform shared decision making in screening is critical."

In an accompanying editorial, Deidra Crews, MD, ScM and Waseem Khaliq, MBBS, MPH, (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) noted that "enhanced coordination of care between nephrologists, general practitioners and women's health care providers may serve to promote cancer screening among women with CKD. Ultimately, however, nephrologists may forge long-term trusting relationships with kidney patients that will afford them the greatest opportunity to engage in shared-decision making together and select the cancer screening plan that is most appropriate for the patient's individual health status and personal priorities."
Mumbai: As feud at India's biggest conglomerate continues, Tata Group's interim chairman Ratan Tata on Friday said there has been a willful, well-orchestrated move to destroy his personal reputations through unsubstantiated allegations.



Without naming anyone, he said the ethics and values of the group have been "challenged by people who are known not to practice what they often preach".



Tata, 78, who came back from retirement to take over Tata Sons after his successor Cyrus P Mistry was unceremoniously ousted on October 24, asked employees to put the events behind and re-dedicate themselves to re-establishing the Tata Group's leadership.



"The past three months have been turbulent and wasteful. There has been a willful, well-orchestrated endeavour to destroy the personal reputations of individuals and the reputation of the Tata Group, through unsubstantiated allegations," he wrote to the Tata employees.



In a new year message to employees, he said there has been an "overwhealming groundswell of support" from employees.



"The ethics and values of the group and its leadership, which have been built over the last one and half centuries, have been challenged by people who are known not to practice what they often preach," he said.



A public battle for control of the salt-to-software group is being played with Tata and Mistry trading accusations over missteps.



"As we approach the new year, we must all resolve to put these events of the past few months behind us and re-dedicate ourselves to re-establish the Tata Group's leadership in the many areas in which we operate, as also demonstrating to the world around us that we indeed have protected the vision and values of our fonding fathers," he wrote.



Tata Group, he said, has not just been a business conglomerate but an institution built on sustaining livelihood in the communities it serves through the creation of wealth and its re-distribution to the nation's people through social awareness and philanthropy.



"As we enter our 150th year, we need to reaffirm our resolve to continue to build and progress the Tata Group to be a national institution of which we can all be proud," he said. "I am confident that with your support and dedication we can look forward to a better tomorrow.
@SushmaSwaraj , Mam, please requesting your help in this matter. https://t.co/A0bHhVLeO1  Rohan Shah (@rshahrohan) December 29, 2016

@rshahrohan @SushmaSwaraj On priority basis visa has been issued to Mr. Rohan and his two children.  India in Chicago (@IndiainChicago) December 29, 2016

@SushmaSwaraj @IndianEmbassyUS thanka for all the help at Indian consulate in chicago. Our visas were issued in 20 mins.  Rohan Shah (@rshahrohan) December 29, 2016

The Indian Consulate in Chicago on Thursday helped an Indian man obtain a visa following intervention by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.Swaraj directed the consulate to reach out to Rohan Shah after he sought help via Twitter, stating his father had expired and he was facing difficulty in acquiring a visa to return to India and attend his father's the last rites.Swaraj promptly sprang into action and directed the consulate in Chicago to issue Shah a visa. And following Swaraj's intervention in the matter, the Indian consulate in Chicago issued a visa to Shah in just 20 minutes.The minister, who is recuperating after undergoing a kidney transplant on December 10, is known for her prompt response to Indians who are in distress, many of whom approach her through Twitter for help.With inputs from PTI.
A FEW months ago, actor, activist and supermodel Milind Soman posted a photo on his Facebook page, holding a glass of water, imploring friends and family to join him on a campaign to save Cauvery.

The petition, titled "Stop the railway to Coorg, save River Cauvery & your drinking water", garnered a lot of response since. Soman opened the sluices for more celebrated faces to take up the cause of keeping the innocuous Coorg from a proposed railway connectivity.

The Cauvery in Coorg (Photo: Sundar Muthanna)

One of the smallest districts in India, Kodagu aka Coorg, is not rail-linked to the rest of the country. And the proposed railway track from Mysore is being touted as potentially imperilling. Local Kodavas or Coorgs opine that a rail track would damage the ecologically-sensitive area.

Kodagu/Coorg on the map of India (Image: Soumyadip Choudhury)

Geographically, Cauvery-the river that satiates the needs of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu-originates from Thalacauvery in Kodagu. It also irrigates millions of acres of agricultural land and generates electricity. For a railway track to be built, a considerable expanse of greenery will have to be wiped off.

Poomaale, a local newspaper, highlighting the issue

Kodavas fear this will gradually dry the river. They urgently demand for Bengaluru to oppose the proposed project in their own interest, considering the city-with its 10 million dwellers-receives 70 per cent of its drinking water from River Cauvery.

Certain elements are trying to mislead people Certain elements are trying to mislead people  Pratap Simha, Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha MP

The Coorg Wildlife Society, an environmental organisation that launched a high-decibel online petition, has received solidarity in almost 20,000 signatures. It has pushed the railway ministry to take cognizance of the matter.

"I really don't know why the government is spending Rs 1,800 crore for a railway track that has been found economically unviable. Earlier studies done by the railway department, of the economic feasibility of this route, have declared that this track is not financially viable. The population of Coorg and the potential traffic of customers do not call for a railway track," Colonel Muthanna of the Coorg Wildlife Society told News18.

Kodagu (Coorg) District

Location: 1156 to 1256 north; 7522 to 7611 east

Temperature: 26.6C (Max) 14.2C (Min)

Average Rainfall: 2,718 mm

Major river: Cauvery

Area: 4,102 sqkm

Headquarters: Madikeri

Population: 554,519 (2011 Census)

Population Density: 134/sqkm Kodagu (Coorg) DistrictLocation: 1156 to 1256 north; 7522 to 7611 eastTemperature: 26.6C (Max) 14.2C (Min)Average Rainfall: 2,718 mmMajor river: CauveryArea: 4,102 sqkmHeadquarters: MadikeriPopulation: 554,519 (2011 Census)Population Density: 134/sqkm

Despite the clamour, attempts have been made in the past to make Kodagu a part of India's railway network. CM Poonacha, a stalwart of Karnataka politics, who was the railway minister in the 1950s, was asked connect the pristine forests via rail. But, the project didn't gather his interest.

Cauvery originates from Thalacauvery in Kodagu (Image: Soumyadip Choudhury)

Erstwhile governments too, made sporadic proposals. But it has been the current government that has reiterated its steadfast desire to put Kodagu on the railway map of India.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a new mobile app BHIM to encourage e-transactions at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on Friday. The app is named after Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

PM Modi also felicitated the first set of 7,229 winners of Digi Dhan  Lucky Draw under which daily reward of Rs 1,000 will be given to 15,000 lucky consumers for a period of 100 days.

Only consumers using UPI, USSD, AEPS and RuPay cards were included in the draw.

Earlier in the day, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Friday raked up the attack on the Centre and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked five questions over demonetisation.

The 50-day deadline to deposit the old Rs 500/1,000 notes in banks comes to an end on Friday but those having these notes still have time to deposit it at RBI counters till March 31.

As it happened.

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
On the 50th day of demonetisation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said India had amended an agreement with Singapore to close a tax loophole that allowed black money to be taken out of India and brought back into the country via Singapore as legitimate money.The so-called Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Singapore has been amended to prevent investments from Singapore from dodging taxes in India.The Finance Minister said that the amendment will come into force from April 1, 2017.Jaitley said the agreement with Singapore was the third such agreement signed this year with countries to close avenues for black money to be spirited out of the country and brought back via international channels, a process that is called roundtripping. The other DTAAs amended this year were with Mauritius and Cyprus.This is how roundtripping works: undeclared money in India is spirited out through trade mis-invoicing or hawala channels into tax havens abroad. From here the money is routed through the international shadow banking system so that tax authorities in India cannot trace the money trail. The money finally makes its way back into India via Mauritius or Singapore, disguised as FDI (and hence legitimate money) and invested in financial markets in India.It is the last stage where the DTAA comes in handy. The tax treaty stipulates that investments emanating from these countries will only be taxed once, either in India or in the originating country, to avoid double taxation. This is the loophole that individuals and companies use to avoid paying tax in India.Since Singapore and Mauritius do not have capital gains tax, all a company has to do to avoid paying tax in India is to produce a certificate proving it is domiciled in either of these tax jurisdictions, thus automatically triggering the DTAA provision that stipulates that if you have paid your taxes there you dont need to pay in India. However, since those taxes are nil in the originating countries, in effect, the investments are tax free routes for converting black money into white.Critics of DTAA allege that what is being shown as legitimate investment is actually black money being roundtripped into India. Government figures suggest that the argument has merit. Statistics from the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion show that Mauritius and Singapore and the top two nations for inward bound FDI equity inflows into India. The two nations accounted for 50% of inflows between 2000 and 2016. Cyprus contributed another 3%.
Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: 40-50 workers feared trapped under the debris, rescue operations on. NDRF team from Patna on the way. pic.twitter.com/E0q9MLdDuR  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: 40-50 workers feared trapped under the debris, rescue operations on. NDRF team from Patna on the way. pic.twitter.com/fYyK0XAhmI  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside. Spoke to CM Raghubar Das on the situation.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 30, 2016

Jharkhand Government & Minister @PiyushGoyal are working to restore normalcy. @NDRFHQ has been engaged for rescue & relief operations.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 30, 2016

RAJMAHAL ACCIDENT : Doctors, Ambulance and all medical support deployed since last evening  Eastern Coalfields (@easterncoal) December 30, 2016

: At least 9 workers are confirmed dead and over 40 of them trapped along with some machineries belonging to a private coal mining company Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) after a heap of mud caved-in at the entry point of Latmatia mines in Godda district of Jharkhand, a CISF official said on Friday.According to initial reports, the on duty CISF sentry is safe but at the time of the cave-in at the Rajmahal Open Cast Mines of Paharia Bhorya site, more than 40 vehicles were inside.The locals said that there was crack in the heap of mud which collapsed and blocked the entry point of the mine.Mining operations were taking place about 200 feet beneath the ground.A separate team of NDRF personnels have been dispatched from Patna along with additional manpower comprising of one government official, 2 inspectors, 21 CISF from Eastern Coal Field Limited, Sheetalpur, news agency ANI said.The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has reached the spot, officials said."The exact number of people and vehicle trapped inside is not known," said Harilal Chauhan, Godda Superintendent of Police told IANS.On Thursday, 4 workers suffered injuries, two of them seriously, when the roof of a mine partially collapsed at Putki Balihari area in Dhanbad district.The mine falls under Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited.A senior district official said the four contractual workers were taking cable to a shaft of the hydro mines in lift when a part of the roof suddenly caved in trapping them.The four were rescued and taken to a hospital where the condition of two of them was stated to be serious, the official said.The two seriously injured were now under treatment at Central Hospital, Dhanbad while the other two were being treated at a local hospital in the neighbourhood of the mines and were out of danger, the official added.The cause of the collapse was being looked into, the official said.Earlier, rescue operation at Godda district could not start immediately due to the night fog, a police official said.Reacting to news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was saddened by the loss of lives and was in touch with the chief minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das regarding the situation.Earlier, Das said he was monitoring the situation closely and has asked concerned officials to intensify rescue operations.Taking stock of the situation, Union Power and coal minister Piyush Goyal said that rescue efforts underway and an enquiry has been initiated.However, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Chairman cum Managing Director of ECL & WCL told ANI that the rescue operations started on Thursday and is in full swing."The power cut was restored within 3 hours," Mishra added.Mishra also claimed that 3 excavators and 7 dumpers have been identified at the mining site where incident took place and 2 dumpers managed to flee the spot when the land subsided.(With inputs from IANS)
Maharashtra: Six die after fire broke out at a bakery shop in Pune early this morning  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Maharashtra: Six die after fire broke out at a bakery shop in Pune early this morning pic.twitter.com/cPwSzyj15s  ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Six workers were suffocated to death when a fire broke out in a bakery shop whose only exit was locked from outside in Kondhwa area here in the wee hours on Friday.The victims, all hailing from Uttar Pradesh, used to sleep on the loft inside the bakery shop, 'Bakes and Cakes', which is owned by three partners."We received a call at around 4.45 AM today and immediately fire tenders were rushed to the spot. As we reached the spot, we saw smoke emanating from the shutter of the shop, which was locked from the outside," a fire brigade official said.While efforts were on to break the shutter, the bakery shop owner came to the spot and opened it."As soon as the shutter was opened, we saw a huge fire inside and got information that there are bakery workers who were trapped at a loft inside the shop," the fire officer said.The fire brigade personnel wore breathing apparatus sets and climbed a staircase inside to reach the victims."There were six workers, who were found in an unconscious state. They were rushed to the Sassoon General hospital, where they were declared dead," said the officer.The deceased have been identified as - Ishad Ansari (26), Juned Ansari (25), Shanu Ansari (20), Zakir Ansari (24), Faeem Ansari (21) and Zishan Ansari (21)."Since the main shutter was locked from outside, all the six got trapped inside and died of suffocation," the fire official informed.Prima facie short-circuit is suspected to have caused the blaze."We have registered a case and investigation is on," an officer at Kondhwa police station said.


I can request Dr.Padma to examine your child. If a permissible medicine is not available here, we will arrange it from abroad. @Soodmonikam

 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 30, 2016



Pl see Dr.Padma at the given time. AIIMS is our prestigious institution. I am sure your daughter will be well soon. @Soodmonikam



 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 30, 2016





In which country is this medicine available ? https://t.co/vqpdwFeufp

 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 30, 2016

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday extended help to a woman in getting her daughter, suffering from 'absence seizures', examined by an AIIMS doctor.Swaraj's help to the woman, Monika Mittal Sood, came after she wrote to the Minister on twitter seeking assistance in getting some "critical medicines" for her child from abroad as they are not available in India.To this Swaraj said she has spoken to Dr Padma Srivastava at AIIMs and that a wide spectrum of medicines are available to treat her child."I have spoken to a reputed physician Dr Padma Srivastava of AIIMS. There is a wide spectrum of medicines available in India. I can request Dr Padma to examine your child. If a permissible medicine is not available in New Delhi, we will arrange it from abroad," Swaraj tweeted.She then asked Sood to send her contact details by direct message so that the arrangements could be made. The Minister, shortly thereafter, tweeted to the woman to "see Dr Padma at the given time"."AIIMS is our prestigious institution. I am sure your daughter will be well soon," Swaraj said. Happy over Swaraj's help, Sood thanked her.Earlier Sood had tweeted, "@SushmaSwaraj Mam not able to get a critical medicine in India (zarontin) for my daughter to cure her absence seizures. Can you pls help!" Absence seizures are seizures that generally last just a few seconds, and are characterised by a blank or absent stare.
Mumbai: Producer Guneet Monga is relieved that her latest project Haraamkhor has been cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) after it was denied a certificate by the censor board. Directed by Shlok Sharma, the film chronicles a relationship between a 14-year-old girl (Shweta Tripathi) and her tuition teacher, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, in a small town.



Earlier this year, the Examining Committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had declined to pass the film citing that its theme was "unacceptable." The Tribunal, however, has cleared the film which is now scheduled to release on January 13. Guneet says the panel at Tribunal was more forthcoming and understood the point Haraamkhor was trying to make. "It took us around six months for the whole case in tribunal. But the panel at tribunal saw the film and said it is actually educational, this should go to the larger audience. This is exactly what we were saying," Guneet told PTI.



"Tribunal was just outstandingly phenomenal. Everybody on the panel were great, there were women on the panel too. I am deeply grateful to them because this is a landmark judgement," she added.



Guneet, who has backed films like The Lunchbox, Peddlers and Monsoon Shootout, says the movie has now been given a U/A certificate with certain cuts which the makers agreed to.



"At the censor board, they outrightly denied to give a certificate. We went to the revising committee and they said cut few scenes and that is what we challenged. If we were to accept those cuts, we would get an A certificate. We challenged that at FCAT.



"There is a scene where he (Nawazuddin) is hitting the girl, and a few scenes, where they (tribunal) have said can you reduce them to a certain percentage. So we are ok in accepting that. We are open to work with reasonable conversation," she said. Guneet says the Tribunal was at least open to have a dialogue and even the makers were not "mindlessly" trying to put up a fight.



"They are not saying to cut the scenes in a flash, they are saying if you do these things we will give you a U/A. It opens up the avenue. I am very happy doing that. We are not trying to mindlessly fight something.



"One wants to have a conversation, but if you say 'this is just not possible' then what is the counter argument to that? In today's day and age, with Internet booming and cell phones, what is hidden from public?," she said.



Haraamkhor premiered at 15th annual New York Indian Film Festival, where Siddiqui received the Best Actor award for his performance. The film was also presented the Silver Gateway of India trophy at the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
Who made him (Akhilesh) the CM? I made him the CM. Has anyone before in history given away his power on a platter? But Akhilesh is not even consulting me, he is using the government machinery, Mulayam told media in Lucknow.

"How can he (Akhilesh) release the list when the party has declared its candidates? Both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal want to finish the party. I will not let it happen. I have built this party through hard work," Mulayam said.

Months after it celebrated its 25th anniversary, the Samajwadi Party seemed headed for a vertical split with supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling his son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party for six years.The SP chairman also expelled his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav for six years for vitiating the atmosphere in the party.I will go to any extent to save the party. We will decide who the CM will be. My priority is the party, Mulayam said, with his brother Shivpal Yadav sitting by his side.He explained that the decision was taken after Ram Gopal, in his capacity as general secretary, called an emergency meeting of the party on January 1 and Akhilesh "supported" it.Ram Gopal called the meeting after a showcause notice was issued to him and Akhilesh by Mulayam for releasing a list of candidates, parallel to the one issued officially by Mulayam.The party supremo said the new Chief Minister will be chosen by the Samajwadi Party.Akhilesh, who left the official address for his personal residence within hours of his expulsion, is scheduled to meet his loyalists at 9.30am on Saturday, a meeting which his rival and uncle Shivpal Yadav warned party leaders not to attend. Mulayam, too, has called for a meeting at 10:30am.A defiant Ram Gopal termed Mulayam's decision to expel him and Akhilesh as "unconstitutional" and insisted that he continues to be the general secretary of the party.He accused the party chief of indulging in "unconstitutional" activities and said the party meet called by him on January 1 will take place in any eventuality.At the January 1 meeting, camp Akhilesh may move a resolution to remove Shivpal as the state president of the Samajwadi Party. Sources say a resolution to appoint Akhilesh as the national president is likely to be adopted.The troubles in Samajwadi Party began a few months ago when Akhilesh sacked his principal secretary Deepak Singhal, a confidant of Shivpal.Ever since, despite rounds of suspensions and rapprochements, tension has been building up within the party between factions led by Shivpal and Akhilesh. Mulayam has been seen as siding with Shivpal.The tensions came to a head this week with Shivpal and Mulayam announcing a list of candidates for the UP polls leaving out many Akhilesh loyalists. A day later, Akhilesh came up with his own list that had many of the Shivpal loyalists missing.Akhilesh loyalist Gomti Yadav said the CM told him he would not resign and would stay on till his last day in power. He claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called up Akhilesh and offered support, saying you are like my brother.Mulayams surprise announcement in the evening triggered utter chaos in party ranks with several workers thronging Akhileshs official residence and shouting slogans against Shivpal. More than 100 party MLAs had reached Akhileshs house in a show of support. Effigies of Shivpal were burnt and self-immolation attempts were reported.The CM immediately instructed state DGP Javed Ahmed to beef up security outside Mulayam and Shivpals residences.Though no official communication was made to Raj Bhawan, Governor Ram Naik said he was keeping a close watch on the situation. "I am keeping a watch on the issue," he told PTI here. Asked if he viewed the developments as a crisis in the ruling party, Naik refused to comment saying "it is an intra-party issue".(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: The Congress on Friday expressed concern over growing political instability in Uttar Pradesh in wake of the dramatic developments in ruling Samajwadi Party and claimed the BJP is dreaming of "assuming power in the state through the backdoor" by fishing in troubled waters.



"Congress doesn't delve into internal divisions in another party, but we are deeply concerned about growing political instability in UP," party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters.



"More alarming are reports that BJP is dreaming of assuming power through the back door by fishing in troubled waters," he claimed.



He said BJP earlier tried it in the neighbouring state of Uttrakhand and failed. "The Congress government was similiarly brought down in Arunanchal by engineering defections."



"We sincerely hope that the Modi government would take the cue from strictures passed in the two cases by Supreme Court and will not abuse the powers of the Union government or the office of Governor to disrespect people's mandate," he added.




New Delhi: If Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ends up forming his own party after being expelled by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav from the Samajwadi Party, Congress might join hands with him, top sources told News18.



While officially Congress has been maintaining that it is an internal matter of the SP, leaders told News18 on condition of anonymity is that if need be, the Congress will align with Akhilesh.



We always had a good equation with him. Besides, he is a young leader and enjoys a very personal friendship with Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader said.



If need be to keep BJP at bay, we wouldnt mind an alliance with Akhilesh. Congress is looking at a long-term relation with him, not just 2016 assembly polls but also the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said.



Incidentally, Akhilesh had said earlier that if Congress and SP joins hands and fights the imminent UP assembly polls as a coalition, it will win upwards of 300 seats in the 403-member house. However, Mulayam ruled out any such pre-poll alliance.



Soon after the expulsion of Akhilesh, Congress official spokesman Randeep Surjewala said his party doesnt want Presidents rule in UP.



The statement is significant and could imply that if Akhilesh choses to remain CM, Congress could help him stay on.




New Delhi: With his self-imposed 50-day deadline ending on Friday, the Trinamool Congress asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to own up responsibility for the adverse effects of demonetisation and resign.



"The Prime Minister set a 50-day deadline -- 110 people have died, the economy is in a mess, the original motives he set out with -- ending funding of terrorism, black money, corruption -- nothing has happened," Trinamool spokesperson Derek O'Brien said.



"Tonight the deadline ends and tomorrow is a good day for him to resign. It's the last day of the year, the Prime Minister must and should resign," he added.



The Rajya Sabha member called Modi's November 8 move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes a "complete failure" and attributed electoral motive behind it.



"This (demonetisation) has nothing to do with ending terrorism, corruption or black money. This has been done with electoral motive, in view of the Uttar Pradesh elections," O'Brien told CNN News 18.



"The timing of this is awry, the planning is awry and the implementation is awry. The only thing they are doing good is spinning the narrative of taking from the rich to give to the poor. This is a bogus," he said.



"Modi and (BJP chief) Amit Shah have some serious answering to do. The PM has to answer what has he achieved at the end of this huge exercise," he said.



With Modi set to address the nation on New Year's eve, O'Brien said it was a good day for him to put in his papers.



"I am looking forward to the Prime Minister making a big announcement tomorrow. Maybe if he has a conscience and if he is not running a marketing agency called the BJP and the RSS, on December 31, he may own up responsibility for the entire mess and announce his resignation," added the Trinamool leader.
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday dared the Centre to get all the appointments made by his government probed after the CBI filed an FIR into the appointment of city Health Minister Satyendar Jain's OSD.



Asserting that he was not afraid of any probe, the AAP chief also wondered whether the Centre would accept a Delhi government-appointed committee to look into the Sahara-Birla papers.



Kejriwal alleged that the CBI has filed "seven FIRs" against Jain and "two" against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, but did not elaborate.



In fresh trouble for the AAP government, the CBI has filed an FIR into the appointment of Jain's OSD while the LG office has recommended a probe by the agency into the appointment of his daughter Soumya Jain as a functionary in the Mohalla Clinic project.



"You (Centre) make your committee and get all our appointments probed. And we will form one, and you get the Sahara Birla matter probed with it. Agree?" Kejriwal tweeted.



"We are not scared of any probe as we have not done any wrong. Then why are you scared of a probe?" he added.
Lucknow: Months after it celebrated its 25th anniversary, the Samajwadi Party seemed headed for a vertical split with supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav 'expelling' his son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party for 6 years.



The SP chairman also expelled his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav for six years for vitiating the atmosphere in the party.



Heres are the five key takeaways from the surprise move months before assembly elections:



1. By moving in first and expelling Akhilesh, Mulayam is conveying to the Election Commission that he is in command and the original SP is led by him.



2. The idea is to pre-empt the national convention called by Akhilesh and Ram Gopal on January 1 where Mulayam suspected that Shivpal and he himself could face some action including suspension



3. By reinforcing his position as SP head, Mulayam may have staked his rights on the party name, offices and the all-important cycle symbol should Akhilesh form a new party of his own



4. All eyes are now on Akhilesh who is likely to quit as chief minister and go to the masses as a martyr to the intrigues of the old-guard.



5. Mulayam might have the old guard with him, but Akhilesh enjoys the support of the legislature party. It has 223 seats in the 403-member assembly.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned all the officials that if found corrupt they will be thrown out from the helicopter. Earlier accepting the mass killings of the criminals the blazing-tempered president told that "If you are corrupt, I will fetch you using a helicopter to Manila and I will throw you out. I have done this before, why would I not do it again?" he said.

As we have stated previously, we are deeply concerned by reports of extrajudicial killings by or at the behest of government authorities in the Philippines,State Department spokeswoman Anna Richey-Allen said.

Earlier Duterte has repeatedly said "Those killings were part of legitimate police operations, including a hostage incident, and those killed were criminals, not suspects."

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Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party for six years on Friday for anti-party activities, making a split imminent ahead of assembly elections next year.

Akhilesh aide and Mulayams cousin Ram Gopal Yadav was also expelled for six years. The announcement was made by Mulayam and his brother Shivpal Yadav at a press conference in the evening.

The move came a day after Akhilesh released a parallel list of poll candidates against the partys official list, which ignored Akhilesh and his supporters.

Akhilesh, who was said be upset but calm, has called a meeting of his loyalists at 9:30am tomorrow. Shivpal, who is embroiled in a bitter power tussle with the CM, has warned party leaders against attending the meet.

Heres a recap of the days developments:

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
So now political attrocities against those opposed to #NoteBandi and with the movement. We will fight it out  Derek O'Brien (@quizderek) December 30, 2016

Many film stars directors,sports persons r brand ambassadors. So what next ? Those from BIP who are brand ambassadors will also be? Right ?  Derek O'Brien (@quizderek) December 30, 2016

Actor-turned-Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal was arrested on Friday by the CBI for his alleged involvement in Rose Valley group chit fund scam.Earlier on Friday, Tapas was summoned by the investigative agency in connection with chit fund case and he was questioned for 4 hours.Pal, an MP from Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal, is believed to be a former director with the Rose Valley group, which is in the eye of a storm for a chit fund scam which is allegedly bigger than the Saradha scam.The CBI had raided Pal's residence last year and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is also probing the scam, has sealed over 2,600 bank accounts across the country. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has been probing the company since 2013.The CBI had earlier this year filed a charge sheet against Rose Valley chairman Gautam Kundu and three other accused.The development comes days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Central government of using the Central probe agencies to put pressure on its leaders, who have been protesting against demonetisation.Union minister Babul Supriyo said, "Personally I am sad to see him under arrest. But the law needs to take its course".In Kolkata, the ruling Trinamool Congress alleged that Pal was arrested because the party has been vociferously opposing the demonetisation move."So now political atrocities against those opposed to #notebandi," TMC leader Derek O'Brien tweeted."Many film stars directors, sportspersons are brand ambassadors. So what next? Those from BIP who are brand ambassadors will also be? Right?" he tweeted.Rose Valley Group has been under scanner of the various probe agencies for almost two years.According to reports, Rose Valley chit fund scam amounts to almost Rs 60,000 crore. The scam is believed to be the biggest ponzi fraud in India and the scam itself is at least seven times bigger than Saradha scam.
Google is refusing to censor the rants of Al Qaeda preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, who reportedly influenced the attackers who committed the 7/7 London bombings.Dubbed the "pied piper of Jihad," al-Awlaki's hateful teachings were, according to RT online, easily searchable using Google's enhanced search function and are believed to have inspired jihadist terrorists and radicalised many more.When users search al-Awlaki's name, Google's autocomplete function - which uses algorithms based on what others have searched before - suggests they view his "quotes" and "lectures," a media report said.An easily found downloadable PDF urges: "Martyrdom operations; we must refrain from calling it what the West labels it, suicide bombings,' since suicide is haram in Islam; and shahada [martyrdom] is not suicide."The top hit for "Anwar al-Awlaki quotes" was a website that includes comments from the preacher such as: "Jihad is still flourishing like a blessed tree sprouting through an earth of waste and pollution."Al-Awlaki, who is an American and Yemeni imam who was implicated in the planning of several Al Qaeda attacks, lived in London for 18 months before moving to Yemen in 2004, where he was a leader of the group.He was killed in an American drone strike in 2011, but lives on in many YouTube videos.The prompting of these extra search terms has been described as "incredibly dangerous" by terrorism experts.Julie Shain of the Counter Extremism Project told the Times: "This incentivizes people to search for these things and suggests it's normal to do so."In combination with the thousands of videos and pages calling for attacks on the West, it's incredibly dangerous."Google recently changed its algorithms to prevent autocomplete suggesting anti-Semitic and misogynist searches. The company has also moved to prevent white supremacist and Holocaust denial websites from appearing in high or top results for certain searches.Google's director, Matt Brittin, told Radio 4's Today programme the company works "very hard" to remove hateful and illegal content, but said autocomplete does save people time."It's algorithmic, and I think people understand that these are suggestions based on what other people are searching for."So we can always improve that and we work hard to do that, but I think people are smart and they realise that not everything you find on the internet is accurate and there's a range of opinions there.A YouTube spokesman said: "YouTube has clear policies prohibiting content intending to incite violence and we quickly remove videos violating these policies when flagged by our users."
Caracas: Venezuela's oldest daily newspaper, El Impulso, a sharp critic of President Nicolas Maduro, is halting production because of a paper shortage, its publisher said on Thursday.



Founded in 1904, the paper will suspend publication from Saturday because the state company charged with importing paper has stopped delivering its orders, publisher Carlos Eduardo Carmona said.



"The government... is blocking us from publishing daily, leaving us no choice but to suspend publication," he said in a statement.



The paper's editor-in-chief, Juan Carmona, told AFP it would give employees a holiday through mid-January.



If no paper is received by then, the company will shut its print edition and maintain only its website -- but will not back off its critical line on the socialist government, he said.



El Impulso is a regional paper based in the western city of Barquisimeto.



It has complained about paper shortages since 2013 and warned several times it would be forced to halt publication if no supplies arrived.



The situation only worsened as shortages became the norm amid a deepening economic crisis in Venezuela, where food, medicine and basic household goods are all scarce.



"This year has been one of suffering," Carmona said. "We run out of paper, we call, they deliver it at the last minute.



Last month, another newspaper lent us a few spools, but now the (import) company isn't even answering our calls."



Just one company, run by the state, is authorized to import paper in Venezuela. Critics accuse the government of abusing it for political ends.



Maduro, whose popularity has plummeted during the crisis, denies accusations of censorship. But he has repeatedly accused private media of supporting the opposition.



Seven Venezuelan newspapers have axed their print editions in the last three years
The three candidates running to replace U.S. Rep.-elect Tom Garrett, R-5th District, in the state Senates 22nd District are expected to meet on stage Wednesday at Hampden-Sydney College for a question-and-answer forum.

Lynchburg attorney and Republican Mark Peake, former Fluvanna County Sheriff and Democrat Ryant Washington and engineering development consultant and independent Joseph Hines will attend the event, according to The Farmville Herald, which is co-hosting the event with the college.

With the special election Jan. 10, less than a week after the forum, it may be the only time all three candidates field questions on stage at the same time. The 2017 General Assembly convenes Jan. 11, the morning after the election.

I think this forum is going to be an excellent opportunity for people to come and learn more about each candidate if theyre undecided or if they want to meet the candidate, Jordan Miles, who will moderate the forum, said this week.

Miles, Herald senior staff writer, said he wrote the questions and is the only one who knows them. He said the forum is meant to address the concerns of district residents and may involve state and local issues.

Candidates will have four minutes each to make their opening statements. Miles will ask candidates eight questions, with each given a minute and 30 seconds to answer. They will not have an opportunity to rebut each other, Miles said.

Those who attend may submit questions on cards at the forum. Crowd questions will be vetted and potentially used if there is time, Miles said.

Doors at Johns Auditorium will open at 6:30 p.m. with the forum commencing at 7 p.m. The forum will last until 8:30 p.m., Miles said.

With the state Senate split 21-19 before Garrett, a Buckingham Republican, and Rep.-elect Donald McEachin, D-4th District, resign their seats, the races to replace them could shape the chambers power balance.

No one challenged Garrett for the 22nd seat in 2015 after he won 58 percent of the vote over a Democrat in 2011 when the district was newly redrawn. He won the 5th congressional seat in November after Rep. Robert Hurt, R-5th District, announced his retirement.

The 22nd District includes eastern Lynchburg and Amherst and Appomattox counties and stretches to Goochland County.
A disagreement over tax billing practices between Petersburg Treasurer Kevin A. Brown and consultants brought in to clean up the citys finances gave rise to deeper concerns this month: What happens when the Robert Bobb Group leaves?

Brown posed that question to members of the group in an email after his offices practices drew sharp criticism from Bobb, a former Richmond city manager and president of the Washington-based turnaround firm.

I want you all to be successful and I want the city to achieve success after you all leave, Brown wrote after raising concerns about unnamed municipal workers elevated to take on more responsibility during the groups tenure. I cant afford for you all to waste my tax dollars on people that cant get the job done.

The questions came in response to a pointed letter from Bobb dated Dec. 18 that directed Brown to begin issuing bills in a way that could boost the citys cash flow  an issue so dire, the city this month obtained $6.5 million in stopgap financing to help meet payroll and other obligations.

The Bobb Groups finance experts and other consultants brought in to shore up the citys liabilities and craft a plan for long-term fiscal health are working overtime to move Petersburg forward. But with the five-month contract approaching its midpoint in January, Brown said he is concerned.

Your current contract with the city of Petersburg ends in March, Brown wrote. There are some employees that you are selecting to put your practices in place. We have seen those individuals work in the past and when you leave, we will revert back to our bad habits.

Reached by phone, Brown declined to name the employees he referenced but said he had scheduled a meeting with interim Petersburg City Manager Tom Tyrrell to discuss his concerns.

Chief among them: how to guard against a repeat of findings from this summer, when a team of experts brought in to assess the citys financial health found that Petersburg had started the fiscal year July 1 about $19 million in debt and $12 million over budget.

Leslie C. Strickler, president of ETRE Communications, said in response to Browns staffing concerns that the Bobb Group is working methodically to identify problems, plan solutions and set goals.

The group is looking at each intricate layer of the city of Petersburg to identify what went wrong and who is responsible for the crisis, Strickler said in an email. Part of the solution is putting new personnel in place to continue to execute the plan in place. This is happening at just about every layer.

Bobb said in a pointed letter to Brown dated Dec. 18 that the treasurers office should have been doing more to improve the citys financial situation.

As council members voted to strip funding from schools, cut employee pay and axe a youth summer program to make ends meet, Browns office was not billing for money he had the legal authority to collect.

By Bobbs estimate, the practice of what is known as supplemental billing of personal property taxes could have yielded $6 million more in cash flow in the 2016 calendar year  a figure Brown contests.

The money ultimately would have been collected in 2017, but the citys current situation is too tenuous for such a delay, Bobb wrote in a one-page note obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

As a management turnaround firm this is unacceptable with the financial crisis in which we find the city, Bobb stated.

Currently, if a Petersburg resident owned a 2000 Honda on Jan. 1, 2016, their twice-yearly bill would be calculated based on the assessed value of the Honda. If that person sold their car and bought a 2015 BMW, their bill would still be based on the value of the Honda until the next billing cycle, or the first billing cycle of the next year.

At that point, the bill would contain charges prorated for the portion of the prior period in which the person owned the more expensive vehicle, and the amount they would owe for the first half of the next year.

Brown has the discretion in deciding how to bill for adjustments to the value of residents personal property that occur throughout the year, according to representatives of statewide associations of treasurers and commissioners of the revenue.

Commissioners of the revenue, who are elected constitutional officers, track changes  largely through information available from the states Department of Motor Vehicles  and provide the updated value of property such as cars, trucks and boats to treasurers, who then typically bill for the amount of tax owed.

Leroy O. Pfeiffer Jr., treasurer of Cumberland County and president-elect of the Treasurers Association of Virginia, said localities vary in their billing practices.

His office processes adjustments based on updates provided by the commissioner of the revenue between 12 and 20 times annually, Pfeiffer said.

Pfeiffer said that when given updated information, he acts accordingly.

But in Petersburg, Brown said a decision was made in 2013 to stop regularly issuing adjusted bills.

The move came as city officials quietly grappling with growing municipal costs that outpaced revenues decided to increase the frequency of personal property tax billing to boost cash flow.

Officials said that if the city sent personal property bills twice a year instead of once a year, the administration might be able to muddle through a dry season exacerbated by consecutive years of multimillion-dollar deficits.

Officials hopes were up as the first bills went out in January 2014. Work was ramping up on the implementation of a new high-efficiency utility billing system and a comprehensive plan was issued that predicted a reinvented city by 2020.

Our local government services and level of accessibility are unparalleled in the region, the plans introduction predicts of a Petersburg then six years thence. There is a healthy balance of industry, business, residences and services resulting in stable, growing property values and an economically flourishing community.

Then, procurement records show, the utility system cost $1.4 million more than expected; residential bills went haywire during a flawed rollout; property tax collections dipped; and municipal employee turnover rates increased, further complicating efforts to address the citys mounting difficulties.

It seemed like a reasonable decision at the time, Brown said of the decision to abandon the discretionary practice of supplemental billing.

His offices six full-time staff members already had their hands full managing issues with returned notices mailed to incorrect addresses and the volume of bills going out was about to increase, Brown said.

But Bobb said staffing was not a legitimate justification.

Staff shortages must never be a consideration for collecting and billing customers; even if we have to work weekends, nights and holidays, he wrote to Brown. The cash position of the city is too fragile.

Lori K. Stevens, commissioner of the revenue for Dinwiddie County and president of the Commissioners of the Revenue Association of Virginia, said constitutional officers have and need latitude to perform their jobs effectively.

You have to weigh your workload and what your staff can handle and cant handle effectively, she said. There are so many factors to look at before casting judgment.

Bobbs estimate of a $6 million reduction in cash flow was based on a number from Petersburgs revenue commissioner, Brown said. The figure does not account for supplemental billing of business personal property taxes, which Brown said his office does collect. That practice has yielded about $2.2 million in revenue so far in 2016, Brown said.

Other adjustments made as a result of inaccurate billing resulted in revenue of about $3 million below the offices projected collections.

The true value of supplemental personal property taxes that could have been collected in 2016 could be as high as $4.2 million or as low as $1.2 million, he said.

I dont know exactly what the (actual) number is, Brown said. At the end of the day, we are going to work together to make sure this works moving forward.

The real problem, as Brown sees it, is setting a budget that accurately estimates revenues the city can expect to collect.

In order for us to move forward and help the city, we have to figure out what the actual amount of supplemental billing revenue will be and budget accordingly, Brown said.

Brown said he does regularly receive all of the information needed to make adjustments to property tax bills from Petersburg Commissioner of the Revenue Pamela Hairston. Reached by phone Wednesday, Hairston asked a reporter for a copy of Bobbs letter and did not return subsequent interview requests.
For a decade, Esther Boley has fought a project that has loomed as a potential new neighbor in her rural corner of Cumberland County, a landfill that would have accepted up to 7,000 tons of trash per day from Virginia and surrounding states.

Im no politician, and it burnt me slam out, said Boley, 69, who has lived on her family land on Frenchs Store Road her entire life.

Boley said its common knowledge that the proposed 314-acre facility, approved by the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors in 2006 and later permitted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, is no longer happening, but county officials and Republic Services, the waste-disposal company behind the project, arent saying what other use the property might serve.

You would want to be happy. You would want to be ecstatic about it, Boley said. But you cant believe it. Maybe you believe what politicians say. But I dont. Its still a waiting game.

Tracy Skenandore, Republics manager of communications, said in an email that the company will respectfully decline to comment, referring a reporter to Cumberland County.

Vivian Seay Giles, both the county administrator and county attorney, refused to talk about the landfill, or anything else.

Im not discussing that. Thank you, have a great day, she said before hanging up.

Several members of the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors did not return calls.

One, Parker Wheeler, answered his phone.

Its not going forward. Thats about all I can tell you right now, said Wheeler, who would not provide any additional details about the landfill property.

William Hayden, a spokesman for the DEQ, said the agency does not have any information to indicate that the proposed landfill is moving forward.

Hayden added that the air permit issued for the project has expired.

We have had no communication about renewing it, Hayden said. You may want to talk with the county, as they probably have more information.

This isnt the first time county officials have been tight-lipped about the landfill project, which at one point they banked on providing tens of millions of dollars in revenue to bolster the county budget and support debt service on new schools, public safety offices and a community center.

In 2015, the Farmville Herald reported that the county had accepted a $2.5 million payment from Republic as part of the host community agreement between Republic and the county. That document allowed Republic to terminate the agreement with 90 days notice and a $2.5 million liquidated damages fee. The Farmville Herald also reported that the county had received $500,000 a year in annual payments from Republic as part of the agreement.

Giles told the paper that Republic had not exited from the agreement but would not answer additional questions.

Why all the secrecy?

Jim Sharp, former director of Campaign Virginia, a nonprofit that worked on environmental and consumer issues, especially fighting out-of-state trash being brought into Virginia, before it ceased to exist in 2009, couldnt guess.

Im not sure what happened in Cumberland, Sharp said, adding that the economic slump that began near the end of the last decade may have stalled the project. Im thrilled that its not going to become a landfill. My only question is what are they going to do with it instead?
Americans civil liberties and technology have always been in tension with one another, but no more so than in the 15 years or so as Silicon Valleys influence in society has exploded.

One little-known but widely used bit of technology has found its way into the news in the last couple of weeks, thanks to a state court decision in a Fairfax lawsuit: license plate readers.

With special cameras, police officers are able to record images of vehicle license plates, along with location and other specific data, on any number of vehicles. They can then run crosschecks of that data with lists, say, of stolen vehicles to assist in solving crimes.

The technology behind the readers has been around for decades, and their use in other countries is widespread. In the United States, however, the use of the technology has been slower to catch on because of privacy concerns.

The Virginia chapter of the ACLU has filed suit against the Fairfax County Police Department, one of the largest departments in the state using the technology, in an effort to have the courts set limits on how long police can retain the information gathered  or whether they can retain it all. Last month, a Fairfax circuit judge tossed the suit, ruling the data collection was not related to personal tracking of private citizens.

The ACLU begs to differ and announced last week it would be appealing to the Virginia Supreme Court. Their lawyers contend the collection and unlimited retention of the license plate data are violations of Virginias Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act. That was the act then-Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican, based a non-binding 2013 advisory opinion on that limited use of the technology. Cuccinelli advised that collection of the data for an ongoing case was permitted but passive collection, with no basis clearly established in advance, was illegal. The Virginia State Police immediately began purging its databases every 24 hours, but few other law enforcement agencies in the state followed suit.

The ACLU contends such data collection amounts to little more than mass surveillance of citizens who, under the U.S. Constitution, have the presumption of innocence. And when there is no restriction on how long police can retain the data, what is created amounts to a massive database of the whereabouts of individuals based on the GPS information collected at the time of the reading.

Twelve states have imposed limits on how long data can be retained before purging. North Carolinas limit is 90 days; Vermonts is 18 months. Virginia law, however, is silent. In 2015, the General Assembly passed a bill limiting retention to seven days, but Gov. Terry McAuliffe, acting at the urging of police groups, vetoed it.

No one disputes the technology has legitimate law enforcement uses: Cases of stolen vehicles have risen in departments that use the readers, as have instances of police locating drivers suffering from dementia getting lost.

But without fair and reasonable limits on how long such massive amounts of data on individuals can be retained, there is the very real risk of the creation, by inaction, of a database of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Thats just not acceptable.

We urge the General Assembly, when it convenes next month, to tackle the question anew and devise a common-sense time limit both civil libertarians and police can live with.
Vision, Falcon, Black Widow, and 7 more Marvel characters you might not know date back to the '30s and '40s

Marvel's Golden Age of the '30s and '40s had a much bigger influence on the modern Marvel Universe than you may realize
Man in court for stepsons murder

Joel Pompey, 59, of Peaseville, Upper Seventh Avenue appeared before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar to face one count of murder, one count of possession of an illegal firearm, two counts of possession of ammunition and one count of attempted murder.

The charges were laid indictably and as such Pompey was not called upon to enter a plea. As the charge of murder is non-bailable, the accused will remain in custody pending the outcome of the case. In addition to these offences, Pompey was also charged with assault of Constables Cato and WPC Ramdeen while in custody at the Morvant police station. On these two charges, Pompey entered a guilty plea.

Court prosecutor, Sgt Benjamin submitted to the court the items recovered from the scene which included a firearm, seven rounds of ammunition, a black-coloured cloth and a purple- coloured piece of plastic.

Pompey, a retired employee of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), was expected to appear in court on Wednesday but complained of feeling unwell.

Pompey was expected to return to court following a medical examination at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, but was unable to do so due to delays at the Hospital.

Pompey was arrested and charged for the murder of his 15-year-old stepson Josiah Martinez who was shot dead on December 16, at the familys Barataria home. The case was adjourned to January 26
Bail for man charged for stealing TV

Malcolm Emmanuel, 24, appeared before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar charged for being in possession of a stolen Samsung Smart television set which was allegedly found at his home in Upper Wharton Street, Laventille on December 26.

Emmanuels attorney Ronald Daniels asked the court to grant bail as his client has no previous convictions.

He did submit himself voluntarily to police officers when he learned that he was a person of interest in their investigation, and later to the court to answer the charges, Daniels said. I know that it would not be a bold request to offer my client own bail for his cooperation with the investigation thus far. However, the court prosecutor objected to bail being granted on the grounds that Emmanuel had two matters of disturbing the peace and assault and battery pending before the courts. Daniels said that the matters were close to conclusion and that Emmanuel would be prepared to return to court pending the outcome of these matters. Bail was granted in the sum of $5,000 and the matter was adjourned to January 3.
MMSU lifts the people of Mayaro

According to Robert Robbie McIntosh, founder and president of the MMSU , the group was formed five years ago and is focused on creating sustainable development for the people of Mayaro by offering training and also acting as an advocate to generate employment opportunities for the people of the south-eastern community. The organisation also realised the need for social intervention and works to help the less fortunate in the community.

McIntosh explained the idea behind their social programme, I lost my eyesight years ago but I never let that stop me or slow me down in my quest to fight for the betterment of Mayaro. Through hard work, we were able to set up a fund to assist less fortunate persons with minor surgery or even medical tests. The MMSU also provides equipment such as prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, nebulisers as well as blood pressure and diabetes testing kits. This year we were also able to give out vouchers to deserving persons from across Mayaro. We work every single day to achieve our mission for a better Mayaro. The organisation hosted a small presentation ceremony at their Mayaro offices last week where they gave out medical testing equipment as well as 25 vouchers for groceries worth $1,500 each and 13 vouchers for home repairs worth $6,000 each.

Jaby Phillip, of Lewis and Sucre Street, Mayaro, expressed his gratitude This organisation is doing great work to improve the quality of the lives of the people of Mayaro. I was in an accident recently and could not work so they presented me with a voucher for groceries. I can tell you that my family, including my three kids, are very grateful for this assistance that will go a long way toward making our Christmas merrier. I wish Robbie and the MMSU all the best as they continue their work in helping make a better Mayaro. As indicated by McIntosh, the MMSU currently has over 250 registered members, but their work impacts the entire community as they try to help everyone they can. The organisation receives assistance to achieve their mission from the entire community including corporate stakeholders such as BP Trinidad and Tobago.

Ronda Francis, corporate responsibility manager, bpTT , explained the impetus behind their support for the MMSU , Across the world non-governmental and community-based organisations are critical to driving sustainable development and social change.

Throughout the year, bpTT provides training to make these organisations more effective and empowered in achieving their objectives.

Apart from our own social programmes, we also support positive work like this project by the MMSU . McIntosh explained that they will be offering medical assistance throughout the year and that he was hoping to expand the impact of their organisation with the coming of the New Year 2017.

According to retiree Veronica Rampersad from Rest House Village, Mayaro, The MMSU gave me blood sugar and pressure testing kits so that I can monitor my health and I am truly grateful for this help toward living a healthier and happier life. I may not have many resources, but I would like to help them make my community a better place in any way that I can. They have shown us that we can all work together to lift Mayaro to where it should be as a model community for the nation to follow.
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(Newser)  A UK mother who made the news for having extremely premature triplet girls who all survived has herself died unexpectedly. Rachel Park, who died at age 39 just days after taking her 9-month-old babies home from the hospital for Christmas, became pregnant after six years of trying with her husband, Steven, and on her fourth round of IVF. "She idolized those little girls," her husband said. "They were her world." The cause of death is still unknown, but police say the circumstances are not suspicious, reports the BBC. During the pregnancy, Park, a Type 1 diabetic, developed pre-eclampsia, and her blood pressure got so high that her kidneys and liver began to fail.

At just 24 weeks' pregnant, she was sent to a hospital in Newcastle 100 miles from her home, where she suffered what the Mirror calls "a serious bleed." Doctors found a problem with blood flowing to the placenta, and performed an emergency C-section when the triplets were 26 weeks and five days along. Due June 12, the girls were put on ventilators upon their birth on March 11 and, weighing 5 pounds combined, spent two months fighting for their lives. "It was touch and go with all three at some point," Rachel told the News & Star just a week ago. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Steven and his daughters Poppie, Mollie, and Evelyn. (Just days before the Park triplets were born in the UK, a mother of newborn triplets died in Kansas.)
(Newser)  Thanks to a top-secret document on a murdered journalist leaked by Edward Snowden, we may know why US intelligence agencies are so certain Russia was behind the recent hacks of the DNC and others during the election. This is important, the Intercept reports, because the information about the cyberattack so far made public by the government is far from enough to prove Russia was behind it. In 2006, Russian journalist and US citizen Anna Politkovskaya was shot and killed in her apartment. It's been suspectedthough not proventhat the Kremlin had her killed for reporting on Chechnya and criticizing Vladimir Putin.

While it remains unclear who was behind Politkovskaya's murder, an NSA document leaked by Snowden reveals a Russian intelligence group hacked her email account a year earlier using "malicious software" not publicly available. It appears the NSA was able to use "intercept signals" to determine where the cyberattack came from. "If the NSA could use signals intelligence to track a specific hack of an American email account in 2005, its not too much to assume that, 10 years later, the agency possesses the same or better capability," the Intercept states. The cyberattack on Politkovskaya's email account is similar to that on the DNC, and it seems probable the NSA tracked it to the source in the same way. Read the full story here. (Read more Russia stories.)
(Newser)  Police say a member of the Kennedy family was arrested after a bar fight in the Colorado resort town of Aspen. Police say 22-year-old John Conor Kennedy was charged with disorderly conduct in the Thursday morning scuffle, the AP reports. Kennedy is the oldest son of Robert Kennedy Jr., an environmental activist, and the grandson of Robert Kennedy. Police say Kennedy and another man were fighting in the street and rolling around on the ground when officers tried to separate them. Officers reported seeing Kennedy punch the man in the head four or five times. According to TMZ, Kennedy, who used to date Taylor Swift, told police that the fight began after the man insulted his friend with a homophobic slur. (Read more John Conor Kennedy stories.)
(Newser)  Buffalo's school board voted 6-2 Thursday to try to get rid of a controversial ninth memberCarl Paladino, co-chair of Donald Trump's New York campaign. The board gave Paladino 24 hours to resign over what it called "unambiguously racist" and "morally repugnant" remarks about the Obamas he made last week, reports the Huffington Post. Paladino, who unsuccessfully ran for governor as a Republican in 2010, told Buffalo weekly Artvoice that he wanted to see President Obama die of mad cow disease in 2017, and for Michelle Obama to "return to being a male" and live in a cave in Zimbabwe with a gorilla. The board said that if Paladino won't quit, it will petition New York Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia to remove him, the Buffalo News reports.

"Words matter, Mr. Paladino," said School Board President Barbara Seals Nevergold at a raucous meeting Thursday, which Paladino did not attend. "The impact on children of color, especially African-American children, is incalculable," she said. "They would like me to tell you, 'You're fired.'" Other board members accused Paladino of racism and other misconduct going back many years. Paladino, who has said he won't step down, issued a statement accusing the board of trying to get rid of him for exposing corruption. Earlier this week, Paladinowhose comments were called "reprehensible" by the Trump transition teamsaid his words were poorly chosen and claimed he had meant to forward his remarks to friends instead of sending them to Artvoice, the Wall Street Journal reports. (Read more Carl Paladino stories.)
(Newser)  Tragedy in ski country: A mother died and her two daughters were injured in a fall from a chair lift at a ski resort in Colorado Thursday. Authorities say the 40-year-old woman from Texas and the girls, ages 9 and 12, fell around 20 feet from the lift onto snow at the Ski Granby Ranch, the AP reports. One girl was hospitalized in stable condition and the other was airlifted to a hospital near Denver, around 90 miles away. The resort's operation director says the three were the only people on a four-person lift and they "came out of their chair" somewhere between the loading area and the summit. Police and state regulators are investigating the incident, which ski industry groups say was an extremely rare event.

The National Ski Areas Association says that between 2004 and October of this year, there were just three recorded deaths from ski lift falls. The last chair lift death blamed on a malfunction was in 1993, according to the NSAA. Since the last fatal accident in Colorado, in 2002, "there have been 1.7 billion chair lift rides," a spokesman for Colorado Ski Country USA tells the Denver Post. "It's super rare. It really doesn't happen very often, and it's not something that folks need to be concerned about." Witnesses to Thursday's accident tell CBS Denver that there had been problems with the chair lift over the last few days, with each stop causing the chairs to sway. (Read more chair lift stories.)
(Newser)  A man who urged an end to violence in Oakland after gunfire killed his son and grandson as they slept three years ago became a victim himself this week as he drove near a street memorial for his slain family. Melvin Johnson, 39, was shot and killed Tuesday on the east side of the city, not far from the shrine for his 16-month-old grandson and 20-year-old son, who were fatally shot in August 2013, the East Bay Times reports. Police have made no arrests and released no motive for Johnson's killing. They have not said if the shooting was random or if Johnson was targeted. "In three years and four months, three generations of one family [have] been lost to gun violence in the streets of Oakland," community activist Sherri-Lyn Miller tells the AP. She was a friend of Johnson's.

"Melvin Johnson was a giant teddy bear, and the loss has not only devastated the Johnson family, but all that knew him," Miller says. Johnson had moved his son, Andrew "Drew" Thomas, and grandson, Drew Leon Deon Jackson, to the central California city of Fresno to get them away from Oakland's street violence, but they were slain while in town for a birthday party. A shooter fired into a relative's home in the middle of the night, killing the sleeping pair. The slayings are still unsolved. Johnson's mother, Carolyn Smith, spoke of her late son Wednesday as a good person who was committed to his family following a series of tragedies. Another of his sons, 8-year-old Jahmel Johnson, died last month after a battle with lymphoma. Melvin "helped everybody, he loved everybody," his mother said. (Read more Oakland stories.)
(Newser)  Police searching for Greece's missing ambassador to Brazil found his burnt-out car in a Rio suburb Thursday with a body inside. Forensic experts are trying to determine whether the body is that of Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, who was last heard from Monday when he phoned his wife, the BBC reports. On Friday, a Rio de Janeiro police officer confessed to murdering the ambassador, Reuters reports. Sergio Moreira, 29, told police he was romantically involved with Amiridis' wife, Francoise, and that she asked him to kill her husband. Francoise was the one to report Amiridis missing Wednesday.

Amiridis was visiting Rio from Brasilia to attend New Year's celebrations on Copacabana Beach. Before the grim find, police said they did not believe the ambassador had been kidnapped, since nobody had been in touch to demand ransom, the Guardian reports. Amiridis, 59, took the Brazil post at the start of this year after four years as Greece's ambassador to Libya. He and his 40-year-old wife have a 10-year-old daughter. Moreira told police he murdered the ambassador inside the Rio home the Amiridises owned. Both he and Amiridis' wife have been arrested. (Read more Brazil stories.)
(Newser)  A ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey went into effect in war-ravaged Syria at midnight, a potential breakthrough in the six years of fighting that have left more than a quarter-million people dead and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe. If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in announcing the agreement. He described it, however, as "quite fragile" and requiring "special attention and patience," per the AP. The first half-hour of the cease-fire was one of "comprehensive calm" after government bombings in Aleppo and Damascus suburbs, said the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The New York Times reports minor violations, but none yet big enough to threaten the pact.

Several previous ceasefires in the Syrian civil war all collapsed, some of them in a matter of days. And this latest agreement, like previous ones, does not include extremist factions such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda's branch in Syria. Still, the deal raises hopes for a political settlement to the ruinous war, in part because the landscape has significantly shifted recently. For one thing, the tide has turned in Syrian President Bashar Assad's favor militarily over the past year, with the government retaking the city of Aleppo just days ago. Also, Turkey, which has been supporting the rebels, appears more willing to strike a bargain with Russia if it means protecting its borders. Syria's foreign minister notes there is a "real chance" for a political settlement, if Assad is allowed to stay in power. (Read more Syria stories.)
(Newser)  Not many would be surprised if Moscow retaliated for fresh US sanctions over what it calls "groundless" accusations of election hacking, and one proposal seemed to point in that direction: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he wants to expel 35 American diplomats in return for the US expulsion of 35 Russians, CNN reports. But although Vladimir Putin called Obama and his allies "political corpses," accusing them of trying to sabotage Donald Trump's foreign policy plans and further damage US-Russia ties, per the New York Times, he's now saying he won't engage in "irresponsible diplomacy" by taking the deportation route, opting instead to mend those ties once Donald Trump takes office, the BBC reports.

"We won't create problems for American diplomats," Putin said in a statement released Friday, the Washington Post reports. Prior to that, Russian diplomats around the world slammed the new US sanctions, with a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman calling the Obama administration a "group of foreign policy losers, angry, and ignorant." Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, meanwhile, said he was disappointed, per the AP. "It is sad that the Obama administration that began its life by restoring ties ends it with anti-Russian death throes," he tweeted. Trump said Thursday that it is time to "move on" from the controversy, though some congressional Republicans welcomed what they called an overdue harder line on Russia, the Washington Post reports. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham were among those calling for tougher sanctions. (Read more Russia stories.)
(Newser)  An Arkansas high school teacher has resigned as parents and students were planning to boycott school events in response to his references to Barack and Michelle Obama as "spider monkey" and "first chimp." The online posts attributed to Trent Bennett of Malvern High School have since been deleted, though a KATV reporter has posted screenshots to Twitter, per Time. After the Malvern School District announced Monday that it was investigating "inappropriate" comments using "racially charged rhetoric" posted to an employee's personal Facebook page, a special meeting was held Thursday, during which the school board unanimously voted to accept Bennett's resignation.

The Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP had promised to hold protests if Bennett did not resign, per Arkansas Matters. Students and parents had also vowed to boycott school sporting events, reports the New York Daily News. "I am aware of the impact this has had, and though I negate that I have ever conducted myself in a less than professional manner in regard to my students, I have resigned my teaching position," Bennett says in a statement. "I would like to issue an apology for the outrage and hurt feelings caused by these comments. I acknowledge that they were disrespectful and offensive." He also says he's deleted his social media accounts to avoid "future issues." (A West Virginia nonprofit director was fired for a similar post, and a Buffalo school board member may be ousted for his Obama slurs.)
(Newser)  He was busted for driving while intoxicated, and now, 16 months later, Joseph Schwab has had his DUI charge dropped. The California man had been pulled over in Solano County in August 2015 after it was reported he was driving erratically, and he was arrested for DUI, although later tests found he had no alcohol or drugs other than caffeine in his system. The DUI charge was kept on the books, however, because prosecutors contended his driving was so all over the place that he had to have had another drug in his system that wasn't showing up in tests, per the San Francisco Chronicle. Schwab was also said to have failed sobriety tests at the scene.

The Solano County DA's office conceded this week, noting in a written statement that it was finally giving up and dropping the DUI charge because it didn't think it could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, though it still maintains it's "highly likely the defendant was under the influence of a drug," per KTLA. A misdemeanor charge against Schwab for reckless driving remains. (A man in Japan drank himself to death with caffeine.)
(Newser)  Three new police officers were fired for making comments on a group chat about using Miami's primarily black neighborhoods for target practice, the AP reports. Officers Kevin Bergnes, Miguel Valdes, and Bruce Alcin were let go on Dec. 23, after an internal affairs investigation concluded that they violated department policies, reported the Miami Herald, citing documents it obtained. The remarks angered local civil rights activists keeping tabs on a department that is currently scrutinized by the US Department of Justice for a pattern of excessive force. The Miami police department said it would only confirm that officers Bergnes, Valdes, and Alcin were fired, but did not explain the reasons behind the dismissals. Attorney Stephan Lopez, who represents the three officers, told the AP that his clients were joking and that the comments were taken out of context.

Lopez pointed out that Alcin is African-American and Valdes has a black grandfather. The incident happened June 30, when the three officers responded to other rookie colleagues' questions about shooting ranges in a WhatsApp chat they often used to communicate, the paper said. According to documents obtained by the Herald, the officers-in-training shared department information on that thread. It said the documents show Bergnes sarcastically suggested the friend looking for a shooting range try a Bank of America, adding "they'll even give you some cash." He then suggested Model Citythe police district that includes Liberty City and handles the bulk of the city's shootingsas another location. Valdes suggested a particular intersection in the Overtown community, according to the paper. It added that Alcin followed up, saying Valdes "wouldn't understand" until he's worked there. (Read more Florida stories.)
(Newser)  Connecticut's highest court has reinstated the murder conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, the AP reports. Skakel, who was convicted in 2002 of bludgeoning his neighbor Martha Moxley to death when both were 15 years old in 1975, had his conviction overturned in 2013 when a Superior Court judge ruled that Skakel's defense attorney had been inadequate. But the state appealed, and on Friday, the state Supreme Court rejected the lower court finding, ruling that the Skakel's representation was "constitutionally adequate," the Hartford Courant reports. The move sets the stage for Skakel, who was released after his conviction was overturned, to go back to prison. He was originally sentenced to 20 years to life. (Read more Michael Skakel stories.)
Human Immuno Virus or HIV has always been an international concern. The World Health Organization has been undertaking steps to ensure that their goal in ending the virus won't be delayed as the disease keeps on infecting millions of people around the globe.

Social stigma is worsening against people who have acquired this incurable disease. However, it may seem that the stigma will be at its worst. Last December 26, a 26-year old male hairdresser was arrested due to allegations of spreading the HIV virus to men through sexual contact.

It is said that the suspect known as Daryll Rowe had already been hiding from the law for more or less five days. Rowe was arrested at Wallsend, North Tyneside and is now facing multiple charges for this. These charges include seven counts of causing Grievous Bodily Harm (GBM) and one count for the same case. Now the suspect of spreading the incurable disease is now in custody of the Sussex Police while waiting for his hearing at Newcastle Crown Court in January.

This issue may no longer be common not just to United Kingdom but, possible, to other countries where HIV is very prevalent. According to the latest HIV Statistics from the World Health Organization, there are more or less 36.7 million people around the world who are now diagnosed to be infected with the same virus. And yet, around 46% from that count are the only ones who have been receiving the antiretroviral treatment from health institutions.

World Health Organization has been finding many ways on how to address this crucial problem nowadays. In their recent activities, they found out that Partner Notification Services are one of the most effective ways on dealing with some issues concerning people living with HIV.

The said international health organization furthered that their findings revealed about how effective PNS is to families who are having a hard time dealing with a fellow member having acquired the virus. Through this process, diagnosing people with HIV won't take long steps and it will be faster than before.

Many people around the world are expressing mixed reactions over the news about Rowe being arrested. As regards to whether or not the HIV infected people will feel more threatened because of the possible worsening stigma against them, what's very important now is to cooperate to authorities in solving such problem.
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New Delhi:

Twitter is buzzing with news alerts from India and rest of the world. Sudden decision of PPA to suspend Pema Khandu is not acceptable to us- Tamiyo Taga.

#11:45PM

Cash withdrawal limit from ATMs increased to Rs 4,500 from Rs 2,500, effective January 1: RBI (PTI)

# 11:00 PM

Israel issues severe travel warning for India, citing immediate threat of attacks against western, tourist targets: Reuters India

# 10:59 PM

Philippines may relocate naval drills with U.S. - defence minister: Reuters India

# 10:57 PM

More U.S. students are thinking about going to college in Canada because of the election of Donald Trump: AP

# 10:56 PM

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Juhi Singh resigns from the post: ANI

# 10:42 PM

11 miners dead in Lalmatia colliery mishap at Rajmahal area in Jharkhand, rescue operations to resume on Saturday

# 10:31 PM

In Pakistan, the practice of exchanging girls for marriage is so entrenched it even has a name in Urdu: Watta Satta.

# 10:26 PM

Oil prices down, but set for biggest yearly gain since 2009: Reuters India

#9:52 PM

We submitted 2 memorandums to Govt of India seeking Rs 4,702 crores and Rs 386 crores as per norms to deal with situation: Karnataka CM -ANI

# 9:48 PM

This drought is the worst one in 15 yrs with no water in the reservoirs, dried up tanks and serious drinking water problems: CM Siddaramaiah - ANI

# 9:47 PM

Mumbai: Western Railway to run 8 spl local train services b/w Churchgate and Virar on New Year eve i.e during night b/w Dec 31 and Jan 1 '17 - ANI

# 9:46 PM

Met PM Modi in delegation, consisting of Mallikarjun Kharge & all state ministers & explained about severe drought in Ktaka-CM Siddaramaiah -ANI

# 9:45 PM

Turkey says Kurdish YPG should not be involved in Syria talks: Reuters India

# 9:44 PM

Nigeria's 'plastic rice' real but inedible: AFP

# 9:43 PM

Indonesian budget airline fires a pilot who was suspected of trying to fly a plane while he was drunk: AP

#9:30 PM

Polish mourners attend the funeral of Lukasz Urban, the truck driver who was killed in the Berlin attacks, in Banie: AFP

# 9:29 PM

Akhilesh Yadav's supporters stage protest over his expulsion from the party for 6 years, raise slogans against Shivpal Yadav

# 9:23 PM

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav greets his supporters gathered outside his residence as his convoy leaves from the residence

#9:22 PM

Gujarat: 5 dead, 7 injured and 3 critical after a tempo rammed into them during Gram Panchayat polls winner's victory procession in Godhra. -ANI

# 9:21 PM

This is an app that will strengthen digital payments in country & we are delighted B. R. Ambedkar's name is associated with this app: PGoyal - ANI

# 9:20 PM

I think Mamata Banerjee ji is so much engrossed with lotteries, chit fund and prizes that she can't think beyond lotteries: Piyush Goyal - ANI

# 9:18 PM

What she (WB CM) has alluded to 'BHIM' app is app for digital payments & the app has nothing to do with lottery-Union Minister Piyush Goyal: ANI

# 9:17 PM

US released its most detailed report yet on Russia's alleged election hacking: AP

# 9:16 PM

Ex-Maharashtra Dy CM Chhagan Bhujbal, arrested in money laundering case, says plea questioning his hospital stay aims to tarnish his image

#9:15 PM

CBSE extends the last date for online submission of application form of JEE Main 2017 up to January 16: PTI



# 9:14 PM

European cities ramp up security for New Year after Berlin attack: Reuters India

#9:13 PM

Post-mortem on pop icon George Michael 'inconclusive': AFP

#9:12 PM

Ex MP & Former Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil passed away on Friday evening in Loni (Maharashtra) after prolonged illness: ANI

#9:00PM

UP CM AKhilesh Yadav directs UP DGP to ensure adequate security is deployed outside Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav's residence:

#8:57PM



CBI arrests an Income Tax Officer, Jhalawar (Rajasthan) while demanding & accepting a bribe of Rs. 1 Lakk: ANI



#8:56 PM

Hyderabad: PVSindhu and Telangana Tourism Minister Azmeera Chandulal attend the 2nd International Kite Festival: PTI

# 8:42 PM

Developments in SP intra-party issue, I am keeping a watch: UP Governor Ram Naik - PTI

# 8:47 PM

UP DGP Javeed Ahmed reaches CM Akhilesh Yadav's residence to meet him.

#08:33PM

Morally Akhilesh Yadav must resign immediately. SP Govt had failed: Yogi Adityanath, BJP on expulsion of UP CM from SP for 6 yrs (ANI)

#08:30 PM

My husband's arrest is a revenge towards our CM: TMC MP Tapas Paul's wife (ANI)

#08:25 PM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav calls for a meeting with all MLAs at 9 AM on Dec 31 (ANI)

#08:15 PM

It was necessary to send a across that associations are accountable to public and must abide by the code of conduct: Sports Min. Vijay Goel (ANI)

#8: 05 PM

Non-resident Indians can exchange/deposit junked 500/1,000 rupee notes at specified #RBI offices till June 30: Fin Min Jaitley (PTI)

# 7:55 PM

Holding, transferring/receiving of junked notes is illegal and punishable with imposition of penalty, says Fin Min on Ordinance: PTI

#08:00 PM

The day IOA took this decision to appoint SKalmadi & AChautala as Life Presidents, Govt clarified that they don't agree with it: Vijay Geol (ANI)

# 7:50 PM

There is situation of pol instability in UP,it's worrisome for democracy;we dont comment on internal division of any party-RS Surjewala, Cong - ANI

# 7:47 PM

Lucknow: Protesters tear down the posters of Shivpal Singh Yadav after Akhilesh Yadav was expelled from the party for 6 years

#7:46 PM

Ordinance criminalising holding of 500/1,000 rupee notes gets #President assent: PTI

# 7:45 PM

The President of India has approved today the promulgation of the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, 2016: Sources

# 7:44 PM

Ferdy Kuebler, the 1950 Tour de France champion, dies at age 97: AP

# 7:42 PM

Delhi HC seeks response of Ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi on CBI's plea challenging his bail in the Agusta Westland chopper scam case: PTI

# 7:41 PM

SC rejects plea challenging elevation of Justice #JSKhehar as next Chief Justice of India #CJI: PTI

# 7:40 PM

UP people had already waved Akhilesh off, his expulsion doesn't have much impact: Shrikant Sharma: ANI

# 7:39 PM

Sasikala to formally take over as #AIADMK chief on Saturday: PTI

# 7:38 PM

In family-centered parties, if the family breaks up, the party also falls apart: #ShrikantSharma, BJP: ANI

# 7:35 PM

It is unfortunate. However it is their internal matter: Sharad Yadav, JD (U) on Ram Gopal and Akhilesh Yadav expelled from party: ANI

# 7:33 PM

Supporters gather outside Akhilesh Yadav's residence, raise slogans in his support after SP Chief expelled him for 6 years from party

# 7:29 PM

Want to urge party workers to come to RM Lohiya University on Jan 1 at 11am to discuss as to how to stop those doing wrong in party-RG Yadav

# 7:28 PM

The elections will prove who is acceptable amongst the people: Ram Gopal Yadav

# 7:26 PM

RamgopalYadav says he is general secretary of SP & party meet called by him on Sunday will take place at all costs

# 7:25 PM

1 civilian killed in firing by #Pakistani troops along the LoC in #Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir: Police. PTI

# 7:23 PM

He says that we have not made any contribution, but when votes r required from people, then my need is felt: #RGYadav

# 7:20 PM

If the party chief follows unconstitutional route, then who will call conference: #RamGopalYadav

# 7:15 PM

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav doesn't have proper knowledge fo the party's constitution: Ramgopal Yadav

#7:13 PM

This is unconstitutional as both of us were expelled 2 hours after they gave the notice & without listening to our answers: Ram Gopal Yadav

#7: 12 PM

It's unconstitutional to expel someone without listening to them just hours after issuing show-cause notice-Ram Gopal Yadav on his expulsion

#7:11 PM

RatanTata asks employees to put events of last months behind and rededicate to re-establish Tata Group's leadership: PTI

# 7:10 PM

Group ethics and values challenged through unsubstantiated allegations by people who don't practice what they preach: Ratan Tata - PTI

# 7:09 PM

There has been wilful, well-orchestrated endeavour to destroy personal reputations in past 3 turbulent, wasteful months: Ratan Tata -PTI

# 7:02 PM

Jammu and Kashmir: 10-year-old killed in cross-border firing by #Pakistan in #Poonch sector: ANI

# 7:01 PM

How will Akhilesh apologise? He keeps on fighting, if he accepts me as father, then we will see: MulayamSinghYadav

# 6:58 PM

I had made this party; what was their contribution? #RamGopal and #AkhileshYadav are finishing the party: #SP chief

# 6:55 PM

I will decide who will be the #ChiefMinister: SP Chief #MulayamSinghYadav

# 6:54 PM

I have worked really hard to make this party, what was their role in this? I work hard and they reap the fruits?: Mulayam Singh Yadav

# 6:53 PM

To save the party, we have expelled #RamGopal & #AkhileshYadav for six years from party: #MulayamSinghYadav

# 6: 51 PM

For us party is the most important and our priority is to save the party: SP Chief #MulayamSinghYadav

# 6:48 PM

For us party is the most important and our priority is to save the party: SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav

# 6:45 PM

Mulayam Singh Yadav expels #CMAkhileshYadav for 6 years from Samajwadi Party

# 6:42 PM

How can he (#RamGopal)call fr emergency nat'l exe meet without my permission? Normally atleast 15 or 10 days period notice is given-#SPChief

# 6:41 PM

CM Akhilesh Yadav doesn't understand, #RamGopal is trying to weaken him: #SPChiefMulayamSingh

# 6:40 PM

CM #AkhileshYadav is not understanding, Ram Gopal is destroying his future: SP chief #MulayamSinghYadav

# 6:38 PM

No one has the right to call for a nat'l executive meet other than party Chief; by doing this you have hurt the party's interest: #SPChief

# 6: 35 PM

Ramgopal Yadav expelled from Samajwadi party for 6 years, says SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav

Also Read: Live updates | Mulayam expels son Akhilesh Yadav, brother Ram Gopal Yadav from SP for anti-party activities



# 6:25 PM

SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav addresses media in Lucknow (UP), Shivpal Singh Yadav also present: ANI UP

# 6:18 PM

Putin condemns new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia but says Moscow will not expel American diplomats: AP

# 6: 14 PM

CBI arrests an Income tax officer, Pune for demanding & accepting a bribe of Rs. 1 lakh: ANI

# 6:10 PM

We keep on getting notice for our statements: RamGopalYadav, SP : ANI UP

# 6:09 PM

Narinder Batra resigns as IOA's Associate VP in protest against appointments of #Suresh Kalmadi & Abhay Chautala as IOA's life Presidents: ANI

# 6:08 PM

Pema Khandu is the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh with absolute majority. No question in change of leadership: Bamang Felix - ANI

# 6:07 PM

There is no iota of truth in the news that has gone viral about the change in leadership: #BamangFelix, Arunachal Govt Spokesperson: ANI

# 6:06 PM

Obama hits Russia with sanctions for hacking; Syria's cease-fire holding despite minor violations: AP

# 6:05 PM

Total undisclosed income detected post #demonetisation is over Rs 4,313 cr; total cash and jewellery seizure over Rs 554 cr: I-T dept.

# 6:04 PM

Heavy cross-border firing by Pakistan army along the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir: PTI

# 6:03 PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia will not expel US diplomats: AFP

# 6:02 PM

A lottery app has been named after Ambedkar by Centre; This is crude mentality and insult to backward classes: #MamataBanerjee - ANI

# 6:01 PM

Modi Babu, arrest all my #MPs and MLAs if you want; You don't need to summon us., we are ready; But we cannot be deterred: #WBCM - ANI

# 6:00 PM

Political vendetta has reached a new low. I will not be surprised if they arrest all our MPs: Mamata Banerjee - ANI

# 5:59 PM

BabulSupriyo and #RupaGanguly also were associated with Rose Valley: #WBCM - ANI

# 5:58 PM

BJP is connected to Pearl group chit fund scam worth Rs 50000 Crore: WB CM Mamata Banerjee: ANI

# 5:57 PM

Delhi: India and Singapore sign revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements, FM Jaitley and Singapore FM and Deputy PM present: ANI

# 5:56 PM

Even Amitabh ji is promoting a state; Many film stars and cricketers promoted Sahara; Was Centre sleeping?: WB CM

# 5: 53 PM

TMC protesting agnst note ban that doesn't mean they've to be arrested by CBI;Anyone can become ambassador for any state-WB CM on Tapas Paul - ANI

# 5:45 PM

I hope the restrictions on cash withdrawal will be withdrawn; Will normalcy of life be restored now?: WB CM Mamata Banerjee DeMonetisation: ANI

# 5:55 PM

PM promised to bring back black money but couln't do so; PM destroyed economy & endangered the country's external & internal security: WB CM -ANI

# 5:44 PMChennai: #SasikalaNatarajan, who will be taking charge as AIADMK's General Secretary tomorrow, visits former TN CM Jayalalithaa's memorial

# 5: 43 PM

RamGopalYadav issues statement; calls for emergency national executive meet of SP on 1 Jan, urges members to join in party's favour: ANI UP

# 5:42 PM

Today is the end of Modi jis self-set 50-day deadline; the country went through a tumultuous situation: Mamata Banerjee #DeMonetisation: ANI

# 5:41 PM

The mass scale and manner in which some ppl have indulged in currency racketeering itself justifies the PM's decision of Nov 8: #FMJaitley - ANI

# 5:35 PM

Things have normalised to a large extent. Post 31st December would urge (media) to not show queues of Dec 10: #FM: ANI

# 5:34 PM

Since there's been efforts by GoI to eliminate where it can, the black money and its users in India, revisiting of this agreements was imp-FM - ANI

#5:33 PM

After 2019, the entire capital gains tax will come to India: Finance Minister #ArunJaitley -ANI

# 5:32 PM

With effect from 2019, Switzerland will start giving us real time info on investments by India or Indian entities in Switzerland in 2018: FM - ANI

# 5:32 PM

IOA Pres not in India&issue hasn't been discussed with him&law board. Keen to support GoI but need time to discuss-Rajeev Mehta IOA Secy Gen - ANI

# 5:31 PM

Jharkhand Mine Collapse toll increases to 10. Rescue and relief operations continue - ANI

# 5:31 PM

Must say 2016 is historic because 3 double taxation avoidance agreements which provided routes to evade taxations have been blocked- #FM - ANI

# 5:30 PM

Must say 2016 has been historic because 3 double taxation avoidance agreements which provided routes to evade taxations have been blocked-FM - ANI

# 5:29 PM

IOA asked for 15 days from GoI to reply on show cause notice regarding Suresh Kalmadi & Abhay Chautala's appt: Rajeev Mehta IOA Secy Gen

# 5:28 PM

On 10 May '16, we had amended the DTAA with Mauritius,on 18 Nov '16, DTAA with Cyprus was amended and today we amended it with Singapore: FM

# 5:27 PM

Since there's been efforts by GoI to eliminate where it can, the black money and its users in India, revisiting of this treaty was imp: FM - ANI

# 5: 25 PM

On Friday, #India and #Singapore have signed the 3rd protocol for amending DTAA: FM #ArunJaitley: ANI

# 5:24 PM

SP Chief #MulayamSinghYadav issues a showcause notice to #RamGopalYadav for talking against the party line in media: ANI UP

# 5:22 PM

Jharkhand MineCollapse toll increases to 10. Rescue and relief operations continue: ANI

# 5:21 PM

Samajwadi party chief #MulayamSinghYadav sends show cause notice to CM #AkhileshYadav: ANI UP

# 5:20 PM

Compared to 15' number of security personnel who lost lives in J&K doubled in 16'. Situation worsened instead of getting better: Chidambaram

# 5:19 PM

Was there a bill on GST in Parliament last session? Totally incorrect & unfair to blame Opposition for non-passage of bill: P Chidambaram

# 5:18 PM

No evidence that terror is funded by fake currency only; In J&K,since Sept30, 33 security personnel died-#Chidambaram

# 5:17 PM

Single case (of NDA Govt) of mismanagement,administration collapse & widespread corruption: Former Fin. Min. P Chidambaram #demonetisation

# 5:16 PM

Even #RBI has said GDP will take a hit by 0.5% so the FM must pose questions to RBI and RBI will answer: Chidambaram #DeMonetisation - ANI

# 5:15 PM

Increase in tax revenues has no direct correlation with the performance in GDP: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram: ANI

# 5:14 PM

1.2 crore people have voluntarily given up LPG #subsidies; 1.5 cr poor rural women have been given free #LPG connection: #PMModi

# 5:13 PM

There is a mistake in assuming that people who are patient are not angry: P Chidambaram #DeMonetisation

#5:12 PM

Seizure of new notes shows corruption at RBI,currency chests&banks #DeMonetisation is mismanagemnet & administartive collapse: #Chidambaram

# 5:11 PM

Pak MoFA stmnt of y'day is absurd even by their standards.Labelling bonafide Indian pol parties&social cultural org as terror org.-#MEA: ANI

#5:09 PM

There is no guarantee that black money will not be found and bribes will not be taken in new currency notes: #PChidabaram: ANI

# 5:06 PM

Maharashtra: #Naxals killed three civilians in #Gadchirolidistrict, suspecting them to be Police informers: ANI

# 5:04 PM

Will continue to push forward with determination through options availble with us to bring perpetrators of violence to justice: Vikas Swarup - ANI

# 5: 03 PM

Decision by China to block proposal to list Masood Azhar as terrorist is surprising as China herself is affected by scourge of terrorism-MEA - ANI

# 5:02 PM

Whatever money is coming will be used for the benefit of the poor: #PMModi

# 5:00 PM

The money coming will be used for benefit of the poor. Friends, we have to change the country: #PMModi

# 4:59 PM

Inability of intn'l community to list Masood Azhar as designated terrorist is blow to counter terrorism efforts; shows double standards: MEA

# 4:58 PM

Our country's poorer sections should have the first right on the country's wealth: #PMModi

# 4:56 PM

Israel's PM #Netanyahu denies baseless reports of new scandal: AP

# 4:55 PM

The country has united to finish its internal evils, people have come forward to bear so much trouble, this is our country's strength: #PM

# 4:53 PM

The media can be of huge service in the coming days; in 2017 it will ask that despite carrying 2 mobile phones u r not #cashless? #PMModi

# 4:51 PM

#China blocks proposal at #UN to list #MasoodAzhar as a designated terrorist; MEA reacts,says expected China to be more understanding: ANI

# 4: 50 PM

I am thankful to media as it has helped #Govt formulate schemes and take up initiatives to empower the poor: #PMModi

# 4:49 PM

In last 50 days media while covering me, also questioned the Govt on how will the country become digital when poor don't have mobile-#PMModi

# 4:46 PM

By launching #BHIM, I am providing the people the best gift of 2017: #PMModi

# 4:44 PM

Look at the newspapers 3 years ago, the news was about what is lost (in scams), today it is about what has come back or what is the gain: PM

# 4:42 PM

I don't have anything for pessimists, but for those with positive mindset, India has several opportunities: #PMModi

#4: 40 PM

I don't have anything for pessimists, I congratulate them on their pessimism: #PMModi

4:39 PM

Our country which is known as #illiterate, it can be proud that we have brought revolution in electronic voting; that also successfully: PM

4:37 PM

Mantra of Dr. Ambedkar was to work for the upliftment of the poor. And the biggest power of technology is that it can empower the poor: PM

4: 36 PM

Furthering digital connectivity would do wonders for our nation: #PMNarendraModi

4:35 PM

This money is not of educated ppl, it will provide power to poor folk, small businessmen, tribals farmers: #PMModi

# 4:33 PM

Earlier illiterate people were known as '#anguthachhap'. Now time has changed, yr 'angutha' - thumb is your bank and identity: #PMModi

# 4:31 PM

Furthering #digitalconnectivity would do wonders for our nation: #PMModi

# 4:30 PM

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav calls for a meeting with supporters on January 1 at his residence.

# 4:29 PM

The #BHIMApp is very simple to use: #PMModi

# 4:28 PM

#DrAmbedkar's thesis offers significant insights of various economic issues: #PMModi

# 4:26 PM

Launch of #BHIMApp is significant. In addition to role in making Constitution, #DrAmbedkar was great economist: #PM

4:25 PM

The mega draw will take place on 14th April, the birth anniversary of #DrBabasahebAmbedkar: #PMModi

4:22 PM

Over the 100 day period, several families will be given the prizes: #PMModi

4:21 PM

Initiatives like the #LuckyGrahakYojana and #DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana are a Christmas gift to the nation: #PMModi

# 4:04 PM

Delhi High Court grants OP Chautala parole for Jan 3 to attend Dushyant Chautala's engagement ceremony; He'll have to surrender by Jan 4: ANI

# 4:03 PM

Union Minister RS Prasad speaking at the Digi Dhan Mela at the Talkatora stadium: ANI

# 4:02 PM

PM Narendra Modi distributes prizes to those who have made contributions to promote digital payments in the country: ANI

# 4:01 PM

Clashes erupt near #Damascus despite #Syriatruce: Monitor (AFP)

# 4:00 PM

Russia moves to expel 35 US diplomats in tit-for-tat response: AFP

# 3:58 PM

ED attaches assets worth Rs 23Crores of Artha Tatwa Group,P.K.Sethy & others in Chit Fund Scam of Odisha. Total Attachment now is Rs 107 Cr.: ANI

# 3:57 PM

ED registers money laundering case against #IRF and #ZakirNaik based on earlier FIR registered by NIA: ANI

# 3:56 PM

Delhi: PM Narendra Modi launches a mobile app to make digital payments easier at the Digi-Dhan Mela at the Talkatora Stadium: ANI

# 3:55 PM

West Bengal: #CBI arrests #TMC MP #TapasPaul in connection with a chit fund scam case : ANI

# 3: 54 PM

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's kin to meet PM Modi in 2nd week of January to demand Jan 23rd (Netaji's birthday) be declared as 'Patriot Day

# 3:53 PM

Delhi: CBI conducts searches at Delhi Health Minister #SatyendraJains OSD's office - ANI

# 3:52 PM

Delhi: Prime Minister #NarendraModi at the #DigiDhanMela at the Talkatora Stadium - ANI

# 3:51 PM

Jewellery and bullion shops in Mumbai's #ZaveriBazar being raided by #IncomeTaxDepartment: ANI

#3:36pm

ED registers criminal case against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik under money laundering laws (PTI)

#3:30pm

Jewellery and bullion shops in Mumbai's Zaveri Bazar raided by Income Tax Department (ANI)

#3:20pm

Tamil Nadu: DMK treasurer MK Stalin demands probe into former CM Jayalalithaa's death and demands a sitting HC judge to probe the issue. (ANI)

#3:15pm

Uttar Pradesh: Passenger bus falls into a canal in Sitapur, rescue operation underway (ANI)

#3:08PM

Delhi: CBI conducts searches at Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain's OSD's office - ANI

#3:06PM

A total of more than Rs 120 crore deposited in Jain Co-operative Bank. It is suspected that most of the money was black money: IT Sources - ANI

#2:57PM

J&K: Separatist leader Yasin Malik (JKLF) detained by police in Pulwama, after he tried to protest against refugees' domicile issue - ANI

#2:55PM

AgustaWestland: Patiala House Court extends judicial custody of SP Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan for 14 days - ANI

#02:45PM

Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh): Sudden decision of PPA to suspend Pema Khandu is not acceptable to us- Tamiyo Taga, BJP - ANI



#02:39PM

Mumbai: Jewellery and bullion shops in Zaveri Bazar being raided by IT - ANI



#02:31PM

Eastern Coalfields Limited(ECL) announces ex-gratia compensation of Rs5 lakhs each to family of the deceased - ANI



#02:16PM

Naya Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh inaugurates Boat Club at Jungle Safari - ANI



#02:09PM

Rs 5 lakh in Rs 2000 denomination notes looted from a bank employee in Jharkhand's Giridih district - ANI



#02:06PM

Jharkhand mine collapse: 9 bodies recovered so far, all 10 mining equipment extracted - ANI



#02:04PM

Sasikala Natarajan to formally take charge as General Secretary of AIADMK tomorrow morning at AIADMK's head office in Chennai - ANI



#01:56PM

Government extends tax dispute resolution scheme by one month, till Jan 31 2017; earlier scheme was to expire on 31 Dec - ANI



#01:48PM

Petition by which CBI sought police custody for J Sekhar Reddy, Srinivasalu and Prem Kumar also dismissed by CBI Court, Chennai - ANI



#01:41PM

Petition seeking bail for J Sekhar Reddy, Srinivasalu, Prem Kumar dismissed by Chennai CBI court; all 3 accused of illegal exchange of notes - ANI



#01:38PM

We should not force or put a burden on the society; it is not acceptable: WB CM Mamata Banerjee on Demonetisation - ANI



#01:36PM

West Bengal: TMC MP Tapas Paul at CBI office in North 24 Parganas, he was summoned by CBI in connection with a chit fund scam case - ANI



#01:21PM

SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav calls for meeting of candidates declared for UP Assembly elections, on 31 Dec at party office in Lucknow - ANI



#01:08PM

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to address a Press Conference on Friday at 5.00 p.m -ANI



#01:33PM

Bihar: Tattered demonetised notes of Rs 500 found by locals in Gopalganj. Police on the spot for further investigation - ANI



#01:02PM

Agusta Westland case: On the plea of CBI, Delhi High Court issues notice to ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi against bail given to him - ANI



#12:57PM

Order on Chhagan Bhujbal's hospital transfer matter adjourned till 9th January by Special PMLA Court - ANI



#12:54PM

SBNs (Specified bank notes) cannot form part of banks cash balances from the close of business as on December 31, 2016: RBI - ANI



#12:52PM

All bank branches(other than those of DCCBs)who have accumulated SBNs as at the close of business on December 30,2016 are required: RBI - ANI



#12:50PM

With closure of facility of exchange of SBNs at close of banks on Dec 30, banks should report info on collection of SBNs on Dec 30 at email: RBI - ANI



#12:45PM

Delhi: Friday being the last day to submit demonetised notes, people seen queuing up outside banks - ANI



#12:42PM

Seven bodies recovered from Lalmatia colliery at Rajmahal area under ECL: CMD - ANI



#12:41PM

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: High level committee of experts constituted by Coal India Ltd to investigate into causes of mine collapse



#12:40PM

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: Enquiry ordered by the Director General of Mines Safety says Coal Ministry - ANI



#12:37PM

Situation critical; companies like NCL need to excercise control and follow norms, even walking on road is tough: Sonbhadra Local and NGO member - ANI



#12:35PM

Renusagar Power Co is causing great levels of pollution, what comes out of their chimneys is venomous: Sonbhadra Local - ANI



#12:31PM

SC says no question of Justice Khehar usurping power through NJAC judgment, or being ineligible for appointment as CJI. No merit in the plea - ANI



#12:29PM

12 BJP MLAs in Arunachal strongly backing Govt led by Pema Khandu says BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav - ANI



#12:29PM

Theft at Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's office in East Delhi, Computers and documents stolen -ANI



#12: 18PM

People suffering from diseases due to smoke by coal companies. They are clearly violating NGT's orders; critical situation: Sonbhadra Local - ANI



#12:17PM

Sonbhadra (UP): Coal companies and power plants in area add to air & water pollution causing health problem to residents,violating NGT norms - ANI

#12:16PM

UP: Despite NGT report terming Sonbhadra as one of the most polluted districts in India,no respite in pollution by coal cos. & power plants - ANI

#12:35PM

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: Death toll rises to 7, rescue operations underway - ANI

#12:11PM

Dy CM Manish Sisodia's office in Vinod Nagar burgled; Thieves decamp with computers, documents, DVR of CCTV camera among other items -ANI

#12:07PM

SC dismisses a plea filed by a lawyers' body seeking stay on appointment of Jagdish Singh Khehar the next Chief Justice of India - ANI

#12:04PM

Arrunachal Pradesh: Pema was earlier unanimously elected, we still consider Pema Khandu as the Chief Minister: State BJP president Tapir Gao- ANI

#12:01PM

Government extends by one month tax dispute resolution scheme till January 31, 2017 - PTI

#11:54AM

PM speaks to Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das,enquires about mine collapse. Das announces Rs 2 lakh for the deceased, 25000 for the injured - ANI

#11:43AM

Takam Pario likely to be next Arunachal Pradesh CM. Final statement to come out after People's Party of Arunachal's (PPA) meeting: Sources - ANI

#11:10AM

Fire broke out at SBI Life Insurance company in Nungambakkam, Chennai. More than 6 fire tenders at the spot -ANI



#11:06AM

Uttar Pradesh: Roof of a godown collapses in Lucknow after fire broke out, labourers feared trapped.



#11:00AM

MHA has extended the date of submission of application for registration as OCI cardholder by the erstwhile PIO cardholders till June 30,2017 -ANI

#10:52AM

Rescue teams have recovered 4 bodies till now, one more body visible; work underway:Rajiv Ranjan Mishra CMD ECL and WCL - ANI



#10:50AM

Virat Kohli rubbishes reports of engagement, says we aren't getting engaged & if we were going to, we wouldn't hide it



#10:35AM

Lucknow: CM Akhilesh Yadav calls SP's core-group meeting at 10.30am at his residence on Kalidas Marg, both youth & senior leaders to take part - ANI

#10:33AM

Certain consultations have to be there, but that has been missing. Complete communication gap between party org & governance: Khafa Bengia - ANI

#10:32AM

We are not happy with leadership of Pema Khandu, he hasn't been able to take party into confidence on policy decisions:PPA Pres Khafa Bengia - ANI

#10:04AM

Acc to rules, 1 person is allowed per equipment & as 2 dumpers fled during incident, so number of ppl trapped may be less than 7: RR Mishra - ANI



#10:03AM

3 excavators,7 dumpers were identified at mining site where incident took place, 2 dumpers fled when land subsided: Rajiv Ranjan Mishra - ANI

#10:02AM

Rescue op started yesterday & is in full swing , power cut was restored within 3 hours: Rajiv Ranjan Mishra CMD ECL & WCL to ANI



#10:01AM

Fire at bakery shop in Pune's Kondhwa area, casualties feared: Police - ANI



#9:34AM

Taking stock of situation, rescue efforts underway; enquiry has been initiated: Power and coal minister Piyush Goyal on Jharkhand mine collapse - ANI



#09:30AM

He has duped thousands of people, took lakhs of money from them and assured of providing jobs. He had fake identities: Police - ANI



#9:26AM

Udhampur (J&K): 27-year-old man arrested by Police on Thursday for allegedly cheating many unemployed youths on the pretext of Govt Jobs - ANI



#09:11AM

Jharkhand mine collapse; One NDRF team from Patna enroute to Jharkhand mine collapse site in Lalmatia - ANI

#08:57AM

Jharkhand mine collapse: CM Raghubar Das monitoring situation closely, asks concerned officials to intensify rescue operations - ANI



#8:42AM

Maharashtra: Six die after fire broke out at a bakery shop in Pune early this morning -ANI

#8:34AM

Uttar Pradesh: People light fire to battle prevailing cold wave conditions in Allahabad -ANI

#8:30AM

Punjab: Amritsar witnessed dense fog in early morning hours, people light fire to battle cold wave conditions -ANI

#08:19AM

Jharkhand mine collapse: NDRF team from Patna on the way. Additional manpower comprising 1 Go's;2 insp,21 CISF from ECL sheetalpur hqrs rushed -ANI

#08:15AM

Jharkhand mine collapse: On duty CISF sentry is safe. Rescue operation is underway & electric supply has also been disrupted says CISF -ANI

#8:12AM

Lalmatia (Jharkhand): Some machineries of pvt company along with around 40-50 workers are suspected to be trapped inside the debris,says CISF -ANI

#8:04AM

Cold wave grips Delhi, fog seen in early morning hours -ANI

#8: 02AM

Delhi: Fog blankets the national capital, cold wave conditions continue -ANI

#7:59AM

PM Modi to take part in Digi Dhan Mela in Delhi's Talkatora stadium. Will launch Aadhar pay and rebranded version of UPI and USSD - ANI

#7:59AM

Russian Govt impeded diplomatic ops by forcing closure of 28American corners which hosted cultural prog,Eng language teaching: US State Dept - ANI

#7:54AM

Godda: Mine collapsed in Lalmatia in Jharkhand last night, many workers feared trapped. (injured being given medical aid in a hospital) -ANI

#7:49AM

International flights delayed at Delhi's IGI-Arrival 11,Departure 2;Domestic flights delayed-Arrival 1,Diverted 1,Departure 12 & 2 cancelled due to fog - ANI

#7:40AM

US State Dept informed Russian Govt that it would deny Russian personnel access to 2 recreational compounds in US owned by Russian Govt - ANI

#7:37AM

Declared 35 Russian officials persona non grata operating in US,were acting in manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status:US State Dep - ANI

#7:20AM

Mine collapsed in Lalmatia in Jharkhand last night - ANI

#7:11AM

54 trains delayed (arriving late in Delhi area), 12 rescheduled due to fog and other operational reasons - ANI

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Chilly winters in Delhi have arrived and its impact is being seen as the fog covers the city during late night hours and the early morning hours.

It has been seen the last couples of weeks that the trains are delayed or being rescheduled for next day.

And according to reports, 54 trains scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Friday are not on time and 12 trains have been rescheduled due to fog or other operational reasons.

54 trains delayed (arriving late in Delhi area), 12 rescheduled due to #fog /other operational reasons. a ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Well, 11 International flights arriving to Delhias IGI airport, 2 departing flights have also been delayed. One domestic flightas late arrival, one diversion, 12 late departures, and 2 cancelled flights have also been reported.A
Patna:

Stressing that every section of the society is affected by black money and corruption, Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind on Thursday said demonetisation is a"positive effort" to free the society of the ills.

"Demonetisation is a positive effort in the directionto free the society of black money and corruption," theGovernor said at the annual function of Bihar Chamber and Commerce.

"As a result of demonetisation, weaker section of the society would get relief while the financial and tradeactivities would get a boost through greater transparency themeasure would bring in," he said in his address as Chief Guest.

The governor stressed on branding of Bihar for industrial development of the state. He appealed to the Chamber to present a "road map" toboost industries in Bihar to the government.

Kovind said that Bihar which primarily has anagriculture-based economy holds tremendous potential in thefield of industries related to food processing.

Bihar Industries minister Jai Kumar Singh said that the government paid special attention to suggestions made by the leading trade and commerce body in drafting its "growth-oriented" Industrial policy.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Washington:

President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russias interference in the US presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts.

The State Department also has kicked out 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the US.

The diplomats were declared persona non grata for acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status.

Obama said Russians will no longer have access to two Russian government-owned compounds in the United States, in Maryland and in New York.

Russian officials have denied the Obama administrations accusation that the Russian government was trying to influence the US presidential election.

US intelligence agencies concluded that Russias goal was to help Donald Trump win, an assessment Trump has dismissed as ridiculous.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Lal Matia :

Several miners were feared trapped in an open cast coal mine collapse at Rajmahal area of Central Coalfields Ltd in Jharkhand late on Thursday night. The company has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs each to the family of the deceased, in addition to the amount to be paid under the Workmen's Compensation Act.









Here are live updates:A

#Jharkhand Mine Collapse toll increases to 10. Rescue and relief operations continue. (5:20PM)

#Jharkhand mine collapse: 9 bodies recovered so far, all 10 mining equipment extracted.

Godda: Latest visuals from the #JharkhandMineCollapse site, 7 dead. Rescue, restoration work underway. pic.twitter.com/g8jbHwYz6W a ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

A

#Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: Death toll rises to 7, rescue operations underway

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: Death toll rises to 7, rescue operations underway pic.twitter.com/HE9GjtaKrN a ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

#Enquiry ordered by the Director General of Mines Safety says Coal Ministry

#High level committee of experts constituted by Coal India Ltd to investigate into causes of mine collapse

#A Death toll rises to 7, rescue operations underway.A

#A Prime Minister speaks to Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das,enquires about mine collapse. Das announces Rs 2 lakh for the deceased, 25000 for the injured.

#A Rescue teams have recovered 4 bodies till now, one more body visible; work underway:Rajiv Ranjan Mishra CMD ECL & WCL

#Three more NDRF teams from Patna, and one from Ranchi enroute to Lalmatia mine collapse site.

#According to rules, 1 person is allowed per equipment & as 2 dumpers fled during incident, so number of ppl trapped may be less than 7.

#3 excavators,7 dumpers were identified at mining site where incident took place, 2 dumpers fled when land subsided,

#Rescue op started yesterday and it is in full swing , power cut was restored within 3 hours.



#Taking stock of situation, rescue efforts underway; enquiry has been initiated: Power and coal minister Piyush Goyal.

#One NDRF team from Patna enroute to Jharkhand mine collapse site in LalmatiaA

#CM Raghubar Das monitoring situation closely, asks concerned officials to intensify rescue operations.

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: 40-50 workers feared trapped under the debris, rescue operations on. NDRF team from Patna on the way. pic.twitter.com/E0q9MLdDuR

Jharkhand (Lalmatia) mine collapse: 40-50 workers feared trapped under the debris, rescue operations on. NDRF team from Patna on the way. pic.twitter.com/fYyK0XAhmI a ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Unofficial sources, however, said that it could be anywhere between 10 to 15 persons. He said that rescue operations were on in full swing.A A Director General of Mines Safety and higher officials of CCL were there to supervise the rescue operation, Mishra said adding that he is also rushing to the site.

Expressing concern onA incidentA of Jharkhand coal mine collapse, Power and coal minister, Piyush Goyal said that he has been takingA stock of situation and rescue efforts is underway. The minister said thatA enquiryA has been initiated. A A

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das is said to be monitoring the situation closely. He has also asked concerned officials to intensify rescue operations.

Commenting on the situation, Chairperson and Managing Director (CMD) A of A Eastern Coalfields limited (ECL) andA WCL, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said that "rescue operations started yesterday and it is in full swing, power cut was restored within 3 hours. A

Prima facie, it is observed that the incidence is unprecedented, since anA area of 300 m length by 110 m wide solid floor of the Over Burden dump area has slid down by about 35 m involving around 9.5 million cubic meters of earth material. An Inquiry has been ordered in the incident by the Director General of Mines Safety and a High Level Committee of Experts has been constituted by Coal India Limited to investigate into the causes of the accident. A A

A control room has been set up at the project office of Rajmahal Open Cast Expansion Project of ECL and Shri R.R. Amitabh, GM, Mining is in charge of control room and his contact no. is 9771447171.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Police have arrested the main accused in the murder case of a youth in northwest Delhis Mahendra Park area, who was also a witness in the murder case of his friend.

Two other accused, Chotu and Bhola were arrested on December 26 while the main accused, Sadaq, was absconding after the alleged murder.

Sadaq has been arrested now on the basis the CCTV footage from the area, police said.

Jeet, who was allegedly shot dead last week, was the prime witness in the murder case of his friend, Vijay, who was beaten to death by some locals in the month of July. Jeet had been receiving threat calls asking him to back off from the case.

In Vijays case, Sandeep and Sadaqs name had cropped up. Four people were arrested but the duo were on the run, police said.
Washington:

US President-elect Donald Trump will meet intelligence officials next week to be updated on the facts after the Obama administration sanctioned Russian intelligence services, expelled 35 Russian officials and shuttered two Russian-owned compounds in the US.

Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation, Trump said.

Trumps vaguely worded statement, which did not mention Russia directly, came soon after the Obama Administration yesterday announced a series of punitive measures against alleged Russian hackings during the presidential elections.

A top Trump advisor said that it is time to move on.

Hell receive an intelligence briefing this coming week.

And in the meantime, he believes its time to move on, Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the president-elect, told CNN.

Ive been reading all the news reports about these retaliations, these sanctions put forward by President Obama and his administration. Some of them seem largely symbolic. The GRU doesnt travel here, doesnt keep its assets here. No reason allies will follow suit. Were yet to see all of the intelligence reports, she said.

Trump, she noted, believes its time to move on to bigger and better things for the country.

Meanwhile, announcement of sanctions against Russia was welcomed by lawmakers from across the aisle.

Russia does not share Americas interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. While todays action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. It serves as a prime example of this administrations ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world, House Speaker Paul Ryan said.

The retaliatory measures announced by the Obama Administration are long overdue, said Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

But ultimately, they are a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy. We intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia, the two Senators said in a joint statement.

After years of weakness that have invited and encouraged Russian aggression, the actions by President Obama are long overdue, said Senator Marco Rubio.

Vladimir Putin has made it abundantly clear he is not an ally or partner of the United States, and that his interests are fundamentally not our interests, he said as he welcomed the sanctions against Russia.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Lucknow:

In a shocking series of events on Friday, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party for six years. Mulayam Singh Yadav also expelled party general secretary and brother Ram Gopal Yadav for indulging in anti-party activities.



"New chief minister will be decided by us," said Mulayam while addressing the press conference in Lucknow.



"I made Akhilesh chief minister. Now he does not even consult me," said Mulayam.



Flanked by brother Shivpal Yadav, who has been at loggerheads with the Chief Minister, Mulayam said he had taken the action against Akhilesh and Ram Gopal to save the party which he had built through hard efforts.

Akhilesh Yadav also announced that he will address a press conference at 9 pm on Friday where he is expected to present his reply on the decisions taken by the party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.



Ram Gopal Yadav, who was expelled by Mulayam second time on Friday, said that the party chief doesn't know the constitution of the party.

ALSO READ | Live updates: Mulayam expels son Akhilesh Yadav, brother Ram Gopal Yadav from SP for anti-party activities



"It's unconstitutional to expel someone without listening to them just hours after issuing show-cause notice," said Ram Gopal Yadav on his expulsion.



He said: "This is unconstitutional as both of us were expelled 2 hours after they gave the notice and without listening to our answers."



After the announcements of expulsion of CM Akhilesh Yadav from the party, frenzied supporters of the chief minister indulge in angry protests in front of Mulayam's residence.

ALSO READ | It's up to me to decide who will be the CM, says Mulayam | Top 10 quotes



Constitutional crisis?



As Mulayam has announced that he will decide the name of new chief minister, it will be interesting to see how Akhilesh Yadav reacts. What will happen if he presents a list of majority of MLAs in his support to the governor? Will UP Governor ask Akhilesh to step down? Will the Governor ask Akhilesh to prove his majority on the floor of the House? Will UP become a fit case to impose President's Rule? These are the few questions which will be answered only by the Governor now.

ALSO READ | Mulayam not aware of partys constitution: Ram Gopal Yadav after SP chief expels him and Akhilesh



What happened in last two days



# Ram Gopal Yadav, a staunch supporter of the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, called an emergency meeting on Friday of the party in defiance of the party chief.



# Mulayam issued a showcause notice to son after a defiant Akhilesh Yadav released a new list of poll candidates.



# Mulayam Singh Yadav has called a meeting of all the candidates allotted tickets amid hectic efforts to stave off a split in the party.



# On Thursday night, Akhilesh released his own list of 235 candidates for the assembly elections.



# Akhilesh Yadav's list of 235 includes 187 candidates who also feature in his father's list, and tomorrow's meeting will be watched keenly for how many of these party leaders attend, signalling that they are with Mulayam Singh.



# Mulayam also issued a showcause notice to Akhilesh for 'indiscipline' over releasing a parallel list of candidates.



# Shivpal Yadav, uncle of Akhilesh, had a meeting with brother and party chief Mulayam Singh on Thursday night.



# Mulayam had convened a meeting on Saturday of the 393 candidates who have been allotted tickets by him.



# There were fears in the party cadre that the battle for control will start at grassroots level in SP.



# There were reports that Akhilesh might break away from the ruling party and float his own party.



Akhilesh Yadav had in last two months engaged in a battle of power with his uncle Shivpal Yadav. Mulayam Singh has consistently supported his younger brother.



Elections to 403 assembly seats of Uttar Pradesh are expected to be announced by the Election Commission in the first month of January next year.
New Delhi:

French auto major Renault plans to export its hatchback Kwid to South Africa, Bhutan and Bangladesh from India in 2017 as it prepares to take the popular hatchback to international markets.

The company, which launched the car in India with 98 per cent localisation in 2015, has already started exporting the hatchback to Sri Lanka, Nepal and Mauritius.

"We started exports of Kwid with Sri Lanka, followed by Nepal and now we are going to Bhutan and Bangladesh," Renault India Operations Country CEO and Managing Director Sumit Sawhney told PTI.

Shipments to Bhutan would begin during the second half of next year while exports to Bangladesh would also begin towards the middle of next year, he added.

"We are also working on South Africa currently and shipments are expected to be sent in the first quarter of next year," Sawhney said.

Terming the Kwid as one of the biggest 'Make in India' success story, Sawhney said that the model will be going to a host of markets outside India.

Launched in September last year, Kwid has been a success for Renault in India. Initially, the car was available with an 800 cc engine at a price tag of Rs 2.64-3.73 lakh. Recently a 1,000 cc engine variant and one with automated manual transmission (AMT) have also been introduced.

The company has so far retailed over 1.10 lakh units of the model in India since its launch last year.

When asked if there would be sourcing of parts from India to the company's Brazil plant where manufacturing of the small car is expected to begin next year, Sawhney said: "When we say 98 per cent localisation, we got many suppliers in India so the markets especially, Mauritius and South Africa, the car is going to be built in India and exported.

"But when the car is going to be manufactured in Brazil, we will see that wherever Indian suppliers are competitive, opportunities will come to those suppliers."

To celebrate the first anniversary of Kwid, Renault embarked on a drive with the Kwid from India to France. The car passed through 13 countries covering 18,996 kms before reaching Paris.

The French company has invested heavily towards getting the basics right and creating a strong foundation for Renault in India.

The Franco-Japanese auto alliance of Renault-Nissan has a manufacturing plant in Chennai with an annual capacity of 4.8 lakh units.

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NEW DELHI:

Three men have been arrested for shooting at the mother of a 15-year-old rape victim in south Delhis Jamia Nagar, with the police saying that they were involved with the conspiracy to frame the rape accused due to rivalry.

Mohd Iqbal (46), Wasim (30), and Faisal Hussain (36) were arrested on Thursday, said Romil Baaniya, DCP (Southeast).

On December 23, the mother of the rape victim was shot at when she was taking her daughter to a hospital for a check-up. She had alleged that her daughter was raped by Sajid (36), who was arrested in Uttar Pradeshs Bijnor district.

During interrogation, Sajid confessed his involvement in the rape case but denied his role in the (shooting) incident. He hinted at the involvement of Faisal Hussain as he would have benefited if Sajid went to jail, said the officer.

Ikbal and Wasim were nabbed last night. The two admitted their involvement in the shooting on the direction of Hussain, he added.

Hussain was nabbed in Jamia Nagar last night. He disclosed that Sajid had become a challenge for him, the officer said.

Hussain hatched the conspiracy soon after he came to know that Sajid was involved in a rape case. He also knew that the mother of the rape victim has filed a case against Sajid stating he had threatened her. Hussain thought if any mishap occurred with the woman, Sajid would be held responsible, he said.

Hussain had provided a desi katta and four cartridges to Ikbal and Wasim to shoot the woman.
New Delhi:

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday informed media that he, along with a delegation, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss severe drought situation in the state.



"This drought is the worst one in 15 years with no water in the reservoirs, dried up tanks and serious drinking water problems," CM Siddaramaiah said.



The delegation that met with the PM earlier on Friday included CM, Mallikarjun Kharge and all state ministers, he informed.



The chief minister, during his meeting, submitted two memorandums to Govt of India seeking Rs 4,702 crores and Rs 386 crores as per norms to deal with the drought situation.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday participated at the Digi Dhan Mela in Delhi's Talkatora stadium, where he launched a mobile app to make digital payments easier. Launching the BHIM e-wallet app, PM Modi said that it will soon only need thumbprint. PM Modi also distributed prizes to those who have made contributions to promote digital payments in the country.A

In a bid to encourage digital payments, PM Modi recently announced two award schemes named 'Lucky Grahak Yojana' for retail consumers and 'Digi Dhan Vapar Yojana' for small businesses during his 27th edition of 'Mann ki Baat' address.



The winners will get a minimum of Rs 1,000 through a lucky draw, while the winners will be chosen on a daily and weekly basis under the Lucky Grahak Yojana, merchants who have won under the Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana will be announced every week.



The first 'Digi Dhan' Mela (fair) was organised in Gurugram, Haryana on Monday and was inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Here are the highlights of PM Modi's speech:

#The money will benefit the poor, it won't go anywhere now



#The poor should have first right on this country's wealth



#Media will ask in 2017 that why are you not cashless despite carrying two mobiles

#I am thankful to the media as this has helped Govt formulate schemes and take up initiatives to empower the poor



#In last 50 days media while covering me, also questioned the Govt on how will the country become digital when poor don't have mobile



#Somebosy said "Khoda dungar aur nikli chuhiya", I was looking for mice only, because she ends up stealing and eating everything.



#BHIM ke roop mein desh ki janta ko saal 2017 ka uttam se uttam nazarana de raha hun



#Kuch log bolte hain ye kuch naya laya hai Modi, kuch gadbad hai. Fir bade log bahut softly bolte hain, ye kaise hoga? mobile kahan hai?

#Look at the newspapers 3 years ago, the news was about what is lost (in scams), today it is about what has come back or what is the gain



#For those with a positive mindset, India has several opportunities



#I don't have anything for pessimists, but for optimists I have opportunity



#Lekin niraasha vadi logo ke liye abhi bhi koi ausadh (medicine) nahi hai



#Kuch logo ab bhi nirash hain aise nirashawadi logn ke liye abhi koi aushadhi nahi hai. Aise logon ko unki nirasha mubarak



#Jis desh ko anpad kaha jata hai woh garv kar sakta hai ki electrionic voting mein humne revolution laya hai, woh bhi safalta purwak

#Mantra of Dr. Ambedkar was to work for the upliftment of the poor. And the biggest power of technology is that it can empower the poor



#Furthering digital connectivity would do wonders for our nation

#In 2 weeks will make one more accomplishment,A it'sA security is being worked on. It will empower BHIM; you'll only require your thumb to pay



#There was a time when illiterate people were called as 'angutha chhap'. Now the time has changed, your 'angutha' is now your bank and is your identity

Ek zamana tha anpad ko 'angutha chhap' kaha jata tha, waqt badal chuka hai, aap hi ka angutha aapki bank, aapki pehchaan hai



#Dr Ambedkar's thesis offers significant insights of various economic issues



#Launch of 'BHIM' App is significant. In addition to his role in making of the Constitution, DrA Ambedkar was also a great economist



#The mega draw will take place on 14th April, the birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar

#Over the 100 day period, several families will be given the prizes. These schemes were launched to benefit poor



#Prizes are given to those who make transactions of more than Rs 50 and less than Rs 3000, so that the poor can win



#These two initiatives, the Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana are a Christmas gift to the nation



#On the day of Christmas, GoI announced schemes to reward small traders and customers who resort to digital payments



#PM Modi speaks at Digi-Dhan Mela in Delhi's Talkatora Stadium



Highlights of Digi Dhan Mela:

#PM Modi conducts lucky draw for 'LuckyA GrahakA Yojana' and 'Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana' at the Digi Dhan Mela at the Talkotra stadium

#Digital India, Digital Payment, Digi Dhan are part of campaigns to build a developed India: Union Minister RS Prasad



#Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad speaks at the Digi Dhan Mela at the Talkotra stadium

#PM Narendra Modi distributes prizes to those who have made contributions to promote digital payments in the country.



Delhi: PM Narendra Modi attends the Digi Dhan Mela at the Talkatora Stadium pic.twitter.com/de5GyR3qZ8 a ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

#PM Narendra Modi launches a mobile app to make digital payments easier at the Digi-Dhan Mela at the Talkatora Stadium



#PM Narendra Modi at Digi-Dhan Mela at the Talkatora Stadium, to launch a mobile app to make digital payments easy



#PM Narendra Modi at the Digi-Dhan Mela in Delhi's Talkatora Stadium

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Digi-Dhan Mela at the Talkatora Stadium pic.twitter.com/aPXCjBBIzE a ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

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New Delhi:

The Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering case against controversial televangelist Zakir Naik on Friday following an earlier FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The Islamic preacher has been out of the country since reports emerged that his sermons influenced a few Bangladeshi attackers, who targeted an eatery in Dhaka on July 1.

Bangladesh has banned Naiks Peace TV, saying it incited the attack on a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people were killed.

Naik's organisation Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) is also being investigated by the Mumbai Police over alleged foreign funding.

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Kolkata:

With opposition attacking the ruling TMC on the issue of Dhulagarh riots, the TMC on Friday accused the BJP-RSS of spreading canard on social media to give a local incident communal twist.

All the old social media tricks and habits of the BJP-RSS combo. Amplify a local issue. Give it a communal twist. Spread hate even after arrests, TMC national spokesperson Derek OBrien said in a statement.

OBrien said Bengal has rejected communal bigots in historic elections few months back.

Fake photos. Bogus hashtags. Sick mindsets. Millions of dollars pumped into SM... BJP-RSS talk about Digital India but promote Divisive India, he said.

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New Delhi:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has cancelled press conference scheduled for 9pm on Friday and has instead announced that he will meet his Cabinet at 9am on Saturday. Attendance at this meeting is likely to decide Akhilesh Yadav's future as the state's chief minister as well as in the political arena in most crucial state.

He has also scheduled a meeting with party workers and his loyalists at 12 noon.

In a shocking development amid the Yadav family feud, Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled his son Akhilesh Yadav from the party. Mulayam has also expelled his brother Ram Gopal Yadav from the party.

Reacting on the news, Ram Gopal Yadav termed the termination unconstitutional, Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) is not aware of of partys constitution. It was unconstitutional to fire two people only hours after issuing showcause notice. (Read full story here)



In a show of support, over 100 SP MLAs gathered outside UP CM Akhileshs house, hinting at where their loyalties lie in a party splitting from the middle. Akhilesh has also called for a meeting with all MLAs at 9 AM on Saturday. (Read full coverage here)

Also read:

Constitutional crisis in UP: Will 'expelled' CM Akhilesh Yadav prove his majority or quit? Here's what happened in last 2 days

Mulayam Pari'WAR' touches new peak: Who said what after CM Akhilesh Yadav's expulsion from Samajwadi Party

It's up to me to decide who will be the CM, says Mulayam after expelling Akhilesh Yadav | Top 10 quotes

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Kolkata:

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee denied any incident of rioting at Dhulagarh in Howrah district and alleged that "wrong information" was being given on social media.

"In the last 15 days, social media is running wrong information on an incident which did not take place at all," Banerjee said at a programme in Kolkata, in an apparent refernce to the reports of violence in Dhulagarh, which is barely 20 km from the state secretariat.

"In order to break a news one must not act irresponsibly. If something has really happened then you (media) have every right to report but I think a field survey must be conducted," she stated.

Her remarks came even as a senior government official had said on Thursday that strict actions were taken against those involved in the Dhulagarh violence and the process of giving compensation to the affected had started.

The state government, Banerjee said, is the first to help a family when their home is damaged or they are affected. "If there is an accident, we immediately take steps to help the family.... We do it on humanitarian grounds but we do not do any publicity."

It was learnt from sources that the state government was paying compensation of around Rs 35,000 to families whose houses were damaged in the incident.

District police said inhabitants are wary of returning to their homes at Dhulagarh. Delegations of BJP, CPI(M) and Congress were stopped from visiting the troubled areas of the district and police superintendent of Howrah (Rural) Sabyasachi Raman Mishra was transferred in the wake of violence in less than a fortnight of his appointment.

BJP has hit out at Banerjee over the Dhulagarh incident claiming that Hindus have been targeted in the violence. "This is height of the politics of appeasement. "I want to ask those intellectuals, who cried over 2002 riots in Gujarat and then intolerant India, that when are they going to Kolkata," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said yesterday.

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New Delhi:

2016 proved to be a year of heightened escalation along the Indian borders on the western front, both on the Line of Control and the International Border.

The Indian frontiers were subject to unprovoked firing and cease fire violations from across the border with an end objective to promote terrorism and insurgency in the Kashmir valley.



The brutal terror attack on an Indian army base along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri, Kashmir which left 19 army personnel dead became an inflection point in India's defence and strategic policy towards their South Asian neighbors Pakistan.



The Surgical strikes done by the Indian Army Para Commandos to destroy terror launch pads across the border in response to the Uri terror lead to a spate of barbaric attacks by the Pakistan forces.



The combat escalation ladder was stepped up by both the Indian and Pakistan security forces post the Surgical strikes with the Indian forces giving a befitting counter to Pakistan's artillery and mortar shelling on forward army posts and civilians residing along the Line of control.



As a matter of fact, India was ranked 7th in the list of countries most impacted by terrorism in 2015, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), 2016, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a Sydney-based think-tank. India is one of six Asian countries ranked in the top 10 nations most impacted by terrorism.



Here is the list of major terror attacks which struck our nation in 2016



1. Pathankot Air Force Station - 2 January 2016



The main target of this major terror attack from across the border was fighter aircraft and other strategic assets at the air base. On the morning of January 1, four terroristsearlier believed to be sixbreached the boundary wall and launched the attack at 3.10 am the next day. The counter-terror operation by the army, police and intelligence agencies led by the NSG ended on the evening of January 3 with the killing of the terrorists. Five DSC personnel and a Garud Commando were also killed.



2. Pampore - 25 June 2016



A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy was attacked at Pampore in J&K. The officers and men who were travelling in the convoy were returning from an annual firing practice session. Two militants fired at a bus which was part of the convoy. Eight CRPF personnel and 22 officers and jawans were injured. The two militants were killed in retaliatory fire from a mobile bunker.



3. Bodo militants attack Kokrajhar City - August 2016



The massacre in the state of Assam was reportedly carried out by Bodo militants - a predominantly Christian armed separatist group which aims to create a separate homeland for the Bodo people.



A group of at least three assailants opened fire at a market in Balajan Tiniali, around two miles from the town of Kokrajhar, possibly using grenades to kill shoppers among the stalls of fruit and vegetables.One of the attackers was killed by security officials, whereas the remaining two managed to escape.



4. Uri Terror Attack - 18 September 2016



Four heavily armed terrorists infiltrated through the Line of Control (LoC) and attacked the administrative camp of an infantry battalion, just seven kilometres from the LoC. Nineteen soldiers were killed in the attack, including 13 who were burnt alive due to the incendiary ammunition fired by the terrorists. About 32 other soldiers sustained injuries in the attack. The slain terrorists belonged to the Pakistan-based terror outfit, JeM.



5. 2016 Baramulla attack - 2nd/3rd October 2016



On the midnight of the second and third of October 2016, militants attacked a camp of the Indian Army's 46 Rashtriya Rifles in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.The attack was said to have begun at 10:30 PM local time, with at least one officer of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) killed and a few others injured. Two militants were also reportedly killed. On October 6, the Indian army exchanged fire with militants Kupwara district, and 3 militants were killed.



6. Nagrota Terror Attack - 29 November 2016



Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed in the attack on an army unit located three kilometres away from a Corps headquarters in Nagrota in J&K. Heavily armed terrorists were disguised in police uniforms. They stormed into the officers' mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentires.

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Patna:

Income Tax officials are probing 600 Jan Dhan accounts in Bihar and Jharkhand for their suspected Maoist connection after they showed a total deposit of over Rs 10.8 crore following demonetisation.



A total of 600 Jan Dhan accounts which have money deposits on an average in between Rs 1 to Rs 3 lakh are being probed in Bihar and Jharkhand for Maoist connection, Principal Director Income Tax (Investigation) Ashok Kumar Sinha told reporters.



He said the 600 accounts now have over Rs 10.8 crore deposits in the two states.



Though he did not provide break-up of the accounts, he said majority of them are in Jharkhand.

Also read | Delhi: I-T dept seizes Rs 39 cr from 9 fake accounts in Kotak Mahindra's KG Marg Branch; Bank denies allegations



Principal Chief Commissioner Income Tax (Bihar & Jharkhand) ST Ahmad said one such Jan Dhan account in Ara witnessed a deposit of Rs 40 lakh after demonetisation which has been freezed.



Ahmad, accompanied by other senior officials were interacting with mediapersons on launch of Taxation and Investment Regime for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna, 2016 in the two states.



Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeal) Prashant Bhusan said that if Maoist connection is established during probe of these 600 Jan Dhan accounts, the accounts would be freezed.

Also read | Income Tax dept recovered Rs 3,590 crore till Dec 21 post demonetisation



Subrat Sarkar, Commissioner IT (Exemption), said that the department has served notices to 150 society and trusts in Bihar and Jharkhand including some political parties, educational, religious and social trusts enjoying tax exemption under IT Act to probe if cash has flown there after recall of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes.



We have asked for details from them about cash deposits from November 8 till December 30 when the demonetisation drive would end, Sarkar said.

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New Delhi:

Simultaneous launch of 83 satellites and fast breeder reactor going critical are some of the targets set by the Departments of Atomic Energy and Space as they look forward to 2017 to put behind the lows of this year of missing out an NSG spot and losing Antrix Devas case.

ISRO is aiming a major feat January with the launch of nearly 83 satellites, 80 of them being foreign, at one go. We are also launching GSLV Mark III and five communication satellites next year, including the South Asian satellite, said ISRO chairman and Department of Space Secretary A S Kirankumar.

Launching of GSLV Mark III will be a crucial development in the countrys space history.

Next year, we are hopeful that Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) goes critical, said Sekhar Basu, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and DAE Secretary. If India achieves success in the project, which has been on for over two and a half decades now, it will become the first country to successfully execute the project. It will also see India graduating to a second stage in its nuke energy programme.

2016 saw ISRO launching several satellites, with major one being completion of the constellation of regional satellites, a move that brings Indias regional navigation on par with US Global Positioning System (GPS). The year also recorded ISROs feat of launching 20 satellites at one go.

Apart from it, the space agency also launched GSAT-18, RESOURCESAT-2A, Cartosat-2 Series Satellites for communication, agriculture and weather-related works respectively. The countrys space agency also experimented with projects that would have a long-term impact on its future missions.

For instance, the successful tests of Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV), capable of launching satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter the atmosphere, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

India also joined a select club of nations by successfully test-firing its futuristic Scramjet Rocket Engine using oxygen from the atmosphere.

However, its achievements were marred by a few jolts. The space agency lost a major case in Antrix-Devas deal, second such litigation, where ISRO has been asked to cough up several million dollars by a Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal based in the Hague.

Prime Ministers ambitious SAARC satellite project also suffered a setback after Pakistan backed out of the endeavour. The satellite, which was to be launched this month, has now been renamed as South Asian Satellite.

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New Delhi:

Sunas energetic particles met with magnetic field of the Earth and stirred up an incredible display of northern lights. A NASA satellite has captured this stunning view just after the winter solstice.

NASAas Suomi NPP satellite clicked a view of the aurora borealis using the adayanight banda (DNB) of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on December 22.

The northern lights cover British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut and Northwest Territories, areas that often fall under the auroral oval.

Dim light signals such as auroras, airglow, gas flares, and reflected moonlight are detected by the DNB.The visible light emissions were detected by the sensor as energetic particles rained down from Earthas magnetosphere and into the gases of the upper atmosphere.

When the solar particles and pressure into Earthas magnetosphere collide, the process accelerates particles trapped in the space around Earth (such as in the radiation belts).

Those particles come crashing down into the upper atmosphere of the Earth at altitudes of 100 to 400 kilometers. They then excite oxygen and nitrogen molecules and release photons of light.

The results are incredible and give birth to rays, sheets, and curtains of dancing light in the sky.

NASA shared a picture with this caption on Twitter: aEnergetic particles from sun smashed into Earth's magnetic field Dec. 22, stirring up a display of northern lights.a

Energetic particles from sun smashed into Earth's magnetic field Dec. 22, stirring up a display of northern lights: https://t.co/WntuGJ4fBz pic.twitter.com/R0LmTTA1of a NASA (@NASA) December 27, 2016

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Makhachkala:

A police officer and two suspected militants have been killed in a shootout in Russia's volatile North Caucasus.

Fatina Ubaydatova, spokesperson in Russia's republic of Dagestan, said on Friday a police squad was trying to stop a car with suspected militants outside the city of Khasavyurt late on Thursday night when people in that car opened fire on them.

Police identified the two men as local militants who attacked policemen earlier this week in the regional capital, Makhachkala.

Islamic insurgents in Dagestan have mounted frequent attacks on police and officials, and some have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State (IS).

The shootout comes a day after Russia's security agencies in Dagestan arrested seven people suspected of preparing New Year's terror attacks in Moscow on orders from the Islamic State group in Syria.

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Moscow:

Russia's foreign ministry has requested President Vladimir Putin to turf out 35 American diplomats from the country in a tit-for-tat response to a similar move by Washington over hacking allegations, Moscow's top diplomat said on Friday.

"Russia's foreign ministry... has requested that the Russian president approve declaring as personae non gratae 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US consulate in Saint Petersburg," Lavrov said in televised comments.

The ministry is also seeking to ban diplomats from using a holiday home located in western Moscow and a warehouse in the north of the city, Lavrov said, after President Barack Obama said the US would close two Russian compounds.

Lavrov said the two Russian country houses in New York and Maryland were used for children's holidays and ridiculed the notion they were "nests of spies." "We of course cannot leave these stunts unanswered. Reciprocity is the law in diplomacy and international relations," he said, hoping that Putin approves the requests "promptly."

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Cleveland:

US Coast Guard crews searched Lake Erie on Friday for a plane carrying six people that disappeared shortly after takeoff from a small Cleveland airport along the shore.



The Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport late yesterday with three children and three adults aboard and vanished from radar about 2 miles over the lake. Why remains unclear.



Searchers had found no sign of any debris or the people aboard the plane as of on Friday morning, the agency said. Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, New York, also said no emergency beacon had been detected.



Weather prevented a boat search overnight, but a US Coast Guard helicopter and a Canadian air crew in a plane were being used. A ship also was headed from Detroit to help with the search.



The waters in the search area are about 50 feet deep, the Coast Guard said.The plane left the airport at 10:50 PM, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said.



The Coast Guard has said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control around 11:30 PM.



The plane was headed to Ohio State University Airport northwest of downtown Columbus. Cox said the plane is kept at a hangar at the airfield, but the six people aboard the aircraft aren't affiliated with OSU. Their names weren't released, pending notification of their families.



Petty Officer Joel Altman, a public affairs officer in Cleveland with the Ninth Coast Guard District, said he couldn't immediately confirm whether the passengers were related or provide the ages of the children.

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Video: Syrian refugees light homeless man on fire, laugh as they watch him burn

Refugees being generously provided a safe home in Berlin showed their appreciation by lighting a homeless man on fire and laughing as they watched him burn.

Article by Amanda Prestigiacomo

A total of seven male refugeessix from Syria and one from Libyawere arrested on Monday after the reported attack on the homeless man at Schonleinstrae subway station on Christmas Eve, reports The Daily Mail. CCTV surveillance footage at the station captured the seven males, ranging from 15 to 21 years of age, celebrating the attack as they were leaving the crime scene, laughing and pointing at the helpless man as he burned.

Das sind die Typen, die in #Berlin versucht haben, einen Obdachlosen im Bahnhof Schonleinstrae anzuzunden. Mordkommission: 030-4664-911444 pic.twitter.com/jrAu44LRRg  Max Schneider (@MaxxSchneider) December 26, 2016

Thankfully, the victim was helped by witnesses in the area and was able to escape without injury.

According to Berlin Police officials, an investigation has been launched into the attempted murder and all seven suspects have been arrested. The unnamed 21-year-old suspect is assumed to be the main perpetrator in the crime, says Vice Chief of the Press Office at Berlin Police Thomas Neuendorf.

The German capital has been plagued with crime and acts of terrorism carried out by European admitted refugees. Last week, Anis Amri murdered 12 people and injured 48 others on behalf of ISIS by driving a hijacked truck into a busy Berlin Christmas market. Amri, originally from Tunisian, was later killed in Milan by two police officers while attempting to flee.

Read more at: dailywire.com

Submit a correction >>
Nobel mistake? Ex-Secretary of Peace says Obama did not achieve anything of impact except bad attention

Did you know that Barrack Hussein Obama is the only President to be at war the entire two terms in office? Hes definitely not the peacemaker he sold to Americans back in 2008. In fact, during that campaign, Obama was branded as the antiwar candidate. Based on having done absolutely nothing to earn it at all, Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize just nine months into his first term in office, as if the award was dished out in advance based on some promises he was expected to keep. Well, 300 million Americans and the rest of the world were in for a huge surprise. Obama didnt keep a single promise he made, but rather charged forward in quite the opposite manner, completely escalating his aggressive attacks, including escalating the war in Afghanistan. Obama became the champion of nothing but non-stop war that brought about no victories, no peace, and left nothing but a wake of destruction and desolation in its path.

Obama has launched wars in Iraq, Syria, and Libya, to name a few countries, and instigated conflicts in Somalia, Yemen, Eastern Europe and the South China Sea. Whats worse is that the wars in which America is engaged now have no end in sight, unless President-elect Trump can make that change. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, and looking back, anyone who voted for Obama or celebrated his Nobel Peace Prize is now suffering buyers remorse, including the person who gave Obama the prize.

No PeaceNo Prize Should the Nobel Peace Prize be stricken from Obamas possession?

Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to honor men and women around the globe for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, and work in peace. If Alfred Nobel knew that Obama still holds one for peace, he would turn over in his grave. Geir Lundestad, Secretary of Peace, told the AP news agency that the committee that awarded Obama the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 did so hoping that the award would strengthen Mr. Obama. No Nobel Peace Prize ever gained more attention than the one given to Obamapredicated on some hoped-for future achievements that would never come.

Big question: Did Obama know in 2009 that he was not worthy of a Nobel Prize and never would be? Its revealed in Lundestads memoirs that Obama considered not even going to Norways capital to pick up the award. Obamas staff even asked if other winners had skipped the award ceremony, but to Obamas chagrin, that only happens when governments hold back its awarded dissidents.

7 wars in 7 countries is no kind of peace

What kind of leader who is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize has the gall to push for war in seven different countries? A hypocrite and a liar. Much like the Vietnam War, the mass media keeps pushing the same narrative that Were winning, when we most certainly are not. Nothing was ever gained by destroying Iraq or attempting to occupy Afghanistan, a country no other nation has ever succeeded to overthrow. Still, thousands of soldiers come home to America every year from Obamas wars, dead or maimed, while more forces are deployed to fight a war against a faceless enemy that fights without any army, navy or air force. Obama has even been blamed for funding terrorists to overthrow leaders in countries where the US wants to create turmoil in order to seize natural resources.

The Great Nobel Mistake

Currently, Obama has 10,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan, even though he repeatedly promised to end the war there by 2014. This is not just for stability either, in case you were wondering, Obama has resumed night raids and uses drones to bomb locations all across the country. Is this counter terrorism or terrorism itself? A drone war is still a war, responsible for killing nearly 4,000 people in Pakistan, including nearly 1,000 civilians, of which 200 or more were children. Thats not even including those murdered by drones in Somalia and Yemen.

Bottom line: dont let all the fancy war terms trick you. Counter-terrorism operations are still war operations, and the war on terror seems to be a perpetual one with no end in sight. This is not the natural order of things. Keeping Americas borders wide open and trying to grab Americans guns every time there is some domestic attack is never going to solve our problems, nor is giving the Nobel Peace Prize to someone who literally fosters terrorism and perpetual war, while claiming to do just the opposite.

Sources:

BBC.com

News.AntiWar.com

TruthInMedia.com

NobelPrize.org

Submit a correction >>
Same cereal company that doesnt want GMOs listed on the label also doesnt want positive ID required for voters

What is it with American corporations these days being headed up by a bunch of Left-wing kooks? Is it going to take eight years of fiscally responsible policies enacted by Congress and President-elect Trump to root out these idiots? Lets hope so.

And lets hope the effort starts with Kelloggs. As reported by Breitbart, this company is responsible for financially backing several progressive causes including the promotion of false narratives like so-called white privilege and institutional racism, as well as efforts to defeat voter ID laws and beat back GMO labeling.

But no matter how progressive the companys Left-wing executives become, its never enough for the liberal snowflakes who work for them. The company has now been accused of just standing idly by while employees at one of its New England distribution centers are being daily subjected to alleged mistreatment and racist name-calling, with one black employee even claiming he was harassed with a picture of a baboon, Breitbart reported, noting that the hashtag #dumpkelloggs is now beginning to trend.

Not very progressive

[As an aside, in the early 20th century, white Irish immigrants were also compared to apes and baboons in political cartoons of the period, as you can see here. So while this kind of treatment isnt right no matter which ethnic group is targeted, you should know that it hasnt historically always been directed at people of African descent.]

Several employees at the cereal makers Franklin, Mass., distribution center, where the shipping of the Keebler cookie line originates, have filed formal complaints and even a few lawsuits over what they claim are incidents of racial and sexual abuse by managers, a report by a local Rhode Island NBC affiliate said.

Employees say they were regularly subjected to racial epithets, comments about their sexuality, and images of black faces, baboons and other animals hung throughout the warehouse. In addition, they say they were frequently threatened with being fired and even had to deal with physical abuse in some casesall while Kelloggs managers in the companys main Michigan-based headquarters were aware of what was going on but did nothing to intervene.

That doesnt sound like a good little progressive company, now does it?

Habitual harrassment without any managerial intercession

Complaints by up to a dozen employees allege that their workplace is riddled with bullying, racial slurs and unfair work practices, the Rhode Island affiliate reported.

Sylvester Cyler, an African American employee who has been with the company for a decade, told reporters that hes been called the N work and a monkey, even though he has filed complaints dating back to 2013. He says nothing has been done to stop it.

In a filing with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), he says one manager got in his face and called him a monkey while threatening to fire him if he lodged a complaint.

Nothing was resolved because of the grievance and Arthur continued to badger me, Cyler said in his filing. He threatened to fire me. He got in my face, pointing his finger in my face and called me a monkey.

Cyler isnt alone, Breitbart reported. An immigrant from Angola, Rui DaCosta, who also works for the company, has also filed complaints claiming that he has faced a plethora of racially charged comments and slurs, as well as sexual harassment.

Remember, this is the company of tolerant liberals who lobby for every Left-wing cause that comes down the pipeline. So out-of-touch has Kelloggs become with most of America that a recent call to boycott the companys products drew hundreds of thousands of supporters signing a petition within a few days.

That effort was in response to the companys decision not to spend advertising dollars on news and information sites that promoted GMO labeling; and ironically enough, liberals are the ones who are most concerned about the issue.

Sources:

Breitbart.com

TurnTo10.com

NaturalNews.com

Submit a correction >>
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RIDGEFIELD  Boehringer Ingelheim has agreed to divest five types of animal health products in the U.S. to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its proposed asset swap with Paris-based Sanofi would likely be anticompetitive.

Under the proposed swap, Boehringer Ingelheim  based in Germany, with U.S. headquarters in Ridgefield  will acquire Sanofis animal care subsidiary, Merial, valued at $13.53 billion, while Sanofi will obtain Boehringers consumer health care business unit, worth $7.98 billion, as well as cash compensation of $5.54 billion.
/ Western Connecticut Health Network

DANBURY - A chorus of middle schoolers from Redding sang Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel and other holiday favorites during a caroling tour of Danbury Hospital.

The group of 60 students from John Read Middle School brought smiles and tears of appreciation to the faces of patients and visitors, from the oncology unit to the lobby, observers said.
Now that the holidays are over and the new year is in full swing, its time to head back to the lab to formulate fresh, smart, and effective ideas that will grow your organization.

Whatever the size of your firm, whether youre B2B or B2C, and regardless of the industry in which you operate, here are four must dos that you need to launch if youre aiming to increase profits and market share over the next 365 days:

1. 100-Day Plan.

Since the 1930s when Franklin Roosevelt pioneered it as a means of gauging his effectiveness in the Oval Office, the 100-day plan has become a tradition for newly elected American Presidents. The plan consists of achievable short term goals that adhere to a Presidents long term vision for the country. Entrepreneurs should write their own 100 day plans as blueprints for advancing their organizations productivity and profitability. Such a plan establishes 100 tasks, and requires business owners to consider the specific steps and resources that are needed to bring them to fruition. While theres a time and place for visionary long term planning, the 100-day plan allows entrepreneurs to craft and pursue attainable objectives and start the year off with a burst of energy. When the 100-day finish line is reached mid-April, entrepreneurs will know if they should be celebrating or if they need to recalibrate their efforts.

Related: How This Mom Grew Multiple 6-Figure Businesses From Home

2. Declutter

Whether you want to improve the feng shui of your office or just make it easier to find and store your stuff, a comprehensive tidy up of your companys work space is a laborious yet necessary task. To make it happen, set aside a Saturday when your team can come in, rent a dumpster and high capacity paper shredder, and destroy unnecessary documents, presentations and files, and toss out old equipment, brochures, books, product samples, and other unproductive items. Once your space has been tightened and tidied, implement a cloud-based backup system that allows for fast and convenient recovery of your organizations electronic files. The decluttering will not only allow your team to operate more efficiently, it will also help your office to look more streamlined and professional.

Related: 5 Marketing Essentials for Your Business to Appeal to Millennials

3. Fire the person you know you have to fire.

Maybe youve tried to intervene to help turn things around, or youve ignored the problem in hopes that it would eventually take care of itself. But however youve handled the challenge of having weak members on your team, you know that theyre there and that theyre dangerous the to the health of your company. If you didnt have the heart to do any purging during the holiday season, delay no longer. The costs to your firm in reduced productivity, low employee morale, additional supervision, damaged client relationships, and lost revenue that are caused by substandard employees can be as high as $190,000 per year, so make a decision now to either remedy a situation thats fixable --- or to clean house.

Related: Pay Yourself: Why Founders Should Set Aside Profits Every Month

4. Get high or higher.

While 26 states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing marijuana, the suggestion here isnt that entrepreneurs should light up more. Instead, the first week of the new year is a perfect time to review and possibly raise the prices of your products or services. Too many small business owners try to compete by lowering their prices, and thats often a mistake. Instead, devise a plan by studying your competitive landscape; looking at your firms pricing history; reviewing the calendar to determine the best time to bump up your rate, fees, or prices; and thinking about how you can enhance the value of your offerings in order to justify price revisions. If you detect some white space that would allow for small yet profitable increases, you should absolutely seize it.

After the joy and frenzy of the holidays, its understandable if it takes a minute for business owners to snap back to attention and keep their ships moving forward, but the upside to getting started is significant. Entrepreneurs who have the discipline to leverage these four steps as an annual early January organizational reboot will help to energize their teams, inspire exciting ideas, and generate new opportunities for innovation and growth.

Related:

4 Things Every Entrepreneur Needs to Do the First Week of the New Year

The Best Way to Avoid Your Next Business Disaster

This Is What to Do Now to Hit 2017 Running



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
BETHEL  A 51-year-old Bethel man was arrested late Wednesday on drug distribution charges linked to the deaths of two women who overdosed on heroin.

Paul Mignanis federal arrest follows a weeks-long Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into the untimely death of a 54-year-old Bethel woman, and a local Dec. 12 arrest on drug charges after Bethel police found a dead 25-year-old woman in Mignanis Chestnut Street apartment.

The 54-year-old was found unresponsive July 31 in a Codfish Lane home, and she later succumbed to a fatal mix of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine that police say Mignani provided her.

Mignani, who police describe as a divorced father of three who supplemented his taxi-driving income with drug dealing, is accused of selling cocaine, heroin and fentanyl out his colonial-style Bethel apartment for at least the past year.

His federal charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. On Thursday he appeared in U.S. District Court in New Haven and was ordered to stay behind bars.

According to court documents, Mignani sold depressants, opioids and amphetamines in Bethel, and housed the 25-year-old, drug-dependent woman for months free of charge before she died in mid-December. She sold drugs for Mignani before her death, police say.

A plus about living here is free lines all the time lol, police say the dead woman sent a friend via Facebook in October.

But on Dec. 2, police claim that Mignani raped the woman.

In the late afternoon that day, she sent a message to a friend, documents show. Im playing nice to stay here and get me sh together til I can go to a program or stop on my own, police say the woman wrote.

She didnt stop. In the early hours of Dec. 3, she composed another Facebook message to her friend.

The person I was staying with forced himself on me yesterday. Hurt me very bad in the process and then kicked me out, police say she wrote. Two minutes later she wrote again: Im bleeding so bad ... Im scared and hope it stops soon. In that 1:47 a.m. message, she also wrote that she wanted to take her own life, police said.

Ten days later, Bethel police found her cold to the touch, in Mignanis bedroom, court documents said. In her purse were three empty wax packets, and six more, full of heroin, were in her jacket, police say.

In later searches, police found three grams of cocaine, $1,531 in cash and several cell phones in the apartment Mignani shared with his girlfriend.

Mignani also faces a local felony drug charge linked to Dec. 12, and he is due in state Superior Court in Danbury on that charge Jan. 25.

blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton
Madhesi Morcha refuses to join polls till demands are met

Nepal,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Kathmandu, Dec 30 (IANS) The agitating Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha in Nepal on Friday said it would not participate in local government elections until their demands are met through a constitutional amendment.

The Morcha issued a strongly worded statement after three major political parties -- the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) -- unilaterally agreed to hold polls to local bodies without approval from Madhes-based parties and without amending the Constitution as they demanded.

"Any elections without fulfilling the demands of various ethnic and marginalised communities will only invite conflict. The Constitution Amendment Bill registered in Parliament Secretariat should be revised and approved, which only will pave the way for elections," a top Morcha leader said on Friday after the Medhesi leaders' meetings.

The Morcha leaders held extensive deliberations on Thursday and Friday for their future strategy in case the Nepal government goes ahead with the planned polls to the local government bodies.

The government is under pressure from the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to announce the dates of these local polls, which they agreed to hold in accordance with the Local Level Restructuring Commission report.

As per the mandatory constitutional provision, Nepal needs to hold elections to local, provincial and federal bodies within the next 15 months. If any of these elections do not take place on schedule, the new Constitution promulgated last year will become invalid.

In order to hold local polls, the government formed the panel to come up with new numbers of local units reflecting the federal aspirations.

The Madhesi Morcha rejected a report prepared by the Local Level Restructuring Commission on new local units.

Any demarcation of the local bodies should be based on the population ratio, a Morcha statement said. "The commission report is unconstitutional; we are not going to accept it."

In order to address the demands of agitating Madhes parties vis-a-vis citizenship, language, federal boundaries and equal representation to Madhesis and other marginalised communities in various state bodies, the government registered the bill in Parliament on November 29.

However, due to obstruction by the main opposition parties, the government could not table the bill in the house. The Madhes parties have now called on the government to revise the bill since it also does not meet their demands and requirements.

In its four-point statement, the Madhesi Morcha said it will hold demonstrations in major Nepal cities on Monday to protest attempts to announce local poll dates before constitutional amendment.

The meeting criticised the main opposition CPN-UML for continuously obstructing Parliament's meeting to block the government from tabling the constitutional amendment bill and a discussions on it.

--IANS

giri/tsb/vt
Search for Greece's envoy missing in Brazil continues

Greece,Diplomacy, Fri, 30 Dec 2016 IANS

Athens, Dec 30 (IANS) Investigations are continuing into the disappearance of Greece's ambassador to Brazil Kyriakos Amiridis since Monday, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Amanatidis said here on Friday.

The minister, however, did not confirm the media reports that a charred body found inside a car in Rio de Janeiro on Friday was Amiridis, and instead hoped the diplomat will be found alive and safe, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Brazilian police, the car was rented by the ambassador who was visiting the city of Rio for the Christmas and New Year Eve holidays.

The Greek Foreign Ministry on Thursday said its embassy in Brasilia, Brazil's capital city, was informed on Wednesday by the ambassador's family that they had not been able to contact him since Monday.

The 59-year-old diplomat assumed duty as Greece's ambassador to Brazil in January 2016. He once served in Rio de Janeiro as consul from 2001 to 2004.

According to the Greek Foreign Ministry's website, Amiridis also was Greece's ambassador to Libya in 2012. He is married and has a daughter.

The Greek Foreign Ministry said Amiridis reportedly went missing during a trip to Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

His family reported no contact for a ransom in the past days, but the police did not rule out the possibility of kidnapping.

It is highly possible that Amiridis has been killed, Brazilian authorities said on Thursday.

--IANS

py/vt
MONTREAL, Dec. 30, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - SNC-Lavalin (TSX: SNC) announces today that it has signed and closed an agreement to sell its ongoing activities in France and in Monaco to Ciclad and Impact Holding for a nominal amount, including its investment in Societe d'Exploitation de l'Aeroport de Mayotte. These activities in France and in Monaco include approximately 1,100 employees.

The agreement does not include SNC-Lavalin's TC Dome S.A.S. capital investment, which will be governed by a different sale agreement with a separate set of closing conditions, and is expected to close at a later date.

"The sale is consistent with our focus on operational excellence and our efforts to align our activities with our global core business strategy. Despite restructuring and improvement efforts over the past few years, our overall business in France has not generated the expected profitability," said Ian L. Edwards, President, Infrastructure, SNC-Lavalin. "This was the best economic option for our business and stakeholders going forward, and provides for continuity of operations for clients and employees in France and Monaco, who will transition to new owners."

SNC-Lavalin's activities in France cover several markets, including complex buildings, industry and agribusiness, transportation and cities, as well as the operations and maintenance of 19 regional airports. The sale should positively impact the overall EBIT margin of the company's Infrastructure sector.

Both Ciclad and Impact Holding are well placed to position the business in France for the future. They are both active in investments in France, including in engineering, and have previously partnered successfully to grow the companies they have invested in.

About SNC-Lavalin

Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is one of the leading engineering and construction groups in the world and a major player in the ownership of infrastructure. From offices in over 50 countries, SNC-Lavalin's employees are proud to build what matters. Our teams provide engineering, procurement, construction, completions and commissioning services together with a range of sustaining capital services to clients in four industry sectors: oil and gas, mining and metallurgy, infrastructure and power. SNC-Lavalin can also combine these services with its financing and operations and maintenance capabilities to provide complete end-to-end project solutions. www.snclavalin.com

SOURCE SNC-Lavalin

For further information: Media, Louis-Antoine Paquin, Media Relations Manager, Corporate Communications, 514-393-8000, ext. 54772, [email protected]; Investors, Denis Jasmin, Vice President, Investor Relations, 514-393-8000, ext. 57553, [email protected]

Related Links

www.snclavalin.com


Nextbigfuture has reviewed AI and Computers and Space for 2016 and looked ahead in those areas.

Here we will look at Energy.

France also had a shutdown of some nuclear reactors because of concerns over japanese parts The component in question was manufactured by Japan Casting and Forging Corp., which is based in Kitakyushu. In June, ASN pointed to potential weaknesses of the Japanese steel components, with carbon concentrations exceeding standards. The Japanese part is used at 12 nuclear reactors in France, according to local reports. In June, the French regulator, the Autorite de Surete Nucleaire (ASN), said it had identified 18 French nuclear power reactors operated by EDF  of both 900 MWe and 1450 MWe capacity  whose steam generators could contain high carbon concentrations.

Only three nuclear reactors are currently online in Japan: two at the Sendai plant and one at Shikoku Electric Powers Ikata station.

Japans Institute of Energy Economics said Dec. 13 it estimates seven reactors will be restarted by the end of March 2017 and another 19 by March 2018.

About two-thirds of 57 nuclear reactors under construction are expected to come on line in the next three years.

Solar and battery production continue to make progress. The cost of solar and batteries continue to look promising for future market share.

Bloomberg forecasts that cheaper coal and cheaper gas will not derail the transformation and decarbonisation of the worlds power systems. By 2040, zero-emission energy sources will make up 60% of installed capacity. Wind and solar will account for 64% of the 8.6TW of new power generating capacity added worldwide over the next 25 years, and for almost 60% of the $11.4 trillion invested.

China is proposing a $50+ trillion global energy grid. Global Energy Interconnection (GEI), a vision of a world power grid, was outlined by the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) It would be based upon a global network of Ultra High Voltage power lines connecting global power generation including massive wind farm at the North Pole and solar power from equatorial areas to energy users around the world. It would also be used to distribute inexpensive coal power to India and South Asia from now to 2035.

Future of Energy

Wind and solar costs are going to fall even more quickly over the next 25 years than Bloomberg had previously estimated. Levelized costs of generation for onshore wind and photovoltaics will drop by 41 percent and 60 percent respectively in the period to 2040, taking our global average estimates for the two technologies in 2040 to $46 per megawatt-hour and $40 per megawatt-hour1. The previous year, we had predicted cost reductions of 32 percent for wind and 48 percent for solar.

The reasons we now expect wind to get 19 percent cheaper for every doubling of capacity include faster include turbine size and efficiency, resulting in rising capacity factors, as well as economies in manufacture and reduced operating and maintenance expenses. The reasons we expect solar PV to get 26.5 percent less costly for every doubling of capacity include several of the same factors, plus increases in panel efficiency and a big shrinkage in capex disparities between different countries.

India is projected to increase electricity demand between 2015 and 2040 by 298 percent, and emissions by 215 percent, over the period

Other future energy options will need to be abundant, inexpensive and useful for the local, region areas and nation where it is implemented.

The corporations that implement them will need to have strong political influence and strong economics.

Robotics, big data and technology can enable supercheap oil and natural gas

Technological progress, particularly in big-data analytics, has the U.S. shale industry poised for another, longer boom, a Shale 2.0. Shale companies now produce more oil with two rigs than they did just a few years ago with three rigs, sometimes even spending less overall.

Shale fields will increasingly be developed using advanced automation, mobile computing, robotics, and industrial drones. At present, barely 10 percent of projects use fully automated drilling and pressure-control systems, for example.

Big Data can make oil fracking 4 times more efficient

Many companies are keeping their big-data projects proprietary, some information is publicly available. Halliburton reports that its analytic tools achieved a 40 percent reduction in the cost of delivering a barrel of oil. Baker Hughes says that analytics have helped it double output in older wells.

At present, each long horizontal well is typically stimulated in 2436 stages, with, on average, only one-fourth to one-third of those stages productive. At present, in other words, about 20 percent of stages generate 80 percent of output.

The current state of stimulation technology means that, on average, at least 300400 percent more oil is not extracted. Bringing analytics to bear on the complexities of shale geology, geophysics, stimulation, and operations to optimize the production process would potentially double the number of effective stagesthereby doubling output per well and cutting the cost of oil in half.

Microwave oil recovery could unlock trillions of barrels of oil.

Factory mass production of emerging nuclear technologies will make nuclear part of the future energy mix

Chinas HTR-PM (high temperature pebble bed nuclear reactor) project is squarely aimed at being a cost-effective solution that will virtually eliminate air pollution and CO2 production from selected units of Chinas large installed base of modern 600 MWe supercritical coal plants.

It is a deployment program with the first of a kind commercial demonstration approaching construction completion and commercial operation by mid to late 2018. Major parts of the machinery will be able to be merged into the existing infrastructure. The system can affordably replace the coal burner at Chinese plants while still using the grid and other infrastructure.

Molten Salt nuclear reactors continued to make technical progress in 2016 and have the potential to be competitive in a low cost energy future. Supercritical water nuclear reactors are still under development and research and have the potential to be competitive and would align as a next step for Chinas many pressure water reactor companies.

Nuclear fusion, antimatter, space based solar and technological long shots still being tracked

Nextbigfuture is still tracking super high technology energy possibilities. They still have to prove their technology or their economics and get solid funding.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has won the 2016 Phillips Consulting/Web Jurists award for best website and overall social media.NNPC defeated all the other federal parastatal agencies in Nigeria to emerge the winner, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, the spokesman of NNPC said on Friday in a statement.The honour was jointly awarded by Web Jurists, a website rating outfit, in conjunction with Phillips Consulting, a renowned business and management consulting company.Reacting to the honour, NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said it was a testimony to the Corporations investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) over the years.He said that it also testified to NNPCs commitment to openness, transparency and accountability in its business dealings in recent times.Our website as well as other social media platforms have become veritable media where we make public NNPCs monthly operational and financial reports among others, which underscore our commitment to probity, Dr Baru stated.He expressed his appreciation to the award organisers.He added that NNPCs doors were open to meaningful engagement with stakeholders in line with its 12 Business Focus Areas (BUFA) principle of Professionalism and Accountability.Announcing the award last week on their official website (http://www.web-jurist.com/), the organisers said the NNPC website (www.nnpcgroup.com) beat the websites of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).It also beat that of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCC), which came second and third respectively.The organisers further stated that their assessment process reviewed the technical aspects, aesthetics, site content, web transaction processing, consumers experience and website performance.On the social media aspect, the organisers reviewed indices such as increase in brand awareness and loyalty, managing brand reputation, richer customer (visitor) experiences and ability to generate higher leads on conversations.The Web Jurists assessments have been at the forefront of galvanizing innovation and forward-thinking in website service delivery in Nigeria for more than 12 years.
As we edge closer to 2017, many Nigerian religious leaders have been churning out earth-shaking prophecies. One of such prophecies st...

One of such prophecies state that the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, risks being poisoned by Aso Rock forces.According to the President of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle John Suleman, in his 50 prophecies for 2017, Aisha must be wary for her life.In a statement issued by his Public Communications Advisor, Phrank Shaibu, said some forces in Aso Rock were planning to poison Aisha and that the same forces will alienate vice-president Yemi Osinbajo.The prophecy states that the Aso Villa forces will make attempts to remove Osinbajo from office, but they wont succeed.The Apostle also said that God will humble Buhari in 2017; and that Mr. President will be bereaved in 2017. He did not elaborate, however.A summary of the prophecies, with focus on Nigeria and the world at large, is as follows:1. I see terrorism on the increase2. Federal Government of Nigeria should not relax yet on Boko Haram. Its a deception.3. Buhari to face impeachment threats.4. America and China to have major face-off5. Crude Oil to flow in Northern Nigeria.6. Abuja to experience major fire explosion.7. Donald Trump to face impeachment attempt as members of congress are divided on his style of leadership.8. I see an airplane that has Nigerias logo (national carrier)9. Things will pick up a bit in Nigeria but hunger will persist.10. I saw people crying over Bamanga Tukur11. Buhari will be bereaved in 2017.12. Ecobank, Diamond, Fidelity, GTB to retrench staff.13. President Buharis health needs attention.14. 2017 budget will have crises.15. More judges to be humiliated.16. MMM to dupe more Nigerians and I see court cases.17. Dollar to exchange for N615.18. Recession in Nigeria to become depression in 201719. MTN and Glo to face hardship.20. A former First Lady of Nigeria needs prayers over her health.21. Forces in Aso Rock planning to poison current First Lady (Aisha Buhari)22. I saw huge number of Chibok girls released; some of them with kids23. Nnamdi Kanus detention to cause international crises. God is angry with Buhari for the continued detention.24. Donald Trump to favour Israel. American Embassy in Israel to be moved to Jerusalem.25. Liberian election: CONTINUITY.26. Ghanas new president to send many to jail.27. Buhari and Senate to have crucial disagreement.28. Nigerias Budget will be delayed.29. I see killings in Ekiti.30. EFCC to come after National Assembly members in Nigeria in a politically motivated arrests because of their refusal to confirm Magu.31. I see kidnappers entering schools.32. Nigeria will lose a great man of God and the New Year is when the Nigerian government will fight the Church like never before.33. Some terrorists will be arrested in Lagos.34. Traditional rulers indicted and arrested for corruption.35. Lufthansa, Dana Air, Ghana Air, Aero Contractors I see staff protests.36. America to have financial crises.37. A serving cabinet minister in Nigeria will die.38. Nigeria to secure foreign funds.39. Doctors will embark on strike in Nigeria.40. A new mega party in Nigeria will swallow up APC.41. I see a new leadership for the APC in Nigeria.42. I see the DSS being taken to court.43. France, Spain, Russia to pray against train going off the rail.44. I saw a huge school building collapse.45. Nollywood to pray. They will get help but will lose two major people. The Yoruba movie industry too; but prayer can avert it.46. Fulani herdsmen again! Taraba, Benue, Imo and Jigawa states.47. Kogi State to organise state prayers to avoid major deaths and natural disasters.48. Edo State; major celebration but pray against road crashes.49. I see presidents being removed in Africa, I see presidents being installed.50. Two times, Nigerias vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, will face removal from office. They will alienate him and they will make attempts to remove him. But God will humble Buhari in 2017.
The Federal Government has commenced the payment of the N30, 000 monthly stipends for beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme -the job creat...

The Federal Government has commenced the payment of the N30, 000 monthly stipends for beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme -the job creation programme of the Buhari presidency.The N-Power programme is designed to engage the teeming and massive numbers of unemployed Nigerian graduates from tertiary institutions across the country.The Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, stating that `` all successfully verified beneficiaries who have provided bank accounts are being processed for payment.According to the presidential media aide, ``some beneficiaries will receive their first stipends today -December 30.Mr Akande said the process of payment would continue after the New Year Public holiday, urging beneficiaries of subsequent batch of the scheme to take seriously their virtual training.``Already, close to 50% of the 200,000 unemployed graduates selected in the first batch of N-Power job program have now been verified and being processed for December stipends' payment.``This process will continue and some will receive their stipends after the New Year public holiday, starting from Tuesday, 3rd of January.`` N-Power Volunteer Corps members are encouraged to take their virtual training seriously over this period, Mr Akande said.Mr Laolu also encouraged states who had yet to conclude the physical verification process to do so, ``as that would enable the N-Power beneficiaries in those states to draw from its benefits & empowerment offers.The unemployed graduates selected for the N-POWER programme are given assignments that will help to address issues in schools, hospitals and other areas in communities across the country.A total of 150,000 out of the 200,000 selected in the first phase of the scheme would be deployed as support teachers to help address shortage of teachers in schools at the basic and secondary levels.Another 30, 000 graduates would work as extension workers in various communities which will expectedly aid the governments diversification agenda.In strengthening community health services in line with the agenda of the Buhari administration, 20,000 graduates would be deployed as community health aides, under the first phase of the programme.The Federal Government is overseeing the programme by way of providing the funding but the project is going to be implemented in the states by the state governments.
Hundreds of residents wept on Thursday as fire engulfed some parts of Dakibiu, a suburb in Jabi area of Abuja.

Hundreds of residents wept on Thursday as fire engulfed some parts of Dakibiu, a suburb in Jabi area of Abuja.The fire which brought activities in the suburb to a standstill razed more than 50 makeshift houses occupied mostly by poor northerners.Many of the occupants and traders were seen scrambling to salvage their goods and properties from the burning inferno.Efforts by residents to put out the fire yielded little or no result as the fire was quick to spread around the wooden buildings, called batchers by residents.The arrival of the federal fire service officials could not help as all the buildings were already destroyed.A motorcycle parts dealer whose shop was gutted wanted to jump into the fire but for the timely intervention of residents.According to Yusuf Toka, a witness, nobody knew what caused the fire, it started around 3:30 p.m. and was first noticed in the middle of the wood houses.An official of the fire service, who spoke in a haste while putting out the little remaining fire, said that the cause of the fire could not be ascertained yet.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operation Unit, Zone C, in Edo State has destroyed poultry products worth over N147 million.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operation Unit, Zone C, in Edo State has destroyed poultry products worth over N147 million.It said the illegally imported poultry products were impounded during the yuletide season.The products that were destroyed on Thursday in Benin City included 16,422 cartons of imported frozen products.The Officer-in-Charge of the Benin Axis of Customs, Mr. Usman-Shehu Dahiru, said the imported poultry products have a Tax Duty of N29.56 million and Duty Paid Value of N177.36 million.The items were carried inside a container with number GEXU 1329084 and conveyed in a Mack truck with registration number BDG 654 XL.The items were seized by officers and men of Customs on Wednesday at Ovia River, along Benin-Ekiadolor Expressway at about 8:00 p.m.The items were destroyed at Customs House destruction site in compliance with Federal Governments policy on importation of frozen products (chicken and turkey), Dahiru said.
A delegation of Shiite Muslim leaders from the Sheik El Zakzaky group visited former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode on the situati...

A delegation of Shiite Muslim leaders from the Sheik El Zakzaky group visited former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode on the situation in Kaduna.He said the group leaders came to debrief him on the situation surrounding their plights.Fani-Kayode on his social media said: I was horrified by what I heard. These are very patriotic and courages men whose colleagues have been through so much and whose leader is still in custody.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he will not join issues with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he will not join issues with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.The President said this through his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu.This followed the latters allegation of a plot by his political enemies to bomb his plane.Wike, who was speaking at a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) end-of-year party in Port Harcourt, claimed his detractors were desperate to eliminate him.But he insisted that no man could destroy who God has lifted.In response, Shehu simply said: The President will not descend to Wikes level. He is the President of Nigeria.The All Progressives Congress (APC), through its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chris Finebone, also said Wike was merely frightened by his past.The APC believes that Governor Nyesom Wikes utterances today, (yesterday) at his partys event in Port Harcourt remains typically symptomatic of someone caught committing a heinous crime who has become confused and decides to pour dirt on anyone in sight.Governor Wikes accusation that APC is planning to bomb his plane simply underscores the extent to which the governor has become hysterically frightened by his own shadow and his past iniquities.It is unfortunate that Governor Wike has become helpless in dealing with the outcome of his past actions but constantly suffering psychological relapses," the party stated.
Nigerian soldiers on Friday engaged in a fierce fighting with Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.

Nigerian soldiers on Friday engaged in a fierce fighting with Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.During the encounter, at least 15 Boko Haram fighters were killed.This is coming as Nigerian military said that the Boko Haram insurgents had been crushed and Sambisa forest capturedThe leader of the sect Abubakar Shekau had on Thursday in a video denied that his fighters had been crushed in Sambisa forest. He boasted that his fighters would soon launch attack against the Nigerian Army.Military insiders told Premium Times that Fridays battle ensued at 6 a.m this morning and did not end until after 9 a.m.Sources said the battle began when fighters of the terror group launched a surprise attack on troops location in Rann, in northern Borno, shooting sporadically.Troops from 3 Battalion and 112 Task Force Battalion are stationed in the area, Premium Times sources said.The soldiers responded promptly, killing an unknown number of the terrorists, and wounding several others.
The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office charged an East Rutherford man with murder Thursday after the death of stabbing victim Monet Thomas.

Thomas, of Kearny, died at Hackensack University Medical Center on Wednesday, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal said.

Police had arrested Francis Tattoli, 24, on Dec. 18 in an alleged attack at his apartment on Summer Street. He was initially charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon.

Tattoli now faces upgraded charges of murder, felony murder and kidnapping. His bail increased by $3 million to a total of $5 million.

He is due in the Bergen County courthouse for a first appearance Tuesday.

Thomas, 25, had been in critical condition in the hospital since the attack. Authorities said she was visiting a friend in Tattoli's building.

She was found in the doorway of Tattoli's apartment that night. Tattoli fled, but was caught a short distance away.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
COMMERCIAL TWP. -- Tara O'Shea-Watson's son found his mother dead and went to a neighbor's home seeking help, according to the 911 call that a neighbor made to authorities.

"My wife's best friends's son just came down to my house talking about his mother is dead," the unidentified male caller told a Cumberland County 911 operator earlier this month.

O'Shea-Watson, 35, was found in her home in the Laurel Lake section of Commercial Township on Dec. 19. Her estranged husband, Jeremiah E. Monell, who both police and now neighbors say in the call, was at her home the night before her death and is the prime suspect in her murder.

As of Friday, Monell, 32, remained on the run. A $3,500 reward has been posted for his capture.

A recording of the call made to the 911 center by an unidentified neighbor was made at 8:06 a.m. on Dec. 19. And was obtained from the Cumberland County 911 center by NJ Advance Media.

911: 911 what's your emergency

Caller: I need a state trooper over here at 7901 Henry Street.

911: OK, Henry Street you said? Is that in Commercial Township?

Caller: Ah, yes.

911: OK, what's going on there.

Caller: Ah, yeah. My wife's best friend's son just came down to my house talking about his mom's dead.

911: OK.

Caller: Just woke me and my wife up out of a sound sleep. My wife is inside right now checking on her to make sure she is OK.

911: OK. 7109 Henry Street. You said what's going on exactly?

Caller: My wife's best friend's son, ah, best friend, her son, just came down to my house saying his mother is dead.

911: Is dead?

Caller: Yes.

911: OK. ... Are you there? Can you see if she is breathing?

Caller: My wife is inside right now. I am walking through and I am not touching anything in case.

The caller was asked how old the victim was and then suddenly blurts out "She is dead." The 911 operator asks the caller the victim's age, which the caller discusses with his wife.

Caller: My wife just found her on the living room floor.

The caller then told the 911 operator: "Her (O'Shea-Watson's) ex-husband was over here last night (Dec. 18) doing brake line work on her truck."

Asked by the 911 operator if there are any injuries visible, the unidentified caller's wife is heard in the background saying "I don't want to touch her."

Caller: My wife doesn't want to touch her. She is covered up with a blanket.

Asked if he could see any blood or injuries, the caller tells 911, "I don't see any blood."

After a redacted portion of the tape, the caller yells: "Oh, my God, she was murdered!

911: It was a murder? What kind of injuries ...?

Caller: I want to (inaudible) with state police right now.... I need a state trooper out here right now.

The tape seems to confirm what police had said in their complaint filed against Monell, that he had been at his estranged wife's home the night before her body was discovered Dec. 19.

Friends of O'Shea-Watson said she had feared Monell and allegedly been abused by him.

Court records say that Monell violated a restraining order by coming to O'Shea-Watson's house on Dec. 18 and then killed her by stabbing her with a knife "multiple times" in the abdomen, chest, back and face causing her death."

Anyone with information about Monell or his location is asked to contact the New Jersey State Police's Port Norris Station at 856-785-0036 or Detective Mike Legatie at 609-358-1704. Information can also be submitted by email to the New Jersey State Police Fugitive Unit tip line at fugitive@gw.njsp.org.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
2016 New Year's Eve Ball Relighting

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 05: A view of the New Year's Eve Ball ascending to top of its 130-foot pole at One Times Square at Times Square in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

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It's just about time to put a bow on 2016 and for better or worse, head into the new year with bright eyes and hope for humanity.

For most of us, that means a New Year's Eve 2017 celebration of some sort, and whether you're heading to a bustling bar or quiet house party, chances are the annual New Year's Eve TV extravaganza will be on.

Here's what you need to know about the New Year's Eve 2017 TV events, as well as some detail on the Times Square ball drop if you are heading into the city.

When to watch on TV: "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve," now with mega-host Ryan Seacrest at the helm, kicks off at 8 p.m. on ABC, and will run until 11 p.m., and then picks back up at 11:30 p.m., and finishes just after 1 a.m.

The show checks in on festivities in New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans, with pop star Fergie and comedienne Jenny McCarthy assisting in the hosting duties.

The main "Rockin' Eve" competitor Dec. 31 will be on NBC, which will air "A Toast to 2016!" at 8 p.m., a two-hour special that recaps the year's top stories and events.

"Late Night With Seth Meyers" airs a special NYE episode from 10 to 11 p.m., and then "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" hops in from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Who's performing: "Rockin' Eve" performers include Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan the Joe Jonas-fronted pop band DNCE, country star Thomas Rhett and more.

On NBC, "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" will host performances by Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Pentatonix and Blake Shelton.

Kelly Clarkson will perform on "Late Night With Seth Meyers," which also features Jennifer Lawrence, Arnold Schwarzenegger and SNL's Leslie Jones as guests.

How to watch online: To watch ABC live online, cable subscribers can visit abc.go.com/watch-live and input their provider information.

To watch NBC live online, cable subscribers can visit nbc.com/live and input their provider information.

Times Square ball drop details: The 12-foot-wide, 11,000-pound geodesic sphere descends from 1 Times Square, at midnight, of course.

To see it best in person, go to Broadway, from 43rd Street to 50th Street, and along Seventh Avenue, as far north as 59th Street, The Times Square Alliance suggests.

Watching the ball drop is a free open event, but arrive early -- around one million people from around the world flood midtown Manhattan to see the event. And bundle up; early forecasts from Accuweather call for a high of 43 in New York Dec. 31, and gusty winds could make it feel as cold as the teens at night, according to AccuWeather's long-range forecast.

Lastly, if you're driving across town on Dec. 31, avoid midtown by the afternoon -- Broadway and Seventh Avenue will be impassable by 3 p.m.

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Zenda

Zenda, a 25-year-old female African lion, was euthanized at the Philadelphia Zoo on Dec. 29 due to her recent, rapid decline in health. (Photo provided by the Philadelphia Zoo)

(Philadelphia Zoo)

The Philadelphia Zoo's lion population is one less today as 25-year-old Zenda was euthanized on Dec. 29.

At 25, Zenda was the oldest African lion in any zoo in the country, and she significantly exceeded the 17-year typical life expectancy for lions in zoos. She had suffered an acute decline in her mobility and behavior recently.

Dr. Andy Baker, chief operating officer at the Philadelphia Zoo, said Zenda will be missed by staff and guests alike, especially the keepers who catered to her changing needs as she grew older.

"Despite their already advancing age, Zenda and her pridemates were eager explorers of the habitat time-share system allowed by the design of Big Cat Falls when we opened in 2006," Baker said. "Their engagement was one of the inspirations for our pioneering zoo-wide trail system concept. Zoo360 -- a new way for animals to experience a zoo -- is part of Zenda's legacy."

Born at the Johannesburg Zoo in South Africa in July 1991, Zenda arrived in Philadelphia in July 1993, along with females Jezebel and Vinkel, and male Merlin. The pride temporarily lived at the Columbus Zoo in 2004, then returned for the opening of Big Cat Falls in 2006.

Zenda is survived by six African lions at Big Cat Falls, including 7-year-old Makini and 6-year-old Tajiri, parents of Kataba, Mali, Msinga, and Sabi.

The lions share Big Cat Falls with Amur tiger brothers Dmitri and Wiz, who have lived at the zoo since March 2014, and an array of other big cats.

The Philadelphia Zoo is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. For more information, visit philadelphiazoo.org.

Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
EXARTT 1 YASUKAWA

In a 2005 photo, Balozi Harvey, sits in the living room where some of his art collection is displayed at his home in South Orange. Mitsu Yasukawa / The Star Ledger

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NEWARK - Balozi Robert A. Harvey, a longtime New Jersey community activist and organizer whose work benefited African-American communities in the state as well as abroad in Africa and the Caribbean died Thursday. He was 76.

Harvey will be recalled as a champion of African-American issues and forged diplomatic ties to foster better cultural and trade relations between the United States and Africa, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement Friday.

Balozi Harvey.

"I join the citizens of Newark, the local and global community of pan-African nationalists and the many nations in the African Diaspora in mourning the passing of Balozi Robert Alexander Harvey, an extraordinary community organizer and activist in New Jersey and beyond," Baraka said. "Balozi's life was a love story with Africa and with Newark and its people."

Harvey was born in East Orange and graduated from East Orange High School in 1957, according to his website.

He majored in political science at Seton Hall University and later attended the United Nations Language School, where he learned Swahili, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic and Zulu. Harvey served in the Strategic Air Command of the U.S. Air Force from 1957 to 1961.

"Few have done more to build bridges between African nations and the Black communities of America," Baraka said. "As a businessman and diplomat, Balozi Harvey facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in trade between Africa and the United States, developing trade and investment relationships between American small, minority, and women-owned firms and developing nations."

Throughout his career, Harvey served numerous boards, commissions and companies. From 1977 to 1982, he worked as an aide to Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson focused on trade efforts.

"In Newark, we remember Balozi Harvey as Mayor Ken Gibson's partner in opening up trade between Newark companies and African and Caribbean nations," Baraka said. "We remember him for his work as a trusted advisor to local governments in promoting cultural diversity, affirmative action, job training, and economic development.

"Balozi Harvey will be sorely missed but he made sure that thousands here and in Africa have the determination, skills and knowledge to carry on his life's work."

Services are scheduled for Saturday with a tribute of dignitaries and imams at 11 a.m. followed by Janazah, or Islamic Funeral, according to his obituary.

Prayer will be held at noon at the National Islamic Association, 231 Roseville Ave., Newark. Interment will be at Restland Memorial Park, 77 Deforest Ave., East Hanover. Funeral services are being handled by Islamic Burial Services.

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- A man accused of assaulting a postal worker in Newark on Christmas Eve made his first appearance in U.S. District Court Thursday on federal charges.

Roger Ross, also known as Orlando Jones, is charged with assaulting a postal clerk during the course of her duties, under a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Ross, his hands cuffed, gave only yes-or-no answers to questions from Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson.

According to the complaint, Ross threatened and attacked the clerk after his wife accused the woman of stealing her mail and stalking Ross.

Ross' wife had previously visited the North Station Post Office earlier in the day in search of packages that hadn't been delivered, according to the complaint, which states she eventually called 911 to complain the clerks had been "messing with her mail."

She later waited for two of the clerks outside the building after closing, the complaint states, which was when Ross approached the victim and punched her in the face as she tried to walk away.

Ross also allegedly threatened the victim by implying he had a firearm, and told a witness not to call police because his "boys" were watching.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Merin told Dickson that Ross, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, would be eligible for deportation if convicted.

Court documents state the alleged attack was captured on surveillance video, but federal public defender Carol Gillen told Dickson the footage hadn't been turned over as of Thursday.

Ross is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 12 before Dickson in Newark.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A non-profit group that provides homes for disabled veterans will build its next house in Gloucester County.

Navy veteran Timothy Birckhead suffers from a nerve disorder that has left him largely confined to a wheelchair.

Homes for our Troops, which has built about 230 specially adapted homes nationwide for veterans, has selected Birckhead to receive a home that will be built in South Harrison Township.

Birckhead, 34, learned about Homes for our Troops from a friend who had received a home through the program.

Timothy Birckhead (Homes for our Troops)

He applied and was stunned when he was accepted.

"We were super surprised and at a loss for words," Birckhead said. "I was crying. My mom was crying. It was unbelievable."

Birckhead enlisted in the Navy in 2000 and served on the USS Iwo Jima as an air-launch weapons technician. During his second tour of duty, he began experiencing pain and weakness in his legs and had a hard time walking or running. As a result, he had to leave the Navy in 2007.

He was later diagnosed with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP), which affects sensory and motor nerves. He suffers from increasing weakness and atrophy in his limbs because of this progressive disease.

Birckhead's story and his experience with Homes for our Troops put him in the national spotlight when he was featured on TV's "The View" in November.

He appeared on the show with his mom, Gloria, and his daughter, Tamyja. The 12-year-old was ecstatic about appearing on TV, her dad recalled.

"She told her friends at school that she was going to be on "The View" and I guess they didn't believe her," Birckhead chuckled. Her friends were excited when she made her TV debut.

Birckhead lives at his brother's house in Philadelphia with his mother, who is his primary caregiver. That house isn't suited for someone in a wheelchair.

The new home, to be built at 105 Victoria Lane, will feature more than 40 adaptations, including wider doorways, a roll-in shower and kitchen features, including pull-down shelving.

One of his biggest challenges where Birckhead lives now is stairs. It's a two-story house with a basement, so getting around is a challenge. He can walk for very short distances but is quickly exhausted.

He also looks forward to being able to shower on his own without help. "Not having to rely on somebody to take a shower is going to be a whole new way of life," he said.

Homes for our Troops will introduce Birckhead to his new Gloucester County neighbors with a special event Saturday, Jan. 7, at Masso's Catering in Glassboro.

A procession will bring him from Glassboro Intermediate School down Delsea Drive to Masso's, where a ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m., according to organizers.

The event is open to the public. Officials from Glassboro and Harrison and South Harrison townships are jointly supporting the program.

A video crew from "The View" will attend the Glassboro event and one of the show's hosts, Sara Haines, is scheduled to speak during the program.

While he looked around Pennsylvania for a site for the new house, Birckhead settled on South Jersey because of available land.

"We chose New Jersey because they have a lot more open space," he said, adding that he was looking for a place where his family wouldn't have to worry about crime.

Mullica Hill-based Nocentino Homes is building the house. Construction is expected to start soon.

During their appearance on "The View," the show's hosts surprised the family with news that The Home Depot Foundation, which supports various veterans' causes, is donating all of the furniture for the Birckheads' new home.

As Gloria Birckhead put it, "it's one blessing after another."

"We are just so honored that we were chosen for this adventure," she said, "and what a great adventure it is."

Birckhead retired from her job as a school teacher after 42 years in order to care for her son. She doesn't miss her teaching career, she said, because she knows she is needed at home.

"This is what God has given me to do and I'm happy doing it 24/7," she said. "Nothing's too small or too great for my children."

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
Tyheem Stephenson + Tyiskia Harris + Hassan F. McNair.jpg

Tyheem Stephenson (left), Tyiskia Harris and Hassan F. McNair appeared in Central Judicial Processing in Jersey City on Dec. 29, 2016 on gun possession charges. Jonathan Lin | The Jersey Journal

JERSEY CITY -- Two city men who are pending indictment for attempted murder and a pregnant woman were found with a loaded gun in a car, a prosecutor said.

Tyheem Stephenson, who will turn 19 on New Year's Eve; Hassan F. McNair, 20; and Tyiskia Harris, 22 appeared in Central Judicial Processing in Jersey City on Thursday on charges of possessing a handgun without a permit or proper documentation.

Harris and McNair were additionally charged with possessing a handgun for an unlawful purpose, while Stephenson was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, criminal complaints stated.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Kevin J. Murray said police found a gun in the defendants' car when officers pulled them over in the area of Grant and Bergen avenues around 11:20 p.m. on Dec. 28.

Stephenson and McNair are each currently pending indictment for four counts of attempted murder following a Mother's Day shooting on May 10, 2015, according to Murray.

It wasn't immediately known when they posted bail on their charges from that time, which as of earlier this year reportedly included aggravated assault and weapons offenses.

Three others -- Robert Warren, Decota Chisolm and Steven Howard -- have been accused in the 2015 shooting, which authorities say left four women with gunshot wounds.

On Thursday, Harris, who a court official said has no prior arrests, had her bail set by CJP Judge Ramy Eid at $50,000, cash or bond.

Meanwhile, in a separate court hearing that took place after CJP, Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick Arre ordered that Stephenson and McNair be held without bail.

Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
#Yoon Suk-yeol Yoon pays 5th visit to mourning altar for Itaewon crush victims President Yoon Suk-yeol paid his fifth visit to a mourning altar for victims of the Halloween crowd crush on Friday in what has become a daily routine for the president. Yoon ar...
Black Lives Matter is divisive -- just like every other righteous cause
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.
Arkansas residents can open an ABLE account in other state.

ABLE accounts are bank accounts that allow people with special needs to save money without jeopardizing their disability benefits. ABLE accounts come from the federal ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Act, but they are established and managed on a state level.

Not all states have ABLE accounts (yet), and each state will have slightly different rules and procedures for opening and using an ABLE account.

Arkansas does not yet have an active ABLE program, but if you are an Arkansas resident, you can open an ABLE account in another state.

Save Money Without Penalty

When people with special needs apply for disability benefits, they must show that they do not have enough money to support themselves independently. Money saved in a traditional bank account counts against the ability to qualify for disability benefits.

As a result, people with special needs are not able to build savings with the money they earn or that they receive through inheritance or gifts. On a day-to-day basis, this means that people with special needs must live with very little money if they want to receive government aid.

One workaround for this issue is to use a special needs trust which provides a place to save money that can be used for the benefit of the person with special needs (without affecting his or her eligibility for benefits). But special needs trusts must be controlled by a trustee  not by the person with special needs who benefits from the trust. Not only does this leave a person with special needs with little control over his or her finances, it also limits the person's independence.

ABLE accounts fill this gap by giving people with special needs the opportunity to manage a modest bank account without penalty against their eligibility for SSI, Medicaid, or other government benefits.

Rules for ABLE Accounts in Arkansas

The basic rules for all ABLE accounts come from the federal ABLE Act. (Read the federal act here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/647/). When states adopt and implement the ABLE Act, they must follow the federal rules and can also add their own rules and regulations. Here are the federal rules:

Disability qualifications. In order to open an ABLE account, you swear under penalty of perjury that you have a disabling "condition that began prior to reaching age 26" and you must fall under the Social Security administration's definition of "disabled" for children. (CFR 416.906.)

In order to open an ABLE account, you swear under penalty of perjury that you have a disabling "condition that began prior to reaching age 26" and you must fall under the Social Security administration's definition of "disabled" for children. (CFR 416.906.) Only one account . Each person can only have one ABLE account.

. Each person can only have one ABLE account. Anyone can put money in the account . Anyone can contribute money to an ABLE account, including the owner with a disability.

. Anyone can contribute money to an ABLE account, including the owner with a disability. Contributions are capped at $14,000 per year (in 2017) . This limit is equal to the annual personal gift tax exclusion, so it will rise every few years. Also, to be clear, this is per account, not per donor. The owner of the account must keep track of all contributions to ensure that they do not exceed $14,000 for the calendar year.

. This limit is equal to the annual personal gift tax exclusion, so it will rise every few years. Also, to be clear, this is per account, not per donor. The owner of the account must keep track of all contributions to ensure that they do not exceed $14,000 for the calendar year. For many, the account cannot exceed $100,000 . For those who qualify for SSI, the balance of an ABLE account cannot exceed $100,000. For those who do not qualify for SSI, the account can reach the limit allowed for 529 plans in that state. In Arkansas, the limit for 529 accounts is $400,000  however, Arkansas does not yet offer an ABLE account, so the limit would be set by the provider-state of the plan you choose.

. For those who qualify for SSI, the balance of an ABLE account cannot exceed $100,000. For those who do not qualify for SSI, the account can reach the limit allowed for 529 plans in that state. In Arkansas, the limit for 529 accounts is $400,000  however, Arkansas does not yet offer an ABLE account, so the limit would be set by the provider-state of the plan you choose. Funds must be used for Qualified Disability Expenses (QDE). QDE are expenses that are "related to the blindness or disability" of the account holder. Thankfully, this is a fairly broad definition and can include expenses for housing, education, transportation, employment training, health and wellness, financial management, legal fees, and more.

QDE are expenses that are "related to the blindness or disability" of the account holder. Thankfully, this is a fairly broad definition and can include expenses for housing, education, transportation, employment training, health and wellness, financial management, legal fees, and more. Account funds are not taxed if used properly. The income earned from the funds in ABLE accounts is not taxed. Contributions are made with post-tax dollars, and distributions made for QDE are tax-free.

The income earned from the funds in ABLE accounts is not taxed. Contributions are made with post-tax dollars, and distributions made for QDE are tax-free. Unused funds pay Medicaid. If the account owner dies with funds in an ABLE account, those funds must be used (in this order), to pay any outstanding QDE bills including funeral expenses, to provide payback to Medicaid for all Medicaid benefits received, and then to be distributed to the account holders legal beneficiaries.

When individual states adopt the ABLE Act and provide ABLE accounts for its residents, they may also make rules and policies about:

Minimum amounts required to open an account

Fees

Availability of accounts to non-residents.

State income tax deductions for contributions

Account rollovers

Debit cards

Investment portfolios

ABLE Accounts in Arkansas and Other States

Arkansas is still working on establishing its ABLE Program. In the meantime, you can set up an account in another state that opens its ABLE accounts to non-residents. Keep in mind however, that each person can only have one ABLE account.

You can learn about and compare ABLE accounts across the country at the website for the ABLE National Resource Center.

An ABLE account is just one planning tool for people with special needs. You might also be interested in learning more about Special Needs Trusts or Estate Planning in Arkansas on Nolo.com.
Connecticut has adopted the ABLE act, but Connecticut ABLE accounts are not yet available.

ABLE accounts are bank accounts that allow people with special needs to save money without jeopardizing their disability benefits. ABLE accounts come from the federal ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Act, but they are established and managed on a state level.

Not all states have ABLE accounts (yet), and each state will have slightly different rules and procedures for opening and using an ABLE account.

Connecticut does not currently offer ABLE accounts to its residents. However, Connecticut has passed the Connecticut ABLE Act (see Public Act 15-80), and it is working on creating the program that will allow individuals to open ABLE accounts. You can learn more about the Connecticut program and its status on the website of the state treasurer: http://www.ott.ct.gov/about_ABLEAct.html. If you want to open an ABLE account sooner, you can open an ABLE account in another state.

Save Money Without Penalty

When people with special needs apply for disability benefits, they must show that they do not have enough money to support themselves independently. Any money a person has in a traditional bank account count against that person's ability to qualify for disability benefits.

As a result, people with special needs are not able to build savings with the money they earn or that they receive through inheritance or gifts. On a day-to-day basis, this means that people with special needs must live with very little money if they want to receive government aid.

One workaround for this issue is to use a special needs trust which provides a place to save money that can be used for the benefit of the person with special needs (without affecting his or her eligibility for benefits). But special needs trusts must be controlled by a trusteenot by the person with special needs who benefits from the trust. Not only does this leave a person with special needs with little control over his or her finances, it also limits the person's independence.

ABLE accounts fill this gap by giving people with special needs the opportunity to manage a modest bank account without penalty against their eligibility for SSI, Medicaid, or other government benefits.

Federal Rules for ABLE Accounts

The basic rules for all ABLE accounts come from the federal ABLE Act. (Read the federal act here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/647/). When states adopt and implement the ABLE Act, they must follow the federal rules and can also add their own rules and regulations. Here are some of the federal rules:

Disability qualifications. To qualify to use an ABLE account, an individual must have a disabling condition that began before age 26.

To qualify to use an ABLE account, an individual must have a disabling condition that began before age 26. Only one account . Each person can only have one ABLE account.

. Each person can only have one ABLE account. Anyone can put money in the account . Anyone can contribute money to an ABLE account, including the owner with a disability.

. Anyone can contribute money to an ABLE account, including the owner with a disability. Contributions are capped annually. The limit for 2022 is $16,000.

The limit for 2022 is $16,000. For many, the account cannot exceed $100,000 . For those who qualify for SSI, the balance of an ABLE account cannot exceed $100,000. For those who do not qualify for SSI, see the state rule, below.

. For those who qualify for SSI, the balance of an ABLE account cannot exceed $100,000. For those who do not qualify for SSI, see the state rule, below. Use of funds is limited. Funds in an ABLE account must be used for Qualified Disability Expenses (QDE)expenses that are "related to the blindness or disability" of the account holder.

Funds in an ABLE account must be used for Qualified Disability Expenses (QDE)expenses that are "related to the blindness or disability" of the account holder. Account funds are not taxed if used properly. The income earned from the funds in ABLE accounts is not taxed. Contributions are made with post-tax dollars, and distributions made for QDE are tax-free.

The income earned from the funds in ABLE accounts is not taxed. Contributions are made with post-tax dollars, and distributions made for QDE are tax-free. Unused funds pay Medicaid. When a person with a disability dies, any funds remaining in an ABLE account will be used to reimburse Medicaid for services the person received from that program.

When a person with a disability dies, any funds remaining in an ABLE account will be used to reimburse Medicaid for services the person received from that program. Read more about the federal rules for ABLE Bank Accounts.

When individual states adopt the ABLE Act and provide ABLE accounts for their residents, they may also make rules and policies about:

Minimum amounts required to open an account

Fees

Availability of accounts to non-residents.

State income tax deductions for contributions

Account rollovers

Debit cards

Investment portfolios

ABLE Accounts in Connecticut

Connecticut is currently establishing its own ABLE account program. You can read Connecticut ABLE account statutes in Connecticut Statutes 3-39j to 3-39r. While ABLE accounts are unavailable in Connecticut, you can open one in another state that opens its ABLE accounts to non-residents. Keep in mind however, that each person can only have one ABLE account.

For ABLE account holders who do not qualify for SSI, the account can reach the limit allowed for 529 plans in that state. In Connecticut, the limit for 529 accounts is $300,000however, because Connecticut does not yet offer an ABLE account, the limit would be set by the provider-state of the plan you choose.

You can learn about and compare ABLE accounts across the country at the website for the ABLE National Resource Center.

An ABLE account is just one planning tool for people with special needs. You might also be interested in learning more about Special Needs Trusts or Estate Planning in Connecticut on Nolo.com.
Delaware is developing its ABLE program.

ABLE accounts are bank accounts that allow people with special needs to save money without jeopardizing their disability benefits. ABLE accounts come from the federal ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Act, but they are established and managed on a state level.

Not all states have ABLE accounts (yet), and each state will have slightly different rules and procedures for opening and using an ABLE account.

Delaware does not currently offer ABLE accounts to its residents. However, Delaware has passed the Delaware ABLE Act (see Delaware Laws Chapter 96A), which establishes Delaware's ability to run an ABLE program. Until Delaware offer's its own ABLE accounts, Delaware residents can open an ABLE account in another state.

Save Money Without Penalty

When people with special needs apply for disability benefits, they must show that they do not have enough money to support themselves independently. Any money a person has in a traditional bank account count against that person's ability to qualify for disability benefits.

As a result, people with special needs are not able to build savings with the money they earn or that they receive through inheritance or gifts. On a day-to-day basis, this means that people with special needs must live with very little money if they want to receive government aid.

One workaround for this issue is to use a special needs trusts which provide a place to save money that can be used for the benefit of the person with special needs (without affecting his or her eligibility for benefits). But special needs trusts must be controlled by a trustee  not by the person with special needs who benefits from the trust. Not only does this leave a person with special needs with little control over his or her finances, it also limits the person's independence.

ABLE accounts fill this gap by giving people with special needs the opportunity to manage a modest bank account without penalty against their eligibility for SSI, Medicaid, or other government benefits.

Rules for ABLE Accounts in Delaware

The basic rules for all ABLE accounts come from the federal ABLE Act. (Read the federal act here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/647/). When states adopt and implement the ABLE Act, they must follow the federal rules and can also add their own rules and regulations. Here are the federal rules:

Disability qualifications. In order to open an ABLE account, you swear under penalty of perjury that you have a disabling "condition that began prior to reaching age 26" and you must fall under the Social Security administration's definition of "disabled" for children. (CFR 416.906.)

In order to open an ABLE account, you swear under penalty of perjury that you have a disabling "condition that began prior to reaching age 26" and you must fall under the Social Security administration's definition of "disabled" for children. (CFR 416.906.) Only one account . Each person can only have one ABLE account.

. Each person can only have one ABLE account. Anyone can put money in the account . Anyone can contribute money to an ABLE account, including the owner with a disability.

. Anyone can contribute money to an ABLE account, including the owner with a disability. Contributions are capped at $14,000 per year (in 2017) . This limit is equal to the annual personal gift tax exclusion, so it will rise every few years. Also, to be clear, this is per account, not per donor. The owner of the account must keep track of all contributions to ensure that they do not exceed $14,000 for the calendar year.

. This limit is equal to the annual personal gift tax exclusion, so it will rise every few years. Also, to be clear, this is per account, not per donor. The owner of the account must keep track of all contributions to ensure that they do not exceed $14,000 for the calendar year. For many, the account cannot exceed $100,000 . For those who qualify for SSI, the balance of an ABLE account cannot exceed $100,000. For those who do not qualify for SSI, the account can reach the limit allowed for 529 plans in that state. In Delaware, the limit for 529 accounts is $350,000  however, Delaware does not yet offer an ABLE account, so the limit would be set by the provider-state of the plan you choose.

. For those who qualify for SSI, the balance of an ABLE account cannot exceed $100,000. For those who do not qualify for SSI, the account can reach the limit allowed for 529 plans in that state. In Delaware, the limit for 529 accounts is $350,000  however, Delaware does not yet offer an ABLE account, so the limit would be set by the provider-state of the plan you choose. Funds must be used for Qualified Disability Expenses (QDE). QDE are expenses that are "related to the blindness or disability" of the account holder. Thankfully, this is a fairly broad definition and can include expenses for housing, education, transportation, employment training, health and wellness, financial management, legal fees, and more.

QDE are expenses that are "related to the blindness or disability" of the account holder. Thankfully, this is a fairly broad definition and can include expenses for housing, education, transportation, employment training, health and wellness, financial management, legal fees, and more. Account funds are not taxed if used properly. The income earned from the funds in ABLE accounts is not taxed. Contributions are made with post-tax dollars, and distributions made for QDE are tax-free.

The income earned from the funds in ABLE accounts is not taxed. Contributions are made with post-tax dollars, and distributions made for QDE are tax-free. Unused funds pay Medicaid. If the account owner dies with funds in an ABLE account, those funds must be used (in this order), to pay any outstanding QDE bills including funeral expenses, to provide payback to Medicaid for all Medicaid benefits received, and then to be distributed to the account holders legal beneficiaries.

When individual states adopt the ABLE Act and provide ABLE accounts for its residents, they may also make rules and policies about:

Minimum amounts required to open an account

Fees

Availability of accounts to non-residents.

State income tax deductions for contributions

Account rollovers

Debit cards

Investment portfolios

ABLE Accounts in Delaware and Other States

Delaware passed the ABLE Act and is currently establishing its own ABLE account program. You can read Delaware's Achieving a Better Life Experience Savings Accounts (16 Del.C 9601, et seq.). While ABLE accounts are unavailable in Delaware, Delaware residents can still open an ABLE account in another state that allows non-residents.to open ABLE accounts (sometimes with higher non-resident fees).

You can learn about and compare ABLE accounts across the country at the website for the ABLE National Resource Center.

An ABLE account is just one planning tool for people with special needs. You might also be interested in learning more about Special Needs Trusts or Estate Planning in Delaware on Nolo.com.
Pennsylvania's ABLE program, PA ABLE, helps those with special needs save money while remaining eligible for disability benefits.

ABLE accounts are bank accounts that allow people with special needs to save money without jeopardizing their disability benefits. ABLE accounts come from the federal ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Act, but they are established and managed on a state level.

Not all states have ABLE accounts (yet), and each state will have slightly different rules and procedures for opening and using an ABLE account.

Pennsylvania does have an ABLE program, called PA ABLE. The program is open to residents and nonresidents, and Pennsylvania residents can open ABLE accounts in other states that allow it. See additional details below.

Save Money Without Penalty

When people with special needs apply for disability benefits, they must show that they do not have enough money to support themselves independently. Money saved in a traditional bank account counts against the ability to qualify for disability benefits.

As a result, people with special needs are not able to build savings with the money they earn or that they receive through inheritance or gifts. On a day-to-day basis, this means that people with special needs must live with very little money if they want to receive government aid.

One workaround for this issue is to use a special needs trust which provides a place to save money that can be used for the benefit of the person with special needs (without affecting his or her eligibility for benefits). But special needs trusts must be controlled by a trusteenot by the person with special needs who benefits from the trust. Not only does this leave a person with special needs with little control over his or her finances, it also limits the person's independence.

ABLE accounts fill this gap by giving people with special needs the opportunity to manage a modest bank account without penalty against their eligibility for SSI, Medicaid, or other government benefits.

Federal Rules for ABLE Accounts

The basic rules for all ABLE accounts come from the federal ABLE Act. (Read the federal act here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/647/). When states adopt and implement the ABLE Act, they must follow the federal rules and can also add their own rules and regulations. Here are some of the federal rules:

Disability qualifications. To qualify to use an ABLE account, an individual must have a disabling condition that began before age 26.

To qualify to use an ABLE account, an individual must have a disabling condition that began before age 26. Only one account . Each person can only have one ABLE account.

. Each person can only have one ABLE account. Anyone can put money in the account . Anyone can contribute money to an ABLE account, including the owner with a disability.

. Anyone can contribute money to an ABLE account, including the owner with a disability. Contributions are capped annually. The limit for 2022 is $16,000.

The limit for 2022 is $16,000. For many, the account cannot exceed $100,000 . For those who qualify for SSI, the balance of an ABLE account cannot exceed $100,000. For those who do not qualify for SSI, see the state rule, below.

. For those who qualify for SSI, the balance of an ABLE account cannot exceed $100,000. For those who do not qualify for SSI, see the state rule, below. Use of funds is limited. Funds in an ABLE account must be used for Qualified Disability Expenses (QDE)expenses that are "related to the blindness or disability" of the account holder.

Funds in an ABLE account must be used for Qualified Disability Expenses (QDE)expenses that are "related to the blindness or disability" of the account holder. Account funds are not taxed if used property. The income earned from the funds in ABLE accounts is not taxed. Contributions are made with post-tax dollars, and distributions made for QDE are tax-free.

The income earned from the funds in ABLE accounts is not taxed. Contributions are made with post-tax dollars, and distributions made for QDE are tax-free. Unused funds pay Medicaid. When a person with a disability dies, any funds remaining in an ABLE account will be used to reimburse Medicaid for services the person received from that program.

When a person with a disability dies, any funds remaining in an ABLE account will be used to reimburse Medicaid for services the person received from that program. Read more about the federal rules for ABLE Bank Accounts.

When individual states adopt the ABLE Act and provide ABLE accounts for its residents, they may also make rules and policies about:

Minimum amounts required to open an account

Fees

Availability of accounts to to non-residents.

State income tax deductions for contributions

Account rollovers

Debit cards

Investment portfolios

ABLE Accounts in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's ABLE account program, PA ABLE, launched in 2016. Here are some details.

Common name: CalABLE

Website: https://www.paable.gov/

Statute:Pennsylvania ABLE Act

Program administrator:Pennsylvania Treasury Department

Program manager: Ascensus

Investment institution: BlackRock, Schwab, and Vanguard

Account limit: $511,758 ($100,000 to remain eligible for SSI)

($100,000 to remain eligible for SSI) Annual contribution limit: $16,000 (If you are working and not enrolled in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you can contribute up to $12,880 more or the amount of your annual income before taxes, whichever is less, for a maximum total annual contribution of $28,880.)

Open to out-of-state residents: Yes

Minimum amount to open an account: $25

Debit or prepaid card available: Yes

Investment options: 6 options that vary in risk

Account fees: Annual maintenance feel of $60 ($45 if you receive your statements electronically); Checking account option fee: $2.00/month (waived if you receive your statements electronically or your average monthly account balance is $250 or more); Asset-based fees range from 0.34% to 0.38%.

Pennsylvania residents can deduct contributions up to $16,000 per year from their state taxable income. Also, funds in an ABLE account are not subject to Medicaid estate recovery.

You can learn about and compare ABLE accounts across the country at the website for the ABLE National Resource Center.

An ABLE account is just one planning tool for people with special needs. You might also be interested in learning more about Special Needs Trusts or Estate Planning in Pennsylvania on Nolo.com.
To get workers' comp benefits for an on-the-job injury or illness, you need to follow your state's rules for reporting the injury and filing a claim. Learn how to file a claim and where to get more information and help.

If you've suffered a work-related injury or illness, you may be entitled to workers' comp benefits, including medical care, part of your lost wages while you're off work during your recovery, and permanent disability benefits if the injury left you with long-lasting limitations.

To get these benefits, you must report your injury and file a claim according to your state's procedures. While each state has its own workers' comp system, the procedures for filing a claim are generally similar. Below we'll discuss the workers' comp claims procedures that all states share.

Report Work Injury to Employer

In nearly all states, the first step to getting workers' compensation benefits is to report your injury or occupational illness to your employer. States have very different time limits for notifying an employer of a work injury or illness. The deadline is often 30 days or so, but it can be as short as a few days and as long as a year.

Regardless of how much time you have, you should inform your employer of your injury as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more skeptical your employer or its insurance company will be of your claim. And, the sooner you file your claim, the sooner you can receive benefits.

You should also get immediate medical attention if your injury requires it. For emergency treatment, you can go to the nearest emergency room or urgent care. For all other treatment, you will need to follow your state's rules for seeking medical treatment.

File a Workers' Comp Claim

Once you report your injury, your employer should give you any necessary forms to fill out. Typically, the employer will submit these forms to its insurance company and the state workers' compensation agency. In some states, this will be the official start to your workers' compensation claim. In these states, you will need to file official paperwork with the state workers' comp agency only if your benefits are denied and you want to appeal the decision.

In other states, you will also need to file an official workers' comp claim form with the state workers' compensation agency at the start of your case. The deadline for this step also varies from state to state. While workers often have a year to file the claim, the timeline could be significantly shorter in some states. (Learn more about the various time limits in workers' comp cases and details on the filing procedures for workers' comp claims in certain states.)

You can get information, forms, and assistance from your state's workers' compensation agency. In the unlikely event that your employer refuses to cooperate with you in filing a claim, a call to your local workers' comp office will usually remedy the situation.

Federal employees are subject to a completely different workers' compensation system. You can find forms and instructions for filing claims at the website of the Division of Federal Employees' Compensation.

What Happens After You File a Workers' Comp Claim

The insurance company will conduct an investigation before approving or denying your claim. The insurer must tell you what it decided, usually within two to four weeks. In some states, if your claim isn't denied by the deadline, it will automatically be considered approved.

If the claim is approved, you'll start receiving benefits. If your claim is deniedwhich often happensyou have the right to appeal.

When to Contact a Workers' Comp Attorney

If your claim has been denied, you should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. There are many reasons for denials, from missed deadlines to disputes over whether your medical condition is related to work.

The appeals process is complicated, with strict deadlines. An experienced workers' comp attorney can help your case in many ways, from gathering evidence that bolsters your claim to negotiating with the insurance company or representing you in hearings.

And a lawyer usually won't cost you anything up front. In almost all states, workers' comp attorneys charge a percentage of your benefits if you winand nothing if you lose.
Welcome to nonleaguedaily.coms news provision, your go-to source for all non league updates, rumours, interviews, and much more besides.

Founded by a team with a genuine passion for the world of non league football, nonleaguedaily.com understands exactly what supporters of the so-called lower leagues are looking for. You want the high-quality reporting, in-depth analysis, and match reporting that matches that is more commonly found in the journalism for the top flights, but with the focus firmly fixed on the national leagues.

We understand that your passion, interest, and dedication is constant, and we believe you need a news service that matches that commitment with its own dedication and thoroughness  so thats what you can expect from our site.

The latest non league news, as and when it happens

Conventionally, non league news has always travelled fairly slowly, especially when compared to the instantaneous, constant breaking news cycles found in the upper leagues. Tales are told on terraces, rumours passed between pub patrons and circled between supporters at the latest game, often forced to remain somewhat local initially before word eventually spreads to other locales.

For us, this slow spread may be fairly organic in nature, but it simply isnt compatible with the modern football environment. Its also not conducive to the current fast-paced, always-available media landscape, nor the way that people tend to consume news nowadays. Thats why we have put together a non league news source that fans can turn to for the latest updates, as and when they happen, and as and when you want to read them. Non-league news now is the only acceptable speed at Betting.co.uk.

We update our non-league football news coverage constantly, bringing you all the latest developments and seeking to spread the word as quickly and accurately as possible. So if youre wondering whats happening both with your local team and with the lower leagues as a whole, you can visit us for non league news now, and be confident the stories you find are completely up to date.

News reported by passionate fans

Our efforts to bring you the very best non league football news are undeniably a professional concern, and one that we take seriously. We are  if youll excuse the uncharacteristic tooting of our own horns  good at what we do, and we know that the efforts we make in this regard are one of the reasons our site has enjoyed such success thus far.

However, everyone who writes for us also shares our readers enthusiasm for non league football. Were not just churning out content in the hopes of cashing in on a professional dream; were here because we want to be, and will always be dedicated and committed to non league football as an entity and thriving in the experience of being able to talk about our favourite subject whenever we can. We create non-league news now that is written by genuine fans and enthusiasts, for fans. We know what you want to know and what matters most to an ardent non league supporter, and we always ensure that focusing on these elements is our guiding principle as we seek to solidify our status as an online non league paper fans can always rely on.

When compiling non league news, we think with the mind of a fan first and foremost. We cover the angles and stories that we find compelling and that we know our fellow non league enthusiasts also care about. News doesnt have to be dry and formulaic, in our opinion. When its written by people who are genuinely as fascinated by the stories they are reporting on as their readership will be, we believe news can be interesting, compelling, and even have a sense of personality and humour.

News content written with passion and expertise

We believe that thanks to our dedication, insightfulness, and commitment to our subject matter of non league today, we are offering the best of both worlds to those searching for an online non league paper. We give you the professional approach we feel is appropriate for news about one of the most intriguing aspects of UK football; an aspect that we genuinely feel does not receive the interest and plaudits that it should be generating. Nevertheless, we dont let that professionalism take over everything we do: we remain committed fans, nurturing our own personal interest in non league football and ensuring every word we compose is infused with a sense of passion and dedication that enhances the posts we create.

Its therefore obvious that our non-league content today isnt ever going to be dry, basic, or put together by a tired staff writer who has never heard of any team below the Championship before they rush off to the pub for the evening. Our writers are genuine experts: were covering non league football because we want to, because we believe in it, and because its where our strengths lie. The result is informed content that capitalises on our deep knowledge of the history, as well as the present-day realities, of non league football in the UK.

Beyond news: the nonleaguedaily.com interview series

One of our goals with nonleaguedaily.com is to not just dryly report the news from an outsiders perspective, effectively regurgitating press releases that are devoid of genuinely illuminating information. We also go right to the source of the stories: the managers and club insiders who have direct experience, and often influence, on the sport and how it is managed.

We regularly conduct interviews as part of our news provision, asking the questions that are on everyones lips and providing the best possible view into the non league world. We have reporters pitchside at matches, microphone to hand and plentiful questions ready to be asked. The end result for you, the reader, is the kind of information and close-up looks into the non league world that just cant be found anywhere else.

As our commitment to providing interesting interviews amply demonstrates, we want to be involved in breaking the stories that everyone then talks about, rather than following along and focusing solely on what everyone already knows. If youre looking for leading content that you cant find anywhere else, and that goes right to the centre of the non league world, then you can turn to nonleaguedaily.com for all the benefits of a conventional non league paper, but in electronic, easily-accessed form.

A host of other content to enjoy alongside the non league today

Our focus on providing non league news will always be maintained: we consider this aspect the most important of what we do, and it will always be the recipient of our time, dedication, and interest. Well be here, a consistent and trustworthy news portal, for as long as non league football news exists.

With that said, when you have read up on the latest goings-on, were here with further content for you to enjoy. Naturally, given our partnership with leading brand Betting.co.uk, we provide guidelines for those interested in the world of sports betting. Well help you find the best UK bookmaker with our plentiful coverage of existing brands; ideal if youre looking to put your newfound knowledge, courtesy of us, about non league to use and place a few bets.

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Adams and Cooley Rat Pack Jazz will take their audience on a nostalgic trip to the past with music from The Golden Era of Song in a matinee performance presented by the North Platte Concert Association at 2 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Neville Center for the Performing Arts, Fifth and Bailey streets.

Sponsors of this concert are Dr. Chris and Julie Johng, and Michael and Julie Jacobson.

Johnny Adams, vocalist, and Ron Cooley, guitar, have worked together musically for many years, though they have known each other even longer, growing up in the same neighborhood in Omaha. Both are versatile musicians who are songwriters and have worked with Chip Davis and Mannheim Steam Roller for many years.

They will be joined by upright bassist Andy Hall, saxophonist Dennis Strawn and percussionist Carlos Figueroa. The combo will play music made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and Nat King Cole.

Rat Pack Jazz is well known throughout eastern Nebraska and the Midwest. A member of the Butler County Arts Council praised Rat Pack Jazz for their talent, professionalism and rapport with the audience. Other organizations have also been very complimentary of the ensembles concerts.

Admission is with membership in the North Platte Concert Association. Memberships are available by contacting Pat Hoban, 1412 W. Fourth St., at 308-534-4699. The cost of season memberships is $50 for adults, $100 for families (parents or guardians with minor children) and $15 for students.
The audition for the Missoula Childrens Theatre production of Rumpelstiltskin will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 9 in the gym at Saint Pauls Lutheran Church and School located at 312 W. Third St., Ogallala.

There are roles for those students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Approximately 50-60 local students will be cast to appear in the show with the MCT tour actor/director. There is no guarantee that everyone who auditions will be cast in the play. Students wishing to audition must arrive promptly by 4 p.m. and stay for the entire two-hour session. Students arriving late will not be admitted. Please be on time. The first rehearsal for students selected for main roles begins approximately 15-30 minutes after the audition at the Lutheran School.

This is a group audition, and no advance preparation is necessary. Parents are not required to stay, but are welcome to watch from the balcony of the gym if they choose.

After the first rehearsal on Monday night, the remaining rehearsals for the rest of the week will be conducted from 4 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ogallala High School. Although not all cast members will be needed at every session, those auditioning must have a clear schedule for the entire week and if selected, be able to attend all rehearsals required for their role. A detailed rehearsal schedule will be distributed at the conclusion of the audition. Cast members scheduled for the full 4 hours of rehearsal will be asked to bring a sack lunch, dinner or snack.

The performances will be at 2 and 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 and will be presented at the Ogallala High School Performing Arts Center. The students in the cast will be called for dress rehearsal before the performance that day. All those cast must be available for all scheduled performances.

The Missoula Childrens Theatre is a nonprofit organization based in Missoula, Montana. This coming year, more than 65,000 cast members across the globe will take to the stage to the delight and applause of their families, friends, community, neighbors and teachers. The residency in Ogallala is made possible by the Ogallala Regional Arts Council and the Ogallala Optimists.
Long a hub of wineries, Southwest Michigan also has blossomed as a craft beer destination  to the point where you can go on tours.

The popular and acclaimed Greenbush Brewing helped put Southwest Michigan  a nearby and popular summertime getaway for Region residents  on the map for craft beer. Now Harbor Country has so many craft breweries that Berrien Springs-based Grape & Grain offers bus tours where people can spend the day sampling India Pale Ales and other beer from various breweries.

The company charges $59 to $149 per person for tours that include stops at Greenbush in Sawyer, Tapistry Brew House in Bridgman, Round Barn Brewery & Public House in Baroda, and Silver Harbor Brewing Company in St. Joseph, while also stopping at the Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks.

Other breweries not far north of the state line in Southwest Michigan include Arclight Brewing Co. in Watervliet, Cravings Bistro and Brewpub in Benton Harbor, and The Livery in Benton Harbor.

For those who prefer grapes to hops, companies like Fruitful Vine, Royal Excursions, and All Around Limousine Service also offer tours to Southwest Michigan's many wineries, including Free Run Cellars, Round Barn Winery, Lemon Creek Winery, Vineyard 2121, The Lazy Ballerina, and Domaine Berrien Cellars.
The Metro Narcotics Unit in LaPorte and Street Crimes Unit in Michigan City will merge to form the new LaPorte County Drug Task Force and become part of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, joining forces to combat illegal narcotic sales in and around LaPorte County.

After a nearly-two year application process, the administrations from all four agencies and the LaPorte County prosecutor's office have been accepted into the HIDTA organization, allowing for added resources and funding to combat the illegal sale of narcotics. The new unit will be comprised of 10 investigators from all four police agencies, along with an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and will be commanded by Sgt. Andy Hynek of the LaPorte County Sheriffs Department.
GARY  A man robbed a downtown store Wednesday of 17 iPhones valued at approximately $9,200, police said.

A woman entered the store T-Mobile store at 1021 Broadway between 7:35 and 7:43 p.m. and asked about an iPhone model, Lt. Dawn Westerfield said. After she left, a man entered and displayed a small handgun, she said.

The man told an employee to show his hands, then gave him a bag and ordered him at gunpoint to fill it with phones, police said. The employee complied, and the man left, telling the employee, "Thank you."

The man headed east after leaving the store. The man was described as black with a light complexion, 6 foot 1, about 170 pounds with a black ski mask around his face. He was wearing a red sweatshirt with the hood up, black pants and gold gym shoes.

Police used a K-9 to search the area, but no suspects were found, Westerfield said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sgt. William Fazekas at (219) 881-1210. To remain anonymous, call (866) CRIME-GP.
CROWN POINT  Police allege a suicidal man in Gary doused himself in lighter fluid Wednesday and fired a gun at an officer before being arrested.

Charles R. Jordan III was charged Thursday in Lake Criminal Court with two counts of intimidation and criminal recklessness.

Gary police officers were dispatched about 8:11 p.m. to the 2200 block of Carver Street after receiving reports of a suicidal subject, according to a dispatch log.

Jordan's sister told police her 40-year-old brother had poured lighter fluid on himself and threatened to shoot anyone who tried to save him, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Two officers attempted to approach the house, but Jordan allegedly yelled a threat through the front door and fired a single shot at one of the officers, the affidavit states.

After a few minutes of negotiation, Jordan allegedly threw a silver handgun out to officers and peacefully exited the residence, the affidavit states.

Officers noted the inside of the residence smelled like lighter fluid, according to the affidavit.

Jordan is being held on a $50,000 bail, according to court records.

No court appearance has yet been scheduled.
HAMMOND  Two more people were wounded Wednesday night in the city's third shooting in two days, police said.

Hammond police were dispatched about 9 p.m. Wednesday to the 4900 block of Elm Street for a report of shots fired.

Police learned a 17-year-old Hammond boy and his 22-year-old brother, of East Chicago, were wounded and taken to a local hospital by a family member, police Lt. Richard Hoyda said.

The 17-year-old was shot in the right leg, and the 22-year-old had a graze wound to his chest. Their wounds were not considered life-threatening, police said.

The brothers told police a tan vehicle pulled up on the street just before the shooting.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Lt. Mark Tharp at (219) 852-2906.

Three other people, including another teenager, were wounded Wednesday afternoon and Tuesday night in two other shootings separated by miles.

Police did not believe as of Thursday morning that any of the shootings were connected, nor did investigators have any definitive information they were gang-related, Hoyda said.

Police responded about 12:45 p.m. Wednesday to a shooting at an apartment complex in the 6500 block of Grand Avenue.

An 18-year-old Gary man was shot in the chest. Gunfire struck a 17-year-old Hammond boy in the left arm and chest, police said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Sgt. Steve Guernsey at 219-852-2906.

About 5 p.m. Tuesday, police received a report of a shooting in the 100 block of Sibley Street.

A 20-year-old East Chicago man told police he was walking when he heard gunshots, realized he'd been shot in the left arm and waved down a passer-by for a ride to a hospital.

The man told police he saw a red car speeding away after he was shot. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Sgt. James Lietz at (219) 852-2983.
VALPARAISO  Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder has failed to convince the state to host a Jan. 18 hearing locally, rather than in Indianapolis for a Hebron apartment complex seeking to hold on to its tax exempt status.

The Indiana Board of Tax Review ended the dispute Thursday, saying there already have been enough delays in the case, each either initiated or agreed to by Snyder's office.

Earlier hearing dates in July, September and November all were continued and all were scheduled for Porter County, according to the IBTR ruling. A December hearing date was scheduled in Indianapolis when Snyder's attorney failed to provide proposed dates as requested.

The matter was rescheduled for Jan. 18 in Indianapolis and Snyder's request to change the location to Porter County would force yet another delay, according to the IBTR.

The IBTR said its offices, its senior law judges and most of the witnesses are in Indianapolis.

The IBTR said it routinely sends its administrative law judges outside of Indianapolis as a courtesy to taxpayers and assessors, but at a cost to the board.

"While I am disappointed with this ruling I look forward to the January 18th hearing in order to defend the decision by our local board to remove the exemption from this apartment complex," Snyder said. "Porter County will vigorously oppose a tax exempt status for this entity no matter where the hearing is held."

The hearing was triggered when Hebron-Vision of Indianapolis appealed the 2013 decision by the Porter County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals to withdraw the charitable tax exempt status for Misty Glen Apartments. The three-member board agreed that the owners failed to show it qualifies for the breaks through charitable efforts.

Hebron-Vision argues in its appeal the property is used to provide "safe, decent and affordable housing in a charitable manner for ... low-income and very low-income individuals and families."

"Through those acts, a benefit inures to the public sufficient to justify the loss of tax revenue," according to the appeal.

Hebron-Vision accused Snyder of political grandstanding in his attempts to relocate the appeal hearing to Porter County.

"Respondent's (Snyder) true intent in seeking to move the hearing to Valparaiso is to facilitate increased public attendance in order to exert pressure on the IBTR (Indiana Board of Tax Review) in favor of the respondent and against the petitioner  all of which is improper," according to the motion opposing Snyder's request.

Snyder said appellate hearings on local issues have always been held in Porter County.

The five-building, 80-apartment complex at 99 Misty Lane was granted tax exempt status in 2009 by the IBTR.

Porter County Board of Appeals member Nicholas Sommer had said the tax exempt status was pulled because there was no evidence presented during the March 2013 hearing of charitable or educational efforts on behalf of the apartment operators.

Hebron-Vision, which purchased the complex in September 2007, argued at the time it received the exemption that it offers services to tenants such as newsletters, referral programs, holiday parties, access to office equipment and free blood pressure screenings.

Sommer said the rental rates are compatible with the Hebron market and not significantly better than competing units.

Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals member Joe Wszolek said the operators evict residents who are unable to pay their rent.

Sommer said the evidence also showed Misty Glen is generating a profit, which is not being kept in Porter County.

Sandy Bickel, an Indianapolis attorney representing Hebron-Vision, said at the time the affordable housing provided at the complex probably will be lost if the tax exemption is removed.

She said it is very unusual for a county to initiate an effort like this to remove tax exemption granted by the state.
It was a mixed year for Republicans in Porter and LaPorte counties.

While the GOP reclaimed control of the Porter County Council and the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners during the fall general election, they also saw one of their own  Portage Mayor James Snyder  indicted on federal bribery and obstruction charges.

Snyder, who has pleaded not guilty, said in a guest column in The Times earlier this month, "People who know me well, and even many who know me just in passing, are confident that there is no way the accusations leveled at me are true."

Nearly two weeks after Snyder was indicted, the FBI returned to interview Portage Police Chief Troy Williams, who said no members of his department were mentioned as being the subject of the continued investigation.

Porter County Republican Chairman Mike Simpson said Snyder is presumed innocent.

"I think he's done a marvelous job as mayor," Simpson said.

He said it's been an exceptional year for Republicans at the local, state and national levels, and that means exciting things are ahead at the county level.

"I think we're bringing a lot to the table in financial management and fiscal responsibility," Simpson said.

Dems lose council seat

Republicans won back control of the Porter County Council in November with the victory of newcomer Jeff Larson over Democrat incumbent Bob Poparad.

Republicans will have 4-3 control on the council come Jan. 1 and the advantage of Republicans maintaining a 2-1 majority on the Porter County Board of Commissioners.

Republican County Councilman Jim Biggs, who was elected to return as commissioner after being away for 16 years, said residents can expect to see some positive changes.

Biggs defeated Jeff Chidester, who heads up the county Democratic Party, to step into the post being vacated by fellow Republican John Evans.

Chidester said Hillary Clinton's big loss in Indiana had a trickle down effect on races statewide, including his own.

But he said Democrats lost only one seat at the county level (Poparad) and picked up a seat in the Statehouse.

"Overall, it's not as gloomy as some may think," he said.

County Commissioner Evans is retiring at the end of the year after 40 years of service to county government in that post and with the coroner's office.

Just a day after his peers bid him a fond farewell earlier this month, federal officials declined to say whether Evans remains a target of a criminal investigation.

The inquiry came from the Porter County Council after Evans asked to be reimbursed for $5,000 in legal fees associated with the investigation. The council was advised by its attorney that the law allows for elected officials to be reimbursed, but only if it is confirmed the investigation is over and no indictment is coming.

Changes in LaPorte County

Changes also appear to be in store in LaPorte County after Republicans took control of the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners.

Voters chose former County Councilman Richard Mrozinski, who recently switched from Democrat to Republican, over incumbent Democratic Commissioner David Decker.

Incumbent Democrat Dr. Vidya Kora was re-elected.

Decker was defeated just days after he was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident for a fender bender in a county annex parking lot.

Decker felt what he called the Trump Factor had more to do with his defeat than his arrest.

LaPorte County Democratic Chairman John Jones said the two major parties have volleyed control of the commissioners' office back and forth every few years.

Jones voiced confidence in Mrozinski, with whom he had once served on the County Council.

"He was a good councilman then, and I expect he will bring good leadership to the commissioners as well," he said.

Shaw Friedman, once chairman of the LaPorte County Democratic Party, appears on his way out as county attorney, a position hes held for the past four years.

Mrozinski has said he will propose a salary for the position and bidding out the job, a move he believes will save the county as much as $100,000 or more each year. Until now, the commissioners have made the appointment and the attorney was paid on an hourly basis.

Mike Gonder, the chairman of the LaPorte County Republican Party, was selected at a party caucus earlier this month to fill a vacancy on the board of commissioners.

Gonder will serve the remaining two years of the term of Mike Bohacek, a Republican from Michiana Shores recently elected to the state Senate.
CROWN POINT  It was a hard year for local Democrats.

Lake County Commissioner Roosevelt Allen died unexpectedly Jan. 6 after 20 years in public service. A Democratic Party caucus Feb. 3 crowned Gary City Councilman Kyle Allen as his successor.

Marissa McDermott further surprised the party in late January by announcing she would mount a rare challenge to a sitting judge and unseat incumbent Lake Circuit Court Judge George C. Paras.

Her appearance on the spring ballot set off a rancorous inter-party debate.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., the prior Democratic county chairman and Marissa McDermott's husband, chided 70-year-old Sheriff John Buncich, the current Democratic Party chairman, for a lack of party support for its youngest stars.

McDermott said it should be backing 40-year-old Marissa McDermott. Buncich rejected that story line, arguing Paras, 67, and other, older Democratic candidates were just as deserving of votes.

But Marissa McDermott's use of social media and her husband's overflowing political and financial wherewithal  $110,000 from his political war chest  staged an upset victory over Paras in May.

One party veteran had reason to cheer

George Van Til, 68, finished his 18-month federal prison term mid-year. He earlier had pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud alleging he assigned political work to his public employees in the county surveyor's office.

The summer saw the obligatory departures of town and city council members on the losing side of a fight over a new state law making it illegal to be both an elected official and employee of the same government unit.

The ban fell on Susan Pelfrey, a New Chicago councilwoman and water department manager; Michael Opinker, a Hammond councilman and fireman; Juda Parks, an East Chicago councilman and policeman; and Matthew D. Claussen, a Hobart councilman and police officer.

They sued in federal and state court, but couldn't convince a judge to overturn the law as an unconstitutional burden on their political activities.

Opinker surrendered his 5th District Hammond City Council seat, and a Democratic Party caucus selected David Woerpel, as his replacement. Pelfrey left her council seat to her daughter, Tara Pelfrey.

Parks vacated his East Chicago City Council at-large seat, and Democratic precinct committeemen named Ronald London, his successor. Matthew D. Claussen's Hobart City Council at-large seat passed to Dan Waldrop.

A giant of Lake County politics

Robert Pastrick died Oct. 29.

He was the longest-serving mayor in East Chicago history  from Jan. 1, 1972, to Dec. 31, 2004, and county chairman of the Democratic Party for a quarter of a century, but his last two elections were tainted by voting irregularities that resulted in convictions of city and party officials.

Pastrick never faced criminal charges, but a federal judge did brand Pastricks administration as corrupt and ordered Pastrick and former political allies to pay $108 million in damages in 2011, forcing Pastrick into bankruptcy.

Democratic control of county government suffered a body blow in the Nov. 7 general election when Republican Jerry Tippy defeated Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub.

Scheub's 20 years of experience in office couldn't overcome a Republican-inspired redrawing of commissioner district borders that robbed Scheub of much of his former voter support.

The biggest stunner of the year took place Nov. 10 when the FBI and state police raided the Lake County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff John Buncich's home for records of county police-ordered towing.

Only a week later, U.S. Attorney David Capp announced the indictment of Buncich, Tim Downs, the sheriff's second in command, and a Lake Station towing firm owner on allegations Buncich solicited bribes and campaign contributions.

Capp soon disclosed Scott Jurgensen, owner of Merrillville-based Samsons Towing, was cooperating with the government as a witness to payments he made to Buncich. Jurgensen hasn't been charged with any wrongdoing.

Downs gave the government further ammunition earlier this month when he pleaded guilty to doing political fundraising for Buncich, under Buncich's order, while on duty and using a publicly provided police car.

Downs admitted he has been helping investigators and will cooperate in any future prosecutions in return for the government's promise of leniency.

Rumors and damage abound

McDermott said the party's reputation has suffered collateral damage from the indictment.

The year was ending in the midst of unsubstantiated rumors about more public corruption indictments or a quick exit of Buncich as sheriff and Democratic county chairman.

Buncich remains in both posts, but the party is scheduled to elect a new boss in an all-county caucus of committee members in March.

Lake County Councilman Jamal Washington was spared having to resign from office in early December when a special prosecutor dismissed felony domestic violence charges against him.

He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and invasion of privacy over a dispute with two women, one of them his wife, at their Merrillville home.
GRIFFITH  The School Board has decided to continue the open enrollment transfer student program through the 2017-2018 school year.

However, the action did not take place without a divided board and a lengthy discussion.

The action means Griffith Public Schools will accept out-of-town Indiana students with the same policy of up to 10 such students per grade level.

Board Secretary Leah Dumezich and Second Vice President Lisa Megquier asked for the vote to be tabled until next month.

However, School Superintendent Peter Morikis noted that a vote must be taken by Dec. 31 for the program to be continued in the 2017-2018 school year.

A motion to table the issue was defeated 3-2 with Dumezich and Megquier voting yes.

Voting against the tabling were First Vice President Jennifer Dildine, Assistant Secretary Ray White and President Gerald Potacki.

George Jerome, the district's director of finance and operations, said there currently are 106 open enrollment students in the system and they draw $625,000 in additional revenue to the district.

Jerome stressed that open enrollment students are not accepted just for the money.

"But some costs don't go away," he added.

In conjunction, Aron Borowiak, director of curriculum and instruction, said several new courses and teachers have joined the system, in part, from using that money.

The board then approved the program for another school year with the same voting outcome.

"For two years as a board member, I have asked for an impact study" to report areas of discipline, class sizes and absentees," Dumezich said after the meeting.

"Our classroom sizes have been affected," she said, adding that at least four classrooms at Ready Elementary School have at least 27 students, along with similar situations in the middle and high schools.

"The community has a right to know how open enrollment has impacted the school corporation," Dumezich said.
The latest U.S. Census data shows that Illinois' population dropped by an estimated 37,508 residents this year.

That's largely because residents have been packing up and moving out of the Land of Lincoln. Illinois has been afflicted by high taxes, rising crime, the highest unemployment rate in the Midwest, and government dysfunction that's been evidenced by a budget stalemate that's dragged out since May 2015. The winter weather isn't always great either.

Indiana has been pulling in more residents from Illinois than any other state, and more go just across the border to Lake County than anywhere else in the Hoosier state, according to a recent Indiana Business Research Center report.

The report, which used Internal Revenue Service migration data, found that nearly 60,400 households moved out of Indiana in 2013 and 2014, while 55,600 households moved to Indiana from another state. That's a net loss of 4,800 households.

Net migration from Illinois to Indiana totaled 2,666 households during 2013 and 2014. Indiana got the second biggest net gain  290 households  from its northern neighbor Michigan during that two-year span.

A total of 10,812 households moved from Illinois to Indiana, while 8,146 households relocated from Indiana to Illinois from 2013 to 2014, according to the IRS figures. More than half of Illinois-bound households  4,292 in all  moved from the Hoosier state to Cook County.

Indiana University Professor Matt Kinghorn, a demographer with the Indiana Business Research Center, said the data didn't break down demographics but it would not be unreasonable to suppose many Hoosiers headed to Chicago for college or to live in the city after graduating from college, either for a first job, career opportunities or the excitement of urban life.

"Young adults tend to make that move," he said. "And young families in their 30s might move back from Illinois to Indiana when they're looking to buy a home and start a family."

A total of 4,145 Illinois households moved to Lake County during 2013 and 2014, the most recent years for which data are available. Another 461 decamped for Porter County, and 231 blazed a path to LaPorte County.

The bulk of Illinois expatriates relocated to Northwest Indiana or communities along the Illinois border, but more than 1,200 itinerant households from the Land of Lincoln also settled in Indianapolis and surrounding suburbs.

Lake County has been pulling in more than four times as many Illinois households as any other Indiana county. Suburban outflow from Chicago to Lake County however has been slowing down, and has not been strong enough to offset population loss in Northwest Indiana brought about by a shrinking manufacturing base and loss of good-paying jobs, Kinghorn said.

Even with an influx from neighboring Cook County, Lake County has lost residents every year this decade  about 8,000 in all so far, he said.

Indiana residents are most likely to move away to Florida, Texas, California, Colorado, Tennessee, Georgia, Arizona, South Carolina, Washington and Oregon.

"With the broader economy, Indiana's economic magnet is not as strong right now," he said.

A total of 2,354 Hoosier households, many doubtless retirees, skipped town for sunny Florida during 2013 and 2014.
A Queens police officer donated nearly 2 feet of her hair Thursday night for a good cause.

Officer Sandra Manani-Campos chopped 22 inches of her locks off at a fundraiser in Ridgewood for the American Cancer Society.

The hair will be turned into a wig and donated to a cancer patient.

"God gave me this beautiful hair, a lot of hair, a lot of volume," Manani-Campos said. "This gift is pretty much for life, so I wanted to share it with somebody else that needs it more than I do."

If you would like to make a donation, go online to relayforlife.org/middlevillageny
Some people here take a cynical view of their kings outreach. Bahrain is a close American ally of great strategic value to Washington. It is near Iran and allows the United States Navy to base its Fifth Fleet here. Many people said the kings overtures were a safe and convenient bid to cement ties with Washington.

We always believe here that control of America is governed by the Zionist lobby, said Salman Kamal al-Deen, a businessman and the head of the Bahrain Human Rights Society. The media and the money are all in the hands of the Jews. We believe if we have a Jewish ambassador and Jews in the Shura Council, this is a positive indicator for the country.

Image Credit... The New York Times

There is also some resentment at the kings support for the small Jewish community. Bahrain is hot with sectarian tensions: the king, a Sunni Muslim, is accused of discriminating against Shiite Muslims, who make up a majority of the native population. Shiites are barred from almost all positions in the military and security services, and they say they are not given the same employment and education opportunities as their Sunni neighbors.

Shiites complain that the 36 Jews are treated better than they are, and that the kings Jewish outreach is intended to make Bahrain appear to be a tolerant society, papering over the systemic discrimination they say they experience.

Because there is some religious tolerance in Bahrain, the kings plan is to undermine the Shiite identity, not increase freedom, said Habib Muhammad, 25, owner of a welding workshop in the Shiite village of Malikiya. He wants to divert peoples attention from demanding their rights.

Those charges are rejected by the nations leadership and do little to dampen the appreciation American Jews and Bahrains surviving Jews have shown for the kings favor.
Modernism is our antiquity, the historian T. J. Clark wrote in Farewell to an Idea, his 1999 eulogy for the art of the last century. By which he meant: As Greece and Rome served as the base line for Western culture from the Renaissance onward, modernism itself had become our model and myth, to be reinterpreted at will but never really understood. Spend half a day in Chelsea, and you will see few gods and heroes  but you will trip over archives of failed utopian collectives, photos of crumbling tower blocks, rebooted avant-garde dances and all sorts of fragments of the recent past. Ulysses may be dead, but Ulysses endures.

Few contemporary artists have wrestled with the legacy of modernism as consistently as Simon Starling, a Scottish artist based in Copenhagen, whose previous projects have involved melting Bauhaus chairs down into beer cans or chucking a replica of a Henry Moore statue into Lake Ontario. Now, in an airtight but gratifying exhibition at Japan Society  his first at a New York City institution  he turns to William Butler Yeats and Ezra Pound, two modernist writers who had their own ornery gazes on the past. Yeatss At the Hawks Well, a 1916 one-act play indebted to both Irish folklore and Japanese drama, provides the tonic note for Mr. Starlings At Twilight, a forking meditation  featuring both his own art and significant historical loans  on modernisms cross-cultural power and contemporary resonance.

This is a rare outing for a non-Japanese artist at Japan Society, and it has been curated by Yukie Kamiya, the director of the institutes art gallery. It opens with a dark, spotlit gallery featuring exquisite lacquered masks, of the sort used in Japans highly ritualized Noh theater, attached to charred tree trunks. (The masks were newly made from Paulownia wood by Yasuo Michii, an artisan with whom Mr. Starling has collaborated before.) Rather than recreate the props of At the Hawks Well, Mr. Starling riffs on its creators and their colleagues in wartime Dublin, Paris and Tokyo. One mask depicts Yeats with a swoop of lustrous white hair, his jaw shut by knotted strings. The one depicting Pound, who served as Yeatss secretary and translated Noh dramas, is all white and angular, repurposing the bust of the poet sculpted by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska in 1914. Already, then, Mr. Starling is both channeling Yeatss original play and improvising, to create a remake that chases its own tail.
MYRON STOUT

Through Jan. 21. Craig F. Starr Gallery, 5 East 73rd Street, Manhattan; 212-570-1739, starr-art.com.

Myron Stouts black-and-white paintings come with built-in moonlight, which sets aglow their exhibition at the Craig F. Starr Gallery. The show, Myron Stout, contains five of this artists small, taut black-and-whites, as theyre often called  more than have been exhibited together since 1990. Stout (1908-1987) started them in the mid-1950s after rereading the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles. Until then, his work had been primarily colorful and delicately geometric. At this point, he abandoned color, distilling his feelings into single blazing white shapes  meticulously rounded and textured  on smoother black backgrounds.

The shapes can seem almost dimensional, like marble, and related to the sculptures of Jean Arp and Brancusi. Yet they press against the surrounding black, holding the surface in a vibrating equilibrium. These works are pure and formalist, but so suggestive that it almost seems inaccurate to call them abstract. The gently tapered, shieldlike rectangle of Aegis, which takes its title from Zeus magical breastplate, also resembles a (Cycladic) head. Apollo, which has two shapes, evokes a person with arms raised or perhaps carrying something round, as befits a god who transports the sun across the sky.

Other paintings bring to mind a lyre and a yoke or a helmet and a trident. But the strongest is an untitled work that resists meaning: It is simply a fat, truncated archway or inverted U, one side longer than the other, resolved into a perfect asymmetry. The show also contains 11 of Stouts graphite drawings, whose finely textured images range through the gray spectrum and seem almost veiled. In one of the palest, a series of orbs and slices of orbs follows the phases of the moon.
She arrived in 1952 in Stanley Donens Singin in the Rain, playing what she was at the time: a minty-fresh ingenue. She stayed one for most of the decade. She worked again the next year with Mr. Donen in the Marge and Gower Champion vehicle Give a Girl a Break. (Compared with the other movie, this one could have been called Singin in the Mud.) Her character was a brunette starling named Suzy Doolittle, because  of course. Theres a part for Bob Fosse, who, with Ms. Reynolds, does the singing and most of the dancing. But in their big number together, Ms. Reynolds is as much an athlete as he is an artist. She spent her career outpacing the other men she worked with  Frank Sinatra, Glenn Ford, Leslie Nielsen, James Garner, Dick Van Dyke.

Even after Eddie Fisher, her first husband, outpaced her, leaving her at 26 with two kids, for Elizabeth Taylor, she kept going, never appearing to seek a part that would bring what you would call catharsis. Taylor, meanwhile, kept looking for parts to unleash a darker side. She became drama incarnate. Ms. Reynolds was, as they say, a trouper. So she did what came naturally to her: She trouped.
She watched as her friends were killed in gang wars. She knew others who took lives.

Dania Williams, 23, grew up around crime in East New York in Brooklyn, trying to resist the calls to join a gang and trying to survive the violence that waited outside her front door. Without attentive parents, the temptations were everywhere.

They werent as involved as they should be as parents, Ms. Williams said. So I did what I wanted to do.

That included truancy and the occasional theft and no concerns about securing money in illicit ways. Retail jobs put cash in her pockets, but the work was always seasonal. Selling drugs offered a steadier source of income.

I always had this thing for having stuff that I couldnt normally have, materialistic things that I didnt need, she said. I just wanted to keep up with the latest fad.
Q. I recently had to step over a dog leash that was stretched across the sidewalk while the owner chatted with an employee in a store entrance. What is the law regarding length of leashes? Also, do dogs have to be microchipped?

A. Dogs must be kept on a leash, and that leash cannot be longer than six feet, said Corinne Schiff, the acting deputy commissioner for environmental health at the New York City health department, citing a provision in the citys Health Code. But even if the chatty dog walkers leash was longer than six feet, Ms. Schiff doubts that person was in danger of receiving a ticket or a fine. We ask people to be neighborly about it, she said. As you can imagine, its the kind of thing thats hard to enforce.

As for microchipping the citys squadrons of dogs, there is a law that requires city shelters and pet stores to microchip animals before selling them or putting them up for adoption, Ms. Schiff said. But as a pet parent, you are not required. Theres no law about microchipping for pet owners, but we do think its a great idea as part of responsible dog ownership, she said. If you do lose your dog, or the dog is off leash and runs away in a dog park, its a way to make sure the dog is returned.

(A microchipping primer: A small chip is inserted in the animal, and that chip is registered to one of several microchipping companies, which can read and trace the chips, Ms. Schiff said.)
Theyre pretty immovable, he said.

And that is the point, the police commissioner, James P. ONeill, said at a news conference on Thursday in Times Square with Mayor Bill de Blasio. While there are no specific threats related to the event, he said, the sand-filled trucks serve as a deterrent to the type of truck attacks in France and Germany that killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more.

President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has been at his estate in Florida, is not expected to be in Manhattan for New Years Eve, but the Police Department said Thursday that it expected close to two million people to converge on Times Square on Saturday for the annual ball drop.

Were going to have one of the most well-policed, best protected events at one of the safest venues in the entire world, given all the assets that weve employed here, Mr. ONeill said. And all of this will ensure that New York City has yet another safe and enjoyable New Years Eve celebration, as we do every year.

Sixty-five of the Sanitation Department trucks are part of a security plan that involves close to 7,000 police officers, assigned to guard against crime and terror by land, sea and air, as well as in the subway.

Beyond Times Square, some of the sanitation trucks will be stationed near a planned fireworks display in Central Park. Similar blockades will be put in place on the streets leading to the Coney Island Boardwalk as well as on the promenade itself. More than 100 police vehicles will also be positioned to restrict access to event sites.
It stands to be New York Citys New Years Eve party of the century, or, at least, it took a century to happen.

The soiree is not at the symphony, or a dance club, or a celebritys penthouse, but deep beneath the street where a new subway will push off on its inaugural ride as the clock ticks down to midnight. With a sparkling toast, the new trains along Second Avenue on the East Side of Manhattan will carry an invitation-only group into the new year, including the track engineers, engineers, city bureaucrats and elected officials who worked on the subway over its long gestation. Cocktail attire is suggested.

New Years Eve ushers in new beginnings, and this year, we will be celebrating the ambition and spirit of the New Yorkers who made the Second Avenue subway a reality and achieved what was once deemed impossible, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in an email. There is nothing more New York than the subway, and I cant think of a better place to celebrate this great New York moment.

The agency that runs the citys subway system is under the authority of the governor. For Mr. Cuomo, the opening of the subway by the end-of-the-year deadline is a moment worth boasting about. On Sunday, it will open to the public.
Lawyers for a Brooklyn man imprisoned for more than 20 years in a fatal shooting asked a judge on Thursday to grant him a new trial, saying that the sole eyewitness against him now says she was pressured to identify him by a former detective who has been accused of falsifying evidence in several other cases.

The imprisoned man, Shawn Williams, was convicted of murder in August 1994 in the shooting of a neighbor in the lobby of a building in the Crown Heights neighborhood.

While there was no forensic evidence or motive introduced at Mr. Williamss trial, the jury heard from Margaret Smith, a college administrator who lived across the street. Ms. Smith testified that she had seen Mr. Williams at the scene with a gun at his waist the night of the killing, even though it was dark out and she was standing 100 feet away, looking down from her sixth-story window.

But in an affidavit filed along with Mr. Williamss request for a new trial, Ms. Smith recanted that account. She said she had not seen Mr. Williams that night, but had been coerced into naming him as the killer by the former detective, Louis Scarcella.
In a speech this week laying out the Obama administrations parameters for a final peace agreement between Israel and Palestine, Secretary of State John Kerry stated what has been obvious to most observers for many years: that Israels construction of Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land has all but destroyed the two-state solution. Unfortunately, Mr. Kerrys speech offers far too little, and comes much too late.

In 2013, shortly after he became secretary of state, Mr. Kerry warned that there was only a two-year window left for creating a Palestinian state. Now, almost four years later and in the last days of his tenure, he has finally laid out parameters for a two-state solution. But with President-elect Donald J. Trump suggesting he will align the United States with Israels extreme pro-settler government, the Obama/Kerry parameters will most likely be consigned to oblivion like those promulgated by Bill Clinton 16 years ago.

During Mr. Obamas eight years in office, the illegal Israeli settler population has swelled by 100,000, to well over 600,000. Simultaneously, for eight years Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has directed a barrage of calculated slights, insults and acts of disrespect at the president of the United States. The Obama administration has finally reacted with Mr. Kerrys speech and by allowing Resolution 2334, which condemns Israeli settlement expansion, to pass in the United Nations Security Council. By doing so, the United States simply acted in accordance with international law and the global consensus of nearly 50 years.

Meanwhile, a third generation of Palestinian children is growing up under a brutal occupation and Gaza has been under siege for a decade. Palestinians are obliged to seek the permission of the Israeli military for the most basic of needs, such as medical treatment, or to travel abroad or even just to Jerusalem. As Mr. Kerry asked in his speech: Would an Israeli accept living that way? Would an American accept living that way? It is no wonder that the hopelessness caused by Israeli settlement expansion and land theft in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and the closing of all avenues for realization of the aspirations of Palestinian youth have produced grave social ills, as well as outbreaks of violence.
His latest response shows real teeth, chiefly in the form of sanctions on Russias two leading intelligence services, the F.S.B. and GRU, including four top officers of the military intelligence unit who the White House believes ordered those attacks. Mr. Obama also placed sanctions against a number of other individuals and companies, such as the Special Technology Center, which conducts signal intelligence.

Mr. Obama also expelled 35 Russian intelligence operatives and barred Russian diplomats from using two recreational compounds in the United States. The White House said this action was specifically in response to a two-year pattern of harassment of American diplomats in Russia by Kremlin security personnel.

Mr. Obama should have retaliated against this treatment a long time ago; still, the expulsion adds to the severity of the American response and directly affects Russian citizens, whereas the travel bans and asset freezes imposed by the sanctions may not. Russian intelligence officials rarely travel to the United States or stash their assets here. Sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe over Russias annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine have been in place for two years, yet it is debatable how much effect they have had on Mr. Putin. There is thus a legitimate question about whether Mr. Obamas penalties will be sufficient. Already Moscow is threatening retaliation.

Mr. Obama is in a tricky place. He has been concerned, rightly so, about tailoring a response that imposes costs on Russia and acts as a deterrent to further Russian attacks without escalating a cyberwar. At the same time, he would be wise to explore possible covert actions that would reinforce his public responses to further drive home the point that attacks on American elections, by Russia or any other country, cannot and will not be tolerated. One such action, some have suggested, would be to leak detailed information about Mr. Putins vast wealth, which could undermine his credibility with the Russian people.
For Rabbi Gerald Sussman of Temple Emanu-El on Staten Island, the Obama administrations recent confrontation with Israel was a stunning turn for a president who had enjoyed support from many members of his congregation. The word betrayed would not be too strong a word, he said.

But in Los Angeles, Rabbi John L. Rosove of Temple Israel of Hollywood, who is the chairman of the Association of Reform Zionists of America, felt differently. He applauded the speech delivered on Wednesday by Secretary of State John Kerry explaining the decision by the United States not to block a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Rabbi Rosove also suggested that many American Jews were broadly supportive of the Obama administration.

I felt Kerry was exactly right, he said. The people who will criticize him will take a leap and say hes anti-Israeli, just as some American Jews are saying Obama is an anti-Semite. This is ridiculous. They recognize and cherish the state of Israel.

The relationship between Israel and the United States, historically the Jewish states closest ally, has seen periods of strain and tension almost from the day of Israels creation in 1948. But rarely has the situation between the two countries been this stressed, with President Obama under attack not only from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but also from President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Unlike the pipeline project at Standing Rock, however, Peabodys mine plan has the backing of the official tribal governments because the original mine is one of the few sources of jobs and revenue on the impoverished reservations. Peabody has paid about $50 million per year to the Navajo and Hopi tribes since 1987, according to a federal report released in 2012, because the mine was built on tribal land.

But several powerful Navajo nongovernmental organizations, at odds with their leaders, have joined with the Sierra Club to try to curb the mine expansion, arguing that the mine harms air and water quality and that Peabodys initial plan did not include enough protections for so-called cultural resources like graves. While they acknowledge that they cannot stop the mine project, they at least want Peabody and the government to protect ceremonial sites, ruins and graves in the expanding mines path.

To that end, these groups have brought a lawsuit that has forced the government to undertake a Preservation Act study to identify burial grounds and sites of archaeological importance. For projects on or near tribal land, the government must consult with tribes.

The problem, however, say tribal activists and preservation law experts, is that the permitting system is set up in such a way that it usually favors the project proponents while giving short shrift to tribal concerns. Even when tribal consultation does happen, its often not in the spirit of the law, said Anne Mariah Tapp, a lawyer who works on similar cases for other tribes.
The nations jail and prison population decreased in 2015, according to federal data released on Thursday, and the number of adults locked up or on parole or probation fell to a level not seen since 2002 while overall crime continued to drop.

Reasons for the declining incarceration rates include the federal prison system releasing thousands of nonviolent drug offenders in 2015 and states seeking to save money by enacting legislation and policies to reduce prison populations.

In California, for example, Proposition 47  approved by voters in 2014  retroactively reduced some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Other states have offered expanded substance abuse treatment programs, established specialty courts and spent more money on re-entry programs aimed at reducing recidivism.

The 2015 data was compiled by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in an annual report that focuses on the nations prison and jail populations. Data for 2016 will not be available until next December.
PARANA, Argentina  An Argentine court reopened an investigation on Thursday into accusations that former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner sought a secret deal with Iran in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires. The original case was filed by Alberto Nisman, the prosecutor whose mysterious death in 2015 convulsed the country.

Three judges on the Court of Cassation, Argentinas highest criminal appeals court, voted unanimously to reopen the criminal complaint, which accused Mrs. Kirchner and her foreign minister, Hector Timerman, among others, of sealing a deal with Iran to cover up the role Iranian officials were said to have played in the bombing of the Jewish community center, which killed 85 people.

An appeal to the Supreme Court by Mrs. Kirchner is possible, but legal experts say it could face challenges because the Court of Cassation did not issue a final ruling on the case, but rather called for a new investigation.

Of course we are going to appeal, said Alejandro Rua, Mr. Timermans lawyer. This case has been plagued with violations of constitutional guarantees. And if we run out of local instances of appeal, we are going to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights.
BEIJING  The hotline rings, but nobody answers.

Chinas Ministry of Public Security opened the line last month to answer questions about the new law regulating foreign nonprofit organizations, which takes effect on Sunday.

But this week and last, calls went unanswered, exemplifying the uncertainty that still surrounds the law, raising concern among thousands of nongovernmental organizations about their ability to continue their work in the new year.

The law, which places a raft of new requirements on foreign nonprofits operating in China, is another building block in President Xi Jinpings fortification of one-party rule, which he sees as threatened by foreign influence and unfettered civil society.

Under the law, foreign nonprofits such as foundations, charities and many business associations must register with the police, persuade state agencies and organizations to act as their sponsors, and submit regular, detailed reports on their activities.
Since the end of the Cold War, a variety of leaked diplomatic cables, captured operatives and acts of espionage, like this summers hacking of the Democratic National Committee, have served as reminders that Russia and the United States continue to routinely spy on each other.

On Sunday, President Vladimir V. Putin, reacting to expanded sanctions against his country approved by Congress, ordered major cuts in the size of the American mission staff in Russia.

It was just the latest chapter in the history of diplomatic tit-for-tat.

December 2016: A Post-Election Accounting

On Thursday, the United States said it would expel 35 officials, the largest number of diplomats forced to leave since 2001, in retaliation for what American spy agencies said was Russian interference in the presidential election. A day later, Russian officials threatened to expel American diplomats in retaliation, but President Putin said American embassy staff would be permitted to stay.

June 2016: An Embassy Row

The United States expelled two Russian diplomats in retaliation for a bizarre episode outside the United States Embassy in Moscow, in which a Russian police officer attacked an American diplomat.
JERUSALEM  The two front-page headlines told very different stories about Secretary of State John Kerrys lengthy address about Middle East peace.

In the view of the right-of-center Jerusalem Post: Kerry exits locked into failed assumptions.

For the left-of-center Haaretz: A very Zionist, pro-Israel speech.

As it turns out, the choose-your-news phenomenon is not unique to the United States.

In Israel, the reaction to the events of recent days, including Mr. Kerrys speech castigating the governments policies and a United Nations resolution condemning Israeli settlements, made it clear that Israelis are just as polarized as Americans.

To borrow an analogy, there is a blue, or more liberal-leaning, Israel that thought Mr. Kerry offered painful but necessary truths in the spirit of friendship that indicted the failed leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr. Harrells series-based work may also signal a shift in dance presentation. Other choreographers working in a similar vein include Maria Hassabi, whose exercises in slow movement feel much like one dance in different settings. Jerome Bels series of portraits focusing on dancers like Veronique Doisneau and Cedric Andrieux, as well as his current work with nonprofessionals, have become his own kind of formula. And not long after Mr. Harrell began presenting his series, trilogies started popping up, notably by the choreographers Miguel Gutierrez and Pavel Zustiak.

It goes against the norm, in other words. In the performing arts world, it is the custom that artists continually create and promote something new, something original. Lili Chopra, the executive vice president and artistic director of the French Institute Alliance Francaise, said, You dont want to say, Its actually going to be the same experience.

Ms. Chopra said this development made her imagine  though not, she added, in a cynical way  that here we go with artists creating the first, the second and the third, whether its Miguel, whether its Trajal.

And it helps with financing, Ms. Chopra said: Series of works can lead to multiyear grants or longer-term commitments between presenters and choreographers. But I think once you let go of this notion of having to reinvent yourself, she said, or finding this new thing and actually continuing to crack that thing  the continuation of that same thread of idea  it is very radical.

And what knocked her out about Mr. Harrell, she said, was witnessing the power of the series as a whole when it was presented at the Kitchen as part of the French Institutes Crossing the Line festival in 2014. Trajal owns the context that hes creating, she said. Hes almost imposing it onto the venue and the audience as opposed to us as a venue or as a festival creating a context for an artist.

Early on, Mr. Harrell also envisioned how the audience would increase as his pieces grew in size. Theaters, accordingly, became larger to accommodate more viewers; in the case of XL, because its free and will be available digitally, there is no limit to who sees it. He also embraced the idea of touring works from the series at the same time.
I never thought about that. Even though my grandfather was the president of Italy after the war, he was a very sober, studious person, completely unlike todays politicians who are constantly talking on TV. My father was more eccentric for sure, but even if his publishing house was very famous, he was still very concentrated on his work rather than being a public person.

Is there a genre or category that your music fits into?

I never feel at ease when they try to categorize my work. Also I think labels are in a way restricting. You can put the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in the same category, but the types of music, the colors each band evokes, are completely different. Its the same with Mozart and Beethoven  they express two very different aspects of music. Today when they ask me if my music is minimal, is classical, is contemporary  I can say yes or no, but it doesnt make sense of what I am doing.

What about classical crossover  a genre thats perched between classical and pop music, which some people say vulgarizes or dumbs down classical music?

I dont like the idea of classical crossover, even if sometimes I see this category given to what Im doing. There are many commercial projects in that genre, where they make a quartet out of beautiful fashion models or whatever. I take things more seriously than that. And I dont have a commercial perspective in what Im doing. On the other hand, the idea of crossover, of crossing boundaries, is interesting in the arts, but this is something that has always been true. Stravinsky crossed boundaries  he was embracing folk music from Russia and popular music. Mozart was working in a theater and writing songs for a company that was almost like a circus when he wrote The Magic Flute.

When youre writing your music, are you thinking to yourself, I want to make this accessible to the broadest possible audience, to reach people who maybe have never heard a Bach concerto?
To devotees of British comic opera, The Mikado is one of the pinnacles of the genre. But, increasingly, it also represents an embarrassment.

At the heart of this 1885 operetta by the librettist William Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan is a satire skewering British bureaucratic zeal. But its setting is Japan: an imaginary town with the snigger-worthy name Titipu, whose infantilized citizens are ruled by a despot  the Mikado  with laws that are as draconian as they are daffy. Traditional productions have enthusiastically amplified the Victorian-era casual racism of the work with extravagant amounts of bowing and shuffling and casts of white actors singing in a pinched, nasal tone while sporting taped-back eyelids and yellowish makeup.

On Wednesday, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players presented a new production of The Mikado at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College that makes a solid case that, in the midst of the wreckage of political incorrectness, the work is a comic gem worth salvaging. Armed with great skepticism, I found myself won over by the shows handsome designs, sharp acting and (for the most part) impressive singing, and came to admire the adroitness with which the director, David Auxier, defused the works most damaging cultural land mines.

Getting it right meant a lot to this company. Last year, the Gilbert & Sullivan Players scrapped a planned revival of its older production of The Mikado when posters showing a white actress in yellowface drew sharp protests. Over the course of the following year, the organization convened an advisory panel, diversified its company by hiring more Asian-American actors and brainstormed ways to contextualize the show.
Earlier, it would have been gawking, Ms. Nevins said. But now its a testament of love.

The documentary, whose producers include Todd Fisher, Ms. Reynoldss son and Ms. Fishers brother, was mostly shot a year and a half ago, though it also includes unused offstage footage from Wishful Drinking, a screen adaptation of Ms. Fishers one-woman show of the same name that aired on HBO in 2010, and will be shown again on Sunday. (Some of that footage features Eddie Fisher, Ms. Fishers father, who died in 2010.) It touches on Ms. Reynoldss fragile health, and Ms. Fishers history of mental illness; she has been celebrated for facing her illness with uncommon frankness.

Asked about a memorable moment that landed differently in the wake of the two womens deaths, Ms. Nevins cited an impromptu Christmas Eve duet of Theres No Business Like Show Business, as well as a more offhand scene where Ms. Reynolds and Ms. Fisher, out for a walk, realize they are wearing the same shoes.

I dont know if thats Shakespeare, but its sweet, and its forever, Ms. Nevins said. The love of a mother for a child, especially an aging mother and a wounded child, is incredibly touching.
Comedy

Onstage or Online, Mocking the Absurd

Joe Mande at Highline Ballroom

Mr. Mande is a stand-up comedian who has written for Kroll Show and Parks and Recreation and has appeared on Modern Family and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but he is perhaps most famous for his internet persona: He once tried to purchase one million Twitter followers, and he often uses his feed to highlight the absurdity of corporate social-media accounts. At two shows on Jan. 4, he will record his first hourlong special, which is being billed as one of the most important nights in stand-up comedy history. ELISE CZAJKOWSKI

See who else is making New Yorkers laugh this week.

Museums & Galleries

A Decisive Break With the Academy

Fragonard: Drawing Triumphant  Works From New York Collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Among the 18th centurys lesser-known declarations of independence was that of Jean-Honore Fragonard, the Rococo artist who was a rising star of the French Academy system when he decided, rather abruptly, that hed had enough of it. This rebellion took place largely on paper, in sprightly strokes of red chalk and splashes of brown wash that were, in form and spirit, the opposite of the history paintings he had been trained to produce. As a tale of an artists betting on this robust private market, the Mets show of Fragonards drawings, on view through Jan. 8, evokes todays collector-focused art world. But there are many more compelling reasons to see it, including some truly masterly works on paper and a more holistic, down-to-earth look at an artist best known for his whimsically erotic, decidedly upper-class cabinet paintings. KAREN ROSENBERG

And Theres More

What to cook this weekend and what to read this week.
Why Poetry? Well, yes. Most books of poetry sell a couple of thousand copies, at best. So in a quantitative sense, whats the point of supporting it? With dollars or sense? Would we make the same argument for investing in an endangered species? Like the great Indian bustard, one of the heaviest flying birds, down to a couple of hundred of its kind.

The issue is larger than the number of collections of poetry sold each year. Its about the language  our language. Is it, too, endangered? If the depleted language of emails and texts and Twitter is any indication, then theres a case to be made that it might be.

Still, a question I often ask myself is why so many people (and were now talking about millions of people) turn to poetry for all important rites of passage  weddings, funerals, toasts, tragedies, eulogies, birthdays. . . . Why? Because the language of poetry avoids the quotidian  but the best poetry simultaneously celebrates the quotidian. Language thats focused in such a way that true meaning and emotion is redolent in the air. The poet W.S. Merwin once said: Poetry addresses individuals in their most intimate, private, frightened and elated moments . . . because it comes closer than any other art form to addressing what cannot be said. In expressing the inexpressible, poetry remains close to the origins of language.

Why poetry? I sent out a few emails to see what various people had to say. The poet Louise Gluck, on the subject of book sales, wrote back, The books may not sell, but neither are they given away or thrown away. They tend, more than other books, to fall apart in their owners hands. Not I suppose good news in a culture and economy built on obsolescence. But for a book to be loved this way and turned to this way for consolation and intense renewable excitement seems to me a marvel.
AMERICA THE INGENIOUS

How a Nation of Dreamers, Immigrants, and Tinkerers Changed the World

By Kevin Baker

Illustrated by Chris Dent

262 pp. Artisan. $29.95.

Kevin Baker offers a collection of easy, fast-to-read vignettes illustrating the inventiveness of the American people, mainly from the Industrial Revolution to today. In a now popular genre established by Neil MacGregors A History of the World in 100 Objects, he focuses on 76 innovations or creations, ranging from the Erie Canal to jazz, from the transcontinental railroad to the microprocessor. Each selection gets about 1,000-1,500 words and, in feature journalism style, provides a what, who, when, why and how of the innovation and its impact. Accompanied by sidebar factoids and cartoonish line drawings, the book seems aimed at young adults, serving up interesting bits of history in a Wiki-lite fashion.

The accounts are straightforward and informative without much in-depth context or treatment of historical or biographical nuance  and theres no mistaking this for a scholarly treatment. Why 76 cases of ingenuity? No real reason. And why these? Pretty arbitrary. The selections are broken up into categories  roaming, building, curing, playing and so on  which is fair enough. But one wonders about the absence of some key categories of American creativity  like electing, financing, protesting, educating, conserving, cooking and loving.

The categories thus composed obviate the need for a chronological progression, but even thematically, the narrative connection between one selection and another is unclear. Within categories there are puzzling omissions. History ends too soon in Fighting  there are no F-15s or drones. With regard to Powering, i.e., energy, nuclear is absent. Producing, i.e., agriculture, ends curiously, or perhaps ironically, with channeling irrigation from farmland to meeting the needs of a growing Los Angeles. Theres a curious category  Women Inventors  with only two selections, but womens contributions edge in at a few other points  perhaps expectedly with the bra, dishwasher and diapers, but also informatively with Kevlar and the Laserphaco probe. Equal rights might also have made a good choice. As a native New Yorker I was personally O.K. with the bias toward that city  but objectively the inclusion of the Polo Grounds, Penn Station, the subway, Coney Island, and the Hudson and East River tunnels seems a bit too parochial.
THE MORAVIAN NIGHT

A Story

By Peter Handke

Translated by Krishna Winston

312 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $27.

Peter Handke commands one of the great German-language prose styles of the postwar period, a riverine rhetoric deep and swift and contrary of current. Since the first of his 100 or so books of fiction, poetry, essays and plays appeared in 1966, his talent has been inarguable, and yet its almost exclusively been a talent for the aesthetic. No one has ever read Handke for his ideas, but for his hostility to ideas; his ambiguous pronouns (have we become they again?), ambivalent punctuation (his infamous (?).) and that petulant, didactic way he has with provocation. Previous generations of the Germanosphere had sought a Nationaldichter  a Goethean laureate of nation-state vindication  but the war generation had inverted that yearning into a call for writers of chastisement, of self- and governmental punishment. Its not a shock that the best of this cohort would hail from Catholic Austria: Thomas Bernhard, Elfriede Jelinek and Handke, who was born in 1942 in Carinthia, a heavily Slavic province of Austria, in a town just over the Drava River from Slovenia.

The Drava, Sava, Drina and especially the Morava  all Danubian tributaries  define the banks and the binds of The Moravian Night, which was published in German in 2008 and might be the most important novel of Handkes career. Its title is also its setting. The Moravian Night is a houseboat  a Haus-und-Fluchtboot, a house- and escape boat  belonging to a former writer whos familiar, or familiarly inscrutable, from Handkes previous work: Hes the Handke-who-isnt, the authors epithetical double. Also known as the abdicated writer, the boatmaster, the host  he lives on the run, or on the rudder, in perpetual flight from reporters, women and Pan-European tax assessors. Just before Eastertide, under a full moon, he drops anchor outside the village of Porodin, the last enclave in the Balkans, and in Europe as a whole, and welcomes onboard a gaggle of locals to serve as both audience for, and auxiliary narrators of, a Last Supper dedicated to recounting his life: There were not more than six or seven of us, corresponding, so to speak, to the hours stretching ahead, the episodes, the chapters of the night, until morning.

Note the distancing technique, which is also a disclaimer: Handkes writing about a former writer giving an account of himself, and becoming drowned out by the voices of apostolic friends who, because they werent around to witness the original scenes, or sins, can only repeat, and contradict, with rumor and gossip. The former writer reminisces about revisiting the island in the Adriatic where he wrote his first book, and about encounters with his brother, and with a writer colleague whos become a hack journalist; he recalls a journey to the Harz, the erstwhile border between East and West Germany, and to an academic congress on noise pollution. Interleaved with these scenes are long stretches regarding the long treks taken by the former writer through the wreckage of the former Yugoslavia, in which the novels submerged plot comes up for air; namely, the ways in which the contemporary world, or the contemporary Balkans, have betrayed Handke, or just failed to live up to his imagination:

Ah, you and your damned neo-Balkan inadequacy, obtuseness, mediocrity. Things had not always been this way, had they? At one time no voices more animated, no eyes more wide open, no gestures more inclusive than could be found among you. What had happened to your eloquent gaze, your eloquent shaking and rocking of heads, your eloquent sighs?
Being a largehearted fellow with a deep and abiding faith in humanity, the Haggler likes to take the days between Christmas and New Years Day and look back at the warmth and good cheer he encountered in this column over the past 12 months.

So he did that.

It took four seconds.

Because when he browsed through the episodes of 2016, he found many tales of companies behaving badly. In some cases, very badly. The year was like every other in the Hagglers career of interventions on behalf of consumers. Moments of reconciliation were rare. Moments of enlightenment even rarer.

Which is to say that if youre in the mood for uplift, dear readers, try a forklift. What follows is an update to some of the standout examples of shouting and agita as we once again look back at a year in haggling.

Remember Carl Swenson, the father of the Medal of Honor winner William Swenson? He kept finding fake Facebook accounts in the name of his son. It turned out that the accounts were used for something known as romance fraud, in which scammers wheedle money from women who have contacted them on dating sites. The fake accounts bolster the fraudsters identity.
Tell me about your decision to become an entrepreneur.

I reached a point where I decided Im never going to work for anyone else again. Im going to own my destiny, and Im going to determine how far I can go.

When I turned the switch on my website in April 2002, I was so happy when I had eight orders. It was the best thing ever, that first day. Initially, it was e-commerce only. The big change in my business really happened in 2009, when Target called and wanted to carry my products. That gave us the exposure we needed.

What have been some key leadership lessons for you?

I learned to soften my approach. Because I am a Type A, theres not a lot of room for fluff, typically. Thats my personality, but I had to soften myself with certain people and adapt to different personalities and give each one what they need individually.

I have four kids, and theyre all different. I feel like my employees are the same way. Some need more from me in some areas, some need less, and I had to change that so I could retain my key people. That was an important personal development for me.

Other approaches youve developed?

My employees feel I am accessible to them, so if two of them are having a problem with each other, theyre both going to come to me individually. If that happens, Ill stop the conversation and do a three-way call.

I tell them were going to hammer this out and get to the bottom of it. Were not going to talk about each other, were going to deal with it and put everything on the table and go back to work.

So they know that if they dont want to have that kind of conversation with me  talking about a co-worker  then they shouldnt call me about it, because were going to square it away right now.
The slowdown stands in stark contrast to the gains made by women in the broader work force. Median pretax income for working-age women more than quintupled between 1962 and 2014, to $20,000. Its still far below the median pretax income for men, which, at $35,000, has stayed roughly the same since 1964, according to the research paper. (The paper uses labor income as its definition of income, which does not include capital gains and certain other sources of wealth.)

The womens wealth gap would be even worse without inherited fortunes. According to Wealth-X, of the 294 female billionaires in the world, only 49 are self-made. The rest owe their fortunes partly or entirely from an inheritance.

Of the nearly 27,000 women in the world worth $30 million or more, a third are self-made. And there are reasons to think that those numbers could rise, as wealth becomes more global and women in countries like China start to prosper. In 2015, more than half of the female billionaires in Asia were self-made, compared with 19 percent in the United States, according to a report from the Swiss bank UBS and the consulting firm PwC.

Yet even as many women are making the rich lists, others are dropping off. In the United States, one of the highest-flying self-made female billionaires, Elizabeth Holmes, recently became the highest-profile financial casualty: As the medical-testing company she founded, Theranos, started to collapse amid fraud allegations, Ms. Holmess net worth plummeted from about $4.5 billion to next to nothing, according to Forbes.

At the moment, the wealthiest self-made woman in the United States is Diane Hendricks, a founder of ABC Supply, a building-materials company in Beloit, Wis. She is worth $4.9 billion, according to Forbes. Oprah Winfrey ranks second at $3.1 billion.

So why are there so few women at the top of the wealth pyramid? And what needs to change?

Julia Pimsleur, the founder of the multimillion-dollar Little Pim language-instruction company and the daughter of the language training entrepreneur Paul Pimsleur, said that discrimination in the executive suite and the world of venture capital remained a stubborn force.

There is unconscious bias in the system, she said. I believe there are many men who would like to see more women at the top.
Attending a cuddle party was one of my fear-conquering New Years resolutions for 2016. My other resolutions  I had a long list  included speed dating and taking a hike with a mountaineering club.



I never got around to speed dating or hiking, but by August I had worked up the courage to sign up for a cuddle party. And thats how I found myself lying on a foam pad on a strangers floor with my head on the shoulder of a strange man. Strange in that I didnt know him, of course, but also strange in that he was so thin and bony that cuddling with him was no comfort at all.

Soon a young woman settled in on his other side and asked if she could hold my hand.

O.K., I said feebly.

We reached out and clasped hands across the mans chest. I felt rigid, tense, terrified.

A sea of foam pads and quilts and stuffed animals covered the expanse of the one-room carriage house. Even so, I felt the unrelenting pressure of my hipbone against hardwood. How long would I have to lie like this? What is the acceptable length of time to seem open to experience while also preserving my dignity?
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.  It was a high-wattage room even by this citys standards. Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain were there, dressed to the nines. So were Judd Apatow and Jeff Bridges. As hunky waiters passed out hamachi tacos and mini bottles of Champagne, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Pine, Naomie Harris and Casey Affleck breezed by.

But the guests of honor at Catch LA that night in November were three young women who are rich but not yet famous: Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet, the spawn  just to be alliterative about it  of Sylvester Stallone.

Oh, yes. The Stallone Sisters have arrived.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which bestows the Golden Globe awards, selected them  Sophia, 20, Sistine, 18, Scarlet, 14  to serve collectively as Miss Golden Globe at this years ceremony, which NBC will broadcast live on Jan. 8. In many ways, getting picked is the Hollywood version of being presented to society. Over the years, the role has gone to such film-world offspring as Melanie Griffith (the daughter of Tippi Hedren), Laura Dern (the daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd) and Rumer Willis (the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore).

We didnt realize the magnitude of this, a gushing Sophia said that night at Catch, flanked by her sisters, her proud papa, and her mother, the model and skin-care entrepreneur Jennifer Flavin.
In one town I visited, the courtroom was actually closed to the public, and I had to get special permission to be present. In another town, when my colleague, Andy Lehren, and I inspected one public record too many, a judge sent police officers to eject us from the courthouse. (Apparently he believed we were grifters trying to prey on the defendants of Pine Bluff, Ark., most of whom have no money out of which they could be scammed.)

For his part, Will, the photographer in Dothan, was having a more intense experience. Though he too had been careful, the police had followed him and pulled him over for failing to use his turn signal early enough. Moments later, a canine unit arrived. The dogs circled Wills rental car and, allegedly, signaled the officers near the drivers seat. On those grounds, the police searched first the car, then Will personally, but found nothing. They did not seem aware that he was a reporter, only that he had been driving around a poor neighborhood and, I later learned, had stopped in front of a known crack house. They let him go with a warning.

Coincidentally, I soon received a call asking if I would like to talk to Dothans chief of police. Yes, indeed I would.

Chief Steve Parrish has a complicated history, but he gave me the impression that, since he had taken charge in May 2015, he had been battling to make the department less vindictive and more professional. I described what had happened to Will as a hypothetical scenario  minus the crack house detail, which I didnt know. The chief said it sounded like poor policing. When I take two steps forward in building a positive relationship in the community, and you stop somebody because their tag light is out and write them a ticket, I have to take a step back, he lamented. I dont like taking a step back.

When I revealed that the events in question had actually happened, he seemed mortified. He wanted to apologize personally to Will, but we demurred, not wanting to become part of the story.

A day or two later, I spied the district attorney, Mr. Valeska, outside a law firm getting into his car. I got behind him, just to observe his turn signal habits. The first thing he did was turn without signaling.

Mr. Valeska proved to be extraordinarily elusive journalistic quarry. He deflected our open records requests almost entirely, asking for thousands of dollars to cover the cost of, for example, redacting a bank account number that we already had (it had not been redacted in response to previous records requests by others).
When I returned to the hotel that night, city workers were washing blood and debris from the traffic circle, and hotel employees were busily replacing windows and patching bullet holes in guest rooms. A nearby shopping center, scene of intense fighting, had been gutted. By sheer dumb luck, I had missed it all.

At Baghdad International Airport in 2006, passengers found refuge from the brutal heat under a large billboard under whose shade they stood while waiting for shuttle buses to the terminal. A Times photographer and I waited there for our bus, as we had done many times before, and then proceeded to the terminal.

The next day, I got an email suggesting that I turn on the television news. Two suicide car bombers had killed 14 bystanders and wounded 16 others; video reports showed that one of the car bombs had exploded under the billboard, in exactly the spot where wed been standing 24 hours earlier.

Like other airline passengers, Times journalists sometimes have complaints. Flying to the war in Kosovo in 1999, for example, Albanian Airlines operated castoff former Aeroflot Tupolev 134s between Bologna, Italy, and the Albanian capital, Tirana. The tires were bald, the seats were like medieval torture devices with paper-thin padding and zero legroom, and the surly flight attendants strapped the food cart to the handle of the emergency exit.

I took a ferry back to Italy.

In 2002, a Fox producer and I took an overnight flight to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. He and I agreed to stick together when we noted, rather disturbingly, that the passenger compartment of Tajik Airs Soviet-era Tupolev 154 was loaded up with tires and kitchen appliances. Tajik merchants, it seemed, routinely overbooked the cargo space, so the aft passenger seats were given over to retail goods.

During a midnight takeoff from Sharjah, a United Arab Emirates city on the Persian Gulf, the nose of the plane I was on gently settled back onto the runway. The plane coasted to a stop and, without any announcement from the crew, sat for an hour in the stifling desert heat until we were bused back to the terminal. The weary passengers uneasily witnessed a mechanic fiddle under the engine cowling for a few hours with what looked like a clowns oversized toy wrench. Then he put down his tool and half-smiled with satisfaction.
Last June, as there was no poplar fluff to bother me yet in Novaya Usman, I got in the habit of spending my days outside. Novaya Usman is a small village in southern Russia near the city of Voronezh, and I have lived here for more than a decade. I am now 80, and at my age it is hard to walk for very long, so I would sit on a lavochka, a wooden bench, near my house and watch the people go by. I also daydreamed about life back at Almaty, thousands of miles away. If nostalgia became unbearable, I headed back home.

I spent my childhood in Northern Kazakhstan. Along with many Russian families during Stalins era, my family had been exiled to the steppe near Aktyubinsk because my father had been an officer of the czars army and a kulak, a Soviet word for entrepreneur. By the time I was 12, both my parents had died. And so my brother and sisters and I lived as orphans in our rickety house without any utilities or winter clothes. Hence, I was fearless and not afraid of hardships.

As I matured and grew capable of work, I took 12-hour shifts as a cook. And yet I stored enough energy for dancing every evening. Those were the happiest days of my life. I was popular: Young men liked me and invited me to dance. I surely broke many hearts.

Hard work brought me to the Communist Parliament as a chief cook, and that is when I moved to Almaty, which was then the capital of Kazakhstan. I worked there almost 40 years and eventually retired.
RE: A.I.

Gideon Lewis-Kraus wrote about how Google used artificial intelligence to transform its popular translation program  and how its approach to A.I. is poised to reinvent computing itself.

Creativity defines human intelligence, and contextual interpretation of words is what sets the human brain apart from the machine brain. Its great that a computer can beat the world master of go or chess, but until Google Translate can interpret creatively and not translate literally (try plugging in the Toyota tagline Lets go places and see how many languages accurately capture the intent of the English idiom), its intelligence remains artificial and generic, which, in inexperienced hands, can cause serious miscommunication. Translation is not an easy art; the M.T.A.s public-safety-poster headline Not Yourself? should translate in Chinese to Not Feeling Well? though its possible a machine could miss this nuance and render it as Not You Personally? I would caution us, then, not to become overly reliant on general intelligence, which is far from genuine. Grace Chiu, New York

One difference between robots and humans is that we worry. Articles describing how artificial intelligence will soon surpass humans are fascinating but cause great anxiety for many human readers. The Timess recent article about Googles advances in deep learning neglected to describe the essential role that humans play.


When Carrie Fisher was cast as Princess Leia in the 1977 film Star Wars, she was a 19-year-old with no idea that her character would come to mean so much for so many. Youre not just an actor in this movie, Ms. Fisher said, youre a diplomat to a country you didnt know existed.

Leia proved especially meaningful to female fans, who found their own new hope in Ms. Fishers portrayal of the lone woman at the center of the action. Few movies showcased heroines who showed more guts and ingenuity than many of the men around her. Girls got a new uniform, too  instead of putting on a tiara and waving a wand, this princess wrapped her hair into a couple of practical buns and held a blaster in her hand.

Over the past 40 years, generations of female Star Wars fans have made the character their own, using her image and example as a tool in their own lives.

In commemoration of Ms. Fishers life, we asked readers to share what she and Leia have meant to them, and the lessons from the character that they will carry on. Here are their edited responses.
Judith Clark, who drove a getaway car in the infamous 1981 robbery of a Brinks armored car in Rockland County, N.Y., that left a guard and two police officers dead, went into prison defiant, with seemingly little chance of getting out. The judge who sentenced her saw her as beyond rehabilitation, giving her a minimum of 75 years in prison and all but ensuring she would die there.

But Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, citing what he called Ms. Clarks long sentence and exceptional strides in self-development commuted her sentence on Friday.

Mr. Cuomos action does not undo Ms. Clarks conviction on second-degree murder and robbery charges, but it reduces her sentence to 35 years to life and makes her eligible for parole in 2017.

If Ms. Clark is freed, it would be in recognition of her evolution from radical to model prisoner, and serve as a coda to a notorious case that was among the last gasps of violent left-wing extremism seen in the 1960s and 1970s.
A Bad Year for New Yorkers. However ...

Yes, 2016 was a terrible year  for politics, civility, discourse, death. New Yorkers were forced to create bandwidth in their brains to accommodate the reality that one of the citys most storied and ridiculed tabloid personalities would lead the free world. David Bowie left his adopted city, and us. Homelessness rose. The Big Apple Circus, a beloved New York institution that brought the performing arts to poor children at no cost, had to shut down when it could not generate sufficient philanthropic interest. Skyrocketing costs forced the restaurant Da Silvano to close after 41 years in Greenwich Village. We could go on at biblical length before we got to the downsizing of Gracious Home, the Manhattan purveyor of upscale home goods. But lets not. Let us instead, for the moment, consider the reasons we, as New Yorkers, may feel less terrible about the year that was and whats ahead:
Few cities in the world are as closely linked to their subways as New York City  the vast network helped shape the city and now carries nearly six million people a day. So when the most ambitious expansion of the subway system in half a century opens on Sunday, it will be a transformative moment, promising to alter the future of a large slice of Manhattan.

The new Second Avenue subway will provide badly needed relief to one of New Yorks most congested transit corridors and is expected to be a boon to the local economy, making restaurants and stores suddenly easier to reach. But even as the city celebrates a line many doubted would ever open, its arrival has prompted fears that rising rents could force out longtime residents and shops  the kind of displacement that has swept through many other parts of an increasingly affluent New York and deepened its inequality.

People living near three new stations at 72nd, 86th and 96th Streets could face rent increases as high as $462 per month, according to a report by StreetEasy, a real estate website. Sleek high-rises are already popping up above the walk-up apartment buildings that have served as first homes for many New Yorkers.

One of those is Dina Zingaro, who gravitated to the neighborhood when she moved from New Jersey. She and a roommate pay $2,400 a month for a two-bedroom apartment on the fifth floor of a walk-up building.
SoHo offers a bounty of food  each block in this Manhattan neighborhood seems to feature artisanal chocolatiers selling single origin cacao, juice shops extruding vegetables for $9 a bottle and stores peddling cupcakes and Cronuts. Yet while high-end delicacies with gold bullion prices abound, humbler places to buy a jar of nonartisanal peanut butter or a sack of plain old gluten-full flour are much harder to find.

And on New Years Eve at 9 p.m., SoHo will get more difficult for residents without Fresh Direct accounts or Dean & DeLuca-size wallets when Met Food, a neighborhood stalwart for more than four decades, closes its doors on Mulberry Street and shuts for good. According to its owner, Paul Fernandez, he was unable to agree to new lease terms with the landlord. Over Met Foods 25 years at its Mulberry Street location, the stores rent has risen to $90,000 a month from $9,000.

In a neighborhood bursting with food, the closing, residents say, leaves a hole for lower-income and longtime residents whose means have not changed as the neighborhood has gone over the decades from a homely enclave to a glamorous address. For the markets employees  some of whom have watched their predominantly working- and middle-class customers grow up in the aisles of Met Food  and for the stores regular shoppers, the shutdown is yet another moment in which the ever-gentrifying city becomes that much less livable.
Some guests have been so enamored with the high-tech panels that they have asked if they can buy them. We unfortunately have to let them know that its proprietary to the hotel and not for sale, said Mr. Vitjathorn, 61, a former engineer in the Thai Navy who has been with the company for two decades.

At least they asked. At the Carlyle, guests have been known to walk off with the paper shades adorning the 17-inch lamps dotting the tables at Bemelmans Bar. This is in no small part because of the painstaking craftsmanship of Hector Patino, a mural restoration specialist who paints them to look like the original scenes on the walls.

Mr. Patino has worked at the Carlyle for 16 years. It is his job to maintain every piece of art in the hotel, including Marcel Vertess celebrated murals in Cafe Carlyle and Ludwig Bemelmanss murals of Central Park in Bemelmans Bar. He refinishes furniture, camouflages electrical panels and even deals with graffiti, such as it is.

Someone drew on the wall in the womens bathroom in hot pink marker, said Mr. Patino, 58, who was born in Pereira, Colombia.

To him, its more than a job: Just for fun, he painted a beach scene on a wall in the employee cafeteria. His artistic skills go beyond restoration and painting: In 2011 and 2012, he won first place in the Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest.
Ward McAllister became the arbiter of Gilded Age society in 1888 when he defined the Four Hundred  supposedly the number of true aristocrats in New York, which also happened to match the number of people Mrs. Astor could accommodate in her ballroom.

Less than a decade later, Cornelia Bradley-Martin (who arbitrarily hyphenated her husbands name) lowered the bar to squeeze about 800 professed aristocrats into the old Waldorf Astoria on Feb. 10, 1897, for a costume ball that would cost almost $9 million in todays dollars and epitomized the last gasp of Gilded Age excess. Five years later, the roster of the Social Register had swelled to 25,000 names.

In 1993, Clifton Hood published 722 Miles, a book about the history of the New York subway system, which described in detail the underground arteries that transported New Yorkers between home and work.

Nearly a quarter-century later, Mr. Hood has resurfaced with In Pursuit of Privilege: A History of New Yorks Citys Upper Class and the Making of a Metropolis (Columbia University Press, $40), which explores the blue blood that has coursed through the citys veins since before the American Revolution.
To the Editor:

Reckoning With a Legacy of Insuring Slaves Lives (front page, Dec. 19) documents how major New York life insurance companies supported Southern slavery by insuring owners against the death of their valuable human property. An additional troubling aspect of that history is that such insurance created new incentives for owners to let slaves who suffered a disabling injury die.

The noted Alabama pro-slavery physician Josiah C. Nott warned life insurance companies that as long as the Negro is sound  self-interest will prompt the owner to preserve the life of the slave; but if the slave become unsound  it ceases to be the interest of the owner to preserve the life of the slave.

MARTIN S. PERNICK

Ann Arbor, Mich.

The writer is a professor of history at the University of Michigan.
Kristofer Goldsmith spent the end of his teenage years photographing mutilated bodies. Mr. Goldsmith knew that he would face bullets and bombs when he enlisted in the Army shortly after Sept. 11, and like almost every soldier of his generation, he volunteered to serve with the understanding that he would go to war. He made sergeant in just over two years and spent an entire year in Baghdad.

The battle that Mr. Goldsmith wasnt prepared for was coming home. He drank to get to sleep. He isolated himself so he wouldnt hurt his friends and family when he suddenly lashed out with rage.

Then he tried to kill himself. Rather than treat him medically, the Army treated Mr. Goldsmith like a criminal. Just a few weeks after his unsuccessful suicide attempt, he was issued a less-than-honorable discharge for what the Army labeled serious misconduct. There was no court-martial finding him guilty. In 2007, Mr. Goldsmith was separated administratively with a few strokes of a pen.

His undiagnosed and untreated post-traumatic stress disorder was hard enough for him to deal with  now he had discharge papers that looked like a criminal record.
The conservative Australian government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull argues that its policy has stopped the boats at a time when more refugees are on the move across the world than at any time since 1945. The arguments flaw is its inhumanity. Despite being a signatory of all major international human rights treaties, Australia has instituted an indefensible policy of cruelty as deterrence.

Desperate for a resolution, the country last month announced an agreement with the United States to take some of those confined on Nauru and Manus. The accords prospects under a Donald Trump presidency seem poor. In any event, it came too late for Faisal Ishak Ahmed.

Its really tragic that somebody else had to die, said Peter Young, the former medical director of mental health for International Health and Medical Services (I.H.M.S.), the company Australia employs to run clinics in the facilities. There had been representations made and nothing was being done to help him and to get him proper assistance and care, but that is exactly how the system is designed to be. In fact its inevitable that it happened and will happen again.

Young, who quit in mid-2014, added that I.H.M.S., operating on behalf of the Australian border force, inevitably became part of a culture conditioned to see these people as less.
To the Editor:

Re Was Obama Bad for Democrats? (Op-Ed, Dec. 23):

Stanley B. Greenberg and Anna Greenberg suggest that because Democrats lost seats during President Obamas time in the White House it was his fault. This line of thought appears after every single electoral loss  somehow Democratic officeholders, especially the president, didnt pull magic out of hats. Can we please move on?

The countrys election showed us who we are: bitterly split, with the right-wing half mostly in thrall to demagogy. This is nobodys fault but the demagogues and the people who fall for it.

Take a look at the videos of Trump rallies. That is all you need to know.

President Obamas legacy will actually shine so bright next to Donald Trumps that it will put him in a pantheon with Lincoln, Jefferson and F.D.R. if not equal to them, then near them.

Mr. Obama represents the sane, sober America that some commenters scorn as professorial. Well, give me professorial any time, if the alt-right is the other option.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, three of the Middle Easts major Sunni powers, once equated their standings in the region with the outcome of the war in Syria. Since the uprising broke out in 2011, they have been stalwart  if often divided  supporters of the rebels in their fight against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

In the last several months, it became clear they were on the losing side. Recent events, including the fall of eastern Aleppo this month, are compelling these countries to adjust their strategies. A cease-fire agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey and announced on Thursday has only made it clearer that in the Middle East, force drives diplomacy.

The mainstream rebel groups that Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have backed since 2011 are now morphing into a rural insurgency. This will mean they are less of a threat to the Assad government, but more vulnerable to being defeated by jihadist groups  or lured into joining them. Supporting these rebels will soon become even more difficult, especially if President-elect Donald J. Trump follows through on campaign pledges to end American aid to rebel groups and to work more closely with Russia to fight jihadists in Syria.

For Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, this situation raises major moral and political questions: If military victory is no longer feasible, why should they continue to support rebels at the cost of more Syrian lives? Can they and their rebel proxies carve out zones of influence that will allow them to shape Syrias future? Should the rebellions sponsors cut their losses and force the rebels to capitulate in exchange for whatever favor Russia is able to offer, such as facilitating Turkish policy in Central Asia or helping Saudi Arabia extricate itself from Yemen? Or should they let the rebellion slowly die? Wouldnt doing so only encourage Iranian aggressiveness and prove right the jihadist groups that say Arab countries are impotent and treacherous?
To the Editor:

Re U.S. Punishes Russia Over Election Hacking (front page, Dec. 30):

The Obama administrations sanctions on Russia for meddling in our election put Donald Trump in a very difficult position. If Mr. Trump still wants to be friendly with Russia, he is playing right into its hands and becoming Russias patsy.

If Russia ends up undermining and manipulating us once again, it will make Mr. Trump look like a weak, foolish and naive president and could end up severely damaging American interests.

The sanctions are more of a message to Mr. Trump than to President Vladimir Putin, to show that Russia cant be trusted.

KENNETH L. ZIMMERMAN

Huntington Beach, Calif.

To the Editor:

While I applaud President Obama for enforcing sanctions against Vladimir Putin and the Russian hackers, I think there must also be harsh financial sanctions. Why arent known Russian assets in the United States frozen? Merely kicking spies or alleged spies out of our country and closing compounds isnt enough. Mr. Putin must be made to feel the full weight of our governments and citizens disapproval of his actions.
I came here on an O-1 visa  Im an alien of extraordinary ability. That ability is doing comedy and persuading friends who do voice-overs in cartoons to write letters to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, vouching for me. Annie was an unaccompanied minor without documents and she sailed right in. I think about her, and me, and the people who were simply born here, and the people who die trying to get here, and the people who have lived here since childhood, who are American in every way save paperwork, but without any path to citizenship. I mean, the sheer dumb luck involved in it all! I try to make sense of it in a podcast in which I interview a new person each week about their immigration story.

Annie Moores story was told to me by the genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, who is an expert in Annies journey. Annie lived her whole life in America just a couple of miles away from Ellis Island, on the Lower East Side. She lived with her parents and brothers before marrying a clerk in a bakery. They had some 10 children, but only five made it through to adulthood. Can you even imagine burying your children like that? No. I tuck that part away in the she must have been different from us, with fewer feelings folder, the delusional one full of current stories from far-off places, too sad to bear. Annie died at 50 years old. Family lore says her coffin was too wide to fit down the narrow stairs of her tenement house, and had to be hoisted out the window.

Not to boast, but I gained weight when I moved to New York, too. It was the citywide availability of soft serve that did it. On Thanksgiving, I went for a wander around Annies old neighborhood, and peeped into St. Marys, the local church founded by Irish immigrants, rebuilt after being burned down by anti-Catholic nativists in the 1830s. By the time Annie arrived, the Irish had a surer footing in the citys political and social life. They were clannish, looking out for their own. I have mixed feelings about this. Im glad that they made it, but sorry they often stood on the backs of other marginalized communities to do so.

What else has happened in the 125 years since Annie Moore arrived? Well, the ban on Chinese immigrants has been lifted, and a ban on Muslim immigrants threatened. Catholic churches are no longer being set alight by nativists, but synagogues and mosques are being vandalized by people on the same tip. A man whose own mother walked through the same Ellis Island doors as Annie campaigned for the presidency by slamming immigrants at every turn, and he won. Were hearing echoes so loud theyve become the sound of today.

I went home for the holidays. I still call Ireland home, but America is my home, too. I stood on the darkening quay side in Cobh on Christmas Eve, and looked at a statue of Annie there. She seems small and capable, her hands lightly resting on her little brothers shoulders, gazing back at a country she would never see again. An Irish naval ship had returned to the harbor earlier that week from its mission off the Mediterranean coast, a mission that has rescued 15,000 people from the sea since May 2015, though 2016 was still the deadliest one for migrants crossing the Mediterranean since World War II.
The Womens March on Washington on Jan. 21 is an apt metaphor for the moment: movement as primal scream. It grew out of a post on Facebook, was unconnected to any established womens organization, and has no set list of demands. Hundreds of thousands of women say they are going, but will their anger turn into a broader movement?

We need a come to Jesus moment, said C. Nicole Mason of the Center for Research and Policy in the Public Interest at the New York Womens Foundation. I feel like the denial is very severe.

In the weeks after the election, in conversations with nearly two dozen advocates for women, I heard the fractures of a movement still regrouping after an unexpected defeat. They know that Mrs. Clinton didnt stand for the feminist movement directly, and that you could vote against her without saying you were voting against feminism. But one of the movements goals was shattering that ultimate glass ceiling. Some say the failure to do so was so devastating that now is the time to rebuild from the ground up. Others insist its time to stay the course.

The challenges are a proxy for the questions the Democratic Party must face over class, race, identity politics and tactics. The womens movement must balance how to broaden its message without losing its base. Courting the white working class could alienate black women still smarting over white women voting for a man whom many saw as racist  a choice that seemed to put racial identity over gender solidarity. Some younger women shun the feminist label altogether. Its not clear how far the tent can stretch without leaving some outside.

The overall struggle is to stay relevant in the age of Trump. Before the election, even I was stunned by the sheer number of people I knew who came forward saying theyd been survivors of sexual assault, said Vivien Labaton, co-executive director of Make It Work, which promotes working families economic security. Its amazing to me the lightning speed at which these issues have receded. The story is the total omission of women. Overnight.
When Mr. Obama was elected in 2008, press freedom groups had high expectations for the former constitutional law professor, particularly after the press had suffered through eight years of bitter confrontation with the Bush administration. But today, many of those same groups say Mr. Obamas record of going after both journalists and their sources has set a dangerous precedent that Mr. Trump can easily exploit. Obama has laid all the groundwork Trump needs for an unprecedented crackdown on the press, said Trevor Timm, executive director of the nonprofit Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Dana Priest, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The Washington Post, added: Obamas attorney general repeatedly allowed the F.B.I. to use intrusive measures against reporters more often than any time in recent memory. The moral obstacles have been cleared for Trumps attorney general to go even further, to forget that its a free press that has distinguished us from other countries, and to try to silence dissent by silencing an institution whose job is to give voice to dissent.

The administrations heavy-handed approach represents a sharp break with tradition. For decades, official Washington did next to nothing to stop leaks. Occasionally the C.I.A. or some other agency, nettled by an article or broadcast, would loudly proclaim that it was going to investigate a leak, but then would merely go through the motions and abandon the case.

Of course, reporters and sources still had to be careful to avoid detection by the government. But leak investigations were a low priority for the Justice Department and the F.B.I. In fact, before the George W. Bush administration, only one person was ever convicted under the Espionage Act for leaking  Samuel Morison, a Navy analyst arrested in 1984 for giving spy satellite photos of a Soviet aircraft carrier to Janes Defense Weekly. He was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton.

Things began to change in the Bush era, particularly after the Valerie Plame case. The 2003 outing of Ms. Plame as a covert C.I.A. operative led to a criminal leak investigation, which in turn led to a series of high-profile Washington journalists being subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury and name the officials who had told them about her identity. Judith Miller, then a New York Times reporter, went to jail for nearly three months before finally testifying in the case.

The Plame case began to break down the informal understanding between the government and the news media that leaks would not be taken seriously.
Dai Xiaolei last saw her son in 2014, when he was 17 months old and living with her in-laws in Baoding, a city in Hebei province about 156 kilometers from Beijing.

Her marriage was crumbling and, as relations deteriorated, she claims her husband's family blocked her from taking her son with her back to the capital.

"The last time I saw my son was at the end of this alley. It's like a fortress," the 37-year-old said outside her in-laws former home.

Reuters was unable to independently verify Dai's claim that the family has blocked all attempts to see her son.

Her husband, Liu Jie, filed for divorce, arguing that the marriage had fallen apart due to "conflicts in character, ideas and living habits", according to court documents. Dai pushed for custody, but in April, a judge ruled that it was best for the boy's physical and mental health to stay with his father.

Liu, a movie stunt coordinator, and his parents declined to comment.

As China's divorce rate rises, so too have calls by legal professionals for new laws that would clamp down on aggressive tactics used by some parents to take or retain possession of a child to gain the upper hand in custody battles.

Lawyers say judges tend to favor the parent who already has physical possession of the child in order to avoid further disruption to their life.

Dai appealed the custody ruling and lost. The court said the child's living environment was relatively stable and any change would not benefit his upbringing.

There are no laws against one parent taking sole possession of a child against the wishes of the other, lawyers say, reflecting a traditional view that family conflicts should handled privately.

The Supreme People's Court declined to comment on specific cases, but it said, "Maximizing benefit to the child is the basic principle by which custody decisions are made."

Joint custody rare

China's divorce rate more than tripled between 2002 and 2015, reaching 2.8 per 1,000 people, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. This is higher than the most recent estimate for the European Union (2.1 per 1,000 people in 2011) and is not far off the rate in the United States (3.2 in 2014).

While no official data is available publicly, Yan Jun, a district court judge in Beijing, estimated that one parent will snatch a child from the other in 60 percent of cases in which both spouses are seeking custody.

Under the law, parents are rarely granted joint custody, as is the case in some countries. Instead, judges usually give one parent "direct custody", often preferring to maintain the status quo living arrangement for a child aged 2 to 10.

A lawyer at a Beijing family law firm, who declined to be identified, said child-snatching regularly takes place before divorce proceedings, which allows one parent to argue the child has a stable living environment. Li Ying, a Beijing lawyer and advocate for parental rights, said snatching tactics should be prosecuted when a new domestic violence law is enacted in March.

Under this law, beatings, verbal abuse and threatening behavior are considered forms of domestic violence. Some family law experts have said preventing a child from seeing their mother or father, or vice versa, should also be considered psycho-logical abuse.

Even when judges rule in their favor, some mothers complain about a lack of enforcement and sometimes take matters into their own hands.

One, who did not want to be named because her dealings with the courts are still ongoing, said she hired a private detective who found her son living under a fake name with her ex-husband's aunt in northern China.

The court had awarded her custody, but when she complained months later that the order had not been enforced, a court official was blunt.

"She told me: 'Don't just depend on the courts. Are you working hard enough or are you just depending on us to get your child back?'"

(China Daily 12/30/2016 page5)
Every December I read hundreds of long-form essays to select the Sidney Awards, and every year I regret that I spend so much of the other 11 months reading online trivia. Then, every January, I revert to Twitter.

Andrew Sullivan got sucked into the online addiction in a big way, yanked himself away from it and wrote a brilliant essay on the process for New York magazine called I Used to Be a Human Being.

Sullivan was the superstar of what I guess we can call the blogging era, consumed with online volleying all day, every day. Everything else  health, friendships  atrophied: Every minute I was engrossed in a virtual interaction I was not involved in a human encounter. Every second absorbed in some trivia was a second less for any form of reflection, or calm, or spirituality. He also came to understand that we dont really control our time online. Our clicks are seduced by technologists superbly able to suck us in.

There is also something emotionally comforting, if cowardly, about life through the screen: An entire universe of intimate responses is flattened to a single, distant swipe. We hide our vulnerabilities, airbrushing our flaws and quirks; we project our fantasies onto the images before us.
Ms. Billingsley, a photographer, often has events outside the city, jobs that require her to be on time, which is why she pays $300 a month for the garage. Its not like I can show up late to a wedding Im photographing, she said. I dont have time to wait for a driver to come back whenever it suits them. When I need my car, I really need my car.

Owners are encouraged to report blockages to the police. If an officer is dispatched, a citation can be issued. Then, according to the citys 311 website, If the vehicle has a ticket, and you want it moved, you can contact a private towing company. The vehicle owner is responsible for paying any towing fees.

It is unclear how many private garages or driveways exist in the city, because the Department of Buildings, which issues permits for curb cuts, does not track them. The department issued 1,593 new curb cut permits in 2015, most of them in Queens and Staten Island. That is a steep drop from 10 years earlier, when 5,257 permits were issued.

Application costs include a $130 filing fee and $3 per lineal foot of curb cut for one-, two- and three-family dwellings, and $6 per lineal foot for multiple dwellings and commercial buildings, according to the buildings department. Installation of a cut also requires a $70 repair sidewalk permit from the Department of Transportations Office of Construction Mitigation and Coordination. Actual installation of the cuts averages about $12 to $15 per square foot of concrete being poured or replaced and must be completed by a contractor with a license from the citys Department of Consumer Affairs. The total cost of getting a curb cut can range from roughly $5,000 to $12,000, depending on whether you hire an architect to design it and an expediter to facilitate the permit process.

Proposed curb cuts must meet specific technical requirements, including a seven-foot minimum distance from sidewalk obstructions like trees, fire hydrants and street signs. Parking spaces also cannot encroach on the sidewalk, they must be within the buildings lot lines, and they must measure at least 8.5 feet by 18 feet.
We were together, and then we split up, and then I took her back, Mr. Burke said waggishly.

We got together in 2001 and broke up in 2009, said Ms. Laverde, offering her version of the romance. And then, a year and a half ago, I said, Ill take you back on probation. Well see.

Heres a snapshot of their relationship: Mr. Burke leaves things out on the breakfast bar or perhaps the couch. Ms. Laverde gets tired of the clutter and puts the offending objects  most recently, some brand-new shirts  into one of the three storage spaces Mr. Burke maintains on the second floor of the building. The spillover goes to the house he bought as an investment in Middletown, N.J.

Im not a hoarder, he said. But I like collecting art and things I dont need.

For example, he doesnt exactly need the 1,200 cookbooks in his collection. He doesnt need the full line of Cuisinart equipment and gadgetry, or every item in the Illy coffee line. But you just never know, and so Mr. Burke holds onto the lot.

And because he doesnt make any distinction between home life and restaurant life, he shifts various pieces of art from one location to the other. A while back, when he saw some blown-glass balloons in a gallery, $100 a pop, he bought a half-dozen and hung them in an Arts and Crafts house he owned years ago in Mountainside, N.J.

I knew I would put them in a restaurant, because they were so festive and cool, said Mr. Burke, who soon dispatched them to David Burke Townhouse, now shuttered. The vintage Bugatti racecar model that hangs on the wall at Tavern 62 was previously tucked into a corner of another Burke restaurant, where it got no love, and then briefly became part of Mr. Burkes home decor before going into storage for a while.

When Mr. Burke sold his nearby condo, he gave the furniture to one of the doormen and bought a sectional, a dining table, a desk and a bed, all with simple lines, for his new quarters, the better to showcase the view and the art: Picasso and Chagall lithographs; a group of blown-glass baskets by Dale Chihuly, who painted Mr. Burkes work clogs as a special favor; an enormous, brightly painted missionary bell; and a driftwood figure that Mr. Burke bought in Sonoma, Calif., and refers to as my butler.

I brought it into Fishtail once and put it at the top of the stairs, and people said, I dont like that, its kind of creepy, he said. But I think its great. I like the fact that not everybody thinks so. Its like an ugly dog.
For a mere flyspeck, Bogoslof Island has been causing quite a commotion recently.

The island is the exposed summit of a volcano that sits in 6,000 feet of water in the Bering Sea about 40 miles west of the Alaskan island of Unalaska, which is part of the Aleutian chain. Bogoslof has had a series of eruptions over the last several weeks, spewing gases and ash into the skies and prompting aviation warnings.

An eruption on Friday, which produced an ash cloud that was believed to rise to about 20,000 feet, was the sixth since Dec. 20. But Michelle Coombs, a geologist with the United States Geological Survey and scientist-in-charge of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, said that analysis of seismic data revealed several more eruptions earlier in the month.

Alaska, where the Pacific Ocean plate is slowly sliding, or subducting, beneath the North American plate, is home to many volcanoes, 52 of which have been active in the last three centuries. But only about 30 of them have seismometers and other instruments to readily detect eruptions.
POINT JUDITH, R.I.  There was a time when whiting were plentiful in the waters of Rhode Island Sound, and Christopher Brown pulled the fish into his long stern trawler by the bucketful.

We used to come right here and catch two, three, four thousand pounds a day, sometimes 10, he said, sitting at the wheel of the Proud Mary  a 44-footer named, he said, after his wife, not the Creedence Clearwater Revival song  as it cruised out to sea. But like many other fish on the Atlantic Coast, whiting have moved north, seeking cooler waters as ocean temperatures have risen, and they are now filling the nets of fishermen farther up the coast.

Studies have found that two-thirds of marine species in the Northeast United States have shifted or extended their range as a result of ocean warming, migrating northward or outward into deeper and cooler water.

Lobster, once a staple in southern New England, have decamped to Maine. Black sea bass, scup, yellowtail flounder, mackerel, herring and monkfish, to name just a few species, have all moved to accommodate changing temperatures.
Pan Pan, a giant panda whose virility helped spawn an entire generation of the notoriously difficult-to-breed animals, died this week at a conservation center in Chinas Sichuan Province.

At 31, Pan Pan was thought to be the worlds oldest male panda. He died early Wednesday morning at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, according to Xinhua, the state-run news agency in China. Pandas in the wild generally live to be about 20, but often survive longer in captivity.

Pan Pan was the equivalent to about 100 human years, but he had been living with cancer, and his health had deteriorated in the past three days, Tan Chengbin, a keeper at the conservation center, told Xinhua.

Pandas International, a Colorado-based charity that supports conservation efforts, mourned the loss of Pan Pan in a blog post that described a visit to China in July to celebrate his 31st birthday.
Hacking has dominated technology news over the course of 2016, with revelations of major breaches at Yahoo and the hacked emails of Democrats.

Now we close out the year with the news that President Obama, in the waning days of his administration, is punishing Russia for its cyberattacks against the United States, which probably affected the American presidential election.

David E. Sanger, a New York Times national security correspondent, writes that President Obamas administration has imposed sanctions against two of Russias leading intelligence services, including four top officers, for their roles in cyberattacks against the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations. The United States also released samples of malware and other indications of Russian cyberactivity.

Image

The response  the strongest American action ever taken against a state-sponsored cyberattack  is expected to have repercussions on the relationship between the United States and Russia that will play out for many months.
The clamor for these women has spread beyond Silicon Valleys large public tech companies to privately held start-ups as well, some of which could emerge as the next public giants. Glenn Kelman, the chief executive of Redfin, a closely held online real estate brokerage, said he sometimes had to mount pitched efforts to attract female candidates to his companys nine-member board, because many other start-up chief executives were after the same people.

A lot of executives are trying to do this, Mr. Kelman said. If I dillydallied, suddenly everyone was recruiting the same person.

In November, Redfin brought on two new directors, including Julie Bornstein, the chief operating officer of Stitch Fix, an online personal stylist service. Ms. Bornstein is the second woman serving on Redfins board. In 2014, the company added Ms. Tobaccowala, a co-founder of Evite who was later a top executive at the online polling company SurveyMonkey.

Ms. Bornstein, 46, a former chief digital officer at Sephora, said she had gotten 30 or 40 calls to discuss joining a corporate board over the last few years, even though she had never sat on one. Before becoming a member of Redfins board, Ms. Bornstein said, she also talked to two public companies about a board spot, though she lost out to other women for those positions.

Yet many hurdles still prevent women from joining more tech boards, Ms. Bornstein said. As she interviewed at companies about board seats, she said, she found that many directors typically stuck to their own networks of acquaintances for candidates. That generally led to looking at the same people over and over again.

As a rule of thumb, boards also want experienced members. Part of the reason Ms. Bornstein said she did not land other board positions was because they couldnt get their head around someone who hadnt been on a board before. Because there are fewer natural high-profile women in tech, she said, it requires taking bets on new people.

Efforts are afoot to break down those risks and bring new candidates to attention. Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, the founder and chairman of Joyus, a video and e-commerce start-up in San Francisco, started an initiative called theBoardlist in mid-2015 to highlight women qualified to be on boards. To be on the list, a candidate must be endorsed by a Boardlist member, many of whom are venture capitalists, tech executives and others.
Rates

Starting at 129 euros, or $134.

Basics

The first two hotels from the Hoxton, both in London, earned the budget-friendly brand a reputation for creating spaces as cool to look at as they are to lounge in. The Hoxton Amsterdam, the first property outside Britain, opened in July 2015 with 111 rooms spread across five historic canal houses on the Herengracht canal.

The Dutch design firm Nicemakers created warm, welcoming interiors, and the large lobby, with its worn leather couches, classy U-shaped bar and mezzanine-level lounge, has become a favorite drinking-and-dining destination among hip Amsterdammers and visitors alike. Guest rooms, most with canal views, range in size from Shoebox to Roomy, and among three special concept rooms is the adorably named Tubby in the attic, outfitted with a bathtub.
The odds are good that privatizing education will be part of the agenda for President-elect Donald J. Trumps administration. The Republican platform calls for increasing the role of banks in giving out student loans. And Mr. Trump and the platform advocate an expansion of both vouchers, which enable students to attend the private school of their choice with government funds, and charter schools.

In addition, Betsy DeVos, Mr. Trumps nominee for education secretary, has supported legislation that would establish vouchers in Michigan, as well as the rapid expansion of the states charter school sector.

You might think that most economists agree with this overall approach, because economists generally like free markets. For example, over 90 percent of the members of the University of Chicagos panel of leading economists thought that ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft made consumers better off by providing competition for the highly regulated taxi industry.

But economists are far less optimistic about what an unfettered market can achieve in education. Only a third of economists on the Chicago panel agreed that students would be better off if they all had access to vouchers to use at any private (or public) school of their choice.
The ongoing show Triple Parade 2016 features jewelry pieces as wearable artworks. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A contemporary jewelry design and art show opened last week in Beijing, presenting jewelry pieces as wearable artworks, from a ring featuring a flying airplane to a necklace that mimics wind chimes.

The show, Triple Parade 2016, features works of more than 100 designers from 14 countries, including the United States, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom. Frog skin, aircraft wood, various metals and LED are applied to jewelry in ways that are sometimes akin to small sculptures or even installations.

"Many jewelry designers are artists. Their artworks can be wearable," says Sun Jie, a designer and founder of the annual show that started in 2014.

He explains that jewelry design in the West has developed as a facet of contemporary art. These fashionable objects are more than simple ornaments; they can express the ideas and thoughts of both the creators and the wearers.

Sun wears a gold fishtail brooch that looks like a real fish trying to jump into his heart. He is displaying two pieces of his Ice Cream series. The various brooches are inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night to convey the feelings of when women fall in love.

The ice cream-shaped brooch that is "melting" with lots of crystal dots shows a girl's fear and shyness when she first falls in love with someone, says Sun.
The term has roots in the early centuries of the church, when the Catholic community  living and dead  was envisioned as having three parts. These were later called the Church Triumphant (composed of those in heaven), the Church Suffering or Church Penitent (those in purgatory) and the Church Militant (those on earth).

Catholic teaching held that the spiritual efforts of the Church Militant would hasten the ascent into heaven of the souls in purgatory. But how is a concept that was formed during Roman persecution of early Christians and took on a martial connotation during the Crusades meant to be understood in a democratic, capitalist, polyglot, multimedia society like the modern United States?

When you heard the expression the Church Militant, it didnt bring to mind a call to arms or some kind of mobilized, militant action in the way we understand the term now, said John C. Cavadini, a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. A lot of the struggle of the Church Militant is against interior temptations that lead you to greed and all kinds of spiritual pathologies. And its about engaging in acts of mercy. Part of the victory of the Church Militant is the victory of love. It didnt have the triumphalist and militarized connotation thats been attached to it now.

While the term remains in the Roman catechism, which was promulgated by the Council of Trent in the mid-1500s, the official catechism produced under Pope John Paul II in 1992 replaced Church Militant with pilgrims on earth. The adult catechism then devised by Catholic bishops in the United States adopted those words, and they are overwhelmingly the norm in Catholic practice in the United States and abroad.

Patrick J. Buchanan, one of Mr. Trumps precursors in running for president on a platform of right-wing populism, embraced Church Militant theology in a 2009 essay in the conservative magazine Human Events. After delineating conflicts between Catholic leaders and Democratic politicians over issues like abortion and contraception, Mr. Buchanan made a more sweeping assertion:

Catholicism is necessarily an adversary faith and culture in an America where a triumphant secularism has captured the heights, from Hollywood to the media, the arts and the academy, and relishes nothing more than insults to and blasphemous mockery of the Church of Rome.

The words could serve as a mission statement for Mr. Vorsis ChurchMilitant.com. A television producer who renounced his earlier life as a gay man, Mr. Voris, 55, has developed a media operation from ChurchMilitant.coms studio in suburban Detroit that produces books, online articles, YouTube videos, podcasts and a daily talk show. These cumulatively attract about 1.5 million views a month, he said.
In a second courtroom setback in two days for Republican leaders in North Carolina, a judge on Friday temporarily blocked a state elections board overhaul that had been condemned as a partisan diminishing of executive power.

The abolition of the existing State Board of Elections was to take effect on Sunday, less than three weeks after the Republican-controlled General Assembly approved a proposal to merge the panel with the State Ethics Commission and, ultimately, reduce the authority of Governor-elect Roy Cooper, a Democrat.

It certainly is not going to harm the state or the agency or any agency to delay that termination for 10 days so that we can have a hearing, a more complete hearing on the legal issues, the constitutional issues, said Judge Donald W. Stephens of Wake County Superior Court, where Mr. Cooper filed a lawsuit on Friday.

The judge, who announced his decision to grant a temporary restraining order at the end of a Friday afternoon hearing, is scheduled to hear more arguments about the disputed law on Thursday. But his ultimate role in the case, which Mr. Coopers lawyers say is rooted in the principle of separation of powers, will be limited: Under North Carolina law, three-judge panels hear and decide constitutional challenges to state statutes.
Mr. Trump seemed open to backing away from those sanctions in an interview with The New York Times in March, when he questioned whether anyone, other than the Obama administration, saw much use in them. His nominee for secretary of state, Rex W. Tillerson, has also been critical, not surprising because they have put a huge crimp in Exxon Mobils hopes for oil and gas exploration.

Syria could be the first area of cooperation. For months, Mr. Trump has talked about working hand in glove with Moscow against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups. That seemed a fanciful notion while Russia was painting all of the Syrian opposition with the same brush and bombing the moderate Syrian opposition more than the Islamic State. But if a shaky cease-fire agreement announced on Thursday holds, it could focus Russian military action for the first time exclusively on the Islamic State and the Islamist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front.

The agreement potentially sets the table for Trump in Syria, said Andrew J. Tabler, an expert on Syria at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Still, Mr. Tabler and other Syria specialists said the opportunity came with a number of important caveats. First, the cease-fire needs to hold so that a more enduring political solution to the Syria crisis can be pursued. That will require restraint on the part of the government of President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian opposition, the Iranians and the Russians.

Second, unless a political settlement is achieved that eventually eases Mr. Assad out of power, Syria may continue to be a magnet for extremists and insurgency, perpetuating the very problem that Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump say they are trying to solve.

While the Obama administration was not included in the cease-fire discussions, Russias foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, extended a hand to Mr. Trump, who has never objected to Moscows growing influence in the Middle East.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell



Favorite TV Moment: Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention



The coverage of the 2016 election was perhaps some of the worst and ugliest television of the year. Filled with hate and division, we openly broadcast some of the most shameful sides of our nation. But when Michelle Obama stood up there like the goddess she is during her address to the Democratic National Convention and challenged us all to be just a little better, that was a standout moment. As she spoke of the irony of waking up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, while watching her daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn, tears came to my eyes. I couldnt help but feel hopeful about our future despite the current climate.

At its best, America represents progress and hope. The first lady touched upon what should be a source of great inspiration and optimism to us all. When we consider that her distant ancestors, who toiled in the fields, damned by a life of bondage, shared the bloodline that would eventually give birth to the first African-American first lady, there is no denying that anything is possible.

 Jurnee Smollett-Bell stars in Underground, on WGN.

Bill Hader

Least Favorite TV Show: Snapped (Oxygen)

A show I dont miss is about women who kill, and its called Snapped. In most episodes, theres a moment when the narrator says, And thats when she snapped. Its great. There was a case this year that took place in Chicago. I might have the specifics wrong, but I think a private detective found out that this guys wife was moonlighting as a stripper. He said, in an incredibly thick Chicago accent, She worked at a club  called Knockers. The guy paused because he didnt know if it was O.K. to say the word knockers on TV. It was hilarious.

 Bill Hader is a star and co-creator of Documentary Now, on IFC.
Our foreign correspondents wrote about dozens of captivating people and places in 2016, from pirates in the Amazon to tourists in the nomad lands of Tibet to transgender goddesses in India. We hope their journals and dispatches  conversational and visual on-the-ground reports  gave you a welcome break from the news.

Here are some of the years highlights.
RIO DE JANEIRO  The killing of the Greek ambassador was shocking even by the standards of this crime-weary city: Investigators say his wife had him murdered in a home they owned in Rio by her lover, a police officer, who then set the diplomats remains on fire.

Police investigators on Friday arrested Francoise Oliveira, the Brazilian wife of the Greek envoy, Kyriakos Amiridis, and Sergio Gomes Moreira, the officer who confessed to killing the ambassador while having an affair with Ms. Oliveira.

This was a tragic, cowardly act, said Evaristo Magalhaes, the lead investigator in the case. He said that Ms. Oliveira, 40, and Mr. Moreira, 29, plotted the killing on Sunday before the officer carried it out on Monday.

Ms. Oliveira tried to mislead investigators by saying her husband, 59, had disappeared, Mr. Magalhaes said, insisting that she was innocent before confessing on Friday that her lover had killed him. In tears, Ms. Oliveira said that the ambassadors death could not be avoided, Mr. Magalhaes said.

The case provided a gruesome finish to the year, as Rio reels from a harrowing crime wave, a financial crisis and graft scandals, just months after hosting the Olympic Games.

The suspected murder of the ambassador by an officer also trains scrutiny on Rios police forces, already under pressure over extrajudicial killings, torture, forming militias and assassinating candidates in municipal elections.

Ms. Oliveira is connected to another violent episode in Rio, the 2003 killing of Todd Staheli, an American executive for the oil giant Shell, and his wife, Michelle. The handyman who confessed to the murders was arrested after he allegedly jumped the wall into the nearby home where Ms. Oliveira lived with Mr. Amiridis, who was Greeces consul in Rio at the time.

Until then, no one knew that Amiridis was married, said Hildegard Angel, a columnist who writes about Rios high-society and diplomatic circles, describing the Greek diplomat as outgoing and extremely charming.

The police got a break in the killing of Mr. Amiridis when a man identified as a cousin of Mr. Moreira told investigators that Ms. Oliveira had offered him about $25,000 to assist in the murder. The cousin, Eduardo Moreira de Melo, 24, was also arrested on Friday.
BEIJING  A top Chinese official suggested that Catholic churches in China should be run independently of the Roman Catholic Church, the state news media reported on Friday, striking a nationalistic tone as the country negotiates a possible deal to improve relations with the Vatican.

At a meeting with bishops on Thursday in Beijing, Yu Zhengsheng, a senior Communist Party leader, endorsed the notion of a self-governed Chinese Catholic church, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. He said spiritual leaders should work to promote the good virtue of patriotism and adhere to the principles of independence and self-management, Xinhua reported.

China and the Vatican are in talks to heal a rift that began when the party, after taking power in 1949, expelled Catholic missionaries and required Catholics to worship in churches overseen by the state. While the negotiations have gained momentum under Pope Francis, the two sides are still grappling with issues such as who has the authority to appoint bishops in China.

Religious leaders and scholars were divided on the significance of Mr. Yus remarks, which came after a three-day meeting of Catholic bishops representing state-run churches from across the country. Mr. Yu is one of seven members of the partys Politburo Standing Committee, the group of politicians who govern China.
China announced on Friday that it was banning all commerce in ivory by the end of 2017, a move that would shut down the worlds largest ivory market and could deal a critical blow to the practice of elephant poaching in Africa.

The decision by China follows years of growing international and domestic pressure and gives wildlife protection advocates hope that the threatened extinction of certain elephant populations in Africa can be averted.

Chinas announcement is a game changer for elephant conservation, Carter Roberts, the president and chief executive of the World Wildlife Fund, said in a written statement. With the United States also ending its domestic ivory trade earlier this year, two of the largest ivory markets have taken action that will reverberate around the world.

According to some estimates, more than 100,000 elephants have been wiped out in Africa over the past 10 years in a ruthless scramble for ivory driven by Chinese demand. Some Chinese investors call ivory white gold, while carvers and collectors call it the organic gemstone.
This is part of a near-global collapse in diplomatic capacity to handle certain kinds of pressure from China, which is, of course, far more acute for small, landlocked neighbors than major powers, Robert J. Barnett, a historian of modern Tibet at Columbia University, said in an email.

John Delury, a China historian at Yonsei University in Seoul, posted on Twitter that Mongolias reaction was ironic given that it was a Mongolian Khan who invented Dalai Lamaness.

The Dalai Lamas arose from the actions of Altan Khan, a 16th-century Mongolian leader who controlled a region next to northern China, which was ruled by the ethnic Han emperors of the Ming dynasty.

Three centuries earlier, Kublai Khan, the founding emperor of the Yuan dynasty, an era when Mongolians ruled China, had become interested in Tibetan Buddhism and had taken on a Tibetan teacher.

But it was Altan Khan who made Tibetan Buddhism an official religion among Mongols. He did this when the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, also known as the Yellow Hat school, visited him in 1577. On that occasion, Altan Khan gave the spiritual leader the title of Dalai Lama. With Dalai meaning ocean in Mongolian and Lama being a Tibetan spiritual teacher, the title translates as ocean of wisdom.

This bound the Mongols and Tibetans and established a relationship between Mongolian rulers and the Gelug school. Since then, the position of the Dalai Lama has been tied to complex politics in Asia. The two heads of the Gelug school preceding the one who visited Altan Khan were also given the Dalai Lama title retroactively.

The Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso, the one who had received his title from Altan Khan, died in 1588 in the Mongolian region. A great-grandson of Altan Khan, Yonten Gyatso, was then named by senior Tibetan lamas as the Fourth Dalai Lama and the reincarnation of Sonam Gyatso. (Each Dalai Lama is considered a reincarnation of the previous one.) Yonten Gyatso has been the only Mongolian to be chosen as a Dalai Lama.
BEIJING  A former top Chinese security official who reportedly amassed an illicit fortune has been expelled from the Communist Party and will be prosecuted, the authorities announced on Friday.

The official, Ma Jian, a former vice minister of the Ministry of State Security, was said to have taken bribes and used his post to enrich his relatives, according to a brief statement posted on the website of the Communist Partys anticorruption agency. He was also accused of interfering in legal processes, the statement said.

Mr. Ma, who had been under investigation for nearly two years, was the latest victim of a far-reaching campaign against corruption led by President Xi Jinping. Mr. Xi has promised to go after high- and low-level officials alike, and the expulsion of Mr. Ma, a former leader of one of Chinas most powerful and feared agencies, seemed aimed at underscoring the presidents resolve.

Theyre sending a message that they wont go easy on someone just because hes an official, said Zhang Ming, a political scientist at Renmin University of China in Beijing. If a person commits crimes, that person should also be held accountable.
Continent positioned to become the next major manufacturing hub in the global marketplace

Our world is coming off an incredible 2016. If the United Kingdom's vote for Brexit wasn't bad enough, Donald J. Trump will be sworn as president of the United States in January.

And Africa's year hasn't been so rosy either. From protests in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to deepening economic turmoil in Nigeria and South Africa, to ongoing humanitarian crises across the continent, Africa has probably more reasons to mourn than rejoice in 2016.

Yet there may be a glimmer of hope. Key stepping stones on Africa's path to industrialization were laid firmly in 2016, creating an important opportunity: The continent can become the next manufacturing hub for the global market.

The Made in Africa Initiative aims to help the continent seize the opportunity for industrialization arising from the pending relocation of light manufacturing from China and other developing market economies. By capturing this opportunity, Africa will achieve sustainable, dynamic and inclusive growth.

However, today's Africa faces serious challenges. What Africa needs now are success stories to provide the aspirations, confidence and experience necessary for it to realize its potential in terms of industrialization and shared prosperity. The Made in Africa Initiative offers a vision to create success in African countries.

The opportunities

Modern economic growth, highlighted by a continuous rise in a country's per capita income, is a process of ever-increasing labor productivity. Making this process possible are continuous structural transformations in technologies and industries - to reduce the factor costs of production and increase output values; and in infrastructure and institutions to reduce transaction costs and risks.

Why have African countries failed to prosper? Because they have not transformed their economic structures from agriculture and mining to modern industry. However, from our perspective, poverty and backwardness is not destiny for African countries. The future can change if Africa seizes the golden opportunity of industrialization.

The developed high-income countries of Europe and North America all started to transform their humble, premodern agrarian economies by developing light manufacturing. The few economies in East Asia catching up to the developed countries after World War II jump-started their industrialization by entering light manufacturing because of rising wages in the higher-income countries. Consider the relocations from the United States to Japan in the 1950s, from Japan to the four Asian Tigers - Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea - in the 1960s, and from the four Asian Tigers to the Chinese mainland in the 1980s.

China is now at a stage - like that of Japan in the 1960s and the Four Tigers in the 1980s - to begin relocating its light manufacturing to other countries because of its rapidly rising labor costs. Growth in China and in other emerging market economies, such as India and Brazil, will again provide opportunities for other developing countries to jump-start their industrialization.

Africa is potentially an attractive destination for the relocation of light manufacturing from China and other developing market economies. Africa has an abundant supply of young labor. It is close to European and the US markets. And it has zero tariffs on its exports, thanks to the Africa Growth Opportunity Act in the US and the EU's Everything But Arms policy.

The Made in Africa Initiative aims to help Africa exploit this window of opportunity to become the world's next manufacturing hub and to achieve dynamic, sustainable and inclusive growth.

The challenges

To capture this opportunity, African countries faces several challenges that needs to be tackled in the near future:

Lack of technological know-how - how to produce high-quality goods at a competitive price in the global market by using abundant labor and other resources.

Lack of confidence by international buyers in the ability of African manufacturers to deliver goods on time and with the consistent quality specified in contracts.

Lack of infrastructure and a business environment to reduce the transaction costs in reaching international markets.

How can an African country best overcome these challenges?

First, the government must adopt an active investment promotion strategy to attract existing export-oriented light manufacturing companies that have the technological know-how and enjoy the confidence of international buyers in China and other emerging market economies.

Second, governments must use their limited resources and implementation capacity strategically to establish industrial parks and special economic zones with adequate infrastructure and a good business environment to help investors reduce their transaction costs.

A new mission

The Made in Africa Initiative will help African countries generate quick successes in export-oriented light manufacturing through a strategy that includes the following:

Bridging the information gap to help export-oriented light manufacturing enterprises in China and other emerging market economies understand Africa's advantages and set up production there.

Engaging with stakeholders and connecting with policymakers, development agencies, businesses communities and other key parties, globally, regionally and nationally, to share the vision and the approach for capturing Africa's window of opportunity to industrialize.

Advocating triangular collaboration to connect the dots. Advocate win-win cooperation between African countries and prospective investors, such as international retailers in Europe and the US, presenting the comparative advantages in abundant supplies of labor and raw materials.

Working with international organizations and world leaders in the global supply chain to connect the dots of triangular collaboration (manufacturing capability, global retail market and African comparative advantages).

Supporting African countries in identifying their comparative advantages and creating their own development approach, as well as providing intellectual support to African countries to identify their sectors of comparative advantage.

Sharing successes and failures of past industrialization efforts, and support African countries in developing an approach that is green, inclusive, sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Working with governments, including national leaders, to build quick key success examples in industrial development.

Bringing prospective investors who have the manufacturing know-how to visit African countries to facilitate early-stage investment negotiations with the government and to ensure successful investments and implementation to turn the country's opportunities into reality.

Identifying policy constraints through the first movers' operations, and advising the government on further reforms to attract more international and domestic manufacturing investment.

Africa's future

As we believe that the best way to develop a country's economy is to upgrade and diversify its industries by clearly identifying its latent comparative advantages, we see more African countries recognizing the right path to industrialization.

More important, Africa's future prosperity can be foreseen. The efforts of the global community of nations and a private sector committed to supporting African industrialization will promote production capacity cooperation and achieve sustainable development goals through the application of top-level technical expertise and other available tools.

After all, poverty is not destiny.

The author is chief executive officer, Made in Africa Initiative. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

(China Daily European Weekly 12/30/2016 page7)
SEOUL, South Korea  Bowing to public pressure, an official in South Koreas second-largest city said on Friday that activists could put up a statue representing Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan during World War II, a year after the two countries said they had put that emotional issue behind them.

The bronze, life-size statue, of a girl in traditional Korean dress sitting in a chair, had been raised without permission on Wednesday on a sidewalk near the Japanese Consulate in Busan. The police removed the statue, dispersing activists who tried to stop them, but on Friday an official said it could be reinstated.

I apologize to many citizens, Park Sam-seok, mayor of the ward in Busan where the consulate sits, said at a news conference as he announced the statues return. This is an issue between the two nations, and I realize its too much for a local office like mine to handle. Activists quickly put the statue back in place.

Since the statues removal on Wednesday, the wards office had been overwhelmed with angry phone calls, and its website temporarily froze because so many people were visiting to leave hostile comments. Some called Mr. Park a pro-Japanese collaborator, a grave insult in South Korea, where bitter memories of Japans colonial rule in the first half of the 20th century still run deep.
SEOUL, South Korea  For years, local officials in South Korea, which has one of the worlds lowest birthrates, have tried ever more inventive plans to encourage women to have babies.

They have offered generous maternity-leave policies, cash allowances and even boxes of beef and baby clothes to families with newborns.

Then the national government tried its hand.

On Thursday, it rolled out an online birth map that used shades of pink to rank towns and cities by the number of women of childbearing age. But the reaction was so overwhelmingly negative, especially among women, that the website was shut down within hours of its introduction.

They counted fertile women like they counted the number of livestock, an angry blogger wrote in an online commentary with the headline Are Women Livestock? Did they think that men would flock to a town with more childbearing-age women?
MOSCOW  President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia announced Friday that he would not retaliate against President Obamas decision to expel Russian diplomats and impose new sanctions  only hours after his foreign minister recommended doing just that.

Mr. Putin, betting on improved relations with the next American president, said he would not eject 35 diplomats or close any diplomatic facilities, rejecting a tit-for-tat response to the actions taken on Thursday by the Obama administration.

The switch was remarkable, given that Russias foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, had just recommended the retaliation in remarks broadcast live on national television. He called for punitive measures mirroring the ones imposed by the Obama administration, which accuses Russia of intimidating American diplomats and hacking institutions like the Democratic National Committee to influence the 2016 election.

The two countries have a long history of reciprocal expulsions, and Russian officials had been threatening to retaliate for days. Then Mr. Putin abruptly changed course.
LONDON  Even the so-called special relationship is subject to limits, it seems.

With a Republican administration under Donald J. Trump only weeks away, Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain scolded Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday night for his speech criticizing Israel  a public jab that would have been highly unlikely any other time during the Obama administration.

In a statement that echoed Mr. Trumps fierce criticism of the Obama administration, Mrs. May chided Mr. Kerry for, among other things, describing the Israeli government as the most right-wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements.

Mrs. May does not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally, a spokesman for the prime minister said, using the departments customary anonymity.

Mr. Kerrys speech was praised by other European nations, including France and Germany. So the British slap  especially after Mrs. Mays government voted last week for a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction  was something of a shock to Washington.
For the Russians, the agreement keeps their client, President Bashar al-Assad, in power, cements their military foothold in Syria and increases the Kremlins influence in the Middle East. American intelligence officials told the Obama administration this year that Russias goal was to help Syrian forces retake Aleppo so that Russia could pursue a political settlement on stronger terms. This month, the rebel stronghold in eastern Aleppo fell to pro-government troops backed by Russian air power.

For Mr. Assads government, the cease-fire is an implicit acknowledgment that it lacks the military might to take back all of Syria. The agreement fails to address what role, if any, Mr. Assad will play in Syrias future. Russia has not addressed the issue and is now less likely to press Mr. Assad to step down after the military victory in Aleppo, analysts said.

For Turkey, the cease-fire reflects a changed strategy. A longtime backer of the Syrian opposition, the Turks have in recent months backed away from their demand that Mr. Assad step down and instead have shifted their focus to limiting Kurdish autonomy in northeastern Syria. Turkey has also taken in more Syrian refugees than any other country, causing a crisis that could wane if the cease-fire holds.

This is a window of opportunity that has been opened and should not be squandered, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, referring to the cease-fire, at a news conference in Ankara, Turkeys capital.

While the Obama administration was not included in the cease-fire discussions, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said that President-elect Donald J. Trump could join the process after taking office next month. Mr. Trump never objected to Moscows growing influence in the Middle East throughout his campaign and promoted the possibility of greater cooperation with the Russians in fighting the Islamic State.
The development of free trade zones will create a competitive edge for China to tap supply-side reform and the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as allow inland regions to diversify their manufacturing and exploit their geographical advantages, senior commerce officials said on Dec 26.

Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said China has introduced 19 practical measures related to the investment environment, administrative reforms and policies to assist innovation in its four FTZs.

The country will open another seven FTZs - the third batch - including Liaoning and Zhejiang provinces, to create new market growth points for both trade and investment. The plan was approved by the central government in August.

FTZs offer global companies the ability to expand in China and for Chinese companies to move their capital to overseas markets in diverse services and financial operations, such as e-commerce, manufacturing and logistics.

A major helicopter expo in China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Provided to China Daily

"Based on statistics between January and November, China is expected to gain $126 billion (121 billion euros; 103 billion) in foreign direct investment from the nonfinancial sector in 2016," Gao said at the ministry's annual meeting in Beijing.

The third batch of FTZs is expected to be officially launched as early as January, according to Economic Information Daily.

Tang Wenhong, director-general of the ministry's department of foreign investment administration, said the nation will further simplify and modify four foreign investment laws and encourage foreign companies to invest in the country's central and western regions next year.

"China's modern service businesses; its environmental protection, communication and information services; and its high-tech industries will offer more market access to foreign investment in 2017," Tang said.

"Foreign companies have discovered that market demand in China is changing, as both consumers and companies want to purchase more high-value-added products, and there is a surging demand for services," said Li Gang, vice-president of the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, the ministry's think tank.

Li says that because the service infrastructure facilities of China's central and western regions are not as advanced as those in eastern regions, foreign companies are keen to enter markets that have yet to fully develop.

"The upcoming Hubei FTZ could possibly cut companies' financial costs in the area," says Fu Cheng, chairman of Exsun Electronics and Information Technology Inc, a company that makes satellite positioning systems in Wuhan, Hubei province.

He said if the Hubei FTZ adopts the operating model of Qianhai in Shenzhen, Guangdong province - where intercompany transactions are tax-free and businesses pay taxes annually instead of monthly - then liquidity costs will be significantly reduced. Now companies have to pay taxes as long as transactions are billed, even if customers have yet to pay.

He Fei contributed to this story.

Contact the writer through zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 12/30/2016 page26)
The Hack

Two state-sponsored hackers in Russia are believed to have broken into the Democratic National Committee servers in 2015 and 2016.

Hackers are believed to have created outlets on the internet to make the Democratic documents public. Political bloggers and newspapers reported on the hacked material.

The Rift

Leaks of documents stolen from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee caused a backlash against Democrats in nearly a dozen House races.

Leaked emails forced the D.N.C. chairwoman to resign and fueled a rift between supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

Hacked emails from the account of Mrs. Clintons campaign chairman revealed the campaigns internal dynamics and dominated the news for days.

The Response

In September, President Obama warned President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to stay out of the American elections.

On Thursday, the Obama administration imposed sanctions on two intelligence services, four top officers and three companies in Russia.

The administration also expelled 35 Russian diplomats and their families. Officials say some may have been linked to the cyberattacks.
Tap to see control of territory in Syria as of:

Recent Developments

Aleppo 1 Rebel-held districts of Aleppo were fully evacuated on Dec. 22, giving complete control of the city to the Syrian government for the first time since 2012. The Syrian governments victory came thanks to heavy military support from Russia, Iran and Shiite militias.

Idlib Province 2 The Syrian government evacuated thousands from besieged rebel-held towns in Idlib Province as part of the truce.

Homs 3 The Islamic State attacked Homs and surrounding areas this month as it attempted to seize a nearby airbase from the Syrian government.

Near Raqqa 4 The Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance aided by United States airstrikes, has taken several villages north and west of Raqqa from the Islamic State since a campaign to reach the city began in November.

Palmyra 5 The Islamic State retook the ancient city of Palmyra from the Syrian government on Dec. 11.
Beginning in January 2017, Americans will have a minority government, thanks to the greatly disproportionate power vested in small rural states and in rural voters by the Electoral College (for the election of president) and gerrymandering of congressional districts. They belie the notion that equal individual representation is immanent in our constitutional arrangements.

Such imbalances in American politics have been festering for quite some time. Malapportionment in state legislatures had grown to be a serious problem by the 1950s. Each state county had its own representative in the lower state house, irrespective of its population. In Pennsylvania, Forest County with a population of 4,944 had one seat in the lower house. So did the city of Chester, with a population of 66,039. Rural Pennsylvanians enjoyed a lot more than their bucolic setting; they had, on average, four times as much representation as the city folk.

State legislatures refused to cleanse themselves. The U.S. Supreme Court stepped in decisively; in Baker v. Carr, it broke the logjam on March 26, 1962 by a majority of 6-2.

The Electoral College, which prevents the direct election of president by the people, has distorted the political process so much so that Hillary Clinton would be the fifth candidate in American history to win the popular vote but not be elected president. Mrs. Clintons national vote lead over Donald Trump has passed 2.9 million; this is a wider margin than 10 presidents enjoyed. Mr. Trumps winning vote margin in the three states that catapulted him to the presidency  Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania  was an exceptionally thin 70,000 votes.

The U.S. Constitution lays out the process (Article II, Section 1) for the election of the president. The Electoral College gives an outsized benefit to smaller and less populous states. The number of electors from a state equals the number of senators and representatives that the state is entitled to in the Congress. Our largest state, California, has a population of 38.33 million and sends 53 members to the House of Representatives. The least populated state, Wyoming, has a population of 584,153 and is entitled to one member in the House. But each state is entitled to 2 U.S. Senators. A Wyoming residents vote weighs 3.6 times more than a Californian.

The less populous states will never agree to amend this imbalance out of the Constitution. But the same clause of the Constitution, cited above, also stipulates that states may allocate their electoral votes however they choose. This is the piquant springboard for the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which has been gathering strength in the last 10 years. The vote bill would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes.

The compact would take effect once states representing a majority of electoral votes, currently 270, signed on  ensuring that the national popular-vote winner became president. This requires passage by additional states with a total of 105 electoral votes. Most recently, the bill was passed in 2016 by the Arizona House and in 2015 by the Oklahoma Senate. It has passed in one of the two houses in 12 states with 96 electoral votes.

Gerrymandering has the same pernicious effect on our democracy as malapportionment  it greatly magnifies the power of one group of voters at the expense of another. It seems to be unique to America among advanced democracies. Creating outlandish voting districts for electoral gain is as old as the Republic itself. The word gerrymander first appeared in the Boston Gazette on March 26, 1812, created in reaction to a redrawing of Massachusetts state senate election districts under Governor Elbridge Gerry.

The U.S. Constitution delegates all power (Article I, Section 2) to elect/appoint members of the House of Representatives to the states; this power has been abused promiscuously. The resulting imbalance is illustrated beautifully in the results of the 2012 election in Pennsylvania. The state sent 13 Republicans and 5 Democrats to the House. However, the Republicans had only 48.8 percent share of the popular vote; the minority Democrats captured 50.3 percent.

Several states have moved forward with independent bodies in charge of drawing constituency borders. The California Citizens Redistricting Commission, an independent state agency created after the 2008 elections, draws the boundary lines for the state legislative districts as well as the states congressional districts after each decennial census. In Iowa, the nonpartisan Legislative Services Bureau is tasked with drawing boundaries of electoral districts.

Unfortunately, the states most prone to gerrymandering are the least likely to rely on independent agencies for drawing district boundaries. As in Baker v. Carr, the Supreme Court is perhaps the only agency in the land that can affect a just outcome across the board.

Sardul Singh Minhas is a business consultant and a writer, a resident of Southern California and the holder of a doctorate in engineering.
One of the most famous violinists of the 20th century  Henri Temianka (1906-1992)  is honored at Chapman University with a bronze bust in front of Musco Center for the Arts, as well as with a $2.25 million endowed music professorship and scholarship in his name.

The professorship and scholarship were gifted to Chapman in 2013 by his son, Daniel Temianka, and daughter-in-law, Zeinab Dabbah, M.D. (J.D. 12) of Pasadena. Dr. Dabbah, a graduate of Chapmans Dale E. Fowler School of Law, is also a member of Chapmans Board of Trustees.

The globetrotting Henri Temianka, whose effects on classical music reverberated from the 1920s in Europe through his long reign as a music icon based in Los Angeles, has now been honored in his home country of Scotland as well. Daniel Temianka gifted a copy of the bronze bust of his father, created by acclaimed Newport Beach artist Miriam Baker, to the McLean Museum and Art Gallery in Greenock, Scotland, the town where Henri was born.

The unveiling of the bust in Greenock marked the 110th anniversary of Henris birth on November 19, 1906. Daniel Temianka and Zeinab Dabbah flew to Scotland for the event, which, Daniel told the local paper, the Greenock Telegraph, was a source of deep joy for my wife and myself.

The path to the Scottish towns recognition of Henri Temianka was an interesting one. A local historian, Viki McDonnell, who had purchased what she thought was a candelabra at a charity shop, later discovered that it was a menorah. She began researching the history of Greenocks Jewish community, and found out about the world-acclaimed violin star. McDonnell wrote a booklet documenting Henris fascinating life, which was shared with guests at the McLean Museum event.

Henri Temianka was a signal figure in classical music throughout nearly the entire 20th century. One of the eras foremost concert violinists  who performed more than 4,000 concerts during his long career  Temianka was also a prominent conductor, educator and author.

He arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1940s, and in 1946 founded the Paganini Quartet. That famed ensemble toured the world for many years and made award-winning recordings for RCA Victor.

In 1960, Temianka founded the California Chamber Symphony  the first true chamber orchestra in Los Angeles  and led its concerts at UCLA for more than 25 years. He was one of the first to speak to audiences from the stage about the music they were hearing.

Temianka also directed the popular Croissants and Chamber Music series on Sunday mornings on the patio of the L.A. Music Center, and conducted 10 seasons of summer chamber music at the Getty Museum in Malibu.
HuffPost complicit in blaming female victims for being raped by predatory migrants

A Syrian refugee columnist from the Huffington Post has said that women are to blame for last years sexual assaults that occurred across Germany on New Years Eve. Aras Bacho, the 18-year-old columnist, frequently writes for the Huffington Posts German website. Bacho tweeted that woman shouldnt be out alone at night, insisting Most of the time the women are to blame. To be alone at night. On the other hand, the refugees should behave.

The tweet was tagged Silvester which is German for New Years. Bachos tweet has been live for days now, but the Huffington Post hasnt showed any signs of condemning his offensive statement. This is not the first time Bacho has made a controversial comment. In October, he demanded that all signage in the country be translated into Arabic. His columns also make demands for more policing to protect migrants, more money from Germans, and even a state-sponsored smartphone program for migrants.

Thus far, there has been no reaction from Huffington Post regarding Bachos status with the publication. Recall recently, a Politico writer was terminated after suggesting in a tweet that Donald Trump was sleeping with his daughter.

Breitbart London recently revealed that only 18 convictions have been made, in Cologne, out of the 1,300 reported sexual assaults that had occurred on New Years Eve. Five years ago, Bacho moved from Syria to Germany. He became a regular columnist for migrant issues across German media. Bacho has also made the outrageous statement that people who are unhappy with Chancellor Angela Merkels open borders policies should leave Germany.

The media covers for the migrant suspects

The left-leaning media have been trying to cover up the migrant rape crisis. The mainstream outlets claimed that only three of the suspects involved in Colognes mass migrant rape were recent refugees. Colognes prosecutor, Ulrich Bremer, said those claims are total nonsense. Mainstream media outlets were misinterpreting facts and reporting in a way that is favorable for the left-wing  opposed to reporting the truth.

The Huffington Post claimed that two Syrians, and one Iraqi, had been detained by police. Other headlines had accused hordes of refugees for masterminding the assaults. The Independent, which recently transitioned into an online only outlet, reported that the majority of suspects were Algerian, Tunisian, or Moroccan; none of which had recently arrived in Germany.

The police had not released the information that was falsely reported by the mainstream outlets. The overwhelming majority of suspects do fall into the category of refugees. The papers possibly made the errors by not understanding the migrant crisis. Syrians and Iraqis arent the only types of migrants. Algerians and Moroccans also fall into that category, many of which have been named among the Cologne suspects. Thousands of Algerians, Moroccans, Tunisians, among dozens of other nationalities, have poured into Europe since the beginning of the migrant crisis in early 2015. The news has been controlled by open borders campaigners, broadcasters, and government agencies.

Sources:

Breitbart.com

Breitbart.com
BREA  Courtney Chapman had never seen $5,000 disappear so fast  fly away really.

In May, one of two toucans she purchased as birthday gifts for her husband and her son, escaped the aviary of her Fullerton home not 15 minutes after being dropped off by the breeder.

The chances of getting her back are slim to none, Chapman said she was told. The toucan had not yet been microchipped.

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On Tuesday, Fern flew into a Yorba Linda auto repair shop, where an Omars Exotic Birds employee, Connor Chubbuck, captured her.

On Thursday, she was reunited with her owner.

While free, Fern gained quite the following.

Fern the Toucan was spotted in trees and on power lines, lounging with crows, parrots and other birds on residential gates and lawn posts.

One man said Fern, named after her Fullerton community, ate berries from his Yorba Linda back yard.

She was quite striking, recalled Allison Howell, whose chance encounter with the keel-billed toucan came on Dec. 20 in downtown Fullerton. Im not particularly an animal person, but it was definitely a sight to see.

Chapman, 39, joined Nextdoor, a private social network app intended for neighbors, shortly after Ferns escape, hoping someone would see her 6-month-old toucan. Before long, pictures of Fern perched around Fullerton were shared on the app. Chapman also started a Facebook page under Ferns name. Videos of the bird were posted.

On more than one occasion, Chapman tried capturing Fern herself. Those who saw the bird in recent months said she flew independently, not with groups of parrots or other feathered friends.

Let the toucan be free, Chapman was told.

Chapman, who owns several other pets, bought a replacement female toucan to breed with her male, Fruity Loops.

But the hunt for Fern continued.

On Tuesday morning, technicians at Yorba Lindas Good Guys Automotive in Savi Ranch saw Fern in one of their garages.

Janine Guy, a service representative, called a bird sanctuary in Silverado, the animal service hotline, the Santa Ana Zoo and Omars, looking for someone to rescue the bird. The employees put apple slices on a shelf to lure Fern down from their 16-foot rafters.

You could tell it was a happy bird, Guy said.

Omar Gonzalez, owner of Omars, said Chapman and a couple other people said Fern belonged to them. He said he exchanged more than 40 emails this week with Chapman to verify her claim. Ideally, Gonzalez said, he wouldve liked to run tests on Fern and the male toucan Chapman bought at the same time to confirm they are a breeding pair. That likely wouldve taken two to three weeks, he said, adding his gut feeling is Fern is home.

Gonzalez agreed to return the toucan if Chapman provided a receipt of sale. Gonzalez accepted no form of payment for the return.

Free all these months, Chapman expects Fern will need time to adjust to domestic life.

In his 32 years in business, Gonzalez said he has captured a handful of loose birds and returned them to their owners.

Chapman called Ferns return the unlikeliest Christmas miracle.

It was awesome seeing all of Fullerton come together and track Fern, well-wishing her constantly, Chapman said. Im glad she got to go out and share her experiences. Everybodys had an experience with her, and I think its awesome that she got to go out and meet friends.

She has a lot of Fern fans now.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7724 or bwhitehead@scng.com
The 2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival is promising to be a behemoth, with a whopping 190 movies from 72 countries as well as plenty of events for film connoisseurs.

Awaiting festivalgoers who want to dive deep into the world of cinema are directors and producers sharing their thoughts at symposiums, dinners inspired by film and a chance to glimpse stars at special events.

From the page to the screen

Screenwriters frequently adapt written works, from fictional narratives to true-life tales.

One of the festivals events, Book to Screen, explores the connection between a page-turner and what ends up on the silver screen.

The two-day event kicks off at 10 a.m. Tuesday with four films at the Mary Pickford Theater in Cathedral City. The films are Denial, Arrival, The Late Bloomer and 13 Hours, all of which have book equivalents.

On Wednesday, a symposium will take place in the Horizon Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel at 400 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs. There, authors and screenwriters will talk about the relationship between the two forms of storytelling.

Guests for the symposium include Denial author Deborah E. Lipstadt, Arrival author Ted Chiang, The Late Bloomer author Ken Baker and 13 Hours author Mitchell Zuckoff, as well as a bevy of screenwriters and producers.

An exact schedule for speakers has not been released.

Tickets are available on the festivals website for $200.

A high-end twist to dinner and a movie

Going out for dinner and a movie can be a good date idea or a nice, casual outing with friends, but the film festival has taken a high-echelon approach.

Over two nights  Jan. 9 and 11  the festival will pair films about the culinary experience with highly rated Palm Springs restaurants.

On Jan. 9, the pairing will be Juzo Itamis 1985 film, Tampopo, with dinner at Palm Springs Pho 533.

The festival calls Tampopo, which begins when a truck driver stops at a family run noodle shop, a delightful comedy of table manners.

Afterward, viewers will be served a Japanese fusion meal at Pho 533, prepared by chef Andrew Verrier.

On Jan. 11, viewers will see Brett A Schwartzs Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story, about a chef who pushes the boundaries of food, followed by dinner at lounge Eight4Nine.

Insatiable follows Cantu and some of his culinary endeavors. At Eight4Nine, sous-chef Stephan Schell and pastry chef Albert Gonzalez cook up dishes based on molecular gastronomy.

Standby tickets may become available.

International directors discuss their work

Festivalgoers will be able to get inside the heads of international filmmakers as they discuss their movies, audiences and exposure.

Hosted by the Hollywood Reporters Scott Feinberg, Eyes on the Prize: Foreign Language Oscar Directors in Discussion will take place 7:30-9 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Mary Pickford Theater in Cathedral City.

The panel of directors has not been announced, but last years consisted of all nine shortlist candidates for the foreign language film category of the Academy Awards.

That list included Paddy Breathnach (Viva), Klaus Haro (The Fencer) and Laszlo Nemes (Son of Saul).

The 2017 panel is expected to be announced in January.

Tickets can be purchased on the festivals website for $25.

Hollywood glitz at the convention center

Amy Adams, Tom Hanks and Mahershala Ali and other stars will be among the honorees who will arrive for a night of Hollywood-esque glitz and glamour.

Described as the festivals showpiece event, the Film Awards Gala runs 5-9 p.m. Monday at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with cocktails, followed by a dinner and the awards show.

Though tickets are pricey (and sold out), guests can see stars as they arrive at the convention center.

Last year, the event raised an estimated $1 million for the Palm Springs International Film Society.

And last  the movies

And, of course, the event is a film festival, and there are lots to be seen.

Among the 190 films are 58 premieres.

The festival also has many specialized categories such as Focus on Poland, New Voices/New Visions and Modern Masters.

The Focus on Poland category offers a half-dozen recent movies made by Polish filmmakers. The films often evoke periods in Polands history.

The New Voices/New Visions category examines the work of emerging international directors who have completed their first or second film narrative.

The Modern Masters category looks at established international filmmakers.

Complete film listings can be found at psfilmfest.org

Contact the writer: 951-368-9693, agroves@scng.com or @AlexDGroves on Twitter
This holiday week, Honk is thankful for his readers, who are the smartest, prettiest, most handsome, funniest, most creative and happiest people and the sharpest dressers. This year, the questions from them were so swell that for the first time ever he has a second roundup on what he has learned:

Double-white lines on freeways are the same as double-yellows under the law  dont cross em. The federal government wants them white throughout the country, and Uncle Sam has told California to start converting them over. 

Cities and the state are not allowed to reimburse businesses that suffer because of lengthy street construction. That would be considered a gift of public funds  which is illegal. Governments do try to help by sometimes doing the work at night. 

American Red Cross bloodmobiles can carry California-exempt plates, similar to city and state vehicles, which dont require registration fees. The nonprofit gets the perk because it agreed to follow the Geneva Conventions and aid the U.S. military and also provide disaster relief. The plates expire on Dec. 31, 2099. 

New vehicles and some used ones purchased at retail outlets have up to 90 days to screw on permanent license plates. Paperwork providing the sale must be on the front windshield. 

If your neighbors car has carried paper plates much longer, dont fret  they likely paid for registration during the purchase, and cops on special details troll the toll roads on the hunt for vehicles trying to cheat by not having a transponder and real plates. 

The terrible Orange Crush is to get a partial makeover by 2020. That interchange where the I-5, the 57 and the 22 freeways all meet will have a connector ramp re-configured and an extra lane added on the 22 from Beach Boulevard. 

Though you see violators everywhere, drivers can be cited for heavily tinted windshields and front side windows. There is an exception: A side window can be tinted with a doctors note explaining the health reason so long as the driver can see out the window; at night, rolling down the window might be a must. 

Children must ride in the backseat in a childs seat or on a booster until age 8, under the law. CHP officers have told Honk it is best to keep them back there longer because it is more safe. 

On the northbound 73 toll road, former cash-only lanes were turned into truck lanes to help overall traffic. There is an electronic toll-collection system and license-plate cameras there as well, so the trucks are not bypassing the system  their drivers still pay tolls.

Enjoy the new year, and please, for your sake and others, always drive sober.

To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He answers only those questions that are published.
SACRAMENTO  A two-member parole panel delayed making a decision Thursday on whether to release an accomplice of cult killer Charles Manson who is the longest-serving female inmate in California.

After a daylong hearing, the panel from the Board of Parole Hearings postponed a decision on whether to free Patricia Krenwinkel because they felt information discussed at the hearing was cause for an investigation, spokeswoman Vicky Waters said in an email.

The hearing will be continued once the investigation is concluded, she said

Sharon Tates sister, Debra Tate, said the parole officials told her the hearing was likely to be postponed about six months while they research to see if Krenwinkel meets the criteria for having bartered womens syndrome.

Krenwinkels attorney, Keith Wattley, did not immediately return telephone and email messages.

She totally minimized her action and blamed everything on other people the whole hearing, Tate said.

Tate said she didnt buy the concept that Krenwinkel was a victim because she was free to leave at any time and participated in murders two nights in a row.

We all have to be accountable four our actions. I dont buy any of this stuff. She was there because she wanted to be there. Nobody held a gun to her head, Tate said.

The decision to delay by the panel came after the 69-year-old Krenwinkel was previously denied parole 13 times, most recently in 2011.

Krenwinkel acknowledged during her trial that she chased down and repeatedly stabbed Abigail Ann Folger, the 26-year-old heiress of a coffee fortune, at Tates home and helped kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary the following night.

Los Angeles County prosecutors say Krenwinkel carved the word war into Leno LaBiancas stomach then wrote Helter Skelter in blood on the couples refrigerator.

Krenwinkels attorney, Keith Wattley, successfully petitioned the state to hold the parole hearing a year early at the California Institution for Women, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, where Krenwinkel is imprisoned.

California law officially recognizes a persons capacity to change and to address the factors that contributed to their previous behavior so that they can safely be paroled, Wattley told The Associated Press in an email before the hearing.

Krenwinkel contended at her previous parole hearing in 2011 that she is a changed woman. She has a clean disciplinary record, earned a bachelors degree behind bars, taught illiterate inmates to read and trained service dogs for disabled people.

Sharon Tates sister, Debra Tate, said before Thursdays hearing that killers such as Krenwinkel cannot be rehabilitated.

She was a very prolific killer, Debra Tate said recently. They may behave well in a controlled environment, but we cannot trust that, given the pressures of life, that they will be able to remain straight outside prison.

Krenwinkel was a 19-year-old secretary when she met Manson at a party. She testified at her previous hearing that she left everything behind three days later to pursue what she believed was a budding romance with him.

She wept and apologized, saying she became a monster after she met Manson.

I committed myself fully to him. I committed myself to the act of murder, she said then. I was willing to sacrifice others lives for my own.

Prosecutors say the slayings were an attempt to ignite a race war after which Manson and his followers would rise from the rubble to rule the world.

Krenwinkel was initially sentenced to death, but the California Supreme Court invalidated the death penalty in 1972.

Gov. Jerry Brown has the power to block the release of inmates if parole is granted. He previously stopped the parole of Manson followers Leslie Van Houten, 67, and Bruce Davis, 74.

Krenwinkel became the states longest-serving female inmate when fellow Manson follower Susan Atkins died of cancer in prison in 2009.

Anthony DiMaria, the nephew of victim Thomas Jay Sebring, noted that Krenwinkel has lived a long time and denied that opportunity to her victims.
MOSUL, Iraq  Breaking a two-week lull in fighting, Iraqi troops backed by the U.S.-led coalitions airstrikes and artillery pushed deeper into eastern Mosul on Thursday in a multi-pronged assault against Islamic State militants in the city.

Elite special forces pushed into the Karama and Quds neighborhoods, while army troops and federal police advanced into the nearby Intisar, Salam and Sumor neighborhoods. Columns of dark smoke rose overhead as explosions shook the city and heavy machine gun fire echoed through the streets.

Stiff resistance by the militants, civilians trapped inside their houses and bad weather have slowed advances in the more than two-month-old offensive to recapture Iraqs second largest city, the extremist groups last urban bastion in the country. It is the biggest Iraqi military operation since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

The battle began around 7 a.m. on a bright but chilly December day and continued until shortly before sundown.

The counterterrorism forces, also known as the Golden Brigade, captured about half of the Quds neighborhood by early afternoon.

A statement by the U.S.-led coalition said Thursdays offensive opened two new fronts in eastern Mosul, increasing pressure on the militants dwindling ability to generate forces, move fighters or resupply.

It said that, at the request of the Iraqi government, coalition warplanes had re-struck two bridges over the Tigris River in Mosul on Tuesday, and a day earlier disabled the last bridge crossing in the city.

The strikes were conducted to reduce enemy freedom of movement, and to further disrupt ISILs ability to reinforce, resupply, or use vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices in East Mosul, said the statement.

Another coalition statement said an airstrike Thursday that targeted a van used by IS fighters in Mosul was later determined to have been located at a hospitals parking lot, resulting in possible civilian casualties.

The coalition, it added, takes all allegations of civilian casualties seriously and this incident will be fully investigated and the findings released in a timely and transparent manner. It was not immediately known how many, if any, were hurt by the airstrike.

Coalition airstrikes have been crucial in the fight against IS in Iraq, but a report released earlier this month by Airwars, a London-based project that tracks the coalitions airstrikes, criticized the coalitions lack of transparency when assessing civilian casualties.

While U.S. officials have acknowledged that 173 civilians have died in coalition airstrikes since the launch of the campaign against IS in the summer of 2014, the Airwars group said the number of civilian casualties is much greater, putting it at at least 1,500.

Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, commander of Iraqs the special forces in eastern Mosul, said his forces have been bolstered by reinforcements and are were less than 2 miles from the Tigris River, which slices the city in half.

The special forces, officially known as the Counter Terrorism Service, have done most of the fighting, pushing in from the east. But regular army troops on the citys southeast and northern edges, as well as militarized federal police farther west, have not moved in weeks, unable to penetrate the city.

The troops have faced grueling urban fighting, often house to house against IS militants who have had more than two years to dig in and prepare. Even in districts that have been recaptured, Iraqi troops have faced surprise attacks, shelling and car bombs. The extremists have launched more than 900 car bombs against Iraqi troops in and around Mosul. Al-Saadi said 260 of them had targeted his men.

He said he expected Iraqi forces would drive IS from Mosul and the rest of Nineveh province within three months. Iraqi leaders had previously vowed to drive the extremists from Mosul by the end of the year.

IS captured Mosul in the summer of 2014, when it swept across much of northern and central Iraq, and the groups leader declared the establishment of its self-styled caliphate from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque.

The city is still home to around a million people. Some 120,000 have fled since the operation began on Oct. 17, according to the United Nations.

Meanwhile on Thursday, separate attacks in and around Baghdad killed at least 13 people and wounded 35 others, police said. The deadliest attack took place in the capitals southwestern neighborhood of Maalif when an explosives-laden vest was detonated near an outdoor market, killing seven and wounding 12, police added.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.
The Costa Mesa Motor Inn closed its doors last month after a handful of residents agreed to leave, but a legal battle still looms as the motels owners hope to replace the structure with upscale apartments.

The remaining residents at the blighted 236-room motel were the last hold-outs, staying on the property for months after being told to vacate by Los Angeles-based property owner Miracle Mile Properties.

The motel is officially closed, said a statement from attorney Ellia Thompson, who represents Miracle Mile. (The) Last few guests left in middle of November.

The company has plans to demolish the motel and replace it with 224 luxury apartments.

Prior to issuing vacate notices over the summer, Miracle Mile offered relocation packages of $6,000 to $8,000 to eligible long-term residents to entice them to leave, Thompson said.

Some took the money and found housing elsewhere.

Others declined, saying the money was a short-term fix, given their bad credit histories and the costly deposits required to secure an apartment. Motor Inn guests paid around $1,000 per month for a room with a small kitchen area.

In September, only around 13 rooms at the motel were occupied.

Some who moved out have found housing in nearby cities or other motels, but are struggling financially, said Linda Tang, project manager with the Irvine-based Kennedy Commission, an affordable housing advocacy group.

It sounds like their housing costs have more than doubled since leaving the Costa Mesa Motor Inn, Tang said. One family said that theyre cutting back on food. Their rent doubled.

In January, the Kennedy Commission and some Motor Inn residents sued the city and Miracle Mile over the luxury apartment plan. The suit said the city approved the redevelopment plan without providing relocation assistance for those who would be displaced.

City leaders should be incentivizing affordable housing, said Cesar Covarrubias, Kennedy Commission executive director.

By putting luxury apartments in Costa Mesa it exacerbates the problem of finding affordable housing, he said.

A court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled in May.

Supporters of the project argue it would rid the city of the troubled motel, the citys largest, claiming decades of police calls for service and rampant criminal activity. Opponents say the citys motels are a last resort before homelessness for many who cant afford regular housing.

In June, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the project, preventing Miracle Mile from demolishing the motel, but did not bar the company from evicting the remaining guests.

The city is appealing the ruling.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@scng.com
Recently, my patient Shelly lost her health insurance (all names have been changed). She called me in a panic, worried about her insulin. Typically, shes not one to worry. Ive got it covered, she says, whenever I ask how she will manage her job as an aide, her grandchildren and her medical care for advanced diabetes.

This was first time I heard fear in her voice. Ulcers on one foot had already required several operations. Then, blood vessels burst in first one and then the other eye, and she became temporarily blind. Then she tripped and broke her healthy foot. Then, her insurance lapsed.

In years past, I, too, would have panicked. In fact, shes just the kind of patient I used to worry most about  American-born, adult, without children or dependents, and unemployed  or as I knew them, the uninsurable. But this time, I simply reassured her and suggested that she apply for Medicaid. With Medicaid, she would be able to continue all her medical care until she was back on her feet and caring for others.

I was so grateful to tell her that relief was a simple application away. That was Nov. 1. Now, just a few weeks later, the Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act is in peril. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Rep. Tom Price as his Director of Health and Human Services. Price is a vocal opponent of the ACA and has written legislation that would roll back the advances the ACA has made for my patients.

California is one of 32 states that now extend Medicaid benefits to all adults who meet income eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. Since 2014, California has expanded enrollment from 8 million individuals to 13.5 million individuals, more than a third of the states population. California has the highest Medicaid enrollment in the country.

The case of LaToya, a woman I treated long before the ACA, haunts me to this day. A black woman in her early 40s, she had spent her whole life in South Los Angeles. Her main concern was weight loss, a sign of an underlying medical problem, probably a serious one. She hugged me in relief when I told her that her HIV test was negative. But I hid my mixed feelings. A diagnosis of HIV would have offered a welcome solution, a clear diagnosis with reliable treatment and plenty of public funding.

If she had a qualifying medical condition, she might have been eligible for Medicaid. But LaToya was caught in the health care Catch-22. To qualify for Medicaid, she needed a diagnosis. But to determine the diagnosis, she needed health insurance to cover medical tests. By the time her uterine cancer was diagnosed, after multiple trips to various hospital emergency departments, she died just a few weeks later.

The new Medicaid eligibility rules initiated by the ACA extend coverage to any legal resident or citizen based simply on financial criteria. If LaToya had come to me today, she, like 13.5 million other Californians, would have been covered by Medicaid. She would have had a fighting chance to survive the cancer that ultimately killed her.

At the Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center, a division of Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, where I am now the chief medical officer, the majority of our patients are now insured. Routine worries I used to have, like how to obtain expensive glucose test strips for diabetics, are gone. I no longer remember exactly what medications are provided through the $4 prescription plan at Target, a resource for low-cost medications. I am free to practice medicine.

The health care world that I worked in before the ACA was the abyss, a bottomless chasm of intense medical need that many committed individuals and organizations struggled to fill. We have fought hard to improve systems to deliver the care we could only dream of before the ACA. I dont want to be in the abyss again. We cannot afford to go back.

Ellen Rothman, MD, chief medical officer, Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center.
NEW YORK  It was about 8 a.m. on a Monday when Matthew Sabato looked across the paint-splattered studio in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, where he lives with his partner, Pedro Silva, an artist.

Put down the paintbrush, he recalls saying, as they drank their coffee. Lets go to City Hall.

For months, the couple, who met two years ago on the dating app Tinder, had been discussing their future. But after the presidential election in November, formalizing their commitment became a priority.

Hes foreign, Sabato said.

Silva, who is from Brazil, is in the United States on a tourist visa, which expires in early February.

Were afraid because Trump is going to be our president, Sabato said.

In the weeks before and after the election of Donald Trump, whose promise to deport millions of immigrants was a central theme of his campaign, the number of couples getting marriage licenses has surged in New York City and other cities across the country.

While there is no data explaining why couples are suddenly marrying at a faster pace, many immigrants and their partners say they are feeling an urgency to put a ring on before Inauguration Day.

Couples like Silva and Sabato are forgoing gushy, diamond-studded proposals in favor of frank discussions at the breakfast table. For some, a marriage certificate has become a protective shield.

We dont want anything to separate us, Sabato said.

Five days after Sabatos unromantic, proposal, his parents traveled from Florida to witness the couples ceremony at the marriage bureau in lower Manhattan.

In November, the New York City clerks office issued 6,929 marriage licenses, a 23 percent increase from November 2015, and performed 4,590 ceremonies, an increase of almost 19 percent. Then through Dec. 23, the office issued 5,682 licenses, up almost 16 percent from about the same time period last year.

Michael McSweeney, the New York City clerk, said the election could certainly be a factor, but so could the relatively calm weather or low airfares, making New York a more attractive destination for out-of-towners.

We dont survey our visitors, he said.

Clerks in Illinois, Michigan, Texas, Florida and California also reported a recent rise in the number of marriages.

The Cook County clerks office, which includes Chicago and surrounding suburbs, issued 3,115 licenses in the month after the election, a 40 percent jump from the same period last year.

In November, the Wayne County clerk in Michigan, which includes Detroit, issued 497 licenses, about an 11 percent increase from the same month in 2015, and the Los Angeles County clerk issued 3,465 licenses, a 10 percent rise. The increase was about 8.5 percent in Miami-Dade County, according to the clerks office, and Bexar County in Texas, which includes San Antonio, issued 1,135 licenses in November, an increase of just more than 6 percent.

While same-sex couples are also hurrying up their wedding plans, professionals whose businesses are tied to marriages say that many couples are prompted by fears over changes in immigration policy.

Janay McNeil, a photographer who includes the words last-minute wedding photography on her website, said that in recent months she had received a deluge of emails, some at 2 a.m., from couples flying to New York City to get a wedding portrait and a license the same day.

She has met many couples, she said, in which one partner is here on a visa and they are worried about what might happen in the coming year. Getting a license has become a necessity, she said.

George Taxi, who sells loose rose petals, bouquets of yellow calla lilies and gold-plated rings on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the marriage bureau in Manhattan, a few blocks north of City Hall, said his sales this November were far higher than in the same month last year.

It could be a Trump bump, he said.

While he talks with his customers, he said he didnt like to be too nosy. But his wife, Maribel, who is Colombian and works with him on Fridays, said she had spoken to some Latino couples who recently confessed that they were getting married in response to the election.

Cheryl R. David, a lawyer who has focused on immigration law in New York City for about 20 years, said, I think people are frightened of the rhetoric and they fear theyll be picked up and deported.

David anticipates that a new administration will pursue changes to immigration policies, though she does not envision the kind of mass deportations that some Trump critics have described.

Undocumented migrants still have legal rights, David said, and immigration courts are severely backlogged.

Marriage, she added, is one way to at least take control of your life when there is uncertainty, especially in the face of overt racism and hatred.

Rebecca Sosa, an immigration lawyer in New York City, said its logical and practical for couples to consider how getting married will help them stay together and provide immigration benefits and protection to the immigrant spouse.

Given that immigrants have been the No. 1 group targeted as victims of hate crimes and discriminatory incidents, she added, acquiring legal immigration status is a natural response to try and defend yourself and your loved ones.
The number of police killed in the line of duty rose sharply in 2016, driven by shootings of police around the country, most notably ambushes in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La.

From Jan. 1 through Wednesday, 135 officers lost their lives. Some died in traffic accidents, but nearly half were shot to death.

Thats a 56 percent increase in shooting deaths over the previous year. Of the 64 who were fatally shot, 21 were killed in ambush attacks often fueled by anger over police use of force involving minorities.

Weve never seen a year in my memory when weve had an increase of this magnitude in officer shooting deaths, said Craig Floyd, president and chief executive of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. These officers were killed simply because of the uniform they wear and the job they do. This is unacceptable to the humane society that we are.

In Dallas, a sniper on July 7 attacked at the end of what had been a peaceful rally against police brutality. He killed five law enforcement officers and wounded nine others  the largest death toll among law enforcement from a single event since the 9/11 attacks, which killed 72 officers. Months later, Dallas businesses and residents still display blue ribbons and banners declaring, We support our Dallas police officers.

But even amid community support, the police department remains unsettled. Hundreds of officers have retired or left the force over the past six months as the city struggles to find a way to increase pay and save a failing police and fire pension. Former Chief David Brown, who became a national figure in the aftermath, was among those who opted to retire. And interim Dallas Police Association president Frederick Frazier said that morale is almost nonexistent.

A lot of us are going through the motions at work. Were hoping things will get better with our struggle, he said. Frazier added that the attack was a game changer. It changed the perception of law enforcement. It reversed the roll after Ferguson. We were the pursuer and now, were being pursued.

Less than two weeks after the Dallas attack, a lone gunman in Baton Rouge shot and killed three officers and wounded three others outside a convenience store in the weeks after a black man, 37-year-old Alton Sterling, was shot and killed by police during a struggle.

Baton Rouge Police Cpl. Lester Mitchell was partners with Matthew Gerald, one of the three slain officers, and was among the officers who raced to the scene of the shooting that also killed sheriffs deputy Brad Garafola and officer Montrell Jackson. Mitchell has daily reminders of the deadly shootout, driving past the scene on his way to police headquarters.

Just passing there, you cant help but replay it over and over again, he said.

Mitchell said the shooting has made him more alert and aware of potential dangers on patrol, sometimes in situations that wouldnt have alarmed him before, like a hand in a pocket. You learn to cope with it, because if you dont, you can drive yourself crazy, he said.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Funds Floyd said the impact of this year has been profound on law enforcement. Agencies are struggling to recruit officers to their ranks and those who continue to serve talk about how their head is now on a swivel.

Theyre always looking over their shoulder, always worrying about the next attack that could come at any time from any direction, Floyd said.

That was underscored by the slaying in November of a San Antonio detective who was fatally shot and killed outside police headquarters as he was writing a traffic ticket. The man accused of shooting him said he was angry about a child-custody battle and simply lashed out at somebody who didnt deserve it.

Associated Press reporters Claudia Lauer in Dallas and Mike Kunzelman in Baton Rouge contributed to this report.
SANTA ANA  A man died after being stabbed in the neck Thursday night, police said.

Just before 8 p.m., police went to an apartment complex in the 2800 block of South Flower Street after receiving a report of a fight, said Santa Ana police Cmdr. Matt Brown.

When police arrived, they found a man in his 40s with at least one stab wound to his neck. The man was taken to Orange County Global Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police quickly arrested another man in his 40s who lives in the apartment complex on suspicion of homicide, said Brown.

The suspects name was not immediately released and details were not available about the type of weapon used in the stabbing.

It is believed that the suspect and victim knew each other, Brown said.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7767 sschwebke@scng.com Twitter: @thechalkoutline
The delusions of the far-left

Re: OCC professor under attack for Trump talk [News, Dec. 29]: Professor Olga Perez Stable Cox said, Its not my fault, and I didnt do anything wrong. She also said that if she could go back, she wouldnt change her language.

Those are great examples of the demented far-left  they are always correct because they never do any wrong.

Her credentials need to be revoked. Shes not qualified to give anyone therapy.

 Thomas Chao, Fountain Valley

Life or death for Israel

Re: Kerry: Settlements prevent peace in Israel [News, Dec. 29]: Secretary of State John Kerry doesnt tell the whole truth about the Palestinians and their demands. They dont just want the West Bank, their goal is to destroy Israel. Most of the members of the U.N. Security Council have been duped into also hating Israel.

By giving them the West Bank, they will then demand more and more. They are liars and will not settle for peace until Israel is no longer there. If they are given the West Bank then only Muslims will be allowed to go to Jewish and Christian holy sites.

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. None of the other Middle East countries have the freedom that the residents of Israel have. It is one of the safest countries to travel to. Ask any tourist who has been there.

 Doranna Cooper, Mission Viejo

Obama is running out the clock

President Obama is proving that he can do as much damage in the final two months of his administration as he had during the previous 94 months.

 Lou Banas, Brea

Thank you, Thomas Sowell

Re: Farewell and a few more random thoughts [Opinion, Dec. 27]: I was shocked and saddened to read Thomas Sowells final column. Sowells ability to craft his columns personally, historically, politically, economically or humanistically, in an even tone, were always a joy to read, comforting and informative.

His common sense clear thinking and writing will be greatly missed. All my very best to you, Dr. Sowell, in your retirement years. You are truly an American icon and one of my greatest heroes.

 Dennis Sitar, Trabuco Canyon
A mural caught Nyle Schafhausers eye every time he walked down a breezeway while he was a senior at Los Angeles Lutheran High School.

The 24-foot-by-4-foot painting, titled We Witness Now, has 10 panels depicting various Southern California regions  such as the Pacific Coast and Mojave Desert  from which the private school drew its students.

Schafhauser, who turned 72 Friday, says the painting brings back memories of his teen years and friends. It was created by his high school teacher and lifelong mentor, artist Gerald Brommer.

But the mural has been in jeopardy at least twice when the school relocated. Each time, Schafhauser came to the rescue and moved it to a safe location. He did it out of respect for Brommer.

Hes like an uncle whos always been near and dear to my heart, said Schafhauser, a Costa Mesa resident.

Fifty-five years after Brommer created it for Lutheran Highs Class of 1961, We Witness Now has finally found its permanent home. With help from his high school classmates, Schafhauser installed it last week on a classroom wall inside Concordia University Irvines library, arts and theater building.

Its a major project to move something that big, Brommer, 89, said in a phone interview from his Studio City home. Its really unbelievable.

Brommer taught high school art for 26 years. He has written 23 books for high school and college art classes. As a watercolor and acrylic painter, he has had more than 180 one-man shows across the nation and globe, including in Bermuda, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

We Witness Now is Brommers largest painting. The work depicts landscapes ranging from an ocean harbor and skyscrapers to freeways and farmland. A religious theme also runs through it, with one of the panels showing Jesus Christ welcoming students.

Schafhauser, who graduated from Lutheran High a year after the painting went up in the schools breezeway, said Brommer made his students feel special.

When Schafhauser won a state art contest in high school, Brommer reminded him how great an achievement it was and made sure everybody at the school knew about it.

He was there for us, Schafhauser said. He was just a good man all around.

The school moved out of Inglewood in 1977, but the mural stayed. Noticing his mentors mural had been left behind, Schafhauser and a former classmate moved it to Lutherans new campus in Sylmar.

When the Sylmar campus closed last year, Schafhauser stood up again. This time, he approached Concordia University, which has Lutheran roots.

Brommer had already given some of his artworks to the university and spoke about art there. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Concordia in 2015.

They opened their arms and let us install it, said Schafhauser, a retired marketer for supermarkets who does art on the side.

Paul Massmann, Concordias associate dean who was charged with finding a spot to hang the artwork, is also a Lutheran High graduate.

A member of the Class of 1964, Massmann said he recognized the mural when he saw a photo of it. He got to know Brommer well after working on a high school yearbook with him. Brommer taught him designs skills, which Massmann said he still uses.

Of the teachers Ive had over the years, hes one of the best at relating to his students, Massmann said.

Schafhauser and his Lutheran classmates Kenny Edwards of San Clemente and Bill Basner of Ventura brought the mural from Sylmar to Irvine.

I think theyve done a beautiful job with it, Brommer said. They stuck with it. They saved it twice. Itll be there forever now.
If you struggle to get a handle on some of President-elect Donald Trumps comments, heres a hint:

Dont take him literally.

Sometimes Trump shoots from the hip, before hes thought things through. Sometimes, at least during the campaign, hed repeat lines that roused the crowd.

And theres a growing perception that sometimes, hes doing what hes spent his career doing  being a negotiator, not a typical politician whose words you take at face value.

Part of what he may be doing at times is taking a hardline negotiating position as a starting point, said UC Irvine political scientist Carole Uhlaner. Initial policy stances on undocumented immigrants and Muslims entering the country, both of which have softened in recent months, may have served as such starting points.

Also, people not knowing when to take you seriously can be an advantage, she said.

Republican National Committeeman Shawn Steel said fellow committee members have been discussing how to interpret Trumps comments for more than a year. He agreed that the president-elect is essentially a negotiator.

Its a different way of statecraft, the Surfside resident said, adding that Trumps tweets are about tone rather than precision.

The media has taken him literally, but they never took him seriously, he said. The voters took him seriously, but not literally. They didnt expect a 40-foot wall for 3000 miles along the border. It was symbolic.  Its what he actually does that matters to me.

Steel said Trumps controversial call with the Taiwanese president  which drew criticism from China  was a masterful shot over the bow that may be the prelude to a better trade deal.

But other Trump comments are clearly not strategic policy ploys.

In March, an interviewer described a scenario in which abortion was outlawed and asked Trump what should be done with women who had abortions anyway. Trump said they should be punished  but within two hours, backpedaled and said it was the abortionists who should be penalized.

Then there are instances where he appears to say things simply for effect.

His campaign vow to hire a special prosecutor to go after Hillary Clinton  which frequently led to the Lock her up chant popular at rallies  is something he walked away from once elected.

He says what he thinks will get a good response from whoever hes talking to, said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.

Sonenshein agrees with Steel that its Trumps actions rather than his words that people should be paying attention to.

I dont think he takes his own words seriously, Sonenshein said. To me, its a whole lot of work to figure out what he means when it might just be a passing thought.

LEFT VS. RIGHT

Many Democrats are alarmed by both the policy and style of the president elect, even while they question if he has any core beliefs.

Howard Katz, chairman of the Democratic Party of Riverside County, is among those. He dismisses the notion that the skills of a business negotiator are transferable to politics and diplomacy, especially when it comes to staking out extreme starting points.

The problem with those extreme positions with an adversary is that it might end negotiations right away, said Katz, who spent 30 years with IBM, including a stint negotiating to site factories abroad.

Business and diplomacy are far different from one another. Diplomacy is about consensus and business is cutthroat.

While Trump differs from his predecessors in that he has no governmental or military experience, Katz said the president elect is no different from others in terms of needing to catch up on many aspects of the office.

But every other man Ive seen take the job has been humble enough not to say, I know better than everybody else. I know better than the generals. I dont need daily briefings, Katz said.

Katz disagrees that Trumps call with the Taiwanese president was a wise move, saying such behavior could result in China shifting its orders for jets from Boeing to the European Airbus consortium. Over the next 20 years, China is expected to buy $1 trillion worth of Boeing aircraft, and in 2016 ordered 163 jets costing $11 billion, according the CNN. Boeing has estimated the China orders support 150,000 jobs.

Katz also criticizes Trumps tweet that the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability, saying it could lead to an arms race.

I think we should be extremely concerned by his spontaneity, he said. You may end up inciting people to violence that you cannot contain.

But Republican John Cruz applauded that Trump tweet, noting that it came just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin had said he would enhance his countrys nuclear forces.

That was Trump telling Putin, You dont want to go there  were not going to be at a disadvantage, the San Clemente lawyer said. I think he sent just the right message. I think leaders would be much less likely to challenge the U.S. because of his posture and tone.

Cruz, who supports a path to legalization for those in the country illegally, was initially favoring the presidential candidacies of Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. But he cast his ballot for Trump and says he has become more comfortable and confident with the president elect since the election, thanks to his tone becoming more measured and presidential.

EVOLVING VIEWS

Cruz likes the direction Trump seems to be taking in terms of those in the country without documents, signaling that the president elect is apparently moving away from his initial plan to deport all 11 million.

Trump has also made comments about visas for Muslims, climate change and the use of torture that also indicate he may be evolving to softer positions than those touted in the primaries.

I do get the feeling that hes moderating on some things, said Jodi Balma, a political scientist at Fullerton College. But I dont know what hes going to do. I dont know how his decision-making process works.

Fellow political scientist Uhlaner understands the struggle to make sense of Trumps statements.

He doesnt filter his comments the way leaders usually do and until he does, it would be a mistake to take every comment equally seriously, she said. If he were to put himself in a position where there were questions and answers, it would be a lot easier to understand exactly what he meant.

Instead, were left to read the tea leaves of his tweets.

Contact the writer: mwisckol@ocregister.com
LAS VEGAS  Forget Wheres Waldo? How about Wheres Ronda?

The former UFC womens bantamweight champion, who challenges new champ Amanda Nunes for the title Friday, has been rarely seen this week after being given a pass from any media obligations.

UFC President Dana White defended the move Wednesday, citing Rouseys unprecedented media responsibilities before previous fights due to her overwhelming popularity. And because of what she has done for the sport, the UFC and womens MMA, White said the UFC granted her request for no media.

Some fighters on the UFC 207 card who attended Wednesdays media day had different reactions.

Former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw chuckled when comparing his 19-month reign as champion to hers. However, the top-ranked 135-pounder sees this allowance as a slippery slope for the UFC.

Danas always said that no UFC fighter will ever be bigger than the promotion. No one bigger than the UFC, and youre seeing that happen, said Dillashaw, who fights second-ranked John Lineker. Youve got Conor McGregor making his own calls and showing up when he wants to. And Rousey not showing up. So I think it is opening the doors for more fighters to start doing so.

Flyweight Ray Borg was definitely on the fence and didnt seem to want to stir up any problems.

It is what it is, I have no control over it. I have no authority here with the UFC staff, so  but if she  , said Borg, who takes on Louis Smolka on Friday. You know, honestly, a lot of people would be doing what she wants to do. But we gotta get up and we gotta fulfill our obligations so,  it is what it is, man.

Ninth-ranked welterweight Dong Hyun Kim, via interpreter Alan Cho, said Rousey was a fighter and employee of the UFC just like everyone else and should have to follow the rules.

Every fighter is going through hard times this week. Everyone is hungry. Everybodys tired. Just like her. But were all participating, said Kim, who takes on Tared Saffiedine. I think if it was Ronda Rousey in her early career, I dont think she could be able to do this.

WEIGH-IN DRAMA

After a weeklong absence from any media, Rousey was the first fighter to appear at Thursday mornings weigh-ins at the MGM Grand, which was attended by several members of the press.

Rousey weighed in at 135 pounds  the limit for a bantamweight title fight  and promptly stepped off the scale and headed to the back.

Fighters are customarily asked to remain on the scale for a few seconds so the UFC and the media can take photos. UFC staffers could be heard asking her to get back on the scale, but Rousey left.

Discord continued to grow between bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Cody Garbrandt. Their teams reportedly scuffled in the hallway outside the weigh-ins, causing a brief commotion.

And at the ceremonial weigh-ins open to the public later Thursday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena, the two had to be separated by White and others during their faceoff.

Minutes later, after Rousey squared off with Nunes, she exited the stage instead of staying for the traditional brief interview for the fans in attendance. For her part, Nunes stayed and answered a question.

NOT MAKING THE CUT

Borg was one of two fighters to miss weight  and by a lot  Thursday morning.

Borg weighed in at 129.5 pounds  3 pounds over the flyweight limit with the additional 1-pound exception for non-title fights. Opponent Louis Smolka will receive 30 percent of Borgs pay.

Minutes before Borg, former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks tipped the scales 2.5 pounds over at 173.5. Twenty percent of his fight purse will go to opponent Neil Magny.

Both fights will still take place Friday.

Contact the writer: bmartin@scng.com
After being told that she could not have a horse because they were too expensive, 11-year-old Sarah Simpson, decided to try the next best thing  riding a cow. Now 18, Sarah has her own horse, but she still rides her favorite cow, Lilac, just as much, if not more than she used to.

Sarah had been dreaming of having her own horse for as long as she can remember, but after her parents told her that buying one was to expensive, she discovered that riding a cow could be just as fun. It all started when her younger brother, Tim, dared her to try it, and even though she had no riding experience, she jumped on Lilac, a 6-months-old calf living on the family farm. The animal didnt seem to mind, so she kept on doing it for the last six and a half years.

Photo: Hannah Simpson/Instagram

Lilac was only six months then and I was just a midget. It was a dare from my brother to jump on and she seemed OK with it so we kept going. Before then Id only ridden a pony twice, and a sheep, Sarah says. She and her unusual mount have become a popular sight around Invercargill, a town in New Zealands deep south, and theyve recently started attracting international attention, thanks to Simpsons Instagram account.

She is a cow and I cant expect her to ride like a horse, Simpson admits. Without a bit of prodding she wouldnt really do anything, she has a very chilled-out nature. She recently taught Lilac how to jump over obstacles, and she seems to love it. Despite being Quite fat, the cow can leap over obstacles up to 1.4 meters high. She hates cantering and going up or down hills, but bush-walks, long river swims and jumping she seems to enjoy.

A post shared by Hannah Simpson (@hanney_simpson) on Aug 18, 2017 at 2:30am PDT

Sarah tried riding Lilac with a horse saddle, but the 7-year-old cow didnt like it very much, so shes been riding her bareback ever since. Even so, the cowgirl claims Lilac is more comfortable than a horse.

Lilac has bucked Sarah off countless times in the last six and a half years, but compared to other cows she has attempted to ride, she is by far the best.

Interestingly, Sarah Simpson is not the first cow-rider weve ever featured on OC. Back in 2011, we wrote about Regina Mayer, from Laufen, Germany, who rides her pet cow Luna as a show horse.

via New Zealand Herald
Wells Fargo Bank in September was embroiled in a firestorm of controversy after federal and local regulators slapped the San Francisco-headquartered institution with a massive enforcement action over widespread unlawful sales practices. As it turns out, thousands of the companys employees nationwide had for years established millions of fake deposit and credit card accounts in customers names without their consent as a means of boosting employees sales figures, in many cases billing customers for financial services they never authorized.

Fines totaling more than $185 million were levied at the bank in September by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  the heftiest in that U.S. government agencys history  as well as fines from the City Attorney of Los Angeles and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Wells Fargo was also forced to pay full remediation to customers who incurred fees for financial products and services sold to them without their knowledge.

The CFPB cited Wells Fargos high-pressure sales culture, where branch employees were encouraged to cross-sell an array of financial products to customers, coupled with a lack of oversight, in setting the stage for the illicit activity. An internal review of five years worth of banking deposit accounts conducted by Wells Fargo resulted in the bank firing more than 5,000 employees as a result of its findings when the bank discovered more than 10,000 cases of customers being billed for services they never asked for, accounting for fees totaling more than $2.6 million.

After weeks-long cries for his ouster from the public, Wells Fargo Chairman and CEO John Stumpf  whose brutal verbal takedown before a Senate Banking Committee hearing became a YouTube favorite  in October announced his resignation from the company and board. He was succeeded by President and COO Timothy J. Sloan, an effete move seen as inadequate by many, as Wells Fargo essentially retains the same leadership  minus Stumpf  that took the bank down this path, to begin with.

Samsungs brand goes up in flames

Samsung in August released its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone to much fanfare, breaking the Seoul-based companys pre-order records in many parts of the world. A scant few weeks later, however, reports began circulating that the hot smartphones were literally catching fire. Believing a manufacturing defect in the phones batteries was the culprit, the worlds largest mobile phone maker suspended Note 7 sales, announced a voluntary recall and said it would replace customers batteries.

Incidents of combustion continued with the replacement devices, however, and a month later the brand finally decided to recall all Galaxy Note 7s worldwide and permanently discontinue production. Samsung had thus far still been unclear communicating with the public whether the now-discontinued devices were safe to use or not, and as a result failed to manage its messaging and stay ahead of the crisis until it was too late. In the meantime, several countries banned the phone outright, and the Federal Aviation Administration had barred the Note 7 from being taken aboard any U.S. aircraft, a bad mark against a brand if there ever was one. The financial implications were even more stark: by 2016s third quarter, Samsungs earnings were down 33 percent from the quarter prior, with losses expected to be in the billions.

Samsung in November also announced that it was initiating a second recall, this time involving 2.8 million of its top-loading washing machines, some of which have reportedly exploded.

Teslas crash course in response messaging

Electric car maker Tesla Motors was poised to have a great year, having just unveiled its latest vehicle, the Model 3 sedan. Unfortunately, that announcement was quickly overshadowed by the news in June that Tesla driver Joshua Brown had been killed a month earlier in Florida, when his Tesla Model S collided on a public highway with a tractor-trailer while Brown was allegedly using the cars much-heralded autopilot technology.

In the aftermath of the accident  which prompted an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  Tesla Motors boss Elon Musk did what many senior executives do in times of crisis: he turned to the Internet. Unfortunately, his words werent exactly ameliorative. Called by some a case study in how not to handle a crisis, the South African-born business magnate, who was the visionary behind PayPal and aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, penned a eulogy for Brown that read more like a rant and spent more time defending the company than memorializing the employee whod died. Noting that Browns death was the first in the companys 130 million testing miles, Musk later tweeted that: 1.3 million people die a year in car accidents. Yet, 1 person dies in a Tesla on autopilot and people decry driverless cars as unsafe. Musks public reaction had the unintended consequence of trivializing an employees death and making the incident all about his company as if thats any way to save a brands reputation.

It wasnt until September when Musk rolled back some of his comments and noted that improvements in Teslas autopilot technology likely would have prevented the fatal crash in Florida. Meanwhile, it was reported that Tesla was being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding whether the company failed to disclose the crash to investors in a formal regulatory filing, with Fortune reporting that Tesla had sold more than $2 billion worth of new shares to investors before news of the accident had been announced.

Musk again took to the Internet to air his grievances regarding the report, writing, please, take 5 mins and do the bloody math before you write an article that misleads the public, thus proving the adage that old habits die hard, even online.

Microsofts hate-mongering Twitter bot

The technology and research teams at Microsoft, working in conjunction with its Bing team, in March debuted AI chatbot Tay, the tech giants latest innovation that focused on how technology can better understand human speech.

Billed as the AI with zero chill, Tay was outfitted with a Twitter account and programmed to interact with other users on the microblogging site, mimicking words and language patterns. The bot was designed to improve its communication skills as its interactions grow, ideally becoming more natural sounding over time and better equipped to understand conversational language.

It took less than 24 hours for society to corrupt the bot, as Tay quickly became the Internets id and soon began issuing a series of racist and sexist tweets, with memorable quotables such as Bush did 9/11 and Hitler would have done a better job than the monkey we have now.

Microsoft quickly found itself deleting some of Tays more inflammatory tweets, claiming in a March 25 statement that the bot had been the victim of a coordinated attack by a subset of people that exploited a vulnerability in Tay. Microsoft then suspended Tays Twitter account for adjustments before taking it offline entirely several days later. The company has since stated that it plans to resurrect Tay once it can make the bot safe, underscoring a challenge not only for the future of AI but for humanity as well.

Mylan gouges customers

Pharmaceutical company Mylan, which sells popular emergency allergy treatment EpiPen, has maintained a virtual grip on the epinephrine autoinjector market for a decade, accounting for about 90 percent of the devices sold ever since it acquired the right to market and distribute the life-saving products from Merck.

EpiPen sales in 2015 accounted for $1.5 billion, about 40 percent of Mylans profits, and since 2009 the company has continually raised the price of the devices. When the price of a two-pack of EpiPens skyrocketed this year by nearly $150 without warning  accounting for an overall increase of 400 percent in the past 10 years  the outrage was palpable, especially considering the products primary users are children.

Headlines were rife with accusations of price gouging, and Mylans stocks  and reputation  plummeted precipitously as a result. To make matters worse, media outlets began reporting that Mylan CEO Heather Bresch had given herself a multimillion dollar raise the year prior.

The company was quick to respond, with Bresch hitting the TV circuit in an apology tour of celebrity proportions. Mylan attempted amends by introducing a less-expensive but identical generic autoinjector product, and when this didnt seem to move the needle, the company in August said it would double the eligibility for its patient assistance program and reduce out-of-pocket patient costs by 50 percent for the EpiPen through the use of a savings card.

The PR salvo didnt put an end to Mylans problems. Aside from a lingering deficit of consumer trust, the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into whether the company had committed fraud by misclassifying the EpiPen under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. This ultimately resulted in the company agreeing to a $465 million settlement in October. Then, in December, attorneys general in 20 states filed a civil complaint accusing Mylan  along with a half-dozen other pharmaceutical companies  of engaging in a price-fixing scheme to keep drug prices high.

Theranos draws bad blood with regulators

Blood-testing company Theranos is best known for its innovative fingerstick technology, which draws a pinprick sample of blood from a patients hand at a fraction of the cost  and pain  of traditional diagnostics tests.

When the Wall Street Journal last year kicked off an extensive investigation that questioned the accuracy of its technology, however, the Palo Alto-based company became the subject of probes from federal regulators.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services levied a series of harsh sanctions against the start-up, revoking Theranos CLIA certificate and prohibiting its owners from operating a lab for two years. In its findings, the CMS concluded that Theranos blood tests pose immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety.

The embattled health tech company in October announced it would close its lab operations, lay off 350 employees  about 40 percent of its workforce  and shift its focus to the creation of miniature medical testing devices. Then, in November, Theranos pharmacy partner Walgreens filed suit against the company in a federal court for breach of contract, allegations which Theranos has disputed. The diagnostics company is also now under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly misleading investors and government officials about its technology.

Ikea issues delayed recall

In February 2014, a two-year-old boy from West Chester, PA died after a six-drawer Ikea Malm chest tipped over and pinned him against a bed. Four months later, a three-drawer version of the same chest was responsible for killing another two-year-old boy in Snohomish, WA.

Terrible as the news was, the deaths prompted the Swedish furniture giant to issue little more than a mere warning, informing the public that a line of its chests and dressers werent stable if left unanchored to a wall. The company also offered free wall-mounting kits to customers that requested them. Both announcements went notably unpublicized.

Then came the news that more than a dozen additional tip-over incidents had occurred, including a 2016 incident in which a two-year-old boy from Apple Valley, MN died after a Malm's chest fell on top of him (it has since been reported that a fourth child was killed by a falling Malm dresser in 2011).

Like Samsung, it wasnt until this late development that Ikea finally shifted into crisis mode, and in June announced that it was recalling 29 million chests and dressers, and said it would give full refunds to customers that purchased the Malm between 2002 and 2016 (the company also set up a program where Ikea would pick up the dressers from customers homes). The 2016 recall announcement resulted in massive media coverage. Arguably, its what the multinational retailer should have done several years ago.

In December it was announced that Ikea has reached a $50 million settlement with the families of three of the toddlers who died in the tip-over incidents.

The not-so Democratic National Committee

Democracy, as it turns out, isnt the Democratic National Committees strong suit. After a primary/caucus cycle that highlighted horrible inefficiencies, leaked emails later revealed outright corruption in the DNCs ranks, where party members colluded to push its preferred "brand," Hillary Clinton, through the delegate selection process to become the partys choice over Bernie Sanders.

Perhaps its an unpopular opinion, but its also the truth: Clinton is a terrible brand with far too much baggage, and throughout the election, she was always just one crisis away from implosion. She was so bad, in fact, that Donald Trump managed to beat her. The Russians werent responsible for the fact that Clinton received six million fewer votes than Obama in 2012. FBI Director James Comey isnt to blame for the fact that Clinton barely campaigned in Democratic strongholds like Wisconsin, costing her crucial Rustbelt votes that have gone blue without fail for the last three decades. Julian Assange isnt the reason Clinton didnt follow the proper procedure for setting up her email account when she was secretary of state.

If Democrats want to win another election, maybe pick a candidate next time who isnt wildly unpopular and seen by an overwhelming number of Americans as dishonest and untrustworthy. Maybe pick a candidate next time who isnt under investigation by the FBI. Maybe pick a candidate that people are genuinely excited about, someone who actually promises something aside from being an alternative to the other candidate. Maybe listen to your partys members for once. With Clinton, the DNC made the classic PR mistake of overpromising and under-delivering. Now the rest of us have four years to mull over that decision.
As we enter into 2017, many of us are making resolutions to exercise, say no more often, go to church or just have more fun. One thing that we should all resolve to do in 2017 and beyond is keep ourselves and our families as safe and healthy as possible.

I realize there are no guarantees and that we may wash our hands 50 times a day and still catch the flu, but hey, why not try? One area that many of us could focus on is keeping everyone safe in the car.

Do you wear your seat belt when riding in the backseat? I always wear mine no matter which seat Im in, even though the law requires it in the driver and front passenger seats. When it comes to kids, the Nebraska law states that children up to age 6 must ride in a federally approved child safety seat and children ages 6 to 18 must ride in a safety seat or use a seat belt.

The American Academy of Pediatrics goes beyond the state laws. They recommend:

>> All infants and toddlers ride rear-facing until at least age 2, or to the recommended height and weight limits of the car seat manufacturer.

>> Children who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit should use a forward-facing seat with a harness until they exceed the weight or height allowed by their car seat manufacturer.

>> Children who have outgrown the forward-facing limit should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the seat belt fits properly. Thats typically when they are 4-foot-9-inches and are between the ages 8 and 12. Those children should ride in the backseat.

I know many parents are so eager to change their children to forward-facing car seats, because it is easier, the kids can watch a DVD system on long trips or just because they want to. But we all need to take a look at what is safest and not what is easiest.

Just as you are probably buckling up the next time you are heading out in the backseat of a car, think twice about when you are switching your child to the next car seat, or eliminating the car seat/booster seat altogether.

Instead of turning your rear-facing child around at age 1, tell yourself youre going to wait until age 2. Instead of transferring your kindergartner to a booster seat, hold out a little longer. Make sure your childs shoulder strap does not touch his or her neck.

Keep in mind the AAP guidelines as your child ages.

There is nothing more important than keeping our kids and ourselves safe. Cheers to a safe and healthy 2017 for everyone!

For further reading on how to safely use your car seat and what the laws are, visit the Nebraska Department of Roads website and healthychildren.org.

***

Jaime Wyant is a 32-year-old Omaha native, wife to Bret and mother to Marin and Liam. She writes weekly for Momaha.com. Read more from Jaime here.
Six months later and there are still disagreements over what happened in June at a Bellevue dentists office between the doctor and the citys then-administrator.

Sarpy County prosecutors say Dan Berlowitz used his position with the city in order to get Dr. Allan Smith to talk to him on June 21.

Berlowitz says he went to the office for valid professional reasons and did not use his position to get in the office for a personal vendetta.

During a sentencing hearing Thursday, Sarpy County Judge Robert Wester repeatedly asked Berlowitz, 63, to tell the court what he did wrong that day and to take responsibility for it.

In an exchange with the judge, Berlowitz called his actions a bad decision.

Wester told Berlowitz a bad decision is not a criminal offense and asked for specifics.

The judge pointed to Berlowitzs refusal to leave when asked, his poking motion toward Smith and an allegation that Berlowitz had threatened to shut the dentist down, which Berlowitz denies saying.

After the hearing, Berlowitz said the incident was an error and said he was not trying to deny that. He said he now wants to move on with his life.

The Sarpy County Sheriffs Office said Berlowitz was agitated, loud and confrontational toward Smith at Bellevue Family Practice Dentistry and did not leave when asked several times. Berlowitzs wife had worked at the dentists office, at 1004 Lincoln Road, before being let go.

Berlowitz initially was charged with three misdemeanors. Two were dropped as part of a plea deal. He pleaded no contest to a charge of disturbing the peace.

On Thursday, Wester fined Berlowitz $50. He also had to pay for more than a dozen therapy sessions, which Wester asked Berlowitz to attend before sentencing. Berlowitz had faced up to three months in jail and a $500 fine. After the charges were filed, he also lost his $144,000 job as city administrator.

Sarpy County Deputy Attorney Scott Earl had asked the judge to sentence Berlowitz to a term of probation. In laying out the allegations against Berlowitz, Earl said Berlowitz had been told by Bellevue city officials not to go to Smiths office.

Berlowitz instead went to Smiths office and said he was there on personal business, Earl said. Berlowitz then used his office by saying he was there on city business when Smith initially refused to talk to him, Earl said. Security camera footage of the incident shows Berlowitz poking his finger toward Smith.

After pleading no contest to the disturbing-the-peace charge in September, Berlowitz told reporters that he was the victim in the case, Earl said.

James Schaefer, Berlowitzs attorney, told the judge that Berlowitz went to Smiths office for a couple of reasons, including to stick up for his wife. Berlowitz used no profanity, no assault of any kind took place and he left within eight to 10 seconds of being asked, Schaefer said.

The dentist is trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, Schaefer said.

Berlowitz told the judge that he wanted to move on.

Wester told Berlowitz that he would be watching news coverage to make sure he didnt tell the reporters something different from what he said the court. It could influence a decision on whether to set the conviction aside in the coming months, the judge said.

The City of Bellevue placed Berlowitz on paid administrative leave after the June incident and fired him in August. He had held the position since 2011.

Joe Mangiamelli, who was the Columbus, Nebraska, city administrator, was hired in October to replace Berlowitz and to oversee Bellevues day-to-day operations.
LINCOLN  For the second week in row, the Nebraska Supreme Court has rejected the argument that a 90-year prison sentence is excessive for a teenager convicted of murder.

The court on Friday ruled that Christopher Garzas 90-year sentence for the brutal 1990 murder of a babysitter did not amount to a de facto life sentence, and that it was warranted due to the gruesome nature of the crime.

A week ago, the Supreme Court came to a similar conclusion in an appeal by Douglas Mantich, who was 16 when he participated in the deadly carjacking of 20-year-old Omaha man in December 1993.

Garza was 16 when he and an 18-year-old friend broke into a Millard home, then beat, bound, raped and killed Christina ODay, a 17-year-old high school senior.

Garza was initially sentenced to life in prison. But he was granted a resentencing after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that because juveniles are developmentally immature, they should be treated differently than adults and should not automatically receive life sentences for murder.

Twenty-five juveniles serving automatic life sentences for murder in Nebraska, including Mantich and Garza, were ultimately allowed new sentencing hearings.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in its Miller v. Alabama ruling in 2012, said that while juveniles could still be sentenced to life behind bars, such sentences should be uncommon and reserved for crimes that reflect permanent incorrigibility as opposed to those that show unfortunate yet transient immaturity.

But the Nebraska Supreme Court, in its ruling Friday, said that because Garza was not sentenced to life, but rather a 90-year term in prison, the court was not required to determine if his new sentence reflected irreparable corruption.

The new sentence imposed earlier this year by Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk fit within the state sentencing guidelines and was appropriate for such a crime, wrote Supreme Court Judge Stephanie Stacy.

The evidence does not suggest Garza acted impulsively, the judge wrote. He carefully planned the attack in advance and spent hours raping, beating, cutting, and strangling ODay before she died.

Garza later tried to conceal the crime by pushing ODays car into the Missouri River, and lied to police, the ruling stated. It also noted that another man sentenced in the slaying, Wayne Brewer, who was 18 at the time, was sentenced to life in prison.

Garzas attorney, Annie Hayden of the Douglas County Public Defenders Office, said an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is being considered.

We believe these are important issues, Hayden said of appropriate sentences for juveniles.

Under Garzas upheld sentence, he will be eligible for parole in 22 years, at age 65. He would complete his sentence at age 71.

Among those testifying at Garzas resentencing hearing in February was Beth Ann Tuerff, whom ODay was babysitting the night of the murder. Then 8, Tuerff was in another room when ODay was attacked.

Tuerff had urged a life sentence for Garza, saying: I couldnt save Christina that night. But I can do everything in my power to keep Mr. Garza where he belongs today.

The Nebraska Attorney Generals Office, which defended the 90-year sentence, declined to comment.
A trailer turned over on the Interstate on Thursday night, and some of its cargo of cattle went on the lam.

Twelve of them. They wandered the Interstate 80/680 interchange as traffic came to a halt, motorists gawked and law enforcement officers attempted to corral the beasts.

Authorities were mostly successful. But police had to put down four due to public safety concerns, as a State Patrol sergeant put it.

The cattle truck overturned on the lane that leads from southbound I-680 to eastbound I-80 about 9:50 p.m.

The State Patrol said the truck was carrying 31 cows and bulls. Authorities were able to round up eight and pen them with panel gates before another truck arrived to haul away the cattle.

The majority of them stayed right there in the general vicinity of the crash scene, so it was simply a matter of setting up a perimeter, State Patrol Sgt. Eric Kauffman said.

A few cattle never left the trailer.

All of I-680 southbound to I-80 eastbound was closed, as was I-80 eastbound and westbound at 108th Street. The Interstate reopened at 1:40 a.m.

Ivan Kaufman of Wakonda, South Dakota, the driver of the truck, said Friday that he wasnt injured but was sore.

Omaha police, the State Patrol, the Fire Department, Arrow Towing and the Nebraska Humane Society all were at the scene Thursday night, blocking roadways and trying to bring the cattle under control.

Kaufman lauded the job they did, describing a well-coordinated effort.

He said officers had little choice but to shoot some of the cattle. At least one charged officers. One of the shot cattle was injured in the crash and was killed for humanitarian reasons, he said. Five others were killed in the crash, he said. Nine total were killed.

Kaufman said he was taking the cattle from a feedlot in the Wisner area to Nebraska Beef in South Omaha. He was cautiously going through the interchange (I know its a treacherous corner) when a van ahead of him swerved and he had to turn slightly to avoid a crash, he said.

His truck tipped over, and he had to climb out through the drivers window.

He was assisted by two passers-by who were nurses. I dont know who they are, but I definitely want to thank them, he said. With traffic buzzing by, they got out of their cars to check on me.

The loose cattle caused an extensive backup of traffic in the area and also became a sightseeing sensation as people parked near the Interstate to watch.

This is Nebraska. This is standard ... small-town normal, said Priscilla Holmes, 31, of Omaha, whose boyfriend was caught in stopped westbound traffic on the Interstate. Only in Nebraska would you have a tornado on Christmas and cows on the Interstate.

David Spellman of Omaha saw law officers put down one of the animals on I-80.

They were trying to block it and it charged them, said Spellman, 54.

An officer pulled a handgun and shot it. Then another shot it with a shotgun, and the animal was pulled from the road.

The animals body lay in the median, legs sticking straight out.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation Friday.

The interchange was the site of a similar crash in July 2007 that killed 12 cattle.
HASTINGS, Neb.  Eight teenagers working as cashiers at the Hastings Walmart have been cited for theft after they stole more than $1,700 worth of merchandise from the store, police say.

The employees were helping one another  as well as friends and family  steal from the store, said Sgt. Brian Hessler of the Hastings Police Department.

Among those cited were two 18-year-olds, one female and one male, as well as four 17-year-old boys and two 17-year-old girls.

Nobody went to jail. Everybody was issued a ticket, Hessler said.

All eight of the Walmart employees were fired, Walmart spokeswoman Leslee Wright said.

The teenagers were working together, Hessler said.

One employee wanting an item would go through a checkout line manned by one of the other employees in the group.

Either the item would be rung up and then voided, or the cashier would pretend like they were running it across their scanner but not really scanning the bar code, Hessler said. So, if anybody was watching them, it looked like it was being rung up, but in actuality it wasnt.

One of the male employees is accused of stealing just under $1,200 worth of items, Hessler said.

The involvement of Hastings police began several days ago when a Walmart manager called police, asking for help in dealing with internal thefts.

Hessler said the crime is still being investigated to see if it involved other items or people.
IOWA CITY (AP)  An Iowa inmate with a history of violence toward guards and one notorious escape has died in a Wisconsin prison one month after he was transferred there, authorities said Thursday.

Justin Kestner, 26, was found unresponsive Dec. 21 in his assigned cell at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin, the Iowa Department of Corrections said in a statement. Prison staff responded and initiated lifesaving measures that were unsuccessful.

Prison officials and the Dodge County sheriff said Thursday that they are investigating the death, and that no additional information on the suspected cause or manner was available. A medical examiner said autopsy results havent been completed.

Kestner made headlines on July 4, 2015, when he became the first inmate in a decade to escape from Iowas historic maximum-security prison in Fort Madison. An investigation found that he removed screws from the shower to gain access to a narrow pipe chase  an enclosed space that houses the prisons pipes. He was able to climb up until he reached the attic, then crawled through a vent to reach the roof.

He descended via a downspout and landed outside a prison fence. He timed his escape to coincide with holiday fireworks in the hopes that guards would be distracted. In his bed, under a blanket, he left milk cartons and insulation to try to fool guards into thinking he was sleeping.

He stole a car after his escape but was captured within hours near Geneseo, Illinois.

Kestner was serving time for robbing gas stations in Sioux City, Iowa, in 2009. A judge in February extended his original 20-year sentence by 15 years after Kestner pleaded guilty to the escape and vehicle theft.

Sometime after the escape, Kestner was transferred to the penitentiary in Anamosa, Iowa. In October, authorities said Kestner managed to get out of a health services room before he assaulted a correctional officer with a crude piece of metal. The officer suffered contusions to the face that required medical treatment.

Kestner, who had previously attacked guards in Fort Madison, was placed in segregation after that incident. On Nov. 21 he was transferred to Wisconsin through the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision, which governs the movement of offenders from state to state.

Dodge Correctional is Wisconsins intake facility for all new inmates, who are later assigned to specific prisons.

Iowa prisons spokesman Fred Scaletta said it took several days to announce the death because authorities in Iowa and Wisconsin needed to work together to notify Kestners family and victims.

Kestners funeral was held Tuesday in his hometown of Rembrandt, near Sioux City.

In an obituary published in the Storm Lake Times newspaper, Kestner was described as a very passionate young man whose special interests include his love for others, drawing, being outdoors and animals.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
LINCOLN  Reactions ranged from bewilderment to outrage over a Nebraska Supreme Court decision earlier this year that allowed two girls to remain in the home of a felony sex offender.

And the decision set a clear precedent, said Brandon Brinegar, the Kearney lawyer who represented the biological father who had tried to remove the girls from the sex offenders residence. Brinegar said lawmakers would have to act to prevent similar rulings in the future.

Thats just what a state senator from Omaha intends to do in the upcoming session of the Legislature.

I wouldnt want my kids subjected to that environment, State Sen. Brett Lindstrom said this week. That just doesnt sit well with me, and it just seems like its something we should do to protect kids.

The senator has drafted a bill that could make it harder for a parent who wants to live with a convicted sex offender to maintain custody of his or her children.

The proposal is in response to an August ruling by the states high court that left the two girls in the home of their stepfather, even though he had served a prison term for sexually assaulting a different 15-year-old stepdaughter from a previous marriage. The court ruled against the biological father, who had attempted to remove the girls from the living situation in a small community in south-central Nebraska.

The current law presumes a child is at risk when a felony sex offender occupies the same residence. But it also allows the parent who chooses to live with a sex offender to present evidence that mitigates the risk.

If a judge finds the risk is not significant, the burden shifts to the parent seeking to remove the children.

In the case in question, the court found that the mother offered evidence that her new husband did not present a significant risk to the girls. The court also found that the biological father had failed to prove that his children were in danger of being sexually abused.

The four-judge majority said the mother had met her statutory burden and they were bound by the law. The majority said it refused to act as a superlegislature by giving a favorable ruling to the biological father.

The Legislature could have created a presumption against custody with a more demanding burden. It is not within this courts power to expand the scope of the Legislatures policy, said Chief Justice Michael Heavican, writing for the majority.

Two other judges, however, wrote strongly worded dissenting opinions. Judge William Connolly said the evidence offered by the mother was flimsy and the majoritys interpretation was a tortuous statutory analysis.

As a south central Nebraska sage I knew would often say, It just aint right,  wrote Connolly, who has since retired from the court.

Lindstroms legislation, which he will introduce sometime after the Legislature convenes Wednesday, would amend the current law to say that unsupervised contact with sex offenders shall be presumed to not be in the childs best interests.

It would then be up to the parent to convince the court that living in unsupervised contact with a felony sex offender is in the childs best interest.

Another provision of Lindstroms bill would require one parent to notify the other in writing before allowing a sex offender to move in.

In the case before the Supreme Court, the father of the girls stumbled upon the legal status of their stepfather while doing an Internet search after the stepfather had moved in.

Chris Johnson, a Hastings attorney who specializes in family law and child custody cases, said the changes proposed by Lindstrom are appropriate. Situations similar to the one that prompted the Supreme Court decision may not be common, but theyre not unheard of either, he added.

I would think the Legislature would very rapidly get behind that bill, Johnson said.
LINCOLN  With a deadline looming, 11 people have been nominated so far to join the Nebraska Hall of Fame, which sits in the State Capitol Building.

A new inductee will be chosen in August 2017 to join the likes of Ponca Chief Standing Bear, Buffalo Bill Cody, and writers Mari Sandoz, Willa Cather and John Neihardt in the Hall of Fame.

The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Nominations must be delivered to the Nebraska State Historical Societys headquarters building in Lincoln by then to be considered, according to Lana Hatcher, who is overseeing the process for the panel that makes the final selection, the State Hall of Fame Commission.

Among those nominated as of Thursday was Thomas Kimball, an architect who was instrumental in setting up the selection process for the architect for Nebraskas unique skyscraper State Capitol.

Kimball is also known for designing the old Omaha Public Library and St. Cecilias Cathedral in Omaha, as well as the Hall County Courthouse in Grand Island.

Others nominated so far are:

 Solon Hannibal de la Mothe Borglum, a sculptor known for his works of cowboys, Native Americans and other frontier inhabitants. He grew up in Fremont and Omaha, and is the younger brother of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore.

 State legislator and publisher Charles Gere, who helped push for the founding of the University of Nebraska and organized the Nebraska Press Association. A city library in east Lincoln was named for him.

 Thomas Vincent Golden, a newspaper publisher and mayor of ONeill, who was instrumental in bringing Irish immigrants to Nebraska. He also built the historic Golden Hotel in ONeill.

 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Howard Hanson, who was born in Wahoo. He was the longtime director of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and is credited for raising the level of musical education in the U.S.

 George E. Johnson, chief engineer and general manager for the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District. He helped lay out the chain of lakes fed by water diverted from the Platte River, including Johnson Lake near Lexington, which was named for him. As state engineer, he also helped lay out the state highway system.

 Omer Madison Kem, a Populist leader who represented Nebraska in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1891 to 1897.

 Rachel Abbie Holloway Lloyd, a professor of analytic chemistry at the University of Nebraska. She was the first American woman to earn a PhD in chemistry when she graduated from the University of Zurich in 1887.

 Omaha lawyer Francis Patrick Matthews, who was Secretary of the Navy from 1949 to 1952 and later served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland. He was also director of the United Services Organizations (USO) during World War II.

 Anna Sadilek Pavelka, the real-life protoype for the character Antonia Shimerda in Willa Cathers 1918 novel, My Antonia.

 Pioneer Nebraska aviator Matthew Savidge, who built gliders and eventually a self-powered airplane with six brothers near Ewing. He is thought to have made the states first successful airplane flight in 1911.

Kimball was nominated by Bob Ripley, the state official who oversees the preservation and conservation of the historic capitol.

The State Hall of Fame Commission is scheduled to meet on Feb. 3 to verify that those nominated are eligible for induction. Nominees must be Nebraska-born or had either gained prominence while in Nebraska or been influenced by their time in the state. A person must have been deceased for at least 35 years to be eligible.

Public hearings in each of states three congressional districts will be scheduled this summer to discuss the nominees. The commission will then select the inductee. A bronze bust will be produced in 2018 and the new inductee will join the Hall of Fame in 2019.

The last person inducted into the State Hall of Fame, in 2013, was Alvin Saunders Johnson, an economic theorist, historian and professor at several American universities. He co-founded and led the New School in New York City for several years.

Seventeen people were nominated the last time a new member was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Such selections have sparked controversy in the past.

In 2004, former U.S. Sen. Kenneth Wherry was selected, but the action was nullified after it was determined that the Hall of Fame Commission had not followed public meetings laws in choosing him via secret balloting.

His nomination was later dropped after controversy erupted over Wherrys views on homosexuality during the McCarthy era of the 1950s.

Malcolm X, the civil rights leader born in Omaha, has been nominated three times in the past. But some have questioned whether the two years he lived in Omaha after being born there meet the qualification.
The writer is the editorial director of Antiwar.com and the author of Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement. He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times.

The country is in the throes of a major epidemic, with no known cure and some pretty scary symptoms. Its called Trump Derangement Syndrome, or TDS, and its rapidly spreading from the point of origin  the political class  to the population at large.

In the first stage of the disease, victims lose all sense of proportion. The president-elects every tweet provokes a firestorm, as if 140 characters were all it took to change the world.

Donald Trump set up a single phone call with Taiwans president, and suddenly TDS patients were insisting that our One China policy was no more. But the reality is that telephonic communication isnt the same thing as official diplomatic recognition. Besides, in their eagerness to highlight Trumps alleged recklessness, the president-elects critics misunderstand our policy. One China means that we dont recognize Taiwan as a sovereign country or Chinas sovereignty over Taiwan. Weve never considered Taiwan a mere province, and the Taiwan Relations Act obligates us to defend the island against attack.

The mid-level stages of TDS have a profound effect on the victims vocabulary: Sufferers speak a distinctive language consisting solely of hyperbole.

Politico recently ran a piece that noted Trumps decision to continue using his private security force, which provoked former independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin to tweet: A predictable move for a kleptocratic authoritarian who wants to operate outside the bounds of law and basic ethical standards. Even more troubling, he may use the forces lack of government oversight & presidential veneer to carry-out extralegal acts of force.

Its quite a stretch to suggest that a desire to keep trusted lieutenants is actually a sinister plot to create a version of the brownshirts, but such illogical leaps are the pathway to the next stage of TDS: a state of constant hysteria.

Especially when discussing Trumps views on immigration, hysterical TDS victims assume theres no difference between the president-elects rhetoric and his proposed policy (deporting known criminals who are in this country illegally).

As Reince Priebus, Trumps chief of staff, put it: Hes not calling for mass deportation. He said, No, only people who have committed crimes. And then only until all of that is taken care of will we look at what we are going to do next.

As TDS progresses, the afflicted lose the ability to distinguish fantasy from reality. Despite Trumps expressed desire to work something out for the so-called Dreamers  those brought here as very young children  Trumps critics continue to harp on this issue.

TDS victims routinely compare Trump to Hitler: Time magazine ran an opinion piece that asked Just how similar is Donald Trump to Hitler? The answer: The comparison between Hitler and Trump is so poignant because both men represent their personal character as the antidote to all social and political problems.

Since Hitler has been dead for more than 70 years, though, victims may feel the need for a more potent bogeyman, a tyrant with more currency. And theyve found one in Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom they insist ordered a hacking campaign to help Trump win the election.

The other day, Tucker Carlson of Fox News interviewed TDS-riddled Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Carlson asked for evidence that Putins alleged machinations had any effect on the election. Unable to come up with a coherent answer, Schiff morphed into J. Edgar Hoover: Youre carrying water for the Kremlin, he said, youre going to have to move your show to Russia Today. 

If you ask a TDS victim what might help them feel better, theyll use the word normalize. As in, we mustnt normalize Trump.

What theyre really saying is that normal means of dealing with him arent enough. Which raises the question: If hes another Hitler, if hes in league with Putin, then what response is out of the question?
The writer is an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she teaches fiction and nonfiction writing. She wrote this for the Dallas Morning News.

She was a princess, a senator and a general, and her unflinching competence inspired rebel soldiers, starry-eyed dreamers and scruffy-looking smugglers to trust her with their lives. Swashbuckling Jedi did her bidding.

When captured by the most terrifying creature in the galaxy, she scolded him like a child: Darth Vader, only you could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this. And no one, not once, ever looked down at her  very young and almost fragile  and asked, Who do you think you are?

Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan always knew exactly who she was. As we pay our respects to the woman who created her, we cant allow ourselves to confuse the two women, one real and one not, but perhaps we can be excused for occasionally allowing that line to blur.

Carrie Fisher gave Leias voice its grit. She carried off the costume, flawlessly designed for a rebel princess on the move with its high and tight neckline, easy-to-move-in flowing skirt, and sensibly flat-heeled boots. She convinced us that this was a princess who fought on the front lines and fomented espionage. And she did this at a time when the women watching her on the big screen lived lives that were limited in ways that are hard to grasp today, even for those of us who remember 1977.

There were no women in the U.S. Senate when Star Wars brought us Imperial Sen. Organa. In fact, no woman had ever been elected to a full term in the Senate without her husband having previously served in Congress. Nancy Kassebaum achieved that milestone a year later. There had never been a female general in the United States Marine Corps and the swearing-in of the first female Army general was only seven years in the past.

How did Fisher, living in that world, make us believe that she was a critical leader in a galactic rebellion? I have no idea, but Im glad she did. I was a 15-year-old girl sitting in the audience watching Star Wars in 1977, imagining my own exciting future, and I had no idea that Harvard was only then preparing to begrudgingly admit its first women. My world was doing its best to throttle any dreams I might have, but I was blissfully unaware of it because I was watching Princess Leia save the galaxy.

She was the princess I was looking for, and I cant move along without saying so.

I cannot tell you how many times my sister, Suzanne, and I have watched the original Star Wars movie, but every time Princess Leia picked up a blaster and announced to her clueless rescuers that, Somebody has to save our skins, Suzanne said, I want to go to the princess school that she went to!

So did I. Dont you?

Heck. The woman didnt just wield a blaster. When the spaceship standing between her body and the heartless vacuum of space got damaged, she didnt get flustered or fall apart. She picked up a welder and she fixed it.

Its not just our imaginations that blur the line between Fisher the actress and the iconic character who dominated her life but whom she never came to resent. Fishers surviving Star Wars script shows that she edited her own dialogue, helping create a smart, sharp-tongued, articulate character who had more than a little in common with the woman who has kept company with Leia for all these years.

Because she was open about her troubles, we know that Fisher struggled for the rest of her life with mental health issues that would have floored most of us. She was Hollywood royalty, so she could have traded on her fame for the rest of her life. Instead, she acted and wrote and spoke out about important causes. She lived her life. She played the cards she was dealt.

In the end, isnt that what Leia did? When a fascist empire threatened, she fought back. When it destroyed her home, her family, her entire planet, she picked herself up and went on. She lived her life. She played the cards she was dealt. We could all learn a lot from Princess Leia and Carrie Fisher.

Rest in peace, Your Worshipfulness.
51 days of demonetisation: The nightmare at the ATMs persist

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

New Delhi, Dec 30: It has been 51 days since the decision on demonetisation and today is the last day that people can exchange their demonetised currency at banks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought 50 days time to ease the situation, but the question is whether things are any better?

The problems at ATMs still continue. Most ATMs are still not dispensing the Rs 500 note as yet and this has led to a change crunch with people holding currency of the higher denomination.

There continues to be an acute shortage of currency in the ATMs. While most of the ATMs have been dispensing cash, the problem is that it does not function 24/7. The value of currency being routed through the ATM network is also low. The cash withdrawal limits remain. While the withdrawal limit is Rs 2,500 from an ATM, most ATMs dispense only Rs 2,000 and this is due to the non-availability of the 500 notes.

The ATM nightmare:

Although there has been a marked improvement in the functioning of the ATMs it is not consistent. The currency notes being filled into ATMs continues to be negligible and this has only ensured that these machines do not work all the time.

Out of the total 220,000 ATMs in the country, 60 per cent are outsourced. A look at this statistic would give a fair idea of how grave the problem is. The CMS Infosystems which manages around 55,000 ATMs has seen a drop in the number of visits to the ATMs. Prior to the decision on demonetisation CMS would visit nearly 30,000 ATMs on a daily basis. However post the decision the number of visits have dropped down to anything between 11,000 and 13,000 ATM visits per day.

The drop in the number of visits is due to the cash crunch. The number of visits depends on the cash availability. Most ATMs do not have the Rs 500 notes. A majority of the ATMs have been dispensing only the Rs 2,000 notes and due to this many times there are no queues outside the banks. What do we do with the Rs 2,000 note asked one customer. None are willing to give us change, he also says.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at the dawn of the New Year. It is not clear what he would be speaking about. Some say he will take up the issue of demonetisation. After all he is the one who had sought for 50 days time. That deadline has ended and problem persists.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Friday, December 30, 2016, 8:30 [IST]
AgustaWestland: HC notice to Tyagi on plea challenging his bail

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Dec 30: The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to former Air chief SP Tyagi in connection with the AgustaWestland case. The notice was issued on a plea by the CBI which challenged the bail granted to Tyagi.

[Also Read: AgustaWestland: SP Tyagi granted bail, asked to co-operate]

The CBI contended that granting bail at this juncture was fatal to the probe. Tyagi is needed for questioning as he is a key accused in the case the CBI also contended. The CBI said fresh leads have come up after replies came from 8 countries.

A special CBI court on Monday had granted bail to Tyagi. The court directed Tyagi to cooperate with the investigations. Futher the court also directed Tyagi to furnish a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh and also not leave Delhi until further orders.

The bail plea of the two other accused Sanjiv Tyagi and Gautam Khaitan will be pronounced on January 4.

Tyagi's counsel during the course of arguments informed the court that all documents relevant to the case had been handed over to the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. Banks accounts, foreign trip details and details of properties had been handed over the counsel also submitted.

Meanwhile the Patiala House court has extended the judicial custody of two other accused Gautam Khaitan and Sanjeev Tyagi by 14 days. On Monday the court had reserved orders on the bail plea filed by the two accused. The same court had granted bail to Tyagi.

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Delhi: CBI raids minister's OSD's office, Kejriwal cries foul

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Dec 30: The CBI on Friday raided Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain's OSD Nikunj Aggarwal's office at the Delhi Secretariat, drawing strong criticism from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia.

A separate Central Bureau of Investigation CBI team raided the office of Anup Mohta, Director of Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya in east Delhi's Geeta Colony.

"Our team visited Aggarwal and Mohta's offices to recover some documents related to the case," said a CBI official.

The agency took the step a day after registering a case against Aggarwal, a senior resident at Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, and Mohta on charges of criminal conspiracy and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act on the basis of a complaint from Delhi government's Deputy Secretary Vigilance K.S. Meena.

Reacting to the CBI raid, Kejriwal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes money from the corporates but conducts raids on honest people.

"You (Modi) take bribes from Sahara and Birla groups, papers of which are in the public domain, but you conduct raids on the honest people. Do whatever you want, but we are not afraid of your CBI threats," Kejriwal said in a video message.

Kejriwal, who is visiting Punjab, said Modi raided minister Satyendar Jain's office on Friday while a year back, he had conducted raid at his (Kejriwal) office too but got nothing.

"You (Modi) have unleashed all official agencies, including the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department on us but got nothing," the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor said.

Kejriwal said he will tell the people that Modi took bribe from corporates like Birla and Sahara as Gujarat Chief Minister.

"I challenge you (Modi) to get all our works investigated but we will also set up a committee to probe Sahara and Birla bribery scams. Are you ready for this? Tell me, if you have the guts," Kejriwal said.

"Last year, I said Modi ji is a coward and a psychopath. It will be proved if you don't agree for the probe."

The Vigilance Department complaiant said Aggarwal was appointed Senior Resident (ortho) in Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya on an ad hoc basis on August 10, 2015, even though there was no proposal to engage a Senior Sesident and no such post was available, the CBI official said.

The complaint said no advertisement was issued by the hospital for Aggarwal's selection and no walk-in interview was conducted.

A few days after Aggarwal's appointment as Senior Resident, his services were requisitioned for appointment as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Delhi Health Minister, the complaint said.

As per the residency scheme, the Resident Doctors are engaged for working in hospitals, and not for other duties, it added.

Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia accused Modi of harassing the AAP government with the help of agencies like the CBI, saying raids were carried out to divert attention from the evidence on Modi taking bribes from the Sahara and Birla groups and from the failure of demonetisation.

"We will not be intimidated but continue to tell the country of your (Modi's) corruption, show them evidence of you accepting bribes. You should fear for your role in the Sahara-Birla bribe case," Sisodia said.

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Delhi unit President Manoj Tiwari said Aggarwal's appointment as OSD was a clear case of nepotism.

"Had Kejriwal taken lesson from his Secretary Rajendra Kumar's matter and rectified irregularities in his government, today's (Friday) raid could have been avoided," he said.

IANS
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Delhi: Manish Sisodia's office robbed; police investigation on

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Dec 30: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's office was burgled late night on Thursday, the city police said. "There was a robbery at the Patparganj office of Deputy CM late night on Thursday. The exact time is not yet known," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Omvir Singh said.

[Also Read: We did good work for Delhi with Jung: Sisodia]

"The district forensic team has lifted finger-prints from the crime scene," Singh said.

"The office was being shifted and most of the articles were already moved. However, some documents and two computers were stolen," he added.

Aam Aadmi Party worker Pankaj Singh told IANS that the lock of the office was broken and some documents, including letterheads as well as CPUs of two computers, were missing.

"The burglers also turned away the CCTV cameras and took away the DVRs that had the recordings," Upendra Kumar, who is in-charge of the party office, said.

The police, along with a dog squad, came to Sisodia's office on Friday morning to investigate the theft, he added.

IANS
The much needed amendment and why SPG wont be a status symbol anymore

Former union minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil passes away

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Dec 30: Former Union Minister and Congress leader Eknathrao alias Balasaheb Vikhe Patil passed away at his residence in Loni village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra on Friday evening following prolonged illness, his family said.He was 84.

Last rites of the veteran leader would be conducted with full state honours at Loni tomorrow noon, district collector Anil Kawade told PTI.

Vikhe Patil largely kept away from public life in the last couple of years due to his illness. His son Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is a senior Congress leader and currently the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly.

Though a Congressman most of his career, Balasaheb was elected to Lok Sabha on Shiv Sena ticket in 1998 and became Minister of State for Finance in the NDA government.

He was subsequently elevated as Minister for Heavy Industries. He returned to the Congress fold in 2004. His father, Vitthalrao Vikhe-Patil, was instrumental in setting up Asia's first cooperative sugar mill at Loni.

PTI
Shallow water, rocky bottom may have led to so many deaths in Morbi tragedy

Gujarat:Mini-truck ploughs into procession, leaves 5 dead

India

oi-PTI

Ahmedabad, Dec 30: Five persons, including three children, were killed and three others were injured when they were run over by a mini-truck at a victory procession of a sarpanch in Sehra taluka of Panchmahal district on Friday, police said.

The accident occurred when the truck driver lost his control on the vehicle while going downhill on a road near Jethli-Bor village in evening. The deceased included a 6-year-old girl, two boys in age group of 16 to 17 and two men.

"Around 50 to 60 persons took out a procession to celebrate the victory of a local sarpanch who won in Gram Panchayat polls after Wednesday's counting. The deceased were also among the revellers who were walking ahead of the mini-truck which was also part of the procession," said Sehra police sub-inspector A A Chaudhary.

On Wednesday, counting of votes was held across Gujarat for more than 8000 Gram Panchayats, which went to polls on December 27. Primary facie, brake failure on a gradient caused the accident.

"As soon as the procession reached downhill slope, the truck, which was behind them, lost control and ploughed into the revellers. Five of them died on the spot while three others were injured.

"Since the truck was very old, there is a high possibility that its breaks failed," Chaudhary said. He said a case is being registered in this regard.

PTI
India slams China over Masood Azhar, calls it double standards

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Dec 30: With Beijing blocking its move to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a UN designated terrorist, India on Friday said the development reflected "double standards" in the fight against terrorism and was "surprising" as China was itself a victim of terrorism.

"We note with concern China's decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council which had been presented nine months ago and had received the strong backing of all other members of the Committee," said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.

"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism," it added.

In April, China had blocked India's move to label the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief a terrorist, a decision that had angered New Delhi which has been trying to convince Beijing to reconsider the decision. In September, it had extended its decision to put a technical hold on the UN's 1267 Committee declaring Azhar a terrorist by three months.

Calling the action surprising, the MEA statement said: "This decision by China is surprising as China herself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism.

"As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation," it added.

Seven Indian security personnel lost their lives when terrorists from across the border attacked the Indian Air Force base in Punjab's Pathankot early on January 2.

The Pakistan-based JeM claimed responsibility for the attack in which all the six terrorists also were reportedly killed.

"We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," the statement added.

JeM was listed in the Security Council Committee 1267 list on October 17, 2001 for being associated with the Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or the Taliban for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities related with terrorism".

IANS
Mehbooba Mufti gets notice to vacate official bungalow 'meant for J&K CMs'

Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

Jammu and Kashmir: 3 injured as stone-pelting protesters clash with security forces

India

oi-PTI

Srinagar, Dec 30: Three persons were injured on Friday in security forces' action against a group of stone-pelting protesters in Pampore area of south Kashmir Pulwama district.

[Also Read: No stone pelting in Kashmir since PM's daring move: Parrikar on demonetisation]

Security forces conducted search operations in Naristan and Samboora areas of the district in the morning following information about movement of suspicious persons there, a police official said.

As the security forces were withdrawing after concluding the operations, some youth started pelting stones at them, he said.

Three persons were injured as security personnel fired a few rounds to disperse the mob, the official said adding the injured have been admitted to a hospital in Srinagar for treatment.

PTI
Masarat Alam: J&K separatist who has 'anti-India written in his blood'

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Srinagar, Dec 30: In April 2015 a senior official from Jammu and Kashmir had said separatist Masarat Alam should be tried and convicted failing which he will keep coming out of jail only to be re-arrested. The officer was not wrong. Alam, one of the most dreaded separatists of the Valley was ordered to be released by the Jammu and Kashmir high court only to be re-arrested in a matter of a few hours.

Alam was to fill in the vacuum that has been created with the popularity of Syed Ali Shah Geelani fading. Alam is known for fanning an anti-Indian sentiment. When he was detained in 2015, his detention order read, "This man has anti-India written in his blood."

[Why Masarat Alam is worse than Geelani]

The man who has anti-India written in his blood:

Alam's anti-India sentiments are well known to all. He is considered second only to Syed Geelani when it comes to fanning such sentiments. He is the one who had written a song called 'Bharat ko de ragda' which means stamp India out.

Alam is also famous for painting the walls of Kashmir with anti India messages and the most popular one was Go India Go. It is almost 20 years now since he has been undertaking this tirade and over the years he has grown from strength to strength. Alam, 43, was first arrested when he was 20 as he had declared open support to the armed struggle of 1989 against India. That was the first time that the Public Safety Act was slapped on him. He then remained in jail until 1996.

In June 2014, an order by the deputy commissioner of Sringar which slapped the Public Safety Act against him read, "The hardline separatist has anti India sentiment in his blood." This order was issued in a bid to stop street violence that occurred in 2008 and 2010. After his release in 1996, he joined the Muslim League and was very vocal in his views that Kashmir should be part of Pakistan.

Since then, there have been at least 27 cases against him which include attempt to murder and sedition. As a part of the Hurriyat, he raised the Amarnath land issue for the first time in 2008. He had opposed tooth and nail the decision to grant forest land for the Amarnath pilgrimage.

He was immediately arrested and then released in 2010. The year 2009 witnessed massive street protests in the Valley. The protests continued the next year and after his release from jail, he only joined the movement and fanned the sentiments against India further.

This was the same time that he had penned the 'ragda' song. The street protests resulted in over 110 deaths. The protests had left India extremely worried as it was seen as a situation going back to square one after all the efforts that were put in to restore peace.

OneIndia News
Mulayam calls meet of those allotted tickets by him on Dec 31

India

oi-PTI

Lucknow, Dec 30: With the Samajwadi Party staring at a possible split due to open rebellion by Akhilesh Yadav, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has called a meeting on Saturday of all those allotted tickets by him. The Chief Minister's camp, however, remained adamant on contesting against the official candidates of the party.

Hectic attempts were said to be underway on Friday by Mulayam to avert a split after the crisis reached a flash point late last night when Akhilesh "circulated" his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections, parallel to the party's official list of 393 nominees.

Mulayam has convened a meeting in Lucknow on December 31 of the 393 candidates who have been allotted tickets by him. Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats. Party insiders see the meeting with immense significance as the SP chief was likely gauge the sentiments of the candidates and conduct a fresh review of the list amid fears that the battle for control in SP left the party cadres divided and highly confused at grassroots level.

This morning, Shivpal Yadav, the uncle of Akhilesh, met his brother Mulayam for nearly an hour, but it was not immediately known what transpired at the meeting. Shivpal did not answer questions of reporters waiting outside Mulayam's residence.

Mulayam's cousin and SP General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav, who is Akhilesh supporter, asserted that there was no question of going back on the list prepared by the Chief Minister.

In an apparent attack on Shivpal, Ramgopal said many in the party do not want to see Akhilesh as Chief Minister again.

"But, the fact remains that people of the state want him back as CM," he claimed.

He said Mulayam had convened a meeting on January 1 to take a final call on ticket distribution, "but due to pressure (from Shivpal), he announced the list on December 28".

Akhilesh's list, which did not carry any signature, was made available on social media last night by defiant party MLAs who failed to get a ticket in the official list. Party observers said since names of 170 to 180 candidates figured in both the lists, it would be interesting to watch if they attended the meeting convened by Mulayam or opt out.

Akhilesh, who was present at an official function this morning, did not take questions from media persons. Though Akhilesh loyalists were enthusiastic to fight the elections "in the name of and as the face of the CM", it was still not clear as to whether they would fight as Independents or float a new party.

Prominent among those figuring in the list of Akhilesh are his hardcore loyalists -- ministers Arvind Singh Gope, Pawan Pandey and Ram Govind Chaudhary, who were denied ticket by Mulayam.

PTI
PM finally meets all party delegation from Karnataka

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah led an all party delegation to meet Prime Minister Modi on Friday. The meet comes weeks after Siddaramaiah highlighted failed attempts to secure an appointment with the Prime minister. He had alleged that the Prime minister wasn't willing to give an appointment to the all party delegation by Karnataka.

Siddaramaiah led delegation included Union minister's Nirmala Seetharaman, D V Sadananda Gowda and Ananthkumar. Other BJP leaders from the state including former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and K S Eshwarappa were also present. Ministers in the Siddaramaiah cabinet Krishna Byregowda as well as H D Revanna from the JD(S) were part of the delegation.

The delegation briefed the PM of the water woes that the state is facing. The delegation appraised the PM of the drought situation in the state. Highlighting the Mahadayi river water sharing issue, the state once again urged for centre's intervention to help riparian states reach amicable agreement.

During the meeting, Karnataka asked for drought relief of Rs 4702 crore. A crop relief of Rs 386 crore due to flooding was also sought.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Friday, December 30, 2016, 21:29 [IST]
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Triple talaq goes tech-savvy: Now valid on email, phones and messsages

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Dec 30: There is a raging debate on triple talaq and the Supreme Court of India too has seized off the matter. But Islamic seminaries in Deoband have decided to go ahead and state that triple talaq over the phone is valid. The fatwa says that triple talaq can be pronounced through emails and messages too.

Also read: HC verdict will boost Muslim women's rights, says SC petitioner

From Islamic point of view, triple talaq pronounced by the husband to his wife over phone would be valid, the Fatwa department of the seminary has said. Maulana Arshad Farooqi of the department, however, clarified that divorce over phone would be valid only if the husband is in his senses.

Farooqi goes on to state that the husband can also divorce his wife through a letter, email or even a message. He says that in this age of technology, divorce through such electronic communication is necessary provided the same is verified that it was pronounced by the husband.

The SC is hearing a matter pertaining to triple talaq in which it has been sought to declare the practise as illegal. The court has sought the opinion of the Union government on the subject as well.

The government is in favour of declaring this process as illegal. However, the All India Muslim Law Personal Board has objected and says that this practise must continue.

OneIndia News
'If Delhi is to be saved from Islamic State': Giriraj Singh urges people to vote for BJP

Rahul should be sent back to school to know what ministries exist under Centre: Giriraj Singh

Union MSME minister provides assistance under 'Mudra Yojana'

India

oi-PTI

Port Blair, Dec 30 Union Minister Giriraj Singh today praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a bold step like demonetisation. He was attending a 'Mudra Loan Distribution & Solar Charkha' demonstration function at the Dr B R Ambedkar auditorium here today.

For the first time since Independence, the nation got a Prime Minister who brought smiles on faces of poor people, acknowledged vulnerability of women and initiated anti-corruption movement without worrying about results, the Union Minister of State for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises said.

"Narendra Modi took a bold step in demonetising old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to check corruption and black money and the whole nation is with him," he said. Speaking on the occasion, the minister also said that Prime Minister launched various schemes which are aimed at helping the poor section of the society, especially women and differently abled persons and Mudra Yojana is one such scheme, which provides financial assistance for setting up micro, small and medium enterprises for self employment.

He also said that these islands are fortunate to have a Lt Governor, who takes in account the grievances faced by the economically weaker section while preparing the plans. Besides, he expressed hope that the motto of the Prime Minister, sabka saath, sabka vikas will not only flourish in the Islands but every islander will be provided employment opportunity.

The minister then provided financial assistance to 11 women under Mudra Yojana at a Mudra Loan Distribution & Solar Charkha Demonstration function. The minister also launched a BMC website, www.greenwearbuy.com with Lt. Governor, Prof Jagdish Mukhi and distributed e-rickshaw keys to as many as 6 women on the occasion. The programme was organized by the Bharatiya Micro Credit (BMC), Port Blair.

The Managing Director of BMC, Vijay Pandey demonstrated the solar charkha functioning, which is powered by solar energy and informed that the charkha is easy to operate. It can be provided with solar looms, dying and colouring machines to enable women prepare garments in their home and generate income, he said.

PTI
Body in burned car raises fears for missing Greek ambassador

International

oi-PTI

Rio De Janeiro, Dec 30 The discovery of a burned-out car in Rio state with a body inside have sparked fears that it might be that of the Greek ambassador to Brazil, missing since Monday.

Rio police were examining the corpse and scene yesterday but could not say whether it was that of the envoy, 59-year-old Kyriakos Amiridis. "The information that we can confirm right now is that we have found a car in (the district of) Nova Iguacu with a body and it is being investigated," a source in the homicide squad told AFP.

The source would not say whether the license plate of the car was from the rental the ambassador was using, nor when DNA results on the body would be back. Amiridis had been on vacation with his family in Rio de Janeiro's northern Nova Iguacu area since December 21. He was due to fly back to Brasilia on January 9, a Greek embassy official told AFP. But he went missing on Monday night, after going out of the apartment they were renting and taking the car, according to Brazilian media.

His Brazilian wife formally declared him missing on Wednesday. The Brazilian news website published photos of the burned car found on the slope of a busy suburban thoroughfare. It reported that police "suspected" the body inside to be that of the ambassador.

The Greek foreign ministry had earlier issued a statement saying that after Amiridis was declared missing, "the full mobilisation of all the competent Brazilian authorities was requested." Amiridis was named ambassador this year.

He had previously served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004. He served as Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 to 2016. He is married and has a daughter, according to the embassy in Brasilia.

AFP
China, Nepal to conduct first ever joint military drill

International

oi-PTI

Kathmandu, Dec 29 Nepal and China will hold their first ever joint military exercise early next year. Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesperson Yang Yujun said China and Nepal had been in "initial communication" on the military exercise, and that the details would be released in due course of time.

Although Nepal has been holding joint military exercises with other countries including India and the United States, this is the first time Nepali military would be holding such an exercise with China.

According to reports, the military drill will be held in February next year and will focus on training Nepali soldiers in dealing with hostage scenarios involving international terror groups, My Republica reported. The new development is seen as China's growing interest in the Himalayan republic since the deterioration of relations between Nepal and India due to the border blockade last year, the daily said.

PTI
Nobel laureates urge UN to intervene in Myanmar's Rohingya crisis

International

oi-PTI

United Nations, Dec 30 More than a dozen Nobel laureates have urged the United Nations to "end the human crisis" of Myanmar's Rohingya minority group, whose members have been fleeing to Bangladesh to escape a bloody military crackdown.

In an open letter addressed to the UN Security Council yesterday, 23 Nobel laureates, politicians, philanthropists and activists said "a human tragedy amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity is unfolding in Myanmar." They also criticised the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- herself a Nobel Peace Prize winner -- for what they called a lack of initiative to protect the Rohingyas.

"We are frustrated that she has not taken any initiative to ensure full and equal citizenship rights of the Rohingyas," the group wrote. In recent weeks, more than 27,000 people belonging to the persecuted Muslim minority -- a group loathed by many of Myanmar's Buddhist majority -- have fled a Burmese military operation in Rakhine state launched in response to the attack of border posts by armed groups.

Rohingya survivors say they suffered rape, murder and arson at the hands of soldiers -- accounts that have raised global alarm and galvanised protests around Southeast Asia. Bangladesh's government has been under pressure to open its border to the fleeing refugees, but it has reinforced its border posts and deployed coastguard ships to prevent fresh arrivals.

"The Rohingyas are among the world's most persecuted minorities, who for decades have been subjected to a campaign of marginalization and dehumanisation," said the authors -- among them peace prize winners Desmond Tutu, Shirin Ebadi and Jose Ramos-Horta.

They asked the 15-member Security Council to add the "crisis" to its agenda "as a matter of urgency, and to call upon the secretary-general to visit Myanmar in the coming weeks" -- either current UN chief Ban Ki-moon, or his successor Antonio Guterres, who will take over the post next month.

"If we fail to take action, people may starve to death if they are not killed with bullets, and we may end up being the passive observers of crimes against humanity which will lead us once again to wring our hands belatedly and say 'never again' all over again," the letter said.

The Rohingya have languished under years of dire poverty and discrimination from a government that denies them citizenship. The UN and other rights groups have repeatedly called on Myanmar to grant them full rights.

AFP
Pakistan: LeT's student wing protest US terror tag

International

oi-PTI

Islamabad, Dec 31: Dozens of activists from a student wing of the banned anti-India Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group have rallied in Islamabad to condemn a recent US ban on their organisation.

The protest comes two days after the US State Department designated the Al-Muhammadia Students wing a terrorist organization. At Friday's protest, Hafzala Ahmed, an Al-Muhammadia Students activist, said that they are being maligned by Washington to appease India.

He said they are not linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was founded by Pakistani cleric Hafiz Saeed. India blames Lashkar-e-Taiba for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people.

Pakistan has banned Lashkar-e-Taiba but Saeed still operates openly in the country. He often addresses rallies against India on the issue of Kashmir, which is divided between Pakistan and India and claimed by both.

PTI
Ukraine grain deal: UN says shipments are still going out

UN envoy welcomes announcement of nationwide ceasefire in Syria

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Geneva, Dec 30 UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura welcomed the announcement of a nationwide ceasefire between the Syrian government and the country's armed opposition groups, which is to come into effect on Friday.

The special envoy on Thursday, through a statement issued by his spokesperson, noted that a comprehensive cessation of hostilities remains a "cornerstone" for the peace process in the war-torn country, Xinhua news reports.

He wished that the implementation of the agreement will save civilian lives, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance across Syria, and pave the way for productive talks in the Kazakhstan's capital city Astana.

"These developments should contribute to inclusive and productive intra-Syrian negotiations to be convened under UN auspices on February 8 of 2017," Mistura added.

The Syrian government and the core groups of the so-called moderate opposition reached a ceasefire agreement and expressed their readiness to start intra-Syrian talks on Thursday. The Syrian army then declared that a nationwide cessation of hostilities will go into effect as of midnight Friday.

IANS
Half baked measures? An 'oops' moment for BJP on demonetisation

New Delhi

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Dec 30: The BJP which is facing a fierce opposition over the issue of demonetisation had an 'oops' moment thanks to a banner slip-up. BJP's Udit Raj, who took out a march in New Delhi, had to face embarrassment due to a banner slip up. The banner in Hindi read 'ardh vyavastha' (half-measures) instead of 'arth vyavastha (finance).'

The rally taken out by Raj was meant to mark the 50th day of demonetisation. The BJP MP was trying to tell people about the importance of a cashless economy and also promote e-banking.

The banner had all that the MP was trying to convey about the importance of a cashless economy as well the importance of digital transactions. The only problem was that instead of spelling the Hindi word as 'arth vyavastha' the banner read 'ardh vyavastha' which means half-measures.

Ironically this is exactly what the opposition has been accusing the Union government of. The opposition has torn into the government stating that the arrangements made after the November 8 decision on demonetisation have been half baked or incomplete.

OneIndia News
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Yes  it's that time of the year again  end of year stock market performance review season. And predictions for 2017.

Which market sector outperformed all others in 2016? Knowing which sector has been hot could point to where you should invest in 2017.

Investors looking for the strongest performer for the U.S. stock market's price action this year need look no further than stocks in the energy sector. Yes, you heard it right.

With a market-thumping +25% return, 'Energy' has been the top performing sector S&P sector in 2016 proving that oil is indeed alive and kicking.

The Year in Review

Oil's 2016 journey was marked by sudden sharp sell-offs followed by swift recoveries. However, with crude's wild ride, we saw some big winners  and big losers as well. So essentially, investors with good stock-picking skills made a lot of money, while those who bet on the wrong stocks got absolutely hammered.

By February, prices plunged all the way to a low of $26 per barrel, thanks to the boom in shale oil production and rising output from OPEC. The dramatic slide prompted several analysts to make bold calls on a potential bottom. While some suggested prices might drop as low as $20 a barrel, gloomier estimates called for a sensational $10-per-barrel floor.

But thankfully, none of these bone-chilling forecasts were correct.

A historic OPEC production cut agreement, together with help from non-OPEC producers and slashing investments (in existing and new wells) have seen oil prices more than double from their February lows to $52.

Energy Roadmap for 2017

Yes, oil had a great 2016 but what about 2017? Will history repeat itself?

While its hard to predict whether oil will double again and energy will outperform all other sectors next year, there's reason to believe that 2017 could be an excellent one for oil stocks.

After a 2 year bear market, the rig counts  both U.S. and International  have bottomed and activity is starting to bounce off slowly. Oil has rebounded from its multi-year lows reached earlier in 2016 and while the commodity may not be at a level many thought it would be at the end of the year, even at todays price certain companies are in a position to earn profits.

Story continues

Throughout the downturn, producers worked tirelessly to cut costs down to a bare minimum and look for innovative ways to churn out more oil from rock. And they managed to do just that by improving drilling techniques and extracting favorable terms from the beleaguered service producers.

With these efforts, many upstream companies have repositioned themselves to thrive even at lower prices. Moreover, lower capital expenditures have led to numerous project cancellations and production losses - another step in reducing the glut of crude.

The deal by members of the OPEC oil cartel to cut output is expected to bring much needed stability to the market with prices set to improve steadily. Multinational oil enterprises, on the back of greater certainty, will now be able revive spending on drilling activities.

Thus, there's a possibility that the sector will see a replay of 2016 - with attractive upside potential and good returns.

Momentum Investing to the Rescue

As evident from the energy market story, stocks can take a sudden turn for the good (or bad), making stock picking a risky game. Every good stock also has its bad day, which further adds to the risk. At the same time, this volatility can be exploited to make significant profits, which is where the Momentum Style Score enters the picture.

The Momentum Style Score is an indication of the time to buy a stock to benefit from rising share prices. The highest score is an A, so getting in on an A and out on a B or C could be a strategy for short term gains. For a more in-depth understanding, check out our Style Score System.

But investors should bear in mind that this is a speculative strategy and not meant for the weak-of-heart.

That said, we pair the Momentum Style Score of A with a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy), which as you know indicates stocks with high chances of outperforming the market over the next 1-3 months. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

One of the main factors driving the Zacks Rank is estimate revisions, so stocks with high ranks as well as high momentum scores have even greater chances of short-term appreciation.

Here, weve picked out five energy stocks for momentum investors based primarily on these two factors.

Our Choices

Newfield Exploration Co. NFX: Sporting a Zacks Rank #1, Woodlands, TX-based Newfield Exploration is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas onshore in the U.S.

Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A: The Hague-based Royal Dutch Shell is one of the largest publicly traded oil and gas companies in the world, based on proved reserves. Shell currently has a Zacks Rank #2.

InterOil Corp. IOC: InterOil  holding Zacks Rank #2 is a U.S.-listed, independent oil and gas company with assets in Papua New Guinea.

Stone Energy Corp. SGY: Lafayette, LA-based Stone Energy is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition and subsequent exploration, development, operation and production of oil and gas properties located primarily in the Gulf of Mexico. Stone Energy currently has a Zacks Rank #2.

Bill Barrett Corp. BBG: Headquartered in Denver, CO, Bill Barrett  with a Zacks Rank #2  is an independent oil and gas developer in the Denver-Julesburg Basin of Colorado and the Uinta Basin of Utah

Bottom Line

If you are looking for fresh picks that have potential to move in the right direction, definitely keep the 5 abovementioned stocks on your list as these looks well-positioned to soar in 2017.

Where Do Zacks' Investment Ideas Come From?

You are welcome to download the full, up-to-the-minute list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buy" stocks free of charge. There is no better place to start your own stock search. Plus you can access the full list of must-avoid Zacks Rank #5 "Strong Sells" and other private research. See the stocks free >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



INTEROIL CORP (IOC): Free Stock Analysis Report



ROYAL DTCH SH-A (RDS.A): Free Stock Analysis Report



NEWFIELD EXPL (NFX): Free Stock Analysis Report



STONE ENERGY CP (SGY): Free Stock Analysis Report



BILL BARRETT CP (BBG): Free Stock Analysis Report



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Brazil Regulation Vote Put On Hold Again

Published December 30, 2016 by Lee R

Corruption and moral decay are major deterrents to the court of public opinion.

Brazils gambling legislation has been delayed many times over the last 25 years, and it looks as if 2017 will not be an exception.

Half Year Imminence

A recent Congressional vote rendering Brazilian regulation imminent has already turned into an approximate half year real time wait for licenses to be issued and operations to commence--hopefully.

Corruption Interferes

Gambling legislation only requires one more vote. However, the Brazilian government has more pressing issues to address first, such as the Supreme Court injunction removing Senate President Renan Calheiros from office as a result of his indictment for embezzlement.

Vote to Cancel

A vote of 44 to 19 has cancelled the prospects of a final vote originally for December to choose one of two competing gambling bills  the Senates 186/2014 and the Chamber of Deputies 442/1991.

Back to Committee

The reroute was announced Tuesday by gambling proponent and Senator Fernando Bezerra Coelho, who informed Radio Jornal de Pernambuco that Bill 186/2014 had been sent to the Committee on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship (CCJ).

Rationale

The reason given for the vote to return PLS 186/2014 to the CCJ House Committee on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship was to continue discussion and research on individual points of the current bill.

Spring Hope

As for a time frame for a final Parliamentary vote, Coelho suggested it might take until March, April, (to) gather support necessary for the activity of gambling to be legalized in Brazil.

Moral Argument

In addition to public distrust of corruption, the moral issue came to the forefront when Brazils Catholic clergy urged the nation to oppose gambling liberalization in order to prevent irreparable moral, social and family damage.

Prospects

With the stigma of corruption and fear of moral decline real, Brazils final vote on iGaming legislation could be the longest wait, despite the promise of supporting lawmakers of the much-needed boost regulation offers to Brazils struggling economy.
Codeta Casino Enters UK Market with New Gaming Licence

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Drew Dhanraj Benedicte Gravrand, Opalesque Geneva for New Managers:

Grand Cayman-based Bell Rock Group, a provider of Cayman Islands hedge funds governance services, is launching the Evolution Offshore Emerging Manager Platform in the first quarter of 2017. The platform aims to support new and existing fund managers who want to launch an offshore fund, build a track record and raise capital.

"We can welcome an unlimited number of funds to the platform," executive director Drew Dhanraj told Opalesque. "From discussions, certain managers may want to run different strategies or share classes for specific investors and separate funds can be launched on the platform if they so wish. This is also useful to many managers who have traditionally been running managed accounts but perhaps wish to run a single investor offshore fund. However, we expect new managers to launch on the platform where they have traditionally been employed at a leading financial institutions but now wish to spin-out and run their own offshore fund, lock in seed capital, start building a track record and raising investment capital."

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There is no other way to put it, the non-stop demonizing and provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin and nuclear armed Russia is absolute insanity.

Read investigative reporter Robert Parry's latest, "Escalating the Risky Fight with Russia" [1] with his thorough analysis of the Russia bashing by the Obama administration, the neo-con and liberal interventionists, the New York Times, Washington Post editorial writers plus the reactionary fools in Congress pushing for "crippling sanctions against Russia" and one comes away believing madness has gripped "official" Washington and all its complicit enablers.

Accusations, allegations abound yet no factual evidence is given to substantiate Russian hacking in the election favoring Trump. Russia's successful intervention in Syria on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad is condemned as is the recent liberation of the people from the beheading al Qaeda jihadist terrorists in east Aleppo by the Syrian Arab Army. After the US inspired coup in Kiev, Ukraine in 2014 it was Russia "invading" Crimea rather than the reality of the Russian military legally stationed in Crimea preventing any violence and assisting the mostly Russian speaking people in Crimea to vote overwhelmingly in a referendum to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. Or Russia "invading" in eastern Ukraine on the side of the Russian speaking people when in fact it was the post government in Kiev sending in its "Right Sector" neo- Nazi militias to invade and kill the ethnic Russian speaking population in the east. Or the downing of the Malaysian passenger jet in July, 2014 immediately blamed on the Russian backed rebels in eastern Ukraine when in fact it was only the post coup Kiev governments forces that had ground to air missiles and fighter jets capable of downing the airliner.

Then there was Putin accused of building up his military forces to invade the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. An inane accusation considering Putin is no fool as all NATO countries would then be required to come to their aid.

What seems gone down the western "memory hole" is the agreement between the Bush Sr. administration and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989 that NATO would not "move one inch to the east" if East and West Germany were allowed to reunite.

That pledge was first reneged by Bill Clinton, then "Dubya" Bush and now Obama with NATO expanding to all the former "Warsaw Pact" countries of Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Albania, the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and the former Yugoslav countries of Croatia and Slovenia. Then with the US backed coup in Ukraine in 2014, though not a member, NATO is literally on the doorstep of Russia.

Such provocations are not lost on Putin or the Russian people who are no longer the pathetic remnants of Russia under President Boris Yeltsin after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

As Putin related to the Russian Defense Ministry prior to the Christmas holiday, "We can say with certainty: We are stronger than any potential aggressor". "Anyone". Undoubtedly this was meant not only for the Russian people but also "official" Washington.

The question is: Is anyone in "official" Washington listening? Or are they so consumed with their own self importance, arrogant, exceptional, entitled of the "indispensible" country believing its "Full Spectrum Dominance" hypothesis still prevailed, that Russia remains a two bit non entity that eventually will accept US hegemony or crumble under some neo-con inspired "regime change".

Consider, the Soviet Union suffered some 27 million casualties during WWII. No family was left untouched by Hitler's Nazi invasion. The Russian people know war and its tragic consequences. They do not want war but are prepared to defend their country at all costs.

Yet madness has gripped "official" Washington with regards to Russia.

While a new administration is coming to power in three weeks and Trump has indicated he wants to work with Putin it may be stretch to expect him to pull it off considering the neo-cons have been in control of US foreign policy and want no detente re-set with Russia.

From here this is Trump's most important foreign policy challenge. Let's hope he prevails.





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When you learn that a coworker in a similar position is making more money than you, it can stir up intense feelings of jealousy and amplify your insecurities. You work just as hard! You do the same job! Why don't you get the pay you deserve?

Instead of focusing on your personal flaws, take note of what your coworker is doing right. There are lots of variables that go into determining how much to pay employees. Even when you think you're doing all the right things, chances are you could be doing more.

Gaining that competitive edge that brings a higher salary is probably simpler than you think. Just make sure you're not overlooking these key reasons your co-worker may be earning more than you:

1. She negotiated more aggressively



One of the worst mistakes you can make going into a job is accepting an offer without doing your research. Companies don't want to hand out more money than they need to, so their first offer is likely on the conservative side. Pushing back on an initial offer is necessary in order to get the salary you want and deserve.

But make sure you do your research first. Coming back with a counter offer that is much higher than the industry standard is a surefire way to show that you aren't salary-savvy.

"You need to figure out your market value and negotiate for a market adjustment," says Caroline Ceniza-Levine, career expert at SixFigureStart. "If the idea of negotiating makes you nervous, work to get over this because you'll need to negotiate to fix your situation, regardless of the underlying reason."

Whether you are negotiating an initial offer or a raise, you need fair numbers and a strong understanding of why you're worth the money.



2. His timing was better

As frustrating as it may be, if you were hired during a season of economic scarcity, chances are that you may not be making as much as employees who were brought on when the company was prospering. If you know that you were hired at a time when business was tough, asses the current economic climate and see if it might be time to revisit your salary.

Story continues

"Sometimes new hires join a company at a higher salary because the company pays more to attract them," says Ceniza-Levine. Make sure you know the current market value for your job, and make sure you're broaching the subject at a stable time.

If the timing is right, make sure you have a strong case for your increase. Bring up your contributions and how you have helped your company move past those times of economic hardship. Coming into the fold during a difficult time may actually set you up for more success now, because it shows your adaptability and hard work.



3. She doesn't let a good job go unnoticed



In the workplace, humility can be overrated.

If you want your boss to recognize your efforts, keeping your nose to the grindstone isn't always going to do it. You need to keep track of how your hard work benefits the company and other employees, and bring attention to yourself when the timing is appropriate. Tooting your own horn may be uncomfortable for you, but if you want to earn more, you need to demonstrate why you deserve to.



4. He remembers to dress to impress



In a perfect world, perhaps looks wouldn't factor into a person's money-making ability, but the reality is, the way you present yourself matters. Taking pride in your appearance in business and in social situations can have an impact on your earning potential.

Those who dress the part and keep spirits high are more likely to be noticed in a positive way, so make sure you are putting your best foot forward, especially if you are looking to ask for a raise. You want to make sure everything about you leaves a good impression, from your work to your wardrobe.



5. She has a better background

Before landing a similar position to you, your coworker may have done some impressive work elsewhere to attract a higher salary. Or she may have developed skills that you didn't. More general experience, more functional expertise in that role, or more industry knowledge relevant to the company can a have a big impact on salary negotiations, according to Ceniza-Levine.

"To bridge the gap, you need to shore up your expertise, knowledge or skills," says Ceniza-Levine. First, she recommends evaluating whether or not you're worth what you're asking. "Confirm that your job is as valuable as you think  are you working on projects and clients that are important to the current strategy of the company? Are you delivering results that matter?"

Just because you're jealous of your coworker doesn't mean you are owed more money. Ceniza Levine also warns that roles that appear the same might actually be more different than you think. "Just because you work in the same group or sit side-by-side doesn't mean your projects, clients or results have the same value."



So make sure you work is actually worth what you think it is, and then make your case.

Gemma Hartley is a full-time freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Glamour, Women's Health, Redbook Magazine, and more.





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From Reader Supported News

On January 3, 2017, a very important window will open. All constitutional experts agree that President Obama has the power to appoint a justice of his choosing and fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, without a Senate confirmation hearing. On that day, and that day alone.

The process is called, as he knows, an inter-session recess appointment. It would without question succeed in placing a justice of his choosing on the court for at least one year. Failure to do so would guarantee a politically motivated, right-wing majority for decades to come.

Obama's critics say that a recess appointment would be bad form, or an expression of bitterness after a failed election. Far from it. The New York Times is quite correct in dubbing the open court seat as The Stolen Supreme Court Seat. It bears repeating that this appointment was President Barack Obama's to make. Open and shut.

Should Obama walk away from that, he would validate and legitimatize the Republican act of piracy. Moreover, he would be complicit in the greatest judicial coup in U.S. history. He would in effect become an active partner, a facilitator to the injustice.

While the appointment is Obama's to make as President of the United States, the seat belongs to the American people, and it is the American people whose best interests Obama is sworn to act upon.

There are two arguments that are often cited against a recess appointment. The first is that it would only be guaranteed to last one year, until December 2017. The second is that Judge Merrick Garland is currently Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. It's a very prestigious post, and Garland might not want to give up that position for an appointment, even a Supreme Court appointment, that might only last a year.

To the first point, that a recess appointment would only last a year and that presumably not much changes in a year: Senator Mitch McConnell laid waste to that argument. He bought a year and stands poised to reshape the court for decades. A lot can change in a year. If McConnell finds himself on the receiving end of a one-year delay, he will probably call it treason.

To the argument that Garland might opt to return to the D.C. Court of Appeals rather than accept a one-year stint on the Supreme court: Obama is not tethered to the Garland nomination. He can place Garland or any qualified candidate of his choosing during a recess appointment.

Obama must not lose sight of what is at stake. It is not just his approval rating. It is the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court for decades to come. Obama acts in this regard not just on behalf of all Americans, but particularly on behalf of those who supported his ascension to the presidency. Among those constituents, support for a recess appointment would be overwhelming.

The perception of American voters is that Democrats don't fight. It cost them dearly at the polls this time and it will cost them every time, until they demonstrate that they will.

The composition of the Supreme Court is arguably of greater consequence than the office of the president. This is an enormously important decision. People are waiting to see a Democrat, any Democrat, stand up and make a fight.

Obama can lead that fight or run away from it. But he can't do both.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
Static and Rotating Equipment (Oil and Gas) Market To Reach US$ 35,500.00 Million By 2022

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New York, December 27: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Static and Rotating Equipment (Oil and Gas) Market by Static Equipment (Valves, Boilers, Furnaces, and Heat Exchangers [Shell and Tube, Air Cooled]) and Rotating Equipment (Compressors, Turbines, and Pumps) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2014  2022The static and rotating equipment (Oil and Gas) market is expected to exceed more than US$ 35500 million by 2022 growing at a CAGR of more than 3.5% in the given forecast period 2014 to 2022.Browse Full Report:Static and rotating equipment will structured or form an important and necessary component such as oil and gas static and rotating equipment infrastructure. Based on quality, consistency and reliability of this static and rotating equipment depends various activity such as downstream, midstream and upstream activity. Due to falling oil price in recent year and expenditure on exploration & production action will decrease the demand of oil and gas equipment in future. The key actions in the oil and gas production depend on the reliability and quality of static and rotating equipment. So these static and rotating equipment machines form a key element of oil and gas infrastructure.The major driving factors of static and rotating equipment (Oil and Gas) market are as follows: Quick infrastructure growth in oil and gas mid stream sector Development in construction Creation of new plant and growth of presented servicesThe restraints factors of static and rotating equipment (Oil and Gas) market are as follows: Fall in basic price can reduce the investigation and production spending by oil and gas keysDownload Free Sample Report:The static and rotating equipment (Oil and Gas) market is segmented on the lines of its classification and types. Based on classification market is segmented into oil and gas static equipment and oil and gas rotating equipment. Under type the oil and gas static equipment is segmented into valves, boilers, furnaces and heat exchangers. The oil and gas rotating equipment market is segmented on the line of its type like comprise, turbines, pumps and compressors. The static and rotating equipment market is geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for static and rotating equipment (Oil and Gas) and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for static and rotating equipment (Oil and Gas)4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Alfa Laval AB, Atlas Copco AB, Pentair plc, General Electric Company, Metso Oyj, Siemens AG, Tenaris SA, Sulzer Limited, FMC Technologies Inc., OAO TMK, Technip SA, Flowserve Corporation, Doosan Group, Wartsila, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary,business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Static and Rotating Equipment (Oil and Gas) Market has been segmented as below:By Classification AnalysisOil and gas static equipmentOil and gas rotating equipmentBy Oil and Gas Static Equipment Type AnalysisValvesBoilersFurnacesHeat exchangersBy Oil and Gas Rotating Equipment Type AnalysisCompriseTurbinesPumpsCompressorsby Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:
Lignosulfonates Market to Reach US$ 960 Million by 2024

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New York, December 28: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Lignosulfonates Market by Product (Calcium Lignosulfonate, Sodium Lignosulfonate, and Magnesium Lignosulfonate), by Application (Additives, Concrete Admixture, Animal Feed Binder, Dust Control & Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024The lignosulfonates market is expected to exceed more than USD 960.0 million by 2024 growing at a CAGR of more than 3.7% in the given forecast period 2016 to 2024.Download Free Sample Report:Lignosulfonate is made up of different components created from the spent sulfite liquor in the mashing of soft wood in paper manufacturing and used particular for disperse and binder agents. Lignosulfonates are improved from the spent mashing liquids such as red and brown from sulfite pulping. To split lignosulfonates from the spent mashing liquid ion exchange and ultra filtration techniques are used. Lignosulfonate is the important chemicals used in the concrete admixture industry globally. These are anionic polymers having economical prize, lignosulfonate is get from the manufacture of paper. Lignosulfonate having variety of forms such as magnesium lignosulfonate , calcium lignosulfonate and sodium lignosulfonate .These are eco friendly so used in many applications such as dust control, concrete admixture and feed blinder applications.The major driving factors of lignosulfonates market are as follows: Increasing Construction production growing in demand from animal feed businessThe restraining factors of lignosulfonates market are as follows: Application specific replacement is restraint for lignosulfonate market.Browse Full Report here:The lignosulfonates market is segmented on the lines of its product and application. Under product segmentation it covers calcium lignosulfonate, sodium lignosulfonate and magnesium lignosulfonate. The lignosulfonates market is segmented on the lines of its application like animal feed, dyestuff and dust control. The lignosulfonates market is geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for lignosulfonates and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2014, estimates for 2015 and 2016, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2024.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for lignosulfonates4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Borregaard LignoTech, Tembec Inc., Sappi, Flambeau River Papers, NIPPON PAPER INDUSTRIES CO., LTD., Domsjo Fabriker AB, Burgo Group Spa, Green Agrochem, Shenyang Xingzhenghe Chemical Co., Ltd., and Qingdao Newworld Material Co., Limited. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary,business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Lignosulfonates Market has been segmented as below:by Application AnalysisConcrete AdditivesAnimal FeedDyestuffDust ControlOthersBy Product AnalysisCalcium LignosulfonateSodium LignosulfonateMagnesium LignosulfonateBy Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market Worth US$ 27 Billion by 2021

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New York, December 28: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market by Applications, by Product Types and by Technology - Global Market Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2021How Big is the Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market?The implantable drug delivery devices market is expected to exceed more than US$ 27 billion by 2021; Growing at a CAGR of more than 8.6% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report:Implantable devices having many functions such as it vascular stents preserve flow of blood. The electro-stimulation devices control heart block spurious in the brain. Implantable drug delivery devices permit site specific drug management where that drug requires more. There has been rising union between drug therapies and implantable devices such as devices that carry drugs as prime action.The major driving factors of implantable drug delivery devices market are as follows:Driving factors for the global contraceptive drug delivery implants marketNGO and government initiatives to support contraceptive goodsIncreasing frequency of unwanted pregnanciesDriving factors for the global intraocular drug delivery implants marketIncreasing patient group for diabetic retinopathy and diabetesGrowing aging population globallyDriving factors for the global implantable drug infusion pumps marketHigh predominance of chronic pain causing disordersIncreasing frequency of colorectal cancer globallyDriving factors for the global brachytherapy seeds marketAppearance of new disease appliancesGrowing prevalence of prostate cancer globallyDriving factors for the global coronary stentsIncreasing many interventional cardiologistsRising frequency of cardiovascular diseasesThe restraining factors of implantable drug delivery devices market are as follows:Strict CE and FDA approval norms.The introduction of internal product substitutes, lawsuits and product recalls.Download Free Sample Report:The implantable drug delivery devices market is segmented on the lines of its product type, technology, application and regional. Based on product type segmentation it covers implantable drug infusion pumps, implantable brachytherapy seeds, implantable intraocular drug delivery devices, implantable contraceptive drug delivery devices, implantable bio absorbable stents and implantable coronary drug eluting stents. Under technology segmentation the implantable drug delivery devices market contains non biodegradable implantable drug delivery device technology and biodegradable implantable drug delivery device technology. The implantable drug delivery devices market is segmented on the lines of its application like oncology, birth control/ contraception, cardiovascular, ophthalmology and others such as chronic pain causing diseases and diabetes. The implantable drug delivery devices markets geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for implantable drug delivery devices and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2021.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for implantable drug delivery devices.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for Implantable drug delivery devices with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market, current market trends and situations. Key players profiled in the report include Allergan Inc, Bayer HealthCare, Medtronic Inc., Nucletron, Merck, pSivida Corp., Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott Laboratories and Bausch and Lomb Inc. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide the buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players and potential market covered.The Implantable drug delivery devices Market has been segmented as below:By Product Type AnalysisImplantable drug infusion pumpsImplantable brachytherapy seedsImplantable intraocular drug delivery devicesImplantable contraceptive drug delivery devicesImplantable bio absorbable stentsImplantable coronary drug eluting stentsBy Technology AnalysisNon biodegradable implantable drug delivery device technologyBiodegradable implantable drug delivery device technologyBy Application AnalysisOncologyBirth control/ contraceptionCardiovascularOphthalmologyOther (chronic pain causing diseases, diabetes)By Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Global Medical Laser Systems Market Share, By Key Players 2018

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The global market for medical laser systems features a large number of domestic and international vendors and is highly competitive, observes a recent report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). Low options of product differentiation and availability of cheaper products manufactured by local companies make price rivalry increasingly intense in the market. The effect of these challenges, however, is expected to be subsided due to the presence of vast growth opportunities, especially across developing economies. Some of the key vendors in the market are Lumenis Ltd., PhotoMedex, Inc., Spectranetics Corporation, Novadaq, Syneron-Candela, AngioDynamics Corporation, BioLase, Inc., and Iridex Corporation.Transparency Market Research states that the global medical laser systems market will exhibit a healthy double-digit rate of growth over the forecast period and rise to US$2,031.0 mn by 2018.Request a PDF Brochure with Report Analysis:Diode Lasers, North America to Continue to Hold Dominant PositionsOf the key varieties of medical laser systems examined in the report, the segment of diode lasers holds the dominant market share and is expected to retain its dominant stance in the global market over the forecast period as well. This can be chiefly attributed to the use of these lasers in a wide array of medical applications such as photodynamic therapy and numerous aesthetic treatments. However, the segment of solid state lasers is expected to exhibit the most significant rate of growth over the forecast period. Factors such as availability of several variants of these lasers, each of which find specific applications in medical treatments such as tattoo removal, periodontology, and skin treatment will be the key growth drivers.In terms of geography, the global medical laser systems market is dominated by North America, chiefly owing to the increased prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity in the region. However, the Asia-Pacific medical laser systems market will exhibit the most promising growth over the forecast period and will benefit from the presence of high growth opportunities in terms of unmet medical requirements in emerging economies such as India and China.Significant Rise in Age-Related Ocular Disorders to Augment Markets Growth ProspectsWith the significant and rapid rise in the geriatric population of the globe, the number of patients suffering from age-related ophthalmic disorders such as macular degeneration, presbyopia, diabetic retinopathy, and cataract is also rising globally. Cataract is one of the most common of these diseases and the corrective surgery commonly involves medical lasers. Recent statistics denote that the number of cataract surgeries performed in 2020 will be nearly 4 mn, representing a rise of more than 1 mn of that in 2010. Along with this factor, the prevalence of other eye disorders and the necessary corrective surgeries involving lasers will act as high-impact drivers for the global medical laser systems market over the reports forecast period.Strict and Globally Variable Regulatory Standards to Hamper Market GrowthOne of the key challenges of using lasers in the medical field is the need for compliance with several safety-related procedures and norms. Laser safety norms also differ with countries and laser manufacturers require several certifications and approvals before commercializing their products. This need to adhere to a vast array of different rules and regulations across several countries, owing to factors such as variation in stringency level of approval bodies and presence of several approval bodies, dampens the spirit of companies, especially small-scale ones, and may result in lesser number of companies wanting to foray into the field.Browse Full Research Report on Medical Laser Systems Market: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. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e 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:Browse market research blog:
Global Super Resolution Microscopes Market Key Trends & Analysis 2023

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A new market research report by Transparency Market Research presents a comprehensive analysis of the global market for super resolution microscopes. The research report, titled Super Resolution Microscopes Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015  2023, covers the markets overview, current market trends, market drivers and restraints, product segmentation, major geographical segments, and competitive analysis of the market. The research study further provides the historical data and forecast figures of the global super resolution microscopes market with the help of infographics, charts, and tables. The study also includes valued inputs by industry experts to assist the new as well as existing players in formulating their business policies effectively.The research report has segmented the global market for super resolution microscopes on the basis of technology into stochastic function resolution technique, deterministic functional resolution technique, combination resolution techniques, and true super resolution technique. The market share and market size estimates are further discussed in the scope of the research report.Download Complete Healthcare Analytical Brochure:Furthermore, on the basis of application, the global market for super resolution microscopes has been classified into nanotechnology, geo-material research, life sciences, material sciences, research laboratories, and semiconductor manufacturing. Among these, in terms of volume, the life sciences segment accounts for the largest share in the overall super resolution microscopes market. The life sciences segment is further sub-categorized into biopharmaceutical companies, science universities, and forensic laboratories. On the other hand, in terms of value, the nanotechnology and material sciences segments are considered among the largest segment in the global market.The research report on the global market for super resolution microscopes has been divided on the basis of geography into the Middle East and Africa, North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. The Asia Pacific and North America markets are considered as the most promising regions in the global market. The demand for super resolution microscopes is expected to grow substantially, exhibiting a significant growth rate in the forecast period. China, Australia, and Japan are the major markets in the Asia Pacific region. The super resolution microscope market in the Rest of the World is anticipated to grow at a stable rate, compared to other major economies around the world.The research study further talks about the competitive landscape of the global market for super resolution microscopes, focusing on the company profiles of major players and their contact information, financial overview, business policies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments if any. Some of the major players operating in the global market for super resolution microscopes are Nikon Corporation, Olympus Inc., Carl Zeiss AG, Hitachi High Tech Corporation, GE LifeSciences, JEOL Ltd, Bruker Corporation, FEI Company, and Leica Microsystems.Browse Full Research Report on Super Resolution Microscopes Market: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. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e 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:Browse market research blog:
Talc Market Explores New Growth Opportunities By 2021

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Talc is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate and is an important industrial and commercial mineral. It has broad applications as an industrial mineral due to its resistance to heat, electricity and acids and oil and grease adsorption. Talc has extensive commercial use because of its luster, softness, purity, fragrance retention, softness and whiteness. It is the softest known mineral and has a rating of 1 on the Mohs hardness scale. It can be scratched by a fingernail and is also sectile that means it can be cut by a knife. It has a specific gravity of 2.5 -2.8 and has clear luster. Talc is slightly soluble in dilute mineral acids and insoluble in water. It is a metamorphic mineral and occurs due to metamorphism of magnesium minerals such as olivine, amphibole, serpentine and pyroxene in presence of water and carbon dioxide. Talc is a tri-octahedral layered mineral and has a similar structure to that of pyrophyllite.Request to view Sample Report @Talc can be used as an ingredient in paints, roofing materials, ceramics, insecticides, rubber, talcum powder and insecticides among others. It is also used by the cosmetics industry, pulp and paper industry and food industry. Talc is often used to manufacture laboratory countertops and electrical switchboards due to its resistance to heat, acids and electricity. It is used by the cosmetic industry as a lubricant and as a filler by the pulp and paper industry. Talc is extensively used to make astringent baby powders that prevent rashes covered by a diaper. Talc is used by the pharmaceutical industry as a glidant (a substance that is added to powder to improve its flow ability) and by the food industry as an additive. In the European Union the additive number is E553b. In medicine, talc is used as a pluerodesis agent to prevent pneumothorax or recurrent pleural effusion. Talc is also an effective dispersing agent and anti caking agent and helps fertilizer plants and animal feeds to function efficiently and can be used for fertilizers.The paper and pulp industry remains the largest global end market for talc and is the key driving factor for the talc Industry. The automotive industry, ceramics industry and the paint and coatings industry are the other major consumers of talc. The use of talc as a filler in the paper industry is declining today but the use of talc for the manufacture of under the hood automotive parts is substantially increasing that has further lead to surge in demand for talc by the automotive industry.Asia Pacific is the largest market for talc with China, India, Japan, Bhutan, and South Korea being the key markets in this region. The Indian talc industry is the worlds third largest and continues to grow due to increase in domestic consumption. North America and Europe are other regions with a substantial market share of talc. Austria, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and United Kingdom are the major consumers of talc in Europe.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies dominating the talc market are Imerys talc, Mondo Minerals, Golcha Group, American Talc, IMI FABI, Nippon Talc, Minerals Technologies Inc, the Jai Group, Aihai Talc, Behai Talc, Shuiquan Talc, Xin Talc, Haumei Talc, Guiguang Talc and Xin Talc among others. Imerys talc is the worlds leading producer of talc followed by Mondo Minerals.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Trimellitates Market Will Continue to Grow by 2021

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Trimellitates are additives that increase the plasticity or fluidity of a material. Trimellitates have applications in automobile industry and are used in automobile interiors where resistance to high temperature is required. Trimellitates are colorless to slightly yellow liquids with high boiling points and low vapor pressures; these properties contribute to their high physical stability. In addition, trimellitates have extremely low volatility. Trimellitates are soluble in numerous organic solvents and miscible with ether, alcohol and oils, but essentially insoluble in water. Because of the similarity in structure as well as physicochemical properties, the trimellitates are grouped into a single category containing four substances with carboxylic side chain ester groups ranging from C8-ClO. Trimellitates are manufactured by esterification of trimellitic anhydride (TMA). The basic structure is an aromatic ring with side chains in the 1,2 and 4 positions. Some examples of trimellitates are n-octyl trimellitate, tri-(2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate, tri-(n-octyl,n-decyl) trimellitate, trimethyl trimellitate, and tri-(heptyl,nonyl) trimellitate among others.Request to view Sample Report @Majority of trimellitates are manufactured for flexible PVC applications. Trimellitates have low volatility and blend with the highest-molecular-weight phthalates and are typically used in high-specification electrical cable insulation and sheathing. Trimelliates have advantage over other plasticizers due to their superior chemical properties and high permanence which increase the shelf life of PVC compounds subjected to elevated temperatures. In addition, trimellitates have applications in construction materials, food packaging, toys, medical devices and automobile industry.The growth in the end user industries is expected to be a major driving factor for the consumption of trimellitates. The growth in wire and cable industry is expected to increase the consumption of trimellitates. Demand for trimellitates is also influenced by general economic conditions. Hence, demand for trimellitates follows the patterns of the major world economies. In addition, rising consumption in emerging economies is expected to boost the consumption of trimellitates. However, availability of substitutes could hamper the growth of this market.Asia Pacific is currently the largest market for trimellites, followed by Europe, North America and rest of the world. The growth of trimelliates market was slow in Asia Pacific due to economic recession but has quickly recovered. India, china, Mongolia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Japan are the major markets in Asia Pacific. China has moved towards self sufficiency in manufacture of trimellites but the industry remains highly fragmented. Demand for trimellitates in North America is expected to grow at a moderate rate while demand in Europe is expected to grow at comparatively higher rate.Request to view Table of content @Some of the key players in this market are Exxon Mobil Chemical(U.S.), Shell Chemicals ( U.S), BASF (Germany), Dow Chemical (U.S.), E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (U.S.), Mitsubishi Chemical (Japan), LG Chem (South Korea), AkzoNobel (Netherlands), Sumitomo Chemical (Japan), Mitsui Chemicals (Japan), Toray Industries (Japan), Eastman Chemical Company(U.S.), and Evonik Industries (Germany) among others. Exxon Mobil Chemical manufactures trimellitate plasticizers under the brand name Jayflex. Jayflex trimellitate plasticizers have applications in wire and cable industry that require resistance to high temperatures over long durations and in automobile interiors. BASF manufactures trimellitate plasticizers under the brand name Palatinol. Palatinol TOTM (tri octyl trimellitate) provides desirable properties in vinyl applications which require low volatility, good plasticizer compatibility, resistance to extraction by soapy water and good electrical properties. Palatinol tri octyl trimellitate is suitable for interior automotive applications and wire insulation.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Valeraldehyde Market Revenue Predicted To Go Up by 2021

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Valeraldehyde is an alkyl aldehyde used in flavorings, resin chemistry and rubber accelerators. Valeraldehyde is also known as PENTANAL, FEMA 3098, Valeral, n-C4H9CHO, n-valeral, 1-pentanal, N-PENTANAL, butylformal, pentan-1-al, n-C4H9CHO and Pentanenal among others. Valeraldehyde is chemically stable but highly flammable. Valeraldehyde vapor is denser than air and can travel long distances and accumulate in coastal areas creating an explosion hazard. It is incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, acids, strong alkalies and strong reducing agents. Valeraldehyde occurs as a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. Valeraldehyde is slightly soluble in water and less dense than water.Request to view Sample Report @Valeraldehyde is an important industrial chemical and is used as a chemical building block in the production of valeric acid and amyl alcohol. In addition, it is used as a fragrance additive and rubber accelerator additive. Valeric acid is used as a precursor or chemical intermediate to manufacture synthetic lubricants, perfumes, agricultural chemicals, flavors and pharmaceuticals. Valeraldehyde is also used as a flavoring agent in foods. Commercially, valeraldehyde is prepared by reduction of n-valeric acid or by oxidation of the corresponding alcohol, 1-pentanol. Valeraldehyde can be industrially prepared by the oxo process, which involves the reaction of olefins with hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst. In addition, valeraldehyde is used as a synthetic and natural flavoring agent. It is used to flavor a product to give it a specific taste (fruity or nutty flvour) and is an ingredient of rose oil used to flavor chewing tobacco, beverages and food.The growth in the end-user industries is expected to be the major driving factor for the growth of valeraldehyde market. The growth in the fragrance industry is expected to increase the consumption of valeraldehyde. In addition, the demand for fragrance in expected to increase substantially in emerging economies due to rapid economic development and rise in disposable incomes. The increase in demand in emerging economies is expected to boost the consumption of valeraldehyde. However, availability of substitutes could hamper the growth of this market.Valeraldehyde is a versatile chemical, which has a global demand due to its features and broad range of applications. Valeraldehyde is the fastest-growing oxo chemical and has steady demand in the major economies. Demand for valeraldehyde in the U.S. is expected to grow moderately while consumption in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a high rate. Asia Pacific, Europe and North America are the largest markets for valeraldehyde. China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore are major consumers of valeraldehyde in Asia Pacific. The long-term prospect for valeraldehyde in Western Europe has improved considerably due to consolidations and capacity reductions which have resulted in improved efficiencies and capacity utilization. Many of the key players are shifting their manufacturing facilities to the Asia Pacific due to availability of land and cheap labor.Request to view Table of content @Some of the key players in this market are BASF (Germany), Dow Chemical (U.S.), E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (U.S.), Mitsubishi Chemical (Japan), LG Chem (South Korea), AkzoNobel (Netherlands), Sumitomo Chemical (Japan), Mitsui Chemicals (Japan), Toray Industries (Japan), Eastman Chemical Company(U.S.), and Evonik Industries (Germany) among others. Dow chemical manufactures valeric acid using the oxo process. Butylene is reacted with synthesis gas (hydrogen mixture and carbon monoxide) in the presence of a catalyst which yields valeraldehyde. Valeraldehyde is then oxidized to valeric acid.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Cellulose Acetate Fibers Market : Global Market Snapshot by 2021

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Cellulose acetate is the acetate ester of cellulose. It is processed from wood pulp for commercial purposes. The wood pulp is first processed using an acids known as acetic anhydride which goes on to form acetate flakes from which products are then manufactured. As this fiber is processed from wood pulp, which is a renewable source, it is biodegradable unlike other fabricated fibers. Besides wood pulp, the other technique involved in the manufacture of cellulose acetate is treating cotton with acetic acid and using sulphuric acid as the catalyst.Request to view Sample Report @The main applications of this fiber include its use in spectacle frames, film media, use in some coatings, synthetic fibers, cigarette filters among others. Its main use lies in the textile and cigarette-manufacturing industries as these industries are rapidly growing. The key properties of cellulose acetate fibers include high transparency, very lustrous, good toughness and a very soft and natural feel. Its biodegradable quality makes it the most wanted fiber globally. The trade name for this acetate includes Acele, Avisco, Celanese, Chromspun and Estron. This acetate has very similar properties as that of rayon and were earlier believed to be the same textile. However, the two textiles differ from each in the use of acetic acid in the production of acetate fibers. The two fabrics are now treated and used very differently. Rayon resists heat while cellulose acetate burns or melts when heated. Cellulose acetate fiber textiles should be laundered gently and either hand washed or dry cleaned. Due to its rich and smooth, satiny texture is is a good synthetic alternative to silk and is usually used in bridal clothing and other attire.The main factors that drive the market for cellulose acetate fibers is its use in cigarette products. The demand for cigarettes is increasing rapidly for the past few years. Cellulose acetate fibres are used in the production of cigarette buds and hence the demand for this material is expected to grow rapidly in the near future. The textile industry also makes use of this fiber in the manufacturing of garments and as the material is rich, smooth and satiny, it is a cheaper alternative to silk with similar qualities. the use of this material in textile industries is expected to drive the market continually especially its use in wedding gowns as the wedding industry is also a huge multimillion industry and generates huge revenues throughout the year. This material is considered biodegradable as it is made from wood pulp. Hence more industries would prefer to use this material as a raw material in order to manufacture their end product. The end users for this market include ophthalmologists, textile industries, cigarette industries which are rapidly growing industries globally and demand for these end product is still high and is expected to grow over the next few years.The key segments for this market include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. the usage of this fiber in the U.S. was the maximum for the past few years and was a mature market for this material.China follows the U.S, after which comes the rest of Asia Pacific and then Europe. The market for cellulose acetate fibers is expected to rise in Asia pacific countries as the number of textile industries is increasing and is anticipated to rise in the next few years. The demand for biodegradable fabric is very high and its use will enhance the sale of end products especially in North America and Europe as there wont be any stringent regulation against its use.Request to view Table of content @The main companies profiled for the manufacture of cellulose acetate fibers include BASF AG, Formosa Plastics Group, Sinopec, Du Pont- Akra Polyester LLC, Bayer AG among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
As the debate continues over the Obama administrations handling of the U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements, there are signs it is causing a divide within the Democratic Party. Electile Dysfunction author and Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz weighs in on the political fallout from the Obama administrations handling of Israel.

[The New York Times] has a story today saying only right-wing Jews condemn [Secretary of State] Kerry. Hey, Im a left-wing liberal Jew, [U.S. Senator from New York] Schumer is a liberal Jew  you know, they just make up the news, Dershowitz told the FOX Business Networks Sandra Smith.

When asked if the issue of Israel was foreshadowing a divide within the Democratic Party, Dershowitz responded, It does, and if they now appoint [Minnesota Rep.] Keith Ellison, who worked with [Nation of Islam leader] Farrakhan, to be chairman of the DNC youre going to see a lot of people leave.

Dershowitz then issued a stern warning to the Democratic Party.

Im going to tell you right here on this show and this is news, if they appoint Keith Ellison to be chairman of the Democratic Party, I will resign my membership to the Democratic Party after 50 years of being a loyal Democrat.

According to Dershowitz, he will support some individual Democratic candidates, but has concerns about the state of the Democratic Party.

I will still vote my conscience and mostly Ill vote for Democrats, but I will not be a member of a party that represents itself through a chairman like Keith Ellison and through policies like that espoused by John Kerry and Barack Obama.

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Smart Grid Sensor Market is Expected to Rise at a Remarkable CAGR During 2015 to 2021

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A smart grid sensor is a small and lightweight node that serves as a detection station in a sensor network. Smart grid sensors enable the remote monitoring of equipment such as transformers and power lines, and the demand-side management of resources on an energy smart grid. Smart grid sensors are generally used to monitor weather conditions and power line temperature, which can then be used to calculate the lines carrying capacity. This process, known as dynamic line rating, helps in increasing the power flow of existing transmission lines for power companies. A smart grid sensor can also be used within homes and businesses to increase energy efficiency. A smart grid sensor can be of four types: microcomputer, transducer, power source, and transceiver .Request to view Sample Report @Transducers can be used to generate electrical signals based on phenomena such as power-line voltage. Microcomputers can be used to process and store the sensor output. The transceiver receives command from a central computer and transmits data to that computer. The power for each sensor can be derived from the electric utility or from a battery. Smart grids require monitoring, control functions, and multiple sensing at various levels. Smart grids can solve various problems in managing current electric grid infrastructure by enabling broad knowledge and control of operations at all levels, from generation to transmission and distribution to end use. All these functions, such as monitoring, control functions, and multiple sensing, depend on real-time collection and communication of a wide range of data throughout the grid, which creates significant opportunities for various types of sensors.Based on the sensor type, the global smart grid sensor market is divided into four segments: energy conservation sensors, humidity and temperature sensors, current sensors, and oil moisture sensors. On the basis of application, the global smart grid sensor market is divided into four segments: advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), smart meters, SCADA, lead management, and others .In terms of geography, North America dominates the global smart grid sensor market. The U.S. represents the largest market for smart grid sensor, followed by Canada in North America. In Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K. hold the major share of the smart grid sensor market. However, Asia Pacific is expected to witness high growth rates in the next five years in the smart grid sensor market. China and Japan represent the largest markets in Asia Pacific.Convergence of severe weather, growing interest in green technologies, ageing infrastructure, and inefficient power balancing are some of the major driving forces for the global smart grid sensor market. Smart metering and meter data analytics, grid management, and renewable energy grid integration create opportunities for the global smart grid sensor market.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies operating in the global smart grid sensor market are Alstom, Atmospheric Systems, Corp. (ASC), AT&T, ABB, Axiom Power, IUS Technologies, Toshiba, Ford, Elster Solutions, GE's Digital Energy, Silver Spring Networks, Cisco, Google, FreeWave Technologies, Honeywell, Honda, Schneider Electric, Mitsubishi, Eaton, and Siemens.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
Chlorofluorocarbon Market Expand Their Businesses With New Investments

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A chlorofluorocarbon is an organic compound that consists mainly of 3 elements which are carbon, chlorine and fluorine which are produced as a derivative of ethane. These are most often known by the DuPont brand name Freon. Dichlorofluoromethane is the most common representative of this organic compound. Chlorofluorocarbons are non-toxic, non-flammable and do not react with other compounds. However, the production of such compounds has been slowly phased out under the Montreal protocol, which is made to stop production of substances that contribute in the depletion of the ozone layer.Request to view Sample Report @The main application of this organic compound lies in a variety of industrial, commercial and household applications. Along with non-toxic, non flammable and non-reactive these substances also have stable thermodynamic properties and this makes them ideal for various applications which include coolants for commercial and home refrigeration set up, aerosol propellants, electronic cleaning solvents and blowing gents. Out of these, their wide application lies as refrigerants, propellants and as solvents. However, in the recent past it was discovered that this compound causes harm to the environment especially chlorine which contributes largely too the depletion of the ozone layer. Hence, these compounds are being replaced with products such as hydrofluorocarbons.The main drivers for the chlorofluorocarbons market is its use in the refrigerant industry. The automobile industry is one of the main factors that drives the refrigerant industry. The primary application of chlorofluorocarbons is in the refrigerant industry in the manufacturing of refrigeration and air conditioning products. Other applications, which drive its market, include its use in solvents, foam blowing agents, plastics, and electronics among others. The market for chlorofluorocarbons is expected to rise especially in developing countries. Nevertheless, due to the harmful effects it causes to the environment related to the depletion of the upper layer of the ozone, the compound is being replaced by hydrofluorocarbons, which is being accepted to a huge extent globally as it is safe as compared to chlorofluorocarbons. But the use of hydrofluorocarbons also cause bad effects to the environments but on a smaller scale hence demand for green refrigerants in the market is increasing and is expected to replace chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons in the near future.The key segments considered for this market include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). The market for chlorofluorocarbons is mature in North America and Europe and is not expected to rise by much in the next few years. This is due to the stringent and restricted policies passed by the respective governments due to the harmful effects they cause to the environment especially the upper layer of the ozone and due to the green house effects that it causes. In these countries, the demand for green refrigerants is expected to rise in the next few years. The market for chlorofluorocarbons is still high in India, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries and is expected to rise due to its ever-growing economy and fast expanding manufacturing bases and lack of laws and regulations against its use. India and China manufacture chlorofluorocarbons to a huge extent and the market demand for the compound is still large here and not expected to decline anytime soon over the next few years.Request to view Table of content @The main companies profiled for the manufacture of chlorofluorocarbons include Arkema SA, which is based in France, Daikin Industries which is based in Japan, E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company and Honeywell International which is based in the U.S, Mexichem Flur SA which is based in Mexico, Solvay SA which is based in Belgium, Dongyc Group which is based in China, Navin Fluorine International Ltd. and Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd and SRF Ltd. which are based in India among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Vacuum Pumps Market Growth with Worldwide Industry Analysis 2015 to 2021

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Vacuum pump is a mechanical device which is used to create vacuum by removing gas molecules from a sealed volume. Growing adoption of vacuum pumps in power, oil & gas, chemical processing, and semiconductor industries is driving the demand for vacuum pumps. Moreover, rising investment in these industries is also expected to benefit the market of vacuum pumps globally.Request to view Sample Report @On the basis of types, vacuum pumps market is segmented into five categories: liquid ring vacuum pumps, dry vacuum pumps, rotary vane vacuum pumps, turbo molecular vacuum pumps, and steam jet ejectors. Out of all these segments, liquid ring and dry vacuum pumps are currently dominating the global market by capturing over 60% share of the market. Strong growth in semiconductor industry is leading to a surge in the potential of dry vacuum pumps, whereas liquid ring vacuum pumps find wide application in pulp and paper, and oil and gas industries. In order to reduce the overall operation cost, demand for high vacuum quality (clean and dry vacuum) and energy efficient pumps is increasing which is also supporting the growth of dry vacuum pumps.North America and Asia Pacific are the key contributors to the growth of the global vacuum pump market where China and the U.S. are registering a majority chunk of the market share. Demand for vacuum pumps in these two countries is driven by a strong domestic production base of chemical, oil and gas, semiconductors, and pulp and paper industry. The global pulp and paper production in China stood at 86.3 million metric tons in 2009 and increased to 102.5 million metric tons in 2012, whereas production in the U.S. increased from 71.7 million metric tons to 74.3 million metric tons for the same year. China and the U.S. are also the most promising markets for the semiconductor industry. Vacuum pump market in Europe is growing at a moderate rate. Growth in the semiconductor industry is the key driver behind the growth; however, some end-user industries have started to shift their manufacturing facilities outside Europe to developing countries such as China and India, where less strict environmental regulations are in place.On the basis of end-users, the global vacuum pumps market is segmented into: oil and gas, power, chemical processing, pulp and paper, and semiconductors. Chemical processing industry, followed by semiconductors remains the largest customers of vacuum pumps globally. However, the semiconductor industry witnessed the largest growth among all end-users. Due to growing consumption of smart phones and tablets, the global semiconductor industry is showing double digit growth and consequently, driving the growth of vacuum pumps market. Increasing investment in oil and gas industry is also boosting the demand for vacuum pumps, primarily in North America. Emerging markets such as LED lighting are generating strong growth opportunity for the global vacuum pumps market.Request to view Table of content @Some leading global players operating in the vacuum pump market include Gardner Denver, Inc.  KKR, Pfeiffer Vacuum GmBH, ULVAC, Inc., Oerlikon Corporate Switzerland, Edwards Group Ltd.- Atlas Copco, Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems, Graham Corporation, Dekker Vacuum Technologies, Inc., Gebr. Becker GmBH, Gast Manufacturing, Inc.  IDEX Corporation, Dr. - Ing. K. Busch GmBH, KNF Neuberger GmBH, Tsurumi Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Ebara Corporation, Sterling SIHI GmbH, Cutes Corp., Samson Pump A/S, PPI Pumps Pvt. Ltd., Vooner FloGard Corporation, and Kashiyama Industries, Ltd.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
Automotive Fuel Tanks Market : New Business Opportunities & Investment Research Report 2015 to 2021

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Fuel tank is a storage tank for fuel and a safe container for flammable fluids. In the past, steel fuel tank has been the mainstay for automotive fuel tanks, whereas in the recent scenario, plastic fuel tanks are mostly used by automobile industry. The main factors behind the drop in the steel fuel tanks are permeability, weight, packaging, safety, and cost associated with it. Around 95% of fuel tanks in Europe, 85% in U.S. and 40% in Asia are made of plastic. Some of the major factors contributing to the increasing use of plastic fuel tanks are its resistance to corrosion, light weight and ease of molding into unusual shapes.Request to view Sample Report @Plastic high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fuel tanks are made by blow molding and metal (steel or aluminum) fuel tanks are welded from stamped sheets. Blow molding technology is increasingly used as it shows its capacity to obtain very low emissions of fuel. Plastic high-density polyethylene can be converted into complex shapes, allowing the tank to be mounted directly over the rear axle, saving space and improving crash safety. On the other hand, the technology used in metal fuel tank is very good in limiting fuel emissions. In the event of crash or an accident plastic fuel tanks are safer than steel fuel tanks. Unlike metal fuel tanks, many can bend and flatten, rather than tearing, rupturing and spilling gasoline, thereby safely eliminating fuel leakage as a cause of a fire or explosion. Due to the plastic fuel tanks car designers can optimize the space that is available for the fuel tank since they can be produced using very unusual shapes. Plastic can be molded around specific parts. In addition, plastic fuel tanks are corrosion resistant, whereas steel tanks require stainless steel to provide a similar level of corrosion resistance, which also means a greater cost.On the basis of type automotive fuel tanks market is divided in two broad categories: plastic fuel tank and steel fuel tank. Based on the technology automotive fuel tanks market is divided in three broad segments: Multilayer technology, barrier technology and others.North America is the largest market for automotive fuel tanks, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. APAC region is expected to be the fastest growing market in terms of sheer volume. China and India hold the key for future market trends in automotive fuel tanks market owing to large population, increase in living standards due to higher disposable income and high growth rate of automotive industry in these regions. Germany, France and Italy are hub for some of the major automobile manufacturers in Europe where as the U.S. is the largest market in North America.Some of the major drivers contributing the overall market growth of automotive fuel tanks include high growth rate of automotive industry, government regulation and increase in environment friendly fuel tanks.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies operating in the automotive fuel tanks market include Kautex Textron GmbH & Co KG, Benteler AG, Fuel System Solutions, Inergy Automotive Systems, Magna International Inc., TI Automotive Ltd., YAPP Automotive Parts Co Ltd, Kongsberg Automotive, Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. and Visteon Corporation.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
Epigenetic Market Is Expecting Worldwide Growth By 2026 - Says PMR

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Epigenetic procedure involves stable changes in genome, which are reversible in gene expression. These changes can be transferred generation to generation, but contains no permanent changes in DNA. The epigenetically controlled genes are repressed or activated with no genotypic change in DNA. Epigenetic changes occur phenotypically but will have no genotypic change in the gene. This changes can occur naturally but can also be initiated by the environment changes, aging, lifestyle and some disease conditions. The Epigenetic procedures end up having both positive as well as damaging results. Positive expression results in differentiation of cells like skin cells, liver cells, pancreatic cells and lung cells etc. and the damaging expression of epigenetic changes can leads to formation of different cancer cells.Request to view Sample Report @The epigenetic process includes phosphorylation, methylation, sumolyation, acetylation and ubiquitylation etc. of DNA as well as histones resulting in changes in Phenotypes. These changes are modified with environmental conditions. Epigenetic market is now an emerging field. There are various diagnostic tests available now that detect epigenetic changes. There are some FDA approved epigenetic drugs. Other than many diagnostic companies, many biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical companies are also very active in the field of epigenetic. The worldwide ongoing research in finding the role of epigenetic in different disease and disorders is fueling the epigenetic market. Within the diagnostic segment of the epigenetic, most of the focus has been on the detection of DNA methylation. Most of the activity and interest of the companies is focused on the therapeutic segment of the epigenetic field.The global market for epigenetic device market is expected to be driven by the advancement in technology. The key drivers of the market are the increasing cases prevalence of cancer, growing ageing population and increase in obese population. Moreover, the increasing research activities, increasing research on oncology diseases and the growing collaboration between research institutes, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals companies is also acting as a fuel to the market and is expected to drive the market within the forecast period of 2016-2026. However, the high cost of the procedures and the lack of fund can be the restraint for the growth of this market.The number of companies developing methods to detect modification in DNA due to methylation has not significantly changed in recent years. The increasing investment by the pharmaceutical and Biotechnology companies is expected to drive the market. Based on the product type the market is segmented to Enzymes, Kits and Reagents. The enzymes are further classified to DNA modifying enzyme that includes all DNA ligase and DNA polymerase. RNA modifying enzyme includes all methyltransferases and acetylases. RNA modifying enzymes includes Reverse ligases and Reverse Transcriptase.By end user, the global epigenetic market has been segmented into Academic research institutes, Biotechnology Companies, Biopharmaceutical Companies, Diagnostic Companies and Contract Research Organizations. Epigenetic procedures are performed in many research oriented areas such as developmental biology, oncology, drug discovery and others.By regional presence, Epigenetic market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. North America will continue to dominate the Epigenetic market for due to high availability of funding for research. Europe is expected to hold second largest market share in global Epigenetic market. The growing government initiatives and increasing number of Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical companies in APAC is also driving the market of epigenetic in APAC.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major players in global epigenetic market include Illumina, Inc., QIAGEN N.V., Abcam plc., Merck & Co., Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, New England Biolabs, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Diagenode, Inc. and Active Motif and othersAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Hydroquinone Market to Register a Strong Growth By 2021

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Hydroquinone also known as quinol is an aromatic organic compound that features two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring. This aromatic organic compound is a white granular solid and derivatives of this parent compound are also referred to as hydroquinones. In the past hydroquinone was derived from the dry distillation of quinic acid. Hydroquinone exists in many forms naturally as well. It is present in the defensive glands of the bombardier beetle, it is one of the chemical constituents of the natural product propolis and it is a chemical compound found in castoreum, which is gathered from beaver plant food.Request to view Sample Report @Hydroquinone as a variety of applications which are essentially links with is action as a reducing agent that is soluble in water. This organic compound is a significant component in almost all black and white photographic developers for film and where using the compound Metol, silver halides are reduced to elemental silver. Being a strong reducing agent it is extensively used in the production of antioxidants, inhibitors, medicines, dyes among others. Hydroquinone has its biggest market application in the manufacture of skin depigmentation creams where it is used to lighten dark patches, in hyperpigmentation conditions, melasma, spots caused during pregnancy or injury to skin. It is the main ingredient in bleach creams. However, the EPA and the EU has put numerous restrictions against the use of these products that contain more than 4% of hydroquinone. These skin creams are not to be sold over the counter in pharmacies in the U.S and many other European countries due to potential carcinogenic diseases that they are known to induce. A number of companies are trying to switch to natural products that help in the depigmentation of skin instead of hydroquinone as they do not react violently with the skin and are non-allergent. These substitutes include products like arbutin, azelaic acid, bilberry extract, kojic acid, lemon, licorice extract, malic acid, vitamin C among others.The global market for hydroquinone is mainly driven by various factors, which include the high and rapid growth of a particular industry such as paint, construction and the cosmetic market. Its use as a skin depigmenter is what increases its demand especially among female population. The need to look presentable and get rid of unwanted spots and marks on the body are what accelerate its demand among the women population. However, the stringent rules and regulations that have been posed by the EPA and /the EU against its usedue to its various bad effects which include allergies, immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity, cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, ecotoxicity, persistence of the product in the environment and bioaccumulation is what may restrict this market. However companies inverting into extensive research and development programs in order to come up with safer and natural alternatives that can be used for skin depigmentation.The key segments considered for this market include Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). The main manufactures of hydroquinone were North America and European countries. Now most of the countries are shifting their manufacturing units to Asia pacific countries due to lack of stringent laws and regulations by the government against its use. The demand for hydroquinone is high North American and Euroopean countries but is not expected to increase by much over the next few years as natural substitutes for this product is expected to come out in the market there due to the ill effects caused by hydroquinone on people and the environment. The market demand for this product is expected to increase in developing countries like India and China owing to the rapid grown of the dye, paints, cosmetic and fashion industry among others.Request to view Table of content @The key manufactures of this product include Rhodia, Genetic Ridge, Harrison Specialty, and International Shield among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Inorganic Color Pigments Market to Maintain Healthy CAGR By 2021

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Inorganic pigments are obtained from mixed metal oxides and are produced by a high temperature calcinations process. These pigments are not affected y strong acids, base and oxidizing agents. Also inorganic pigments are non-migratory, do not bleed and are non-warping. Most inorganic pigments can withstand various temperatures and bad climatic conditions; they are heat resistant, have resistance to other chemicals and are easy to disperse. There are a variety of inorganic pigments available and are classified primarily from the source they are derived from. Some of the inorganic pigments include Chrome, which is derived from lead, Cadmiums, which are derived from cadmium compounds, and Irons that are derived from various iron oxides among others. Inorganic pigments are solid materials that obtain their transparency owing to their extremely small size and shape.Request to view Sample Report @Inorganic color pigments are used in various industries, which include coil coatings, powder coatings, industrial coatings, architectural coatings among others. They are also used in the coloring of plastics, buildings, constructions etc... It finds its application even in the automotive segments as a colorant for engineering plastics. Owing to the quality of industrial products, which have been improving over the past few years, the demands on their appearance and durability are increasing as well. Due to their fastness properties and their tolerance to adverse conditions, they are the most preferred pigments used in constructions. Inorganic pigments are the most stable class of pigments that have been manufactured as of today.The key drivers for the inorganic pigment market include rapid growth in urbanization, the paints and the coatings market, the construction agency, the building material and plastic industry. The demand for inorganic pigments is expected to be the highest in developing countries. These inorganic pigments are mainly used in the automotive industry due to its durable properties. The market for automotives in developing countries along with the plastic, paint and coatings industry is growing at a rapid pace especially in emerging economies like India and China and hence the demand for inorganic pigments is anticipated to be high in these countries. The main setbacks of the inorganic pigment industry are coping with continuous globalization, markets that are mature in a few applications and regions and the excess production of commodity pigments. The adverse environmental effects inorganic pigments cause can be a restrain for its market especially in Europe. However due to the lack of stringent regulations in Asia Pacific countries especially in countries like India and China, inorganic pigments are used produced and used on a large scale.The key segments for this market include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the world (RoW). The most widely used pigments are manufactured from iron oxide. The largest manufactures of inorganic pigments is China, followed by North America and finally Europe. Demand for inorganic pigments is seen to be declining in western countries while demand in Asian countries is increasing especially in China. The inorganic dye market is mature in Japan and is not likely to increase by a huge margin over the next few years. The consumption of inorganic pigments is expected to grow significantly in India and China in the near future.Request to view Table of content @The key companies profiled for pigments include Ferro Corporation GmbH, Shepard Color Company, Bayer AG, Rockwood, Atlanta AG, Apollo Colors, Honeywell International and Todo Kogyo among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Malathion Material Market Is Expected To Generate Huge Profits by 2021

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Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide and specifically an organophosphate parasympathomimetic, which binds to the enzyme group cholinesterase. Malathion products are usually available in the form of dusts, liquid, powder or emulsions. Their toxicity was believed to only affect pests and insects. In the past few decades however, malathion was found to exhibit low levels of human toxicity as well. When used with caution and in the right amount, mosquito and insect infestations are treated with the chemical without causing any harmful effects on human and animal life. The chemical was known as carbophos in the former USSR, as maldison in Australia and New Zealand, and mercaptothion in South Africa. The U.S. first registered its use in the year 1956.Request to view Sample Report @Malathion is a widely used pesticide, which helps to get rid of insects and pests in the soil and on the plants. It kills insects by stunning their nervous systems, thus preventing them from functioning normally. it helps in the eradication of mosquitoes and fruit flies and are used in public health programs. Malathion is also used in small quantities in lice-killing shampoos. Hair lice and body lice are killed using malathion, but some studies have shown that only some of the lice were killed and that it had absolutely no effect on lice-eggs. Most agricultural programs make use of this chemical in order to stop the infestation of insects in fields. In order to get rid of pests, tanks of malathion were mounted on trucks or aircrafts and were sprayed in the infested surroundings. In order to reduce health effects, the people in that area were advised to close their windows and stay indoors in order to avoid physical contact with the chemical. Malathion is also used in medical applications in the treatment of scabies.Pesticides and insecticides are the main drivers for the malathion market. Pesticides are used globally as remedial methods for various agricultural issues caused by mosquitoes and fruit flies.. Agriculture is one of the most important industry segments that drive the market for malathion. Recent studies have proven that if not used with caution this material can cause serious health issues to human population and animals as well. Malathion itself is less toxic but when inhaled or ingested metabolizes into malaoxon, which is comparatively more toxic than malathion itself. When exposed to the chemical for too long, it has been found that cancer-risk could increase. Many countries have not yet banned the use of this insecticide, but have put forward regulations for the safe usage of the product in public environment so as not to cause any inconvenience to people. At the same time, the U.S. has come up with a safer alternative for this insecticide called spinosad. As it is one of the newest findings, availability of the pesticide is relatively low. However, the market for malathion is still mature and is expected to exhibit a healthy growth rate over the next few years in some regions.The key market segments include Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Rest of the World. Asia Pacific exhibits the highest demand for malathion, especially in countries such as India and China, owing to their booming agricultural sector. The U.S. being one of the biggest manufacturers of malathion has huge demand for the chemical as well. Malathion was off the market in Europe for a while owing to its ill effects but has been recently brought back into the European market by public demand. Due to its harmful properties, most of the countries have stringent regulations about its use in areas, which are heavily populated but can be used with extreme caution to get rid of their pest infestation.Request to view Table of content @A few of the companies that manufacture malathion include Dow AgroSciences India Pvt. Ltd., Suven Life Sciences, Paramount Pesticides Ltd. among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Multi-Service Business Gateways Market: Headed for Growth and Global Expansion by 2021

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A multi-service business gateway is a device that integrates multiple network data and voice communication tasks into a single device. The multi-service business gateway solution combines crucial functions such as VoIP (voice over internet protocol), routing and security of firewall, virtual private networking and intrusion prevention into a single fault tolerant platform. It also involves functionality related to filtering and email-server, storage and wireless networking. Multi-service business gateways enable OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and SMEs (small medium enterprises) to differentiate themselves in the market place by incorporating additional functionalities such as session border control and trans-coding and other call management capabilities in their organizations infrastructure. Multi-service business gateway security framework consists of various components such as access, routing, firewall, VPN (virtual private network), MGW (media gateway), SBC (session border controller) and IP (internet protocol) PBX (private branch exchange).Request for Sample Report:In recent years, most of the small and mid-sized companies have increased the installations of new multi-service business gateway devices due to various benefits offered. Increasing demand for converged voice and data services among large and small to mid-sized enterprises is driving the growth of the market. Furthermore, rising popularity of hosted and managed services, and growing migration of enterprises to cost effective services to reduced total cost of ownership is expected to fuel the growth of multi-service business gateways market over the forecast period.The global multi-service business gateway market can be segmented based on its end-users and security threats. Depending on the type of end-users, the multi-service business gateway market can be segmented into three major categories as OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), large enterprises, and SMEs (small medium enterprises). The multi-service business gateway market can be segmented on the basis of security threats into four categories which include communication session threats, network level threats, media threats and application level threats. The global multi-service business gateway market can also be segmented based on major geographical regions into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (Middle East, Latin America and Africa). Among all the regional markets, Europe is dominating the global multi-service business gateway market owing to the increased adoption of these devices in countries such as France, Germany, UK and Italy. Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit fastest growth due to increasing industrialization, international business expansion and rising enterprise mobility in emerging economies such as India and China. In addition, benefits such as low cost and reduced initial cost are increasing the demand for hosted multi-service business gateway services in this region.Request for Sample Report and Table of content @:Some of the key players in multi-service business gateways market include ADTRAN Inc., AudioCodes Ltd., Cisco Systems Inc., Fortinet Inc., LSI Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Freescale Semiconductor Inc., Allied Telesis Inc., Avaya Inc., Edgewater Networks Inc. and Nuera Communications Inc. among others. In order to outperform competitors, multi-service business gateway solution providers are emphasizing on offering advanced and cost effective solutions to solve security threats prevailing in enterprises. In addition, key players are focusing on acquisition and merger activities to increase their penetration into the market. For example, in 2011, Frontinet Inc. acquired TalkSwitch to further expand its product portfolio in existing multi-service business gateway market.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Growth Predicted for the Global Nuclear Cardiology Market by 2021

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Nuclear imaging in cardiac disorders aids in accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and blockages in blood flow. Nuclear imaging is a technique for producing images of various body parts utilizing radioactive materials. This technique has applications in diagnosis of various cardiovascular diseases such as angina, aneurysm, atherosclerosis, stroke, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Accurate diagnosis of such chronic diseases is essential to plan precise and cost-effective therapeutic module.Request to view Sample Report @The nuclear cardiology market is focused mainly on three major segments namely, radiology devices, picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) and radiology information systems (RIS) and radiopharmaceuticals. Gamma cameras and positron emission tomography scanners are major imaging devices used in cardiac procedures. SPECT imaging has been the mainstream modality for nuclear cardiology procedures performed worldwide. Radiopharmaceuticals such as nitrogen-13, rubidium-82, fluorine-18, oxygen-15 and other radioisotopes are used in the nuclear imaging process. PACS is an emerging and promising technology in nuclear imaging sector with its potential benefits over other imaging technologies.Geographically, this market is categorized into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. Better capacities to handle new and highly advanced technologies have kept North America ahead of the other regions in terms of the nuclear cardiology market. However, catering to the untapped opportunities in the Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions will drive these regions at a faster growth rate.Aging population and rising cardiovascular incidences are the major driving factors for the nuclear cardiology market. Besides, the demand for graying equipment in the established diagnostic facilities will provide with demand for new equipment with improve patient outcomes and reduced radiation exposure. In addition, new cost effective technologies such as PET and PACS imaging equipment will lead to growth in the demand for nuclear cardiology devices.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major players in this market include 3mensio Medical Imaging BV, Bracco Diagnostics, Inc., GE Healthcare, Shimadzu Corporation, Siemens Healthcare, Astellas Pharma US, Inc., Philips Healthcare, Covidien plc, Positron Corporation, Fujifilm Medical Systems USA, Inc. and UltraSPECT, Ltd.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Standard Based Communication Servers Market: Outlook Continues to Remain Positive by 2021

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Standard based communications servers are open computing systems that function as a carrier-grade universal platform for an extensive assortment of communications applications. These servers enable the equipment providers customize the system architecture as per the requirement by adding potential value to it. Irrespective of the differentiated features and specification, the standard based communications servers offer attributes such as open platform, carrier grade and flexible. The standard based communications are designed in accordance with the industry standards and provide interoperability with the architecture. Moreover, standard based communications servers offer carrier grade attributes as they provide extended lifecycle support, high availability, and longevity of supply. Additionally, these servers are upgradable without any disruption and offer high speed for real time communication applications to ensure high quality of service.Request for Sample Report:The standard based communication servers offer an introductory platform for building a network infrastructure using the several equipment for applications such as IPTV, wireless broadband and other IP multimedia subsystems. These servers are based on managed industry standards such as Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture (ATCA), Advanced Mezzanine Card, Micro Telecommunication Computing Architecture, High Platform Interface (HPI), Carrier Grade Linux and Application Interface Specification (AIS). The Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) refers to string of specifications by Peripheral Component Interconnect Industrial Computers Manufacturers Group (PICMG), which is developed to meet essential necessities for carrier grade equipment. In addition to these standards, the standard based communication server is governed by different industry associations and vendor alliance programs. The industry associations include SCOPE Alliance and Communication Platforms Trade Associations. The vendor alliance programs include Intel Communications Alliance, Motorola Communications Server Alliance and Mobicents Open Source Communications Community.ATCA integrates the latest interconnect technologies, manageability and serviceability, improved reliability and next generation processors. The specifications provided by PICMG for Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) identify the base-level necessities for a variety of mezzanine cards that are optimized for ATCA Carriers. AMC enhances ATCAs flexibility by widening bandwidth and provides multi-protocol interface to individual servers. MicroTCA specification is basically a framework for directly combining AMC modules, instead of using an ATCA. Moreover, MicroTCA is designed for smaller equipment for application running on low entry cost, small physical size and high scalability. This framework is primarily used for Wi-Fi, wireless base stations, VoIP access gateways and WiMAX radios.Carrier Grade Linux is basically an enhanced version of Linux that is used by the communication servers to offer high security, high availability, scalability and easy maintenance. HPI and AIS are defined by Service Availability Forum (SA Forum) for telecommunication platform to maintain the availability of communication services. The HPI specifies the interface used between the middleware and the primary hardware and the operating system. The AIS specifies the interface between the application and middleware. Moreover, AIS enables applications to run over a variety of computing modules and provides easy migration between the platforms.The standard based communications servers market is primarily driven by the rising demand for high speed and compatible servers across the communication industry. The progressive and vigorous communication server ecosystem consists of several hardware and software providers, server vendors, standard bodies, vendor alliance programs, industry associations and the end-users.Request for Table of content:Leading players in standard based communication servers market are NEC Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, AltiGen Communications, Inc., Emerson Network Power, Barrcuda Networks, Inc., Fenestrae B.V., Estech Systems, Inc., B Labs, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Siemens Enterprise Communication GmbH, Cisco Systems Inc., Sun Microsystems, Avaya, Inc. and IBM Corporation.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Human Identification Market : Recent Industry Trends, Analysis and Forecast 2021

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Forensic identification technologies are used to identify specific objects from the various types of traced evidences at the place of accident and disaster. Human identification techniques are mainly used in forensics for the identification of criminals. Fingerprints are used as a source of identification of human beings.Request to view Sample Report @Human identification process is based on the recognizing of ridges present on the fingers of the suspect. Every human being has a unique formations and sequences of ridges on their figures. This philosophy is used in forensics along with the analysis of hair, skin, blood, DNA and semen. In addition, samples are also collected from teeth.DNA analysis is one of the most powerful techniques used in forensic investigations. Forensic scientists use short DNA fragments (known as short tandem repeats [STRs]), collected from human cells and measured by fluorescent labels and automated instruments. STRs are found in the human genome. Scientists around the world use between 13 and 24 STR locations, known as loci, to create DNA profiles for individuals involved in a crime.The global human identification market is categorized based on various types of technologies, applications and product. Based on technology, the report covers polymerase chain reaction (PCR), automated liquid handling, microarray, capillary electrophoresis, next generation sequencing, nucleic acid purification and extraction and rapid DNA analysis system. The application segment is further sub segmented into forensics, paternity identification, disaster victim identification, population genetics, migration or home trafficking and anthropology. Based on product, the report covers consumables, assay kits and reagents, DNA extraction kits, DNA amplification Kits, DNA quantification kits, electrophoresis, rapid DNA analysis, software and other consumables.In terms of geography, North America dominates the global human identification market. This is due to increased government funding on forensic science in the region. In addition, expansions of the U.S. DNA database have also fueled the market in North America. The U.S. represents the largest market for human identification in North America, followed by Canada. In Europe, Germany, France and the U.K. hold major shares of the human identification market. The human identification market in Asia too, is expected to show high growth rates in the next five years. This is due to various initiatives taken by government to increase awareness about the forensic technologies in DNA analysis. In addition, increased investments by many foreign countries have also propelled the growth of the human identification market in the region. India, China, and Japan are expected to be the fastest growing markets for human identification in Asia.Advanced applications of forensic technologies is a key driver for the global human identification market. Also, increased government supports in the form of funding and rapid technological advancement have fueled the growth of this market.However, price erosion in genomics instruments and services obstructs the market growth. Moreover, integration of technology also restricts the growth of DNA analysis instruments market. Increasing number of mergers and acquisitions of nucleic acid isolation and extraction consumables manufacturing companies and rapid product launches are key trends of the global human identification market.Request to view Table of content @The major companies operating in this market are Agilent Technologies, GE Healthcare, Bode Technology, Illumina, Orchid Cellmark, Inc., LGC Forensics, Promega Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. and QIAGEN N.V.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Wireless Surveillance Systems Market: Latest Innovations, Drivers and Industry Key Events by 2024

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Safety and security from possible threats is essential for every person. Wireless surveillance system is a useful solution which provides efficient and effective security to people as well as other applications such as businesses, malls, and public spaces. Wireless surveillance system are mounted easily anywhere with less space requirement as they does not require wires to power the devices. These system get their power from batteries which makes them flexible. These devices can be set-up for indoor and outdoor use, and can be transported easily. These systems monitor the area, send recorded feed to the server and alarms for informing an unusual activity. A single building or more than one building can be kept under the surveillance with help of wireless systems. These systems also contains motion detector and night vision features which provides effective surveillance at day or night depending on the requirement.Request for Sample Report:Wireless surveillance systems are convenient, reusable, and portable security solutions, available at low cost. These attributes are expected to have positive impact on security applications. Increasing number of theft and burglary issues, and chaos and vandalism resulting in security concerns are expected to drive market for the wireless surveillance systems during the forecast period. However, to keep wireless surveillance systems working, batteries are required to be replaced frequently over the life cycle. Furthermore, as these systems use Wi-Fi network for video transmission, the available bandwidth for transmission is less which affects the video streaming and the quality of the video. Also security issues make this system vulnerable from other users who are connected to the same network. All these factors may restrict the use of wireless surveillance systems and hence impede the market growth.Wireless surveillance system have lucrative growth opportunities in the long term as the businesses, shops, retailers, and others are willing to use wireless surveillance systems to ensure safety and security of their assets. In addition, governments worldwide are providing funding and promoting the use of surveillance systems which will help lessen number of criminal activities. Furthermore, increasing awareness about public safety helps to increase the market demand for these systems. As an alternate to Wi-Fi, use of Internet Protocol (IP) surveillance systems has grown in recent years, due to compressed and better quality surveillance videos captured. Thus, market growth in the long term is expected to be driven by IP based security surveillance systems.Wireless surveillance system market is segmented on the basis of product, technology, application, and geography. By product, wireless surveillance system market is segmented into hidden, outdoor, backup wireless security camera system. By technology, the market is segmented into analog system and digital systems. By application, wireless surveillance systems market is segmented into residential, commercial, and military. By geography, this market is segmented into North-America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. Of these regions, North-America and Europe have seen large scale adoption due to increased public safety and security awareness. Asia-pacific, and Middle East and Africa are expected to see healthy growth in the use of wireless security system over the forecast period due to increasing security concerns and technology adoption in long term.Request for Table of content:The prominent players in wireless surveillance system market includes Icontrol Networks, Inc., Funlux, ADT LLC dba ADT Security Services, Vivint, Inc., FLIR Systems, Inc., Zmodo, Annke Security, Inc., Swann Communications Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., VideoSurveillance.com LLC.About Us:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact Us:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Europe IT-enabled Healthcare Services Market Revenue and Forecast, by Type, 2014 - 2020

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The IT-enabled healthcare segment of the overall healthcare industry is one of the most promising and rapidly expanding markets today. Research indicates that the IT-enabled healthcare market around the world will expand at an 11.80% CAGR from 2014 to 2020, rising from its valuation of US$96.8 bn in 2013 to US$210.3 bn by 2020.Even though developed regions such as North America and Europe  being the early adopters of eHealth solutions  currently dominate the global IT-enabled healthcare market, the focus is fast shifting to developing economies in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East, despite the late penetration of IT-enabled healthcare. These regions offer immense growth opportunities and are projected to witness remarkable expansion over the next few yearsBrowse Full Report:Countries in Latin America Gaining ProminenceThe World Bank recently reported that universal healthcare in Latin America is on the rise, with countries such as Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico witnessing a transformational growth in the healthcare sector. This boost indicates that Latin America has immense potential when it comes to IT-enabled healthcare.Earlier this month, International Living magazine listed Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica among the top four countries with the best healthcare in the world. Factors such as high quality healthcare, affordable health coverage, state-of-the-art hospitals, presence of top-notch private healthcare providers, and growth of medical tourism drive the healthcare sector in this region, and these factors make Latin America an ideal destination for IT-enabled healthcare.Download exclusive Sample of this report:With Promises Galore, India Attracts Several Market PlayersLike many other Asian countries, India too has been undergoing rapid technological changes in almost every industry and the healthcare sector is no exception. The IT-enabled healthcare market in India has been greatly impacted by the efforts of the government in the form of publishing of various e-health journals and formation of key organizations such as the Medical Informatics Society of India and the Telemedicine Society of India. IT-enabled healthcare is one of the successful ways by which India has been transforming its healthcare industry. One of the most prominent factors that works in the favor of the IT-enabled healthcare market in India is favorable patient demographics. In addition, the rising adoption of mHealth, electronic health records, web-based services, and telemedicine also presents a host of opportunities for players within the IT-enabled healthcare market.Last month, the Central Government of India put into practice several IT-based healthcare initiatives. These include an IT-enabled tool to help tobacco users quit their addiction, an audio-based mobile service that delivers weekly voice messages on pre- and post-natal healthcare, a helpline for patients suffering from tuberculosis, an IT-enabled out-patient department registry block at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and a mobile app to train accredited social health activists.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Phenolic Resins Market Expecting Worldwide Growth by 2026

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Phenolic resins or phenol-formaldehyde resins are the synthetic polymers obtained by the polymerization of phenol and formaldehyde. Phenolic resins possess good physical and chemical properties such as high mechanical strength, low toxicity, good heat resistance, low smoke formation and high thermal stability. Due to such high properties, phenolic resins find their applications in myriad industrial products. From molded products such as billiard balls to coatings and adhesives, phenolic resins are used for different applications across various industries such as automotive, electrical & electronics, construction etc. Besides, by mixing phenolic resins with other polymer, they can also be used in applications like corrosion coating, adhesive, etc. Due to their rising demand from various industries, the global phenolic resins market is expected to register high growth rate over the forecast period of 2016-2026.Request to view Sample Report @Construction, automotive, furniture and electrical & electronics industry are the major end-use sectors for phenolic resins. The holistic growth in these industries is expected to drive the demand for phenolic resins in the global market. Phenolic resins find their huge application in different wood products, which is majorly driven by the construction industry growth. Construction industry, which slowed down during 2014-2015, is expected to return to its growth phase post 2016. The growing construction industry output is further expected to have a positive impact on the global phenolic resins market through 2026. Moreover, increase in demand for various molded products in automotive and aerospace industry is also expected to contribute to the global phenolic resins demand through the forecast period.Volatility in raw material prices is a major challenging factor for the growth of phenolic resins market. With global focus growing towards the development of green and sustainable products, bio-based resins are expected to gain popularity among consumers, which could also hamper the growth of the conventional synthetic phenolic resins market.Regionally, global phenolic resins market is segmented into seven key regions, namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East & Africa and Japan. APEJ is expected to emerge as one of the fastest growing regions in the global phenolic resins market due to high rise in demand from construction and furniture industry, majorly in China and India. China is expected to remain a prominent consumer of phenolic resins in the global market throughout the forecast period.Some of the key player of global phenolic resins market are Chang Chun Plastics Co. Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Georgia Pacific Chemicals LLC, Prefere Resins, Kolon Industries, Inc., Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc., SI Group, Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd, BASF SE, Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd., and others.Request to view Table of content @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 categories such as market segments, geographies, types and applications.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Analysis for Tele-intensive Care Services Market Trends & Forecast 2024

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A new market research report by Transparency Market Research, titled Tele-intensive Care Services Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024, provides a comprehensive understanding of the market. The report is compiled by utilizing both primary and secondary research and presents key insights into the prime market dynamics. Some of these dynamics are drivers, opportunities, challenges, and inhibitors impacting the development of the market from 2016 to 2024. The chief trends prevalent in the global tele-intensive care services market have also been presented. A review on the macro and micro factors benefitting the established players and the emerging players also forms an integral part of this report.Request a PDF Brochure with Report Analysis:The first section of the study throws light on the significance of tele-intensive care services. The implementation of tele-intensive care services aid medical practitioners in monitoring any significant signs in patients. The employment of these services also impede any issues that may otherwise take place owing to hospital-settings.As stated in the report, the rate of mortality is approximately 10% and may even touch up to 28% within intensive care units (ICU) settings, globally. Thus, a number of hospital managers and healthcare professionals have been actively working on introducing various tele-intensive care services in order to lower the count of ICU deaths. Tele-intensive care units have aided in lowering the duration of stay in ICUs and keep the errors that may occur in providing medications under check. All these benefits will raise the demand for tele-intensive care services, thus bolstering market growth, as per this study.The report further opines that the increasing implementation of tele-intensive care services globally will also boost the growth of the market. In addition, the time and cost saving benefits related with the utilization of intensive care services will positively impact the development of the overall market. Furthermore, the growing confidence and interest amongst healthcare professionals in remote patient monitoring will drive the growth of this market.On the basis of product, the report categorizes the tele-intensive care service market into software and hardware. Of these, hardware components are sub-segmented into therapeutic devices, computer systems, communication lines, physiological monitors, video feeds, and display panels. In terms of type, the market is categorized into intensivist, co-managed, open, and open with consultants. Geographically, the report segments the market into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW).As stated in this report, the prime players in the global tele-intensive care services market are Advanced ICU care, UPMC Italy, inTouch health, INTELEICU, INOVA, Philips, and iMDsoft, among others.Browse Full Research Report on Tele-intensive Care Services Market: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. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e 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:Browse market research blog:
Refrigerated Vehicles Market is Expected to Boost Up Over the Period of 2015 to 2021

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Refrigerated vehicles are used for transportation of vulnerable food, pharmaceutical and healthcare products. The increasing population and consumer spending on food products has surged their production globally. Among food products, dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables require cold storage and transportation for their sustainability. The increasing global warming has been emerging as a matter of great concern for the food producers globally which is reducing the shelf life of these products in non-refrigerated conditions. Most of the pharmaceutical and healthcare products need protection from heat and light to maintain their chemical and biological formulation. All these concerns have been driving the refrigerated vehicles market globally and are expected to increase in terms of growth rate during 2014-2020.Request to view Sample Report @Refrigerated vehicles include a large types of vehicles used in several transportation requirements based on loading requirement. Some of their types include refrigerated vans, refrigerated trucks, refrigerated trailers, refrigerated railcars, refrigerated ships, refrigerated transport by air, refrigerated containers, atmosphere controlled containers, intermodal refrigerated containers, insulated containers, integral reefer containers and multimodal temperature containers. The increasing consumer awareness about fresh products is one of the important factors which have been escalating the demand for refrigerated vehicles globally.The developing and underdeveloped countries have an underdeveloped cold-supply chain infrastructure which leads to destruction of a large quantity of food products every year. This also increases warehousing charges of the food manufacturers and the distributors as they have to maintain local distribution points in the area of demand. The growing population and increasing per capita income in these countries is boosting the demand for food products which is further creating demands for the refrigerated vehicles in these countries. The dairy product consumption in Asia Pacific countries have also been increasing to a great extent in recent times. The pharmaceutical and healthcare industries have also been growing at a rapid pace in these developing countries which is creating demand for the refrigerated vehicles in this domain as well. The shortage of skilled labor and unstable fuel prices are the key hurdles for the refrigerated vehicles market. The companies operating in the refrigerated vehicles market are improving the fuel efficiency and noise reduction of these vehicles.There have been several technology development and introduction in the recent times by the refrigerated vehicle manufacturers. They include CorroGuard and ThermGuard by Great Dane, Strip door solution for refrigerated trucks by R.O.M, GRIPTM by RTE, LED based indicator by Carrier, economical cold plates by Johnson, reefer monitoring system by PAR, reefer-trak sentry solutions by Star-Trak, Secureseal system by OEM Group, new alternator by Robert Bosch and Fleetview by Terion.Request to view Table of content @Among regions, North America dominated global sales of refrigerated vehicles market, followed by Europe. There are a large number of market players in the refrigerated vehicles market which are operating in a particular country or globally through their subsidiaries. The global refrigerated vehicles market is fragmented however; it is increasingly advancing towards consolidation with a number of companies engaged in merger and acquisition activities.The key market players include Great Dane Trailers, Ingersol Rand Company Limited, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited, Schmitz Cargobull, R.O.M., Thermo King, Carrier Transicold, Johnson, PAR, Star-Trak, GE, OEM Group, Robert Bosch, Terion, Northgate Plc and Fraikin Limited.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
Automotive Door Module Market Revenue Predicted To Go Up by 2020

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An automotive door module is an arrangement of a rubber-sealed carrier, onto which an array of automotive door components such as the window sliding mechanism, the wing mirror arrangement, loud speaker, wiring harness, door latch inner and outer release cable, door locks and various switches are fitted.Request to view Sample Report @The various component of automotive door module include latches, lift gate switches, power lift gates, variable boot openings, composite panels, and plastic panels.Based on the various design module of the automotive door, the global automotive door can be classified as door trim modules, structural door, door platform module and two-sided door module.The automotive door module controls various functionalities such as latching or locking function, wing mirror movements, on mirror fitted indicator light, defroster and door indicator lamps. The automotive door module technology is advancing particularly by the increase use of automotive sensors for passenger convenience and safety. One such example is introduction of advanced trapping detection for the automotive window system. It reduces the risk of injury to the passengers by stopping the movement of the window when a body part such as finger, or hand or an arm is introduced into the window during window climbing.The global automotive production is going through a surge particularly led by the emerging economies of Asia Pacific. The increase demand of automobiles is in turn driving the automotive door module market. Moreover the advancing automotive sensor technology and increasing application of mechatronics system in vehicle automation is expected to drive the door module market in forecasted period. The increasing prices of raw materials such as natural fiber, steel, and plastic coupled with lack of aftermarket for automotive door module is acting as one of the major challenge for the industry.Asia Pacific is the largest market of automotive door module attributed mainly to the large scale production of passenger vehicle in China and India. It is then followed by Europe and North America. Asia Pacific and rest of the world (RoW) are fastest growing market for automotive door module and with rising demand of goods carriers and passenger car in these regions.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies operating in global automotive door module market include, Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd., Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KGDura, Automotive Systems, LLC, Faurecia SA, Grupo Antolin Irausa, S.A., Inteva Products, LLC, Kuester, and Magna International Inc.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
Wireless Car Charging Market Growth with Worldwide Industry Analysis 2015 to 2021

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Based on type, electric and hybrid cars can be charged in three ways namely plug-in charging, wireless charging and battery swap. The plug in charging can be done at home through the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) at home or at public EVSE stations where they have to pay for charging. In battery swap, the charged battery is swapped with the discharged one either manually or robotically from the rear of plug-in electric vehicle. Wireless car chargers are used in electric and hybrid vehicles wherein they are charged through an electromagnetic field created by an inductive pad when they are parked over it.Request to view Sample Report @The demand for electric and hybrid cars is increasing in the global market due to its emission-less operation. These cars are powered by electric motors that run on rechargeable battery packs. Their fuel-independence benefits also minimize worry of the user on account of the unstable fuel prices. Wireless car chargers provide a high degree of convenience to the electric and hybrid vehicle users due to its safe and hassle-free feature. Wireless charging charges the cars at a faster rate with an efficiency of over 90%, as compared to the less efficient and slow wired model of charging. The wireless car charging manufacturers are expected to roll out wireless charging products with more than one wireless charging stations over the next few years. The tightening of emission norms are leading to the growth of electric and hybrid cars market and also laying growth opportunities for wireless car charging market. Toyota and Nissan are amongst the key electric and hybrid car manufacturers using wireless charging in their cars.One of the key restraints for the wireless car charging industry is lack of unified standard of products from the manufacturers. However, efforts in this area are made to standardize the products and avoid wastage of resources. For instance, in 2013, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) announced to issue a standard frequency for wireless power transfer in electric vehicles in 2014. Hybrid Electric Vehicle Optimization (HEVO Power) Power, a New York based wireless charging solutions company are planning to introduce wireless charging manholes in 2014 in the U.S. in the form of a pilot project. The increasing government funding on EVSEs are posing threat to the wireless car charging market wherein the customers inclination towards the purchase of electric cars with wired charging facility is expected to increase.Request to view Table of content @Among the regions, Europe dominated the global sales of wireless car charging market in 2013, followed by North America. The market for wireless car chargers is expected to grow at a fast rate in Asia Pacific countries; especially China where the government is making efforts to make transportation clean. The economic downturn in Europe has affected the growth of electric and hybrid cars market which has also impacted the sale of wireless car charger market. However, the region is recovering and the wireless car charger market is also expected to recover during 2014-2020. The key companies operating in the wireless car charging market include Bosch Group, Energizer, LG, Evatran Group, Intel, Witricity, Qualcomm, Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), Conductix-Wampfler and Convenient Power.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
Automotive HVAC Market Revenue Predicted To Go Up by 2020

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HVAC stands for heating, ventilation (replacing air in any space to provide high indoor air quality) and air conditioning (altering the properties of air to make the indoor air more comfortable). Ventilation is the process which includes both the exchange of air to the outside as well as circulation of air within the space. HVAC is a technology that provides indoor and vehicular environmental comfort. Automotive HVAC systems main purpose is to provide thermal and acceptable air condition within the vehicle.Request to view Sample Report @Present generation vehicles are equipped with many innovative technologies which differ in functions performed, cost and application. These features make the vehicle more comfortable for the traveler. Global Automotive HVAC market can be divided on the bases of vehicle type (passenger cars, LCVs (light commercial vehicles) and HCVs (heavy commercial vehicle) and technology component (automatic and manual). Passenger cars dominate the global automotive HVAC market due to increasing demand for private vehicles. In case of technology, automatic technology dominates over manual technology.Asia-Pacific has the largest market share for automotive HVAC market, followed by North America and Europe. Asia-Pacific region is expected to maintain its dominance in the coming future owing to larger vehicle production and demand in countries such China, India, and Japan. India and Chinese markets are expected to dominate global automotive HVAC market owing to their increasing population and increasing domestic production.In current era, people spend a large portion of their time on road travelling in their private vehicle or other means of public transport. Hence rising amount of time spent by people in travelling is driving the global automotive HVAC market. Also, growing popularity of private vehicle over public transport is further expected to increase demand for automotive HVAC technology. Additionally, increasing income level coupled with wide choice of private financing has made it easy for the customers to spend more on private vehicle rather than traveling on public transport. This may further add on to the increasing demand of automotive HVAC technology especially in the developing nation such as India and China.Request to view Table of content @Automotive HVAC market is dominated by established players. Some of the major companies operating in the global automotive HVAC market are Air International Thermal Systems, Brose GmbH & Co., Xiezhong International Holdings Limited., Valeo SA, Toyota Industries Corporation, Sanden Corporation, Keihin Corporation, Johnson Electric, Gentherm Inc., Denso Corporation, Delphi Automotive LLP., Calsonic Kansei Corporation, Japan Climate Systems Corporation and Visteon Corporation.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
Automotive Suspension Systems Market Evaluation of Recent Industry Developments For 2015 to 2021

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Suspension systems in automotives minimize shocks to the body of the vehicle while moving on a surface. They also keep the tires in constant contact with the surface regardless of the contours. The global automotive suspension market is growing mainly due to increase in demand for automobiles. Rise in disposable income in developing countries is a key factor driving the market for passenger cars. Also, increasing commercialization is fueling the demand for commercial vehicles globally. Consequently, the demand for automotive suspension is also increasing.Request to view Sample Report @A basic suspension system includes springs, shock absorbers, control arm, struts, and ball joints. Springs are a key component of automotive suspension systems. The main types of springs include leaf springs, coil springs, and torsion bars. Most passenger vehicles use light coil springs, while light commercial vehicles use coil and leaf springs in their automotive suspension systems. Heavy commercial vehicles mostly use leaf springs or air suspension.There are three types of automotive suspension systems: passive, semi-active, and active. In passive suspension systems, vertical movement of the wheel mainly depends on the surface, while semi-active and active suspension systems actively control vertical movement. Major drawbacks of active suspension systems include high costs and frequent maintenance requirements.There are two types of automotive suspension systems based on type: hydraulic and electromagnetic. Electromagnetic suspension systems are growing at a fast pace due to increasing number of high-end vehicles that offer better ride quality and superior control. These suspension systems minimize rolling of the vehicle while cornering, accelerating, and braking. Despite its benefits, high prices remain the key restraint for the growth of electromagnetic suspension systems. However, during the forecast period, the companies are expected to slash the prices of these systems.Technological advancements in automotive suspension systems have led to the evolution of electrical generator suspensions. These suspensions serve their usual purpose and also act as a source of power for certain energy needs of the vehicle. This technology is in its nascent phase and is expected to grow at a significant pace during the forecast period. For example, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a car parts manufacturer based in Germany, uses the GenShock energy-recovery suspension, an electrical generator suspensions system. Although the automotive suspension market is growing exponentially, certain restraints such as lack of standardization and high prices of independent suspension systems are hindering its growth.Request to view Table of content @Asia Pacific dominated the global automotive suspension systems market in 2013, followed by Europe. China, Japan, South Korea, and India are the major automotive suspension systems markets in Asia Pacific, while Germany, France, and the U.K. dominated sales in Europe. Major companies in automotive suspension systems market include the Benteler Group, Continental AG, KYB Co., Ltd., Magneti Marelli S.p.A., Mando Corporation, Schaeffler AG, Tenneco Inc., TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation, WABCO Holdings Inc., and ZF Friedrichshafen AG.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
Air Cargo Security and Screening Systems Market Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market by 2021

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Aviation security has been one of the key concerns in the aviation industry. The need for air cargo security and screening systems has become even more pronounced after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. The customary security and screening practice in this area include physical inspection and canine methods (detection through trained dogs) which are not error-free. The new technologies in this area reduce the potential threats from terrorist activities and ensure safety by tracking explosives inside the air cargo. The air cargo industry and international and national regulatory authorities have been continuously making efforts to increase the screening levels of the air cargos with minimum of shipping hindrance through known shipper programs. These programs allow known shippers to screen their own cargo and check that they adhere to a common set of standards.Request to view Sample Report @The enhanced security programs carry certain limitations in the form of large size of the industry and high costs incurring in the enhancements. However, the dire need to increased security has been compelling the industry to include air cargo security and screening systems. The expansion of these security measures across the supply chain lays significant business opportunities for the manufacturers of air cargo and security and screening systems. The screening process in the air cargo and screening systems include screening systems based on x-ray, explosives trace detection (ETD) and explosives detection systems (EDS) technologies. The air cargo security and screening systems based on x-ray screens the entire shipment swiftly and accurately.X-ray based screening produces high penetration of detection in products ranging from meats, fish, paper, liquid and metals. ETD is the most popular technology used by the aviation industry and freight forwarders for screening air cargo. In this technology, samples of particles are collected from the pieces of cargo being screened which are then screened for traces of explosives or vapors which explosives may release. ETDs are relatively cheaper than its counterpart technologies are cost about USD 10,000. For screening efficiency with ETDs, the cargo needs to be divided into smallest packaging components. EDS system consists of an apparatus which examines the physical characteristics of an object; and a software component that processes the images and data to analyze the mass and density of that object. In EDS a rotating-ray source is used to take large numbers of images in order to give a visual presentation of the objects contained in the examined piece. EDS are costlier than its counterparts and its maintenance charges are also high, however, its automated nature makes its less-labor intensive. With the scarcity of skilled labor, EDS is expected to be a fast growing segment of air cargo security and screening systems market.Request to view Table of content @Among the regions, North America dominated the global air cargo security and screening systems in 2013 followed by Europe. The dominance of North America is due to its large aviation industry and increasing industrialization and trade. Asia Pacific is also witnessing high growth due to increase in trade activities and industrialization in the region. The key companies in air cargo security and screening systems include American Science and Engineering, L-3 Security Detection Systems, Morpho Detection Rockwell Collins, Rapiscan Systems, 3DX-RAY, Armstrong Monitoring, Astrophysics, AUTOCLEAR, CEIA, Gilardoni, Nuctech and Smiths Detection.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 Prefilled Syringes Market Analysis and Forecasts, By Distribution Channel 2016 - 2024

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The global sales of prefilled syringes amounted to US$3.5 bn in 2015 and is projected to reach US$7.9 bn, expanding at a CAGR of 9.3% over the period of 2016 to 2024.Prefilled Syringes Market: SnapshotParenteral is one of the most commonly used route of drug administration, oral administration being the most preferred one. A steady rise in the development and availability of parenteral drugs has resulted in the increasing demand for several advanced drug delivery devices that promise cost containment as well as ease of administration.Prefilled syringes are one of the most rapidly expanding segments of the injectable drug delivery devices market. There are several benefits of prefilled syringes over traditional delivery systems: improved safety, ease of administration, accurate dosing, and reduced risk of contamination. These advantages form the basic foundation for the success of prefilled syringes and are likely to continue driving the market during the forecast period.Read Full Report:Technical advances in the sector, rapid growth in the biologics market, and the growing preference for self-administration using autoinjectors, prefilled syringes, and pen injectors are the key factors boosting the global market for prefilled syringes.Glass Prefilled Syringes to Lose Market Share Despite being Most Preferred SegmentPrefilled syringes are available in two key types  plastic (polymer) and glass  depending on the kind of material used to develop the barrel of the syringe. Despite the fact that the industry has been reporting a growing use of polymers by many manufacturers of syringes, glass is still considered to be the top-most choice and will continue to dominate the market in terms of volume as well as revenue. This is attributed to the fact that changing the perception of healthcare practitioners and manufacturers over the preference of glass over plastic is expected to be a rather gradual process. The segment of glass prefilled syringes is anticipated to lose market share toward the end of the forecast period, which will be replaced by plastic syringes. The latter is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.8% from 2016 to 2024.By application, the market is segmented into vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and others. On the basis of distribution channel, the prefilled syringes market is categorized into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and mail order pharmacies.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Japan Most Promising Market in APAC Prefilled Syringes MarketEurope has maintained its position as the leading regional market for prefilled syringes in terms of volume (unit consumption) as well as revenue. However, the APAC market for prefilled syringes is anticipated to exhibit strong growth at a CAGR of 11.3% during the forecast period. The presence of leading drug manufacturers in the region requiring prefillable syringes and the high conversion rate from vials to prefilled syringes are the primary factors likely to support the growth of the APAC market.Asia Pacific is perceived as a follower rather than a leader when it comes to the development and adoption of new technologies. Although the prefilled syringes market is presently in its stage of infancy in APAC, factors such as improving economic conditions, the rising purchasing power of the people, the growth in awareness regarding the advantages of prefilled syringes, and the presence of a large patient suffering from various chronic diseases are expected to drive the market to register a double-digit CAGR. In Asia Pacific, Japan accounts for the major share in the market by revenue as well as volume.Major players in the global prefilled syringes market include Becton Dickinson & Co., Gerresheimer, Medtronic, Baxter International, SCHOTT AG, West Pharmaceuticals, Vetter International, Unilife Corporation, Stevanato Group, and Terumo Corporation.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Europes ICT Spends In Telecommunications Sector - Future Perspective To 2019

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Europe's ICT Spends in Telecommunications Sector - Future Perspective to 2019; report is a comprehensive outlook built using Kables extensive market research covering spends across ICT markets in Europe. The statistics within the report provides a top-level overview and detailed insights into the operating environment of the Technology and Telecommunications sector in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom).Kable has considered buying behavior / ICT spends across hardware, software, services, communications and staff. It acts as an essential tool for companies active across the ICT market and for new players considering entering the market; ensuring right business decision making.*This is an on-demand report and will be delivered within 2 working days (excluding weekends) of the purchase.Request For Sample Copy Of This Report:Key Findings"Europe's ICT Spends in Telecommunications Sector - Future Perspective to 2019" provides the readers with potential spends value on ICT within Telecommunications sector of Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom) during the period 2016 through to 2019In particular, it provides information of potential spends by individual countries for the following categories at segment level:BPO ServicesCloud ServicesEnterprise Communications ServicesIT HardwareIT ServicesSoftwareSynopsisEurope's ICT Spends in Telecommunications Sector - Future Perspective to 2019; is an exhaustive research report outlaying future perspectives of ICT project spends in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom). The report provides year on year opportunity spends value within the Telecommunications sector; split across BPO Services, Cloud Services, Enterprise Communications Services, IT Hardware, IT Services, and Software categories and further at segment levels for the period 2016 to 2019.ReasonsToBuyUnderstand the opportunities for ICT market in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom) Telecommunications sector and how it is set to change in future.Make effective business decisions by recognizing the opportunities within each of the core areas of ICT sectorRealign your sales initiatives by understanding the current strategic objectives of the Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom) ICT Sector.Enhance your market segmentation with detailed breakdown of opportunities within selected technology categories.MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Polyisobutylene Market will generate new growth opportunities by 2021

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The report covers forecast and analysis for the Polyisobutylene 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 a study of opportunities available in the Polyisobutylene 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 Polyisobutylene 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 Polyisobutylene 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 @Medium Molecular Weight Polyisobutylene and Others are the major types of Polyisobutylene. Polyisobutylene finds widespread applications in Automotive, Additive, and Other Applications. 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 the Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S. Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India, and Brazil.Inquire more before buying this report @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 BASF SE, Exxon Mobil Corporation, LANXESS, TPC Group, INEOS, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Chevron Oronite Company LLC, Infineum International Limited, Proteus Corp, and Kothari Petrochemicals.Browse detail report @This report segments the Polyisobutylene market as follows:Polyisobutylene Market: Type Segment AnalysisMedium Molecular Weight PolyisobutyleneOthersPolyisobutylene Market: Applications Segment AnalysisAutomotiveAdditiveOthersPolyisobutylene 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:
Chocolate Market - Global Industry Size 2024

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Global Chocolate Market: OverviewOne of the most consumed and popular food product among consumers across the globe is chocolate. Based on the amount of cocoa employed during preparation, different varieties of chocolates are produced globally. As the global chocolate market is highly driven by the taste preferences of consumers, it is imperative that companies focus on product development and marketing strategies to gain a wider consumer base and capture new markets.Download exclusive Sample of this report:The report presents an in-depth analysis of the growth trajectory of the global chocolate market along with the principal trends. The study also highlights the factors that are likely to affect the global chocolate market in a positive or negative manner. It also evaluates the prime elements at play in the market. To offer a clear outline of the market, the report utilizes Porters five forces analysis and examines the competitive landscape. It also presents an assessment of the products, key strategies, and shares of the companies operating in the global chocolate market. Information on the degree of entry and exit barriers present in the market has also been provided in the intelligence report.Global Chocolate Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe growth of the global chocolate market is primarily driven by the rising awareness among consumers regarding the health benefits associated with cocoa-rich dark chocolates. This trend is anticipated to boost the popularity of chocolate across the globe. The popularity of dark chocolate is expected to rise over the forthcoming years owing to the fact that it helps in preventing cardiac diseases, in addition to other benefits.The growing disposable income of consumers in developing countries of Asia Pacific is one of the primary reasons behind the mounting demand for chocolates. In countries such as South Korea, Japan, India, and China, the presence of regional brands has stirred the sales of chocolates over the last couple of years. Multinational brands such as Ghirardelli, Mars, Ferrero, and Hersheys have also gained popularity in these countries owing to the changing taste preferences and increasing brand loyalty.The demand for chocolate is at its peak during seasonal and festive occasions. The expanding applications of chocolate is another factor that is likely to positively impact the growth of the global chocolate market. However, fluctuating prices of raw materials, especially cocoa, the instability of its supply, and the political instability in cocoa producing countries are likely to restrain the growth of the market over the next couple of years.Global Chocolate Market: Regional OutlookRegion-wise, the global chocolate market is categorized into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. Amidst these, Asia Pacific emerged as one of the leading consumers of chocolates due to the rising influence of Western culture and habits in countries in the region. The success of several international chocolate brands is expected to further intensify the demand for chocolate in the region.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe leading companies operating in the global chocolate market are focusing on product differentiation in terms of taste, flavor, and price to gain a strong hold over the market. Some of the key players are Kraft Foods, Nestle SA, Moonstruck Chocolatier Co., Mars Inc., Ghirardelli Chocolate Co., Ferrero Group, and Hershey Foods Corp.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.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Natural Antioxidants Market - Global Industry Share 2019

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Natural antioxidants are mostly found in fresh food. They have the ability to remove harmful/toxic substances from body. They are chemically free radicals and stable in their own way and hence do not give away electrons. Antioxidants convert harmful toxins into harmless products which are excreted from body as waste products. They prevent the body from oxidation which produces free radicals and damages cells. Foods which are rich in natural antioxidants helps prevent cancer and also act as anti-aging agents. They also reduces risk of heart disease by significantly absorbing bad cholesterol.View exclusive Global strategic Business report:Major factors driving the growth of the market are increasing concern over food safety, demand for natural ingredients and awareness regarding benefits of antioxidants. Rising prices of these natural antioxidants is one the major barrier to the growth of the market which are likely to be addressed as more R&D initiatives are directed towards the sector. With increase in livestock population the demand for natural antioxidants will increase, companies will be able to lower the cost with economies of scale. The markets for Natural Antioxidants have huge opportunities in the future and may act as replacements for synthetic products which cause health related concerns.The global natural antioxidant market by application can be segmented as global meat & poultry market, baked goods market, snack foods market, fish & sea food market, oil, fat & margarines market and other application. North America and Europe are the market leaders currently, however the competition is likely to increase in the Asia Pacific region in the future. The overall regional segmentations may be done as North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.Some of the major players in the market are Danisco A/s, Basf Se, Adisseo France S.a.s, Novozymes A/s, HR. Hansen, AB Vista, and DSM.Browse Full Report with ToC:This research report analyzes this market depending on its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.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.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Smart Grid Cyber Security Industry :- Market by Type, Application, and Geography  Global Trends & Forecasts to 2021

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Research Beam added a report United States Smart Grid Cyber Security Market Report 2016Description:About Smart Grid Cyber Security Market:The Smart Grid Cyber Security Industry Research Report is a comprehensive study of the recent market trends and consumption analysis in the United States industry. The report provides an in-depth analysis for the historic period, 20112016 and the forecast period, 20162021. Market overview is offered on the basis of product overview and scope of Smart Grid Cyber Security. Furthermore, the study covers a detailed segmentation in terms of types, applications, and regions.Download Sample Report @Regional analysis for the Smart Grid Cyber Security market is provided based on revenue, sales, and growth rate. In addition, sales and market share for each segment are included for each region.Major manufacturers are analyzed in the report in terms of basic information, manufacturing base, product specifications, and business overview. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of sales, revenue, price, and gross margin of each manufacturer is covered.Following manufacturers are analyzed: BAE Systems IBM IOActive Lockheed Martin Symantec AlertEnterprise AlienVault Black and Veatch Cisco Systems ElsterRequest for Discount @Manufacturing cost analysis is offered based on raw material analysis and cost structure along with manufacturing process analysis. The research offers industry chain analysis in terms of upstream raw material sourcing and downstream buyers. Moreover, an extensive analysis of production, consumption, and revenue for each segment is offered for the forecast period.Data & statistics are provided with the help of tables and figures to help manufacturers, investors, and shareholders gain comprehensive understanding. Research conclusions are offered at the end of the report.Enquire about Report @Table of Contents:1 United States Smart Grid Cyber Security Overview2 United States Smart Grid Cyber Security Competition by Manufacturers3 United States Smart Grid Cyber Security (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)4 United States Smart Grid Cyber Security (Volume) by Application (2011-2016)5 United States Smart Grid Cyber Security Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis6 United States Smart Grid Cyber Security Manufacturing Cost Analysis7 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers8 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders9 Market Effect Factors Analysis10 United States Smart Grid Cyber Security Market Forecast (2016-2021)11 Research Findings and ConclusionAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Severs Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesU.S. & Canada Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452International: + 1-503-894-6022UK: + 44-845-528-1300India: +91 20 66346070Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975Email: help@researchbeam.comWeb:
Global Aviation Test Equipment Market  Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2015  2021

Global Aviation Test Equipment Market

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Aviation Test Equipment Market (Electric Systems Test Equipment, Hydraulic Systems Test Equipment, Pneumatic Systems Test Equipment) for Commercial Aviation Test Equipment and Military Aviation Test Equipment Application: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2015  2021Global aviation test equipment market is expected reach USD 7,254 million by end of 2021The report covers forecast and analysis for the aviation test equipment market on a global, regional and country level. The study provides historic data of 2015 along with a forecast from 2016 to 2021 based on revenue (USD million). The study includes drivers and restraints for the aviation test equipment market along with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. Additionally, the report includes the study of opportunities available in the aviation test equipment market on a global level.Request Sample Report:In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view on the aviation test equipment market. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters Five Forces model for the aviation test equipment market has also been included in the study. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein application segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.The report provides company market share analysis in order to give a broader overview of the key players in the market. In addition, the report also covers key strategic developments of the market including acquisitions & mergers, new product launch, agreements, partnerships, collaborations & joint ventures, research& development, product and regional expansion of major participants involved in the market on the global and regional basis.Browse detail report at:The study provides a decisive view on the aviation test equipment market by segmenting the market based on system and application. All the segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends and the market is estimated from 2015 to 2021. System segments covered under this study includes electric systems test equipment, hydraulic systems test equipment, and pneumatic systems test equipment. Key application segments covered under this study includes commercial aviation test equipment and military aviation test equipment. The regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa. This segmentation includes demand for aviation test equipment based on the individual product in all the regions.The report also includes detailed profiles of end players such as Boeing, Honeywell International, Inc., Moog Inc., SPHEREA Test & Services (SPHEREA), Rockwell Collins, Airbus, and Teradyne Inc. The detailed description of players includes parameters such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies and recent developments of the company.Read Report TOC:The report segments the global aviation test equipment market as:Aviation Test Equipment Market: System Segment AnalysisElectric Systems Test EquipmentHydraulic Systems Test EquipmentPneumatic Systems Test EquipmentAviation Test Equipment Market: Product Segment AnalysisCommercial Aviation Test EquipmentMilitary Aviation Test EquipmentAviation Test Equipment 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:
Dashboard Camera Market (By Product Type - Basic Dashboard Cameras, Advanced Dashboard Cameras and Smart Dashboard Cameras) - Worldwide Manufacturing Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2020

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Dashboard cameras are real-time video recording devices usually attached on the windshield of vehicles and integrated with dashboards in the vehicle. These devices are designed to record real-time videos that capture the inward as well as outward sides of vehicles. Dashboard cameras find its applications in private cars, law enforcement vehicles, and rental and other commercial vehicles. These cameras provide continuous video recording, which could be used as evidence in event of an accident or civil or criminal lawsuits. Dashboard cameras are categorized based on technology, type and geography. The demand for dashboard cameras is majorly driven by their numerous advantages, especially their utility in case of accidents, emergency services, and for evidence gathering, among others. Dashboard cameras help insurance companies to expedite claim settlements as these cameras provide lucid evidence of the incidents. Various insurance companies offer discounts on insurance premiums for car owners who equip their vehicles with dashboard cameras. Rising support from insurance companies to install dashboard cameras is another major factor influencing the growth of this market.Get More Information:The report on the dashboard cameras market provides the current scenario as well as the future market potential of dashboard cameras, globally. The market for the dashboard cameras has been extensively analyzed on the basis of product type, technology and geography. Based on type, this market is also segmented into basic dashboard cameras, advanced dashboard cameras and smart dashboard camera. The market size and forecast in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) as well as volume (thousand units) for each of these segments have been provided for the period from 2012 to 2020, considering 2012 and 2013 as the base years. Based on the technology, dashboard cameras are categorized into single lens (single channel), multi lens (dual channel) and rearview dashboard cameras. The report also provides the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for each segment of the market for the forecast period from 2014 to 2020 and analyzes the contribution of sales channels i.e. OEMs (car manufacturers and retail). This would help dashboard camera manufacturers to select ideal distribution channels according to their requirements. The report also highlights the views of car manufacturers about integrating dashboard cameras with their new cars.Geographically, the market for dashboard cameras has been segmented into regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Rest of the world. The market size and forecast for each region have been provided for the period from 2012 to 2020 along with the CAGR (%) for the forecast period from 2014 to 2020. The report also includes country level analysis for major markets in Europe (Russia, France, Germany, UK, Norway and Sweden) and Asia Pacific (China, Korea, Japan and Oceania). The dashboard camera market report includes the quantitative analysis in terms of unit shipment (thousand units) as well as revenue (US$ Mn) and forecast for the period 2014 to 2020. The report also highlights attractive market segments in each regional and global market which helps manufacturers and suppliers in their tactical decision making. The study also includes qualitative analysis of the competitive scenario in these regions. The market overview chapter in the report includes qualitative analysis of the overall market highlighting the factors determining the market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with market attractiveness analysis and value chain analysis. This report also highlights demand supply trends, product and technology trends, original equipment suppliers and manufacturer trends in the global as well as in regional markets.The report also provides a section on the competitive landscape, wherein the market positioning of leading players in the global dashboard cameras market in 2013 has been analyzed. The report concludes with the profiles of major original equipment suppliers (OESs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the global dashboard cameras industry such as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) US LLC, Delphi Automotive Systems Pvt Ltd, Papago Inc., Toyota Motor Corp, Harman International Inc, Garmin International Inc, Qrontech Co., Ltd. (Lukas), Pittasoft Co. Ltd. (BlackVue), DCS Systems Ltd. (RoadHawk UK), and 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.Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Soft Contact Lens Global Industry Analysis and Research Report 2016 | New Release

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Soft Contact Lens Industry 2016 Market Research Report" to its huge collection of research reports.The Global Soft Contact Lens Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Soft Contact Lens industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Soft Contact Lens market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Soft Contact Lens industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Soft Contact Lens1.1 Definition and Specifications of Soft Contact Lens1.1.1 Definition of Soft Contact Lens1.1.2 Specifications of Soft Contact Lens1.2 Classification of Soft Contact Lens1.3 Applications of Soft Contact Lens1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Soft Contact Lens1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Soft Contact Lens1.5.1 Industry Overview of Soft Contact Lens1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Soft Contact Lens1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Soft Contact Lens1.7 Industry News Analysis of Soft Contact Lens2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Soft Contact Lens2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Soft Contact Lens2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Soft Contact Lens2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Soft Contact Lens2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Soft Contact Lens2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Soft Contact Lens2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Soft Contact Lens3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Soft Contact Lens3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Soft Contact Lens Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Soft Contact Lens Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Soft Contact Lens Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Soft Contact Lens Major Manufacturers in 20154 Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Soft Contact Lens by Regions, Types and Manufacturers4.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Soft Contact Lens by Regions 2011-20164.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Soft Contact Lens 2011-20164.3 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Soft Contact Lens by Types 2011-20164.4 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Soft Contact Lens by Manufacturers 2011-20165 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Soft Contact Lens by Regions, Types and Manufacturers5.1 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Soft Contact Lens by Regions 2011-20165.2 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Soft Contact Lens by Types 2011-20165.3 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Soft Contact Lens by Manufacturers 2011-2016Make 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 Dental Software Market Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2016

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Dental Software Market Research Report 2016" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies Dental Software in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringAce DentalDovetailDentrixDenticonCurve DentalQSIDental WebDentiMaxDataconCarestream PracticeWorksEasy DentalMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Dental Software in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanKoreaTaiwanSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoPatient records management dental softwareDental treatment planning softwareDental internet and ethernet communication softwareComputer-aided dental educationSoftware for usage of dental instrumentsOthersSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Dental Software in each application, can be divided intoAdministrativeClinicalFor internetTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of Contents1 Dental Software Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Dental Software1.2 Dental Software Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Dental Software by Type in 20151.2.2 Patient records management dental software1.2.3 Dental treatment planning software1.2.4 Dental internet and ethernet communication software1.2.5 Computer-aided dental education1.2.6 Software for usage of dental instruments1.2.7 Others1.3 Dental Software Segment by Application1.3.1 Dental Software Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Administrative1.3.3 Clinical1.3.4 For internet1.4 Dental Software Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Korea Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Dental Software (2011-2021)2 Global Dental Software Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Dental Software Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Dental Software Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Dental Software Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Dental Software Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Dental Software Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Dental Software Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Dental Software Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Dental Software Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)3.1 Global Dental Software Production by Region (2011-2016)3.2 Global Dental Software Production Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.3 Global Dental Software Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.4 Global Dental Software Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.5 North America Dental Software Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.6 Europe Dental Software Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.7 China Dental Software Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.8 Japan Dental Software Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.9 Korea Dental Software Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.10 Taiwan Dental Software Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)4 Global Dental Software Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global Dental Software Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)4.2 North America Dental Software Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.3 Europe Dental Software Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.4 China Dental Software Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.5 Japan Dental Software Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.6 Korea Dental Software Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.7 Taiwan Dental Software Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)5 Global Dental Software Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Dental Software Production and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.2 Global Dental Software Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.3 Global Dental Software Price by Type (2011-2016)5.4 Global Dental Software Production Growth by Type (2011-2016)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 Intelligent Virtual Assistant Market size worth over $11bn by 2024

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Intelligent Virtual Assistant Market size is expected to exceed USD 11 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Growing focus on customer engagement to enhance user experience is expected to drive the intelligent virtual assistant market size in the future. Virtual assistants are deployed in mobile devices, enterprise websites, and social media that enable them to have constant communication with clients. For instance, companies install them to provide brand or product information to clients.In addition, it helps in promotions by asking new users to sign in to the companys loyalty account. Customer engagement solutions emphasize on providing enhanced direct experience and help companies to increase revenue and improve customer satisfaction and retention.Request for a sample of this research report @Growing focus on streamlining business activities to lower the overall operating cost will also propel the intelligent virtual assistant market size. IVAs have application across several business processes such as interviewing, employee training and advertising that allow enterprises to minimize the cost.With the help of smartphones and other mobile devices, tasks such as checking in with staff, location based reminders, searching through emails, and scheduling meetings makes the work life of the employee more efficient. Thus, the increasing penetration of mobile devices is expected to provide a fillip to the intelligent virtual assistant market share.Browse key industry insights spread across 180 pages with 130 market data tables & 100 figures & charts from the report, Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) Market Size By Technology (Speech Recognition, Text-To-Speech, Voice Recognition), By Service (Customer Service, Marketing Assistant), By Application (Automotive, BFSI, Retail, IT & Telecom, Healthcare, Education), By End-Use (SMBs, Large Enterprises, Individual Users), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024 in detail along with the table of contents:Key insights from the report include: Speech recognition is expected to witness significant growth with a CAGR of over 37% from 2016 to 2024 owing to the high demand for speech recognition technology across the medical and automotive applications. Moreover, increasing focus of technology giants including Microsoft and IBM to minimize the error rate is expected to significantly contributes towards high intelligent virtual assistant market share. The ability to covert a persons voice into a recognizable data pattern is projected to propel the demand for voice recognition over the coming years. IVA market share as service assistant is anticipated to witness high adoption over the future as it is capable of assisting businesses on customer requirements and work flow balance, thereby, delivering immediate productivity. Intelligent virtual assistant market share as customer assistants is projected to grow considerably at nearly 35% CAGR over the forecast timeline. The technology provides advantages such as enhance support, low operating cost, high customer satisfaction, personalized service to customers, multiple language & device support. Furthermore, it proves to be a key differentiator that increases consumer loyalty, income and sales. Intelligent virtual assistant market size is expected to witness significant demand across the retail industry owing to the features they offer such as responding efficiently to consumers queries and issues in a cost-effective manner. IVA offer personalized and expert service to customers irrespective of time, geography and channel without any sale support. This increases consumer satisfaction and lowers cost, which is expected to impel demand over the next few years. Enterprises are witnessing high adoption rate as it provides user friendly self-service feature which is much faster and convenient as compared to talking to a live agent. High IVA market adoption rate is further accredited to increasing focus on customer satisfaction and cost reduction. For instance, Nuances Nina is the first virtual integrated assistant in the UK insurance sector. Dominos Pizzas Dom, ING Banks Inge, and JetStar Airlines Jess are virtual assistants designed to deliver a convincing, multi-channel, automatic customer service experience for the enterprise and consumer segment. U.S. intelligent virtual assistant market size contributed significantly to the overall revenue in 2015, with CAGR forecast to exceed the global average. Companies contributing to the intelligent virtual assistant market share include IBM Corporation, Nuance, Clara Labs, InteliWISE, eGain Communications, Creative Virtual, CX Company, 24/7 Customer Inc., Artificial Solutions and Anboto among others.Make an inquiry for buying this report @Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.29L Atlantic Avenue, Suite L 105,Ocean View Delaware 19970 United States
Why Cyber Security Services are the most necessary in 2017?

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Just as in 2016, Cyber Security Services will continue to be decisive for most of the organizations in 2017. A market research by Gartner has suggested that organizations globally spend about 5.6% of their budget on IT security and risk management. But this figure varies from one organization to another depending upon the nature of business, geography, industry sector as well as size of business. Some businesses are trying to incorporate industry best practices for security into their operations to reduce the overall numbers of security vulnerabilities. With a steep rise in technology integration in our day to day lives, security attackers will find new ways to trouble. A couple of cyber security features have become imperative for businesses. Do you have these?Suma Soft Pvt. Ltd. is a global IT risk and security management company that has been actively providing top-notch Cyber Security Services to businesses for over 16 years. Here are a list of must-have IT risk management features that will help you stay away from security breaches:Basics:1)Continuous IT Risk Analysis and Intrusion Detection2)Anti-virus and Malware protection, SPAM and Web filters3)Firewall validation, IDS verification, password cracking4)Business logic testing to prohibit authentication bypass, privilege escalation, unauthorized access to restricted data, etc.5)Social Engineering Attack assessmentAdvanced:1)Security Incident and Event Management tool in a SaaS-delivered format2)Real-time monitoring and reporting3)Static Application Security Testing for thorough source code analysis4)Digital Forensic Investigation and Awareness5)Internal Audit and Vulnerability AssessmentAbout Suma Soft:Suma Soft offers proactive IT risk and security management services for Automotive, Healthcare, Logistics, BFSI, Ecommerce and other industries. Suma Soft is credited with ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System, STQC and CERT-in empanelment.URL:Suma Soft has been providing Cyber Security Services in USA for past 16+ years.Name: StuartCompany Address: 7880 San Felipe Street,Ste 120,Houston TX 77063-1647Telephone: +1 281 764 1821Email: info@sumasoft.com
Increasing Healthcare Expenses Drive the Growth of Healthcare Information Systems Market to touch US$53.2 Billion by 2019

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North America has the largest healthcare information systems market and Asia is the fastest growing healthcare information systems market. Some of the fastest growing markets for healthcare information system are China, India, Japan and the U.S. Adoption of wireless and cloud computing is constantly on the rise, which is resulting in reduction in operational costs. For instance, the number of patients who used home health monitoring systems was about 2.8 million in the world in 2012. The growth rate is projected to increase to 26.9% in the near future. Similarly, About 5.7 million patients are expected to be monitored with a wireless medical device in 2014.Healthcare information system is an extensive integrated system which captures, stores, manages and transmits information related to the health of individuals or the activities of organizations that work within the healthcare sector. Globally, increase in aging population is playing a major role in increasing the demand of healthcare information system. Older people have less regenerative abilities and are more prone to disease, syndrome and sickness. As a result, healthcare information systems market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 7.1% during 2013  2019.Download PDF Brochure of Report -Some of the key driving factors for the healthcare information systems market are aging population, rising healthcare cost, rising government initiatives, rising need for integrated healthcare system and rising investments by healthcare IT players. However, the market faces some restraints such as lack of experienced professionals, high maintenance & service expenses and interoperability issues. North America has the largest healthcare information systems market and Asia is the fastest growing healthcare information systems market. Some of the fastest growing markets for healthcare information system are China, India, Japan and the U.S. Adoption of wireless and cloud computing is constantly on the rise, which is resulting in reduction in operational costs. For instance, the number of patients who used home health monitoring systems was about 2.8 million in the world in 2012. The growth rate for home health systems is projected to increase to 26.9% in the near future. Similarly, About 5.7 million patients are expected to be monitored with a wireless medical device by 2014.Hospital information system is the largest application segment in healthcare information systems market and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 6.9% during 2013  2019. Based on delivery mode, the healthcare information systems market can be classified into web based technology, on-premise technology and cloud based technology.GE Healthcare is the leading player in the hospital information systems market. Other major players of healthcare information systems market include Philips Healthcare, McKesson Corporation and others.Browse Report with Complete TOC -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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Waterproofing Membrane Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2024

Waterproofing Membrane Market

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Global Waterproofing Membrane Market: Brief AssessmentCoating that prevents passage of water into structural components of a construction is known as waterproofing membrane. Waterproofing activity of the membrane retains structural integrity of a foundation. Structural units of a building such as roof, walls, and basements are protected from intrusion of moisture and water with the aid of waterproofing membrane. Hydrostatic pressure exerted by molecules of water, both in liquid and vapor state, is controlled by application of waterproofing membrane. This type of membrane is composed of plastic, rubber, or coated fabric with water-resistant activity. Waterproofing membrane can be applied to interior side of the building (negative-side waterproofing) as well as exterior side of the building (positive-side waterproofing).Single or multi-layer materials such as rubber, elastomer, bitumen, PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, and other polymers are major components of waterproofing membrane. Based on composition, waterproofing membranes are classified into different types such as PVC (polyvinylchloride), TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin), EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), and LDPE (low-density polyethylene).GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECH-NICAL INSIGHTS:The most important feature of the membrane is to provide water adsorption activity. Waterproofing membrane has wide industrial applications due to its efficient water-resistant performance. Construction (such as roofing, walls, and building structure), water and wastewater treatment, mining, civil, and transportation (tunnel liners, bridge, and highway) industries are key end-users of waterproofing membrane.Global Waterproofing Membrane Market: Trends and OpportunitiesTPO waterproofing membrane is widely employed as roofing material in several end-user industries. This is anticipated to drive demand for TPO waterproofing membrane. Easy installation steps, eco-friendly nature, and high performance efficiency are key benefits of TPO membrane. Energy efficiency, durability, and heat resistance features are primary factors boosting rise in demand for waterproofing membrane globally. Lightweight feature and environment sustainability are chiefly responsible in enhancing the popularity of waterproofing membrane in its end-user industries.Booming construction industry in China and other countries in Asia Pacific contributes to rising demand for waterproofing membrane. Increasing awareness about saving energy and environment-friendly usage fuels consumption of waterproofing membrane in developed as well as developing countries. Key players focus on market expansion through mergers and acquisitions, product innovation, and research initiatives. However, companies need to follow stringent rules and regulations empowered by the U.S. EPA to ensure their products are eco-friendly.Global Waterproofing Membrane Market: Regional OutlookThe global waterproofing market witnessed significant growth in the last few years, and this positive trend is estimated to continue in the next few years. Size of the global waterproofing membrane market is anticipated to rise significantly in the next few years. Enormous growth in construction industry and wastewater management system in Asia Pacific due to rise in urban population is fueling the waterproofing membrane market. Asia Pacific accounts for the largest share of the waterproofing membrane market. Increased usage of waterproofing membrane in roofing, mining, water, and wastewater treatment in this region is likely to boost market prospects. North America accounts for second-largest market share of the waterproofing membrane market. The market in North America is projected to experience steady growth in the near future. Sluggish growth in construction industry in Europe results in a relatively smaller market for waterproofing membrane, whereas the Middle East and Africa appears to be an emerging market. Establishment of new production plants in the developing nations indicates increase in demand for waterproofing membrane.Global Waterproofing Membrane Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportKey manufacturers of waterproofing membrane include The Dow Chemical Company, Carlisle Companies, Inc., Siplast, BASF SE, W. R. Meadows Inc., Johns Manville, Soprema Group, Firestone Building Products Company, LLC, GAF Materials Corporation, and Sika AG.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 insights for decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, TMR employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Virus Filtration Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Virus filtration is an important procedure in the pharmaceutical industry. It ensures the purity and steady consumption of valuable products, besides optimizing the economic process and preventing loss. Virus filtration feed streams generally exhibit high purity and heavy product concentrations. Retrovirus and parvovirus filtration membranes are two ultrafiltration membranes tested (and their performances compared) using realistic model feed streams consisting of minute virus of mice (recommended from FDA). This approach provides an industry-relevant benchmark for the engineering competence of virus filters. Asymmetric membranes operate in direct flow and in a constant pressure mode in accordance with the industrial practice of virus filtration. However, new developments in research and development using flux method allow to image at the performance of virus filtration and similar ultrafiltration membranes, which also provides insights into designing virus filtration membranes.Download PDF Brochure of Report -Hike in R&D expenditure, development of the biopharmaceutical industry, and increasing government funding for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are driving the global virus filtration market. According to the parenteral drug association, parvovirus filters in the downstream process have become an industry standard and a common regulatory expectation in the recent years. The filters consistently demonstrate highly effective retrovirus retention without impacting the quality of the product across a wide range of parameters and are an effective method to reduce virus risks in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The filtration technique needs to be approved by the U.S. food and drug administration (FDA). Regulatory agencies in Germany and France require the manufacturing processes to be evaluated and the units to be cleared of the multiple models of relevant viruses before being marketed as authorization. These stringent government validation practices are expected to be a hindrance for the global virus filtration market.The market has been segmented by product type, application, end-users, and geography. In terms of product type, it is classified into the following categories: virus filters, kits and reagents, filtration systems, and others. It majorly has biological applications, besides being employed in medical devices, water purification, stem cell products, vaccine & therapeutics, and others. Based on end-user, its divisions include pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies (which use virus filtration techniques in order to prevent unavoidable contamination in products), medical device companies, and contract research organizations. Filtration systems and devices are becoming popular because they deliver a high level of retention assurance and productivity across a broad range of feed stream characteristics. Rising industrialization coupled with the rapid evolution of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and water purification sectors, along with demand for medical devices & implants are likely to propel the virus filtration market by 2024.Geographically, the market is distributed over North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the dominant region due to the increasing modern industrialization, sophisticated infrastructure, patient awareness, and high per capita health care expenditure here. Moreover, the emerging trend of single-use techniques provides a boost to the pharmaceutical & biotechnology market, in turn motivating the virus filtration market. This is followed by Europe where there exist favorable government policies regarding health care infrastructure and awareness programs about the various diseases which can spread among the population through the air, water, or even products generated from industries. In 2013, the ICH (international conference on harmonization of technical requirements for registration of pharmaceuticals for human use), a project that brings together the regulatory authorities of Europe, Japan, and the U.S., discussed the scientific and technical aspects of drug registration in order to streamline the testing requirement for research and development of new medicines and eliminate unnecessary delays in their global development. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand swiftly due to rising population, changing lifestyles, rising number of awareness programs for patients, and the ever-increasing per capita expenditure. In addition, economic growth supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology units in developing countries such as India, China, and Singapore. All these factors collectively support the virus filtration market in Asia Pacific.Key players operating in the market include Merck KGaA, GE Healthcare, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Lonza Group Ltd., Pall Corporation, Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Sartorius AG, Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd., and WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc.Read Report with Complete TOC -Transparency 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Medical Transcription Services Market Global Industry Analysis 2013 - 2019

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In the past, medical documentation involved lots of paper work and was time consuming. Such documents were sometimes handwritten or typed on paper and gradually started occupying space in healthcare institutes, hospitals and clinics. Apart from being space consuming, retrieving any particular patient record from piles of record files posed as a bigger issue. Documentation and maintenance of patient records was not only a burden on hospitals but also on physicians and other healthcare staff which thereby created demand for a medical documentation process which involved less manpower, space and processing time.Medical transcription process involves transcribing the patient information dictated by physician into text format. Physicians record patient information using audio recorders and send such recordings to medical transcriptionist for further process. This process has not only reduced writing work and efforts of physicians across the globe but has also helped in reducing space required for the saving of such documents. Apart from efficiently recording patient records medical transcription services also turn out to be instrumental in reducing the risk of legal disputes and insurance reimbursement issues.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Many medical transcription service providers are offering both transcription services and transcription software. Audio recorders are being rapidly replaced with speech recognition software that allows automatic conversion of audio into text format. Medical transcription service providers offer services mainly to transcribe History and Physical reports (H&P), Discharge Summary (DS), Operative Notes (OP), Consultation reports (CONSULT) and other reports. Medical transcription services can be offshored or outsourced. Many developed countries prefer offshoring medical transcription jobs to the companies situated in developing countries such as India, China and Philippines. Medical transcription demands high end accuracy and hence requires skilled manpower. Developing in-house manpower capable of transcribing medical information with accuracy along with developing and maintaining infrastructure necessary for providing medical transcription services is a costly affair. Hence many healthcare professionals outsource their transcription jobs to save both time and monetary resources. Healthcare institutes prefer offshoring medical transcription activities over outsourcing as it is more beneficial for labor as well as healthcare institutes to avail the transcription services in exchange of dollars (currency rate benefits).Medical transcription has extended definitions of healthcare services by enabling physicians and specialty physicians to treat patients across the globe, refer documents in history for special cases and guide for physicians in case of transfer of patient from one physician to another for better treatment. Developing countries in Europe are investing more on building medical transcription service organizations (MTSOs). Countries in Asia-Pacific are focusing more on medical transcription service industry rather than on availing medical transcription services. Governments in India, Philippines and China are providing subsidies, incentives, cost benefits in internet services and tax benefits for developing infrastructure required for set up of medical transcription company, developing skilled manpower and improving technology.View exclusive Global strategic Business report:Geographically, North America dominates the global medical transcription services market due to increased medical documentation in the U.S. Contribution of the U.S. in availing medical transcription services is going to increase further as effects of passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Furthermore, most of the healthcare professionals availing medical transcription services are domiciled in the U.S. thus giving more scope to in-shore outsourcing. Many major MTSOs are coming up with cost effective products in the market that is driving cost reduction in this market. Growing awareness of medical documentation and its implementation by many healthcare professionals, hospitals, clinics and healthcare institutes is driving growth of medical transcription market.Moreover, factors such as increased awareness about the benefits of electronic patient recordkeeping, government initiatives, increased geriatric population worldwide; reimbursement processing and availability of various software leading to competitive cost reductions are driving growth of medical transcription services market. Use of novel recording system, which combines different type of automatic audio recorders and speech recognition technology, is a rapidly progressing trend. Medical transcription services is a promising and a fast growing segment in the field of next generation patient documentation and healthcare database and is changing the perception and look of healthcare industry.Transparency 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.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Diabetes Devices and Drugs Market to Reach US$83.0 bn by 2019 due to Introduction of New Insulin Formulations

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Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders wherein either the body isnt able to produce insulin or isnt able to use the already generated insulin. The former happens in case of type-1 diabetes and the latter in case of type-2 diabetes. Thus, the raised sugar levels result in a number of symptoms such as weight loss, increased thirst, frequent urination, and high appetite. Diabetes, if left untreated, may cause numerous chronic or acute potentially-fatal complications. Thus, a number of devices and drugs are being introduced for the treatment of diabetes.Forthcoming Market Trends of Diabetes Devices and Drugs at:As per this report, the rising diabetic population globally and the increasing incidence of chronic diseases as a result of diabetes are amongst the key factors propelling the growth of the market for diabetes devices and drugs. In addition, the continuous activities of research and development have also positively impacted the growth of the market. Furthermore, the rising technological advancements will further augment the development of the market. The introduction of non-invasive diabetes diagnostic and drug delivery devices and the launch of new insulin formulations in the market are the key growth opportunities in the market.On the other hand, the profitability of players is being hampered by patent expiry and the high cost of treatment and diagnosis. In addition, the unsupportive reimbursement policies will also impact the diabetes devices and drugs market negatively in the forthcoming years.On the basis of device, the global diabetes devices market is segmented into diabetes monitoring and diagnostic devices and insulin delivery devices. Amongst these, monitoring and diagnostic devices are further segmented into analog glucose meters, glucose test strips, lancets and lancing devices, continuous glucose monitoring devices, and others.Insulin delivery devices are further segmented into insulin syringes, insulin pens, insulin pumps, and insulin injectors. The segment of continuous glucose monitoring devices is predicted to rise at a 6.60% CAGR between 2013 and 2019. On the other hand, insulin pens are also witnessing substantial demand in the global market.By therapy, the global diabetes drugs market is segmented into insulin, non-insulin injectable anti-diabetes drugs, and oral anti-diabetes drugs class. Of these, insulin is further segmented into short-acting insulin derivatives, intermediate-acting insulin derivatives, long-acting insulin derivatives, rapid-acting insulin derivatives, and premixed insulin derivatives. The oral anti-diabetes drugs class is further segmented into sulphonylureas, biguanides, meglitinides, thiazolidinediones, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, DPP-4 inhibitors, and SGLT-2 inhibitors. Non-insulin injectable anti-diabetes drugs are further segmented into GLP-1 analogs.Geographically, the report segments the market into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, North America leads the market for diabetes devices and drugs. This is due to the rising diabetic population, advanced medical infrastructure, and the increasing technological developments within this region.However, Asia Pacific is projected to be the most lucrative market for diabetes devices and drugs in the forecast horizon. This is owing to the growing occurrence of diabetes and the rising awareness about self-management and monitoring of diabetes in this region.Read Present Analysis of Diabetes Devices and Drugs Market at:As mentioned in the study, the prominent players dominant in the market are AstraZeneca plc, Abbott Laboratories, Inc., B Braun Melsungen AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Bayer HealthCare AG, Ingelheim GmbH, and Boehringer, among others.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.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
LNG Re-Gasification Market - Global Industry Analysis 2020

LNG Re-Gasification Market

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Increase in the oil and gas exploration activities to satisfy the global energy needs can have direct implications on the global LNG Re-gasification industry. The global market for LNG Re-gasification industry depends upon the demand for LNG, and hence any factor driving LNG demand could also drive the LNG Re-gasification market. Re-gasification is a process of converting back the Liquefied Natural Gas into its original form. The stringent environmental laws advocating the use of cleaner fuels can have positive impact on the demand of natural gas, and hence re-gasification equipments. The need to meet the energy and climate targets by various countries is one the major driver for the LNG re-gasification industry. LNG re-gasification plants can be located on both onshore and offshore locations. The offshore plants are usually located on the floating barges equipped with all necessary technologies for re-gasification.Segmentation of the LNG Re-gasification market can be done on the basis of technology, plant location (Onshore and Offshore Re-gasification), end user industry and geography. Some of the major LNG-re-gasification technologies include the use of open rack vaporizers, submerged combustion vaporizers, shell and tube vaporizers, intermediate fluid vaporizers and ambient air vaporizers. The LNG Re-gasification industry can also be segmented depending upon the location of re-gasification plants. The LNG Re-gasification plants can be located both on the onshore and offshore areas. The Floating Storage and Re-gasification Units (FSRU) are purposely built tankers that can be used for designed for re-gasification of LNG. Natural gas is widely used as a fuel for gas powered cars, buses and trucks. Besides that natural gas can also be used as fuel for power plants.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECH-NICAL INSIGHTS:The segmentation of the LNG Re-gasification market can be done by indentifying the major LNG importing and producing countries. Major natural gas importing and producing countries include the United States, Canada and Mexico; Australia, India, Singapore, China, Korea and Japan; Italy, Spain, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom in Europe; Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Rest of the World segment includes countries from Africa and Latin America. Major countries in this segment are Angola, Nigeria, Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador. Recent natural gas discoveries in West Africa and Central Asia are also having the positive impact on the world LNG Re-gasification industry.Increasing onshore and offshore natural gas exploration activities, advancements in re-gasification technologies, increasing demand for natural gas, stringent environment regulations advocating the use of cleaner fuels are the major drivers for the LNG Re-gasification industry. Moreover, the development of offshore re-gasification units can also have a positive impact on the LNG Re-gasification industry. High cost of installation for LNG re-gasification units is one of the major restraints to the LNG Re-gasification industry. Moreover, the development of bio-fuels and renewable energy technology can also be a restraint to the LNG market and hence the LNG Re-gasification industry. Increase in the number of vehicles especially in the Asia Pacific countries such as India and China can act as the opportunity for the LNG Re-gasification industry. Both of the countries import LNG in large quantities and hence can act opportunities for the companies planning to invest in LNG Re-gasification.Some of the major companies involved in LNG Re-gasification include KBR, Inc., Golar Management Ltd., Hoegh lng AS, John Wood Group PLC, Wartsila, Excelerate Energy, L.P and 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 insights for decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, TMR employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Global Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) Market 2016 - Quantum Hi-Tech, Ingredion, Beghin-Meiji, Sensus, Cosucra, Beneo, Meiji Food Materia, CJ CheilJedang, Tata

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This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) from 2011-2016, and provides extensive market forecasts (2016-2021) by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Fructooligosaccharide (FOS), and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) also sometimes called oligofructose or oligofructan, are oligosaccharide fructans, used as an alternative sweetener. FOS exhibits sweetness levels between 30 and 50 percent of sugar in commercially prepared syrups. It occurs naturally, and its commercial use emerged in the 1980s in response to consumer demand for healthier and calorie-reduced foods. Fructooligosaccharides are prebiotics with numerous health benefits within which the improvement of gut microbiota balance can be highlighted, playing a key role in individual health. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) was initially discovered in plants, it exists in fruits, vegetables and cereals widely.Download sample report atGlobal Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies. The competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. The major players in the global Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) market areQuantum Hi-Tech (China), Ingredion (USA), Beghin-Meiji (France), Sensus (Nerthland), Cosucra (Belgium), Beneo (Germany), Meiji Food Materia (Japan), CJ CheilJedang (Korea), Tata (India), Victory Biology Engineering (China), Baolingbao (China), Qinghai Weide (China), Bailong Chuangyuan (China), Yunnan Kangwei (China), Shandong Arabian (China).The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) industry has been provided.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Fior Markets provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Global Spiramycin Base (Spiramycin) (CAS 8025-81-8) Market 2016 - Sanofi-Aventis, CLL Pharma, TOPFOND, Fortune Pharmaceutical

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Spiramycin is a macrolide antibiotic and antiparasitic It is used to treat toxoplasmosis and various other infections of soft tissues. Although used in Europe, Canada and Mexico, spiramycin is still considered an experimental drug in the United States, but can sometimes be obtained by special permission from the FDA for toxoplasmosis in the first trimester of pregnancy.Spiramycin has been used in Europe since the year 2000 under the trade name "Rovamycine", produced by Rhone-Poulenc Rorer and Famar Lyon, France and Eczacibasi Ilae, Turkey. It also goes under the name Rovamycine in Canada (distributed by OdanLaboratories), where it is mostly marketed to dentists for mouth infections.Spiramycin is a 16-membered ring macrolide. It was discovered in 1952 as a product of Streptomyces ambofaciens. As a preparation for oral administration it has been used since 1955, in 1987 also the parenteral form was introduced into practice. The antibiotic action involves inhibition of protein synthesis in the bacterial cell during translocation. Resistance to spiramycin can develop by several mechanisms and its prevalence is to a considerable extent proportional to the frequency of prescription in a given area. The antibacterial spectrum comprises Gram-positive cocci and rods, Gram-negative cocci and also Legionellae, mycoplasmas, chlamydiae, some types of spirochetes, Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium species. Enterobacteria, pseudomonads and pathogenic moulds are resistant. Its action is mainly bacteriostatic, on highly sensitive strains it exerts a bactericide action. As compared with erythromycin, it is in vitro weight for weight 5 to 20 less effective, an equipotential therapeutic dose is, however, only double. This difference between the effectiveness in vitro and in vivo is explained above all by the great affinity of spiramycin to tissues where it achieves concentrations many times higher than serum levels. An important part is played also by the slow release of the antibiotic from the tissue compartment, the marked action on microbes in sub-inhibition concentrations and the relatively long persisting post-antibiotic effect. Its great advantage is the exceptionally favourable tolerance-gastrointestinal and general. It is available for parenteral and oral administrationDownload sample report atThis report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Spiramycin Base (Spiramycin) (CAS 8025-81-8) from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2016-2021 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Spiramycin Base (Spiramycin) (CAS 8025-81-8) market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Spiramycin Base (Spiramycin) (CAS 8025-81-8), and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Global Spiramycin Base (Spiramycin) (CAS 8025-81-8) Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Spiramycin Base (Spiramycin) (CAS 8025-81-8) market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies. The competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. The major players in the global Spiramycin Base (Spiramycin) (CAS 8025-81-8) market are Sanofi-Aventis (France), CLL Pharma (Italy), TOPFOND (China), Fortune Pharmaceutical (China), among others.The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Spiramycin Base (Spiramycin) (CAS 8025-81-8) industry has been provided.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Fior Markets provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Power Transmission Towers and Cables Market Report - Trend, Growth & Forecast Analysis

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DecisionDatabases.com offers Power Transmission Towers and Cables Market Research Report. This Report covers the complete Industry Outlook, Growth, Size, Share and Forecast Till 2021.Get Free Sample Copy @Power transmission towers and cables are imperative components which transfer electricity over a huge distance from source to user. Power transmission towers are huge vertical structure made of wood, cement or lattice. These towers carry and support overhead transmission of cables through a long distance which are known as power cables. Electric components are fitted on power transmission towers and with the help of power cables, high voltage electricity can be transferred from power source to the end user.Modern power transmission systems have the ability to transmit high power as compared to conventional systems. Power transmission towers and cables are used in transfer of electricity for commercial as well as household purpose. Global power transmission towers and cables market is analyzed and segmented on the basis of its type into power transmission towers and power transmission cables.Huge power transmission ability and modern infrastructure of power transmission towers and cables has led to the replacement of conventional transmission systems and in turn empowered the growth of this market. Moreover, adoption of electronic railway systems by government of India is a remarkable factor to surge the growth of this market. Demand for energy sources especially renewable energy sources due to increasing populations is expected to augment the growth of this market for the forecast. Use of modern electronic components and technology is expected to open key opportunities for this market. Volatile cost of raw materials is expected to restrain the growth of this market to some extent.Asia Pacific is prominent region of this market with highest market growth. Presence of major developing economies like India and China facilitate the growth of Asia Pacific. Followed by Asia Pacific, North America is the second largest region with fast market growth. MEA and Latin America are emerging regions expected to show steady market growth. Key players in the global power transmission towers and cables market are Prysmian S.p.A., Nexans S.A., General Cable Technologies Corporation, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Southwire Company LLC. Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd., Zhejiang Shengda Steel Tower Co. Ltd., Nanjing Daji Iron Tower Manufacturing Co. Ltd., ShanDong DingChang Tower Co. Ltd and KEC International Ltd.Access full report at:DecisionDatabases is involved in providing research reports and company profiles in the global power transmission towers and cables market in terms of revenue and output/volume. Market drivers, opportunities and restraints are thoroughly studied which influences the market. This study is further utilized for the overall analysis of the market. The power transmission towers and cables market is segmented based on the global applications, geographic presence, by products and ingredients. We offer an inclusive category-specific market outlook. We provide access to a comprehensive collection of companies in the industry. The companies can strategize and execute business operations through our competitor analysis. Find the global industry analysis, market size, share, growth, and trends information in our power transmission towers and cables profiles.Major Table Of Contents:1. INTRODUCTION2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3. MARKET ANALYSIS OF POWER TRANSMISSION TOWERS AND CABLES4. POWER TRANSMISSION TOWERS AND CABLES MARKET ANALYSIS BY TYPE5. POWER TRANSMISSION TOWERS AND CABLES ANALYSIS BY REGION6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OF POWER TRANSMISSION TOWERS AND CABLES COMPANIES7. COMPANY PROFILES OF POWER TRANSMISSION TOWERS AND CABLES INDUSTRYOrder a Complete Power Transmission Towers and Cables 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:
Lignite Mining Market - Global Industry Analysis 2020

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The global market for lignite mining is influenced by the increased need for energy and the rising prices of various energy production resources. Also, with the development taking place in the economies such as India and China, the demand for energy will rise, thereby, increasing the price of energy and its resources. This rise in price tends to shift the interest of industries towards other resources of energy. Recently, countries such as Germany has stopped its nuclear power generation business and switched to other electricity generating resources. AWE AG, a German electric utility company has ramped up coal use to generate electricity from lignite and, according to Bloomberg Businessweek; presently the firm generates about 52% of power in Germany. Henceforth, the global market for lignite mining is expected to grow with the rising energy prices and nuclear hazard concerns.Lignite coal is mostly used as a fuel, in steam to electric power generation units. The presence of high content of volatile matter makes it easier to convert coal into gases and liquid petroleum products. Moreover, lignite is more accessible than other coals as the location of lignite veins are relatively nearer to the surface. This eliminates the need of underground mining and the risk of carbon monoxide or methane buildup, which is a primary safety concern in underground mining. Due to low energy density and high moisture content, lignite is often burned in power plants, near to the mines. Lignite is a major source of electricity in many countries and also reduces the import liabilities of countries with large production capability.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECH-NICAL INSIGHTS:Renewable sources of energy are being promoted by government, but the proportion of coal in worlds energy basket is difficult to replace by renewable resources in near future, due to their high initial investment or lack of technologies with many countries. However, lignite mining also involves risks such as collapse of sloped earthen walls after heavy rains. The occurrence of such incident is rare due to the development of constant monitoring system, which helps to forecast the weather effect on mining conditions. The most common accidents in lignite mining industry are related to the maintenance and operations of heavy equipment used in the industry.Coal to liquid (CTL) technologies provides a huge scope for lignite mining market. Coal to liquid (CTL) technology is used in many countries, including, South Africa with some under way projects in China, Philippines and India.Lignite mining market can be segmented on the basis of end use as: electricity generation, fertilizer based production and synthetic natural gas generation. Electricity generation consumes more than half of the worlds lignite coal production.Geographically, Lignite mining market can be segmented as: North America, APAC, Europe and Rest of the world (RoW). Among these, Europe has the largest lignite coal reserves in the world. In 2011, 1041 Metric Tons of lignite/brown coal was produced with majority of the share from Germany, followed by China and Russia. Some of the worlds main lignite mines and deposits are found in eastern, central and southern Europe Serbia, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, Bosnia, Italy, Turkey and Russia. In North America, primarily the mid-western and southern states, including Montana, Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota and Mississippi, have lignite deposits. In Asia; China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Pakistan are major producers.Some of the major players in Lignite mining market include SRK Consulting, ZEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH, Joy Global Surface Mining, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited, Environmental Clean Technologies Limited and RWE.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 insights for decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, TMR employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Oregon 99W runs about 100 miles from Southwest Portland to Junction City, passing through suburbs and sleeper communities directly to Oregon wine country, taking on the character of its communities along the way. In Tigard, 99W is a transportation planner's nightmare of red lights and stop-and-go traffic. In Dundee, it's a bottleneck. South of Corvallis, it's a dream, the road twisting and turning through hazelnut farms and open vistas.

And, like its twin sister, 99E, it's a great place to get tacos, with fast-food chains and family-style restaurants giving way to restaurants and food carts run by longtime local families and chefs from some of the Willamette Valley's grand dame dining destinations.

Earlier this year, we drove the highway's length, searching for great tacos within one block of 99W wherever we went. In the midst of this fall's costly avocado shortage, we found large tacos made with house tortillas (albeit from dried corn flour, not fresh masa) and ate well at restaurants, truck stops and outdoor bazaars, particularly in Newberg and McMinnville. And we found at least one taco truck that's worth a trip all on its own. Here are our 10 favorites.

Inexpensive tripe and carnitas tacos from Tigard's Taco Del Sol.

No. 10: Taco del Sol

13165 SW Pacific Hwy, Tigard

Park near the still-working drive-through (can you guess which fast-food chain Taco Del Sol took over?) and slip your way across the just-mopped tiles. Taco del Sol's tacos ($1.25-$1.50) are petite, barely larger than two half dollars, but are surprisingly good. The star of the meats is the crisp tripe tacos which hold their crunch nicely even when doused with salsa from the salsa bar. Skip the pollo, but consider the carnitas, for its super-rich crunch.

Order this: Tripas tacos



No. 9: Taqueria La Fuente

12198 S.W. Pacific Hwy., Tigard

Comfy booths sit under photos of Uruapan -- Michoacan's second city and the heart of Mexican avocado-growing country -- at this downtown Tigard restaurant. Of the four tacos ($2.75 each) we tried, the barbacoa didn't pack much punch, the steak tasted a bit like Korean bulgogi and the carnitas were insanely rich, all three coming inside the wide, floppy tortillas we associate with Tigard, probably because of Sanchez Taqueria nearby.

Order this: Super-rich carnitas tacos



No. 8: Martha's Tacos & More

440 Third St., Lafayette

This family-friendly restaurant in sleepy Lafayette makes some of the best tripas tacos on 99W, sliced thick and fried crisp like crunchy bacon. We didn't have much luck with chicken on the trip, but Martha's pollo tacos ($1.75), lightly braised and served with a dollop of salsa, were among the best we ate.

Order this: Tripas tacos



No. 7: Sanchez Taqueria

13050 S.W. Pacific Hwy., Tigard

If Portlanders know about any 99W taqueria, it's probably this one, either for its silly taco mascot or its tasty weekend menudo. The tacos ($2.50) are huge, with pale tortillas that approach burrito size. They come folded around cilantro, onion, cabbage and various meats, including juicy chicken tinga, ground chorizo and our favorite, the charred al pastor, or spiced pork.

Order this: Chorizo tacos, al pastor tacos



Longanisa and ranchera tacos at Pastorcillos in Newberg

No. 6: Pastorcillos Tacos

105 S. Main St., Newberg

This simple taco cart on the western edge of downtown Newberg serves at least two tacos ($1.75) worth seeking out. The longanisa, a cousin to chorizo, is probably the specialty of the cart, but the ranchera, a sort of pork-fried steak with bacon, onions and jalapeno, was the surprise of the day.

Order this: Ranchera tacos, longanisa tacos



No. 5: Ricky's Tacos

2505 E. Portland Rd., Newberg

This graffiti-covered taco truck sits one block away from our favorite taco truck on 99W (see below). No pressure! We enjoyed the truck's street-style tacos ($1.75), with tortillas gently fried in oil and topped with thin-sliced steak, rough-chopped chicken and good carnitas, and the fish tacos topped with sour cream and diced tomato.

Order this: Carne asada tacos



No. 4: Taqueria Kopitos

501 E. First St., Newberg

You're not necessarily here for the tacos ($2-$2.75), though they're very good, especially tucked inside the pillow-soft house tortillas, which you must request. There are huaraches and gorditas and other masa bases worth exploring as well. What you're actually here for is one of Oregon's most intriguing salsa bars, with chile, chile-nut and chile oil sauces in a rainbow of muted colors. Try the campechano, a mix of seared steak and chorizo, with a few drops of the dim-sum-style chile de arbol oil.

Order this: Campechano tacos



McMinnville's Tacos El Gordo has a colorful DIY salsa bar and the vibe of an outdoor bazaar.

No. 3: Tacos El Gordo

Behind Tequila Grill, 325 99W, McMinnville

This sheltered taco kiosk is something of a wine country legend, a place locals and noted chefs talk about with equal reverence. It's not the quality of the meat, though that's fine, nicely spiced carne asada and chicken piled up in little hillocks to be quickly spun into giant burritos and the fat tacos that give this place its name. It's the totality of the experience, the fact that the cart is parked just outside a full two-story restaurant that no one seems to prefer, that it's indoor seating seems to have been hollowed out from a former hotel, its walls plastered with fake rocks, its windows mostly covered with plywood. It's the lightly crisp tacos ($1.95), the DIY salsa bar, with its bright pink pickled onions, carrots, juicy limes and quietly deadly pale green and orange salsas.

Order this: Carne asada tacos



No. 2: Sanchez Cantina and Restaurant

10075 S.W. Barbur Blvd., Portland

This mom-and-pop restaurant sits on Barbur a literal stone's throw from I-5 and has no connection to Taqueria Sanchez farther down 99W. The walls are purple, there's Univision on the flatscreen, there's a full bar, and boy are we glad we didn't pass it by. The street-style tacos ($2; $2.50 with house-made tortillas, which we opted for), were very good, with seared steak and achiote-rubbed chicken, crisp buche (pork stomach) and tender carnitas served with cilantro and onion and fresh tomatillo and habanero salsas. Ordinarily there are fried chicharrones simmered in green or red salsa, but they were out on our visit. We'll be back.

Order this: Buche tacos, carne asada tacos



Dos Mundos, a Newberg food cart along Oregon 99W run by Jesus Hernandez (left), Miriam Cuenca and their son Eddie Rodriguez (right).

No. 1: Dos Mundos

Near the Starbucks, 2401 Portland Rd., Newberg

This six-month-old food cart in the parking lot of a pawn shop makes cheeseburgers, burritos and one of the state's best fish tacos, each with a freshly fried hunk of rockfish dressed to the nines with pico de gallo, cabbage mix, pickled onions and chipotle crema. Dos Mundos owner Jesus Hernandez alternates between tradition -- al pastor with pineapple, shredded chicken in a dark mole -- and more modern expressions -- beautifully braised pork belly with a creamy avocado-tomatillo salsa -- all elegantly tucked into pillowy soft handmade tortillas, each for $2-$3. This isn't just one of the best taco spots on 99W, it's one of our favorite food carts in Oregon.

Order this: Fish tacos, pork belly tacos

Bonus: If you continue down 99W past Junction City, where it merges with 99E and becomes plain old 99, and into Eugene, you'll find $2 tacos and other masa-based creations at El Buen Sabor, 650 Blair Blvd., plus non-traditional (but tasty) $3.50 tacos, including hunks of carnitas topped with whole clementine lobes, nearby at Tacovore, 530 Blair Blvd.

-- Michael Russell and Samantha Bakall
By David Ignatius

WASHINGTON -- For America, 2016 was a dark year. The country was still at war. Our election was a brutal grudge match that left us more polarized than ever. Our closest allies were rocked by terrorism and turmoil. Adversaries toyed with our politics. Even the basic facts about life and science seemed to be in dispute.

However you voted, this was a year few would want to repeat. Now, as the calendar is about to turn, many of us look to the new year with a mix of hope and concern.

If you're like me, this holiday season is a time for reflection, sometimes with anguish, about how we got here and where we're going. I found comfort in the image at the center of the Christian faith, of an innocent baby arriving in a dark land -- the beginning of a story that has been more powerful over the last 2000 years than all the tyrants and tax collectors.

Americans are optimists, by birth or affirmation. We pledge allegiance to a country that is "indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." We believe in "The Fair Land," the abundant nation evoked by the Wall Street Journal in its Thanksgiving editorial, which has been printed every year since 1961: "We can remind ourselves that for all our social discord we yet remain the longest enduring society of free men governing themselves without benefit of kings or dictators. Being so, we are the marvel and the mystery of the world."

The year ahead will test how well the system devised by our founders works under stress. Our new president Donald Trump proposes radical changes welcomed by his supporters but feared by many who voted against him. He won't succeed if he drives the country to the breaking point.

How hard will Trump push to undo existing laws and agreements? Will Congress play its role in checking raw executive power, or will Republican majorities be loyal to party first? Will officials who swear to protect and defend the Constitution demonstrate by their behavior in office that they mean it?

As Trump's inauguration approaches, he remains a mystery to many of us. He seeks to be a disruptive agent of change, but what are the limits? What if Trump tries to place himself above the law? He wouldn't be the first president to do so, but are the country's institutions still strong enough to resist? What if he tries to subvert investigations of Russian hacking that are being conducted by our intelligence agencies and Congress? The cliche "profiles in courage" may actually get a test in 2017.

This coming year, America will face the severe strains that accompany change and political division. We're a soft target for our adversaries right now -- a country whose nerves are raw and jangled, whose tribal fault lines are exposed and easy to exploit.

Our national heroes are the men and women who get up every day and serve the country -- in the military abroad, in schools and hospitals and fire stations at home. We want to be as steadfast in adversity as they are. We'll find out in 2017 how healthy our body politic really is, and whether our democratic institutions remain resilient.

This holiday season, I got a burst of sunshine in a production of "Carousel," the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, produced at the Arena Stage in Washington. Many strands of our national myth come together in this sentimental story of a carnival barker who falls in love with a sweet, shy girl who works in a factory. It's a hymn to blue-collar America, to rebellious young people who insist on being free spirits despite the prissy elitists and censorious prudes who want to tell them what to think. Like "Oklahoma," it describes the America many of us have in our heads when we think about the way life used to be.

How did this quintessential American story of working people in Maine emerge? It was adapted from a 1909 Hungarian play. The 1945 Broadway version was written by two Jewish-Americans and directed by an Armenian-American. Nowadays, the phrase "melting pot" is sometimes taken as a "micro-aggression." Not then.

When Trump says "Make America great again," he evokes the national mythology that binds us together, whatever racial or other biases it may conceal. After a bruising 2016, perhaps this is a theme that we all can embrace. America is at its greatest when it's united, confident and inclusive of all its citizens. Let's hope that's what Trump has in mind for this country. We need to be great in that way again.

David Ignatius' email address is davidignatiuswashpost.com.

(c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
Trump25.JPG

President-elect Donald Trump

(AP Photo/File)

By Greg Sargent

Donald Trump is once again claiming credit for beating back the scourge of outsourcing, this time insisting that he is the reason that Sprint has announced plans to move thousands of jobs back to America from other countries.

"Because of what's happening, and the spirit and the hope, I was just called by the head people at Sprint, and they are going to be bringing 5,000 jobs back to the United States," Trump said, adding that the news of jobs "coming back into the United States" marks "a nice change." Trump later added that the jobs were coming back "because of me."

But based on what we know right now, it is not at all clear what role Trump -- or whatever "spirit" of "hope" his victory has created -- had in bringing these jobs back to the U.S.

Yet here are some of the headlines that greeted Trump's claim:

-- CNN: "Trump declares victory: Sprint will create 5,000 U.S. jobs."

-- The New York Times: "Trump Takes Credit for Sprint Plan to Add 5,000 Jobs in U.S."

-- USA Today: "8,000 U.S. jobs? Trump takes credit for Sprint, start-up decisions."

-- ABC News: "Trump claims Sprint to create 5,000 jobs 'because of me'."

-- The Associated Press: "Trump takes credit for 8,000 jobs from Japanese mogul."

-- The Washington Post: "Trump touts thousands of new jobs in deal with Softbank CEO."

To be sure, you could find the facts of the situation buried in the body of these stories. (Some of these headlines refer to 8,000 jobs, rather than 5,000, because of an additional 3,000 jobs that Trump announced.) But the 5,000 jobs seem to have been previously decided, and the broader plans of which they are a part seem to have predated the election. As the Times write-up explained:

---

Sprint later said that the jobs were part of a previously announced commitment by Japan's SoftBank, which owns a controlling stake in the mobile phone carrier, to invest $50 billion in the United States and create 50,000 positions. That announcement, made by Masayoshi Son, the chief executive of SoftBank, followed a meeting with Mr. Trump this month.

SoftBank is also a major investor in OneWeb, a satellite start-up that Mr. Trump said Wednesday would create an additional 3,000 jobs in the United States.

---

Trump previously met with Son in early December, after which Son announced this $50 billion investment in the United States. Trump took credit for that at the time, too. But if you click through to the linked story about SoftBank's announcement at that time, you learn this:

---

The $50 billion investment pledge is not an entirely new initiative that SoftBank is undertaking. Instead, the money is projected to come from the Japanese company's previously announced Vision fund, a $100 billion vehicle for investing in technology companies worldwide.

The fund - which includes Saudi Arabia, a target of Mr. Trump's ire during the presidential campaign, as a key partner - was always expected to strike a significant portion of its deals in the United States.

---

Now, in fairness to Trump, we don't really know whether he did or did not play some kind of role in ensuring that these "expected" deals in the U.S. will now actually happen. Maybe he did.

But that's exactly the point: We do not yet know whether he played any role or, if he did, what that role might have entailed. Indeed, it's perfectly plausible that he may not have played any role at all, or if he did, that it might have been largely incidental. Which is to say that we have no way of knowing whether the Trump claim reflected in all of these headlines -- that he does deserve credit for this happening -- is true or not.

Some headlines did manage to convey this basic underlying problem. Politico noted in its headline that Trump was touting "previously announced" jobs. Bloomberg was even better, stating flatly in its headline: "Trump seeks credit for 5,000 Sprint jobs already touted."

A suggested rule of thumb

I would like to propose a rule of thumb for these situations: If the headline does not convey the fact that Trump's claim is in question or open to doubt, based on the known facts, then it is insufficiently informative. The Bloomberg headline does accomplish this. If the headline merely conveys that Trump claimed credit for something, without also conveying that this is open to doubt, then it risks being misleading, particularly since people often scan headlines without digging deeper into the stories and the factual details.

Why is this a risk any news org would choose to take, when it doesn't have to? Look, it's obvious that Trump has adopted a strategy of actively trying to game such headlines in his favor. Trump's claims about Carrier jobs staying in Indiana turned out to be significantly less rosy upon closer inspection. And remember when Trump falsely claimed credit for keeping a Ford plant here that was going to stay anyway? It really doesn't take much to convey it in a headline when Trump's claim is in doubt.

What's more, all this is exacerbated by another problem here: It may be in the interests of the companies in question to play along with the story that Trump is telling. When Trump falsely takes credit for a company's decision to keep or move jobs here, why would that company want to set the record straight, when so doing could incur the wrath of the new administration, and when allowing Trump's self-serving tale to stand could conceivably lead the new administration to view it favorably? The full story will be even harder to come by in these situations -- making it more important that headlines inform readers and viewers when Trump's claim is unverified or suspect.

Pretty much everyone already accepts that Trump's nonstop lies and embellishment pose an unprecedented challenge to the news media. What's more, we've already seen news orgs actively adjust their

editorial

approaches to cope with it. When the New York Times famously broke with precedent and called Trump's birtherism a "lie" in a front page headline, executive editor Dean Baquet explained that this was necessary because Trump was going beyond the "normal sort of obfuscation that politicians traffic in." In other words, Trump is forging new frontiers of dishonesty, and news organizations must adjust accordingly.

Now that it's obvious that President Trump will strategically employ exaggerated announcements of "saved" jobs to rig the headlines in his favor, maybe it's time to rethink how to handle that, too.

And this should go without saying, but I'd like to add one additional point to my proposed rule of thumb for Trump headlines: If the known facts show that his claims are false or outright lies, the headline should clearly indicate that, too.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post
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In this Nov. 8, 2016, file photo, Dennis Richardson, Oregon Republican Secretary of State candidate, pumps his fist at an election night event at the Salem Convention Center in Salem, Ore. Richardson became the first Republican to win a statewide race in 14 years.

(AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez)

It may seem a modest milestone, but Dennis Richardson's election as Oregon's next secretary of state signals something more significant than the outcome of one race. Richardson not only is the first Republican elected to a statewide office since 2002, but voters decisively chose him despite his socially conservative views that surely gave heartburn to many who cast their ballots for him anyway.

There are two takeaways: First, voters deserve more credit than Democratic opponent Brad Avakian gave them. Avakian emphasized his support for abortion rights, gay rights and other social issues to market himself for a position that has nothing to do with such protections. At the same time, he vowed to champion causes and candidates despite the secretary's responsibility to ensure fair and impartial elections. Voters saw through his pandering and sided with the more disciplined candidate who promised to keep personal views out of public business.

http://media.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/photo/agenda-2013jpg-da8a3522a991b9c6.jpg

Editorial Agenda 2016



Get Oregon centered

Better leadership in education

Make Portland a city that works

Build Oregon prosperity

Protect and expand personal freedom

Get pot right

_______________________________

Second: The election of a Republican to the secretary of state's office provides at least a little balance to Democratic dominance in the rest of state government. For example, Richardson's office, which oversees state audits, can highlight inefficiencies in programs that might otherwise get a pass by those more interested in preserving party unity than demanding accountability.

Certainly, Oregon staunchly remains under one-party rule, a phenomenon that's unhealthy no matter which party is in charge. While Richardson won the secretary of state's office, Republicans gained no new seats in the House and only one in the Senate. The new year could well be a repeat of 2015 and 2016 with urban Democrats pushing through controversial bills with little consideration of concerns raised by rural Republican legislators about the impacts to their communities. Already, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, is killing a rural issues legislative committee. A session dominated by an urban agenda is the last thing this already divided state needs.

Democrats would do well to remember the Richardson vote and the surprisingly close result in the state treasurer's race. Despite the Democratic registration edge and Democrat Tobias Read's massive cash contribution advantage, he prevailed over Republican Jeff Gudman by only 2 percentage points. Both Richardson and Gudman also netted tens of thousands more votes than the number of Republicans who returned ballots. Both Democrats underperformed, however; their vote tallies were tens of thousands lower than the number of returned Democratic ballots.

With the number of nonaffiliated voters surging under the state's Motor Voter registration program, Democrats should rediscover bipartisanship and the importance of legislating for the state as a whole, not just for the urban centers.

Oregon seems conflicted between expanding personal freedom and trampling on it. For example, this is the state that smartly rolled out pot legalization and succeeded in legally securing the right to gay marriage. At the same time, this is a state where Avakian, Oregon's labor commissioner, ruled that comments made by a bakery owner in TV interviews and in a sign, which expressed his religious opinions and criticized the state, violated the law.

Oregonian editorials

reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom.

are Laura Gunderson, John Maher, Helen Jung, Mark Katches and Len Reed.

To respond to this editorial:

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First, on the plus side: The state's education department issued clear guidelines to schools recommending that they recognize transgender students by the gender and name they identify and allowing them to use the corresponding bathrooms. Certainly schools face a difficult task of supporting transgender students without vilifying those who are uncomfortable with the recommended changes. But these guidelines are a call to educators, families and students that Oregon values and stands for the health and safety of students regardless of their background, identity, beliefs or orientation. That is the very definition of supporting personal freedom.

Other issues, unfortunately, show the state at its worst. The Oregon Department of Human Services dragged its heels on a public records request by the Freedom Foundation. The organization had requested names and addresses for home health care workers to alert them of their right to not pay fees to a union if they didn't want to join. But as the state delayed for months on fulfilling the legitimate request, legislators passed a law signed by Gov. Kate Brown to specifically exempt the information that the Freedom Foundation sought. So much for letting people learn about their rights.

And the appeal of the discrimination case against the Sweet Cakes by Melissa bakery also shows how the state persists in ignoring personal freedom in one particular aspect. While Avakian rightly found the bakery discriminated in refusing to bake a cake for a lesbian couple's wedding, he went too far in ruling that bakery co-owner Aaron Klein's comments made during TV interviews and on a sign in the shuttered bakery broke state law. While the ACLU of Oregon calls out Avakian's "confusing" order as potentially "chilling protected speech," Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum defended Avakian's free speech assault. So much for an agency that claims to protect Oregonians' civil rights.

- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
By Maria Carolina Marcello

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil will seek to simplify its tax code in 2017, President Michel Temer said on Thursday, aiming to expand business-friendly reforms following proposals to modify the pension system and labour laws.

Since taking office after the ouster of his leftist predecessor Dilma Rousseff, Temer has pledged to pursue structural reforms to lift Brazil from its deepest economic recession in decades.

This month, Congress sanctioned his proposal to limit growth of public spending for the next 20 years, clearing the way for votes on other measures. Brazil's generous pension system must be overhauled if the spending cap is to have real effect, officials say.

In a news conference in the capital Brasilia, Temer said he expects Congress to swiftly approve his plans to simplify the hiring of workers on temporary contracts, saying lawmakers have shown "strong support" for his agenda.

"Why not pursue tax reform now that plenty of bills have advanced?" Temer said, adding that his government would work hard to achieve the reform next year.

Economists have long criticized Brazil's complex tax system as a barrier to long-term growth. Companies in Brazil spend on average 2,038 hours to do their taxes or about 12 times the average in the wealthy OECD group of nations, according to the World Bank's "Doing Business" index.

Temer's advisers have floated a proposal to unify the federal PIS and Cofins taxes to fund social security. The government could also negotiate with states to unify an inter-state tax known as ICMS, a measure considered crucial to reduce legal uncertainties.

A government source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday that the reform could include simplifying the tax regime of the oil and gas industry, as well as changes to levies on the financial system and the reduction of red tape in general.

"These are the general ideas of what should be done. It is still in embryonic stages," said the official, who asked not to be named because he is not allowed to speak publicly.

Story continues

On Thursday, Temer also promised to support any Congressional efforts to reform Brazil's political framework, a messy multiparty system that critics say makes Brazil's electoral politics complicated and often corrupt.

"The theme of political reform belongs to Congress, but we'll incentivise it and support it," he said.

Some lawmakers have called for rules limiting the proliferation of parties, blamed for fostering corruption by demanding broad coalition and deal-making in Congress.

There are currently 35 parties registered in Brazil's electoral court, with 26 represented in the lower house of Congress.

(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Writing by Bruno Federowski; Editing by W Simon and Lisa Shumaker)
1schools.jpg

Students in Oregon's public schools have long complained of overcrowded classrooms and strained teaching conditions. Some hope that lawmakers will pass a tax increase in the coming session that could stabilize school funding.

(Wendy Owen/staff)

Bravo to Adam Lininger-White for his efforts and articulate call to action to address the critical status of the public school system in Oregon ("Stable school funding: The perfect graduation gift, Dec. 26). Crowded classes, inadequate resources, horrific comparisons to national data - what more will it take to make definitive and sustained improvements to reverse these conditions in our public schools?

Legislators, listen to the call of our students to enact effective legislation to provide permanent funding for essential resources. Voters, listen to the call of our students to lobby for and support effective legislation to ensure our students graduate with the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute to and excel in society. We should be proud of, not disappointed with the conditions in our public schools.



Michael A Pagliarulo, Southeast Portland
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Rachel E. Barkow, Professor of Law, New York University School of Law, speaks during a Supreme Court Bar Memorial in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court in Washington.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

By Noah Feldman

If there were to be a legal man of the year for 2016, it would have to be Antonin Scalia. The justice died in February and has cast a long shadow over the whole year. His seat remains unfilled. His jurisprudence seems likely to be the touchstone for Donald Trump's nominee.

Indeed, if Trump gets two or more Supreme Court picks, Scalia's judicial legacy stands a chance of being vindicated rather than forgotten -- which seemed almost unthinkable when he died. Scalia's legacy is therefore poised to set the tone for future constitutional battles in a way not seen since the 1935 death of Oliver Wendell Holmes, another great dissenter.

When Scalia died, many commentators, myself included, noted that his originalist constitutional legacy consisted mostly of dissents. (His textualist statutory interpretation legacy was another matter. There Scalia wrote plenty of majority opinions and significantly influenced even liberal justices.)

At the time, Scalia's passing also appeared to herald the end to originalism as a dominant constitutional doctrine. With nearly a year to go in the presidency of Barack Obama, it was assumed that Scalia would be replaced by a liberal or at least a moderate justice. The appointment would change the balance of the court to decisively liberal for the first time in more than a generation.

And if Hillary Clinton had been elected, as polls suggested she probably would be, the liberal court could have been assured for a generation to come with the replacement of as many as three more justices, all of Scalia's approximate age.

What a difference 10 months can make. By blocking Judge Merrick Garland, the Republican Senate changed the rules of the confirmation game. The election of Trump means that Scalia will almost certainly be replaced by a justice who espouses some form of his originalism -- and probably cites him as a judicial model, in the way Trump has done and probably all the judges on Trump's list would.

And if one or more of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy or Stephen Breyer steps down while Trump is president and Republicans control the Senate, the generational transition on the court may be toward greater conservatism, not liberalism or stasis.

The consequences for Scalia's legacy are enormous. Great judicial dissenters don't just write to make a historical record of their beliefs. They hope for their dissenting opinions to be redeemed by later judicial majorities, to use a term coined by the legal scholar Richard Primus in a seminal 1998 article.

One of Primus's examples of a redeemed dissent is that of Justice John Marshall Harlan (the first of two justices of the name) in the repulsive case of Plessy v. Ferguson, which held that the equal protection clause wasn't violated by the doctrine of "separate but equal" facilities for whites and blacks. Harlan wrote: "In view of the Constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens."

The other greatest redeemed dissenter in the U.S. constitutional tradition is Holmes. He saw his "clear and present danger" test for free speech vindicated, despite articulating it partly in dissent. And his dissent in Lochner v. New York, where he objected to the majority's use of the liberty of contract to strike down a progressive law limiting bakers' working hours, eventually became a basic principle of liberal jurisprudence.

Several of Scalia's dissents now stand a real chance of being redeemed. Scalia argued repeatedly over the years that there was no fundamental constitutional right to an abortion. His dissent in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, to take one example, asked rhetorically whether abortion was a "liberty protected by the Constitution of the United States" and answered bluntly that "I am sure it is not." Scalia explained that he reached that conclusion "because of two simple facts: (1) the Constitution says absolutely nothing about it, and (2) the longstanding traditions of American society have permitted it to be legally proscribed."

In the Casey dissent, Scalia also pointed to his concurrence in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, in which he wrote that Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's "assertion that a 'fundamental rule of judicial restraint' requires us to avoid reconsidering Roe, cannot be taken seriously."

On affirmative action, Scalia used Harlan's color-blindness ideal to argue that racial preferences would violate the Constitution. He wrote: "To pursue the concept of racial entitlement -- even for the most admirable and benign of purposes -- is to reinforce and preserve for future mischief the way of thinking that produced race slavery, race privilege and race hatred. In the eyes of government, we are just one race here. It is American."

Scalia's most impassioned dissents came in connection with gay rights. It still seems unlikely that the court's landmark decisions on the rights to gay sex and gay marriage will be overturned, given the court's history of rights expansion. But it isn't entirely unthinkable on a court dominated by Trump appointees chosen in the mold of Scalia.

Liberals lionized Holmes in his old age, and after his death they redeemed his opinions within a couple of decades. Scalia's redemption may come faster. Whether it does will depend on Trump's appointments to the court. Regardless, the jurisprudential battles of the next decade are likely to continue to be fought on Scalia's terms. That in itself is a surprising victory.

Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. His books include "Cool War: The Future of Global Competition" and "Divided by God: America's Church-State Problem -- and What We Should Do About It."

For more columns from Bloomberg View, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/view.

(c) 2016, Bloomberg View
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(Photo by Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

The hatred epidemic: For the umpteenth time a gun-toting nutcase provokes murder and mayhem. Now an Oregon State Police trooper fights for his life. I cannot fathom how many police, loved ones and strangers must die before we stop this.

How did we get here? Why so many crazed citizens? Why is road rage an epidemic? Why is public discourse so raw and hateful? Why is it acceptable to slur and insult different people? If you think this is not the case look at the Republican rhetoric around Mr. Obama's presidency.

Perhaps the beginning of the hatred epidemic is Ronald Reagan stating at his inauguration that "government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." Perhaps it was GOP Leader Newt Gingrich's mid-1990s GOPAC memo delineating a long list of pejoratives that GOP entities must use when mentioning Democratic activities. It contains words like ""bizarre," "sick," "pathetic," "corrupt," and many other insults.

Perhaps it was when GOP Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, in an unprecedented breach of Congressional decorum shouted "You lie" at President Obama as he addressed a joint session of Congress.

Hence, the result is a constant tirade of lies, fear mongering and slander pointed toward America by Republicans. Watch out for those blacks. They are different. Immigrants and Hispanics will rape our women and steal our jobs while living off welfare. Those gays are going to rape our children and turn them gay. Fight the "gay agenda." What about the Muslims? They are going to come here, kill us and make "Sharia Law" the rule of the land. After all, every last one of them are evil as is their Holy Book, the Koran. Be afraid. Clutch your guns and bibles. Vote hate.

Hence we have President-elect Donald Trump filling government positions with haters of average Americans and their hopes and dreams.

Fred Brown, Dallas

Oregon's intolerance: Post-election, I've been shocked by the hateful, divisive nature of the debate and arguments regarding Donald Trump's victory and his upcoming presidency.

Portland in particular - but the rest of the state as well which is generally known for its progressive ideology and tolerant outlook - has in many ways become the epitome of intolerance. I do not mean intolerance regarding race, religion, or sexual identity, but intolerance in regards to one of the most fundamental premises of this nation, namely the right to openly express one's political opinion without being met with hostility.

"Trumpsters," "RWN," "LWN," "Hitlerites," "Libtards," "Obozos," "Trump racists," "Putin puppets" and the all-encompassing term "idiots" (tossed about freely by people on either side of the political divide) are but a few of the terms used to continually insult and demean the "other side" only because they chose to vote for a different candidate. Why is this? What benefit is it serving? To childishly gloat over a win? To mitigate the shock that much of the rest of the nation doesn't think like you do? Simply to be mean?

Face it. We must live in this nation and work towards a better future together. Adding to the division by being hateful and divisive does nothing but entrench the other "side" in their belief that they are right and you are wrong. Think about it. Have you ever changed your mind when being insulted by someone who thinks differently than you do? No, and neither will those you insult.

Tony Stewart, Edmonds, Washington
Scott Pruitt

President-elect Trump appointed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency, a move the author says is a hopeful sign for science and environmentalism.

(Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)

Gordon J. Fulks

Count me as a believer in abrupt climate change. The political climate changed so abruptly on Nov. 8 that most were stunned. It led to rioting in Portland, profound mourning among Obama followers, and panic among those who have lived off Obama's generosity with taxpayer money.

For me, it was incredibly good news.

Donald Trump not only defeated Hillary Clinton, he defeated the elitist ruling class in a magnificent return to the political center, even redefining where that center really lies. Thanks to President-elect Trump, status quo Democrats and Republicans will no longer run this nation. Replacing them will be hard-working Americans who have a much better sense of where reality lies, from economic and defense policy to the social issues of poverty and racism.

While Trump concentrated on hot-button campaign issues, I realized that he was also headed in positive directions on issues most important to me, the survival of science and environmentalism. In one magnificent turn of the political winds, Americans ditched the Orwellian world of Obama doublespeak, where everything had become the opposite of what it really was.

'Obama science' and 'Obama environmentalism' are sad footnotes to history. We will no longer be led by a person dedicated to misusing science for ideological and political purposes, lavishing huge amounts of money on institutions and scientists who supported the science that he considered politically useful and denigrating as "flat-earthers" and "deniers" any scientists who dared disagree with him.

President Obama never understood elementary science yet tried to dictate the correct science through the federal agencies under his control. He did this as an end run around the Congress, by misusing the "deference" given to these agencies by law. The law presumes that government agencies are telling the truth even when they are not.

When we pursued Obama's climate alarmism all the way to the United States Supreme Court, we encountered justices unwilling to consider our arguments even though they conclusively demonstrated the fatal flaws in the Obama administration's scientific case for regulating carbon dioxide. Obama's Environmental Protection Agency was given complete deference to dictate the science, despite lacking the expertise to do so. Eventually, the high court did stay Obama's efforts for procedural reasons. We were grateful but remained concerned that Obama's pursuit of power would continue to crush science.

Environmentalism also took a huge hit during the Obama years as he spent vast sums on crony capitalist schemes to solve a problem that does not exist: catastrophic anthropogenic global warming. Even some of the most strident scientific supporters of 'global warming' have backed off of the primary selling point: catastrophe. The still raging scientific debate centers on the amount of warming to be expected for a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Alarmists say two or three degrees Celsius, while skeptics say one degree or less. This issue will be easily solved once the federal gravy train stops delivering so much money to the alarmist side.

Share your opinion

Submit your essay of 500 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.

Obama's entourage never understood that industrializing our last open spaces with giant wind machines and solar arrays that do not competently address major concerns is outrageous. They kill endangered birds and bats while not even reducing carbon footprints, because the power produced is of such poor quality that backup is difficult and inefficient.

Will Trump be no better than Obama, abusing science to achieve his different political agenda? We do not really know. But as a very successful businessman, he has to have more respect for the objective considerations that build businesses.

Trump's appointment of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the EPA is a very strong signal that Obama's misuse of science and environmentalism is ending. That is very hopeful.

Gordon J. Fulks holds a doctorate in physics. He lives in Corbett.
By Eugene Robinson

WASHINGTON -- The opportunity for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may already have expired. The question going forward, then, is what kind of democracy Israel intends to be.

The Obama administration's frustration with the situation is understandable. The continued building of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is indeed unhelpful, and the decision to abstain on a U.N. Security Council resolution declaring the settlements illegal brought renewed focus and urgency to the problem. To what end, however, is unclear.

When everyone stops shouting, Israel will remain one of the United States' closest allies -- and, courtesy of President Obama, the recipient of a $38 billion aid package that will ensure the Jewish state's military dominance over its neighbors. Palestinian leaders in the West Bank will remain wary of negotiating any sort of two-state deal from a position of weakness. And the passage of time will make facts on the ground -- expanding settlements and the ongoing security threat -- ever more stubbornly entrenched.

Secretary of State John Kerry's speech Wednesday on the conflict reflected his and Obama's annoyance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has stayed in power by indulging the Israeli far right and the settler movement. But why would Netanyahu listen to Kerry's advice when Donald Trump is about to be inaugurated as president? "Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!" Trump tweeted this week.

Kerry argued that Israel would never be able to improve relations with Arab states until it made peace with the Palestinians. But Israel and key nations such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt now have a common enemy in Iran, which is growing in power and confidence. The proverb about the enemy of my enemy being my friend is always relevant in the Middle East.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would restart peace negotiations if Netanyahu, in the wake of the Security Council vote, declared a freeze on further settlements. I see no reason to expect Netanyahu to comply, especially since doing so would cost him vital political support -- and since the next American president is already encouraging him to "stay strong." So the bitter stalemate continues.

What vexes Obama -- and increasingly angers leaders in Europe -- is that the map of a two-state solution was drawn years ago and is gathering dust on disappointed diplomats' shelves. It involves swaps in which Israel annexes parts of the West Bank that are heavily populated by settlers and the Palestinians receive slices of Israeli land in return. Israel insists that a Palestinian state be essentially demilitarized, which would make it less than fully sovereign. Netanyahu also demands that the Palestinians recognize Israel not just as a state, but as a Jewish state.

Which raises the question of what Israel becomes in the absence of a two-state deal.

"Today, there are ... a similar number of Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea," Kerry said. "They have a choice. They can choose to live together in one state, or they can separate into two states. But here is a fundamental reality: If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic -- it cannot be both -- and it won't ever really be at peace."

In several interviews with me over the years, Netanyahu has essentially countered that it is easy to make such observations from the comforts of Foggy Bottom, Whitehall or the Elysee Palace, far beyond the range of the deadly rockets that too often fall on Israeli towns and cities. He is right in this.

But Kerry was also right when he said that "the status quo is leading towards one state and perpetual occupation." And Netanyahu is dreaming if he does not think this has profound long-term implications for Israel.

How long will it take for the world to conclude that a de facto one-state solution exists? Another year? Five? Ten?

The moment will eventually come, and focus will shift to the political rights of the 2.8 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. With Arabs constituting about 35 percent of the population living under Israeli government control (including 1.7 million who already live in Israel proper), how can such a huge minority be permanently denied full participation in the nation's civic life?

Israel is a vibrant democracy that takes seriously the moral and ethical requirements of Judaism. These are incompatible with perpetual occupation of the West Bank and the denial of basic rights to those who live there. There is no way around this contradiction. Something has to give.

Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinsonwashpost.com.

(c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
Belgian archaeologist Christian Casseyas shows the latest explored area as he gives a tour of the Goyet cave, where 96 bones and three teeth from five Neanderthal individuals were found, on December 19, 2016 (AFP Photo/Emmanuel Dunand)

Goyet (Belgium) (AFP) - Deep in the caves of Goyet in Belgium researchers have found the grisly evidence that the Neanderthals did not just feast on horses or reindeer, but also on each other.

Human bones from a newborn, a child and four adults or teenagers who lived around 40,000 years ago show clear signs of cutting and of fractures to extract the marrow within, they say.

"It is irrefutable, cannibalism was practised here," says Belgian archaeologist Christian Casseyas as he looks inside a cave halfway up a valley in this site in the Ardennes forest.

The bones in Goyet date from when Neanderthals were nearing the end of their time on earth before being replaced by Homo sapiens, with whom they also interbred.

Once regarded as primitive cavemen driven to extinction by smarter modern humans, studies have found that Neanderthals were actually sophisticated beings who took care of the bodies of the deceased and held burial rituals.

But there is a growing body of proof that they also ate their dead.

- Neanderthal bone fragments -

Cases of Neanderthal cannibalism have been found until now only in Neanderthal populations in southern Europe in Spain, at El Sidron and Zafarraya, and in France, at Moula-Guercy and Les Pradelles.

The caves at Goyet have been occupied since the Paleolithic era. The 250-metre- (820-feet-) long galleries were dug into the limestone by the Samson, a small stream that still flows a few metres below.

They began to reveal their secrets in the middle of the 19th century thanks to one of the fathers of palaeontology, Edouard Dupont (1841-1911).

A geologist and director of the Royal Museum of Natural History of Belgium, he searched several caves, including that of Goyet in 1867, and collected an enormous quantity of bones and tools.

Just a few years after Charles Darwin first expounded his theory of evolution, Dupont published the results of his own research in his book "Man During the Stone Age".

Story continues

But his discoveries remained in the archives of the museum (now called the Brussels Institute of Natural Sciences) for more than a century.

That was until 2004, when the institute's head of anthropology Patrick Semal discovered, hidden in amongst the drawers of what Dupont thought were human bones, a jaw tip that clearly belonged to a Neanderthal.

Scientists have since been painstakingly sorting through fragments that Dupont thought were animal bones to see if there are other traces of ancient man.

- 'Extract the marrow' -

Now an international team led by Helene Rougier, an anthropologist at California State University Northridge in the United States, has proved from the bones found at Goyet that the Neanderthals there were cannibals.

The bones show traces of cutting, "to disarticulate and remove the flesh," said Christian Casseyas, who also leads tours for the public at the caves.

The Neanderthals "broke these bones in the same way that they broke those of the reindeer and horses found at the entrance of the cave, certainly to extract the marrow", he adds.

Rougier, whose work on the Belgian cave was published last July by Scientific Reports, a journal of the Nature group, told AFP that "indeed, we can conclude that some Neanderthals died and were eaten here", which is a first in Northern Europe.

"Some of these bones have also been used to make tools to touch up the edges of flints to re-sharpen them," says Rougier.

But the reasons for the cannibalism remain a mystery, as to the extent to which the Neanderthals ate their dead.

"Was it systematic? Was it only at certain particular moments?" she asks. "I don't know how to interpret the reason behind this cannibalism. It can be purely food, but it can also be symbolic ... The reason remains open," she says.
Vladimir Putin

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security released a joint report Thursday on Russian "malicious cyber activity" that included a thorough list of code names for the malware used by Russian hackers.

The joint analysis report  which refers to the Russian activity headlined by its efforts hack into US government and political organizations as "GRIZZLY STEPPE"  included a list of code names used for software the reported actors associated with the Russian military and civilian intelligence service who engaged in various phishing schemes aimed at foreign targets used in the process.

Some of those absurd names included "SEADADDY," "HAMMERTOSS," "Energetic Bear," and "Carberp." Many of the names include "duke" or "bear," such as the more well-known "Fancy Bear."

The "alternate names" as listed in the report, were created mostly by American companies. The two groups of Russian hackers were labeled APT28 and APT29.

Here's the full FBI/DHS list of code names:

Screen Shot 2016 12 29 at 2.53.46 PM

The report was released shortly after President Barack Obama announced new sanctions against Russian officials, which includes the removal of 35 Russian intelligence officials currently in the US, in addition to sanctions from the Treasury Department against two other Russian individuals.

In a Thursday statement, Obama said the actions were "not the sum total of our response" and that his administration would provide a report to Congress in the coming days related to Russia's "efforts to interfere in our election, as well as malicious cyber activity related to our election cycle in previous elections."

Russia swiftly responded, assuring that Washington would "receive an answer" if "new hostile steps" were taken.

"This applies to any actions against Russian diplomatic missions in the United States, which will immediately backfire at US diplomats in Russia," Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in a statement. "The Obama administration probably does not care at all about the future of bilateral relations, but history will hardly forgive it for this apres-nous-le-deluge attitude."

Story continues

Recent public revelations showed that US intelligence tied the election-related hacking of Democratic political organizations and operatives such as Clinton campaign chair John Podesta to senior Russian officials. The CIA has concluded that Russia intervened in the US election to try to tip the scales toward President-elect Donald Trump, though other agencies haven't gone as far in their assessments.

Both Republicans and Democrats have called for action to be taken against Russia for its role in the hacking. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona have been two of the loudest voices on that front.

Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly denied its involvement, and Trump has refused to acknowledge that Russia had involvement in election-related hackings. He said on Wednesday that "we ought to get on with our lives."

"I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly," he told reporters outside his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on."

In a Thursday statement, Trump again insisted it was time to move on to "bigger and better" things, but that "nevertheless" he would meet with intelligence officials to discuss the matter.

Correction: This article previously referred to the list of names as those the FBI and Department of Homeland Security claimed were secret code names used by Russian hackers. The list of names were actually alternate names to label the malware used by the groups of Russian hackers, who were known as APT28 and APT29.

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The Level of Stupidity Among Many Trump Supporters Is Staggering

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | December 30, 2016 |

Yesterday, The Washington Examiner ran a piece with the following headline: California Democrats legalize child prostitution. This is a twisted and incredibly misleading characterization of SB 1129, a law that will go into effect in California on January 1st. But that didnt stop Trump conservatives from pouncing on the legislation in all likelihood before doing any research at all on the legislation, or probably even reading the Times article in full.

California Democrats began trending this morning on Twitter. Tweets like this were abundant.

Unfreaking believable! Sick ass bastards are so stupid. https://t.co/QvckQbG8wm  Brian (@baweights) December 30, 2016

Just FYI, California Democrats just legalized child prostitution. CHILD. PROSTITUTION. DEMOCRATS. DID. THIS.  Xavier Barber (@xavierDbarber) December 30, 2016

Thank you Electoral College for not letting sick deranged California Democrats, void of decency and and morality, control our country.  ClintonNewsNetwork (@ShillForHillary) December 30, 2016

Just when you think the liberals running California can't do any more harm than they have already. https://t.co/9yegYCJJD6  Gary Aminoff (@aminoff) December 30, 2016

California Democrats just decriminalized child prostitution if anyone was wondering how much lower they could go.  Leah the Boss (@LeahRBoss) December 30, 2016

California Democrats legalize child prostitution. Yes, Really! https://t.co/qqUy4WEdYk  Stefan Molyneux (@StefanMolyneux) December 30, 2016

California Democrats have finally put to rest that they are ALL spawned from Satan. https://t.co/9LA42CTyvy  Women4Trump (@majority4_trump) December 30, 2016

Does SB 1129 actually legalize child prostitution? No. No, it does not, and thats an incredibly unfair reading of the law. What the law does is to actually transform a child prostitute  who is not legally capable of providing consent  from a criminal into a victim. The law is designed to aid child prostitutes pimped into the system by sex traffickers.

Sex traffickers and pimps will still be prosecuted. Men and women who sleep with child prostitutes will still be prosecuted. However, rather than arrest child prostitutes and put them in the juvenile detention system, the law provides money to pay for social services so that these children are protected. Police will continue to temporarily detain underage prostitutes, but rather than lock them up in jail, they are diverted into the dependency system, which centers on caring for abused and neglected children.

Is it possible that pimps and sex traffickers will take advantage of the fact that children will be immune from prosecution? Perhaps. But we cannot continue to treat children forced into prostitution by sex traffickers as criminals. They dont consent to sex with adults, because they cant consent to sex with adults.

Its a well-intentioned law, and whatever the consequences, it most certainly does not legalize child prostitution.

California Democrats being attacked for protecting trafficked children shows me that American conservatives are the dumbest people on Earth.  Joshua David  (@bathroompolice) December 30, 2016









Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba.
BLOOMINGTON  Bond will not be lowered for a Chicago man who allegedly sold 2 ounces of fake cocaine to a confidential police source while carrying a loaded gun in a Bloomington hotel.

Dion Williams, 37, will remain in the McLean County jail until he can post $50,035, Judge Scott Drazewski ruled Thursday.

Assistant State's Attorney Jeff Horve argued that the allegations against Williams warrant a steep bond.

The suspect took $2,400 from a police informant and in return handed over what was determined to be fake drugs, said Horve.

A minute after the drug transaction, Bloomington police stopped Williams as he left a room at a west-side Bloomington hotel with a loaded handgun in his waistband, said Horve.

Citing Williams' prior convictions for armed robbery and possession of a stolen car, Horve called Williams "a gun-toting felon."

Williams is charged with armed violence, unlawful use of weapons and manufacture/delivery of a lookalike substance.

In her argument for a lower bond, public defender Jennifer Patton pointed to a pretrial bond report that recommended release with supervision from court services.

In denying the bond reduction, the judge acknowledged that the current bond is high "but sometimes a high bond is the appropriate bond."
BLOOMINGTON  The new year is resulting in flashbacks for some McLean County-based human services agencies.

Will they be paid money owed by the state? Will they be paid next month?

The state's six-month stopgap spending plan ends Saturday, meaning money that human services agencies receive from the state because they have contracts with the state to provide services ranging from help for the home-bound elderly to support to keep mentally ill youths at home will dry up once again.

At many agencies, the stopgap budget resumed the flow of state money. But frequently those dollars came late and many agencies still are owed money by the state, meaning they have had to make cuts, spend down savings and borrow money.

"Without a responsible budget, some services will go away because some agencies no longer have the reserves they once had," said Tim Glancy of Center for Youth and Family Solutions. "The sad part about Springfield is no one governs anymore."

"The state needs to finalize a budget," Dianne Schultz of The Baby Fold said Thursday. "The state of Illinois has gotten too comfortable with not solving its budget issues and then expecting public schools, mental health and social service agencies to figure out a way to provide necessary services without providers knowing how or when we will be paid."

"We are frustrated, angry, sad and scared by the state of Illinois," said Liz German of YWCA McLean County. "If this continues long term, we will have to make some very tough choices and perhaps YWCA will look very different as an agency."

Here's a sample of the impact on some McLean County-based human services agencies:

The Baby Fold

The Baby Fold is owed $1.1 million by the state, with most of that for an adoption preservation program that provides home-based therapy to 200 families who adopted children with mental illness, Schultz said.

"These services ... prevent these children from being placed in more expensive forms of treatment, such as 24-hour residential care," she said.

Baby Fold maintains services by using a line of credit, but further delays will mean the agency dipping into investments, she said.

"Going two years without a state budget is unprecedented," Schultz said. "This mode of inaction by state government will continue to erode the health and safety of every citizen in our state and will leave Illinois at the bottom of the list of desirable places to live or do business."

YWCA McLean County

State payments to YWCA McLean County are running behind to the tune of $380,000 for Young Wonders child care, Medivan, Home Care Services and Stepping Stones sexual assault prevention and response, German said.

YWCA has increased fees but, even so, "without state money (beginning Jan. 1), we cannot keep all operations going long term," German said. Cuts to home care would mean more nursing home stays and cuts to subsidized child care would mean more parents couldn't work or children being left home alone, she said.

Project Oz

Project Oz has received state payments that equate to 32 percent of its annual contract with the state for homeless and runaway youth services and 28 percent for homeless youth services, Executive Director Peter Rankaitis said.

"For now, Project Oz will continue to provide services as per our contracts," he said. "As far as the political climate, it's unconscionable to me that our local legislators let this continue, with a chief executive of the state who has yet to pass a budget, even though that's a basic duty of the governor."

Chestnut Health Systems

Delays in payments to Chestnut Health Systems amount to millions of dollars, Chief Operating Officer Alan Sender said. "We will continue to provide mental health and chemical dependency services and expect that the state will meet its contractual obligation when a state budget is passed," he said.

"Organizations like ours and the clients we serve are bearing the brunt of the gross dysfunction that has taken hold these last two years," Sender said.

Collaborative Solutions Institute

Collaborative Solutions Institute has not received money since June for its Avert program, which teaches new skills to domestic violence perpetrators, said CEO Cheryl Gaines. The agency has been able to keep the program going by borrowing money but "we can't keep doing that forever," she said.

So, effective Monday, Gaines is laying off one part-time facilitator, but the program will continue with existing staff.

The agency won the bid from the state to provide the program and the state still expects program reports without providing any money, Gaines said. "It's so frustrating."

"The governor and the legislators need to roll up their sleeves, reach across the aisle and collaborate," she said.

Other agencies that previously made cuts because of delays in state funding include LIFE Center for Independent Living, PATH, Children's Home + Aid and Mid Central Community Action.
More friendly, socially interactive, rash and potentially happy  these words best describe what babies born in the United States are, as compared to the infants in other parts of the world. A recent study compared the behaviors and attitudes of babies from twenty-three different countries across the globe and found that American babies were generally more cheery.

This difference can be attributed to a number of factors. More generally, American children are brought up under the huge influence of the banner of freedom that hails under the American flag. This freedom creates children who are highly sociable and more often than not, extroverted.

The study also included Chile, Poland and South Korea, for these three countries provided the chance to compare the behavior from both the East and the West and the communist and nonconformist places. Questionnaires were handed over to the mothers who were supposed to record a great range of behavioral aspects of their babies' personalities at the tender age of six months and then at one year.

Psychologists have linked the differences in the babies' behaviors to their parents' natures and personalities, as well as the environment in which the infants were raised. It was also discussed that an understanding of the features, which affect the babies' temperaments and attitudes will help parents in coming up with better ways for childcare, according to Time.

These ways would eventually allow the parents to raise their kids in ways that are socially and culturally proper. According to North Korea Times, the babies from Chile were found to be very physically active and they displayed short attention spans since they couldn't focus on a single task for a long period of time. This was in stark contrast to the South Korean infants who exhibited impressively long attention spans and were not very much involved in physical activities like running.

These babies were also easily calmed down by cuddles, which they were very fond of. The babies from Poland, on the other hand, were not very cheery, happy, and gave a hard time to whoever tried to pacify them when they cried.
A mix-up of sperm and egg cell for use at a Dutch Center for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is being investigated by Center officials. The mix-up could have fertilized the egg cells of up to 26 women not by the intended sperm but from other men.

The fiasco was blamed by the Utrecht's University Medical Centre (UMC) to a procedural error, which occurred sometime between April of 2015 and November of 2016. Unfortunately, some of the IVF programs involving the mixed-up sperm cells were successful with half of those who availed of the IVF already pregnant while other already have children.

UMC said the remaining frozen embryos at the Center may have also been contaminated and fertilized with other men's sperm cells. Deutsche Well reported that the mix-up has already been communicated to the concerned couples.

"The UMC's board regrets that the couples involved had to receive this news and will do everything within its powers to give clarity on the issue as soon as possible," a statement released by the UMC read.

The Center said one treatment couple's sperm cells could have fertilized the egg cells of the other couples leading to the fertilization of the egg cells by a man other than the intended father. Yahoo said that while there is a small chance that the mix-up will happen, UMC said it could not exclude such possibility.

BBC said the mix-up could have resulted from the Intracytoplasmic sperm injection technique used by the Center, which made use of a pipette to directly inject the single sperm into the egg. The mistake could have been due to the use of a pipette with the same rubber top without the required filter. A DNA test could be taken by the couples after they have met with the UMC doctors.

Freya, a Dutch fertility group, was shocked with the news and said non-traditional methods of conceiving a child should have a 100 percent confidence rate considering that child-bearing is a delicate issue. This is not, however, the first time that a suspected mix-up happened since a similar incident was reported in 2012 when a clinic was sued by a Singaporean mother after she discovered that an IVF clinic mixed-up the sperm of her Caucasian husband with that of another person resulting to a baby with a different hair color and skin tone.


Kelleyanne Conway, Donald Trump's former campaign manager and now his counselor, is reportedly having a hard time enrolling her kids. Several Washington D.C. private schools have apparently not welcomed her inquiries and are instead giving her the brush-off.

Page Six reports that Kellyanne Conway was supposed to have told other parents at her twins' current New Jersey school about getting cold replies from D.C. schools. Trump's counselor is moving to the state come January with her husband George, a lawyer, and their kids, so they are already making the preparations.

"Kellyanne is asking everyone with connections to DC schools for help," a source told the news outlet. The mother-of-four is said to be amused by the situation after friends, who have been asking DC private schools on her behalf, have told her that they are getting "silence and sighs on the other end of the phone."

Last Wednesday, Kellyanne Conway was reportedly in D.C. to look into some private schools herself. She felt disappointed over the fact that these institutions profess "diversity" and "open-mindedness," yet she's experiencing being unwelcomed.

Washington's elite private schools don't want Kellyanne Conway's kids anywhere near them https://t.co/oK4CA438HN pic.twitter.com/xEgZt5B9i0  Salon (@Salon) December 29, 2016

Private schools in Washington have a rather selective and stringent process for admission. None of the reports have indicated why the schools are turning her down. Daily Mail reports that she feels she is being singled out because of her strong ties with the president-elect.

Kellyanne Conway was supposed to be part of Donald Trump's cabinet as his press secretary but the strategist turned down the post because she has four kids - aged 12 (twins), 8 and 7 - to look after. She agreed, however, to be a counselor in his new government.

"Everyone has to do what's best for their family and that's why I didn't jump immediately on a position that was offered to me early in the transition because there's a lot to weigh," Kellyanne Conway said, according to AOL. She believes she can still be an effective contributor to the Trump government while being an involved parent to her kids.
Parents are allegedly outraged over a non-Islamic school in Netherlands that teaches its students how to pray in mosques. The activity is supposedly part of the curriculum and has been recorded on video and captured in photos that have been going viral.

The students visited the Ghulzar e Madina mosque, located in Zwolle in Holland, to learn about Islam culture and tradition. An Imam, which is the term for the leader of the mosque, was seen in the video talking to the students and subsequently teaching them how to pray. Their teachers are also seen in the video watching the kids with smiles on their faces.

Daily Mail reports that the mosque is known to have been frequented by radical Muslim preachers like M Anas Noorani Siddiqui. The said school trip to the mosque happened a few years ago but the video recently surfaced on the internet.

The news outlet further reports that Freedom Party MP Harm Beertema got wind of the viral video and has appealed to parents of the students to disallow their children from participating in such an activity in the future. Describing the mosque visit as an "away-with-our-culture excursions," the MP said that ultimately the decision to join should lie on the parents.

But Americans have used the viral video and its screenshots for a different political agenda altogether. On social media, cropped photos of the video have been shared as a propaganda against Common Core.

But Snopes has debunked the false information, citing that it is actually from the Netherlands and it was about teaching the children about other cultures. "All questions that the students had were answered in a fun and understandable way," the report stated.

According to Gatestone Insititute, the Netherlands has one of the largest Muslim population among European countries at 925,000 as of 2013. Mosque visits from non-Islam students and even other visitors happen regularly.
Two parents in Texas were found unconscious inside their vehicle and their children were in the backseat. The couple was arrested and officials found cocaine and heroin in the possession of the parents.

Round Rock Police said in a statement the drugs in possession of the parents were cocaine and black tar heroin, as well as Xanax. Two babies were in the backseat and are said to be one-year-old and one-month-old.

Breitbart reported that they were found in a Target parking lot and were identified as Cory Holloman, 26, and Amirah Silver, 23. Officials said they were dispatched on Dec. 22 at the parking lot to conduct a welfare check on two people asleep in their vehicle. The parents were found unconscious in their front seat and the two kids were strapped in car seats at the back of the vehicle.

Holloman told officers that he and Silver were driving from Austin to Maryland and they stopped in the parking lot because they were tired since they have been traveling for three days with no sleep, Fox 35 reported. However, drugs and paraphernalia were found in their vehicle.

Track marks were also found on their arms, which are signs of chronic intravenous drug use. For the Xanax, it was found on the purse of Silver and she did not have a prescription for the pills.

The total amount of drugs found in the vehicle includes 9.5 grams of cocaine, 2.9 grams of black-tar heroin, and 2 and  Xanax pills. For the paraphernalia, officers found two used syringes and three spoons with residue. All these items were said to be found in a box under one of the babies.

Holloman has been charged with a state jail felony for child endangerment with criminal negligence and two charges for drug possession of cocaine and heroin. The bond for Holloman was set at $20,000. In July 2016, Holloman was also charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.

Silver, on the other hand, was charged with state jail felony for child endangerment with criminal negligence and one drug charge. She has an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor expired license plate violation.

Silver also had a previous charge of driving with an invalid license. The couple posted bond on Dec. 26 and have been released. No available details were provided regarding the two children and when they are due back in court.

Here is another video of parents overdosing. Their five-month-old baby died of starvation.
Photo: (Photo : TODAY/YouTube)

For businessmen, being charitable can be a great benefit. But in a world suffused with conflicts and strife, the value of charity is often seen as a hopeful prayer to have a much kinder place to live.

On this modern day of parenting, parents are seem so keen in teaching their children about resilience, empathy and kindness. But what about the value of charity? Is being charitable still important among kids?

Fortunately, Kids That Do Good (KTDG), a charitable platform that aims to provide access for children who are below the legal working age to become involved with various organizations, is encouraging the youth to give back to the community. Twin founders Max and Jake Klein, both 14 years old and from New Jersey, aim to provide opportunities for kids to volunteer despite the age restrictions and to value the importance of charity.

"For as long as we can remember, we've been trying to help make the world a better place," KTDG Co-founder Max Klein said in a press release forwarded to Parent Herald. "When we realized we weren't alone in running into the challenge of finding charities that allowed kids of all ages to participate, we decided to launch KTDG to do just that."

Jake Klein, on the other hand added, "Our goal is simple- to connect kids with ways to give back on a local, regional or even national level. It's a simple concept but we hope that the impact it has on the community will be extraordinary."

Due to the Klein brothers' inspiring and unique initiative, Parent Herald had a chance to do an exclusive interview with the boys. As for what pushed the boys to launch such a project, please read their responses below.

Parent Herald (PH): What is Kids That Do Good all about? Or can you please give us a short description about your organization?

Max and Jake Klein: Kids That Do Good is all about helping people at any age find ways to give back. Either on a local, state or even national level, we are a resource for kids to see how easy it is to make a difference in someone else's life.

PH: How did you come up with Kids That Do Good concept?

Max and Jake Klein: We wanted to volunteer serving meals at a homeless shelter when we were 7 because a family friend who is a retired chef cooks for them. We were turned away because you had to be at least 14. We were not discouraged and found other ways to give back but not everyone would consider finding other ways to make a difference. That's why we knew we needed to become that resource.

PH: What is your main mission and vision when you launched Kids That Do Good organization?

Max and Jake Klein: Everyone at any age can make a difference. You never know what people are going through until you take the time to help. We want people to look at the world in a different way. Not just what's in it for me, but what can I do to help one person today.

PH: As founders, do you believe the youth of today should volunteer and give back to their respective communities? Why?

Max and Jake Klein: It's so important. Kids don't realize what's going on around them. We are lucky and unlucky to have so much technology that sometimes we get lost in it and don't take time to look around us. Maybe take a minute to walk an elderly neighbor's dog or ask a friend at school to join you in planting flowers at your school. It's easy!

PH: Why do you think being charitable is important?

Max and Jake Klein: Because we all don't realize how lucky we are. Being charitable allows us to make the world just a little bit better and if every kid thought that way now, when they grow up the world would be a much kinder place.

Meanwhile, as for the latest campaign of KTDG, the group had recently organized a food drive, in collaboration with the Center for Hope and Safety, which collected Thanksgiving meals for 190 families. This January, KTDG founders Max and Jake Klein are aiming to concentrate on animal welfare so they might collaborate with the Best Friends Animal Society.

Klein Brothers Max and Jake share quick ways your family can give back this holiday season with @_workingmother_: https://t.co/YpWOA1Cytg pic.twitter.com/7VynL4M9sF  Kids That Do Good (@KidsThatDoGood) December 13, 2016

So parents, what do you think about the Kids That Do Good project? Do you want your kids to join Max and Klein in their pursuit in making the world a better place to live?
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In 2014 Patently Apple posted a report titled "CEO of Foxconn: Robots will play a Crucial Role in the World's Third Industrial Revolution." In May 2016 we did a follow-up report titled "Apple Supplier Foxconn Reduces Workforce from 110,00 to 50,000 due to In-Plant Robotic Program." Since that time Foxconn has been pushing ahead at full speed to get their robotic plants up to speed through their three-phase plan with the third phase introducing full robotic automation for production.

It's being reported today that "Foxconn's factories in Chengdu, western China, Shenzhen, southern China, and Zhengzhou, northern China, have been brought into the second or third phase, Dai said.

There are 10 fully automated production lines at some factories, including table one in Chengdu, AIO (all-in-one) PC and LCD monitor lines at a factory in Chongqing, western China, and a CNC line in Zhengzhou, Dai indicated.

Foxconn has deployed more than 40,000 Foxbots, industrial robots developed and produced in house, at factories in China, Dai said. Foxconn can produce about 10,000 Foxbots a year.

Whether phase-three robotic automation will ever be applied to iPhone production is unknown. But all-in-one computers in some plants are fully automated and you have to wonder if that includes Apple's iMac. Once full robotic automation is a reliable reality, nothing will stop Apple products from being made in the U.S. at close to the same profit margins than in China. We may be a little ahead of ourselves at this point in time but Foxconn is determined to move more and more production into the third-phase and Terry Gou is one determined individual. He'll make it happen in the not-too-distant future.

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Iran's 'Grave Sleepers' Prompt Calls For Action

12/28/16

By Frud Bezhan, RFE/RL



Images like this of homeless people living in graves has sparked outrage in Iran

(see more photos)



The images are morbid -- homeless men, women, and children so desperate for shelter that they would resort to living in open graves.



Yet that is what some 50 Iranians have reportedly been doing for years, holing themselves up in concrete dugouts at a graveyard outside Tehran.



Images and video of the men living in squalor have sparked shock and outrage in Iran -- including at the highest levels of government -- and prompted mounting calls for action.



The existence of the graveyard shantytown was exposed by the daily newspaper Shahrvand on December 27. A front-page feature discussed the lives the homeless, many of them drug addicts, were eking out at the site in Shahriar, a town outside Tehran.

/                          pic.twitter.com/UpnS4OE4nq    (@shahrvand_paper) December 27, 2016

Photographs from the story spread quickly on social media, eliciting reactions from ordinary and prominent Iranians alike.



President Hassan Rohani called the grave dwellers' situation "unacceptable for both the government and the people."



"The government is responsible and the nation is responsible for poverty, deprivation, and problems," Rohani was quoted as saying on December 28. "I have heard about people in Western countries who sleep on cardboard under bridges out of poverty, or those who sleep in metro stations, but not in graves."



Rohani added that in order to "solve these issues, we must all unite and leave aside partisan issues and differences and address the basic problems of the country."



The president was responding to Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who expressed "shame" and "regret" about the condition of those "men, women, and children who spend their cold nights in a graveyard."





Asghar Farhadi on front page of Iranian daily Shahrvand

Read related report by Shahrvand





"I intend to share my shame with you and all those who have had any responsibility in this country," Farhadi wrote in a letter to Rohani on December 27.

'No Honor...No Fear'

Many vented their frustrations and anger on social media.



Koohe Sefid, a Facebook user, accused the government of making foreign projects like "rebuilding [the Syrian city of] Aleppo" the "priority" instead of solving social and economic problems in Iran.



Javad Siadat, another Facebook user, posted the message: "My God, what are we witnessing?"



Mohesen Eb said on Facebook that the government "has no honor, no fear, and no shame."



In a follow-up story on December 28, Shahrvand said the homeless were forcibly removed from the graveyard by security forces after local officials pledged to take action. Shahrvand reported that some of the occupants of the cemetery had lived there for a decade.

'Hardcore Addicts'

Sayyed Hossein Hashemi, the governor of Tehran Province, described the dwellers as "hardcore addicts," according to the semiofficial ISNA news agency.

"The publication of reports that these people had nothing to eat and were hungry was unkind and ill-advised because it should be taken into account that these people are hard-core addicts," he said in remarks on December 28, adding that the dwellers had been transferred to a nearby rehabilitation camp.



Iranian officials have said there are about 15,000 homeless people living in Tehran, including 5,000 women.



But activists believe the real number to be twice that figure.



Many of the homeless are drug addicts. There are 1.4 million registered addicts in treatment programs, but activists say that number, too, is much higher -- more than 2 million people out of a population of 80 million.



The number of drug users is believed to be rising, despite harsh penalties for users if they are caught.



One of the main reasons for the rising number of addicts in Iran is that the country is the main gateway for the drug trade from Afghanistan, the world's main source of opium, which is used to make heroin.



In October, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said Afghanistan's cultivation of opium poppy had risen to 201,000 hectares, a 10 percent increase from 2015.



About the author:



Frud Bezhan covers Afghanistan and the broader South Asia and Middle East region. Send story tips to bezhanf@rferl.org

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
The Case for Sending Secretary Kerry to Tehran

12/30/16

by Navid Hassibi (source: LobeLog)



U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with Iranian Forign Minister Javad Zarif

(cartoon by Mohammad Tahani, Iranian daily Arman)



Although it is unclear what will happen to the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) once President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, President Barack Obama still has a few weeks left to try to reinforce his signature foreign policy achievement by sending Secretary of State John Kerry to the capital of one of the signatory members-Tehran. While it is unlikely that the Iranian government would welcome Kerry in what would be a historic bilateral visit, due to political complexities and ramifications at home (particularly as the Rouhani administration prepares for reelection in a few months), it may be possible to pull off a last-minute Kerry visit within the confines of a JCPOA ministerial visit in Tehran. Kerry's attendance at such a meeting would represent the first visit to Iran by a senior U.S. official in decades. It would monumentally reconfirm the P5+1 and Iran's commitment to the nuclear deal and possibly make it more difficult for the incoming Trump administration to either tear it up or to go along with new sanctions that would put it at risk.

To be sure, Trump has repeatedly called the nuclear deal a disaster-most recently on Wednesday this week. As president-elect, he has surrounded himself with Iran hawks who have publicly expressed their disdain for the deal. His choice for CIA director, Rep. Mike Pompeo, tweeted that he looked forward to rolling back the deal just hours before his nomination. Trump's pick for National Security Advisor, Gen. Michael Flynn, and his nominee for Secretary of Defense, Gen. James "Mad Dog" Mattis, are both hyper-critical of Iran and the nuclear deal, as is John Bolton, a potential nominee for the number two spot at the State Department and a veteran proponent of war with Iran.

Defending the Agreement

To counter the threat that the agreement might be undone, Iran deal supporters have been highlighting its merits, pointedly noting, among other things, that Tehran has fully complied with its obligations to date and that the deal has effectively pushed back any possible nuclear "break-out" by the Islamic Republic from only about two months to at least a full year-thus, for now, peacefully resolving a major international security concern without firing a single shot. As President Obama said after the election: "We now have over a year of evidence that they [Iran] have abided by the agreement." In other words, the deal is working. Indeed, under the agreement, Iran has dismantled and limited key aspects of its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

In an effort to solidify the Iran deal, the Obama administration has reportedly been issuing more licenses to U.S. companies to do business with Iran and waiving additional sanctions before leaving office. Iran has already signed a $16 billion deal with Boeing, which will support tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, a business reality that the Trump administration cannot easily ignore. The Obama White House should go even further to protect the deal by probing, via the Kerry-Mohammad Javad Zarif channel, whether a ministerial gathering of the P5+1 and Iran within the next few weeks in Tehran would be welcomed by the government. While bold, such a meeting would send a powerful message in support of diplomacy and the nuclear deal.

Meeting within the "business as usual" framework of the JCPOA could provide sufficient cover against any political backlash facing both the Rouhani government and, to a lesser extent, the outgoing Obama administration. Limiting Kerry's presence in Tehran solely to attending the meeting would further limit adverse political consequences for both parties and could in fact bolster the Iranian president's stature in advance of the May election. The meeting would also enable the P5+1 and Iran to touch base on the deal's progress to-date, as well as new and anticipated challenges to its implementation, such as the extension of the Iran Sanctions Act. More importantly, it could help reassure the international community, including the parties themselves, about Washington's commitment. A high-profile-albeit potentially controversial-meeting this close to Inauguration Day is hardly unprecedented, as Kerry will be attending the French-led Israeli-Palestinian Peace Summit on January 15.

Limiting the Damage Trump Can Do

Not only has the nuclear deal removed any near-term threat of Iran's nuclear "break-out," it has also established official channels between U.S. and Iranian officials. These channels have been leveraged for non-nuclear matters such as last year's prisoner swap, the release of U.S. naval detainees by Iran, the settlement of a longstanding financial dispute, and some limited cooperation through the International Syria Support Group. Sabotaging the nuclear deal would remove any ability the United States has to pursue and defend its interests directly with Iran, particularly at a time when Iranian hardliners are arbitrarily detaining dual nationals.

What is certain is that the Trump administration's unraveling of the agreement would severely undermine U.S. credibility in the world. It would significantly impact the United States' relations with its key European allies, especially the EU3-France, Germany and the United Kingdom-which are already worried about Trump's position on NATO. It would further complicate the relationship with China, which Trump recently angered due to his stance on Taiwan and his threats to impose tariffs against Chinese exports. It would also throw a wrench into the incoming administration's desire to rehabilitate relations with Russia.

Sending Kerry to Tehran within the framework of a JCPOA ministerial meeting would be a public show of commitment to the deal and could make it harder for the Trump administration to unravel what has been hailed as Obama's greatest foreign-policy achievement. It could also help to ensure that the U.S.-Iran relationship does not deteriorate to pre-2013 levels, which were marked by regular displays of brinkmanship and threats of military action. Obama is still in office until January 20. He can still make sure that diplomacy speaks louder than what he once described as the "loose talk of war."



About the author:







Navid Hassibi is with the Council on International Policy. He tweets @navidhassibi. The opinions here represent his own.
The casket of slain Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov is pictured during his funeral ceremony in Moscow on December 22, 2016 (AFP Photo/Alexander NEMENOV) (AFP/File)

Rabat (AFP) - Morocco has arrested five youth members of the premier's Islamist party who allegedly celebrated last week's murder of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, a party source said Thursday.

Authorities arrested the five from the youth movement of Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane's Justice and Development Party (PJD), the source said, after the assassination of Andrei Karlov on December 19.

The Akhbar Al-Yaoum daily reported a sixth person had been called in for questioning.

The PJD, whose leader has been tasked with forming a new governing coalition after winning October parliamentary polls, has yet to comment on the arrests.

But the head of the party's lawyer association, Abdessamad al-Idrissi, said he would be defending those detained.

Under Moroccan law, the crime of justifying terrorist acts can be punished by up to six years in prison and more than $19,000 in fines.

On December 22, the justice and interior ministries said they were opening an investigation after a group of people "clearly celebrated on social media the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey".

In early December, Benkirane caused a diplomatic stir by criticising Russia's military intervention in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

After Moscow's envoy in Rabat expressed concern over the comments, Morocco's foreign ministry slammed the premier's remarks and said it respected Russia's role in Syria.
Iran, US likely to start re-negotiations on nuclear deal: Olli Hainonen

12/30/16

Interview by Javad Heirannia, Mehr News Agency

A former IAEA fellow and its deputy director-general has told Mehr News that it should not be surprising if Iran and the US were to start some pre/re-negotiations on JCPOA once Trump takes over as president.





The narrowing road of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

Source: Iranian business magazine Tejarat Farda





In an interview conducted by Mehr News International Service, Olli Hainonen talked about the possible scenarios for Iran's nuclear deal once Donald Trump takes over as President of the United States. The following is the full text of the interview:

President-elect Donald Trump noted during his presidential campaign that Obama gave more points to Iran on nuclear agreement and voiced his intention to hold a new round of negotiations with Iran in regard to the nuclear deal. What will Trump ultimately do about the deal?

Currently the transition teams of President Obama and President-Elect Trump are meeting to review issues, including topics related to US national security. Mr. Trump is also receiving other security briefings. This gives the Trump team additional insights, which they may not have had available publicly. It is also customarily for a new Administration to conduct a thorough review of US policies. Such a review has taken in the past about 100 days on major topics.

When we look back to the deal's negotiating history, the US initiated some of the negotiations through the "Oman channel" parallel to the P5+1 process. Also during the recent JPA, JPOA, and JCPOA processes, many details were first negotiated between the US and Iran, before bringing them to the P5+1 framework. We should not be surprised if Iran and the US were to start some pre/re-negotiations, noting also that for example, Mr. Salehi [Iran's nuclear chief] recently expressed his dissatisfaction on some of the JCPOA's language.

In sum, the President-elect has a number of choices relating to the Iran nuclear deal, from relooking at the UN Security Council Resolution; to amendments and fixing deficiencies of the JCPOA through side understandings between the involved parties.





Olli Hainonen



The circle around Trump is composed of staunch opponents of Iran and JCPOA. How much impact do you think this circle will leave on Trump's foreign policy toward Iran?

Certainly the new administration of Mr. Trump is firmly in the driving seat, but there are all the reasons to believe that his staff will include in their decision-making inputs from the US interagency process as well as gather information and interpretations made by the P5+1 during the negotiation process in crafting policy and direction.

Some argue that Trump will not violate the JCPOA and instead, it will place sanctions on Iran under the pretext of terrorism and human rights violations. How do you evaluate this move in regard to the future of JCPOA?

There is wide dissatisfaction not only in the US, but also in Europe and beyond with regard to Iran's ballistic missile activities as well as aspects of Iran's involvement in events in Iraq, Syria and Yemen which these countries view as counterproductive and objectionable. Whether these issues including human rights issues are dealt with related or separate from the JCPOA, it would not be surprising if it has some form of effect on the nuclear deal.

In case Donald Trump violated the nuclear deal, how do you predict the reaction of US's European allies?

It is unlikely that the US will see itself violating the JCPOA. The JCPOA for the P5+1 is essentially a way to ensure that Iran stays within the limits drawn on its nuclear program. The US and others provide sanctions relief in return. Where violations occur within the JCPOA, there is an arbitration process to handle disputes and non-compliance, which progresses from the Joint Commission, arbitration panel, to the UN Security Council. This gives an opportunity for all sides to express their views as the handling of cases proceeds.





Olli Heinonen is Senior Advisor on Science and Nonproliferation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, DC.
A convicted felon accused of trying to ignite a fire inside a Riverside credit union during a botched holdup was charged Thursday with attempted arson and attempted robbery.

Brian Paul Buell, 35, was apprehended Tuesday by Riverside police. He pleaded not guilty Thursday afternoon. He is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside with bail set at $205,000.

On the afternoon of Dec. 22, a man approached tellers in the Altura Credit Union at 14th and Lemon streets and demanded money, but was refused, Riverside police said.

He spit and poured gasoline throughout the bank and threatened to burn down the building unless he was given the money, according to a police statement. He also tried to light a roll of toilet paper on fire to ignite the trail of gasoline but was unsuccessful due to the rain that afternoon.

Employees called 911, but the man fled before officers arrived.

According to police, a patrol unit spotted a transient matching the would-be robbers description near Main Street and the 60 Freeway on Tuesday and detained him. Credit union staff identified Buell as the man who tried to rob them, police said.

Buell has prior convictions for robbery, burglary and auto theft, court records show.

PREVIOUSLY:

Man spits gasoline in failed Altura Credit Union robbery in Riverside

Man who police say spat gasoline in a failed Riverside bank robbery is arrested
Two Orange County residents face arraignment in a Chino identity theft case that began after a phony name and credit card were used to rent a motel room, according to police and jail records.

Scheduled for arraignment Friday, Dec. 30, are 32-year-old Chad Nicholas Jensen and 27-year-old Ashley Villareal. Their cities of residence were not released.

Both were arrested at 4:18 p.m. Wednesday at a Motel 6 along South Garey Avenue in Pomona and booked for investigation of grand theft, possessing 10 or more pieces of identification with intent to commit identity fraud, and other ID theft-related charges, jail records show.

Jensen and Villareal also face drug-related cases in Orange and Los Angeles Counties, according to their booking records.

The investigation began when police were summoned to a Chino motel along Central Avenue where a room was rented using an apparently fictitious name, police officials said in a written statement.

Officers determined that the name and credit card were bogus, but the suspects were no longer in the room. Jensen and Villareal were traced to the Pomona motel where they were arrested.

A search of both motel rooms turned up more than 40 counterfeit drivers licenses, over 100 counterfeit credit cards and several computers and printers capable of producing the licenses and cards, according to the statement.

Anyone with additional information may call Chino police at 909-334-3093.
Julie Gerson hiked the Pacific Crest Trail beneath a deep blue sky flecked with mares tails clouds in southwest Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Gerson, the Anza-Borrego Foundations land-acquisition coordinator, crunched down the hard-packed, sandy-brown trail, past granitic boulders and desert agave, to 40 acres of newly acquired property near the base of Granite Mountain.

Accessible only by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, the parcel had been adjacent to the park but so remote its former owners had never been able to find it.

The land had been for sale and could have been developed if the foundation hadnt joined forces with the Pacific Crest Trail Association and bought the quarter-square-mile plot for $16,000.

The foundations new acquisition increases the amount of protected desert, which means more land for wildlife and more protection there for the Pacific Crest Trail corridor and the view from the trail.

Pointing out the trail descending the side of the mountain, Gerson recalled her excitement when the title deed came in the mail Sept. 30.

Anything can go wrong right up until the last second, she said. People see open desert and think, Wow. This is wide open. But its so fragile.

That parcel is now part of the roughly 650,000-acre desert state park the Anza-Borrego Foundation has helped build and protect for 50 years.

A season-long anniversary celebration includes field trips, hikes, classes and other special events through April 1.

Since April 1, 1967, the nonprofit group has provided more than $32 million for land, programming and other services, and financial support to a park stretching from the Santa Rosa Mountains in Riverside County nearly to the Mexican border.

MAKING PARK WHOLE

Dropping into the park from a twisting ride down Montezuma Valley Road, you get the sense Anza-Borrego is a world unto itself.

A world of ancient fossils and mysterious mirages, lush palm oases and hidden waterfalls, ocotillo forests, remote hiking trails and captivating wildlife from tarantulas and chuckwalla lizards to golden eagles and desert bighorn sheep, or borrego.

With help from the Resources Legacy Fund in Sacramento and other partnerships, donations and state and federal funds, the foundation has been working to make that world whole  procuring about 54,000 acres in the last half-century.

About 67,000 acres of private parcels within the park, known as inholdings, existed when the foundation was formed to acquire inholdings or adjacent land to help preserve the desert, wildlife habitat and cultural heritage.

Foundation Executive Director Paige Rogowski estimates there are still 20,000 acres of inholdings that could be acquired to complete Californias largest state park, offering free primitive camping throughout.

A Pasadena native, shes come to cherish the deserts serenity and wildness while overseeing the foundation for seven years.

You can still have that wild experience here, she said over lunch at Keslings Kitchen in Borrego Springs. Our souls need that  to be able to be in open space and have that restore and heal us.

Gerson spends hours studying county maps and contacting people about land bought, won or traded in years past. This year, she bought 7.5 acres in the Badlands  at $250 an acre  that someones father won in a 1930s poker game.

Shes still trying to purchase 10 acres of Borrego Badlands a man traded his shotgun for. His grandchildren are asking $1,000 an acre, but Gerson said the foundation can offer only $450.

Last year, the organization completed a notable two-part acquisition the 3,805-acre Lucky 5 Ranch and a conservation easement, preserving wildlife corridors between coastal environments and the deserts and mountains of Anza-Borrego and Cuyamaca Rancho state parks and Cleveland National Forest.

The foundations six-month anniversary celebration began in late October, when cooling temperatures brought the start of desert season and the return of those who flee each summer.

Thats also tarantula mating season at Anza-Borrego.

One morning, a large tarantula crawled outside the Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center, a field research station established by the foundation, UC Irvine and park.

The black arachnid froze and appeared menacing.

State Park Ranger Steve Bier, using his hat to encourage the gigantic spider to shelter beneath a palm tree, said the creature was likely just trying to look like a shadow to potential predators.

Unbroken desert

In winter, Anza-Borrego is known for starry nights and mystifying mirages called Fata Morgana.

Optical illusions of castles or islands floating in the sky are created by sunlight passing through the atmosphere. The mirages occur and are seen over long distances of open space preserved largely by the foundation, explained Bier, driving east through the desert on State Route 78.

The vast expanse of unbroken desert ahead of you is just very calming and awe-inspiring to me, he said.

Bier and other rangers patrol the backcountry, watching for problems such as reptile poaching, cactus theft or illegal off-roading, giving emergency first aid, rehabilitating damaged areas, fighting fires and answering questions from those whove come for a desert escape.

In my experience, even the bad guys are relaxed out here, he said.

Tuesday mornings through April, he leads hikes to show foundation members what their donations do.

People who only know deserts from TV or movies envision a scary place where people are half-dead from lack of water.

There are deserts like that in the world. But this is not one of them, Bier said.

On that day, he drove up Fish Creek Wash past red sandstone cliffs and Waterfall Canyon to areas rich with remnants of ancient life.

Getting out of the ranger truck, Bier pointed to the sunlight-sparkled Mud Hills, ancient marine sediments made of gypsum and fossil shells metamorphosed into limestone.

Further back in the wash, Bier spotted a tarantula hawk wasp, queen butterflies and 3-million-year-old fossilized tracks, or ichnites, apparently made by the elephant-like gompothere and ancient relatives of the coyote and bobcat.

The ephemeral fossils, set in sandstone, can be destroyed by earthquakes, flash floods, rockfalls, wind-blown sand and humans, so they should be photographed but never touched, he said.

Native American artifacts also should be left untouched.

Much of what Bier drove through was added to the park by the foundation.

Wide-open aesthetic

Through the years, the organization has also offered field trips, hikes and workshops to more than 13,000 children and adults, often with help from rangers like Bier.

The organization, together with California State Parks and San Diego County, has introduced more than 1,000 inner-city fifth-graders to the desert and camping through Camp Borregos outdoor educational program.

The foundation also raised funds to help build The Stout Paleontology Laboratory, Begole Archaeological Research Center and the Steele/Burnand center, whose campus was enlarged with a 75-acre foundation land donation.

The Steele/Burnand center was created at the repurposed mid-century modern Borrego Springs Desert Club to offer affordable lodging for researchers who could help inform management of the parks natural and cultural resources.

Researchers are currently studying such things as Split Mountain region geology, invasive Saharan mustard and inhabitants of rotting barrel cacti, center Manager Jim Dice said on a tour. The center, part of the UC Natural Reserve System, is open to classes and all researchers.

Through its work, the foundation has not only saved wildlife habitat and cultural resources  its protected the aesthetic of the wide-open desert, preserving a wild place where people can relax and breathe easier, Bier said.

That has a profound effect  on my mind, anyway, he said. It gives you this impression that youre the first person to step foot there.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9444 or shurt@scng.com
Two brothers suspected of committing back-to-back burglaries at Corona restaurants, culminating in a vehicle and foot pursuit, were arrested Wednesday, Dec. 28.

A third suspect who eluded officers remains at large, Corona police said in a news release.

Long Beach residents Rodney Lavon Shorter II, 21, and Rodney Shorter III, 19, were booked into jail on suspicion of burglary, receiving stolen property and evading a police officer, police said.

The elder Shorter also was booked on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a felony and concealing a firearm that had been stolen, and his bail was set at $100,000, jail records show. His brother was not listed in jail records Thursday evening.

According to a police news release, the suspects broke into Chronic Tacos at 160 Ontario Ave. about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and took property. They then are suspected of driving a half-mile to Grazianos Pizza at 333 Magnolia Ave., forcing their way inside the closed eatery and stealing a safe and cash drawers.

While that burglary was in progress, someone called police who was able to provide a description of the alleged getaway car, a white Dodge Intrepid, which a patrol unit spotted moments later, the release said.

The car didnt stop when police tried to pull it over, triggering a roughly 3-mile pursuit that crossed underneath Interstate 15 into the 1600 block of Leeson Lane, where the vehicle struck a curb, flattening several tires, police said.

The cars occupants took off. The Shorter brothers were captured; jail logs show the elder Shorter was arrested at 4:50 a.m. at Magnolia and Temescal streets, a few blocks from where the vehicle pursuit ended.

The safe from Grazianos was inside the Intrepid, the release said. Police also found burglary tools, two cloth masks and a firearm that had been reported stolen in Los Angeles County, police said.
A day after a shotgun-toting man held deputies at bay for nine hours near Loma Linda, the 28-year-old San Bernardino gang member faces arraignment on five criminal charges, sheriffs officials say.

Isaac Michael Castillo is scheduled for his first court hearing Friday, Dec. 30, on charges of residential burglary, false imprisonment, being a felon in possession of a firearm, making criminal threats, and being under the influence of narcotics while armed with a gun, investigators said in a written statement.

Castillo was arrested about 7 p.m. Wednesday at his girlfriends home along the 29800 block of Romero Road, a dirt road just north of San Timoteo Canyon, according to sheriffs officials and jail records.

Deputies were dispatched to the house at 8:22 a.m. to check on a reported man with a gun.

A sheriffs helicopter crew spotted a man with a shotgun breaking into the house through a window. At the same time, the victims confirmed to 911 dispatchers that a man with a shotgun had broken into the house  and was holding them hostage.

Deputies from San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Grand Terrace and Highland swarmed the area, along with Redlands police.

About that time, a woman escaped but reported that her cousin was still inside with her boyfriend, Castillo, who had a shotgun and was threatening to kill her, according to the sheriffs statement.

Deputies surrounded the house, evacuated nearby residents, and used a public address system to urge a surrender. When that didnt work, a SWAT team was summoned.

After eight hours of negotiations, Castillo surendered to SWAT, investigators wrote.

The second woman was found unharmed.

After searching the house, deputies reported finding a stolen, loaded, sawed-off shotgun.

A records check showed that Castillo was on parole after being imprisoned for weapons violations, investigators wrote. He also was wanted for parole violation and is a documented member of a street gang with a history of violence, they said.

Castillo had stolen the shotgun on Christmas Day, deputies wrote.

Anyone with additional information may call detectives at 909-387-3545.
Riverside County sheriffs deputies on Thursday, Dec. 29, arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion that he tried to kidnap two young girls in Calimesa.

Luis Lozano of San Bernardino was arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnapping and booked into Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, according to online jail records.

The records showed that his bail was set at $55,000 and he had not been released as of Friday afternoon.

About 1 p.m. deputies went to the 1300 block of Lone Star Court in Calimesa after receiving a report of an attempted kidnapping, according to a Riverside County sheriffs news release.

Officials say that when the deputies arrived, they learned that a man in a gray Toyota Venza told a 10-year-old girl and a 5-year-old girl to get in the SUV.

Lozano was identified as a suspect in the incident and arrested at his home without incident, according to the release.

The release does not provide specifics on what led deputies to suspect Lozano.

The sheriffs department is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact investigators by calling 951-922-7100.

Tips can also be made anonymously on the departments CrimeTips form or WeTip.com.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9693, agroves@scng.com or @AlexDGroves on Twitter.
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at risk of losing their federal tax credits in January if they dont give the state health insurance exchange permission to verify their income.

Covered California is engaged in a last-minute scramble to reach those individuals and families before the end of the month, spokeswoman Lizelda Lopez said.

For policy holders who dont give the agency their consent by Saturday, federal tax credits will not be applied to their January premiums. That means they may need to pay the full, unsubsidized amount of those premiums until they rectify the situation, she said.

It was our mistake, Lopez said. We thought we had their consent. We dont.

Covered California needs consent from its enrollees to verify their income against a federal database.

Heres why: The tax credits consumers receive to reduce their monthly premiums are based on income. Because incomes often fluctuate from year to year, tax credits do, too.

Some enrollees give the agency their consent every year, while others give it for multiple years at a time.

In August, Covered California started reaching out to current enrollees whose consent had expired, Lopez said.

The approximately 24,000 policy holders affected never respond to the agency, but it thought they had, Lopez said. As a result, Covered California sent those policy holders incorrect information about their tax credits for next year that was based on their previous income levels, she said.

We realized looking over our data that we didnt have their consent, and didnt tell them that their (tax credits) would be zeroed out next year as a result, she said.

Once the agency realized its mistake, it started reaching out to affected consumers by phone and email on Sunday.

If those consumers respond by Saturday, their tax credits will be recalculated and applied to their January bills, she said.

If they dont, their tax credits wont be applied to their January bills and they could owe the full amount of their premiums.

However, once consumers see their bills in January and realize their tax credits werent applied, they can contact Covered California to give their consent. At that point, the agency will recalculate their tax credits and apply them retroactively to the beginning of the year, Lopez said.

It will also contact the insurer to reissue a new bill, she said.

A handful of affected consumers called QuoteBroker, an insurance firm based in Valencia, this week for help, said Myles Pappadato, a managing partner. QuoteBroker has roughly 600 Covered California clients.

Its the easiest fix in the world, Pappadato said. Its one button, but it means the world to these people. If its not clicked, theyre not going to get the tax credit.

Pappadato is most concerned about the consumers he hasnt heard from.

Im really worried. I have no idea how many of our folks are among them, he said. I know there are others in our book of business, but theres just no easy way to go about finding them.

Lopezs advice for consumers who have been contacted by the exchange is to immediately give their consent online, call Covered California at 800-300-1506 or get help from the person who helped them enroll in the first place, such as an insurance agent.

This affected a very small number of our enrollees, she said. If you have mail from Covered California that you havent opened, please do so.
Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, head of the Economic Management Team of the incoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, has promised to remove tax obstacles to greatly lessen the plight of people.



The Vice President-elect, who disclosed this recently in an interview with Joy Fm, an Accra-based radio station, bemoaned the low growth of Ghanas economy.



We want to see the economy growing. Right now were growing around three percent. We used to grow in the big days around 2011 about 14 percent when the oil was coming, 8 percent coming down but were now at 3 percent. You need to increase the growth rate of the economy. And the way you are going to do it of course is to make sure that the private sector is energized.



And so we are going to see a transformation even in mindset that youre going to build the most business-friendly and the most people-friendly economy that you can, so that we encourage both local and foreign investment. Well remove the obstacles and bring down the tax burden on people. We will make sure that the health service is better managed and people can actually get better and quality access to healthcare.



He also pledged to protect the countrys business environment, adding that the business climate would influence the enterprising prospects of the private sector.

According to the former Deputy Bank of Ghana governor, there were clear cut policies set by the incoming administration to reposition the country as the most business and people-friendly economy in Africa.

He mentioned that an Akufo-Addo led administration would evolve policies that would expand and transform Ghanas economy.

I want to also make sure that Nana Akufo-Addos call that we should have no village that has water problem in the next two years be realized. And we believe for example that the $1 million per constituency each year, the equivalent which is GH4 million a year per constituency, if the constituencies identify those needs and the executing agencies address them, we should not really have water problem.



This one-village-one-dam promise, we should realize it, so that we can get the agriculture sector moving. Because if youre going to transform this economy and you dont transform agriculture, then you have done nothing. So we are going to see a major focus on agriculture so that we can begin the process of transformation. We also want to see jobs being created and move the economy from focus on taxation to focus on production.

Source: Daily Guide









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This article is the first in a series on the "Future of Politics" that investigates the effects of election 2016 on the future of policy, parties, candidates, campaign style and the overall political environment going forward.

Verbal attacks in politics are nothing new.

Cyber-attacks are.

Indeed, election 2016 could be considered a turning point in the history of America's electoral process as brazen hacks on the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chair John Podesta, carried out by Russia, according to the Obama administration, were "intended to interfere with the U.S. election process."

The attacks that Hillary Clinton has blamed in part on her Electoral College loss to Donald Trump raise a critical question: will cyber-attacks targeting political organizations and prominent political players become the new normal?

I fear the answer is yes.

Though Trump has so far denied Russian involvement, prominent politicians on both sides of the aisle are calling for an investigation. That's a crucial step going forward. To better prepare for the possibility of cyber-assaults on our voting outcomes, we need to understand what sort of tactics were used in past attacks and what kind of new malicious strategies might we see in future. And we must devise strategies to counter them.

In cyberspace, the past is prelude to the future. The DNC hacks are a prime example of efforts to alter election outcomes without having to tamper with voting machines themselves. This case illustrates what happens when information is disclosed that undermines the credibility of an institution, in this case the Democratic Party.

Some of the hackers behind DNC attack may have had access to the organization's network for about a year according to DNC officials, giving them ample time to hunt for the most damaging documents without fear of detection.

Now is the time to guard against subterranean attacks that could be going on in other political organizations and structures, from state capitals to the U.S. Capitol.

Story continues

Creating "fake news" is another type of voter manipulation aimed at influencing public opinion. Independent researchers claim the Russians were behind the creation of a number of misleading articles with the goal of harming the Clinton campaign, including bogus pieces about Hillary's fatal health problems, using botnets, networks of websites and social media accounts to distribute them.

Facebook (FB), a major disseminator of fake news during the election, is taking steps to limit distribution on its site. Other sites must follow its lead.

Other potential strategies for altering voter outcomes include gaining access to election databases so hackers can quietly attain personal information like emails and telephones numbers, which can then be used to manipulate voters.

What's more, hackers could delete names of voters from voter registration lists specifically from those demographic groups or socioeconomic strata more likely to vote for one candidate than the other.

Has this ever happened? It's not clear, but in August 2016, the FBI said it uncovered evidence that state election databases in Arizona and Illinois may have been hacked. In Illinois, hackers associated with foreign actors are suspected of downloading personal data on up to 200,000 state voters.

States must fortify their systems against hacking and remain vigilant to any breaches. Russian hackers gained access to the DNC's and Podesta's systems through simple phishing attempts, according The New York Times. Educating users is one simple way to prevent such breaches in the future.

Hacking into the voting machines themselves is certainly the most chilling of all scenarios, though the evidence that this actually occurred is inconclusive at best.

Prominent computer scientists have claimed that presidential voting results in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania could have been hacked and urged the Clinton Campaign to challenge election results in all three swing states.

Other arguments suggest that evidence of tampering with electronic voting machines is thin. Part of the thinking is that the machines could not have been hacked, primarily because they are not connected to the internet.

Truth is, regarding claims that electronic ballots are not connected to the internet: it actually doesn't matter. Clever hackers have successfully penetrated such "air-gapped" devices in the past, through what the cyber community calls an "insider attack." One malicious employee or contractor can penetrate a device by plotting from within. With a willing insider, an internet connection is irrelevant. Think Edward Snowden.

Again, the issue is still open, but there is a strong case to be made for carrying out an investigation, to conclusively determine the integrity of voting outcomes, and, perhaps equally as important, to figure out what sort of techniques were used  if tampering is discovered  so we can better protect the integrity of voting systems in the future. State level actors are certainly the most sophisticated, often using large numbers of attack vectors over long periods of time, so the importance of analyzing and understanding their patterns is mandatory for creating equally if not more sophisticated defense strategies moving forward.

We can expect a repeat performance of attacks designed to alter election outcomes, in one form or another. That's the history of cyber-security; there is always more to come. It will likely come from the same hacker groups and use similar tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs), with some advanced variations we haven't seen yet.



The best way to keep safe is by studying previous attack patterns, turning diverse threats into a common language so that security professionals can "read" what is happening, no matter what the source. This will protect our democratic system because it allows threats to be instantly understood and proactively managed.

It also means upping cooperation at national, state and local levels. Since voting is always done at a local level, and since local authorities certainly don't have the resources to fend off malicious campaigns backed at state-levels, then more needs to be done to provide resources and know-how from the top down.

All of this becomes even more important as we strive more and more to utilize technology to encourage voter accessibility. E-voting encourages more participation but also widens potential attack vectors and raises risk. How do we maximize access while at the same time guaranteeing security? These are issues we need to continue grappling with.

The bottom line is that as dangerous as actual attempts to compromise voter outcome are, the perception that voting results are flawed is also capable of delegitimizing the democratic process. If citizens believe the vote has been rigged, then why bother voting at all? The future of democracy will be in balancing voter access with the integrity of the system  and cyber-security will play an enormous role in this reconciliation.

Commentary by Avi Chesla, CEO and Founder of empow, a cyber security company. Prior to empow, Avi was CTO and vice president of security products at Radware, where he was responsible for defining and leading the company's strategic technology roadmap and vision including the foundation and management of Radware's Security Division, a provider of cyber-attack mitigation solutions. Chesla has authored a number of articles for major publications on advanced network behavioral analysis, expert systems and information security and has earned numerous patents in these areas. Follow him on Twitter @cheslaavi.



For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion onTwitter.





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Mahto Suraj, A 22-year-old man has abandoned his 19-year-old wife Latila, and is said to have married his mother in-law, Asha Devi.



Mahto claims he fell in love with his 42-year-old mother-in-law after she paid them a visit in the village of puraini in Bihar, in the north-eastern part of India.



According to India Times, Asha left her husband who is a factory workers home in Delhi and started living with Suraj and had a court marriage and a formal temple wedding in June.



Suraj, however is now pleading for the marriage bond to be broken so that he could return to his former wife, Latila.



He said he had now realised his foolishness.



I have come to realize my foolishness. I admit I have committed the mistake, but will never repeat it in future. Now, I no longer treat her (Devi) as my wife, rather, I have started paying her regard as a mother and an in-law that she is. I am on my knees, Im begging Lalita to take me back home for the sake of our son, Mahto added.

Source: Kemifilani.com









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Mr Stephen Ashitey Adjei, Leader of the former workers of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), says he and colleagues will protest against the pay rise for the President and other Article 71 office holders.



He said the recommendations by the Presidential Committee on Emoluments for a 10 per cent pay rise, was in a bad state and so the former workers would demonstrate when it was recommended.



The sixth Parliament of the 4th Republic resumed sitting on Tuesday, December 20, considered among other things, emoluments to be paid to the Article 71 office holders led by the President.



In an interview with Ghana News Agency in Accra, he said the workers, who were laid off 14 years ago, have not been paid since 2002 and had since appealed to the Executive including President John Dramani Mahama over their plight.



He said so far only five of their colleagues have been paid their full severance benefits.



Mr Ashietey Adjei said the ex-workers petitioned the former President John Evans Atta Mills over their plight, who ordered that they should be paid.

Source: GNA









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President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that parliament has agreed an amount of 45million for the construction of the University for Environment and Sustainable Development in the Eastern Region.



President Mahama, who revealed this during the inaugural ceremony at Somanya in the Yilo Krobo municipality on Thursday, December 29 indicated: Parliament has approved a 45million commercial agreement [between the government of Ghana and an Italian firm for the development of the university].



Mr Mahama thanked all individuals and organisations who have contributed from the conception of the idea to its current state of construction.



Mr Mahama also urged the incoming government to do its best to ensure the completion of the tertiary educational facility.



The University of Environment and Sustainable Development is aimed at providing higher education, dissemination of knowledge relating to developments in environment and agro-business and creation of the needed environment that fosters exchange of knowledge and the pursuit of national development.

Source: classfmonline.com









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A. INTRODUCTION



The Progressive People's Party (PPP) was formed in 2012 largely as a reform movement with leaders who were determined to press for positive, fundamental change in the lives of Ghanaians.



After four years of existence, the PPP has not won elections to produce a Member of Parliament or President, but has established itself as the up and coming alternative political party to the NDC and the NPP.



After two elections in a row, 2012 and 2016, our party has placed third in presidential elections admitedly with fewer votes than we had expected.



The PPP in 2016 also placed second in some parliamentary contests in four regions. We are here this morning to fulfill a pledge we made to the nation that we will not be a political party only during election years.



We will stay active to push our change agenda and promote job creation. That is what we are here to do today.



During this Fourth Republic, it has become abundantly clear to us that Ghana cannot continue this "see-saw", "forward then backward" growth and development.



The only way out is to implement fundamental change to strengthen our foundation and provide springboard to ensure prosperity that is not limited to a few but one that spreads to the majority of citizens. Ghana must become more democratic, disciplined and decentralized.



B. NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION



An essential public policy decision occurred when Parliament passed into law, Act 707 which was given assent by the then President on 18 April 2006.



This brought into being the National Identification Authority. According to the law, "The object of the authority is to create, maintain, provide and promote the use of national identity cards in order to advance economic, political and social activities in the country."



The PPP believes that the mandatory use of the resultant national identification number by all citizens from birth until death will help greatly to bring about greater discipline into all aspects of our national lives.



All areas - banking, broadening the national revenue base, criminal justice, voters registration, etc. will benefit from the implementation of the national identification system.



It is our understanding that a lot of work was done and progress made In this direction by the National Identification Authority. Therefore, we are asking the incoming Administration to provide adequate financial, human and technical equipment support so that this work can be completed by the end of 2017.



C. 1992 CONSTITUTION



Ghanaians have since January 7, 1993, chosen to run their nation under constitutional democracy. Despite Ghanas high democratic credentials, it has yet to attain the status of good governance.



Democracy is a social contract between the rulers and the ruled, but for good governance to exist, the government must exhibit transparency, responsiveness, accountability, consensus-building and effective and efficient State institutions.



We believe that there are some aspects of the 1992 Constitution which has to change to reflect the urgent need for reform in our governance architecture.



We acknowledge that we are not the only political party that has recognized the need for making changes to our Constitution. During the first term of the NPP's Kufuor Administration, the promise of change to the Constitution was written into the first Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy. It did not happen.



The late President John Atta Mills went a few steps further by appointing a Constitutional Review Commission in January 2010. This Commission travelled throughout the country, spent a good amount of rresources and documented the views of many Ghanaians.



Indeed, I was one of the first people to make a written submission to the Commission. Unfortunately, we did not get the change we were looking for.



The PPP after the 2012 elections made changing the 1992 Constitution a national crusade - we went out in many parts of the country on demonstrations to create public awareness on this important matter.



We submitted petitions to the Council of State, Parliament and President John Dramani Mahama. During the recent elections, this was the centerpiece of our campaign.



We wish to rekindle our crusade for immediate and complete constitutional reforms to make our constitution a development oriented document that responds to the present and future challenges. We specifically would like to see that the following reforms are undertaken in the next 24 months.





1. Appointment of Majority of Ministers from Parliament



We are of the view that the current arrangement where Ministers of State or majority of Ministers of State must come from parliament does not support good governance and it must be changed.



This arrangement as captured in article 78(1) that Ministers of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as members of Parliament, except that the majority of Ministers of State shall be appointed from among members of Parliament, disables parliament from performing its oversight responsibility role effectively.



This is because those who are appointed by the president are compromised and those yet to be appointed will be conducting their affairs in such a way to catch the attention of the president for future appointments.



It also defeats the principle of effective separation of powers and allows the president and the executive arm of government to control the legislature.



It is obvious from previous records and appointments that about 20% of the members of parliament are under the direct control and influence of the president.



This number is likely to increase with an increase in the number of ministers and this, we are afraid, has been the trend since 1992. This is why we disagree with the government white paper on the CRC recommendation that the President be given a free hand to appoint Ministers from within or from outside Parliament and the person appointed from parliament may retain his or her seat in Parliament.



This arrangement is more dangerous since a president can decide to appoint all his/her ministers from parliament or increase the number of ministers of state and by extension increase the number that will come from parliament in order to control the legislature.



We believe that the strict separation of powers between the executive and the legislature will make available for governance a large pool of qualified, experienced Ghanaian talents whose expertise is currently unused and therefore lost to Ghana.



It will also allow members of parliament to concentrate on passing good legislation to ensure accountability and have effective oversight over the work of the executive.



2. Election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs)



Article 240 (1) of the Constitution says that Ghana shall have a system of local government which shall, as far as practicable, be decentralized.



It is the same Article 240 that gives authority to Parliament to enact appropriate laws  to ensure that functions, powers, responsibilities and resources are at all times transferred from the Central Government to local government units in a co-ordinated manner. But Parliaments ability to bring about full decentralization is hampered by the Constitution.



However, there are parts of the Constitution that are most offensive in terms of usurping the powers of the people:



1. Article 242 A District Assembly shall consist of the following members:



(a) One person from each local government electoral area within the district elected by universal adult suffrage;



(b) The member or members of Parliament from the constituencies that fall within the area of authority of the District Assembly as members without the right to vote;



(c) The District Chief Executive of the district; and



(d) Other members not being more than thirty per cent of all the members of the District Assembly, appointed by the President in consultation with the traditional authorities and other interest groups in the district.



2. Article 243 which reads, 243 (1) There shall be a District Chief Executive for every district who shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of not less than two-thirds majority of members of the Assembly present and voting at the meeting.



3. Article 243 (3) which says that:



The office of District Chief Executive shall become vacant if:



(a) A vote of no confidence, supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the District Assembly is passed against him; or



(b) He is removed from office by the President; or



(c) He resigns or dies. 



Our local areas remain underdeveloped mainly because the leaders, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives are selected by one person, the President, based on political patronage.



Sometimes the people who become Chief Executives are the ones rejected by the same people when they stood for elections to become Members of Parliament.



As a result, they listen to Accra and NOT the people they are put there to serve. When the people freely elect their Chief Executives, they will remove them if they do not deliver at the next election.



The problem of empowering the people at the local level has persisted in Ghana because the Constitution we are working with took a big part of that power and gave it to the President.



This problem many believe is still with us due to the usual problems people in power have had in parts of Africa and other less developed countries.



What else accounts for the fact that we are still talking about the people electing their own MMDCEs when the first Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS 1) promised to remove all constitutional impediments by the end of 2004?



Those who kick against the election of MMDCEs citing the cost of another election forget that we already have an election of Assembly Members every four years.



The Electoral Commission will only have to add one more ballot for the election of MMDCEs.



The others who wonder what will happen if the MMDCE and the President have different ideologies or political party affiliation should consider how this works in other countries  it happens in London, New York, Cape Town, Abidjan, etc. and it works.



Those who say we are not ready should consider that if we are able to cast a vote to elect a President and Members of Parliament, then we are certainly ready and better placed to elect our own local Chief Executives.



What is at stake today is the existing White Paper the government issued on the mode of selecting Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives in the wake of the work of the Constitution Review Commission:



Government does not accept the recommendation that Parliament should be empowered to determine specific mechanisms for choosing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.



Government does not also accept the recommendation that in Metropolises, Metropolitan Chief Executives should be popularly elected. Government is of the view that in decentralizing in a unitary state, a delicate balance ought to be struck between central control and local autonomy.



Consequently, Government is of the view that article 243 (1) of the Constitution should be amended for the President to nominate a minimum of five persons who would be vetted by the Public Services Commission for competence after which three nominees would contest in a public election.



If the Constitution is amended as stated above, local development will continue to be dictated by Accra and will therefore not be based on the urgent priorities and needs of the local people.



Our local areas will consequently continue to be under-developed. Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives must be elected at the local level by the people so that they, the people and not Accra, will have control on the development agenda of their local areas based on their established priorities. This is the only way to ensure sustainable development at the local level.



We are urging the incoming administration to rather accept the recommendation by the CRC that Parliament should be empowered to determine specific mechanisms for choosing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and also accept the recommendation that the election of MMDCEs should be by popular election.



If citizens are capable of electing the president and members of parliament, they should be credited with the wisdom to decide who governs them at the local government level.



3. Separate the Attorney General from the Minister of Justice



According to article 88 (1) There shall be an Attorney-General of Ghana who shall be a Minister of State and the principal legal adviser to the Government.



This Attorney General (AG) who shall be a Minister of State and by extension a member of the Executive and Cabinet has been given enormous powers when it comes to criminal prosecution.



Corruption is an offence under our criminal offences laws and the AG per article 88(3) has the power for the initiation and conduct of all prosecutions of criminal offences.



In more disturbing cases, the AG has supervisory jurisdiction over the Economic & Organized Crime Office (EOCO), CID and even prosecution of findings of corruption by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is at the instance of the Attorney General.



This makes the AG, a cabinet member, the most important and powerful person when it comes to the fight against corruption. This makes political corruption impossible to fight, reduce and eventually eradicate. Political corruption is the abuse of political office for private gain, the over-pricing of infrastructure projects, deliberate schemes designed to syphon funds from the State, tax evasion and pure stealing by political appointees. This phenomenon causes this country to lose USD3billion every year.



The current phenomenon whereby one person serves in the positions of the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General does not allow for transparent and accountable governance.



We are of the strong belief that the establishment of an Independent Public Prosecutor who will have the security of tenure and have the powers to prosecute all crimes including those committed by the political appointees will solve this problem of pervasive political corruption with the use of the powers of the AG as an insurance against prosecution.



The Independent Public Prosecutor, the Attorney General, Special Prosecutor or however the position will be described shall prosecute all criminal and civil matters of the State and should only be answerable to the Supreme Court or Parliament. This recommendation is ably supported by the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan adopted by parliament of the Republic of Ghana.



4. Income Tax by the President



Article 68(5) exempts the president from paying tax. This is wrong and does not permit the president o set a good example for the citizens to follow. The president and the vice president should be made to pay tax on their emoluments and other allowances.



This is supported by the Constitutional Review Commission and supported by the government White Paper. This amendment to the Constitution will provide the moral authority on the part of the president to go after tax evaders whether they are the appointees of the president or ordinary citizens.



5.Public Declaration of Assets



According to article 286 (1) A person who holds a public office mentioned in clause (5) of this article shall submit to the Auditor-General a written declaration of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by, him whether directly or indirectly.



However, article 286 (3) shields the declared assets from public scrutiny by concealing the contents of the assets declaration form until a court, a commission of inquiry or CHRAJ requests for it to be produced as part of evidence gathering during a trial or an investigation.



This arrangement is absurd and does mean that until a complaint is made and an investigation is underway, the people of Ghana will not be privy to the assets declaration forms of our public officers.



We believe that those who are given complete access to our public finances, resources, power and responsibilities of the State, should be prepared to live by a certain high code of transparency and accountability. We need to amend the constitution to implement a real public declaration of assets regime.



This arrangement is fully supported by the Constitutional Review Commission which recommended that clear provision are made for a more effective assets declaration regime and provide for how the public will verify the contents of such declarations.



6. Ghanaians in the Diaspora



Ghana amended its nationality law in 2000, to the 2000 Ghana Citizen Act Dual Citizenship Scheme, which came into effect from Friday, November 1, 2002 in accordance with the provisions of the Citizenship Act 2002.



Ghanaians in the diaspora are a great source of human and financial capital and the PPP does not only want immigration of skilled labor but full rights to jobs in the public sector, voting and all areas of human endeavour. We must make sure that we amend the Constitution to give equal rights and benefits to all of our people.o



What will be Needed to get this Done



We believe that this exercise will not be an easy task but we must commit to the process and initiate the first step so that we can have these amendments effected within the next 24 months.



Postponing this exercise further is to continue to delay our quest for efficient governance system that will give us the rapid development required to take care of the huge population of Ghana.



We need to appreciative the anti-developmental tendencies of these current provisions and have the required leadership, muster the courage and the political will to take up the processes for the various amendments.



The provisions on constitutional amendments are spelt out under chapter 25 of the 1992 Constitution. Some of the present proposed amendments are classified under the entrenched provision under article 290 and that include the separation of the powers of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the appointment of Ministers from



Parliament and the provision on the payment of taxes by the president. These provisions are entrenched clauses and therefore the country requires a referendum to effect the desired changes. We urge the new administration to take immediate steps to initiate the processes of amendments. This category can be classified as part of the phase two of the constitutional reform project.



However, we can begin with phase one where the provisions are non-entrenched and the procedure requires a resolution of two-thirds of all the members of parliament to effect an amendment.



This rule applies to the provisions on the election of MMDCEs and all District Assembly members under articles 242 and 243. This phase one exercise will demonstrate clearly to the people of Ghana that the new administration is committed to the constitutional amendment process and the desire to end the intensely exclusionary political system, also known as the winner-takes-all.



This national exercise calls for tactical, committed, pragmatic and visionary leadership to bring along all sides together to support this all important agenda.



Ghanaians have voted for change but there will be no significant changes in our socio-economic status if the governance and the constitutional arrangements do not see all these five fundamental and important changes. Let us all support this crusade to make our nation great and strong.



D. ELECTORAL PROCESS



On 11 December 2012, the PPP wrote to the Electoral Commission to provide suggestions for "...Urgent Reforms in our Electoral Process and System".



I wish to reproduce the letter sent on the Party's behalf by our National Chairman Mr. Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond.



"The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) wishes to bring to the attention of the Electoral Commision (EC) the fact that we identified serious lapses in the voting, collation and declaration of Presidential and Parliamentary results.



The PPP finds the anomalies identified very disturbing as they indicate a real likelihood of compromising the integrity of the entire 2012 results and future ones as well.



For example, in the Assin South constituency, the PPP was initially assigned 134 votes for both the Presidential and Parliamentary contests but upon a protest to recount by the Parliamentary Candidate our parliamentary vote count was confirmed at 1,487 and that of the presidential result was changed to 521.



This is only one example of the problems we recorded. We find it unfortunate that the EC did not take its time to re-check the provisional results before declaring a winner in the presidential election.



If that had been done, it would have guaranteed the integrity of the results. It would have also been better if the EC had published the numbers from the verification machines to enable proper cross checking with the results obtained by our polling agents. The question is why the haste in declaring the results?



The PPP has come to stay and is a party for the future. Therefore, we are interested in the long term viability and credibility of the electoral system.



Since our registration as a political party, we have identified problems with the implementation of the Political Parties Law that if not resolved can lead to chaos in future elections. The EC must enforce the political parties act and disqualify parties that do not meet the minimum criteria within the next six months.



The Political Parties Law requires that that parties meet the following requirements:



1. Be national in character.



2. Have offices opened in at least two-thirds of all districts in the country.



3. Have officers elected at the constituency, regional and national levels under the supervision of the EC.



4. Provide financial reports.



The EC since 1992 has failed to audit the ability of the existing parties to meet these requirements. No political party has been disqualified or removed from the register of parties as a result of not meeting these and other requirements.



It is clear that the Law places limits on who can make contributions to fund political parties and campaigns. However, the EC has not made any attempt to enforce the provisions of the Law in this area.



We have every reason to suspect that foreign governments, individuals and companies are funding the campaigns of political parties in Ghana.



The 2012 election is one case of blatant participation of foreigners in the funding of political parties and their campaigns. This places parties like the PPP that are self-funding from its members and Ghanaian supporters at a huge disadvantage.



This is one of the reasons why we the PPP cannot agree that the 2012 elections have been truly free and fair. We recommend that the EC begins the process immediately to put steps into place for the verification, documentation and auditing of campaign funding.



On the matter of voting we recommend that the EC moves to a fully electronic voting system similar to those found in Brazil, Mexico etc. with some minimum conditions:



 Votes are transmitted electronically to two separate locations.



 International observers are allowed full access to the entire process, no closed door sessions at the polling stations.



 Two internationally recognized audit firms, under 50%/50% contracts with local audit firms, audit the results independently and cross-check each others work.



 The electronic voting machinery should be designed by a Ghanaian technology firm in partnership with an international major in technology. It will be designed such that "rejected ballots" shall be zero. Each political party that meets the Political Parties' Law criteria to become a political party will be granted a seat on the board of the voting machine company. We can no longer accept a system where over 250,000 votes are not counted. 250,000 votes are enough to decide an election.



We would appreciate the opportunity to meet and discuss our concerns. Our aim is to ensure that the EC, an important independent institution is strengthened for the benefit of all Ghanaians.



God bless our Homeland, Ghana."



Unfortunately, we were not even given the favor of a reply to our letter.



Subsequently, the Supreme Court and others have Ade firm recommendations in these areas. We are asking that the the Electoral Commission opens a big window for reformsto make our system ore credible.



In conclusion, he PPP will redeem its pledge to Ghanaians to continue to be an active agent for change as a political party in opposition. E are glad to note that the leader of the incoming NPP Administration has repeatedly committed himself to the implementation of many of the reforms we are advocating for.



We will be there to advocate, support and play whatever positive role will ensure the legal adoption and implementation of the change agenda. At the same time, given our recent experience, we will hold the incoming leader of the nation to his word - his promises must be redeemed.



Thank you for your kind attention.



We remain, wide Awake!



Papa Kwesi Nduom



Chairman, National Committee

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Featured Video
While Australia may be a chunkier monkey (as a land mass) than say, the UK and a plethora of European countries that surround it, a lot of our land thats girt by sea is flat-out uninhabitable and drier than a nuns scalp.

No complaints here tho  just means that the vast majority of us lot live within 50km of Strayas coastline, including the fuck-off beaut East Coast.

Even if you cont find yourself living on the EC, chances are youll visit it at least once in your life. Be it for Sydney, Brisbane or somewhere in between, theres a shit-ton to see and do on the A+ coastline  something you can help control on your upcoming summer road trip.

Below, dear sunset seekers, are places your should fang into your itinerary.

CARLO SANDBLOW, QLD



Photo: Instagram / @australia.

Its dooooope! Its this huge sand dune area, kind of shaped like a half pipe carved out of the hills, right next to the water in Rainbow Beach. Its a 10-minute walk through some rainforest and then it opens up into this huge, huge area. You can do some wicked tobogganing on esky lids and stuff.  Ben McLeay.



Oh, its also hailed as one of the best places everrr to watch the sunrise or the sunset.

SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK, QLD



Photo: Flickr / Michael Lynch.

Dodge the Gold Coast and head straight to this fine piece of land instead. JUST LEWK. Its filled with glow worms after dark as well, which is, you know, ace. Just remember a torch.

BRUNSWICK HEADS, NSW



Photo: Facebook / @Brunswick Heads.

Its basically a more laid back and less touristy version of Byron, which were betting youve already been to. If you havent its legit only a 15 min drive, so why dont you have both?

SEALS ROCKS, NSW

Photo: Facebook / @Treachery Camp, Seals Rocks, NSW.



Seals Rocks is a goodun for camping overnight, cracking open a frothy and curing your hangover with a surf and sand dunes in the morn. Theres plenty of other young punters around the grounds of Treachery Camp, and many a hookup stories have developed because of it. If youre going to have sexy time in the showers tho, bring plenty of spare change (yeah, your scrub time will cost ya) so you dont run out of water and necessary muffling noise.

ROYAL NATIONAL PARK, NSW

Photo: Facebook / @Royal National Park.

Photo: Flickr / donnnnnny.



The Royal National Parks got it all, whether you want beaches (Marley, Garie, Era), falls (Winifred Falls or Watamolla), or walks (Bundeena to Otford, for the big mumma of bush walks, and Eagle Rock or Burning Palms for smaller ones).

For a bite to eat, check out Audley Cafe. Bundeena, also in the royal national park, is a cute bohemian town close-ish to the city, with no franchises etc.  Paigge Warton

SCARBOROUGH, NSW



Photo: Instagram / @christiehayes_



The P.TV office raves about Scarborough Hotel because of the seacliff view down the coast and the A+ seafood grub. Its only around a 15 min drive from the bottom of the Royal National Park.

BERRY, NSW

If youre en route to Jervis Bay, Berry is the ultimate stop off for shopping / lunch / walking round and taking in the serenity.

HYAMS BEACH, NSW

Photo: Visitnsw.

Appreciated for its white sand (like, legit the worlds whitest  its been crowned by The Guinness Book of Records) and crystal-clear waters, this stop off will be a lot more luxurious than all the hangover situations which precede it. Theres no better way / place to dive into summer.

EAST LYNNE, NSW



Photo: Facebook / @East Lynne Store.

Literally there is nothing else in the town  East Lynne Store just a pie shop on the highway on the south coast but SO AMAZING.  Chloe Patterson.

MACLEAN, NSW



Photo: Visit NSW.

This ones a bit more of a novelty but fuck it, theres a Scottish town called Maclean on the Clarence River and well be damned if we dont stop in for Haggis and and Irn-Bru.

Photo: Flickr / Michael Lynch.
LEXINGTON, KY--(Marketwired - Dec 30, 2016) - Rhino Resource Partners LP (OTCQB: RHNO) ("Rhino" or the "Partnership") announced today that it has entered into an option agreement (the "Option Agreement") with Royal Energy Resources, Inc. (OTCQB: ROYE) ("Royal"), Rhino Resource Partners Holdings, LLC ("Rhino Holdings"), an entity wholly-owned by certain investment partnerships managed by Yorktown Partners LLC ("Yorktown"), and Rhino GP LLC, the general partner of Rhino, whereby Rhino has received an option (the "Call Option") from Rhino Holdings to acquire substantially all of the outstanding common stock of Armstrong Energy, Inc. ("Armstrong Energy") that is currently owned by investment partnerships managed by Yorktown. The Option Agreement stipulates that Rhino can exercise the Call Option no earlier than January 1, 2018 and no later than December 31, 2019. In exchange for Rhino Holdings granting Rhino the Call Option to purchase Armstrong, the Partnership issued 5.0 million new common units (the "Call Option Premium Units") to Rhino Holdings upon the execution of the Option Agreement.

The Option Agreement stipulates Rhino can exercise the Call Option and purchase the common stock of Armstrong Energy, a coal producing company with mines located in the Illinois Basin in western Kentucky, in exchange for a number of newly issued Rhino common units to be issued to Rhino Holdings, which when added with the Call Option Premium Units discussed above, will result in Rhino Holdings owning 51% of the fully diluted common units of Rhino. The purchase of the Armstrong Energy common stock through the exercise of the Call Option would also require Royal to issue 51% ownership interest of Rhino GP, currently owned and controlled by Royal, to Rhino Holdings. The exercise of the Call Option in the Option Agreement is dependent upon a successful negotiation with the current bondholders of Armstrong Energy to restructure their bonds as well as the refinancing of the Partnership's current revolving credit facility.

Story continues

The Option Agreement also contains an option (the "Put Option") granted from Rhino to Rhino Holdings whereby Rhino Holdings has the right, but not the obligation, to cause the Partnership to purchase substantially all of the outstanding common stock of Armstrong Energy from Rhino Holdings under the same terms and conditions discussed above for the Call Option. The exercise of the Put Option is dependent upon a successful negotiation with the current bondholders of Armstrong Energy to restructure their bonds as well as the termination and repayment of any outstanding balances under the Partnership's current revolving credit facility.

Rhino and Armstrong Energy will continue to operate and be governed as independent entities until the Call Option or Put Option is exercised if either such options were to occur.

Rhino also announced today that it has entered into a new preferred financing agreement (the "Financing Agreement") with a group of investors led by Weston Energy LLC, a Yorktown portfolio company. The investors will invest $15 million of cash in exchange for Series A Preferred units of Rhino. Rhino will use the proceeds to reduce its current outstanding debt under its credit facility as well as potentially expand the Partnership's metallurgical coal production in Central Appalachia to take advantage of the recent upturn in the worldwide metallurgical coal markets. The Series A Preferred has a five-year term and requires the Partnership to remit 50% of the free cash flow, as defined in the Financing Agreement, from Rhino's Central Appalachia operations, subject to an 8% minimum annual rate. The Series A Preferred can be converted into Rhino common units once a cumulative return of cash threshold is met under terms defined in the Financing Agreement.

About Rhino Resource Partners LP

Rhino Resource Partners LP is a diversified energy limited partnership that is focused on coal and energy related assets and activities, including energy infrastructure investments. Rhino produces metallurgical and steam coal in a variety of basins throughout the United States. Additional information regarding Rhino is available on its web site -- RhinoLP.com.

About Royal Energy Resources, Inc.

Royal Energy Resources, Inc. is a diversified energy company, with investments and holdings in coal, gas and renewable energy assets in North America. Royal is the majority equity owner of Rhino Resource Partners LP, and its general partner, Rhino GP LLC. Additional information regarding Royal is available on its web site -- royalenergy.us.

About Armstrong Energy, Inc.

Armstrong Energy, Inc., through its 100% wholly owned subsidiaries, is a leading producer of steam coal in the Illinois Basin. Armstrong controls over 550 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves and operates six mines in Western Kentucky. Armstrong ships coal to utilities via rail, truck and barge and has the capability to provide low cost custom blend coal to fuel virtually any electric power plant in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the nation. Additional information regarding Armstrong is available on its web site -- www.armstrongenergyinc.com.

About Yorktown Partners LLC

Yorktown Partners LLC is a private investment manager founded in 1991 that invests exclusively in the energy industry. Yorktown has raised 11 private equity funds totaling over $8 billion. The investors in Yorktown's funds include university endowments, foundations, families, insurance companies and other institutional investors.

Forward Looking Statements

Except for historical information, statements made in this press release are "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Rhino expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Rhino's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on Rhino's business, operating results, financial condition and similar matters. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting Rhino will turn out as Rhino anticipates. Whether actual results and developments in the future will conform to expectations is subject to significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond Rhino's control or ability to predict. Therefore, actual results and developments could materially differ from Rhino's historical experience, present expectations and what is expressed, implied or forecast in these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: Rhino's inability to obtain additional financing necessary to fund its capital expenditures, meet working capital needs and maintain and grow its operations or its inability to obtain alternative financing upon the expiration of its credit facility; Rhino's future levels of indebtedness, liquidity and compliance with debt covenants; volatility and recent declines in the price of Rhino's common units; sustained depressed levels of or decline in coal prices, which depend upon several factors such as the supply of domestic and foreign coal, the demand for domestic and foreign coal, governmental regulations, price and availability of alternative fuels for electricity generation and prevailing economic conditions; declines in demand for electricity and coal; current and future environmental laws and regulations, which could materially increase operating costs or limit Rhino's ability to produce and sell coal; extensive government regulation of mine operations, especially with respect to mine safety and health, which imposes significant actual and potential costs; difficulties in obtaining and/or renewing permits necessary for operations; the availability and prices of competing electricity generation fuels; a variety of operating risks, such as unfavorable geologic conditions, adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, mining and processing equipment unavailability, failures and unexpected maintenance problems and accidents, including fire and explosions from methane; poor mining conditions resulting from the effects of prior mining; the availability and costs of key supplies and commodities such as steel, diesel fuel and explosives; fluctuations in transportation costs or disruptions in transportation services, which could increase competition or impair Rhino's ability to supply coal; a shortage of skilled labor, increased labor costs or work stoppages; Rhino's ability to secure or acquire new or replacement high-quality coal reserves that are economically recoverable; material inaccuracies in Rhino's estimates of coal reserves and non-reserve coal deposits; existing and future laws and regulations regulating the emission of sulfur dioxide and other compounds, which could affect coal consumers and reduce demand for coal; federal and state laws restricting the emissions of greenhouse gases; Rhino's ability to acquire or failure to maintain, obtain or renew surety bonds used to secure obligations to reclaim mined property; Rhino's dependence on a few customers and its ability to find and retain customers under favorable supply contracts; changes in consumption patterns by utilities away from the use of coal, such as changes resulting from low natural gas prices; changes in governmental regulation of the electric utility industry; Rhino's ability to successfully diversify its operations into other non-coal natural resources; disruption in supplies of coal produced by contractors operating Rhino's mines; defects in title in properties that Rhino owns or losses of any of its leasehold interests; Rhino's ability to retain and attract senior management and other key personnel; material inaccuracy of assumptions underlying reclamation and mine closure obligations; and weakness in global economic conditions.

Other factors that could cause Rhino's actual results to differ from its projected results are described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Rhino undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law.
Marine Le Pen France

We're nearing the end of 2016, and Wall Street economists are focusing on Donald Trump and the potential impact of

his proposed policies.

There's another major issue however that could have dire economic consequences for the US and the potential to create another 2008, according to Markus Schomer, the chief economist of PineBridge Investments.

He's talking about the upcoming European elections in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and most likely Italy.

Populism has already swept through the UK with Brexit and the US with a President-elect Donald Trump. In 2017, it will be Europe's turn, with major elections that could have dire consequences.

"A major part of our outlook [for 2017] is the story in Europe with the elections," Schomer said in an interview with Markets Insider. "We never looked enough at elections, and the consequences of elections, but now everybody is completely and totally aware of it."

The elections could be "hugely consequential," according to Schomer, and could have a "very serious, damaging impact" on the European Union and the euro. "If just one of the elections goes wrong, theres going to be another major, major euro crisis," said Schomer, "and that could be worse than the one in 2010 and could create another 2008. I think markets will be very sensitive to that over the course of 2017."

Vocal populists have won the two major popular votes in the western world this year, Berenberg's chief economist Holger Schmieding and senior UK economist Kallum Pickering said in a note to clients in the aftermath of the US presidential elections. "The success of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump raises an obvious question: could it happen elsewhere in Europe?"

According to HSBC's chief European economist, Simon Wells, there is a risk that the Trump victory could boost the popularity of anti-immigration and populist parties across Europe.

Populist movements have been growing in Europe as the continent has grappled with ongoing large-scale economic and political challenges in recent years, including the European debt crisis, the migrant crisis, terrorism, the Turkey-EU refugee deal, and Greece.

Story continues

"The risk is very, very high," said Schomer, "and we need to pay very close attention to whats happening in Europe."

NOW WATCH: Watch Yellen explain why the Federal Reserve decides to raise rates





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Rep. Bryce Edgmon acknowledges moments of trepidation about his new role.

But I'm also somebody who rises to the challenge, the Democrat said.

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Hi folks...make a 'Phantoms & Monsters' support donation of $10 or more, and you will be entered in a giveaway of a 5-book 'Encounters Series' set. Donations received between now and January 5th, 2017 will be eligible. This offer will only be posted on the daily newsletter and social media. The winner will be contacted on January 6th, 2017...and the 5-book set will be shipped to you free of charge. Thanks for your continued support...Lon









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I was 15 years old living in Dallastown, Pennsylvania. It was a Saturday evening, myself and several friends were walking along the back streets north of the main road with a great view of the hills on the other side of the valley towards York. I don't recall what got our attention but we watched several bright lights hovering and slowly moving around over the hills on the horizon. At first we thought they were just distant airplanes with there landing lights on. But, after watching them for over 30 minutes, we realized they were flying the same pattern over and over again. The larger brighter white light would fly in slowly from the west to the east and hover in a certain spot. A dimmer smaller light would come in from the east to west more quickly and at a higher altitude, then fly slowly as it got closer to the first light. At some point when they got too close, the larger brighter light would fly off very quickly back to the west and the dimmer smaller light would shoot straight up and disappear. The cycle lasted about 2 minutes each time with about 5 minutes in between.We watched this continue over and over again. It went on so long that we had time to get more neighborhood kids out there and even run into my house and get a camera from my mother, who didn't care as much about it as she did getting to sleep for work the next day.At this point there are about 6-7 of us kids watching these lights replay the same cycle repeatedly when 3 low flying helicopters flew over our town heading towards the lights. They were close enough when they flew by that we could tell they were the big kind with two rotors on top but since it was dark I couldn't tell you what color they were. Each had a strobe on it which we could see as they went over the hills and formed a triangle around the area where the lights were. The helicopter strobes hovered there about 10 minutes and the lights stopped coming so we all got disappointed thinking they scared them off. But, just as suddenly as before, the two lights started there cycle again. We took a bunch of pictures, most of hat rims, fingers, and friends joking around, the only one that turned out was just a blob of light.About an hour and a half after all of this started it ended with a final cycle of the pattern that was different from the rest. This time, with the strobes from the three helicopters framing the scene, the brighter bigger light came in slowly from the west heading east and came to rest at a hover in its usual spot. The smaller dimmer light came in more quickly from the east heading west and at a higher altitude. As it got closer to the brighter light, it slowed down. Then, we saw a small pulsing red light come out of the dimmer light. The small pulsing red light connected with the larger brighter one. At this point the dimmer light shot straight up as usual. But, when the pulsing red light connected with the bright light, sparks like fireworks started shooting out of it and it darted off down and west. It was very bright and startling, all of us jumped back, some had the instinct to run away a few steps, one girl even fell backwards. We watched for another hour but the lights never came back and the helicopter strobes eventually left.The following Monday, there were stories in the local paper about people in the area spotting the bright light with fireworks coming out of the back shooting threw the sky. They were dismissed as meteor sightings. The thing that never sat well with me was, the sightings in the paper matched the description of how the bright light looked at the end of the light show but the witnesses saw it on Sunday around 5:15pm. What we saw was on Saturday around 7:30PM. I cant explain what we saw that night, and although I looked many times, I never saw anything like it again. I still have several newspaper clippings from that weekend today -**********Scientists still dont know whats killing large numbers of fish and other sea creatures washing up in a remote area of western Nova Scotia but they do have a few theories.Scores of herring, starfish, lobsters -- even a whale -- have washed up over the past month between St. Marys Bay to Tusket. Scientists say its too soon to know if the whales death is related to the others.So far, all tests for bacterial and other diseases have all come back negative, according to Smedbol.There are some viral tests that have not yet to be completed, so disease remains a possibility.Storms can be deadly for marine life, according to Smedbol.Storms cause turbulence and they can also lead to fresh-water runoff that can quickly drop the salinity close to shore.So far nothing anomalous has been noticed in the weather patterns but it remains a possibility, according to Smedbol. The salinity of the water is being tested.Smedbol said its possible some sort of human-made pollutant or agricultural runoff caused the problem but it seems unlikely considering there are few farms or people in the area.Either way, St. Marys Bay basically empties and refills once a day, according to Smedbol, so if it was a one-off event it might have already washed out of the bay.A new five-storey-high underwater turbine started generating power for consumers in November.Many armchair scientists believe this is the cause of the die-off but Smedbol says the evidence to date doesnt support that theory.Video evidence shows some of the animals washing up on the beach are still alive when they get there, and the turbine is about 160 kilometres away. - 4 theories on what's killing fish and other sea creatures off Nova Scotia **********Deep in the caves of Goyet in Belgium researchers have found the grisly evidence that the Neanderthals did not just feast on horses or reindeer, but also on each other.Human bones from a newborn, a child and four adults or teenagers who lived around 40,000 years ago show clear signs of cutting and of fractures to extract the marrow within, they say."It is irrefutable, cannibalism was practiced here," says Belgian archaeologist Christian Casseyas as he looks inside a cave halfway up a valley in this site in the Ardennes forest.The bones in Goyet date from when Neanderthals were nearing the end of their time on earth before being replaced by Homo sapiens, with whom they also interbred.Once regarded as primitive cavemen driven to extinction by smarter modern humans, studies have found that Neanderthals were actually sophisticated beings who took care of the bodies of the deceased and held burial rituals.But there is a growing body of proof that they also ate their dead.********************
The coming tax season will be prime time for cyber-criminals out to steal information needed to file fraudulent tax returns to collect refunds owed to unsuspecting taxpayers.

Data thieves have been so successful in the last couple of years that the black market value of stolen electronic health records fell to $20 to $50 in October from $75 to $100 a year earlier, HealthcareITNews reported.

That glut of stolen health records followed a surge in successful "spear-phishing" attacks for W-2s in the early months of 2016.

These schemes trick an employee into sending W-2s or other information to an outside party in response to an email typically believed to be from a top company executive.

"The attempts will increase," said Michael A. Gillen, director of the tax accounting group at Duane Morris LLP in Center City, so having a "heightened sense of awareness is critical."

Thieves successfully hit at least seven Philadelphia-area companies in the first half of this year with such phishing attacks, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego nonprofit founded to support victims of identity theft and educate the public. At least three others were subject to hacks that exposed employee or client information.

Among the victims were nearly 11,000 Main Line Health employees and an undisclosed number of client employees whose pay was processed by Alpha Payroll Services LLC of Trevose.

"Spear-phishing attacks in the first half of the year were increasing at the most phenomenal rate since ITRC started tracking data breach incidents" in 2005, said Karen A. Barney, director of research and publications at the center.

Overall, however, the number of records with personal information exposed in 2016 was down sharply, to 35 million from 177 million in 2015, when several health insurers had major breaches, according a Dec. 13 report by Barney. She tallied 980 breaches this year, up from 780 in 2015.

Barney said that in 2015, 165 million records containing Social Security numbers, the most valuable piece of information for thieves because it allows them to open accounts, were exposed. The total is "considerably less" this year, she said.

Fortunately, the IRS has gotten better at blocking fraudulent filings to protect consumers, Gillen said.

"In the past, the IRS would never alert you to potential fraud on your account," Gillen said. If a taxpayer was the victim of a fraudulent tax filing, the IRS would simply reject the real return when it was filed. "That was how people were alerted to the fraud," he said.

Now the IRS is applying statistical analysis to returns, looking for information that is inconsistent with prior returns and notifying taxpayers, Gillen said.

Main Line said "a small percentage of our employees had tax returns fraudulently filed last year, but law enforcement was able to stop this quickly when we reported the incident."

Main Line disclosed its breach widely to the public. Many companies only make the required disclosures to state agencies.

Other local companies subject to successful phishing for W-2s, according to Barney's report, were: Symphony Health Solutions of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co. of Philadelphia, Gamesa Wind U.S. LLC, Crane Payment Innovations Inc. of Malvern, and Arc International in Millville, N.J.

Besides Main Line, only Symphony said how many employees were affected  365.

Some companies said they found out about the breach, often on the day it happened, when the employee who responded to the spear-phishing email became suspicious after the fact.

Alpha Payroll found out about its March breach in April, after a client notified Alpha that fraudulent tax returns had been filed under its employees' Social Security numbers. "Alpha Payroll leadership promptly terminated the employee" who responded to the phishing email, a letter to New Hampshire's attorney general said.

The letter also said "no definitive proof exists at this time connecting the fraudulent returns to the phishing email response of the Alpha Payroll employee."

Despite this year's decline in exposed records, Gillen said there is no reason to relax.

"I think that these thieves come up with new, more advanced approaches every single day. I think that is going to continue for quite some time," he said.
New Year's Eve revelers can ride the PATCO High-Speed Line for free from 8 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday.

This is the first time in its 50-year history that the agency has offered free rides. PATCO estimates the cost at about $20,000.

Up to 7,000 passengers are expected to use the trains between Lindenwold and Philadelphia, Delaware River Port Authority officials said. About 3,500 passengers ride the rails on a typical weekend.

CEO John Hanson said the agency hoped to promote safety by keeping as many partygoers off the highways as possible.

"There's no better way to get to and from Philadelphia than PATCO," said Jeffrey L. Nash, DRPA vice chairman.

Last year, there were 10 traffic fatalities in New Jersey during the New Year's holiday, and seven were alcohol- or drug-related, state officials said. Five of the deaths were pedestrians, three were drivers, and two were passengers.

"We would love to see this be the safest holiday season on record," New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said in a statement. "So we're advising motorists and pedestrians to think ahead when drinking and make alternative traveling plans when impaired."

Beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday, PATCO fare gates will be open for passengers at all stations. The gates will close at 4 a.m., but riders who board before 4 will still get a free ride.

SEPTA is not offering free rides but will have added late-night service available on New Year's Eve for revelers traveling home from Center City, Penn's Landing, Times Square, and elsewhere, spokesman Andrew Busch said.

The Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines also operate round-the-clock on weekends and holidays, offering safe options for getting around in Center City and the neighborhoods, Busch said.

At a year-end DRPA media briefing, Hanson also announced that since October, the authority has reached agreements with its three labor unions representing about 375 employees. Many had been without contracts for four years.

Union employees are represented by the Teamsters, the Operating Engineers, and the Electricians.

For the first time, union members will pay for a portion of health-insurance premiums. The agreements give workers a 1.9 percent annual raise.

In June, Gov. Christie vetoed an agreement on economic terms that called for the DRPA to pay health and welfare costs increases up to 6.5 percent. The state said it wanted the premiums to be in line with those of the rest of New Jersey's public employees.

The DRPA is a bistate agency overseen by the governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but only New Jersey's governor has veto power over board resolutions.

The authority also has nearly 300 nonunion employees. They received raises last year after going six years without one.

Nash said the DRPA plans to hold the line on tolls on the Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin, Commodore Barry, and Betsy Ross Bridges spanning the Delaware River and on PATCO fares, and there are no plans for increases "in the foreseeable future."

The authority also announced plans to renovate its three oldest PATCO stations: Ferry Avenue, Lindenwold, and Woodcrest, which were built in the 1960s and '70s.

The DRPA has put out a request for proposals, so details of the renovations are not yet available, officials said. The projects are expected to cost about $4 million.

mburney@phillynews.com

856-779-3814 @mlburney
When President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office in about three weeks, he could set American foreign policy on a course that brings U.S.-Russian relations closer and leads to progress on the war against terrorism and the Syrian crisis.

Foreign policy experts suggest that a "grand bargain" could be negotiated between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which could address the global terror war and resolution of the Syrian conflict. Yet any potential agreement comes amid high tensions between the two countries, as President Barack Obama announced retribution on Russia in response to alleged U.S. election tampering.



Putin has publicly dismissed U.S. intelligence claims of political hacking , which were widely seen as a way to undermine the U.S. government. But the Russian leader also commented on the need to improve relations between the two countries, agreeing with Trump that the situation "cannot get any worse" and that "together we will think about how to make things better."

"When there's a change of leadership and other interests coincide, then things can actually improve pretty quickly," said Robert English, a specialist on Russia and director of the University of Southern California's School of International Relations.

There's been a pattern of Russian relations going sour in the past three U.S. presidential administrations, both Democratic and Republican. Some experts suggest Trump and Putin exchanging pleasantries is a positive step but may not be enough to fix the relationship that has suffered from long-standing differences over geopolitical issues.



Yet during Putin's Dec. 23 news conference, the Russian leader said he wanted a "business-like" relationship with the new administration.

The Russians have "a real urgency to get back to normal economic relations and get these sanctions removed," said English, who worked in the Reagan administration as a Defense department policy analyst.



Russia's economy has been under stress due to low oil prices and Western economic sanctions stemming from Russian hostilities in eastern Ukraine and the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Russia's military campaign to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad  which is at odds with U.S. interests  has also had an economic cost, as well as military casualties on the Russian side.



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"Putin looked at his economy and said, 'You know what, I just cannot afford to continue to spend the kind of money that I am on the military and foreign adventures,'" said Edward Turzanski, an international policy and national security expert with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a think tank in Philadelphia.

A moderate recovery in oil prices may help Russia in 2017, but foreign policy analysts suggest there are still reasons for Russians to improve ties  namely, the fight against global terrorism and the war against the Islamic State, commonly known as ISIS or ISIL.

"Putin has a problem with Islamic extremists and so does the United States," said Turzanski, who worked in the U.S. intelligence community during the Reagan administration.

The Russian envoy to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, was killed Dec. 19 in an attack in Ankara that Trump blamed on a "radical Islamic terrorist." The ambassador's assassin shouted, "Do not forget Aleppo," a reference to Syria's second-largest city, and the site of a bloody and lengthy campaign by the Syrian government and its Russian ally to oust rebels armed by powers including the U.S. and Gulf states.



"The battle for Aleppo is over," said USC's English. "We're not going to get what we wanted [in Syria], which was Bashar al-Assad removed. But there is a deal out there for a managed transition where we work with Russia instead of against Russia. And maybe then we can tackle some of the other problems."



A leaked Pentagon memo dated Dec. 1 from Trump's defense transition team was obtained by the publication Foreign Policy and revealed a top priority of the president-elect is to "develop a strategy to defeat/destroy ISIS."

On the whole, Turzanski said Trump probably views more cooperation in the terror fight as "a good starting point" to begin to improve the U.S.-Russia relationship. For Putin, working together with the new U.S. administration on priorities such as global terrorism and Islamist fundamentalists "won't put him in a position where it's going to cost him a lot."

One person likely to be critical in any negotiation is ExxonMobil (XOM) CEO Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for U.S. secretary of state and a longtime friend of Putin. Tillerson is known to have negotiated commercial deals with world leaders, and if confirmed by the Senate, will be asked to put his skills to use as America's top diplomat.

Others are not so certain the Russians want to take on ISIS, which now poses threats beyond the Middle East with members or its terrorist sympathizers.



"In reality, my view is that the Russians aren't all that interested in defeating ISIL," said Eugene Rumer, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Russia and Eurasia program in Washington. "It's not as much of a priority to them as it is to us and our European allies."



Rumer, a former national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the U.S. National Intelligence Council, said the priority for Moscow has been keeping the Assad government in power. Recent ceasefires with opposition forces fighting Assad could form the basis of an eventual political solution for Syria. The civil war in Syria has contributed to a refugee crisis and claimed at least 400,000 lives, according to the United Nations.



"You hear a lot of talk about a 'grand bargain'  a comprehensive deal," Rumer said. "Now that they've achieved a breakthrough in Syria, they will offer something in exchange there. They will not give up Assad and they  will maintain a military and naval facility in Syria."

It's unclear how any deal with the Russians over Syria might look in a Trump administration, but experts suggest it could involve a higher level of cooperation in fighting global terrorism. Also, they suggest Putin may be motivated to give "an election present" to Trump to score points for future issues.



At the same time, better ties with Putin might help the new U.S. administration offset Chinese ambitions, which include the Beijing government's island buildup in the South China Sea and other military and economic actions.



China's defense budget  already second to the U.S. in terms of annual spending  is on track to almost double in the 2010 to 2020 period and overtake the entire Western European regional defense expenditures, according to the annual Jane's Defence Budgets Report released this month by IHS Markit. Meanwhile, it predicts Russia's defense spending will decline this year for the first time since the late 1990s.



Some analysts argue that the history of personal animosity between Obama and Putin probably doomed the chances of a thaw in icy relations between the U.S. and the Kremlin. They also say any deal Trump gets that might ease economic sanctions on Russia will still face opposition from Russian hawks in the Senate.

Then again, there are international policy experts skeptical Trump can turn things quickly with Moscow. The Iran deal made by the Obama administration, which included lifting international oil and economic sanctions against Tehran, was criticized by Trump during his campaign. Rescinding the nuclear deal could raise alarm in Russia and would also impact other countries that are part of the agreement.

"If the Trump administration attempts to reset with Russia, it will be the fourth administration in a row to try such a reset at the start," said Christopher Chivvis, associate director of the RAND's International Security and Defense Policy Center.



Chivvis, who worked as a Eurasian security policy officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the first term of the Obama administration, added: "Trump can try it too. But the reality at least in my analysis is that the U.S. and Russian interests are not aligned on most issues."





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Don Emmert | AFP | Getty Images. President-elect Donald Trump meets the press, but he may not say what traders want to hear.

Donald Trump again tried to shrug off concerns about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election Thursday after the Barack Obama's administration announced sanctions in response to suspected electoral meddling.

The Obama administration issued an executive order Thursday authorizing sanctions on individuals and organizations it believes were involved in alleged Russian interference in the election.



The White House sanctioned nine entities and individuals: two Russian intelligence agencies, four officers of its largest intelligence agency, GRU, and three companies that supported GRU's operations. The White House also expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland in response to what it said was harassment of American diplomats in Moscow.

In a short statement Thursday, the president-elect downplayed the White House's actions, which came after the U.S. intelligence community concluded that the Russian government directed cyberattacks on some American political organizations. However, he said he will meet with intelligence officials next week to get briefed on the situation.



"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," Trump's statement said.



Trump did not give any details on whether he would keep Obama's sanctions, scrap them or even take further action against Russia, a move some Republicans in Congress have backed .

The measures are expected to test Trump , who has brushed off the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the election, claiming it is an effort to delegitimize his electoral victory. He has been criticized by both major American parties for appearing too warm to Russian President Vladimir Putin .

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His statement Thursday echoes one he gave when asked about possible sanctions Wednesday, when he said, "I think we ought to get on with our lives."

It is unclear what Trump will learn from an intelligence briefing next week that he has not already heard. In October, the month before the election, NBC News reported that Trump would have been briefed on Russian attempts to interfere in the election.

Top GOP congressional leaders largely broke from Trump in their responses to the sanctions Thursday. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Russia has "consistently sought to undermine" America's interests and called Obama's actions "overdue."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that "the Russians are not our friends" and called the sanctions "a good initial step." He urged an "overwhelming response" to cyberattacks against the U.S.

Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, hawks on American policy toward Russia, said in a joint statement that they would push for "stronger sanctions" in the upcoming Congress.





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Rumours about Thailand Canned Food Is Contaminated with HIV is FAKE

A few days ago, I received a very disturbing message in one of my Whatsapp Group. The message is about Thailand manufactured canned food is tainted with HIV virus. A quick glance at the message I already know it is fake and I did tell off the person who circulated the fake message. There is no such thing and who on earth will have the time to taint canned products? Furthermore, it is impossible to transmit HIV virus in canned food! It is sad to see that there are many educated folks out there sharing fake rumours without realizing it.

This is the original Whatsapp message and it is really sad and disturbing.

There is many fake news out there, folks and please read and analyse and use the brain to think whether it is real or not before sharing it with your friends or families.

Just now, the Royal Thailand Embassy of Malaysia released an official press release on this matter.

With reference to the news being circulated in Malaysia via text messages and in the social media citing that the Thai government has confirmed that canned food, particularly canned fruit, manufactured in Thailand were contaminated with HIV and calls on consumers not to buy those products.

The Embassy would like to state that the news is absolutely false. There is no truth whatsoever in it and there is no such statement by the Thai government or any of the Thai authorities. The Embassy also found that this piece of news is nothing but a recycled one that went viral in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines in 2013  2014.

(Please refer to

following websites: http://www.theborneopost.com//ignore-rumour-of-contaminat/ and http://www.thedailypedia.com/2015/02/ health-warning-canned-food-thailand-contaminated-hiv/ )

This groundless piece is apparently intended by some individuals/ organizations with ill intentions to discredit Thai food exporters and Thai products altogether. The Embassy therefore wishes to ask people not to share and circulate any further the news referred to.  Source  https://www.facebook.com/ThaiEmbassyKL

There many fake stories going on out there and please do not simply share the stories by reading the headlines. One day, it might get you into trouble by spreading fake news.

Thailand canned and manufactured food is safe to consume. Thank you for reading!

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
Inner Solar System

Akatsuki is returning routine science data from Venus, having now been in orbit there for more than a year -- an accomplishment that still amazes me. According to project manager Masato Nakamura, no trajectory correction maneuvers will be needed until 2018. The mission is particularly focused on understanding what drives Venus' atmospheric super-rotation. For updates, check the mission's Twitter feed and website.

Earth's Neighborhood

There are no total lunar eclipses in 2017; there's a penumbral one on February 11, and a partial one on August 7. The two solar eclipses of 2017 happen on February 26 over the south Atlantic and August 21 across North America. The path of totality for the February one only makes landfall in a few locations in southernmost Chile/Argentina and across Angola, spending most of its time crossing the ocean, but the partial eclipse will be visible across the southern half of South America and southwestern Africa. The path of totality for the August eclipse will cross the United States from Oregon in the west to South Carolina in the east. The partial eclipse will also be visible from Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, and northernmost South America. I know many people in the U.S. who are planning to travel to see the path of totality, but I always like sharing eclipses with people in my community, even if it means I miss totality. Buy some eclipse glasses to share, or plan to play with pinhole projectors at a school or public library.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter "is in awesome shape, performing nominally on all counts," deputy project scientist Noah Petro tells me. He says 30 kilograms of fuel remains, of which only a few kilograms are needed every year for reaction wheel momentum dumping. (When spacecraft use spinning wheels to point their instruments and antennae, the wheels build up too much speed over time; they brake the wheels and fire the thrusters to counter the braking in order to reduce the spinning speed.) While still planning full science campaigns with all 7 of its instruments, the mission is also putting out a lot of publications. Volume 2 of a special issue of Icarus is coming out in February, and Volume 3 later in 2017. "Im told its the largest special issue Icarus has ever published," Petro says. Be sure to check out their recently posted images.

China's Chang'e 3 lander will, amazingly, continue functioning into 2017; it last woke up on December 9, for its 38th lunar day of operations. Chinese space program watcher Andrew Jones told me to expect some Chang'e 3 science in March, around the time of the Chinese parliamentary session. Yutu's status is unclear.

The Chang'e 5 robotic sample return mission is currently planned for launch on a Long March 5 rocket toward the end of 2017.

2017 is the final year for Google Lunar XPRIZE contestants to make it to the Moon.

OSIRIS-REx is now in its Outbound Cruise phase. The most exciting event the OSIRIS-REx mission has planned in 2017 is its Earth flyby on September 23, passing over Antarctica at an altitude of about 17,000 kilometers. The spacecraft successfully performed a deep space maneuver on December 28 in order to line it up for this flyby. According to principal investigator Dante Lauretta, other planned activities include a search for Trojan asteroids of Earth February 9-20; two instrument calibration phases in March and July; and an Earth-Moon observing campaign running from September 22 through October 7. Today it is 89 million kilometers from Earth. Keep up with the mission via Twitter.

Near-Earth Asteroids

Hayabusa2 should have a relatively quiet 2017 as it slowly cruises toward asteroid its July 2018 rendezvous with asteroid Ryugu. As of today, it is 166 million kilometers from Earth and 57 million kilometers from Ryugu.

Mars

Summer solstice has been and gone in Mars' southern hemisphere. The Sun is beginning to return to winter-darkened northern regions. The equinox comes on May 5; southern winter solstice is on November 20. It's now dust storm season and it could be a bad one this year, according to JPL.

The Mars fleet is mostly way beyond its prime but they all keep going and going. Every January I predict that we'll finish the year having lost at least one of our aged Mars robots, and every year I'm wrong. I am always very happy to be wrong.

It's now Opportunity sol 4598. Opportunity will spend the first part of 2017 making its slow way up to and along the rim of Endeavour crater. Opportunity's goal is the top of an ancient, now-dry gully that could have been carved by water or debris flows. The climb uphill from Spirit Mound is steep, but the rover has made it halfway up already. Once at the top of the rim, it'll drive about a kilometer south to the gully, and then drive down the gully to explore its morphology and also try to get to more ancient rocks within Endeavour crater. Later in the year, it will have to find north-facing slopes to aim its solar panels at the winter sun. You can learn a lot more about Opportunity's next mission plans here. Next month will be the 13th anniversary of Opportunity's landing -- she's old enough for a bot mitzvah. (I wish I could claim that joke as mine, but it's Sondy Springmann's.)

On the other side of Mars, it's now Curiosity sol 1565. Lauren Edgar summarized the rover's eventful 2016: "We have drilled six holes, performed two scoops, driven 3 km, and climbed 85 vertical meters!" The team hopes for an equally productive 2017, heading southward toward Hematite Ridge, drilling every time they have climb 25 meters in elevation through the Murray formation. The rover and its instruments are in very good shape as the mission enters its second extension. There are problems with the wind sensors, but a voltage problem on the neutron detector seems to have gone away, deputy project scientist Joy Crisp told me. Unfortunately, they're dealing with a new problem with the drill. According to an update at Spaceflight Now, it may be caused by internal debris within the drill. Like Curiosity's past drill problems, this one is intermittent, which makes it incredibly hard to troubleshoot.

Mars Odyssey is heading into 2017 recovering from a safe mode event that happened on December 26: "The Odyssey project team has diagnosed the cause -- an uncertainty aboard the spacecraft about its orientation with regard to Earth and the sun -- and is restoring the orbiter to full operations. Odyssey's communication-relay service for assisting Mars rover missions is expected to resume this week, and Odyssey's own science investigations of the Red Planet are expected to resume next week." Despite being the oldest member of the Mars fleet, Odyssey is still doing great science from its new morning orbit, is the main data relay satellite for Opportunity, and is relied upon by the Curiosity team for timely relay of data critical for planning operations. Check out the THEMIS website for its latest image releases.

Europe's venerable Mars Express is in its sixth extended mission, doing new science observations by coordinating work on the Martian atmosphere with NASA's MAVEN; both high-flying spacecraft are doing radio occultations, probing Mars' atmosphere in different locations with their radio signals. They have also improved their ability to use MARSIS to image the subsurface of Mars.

I still think of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as the "new" Mars orbiter, but I need to stop doing that; it has been at Mars for a decade now, and is the third-oldest of the six active orbiters. Like Mars Express and Odyssey, it is aging, but its instruments are enormously capable and its relatively huge radio dish is continuously sending back vast amounts of data from all instruments. The theme of its current mission extension is "Mars in transition," and many of its observations are focused on seasonal changes in the atmosphere and on the surface, as well as longer-term changes involving subsurface ice. Its rapid data releases are forming the basis for countless scientific papers.

MAVEN's mission to understand the upper Martian atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind is well into its second Mars year of observations, principal investigator Bruce Jakosky told me. They're doing the same kinds of observations they did in the first year, looking for changes now that the Sun is in a different part of its cycle. They've also begun new kinds of observations, "including radio occultations, high-resolution ultraviolet imaging, and focused observations over crustal magnetic anomalies." Look for lots of science publications from the team over the next year. Finally, as of a month ago they have begun regular activity supporting the rover missions, with communications passes scheduled roughly once per week (so each rover gets one every other week, on average). That may not sound like much but because MAVEN usually moves slowly across the rovers' skies, it can retrieve a pretty high data volume, up to 700 Megabits for one recent pass for Curiosity.

Mars Orbiter Mission is still returning data, though there was sad news last month that its methane sensor data is not likely to tell us anything about Mars' methane. Science was never really the point of this mission, and now ISRO is planning a second Mars orbiter, with a proper science package, to be launched in 2018.

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter successfully tested out its science instruments in November, and received a flight software update on November 30. It will perform no science in 2017, because the year (plus some of 2018) is devoted to aerobraking the spacecraft into a circular, 400-kilometer-altitude orbit, a feat that ESA has not performed before. Read this informative ESA post for details. The gist: Its orbit currently has an apoapsis of 98000 kilometers and a periapsis of 250 kilometers. A thruster firing on January 19 will set the angle of ExoMars' orbit at 74 degrees. Two more maneuvers on February 3 and 9 will reduce the size of the orbit to 200 by 33475 kilometers. Beginning March 15, ExoMars will perform seven maneuvers, spaced three days apart, to lower the periapsis to 114 kilometers. That's low enough for Mars' atmosphere to exert a tiny amount of drag on the spacecraft with every orbit; each passage through periapsis will slow the spacecraft and reduce the altitude of its apoapsis very slightly. Follow @ESAoperations and @ESA_TGO for updates. Here's a visualization of the upcoming orbit changes.

Beyond Mars

Dawn is now well into its extended mission at Ceres, and has transitioned to a sixth science orbit that's quite different to ones it's traveled in before, in which it will gather measurements useful for calibrating data acquired at lower altitudes. The orbit is elliptical and slow, taking eight days to travel from 7520 to 9350 kilometers above Ceres. The orbit is also nearly aligned with Ceres' terminator, so its views of the dwarf planet's surface will show dramatic lighting once imaging resumes this month. Seasonal change has brought sunlight to the south polar regions, and Dawn will begin mapping craters there to find permanently shadowed regions that may trap water and other volatile molecules. Learn more in Marc Rayman's latest Dawn Journal.

The Juno mission is not using its main thrusters for the foreseeable future, as engineers continue to investigate a problem with its valves. If it does not switch to its planned two-week science orbit, Juno will have seven perijove science passes over Jupiter's poles in 2017, on February 2, March 27, May 19, July 11, September 1, October 24, and December 16. JunoCam has begun allowing public voting on Jupiter image targeting, with voting periods about two weeks before each perijove pass. The next one opens on January 19. This image of a white storm on Jupiter was one result of the first round of public voting at the December 11 perijove pass.

Ah, Cassini. I don't want to accept that this will be Cassini's last year, but it is. Cassini is now in its F-ring orbit phase, passing through the gap between F and G rings on each periapsis pass. As with Juno, the best stuff comes during the brief period around each periapsis; periapses happen roughly weekly for the rest of the mission. The orbit is giving Cassini fabulous views of the north polar hexagon and ring structures and will also afford the best-ever opportunities to image the tiny moons that are embedded in the ring system. Highlight ring-moon images include Daphnis on January 16; Epimetheus and Mimas on January 30; Epimetheus and the propeller Santos-Dumont on February 21; Pan on March 7; the propeller Earhart on March 22; and Atlas on April 12. On April 22, Cassini changes its orbit periapsis, beginning the proximal orbits, with its periapsis passing in between the D ring and the planet's cloud tops. Saturn will reach northern summer solstice on May 24, and opposition on June 15, giving us spectacular open views of its rings through Earth-based telescopes. On September 15, Cassini will plunge into Saturn's atmosphere, ending the mission.

Having completed transmission of all the Pluto data to Earth, New Horizons is now focused on Kuiper belt and heliosphere science. Principal investigator Alan Stern gave me the rundown on its planned activities. It will have two main phases of distant Kuiper belt observations this year, one in January and one toward the end of the year. January targets include Pholus, Huya, 2002 KX14, Haumea, and Makemake. End-of-year targets include 2012 HZ84, 2011 HJ103, 2012 HE85, 2014 OE394, 2002 MS4, and Quaoar. In between the two science phases, from March to September, the spacecraft will hibernate, but it will still be collecting dust and plasma data even while in hibernation, as it did on its cruise to Pluto. The spacecraft is now 37.3 AU from the Sun, 4.3 AU beyond Pluto, and 6.1 AU away from 2014 MU69.

Finally, the Voyagers are still going, going, going. Voyager 1 is at 137.2 AU from the Sun, and Voyager 2 is at 113.9 AU.
Participants approach the finish line during the 2016 Copline run. (Photo: Copline)

Copline, a support line for law enforcement officers facing crises, will hold a New Years Eve fundraising run on the Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk, NJ, and virtually throughout the country.

We feel it is important to have the event at midnight on New Years Eve to remind us that Police Officers all over the country are working and not with their families as well as to serve as a reminder to bring in the New Year healthy, safe, and sober," Stephanie Samuels, founder/president of Copline, says. "As they run for the call, so do we. All proceeds will support our core mission of assisting police officers who are experiencing a multitude of stressors both on and off the job.

Registration is $45 up to the day of the race. To register please visit www.copline.net. Runners/walkers will gather at the corner of Arnold and Ocean Avenue at 11:30 pm to pick up their race packets and the race will begin right at midnight. Virtual runners will have their packets mailed to them.

About Copline:

Copline is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving law enforcement officers and their families that provides 24/7 peer support by trained retired law enforcement officers to help them deal with the stressors that they are exposed to on a daily basis.

Copline offers a confidential 24-hour national hotline answered by retired law enforcement peers who have access to clinical support in order to help callers deal with the various psychosocial stressors that impact a significant number of law enforcement officers and families throughout the United States.

Copline is committed to providing individual intervention services through the hotline, while also focusing on a broader influence across the law enforcement and mental health communities.

Through education, advocacy, research and the development of prevention programs, Copline is devoted to encouraging officers and their families to reach out for help when they are in need. This is done through user friendly access which provides a single point of entry to speak with a retired law enforcement peer active listener.
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PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters)  U.S. President-elect Donald Trump suggested that the United States and Russia lay to rest the controversy over Moscows computer hacking of Democratic Party computers, saying, We ought to get on with our lives.

Trump has cast doubt on the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russian hackers took information from Democratic Party computers and individuals and posted it online to help Trump win the election.

The Obama administration plans to announce on Thursday a series of retaliatory measures against Russia for hacking into U.S. political institutions and individuals and leaking information, two U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

Asked by reporters if the United States should sanction Russia, Trump replied: I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly whats going on.

Trump made his remarks at Mar-a-Lago, his seaside Florida resort where he is spending the Christmas and New Years holidays while also interviewing candidates for administration jobs.

Trump said he was not familiar with remarks earlier on Wednesday by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who said Russia and President Vladimir Putin should expect tough sanctions for the cyber attacks.

We have speed. We have a lot of other things but Im not sure you have the kind of security that you need. But I have not spoken with the senators and I certainly will be over a period of time, he said.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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After President Obama threw the hammer down on Russia for its unprecedented interference in the 2016 presidential election, former Trump campaign manager and future presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway stormed CNN to blame the U.S. government, the DNC, and the media  not the Russians  for the hacking.

Video:

.@KellyannePolls:  Were also not in favor of our intelligence interfering with elections after the fact https://t.co/QCHiviRZ1U  CNN (@CNN) December 30, 2016

Conway said:

This is really about the DNCs breach. They didnt have the proper security  and someone was able to hack the information, and we are not in favor of foreign governments interfering in our elections or interfering in our intelligence. Were also not in favor of our intelligence interfering with our elections after the fact  To talk any further about it actually is to violate what everybody insists we have which is one president at a time.

While Conway is certainly right that we have one president at a time, it wouldnt take a whole lot of effort for the man who will be president in less than a month to condemn a foreign country for interfering in a U.S. election.

Conway also repeated Trumps line that its time to move on from the Russian hacking and even said that Obamas moves today  the harshest ever in response to a foreign cyberattack  are symbolic.

Video:

Kellyanne Conway: Trump believes that its time to move on, and that some of Obamas moves on Russia seem symbolic https://t.co/LMpi32siEc  CNN (@CNN) December 30, 2016

Conway said:

Ive been reading all the news reports about these retaliations, these sanctions put forward by President Obama and his administration, some of them seem largely symbolic  Were yet to see all of the intelligence reports  so hell have that briefing next week, but in the meantime, he repeated today what he said last night to reporters here at Mar-a-Lago, which is he believes its time to move on to bigger and better things for the country.

Essentially, according to Trump and Conway, a foreign government that interferes in a U.S. election  especially if it helps your candidate win  should face no consequences. In their eyes, the American people and the media should quiet down and brush it under the rug.

In three weeks, these are the people who will be running our government.
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Earlier today, President Obama hit Russia with a new round of sanctions in response to Russian hacking of the 2016 Elections. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who has a complicated relationship with Trump  with reality, really  managed in a statement today to support the sanctions without praising Obama.

In fact, he took a swipe at Obamas legacy:

Russia does not share Americas interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. While todays action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. And it serves as a prime example of this administrations ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.

There will be some interesting times ahead for Paul Ryan, given Trumps own desire to just forget the whole thing ever happened. Though Republicans control the executive and legislative branches of government, there is no clear path forward for those who distrust Trump and those who are willing to blindly follow to whatever end.

There are many Republicans who demand a thorough investigation of Russias hacking and who distrust the motives of Vladimir Putin. Ryans own support for Trump has always been muted by mutual distrust and competing egos.

If Ryan thinks President Obamas response to Putin was weak, he will have a difficult time dealing with Trumps open worship of the Russian leader. If Ryan wants America to stand up to Russia rather than dance to its tune, it will be up to Ryan and his fellow Republicans to put breaks on Trumps fire sale of American interests overseas.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

The level of stupid polluting American society is getting completely out of hand and one wonders just how far the population will devolve into abject idiocy when all is said and done. If a segment, a small segment by the way, of the population has their way, the preponderance of American people will be about as ignorant as Neanderthal man; exactly the way religion and Republicans like their subjects. Now that America has an honest-to-dog Christian Supremacist a heartbeat away from the presidency, and an incoming president who has no interest in domestic or foreign policy, the fanatical religious right is poised to put some serious stupid on the next generation.

Now, it is beyond refute that only the stupidest human beings in the 21st Century cannot fathom that there is a marked difference between religion and science; its just the way it is and the way it has always been. However, for the clearly stupid it may be worth reminding them that religion is the belief and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal god or gods. Conversely, science is a systematic enterprise built on and organized by knowledge based on facts learned through experimentation and observations.

Only a moron would fail to comprehend that religion is not science simply because it is based on something called faith in a superhuman being; religion has nothing whatsoever to do with facts. Apparently, about 13.2 percent of Americans are morons because they truly believe that science is a religion and that religion, their Christian bibles religion, is science. That being their dysfunction, they are demanding that their incoming Christian Supremacist vice-president force Americas children to study science as explained by ancient Jewish mythology.

The religious right has panted themselves into fits of dyspnea awaiting a savior-preacher to take control of America and lead the population by theocratic edict, and their dreams came true when Americans elected the extremist Christian zealots Trojan Horse as the next president. Remember, Trump said more than once that his vice-president would handle domestic and foreign policy and dirty Donnie would be CEO of making America great. It is why Mike Pence has been directing Dons cabinet selection behind closed doors; choices that comport perfectly with establishment Republicans, the Koch brothers, and Mike Pence. Since the religious right are aware that Pence is dictating domestic policies, they appealed to him to begin Americas transformation from a feeble and crumbling democracy into a full-blown theocracy that will drive the Mullahs on Irans Supreme Council into fits of jealousy.

The evangelical fundamentalists, all 13.2 percent of them, are appealing to preacher Pence by petition and demanding that he, as head of domestic policy, inform dilatory Donald that it is crucial to immediately issue an executive order indefinitely banning the teaching of evolution as science. The evangelical malcontents claim that evolutionary science is nothing but an anti-Christian nasty religion and has no place in the public schools science curriculum. Instead, they demand that all science classes at all levels teach the first 26 verses of the Christian bible as science; a proposal that has vice-president elect Mike Pences loyal and steadfast support.

The Christian extremists petition to Pence said in part,

We the undersigned note that you spoke out on the subject of science education and presenting students with all available information. We object to the teaching of the very controversial theory of evolution as part of the K-12 science curriculum which we regard to be unnecessary.

It is obvious to us that Evolutionism-Darwinism is an anti-Christian atheistic dogma masquerading as science. There is no doubt that evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religiona full-fledged alternative to Christianity.

We therefore urge you to persuade President Trump to issue an executive order imposing a nationwide indefinite moratorium on the teaching of evolution in public schools.

The religious rights petition was sent directly to preacher Pence because he has coveted for Genesis 1: 1-26 to be taught as science in public schools forever. In fact, Pence is renowned for rejecting science, particularly evolutionary science, and claims the first 26 verses in the Christian bible are the only rational explanation any human being needs to understand the world. Pence hates science nearly as much as he hates Americas secularism and now that hes been given ultimate power over domestic policy, he will begin immediately transforming America into a Christian theocracy. That is the result of electing one of Americas most radical Christian extremists to second in line to the presidency; a monster who hates America as it was founded.

Pence has never concealed his hatred of science and told his colleagues in the House that,

I believe that God created the known universe, the earth and everything in it, including man. I also believe that someday scientists will come to see that only the theory of intelligent design provides even a remotely rational explanation for the known universe.

Apparently, the sum total of Pences understanding of science and the world is based on his rationality that god did it.

Heres the thing about preacher Pences line of rational thought; he is as dead wrong about evolution as he is wrong about creationism. Evolution has been observed by scientists and laymen alike for centuries before Charles Darwin came on the scene, and the archaic Jewish story about Genesis is just that: ancient mythology for people without the need for facts because they had a belief founded on fear.

According to Jerry Coyne writing at Why Evolution is True, the religious fanatics petition is likely not going anywhere. However, Mr. Coyne also says, But when Trump appoints another conservative justice to the Supreme Court, that will make a 5-4 majority, one that could overturn the existing federal ruling banning the teaching of creationism and its subspecies in public schools as a violation of the First Amendment.

That simple fact is what has had the religious zealots in a perpetual wet dream state since the election. Because they can see their dream of Americas secular democracy coming an end and their theocratic Utopia coming to fruition much sooner than they could have ever hoped. And, with a comrade-in-bible running domestic policy for CEO Trump, it is much more than a possibility that they will achieve their goal.

It is noteworthy that Christian extremist leaders considered Pences ascension to the second highest office in the land in the U.S. government as a tremendous coup for Christian supremacist militants. Christian supremacists, by the way, who could never have won access to the presidency of their own accord; it is why they regard dirty Donald as a godsend.

A Christian supremacist leader, David Barton said of Trump, This may not be our preferred candidate, but that doesnt mean it may not be Gods candidate to do something that we dont see. We may look back in a few years and say, Wow, [Trump] really did some things that none of us expected.

Barton is likely still saying Wow because as president of an evangelical organization determined to make the American government enforce biblical values, having Mike preacher Pence in charge of domestic policy means their vision of government by bible will become reality.

As Jeremy Scahill wrote in The Intercept, Trump is a Trojan horse for a cabal of vicious zealots who have long craved an extremist Christian theocracy, and Pence is one of its most prized warriors. What that means for Americans now that the 13.2 percent of the American population co-own control of the United States government, and religious Republicans controlling Congress with an extremist right Supreme Court on the horizon, is they can expect fire and brimstone coming to Washington. As horrifying as the idea of the bible being taught as fact-based science is, it will be the least of Americans worries in a Pence-led theocratic America.

Image: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
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President-Elect Donald Trump issued an official statement on Thursday after the Obama administration announced harsh retaliatory measures against Russia for its hacking of the 2016 election.

Despite both parties joining hands to strongly condemn Russias interference and support President Obamas tough actions, Trumps response was short and weak  and it didnt even explicitly mention the Russian cyberattack.

The full statement:

Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

Its clear that Trump cares very little about Russias attack on the U.S.  probably because it helped put him in the White House  but he also isnt even bothering to get updated on the facts until next week.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration and members of both political parties are treating the matter with the seriousness that it deserves.

As the New York Times noted Thursday, Obamas counter-punch represents the strongest ever U.S. response to a state-sponsored cyber attack. The administration ordered 35 Russian intelligence diplomats to leave the country and imposed harsh sanctions on two Russian intelligence services and four top officers.

Trumps statement on Thursday suggests that holding Russia accountable for its unprecedented election meddling isnt that high on his list of priorities. His response echoes his earlier statement on Wednesday from his Mar-a-Lago hideout, when he said its time for our country to move on.

Starting Jan. 20, we will have an American president that will be a dream come true for Vladimir Putin  a man who will simply move on when our country comes under attack from a foreign government.

Until then, President Obama is reminding the Russian government that, at least until next month, hes still president and they will face harsh consequences.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is defending Americas veterans from a Trump scheme to privatize the VA that the Senator from Vermont called an insult to vets.

In a statement, Sen. Sanders said:

Privatizing the VA would be an insult to the more than 22 million veterans who risked their lives to defend our country and it would significantly lower the quality of health care they receive. Our goal, shared by The American Legion and other major veterans organizations, must be to improve the VA, not destroy it. When men and women put their lives on the line to defend us, the president must listen to them, not to the Koch brothers and their extreme right-wing, anti-government ideology. We will vigorously oppose any and all efforts to privatize the VA.

The president-elect should listen to American Legion Executive Director Verna Jones, who recently said the nations largest veterans organization would like the Trump administration to know that we value our Department of Veterans Affairs because dollar-for-dollar, there is no better care or value available anywhere in the United States  period.

The president-elect should listen to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Politicians, pundits and politically-motivated organizations are using the national crisis in access to care at the Department of Veterans Affairs as justification to dismantle and privatize the VA health care system, with some even proposing that veterans be charged for their service-connected care. The VFW says no! Veterans must not stand idle as politicians who never served or use the VA health care system dictate when and where veterans can receive care.

The president-elect should listen to Paul Rieckhoff of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who said, The worst case scenario within the vets community is a total dismantling of everything they worked generations to create. There is a growing fear it is all going to get burned down.

The veterans organizations are right. We must protect the VA, not destroy it.

Sen. Sanders was spot on. Major veterans groups do not want the VA privatized. Conservative ideologues like the Koch brothers and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) champion privatization based on ideology, not concrete proof that a privatized VA would perform better. What is looming in the future for veterans group is a privatized VA where vets will get their healthcare through capped vouchers in the private market.

Republicans are planning on breaking the nations sacred promise to veterans by putting a limit on the amount of care that they receive.

The men and women who fight and sacrifice for the United States of America deserve better than to see their fundamental right to healthcare steamrolled in the name of partisan ideology.

Republicans are coming for all healthcare, which is why every single American must stand together and resist the Trump led attacks on the VA, Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA. Veterans fought for us. Now it is time for the rest of America to stand with them and fight for their right to healthcare.
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With his official response to Russian hacking of the US elections  his we ought to get on with our lives and Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things  Donald Trump did himself no favors. As Mother Jones David Corn quipped, he is not exactly FDR:

Trump after Pearl Harbor: "It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things."  David Corn (@DavidCornDC) December 30, 2016

Corn went on to ask, because Trumps statement begs the question, Whats bigger and better than securing the integrity of US elections? Trumps continuing downplaying of the Russian hacking is suspicious.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) wasnt just more patriotic than the president-elect, he was mocking:

I agree with the president-elect that we need to get on with our lives  without having elections being affected by any outside influence, especially Vladimir Putin, who is a thug and murderer.

There you have it, the blunt truth Donald Trump is always claiming he will give you. McCain had a chance to be a patriot and took it. Far too many Republicans did not, from Trump on down.

Certainly the fact that Kellyanne Conway sounds more like a spokesperson for the Kremlin than an American should be a cause for concern. Putin said President Obamas signing of the NDAA was directed at Trump, and Conway, interestingly, makes the same claim of the new sanctions, telling CNNs Kate Bolduan,

I will tell you that even those who are sympathetic to President Obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to quote box in President-elect Trump. That would be very unfortunate if politics were the motivating factor here. We cant help but think thats often true.

And its not just Conway and Putin. As David Axelrod noted, the Russian tweets are starting to sound eerily familiar:

Kind of jarring that the Russian tweets are beginning to sound just like @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/F8NC9fT6UW  David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) December 30, 2016

There seems to be a constant and coordinated theme here and it is worrisome that our incoming president is taking the side of Americas long time enemy against the current president. Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) failed the patriot test too, when he said his biggest concern was not hacking he was unconvinced Russia had committed, but President Obamas failure to consult with Donald Trump before imposing sanctions.

Yoho might want to not only check his loyalties but the Constitution to better understand that the president is the president and the president-elect is not.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) in a comradely show of solidarity with Putin, did one better than Trump and Yoho, claiming that Russias attack on our democratic institutions was somehow a public service:

If Russia succeeded in givinginfo that was accuratethey merely did what the media shouldve done.

Think Progress Judd Legum certainly seems to think so, tweeting what we should all be thinking:

1. Guys, Trump's behavior regarding Russia is very weird, even by Trump standards  Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) December 30, 2016

If it unnerves the Baltic States, shouldnt it terrify Americans? When it is left to Marco Rubio of all people to say the things that must be said, were in real trouble.

At the very best, as Hillary for Americas Brian Fallon said in a tweet, Lets acknowledge reality: Trumps too insecure about his win to ever fully acknowledge Russias meddling. Congress must press ahead w/o him and that At this point, Trump officials interviewed as part of any Congressional investigation on Russia should be questioned as hostile witnesses.

It might be Trumps business ties in Russia causing Trumps behavior. Or Vladimir Putin might very well have something on Donald Trump, something forcing Trump to support the Kremlins line. That explains Trump but it doesnt excuse his treason or that of the Republicans who support his policy of appeasement of Vladimir Putin.
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John Tirman, executive director of MITs Center for International Studies, writes that The worldview of Trump and those hes bringing into government is one in which seeking private interest is paramount, not only as a business aspiration but as a governing ideology.

In other words, Trump wants to privatize everything. Trump didnt invent this idea of course. Tirman points out that,

There has long been an ideological divide in U.S. politics in which liberals see the production and protection of public goods as a rightful  though not exclusive  function of government, while conservatives deplore interference in the free, private market.

So yes, Republicans have been dutifully applying this impulse for awhile now, trying to privatize things for awhile now, particular our public schools, and the objective there, as noted above, is to make money for the people involved.

And of course, we all know very well their plans for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Trump promised not to eliminate them, a fact which Bernie Sanders has helpfully brought to the president-elects attention.

The problem, of course, is that we dont get to vote for a corporations board of directors or for CEOs. Privatization  putting the public good in the hands of corporations, is a blow to democracy. Political power no longer derives from the will of the governed but from unelectable corporate hierarchies.

The consequences to the governed are, to say the least, unpalatable, as America becomes a capitalist playground, a source of unending wealth, monetized and returned not to us, but to those same unelectable corporate hierarchies.

Tirman provides an example:

Turning over public lands to the states would in many cases result in development  commercial enterprise, resource extraction, grazing, roads and sell-offs of land  far beyond what is already granted on federal lands. The rationale for doing so can be gleaned from the Bundy familys notorious confrontations with federal officials, first over nonpayment of grazing fees on public lands near their ranch in Nevada, then the armed occupation with a few others of an Oregon wildlife refuge. In each case the Bundys and their cohort insisted they wanted to return lands to the people from the unjust ownership of the federal government.



It was rarely noted at the time that the people already do have sovereignty over those lands, with the Park Service or the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management  public agencies  as their stewards. There are no other people to return the lands to, unless one counts indigenous tribes, but of course the Bundys and their kind arent thinking that way. A radical change in status of public lands is a blow to the idea of America being in part a commonwealth  natural resources that are shared by all.

This is likely why Jason Chaffetzs opposition to what he characterizes as President Obamas imposition of the unwanted Midnight Monument in Utah. If those acres are a national monument, they are not available to be economically exploited, in other words, parceled off for uber-capitalistic development of one kind or another, including mining a pristine tract of land that belongs to all Americans.

In fact, Chaffetz explains this is precisely his complaint, citing what he says is Obamas disregard for the economic development and multi-use provisions necessary for a balanced compromise.

Tirman concludes as I do here, that If the trajectory of 2016 continues through Trumps presidency, the commons, the public sphere and the values of shared responsibility, will be tested as never before.

Eventually, it is possible our government could be privatized. Arguably, with the election of Donald Trump, that has already happened. It is not that far-fetched. Republicans love eliminating government-run programs in order to privatize them, and Republicans in Congress have already shown they work for corporate interests rather than we the people.

Trump will hold the executive branch, the GOP controls the legislative, and once Trump begins his term, together they will parlay their unconstitutional act of not voting on President Obamas nominee, the Judicial as well.

There will be very little then stopping them from carrying out their grand capitalist plundering exercise at the publics expense.
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Greg Sargent argues in todays Washington Post that The Trump camps spin on Russian interference is falling apart. Its amazing it held together even five minutes, but you need to talk to the mainstream media about that.

Consider, he says, the buffoonishly weak response of two of his top advisers to the news of the last 24 hours.

Yesterday, the Obama administration slapped new sanctions and other penalties on Russia over its possible interference, moves that The Post characterized as the most far-reaching U.S. response to Russian activities since the end of the Cold War.



This prompted senior Trump transition adviser Kellyanne Conway to go on CNN and argue that Obamas measures were designed to box in the Trump administration by forcing them to make a tough choice later on whether to continue those retaliatory measures (which Putin seems to be betting against happening). Conway added that Obama might be playing politics and argued that he was imperiling the peaceful transfer of presidential power.



[]



Meanwhile, incoming White House spokesman Sean Spicer haplessly tried to argue that the real story here is that Democrats allowed Russian hackers to breach their emails.

Yeah. Its hard to know what to say sometimes. We live in a world where what experts say is almost certainly what happened is less likely to be true than a desperate attempt to blame Democrats for letting Putin hack them while declining to blame Trump for actually asking Putin to hack them.

And yes, the Democratic Party is supposed somehow to have cybersecurity better than the Russian governments professional hackers. More victim blaming here, while the perpetrator walks away with a smile. Sounds a lot like Trump.

As Sargent puts it,

All of this comes across as exactly what it is: Nothing more than a continued effort to downplay the seriousness of the charges of Russian interference. Thats the posture the Trump camp is stuck in right now, due to the decision from the guy at the top to continue waving away this story as if it doesnt matter.

There is just too much pressure to push forward with investigations for Trump to escape them. And it is not like hawkish John McCain is going to bend over backward to do Donald Trump any favors. McCain already doesnt like Russia  or Trump. Yes, Trump has burned a few bridges on his way to the top.

Other Republicans arent so eager to forget the whole thing either, as Sargent points out, naming GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who said he cant defend Trumps position and has no intention of doing so: We can try to have a better relationship with Russia, but we also have to defend ourselves.

Time, Sargent says, is going to catch up to Donald Trump and facts are not going to be his friend in this any more than any other endeavor he has flooded with lies and misdirection.

What Trump says in the corporate world goes, but it doesnt work that way here. Not yet  not even with a Republican-controlled Congress.
Since I've been cooking for a family of five for years, I never had the chance to cook for pure enjoyment. As a parent, cooking became as much a part of my daily routine as dropping the kids off at school, cleaning the house and doing the laundry. Plain and simple, I was tired of it. So when my youngest left for college, I went on a cooking journey to rediscover my relationship with food, recipes and the kitchen.

For me, it's not about long hours perfecting fancy French techniquesit's about creating great-tasting food with simple ingredients. I've been hearing so much about meal delivery services, but never got around to trying one. Recently, I did some some research which led me to HelloFresh.

Having a neatly packaged meal box shipped directly to my door was a breath of fresh air after having to make so many trips to the grocery store every week. The separated meal boxes inside were easy to stack in the fridge and pull out individual meals later.

Before I received my first meal box, I tried cooking along while watching Food Network, but frankly, I just couldn't keep up. My experience with HelloFresh was so much easier. The recipes were simple, I could pronounce all the ingredient names, and it only took me 30 minutes from box to dinner table. Best of all, the meals were healthy and delicious (like a honey mustard glazed salmon).

Finally, I got the chance to try something new and cook a meal just for me. Sometimes we forget we need to take care of ourselves and have a little fun in our daily routines. I'm enjoying my newfound self-indulgence in the kitchen.

Update: The team at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get $30 off your first box!
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.
The massive amount is unusual for a local school board race  and thousands more than any of the other 31 candidates have managed to raise. Read moreA CCSD board candidate has raised almost $100K in campaign funds
As parts of South Carolina continue to struggle with the effects of one of the strongest, costliest American storms on record, some automakers appear poised to destabilize one of the most important and effective public safety tools being used in the states recovery efforts. Read moreCommentary: Hurricane Ian a reminder of the importance of AM car radios
Fatal flames:Four people died in two separate house fires in 2016, the first fire fatalities in Rochester since 2013.

 Melissa Ann Phiefer, 35, and her daughter, Emily, 2, were pulled from Emily's bedroom March 3 after neighbors reported a fire in the four-plex at 409 27th St. NE. The fire was started by smoking materials, fire investigators said; the burn pattern reconstructed inside the apartment revealed the fire began in a living room futon and progressed from there. The living room was nearly consumed, but it's unknown how long the fire burned before being discovered. Phiefer's blood alcohol content was .295, an autopsy revealed; the cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.

 A mother and son died in July after a house fire at 1024 10 Street SE. Barbara Ruth Thoreson, 51, and Matthew Thoreson, 26, were pulled from the home by firefighters. Attempts to resuscitate Barbara Thoreson at the scene were unsuccessful; Matthew died the next day at a local hospital. The fire was reported by a passerby who saw smoke billowing from the home. Firefighters encountered thick, heavy smoke when they entered the home, leading them to believe the fire had been burning for a long time. It was later revealed that excessive clutter may have played a role in the blaze, authorities said.

Bicyclists hit:City officials took a long look at  and a couple of steps toward  bicycle safety after several reports of vehicles striking bicyclists, including one fatal collision.

 The semaphore at the intersection at Valleyhigh Drive and 19th Street Northwest was reprogrammed after two women crossing 19th Street on their bikes were hit by a car Nov. 10, just three months after Margaret Miland, 72, was struck and killed at the same spot. The problem appeared to be the conflicting message from the stoplight for northbound travelers: Pedestrians could use a crosswalk button and receive a green crossing light, but at the same time, drivers making a left turn onto 19th Street saw a flashing yellow turn arrow. A week later, the speed limit was dropped by 10 mph, and drivers who are making turns onto that street now see a red arrow if a pedestrian or bicyclist activates the crosswalk signal.

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George Calebaugh, a city of Rochester traffic engineer, said residents shouldn't expect to see the same change throughout city intersections: The city needed to use its lone "traffic controller" and newly designed software from an equipment vendor to reprogram the light. Other intersections would require purchase of more controllers, at a cost of $3,000 to $4,000 each. Instead, the city will propose buying the traffic controllers with construction of new intersections and when equipment is updated at existing intersections  at a rate of 2 or 3 a year.

Heroin charges:At least two men in southeast Minnesota were charged for their roles in the overdose deaths of people to whom they allegedly sold heroin.

 Ryan Allen Anderson, 24, of Austin, was sentenced this month to 48 months in prison for his conviction of second-degree manslaughter. He was originally charged in March with third-degree murder in the death of Tyler Burkey, 23, also of Austin. Burkey was found dead of a heroin overdose in his home in December 2015.

 Jordan David Flugum, 20, of Austin has pleaded not guilty to third-degree murder for his role in the March heroin overdose death of Jordon Jensen, also 20. A jury trial has been set for March 13 in Mower County District Court.

 Darnell McDaniels, 53, was charged in March with third-degree murder in the death of Daniel Paul Kean, who overdosed on heroin in January 2015 at a halfway house in Rochester. Though that case wasn't prosecuted, McDaniels is now serving a 49-month prison term for third-degree drug sale in connection with an overdose April 5, 2015. McDaniels sold the heroin; the victim didn't die.

Murder and manslaughter: Four men and a woman died at the hands of others during 2016; two of the deaths have been classified by authorities as "accidental."

 Kyle Benjamin Allers, of Lewiston, was charged in May with first-degree murder, accused of killing Tasha Lynn Hanson, 24, and hiding her body in a wooded area. Allers hasn't entered a plea, and remains in custody in lieu of $5 million unconditional bond. He's due back in Winona County District Court on Feb. 23. Allers and Hanson had two children together.

 Abdulkadir Omar Mohamed, 31, pleaded guilty Dec. 8 in Olmsted County District Court to second-degree manslaughter in the Aug. 10 death of his friend, Abdullahi Omar Sheikh, 31. Mohamed remains in custody in lieu of $200,000 conditional bond and will be sentenced Feb. 15. It's believed to have been the shooting occurred "due to careless handling of a gun" inside the car Sheikh was driving near Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester.

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 Michael Francis McIntosh, 38, of Austin, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Mower County District Court to third-degree murder in the beating death of a man in November 2015. McIntosh is expected to receive a 15-year prison term for killing David Allen Madison, whom McIntosh believed was sexually involved with McIntosh's girlfriend.

 Lucas Ryan Schultz, 20, of Winona, made his first appearance Thursday in Winona County District Court, where he's been charged with second-degree manslaughter for shooting his friend in the face, killing him. Riley Sass-Loken, also 20, died three days after the Nov. 11 shooting, which multiple witnesses say occurred while Schultz was "joking around" with the handgun. He's been released on his own recognizance.

 Ricky Darnell Waiters, 49, faces multiple counts of murder and assault after a July 27 shooting outside a Winona bar left one man dead. He hasn't entered a plea in the case, and remains in custody in lieu of $5 million unconditional bail. Waiters is accused of firing a gun from inside his vehicle, striking Robert Charles Johnson, 53, of Winona, killing him. Sean Patrick O'Brien, 27, also of Winona, was shot multiple times in the lower body but survived.

Sex trafficking:The sale of children and adults into sexual servitude is considered a public safety, public health and human rights issue around the world  and in Rochester. The Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force (MNHTTF) is working to address and prevent human trafficking in Minnesota; the local street crimes unit is doing its share.

 No fewer than 15 area men were sentenced in 2016 for various counts of participating in prostitution and/or sex trafficking. Most notable was Lee Andrew Paul, 36, who was sentenced in September to 33 years in federal prison for sex trafficking three victims, two minor girls and one young woman. One of the minors was from Rochester.
AUSTIN  A man accused of robbing a potential roommate at gunpoint pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree aggravated robbery, a felony.

Matthew Jack Clennon, 18, entered the plea in Mower County District Court, where he'd also faced one felony count each of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and first-degree burglary with a dangerous weapon, and one count of misdemeanor theft.

He was conditionally released from custody until sentencing, which is set for Feb. 24.

The case began about 8 p.m. Sept. 24, when Austin police responded to a report of an armed robbery in the 600 block of Main Street. The door to the victim's bedroom was broken, with splinters of wood and the strike plate on the floor. The man had a cut on his nose and scrapes on his knees.

The victim told officers he and Clennon had talked earlier about becoming roommates; that evening, however, the man told Clennon he didn't want him to move in.

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A short time later, the victim woke up to Clennon kicking in the bedroom door and pointing a gun at him, the complaint says, demanding his belongings. The two struggled over the man's laptop; Clennon allegedly hit the man with the gun, scaring him into giving up.

Clennon took the victim's watch, some cash, cigarettes and a medication prescription, court documents say. As he was leaving the apartment, Clennon reportedly threatened to come back with other people; the victim told officers he thought Clennon was going to kill him.

An officer found Clennon's pickup in a nearby parking lot and watched it until Clennon arrived in another vehicle and got out. He was ordered to the ground, the complaint says, and told the officer, "the pellet gun is in my truck."

The other men in the vehicle told a detective Clennon had called them for a ride, and left the apartment building with a purple liquor bag, allegedly telling them he'd "just stole a bunch of stuff from this kid." While in the car, Clennon claimed he'd robbed the kid and hit him with a pellet gun, the report says; he was on the phone with one of the men as he kicked in the bedroom door.

Clennon denied to investigators that he'd hit the victim with the gun, saying instead that they were fighting and crashed through the bedroom, causing the gun to fall out of his pocket. Clennon also denied taking any of the man's property.

A search of his pickup allegedly turned up a .177 caliber pistol in the glove box, a small amount of cocaine, Adderall and empty Adderall capsules. The vehicle he'd been riding in had a purple liquor bag on the floor of the front passenger seat; inside, officers found LSD, Adderall, THC wax, a grinder and a digital scale.

The victim confirmed to investigators the bag was from his apartment, and it contained illegal narcotics and paraphernalia.
The second of two adults accused of assaulting a juvenile at a birthday party last summer has been sentenced to about two years in prison.

Ahmed Mohamed Mumin, 20, pleaded guilty Dec. 15 to one count each of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and fifth-degree drug possession, both felonies. In exchange, additional counts of third-degree assault, soliciting a juvenile to commit a criminal act, and dissemination of pornography, all felonies, were dismissed. Also dismissed at Wednesday's sentencing were gross misdemeanor counts of third-degree riot and interfering with privacy, as well as misdemeanor drug possession and disorderly conduct.

Some of the charges stemmed from other criminal cases reportedly involving Mumin.

Olmsted County District Court Judge Christina Stevens sentenced him to concurrent prison terms of 27 months and 12 months and a day.

Mumin and Fawaz Mohamed Abukar, 19, of Rochester, were charged after an incident June 18 brought Rochester police to a home in the 300 block of Fourth Avenue Northwest for a report of an assault.

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There, they found a 13-year-old boy with a cut on his forehead and above his left eye and swelling throughout his face. The victim said his family was having a birthday party for his brother when Abukar, Mumin and two juveniles showed up.

Mumin called the victim over to the group; when he approached, the four began hitting and kicking him, the complaint says. The group ran off before police arrived.

The juveniles were also charged in the assault.

According to court documents, the victim lost a portion of his eyelid as a result of the attack and required internal and external stitches to treat the cut above his eye.

Abukar pleaded guilty last month to third-degree assault and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. He also pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary for a July 12 incident, which carried a four-year term.

In exchange for the plea, four additional counts of first-degree burglary, one count each of first-degree assault and soliciting a juvenile to commit a criminal act, all felonies, were dismissed. One count each of gross misdemeanor third-degree riot and misdemeanor fifth-degree assault also were dismissed.
Despite the tragedy that thrust Zahra Zamiri into the local spotlight in 2016, the events that followed rise to the top in terms of that most elusive message of public safety information: A series of positive stories.

By its very nature, the public safety beat doesn't lend itself to very many happy outcomes, much less multiple ones, but this year was different.

Zamiri was at home in northwest Rochester the morning of March 7 when her estranged husband appeared on her doorstep with flowers. Once inside the house, he pulled a gun from a heart-shaped box he'd also brought with him, then shot Zamiri twice in the chest.

She was able to run outside, where a neighbor and passersby saw her collapse. They called police, then rendered aid until she was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus.

From that moment on, Zamiri had more people behind her than she could have imagined, including members of law enforcement who'd responded to the shooting, a Wisconsin minister, several strangers and a federal judge.

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The next day, Rochester Police Capt. John Sherwin said investigators "would like to interview her at some point, obviously, but now, it's just a matter of pulling for her," adding Zamiri "has an incredible will to live."

But the native of Iran was alone in the hospital, thanks to confidentiality policies. Her isolation troubled Rev. Amy Kosari, who with her husband, Farhad, are Zamiri's landlords and friends.

Kosari wanted to help, but hospital staff would tell her nothing. She knew Zamiri loved music and was "deeply social," that her English probably wasn't strong enough to understand the nuances of her medical condition, and that she had two beloved children still living in Iran.

So Kosari began contacting patient advocates and the ethics committee, and four days after the shooting, Zamiri's friends and neighbors were allowed to visit. It had an immediate, positive affect on her recovery, and Kosari hopes Mayo recognized it, as well, and will to apply it to others in similar situations.

Almost two months to the day after Zamiri was shot, she rose slowly from a wheelchair to stand before U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank, who swore her in as a U.S. citizen.

The special one-person induction ceremony was attended by Zamiri's daughter, multiple members of the Rochester Police Department and fire department who responded to the scene of the March 7 shooting, medical professionals who treated her and several of Zamiri's neighbors, whom she now calls family.

And finally, two weeks later, Tyler Wallace and the Rev. Steven Schauder, both of Rochester, were presented with the Rochester Police Department's Citizen Award of Valor for their actions the morning Zamiri was shot.

Taking direction from the dispatcher and assisted by Schauder, Wallace rolled Zamiri onto her back, removed his shirt and used it to apply direct pressure to the wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. It likely saved her life.

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Schauder was honored specifically for his compassion toward Zamiri, a woman he'd previously met.

"I didn't realize it was Zahra," he said, "until I cleared the hair from her face. Then I was able to speak her name. I just told her she was not alone, that God was with her and we were going to take care of her."

In the span of about 10 weeks, Zahra Zamiri was lifted from being a victim of domestic violence to a woman fully embraced by a city  and a country.

"How fortunate we are to be here today," Sherwin said before the swearing in. "March 7 should have been a tragedy. I can't think of a better word to describe it than 'miracle.' This is a story of survival, a story of citizenship and a story of the best of what our community has to offer."

A series of stories, at that.
WEST CONCORD  Want some breakfast and help stop cancer in its tracks? Head to West Concord.

The West Concord American Legion will host a pancake and french toast breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 8. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Rochester Eagles Cancer Telethon. No expenses will be extracted from the total amount.

For those unfamiliar, the Rochester Eagles Cancer Telethon is the longest locally run telethon in the country, and money raised will help fund cancer research at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Hormel Institute for Cancer Research and the U of M Masonic Cancer Center.

A suggested donation for the breakfast is $7 for adults and $5 for children.
DULUTH  Minnesota fisheries managers are concerned about the long-term health of the lake herring fishery in Lake Superior.

Biologists worry not enough young herring are surviving to sustain the fishery, while at the same time demand for the fish has spiked.

Minnesota's 25 or so commercial fishermen who ply the waters off the North Shore have caught a lot fewer cisco in recent years. The herring, or cisco, fishery is always unpredictable, said Steve Dahl, a commercial fisherman who works out of the Knife River marina on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

The last few falls have been tough for Dahl, whose nets have yielded fewer herring at a crucial time of year.

Fishermen like Dahl can earn up to half their annual income just in the month of November, when herring congregate along the shore to spawn.

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This year was different, though.

"November was really good, one of the better ones I've had," he said. "Towards the end I sort of got overwhelmed, it was just too much."

Despite Dahl's success this November, the herring catch has fallen recently.

In 2011 and 2012, Minnesota commercial fisherman harvested more than 350,000 pounds of cisco each year. But the last two years, that's dropped below 250,000 pounds.

"I think there's general agreement at least on the western arm of Superior that the population is not in a healthy state," said Minnesota DNR fisheries chief Don Pereira.

Cisco, Pereira said, are vital to both whitefish and lake trout, which eat herring, or herring eggs, to survive.

"They're critical for moving energy from the lower food web up to the top predators," he said. "So if lake trout, don't have an adequate replacement, it's questionable as to how stable the now successful lake trout restoration will be in the future if we can't bring lake herring up to healthy levels."

The fragile cisco population has led Minnesota fisheries managers to impose conservative limits on fishermen. In Wisconsin, though, there hasn't been any cisco limit.

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Over the past decade or so there's been a huge surge in demand for cisco, particularly the eggs, which are used to make a kind of caviar that's a Scandinavian delicacy.

In Wisconsin waters, mainly around the rich fishing grounds surrounding the Apostle Islands, the annual cisco harvest has tripled since the early 2000s, to one and a half million pounds last year.

After pressure from Minnesota and others, Wisconsin for the first time put a limit on its cisco harvest this fall. But that limit  1.5 million pounds  is the same as what was harvested last year.

"We do not want to limit our commercial fishermen if there doesn't appear to be a scientific need to do so," said Terry Margenau, fisheries supervisor for Lake Superior for the Wisconsin DNR. "Having said that, this rule is designed to be reassessed every three years ... to make sure we're still where we want to be."

Biologists around Lake Superior have recommended limiting the cisco harvest to between 10 and 15 percent of the estimated total biomass of cisco.

Wisconsin set its quota at about 7.5 percent, leaving an additional 7.5 percent to the Red Cliff and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa, which have commercial fishing rights on Lake Superior. Minnesota sets its harvest more conservatively.

Cory Goldsworthy, the Lake Superior area fisheries supervisor for the Minnesota DNR, said the department sets its limits every year at an estimated 10 percent of the total biomass of cisco.

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission, which coordinates management among states, tribes and Canadian provinces, will be evaluating whether Wisconsin's plan is sustainable.

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But the herring population in Lake Superior is getting squeezed on two sides. In addition to more fishing pressure  and more predation from a recovered lake trout population  not as many young herring are surviving past one year.

That's coincided with major climactic changes on Lake Superior since 1998, said Mark Vinson, a fisheries biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Ashland, Wis.

"We've had less ice cover, we've had earlier spring warming and higher summer surface temperatures," he said. Recently, there's been a strong correlation between years of low ice on Lake Superior and poor recruitment years for cisco, Vinson said.

"There's probably only one or two years over the last 40 where we've had low ice and good recruitment," he said. It's still too early to draw a definitive link between climate change and lake herring survival, Vinson said. He's currently conducting additional research to look at impacts of warming and less ice cover on herring at different life stages.

At the far northeastern tip of Minnesota, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa took its own steps this year to protect the herring fishery.

The tribe cut the harvest in the water it manages off the shore of its reservation in half from about 60,000 pounds to 30,000 pounds.

Commercial fishermen were upset, said tribal biologist Seth Moore. It's a significant portion of their livelihood.

"But we felt it was important to take a leadership role in helping to manage a sustainable fishery for the lake," Moore said, "as an example to the state of Wisconsin and the tribes in Wisconsin that are harvesting at a high level."
Only about one American private-sector employee in 10 works for an organization that provides paid leave for new parents. But a growing number of major employers in Minnesota are offering the benefit, figuring it's not just a nice thing to do but also a smart business move.

3M recently announced that it would give virtually all moms and dads in its U.S. operations 10 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. That was well timed for Meghan Keating, a 3M supervisor who will soon give birth to her second child.

"A program like this one truly empowers employees to have the first question they ask be, 'What is the right amount of time for me to spend away from work during this special and important time as a new family?'" she said. "As opposed to simply, 'How much time can I afford to be away from work?'"

With disability pay to recover from the birth, Keating will be off as much as 18 weeks with pay. If she desired, 3M would let her take up to 10 more weeks of leave without pay.

Federal law only requires up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for most government and private-sector workers for the birth or adoption of a child, or to care for seriously ill family members. Most people can't afford to take much time off without pay.

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But U.S. employers are facing growing social, political and competitive pressures to provide paid parental leave. Unemployment is low and baby boomers are steadily leaving the workforce. That's helping to create an increasingly tight job market for talented professionals.

"For us, it's not really a cost issue," said Mike Anderson, a 3M human resources executive. "It's about investments we're making for the long term for our employees. We're looking at attracting and retaining talent, creating a more engaged workforce."

3M is not the only area company to make such moves. Last June, Wells Fargo started to offer 16 weeks of paid leave for mothers and four weeks for dads.

Janelle Debus, a recruiting manager for Wells Fargo, and her husband  also a Wells Fargo employee  will both take paid leave after the birth of their third child. And when they return, they will not have burned up other paid time off they've earned.

"It doesn't take any time out of your vacation or sick time and it's all part of this new leave, which is awesome," Debus said.

Next week, Cargill will begin granting employees between two and four weeks of paid leave to care for newborns, adopted and foster children and seriously ill family members. Target, General Mills, Thomson Reuters, the Star Tribune, the University of Minnesota and the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis are among other local employers that offer paid parental leave.

Some companies readily share their parental leave policies. Others don't like to disclose or talk about them, if they exist.

When asked about its parental leave policy, a Medica spokesperson wrote in an email that the company was evaluating and possibly changing its policies and did not feel it "appropriate to respond with information about our current policies."

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Cam Winton, director of labor policy at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, suggested that it's best to avoid government edicts and let employers figure things out.

"More and more businesses are offering paid family leave, paid parental leave to compete to attract and retain workers," he said. "It's not good policy to try to mandate some one-size-fits-all-solution from the State Capitol in St. Paul."

But many proponents of paid parental leaves argue that most parents won't get them without government intervention.

"There are great disparities in terms of who has access to this kind of leave and who doesn't," said Debra Fitzpatrick, director of the Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. "We know that a quarter of women are returning to their jobs within two weeks of giving birth."

Fitzpatrick helped lead a University of Minnesota study of how a paid parental and family leave program funded by a payroll tax could be implemented in Minnesota.

Three states  California, New Jersey and Rhode Island  have such programs, and New York will enact one in 2018. So far, the idea hasn't won the legislative support needed to advance in Minnesota. But Fitzpatrick expects that paid leaves to care for children and other family members will spread.

"There's growing energy to do something about it," she said. "I'm optimistic that we'll continue the conversation about what the best way to do it is."

Even Republican President-elect Donald Trump has joined that conversation, saying he wants six weeks' paid leave for new moms. How that would work is unclear.

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Romy Newman said policies across the nation vary greatly. She's a co-founder of Fairygodboss, which has compiled the maternity leave polices of roughly 1,500 companies. They include UnitedHealth Group, U.S. Bank, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Land O' Lakes.

"The number of weeks, the percentage of pay, even within a company can vary," she said.

Newman said Trump's idea could be a baby step toward bringing the United States in line with the policies of developed nations that mandate up to a year off with pay for new mothers.

"If we were to be like any other country, we would have a federal law that required paid maternity leave or parental leave," she said. "We'll see what happens with the new administration."

With Republicans controlling the state Legislature, it's a good bet there won't be any mandated paid-leave program in Minnesota anytime soon. But there could be support for measures such as tax credits for employers choosing to grant paid leaves.

"Giving a carrot versus carrying a heavy stick is probably the better route," said Rep. Sarah Anderson, R-Plymouth, who chairs the state government finance committee. "Businesses themselves are trying to keep and retain their employees and are looking at different ways to do that."

Anderson also said Gov. Mark Dayton's plan to offer six weeks' paid parental leave for state employees is not going to fly.

Last month, the Dayton administration proclaimed that such leave is available to 32,000 state employees. But Anderson said the governor does not have the authority to grant the leave himself.

"If that's what the state employee unions want to negotiate for, they will have to go through the collective bargaining agreement just like they do for any other benefit they receive," she said.
John Kerry has done a lot of damage in the course of a long public career. As Secretary of State in the Obama administration, the man has met the man. Seth Lipsky takes Kerrys measure this week in the New York Sun on Kerrys career. Seth writes that it looks like Kerry is determined to go out the way he came in  wrapping himself in the flag while betraying the causes of both America and its allies. He came in by doing that to Vietnam and is going out by turning on Israel. Seth reminds me of my initial exposure to Kerry. Ive recalled it here previously and want to revisit it this morning in the context of Seths column.

I saw Kerry speak at Dartmouth in the lounge on the second floor of Hopkins Center  the top of the Hop, as its called  during Kerrys entry into public life as head of Vietnam Veterans against the War. It was in the spring of 1971 just after his notorious appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April. I had read about Kerrys statement in the New York Times (posted in complete form here, posted with video here). I had read the Timess profile of Kerry that is now posted here. As I recall, the Times gave the Foreign Relations Committee hearing page-one treatment that week as well.

At Dartmouth I heard Kerry earnestly repeat his infamous statement that our soldiers had personally [sic] raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephone to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war, and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country. The Boston Globe placed Kerrys testimony in the context of his career in part 3 of its excellent 2003 biographical series.

I was a sophomoric antiwar student who had turned out to hear the new antiwar celebrity. Kerry had me eating out of his hand. I took what he had to say at face value. I bought his act completely. Why not? Hed served in Vietnam and held himself out as speaking from his personal experience. I was a fool, of course, but Kerry cynically exploited my own ignorance and that of many others like me.

One of the students right next to me in the audience somehow knew better. He stood up to walk out on Kerrys speech and shouted to Kerry as he approached the steps descending to the first floor of the Hop: You phony. Youre just in this to promote yourself. Kerry was only momentarily flustered, bending down to the microphone and asking the guy to stay and talk after hed already made his way down the steps and out the building.

At the time I couldnt believe the obtuseness of the student. As I say, I fell for Kerrys act completely. In retrospect, however, that student may have been the most perceptive person with whom Ive ever crossed paths.
Evidence that the Obama administration is being dishonest regarding the anti-Israel U.N. resolution continues to emerge. This article by Adam Kredo in the Washington Free Beacon shows there is good reason to believe that, contrary to the administrations claims, Team Obama was a major architect of and driving force behind the condemnatory resolution.

Kredo cites the following:

* There is evidence from multiple sources that Joe Biden phoned Ukraines president to ensure that country voted in favor of the resolution, though Biden denies it.

* Documents believed to have been leaked by Egypt show that John Kerry met with senior Palestinian diplomat Saeb Erekat, with Kerry pledging not to veto a condemnatory resolution is worded to the administrations satisfaction. The document has not, to my knowledge, been authenticated, and the White House denies that such a meeting occurred. However, the meeting appears on Kerrys schedule for December 12.

* Jonathan Schanzer, a Middle East expert and vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says he spoke with U.S. officials in September who admitted that the administration was actively considering a U.N. measure regarding Israeli settlements. We know that this administration was at a minimum helping to shape a final resolution at the United Nations and had been working on this for months, Schanzer says.

Can we say for sure that the administration is lying about its role in the resolution? Not yet, in my opinion. But the evidence points very much in that direction.

Nor, at this juncture, is the Obama White House entitled to a presumption of truthfulness. Any presumption should run the other way. As Kredo points out, the Obama administration has been caught several times misleading the public about its campaign to discredit Israel, including the funding of an organization that sought to unseat Netanyahu in the countrys last election.

And lets not forget about the administrations laughable attempts to spin the cash pallets it sent to Iran as other than a ransom or about its secret side deals with Iran.

Obamas critics arent going to let go of the anti-Israel resolution story. In time, perhaps as soon as the early days of the Trump administration, it likely will become clear whether the White House has been lying about this matter.

It wont sit well if, as seems likely, the Obama administrations last big move (hopefully) was predicated on an outright lie.
Donald Trump has issued a brief statement about President Obamas decision to take retaliatory measures against Russia in response to its alleged hacking of DNC and John Podesta email accounts. Trump said:

Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

The first sentence will capture most of the attention. It will be greeted with derision by many. Read by itself, it should be.

Russian cyber-intrusion is a serious matter. If the Russian government or its agents intruded via hacking into our politics, I think dont think our response should be simply to move on.

Trumps second sentence seems to recognize this. He considers it in our national interest to met with leaders of the intelligence committee to learn the facts pertaining to the alleged Russian hacking. If intelligence officials lay out persuasive case, theres no reason to think that Trump, having taken the time to listen, will ignore the problem.

Whatever was true during the presidential campaign, from now on Russian cyber-intrusions are Trumps problem. Yes, he wants to move on from talk about how little or how much past hacking helped him and hurt Hillary Clinton. But this doesnt mean that the problem of Russian cyber-intrusion, including any that occurred in connection with the presidential campaign, is a matter of indifference to the president-elect.

Read as a whole, I think this is what Trumps statement means.

My reading comports with what Trumps new press secretary Sean Spicer said today:

If the United States has clear proof of anyone interfering with our elections, we should make that known. Right now we need to see further facts. . . . I think you have a lot of folks on the left who continue to undermine the legitimacy of his win and the nature of how big [sic] that win was.

One can reject the lefts narrative about why Trump won without being unconcerned over Russian interference, if demonstrated. This, it seems to me, is where Trump is. I hope so, anyway.
At least 15 Boko Haram fighters were killed in Borno on Friday as Nigerian troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and Boko Haram terrorists engaged in prolonged fierce battle in Borno State.

Military insiders told PREMIUM TIMES the battle ensued at 6 a.m this morning and did not end until after 9 a.m.

Our sources said the battle began when fighters of the terror group launched a surprise attack on troops location in Rann, in northern Borno, shooting sporadically.

Troops from 3 Battalion and 112 Task Force Battalion are stationed in the area, our sources said.

The soldiers responded promptly, killing an unknown number of the terrorists, and wounding several others.

The battle raged for over two hours, and when the dust settled, several terrorists were found dead.

One of our sources said more than 15 of the Boko Haram fighters were killed in action.

Another said the figure was much higher, saying many other terrorists escaped from the scene with gunshot wounds.

Both sources however said four Nigerian soldiers were wounded in action, adding that authorities had since contacted the nearby 22 Brigade to send air ambulance to evacuate a critically injured soldier.

Our sources gave arms and ammunition recovered from the terrorists to include two AK47 rifles, four FN rifles, one M21 rifle, 110 X 7.62MM NATO ammunition, 20 X 7.62MM special,, 40 X M21 rounds, 4 X FN extra magazine and two locally made explosives.

Fridays battle is the first since the military overpowered and chased the Boko Haram sect from the dreaded Sambisa Forest, a fortress from where the group launched attacks on Nigeria for years.

It also came a day after the leader of the terror sect, Abubakar Shekau, appeared in a new video, claiming his group had not been defeated.

The Army immediately shot back, saying the video by Mr. Shekau was a piece of propaganda that should be disregarded.
Abia government says it has commenced the payment of July salary to primary school teachers in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

NAN learnt that the Local Government Education Authorities began to issue salary cheques to the teachers on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

A teacher in Umuahia North Local Government Area (LGA), however, told NAN, on condition of anonymity, that the cheques could not be cashed because they had no cash backing.

We were paid last in June. I got my cheque on Wednesday, Dec. 28, while some got theirs on Friday but it did not specify which months pay.

But, we take it that the cheques represent the July salary, the teacher said.

He said the cheques have a lifespan of one week and would lapse if it not cashed within the period.

Another teacher in Bende LGA, who identified herself simply as Anthonia, said she collected her cheque on Wednesday but had not been able to cash it.

I got a credit alert from my bank on Wednesday to show that my salary had been paid but the bank balance remained the old amount of about N900.

When I inquired, I was told by a bank official that the cash had not dropped and was advised to wait until the cash drops, Anthonia said.

A Local Government Education Authority Secretary in one of the LGAs, who confirmed the development on condition of anonymity, said the banks would go to the clearing house before they would commence cash payment to the teachers.

He said the decision to issue cheques was part of government measures to check ghost teachers syndrome.

Government wants to be sure that only genuine teachers are paid, so that the issue of ghost teachers syndrome will be a thing of the past, the secretary said.

Responding to the development, the Chairman of Abia State Universal Basic Education, Kenechukwu Nwosu, declined to speak on the issue when NAN contacted him on phone.

(NAN)

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CAPE MAY  City officials hope a $15 million beach replenishment project that began last week will also address a dangerous tidal pool at the Cove beach.

It was made clear by Army Corps of Engineers that was an item that needed to be addressed and resolved as part of this project, City Manager Bruce MacLeod said.

In August, a 5-year-old boy nearly drowned in the tidal pool located 30 feet from the surf just west of Second Avenue. The following month, the city partially filled in the pool, which was created by erosion from storms during the past year, including Winter Storm Jonas.

MacLeod said the contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, of Illinois, is expected to pump 185,000 cubic yards of sand at the Cove.

Another 119,000 cubic yards will be pumped at Lehigh Avenue and St. Petes beaches. Additionally, 644,000 cubic yards of sand will be pumped at the Coast Guard Training Center and 39,000 cubic yards at the Wilmington Avenue beach, commonly referred to as Poverty Beach.

The projects are part of a 50-year agreement with the Army Corps for beach replenishment.

They are running consecutively. The portion near Cove beach began Monday. The portion at the Coast Guard base is to start mid-January.

The target completion date is March 1, MacLeod said. Cape Mays share of the cost will be about $90,000. The remainder is split by state and federal governments.

MacLeod said that even if the pool is filled, it could reappear before summer.

Anything can happen between then and next summer, but the intent of the project was to address that low-lying area, MacLeod said.

Cape May joins Stone Harbor and Avalon in receiving major beach-replenishment projects this winter through the Army Corps.

The two boroughs will receive 605,000 cubic yards of sand as part of a $9.8 million contract awarded earlier this month to Great Lakes, Army Corps spokesman Steve Rochette said.

Avalon will split the cost of the project with the federal and state government. Stone Harbor is splitting the cost with the state due to a conflict with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Avalon sues US agencies over beach fill Avalon has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corp

Rochette said the base contract calls for the placement of 145,000 cubic yards on Avalon, 210,000 cubic yards on Stone Harbor and another 250,000 cubic yards on Avalon.

Stone Harbor Council at its Dec. 6 meeting approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign a state aid agreement for beach protection with the Department of Environmental Protection. The boroughs share will be $787,977. The state will provide $1.6 million. The borough also approved $666,000 for an additional 180,000 cubic yards of sand.

Avalon approved a state aid agreement this month for a beach fill to repair beaches from Eighth Street south to 26th Street. The boroughs share of the project will cost $763,876, with the state paying $1.2 million and the federal government paying $3.7 million.

According to Avalon, because the unit price for the sand is about half the cost of previous projects, the borough will likely authorize the placement of more sand.

The project is anticipated to start this winter, Rochette said, but no timeline was available.
The $6.8 billion merger of Atlantic City Electric parent Pepco Holdings with energy giant Exelon took a turn favorable to South Jersey customers this month. The state announced major additional benefits for ratepayers and the region as a result of New Jersey having a previously unpublicized clause in its approval agreement for its benefits to match the best elsewhere.

Gov. Christie came to Mays Landing to grab some of the credit, although previously he was largely silent about the merger. This should end a merger process  proposed, amended, approved, completed  that has taken nearly three years. Or will it?

New Jersey was the first Pepco state to approve the deal in early 2015 after Exelon agreed to $62 million in credits for Atlantic City Electrics 547,000 customers and $15 million in energy efficiency savings. The N.J. Rate Counsel was unimpressed with the credits, since rates could be increased after the merger, and this newspaper wondered if the state had been shortchanged by settling first and seeing others get more for their approvals.

Now Exelon and the state have announced its benefits will match the best of the several other approval agreements. Another $22 million rate offset will take about $3.50 per month off bills for several months, and $16 million in charges will be nullified, saving another $2 per month.

Exelon also now will spend $6 million on employment-support programs in Atlantic City Electrics coverage area, and give four nonprofits $4 million to support low-income customers. Energy-efficiency programs will get another $15 million over five years.

State regulators did well to get so much for New Jersey residents in their merger agreement. When Exelon announced its intention to acquire Pepco, it expected to spend about $100 million on benefits to satisfy regulators. The final total looks like it will be $430 million.

Or more? The District of Columbia, which already had held up the merger due to disagreements between its different divisions of government, could throw in one last monkey wrench.

Even though the merger was completed in March, a D.C. Court of Appeals will hear arguments against it in April in a case brought by the district Office of the Peoples Counsel, the district itself and merger opponent DC Sun, according to the Washington Business Journal. The Peoples Counsel wants another $26 million in residential credits, and clean energy advocate DC Sun wants to overturn district approval of the merger.

The court is unlikely to undo the merger at this point or even modify it, but who knows? Maybe another chunk of change will be headed South Jerseys way in summer.

Of course, these hundreds of millions will have to come from somewhere. Were guessing from ratepayers, eventually.
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.




"We continue to deliberately shape our business for long-term success by securing leadership positions in attractive markets and focusing on customer needs," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. "This philosophy has served as the foundation for significant and sustainable value creation for our shareholders. The addition of St. Jude Medical creates one of the broadest medical device portfolios in the world and provides a steady stream of new technologies and therapies for many years to come."

Strategic Fit

St. Jude Medical's strong positions in fast-growing areas such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure, structural heart and chronic pain complement Abbott's leading positions in coronary interventions and mitral valve disease. Together, the company will compete in nearly every area of the $30 billion cardiovascular market and hold the No. 1 or 2 positions across large and high-growth cardiovascular device markets. This leading combined portfolio will have the depth, breadth, scale and innovation to help patients restore their health, improve outcomes and deliver greater value to customers and payors. Furthermore, the acquisition balances and strengthens the Abbott portfolio, which includes leading positions across all of its four core businesses.

Breakthrough Invention

Abbott will have a powerful pipeline across cardiovascular and neuromodulation patient care ready to deliver next-generation medical technologies and offer improved efficiencies for health care systems around the world. In fact, Abbott will continue to bring numerous new products to key markets during the coming years, including:

EnSite Precision (which received U.S. FDA approval this month) next-generation cardiac mapping system to visualize and navigate catheters in the heart during ablation procedures

ConfirmRx Implantable Cardiac Monitor to help physicians remotely diagnose and treat the most difficult to detect cardiac arrhythmias

HeartMate 3  , which offers physicians more options for patients with advanced stage heart failure

, which offers physicians more options for patients with advanced stage heart failure Portico Transcatheter Aortic Heart Valves for patients with severe aortic stenosis  the narrowing of the aortic valve that obstructs blood flow from the heart

Proclaim DRG system and other stimulation waveform technologies to provide more options for patients with chronic pain

Absorb, the world's first bioresorbable coronary stent and MitraClip, the world's first transcatheter mitral-valve repair device in additional countries

"Customers today want partners who offer breakthrough technologies along with a broad portfolio of solutions to help them better care for their patients," said Mr. White. "Our powerful and complementary medical device portfolio and industry-leading new product pipeline will help us be that partner, uniquely positioning us to win in the marketplace."

Delivering Value

Together, the combined cardiovascular and neuromodulation portfolio has annual sales of approximately $8.7 billion.

The acquisition of St. Jude Medical is expected to be accretive to Abbott's adjusted earnings per share in the first full year and increasing thereafter, with approximately 21 cents of accretion in 2017 and an estimated 29 cents in 2018. The combination is anticipated to result in annual pre-tax synergies of $500 million by 2020, including both sales and operational benefits.1

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs approximately 74,000 people.

Visit Abbott at www.abbott.com and connect with us on Twitter at @AbbottNews.

 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 

A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Abbott and St. Jude Medical caution that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the ability of the parties to consummate the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all, the ability of the parties to satisfy the conditions precedent to consummation of the proposed transaction at all or in a timely manner, the ability of Abbott to successfully integrate St. Jude Medical's operations, and the ability of Abbott to implement its plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect to St. Jude Medical's business after the completion of the transaction and realize expected synergies. Economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect Abbott's and St. Jude Medical's operations are discussed in Item 1A, "Risk Factors,'' in each of Abbott's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, and St. Jude Medical's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Jan. 2, 2016, respectively, and under the heading "Risk Factors" in Abbott's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, and St. Jude Medical's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 2, 2016, which are incorporated by reference. Abbott and St. Jude Medical undertake no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

Additional Information

In connection with the proposed transaction, Abbott has filed a registration statement on Form S-4, which includes a document that serves as a prospectus of Abbott and a proxy statement of St. Jude Medical (the "proxy statement/prospectus"), and each party may file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The registration statement was declared effective on September 26, 2016, and the definitive proxy statement/final prospectus was first mailed to St. Jude Medical shareholders of record as of September 16, 2016 on or about September 26, 2016. Investors and security holders of St. Jude Medical are urged to carefully read the entire registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus, and to carefully read other relevant documents filed with the SEC in their entirety when they become available, because they will contain important information. Investors and security holders can obtain the registration statement and the proxy statement/prospectus free of charge from the SEC's website or from Abbott or St. Jude Medical as described in the paragraphs below.

The documents filed by Abbott with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at Abbott's website at www.abbott.com or at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. These documents may also be obtained free of charge from Abbott by requesting them by mail at Abbott Laboratories, 100 Abbott Park Road, Abbott Park, IL 60064-6400, Attention: Investor Relations, or by telephone at (224) 667-8945.

The documents filed by St. Jude Medical with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at St. Jude Medical's website at www.sjm.com or at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. These documents may also be obtained free of charge from St. Jude Medical by requesting them by mail at St. Jude Medical, One St. Jude Medical Drive, St. Paul, MN 55117. Attention: Investor Relations, or by telephone at (651) 756-4347.

1 Adjusted earnings per share excludes specified items such as amortization of acquired intangibles, inventory step-up, restructuring costs and other costs incurred to execute the transaction. Adjusted EPS is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered a replacement for GAAP results.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150928/271488LOGO

Related Links

http://www.abbott.com



SOURCE Abbott
BEIJING, Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting January 1, 2017, passengers who fly on Air China's flights departing from Europe and the Americas for Chinese cities with a transit in Beijing can benefit from Air China's newly introduced "Fully Entrusted-No Baggage Claim" service.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141017/152745LOGO

With the "Fully Entrusted-No Baggage Claim" service, passengers can, in the form of pre-authorization at the airport of origin in Europe and the Americas, fully entrust their checked baggage to Air China, and Air China can, on behalf of the passengers, open their checked baggage in transit via Beijing for inspections by the customs and quarantine authorities. Passengers who need the service are required, while checking in at the airport of origin, to sign the baggage tag(s) to confirm that they agree to fully entrust Air China with process of inspections by the customs and quarantine authorities. After arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport, passengers can directly clear the immigration without having to claim their checked baggage and then proceed to the transit zone for the onward connecting flight. The service will cut the time passengers usually need to spend going through the transit formalities, enhancing passengers' travel experiences.

(Note: To qualify for the service, passengers (1) must fly on Air China-operated flights for the entire journey instead of codeshare flights, and (2) should NOT put items into their checked baggage that should be declared for customs and quarantine inspections.)

Related Links

HTTP://www.airchina.com/



SOURCE Air China
STOCKHOLM, Dec 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE DATED 2016-12-30

As already informed, Axactor AB (publ) (Oslo Brs: AXA) has conducted an issue of new shares. Following the share issue, the total number of issued shares and votes in the company are 1,226,488,769.

This announcement follows statutory information requirements for Swedish public companies at end of the month during which the registered number of issued shares or votes has changed, in accordance with Section 9 Chapter 4 of the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act (Sw. Lag (1991:980 om handel med finansiella instrument).

For further information, please contact:

Geir Johansen

Chief Financial Officer

Mail: geir.johansen@axactor.com

Cell Phone: +47 477 10 451

CONTACT:

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/axactor-ab/r/axa---change-in-number-of-shares-and-votes,c2158497

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/852/2158497/609397.pdf AXA PR 20161230

SOURCE Axactor AB
BUCHAREST, Romania, December 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Bitdefender, the innovative security software solutions provider, joined the No More Ransom initiative supported by Europol contributing to the global fight against ransomware - the fastest-growing cyber threat to date.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160405/351502LOGO )



Free decryption tools provided by Bitdefender are now available, offering ransomware victims the possibility to decrypt their files without having to pay criminals to do so.

The decryption tools developed by Bitdefender have been added to nomoreransom.org, an online portal available in English, Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese and Russian.

"With estimates of ransomware induced financial losses nearing the billion dollar mark by the end of 2016, traditional security mechanism and technologies have fallen short of a complete defense against this type of threat," says Bitdefender's Chief Security Strategist, Catalin Cosoi.

According to a Bitdefender study carried out in the United States last year, ransomware comes second among the top concerns of CIOs of medium and large companies - 13.7 percent of the interviewed companies perceive ransomware as a hard-to-tackle threat. Simultaneously, half of individual victims are willing to pay up to $500 to recover encrypted data.

The file-encrypting malware has not only become a growing threat for PCs, but also for devices running Android. During the first half of 2016, ransomware became the main threat on Android in the US, UK, Germany, Denmark and Australia. Overall, the largest number of ransomware reports came from the United States, with 19.09 percent of the total globally, followed by the United Kingdom (11.89%) and Germany (9.63 percent).

Cybercriminals have been deploying as many ransomware samples as possible, using diverse attack vectors, to make sure they infect a large pool of victims. While drive-by downloads may have infected some, infected attachments and fake installers seem to have also been deployed for ransomware infection.

On http://www.nomoreransom.org, users can also find information on what ransomware is and how to protect themselves.

No More Ransom was launched in July 2016 by the Dutch National Police, and Europol, among others, introducing a new level of cooperation between law enforcement and the private sector to fight ransomware together.

Here are a few steps that could help users stay safe from ransomware:

 Use a known, award-winning security suite

 Patch or update your software to avoid known vulnerabilities from being exploited and used to infect your system

 Back up your data

 Enable the "Show hidden file extension" option. This will help identify suspicious files that have been named ".ZIP.EXE" and prevent their execution

Companies, meanwhile, are strongly encouraged to:

 Use an endpoint security solution

 Patch or update all endpoint software and webservers

 Deploy a backup solution

 Disable files from running in locations such as "AppData/LocalAppData" and deploy policies that restrict users from executing malware

 Limit users from accessing mapped network drives

 Protect email servers with content filtering solutions

 Educate employees on identifying spear-phishing emails and other social engineering techniques.

More prevention tips and information are available on http://www.nomoreransom.org

About Bitdefender

Bitdefender is a global security technology company that provides cutting edge end-to-end cyber security solutions and advanced threat protection to more than 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Since 2001, Bitdefender has consistently produced award-winning business and consumer security technology, and is a provider of choice in both hybrid infrastructure security and endpoint protection. Through R&D, alliances and partnerships, Bitdefender is trusted to be ahead and deliver robust security you can rely on. More information is available at http://www.bitdefender.com.

SOURCE Bitdefender
ALBANY, New York, December 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

A large portion of the global military radar market is currently taken up by regional players, denoting several opportunities of growth for the leading players to expand their horizons. Northrop Grumman Corporation, Lockheed, and Raytheon had collectively taken up 35.4% of the global military radar market in 2015. Each player had held a wide array of products at the time and was showing high expectations of cultivating their share values.

According to a research report released by Transparency Market Research, the degree of competition in the global military radar market is expected to remain high for the coming years. The leaders of the market are likely to show aggressive expansion policies through mergers and acquisitions, while newer entrants for the global military radar market are likely to maintain low interest. The capital required to setup in the global military radar market is extremely high and is therefore the key deterrent for several companies trying to open business avenues in this market. The global military radar market is expected to reach US$9.36 bn by the end of 2024. It is projected at a CAGR of 2.4% within a forecast period from 2016 to 2024, in terms of revenue. By the end of 2016, the global military radar market is expected to reach US$7.78 bn.

Download PDF brochure for this Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2411

Defense Investments on the Rise Globally

"National defense sectors are providing a highly positive scope of growth for players in the global military radar market for the coming few years. Countries such as Russia, India, China, the U.S., and Germany are some of the top investors in research and development efforts within the defense sector. The growing number of sociopolitical issues, terrorist activities, and other issues in the world such as the civil unrest in the Middle East is currently a leading factor why countries are consolidating their defenses to such as high extent. The global military radar market forms a core part of internal as well as border defense for a lot of countries, thereby making it a high priority for countries," states a TMR analyst.

The global military radar market is consequently being driven by the sheer rate of research and development efforts taken up by the leading players through heavy government investments. Governments are not willing to compromise defense budgets by a lot in the name of national security and several markets from the military background are expected to grow in this environment.

Browse Regional PR: http://www.europlat.org/global-military-radar-market.htm

Wind Turbines a Key Issue for Military Radar Implementation

One of the key problems faced by users of military radars is the movement of blades on a wind turbine. While all radars are designed to efficiently detect movement within a certain radius, the presence of even a few wind turbines in a direction can severely hinder the detecting capabilities of radars and reduce their effectiveness. Wind turbines distort the signals sent and received by radars and are currently a great cause for concern, given the growing nature of renewable energy demand and a high scope of growth for the implementation of wind turbines.

"There is a very high scope of growth for players from the global military radar market within emerging economies from Latin America, where border security is becoming a key cause of concern for nation security. Additionally, several countries are also adopting domestic military radars to curtail the increasing scope of civil unrest, urban warfare, and terrorist infiltration, further increasing the scope of opportunities in the global military radar market," adds the analyst.

The information presented in this review is based on a Transparency Market Research report, titled, "Military Radar Market (Types - Ground Based, Naval, Airborne, and Space Based) - Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2016-2024."

Key segments of the Global Military Radar Market

Global Military Radar Market: By Type

Ground based

Naval

Air borne

Space based

Global Military Radar Market: By Geography

North America U.S. Canada Mexico

Europe U.K Germany France Italy Russia Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India Australia South Korea Others

Middle East and Africa (MEA) Israel South Africa Others

and (MEA) Latin America Brazil Others



Related Research Reports by TMR:

Directed Energy Weapons Market : http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/directed-energy-weapons-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/directed-energy-weapons-market.html Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Market: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/small-arms-light-weapons-market.html

About Us

Transparency 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. TMR's 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.

Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.



US Office Contact

Transparency Market Research

90 State Street, Suite 700

Albany, NY 12207

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com



Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Transparencymarketresearch

SOURCE Transparency Market Research
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Online fashion stores, Rosegal, Sammydress and Zaful innovated failsafe methods to ship their products faster to domestic and offshore customers.

As the internet has already become an all-powerful advertising and consumer interaction platform, social media and mobile apps have started defining the fast-shifting fashion trends. This has changed the traditional approach to advertising and marketing. The primary challenge before ecommerce businesses is to offer trendy clothing, whereas they also need to keep the prices at a competitive level and rethink supply chain management to ensure faster delivery. As a result, the shopping sites are now fast shifting their strategies to stay connected with their customers through social media, mobile apps as well as websites.

Rosegal has recently boosted its delivery speed as well as quality of services by designing and implementing its own supply chain. The online store is now using advanced learning algorithms which have been programmed to identify demand and supply gaps faster and to replenish the inventory before major shopping seasons. This has ensured that the customers can always find products in stock and also helps the inventory managers in backtracking logistic speed. Most of their products are now processed and packaged within 1 to 3 business days, whereas 3 to 15 business days was their processing time earlier.

Sammydress, on the other hand, has launched a Priority Direct Email service. Customers registered for the service can expect their products to arrive faster and can also enjoy lower shipping products, with zero chances of products getting damaged during shipping. At present, the Priority Direct Email service is only available in the US, the UK, Germany, France and a few other countries, though Sammydress has plans to extend its Priority Direct Email service to other countries very soon.

Zaful has been trying to rise above competition by offering super-high discounts on products and shipping or both. Customers who place orders above USD$30 can get free shipping, which encourages customers to buy products online. Customers who buy products worth USD$99 or more would get faster shipping -- Express Shipping, whereas other customers would get standard shipping. Customers who have queries about the logistics or shipping can contact their store directly. Zaful has also introduced its helpline number which is +(1)-888- 830-0888, in order to answer customer queries faster.

Related Links

http://www.rosegal.com/



SOURCE Rosegal
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Neal Keny-Guyer, Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps:

"We are hopeful that the apparent breakthrough in negotiations on Syria will pave the way to an end to this bloody conflict, which has engulfed the country for almost six years. Most important, a cease-fire now could allow for humanitarian access to the millions of innocent civilians across Syria who struggle to survive a seemingly endless war.

"At Mercy Corps, we see countless men, women, teenagers and children in Syria and neighboring countries living in limbo as they wait for peace and hope for a chance to resume work, school and normal daily life. Our team has worked tirelessly and courageously for years to provide a measure of comfort and relief to their intense suffering.

"What we have seen in Syria is shameful. Too many lives lost; too many families destroyed; too many hopes and dreams shattered. The fighting must end, and we urge all parties to the conflict to embark  once and for all  on a path to lasting peace."

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. We meet the urgent needs of today through emergency response and disaster preparedness; and we build a stronger tomorrow by connecting people to the resources they need to strengthen their community from within.

Mercy Corps has one of the largest aid operations in Syria, reaching about 470,000 people each month. Today, we have team members in eight countries helping some 2.5 million people affected by this crisis.

Learn more and join us at www.mercycorps.org.

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/74952/mercy_corps_logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.mercycorps.org



SOURCE Mercy Corps
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Due to an exchange of convertible notes in Svenska Handelsbanken AB, the number of Class A shares has increased by 47 002 shares and the number of votes has increased by 47 002. Following the increase, the total number of shares in Handelsbanken is 1 944 151 400 of which 1 908 900 071 are Class A shares and 35 251 329 are Class B shares. The total number of votes in Handelsbanken is 1 912 425 203,90. The share capital amounts to SEK 3 013 434 670 after the increase.

For further information, please contact:

Klas Tollstadius,

Head of Corporate Governance,

Tel: +46 8701 29 01 or +46 70576 76 74

This information is of the type that Handelsbanken is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation, the Swedish Securities Markets Act and the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 8.00 CET on 30 December 2016.

For more information about Handelsbanken, see: www.handelsbanken.com

CONTACT:

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SOURCE Handelsbanken
HONG KONG, Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shantou New Oriental Hotel Amenities Company today released its first annual Sustainability Report highlighting progress made in 2015/2016.

The report published today shares specific progress and introduces the 3 pillars of the company's sustainability strategy - Sustainable Product, Producing Sustainability and People.

Sustainable Product - Over the past fiscal year, 30% of New Oriental Hotel Amenities raw materials are more sustainable and their plastic products degrade using compost treatment without polluting. They have developed products using organic ingredients and use of green chemistry for their formula. Their paper packaging material comes from a legal tree farm certified by FSC. They have used life cycle assessment to calculate their product carbon footprint.

Producing Sustainability - New Oriental Hotel Amenities Company has raised environmental and quality standards of their factory by engaging suppliers on green chemistry, installing LED lights in their factory, and reusing their production water in a cooling tower. Their factory has been awarded with ISO22716 and GMPC certification.

Our People - New Oriental Hotel Amenities enables their employees with career development, and end users have the choice to use environmental friendly products. They believe that diversity plays an important role in the success of their business. Their diversity and inclusive strategy outlines the commitment to create an inclusive work environment that respects, values, celebrates and makes the most of the individual differences the employees bring to the company.

The report also updates other areas of progress, including their new plant factory in Zhujin Industrial Park. New Oriental Hotel Amenities Company strives to be a green innovator, a responsible corporate citizen and a good employer.

To view the New Oriental Hotel Amenities Company's 2015/2016 Sustainability Report, please visit here.

Summary Report, please visit here.

About New Oriental Hotel Amenities Company

Headquartered in Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, New Oriental Hotel Amenities company is one of the leading hotel amenities manufacturers in the hotel industry. The company was founded in 2007, and the products have marketed to more than 38 major hotel groups around the world. New Oriental Hotel Amenities Company has liquid soap, tubes, toothbrushes, bottle injection & blowing, printing, amenity boxes and packaging production lines. The company believes a mix of quality and green innovation is needed to help hotels to reduce the environmental impacts of the products.

Contact:

New Oriental Hotel Amenities Company

Ricky Tse

rickytse@neworiental.hk

+86-754-818-88194

SOURCE New Oriental Hotel Amenities Co.
SHENYANG, China, Dec. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Shenyang, known as the "Oriental Ruhr Area" has been the manufacturing base of China since the 1930s. Very much like its German namesake, Shenyang has a continued history as the most important manufacturing place in China's North East and is home to the aerospace, automotive, machinery, chemical, pharmaceutical and financial industries. Shenyang now finds itself again at the forefront of the tremendous changes in China's manufacturing culture and there is never a shortage of "hard" factors in this city such as new state-of-the-art factories, international schools, modern apartments and high living standards to prove this. Even the monthly average income for its workers is as high as in the capital city Beijing.

Currently the country is facing a tremendous challenge in transforming its manufacturing culture to meet the needs of the future. The Central government in 2015 formulated new goals in the "Made in China 2025" campaign. The rust belt of China so far has managed to cut overcapacity in steel and coal prior to the set targets by the government. Liaoning province alone has closed over 40 coal mines and reduced over 13 million tons of steel capacity. However the central government is only partly providing funds to help the transition of workers from classic industrial work environments into new forms of employment. A huge challenge for the local government that has come up with ideas to smoothly enter into the next phase of the industrial revolution for the region.

Even while other Chinese cities also have made great transitions, Shenyang is more interwoven with its past and its tradition as the industrial revolution's avant-garde in China. Home to eight million people it is one of China's tier-two cities, which are catching up fast and adapting to the new situation. As one of the many efforts to revitalize the region, Shenyang is highly supportive in developing private sector industries. The local government has established a 50 million yuan (7,2 Million Dollar) fund dedicated to fostering the development of private high-tech industries. Qualified companies are eligible to receive tax breaks that reduces their corporate income tax rate from 25 percent to 15 percent. In addition, companies that qualify to obtain high-tech-status also receive a 200,000 yuan (28,750 Dollar) bonus.

Among the most advanced projects in the city, the Sino-German Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park is another example of the efforts by the local government to promote not only Shenyang as the world's biggest center of the machine tooling business, but also to attract foreign companies to establish their enterprises close to their customers. The park is to be situated in Tiexi district within the Shenyang Economic and Technology Development Zone. Located in close proximity to BMW's biggest production plant in the world, the Michelin tire factory as well as other international big players, the park is also conveniently connected to the city by a subway line.

The development strategy is based on incentives granted by the local government, to attract and introduce German expertise to the newly created industrial environment. The park focuses on fostering cooperation between China's and Germany's innovative manufacturing industries.

Merging information technologies with manufacturing industries the Sino-German Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park is planned to become a pilot zone for "Made in China 2025" and "German Industry 4.0", a demonstration zone for innovative industrialization and a hub for the global equipment manufacturing industry. As part of reviving the Northeast's manufacturing industry the companies in the Sino-German Industrial Park are mainly relying on intelligent manufacturing, which is based on smart automation technology.

Research and Development are at the core of the development strategy for the park. Strengthening cooperation in R&D between China and Germany is one of the main focuses to keep talent in the area and attract more research based companies to the area. To support this there is also a Sino-German development and research center for applied technology in planning.

A well-designed infrastructure and attractive facilities in the park will be provided, such as a smart communications system, a smart power grid, an international hospital, school and community all situated in an environmentally friendly setting.

One of the city's most innovative entrepreneurs is the Chairman of Shenyang Machine Tool Group (SYMG) Guan Xiyou. Recently he has introduced a new i5 series of intelligent machine tools that can be used in all areas requiring high-precision parts. Already 16,000 units of this advanced tooling machine have been sold.

A few miles away is another one of Shenyang's leading industries, Siasun Robot and Automation Co.. 68,000 industrial robots have been sold in China last year while sales of Chinese companies accounted for about one third. Compared with their sales of last year, in the first six month of this year Chinese companies' sales have already reached 19,257 units, reflecting the importance of the robotic industry for the middle kingdom. Siasun's industrial robots are within the top three by market value and within the top ten when it comes to market share worldwide. Their goal is also to be within the top three when it comes to market shares.

Only one year ago, China has implemented its "Internet Plus" and "Made in China 2025" policies to transform its traditional industries. Shenyang can be seen as a leading example of a successful transition process to improve the economic development of China. The goal to use advanced technologies to help China turn into a green and innovative manufacturing power house can be best seen in Shenyang.

SOURCE Shenyang Municipal Bureau of News
THAT'SPIRITS Carnival - the "Mini Bar Show" in HOTELEX

There were over 10 liquor companies involved this time in Guangzhou, with at least hundreds of overseas high-end spirits brands, which brought the latest industrial trend from abroad to South China.

The visitors can get the free cocktails or souvenirs from exhibitors in the carnival with the coupons offered by HOTELEX.

Wine Tour with WINE 100 in HOTELEX Guangzhou

Cooperated with WINE 100 Challenge, in HOTELEX Guangzhou this time, Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo invited the famous Julian Boulard and his team to dedicate ten master classes for the audience.

Wine List in HOTELEX Guangzhou 2016

Fritz Haag Brauneberger Riesling Kabinett, Mosel (SC) 2013

Louis Maitini Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Red Wine 2013

Tahbilk ESP Shiraz 2010

Babich The Patriarch 2013

Erwin Sabathi Leutschacher Sauvignon Blanc White Wine 2015

Joseph Mellot Tronsec, Pouilly Fume AOC (D) 2014

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2015

Antonutti Traminer Aromatico White Wine 2015

Blandy's Alvada 5 Years Fortified Wine NV

Champagne H.Goutorbe Cuvee Millesime 2006

Concha y Toro Don Melchor 2011

Finca la Emperatriz Terruno Dry Red Wine 2011

Nanning Boutique Wines Co., Ltd.

Foxen Santa Maria Pinot Noir 2013

Ho-lan Soul Cabernet Sauvignon Organic Dry Red Wine 2012

Sileni Estate Selection The Lodge Chardonnay White Wine 2014

Taylors Jaraman Chardonnay White Wine 2014

Welcome to visit:

Shanghai International Wine & Spirits Expo (Spring) 2017

THAT'SPIRITS Carnival (Flagship)

Time: March 28-31

Address: Shanghai New International Expo Center

Concurrent: HOTELEX Shanghai 2017, Expo Finefood Shanghai 2017

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/452621/UBM_Sinoexpo_Hotelex_attendees.jpg

Photo -http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/452622/UBM_Sinoexpo_Hotelex_Wine_Tour_with_Wine_100.jpg

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/452623/UBM_Sinoexpo_Hotelex_Shanghai_Map.jpg

SOURCE UBM Sinoexpo Hotelex
A gift of a friend's love Since 2007, Chane Gildon , a single mom of two teenage girls from Odessa, Texas, battled kidney disease with ever-stronger drugs. Stephenie Gardiner watched her best friend's energy and health steadily decline. In September of 2016, Chane's nephrologist told her it was time to choose: dialysis for the rest of her life or a kidney transplant.

The prospect of dialysis three-to-four times a week, for an estimated four hours per treatment, did not fit into the life Chane knew she wanted for herself and her daughters. She chose to pursue a transplant. But it was not easy. With 100,000 people in the United States on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, only 12,500 annually receive a kidney while 5,000 die and 3,000 grow too weak for the operation. Another 400,000 never make it to a waiting list and continue on dialysis, with an average life expectancy of five years versus 12 to 20 years for a kidney transplanted from a living donor.

Chane's doctor suggested she seek a living kidney donor. After her mother and brother were tested in September and found to be incompatible, Chane told Stephenie the devastating news, seeking only solace from her best friend. Instead, Stephenie offered her a kidney. In late November, Stephenie was tested and deemed a match, and on December 23, a few days after Chane's 40th birthday, the live donor kidney transplant took place.

"Initially, I had concerns about my own health with only one kidney." said Stephenie. "But I couldn't stand to see Chane growing weaker and suffering. So I trusted my faith and knew I was meant to do this."

A program of commitment, caring, and innovation

The kidney transplant program at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital began in 1984 and expanded with the opening of the Texas Transplant Institute in 1999. Since 2008, the program has focused on shortening the time patients spend on the transplant waiting list by opening access to underserved Texas markets and by generating awareness of the value of live kidney donation.

One of the key surgeons driving the growth of the program through its Living Donor Exchange is Dr. Adam Bingaman, Director of Abdominal Organ Transplantation. The program is also strongly supported by the hospital's administration, led by CEO Jeff Wilson. But as noted by Chief of Staff and Transplant Medical Director Dr. Matthias Kapturczak, a transplant nephrologist and key member of the multidisciplinary transplant team who deals closely with both recipients and donors: "It is the courageous and generous living donors who are essential; without them, there is no program."

What's next? Life!

When asked what was next for her, Chane Gildon did not hesitate in responding, "LIFE!" Her best friend, Stephenie Gardiner, agreed. "We're going to do things now that we haven't been able to do." She also added that the transplanted kidney covers all future birthday and Christmas gifts for her friend  who grinned from ear-to-ear as she nodded and wiped away a tear.

If you need a kidney through a living donor, or if you are an individual who is willing to donate a kidney, please visit http://sahealth.com/service/kidney-live-donor-program to learn more.

About Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital

Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, is a full-service hospital specializing in abdominal organ transplants (kidney, liver, and pancreas), bariatric surgery, vascular and robotic surgery, psychiatry, inpatient rehabilitation, treatments for cancer and incontinence, as well as forensic and emergency care for survivors of sexual assault ages 13 and older. It also offers a Level IV Trauma Emergency Department open 24/7/365. In late 2016, the hospital earned an 'A' in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assessment of more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide. It is designated as a Center of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. And its kidney transplant program is the largest in Texas, ranked among the top centers nationally, and recognized for its expertise in live donor kidney transplants from unrelated donors. A campus of Methodist Hospital, Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital is conveniently located on Floyd Curl Drive near Wurzbach Road, in the heart of the South Texas Medical Center.

Media Contacts:

Shirley Wills, 210-822-2378, [email protected]

Donna Hinkelman, 210-313-0827, [email protected]

SOURCE Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital
BEIJING, Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently the '2016 China Animal Husbandry Veterinary Intelligence Development Strategic Forum' held by Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH and China Agricultural University Animal Medical School closed with a success. More than 130 experts and researchers attended the seminar including Wang Junxun, the Deputy Director of Ministry of Agriculture's department of animal husbandry, Chen Weisheng, the General Director of China Animal Disease Control Centre, Cai Xuepeng, the General Director of China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control and Stephen Lange, the Vice President of Boehringer Ingelheim.

The topic of this seminar was 'Intelligence leads innovation'. Based on the trend of China's animal husbandry industry, the participants discussed the multifaceted veterinary intelligence development strategies. The diverse aspects they covered consisted of the guidance of government policy, technological innovation, collaboration between colleges and corporations.

China Animal Husbandry Industry Suffers from a Lack of Intelligence, Especially Veterinary Area

The Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Agriculture, Wang Junxun, expressed the opinion that China's animal husbandry industry is now accelerating its progress concerning the supply side structural transformation as well as its modernization. During this procedure, we would expect onerous and formidable challenges from the following main respects. First of all, we need to forward the industry structural alteration. Secondly, it is necessary to push on the founding of standardized large-scale husbandry. Next comes the establishment of sustainable green develop approach. Furthermore, we must strengthen the supply of forage. The fifth task was to ensure the safety of inputs in animal husbandry industry, particularly the feed. Last but not least, he emphasised the importance of expansion of poultry production.

China animal husbandry industry still has a long way to go in order to achieve its historical mission. One of the most significant constraints it confronts now is the severe shortage of intelligence especially in veterinary science. "Veterinarians in our country cannot offer satisfying professional service and their abilities require improvements," Chen Weisheng, the General Director of China Animal Disease Control Centre, explained. "There is a weakening trend in non-profit township animal husbandry and veterinary stations, especially in rural areas. The number of stations has declined from 45 thousand to 32 thousand between 1999 and 2014 with that of the employees decreasing from 250 thousand to only 140 thousand. Additionally, the vast majority of the base level staff are middle school graduates. The absence of business service organisations in those regions makes the situation even worse."

Facing such a circumstance, Chen Weisheng believed that a major reason is the uncompleted market system. The inconsistency of locus of operation between non-profit and business organisations is recognised vaguely. The top-down policy and legislation need to be improved. Consequently, we must separate two different types of entities more clearly and accelerate the establishing process of mature market as well as expertise and diversified social service organisations so that the professionals could practice their abilities.

The Corporations' Lack of Innovation Ability Leads to a Shortage of Innovative Property Right of Knowledge

Technological innovation is vital for the upgrade and sustainability of the industry as Cai Xuepeng, the General Director of China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, noted in his speech. He stressed that the most essential aspect of supply side reformation is technology innovation. However, there are many problems regarding to China's veterinary drug innovations. To illustrate, the corporations are weak at innovation and face a shortage of innovative property rights of knowledge. In addition, there are many problems in product supply such as the drug homogeneity trend, inferior product structure, lagging vaccine research and so forth. And the ultimate solution of these problems relies on technology development through which we could adjust the industry structure, transform the methodology and promote the output as well as quality.

The first move, according to Cai, is to identify the correct direction which should be to energize the innovation ability by deepening the transformation of veterinary drug technology innovation system. Next comes the irony fact that 'new drugs' are not technologically new. Then we should solve the question between 'presence' and 'absence' and make researches practical to tackle real problems. The fourth and fifth points were to improve the technological research and learn from international advanced technology and equipment to improve the drug produce craft. The final step is to increase the cooperation between industry, academy and research to gain benefits from innovations.

The Animal Husbandry Veterinary Industry is Now Facing Critical Transformation

Based on the statement of Shen Jianzhong, an academician of China Agricultural University, as the strategy of invigorating the country through science, technology and education persists, animal husbandry veterinary industry is also experiencing a significant transforming period. There is a strong need for innovative and self-disciplined researchers as well as responsible and practical management intelligence. But more importantly and urgently, we need a group of steadfast fundamental workers fighting in the front line.

Shen also believe that on the one hand, the main body of intelligence training should be universities and colleges. On the other hand, corporations are the base testing and benefiting from the abilities of those graduates. Thus, both of them are responsible for training and developing intelligence and how well they collaborate and innovate becomes really essential.

To answer this question, the Vice President of Boehringer Ingelheim, Stephen Lange, shared his entity's experience of the talent developments through scholarship programs in collaboration with 12 agricultural universities and colleges all over the country. "As China's animal husbandry develops swiftly, we welcome more experienced, more competent and more enthusiastic veterinary professionals to join us," Lange said, "Our vision is to help Chinese farms produce more, better and safer animal products. Hence, we set up the scholarship programs to help and encourage outstanding veterinary students and we have granted 553 awards ever since 2006. We hope our aid helped them go further in their area, and through our cooperation with colleges, we could bring more excellent intelligence to the industry."

SOURCE China Animal Husbandry Veterinary Intelligence Development Strategic Forum Committee
HONG KONG, Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Meditech Holdings Limited (SEHK stock code: 00801, TWSE stock code: 910801) ("Golden Meditech" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"), a leading integrated healthcare enterprise in China, announces that it entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Nanjing Yingpeng Huikang Medical Industry Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership) 1 ("Yingpeng Huikang Fund" or the "Purchaser") on 30 December 2016 regarding the disposal of the Company's entire equity stake in China Cord Blood Corporation ("CCBC") which represents 65.4% equity interest in CCBC on a fully diluted basis, for total cash consideration of RMB5.764 billion. The Company will host an extraordinary general meeting for shareholders to approve the transaction.

As part of the transaction, Golden Meditech agrees to give three years' performance guarantee of CCBC in favour of the Purchaser. In case of earnings shortfall, Golden Meditech will compensate the Purchaser by cash in an amount to be calculated in accordance with the formula set forth in the profit compensation agreement.

Upon completion, this transaction will result in significant return to both the Group and its shareholders. The Group will utilise the capital derives from this transaction to consolidate its healthcare services platform, further expand its medical and healthcare businesses and engage in strategic diversification. The board of directors of the Company will also consider a possible dividend payment as a mean to reward its shareholders.

The completion of the transaction is conditional upon the satisfaction of effectiveness conditions and the satisfaction (or waiving, if applicable) of all the condition precedents as set out in the sale and purchase agreement, including but not limited to obtaining all relevant regulatory approvals and shareholders' approvals.

Details of the transaction has been published by the Company in accordance with the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and posted on the Company's website as follows: http://www.goldenmeditech.com/big5/ir/announcements.php

About Golden Meditech Holdings Limited (SEHK stock code: 00 801, TWSE stock code: 910801)

Golden Meditech (www.goldenmeditech.com) is a leading integrated-healthcare enterprise in China. It is a first-mover in China, having established its dominant positions in several markets including the medical devices market, the cord blood storage market and the hospital management market in the healthcare industry, thanks to its strengths in innovation and market expertise and the ability to capture emerging market opportunities. Going forward, Golden Meditech will continue to pursue a leading position in China's healthcare industry both through organic growth and strategic expansion.

About Nanjing Yingpeng Huikang Medical Industry Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership)

Nanjing Yingpeng Huikang Medical Industry Investment Partnesrhip (Limited Partnership) is a merger and acquisition fund focusing on the medical and healthcare industry. It is found by Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co., Ltd. and several other institutions. Its fund managers are Nanjing Yingpeng Asset Management Limited 2 and Shanghai Guotai Junan Haojing Investments Management Limited 3, both are limited liability companies governed by the PRC law.

About China Cord Blood Corporation (NYSE stock code: CO)

CCBC (www.chinacordbloodcorp.com), a subsidiary of Golden Meditech, is the first and largest umbilical cord blood banking operator in Mainland China. It is principally engaged in the provision of cord blood collection, laboratory testing, hematopoietic stem cell processing and stem cell storage services in the PRC. CCBC owns exclusive licenses in Beijing, Guangdong and Zhejiang, and a minority interest in the exclusive operator in Shandong. It is one of the major shareholders of Cordlife Group Limited, the largest cord blood bank operator in Southeast Asia.

[1] The English name of Nanjing Yingpeng Huikang Medical Industry Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership) is for identification purpose only. [2] The English name of Nanjing Yingpeng Asset Management Limited is for identification purpose only. [3] The English name of Shanghai Guotai Junan Haojing Investments Management Limited is for identification purpose only.

SOURCE Golden Meditech Holdings Limited

Related Links

http://www.goldenmeditech.com


OAKDALE, Minn., Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Imation Corp. (the "Company" or "we") (NYSE: IMN) today announced that it has established a record date of January 6, 2017 for its special meeting of stockholders (the "special meeting") to be held to consider and vote upon the previously announced proposals to approve the issuance of up to 15,000,000 shares of common stock to Clinton Group, Inc. (the "Capacity Shares"), to approve a reverse stock split and a reduction of the number of authorized shares of the Company's common stock in a corresponding proportion and to adjourn the special meeting to a later date or time, if necessary, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies (collectively, the "Proposals"). The date and time of the special meeting will be set and announced at a later time.

Only holders of record of the Company's common stock at the close of business on January 6, 2017 will be entitled to notice of the special meeting and to vote and have their votes counted at the special meeting and any adjournments or postponements of the special meeting. The full meeting agenda will be detailed in the definitive proxy statement which will be mailed to all stockholders of record.

Additional Information About the Proposals and Where to Find It

In connection with the Proposals, the Company has filed with the SEC a preliminary proxy statement. When completed, the Company will mail a definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents to its stockholders in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the special meeting. This Current Report on Form 8-K does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the Proposals. It is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect to the Proposals. The Company's stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read the preliminary proxy statement, the amendments thereto, and the definitive proxy statement when available in connection with the Company's solicitation of proxies for the special meeting, as these materials will contain important information about the Company and the Proposals. The definitive proxy statement will be mailed to stockholders of record of the Company as of January 6, 2017. Stockholders can also obtain copies of the preliminary proxy statement, the definitive proxy statement when available, and other documents filed with the SEC, without charge, at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Imation Corp., 1099 Helmo Ave. N., Suite 250, Oakdale, Minnesota 55128, Attn: Investor Relations, (651) 704-4311.

Participants in Solicitation

The Company and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of the Company in connection with the Proposals. Information regarding the special interests of these directors and executive officers in the Proposals is included in the preliminary proxy statement and will be included in the definitive proxy statement when available. Additional information regarding the directors and executive officers of the Company is also included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, which is available free of charge at the SEC web site at www.sec.gov and at the address described above.

Disclaimer

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Capacity Shares or any other security. The Capacity Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

SOURCE Imation Corp.

Related Links

http://www.imation.com


Joyce L. Morrison earned her M.S. at Grove City College and her J.D. at Dickinson School of Law. She is currently the Director of Intellectual Property at Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI). The company is the U.S. animal health division of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. BIVI develops, manufactures and markets novel and innovative solutions for the prevention and treatment of disease in the cattle, equine, pet and swine markets. Headquartered in the KC Animal Health Corridor in St. Joseph, Missouri, BIVI is the fifth largest animal health company in the U.S. The company invests more than 11% of net sales of the Animal Health business in R&D which is the driving force behind the Animal Health business. Their purpose is geared to researching, developing and marketing new medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine. Their worldwide involvement in social responsibility is an important element of the corporate culture at Boehringer Ingelheim. The "Making More Health" initiative is an example of their worldwide involvement in social projects but also includes caring for their employees. Respect, equal opportunity and reconciling career and family form the foundation of mutual cooperation. Environmental protection and sustainability is a priority in everything they do. Ms. Morrison is affiliated with Biotech Trade Organizations, the American Intellectual Property Association (AIPLA) and the American Bar Association (ABA). In her leisure time, she enjoys the company of her pet dogs.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- If you're a woman who's pregnant or planning a baby this season, make a New Year's resolution to be as healthy as you can, says the March of Dimes Foundation. The first step is to start taking a daily multivitamin containing the B vitamin folic acid, even if you're not trying to get pregnant.

"Your health before and during pregnancy has a direct impact on your baby," says Dr. Siobhan Dolan, a medical advisor to the March of Dimes and co-author of the non-profit's book Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby: The Ultimate Pregnancy Guide. "The good news is that there are many things you can do as a mom-to-be that can protect your own health and help you have a healthy baby."

Dr. Dolan says it's also a good idea to eat foods that contain folate, the natural form of folic acid, including lentils, green leafy vegetables, black beans, and orange juice. In addition, some foods are fortified with folic acid, including enriched grain products such as bread, cereal, and pasta; and corn masa products such as tortilla chips and tacos.

Besides taking a daily multivitamin containing folic acid to prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine, women can take other steps to avoid infections that can hurt them and their babies during pregnancy. Foodborne illnesses, viruses, and parasites can cause birth defects and lifelong disabilities, such as hearing loss or learning problems. Other resolutions from the March of Dimes for moms-to-be:

Be up-to-date with your vaccinations (shots). Talk to your healthcare provider about vaccinations you should receive before or during pregnancy, including your flu shot and Tdap booster.

Talk to your healthcare provider about vaccinations you should receive before or during pregnancy, including your flu shot and Tdap booster. Don't eat raw or undercooked meat, raw or runny eggs, unpasteurized (raw) juice or dairy products, raw sprouts -- or products made with them.

meat, raw or runny eggs, unpasteurized (raw) juice or dairy products, raw sprouts -- or products made with them. Handle foods safely . Be sure to wash all knives, utensils, cutting boards, and dishes used to prepare raw meat, fish or poultry before they come into contact with other foods.

Be sure to wash all knives, utensils, cutting boards, and dishes used to prepare raw meat, fish or poultry before they come into contact with other foods. Maintain good hygiene. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before preparing or eating foods; after being around or touching pets and other animals; and after changing diapers or wiping runny noses.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before preparing or eating foods; after being around or touching pets and other animals; and after changing diapers or wiping runny noses. Do not put a young child's food, utensils, drinking cups, or pacifiers in your mouth.

a young child's food, utensils, drinking cups, or pacifiers in your mouth. Protect yourself from animals and insects known to carry diseases such as Zika virus, including mosquitos. This includes avoiding travel to areas where the virus is circulating. Find out more at ZAPzika.org.

from animals and insects known to carry diseases such as Zika virus, including mosquitos. This includes avoiding travel to areas where the virus is circulating. Find out more at ZAPzika.org. Stay away from wild or pet rodents, live poultry, lizards and turtles during pregnancy.

from wild or pet rodents, live poultry, lizards and turtles during pregnancy. Let someone else clean the cat litter boxes!

Birth defects affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January is Birth Defects Prevention Month, and the week of January 8 through 14 is set aside for Folic Acid Awareness Week. Join the conversation and learn more on Twitter at hashtag #prevent2protect.

"The coming year will be full of surprises. So whether you're pregnant or just want to have children in the future, resolve to help give them a healthy start in life," says Dr. Dolan.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.org or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

SOURCE March of Dimes

Related Links

http://www.marchofdimes.org


LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanda is the brainchild of Paul Feischman, a marine business tycoon from Florida and his other Asian Partners from Hong Kong. Nagendra Karri, a Hollywood director, producer and a seasoned entrepreneur who ran the much successful Al Muhaymin Media Fund from 2012-15 has sold his control share to the Chinese film syndicate this year.

Renderings on a futuristic Hollywood studio.

"I have been waiting to get myself involved in something very exciting and wanted to do it back in US. This country gave me everything. Whatever I am today is because of my education and background in the states. Building a cutting edge Hollywood studio is surely something in my alley as I have worked on this idea for years in the backend. God willing, we will have great success going forward," says Karri who is currently busy negotiating contracts with his established networks.

Karri will take over the upcoming newly built company headquarters in Los Angeles, California as the new CEO in March 2017. "I have had the pleasure of working with Karri on many international business deals over the years and he always delivered. I know I can count on him to bring his out of the box thinking in developing Skanda to a world class media organisation," says Mr. Fleischman who made his fortune in the marine and shipping industry.

Paul Feischman is the co-founder of Skanda Media, LLC, which is a boutique Media Fund with several investment and operating focus areas including film production, studio development and finance. Karri and other partners have backgrounds in finance, investing, strategy and business development across media, heavy engineering, asset management and startups to name a few.

For additional information or to get in touch with Skanda Media, please contact Samantha at [email protected].

Contacts

SKANDA MEDIA, LLC

Samantha Nichols, 424-387-6116

[email protected]

Los Angeles, CA.

SOURCE Skanda Media Group
WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A plastic surgeon in Virginia is on a mission to rescue zombies from pop culture's "walking dead" fantasy. "As I have said in other places," Glenn Shepard says from his medical practice in Newport News, "zombies are people to be pitied rather than feared." According to Shepard, being "undead" is the effect of mind-altering drugs and physical conditioning, a process the doctor dissects in detail in his new book, The Zombie Game (Mystery House).

The Zombie Game The Zombie Game

Shepard has spent years studying the zombie phenomenon and its origin in Vodoun, a religion that evolved in Haiti during the time of slavery and still survives to this day. "In reality, you make a person into a zombie through the use of drugs, and the process itself is a punishment, administered by a Vodoun priest. The person who is to be zombie-fied is someone who has committed a serious crime."

That view is at odds with the current trend. The portrayal of zombies and the undead has drifted away from reality over the years, beginning with comic books and pulp fiction in the 1930s and 40s, when zombies were portrayed as bloodthirsty predators. An even greater leap of fantasy was made, famously, in Night of the Living Dead, the 1968 film about zombie-like people who terrorize the inhabitants of an isolated farmhouse. That trend has continued until it has reached its current incarnation, Rage Zombies and Post Apocalyptic Zombies. These are whole groups of undead who carry a "pathogen," one that induces them to eat the living.

When asked about the idea of zombies attacking people, as depicted in The Walking Dead, Shepard laughs. "That's just Hollywood. Zombies have been maligned for years and I guess they make good monsters."

Shepard has spent years researching the drugs used in making zombies. According to him, tetrodotoxin, which is extracted from puffer fish, is used in the zombie rendering to produce the undead effect. "It causes paralysis," Shepard points out, "and it can sometimes make the victim appear dead." After administrating the toxin, the Vodoun practitioner can perform a simulated reanimation. "You can make it seem as though you've killed someone, and then they can come back from the dead."

Another drug used is scopolamine, elsewhere described as the "drug from Hell." Once under the influence, victims enter a fugue state and are easily manipulated. Scopolomine is extracted from jimson weed, sometimes referred to as the zombie cucumber.

Then there is the physical conditioning, which can include locking the drugged person in a coffin overnight, and even burial. Asphyxiation, in this case, causes further dementia.

Shepard, a long-time novelist, faced bucking the trend in writing The Zombie Game, which chronicles the continuing adventures of "Dr. Scott James," his Fugitive-like action-hero. "Most people have no idea that zombies are real, so I decided to make my protagonist, Dr. Scott James, into a zombie. I wanted to give a behind-the-scenes look at the reality of the Vodoun societies and the real zombies.

Media Contact:

John Haslett

[email protected]

323-203-6500

SOURCE Mystery House
New Delhi, Dec 29 : The year 2016 saw a huge rise in Indians planning travel on the go to showing increased preference to travel domestically, says a study.

As the year draws to a close, global travel search engine Skyscanner presents a roundup of travel trends prevalent among Indian travellers in 2016.

According to the study, mobile web is instrumental in travel planning. The data revealed an 8 per cent Year-on-Year leap in searches made on smart phones, indicating a growing preference to plan travel on the go.

Skyscanner reports also suggests 13 per cent increase in searches for domestic destinations, owing to a rise in number of new routes and flight choices. New Delhi takes the major share of domestic searches in both 2015 and 2016, achieving a steady 15 per cent both years.

Looking further afield at international destinations, the US achieved the most searches in both 2015 and 2016, and searches accounted for 8 per cent and 9 per cent of all searches in the respective year, said a statement.

Budget airlines also continued to be the preferred mode of air travel, whether travelling domestic or international. There was an 8 percent increase in searches for budget airlines tickets compared to 2015.

Indians also enjoy making the most of the festive season in October, which is usually plush with holidays. Occasioned by Durga Puja or Diwali and Bhai Dooj, October has turned out to be the favourite month for travel for the second year in a row.

Skyscanner's content consumption survey 2016 indicated that Indians are the most adventurous travellers in Asia Pacific but they also leave aside the adventure when it comes to devising the travel, taking a safe timeline of almost 40 days prior to travel period to plan the trip.

Commenting on the findings of this analysis, Reshmi Roy, Growth Manager, India at Skyscanner, said: "The insights we have drawn from this review of Skyscanner's data are key to understanding travel patterns and will help us to continue building products that solve problems for Indian travellers."

Roy added, "With increased connectivity, travel planning can become very simple."
Cairo, Dec 30 : The Egyptian cabinet approved a maritime border demarcation agreement signed between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, local media reports said.

According to state-run MENA news agency, the cabinet decided to refer the agreement to the House of Representatives after finalizing all required preparations and procedures for endorsement in line with the constitution, Xinhua news agency reported.

Egypt's cabinet announced in April that the joint Egyptian-Saudi technical maritime border drawing showed the islands of Tiran and Sanafir fall within the Saudi waters.

The agreement provoked an immediate backlash in Egypt, with hundreds of people protesting against "selling the islands".

The administrative court later ruled that "all rights of the two islands to Saudi Arabia are null and void". The State Lawsuits Authority, the body representing the government in legal cases, then appealed the decision.

On December 19, Egypt's High Administrative Court has set January 16 as the date when it will rule on the government's appeal against its earlier ruling nullifying the demarcation agreement with Saudi Arabia.

The islands, which have a strategic significance in the area, are currently inhabited only by military personnel from Egypt as well as the multinational force and observers.

The government's decision Thursday came as relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been going through ups and downs due to their different visions on various issues including the Syrian crisis, the war in Yemen and other issues.
Damascus, Dec 30 : The recently agreed upon cessation of hostilities went into force at midnight on Thursday, as declared by the Syrian army.

The nationwide ceasefire was brokered by Russia and Turkey and agreed upon by Syria, and major opposition and rebel groups, while terror-designated organisations such as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and the Islamic State (IS), were excluded, Xinhua news agency reported.

While previous cease-fires have failed to hold in Syria, the new one is particularly distinct as it enjoys the approval of all concerned parties, mainly Turkey, which has a major influence on the rebel groups operating in Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said on Thursday evening that the cease-fire constitutes a "real chance" to establish a political settlement in Syria.

The cease-fire comes after the Syrian army and its allied fighters re-took the city of Aleppo in northern Syria, after dealing a big blow to the rebels, said al-Moallem.

He noted that the new cease-fire is distinct from the previous failing ones due to the "strong Russian guarantees," saying that Russia is a partner in fighting terrorism.

According to the Kremlin, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad promised to honour the newly-clinched ceasefire agreement in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Washington, Dec 30 : US President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will be briefed by the US intelligence officials on alleged Russian hacking aimed at influencing the November 8 election, media reports said on Friday.

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," he said in a short statement.

Trump, who has dismissed accusations that Russia sought to help him in his race with Democrat Hillary Clinton, issued the statement hours after the US government announced new economic sanctions on Russia, Efe news reported.

The Barack Obama administration expelled 35 Russian officials in reprisal for the alleged cyber attacks and for harassment of US diplomats in Russia.

The claim of Russian meddling arose following the publication by WikiLeaks of e-mails from the Democratic National Committee and from the chairman of Clinton's presidential campaign, John Podesta.

The content of those e-mails cast Clinton and the DNC in a negative light.

US intelligence officials concluded that Russia intervened to help Republican candidate Trump win the presidential election, though WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said that Russia was not the source of the material he published.

The officials also said they were certain Russian President Vladimir Putin was directly involved in the putative hacking.

Trump called during the campaign for better relations with Moscow and has exchanged cordial messages with Putin since the election.

"These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia's aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised," President Barack Obama said of the measures announced Thursday.

The White House said that the steps respond to two separate issues: malicious cyber activity and the harassment of the US diplomats in Russia.

On the cyber front, Obama ordered sanctions against Russia's two main intelligence agencies, the GRU and FSB; four individual GRU officers; and three companies that aided GRU cyber operations.

Regarding the second grievance, the US State Department gave 35 Russian diplomats 72 hours to leave the country.

The designated officials, who were assigned to Russia's embassy in Washington and the Russian Consulate in San Francisco, engaged in conduct "inconsistent with their diplomatic status."

The State Department also barred Russian officials from entering two Russian-owned compounds located in Maryland and New York, respectively.

"All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," Obama said.

"In October, my administration publicised our assessment that Russia took actions intended to interfere with the US election process.

"These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government," the President said.

"In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the US and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior, and interfere with democratic governance.

"To that end, my administration will be providing a report to Congress in the coming days about Russia's efforts to interfere in our election," Obama said.

Trump's spokesman said earlier on Thursday that the administration should provide evidence of Russian meddling.

"If the US has clear proof of anyone interfering with our elections, we should make that known," Sean Spicer said in a conference call with reporters.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, which has repeatedly denied the accusations of hacking, called the new sanctions imposed by Washington "futile and counterproductive."

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also had harsh words about the latest US measures against Russia.

"Such steps of the US administration that has three weeks left to work are aimed at two things: to further harm Russian-American ties, which are at a low point as it is..."

"For now I cannot say what will be our response. Although, as we know, we have no other alternative than to abide by a principle of reciprocity. Naturally, we will issue an adequate response," the Kremlin spokesman said
New Delhi, Dec 30 : Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's office was burgled late night on Thursday, the city police said.

"There was a robbery at the Patparganj office of Deputy CM late night on Thursday. The exact time is not yet known," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Omvir Singh said.

"The district forensic team has lifted finger-prints from the crime scene," Singh said.

"The office was being shifted and most of the articles were already moved. However, some documents and two computers were stolen," he added.

Aam Aadmi Party worker Pankaj Singh told IANS that the lock of the office was broken and some documents, including letterheads as well as CPUs of two computers, were missing.

"The burglers also turned away the CCTV cameras and took away the DVRs that had the recordings," Upendra Kumar, who is in-charge of the party office, said.

The police, along with a dog squad, came to Sisodia's office on Friday morning to investigate the theft, he added.
Chennai, Dec 30 : Superstar Rajinikanth is mighty pleased with the digitally re-mastered version of his iconic 1995 Tamil film "Baashha", which is gearing up for re-release next month.

Directed by Suresh Krissna, the film was produced by R.M. Veerappan, and his son Thangaraj is the visionary behind the idea to digitize and re-release "Baashha".

In a statement, Thangaraj said: "Rajini sir had seen the trailer of the remastered version of the film and really liked it. He asked if it was my father's idea to re-release 'Baashha', and I told him it was mine. I explained to him what we had achieved technically with the film and he was delighted to know composer Deva sir had rescored for the entire film."

The film chronicles the story of a hardworking auto-rickshaw driver who once ruled as a dreadful gangster.

Recalling his meeting with Rajinikanth, Thangaraj said: "He shared anecdotes about how my father modified 'Baashha', and how he was responsible in the success of the film."

He also said special plans are being made for the film's release.

"We are planning to have a red carpet event, a charity show in London, and have fans from Japan over to watch the film," he said.
Ankara, Dec 30 : The Turkish armed forces on Friday said that Russian aircraft carried out three air strikes against Islamic State (IS) positions in Syria, killing 12 militants.

The attacks were launched on Thursday in support of Turkey's military operation against IS in the northern town of Al-Bab, Hurriyet Daily News reported citing military officials.

Russian forces staged three attacks in support of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), an ally of Turkey.

Turkish forces also launched airstrikes against Al-Bab, which reportedly killed a further 26 IS members.

A Turkish soldier died and five others were injured in a counter-attack by IS militants.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday denounced a lack of support from NATO countries in the fight against IS in Syria, Efe news reported.

Erdogan said Turkey, as a NATO ally, needed the organisation's support.

His country had not seen any support from NATO nor from allied countries, he said during a speech in Ankara capital city.

The head of state also condemned Washington's support of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey.

The Russian attacks came hours after a ceasefire, struck between the Syrian government regime of President Bashar al-Assad and rebel groups, came into effect and is being safeguarded by both Russia and Turkey.

The ceasefire did not apply to groups considered terrorist organisations by the United Nations Security Council, as in the case of IS.

In August, Turkey launched the Euphrates Shield operation in order to expel IS fighters from its borders and prevent the advance of Kurdish-Syrian militias across northern Syria.
Kolkata, Dec 30 : Criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "disruptive" demonetisation move is "inconsequential" in comparison to the tremendous support it has received, a top official said here on Friday.

"Despite tremendous amount of pain, people, especially the common man, have supported him. The criticism is inconsequential compared to the tremendous amount of support," Ajay Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said here at an event.

Dubbing it as a "major disruption" that is constructive for India, Mittal said the future will ultimately tell us of the move's impact.

"What ultimately comes out future will tell us. There was a state of cosy equilibrium. We knew something is wrong. The PM disrupted that equilibrium that had been accepted over the last few decades. The way society and economy was going, you and I felt that something needs to be done. No one had the courage. So he came and he disrupted," Mittal added.
New Delhi, Dec 30 : The CPI-M on Friday asked the government to immediately remove restrictions on cash withdrawals as the 50-day window sought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expired.

"Since the deadline of December 30 is over, all restrictions on the withdrawal of money by people from their own hard-earned money in the banks must be removed forthwith," the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) said in a statement.

It said that since the demonetisation has pushed the "beleaguered and stumbling Indian economy into a tailspin causing immense misery to the poor and the downtrodden" who survive on daily cash earnings, and hence some "corrective steps" need to be taken by the government.

The party has demanded immediate debt waiver for farmers, doubling the allocation for MNREGA to ensure 100 days of employment for all those who are enrolled, tax rebate to small and medium enterprises whose economic activity has suffered and removal of all restrictions on deposits and withdrawals of funds from the cooperative banks.

"This demonetisation will lead to a significant revenue loss in many states. To address this crucial issue, the Centre must compensate the state governments for the loss in revenue that they are incurring and the borrowing ceiling on the state governments in accordance to the FRBM Act must be raised form 3-4 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product," it said.

The CPI-M said that since the Prime Minister is constantly emphasising on the need to shift to a cashless economy, it is necessary to ensure that people are not burdened with additional costs and all costs on digital transactions should be removed.
Kolkata, Dec 30 : Trinamool MP Tapas Paul was on Friday arrested by the CBI in the Rose Valley chit fund scam, an official said.

"He has been arrested for further interrogation over his involvement in the financial exchanges in Rose Valley case," an agency official said.

The Bengali cine star, who was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) three days ago, presented himself at the investigation agency's regional office here and was arrested after questioning.
Kolkata, Dec 30 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been on the warpath against the Centre over demonetisation, on Friday said a truly democratic government should always be accountable to the people it serves.

"The difference between a democratic and a dictatorial government is that a democratic government is always accountable to its people while the latter is only accountable to itself," Banerjee said at a health awards distribution ceremony here. She said her government is a democratic one.

The Trinamool Congress supremo said the government should be ready to rectify mistakes it makes instead of "forcing" such erroneous decisions on the people.

"We can all make mistakes. Even Netaji Subash Chandra Bose told the youth about the right to make mistakes. But if one can recognise and rectify the error in time, that is the biggest reward of all," she said without taking any names.

Talking about the misery of the common people after demonetisation, Banerjee criticised the current cash withdrawal scenario.

"The Centre is saying one can withdraw up to Rs 24,000 in a week which means around Rs 96,000 in a month can be withdrawn. However, in reality the daily wage workers are not even able to withdraw around Rs 5,000 (in a month) as banks have no money," she alleged.
Kathmandu, Dec 30 : The agitating Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha in Nepal on Friday said it would not participate in local government elections until their demands are met through a constitutional amendment.

The Morcha issued a strongly worded statement after three major political parties -- the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) -- unilaterally agreed to hold polls to local bodies without approval from Madhes-based parties and without amending the Constitution as they demanded.

"Any elections without fulfilling the demands of various ethnic and marginalised communities will only invite conflict. The Constitution Amendment Bill registered in Parliament Secretariat should be revised and approved, which only will pave the way for elections," a top Morcha leader said on Friday after the Medhesi leaders' meetings.

The Morcha leaders held extensive deliberations on Thursday and Friday for their future strategy in case the Nepal government goes ahead with the planned polls to the local government bodies.

The government is under pressure from the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to announce the dates of these local polls, which they agreed to hold in accordance with the Local Level Restructuring Commission report.

As per the mandatory constitutional provision, Nepal needs to hold elections to local, provincial and federal bodies within the next 15 months. If any of these elections do not take place on schedule, the new Constitution promulgated last year will become invalid.

In order to hold local polls, the government formed the panel to come up with new numbers of local units reflecting the federal aspirations.

The Madhesi Morcha rejected a report prepared by the Local Level Restructuring Commission on new local units.

Any demarcation of the local bodies should be based on the population ratio, a Morcha statement said. "The commission report is unconstitutional; we are not going to accept it."

In order to address the demands of agitating Madhes parties vis-a-vis citizenship, language, federal boundaries and equal representation to Madhesis and other marginalised communities in various state bodies, the government registered the bill in Parliament on November 29.

However, due to obstruction by the main opposition parties, the government could not table the bill in the house. The Madhes parties have now called on the government to revise the bill since it also does not meet their demands and requirements.

In its four-point statement, the Madhesi Morcha said it will hold demonstrations in major Nepal cities on Monday to protest attempts to announce local poll dates before constitutional amendment.

The meeting criticised the main opposition CPN-UML for continuously obstructing Parliament's meeting to block the government from tabling the constitutional amendment bill and a discussions on it.
Lucknow, Dec 30 : Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday expelled his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party for six years for "indulging in anti-party activities". He said the party would now elect a new Chief Minister in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Also expelled was and party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav who had, earlier in the day called a national convention of the Samajwadi Party on January 1 following a rift over the list of SP candidates finalised by Mulayam Singh for assembly polls due next year.

The Akhilesh faction with Ram Gopal Yadav's support came up with a separate list of candidates, sparking a crisis.

"I am expelling both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years," Mulayam Singh told reporters at a hurriedly-called press conference here.

Mulayam Singh said "no one has the right to call national council meeting" other than the party chief and the decision was taken to give a "strong message" to party cadres.

He also accused Ram Gopal of damaging the future prospects of Akhilesh Yadav.

"The party is our priority... both of them indulged in indiscipline," he said.

Asked who would be the new Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh: "We will decide that."

Mulayam also appealed party workers to not attend the convention called by the Akhilesh-Ram Gopal faction.
Jammu, Dec 30 : A exchange of fire was on across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Friday evening after Pakistani Army resorted to heavy unprovoked firing at Indian positions, a defence official said. A youth was killed in the firing, police said.

"Pakistani Army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars at 4.55 p.m. on Indian army posts along the LoC in Poonch sector. The Indian Army posts are retaliating strongly and effectively and heavy firing exchanges are presently on in the area," defence spokesman, Lt Col Manish Mehta told IANS here.

Meanwhile, police sources said that a 15-year-old youth, Tanveer Ahmed, was injured in the firing and succumbed to his injuries.

Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire on the LoC in the same district on Thursday also.
Moscow, Dec 30 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected a suggestion of the Foreign Ministry to expel 35 American diplomats in response to a similar move by the US.

Putin said outgoing President Barack Obama's act was designed to provoke a reaction but Russia would not take the bait, RT News reported.

"We reserve the right to retaliate, but we will not sink to the level of this irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy. We will take further moves on restoring Russian-American relations based on the policies that the administration of President-elect Donald Trump adopts," Putin said in a statement.

Russia's Foreign Ministry earlier in the day proposed expelling the diplomats in response to the recent sanctions imposed by Washington.

"Russia's Foreign Ministry and their colleagues from other agencies have proposed that Putin proclaim 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US consulate service in St. Petersburg as persona non-grata," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

The proposal also includes a ban on using a recreation facility and storage facility used by American diplomats in Moscow, according to Lavrov.

"We hope these proposals will be reviewed as quickly as possible," he said.

At the same time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova refuted a report by CNN that Russia will close a school for children of English-speaking diplomats.

Earlier in the morning, CNN said the Russian authorities "ordered the closure of the Anglo-American School of Moscow" in retaliation for the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomatic staff from the US.

The news channel cited an anonymous "US official briefed on the matter" as the source of the information.

The school "serves children of US, British and Canadian embassy personnel, to US and foreign nationals", the report said.

"This is lies. Apparently the White House has gone completely mad and begun to invent sanctions against their own children," Zakhrarova said.

She told the journalists: "And don't write that 'Moscow has denied... or Moscow will not...' Write it as it is: 'CNN and other Western Media once again spread false information citing US officials'."
New Delhi, Dec 30 : With Beijing blocking its move to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a UN designated terrorist, India on Friday said the development reflected "double standards" in the fight against terrorism and was "surprising" as China was itself a victim of terrorism.

"We note with concern China's decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council which had been presented nine months ago and had received the strong backing of all other members of the Committee."

"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism," said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.

In April, China had blocked India's move to label the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief a terrorist, a decision that had angered New Delhi which has been trying to convince Beijing to reconsider the decision. In September, it had extended its decision to put a technical hold on the UN's 1267 Committee declaring Azhar a terrorist by three months.

Calling the action surprising, the MEA statement said: "This decision by China is surprising as China herself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism.

"As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation."

Seven Indian security personnel lost their lives when terrorists from across the border attacked the Indian Air Force base in Punjab's Pathankot early on January 2.

The Pakistan-based JeM claimed responsibility for the attack in which all the six terrorists also were reportedly killed.

"We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," the statement added.

JeM was listed in the Security Council Committee 1267 list on October 17, 2001 for being associated with the Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or the Taliban for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities related with terrorism".
Lucknow, Dec 30 : Toughening its stand against the expelled duo of General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party on Friday warned members and leaders of the party to stay away from the "emergency national convention" called by the former.

In a letter to party leaders, the party's Uttar Pradesh chief Shivpal Singh Yadav said the convention was unconstitutional and that they should not travel to the state capital for it or sign any papers with regard to it. He went on to state that anyone from the party who would be participating in the meeting will be considered working against the party and face action.

Earlier in the evening, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had also scoffed at the meeting and said the party constitution mandated that the national President okay such a meet. To this, a defiant Ram Gopal Yadav had retorted that the SP chief does not know the constitution and that since he himself was engaged in unconstitutional acts, his permission was not necessary.
Kolkata, Dec 30 : Reiterating her demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday batted for the formation of a national government, comprising all major political parties, till the next general elections.

She went all guns blazing against the Modi government over demonetisation and the arrest of Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul by CBI in the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, fired salvos at Modi and targeted the BJP on a day which co-coincided with Modi's self-set 50-day demonetisation deadline.

"A national government (comprising all parties) may be formed, if required, to govern the country till the next general elections. The country is not safe under this government," she said.

Referring to Paul's arrest, a furious Banerjee said it was obvious that someone from her party would be arrested on the 50th day deadline as the central agencies are functioning under "instructions" from the BJP government.

"I knew that they would arrest someone from our party today as we plan to intensify our protest post the 50-day deadline of the demonetisation. I have the documents from CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) that clearly state who all are in their list," she claimed.

Banerjee also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of having association with a chit fund scam and dared the Modi government to arrest her and her party MPs and legislators.

"I don't care if they arrest all my MPs. Let them arrest me. I will not be surprised if they arrest all our MPs. Arrest all my MPs. How many MLAs will you arrest? You do not need to summon us. We are ready to present ourselves," Banerjee said.

"The SEBI and RBI did not act against the chit fund companies," she said.

"BJP is connected to Pearl group chit fund scam worth Rs 50,000 crore. (BJP leaders) Babul Supriyo and Rupa Ganguly also were associated with Rose Valley," she claimed, likening the situation to the "terror of pre-Independence era."

She asserted that Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, who too was summoned by the central agency in the same case, has not done anything wrong and would definitely appear before the CBI.

She said Paul's arrest reeks of political vendetta as the party is protesting against the Centre over demonetisation while slamming the Modi government for failing to restore normalcy by Friday.

"111 people have lost their lives. How many BJP leaders visited their house? Why is RBI not disclosing how much money has been released to which state?"

"People have been misled. Your 50 days are up and you have failed in your 'agni pariksha'. The PM must apologise to the nation and step down. If BJP thinks they have majority, then make someone else the PM," she said.

She said Modi and the BJP "despise" the poor, the scheduled caste and tribes and the minorities.

Banerjee also flayed Modi for naming e-wallet app BHIM after BR Ambedkar.

"How could the government name a lottery app in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar who is the architect of the Indian Constitution? They have no right to insult the statesmen of the country and hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Castes in the country," she said.

Asked about the ongoing rift within the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the elections, she said she doesn't want to comment on any party's internal matter.

"... but I will be happy if BJP is defeated. BJP must be defeated in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand and wherever there are elections," she added.
New Delhi, Dec 30 : With the BJP emerging as a major gainer in the local body polls in Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, party President Amit Shah on Friday said the results show people are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his demonetisation move.

"People have told the opposition parties of their opinion (on demonetisation) through the results of the local body polls held in various parts of the country post demonetisation.

"Through the results, people have expressed their confidence in Prime Minister's vision and 'politics of performance' of the BJP. I am thankful to people and congratulate the party's workers," a statement quoted Shah as saying.

According to the statement, the BJP has won 7,363 of total 10,212 seats in Gram Panchayat elections in Gujarat, while the Congress could win only 2,395 seats.

In Chhattisgarh, the BJP won local body polls in Bhilai-Charoda and Sargarh with good margin, said the statement.

The BJP also registered an impressive win in the recently-held local body polls in Maharashtra.
Islamabad, Dec 30 : The death toll from drinking locally-made toxic liquor in Pakistan's Punjab province had reached 42, a Senate committee said on Friday.

Officials said that mostly Christians consumed toxic liquor during Christmas in Toba Tek Singh district that prompted calls for strict action against the people involved in selling of home-made liquor.

Several sick people were still receiving treatment in local hospitals as authorities were investigating the incident.

The Senate Committee on Interior urged the government to investigate and take action against the manufacturers of the illegal liquor and other narcotics.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior and Anti-narcotics Rehman Malik confirmed that the death toll had reached 42. He called for severe punishment against members of the drug mafia, saying that narcotics "kill more than terrorism in Pakistan."

He also directed local authorities to submit a detailed report about the incident and conduct of a thorough investigation.

Police said more than 50 residents of Mubarakbad village had taken poisonous home-liquor on Dec. 25 and many suffered stomach problem.

Two Muslims and two liquor sellers were also among those dead.

Several people who were believed to have been involved in manufacturing of the toxic liquor had been taken into custody.
Patna, Dec 30 : Slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's wife Asha Ranjan has allegedly received life threats again over the case she has filed against former RJD MP and strongman from Siwan Mohmmad Shahabuddin in connection with the killing of her husband.

This is second time she has received a phone call from Dubai, asking her to withdraw the case against the former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP in the Supreme Court, failing which she and her children would be cut into pieces.

Asha Ranjan lodged an FIR on Friday in connection with the threats.

"In her FIR, Asha Ranjan has stated that she received a phone call from Dubai late on Thursday night, threatening her to withdraw the case against Shahabuddin in the Supreme Court," said Assistant Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Gupta.

Gupta said she is frightened ever since she received the threat a second time and is demanding security.

Only a few days ago, she had lodged an FIR after receiving the first threat call from Dubai on December 26.

The scribe's widow had moved the apex court seeking transfer of the probe and trial of her husband's murder case to Delhi from Siwan, as she feared a free and fair trial against Shahabuddin was not possible if he was lodged in a Bihar jail.

Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Siwan jail after the apex court had, on September 30, cancelled his bail after hearing the two petitions filed by the Bihar government and lawyer Prashant Bhushan on behalf of the slain scribe's family.

The Bihar government had, on May 16, within three days of the murder, handed over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Her husband Rajdeo, who was the Siwan bureau chief of a noted Hindi daily, was shot dead on May 13 at a busy fruit market near Siwan railway station.
Cairo, Dec 31 : The ceasefire that came into effect in Syria at midnight has been upheld in most of the country, a British war monitor told EFE on Friday.

Rami Abdulrahman, Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the ceasefire between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups was being respected in around 90 per cent of the areas included in the deal.

According to the Observatory, a man was killed by a sniper in the rebel-held eastern Ghouta areas of Damascus making him the first death since the ceasefire came into effect.

The Observatory registered a few other violations of the ceasefire by rebels in the southern province of Daraa and by government forces in the Damascus, Hama and Idlib regions.

In the Christian-majority town of Khabab, in northern Daraa and under government control, several people were injured by mortar fire launched by rebel groups.

The SOHR also informed of Syrian Army bombings against areas in the north of Hama province, in the south of Aleppo and in the Barada river valley in Damascus.

The ceasefire agreement, hammered out between Russia and Turkey, was backed by the Syrian Army's General Command, the Syrian Armed Forces and rebel factions.

The deal aims to lead the way towards a new round of peace talks, scheduled to begin towards the end of January 2017 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
Mumbai, Dec 31 : Following expiry of the deadline to deposit demonetised currency in banks, the RBI on Friday relaxed the daily ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 4,500 from the earlier cap of Rs 2,500, with this facility, to be effective from January 1, coming as a new year gift to citizens.

"On a review of the position, the daily limit of withdrawal from ATMs has been increased with effect from January 1, 2017, from the existing Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,500 per day per card," the Reserve Bank of India said in a notification issued late on Friday.

The RBI further said "there is no change in weekly withdrawal limits", which remains at Rs 24,000.

The central bank also asked banks to ensure that disbursals on ATMs should predominantly be in the denomination of Rs 500.

As per data released by the RBI on December 21, it has supplied currency amounting to Rs 5.92 lakh crore till December 19, as against the Rs 15.4 lakh crore pulled out of the system through the demonetisation of high-value currency announced on November 8.

IANS

bc/lok
This marks the eighth consecutive year STTI Publishing has published AJN award-winners. This accomplishment is a testament to the quality of our authors and the highly skilled team of professionals who craft their visions into award-winning books.

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) was awarded five 2016 American Journal of Nursing (AJN) Book of the Year Awards. STTI Publishing has been recognized by the American Journal of Nursing each year since 2009.

The 2016 STTI award recipients are as follows:



A Practical Guide to Forensic Nursing: Incorporating Forensic Principles Into Nursing Practice received two awards: it was awarded first place in the Critical Care/Emergency Nursing category and third place in the Medical-Surgical Nursing category.

Written by two of the top names in forensic nursing, Angela F. Amar and L. Kathleen Sekula, this practical, evidence-based guide helps nurses understand and apply forensic nursing science in their practices. The authors highlight sociocultural diversity and relevant legal, ethical, societal, and policy issues while including challenges and potential solutions in the practice area.

Nurse on Board: Planning Your Path to the Boardroom was awarded second place in History and Public Policy.

Nurses represent the largest professional group in healthcare and are closest to patients, families, physicians, and the community. Their insight and experience is invaluable, yet only a small fraction serve on healthcare boards. In her book, the late Connie Curran challenges nurses at every level to get involved and find their place at the boardroom table. Gain insight into what and who nurses need to know and how to be effective board members, whether in hospitals, nursing organizations, corporate boards, or other nonprofit organizations.

High Reliability Organizations: A Healthcare Handbook for Patient Safety & Quality was awarded second place in Professional Issues.

What are high reliability organizations (HRO) and what do they look like in the healthcare field? This book addresses the gap between understanding HRO and applying their principles to clinical practice. Authors Cynthia A. Oster and Jane S. Braaten provide tools and best practices that will improve and enhance patient safety and quality outcomes.

Mastering Patient & Family Education: A Healthcare Handbook for Success was awarded third place in Community/Public Health/Home Health.

Part of STTI Publishings Mastering series, this book by Lori C. Marshall focuses on creating a new standard where patient and family education is viewed as a central part of a health system. The tools and resources it contains provides a broad, practical approach that appeals to the healthcare executive, the individual nurse, and the student nurse.

Receiving the AJN Book of the Year Award is a tremendous honor, and we are extremely proud to have five more recipients in 2016, said STTI Publisher Dustin Sullivan. This marks the eighth consecutive year STTI Publishing has published AJN award-winners. This accomplishment is a testament to the quality of our authors and the highly skilled team of professionals who craft their visions into award-winning books.

Nurses regard the AJN Book of the Year Awards as one of the most important designations of excellence in book publishing. STTI Publishings success is all the more remarkable given the size of its publishing program relative to the multinational corporate publishers it competes with.

Read more about the winners here. STTI Publishings 2016 AJN recipients are available for purchase at Nursing Knowledge International and bookstores throughout the world.

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About STTI

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Founded in 1922, STTI has more than 135,000 active members over 90 countries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others. STTIs 515 chapters are located at more than 700 institutions of higher education throughout Armenia, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, England, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Learn more at http://www.nursingsociety.org.
Founder Matt Spanburg We wanted to fill the void for the lack of student to student structure there was at every college; this campaign will hopefully help us take C.E to the next level to continue our mission on helping student's college careers

Campus Essentials is a free, one-of-a-kind centralized platform that helps students find everything they need at student-friendly prices. The site works by providing a platform that allows students to interact, buy, sell and trade with other students at their school for items such as textbooks, study guides, school supplies, electronics, clothing, furniture, cellular plans, sporting goods, and more. Students can also offer and access a wide range services like essay editing and pet sitting, find affordable rental housing, meet and make new friends, and explore internship, part-time and career opportunities posted by local and national businesses.

Campus Essentials is the brainchild of Matt Spanburg, a recent college graduate who launched the platform as part of a school project in his junior year at Floridas Flagler College. The idea generated so much positive feedback from students and faculty, that he invested his lifes savings -- along with funds borrowed from family members -- and spent the next two years transforming Campus Essentials into a full-fledged business.

While Campus Essentials continues to generate positive attention and has substantial traffic, Spanburg has come to the conclusion that his sweat equity isnt enough to take the concept to the next level, and enable it to scale and achieve its enormous untapped growth potential.

Ive always believed that Campus Essentials has to eat before I do, and I can no longer bribe my friends with food and drinks to come into the office to help, commented Spanburg, who has never drawn a salary. I know how under-served college students are, yet I also know that businesses of all sizes  from solopreneurs like me to establish enterprises  are spending a fortune trying to reach them. Unlike anything on or off the web, Campus Essentials closes this gap. Its a win for students, a win for businesses, and a win for schools. The crowdfunding campaign will help us raise capital to finish our mobile app, and add more functionality to the platform so that it serves the needs of even more students and businesses.

As part of the awareness-raising campaign, in addition launching the crowdfunding campaign Career Essentials is also giving away three months of free service advertising to businesses that sign-up with the promo code Campus123. Campus Essentials service advertising allows businesses to target certain schools by listing: job and internship opportunities, apartment rentals, events, restaurant specials, and even pet adoptions. Spanburg has also committed 10% of profits each year to create scholarships for students that may not be able to afford college. He states: "Everyone deserves the chance at higher education and we want to ensure that" Founder Matt Spanburg also knows how expensive it is for the schools themselves. So he wants to donate a portion of profits each year to schools who contact Campus Essentials across the United States.

Campus Essentials is complimentary for students, alumni, faculty members, and other school administrative staff with a valid and confirmed .edu email address. Businesses that wish to offer products, services and job opportunities to this demographic can purchase various advertising packages that start at just $5/month. If desired, they can target a specific school, group or schools, region, or expand their reach nationwide.

For more information on Campus Essentials and to sign-up as an advertiser, visit http://www.campusessentials.com.

To invest in Campus Essentials and be part of a concept that is changing how students and businesses connect, visit IndieGoGo

About Campus Essentials

Campus Essentials, LLC, was founded in 2015 by Flagler College student Matt Spanburg. It features classified ads created by and targeted to college students in the United States. Ad rates for businesses start at just $5 per month and can be targeted to geographic areas and search results. The site is free for students with a university-sponsored .edu email address. Campus Essentials is a service website designed to bring people together, but is not responsible for what goes on beyond the site. Campus Essentials does not represent any college or university. Campus Essentials owns all intellectual property, ideas, images and design.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Matt Spanburg

(904) 404-8930

mattspanburg(at)campusessentials(dot)com

http://www.campusessentials.com
Breast and Nipple pain in breastfeeding mothers Breast and nipple pain are common in breastfeeding women, but can be effectively treated.

Breast pain and sore nipples are common problems in the early weeks of breastfeeding, and these problems often cause mothers to stop breastfeeding earlier than they intended. Fortunately, if women receive competent care, their pain can be effectively treated. Dr. Carmela Baeza will present the latest findings to help clinicians correctly identify and treat the causes of breast and nipple pain in a webinar hosted by Praeclarus Press.

This webinar will focus on two types of pain: acute and chronic. Dr. Baeza will review the latest protocols for management of acute lactational mastitis. Clinicians will learn to recognize signs of acute mastitis in breastfeeding women and manage its symptoms using evidence-based protocols. Dr. Baeza will also provide guidance on when to refer mothers for medical treatment or when to culture their milk.

Chronic breast pain is less common than acute pain, but is also more challenging to identify causes and treat. Chronic breast pain is also very difficult for mothers and increases their risk of depression, so it is important to address. Participants will learn to do a detailed history and assessment of the mothers pain, to rule out different causes, and to develop an effective treatment plan. Dr. Baeza will also describe various new approaches to chronic breast pain, and the evidence behind them, including using breast-milk cultures, antibiotics, and probiotics.

Carmela Baeza, MD, IBCLC is a medical doctor and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, specializing in family medicine and in sexual therapy in Madrid, Spain. She works in a private Family Wellness Clinic, Raices, where she is in charge of the lactation program. She is the current president of the Spanish Lactation Consultant Association (AECCLM). Dr. Baeza is part of a workgroup for the study of chronic breast pain and mastitis.

Dr. Baeza is the author of Amar con los Brazos Abiertos (To Love with Open Arms), a parenting book. It has two parts, the first to make the science behind breastfeeding easy for parents to grasp, and the second to address everyday parenting emotional issues that parents can turn from barriers into assets for their family growth. She is married to Carlos and has five children.

The webinar will be held February 2, 1 p.m. EST. Registration is on the Praeclarus Press website.

Praeclarus Press is a small press specializing in womens health. Founded by health psychologist, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, PhD, IBCLC, FAPA, the mission of Praeclarus Press is to produce books and other materials that change peoples lives. Praeclarus Press is based in Amarillo, Texas.
It is an exciting time to be part of Regency Corporate Living. The company is growing and is looking to develop a presence that can be felt in the corporate housing world. James Theophilakos, has been named The Director of Client Services and Lucy Delgado has joined as Vice President of Client Services with Regency Corporate Living, headquartered in San Diego, CA.

James Theophilakos, CRP, a professional with more than two decades of diversified experience within the global relocation services industry has joined Regency Corporate Living as Director of Client Services for Regency. Previously, James held leadership roles encompassing both account management, client relationship and service management both on and off site for third party relocation and real estate service providers as well as global corporations. With his reputation as a strong leader, James is a perfect fit for Regency, Harvey Council, newly appointed COO of Regency, said. He possesses a strong commitment to his work and he has a history of providing excellent service to his clients and colleagues. As Regency continues to expand nationally, James possesses the entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence necessary to be highly successful in this new role.

Lucy Delgado, CRP, GMS, as Vice President of Client Services, Lucy will be responsible for the overall support, retention and growth of new and existing client accounts. After 19 years in the Corporate Global Mobility world, her position with Regency will provide unique opportunities and rewards by utilizing her expertise in the global mobility world to provide outstanding service to our clients. We are thrilled to have Lucys experience, knowledge and talents on the Regency team, says Harvey Council COO for Regency Corporate Living. We are growing, and part of our growth can be attributed to the attraction of such great talent.

For more information on Regency Corporate Living, visit http://www.RegencyCorporateLiving.com or call (855) 4 Regency.

About Regency Corporate Living

With locations across the United States and offices in all of the major markets in California, let Regency customize housing for you. Regency Corporate Living aims to be the pioneer within the corporate housing industry. Our evolutionary abilities have given us the power to truly Customize every corporate apartment to the needs of every resident. Let us showcase how weve given our clients the very unique ability to effortlessly choreograph the design of their home. Regency has found a way to offer our luxury accommodations at an affordable price that is customizable.
Mark Madrid, President and CEO of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Everything we do, from our educational programs, networking and funding opportunities, and outreach initiatives, is designed to bring more business to our members and to the Greater Austin region.

OnlineMBAPage.com ranked the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC) as 20th on the nations list of chambers that leverage social media as a tool to connect with the local and extended communities. Online MBA Page is a resource that provides information about schools, accreditation, availability or eligibility for financial aid, education, employment opportunities and other considerations for foreign and local students assessing schools for MBA specialization.

The organization evaluated around 550 chambers of commerce throughout the U.S. to determine those whose social media outreach produced the most followers, pins, likes and reader reaction. Online MBA Page believes that when used correctly, social media can make membership in the chamber of commerce even more attractive to area businessmen. Based on that rationale, partnered with social media expert Frank J. Kennys assertions that chambers social media efforts should primarily be about the members and not the chambers, Online MBA Page considered the chambers and its audiences reactions to their posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, Google+ and Pinterest. Chambers could amass up to 100 possible points, 27 stemming from Facebook, 26 for Twitter, 21 for LinkedIn, 19 for YouTube and 7 total points for Flickr, Google+ and Pinterest.

Were honored and thrilled to be among the top 20 chambers in the U.S. based on our outreach to our members and our community, and the ongoing open rapport that we have with our members through our social media outlets said Mark Madrid, President and CEO of the GAHCC. Everything we do, from our educational programs, networking and funding opportunities, and outreach initiatives, is designed to bring more business to our members and to the Greater Austin region. Since 1973, the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has worked hard to build a stable economic culture for Hispanic-owned businesses in Austin, giving them tools, resources and exposure to develop their businesses, evolve as informed business owners, expand their footprint, and drive more profitability. Our social media efforts help to communicate our events and initiatives, to highlight member businesses and milestones, and to link Hispanic businesses in Austin with corporations that actively look to do business with minority-owned companies. We were early adopters of and active players in social media, and we quickly understood the positive impact it could have on our ability to swiftly and effectively touch base with our constituents. This ranking is proof positive of the hard work of our fantastic team, and of partners like CF Creative who enable us to communicate with our members, sponsors and supporters through all our outlets. Most importantly, were grateful to our members, partners and the Austin community at large for the open dialog, constant chatter and positive reactions to our events and programs, which we communicate through social media. What a thrill to be the highest ranking Hispanic Chamber on this list, as well. We are truly blessed and grateful.

To further expand their community outreach, the GAHCC plans to increase its member features, small business initiatives, and webinars, driving the professional evolution of the Hispanic businessperson as a goal for the new year and beyond.

For media enquiries, contact Conchie Fernandez-Craig, CF Creative. info(at)cf-creative(dot)com or (954) 448-7590.
We hope that it gives our Diocese the opportunity to grow in our knowledge of the things we believe.

The Diocese of Bridgeport is celebrating the launch of its Diocesan Leadership Institute, a new online learning center for those serving in ministry in the parishes and schools of the Diocesan, at Assumption Parish on January 11. The Institute will serve as a virtual library that offers creative opportunities to ministry personnel and others to learn more about the Catholic faith.

It is an online venture in faith, if you will, said Bishop Frank Caggiano of the Diocese of Bridgeport when describing the Institute. We hope that it gives our Diocese the opportunity to grow in our knowledge of the things we believe, to grow in our spiritual relationship with the Lord, to learn how to pray more deeply and broadly, and to learn about the ministries of the church and the beautiful family we form. This is a historic moment for our Diocese to come together and grow in our knowledge of our Catholic faith and to celebrate in the presence of the Lord.

The Diocese invites anyone interested in attending to join them for a moment of prayer, learning, and celebration at the Assumption Parish in Westport. More information is available at the website: formationreimagined.org.

About the Diocesan Leadership Institute

Born out of the Fourth Diocesan Synod, the Diocesan Leadership Institute was created as a response to the Delegates discernment of a lack of systematic formation and support for those who serve in various ministry roles in our parishes and schools. The Institute offers theological and spiritual education for every adult who wishes to grow in their knowledge of the Catholic faith.
The American Insurance Association (AIA) is encouraged by the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) revised cyber security regulation. Announced yesterday in the New York State Registrar, the new effective date of the regulation, following a 30-day public review period, will be March 1, 2017. While the regulation continues to be quite broad in scope, there have been some improvements in the revised regulation to provide financial institutions with greater flexibility in creating cybersecurity programs that best fits their risk profile.

In particular, AIA is pleased to see that DFS has addressed our concerns regarding some of the more restrictive and burdensome requirements of the regulation, including those relating to encryption and audit trails. Additionally, the extended transition period is a positive development as it will allow more time for companies to comply with certain requirements in the regulation.

A brief statement by Alison Cooper, Northeast region vice president for AIA, follows.

AIA thanks the Department of Financial Services for working with the industry in addressing many of our concerns with the initial proposed cybersecurity regulation. As we continue to review the revised regulation, were encouraged by a number of changes and believe this is a good step in the right direction. The extended deadline and comment period will give insurers additional opportunities to provide feedback to the Department, allowing for greater coordination in achieving our ultimate shared goal: protecting customers information and corporate networks from cyberattacks. As such, the revisions and delayed implementation will allow insurers to better tailor and implement cybersecurity programs in a risk-based manner.
Intellitec Solutions announced today they have expanded their client base, with the recent implementation of Intacct for a long term care facility in Indiana. Having achieved recognition as a leading provide for the industry, they are now supporting senior living communities in 17 states. This further growth was fueled by the firms success in working with clients who utilize PointClickCare to manage their facilities.

Intellitec Solutions offers ERP solutions for senior living communities who want seamless accounting, clinical and business management without compromising any of the financial power they need. Instead of limiting capabilities with an all-in-one package, Intellitec Solutions empowers their clients with robust systems that enable technology, data and people to efficiently work together. By integrating Microsoft Dynamics GP and Intacct with independent clinical systems like PointClickCare, Intellitec offers a financial management package that meets the needs of the long term care industry.

Rick Sommer, president of Intellitec Solutions, credits this latest expansion on Intellitecs focus on cloud based solutions Many Senior Living facilities are coming to us to get modern cloud ERP that will work with the hosted solutions they use across their organization. But beyond simply moving to the cloud, they want to utilize best-of-breed software solutions that will help them get a better handle on costs. That is where our expertise and experience can be of greatest value.

Many long term care facilities and senior living communities use independent systems to manage clinical, accounting, documents, HR, and payroll. Intellitec Solutions has configured Microsoft Dynamics GP and Intacct to give financial management along with the ability to integrate data with the clinical and third-party systems the long term care industry needs. This in turn has created the national presence they now have.

About Intellitec Solutions

As a leading provider of General Ledger/ERP accounting software, Intellitec delivers in-house Long Term/Post-Acute Care expertise for over 400 locations across the United States. The 30-year-old company is certified in Microsoft Dynamics GP and Intacct and has optimized these solutions for the Long Term/Post-Acute Care Industry. In addition, they have developed automated integrations with clinical management packages to share financial and non-financial data. For more information or to schedule a demo, please visit http://www.intellitecsolutions.com or call 866-504-4357.

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All company and product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Mr. Johny Abuaitah, Mr. Haris Georgiades, Mr. Issa Abuaitah

The annual Christmas dinner of Windsor Brokers took place mid December at the Richard and Berengaria Ballroom of the Carob Mill in Limassol with Guest of Honour, His Excellency, the Cyprus Minister of Finance, Mr. Haris Georgiades.

Windsor Brokers celebrated another successful year of continuous development and distinctive business performance despite the several challenges faced during the year in the financial markets.

During his speech, Mr. Georgiades expressed the mutual respect towards the Founder and Directors of Windsor Brokers and thanked the Company for their long and successful presence in the Republic of Cyprus by stating, I wish to thank you for making Cyprus your home and for your valuable confidence and support. Your efforts have been instrumental to the viability of the local economy and have greatly contributed to the process of overcoming the economic challenges of the recent years.

CEO of Windsor Brokers, Johny Abuaitah, thanked the honorable guests for attending the event and announced the outstanding performance results of 2016. He also highlighted that thanks to the Companys strong presence, long-term experience, noteworthy capital reserves and qualified team, adjusting sails to the winds of change was a smooth process.

During the event, recognition and loyalty awards were offered on behalf of the Directors to eight employees who have been part of the Windsor Brokers team for over 10 years

About Windsor Brokers Ltd.

Windsor Brokers has been a leading provider of financial services for 28 years, catering to both retail and corporate investors from over 80 countries worldwide.

Windsor Brokers Ltd is licensed and regulated by CySec (Cyprus), EEA authorized by the FCA (UK), registered with the ACPR (France) and BaFin (Germany) and complies with EU regulations.

The Companys capital adequacy ratio (CAR) is currently at 59%, one of the highest in the FX industry worldwide.
I am so grateful to Villas of Distinction and Dream Vacations for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay at a private villa in St. Martin with my entire family.

Villas of Distinction, the worlds premier luxury villa rental company and leading home-based travel franchise Dream Vacations, both part of World Travel Holdings, made the holiday season a little brighter for a deserving veteran by gifting him and his family a $25,000 villa vacation.

With the assistance of the Civic Duty Partners, Inc. and New York State Troopers Marine Corps Association, the travel companies found former Marine Thomas McDonnell to host a luxury villa vacation. McDonnell enjoyed complimentary airfare from Dream Vacations and a weeklong villa stay at the beautiful Mumbai in St. Martin courtesy of Villas of Distinction. He was joined by his wife and three children, ages 18 months, four and seven year olds, as well as his parents and grandparents.

I am so grateful to Villas of Distinction and Dream Vacations for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay at a private villa in St. Martin with my entire family, said McDonnell. It was truly an unbelievable experience  from the gorgeous views and private accommodations to the concierge service which made dinner reservations and enabled us to easily explore the island. This was a dream vacation beyond our wildest dreams.

McDonnell, an infantryman with 3rd Battalion 25th Marines, deployed January-October 2005 to Al Anbar Province, the largest province by area in Iraq. McDonnell spent the majority of his time located near the west bank of the Euphrates River near the city of Hit (pronounced "HEET"), Iraq, approximately 30 miles northwest of Ramadi.

On Sept. 4, 2005, McDonnells base was hit with an organized assault consisting of a truck bomb, small arms, mortars, and rocket propelled grenades. McDonnell, who suffered a severe concussion from the truck bomb, received a Purple Heart, a combat decoration. After returning from Iraq McDonnell pursued a career in law enforcement and is now serving his community as Police Officer in the Rochester, N.Y. area.

We are thrilled to be able to give Thomas and his family a dream villa vacation, said Josh Tolkin, Business Development Director for Villas of Distinction. We're grateful to those who serve our country and we always remember those who are willing to sacrifice their lives to give us the freedom that we enjoy today. We're in an amazing industry and it is our pleasure to share what we do with a veteran and his family. This is a gesture of our appreciation, and we are happy that Thomas was able to relax and enjoy quality time with his family this holiday season.

When Villas of Distinction called me to see if we wanted to sponsor flights for Thomas trip, we jumped at the opportunity, said Rosemarie Reed, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Dream Vacations. As a member of the International Franchise Associations VetFran and with more than 30 percent of our Franchise Owners being veterans or active duty spouses, we are huge supporters of this community. Having the opportunity to provide a dream vacation to a deserving former Marine during the holidays is truly an honor.

For further information about the New York State Troopers Marine Corps Association, visit NYST-marine.org/, for Villas of Distinction, VillasofDistinction.com or Dream Vacations visit DreamVacations.com.

About Villas of Distinction

Villas of Distinction, as part of World Travel Holdings, is a full-service premier luxury villa provider with an extensive portfolio of thousands of privately-owned villas in more than 50 luxurious destinations including the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Europe, the Continental United States and many private Islands. For nearly 25 years, Villas of Distinction and its team of expert concierges have been helping travelers find their perfect vacation home without a membership fee. The company takes pride in offering customized vacations to meet every imaginable need, with most villas featuring private pools, butlers, maids and chefs. VillasofDistinction.com.

About Dream Vacations A CruiseOne Company

Launched in 2016, Dream Vacations A CruiseOne Company is part of World Travel Holdings, the worlds largest cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company. Dream Vacations franchisees have unrivaled buying power to offer the best prices and exclusive offers when selling memorable vacation experiences such as cruises, resort stays and land tours. For more information on Dream Vacations, visit DreamVacations.com and become a fan on Facebook at Facebook.com/OfficialDreamVacations.

About New York State Troopers Marine Corps Association

The New York State Troopers Marine Corps Association is a non-profit organization. Our motto is "From the Halls of Montezuma to the roads of New York State." We firmly believe in the old saying "Once a Marine, always a Marine." The NYST Marine Corps Association's purpose is to bring together the knowledge and experiences of Marines past and present, young and old and to benefit the Marines and family members during an unforeseen financial crisis. For more information visit the New York State Troopers Marine Corps Association.

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Every year around the holidays we receive last minute calls from Miami locals needing emergency sliding glass door repair

Miamis leading service for sliding glass door repair, Express Glass & Board Up has issued a reminder for the Miami-Dade county community. The service reminder reminds area residents that as they plan holiday festivities, an emergency preparedness plan may need to be reviewed. Unexpected dangers such as a broken window can threaten the safety and security of a home or business, leading to injuries and costly lawsuits.

Every year around the holidays we receive last minute calls from Miami locals needing emergency sliding glass door repair, explained Yaniet Santos, general manager of Express Glass. Sometimes they werent prepared for the accident and after several hours or a day, find us and call us for our 24/7 emergency glass repair. We wanted to get the word out early that we are here any time during the holiday season. Residents should keep our number handy prior to an emergency over the holidays!

Updated information, including phone numbers and Web-based contact, for emergency sliding glass door repair in Miami can be found at http://www.expressglassfl.com/miami-glass-window-repair/. The page on emergency glass repair is also updated at http://www.expressglassfl.com/commercial-glass-repair/emergency-glass-repair-services/.

Making a list for Sliding Glass Door Repair in Miami and Checking it Twice

Miami locals may be reviewing projects for the holiday season and double-checking the details. Gift giving and festive dinners could be the main focus of a list, but a practical emergency preparedness strategy may be a smart idea too. Ensuring a home or business is secure can keep the festivities going. For instance, if a large storm rages outside during a holiday party and a patio door is shattered by flying debris, it can stop the merrymaking quickly. Many glass repair businesses may be closed during evening celebrations. It might be important to have the number of a sliding glass door repair business that is open 24/7 for such important emergencies.

Express Glass, Miamis top sliding glass door repair company, has issued a reminder to the Florida community. Locals may want to add emergency window glass repair service contact information to a holiday checklist. Weeks of plans for a fun and memorable holiday dinner can be thwarted when shattered glass becomes an unexpected guest. If the number for 24/7 emergency sliding glass door repair is on a list, hosts can call to fix the problem quickly. The safety and security of Miami patrons during the holiday season should be a priority on any home or business checklist. Express Glass reminds Miami to note what number to call for 24/7 sliding glass door repair emergencies. Quick access to fixing a shattered window or patio door can help keep a holiday merry and bright.

About Express Glass Repair and Board Up

Express Glass and Board Up Service Inc. is a family owned and operated glass repair business with more than 20 years of experience. Professional technicians and the large variety of inventory make Express Glass the top glass door replacement and repair service. If customers are looking for Miami sliding glass door repair, or Ft. Lauderdale glass repair as well as glass repair in Delray Beach please reach out to the company for a free estimate. If customers need a 24/7 Miami Sliding Glass Door replacement service, or glass repair in Ft. Lauderdale or Boca Raton, technicians are standing by. The company specializes in sliding glass door repair and window glass repair; technicians will handle any glass replacement situation efficiently. Home or business glass repair is the company's main priority.

Express Glass Repair and Board Up

http://www.expressglassfl.com/
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On Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter revealed that Milo Yiannopoulos, the editor of Breitbart Tech and a well-known "alt-right" pundit, had secured a $250,000 advance in a book deal with Simon & Schuster's conservative imprint, Threshold Editions.

"I met with top execs at Simon & Schuster earlier in the year and spent half an hour trying to shock them with lewd jokes and outrageous opinions," Yiannopoulos told THR. "I thought they were going to have me escorted from the buildingbut instead they offered me a wheelbarrow full of money."

S&S will release Dangerous on March 14, 2017, and the book is now up on the S&S website.

"They said banning me from Twitter would finish me off," Yiannopoulos added, referring to an incident this July, when a number of his Twitter followers engaged in targeted harrassment of actress Leslie Jones following her role in the Ghostbusters remake, which Yiannopoulos panned. (Jones temporarily left the social network due to harassment.) "Just as I predicted, the opposite has happened."

While Yiannopoulos, whose ban is "permanent," may be off Twitter, news of the deal prompted backlash from the book community on the social network, much of it criticizing S&S for signing Yiannopoulos. The Chicago Review of Books went so far as to say it would not review any S&S titles in 2017 as a result of the Yiannopoulos signing.

The publishing industry as of this year is 79% white. Being racist is quite profitable. https://t.co/lNo0flFAIa  Saeed Jones (@theferocity) December 29, 2016

I am rethinking my relationship with @simonschuster #Milo  Karen Hunter (@karenhunter) December 29, 2016

Whew. When I saw that Milo had a book deal I whispered, please don't let it be my publisher.  roxane gay (@rgay) December 29, 2016

Couldn't agree more. No member of the reading community should have to fear they'll be put in danger if their home town is on his book tour. https://t.co/1nsSLwbsnp  Joanna Volpe (@JoSVolpe) December 29, 2016

Outrage helps sell books. Utter silence is what kills them.  Lisa Lucas (@likaluca) December 30, 2016

That backlash is unlikely to phase Yiannopoulos.

"Every line of attack the forces of political correctness try on me fails pathetically," he told THR. "I'm more powerful, more influential and more fabulous than ever before, and this book is the moment Milo goes mainstream."

However, Yiannopoulos may not be so dismissive of booksellers' reactions. While the book has risen up the charts at Amazon and is on sale at BN.com, at least a few independent booksellers said they will not sell the book. "The books my staff and I choose to place on our shelves is a reflection of our community," said Kate Rattenborg, owner of Dragonfly Books in Decorah, Iowa. "Our community is not a community of hate, and I will not provide shelf space for a book where the author has risen to notoriety based on his discriminatory harassment, online bullying, and striking fear in others."

Judith Kissner, owner of Scout & Morga Books in Cambridge, Minn., had a similar stance. Calling Yiannopoulous "nothing more than a self-promoting provocateur who has realized there is big money to be made in spewing hatred, misogyny, and intolerance," Kissner said her store builds "the core of our inventory around literature and books that enlighten, educate, and inspire. I have no problem with losing a sale by not stocking the book.

After being reached for comment, S&S stated: "We do not and never have condoned discrimination or hate speech in any form. At Simon & Schuster, we have always published books by a wide range of authors with greatly varying, and frequently controversial, opinions, and appealing to many different audiences of readers."

The publisher added: "While we are cognizant that many may disagree vehemently with the books we publish, we note that the opinions therein belong to our authors, and do not reflect either a corporate viewpoint or the views of our employees, and request that readers withhold judgment until they have had a chance to read the actual contents of the book."

With additional reporting by Claire Kirch

This article has been updated to include more reaction to the Yiannopoulos signing.
News that U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos is giving serious consideration to challenging Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018 is no surprise to many Quad-Citians.

The Moline Democrats name has been in the conversation for months as leaders of our divided state focus on an election two years away, rather resolving the longest-running state budget crisis in the U.S.

But while we would normally lament this premature posturing, especially with a nasty presidential campaign still dividing us, we cant decry the current Democratic gubernatorial buzz after GOP Gov. Rauners recent $50 million down payment on a re-election campaign he has no intention of losing.

As Rep. Bustos influence continues to rise in Washington, its no wonder Democrats are high on our 17th Congressional District representative with a penchant for reaching across the aisle.

Several party insiders tell POLITICO that Bustos is an attractive candidate because she could draw votes from the Quad Cities and possibly farther Downstate, where Chicago Democrats tend to struggle, Natasha Korecki posted to POLITCO.com on Sept. 7. As a female, Bustos offers a breakthrough possibility; Illinois has never had a female governor.

While, Rep. Bustos didnt dismiss a gubernatorial bid in the fall, she told media representatives, including our editorial board, her focus was on winning the race for Congress. After capturing a third term by a 20 percent margin in a district that went for Donald Trump, shes ready to dip more than a toe in the gubernatorial pool.

Senior adviser Stacy Raker said in a statement Monday her boss is giving the race serious consideration because she thinks Bruce Rauner has been an absolute disaster for working families in her district and across our state, so shes committed to making sure Democrats have a candidate who can defeat him in 2018.

Like Doug House, Rock Island County Democratic Party chair and president of the Illinois Democratic County Chairmens Association, we believe the effective congresswoman with a work ethic that is second to none would make a formidable candidate.

This race will require one.

Crains Chicago Business political columnist Greg Hinz has put Rep. Bustos in Category two of candidates that includes a variety of midrange Democrats with a following in regions the Democratic Party statewide has all but abandoned in recent decades. To win, they must broaden their bases. As many a failed candidate can attest, thats far easier said then done.

Not that were offering the politically smart congresswoman our advice. She doesnt need it. Neither is this an early endorsement for Gov. Bustos. Like voters, we will need to see who is in the field and learn more about the candidates and their plans for Illinois and our Quad-Cities region before we can make our choice.

But in the meantime, Western Illinoisans owes Rep. Bustos our thanks for making our too-often ignored region part of the conversation as Illinois struggles to move toward a better future.

Thats some good political news. Now for the bad.

Moline's latest black eye

Molines controversial municipal elections went from bad to worse after voters learned that the 7th Ward race had been left off the list of open seats on the April 7, 2017 ballot.

That means 7th Ward residents who wish to vote for alderman for the seat currently held by appointed Ald. Mike Waldron will have to do so by write-in in the general election.

Candidates have until Feb. 2 to file as write-in candidates in the General Election to challenge Ald. Waldron who filed his write-in paperwork after the city attorneys office notified him that he was up for re-election after the petition filing deadline had passed.

That brings to four the number of races in the city that could potentially be decided via the difficult write-in path after a number of candidates were tossed from the ballot due to filing errors many blame in part on deficient city-provided petition packets.

Residents are left to wonder how we got here. City Hall isnt talking. (Or at least city officials arent saying anything of substance.)

But Quad-Citians sure are.

We cant imagine city leaders like what theyre hearing.

Officials would be wise to address it soon.

Ignoring the matter only amplifies the discord.
Finnish architect Eero Saarinen (1910-1961) did not live to see two of his greatest creations  the John Deere World Headquarters in Moline, and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

The landmark 1964 Deere administrative center, and interview with Neil Dahlstrom, manager of corporate history and archives, are featured in the new PBS documentary "Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future."

The architect's untimely death at age 51 "cut short what continues to be one of the most influential legacies in American architecture, a body of timeless work that stands apart from the clutter of contemporary design and continues to inspire architects today," according to a summary at imdb.com.

Director Peter Rosen and cinematographer Eric Saarinen (Eero's 74-year-old son) visited the Deere headquarters twice during the past 18 months for the film, which incorporates drone technology, Mr. Dahlstrom said this week.

"A lot of the documentary is (Eric) coming to grips with the legacy of his father," he said.

Closure was something I didnt have with my dad. But I forgive him for his genius, Eric Saarinen said in a PBS release. He figured out a way to be important across time, so even though he died young, he is still alive.

This film is both an immersive look at an architects work and a father-son story across generations," Mr. Rosen said of the one-hour documentary, which premiered Tuesday on PBS, and will be available on DVD Jan. 3 from PBS Distribution. "Once Eric agreed to go on this journey with me, I knew the results would be compelling and revealing."

Eero Saarinen is best known for designing national historic landmarks such as St. Louis Gateway Arch (completed in 1965) and the General Motors Technical Center in Michigan, as well as New Yorks TWA Flight Center at Kennedy International Airport, Yale Universitys Ingalls Rink and Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges and Virginias Dulles Airport.

The film features new interviews with architects Kevin Roche (who worked on the Deere headquarters following Saarinen's death), Cesar Pelli, Rafael Vinoly and Robert A. M. Stern.

"One of the greatest parts of the PBS project for me was, we had archival footage of Eero Saarinen, which they hadn't found from his other corporate clients, of one of the boardroom presentations of his design," Mr. Dahlstrom said.

Design began in 1957 under then-Deere CEO Bill Hewitt.

"They wanted a lot of technology in the building, wanted a building to attract global talent," Mr. Dahlstrom said. Hewitt "wanted it to be something organic to the site, like it had always been there," he said. "It was important to have John Deere employees see farmland, nature," with many windows in the building.

The board rejected Saarinen's first design, which was a concrete inverted pyramid, on top of the hill, Mr. Dahlstrom said, in part because it didn't have a product display floor and auditorium. The architect died before construction even began -- the first major structure made of Cor-Ten steel, which is erosion-proof and creates its own protective coating (rust colored) as it ages, the company archivist said.

"I think it's been incredibly influential," Mr. Dahlstrom said. "It's unique among his buildings."

According to architectureweek.com: "Instead of the lustrous metal that he used in other buildings before and after, Saarinen trussed the edifice in the obtrusively industrial Cor-Ten steel, which rusts to a protective finish. Saarinen described his decision:

"Deere & Company is a secure, well-established, successful farm machinery company, proud of its Midwestern farm-belt location. Farm machinery is not slick, shiny metal but forged iron and steel in big, forceful, functional shapes," he said. "The proper character for the headquarters' architecture should likewise not be slick, precise glittering glass and spindly metal building, but a building which is bold and direct, using metal in a strong, basic way."

About 900 employees who worked in four separate buildings all moved into what was then called the Administrative Center, Mr. Dahlstrom said.

The lakes in front were man-made and built to recirculate water for the heating and air conditioning systems. The phone system was revolutionary to the region, including the first "touch tone" phones, and the first such system in downstate Illinois allowing callers to direct dial, rather than go through a switchboard, Mr. Dahlstrom said. It was then the largest installation in the U.S.

Some of the furniture original to the building remains in many spaces, including the former Executive Dining Room, he said.

During the documentary filming, Eric Saarinen told a story about the 630-foot-tall Gateway Arch, which his father first designed in the late '40s for a contest, Mr. Dahlstrom said. Eero and his father both submitted designs to be the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

"Eero designed the arch and a lot of buildings around it, which were never built," Mr. Dahlstrom said. "According to the story, they actually sent the award letter to his father."

For the 50th anniversary of the Deere HQ in 2014, there were special employee events and public tours, and Deere made a five-minute film about the building, he noted. That video is on the display floor, which is open to the public. There are typically no public tours of the building, Mr. Dahlstrom said.

"I think it's a great testament to the vision of the company at that time, entering global markets, really expanding, but still really true to its identity and its heritage," he said of the headquarters. "It's also a testament to how good a caretaker Deere has been for the building and the vision of the original architect."

For more information, on the documentary, visit pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/eero-saarinen-film/7507. You can see the film at video.wqpt.org/video/2365921900.
DAVENPORT  Isabel Bloom Inc. opened a sparkling new present during this holiday season  a 2,000-square-foot showroom in the same building as its production facility, 736 Federal St.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the iconic maker of handcrafted sculptures moved to the newly renovated Gordon Van Tine Building in late November. After closing its longtime store in the Village of East Davenport, the new facility is the global headquarters for all Isabel Bloom operations.

Two years ago, owners Donna Young, Cathy Nevins and Bill Barrett recognized they didnt have the space they needed to realize their long-term vision. The 1,200-square-foot East Village store and studio (1109 Mound St.) operated since 1966, and 30 years later the company moved its sculpture production and offices one mile west (to the current Federal Street building). The mold-making department remained in the East Village studio.

We had this vision to bring back the old Isabel Bloom experience, where customers could see the artisans at work, Mr. Barrett, co-owner and operations director, said recently. "We wanted our customers to have an intimate view of the production, and to see that this art really is made here in the community and they are purchasing a part of that.

Developer and building owner Joe Erenberger approached them about moving their store to his building, Ms. Young (a longtime designer and sculptor) said. "Having a developer want us to be their anchor was huge for us," she said. And he did most of the building renovation.

The sleek, handsome new retail area used to house some of the company offices and a warehousing garage, where delivery trucks picked up orders. All Isabel Bloom offices are on the third floor now, Ms. Young said, noting mold-making is also in the building.

The move out of the Village "was very bittersweet," she said. "I miss the merchants, and just the fact that it was Isabel's original place. It was hard, because when production moved away, we really lost something. Now we gained it back. We couldn't have brought all this to the Village; there just wasn't enough space."

Ms. Young started working for the company founder (who lived from 1908 to 2001) in 1981. Company-wide, there are now about 70 employees (half of whom are part-time in sales), and no new staff were added with the move, she said.

The company has other stores at NorthPark Mall in Davenport, LeClaire, Moline and West Des Moines. The garage area is now in the back of the Federal Street building. Ms. Young noted one-third of their annual sales are between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The new showroom includes an area with seats and a screen where visitors can see a video about Isabel and John Bloom's lives. There are also large windows where you can watch workers in action.

"Another advantage is, salespeople learn so much being here. It's going to be really good for our sales team to have a better knowledge of production," Ms. Young said. "When I started working, you did everything  you finished, you cast, you waited on customers. Now, you're either in production or in sales."

The '96 move greatly expanded Isabel Bloom production space and capacity. The expanded casting area enabled the use of more molds, thereby increasing the number of sculptures produced, according to the company.

The former studio showroom in the Olde Towne neighborhood of Moline was remodeled that same year. In 1999, Isabel Bloom relocated that studio to John Deere Commons downtown. A former factory building at 15th Street and River Drive features a larger showroom and more accessible location, filled with sculptures, antiques and seasonal displays that emphasize Isabel's designs, as well as Ms. Young's sculptures.

The company first started public tours of production in 2003, introducing specially-designed tour sculptures for sale  only for one year and only for tour guests, Ms. Young said. Beginning in 2006, they brought a sculpture back from the archives each year, designed by Ms. Bloom.

There were no tour sculptures in the past two years, but in 2017, Isabel Bloom will produce a limited-edition plaque, titled Catch a Dream." It depicts a small child proudly holding up his big catch, a catfish out of the Mississippi, Ms. Young said.

With this plaque we pay tribute to the mighty Mississippi, and the folks who live or have lived along its banks," she said. "Isabels first sculpture was modeled from mud dug from its banks when she and her brother George were quite young."

Free tours are regularly held Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m., but any number of guests can schedule other times, she said.

The new location offers the company more room to grow, and it hopes to expand the tour business, Ms. Young said.

Im excited about what the future holds for Isabel Bloom, she said. I feel like were now set up to handle whatever comes our way. We have room to grow, to serve more customers, and to welcome more tours.

For more information, visit ibloom.com.
ALEDO  Mercer County 4-H honored members for outstanding achievements and community service at their annual awards event on Nov. 13.

The Saddle Teens 4-H Club won the State Club and Standards of Excellence Club awards. The Hamlet Handy Helpers 4-H Club won Club of the Year, 4-H Fair Booth Display and Standards of Excellence Club awards.

Country Kids 4-H Club won the National 4-H Week Window Display award. The Joy Eliza Ag 4-H Club won Club of the Year, State Club, Top Records and Standards of Excellence Club awards.

The Goderis Family  Duane, Nellie, Tim and Jace  were honored for outstanding contributions to the 4-H International Program. Nellie Goderis was honored as a 2016 Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame inductee.

County Blue Awards were given to Andrew Boruff, Kaelyn Boruff, Colby Cox and Kiersten Cox. Outstanding First Year Member awards went to Eden Mueller and Davin Shike.

The Illinois 4-H EEC Electricity and Livestock Record Book awards went to Davin Shike. The Emanuel Johnson Leadership Award went to Anna Marolf. The Marvin Kottman Award and the 4-H Bright Futures awards went to Nicholas Close.

Leaders were honored for service of up to 43 years. Honorees included:

 25th Year Emerald Clover Award: Tammy Bennett, Peppy Partners

 26th Year: Rose Northcutt, Mercer County Dog Club

 28th Year: Jayne Johnson and Julie Olson, Alexis All Stars

 30th Year Ruby Clover Award: Karen Dellitt, Peppy Partners

 31st Year: Lorraine Kinsey, Mercer County Dog Club, 4-H Horse Committee, 4-H Fair superintendent

 43rd Year: Joyce Smith, Saddle Teens, 4-H BBQ, Horse committee and Expansion and Review committees and Mercer County 4-H Foundation.
A Milan man was in the Henry County Jail on $100,000 bond as of Friday.

Austin J. Sandberg, 20, faces three felony charges in connection to an early Friday incident. He was arraigned Friday on charges of possessing a stolen vehicle  a 2002 Hyundai SUV, theft and aggravated fleeing of Sheriff's Deputy David Smutzer.

He also faces misdemeanor charges of attempted theft of a 2006 Chevy pickup, criminal trespass to vehicles and contributing to the delinquency of two minors.

Judge Terry Patton arraigned Mr. Sandberg, setting bond at $100,000. A Jan. 9 preliminary hearing was set. The public defender's office was appointed to the case.
CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP)  Ivan's days on the police force were numbered in July.

A K9 unit dog for the Charleston Police Department for more than eight years, Ivan was getting old and retirement was imminent.

During those eight years, Ivan's days were fairly routine. Starting at around 5 p.m., he and Heath Thornton, Ivan's handler, would go on a walk and all around get ready for the night ahead of them.

Thornton said when he got his uniform on, Ivan, characterized as a serious and work-oriented dog, knew it was his time to shine.

"When I go to work at night and put the uniform on, that is like the indicator that, 'Hey, I'm going,' so he goes to the door and he is ready to roll," Thornton said.

But the 9-year-old Belgian Malinois was getting slower and got tired more quickly. He was nearing retirement.

Thornton said in late June, this became clear at the K9 Dog Trials, which serve as a certification event for K9 dogs, but also serve as a competition.

"He only just turned 9 a week before the trial and he was looking pretty good," Thornton said. "I was really excited about having a nice trial."

Thornton noted that Ivan in many ways looked better and more prepared than ever for the trial. But after one of the trials for obedience, Ivan was getting noticeably worn. More than just being an old dog, Ivan also was limping.

Thornton said his front legs and joints have gotten weaker and more problematic with age. The next day of the trials, Ivan had to do article searches, which is not very strenuous on the dogs, and yet, Ivan still was limping.

"After that, I was like, 'I can't do this to him,' so I pulled him out," Thornton said. "It was devastating to see him just limping. It was kind of all of a sudden. He had some off and on (episodes) but nothing that had not healed up."

Ivan's time as a K9 dog was coming to a close. Around the same time, though, Thornton said a K9 dog owner was willing to donate a now 14-month-old trained K9 dog, Kye.

Kye, a German Shepherd, is "social butterfly" of a dog, Thornton said. Still a young pup in many ways, Kye seemingly does not stop moving or lose energy, but Thornton said he is a trained dog ready for the position.

So, for the next few months, Thornton trained Kye and transitioned Ivan into retirement.

"I want to see (Ivan) enjoy life," Thornton said. "I don't want to work him until he can't walk to where he couldn't enjoy life. He has worked for eight years, seven months. I think he deserves to just be a dog, be at home, relax, just be a family member."

Ivan's last day on the job was the Monday before Thanksgiving with Kye taking his place on Thanksgiving.

The complete transition has been rough for Ivan, so far. Thornton said it is hard to be a working dog and then just stop, but it is necessary for his health that he did not continue.

In Ivan's mind, he is still a K9 dog, however. Around 5 p.m., before Thornton goes off to work, Ivan still gets energized and prepared to go off to work again, only to realize that he is not going along.

Thornton said Ivan often sits on the kitchen floor waiting for Thornton when he is on duty. Wednesday night even, as Thornton pulled out of the driveway, Ivan would not move out of the doorway.

Thornton said it has been hard to leave him home. Being partners for so long, it was a hard transition, even with Kye there to take his place.

But, Thornton said for him and his family, Ivan's job has only become more vital.

"His job is now more important than it ever was before because he has got to stay home and protect Mom and the girls," he said.

According to Thornton, Ivan had a very successful career, catching numerous drug finds along with other things. In September, nearing his retirement, Ivan got the find of the quarter for this region, locating a lot of meth, 8 grams of cocaine and over $1,000 in cash.
MOLINE  City officials appear to have missed a 4th Ward election two years ago.

A check of state law against the timeline for Ald. John Zelnio's appointment to the 4th Ward in 2014 indicates his seat should have been up for election in 2015.

According to state election law, if a four-year seat becomes vacant at least 130 days before a municipal general election and with at least 28 months remaining in the term, the seat will be open for that election. The law also states the municipal clerk must certify the seat and candidates to the county.

Ald. Zelnio was appointed on Aug. 5, 2014, to replace Ald. Dick Brown, who resigned July 18, 2014. Although the term expires April 30, 2017, there was a municipal election April 7, 2015.

The vacancy is the trigger, according to Rock Island County deputy county clerk John Brown and Bernadette Matthews of the Illinois State Board of Elections. The candidate and the clerk must then determine when the office is open.

Mayor Scott Raes on Thursday said he had not had a chance to discuss the issue with the city's legal department. He said the city will have to develop a policy to prevent similar issues in the future.

Amy L. Keys, Moline's deputy city attorney, could not provide information Thursday on the issues with either ward. Ms. Matthews said nothing in state law explicitly invalidates Ald. Zelnio's actions as a city official after the 2015 election.

Last week, it was learned Moline's 7th Ward alderman's seat incorrectly was not listed as an open seat for the April 4, 2017, municipal election. The same passage of state election law applies to that seat.

In July, Ald. Mike Waldron, 7th Ward, was appointed to replace Ald. Sean Liddell who resigned in June when he moved out of Moline. His 7th Ward term does not expire until April 2019.

On Thursday, Moline City Clerk Tracy Koranda said she was unaware of an issue with Ald. Zelnio's seat. She and Ald. Waldron have said they were unaware the 7th Ward was to be listed for the April 2017 election.

Ald. Mike Wendt, 3rd Ward, said he plans to introduce a city council measure in January recommending Ald. Zelnio be appointed for the remaining weeks of the term before the election. He also said the issue needs to be addressed to ensure it does not occur again.

Attempts to contact Ald. Zelnio on Thursday were unsuccessful. His petitions of candidacy to run in April 2017 were invalidated by Moline's municipal electoral board last week after his opponent, Dick Potter, challenged their lack of page numbers as required by state law. Ald. Zelnio can appeal the decision to the courts or run as a write-in candidate. He has said he has not decided what he will do.

Ald. Waldron has said the city attorney's office notified him after the petition filing deadline that his seat was up for re-election. He has since filed as a write-in candidate. Others interested in the seat also must file as write-in candidates.
DAVENPORT  A workshop on how to make olive oil has much more meaning than one might imagine, according to Rabbi Shneur Cadaner.

Chabad Lubavitch of the Quad Cities held an olive press workshop on Thursday evening at NorthPark Mall, 320 W. Kimberly Road. The event was sponsored by NorthPark Mall, the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities and Vibrant Credit Union.

Those of the Jewish faith are celebrating Hanukkah, also known as the festival of lights. The celebration started Saturday, Dec. 24, and wraps up on New Year's Day. According to the Chabad Lubavitch of the Quad Cities website, during the second century B.C., the Jews of Israel were ruled by the Syrian Greeks and were forced to accept Greek culture. At that time, the Greeks had one of the mightiest armies on earth, but they were defeated by a small band of Jews.

Upon reclaiming their holy temple in Jerusalem, the Jews attempted to light their Menorah to rededicate the temple to God, but found only one cruse of olive oil as the Greeks had contaminated the rest. The one-day supply of oil lasted eight days.

"The message is that even when we are facing personal troubles, or whatever the case may be; there is hope, and you've just got to look a little bit deeper," Rabbi Cadaner said. "Increase more good deeds, just like the menorah we increase every night another candle, so in troubled times increase in good deeds and that increases positivity."

He said this was the fourth year for the olive press workshop, and that he was grateful for the sponsors to helping keep the event in the public eye. About 50 people attended this year's workshop, which was held inside a vacant store rather than in the main hallway as in past years.

"It was a smaller turnout than usual, but we had quite a few events this year," Rabbi Cadaner said. "For the amount of events we had, this is a pretty nice turnout."

A car menorah parade and a Hanukkah bowling night were held earlier in the week, with the olive press workshop capping the week of special events.

Attendees were treated to Jewish chocolates, donuts, crafts and dreidel games.

Judy Belfer, of Davenport, said she came by to watch how olive oil was made, and was surprised at how little was produced out of 50 to 60 large, whole olives.

Rachel Rovine, of Davenport, said she had never seen an oil press demonstration before, and had not been to a Hanukkah event since leaving Des Moines in 2005. She brought her daughter, Yael Feder, also of Davenport.

Jackie Miller, of Davenport, said she came out because she wanted to be a "part of something that was Hanukkah."
Starting Sunday, Illinois drivers must slow down and change lanes, if possible, when approaching a stopped vehicle with hazard lights flashing.

That's an amendment to Scott's Law  the "Move Over" law  that, for several years, has mandated drivers slow down, change lanes (if possible) and proceed with caution when they encounter a stopped emergency vehicle with lights flashing.

The expansion of the law  including a mandatory minimum fine of $120  includes any stopped vehicle with hazard lights flashing. It is among new traffic laws taking effect with the new year that the Illinois State Police are highlighting.

Scott's Law is named after Scott Gillen, a Chicago Fire Department lieutenant who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while assisting at a crash site on the Dan Ryan Expressway on Dec. 23, 2000.

Another new traffic law targets motorists driving without insurance. On a second offense within 12 months of a conviction for that offense, the motorist's vehicle will be towed and impounded.

State police also are reminding motorists of a law that took effect a year ago that upgraded speeding in a work or school zone from a citation to a misdemeanor crime, including the possibility of jail time. Going from 26 to 35 miles per hour over posted speed limits is now a Class B misdemeanor. Going more than 35 mph over posted speeds is a Class A misdemeanor.

"The new year usually brings new resolutions and goals," Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz said in a news release. "In 2017, the ISP resolves to continue to work toward strengthening safe-driving habits for motorists on Illinois roadways. Our goal is to reduce serious traffic crashes through education and enforcement."

Many other new laws take effect on Sunday with the new year. Some noteworthy additions:

 Any 6-12 grade student can be excused from public school to sound "Taps" at a military honors funeral. The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan and Don Moffitt, R-Gilson, and Sen. Chuck Weaver, R-Peoria.

 Illinois insurance companies must provide coverage for almost all contraceptive options approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

 Possession of small amounts of marijuana  up to 10 grams  will no longer be a criminal offense but a civil violation punishable by a fine between $100 and $200, with no jail time. The civil citation would be automatically expunged from the offender's record six months after resolution of the case.

 Catfish are added to the list of aquatic life that can be taken by pitchfork, underwater spear gun, bow and arrow or bow and arrow device, including a sling shot bow, spear or gig.

 Grandparents and great-grandparents of children in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services can obtain visitation rights, separate from visitation rights provided for parents, if deemed to be in the best interests of the child.

 Cosmetologists, estheticians, nail technicians and hair-braiders must take a one-hour class on spotting signs of domestic violence and sexual assault as part of their license renewal process.

 Feminine hygiene products are exempt from state sales tax.

 Officers who work with police dogs get first preference to adopt them when the dogs retire, to ensure the dogs can remain part of the officer's family.

 Amendments to the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act make it unlawful for employers or prospective employers to request or require employees to divulge internet passwords, user names or other information to gain access to personal online accounts.
The order follows the initial order for 37 sets that the Spanish manufacturer is supplying under a contract worth 160m awarded in late 2013. Specifically, CAF is supplying 115 cars (22 trains) for Line 3 and 70 cars (15 trains) for Line 6. CAF is assembling the trains at its Bessain plant and reports that 20 trains are now in Chile since the start of delivery in April.

The 15.3km 10-station Line 6 will connect Los Leones station on Line 1 with Cerrilos in the west, and is scheduled to open next year. Line 3 will run for 21.7km from the northern district of Huechuraba to the city centre, where it will follow Avienda Mattam passing beneath Irarrazaval, before terminating at Larrain. The 18-station line is due to open in June 2018.

In addition, CAF has agreed to supply two additional three-car trains to Medellin Metro in Colombia. This is an add-on to the order for 20 three-car trains agreed in July 2015.
Viaccess-Orca has joined forces with a number of industry specialists to produce a premium 360 video solution in virtual reality (VR).





Pre-integrating technologies and services from Tiledmedia, Harmonic and Digital Immersion, Viaccess-Orca's Virtual Arena solution is designed to improve video quality while maximising bandwidth efficiency. It also enables a wide range of monetisation options."Most VR streaming solutions transport 360 video to the head-mounted device with low perceptual quality, or require too much bandwidth. Adding the requirement for best-in-class security makes distribution of high quality VR content even more complex," said Rob Koenen, founder and chief business development officer at Tiledmedia. "Combining Tiled VR Streaming and the Connected Sentinel Player provides service providers with a superior approach to delivering high quality, secure content at realistic and affordable bitrates."Tiledmedia's patented Tiled VR Streaming technology enables VR streaming with five times the resolution of other solutions, at comparable bitrates, over today's networks using existing devices. Tiledmedia's solution streams only the part of the image that is in a user's actual viewport - a fraction of the total video - with the highest resolution, allowing extremely fast and affordable transport. Suitable for delivery of on-demand and live services over existing CDNs, Tiled VR Streaming works with any display device, including head-mounted displays, phones, and tablets.Tiledmedia's Tiled VR Streaming has been integrated with Viaccess-Orca's Connected Sentinel Player for secure playback. Viaccess-Orca's downloadable, secure player SDK protects VOD and live VR content on various devices, enabling service providers to rapidly comply with the security requirements of content owners. Connected Sentinel Player is available with Microsoft PlayReady, Widevine or with Viaccess-Orca's proprietary DRM, and approved by all major Hollywood studios.The combined Tiledmedia VR Streaming and Connected Sentinel Player offers an advanced playback infrastructure for Viaccess-Orca's end-to-end Virtual Arena solution, which also features technology and services from Digital Immersion, a specialist in the filming and post-production of 360 video, and Harmonic, which provides video compression and delivery."Our goal is to provide consumers with a compelling, immersive viewing experience and enable monetisation options for service providers, including through content protection such as DRM and advanced analytics," said Alain Nochimowski, EVP of Innovation, Viaccess-Orca . "Combining state-of-the-art technologies into a best-of-breed solution will unleash content creativity and majorly increase the audience that can be reached with VR services, while ensuring today's investments remain future-proof. We're thrilled to be at the frontier of engaging audiences with superior quality, 360 content on a wide range of device types."
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has ratified a new media law, which critics warn will further damage press freedom in the country.





The law will see the creation of a Supreme Council for the Administration of the Media, with Sisi selecting the chairman. The president will also approve the bodys 12 members, following recommendations by the judiciary, parliament and other institutions.The Supreme Council will have powers to revoke licences to foreign media and fine or suspend broadcasters or publications, and will create a series of penalties and sue media outlets that violate its regulations. It will also issue fines for organisations that break their terms of licence.The law will ensure fair competition between media groups as well as their independence and neutrality, adherence to journalistic ethics, and will make sure they do not compromise national security, according to the Official Gazette.The law says the council would guarantee the right of citizens to enjoy a free and honest media. However, it also tasks the council with guaranteeing the compliance of media institutions to the requirements of national security.Yehia Qalash, chief of the press syndicate, told Reuters that the law and the council were mostly concerned with administrative affairs and did not compromise media freedoms.Parliament was still debating other media legislation, he added, which will cover sentencing, freedom of information, confidentiality of sourcing and the relationship between journalism and national security.The North African country has repeatedly been criticised by human rights groups for its record on media suppression. Egypt imprisoned the second highest number of journalists of any country in the world in 2015, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists Just days before the new media law was ratified, Egyptian authorities arrested Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein on suspicion of fabricating news; a charge the Qatar-based news network denies.
Vneshprombank asks U.S. court to recognize bankruptcy procedure in Russia

MOSCOW, December 30 (RAPSI)  Russias Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) representing Vneshprombank, a major mid-sized bank that slid into bankruptcy, has filed a motion with a U.S. court seeking to recognize the banks pending insolvency proceeding in Russia as a foreign main proceeding prioritizing it over a bankruptcy claim against the bank currently being reviewed in U.S., according to the DIAs statement published on its website.

On December 18, 2015, the Central Bank appointed a temporary administration in the bank for six months to appraise its financial performance. In March 2016, the Moscow Commercial Court declared Vneshprombank bankrupt. It was revealed that massive transactions had been conducted to transfer assets out of the bank. A criminal case was opened against former co-owner of the bank Larisa Markus on fraud charges. She was arrested in December 2015. Her brother, another co-owner of the bank, Georgy Bedzhamov was put on the wanted list.

Allegedly Markus, along with her unidentified accomplices, granted loans to sub-companies in New York known as New York LLCs and did not refund money to Vneshprombank. On March 22, 2016, Panabroker Protecting and Indemnity Association, S.A., a company from Panama, commenced proceedings against the bank and New York LLCs in the New York court.

DIA asked the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to recognize the Agency as the foreign representative of Vneshprombank and permanently enjoin all parties from commencing or taking any action in the United States to obtain possession of, exercise control over, or assert claims against the Debtor or its property.

The Agency provided its arguments for why, in accordance with U.S. legislation, the Bankruptcy Code in particular, proceedings in Russia, the main base of operations for Vneshprombank, should be prioritized. It noted that those qualify as foreign proceedings and DIA itself qualifies as representative of Vneshprombank under the ruling of a Russian court. In addition, DIA believes petition, filed with the Unites States court, to meet the requirements of 11 U.S.C.  1515 of the Bankruptcy Code.

The first hearing in this case is set for January 31, 2017.
January 2017 marks the 23rd anniversary of the enactment of NAFTA. Since trade treaties are essentially business deals, it shouldn't be surprising when one of the parties seeks some renegotiation with the passage of time or as circumstances change. But even small changes in NAFTA are likely to cause big ripples.

North America is the world's single largest free trade zone. Only the entire European Union involves more trade, and just slightly more, than what transpires between the U.S. and Canada alone.

And few in America, and certainly no one in Mexico and Canada, missed President-elect Donald Trump's frequent labeling of NAFTA as the "worst deal" the U.S. has ever signed. There may be some political hyperbole here, but the fact is that for the three nations party to NAFTA, the shape of commerce and state of politics are quite different now compared to 1994.

Since the implementation of NAFTA we have seen the 90's tech bubble rise and burst, the global housing and banking economies rise, collapse and recover, and the beginning of what some claim could be an unraveling of the European Union. And when NAFTA was formulated e-commerce was left out because it didn't exist. In addition, the political apple cart has been upset this past year in both the United States and Canada, each flipping in the opposite direction between liberal and conservative governance.

The opportunity for reformulation, and perhaps rapprochement on political differences, whether with NAFTA or other issues, will be anchored in business realities for each nation and a shared interest in resources, manufacturing, technology, and, of course, jobs. For his part, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already stated an openness to negotiate, while remaining committed to free trade. What may come from future talks is unknown. But we do know some underlying realities that will likely frame "the art" of a future deal.

Under NAFTA, trade between Canada, Mexico, and the United States has quadrupled since 1994. Most analyses show that this led to lower prices for consumers across sectors from groceries to commercial electronics, as well as more overall growth in jobs. The geographic proximity of NAFTA's trading partners combined with stable political climates has led to more efficient and tightly integrated markets. (The automobile industry is a prime example.) Fourteen million American jobs can be attributed to trade amongst the three countries. And the production of a wide array of products created jobs in all three nations. Specialization and expertise, economies of scale, and the partnerships between companies across borders have all helped create an extremely competitive capacity to export to the rest of the world. The combined resources and capabilities of North America are arguably more important now than when NAFTA was framed in order to counterbalance the rise of China's role in global manufacturing.

On the flip side, for some businesses, NAFTA cost jobs and created a stagnation of wages and real income, notably in certain manufacturing sectors. There is still debate over the extent to which these impacts came solely from NAFTA or emerged from the overall deindustrialization and globalization trends already under way since the 1980s. Factory modernization, the technology boom, and the rise of new global competitors certainly played a significant role in shifting jobs away from the American Rust Belt.

While Trump has focused so far on NAFTA issues with Mexico, the debates and any restructuring will necessarily impact Canada; roughly three quarters of Canadian exports go the U.S. and American funding accounts for over half of Canada's foreign direct investment. As his administration takes shape post-inauguration, the future of multilateral and bilateral trade agreements is, at a minimum, unclear. Trump has already positioned the Trans-Pacific Partnership in his crosshairs. With the appointment of free trade skeptics to his newly created White House National Trade Council, is it possible that NAFTA could go the way of TPP? What then? Will we revert to the pre-NAFTA Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) of 1987? Will we borrow good ideas from TPP, such as accounting for e-commerce? Or will we have to start from scratch?

Some market tensions are already visible. The Trump campaign has promised to lower the U.S. corporate tax rate and reduce regulatory burdens. Such changes would not just impact American firms, but also considerations by foreign companies, including many in Canada, regarding investing in the U.S. This in and of itself could draw international investment away from Canada and into the U.S. Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, some changes to Canadian environmental policy, such as a proposed carbon tax, could create challenges for firms doing business in Canada. On the other hand, Trump's promised approval of the Keystone XL pipeline would help stimulate Canada's struggling oil industry.

Negotiations surrounding all the cross-border business issues will be no less challenging now than any time in the past. It's always been an "art" to find solutions to longstanding issues rooted in separate national interests. But, at least with regard to the U.S.-Canada relationship, polls show that U.S. public opinion-on average, the same public that elected Trump - views Canada in a favorable light.

Businesses will have to rapidly adjust to a new political climate after eight years under President Obama and nine years under Prime Minister Harper. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau, who is solidly in favor NAFTA, will need to frame issues in ways that are mutually "good deals" from the perspective of a President Trump. For example, if you subtract oil and gas and related products from trade between the two countries, the U.S. actually enjoys a trade surplus with Canada. And, by Trump's own assertions, America is not planning to increase its imports of those products any time soon. Meanwhile, America has become far more dependent on China in recent years for minerals that Canada has in abundance: There is an obvious opportunity here of mutual benefit for both Canada and the U.S.

Odds are high that, political bluster aside, as 2017 unfolds and Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary as a Confederation, realities will define the negotiations. In the end, all sides want to find ways to improve and modernize, not abandon, "good deals" between peaceful allies.
Regardless of politics, everyone seems to agree that Donald Trump will be an unconventional U.S. president. It comes as little surprise, then, that many of his picks to fill Cabinet posts are also unorthodox. Chief among these selections is Rex Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon Mobil Corp. and Trump's nominee for secretary of state. At first glance, Tillerson may seem a strange choice to fill Washington's top diplomatic post; after all, the past several secretaries of state have had backgrounds in government or diplomatic service. But Tillerson's experiences in the oil and natural gas industry have doubtless prepared him for the weighty and often delicate duties of the job. Though he lacks a diplomatic track record, Tillerson's actions as head of the world's largest oil company bespeak a pragmatism and view of reality that will guide him  and the future of U.S. foreign policy  if he is confirmed.

Geopolitical Field Work

To adequately assess the possible risks to a prospective project, an oil company must know a country's geopolitics inside and out, from its current political climate at the local, regional, national and global levels to its long-term trajectory. Oil companies must have a thorough understanding of the land that their pipelines, wells and platforms will occupy  and the local or foreign actors that may contest its control. Furthermore, energy projects can take decades to get off the ground or recoup initial investments, and political leaders may come and go in the meantime. Since the governments in many oil- and gas-producing countries depend on energy revenue for funding, their leaders play an active role in overseeing the industry. When investing in projects in these countries, then, international oil companies often must negotiate with high-ranking officials, including heads of state.

As CEO of ExxonMobil for the past decade, Tillerson has occupied a role not unlike that of a foreign minister, and he has been received as such in the countries where his company does business. During his time at the helm, ExxonMobil has worked with several national oil companies whose close ties with their governments often turn them into battlegrounds between rival politicians. It has also experienced insurgent attacks on its production infrastructure in the remote areas of Indonesia and Nigeria that revealed the limits of those governments' reach. Tillerson has led the company through challenges brought on by geopolitical forces at every level and facilitated negotiations over thorny issues, such as Chad's 2006 dispute with the World Bank, which erupted just five days after he assumed control of ExxonMobil. More important, his company's endeavors around the world have exposed him to the complicated political environments in Iraq and Russia, countries that will be high on the agenda for the next secretary of state, whoever that may be.

Between the Kurds and Baghdad

If confirmed, Tillerson will enter his post as secretary of state well versed in the intricacies of Iraqi politics. In 2009, ExxonMobil won the rights to develop the West Qurna-1 oil field in southern Iraq, a flagship project for then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But the terms of the deal were not terribly favorable. Because the project was a service contract, ExxonMobil could not include the reserves it was developing in its reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Baghdad quickly fell behind on its payments to the company. As a result, ExxonMobil decided to take its chances on a deal with the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The decision was risky: Baghdad claims sole ownership of all energy resources in Iraq's borders and denies Arbil's right to regulate its own oil and gas sector. Moreover, the Iraqi government threatened to blacklist oil companies doing business with Arbil and to revoke their contracts with Baghdad. Arbil offered attractive production-sharing contracts to entice foreign companies to incur the risk of investing in the KRG, however, and ExxonMobil signed contracts for six exploration blocks in the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. (The KRG knew that attracting a company of ExxonMobil's stature would lend it legitimacy.) Despite al-Maliki's protestations, the company understood that Baghdad would not risk delays on West Qurna-1 just to reprimand it.

By signing on with Iraqi Kurdistan, ExxonMobil not only angered the Iraqi government and inflamed tensions between Iraq and the KRG, but it also defied the U.S. administration's policies. In addition, the deal has proved challenging for ExxonMobil. The company's projects in Iraqi Kurdistan have endured major upheaval brought by the Islamic State, the conflicts between Baghdad and Arbil over disputed oil-rich territory, and the growing competition between Turkey and Iran. ExxonMobil has pulled out of three of the six exploration blocks, which yielded lackluster results. What's more, the KRG is falling behind on its payments to the international oil companies already producing in its territory. ExxonMobil's experiences in Iraq have been a mixed bag, all in all. Still, they have familiarized Tillerson with the challenges that surely await the next secretary of state in northern Iraq.

Strictly Business

It is no secret that Tillerson has a well-established relationship with Russia. Since 1998, when he was named vice president of ExxonMobil's Russia and Caspian unit, Tillerson has forged deep ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his rival, Igor Sechin, the head of Russian oil giant Rosneft. These relationships, however, have been characterized as much by tension and compromise as by collaboration.

Tillerson's dealings in Russia have followed his usual pattern of establishing joint ventures with national oil companies, which receive preferential access to their countries' energy resources. Once Tillerson took over the company, ExxonMobil pursued this strategy in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Russia, enabling those countries' national oil companies to benefit from the U.S. titan's technical prowess and ample capital. In 2012, ExxonMobil struck several wide-ranging strategic partnerships and expertise swaps with Rosneft. The two companies agreed to jointly explore and develop projects in the Kara and Black seas  a boon for Rosneft, given its limited deep-water experience. To compensate for the massive upfront costs of the projects, the Kremlin offered ExxonMobil an offshore tax regime to make the agreement more attractive. The deal was so strategically important to Moscow that Putin himself attended its signing.

But when the United States implemented its sanctions against Russia in 2014, ExxonMobil's projects with Rosneft took a hit. The measures barred the company from continuing its deep-water and Arctic drilling and maintaining its technology transfers to Russia, leading the company to begin shutting down its rigs  and creating tension with Rosneft. In response to ExxonMobil's withdrawal, Rosneft reportedly threatened to seize the assets involved in the projects, namely drilling rigs in the Arctic's Kara Sea. The Russian oil company soon backed off its threat, though, because it could not operate the rigs on its own and could not afford to risk alienating ExxonMobil.

In the years that followed, Tillerson has blasted the enduring sanctions regime against Russia. At the same time, he has continually demonstrated that his interests in Russia are strictly business-related, notwithstanding the personal rapport he has with the country's leaders. The question now is how Tillerson's stance on Russia will translate into diplomacy and foreign policy decisions if he is confirmed as secretary of state. His experience working with Russia has given him a deep understanding of the country's imperatives, as well as its tactics. It has also afforded him unusual insight into the inner workings of the Kremlin and its players. Tillerson has shown a willingness to stand up to Moscow's games and to compromise when necessary. As secretary of state, he would take the same approach, perhaps with even more leeway to resist the Kremlin's demands. Although Moscow may try to coax him toward removing sanctions sooner than later, Tillerson would not lift the measures unless Washington received something in return. And no matter who represents the United States in negotiations, Russia will not concede much, focused as it is on stemming Western encroachment in its borderlands. Tillerson's experience dealing with Russia could be an advantage, but it will not be a magic bullet; Russia and the United States still have their own strategic imperatives to consider.

A Pragmatic Approach

In guiding ExxonMobil's activities in Iraq and Russia, Tillerson exhibited an unwavering pragmatism and an unclouded view of the countries' realities. His position left no room for ideology or even a consideration of the United States' policies as he evaluated the constraints that Baghdad, Arbil and Moscow faced and tried to determine how best to operate within them. Tillerson's practical view of the world, along with his experiences at ExxonMobil, will inform his actions as secretary of state, even beyond the realm of foreign policy.

Tillerson's stance on climate change, for instance, will likely draw on his history in the oil and gas industry. Though environmentalists have been quick to criticize his nomination, Tillerson has steered ExxonMobil from a climate change policy rooted in denial to one based on acceptance. (That said, the company is still mired in legal proceedings over whether it covered up information relating to climate change.) He has even come out in support of a carbon tax and the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change mitigation. Of course, Tillerson probably made these efforts in part to clean up ExxonMobil's image in service of the company's interests  not strictly those of the environment. Nevertheless, he may well promote similar policies as secretary of state, pushing the United States toward its goals on climate change, albeit perhaps less enthusiastically than President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have. Tillerson will also be careful to avoid infringing on business concerns as he addresses climate change with the world's leaders.

An area in which Tillerson has less experience, but one that is no less controversial, is the future of U.S. relations with Iran. Years of tension and sanctions against Iran that kept Tillerson from doing business there prevented him from cultivating the same kinds of ties he has forged in Russia and Iraq. Even so, pragmatism would likely prevail in Tillerson's negotiations with Tehran. Trump has criticized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)  the agreement that the United States and five other countries struck with Iran to limit its nuclear program  as a "disaster." But pulling out of the JCPOA would be exceedingly difficult and would provoke backlash from Iran, as well as from some U.S. allies in Europe, such as France. Furthermore, the prospective secretary of state likely sees the value in maintaining a balance of power in the region to keep vital sea-lanes open and avoid reigniting conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. Tillerson would almost certainly assess the JCPOA with his characteristic realism, noting that preserving the deal is in Iran's best interest right now.

Although Tillerson would not be in charge of U.S. energy or trade policy as secretary of state, he would have a say on the subjects as one of the president's confidants. When asked about the United States' prospects for energy independence or security, Tillerson has always answered bluntly that they are a political pipe dream and that the country will always be a part of the global system. He has argued that the best way to secure the U.S. energy supply is to ensure that the global supply is stable and growing since a disruption anywhere would have consequences everywhere. This attitude reflects his understanding of international trade and oil markets, something that he will draw on when establishing his foreign policy objectives and responding to crises.

If Tillerson is confirmed as the next secretary of state, his experiences at the helm of the world's most powerful international oil company will shape his interactions with world leaders and influence the trajectory of U.S. foreign policy. Though he is perhaps an unusual candidate for his prospective office, he comes to the job with an intimate knowledge of the power dynamics in some of the world's most volatile areas. As Tillerson has demonstrated throughout his tenure at ExxonMobil, he is a realist. His understanding of the global system  and its deep integration  raises the question of just how far the president-elect's plans for U.S. isolationism and retrenchment will go.
Most analyses of Chinas relations with South Sudan begin and end with oil.

Oil was the most important reason for Chinas heavy investment in, and intensification of, relations with Sudan from the mid-1990s onwards (years prior to South Sudans independence in 2011). Dan Large and Luke Patey have written extensively about Chinas involvement in the development of the Sudanese oil industry, one of modern Chinas earliest and riskiest economic forays into Africa. The success of the initiative demonstrated to Beijing that it could rival Western prowess in frontier energy exploration.

Following the independence of South Sudan, China quickly sought to improve its relations with the new state. Juba had faced a better equipped and better resourced Khartoum of a decade earlier, in part as a result of funds derived from Chinese-produced oil. Juba made no secret of its suspicion and mistrust of Beijing and its unhappiness at the prior support to Khartoum, causing an anxious Beijing to reassure Juba that no matter the past, China would now be a good friend to South Sudan.

But the relationship Beijing anticipated and hoped for was principally one of trade, investment and resource extraction. As Large wrote in 2008, 'meaningful participation in African conflict-resolution processes is not an important aspect of Chinas current Africa relations'.

Civil war broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, barely two years after independence. One of the early casualties was the oil industry, with roughly half of the countrys daily production soon halted due to fighting. By now, South Sudanese oil was strategically much less important to China than it had been 15 years earlier. South Sudan was far from Chinas most attractive African foreign investment destination.

And yet by this year, China found itself, if not fully mired in attempting to resolve South Sudans growing conflict, then far more than a casual actor. Chinas role in arming the South Sudanese military has been well documented, as has the first-ever deployment of Chinese combat troops to serve in a UN peacekeeping mission.

Less commonly discussed have been Chinas other actions:

Providing funding to the east African regional organisation, IGAD, which mediated peace talks in Ethiopia from 2014 to 2015, aiming to end the civil war.



Policy and strategy coordination with the IGAD mediation, principally with chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin, who concurrently served as Ethiopian ambassador to China throughout this period.



Close consultation and coordination with the other Western special envoys engaged in the South Sudan peace process, notably those of the United States and the European Union.



Seconding Chinese military personnel to the IGAD Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (MVM), responsible for overseeing a shaky cessation of hostilities.



Repeated deployment of its special envoy for African Affairs, Ambassador Zhong Jianhua, to Juba to urge restraint and persuade the government to pursue dialogue.



Foreign Minister Wang Yi chairing a meeting of the rival South Sudanese parties in January 2015, agreeing a five-point plan to accelerate the South Sudanese peace process.



Participating in the expanded mediation group, known as IGAD Plus, leading to the signing of a peace agreement in August 2015.



Lobbying the chair of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), the peace agreements oversight mechanism to appoint as one of the two deputy chiefs of staff (the number three JMEC secretariat official), a serving Chinese diplomat, and providing unconditional financing to JMEC.



Providing the deputy force commander, the second most senior military position, of the UN peacekeeping force in South Sudan. Major-General Chaoying Yang later assumed the top job after his predecessor was dismissed for incompetence in the UNs response to renewed fighting in Juba in July 2016.



Drilling boreholes and providing food to opposition troops brought to Juba to implement (short-lived) transitional security arrangements for the new transitional government formed in April 2016.

Orthodox political analysis would assess each of these actions in classical terms of interests. Of these, economic interests certainly remain of great importance, but cannot alone explain the extent of Chinas engagement in South Sudans peace process. Conventional bilateral interests help explain Chinas contributions to IGAD and the MVM, which as largely Ethiopian-led efforts were especially important for China, given the depth of the relationship between Beijing and Addis Ababa.

But apart from the incomplete explanation such terms provide, these are also not necessarily the terms in which Chinese foreign policy actors see their own actions. After reading Merriden Varralls work on the narratives that help explain how China acts in and interprets the world, it seemed to me it would be useful to apply this framework to the South Sudan case.

At least three of Varralls six narratives are relevant to a greater understanding of Chinas involvement in South Sudans search for peace.

1. The century of humiliation

As seen from Beijing: Western powers may have long criticised China for involvement in the development of the Sudanese oil industry, and for supplying arms to South Sudan. But the subsequent maturation of Chinas approach, such as supporting the peace process alongside those same Western powers, shows the complexity of China's foreign policy engagement. China funded the peace talks and the implementation process and has committed more peacekeeping troops than any Western power. Chinese soldiers have died protecting vulnerable South Sudanese civilians, and yet China has continued its peacekeeping efforts in extremely difficult circumstances, where Western troops are untrusted.

2. Cultural characteristics are unchanging

As seen from Beijing: China is interested in a long-term relationship with Africa in general and East Africa in particular, predicated on peace, as part of its overall peaceful and responsible rise as a global power. The US was a friend to South Sudan but after just a few short years, has demonstrated typical impatience. In contrast, China will always be interested in positive relations with both Sudan and South Sudan.

3. History is destiny

As seen from Beijing: Playing a central role in global affairs far from Chinas borders is a restoration of China's role as a global, multilateral actor. Peacekeeping, conflict resolution, and support to African regional intergovernmental organisations is part of being a responsible global actor. China's diplomats and civil servants are as qualified as any to play important roles in such processes, to complement and supplement the efforts of Africans.
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Hollywood is a fickle mistress, and you never know when someone is about to explode into a major star or fizzle out into a C-list nobody that makes people say, "Oh, what's he been doing lately?" While it's probably impossible to separate the Emma Stones from the Adam Brodys, we picked five actors who will almost certainly be on the rise in the next year.

1. Haley Bennett

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Haley Bennett attends the Premiere of Rules Don't Apply during the AFI Fest opening night. (JEAN BAPTISTE LACROIX / AFP/Getty Images)

Where you've seen her: The Magnificent Seven, The Girl on the Train

What's next: Thank You for Your Service, Weightless

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You may have seen mention of the 28-year-old actress earlier this year when people couldn't stop freaking out about her resemblance to Jennifer Lawrence. She had a big year in 2016, going toe to toe with Chris Pratt in "The Magnificent Seven," mysteriously disappearing in "The Girl on the Train" and being one of Howard Hughes' starlets in "Rules Don't Apply." In 2017, she'll star in "Thank You for Your Service" alongside Miles Teller and Amy Schumer and then keep good company in Terrence Malick's "Weightless." It can't hurt to be in a film with Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman and Michael Fassbender.

2. Zoey Deutch

Zoey Deutch arrives for the world premiere of 'Why Him?' at the Regency Bruin Theater. (NINA PROMMER / EPA)

Where you've seen her: Everybody Wants Some!!, Why Him?

What's next: Rebel in the Rye, Before I Fall

While you may not expect the girl from "Dirty Grandpa" to amount to much, the 22-year-old has already worked with some big names. She was the lone female character in Richard Linklater's "Everybody Wants Some!!" and the point of conflict between James Franco and Bryan Cranston in "Why Him?" Up next, she's in Danny Strong's J.D. Salinger biopic alongside Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Spacey and Sarah Paulson. She also stars in the adaptation of the 2010 teen novel "Before I Fall."

3. John Boyega

John Boyega poses for a photo during a promotion for the film, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," in Los Angeles. (Jordan Strauss / Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Where you've seen him: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

What's next: The Circle, Star Wars Episode VIII

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Sure, the 24-year-old Boyega is already on everyone's radar because of his fantastic turn in "The Force Awakens," but Hayden Christensen is proof that "Star Wars" does not necessarily a star make. In addition to playing Finn in the next installment, Boyega has other impressive projects on the horizon. First, he'll appear alongside Emma Watson and Tom Hanks in an adaptation of Dave Eggers' novel "The Circle." He's also starring in Kathryn Bigelow's next film, currently untitled, about the 1967 Detroit riot. Kid's got range.

4. Riz Ahmed

Riz Ahmed poses for photographs during the premiere of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (ANDY RAIN / EPA)

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Where you've seen him: The Night Of, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Nightcrawler

What's next: City of Tiny Lights

Between his performance in the buzzy HBO drama "The Night Of" and his role in "Rogue One," the 34-year-old Ahmed had a big 2016. You may also recognize him from "Nightcrawler," where he garnered award nominations and praise for his performance as Rick. In 2017, Ahmed will have a starring role in "City of Tiny Lights," a British crime drama based on the 2005 novel. With both high-profile film and television projects under his belt, Ahmed is certain to book new challenging roles going forward.

5. Zendaya

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Zendaya attends 2016 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards in Hollywood, California. (VALERIE MACON / AFP/Getty Images)

Where you've seen her: K.C. Undercover, pop star

What's next: Spider-Man: Homecoming

Though she doesn't have a lot of acting credits to her name (starring in a Disney Channel series doesn't inspire a ton of confidence), Zendaya is certainly part of the pop culture zeitgeist. The 20-year-old stands out on the red carpet, has her own fashion line and has also released a studio album as a pop star. But she's jumping into film acting in 2017 as Michelle in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." The girl can do it all. (Oh, and Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton suggested her as a potential write-in candidate for the electoral college on "SNL.")
Marc Buslik, Chicago Police Department 19th District Commander, discusses the deparment's body camera policies and demonstrates its use at the district headquarters on Dec. 28, 2016. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

The head of the union representing thousands of Chicago's rank-and-file police officers on Thursday said he was caught off guard this week by the announcement that every patrol officer in the city will be equipped with body cameras by the end of 2017  a year ahead of schedule.

Dean Angelo Sr., president of the Fraternal Order of Police's Lodge 7, said his office had only a single meeting with police brass in the past year to discuss implementation of the recording devices, despite a prior written agreement stating both sides would meet to discuss how the body cameras would be rolled out.

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On Wednesday, police officials, along with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office, announced a plan to equip several thousand patrol officers with body cameras in every police district by late 2017, something that could offer a closer look at interactions between cops and citizens.

The AXON 2 body cams were not slated to reach all 22 police districts until late 2018.

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"I was made aware of it through an email that one of my (FOP) board members sent me. I didn't get a call (from the department), didn't get a heads-up," Angelo said.

Dean Angelo Sr., president of the Fraternal Order of Police's Lodge 7, seen here on Nov. 8, 2016. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

Angelo said FOP members did not oppose using body cameras  devices that police departments across the country are starting to use.

But he said officers wanted to make sure they had time to get acclimated to the new recording devices without the threat of discipline from the department for any rude or inappropriate private conversations by officers caught on a hot mic.

"We wanted to be part of this (planning) process so that nonduty-related conversations between you and I about someone walking down the street, or what was said at roll call, or about who our boss and what their experience  or lack thereof  may be (isn't) ... something that we wind up getting considered for discipline on," Angelo said.

"Those are conversations between you and I, and it's our opinion," he said.

During a police demonstration of the body cameras just after Wednesday's announcement, Town Hall District Cmdr. Marc Buslik told reporters that the department would not seek to punish officers who are recorded using "colorful language."

"It's not unusual for language to get colorful in encounters, and officers were concerned about being held accountable," said Buslik, who helped implement body cameras as a pilot program at the Police Department's Shakespeare District.

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"I certainly prefer them not to use that colorful language, but because of the fact that it was caught on video  we're not going to use that kind of thing as a disciplinary issue. That's a training issue," Buslik said.

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Chicago police did not immediately respond to Angelo's comments.

Body cameras have been championed by community activists and civil libertarians as a way of monitoring possible police misconduct.

Ed Yohnka from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois called the expansion of the body camera program an important step toward transparency that could help bridge the gap between police and concerned communities.

"Essentially, the trust between the the police and community they serve right now in Chicago is broken and this can be an important step toward rebuilding that trustto know there is an independent set of eyes that is on police-civilian interaction and interactivity."

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
Chicago is home to some of the biggest, most recognizable names in the industry. Stephanie Izard, Rick Bayless, Graham Elliot, Paul Kahan and Charles Joly have all made their mark on this town. But every year, we welcome a new crop of heavy hitters, the budding chefs, bartenders and restauranteurs who show great promise. Get to know these seven faces. They're sure to do incredible things in 2017.

Dustin Drankiewicz

Where you've seen him: Moneygun, The Promontory, "Cocktails for Ding Dongs"

What's next: Deadbolt (2412 N. Milwaukee Ave.)

Despite mixed feelings on the Two Way Lounge's closing, the Logan Square watering hole was a classic for nearly 50 years. Drankiewicz intends to keep it that way, breathing new life into the space by focusing on what the dive was in its heyday. Like Moneygun, he's staying away from labels. "We're not gonna have a thousand whiskeys and craft beer from down the street." Havin' a good time is the Drankiewicz way, and his primary focus is curating a feel-good place to hang seven days a week, bringing back classic booth seating and a bandstand for performances, similar to what used to be there. With a targeted Feb. 15 opening day, Drankiewicz said guests can expect signature classic cocktails with a modern touch (in the $10 and under price range) and an endless supply of Old Style, the former bar's mainstay. The folks from Furious Spoon next door are also behind the project, and Drankiewicz said they've acquired the space on the other side of Deadbolt for another concept.

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Zoe Schor

Where you've seen her: Ada Street. Before that, she could be spotted behind the scenes at top restaurants in Los Angeles including The Darkroom, Bouchon, Beso and Craft.

What's next: Split-Rail (2500 W. Chicago Ave.)

When we heard Schor was leaving her post at fan-favorite Ada Street late last summer, we poured one out and wondered what we'd do without her innovative, comforting small plates. But in the same breath, we were relieved: The lauded chef announced she'd open something new on her own. And the time is near. Split-Rail, Schor's Americana-inspired West Town spot, is slated to open in 2017, and if her previews are any indication (think a 64-degree hen egg, caviar, uni cream and brioche toast), this opening should be well worth the wait.

Brian Fisher of Entente

Brian Fisher

Where you've seen him: Schwa, Saved by the Max

What's next: Entente (3056 N. Lincoln Ave.)

Following an epic four-year run at Schwa under the guidance of Michael Carlson, Fisher dreamed up a menu for one of Chicago's most buzzed-about pop-ups, Saved by the Max. Unexpectedly thoughtful dishessuch as Tori's fried chicken, a tender coconut milk waffle topped with crunchy Korean fried chicken and spiced maple syrupmade the spot more than a kitschy diner. In October, Fisher and Mari Katsumura (Grace, Acadia) took on the chef-ly duties at Entente in Lakeview, a casual fine dining newcomer that landed on many best-of lists at the end of the year. The a la carte menu is packed with dishes that sound simple enough (chicken, cheesecake, duck) but show up to the table lookingand tastinglike Michelin-level fare. Entente and Fisher top our list of watch-worthy names this year.

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Bo Fowler

Where you've seen her: Owen & Engine, Fat Willy's Rib Shack

What's next: Bixi (2515 N. Milwaukee Ave.)

The forthcoming Asian-focused brewpub from the executive chef behind English gastropub Owen & Engine has been in the works for nearly two years. Inspired by brewpubs in China, Fowler told Draft magazine in January to expect "bastardized Asian food" and house beers with rice additions and Asian tea infusions with selections from Rare Tea Cellar at the 200-seat brewpub. Eater reported in early December that the project is still ticking along, and delays caused by securing funding aren't an issue anymore. Here's hoping for another culinary-driven brewery to join Band of Bohemia and Forbidden Root in 2017.

Moneygun cocktails: Jack Rose (left), mojito, Vieux Carre, dirty martini, mai tai, Pimm's Cup, Bee's Knees. (Photo courtesy of Clayton Hauck for Moneygun)

16" on Center

Where you've seen them: Thalia Hall, Longman & Eagle, Revival Food Hall

What's next: A sandwich bar, event spaces and The Empty Bottle's 25th anniversary

2016 was busy for the folks behind 16" on Center, with openings including Saint Lou's Assembly, Moneygun and Revival Food Hall. The hospitality group is generally hush-hush about upcoming projects, but managing partner Bruce Finkelman didn't allude to any slowing down in 2017. Look out for a sandwich bar, a few event spaces and an entire year of celebrating The Empty Bottle's 25th anniversary. A series of events throughout the year at the Ukrainian Village venue and "all over" will be announced in early January. Whatever magic tricks 16" on Center is planning, they're bound to be good if they're any reflection of 2016.

Dan Salls of Quiote

Dan Salls

Where you've seen him: The Salsa Truck and The Garage

What's next: Quiote (2456 N. California Ave.)

Salls isn't one to sit still. After trekking all over town with The Salsa Truck, his taco-slinging restaurant on wheels, and giving the brick-and-mortar thing a shot with The Garage in West Loop, he's cooking up a new concept that's garnering a lot of buzz. That might be because it's actually four concepts. Quiote, coming to Logan Square later this month, will open as a casual cafe-slash-coffee bar, taqueria, full-service Mexican restaurant and subterranean mezcal bar. The mega-concept is the perfect storm of things Chicagoans love most: tacos, mezcal and Mexican food. Expect Quiote to be one of the top restaurant openings of 2017.

Sherrie Tan (Chelsia Lai)

Sherrie Tan

Where you've seen her: Sweet Mandy B's and Instagram (she's the face behind @sherriesavorsthecity)

What's next: Pushing the envelope at Sweet Mandy B's

If you're a budding food enthusiast in Chicago, chances are you follow Tan on Instagram. The local pastry chef not only photographs her sugary masterpieces for Lincoln Park bakery Sweet Mandy B's but also shows off her favorite eats around town. With 31,000 followers and counting, Tan said she hopes to build her personal brand and peruse business partnerships in 2017. She specializes in nostalgic desserts with a twist, such as ooey-gooey monkey bread and cookie dough sandwiches, and creates the most over-the-top, sprinkle-laden treats we've ever laid eyes on. Brimming with creativity and dedication to her craft, we're excited to see what Tan has up her sleeve for 2017.
'Today may be the last day for depositing old notes, but tomorrow all the worries of the banks will not go away.'

'As long as there is cash shortage, banks will not be able to function normally.'

'Nobody knows when the shortage will be over.'

D Singaravelu, general secretary of the State Bank of India Staff Union for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, tells Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar how bank employees are dealing with demonetisation.

When the note ban announcement came on November 8, we immediately alerted our members with a written communication on what they should do and what they should not do.

Our aim was to safeguard the people and our employees.

The next day was a bank holiday and we started recalibrating the ATMs.

When the banks opened and the crowds came in there was total paralysis.

There were no new currency notes at the banks. All they could do is accept the old notes.

The situation has since then resembled the Tughlaq darbar more than anything else.

The Reserve Bank of India has issued 60 notifications in 50 days.

Employees have been put into a lot of trouble with these daily changing notifications.

Nobody knows how to work.

We have been told to stop accepting old notes at 4 pm on December 30.

What about people waiting at the bank? Are we supposed to chase them out?

We are the largest bank in the country, but more currency is sent to private banks.

Everyday waiting for currency is the biggest issue.

Demonetisation was not given any thought.

India is an agricultural economy and 70% of our people are involved in farming.

A cashless economy will not work here.

Today may be the last day for depositing old notes, but tomorrow all the worries of the banks will not go away.

As long as there is cash shortage, banks will not be able to function normally.

Nobody knows when the shortage will be over.

The public has panicked. Nobody is spending money.

Even the Rs 24,000 that people are withdrawing is not coming back into the economy.

People are not spending because they are not sure whether they will get more money.

We have worked overtime since day one.

We have worked on some weekends too. We have not been paid for our overtime work. We will make sure our workers are paid.

The economy has been paralysed and no one has any idea how it can recover.

'The RBI is supposed to be autonomous. They should have stood their ground'

Thomas Franco Rajendra Dev, general secretary, SBI Officers Union, tells Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar about the problems banks face.

On November 8, when demonetisation was announced, I thought it was a good move and would bring a change in the economy.

On November 10, reality hit me. There was no cash in any bank and we could only accept old notes.

Only after we saw the Rs 2,000 notes did we realise that they were a different size and we could not load the ATM machines immediately. Every tray had to be changed.

The RBI has not done its homework. Distribution could not be done on time.

At our branches customers were screaming at our staff. We had to call the police to control the crowds.

On the first day most of our branch officers were working till 11 pm. The Pondicherry main branch was open till 4 am the next morning.

To add to our misery, there were contradictory instructions every day.

But the biggest issue has been the shortage of currency.

Every morning our officers go to the RBI begging for money.

All our branches have been giving Rs 10,000 per account at one time.

Some branches have even made the daily withdrawal limit Rs 2,000, Rs 4,000 or Rs 6,000 depending on how much money they receive.

Everyday our officers are going home at 9 to 10 pm.

There are 137 currency chest branches. They have had no holiday at all. This is because they have to supply the banks and the ATMs.

We had no space to keep the old currency as the RBI was too busy to accept it. Now they are telling us that we have to deposit all the currency by December 31.

If all banks remit at the same time I really don't know how that will be done.

All other bank work has come to a standstill.

The bank's profitability is going to be affected. Then they will say we are operating at a loss and we should be privatised.

The new RBI governor is a strong advocate of privatisation. He has written many papers on that.

Large seizures of new currency have been made. We checked the serial numbers. They are not the same. They have used a large number of people to withdraw money from the banks.

In some cases private banks have given large amounts of new currency to some customers.

On the first two days they gave us Rs 3,000 per day as overtime. For the weekend we worked they gave us Rs 6,000 per day as overtime. After that we have not received any overtime.

Everyday is overtime now. We have to be paid.

Normal banking is possible only when there is adequate currency.

This exercise has been a total failure.

The RBI is supposed to be autonomous. They should have stood their ground.

That is the reason why Raghuram Rajan was not retained. Though he agreed with government policy he would never compromise the RBI's interests or say yes to unworkable schemes.
The largest e-commerce entity of China is setting up its first India office -- an indication that it intends to capture a pie of the growing e-commerce market here. Raghavendra Kamath & Alnoor Peermohamed report.

IMAGE: Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma. Photograph: Getty Images.



Alibaba, largest e-commerce entity in China, is setting up its first India office in Mumbai, apparently an indication that it would step up investment in the country in the coming year, to capture a pie of the growing e-commerce market here.

So far, the Jack Ma-founded enterprise has been a preferred platform for small businesses in India to source industrial goods from China. And for vendors selling their products to customers globally. Alibaba has invested in Indian e-commerce company Snapdeal, and in Paytm, the mobile payments service platform, through Ant Financials, its payment arm.

It has, though, kept its plan to enter e-commerce in India under wraps.

By setting up a office at Platina in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai, closer to that of US rival Amazon, it appears to now be signalling the intent that it is serious on entering.

"Given the kind of merchant network they have, India is definitely a potential market for them," says Devangshu Dutta, chief executive of Third Eyesight, a consultancy for e-commerce firms. "There needs to be significant investment from Alibaba because Amazon is on a high and though Flipkart and Snapdeal are on a low, they've invested significant money in the delivery network."

A mail to Alibaba did not elicit a response.

Girish Shah, a director at The Wadhwa Group which owns the Platina building, confirmed the development. "They are one of the most exciting and thriving e-commerce companies that have come to India, and we're glad to provide them with 3,221 sq ft of a highly professional set-up, at a competitive rental rate, here in BKC," he said.

Alibaba will pay rent of Rs 275 a sq ft monthly or a little over Rs 1 crore. This is in line with rents in the area, between Rs 250 to Rs 325 a sq ft. US-based Amazon has a 30,000 sq ft head office in the same BKC area.

India's business to business (B2B) online retail market is estimated to grow by 2.5 times to Rs 45 lakh crore by 2020. In comparison, B2C (business to consumer) e-commerce is estimated to be only Rs 1.86 lakh crore by 2020.

"With Kotak Mahindra Bank, IDFC Bank and Aditya Birla Finance as Alibaba.com's new partners in India, it was expected that they'd need an office in Mumbai sooner than later. Among other things, these partners will provide banking, transactional services and lending to Alibaba.com's members. We expect the battle for market share to get more fierce between these firms," said Raja Seetharaman, director at commercial property analytics firm Propstack.

India's $17-20 billion e-commerce market, expected to grow to $34 billion next year, is dominated by local giant Flipkart, followed by Amazon, which has committed at least $5 billion to bridge the gap. Snapdeal is a distant third.

Analysts say Alibaba might not get a walkover in India's e-commerce market, due to entrenched competition from Amazon and its Indian rivals. "It depends a lot on what strategy they adopt, what money they're willing to pour in. India is a very different market from China," says Dutta.
The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to report details of deposits of old Rs 500/1,000 notes to it after the close of banking hours on Friday, which is the last date to accept the invalid currency.

With the closure of the facility of exchange of SBNs (defunct notes) as at the close of business on December 30, 2016, all banks should report information on collection of SBNs on December 30, 2016, itself at e-mail, the central bank said in a notification.

All lenders, including public, private, rural and cooperative banks, have been asked to make arrangements to gather information on deposits of the Specified Bank Notes.

All bank branches -- other than those of DCCBs  that have accumulated the SBNs as at the close of business today are required to deposit the same at any issue office of the Reserve Bank or a currency chest by Saturday itself.

RBI further said the old-high denomination notes cannot form part of banks cash balances from the close of business as on December 31, 2016.

However, District Central Co-operative Banks may retain the SBNs received on November 10-14 till receipt of further instructions.

Further, banks maintaining currency chests have been asked to make necessary arrangements to facilitate the deposit of SBNs received through linked branches or other branches of banks and post offices.

Reporting of the transactions in Integrated Computerised Currency Operations and Management System will be enabled beyond 9 till all the deposits are received and

accounted for.

To facilitate storage of SBNs, banks maintaining currency chests may utilise additional space in their existing currency chest or additional storage space at the same centre with the proviso that it is as safe and secure as a currency chest, RBI added.
ISRO has an opportunity to be the one-stop shop for satellite manufacturing, and Alpha Design is just the booster it needed.

Raghu Krishnan reports.

When the Indian Space Research Organisation started to look at private technology providers to make satellites, it chose a consortium of small and medium companies over larger players such as Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Electronic Systems.

ISRO had planned to tap private players over a decade ago to build its satellites, but the experiment failed as it found the industry wanted large scale commitment before it began work.

This time round, the space agency, which sees satellite manufacturing and space services as the next big global opportunity for Indian companies, wanted to execute its plan differently.

It opted for a consortium of small- and medium-sized firms led by Alpha Design Technologies to work with its team to build a navigation satellite first and then a second one independently at its facilities.

The first one, a Navigation with Indian Constellation or NAVIC satellite, will be built at ISRO's facilities in Bengaluru.

The choice of the satellite was important: India already has a constellation of seven navigation satellites that help pinpoint the location of people and goods across the subcontinent.

The two new satellites are spares being built to add to this capability.

If this experiment of roping in private players fails, it would not cost ISRO or the country much except the cost of trying out new models.

The process of assembling and testing of the two satellites would take around 18 months, which ISRO hopes would be a long enough duration for the private teams to learn and start building satellites on their own for the space programme.

ISRO's larger goal, besides boosting India's navigational capabilities, is to create a rung of private companies capable of building satellites independently.

While there were others in the fray, ISRO picked up the consortium led by Alpha Design because of its location, supplier base and the clear roadmap for scaling up the team.

The other reason was that the consortium's smaller team promised a nimble and flexible work environment that ISRO thought would be able to learn and absorb new technologies faster.

"The consortium has companies with expertise in each segment, such as electrical, software and others, required for building a satellite. So far, the industry has been associated with developing some of the components for the satellite. Now, we are setting up this consortium to build a fully integrated satellites for launch," said M Annadurai, director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, a day before the deal was announced.

India is at a sweet spot when it comes to making satellites and launching them from its soil.

Its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has emerged as the workhorse to send small satellites from across the globe into space.

In January, the rocket has been contracted to launch 83 small and micro satellites into orbit for a US customer, the biggest single exercise so far by any space agency.

SpaceWorks, a US satellite forecaster, predicts over 3,000 nano/micro satellites, weighing less than 50 kg, to be launched by 2022, predominantly for earth observation and remote sensing purposes.

The failure of two rockets, Antares and Falcon 9 over the last two years, has created a backlog of small satellites that need to be hurled into space over the next few years.

India is hoping that it can tap this opportunity to launch these satellites on its rocket, while also looking at the local industry to help build the satellites for overseas customers.

"Whenever there is a large production of satellites, there will also be requirement for sub-systems. There are many industries which can produce for global companies," said ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar in an interview in August.

ISRO is looking at the consortium approach to not only involve the industry to build the PSLV rocket, the first of which is expected to be launched by 2020, but also enable private players to pitch themselves as an integrated service providers: design, build and launch services of satellites for customers globally.

Alpha Design Systems has expertise in building complex systems for the Indian armed forces.

Unlike hundreds of start-ups founded by young technology graduates in Bengaluru, Alpha was founded by Colonel H S Shankar, a retired Research and Development head of the Bharat Electronics, in early 2000.

In 2004, Alpha began taking up projects for the Indian Army, helping it retrofit imagers for its Russian tanks.

Over the years, it has taken up projects in opto-electronics (combines electronics and light), electronic warfare equipment, missile launch detection systems and missile seekers for the armed forces.

It acquired firms with capabilities in developing software and has partnered with Airbus and Israel's Elbit Systems and Elta for making equipment for the armed forces.

For ISRO, Colonel Shankar assembled a group of companies -- Newtech Solutions, Aidin Technologies and DCX Cables from Bengaluru; Vinyas Technologies from Mysuru; and Avantel Systems of Hyderabad -- to jointly bid for the contract.

"We intend to invest Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) to set up a unit next to ISRO with a full-fledged facility for satellite manufacturing," says Colonel Shankar.

"We have 70 people working for ISRO on the first two satellites and it would be expanded to around 400 later."

In 2004, Alpha Design started with a revenue of Rs 25,000 and has grown to Rs 400 crore (Rs 4 billion) in 2015-2016, says Colonel Shankar, who plans to take the firm public over the next two years.

It employs over 845 people, 570 of them engineers who have been hired from colleges in Tier II and Tier III cities.

Alpha Design focuses on developing its core capabilities, while outsourcing non-core functions.

Colonel Shankar says the opportunity to be a one-stop shop for satellite manufacturing would increase the number of partners and spawn a huge private space industry in the country.

Photograph: Kind Courtesy ISRO
'If the RBI liability is extinguished and they no longer remain legal tender, then those Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes are worthless paper.'

'Then why should it be a criminal offence to keep that paper?'

Financial planning expert Harsh Roongta tells Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore what is wrong with the government's ordinance that criminalises holding of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes after March 31, 2017.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Frankly, I have not studied the ordinance as it is, in detail, but the sense that I get from newspaper reports is this.

Let us assume that the ordinance says that post-March 31, 2017, the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes are no longer legal tender and even the liability of the Reserve Bank of India is extinguished.

If the liability is extinguished and they no longer remain legal tender, then those Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes are worthless paper.

Then why should it be a criminal offence to keep that paper?

Just think of people who may still have such notes even post March 31, 2017 and I know of many live cases.

A friend of mine had gone to the US to stay with his daughter sometime in October, a month ahead of the scrapping of these notes. He has money lying in his cupboard; not too much but could be a lakh or two.

All of it accountable.

He is a retired person and his accounts are absolutely transparent.

He had also taken some money (the old notes) with him for paying the duty at the airport on his return to India.

Now he is planning to come back to India before March 31 anyway. Just suppose if he had no plans of coming back to India before this cut-off date. For no fault of his he would become a criminal.

I don't know, but this sounds pretty draconian.

Turning it as illegal tender is fine because that is the prerogative of the government. But making it illegal to keep and asking people to explain the source...

It is a right that the government already had under the law that if I was to be found with currency, the tax department has the full right to ask where I got the money from.

Even the tax department cannot prosecute me for keeping illegal money. They can only say that I have not paid tax on it and that it is unaccounted money.

I think the anti money-laundering law -- the Prevention of Money laundering Act, 2002 -- is a very effective anti-criminal law in such cases.

Mafia boss Al Capone was prosecuted successfully for tax fraud. The US authorities could not prove a single criminal case against him, but he was prosecuted successfully for tax fraud. That is how powerful the PMLA and tax avoidance laws are.

We, probably, did not need this ordinance when we have powerful laws to act against such cases.

That this ordinance says it is a crime to be found with these old notes after a cut-off date sounds draconian.

Even the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) allows me to keep some dollars I bring back after a trip abroad without making a common man a criminal. Earlier, the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) did make me a criminal for keeping even a quarter cent with me after such a visit.

The bigger question is why should holding of old notes after a cut off date make me a criminal?

All my comments are based on newspaper reports and somebody's interpretation of the ordinance and I would not be very quick to denounce it.
Some shred them.

Some smashed them.

Some trashed them.

And they had us wishing we too could be there getting rid of the worst memories of 2016.

Monali Sarkar takes us inside the Good Riddance Day in New York City.

Good Riddance Day is an annual event held in New York City for people to shred their bad memories before the New Year.

The turnout for this year's event -- at Times Square on December 28 -- was so huge that the organisers reportedly had to warn those in line that not everyone might get a chance to at the shredder.

Photograph: Darren Ornitz/Reuters

Good Riddance Day is inspired by a Latin American tradition in which people stuffed dolls with objects that represented their bad memories and set them on fire on New Year's Eve.

Photograph: Darren Ornitz/Reuters

While many shed memories of disappointing world events like Brexit and Donald Trump's election as US president, for many others it was a personal milestone.

Arlene Roberts of Antioch, California, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and made a full recovery, got rid of a wig she wore when she lost her hair during chemotherapy.

"The idea of Good Riddance Day inspired me to finally let go of my last wig, which had become a crutch holding me back from moving on and starting fresh following my treatment," she said.

"I also hope my story inspires and motivates others to move forward in life and feel confident with who they are now."

Photograph: Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Participants brought along laptops, photographs, bills and cartloads of other items of discontent that they wanted to get rid of.

Photograph: Darren Ornitz/Reuters

As they awaited their turn, some found the comfort of kindred souls in strangers.

Photograph: Darren Ornitz/Reuters

Some of the many memories of 2016 that people sought to leave behind.

Tim Tompkins, president, Times Square Alliance, who wrote the memory pictured top left, said, "We have made it to our 10th annual Good Riddance Day celebration, preparing for the New Year by reflecting on the past and looking for ways to improve and enrich our lives."

Photograph: Darren Ornitz/Reuters

For New Yorkers, this event is a natural lead-in to the famous Times Square ball drop on New Year's Eve. And from the look of it, it is totally liberating.

Photograph: Darren Ornitz/Reuters

Zara Bol: Which memory of 2016 do you want to get rid of?
In a rebuff to India, China on Friday finally blocked its proposal to get Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief and Pathankot mastermind Masood Azhar banned as terrorist by the United Nations, evoking a sharp reaction from New Delhi which accused it of "double standards" in dealing with terrorism.

Terming the action by China as "surprising", External Affairs Ministry said it had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism.

"We note with concern China's decision to block the proposal to list Masood Azhar," India said, asserting that its proposal, submitted to the 15-member 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council in February, received the strong backing of all other members of the Committee.

With China blocking New Delhi's proposal just a day before expiry of Beijing's "technical hold", India or any other country has to now make a fresh listing request for Azhar to be banned by the global body otherwise it will remain as permanent block, officials said.

China had twice imposed "technical hold" on the Indian proposal since its submission.

However, India said it will continue to push forward with resolute determination "through the use of all options available with us to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice".

"The international community is aware that the Pakistan-based JeM which is proscribed by the UN, has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India including the Pathankot air base attack.

"The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism," MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

The decision by Beijing is "surprising" as China itself has been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism, the spokesperson added.

"As a consequence of this decision, the UN Security Council has again been prevented from acting against the leader of a listed terrorist organisation. We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism and would join India and others in fighting the common challenge of terrorism," he added.

UN Sanction Committee's listing would have forced imposition of asset freeze and travel ban on Azhar by countries including Pakistan.
In a sensational claim, a suspended Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad officer has told a Solapur court that two of the absconding accused in 2008 Malegaon blasts case are in fact dead but falsely shown as "alive" by high ranking police officers.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the allegation by anti-terrorism squad's former senior inspector Mehmood Mujawar as "quite serious" and said the government will look into the matter.

The application filed in August before a magistrate court in Solapur claimed that Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra, who are among the accused in the Malegaon blasts case, are "no more". The details of the application surfaced in public domain on Thursday.

Notably, Mujawar was suspended after a case under Arms Act and criminal intimidation was filed against him in a Solapur court.

"Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra are in fact no more but are shown alive in Malegaon bomb blast case by high ranking police officers," Mujawar alleged.

The application was filed in the court by Mujawar on August 19 this year seeking early disposal of the case under Arms Act registered against him.

Mujawar, in his application, alleged that the case was filed against him as a conspiracy and was a pressure tactic as he wanted to reveal the truth about the "death" of Dange and Kalsangra.

When asked about Mujawar's claim, former ATS chief K P Raghuvanshi rubbished it, saying, "I don't even remember who this Mujawar is or if he was even part of the team that investigated the case."

"At least, in my tenure in ATS, nothing of this sort has happened," Raghuvanshi told PTI.

A retired police official, who has worked in the ATS, questioned Mujawar's claim, asking as to why the allegation is being made now after eight years.

"Who had stopped this official from revealing these important facts before? We must not believe these claims," the official, requesting anonymity, said.

A bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded in Malegaon on September 29, 2008, killing seven people and injuring around 100.

"Although the allegations are quite serious, we will have to look into it because why since 2009 no action has been taken. The concerned person says that the letter was sent to DG(DGP) and still there is no action taken.

"So I think we need to verify whether what is stated in the letter is really true, whether it is really genuine. I think, as of now I can only say that we will have a serious look at the entire episode," Fadnavis told reporters when asked to comment on the claim by Mujawar.

Nationalist Congress Party spokesman Nawab Malik demanded a probe into the allegation.

According to the investigating agencies, the Malegaon blasts was carried out by right wing extremists and a total of 11 persons are presently in jail in the case, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

The state ATS, which was initially probing the case, had charged the accused under various sections of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act and under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Indian Penal Code, Indian Explosives Act and the Arms Act.

However, when the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency, the agency filed a supplementary chargesheet by which charges under MCOCA were dropped on the ground that there wasn't sufficient material.

The NIA chargesheet also dropped Sadhvi and five others from the list of the accused. Apart from Sadhvi, those given clean chit by the NIA are Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Shyam Sahu, Praveen Takkalki, Lokesh Sharma and Dhan Singh.
Even as people lined up for the final time to deposit their old notes in banks, Lalu Yadav launched a scathing attack on the PM over his demonetisation scheme. M I Khan reports.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav on Friday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the prime minister has taken out the lungs, liver, kidney, intestines, blood out of the body of the Indian economy.

The attack came on the final day that people can deposit their old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in the banks as part of the PMs demonetisation scheme.

The RJD chief in his scathing criticism of demonetisation said that it had not only derailed the countrys economy, but also affected the poorest of the poor in a way that no one could imagine.

If the lungs, kidney, liver, etc is taken out of your body, would you be able to survive? That is what has been done to our economy, Lalu wrote on his Twitter account.

In another tweet, Lalu said that the PM should be realistic. To cover (peoples) endless sufferings by senseless moves, he is talking baseless about things like cashless.



Does Modi know how many times he has chopped and changed his own decisions in the last 50 days? He is totally clueless, puzzled and jumping here and there, Lalu said.



The RJD chief further stated that demonetisation had failed and the common man had been affected severely while the super rich and the corporates were enjoying life without any trouble.

The senior Bihar leader has already launched a protest against demonetisation in his state and has urged people to join his Modi hatao, desh bachao campaign.



Lalu said people in the entire country have been facing problems after demonetisation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cheated the country. Desh ka arth-vayvastha ko notebandi ne chaupat kar diya hain.

Speaking of the future Uttar Pradesh elections, Lalu said Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, would taste defeat, as the people are angry and unhappy. BJP will be defeated in Uttar Pradesh just as they were in Bihar.

Talking of how demonetisation has affected jobs, Lalu said that large number of migrant workers from Bihar has returned home after factories shut down. More than any one, the poorest of the poor have been badly hit by demonetisation. Poor are struggling to survive.
In significant push towards a less-cash economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced starting a biometric payment system using Aadhar platform within two weeks even as he exhorted citizens to adopt digital currency from the new year.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during the launch of a new mobile app 'Bhim' to encourage e-transactions at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. Photograph: Subhav Shukla/PTI Photo

After card payments and e-wallets, payments through the new system can be made by just a thumb impression after the bank account is linked with Aadhaar gateway, he said at a DigiDhan Mela, an event organised to celebrate the success of digital currency push.

Modi used wit and humour to take swipes at his political opponents for criticising demonetisation saying the drive was aimed at catching the "mouse" that eats away the nation's wealth.

Though he did not name anyone, his comments were directed towards Opposition parties which have been criticising the demonetisation move for yielding minuscule results in unearthing black money.

Scoring a political point, he said a new indigenously developed payment app 'BHIM' has been named after the main architect of Indian constitution, Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

Elaborating on Bharat Interface for Money or BHIM app, Modi said it is a simple app that can be used for making and receiving payments through smartphones or even feature phones.

IMAGE: Modi inaugurates the first weekly draw for Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana. Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad is also seen. Photograph: Subhav Shukla/PTI Photo

The name 'BHIM' is in recognition of the contribution of Bhim Rao Ambedkar for the upliftment of poor and marginalised sections of society.

"Through this app, Bharat Ratna Bhim Rao Ambedkar's name will take the centre-stage in India's economy. The day is not far, when people will conduct their business through this app," he said.

As regards the Aadhar-linked payment system based on thumb impression, Modi said the government is currently working on its security aspects and it would be launched in a two weeks' time.

There was a time when illiterate persons were ridiculed as "angoothachhap", Modi said adding "the times have changed, now your thumb will be your bank, identity and business".

He further said the government has issued over 100 crore Aadhar numbers and there are more than 100 crore mobiles and once the country goes digital, "it can create history".

IMAGE: Narendra Modi and Ravi Shankar Prasad during the event. Photograph: Subhav Shukla/PTI Photo

Technology, he said, will empower poorest of the poor, small business and the marginalised section.

The Prime Minister said the world wondered how could India, a country of illiterates, can used EVMs in the elections.

"Some people are pessimists in their hearts and minds, They start their days with pessimism. They may live with that," he said, adding that India is accepting the change today and in share markets crores of people are using demat accounts.

Referring to the critics, Modi said: "For the pessimist, I cannot offer any medicine but for optimists, I have thousands of avenues".

He further said that even barbers and washer men can use digital payments and present their mobile records to borrow money from banks.

IMAGE: Modi felicitates the first set of 7,229 winners of Digi Dhan . Photograph: Subhav Shukla/PTI Photo

Modi said, three years ago, newspapers were full of reports about how much was lost on account of scams like coal allocation and 2G but now everyone is talking about how much has been deposited in bank accounts following the demonetisation.

Responding to a comment that demonetisation is like finding a mouse after digging a hill, he said in a lighter vein that catching mouse is important as it eats away the wealth of poor.

Recalling that India, once described as golden bird (Sone ki Chidiya), became poor due to certain mistakes, Modi said the country has the potential to regain its past glory.

The Prime Minister also appealed to the people to undertake at least five transactions daily through mobile phones and let the country lead the digital movement.
'Appointed, sponsored and nurtured' by Jayalalithaa, P Rama Mohana Rao is now seen as a man who holds the key to the secrets of ministers and bureaucrats.

T E Narasimhan and Gireesh Babu report.

In June 2016, just a fortnight after taking over as chief minister for the second consecutive term, J Jayalalithaa appointed P Rama Mohana Rao as the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu.

This had raised eyebrows of many, considering he had superseded several senior bureaucrats.

Besides, he had worked with Jayalalithaa's arch rival, M Karunanidhi.

Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S Ramadoss alleged that Jayalalithaa had ignored 22 officers of the 1981 batch of the Indian Administrative Service to appoint Rao, a 1985 batch officer.

Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Rao, 59, who has post-graduate degrees in cost accountancy and economics, had been the personal secretary to Jayalalithaa from the day she came to power on May 16, 2011.

Five years later, after she won the election for the second consecutive term, he was appointed chief secretary in place of K Gnanadesikan.

Things took a turn for the worse when Jayalalithaa died on December 5.

On December 21, income tax officials raided Rao's Anna Nagar residence; in the next 26 hours, they searched 13 places including his office, son's house and office, relatives and friends' house.

Tax officials said they unearthed in the raids Rs 30 lakh (Rs 3 million) in new Rs 2,000 notes, 5 kg of gold and documents with details of undisclosed assets worth about Rs 5 crore (Rs 50 million).

Rao, who is to retire in September 2017, was removed from service. On his part, Rao questioned if the tax sleuths would have the guts to enter the secretariat if Jayalalithaa had been alive.

A day after the government announced that Girija Vaidyanath would be the new chief secretary, Rao defiantly said he was still the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu.

Rao alleged that the search was conducted at his residence and office, while the warrant was in the name of his son, Vivek Pabbisetty.

A few days before searching Rao's residence, the I-T department had seized crores of rupees, including new Rs 2,000 notes, jewellery, and documents of assets worth crores of rupees from sand baron Sekar Reddy who also hails from Andhra Pradesh.

Reddy is believed to have been close to senior bureaucrats in Tamil Nadu and also Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

The ongoing I-T raids at Rao's residence are said to be based on the alleged connection between Pabbisetty and Reddy.

Rao, along with Sheela Balakrishnan, adviser to the Tamil Nadu government, was reportedly calling the shots in the administration when Jayalaithaa was hospitalised for well over two months.

Rao also declared that he was responsible for maintaining law and order in her absence as well as during her funeral. He also claimed that he coordinated the disaster management during Cyclone Vardah.

He himself claimed that he had been 'appointed, sponsored and nurtured by Honorouble Madam.'

From 1994, when he was the district collector of Chengalpattu, she took Rao under her wings.

He was said to be one of the most powerful officers in Jayalalithaa's regime and even had control over cabinet ministers because of his closeness to the chief minister and her close friend, Sasikala.

Rao is known as a man of numbers and commands loyalty among the state's bureaucracy. These traits were the key to his growth. Rao had never been on central deputation, though he worked as the vice-chairman of the Gujarat Maritime Board between 2001 and 2003.

In his career of nearly 30 years, Rao has held positions in various departments including agri-production, housing and urban development, industries and backward classes welfare. He had also held additional charge of vigilance commissioner and commissioner for administrative reforms of Tamil Nadu.

A day after the search, Rao was hospitalised after he complained of chest pain. After two days when he was discharged, he called the media to his house (not even once as chief secretary he met the media) to take on the state, the centre and the IT department.

'What did I do? I may be a hurdle to many forces,' he said. 'My life is in danger.' He denied any business link with Reddy, adding that he has thousands of friends in Tamil Nadu and he may be known to him.

Again, the press conference and the way he took on the central government surprised many -- it was after all an unprecedented move.

He hinted that in the chief secretary's office there lie the secrets of many chief ministers, details of cases against ministers and bureaucrats.

'I am going to the people's court,' he said, reiterating that there was no security without Jayalalithaa, which made S Gurumurthy, chartered accountant and co-convener of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, to comment that Rao spoke like a Jaya fan and not a civil servant.

Amid all the mayhem, the Tamil Nadu government has not issued a statement whether the tax officials sought its permission to enter the secretariat.

Chief Minister Panneerselvam, who has been seen in a picture along with Reddy during a visit to Tirupati, has not come out with any explanation on this, though Rao said he was not aware whether the chief minister gave permission to the investigators.

Former CBI official K Ragothaman, who was the chief investigator in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, in a television programme said that if the investigation goes beyond Rao and leads to anybody such as the chief minister himself, the central government can dismiss the state government.
United States President Obama launched a Cold War strike on Russia and its spies on Thursday, accusing them of hacking the presidential election on orders from Vladimir Putin.

He ordered 35 Russian intelligence operatives to leave the country as part of sanctions ordered for what he said where the countrys attempts to interfere with democratic governance and harassment of U.S. diplomatic officials in Russia.

This is the first time the names of Russian officials involved in the hacking have become public on the sanctions list.

Russias cyberactivities were intended to influence the election, erode faith in US democratic institutions, sow doubt about the integrity of our electoral process, and undermine confidence in the institutions of the US government, a White House statement said. These actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

The US also separately sanctioned two Russian individuals, Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev and Alexey Belan, for using cyber-enabled means to allegedly cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information. Theyve long been sought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Obama also said in the statement announcing that the diplomats have been ordered to leave the country and that those individuals and their families were given 72 hours to leave the United States.

These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour, Obama said in the statement.

The US action has prompted an angry response from the Kremlin which promised an appropriate retaliation -- while its London embassy tweeted a picture mocking him as a lame duck.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said similar steps will be taken in response to the expulsions, though she did not immediately provide further details.

Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters there is no alternative to reciprocal measures, adding that Putin is in no rush to make a decision.

Russias first visible action came later, when Russian authorities ordered the closure of the Anglo-American School of Moscow, a US official briefed on the matter said.

The order from the Russian government closes the school, which serves children of US, British and Canadian embassy personnel, to US and foreign nationals. The order also closes access to the US embassy vacation house in Serebryany Bor, near Moscow.

Donald Trump, the US president-elect took hours to react. Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things, he said in a statement.

Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

The sanctions came after the Democratic Party and Hillary Clintons secrets were published, mostly by WikiLeaks, in a series of releases before Hillary Clintons election defeat.

Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Even without a sanctioned government project for the Agni-6, it seems inevitable that the Agni-5, over the next few years, would organically evolve into an ICBM with improved technologies and capabilities.

Ajai Shukla reports.

Ever since the Agni 5 intermediate range ballistic missile was first tested on April 19, 2012, analysts worldwide have speculated about when India would test its successor, the Agni-6 -- presumptively India's first intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Agni-5, which was successfully tested on Monday, December 26, to its maximum range of 5,000 kilometres, is not strictly an ICBM. By convention, ICBMs have ranges in excess of 5,500 km.

The Agni-5 is on the cusp between an IRBM and an ICBM.

Speculation about the Agni-6 has only been fanned by denials from top ministry of defence officials, including successive Defence R&D Organisation chiefs, about the existence of any project to develop the ICBM.

"Agni-6? What is the Agni-6? I have not heard of such a programme," a poker-faced DRDO Chairman Dr S Christopher told Business Standard.

With the continental United States and most of Western Europe and Russia beyond the Agni-5's strike range, there is little worry in those capitals about New Delhi's missile programme.

This was evident in June, when India was admitted into the Missile Technology Control Regime.

AGNI V Range 5,000 km Speed Mach 24 Payload 1,360 kg Weight 50 tons Length 17.5 metres Development Cost Rs 2,500 crore Engine Three stage solid fuel Accuracy Less than 10 m Launch platform 88 Tatra TEL and rail-mobile launcher

However, an Indian ICBM programme that would place influential world capitals at risk might be viewed differently.

That is why the MoD's official position, as described by a senior official to Business Standard is: "There is no Agni-6 missile. Our strategic missiles can already strike targets 300 km to 5,000 km away. These missiles meet all our strategic requirements."

Despite the official denials, speculation about an Agni-6 ICBM visualises a range of 6,000 km to 7,500 km; a larger payload capability than the Agni-5 to carry multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles; and even manoeuvrable re-entry vehicles to increase survivability against enemy anti-ballistic missile systems.

Significantly, the last two DRDO chiefs, V K Saraswat and Avinash Chander, publicly acknowledged having developed the technologies that go into MIRVs and MARV.

They said these could be quickly operationalised when the government so decided.

As for extending the Agni-5's range by 1,000 km to 2,500 km, a recent visit by Business Standard to the DRDO's Missile Complex in Hyderabad makes it evident that ongoing technology upgrades and incremental improvements in rocketry are already increasing the range of the Agni-5 missile.

Even without a sanctioned government project for the Agni-6, it seems inevitable that the Agni-5, over the next few years, would organically evolve into an ICBM with improved technologies and capabilities.

Chinese officials have always regarded the Agni-5 as an ICBM, with some even stating it is capable of striking targets 8,000 km away.

A major factor towards greater range would be the weight reduction in the 50 ton Agni-5, as older, heavier sub-systems are replaced by lighter, more reliable ones, including many made with lightweight composite materials.

A major development in this regard is the replacement of hydraulic actuators in the Agni-5's giant first stage with the state-of-the-art, electro-mechanical actuators that already equip Stage-2 and Stage-3.

Moving from hydraulic to electro-mechanical actuators not only saves weight due to lightweight components, but also eliminates problems like oil storage and leakage, and the need for an accumulator.

In addition, electro-mechanical actuators are more reliable and easy to maintain.

Currently, the Agni-5 has a metallic first stage, made of 'maraging steel', while the second and third stages are entirely built from lightweight composites, which were first tested in the Agni-4 on November 15, 2011.

Stage-1 components like high-temperature rocket motor nozzles are already being made of composites.

Gradually, the Agni-5 could become an all-composite missile that is significantly lighter than at present.

"No major development is needed to upgrade an Agni-5 into an ICBM. All that is needed is to improve materials to make the missile lighter, with better propulsion," says one scientist.

That would make the Agni-5, with an estimated current cost of Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) per piece, the world's most cost-effective ICBM.

It could cost just one-third the price of an American ICBM, as estimated by the respected Federation of American Scientists.

The total cost of the Agni-5 programme remains secret.

The political council of the Cabinet clears such classified projects, not the Cabinet Committee on Security that keeps records more transparently.

All sanctions relating to the Agni-5 project are done through the fast track route.
The Takhat Shri Harmandir Saheb Gurdwara at Patna Saheb, the most revered shrine for Sikhs after the Golden Temple in Amritsar, gets a much needed facelift just before devotees arrive to take part in Guru Gobind Singh's 350th birth anniversary celebrations.

M I Khan gives us a glimpse.

The exquisite art work and fine marble is unmissable as one enters the hallowed doors of the Takht Sri Harmandirji Sahib Gurdwara at Patna Saheb, Bihar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among the thousands of devotees who will pay obeisance at the sanctum santorum of Guru Gobind Singh, to commemorate the 350th birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru, from Friday, December 30.

Preparations for the Prakash Parv, as the day is observed by the faithful, had begun long ago.

While no structural changes have been brought about to the gurdwara complex, the interiors have undergone massive reconstruction.

"There is a shine of gold all around the sanctum sanctorum -- from the ceiling to the walls, doors, arches... to even a pedestal fan near the palanquin (again gold-plated) where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept," granthi Jaswant Singh told this correspondent

Another granthi, Dhayan Singh quickly adds that the Sachch khand -- as the sanctum sanctorum is referred to -- has 22 carat gold and silver-plated door panels.

"The gilding on the inverted U-shaped structure in front of the sanctorum was done by artists from Jaipur and Ghaziabad," Dhayan Singh says, proudly as he hands out the prasad (halwa made in pure ghee) to a worshipper.

Over 500,000 devotees are expected to visit Patna for the week-long event.

Patna Sahib is where Guru Gobind Singh was born on December 22, 1666.

The first renovation, according to a Takhat Saheb booklet, took place in 1837 under Maharaja Ranjit Singh's instructions.

After an earthquake in 1934, the sangat again got it repaired.

The foundation of the present five-storied building was laid in 1948 and the work was completed in 1957 at an expenditure of Rs 20 lakh (Rs 2 million).

The granthis ask visitors to admire the spruced-up interiors.

Says Amarjit Singh, a resident of Bhatinda, Punjab, "When I visited a few years ago, there was nothing like this. Guruji's birthplace has undergone surprise transformation with gold and precious stones."

According to Sardar Avtar Singh Makkar, chief of the Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib management committee, the 3,000 square feet ceiling of the sanctum sanctorum in the darbar hall has been embellished with Manovat art, a mural art found in Junagadh fort and the Golden Temple.

"Dozens of trained artisans from Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh worked for over three years (mid-2013 to November 2016). It was delicate work using multiple colours," Makkar says.

Besides the gold work, the costly marble cladding with semi-precious stones on the outer walls of the sanctum sanctorum have caught the visitors' attention.

Vinod Singh, another granthi, says the stone sheets are special and of rare quality brought fom Australia, Brazil and Canada.

The cost of undertaking such a massive revamp is estimated at Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion), most of which was reportedly borne by a British devotee, Bhai Mohinder Singh.

How grand will the Prakash Parv be?
Somalia: Welcoming new Federal Parliament, Ban urges completion of electoral process

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 December 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Somalia: Welcoming new Federal Parliament, Ban urges completion of electoral process, 29 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5866135140d.html [accessed 4 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 December 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the inauguration of the new Federal Parliament of Somalia on 27 December and warmly congratulated the people of Somalia on this historic achievement in their quest for universal suffrage by 2020.

The successful inauguration of the Parliament marks further progress in ensuring political stability and security in Somalia, said a statement issued overnight by Mr. Ban's spokesman.

The tenth Parliament of Somalia was inaugurated in a ceremony yesterday that saw 283 parliamentarians take an oath of allegiance.

In the statement, the Secretary-General urged the new Parliament to now maintain the momentum by moving swiftly to complete the electoral process, with the election of the Speakers of both houses and the Federal President.

The Parliament should tackle urgent legislative priorities, including establishing a permanent Constitution of Somalia, in the larger interest of the people of Somalia, the statement added.

Further, the Secretary-General called on the authorities to fill all remaining vacant seats in the Parliament expeditiously, while fulfilling their obligation to ensure that the seats reserved for women are filled by women. He also emphasized that any irregularity, abuse, or malpractice reported by the federal and state electoral bodies should be fully addressed to preserve the credibility of the process.

The Secretary-General commended the hard work of the Somali security forces and the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in providing a secure environment for the 2016 electoral process in Mogadishu and in the regional capitals, the statement added.

According to the UN Department of Political Affairs, the United Nations has been engaged with Somalia since 1991 to support its Government and people to advance the cause of peace and reconciliation, following two decades of lawlessness and conflict.

The Security Council established the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) on 3 June 2013 to provide policy advice to the Federal Government and AMISOM in the areas of governance, security sector reform and rule of law, and development of a federal system, including preparations for elections in 2016.
UN experts applaud US decision to dismantle 'discriminatory and ineffective' counterterrorism programme

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 December 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN experts applaud US decision to dismantle 'discriminatory and ineffective' counterterrorism programme, 29 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5866138f40d.html [accessed 4 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 December 2016 - Two United Nations human rights experts welcomed a decision by the United States to dismantle a national registry program targeting people visiting from countries that are home to active terrorist groups, a program that the experts labelled "discriminatory and ineffective."

The program, the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), applied to citizens from 25 countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa. It led to both racial and religious profiling.

"Effective counterterrorism strategies and legislation should not be based on preconceptions or misunderstandings about the groups that are the most susceptible to radicalization or violent extremism," announced the UN Special Rapporteurs on, respectively, racism and xenophobia, Mutuma Ruteere, and freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed.

Instead, strategies should be based on and developed in accordance with evidence in order to ensure a proper understanding, they said. An evidence-based approach, they emphasized, more effectively targets at-risk communities and also ensures "that entire communities and ethnic or religious groups are not stigmatized or discriminated against."

"Counter-terrorism measures must not discriminate against non-citizens, in purpose or effect, on the grounds of race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin," emphasized Mr. Ruteere.

"I remain hopeful that the new US administration can learn from the shortcomings of the NSEERS and adopt a non-discriminatory approach to counter-terrorism policies."

Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Ahmed Shaheed. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre

Under the policy, not a single terrorism prosecution has resulted out of the 80,000 Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians who have registered. While deportation proceedings commenced for some 14,000 people, not a single one has been found to have any links with terrorist or otherwise violent activities.

"Discrimination between human beings on the grounds of religion or belief constitutes an affront to human dignity and a disavowal of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations," declared Mr. Shaheed.

"This kind of discrimination is a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and described in detail in the International Covenants on Human Rights," he added.

Special Rapporteurs are part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures' experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
Syria: UN envoy welcomes new ceasefire between Government and opposition groups

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 December 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Syria: UN envoy welcomes new ceasefire between Government and opposition groups, 29 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/586613bd1.html [accessed 4 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 December 2016 - The United Nations envoy for Syria has welcomed the announcement of a nationwide ceasefire between the Government and armed opposition groups that would come into effect at midnight tonight.

According to a note issued by his spokesperson, UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura hopes that "the implementation of the agreement will save civilian lives, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance across Syria, and pave the way for productive talks" in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

The Special Envoy is of the view that these developments should contribute to inclusive and productive intra-Syrian talks the UN intends to convene on 8 February 2017, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported today that four million people in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and surrounding areas have been cut off from the main water supply since 22 December.

Two primary sources of clean and safe drinking water that serve 70 per cent of the population in and around Damascus are not functioning, due to deliberate targeting resulting in the damaged infrastructure.

The UN is concerned about the lack of water which could lead to waterborne diseases, particularly among children, and about the financial strain this is having on families, said OCHA, noting that throughout Syria, close to 15 million people are in need of water assistance and households spend up to 25 per cent of their income to meet their daily water needs.

"The United Nations calls on all parties to reach peaceful agreements to alleviate the suffering of civilians, and that basic services, essential for survival, such as water supply, must be safeguarded and protected at all times," OCHA emphasized.

As the Syria crisis enters its sixth year, civilians continue to bear the brunt of a conflict marked by unparalleled suffering, destruction and disregard for human life. According to OCHA, 13.5 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 4.9 million people in need trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach areas, where they are exposed to grave protection threats.
UN study reveals record number of demolitions in occupied Palestinian territory in 2016

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 December 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN study reveals record number of demolitions in occupied Palestinian territory in 2016, 29 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/586613da40c.html [accessed 4 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 December 2016 - A recently completed United Nations study indicates that during 2016, Israeli authorities demolished or seized 1,089 Palestinian-owned structures throughout the West Bank - including East Jerusalem - thus displacing 1,593 Palestinians and impacting the livelihoods of another 7,101.

Preliminary analysis of the data, gathered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), cites the highest figures for demolition and displacement in the West Bank since OCHA began recording the information in 2009. The overwhelming majority of structures that were seized or destroyed were done so because of a lack of Israeli-issued building permits.

As of the end of November, some 51,000 Palestinians had been displaced in the Gaza Strip following the loss of their homes during the 2014 escalation - a decrease from the 90,000 who were displaced towards the end of 2015. Those who are still displaced depend on temporary shelter assistance provided by humanitarian organizations.

However, the number of casualties and injuries among both Palestinians and Israelis has decreased. As of the end of December, 109 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed, down from 169 Palestinians and 25 Israelis in 2015. Injuries were also reduced, most of which occurred during demonstrations and clashes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Throughout 2016, the movement of people was more limited than in the past. According to OCHA, a daily average of 531 Palestinians exited along the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing at the northern Gaza border throughout 2016, down from 602 in 2015 and 26,000 before the Second Intifada in September 2000. The Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing was opened only under exceptional circumstances, with a monthly average of 3,306 crossings in both directions - down from 25,186 in 2013 before the closure was imposed in October 2014.

There were, however, some improvements in the movement of goods from 2015, although the average truckloads of goods entering the Gaza Strip remained down from 2007, before the blockade was imposed.

The data also includes information about checkpoints and other barriers to freedom of movement, such as earth mounds, roadblocks, and road gates. While the cumulative number of obstacles was five per cent higher than in 2015, the number of permanently staffed checkpoints was lower, thus allowing more movement.

Further information about OCHA's data on the settlements, demolitions, deaths, injuries, displacement, and more is available here.
UN aid wing cites 'deep concern' at surge in attacks on relief workers in Central African Republic

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 December 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN aid wing cites 'deep concern' at surge in attacks on relief workers in Central African Republic, 29 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/586613fe412.html [accessed 4 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 December 2016 - The United Nations relief wing today voiced deep concern at the resurgence of attacks against humanitarian workers in crisis-gripped Central African Republic (CAR).

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the African country, there were 336 attacks against humanitarian workers in 2016, 56.8 per cent of them robberies and burglaries.

Five humanitarian workers were killed in 2016 in the line of duty, and according to OCHA Bureau Chief Joseph Inganji, a total of 24 have been killed since 2013. These attacks occur as humanitarian crises multiply in several prefectures with an alarming increase in the number of displaced.

"Humanitarian action has no other purpose than to save lives [] tackling the humanitarian community is tantamount to attacking the most vulnerable populations, those who need often vital assistance," he said.

During the last quarter, the outbreaks of violence displaced more than 70,000 people. In some areas humanitarian workers cannot reach the displaced who are hidden in the bush due to insecurity. The most negative impact of the reduction of humanitarian space is thus felt by the most deprived.

Mr. Inganji, however, said that the humanitarian appeal of $532 million has been "poorly" funded, with only 34 per cent of the target met.
Gambia: UN chief congratulates President-elect Adam Barrow

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 December 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Gambia: UN chief congratulates President-elect Adam Barrow, 29 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5866146540d.html [accessed 4 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 December 2016 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called Adam Barrow, the President-elect of Gambia, to congratulate him on his electoral victory and to reiterate the commitment of the United Nations to support a peaceful, timely, and orderly transfer of power.

In a readout of the phone call issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said that the UN welcomed and fully supported the decision of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on 17 December to support the safety of the president-elect.

The UN Security Council and the African Union have also expressed such support and have acknowledged Mr. Barrow as the President-elect after he defeated President Yahya Jammeh in elections on 1 December.

Mr. Ban encouraged President-elect Barrow to urge his supporters to show restraint and not resort to violence. He emphasized that the UN would support the will of the people in their election of Mr. Barrow as well as the future Government's in efforts to promote democracy and sustainable development for the country.

Despite efforts to reach President Yahya Jammeh by phone, the Secretary-General has not yet been able to speak with him, according to the note.
RSF calls for release of three Belarussian bloggers

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 29 December 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF calls for release of three Belarussian bloggers, 29 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/586614ec4.html [accessed 4 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) calls for the immediate release of three bloggers - Dzmitry Alimkin, Yury Paulavets and Syarhey Shyptsenka - who have been held by the Belarusian authorities for the past three weeks for criticizing the government's supposed "Russophobic" tendencies.

Alimkin, a school supervisor in the southwestern city of Brest, and Paulavets, a university professor in Minsk, were arrested on 6 December. Shyptsenka, the editor of the magazine Novaya Ekonomika and correspondent for the Russian news agency Regnum, was arrested three days later.

All three are facing up to 12 years in prison on charges of "inciting racial hatred" in their posts on the Russian news websites Regnum, Lenta.ru and EADaily.

Paulavets' posts accused the government of stirring up anti-Russian sentiment in order to divert the public's attention from economic problems. Shyptsenka deplored the government's failure to combat Belarusian nationalism and the assertion of a national identity.

Alimkin questioned the existence of a Belarusian nation and called for unification with Russia. He and Shyptsenka drew parallels with the situation in Ukraine and suggested that Minsk's supposed hostility towards Moscow could be disastrous for Belarus.

"The posts of these three bloggers are controversial but that does not justify their imprisonment," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "According to international standards, their provisional detention is neither necessary nor proportionate. We ask the Belarusian authorities to release them and to ensure they get a fair trial, which will require an independent expert evaluation of the offending posts."

According to article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Belarus has ratified, any restrictions on freedom of expression must be legal, legitimate and necessary.

The Johannesburg Principles specify that, if authorities want to restrict freedom of expression on national security grounds, they must be able to establish a direct link between the offending comments and potential violent actions.

Since the war in Ukraine and Crimea's annexation, the Belarusian government has become increasingly concerned about the influence of Russia's leading media on Belarusian public opinion.

The authorities have nonetheless insisted that they make no distinction between pro-Russian and anti-Russian comments. Eduard Palchys, a young blogger, was sentenced to 21 months of "surveillance" on 28 October for criticizing Russian foreign policy in his blog posts.

Belarus is ranked 157th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index.
More journalists arrested as novelist goes on trial

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 29 December 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, More journalists arrested as novelist goes on trial, 29 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/586615a74.html [accessed 4 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) calls on the Turkish authorities to stop criminalizing journalists and to release Ahmet Sk, a leading investigative reporter who was arrested today, and five other journalists who were arrested four days ago. Well-known novelist and newspaper columnist Asl Erdogan meanwhile goes on trial in Istanbul today along with eight other journalists and intellectuals.

"Not content with reducing pluralism to almost nothing and holding the world record for the number of journalists in prison, the Turkish authorities continue to throttle journalism more and more every day," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.

"Five months after the coup attempt, the government keeps on using the state of emergency and the terrorism law to silence its critics. Given the scale and frequency of the arrests, there will soon be no one left to tell the world what is happening in Turkey."

Arrested at his Istanbul home at dawn today, Ahmet Sk is charged with "propaganda for a terrorist organization" and "denigrating the Turkish Republic and its institutions" in a dozen tweets, five articles for the opposition daily Cumhuriyet and what he said at a public event organized jointly with the European parliament.

His comments criticized the government's handling of the Kurdish issue and terrorist threat, and Turkey's arms deliveries to Islamist groups in Syria. His lawyer, Can Atalay, told RSF that he has been denied access to his client - a curtailment of rights permitted under the state of emergency in effect since July.

Sk has been awarded many prizes for his investigative reporting, including UNESCO's Guillermo Cano prize in 2014. He spent more than a year in preventive detention on trumped-up charges in 2011 and 2012, which RSF condemned in a report at the time.

Asl Erdogan's trial

Asl Erdogan is one of nine contributors and employees of Ozgur Gundem, a daily newspaper closed by decree in August, whose trial at the justice palace in the Istanbul district of Caglayan starts today.

Five of the defendants escaped arrest and are being tried in absentia. Erdogan will appear in court along with linguist and fellow columnist Necmiye Alpay, editor-in-chief Inan Kzlkaya and reporter Zana Kaya. They have been held for the past four months and are facing possible life sentences on charges of "membership of a terrorist organization" and "endangering the integrity of the state."

The very small courtroom chosen for the trial will not be able to accommodate the many observers, some of whom have come a long way to show their support for the journalists.

Erdogan is known both for award-winning novels that have been translated into many languages and her human rights advocacy. She has been defending peace, women's rights and the rights of minorities for years. Her books and columns have drawn attention to rights violations, prison conditions and the violence to which the civilian population in the mainly Kurdish southeast is exposed.

Although she suffers from asthma and diabetes, she was placed in solitary confinement when initially taken into custody. RSF reiterates its call for as many signatures as possible to the petition for the release of Erdogan and her colleagues, which is available here.

Five journalists in custody for the past four days

The five journalists who have been held since 25 December were all arrested in dawn raids on their homes and are all charged with "propaganda for a terrorist organization."

They are Tunca Ogreten, an investigative journalist and former editor of the news website Diken; DIHA news agency reporters Omer Celik and Metin Yoksu; ETHA news agency reporter Derya Okatan; and Eray Sargn, the editor of the news website Yolculuk.

Both DIHA and ETHA are among the many media outlets that have been closed by decree in recent months.

The main point in common among these journalists is that they reported revelations by a group of far-left hackers about energy minister Berat Albayrak, who is President Erdogan's son-in-law. RedHack announced in late September that it had hacked into his email accounts and published their contents. But its revelations were drastically censored.

Already ranked as low as 151st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index, Turkey has seen an unprecedented crackdown since the abortive coup attempt in July.

The government is using the state of emergency to silence all of its critics and has closed many media outlets. The authorities have withdrawn press cards and passports from many journalists, and more than 100 journalists are currently in prison.
On no evidence, court confirms three-year term for Chechen journalist

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 30 December 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, On no evidence, court confirms three-year term for Chechen journalist, 30 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/586616be4.html [accessed 4 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) deplores yesterday's decision by Chechnya's supreme court to confirm the three-year jail sentence that the young journalist Zhalaudi Geriyev received from the Shali district court in September on a clearly trumped-up charge of drug possession.

As in the original trial, the supreme court was given no evidence to support the charge aside from the "confession" that Geriyev made under duress at the time of his arrest and immediately retracted.

A contributor to the independent news website Kavkazsky Uzel, Geriyev was alleged to have been possession of more than 150 grams of cannabis that he was about to smoke. But the case was riddled with contradictions and procedural violations.

The court systematically ignored defence testimony confirming that three plainclothesmen kidnapped Geriyev from a minibus that was taking him to the Chechen capital, Grozny, from where he had planned to travel to Moscow for work-related reasons.

Geriyev told the court that his abductors took him to a wood where they beat him, tortured him and interrogated him. They then confiscated his backpack and took him to a cemetery in the village of Kurchaloi, where they finally extracted his "confession" and placed him under arrest.

Geriyev's complaints about his mistreatment were dismissed three times without any action being taken. His lawyer, Alaudi Musayev, has announced his intention to refer the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

"There are no grounds for convicting Zhalaudi Geriyev aside from a desire to punish him for his journalistic activities," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.

"We again call on the authorities to redress this injustice and quash his conviction without delay. It is high time that the international community remembered Chechnya, which is defenceless against Ramzan Kadyrov's endless crackdown."

Independent journalism has been almost completely eradicated in Chechnya, an autonomous Russian republic that was traumatized by two bloody wars and has been ruled with an iron hand by Kadyrov since 2007.

The complete impunity with which well-known journalist and human rights defender Natalya Estemirova was murdered in 2009 reinforced the climate of fear that reigns in the region, one that RSF has described in several reports, most recently in 2011.

Any remaining journalist who nowadays dares to defy the official consensus and obligatory pro-government enthusiasm is warned or threatened, and pressure is put on relatives. Harassment of critics has intensified in the past year. The least comment on social networks is now liable to have dire consequences.

Kadyrov often describes independent journalists and members of Russia's liberal opposition as "traitors" and "enemies of the people."

Russia is ranked 148th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index.
Seems likely that the Russians didn't have anything to do with the US elections either. The Dems are p'd that they lost - period.





We're heard about "fake news" - now it's "fake intelligence". Just like the CIA stated in 2007 that Iran didn't have nuclear weapons and then in 2008 after Obama was elected, they did. I'm thinking it was the same for Iraq - the whole WMD fiasco.





Apparently, there are those who feel Trump did not make a good choice for the head of Intelligence and so there might be more of this fake BS. Will Trump fall for it or will he put a stop to it?





In order to be safe, the Americans need someone they can trust and someone who will provide accurate, informed intelligence for the good of the nation rather than political expedience. The Americans are getting neither and the more I hear the worse it gets for American interference in various countries. Hopefully, Trump will put an end to America's interference in other countries but only time will tell.





Apparently, the "globalists" are deliberately creating this chaos so that eventually they can take over the world! Huh - who knew? Hope they beat the Islamists who want a world caliphate although neither is particularly good for freedom. liberty et al.





JMHO
Center for Performance is finished, more to do at Hall of Fame Village
Jinentonix said: What a load. If Palestine knocked off their sh*t and dropped their weapons for once, there'd be at least some measure of peace in the area. If Israel dropped their weapons, there'd be no Israel left to defend. Let's look at some reality. At various times, Israel had taken land from Syria, Jordan, Egypt and IIRC, Lebanon as well after being invaded by those countries, some more than once. When those countries stopped directly f*cking with Israel and invading them, Israel ceded their lands back to them. For the most part, they haven't lived to regret it. But with Palestine, there is no give and take. When Israel fully pulled out of Gaza, the Palestinian f*ckers were launching rocket attacks from the very lands that were ceded back to them within hours of the pullout.

The expansion of Israeli settlements is an effort to push the Palestinians back far enough to prevent rocket attacks on their cities. Some people like to call that "genocide". Normal people with a working brain call it self-defense. Click to expand...

The UK and Israel are both tiny nations as their voice should reflect that in that both would have to suck up to Russia or China (or both) to replace the support the US has given both those nations. Pulled the UK out of losing a war 2x and vetoed many UN resolutions on Israel's behalf over the last 60 odd years. Israel will get by and the whole area will thrive rather than just the sliver of land that the River Jordan drains.If America is on the decline on the global stage that might prompt some of the more educated Jews to opt for the land of Israel if opportunity to present a plan that would cover the development of the watershed for a few more local rivers than just the Jordan. Getting a wage for that task means the ones planting and harvesting according to those recommendations does not entitle the draftsmen a cut of those profits.If they are excellent at their job they will get other contracts rather than Israel automatically being the general contractor for the globe.Really?? Creating permanent living conditions like this is how somebody (with an over abundance of working brain cells in their own opinion) can cause conditions like this and then prevent any reconstruction. Maybe you buy the fable but I'm a bit more of a critical thinker than you are.Considering the Israeli war budget and the size and strength of Gaza I would say Israel has lost the war.Your version of history really needs a violin playing in the background to be effective as the way you present it it presents opinions as facts when all your points are nothing but propaganda. One video published by Miko Peled woul lay all your 'facts' as being lies for lack of a better term. If you really believe your post is truthful then you would accept the challenge that refutes his version of the history of the place since the end of WWII. I don't think you will accept the challenge because the 'facts' are not on your side.
Farmers and fishermen in downstream countries are complaining about the impact of Mekong River dams located upstream in both China and Laos.

But a think tank now has a plan to reduce the damage done to crops and fish stocks by hydroelectric dams. Its focus is on Laos, Southeast Asias poorest country, which it says could benefit from scaling back on some of its planned dams.

The Stimson Center, a nonpartisan research center in Washington, D.C., says in a recent report that Laos may be able to mitigate the damage by creating an efficient national power grid and by turning to other sources of power.

Brian Eyler, Stimsons director for Southeast Asia, says, theres still time to make strategic choices regarding water-energy planning in Laos that can minimize to some extent the effects of dams on downstream environmental flows.

However, he adds, this isnt to say that what has been completed so far is sustainable or of low impact.

We still dont know, he says, whether efforts to mitigate the loss of fish stocks and vital sediment blocked by two existing Lao dams, the Xayaburi and Dan Sahong Dams, will work.

Eyler also points out that key tributaries of the Mekong in Laos, such as the Ou River, are already blocked by dams which further divert fish and sediment.

The fish are vital sources of protein in Laos and farther south in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. And the sediment is needed to replenish riverbanks, riverbeds, and farmland.

An underreported story

The scale of dam building in Laos is far greater than most people realize. But it gets little media coverage outside the Mekong region.

Compared with local people in five other countries sharing the Mekong who speak out and in some cases even organize protests against hydroelectric dams, the Lao people are at a disadvantage.

Laos lacks environmental groups that can draw attention to the plight of the rural people who are displaced or otherwise affected by dams.

A reporter recently in Laos for Radio Free Asia quotes a villager living near the Ou River, or Nam Ou, as saying the government does nothing for the people, but if I complain, the authorities will just laugh at me, and Ill end up in jail.

Its not like Thailand here, the villager says, referring to civil society and environmental groups based in neighboring Thailand.

In Thailand, a group of 37 people living near the Mekong have initiated a legal action against Laoss Xayaburi Dam. Others are protesting the blasting of rapids on the Mekong aimed at clearing the way for large Chinese ships to travel down the river.

Despite warnings from environmental groups, Chinese engineers began blasting rocks and reefs in the Mekong years ago under an agreement signed by China, Laos, Burma, and Thailand.

But the work downstream is not complete.

In Thailand, protesters have boarded Chinese survey boats and demanded that they halt their work and leave the Mekongs rapids and riverbanks undisturbed.

Such an action would be unthinkable in Laos.

Foreign developers, banks, and firms benefit

The Stimson Center asserts that the energy infrastructure in Laos is highly inefficient and mostly constructed for the benefit of neighboring countries.

The Lao government, for its part, has stated that its aim has been to gain wealth and alleviate poverty by becoming the battery of Southeast Asia.

But the Stimson Center argues that the current hydropower system in Laos favors the needs of investors, which are short-term and driven by the bottom line over those of the state.

Its a project-by-project approach, the center says, thats unlikely to meet Laoss revenue goals.

In its report, the think tank notes that in Laos many hydropower dams and transmission lines are currently being financed and built by Thai developers and Chinese state-owned banks and enterprises. These commercial projects are backed by nonconcessional loans.

This is in contrast to earlier years when the World Bank and Asian Development Bank offered Laos low-interest loans.

Meanwhile, Lao officials are reported to be struggling to decide how to deal with an anticipated surplus of electricity in 2017.

The Stimson Center says that for Laos the main obstacle to selling electricity to Vietnam or further afield is the lack of a reliable national grid infrastructure. This is what Laos needs, it says, to respond flexibly to fluctuating power demands in nearby countries.

The Stimson report also proposes the integration of Laoss solar and wind projects. Located relatively close to the equator, Laos offers ideal conditions for solar power.

The Stimson report also calls for the United States to play a greater role in supporting efforts to balance Laoss hydropower development with concerns for the environment, food security, and other uses of water. This would involve more technical aid and training in human capacity building.

While welcoming the proposal for more assistance to Laos and the concept of an efficient and reliable power grid, some experts are skeptical that top-level Lao officials will embrace the plan.

But Stimson is taking the long view.

Impact on Cambodia

Meanwhile, to the south of Laos, Cambodian fishermen complain that upstream dams in China and Laos have disrupted vital fish migrations, causing a drop in the fish population in Cambodias Tonle Sap Lake.

The Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, is often described as the heart of the Mekong.

A representative for five Cambodian communes working with a fisheries protection team told a Radio Free Asia reporter several months ago that the Mekongs flow into the Tonle Sap has been unpredictable over the past five years.

The building of dams inside Cambodia by foreign developers has also stirred criticism from Cambodian villagers being displaced by the dams.

In one case, villagers told the RFA reporter that government officials were bringing in policemen and soldiers, who were threatening arrests or imprisonment of those defending their ancestral lands.

Possible solutions in the Mekong Delta

South of Cambodia, parts of Vietnams fertile Mekong Delta became disaster areas this year as a result of El Nino-induced drought, climate change, bad rice farming practices, rising sea levels, and the intrusion of salt water.

In addition, Vietnamese farmers complain that upstream dams, including those in both China and Laos, have begun reducing the level of sediment that once replenished the Deltas riverbanks.

In effect, the heavily populated Mekong Delta combines into a perfect storm everything that could go wrong for a downstream state.

David Brown, a freelance writer specializing in Vietnamese issues, recently concluded an in-depth, four-part series exploring the threats faced by the Delta as well as possible ways to overcome them.

Brown, a former U.S. diplomat, reports that on the potentially positive side that the Vietnamese government now has a Mekong Delta Plan (MDP) based on several years of work by Dutch and Vietnamese officials.

According to Brown, the planners conclude that efforts to try to produce more and more rice and other exportable crops are unsustainable.

They recommend building dikes around the heart of the Delta, building a canal big enough to move water south and west of the Mekongs upper branch, conserving fresh water in aquifers, building reservoirs, and restoring mangrove barriers to absorb salt intrusions.

Finally, Browns report recommends that farmers focus on agribusiness and extracting more value from smaller and more diverse harvests that can be marketed through co-operatives.

What does the future hold?

Quoting environmentalists and United Nations experts, Radio Free Asia reported two months ago that Vietnam and other nations in the Mekong region must brace for increases in extreme weather events, such as the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Dams built hundreds of miles upstream from Vietnam will also continue to have a negative impact on Vietnamese farmers and fishermen. And, based on RFA reporting from the Mekong region, much of this impact is now irreversible.

Adding to uncertainty about the future for the Mekong Delta are reports from Chinese scientists and others who say that glaciers in far-off Tibet, the location of the headwaters of the Mekong, are melting more rapidly than expected.

This could result in fluctuations in water levels far downstream that have never been seen in the past.

Dan Southerland is RFAs founding executive editor.
Cham Muslims hold up a photo of Cambodia's first couple as they protest a road project that could divide the property of the Al-Serkal Mosque in Phnom Penh, Dec. 30, 2016.

Hundreds of Cambodias Cham Muslims assembled on Friday at the Boeung Kak areas Al-Serkal Mosque where the Phnom Penh city government plans to build a road that will divide the plot of land upon which the mosque sits.

The controversial plan for the road has sparked tensions within the Cham Muslim community, with many of the rank-and-file opposing the road and some of the Cham leadership supporting its construction.

The Al-Serkal Mosque, commonly called the Boeung Kak Mosque, is the countrys largest, and opponents of the road feel that it will destroy a tranquil oasis for the citys Muslims.

Supporters contend that the road will ease traffic congestion and flooding because a new storm-water drainage system will be installed along with the road.

Ahmad Yahya, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation secretary of state, told RFAs Khmer Service that he doesnt oppose the road but thinks it should be moved.

He told RFAs Khmer Service that the controversy over the road was being used to paint the Cham community as anti-government.

They accused us of being an opposition group, but, as a matter of fact, we are not an opposition group, he said. We just insist that the Phnom Penh municipality and the authorities divert the new roads trajectory so it will not affect our mosque.

Ahmed Yahya said his position in government and the open show of support by the demonstrators for Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) should put the notion that they oppose the government to rest.

While the protestors disagreed with the Phnom Penhs plans, they voiced their support for the CPP and held up banners saying the Samdech Hun Sen and the Cham Muslims are one!

Samdech is an honorary title bestowed by the Cambodian king that roughly translated to lord in English.

In 2010 Prime Minister Hun Sen inaugurated the mosque, which was privately funded by Al Serkal Family at a cost of $2.9 million.

On Dec. 23 hundreds of Cham Muslims demolished a temporary fence cutting across the mosques property that was installed on December 19 by the city workers to cordon off the roads right-of-way.

Participants in that demolition included people from the Kratie and Tbaung Khmom provinces, where most Cambodian Cham Muslims live.

The new roadway is 200 meters long and measures 20 meters in width, with two meters for a sidewalk on each side.

The roadway is part of a plan to develop what was formerly Boeung Kak lake by Shukaku, Inc.

In what is considered one of Cambodias most egregious land grabs, 3,500 families were evicted from the Boeung Kak area and the lake was filled with sand.

The company is headed by powerful CPP Senator Lao Meng Khin and his wife Choeung Sopheap (aka Yeay Phu) and their family, according to a report by the London-based investigative non-governmental agency Global Witness.

Reported by Samnang Rann for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.




The IPPR is simply trying to create anti-Brexit noise, and it has succeeded

29 December 2016The SpectatorHow much more desperate can the Remain lobbys propaganda become? Having had its predictions of instant economic doom comprehensively disproved by events, it is dreaming up ever more devious ways of trying the hector the country into thinking that it made a huge mistake on 23 June.Today, the Institute of Public Policy Research, a think tank closely associated with the Blair-era Labour Party, publishes a report trying to predict what life in Britain will be like in the 2020s. It was eagerly lapped up by the BBC and the Guardian, who seem to favour this sort of stuff over reporting genuine, good, economic news. Needless to say, neither picked up on the IPPRs rather obvious economic illiteracy.One of the IPPRs conclusions is predictable enough: The economic implications of Brexit are likely to put the country on a lower growth, lower investment trajectory, worsening the public finances, with important consequences for the UKs economy and living standards.This was one of the standard claims by the Remain lobby before the referendum and it is still trying to make the same point, even if UK growth has remained buoyant and the latest ONS release  only lightly reported last week  shows that business investment in the third quarter of 2016, in the immediate aftermath of the vote, was actually higher than in the second quarter.But it is what the IPPR goes on to say next that really takes the biscuit. Brexit, it claims, is the firing gun on a decade of disruption, which will involve an ageing population and a fragile world order which will see American hegemony fade and economic power drift away from the West to the Global South. Brexit will also help fire the starting gun on exponential improvements in new technologies  computing power, machine learning, artificial intelligence systems, automation, autonomous vehicles, health and resource technologies, and the Internet of Things, among others  are expected to radically transform social and economic life.Wow, that is quite a list to lay at the door of Brexit. It is possible to argue that if Brexit leads to more constrained migration  and that is an if  it could contribute to an ageing population in the UK, although our average age will continue to rise in or out of the EU. But how on Earth can a predicted (and probably wrong, as it has been many times before) decline of American hegemony be blamed on Britain leaving the EU?More bizarrely still, what on Earth has Brexit has got to do with artificial intelligence? That is a revolution which is happening and which will continue to happen whether or not we are part of the European Union. But even if Brexit were to fire the gun on the use of AI, surely that would be a rather good thing? It is hardly consistent with the IPPRs prediction of declining productivity and wealth in a post-Brexit UK. On the contrary, AI is a wealth-creating technology just like steam power and computing power before it. If Brexit were really to help stimulate AI, then surely the IPPR should be saying: Bring on Brexit.I dont suppose that the IPPR really intended its report to be coherent. What it hoped was to generate lines like this, as reported on the BBC website this morning: Labour and the Liberal Democrats both saw the report as an indictment of what they called the governments hard Brexit strategy, which is taken to mean forfeiting single market access in order to gain control over immigration. The IPPR is just trying to create anti-Brexit noise, and thanks to some pliant reporters it has succeeded.
Authorities in the Chinese capital have punished five police officers in connection with the death of an environmentalist in police custody, as his family withdrew their attempts to win legal redress in a civil lawsuit after an unprecedented payout from the government, sources close to the family told RFA on Friday.



Lei Yang died soon after being detained on May 7 by police during a raid on a foot massage parlor in Changping county, just north of Beijing, sparking public anger and raising questions about his death.



Five police officers were detained pending an investigation into his death, which was found to be partly the result of neglect by police and partly the result of Lei's "resisting arrest."



The state prosecutor in Beijing's Fengtai district announced last week it wouldn't pursue criminal charges, and released the officers.



Now, the Beijing municipal police department has fired Xing Yongrui, deputy head of the Dongxiaokou police station in Changping. Xing has also been expelled from the ruling Chinese Communist Party.



Zhou Shuaimin, the head of the Dongxiaokou police station, was given a "serious disciplinary warning" by the Communist Party and relieved of his duties.



Another of the five officers, Kong Lei, received an "administrative dismissal" and has been moved from his post, while the contracts of an auxiliary police officer and two security guards have been terminated, sources said.



The head of the local security brigade Zhou Minghui and his deputy Wang Yuguo were also handed administrative punishments of various degrees.



Unprecedented settlement



Lei's family, who had questioned police claims that Lei was resisting arrest, saying he was heading to the airport to meet a friend, now say they are no longer pursuing a lawsuit against the police over his death.



Lei's wife and brother Lei Peng declined to comment when contacted by RFA on Friday.



"It's not convenient for us to give interviews right now," Lei Peng said, using a euphemism that is often used to refer to close surveillance or police presence.



But a source close to the family said they had been awarded an unprecedented sum in compensation.



"It's done now," the source said. "It's 20 million yuan and an apartment."



"The authorities have said they mustn't post on social media about it, nor can they make the figure public, and they have to withdrew all legal proceedings and fire lawyer Chen Youxi," the source said.



"This is really an unprecedented sum, which goes to show that international public opinion, and public opinion generally ... makes a difference."



Lawyer fired



Another source told RFA: "His family are farmers, and they were told that if they continued to kick up a fuss and make trouble, they would only get compensation according to government rates through legal channels, which would amount to less than a million," the source said.



The lawyer hired by the family, Chen Youxi, announced on Thursday that he had been dismissed by Lei's family on Wednesday, and that they were dropping all legal proceedings related to their son's death.



Meanwhile, Lei's former classmates at the prestigious Renmin University, where Yang graduated with a masters degree in environmental science in 2009, said they "respected and understood" the decision by his family.



But they said in a joint statement that they disagreed with the decision of the authorities not to pursue criminal charges against the officers.



Fengtai District People's Procuratorate said on Friday it wouldn't pursue charges against the officers, saying that their behavior constituted a "dereliction of duty, but that the circumstances were minor," official media reported.



Sources said the decision to detain the officers at all had prompted a massive backlash from public security officials at the highest level, and the case was dropped after high-ranking intervention.



"[Public security minister] Meng Jianzhu got very angry about this after the Renmin University alumni started to kick up a fuss," one source told RFA.



Flashpoint for unrest



Beijing-based veteran democracy activist and political commentator Zha Jianguo said the authorities wanted to settle the case out of court, as it was perceived as a potential flashpoint for social unrest.



"They are afraid that [punishing the officers] would have a negative effect on the police force, who are at the front line of the stability maintenance operation," Zha said.



"In the case of Lei Yang, the authorities are using a carrot and stick approach," he said. "The carrot is that they detained the officers at all, and found they did have a case to answer, and handed a massive sum in compensation to the family."



"The stick is that they want this case laid to rest right now and never brought up again."



The Fengtai district prosecutors concluded that Lei had "procured sexual services and fiercely resisted law enforcement," and had died from choking on his own vomit in custody later.



They found that Lei's death was related both to police actions and to his resistance, and that police had acted with negligence in not getting him medical treatment soon enough.



Former fellow students of Lei's at Beijing's prestigious Renmin University penned an open letter taking issue with the decision and calling for justice for Lei.



The letter, a version of which was also sent to President Xi Jinping, had garnered more than 2,500 signatures when it was last seen by RFA.



Reported by Wong Siu-san and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Qiao Long for the Mandarin Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.




Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith speaks during the ASEAN Gala Dinner at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Sept. 7, 2016.

Top Lao officials will have to give up the keys to their government-purchased BMW and Mercedes Benz automobiles as the politburo has decided that they can drive cheaper Toyotas instead.

The move comes as Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith attempts to rein in corruption in the impoverished nation where high-raking officials have used the perquisites of office to motor around the country for free in 7-series BMWs and S-class Mercedes.

[We] agree to return the luxury cars the state and lay them for a bid auction, the costs of which can cover three ordinary cars for officials of three positions, Thongloun announced on Dec. 20.

Thongloun said the government will auction off the luxury vehicles and employees eligible to drive government vehicles will have to drive Toyota Camrys.

The Lao government fleet currently contains 30 Mercedes Benz automobiles, of which five are S-class or E-class automobiles, and eleven 7-series BMWs, according to an article in the Vientiane Times.

BMW 7-series and S-class Mercedes retail for around $100,000 in the U.S. The E-class Mercedes runs from around $53,000 to about $65,000 in the U.S.

Although big sedans make up the bulk of the luxury-car fleet, officials can also be spotted driving Toyota Land Cruisers, Prados and Fortuners and various makes of pickup truck.

In Laos, where the minimum wage is about $110 per month, luxury cars are a big status symbol. A luxury car with the blue government plate makes an even bigger statement.

In Laos, state officials who drive the state-owned cars are considered as powerful persons, and their image is supposed to be accepted and upgraded in the eye of society, a government official told RFAs Lao Service.

Thongloun said the decision was not intended as a punishment, but is an effort to make the government operate more efficiently.

To do this does not irritate or discourage officials in working or doing duties, he said. On one hand, officials in some sectors have many cars, but on the other hand officials with the same positions in other sectors do not have any cars.

There are many loopholes for corruption

The move could have a ripple effect as the Toyotas are cheaper to maintain and operate, but its unclear if Thongloun and the politburo will prevent government officials from other auto-related abuses.

Officials with the cars are often able to avoid paying for fuel and maintenance and they often keep the cars when they retire.

The cost of gas and maintenance is not fixed in each governmental organization, and there are many loopholes for corruption, a retired soldier who spoke on condition of anonymity told RFA.

In addition, when those officials retired they do not return the cars to the state, but they take them, the soldier said. When the new officials come they must buy new ones.

An official who worked on the government automobile policy told RFA that the amendment to Prime Ministerial Decree No. 81 that governs the use of state vehicles for leadership services seeks to cut spending on vehicle purchases and related costs such as petrol.

Politburo members are entitled to drive a Toyota Camry 3.0, ministers are entitled to a Camry 2.5, and deputy ministers may drive a Camry 2.0, the official said.

While government officials will have to give up the cache that comes with driving a BMW or a Mercedes, in Laos the Camry is still considered a really nice car.

In the U.S., the top-of-the line Toyota Camry XLE that comes with the standard leather interior and the optional 3.0 liter engine and minimal accessories lists for around $32,000.

Reported and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
Bangladeshi border police in Teknaf watch over Rohingya Muslims who were detained after trying to cross into Bangladesh from Myanmar, Dec. 25, 2016.

Bangladeshs foreign ministry on Thursday summoned Myanmars ambassador for the second time in five weeks to complain about Rohingya Muslims fleeing into Bangladesh, saying some 50,000 refugees had arrived since Oct. 9.

Bilateral and Consular Secretary Kamrul Ahsan also protested a Burmese trawlers unprovoked attack and firing on a Bangladeshi fishing boat two days ago that seriously injured four Bangladeshi fishermen, a foreign ministry statement said.

In his meeting with Ambassador U Myo Myint Than, Ahsan expressed deep concern at the continued influx of Muslims from the Rakhine State of Myanmar and said that around 50,000 Myanmar citizens took shelter into Bangladesh since Oct. 9, 2016.

The Secretary (Bilateral & Consular) demanded early repatriation of [the] entire Myanmar population staying in Bangladesh, the statement said, referring to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who have sheltered in southeastern Coxs Bazar district for years.

He also requested the Myanmar government to urgently address the root cause of the problem in the Rakhine State so that Rakhine Muslims are not required to desperately seek shelter across the border.

The Rohingya are a stateless minority largely concentrated in western Myanmars Rakhine state. According to Bangladeshi government estimates, some 300,000 to 500,000 Rohingya refugees live in and around Coxs Bazar.

Most have fled persecution at the hands of Myanmars Buddhist majority. Since early October, tens of thousands of Rohingya have crossed over from Rakhine amid deadly violence and a military crackdown that followed the killing of nine Burmese border guards in Muangdaw township.

When Ahsan first summoned the Burmese envoy on Nov. 23, he handed him a diplomatic letter conveying Bangladeshs concerns over the influx. The local border police have tried to repel it by turning away hundreds of boats carrying Rohingya across the Naaf River that separates the neighboring countries.

Unprovoked

The ministry also lodged a diplomatic protest over an alleged shooting incident in Bangladesh waters near Myanmars western coastline on Tuesday.

The statement alleged that the crew of a Burmese trawler fired on the F.V. Janiva Khaleda, then took the boat and the fishermen aboard it to a Myanmar navy ship patrolling nearby.

Myanmar navy personnel seized the belongings of the fishermen and released them after 4 (four) hours. [The Secretary] demanded [an] appropriate investigation into the matter, the ministry said, noting that four Bangladeshi fishermen were seriously injured.

The ambassador from Myanmar did not talk to reporters after Thursdays meeting. It was not immediately clear whether officials in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar, had responded to the incident or the summoning of their diplomat.

According to a high-ranking Bangladesh Navy officer stationed in the Chittagong region in the southeast, the shooting arose from competition over fishing grounds in Bay of Bengal waters around St. Martins Island, which belongs to Bangladesh.

The incident happened over fishing; the Myanmar fishermen also go there for fishing. After we came to know about the incident, our Navy and Coast Guard went there for patrolling, the officer told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, on condition of anonymity.

Abdul Malek, a local fisherman, told BenarNews over the phone that many fishermen from Myanmar enter Bangladeshi waters to catch fish.

Our navy should fire on them when they intrude in our waters, he told BenarNews.

Reported by Kamran Reza Chowdhury for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.


UPDATED at 3:52 P.M. EST on 2017-1-5

Myanmars home affairs minister said on Friday that a food flotilla that a Malaysian Muslim organization plans to send to restive northern Rakhine state to help ethnic Rohingya affected by communal violence is an insult.

Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe, who served as minister of border affairs under the previous government, made the comment to reporters after a meeting of Myanmars central anti-human trafficking organization about the boats laden with 200 metric tons of rice, medical aid, and essential supplies for Rohingya Muslim communities, which are scheduled to depart Malaysia on Jan. 10.

It is impossible to accept it because it doesn't make any sense, he said. It must be done as a government-to-government matter. They cant go straight to Rakhine state.

It shouldnt be accepted, and we wont accept it, he said. If they want to do it, then they have to do it through the foreign affairs ministry and must inform the central government. We cant accept it if they just do it with the Rakhine state government.

It is an insult, he said. We wont accept it. We are sorry.

Zaw Htay, spokesman of the Presidents Office, warned on Wednesday that the organization, which has not yet obtained permission from the Myanmar government to enter the country, can do so when the boats arrive or risk being stopped or attacked by Myanmar security forces, and its crew deported.

The Indonesian government has already sent 10 shipping containers of food, baby food, and clothes for Rohingya affected by the violence in northern Rakhine.

The two predominantly Muslim countries called on Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars de facto leader, to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to the areas affected by violence when they and other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met with her on Dec. 19 to discuss the crisis in northern Rakhine.

Two suspected attackers detained

In the meantime, security forces that have been deployed in northern Rakhine since deadly Oct. 9 attacks on three border guard stations have detained two more suspected attackersKodi Mula and Mamut Arlongin predominantly Muslim Maungdaw township, the State Counselors Office announced Friday.

Authorities have detained roughly 600 people in connection with the raids during which nine officers were killed and subsequent violence between security forces and armed men in northern Rakhine. Nearly 90 others have been killed in the crackdown.

The State Counselors office also said a village administrator from Gwasone village in Maungdaw township had been kidnapped on Dec. 29 by six armed men.

Security forces and authorities are investigating the matter, along with the apparent murders of three other Muslim men who worked in local administrative capacities in their communities.

The men, who all were found dead in the past week, are said to have collaborated with government authorities as they continue to try to round up those who raided the border guard stations.

The security lockdown and search for suspects has forced about 50,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, according to the Myanmar government, where some have accused troops of arson, rape, and murder.

On Dec. 30, the Myanmar government said it would take back 2,415 of its citizens living in Bangladesha small number of the 300,000 people who Bangladesh says are Myanmar citizens who have taken refuge there and should return home, Reuters reported.

There are only 2,415 Myanmar citizens, according to our data, Kyaw Zaya, director general of the foreign affairs ministry told Reuters.

Bangladesh has refused to grant the Rohingya refugee status because it considers them citizens of Myanmar, while Myanmar considers the Rohingya illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

An ethnic Kaman man (R) answers questions as census enumerators take data in Bumay village on the outskirts of Sittwe, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, March 31, 2014. Credit: AFP Appeal to UN

The crisis prompted 23 Nobel laureates, politicians, philanthropists, and activists on Thursday to urge the United Nations to intervene in the situation.

They wrote an open letter to the U.N. Security Council asking it to add the crisis to its agenda as an urgent matter, calling it a human tragedy amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and requested that the secretary-general visit the country in the new few weeks.

The signatories also blasted Aung San Suu Kyi, the countrys de facto leader and a Nobel Peace Prize winner herself, for not doing enough to protect the Rohingya, who are denied citizenship and rights to basic services such as education and health care in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

If we fail to take action, people may starve to death if they are not killed with bullets, and we may end up being the passive observers of crimes against humanity which will lead us once again to wring our hands belatedly and say never again all over again, the letter said.

In a related development, a Rakhine volunteer group in the town of Thandwe started monitoring the citizenship process for Muslims on Dec. 24, the groups leader Myint Moe told RFAs Myanmar Service.

The group has informed the General Administration Department of the Police and Immigration Office and will meet with immigration officers from the capital Naypyidaw, he said.

Of Thandwes population of 120,000, about 8,000 hold temporary identification cards known as white cards, and more than 800 have applied for national identification cards, he said.

White card holders must show proof of a long family history in Rakhine state if they want to obtain Myanmar citizenship and have a national identification card.

Under the previous government, the holders were supposed to surrender their cards by May 31, 2015, and receive green cards from the immigration ministry so they could apply for citizenship, but not everyone turned them in.

Those who possess green cards can apply for full Myanmar citizenship, but must first undergo a citizenship verification process.

We have 474 ethnic Kaman people [who practice Islam], so it is OK to issue ID cards to them, Myint Moe said.

But the 8,000 others who are applying for ID cards include Rohingya trying to pass themselves off as ethnic Kaman, he said.

We dont want these people to get IDs, he said. We will be watching. Local people know who the real Kaman are and who is not.

Reported by Wai Mar Tun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Sikh and Hindu communities in Afghanistan have demanded authorities investigate attacks against members of their communities, after a local Sikh community leader was shot dead in the northern city of Kunduz.

Narmang Singh, a shopkeeker also known as Dilsoz, was killed by gunmen on his way to work on December 29, the second deadly attack against members of the Sikh community in Afghanistan since September.

Senator Anarkali Honaryar, who represents the Hindu and Sikh minorities in the upper house of Afghanistans parliament, says the attack has deeply affected the communities.

"The incident has left a serious negative psychological impact on the Hindus and Sikhs. We urge authorities to investigate this incident as well as past attacks against the Hindus and Sikhs," Honaryar told RFE/RL on December 30.

Police in Kunduz say three suspects were arrested in connection with Singhs killing.

On September 30, a Sikh man was abducted from his home and shot dead by suspected militants in the eastern city of Jalalabad. The killing sparked protests by the Sikh community.

A vast majority of Afghanistans Hindus and Sikhs -- whose were estimated to number around 220,000 in the 1980s -- have left the conflict-torn country in the past three decades.
The commander of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hossein Salami, warned protesters that October 29 would be their last day of taking to the streets.

"Do not come to the streets! Today is the last day of the riots," Salami was quoted as saying by state media.



Iran has been gripped by protests triggered by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Tehrans morality police.



Since Aminis death on September 16, thousands have been demonstrating across the country against the clerical establishment.



Protests were reported on October 29 at several universities across the country where students chanted, Death to the dictator, and, Woman, life, freedom.



Iran has blamed its foreign enemies and their agents for the unrest.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) posted videos on Twitter showing protests at several universities. One of the protests showed people holding hands in a large circle and chanting: "If we don't unite, we will be killed one by one."

HRANA said 272 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of October 28, including 39 minors. Some 34 members of the security force have also been killed and nearly 14,000 people have been arrested, it said.

The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights also posted a video of a protest at a university campus and said that in the city of Arak state security forces fired tear gas as mourners gathered for the funeral of Mehrshad Shahidinejad, a young aspiring chef who reportedly was killed after being arrested during a protest.

The IRGC warning on October 29 came as the United Nations expressed "increasing concern" about reports of deaths in the antiestablishment protests in Iran.

"We condemn all incidents that have resulted in death or serious injury to protesters and reiterate that security forces must avoid all unnecessary or disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York on October 28.

Those responsible must be held to account, he said, adding that the UN was urging Tehran to address the legitimate grievances of the population, including with respect to womens rights.

The United Nations urged the Iranian government in Tehran to respect human rights, noting that the crisis can and should be brought under control through dialogue.

In a separate statement, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also expressed concern about "rising fatalities and injuries" to protesters in Iran.

"Its essential that unfettered access to health care is provided to those in need, [including] the appropriate use of medical vehicles, facilities & the ability of health workers to help patients," WHO chief Tedros said on Twitter on October 28.

Protesters clashed again with security forces on October 28 in Zahedan, a city in southeastern Iran were dozens of people were killed in clashes four weeks ago during anti-government protests.

Activists posted videos on social media showing protesters in the city calling for the death of "dictator" Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and against the Basij militia, which has played a major role in a crackdown on the demonstrations.

The United States and Albania will hold an informal UN Security Council gathering on November 3 that will focus on the protests in Iran, according to a note outlining the event seen by Reuters. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and Iranian-born actress and activist Nazanin Boniadi are set to address the gathering.

"The meeting will highlight the ongoing repression of women and girls and members of religious and ethnic minority groups in Iran," the note said. "It will identify opportunities to promote credible, independent investigations into the Iranian government's human rights violations and abuses."

Javaid Rehman, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, is also due to address the meeting, which can be attended by other UN member states and rights groups.

"The meeting will underscore ongoing unlawful use of force against protesters and the Iranian regime's pursuit of human rights defenders and dissidents abroad to abduct or assassinate them in contravention of international law," read the note about the planned meeting.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the deportation of Ukrainian citizens from Russian occupied regions in southern and southeastern Ukraine.

"The Russian occupation administration has begun mass forced relocation of residents of the left bank [of the Dnieper River] of the Kherson region...to the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea or the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement on November 3.



Similar deportations are also being carried out by Russia in the Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions, as well as in Crimea, the ministry said.



Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-appointed head of Kherson, announced on October 31 an expansion of what Russia has called the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens.

Saldo said he was moving people further into the region or to Russia because of the risks of a "massive missile attack."



Just three days earlier, Russian-installed officials announced that the evacuation process in Kherson region had ended.

Kyiv reiterated on November 3 that it saw the move as a "deportation." It also said reports continue circulating about the alleged mining of the Nova Kakhovska hydroelectric power plant by Russian troops.



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy previously said that Ukraine suspected Russia had mined the dam and units of the power plant on the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine, and if it were blown up, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, would be in danger of flooding.



The Foreign Ministry statement also accused Russian troops of looting industrial, cultural, educational, and medical institutions, as well as private houses and apartments.



The ministry called on the international community to condemn the forced relocation, to introduce new sanctions against Russia, and to increase military aid to Ukraine for the liberation of its occupied territories.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

The Ukrainian military's General Staff also said on November 3 that Russian forces continued the so-called evacuation of the local population in the Kherson region and accused them of taking away civilian and communal property, even equipment from hospitals, as they carried out the evacuation.



Russian forces also removed the roadblocks in Kherson. The head of the Kherson regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevich, believes that they did this to create an illusion that they have left the city.



It was also reported that the Russian flag was removed from the Kherson regional administration building. The head of the joint coordination press center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, Natalya Humenyuk, said that this could be a provocation.



Russian troops captured Kherson in March in the early days of the war. Its loss to Ukrainian troops would signal a significant retreat.



U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, asked to comment on the battlefield situation in southern Ukraine, said Ukrainian forces in the Kherson region "have the capacity" to retake the territory on the west side of the Dnieper River and Kherson city from Russian troops.



Austin, speaking at a news conference at the Pentagon, did not answer a question about whether Russian forces were preparing to leave, but he expressed confidence in the Ukrainian troops' ability to beat back Russian forces.

With reporting by Reuters
The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) extremist group may have unintentionally killed civilians in an air strike near a hospital in northern Iraq on December 29, the Pentagon has said.

The Iraqi Army, supported by the coalition, began the second phase of its offensive to retake the northern city of Mosul, which has been under IS control for more than two years.

Coalition aircraft targeted a van carrying IS fighters "in what was later determined to be a hospital compound parking lot, resulting in possible civilian casualties," U.S. Central Command said.

IS fighters had been observed firing an antitank gun "before loading the weapon in the van and driving off," it said. CENTCOM said the incident will be "fully investigated" and the findings released.

Despite taking extraordinary precautions and using precision-guided missiles to hit targets, the coalition has already admitted to killing at least 173 civilians in its strikes in Iraq and Syria since 2014.

Private war monitors say the number killed is more than 10 times that amount.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa
KYIV -- Senator John McCain says that the United States will not strike a "Faustian bargain" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid speculation that President-elect Donald Trump could scrap sanctions in a bid to improve ties.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service in Kyiv on December 30 along with two other U.S. senators, McCain (Republican-Arizona) said any possible deal with Putin "would interfere with and undermine the freedom and democracies that exist today."

The U.S. Congress imposed sanctions on Moscow shortly after Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and for its ongoing support for pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina) said Congress would pursue in 2017 more sanctions against Russia, targeting the energy and banking sectors, as well as "Putin and his inner circle."

"We're going to do two things: We're going after Putin harder with tougher sanctions and we're going to be more helpful to our friends, like here in Ukraine," Graham said.

McCain, Graham, and Amy Klobuchar (Democrat-Minnesota) said there is strong support in Congress to provide Ukraine with "lethal defensive weapons" to help Kyiv in its fight against Russia-backed separatists in the east.

WATCH: McCain, Klobuchar, and Graham talk about the hacking scandal and the possibility of more U.S. sanctions against Russia

The senators faulted Moscow for failing to fulfill its obligations under the Minsk accords -- a February 2015 agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where more than 9,750 people have died since April 2014.

"How can you have a free and fair election or debate about the power-sharing with eastern Ukraine when you have 700 Russian tanks [in eastern Ukraine]?" Graham said.

Asked whether Trump may recognize Crimea as part of Russia, Graham said Congress would block any such move.

"The president alone can't do this. And the reason the Congress will reject such a notion is because it undermines the rule of law," Graham explained.

McCain also called for tougher action against Moscow for its alleged involvement in hacks into Democratic Party e-mails before the November 8 U.S. presidential election.

"We can make them a lot tougher, ranging from travel to identifying individuals who have been involved in this hacking and specific organizations. There are a lot more stringent measures we should take," McCain said. "After all, it was an attack on the United States of America and an attack on the fundamentals of our democracy. If you destroy the elections, then you destroy democracy."

U.S. President Barack Obama on December 29 ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over what the administration says was their involvement in the hacking.

Putin said on December 30 that Moscow would not respond in kind and would not expel any Americans from Russia, accusing the U.S. administration of "irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy."

On December 30, Trump praised Putin on Twitter for holding off on retaliatory actions, calling him "very smart."

Trump has brushed aside allegations from the CIA and other intelligence agencies that Russia was behind the cyberattacks. But it is unclear whether he will seek to roll back Obama's actions.

"If you have a hard time figuring out who is behind this, that doesn't speak well of you," Graham said. "The Russians are doing it all over the world."

Klobuchar said it wasn't only the United States that was being targeted by Russian cyberattacks.

"We have learned on this trip visiting Estonia and Lithuania and hearing about these cyberattacks in Ukraine -- it has happened for years and years and years. And it's a technique that can be used in the French elections or the German elections," Klobuchar said, referring to two key upcoming elections in Europe in 2017.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said Russian security services are waging a cyberwar against the country, with hackers targeting Ukrainian state institutions about 6,500 times in the past two months.

Just this month, Ukraine's Finance and Defense ministries were hit along with the State Treasury that allocates cash to government institutions. A suspected hack also wiped out part of Kyiv's power grid, causing a blackout in part of the capital.

"The investigation of a number of incidents indicated the complicity directly or indirectly of Russian security services waging a cyberwar against our country," Poroshenko said, urging his National Security and Defense Council to take protective measures on December 29.

"Acts of terrorism and sabotage on critical infrastructure facilities remain possible today."

He said the attack on the State Treasury halted its systems for several days and state workers and pensioners were unable to receive their salaries or payments on time.

Russia has repeatedly denied hacking accusations.

The Ukrainian Security Service blamed Russia for a December 2015 regional power outage, the first known power outage caused by a cyberattack anywhere. A Russian hacking group known as Sandworm was implicated.

Based on reporting by Reuters
could be a wannabe snackbar or just a psycho meth-head...time will tell kids:The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Thursday it's assisting a Tampa Bay area law enforcement agency in the potential terrorism activity of a 21-year-old man who was arrested after his father was taken to a hospital due to suspicious fumes in the family home.Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said during a news conference there is no indication that Sherif Elganainy has terrorist ties. But he said that after chemicals were found in Elganainy's home and that he tried to wrestle a gun away from a deputy, all leads are being pursued. Two deputies received minor injuries when attempting to subdue Elganainy."This is an extremely dangerous individual," Nocco said. "This person had the potential to do bad things."The incident began at the family's home in New Port Richey, a suburb some 30 miles north of downtown Tampamoand a couple years agorelated:Earlier this year U.S. Border Patrol officials confirmed that smugglers on the southern border have been moving migrants from terror hot beds into the United States. In 2014 a U.S. Congressman shared the news that four terrorists had been arrested on the southern border , though the Department of Homeland Security denied any credible threats.
U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) has called for significantly tougher sanctions on Russia, beyond those imposed by President Barack Obama this week. During a visit to Kyiv on December 30, McCain joined Senate colleagues Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) in saying they expected Congress to act in the new year. Graham told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that Russia's energy and financial sectors, as well as President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, would be targeted, and that he hoped President-elect Donald Trump would sign the measures. The moves come after the CIA, the FBI, and the broader U.S. intelligence community concluded that computer hackers, likely operating with the authority of the highest levels of the Russian government, interfered in November's U.S. presidential election.
Russian authorities say one police officer and two suspected militants have been killed in a shoot-out in Daghestan, in Russias volatile North Caucasus region.

Daghestan police spokeswoman Fatina Ubaydatova said on December 30 that traffic police officers were trying to stop a car with suspected militants outside the city of Khasavyurt late on December 29 when people in that vehicle opened fire on them.

Police identified the two men as local militants who attacked policemen earlier this week in the regional capital, Makhachkala. Two officers were killed and one injured in that attack, police said.

Violence is common in the North Caucasus, which includes the restive mostly Muslim-populated regions of Chechnya, Daghestan, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria.

Islamic militants in the region have mounted frequent attacks on police and officials, and some have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group.

Based on reporting Interfax and AP
Serbia has signed a deal to buy nine light choppers from Airbus, adding to a minor regional arms race fueled by Russia's recent donation of jet fighters to the Balkan state.

Serbia's Defense Ministry said on December 29 that the deal is for H145M multiutility helicopters. The agreement includes spare parts, pilot training, and maintenance crews for the aircraft, which will be used both by the military and police.

Earlier this month, Russia announced it was donating six aging MiG-29 jet fighters to Serbia, a traditional ally, which will overhaul them at a cost of over 180 million euros.

Serbia's weapons modernization has sparked a mini arms race with NATO-member Croatia, with whom Serbia was at war in the 1990s. Croatia said it is considering Western replacements for its old fighter fleet of MiG-21s.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic at a year-end press conference dismissed Western criticism of the arms purchases.

"I am proud that we finally have an air force that will keep our sky free," he said. "Serbia is now a much safer country than yesterday."

Unlike some of its Balkan neighbors, Serbia professes no interest in joining NATO, though it is seeking to join the European Union.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
Syrian government forces and allied militias have clashed with rebels near the capital, Damascus, just hours after a nationwide truce officially took effect, a monitoring group and a rebel official say.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on December 30 it was not clear who had started the fighting in Wadi Barada, a rebel-held valley northwest of Damascus. Government helicopters were firing on the area, the observatory added.

A rebel official also reported clashes in the area, according to the Reuters news agency.

The observatory also said that government warplanes carried out at least 16 air strikes against rebels in the northeastern province of Hama on December 30. It did not immediately report any casualties.

The truce brokered by Russia and Turkey came into force at midnight and is the first nationwide halt in fighting since a week-long cease-fire in September that collapsed after several incidents of violence.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he would formally present the draft during closed Security Council consultations on December 30 and that he hopes the council will unanimously adopt the resolution at a meeting on December 31.

He said the Security Council needs to participate "in this important process."

Earlier in the day, the observatory said that while most of the country was calm overnight, "fierce clashes" took place between rebels and government forces in the northeastern province of Hama.

Abdel Rahman, the head of the monitoring group, told the AFP news agency, "Small rebel groups and armed loyalists are seeking to destroy the truce because it puts an end to their presence."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced on December 29 that the Syrian government and groups that oppose it had signed the agreement on a nationwide cease-fire.

Putin said a document outlining measures to enforce the cease-fire was also signed, and Russia says that Moscow and Ankara are "guarantors" of the truce.

Putin also said that the government and opponents had signed a separate declatation voicing their readiness to hold talks aimed to end the nearly six-year civil war.

Russia is seeking to organize those negotiations soon in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed those plans with the new Kazakh foreign minister, Kairat Abdrakhmanov, by telephone on December 30.

The cease-fire does not apply to combat against the extremist group Islamic State (IS) and the Al-Nusra Front, which now calls itself the Fateh al-Sham Front and says it is no longer affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

The announcement came days after Syrian government forces took full control of the northern city of Aleppo, forcing out rebels who had held the eastern part of the city since 2012.

More than 250,000 people have been killed and many more driven from their homes in the Syrian civil war, which began with a deadly government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters opposed to Assad in 2011.

With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP
Turkey's military says Russian aircraft have carried out three air strikes over the past 24 hours targeting Islamic State (IS) militants in northern Syria, in what appears to be the first Russian support for Turkish forces in the area.

The military said in a statement on December 30 the air strikes killed 12 IS fighters in the Syrian town of Al-Bab, where Turkish forces launched an operation in August to push back IS from the border region.

The IS-controlled town has been besieged by Turkish-backed rebels for several weeks.

The strikes came as a nationwide truce in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey, took effect at midnight and appeared to be holding in spite of reports of isolated clashes.

Separately, the military said that one Turkish soldier was killed and five others wounded in an IS attack in the Azraq area, west of Al-Bab. It said Turkish planes carried out air strikes in Al-Bab and Daglabash, killing 26 IS fighters.

On December 26, Turkey called on the U.S.-led coalition against IS to provide air support for the operation around Al-Bab.

Turkey's operations in Syria are also designed to halt the advances of the Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara sees as a hostile force.

The Turkish military said on December 30 that 1,171 IS militants and 291 Kurdish fighters had been killed since the start of Turkey's incursion into Syria on August 24.

Based on reporting by Reuters and Dailysabah.com
19 An Iraqi man reads the news on Saddam's trial and sentencing in Baghdad, after a court rejected his appeal, December 27, 2006. "God willing, Saddam will be hanged as soon as possible," one Baghdad man told Radio Free Iraq. The former Iraqi dictator was hanged three days later.
Three Afghan migrants died and another 10, including six children, were injured in a traffic accident in southern Serbia on December 29, the Interior Ministry has said.

The driver, a suspected smuggler, fled the scene after his passenger car crammed with 14 people swerved off the road and hit a safety barrier while fleeing from police.

Two migrants were killed on the spot and a child later died in the hospital, Zoran Radovanovic, the director of a local hospital in Nis, told reporters. "One woman had both legs amputated," he added.

Serbia was a focal point for migrants last year, when hundreds of thousands fleeing wars and poverty in the Middle East and Asia traveled up through the Balkans to reach wealthy Western Europe.

Although that route was closed off in March, Serbian authorities estimate a further 110,000 migrants have passed through the country, many using smugglers to travel across Serbia and cross its barbed-wire border with Hungary.

Serbian authorities arrested three men on suspicion of people trafficking on December 26 after 77 migrants were found hidden in cargo vehicles.

According to the United Nations refugee agency, around 7,000 migrants are stranded in camps in Serbia.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has called on the country to "move on" after the White House hit Russia with major new sanctions for interfering in the November election through cyberattacks.

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things," Trump said on December 29, though he indicated for the first time that he is taking the charges of Russian interference documented by U.S. intelligence agencies more seriously than he did during the campaign, when he repeatedly dismissed them.

"In the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," he said.

President Barack Obama earlier ordered a raft of measures ranging from the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats to sanctions on Russia's security services, who U.S. intelligence agencies blamed for the hack and leak of Democratic Party e-mails.

Trump's new willingness to consider the evidence presented by the White House suggests he is responding to pressure by other Republican leaders, who have called for a tough stance against Russia to discourage it from such political interference in the future.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP


PRYVILLIA, Ukraine -- Eighteen months after the last of the Kyiv-backed militiamen vacated this weary town near the front lines of Europe's only active war, School No. 32 is a crime scene.

A former forward operating base for one of the ragtag "territorial defense battalions" recruited to defend Ukraine in its war against Russia-backed separatists in the east, the schoolhouse is cordoned off with razor wire.

"It's a house of horrors," an elderly woman calls out admonishingly to the RFE/RL reporter photographing it under a gray sky, as she shuffles to the nearby bus stop.

Ukrainian military prosecutors, police, and residents allege that members of the Tornado battalion tasked with policing Pryvillia and nearby communities went rogue, committing violent crimes against at least 13 civilians in the first half of 2015. The list of accusations includes rape and torture, kidnapping, illegal imprisonment, extortion, robbery, and creating a criminal gang.

Tornado was disbanded in June 2015 and 12 of its members were arrested and are now on trial behind closed doors in Kyiv's Obolon district court. The defendants include the defunct unit's leader, Ruslan Onyshchenko, a burly fighter with at least three former criminal convictions who also led a battalion previously disbanded after charges that it had pillaged towns under its control.

Eleven of the defendants have proclaimed their innocence, while the other has pleaded guilty and is said to be cooperating with authorities to build a case against his former brothers-in-arms.

Twelve more of Tornado's 170 or so former members are on a national wanted list for serious crimes.

While questions remain as to individual guilt, there is little doubt that the battalion -- motivated, locals and detectives argue, not by patriotism but by a penchant for anarchy and contempt for eastern Ukrainians they deemed to be pro-Russian -- cultivated a climate of fear and intimidation in the communities it was supposed to protect.

Of more than 20 people, including law-enforcement officials, that RFE/RL approached in Pryvillia and neighboring Lysychansk to talk about the Tornado battalion, just three -- one police officer, one local man, and one journalist -- agreed to let their names be published alongside their comments. Others demanded anonymity to avoid being targeted for retaliation by former battalion members or their sympathizers.

Even from the relative safety of the capital, observers and officials in Kyiv have been reluctant to talk publicly about the case, and media have been careful in their mostly perfunctory coverage.

Litmus Test

Ukrainians have been shaken and divided by the Tornado trial, which observers view as a test of authorities' capacity to deliver justice and hold their own fighters accountable for crimes committed in the conflict zone.

Many of those same observers have also accused Russia-backed separatist militias of war crimes and documented evidence of abuses against civilians in areas under their control.

"The Tornado case can show whether the Ukrainian legal system is willing and able to bring to justice people from the Ukrainian side who are accused of committing the most serious crimes," Anton Korynevych, a Ukrainian lawyer and researcher at U.K.-based Global Rights Compliance who has followed abuses by Ukraine's volunteer battalions, told RFE/RL. He noted that such wrongdoing might constitute war crimes and could, in theory, be taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Rights activists and lawyers note Ukraine's limited success at trying and convicting its own militiamen, despite plenty of opportunity. There was an exception in July when a court in Luhansk, near the front lines of fighting, convicted another Tornado fighter of rape and sentenced him to six years in prison.

But high-profile cases in Kyiv have failed to deliver convictions or even be carried to completion.

In one, a commander and fighter from the volunteer Aidar battalion were remanded to pretrial detention in July on suspicion of robbery and abduction, among other offenses. But the two were released after supporters blocked their transfer to court and influential deputies and the prosecutor-general, Yuriy Lutsenko, intervened personally.

Ukraine "failed completely" in that case, Maria Tomak, a civic activist at the Kyiv-based Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), told RFE/RL, citing what she said was an abundance of evidence.

So the ongoing Tornado trial in Kyiv marks perhaps the authorities' biggest test to date. But it's not so cut-and-dried.

Counterclaims

Tornado's detractors say the battalion's story is one of brutality and depravity and that it has left a stain on the mostly positive reputation of the country's patriotic volunteer fighters. Its supporters blame an alleged smear campaign orchestrated by state officials to conceal some of those same officials' illicit business dealings in separatist-controlled territories. (Officials have denied those accusations.)

Authorities and at least one member of parliament have claimed video evidence exists that proves the rape allegations against the Tornado members in Pryvillia. But the only video known to have been shown in court is a reenactment made with the help of purported eyewitnesses.

The prosecution's case rests heavily on the testimony of six alleged victims. All 12 of the accused Tornado members have refused to take polygraph tests, Current Time TV, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, reported, quoting officials.

Tornado commander Onyshchenko's partner, 26-year-old Yulia Marzhut, told reporters outside the courthouse in August that the charges were outlandish and the case politically motivated.

Onyshchenko did not have his own room in the Pryvillia schoolhouse, she said.

"He slept in a room with 10 men," Marzhut said, adding that she was also present on the makeshift base. "Tell me, when could he have raped this woman? Where was I?"

Adding to the complexity of the case, lawyers for the Tornado defendants say their clients were subjected to torture while in official custody, something that human rights officials believe may be true.

In June 2015, Ukraine's ombudswoman for human rights, Valeria Lutkovskaia, reported violence by police officers against the 12 Tornado fighters after examinations that showed "bodily injuries of various severities." Her findings were widely reported, but no legal action has come from them.

The defendants' fates in custody and other details of the case are difficult to track, since judges ordered the trials closed over the sensitive nature of the alleged crimes and because the accused and their supporters have reportedly threatened the judges and accusers.

But even with the courtroom closed to observers, the latest Tornado trial has become a public spectacle. Authorities released video footage from a court session they said shows the defendants interrupting proceedings by shouting and hurling their own feces and urine at judges and prosecutors. One defendant is heard in the video recording threatening a judge, "I'll come after you, bitch, and I'll rape your corpse with a rubber cock."

Outside the trial, Tornado backers like Donbas battalion founder and lawmaker Semen Semenchenko have protested and called for supporters to storm the courthouse. Semenchenko told RFE/RL that he believes the charges are "fabricated." A scuffle involving dozens of police and protesters in front of the courthouse in August landed several officers in the hospital.

"Threats, intimidation, and violence outside and inside the courtroom have plagued this trial and, if continued unchecked, leave no hope for justice," Tanya Cooper, head of Human Rights Watch's (HRW) Ukraine office, told RFE/RL. "Such violence seriously undermines the integrity of the proceedings."

Battalion Beginnings

Ukraine's volunteer defense battalions emerged in April 2014, when they stepped in for an underfunded and inexperienced military that was struggling to combat a sophisticated Russia-backed separatist insurgency in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. For helping stem the insurgent tide, many Ukrainians view the battalion fighters as heroes and above scrutiny.

Eventually, as the Ukrainian military gained its footing, authorities began bringing such militias into the official chain of military command. Most have complied and continue to fight in the war.

Some battalions have resisted and become problems for the government, however, maneuvering unilaterally on the battlefield and seemingly operating outside the law. The Shakhtarsk battalion was disbanded in October 2014 after repeated instances of looting in towns it was assigned to protect. Two other battalions accused by Amnesty International, HRW, and the United Nations of abuses and war crimes in eastern Ukraine -- Aidar and Azov -- remain in action in a conflict that the UN says has killed more than 9,750 people, including more than 2,000 service members.

'Everything Was Not As It Seemed'

But Tornado, whose insignia was a yin and yang pierced by a sword, is perhaps Ukraine's most notorious battalion. Formed in December 2014 when Interior Minister Arsen Avakov signed an order to create a special police battalion to protect areas in the Luhansk region, Tornado was said to have signed on many fighters from the disbanded Shakhtarsk battalion, Onyshchenko among them.

Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoly Matios has described Tornado as a motley group of mostly misfits forced out of other battalions for misconduct, members of organized criminal groups, and common criminals. In June 2015, Matios said his office had found records showing that 43 Tornado fighters -- nearly one-quarter of its ranks-- had criminal records, including some felonies.

A report in October 2015 by the Center for Civil Liberties cited an interview with a Tornado fighter who -- speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from comrades -- appeared to corroborate Matios's claim.

Tornado's commander, Onyshchenko, has at least three prior convictions, according to court documents obtained by veteran Ukrainian crime reporter Volodymyr Boyko and seen by RFE/RL.

'They Could Do No Wrong'

In separate interviews in September, Nikolai Topolskov, a Lysychansk police colonel, and a local police detective in Pryvillia who requested anonymity recalled in detail the events that followed the battalion's arrival in January 2015.

Topolskov said heavy fighting had already come and gone and "everything was back to relative normalcy" after the area had changed hands twice -- from Ukraine's to the Luhansk separatists' and back -- by the time he found accommodation for Tornado inside School No. 32.

Accusations of violence and abductions arose almost immediately.

"There was one, and then another, and then another," Topolskov told RFE/RL. "At first, we thought that, well, this was a Ukrainian battalion. We didn't believe that they could do something wrong."

The exact number of cases of missing persons is difficult to say for sure, he and the detective said, due to the large number of complaints and because they have been consolidated into one report, currently in state hands, on Tornado's alleged crimes. But both men said they had recorded "very many."

One man came to Topolskov, he said, to tell him about Tornado fighters who forced him and another male detainee at gunpoint to rape a third man who was tied to a pommel horse.

"The man told me, 'We had to do it, because they threatened us with machine guns,'" Topolskov said, recalling the witness's statement.

'Thank God They Are Gone'

On June 17, 2015, Ukrainian authorities detained Onyshchenko and seven other Tornado battalion members. Tornado fighters suggested at the time that the arrests were connected to its members stopping a train that they said was moving illicit cast iron from the separatist-held city of Alchevsk to government-controlled territory the day before.

A day later, Avakov ordered the battalion disbanded, citing a formal complaint from the Luhansk regional governor at the time, Hennadiy Moskal, about a disturbing string of alleged abuses by Tornado. Many Tornado members simply joined other battalions, according to Topolskov and the police detective, who said some still serve in the Pryvillia and Lysychansk areas.

Now, well over a year since Tornado gunmen roamed the streets of Pryvillia, its effects on the town's residents can still be seen and felt. Until they see convictions, many said, they won't rest easily.

Leonid Mikhailovich, a Privilliya pensioner who lives in a cottage across from School No. 32, speaking of a seeming conspiracy of silence among locals regarding Tornado, told RFE/RL: "People hope that by not talking about them, they will be able to forget what happened here."

"But we can never forget," he added. "We can just thank god that they are gone."
A NEW route is being considered which would take the proposed 5.6 billion Central Railway line and its freight trains away from the High Wycombe area.

Consultants have been commissioned by the South East England Development Agency (Seeda) to draw up an alternative line for the southern end of the north-south route. This would go east of London, not west. Its report should be ready in about three months.

The decision to reconsider the Central Railway route was taken after a meeting of county council leaders and officers at Gerrards Cross a few weeks ago.

It was hosted by David Shakespeare, leader of Buckinghamshire County Council and chairman of the South East Regional Assembly, and Seeda chairman Allan Willett.

They realised they must support the strategy of getting heavy freight traffic off roads and on to rail, but if they were not to have a route they didn't like they would have to come up with their own.

The current proposed route travels through the middle of Buckinghamshire and along the Chiltern Line through Haddenham, Princes Risborough and High Wycombe. The proposal created an outcry from people along this part of the line, who say they gain no immediate benefit, only noise.

After the Gerrards Cross meeting, Cllr Shakespeare told the Free Press the feedback he had from it was that the line went round the wrong side of London. It should go through Milton Keynes and via the area known as Thames Gateway a growth area.

Regional assembly leaders in the north of England are in favour of the Central Railway project with only the south-east region against it.

Central Railway wants the Government to introduce another bill in the Commons. People would give evidence at the committee stage and there would be no need for two or three years of planning inquiries.

Chris Williams, the council's chief officer, said there was lots of pressure for the scheme from northern regions. "They get lots of benefits from it, which is the opposite of the south, which gets disbenefits," he said.

County councillor David Rowlands, vice-chairman of a consortium of county councillors looking at public transport, said he had discussed the idea with members.

"I am pleased that Seeda has commissioned W S Atkins to review the route," he said. But he said leaders in the north wanted it to go west of London so that there would be good links to the M25 and the motorways to the west of the country.

A Central Railway spokesman said: "Central Railway has undertaken extensive engineering studies using international consultants, and the route to the west of London emerged as our preferred route."
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When winter comes to Nebraska harsh weather comes with it.

As the snow starts to fall and temperatures begin to drop, we bundle up in heavy coats, thick mittens and warm stocking hats.

Unfortunately for some in Fremont and Dodge County, access to basic winter essentials such as hats, coats and gloves can be hard to come by.

Thats where agencies like Uniquely Yours Stability Support (UYSS) can help lend a hand and a coat.

UYSS, which provides programs and housing assistance to local residents, was able to provide 135 coats to those in need this winter through their Warmer Winter event held in November.

Last year, we did not do a coat drive because we already had so many, said UYSS CEO Robin Ritter.

This year, we felt like we werent going to have enough coats, but thanks to the Keene Memorial Library, Salem Lutheran Church youth group, Nazarene youth group and lots of people throughout the community who did the drive for us, we had such an unbelievable amount of coats and clothes to give away, she said.

While the second annual event provided 135 coats in only three hours, as well as 127 books, UYSS still has a surplus of available coats, hats, gloves, bedding and other necessities available to families in need at no cost.

The coats are still coming in, Ritter said. If a family has someone at home whether it be kids or an older family member, they dont have to haul everybody in to get the coats, they can just come in and get whatever they need.

Those who have a need for hats, coats, gloves and bedding can pick up those items from UYSS from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. any Tuesday, Thursday or Friday at their location at 240 N. Main St.

UYSS is a privately funded nonprofit, meaning they get no state or federal assistance. So along with relying on material donations from the public, the agency also welcomes financial donations and people willing to volunteer their time for a good cause.

The community has really embraced giving those tangible items so we have so many coats, clothes and bedding, Ritter said. We have tons of those items, but its the donors understanding that even for our agency to have a safe place for families and children to come in there is a cost associated with that.

To donate to UYSS individuals can go to the organizations Facebook page or their website uyss.org and click the donate button. Donations are also accepted through mail and in person at their facility.

Time sometimes is also as valuable as money, so we can always use volunteers to help within the agency, Ritter said. We always work really hard to make it a good fit, whether its helping with the childrens group, helping answer phones, sorting clothing, whatever it may be.

UYSS also has several events coming up in January, including a parenting support group called Parents Empowerment Group (PEG) on Jan. 3, as well as nutrition education classes taught by University of Nebraska Extension educators on Jan. 17, with classes held on the third Tuesday of each month throughout the year. Both classes are free to attend.

Community collaboration is the heart of what we do here, Ritter said. As a community resource center to have the community embrace what they know that these families need and to use us as a venue to ensure that the families get what they need is what were designed for, so its a blessing.
Police on Thursday identified a man found shot to death in an alley in Petersburg.

Officers were called about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday to an alley between Clayton Street and Terrace Avenue. There they found Ryan Neal Glickman, 36, of Petersburg, dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
Richmond Mayor-elect Levar Stoney is planning two days of inaugural celebrations, on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14.

According to a schedule posted on his website, Stoney is holding two ticketed events on Friday, Jan. 13: a Mayoral Celebration Luncheon at The Jefferson Hotel from 12 to 2 p.m. and a reception at Main Street Station from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Tickets to the luncheon and the reception cost $150 and $100, respectively, and are available to the public through the campaign.

The following day, Stoney will participate in three events:

He will begin the day with a prayer breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. with invited area clergy.

A public swearing-in ceremony will follow at City Hall from 12 to 1 p.m.

After that, Stoney will host a mayoral community celebration at the Valentine from 1:30 to 4 p.m., which is also free and open to the public.

Stoney officially takes office Jan. 1.

Like his predecessor, Mayor Dwight C. Jones, Stoney will be formally sworn in on New Years Eve in a private ceremony for close friends and family, his campaign has said.
Henrico County paid $750,000 in an out-of-court settlement between a police officer and a woman he shot while on duty.

Kimberly McNeil, who was a passenger in a car when she was shot four times, including once in the back of the head, had originally sought $75 million from officer Joel D. Greenway of Sandston in a civil lawsuit filed in May.

A check totaling $750,000 was issued Dec. 12, according to a record of payment from the county.

The settlement agreement, which was not entered into the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia until last week, was confidential, but the Freedom of Information Act required disclosure, according to Henrico County Attorney Joseph P. Rapisarda Jr. The civil case was then dismissed with prejudice.

In October, a Henrico jury acquitted Greenway of all criminal charges stemming from the December 2015 shooting after more than 10 hours of deliberation.

On Dec. 15, 2015, at around 10:30 p.m., Greenway spotted what he called a suspicious vehicle at an Exxon station on Nine Mile Road, in an area known for drug activity. When Greenway approached the car, the driver, Robert Davis, attempted to drive off and the officer opened fire, striking the car seven times.

McNeil, who was struck by four bullets, now walks with a cane and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Greenway is still a Henrico County employee but is not actively doing police work, according to the police department.
Outwardly, Thae Yong-ho was an impeccable diplomat who had served his North Korean government well for decades. So it came as a shock to both Pyongyang and the rest of the world when in August, South Korea announced the official had defected with his wife and children and was seeking asylum in the Asian democracy.

On Tuesday, Thae held his first press conference. His comments were grim. Thae informed the gathered news agencies that North Koreas leader, Kim Jong Un, is determined at all costs to develop a working nuclear weapon before the end of 2017. The communist dictator isnt particularly concerned about sanctions or threats from other nations. Due to domestic political procedures, North Korea calculates that South Korea and the U.S. will not be able to take physical or military actions to deter North Koreas nuclear development, the defector said in the news briefing.

North Korea is also confident that China will look the other way while it pursues its nuclear ambitions. According to Thae, Kim believes that China will inflict little economic punishment as Beijing fears a North Korean collapse would lead to a pro-American, unified Korea. North Korea knows this weakness of China, Thae said. As long as Kim Jong Un is in power, North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons, even if its offered $1 trillion or $10 trillion in rewards.

In October, the U.S. director of national intelligence, James Clapper, admitted that trying to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear interests was a lost cause. The U.S. and its allies have been trying to persuade North Korea to do that since 1994. Washington has given the communist nation billions in aid only to receive worthless pledges that it will denuclearize in return. In fact, North Korean officials havent even bothered to show up at six multination nuclear talks.

President-elect Donald Trump has harshly criticized Chinas role in North Koreas pursuit of nuclear weapons. While he may lack any in-depth knowledge of the relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang, Trump does understand that China is directly responsible for the continued existence of North Korea. He also understands that ultimately, it is China that will have to convince, by any means necessary, the Kim regime to cease its dangerous pursuits.

As for the president-elect, his best course of action would be to refrain from commenting further on the issue. Last week he tweeted that he plans to strengthen and expand U.S. nuclear capability. His comments came on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putins promise to upgrade and enhance his countrys nuclear arsenal. Both comments are foreboding.

For too long, the international community has looked the other way as North Korea pursues its quest for nuclear armaments. It is quite possible that within the decade, Pyongyang will have an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying out a nuclear strike on Los Angeles or San Francisco.
While the nation awaits President-elect Donald Trumps final Cabinet picks, a popular Virginia Hispanic Vietnam veteran and businessman remains in contention for secretary of veterans affairs.

Luis Quinonez, CEO of IQ Management Services, is a man whose service in the Trump administration would benefit Virginia and the nation.

His veteran story is one of perseverance and accomplishment.

Quinonez arrived in the United States a 17-year-old Guatemalan immigrant with $5 in his pocket and a serious language barrier. He enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War in 1969, overcoming the difficult racial climate of the times. He later became a naval aviator and was awarded the Air Medal for saving a damaged aircraft in combat. He served with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and with the U.S. Senate as a Navy liaison officer; his service as an anti-submarine program manager while supervising more than 700 U.S. and foreign military aircraft was notable.

After leaving the service due to injuries sustained on active duty, he started his own health care company that would become the nations sixth largest in 1995 with more than 2,000 employees in 28 states. It provided high-quality services to foreign nations, operating hospitals for over a million patients.

What is significant about Quinonez  and should be to Trump  was his development of health care plans for military dependents and retirees in 12 states. And the fact that as co-founder of the Hispanic College Fund, hes aided more than 23,000 Hispanic students attending college as well as sponsoring programs for at-risk children.

Earlier this year Virginias 1st District Congressman Rob Wittman held a veterans forum where scores of complaints and concerns revolved around the Veterans Administration lack of service and incredibly long wait times. He praised Quinonezs qualifications, saying that Quinonez is extraordinarily well-qualified to lead the Veterans Administration and certainly brings a great background of experience as a Vietnam veteran and health care company owner and businessman.

Quinonez has personally experienced the difficulty of being a disabled veteran and dealing with a flawed VA system at a time when, tragically, more than 20 Vietnam veterans commit suicide a day.

One of the major problems for the VA regarding wait times, recordation and servicing, says Quinonez, is the need for a more direct interface prior to a veteran leaving active duty.

The president-elect seemed to appreciate Quinonezs knowledge and expertise during his two-hour interview last week at Trumps posh Florida resort Mar-A-Lago.

The President-elect is clearly focused on fixing the VA and living up to his campaign pledge of taking care of our vets, added Quinonez.

Trump also was impressed with Quinonezs desire to give veterans the option to use all civilian facilities with a very low user fee. Letting the VA improve through market competition, thus eliminating those just feathering their nest at veterans expense, would be a major part of Trump Med that I hope to help promote, Quinonez said.

Quinonez has been my friend for many years. We spoke about Trumps appeal to the Hispanic community with soon-to-be White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus at a Hispanic forum Quinonez organized.

Quinonez has raised millions for political candidates, and was a staple on Latin media promoting conservatism and Donald Trump during the election.

To his credit, hes no Republican lap dog and has frequently taken Virginia politicians to task  as he did with failed gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli for his racial insensitivity, or Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who incorrectly boasts about ending veteran homelessness.

Recently, Quinonez helped to find suitable lodging for a veteran living out of his vehicle. Sadly, he acknowledges there are more.

Sources say the RNC has given its support to Quinonez for VA secretary, or as a special assistant to Trump to help replace Obamacare. The nation and Virginia veterans would clearly be well-served with Quinonez. And for outreach, what better way to quell concerns about Trump with the Latin community and veterans than by appointing a man who is truly qualified ... and just happens to be Hispanic, an expert in health care and a war hero.
STAUNTON  Each year, residents of all 50 states and several countries come here to visit the hometown of Americas 28th president, Woodrow Wilson.

Wednesday marked Wilsons 160th birthday, and the occasion was marked by free admission for visitors to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in Staunton. Refreshments and activities for kids highlighted the day.

Wilsons father, a Presbyterian minister, moved the family from Staunton to Augusta, Ga., when the future president was an infant.

Yet Staunton celebrates Wilsons presence and legacy and claims him as its own.

Wilson was responsible for the creation of the Federal Reserve system, the resumption of the federal income tax and the 8-hour workday.

And in an era when presidents and Congress have notoriously chilly working relationships, Wilson kept an office at the Capitol. He might have been a policy wonk, but the former Princeton president was known to use his influence with Congress when necessary.

He would come over and talk to members of Congress when they came off the floor, said Robin von Seldeneck, head of the library and museum.

Judd Bankert, a Staunton resident who bears a striking resemblance to Wilson, marked the late presidents birthday by greeting visitors to the library and museum.

Bankert has portrayed Wilson since 2001 and even did so in a History Channel mini-series known as The World Wars. He has come to appreciate Wilsons desire for privacy, even as president.

He didnt seek celebrity, said Bankert, who remembers a man who had a progressive philosophy and a strong love of sports.

The year 2017 will mark the 100th anniversary of Americas entry into World War I, another pivotal time in the Wilson presidency. The museum will offer a special war exhibit in collaboration with the American Red Cross, according to von Seldeneck.

Speeches and a symposium scheduled during the year will also recall the war.

And as time goes by, there is the evolving appreciation of Wilson across the globe, according to von Seldeneck. She said residents of countries ranging from Russia, the Czech Republic and Poland write asking for pictures of Wilson.

Its probably because of his belief in self-determination, von Seldeneck said.

Wednesday marked another milestone in the history of the museum and library. President Dwight Eisenhower visited the site on the same date 60 years ago.
PEMBROKE  New Years Eve is the day folks put on their finest to drink the bubbly and stay up til the wee hours. But to one Giles County group, its a day to rise early, don the woolies, and set out into nature in search of birds.

Its known as the Christmas Bird Count.

New River Valley Bird Club member Bill Opengari invites area residents to join in the annual event he calls the oldest citizen science project in the nation. The annual count is important because it shows which bird species are in trouble and how bird migrations and habitats are shifting.

During the count, six or seven groups of bird enthusiasts will drive around assigned routes in Giles County, stopping at documented bird habitats to get a count of the various fowl at each spot. Others will track the species visiting feeders on their own properties. In the afternoon, theyll assemble at the Riviera Mexican Grill in Pembroke for an informal supper and total bird tally. Opengari expects theyll see 60-70 species over the day.

Yes, its cool out and you have to get up rather early, but its exciting too, said Opengari, whos been doing Giles Countys bird census for 15 years. Its fun to spot the type of bird youre looking for in the habitat where you expect it. But your high point is finding a bird thats outside of its range or rare.

The Montgomery County bird count, held Dec. 17, recorded a blue-headed vireo and a merlin (a small falcon), both of which should be enjoying the warmer climes of Florida or Central America at this time of year, Opengari said. Hes spotted lone bald eagles along the New River, as well as a Prothonotary warbler that seemed to be wintering in the Allegheny Mountains rather than South America.

In fact, bird watcher seems way too passive a term for Opengari, 81, who has racked up close to 3,000 species on his life list. This list, for the uninitiated, is a record of all the bird species an individual has identified with absolute certainty during a whole lifetime of serious birding. Being serious implies knowing about look-alike subspecies and the plumage states of various stages of bird life. Being serious does not involve guessing, assuming or saying close enough, ever.

Birders dont just happen to see, say, a Blackburnian warbler, hopping around the lawn. Oh no. When serious birders go out birding, they haul binoculars, bird books, even smart phones with bird software, even audio dictionaries of bird calls. They take notes, update lists and focus all the power of their eyes and ears upon picking up the slightest birdlike cue, even if its a tiny flash of white in a distant tree. Dedicated bird watchers like Opengari jump out of bed at 6 a.m.; they smile through the chill of a damp, sub-freezing morning. They are passionate about birds.

On a scouting tour of his Giles bird count sites, Opengari divulges that he rather likes frigid weather for birding. He is way too polite to call anyone a wimp or a wuss. All the same, he seems a tad disappointed with the 40-degree temperature, calling it bluebird weather.

He likes bluebirds; he likes them a lot.

Hes built close to 1,500 bluebird houses and started at least four bluebird trails around the state. In part because of his efforts, bluebirds are not rare in the New River Valley. But when Opengari is birding, his avian agenda is a bit more complex.

To have the best luck seeing waterfowl, you have to be cold and shivering and miserable, he said. When we have a cold snap to freeze up the ponds and rivers up north, then we see the ducks and mergansers and golden eyes here.

On this trip, Opengari spots common mergansers paddling the New River near Pembroke, as well as a possible bufflehead duck, several flotillas of mallards and too many Canada geese. His scouting group also spots some kingfishers, a pied-billed grebe and three blue herons, that last of which appeared magically out of the shadows and disappeared into the murky riverbank mysteriousness a few minutes later.

The Christmas Bird Count got its start as an alternative to the Christmas bird slaughter. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas Side Hunt. They would take off with their guns and whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won. Conservationists became concerned as bird populations declined. In 1900, Frank Chapman launched the first Christmas Bird Count  Audubons all-volunteer holiday census of early-winter bird populations  as an alternative to the traditional hunt, according to a history posted to the Audubon website.

In the United States last year, 59,039 participants volunteered, with 52,771 counters traversing the fields and streams while 6,268 watched their home feeders. More than 54.5 million individual birds from 646 species were tallied, according to the Audubon Society.

Audubon data has shown that the winter grounds of several hundred species have moved north, while other birds arent migrating as far south. The 2015 count also revealed an addition to the United States all-time list, the fieldfare, a European thrush that showed up in the Missoula, Montana, bird count.

Opengari doesnt seem attached to seeing a new species on Saturdays bird count. Hes not especially concerned about the weather.

Any day you can be out birding is a good day, he said.

To be part of the Giles County bird count on Dec. 31, contact Bill Opengari at alcyon1@hughes.net or 235-4864.
Significant decisions were taken at the Annual General Body Meeting of The Gem & Jewellery Export Council (GJEPC) of India held on December 20, 2016, says a report in gjepc.org.

Besides approving the changes in its code of ethics necessary to complete the process of the GJEPC induction as a member into the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), the AGM also approved the formation of the Trade Disciplinary Committee (TDC) by the GJEPC, together with the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) and the Mumbai Diamond Merchants Association (MDMA).

The 21-member TDC will take up matters of misconduct related to the gems and jewellery trade like fraud; cheating; dealing in CVD, man-made, synthetic, lab grown, and unnatural diamonds without making disclosures; making false and incorrect inscription on gem and jewellery; non-compliance and/or breach of business practices (including financial disputes), customs and ethics; issues relating to bankruptcy of persons in trade more particularly as per trade customs and practices; any other or further matter that the TDC deems fit, in relation to the Industry.

Praveenshakar Pandya, Chairman, GJEPC also decided to use demonetisation as an opportunity to ensure that the gems and jewellery industry works in an organised manner and to introduce a cashless system in its functioning.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Geekologie has shut down.

Thank you to everybody.

Now go be happy.
After rising sharply in early trading, shares of Prima BioMed (PBMD) have given back some ground but remain firmly positive in afternoon trading on Thursday. Prima BioMed is currently up by 6 percent after reaching a nearly six-month intraday high.

The gain by Prima BioMed comes after a clinical trial determined its IMP321 in unresectable or metastatic melanoma patients is safe and well tolerated at the first dose level when used in combination with a PD-1 blocking antibody.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Greece's producer prices continued to decline in November, and at a faster rate than in the previous month, figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority showed Friday.

The overall producer price index fell 1.2 percent year-over-year in November, following a 0.5 percent drop in the previous month.

Domestic market producer prices dipped 2.0 percent annually in November, while prices in the foreign market grew by 1.3 percent.

On a monthly basis, producer prices slid 0.8 percent from October, when it increased by 1.9 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Phoenix Solar AG (PS4G) announced Murray Cameron will vacate his position as Executive Board Member after the expiration of his appointment with the company, on December 31, 2016. The company said no further changes are planned to the Executive Board at present. Tim nRyan continues as Group CEO and Manfred Hochleitner as Group CFO.

Cameron joined Phoenix Solar in 2003. For three years he served as President and CEO of Phoenix Solar, Inc., then the newly established US subsidiary.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Italy's producer prices continued to decline in November but the pace of decrease slowed from prior year, figures from the statistical office Istat showed Friday.

Producer prices decreased only 0.3 percent on a yearly basis in November after easing 0.6 percent in October.

Prices fell 0.3 percent on domestic market and by 0.2 percent on foreign market.

Month-on-month, producer prices slid 0.1 percent, the same pace of decline as seen in October. This was the second consecutive fall in prices. Prices were expected to grow 0.2 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
The US government authorities - Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States - CFIUS and Directorate of Defense Trade Controls - DDTC have cleared the take-over of KUKA AG (KUKAY.PK) by MECCA International (BVI) Limited, a 100% subsidiary of Midea Group Co., Ltd.

As a result, all closing conditions of the tender offer of June 16, 2016 have been met. The settlement of the tender offer can be expected in the first half of January 2017.

In May 2016, Midea Group offered to the shareholders of Kuka by way of a voluntary public takeover offer to acquire their no-par value bearer shares in KUKA, each representing a notional amount of 2.60 euros in the registered share capital, against payment of a cash consideration of 115.00 euros per share.

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Business News
Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (ICON) Friday announced that it has signed an agreement to sell the rights to the Sharper Image brand and related intellectual property assets to ThreeSixty Group, the brand's largest licensee, for $100 million in cash.

The Company expects to record a gain on this transaction and for 2017, the net impact of the sale of the Sharper Image brand and the repayment of debt to be neutral to earnings. This transaction is expected to close on December 30, 2016.

Iconix Brand plans to use the net proceeds from this transaction plus additional cash to pay down approximately $115 million of debt, a portion of which will be used to pay down the Company's Senior Secured Notes.

John Haugh, chief executive officer of Iconix, commented, "This transaction generates a significant return on investment, and allows us to make progress on de-levering the balance sheet, which is a top priority. Portfolio management will continue to be a key focus for the Company; Sharper Image is the second brand that Iconix has sold this year."

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Business News
AMES  When farmer and agroecologist Jonathan Lundgren sees insects in his field, he sees the potential for a thriving insect community that can actually save farmers money by helping to keep weeds at bay and control pests that prey on crops  services that can decrease or eliminate the need for costly inputs.

Farmers, and much of society, have a very pest-centric view of insects and biodiversity in general, says Lundgren, who directs the South Dakota-based ECDYSIS Foundation and serves as CEO of Blue Dasher Farm. But thats very short-sighted, because for every pest insect there are 1,700 species that are actually helping us.

Lundgren argues that figuring out how to manage those insect communities to reap the benefits is the future of entomology because when we have that biodiversity, we can use it to save money on farms.

In corn, for instance, he says researchers are finding that as insect diversity increases, populations of damaging pest insects  like corn rootworm and corn borer  decrease.

So farmers who are fostering biodiversity no longer have to pay for Bt corn or neonicotinoid treatments. This is a message that doesnt get out to farmers very often, he said

Lundgren will discuss how to restore and benefit from this insect diversity at Practical Farmers of Iowas 2017 annual conference, Pass It On, Jan. 20-21 at the Iowa State Center Scheman Building, on the Iowa State University campus in Ames.

 In Insects and Soil Health youll learn about the services insects provide on farms and how to harness those services to reduce costs and improve long-term sustainability.

 In Pollinator Conservation and Risk Assessment, Lundgren will discuss the link between pollinators and farm profitability, how aspects of our food production systems are adversely affecting pollinators and how farmers can help conserve pollinators by healing their farms soils.

 In Q&A With Jonathan Lundgren, bring your unanswered questions for Jonathan and continue the conversation on soil health, pollinators and conservation.

Register online at http://practicalfarmers.org, or contact Erica Andorf: erica@practicalfarmers.org or 515-232-5661. Those who pre-register by Jan. 12 will save $10 per day. Special rates are also available for students and PFI members. This years conference 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.

Row crop farmers of all types will find sessions relevant to them. Whether they farm conventionally or organically, ridge-till or roller-crimp, raise small grains or cover crops, the 2017 PFI annual conference offers sessions intended to help beginning and experienced farmers with a range of production, management and land stewardship issues.

Those who want to learn ways to manage production costs while stewarding their farms soil can sign up for a pre-conference short course  Conserving $$ and Soil  on Thursday, Jan. 19, from 1-7 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 20, from 8-11:30 a.m., at the Scheman Building.

This in-depth course will cover topics such as how to identify field zones where profitability is low, the benefits of adding wetlands and buffers, the impact of increasing cropping system diversity, how cover crops can help reduce weed pressure and more. The course will be taught by a suite of experts, including farmers, researchers and others.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Artist rendering of Tygervalley office block



JSE listed property investment and development company, Ingenuity Property Investments, is developing a third office block in its prestigious Santam office park in Tygervalley at a cost of R215million.

Ingenuity CEO Arnold Maresky says Glacier and Santam, both part of the Sanlam Group, will be occupying more than 60% of the 12 350 square metre building which is due for completion in March 2013. A total of around 3800 square metres in the high visibility office block will be available to tenants looking to make a strong corporate statement.



The 12 storey building, designed by Chris Bam Architects in a modern vernacular, will include 581 parking bays over five storeys giving an extremely generous parking ratio of 5,7 bays per 100 square metres of gross lettable area which, he said, would help remedy the parking shortage in the Tygervalley precinct.



Maresky said Ingenuity acquired the 27 054 square metre site and its two existing office blocks which house the Santam Head Office a few years back with the intention of adding value and unlocking bulk on the substantial site as part of its growth strategy.



Formal development rights for the construction of the third building were approved during the past financial year and construction started in November. On completion the total Santam scheme will comprise 27 500 square metres of gross lettable area and 1060 parking bays occupied by blue chip tenants on long leases.



The development will enable the tenant to increase its dominance and entrench itself in the zone.



He said the site, which is on Carl Cronje Drive close to the N1 giving easy access for people commuting from a number of different locations within the city, was also in easy walking distance of a variety of local amenities such as the Virgin Active, Tygervalley Shopping centre and the future redevelopment of the Velodrome precinct which will offer a host of new shopping and dining opportunities and an upgraded pedestrian environment ensuring a safe and pleasurable walk between the office, the gym and shopping.



Ebrahim Asmal, Executive Head; Group Sourcing for the Sanlam Group said the group has enjoyed a solid partnership with Ingenuity and the new development offered them opportunities as a group.



Maresky said that in terms of the planning process, the Northern District of the City of Cape Town was very committed to the refurbishment of the Tygervalley precinct and had collaborated closely with them.



They have been extremely supportive and proactive.



Charles Rudman, District Manager of Planning and Development, said the building ticked all the boxes with regard to new urbanism in terms of providing a good quality human environment and promoting an active street interface at ground level with the basement parking being screened from public views by curtains of office space.



It is a building which starts to incorporate all the place making principles which we would like to see in all future developments, he said.



This project brings the value of redevelopment projects underway by Ingenuity to more than R500m. These include Newspaper House in St Georges Mall and the Atlantic Centre on the Foreshore.



The professional team on the Santam development includes Chris Bam Architects, Bigen Africa (Structural and Civils Engineers), LDM (Quantity Surveyors), JD Reitz (Mechanical and Electrical Engineers), SHE Consultants (Health & Safety), Neil Moir & Associates (Fire Consultants), BKS (Traffic Engineer), Urban Dynamics (Town Planning), David Heilig (Land Surveyor), Aspect Landscape Architecture and WBHO as the main contractor.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane.



Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, on Tuesday, said Gauteng will work hard to ensure better audit comes in the future.

We want to say that in as far as audit outcomes, we know we can do better. Issues that were raised are issues that can be attended to, Mokonyane told reporters.

The premier was speaking on Tuesday following Mondays release by the Auditor-General on the audit outcomes of municipalities for the financial year 2010/2011.

Only 5% of Gautengs local government entities obtained clean audits. In the report, 71% of municipalities and entities received unqualified audit opinions with findings.

According to the Report, of Gautengs 15 municipalities and 27 municipal entities, there were two clean audits registered at Johannesburg Civic Theatre and Johannesburg Social Housing Company; while six municipalities and four municipal entities received qualified audit opinions. The majority (nine municipalities and 21 municipal entities) received unqualified audit opinions (with findings).

The City of Johannesburg had received a qualified audit -- the only metro to receive a qualified audit. However, there were no disclaimers for audited entities.

Peter Serote, who is responsible for Gautengs audit outcomes, said with commitment, clean audits can be achieved. Serote said that municipalities in the province had shown improvement. Key risk areas, he said, were in areas such as supply chain management and IT systems. If these are attended to, this will help us move to clean audits.

Serote further added that in some municipalities, there were no consequences for poor performance. Another was that there was a lack of adequately skilled officials in key positions in some of the municipalities. We understand and know what the challenges are, said the Premier.

Mokonyane said that in the next six weeks, a co-ordinating forum would be held.Meanwhile, Housing MEC Ntombi Mekgwe said 550 officials have been trained in financial management. What is good is that there is a willingness to change the status quo, she said. The Premier commended those municipalities that have done well in their reporting.
MASON CITY -- The Start to Farm: New Farmer Learning Network, organized by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is a statewide program designed to provide education and support for beginning and early-stage agricultural producers.

Start to Farm groups will meet to discuss ways to grow and improve business practices and production techniques.

In North Iowa, a group is being organized and a workshop will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, at First Citizens Bank, 2601 Fourth St. S.W. in Mason City.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Farm Bureau District young farmer program and Ag Ventures Alliance are helping to organize the group.

At this first session farm financial management for all kinds of farming enterprises will be emphasized. Kelvin Leibold, Extension farm management specialist, will lead the discussion on Understanding what your lender needs.

Registration for the program is requested to reserve a meal, but there is no participation fee. Contact Euken at the Hancock County ISU Extension and Outreach Office at 641-923-2856 or by email at reuken@iastate.edu or Laura Cunningham, Iowa Farm Bureau young farmer district representative at 641-425-4473 or by email at Cunningham.lauraa@gmail.com to register or with any questions.

The Start to Farm project is being funded in part by an ISU Extension and Outreach grant through the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. For more information, visit the ISU Extension and Outreach Beginning Farmer Center website or look on Facebook for Iowa Start to Farm or North Iowa Young Farmers.
TITONKA | Two benefits will be held for a Titonka family whose son was killed in a fire that also destroyed their home.

Daniel Planz, 59, died in a fire Tuesday at 147 Second Ave. N.W.

The home was owned by his parents, John and Elsie Planz.

John, Elsie and another relative escaped the blaze, which destroyed the house and contents.

Update: Benefit fund set up for Titonka family whose home burned TITONKA | A benefit account has been set up for a Titonka family whose home was destroyed by

It remains under investigation.

A soup supper benefiting the family, who are long-time Titonka residents, is scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Titonka Care Center, 312 First Ave N.W., Titonka.

The Titonka Care Center Helpmates and many Titonka Community members also will host a dinner and silent auction from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 5 at Good Hope Lutheran Church, 323 Dieckman St., Titonka.

The menu will be pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, potato chips, bars and drinks for a freewill donation. Bids will be accepted for various silent auction items displayed during the meal.

1 killed in Titonka house fire TITONKA | A deadly fire that killed a Titonka man and destroyed his parents home is under i

A bank account for contributions to the family has been established at Titonka Savings Bank.

Contributions marked "Planz Family Benefit" can be mailed to the bank, Box 309, Titonka, IA 50480.

Donations also can be dropped off in person in Titonka or at the bank's other branches, 101 Highway 69 N. in Forest City and 11723 Highway 9 in Thompson.
Dear Editor,

Its that time of year again! Time to lock all the doors and keep the kids under lock and key.

Why?

Because the government of Samoa is going to release into the community the murderers, sexual predators, thieves and other criminals from Tafaigata Prison for their annual holiday home!

Could they not just pay the prison staff holiday rates and lessen the anxiety some like myself have? Perhaps my safety is of little concern to them?

I charge that the government of Samoa is responsible for every theft, rape, violent act or murder, committed by a released prisoner over this approaching holiday period.

I pray there will be no such incidents.

I would sue the pants off the government if I were to fall a victim! (not that you would win anyway  ask the Attorney General or Police Commissioner)

Cal
The Governor of the Central Bank, Maiava Atalina Ainuu-Enari, has praised the overseas expansion of two Samoan-backed companies in Timor Leste.

Speaking at the celebrations to mark the 15th anniversary of Pacific Holdings (Timor) operating the Western Union in Timor Leste and the official launch of a new General Insurance venture, Maiava said it was an encouraging sign for Samoa.

That a Samoan-backed Company can foster partnership with Timor Leste, and help another Pacific neighbour rise to its potential is something that I am proud of, she said.

Pacific Holdings is this month celebrating 15 years. The company commenced service in 2001 with a single agent in Dili that agency has grown into five locations in the capital and Districts.

The possibilities for Federal Insurance Timor to contribute to developing the financial services sector in Timor Leste was important, she said.

The benefits are numerous as we have seen in Samoa in the last few years where recovery and rehabilitation following a tsunami and cyclones have been possible due to proper risk management measures taken by businesses or individuals before the event  in other words, when disaster struck, many people were able to get back to business and back to normal life because they were adequately insured.

Maiava was in Timor Leste for the annual Pacific Island Reserve Bank Governors Conference.

We were very honoured that Maiava accepted our invitation to officially launch Federal Insurance Timor, said Director Papaliitele Alan Hutchison.

The Central Bank of Samoa were supportive of Federal Pacific Insurance (Samoa) investment in Timor Leste and to be able to share the occasion with Maiava and her team, and fellow delegates from around the Pacific was a great honour.

Including our team from Federal Pacific Insurance Samoa led by General Manager, Namulauulu Sami Leota, the evening brought together perhaps the largest number of Pacific Islanders in Dili since our early days with the Samoan Police Contingents deployed with UNPOL in 2000.

Pacific Holdings (Timor) provides an important service for thousands of people and their families throughout the country. The companys operations and its family of 20+ staff has been managed by Momoe Malietoa-Hutchison since its inception.

The newest Samoan venture in Timor Leste  Federal Insurance Timor also had cause for celebration on the evening. Federal Insurance Timor is only the second licensed General Insurer in Timor Leste.

The cocktail was well attended by Pacific Central Bank Governors, Government officials, local business and banking community, together with staff and families of both companies in an event that blended both Timorese and Samoan customs.
Efforts to defeat Ebola have reached a milestone with a new vaccine that so far appears to be 100 percent effective against Ebola Zaire, the most threatening strain of the deadly virus.

And lessons learned from developing that vaccine could help public-health officials fight similar hemorrhagic fever infections, researchers said.

The frightening Ebola epidemic of 2014, located in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, was the worst outbreak ever reported. One of the few good things to emerge is that medical professionals learned a lot about the disease.

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With supportive medical care, about half of the patients survive. And some therapies appeared to show preliminary signs of effectiveness in boosting that rate even higher. Some of that work went on in San Diego, a major center for virus and vaccine research.

But more work remains before Ebola is truly defeated, scientists said. And now, when the disease has fallen out of the public spotlight, is the best time to complete the work before another outbreak occurs  of Ebola or some other deadly virus.

Thats one important step in a number of steps, with some significant unfinished business, regarding how we will address hemorrhagic fevers, particularly in that part of the world, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Before the outbreak, the NIH and corporate partners had been working to develop vaccines against all strains of Ebola, Fauci said.

That work is far from done. And even the Ebola Zaire vaccine needs much more testing, Fauci said. For example, its not known how long the vaccines protection will last.

Beyond Ebola, Fauci said the NIH had its eyes on another dangerous viral disease, Lassa fever.

Endemic to West Africa, Lassa fever is a constant killer. While the mortality rate is less than that of Ebola, Lassa fever is far more common. Lassa fever infects about 300,000 people annually, causing up to 5,000 deaths, according to the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium.

In 2016, we saw human-to-human transmission of Lassa in a modern hospital in Germany and a fatal case in the United States (a traveler), said Erica Ollmann Saphire, who studies hemorrhagic fever viruses at The Scripps Research Institute, a VHFC member.

It is endemic in Sierra Leone and Nigeria for example, but this year we also saw cases in Togo, Benin, and Mali, Ollmann Saphire said. There are no approved treatments or vaccines - these are badly needed.

And some populations are exceptionally at risk from the virus.

Its 90 percent lethal for pregnant women, Ollmann Saphire said. Patients who recover may be left with permanent deafness and other lasting damage.

Lassa survivors often dont have as long a lifespan as people who have never had Lassa, she said.

Why Ebola is so deadly, explained by Erica Ollmann Saphire of The Scripps Research Institute. Taken in August 2014.

Vaccine detour

Ebola is so deadly because the virus replicates quickly and infects nearly any human cell. It causes damage throughout the body, including extensive bleeding and organ failure. It can also kill indirectly by causing dehydration and loss of electrolytes because of diarrhea.

Supportive treatment, providing nourishment and fluids, help patients survive until the immune system can make antibodies to defeat the infection. But that care often wasnt readily available for those stricken in the 2014 epidemic, because the rudimentary nature of health services in much of war-ravaged West Africa.

The urgency of the 2014 Ebola outbreak meant that work on vaccines was eclipsed in the media by efforts to treat those infected and to restrict the spread of infection.

And an experimental therapy called ZMapp, from San Diegos Mapp Biopharmaceutical, was pressed into service.

ZMapp is made from a combination of Ebola antibodies selected for maximum effectiveness. Ollmann Saphire and TSRI colleagues helped Mapp Biopharmaceutical in this task by studying the structure of the antibodies.

ZMapp appeared to help in some instances, including the high-profile cases of the American missionaries Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol. They were evacuated in a gravely ill condition from Liberia to Emory University in Atlanta, where they were successfully treated. But these anecdotal cases dont carry the scientific weight of a controlled clinical trial.

The swift decline in Ebola infections in 2015 meant too few patients were available to complete testing of ZMapp, Fauci said. That means ZMapps effectiveness was only tentatively established.

The lack of patients also hampered efforts to test a different therapy from another San Diego company, Aethlon Medical. The companys Hemopurifier device was used on a gravely ill Ebola patient to remove virus particles.

The device, which can be adapted to remove various pathogens, uses what functions like a dialysis cartridge that traps the pathogens while blood flows through.

Aethlon says the patients viral load had reached 400,000 particles before treatment, declining to 1,000 after treatment. The patient recovered.

Like the test of ZMapp, there werent enough patients treated with the Hemopurifier to firmly establish efficacy. But in testing the vaccine, enough people were enrolled in a clinical trial to provide definitive evidence.

Effectiveness of the vaccine was measured by how many of the vaccinated didnt fall ill, compared to those unvaccinated. The vaccine, known as rVSV-ZEBOV, was studied in a trial of 11,841 people in Guinea in 2015, about half of whom actually received the vaccine.

The vaccine was given in a ring vaccination model designed to provide the strongest test of efficacy. Ring vaccinations are planned around those found to be infected. All of the people they had close contact with were vaccinated, the goal being to provide a ring of immunity around the infected.

Strong evidence

Among the 5,837 who were vaccinated, none developed Ebola 10 or more days after vaccination, compared to 23 cases among those who didnt get the vaccine. The trial, led by the World Health Organization, the Guinea Ministry of Health and other international partners, was published Dec. 22 in The Lancet.

Ollmann Saphire said the vaccine trial results are terrific.

The ring vaccination approach is a practical strategy to quickly encircle known cases and keep the virus from spreading further, Saphire said. Now, what is needed are vaccines against the other viruses like Ebola that have equivalent outbreak potential - or ideally, single shots that protect against multiple viruses.

We also need more drugs and antibodies to treat those first people who became infected and anyone else that didnt get vaccinated.

The technology used to make the Ebola rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine represents a potential path toward a Lassa fever vaccine, Fauci and Saphire said. The vaccine is a modified form of another virus that serves as a platform for inducing immunity, like a missile. The warhead consists of a protein from the virus of interest, in this case Ebola, that provokes an immune response.

In theory, new vaccines can be made simply by genetically modifying the platform virus to include the response-provoking protein, Fauci said. Preparing a vaccine from this platform for testing is far more rapid than designing new vaccines from scratch.

The needed proteins from other viruses in the Ebola family have been identified, and adapting the vaccine platform should be straightforward, Saphire said. But these proteins remain to be discovered in other types of hemorrhagic fever viruses.

Saphire said she and other researchers are now attempting to discover those proteins, which would enable production of vaccines for those viruses.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
WAVERLY | A Waverly man was accidentally shot by his wife while they were hunting on Christmas Eve in Butler County, officials said Thursday.

The Butler County Sheriff's Office reported they received a call just before 11:30 a.m. Dec. 24 of a man shot in a hunting accident near Allison.

Kirk Robert Hummel, 47, of Waverly, died before reaching a hospital.

Hummel and his wife Kathleen were hunting rabbits on a family farm when Kathleen Hummel reported her rifle accidentally discharged, deputies say.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls.

-- Amie Steffeneicher for the Globe Gazette.
For the first time in nearly a decade, biomedical scientists and companies are confronting a fundamental question: Will the government pay for research that involves human embryonic stem cells?

Since the mid-2000s, research has dramatically expanded on stem cells, including those not derived from human embryos. There are currently more than 1,300 clinical trials on stem cell-based therapies under way, according to the Clinicaltrials.gov database, maintained by the National Institutes of Health.

The trend started in California in 2004, when voters approved Proposition 71, appropriating $3 billion for studies using embryonic or other kinds of stem cells. A few years later, President Barack Obama eased restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. (His predecessor, George W. Bush, was the first president to authorize any government money for this research, but restricted the funding to existing stem cell lines.)

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Now, President-elect Donald Trump may curtail funding for embryonic stem cell research.Trump himself has said he opposes abortion; a related issue. Tom Price, his nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, has opposed embryonic stem cell research on moral grounds because embryos are killed during production of the cell lines.

The embryonic stem cells are collected from extra embryos produced from in vitro fertilization that would otherwise be discarded.

Stem cells, from embryos and non-embryonic sources, are being tested for their ability to regenerate replacement tissues for those lost to disease or injury. Researchers are also using them to replicate aspects of an illness in the lab, a so-called disease in a dish.

Neither Trump nor Price has publicly stated whether federal funding for embryonic stem cell research will be curtailed. That research is funded by the NIH, which falls under the HHS department.

Price has said work with other kinds of stem cells has proven more promising, a view for which there is some evidence.

Although embryonic stem cell-based therapies are in clinical trials, including one from San Diegos ViaCyte, no such treatments have actually been approved.

The campaign for Prop. 71 gave the impression that many treatments from embryonic stem cells would result in the not-too-distant future. Even some backers of the measure have since said expectations were raised beyond what the science supported.

Momentum has shifted to experimentation with other kinds of stem cells not derived from embryos. Artificially created stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPS cells, act like embryonic cells, but are created from adult cells, such as skin cells. Human embryonic stem cells were discovered in 1998, human IPS cells were created in 2007.

And there are adult stem cells, which arent derived from embryos.

Researchers who back using embryonic stem cells say that description doesnt tell the whole story.

Because they are natural, human embryonic stem cells remain the gold standard for understanding how cells develop from a universal ancestor to adult cells, such as in the skin, the heart, liver and brain, said Deepak Srivastava, a stem cell scientist at the Gladstone Institute in San Francisco.

IPS cells do replace the need for embryonic stem cells to some extent, but does not make it go away, said Srivastava, director of the Roddenberry Stem Cell Center at Gladstone. We are still in the process of trying to optimize the production of IPS cells. And to do that, we have to compare those to what nature itself has made.

However, for those who consider human life to begin at conception, the process of getting embryonic stem cells involves what they see as a moral evil. And that is the heart of the objection by those who oppose funding the research.

One is taking advantage of one human being for the benefit of an older and more powerful human being, said Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Director of Education for The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. That is an inherently unjust proposal.

Even if useful treatments result, the end doesnt justify the means, Pacholczyk said.

Much of the information obtained from studying human embryonic stem cells can be obtained from other sources, such as animal embryonic stem cells, Pacholczyk said. He holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Yale University and performed postdoctoral work as a molecular biologist at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

Its morally permissible to use IPS cells because no embryo is ever produced in the process, Pacholczyk said.

Another type, called parthenogenetic stem cells, represents a more ambiguous picture, he said. These cells are derived from unfertilized egg cells, which develop into a structure much like an embryo.

When one is dealing with a situation when you are not entirely sure whether you have generated a real human embryo or not, the benefit of the doubt should go to that entity you have created, he said.

Such is the unsettled picture that awaits stem cell researchers beginning Jan. 20, when Trump begins his presidential term.

UCSD stem cell researcher Alysson R. Muotri joins Dr. William Mobley to explain how his work is shedding light on not only the pathology of autism but potential new drugs.

Changing scene

This is probably the most uncertain Ive ever been about funding, said Jeanne Loring, who leads the stem cell program at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla.

Loring has worked with human embryonic stem cells, but shifted her focus to IPS cells after their invention a decade ago. She leads research at TSRI for a San Diego group called Summit for Stem Cell that aims to use IPS cells to treat Parkinsons disease.

I think its going to be more troubling for young scientists, said Loring. Theyre trying to focus on developing their careers.

Loring disputes the gold standard characterization of embryonic stem cells. Moreover, she said, the embryonic stem cell lines approved under President Bush are the most widely used, even though newer lines approved for funding under President Obama are available.

There is justification for research using both embryonic stem cells and iPSCs, but not because hESCs are a gold standard, Loring said. The reason why the vintage hESCs derived in 1998 remain popular is that these five cell lines, derived from embryos obtained in Wisconsin and Israel, were the most easily available lines when the NIH started funding training courses to educate researchers in hESC technology in 2003.

The students who took these courses continued to use the same cell lines, and 12 years later there is far more published data on these cell lines than any others.

I would argue that because the early history of the vintage hESCs is not as well documented as that of hESC and iPSC lines made later - the genomic analysis techniques we use now to detect abnormalities in cell lines didnt exist then - we should rethink the gold standard assumption. Loring said.

Many labs and international consortia are working toward establishing standards for quality control and characterization of pluripotent stem cell lines, so those criteria can be used to validate any hESC or iPSC line. We should be trusting our own science: using results, not history, to choose the cell lines we use in research.

Many of the 369 federally approved embryonic stem cells lines carry disease-causing mutations discovered during the in vitro fertilization process, Loring said. But almost none have been used in research.

I think we should be doing more exploratory research on these cell lines rather than continuing to examine the already studied cell lines. Its especially interesting to compare hESC and iPSCs carrying the same mutations - I expect there would be no differences, but I would love to find out if Im wrong.

The stem cell picture is complicated by the abundance of cell types, some of which may prove superior to others in certain therapies. Adult stem cells renew tissues throughout life. However, Loring said these are less plastic than embryonic or IPS cells, which can give rise to nearly any cell in the body, such as heart or brain cells. Adult stem cells control inflammation or provide a scaffold for repair.

And to further complicate matters, there are stemlike cells called progenitor cells. These descendants of stem cells are already fated to become certain types of adult cells. They lack the property of self-renewal, which is part of the definition of stem cells.

In the larger picture of federal support for research, Loring said Trumps support of the NIHs mission appears to be slightly better than average, compared to other Republican presidents.

However, Loring said she has concerns about the newly enacted 21st Century Cures Act, which can be interpreted as limiting the authority of the Food and Drug Administration to regulate drug approvals.

I dont agree with everything the FDA does, but I dont want people who dont have any expertise meddling in the safety of our drugs, Loring said.

Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell researcher at UC Davis, said the science of stem cells has significantly advanced since Californias Prop. 71 was approved. The invention of IPS cells in particular have changed the picture, he said.

Knoepfler said his lab works with both embryonic and IPS cells, something thats fairly common with stem cell scientists. Thats in part because while IPS cells have been around now for a decade, the sense is that these cells are still in their early days and theres a lot more to learn about them. Human embryonic stem cells were discovered in 1998, and those in animals before that.

When we do work on IPS cells, well usually in parallel do work on ES cells just for comparison, Knopfler said. As with ES cell lines, new IPS cell lines need to be rigorously screened and validated.

Karl Willert, a stem cell researcher at UC San Diego, said he thinks the differences between the two kinds of cells are generally minor. Like Knoepfler, he then qualified that assessment.

But having said that, I think putting any type of restrictions on research in this field will have unknown and possibility detrimental consequences, Willert said.

The way IPS cells are generated can lead to differences in their properties, and this needs to be controlled for, he said.

In my own lab, for now, whenever I do any of this type of work, I do it on both induced pluripotent stem cells and human embryonic stem cells, Willert said. Its not to be redundant, its simply being a very cautious scientist.

Ensuring safety

Caution is also a concern at the FDA, said Andy McMahon, a stem cell scientist at the University of Southern California.

Many stem cell trials in progress are based on human embryonic stem cells. One cant simply swap out these cells for IPS cells, said McMahon, director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC.

These trials, and the preclinical work needed to authorize the trials would have to be duplicated, adding years to bringing therapies to market.

I think theres generally a higher level of comfort in using cells derived from human embryonic stem cells, because theyve been around for a long time and theyve been characterized more rigorously, McMahon said. Im expecting over time there will be more of a transition to induced pluripotent stem cells.

Srivastava, of the Gladstone Institute, made much the same point. The process of generating and testing IPS cells for usefulness requires more work than for embryonic stem cells, which are natural, he said.

Meanwhile, new science may provide other alternatives. Researchers recently said they had directly converted embryonic stem cells to neurons, without going through the complicated intermediate stages. This research, published in Cell Stem Cell, may potentially be applicable to IPS cells, said Shaun Mahoney, a Penn State University researcher and one of the papers authors.

Mahoney said that while there are documented instances of how genes are differently regulated in embryonic and IPS cells, whether they are meaningful for therapeutic uses is unclear. Research is still ongoing regarding that point.

Some of the difficulty in determining differences between the cell types is caused by the various methods in which IPS cells are created, said Esteban Mazzoni, a co-author of the Cell Stem Cell study. These can create important differences in how the cells are constructed.

For example, the structure of chromatin, the material of which chromosomes are made, can vary with the method used for making IPS cells, Mazzoni said. This affects how genes are packaged, affecting whether they are activated or silenced, a field known as epigenetics.

Embryonic stem cells provide a benchmark for comparing chromatin structure and epigenetic status, Mazzoni said.

The importance of epigenetics was recently underscored by age reversal research led by Salk Institute scientist Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte. The study found that signs of aging in mice could be reversed by causing the mice to intermittently make proteins used to generate IPS cells.

The treatment reset the epigenetic markers on the mouse cells to resemble those of younger mice. Moreover, the health of the treated mice improved.

Beyond this vision of streamlining work with stem cells, some researchers are working on therapies that eliminate the need for any stem cells at all. Their goal is to directly reprogram cells of one type, say skin, into the needed cells, such as neurons.

Beyond stem cells

Direct reprogramming of cells has been advocated for many years by Ian Wilmut, the British scientist who led the production of Dolly, the cloned sheep. This method used an egg cell that had its nucleus replaced with the nucleus from an adult cell of another sheep.

Besides cloning animals, this somatic cell nuclear transfer process, or SCNT, is being considered as a source of embryonic stem cells genetically matched to patients.

In a speech in San Diego in 2011, Wilmut urged scientists to move away from SCNT to direct cellular reprogramming. This would remove the moral objection to using embryonic stem cells, and the potential for tumors in both embryonic and IPS cells. There would be just a direct conversion from one cell type to another.

As an indication of progress in this area, Cell Stem Cell now lists 37 articles in a section on direct reprogramming.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
San Diego may be half a world away from India but a company in Miramar recently received a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help develop a cleaner, more efficient and energy-producing power stove that may significantly improve the lives of Indias poor.

I think it provides opportunity for the normal Indian family not only to cook but also to have on-demand power to create light, said Jill Elsner, chief financial officer and acting CEO of Hi-Z Technology. They have so much less than we do.

More than 50 million households in India have limited access to electricity and must rely on the most elemental of ways to heat their homes and cook their food, such as indoor open fires and mud stoves.

The resulting smoke contributes to air pollution and the inhalation of particulate matter leads to respiratory problems. Indoor stoves account for an estimated 800,000 premature deaths per year, not to mention the black carbon emissions that contribute to global warming and inherent safety risks of cooking indoors in cramped spaces.

Everybody wants to improve the lives of these people so they can cook and live under healthier conditions, said Fred Leavitt, Hi-Z vice president.

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With a staff of seven full-time employees and seven part-time positions, Hi-Z Technology may qualify as a small business  were a micro-size company Elsner told the Union-Tribune  but since its inception in 1988, the company has worked with clients such as NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation.

A research and development business, Hi-Z specializes in thermoelectrics  producing modules in which one side is heated and the other side cooled, with the temperature difference driving electrons that create voltage.

There are no moving parts, Leavitt said. Its extremely reliable.

And thats why Greenway Appliances  a company based in Mumbai, India that sold more than 100,000 cook stoves last year  approached Hi-Z to help develop a better stove.

At Hi-Z technology, Fred Leavitt, vice president and Jill Elsner, CEO, stand next to a prototype stove that houses a thermoelectric module designed to allow the stove to generate up to 10 watts of usable power. (Nelvin C. Cepda/UT )

The average Indian family cooks about four hours a day.

But the Hi-Z prototype does a lot more than generate heat for cooking.

Were not the first people to do this but were anticipating this stove producing (up to) 10 watts of usable power, Leavitt said. Most other stoves of this type produce at least half that amount.

Solid fuel such as wood is fed into the mouth of the stove. The fire inside provides heat for cooking but a Hi-Z thermoelectric module thats little more than 2 square inches in the stove also generates electricity.

A fan attached to the back of the stoves exterior cools the module and provides air to the combustion chamber that allows the flame to burn more efficiently.

That reduces smoke by about 90 percent and cuts fuel consumption by about one-third. That greatly improves the air quality inside a house while reducing black carbon emissions. It also means that fewer trees are cut, helping prevent deforestation.

Kerosene is used by millions of rural Indians as their primary source of lighting but its expensive. Since the prototype generates its own electricity, it can help light a home without kerosene.

Even in the poorest parts of India, mobile phones are common but families often have to trek to neighborhood stores and pay a few rupees to charge them. The Hi-Z prototype eliminates that problem because its equipped with a USB connection and the electricity it generates can charge cell phones, batteries and electronics.

Everyone in India has cell phones but they have this ancient-type cooking, so this is a breakthrough from that standpoint, Elsner said.

Hi-Zs leaders say they face two big challenges.

The first is technical: Keeping the cool side of the thermoelectric module cool in a climate like Indias, where temperatures often soar to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The second is cost.

Fred Leavitt, vice president at Hi-Z Technology, holds a thermoelectric module similar to the one housed in a prototype for a power stove aimed at improving the lives of Indias poor. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune )

Thermoelectric modules can run as high as $10 to $15 a watt. In order to mass-produce the Greenway power stove, Hi-Z has to reduce costs to about $1 a watt, if not lower.

I think we can (meet the price goal), Leavitt said. The volumes are huge. Theres a billion people who live in India alone and whole lot more in other countries that need this kind of stove  in South America, in Africa. And with those kinds of numbers, we can sell these in huge volumes which will help get the cost down.

Trials on the prototype are expected to start by next summer and Leavitt said were within a year or two of completing the project. Greenway has a technology transfer agreement with Hi-Z.

By receiving the $100,000 EPA grant, Hi-Z Technology can get in the running for another $300,000 from the agency  provided the first phase of its stove technology proves successful.

The grant means a lot because it gives us credibility, Elsner said. So if we want to raise additional funding, (potential investors) can say. We think this is a good investment. 

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
Embattled, embroiled and entangled, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is about to get a significant change at the top.

Two of its five commissioners are stepping down after serving their respective six-year terms and Gov. Jerry Brown appointed their replacements on Wednesday.

Effective Jan. 1, Mike Florio and Catherine J.K. Sandoval are out and Martha Guzman Aceves and Clifford Rechtschaffen are in  provided they get confirmed by the state Senate.

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Both have sound judgment and a commitment to protecting ratepayers and ensuring safe, reliable and climate-friendly energy in California, said Brown in a statement.

The moves come as the agency that regulates energy, rail safety, telecommunications and water rates works through a slew of controversies and long-running criticism that its commissioners are too cozy with the utility companies they are charged to oversee.

The new appointees each come from the governors office. Guzman Aceves, 39, has been Browns deputy legislative affairs secretary since 2011. Rechtschaffen, 59, has been Browns senior adviser on climate, energy and environmental issues for the last five years.

Theyre coming into the PUC with some tough challenges, said state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, who has reintroduced legislation to reform the commission in the current lawmaking session in Sacramento. Theyve got their work cut out for them, frankly.

Among the recent controversies the CPUC is battling:

a criminal investigation that has gone on for more than two years by the state attorney generals office after emails appeared to show utility regulators favoring Pacific Gas & Electric in an examination of the 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people

disclosures published in the Union-Tribune of a secret ex parte meeting between a California Edison executive and then-CPUC President Michael Peevey about a settlement in the shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

a 64-page report from the state auditor concluding the agencys contracting practices had too many no-bid contracts, did not maintain records effectively and operated in a lax control environment

The current group of commissioners has also presided over a number of crises, such as the massive natural gas leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility.

Its been one fire drill after another, Florio said in a telephone interview, describing his six-year term as tumultuous.

Florio faced calls to resign after emails surfaced indicating he engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions with a top PG&E executive, something Florio said was mischaracterized, pointing to his 30 years at The Utility Reform Network (TURN), a consumer advocacy group that monitors the CPUC.

Its not that any of these emails influenced me to do anything nefarious, Florio said. Thats not who I am and thats not what happened but  I think the perception that, oh my god, the commissioner and this guy from PG&E are on a first name basis, they must be up to something, was something I didnt fully appreciate going in because I thought, geez, after 30 years of fighting these guys as a consumer advocate, nobody would ever think that I would be conspiring with them. But that was how it looked even though it was not reality.

Brown has has been criticized for standing in the way of CPUC reforms. He vetoed six bills aimed at the commission in 2015 but did sign new measures designed to improve the agency in September.

The current leadership at TURN offered qualified support for the appointments of Guzman Aceves and Rechtschaffen.

The groups executive director, Mark Toney, praised the pair for their expertise and qualifications but expressed concern about whether they would provide sufficiently independent voices from the governor.

Were going to be watching very, very closely to make sure their decisions are based on the public interest and not simply because its a pet project of the governor, Toney said. Having one governors office appointee would be an issue of concern. Having two makes it even more so.

Hill said he was pleased with the appointments, saying he worked closely with Guzman Aceves on his CPUC reform bills.

I have confidence in both of them, Hill said. I think they have a good knowledge and good ability  And they know the difference between right and wrong.

Dan Jacobson, the legislative director in Sacramento for Environment California, called Guzman Aceves and Rechtschaffen fantastic appointments who he expects to continue the states green energy push.

When governors appoint weak appointees to the PUC the special interests have way more power, Jacobson said. When governors appoint strong appointees, that gives the citizens at least a leg up.

Jamie Court, president of the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, blasted the appointments, taking particular aim at Rechtschaffen, calling him a lapdog for the oil industry. Court pointed to a sworn statement by a former deputy at the states Department of Conservation who said Rechtschaffen tried to get the agency to fast track an oil drilling permit.

This drivel does not merit a response, Brown spokesman Evan Westrup said in an email to the Union-Tribune.

The nominations of Guzman Aceves and Rechtschaffen have to clear the state Senates rules committee and a majority vote of the full Senate in order to get confirmed to the posts that pay $142,095 a year.

Hill said on Wednesday that he doesnt anticipate a dragged out process.

I think the senators have a very positive feeling and a positive sense about both of them, Hill said.

Outgoing commissioners Florio and Sandoval each served one term at the CPUC. Sandoval plans to return to the Santa Clara School of Law, where she was a professor.

Im going to take a month of so to decompress and assess my options, said Florio, who turns 65 in February. Ive got several irons in the fire  This may be my last job so I want to think about it carefully.

This article includes contributions from Union-Tribune Watchdog reporter Jeff McDonald

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

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Qualcomm has settled a legal dispute over patent licensing with electronics firm Meizu, ending one legal battle in China as another, larger one is looming in South Korea.

The San Diego wireless chip designer said late Thursday that it inked a patent licensing agreement with Meizu, which Qualcomm sued in July for infringing on its wireless patents.

With the deal, Meizu agreed to pay Qualcomm royalties for use of its 3G/4G mobile patents under terms set down by Chinas anti-monopoly regulator in a 2015 settlement with Qualcomm.

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Qualcomm said it has dropped all legal action against Meizu.

Over the past two years, Qualcomm has signed patent licenses with the top 10 Chinese smartphone brands, including Huawei, ZTE and Xiaomi. Earlier this week, Gionee joined the list.

Meizu, an up and coming electronics outfit that is backed by Chinese online-shopping giant Alibaba, had been holding out. That prompted Qualcomm to file legal action in China, Germany, France and the U.S.  a rarity for the San Diego firm. It usually reaches royalty deals before having to go to court.

Qualcomm is pleased to sign this license agreement with Meizu and to help enhance Meizus product line and generate strong growth for the company, both in China and globally, said Alex Rogers, head of Qualcomm Technology Licensing, in a statement.

While controversy over Qualcomms patent licensing practices has died down in China, its on the rise in South Korea. The Korea Fair Trade Commission fined Qualcomm $865 million this week and is calling for an overhaul of the companys patent licensing business model.

Qualcomm blasted the regulatory ruling as seeking to unravel intellectual property practices that have been used globally for two decades. The company also claims South Korean regulators violated Qualcomms due process rights as laid out in U.S./South Korea free trade agreements.

The company said it would appeal to the Seoul High Court once ruling becomes official, which is likely in four to six months.

Qualcomm shares closed Friday at $65.20, down 84 cents.

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mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com;

Twitter:@TechDiego

760-529-4973
John Picco decided there was only one way to celebrate his 100th birthday: Take a flying leap.

And thats what the Lakeside resident did Thursday afternoon, the day before he hit the milestone birthday. Picco jumped from 13,000 feet out of a plane  a seasoned skydiving partner braced behind him  soaring through the skies above Jamul.

My family told me I was crazy, but I already know that, Picco said.

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Picco free-fell for one minute and floated by parachute for about six minutes.

You cant beat it; it was terrific, said Picco, after landing to a cheering throng waiting for him at Skydive San Diego near Otay Lakes.

The guy I went with really knows his stuff. He told me exactly what to do. A little while after we jumped, I felt like I was just sitting there floating around on air.

Nearly 30 people came to watch, with several jumping along with Picco: His grandson, Michael Picco; granddaughter Angela Picco and her boyfriend, D.J. Chapman; and great-niece Susie Berglund.

Three years ago Picco watched a television show featuring a 100-year-old woman skydiving. That day I saw it, I said, Im going to do it, too, when Im 100. What am I afraid of?

Not much evidently. This is a man who at age 98 drove his Toyota alone up to Washington state to visit his son Ron. He only stopped driving a year ago, though his license is good for three more years.

Hes wanted to skydive for a long time, and I think thats great, Ron Picco said. His brothers and sisters all lived into their 80s and 90s. Hes outlived all of his eight siblings.

Picco almost had to put the jump on hold Thursday. Expecting to skydive at 12:30 p.m., Skydive San Diego owner Jeff Bramstedt told Picco he would have to wait until the wind died down.

The winds were blowing toward the west at nearly 10 knots most of the morning and early afternoon, making a jump impossible. However, the wind changed direction around 3:20 p.m., and Bramstedt gave the thumbs-up and pilot Bieke Lieckens took off with the party in a DeHavilland Twin Otter.

Will he do it again for his 101st birthday?

Ill be pushing up daisies then, Picco said with a laugh.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
Since 1958, the family-run Dura Paint store has been doing business at the corner of Main Street and South Citrus Avenue in downtown Vista. But by February, that 58-year tradition will come to an end.

Second-generation owner Mark Olinger and his wife, Kim, are closing the store, hopefully by the end of January, with plans to retire to Colorado before the snow thaws. Olinger said that since he sent out a going out of business sale email several weeks ago, hes been deluged with visits from longtime customers and well-wishers.

Everyone is coming in here saying how sad they are. I just tell them these are the happiest days of our lives, he said. We just feel like its time to go.

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The closure of Dura Paint is the latest in a string of renovations and tear-downs that have brought new life and heavy traffic to Vistas historic downtown, which experienced its first wave of building in the 1920s and 30s. Over the past year, a long-shuttered bank branch near the Avo Playhouse has reopened as the Belching Beaver Tavern & Grill and the buildings formerly occupied by Altura Paint Center and Kings & Queens hair salon have been torn down to create a parking lot to accommodate the crowds drawn to the citys thriving breweries and restaurants.

Olinger, 62, said the downtown revitalization hasnt helped his business, which never fully recovered from the recession. Since 2009, he and Kim have been looking forward to retirement and the lucky alignment of numbers  the 58-year-old store opened in 1958  seemed the right time to make it official.

Kim Olinger shows some old Christmas advertisements, likely from the 1970s, showing three generations of Olingers at the store. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune / Zuma Press )

The family got into the paint business after Olingers grandfather, Pete, moved to Vista from his native Minnesota in the mid-1950s. He saw that the paint store at 347 Main St. was up for sale because its owner had died, so he called his son, Dick, then a salesman for what would became Dutch Boy Paints. Father and son purchased the building and eventually Dick bought out his fathers share and ran the shop with his two sons, Mark and Barry.

Mark started mixing paints in the store in 1971 when he was just 17 years old. Hes now marking his 45th year in the shop. His brother Barry left the business 20 years ago to move away. Their father, Dick, continued to walk to the store every morning until the day he died in 2006. He was 86. Six months later, Marks wife, Kim, came to work at the shop to help him keep up with what was then a booming business. Then the recession hit.

One of the store items that wont be sold when Dura Paint closes in January or February is a 100-year-old cash register that has been in the family for many years. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune / Zuma Press )

For many years, Dura Paint has been a dealer for Benjamin Moore Paints, but when the economy collapsed, so did the stores exclusivity. Benjamin Moore expanded its store list to include two other nearby merchants.

At the same time, Lowes and Home Depot stores were drawing away more and more customers looking for lower-priced paint. Eventually, Olinger started a custom-framing business in the back room to bolster his dwindling sales.

Longtime customer Mike Thayer, a retired truck driver and now handyman, was at the shop on Wednesday picking out several gallons of paint and deck stain. His family has been shopping at the store since they moved to Vista in 1960. He said in all the years hes shopped at Dura Paint, hes never had to return a drop for remixing because Olingers skill at color-matching is so precise.

You cant beat these mom-and-pop businesses. Theyre being driven out by the big commercial businesses and thats a real loss for everyone, Thayer said. What you get here is one-on-one personal service.

Another aspect of the stores personal touch is Daisy, a 12-year-old white-haired Chihuahua who has been greeting customers at the store for many years.

We literally have customers call us up to ask if Daisys working today before theyll come in, Olinger said.

Kim Olinger said they first considered closing the store in 2007, when a real estate investor offered to buy the building because he foresaw the future revitalization of downtown.

The deal collapsed as the recession deepened, but the experience planted the seed in the couples minds about moving away. Unfolding a well-worn map of Colorado on the store counter, Kim said she has spent years studying maps, weather patterns, housing and demographics that convinced them to retire to the Woodland Park area of Colorado. She and Mark love to hunt and fish, Mark has a sister near there, and the housing and land prices are affordable.

The couple plan to sell their inventory as well as all the shelving and fixtures, hopefully by the end of January. Then theyll put their Vista home on the market, with the goal of selling and moving to Colorado by mid-April.

The building, which is owned by the Olinger family trust, will be put up for lease before they leave. When asked if he hopes the store could possibly carry on as another paint store, Mark shrugged.

I dont think a business like this can survive anymore, he said. People come in here and Ill spend an hour-and-a-half giving them advice and sending them off with paint chips. Then I never see them again. When it comes time to buy their paint, they go down the road to get whatevers cheapest.

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
For artists and audiences, a new year brings a blank canvas, a fresh page, a wide-open stage upon which to start building from the blueprint of creative dreams. With that opportunity for a brand-new start in mind, we asked some prominent figures from across San Diegos arts community to tell us: Whats your biggest wish for your field in 2017?

Jazz pianist, composer and band leader Joshua White plays Eduardos Blues.

Jazz pianist, composer and band leader

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Id like to see more venues. Because, especially in the jazz and improvised music worlds, so many of our venues are transient and its been hard to really establish a presence. Venues might be here for a year or two and then they no longer exist. Each venue that passes is a loss of an opportunity for a lot of artists, because a venue can feed many different listeners and performers as a place to grow. With 98 Bottles having left jazz behind, it leaves a serious void here for audiences wanting to check out new music. The Blue Whale in Los Angeles celebrated its seventh anniversary this year and has become a staple for the creative music community there. Chuck Perrin has done tremendous things in San Diego with Dizzys. But he just had to move to a new location  Dizzys fourth in 16 years  and its difficult for him to switch venues so often. What I also hope for in 2017 is that venue owners will take more risks.

Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter

A lot of times, the arts doesnt get the attention or resources it needs. So my hope and desire for San Diego, which Im working on now, is bringing more resources to the school I went to, the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, and adding more arts programs to other schools. I grew up in Southeast San Diego and always tell people the difference between a successful life and a life that can end in tragedy is a kid believing they have an opportunity or an option. A lot of these kids are into the arts, which society doesnt always recognize or support. Id definitely like to see more arts programs in schools and music studios, theaters and community centers focused on the arts, where kids in San Diego can innovate, be passionate and be supported in that passion. There needs to be more places for young people to create in San Diego. Hopefully, 2017 will be a starting point. Id also like there to be more awareness, nationally and globally, so people become more aware of the diverse landscape in San Diego for music and the arts in general.

LOOKING AHEAD: ARTS IN THE NEW YEAR

Classical music: My wish for 2017 is 

Dance: My wish for 2017 is 

Music: My wish for 2017 is 

Theater: My wish for 2017 is 

Visual art: My wish for 2017 is 

Twitter @georgevarga

george.varga@sduniontribune.com
For artists and audiences, a new year brings a blank canvas, a fresh page, a wide-open stage upon which to start building from the blueprint of creative dreams. With that opportunity for a brand-new start in mind, we asked some prominent figures from across San Diegos arts community to tell us: Whats your biggest wish for your field in 2017?

Derrick R. Cartwright

Curatorial Director, Timken Museum of Art and Director of University Galleries at the University of San Diego

My wish for the San Diego visual arts community in 2017 is simple: collaborate. Many communities have comparable resources to ours, but few have a greater demonstrated instinct to join forces across cultural institutions and make big things happen. Count on several high points next year: when the Gettys Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA gets launched in September, four San Diego-based museums will participate with cutting-edge presentations  MCASD, SDMA, MOPA and the University Galleries. USD is also getting ready for the second in a planned series of exhibitions with The British Museum  British Modern Prints from the British Museum: From the Great War to the Grosvenor School  that opens in early February. And the Timken, always free to our public, is a tremendous partner with important contacts throughout the international museum community. Right now, we are working on a collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art that will bring a small group of Claude Monets paintings to San Diego next fall. I foresee a trend of still bolder collaborations ahead. That excites me.

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Tiffany Beres

Executive Director, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum

My wish for San Diegos visual art community in 2017 is a desire to strengthen our city as an arts destination by promoting multicultural artistic excellence. Our city has one of the most diverse populations in the United States: Asian/Pacific Islanders alone account for one in 10 residents in our community, and yet there are few venues that showcase the San Diegos multicultural artistic talent. In the aftermath of this contentious presidential election, I believe that the visual arts are more important than ever  this universal language can spark connections across cultures and through time, by igniting curiosity, conversation and creativity. I hope that we can all celebrate diversity by seeking out the distinctive aesthetic and intellectual achievements of artists who do not just look like ourselves.

LOOKING AHEAD: ARTS IN THE NEW YEAR

Classical music: My wish for 2017 is 

Dance: My wish for 2017 is 

Music: My wish for 2017 is 

Theater: My wish for 2017 is 

Visual art: My wish for 2017 is 

Twitter: @outdoorlivingsd

michael.rocha@sduniontribune.com
Former prisoner of war Joel D. Sollender of Poway, who was catapulted into unlikely fame in crucial swing states after starring in a pair of televised ads for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, has died.

The cause of his death on Tuesday evening was congestive heart failure. The highly decorated World War II combat veteran was 92.

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He spent his final days at Scripps Healths Prebys Cardiovascular Institute in La Jolla. A burial with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is pending, according to his widow, Dorothy Sollender.

He had a great patriotic feeling about this country and the war affected him in many profound ways, she said in a phone interview from the couples Poway home. Here was this smart-ass Jewish intellectual from New York City who became friends in the Army with a Missouri farmer, an Indian bootlegger. He just got along with everyone because he was a person for every man and he truly loved America.

Never having been a political man, he told The San Diego Union-Tribune in November that he was irked by remarks from presidential candidate Donald Trump during a GOP primary event in Ames, Iowa last year.

Trump mocked John McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona and a POW during the Vietnam War, as a Navy pilot who wasnt a war hero because he was captured.

Reports of Mr. Sollenders anger reached Clintons election headquarters in Brooklyn, and a camera team taped him soon afterword for two ads. A 30-second piece showed him and other veterans reacting strongly to a string of Trumps comments about the military. An 80-second ad featured Mr. Sollender alone, crying in his Poway home as he reflected on his POW experience that was 70 years ago, and yesterday.

Both ads debuted on Sept. 16  National Prisoners of War Remembrance Day  and played in heavy rotation in Ohio, Pennsylvania and other battleground states.

He was devastated that Trump won and worried about the future of the country, Dorothy Sollender said.

Mr. Sollender was born in Manhattan on Nov. 11, 1924, to Samuel and Flora Sollender. The World War II draft tore him from his studies at The City College of New York and placed him in the 346th Regiment of the Armys 87th Infantry Division, the Golden Acorn.

He was captured on Dec. 11, 1944 in France and imprisoned in Stalag 3A near Luckenwalde, Germany, according to military records kept by the National Archives.

A half-century later, he brought his wife to the French community of Gros-Rederching, near where he was captured. Villagers led them to the pillbox he had destroyed with a grenade, shortly before his trapped unit ran out of ammo and surrendered.

We went to American cemeteries, but he wanted to visit a German one, too  maybe because he killed German troops that day, Dorothy Sollender said. It came out of a sense of honor. He was very moved by Normandy and later very moved by those bunkers and all the barbed wire we climbed over to get there, and what he had to do there in 1944.

His decorations included a Bronze Star for valor, the Combat Infantryman Badge and a Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.

After the war, Mr. Sollender finished his studies at New York University, majoring in business administration. A certified public accountant, he rose up the executive ranks in the textile industry. He met his future wife in 1958 at the United Merchants and Manufacturers headquarters in Manhattans Garment District.

He went home and told his mother that he met the woman he was going to marry. And six months later, we were married, Dorothy Sollender said.

A longtime resident of the Greenhaven section of Rye, New York, Mr. Sollender retired to Poway in 1992 and became a passionate supporter of the San Diego Youth Symphony. He died 14 years to the day of his sons death in a 2002 automobile crash.

Besides his wife, Sollender is survived by son Dr. Jonathan Lee Sollender and six grandchildren, two of whom serve in the military.

Military Videos  On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France  at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal

cprine@sduniontribune.com
San Diego Countys VA health system was one of only five in the nation with a marked decline in 2016 performance scores, according to a comparison released by the federal veterans agency this month.

The San Diego Union-Tribunes analysis of data going back to late 2012 found the local systems performance declined in several areas in 2014 and 2015 and has not fully rebounded.

Among the networks medical procedures, its measures for in-hospital complications, readmission rates for heart-attack patients and ventilator-associated events such as pneumonia worsened. Starting this year, other inpatient performance measures also suffered.

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In the service category, the turnover rate for registered nurses increased, the call centers speed of response declined and employees reported a drop in workplace satisfaction. Efficiency also fell off.

Those factors likely played into what U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials described as a large decline in San Diegos year-over-year performance in 2016.

Of the 146 VA medical centers nationally, only four others  Tomah in Wisconsin, Hot Springs in South Dakota, Fargo, N.D., and El Paso, Texas  also showed large declines in performance in 2016, as first reported by USA Today.

The director of San Diegos VA medical system said the results have already prompted change, such as upcoming raises for registered nurses and 14 additional people hired for the centralized call center in the past year.

We take our performance here very seriously. I spend a lot of time on a daily and weekly basis looking at these metrics and others we work on, said Dr. Robert Smith, a longtime San Diego VA internist who was named director of the local health system in July.

Smith also said he has some issues with how the VA calculates its scores, including technical quibbles such as the criteria for categories changing over time.

While the internal ratings place importance on call-center wait times, for example, Smith said he thinks issues such as mortality and infection rates are more pivotal.

I think (the overall scores) are important and I dont want to minimize it, he said. But, I would put our hospital mortality rate up against absolutely anybody.

The VA has made this performance data available since at least 2014.

But the self-assessment system only leaped into the public spotlight this month, when a USA Today investigation revealed that the information is used to rank all VA medical centers on a one-to-five star scale that only insiders knew about.

San Diego Countys system, which treats about 85,000 veterans a year, got a three  which is the equivalent to getting a B grade in school.

San Diego had a four rating until a year ago, when the VA began putting more of an emphasis on patient wait times and call center performance in its rating calculation, Smith said.

This month, the VA posted a chart showing that 120 VA medical centers  about 80 percent  improved in performance compared to their metrics a year earlier, as first reported by USA Today.

About two dozen essentially had no change in scores. Five, including San Diego, saw a large performance decline.

These public report cards on VA medicine are particularly important as President-elect Donald Trump is days away from naming his nominee to run the public agency. The VA has been mired in scandal during recent years because of long waits for appointments  and efforts by some staff members to conceal those delays.

Trump is reportedly considering a public-private option that would open the door to some veterans getting all of their medical care from private-sector doctors, on the governments tab.

Critics said that might erode whats now an integrated network attuned to treating veterans specific needs.

The public furor over the VAs future may be playing into the San Diego VAs fortunes.

Overall, VA medicine has a 25 percent vacancy rate for hospital directors, and San Diego Countys has had a parade of shorter-term and temporary leaders in recent years.

Former top executive Jeff Gering left in December 2015 after three years at the helm. Prior to his tenure, the San Diego VA had roughly a year-long stretch of temporary leadership.

And it took the VA seven months to permanently replace Gering with Smith  though Smith had a stint as acting director.

Other top-level San Diego medical personnel also have departed in the past year or so, including the leadership of the local systems mental health care and nursing.

We do know from data analyses that when there are openings in the director roles for periods of times, those all have been associated with declines in performance, Smith said.

Some of our performance declines preceded those changes, so I dont want to put too much emphasis on leadership changes, but its part of it.

______________________________________________________

San Diego VA Healthcare System performance

(Since 4th quarter 2012)

WORSENED

In-hospital complications, spiked in 4th quarter 2014, stayed somewhat higher

Heart-attack readmission rate, jumped 4th quarter 2014

Ventilator-associated events, such as pneumonia, since 1st quarter 2014

Best place to work, down since 4th quarter 2014

Registered nurse turnover rate, since 3rd quarter 2014

Inpatient performance measures, in 2016

Speed in responding to call center calls, steep increase in waits in 3rd quarter 2015

Efficiency, plummeted in 3rd quarter 2015

IMPROVED

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection

Adjusted length of stay

Ambulatory care sensitive condition hospitalizations

Congestive heart failure readmission rate and pneumonia readmission rate, improved or remained same

All measures of mortality rates

Source: VA Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning data

Staff writer Carl Prine contributed data analysis to this report.

jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

Facebook: U-T Military

Twitter: @jensteeley
MASON CITY | What had been a quiet year for major crime in Mason City came to a violent end with three homicides in November and December.

Two people also survived separate shootings in October.

Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley said all the events  the shootings and the homicides  were unrelated.

"They have been completely separate and unrelated events," he said Thursday. "And, the investigation and what we've learned in the aftermath and the follow-up has beared that out."

Quiet Mason City neighborhood rattled by double homicide MASON CITY  Residents in the Highlands area of Mason City were stunned by a double homicide

The first homicide of the year was reported at 2:30 a.m. Nov. 17 in the city's Highlands Neighborhood.

Police say Peter Veal, 30, of Lake Mills, shot 54-year-old Mindy Kavars and stabbed 37-year-old Caleb Christensen to death in Christensen's home, 1620 N. Hampshire Ave.

Their deaths were reported by another man that investigators say witnessed at least part of the incident. They say the man, whose name has not been released, had minor injuries.

Police have not released a motive.

Veal pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder.

His attorney this week asked a judge to move his Jan. 24 trial to another jurisdiction, citing pre-trial publicity. Prosecutors oppose the move.

The motion is pending.

On Dec. 2, 19-year-old Samantha Teeter sustained a fatal gunshot wound at an apartment complex at 116 17th St. S.E.

Apartment resident Larry Whaley, 60, is accused of shooting her once in the head with a handgun. Teeter died two days later in a hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.

Whaley has pleaded not guilty to one count of felony first-degree murder.

His trial is for March 7 in Mason City.

The homicides came on the heels of two shootings in October in Mason City.

Police say a Mason City woman was shot in the arm Oct. 18 inside a house on the corner of North Washington Avenue and Ninth Street N.W.

She was taken to an Iowa City hospital for treatment, but has since recovered.

No arrests have been made. Police are still investigating.

On Oct. 23, a man survived shots to the arm and buttocks fired in the plaza outside the north entrance of the Southbridge Mall, 100 S. Federal Ave., police say.

Revell Toney, 19, of Mason City, pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony attempted murder.

2 injured in Mason City shootings last week continue to recover, police say MASON CITY | A man shot last week in downtown Mason City is no longer in critical condition,

Police also are investigating a suspected shooting in October at America's Best Value Inn, 24 Fifth St. S.W., and the shooting of a parked car March 20 in the 500 block of South Washington Avenue.

No one was hurt in either incident. No arrests have been made.
The U.S. Navy has for decades deployed bottlenose dolphins to search for underwater mines and detect enemy divers. Now the versatile sea mammals and their San Diego-based trainers are preparing for an unprecedented challenge: locating some of the few surviving vaquita porpoises in Mexicos Upper Gulf of California.

Members of the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, the dolphins are part of a team being assembled on both sides of the border aimed at capturing live vaquitas  something that has never before been accomplished and with the final outcome far from certain. But for an international group of scientists determined to save the species from near-certain extinction, it represents a final hope.

A highly trained bottlenose dolphin slides onto a beaching tray in preparation for transport to the open sea in San Diego, CA at the Space and Naval Warfare System Pacific. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times )

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Spearheaded by Mexicos Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, the plan involves removing vaquita from the open water in their habitat in the Upper Gulf of California, and keeping them safe from the illegal gillnets where they have often ended up as by-catch and drowned.

To carry out the capture, an international group of experts is expected to gather in San Felipe later this year, including porpoise and veterinary care specialists capable of monitoring the conditions of any vaquitas that would be caught. There are many uncertainties, such as whether the small sea mammal would even survive captivity.

The operation has to be done in a very careful, staged manner, and if any one of those fails, its over, said Barbara Taylor, a conservation biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla.

Scientists say the vaquita population has dwindled over the past two decades  from 567 in an initial survey in 1997 to fewer than 60 today. Despite a massive conservation program launched two years ago by the Mexican government, the vaquita population has continued to fall at an alarming rate largely because of entanglement in the gillnets used for a rampant illegal fishery for totoaba, a large fish whose swim bladders fetch exorbitant prices in China.

The new approach is known as ex-situ conservation, and would involve placing vaquitas inside a protective pen off the coast of San Felipe, with the hope that they might have a better chance for survival. If all goes well, they might also breed and reproduce.

You are really getting down to the last few vaquitas, said Taylor, a member of the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, an international advisory group to the Mexican government. We cant afford to be slow about this. We have to give this our mightiest effort as quickly as possible.

Rafael Pacchiano, Mexicos environment secretary, announced the collaboration with the U.S. Navy earlier this month in an interview with the Mexican newspaper, Excelsior. Without a doubt this will be the last call for the vaquita, and as President Pena instructed us, we are doing all we can to avoid its extinction, the secretary said.

The U.S. Navys involvement followed a request earlier this year from Mexicos navy secretary, Adm. Vidal Francisco Soberon Sanz to U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.

Admiral Soberon sent a letter requesting some help to locate the vaquita, said Mabus spokesman Patrick McNally. So Secretary Mabus talked with our folks in the Marine Mammal Program. It seemed like it would be a good fit. The cost is about $140,000 and comes out of the Navys partnership fund budget. We have a lot of great partnership activities with Mexico, and this is an example, McNally said.

Based in San Diego, the Navy Marine Mammal Program uses both dolphins and sea lions for a range of tasks, from finding and neutralizing underwater mines to detecting clandestine swimmers and divers in restricted areas.

Dolphins are skilled at locating things beneath the surface through echolocation, or sonar, which allows them to interpret the echoes of sound waves, as well as through their capacity for directional hearing underwater.

To test the plans feasibility, some of the programs dolphin were flown earlier this year to San Francisco Bay off of Sausalito, where there is a very predictable group of porpoises, its very well known when and where they will appear, said Mike Rothe, head of the Marine Mammal Program. We had success. Our dolphins were able to detect and report the presence of the porpoises.

Rothe said that four Navy dolphins will be now part of a large effort this spring thats going to involve an international group thats going to have a lot of different boats, a lot of different ways to look for vaquita in the Upper Gulf. There will probably be some aircraft, and there will definitely be some watercraft. We would be another capability searching for the vaquita.

The dolphins will be flown to San Felipe, and remain in temporary floating enclosures, until directed to conduct a search of a certain area. If the search is at some distance from the enclosures, the dolphins would be initially transported by boat to the general vicinity.

Our objective would be to have the dolphins swim part way to where the vaquita is, and then leap out of the water, and then swim back, Rothe said. The dolphins would be able to detect the vaquitas by detecting the biosonar echos in the vaquitas air-filled lungs.

The operation, being planned for May, is the latest in a series of efforts aimed at protecting vaquita, a small porpoise that lives only in the rich and turbid waters of the Upper Gulf of California. The animals, which must surface to breathe, are not only rare but extremely shy and difficult to spot, as they splash little, travel in small groups, and avoid boats.

The search would take place two years after President Enrique Pena Nieto traveled to San Felipe in April 2015 to launch an expanded two-year gill net fishing ban in the vaquita habitat and start a compensation program for fishermen who have made their living in the region. The government also committed to stepped-up enforcement in this area, with Mexicos navy joining the effort to crack down on illegal fishing.

But the challenge to discourage poaching has only grown with the rising demand in China for the giant totoaba fish, and the vaquita have continued to die as by-catch in the illegal totoaba nets. A letter from non-profit groups earlier this year said monitoring had been insufficient, and alternative vaquita-safe fishing gear was not being implemented.

The illegal activity has continued  as have efforts to curb it. Earlier this month, Mexicos environment ministry and the World Wildlife Fund Mexico announced the removal of 103 abandoned fishing nets in Upper Gulf in an operation that involved collaboration with environmental groups such as the World Wildlife and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

The society announced that that on a single day earlier this month its vessels worked with the Mexican navy to catch six fishing boats using prohibited nets in the vaquita habitat area to catch totoaba.

In recent days, leaders of World Wildlife Fund and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have spoken out against the plan to capture vaquita. Removing the vaquita will allow the fishermen to intensify their exploitation of the endangered totoaba fish, Capt. Paul Watson, Sea Shepherds Founder, wrote on his Facebook page.

But defenders of the plan say it is worth the effort  and the risk. NOAAs Taylor said even as the vaquita capture plan moves forward, enforcement efforts and other programs also must continue. Its not a situation where you can give up on enforcement, and give up on getting nets out of the water.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

@sandradibble
A man who unsuccessfully sued San Diego police over his public nudity arrest at a gay pride festival was found dead Wednesday night at his apartment in an apparent suicide, authorities said.

The death of Will X. Walters comes about two weeks after a federal jury delivered the verdict in favor of police.

Walters attorney, Chris Morris, said Walters was shocked by the Dec. 13 verdict and left the downtown San Diego federal courthouse immediately after it was announced. Morris said he hadnt heard from Walters since and had tried to reach him.

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San Diego police were called to the apartment by a neighbor late Wednesday. It was unknown when Walters died. The county medical examiners office said the death remained under investigation.

Will Walters was a valiant warrior for his cause, and he will be missed by those who knew him and the community he fought for, Morris said Thursday.

Walters sued San Diego police, claiming they violated his civil rights when they arrested him at the 2011 San Diego Pride Parade and Festival at Balboa Park. He was wearing a custom-made gladiator kilt with front and back panels that didnt fully cover his buttocks.

He refused to cover up when asked to by police and was arrested for public nudity and taken to jail when he would not sign the misdemeanor citation.

The case went to trial earlier this month after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Walters favor. The lower court had originally sided with the city and dismissed the suit with a summary judgment.

Walters claimed he was the target of discrimination due to his sexual orientation, but a jury disagreed.

Walters had racked up roughly $1 million in legal costs, his legal team said earlier this month.

He was a young activist, and many of us thought he had a bright future in our community, said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, a San Diego LGBT leader and city Human Relations commissioner.

Despite the verdict, Murray-Ramirez said Walters had hoped the case would educate the public and law enforcement officers about biases.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune

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A government agencys legal bills for a case that has been resolved are generally public record, a divided California Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The 4-3 decision reflected tensions between California laws that give the public broad access to government information and historic legal protections for confidential communications between lawyers and their clients.



For the record: An earlier version of this article omitted reference to Eric Preven, who was a co-plaintiff with the ACLU of Southern California.

Invoices for legal services are generally not communicated for the purpose of legal consultation, Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar wrote for the majority. Rather, they are communicated for the purpose of billing the client.

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And, to the extent they have no other purpose or effect, they fall outside the scope of an attorneys professional representation, said Cuellar, who was appointed to the court by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The three dissenting justices contended the ruling undermined a pillar of California law and might have unintended consequences.

Following todays decision, attorneys in this state must counsel their clients that confidential communications between lawyer and client, previously protected by the attorney-client privilege, may be forced into the open by interested parties once the subject litigation has concluded, wrote Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar, joined by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and Justice Carol A. Corrigan.

The case was brought by Eric Preven, an advocate for transparency in local government, and the ACLU of Southern California. They had used the states public records act to request copies of bills that Los Angeles County received from outside lawyers defending nine lawsuits charging brutality in the jails.

The ACLU and Preven suspected that the firms were engaging in a scorched earth strategy that was costing the county millions of dollars in fees for cases that should have been settled.

The county complied with the request for three lawsuits but argued that the attorney-client privilege protected the others because the suits were still pending.

Communications between lawyers and clients are legally protected from disclosure to ensure openness and frankness.

A trial judge sided with the ACLU and Preven, ordering the county to produce invoices for all of the suits, and the county appealed. A court of appeal sided with Los Angeles, ruling that legal invoices were not public record because they amounted to confidential legal communications.

The court majority agreed that bills for ongoing litigation could reveal a government agencys legal strategy and should remain confidential.

A sudden uptick in billed hours might tip off an opponent that the agency was preparing a major new filing or reacting to some development in the case, Cuellar wrote.

But bills for long-concluded litigation  communicate little or nothing about the substance of legal consultation, he said.

The mere fact that an attorney transmitted a communication to his or her client confidentially  does not end the inquiry into whether the communications contents are protected by the attorney-client privilege, said Cuellar, who was joined by Justices Ming W. Chin, Goodwin Liu and Leondra R. Kruger.

The Times and several other media outlets participated in the case as friends of the court and argued that invoices should be public record.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan

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UPDATES:

3:05 p.m.: This article was updated to clarify that the ACLU of Southern California was seeking the legal bills from Los Angeles County.

This article was originally posted at 1:45 p.m.
For three years, the artists worked and lived inside a pair of weather-beaten warehouses at the edge of Chinatown.

The rhythm of life and labor went mostly undisturbed, even after the faded one-story building  plain except for a splash of colorful graffiti  was cited by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety in February.

Then in early December, a fire at a warehouse 370 miles away in Oakland killed 36 people, and suddenly the old building on 1641 Naud Street came under intense scrutiny.

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Thats when the nuclear clock started ticking, said Eric Land, 40, a welder by trade who paid $600 a month for about 525 square feet of work space at one of the Los Angeles warehouses.

On Dec. 9, a week after the Bay Area tragedy, Los Angeles Fire Department inspectors showed up at the Naud Street warehouse, leaving a long list of violations and a sharp deadline to do something.

Within days, the property owner issued eviction notices to about 70 artists and others who had been using the space as studios.

The case of the Naud Street warehouse shows how rapidly the perception of these illegally converted warehouses is changing in the wake of the Ghost Ship fire. In Los Angeles as well as Oakland, officials have vowed to crack down on illegally converted warehouses.

While most, if not all, residents left the the Chinatown warehouse earlier this year, the warehouse was still being used by artists as cheap illicit studios.

Theres not a lot of spaces being built like this anymore, said Tony Castillo, 36, who creates laser cutting art and is a tenant. Now its like this Hunger Games fight with all the other people here. Were all trying to find spaces in a totally oversaturated market.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. DEC. 15, 2016. Eric Land, a welder by trade, rents a work space in a warehouse on Naud Street in Los Angeles where the property owner has served eviction notices to tenants in the wake of the deadly warehouse fire in Oakland. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

Naud Street is an alley-like road in the shadow of the downtown L.A. skyline. Close to railroad lines and the Los Angeles River, the area is lined with warehouses, security gates and power lines. Some of the warehouses are still used for storage or industrial businesses. Others have been transformed into film studios, galleries or art spaces.

The warehouse at 1641 Naud Street had received three complaints from anonymous callers this year, said David Lara, a Building and Safety spokesman.

One of those callers claimed to be a former tenant and alleged that the warehouses sprinkler system was disconnected and that at least four units had one or more people living in them, according to city records.

Lara said inspectors went to the location and found several violations that included hazardous plumbing, wiring and people living on the premises.

The fire sprinklers were not installed in the proper locations, he said.

A Feb. 23 letter from the city to the owner, obtained by The Times through a public records request, listed seven violations that the owner had to correct.

Discontinue the use and occupancy of all buildings or portions thereof occupied for living, sleeping, cooking or dining purposes which were not designed or intended to be used for such occupancies, one violation read on the letter.

The owner was ordered to obtain permits and finish correcting the violations within 90 days, according to the letter.

At the time, at least some artists both lived and worked there. But after the February letter, some who were living there began to move out, according to residents.

Phillip Spencer, an interior designer and sculptor, said he continued to live in the warehouse until early August, when he was able to stay with a friend in Brentwood. He said he didnt know if anyone was still living there by December.

That makes the Naud property different from the Ghost Ship in several respects. The Ghost Ship was both an arts complex and residential space where people paid rent to live there. Residents and community leaders described the Ghost Ship as a death trap filled with debris, poor electrical wiring and trash.

The conditions at the Naud Street warehouse appeared to be nowhere near as ominous. And at the time of the Ghost Ship fire, it appeared to be used mostly as work space for artists.

The Naud warehouse and a second building nearby are owned by Omninet Capital under two limited liability cormpanies, city and property records show.

During the week of March 24  the citys imposed deadline to obtain the permits and begin correcting the violations  a non-compliance letter was sent to the owner of the Naud Street warehouse. Lara said a request to extend that deadline was submitted that week but was denied on April 6.

Despite the lack of progress, it wasnt until late 2016 that the city forwarded the case to city prosecutors.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. DEC. 15, 2016. The owner of a warehouse on Naud Street in Los Angeles where artists and craftsmen rent work space has served eviction notices to tenants in the wake of the deadly warehouse fire in Oakland. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

According to Lara, a permit application was submitted in May to change the Naud Street warehouse to a storage building with a machine shop and tentative improvements to create storage rooms.

There was nothing about residential units, he said.

Architectural plans were sent back for correction in July but a permit was never issued, he said.

That month, Building and Safety received another complaint  this one about another warehouse belonging to Omninet Capital. The alleged violations at the building, on Wilhardt Street, were similar to the ones at the Naud Street property, Lara said.

Meanwhile, in October, the Los Angeles Police Department notified Omninet Capital about the illegal sale of alcohol and parties at the Wilhardt Street warehouse, according to emails provided by Andrea Costantini, chief operating officer with Omninet Capital.

In November, nine months after the February violations were discovered, Building and Safety sent the complaints about the warehouse on Naud Street to the city attorney for non-compliance, according to Lara.

Last week, the property owner received a letter from city prosecutors notifying it of a hearing, scheduled for Jan. 10, on the violations.

Costantini said Omninet did not know the leaseholder was renting out spaces at the warehouses for people to work and live until the city notified it.

Our lease doesnt allow him to sublease spaces, he said. He didnt ask for our authorization, he didnt communicate anything about building inside. Sounds like he took advantage of the situation.

Costantini said Omninet initially worked with the leaseholder because it felt he was addressing the code violations and was attempting to correct them as the city had ordered. He said the leaseholder hired an architect and submitted plans to the city.

We tried to put our best foot forward, even if I was skeptical and had my reservations, Costantini said.

On Dec. 2, flames ripped through the Oakland warehouse.

The L.A. Fire Department inspected the Naud Street warehouse just days later, pointing to about three dozen safety violations, including using standard extension cords for industrial use, exposed wiring, and a need to reorganize storage to specific heights. The owner was given a month to fix the violations.

Peter Sanders, a Fire Department spokesman, said the Building and Safety Department had not notified it about the earlier complaints about the property.

They can handle it if it falls in their purview, he said, adding that alerting the Fire Department was not a requirement.

Costantini said that while Omninet was cooperating with the city before, the Oakland tragedy was a cause of worry.

I really didnt want to have any problems, he said. Our business is about having good tenants who pay rent on time and dont cause trouble.

The leaseholder declined to comment. Costantini said he couldnt obtain the required permits and make the changes in time and agreed to vacate the buildings. The owner sent out eviction notices to all the tenants.

Mount Washington resident Doug Schwartz, 55, said he walked into the Naud Street warehouse on the evening of Dec. 14 for a jam session with other L.A.-area musicians and saw the eviction notices posted on nearly every door.

One artist looked as if he was in a fog, barely greeting Schwartz when he walked in, he said.

He was trying to take it in. A little more like, just kind of not in the acceptance stage yet, Schwartz said.

Tenants say they were initially given 10 days to leave, but they said it was later changed to 30-day eviction notices.

On a recent afternoon, artists piled canvases into their cars. Some loaded furniture and sculptures into a U-Haul truck parked by the main entrance.

Inside, a wall of televisions stood high above one workspace. Flowers with wooden frames dangled from the front wall of another space. The sound of buzz saws echoed throughout the large warehouse.

Some of the artists said locating affordable work areas in L.A., especially quickly, would be very difficult.

Castillo said he paid about $375 for a 150-square-foot space.

Jeff Dunham, 53, a welder who creates metal table legs in his space at the Naud Street warehouse, said he didnt foresee that the devastation in Oakland would affect him  and so quickly.

Dunham, who paid about $1,450 a month for his space, said he planned to move out of California.

I wish I could just shut down for a couple of days, he said, pausing to glance at his workshop. It was a perfect spot for us.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.

Los Angeles Times Staff Writers Joseph Serna and Ron Lin contributed to this report.

MORE ON THE GHOST SHIP FIRE

Family of 20-year-old brings first suit in Oakland warehouse fire

Officials crack down on San Diego art venues following Oakland fire

The Ghost Ship fire was a matter of benign neglect. Its not the only one

Amid Ghost Ships enchanting disorder lurked danger and the seeds of disaster
A former Social Security Administration employee pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court Thursday to stealing $5,700 in money orders that the public was trying to repay the agency.

Josue Edgardo Castro of San Ysidro admitted stealing money orders 21 times beginning in September 2015.

Castro, who worked for Social Security from 2009 until resigning in May 2016 due to the investigation, was tasked with accepting money from beneficiaries whod been overpaid by Social Security. He would then smuggle the money orders out of the office and deposit them into his personal checking account, according to his plea agreement.

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Castro also admitted waiving the outstanding balances of some beneficiaries at least nine times so he could hide that they had tried to repay the agency. His waivers cost Social Security more than $9,000, prosecutors said.

He was caught after one of the beneficiaries complained that her repayment was not reflected in her Social Security account records, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

The agency looked into it, saw discrepancies and referred the matter to the Office of Inspector General.

Castro admitted to the thefts when confronted, and he resigned. He pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of theft of public property.

Castro is set to be sentenced April 3. He has agreed to forfeit the money he stole and to pay Social Security back for the money he cost the agency in his efforts to hide his crimes.

There is nothing more important to federal employment than public trust. When that trust is violated it impacts the entire federal workforce and those they serve, said Robb Stickley, the special agent in charge of Social Securitys San Francisco Field Division, which is responsible for Southern California.

U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy called crimes committed by federal employees some of the most egregious violations of the public trust.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A man who unsuccessfully sued San Diego police over his public nudity arrest at a gay pride festival was found dead Wednesday night at his Hillcrest apartment in an apparent suicide, authorities said.

The death of Will X. Walters comes about two weeks after a federal jury delivered the verdict in favor of police.

Walters attorney, Chris Morris, said Walters was shocked by the Dec. 13 verdict and immediately left the downtown San Diego federal courthouse after it was announced.

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Morris said he hadnt heard from Walters since and had tried to reach him in the days that followed. Friends also tried checking on him, the lawyer said.

San Diego police were called to the apartment by a neighbor late Wednesday.

His time of death was not known. The county Medical Examiners Office said the death remained under investigation.

Will Walters was a valiant warrior for his cause, and he will be missed by those who knew him and the community he fought for, Morris said Thursday.

Walters sued San Diego police claiming they violated his civil rights when they arrested him at the 2011 San Diego Pride Parade and Festival at Balboa Park. He was wearing a custom made gladiator kilt with front and back panels that didnt fully cover his buttocks.

He refused to cover up when asked to by police and was finally arrested for public nudity and taken to jail when he would not sign the misdemeanor citation.

The case went to trial earlier this month after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Walters favor. The lower court had originally sided with the city and dismissed the suit with a summary judgment.

Walters claimed he was the target of discrimination due to his sexual orientation, but a jury disagreed.

Walters had racked up roughly $1 million in legal costs, his legal team said earlier this month.

He was a young activist and many of us thought he had a bright future in our community, and its a loss to our community, said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, a San Diego LGBT leader and city Human Relations commissioner.

Despite the verdict, Murray-Ramirez said Walters had hoped the case would educate the public and law enforcement officers about biases.

Previously:

Jury finds SDPD did not discriminate in gay pride nudity case

Federal trial begins in gay pride nudity lawsuit

Loincloth-wearing gay pride attendee wins appeal

Man appeals ruling over loincloth arrest

Suicide prevention resources: San Diego Access and Crisis Line, (888) 724-7240; National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, (800) 273-8255; and the San Diego LGBT Community Center, (619) 692-2077, extension 208, or email onduty@thecentersd.org.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
Freshman applications to UC San Diego are at an all-time, with 88,451 students vying to enroll in fall 2017.

The applications mark a five percent increase from last year. UC San Diego had the second highest number of applicants among all University of California campuses.

UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla credited the schools reputation for attracting the record applicants..

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UC San Diegos continued increase in applications is a testament to the universitys excellence in research and education, and our efforts to enhance the student experience, Khosla said. We are proud to attract top scholars who will contribute to the vibrancy and diversity of UC San Diegos community.

Applications among California residents is up seven percent, with 34 percent coming from Los Angeles, home of the largest number of applicants, followed by the San Francisco Bay area, which accounted for 16 percent.

Diversity of UC San Diegos applicants also is up, with 35 percent of California resident freshmen coming from historically underrepresented populations, a 10.6 percent increase from to last year. The largest increase came from African-American applicants, up about 12 percent, followed Latino and Mexican-Americans students, up approximately 11 percent. Applicants from Native Americans are up two percent compared to fall 2016.

UC San Diego saw more women than men among freshman applicants, with 52 percent female compared to 46 percent male. The remaining two percent did not report their gender.

The most popular majors chosen by freshman applicants are in social sciences, engineering and biology.

UC San Diego has already begun to review freshman applications for admission and will release admissions decisions by spring 2017. At that time, the campus will host visits and events for all students who are offered admission.

During UC San Diego Triton Days, admitted students are encouraged to visit the campus and learn more about the benefits of enrolling in what is consistently listed as one of the top universities in the U.S.

Data on transfer applicants is not yet available, as the deadline for these applications was extended this year until Jan. 3.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
San Diego County continues to take in higher numbers of refugees than in recent years, with a 64 percent increase in arrivals in October and November compared to the same months last year, according to data from the county Health and Human Services Agency.

In those two months, the first of the federal fiscal year, 822 refugees resettled in the county. In the same time period in 2016, 502 refugees arrived, and in 2015 the number was 544.

For this budget year, President Barack Obama increased the annual cap on refugees the United States would take in, to 110,000 from 85,000 in the year before, a 29 percent increase. The country is on track to reach the new cap if it continues to take in about the same number of refugees for the rest of the year  a trend that may well change under President-elect Donald Trump.

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San Diego County took in about four percent of the 18,299 refugees who arrived in October and November. The county has about 1 percent of the U.S. population. Historically, the county has taken in the most refugees of any county in California.

Throughout the holiday season, San Diegans have been organizing to help the new arrivals adjust. Churches, community organizations and businesses across the county hosted Thanksgiving and holiday parties for refugee families.

Several local groups joined forces to create the Refugee English Assistance Directive, which plans to meet for the first time on Sunday to pair refugee families with English teachers.

People were very motivated and wanted to do something right away, said Doris Bittar, who is organizing the new group. If this community is left hanging, the more time that passes and they dont learn English, theyre prey to other people taking advantage of them.

Other organizations are encouraging American families to adopt a refugee family to foster friendships and help the family feel settled.

Nationwide, the largest group of refugees in the new fiscal year has come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the state department. In San Diego County, the biggest group is from Iraq, according to county data. Arrivals from Syria and Afghanistan round out the top three for the county, and those from the Democratic Republic of Congo are the fourth largest arriving group.

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate
A bill introduced by California legislators this month could heighten a standoff between the state and federal government over immigration enforcement policy that has been growing since at least 2013.

The California Values Act, introduced by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, would prohibit local law enforcement agencies from reporting people for immigration enforcement purposes. It also prohibits local law enforcement from making databases available to anyone for the purpose of immigration enforcement.

De Leons office said that it believes the California Values Act is in compliance with federal laws. Critics say the bill flies in the face of a federal law that says states cannot restrict local law enforcement from passing information regarding citizenship or immigration status to federal immigration officers.

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President Barack Obamas administration has already investigated California along with 10 other jurisdictions for potentially violating that law. The investigation looked at the California Trust Act, passed in 2013, which says that California law enforcement cannot hold people in jail or prison for the sole purpose of immigration officers picking them up, unless they have a warrant.

Though the investigation reached conclusions for some of the other jurisdictions, it did not give a clear decision about whether California was violating the federal law in question.

As part of the investigation, the Obama administration made clear that compliance with that law, 8 U.S.C. 1373, is necessary to receive certain federal grants for corrections and rehabilitation programs, called Justice Assistance Grants, and that jurisdictions applying for those funds would have to show compliance.

California received more than $18 million of such grants in 2016. More than $3 million of that was given to San Diego County. San Diego Countys grant funds go toward detention alternatives for juveniles, according to documents from the California Bureau of State and Community Corrections, which receives and administers the grants.

The bureau believes that the state is following the law and shouldnt have a problem, said spokeswoman Tracie Cone.

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that pushes for more immigration enforcement, likened the situation to a game of chicken.

This is not about preserving trust between law enforcement and the community, Vaughan said in a phone interview. Its not about constitutional rights. Its about obstructing immigration enforcement. Eventually, they are going to run afoul of federal laws.

Vaughan said she thinks that the Obama administration has been sluggish in enforcing its threats to take away grant money and that the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump will be quicker to act, though she still expects a grace period for localities to fall in line.

The first time the federal government actually does something, they may be scurrying around to figure out how they can get into compliance in a hurry, Vaughan said.

Christian Ramirez, human rights director of Alliance San Diego, an organization that advocates for immigrant rights, said he thinks the new bill is not breaking federal law.

The state has an obligation to make sure residents are protected, Ramirez said by telephone. I do think we should be concerned about how the federal government will respond next year, but I think we should be more concerned about the federal government using heavy-handed practices that go against our values and our principles as a state.

Ramirez acknowledged the importance of the corrections programs that could face cuts if California is found to be violating the law.

I cant lie to you  I think we are all concerned about how federal cutbacks on programs will have an impact, particularly on those programs that serve the most vulnerable in our society, but we should not be held hostage by that concern, Ramirez said. We need to confront the fear and concerns that all of us have. The best way to go about that is being proactive.

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate
Next month, the World Meteorological Organization is expected to declare 2016 the hottest year in recorded history  just as the United States prepares to inaugurate a president who questions whether climate change is real.

While the election of Donald Trump has stunned the world, record warmth no longer feels surprising.

After all, the current record was set only in 2015, breaking the record set in 2014. Not including 2016, the 16 warmest years since record-keeping began in 1880 have occurred since 1998. So goes climate change: another year, another ominous superlative.

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The rising temperature is just one foreboding example of how climate change and other environmental issues rattled the world, and particularly the Western U.S., in 2016.

While the year began on a note of relative harmony after nearly 200 nations agreed to the landmark Paris climate accord at the end of 2015, it also brought an immediate reminder of division  the intransigent fight over public lands in the West.

On Jan. 2, Ammon and Ryan Bundy, claiming they were protesting land policies and the plight of two ranchers imprisoned for setting fire to federal land, led what became a 41-day armed standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon.

The standoff ended with one man killed by law enforcement and more than two dozen people arrested. In October, the story took a surprising turn when the Bundy brothers and five others were acquitted in federal court in Portland on conspiracy and weapons charges.

Fossil fuel industries faced challenges. The price of oil and gas stayed low most of the year, though nothing suffered like coal. Cities and Indian tribes along the West Coast fought off the construction of export terminals, while the bankruptcy of major coal companies raised questions about whether they would be able to fulfill their obligations to repair land they had mined.

Lots of ice melted. In the spring, a study found that, by the end of this century, sea levels could rise 6 feet or more if nothing is done to reduce carbon emissions  with much of the rise attributed to the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet. By December, the focus was on the Arctic, where average sea ice had hit record lows and the mean high temperature neared 30 degrees above normal.

Drought continued in much of the West, and the federal Bureau of Reclamation did something it had never done: In August, it forecast a shortage of water on the Colorado River, which provides water to nearly 40 million people, including in California.

The forecast did not apply until 2018, and the bureau later clarified that there was only about a 50-50 chance it would happen. Still, it underscored that the trendline is not good and added motivation for water managers who are trying to broker a new plan to conserve water in the rivers largest reservoir, Lake Mead.

The wildfire season in the West was not as bad as it was in 2015, but it had its moments in California and elsewhere  Alaska, in particular, burned wide and fierce. There was also the blaze that raced across much of northern Alberta, Canada, in May, forcing the chaotic evacuation of more than 80,000 people from the oil town of Fort McMurray. In October, scientists found that climate change had nearly doubled the acreage in the West that had been burned by wildfire in the last three decades.

By the end of the summer, a relatively little-known issue leapt into the headlines: the fight over the Dakota Access pipeline. Thousands of Native Americans and others joined the Standing Rock Sioux Indian tribe near their North Dakota reservation to protest the pipeline, which was slated to be constructed under a dammed section of the Missouri River from which the tribe gets its drinking water.

Violent encounters with law enforcement led to more than 400 arrests  and accusations of police brutality. In December, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers thrilled protesters and infuriated the company building the pipeline by announcing that it would explore other routes for the project.

By that point, Trump had been elected, throwing into question the fate of the pipeline and much of the rest of the environmental legacy President Obama set out to create toward the end of his second term.

Trump has said he wants to cancel the Paris climate accord, which took legal effect in November, and that he wants to roll back environmental regulations, revive the coal industry and greatly expand oil and gas development. He named prominent climate change skeptics to top cabinet positions, including to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

Meanwhile, Obama pressed forward with a flurry of new regulations and conservation measures, not all of which are likely to survive under his successor.

Since election day, the Obama administration has finalized a rule to reduce methane emissions from energy production, protected land in Montana from oil and gas production, limited gold exploration near Yellowstone National Park and, perhaps most notably, banned new offshore drilling activity in almost all of the Arctic and much of the Atlantic. This week, the president set aside more than 1.65 million acres of land in Utah and Nevada as national monuments.

There may be a bit of good news in 2017: Scientists say next year likely will not be quite as hot as 2016 because short-term factors like the El Nino weather pattern will not overlay long-term warming.

william.yardley@latimes.com

Twitter: @yardleyLAT

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A teenager brave enough to punch a robber in the face and quick enough to get his license plate number helped Chula Vista police nab two suspects in a hold-up series.

He helped us close the case a little bit quicker, police Capt. Vern Salee said of the teen on Thursday.

The suspects, cousins ages 23 and 31, were arrested at a relatives home in Chula Vista on Wednesday. They are accused of four robberies and one attempted robbery on the west side of the city since Nov. 28.

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In that first case, a 21-year-old woman was held up on K Street. A 17-year-old girl was robbed on Tobias Drive under the threat of a gun on Dec. 1. The next day, two 16-year-old boys were robbed on Fifth Avenue and on Telegraph Canyon Road. A knife was pulled on one of the boys, Salee said.

He said each victim was alone at the time and the robbers, two heavy-set men, drove a red SUV. The passenger would get out, threaten the victims, and take their cellphones, wallets and other property.

The last victim, a 16-year-old boy, was on Twin Oaks Avenue and I Street about 12:40 p.m. Tuesday when the robbers stopped their SUV near him. One got out and demanded the boys phone, but the teen punched the man in the face and ran, Salee said.

However, the boy also made note of the Nevada license plate number and told it to police. Salee said detectives were able to trace the owner and discover a relative in Chula Vista, where they found the car and the suspects.

He said the two were questioned and admitted the robberies.
An 11-year-old boy and two adults were hurt in a crash after a driver made an illegal U-turn on a highway near Lake Hodges Thursday morning, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

A 2004 Ford van was stopped on the right shoulder of eastbound Del Dios Highway when its driver made a U-turn onto westbound lanes near Camino De Estrella about 10:30 a.m., CHP Officer Jim Bettencourt said.

During the maneuver, the van struck a westbound 1995 Volvo sedan, sending it about 15 feet down an embankment, Bettencourt said.

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The cars driver, a 48-year-old San Marcos woman, suffered injuries to her neck and back. A passenger, an 11-year-old boy, suffered a broken arm. Both were taken to a hospital.

Three other passengers, boys ages 8, 11 and 13, were not hurt.

The driver of a van, a 68-year-old San Diego man, suffered a cut to his neck, but did not want to be taken to a hospital. The van belonged to a plumbing company, Bettencourt said.

Neither alcohol nor drugs were suspected in the collision.

Del Dios Highway was shut down in both directions for about an hour.

Breaking News

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
An 18-year-old man showed up to his Mira Mesa home with a stab wound Thursday night, San Diego police said.

The mans parents called police about 9:15 p.m. after he walked into the home on Deering Street near Westmore Road with a minor stab wound to the abdomen, police said.

The man was uncooperative with officers and did not divulge details about the stabbing, police said. Officers were not able to determine where or when the attack occurred.

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Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
An acquaintance of a man shot to death in front of a Vista home on Christmas Eve pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder.

No motive or new details of the deadly encounter emerged during the brief arraignment at the Vista courthouse for Kevin Phan, 22, who authorities said had a history of dispute with the victim, Tyler Branon, also 22.

Superior Court Judge James Mangione granted Deputy District Attorney Cal Logans request to set Phans bail at $2 million. The Vista man faces up to 35 years to life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder and personal use of a gun.

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Although authorities have released very little information about the case, Branon had been at an uncles Christmas Eve party when he made a trip to his vehicle and never returned inside, according to GoFundMe page set up by Branons cousin.

Sheriffs officials said reports of multiple gunshots brought deputies to the home on Morning Glory Lane, near South Santa Fe Avenue, about 8 p.m.

Branon was discovered wounded in his vehicle. Deputies and paramedics performed life-saving efforts on the man, but he died before he could be taken to a hospital.

Sheriffs Lt. Dan Brislin said the investigation led homicide detectives to suspect Phan as the gunman. They arrested him about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at a family home in a gated community in Vistas Shadowridge neighborhood.

Phan, who will be represented by the Public Defenders Office, is due back in court Jan. 10 for a hearing to determine if both sides will be ready to proceed with Phans preliminary hearing, set for Jan. 12. It is common for the preliminary hearing to be postponed weeks or months in murder cases, given the amount of evidence such cases generate.

At a preliminary hearing, the prosecution must show a judge they have enough evidence to send a defendant on to face trial.

The GoFundMe page to pay for Branons funeral expenses had raised more than $8,000 as of Thursday evening.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
A San Diego woman is suing Elite Show Services, a long-time contractor for Qualcomm Stadium, on allegations that a guard deliberately touched her chest without her consent at a concert.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in San Diego Superior Court, was entering the music venue at Symphony Towers on Oct. 2 to see a performance of the band Alice in Chains when she encountered the guard at a security checkpoint, according to court records.

The female guard was frisking the plaintiff when she reached  without warning or permission  under the plaintiffs sweater and put her hand on the plaintiffs breasts, the lawsuit said.

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Then, loudly and mockingly, the guard announced to nearby concert-goers that the plaintiff was not wearing a bra, according to the lawsuit. When the plaintiff looked to her fiance for help, the guard laughed and said, Oh, is that your husband? Yeah, the husbands like to watch when I do this.

The lawsuit identifies the female security guard as Jane Doe because the plaintiff didnt know her name. The San Diego Union-Tribune is withholding the plaintiffs name at her attorneys request because she is an alleged victim of sexual battery.

The plaintiffs attorney, Dan Gilleon, said his client was traumatized by the incident. He said its particularly troubling in light of a more recent incident in which a male Elite security guard was caught on video apparently masturbating on the sidelines near the cheerleaders at the stadium while working Dec. 18.

This pattern of disturbing behavior suggests Elite is doing private security on the cheap to maximize profits, or they just dont care  or both, Gilleon said Thursday.

Elite did not respond Thursday to a request for comment.

In a Dec. 20 news release, the company apologized for the isolated incident at Qualcomm. It said the company swiftly opened an investigation and fired the employee. The news release said the company had never experienced a similar incident in the two decades it has provided security staffing at the stadium.

Elite insists on the highest moral standards from our employees, the release said.

The employee involved in the incident at Qualcomm had passed all state and federal background screening processes and license requirements, the company said. There was nothing in the screening process that would have indicted that the employees conduct was foreseeable, the news release said.

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

morgan.cook@sduniontribune.com
The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board joined in the chorus of praise earlier this month when the board of the California Public Employees Retirement System agreed to phase in a new, lower forecast rate of return on its investments. In gradually moving the rate from 7.5 percent to 7 percent in 2019, CalPERS acknowledged critics who said the nations largest pension fund needed to be more realistic about its investment prospects. But our editorial said CalPERS needed to do far more to bring down pension costs and be a far more constructive participant in the pension reform debate.

No, thanks, were good, CalPERS essentially says. While giving final approval to the reduction in predicted rate of return, the CalPERS board also made an irrational decision that hammers taxpayers and protects members of public employee unions. An East Bay Times editorial analyzing the fine print of the changes outlined how lowering the rate will immediately increase CalPERS unfunded liabilities from $139 billion to $170 billion. But as the East Bay Times noted, instead of phasing in increased employer contributions by 2019, when the shift to a lower return forecast is complete, the CalPERS board voted to phase them in by 2024. This reduces pressure on government entities to push for workers to increase their contributions to their pensions and shifts most of the near-term cost of the rate reduction to state taxpayers.

It is actions like these that should trigger moments of despair in Californians. Residents need more government services and much better infrastructure. But especially at the local level, the cost of retirement benefits for former employees is ballooning. Many local governments could soon spend one-quarter of their budgets on these benefits.

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And what does CalPERS do? Tinker on the margins of the problem while finding new ways to show it is devoted to the interests of unions, not the good of the state. This is shameful behavior.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: UTOpinion
President Obamas announcement Thursday that Russia would be punished for its hacking and leaking of emails from the Democratic National Committee and Democratic insiders and its interference in the U.S. presidential campaign is certainly justified. But as The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board noted earlier this month, the U.S. government has frequently interfered, covertly and otherwise, in the elections and internal politics of many other nations. Any outrage at having the tables turned should be tempered by an acknowledgment of Americas own history.

However, that doesnt mean the U.S. should just shrug when it is targeted, especially in something as important as a presidential election. The U.S. government has good cause to order the removal of 35 Russian operatives from the United States and to force the closure of Russian intelligence-gathering facilities in Maryland and New York. Obama also cited as justification the harassment U.S. diplomats had faced from Russian agents overseas and implied that Moscow might also face covert retaliation.

But we hope that the Obama administration reacts with caution and prudence if Russian dictator Vladimir Putin responds to U.S. sanctions with new provocations. As former Defense Secretary William J. Perry has written, Moscow sees a 20-year continuum of hostile U.S. behavior, only starting with Washingtons strong support for the expansion of NATO, the construction of missile defense sites in Romania and Poland, and the upgrading of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Its no wonder Putin would bristle at Obamas criticism and U.S. sanctions. Its also no wonder Putin would seek the election of Donald Trump, the most Moscow-friendly serious presidential candidate since former Vice President Henry Wallace ran in 1948.

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There is also another reason the White House should be cautious: Obama is three weeks away from being ex-president. He shouldnt try to box in the next president on a big foreign-policy issue, even if he is nervous about what his successor will do.

We are certainly nervous. Trumps open admiration for Putin and his rejection of U.S. intelligence agencies claims that Moscow sought to influence the election on his behalf have no precedent in modern American history. His belittlement of the CIA for its past mistakes stunned the intelligence community. If he reverses Obamas sanctions, that would be extraordinary. It would amount to siding with Putin over the very government agencies he must trust to help us navigate a dangerous world in which Russia is our most daunting military rival.

This is why we hope the president-elect pays particular attention to the advice of retired Marine Gen. William Mattis, his choice for secretary of defense. Mattis has no illusions about Putin and criticized Trump during the campaign for his attacks on NATO. He shares the NATO view that Moscow must be contained.

Well find out soon what the next president thinks. In the meantime, lets try to remain calm.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: UTOpinion
ALBERT LEA | A Sheffield man and two others from Minnesota were arrested Thursday in Albert Lea during a prostitution sting to prevent sex trafficking.

The Albert Lea Police Department said in a statement they arrested the three men in connection with a "John and Jane" sting:

Randall Richard Grilz, 64, of Sheffield, for felony engaging in, hiring or agreeing to hire someone whom he believed to be a minor to engage in prostitution.

Roger Melvin Petzel, 64, of South Haven, Minnesota, and Kurt Allen Roderick, 57, of Wixom, Minnesota, for gross misdemeanor prostitution in a public place. The charge is the penalty for hiring, offering to hire or agreeing to hire an individual 18 or older for prostitution.

The three men are currently free on bond, according to court records.

 Sam Wilmes, Albert Lea Tribune
Regarding Israeli, U.S. relations: Readers react to the U.N. censure (Dec. 28): Finally, an American administration that will stand up to the great land grab going on in the Holy Land.

For too many years, Israel has flaunted international law and stolen Palestinian property. The Israeli settlements and the big wall that separates Palestinians from their neighbors has only continued, because the U.S. has run interference for Israel amidst the international tribunals.

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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.

You can also leave a comment below

Israel has been a bully nation, hiding behind the Holocaust and American foreign policy for too long. The victims of the Holocaust have forgotten their history. They continue to persecute the Palestinians at every turn.

Thank you, President Obama.

Ronn Garton

San Diego

* * *

Secretary of State John Kerrys and President Obamas reasons for allowing a vote on the U.N. resolution condemning Israel are a bold lie. If the resolution is so vital to an Israeli-Palestinian long-lasting peace and in the best interest of the United States, then the U.S. should have voted for it, not spinelessly abstain.

And why now, when the U.S. vetoed a similar resolution, UN resolution S/2011/24, back in February 2011?

President Obama may think that he is acting in the best interest of the nation, but is he doing the right thing for the nation?

An incumbent president may have the authority but he does not have the right to make foreign policy decisions that directly affect his successor without consulting with him first.

Why is a lame-duck president making such a controversial move with less than a month left in office?

Unfortunately, we will never know the answer, because Obama, the man, is a coward who never explains his policies, but advances them by insulting and belittling his opponents, as he is doing with Benjamin Netanyahu.

Jan. 20, 2017 cannot come soon enough.

Oscar Ancira

Fashion Valley

* * *

A Dec. 28 letter referred to a capture by Israel of the Palestinian territories in 1967. Actually, the capture was of Jordanian land. The U.N. partitioned that land in 1947 to create two states.

The Palestinian Authority rejected it. The Arab armies of six countries invaded. Jordan occupied the area allocated to a Palestinian state.

On April 24, 1950, Jordan annexed the West Bank. Its population became Jordanian citizens; they voted, had representatives in parliament and held Jordanian passports.

Despite often violent demands, Jordan refused to create a Palestinian state.

In 1967, five Arab armies again attempted to nullify the U.N.s creation of two states.

Israel won the Six-Day War and captured the West Bank from Jordan. Israel did not capture land from the Palestinians; Jordan did that in 1948.

In 2000, a two-state agreement was rejected by Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat. In 2005 Israel withdrew from Gaza.

The history of this problem is critical to its resolution.

Ronald Mankoff

La Jolla

* * *

Secretary Kerry claims West Bank settlements spawn terrorism.

Israel ceded territory in the Gaza Strip. What followed wasnt peace but terrorism: rockets falling into Israeli cities, tunnels designed to transport terrorism from Gaza into Israel, bus bombings and stabbings.

The U.S. abstention to the UN resolution will spawn more terrorism, not less. The abstention gives support to those who do not favor a two-state solution: Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

David Fetchina

San Diego

* * *

President Obama , John Kerry, etc. definitely threw Israel under the bus with the recent U.S. abstention at the U.N. However, perhaps something good may come out of this as now there appears to be consensus on both sides of the aisle that the U.N. has gone too far.

Hopefully this will lead to the formation of a bipartisan coalition to significantly reduce the total of about $8 billion in mandatory payments and voluntary contributions that the U.S. makes to U.N. and affiliated organizations each year.

Daniel R. Collins

San Diego

* * *

Jeffrey C. Rasaks letter needs correcting. There is no occupation of Palestine. The truth is that there is not now and there has never been a sovereign Palestinian state.

When the Arabs attacked Israel in 1948 and were defeated by the newly established State of Israel, Jordan came to administer Judea and Samaria.

In 1967, the Arabs, including Jordan, again attacked Israel. The Arabs were defeated again and during this defensive war Israel gained control of Judea and Samaria. In Oslo in 1993 the Palestine Liberation Organization agreed that negotiations between the parties would determine the borders between Israel and Judea and Samaria.

The Palestinians rejected every offer made to them since by Israel and have refused to recognize the Jewish State of Israel. President Obamas abstention from the recent security council resolution has made the United States a party to the U.N.s dishonest position.

Dan Burland

San Diego

* * *

Israels distress over the just-enacted UN 2334 likely is not only disappointment with the U.S. but also because it favors the Palestinian Authority in all instances.

Among these are:

The 1967 lines as a likely basis. UN 242, adopted after the 1967 war, does not insist these as projected final borders.

East Jerusalem is cited repeatedly as Palestinian. East Jerusalem includes the Old City, home to the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Jewish Quarter and the burial site of Jesus  all of utmost importance to non-Muslims.

UN 2334 implies that terror and incitement by Israel equals that by Palestinians.

If Israel resists, justifiable action by member States is implied.

The UN ignores Israels public proposals based on the 1967 lines made in 1999, 2000 and 2007, and ignores there has never been a Palestinian Authority public counter proposal.

Arnold Flick

San Diego

* * *

This (admittedly lapsed) American Jew is growing very tired of the antics of Israels Prime Minister, and I am not alone.

Since its birth in 1948, the tiny state has had, and has needed, only one reliable ally in the world: The United States. Between our two nations there needs to be, and used to be, mutual respect.

But with his performance before Congress earlier this year (during which he meddled in American politics far more than Vladimir Putin ever did), and his current tantrum over a U.N. resolution, which we didnt veto, Benjamin Netanyahu continues to treat the president of the United States like the help.

Netanyahu may think hes got a better bet coming, but Donald Trump is far from the most stable individual who has ever occupied the White House.

When and if America finally has enough of Netanyahu, he will have put his nation into mortal peril.

Ron Bonn

Tierrasanta

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Our favorite Elf on the Shelf caption was submitted by Stan Seat. Simple but brilliant, Stan! He will receive Steve Breens signed original in the mail.

Next weeks cartoon is below. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. Good luck!

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Winner

I cant talk now, Im at work. Stan Seat, San Diego

Finalists

Hurry, Im beginning to feel like a subordinate Claus. Tim Smickafram, San Diego

No, this isnt the Elf on the Shelf. Im his twin brother, the Midget with the Widget. Iris Price, Ramona

Hello, Keebler, are you hiring? Kim Broderick, Escondido

Hello, Mrs. Claus  were running late. Hes stuck in a chimney again. Sarah Lambert, San Diego

3 days ... same spot ... send food. Marianne Proctor, San Diego

Santa, exactly what is the shelf life of an elf? Angie Mol, Vista

I really want a shelfie stick for Christmas! Sara Mationg, San Diego.

Get this ... my agent tells me that Im worth four times as much just by sitting on a shelf in Los Angeles instead of San Diego! Merrick Marino, San Diego

Hello ... Santa? You didnt tell me when I was hired that I would have to sit here all night long ... Clarissa Berger, San Diego

Im telecommuting today, Santa. David Schmiedeberg, San Diego

Good ahead, Im all ears. David McFeaters, Carlsbad

To gno-me is to love me. Wayne Zucker, Rancho Penasquitos

I could just jump, but Id rather be the elf on the shelf than the elf in the dog. Paul Jester, San Diego

Wanna come over? Ive got the shelf all to myself tonight. Laurel Wheeler, La Mesa

I said get me Santa, not Siri! Kathleen Clary Miller, Fallbrook

Got any front teeth in that bag? Claire Kilcoyne, San Diego

I was shelved for telling my boss I hope to become a dentist. Karen Farrington, Alpine

Santa, the coast is clear. The rottweiler is napping. Joan Vokac, San Diego

Its after midnight and no sign of him. Can you tell me again when my bathroom break is? Kevin Hippensteel, Santee

K-12

Yes, doc, I have had a long history of low elf esteem. Jacob Mationg, ninth grade, Olympian High School

911 ... Im stuck on a shelf! What? No! dont hang up! Hallie Burns, fifth grade, Siuslaw Elementary School

Andys coming! Nathaniel Lapic, eighth grade, Correia Middle School





Next weeks cartoon

To enter, email entries to cartooncontest@sduniontribune.com by 10 a.m. Tuesday. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. View last weeks winners
Strong reactions  and concerns over fragile U.S.-Russia relations  dominated the news after the White House on Thursday imposed new sanctions on Russia for its efforts to interfere in the U.S. elections.

The sanctions were in response to cyberattacks carried out against the Democratic Party earlier this year, according to a report that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security released Thursday to accompany the White House announcement. The report describes how Russian hackers broke into the emails of Democratic Party officials in an effort to sway the election.

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama said the U.S. would retaliate against Russia for its cyberattacks, but details of how it would do so remained unclear until Thursday.

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In addition to the sanctions against two Russian intelligence agencies, as many as 35 Russian spies posing as diplomats were expelled and two Russian facilities in the U.S. were shut, the New York Times reported. In response, the Russian Embassy in Great Britain tweeted a photo of a duckling and the word lame.

President Obama expels 35  diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl  people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

In reacting to the sanctions, many suggested there was a new Cold War between the two nations with by far the worlds most nuclear weapons.

U.S-Russia relations have been deteriorating for years. The U.S. has previously imposed sanctions on Russia on multiple occasions. Here are some examples:

March 2014

Escalating tensions between the two countries over Russias annexation of Crimea led the U.S. to impose sanctions on people connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin and to freeze billions of dollars in assets. The sanctions were seen mostly as a way to directly damage Putins financial ties to people doing business with Americans but later proved to have little effect in achieving the overall U.S. objective.

July 2014

Russias continued involvement in Ukraine internal affairs led the U.S. and European Union countries to impose additional sanctions targeting Russias economy and defense sectors. The sanctions cut off Russian state-owned banks from the U.S. economy and placed restrictions on some imports and exports for some of the countrys energy companies.

At the time, Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev said any sanction is evil.

They dont add any optimism for the economy or for the people and never bring any obvious success, Medvedev was quoted saying.

December 2014

President Obama announced more sanctions at the end of 2014 aimed at putting additional pressure on Russia to abandon its footprint in Ukraine. This time the sanctions were initiated by Congress, which passed a bill authorizing actions that would further cut off Russia from the West and authorize U.S. assistance to Ukraine rebels in the region.

It seems clear that Russias cyberattack on the Democratic Party is part of a larger narrative about the two countries historical tensions.

On Thursday, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan welcomed the sanctions but called President Obamas decision overdue. Other Republicans like Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, shared similar reactions.

WH's new sanctions on #Russia long overdue, but small price for Russia to pay for brazen attack on US democracy https://t.co/tJNyoYXfBI  John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) December 29, 2016

I intend to, along with @SenJohnMcCain, lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia.  Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 29, 2016

But theres a contrast of views from Republican leaders and Donald Trump, who on various occasions has said he wants to improve U.S.-Russia relations and wants to be friendly with Putin. After the sanctions were announced, Trump said the country should move on and vowed to meet with intelligence officials

NEW: Trump statement in reaction to new US Sanctions on Russia pic.twitter.com/miZCNd0ZkW  Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) December 29, 2016

Given Trumps previous reluctance to accept the CIA or the FBI assessment that Russia meddled in the election, his foreign policy will bear close watching starting Jan. 20.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  Authorities had just breached the wall to the Pulse nightclub, and patrons who had been trapped inside with gunman Omar Mateen started to flee. SWAT team members carried a man with four gunshots in his legs, hip and shoulder to Officer Luke Austin. The man was bleeding profusely.

Austin grabbed him and said, Stay with me, keep fighting!!! We will get you to safety, stay with us!

Moments later, Mateen started firing at SWAT team members who fired back, killing him.

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Austins account is among dozens of narratives in supplemental police reports released Tuesday that give greater details about the Orlando police response to last months massacre of 49 patrons at the Pulse gay nightclub, the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The officers who recount their role in the reports were the initial responders to a call from a fellow officer who was working security when Mateen began firing in the club.

The City of Orlando, at the request of the FBI, has refused to release audio recordings of Mateen talking to Orlando police dispatchers or 911 calls pertaining to the massacre.

About two dozen news media organizations including The Associated Press are fighting in court to have the audio recordings released. The news outlets argue that the release of the recordings will help the public to understand Mateens motive and evaluate the police response.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a federal court filing that the recordings are federal records and not subject to Floridas public records law.

Some have questioned why it took three hours from the time Mateen first started shooting to when he was killed by police. Authorities say Mateen retreated to a bathroom where patrons had fled and it became a hostage situation.

The police reports dont answer the question of timing, but several officers who got inside the club while Mateen was on his rampage describe being unable to determine where the gunman was.

Once inside of the building I immediately noticed numerous bodies lying on the dance floor unresponsive as well as other people running ... outside the front door, Officer James Falbo wrote. As I made it further into the building, I heard several gunshots from inside the club but I was unable to pinpoint where the shooter/shooting was coming from.

Officers described lifeless bodies on the floor, hysterical patrons, the wounded grabbing at their ankles for help, and victims blood seeping into their uniforms as they pulled them out of the club.

Austin said he and two other officers carried the man with numerous gunshots to his legs to a pickup truck and laid him on the trucks bed. Austin stayed with the man as the truck was driven to waiting ambulances.

I remained on my hands and knees, looking at the victims eyes while talking to him to Stay with me, I am here with you, you are safe now, Austin wrote. I would periodically tap on his left cheek to regain his attention and keep him alert as he would flex from the pain on the entirety of his body.

Officer Richard Fink entered Pulse from the patio during Mateens rampage. Like Falbo, he said he couldnt tell where the shots were coming from. Fink said he grabbed the wrists of a wounded man who reached up to him saying he couldnt walk and dragged him outside through the patio. He went back inside and did the same for a second wounded man. He also helped evacuate patrons hiding in an upstairs office.

There were many victims and we were in need of many ambulances, he wrote.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap .

His work can be found at https://bigstory.ap.org/content/Mike-Schneider
Debbie Reynolds sang in the rain. She sang with her broken foot soaking in a bucket of ice. She sang after her husband left her for the most famous woman on Earth, and she danced, too.

She sang when she surely would rather have been home with her children.

In the 1950s, when American society would have had you believe that no woman could ask for any more satisfying life than to be a homemaker, Debbie Reynolds worked like a longshoreman. And she did it with grace and style, never letting us see her sweat. (Surely, dancers sweat. You know they do.)

She sang, danced and acted on Broadway, in Hollywood, in Vegas. She owned a dance studio. She made an exercise video, "Do It Debbie's Way." She was actively involved in charitable work for people with mental health issues for more than a half-century.

She was a businesswoman who owned and ran a Las Vegas hotel and a museum of Hollywood memorabilia. She lost them to bankruptcy and she lost a fortune to a deceitful husband, but that just goes to show that Hollywood royalty can suffer through the same problems as the rest of us. When life knocked her down, she got back up and danced. She was unsinkable.

How many generations have loved Debbie Reynolds for her fresh-faced blond beauty, her smile and her soaring voice? She loved us all back, because that's what performers do. Love is the engine that powers million-watt smiles and blinding star power.

The question that can't be answered is whether much of the love we feel makes it back to our stars. For this, they have families and friends, just like the rest of us do.

This week, the death of Reynolds so close on the heels of her daughter Carrie Fisher's passing has put their relationship on full display -- not that it hasn't been on display for years. Fisher famously chronicled the difficulties of life in a celebrity family in a series of memoirs, and both women discussed each other in interviews that were always touching and often heartbreaking.

When sharing the pain of a 10-year estrangement from her daughter in an interview with People, Reynolds said: "I've always been a good mother, but I've always been in show business, and I've been on stage and I don't bake cookies and I don't stay home."

In a recent interview with NPR, Fisher's words mirror her mother's, only from the child's point-of-view: "She's an extraordinary woman. Extraordinary. There's very few women from her generation who worked like that, who just kept a career going all her life, and raised children, and had horrible relationships, and lost all her money, and got it back again."

Perhaps no parent-child relationship ever achieves equilibrium until the child is old enough to understand a parent's choices and perhaps forgive them. In any case, Reynolds and Fisher mended their relationship, even to the point of buying side-by-side homes and settling in as next-door neighbors.

Fisher's earliest memories were of a face she called as beautiful as a Christmas morning and a voice that could lilt melodies as sweet as "Tammy, Tammy, Tammy's in love." Reynolds' last words were, "I want to be with Carrie." As sad as this image is, it is also a beautiful one, as beautiful as only a mother's love can be.

Reynolds would want us to remember her singing and her dancing and her million megawatt smile, but perhaps she will pardon us if we also remember her as a woman whose last thought was for her daughter.

She wanted to be with Carrie. And now she is.

___
Suspect in daytime arson, resists arrest, detained with help of K-9

By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula Police are still trying to determine what led an area man to allegedly start a fire Friday afternoon, an act witnessed by people close by as well as caught on surveillance camera. And, when arrested, the suspect got into a tussle that required the services of a SPPD K-9.

According to Senior K-9 Officer Allen Macias, the incident occurred December 23 at approximately 2:10 p.m. when SPPD Officers responded to the area of 12th and Santa Paula streets regarding a fire.

Upon arrival, a bush and palm tree were on fire, a blaze quickly knocked down by Santa Paula Firefighters.

Macias said witnesses in the area told police that the suspect who lit the fire  described as a male wearing a straw hat, jeans and holding a sign  fled east on Santa Paula Street.

While checking the area, officers located the suspect in a vacant dirt lot just south of Santa Paula Street near 13th Street. The suspect, identified as John Soto, 45, of Santa Paula, refused to comply with officers orders.

Macias said as officers attempted to conduct a pat down search on Soto for weapons, He tensed up and began to resist. With the assistance of a police canine, officers were able to gain control of the suspect and place him in custody.

No one was injured during the incident.

During the investigation, noted Macias, SPPD Officers learned that a nearby business captured the suspect starting the fire on its video surveillance system.

Soto was arrested for arson and resisting arrest. After being processed at the Santa Paula Police Department Soto was transported to Ventura County Main Jail where he was being held on no bail.

Anyone that witnessed the incident is asked to contact SPPD Sgt. Cody Madison at (805) 525-4474 x 220 or at cmadison@spcity.org.

You can remain anonymous.

You can also call the SPPD recorded Tip Hotline, 933-5691 or email tips to tipline@spcity.org and remain anonymous.

Or, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477); the call is not recorded and the caller may remain anonymous.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers can also be contacted by texting Busted plus your message to CRIMES (274637).

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Joseph Christian Leyendecker wasnt the first artist to use an infant to represent the new year. But over the span of 36 years, he made the New Years baby as familiar to Americans as Father Time.

A consummate illustrator  and mentor to Norman Rockwell  Leyendecker was continually searching for better ways to depict the holidays. He created many fanciful covers that caught the spirit of Christmas, Fourth of July, Easter, and Thanksgiving. But the New Years babies are arguably his most memorable.

The 1900s

His first baby was delivered for the December 29, 1906, issue of the Post. It shows a cherub atop a globe, turning over a fresh page in a book of New Years resolutions. The series continue without interruption until 1943.

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Not only do the New Years covers showcase Leyendeckers unmistakably realistic style, but each one insightfully captures the spirit of the times.

Look closely and youll notice that Leyendecker painted a baby in some years and a cherub in others. There doesnt appear to be any logic to Leyendeckers annual choice  except that, for some covers, his design sense required the figure to have wings.



1900s  Click cover to see larger image.

The 1910s

Starting in 1910, Leyendeckers New Year covers began incorporating contemporary events. The 1910 cherub reflects Americas growing fascination with air travel and anticipates the countrys first airshow in Los Angeles. The 1912 baby takes up the cause for womens suffrage. A flag-waving 1914 cherub celebrates the completion of Americas canal across Panama, which would open that August. The 1915 cherub tries to sweep the globe clean of the armies at war in Europe, represented by the military caps and helmets of the combatants. The 1917 cherub fretfully regards the explosive events in western Europe just three months before the U.S. enters World War I. A baby was seen reporting for duty in 1918, but in 1919, a cherub appeared, six weeks after the end of fighting, bearing the dove of peace.



The 1910s  Click cover to see larger image.

The 1920s

The 20s saw the start of Prohibition, so Leyendeckers first cherub of the decade wears a top hat  a reference to the well-known Prohibition cartoon character Mr. Dry  and carries a camel pull-toy symbolizing the long dry spell ahead for America. The 1921 cherub anticipates an end to the bitter coal miners strike in Alabama. The New Years baby trying to capture a dove  the symbol of peace  by salting its tail in 1922, is hoping for the Washington Naval Conference to reduce naval armaments among nine nations. The 1926 cherub anticipates the new Revenue Act, which reduced inheritance and income taxes. Sitting on the ark, the 1928 baby awaits the possible repeal of Prohibition, symbolized by wet weather. During a teetering economy in 1929, the New Years baby holds theatrical masks, uncertain of whether the coming year will be comic or tragic.



The 1920s  Click cover to see larger image.

The 1930s

Arriving just two months after the collapse of the stock market in 1930, the baby worried how hed land in the new year. In 1933, he was recording a desired rise in stock prices. Wearing a businessmans bowler hat in 1934, he nervously watched a growing pile of stock ticker tape, while the blue eagle of the National Recovery Act hovered over his shoulder. The cherub set out to negotiate 1935 on a fiscal tightrope, between the red ink of debt and the black ink of profit, while precariously balancing a budget on his head. No longer trying to work the numbers in 1936, the baby was looking for the return to prosperity in his crystal ball. Finally, in 1937, when Americas leading economic indicators were approaching late-1920s levels, the New Years baby allowed himself a little celebration. By 1938, he had returned, deep in thought, to the anvil he had been pounding in 1931.



The 1930s  Click cover to see larger image.

The 1940s

Although the country was at peace in 1940, Americans were growing worried that they would again be dragged into Europes conflict. The New Years baby was taking no chances. He arrived with his belongings packed, ready to move at a moments notice. Meanwhile, he wore his gas mask and clutched an umbrella, a symbolic reference to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain whose assurances of peace in our time proved illusory. The 1941 baby was delivered by the armored fist of war.

The New Years baby of 1942 had probably been painted before Leyendecker heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7; the cover shows a wary New Years baby wearing a U.S. Army garrison cap and guarding the Western Hemisphere from the spread of European and Asian wars. By 1943, Leyendeckers baby had come a long way from his early, innocent days. Awkwardly yet enthusiastically, he tears into the symbols of the Axis powers  the Japanese sun, the German swastika, and the Italian fasces. Unfortunately, Leyendecker didnt continue his series to bring the New Years baby out of the war and into peace again. This was his 324th, and last, Post cover.



1940s  Click cover to see larger image.
Many Americans were surprised to hear of the CIA report that Russian hackers had intervened in the presidential election. They were also surprised when supporters of President-elect Trump dismissed the CIAs charges, claiming they were politically motivated.

Such criticism of the governments intelligence agency goes well back in our history. Traditionally, Americans have felt that espionage is basically dishonorable and somehow un-American.

Back in 1929, for example, Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson was disturbed to learn that the Armys Cipher Bureau was reading the coded messages of foreign diplomats. Gentlemen, he sniffed, do not read each others mail.

Another reason for Americans historic dislike of intelligence operations has been its unreliability. During the Civil War, for example, the Union army was continually misled by intelligence reports that often exaggerated the size of enemy forces by as much as 50 percent.

Intelligence workers earned new respect during the Second World War when they were able to crack the enemies military codes. But in the Cold War that followed, suspicions grew that covert-intelligence agencies were becoming too powerful. Also, as Thomas Braden recounts in Im Glad the CIA Is Immoral, legislators wouldnt fund intelligence operations that didnt support their personal political agendas.

The CIA, along with the media that reported its findings, left itself open to criticism because it collaborated for years in shaping the news. In the 1950s the CIA launched the covert Operation Mockingbird to build anticommunist sentiments at home and abroad. Thomas W. Braden was a key player.

In his article, he describes how the operation countered the Soviets propaganda and fake grass-roots campaigns in neutral countries. The operation channeled money to anticommunist labor leaders and student organizations in western Europe and launched a cultural magazine to promote anti-Soviet ideas. It also built goodwill by financing cultural exchanges like the Boston Symphonys triumphant tour of Europe.

In this article, Braden was responding to criticism from The New York Times, which had called the CIAs programs immoral and scandalous. Braden considered his programs simply beating the Soviet Union at its own game. Overall, Bradens piece makes a good case for the CIAs program.

But one fact diminishes the effectiveness of his argument: Operation Mockingbird also worked to influence American media. Working with nearly unlimited funds, the CIA paid newspapers and wire agencies to present its doctored versions of news stories. Post contributor Stewart Alsop was part of the Mockingbird operation, as was his brother Joseph. For decades, these journalists presented major news events with a slant that the Agency approved. Despite a federal law that prohibited domestic operations, Operation Mockingbird continued for decades at home and abroad with little oversight.

The legacy of programs like Mockingbird is that, today, Americans cant be certain whether a CIA report is completely true, mostly true, somewhat true, or simply a lie it would like us to believe. Even the best information from the agency is vulnerable to doubt.

Im Glad the CIA is Immoral

By Thomas W. Braden

Originally published on May 20, 1967

On the desk in front of me as I write these lines is a creased and faded yellow paper. It bears the following inscription in pencil:

Received from Warren G. Haskins, $15,000. (signed) Norris A. Grambo.

I went in search of this paper on the day the newspapers disclosed the scandal of the Central Intelligence Agencys connections with American students and labor leaders. It was a wistful search, and when it ended, I found myself feeling sad.

For I was Warren G. Haskins. Norris A. Grambo was Irving Brown, of the American Federation of Labor. The $15,000 was from the vaults of the CIA, and the piece of yellow paper is the last memento I possess of a vast and secret operation whose death has been brought about by small-minded and resentful men.

It was my idea to give the $15,000 to Irving Brown. He needed it to pay off his strong-arm squads in Mediterranean ports, so that American supplies could be unloaded against the opposition of Communist dock workers. It was also my idea to give cash, along with advice, to other labor leaders, to students, professors and others who could help the United States in its battle with Communist fronts.

It was my idea. For 17 years I had thought it was a good idea. Yet here it was in the newspapers, buried under excoriation. Walter Lippmann, Joseph Kraft. Editorials. Outrage. Shock.

Whats gone wrong? I said to myself as I looked at the yellow paper. Was there something wrong with me and the others back in 1950? Did we just think we were helping our country, when in fact we ought to have been hauled up before Walter Lippmann?

And whats wrong with me now? For I still think it was and is a good idea, an imperative idea. Am I out of my mind? Or is it the editor of The New York Times who is talking nonsense?

And so I sat sadly amidst the dust of old papers, and after a time I decided something. I decided that if ever I knew a truth in my life, I knew the truth of the Cold War, and I knew what the Central Intelligence Agency did in the Cold War, and never have I read such a concentration of inane, misinformed twaddle as I have now been reading about the CIA.

Were the undercover payments by the CIA immoral? Surely it cannot be immoral to make certain that your countrys supplies intended for delivery to friends are not burned, stolen, or dumped into the sea.

Are CIA efforts to collect intelligence anywhere it can disgraceful? Surely it is not disgraceful to ask somebody whether he learned anything while he was abroad that might help his country.

People who make these charges must be naive. Some of them must be worse. Some must be pretending to be naive.

Take Victor Reuther, assistant to his brother Walter, president of the United Automobile Workers. According to Drew Pearson, Victor Reuther complained that the American Federation of Labor got money from the CIA and spent it with undercover techniques. Victor Reuther ought to be ashamed of himself. At his request, I went to Detroit one morning and gave Walter $50,000 in $50 bills. Victor spent the money, mostly in West Germany, to bolster labor unions there. He tried undercover techniques to keep me from finding out how he spent it. But I had my own undercover techniques. In my opinion and that of my peers in the CIA, he spent it with less than perfect wisdom, for the German unions he chose to help werent seriously short of money and were already anti-Communist. The CIA money Victor spent would have done much more good where unions were tying up ports at the order of Communist leaders.

As for the theory advanced by the editorial writers that there ought to have been a government foundation devoted to helping good causes agreed upon by Congress  this may seem sound, but it wouldnt work for a minute. Does anyone really think that congressmen would foster a foreign tour by an artist who has or has had left-wing connections? And imagine the scuffles that would break out as congressmen fought over money to subsidize the organizations in their home districts.

Back in the early 1950s, when the Cold War was really hot, the idea that Congress would have approved many of our projects was about as likely as the John Birch Societys approving Medicare. I remember, for example, the time I tried to bring my old friend, Paul-Henri Spaak of Belgium, to the U.S. to help out in one of the CIA operations.

Paul-Henri Spaak was and is a very wise man. He had served his country as foreign minister and premier. CIA Director Allen Dulles mentioned Spaaks projected journey to the then Senate Majority Leader William F. Knowland of California. I believe that Mr. Dulles thought the senator would like to meet Mr. Spaak. I am sure he was not prepared for Knowlands reaction:

Why, the senator said, the mans a socialist.

Yes, Mr. Dulles replied, and the head of his party. But you dont know Europe the way I do, Bill. In many European countries, a socialist is roughly equivalent to a Republican.

Knowland replied, I dont care. We arent going to bring any socialists over here.

The fact, of course, is that in much of Europe in the 1950s, socialists, people who called themselves left  the very people whom many Americans thought no better than Communists  were the only people who gave a damn about fighting Communism.

But let us begin at the beginning.

When I went to Washington in 1950 as assistant to Allen W. Dulles, then deputy director to CIA chief Walter Bedell Smith, the agency was three years old. It had been organized, like the State Department, along geographical lines, with a Far Eastern Division, a West European Division, etc. It seemed to me that this organization was not capable of defending the United States against a new and extraordinarily successful weapon. The weapon was the international Communist front. There were seven of these fronts, all immensely powerful.

The International Association of Democratic Lawyers had found documented proof that U.S. forces in Korea were dropping canisters of poisoned mosquitoes on North Korean cities and were following a systematic procedure of torturing civilians, individually and en masse. The World Peace Council had conducted a successful operation called the Stockholm Peace Appeal, a petition signed by more than two million Americans. Most of them, I hope, were in ignorance of the councils program: The peace movement  has set itself the aim to frustrate the aggressive plans of American and English imperialists.  The heroic Soviet army is the powerful sentinel of peace. The Womens International Democratic Federation was preparing a Vienna conference of delegates from 40 countries who resolved: Our children cannot be safe until America warmongers are silenced. The meeting cost the Russians $6 million. The International Union of Students had the active participation of nearly every student organization in the world. At an estimated cost of $50 million a year, it stressed the hopeless future of the young under any form of society except that dedicated to peace and freedom, as in Russia. The World Federation of Democratic Youth appealed to the nonintellectual young. In 1951, 25,000 young people were brought to Berlin from all over the world, to be harangued (mostly about American atrocities). The estimated cost: $50 million. The International Organization of Journalists was founded in Copenhagen in 1946 by a non-Communist majority. A year later the Communists took it over. By 1950 it was an active supporter of every Communist cause. The World Federation of Trade Unions controlled the two most powerful labor unions in France and Italy and took its orders directly from Soviet Intelligence. Yet it was able to mask its Communist allegiance so successfully that the CIO belonged to it for a time.

All in all, the CIA estimated, the Soviet Union was annually spending $250 million on its various fronts. They were worth every penny of it. Consider what they had accomplished.

First, they had stolen the great words. Years after I left the CIA, the late United States Ambassador Adlai Stevenson told me how he had been outraged when delegates from underdeveloped countries, young men who had come to maturity during the Cold War, assumed that anyone who was for Peace and Freedom and Justice must also be for Communism.

Second, by constant repetition of the twin promises of the Russian revolution  the promises of a classless society and of a transformed mankind  the fronts had thrown a peculiar spell over some of the worlds intellectuals, artists, writers, scientists, many of whom behaved like disciplined party-liners.

Third, millions of people who would not consciously have supported the interests of the Soviet Union had joined organizations devoted ostensibly to good causes, but secretly owned and operated by and for the Kremlin.

How odd, I thought to myself as I watched these developments, that Communists, who are afraid to join anything but the Communist Party, should gain mass allies through organizational war while we Americans, who join everything, were sitting here tongue-tied.

And so it came about that I had a chat with Allen Dulles. It was late in the day and his secretary had gone. I told him I thought the CIA ought to take on the Russians by penetrating a battery of international fronts. I told him I thought it should be a worldwide operation with a single headquarters.

You know, he said, leaning back in his chair and lighting his pipe, I think you may have something there. Theres no doubt in my mind that were losing the Cold War. Why dont you take it up down below?

It was nearly three months later that I came to his office again  this time to resign. On the morning of that day there had been a meeting for which my assistants and I had been preparing ourselves carefully. We had been studying Russian front movements, and working out a counteroffensive. We knew that the men who ran CIAs area divisions were jealous of their power. But we thought we had logic on our side. And surely logic would appeal to Frank Wisner.

Frank Wisner, in my view, was an authentic American hero. A war hero. A Cold War hero. He died by his own hand in 1965. But he had been crushed long before by the dangerous detail connected with Cold War operations. At this point in my story, however, he was still gay, almost boyishly charming, cool yet coiled, a low hurdler from Mississippi constrained by a vest.

He had one of those purposefully obscure CIA titles: Director of Policy Coordination. But everyone knew that he had run CIA since the death of the wartime OSS, run it through a succession of rabbit warrens hidden in the bureaucracy of the State Department, run it when nobody but Frank Wisner cared whether the country had an intelligence service. Now that it was clear that Bedell Smith and Allen Dulles were really going to take over, Frank Wisner still ran it while they tried to learn what it was they were supposed to run.

And so, as we prepared for the meeting, it was decided that I should pitch my argument to Wisner. He knew more than the others. He could overrule them.

The others sat in front of me in straight-backed chairs, wearing the troubled looks of responsibility. I began by assuring them that I proposed to do nothing in my area without the approval of the chief of that area. I thought, when I finished, that I had made a good case. Wisner gestured at the Chief, Western Europe. Frank, came the response, this is just another one of those goddamned proposals for getting into everybodys hair.

One by one the others agreed. Only Richard G. Stilwell, the Chief, Far East, a hard-driving soldier in civilian clothes who now commands U.S. forces in Thailand, said he had no objection. We all waited to hear what Wisner would say.

Incredibly, he put his hands out, palms down. Well, he said, looking at me, you heard the verdict.

Just as incredibly, he smiled.

Sadly, I walked down the long hall, and sadly reported to my staff that the day was lost. Then I went to Mr. Dulless office and resigned. Oh, said Mr. Dulles, blandly, Frank and I had talked about his decision. I overruled him. He looked up at me from over his papers. He asked me to.

Thus was the International Organization Division of CIA born, and thus began the first centralized effort to combat Communist fronts.

Perhaps combat does not describe the relative strengths brought to battle. For we started with nothing but the truth. Yet within three years we had made solid accomplishments. Few of them would have been possible without undercover methods.

I remember the enormous joy I got when the Boston Symphony Orchestra won more acclaim for the U.S. in Paris than John Foster Dulles or Dwight D. Eisenhower could have brought with a hundred speeches. And then there was Encounter, the magazine published in England and dedicated to the proposition that cultural achievement and political freedom were interdependent. Money for both the orchestras tour and the magazines publication came from the CIA, and few outside the CIA knew about it. We had placed one agent in a Europe-based organization of intellectuals called the Congress for Cultural Freedom. Another agent became an editor of Encounter. The agents could not only propose anti-Communist programs to the official leaders of the organizations but they could also suggest ways and means to solve the inevitable budgetary problems. Why not see if the needed money could be obtained from American foundations? As the agents knew, the CIA-financed foundations were quite generous when it came to the national interest.

I remember with great pleasure the day an agent came in with the news that four national student organizations had broken away from the Communist International Union of Students and joined our student outfit instead. I remember how Eleanor Roosevelt, glad to help our new International Committee of Women, answered point for point the charges about germ warfare that the Communist womens organization had put forward. I remember the organizations of seamens unions in India and in the Baltic ports.

There were, of course, difficulties, sometimes unexpected. One was the World Assembly of Youth.

We were casting about for something to compete with the Soviet Union in its hold over young people when we discovered this organization based in Dakar. It was dwindling in membership, and apparently not doing much.

After a careful assessment, we decided to put an agent into the assembly. It took a minimum of six months and often a year just to get a man into an organization. Thereafter, except for what advice and help we could lend, he was on his own. But, in this case, we couldnt give any help whatsoever. The agent couldnt find anybody in the organization who wanted any.

The mystery was eventually solved by the man on the spot. WAY, as we had come to call it, was the creature of French intelligence  the Deuxieme Bureau. Two French agents held key WAY posts. The French Communist Party seemed strong enough to win a general election. French intelligence was waiting to see what would happen.

We didnt wait. Within a year, our man brought about the defeat of his two fellow officers in an election. After that, WAY took a pro-Western stand.

But our greatest difficulty was with labor. When I left the agency in 1954, we were still worrying about the problem. It was personified by Jay Lovestone, assistant to David Dubinsky in the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.

Once chief of the Communist Part in the United States, Lovestone had an enormous grasp of foreign-intelligence operations. In 1947 the Communist Confederation Generale du Travail led a strike in Paris which came very nearly to paralyzing the French economy. A takeover of the government was feared.

Into this crisis stepped Lovestone and his assistant, Irving Brown. With funds from Dubinskys union, they organized Force Ouvriere, a non-Communist union. When they ran out of money, they appealed to the CIA. Thus began the secret subsidy of free trade unions which soon spread to Italy. Without that subsidy, postwar history might have gone very differently.

But though Lovestone wanted our money, he didnt want to tell us precisely how he spent it. We knew that non-Communist unions in France and Italy were holding their own. We knew that he was paying them nearly $2 million annually. In his view, what more did we need to know?

We countered that the unions were not growing as rapidly as we wished and that many members were not paying dues. We wanted to be consulted as to how to correct these weaknesses.

I appealed to a high and responsible leader. He kept repeating, Lovestone and his bunch do a good job.

And so they did. After that meeting, so did we. We cut the subsidy down, and with the money saved we set up new networks in other international labor organizations. Within two years, the free labor movement, still holding its own in France and Italy, was going even better elsewhere.

Looking back now, it seems to me that the argument was largely a waste of time. The only argument that mattered was the one with the Communists for the loyalty of millions of workers. That argument, with the help of Lovestone and Brown, was effectively made.

By 1953, we were operating or influencing international organizations in every field where Communist fronts had previously seized ground, and in some where they had not even begun to operate. The money we spent was very little by Soviet standards. But that was reflected in the first rule of our operational plan: Limit the money to amounts private organizations can credibly spend. The other rules were equally obvious: Use legitimate, existing organizations; disguise the extent of American interest; protect the integrity of the organization by not requiring it to support every aspect of the official American policy.

Such was the status of the organizational weapon when I left the CIA. No doubt it grew stronger later on, as those who took charge gained experience. Was it a good thing to forge such a weapon? In my opinion then  and now  it was essential.

Was it immoral, wrong, disgraceful? Only in the sense that war itself is immoral, wrong, and disgraceful.

For the Cold War was and is a war, fought with ideas instead of bombs. And our country has had a clear-cut choice: Either we win the war or lose it. This war is still going on, and I do not mean to imply that we have won it. But we have not lost it either.

It is now 12 years since Winston Churchill accurately defined the world as divided intellectually and to a large extent geographically between the creeds of Communist discipline and individual freedom. I have heard it said that this definition is no longer accurate. I share the hope that John Kennedys appeal to the Russians to help us make the world safe for diversity reflects the spirit of a new age.

But I am not banking on it, and neither, in my opinion, was the late president. The choice between innocence and power involves the most difficult of decisions. But when an adversary attacks with his weapons disguised as good works, to choose innocence is to choose defeat. So long as the Soviet Union attacks deviously, we shall need weapons to fight back, and a government locked in a power struggle cannot acknowledge all the programs it must carry out to cope with its enemies. The weapons we need now cannot, alas, be the same ones that we first used in the 1950s. But the new weapons should be capable of the same affirmative response as the ones we forged 17 years ago, when it seemed that the Communists, unchecked, would win the alliance of most of the world.
Guangdong, China -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/30/2016 -- MRRS adds "Guinea (Conakry): Mobile Network Upgrades and Fiber-Optic Infrastructure Development to Drive Future Telecom Growth" latest studies, published in December 2016. It is a professional and in-depth study.



Summary



In 2016, Guinea Conakry will generate total telecom service revenue of $530.4m (or 6.3% of its nominal GDP), an increase of 11.5% over 2015, owing to increase in fixed Internet and mobile services revenue. Mobile voice will continue to be the largest revenue-contributing segment in 2016 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during 2016-2021. Mobile data will be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period, mainly driven by operators' investments in network expansions and upgrades and innovative service offerings and promotions to stimulate data adoption. Operators have opportunities in network upgrades and VAS offerings.



Key Findings



 The overall telecom service revenue in Guinea Conakry is estimated to generate $530.4m in 2016 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% during 2016-2021.



 Mobile revenue will account for 97.1% of the total telecom revenue in 2021.



 The Guinea Conakry telecom market will be dominated by Orange Guinea and MTN Guinea. Operators will continue to invest in 2G/3G coverage expansions, while deployment of fiber-optic and ACE submarine cable will boost the international connectivity.



Synopsis



Guinea (Conakry): Mobile Network Upgrades and Fiber-Optic Infrastructure Development to Drive Future Telecom Growth,' a new Country Intelligence Report by Pyramid Research, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Guinea Conakry today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.



The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:



 Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Guinea Conakry compared with other countries in the region.



 Economic, demographic and political context in Guinea Conakry.



 The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.



 A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data.



 Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021.



 The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.



 In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.



 Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Guinea Conakry's telecommunication market.



Reasons To Buy



 This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Guinea Conakry's telecommunication market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.



 Accompanying Pyramid Research's Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Guinea Conakry's mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.



 With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.



 The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in the Guinea Conakry telecommunication market.



 The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Guinea Conakry.



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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/30/2016 -- A wireless intercom enables wireless transfer of audio signals between a base station and end terminals (handheld headset, belt pack, speaker station) in any application. Wireless intercom has one base station and multiple belts packs or substations. These belt packs communicate with one another through the base station. Wireless intercom provide such as single, dual, and multiple channels for communication through which the belt packs are connected to one another. The report covers wireless intercom systems that have a base station connected with an analog, digital, or IP-based communication medium in order to connect with other intercom systems. Hence, the report only considers the wireless base stations in the segment.



The market is segmented on the basis of technology and industrial verticals where wireless intercoms are used. Wireless intercoms communicate through the radio frequencies (RF), Wi-Fi, and other technologies, such as Bluetooth, providing mobility to the end-user. The RF and Wi-Fi segments are further divided on the basis of frequency range, providing the revenue and volume distribution for APAC. Furthermore, recent technological developments have helped wireless intercom manufacturers increase the range of their and accommodate more belt packs in a system.



Get a Free Sample Copy of the Report @ http://www.mrrse.com/sample/1619



The industry vertical segmentation provides a complete range of end-use industries in which wireless intercoms are commonly used. Wireless intercoms mainly find their application in the area of security and surveillance to facilitate internal communication. Security authorities are carrying the belt packs and communicating with each other through the base station as managing the flow of people in and out of a facility is gaining importance owing to the increasing threats. Further, with increases in investment in the areas of hospitality and transportation, the application of wireless intercoms is expected to increase in these areas in the coming years.



The report provides an in-depth analysis of the APAC wireless intercom market based on application/end-use industry, technology, price, and geography. In terms of geographical regions, the report segments the Asia Pacific wireless intercom market into China, ASEAN, Rest of Asia Pacific and Oceania, which are analyzed in terms of revenue generation and volume. ASEAN is further segmented into the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and others, while Oceania is divided into Australia and New Zealand.



The report also segments the wireless intercom market on the basis of application/end-use industry into retail, event management, hospitality, security and surveillance, and logistics. Segmentation of the market on the basis of technology is into Wi-Fi by frequency, RF by frequency, and RF by channel. Furthermore, the report analyzes the factors that drive and restrain the growth of the wireless intercom market. The report also discusses the prevailing market trends, prospective growth opportunities, and major strategies increasing the popularity of wireless intercom systems. It also provides the market estimates and forecasts for all the segments in terms of revenue. Also provided is the market positioning of key players, distribution channel analysis and top brands in the Asia Pacific wireless intercom market.



Read Complete Report with TOC @ http://www.mrrse.com/asia-pacific-wireless-intercom-market



Additionally, the report includes competitive profiling of the major players engaged in offering wireless intercoms to particular industrial verticals. Major business strategies adopted by them, their market positioning, and various recent developments have also been identified in the research report. The major manufacturers providing wireless intercoms profiled in the report include Clear-Com (HME Company), ZENITEL GROUP, Telephonics Corporation, Sena Technologies, Panasonic Corporation, Riedel Communications GmbH & Co KG, RTS Intercom (part of Bosch Security Systems, Inc.), and Commend International GmbH.



About MRRSE

MRRSE stands for Market Research Reports Search Engine, the largest online catalog of latest market research reports based on industries, companies, and countries. MRRSE sources thousands of industry reports, market statistics, and company profiles from trusted entities and makes them available at a click. Besides well-known private publishers, the reports featured on MRRSE typically come from national statistics agencies, investment agencies, leading media houses, trade unions, governments, and embassies.
[WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA] Critical challenges in the coverage of key health services in Africa should be addressed to help the continent achieve the SDGs, a forum has heard.



According to the first regional forum in Africa on strengthening health systems for universal health coverage and achieving the SDGs, which was held in Namibia this month (12-13 December), Africa has only three per cent of the global health workforce despite bearing 24 per cent of the global disease burden.



Matshidiso Moeti, director of WHO Regional Office for Africa, told the more than 240 participants that despite increased domestic funding for health in many African countries, health services remain grossly underfunded, struggling to provide even basic services to many, especially the poorest and marginalised people.

Robust policy dialogue and participatory planning for health are imperative to fully implement the SDGs. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Office for Africa

Many facilities deliver substandard services due to technical and managerial capacity gaps and inefficiencies, and lack the critical resources that are the core foundations for health systems, says Moeti, adding that inequities in the distribution of health workers and lack of access to safe and affordable essential medicines and good quality technologies remain challenges.





Moeti calls for intensified data collection, monitoring and research on health programme performance and results as necessary for bettering the situation.



This implies considerable investment in data and information systems in countries. Modern e-health and mHealth technologies should be used for all aspects of health systems strengthening [and] we should scale up their use in our region, she says.



The forum was organised by the WHO Regional Office for Africa and the Government of Namibia.



According to Moeti, African governments need high-level political commitments with a clear vision of health in the SDGs: Robust policy dialogue and participatory planning for health are imperative to fully implement the SDGs, she adds, explaining that her organisation has launched a transformation agenda to help countries ensure universal access to essential health services to advance the implementation of the SDGs.



She explainsed that sustainable financing is crucial for health with targeted investments that maximise the allocation and efficient use of domestic resources, while effectively leveraging and progressively reducing dependence on external resources. The private sectors contribution needs to be strategically mobilised.



Andreas Mwoombola, permanent secretary, Namibias Ministry of Health and Social Services, says that health is central to the SDGs because it influences achievements in other non-health or related SDGs.



Strengthening health systems is enhancing development in various social and economic sectors, he notes.

According to Mwoombola, health systems strengthening is indispensable for ensuring equitable access to essential and good quality health service to all those who need it.Laura Mcleod-Katjirua, governor of Khomas region in Namibia, emphasises the need for strengthening the health systems, saying that it is an essential prerequisite to realise goals of healthy nations.The focus on strategic health investments and engagement of partners or donors in supporting health systems strengthening is highly appreciated, she says.Mcleod-Katjirua added that Namibia is working towards implementing comprehensive, good quality and affordable health services to help the country achieve universal health coverage and the SDGs.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Elon Musk's SpaceX released its first photo of actual hardware for its new Falcon Heavy Rocket via social media, showing the interstage that connects the first and second stages of the booster, including the vehicle's official logo.

A photo posted by SpaceX (@spacex) on Dec 28, 2016 at 12:33pm PST

The caption for the photo posted on Instagram read: "Falcon Heavy interstage being prepped at the rocket factory. When FH flies next year, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two."

Of course, the new photo does not indicate any major announcement regarding its launch. But as Ars Technica reported, a company official said that SpaceX is targeting an "early-to-mid" 2017 launch, which will put it as the most powerful operational booster on the planet, considering that it has twice the capacity of the Delta IV heavy.

Still, the question remains: could the rocket be close enough to flying? The Falcon Heavy is pretty complex: its first stage is made of three Falcon 9 cores and has a combined 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Because of this, critics are already expecting a failure in launch as some suggested that a booster that relies on 27 engines to work would have a hard time to launch. The Soviet N1 booster, for instance, used 30 engines in its first tstage and failed all four of its launches between 1969 and 1972.

Space Flight Insider also noted that SpaceX needs to return the Falcon 9 rocket to safe flight after being grounded since September due to a launch pad explosion. The company is still finalizing the investigation on its the failure, which was said to be focused on a breach in its helium system. An update on the website also noted that after extensive testing, the failure was due to the loading conditions that affected the temperature and pressure of the helium loaded onto the rocket.

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said that the company hoped to launch again by the end of 2016. But due to finalization of the investigations, the launch was moved to January 2017 instead.
More than 370 million lightyears away from Earth is a remarkable galaxy recently discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The galaxy, known as IRAS 16399-0937, is also said to be more exciting and more futuristic than most as it is home to a megamaser -- essentially a microwave beam-like light amplificator that creates intense beams. These objects, according to Mail Online, are said to be 100 million times brighter found than those in other galaxies like the Milky Way.

However, in the case of the IRAS 16399-0937, the beams emitted are microwave and not visible light. The image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope already combined observations captured across the wavelengths by the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer.

With the data, scientists found that the galaxy has a double nucleus with two separate cores believed to be in the process of merging. The two bodies are more than 11,000 lightyears apart but are interacting and are also said to lie within the same swirl of cosmic gas and dust, creating a rather unusual shape.

Phys.org noted that the nuclei are actuall very different as well, with the IRAS 16399S (South) appearing as a starburst region, and IRAS 16399N (North) appearing as a LINER nucleus (or a Low Ionization Nuclear Emission Region, which mostly has weakly ionized or neutral atoms of gases). What is interesting, however, is that the northern nucleus also hosts a black hole, which is about 100 million times the mass of our own Sun.

Still, this is not the first time that masers made headlines. NASA revealed earlier this year that it found a mysterious object in the Milky Way to be still in its embryotic stage of existence. However, such object has already showed signs of being both extremely young and extremely old, confusing scientists over its true nature.
As 2016 is coming to an end in a couple of days, people across the world are reviewing the major developments that took place in the year. One of the most important and possibly troublesome developments of the year was the awakening of many volcanoes in different continents of the planet.

According to leading volcanologists, these active volcanoes including Campli Flegrei volcano near Naples, Italy, Japanese Sakurajima volcano, the Pavlof volcano situated in Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and many more have been inactive for many years. The geological activities around these volcanoes indicate that they have been receiving active magma inputs for many years.

Giovanni Chiodin, a volcanologist at the Italian National Institute of Geophysics in Rome and his team of researchers found evidence, which proves that the Campli Flegrei volcano is about to reach its critical pressure point. After which, it is certainly going to blast masses of dangerous hot gases, magma and ashes. An uplifting has also been recorded inside the volcano, which has turned the alert level from green to yellow, according to The CostaRica News.

Furthermore, volcanoes belonging to several other continents have also registered considerable activities in 2016, concomitant with earthquakes, eruption of gases and magma. The Sakurajima volcano of Japan is said to have turned active after the two major earthquakes that hit Asian countries on April 29, 2016. Similar trends were observed in the Pavlof volcano in Alaska, USA, which registered an eruption on March 28 of this year and the Popocatepetl volcano, Puebla, Mexico, that erupted columns of fumes and ash on March 19, The News Recorder reported.

Scientists are yet to find out whether there is any interlink among these separate events. As of now, people inhabiting these volcanic regions are living in a state of uncertainty and panic. Though it is expected that these geological turn events may be an indication of possible volcanic eruptions in the future, the exact when and where details cannot be predicted as of now, Giovanni Chiodini informed.
United Kingdom, 30 December 2016

RAK Petroleum plc, the Oslo-listed oil and gas investment company, announced that its Remuneration Committee has decided to convert the share awards to executives under its Long Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP") previously announced on 19 December 2014 into cash awards and, as a result, no shares will vest or be issued under the LTIP in 2016.

For further queries, please contact:

Kevin Toner

Managing Director

RAK Petroleum plc

Email: kevin.toner@rakpetroleum.uk

About RAK Petroleum plc

RAK Petroleum plc is an Oslo Brs listed oil and gas investment company established under the laws of England and Wales as a public limited company. Its principal holdings are 40.45 percent of DNO ASA and 33.33 percent of Foxtrot International LDC held through Mondoil Enterprises, LLC. DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator active in the Middle East and North Africa. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Brs since 1981, DNO ASA holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Middle East-North Africa region. Foxtrot International LDC is a privately-held company active in West Africa whose principal asset is a 27.27 percent interest in and operatorship of Block CI-27 offshore Cote d'Ivoire.





This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: Jupiter Asset Management Ltd (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):

The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/ offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:

Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Deutsche Boerse AG (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held /dealing undertaken:

For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 29th December 2016 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?

If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" Yes

London Stock Exchange Group PLC





2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:



Tendered Ordinary



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 6,443,048 3.45 (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL: 6,443,048 3.45

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: None Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: None

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit Ordinary - Tender Sale 20,000 EUR 77.6943 Ordinary - Tender Sale 14,182 EUR 77.6821

(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. CFD Nature of dealing

e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit None

(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type

e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit None

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit None





(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing

e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) None





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:

Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



None





(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:

(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or

(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:

If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"







None

(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO

Date of disclosure: 30th December 2016 Contact name: Nabeel Ashraf Telephone number: 0203 817 1407

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service and must also be emailed to the Takeover Panel at monitoring@disclosure.org.uk. The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.
At a recent briefing to reporters, FSC chairman Yim Jong-yong shrugged off the merger of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).

Those big three companies are all under restructuring and a potential big deal will harm all of them, Yim was quoted saying. A pre-condition for a big deal is all of those companies undergo restructuring thoroughly and stand on their own. However, they are not in such a condition.

He added that having three separate big shipbuilders would allow South Korea to maintain its status as a global shipbuilding powerhouse.

Yim mentioned in particular that the embattled DSME needs to be kept afloat and not allow the yard to go bankrupt. The FSC has projected a global shipbuilding industry recovery to happen in 2018, and the yards have to hang on until the upturn.

In September, Clarksons Research reported that it expects the number of new ship orders worldwide to improve from 586 in 2016 to 1,322 in 2018. The IMO has also decided to enforce stricter environmental regulations of a 0.5% fuel sulphur content cap by 2020, which will spur shipowners to replace old vessels.

By 2020, tougher environmental regulations will take effect. Given two or three years required for building a ship, orders will start increasing in the second half of 2017, Yim said.
In the classic movie "Star Wars: A New Hope", the Luke Skywalker-led Rebel Alliance destroyed the Empire's super-scary super-weapon, the Death Star. Underestimating the power of The Force, Darth Vader oversaw the construction of a second Death Star that was, again, snuffed-out with the help of a tribe of furry bears on the forest moon of Endor in "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi." Ever a glutton for punishment, 30 years later in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", the Dark Side's new fascist social club the First Order decided it would be a great plan to build the Starkiller Base - basically a bigger, badder Death Star that eats stars for breakfast. That, too, exploded after some rushed planning by those meddling Rebels.

So, should this up-sizing logic continue, by "Star Wars Episode X," can we can expect the Dark Side to build a galaxy-sized superweapon that could vaporize any galactic neighbor with the flick of a switch?

This might sound far fetched, and probably a fairly horrible premise for a "Star Wars" story line, but it seems Mother Nature may be a little more forward-thinking than Emperor Palpatine and the Hubble Space Telescope has already spotted a fully operational galaxy-sized mega-laser.

RELATED: Our Sun May Experience a Surprisingly Explosive Death

Though it might not look like much, the galaxy pictured here hosts a "megamaser." Megamasers, besides sounding awesome, are basically "astronomical lasers" that produce intense emissions of microwaves that originate from the stimulated emission of microwaves from the interstellar clouds contained within the cores of galaxies. Their smaller cousins, stellar masers, can be found throughout our galaxy and are often produced in star-forming nebulae. For example, interstellar water molecules are known to produce specific frequencies that appear very bright in radio observations of the cosmos.

Megamasers, however, are in a league of they own, generating around a 100 million times more energy than regular Milky Way masers.

This observation of IRAS 16399-0937, a galaxy located over 370 million light-years from Earth, was imaged by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). Though it may look fairly passive and peaceful, it's generating powerful microwave radiation, making it an important astronomical curiosity.

IRAS 16399-0937 is actually known to contain two nuclei, possibly revealing that it was once two galaxies that have merged together. The northern nucleus is known to contain a supermassive black hole 100 million times the mass of our sun. Also, the southern nucleus is a very active "starburst" region, pooping-out baby stars at a speedy rate, whereas the northern nucleus appears to be devoid of star formation. With the help of Hubble's NICMOS, astronomers have been able to resolve each nucleus spiraling in toward one another.

RELATED: Celestial Bauble Is True Death Star

Industrial use of masers, which is an acronym for "microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," actually came before the invention of what we know as the laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation). However, masers operate over microwave wavelengths (mainly), whereas lasers operate over higher frequencies. In the laboratory, masers work through the stimulated emission of microwaves - i.e. microwaves pass into a material that, in turn, stimulates the emission of more microwave photons. In astrophysical situations, microwaves pass into clouds of gas and the molecules in that gas can be stimulated to pump out more microwaves than went in, generating a powerful output of coherent radiation at specific frequencies.

As to how a megamaser might be used to destroy other celestial bodies, however, is speculation that will likely remain firmly in the realms of science fiction storytelling (and IRAS 16399-0937 probably won't be killed off by a rebellion any time soon).
Can you tell if a stranger is lying? If you said yes, I have news for you. Even experts trained in some of the best security protocols identify deceivers about 54 percent of the time. That's a little better than chance. This is distressing news for law enforcement officials, especially those tasked with rooting out criminals and smugglers trying to cross international borders.

But a lie-detecting kiosk, developed by Aaron Elkins, an assistant professor at San Diego State University, can find fibbers almost 90 percent of the time. Called the Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real-Time, or AVATAR, the kiosk uses a suite of sensors and artificial intelligence to collect and analyze hundreds of different body cues and then create a risk assessment score that's passed along to an official nearby. The kiosk could greatly improve security at border crossings or airports while at the same tie speed up customs and immigration lines.

"It only takes a minute or so for the interaction," Elkins told Seeker.

To use the kiosk, a traveler approaches it, scans a form of identification, such as a passport or driver's license, and then answers questions presented by the virtual agent on the kiosk's screen. The questions begin innocuously enough to establish a baseline reading, Elkins said. What is your name? Where are you traveling to? Is this trip business or pleasure? How did you get your visa?

Unlike human security agents, though, the virtual agent maintains a level, nonthreatening, nonjudgmental voice that allows for a more consistent interaction. In field tests Elkins and his team conducted in Nogales, Mexico, in 2012, most of the volunteers that participated said they liked interacting with the machine better than a person, even those who are comfortable with technology.

"It's more like having a conversation than using a laptop," Elkins said.

As the traveler responds to the questions, several contactless sensors on the machine scan different parts of the body. For instance, a high-resolution camera analyzes facial expressions. A high-frequency microphones assess what a persons says and how they say it. An eye-tracking system detects gaze direction and pupil dilation.

RELATED: How to Spot a Liar

Elkins said that although contact sensors exist - think: clip-on finger sensors that pick up pulse and sweat - his team prefers not to use them.

"The second you start doing that, it changes the interaction dramatically," he said.

It slows down the process, makes it less natural and also shifts the power to the machine. People actually become more nervous and their voices go monotone, he said, making it difficult to detect deception.

Once the AVATAR has a baseline established, it asks some "indicator" questions, which Elkins didn't want to divulge, but said these kinds of questions are the type that may make a liar begin to feel uncomfortable. It adjusts its line of questioning in realtime as the session continues and it may ask the same question in a different way to analyze the response. In some cases, it may have the traveler look at an image, for example a photo of the person's passport, and then pair that with a question. Officials can also change the avatar from a male to a female and have it ask questions in the traveler's language.

The whole process takes just a minute or two and, at the end of the session, the AVATAR produces a risk assessment score that it shares with a security officer. If the score indicates deception, the officer may pull the traveler aside for more questions.

Elkins said that another advantage of the kiosk is that the line of questioning can be customized to correspond with immediate threats. For example, if a terrorist is on the run, the AVATAR can ask questions related to the suspect or the crime that may have been perpetrated.

Although the AVATAR has been through many field assignments to test its capabilities, including most recently an experiment with TSA at Reagan National airport in Washington, DC, it has to clear several regulatory hurdles before it could be used for air travel.

In the meantime, Elkins thinks the AVATAR has other uses that have nothing to do with finding liars, such as sifting through job applicants. The kiosk could be used to prescreen candidates for personality traits more suitable for one position over another. It could look for someone who is agreeable or confident, dominant or submissive, a leader or a follower.

"You can have the AVATAR act a certain way and see how the person reacts," he said.

It's likely that people would encounter the AVATAR in the private sector long before facing it at the airport.

"Awhile ago, I said it would be awhile," Elkins said. Until then, it's up to the humans.

WATCH VIDEO: Why Liars Are More Creative
Crew from six fishing boats in Mexico's Sea of Cortez were arrested by the Mexican Navy, after they were caught using illegal fishing nets to poach banned fish in a marine reserve.

The fishermen had been spotted by the Sea Shepherd vessel Farley Mowat, which tracked the six boats until navy officials could arrive on the scene.

According to Sea Shepherd, a nonprofit marine wildlife organization, the fishermen were using banned gill nets to catch totoaba bass, a rare fish Mexican law has protected since 1975 but one that is nonetheless poached for its swim bladders, which, at an estimated US$20,000 per kilo, fetch a high price on China's black market.

The fishing boats were stopped and their crews apprehended without incident.

RELATED: Vaquita Porpoise Nearly Extinct, Only 60 Left

The Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California, is the home to the vaquita porpoise, a rare species on the verge of extinction, with only an estimated 60 left.

The illegal gill nets used by the poachers are a major problem for the vaquita and have greatly contributed to their decline. The thin lines are dropped vertically into the sea and while they trap totoaba they also ensnare other marine life, such as the vaquita, as bycatch. Vaquita need to surface for air, and they can drown when the nets prevent them from swimming back above water to breathe.

In July 2016, the Mexican government made permanent its ban on gill nets, extending forever an emergency ban imposed in 2015.

The Farley Mowat and another Sea Shepherd vessel, the Sam Simon, are currently working the waters of the Sea of Cortez, seeking out poachers fishing in protected areas.

"Sea Shepherd's partnership with the Mexican Navy is achieving results," said Sea Shepherd's founder and CEO Captain Paul Watson, in a statement. "Every poaching vessel intercepted and arrested is one step closer to preventing the extinction of the vaquita."

WATCH VIDEO: Which Animals Never Stop Growing?
Swedish Finnish English

Fiskars Corporation

Press Release

December 30, 2016 at 13:00 EET

Fiskars completes the sale of Ebertsankey plastics pottery business

Fiskars Corporation has completed the sale of its European Ebertsankey plastics pottery business to Good(s) Factory BV, a member of the Elho Group, European market leader in synthetic pottery and related products, announced on September 13, 2016.



The divestment allows Fiskars to continue to strengthen its focus in its core businesses and drive the company forward as an integrated consumer goods company.



Media and investor contacts:

Corporate Communications, tel. +358 204 39 5745, communications@fiskars.com





Fiskars  Making the everyday extraordinary

Fiskars serves consumers and customers around the world with a brand portfolio of globally recognized brands including Fiskars, Gerber, Iittala, Royal Copenhagen, Waterford, and Wedgwood. Building on our mission to create a family of iconic lifestyle brands, Fiskars vision is to create a positive, lasting impact on our quality of life. Please visit www.fiskarsgroup.com for more information.
While much of the world seems to be focused on shrinking their footprint, more is more appears to be a resonant mantra for a lot of engineers, architects and planners across the world. This year, numerous superlatively massive projects were completed, underway or in the planning stages - from the world's tallest building to the rerouting of some of India's waterways to form what would be the world's biggest river. Here's a roundup. A Neighborhood Built on a Platform

In New York City, the $20 billion Hudson Yards mixed-use development - which eventually will include five office towers, 5,000 homes, more than 100 stores and 20 restaurants - is being built on 28 acres of artificial land, in the form of a pair of platforms that cover 30 active sets of railroad tracks. The project is supported by 300 caissons, basically posts drilled deep into the bedrock between the tracks. The drilling began in 2014 and the platforms were completed in 2015. The project's biggest structure, the 90-story, 1,296-foot-tall 30 Hudson Yards skyscraper, is currently under construction, with completion scheduled in 2019. The World's Longest River

India's Interlinking of Rivers plan, which a recent New Scientist article reports is on the verge of official approval, would spend $168 billion to build 30 gigantic canals and 3,000 dams, with the aim of connecting 14 rivers in northern India with another 16 in the country's western, central and southern regions. The result would be a massive single waterway that would stretch for nearly 7,800 miles - almost twice the 4,160-mile length of the Nile, the world's longest natural river. The Biggest Urban Transit System

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is planning to build the biggest-ever mass-transit system created from scratch. The $23 billion Riyadh Metro Rail project will include nearly 110 miles of track and include six different rail lines and 85 stations. When completed in 2019, it will be able to handle 3.6 million passengers daily. ME Construction News reported in June that excavation for one of the train lines had been completed. The World's Longest Floating Bridge In April, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee cut the ribbon on the new SR 520 Floating Bridge and Landing Project, which spans 1.5 miles across Lake Washington in the Seattle area. The $4.56 billion structure, which replaces a smaller floating bridge built back in 1963, holds the distinction of being the world's longest floating bridge. The structure floats on pontoons and uses anchors to enable it to withstand strong winds and waves. The Kilometer-High Skyscraper
A single breath into a newfangled breathalyzer is all doctors need to diagnose 17 different diseases, including lung cancer, irritable bowel syndrome and multiple sclerosis, a new study found.

Researchers invited about 1,400 people from five different countries to breathe into the device, which is still in its testing phases. The breathalyzer could identify each person's disease with 86 percent accuracy, the researchers said.

The technology works because "each disease has its own unique breathprint," the researchers wrote in the study. [10 Crazy New Skills That Robots Picked Up in 2016]

The breathalyzer analyzes microscopic compounds - called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - to detect each condition. Testing for VOCs isn't a new approach; in 400 B.C., physicians learned that smelling a patient's bodily emissions could help with diagnoses. For instance, doctors used to smell the stools and urine of infant noblemen daily, the researchers said.

But while excrement and other bodily substances, such as blood, contain VOCs, examining exhaled breath is the cheapest, easiest and least invasive way to test for the compounds, the researchers said.

To investigate using breath for diagnosis, the researchers developed a breathalyzer that had two nanolayers, one with carbon and the other without. The carbon-free layer contained modified gold nanoparticles and a network of nanotubes, both of which provide electrical conductivity, the researchers said.

RELATED: A Breathalyzer Could Revolutionize How We Fight Malaria

Meanwhile, the carbon layer worked as a sensing layer to hold the exhaled VOCs, the scientists said. When a person breathed into the breathalyzer, that individual's VOCs interacted with the organic sensing layer, which in turn changed the electrical resistance of the inorganic sensors. By measuring this resistance, the researchers could determine which VOCs were present, the scientists said.

There are hundreds of known VOCs in exhaled breath, but the researchers needed only 13 to distinguish among the 17 different diseases. For instance, the VOC nonanal is linked to several disorders, including ovarian cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and breast cancer, whereas the VOC isoprene is associated with chronic liver disease, kidney disease and diabetes, the researchers said.

Because each VOC is tied to several conditions, "These results support our finding that no single VOC can discriminate between different diseases," the researchers wrote in the study.

WATCH VIDEO: Can Cops Really Prove You're High?
Asma al-Assad, the first lady of Syria has been described as glamorous, cunning, and a "rose in the desert." Scroll through Asma's Instagram and you'll see pictures of her cradling small children, helping the disabled, and visiting the ill, all while her husband's regime tortures dissidents, bombs hospitals and wages war until entire cities turn to rubble.

Asma was once seen as a glimmer of hope in a turbulent region. Now nearly six years into the Syrian Civil War, no one quite knows what to make of her. What's the real story behind Syria's controversial First Lady? Watch today's Seeker Daily video to find out.

Learn More:

The Daily Beast: Asma-al-Assad Comes Out in Support of Syria's Brutal Regime

The Economist: Assad's Torture Dungeons

The Guardian: Asma al-Assad: from Syria's 'desert rose' to 'first lady of hell'
Press Release

December 29, 2016 Hontiveros: We didn't need 6,000 people dead to implement a public health policy on drug abuse Asserting that the country's drug problem has always been a public health concern, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros today said that the government should have implemented a public health policy on drug abuse from the very start, instead of encouraging a climate of killing in its war on drugs. "Our country did not need more than 6,000 people to die in order to see drug abuse as a public health issue. The government's supposed shift to a public health approach in its anti-drugs campaign should have come first in a comprehensive response. At this point, I am afraid that this is an attempt to appropriate the public health advocacy without stopping and exacting accountability for the extrajudicial killings. Malacanang is painting a picture of victory and is using the public health discourse to provide a humane face to its deadly war on drugs and evade accountability for the patent abuses," Hontiveros said. It was reported that on Tuesday, Malacanang announced that the country's drug problem has now become a "public health issue" after it claimed "victory" in its war on drugs. This is despite President Rodrigo Duterte's failure to make good on his electoral promise to end the drug problem in six months. "Add rehab centers and stir" Hontiveros said that the Duterte government can't just use an "add rehab centers and stir" approach in its belated attempt to add a health angle to its deadly war on drugs. "It would be mechanical and tokenistic. The government might think that by simply building a mega-drug rehabilitation center and putting all the drug addicts there, it has sufficiently addressed the health needs of the drug users. Yet, what the majority of the drug users actually need are not inpatient care but outpatient healthcare interventions," Hontiveros explained. Hontiveros, who is Chair of the Senate Committee on Heath, said that only 9% of suspected drugs users who have surrendered under Oplan Tokhang were committed in rehabilitation facilities. The 91% who do not need institutionalized support went back to their communities. She said that the progress in modern drug rehabilitation and comprehensive out-patient healthcare programs guarantee that only those who are extremely addicted to illegal drugs are admitted to a drug rehabilitation facility. "The government should have heeded our appeal at the outset and mobilized resources in the funding of out-patient rehabilitation programs and community drop-in centers, as well as harm reduction capacity-building sessions for local governments, health agencies and non-government organizations. Now, much harm, which could have been prevented, has been inflicted on thousands of dead, drug dependents further cut off from health services and poor people deprived of public funds used for Tokhang instead of for social and economic programs," Hontiveros said. End the killings, best public health approach The senator said that the best public health approach now appropriate for the situation is for the government to put a stop to the extrajudicial killings. "Ending the killings and holding all those responsible for these atrocities must be done alongside the implementation of a public health agenda on the anti-drugs campaign. Failure to do so will fuel further speculations that the government not only condones the EJKs, but sanctions them, to the detriment of the people's health," Hontiveros concluded.
Press Release

December 29, 2016 Legarda: Enough Funds for Typhoon Nina Rehab Senator Loren Legarda today urged all agencies involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by Typhoon Nina to ensure that needs are met completely and quickly even as she commended the level of disaster preparedness of national agencies and local government units (LGUs). "The level of disaster preparedness has evidently improved, from forecasting, to early warning and consistent advisories, to prepositioning of goods, to forced evacuation of families in high-risk areas. All concerned agencies were prepared and were on standby even during Christmas. The quick response following the typhoon's devastation was very important as well. It is unfortunate that there are still casualties, but they are fewer considering the magnitude of devastation caused by the typhoon, and there could have been more if we were not prepared enough," said Legarda. "These disaster preparedness measures and quick response will allow the government to swiftly shift from response and relief to recovery and rehabilitation," she added. Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Climate Change and Finance, said that unearmarked funds under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund for 2016 still run up to P4.963 billion, which can be used to immediately start recovery and rehabilitation in affected areas. For 2017, the NDRRM Fund amounts to P15.755 billion. According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), to date, the government is utilizing its Quick Response Fund (QRF) and those of line agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), among others, for expenses on food and non-food items as well as immediate repair and reconstruction of vital infrastructure. "The government still has funds for 2016 which will still be carried over to 2017 and we also have a new NDRRM Fund appropriation for 2017. We urge the concerned agencies to utilize these resources immediately and efficiently. We do not want the affected population to suffer more when the government has the resources to alleviate their suffering now," the Senator said. "With the way things went before the typhoon and the way things are going now at the response and relief stage, we are optimistic that the government will also act swiftly to ensure the quick recovery of communities affected by Typhoon Nina," Legarda concluded.
When it comes to the fledgling world of self-driving cars, most of the country exists in a legal gray area that is unlikely to change in 2017.

Nine states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books that address the cars, some of which lay out clear ground rules for permits and where the cars may be operated. That leaves the majority of states with no legal framework on how to address the ambitious technology that is quickly turning into reality.

No federal laws cover self-driving cars, leading to a confusing patchwork of regulations that vary from state to state. And if a state doesnt have any laws, then its all pretty much left up to interpretation, said Kara Macek, spokeswoman for the Governors Highway Safety Association.

It is such new territory that it is accepted that (self-driving cars) can operate legally in most states without specific authorizing legislation, Macek said. The model legislation doesnt exist yet, theres nothing were holding up (as) a gold standard.

As companies race to develop autonomous vehicles, states are either rushing to keep up or relaxing regulations to attract development.

While only a handful of states have laws on the books, at least 10 host a variety of autonomous testing activities. Four  Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas  have active testing programs, but no legislation.

For now, the way these laws are interpreted is largely left up to agencies such as state departments of motor vehicles  and lighter regulation is often more attractive to companies testing nascent technology. For example, Uber resolved its recent clash with California regulators by loading its cars on a self-driving truck and sending them to Arizona, where self-driving vehicles have been made legal by executive order.

Ubers move to Arizona came the day after the California DMV revoked the registrations of Ubers self-driving cars because the ride-hailing company refused to get the appropriate permits.

While California puts the brakes on innovation and change with more bureaucracy and more regulation, Arizona is paving the way for new technology and new business, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in a statement following Ubers move to his state.

Twenty companies have permits to test their vehicles in California. They include big players such as Tesla Motors, Google and Ford, and quieter companies in the self-driving sphere, such as automakers Volkswagen and Honda and startup Zoox.

Alphabet has also capitalized on states with lighter regulations, with the exception of California, for the self-driving car unit it spun out of Google, Waymo. According to its website, it also has operations in legislation-free states like Arizona, Texas and Washington.

California has among the most stringent regulations for self-driving cars. A company must prove it has $5 million in insurance and that all test drivers are trained, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Companies must also submit detailed reports on traffic accidents and violations.

Florida, on the other hand, amended its laws this year to treat autonomous vehicles much like it would any other car  with no additional permits, licenses or approval from state or local governments required  even if there is no driver.

Michigan also loosened its regulations this year, allowing the cars to operate under certain conditions on public roadways without a person inside.

Pennsylvania  a state that has been testing autonomous vehicles for over 30 years with Carnegie Mellon University, and the first state to host Ubers self-driving car pilot program  is looking at regulations related to the testing and operation of these vehicles.

Just like any other place, they want to balance tech growth with innovation and safety, said Timothy McNulty, director of communications for the mayor of Pittsburgh.

Since 2012, at least 34 states and the District of Columbia have considered legislation related to autonomous vehicles, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Nevada was the first to do so. In 2016, more than a dozen states introduced bills on the topic  many of which failed or are still pending.

In an attempt to build a consistent framework of laws to govern self-driving cars, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have published a set of suggested model regulations, which include a 15-point safety assessment that addresses the development, testing and use of automated vehicles.

Our task at the U.S. Department of Transportation is not only to keep pace, but to ensure public safety while establishing a strong foundation such that the rules of the road can be known, understood and responded to by industry and the public, Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in a statement.

However, scrambling to regulate the emerging industry at the federal or state level may not be the answer, said Bryant Walker Smith, an assistant professor at Stanford Law School who specializes in autonomous driving.

Regulators have somehow focused on the wrong questions by putting attention on superficial laws, Smith said.

Smith said governments should instead be looking at broader issues, including the economic consequences of eliminating commercial driving jobs and how self-driving cars will share the road with non-autonomous vehicles.

But, he said, much of that is contingent on what companies develop: Its hard to legislate a specific technology that doesnt fully exist, he said.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani

Companies involved

As of Dec. 8, Californias DMV had issued Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permits to these businesses:

Volkswagen Group of America

Mercedes-Benz

Google

Delphi Automotive

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Tesla Motors

Bosch

Nissan

GM Cruise

BMW

Honda

Ford

Zoox

Drive.ai

Faraday Future

Baidu USA

Wheego Electric Cars

Valeo North America

NextEV USA

Telenav

Nvidia
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPX Corporation (NYSE:SPXC) today announced that it has completed the sale of its European Power Generation business (Balcke-Durr) to a wholly owned subsidiary of mutares AG, a German-based publicly traded industrial holding company. SPX anticipates that the transaction will qualify for discontinued operations presentation in our full-year 2016 financial statements.



The closing of the sale of Balcke-Durr marks an important milestone along our value creation roadmap and positions the company to further strengthen our focus on growth, said Gene Lowe, President and CEO. This is the latest in a series of actions that we have taken to reposition our Power segment and our company by exiting or restructuring businesses that did not have a clear path to drive shareholder value and masked our true earnings power. As we enter 2017 we remain focused on initiatives to further enhance operational performance and are increasing our efforts to drive both organic and inorganic growth within our strategic platforms.

About SPX Corporation: Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SPX Corporation is a leading supplier of highly engineered HVAC products, detection and measurement technologies and power equipment. With operations in about 20 countries, SPX Corporation had approximately $1.7 billion in annual revenue in 2015 and approximately 6,000 employees worldwide. SPX Corporation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SPXC. For more information, please visit www.spx.com.

About mutares AG: Based in Munich, Germany, mutares AG is an industrial holding company acquiring companies that are being sold in the course of a repositioning process at their owners and that show a clear operational improvement potential. Getting engaged with its own teams, mutares actively supports its portfolio companies to achieve a clear value increase. The focus of the operational work is to ensure sustainable, long-term growth. The shares of mutares AG are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MUX (ISIN: DE000A0SMSH2). For more information, please visit www.mutares.com.



Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby. Please read these results in conjunction with the company's documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's annual reports on Form 10-K, and any amendments thereto, and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. These filings identify important risk factors and other uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from these statements. The words believe, "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, estimates of future operating results are based on the company's existing operations and complement of businesses, which are subject to change.

Statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and SPX disclaims any responsibility to update or revise such statements.
Jacom Stephens/Getty Images

An 18-year-old man suffered a single gunshot wound to the head and died in what police described as an accidental shooting at a Bay Point homeless shelter.

The man, identified Thursday as Joshua Lopez-Biggs, was taken to a hospital following the shooting around 9:40 a.m. Wednesday at the Love-A-Child Missions shelter on the 2200 block of Willow Pass Road, where his mother resides, according to officials at the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office.
California Highway Patrol / California Highway Patrol

A 4-year-old boy was seriously injured Wednesday when his mother, driving drunk and speeding on Highway 101 near Healdsburg, lost control of their car in a curve, sending it tumbling down an embankment, police said.

Melissa Miller, 36, of Santa Rosa was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence, violation of probation and child endangerment following the crash that occurred just before midnight, according to the California Highway Patrol.
White House politics are rarely felt in the restaurant industry as acutely as the demand to get food to customers on time. As the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump approaches, nevertheless, many Bay Area restaurant workers and owners are anxious about the impact of the incoming administration.

In his campaign, President-elect Trump called for sweeping changes  deporting undocumented workers, repealing the Affordable Care Act, loosening regulations  that would affect local restaurateurs.

Underlying those fears are broader worries about the countrys economic health. The biggest challenge is the uncertainty of what will happen to the economy and consumer confidence, said Gwyneth Borden, director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

Chief among the concerns many restaurateurs cite is immigration: The president-elect campaigned on the promise to deport undocumented immigrants, particularly those from Mexico. Since the election, he has clarified that he will focus on expelling immigrants with criminal records.

The prospect has both workers and managers jittery. Not just in the Bay Area but nationwide, tensions are running high in our industry, said Saru Jayaraman, co-director of Restaurant Opportunities Center United, which works to secure higher wages for restaurant workers. Workers are terrified. Employers are terrified and not knowing whats going to come.

Amy Osborne/Special To The Chronicle

The Public Policy Institute of California has estimated that at least 30 percent of the population of San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties is foreign-born, and that 27 percent of California immigrants do not have proper documentation. The restaurant industry could be disproportionately affected by any crackdowns. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the hospitality and leisure industry  hotels, bars, restaurants  is the largest employer of undocumented foreign-born workers.

Lets be honest: The restaurant industry would be devastated if a lot of people have to leave, said Mitchell Rosenthal, co-owner of Town Hall, Salt House and Anchor & Hope in San Francisco. For the past several years, the Bay Area restaurant industry has been dealing with a labor crisis, exacerbated by the high cost of living, and owners have scrambled to hire dishwashers, cooks and servers at all levels. Even if you take a small percentage away, what happens? he added.

San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose are among 300 U.S. cities that have labeled themselves sanctuary cities. Yet that may not prevent deportations. There are more protections in the Bay (Area) than elsewhere, but none of those prevent federal enforcement of immigration laws, especially in restaurants, Jayaraman said. Because (restaurants) are the largest employers of undocumented immigrants, we are vulnerable in terms of a place to come and raid. Its not unheard of just because we live in the Bay Area.

The president-elects campaign statements also disparaged Muslim Americans and immigrants from Arab countries. His stance has only reaffirmed to Reem Assil, who runs a popular farmers market stand selling Arabic flatbreads, that in her work, the politics have never really been separate from the food.

Assil is opening her first restaurant, Reems California, in Oakland next spring, and said part of her mission has always been to share Arab hospitality, not just food, with a public all too familiar with negative stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims.

If a Trump presidency pushes people out of complacency, thats what needed to happen, she said. Its an opportunity for my business to engage people on this.

Another concern for Bay Area employers may be their ability to offer insurance if Trump repeals part or all of the Affordable Care Act.

Amy Osborne/Special To The Chronicle

In that regard, however, San Francisco workers may have some protection.

San Franciscos Health Care Security Ordinance, which went into effect in 2008, requires businesses with more than 20 employees who work more than eight hours a week to pay a certain amount per employee per hour toward health care expenses. Spending could be in the form of insurance benefits or a health care savings plan. In addition, residents of the city who make up to $54,000 a year are eligible for Healthy SF, which subsidizes much of their health care.

My understanding is that the Health Care Security Ordinance is stand-alone  not built on or dependent on the Affordable Care Act, said Pat Mulligan, director of the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement. It should remain unchanged regardless.

Yet Borden cautioned that employers who have been applying their set-aside funds to buy insurance policies through the state exchange may no longer be able to afford premiums on the open market, and may have to switch to the savings accounts.

Amy Osborne/Special To The Chronicle

Weeks before the inauguration, its still difficult to foretell the full effect of the administration and the Republican-dominated Congress on the food industry. Trumps antiregulation stance may be felt in loosened food safety, environmental and labor laws, some of which may benefit the owners of food businesses.

For instance, this fall the Obama administration issued a rule extending overtime pay to salaried workers making less than $47,476, which a Texas district court judge blocked in November. Trump, who has criticized the law, may make the temporary injunction permanent. (The difference for California employers would be minimal, since the overtime threshold rises to $43,680 on Sunday, along with the state minimum wage.)

Obviously, one of the things that Trump has been saying is that hes very pro state and local (rights), Borden said. Minimum wage wont change for us, no matter what he does. Our health care law wont change for us. All of those things will be in place, and in fact, it might push our legislators to do more.

Many restaurateurs, as well as their staffs, say theyre taking a wait-and-see approach.

As Santiago Rodriguez, owner of Frjtz in the Mission, asserted, the rapidly rising costs of doing business in San Francisco are a bigger threat to most restaurants than politicians. If a butterfly flaps their wings in Washington, it is going to take a while for that effect to come here, he said.

Jonathan Kauffman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jkauffman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jonkauffman
He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Solano County, but investigators found no alcohol or drugs in his system.

Fairfield resident Joseph Schwab, 36 did test positive for one substance: caffeine.

Prosecutors kept his DUI charge intact for more than a year after his arrest, insisting he had to have been under the influence of some other drug that didnt show up in the test, based on a police officer who said he weaved in and out of traffic and almost caused several collisions. Police also said he failed sobriety tests at the scene.

The Solano County District Attorneys Office dropped the DUI charge against Schwab Wednesday, some 16 months after he was pulled over on Interstate 680 driving north in August 2015.

Without a confirmatory test of the specific drug in the defendants system that impaired his ability to drive, we do not believe we can prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt, said Krishna Abrams, the district attorney, in a written statement.

Abrams insisted the case was never about caffeine, and she insisted that Schwab had to have been under the influence of another drug that didnt show up in the test. Not all drugs do under standard rounds of testing.

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.

Police said they found a slew of workout powders inside Schwabs car, but all were legal.

Prosecutors havent dropped a second charge of reckless driving, a misdemeanor, against Schwab, for which hell proceed to trial Jan. 11.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley
Ron Chapple/Getty Images

A woman living in San Franciscos Bayview neighborhood was shot in the face early Friday as she answered her door, police said.

A male who appeared to be between 15 and 18 years old knocked on the door of the victims home near the intersection of Northridge and Harbor roads about 12:50 a.m., officials said.
Well, this year was no fun, was it?

Were ending 2016 exhausted from a year of bizarre setbacks in public life  our ideals of equality and decency are in tatters; our favorite cultural figures have been vaporized. No two ways about it: 2016 was a brutal year, and as I stare down the barrel of 2017, there arent any good times on the horizon.

But a New Years column calls for some form of optimism, even if its just a new way to confront what lies ahead of us. Considering the need to pace ourselves  my editor pointed out that were not just looking at one more difficult year ahead, but four  Ive been thinking a lot about preparation strategies.

Heres my psychological plan for 2017. Email me yours, and Ill share the best replies next week.

Talk to people who have been here before: If youve been living your best life in the Bay Area, you should have met people here who fled less-than-stellar situations in other parts of the world. If you havent met any yet, its time to start expanding your social circle.

You do get used to crazy leaders after a while, my South African friend Chris told me. But the transition period is always rough. Thats probably why I do a lot of sport.

Id rather not learn to shrug things off the way he has, but that helped me understand why I was feeling so anxious.

Ive also been thinking a lot about something that Carlos Baron, the Missions multitalented theater director and El Tecolote columnist, told me about life in Chile under Pinochet.

Watch what happens in peoples personal relationships, he said. When people get fearful, intimacy gets harder.

Meanwhile, I got the best advice from a France-raised friend who spent years doing development work in central African countries.

The principles are always the same, he told me. Follow the money. Use honest language. Protect the vulnerable. Dont fall into fear.

To that last point:

Reduce the time I spend online: This is a hard one for me. Its hard for professional reasons, and its hard because of the fact that, well, I love tooling around on social media and streaming movies and all the rest of it. Its entertaining, diverting, and sometimes its the conduit to great experiences.

But Im cutting back. My plan is to start with an hour less per day, and work my way up to regular spells of radio silence. The reason for this is not because Im worried about surveillance and data mining and hacking, although I am quite worried about those things.

Its because the more time I spend online, the more anxious and alone I feel  and Ive got to fight both of those tendencies in the new year. Otherwise, Ill be of no use to myself or to others. So there will be fewer tweets and more time to meet people for tea. Its not a bad trade-off.

Be diligent about small, persistent acts of resistance: I heard from two types of people after the election.

One of them told me, I cant do anything. I just want to hide under a blanket.

The other told me, Ive been signing petitions and making phone calls nonstop, and now Im ready to collapse. Also, David Bowie is still dead.

Sadly, I have no solution to Bowies death, or to the deaths of so many this year who stood for radical acceptance and aesthetic excellence. We are left with the dregs, in every way you can imagine.

So instead of hiding, or burning ourselves out, we have to rebuild the foundations. That means we have to act in measured, sustainable ways. Every day, pick one action you can do, depending on your skills and your temperament. Sign one petition. Go to one meeting. Make one phone call. Create one drawing. Talk to one new person in your neighborhood.

Be diligent about play: Over the holidays, I stepped away from the news entirely. On Christmas Day, I helped my mother cook a big dinner. I was in a good mood  probably because Id stepped away from the news  and I was pretty cheerful when she asked me to crack a large bag of crab legs that were sitting in the sink.

I thrust my hands into the bag, grabbed handfuls of ice-cold crab legs, and jumped in surprise, as if an electric current had shot through me. The room was full of people I love, and all of them started laughing when they saw me take flight. When they were finished laughing, they all came over to hug me, and as I looked at their shining, happy faces, I remembered why I need to stay optimistic for what we can all do in the new year.

Caille Millner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cmillner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @caillemillner
DENVER  The older brother of JonBenet Ramsey is suing CBS and others for $750 million, saying his reputation was ruined after a television series that concluded he killed his 6-year-old sister two decades ago.

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Burke Ramsey claims that the network, its production company and the experts interviewed in the series on the unsolved slaying conspired to defame him for publicity and profit. The series, called The Case of JonBenet Ramsey, aired in September ahead of the 20th anniversary of JonBenets death.
An unknown number of diplomats in San Franciscos busy Russian Consulate were among the 35 Russian government personnel who were banned from the U.S. by President Obama on Thursday and given 72 hours to leave the country.

All the expulsions were technically in response to what a State Department briefing paper described as harassment of U.S. diplomats in Russia that has gone far beyond international diplomatic norms of behavior. But the persona non grata designations were announced at the same time that the Obama administration slapped tough new sanctions against Russia for cyberattacks U.S. government officials said were intended to influence the (2016) election.

Russias brazen assault on our elections demands the strongest response from the administration and the Congress, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said in a statement Thursday. President Obama has taken action to punish Russia for its outrageous conduct, now Congress must meet its responsibility to respond to this threat. The American people deserve to know their leaders will not tolerate Russias meddling in our democracy.

There are other Russian consulates in Houston, Seattle and New York City, but the only expulsions were from the local consulate and the embassy in Washington, D.C. While the State Department announcement was careful to separate the ousters from the sanctions linked to the cyberattacks, it likely isnt a coincidence that the diplomats sent packing come from the Russian consulate closest to the high-tech Silicon Valley.

The State Department didnt immediately identify the diplomats being expelled or say how many were working in San Francisco. All 35, department officials said, were acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status, which is political-speak for spying.

Complaints about the harassment of American diplomats in Russia have been growing for years, with U.S. officials suggesting that the behavior is a none-too-covert response to Western sanctions after Russias 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea and its military efforts in and around the former Soviet state.

We remain troubled by the way our diplomatic and consular staff (in Russia) have been treated over the past two years. We have raised our concerns at the highest level, Elizabeth Trudeau, a State Department spokeswoman, told reporters in June.

Former Ambassador Michael McFaul told the Washington Post that he was hounded by government-paid protesters and that his children were followed to school, with little or no effort to disguise the surveillance.

There have been other reports that Russian security agents have broken into the homes of American diplomats and, in one case, reportedly killed the dog of a defense attache during a break-in.

Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the concerns with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in March, Trudeau said.

We see an increase (in harassment), and we take it seriously, she said.

Despite the Obama administrations announcement, it appeared to be business as usual Thursday afternoon at the Russian Consulate in San Francisco.

The six-story building at the corner of Green and Baker streets in Pacific Heights had a Russian flag on the roof flying at half-staff in a salute to the 92 people, including members of the Red Army Choir, who died Sunday when a Defense Ministry passenger jet crashed into the Black Sea on its way to a New Years concert at a Russian base in Syria.

Flowers and candles lined a white, wrought iron fence bordering the property, in a spontaneous memorial to the victims of the crash.

Vitaly Telely, 28, of Sacramento, who moved to the United States when he was 11, was visiting the consulate Thursday to process his Russian passport. The consulate was operating the way it always does, he said.

Standing outside the building, Telely said he hadnt heard about the expulsions or the sanctions Obama had imposed.

I guess Ill read about it when I get home, he said.

Olga Chervyakova of San Jose was at the consulate with her mother, who needed help with passport issues.

I think we should be friends, she said. While were in America, we should learn from each other.

Asked about cyberattack allegations, Chervyakova shrugged. I dont believe gossip, she said. Give me the facts.

Few others were willing to talk to the reporters gathered outside the consulate, a choice backed by consulate officials.

We would ask you to please leave, said a voice from a speaker on the consulates fence as a reporter attempted to interview someone exiting the building.

When the reporter tried to pose a question to the voice on the other end of the speaker about the announced bans, he was quickly cut off.

Excuse me, sir, have you just heard what I told? No comment. Please leave this territory, the voice said.

Evan Sernoffsky and John Wildermuth are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @evansernoffsky @jfwildermuth
He was one of the labor movements most important figures, but was he a Communist?

The Chronicles front page from Dec. 30, 1939, covers the culmination of one of the deportation cases against San Francisco labor leader Harry Bridges.

James M. Landis, Harvard Law School dean, acting as a special Labor Department examiner, submitted to Secretary (Frances) Perkins today a finding that Harry Bridges, West Coast CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations) leader, is neither a member nor affiliated with the Communist party, the story read.

Bridges was an Australian-born union man who was one of the forces behind the 1934 San Francisco General Strike, which helped lead to the unionization of all the West Coast ports. Bloody Thursday, one of the defining events of the labor movement, came a few months after the walkouts start, with police and longshoremen clashing in broad daylight.

Two strikers were killed. Riots followed.

Bridges became a powerful figure in the International Longshoremens Association and the leader of the newly formed International Longshore and Warehouse Union. He would hold sway for decades in the city, and the U.S. government would try to force him from the country on multiple occasions, including through the 1939 case.

Bridges response to this days victory was printed on the front page:

Naturally, I am very happy tonight to learn that after a fair hearing this constant charge of membership in the Communist party has been cleared up and that Dean Landis has not recommended deportation from a country I happen to want to live in just as much as those luckily born here.

I intend to continue to do whatever I can to improve the condition of the working class in this country, and I hope that now this red herring has been worn out by its frequent dragging across the trail.

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 highlighting one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken and producers Kimberly Chua, Alexandra Irving and Jillian Sullivan contributed to the project. Tim ORourke is the executive producer and editor of SFChronicle.com. Email: torourke@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TimothyORourke

(Click to enlarge)




English French

Bezons, on December 30, 2016

Atos SE held today a Combined General Meeting chaired by Mr. Thierry Breton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, with a participation rate of 67%.

All resolutions submitted by the Board of Directors were approved by a very large majority.

In particular, the shareholders approved, by a 99.99% majority vote, the first resolution on the Group's main strategic guidelines for the 2017-2019 period, which had been presented at the "Investor Day" of November 8, 2016. These guidelines aim at accompanying the Group's customers in their digital transformation within a secured cyberspace, to consolidate Atos' leadership in Infrastructure & Data Management and capitalize on the Group's unique offers in Big data, Cyber Security, payments and Business & Platform Solutions, to support a solid growth for the next 3 years.

In that context, the General Meeting renewed the term of office as Director of Mr. Thierry Breton for 3 years. By anticipation of the new law "Sapin 2" on pre-approval of CEO's compensation policies, Atos SE's shareholders also approved the features and criteria of Mr. Thierry Breton's yearly compensation, in his capacity as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, for the next three years.

The Board of directors, which met after the General Meeting, was pleased with the strong shareholders' attendance rate at the meeting, and on the basis of the General Meeting's decisions, decided to renew Mr. Thierry Breton as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for the duration of his mandate as Director.

Finally, the General Meeting approved the modifications of the articles of association aiming at raising the age limit for the exercise of the office of Chief Executive Officer at 75 years old, and the age limit for the exercise of the office of Chairman of the Board of directors at 80 years old.

The voting results of the Combined General Meeting are detailed on Atos website

(Voting results).

_________

About Atos

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital transformation with circa 100,000 employees in 72 countries and pro forma annual revenue of circa  12 billion. Serving a global client base, the Group is the European leader in Big Data, Cybersecurity, Digital Workplace and provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, the Group supports the digital transformation of its clients across different business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline.

Contact

For more information, please contact:

Press : Sylvie Raybaud Ph +33 6 95 91 96 71

sylvie.raybaud@atos.net

Investors Relations : Gilles Arditti Ph +33 1 73 26 00 66

gilles.arditti@atos.net
Paola, 23, came to California for the first time this fall. A native of Mexico City and a pot smoker since she was 15, she worked for 12 weeks as a trimmer in Californias multibillion-dollar-a-year marijuana industry  even more legal now after the passage of Proposition 64. But still illegal by federal law.

With a pair of high-tech shears and wearing black, latex gloves to protect her fingers from injury, Paola removed the tiny green leaves from the dried cannabis flowers that would be sold at the BASA Collective, a licensed dispensary on Grove Street in San Francisco. Lemon Drop, Black Bar and Gorilla Glue Grand Daddy Purple were some of the brand names.

Paola and her compatriots worked in a large, anonymous warehouse with cement floors and overhead lighting, six days a week, 12 hours a day, from September to December. In the upstairs kitchen, Gaston, an Argentine, cooked delicious meals  roast pork, fried plantains, rice and beans, and lettuce and tomatoes. No one went hungry, and there was barbecue on weekends.

They made between $150 and $300 a day, depending on how much marijuana they processed. Paid in cash on Fridays, they whooped it up.

Known as trimmigrants because theyve immigrated from other countries, they belong to a global culture of marijuana, though in every country local customs obtain. In Mexico, pot is often called mota. In Jamaica, its ganja. In Europe, its usually mixed with tobacco. In Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, India, they smoke it in a clay pipe.

If John Steinbeck were alive, hed probably add a chapter about the trimmigrants to his epic novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Indeed, the Joad family who flees the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma for sunny California would recognize them as kinfolk. Like Tom and Ma Joad, the trimmigrants embody a quiet dignity. Moreover, theyre largely invisible and underappreciated, even by marijuana connoisseurs.

Fred Krissman keeps an eye on them from his perch in the anthropology department at Humboldt State University. They come for the experience as well as for the American dollar, he said. Theyre part of the worldwide vagabond movement. Friendly, warm, spiritual and open, theyre often like the hippies of the 1960s. Older people sometimes view them as naive.

Indeed, Rosalia, who was 24 and from Vera Cruz, Mexico, sounded like she had come straight from Woodstock. Paz y amor (peace and love), she chirped.

No one seems to know who coined the word trimmigrant. Moreover, while no one has measured the total number of pounds they process, marijuana-industry observers like Krissman say they play an indispensable role in the industry. My own experience tells me thats true.

I have known about the trimmers since 2011, when High Times published my book, Marijuanaland: Dispatches from an American War. After a book-signing in Sebastopol, a woman introduced herself as Snippy Bitch and explained that she manicured marijuana flowers or buds and made enough money in four months to support herself for 12 months. Then, earlier this year, while researching a story about Prop. 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, I met a group of newly arrived trimmigrants on a large pot farm.

The youngest trimmigrant was 23, the oldest 43. Most of them had been smoking porros, or joints, since their teens. They were eager to get to work on the crop, which had already been harvested, dried and cured.

The job of the trimmers was to remove nearly all the small, green leaves, and even the trace of a stem until the buds looked almost unreal and artificial. It was snip, snip and snip again.

The manicured buds were weighed on a scale and the weight (in grams) was recorded in a large binder under each individuals name. (It takes 453.592 grams to make a pound. That meant hundreds if not thousands of repetitive motions with sharp scissors that had spring action.) The supervisors, both Anglos and Latinos, kept a close eye on the process, and when grams seemed to go missing they complained.

Each trimmer had his, or her, own method. Some stood, others sat. One or two kept to themselves; others joined a circle. The Mexican women clustered; the Argentines sat side by side. A young married couple kept one another company. The trimmers listened to recorded music: to cumbia, which originated in Colombia, and to reggae, too.

One thing about this job is that you learn to respect other peoples music, the DJ/ trimmer told me. Its not always your music thats playing.

The trimmigrants lived in tents not far from the warehouse. The tents were state-of-the-art, but living in a comfortable tent gets old quickly even for veteran backpackers, especially when its 40 degrees at night and it rains heavily for days. Next year, there would be a bunkhouse if everything went according to plan  a vast improvement.

The finished buds contained almost pure THC; one puff was enough to get a smoker stoned instantly, though most of the trimmers appeared to be more focused and less distracted when they were stoned than when they were straight.

The finished product was placed in plastic bags, then sealed, stored in large, airtight containers and transported by truck to San Francisco.

The trimmers were not peasants or the poorest of the poor in their own countries. They were well educated and came from urban, middle-class families. They were also far more seasoned travelers than the hipsters from Brooklyn, N.Y., who arrive in Northern California hoping to find employment and go home with tales from the marijuana frontier.

Curiously, Natasha from Mexico City didnt smoke marijuana; it made her paranoid. An environmentalist, she taught chemistry and biology and worried about global warming and endangered species. She planned to use her hard-earned cash to rock climb in Yosemite and hike in Sequoia national parks.

Carlos, a young Colombian and the spitting image of Jimi Hendrix, explained that his Bogota family would have supported him. Marijuana enables me to be independent of my parents, he said.

Idealistic and a dreamer, he was happy that Colombia had legalized both marijuana and same-sex marriage and that the government had finally reached a peace accord with the guerrillas after years of fighting.

The Swedes  Magnus, Mimi and Oscar  hoped to make enough money to buy a van that they would drive to music festivals around Stockholm where they would sell fruit juices and raw foods. Theres a large middle class in Sweden with disposable income, and theres a niche for us, Magnus said. By the time I met him and his companions, they had already worked briefly in Humboldt County.

I was sitting on the sidewalk in Garberville with a sign that said, Trimmigrant and a man stopped in a pickup truck and shouted, get in, Mimi explained. With a smile, she added, I didnt. In an old Volvo, she and Oscar drove to Santa Cruz, where they found work and kindly souls.

Magnus wrote to his parents, Im learning the value of money, and Im meeting people who hope to make their fortunes. Everything, from the trees to the trucks, is so big here. I imagine what it was like for the 49ers who came for gold. I call whats happening here The Cannabis Rush.

Paola and Rosalia, who carried all their belonging in their backpacks, wanted to make enough money to continue their adventure.

Margarita grew up in Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, and as a young woman wandered from the straight-and-narrow and got into trouble. Working as a trimmigrant for three months provided the cash for her and her son to live comfortably for a year, though it wasnt easy money. Trimming 12 hours a day, six days a week for a season took its toll on body and soul. Its not a healthy lifestyle, she said.

Erika from Bavaria, Germany, was probably the most environmentally aware of the trimmigrants I met. Marijuana sucks a lot out from the Earth, she said. A lot of people grow it and dont give back. Thats not good. She added, Im not that much of a smoker, and Im not that crazy about trimming because its repetitive, and the brain just turns off. The best thing to do is treat it as meditation.

The trimmigrants faced long journeys by bus, train and air before they would arrive home for the holidays. I only had a few miles from the warehouse to reach my house, though in many ways I felt I had been in another country where English was the second language and the citizens came from around the world. Would I ever see them again? Perhaps not.

Still, I knew that I would not forget them, and I liked to think they would not forget me. Mi casa es su casa, Margarita said, and I felt she meant it.

All of us had come a long way in a short season. Natalie, a fashion designer from Mexico City, said, Weve known what to share with others and what not to share. Weve watched one anothers backs.

No one had been arrested, and the crop had not been confiscated by cops or stolen by thieves, both real possibilities. The farmer who supervised the field work told me, Its been a steep learning curve for us all, but Id say that this has been a very successful season. A San Francisco pot smoker who bought an ounce of the weed that had been processed by the trimmigrants raved about the buds. Theyre beautiful, she said. Theyre works of art. You can tell somebody cared.

Jonah Raskin has reported on marijuana in Northern California since 1979. He shares story credit for the marijuana movie, Homegrown, and has written books about Jack London, Allen Ginsberg and Abbie Hoffman. To comment, submit your letter to the editor http://bit.ly/SFChronicleletters.
President Obama is dishing out both retribution and a challenge in responding to reports that Russia interfered with the presidential election.

The payback is a much-needed slap at Russian President Vladimir Putins provocative conduct.

Its also a test to see whether President-elect Donald Trump will finally wake up to reality.

The diplomatic measures call for ejecting 35 Russian officials in this country, including a number at the San Francisco consulate, who have 72 hours to leave. In addition, the presidential directive sanctions top intelligence officials and agencies believed responsible for the computer break-ins.

The decision has its origins in the presidential campaign when private computer records at the Democratic National Committee were hacked and made public. The results unsettled and embarrassed the team working for Hillary Clinton when the confidential emails surfaced. Russian teams were suspected soon after, but a response was delayed while the White House mulled its options.

The sanctions and ejections may be mostly for public effect. Its hard to see how Moscow-based intelligence officials can be harmed by U.S. bans on travel or banking. But other, less visible responses could be in the offing with U.S. security agencies taking covert steps. These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russias aggressive activities, Obama said.

The White House is promising more details on the intrusions attributed to Russian efforts. Until now, releasing the evidence was caught up in a debate over divulging sources and methods. The public deserves a chance to hear the allegations at greater length, and other countries should get a full look at Russias handiwork.

While the sanctions and expulsions take aim at Putin, they also draw in Trump, whos spoken about his admiration for the Russian leader. After taking office next month, Trump will have the choice of maintaining the sanctions or dropping them.

Trumps reaction to the sanctions was terse, tepid  and troubling. He suggested it was time to move on to bigger and better things, as if foreign meddling in a U.S. election wasnt a serious concern. Brushing off the problem puts him at odds with U.S. intelligence agencies, which collected the data on Russian intrusions, and also with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress in pushing for a public investigation of the issue.

By building a case now and taking action, Obama is placing the issue on Trumps White House desk. Perhaps when the president-elect will grasp the gravity of the situation when he gets an intelligence briefing on the cyberattacks next week. Perhaps he might recognize that a foreign power that tried to sabotage his opponent is not acting in Americas interest.
Now that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that his closest political and philosophical ally is President-elect Donald Trump, progressive supporters of Israel must acknowledge that Netanyahu does not share their values. To protest the Netanyahu regimes illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and inhumane treatment of Palestinian people is not to oppose Israel, any more than protesting Trumps racism and misogyny is to oppose the United States.

Clyde Leland, Berkeley

The Jerusalem solution

Whereas Jerusalem is claimed by the three Abrahamic religions and by two Semitic people, perhaps we assign it as an international city. Owned by no one but by everyone. Freely used by those who live there, those who worship there, those who visit there. To me it seems a loving solution to a currently hateful dispute.

Richard Kane, Oakland

Trumps disturbing signal

President-elect Donald Trumps nomination of David Friedman as U.S. ambassador to Israel demonstrates an abandonment of the Americans position in support of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. The only option left for the U.N. to stop the Jewish settlements and stop the Israeli occupation of the Palestinians is for the U.N. General Assembly and/or the Security Council to seriously support economic sanctions against Israel, boycotts of Israeli products and the restriction of travel visas to Israeli citizens.

Donald Dinelli, Oakland
I recently left the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. As I packed my desk to return to Silicon Valley, I heard from scientists working with federal government data who were scrambling to create off-site copies of critical data about Earth and its changing climate. I heard from colleagues in state and local governments, academia and nonprofits who were panicking because they are uncertain whether collecting data about our changing environment  which is used for planning  could be stopped by the Trump administration and access to the data shut down. The threat is real.

The George W. Bush administration tried to shut down the Environmental Protection Agency library system and, in Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to silence scientists and limit access to key data sets.

One member of President-elect Donald Trumps transition team already has suggested that NASA should stop work on monitoring our own planet and just focus on deep space exploration. In response, Gov. Jerry Brown told the American Geophysical Unions annual meeting: If Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch its own damn satellite. His speech went viral.

Unfortunately, California cannot do this alone. It will take a combined effort of private and public partnerships, including, I hope, the federal government under the new administration, to ensure that we have the data we need to plan for what is coming with changes in our climate and environment in many places around the world, including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., and Manhattan, two places I imagine the president-elect will be paying close attention to.

Just as oil fueled the Industrial Revolution, data are fueling a Digital Revolution, which is transforming how society manages everything from health, to energy, water quality, food production, infrastructure, and coping with natural disasters. Our ability to collect data and produce actionable information is crucial for critical sectors of our economy.

More importantly, data from observations of Earth captured from space and sensors on the ground are all too often, quite literally, a matter of life and death, particularly during extreme events.

So far, however, Trumps transition team has almost exclusively tied discussion of Earth science data to the politically charged issue of climate change. Earth data are too vital to be subsumed by debates about climate change, no matter what we think about those debates. We cannot afford to have this essential information threatened by political rhetoric.

There is some hope: Recognizing booming business opportunities, the private sector is expanding into the Earth observation space. Companies such as Planet Labs are making satellites the size of toaster ovens that are capturing images of Earth at a fraction of the price of traditional satellites. Companies such as Descartes Labs and Carto are enabling the transformation of this Earth observation data into information products to support agriculture, transportation and construction. And companies such as Esri, Google, Amazon and Microsoft are creating portals to enhance access to Earth observation data.

It is heartening to see business pitching in, but the private sector alone cannot supply all of the data we need to ensure that our clean air, water and food security are protected, and we can respond to floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. The market cannot fully monetize the value that these data have for our survival. Nonprofit organizations such as the World Resources Institute are helping to fill this gap, but the federal government must continue to play a central role.

I hope that President Trump takes a deep breath when he gets into the Oval Office, and remembers that information is power in governance as in business.

For the health and safety of Americans, and people around the world, business and government must continue to work together to develop an efficient and resilient Earth and climate information system insulated from the vagaries of politics.
Joe Rosenthal, The Chronicle

San Franciscans feeling too depressed to celebrate at the end of a rough 2016 should take a look at 1906 and 1941 for some perspective.

San Francisco will say good-by to the old year tonight  with no regrets, The Chronicles 1941 editorial began, just weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. (The city) will let the new year into its life quietly, as you would let into your house a messenger whose message is unknown and uncertain.
Mike Fishman arrives at the table with a bowl piled high with pelmeni. These juicy, pork-filled Russian dumplings fall somewhere between a wonton and tortellini; you eat them either in broth or dipped in white vinegar or sour cream. Here, at the Inner Richmonds Cinderella Bakery, theyre worthy rivals to the famous xiao long bao at Shanghai Dumpling King a few dozen avenues west.

The pelmeni join a table already laden with other Russian foods. There are zakuski, little snacks such as salt-cured cucumbers and fermented tomatoes, meant to whet the appetite while drinking. There are beet-red bowls of warm borscht anointed with a dollop of sour cream; thin, crepe-like blini smeared thickly with sour cream and fish eggs; and baked piroshki, shiny with egg wash and bursting with fillings of mushrooms, caramelized onions and shredded cabbage.

Everything is washed down with glasses of kvass, a sweet, mildly alcoholic beverage made from fermented dark bread, kombucha-like in its flavor and effervescence.

This would be an epic meal in many circumstances, but today, its just lunch. "This is a typical Russian meal," says restaurateur Boris Nemchenok, 36, who is showing me around the neighborhood. It was always hard as a kid growing up and staying overnight at my American friends houses. Breakfast would be, like, scrambled eggs. And Id be used to a feast.

After his family immigrated from the Soviet Union in 1982 when he was three years old, Nemchenok grew up in the Russian community that still thrives in the Richmond District. Now hes a managing partner and director of operations at the Italian restaurant Fiorella, which opened last year on Clement Street not far from where he went to grade school. His family still lives in the Avenues, though now across the park in the Sunset. Cinderella Bakerys Fishman, another Russian emigre, is Nemchenoks cousin by marriage.

Russians have been in San Francisco since before the Gold Rush  those early explorers, fur traders, merchants and holdouts from the North Coasts Fort Ross were buried in a small cemetery on whats now named Russian Hill. But the community swelled in the 20th century as waves of Russians immigrated to the United States in the wake of the political upheavals of the Bolshevik Revolution, World War II, perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Many went to New York, but some landed in San Francisco on recommendations from friends and family members who had already made the journey.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Theyre still following those well-worn trails today. In the Richmond, Russian immigrants old and new still shop in their communitys stores, attend the Orthodox churches and Jewish temples, and eat in the restaurants that remain.

You can put together a makeshift feast from the a la carte menus at places like Cinderella, Red Tavern and Katias Russian Tea Room  though Katia Troosh, who operates her namesake restaurant, hints that retirement may be close. In that scenario, the city would lose one of its most reliable sources for blini, pelmeni and lavish Russian desserts.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

At these restaurants, the real action is often in back banquet rooms, where a mostly Russian crowd gathers for meals that span several courses and hours. Russians love banquets. They all want to eat family-style like the Chinese or the Italians, says Irina Litvak, who co-owns Red Tavern and immigrated from Russia herself in 1988. Its very much a traditional Russian thing to eat while you sit at the table and talk and talk and talk.

All the usual suspects are present on these tables: pelmeni, piroshki, smoked fish, pickled vegetables and herring with onions, all consumed with wine, vodka or Russian beer. At $45 to $65 per person, the feasts are not an everyday indulgence, but theyre more affordable than most prix-fixe menus around town, and can be a nice break from the self-seriousness that so often accompanies farm-to-table dining.

These pickles and cabbage dishes, especially the ones that came out of the Soviet years, can initially strike you as examples of a cuisine born of poverty and an unforgiving climate. But as you look deeper, you start to see the fingerprints of Russias neighbors. Dumplings like pelmeni speak to the Asian influences, while dishes like shashlik, a take on shish kebab, comes from neighbors on the Middle Eastern side.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Some of the best shashlik, Nemchenok says, is at Royal Market on Geary and 18th Avenue, a wonderful Russian-Armenian market stocked with all manner of tinned sturgeon, thick Russian yogurt, frozen pelmeni, tubs of red caviar, three-ounce jugs of kvass and the only beverage case Ive ever seen devoted to vodka.

While I browse the aisles, Nemchenok orders at the deli case in Russian, and we walk away with pork, chicken and lamb shashlik, hunks of marinated meat. We also try a trio of popular Russian salads: traditional dill-heavy potato, sesame seed-flecked seaweed and Korean-inflected carrot and raisin.

Its time for our last stop of the day: Nemchenoks mothers house in the Inner Sunset for a Russian tea ceremony, another important, feast-like ritual. When we arrive, Frina Nemchenok has laid out a beautiful, elaborate table with traditional homemade pastries, led by Napoleon, a dreamy cake layering cream and flaky pastry (Boris Nemchenoks birthday request for most of his childhood). There is also apple pirog, a sweet cake with apple slices baked into it, and vatrushka, a sheet of baked cottage cheese with a whisper of lemon zest.

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We drink strong Russian tea out of glass teacups that sit in intricate metal holders, similar to the ones the Nemchenok family left behind in the Soviet Union  they were only allowed four suitcases between them, and had to leave most valuables behind. Frina also serves housemade sour-plum and strawberry preserves in little saucers. The jam doesnt go in the tea or on the cakes. You sip the tea, then take a nip from a small spoon, she explains. They work together so well that you wonder why this tradition hasnt made its way out of Russia.

Frinas story is like those of most immigrants: At first she was taken aback by the abundance of America, especially at the supermarket, where you could not only buy chicken at any time of day but also buy individually wrapped pieces of it. And then there was a certain dessert America does best. We never saw so much ice cream, she says. From the beginning, we were buying this ice cream like crazy.

It took her a while to get used to San Franciscos relatively empty streets, as well as to American culinary innovations that didnt go over so well, like Wonderbread and pasteurized milk, which she found difficult to turn into yogurt. Frina had been a food chemist in the Soviet Union but had to work behind the counter in a Russian food shop for a few years in S.F. before landing a job as a food chemist at Guittard, from which she just retired last year.

In many ways, her sons story follows the second-generation immigrant experience, too. He grew up speaking Russian as well as English, but doesnt have a trace of his mothers accent. As hes gotten older, hes moved away from the neighborhood (albeit not far, to Potrero Hill). And he says that rising housing costs have caused the same shift with most of his generation. Most people my age stuck around the Bay Area but moved away from the Richmond, he says.

One day, he hopes to maybe open a Russian restaurant, but for now, its Italian, following a business model that proved successful at his other restaurant, Uva Enoteca in the Lower Haight. With its thin-crust pizza and hip wallpaper depicting Bay Area figures like Alice Waters and E-40, the buzzy Fiorella is an example of the new Richmond District, where the average home price is $1.5 million and more upscale businesses are moving in to cater to that clientele.

Nemchenok is grateful to be a bridge between new and old worlds.

This is where I grew up, this is where I went to school, where I did it all. I wanted to bring something to the neighborhood that served me so well, he says. And its nice to see my mom's friends randomly walking down Clement Street. Its nice to say hi.

Anna Roth is a freelance writer. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annaroth
A ferociously resilient bobcat rescued by a Good Samaritan after being hit by a car and left for dead in western Marin County was released back into the wild Thursday near the spot where she nearly lost her life.

After several moments of hesitation, the cranky female feline tore off into the tall grass near Nicasio Valley Reservoir, fully recovered nearly six weeks after her regrettable encounter with a motor vehicle.

The juvenile cat, unconscious, was brought Nov. 16 to WildCare in San Rafael, where she promptly came to and went about proving she still had some life in her.

Oh, this is a very cranky animal, said Alison Hermance, spokeswoman for WildCare, a nonprofit that treats almost 4,000 wild animals a year. When you are in a room with a bobcat and she starts growling and snarling and hissing, every hackle on your body goes up, and you know thats a predator. Shes so menacing. Shes wonderful.

The ordeal began that Friday night when the bobcat apparently tried to cross Nicasio Valley Road. Cory Simon, 33, of Nicasio spotted the cat in the middle of the southbound lane as he drove home after having dinner with his sister in Petaluma following his shift in the tasting room at Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena.

It was clearly freshly hit, said Simon, who drove over what he thought was a carcass, but did not hit it with his wheels. I noticed something was weird, so I turned around and put my lights on it. I saw it take a breath.

Simon took off his white dress shirt and scooped up the animal, which he thought was a house cat until he saw its sinewy muscles and distinctive bobtail. It had blood coming out of its nose and a badly swollen eye, but did not appear to have any internal injuries, he said.

It was borderline unconscious when I picked it up, and it began to purr  more like a very light rumble  when I petted it, Simon said. It was pretty cool. You dont really get to handle wildlife often. How often do you get to handle a bobcat?

Simon placed the bobcat on his passenger seat and turned on the seat heater to try to warm it up as he drove home. Animal care workers with the Marin Humane Society met him within 20 minutes of his call.

I like cats, and Im a huge nature lover, Simon said. But I come from a family thats hunted quite a bit, so Ive dealt with death. There was no surrealism. It was just, this is an animal that needs help, so I helped it.

The cat, which weighs only 7 pounds, was treated for head trauma, a severely damaged right eye, a broken left foot, and numerous cuts and abrasions at the WildCare trauma center, where she was given the prosaic name No. 1722. Veterinarians were thankful there were no skull or pelvis fractures.

The bobcat was in intensive care for about a week and recuperated at Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma, where she spent the bulk of her time growling angrily and lunging, claws out, at her handlers.

Shes a small bobcat, not much bigger than a real house cat, said Hermance, who believes the cat is between 6 and 9 months old. Shes made a full recovery, and you can tell she can see out of the eye, which is tracking properly.

Late Thursday afternoon came No. 1722s big moment. Brittany Morse, the WildCare clinics manager, placed a cage with the bobcat in it in a grassy field, then opened the door.

For several minutes, the animal just growled. Then suddenly, she bolted out, veered left toward the assembled onlookers, darted right and took off at top bobcat speed into the tall brush.

Oh my God, Hermance said.

Bobcats are the most common wildcat in North America. The predators, which are larger than house cats and smaller than the lynx, are named for their short, bobbed tail.

They mainly hunt rabbits, but also eat rodents, birds and young pigs or other mammals. There are between 725,000 and 1 million bobcats in the wild in North America, but nobody really knows how many there are in California. The states rough estimate is 70,000.

The biggest threat to bobcats is the fact that their beige coats, which often contain dark brown spots or lines, are valuable overseas. Trappers once killed as many as 1,500 bobcats a year in California to satisfy the Chinese and Russian desire for the lush pelts, which sell for as much as $2,100 apiece, according to wildlife advocates.

California has passed several laws in recent years protecting bobcats, including one that banned commercial trapping. The laws, however, do not ban recreational hunting or efforts to control problem bobcats, which sometimes kill chickens and other small farm animals.

In 2014, the California Fish and Game Commission made it illegal to offer a prize, inducement or reward for killing predators, including bobcats.

Simon, who purports to like animals more than most people, said he is honored to have had the chance to save a member of such a majestic and beautiful species.

This is an apex predator in a beautiful environment, Simon said. Im pretty stoked that its going to stay around.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Dec. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. (TSX:TNP) (NYSE-MKT:TAT) (the Company or TransAtlantic) today announced that it has received key governmental approval for the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Thrace Basin Natural Gas (Turkiye) Corporation (TBNG), and provided an operations update.



Update on TBNG Sale

On December 30, 2016, the Company received the required approval from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey (the Ministry) for the sale of TBNG to Valeura Energy Netherlands B.V. (Valeura). This approval is a key closing condition for the Companys sale of TBNG. Concurrent with its acquisition of TBNG, and as a further closing condition, Valeura will sell its current 40% participating interest in the deep rights on certain of its Turkish joint venture lands to Statoil Banarli Turkey B.V. (Statoil). Valeura has also received approval from the Ministry for this sale to Statoil.

N. Malone Mitchell, 3rd, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, stated We are pleased to have received governmental approval for our sale of TBNG and to have completed this key closing condition. We look forward to working with Valeura to close the transaction in an expeditious manner.

The sale of TBNG is expected to occur within approximately 45 days, and is subject to certain further closing conditions, including the closing of the sale of Valeuras deep rights to Statoil.

Operations Update

The Company has completed drilling the Selmo 86H2 well in its Selmo field in southeast Turkey. The rig is moving to the Companys Bahar field in southeast Turkey to spud the Bahar 11H well, which is a planned vertical Hazro and horizontal Bedinan well. TransAtlantic expects to spud the Bahar 11H well in January 2017. Additionally, in December 2016, the Company received approval from the Turkish General Directorate of Petroleum Affairs for the conversion of the former Goksu and Karaevli licenses into production leases.

About TransAtlantic

TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. is an international oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas. The Company holds interests in developed and undeveloped properties in Turkey, Albania and Bulgaria.

(NO STOCK EXCHANGE, SECURITIES COMMISSION OR OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN.)

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements concerning the Companys expectations, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions or information about future events, conditions, results of operations or performance that may constitute forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described in the forward-looking statements or information. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Companys ability to close the sale of the equity interests of TBNG; ability to continue as a going concern; access to sufficient capital; ability to refinance, repay or restructure its debt; success of cost reduction efforts; market prices for natural gas; natural gas liquids and oil products; estimates of reserves and economic assumptions; the ability to produce and transport natural gas, natural gas liquids and oil; the results of exploration and development drilling and related activities; economic conditions in the countries and provinces in which the Company carries on business, especially economic slowdowns; actions by governmental authorities, receipt of required approvals, increases in taxes, legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to fracture stimulation activities, changes in environmental and other regulations, and renegotiations of contracts; political uncertainty and civil unrest, including actions by insurgent groups or other conflict; outcomes of litigation; the negotiation and closing of material contracts; and other risks described in the Companys filings with the SEC.

The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.
Seven oil companies, including petroleum giant Chevron, have been given until the end of the week by state officials to stop their decades-old practice of injecting oily wastewater into Central Valley aquifers or face penalties.

The state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources ordered the companies to stop pumping wastewater from drilling operations into 10 underground aquifers, which the oil companies were using after government agencies charged with enforcing federal groundwater regulations first gave clearance to do so in the 1980s, then rescinded their approval 30 years later.

Thirty active injection wells must be closed by Dec. 31 or we would pursue legal action and/or penalties, said Teresa Schilling, spokeswoman for the resources agency. Violations carry fines of $2,500 to $25,000 apiece. Schilling said most operators are complying or have already complied with the order.

None of the aquifers is now used for drinking water, but environmentalists say they could be tapped in the future. Most are in the Bakersfield area, but one is in Solano County, near the Bunker Gas Field south of Dixon.

This is a big deal because its about protecting underground drinking water, said Keith Nakatani, the oil and gas program manager for the environmental group Clean Water Action. We are increasingly reliant on groundwater because of the recent drought and a loss of snowpack  all the more reason to be protective of our resources. Yet the oil and gas industry has been allowed to pollute those resources for decades.

Disposal of oil and gas drilling wastewater is a big issue in the Central Valley, where most of Californias petroleum production takes place. Kern County, the top oil-producing area in the state, accounts for 80 percent of Californias oil.

The 10 aquifers in question were supposed to be protected by the state, but a bureaucratic snafu led officials to believe that the oil companies had obtained exemptions under the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act, which shields groundwater supplies from pollution.

The oil companies had been dumping leftover water from drilling for three decades by the time state regulators discovered a discrepancy a few years ago in the earlier approval. After further review, the state determined disposal in 10 aquifers needed to stop.

There is no evidence that drinking water in the Central Valley has been contaminated, but the revelation caused a furor and prompted lawmakers to demand reforms at the state agency that regulates oil-field operations.

Five companies including Chevron Corp., which manages nine of the injection wells, and Kern River Holdings Inc., which operates six, told the state they have set up replacement projects elsewhere.

Chevron has developed alternative plans and will not be injecting into the aquifer subject to the Dec. 31, 2016, regulatory deadline, company spokeswoman Isabel Ordonez said in a statement.

The biggest impact will be on California Resources Corp., which must shut down 10 active injection wells. Company officials could not be reached for comment.

The EPA ruled in 2015 that the 10 aquifers being used by the oil companies lie too close to the surface  in one case, as shallow as 200 feet. Shallower water is usually better quality, with less salt, making it more suitable for drinking. Regulators and conservationists believe the potential use of the aquifers for drinking water should be protected.

An 11th aquifer known as the Walker Formation has also been used by the oil companies since 1983, but a portion of that one is under review by the EPA for an exemption, which would allow continued wastewater injections.

The shutdown order this week is part of a major statewide crackdown. The state has issued a Feb. 15 deadline for oil companies to halt injections in at least 50 other aquifers in the Central Valley and elsewhere unless the operators obtain exemptions.

Californias oil fields contain large amounts of salty water, the remains of an ancient sea. As a result, oil drillers suck up 15 barrels of water for every barrel of oil they reap.

If the water is clean enough, it can be treated and used for irrigation. But most of it contains other substances too, including boron and toxins that can poison groundwater and kill birds. The recommended way to get rid of it is to inject it into the ground, preferably into the oil-bearing formation or deep enough so that it wont seep into an aquifer.

The problem is that for 33 years, state regulators have allowed oil companies to inject billions of barrels of wastewater into aquifers that contained water clean enough to be used for drinking or irrigation. Recent studies indicate that some of the injections may have caused earthquakes.

The division of oil and gas has identified a total of 178 wells that had injected wastewater into legally protected aquifers, a few of which were close to drinking water wells. Some of the injection wells had already been shut down, and others had been converted into oil extraction wells.

Over the past couple of years, the division, which is part of the California Department of Conservation, has shut down more than two dozen of the remaining wells, most of them in Kern County, with a couple in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

The state devised a schedule for the rest of the closures to give oil companies time to make other arrangements. The slow pace of the closures has infuriated environmentalists, who want state officials to follow up after the February closures and study the cumulative effects of all the injections instead of just wiping their hands clean after the deadline passes.

The oil and gas industry is the most influential lobby in Sacramento, so this is a big step in the right direction, but a lot more needs to be done, Nakatani said.

Editor's Note: This story was been corrected from earlier print editions.
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

A person walking on the tracks in BARTs Transbay Tube near the Embarcadero station triggered a major systemwide delay, halting trains in multiple directions Thursday evening as he evaded police for more than an hour, according to the transit agency.

Trains were holding in the area while police scoured the transit tubes to apprehend the person walking on the tracks, said Chris Filippi, a spokesman for BART. An individual was taken into custody by BART police after 8 p.m. following a lengthy search, he said.
Auto-parts maker Takata is nearing a sweeping settlement with federal prosecutors over air bags that can violently explode, according to two people briefed on the discussions. The devices have been linked to many deaths and injuries and prompted the largest recall in automotive history.

An agreement could come as early as the next few weeks, and Takata is expected to pay a penalty of up to $1 billion, the people briefed on the discussions said.

One point that remains unresolved is whether there will be any guilty plea to criminal misconduct, either by the company or one of its subsidiaries.

Such a plea would be an escalation of punishments against auto companies for defective products. In settlements with General Motors and Toyota Motor, for example, the companies agreed to pay substantial fines over defects, but did not plead guilty.

Any broad deal between Takata and the Justice Department would end one chapter in a long-running saga that has enraged drivers, disrupted the auto industry and brought the company to the brink of bankruptcy. While Takata still faces drawn-out legal battles, including a class-action lawsuit, it would no longer be under the cloud of a government investigation.

Takatas exploding air bags have been linked to at least 11 deaths and more than 180 injuries in the United States. Nineteen automakers are recalling 42 million vehicles to replace the air bags metal inflaters. The inflaters can overpressurize and rupture, shooting metal shards into a cars cabin.

The Justice Department has been investigating whether the company made misleading statements and hid information about the defective air bags from its clients. Takata has already acknowledged that it manipulated air-bag test results, but has maintained that its conduct was unrelated to the air bag ruptures.

Former Takata engineers have said that cost considerations drove the company to switch to a less expensive yet problematic propellant in its inflaters in the early 2000s. The propellant, ammonium nitrate, can break down over time, making it unstable and prone to unexpected explosions when exposed to moisture.

Autoliv, a rival air-bag supplier, tested the compound in the late 1990s and found it too dangerous to use as an air-bag propellant, former engineers at the company have said. But Takata pushed ahead, manipulating test results it submitted to its biggest client, Honda.

Even after a driver of a Honda Accord was injured in a 2004 air-bag rupture in Alabama, neither Takata nor Honda sought the involvement of federal regulators, and instead deemed the episode an anomaly.

Mark Abueg, a spokesman for the Justice Department, declined to comment.

The news about Takata nearing a deal with the government was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Rafe Swan/Getty Image

Three suspects in the November stabbing death of a 26-year-old man in San Franciscos Tenderloin were tracked down by narcotics officers and arrested, officials said Friday.

Edgar Gutierrez, 21, Roberto Ventura, 33, and Norlan Casco, 21, were booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of murder after detectives investigating the slaying of Zachary Banks identified them as suspects.
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Two brothers suspected of fatally stabbing a father in front of his 4-year-old son in the toy aisle of a Target store in Hayward were charged with murder, officials said Thursday.

Frankie Archuleta, 22, and Jesse Archuleta, 25, both of Hayward, appeared Wednesday at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in Oakland, where tensions ran high as the victims family looked on.

Tyrone Griffin, a 36-year-old Hayward resident, was stabbed three times in the torso and once in the arm about 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve inside the Target at 2499 Whipple Road after an altercation with the two suspects, police said.

Nicole Simmons, Griffins wife, said she couldnt contain herself when the Archuleta brothers entered the courtroom.

Coward! she yelled.

I hope you burn in hell, she recalled screaming at them before she was escorted out of the courtroom.

I could feel my heart beating real fast, and I could feel my blood boiling, said Simmons, 34, who has four children with the victim. I lost control of all my feelings. I went completely blank and this anger took over.

The deadly encounter unfolded in the stores toy aisle when Griffin confronted the two men over the loud music they were playing, which included inappropriate language that degrades women, said Yolanda Sherraine Lindsey, Griffins mother, based on accounts given to her by store employees the following day.

Not only did he dislike the fact that they were cussing in front of his children, but he disliked the fact that they were doing it on Christmas Eve in front of the kids, Lindsey said.

The confrontation escalated quickly into a physical altercation, police said.

Griffin grabbed a wine bottle from a shelf in the aisle and hit Frankie Archuleta with it, according to court documents.

Jesse Archuleta then stabbed Griffin four times in defense of his younger brother, before the two fled the store, police said in a probable-cause statement.

The brothers were arrested nearly half a mile away from the Target, when police found them hiding behind a garbage container at a Motel 6 on the 30000 block of Industrial Parkway Southwest, police said.

As the two were taken into custody, Jesse Archuleta said he stabbed Griffin in self-defense, police said in the probable-cause statement.

Simmons said she cant understand how Griffin could have gotten his hands on a wine bottle during the altercation in the toy aisle.

He had a bottle? In the toy section? Really? I dont understand this, Simmons said, adding that Griffin was there to buy a last-minute Christmas gift for their 5-year-old daughter.

The investigation of Griffins death was continuing Thursday as detectives sought potential witnesses and combed through video surveillance footage from the store, said Lt. Ken Forkus of the Hayward Police Department.

We still have photo lineups to share with witnesses, Forkus said.

We just want the facts of what (witnesses) actually saw at the scene, Forkus said.

The Archuleta brothers were being held without bail Thursday at the Hayward Police Department.

Frankie Archuleta, who is on probation, has a criminal history that includes felony charges of grand theft and misdemeanor charges of using a switchblade, court records show.

Simmons said she will be at every court hearing to ensure justice is served on behalf of Griffin.

My husband died trying to protect his son like he always has, Simmons said. His legacy will continue to live on, and he will always be a part of us.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
1 Miami Beach shooting: Authorities said Thursday that a teenager is accused of starting a shootout that sent tourists and locals scrambling for cover. Miami Beach police said dozens of bullets were fired during the shooting spree Tuesday on Ocean Drive. No one was injured. The 17-year-old briefly escaped a police chase but was found hiding in his apartment and now faces multiple charges. The shooting occurred between a group of people standing on the sidewalk and another group crossing Ocean Drive. Only the teen remains in custody.

2 Inmate recaptured: Authorities in Tennessee say they have recaptured the sixth and final inmate who broke out of jail on Christmas Day. The Cocke County Sheriffs Office said 54-year-old David Frazier was arrested Wednesday in Forsyth County, Ga. Deputies say six inmates escaped from the jail Sunday after removing a toilet from the wall and going through a hole behind it that led to the outside of the facility. Sheriff Armando Fontes said that prior plumbing repairs had loosened the concrete holding the toilet and leaking water had rusted the bolts holding it. Five of the inmates were recaptured by Monday night and have been charged with vandalism and jail escape.
CLEVELAND  The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday suspended its search for an airplane that was carrying a beverage distribution company executive and five other people when it vanished over Lake Erie shortly after takeoff from a city airport.

The Coast Guard said it would step aside to allow Cleveland to begin recovery efforts of the plane and the victims.

The decision to suspend a search is never easy, said Capt. Michael Mullen, chief of response for the Coast Guard 9th District. I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost loved ones.

John T. Fleming, the chief executive of a Columbus-based beverage distribution company, was piloting the plane, which was carrying his wife, Sue Fleming, their teenage sons, Jack and Andrew, a neighbor and the neighbors daughter. The plane suddenly lost altitude about 2 miles out during a scheduled return trip late Thursday to Columbus from Burke Lakefront Airport, according to a flight-tracking service.

The Coast Guard began searching the air after being notified soon after the planes disappearance. High waves and blustery conditions prevented smaller Coast Guard boats from deploying Thursday night. A 140-foot Coast Guard cutter joined a search that covered 128 square miles of the lake on Friday.

Mullen had held out the possibility of finding survivors Friday morning despite water temperatures that hovered around 40 degrees. But when asked if the twin-engine corporate jet could land safely on Lake Erie, he said, Aircraft are not designed to float, especially in 12-foot seas.
HOUSTON, Dec. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Energy XXI Ltd (Energy XXI or the Company) today announced that it has successfully completed its financial restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11. Through this process, Energy XXI has substantially improved its financial position by eliminating more than $3.6 billion of debt from its balance sheet.



Since its founding in 2005, Energy XXI has become one of the largest operators on the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Shelf, utilizing the latest technologies, its existing infrastructure and its experienced staff to acquire, develop and exploit the upside potential of the region. Daily volumes averaged 43.4 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (72% oil) for the quarter ended September 30, 2016. Including operating nine of the largest fields on the GOM shelf, Energy XXI held interests in 635 gross producing wells, 452,083 net developed acres, and 60 producing fields at its fiscal year-end of June 30, 2016.

It is a great day for Energy XXI and all of our stakeholders, as we move forward with a stronger financial foundation and some of the highest-quality assets in our industry, said Energy XXIs President and Chief Executive Officer, John D. Schiller, Jr. Today, Energy XXI is a stronger company, and we are focused on operating efficiently and utilizing our financial flexibility and strong competitive position to create sustainable, long-term value.

Schiller continued, Energy XXI benefits from having the best employees in the industry, and the successful completion of this financial restructuring process is a testament to their hard work. We have continued to operate at the highest standards of safety and efficiency and maintained production throughout this process. Our employees will continue to be the backbone of our success as we begin Energy XXIs next chapter.

In accordance with the restructuring plan, Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. (EGC), as successor to Energy XXI, has appointed a new Board of Directors, consisting of Michael S. Reddin (Chairman), Michael S. Bahorich, George Kollitides, Steven Pully, John D. Schiller, Jr., James W. Swent III, and Charles W. Wampler. Biographies for the new directors may be found on our website at www.EnergyXXI.com.

PJT Partners LP served as Energy XXIs financial advisor, Opportune LLP served as Energy XXIs restructuring advisor, and Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. served as Energy XXIs legal advisor in connection with the restructuring process.

Effectively immediately, Energy XXI common stock will cease trading on the OTC Market. EGC will have approximately 33 million shares outstanding after the reorganization issued pursuant to the restructuring plan. EGC will continue to file Exchange Act reports and expects to pursue a listing on the OTCQB Market as soon as it is able to meet the listing criteria.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, including those relating to the intent, beliefs, plans, or expectations of Energy XXI are based upon current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. It is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and the following list should not be considered a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties relating to emergence from Chapter 11 , including, but not limited to: (i) the effects of the bankruptcy filing on Energy XXI and on the interests of various constituents, (ii) the potential adverse effects of the Chapter 11 proceedings on liquidity or results of operations, (iii) increased advisory costs to execute the reorganization, (iv) the uncertainty that any trading market for our common stock will exist or develop in the over-the-counter markets in the future, (v) the impact of restrictions in the exit financing on Energy XXIs ability to make capital investments and pursue strategic growth opportunities, and (vi) and other risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results, including project plans and related expenditures and resource recoveries, to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of risk factors, please see Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors of Energy XXIs most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2016 and Part II, Item 1A of Energy XXIs Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2016 for more information. EGC assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update the information contained herein except as required by law.

About the Company

Energy XXI is an independent oil and natural gas development and production company whose growth strategy emphasizes acquisitions, enhanced by its value-added organic drilling program. The Companys properties are located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico waters and the Gulf Coast onshore. To learn more, visit the Energy XXI website at www.EnergyXXI.com.
Pasta Pomodoro, a local restaurant chain, closed all 15 of its locations on Monday  one day after Christmas  using a text message to tell employees, according to reports.

Workers told KTVU that the move was sudden, and that employees had been unaware of what was coming.

Energy

Gigafactory

hosts event

As far as Teslas concerned, whats happening in Las Vegas can stay in Las Vegas. The real action is some 400 dusty miles northwest, in Reno.

The electric-car maker is seizing on next weeks CES tech trade show to host investors and analysts at Gigafactory 1, the sprawling Nevada plant where it makes batteries and energy storage packs. The Palo Alto companys invitation-only investor event will take place Wednesday, as the tech and automotive industries swarm into Las Vegas for CES 2017. Though self-driving technology will be in the spotlight this year at CES, Tesla typically skips large trade shows, preferring to announce products separate from the pack.

We are excited to see the scope and scale, not just of the facility itself, but in the levels of automation and potential advancements in manufacturing, said Joe Dennison, associate portfolio manager of Zevenbergen Capital Investments in Seattle. Dennison said hes eager to learn more about Tesla Energy products and hear any updates on timing or battery-cost reductions ahead of the Model 3 introduction.

While visitors have to pay their own air fare and hotel costs, theyll get some time with CEO Elon Musk and Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel, according to guests who have received invitations. Tesla may need the good graces of Wall Street and investors this year as it spends heavily to expand production to 500,000 vehicles annually by 2018, some 10 times the number of vehicles delivered in 2015.

Unemployment

Fewer jobless

claims again

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, continuing a nearly two-year trend that suggests a solid job market.

The Labor Department says weekly requests for jobless aid fell 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 265,000. The less volatile four-week moving average for claims was 263,000.

Weekly jobless claims below 300,000 often point to healthy hiring levels. The low level of applications indicates that employers are holding onto workers and possibly looking to expand. Claims have stayed below 300,000 for 95 straight weeks, the longest streak since 1970.

Television

NBCUniversals

cable battle

NBCUniversal says its broadcast and cable networks, including USA and Bravo, may be unavailable to Charter Communications Inc. subscribers on Sunday as the companies fight over contract terms.

Charter has been unyielding in its demand for terms superior to those agreed to by the rest of the industry, including larger distributors, NBCUniversal said Thursday. Charter is NBCUniversals third-largest distributor, with 17.3 million subscribers across the country, including New York City and Los Angeles.

A Charter spokesman declined to comment.

Disputes like this are common between TV networks and distributors, and they often go down to the wire as both sides try to demand better deals. Such negotiations have gained even more significance as the pay-TV industry loses subscribers, putting pressure on Charter and other cable providers to cut costs and forcing networks like NBC to prove their value.

Chronicle News Services
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) today announced that Robert E. Hull has been appointed as the Companys Executive Vice President  Investments effective January 1, 2017.



Mr. Hull is 44 years old and has been employed by the Company since 2004. He has served as a Senior Vice President since March 2011, managing the Companys development and acquisition activity. Prior to that, Mr. Hull served in various capacities on the Companys investments team. Before joining the Company, Mr. Hull worked in the senior living and commercial banking industries.

Mr. Hull is assuming the position formerly held by Todd J. Meredith, who was appointed the Companys President and Chief Executive Officer effective December 30, 2016. David R. Emery, the Companys founding CEO, will serve as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Healthcare Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust that integrates owning, managing, financing and developing income-producing real estate properties associated primarily with the delivery of outpatient healthcare services throughout the United States. As of September 30, 2016, the Company had investments of approximately $3.5 billion in 202 real estate properties in 29 states totaling approximately 14.5 million square feet. The Company provided leasing and property management services to approximately 10.1 million square feet nationwide.

In addition to the historical information contained within, the matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks are discussed in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Healthcare Realty Trust, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 under the heading Risk Factors, and as updated in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed thereafter. Forward-looking statements represent the Companys judgment as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements.
HONOLULU  In a sweeping response to election hacking and other bad behavior, President Obama on Thursday sanctioned Russian intelligence services and their top officials, kicked out 35 Russian officials and shuttered two Russian-owned compounds in the U.S. It was the strongest action the Obama administration has taken to date to retaliate for a cyberattack.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, Obama said, adding, Such activities have consequences.

But President-elect Donald Trump said it was time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. The Republican has refused to accept U.S. spy agencies determination that Russia hacked to try to help his campaign, arguing Democrats are merely trying to delegitimize his election.

Yet in the face of newly public evidence, Trump suggested he was keeping an open mind.

In the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation, Trump said.

In a bid to expose Moscows cyberaggression, the U.S. released a detailed report about Russias hacking infrastructure that it said was designed to help computer specialists identify compromised systems and prevent more hacking. And Obama said more action is coming.

These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russias aggressive activities, Obama said in a statement released while he was vacationing in Hawaii. The U.S. has previously left open the possibility it could mount a covert retaliatory strike.

Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Moscow regrets the new U.S. sanctions and will consider retaliatory measures.

The White House has promised to release a report before Obama leaves office detailing Russias cyberinterference in U.S. elections, a move that could address Russias complaints that the U.S. hasnt shown proof of its involvement. But the U.S. moved forward with the response Thursday even before the report is released.

Still, Obama administration officials said the list of entities Obama was sanctioning made clear who exactly the U.S. believes was behind the hacking of Democratic groups and the theft of emails from Hillary Clintons campaign chairman.

Obama amended an executive order issued in 2015, meant to combat cyberattacks, to authorize sanctions on entities interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions.

Under this new authority, Obama ordered sanctions against two Russian intelligence services, the GRU and the FSB, and companies that the U.S. says support the GRU. The cybersecurity firm hired by the Democratic National Committee to investigate theft of its emails determined earlier this year that the hacking came from the Fancy Bear group, believed to be affiliated with the GRU.

The FSB is Russias main domestic and counterterrorism intelligence agency. It was formed after the Soviet collapse, when the KGB was split into the FSB and the foreign intelligence agency SVR. The GRU is the Russian military intelligence agency.

The president also sanctioned Lt. Gen. Igor Korobov, the head of GRU, and three of his deputies. Other individuals sanctioned include Alexsey Belan and Yevgeny Bogachev, two Russian nationals who have been wanted by the FBI for cybercrimes for years.

Obamas move puts Trump in the position of having to decide whether to roll back the measures once in office, and U.S. officials acknowledged that Trump could use his executive authority to do so.

U.S. allegations of hacking during the campaign have ignited a heated debate over Trumps approach to Russia and his refusal to accept the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russias government was responsible and wanted to help him win. Though U.S. lawmakers have long called for Obama to be tougher on Russia, some Republicans have found that position less tenable now that Trump is floating the possibility of closer ties to Moscow.

While todays action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia, said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

Obama said the hacking could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government, a contention the U.S. has used to suggest Putin was personally involved.

Although the White House announced at the same time it was kicking out Russian officials and closing facilities, it said those were responses to other troubling Russian behavior: harassment of U.S. diplomats by Russian personnel and police.

The 35 Russian diplomats being expelled are intelligence operatives, Obama said. They were declared persona non grata, and they were given 72 hours to leave the country. The State Department declined to identify them.

Fyodor Lukyanov, the head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policies, an association of top Russian political experts, called the decision to expel 35 Russian diplomats a Cold War-like diplomatic war.
Local governments in California must release records of the amounts theyve been billed by private lawyers for cases they handled, a divided state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

In a 4-3 decision, the court said the attorney-client privilege  which makes most communications with lawyers confidential  doesnt apply to a public agencys financial dealings with private attorneys in cases that have been concluded. The ruling was at least a partial victory for advocacy groups and media organizations seeking more public disclosure of government records.

It clearly enables the public to get some information thats important, to learn how much local governments are spending on these outside attorneys, said American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Peter Eliasberg. The ACLU had asked the court to order Los Angeles County supervisors to disclose invoices from law firms defending the county in suits over jailhouse beatings.

Cities and counties turn to private attorneys to handle legal proceedings that require resources or specialized personnel that the government agencies lack.

Attorney Karl Olson, who represented the California Newspaper Publishers Association and other news media groups in the Los Angeles County case, said the court should have gone further and required disclosure of billings in cases still in litigation. The justices, in explaining why they didnt go that far, said such records could reveal a local governments legal strategy and other confidential matters.

The public has a very strong right to know about government spending, and when a public agency hires an outside law firm to defend itself, obviously there can be a lot of money at stake, Olson said.

San Francisco recently disclosed that it had paid almost $2.2 million to the Keker & Van Nest law firm to represent the city in a suit by a former deputy city attorney, Joanne Hoeper, who claims she was fired in retaliation for reporting her suspicions of questionable payments to owners of damaged sewer lines. The citys disclosure would not be required by Thursdays ruling because Hoepers suit is pending.

The court reversed an appellate ruling that would have allowed Los Angeles supervisors to keep all their billing records confidential.

Invoices for legal services are generally not communicated for the purpose of (confidential) legal consultation, Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar said in the majority opinion. Rather, they are communicated for the purpose of billing a client.

He said any genuinely confidential information could be blacked out before an invoice was disclosed. But dissenting Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar said state law allows anyone represented by a lawyer to refuse disclosure of all communications, including billing records.

Based on the new ruling, lawyers in California must advise their clients that confidential communications between lawyer and client, previously protected by the attorney-client privilege, may be forced into the open by interested parties once the case ends, said Werdegar, joined by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and Justice Carol Corrigan.

The case is Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors vs. Superior Court, S226645.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
MarcMoody wrote:

Hey there! I would really appreciate an evaluation of my profile for admission for the LBS MiM.



- Male, 25, German

- GMAT: 690

- Education: LL.B. European Law and LL.M. Corporate Law from Maastricht University, Netherlands (GPA 7.02 and 7.33 respectively)

- Extracurriculars: 2 years as board member of the local branch of a study association. Among others, I created an academic activity format that I later incorporated into the faculty's first year curriculum together with faculty staff. I was elected as president of the association for the second year and was responsible for board management and external relations.

- Work experience: 3 months internship at Hill+Knowlton Strategies (Public Affairs), for the last half year I helped my father set up a family business in clean tech (we devised a road traffic system, involving our patented biofuel, that can enable inexpensive and 100% CO2-free mobility for the public).

- Languages: native German, fluent English, mediocre French

- International experience: 9 months as an au-pair (child care) in the US from 2010-2011; 3 months internship at a law firm in Toronto.

- Misc.: Member of Mensa Intl. (High IQ Society), ardent self-learner (e.g. taught myself how to read, webdesign basics and music production), very interested in music and martial arts



I don't think my application will stand or fall with the stuff I listed under Misc, but I thought it's better to list it anyway than to leave it.



The reason why I apply is because I believe a MiM will teach me the skills I need in order to make an impact in our family business venture, and prepare me for a leading role with responsibility.



I believe a GMAT of 690 is not enough in my case and I am currently studying towards a target of 740. However, I will probably not make it to the next deadline of May 03. I want to hit my 740 and apply for the June 21 round (I would only apply with my 690 GMAT for May 03 if my admission chances for the very late June 21 round were slim, even with a higher GMAT).



Any advice?

I think you are somewhat on the upper side of the age range for the MIM students. They thend to accept people that are 22-24. I am not saying that will be a disadvantage with admissions, but maybe there are more suitable programs ? In any case I think your profile is strong but you should try to improve the GMAT and get 710 + . Have you considered HSG and WHU ?
Visitors and locals around San Francisco snapped and posted all year long in 2016, and Instagram has the data to show for it.

Instagram recently shared the 25 most geotagged businesses in the city this year, and most were taken at hotels (hi, tourists!), fancy dinner spots, or live music venues.
BEIRUT  A nationwide Syrian cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey that went into effect at midnight held Friday despite minor violations, marking a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has disregarded high-level peace initiatives for over five years.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in Britain reported clashes early Friday between troops and rebels in the central province of Hama and near the capital, Damascus. It said that later in the day a man was killed by sniper fire in eastern suburbs of Damascus, becoming the first fatality since the truce went into effect. The group also reported an aerial attack on the rebel-held Barada Valley near Damascus.

The Syrian army denied reports it was bombarding the Barada Valley region saying opposition claims aim to show that the army is not abiding by the truce.

Opposition activist Mazen al-Shami, who is based in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said minor clashes nearby left one rebel wounded. Activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, in the southern Daraa province, said government forces had opened fire on rebel-held areas.

Several past attempts at halting the fighting have failed. As with previous agreements, the current cease-fire excludes both the al Qaeda-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front, which fights alongside other rebel factions, and the Islamic State.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey, and the agreement has been welcomed by Iran. Moscow and Tehran provide crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.

If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the countrys mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Putin said in announcing the agreement. He described it, however, as quite fragile and requiring special attention and patience.

Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the cease-fire a major achievement in a tweet Friday. Lets build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror, he added.

At U.N. headquarters in New York, Russias U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin circulated a draft resolution that would endorse the cease-fire agreement and said he hoped for a vote Saturday morning.

The United States was left out of the cease-fire agreement, reflecting the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington after the failure of previous diplomatic efforts on Syria.
Greeces Perpetual Crisis



ATHENS  Since the summer of 2015, Greece has (mostly) dropped out of the news, but not because its economic condition has stabilized. A prison is not newsworthy as long as the inmates suffer quietly. It is only when they stage a rebellion, and the authorities crack down, that the satellite trucks appear.

The last rebellion occurred in the first half of 2015, when Greek voters rejected piling new loans upon mountains of already-unsustainable debt, a move that would extend Greeces bankruptcy into the future by pretending to have overcome it. And it was at this point that the European Union and the International Monetary Fund  with their extend and pretend approach in jeopardy  crushed the Greek Spring and forced yet another unpayable loan on a bankrupted country. So it was only a matter of time before the problem resurfaced.

In the interim, the focus in Europe has shifted to Brexit, xenophobic right-wing populism in Austria and Germany, and Italys constitutional referendum, which brought down Matteo Renzis government. Soon, attention will shift again, this time to Frances crumbling political center. But, lest we forget, the inane management of Europes debt crisis began in Greece. A minor country in the grand scheme of things in Europe became a test case for a strategy that could be likened to rolling a snowball uphill. The resulting avalanches have been undermining the EUs legitimacy ever since.

The problem with Greece is that everyone is lying. The European Commission and the European Central Bank are lying when they claim that the Greek program can work as long as Greeces government does as it is told. Germany is lying when it insists that Greece can recover without substantial debt relief through more austerity and structural reforms. The current Syriza government is lying when it insists that it has never consented to impossible fiscal targets. And, last but not least, the IMF is lying when its functionaries pretend that they are not responsible for imposing those targets on Greece.

When so many lies  with so much political capital invested in their perpetuation  coalesce, disentangling them requires a swift coup, akin to Alexander cutting the Gordian knot. But who will wield the sword?

Tragically, the problem is both obvious and extremely simple to solve. The Greek state became insolvent a year or so after the eruption of the 2008 global financial crisis. Against all logic, the European establishment, including successive Greek governments, and the IMF extended the largest loan in history to Greece on conditions that guaranteed a reduction in national income unseen since the Great Depression. To mask the absurdity of that decision, new loans  conditioned on more income-sapping austerity  were added.

When one finds oneself in a hole, the simplest solution is to stop digging. Instead, Europes powers-that-be, the Greek government, and the IMF blame one another for driving Greeces people into an abyss.

Recently, Poul Thomsen, the director of the IMFs European Department, and Maurice Obstfeld, its chief economist, protested in a jointly authored blog post, that it is not the IMF that is demanding more austerity. The blame lay elsewhere. [I]f Greece agrees with its European partners on ambitious fiscal targets, they argued, dont criticize the IMF for being the ones insisting on austerity when we ask to see the measures required to make such targets credible.

Thomsen and Obstfeld are partly right. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had no business agreeing to the crushing fiscal targets demanded by Germany and the EU when I was the finance minister. My successors claims that the government never accepted the targets are disingenuous. As he well knows, I resigned chiefly because in April 2015 Tsipras agreed to them behind my back. My former colleagues are shooting the messenger, the IMF in this case, for relaying the bad news that the targets they agreed to require even more austerity.

It is also true that the IMF consistently, and correctly, criticized the targets. But what Thomsen neglects to mention is that, without his and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagardes personal connivance, the European Commission would not have been able to impose those targets. And I should know: I represented Greece in the meetings of the Eurogroup (comprising the eurozone countries finance ministers) where it happened.

Thomsen seems to be aware of his responsibility to stop legitimizing the German-led asphyxiation of Greeces economy. In a telephone conversation in March with Delia Velculescu, the IMFs Greek mission chief, Thomsen explained what should happen if Germany insisted on crushing Greece by not granting debt relief. According to the transcript of the call (released by WikiLeaks), Thomsen thought European leaders would leave the issue until after the United Kingdoms Brexit referendum.

According to Thomsen: [W]e at that time say, Look, you Mrs. Merkel you face a question, you have to think about what is more costly: to go ahead without the IMF, would the Bundestag say The IMF is not on board? Or to pick the debt relief that we think that Greece needs in order to keep us on board? Right? That is really the issue.

Velculescu responded that, for the sake of the Greeks and everyone else, I would like it to happen sooner rather than later. But it did not happen, because Thomsen and Lagarde never dared to put Merkel on the spot. Instead, the IMF continues to blame others while providing Germany with political cover to maintain its chokehold on Greece.

But, as Velculescu astutely pointed out, the repercussions affect everyone else. The troubling developments in Italy, France, and even Germany are a direct consequence of the Greek debacle. But Greece is the immediate victim, and it is therefore the Greek governments responsibility to cut the Gordian knot, by declaring a unilateral moratorium on all repayments until substantial debt restructuring and reasonable fiscal targets are agreed.

Greeces voters twice gave their leaders a mandate to do just that: once when they elected the Syriza government in January 2015, and again that July in a referendum. For the sake of Greece  and of Europe  the authorities need to call a spade a spade.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid commonly used in surgery, has surpassed heroin as the leading cause of overdose-related deaths on Long Island.

At least 220 people have died of fentanyl overdoses on Long Island in 2016 so far, the Times reports. "Fentanyl has surpassed heroin as the most commonly detected drug in fatal opioid overdoses," Dr. Michael Caplan, medical examiner of both Nassau and Suffolk counties, told the Times in a statement.

Fentanyl is much cheaper and easier to acquire than heroin, and can be 100 times more powerful than morphine. Prescription fentanyl is commonly used to treat cancer pain or as an anesthetic for surgery and is commonly prescribed in the form of patches and lozengesbut it can be fatal if touched or inhaled. Some NYPD officers and other NYC emergency responders have begun carrying naloxone, a drug used to save dying opioid users.

Drug users seek out fentanyl because it provides a more intense high, or because of the thrill of using something so risky, the Times reportsin other cases, drug dealers lace heroin or prescription pain pills like oxycodone and hydrocodone with fentanyl to cut costs.

In New York City, more than 1,000 people are expected to die from drug overdoses in 2016, which would make this year the first recorded four-digit death total in city history. Nationwide, fentanyl-related deaths doubled between 2013 and 2014.

This March, an NYPD raid turned up two kilos of fentanyl and half a kilo of fentanyl-laced heroin, as well as nine kilos of cocaine, 12 pounds of cutting chemicals, $260,000 in cash, seven automobiles, 889 grams of crack, and 15 guns. Bronx prosecutors indicted 84 people on narcotics trafficking, murder, attempted murder, and weapons possession charges related to the raids. In April, Mayor de Blasio announced that the city would be doubling the number of naloxone kits distributed by the health department from 7,000 to 14,000 in addition to training physicians to use buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction.

Nonetheless, nearly half of all unintentional drug overdoses in NYC since Julyan estimated 294 deathshave involved fentanyl, according to statistics from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Earlier this month, the Health Department launched a citywide "Save a Life, Carry Naloxone" campaign focused on reducing overdose deaths.
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NEW DELHI: Swedish communication technology firm Ericsson on Thursday demonstrated at Mori village of Andhra Pradesh its Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for creating smart and sustainable villages in the state.

Both projects -- Connected Aquaponics and Smart Water Grid Management -- were demonstrated in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, after a three-month pilot.

Ericsson earlier this year signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government and the University of California - Berkley to help improve lives of farmers in and around Mori.

"The 'Connected Aquaponics' and 'Smart Water Grid Management' IoT solutions being demonstrated here will help improve harvest and optimise water distribution. It has the potential to provide an improved life for millions of farmers in the country," said Anand Varadarajan, head of Ericsson Research, Chennai, at Ericsson India, in a statement.

The Connected Aquaponics integrates aquaculture and hydroponics for reuse of the ammonia-rich waste water from aquaculture for organic farming and recycle the water back to the aqua farm.

"Using wireless sensor network and Ericsson's AppIOT platform, we enable the monitoring of the aqua farm 24x7, thereby enabling the farmers with real-time information," the company said.

This enables the farmers to increase the yield as well as bring down the production cost with optimum use of the raw materials and repeated use of water.

The 'Smart Water Grid Management' solution has been designed to enable efficient use of natural water resources in the Godavari basin through use of sensors and actuators.

The sensors measure the quality of water, flow of water and level in the water storage tanks across the village.

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NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday launched the 'Swachh Swasth Sarvatra, an initiative to achieve better health outcomes through improved sanitation, increased awareness and healthy lifestyles.

The scheme was jointly introduced by the Health, Water and Sanitation and Human Resource Development Ministries to mark the 'Good Governance Day', which is observed on December 25, the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The ministers at the event emphasised that Open Defecation Free campaign should not be limited to creation of infrastructure alone, but also change habits and mindset of people.

"Swachh Swastha Sarvatra is a much-needed programme to achieve Open Defecation Free India by 2019. This should become people's movement and that is our endeavour," said Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar.

Terming children agents of change, he said: "I believe that millions of students can become the change agents in driving ODF message in their homes, villages and districts."

He also appreciated the efforts of individuals in far-flung areas to make their environs Open defecation free.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P Nadda, who called for better collaboration between various departments in this regard, said that the initiative "will have far reaching and deep impact on the health of the citizens".

The Health Ministry also announced setting up of Community Health Centres and a grant of Rs 10 lakh each for these facilities to achieve benchmarks of hygiene and sanitation.

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NewShoulder.jpg

Good friends Barbara Britt and Nellie Galasso spend some time together at the New Lane Senior Center in Rosebank. (Staten Island Advance/Claire Regan)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two years ago, Gail Ferguson was working in a New Dorp bank and leading a busy life when a health crisis nearly ended it.

"My heart blew up," she said.

She wound up in surgery for a quadruple bypass, and needed a pacemaker and implantable defibrillator to stabilize her heart.

Today she's regained her strength and is happy to be living at New Lane Shores, the city housing complex for seniors tucked between Bay Street and the Rosebank waterfront.

"This feels fantastic," says New Lane member Gail Ferguson during a session with licensed massage therapist Ruth Herold. (Staten Island Advance/Claire Regan)

As a member of the New Lane Senior Center on the complex's ground floor, Ferguson takes advantage of massage therapy sessions every Wednesday and Thursday morning.

"This feels fantastic," the 63-year-old said as licensed massage therapist Ruth Herold gently kneaded her shoulder muscles. "It gets the kinks out. I'm not as mobile as I used to be, so it really helps."

Like the nearly 300 other registered members of the senior center, Ferguson appreciates the companionship and activities offered five days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"I could just stay in my apartment. But I live alone. Why would I do that?" she says.

She eats breakfast and lunch at the center every day and participates in painting and photography classes and monthly birthday parties in the dining room that feature "a deejay and everything."

"Sweet Caroline" gets guests moving at the New Lane holiday party in the Island Chateau, Grasmere. From the left are Patricia Schiumo, Mary Connors, Margaret Facciponti and Grace Cherico. (Staten Island Advance/Claire Regan)

She's one of the newest and youngest New Lane Shores residents, but Ferguson knows just about all of her neighbors by name.

"I'm like the mayor of the building, my sister tells me," she smiles. "I'm a people person."

BUSY SEWING ROOM

New Lane Senior Center members choose from a packed monthly calendar that includes nutrition lectures, reflexology, tai chi, chair yoga, arts and crafts, classes in photography, jewelry making and painting, and regular shopping trips to supermarkets, the Staten Island Mall and Kohl's. A computer room is set to open soon.

But one of the busiest areas is the sewing room with eight donated machines seniors use to create holiday decorations and items that are distributed to Island organizations.

Janet Housman eagerly showed off a colorful bib with Velcro fastener that will be used by local nursing home residents. Tissue boxes and wreaths have been donated to the Staten Island Blind Society.

A lifelong Staten Islander who grew up in Stapleton and graduated from PS 14 and Curtis High School, Housman is proud to admit she won the sewing award in eighth grade. She enjoys the relaxing atmosphere of the New Lane sewing room where she works alongside Anna Garcia, who has been teaching sewing at the center for 28 years.

"I'm gonna give it to my sweetheart," Anthony Harris says about the colorful neck scarf he's crocheting in the New Lane Senior Center sewing room. (Staten Island Advance/Claire Regan)

To minimize costs, the sewing room relies on donated fabric, Garcia explains, and is always in need of more remnants.

Clients from A Very Special Place, the New Dorp agency that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, join the New Lane seniors in the room once a week.

Seventy-year-old Anthony Harris, smartly dressed in a blue shirt and red suspenders, was crocheting a pink and white neck scarf during a recent session.

"I'm gonna give it to my sweetheart," he smiled.

A NEW DIRECTOR

The New Lane Senior Center is operated by the Community Agency for Senior Citizens and funded by the city Department for the Aging on property owned by the New York City Housing Authority.

Since she was named director last March, Glenda Martinez has been busy surveying seniors and making improvements -- especially to the breakfast and lunch menus, which attract many of the seniors to the center.

"Our meals are restaurant style and made from scratch," she boasts, giving credit to Rosaria Mastropaolo, head cook, and William Lewis, assistant cook. Lunch on a recent Thursday included roast beef with gravy, green bean saute, red bliss potatoes and a whole grain dinner roll, with a slice of cantaloupe for dessert.

After seniors weigh in with their menu suggestions, Martinez submits them to the Department for the Aging to make sure nutrition requirements are met.

Gathered at the New Lane holiday party are, from the left, Florence Grossman, Nellie Galasso, Barbara Ward, Joan Mastrantonio, Diane Ruta and Glenda Martinez, center director. (Staten Island Advance/Claire Regan)

At 42, Martinez is young enough to be a daughter or granddaughter of the seniors she serves -- and that helps her lead the center successfully, she says.

A native of El Salvador who now lives in Sunnyside, Martinez has worked for Catholic Charities and Community Health Action of Staten Island and is a former director of the Stapleton Senior Center.

"It's important to make the seniors feel like somebody's listening. I want them to feel wanted, like they belong," she says with compassion.

Fielding complaints from a group whose likes and dislikes are well-established is a big part of her job as director, Martinez says. She and assistant director Jacklyn Robbins are ready to listen and take every complaint in stride.

"I love it when they complain. It means they're paying attention and still want to advocate for themselves. It means they want to have a say," Martinez explains.

"If they don't complain, then I worry."
No agreement on former convent

Residents of St. George opposed the plan to transform the former Daughters of St. Paul convent on Fort Place into a residence for 59 mentally ill patients. Instead, the state Office of Mental Health has announced the release of a request for proposals to design and build two mixed-use housing projects on Staten Island which will give preferential placement to veterans and Staten Islanders. (Staten Island Advance File Photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has announced the release of a request for proposals (RFP) to design and build two mixed-use housing projects on Staten Island.

This RFP is a reissuance of funding formerly allocated to St. Joseph's Medical Center for the development of supportive housing -- permanent, safe, affordable housing that provides on-site behavioral health services in a community-based setting -- on Staten Island.

"This proposal provides the people of Staten Island with opportunities for safe, affordable, and supportive housing in their own communities," said OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. "We've listened to the concerns of Staten Islanders and worked with community leaders to create a plan which truly addresses the needs of Staten Island residents."

According to the OMH, specific locations for these developments will be determined once proposals are received through its RFP process. The supportive and affordable housing units will give preferential placements to veterans and Staten Island residents.

Veteran organizations are grateful for the preferential placements that will be afforded to veterans.

"This project provides much-needed support for our Staten Island Veterans," said Gene DiGiacomo, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Thomas J. Tori Chapter 421. "We welcome the news because as proposed the project displays a true understanding of the needs of the community it plans to serve."

CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING ORIGINAL RFP

Local elected officials are also pleased with the new plan, as the old proposal to convert the former St. George convent at 78 Fort Place into a residence for 59 mentally ill patients was met with strong resistance from community members and lawmakers alike ever since it was unveiled in 2005 by then-owner Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (SVCMC). The facility would have been located in the middle of a residential community that had three schools within blocks.

The community was also distressed that Saint Vincent's response to OMH's request for proposals specified that the residence could also be home to individuals discharged from prisons and jails, acute psychiatric patients as well as drug addicts. This information only came out after a Freedom of Information Act request for it was filed, the Advance reported in 2005.

After being met with community opposition, the project was put on hold. Many other events deterred the project, including a lawsuit filed on behalf of the St. George Civic Association against the proposal and a federal ruling banning similar clustering of the mentally ill as it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The SVCMC also went bankrupt and dissolved.

St. Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers purchased the property in November 2010 as part of a $38 million deal with the bankrupt Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers.

George Christo, president of Door-to-Door Realty in St. George, is currently in contract to purchase the building from St. Joseph's Medical Center. He plans to build market rate apartments, said Randy Lee, Christo's attorney.

A 'BETTER FIT' FOR THE COMMUNITY

New York State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) said she is pleased with the OMH's decision to reissue the RFP for supportive housing and called it a "better fit for the Staten Island community as a whole."

"For over a decade, Assemblymember Titone and I worked with OMH to make sure the RFP answered, and balanced, the needs of the entire Staten Island community," said Savino. "This RFP includes smaller, subtler building size, a priority for Island resident placement, and an emphasis on our veteran population."

Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-North Shore) called the new proposal a "very good solution to a profoundly complex problem. In particular, we are addressing a great need in our veteran population here on Staten Island. This now allows us to get down to the business of helping to house these fragile populations."

According to the OMH, the developments will provide security and offer a wide range of on-site programs and services designed to support tenants' recovery and develop their daily living skills.

These can include assistance with budgeting, housekeeping, cooking, managing personal healthcare needs, building support networks, as well as educational and vocational training.

The RFP specifies that developers must abide by all local zoning laws, according to the OMH. Project bids will be evaluated through the OMH's RFP process. Submissions will be accepted until Feb. 14, 2017, at 4 p.m. Tentative awards are expected on March 17, 2017.
Debut Howland Hook freight train p1 freight

A man was take to the hospital with a minor injury after a train derailed at the Howland Hook Terminal, a spokesman for the Port Authority said. (Staten Island Advance file photo)

(MICHAEL MCWEENEY)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --A man was taken to the hospital with a minor injury after a train derailed at the Howland Hook Terminal Thursday evening, a spokesman for the Port Authority said.

A box was being loaded onto a stationary train at approximately 7:55 p.m. and tipped over causing the train to derail, the spokesman said.

The male Port Authority employee was taken to Richmond University Medical Center with minor injuries, the spokesman said.

A spokesman for the FDNY said the Fire Department was on scene monitoring the situation, and that the derailed train was standing on its own.
NWS LARCENY

Police are asking for the public's help identifying an individuals sought for questioning in connection to a series of fraudulent bank withdrawals. (Courtesy: NYPD)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --Police are searching for a man in connection to a series of fraudulent debit card withdrawals that occurred in the confines of the 120th Precinct.

A 17-year-old male victim was in his home when he a received a call from his bank on Dec. 7 that an unknown individual used his debit card information to make several unauthorized withdrawals from his account, according to a written statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The individual sought for questioning in connection to the withdrawals is a male, light complexion, approximately 20-25 years of age, beard, last seen wearing a light colored hooded sweatshirt.

A photo was provided by police from an ATM camera at one of the machines used in the withdrawals.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
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Outerbridge Crossing. (Staten Island Advance/Rachel Shapiro)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Port Authority will be taking extra security precautions at three Staten Island bridges over the holiday weekend.

There will be increased anti-terrorism patrols and commercial vehicle inspections at Port Authority tunnel and bridge crossings, which include the Outerbridge, Goethals and Bayonne bridges, the Port Authority said.

There will also be increased radiation detection across agency assets, the agency said.

The security measures are part of augmented precautions around New York City for New Year's Eve.

Massive 20-ton sanitation trucks, weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand, will surround the iconic New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, officials said Thursday, describing a security measure meant to stop deadly truck-driving attacks into crowds like those in Germany and France.



The placement of the 65 trucks, along with 100 patrol cars, at intersections surrounding Times Square is a new element to an already heavily policed event that will include 7,000 officers, specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs.

More than 1 million people are expected to attend the annual ball drop countdown in Manhattan, and officials said they didn't know of any terror threats.



Times Square revelers, who are prohibited from carrying umbrellas and large bags, will be screened at two points: once when they approach the Crossroads of the World and again when they enter one of the 65 pens that hold thousands of people each.



And, as in past years, officials have removed trash bins and mailboxes, sealed manhole covers and done sweeps of parking garages and hotels.



Police in New York have used trucks as blocker vehicles before, though never on this scale.



The sand-filled trucks were deployed in November at the Thanksgiving Day parade and on Election Day, when they were posted outside Donald Trump's Trump Tower, at two Manhattan hotels and at a convention center used by Hillary Clinton's campaign.

--Associated Press materials were used in this report.
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Security experts and diplomats say more can be done within individual diplomatic missions to improve safety. Mission security chiefs can use more training, and ambassadors and other mission leaders should also be given greater authority over security matters since they are most familiar with conditions on the ground, experts say.
Multiple shots were fired at a north Canberra home on the evening of December 21, in what police believe was a targeted attack.

Police were called to the Allambee Street, Reid home at around 10.15pm. On arrival, officers found damage to the front of the house.

The residents were home during the shooting, but no one was injured.

Australian Federal Police forensic services attended and examined the crime scene. ACT Policing's criminal investigations team is now investigating. Police believe it was a targeted attack, and say there is no threat to public safety.

Police have asked any witnesses or anyone with information about suspicious people or cars in the area on December 21 to come forward.
Canberrans and residents of the wider region considering donating to local charity shops have been urged not to donate electrical goods or other things like prams or baby car seats governed by product safety laws. Some 25 St Vincent De Paul shops across the region, including Queanbeyan and Goulburn, have been clearing out shelves in preparation for the regular post-Christmas donations rush, expected to start next week. Volunteer, James Sankey, 15, of Weetangera, at St Vincent De Paul's Belconnen shop readying for a rush of post-Christmas donations. Credit:Elesa Kurtz But area manager Paul Quinn has urged people to donate good quality clothing, manchester, children's toys and board games, furniture and homewares. "Unfortunately due to some laws and restrictions there are some items we can't accept like baby car seats, prams and cots, mattresses and electrical items," he said.

Mr Quinn also said people should not leave bags of clothes or goods outside the donation bins, as the organisation was unable to use them if left out. Among the many volunteers working at shops sorting out household goods and clothes this week was 15-year-old James Sankey, who got an early start on his 25-hour community service program all Year 10 students at Canberra Grammar School have to do. He said he was volunteering mainly to fulfil the requirements of the Year 10 course, but he also wanted to get as much experience as possible in the community. The shops across the region are still looking for more volunteers to help out, particularly in the first two weeks of 2017 as donations are expected to flood in. "People donate with the best intention of their goods going to someone in need or raising funds for our services," he said.
There's less agreement among historians on why the Industrial Revolution started in England. Some give the credit to Britain's superior economic and political institutions. Others see it as a consequence of various "economic shocks", such as the Black Death of the mid-14th century or the expansion of Atlantic trade. These led to changes in England's social structure, to political conflict in the 17th century, particularly the English civil war of the 1640s, to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, in which William of Orange seized the English throne from James II and, ultimately, to favourable changes in economic institutions. The famous English historian Richard Tawney argued that the dissolution of the monasteries caused a change in the rural social structure, which led to the civil war. Later scholars have discounted this, but our authors argue the dissolution helped bring about something much bigger, the Industrial Revolution. As part of Henry's break with the Pope  which happened at the time of the Protestant Reformation in other parts of Europe  parliament first decreed that the Catholic monasteries' tithes be paid to the king rather than Rome, then that the monasteries be dissolved, with their lands expropriated by the crown. The king was declared head of the Church of England.

In 1530 there were about 825 monasteries in England and Wales, housing about 10,000 people. The term "monasteries" includes nunneries, friaries, abbeys and priories. Aside from maintaining property and collecting rents, the monks engaged in prayer and singing for the local community, were active in education and were expected to provide food and lodging to travellers and distribute alms to the poor. The church is thought to have held between a quarter and a third of all the land in England and Wales. Henry gave away some of the expropriated land  including to Thomas Cromwell  but sold most of it. Two-thirds had been sold by 1547 and most of the rest by 1554, during the reign of Edward VI. A key part of the authors' thesis is that most of the land was sold to the "gentry"  all non-noble landowners with sufficient land or wealth to put them above the yeomen farmers.

It's estimated that the gentry's share of English land rose from a quarter in 1436 to about half in 1688. What Tawney called "the rise if the gentry" mattered because they tended to be more commercially minded rural entrepreneurs. The authors hypothesise that, in parishes or counties where the gentry rose more, and where commercial farming was more advanced, the gentry would be involved in other activities which would ultimately coalesce into the Industrial Revolution. Three mechanisms could have connected the gentry to industrialisation. First, they had the vote, were able to sit in parliament and to lobby for legislation favourable to their economic interests. Second, it's plausible the gentry were part of "proto-industrialisation", where the necessary conditions for industrialisation were established. There are many case studies of such things as gentry establishing coal mines on their properties. Third, to the extent that the gentry were entrepreneurial commercial farmers they would have been more innovative and productive, and this "agricultural revolution" could have directly stimulated the Industrial Revolution.

But the endangered species of economic historians isn't allowed just to think up plausible theories about the past. Academic economists' obsession with mathematics means they have to seek empirical evidence for their theses by using fancy statistical techniques to find correlations between whatever "data series" they can find. The authors digitised the 1535 Valor Ecclesiasticus  a census of the monasteries' incomes, ordered by Henry  and compared it with the 1838 survey of textile mills, as well as figures from the British census of 1831 showing the proportions of the labour force engaged in manufacturing, retail and agriculture. They showed that the monastic income in a parish in 1535 was positively and significantly correlated with the presence of a textile mill in the parish 300 years later. Monastic income was also correlated with the proportion of the labour force in manufacturing and retail 300 years later. They then used a census from 1700 showing the number of gentry in each of 24,000 towns and villages. Again, a good correlation with the distribution of monastery incomes 165 years' earlier. And they used other figures to show monastic income is correlated with the number of agricultural patents registered in a parish between 1700 and 1850, implying the dissolution may indeed have led to greater innovation.
Hard on the heels of founder Peter Hall's sudden decision to quit as chief investment officer, investment firm Hunter Hall is fielding takeover offers from other fund management companies.

Hunter Hall Investments, which is 44 per cent owned by Mr Hall, manages several listed and unlisted funds, including Hunter Hall Global Value, with more than $1 billion in assets under management.

Peter Hall says Donald Trump's election victory sowed the seeds for his exit from Hunter Hall. Credit:Nic Walker

Trading in its shares had been halted since December 28, following Mr Hall's surprise decision to quit as the firm's top stock picker, although he will continue as the chief executive.

When trading resumed on Friday, the prospect of a potential sale of the firm helped stem the extent of its share price decline, with the company's shares down 4.6 per cent at $3.10 in afternoon trading. For its Global Value Fund, the shares eased 3 per cent to $1.21.5c, putting them at a slight discount to the net value of its assets of $1.23.99c, and prompting the firm to approve a share buyback of as much as 10 per cent of its stock to help put a floor under the shares.
The Women's March on Washingtona massing of people marginalized throughout President-elect Donald Trump's campaign, planned for his first day in officewas a reliable conversation-starter during the holiday weekend. Over ravioli with my grandmother, aunt, cousin and sister: Were we planning on going? Did we have friends who were already committed? What about the concurrent marches planned for the cities where we live? Answers ranged from "Yes, but" to "Maybe, but." And the buts were legitimate: How will I get there? How much will it cost?

In an effort to clear this up, Gothamist spoke with the organizers about logistics, as well as whomand whatorganizers plan to march for. The Women's March may be the largest permitted event planned for inauguration weekend, but it won't get in the way of Trump's procession. Meanwhile, there are protesters who think interrupting the inauguration is essential. We spoke to a few of them, as well.

WHAT ARE THE MARCHERS RALLYING FOR?

Organizers have been explicit that the Women's March on Washington is not a specifically anti-Trump protest. Instead, they're presenting it as a march for fundamental human rightsa nod to Hillary Clinton's oft-quoted "human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights" line from a 1995 speech in Beijing. These rights include reproductive health, childcare, and jobs. Also, the right to live free of sexual harassment and gender, race, and sexuality-based discrimination.

"We understand that [Trump] is a symptom and not the disease," spokeswoman Cassady Fendlay told Gothamist. "This is a bigger thing than just the presidency."

The march is currently expected to draw more than 200,000 participants. Planned Parenthood recently committed as a partner, along with more than 70 other groups, including the Center for Reproductive Rights, Amnesty International, and the NAACP.

Despite the official message that the march isn't "anti-Trump," some participants are viewing it as a more direct response to the president-elect. "We felt that our issues were sidelined by the candidate during the entire election process," said Jean Bucaria, deputy director of the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women. "The fact that so many women came forward with allegations of sexual assault and non-consensual assault: It was an outrage."

The category "women," and whom it represents in the context of the Women's March on Washington, has been controversial. An earlier name, "Million Women March," drew criticism because that was the name of a 1997 march organized by a group of black women as a response to a perceived failure of mainstream feminism to address the needs of women of color. Charity Ave-Lallemant, a black woman and initially a head Maryland organizer for the march, stepped down in November citing the lack of minority women in leadership roles.

"The reality is that the women who initially started organizing were almost all white," organizers wrote in a November statement. Since then, they've been explicit in their mission statement to welcome women (and men) regardless of race, ethnicity, gender expression, and sexual identity.

Seasoned activists Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour, all women of color, have also joined as national co-chairs of the march. In 2015, the three led the 250-mile New York-to-Washington March 2 Justice for criminal justice reform.

Brittany Oliver, a women's rights activist in Baltimore, who is black, said the effort was too little, too late. "Recruiting women of color at the last minute is a perfect example of what tokenizing looks like," she wrote.

"This march is about what [Trump] represents," Mallory wrote in Essence this month, "as a powerful rallying figurehead to misogyny and a silent support of white supremacists, sexists, and those who feel entitled to try and legally tell me what to do with my body."



(Scott Heins / Gothamist)

HOW CAN I GET THERE FROM NYC?

Seats on the fleet of relatively affordable charter buses organized by the Women's March New York chapter were all booked up by December 27th. "I don't think that anybody in New York was actually prepared for the amount of demand that was going to happen," said coordinator Karen Waltuch. She urged people to keep checking back here, just in case.

For those left in the lurch, the New York chapter of ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) still has seats available on buses from Jackson Heights, East Harlem, and Union Square. According to the organization, a Brooklyn pickup location is also in the works, likely near the Barclays Center. These seats cost $50 roundtrip, and ANSWER is currently crowdfunding to subsidize a limited number of $25 seats.

These buses will be leaving Friday morning, at 1:00 a.m., for ANSWER's own Inauguration Day protest. "We're trying to get there right when the check points open up, because it's important that protesters be there as early as the Trump supporters," organizer Ben Becker said. He anticipates that many protesters will end up staying in DC overnight, even though the ANSWER buses will return Friday night.

A not-for-profit website Marchmatch has also been set up to match people in need of a ride, ticket money, or even overnight stay with D.C. hosts. Lauren Bugeja, a New York City-based designer at Google, co-launched the website a few weeks ago, when she noticed people attempting to set up ride and home sharing in the Women's March Facebook group. "We want people to be able to say, 'Hey, I have a bunch of bus seats,'" she explained.

Bugeja urged users to be cautious, as they might be with any online transaction. "We've had to keep a close watch on the site, because there has been a lot of nefarious activity of people pretending they can offer a ride," she saidapparently to deter marchers.

For those with a larger travel budget, Amtrak recently announced that it's expanding Northeast Regional service between January 20th and 23rd. But that doesn't mean the ticket options will be comprehensive. "There are still tickets, yes, but maybe not for long, and maybe not at the most desirable time," said Amtrak spokesman Craig Schulz on Wednesday.

WHERE WILL MARCHERS CONVENE?

Participants in the Women's March will gather at Independence Avenue and Third Street Southwest, near the Capitol Building, at 10:00 a.m on the 21st. The march will open with a series of speeches (speakers to-be-determined) and proceed down Independence Avenue. The end point is being withheld for security reasons, according to organizers. The march is expected to conclude before dark.



A woman protests Trump's election in Manhattan on November 12th (Scott Heins / Gothamist).

WHAT IF I WANT TO SPEND THE NIGHT?

"In a good-will effort, we've been encouraging everyone who's coming from New York to make this a day trip," said Waltch, the NYC organizer. "If only because we know there are people coming from Upstate and California and Texas and they should get first dibs."

Still, there are options for those who want to spend the weekend, or arrive Friday to protest on Inauguration Day (more on that below).

For example, DisruptJ20, which is planning to interrupt the inauguration ceremonies, is organizing housing with priority for "Black & Brown, trans & queer, and disabled folks," according to its website. Organizers told DCist that they're currently planning to accommodate up to 1,000 people, offering "mass housing" at a DC church from January 19th through 21st. More on that here.

Airbnb has reported record bookings for the DC area. Last month, the company projected 10,000 guests in the city (seven times the number of Airbnb guests during the 2013 inauguration), paying an average of $125 per night. AirBnb is planning to update its cost projections on January 9th.

WHAT IF I CAN'T MAKE IT, BUT WANT TO SHOW SOLIDARITY?

"One of the things we were really trying to emphasize for folks is going to DC isn't the be-all-end-all," said Adrienne Verrilli, of spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood. The week after the march, on January 30th, the organization is hosting a lobby day in Albany to push for more comprehensive abortion and contraception access in New York State.

There are also more than 30 sister marches planned across the country for January 21st, including one in NYC.

WHAT IF I WANT TO DISRUPT INAUGURATION DAY, AND DENOUNCE THE PRESIDENT-ELECT?

Some protesters are planning to send a more explicit anti-Trump message, and physically get in his way. Among them are ANSWER and DisruptJ20, which will be hosting an "action camp" the weekend of January 14th. DisruptJ20 is expecting thousands of protesters on Inauguration Day, gathering at McPherson Square Park at 10:00 a.m. Unlike Women's March participants, these protesters will not stick to a police-approved route (with the exception of a noon rally at Columbus Circle for those who don't want to risk arrest). Organizers have stockpiled information on protesters' rights. From the DisruptJ20 website:

We must take to the streets and shut down, protest, blockade, disrupt, intervene, sit in, walk out, rise up, and make more noise and good trouble than the establishment can bear. The parade must be stopped.

"Let's say 100,000 people show up to the Women's March," Legba Carrefour, a member of the D.C. Counter-Inaugural Committee, which is organizing DisruptJ20, told DCist. "One-hundred thousand at the Women's March is going to have a lot less impact than if you get 1,000 people showing up and doing blockades. We can do a lot with few people."

"To be there the day after [the inauguration] allows Trump to create his own imagery and his own narrative about what that day is," Becker, the ANSWER organizer said. "We don't want to concede that space."
Department store owner Myer Holdings has been hit with another class action from an aggrieved shareholder just weeks after a court found a separate class action against it was an abuse of the legal process.

The claim was filed on Friday morning in the Federal Court by former Myer shareholder TPT Patrol Pty Ltd. TPT Patrol is trustee for the Amies Superannuation Fund.

Myer was hit with a second class action on Friday morning. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The proceedings have been brought on behalf of a defined but unnamed group of shareholders, Myer said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange after the market closed on Friday.

TPT Patrol alleges it suffered loss and damage from statements made by Myer regarding its 2014 full-year results.
The only listed vantage points to see Sydney's lauded fireworks that don't prohibit BYO this year are Goat Island, Nielsen Park and Strickland House  all ticketed events that are sold out.

But it seems those brave enough to tough the city's crowds on Saturday won't have too many options when it comes to kicking back with a beer.

This year was brutal for most. A tumult of political lunacy, surging populism, global tragedies inflicted by conflict, and all of the regrettable things said by Peter Dutton.

If ever we deserve an ice cold drink with friends to put to bed the trials and tribulations of a very long year, then it's this New Year's Eve.

Sydney's New Years Eve celebrations will cost an estimated $7.2 million. Credit:Janie Barrett

Of course many young people take alternate routes when it comes to New Year's plans. Some will throw or attend house parties in efforts to keep out of the city, and others pay to attend venues and parties where they can drink and socialise for a few hours before the sun rises on a whole new year of repressed stress over whether their avocado-based breakfast expenditure is threatening their futures.

But what of those who just want to perch amid the crowds and watch some bright shiny lights go off? Who can't afford to pay the price for a fancy venue?

On Wednesday, Randwick City Council placed a total ban on alcohol consumption at Coogee Beach for the summer, after crowds completely trashed the place. Our beaches are among our nation's treasures, and having seen the extent of the damage wrought I can't actually claim such a ban is unfair. I do think that the issue is tied up with a disrespect by some for the environment and a sense that there is always someone whose job it will be to clean up after them  if I can remove eye makeup drunk then I can't see myself struggling to throw away some rubbish.

It's completely sensible and very necessary to be wary of drunken hoons around families and open water, on a night some take to drinking with no intention of remembering.
Michele Morgan, who has died aged 96, was one of France's top film stars of the 1940s and 1950s. Said to have the most beautiful eyes in cinema, her career might have been still more stellar had a studio wrangle not caused her to lose the lead in Casablanca to Ingrid Bergman. She shot to fame at 17 with her first important role in Gribouille (1937) as a young woman on trial for murdering her lover. Its impact was such that RKO Pictures offered her a Hollywood contract. Later she said: "Hollywood crushed my personality. They tried to make me look like everybody else  and then they photographed me badly." Yet even so her clear blue, Garboesque gaze had got her noticed. Hitchcock wanted her for Suspicion but her poor English counted against her ("I said 'crying trees' for 'weeping willows' ").

General Gregorio Alvarez, the last leader of Uruguay's brutal dictatorship of the 1970s and 1980s, has died while serving a sentence in Montevideo for human rights abuses, aged 91.The military's health service said he died at the Central Hospital of the Armed Forces. Under General Alvarez, Uruguay was part of the secret alliance of South American dictatorships known as Operation Condor, in which military leaders co-operated in persecuting and killing one another's dissidents.General Alvarez, whose father was also a general, participated in the 1973 coup that dissolved the congress following a government crackdown on the Marxist Tupamaro rebels, who were trying to seize power by force. One of General Alvarez's brothers was killed by Tupamaro attackers in 1972.

Michele Morgan with Humphrey Bogart in Passage to Marseilles (1944).

Bernard Fox, who has died aged 89, was a Welsh-born character actor who was best known to television viewers as the bewhiskered warlock Dr Bombay in the popular 1964-72 fantasy sitcom Bewitched, and who also appeared in two classic films about the sinking of the Titanic, A Night to Remember (1958) and Titanic (1997). The incantation "Calling Dr Bombay" in an episode of Bewitched would cause him to pop up in one of a range of outrageous costumes  a kimono, say, a matador's traje de luces, a spacesuit or toga  often accompanied by attractive "nurses". His antidotes for witch diseases and spells gone wrong would inevitably lead to worse complications and he usually ended his visits by teleporting away amid a fit of laughter at one of his own jokes. Apart from Bewitched, he also had a regular role in the popular CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes as the buffoonish Colonel Crittendon, and guest-starred in numerous series, including Barbary Coast.
Peter Graham Faithfull Henderson, who died in September aged 87, was a distinguished Australian public servant who headed the Department of Foreign Affairs for five years. For nearly half of his 34 years of public service he tended to be seen by those who knew him only superficially, or not at all, as the son-in-law of the prime minister, Sir Robert Menzies.

This had the unfair consequence that Labor politicians tended to see him as a beneficiary of nepotism, while Liberals, in their anxiety to avoid giving credence to such a view, ran the danger of underrating his ability.

Peter Henderson

He headed only one foreign mission  as ambassador in Manila  but his influence within the national public service was strong, not least towards a recognition of the importance of women.

Born in 1928, he was the first of three sons of Graham Henderson, a grazier in the Goulburn district, and Valerie, whose paternal grandfather, William Pitt Faithfull, had been a pioneering merino breeder and politician.
At the fag-end of a year that many regard as the annus most horribilis for decades, we scan for signs of hope. Are there any? Despite Trump and Brexit, Syria and sea-level rise, misogyny, misanthropy and motorways, hatred, hubris, fat, fear and fundamentalism; despite despair at democracy's produce and even greater terror that it might crumple, is there cause for optimism? As the Catherine wheels spin carbon out like fairy floss, let us look for flowers among the rubble.

Certainly things seem bleak. Cities guru Richard Florida argues not only that Jane Jacobs predicted the Trump craziness in 2005 but that this entire concatenation of events actually signals a new dark age. The symptoms, which Jacobs outlined in her last book Dark Age Ahead, include fundamentalism, nationalism, xenophobia, growing inequality and deep distrust of politics, all facilitated by a general social amnesia in which we simply forget how to be civilised, and why.

Jacobs' book was derided when it came out. Now, everyone's calling it prescient. The five stages she delineated are: the erosion of community, the reduction of education to vocational training, the attack on science, the belief that government expenditure equals waste and the subversion of the learned professions, leaving society at the whim of "frauds, brutes and psychopaths". Tick, tick, tick, tick and tick.

We have governments that wilfully conceal public information and sell public assets while undermining our farmland and demolishing our houses for climate-destroying profit. Governments that replace our learned institutions with dodgy for-profit training "providers"; that de-fund the CSIRO's renowned climate division, crow about budget surplus as though government were actually business and end 200 honourable years of the government Architect's Office. That's just for starters.
We have all but completed  survived, even  the year of the underdog.

Donald Trump was the year's ultimate underdog who beat the odds, even though he's a billionaire with little connection to those who supported him. Credit:AP

From Sydney to Washington, the outsiders have won in 2016: against all odds, against conventional wisdom, in many cases against the rules as we understood them and often against the facts as we might have known them had truth not become highly contestable in the past 12 months.

An underdog victory should have Australians jumping for joy. We love a good upset, a stick it to them, cut down tall poppies, show them we punch above our weight, the little bloke comes through in the end sort of underdog story. We grew on that narrative, from convicts defying their jailers, to immigrants outdoing their neighbours, to Aboriginal people standing proud despite the trauma they endured.
Sometimes readers love a letter so much they write to tell us and declare it their letter of the year, which is just what Ros Byrne, of Deakin in the ACT, did earlier this month. "Neil Ormerod's letter today critiquing Cory Bernardi's delight in the election of Donald Trump gets my vote for the 'letter of the year'," she wrote. Then added: "PS: You are going to choose a letter of the year, surely?"

It's not something we traditionally do, although when we ran our favourite letters online polls I did go back through a year of polls to work out the letter that got the most "favourites" that year. If I end up with RSI, that might be the reason.

SMH letters

But as Ros' nudge was so timely this year, we thought we'd ask everyone else to chip in with their suggestions. Joining Neil Ormerod on the short list were Ron Sinclair, Sue Lubbers, Maksym Szewczuk, Meredith Williams and Margaret Hinchey. But the winner was clear.

For lifting the lampooning of annoying three-word political slogans to new heights of absurdity and fun, Rosemary O'Brien's letter making the now unbreakable connection between the government's "jobs and growth" mantra and Jobson Grothe, "a relative, though distant, of a one-time pair of handy Eels wingers (Erics junior and senior)", is our 2016 Herald Letter of the Year. The third-generation winger went on to feature in many subsequent letters and, in the words of one nominator, Phil Stanton, is now "a character who has become part of our lives". I expect there will be a best-selling biography in 2017.
Two years before Fisher was born, Rubin had completed her PhD at Georgetown University, in which she found that galaxies were not scattered randomly throughout the universe, but clustered together in bright splats of light. (She had gone to Cornell to study her masters, as women were not allowed to do so at Princeton.) As she peered into a new world, she saw it was "more mysterious and more complex than we had imagined".

We barely blink when women in the sciences achieve (who remembers that Professor Elizabeth Blackburn won a Nobel prize in 2009?), so it is hardly surprising we are often caught napping when they die. And yet it is important to remember, in a year when science has often been miscast as partisan, with consensus dismissed as conspiracy and gut instinct elevated above data, and when women's enduring status as sexual playthings of the powerful has been constantly dissected, and we are mourning the deaths of a host of celebrated stars, that quiet, plodding empirical work by devoted, curious, imaginative women into things that most of us cannot see and can barely comprehend, is what spins the cogs of medical and scientific advance, year by year.

Which is why Scientific American annually honours some of those women we lost in the past 12 months; we should too. We should remember, for example, Ann Caracristi, who earned her reputation as a top code-breaker in World War II and became the first female deputy director of the US National Security Agency in 1980, the year before George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley formed Wham! (She died in January, aged 94).

Suzanne Corkin was a neuroscientist who discovered that consolidation of long-term memory occurs in the brain's hippocampus. Yvette Fay Francis-McBarnette, who enrolled in Yale Medical School in 1946, and was the second African-American woman to do so, developed a treatment for sickle-cell disease that saved thousands of lives. (March, age 89)
David Bowie. Alan Rickman. Prince. Muhammad Ali. Leonard Cohen. Sharon Jones. George Michael. Carrie Fisher. The list of the icons that we've lost this year reads like a morbid update of We Didn't Start the Fire.

At times, the deaths have come so rapidly that we haven't had time to process one before being slugged by another. In January, David Bowie, Alan Rickman and Glenn Frey within eight days. And just since Christmas, George Michael, Carrie Fisher, and then her mother Debbie Reynolds.

We talk of 2016 as a particularly awful year. It's as though a temporal supervillain is stalking our most beloved celebrities. Artist Chris Barker has been compiling images of this year's losses into a 2016 remix of the Sgt Pepper's cover  he's now run out of room.

As George RR Martin  whose own demise is widely feared by fantasy aficionados  wrote this week , "Death, death, and more death  please, let this wretched year come to an end."
Battlelines are being drawn along the NSW coast as seaside communities brace for what Planning Minister Rob Stokes dubs the biggest overhaul of coastal management in a generation.

Seven months after a monster east coast low walloped beaches at towns like Wamberal near Gosford and Collaroy on Sydney's northern beaches, the Baird government is putting the final touches to new rules to manage risks for existing properties and limiting future exposure.

Stairway no longer reaches to heaven: Wamberal beachfront erosion after June's east coast low. Credit:James Brickwood

"We've known about these issues for a generation but precious little's been done," Mr Stokes told Fairfax Media.

The package of reforms  which include a new state environmental planning policy (SEPP) replacing four existing ones, a new manual to guide councils and a new body of experts to audit those plans  aims to force local government to take responsibility for threats facing coasts and estuaries.
I opened the Smiggle diary I got for Christmas and read through the resolutions I'd written in coloured pen the hours before the clock struck midnight. To look back now, the list looks simple: Be kind to myself and others, Go back to study, Work towards a career,

Find a stable place to live, Stop abusing substances. These things I wanted so badly  which seemed to come easily to everyone else  had been out of reach in recent times. But this was going to be my year. No one arrives at a detox sober. It's a well-known rite of passage among those who frequent them to show up as wasted as one can possibly afford to be. The tall tales of excessive consumption then provide fodder for bonding when talking to your fellow patients over instant coffee and cigarettes.

I was no exception. I walked in feeling wonderful. It was easy to imagine all the possibilities. Next year was going to be my year! But as the hours passed, slowly, the future seemed less bright and more uncertain. Until it felt unbearable. Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. Depleted of the necessary chemicals to provide rational thought, my mind raced: "It's not right I'm in here over New Year's. I'll leave and come back at a more suitable time. Maybe I could trick them into using the telephone and get someone to throw something over the fence. Just. One. Last. Time." By this New Year's Eve, alone in bed cradling my resolutions, a drop of hope had crept back in. Maybe I could go back to uni and work towards a career. Perhaps I could help society instead of being a drain on it.

Maybe my mum could sleep again. But in the following days, the internal battle waged on: "You're too stupid, too hopeless, too pathetic for anything good to come of you. It's useless. Nobody loves you. F---. Them. Anyway." Nothing could stop the stream of negative thoughts. Words floated on the pages of my books, my mind unable to absorb them. It felt like the weathered couch and all the weathered bodies that had ever sat on it had climbed on to my back and pinned me down. Within an hour of leaving detox a few days after New Year's Eve, I was at my dealer's house. I was booked to go straight into a long-term rehabilitation facility later that day, with a condition of entry being that I was clean.

I got away with it. That evening, as I spent my first night in rehab, my mind was quiet. There were about 12 of us in this place  a sprawling, rundown farm a few hours from Melbourne. It reminded me of a school camp crossed with a mental asylum. Andy* was experiencing such bad psychosis he tried to get on the outings bus wearing nothing but a bath mat as a skirt. Oh, how we howled with laugher. Dan*, the fat ice addict. "Aren't you meant to be skinny?" We all asked him over and over, slapping our thighs on our prescriptive morning walks. And lovely Annie*, the older woman who was coming off so much medication  prescribed by her country doctor  she could barely hold her head up weeks into the program. Hilarious, we thought.

We spent long, hot days painting walls, cleaning and recleaning cupboards, piling leaves only for them to be blown away again. Complaining, laughing, crying, singing, fighting, scheming, praying. Despite our vast differences in personalities, backgrounds and substance preferences, we became close. A camaraderie built on our shared despair over where our lives were. But also on hope that we were on the path to somewhere better. We dreamt together about our futures. We believed in one another. One day, the staff told us some of us would die. They showed us a pile of old files belonging to people who didn't make it. This wasn't so funny. But this wouldn't happen to any of us. Four of my friends are now dead. Handsome John*, always in trouble for telling us about his military exploits in Afghanistan, spent his post-traumatic stress disorder compensation on drugs and overdosed alone in a hotel room. We all went on an outing to his funeral later that summer.

Emily*, from the posh, uptight family, who drank and starved herself to death later that year. Then went big Ben*, the one with the sad eyes who gave the best bear hugs. And a few years later, the vivacious and elegant Penny*, found rotting in her apartment. As I look back, the hardness I'd developed to get through those years faded, tears roll down my face. "They died," my mind says over and over. Through writing it down, I'm finally able to comprehend it. I think of them, of all the people struggling with addiction and how fortunate I am to still be here. I think of my fellow patients' life stories  the sexual abuse, the beatings, the dead children, the loss or lack of love. Not one hadn't gone through some kind of trauma or mental illness. I shake my head at the people who want to cut off our welfare. Sterilise us. Shoot us.

But I also I think about the ones who survived. Who flourished despite their difficulties because they were given a chance  often more than once. A chance that many aren't given. Especially if they are poor. Andy is a successful chef. Dan lost weight and is still making people laugh, but as a comedian. Annie is a drug and alcohol worker, who holds her head up high helping others to turn their lives around. I wonder what could have become of the heroin users dying in Richmond's alleyways if they had a safe place to inject. Of the ice users if they could afford rehab. Or of the alcoholics if they weren't, because of stigma, too proud to get help. And me? Well that summer wasn't the start of my year. I, once again, couldn't resist the voice of just one more. The voice that says we're worthless. That kills. That needs support and treatment to be overcome.
It's nearly 15 years since former Treasurer Peter Costello released the first intergenerational report alerting us to the economic challenges of an ageing population.

It focused on the big picture, especially the long-term impact of demographic change on the nation's economic growth and government budgets.

There's less attention on how the ageing of the population will drive complex economic changes at the local level, including in our big cities.

Analysis of jobs figures by regional economics expert, Terry Rawnsley, suggests the distribution of jobs in Sydney is beginning to shift as the Baby Boomer generation gradually moves into retirement.
The stepfather of a man who drowned in Darling Harbour has lobbied the government several times to erect a permanent barrier along the water's edge but has been rebuffed each time.

However, Gregory Magro's demands may be coming to fruition with the government considering a safety risks review that could change the face of Darling Harbour drastically.

Temporary fencing and signs at Darling Harbour and King Street Wharf before New Year's Eve. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Mr Magro's son, Jason Daep, 19, drowned after being pushed into the water during a fight outside Pontoon Bar in 2012.

As thousands of people flock to Darling Harbour for New Year's Eve, his stepfather said: "I fear more people will drown if no barrier is installed".
Premier Mike Baird has encouraged revellers to celebrate New Year's Eve as they normally would, as police moved to assure the public there were no specific terrorism threats relating to the night.

"We should go about business as usual," Mr Baird said on Friday. "If you want to go and celebrate, if you want to come and see the fireworks, well, do it, and do it in the knowledge that obviously the police are doing everything they can to keep us safe.

"Ultimately, the best way that we can respond to the threats we've seen around the world is to fight for our freedoms, enjoy our freedoms, and part of that is ensuring that we go about and celebrate New Year's Eve."

Australia's national terrorism threat level remains at "probable".
Motorists in Sydney's south-west are advised to avoid Newbridge Road at Chipping Norton after a car crashed into a power pole in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Emergency services were called to the scene about 4am and closed part of the road while a clean up operation commenced. The head-on collison brought down hazardous electrical wires.

The driver of the car has not been accounted for. Police say they visited the address of the owner of the car but no one was home.

Police say the driver may have suffered minor injuries following the crash.

Traffic diversions remain in place as utility crews continue to repair the power pole and wires. Two of the three east-bound lanes are closed, but traffic is moving steadily. Emergency services expect the partial road closure to reopen after lunch time.
A former rugby league first grade player, a Bondi entrepreneur and several fishermen are among 15 men arrested on Christmas Day in a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring bust.

Police will allege the syndicate imported more than a tonne of cocaine via NSW ports and included experienced fisherman, marine workers and company owners.

Australian Federal Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Sheehan described the alleged syndicate as "robust, resilient and determined".

He told a packed Sydney press conference that the 15 arrested men were "determined to exploit some of the most vulnerable members of the community."
Prepare for another night of tossing and turning, temperatures for Sydney are forecast within the 30s as late as 9pm on Friday night according to Weatherzone.

"Similar to last night, we're not really looking like we're going to cool off much overnight," said Rebecca Kamitakahara, meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology.

Thursday night's minimum temperature at Penrith was 24.7 degrees, which was its warmest night since February. The city didn't enjoy much more relief, with the temperature only dropping to 23.9 degrees.

"So at Penrith overnight [Friday] we're only expecting it to drop down to 25 degrees, and in the city we're only expecting it to drop down to 24 degrees," Ms Kamitakahara said. "So another muggy night on the way unfortunately."
The retirement of the Baby Boomer generation is beginning to reshape Sydney's economy as jobs growth dwindles in some of the city's most affluent suburbs.

The number of workers living in the Eastern Suburbs, the North Shore and the Ryde region fell in the year to November, exclusive analysis of local area jobs figures shows. Those areas also had some of the nation's lowest unemployment rates.

Terry Rawnsley, a regional economics expert with SGS Economics and Planning, who did the research, said the ageing of the population had contributed to this trend.

"The labour markets in those regions are strong with high participation and very low unemployment," he said. "This suggests the fall in employment is being driven more by demographic factors, such as Baby Boomers leaving the labour force, than by economic weakness."
It's set to be a scorcher in Brisbane for New Year's, with temperatures forecast to soar well above average during the long weekend.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Adam Woods said it is going to be "very hot", with temperatures five to eight degrees above average in the state's south-east.

Brisbane is set for a weekend heatwave for New Year's celebrations. Credit:Tertius Pickard

Brisbane was forecast to hit tops of 34 on Saturday and Sunday, cooling slightly to 32 on Monday.

The UV index was also predicted to reach 16, which is extreme, so sun protection was a must for people planning on staking out the best firework spotting positions on Saturday.
Police are appealing for public help to find a 48-year-old man missing from Oxenford.

Martin Barrell was last seen about 10.30am on December 28 at a Regatta Drive property and has not been in contact with family or friends since.

Police are searching for missing man Martin Barrell.

Police said they were concerned for his welfare, as the behavior was out of character.

Mr Barrell is described as Caucasian in appearance, about 185 centimetres tall with a medium build and a shaved head.
One of the men accused of the alleged violent rape of a 20-year-old woman, which left her blacked out and bleeding at South Brisbane in April 2011, will remain behind bars until at least the end of January after bail was refused on Friday morning.

Police outlined DNA evidence found at the scene an on the young woman's underclothes which they said showed police had a "strong case" against the 24-year-old man from Auchenflower who had applied for bail in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Barrister Cliff Crawford represented one of the accused rapists in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday. Credit:Tony Moore

Police prosecutor Sergeant Matt Kahler told the bail hearing the evidence against the defendant was strong.

"(The victim) suffered horrible injuries," he said.
But why would it? After all, 2016 saw the LNP rewarded with a fourth-straight term in the lord mayor's office, and a third-straight term with a council majority.

Not the approach one would take with a one-seat majority. In reality, not much has changed in his Liberal National Party administration's approach to civic governance.

When Lord Mayor Graham Quirk was returned to City Hall in a convincing election victory in March, he promised to govern as if he had a one-seat majority .

Fresh from increasing its majority in its victory at the March election, Cr Quirk and his LNP administration have wasted no time in spending its political capital.

The business case for the $1.54 billion Brisbane Metro  the centerpiece of the LNP campaign  is well under way, despite some very public hiccups.

A very public feud with the state government over the Go Print site culminated in the admission that the metro plan, in the form taken to the election, could never be delivered.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk went as far as to say Cr Quirk should "forget it" and ditch the metro altogether, until an intervention by the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in effect forced both the council and state back to the negotiating table.

Still, the affable and likeable Lord Mayor remains a popular figure in Brisbane, perhaps in no small part because  let's face it  he really is a bit of a dork.
A seven-month-old boy has died in hospital after the pram he was in was struck by a reversing 4WD driven by his mother at a funeral on Brisbane's southside.

The accident happened about 1.50pm as a family attended a funeral at a community Catholic Church centre in St Paul's Drive in Woodridge.

The infant was rushed to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital at Woolloongabba in a critical condition.

St Paul's Drive is a cul-de-sac that runs off Jean Street at Woodridge.

Police are now investigating the circumstances of the fatal accident.
A man preyed on two young girls at a shopping centre last month, stalking one then sexually assaulting the other, police say.

The man is alleged to have stalked a 13-year-old girl, following her around the Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, before he approached a 12-year-old girl and sexually assaulted her.

Police have released images of a man they believe may be able to assist with their inquiries. Credit:Victoria Police

Police are searching for a man described as being in his 30s, of medium build and tanned skin, with a lazy eye who was at the shopping centre about 1.30pm on November 26.

AAP
Police are calling for public assistance to help find missing 12-year-old boy Kye Creek.

He was last seen leaving his Box Hill North home more than a fortnight ago on Tuesday, December 13, about 11.30am.

Missing Box Hill North boy Kye Creek Credit:Victoria Police

Police have concerns for Kye's welfare due to his young age.

He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and brown tracksuit pants.
Children's Minister Jenny Mikakos says children are being held in better conditions at a maximum-security adult prison than they could be at other youth justice centres.

The Andrews government began transferring dozens of children on remand at three youth justice centres to Barwon Prison last month, following a riot at the Parkville youth justice precinct which it claims destroyed half of its accommodation.

The Court of Appeal this week ordered 12 remaining children be removed from the prison before Friday afternoon, ruling Ms Mikakos had not lawfully classified the Grevillea Unit as a youth justice centre, because she had not properly considered the children's legal rights to things including personal development.

Daily transfers to the prison were halted during the legal battle brought on behalf of the children. But Ms Mikakos said she expected more to begin to be transferred to the unit after the Andrews government re-classified the unit as a youth justice and remand centre in a way that she said dealt with the court's initial concerns.
Two motorcyclists have died after a four-wheel drive and two motorbikes collided in Victoria's north-east on Friday afternoon.

The two motorcyclists, believed to be middle-aged men, died at the scene.

Ambulance Victoria said a woman in hers 30s is being airlifted to Melbourne. She has a shoulder injury and possible injuries to her legs and pelvis.

The motorbikes were travelling in a group of three, with two of the bikes carrying pillion passengers. However only two motorbikes collided with the 4WD.
It is the last night of the year. It is also one of the most violent.

For police, it is a major operation in keeping revellers safe, for doctors and paramedics it is the most hectic time of year, and for some partygoers it is a night that ends in the back of a divvy van or an ambulance.

Extra police and paramedics will be rostered on this Saturday to cope with the surge in demand that comes from hundreds of thousands of people going out to mark the new year.

And while Victoria Police deputy commissioner Andrew Crisp is quick to point out that the overwhelming majority of revellers do the right thing, there are still some who go out and cause trouble.
1. Fill in your name or an alias. Do not leave blank or use the name 'guest' or 'anonymous'.

2. No Nivul Peh. Profanity will be deleted.
The Australian Medical Association has warned Premier Colin Barnett not to rush the opening of Perth Children's Hospital for political gain, labelling the government's response to the project's latest setback  lead contamination in the water pipes  as an "unacceptable, bandaid solution".

The hospital was due to open in 2015, but has faced lengthy delays and been plagued with problems during its construction, including the building's roof panels having to be replaced after it was discovered they contained asbestos.

Health Minister John Day on Wednesday refused to confirm the $1.2 billion hospital would be open by mid-2017, but a day later Mr Barnett declared in an interview with The West Australian that he had become impatient with the project's progress, and would be giving it more of his attention to have the hospital handed over to the state government.

His comments came the day the state government announced it would attempt to solve the hospital's lead contamination issue by installing a filtering system after experts were unable to determine the source of the elevated lead levels.
Taipei: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through Houston and San Francisco during a January visit to Latin America, her office said on Friday, sparking sparking renewed calls from China for the United States to block any such stopover.

Ms Tsai's office declined to comment on whether she would be meeting members of US President-elect Donald Trump's team, but the US mission in Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said the visit would be "private and unofficial".

Mr Trump angered China when he spoke to Ms Tsai earlier this month in a break with decades of precedent and cast doubt on his incoming administration's commitment to Beijing's "one China" policy.

China is deeply suspicious of Ms Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations.
Beijing: Lei Yang left home on the night of May 7 to meet relatives at the airport who had travelled to Beijing to meet his newborn daughter for the first time.

Instead, the 29-year-old environmental researcher ended up dead, caught up in what police say was an undercover sting on an illegal brothel masquerading as a foot massage parlour.

Lei Yang, who died in suspicious circumstances in police custody in May of this year.

Lei, police say, had attempted to run, resisted arrest and had to be "forcibly restrained". Less than two hours later, he was declared dead, with police initially saying he had suffered a "heart attack".

Tellingly, in a country where the law enforcement, judiciary and media are all directly controlled by the government, the police's official account of events was met with widespread disbelief.
Macau: Steve Anderson, a former Brisbane horticulturalist who came to Macau via Hong Kong and Belize before that, runs the only bar I've seen here outside a casino, although he assures me there are others if you know where to look. It's something of a hub for anyone in town who speaks English, which includes approximately 5000 Australians, many of whom work for the territory's 40-odd casinos.

Gambling was opened up to foreign operators in 2001, two years after Portugal handed over its former colony to China. By 2013 the territory's gross gambling revenues were ten times those of Las Vegas. "People say the casinos run Macau," Anderson says. "The casinos don't run Macau. Beijing doesn't run Macau. Basically, nobody runs Macau."

Macau was a Portuguese territory until 1999. Credit:iStock

Except that, as he says in the next breath, there is a tremendous amount of bureaucracy here if  for example  you want to set up a bar. It's a complicated place.

Macau is actually run by a chief executive appointed by Beijing and a council of ministers. I am here for the inaugural Macau International Film Festival, part of the Ministry of Tourism's drive to become "a world centre of tourism and culture", in the words of Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, the director of the Macao Government Tourist Office.
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PHILIPSBURG:---- On Wednesday, December 28, 2016, at approximately 12.45 am the Star Ocean supermarket in Dutch Quarter was robbed and several minutes later the Wing Li supermarket in Middle Region was also robbed by the same culprit brandishing a firearm. In both cases, the culprit fled on a scooter after the robberies. When patrols arrived at the scene they were given a description of the culprit. French authorities were contacted and they were able to make an arrest of the culprit for several robberies he had committed on the French side. Dutch authorities were contacted regarding the arrest. An update will be given in a subsequent press release.

KPSM Press Release
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As well as that, Zane Lighthouse will be celebrate the live day event by freely giving away unlimited 45 day trial accounts with no credit card needed at signup. It is their hope that this will raise awareness for the online reputation management software app and encourage other local business owners to spread the message on how to generate honest client reviews.

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Dear Editor,

Thank you Le Mafa P for your letter. I would like to respond as follows:

Le Mafa: We have to remember that Democracy was an introduced system which was forced upon the people by imperialist invaders who were basically looking for riches to blunder [sic] from unsuspecting peace loving indigenous people around the world. Just like sexually transmitted diseases and influenza, our forefathers suffered terribly from deceptions and were never prepared for the subtle destruction of our way of life by the conniving imperialist invaders.

LV: First, lets start with a familiar academic suggestion: Perspective. Perspective. Perspective. You seem to dwell unbendingly on the plunders and pillages of the papalagi (foreigners/white man). Your diction is one of accusation and vilification and therefore youre slow to show a little open-mindedness and tolerance. You sound quite vengeful and resentful - if not patronizing. Of course the so-called invaders with their three Gs (Glory, Gospel and Gold) banner committed some atrocities and other sins, and I understand your apparent never-ending grudges and grievances; but are they enough to justify the life-long animosity that youre harboring? Cmon. Im sure there has to be some good that has come about as a result of these past building blocks, as disturbing as they may have been.

Le Mafa: Yes, we have our own ways of doing things - the Faasamoa. Whether it was head hunting or wars or chasing red men out of Samoa, every event in history was basically a building block or stages of development or evolution pattern you allude to that defines our culture and society and our identity as Samoans.

LV: True. Sometimes even bad experiences and events can contribute favorably to defining ones culture and society as you said. However, in the case of your far-flung positions, you need to be careful about using those events exclusively to spite the papalagi since you are bordering on, if not actively, advocating insularism, isolationism and ethnocentrism in the process. All of them, in this day and age are feckless, vacuous and shortsighted. Now, since we both agree on the evolutionary patterns of society, what, therefore, according to your seemingly informed historical prognostication, would have been an alternative and/or better path for Samoas evolution and development, sans the papalagi experience? Or you would not want anything to do with the conniving imperialist invaders?

Le Mafa: I think its very unfair to postulate that va fealoai can be equated to utopia because that is far from the Truth. Va fealoai is simply Respect and in a hierarchal indigenous culture like our culture, maintaining social order, social status and honour can only be achieved with va fealoai Our forefathers were never warmongers or blood thirsty savages as you painted but they only resort to war as a last resort to decide pressing issues (paramount chief) - they were noble warriors  not noble savages. European explorers/invaders of the last century use the term savages to describe conquered indigenous people all over the world.

LV: Unless youre trying to assign a radical or rudimentary meaning to utopia other than its basic one of a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions. according to Merriam-Webster, you simply cannot dissociate respect (va fealoai) from utopia. Moreover, va fealoai is a Samoan word, but the concept is universal and Christian, entrenched in the do unto others ... canon. As I said, the flaw that youre perpetrating is painting Samoa of the pre-contact years with a broad brush of bliss and blessedness. Inasmuch as Id like to join with you in putting our pre-contact ancestors on your pedestal of civilizedpeace loving and noble warriors, I cannot - and will not. They still lacked many of the things that would have qualified them as equals of their European counterparts in terms of civilized culture. Youd have to swallow your pride and accept that. For example, one of the most important signs and characteristics of a civilized and advanced culture and society is a written language. Our ancestors did not have one; it was introduced. And thats just one example.

Le Mafa: It was a psychological fix to boost their egos but our ancestors were brilliant navigators and they navigate the sea by reading the stars, not the map so how can our ancestors be savages then?

Another thing worth noting is that in our culture, we never refer to the old days as the dark days or dark ages This is a flawed and perplexing stratagem by the Church to insinuate their superiority over indigenous cultures. If we are living in the light ages why is the world still suffering savagery like the people of the so called dark ages?

LV: Heres a question, albeit slightly hypothetical: If the two cultures, Samoan and European, were left to separately and independently develop, by today, where do you think the Samoan culture/society would be in terms of advancement? We know where the European culture is, but what about the Samoan culture/society, again, without the fusion? Will we have already worn similar modern clothes of our own making or still wearing siapo and/or leaves? Would we have already been communicating using similar technologies (phones, emails, texting, etc.) or are we still using drums to send messages? Actually, on a second thought, the question is not hypothetical - slightly or substantially. Because we have a modern day example of societies that have been left on their own for thousands of years without outside influence. Im talking about the tribes in the jungles of the Amazon that even predate Samoan society by thousands of years. You seem an informed enough person to know about these tribes. So perhaps the more poignant and stimulating question is: Today, would you rather live like the Amazon tribes or in modern day Samoa? I hope you see my point because based on your obvious extreme anti-imperialistic positions, you would definitely opt for the former, Im sure.

If youre a genuine Samoan, especially a Samoan Christian, then you would know and understand the meaning and godless connotation of the words faapaupau and pogisa.

Hence, Jesus Christ is the difference. Jesus Christ is the truth and the light.

Le Mafa: Faasamoa is a perfect system in its own environment, it was a system designed by the Samoans for Samoans and so was democracy to the Greeks. The issue with Democracy in Samoa is that, the population needs to be highly educated for them to understand the many complex facets of the system. With Faasamoa not completely decimated by the introduced system, the few intellectuals in government are wittingly traversing the blurred boundaries of Faasamoa and Democracy/Church to get away with dishonesty violations committed under Democracy laws (OPC Report 2010).

LV:I agree that the faa-Samoa is perfect in its own environment, but that environment keeps changing. Samoa of the 21st century is not conducive to the application of the faa-Samoa of the 1800s. In fact the faa-Samoa of the 1800s is not the same as the faa-Samoa of the last fifty years. In other words, faa-Samoa can be relative and should be defined within a specific time backdrop for it to be intelligible. As for democracy, it - in its simplest, direct and pure form - does not necessarily need a highly educated population as you said. Samoa is perhaps the ideal place for pure democracy. According to Cleisthenes and the Greeks democracy works better and easier in a small monistic and homogeneous society, like Samoa.

Le Mafa: If theres an interrelationship between state and church under the watchful eyes of Democracy, then what exactly is the role of Church in Democracy and when exactly should they come into the big picture?

LV: Good question. You have to understand the history of the church and politics; hence church and state - specifically the politicization of religion, historically and in modern times. Ironically and interestingly (and Im glad you asked), Samoa is going to be a stimulating case study which may provide an answer for your question. As you may have read recently (here) that the government will now pass a law establishing a state religion (Christianity), and so you will certainly be edified and kept apprised. And maybe surprised.

Finally, as I said in another response of mine, the issues are broad and need to be examined, analyzed and weighed within their totality. An open-minded, educated and balanced perspective, perspective, perspective, Im convinced, is always the better approach.

Sincerely and Open-mindedly Yours!

LV Letalu

Lalomanu and Utah
Former Warren City Council at-large candidate Gary Boike said he has been planning since the Nov. 2019 election to request appointment to Council President Patrick Greens seat once it becomes vacant.
Water shutoffs in South Bend resume in December. Money is available.

Shutoffs and late fees for water service were paused in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but will resume in December.
An artist's illustration of astronaut pioneers on Mars. Building a self-sustaining colony in space comes with huge hurdles for humanity.

As humans explore other worlds, the colonies they develop may change over time. While the first settlements may rely on individuals, as the outposts grow more self-sustaining, families will likely become the colonists of choice, a panel of experts said.

"The socioeconomic origins of colonists are going to change over time," science fiction author Charles E. Gannon told Space.com.

Earlier this year at Dragon Con in Atlanta, Gannon was part a panel of scientists and science communicators who discussed how future space colonies might look and act, and how such developments might affect the rest of humanity on Earth. Gannon was joined by nuclear physicist Ben Davis, forensic anthropologist Emily Finke, science teacher Lali DeRosier and moderator Kishore Hari, a self-described "professional nerd." [NASA's Wild Space Colony Concepts in Images]

"Trailblazers will be specialists; so will true pioneers. However, once you move to a settler model, things will change to a more normalized selection demographic," Gannon said in an email interview.

For awhile in the 1970s, NASA scientists studied the possibilities of building giant communities in space. See the full space infographic here (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

From individuals to families

Initially, space colonization may function a great deal like the American West. The first forays into the wilderness were made by travelers like Lewis and Clark, individuals who cut their way across the country to map it for those who stayed behind. The intrepid explorers had to carry their own supplies, all fabricated back home. The panel likened this sort of exploration to visits to the moon and Mars by small groups of astronaut explorers.

"Mars is a piece of cake compared to other bodies," Hari said during the session.

The initial stages of colonization would most likely be conducted by workers who would build the necessary support systems, the panelists said. This idea led to a vigorous discussion about who those workers might be. An audience member asked if the first colonists would be the wealthy elite, but the panelists quickly dismissed this, saying the group would more likely rely on blue-collar workers skilled at hands-on labor.

"You put a bunch of college professors on a spaceship, and nothing's going to get done," Davis quipped.

"They'll form a committee," Gannon added.

Finke pointed out that the original American settlers consisted of a diverse group, including laborers, priests and scholars. The first space settlers might have a similar makeup. [SpaceX's Mars Colony Ship Concept in Pictures]

"Expect a working middle class for a while," Gannon said. "The wealthy will manipulate from safer, easier environments, and the poor are unlikely to have the necessary skill sets that warrant someone else paying a ticket for them."

But that would change over time, the panelists predicted.

As the colony moved toward self-sustainability, the type of settlers would change. Instead of plucky individuals setting down roots, settlers might consist of parents willing to brave the new frontier with families. Over time, the colonies would look more like frontier towns than collections of individuals.

Of course, families settling the West could make the journey fairly cheaply compared to taking a rocket to a new planet. While a space colony is still young and tethered to Earth, the home planet might have a vested interest in screening hopeful travelers, panelists said.

The panel debated the difficulty of screening a young family before sending them into space. Would hopeful colonists first be sent to Antarctica with their small children to see how they cope with the isolation? While physical health could be screened for when a person was young, how does one rate the social ability of a 2-year-old?

The group agreed that some method of screening would need to be applied, though Gannon said that once the colony was safe, such screening could be minimal.

"If you didn't do that, you're buying yourself potentially huge trouble on the back end," Hari said, referring to a screening process.

Untethered from Earth

Like in the Old West, the goal would be for the colony to become self-sustaining, the panel said. Once a colony could support itself, it would no longer need to rely on materials from Earth to survive. When asked if an organization on Earth could realistically hope to control what was happening on Mars, Davis said, "If they're still getting their caloric intake from someplace else, yup, you can." [Poll: Where Should Humanity Build Its First Space Colony?]

Gannon named the biggest challenge facing a colony that aimed to grow independent from the people back home: the supply of volatiles, particularly oxygen and water. The first explorers would need to find a way for colonists to harvest those on the new world, Gannon said.

"If you have to ship those to the colony, it will be both economically and physically dependent and probably never be profitable or really safe," Gannon said.

Even if an underground colony relied on rocks to shield itself from deadly radiation, it would still need enough water for similar shielding during vehicular missions, he said, making ice harvesting crucial to the colony's survival.

"There are plenty of other [challenges]," he said. "But this is the minimum ante for long-term self-supportability."

Humans could set up robot-constructed mining outposts at the moon's poles. See how a moon colony could work here (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Infographics Artist)

Building a new life

What it means to be self-sustaining would also be up for debate. While food, water and oxygen are all obvious things a colony would need to support itself, less clear are things like medicine and computers.

"The colony would ask the question early on what it values," Davis said. At that point, the colonists may seek to become fully independent from Earth, much like many of England's colonies did from the home country, Davis said. Each colony might approach its negotiations for materials differently, he said. "They'll find that out [what they value], and play political judo."

An effort to become self-sustaining would most likely affect colonial education. Instead of focusing on traditional schoolhouse learning, education might be more likely to follow family or professional lines, the panelists said. Children might serve as apprentices for other laborers or be taught the family trade. Instead of teaching broad concepts, education would more likely focus on learning specific trades.

The panelists named another requirement for full independence that Earth's colonists never had to worry about: genetic diversity.

Finke said the minimum viable human population is around 10,000. That doesn't mean a young colony would require 10,000 people to be self-sustaining. She suggested instead that a small population with a large sample of frozen embryos and sperm samples would be less expensive to send than a larger population.

Automation would also play a key role in a colony's survival. While humans require resources to survive, robots and automatons could potentially do many of the jobs without the same demand. The panel envisioned such machines playing a key role, particularly in early colonization. How dominant a part they play would depend a great deal on progress, Gannon said.

"Robotics is a wild card here," Gannon said.

Does humanity dare?

Contamination of other worlds would also be a significant concern in colonization. To close out the session, Hari asked the room if humans have the right to potentially damage another planet after proving to be such poor caretakers on Earth. Half the room said they thought humans should colonize other worlds, while a handful of people remained concerned.

"If humanity doesn't have the 'right' to exist, who sits in judgment?" Davis wondered. He pointed to the survival instinct that has brought humans to their current state, and the possibility of an event that could kill off the human population, such as an asteroid or comet impact.

But humans could do even more damage than depleting a world of natural resources and leaving behind a barren wasteland. People could inadvertently kill off an undetected life-form, which raises important moral issues, panelist said.

That may be more than just a question of politics or ecology. Gannon pointed out that contamination could be a two-way street, with results not immediately evident or consequential. He gave as an example the idea that an Earth-based bacteria like Escherichia coli (E. coli), found in the human gut, got loose on the surface of the world whose native life-forms had been overlooked for one of any number of reasons. It could take alien life 50 years to reject, attack or incorporate the bacteria. Or the life-form could simply learn how to break down the bacteria and eat it.

"But that means we've just taught the local microorganisms how to break down and eat something native to our biosphere," Gannon said. "We could be next on the menu, because our carelessness provided that advance learning."

Humans need to tread carefully, he said.

"The key question of the future is how to expand ethically," Finke said. "We need to expand in a way that does as little harm as possible to the environment."

Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd, Facebook or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
An artist's illustration of an asteroid breaking apart in space. A new study suggests this might be the fate of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

With a cloud of trailing debris, a rocky object known as 3200 Phaethon straddles the line between asteroid and comet. But the space rock's days, it seems, might be numbered.

New research suggests that the sun may be slowly shredding Phaethon to pieces due to its close orbit. The same may be happening to another close-orbiting object.

"Phaethon may be a breakup in slow motion," Paul Wiegert, an astronomer at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, said at the Division of Planetary Sciences meeting in Pasadena, California. Wiegert used the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR) to track bodies 1 meter (3.3 feet) wide and smaller. As Phaethon orbits the sun, it appears to be breaking apart and then reforming, Weigert's study found. [Potentially Dangerous Asteroids in Images]

Asteroid on the brink

As 3200 Phaethon orbits the sun, it comes closer than any other named asteroid, occasionally traveling half as far away as the orbit of Mercury (which on average is about 35 million miles, or 58 million kilometers) before returning nearly as far out as Earth (which orbits at 93 million miles, or 150 million km). Along the way, the space rock drops off the material that feeds the Geminid meteor shower that peaks in December.

In 2010, scientists realized that Phaethon displayed characteristics similar to a comet as well as an asteroid, producing a tail of material that led to its classification as an active asteroid. Some active asteroids are suspected of forming tails like comets, because they have ice beneath the surface, but Wiegert proposed that Phaethon's debris trail instead results from the rock's sun-skirting orbit.

As an asteroid passes close to the sun, the space rock slowly disintegrates, spreading dust and debris along its path. When that trail of material intersects with Earth's path, it can create meteor showers. (Image credit: Karen Teramura, UH IfA.)

For nearly two decades, astronomers thought the near-Earth objects (NEOs) that strayed too close to the sun wound up swallowed by the star. Earlier this year (2016), however, Mikael Granvik, an astronomer at the University of Helsinki, revealed that many asteroids instead break into pieces when they spend too much time in the region of space within 10 times the sun's diameter.

Granvik's research suggests the catastrophic breakups of asteroids happen too far away to be explained by tidal effects from the sun. While the precise method remains uncertain, he and his colleagues proposed three possibilities.

Asteroids could be heated by the sun and thus crack, releasing grains that the solar radiation then strips. Another explanation is that solar particles or energy released as material jumps from solid to gas could cause asteroids to rapidly spin until gravity can no longer hold them together. The third option is that volatile materials jumping from solid to gas could create enough pressure to blow the asteroid up from within.

The asteroid 3200 Phaethon is seen moving across the night sky in this NASA animation of still images. (Image credit: NASA)

Tracking asteroid breakups

Wiegert and his colleagues used several years of observations taken by CMOR to examine whether the environment around the sun showed signs of super-catastrophic asteroid disruption. They found that the kilometer-size (0.6 miles) asteroids break up into surprisingly small chunks of debris.

"Asteroids don't break up into meter-sized chunks," Weiser said. "Any meter-sized bodies delivered by near-Earth asteroids are soon destroyed as well."

Instead, the material breaks into millimeter-size (0.04 inches) pieces that continue to orbit the sun, the researchers found.

That means an asteroid like Phaethon could be slowly tearing itself apart as it draws too close to the sun. When in a close orbit, such a rock begins to collapse, but as it moves away, it could be coalescing again.

"It may be an asteroid going to the brink [of catastrophic breakup] and then retreating," Wiegert said.

Still, the observations can't confirm the asteroid's slow breakup, he said. It is still possible that Phaethon acts like a comet, with icy material trailing off the surface to create the debris cloud, Wiegert said.

Phaethon isn't the only oddity. At the same conference, Granvik presented evidence that the Comet 322P/SOHO 1 may also be suffering from super-catastrophic disruption. "The question is, 'Is this a really a comet?'" Granvik said. Earlier this year, a team of scientists published research suggesting the comet may actually be an asteroid.

Although the object is active, observations suggest that it is denser than any known comet and that its activity is driven by a different process than other comets, whose tails form as they lose ice.

Phaethon and 322P aren't enough to satisfy Granvik, he said, explaining that he and his colleagues are working to identify other potentially disrupted asteroids in the process of falling apart.

"You always want more," he said.

Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
If you haven't heard by now, a new viral phenomenon has hit the Internet. The initial Mannequin Challenge is credited to students in Jacksonville, Florida, but has spread across the globe and videos have grown more complicated and intricate.

So what is the challenge? A group of people freeze in action, like mannequins, while a camera  in motion  maneuvers around and among them capturing the scene.

And now, the Mannequin Challenge has made its cosmic debut!

See more

Crewmembers on the International Space Station have recorded their own version of the Mannequin Challenge.

Expedition 50 crewmembers took on the challenge with gusto. From NASA, Robert Kimbrough froze mid-exercise while Peggy Whitson shot some photos. From Roscosmos Oleg Novitskiy floated, frozen while passing through the corridor, and Andrei Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhikov looked hard at work in various positions. ESA's Thomas Pesquet filmed the scene.

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STAMFORD  An Italian import has bubbled to the top of the holiday sales charts in many city liquor and wine stores.

As residents and workers have stocked up this week to prepare for their New Years Eve celebrations, local merchants said that a certain sparkling wine is the source of much of their business.

Prosecco is the most happening thing, said Kris Patel, owner of Stamford Wine & Liquor at 583 Newfield Ave. Its not as dry as the Champagne. Its a lot easier to approach.

Customers tout the taste and visual pop of the product of Italys Veneto region. They also like its versatility. Many use Prosecco to make cocktails such as Aperol spritzers and Mimosas.

Everybodys talking about Prosecco now, said Gayle Bell, a customer of Stamford Wine & Liquor. I like its taste. It has good bubbles.

Affordability has also boosted its appeal. Prosecco bottles generally sell between $10 and $20, compared with about $40 for a quality bottle of Champagne at an entry-level price.

The sales have surged, said Colleen Daly, manager of Franklin Liquor at 99 North St. People are not buying the French Champagne anymore for New Years. They used to buy the Clicquot or Moet, but not anymore. People are happy with the Prosecco. Its a lower price point, its affordable, and its just as good.

Other spirits and wines are also strong sellers this time of year.

The red wines and tequilas are very popular around here, Candy Sanchez, manager of Reyes Wine & Liquor at 734 Pacific St.

Still wines and beer generate a lot of business from corporations and nonprofits holiday gatherings.

When the chamber does events, we always make sure theres wine  red and white, said Jack Condlin, president and CEO of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce. We always make sure theres beer. Beer is still one of the staples in the business world for people to have a drink and relax.

Merchants seek to attract business during the holidays by offering a range of deals.

We will cater to event planning, Patel said, citing the stores quantity discounts.

In the past five years at Franklin Liquor, New Years Eve sales have surpassed those for Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Its probably my biggest holiday, just in terms of people shopping for liquor, Daly said. During December, there are holiday parties, so people will buy a bottle to bring. They also give it as a gift. I get a lot of people come in when they have Secret Santas for the office. Theyll come and get a small bottle.

Some businesses such as Reyes Wine & Liquor rely on strong holiday sales because their revenues drop off in the winter months when their clients in seasonal industries such as landscaping move into the off-season.

Its a big time of year I hope we do better than we did last year, Sanchez said. Many people stop working around now; theyre not making money. When January comes around, forget it, its dead.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott
STAMFORD  The city man arrested in connection with fatally striking an 18-year-old student on her way to take the SAT exam with his van almost two months ago made his first court appearance on Friday.

Home improvement contractor Wilson Villa-Cabrera, 37 made a not guilty plea to a felony charge of misconduct with a motor vehicle during a hearing before Judge Auden Grogins. Villa-Cabrera was driving his work van south on Strawberry Hill Avenue at about 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 5, when he struck and killed Karina Tinajero-Arreguin near the double yellow line in front of Stamford High School.

This is a very difficult situation, but I would advise people not to rush to judgment, said Rob Serafinowicz, one of Villa-Cabreras attorneys. Since the accident, the city has put in a crosswalk in front of the school and weeks after installed flashing lights.

Following a month-long investigation, Villa-Cabrera was arrested after police determined he did not do enough to avoid hitting Tinajero-Arreguin.

According to his arrest affidavit, a cabbie following along behind Villa-Cabrera told police that after initially stopping, Villa-Cabrera drove off before stopping again when the cab driver began honking his horn, telling him to pull over.

The cabbie told police that he did not think Villa-Cabrera was speeding and police checked his phone before determining that distracted driving was not a cause for the accident.

"He had more than enough space to veer to the right and avoid her, however, he did not," said Sgt. Andrew Gallagher, commander of the Stamford Police Department's Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad. "It is clearly negligence."

Police determined Villa-Cabrera, who was on his way to pick up employees, had more than 400 feet to see Tinajero-Arreguin in the street and begin stopping the van. Police say Villa-Cabrera was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

According to state law, a person is guilty of misconduct with a motor vehicle - a class D felony - when "criminal negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle...causes the death of another person." If convicted, Villa-Cabrera could face between one to five years in prison.

"Based upon our investigation, Villa-Cabrera said he saw Miss Tinajero-Arreguin and that he tried to brake prior to the collision and was unable to avoid colliding with her," Gallagher said. "That is the problem. He said he saw her and was unable to avoid her."

Police investigated Villa-Cabrera's van and found it badly worn but the brakes worked, according to his arrest affidavit.

JNICKERSON@SCNI.COM;
Dec 29, 2016 12:00 AM

Author: Libby Mitchell

Is grief powerful enough to kill? The world is mourning the death of actress Debbie Reynolds who herself was in mourning following the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher just one day earlier. Could that grief have played a part in the stroke that killed her? I was not surprised to hear of her death, says Katherine Supiano, PhD, LCSW, FT, Director of the Caring Connections Grief Program at the University of Utah. This is an uncommon phenomenon, but it does happen. Even the American Heart Association has recognized broken heart syndrome as a cause of death following the death of someone close.

The American Heart Association is not the only organization that has looked into broken heart syndrome. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014 found older adults who lost a partner saw their risk of dying from a heart attack or a stroke double in the 30 days following. One reason may be that stress raises the level of cortisol in body. Increased levels of cortisol have been linked to cardiovascular death. Other hormones may play a role as well. Emotional stressors can also lead to a significant release in adrenaline, says John Ryan, MD, a cardiologist with University of Utah Health. This can have an impact on the cardiovascular system.

Physical changes in the body are not solely responsible for the increased risk though. People make behavioral changes while under stress or suffering from grief. These may impact their health. They may not be taking care of themselves, says Ryan. They may not be taking medications for underlying conditions, or they may be eating poorly, or start smoking again. All of these can raise their risks of cardiovascular problems.

The nature of the relationship lost may also be a factor. A close caregiving bond may be harder to lose, especially if that caregiving relationship has been long standinglike that of a mother with a child. We all know that Carrie Fisher had several difficulties in her life, says Supiano. Reynolds may have been in the role of emotional caregiver. When that role was no longer available the stress may have become overwhelming contributing to her death.

Supiano says that in situations like these it might not just be grief and stress, but also a feeling that now caregiving is no longer needed that the work of the caregiver is done. We do hear people say that, she says. And in some cases, very quietly, their lives end.

While grief may make a person feel they want to diethe vast majority do not. The levels of stress hormones will dissipate over time, and behavioral patterns will return to normal. Life will go on. People are hard wired to be able to grieve, says Supiano. The majority of people are actually highly resilient and given enough time, and social support most people navigate this pretty well.
C inema-goers had it good in 2016: even in a year of unrelenting remakes and sequels, there were still plenty of first-rate releases.

See our pick of the best films of 2016

2017 already has plenty to look forward to  and beside the below, it's another big year for comicbook and superhero blockbusters, with Justice League, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok all coming out.

Hottest films to watch in 2017

There'll also be plenty of modern takes on films you probably didn't think were old enough to warrant a remake, with Jumanji and The Mummy both set for screens.

Finally, proving the franchise is determined to be more drawn out than Police Academy, The Fast and the Furious is set for its eighth film in 16 years.Incidentally, if you're going to the cinema this year, there's a good chance you'll end up seeing a film with Dwayne Johnson in. Good for him.

Jackie - Trailer 2

Jackie

Jackie Kennedy, she of impossible glamour, a little tragedy and endless affairs, is shown here in the days following her husband's assassination. Natalie Portman takes the lead role, but dont expect a straight-down-the-line Kings Speech style biopic. With Pablo Larrain directing, it promises to be a theatrical, impressionist spectacle. It will look beautiful, but expect to be unsettled.

Release date: January 20

T2 Trainspotting

Not to make you feel old, but its been two decades since the original Trainspotting gang first appeared on cinemas screens. Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begby are back together, in an adaptation of Irvine Welshs Porno, the sequel to the first book. The original cast return, thank God, and while heroin is out, porn is in. Theres plenty of drink, drugs and debauchery, but expect lots of regret, resolution and moving on. Choose Life meets the 21st century.

Release date: January 27

Toni Erdmann

The story of a father/daughter relationship, this comedy might promise plenty of Dad jokes but at its core is a story of a troubled relationship slowly being healed, via pranking, practical jokes and some straight-talking, too. Theres Whitney Houston karaoke (The Greatest Love of All), plenty of drinking, and Winfried, the father, is obviously struggling to adjust to his changing life, but nevertheless, it offers something sweetly touching besides the laughs.

Release date: February 3

I Am Not Your Negro

If you arent familiar with the exquisitely talented James Baldwin, this documentary promises to be a perfect introduction, though the powerful subject far outweighs its source. Based on Baldwins unfinished manuscript, Remember This House, it follows his take on the Civil Rights movement.

Baldwins poetic but frank memories of the fractured state of America in the mid 20th century promise to be fascinating, a little bleak, and vitally compelling. With his words read by Samuel L Jackson, the main subjects Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers, it is no surprise I Am Not Your Negro was met with critical acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it also won the People's Choice Award.

Release date: TBC, expected February 3

The Lego Batman Movie - Trailer 3

The Lego Batman Movie

The Lego Movie of 2014 was a glorious piece of silliness, and it returns to pop the pomposity of all the recent Batman films. Voiced by Will Arnett, this superhero cuts a rather lonely figure, who dines on microwaveable lobster and chats to his computer for company. Robin is here, too, in all his irritating glory, while Batgirl is revived in a less excruciating form than usual. The Joker may well be the highlight, though: with none of the posturing of Jared Letos take, hes presented as something of an sensitive emotional wreck, which is rather sweet. It looks hilarious, and beautifully done, too.

Release date: February 10

TODO: define component type apester

Beauty and the Beast

Tale as old as time/True as it can be Disney is remaking another classic. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star, and will sing through all the classic songs as well as a few new ones. Itll be a big musical extravaganza, with besides Watson and Stevens, theres a stellar cast: Luke Evans stars as Gaston, while Emma Thompson, Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen voice the Beasts furniture who, lets be honest, make the film.

Release date: March 17

Wonder Woman - Teaser Trailer

Wonder Woman

5,000-years-old and still saving the world: no doubt this Amazonian Princess deserves to back again in another film, following her turn in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Gal Gadot stars, in a tale of Wonder Woman bringing an end to World War One. Its not what you learned in school, but itll be entertaining. Chris Pine stars as Gadots toy boy, Steve Trevor. Quite why they used two of the dullest male names going to title their character is a mystery, but so it goes.

Release date: June 2

Dunkirk - trailer

Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan directs this blockbuster, which stars Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and Harry Styles. With music from Hans Zimmer, expect this to be a war epic on par with Saving Private Ryan: it tells the story of Operation Dynamo, which saved the life of hundreds of thousands of British, French and Belgian troops from the shores of France.

Scores of fishing boats crossed the channel to do their part, saving the lives of soldiers who were otherwise being picked off by Nazi pilots. Though, as Churchill announced, wars are not won by evacuations, the British retaining an army meant the Prime Minister did not have to succumb to the pressure of peace negotiations, and thus there was still hope for us to fight on. Hitler, who regarded the episode as a huge victory, was inflated with confidence, and  wrongly, as it turned out  began to see no reason why Russia wouldnt fall like France had. As Hitlers ego flourished, Britain gritted her teeth and committed herself to total war. But for Dunkirk, we might never have won.

Release date: July 21

The Commuter

If you like Taken, then you'll like this, given it's basically Taken on a train. Liam Neeson stars as the most exciting insurance salesman ever, who apparently, despite selling insurance on the reg, is called on to uncover the identity of a hidden stranger on his commute home, to save the life of everyone else on his journey. If you're into Neeson being tough and absurd plot lines, this will be unmissable.

Release date: October 20

Star Wars Episode VIII

What needs to be said? Episode 8 is likely the most highly anticipated film of the year. Rian Johnson (Looper, Brick) directs, details are still tightly under wraps, but John Boyega has said it will be "much darker" than The Force Awakens. Carrie Fisher may well make an appearance, as she'd finished filming scenes as General Leia before her recent passing. Mark Hamill will also star.

Release date: December 15

Elle

Veteran Dutch director Paul Verhoeven has made some deliciously provocative films and this comeback is no exception. Isabelle Huppert is magnetically imperious as a woman seeking revenge on her rapist.

Release date: March 10

Ellen E Jones

Get Out

This satirical horror about a black man in a white neighbourhood should capture the fraught mood of US race relations. London lad and former Evening Standard Rising Star award-winner Daniel Kaluuya stars.

Release date: March 17

Ellen E Jones

The Handmaiden

A psychological thriller that borrows the plot of Sarah Waterss bestselling novel Fingersmith but sets the action in 1930s Korea instead of Victorian Britain. If youve seen Park Chan-wooks previous films, youll already be excited.

Release date: April 14

Ellen E Jones

Their Finest

Any Bill Nighy fans left unsated by their annual Love Actually binge wont have to wait long. He stars in this stealthily charming period piece about the makers of patriotic Second World War films.

Release date: April 21

Ellen E Jones

Baby Driver

Glorious geekiness is the calling card of Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright. Hes been tangled up in the Hollywood machine for years but this heist thriller looks like it might be a satisfying return to form.

Release date: Aug 11

Ellen E Jones

Follow David Ellis on Twitter @dvh_ellis

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESGoingOut
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2 016 was a cracking year for London theatre: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opened and was as magical as we hoped, Billie Piper gave an incredible performance in Yerma, and the National Theatre went from strength to strength.

But if you thought 2016 was good, wait until you see 2017. Heres our rundown on the upcoming years theatrical delights.

Hamilton

OK, so you already know all of the words to Lin-Manuel Mirandas hip hop musical about American founding father Alexander Hamilton, but its arrival in London in November is bound to be the biggest opening of the year. Its Barack Obamas favourite musical, it reveals influences from Ja Rule to Jason Robert Brown, and its going to be amazing. Tickets go on sale in January  wed say book day and night like youre running out of time.

November 2017, Victoria Palace Theatre; hamiltonthemusical.co.uk

Angels in America

This new production of Tony Kushners double bill on life in 1980s America under the shadow of Aids is already getting big hype, and its easy to see why. The play is already legendary  it was made into a TV series starring Meryl Streep and also adapted into an opera  and the cast signed up are pretty stellar. Denise Gough, much lauded for her performance in People Places and Things, joins Russell Tovey, Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane and James McArdle for Marianne Elliots new production. It will also be broadcast via NT Live, for those who can't stick a seven hour hit of theatre (although it is staged in two parts!).

From April 11, National Theatre; nationaltheatre.org.uk

The Ferryman

The Royal Courts season for 2017 is a thing of wonderment in itself, but perhaps the biggest coup is a new play from Jerusalem writer Jez Butterworth, to be directed by Sam Mendes. Set in Derry in the 1980s, the play takes place amidst the backdrop of the Troubles, when IRA leader Bobby Sands went on hunger strike. With a cast of 24  not yet announced  its a return to the epic from Butterworth. Already sold out, it seems bound for a West End transfer.

April 24 - May 20, Royal Court; royalcourttheatre.com

Woyzeck

Star Wars actor John Boyega will take centre stage in a new adaptation of Woyzeck, written by Harry Potter playwright Jack Thorne. The action has been moved to 1980s Cold War-riddled Berlin which is bound to liven up proceedings. The Old Vics season also includes a turn from Daniel Radcliffe in Rosencrantz and Guildernstern are Dead, and a new Conor McPherson play featuring the songs of Bob Dylan  another characteristically starry year.

May 6 - June 24, Old Vic

Buy tickets for Woyzeck with Evening Standard Tickets

Committee

And now for something completely different  a musical about the demise of the charity Kids Company. Why not? It sounds like it could be great fun or a massive disaster, and its one of a number of politically charged and of-the-moment plays programmed by Josie Rourke at the Donmar Warehouse. As well as Lenny Henry starring in a new version of The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui, Steve Waters new play charts the 1980s split in the Labour Party  how topical

June 24 - August 12, Donmar Warehouse; donmarwarehouse.com

Twelfth Night

Who could have predicted that 2017 would be Emma Rices last season at the Globe? In a dramatic turn of events, her departure was announced in October due to a disagreement about lighting, so be sure to savour her last shows. She will direct Twelfth Night as part of the Summer of Love season, where we can expect cross-dressing, hijinks and bittersweet hilarity.

May 18 - August 5, Globe Theatre; shakespearesglobe.com

Hamlet

Is Robert Icke the busiest man in theatre? Straight from his productions of The Red Barn and Mary Stuart, he will direct Andrew Scott in Hamlet at the Almeida, and thats sure to be one interpretation not to miss from one of our very finest stage actors. Juliet Stevenson plays Gertrude.

February 17 - April 8, Almeida Theatre; almeida.co.uk

A Midsummer Nights Dream

Joe Hill-Gibbons is an exciting interpreter of Shakespeare  his Measure for Measure featured bongs and blow up sex dolls - and his version of A Midsummer Nights Dream is bound to offer something different. Promising to dive into the plays subconscious whilst providing the energy of a wild house party, its one to see if you want to love Shakespeare but find it all a bit dry.

February 16 - April 1, Young Vic; youngvic.org

City of Glass

59 Productions create beautiful theatre using video and technology, so we cant wait to see what they do with Paul Austers mysterious novel, City of Glass. The brilliant Duncan Macmillan is on board to write the adaptation; he collaborated with 59 on The Forbidden Zone, which was stunning, so expect great things. The Lyric also bring Seventeen to London via Sydney, which sees a group of octogenarians play seventeen year olds  we cant wait.

April 20 - May 13, Lyric Hammersmith; lyric.co.uk

Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Imelda Staunton returns to the stage to play Martha in Edward Albees classic play. Albee passed away in September this year, so the production, directed by James McDonald and also starring Conleth Hill, Imogen Poots and Luke Treadaway, will be a fitting tribute to his memory.

February 22 - May 27, Harold Pinter Theatre

Buy Tickets for Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf with Evening Standard Tickets

The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?

Another Edward Albee classic returns to the West End, with Damian Lewis and Sophie Okonedo starring in the story of a man who has a rather unlikely affair that causes his relationships to collapse. It is directed by former Royal Court boss Ian Rickson.

March 24 - June 24, Theatre Royal Haymarket

Buy Tickets for The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? with Evening Standard Tickets

Touch

If Fleabag was one of the greatest things you saw on TV last year, be sure not to miss Touch. It is written by Vicky Jones, director of Fleabag and Phoebe Waller-Bridges partner in crime. Its about a 33 year old woman who moves to London and has the chance to reinvent herself. We expect to laugh and cry.

July 6 - August 26, Soho Theatre; sohotheatre.com

My Brilliant Friend

Elena Ferrantes series of novels about female friendship in post-war Italy have taken the world by storm, even though up until very recently no one had any idea who she was. Playwright April de Angelis has adapted her quartet of novels into a double bill of plays, which can be seen at the Rose Theatre in Kingston.

February 25 - April 2, Rose Theatre Kingston; rosetheatrekingston.org

Richard III

The Barbican is the prime spot to see international theatre, and in 2017 Londoners have the chance to see Schaubuhne Berlin director Thomas Ostermeiers daring take on Shakespeares Richard III. Grab it while you can. There will also be a production of Obsession starring Jude Law and directed by Ivo van Hove.

February 16-19, Barbican; barbican.org.uk

The Pitchfork Disney

Rock star director Jamie Lloyd will bring a double bill of Philip Ridley plays to Shoreditch Town Hall: The Pitchfork Disney and Killer. The former offers the chance to Hayley Squires on stage, who moved cinema audiences to tears with her performance in I, Daniel Blake.

January 27 - March 18, Shoreditch Town Hall; shoreditchtownhall.com

An American in Paris

Sometimes all you need is a few hours of pure escapism, and this stage adaptation of a bonafide cinema classic is sure to offer it. Its already been acclaimed on Broadway and now its coming to the West End, featuring songs by George and Ira Gershwin and a company of 50 actors. Buy a ticket now because they cant take that away from you.

From March 4, Dominion Theatre

Buy Tickets for An American in Paris with Evening Standard Tickets

42nd Street

More Broadway hijinks come to the West End in the shape of 42nd Street, the American Dream fable of Broadway, that sees a simple smalltown girl called Peggy (what else would she be called?) having to step up to stardom when the leading lady is injured. Sheena Easton stars in the big new show for Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Opens March 20, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Buy tickets for 42nd Street with Evening Standard Tickets

Low Level Panic

The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond has quietly become one of Londons most exciting venues, and they start their year with a revival of Clare McIntyres Low Level Panic, the story of three women trying to work out how to deal with a society that constantly objectifies them.

February 16 - March 25, Orange Tree, orangetreetheatre.co.uk

Diary of a Teenage Girl

This comes to the stage by way of a Hollywood film starring Kristen Wiig and Bel Powley, and was originally a graphic novel. Its about the sexual awakening of a teenage girl in the 1970s  who awakens her? Oh, just her mums boyfriend. Probably not ideal.

March 1-25, Southwark Playhouse; southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Speech & Debate

Douglas Booth takes to the stage for the UK premiere of Stephen Karams play about a school debating society who club together to deal with a teacher who has apparently been (sexually) up to no good. Booth may be the headline name over here but hes also joined by Tony Revolori, who stole our hearts as the put-upon lobby boy who stole our hearts in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

February 22 - April 1, Trafalgar Studios; atgtickets.com

And two bonus picks from our critic, Fiona Mountford

Don Juan in Soho

Leaving aside all the Who-ha, David Tennant is first and foremost a terrific stage actor. Here he stars in Patrick Marbers debauched modern updating of the legendary lothario.

March 17-June 10, Wyndhams

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The Glass Menagerie

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child director John Tiffany revives his acclaimed American Repertory Theater production of Tennessee Williamss heart-rending play, with Broadway star Cherry Jones as the deluded matriarch.

Jan 26-April 29, Duke of Yorks

Buy tickets for The Glass Menagerie with Evening Standard Tickets

Visit standard.co.uk/theatre for the latest news and reviews from Londons theatre scene.

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout
S ome club nights will never stop being legendary. If you were in Manchester in the 1990s you might have been lucky enough to party at the Hacienda. Londoners who were there to experience the freedom of expression at Leigh Bowerys mythic Taboo still tell you how progressive it was.

New Yorkers, however, will always be nostalgic about Studio 54 - the worlds most famous celebrity nightclub that claimed that it could make anyone a star on the dance floor.

On a good night, you could spot anyone from Andy Warhol and Liza Minnelli to Richard Burton, Mick Jagger and Grace Jones. But while paparazzi were clamouring onto chairs to get a shot of the most famous person in the room, one photographer was aiming his creative lens at the real faces of the New York night.

Bill Bernstein witnessed first hand the last days of the disco scene in New York, documenting how these glitter-soaked evenings unfolded for the the clubgoers who graced not just Studio 54 but Paradise Garage, Mudd Club, Hurrah and GGs Barnum Room before taking the subway home in their Stan Smiths and gold stilettos.

Bernstein began shooting the disco scene in the late 1970s, when The Village Voice assigned him to document an awards ceremony at Studio 54 - which, at the time, he described had a reputation that was somewhere between Sodom and Gomorrah.

What he saw that night gave him a physical high. Over the next five or six hours my world underwent a metamorphosis, he says. Throughout the club I saw imagery that reminded me of Brassai's 1930s photographs of nightlife in Pigalle or Diana Arbus on the Streets of New York. I got very drawn into what I saw there, primarily the inclusiveness of different subcultures and cultures all meeting up in one place.

It was this sense of freedom and expression, he says, that drew him to document the disco scene and its clubs with his camera over the next three years.

Bill Bernstein

The glamour and grit of Steve Rubells Studio 54 was the epicentre, says Bernstein. But it wasnt always easy for the non-rich and famous to get in at the door.

You either had to have some kind of special look about you, whether it was a costume or an attitude. I dont really think there was ever anything that was written down describing who theyd let in.

His photographs, which form part of a book called Disco: The Bill Bernstein Photographs, capture the sense of freedom and uncensored decadence of the disco community - whether you were a dancer, poser or simply a voyeur to the nightlife.

I think people and the culture has changed a lot since those days, he says. New York City in the Seventies became a haven for artists around the world, because it was very cheap - much like Berlin was ten years ago.

People like Alan Ginsberg and Philip Glass, artists from all over the world came to New York. It was one of the most creative moments in the citys history.

Bill Bernstein

During this period of artistic liberation, Bernstein says he witnessed how the Civil Rights Movement, the Womens Rights Movement and the LGBT Stonewall riots instigated the emergence of disco as a melting pot for social change.

All of these things just happened by accident together, he explains. They talk about perfect storms, you know. Disco was a place where all of those movements would end up on the dancefloor and, as was writer put it recently, it was like a victory dance for all of them. Like weve made it.

The whole time I was shooting at those clubs, I never saw an argument. I never saw a fight. You had transgender women from Puerto Rico dancing next to Wall Street brokers - and there were smiles on their faces. There was no judgement.

Bill Bernstein

Having lived through four decades since discos golden era came to an end, Bernstein says is hesitant to think there will be another scene that will prove to be as important to the radical multiculturalism of New York.

I think thats like asking if there will be another Beatles. Its really hard to say because it was really just complete coincidence that these four guys happened to be born in the same city and at the same time.

Its the same thing with disco. You cant fabricate it. Because it would be phoney. I think people try to fabricate that kind of thing today and its just not the same.

Bill Bernstein currently has an exhibition called Night Fever: New York Disco 19771979 at the Museum of Sex in New York until 19 Feb.

'Disco: The Bill Bernstein Photographs' is published by Reel Art Press and is available to buy now

Follow Liz Connor on Twitter: @lizconnor_
A rmed police will travel on London Underground trains for the first time ever on New Years Eve, it has been revealed.

Firearms patrols which are routinely deployed at mainline train stations in London are to use the Tube to travel between jobs for the first time in a move to counter the terror threat and to reassure the public.

British Transport Police also announced that extra armed officers would be on duty at train and Tube stations across the capital as revellers welcome in the New Year.

Scotland Yard announced on Wednesday that 3,000 officers would patrol the capitals streets as hundreds of thousands of people flock to watch the Mayors firework display.

BTP said in a statement: New Years Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for the emergency services and we will have officers deployed at train and tube stations across the country to provide a safe environment for all those travelling and working.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers will flock to watch the New Year Fireworks over Thames / Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

In order to provide further reassurance, we will be extending our regular armed patrols and specialist support  which was also the case last New Years Eve.

You may now regularly see armed officers on the London Underground but theyre just using the tube to get around on their regular patrols.

From New Years Eve onwards armed officers will be seen on the Tube network in central London on a daily basis.

BTP chiefs announced the move in October in the wake of a bomb alert at North Greenwich station but were still holding final discussions with City Hall and Transport for London about when the change would be launched.

Extra police patrols in Soho in the wake of a terror attack on a Christmas market in Berlin / NIGEL HOWARD 

On Thursday, a senior officer at Scotland Yard said terrorist attacks on crowds in Nice and Berlin had forced police to adjust plans for protecting New Years revellers.

Metropolitan Police's Detective Superintendent Phil Langworthy sought to reassure the public, saying there were "both over and covert" measures in place for protection.

He said: "Clearly we have been looking at what has happened around the world in terms of Berlin, Nice, etcetera, and have adjusted our plans and continue to adjust our plans.

"We police around 3,500 large events every year including New Year's Eve and we meticulously plan those events - we have meticulously planned New Year's Eve - and we look at our tactics and we look around the world and adjust our tactics if need be.

London New Year's Eve Fireworks 2016 1 /9 London New Year's Eve Fireworks 2016 Spectacular: Fireworks light up the sky over the London Eye in central London during the New Year celebrations Light fantastic: Fireworks light up the sky over the London Eye in central London during the New Year celebrations Boom: Fireworks from the London Eye celebrate as 2015 turns over 2016 Fireworks light up the London skyline and Big Ben just after midnight on January 01, 2016 in London Carl Court/Getty Images Fireworks light up the London Eye just after midnight on January 01, 2016 in London, England. Thousands of people lined the banks of the River Thames in central London Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images Fireworks light up the sky over the London Eye in central London during the New Year 2016 celebrations. PA Fireworks light up the London skyline and Big Ben just after midnight on January 01, 2016 in London Carl Court/Getty Images

"We have a very extensive planning period, we plan for many months, pretty much we start planning since the last event."

He added there was "no specific intelligence" for an attack on the end-of-year event, but said: "I would encourage people on the night if they see anything suspicious or have any concerns to come and speak to one of the police officers or stewards who will be on duty."

Huge numbers are expected to ring in the new year on the banks of the River Thames, but partygoers are likely to flood into other parts of central London, including major tourist spots such as Trafalgar Square.

Police urged those who did not have tickets for the set piece firework display, which has again sold out, to watch it from home instead.

Road closures will be put into place from 2pm on December 31, affecting Lambeth, Westminster, Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges.
A young woman was shoved to the ground and repeatedly punched in a random attack in a leafy area of west London.

Police said the 19-year-old victim was approached from behind by an unknown man near Chiswick railway station.

She was allegedly knocked to the ground by the man, who then punched her in the back of the head after she got off a bus in Birlington Lane.

The man then punched her repeatedly as she lay on the floor around 12.30am on Thursday, the Met said.

She was rushed to hospital by ambulance before being discharged later that day.

Detectives are now hunting a 6ft tall white man of broad build in connection with the attack.

He is believed to be around 40 years old.

Anyone who witnessed the assault or has information should call Hounslow CID on 101.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimstoppers-uk.org.
D etectives investigating a hit-and-run in Enfield in which a 36-year-old man was killed have made an arrest.

IT consultant Andrew Lindup was struck down on December 15 while walking on Holtwhites Hill at around 7.20am.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Friday, Scotland Yard said a 24-year-old was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision.

The man attended a police station after a vehicle was recovered in Edmonton on Thursday.

'Life and soul of the party': Candles were lit for the former Islington Council. / Ed Fordham

He has been bailed to return on a date in April.

Mr Lindup, who is originally from Solihull, was described as being instantly loved by everyone he met in a heartbreaking tribute issued from his family.

Islington Council also paid tribute to their former employee who helped launch the council's new website and led the creation of IslingtonLife online site.

Head of digital customer service and development Paul Savage said: I think I speak for everyone when I say that Andy was universally liked and a much-loved friend to many.

"Friendly, creative and funny, Andy was one of those people who seemed to know and get on with everyone. We will all miss him tremendously and send our heartfelt sympathy and support to his family and friends at this sad time.

Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 020 8597 4874 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111
A rmed police stormed a west London street after two men were stabbed in broad daylight.

Police descended on Pump Lane in Hayes at around 1.40pm on Friday after a man in his 40s and another in his 20s were knifed following a disturbance.

The mens injuries are not believed to be life threatening as they were rushed to hospital. A 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene and has been taken into custody at a west London police station.

Witnesses told the Standard the attack took place outside the Hayes Muslim Centre, which is next to a Wilko store, near the town centre.

One man told the Standard: The stabbing definitely happened outside the Mosque as police cordoned off a whole section of pavement from the junction to the end of Wilkinson.

From what I can gather two guys who were acquainted were involved, one was being treated in the ambulance.

Terrified shoppers told how they were locked inside the shop for their own safety after seeing one of the injured men and blood everywhere.

One woman said on Facebook: What a lovely Friday afternoon being locked in Wilkinsons Hayes due to stabbing outside shop. Police everywhere.

It was horrible. The guy had blood everywere.. got stabbed in the neck. About five guys were restraining the guy that did it. Kids were everywhere watching. It made me feel sick."

Police said armed officers at the scene were approached by two people, a bus driver and a police community support officer, who claimed they were threatened by a group of men in a car.

The vehicle was reported to have a knife and a gun inside before it left the scene.

Armed police cordoned off a stretch of Pump Lane and are searching the area.

Scotland Yard has said investigations into the two incidents are ongoing but are not being treated as terror-related.

The Evening Standard has contacted the Hayes Muslim Centre for a comment.
A man has been arrested over a stabbing next to a childrens fun fair in south London which left a teenager fighting for life.

The victim was riding a bike in Rushcroft Road, Brixton, when he was knocked down by a grey Ford Focus.

A gang of men then allegedly chased the 18-year-old towards the fun fair in Windrush Square where he was stabbed around 6.15pm on Tuesday.

A car was abandoned at the scene of the stabbing.

The victim was rushed to hospital where he remains in a critical condition, police said.

An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Friday at a property in Lambeth.

He is currently being held at a south London police station.

Scotland Yard are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Trident and Area Crime Command via 101.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org
A homeless man was punched and repeatedly kicked in the head during an horrific attack outside a newsagent in Chelsea, police said.

Police are hunting for a man after the 48-year-old victim was assaulted outside the Chelsea Food Fayre store in Kings Road in the early hours of the morning.

Officers said the homeless man suffered facial injuries and bruising after he was punched and repeatedly kicked in the head by the suspect at about 12.25am on December 10.

The victim was taken to a west London hospital by paramedics where he was recovering from his injuries.

The attack happened in Chelsea's upmarket King's Road / Google Streetview

On Friday, police released a CCTV image of a man they wanted to speak in connection with the assault.

The suspect was with a woman who police also wish to trace.

He was described as a white man, aged approximately 30 years old, with short brown hair. He wore a short black jacket and jeans.

A Met Police spokesman said: The road would have been busy with people travelling home after a night out in the area and it is possible that they may have seen or heard something that will help the investigation.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police at Notting Hill CID on 020 8246 0137 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
D etectives are hunting two men following a spate of terrifying knife-point robberies in a north-west London alleyway.

Scotland Yard said at least four people had been threatened with three robbed of cash and their mobile phones in West View, Hendon over two days in December.

Police say they want to identify two suspects following the linked robberies which took place in an alleyway that runs between Brampton Grove and Babington Road.

On Friday, December 16, a 31-year-old man was approached by two men and threatened with a knife at 7.20pm. The men fled the scene when he handed over his phone and wallet.

Four minutes later, the thieves struck again when a 34-year-old victim was targeted as he made his way through the same alleyway. He also handed over cash and his phone before the men ran off in the direction of Hendon Tube station.

Five days later, a 27-year-old man was approached in the alleyway just after 10.30am by a man armed with a knife but managed to flee without handing over any valuables.

However, hours later a 23-year-old man gave his wallet and mobile phone when he was confronted by two men in the alleyway before they made off from the area.

None of the victims were hurt in the robberies.

Detectives from Barnet CID are investigating and have appealed for witnesses to come forward or anyone with CCTV which overlooks the alleyway.

No arrests have been made.

Investigators described the first suspect as a man with Mediterranean appearance, aged between 18 and 25, 6ft tall of a slim build.

The second man is believed to be a light skinned black man, aged between 18 and 25, 5ft 10ins tall, of slim build with a moustache.

Detective Constable Jim Christie, from Barnet CID, said: "The victims in these four incidents had simply been going about their daily business when they were threatened, and on three occasions made to hand over personal possessions.

It is of paramount importance that the suspects are caught as soon as possible and I am urging anyone who has any information - no matter how small - to get in contact."

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Jim Christie at Barnet CID via 101 or by emailing james.christie@met.police.uk or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
L ondons paramedics have predicted New Years Eve could be the busiest night in their history.

London Ambulance Service issued the forecast as it urged revellers to drink responsibly with the capital gearing up for a hectic night to celebrate the start of 2017.

It said New Years Eve was traditionally the busiest night of the year and predicted Saturday could break records for the number of callouts since they were collated, with many set to be alcohol-related.

In response to an expected influx of emergencies, nine treatment clinics will be stationed in some of Londons busiest areas on Saturday night including Soho and Waterloo station.

And paramedics have reminded drinkers that unnecessary alcohol-related callouts could divert them from people in need of urgent medical attention.

London Ambulance Services deputy director of operations Kevin Bate said: At 2am on New Year's Day 2016, 43 per cent of the incidents the Service attended were alcohol-related.

Every ambulance crew responding to someone who has simply had too much to drink, is an ambulance crew not responding to an ill or injured person who needs them.

As well as our call takers answering hundreds more emergency calls than usual, we will have hundreds of ambulance crews on Londons streets responding to patients who need our help.

In addition, our medics will be out on foot alongside colleagues from St John Ambulance, to offer help to those at the central London celebrations.

Many of the people were called to on New Years Eve are unresponsive. Its not possible to tell over the phone whether they have a serious illness or injury, or have simply had too much to drink, so we have to prioritise them immediately.

This means other patients such as an elderly faller or someone involved in a road traffic collision will wait longer for an ambulance.

London Ambulance Service said it responded to 6,244 alcohol-related incidents last December.

Clinics will be set up in Whitehall Court, Westminster Abbey, Rupert Street, Soho, Embankment Station, St Martin in the Fields, The Mall, Waterloo Station, Belvedere Road and Temple Place.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  A federal judge has denied Oregon refuge occupier Ryan Payne's request to withdraw his guilty plea.

U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown ruled Wednesday that Payne's plea in the Oregon case wasn't, as his attorney argued, contingent on reaching a plea agreement in a case against him in Nevada, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

"Payne's factual statements supporting his guilty plea were both thorough and unequivocal," Brown wrote in her 32-page ruling.

Payne, of Anaconda, acknowledged in July that he conspired with others to prevent Interior Department employees from doing their jobs during the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Payne was one of 11 defendants to plead guilty before others in the case went to trial and were found not guilty.

Payne was one of three co-defendants who filed motions to withdraw guilty pleas. The judge hasn't issued rulings on the other motions filed by Joseph O'Shaughnessy and Eric Flores.

In Nevada, he's accused of organizing "armed protection" in an April 2014 standoff over impounding Cliven Bundy's cattle.

Payne's attorney had also argued that his client's plea should be withdrawn because Ammon Bundy  Cliven Bundy's son  and others were acquitted of the same charges. Brown ruled that the plea stood on those grounds as well.

"This is not a case in which there is a new question as to Payne's factual innocence after the trial of his Co-Defendants," Brown said. "Indeed, it remains undisputed that Payne was a leader of the occupation of the (Malheur National Wildlife Refuge)."

Under the plea agreement, federal prosecutors were to recommend a 12-year sentence, but Payne could have argued for seven years. It is unclear if that recommended sentence will remain since no plea agreement has been reached in the Nevada case.

Payne will be sentenced at a later date.
A popular Instagram account which showcases life in the capital through photographs has chosen its top 20 images taken in 2016.

Pictures of Tower Bridge shrouded in fog, deer in Richmond Park and a street scene from the Notting Hill Carnival all made it on the @london gallery.

The account has more than two million followers and encourages Londoners to send in their best photographs of the capital all year round.

Each chosen photograph has received tens of thousands of likes from social media users.

While an image captured by the account's founder Dave Burt of Big Ben taken through a child's party bubble was endorsed by more than 100,000 users.

Mr Burt, who founded the platform three years ago, said the pictures tell Londons story from food, music, fashion, lifestyle and culture.

He added: We never really miss a moment in London, from inside the stadium at a Champions League Final to the Queen appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, from the east to the west, weve got it covered.

"As we looked back over the year these are the shots that stood out for us, showcasing beautiful London.

Four pictures are published each day on the @london account.
A senior aide to Margaret Thatcher claimed black people gave cannabis to babies, newly released documents have revealed.

Carolyn Sinclair, senior policy adviser to Mrs Thatcher, made the allegation in a memo she wrote in July 1989, which has now been released by the National Archives in Kew.

Ms Sinclair, who later led a Government group promoting racial equality, said the drug was part of life for black people.

She wrote: Afro-Caribbeans rarely take hard drugs such as heroin, but regard cannabis as part of life. It is given to babies.

The fact that cannabis is illegal is widely regarded as unjust. Most Afro-Caribbeans do not think that they, as a group, have a drug problem.

The comments, discovered filed with the minutes of a meeting between then home secretary Douglas Hurd and ministerial colleagues, were relayed to Ms Thatcher amid fears of a so-called crack-epidemic.

Ministers debated launching a campaign against crack cocaine but feared backlash if they were seen to be targeting Afro-Caribbean communities.

Ms Sinclair wrote: But there are good reasons to fear that crack will get a hold on Afro-Caribbeans in a way that other hard drugs have not.

New documents: The comments were made in a memo which was relayed to the Prime Minister / PA Wire

Jamaicans are heavily involved in running the crack trade in the USA, and it would be amazing if knowledge was not passed on to Jamaicans living here.

And there are sizeable Afro-Caribbean communities in most of the districts where crack use has been discovered so far.

The memo was stored in the National Archives file which spanned 1989  1990 - just years after the infamous Brixton riots in 1981.

Ms Sinclair had pushed for the prime minister to launch a drug education programme in schools during the last few years of Mrs Thatchers government.

She cited a survey which suggested 26 per cent of 16-year-olds in London had used heroin, cocaine, cannabis or glue, the Times reported.
S upermarket chain Aldi has recalled packs of its premium label prawns which carry a risk of food poisoning.

Salmonella bacteria was detected in two batches of Aldis Specially Selected Tikka King Prawns, which were on sale at stores in Scotland and Northumberland.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has urged anyone who bought the frozen prawns to return them for a full refund.

A spokesman for FSS said: "Aldi is recalling the affected product from its customers and displaying point of sale notices in stores explaining to customers the reason for recall and the actions they can take if they have bought the affected product.

Recall: Two batches of the prawn product were found to contain traces of salmonella / Aldi

The batch numbers on the 200g packs are 6K14 and 6K15 and carries the best before date of 13 April 2018.

An Aldi spokeswoman said: "Our Specially Selected Tikka King Prawns have been recalled from sale in our stores in Scotland and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

"This is a precautionary measure after testing detected the presence of salmonella in a very small sample of products. No other products or stores are affected and we have removed all affected products from our stores."
K itKats will not be downsized amid fears of the decline in the value of the pound sparked by Brexit, Nestle has confirmed.

Fears emerged in October the chocolate giant may have to raise the price of KitKats and other products or cut the four-fingered treat to three as a result of the plunge of sterling.

But Nestle bosses confirmed no plans were in place to downsize its favourite products in line with other companies.

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Dame Fiona Kendrick, the chairman and chief executive officer of Nestle UK and Ireland ruled out a change to three-fingered bars.

She said: Not while Im sitting here as chairman and CEO. We want to make sure that Nestle does everything it can to try and save costs and to ensure that we absorb as much as possible ourselves.

Other brands have altered the size of bars and packets because of the rising costs of ingredients.

In November, fans of Toblerone hit out at owners Mondelez International after the company reduced 400g bars to 360g and 170g bars to 150g.

Many linked the change to Brexit but the company insisted Britains vote to leave the European Union was not to blame.

The same month chocolate lovers were again up in arms after bags of Maltesers were cut in size by almost 15%.

Owners Mars blamed the shrink in sharing pouches from 121g to 103g on the rising production costs.
D owning Street has criticised US Secretary of State John Kerry for branding the Israeli government the most right wing in history.

Mr Kerry also warned that Israeli settlements in the West Bank were making a two-state solution with Palestine less likely.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said it was not appropriate to attack the make-up of a democratically elected government and that it was wrong to focus on single issues like settlement building, rather than the wider peace process.

John Kerry has described the current Israeli government the "most right wing in history) / AP Photo/Susan Walsh

The comments came after the US took the unusual step of abstaining in a United Nations Security Council vote condemning Israeli settlement building in the occupied territories.

Responding to Number 10's intervention the US state department said it was surprised by the remarks.

They said: "We are surprised by the UK Prime Minister's office statement given that Secretary Kerry's remarks - which covered the full range of threats to a two-state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlements - were in line with the UK's own long-standing policy and its vote at the United Nations last week."

The spokesman also pointedly referred to the support for Mr Kerry's comments from around the world.

He said: "We are grateful for the strongly supportive statements in response to Secretary Kerry's speech from across the world, including Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others."

The UK regards settlement building in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as illegal but Number 10 made clear a more broadly-ranged approach was needed to encourage peace.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "The British Government continues to believe that the only way to a lasting peace in the Middle East is through a two-state solution.

We continue to believe that the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal, which is why we supported UN Security Council Resolution 2334 last week.

"But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict. In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long.

"We do not, therefore, believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is so deeply complex.

"And we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally.

The Government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community."

Additional reporting by Press Association
T he remains of Greeces ambassador to Brazil are believed to have been found in a burnt out car in Rio de Janeiro.

Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, went missing three days ago after leaving the home of friends of his Brazilian wife in a poor and violent suburb of the city.

A Rio state police official said the ambassador's wife reported him missing on Wednesday.

Brazilian television channel Globo showed images of the burnt-out white car in the Nova Iguacu neighbourhood where the ambassador went missing. The station reported that the licence plates on the car matched those of Amiridis' rental vehicle.

An official at the Greek Embassy in Brasilia would not confirm the ambassador was missing, saying only that he was on holiday in Rio and expected to return to Brasilia on January 9.

Rio police inspector Evaristo Pontes had earlier told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper that he did not believe the ambassador was kidnapped.

"We're following some leads, but not that one. If it had been (a kidnapping), those who took him would have made contact by now," he said.

Amiridis previously served as Greece's consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004.

More recently he was Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry said it had no comment on the case, other than to say it was being fully pursued by police.

In Athens, Greece's Foreign Ministry had no comment.

Additional reporting by Reuters.


V ladimir Putin has said he will not pursue tit-for-tat diplomacy after the US expelled 35 Russian diplomats amid allegations of Russian cyber hacking.

The Russian President condemned the US for imposing sanctions on Russia and expelling its diplomats describing the move as a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-American relations.

He said a country had every right to expel diplomats and impose sanctions but that he would not drop to this level of irresponsible diplomacy.

He added: We will not create problems for US diplomats. We will not expel anybody.

President-elect Donald Trump welcomed Mr Putins decision tweeting: Great move on delay (by V. Putin)  I always knew he was very smart!

On Thursday President Obama announced a package of sanctions against Russia in retaliation for alleged cyber-attacks on US intelligence agencies, which the US believes were conducted by Russia to help get Donald Trump elected.

Mr Putins decision comes hours after the Russian foreign minister said he recommended a symmetrical response to President Barack Obamas expulsion of Russian diplomats.

The Russian President has said he would delay his response to see how Russian-American relations developed under the Trump administration.

He said: We will make further steps to help resurrect Russian-American relations based on the policies that the administration of Trump will pursue.

Mr Trump is set to be sworn in as US President on January 20.
A new bridge which is twice the height of Londons iconic Shard has opened in China.

The Beipanjiang Bridge, suspended 565 metres over the Nizhu River in south-west China, has been hailed as the highest in the world.

The 1,837-foot-tall Sidu River Bridge previously held the title for the world's highest bridge.

The 121 million crossing, which links the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, opened on Thursday.

Highest bridge: The bridge is twice the heigh of London's Shard / Imaginechina/Rex

Journey times between the two areas will be slashed from five hours to less than two hours thanks to the new four-lane construction.

It marks the completion of a motorway between Hangzhou in the south-east of the country to Ruili on the Burmese border.

All but two of the worlds ten highest bridges are now in China.

The country also boasts the second and third highest bridges - the Sidu River Bridge and the Puli Bridge.

Mexicos Baluarte Bridge is now classed as worlds seventh highest bridge, standing at 390m and Papua New Guineas 393m high Hegigio Gorge Pipeline Bridge is now the sixth highest.

Millau Viaduct, a cable-stayed bridge that spans the Tarn River Valley in southern France, is classed as the worlds tallest bridge at 343m.
P lans are currently being made for the Hollywood stars to be honoured at the same memorial service after dying just one day apart earlier this week.

Reynolds son Todd Fisher has confirmed that it is likely that his mother and sister will share a funeral as it is appropriate.

It's what we want to do, but we're still working on the mechanics, he told New York Daily News.

Family affair: Carrie Fisher with mother Debbie Reynolds and daughter Billy Lourd / Mike Blake/Reuters

"We like the idea, if it's at all possible. I think it's appropriate.

Fisher went on to say that Reynolds had expressed a wish for her daughter to be buried in the same cemetery as her before her own death.

Speaking to Good Morning American about recalling his mothers desire to "see Carrie again, he said:

Carrie Fisher - In pictures 1 /29 Carrie Fisher - In pictures Carrie Fisher poses for cameras as she arrives at the European Premiere of Star Wars, The Force Awakens in Leicester Square, London in December 2016 Paul Hackett/Reuters Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) Princess Leia and Han Solo (Carrie Fisher & Harrison Ford) kiss in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Hans Solo (Harrison Ford) in Star Wars: A New Hope Lucasfilm Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds hold their baby daughter, Carrie Frances Fisher in 1957 AP Actress Carrie Fisher in 1977 Getty Images Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) Lucasfilm Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) Lucasfilm Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (1983) Lucasfilm Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (1983) Carrie Fisher and singer Paul Simon stand together at their apartment in New York during their wedding reception on 16 August 1983 Mario Suriani/AP Legendary actress Debbie Reynolds poses with her daughter Carrie Fisher after Reynolds star in the live theatre and stage category was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during ceremonies in 1997 Reuters Debbie Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars movie, joining a Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper character as they arrive for the premiere of 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith' in Washington on 12 May 2005 Mike Theiler/EPA Actress Carrie Fisher and director George Lucas pose at the 33rd AFI Life Achievement Award after party at the Highlands on 9 June 2005 in Hollywood, California Vince Bucci/Getty Images Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley during the filming of the Graham Norton Show at The London Studios in 2015 So TV/PA John Boyega and Carrie Fisher embrace as they arrive at the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Hollywood, California on 14 December 2015 Mario Anzuoni/Reuters Carrie Fisher attending the World premiere of Absolutely Fabulous The Movie held at Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square in 2016 Ian West/PA Carrie Fisher returned to the role in 2015 for The Force Awakens Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher attend the Midnight Mission's 100 year anniversary Golden Heart Gala held at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on 30 September 2014 in Beverly Hills, California Araya Diaz/Getty Images Carrie Fisher at 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' film premiere David Fisher/Rex Carrie Fisher and dog Gary attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square on 16 December 2015 in London Dave Benett

I don't think she meant it quite like that but in 30 minutes she went to go see her again.

I think she wanted to be with her. I'm not joking when I say she left to be with her and I'm happy about that. That's the only thing I'm happy about.

Star Wars actress Fisher tragically passed away at the age of 60 earlier this week after suffering a cardiac arrest on a flight from London to the US.

Debbie Reynolds dies a day after her daughter Carrie Fisher

Reynolds son Todd Fisher confirmed that his mother had passed away at the age of 84 after suffering a suspected stroke just one day later.

The star was rushed to hospital at 1pm on Wednesday from her sons Beverley Hills home, where they were making plans for Fisher's funeral, according to reports.

The actor and director, 58, said: She's now with Carrie and we're all heartbroken.

He added: She said, 'I want to be with Carrie. And then she was gone.
H airdresser Melanie, 55, is expected to receive an estimated 50 million from her late brothers estate, after he tragically passed away on Christmas Day.

According to reports, Michaels other sister Yioda, 57, has also been named in his will, as have his godchildren.

A source told The Sun: George was very close to his sisters, and the understanding is that theyre going to inherit most of his wealth, particularly Melanie who he was incredibly close to.

George Michael - In pictures 1 /29 George Michael - In pictures An iconic shot of George Michael, when he was performing at Live Aid in 1985 PA With Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley in March 1984 PA The pair in October 1984 PA Wham! at Heathrow on their way to play in Japan in January 1985 PA On stage for Wham's last sell out concert at Wembley Stadium in June 1986 PA Michael collecting his Ivor Novello award at London's Grosvenor House in 1989 for his album Faith as international hit of the year PA With BBC Radio 1 DJ Steve Wright in August 1990 PA Singing onstage at Wembley for the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992 PA Talking to Princes Diana ahead of a concert of Hope at Wembley Arena in London, to mark World Aids Day in December 1993. Diana was patron of the National Aids Trust. Mick Hucknall looks on PA Leaving Westminster Abbey after Diana's funeral in September 1997 PA Looking dapper at a press conference in September 1999 PA Performing a duet with Tom Jones during a tribute concert to Sir Paul McCartney's late wife Linda, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London in April 1999 PA Arriving at the 95.8 Capital FM London Awards with Spice Girl Geri Halliwell in April 2000 PA Arriving with Kenny Goss for Attitude Magazine's 10th Birthday Party at the Atlantic Bar & Grill in central London PA Outside Brent Magistrates' Court after he was sentenced to 100 hours community service for driving while unfit in June 2007 PA A day later he was performing at Wembley Stadium PA Leaving Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in August 2010 after he appeared charged with driving under the influence of drugs after his car crashed into a high street shop PA Outside his house in Highgate after being released from prison in October of that year PA Smiling for the cameras in May 2011 PA Pop's elder statesman in May 2011 PA On stage at the 2012 Brit Awards at the O2 Arena PA In concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London during his Symphonica Tour in September 2012 PA

She was there at many of the big milestones in his life, and was there by his side until the very end.

Melanie cut her brothers hair throughout his career and joined him on tour of China in the late 1980s.

The superstars will is also set to name his godchildren Roman and Harley Moon Kemp, the children of former Spandau Ballets star Martin Kemp.

George Michael dies: Stars pay tribute

Geri Horners daughter Bluebell, whose godfather is Michaels ex-boyfriend Kenny Goss, is also expected to be recognised, as is his boyfriend Fadi Fawaz.

Michael also supported a number of charities including Childline and the Terrence Higgins Trust, which could receive sums.

A number of stars have paid tribute to Michael who suddenly passed away on Christmas Day due to suspected hart failure.

Sir Elton John fought back tears as he paid tribute to his friend during his show in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.
Thumbs down

Though Montana is widely known for its wild places and friendly faces, a recent rash of anti-Semitic activity has put our beloved state in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Those of us in Montana know the resort community of Whitefish as a great place to ski, fish, or just take in the pristine Rocky Mountain air. But if you Google the name of the town right now, you wont find much information about any of that among the top results.

Instead, youll read about the white supremacist website The Daily Stormer calling for an armed march aimed at Jewish residents and businesses in the community. Youll also find information about Whitefish resident Richard Spencer, who The New York Times says railed against Jews in his role as the president and director of the white nationalist think tank National Policy Institute.

Whitefish is not the only Montana community where activity like this has cropped up, and literature disparaging Jews and citing the American Nazi Party has appeared elsewhere in the state in recent months.

And even though those spreading this type of hate represent a small minority of Montanans, it will take time to undo the damage they have done to our state.

***

Thumbs up

If any good has come from this anti-Semitic rhetoric, its the way Montanans are coming together in opposition to it.

Just this week, a bipartisan group of Montanas top elected officials put their differences aside to co-author an open letter condemning the ignorance, hatred and threats of violence plaguing our state.

During the annual menorah lighting ceremony Wednesday at the state Capitol, Gov. Steve Bullock stood alongside members of the Jewish community to celebrate light over darkness, spirituality over materiality, and of purity over adulteration.

In addition, some Whitefish residents are planning to hold a Love Not Hate block party and concert there on Jan. 7 to counter white supremacist views.

This is what Montana is all about. And we want to add our name to the long list of Montanans condemning the hate in our state.
Obama-Kerry Betray Israel and American Values

Palestinian Authority and Hamas Government Refuse to Acknowledge Israel's Right to Exist



Contact: Liberty Counsel, 407-875-1776, Media@LC.org; Press Kit

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- When President Obama directed the U.S. Ambassador to Israel to allow a UN committee to pass an anti-Israel resolution, he betrayed Israel and America. Secretary of State John Kerry made matters worse when he ranted for over an hour against Israel.

Obama's anti-Israel rhetoric in the final days of his presidency is not surprising since we have known his support for Israel has never been strong. "The two-state idea for a lasting peace is a fallacy. It is a failed experiment. There can be no lasting solution for peace until the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas government in Gaza recognize Israel's right to exist," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel and President of Christians in Defense of Israel.

Most people do not realize that there are two competing factions of Muslim Arabs in Israel. Mahmood Abbas is the figurehead for the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. He was booted out of Gaza when Hamas took control of the government. Hamas is a recognized terrorist organization. Neither group has authority over the other. "Neither the Palestinian Authority nor Hamas in Gaza have a mandate from the people they represent to negotiate peace with Israel. Neither group acknowledges Israel's right to exist. Both groups want all of Israel and want to exile all Jews from the land. There can never be a two state solution under these circumstances," said Staver.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton hosted Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) negotiator Mahmood Abbas for the signing of the Oslo Accords. The following year, the Israeli and Palestinian signers received the Nobel Peace Prize. The Oslo Accords created the Palestinian Authority (PA) and transferred control of certain Palestinian populated areas to the PA. The Israeli Defense Forces and security began to phase out of Gaza and later from Bethlehem. But, instead of securing peace, the Oslo Accords have worsened the situation. Gaza is now controlled by Hamas and continues to launch missiles into Israel. Jews, Christians, and even Arab Muslims are not safe in Gaza. Jews and Christians have fled Gaza. Many Jews and Christians have also fled Bethlehem. Entering Bethlehem, Jews are confronted with a sign warning them not to enter.

"The best way to fail in the future is to continue the same failed policies of the past. When the Hamas government encourages Arab Muslim children to become suicide bombers and when their children are taught that Jews are pigs or the Satan, there can be no foreseeable two state solution. The anti-Israel rhetoric of Obama and Kerry is shameful and will soon be gone. The anti-Israel resolution by the U.N. is more than just cause to defund that incompetent organization," said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.

Christians in Defense of Israel is an educational ministry of Liberty Counsel focused on educating and mobilizing Christians regarding Israel.
Jim McCormick took notice of the early arrivals for Thursdays ceremony where he would be one of two people sworn in to office.

The county-commissioner-to-be paused to greet friends.

Angie Sparks, who would take her oath of office to become the next clerk of the district court, spoke with friends and co-workers too.

No turning back now, one of McCormicks friends said.

This is it, he replied and returned the smile.

The green, white and orange flag of Ireland stood behind the dais where the three-member commission sits each Tuesday and Thursday morning.

Thats a nice touch, McCormick said of the flag.

I didnt request that, but its nice. Its my Butte-Irish roots, where my father was born.

A dark sport coat, tie and white shirt testified to his regard for the day.

Yes, he was nervous, he said, asking who wouldnt be?

This is a big day. Its a big deal. The respect and the trust the voters of Lewis and Clark County have put in me for this office, its humbling, McCormick said.

Sparks had requested retired District Court Judge Jeffrey Sherlock administer the oath of office to her. He praised her professionalism and dedication to her work in the clerk of courts office before reading her the oath.

The 20 seconds of promises it contained required that she support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Montana. So too did she pledge to discharge the duties of her office with fidelity.

Sparks took the opportunity to thank those who helped her and supported her, as well as the people of Lewis and Clark County for believing in her and electing her to the office of clerk of the district court.

She will now lead an office wheres shes spent almost 17 years. And she said after the ceremony, Im really excited to serve Lewis and Clark County.

McCormick, who ran as a Republican, asked Commissioner Mike Murray, a Democrat who chose not to run after 24 years on the commission, to administer the oath of office.

McCormick was joined by his wife of 36 years, Shelley, their daughter Erin, and their son Scott, before raising his right hand as Murray read the words that he would repeat.

Congratulations, Murray said at the conclusion of the oath as the room thundered with applause as it did for Sparks.

There is nobody, in my opinion, I would rather have replace me as county commissioner than Commissioner Jim McCormick, Murray said to the audience.

McCormick, too, thanked everyone for attending the ceremony.

There are many people who I want to thank. None of us get to where we are in life alone. Its through the efforts of many that we are who we are, he said before acknowledging his wife, daughter and son as well as those who helped him with his campaign.

Now its time to move forward and to accomplish all that we want to accomplish for Lewis and Clark County and for the state of Montana and for you, the citizens of our county, McCormick said.

Commissioner Andy Hunthausen congratulated both Sparks and McCormick. But said he also wanted to acknowledge Murray who sat next to him on the dais.

This is his last meeting, last meeting as chair, last meeting being here, Hunthausen said, and this too brought applause for Murrays service.

Commissioner Susan Good Geise, choked with emotion, could only say Murray before patting her heart to indicate how she felt.

As people stood to applaud the two newly elected officials and congratulate them, Murray walked through the crowd of 60 or so who came for the ceremony. This was a time for him to chat and accept the well-wishes, handshakes and acknowledgements.

Its been a good run, he said as he stood in the back of the commission chambers and watched the crowd. Ive enjoyed the job and Ill miss it.

My wife has a long list of honey-dos I hope to complete, he said of what will fill the days that were once devoted to Lewis and Clark County.

Being a county commissioner, youre expected to be accessible, Murray said of conversations hes had after church and at the grocery store among other places regarding the county.

This is what awaits McCormick, he explained.

Hopefully Jim will learn his lifes not his own now, Murray added.

Hes a public official. Im sure hell do well.
Many of Montanas most vulnerable residents who already fear the states court system feel they have nowhere to turn to get help with legal problems.

Those who earn low- to moderate incomes, as well as the homeless population, Native Americans, veterans, senior citizens, domestic violence victims, children and people with disabilities dont know how to access legal assistance or overcome other hurdles such as daunting paperwork and bad past experiences with the courts.

Between October 2015 and October 2016, the Montana Supreme Courts Access to Justice Commission held public forums in seven towns around the state to hear from Montanans about their struggles with legal problems.

The commission found that many poor people who are in legal crisis over housing problems, parenting and custody disputes, domestic violence and debt collection often deal with other non-legal problems at the same time. Things like mental illness, substance abuse, threats to safety and lack of transportation can intensify legal problems, and legal problems can exacerbate already challenging situations.

An inability to access services can turn many civil legal problems into criminal legal problems, made worse by an inability to access programs and services, the commission found.

Many homeless people remain so due to legal issues such as violent crimes, scams, illegal hiring practices and civil and criminal fines, the report found. Without a permanent address its difficult for people to access assistance. In every community where forums were held, which included Kalispell, Great Falls, Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Butte and Helena, people discussed housing problems being connected with civil legal problems.

Native Americans often experience the legal system in a punitive way and fear unfairness, the report says. Theres a lack of social services on many of the states seven reservations. And many Natives face significant levels of incarceration and hurdles to being released from prison, including an inability to meet sentencing requirements, lack of mental health services, suspended drivers licenses and other issues. Natives represent 17 percent of adult offenders in the Department of Corrections, though their population as a percentage of the state is closer to 7 percent, according to a 2015 report by the department.

The report found there is only one statewide organization focused on addressing the legal needs of Montanas disabled population, which totals 148,000. People with disabilities face challenges including abuse and neglect; lack of access to programs, facilities and mental health services; employment discrimination; education needs; and housing issues.

Montana is facing a rising need in the area of elder law, the report says. The number of people 65 and older has increased 21 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to the U.S. Census, with many living in rural areas. Seniors are vulnerable to scams and can face health care problems that cause financial challenges. Many cannot navigate services online and have no link to legal aid organizations or volunteer attorney programs.

The report also said veterans and children younger than 18 without parents or guardians struggle to deal with the legal system.

The commission made several recommendations, including developing a statewide inventory of services and programs available in each region and creating a way for people who need help to get in contact with the services. It also recommended promoting a better understanding that civil legal needs can have a negative effect on health outcomes, housing, school attendance, job performance, the transition for returning veterans, the re-entry into the community for offenders and the protection of seniors. It also recommended securing stable funding to create a continuum of services from self-help programs to civil legal aid, mediation and resolution dispute.
WEST GLACIER  Removal of a snow slide that blocked the eastbound lane of U.S. Highway 2 was completed shortly after noon Friday and traffic flow returned to normal.

According to the Montana Department of Transportation, the avalanche hit the road Friday at 3 a.m. at milepost 161 in the Deerlick Creek area, some 10 miles out of West Glacier. Montana Highway Patrol was on the scene and highway crews were en route, according to a notification 12 minutes later.

The road was closed for over an hour before single-lane traffic was allowed through. Travelers were advised Friday morning to expect delays of up to 15 minutes while the lane was cleared.
The Montana Department of Transportation is no longer reporting any traffic issues on Highway 200 at the bottom of Rogers Pass, where an overturned semitruck was partially blocking traffic Friday morning.

The rollover occurred just north of the intersection of Highway 200 and Little Wolf Creek Road. The road in the area is wet and slushy, MDT reported.

The accident was reported at 6:35 a.m. Friday, and no injuries have been reported, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.

Visit http://roadreport.mdt.mt.gov/travinfomobile for the latest road conditions in Montana.
It is difficult to put words to paper about a woman who inspired millions, who was beloved, who overcame addiction, who spoke about mental illness, who was herself despite the way Hollywood wanted her to be. How do you summarize a life that was so much more than 700 words?

Although actress Carrie Fisher had 90 acting credits and was an acclaimed writer, she was most famous around the world for her portrayal as the sassy Princess Leia. It was the role I first saw her in when I was 6 years old and it is the one I remember best.

Fisher rose to fame in Star Wars. She worked in front of and behind the camera. She was frank and open about her struggle with addiction and mental illness.

As a little girl, I looked up to her. As a woman, I understood the hell she went through and admired and respected her. She didnt tell others how to act, but she influenced them by showing her life and letting others make the ultimate decision of which path their life would take.

The world was enriched by her. She was a role model, imperfect and human.

The Guardians Hadley Freeman wrote, Read any book about celebrities in New York in the 1970s and youll come across Fisher, ingesting more drugs than the whole of the Saturday Night Live cast put together. That Fisher ended up as sane and self-aware as she was, despite her addictions, despite her ridiculous Hollywood upbringing, is a testament to her.

Carrie Fisher spoke to the Hollywood Reporter in 2014 about what happens when youre struggling.

But when you get there, its hard to talk. You are reaching out from such a far away place. What do you say? You dont want to be a burden and you dont want to seem like you feel sorry for yourself  its humiliating among so many other things.

ET wrote, Even as she struggled with bipolar disease, alcoholism, substance abuse and weight issues, Fisher was always bitingly clever and full of irreverent gallows humor.

Motherboard said, Fisher was known for her frankness and hilarity, frequently critiquing and joking about the sci-fi franchise that ignited her early career, and unabashedly slamming her Princess Leia hairstyle and the metal bikini costume she wore in Return of the Jedi. Her Twitter account was delightfully emoji-filled and lively.

In her 2008 autobiography, Wishful Drinking, she related a story about Star Wars and unintentionally wrote her obituary while discussing the white dress she wore throughout the movie.

George [Lucas] comes up to me the first day of filming and he takes one look at the dress and says, You cant wear a bra under that dress... because there is no underwear in space.

I promise you this is true, and he says it with such conviction too. Like he had been to space and looked around and he didnt see any bras or panties or briefs anywhere.

So, what happens if you go to space and you become weightless. So far so good, right? But then your body expands. But your bra doesnt  so you get strangled by your own bra.

Now I think that this would make for a fantastic obit  so I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra.

Carrie Fisher was a character, but she was more than the characters she played. And when she died, she did so drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra.

Several hours after she died , Cinnabon posted an image of Fisher as Princess Leia, but instead of her famous Star Wars hair, there was a cinnamon bun in its place. Cinnabon tweeted, RIP Carrie Fisher, youll always have the best buns in the galaxy.

After a lot of backlash online, they deleted the tweet. I laughed. It alleviated the mood and the way I was feeling. I think she would have appreciated the humor. I imagine shed have laughed at the photo, too.

On Tuesday, we lost our Princess. She became more powerful than you could possibly imagine. She became one with the Force in that galaxy far, far away.
This page is archived. Data published after 5 April 2022 can be found on the renewed website. Go to the new statistics page

Published: 30 December 2016

The number of suicides decreased further in 2015

According to Statistics Finlands statistics on causes of death, altogether 731 suicides were committed in Finland in 2015, which is around 60 fewer than in the year before. Suicide mortality has decreased by 40 per cent in fifteen years. Suicides have decreased most among men aged 35 to 44. However, men still committed clearly more suicides than women: of those who committed suicide, three out of four were men. Most suicides in relative terms were committed by men aged 45 to 54 and aged 75 or over.

Suicide mortality 1970 to 2015

The number of suicides has decreased clearly from the top figures of 1990, when there were over 1,500 suicides in Finland. Since then, suicide mortality has decreased almost continuously according to statistics. In 2015, suicide mortality was 40 per cent lower than 15 years ago. However, nearly three times as many persons died of suicides than in traffic accidents. In 2015, among one hundred thousand Finns, 13 committed suicide (21 among men and six among women).

Most suicides in relative terms were committed by men aged 45 to 54 and aged 75 or over

The relative number of suicides has decreased since 2000 in all age groups. Among men, suicide mortality decreased most in the age group 35 to 44 and least in the age group 55 to 64. Differences between age groups in suicide mortality have narrowed. In 2015, most suicides per 100,000 inhabitants were committed by men aged 45 to 54 and aged 75 or over. Among women, suicide mortality was highest in the age group 45 to 54 and lowest in the age group 15 to 24. The median average age of men who committed suicide was 48 years and of women 51 years.

Mens suicide mortality by age group in 2000 and 2015

In 2015, the share of suicides in all causes of death was only one per cent. However, suicides are a central cause of death for young people. One in three persons aged 20 to 29 that died had committed suicide and one in six of those aged 35 to 44. The share of suicides in causes of death for young people is high because other mortality among young people is low. One in ten of all those having committed a suicide was a young person aged under 25 and one in five was aged over 65.

Despite the downward trend in suicide mortality, Finland is still an exception among Nordic and western countries. According to Eurostats statistics, the suicide mortality in Finland of the population aged under 65 was around 1.5 times higher than the EU average in 2013. By contrast, for persons aged 65 and over, suicide mortality in Finland did not differ from the EU average.

One in five of women and one in ten of men died from dementia

In 2015, altogether 52,300 persons died. The average age at death (median) was 85 years for women and 76 years for men. In 2015, thirty-seven per cent of all deaths were caused by diseases of the circulatory system and 24 per cent by neoplasms. The most common disease of the circulatory system was ischaemic heart disease, which caused around one-fifth of all deaths. The most common types of cancer leading to death for men were lung cancer and prostate cancer, and correspondingly for women breast cancer and lung cancer.

Altogether 8,600 persons died from dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, which represented 16 per cent of all deaths. The number of deaths caused by dementia has grown rapidly in the past decade partly due to the ageing of the population. One in five deaths among women and one in ten deaths among men were caused by dementia. More than double the amount of women die of dementia than the amount of men, which is mainly because women live longer than men. There are no clear differences in age-standardised dementia mortality among genders (Figure 5).

Number of persons that died from alcohol-related causes decreased from 2014

Close on 1,700 persons died of alcohol-related diseases and alcohol poisonings in 2015, which is nearly 200 lower than in the previous year. The share of alcohol-related causes in all deaths was three per cent. The majority of those dying of alcohol, three out of four, were men. Persons who died from alcohol-related causes are older than before. During the past ten years, mortality from alcohol among both men and women aged 65 or over has grown while in younger age groups it has decreased. The median average age of both men and women in alcohol-related causes of death was 61 years.

In 2015, nearly 2,200 persons died of accidents, being four per cent of deaths, when alcohol poisonings are included in alcohol-related deaths in the time series classification. The number of fatalities from accidents was 65 fewer than in the year before. The number of deaths from accidents has slowly and almost continuously fallen since 2004, when 2,600 persons died from accidents.

Causes of death 2015

54group time series classification Total Males Females Total Males Females Number Number Number % % % 2730 Diseases of the circulatory system 19 365 9 471 9 894 37 37 37 0422 Neoplasms 12 481 6 623 5 858 24 26 22 25 Dementia, Alzheimer's disease 8 580 2 717 5 863 16 10 22 4249 Accidents 2 161 1 354 807 4 5 3 41 Alcohol related diseases and accidental poisoning by alcohol 1 666 1 288 378 3 5 1 3135 Disease of the respiratory system 1 940 1 158 782 4 4 3 50 Suicides 731 558 173 1 2 1 Other causes of death 5 378 2 725 2 663 10 10 10 0154 Deaths total 52 302 25 884 26 418 100 100 100

Source: Causes of death, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Airi Pajunen 029 551 3605, Jari Hellanto 029 551 3291, kuolemansyyt@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (555.5 kB)

Updated 30.12.2016

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Causes of death [e-publication].

ISSN=1799-5078. 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 4.11.2022].

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Almost 300 foreigners were discovered in illegal situations on Romania's territory by police officers with the General Inspectorate for Immigration in December, informs a release of the Inspectorate.

Out of these, a number of 181 were taken over from other institutions for enforcing measures in the immigration domain, a number of 60 people received return decisions and orders to leave Romanian territory, a number of 115 people requested an international form of protection from the Romanian state and for the rest, other measures were disposed.

A number of 19 people also fulfilled the conditions to extend their right to stay.

In December, immigration police officers organised removal, under escort missions from Romania's territory for 27 people, and for 53, the necessary documents were put together in view of their being taken in public custody until removal from Romania's territory.

The foreign citizens who have not complied with legislation in the field of migration were sanctioned with warnings and fines in total amount of 94,775 lei.

In the line of combating illegal labor, police officers sanctioned with fines several companies who did not observe the legal regime regarding the hiring and posting of foreigners. The overall value of fines amounts to 94,508 lei.

Police officers from Immigrations intensified in December, nationwide, specific actions in the line of preventing and combating illegal migration and undeclared foreign labour. Thus, from December 1 to 30, more actions and controls were carried out, on their own or in cooperation with other structures having attributions in the domain of order and public safety.

agerpres.
The head of the People's Movement Party (PMP), Traian Basescu, thinks that the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, made a mistake when announcing the designation of the Prime Minister candidate through a simple press release.

"Wrong, Mr President! The announcement of the Prime Minister's designation should not be made by a simple press release. If you have decided to make the designation - be it an unfit one - out of respect for Romanians, but also out of respect for the institutional relation, it was mandatory to make this extremely important announcement for Romania through a personal statement of yours, at the Cotroceni Palace. That upon making this statement it would've been better to have beside you the designate is another matter", Basescu stated on Friday on Facebook.

He added that it would be difficult for Klaus Iohannis to ask correct institutional relation as long as he is not generating them through his own behavior.

agerpres.
MOWEAQUA  Seven-year-old Brookelyn Jackson might be feeding some of her friends, she doesn't know.

And that's the beauty of the Blessings in a Backpack program, which supplies food to needy children on the quiet, without embarrassing them.

Volunteers run the program through the Central A&M School District in Moweaqua and Assumption. Compact food parcels are handed to teachers  who've often recommended the students to be helped  and are tucked into the backpacks of kids at the end of the week during recess or lunch.

Only the teachers know who is selected to get the help, although everybody from pastors to police officers makes suggestions. The aim is for recipients to have enough food to get them through the weekend until school, and school lunches, are back in session.

Brookelyn, along with mom Delia, dad Matt and sister Gauge, 4, were helping get the parcels ready for distribution to the schools recently at one of their regular packing locations in Moweaqua, the First Christian Church.

I like giving to other people, said Brookelyn. It feels good.

Her Mom hopes her daughter understands that some of the most useful lessons aren't learned in a classroom. I want her to realize that not everything in life is butterflies and rainbows, said Delia Jackson. There are hard times for people out there, and you need to give back to your community, to help those in need. Proper nutrition is going to help other children do better in class, and excelling in school is actually going to help them get out of where they are at in life.

The Central A&M Blessings in a Backpack program started a year ago. The effort feeds 50 kids from elementary school ages up through eighth grade and a few older ones. It costs about $3,500 a year to buy the food, with the cost met through fundraising and donations. An eight-member volunteer board runs the program and volunteers, augmented by everyone from Cub Scouts to firefighters, take care of the packing.

Foods are selected to be nutritious and so easy to prep, even a child could do it; which may in fact be the case. We have to provide things that they are able to prepare for themselves, said one of the board members, Kari Medler, 39. Because it might not just be there isn't any food at home for them to eat, but in some difficult homes there might not be anyone to prepare it for them.

Ramen noodles, tinned pasta foods, chicken noodle soup, macaroni and cheese, along with fruit and instant oatmeal are among the offerings backpacked home. The volunteers who do the packing and the fundraising get to take some potent things home with them, too: a profound sense of satisfaction at being able to help others, and the grim realization that such help is even necessary in the richest nation in the history of civilization.

I was floored at how bad the problem was, said board member Jill Waddington, 54, who was told some families in the school district ranked in the lower half of national poverty statistics. When I was told that I was like 'Are you kidding me?' I never thought it was that bad here.

It's so sad, Medler said. No child should ever go to bed hungry.

The women are among a group of the willing who initially answered a call to help from Central A&M Middle School principal Ryan Scott in September 2015. Nationwide, however, Blessings in a Backpack is already well-established. It dates to 2005, when it was founded by a teacher in Kentucky. Statistics from the organization's website say it's feeding almost 89,000 children in more than 1,000 schools in 47 states.

Many of these programs are also able to provide food during the long summer break and other frequent and hungry holiday times when schools, and their cafeterias, are closed. For the Central A&M version of Blessings in a Backpack, summer feeding is now at the top of their to-do list menu.

Our goal is to strive and be stronger then we're at right now, and we're all on the same page about possibly feeding through the summer, Medler said. That is going to be our next target.
WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama plans to meet Democratic lawmakers in Congress next week to discuss how to protect his signature health care law from Republican efforts to dismantle it, a White House official said on Friday.

Obama, who is leaving office on Jan. 20, will attend a meeting with Democrats from the House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday, the official said.

During the session, Obama will warn Democrats that allowing Republican lawmakers to scrap the Affordable Care Act before proposing a replacement would create "chaos" in the U.S. health care system, according to the official.

Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, have said they will quickly repeal Obamacare, but will delay the implementation of the repeal for two to three years as they develop a new plan.

Republican President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to get rid of the 2010 health care law. He promised to replace the law with a plan to give states more control over Medicaid and allow insurers to sell plans nationally.
Shri Thanedar went from poverty in India to riches in St. Louis. Then he overreached, and failed spectacularly.

I lost a business, my home, cars. I had a real Ferrari and a Rolls Royce Phantom, he said. His $6.5 million Ladue mansion, with its in-home theater that could seat 150, went to foreclosure.

Bank of America took his chemical analysis and pharmaceutical research business in 2011. At age 56, he carried his belongings out in a cardboard box.

Now, Thanedar is back on top again, and he wants St. Louis to know it.

After hitting bottom here, he started a new chemical analysis business in Ann Arbor, Mich. He sold a controlling stake in it to a private equity firm last month. His 50 employees will get a new boss.

Over the years, hes become very successful and grown very rapidly, said Dan Foss, a bank vice president who approved loans to Thanedars Michigan company. Hes paid everything off.

If there is a lesson here its that  even in late career  its possible to start over again. Thanedar feels hes proved that. He has another Ferrari and another mansion  half the size of his old one, but with a 120-seat theater for Indian arts performances.

I kind of made my point. I made it happen, he said. This is still a proud story for a St. Louisan.

Thanedars story started in a small town in India, where his father worked as a clerk in the Indian courts. His parents, five daughters and three sons lived in a 700-square-foot home with no running water. The bathroom was outside.

Thanedar was of the Brahmin caste, and menial labor was considered beneath them. But he took a part-time job as a janitor while in high school, and used the money to buy extra food when his father sent him to the store.

I did not tell my family I was doing janitorial work. He always thought I was a good bargainer, he said.

He went to college, which was cheap in India, and got a job in the Indian nuclear industry. He came to the U.S. for graduate school in 1979, earning a Ph.D. at the University of Akron.

He took a job at Petrolite in St. Louis in 1984, but it left him unsatisfied. He jumped at a chance to buy a small testing laboratory, Chemir, for $75,000 in 1990.

Chemir Analytical Services was mainly a chemical and material analysis firm. It functioned like an emergency room for companies with failed products and complex technical problems. For instance, a big beer company wanted to know why drinkers who popped open a can found a thin film over the beer. Chemir found a problem with the lining of the can.

By 2008, Thanedar had raised Chemirs revenue to $67 million from $150,000, with an annual profit of $12 million. It had 500 employees.

Thanedar found the good life. He drove a Ferrari. He built his 13,000-square-foot mansion on three acres in Ladue.

In happier days, Thanedar took a Show-Me St. Louis Channel 5 news crew on a tour of a house with seven bedrooms, a pool with seven fountains, an elevator, a 160-inch TV, a stage and dance floor. The interior was like a cruise ship he said, joking that all he lacked was an ocean. We built it to be a party kind of place, he said on television.

He hosted Indian arts performances at his home.

What happened next might be called a case of hubris, or perhaps just optimism. But it sent his business crashing down.

He borrowed $24 million to go on an acquisition spree, buying seven companies. He gave the bank his personal guarantee, pledging everything he owned.

The Post-Dispatch chronicled Thanedars troubles in 2011. At that time, Chemirs president, Dave Riggs, praised Thanedar for building a good company over 15 years. But he said Thanedar took his eye off the ball in the the firms last years.

With things going well, Thanedar had started to take things easier, spending more time in Florida and leaving day-to-day decisions to others. That came back to bite him.

Among the acquisitions was Azopharma, which did early-stage development for drug companies. Things went well at first, growing to $55 million revenue in 2008 from $1 million in 2003.

In 2007, a potential acquirer offered him $132 million for it.

Then came the financial crash and the Great Recession. That drained the appetite for risky research among pharmaceutical companies, and Azopharma began losing money.

His loan came due and he couldnt pay it. I worked 18 hours a day and kept telling the bank to give me time and well get enough money for all of us, Thanedar said.

But the banks patience ran out. It convinced a bankruptcy judge to appoint a receiver to sell the business. Thanedar was out the door.

They could have come back and taken everything, he said. I was thinking I may not be able to send my sons to college.

Azopharma had 350 employees. They closed the doors and sold it for $2 million, said Thanedar.

But Chemir was still making a good profit, and Thanedar fought in bankruptcy court to prevent it from being sold off cheaply.

In the end, the bank got enough money from the sale to cover the entire debt, and then some. Chemir was sold to EAG Laboratories, and its labs are still operating in Maryland Heights.

Im no longer filthy rich, Thanedar told the Post-Dispatch in 2011. But he certainly wasnt poor. He had a 3,200-square-foot condo in Florida and a few million dollars not taken in the bankruptcy.

That would have brought a very comfortable retirement, and he tried it for a while. I got bored, he said. He felt terrible about ending his career with a failure. It just didnt feel right.

He decided to start over again, and he hoped to do it with his son, who had just graduated from the University of Michigan. His son didnt want to leave Ann Arbor  his girlfriend was still a student there  so Thanedar headed north.

He bought equipment from a failed chemical company and started Avomeen. He picked the name because no one was using it and it started with an A, putting it higher in alphabeltical listings. I just made it up, he said.

His new firm was very much like Chemir, a solver of problems for clients.

One customer made frozen hash browns for sale in supermarkets. Mysteriously, the batches began to smell and taste of bleach, and supermarkets began dumping them. Avomeen, which employs 22 Ph.D. scientists, traced the problem to a defoaming agent used in washing the potatoes. The company had recently switched suppliers.

Foss, a vice president at Old National Bank in Ann Arbor, met Thanedar when he applied for a loan. He wanted to buy a building and equipment.

He took me to a completely empty warehouse. It had been abandoned. It was rainy, and there was running water pouring through the building, Foss said. Eighteen months later, everything was up and running and it was beautiful.

Loan applicants must present a business plan, showing how the company will grow and make money. Bankers are usually skeptical.

You never believe them. But his was spot on, Foss said. Thanedar says Avomeen has $12 million in revenue and is profitable.

Thanedar sold last month a controlling interest in Avomeen to High Street Capital, a Chicago private equity firm. Thanedar said he couldnt disclose the price. But he said this: After the banks receivers foreclosed on Chemir and sold it to EAG for $23 million, I was driven to create a new company with valuation higher than that of Chemir. And I wanted to do it in a fraction of time it took to build Chemir. The recent transaction allowed me to accomplish both of these goals.

Now 61, hes thinking, What do I want to do when I grow up? He says he may just make movies in India.
LOS ANGELES  He had spent his latest 45-hour workweek hunched over a sewing machine, attaching labels and stitching collars and tightening black and gold blouses that would soon sell at bargain prices at a popular retailer. But now it was Saturday afternoon, paycheck time, when Pedro felt the full sting of that bargain: It was his own salary that helped keep the prices down for consumers.

His manager gathered the 30-some workers from their stations in the unmarked brick building and passed out payslips.

For the week, he said, he'd been paid $225. Or $5 per hour.

"There's nothing to do but take it," Pedro said in an interview earlier this month, recalling his workweek.

While immigrants often face criticism for stealing jobs, they are the ones being increasingly undercut in America's clothing industry, forced to accept wages below the legal minimum as retailers fight to pass on bargain prices to consumers.

Federal regulators have uncovered a widespread practice of garment workers, most of them undocumented, being paid below the legal minimum wage, according to a recent Department of Labor report. Those findings were echoed in interviews with workers and workers activists here.

"It's almost been a perfect storm for the garment industry," said Ruben Rosalez, a regional administrator at the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour division, based in San Francisco. "Not only do [the employers] have the pricing pressure, but they have a labor force that's prone to being exploited. They're using that, taking advantage of these workers."

For two decades, garment factories, most clustered in Los Angeles, have produced clothing for some of America's leading retailers, who have kept production in the U.S. to avoid transportation time and costs and to benefit from higher quality manufacturing processes.

But immigrants who once moved from poorer countries to the U.S. for economic opportunity are now watching their prospects falter as they compete against lower-cost hubs like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Mexico. As the number of U.S.-based garment jobs decline, those workers also compete against one another, fighting for scarce and low-paying work while fearing deportation if they complain about the pay.

According to the recent Labor Department report, clothing prices at many retailers would have to rise nearly 40 percent for workers to be paid the minimum wage. The garments made by underpaid workers most often get sold at fast fashion or discount retailers like Forever 21, TJ Maxx, and Ross Dress for Less, according to the Labor Department.

The typical garment worker is somebody like Pedro, a Mexican who slipped over the hills around Tijuana in 1986, spent his first American night in the back of the trunk, arrived in Los Angeles the next morning, found a garment job soon after, and only now, at age 48, was wondering why things had gotten so hard. Pedro, who is still undocumented, requested that his last name not be used out of fear of deportation.

He lived in a small apartment with two other men, barred by his landlord from inviting guests, including his girlfriend. He took bus rides to work and wore the same hooded sweatshirt for days at a time. If he splurged, it was to invite his neighbor to join him at a nearby taco truck with handmade tortillas.

He'd even cut back the money he was sending home to his mother, in Guerrero, Mexico.

"I am surviving by sheer force," he said.

While on the clock, Pedro rarely paused. He said he had nimble hands and good eyesight. "I can make it look beautiful," he said, "but still I have to keep pace."

Like most garment workers, he said he was paid by the piece, rather than receiving an hourly wage. He earned 4 cents for every label, 2 cents for stitching across the shoulders, 10 cents for a pocket.

Such a payment method was legal  but only if the earnings met the minimum wage, $7.25 nationally and $10.50 in Los Angeles. In some jobs over the years, Pedro had earned more than the minimum, but now, he said, those jobs were almost impossible to find.

Few jobs, he said, paid as poorly as the one he'd now held for three months, at a company called Nemo's Apparel Inc. Just as bad, he said, was that he had to sign a paycheck that did not reflect the work he actually did: It said he had been on the clock that week for 21 hours, and other payslips similarly understated his work. Lawyers and activists say it's a common practice for employers to doctor pay records so that hourly wages appear legal.

"Most of the folks that I see at the wage clinic, it's the same some sort of scheme," said Mariela Martinez, an organizing coordinator the Garment Worker Center, a nonprofit that advocates for underpaid workers. "What the employer is doing is looking at how much the worker made through the piece rate and then adjusting the hours to approximate that."

A woman who identified herself as the owner of Nemo's Apparel, reached at a number listed for the company in a California government registry, said her English was too poor for an interview, and that a better English speaker would soon call back. That individual, asked about whether the company pays legal wages, said, "We have nothing to say. I'm going to hang up now." She did not give her name.

Pedro said Nemo's sews some clothing for Forever 21, as the blouses he helped produce were tagged with the retailer's label. Forever 21 said in a statement that it "takes these issues very seriously and requires all of its vendors to comply with federal and local minimum wage and record-keeping laws."

"While Forever 21 does not own or operate any of the third party vendors or contractors involved, it is our policy and practice to not purchase merchandise from any companies who violate the law," the retailer said. "Forever 21 condemns any third party vendor that violates these laws, and takes appropriate action to encourage these independent vendors to improve compliance."

The parent company of another retailer, TJ Maxx, said in a statement that it "expressly requires our vendors to pay the legally prescribed minimum wage or the prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher, and our vendors must ensure that all subcontractors they use comply with these same requirements."

A corporate spokeswoman for Ross said the company supports the Labor Department's enforcement efforts, but it "does not control or influence what vendors pay their employees, contractors or subcontractors."

Federal labor investigators and employers draw a direct connection between the meager pay for workers  as low as $4 per hour, according to a government report released last month  and the bargain prices paid by consumers. Over the last two decades, consumer prices in real terms have risen more than 50 percent in the U.S., according to government data, but clothing costs less today than it did 20 years ago.

As part of its investigation, the Department of Labor in 2016 visited at random 77 garment companies throughout Southern California. At 85 percent of those places, they reported finding labor violations  mostly failures to pay minimum wage.

The sewing companies cluster in several dilapidated neighborhoods around downtown Los Angeles. Inside block after block of one- and two-story brick buildings, thousands of workers crouch over sewing machines that hum and pop. Inside, dust fills the air. Windows are covered by grates or bars. Factory entrances are hidden in alleyways or parking lots.

"There are some buildings with multiple factories inside," said Julie Su, California's labor commissioner. "Sometimes they don't even have a suite number."

The sewing of clothing depends on a hierarchy of immigrants, according to those who monitor or work in the industry. Hispanics, mostly Mexicans, perform the labor at factories owned often by first- and second-generation Koreans.

Eric Choe, outgoing president of the Korean-American Garment Industry Association, acknowledges that minimum wage violations occur in the industry, but argues that retailers bear at least some of the blame. Those companies, he said, liked American-made goods because they could reach clothing racks more quickly.

"But they want Bangladesh prices," Choe said. "We're competing with countries where the minimum wage is not even $2."

Employers say they are in a bind. California's minimum wage is set to gradually rise to $15 per hour by 2022, one of the most generous in the country. Meantime, the state says it has toughened penalties for wage violations. In 2015, Pedro said he was working at Han's Fashion, another sewing factory, when federal investigators busted through.

The investigation prompted Han's to quickly close, and Pedro  with the help of the Garment Worker Center  pressed a claim for unpaid wages with the state.

He'd worked at Han's for three years. According to paperwork he filed with the state, he was owed $16,230 in unpaid wages and overtime.

On a Tuesday in December, Pedro showed up in downtown Los Angeles to the Office of the State Labor Commissioner for a settlement conference  a chance, maybe, to get some of the money he believed he was owed. The number of wage claims made by California garment workers has more than tripled over the last six years, and most claims lead to a scene like this: Another morning in a crowded government waiting room where a poster on the wall read, "We put earned wages into workers' pockets."

But it often doesn't work out like that.

The conferences are sit-downs in which workers bargain with their employers, as well as companies higher up on the supply chain, to try to reach a deal and avoid a court case.

Under California law, each of those parties on the supply chain is initially listed as being responsible to help repay the lost wages. But the bigger companies rarely show up to the settlements, lawyers say, and later convince hearing officers they weren't aware of the wage violations. The smaller companies, too, rarely show up to the settlements, and the people running those companies tend to disappear or declare bankruptcy if ordered to make payouts.

Only about 20 percent of workers that receive a court-ordered payment actually collect money, said Sebastian Sanchez, a lawyer for public interest law firm Bet Tzedek, which works on wage cases.

"So the settlement is a huge opportunity for someone in a precarious situation to get money," Sanchez said.

Su, the California labor commissioner, said in a statement that enforcing penalties against employers "is certainly a challenge," particularly in the garment industry where violators tend to be "relatively small, fly by night, and open and shut down with some frequency." She said the state government, though, was confiscating garments made in unlicensed factories and trying to pay workers for lost wages from a government fund created with registration fees from garment companies.

For his case, Pedro had teamed up with four other former-Han's employees, including two of his close friends. Along with a lawyer and Martinez, they sat down at in a windowless conference room and said they were owed more than $100,000  not just Han's but other manufacturers and retailers too.

Of the 10 companies asked by the Labor Commission to appear for the conference, only two showed up.

Han's Fashion was a no-show.

No phone number was available for Han's in a state directory, and individuals listed in wage complaints as being associated with the company could not be reached for comment. Phone numbers listed for those individuals were disconnected or not working.

The two companies at the settlement, said they'd worked with Han's only briefly and would pay just a little money to make things right.

"They were lowballing us the whole time," Sanchez said.

The sides bargained for three hours, and when it was over, Pedro came away with just $700. The highest payout was $3,500.

"I can pay some bills," he told the others with a shrug.

The others stayed longer to chat, but Pedro quickly said goodbye. It was nearly lunchtime.

He said he had to hurry back to Nemo's for work.
How great will America be under President Donald Trump? It depends on when you ask.

During the election, Trump pledged that he would oversee a rate of "tremendous" economic expansion as high as 6 percent. But he has moved the goal post several times since then, dialing back expectations.

Over the past eight years, growth in the nation's economic output has hovered about 2 percent, well below the historical average. Trump has frequently pointed to the slow recovery from the Great Recession as a shortcoming of President Barack Obama's policies.

Since the election, many economists have upgraded their projections of economic growth over the next two years. They are betting that Trump's pledge to cut taxes will put more money in people's pockets and encourage businesses to invest, while his support for infrastructure spending will create jobs and boost productivity in the long run.

Still, many economists say that there are fundamental reasons that the economy can't grow much faster than it is now. For example, the baby-boom generation is retiring, resulting in a smaller workforce, and technological investments may not be creating the same numbers of jobs as in the past. In addition, they warn that some of Trump's proposals  such as steep tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports  could backfire and potentially throw the economy into another recession.

Here's a look at how Trump's promise of economic growth has shifted:

September 2015  Trump released the initial version of his plan to overhaul the nation's tax code, during a news conference at Trump Tower in New York. His proposal slashed the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent and collapsed individual tax rates into three brackets, with the highest rate falling from 39.5 percent to 25 percent.

During the news conference, Trump gave this forecast of how much his tax plan would boost growth:

"We're looking at a 3 percent, but we think it could be 5, it could even be 6. We're going to have growth that will be tremendous."

Let's dissect that for a moment. Trump first suggested that the impact of his tax plan  which the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated would cost a whopping $10 trillion over the next decade  would boost growth only modestly to 3 percent. But he then dismissed that estimate as too low and provided another forecast of double that amount.

It's worth noting that a Trump rival for the Republican nomination, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, had recently vowed to restore economic growth to 4 percent.

September 2016  Trump eventually had to scale back his tax plan's hefty price tag: The top individual rate in the plan is now 33 percent, individual deductions are capped, and "pass-through" businesses get a smaller tax cut.

Yet the downsized proposal came with similar growth projections. A fact sheet distributed by the campaign estimated that the economy would expand at an annual rate of between 3.5 percent and 4 percent following the overhaul of the tax code, compared with the 3 percent rate Trump originally had cited for the more aggressive package:

"The Trump campaign's economist estimates that the plan would conservatively boost growth to 3.5 percent per year on average, well above the 2 percent currently projected by government forecasters, with the potential to reach a 4% growth rate."

In a speech in New York, Trump focused on the higher figure  and again suggested it wasn't high enough.

"That's why I believe it's time to establish a national goal of reaching 4 percent economic growth. And my great economists don't want me to say this, but I think we can do better than that. Now, they're upset. They'll be very upset. But I think we can do, and maybe substantially better than, that."

October 2016  At the presidential debate against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in Las Vegas, Trump doubled down on the potential for growth to reach 6 percent  well beyond what most economists say is sustainable or even possible:

"But we're bringing it from 1 percent up to 4 percent. And I actually think we can go higher than 4 percent. I think you can go to 5 percent or 6 percent."

November 2016  After his election, Trump nominated veteran Wall Street investor Steven Mnuchin to lead the Treasury Department. Mnuchin would be responsible for implementing Trump's economic agenda, pushing for an overhaul of the tax code and other measures to deliver on the promise of supercharged growth.

But on CNBC, in his first interview as the nominee, Mnuchin played down Trump's growth forecasts. And he reestablished the 3 percent baseline for growth that Trump had abandoned more than a year before:

"I think we can absolutely get to sustained 3 to 4 percent GDP, and that is absolutely critical for the country."
SALT LAKE CITY  A new Salt Lake City atheist group is offering nonbelievers a churchlike service that offers music, readings and community for those who dont belong to the states dominant religion, Mormonism or other faith groups.

The Sunday Assembly hopes to use its weekly gatherings, started in 2016 in Salt Lake City, to build a community and change perceptions people have about atheists. Its modeled after a similar secular assembly launched by two London comedians almost four years ago. There are now more than 70 Sunday assemblies in the U.S. and around the world.

The group promotes a three-pronged motto: Live better, help often, wonder more.

We dont do supernatural, but we also wont tell you youre wrong if you do, Salt Lake City organizer Nichelle Reed said. Its a place where you can find community that is not based on your religious beliefs, where youre from, your race, your orientation or your identity.

About 70 people attended the December gathering in a light-filled events center in Trolley Square, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The 1-hour program opened with a band playing the 1980s hit song Walking on Sunshine while attendees sang along and batted beach balls around the room.

After children were invited to move to a different room for a Lego challenge, the adults played a paper plate art game as an icebreaker and then sang along to the song I Will Survive. Reeds husband and the group co-founder, Brian Worley, then used slides and six volunteers to act out and explain the science of snowflakes and stages of water.

Assembly board member Laura Beck announced during the Life Happens segment that one group member had bought a house and another learned to play the ukulele. The gathering ended with everyone singing the groups theme song, Its My Life, before they went to the foyer to eat snacks.

The growing Salt Lake City community of the Sunday Assembly pleases Reed, who says it gives a home to those who dont practice Mormonism or other religions.

We share the same ideals, just take a different approach, Reed said. Basically, we are here to celebrate and have fun.

They fall into a growing category in the U.S. of the so-called nones, people who dont affiliate with any religion. A fifth of the U.S. public  and one-third of adults under 30  claim no religion, a 2012 Pew Research Center survey showed. That was the highest percentage Pew had ever documented.

Well-known Utah atheist Gregory Arthur Clark said the Sunday Assembly offered social and emotional connections for people without religions to help them through lifes trial and tragedies. Abandoning a religion can be psychologically wrenching, Clark said.

People still want to feel connected to others, without the magic, and in some cases, without bigotry, Clark said.

We are a social species, Clark said. The worst thing you can do is put someone in social solitary confinement.
I immigrated to the United States in 1980 and became a citizen in 1986. Ive never have felt so apprehensive about the future of our country.

By nature, Im optimistic and believe the future will be good and all the negative predictions after the presidential election will turn out to be wrong.

I had the fortune of living in two different parts of the world; East and West. When I go back to Pakistan, I come across many misconceptions, and at times totally wrong impressions of the U.S..

I used to believe that this misinformation is roiled up by local politicians. And the public at large is not sophisticated enough to know how they are being manipulated. At times, I would be exasperated, as even with facts, I would not be able to sway their opinion. I have always repeated these words, you can disagree with the policies of America, but most of the Americans are hard-working, honest and law abiding citizens. I have always discussed with pride the diversity and Constitution of the United States.

Here in America, especially since 9/11, we have been busy dispelling the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. A small fraction of radical, misdirected people who profess to be Muslims, have brought havoc all over the world. Muslims more than non- Muslims have suffered at the hands of these terrorists.

At times I find same kind of distortion, misrepresentation of facts as I have come across in the other parts of the world. I have always believed that this is a very small segment of our society who espouses to such biases. By nature every human being is biased. We believe we, and ours are better than others. These biases range from faith, ethnicity, nationalism, social status, etc. We cherish everything which defines us, and is ours.

I give all the right to have pride in their identity and beliefs, but when we start denigrating others identities and faiths, we as a society lose.

This year has unfortunately brought out more negative than positive aspects of our society. We probably do not realize that the world looks up to us with admiration and considers America as the beacon of civilization. When a very small segment of our society states Mexicans should not be allowed, anti-Semitism is acceptable, Muslims should be banned, African-American and gay people do not have equal rights, we are bringing down the American society as a whole.

It seems like that our country at this time is split on political lines. We believe that the person who voted for the other candidate espouses all the negative annotations of that party. I do not believe that over 60 million people are biased and embrace bigotry. People vote for different reasons; at times they ignore the negative aspects of their candidates, as they identify and like other aspects of the campaign. I dont believe that we should not discuss the elections among friends or families; as it will clarify a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings.

It is true that one segment of our society did not see the prosperity over last few decades. But it is also not true that minorities are responsible for these disparities.

Few criminals who immigrated from Mexico do not represent millions of hard-working people. Lone wolfs who are radicalized and have committed terrorists attacks in our homeland do not represent peaceful Muslims in this country.

Our Constitution is based on equal rights and freedom for every person. We are judged by our deeds, not by what we believe, what we look like, what our national or ethnic origins are. Our currency reminds us daily, In God we trust: God who teaches us to hold hands and help each other.

Im hopeful that with New Year well move on, forget the hard feelings, hold each others hand and work hard to strengthen the fabric of our society which is woven by diversity, fight the extremism and also at the same time prejudices. I strongly believe, United we stand, divided we fall.

I wish all of you a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Hayat serves as chair of the public relations committee of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis. She is a regular Faith Perspectives contributor to STLtoday.com/religion.
ATLANTA  When President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, Republicans will have the opportunity to pull off something they have wanted to do for years  overhaul Medicaid, the program that provides health care to tens of millions of lower-income and disabled Americans.

Any changes to the $500 billion-plus program hold enormous consequences not only for recipients but also for the states, which share in the cost.

Trump initially said during the presidential campaign that he would not cut Medicaid, but he later expressed support for an idea pushed for years by Republicans in Congress  sending a fixed amount of money each year to the states in the form of block grants. Backers say such a change in the Medicaid formula is one of the best ways to rein in spending, but critics say big cuts would follow.

Currently, the federal government pays an agreed-upon percentage of each states Medicaid costs, no matter how much they rise.

Republicans have argued that states have little incentive to keep expenses under control, because no state pays more than half the total cost. Both House Speaker Paul Ryan and Trumps pick for secretary of health and human services, Georgias Rep. Tom Price, want to switch to block grants.

Key questions facing Republicans will be how the funding is structured and how much flexibility will be given to the states.

Its exciting because you know its not going to be the same as it was, and its nerve-racking because you know its not going to be the same as it was, said Terry England, a Republican state lawmaker who chairs the House budget committee in Georgia.

Republican control of Congress and the presidency means the GOP can act on its long-held priorities of reining in entitlement programs and repealing the Affordable Care Act, which allowed states to expand the number of people eligible for Medicaid. Thirty-one states have opted for the expansion.

It is not clear what the GOPs replacement plan will look like. Democrats have warned of dire consequences, and any proposed changes are likely to trigger a fight.

The Democratic Governors Association has warned that repealing the law would end health coverage for millions of people and shift the financial burden onto the states, costing them $68.5 billion in uncompensated care over the next decade. The group said that the Medicaid expansion alone had provided coverage for millions of Americans who lacked insurance and that it had been a critical tool for states in combating the opioid epidemic.

In 2012, a plan by Ryan to reduce the federal deficit included a proposal to convert Medicaid funding into block grants with a cap on the amount the federal government would provide. Advocacy groups warned that that approach would ultimately lead to fewer people receiving coverage.

The Congressional Budget Office concluded that under Ryans proposal, states would need to increase their spending on these programs, make considerable cutbacks in them, or both.

Earlier this year, Ryan and Republican leaders offered another, more flexible option: States would receive a fixed amount from Washington for each person enrolled. That approach would allow federal payments to grow if, for example, a recession forced more people onto Medicaid.

More than 70 million are on Medicaid, nearly 10 million of them covered as a result of the expansion.

GOP budget documents say federal spending on Medicaid has increased 200 percent in the past 15 years, and the Congressional Budget Office projects it will climb 68 percent over the next decade to $642 billion. In addition, total state spending on Medicaid is expected to rise from about $216 billion in fiscal year 2015 to more than $337 billion in 2023.

How the GOP overhaul is ultimately structured will be critical, said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

Some of my members are looking at this and saying if this isnt done right, if the money doesnt match what needs to be done, this is potentially the greatest intergovernmental transfer of financial risk in the countrys history, he said.

States, many of them struggling with budget shortfalls, could end up covering fewer procedures or medications, instituting work requirements or requiring co-pays or premiums. Those that opted to expand Medicaid could decide its no longer sustainable.

Among those now covered because of the expansion is Alan Purser, 59, of Wynne, Ark., who tapped into the program after losing his job in 2014 when the pawnshop where he worked was sold.

A few weeks after signing up, he went to the doctor because of a bad cough. He was diagnosed with blood clots in both lungs and ended up in the hospital for 10 days.

Honestly, I would be dead without this coverage, said Purser, who is on disability. I never would have gone to the doctor without insurance. Purser said he feared having his benefits reduced.

When you live on $730 a month, he said, you have to watch where everything goes, and you just cant start paying more and more for your medicines.
JEFFERSON CITY  Although he has not formally taken office, Missouris next secretary of state is working to implement a new state law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls.

Republican Jay Ashcroft told the Post-Dispatch Friday that he was in talks with the Legislature to ensure there is enough funding for the voter photo ID law. And, he is crafting guidelines for how it will work if someone shows up at the polls without an ID card.

Its a big thing to take care of, said Ashcroft, who will replace Secretary of State Jason Kander, a Democrat.

On Nov. 8, 63 percent of Missouri voters favored a change in the state constitution to require voters to show a photo ID before casting a ballot.

For those without a valid form of photo identification, the state will be required to provide an ID for free.

A legislative analysis put the price tag on that requirement at $10 million, based on an assumption that half of the estimated 200,000 Missourians who dont have an ID would acquire one once the law is in place.

Although opponents said the new law would disenfranchise poor, elderly and minority voters, supporters dismissed the claims because of a provision allowing people without a valid ID to vote if they sign an affidavit saying they are properly registered to vote.

The new requirement could be challenged in court.

After beating Democrat Robin Smith on Nov. 8 by a ratio of 57 percent to 38 percent, Ashcroft is among five newly elected Republicans who will take over on Jan. 9, including Governor-elect Eric Greitens, Treasurer-elect Eric Schmitt, Lieutenant Gov.-elect Mike Parson and Attorney General-elect Josh Hawley.

Like the others, he is piecing together a team to take over after he is sworn in.

Earlier in December Ashcroft announced he had hired Trish Vincent as his chief of staff. She formerly served as a top aide to former Gov. Matt Blunt, former Auditor Tom Schweich and Ashcrofts father, former U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft.

He said Friday that he has filled several other positions, including a team to work with the Legislature and a communications director.

In addition to the voter photo ID work, Ashcroft said he is monitoring ballot initiatives that are being filed with the office. Thus far, there are more than 30 proposals from people seeking to place questions on the November 2018 ballot.

Ashcroft, who has not previously held elective office, said he and Kander have been in contact about the transition.

Weve had great discussions, Ashcroft said.
ELGIN, Ill.  A library in suburban Chicago is helping bird watchers keep track of wintering bald eagles by lending out binoculars.

The Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin overlooks a spot on the Fox River where eagles congregate in winter months. Library patrons can borrow binoculars to watch the birds perching in trees.

The (Elgin) Courier-News reports the library has three sets of binoculars on hand. Staff also post bald eagle photos on the library's Facebook page and Twitter account.

An estimated 3,100 bald eagles spend winters in Illinois each year. They can be spotted in at least 27 Illinois counties. January and February are the best time to see eagles in Illinois and many cities plan viewing events and nature programs. The birds migrate back north in March.
St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson is taking a big gamble by agreeing to let video crews from The First 48 television show accompany detectives on homicide investigations. The upside: A chance for city detectives to demonstrate their professionalism on a national stage.

But the potential downsides are extensive. Theres the publicity the show would give to our citys shamefully high homicide rate. St. Louis, with 184 homicides as of Tuesday, doesnt exactly need to advertise the dangers and make the city even less attractive to newcomers and potential employers.

The First 48 is unquestionably engaging television. The viewer gets to accompany investigators as they piece together the clues that help solve murder cases. Viewers get the first glimpse of the crime scene, just as detectives see it.

A 48-hour countdown clock on screen serves as a constant reminder: If investigators dont receive a big break in those first hours, cases tend to go cold quickly. The drama of that countdown is part of what makes The First 48 worth watching, along with the whispery tone of the narrator as he clues viewers in on each step in the investigation.

The show gets into problematic territory when photos of suspects appear and detectives identify them for the camera as perpetrators or accomplices. Each episode is preceded with an advisory that all suspects depicted are innocent until proven guilty. But the video of the murder scene, overlapping with the handcuffed suspects, leaves an indelible impression of guilt on people who have not faced trial and might not even be charged with a crime. The potential injustice multiplies every time the show airs in repeats.

Our citys complicity in defaming private citizens could lead to a mountain of litigation headaches at taxpayers expense. As the Post-Dispatchs Christine Byers reported, the cities of New Orleans and Memphis ultimately chose not to renew their contracts with the producers. The city of Miami is being sued.

New Orleans defense attorneys complained about a recorded confession in a triple-murder case. They believed unaired footage could aid their clients case. The shows producers claimed the footage had been destroyed. Photos and identities of witnesses are not always disguised, which means they risk being targeted as snitches for helping police. It happened to a Texas man, who later sued the show.

For Dotson, additional questions of fairness loom. He wont allow his officers to talk to local reporters and even launched an investigation when a staffer spoke to a Post-Dispatch writer without permission. Yet Dotson is fine letting a television crew follow detectives as they work, with every word recorded for posterity?

Its not clear whether Dotson has truly weighed the consequences. It may be the stars in his eyes are obscuring his better judgment.
As the year draws to a close, it seems everyones making best-of lists. Rather than try to pinpoint and rank-order the best of the 2012 releases, I thought Id look back at the cigars StogieGuys.com rated five stogies out of five this year. Youll find a complete alphabetical list of the cigars that earned the rare five-stogie rating going back to 2006 here.

This year, there were five, and they represent a wide range of cigars. Perhaps the most notable is Drew Estates widely anticipated Liga Privada Unico Serie Velvet Rat, which Patrick A. was wowed by at a pre-release event. It isnt expected to be in regular release until 2013 and will almost certainly be at the top of everyones gotta-get-but-hard-to-find list.

Another new cigar getting five stogies is the Aging Room F55 Quattro Concerto that I thought was great. Patrick S. similarly raved about the Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 Rogue Rothschild, a pricey limited edition.

The other two that received five stogies in 2012 have been around for a while. The Illusione Epernay Le Matin came out several years ago, and an EO 601 Serie Blue Toro was a maduro that had been in my humidor for two years.

We have high standards for handing out five-stogie ratings, and a glance through previous years seems to confirm that. Five in a year, out of scores of sticks reviewed, seems to be close to the average. In past years, weve had as many as seven and as few as three.

Of the 36 smokes that made the list over the years, only 7 are Cuban. Among those made elsewhere, top manufacturers and blenders represented include names such as Pete Johnson, Don Pepin Garcia, Paul Garmirian, Litto Gomez, and Rocky Patel.

Youd expect to find an Opus X and Padron Serie 1926 listed, and they are. But I think you might also find a surprise or two. Take a look. Let us know what you think of our selections and what cigars you find worthy of five stogies.

George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys
As we have since July 2006, each Friday well post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) This week Cigar Aficionado reported A.J. Fernandez will open a new factory in Ocotal, a Nicaraguan town about 40 miles north of Esteli. It will be called San Lotano, which is the same name as Fernandezs cigar brand and farm. Formerly known as San Rafael and the site of production for the Brickhouse and El Baton brands for J.C. Newman, the newly launched factory will help Fernandez meet growing demand now that his Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua factory is at capacity. The new facility will house 240 cigar makers and 120 rolling tables. Additionally, A.J. Fernandez will begin making the 601 brand for Erik Espinosa, who has been crafting his own brand out of his La Zona factory for nearly five years. I am unable to expand [La Zonas] production since I have already outgrown it, Espinosa told Cigar Aficionado. Its a perfect opportunity for me to finally meet the demand for my cigars.

2) Inside the Industry: The 2017 International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show has been rescheduled and relocated. Now the show will run from July 10 to July 14 and be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The convention had originally been slated five days later at the Sands Convention Centersite of previous IPCPR Trade Showsbut the location administration cancelled on IPCPR, triggering a cancellation fee (likely because a bigger business opportunity arose on that date).

3) Perhaps youve heard all you want to about tobacco and the FDA. But a short articlethorough, well-written, and scaryfrom pipe-expert Rick Newcombe in Reason magazine is worth your time.

4) From the Archives: This week we unveiled parts one and two of our top cigars of 2016. But dont forget the great cigars of the past. Not only should you check out our top cigars from recent years, but we highly recommend browsing through our list of top-rated smokes, which goes back to 2006.

5) Deal of the Week: Everyone loves a Top 25-rated cigar, so browse this years and past years winners here. Youll find everything from Opus X to Padron to Oliva to Rocky Patel. Use the coupon code Stogie at checkout to land 10% off your purchase.

The Stogie Guys

photo credit: A.J. Fernandez Cigar Co.
Three Egyptian airlines  Air Cairo, AlMasria Universal Airlines, Nesma Airlines - have started New Year holiday charter flights from Yerevan to the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Yesterday, Air Cairo was the first to fly the Sharm el-Sheikh-Yerevan-Sharm el-Sheikh route. The second flight was today. The company plans other flights on January 5 and 9.

An AlMasira flight arrived in Yerevan today. The company plans four more flights: this evening, tomorrow, January 7 and 8.

Nesma Airlines flew its first Hurghada-Yerevan-Sharm el-Sheikh flight today. Another flight is planned for January 7. This one will originate in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The local carrier, Armenia, plans two flights per day on December 31 and January 8.

The Egyptian resort towns of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh have been attracting many tourists from Armenia in recent years. Peak travel times are summers, early autumn, and New Years.

Given that there are no scheduled flights from Armenia to Egypt, holiday goers have mainly traveled to Tbilisi to catch flights via Air Cairo.

Last year, due to the downing of a Russian plane on October 31 over the Sinai, many Armenians who had purchased tickets for Egypt were reimbursed. Nevertheless, understanding the popularity of their resorts in several countries, including Armenia, Egyptian carriers decided to satisfy the demand and organize direct flights from Yerevan.
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Get all the news from the courts direct to your inbox with our court and crime email

It has been a busy year for the courts in North Staffordshire.

Over the last 12 months hundreds of people have been jailed by Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in Hanley and North Staffordshire Justice Centre in Newcastle.

Here we have put together some of the worst offenders to appear in the dock over that period.

The 42 offenders here have in total been jailed for at least 388 years.

Although a majority of the cases here are North Staffordshire, we also have several people who committed serious offences in South Cheshire and the rest of Staffordshire.

Click the read more links at the bottom of each case to read more about the case as it was covered by our court reporters at the time.

Bentilee

A Stoke-on-Trent man was part of a gang which has been jailed for almost 60 years for committing historical sexual offences against two boys.

Ashley Sherrington, aged 24, of Dawlish Drive, Bentilee, was sentenced to nine years in prison for rape after a jury at Warwick Crown Court found him guilty of his part in a gang which abused the boys and sold them for sex.

Bentilee

DANGEROUS' Dean Osborne repeatedly head-butted a man, before stealing just 25.

The 19-year-old demanded cash from James Turner in Hanley city centre and ordered him inside a phone box.

The victim refused, but the defendant head-butted him, causing his nose to bleed.

Osborne then grabbed Mr Turner around the throat so tight that he struggled to breathe.

Birches Head

DRUGGED-UP robber Christopher Cuthbertson bit a petrol station worker seven times before stealing his keys.

The 30-year-old put a jumper over his head in an attempt to disguise his identity before walking into the BP Euro Garage in Blurton wielding a stick in the middle of the night.

He demanded money but the brave worker dragged him outside the shop and the pair struggled.

They fought and wrestled in the doorway before the defendant bit him.

Blurton

'FAMILY man' Mark Foreman has been jailed for five years after he bought two illegal taser guns over the internet.

The 47-year-old told police he had purchased the weapons  which are designed to look like a flashlight  by mistake when he was drunk because he thought they were torches.

One was found in his van after police received an anonymous tip-off, and a search of his Blurton home then revealed another identical taser, along with a crossbow and airgun.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard officers were called to Longport Hayes Road, in Longport, at 7.30am on March 3.

Burslem

A man has been jailed for life for sexual offences against six women and girls over a 27-year period.

Clive Brown, aged 43, of Greenhead Street, Burslem, was jailed for five counts of rape, two indecent assaults, procuring a woman to become a prostitute and causing/inciting prostitution for gain.

Burslem

THREE 'sadistic' addicts lured a woman suspected of stealing drugs to a flat  and tortured her for four hours.

Gang members Roy Brammeld, Michelle Foxyquilty and Lisa Pemberton repeatedly punched the terrified woman who was left fearing for her life.

She was also slashed across her head, arm and leg with a knife  and warned her ear would be chopped off with a samurai sword.

Now the trio have all been jailed for their roles in the abuse at a Burslem flat.

Burton-on-Trent

A former Staffordshire woman who took her toddler son to Syria, has been jailed for six years after being found guilty of membership of so-called Islamic State.

Tareena Shakil, 26, is the first British woman to return from the self-declared caliphate to be convicted of the offence.

Shakil, formerly of Burton-on-Trent, was also found guilty of encouraging acts of terrorism through messages posted on Twitter. She denied the charges.

She had admitted travelling to Syria.

Burton-on-Trent

A woman has been jailed for life after being found guilty of killing her daughter.

Kathryn Smith, aged 23 must serve at least 24 years in prison after a jury at Birmingham Crown Court found her guilty of murdering her daughter, Ayeeshia Jane Smith.

Aleeyshia, known as A.J, collapsed at her mum's Burton home in May 2014 - after being released from foster care in October 2013.

A pathologist said Ayeeshia's injuries were normally seen in people who had fallen off buildings or been involved in serious traffic accidents.

Chesterton

A man has been jailed for life for murdering a woman at his Chesterton home.

Phillip Barlow, aged 36, of Victoria Street in Chesterton, will serve a minimum of 12-and-a-half years in prison after being jailed at Stafford Crown Court today.

He had pleaded guilty to murder at a hearing in July.

Barlow was arrested following the discovery of the body of Fay Daniels at around 3.30pm on Sunday 24 April.

Chesterton

Pervert Adam Day has been jailed after he sexually abused a schoolgirl.

The 31-year-old kissed his victim, stroked her and touched her private parts.

Now Day has been jailed for five years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

The defendant, of Rowley Avenue, Chesterton, denied two offences of sexual assault of a child under 13. But he was convicted by a jury after a trial on September 2.

Cobridge

KILLER Sophie Butler has been jailed for six years and three months after she knifed her boyfriend to death.

The 20-year-old stabbed 33-year-old Norasab Hussain at their flat in Bromley Court, Cobridge, after he called her a 'whore' in a voicemail message to her mum.

The deep wound would have led to him dying within minutes, Leicester Crown Court heard.

Butler, of Bromley Court, went on trial last week for murder but the case was dramatically halted on Thursday after she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Fenton

Murderer Raymond Till will spend at least 18 years in prison for drowning his housemate in their bath.

The 61-year-old killed 'vulnerable' Keith Tunstall at the home they shared in Victoria Road, Fenton, last June, then tried to make his death look like an accident.

Mr Tunstall, aged 69, was pronounced dead after being found in the bath with his clothes on at 1pm on Saturday, June 27 last year.

Fenton

VIOLENT Tony Chambers bit part of a man's ear off before stealing his cigarettes.

The 24-year-old, who has previous convictions for violence, followed Zigureds Putresvics into a cul-de-sac before repeatedly punching him.

His terrified victim tried to reverse his car, but the defendant held on to the door and continued to punch him.

He bit Mr Putresvics's hand, and then bit off a significant portion of his right ear before rifling through his pockets and stealing his cigarettes.

Goldenhill

Paedophile Michael Shallcross has been jailed for a catalogue of sex offences  after abusing children for more than 25 years.

The 61-year-old was convicted of seven counts of sexually assaulting a child and two charges of indecent assault following a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court last April.

And five months later the defendant was back in the dock to be convicted of 10 further child-sex offences, including four counts of assault by penetration.

Now Shallcross, of Taylor Street, Goldenhill, has been jailed for 15 years and placed on an extended licence for a further five years for the offences.

Greater Manchester

Four men have been jailed for a combined total of 30 years after robbing a Nantwich jewellers.

Police were called to Moodys, in Pillory Street, on July 27 earlier this year, after Lewis Chalmers, Patrick Massey, Darren McAndrew and Joseph Schofield forced a hole in the store window and stole a number of Tudor watches.

The gang then made off in a car which they dumped and set alight in Brine Road, in the town, before escaping in a van eventually abandoned in Staffordshire.

Ipstones

HUSBAND-AND-WIFE James and Eileen Mills are behind bars after being jailed for a total of 23 years.

Pensioner James Mills was handed a 15-year jail term after he raped and sexually abused a woman.

His wife was locked up for eight years after she defrauded the same victim out of more than 66,000.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the Ipstones couple targeted their victim.

Keele

CHURCH volunteer Daniel Nicklin has been locked up after grooming a teenage girl and then having sex with her.

The 28-year-old  who helps out at Hanley Baptist Church  took advantage of the youngster, who was under 16, and encouraged her to engage in sexual activity.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard 'intelligent' Nicklin asked for pictures of his victim and sent her images of his own body.

The abuse has 'ruined the childhood' of the victim, the court was told. Now Nicklin has been jailed for five years and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for the rest of his life.

Kidsgrove

Pervert Clifford Manley sexually abused a schoolgirl  and kept videos of the attacks on his computer.

Police found photographs and video footage of several assaults when they raided the 47-year-old's Kidsgrove home.

Now he has been jailed for a total of seven years and four months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, after admitting 11 sex offences.

The court heard the full extent of Manley's crimes came to light when police seized his computer equipment after receiving a tip-off that he was in possession of indecent images of children.

Lightwood

RICHARD Jeffries has been jailed for nine years after admitting to unlawfully killing his father.

The 36-year-old assaulted his dad Stephen Jeffries following a row at their home, leaving him with head injuries from which he later died.

Jefferies, of Bolberry Close, Lightwood, went on trial for murdering the 55-year-old last year but a verdict could not be reached.

And after evidence emerged undermining the case against him, the prosecution presented no further evidence for a retrial and accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter.

Liverpool (6)

DAD-OF-THREE Gyula Lakatos has been jailed after he had sex with a vulnerable man with a mental disorder near the city centre.

The 40-year-old Hungarian approached his victim at Hanley bus station and persuaded him to go to a more secluded spot close by.

He unbuttoned the man's trousers and performed a sex act on him before walking off.

But he was linked to the crime because his DNA was found on the victim's body.

Newcastle

DRUNKEN Nadine Johnson clubbed a man in the face with a rounders bat as he slept.

The 23-year-old was admitted to hospital after returning to a friend's house 'in a state'.

But she was later discharged and returned to the flat and hit Liam Lovatt two or three times with the bat leaving him with two fractures to his jaw and a cut to his scalp.

Now Johnson has been jailed for six years and nine months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Newcastle

Pervert Craig Braham has been jailed after he was convicted of grooming a child and raping her when he was 13.

The 23-year-old was found guilty by a jury of sexually abusing his victim, who was much younger than him, ten years ago.

The jury was told the defendant would get the girl on her own before committing the offences.

Now Braham has been jailed for six years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Newcastle

CHILD rapist Michael Cook has been jailed for nine years after being convicted of abusing a schoolgirl.

The 37-year-old groomed the youngster before he sexually abused and raped her.

The pervert told the girl she was beautiful and he wanted them to be boyfriend and girlfriend  despite a significant gap in their age.

Newcastle

Violent Luke Royall has been jailed after he punched a man to the ground and kicked and stamped on him repeatedly in a savage city centre attack.

The 23-year-old struck Joel Geary in Hanley in the early hours of the morning before sticking the boot in seven or eight times. His victim got up and ran off but went to hospital a few days later and was treated for a broken jaw.

Now Royall has been jailed for six years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor David Swinnerton said Mr Geary went out with friends and family on the evening of December 12 before he headed into the city centre on his own. He was drunk when he left the ST1 club and started to make his way home.

Newcastle

A FORMER restaurant owner has been jailed for killing a pedestrian and seriously injuring his friend.

Muhammed Ghulam Ali  who owned Mr Malik's in Ironmarket, Newcastle - has been jailed for seven years and six months for the manslaughter of 30-year-old Matthew Hancock and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Brent Clayton.

The 37-year-old, of Gilman Street, Hanley, was today sentenced at Stafford Crown Court.

No fixed address

CHURCH leaders have spoken of their 'sadness' after a vicar who worked in Stoke-on-Trent was jailed for child-sex abuse.

The Reverend Leonard Skinner served as the team vicar of Holy Evangelists, in Hanley, from 1980 to 1986.

But the 79-year-old is now behind bars after it emerged he abused a boy during his time at a church in London in the 1970s.

No fixed address

SEX beast Hailab Haile has been labelled a 'danger to women' after leaving a mother-of-three fearing she would be 'raped and killed'.

The 34-year-old lured the woman back to his Hanley home after a night out in the Burton Stores and Franky's Bar.

She eventually managed to get out of Haile's house after earlier failing to escape from a living room window.

But Haile followed his victim and grabbed her as he tried to force her into a secluded area.

No fixed address

TEENAGE pervert Joshua Hush has been jailed for eight years after raping two children and sexually assaulting two others.

The 18-year-old abused his victims before telling them it was just a game and that they should not tell anyone.

But the abuse came to light after one of the victims told a teacher what had happened.

The defendant was arrested this year. He told police he had problems and wanted some help.

Northwood

Thug Aaron Morton has been handed a 12-year sentence after repeatedly kicking and stamping on a 64-year-old man who had told him to 'keep the noise down'.

The 24-year-old had been drinking and taken the Mamba drug when he stormed out of his Northwood home and started kicking his victim repeatedly to the head.

Witnesses heard the defendant say, 'No-one is going to tell me to be quiet in my house' and, 'I am on tag, I will do time for you'.

Sandford Hill

DRUGGED-UP James Tatton killed two passengers when he lost control of his car while driving at more than 112mph on the A500.

The 24-year-old had taken a cocktail of drink and cocaine when his Vauxhall Vectra ploughed into the back of a lorry.

His passengers, Marcus Smith, and Sean Longstaff, both aged 22, suffered fatal injuries.

Tatton panicked and fled the scene in Etruria but later returned and admitted he was the driver.

Stoke

SEX beast Martyn Frost has been handed a 25-year extended jail sentence after raping a girl and forcing another to perform a sex act on him.

The 48-year-old raped the youngster  and then ordered her to get dressed quickly when they were disturbed.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard both girls have been psychologically affected, with one of them trying to take her own life.

Talke

Ex-firefighter David Bennett has been handed a 12-year jail sentence for raping a schoolgirl  after the victim came forward when The Sentinel reported he had been caged for abusing another child.

The 65-year-old is already serving a six-year jail term after being locked up last year for sexually assaulting a schoolboy.

The Sentinel's report of that case was seen by a woman who had been raped by Bennett decades earlier - and prompted her to go to the police for the first time.

Talke

TEENAGER Benjamin Pownall held a knife to a 64-year-old woman's throat after barging into her home looking for her son.

The armed 19-year-old terrified Patricia Gilley as he tried to lure son, Nathan, back to his Talke home to settle a dispute.

He ordered Mrs Gilley to call Nathan and said, 'I have got your mother here', as he put the 10-inch knife to her throat.

She screamed, 'He has got a knife Nath' and Nathan went to the address with two other people.

Trentham Lakes

PENSIONER Tanveer Jaffrey has been told by top judges he must still pay back 4.83 million  or face being hit with a seven-year jail term.

The 66-year-old was left with the massive court bill after being jailed for 10 years for money laundering.

The fraudster later challenged the figure at the Criminal Appeal Court in March 2013 and judges called for the sum to be recalculated.

Tunstall

Violent Daniel Bayliss smashed a glass into the face of a man who argued with his girlfriend.

The 27-year-old dad-of-two thrust the vessel into Martin Dawson's face in the smoking area at Chillz Bar, Burslem, shortly before midnight on July 2.

The glass smashed on impact and the defendant left and went to another pub where he was arrested. His victim was left with deep cuts to his forehead, eyebrow, cheekbone, nose and eyelid and will be scarred for life.

Weston Coyney

'DANGEROUS' Shaun Hammonds has been locked up after he sexually assaulted a woman who made it clear she was not consenting to a sex act.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the 28-year-old met up with the woman and the pair had consensual sex.

But his mood changed and she described him as being 'a bit weird' as he declared his love for her and threatened to slit her throat if she left him.

She made it plain that a certain sex act was off limits but the defendant would not take no for an answer and he carried on.
The struggle of Garni residents to safeguard the Azat River was one of the most important events in 2016.

The two-year struggle came to a solution on May 21, 2016 when Hovik Abrahamyan, the Prime Minister of the Republic, met with the residents of Garni, who had blocked Garni-Yerevan road for saving River Azat and announced: Kaghtsrashen Gravity Scheme is cancelled, the construction is stopped and the construction machinery is withdrawn from Azat Gorge.

To remind, this project was to construct an intake structure on Azat River in the direction of the pagan temple of Garni (on 1235.5 m) and lay a 27.5 km pipeline to deliver approximately 1000 liter/second of water to Kaghtsrashen pump station outlet channel so that gravity irrigation water would be supplied to 12 villages in Ararat Province.

Hovik Abrahamyan, the former Prime Minister, who owns large plots of land in the two beneficiary villages, namely Narek and Kaghtsrashen, was believed to the key person interested in the project implementation.

A month after the project cancellation the State Committee on Water Sector announced about a new compromise design of Kaghstrashen Gravity scheme.

PIUs environmental specialist Martiros Nalbandyan and design engineer Samvel Karapetyan present changes to the project. According to the compromise version, the planned head-water structure intended for water intake for Kaghstrashen gravity scheme has been moved 5.2 km downstream Azat River to the area of the currently operated Geghadir-Hatzavan pump station. To date they have served these villages for mechanical pumping of water. The villages will subsequently receive water from the Gegharalich gravity system operated in parallel.

Previously the head station had to be constructed, now there will be no construction for the head structure; previously canals had to be built, now the existing infrastructure  buildings, roads, power feeding lines and substations - will be used for the project, the environmentalist stated.

Due to the changes introduced, the project amount has decreased by 1.6 million dollars. The amount of the loan provided by the World Bank (WB) for the project is 10 million dollars; the expenses have dropped because of scaling down the pipeline and civil works for constructing the head structure.

We will have water loss because of the changes to the design, which has to be somehow offset, and it will be filled by pumping water through pump stations. We plan to operate3 modern small capacity pumps, two of which have 400 kW and one 500 kW of capacity. 2 of the pumps will be used for pumping water through the pipeline and one will be a stand-by, says Samvel Karapetyan. According to him, the effectiveness of the design is somewhat reduced in this case given that currently only 8 million kWh of electricity will be saved compared to the original 10 million kWh. 2 million kWh of electricity will be used for operating the pump stations.

To remind readers, the residents of Garni and environmentalists had called the validity of design data for Kaghstrashen project into question. The residents of Garni were claiming that the quantity of water in Azat River was not sufficient to supply water to Garni village and maintain the environmental flow and refill Azat reservoir and deliver 980 liters of water per second to villages in Artashat region through the pipeline. Their claims were supported by the results of water measurements taken a year ago, as well as during the previous three years.

(Kaghstrashen Gravity scheme: Key descriptors of the revised version)

Before introducing changes to the design, the staff of the Water Sector PIU measured water in Azat River this summer by engaging new experts - Professor Vilik Sargsyan from Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, professor of Hydro-construction, Water Systems and HPPs, doctor in technical sciences and Professor Emil Khachatryan from Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, professor of Hydro-construction, Water Systems and HPPs, doctor in technical sciences. The hydrologist of the Water Sector PIU participated, too.

Water becomes scarce in Azat River especially in the month of August and in recent years in that month the river has nearly dried up. 2016 has been a year of water abundance, and the picture has also changed for Azat River. According to presented results in 2016 the quantity of water in Azat River in August was low at 1.95 m3/sec. Taking into account the water demand of 0,98 m3/sec in Kaghstrashen in the month of August, the river flow will be 0,97m3/sec, which is even 0.12 m3/sec more than the estimated environmental flow of Azat River (0.85 m3/sec), indicated the commission taking the water measurements.

Water measurement date Measurement results/Azat River outflow, m3/sec 17.07.2016 2.59 22.07.2016 2.36 04.08.2016 1.95 18.08.2016 2.19 17.09.2016 2.58

The significantly high water quantity for the month of September is the result of stopping the mechanical supply of irrigation water by the WUA in Garni from September 1, which resulted in the higher water quantity in the river.

Marineh Vardanyan, PIUs social specialist, said that the revised version bypassed the land users in Azat gorge. There are three land owners down the pump station and agreements are in place with them for compensation in case damage is caused to them.

The construction in this section will start in early 2017.

Thus, the so-called compromise design of Kaghstrashen gravity scheme meets the demands put forward by the residents of Garni, which they achieved through their two-year struggle.

Azat gorge has been saved from desertification; existing plant species have been preserved;

Owners of land plots in 52 km section of the gorge will not suffer any potential losses which could have been caused by construction, and will not be deprived of the possibility to irrigate their land plots;

The natural flow of Azat River will continue;

Natural monuments in the gorge, such as the Symphony of Stones and others considered sites for sightseeing in Armenia have been saved from predictable destruction, which could have come from construction;

In March 2017 Garnis internal water network will be rehabilitated under the WB loan project- 6 km section of Garnis main canal and the badly damaged sections of a total of 3.5 km tertiary network. Water losses are estimated to decrease by approximately 35 percent.

The 10 million dollars provided by the WB for Kaghstrashen Gravity Scheme design was reduced by 1.6 million dollars.

8 million kWh of electricity will be saved as a result of the project;

In local government elections, the residents of Garni refused tore-elect the former head of the community, who had given consent to implementation of Kaghstrashen Gravity Scheme against the will of the residents of Garni.

The success achieved is, no doubt, the result of the peoples unity and solidarity.
What the Nokia-Apple Lawsuit Means for the Streaming Industry

On December 21, 2016, Nokia sued Apple for infringing eight patents related to H.264 encoding and decoding. By its terms, the complaint makes clear that Apples usage of H.264 is generic, and that similar infringement claims could be made against any products with an H.264 encoder or decoder without a license with Nokia. Though a quick glance at prior cases make the stakes appear minor, a more reasoned analysis leads to the conclusion that the costs to Apple, and others using H.264, could be very significant.

By way of background, this suit is only one in a flurry between the parties. According to a Nokia press release, Across actions in 11 countries, there are now 40 patents in suit, which cover technologies such as display, user interface, software, antenna, chipsets, and video coding. For its part, Apple is suing Nokia and related parties for antitrust, essentially alleging that Nokia is attempting to extract excessive fees from Apple. Obviously, the H.264 related suit is most pressing for the streaming industry.

Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory Obligations

When standards are formulated, standards bodies like the ITU require all contributors to agree to license the technology royalty free, or on reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) terms and conditions, which prevents any single contributor from blocking commercialization by demanding too high a price, or unfair terms against a competitor or other party. If a contributor refuses to agree with either the royalty-free or RAND alternative, its technology wont be included in the standard.

In the complaint, Nokia declared that it had agreed to license on RAND terms. If the Court finds Nokias patents are valid, and that Apple did infringe, one key issue becomes the RAND value of those patents. One case that the court will undoubtedly consult is Microsoft v. Motorola, decided in 2013, where Microsoft alleged that Motorola breached its RAND obligations.

In that case, Motorola claimed that Microsoft infringed three H.264-related patents and demanded RAND compensation, which they asserted equaled 2.25 percent of sales of Windows, PCs running Windows, Xbox, and other products, amounting to over $4 billion dollars. In its finding of fact, the court explained that when setting RAND royalty rates, courts consider the value of the patents to the standard, and the value of the standard to the product. This means every RAND determination is separate and distinct.

In the Motorola case, the court considered other licensing arrangements entered by Motorola, but also comparables like the $0.20/unit royalty charged by MPEG LA for a pool that represents thousands of worldwide patents from 38 different companies. The court set the H.264 FRAND rate at 0.555 cents per unit ($0.00555), which amounted to around $740,000 in H.264 royalties per year. Note that the total award was reported at $1.8 million per year, but about 60 percent of that was for 802.11 patents also considered in the case (see page 207). To add insult to injury, the court ruled that Motorola did breach its RAND obligations and awarded Microsoft $14.5 million in damages. Correctly or incorrectly, this finding created the impression that the costs associated with H.264 patents not in the MPEG LA pool, such as the Nokia patents, would be very low.

Motorola Not Binding

I spoke with David Long, a practicing patent attorney and editor of the Essential Patent blog about this impression, and how much the facts of the Motorola case control the potential awards in this case. He responded that since all RAND calculations are unique the Motorola case would not be binding as a data point. While the court would certainly consider the MPEG LA royalty rate, it would likely place a higher priority on actual licensing deals between Nokia and other independent third parties.

Thats because in previous cases, plaintiffs have argued that royalties offered by patent pools are often poor benchmarks for the actual essential value of the patent. In an article entitled Apportionment, FRAND Royalties, and comparable licenses after Ericsson v. D-LINK, author J. Gregory Sidak explained why. (Note that FRAND stands for fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory, which is often used interchangeably with RAND).

First, the royalties from a patent pool may provide an inadequate benchmark to calculate a FRAND royalty if the pools participants have a business model that significantly differs from the SEP holders business model. For example, companies that are active in the downstream market might prefer to recover their investment in research and development through the services offered on a standard-compliant product, such as an app for on-demand video streaming offered on a smartphone, rather than through licensing fees...Patent pools are also not useful benchmarks for determining a FRAND royalty because they often reward contributors on the basis of the number of contributed patents, rather than the patents relative value.

For these reasons, Long expects Nokia to argue that actual commercial licensing arrangements with third parties are more relevant than MPEG LA rates. I sent an email to Nokia asking for financial details about these other agreements, which are not provided in the complaint, but did not hear back. If the case goes to trial expect these details to become absolutely central to Nokias award claims.

The Nokia Wrinkle

Beyond Nokia not being bound by the rates set in the Motorola case, Nokia is also claiming that because the H.264 standard defines a decoder and not an encoder RAND licensing limitations dont apply to the encoding-related patents. Heres a snippet from the Nokia complaint.

The H.264 Recommendation specifies the implementation of decoders and specifically defines the 'decoding process' as '[t]he process specified in this Recommendation | International Standard that reads a bitstream and derives decoded pictures from it.' It does not, however, specify the implementation of encoders. In fact, it specifically defines 'encoder' as 'an embodiment of an encoding process,' and then defines 'encoding process' as 'a process, not specified in this Recommendation | International Standard, that produces a bitstream conforming to this Recommendation | International Standard.' Id. at 6 (emphasis added)). As a result, since encoder implementations are not specified under the H.264 Standard, claims covering such encoders are not essential under the Common Patent Policy, and thus any such claims are not subject to a RAND commitment under that Policy.

This distinction doesnt appear to have been raised in the Motorola case which did involve encoding-related patents. I asked Long about Nokias distinction, and he explained that RAND applies when a court finds patents essential to the standard. In Nokias favor is the fact that the H.264 spec does define the decoding process, as noted above. Against the claim would be the simple fact that H.264 decoders would serve no essential purpose without encoded streams to decode. Either way, its a finding of fact for the court to make.

Long did point out that under general-purpose (eg. Non-RAND) patent law, all royalties must be reasonable, but that if the encoding-related patents were not limited by RAND, Nokia could discriminate against Apple and raise the price, perhaps because Nokia plans to re-enter the smartphone market where Apple is a prominent competitor. This all could prove irrelevant if Nokia simply tries to recover the same rates paid by other parties, but could be used to claim a higher royalty if the court agrees that encoder-related patents are not limited by RAND restrictions.

Summary

So where does that leave us? Basically, at the starting point of a long patent suit that could redefine how standard-based codecs are licensed, and dramatically increase the cost of H.264 decoders and especially encoders included in hardware and software products. Eleven years after MPEG LA released its first H.264-related price list, the expected cost of H.264 licensing may be completely revamped. Since some or all of Nokias patents might also apply to HEVC, licensing costs here may also be affected. Lets hope it doesnt take eleven years to find out.

Well learn a lot from Apples response, which should take about a month or so.

Note: The author thanks David Long and Florian Mueller from the FOSS Patents website for sharing their perspectives on these issues.

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NEWINGTON, N.H., Dec. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT), one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the U.S., is set to reveal a new creative campaign, The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free. The campaign will debut nationally during ABCs Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017 on December 31st. For the second year in a row, Planet Fitness is also the presenting sponsor of Times Squares iconic New Years Eve celebration in New York City.

A video accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d64364e-51eb-49ed-85ff-863d5140e1c1

For nearly 25 years, Planet Fitness has revolutionized the gym industry, introducing the Judgement Free Zone to first time or casual gym goers  a welcoming and friendly community where people could feel comfortable regardless of their fitness level  and afford to belong with memberships for just $10 a month. Once the challenger brand, the Companys innovative take on the fitness industry was matched with groundbreaking advertising which focused on Lunk behavior and Gymtimidation  a feeling of judgement and intimidation often found at typical gyms, and not found at Planet Fitness. Now a preeminent leader in the category, The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free campaign, created with agency-of-record Hill Holliday, is an evolution of the Planet Fitness brand spirit and puts Judgement-Free in the context of society: the world, not just other gyms, can be a very intimidating and judgmental place, but Planet Fitness is a place you can go and be yourself and be free without fear of being judged.

The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free addresses the universality of judgement and the symbol for the campaign is the universal symbol for acceptance - the thumbs-up. Taken from the Planet Fitness logo, the thumbs-up symbol is a positive affirmation that is woven throughout all of the campaign creative. The branding executions include advertising on television, radio, print, out of home, digital, and social activity reflective of the evolved brand platform. Throughout January, additional brand vignettes will offer a close-up of the stories that will run across ABC, CBS, NBC, cable and syndicated networks and generate excitement for Planet Fitness January sale, where people can join any location for just $1 down and $10 a month with no commitment from January 1-11, 2017.

We are excited to debut this evolution in our branding and communicate a message to consumers that Planet Fitness is a place where they can escape the judgement and pressure felt in their daily lives, and be themselves. This is critical to the Planet Fitness brand DNA and it is also culturally relevant today, which is extremely powerful, said Jessica Correa, SVP of Marketing at Planet Fitness. As we head into 2017 and our 25th anniversary year, the Planet Fitness Judgement Free Zone has never felt more important and necessary. The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free campaign is a true evolution of our brand and one that elevates the promise we made to our members over two decades ago  to remain an environment where you can relax, go at your own pace, do your own thing and be free.

Planet Fitness has more than 8.7 million members with more than 1,200 locations in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone. From its inception, Planet Fitness has been disrupting the gym industry with its low price point and its "Judgement Free Zone," said Khari Streeter, Senior Vice President, Creative Director of Hill Holiday. On the cusp of their 25th anniversary, we had a unique opportunity to elevate the brand platform beyond the gym. The World Judges, We Don't. At Planet Fitness, Be Free campaign embraces the heritage of Planet Fitness, expanding its iconic "Judgement Free Zone" to a genuine refuge where everyone can be free, free to go at their own pace, to be any shape or size, and to be totally free of judgement.

About Planet FitnessFounded in 1992 in Dover, N.H., Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of September 30, 2016, Planet Fitness had more than 8.7 million members and more than 1,200 stores in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone. More than 90% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

About Hill HollidayFighting the daily share battle. Its what we do. Hill Holliday is proud to be one of the top creative marketing agencies in the country with over 750 employees across our network. Since 1968 weve built our business on winning that daily share battle for our clients in the noisiest and most competitive categories. Blending superior creative, media and technology, we deliver game changing ideas for industry leaders like Bank of America, Dunkin' Donuts, John Hancock, (RED), TJX, Chili's, Supercuts, Great Wolf Lodge, Planet Fitness, Tempur Sealy, Capella University and Novartis. For more about our people, our work, and our culture, please visit http://www.hhcc.com.

Source: Planet Fitness, Inc.
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) December 30, 2016

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) was awarded five 2016 American Journal of Nursing (AJN) Book of the Year Awards. STTI Publishing has been recognized by the American Journal of Nursing each year since 2009.

The 2016 STTI award recipients are as follows:



A Practical Guide to Forensic Nursing: Incorporating Forensic Principles Into Nursing Practice received two awards: it was awarded first place in the Critical Care/Emergency Nursing category and third place in the Medical-Surgical Nursing category.

Nurse on Board: Planning Your Path to the Boardroom was awarded second place in History and Public Policy.

High Reliability Organizations: A Healthcare Handbook for Patient Safety & Quality was awarded second place in Professional Issues.

Mastering Patient & Family Education: A Healthcare Handbook for Success was awarded third place in Community/Public Health/Home Health.

Written by two of the top names in forensic nursing, Angela F. Amar and L. Kathleen Sekula, this practical, evidence-based guide helps nurses understand and apply forensic nursing science in their practices. The authors highlight sociocultural diversity and relevant legal, ethical, societal, and policy issues while including challenges and potential solutions in the practice area.Nurses represent the largest professional group in healthcare and are closest to patients, families, physicians, and the community. Their insight and experience is invaluable, yet only a small fraction serve on healthcare boards. In her book, the late Connie Curran challenges nurses at every level to get involved and find their place at the boardroom table. Gain insight into what and who nurses need to know and how to be effective board members, whether in hospitals, nursing organizations, corporate boards, or other nonprofit organizations.What are high reliability organizations (HRO) and what do they look like in the healthcare field? This book addresses the gap between understanding HRO and applying their principles to clinical practice. Authors Cynthia A. Oster and Jane S. Braaten provide tools and best practices that will improve and enhance patient safety and quality outcomes.

Part of STTI Publishing's Mastering series, this book by Lori C. Marshall focuses on creating a new standard where patient and family education is viewed as a central part of a health system. The tools and resources it contains provides a broad, practical approach that appeals to the healthcare executive, the individual nurse, and the student nurse.

"Receiving the AJN Book of the Year Award is a tremendous honor, and we are extremely proud to have five more recipients in 2016," said STTI Publisher Dustin Sullivan. "This marks the eighth consecutive year STTI Publishing has published AJN award-winners. This accomplishment is a testament to the quality of our authors and the highly skilled team of professionals who craft their visions into award-winning books."

Nurses regard the AJN Book of the Year Awards as one of the most important designations of excellence in book publishing. STTI Publishing's success is all the more remarkable given the size of its publishing program relative to the multinational corporate publishers it competes with.

Read more about the winners here. STTI Publishing's 2016 AJN recipients are available for purchase at Nursing Knowledge International and bookstores throughout the world.

###

About STTI

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Founded in 1922, STTI has more than 135,000 active members over 90 countries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others. STTI's 515 chapters are located at more than 700 institutions of higher education throughout Armenia, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, England, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Learn more at http://www.nursingsociety.org.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/12/prweb13948565.htm
WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Dec. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A plastic surgeon in Virginia is on a mission to rescue zombies from pop culture's "walking dead" fantasy. "As I have said in other places," Glenn Shepard says from his medical practice in Newport News, "zombies are people to be pitied rather than feared." According to Shepard, being "undead" is the effect of mind-altering drugs and physical conditioning, a process the doctor dissects in detail in his new book, The Zombie Game (Mystery House).

Shepard has spent years studying the zombie phenomenon and its origin in Vodoun, a religion that evolved in Haiti during the time of slavery and still survives to this day. "In reality, you make a person into a zombie through the use of drugs, and the process itself is a punishment, administered by a Vodoun priest. The person who is to be zombie-fied is someone who has committed a serious crime."

That view is at odds with the current trend. The portrayal of zombies and the undead has drifted away from reality over the years, beginning with comic books and pulp fiction in the 1930s and 40s, when zombies were portrayed as bloodthirsty predators. An even greater leap of fantasy was made, famously, in Night of the Living Dead, the 1968 film about zombie-like people who terrorize the inhabitants of an isolated farmhouse. That trend has continued until it has reached its current incarnation, Rage Zombies and Post Apocalyptic Zombies. These are whole groups of undead who carry a "pathogen," one that induces them to eat the living.

When asked about the idea of zombies attacking people, as depicted in The Walking Dead, Shepard laughs. "That's just Hollywood. Zombies have been maligned for years and I guess they make good monsters."

Shepard has spent years researching the drugs used in making zombies. According to him, tetrodotoxin, which is extracted from puffer fish, is used in the zombie rendering to produce the undead effect. "It causes paralysis," Shepard points out, "and it can sometimes make the victim appear dead." After administrating the toxin, the Vodoun practitioner can perform a simulated reanimation. "You can make it seem as though you've killed someone, and then they can come back from the dead."

Another drug used is scopolamine, elsewhere described as the "drug from Hell." Once under the influence, victims enter a fugue state and are easily manipulated. Scopolomine is extracted from jimson weed, sometimes referred to as the zombie cucumber.

Then there is the physical conditioning, which can include locking the drugged person in a coffin overnight, and even burial. Asphyxiation, in this case, causes further dementia.

Shepard, a long-time novelist, faced bucking the trend in writing The Zombie Game, which chronicles the continuing adventures of "Dr. Scott James," his Fugitive-like action-hero. "Most people have no idea that zombies are real, so I decided to make my protagonist, Dr. Scott James, into a zombie. I wanted to give a behind-the-scenes look at the reality of the Vodoun societies and the real zombies.

Media Contact:John Haslett [email protected] 323-203-6500

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/virginia-based-authordoctor-releases-new-fiction-book-the-zombie-game-300384187.html

SOURCE Mystery House
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's government is considering simplifying the tax regime of the oil and gas industry as well as changes to levies on the financial system as part of a broad tax reform in 2017, a government source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

"These are the general ideas of what should be done. It is still in embryonic stages," said the official, who asked not to be named because he is not allowed to speak publicly.

He also said the government could consider simplifying the PIS-COFINS social security taxes, cutting red tape on the tax system, and restructuring the finance's ministry tax appeals tribunal, known as CARF.

(Reporting by Alonso Soto; Editing by Daniel Flynn)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China will hold its first military drills with Nepal next year, China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, in a move that could unnerve neighboring India.

China is vying to increase its influence in landlocked Nepal, which serves as a natural buffer between China and India, challenging India's long-held position as the dominant outside power.

While China and India have tried to improve ties, a festering border dispute and deep mutual suspicions remain.

Speaking at a monthly news conference, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said that China and Nepal's militaries had in recent years had many forms of exchanges.

China and Nepal had been in "initial communication" about joint army exercises, and details would be announced in due tome, Yang said without giving details.

The ministry said on its website this would be the first joint military exercises between the two countries.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)
LAGOS (Reuters) - A plot to blow up a major bridge in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos has been foiled following the arrest of a 43-year-old man suspected of being part of a gang that planned to carry out the attack, police said.

Nigeria Police Force spokesman Don Awunah said, in a statement issued late on Wednesday, "credible intelligence" suggested the man was an explosives expert who planned to attack the Third Mainland Bridge in the city of 21 million inhabitants.

Awunah said the man told police he was part of a gang with links to the oil-producing Niger Delta that was unhappy because its members were not part of an amnesty scheme for militants in the restive region who laid down their arms in exchange for money and training.

Police were hunting for the rest of the gang, Awunah said.

Boko Haram militants have launched frequent bomb attacks in the northeast in the last few years and other groups have attacked oil facilities in the southern Niger Delta this year but Lagos, in the southwest, is usually peaceful.

The bridge, which carries thousands of drivers each day, spans a lagoon to connect mainland Lagos with the city's Victoria Island business district where many businesses and banks that drive Africa's biggest economy have headquarters.

Police said the man from Ondo state, around 250 km (155 miles) from Lagos, had been under surveillance and was arrested on Nov. 2 at a hideout in Ikorodu, a district on the outskirts of Lagos state. He was found to have two AK-47 rifles.

He identified an accomplice who was followed by police on Dec. 26 but who abandoned his car in Ikorodu and fled. Explosives and detonation equipment were found in his car.

Awunah said the attack on the bridge would have caused major devastation. "Further investigation is being intensified to arrest all the other members of the militant gang still at large," he said.

(Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram; editing by Susan Thomas)
DUBAI (Reuters) - Oman, traditionally on friendly terms with Iran, confirmed on Thursday that it had joined a Saudi-led coalition of Muslim countries fighting terrorism, a move praised by other Gulf Arab states as closing ranks with them against Iran.

Saudi and Gulf sources reported the development on Wednesday, saying Omani Minister for Defence Affairs Badr bin Saud al-Busaidi had informed Saudi Arabia in a letter that it would join the 40-strong grouping.

On Thursday, the Omani Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move "comes within the common understanding of the Islamic countries and in particular the role and leadership of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia".

The ministry added, without elaborating, that Oman would also join hands with "brothers and friends" for regional security and peace.

Although differences are rarely aired in public, Oman has long stood out among its Gulf allies. The Sultanate has worried that a wider regional confrontation between Riyadh and Tehran could threaten its own stability, and has often sought to play the conciliator.

Saudi Arabia announced the formation of the coalition in December 2015 to the satisfaction of Washington, which had been urging greater regional involvement in the campaign against the militants of Islamic State, who control swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.

Although not explicitly targeted at Iran, the coalition includes neither Iran nor Iraq, whose Shi'ite-led government is closely allied with Iran.

Oman has watched anxiously as rivalry between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran has grown. Riyadh and some other Gulf Arab states accuse Tehran of interfering in Arab countries to build its influence. Iran denies that accusation.

(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba in Cairo and Celine Aswad in Dubai, Editing by William Maclean and Kevin Liffey)
RMEILAN, Syria (Reuters) - Syrian Kurdish groups and their allies said on Thursday they approved a blueprint for a system of federal government in northern Syria, reaffirming their plans for autonomy in areas they have controlled during the civil war.

The blueprint amounts to a constitution, known as the social contract, an official told Reuters this week.

It aims to cement the autonomy of areas of northern Syria where Kurdish groups have already carved out self-governing regions since the start of the war in 2011, though Kurdish leaders say an independent state is not the goal.

"The social contract draft was ratified," Mansour al-Salloum, joint head of the Founding Council of the Federal System, told Reuters in Rmeilan in northeast Syria.

"The executive committee will prepare for elections" first to regional administrations and later to a central body, he said, without giving a date for the votes.

Salloum said that for areas currently outside the control of the Kurds and their allies, such as Islamic State-held Raqqa, the local population would ultimately decide whether they wanted to be part of the federal system.

Separate forces are fighting against IS militants around Raqqa including the Kurdish YPG and its allies backed by the United States, and the Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes. Turkish-backed rebels are fighting the jihadist group further northwest.

Syrian Kurdish groups and their allies have made their moves towards regional autonomy in the absence of any international deal for a political settlement to the nearly six-year Syrian war.

(Reporting by Rodi Said, writing by John Davison; editing by John Stonestreet/Ruth Pitchford)
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A former Syrian opposition fighter has been charged with breaching international law over the execution in 2012 of seven soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, the Swedish prosecutor's office said on Thursday.

The 46-year-old man, who was arrested in March, appears in a video showing the killings, the prosecutor's office said.

The man, who was not named, denies any crime.

"The soldiers were captured and defenseless when this happened," prosecutor Kristina Lindhoff Carleson said in a statement.

"We claim that the accused's participation in the execution is against international human rights, supposed to protect incapacitated soldiers".

The man, who used to live in Italy, applied for asylum in Sweden in 2013, where he has lived since.

In 2015, another Syrian rebel fighter was sentenced to five years in prison for war crimes by a Swedish court for a "torture-like" assault in Syria that was filmed and posted on social media.

(Reporting by Johan Sennero; Editing by Mark Potter)
By Tim Ghianni

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - Tennessee authorities opened an investigation on Thursday into the slaying of a 28-year-old man by a police officer responding to a report of domestic disturbance near Nashville, a state law enforcement official said.

Few details have been released about the fatal encounter outside a residence late Wednesday evening in Spring Hill, a city of some 34,000 residents roughly 30 miles southwest of Nashville.

Susan Niland, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said by e-mail, "The officer encountered the subject outside of the home and during the exchange, the officer fired at the subject."

The man, Christopher Blake Tucker, was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Niland said.

Niland would not immediately provide any other details, including whether Tucker was armed, the circumstances of the reported domestic disturbance or how the slain man may have been involved.

Niland said both the patrolman, who was not identified, and Tucker are white.

The Spring Hill Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tucker's mother told local broadcaster WSMV that her son was "maliciously shot" by the officer and said her son had children.

The fatal shooting comes as a number of police departments across the United States have faced increased scrutiny in recent years over the use of deadly force, particularly in cases involving mentally ill or drug-or-alcohol-addled suspects, or people of color.

A local prosecutor asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident, as is standard procedure in a police-involved shooting, Niland said.

"The investigation remains active and ongoing at this time," Niland said.

(Editing by Eric M. Johnson and Leslie Adler)
By Jatindra Dash

BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - At least nine Indian miners were killed and nearly two dozen trapped when mine waste collapsed at a coalfield run by state-owned Coal India Limited, officials said on Friday, hitting production at one of the country's largest mines.

The accident occurred in Jharkhand state on Thursday evening at the Lalmatia mine owned by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of the world's largest miner.

"So far, nine bodies have been recovered," R.R. Amitabh, a general manager at the ECL project office told Reuters. A rescue operation was underway and the exact number of people trapped had yet to ascertained, he said.

Coal India has a poor safety record, with 135 accidents reported last year, killing 37 people and injuring 141, the company said in a report, highlighting concern about working conditions.

Operations at the mine in Godda district, about 280 km (175 miles) from the state capital, Ranchi, have been stopped, Amitabh said.

The mine has an annual capacity of 17 million tonnes and accounts for about half of ECL's coal production, he said. Last month, ECL accounted for about 9 percent of Coal India's total production of 50 million tonnes.

Mine waste piled up near the mine caved in, state police spokesman R.K. Mullick said.

"At that time, about 40 people were working in the mine and some of them managed to escape. Some of them have injuries," Mullick said.

The operation of the mine had been outsourced to a private company, Mullick said.

The federal Coal Ministry has ordered an investigation.

With coal accounting for about 70 percent of India's power generation, the country is the world's third-biggest producer and importer of the fuel, and government wants to boost domestic output to cut imports.

Coal India, however, has failed to meet its output targets for years due to several reasons including strikes, accidents and protests.

(Writing by Malini Menon; Editing by Robert Birsel)
TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian security forces said on Thursday that they had broken up an al Qaeda-linked militant cell with 10 members that was active near the coastal city of Sousse.

The interior ministry said in a statement that the group had used the Telegram encrypted messaging system to communicate with associates inside and outside Tunisia, and was plotting to carry out "terrorist operations", without giving further details.

The cell had links to Okba Ibn Nafaa, an al Qaeda-linked group based in the Mount Chaambi range near the Algerian border that has claimed attacks against Tunisian security forces, the statement said. Its members were aged between 25 and 45 and included two women, it added.

Tunisia has struggled to contain Islamist militancy since its 2011 uprising, suffering three major attacks last year including one in which 38 foreign tourists were killed by a gunman on a beach in Sousse.

Tunisian security forces said recently that they had dismantled 160 jihadist cells in the first 10 months of this year, about 45 percent more than during the whole of 2015.

(Reporting by Mohamed Argoubi; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - One of Islamic State's top commanders in Syria has been killed in a U.S.-led coalition air strike, the coalition's spokesman said on Thursday, corroborating an earlier report.

Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti, a member of Islamic State's war committee, was killed on Monday by the Tabqa Dam, a strategic objective in northern Syria near Raqqa city, the jihadists' main stronghold in the country, the spokesman said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, had reported on Tuesday his probable death in combat as the militants sought to stave off an advance towards the dam by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Islamic State has yet to confirm Kuwaiti's death.

Kuwaiti was involved in Islamic State's retaking of the ancient city of Palmyra earlier this month and then went to Tabqa to help shore up the jihadists' defences against the SDF, the coalition said.

"Abu Jandal was involved in the use of suicide vehicles, IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and chemical weapons against the SDF ... his death will degrade ISIL's ability to defend Raqqa and launch external operations against the West," the statement said.

The SDF alliance includes the Kurdish YPG militia and is supported by U.S.-led coalition air strikes in northern Syria in its fight against Islamic State.

(Reporting by Lisa Barrington; editing by John Stonestreet)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Friday has alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is protecting his and his groups corruption.

Talking to media outside Insaf House, Imran Khan said that opposition can get united under the supervision of Asif Ali Zardari on one-point agenda regarding Panama Leaks case.

He said that we are fighting over Panama issue for countrys future. He said government would get trapped if it fixes National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

JUI-F chief is supporting Nawaz Sharif over corruption, he added.

He said no one cares if any one violates law in Punjab as Mughal-e-Azam is ruling the province. He said the country is suffering from theft and dishonesty which need to be addressed at earliest.

Will fight with full preparation in next elections, he asserted.

Imran Khan revealed he will visit rural and urban areas after completion of organizational structure and membership.
The Rape Crisis Center facilitates "Expect Respect" at Madison East High School, a workshop aimed at developing youth leaders through conversations around relationships, sexual harassment, rape culture and other sensitive topics.
This year was a big one internationally, with Brexit and Donald Trump winning the presidency of the United States. But what were the biggest local stories?

Below are some of the most viewed stories on the SunLive website in 2016.

This years top story, with more than 160,000 views, was Rosalie Liddle Crawfords article on Gareth Morgan, and the misconception he hates cats. It came out around the same time as his launch of the Opportunities Party, which spring-boarded the millionaire back into public consciousness for a time.

The crash at Aongatete in August, which claimed the lives of five Tongan cool store workers, was another significant story. The tragic event rocked the local community and prompted debate about the dangers of that particular section of road.

At the beginning of the year, fire ravaged the side of the Mount, with SunLive reporting the story as it happened in the early hours of January 14.

Just this month, we brought you the first images and footage of the house fire in Otumoetai, which caused a family with six children to lose everything right before Christmas. But the community rallied behind them, with a Givealittle page being set up in support.

In July we reported on the flooding chaos in Katikati, which caused a truck to crash, and sections of State Highway 2 to be reduced to one lane.

We also shared the story of the orca calf rescue in August, which saw a team of volunteers save an orca calf separated from its pod. The animal was transported to a land-based pool, where it received treatment and rehabilitation in preparation for its release back into the wild. Sadly, the calf died a short time later.

And finally, one of our most recent stories is already hugely popular. On Monday we shared photos and video of the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, showing the immensity and luxury of the floating city. If you havent checked it out yet, make sure you.

These were some of the top viewed stories of the year, but maybe you have a favourite that was missed out. Comment below, or on our Facebook page, to share your biggest story of 2016.
Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
There are several events happening for all ages and tastes on New Years Eve, from a family friendly BBQ at The Strand, Frequency  the under 18s event at ASB Arena to many high profile music events at Mount Maunganui and in the CBD.

A full overview of whats happening in Tauranga on New Years Eve is available here: www.mytauranga.co.nz/new-years-eve

Tauranga City Council focuses on measures that enhance a safe environment on New Years Eve and will no longer offer an organised event at Mount Maunganui Main Beach.

Fireworks

Tauranga will welcome the New Year with a spectacular midnight fireworks display from a central city location that can be enjoyed across the city. Watch them from your deck or backyard, ideally from a slightly elevated point.

The first display to light up the sky from a barge at the Tauranga waterfront will be at the family-friendly time of 9.30pm. There will be no fireworks display at Mount Maunganui.

New Years Eve road closures at Mount Maunganui

A one-way system will be established during the afternoon of December 31 in a clockwise direction from Salisbury Ave along The Mall, Adams Avenue and Marine Parade. To support the one-way system there will be closures on the following Mount Maunganui peninsula roads while the one-way system is in operation: Leinster Avenue, Commons Avenue, Grace Avenue, Pacific Avenue and Prince Street  these streets will only be accessible to residents with access passes. There may be changes on the day if required in consultation with NZ Police. All affected roads will be open by 8am on January 1, but could be opened earlier if it is safe to do so.

Marine Parade, between Adams and Pacific Avenues, will be closed each night between the hours of 8pm and 6am from December 26 2016 until January 6 2017, Except on New Years Eve when the one-way system will operate.

Temporary No parking - tow away zones will be in place on Marine Parade between Adams Avenue and Pacific Avenue from 6am on December 31 2016 until 8am on January 1, 2017.

Find the map with all Mount Maunganui road closures here: www.mytauranga.co.nz/stay-safe/safety-on-nye

Vehicle passes

Leinster Avenue, Commons Avenue, Grace Avenue, Pacific Avenue and Prince Street residents can access their properties by displaying the vehicle passes. Vehicle passes have been mailed to property owners. If you are staying within the road closure zone and havent received a vehicle pass, you can get one from the Beach Base at Mount Drury until 2pm on December 31. Proof of a Mount Maunganui address is required (i.e. a utilities bill or confirmation of holiday rental). For more information or if you havent received your pass please contact Tauranga City Council on (07) 577 7000.

New Years Eve road closures in the CBD

A full road closure will be in place from 6pm, December 31 2016 to 8am, January 1 2017 on The Strand, from Devonport Road roundabout down to Harington Street roundabout. Both roundabouts will be open to allow traffic flows. There will be no access to The Strand via Hamilton and Wharf Streets. Parking on The Strand will be restricted from 6am on December 31 2016 until 8am on January 1 on The Strand. Parking buildings and off-street car parks are free on the day and open 24/7.

Find the map with The Strand road closure online.

Alcohol-free zones

The temporary alcohol-free zone at Mount Maunganui has been extended. The 24-hours-a-day alcohol-free zone in Mount Maunganui expands to include all public areas north of Hull Road and Tweed Street. This will be enforced by NZ Police and runs from December 26 2016 until January 6 2017, 6am.

The Strand is a liquor and glass-free zone, 24 hours a day, 7 hours a week.

Alcohol-free zone maps are available online at www.tauranga.govt.nz/services/alcohol-food-health/alcohol/alcohol-free-zones/new-year-alcohol-free-zones

Buses

Bayhopper buses will run normal holiday services on New Years Eve but there will be no free buses into or out of Mount Maunganui on the night. Normal services resume on New Years Day. Find more information on regular bus services here: www.baybus.co.nz

Frequency NYE buses

Frequency NYE tickets include a free bus ride to and from the event for under 18s at ASB Baypark Arena. Uzabus will pick up and drop off Frequency NYE attendees across the city in Greerton, Windermere, Brookfield, Otumoetai, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa and Welcome Bay. These routes are along regular Baybus routes and pick up/drop off will be at various nominated bus stops. Find out more: www.frequencynye.co.nz

Be prepared and plan ahead for New Years Eve

Tauranga City Councils mobile-friendly events webpage provides residents and visitors with helpful information on road closures, alcohol-free zones, events and more to make the start into the new year a safe and enjoyable one. Check www.mytauranga.co.nz, bookmark the page and get prepared for the New Year. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
A man is in a serious condition after an incident at a Tauranga residence early this morning.

Police are reporting a call out to the residence shortly after 5am, where they discovered a man with a serious chest wound.

He was transported to hospital and three people from the property are helping police with their enquiries.

Police say no further information is available at this time.
Soglin said his over two decades of experience working in the private sector, in addition to his 20 years in the mayors office, gives him the opportunity to really make a difference. Soglin said he does not yet have a timeline for making a decision, but hes interested in visiting other areas of the state to get feedback.
Barbara Tarbuck

Actress Barbara Tarbuck speaks during a question and answer session with fans and news media at the American Horror Story: Asylum Blu-ray and DVD launch event at Linda Vista Community Hospital on Monday, Oct. 7, 2013 in Los Angeles.

(Dan Steinberg | Invision | AP)

2016 has claimed another celebrity death.

Stage and screen star Barbara Tarbuck died Monday at her Los Angeles home, her producer daughter Jennifer Lane Connolly said. She was 74.

Tarbuck was best known to soap opera fans for playing Lady Jane Jacks on "General Hospital" and most recently appeared on the TV series "American Horror Story: Asylum" as Mother Superior Claudia.

Tarbuck also appeared in the original production of Broadway's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and movies like "Curly Sue," "Short Circuit" and "Walking Tall." Her TV credits included appearances on "Dallas," "Golden Girls," "Mad Men," "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Cagney & Lacey."

According to the New York Daily News, Connolly said Tarbuck suffered from a rare, degenerative brain disease called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disorder.

An obituary for Tarbuck says the Detroit native earned a master's degree in theater from the University of Michigan and trained on a Fulbright Scholarship to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She also enjoyed teaching acting as much as she loved being inspired by new material and director's notes.

"On stage, before the camera, and in the classroom are the questions, demands, disappointments, delights that feed my soul," Tarbuck wrote on her website.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Two people were shot within two hours in Syracuse on Thursday night, according to authorities.

The first shooting was reported at 9:18 p.m. along the 1300 block of West Onondaga Street between South Geddes and Aruthur streets, according to the Onondaga County 911 dispatch center.

Dispatch workers said the person who was shot was taken to a hospital in a private vehicle.

About an hour and a half later, another person was shot.

The call for the second shooting came in at 10:43 p.m. from South Salina Street near Matson Avenue, according to dispatch records.

Responding officers found one person with gunshot wounds on West Ostrander Avenue, dispatch workers said.

The person was taken to Upstate University Hospital by Rural Metro Ambulance, dispatch records show.

The shooting locations are about three miles from each other.

The two people shot are believed to have non-life-threatening injuries, a dispatch worker said.

No information was available from Syracuse police Thursday night.

The Syracuse Police Department is investigating the incidents. No other information is currently available.
VERNON, N.Y. -- Deputies are investigating a deadly, early morning crash in Oneida County.

Two vehicles collided at 1:58 a.m. Friday on Route 5 in Vernon, said the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. Deputies did not say how many people were killed.

No other information was available. Deputies said more information would be released later on Friday.

In addition to deputies, the Vernon Fire Department, the Central Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corps and the New York State Police responded to the scene of the fatal accident.

Route 5 was covered in a "severe" layer of snow and ice in the Vernon area on Friday morning, according to 511NY.

The National Weather Service has issued a lake effect snow warning for Oneida County. Heavy snowfall and 30-mph gusts of wind could make driving dangerous.

There have been at least four fatal crashes in Central New York in less than 24 hours. Two of the deadly accidents -- including Friday morning's Vernon crash -- happened in snowy Oneida County.

The first fatal Oneida County crash happened just after 11:25 a.m. Thursday in Westmoreland. Stephen P. Hall Jr., 28, of South Carolina, died after he lost control of his car on Route 5 and collided head-on with an oncoming pickup truck.
VERNON, N.Y. -- One person was killed Friday morning in Oneida County after a car spun out of control on a slippery road and crashed into an oncoming car.

You En, 18, of Utica, was driving east on Route 5 in Vernon around 1:57 a.m. when he lost control of his 2006 Honda Accord on the snow-covered road, said Investigator Daniel Brown, of the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. En's car slid into the westbound lane and collided with an oncoming car, he said.

Richard Reuter, 52, of Utica, was driving the westbound 2014 Honda Civic, Brown said.

The front-seat passenger in En's car was pronounced dead on scene, Brown said. Information about the person will be released after the victim's family is notified, he said.

En and his rear passenger, Yin Htway, 19, of Utica, were treated at the scene, Brown said. The teens were then transported to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica for evaluations.

Reuter declined medical care after he was treated at the scene, Brown said.

The Vernon Fire Department, the Central Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corps and the New York State Police responded with deputies to the fatal accident.

The crash has been reconstructed and remains under investigation, Brown said.
Tom Dadey

Tom Dadey, Chairman of the Onondaga Co.GOP meets with the Syracuse Media Group / Post-Standard editorial board in this 2013 file photo.

(David Lassman | dlassman@syracuse.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Onondaga County's GOP leader said that he "of course" condemns the recent inflammatory comments made by Buffalo developer Carl Paladino.

During a broadcast on WSYR radio Thursday, Republican Committee Chairman Tom Dadey addressed comments from Paladino and a front page story in that morning's Post-Standard.

"Of course Carl Paladino's comments were reprehensible and wrong," Dadey said. "Everybody knows that."

Paladino has come under fire for saying he wished the President would die of mad cow disease and saying the First Lady should be released in the outback of Zimbabwe. Paladino, a former Republican candidate for governor of New York, has apologized and said he meant to send the comments only to friends.

On WSYR Thursday, Dadey referred to a response from President-Elect Donald Trump's transition team, of which he is a member. That response said Paladino's comments have no place in public discourse.

Dadey and Paladino served on Trump's New York campaign leadership team together. Dadey has credited Paladino with helping him secure a spot on Team Trump. Dadey backed Paladino when he ran for governor in 2010 and Paladino supported Dadey when he considered a bid for the state GOP chairmanship last year.

Dadey criticized the Post-Standard article, which said he did not respond to requests for comment. Syracuse.com / The Post-Standard reached out seeking comment for the article on Friday and Tuesday. On the radio, he said he was spending time with his family around the holidays.

He went on to criticize County Executive Joanie Mahoney, who said Tuesday that silence from GOP leaders could mean complicity with Paladino's comments.

"Joanie Mahoney has a strained relationship with the Republican Party," he said. "If she wants to have a say or influence the Republican Party, then I would suggest that she reach out and act like a Republican and not support candidates that are Democrats..."

Mahoney endorsed Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, over Paladino in the 2010 gubernatorial race.

Dadey and Mahoney have been at odds for several years.
Blog_marriott hotel_mayor - Copy.JPG

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner today joined 29 other mayors and other local officials urging President Barack Obama to extend protections for certain undocumented immigrants.

(Scott Trimble)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Mayor Stephanie Miner today joined 30 other mayors and local officials urging President Barack Obama during his final weeks in office to beef up support for certain undocumented immigrants, especially those who arrived as children.

The mayors declared their support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was instituted by Obama in 2012 and currently protects more than 740,000 immigrants from deportation.

It's not clear whether President-elect Donald Trump would end the program, but some fear that he will. Trump campaigned promising that he would clamp down on illegal immigration and rescind all "overreaching executive orders'' made by Obama.

DACA temporarily stays the deportation of so-called "Dreamers,'' undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as minors. To qualify, individuals must be free of any felony convictions or significant misdemeanors and enrolled in school, have graduated from high school or enlisted in the military.

Miner and other members of Cities for Action urged Obama to speed up the processing of DACA applications and to shield the identities of participants "to reassure recipients that they will not be punished as a result of coming out the shadows.''

The mayors also urged Obama to "extend protections for immigrants who cannot return safely to their countries of origin because of extraordinary conditions, including natural disasters or armed conflict.''

Other New York mayors who signed the letter include Svante Myrick of Ithaca, Bill de Blasio of New York City and Noam Bramson of New Rochelle.

Here is the text of the letter:

Dear President Obama:

As mayors and county executives in the Cities for Action coalition, we write to thank you for your leadership on behalf of immigrant families and urge you to take action to ensure continued support for vulnerable immigrants in our communities before you leave office.

Cities for Action is a national coalition of over 100 mayors and county executives that advocate for inclusive local policies and national immigration reform. As local government leaders throughout the country, we know that immigrants make our communities stronger economically, culturally, and socially. For this reason, we have enthusiastically embraced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, expressed repeated support for and defense of your 2014 executive actions on immigration, and worked closely with your administration to promote citizenship and the economic, social, and civic integration of immigrants.

On behalf of the millions of our immigrant residents and their families, we thank you for the steps your administration has taken to support vulnerable immigrant populations, from bright young people who may only know life in this country, to immigrants who cannot return to their home countries because of conflict or natural disaster, as well as those who look to the U.S. to lead on human rights and non-discrimination. These actions reflect the ideals of inclusion and refuge that our country is founded on.

We also thank you for listening to concerns from local leaders, among other voices, and taking steps this week to end the failed National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program. This "special registration" program was discriminatory and created great fear and turmoil within our communities, particularly among Muslim immigrants, while not providing any increase in security. A revival of the program would only serve to heighten tensions and increase the risk of bias-based crimes at a time when hate speech and hate crimes are on the rise. For these reasons, we commend your Administration for this move.

We urge that you continue your support for immigrant communities in the last few weeks of your presidency. Specifically, we suggest that your administration (1) continue support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and (2) continue support for immigrants who have Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

First, we encourage you to undertake steps to support the over 740,000 DACA recipients in the U.S. DACA has tremendously benefitted our communities by helping our residents thrive and contribute in myriad ways. For this reason, we are committed to advocating for the continuation of DACA in the next administration and for legislative relief for Dreamers in Congress. In the meantime, we call upon your administration to accept early renewal applications for current DACA holders to extend temporary protections for them. In addition, we urge USCIS to commit to speedy processing of initial and renewal applications and urge your administration to implement additional privacy protections for DACA holders to reassure recipients that they will not be punished as a result of coming out the shadows.

Second, we urge you to extend protections for immigrants who cannot return safely to their countries of origin because of extraordinary conditions, including natural disasters or armed conflict. Cities for Action has applauded the steps that your administration has taken to grant temporary relief to these individuals. We now ask that your administration continue this urgent form of humanitarian protection by reviewing the current TPS designations and extending such designations or making re-designations or new designations as appropriate before the end of your term. In particular, we urge your administration to take steps to protect immigrants from countries that recently experienced extraordinary conditions that have made return unsafe, including Haiti and Ecuador. We also ask that USCIS commit to swift processing for TPS applications and renewals.

Thank you again for the many positive actions you have undertaken as President on behalf of immigrants in our communities, and we hope that you will consider these recommendations.

Sincerely,

Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown, PA

Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin, TX

Catherine Pugh, Mayor of Baltimore, MD

William Bell, Mayor of Birmingham, AL

Marty Walsh, Mayor of Boston, MA

Lydia Lavelle, Mayor of Carrboro, NC

Albert Robles, Mayor of Carson, CA

Pam Hemminger, Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC

Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, IL

Michael Hancock, Mayor of Denver, CO

Roy D. Buol, Mayor of Dubuque, IA

Svante Myrick, Mayor of Ithaca, NY

Madeline Rogero, Mayor of Knoxville, TN

Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, CA

Paul Soglin, Mayor of Madison, WI

Manuel Cantu, Mayor of McFarland, CA

Ike Leggett, Executive of Montgomery County, MD

Yxstian Gutierrez, Mayor of Moreno Valley, CA

Toni Harp, Mayor of New Haven, CT

Noam Bramson, Mayor of New Rochelle, NY

Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, NY

Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia, PA

Liz Lempert, Mayor of Princeton, NJ

Jorge Elorza, Mayor of Providence, RI

John Dickert, Mayor of Racine, WI

Tom Butt, Mayor of Richmond, CA

Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento, CA

Ed Lee, Mayor of San Francisco, CA

Ed Murray, Mayor of Seattle, WA

Francis Slay, Mayor of St. Louis, MO

Stephanie Miner, Mayor of Syracuse, NY


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U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna, R-Barneveld, sits at his desk one last time at his Washington, D.C. office on Capitol Hill. Hanna will retire Jan. 3, 2017, ending a career in Congress in which he became a leading voice for Republican moderates. He represented eight counties in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier that make up the 22nd Congressional District.

(Mark Weiner | mweiner@syracuse.com)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - When U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna walks away from Congress next week after six years in office, the Upstate New York Republican will leave behind a GOP that he says has become too intolerant and extreme, drowning out moderates like himself.

Hanna, 65, a fiercely independent voice within the GOP who repeatedly broke ranks to stand up to hardline conservatives, told Syracuse.com in an exit interview that he worries the traditional moderate Republican from the Northeast faces extinction in Congress.

"I never left the Republican Party that I originally joined," Hanna said. "I can only say that they've left me. It's really gone to the far extremes on social issues. They've become judgmental and sanctimonious and authoritarian on their approach to people. They talk about personal freedom, but they also want to define what that is for you and me."

Hanna, of Barneveld in Oneida County, stood out as the only Republican in Congress to support a combination of abortion rights, same-sex marriage and the Equal Rights Amendment, guaranteeing equal rights for women.

After announcing plans for his retirement, he gained national attention this year when he became the only GOP member of Congress to say he would vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton for president over the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

Rep.-elect Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, a conservative Trump supporter who has received Tea Party backing, will succeed Hanna in office when the 115th Congress begins on Tuesday.

In a wide-ranging, two-hour interview this week, Hanna reflected on his career in Congress, the presidential election and the future of the Republican Party. He also said he would consider making a bid for the GOP nomination for New York governor in 2018. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Do you have any regrets about your decision to retire from Congress?

No, not for a moment. Not at all. I've been fortunate. I have things to go back to. I've made great friends in Congress. I've stood out in ways that I didn't intend to go there to do, but I wasn't going to walk away from who I was or what I believed. I think in many ways people have been angered by that - my support of women's health care, Planned Parenthood, and gay rights, the environment, and things like that.

One of the problems with Congress for me is you really are one of 435 people. And unless you really adapt the orthodoxy of being a Republican or a Democrat, you find yourself somewhat marginalized.

For a lot of people, it's a great job. But when it becomes all about you and you need it to survive, I think one should question why they got in it or whether they should stay. I don't see enough people asking that question because it's hard to give up.

You represented Central New York in Congress for six years. What do you view as your best accomplishment?

The thing I'm proud of is that on those votes which I regard as civil rights -- government minding its own business and staying out of people's personal affairs which it has no right to pursue -- like LGBT rights and the environment and things like that, I have been myself.

I have been willing to all along find myself widely disagreed with -- by not the majority, but by some people -- and I've been able to navigate that, be upfront about it, and leave my job intact as I went.

You were part of a group of moderate Republicans in Congress that has steadily dwindled over the past decade. Do you think it's possible for moderate Republicans like yourself to still have a meaningful role in the party?

I think it's difficult because nobody wants to be one of 10 out of 200 and something. Everybody wants to feel like they have an opportunity to make a difference. But if you have to be on the Science Committee and not believe in global warming or something like that, it's hard.

Think about this, (former North Country Rep.) John McHugh couldn't get elected today. Sherry Boehlert (who represented Central New York in Congress for 24 years) couldn't get elected today. And Jim Walsh (who represented the Syracuse area in Congress for 20 years) couldn't get elected today. These are three moderate members from Upstate New York, and they couldn't get the nomination today.

What's wrong with the Republican Party today?

Everyone is entitled to their own belief system, religiously and socially. But I think the lack of broad tolerance and appreciation for the diversity of this society we live in, and the benefits that it's brought us, have escaped or are not talked about or respected enough.

The Christian right, or far right, can be very authoritarian and fundamentalist, and plays a big role in the party. I think they're entitled to their personal beliefs, and I'd defend that completely. But the real tough test of success for me, and for the future of the Republican Party, is that pluralism matters, that tolerance matters.

I feel like the orthodoxy of the party, the authoritarian nature of it, has made it very judgmental and often very sanctimonious. Because that's what it is today, it's actually attracted a lot of people that appeals to. They are completely on board for it. They are judging everything and everybody, but they are the last to be judged.

What do you attribute Donald Trump's victory to?

I've never taken exception to the people who have voted for him. There are a lot of people who haven't seen their wages go up. Maybe for the first time, I think about 50 percent of young people are making less than their parents did. Those are huge issues. And then you see the government bureaucracy and the rules and regulations. They've taken the fun out of being in business. They've disincentivized entrepreneurs like me. They've kind of taken the heart out of people.

So you see a guy like Trump, and he comes along, and one way or another he speaks to a lot of those issues people feel strongly about. So they're willing to ignore a lot of those things they may not like about him.

I wish him well. I mean, he's the president. I think there are areas he will do well in. I think the Democrats played a role in his success too. They didn't need to put up somebody who by all accounts they all wanted to see as president - Mrs. Clinton - and yet she was a candidate that was probably the most beatable candidate, just like Trump was the most beatable candidate from the Republican side. I don't think they thought it through very well.

Did Trump win the election or did Clinton lose it?

I think both are true. The working middle class has been put upon and feels left behind. I think the Democrats haven't figured out the difference between helping people and empathy. Most people I know don't want anything from the government. They just want to take care of themselves.

Part of the problem I think the Democratic Party has is that it's become a party of redistribution instead of an uplifting model. They have this notion that things aren't fair and they want to make it fair.

If you could have a few minutes alone with Donald Trump, what advice would you offer him?

I don't think he'd listen because he hasn't yet. But I would tell him not to be dismissive of those people he disagrees with, simply based on the fact he disagrees with them. You know, he has become the most powerful man on the planet. I think that his success isn't going to be measured just by how well the economy comes back, if it comes back. But this country has survived because of its differences, not in spite of them. It's important to listen and to show respect.

If you want to make people angry - whether it's your wife, your children or anybody - just pretend you don't give a damn what they say. That's the projection he gives and that's the attitude some of the people around him seem to have. But that's not a recipe for success. You don't have to do everything that everybody wants, but you have to at least make them understand that you understand.

What's your advice for Claudia Tenney, your successor in the 22nd Congressional District?

The problem with Claudia is that I don't think she was very relevant in Albany (where she served in the state Assembly) and I don't think she will be very relevant in D.C. I don't say that to be a slap to her. But I know that in life that past performance is the best determinant of future performance.

My advice to Claudia is to embrace this job in a way that isn't about you. At the end of the day, you'll always be appreciated or respected by the far right and the Tea Party groups and those people that supported her. But there are 720,000 people in the district and you work for every damn one of them. Find a way to connect and listen.

If you could change anything about your six years in Congress, what would it be?

I had a habit every night: I would go home and read. And a lot of members go out and they meet one another, and they drink a little bit, and they get to know one another. I never took the time to build very many friendships down there. I have a few good friends.

It always bothered me that the Republican Party - they supported me and I'm grateful - but I could never quite check all of the boxes that they wanted me to. I have to say it bothered me that they were where they were, and that I had to push back so much. I guess that's my way of saying I thought I was right about a few things. I wish I could have convinced people that pluralism and tolerance are also values, and this anger and vitriol that is so easily flung around today...really bothered me and still does.

Is there any particular vote you are most proud of?

The Violence Against Women Act, the alternative that the Republican Party put out there, I thought was really anathema to the intent of the original act. It excluded lesbian women, it excluded illegal immigrants, it excluded American Indian women. And yet these are typically poor women, maybe marginalized, maybe running under the radar, likely needing more help than others. They wanted to exclude those categories.

Well, a woman is a woman. And abuse is abuse. If you want to deport somebody, that's one thing. But based on somebody's sexual preference, or the fact they may be here illegally, that should not be how we rewrite our attitude towards women who are being abused.

That vote came to the floor and I think to the surprise (of GOP leaders) there were maybe 18 or 20 of us at the time who didn't support it at the time. I was behind that. I just planted my feet and we worked the room. And after three months of trying, the historical version passed and got funded as it was about to expire.

What was the worst thing about serving in Congress?

The people I didn't like, and the worst part about Congress, was hearing people say to me I hate this vote but I'm going to vote the party line. That bothered me because I saw that as the purest form of dishonesty and hypocrisy in government. That's what I hated the most, the people that I saw who had an opportunity to have a voice and change outcomes and speak to their truth, and they chose not to.

What's the biggest misconception the public has about you?

That I'm not conservative. And I am. I think the definition of being conservative often means minding your own damn business. Being conservative means being tolerant of other peoples' freedoms and notions that you don't like, but you're willing to accept it because they accept yours.

I'm a fiscal conservative and I think I'm a conservative the way conservatism was designed, not by the Christian right, but by the American belief in pluralism and tolerance.

People say I'm not conservative. I think I'm more conservative than most conservative members of Congress because I actually live the way I talk.

Your son, Emerson, and daughter, Grace, are both under 10 years old. Years from now, when they grow up, what will you tell them about their father's service in Congress?

What I hope to tell them is not as important as what I hope other people tell them. I would be more than happy to have somebody walk up to my children and say: You know what, I didn't agree with your father on a number of issues. But he wasn't a hypocrite and he wasn't a liar. He actually stood for something. And he never made that job about him, and got out intact.

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
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File photo: The State Capitol forms backdrop for skaters at Empire State Plaza in Albany. This week, a couple drove from Florida to Albany just to marry in the snow.

(Gary Walts | gwalts@nyup.com)

By Bethany Bump

Times Union, Albany, N.Y.

Dec. 30--ALBANY -- Adriano Dossantos didn't have much to give his daughter for her wedding day, but he could give her snow.

All his daughter, Adriana, wanted after a childhood in Brazil and several years living in Florida was to marry her childhood sweetheart in the snow.

"That's what she wanted, and we don't really have a lot of money," he said. "So I decided I would make this happen -- someway, somehow."

This week, the family packed up their car in Boca Raton, Fla., with a wedding dress, a couple suits and some boots, and headed 1,400 miles north to New York state. They would stop in Albany for the license, and then continue north just a few more hours until landing in Lake Placid.

That was the plan, at least.

"When we got to Albany City Hall and turned around and saw the Capitol, she fell in love with the place," said Adriano Dossantos of his 19-year-old daughter.

"It looked like those old movies," she said. "I don't know how to describe it. The houses were so pretty and old. Everything looked so warm and cozy, and the air was so clean and cold. The weather outside was so beautiful. The trees without their leaves were covered in snow. We just loved it."

So their plans changed.

It was Wednesday by the time they got the license, and several days of warm weather had melted the little snow Albany had. The Dossantos' picked Lake Placid as their destination because their internet research had guaranteed them snow. But luck had it that a storm was coming through Albany on Thursday, so they spent the night and hoped for snowflakes.

"But then we couldn't find an officiant," Adriano Dossantos said. "There were no judges in City Hall because of the holidays. They weren't doing marriages until Jan. 1."

Luckily, they tracked down an officiant who said she could do it, but her only available time was 1 p.m. Thursday.

"We were watching the forecast, hoping that would work, and right at one was the height of the snowfall," Adriana's father said.

At about 1:30 p.m., in a white sleeveless gown, veil and snow boots, with tears in her eyes and the state Capitol at her back, Dossantos said "I do" to her childhood sweetheart, 21-year-old Alceir Pontes Jr., who took his bride's last name.

"It was cold. It was beautiful. It was very emotional," she said. "Everything was perfect."

#ILoveNY takes many forms! Congrats to this happy couple, who traveled from FL to Albany for their perfect wedding. https://t.co/tFypJiUD4F  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 30, 2016

The couple grew up in the same neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro and met when she was 12 and he was 14. They were friends for a long time before falling in love. Adriana's father had moved to Florida some years earlier, and she would spend chunks of time in the United States before moving to this country permanently in October.

Alceir had never seen snow before his wedding day. The only snow Dossantos ever saw was at a ski resort in Tennessee on a visit with her father. It was man-made.

"This was nothing like that," she said. "I'll never forget it."

___

(c)2016 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)

Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(If this story made you smile, just wait until you see the photos.)
ALBANY, N.Y. -- More than 100 New Yorkers convicted of crimes at age 16 or 17 will no longer have a public criminal record after an executive action by Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday.

The 101 New Yorkers have gone 10 years without being convicted of a crime since their initial misdemeanor or non-violent crimes, according to a news release from the Governor's Office. The so-called "conditional pardons" will also be taken back if recipients go on to be convicted of another crime.

It's part of a statewide Democratic effort to "raise the age" at which crime suspects can be charged as adults. In New York, 16-year-olds are charged as adults, meaning they are imprisoned upon conviction in adult prisons and subject to harsher penalties. Advocates say teens have not yet developed emotionally or mentally enough to deserve the full brunt of the criminal justice system.

And teens' criminal records upon release are public, often preventing those with convictions from getting a job, securing housing or enrolling college, the Governor's Office said.

"These New Yorkers have spent at least a decade proving their rehabilitation, but have been unable to fully reenter society due to the stigma of conviction and the barriers that come with it," Cuomo said in the news release.

There are about 10,000 New Yorkers statewide convicted of misdemeanors or non-violent felonies at age 16 or 17 who have gone 10 years without another conviction, according to the Governor's Office.

Those convicted of violent felonies or sex offenses are not eligible for the pardons, according to the Governor's Office.

The names of the 101 pardon recipients were not immediately provided Friday afternoon.
A Cudahy man is scheduled for a pre-trial conference in January after he allegedly stole money out of jukeboxes in three local bars.

Jeffrey M. Wilde, 27, was formerly an employee of Reggies Amusements, which rents jukeboxes and other products, and had access to the master keys, according to the criminal complaint.

All of the incidents reportedly occurred Feb. 28. The first incident took place at Burgeys Pub, 8619 East Frontage Road in Caledonia. Wilde was allegedly seen by the owner trying to access the jukebox in the bar.

The owner found only $28 in the machine which was unusually low. When the owner contacted the manufacturer, he was told there should have been $160 in the machine, the complaint said.

The next incident occurred at Fritzs Tavern, 4234 Douglas Ave., Caledonia, when Wilde and another man entered the bar and told the bartender they were there for jukebox maintenance.

Wilde allegedly took $858 from the machine.

The final incident took place at Cooler by the Lake Tavern, 24709 West Loomis Road, Wind Lake, when Wilde and another man again entered the bar and said they were there to check the jukebox. Wilde took approximately $200 from the machine, according to the complaint.

Wilde faces three misdemeanors for theft and three misdemeanors for entry into a locked coin box. He is scheduled for a pretrial conference at 3:15 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.
The frenzied 2016 election cycle mercifully is over, but Facebooks fake news problem isnt going away. The company may face steep fines in Germany if it fails to address it satisfactorily.

A bill slated for consideration next year would establish fines of up to $500,000 euros per day for each day that a fake news story persisted after notification of its falsehood was provided. The legislation, which has bipartisan support, would apply to other sites as well, but Facebook clearly is its main target.

Treading Lightly

Facebook recently began testing and rolling out updates to help it fight fake news.

The company cannot become arbiters of truth ourselves, so were approaching this problem carefully, noted VP of News Feed Adam Mosseri.

Facebook is focusing its efforts on the worst of the worst, on the clear hoaxes spread by spammers for their own gain, and on engaging both our community and third party organizations, he said.

It is taking a four-pronged approach:

Letting users report a hoax on Facebook by clicking the upper right-hand corner of a post;

Flagging stories as disputed. Facebook is relying on third-party fact checking organizations that are signatories of Poynters International Fact Checking Code of Principles to make those determinations;

Informed sharing  that is, giving articles that are shared less a lower ranking because that may indicate they are misleading; and

Disrupting financial incentives for spammers. Facebook is eliminating the ability to spoof domains, as well as analyzing publisher sites to see where it might need to enforce its policies.

The company initially is working with five fact-checking organizations: ABC News, the Associated Press, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact and Snopes. It might add to the pool in the future.

It is very important to solve the fake news problem, said Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords, because its critical to the future of our democracy.

If our society continues to make decisions big and small based upon, or influenced by, faulty information, that will take it to a bad place, he told TechNewsWorld.

The issue is probably best viewed on a spectrum, Coker suggested. On one end, there are the 100 percent blatantly false stories, and on the other there are true stories mixed with fake news, making it more difficult to recognize.

The Depth of the Problem

Fake news manipulates emotions and positions which then convert into decisions [people] make in their lives that arent in their own best interest, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

This really should be considered a crime for the damage it can do, he told TechNewsWorld.

Facebooks concern is driven by self-interest, suggested Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. Fake news shows how the company is being actively gamed, which damages its brand.

By serving as a repository for news stories, Facebook has become a de facto media company despite its insistence to the contrary, King told TechNewsWorld.

Fake news has been blamed for affecting the results of the recent presidential election, but the mainstream medias willingness to continually chase Trumps tweets and what turned out to be bogus or frivolous stories, like the Clinton email investigation, probably had a larger impact, he added.

Will Facebooks Efforts Succeed?

Facebooks program is unlikely to succeed on its own, because at the heart of the problem is that you can make a lot of money from Google with fake news, Enderle suggested.

The fix really needs to start with Googles ad funding model, as theyre the cause of much of the problem even though they arent the source of the fake news, he explained.

Macedonia, where theres massive unemployment, is making huge amounts of money just producing fake news, Enderle pointed out.

Then theres the question of how close Facebooks program might come to censorship.

It will be very hard to differentiate between fake news and something someone just doesnt agree with, Enderle cautioned.

Where Does the Buck Stop?

Opinion among members of the public is divided, based on an online survey of 1,600 adults conducted earlier this month by Morning Consult.

Among its findings:

67 percent of respondents thought search engines were responsible for preventing exposure to fake news;

66 percent thought the reader was responsible;

63 percent say social media sites should bear the responsibility; and

56 percent thought the government should be responsible.

About one-fourth of respondents said the reader should bear the most responsibility for discriminating between real and fake stories.
Earlier this month, the Obama Administration promised that Russia would face the consequences for interfering with the US election. Yesterday, a new set of sanctions were announced against the country, which includes the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats.

The actions coincide with the release of a declassified joint report from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security that reveals the technical details of Russia's hacking campaigns. The 13-page document states that two different Russian civilian and military intelligence Services (RIS) "participated in the intrusion into a US political party" - a clear reference to the Democratic National Committee hacks.

The first group, known as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) 29, aka Cozy Bear, compromised the Party's systems in summer 2015. The second group, APT28, aka Fancy Bear, broke into the DNC's network during spring 2016.

The report links APT29 to a spearphishing campaign that saw emails containing malicious links sent to over 1000 recipients, including multiple government officials, in mid-2015. At least one of the targets activated links that delivered malware to the DNC's systems, giving APT29 access to sensitive information.

APT28 used the same targeted spearphishing technique in Summer 2016 to once again infiltrate the DNC and other organizations. In this case, the emails tricked recipients into changing their passwords through fake webmail domains. The government agencies believe the data stolen in this instance was leaked to the press and publicly disclosed, thereby influencing November's election.

The report refers to the Russian operations using the codename "Grizzly Steppe." It includes a diagram (below) that gives a visual representation of how the attacks took place.

Some security experts have criticized the report for being overly basic and arriving too late.

Obama has previously talked about responding to Russia's cybercrimes "at a time and place of our choosing."

"I have issued an executive order that provides additional authority for responding to certain cyber activity that seeks to interfere with or undermine our election processes and institutions, or those of our allies or partners," said the President.

Using this new authority, I have sanctioned nine entities and individuals: the GRU and the FSB, two Russian intelligence services; four individual officers of the GRU; and three companies that provided material support to the GRU's cyber operations. In addition, the secretary of the treasury is designating two Russian individuals for using cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information.

Additionally, Russia will no longer have access to compounds in Maryland and New York that have been used for intelligence purposes. More actions against the country are likely to be taken, though not all of them will be publicized.

A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia regretted the new sanctions and would consider retaliatory measures. The Russian embassy in the UK sent out a tweet calling Obama's administration a lame duck.

President Obama expels 35 ?? diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl ?? people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D --- Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

In response to the sanctions, Russia has ordered the closure of the Anglo-American School of Moscow, which was attended by the children of Western embassy personal from the US, the UK, and Canada. It has also ordered the closure of a US embassy vacation house, located just outside of Moscow.

It will be interesting to see how incoming president Donald Trump deals with the situation. When asked yesterday about the Russian hacking situation, he blamed computers for making people's lives much more complex. When pushed to comment on the new sanctions, the President-Elect said: "I think we ought to get on with our lives."
Reports emerged last month claiming Apple had asked its two iPhone manufacturing partners to investigate what it would take to move the handsets' assembly from China to the US. But despite the transfer being one of Donald Trump's pre-election promises, production seems certain to stay in Asia, thanks to the numerous incentives offered by the Chinese government.

Last month, the Nikkei Asian Review claimed Foxconn "has been studying the possibility" of opening US-based iPhone-manufacturing facilities. But a new, in-depth investigation by the The New York Times highlights why such a move is highly unlikely.

The report looks at the giant Foxconn factory in the city of Zhengzhou, which locals call "iPhone city." When running at full capacity, the facility, which already produces half the world's iPhones, can churn out 500,000 Apple handsets a day.

The Times reveals that the Chinese government gave $600 million toward the construction of the factory, along with another $1 billion to build housing for its hundreds of thousands of employees. Other benefits include discounts on energy and power generator construction costs, corporate and value tax breaks for five years, help with worker recruitment and training programs, and a $10 billion upgrade for a local airport to make exporting products quicker and easier.

While Donald Trump said he would "create incentives" to tempt Apple into moving its facilities to the States, they are unlikely to come anywhere near the kind of aid and tax breaks the Chinese government has given the Foxconn facility. There's also the issues of lower labor and component costs in China.

But Apple's Chinese setup could still be threatened by Trump. The country has promised to "take a tit-for-tat" approach if the President-elect follows through with his campaign promise and imposes a 45 percent tariff on imports from China.
NASA recently revealed that Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan has left the space agency after more than three years on the job to embark on "new adventures."

Stofan was appointed NASA chief scientist on August 25, 2013, and served as the principal advisor to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, overseeing the agency's science portfolio.

In a recent interview for NASA's tumblr, Stofan said she had the opportunity to work on several fun challenges such as the agency's strategy on how to get humans to Mars as well as learning about and promoting research conducted each day on the International Space Station.

Stofan said she believes the next big thing for NASA is the search for life beyond Earth. Regardless of whether that discovery takes place on Mars, on an ocean world like Europa (one of Jupiter's four Galilean moons) or one of the distant planets discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope outside of our solar system, Stofan believes the answer of whether or not we are alone in the universe will be answered in the next few decades.

Stofan's departure appears to be part of a larger management reshuffling. Geoffrey Yoder, Deputy Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, announced in September that he would be retiring from the agency at the end of the year. A recent internal memo revealed that Dennis Andrucyk, the current deputy associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate and acting chief technologist, would fill the vacancy left by Yoder effective January 17.

NASA spokesperson Dwayne Brown was unable to provide Space.com with an exact departure date or information as to who might fill the role of chief scientist in Stofan's absence.
Based on a patent filing that has recently surfaced, it appears that Microsoft is planning to outfit its HoloLens augmented reality (AR) device with a tracking technology that could solve a number of the headgear's limitations.

HoloLens And The FOV Dilemma

One of the potential outcomes is the achievement of a Star Trek-like Holodeck through the new technology's capability to project images on surrounding objects for the purpose of extending the HoloLens field of vision (FOV).

The patent filing was reportedly submitted last June 2015 and was only published last Dec. 22. It detailed a discussion wherein Microsoft ponders several workaround for the HoloLens limited FOV, hampering Microsoft's ambition to overlay a real world scene with a computer-generated spatially-registered content.

The existing HoloLens is only capable of a 40-degree angle, which falls short of the 180-degree FOV that the human vision is capable of.

Microsoft is concerned that the FOV constraint would diminish the user experience for its HoloLens platform.

Microsoft's Holodeck Ambition

As previously mentioned, one of Microsoft's solution for this challenge is the projection of images onto a room in order to extend FOV.

This has triggered excitement from a number of sources because the technology sounds similar to the Star Trek Holodeck concept. The fictional technology is able to project a virtual world onto a room that is also interactive.

The main challenge in adopting this technology rests on the fact that it will require an array of peripherals that would make it unsuitable to use in public.

It is important to note that Microsoft is said to be already working on this technology and what is even more awesome is that it will not require any AR glasses for it to work.

It will depend on the development of a viable holographic technology that can fit in our living rooms and what Microsoft calls as a waveguide-based eye tracking technology.

Eye-Tracking Technology

This last component is primarily aimed at creating an easy method for eye-tracking and also to address the difficulty for those wearing prescription eyeglasses. The waveguide-based eye tracking will rely on the so-called input and output coupler, working in concert with infrared beams to achieve an eye-tracking effect.

"The input-coupler comprises a grating area, formed by plurality of curved grating lines, that diffract light beams incident on the input-coupler into the waveguide and towards a common region at which is located the output-coupler. The curved grating lines of the input-coupler have a radially varying pitch," Microsoft said.

The statement is quite complicated and technical but it seeks to address the difficulty of outfitting the AR headgear with a tracking camera that could hamper vision as well as get in the way for users wearing eyeglasses.

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No criminal charges have been filed following a crash earlier this month outside Lodi that ended with a school bus overturned in a ditch.

The driver of the SUV that broadsided the bus on the afternoon of Dec. 13 has been cited for failing to yield, according to the Columbia County Sheriffs Office accident report.

The collision happened in flat, dry conditions at the intersection of County Highway J and Richards Road, according to the Sheriffs Office analysis, just before 4 p.m. A 47-year-old woman from Sayner in Vilas County in northern Wisconsin was westbound on Richards Road, stopped at the intersection.

The woman reportedly did not see the bus entering the intersection when she continued, swerving hard to the left and hitting the right side of the southbound bus. As the driver of the bus adjusted to the impact, the bus moved into the left lane, heading directly toward a northbound Dodge Ram.

The driver of the Ram drove his vehicle to the right into the ditch to avoid the bus, while the bus driver steered hard to the right, making a 180-degree turn, flipping and coming to a stop in the ditch on the other side of the road.

The airbags deployed in the SUV, but neither the driver nor any of her passengers  three women ages 30, 46 and 67  were hurt, although the damage to her vehicle was reportedly very severe. In the bus, the 47-year-old driver and the sole passenger, his daughter, were uninjured, despite the initial collision, hitting a sign along the way and the subsequent rollover.

In the accident report, when asked why the crash occurred, the driver of the SUV responded: Never saw anything coming.

When asked if alcohol or medication had been taken within six hours of the accident, the driver reported: two drinks today, meds this morning.
Finally shedding all reticence, humans are making an all-out effort to reach aliens with some conversation starters by sending a transmission to Proxima b  the closest exoplanet neighbor.

The novel plan is devised by scientists at San Francisco-based Messaging Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (METI) who want to beam signals to communicate with aliens instead of waiting for them to call.

Accordingly, METI researchers would like to make the process operational by the end of 2018 with a first message "Hello."

METI, set up in 2015, will be holding workshops in St. Louis and Paris in 2017.

As mentioned, laser or radio signals will be beamed to Proxima b that orbits Proxima Centauri  the closest star to Solar System at around 4.25 light-years away.

"If we want to start an exchange over the course of many generations, we want to learn and share information," said the president of the METI, Douglas Vakoch, justifying the move and calling it beautiful.

The project will beam repeated and intentional messages to the same planets for months and years from Earth.

However, the content of the message will be carefully crafted. The METI team will plan the messages by making sure that the alien life forms can decipher them.

For the project, METI will go on a fund raising move and hopes to raise around $1 million a year for running the transmitter.

According to analysts, the project has a semblance with NASA's Project Cyclops of the 1970s that proposed a series of radio telescopes to peer beyond 1,000 light-years into space. However, the project had to be shelved due to lack of funding.

Mixed Reactions

Concerns over the messaging plan were raised by Mark Buchanan in a paper published in the Nature Physics journal. He argued that broadcasting messages into space amounts to just "searching for trouble."

"We have almost zero idea of whether aliens are likely to be dangerous," he added.

Stephen Hawking, the famous physicist is also against trying to communicate with alien civilizations as he feels they may be more advanced than humans and is afraid such life forms may underrate humanity as weaklings and seek to conquer.

However, the move is also applauded by many. The job of scientists is to test hypotheses, they point out.

"Through METI we can empirically test the hypothesis that transmitting an intentional signal will elicit a reply," METI's Vakoch said.

The argument in favor of METI's plans is that someone must make the first move. Andrew Fraknoi, an astronomer at California's Foothill College calls it the right move and notes, "if everyone decides only to receive messages, it will be a very quiet galaxy."

The mixed reactions show that some are wondering at its rationale and smells risk in letting know the whereabouts of humans, in case they are hostile.

Botched Efforts Of Past

There were many attempts to contact aliens in the past as well, as no regulations exist on sending signals into space.

In the 1970s, Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft of NASA tried messages through gold plaque and phonograph records.

Similarly, a radio message assembled into a pictogram of images was sent by SETI's Frank Drake.

The Breakthrough Listen project funded by internet entrepreneur Yuri Milner at the University of California has been scanning the space to find signatures of alien technology.

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A group of purple rocks spotted by NASA's Curiosity Rover has sparked the interest of agency scientists, who believe they could hold clues as to what was life once like on Mars.

The oddly-colored rocks were discovered while Curiosity was scouting the Martian landscape near Mount Sharp's base. NASA engineers used the rover's Mast Camera (Mastcam) to capture an image of the rocks in three frames.

Purple-Colored Rocks On Mars

According to NASA, the variations in the Martian rocks' colors point to their diverse composition, particularly those located in the lower regions of Mount Sharp.

Many of the purple rocks observed by Curiosity in the foreground correspond to areas where the rover also detected the iron-oxide mineral hematite using its Chemical and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument.

On Earth, hematite is often used as a pigment, or a component for making jewelry. The mineral is known to have a wide variety of colors, which include red, brown to reddish brown, gray to silver gray, and black. Its red color can sometimes bleed, leaving a more purple tone in its stead.

NASA said strong winds in the area tend to keep rocks free from the red dust that typically cover many regions on Mars. This allowed Curiosity to spot the purple rocks on the ground.

Signs Of Life On The Red Planet

Researchers studying the red planet consider the discovery of hematite as very interesting, especially since the mineral is known to form in aqueous environments. Its presence on Mars could help prove that water was once very much part of the planet at some point.

Dr. Joy Crisp, a project scientist for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, pointed out that where there was water, there's also a likelihood that life had once thrived in the area as well.

Crisp explained that if they could determine how hematite was formed on Mars, they could find out more about the kind of environment that existed on the planet. This could help reveal whether Mars had favorable conditions enough to sustain life.

Aside from looking for potential signs of life, Curiosity was also scouting the base of Mount Sharp to uncover clues on how the 18,000-foot mountain was formed.

"There's nothing like [Mount Sharp] on Earth," John Grotzinger, lead scientist for the Curiosity mission, said. "We don't really know what's going on there."

The Gale crater on Mars is believed to have been formed following a major asteroid impact. However, this is not the case for the mountains on the planet. Researchers suspect that Mount Sharp could have been formed years before the crater came to be.

Grotzinger and his colleagues hope that data from the Curiosity Rover will them uncover more things about the Mount Sharp's origins.

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An illness associated with marijuana use is on the rise in states that legalized weed.

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

The condition is known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. It is characterized by recurrent vomiting, nausea, and crampy abdominal pain, which are mysteriously relieved by taking hot shower or bath. It is caused by heavy and long-term use of different forms of marijuana.

A study by Kennon Heard, an emergency room physician at the University of Colorado Hospital, and colleagues has shown that since 2009, after medical marijuana became widely available, diagnoses for CHS in the emergency rooms of two hospitals in Colorado nearly doubled. The state green-lighted the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2012.

"We observed that the prevalence of cyclic vomiting presentations nearly doubled after the liberalization of medical marijuana in Colorado," Heard and colleagues wrote in their 2015 study. "This increase was accompanied by an increase of self-report of marijuana usage and serves as a crucial first step in establishing a formal diagnosis of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome."

Emergency rooms in other states that legalized cannabis also reported frequent cases of CHS such as in University of Washington Medical Center and Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Heard said that the illness is something unexpected before the legalization of weed but now emerge more frequently. CHS patients who are based in Colorado though are relatively luckier than those outside of the state.

Difficulty In Giving Correct Diagnosis To CHS Sufferers

When patients outside of Colorado or other states that legalized weed end up in an emergency room, doctors often miss giving the correct diagnosis. This is because they do not know about CHS and because patients tend to be cautious about admitting the use of a substance that is considered illegal.

Marijuana is still illegal under federal law and can only be used for recreational purposes in Washington state, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska albeit medical marijuana is legal for use in half of the states in the U.S.

CHS Treatment

CHS can have dangerous consequences. It can result in dehydration and kidney failure but there's a way to resolve it: by stopping the use of drugs.

In the case of CHS sufferer Lance Crowder, who tried different forms of marijuana for seven months, the condition resolved within days after he stopped drug use. Crowder had been suffering from severe abdominal pain and vomiting for more than two years.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple's forthcoming headquarters in Cupertino is called the Apple Campus 2, although many have called the establishment a spaceship, and it's not that difficult to see why. The neo-futuristic building, occupying 176 acres, will integrate glass into its architecture generously, with the notion of a spaceship spurred on further by its clean and minimalist round shape.

Construction of the Apple Campus 2 is almost finished, and before the glass doors officially pull open, SkyIMD has created a neat aerial mosaic of the site stitched from overhead shots of the area below.

Apple Campus 2 Aerial Shot

The mosaic features the behemoth-like structure, pristine and nearly finished, girding an enclosure of deserted land. Apple plans to cover 80 percent of the space with greens and different fruit trees, so take the mosaic as a "before" and put it side by side the Apple Campus 2 when it reaches Steve Jobs' original vision.

The aerial photo is 34,111 pixels wide and 49,487 pixels tall, taken with a 100-megapixel Phase One iXU RS1000 with a Rodenstock 90mm lens. The camera was attached to a Cessna 172, which had flown 2,000 feet above ground. It was made on Dec. 22, reports MacRumors.

Apple Campus 2

The Apple Campus 2 will have its own research and development facilities - 300,000 square feet of it, in fact.

The colossal size of the building is broken by sparsely scattered cafes, lobbies, and entrances.

The Apple Campus 2 was designed by British firm Foster+Partners. The firm's impressive portfolio includes the Wembley Stadium, the Canary Wharf Underground Station, and the London Stansted Airport, among others. Foster+Partners' chairman said that London Square was partly the inspiration behind the Apple Campus 2, similarly featuring its buildings-surrounding-a-park design.

Foster said that Jobs wanted the campus to reflect California landscapes from his childhood. Seven thousand trees will populate the area, and to accomplish this Apple hired a Stanford University arborist, who is also tasked to restore some of the indigenous plant life. The final landscape will feature jogging paths and walking trails around the building.

Apple expects the campus to be finished at the beginning of 2017, two years later than the intended completion date. Official employee ingress begins during the first quarter. The landscaping work, however, will be completed later in the middle of the year.

Apple is also building a new headquarters at the Battersea Power Station in London, which is an iconic 500,000-square-foot building, one of the biggest office spaces in the city.

What do you think of Apple's glass-laden headquarters? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Popular face wash St. Ives Apricot Scrub is facing a lawsuit that claims the product can harm the skin. The center of the lawsuit is a key ingredient that the facial scrub uses - walnut shells - that the plaintiffs claim can cause skin damage.

Crushed Walnut Shells In St. Ives Apricot Scrub

Plaintiffs Kaylee Browning and Sarah Basile sued St. Ives parent company Unilever for including crushed walnut shells in the facial scrub. They claimed the walnut shells made the product unsuitable for use on the face. St. Ives, on the other hand, claims these help keep the skin healthy and beautiful.

"It goes without saying: a scrub should be soft on skin," St. Ives writes on its website. "Which brings us to walnut shells. Crushed walnut shells. They're one of the natural exfoliants we use to keep skin soft and glowing."

The plaintiffs cited a New York Magazine article to put in question the "dermatologist tested" label of the facial scrub, saying that while the product was tested, it was not recommended.

The article interviewed dermatologists who claimed that large, hard and sand-like rocks such as those in the St. Ives facial scrub are the most harmful to facial skin and can lead to breakouts or wrinkles.

"The length of time the person scrubs and the amount of pressure applied while scrubbing are two variables that can lead to irritated skin," the article reads. "There's also the matter of the granules, or the specific grains that make up different scrubs. Large, hard, and sandlike rocks, like the ones in St. Ives's Apricot Scrub, are the most damaging because they are too abrasive for the face's thin skin."

Basil and Browning claimed that St. Ives still does not disclose that it is not recommended by dermatologists. The plaintiffs claimed it was false advertising, saying they purchased the skin product based on marketing but would not have bought it had they known it can cause damage to the skin.

St. Ives Uses Ingredients Dermatologists Consider As Harsh On The Skin

Consumers have already voiced concerns about the safety of the ingredients used in St. Ives's Apricot Scrub in the past. In a 2014 Reddit thread, redditors have pointed out that the facial scrub contains ingredients that the American Academy of Dermatology considered as harsh on the skin.

Unilever declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying that the company, as a general practice, does not comment on pending litigations.The company, however, stood by the quality of its facial scrub.

The lawsuit seeks for $5 million in damages.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA Exploring The Possibility To Use Ice Shelters On Mars | TechTree.com

In addition to Tesla and Boing, NASA too is optimistic about landing humans on the red planet. The American space agency is well aware of the harsh conditions on Mars and is working towards building possible shelters for the explorers. NASA's team at Langley Research Center, believes that ice is the ideal material to protect the humans from the high-energy radiation and extreme temperatures.







Water, a hydrogen-rich material, is known for its excellent shielding properties for cosmic rays. Without such shielding, the radiation can damage the cells or DNA of the astronauts. Dubbed as Mars Ice Home, it is a large inflatable torus shaped habitat that somewhat looks like an Igloo. The idea is to fill the water during the deployment, so that it can be transported with ease. Considering that the water could be turned into rocket fuel for the Mars Ascent Vehicle, the structure itself doubles as a fuel storage tank.







To manage temperatures inside the Ice Home, a layer of carbon dioxide gas would be used as in insulation between the living space and the thick shielding layer of ice. Since ice is translucent, the habitat will have abundance of light. This is ideal to grow vegetables or plants on the otherwise barren planet. For more information, head over to NASA's press release.





TAGS: Space
Samsung May Ship Wireless In-Ear Headphones With Galaxy S8 | TechTree.com

We all know that Samsung is working hard on its much rumoured smartphone Galaxy S8, so that the company can win back the trust of its loyal customers, after its Galaxy Note 7 debacle.

While we have been witnessing a number of rumours and leaks about the new and interesting features that might come with the Galaxy S8, heres one more to the list.

South Korean technology giant seems to be planning to bring wireless in-ear headphones along with one of the most expected flagships of 2017, the Galaxy S8. With this move, it looks like the company is trying to take on Apples recent AirPods.

Incidentally, other rumours have also suggested that Galaxy S8 would not be featuring a 3.5 mm headphone jack anymore, which again looks like a take-on moment for Samsung over Apples iPhone 7. However, we may have to actually wait for more credible leaks to confirm that.

However, speaking about the new in-ear headphones, the information comes via a post published on Sammobile. Having said this, we still do not know whether this will be included in the package or will the company sell it separately, again just like Apple. We have to wait and watch. The year 2017 definitely seems like a more interesting time for all the tech buffs.

TAGS: Samsung
Leaked images of the flagship Nokia D1 Android smartphone along with budget Nokia E1 surface online

Seems like those of you who have put off their mobile purchases for the Nokia launch did the right thing! The leaked images of Nokia flagship D1 suggest it will be blockbuster Android smartphone that they had hoped for.

There have been several Nokia smartphone leaks which suggest at various Android smartphone designs that Nokia is working on. The latest leaked images of Nokia D1 show how the Nokias comeback Android smartphone will look like. But alongside that, a new Nokia E1 also appears in the images for the first time since all Nokia Android rumour began surfacing.

Nokia D1 could be the pricierNokia flagship Android smartphone that would be available to buyers in March 2017. Nokia D1 comes with 5 inches Full HD display, 13-megapixel camera, Snapdragon 430 chipset and 3GB RAM. The images of D1 reveal a simple long-from design with three buttons below the screen. The elliptical shape of the centre home button hints it could be a physical key, like with Samsungs J series design, but will also probably include a fingerprint scanner underneath. The phone is made narrow but taller in height to probably customize it for one hand use.

Though not specifically named, the Nokia E1 appears to the second variant with a bigger 5.5 inch display and 2GB RAM. This would be in line with the previous leaks that said Nokia could launch two smartphones in the budget segment instead of one, and we have been calling them the two variants of Nokia D1C. If Nokia E1 is not that the second variant, we are looking at three budget Nokia Android phones being launched in March. Both the E1 and D1 look similar except for the size and the internal specs. The Nokia E1 Android smartphone home button is a capacity key, like the other two beside it, which means that phone would not include a fingerprint sensor. Theres Nokia branding on the top right corner with the front camera, speaker grille and sensors.

All of Nokias upcoming smartphones would be running on Android Nougat out of the box. Nokia will be pursuing with stock Android UI instead of developing its own UI.
Update: Janesville police arrested a 15-year-old boy they say was involved in the shots fired Thursday morning. He faces tentative charges of being a party to endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon.

The occupants of a house in Janesville escaped injury early Thursday morning when shots were fired at the residence.

The shots were reported at about 4:30 a.m. at 305 Rockport Road, Janesville police said.

"Officers found evidence that several shots were fired at a residence, but that none of the occupants were injured," said Sgt. Aaron Ellis.

Police said it was an isolated incident and the public is safe, but police in surrounding communities have been notified of the investigation and more officers have been called in to work on the case.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro assured on Thursday that the time has come for his country to return to the Andean Community of Nations with all the productive and commercial capacities... | Read More
Search warrants unsealed Thursday state that the driver of an SUV that struck two cars while driving the wrong direction and being pursued by police on Interstate 94 last month, killing four people, had open beer in his vehicle and had been drinking at a Sun Prairie bar about an hour before the crash.

The Nov. 2 crash in the town of Deerfield killed three people who all worked for the same Milwaukee accounting firm. The group was returning from a recruiting trip to UW-La Crosse. A fourth man in a separate vehicle also was killed.

According to affidavits filed with the warrants, Wisconsin State Patrol investigators found several beer cans scattered around the road and a box for a case of Miller Lite resting on the passenger seat of the Honda Pilot that was driven by Brysen Wills, 32, of Waunakee.

Trooper Michael Marquardt also collected video evidence from the Varsity Club Bar and Grill, 1205 W. Main St., in Sun Prairie, that showed Wills enter the bar at 7:55 p.m., drink beer and shots of liquor, then leave the bar at 9:25, the search warrant affidavits state. Investigators also found a bag containing 15 grams of marijuana in Wills SUV after the crash, which was reported at 10:24 p.m., according to the affidavits.

An inventory filed with the warrant also states that investigators found a digital scale with marijuana particles on it and a box of unused small clear plastic zip-lock bags.

No charges have been filed, but the search warrants sought evidence of homicide by drunken driving and reckless homicide.

According to the search warrant affidavits, Trooper Craig Morehouse was dispatched for a report of a light-colored SUV being driven erratically on eastbound Interstate 94 in the town of Cottage Grove. As Morehouse tried to catch up to the SUV, the affidavits state, he was met head-on by the vehicle, now traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes, in the town of Deerfield. Morehouse and the driver of another vehicle had to swerve to avoid collisions.

As Morehouse tried to catch up to the wrong-way SUV, affidavits state, he saw the it crash into a Nissan Sentra and a Toyota Corolla.

The collision with the Sentra killed Katey Pasqualini, 26, of Milwaukee; Kimberly Radtke, 28, of Pewaukee; and Clenton Hall, of Milwaukee. The driver, Brian Falk, of Whitefish Bay, was seriously injured. All four worked at RitzHolman CPAs of Milwaukee.

Also killed was Patrick Wasielewski, 23, of Northbrook, Illinois, who was driving the Corolla. According to his obituary, he was living in Lake Mills and was working at Everly restaurant in Madison.

Wills was taken to UW Hospital with life-threatening injuries. State Patrol Sgt. William Miller said Thursday he didnt know Wills condition, but said the investigation was ongoing.
Two lawyers from the state Attorney Generals Office will stand in as prosecutors in the case of a suspended UW-Madison student charged with multiple counts of sexual assault.

On Thursday, Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas signed an order appointing state Assistant Attorneys General Audrey Skwierawski and Michelle Viste as special prosecutors in the case against Alec Cook, 20, of Edina, Minnesota, who is charged with sexual assault, stalking or harassment of 10 women, mostly on the UW-Madison campus.

A preliminary hearing for Cook is scheduled for Jan. 20 in front of Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn.

In a Dec. 6 letter to Colas, Dane County Deputy District Attorney Mary Ellen Karst asked for two special prosecutors not because the office has a conflict of interest related to the case, but because it is a high profile multiple victim sexual assault case.

Karst wrote: This case has received national attention and will likely be quite a large production when it goes to trial. The sophistication assistant attorney generals would bring would be a great benefit to us and the community and would be very much appreciated.

Skwierawski, a former Milwaukee County prosecutor, is a specialist in the prosecution of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking cases, according to the attorney generals office.

Viste, a former Dane County deputy district attorney, argued for increased bail for Cook at a Dec. 16 bail hearing. At that hearing, Bailey-Rihn cut Cooks $200,000 bail in half, which allowed Cooks parents to post his bail.
What are brackets?

Brackets ( [ ] ), sometimes known as square brackets, are similar to ), sometimes known as, are similar to parentheses in that they are used to contain information that does not impact the overall grammatical structure of the sentence. However, rather than indicating information that is supplemental or incidental, brackets are usually used within quoted speech to indicate that a writer has added material to the quotation to provide clarifying or explanatory information. There are also a number of more technical uses, which well look at further on.

Using brackets for clarification

The most common use of brackets is to enclose information that clarifies or explains an ambiguous element in a quoted sentence. For example: She [the governor] insisted that the restructured budget would not result in funding shortfalls for schools.

We can also use brackets to replace a word so the quotation fits with the natural flow of the sentence, such as by changing a capital letter to a lowercase (or vice versa), using the correct pronoun to fit the sentences grammatical person , or creating the correct subject-verb agreement. For instance: Original sentence: I have always been sure to file my taxes on time.

As a quotation: The senator said he [has] always been sure to file [his] taxes on time.

Original sentence: The U.N. will ultimately have oversight over reunification.

As a quotation: The acting president has confirmed that [t]he U.N. will ultimately have oversight over reunification.

Original sentence: Yesterday, December 7, 1941a date which will live in infamythe United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

As a quotation: [A] date which will live in infamy, as then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously called it, the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan on December 7, 1941, acted as a catalyst that propelled America into the Second Word War.

Remember: Do not use parentheses instead of brackets when making changes to quoted material. Using parentheses implies that the information is an original part of the quotation, rather than a change or addition made by the person using the quote.

They (the CEOs of the two major corporations) have agreed on a time frame for the historic merger. (incorrect)

They have agreed on a time frame for the historic merger. (incorrect) They [the CEOs of the two major corporations] have agreed on a time frame for the historic merger. (correct)

Finally, if there are already square brackets in the original quote, we must make a note of it after the quotation so the reader doesnt think it is an addition by the writer. For instance: According to Dobson: Caesars famous line Et tu, Brute [And you, Brutus]? is most likely a product of artistic license rather than historical fact. (Brackets in original; Dobson 203.)

(We will address how to use brackets to indicate translations within a quotation later in this article.)

Other uses

Indicating added emphasis

When we wish to emphasize a part of a quotation by italicizing (or, less commonly, underlining ) it, we must be sure to mark that the emphasis was not included in the original quotation. Most commonly, we add the words emphasis added, emphasis mine, italics added, or italics mine.

If we are making note of this change within the quotation itself, we must use brackets around this note so that it remains clear that the change was done by the person using the quotation. For example: In his literary analysis of the play, Thompson claims that the entire second act serves to underscore the inevitability of mortality that is always present in our subconscious mind [emphasis added].

We can also use parentheses for this, but the notation must occur outside of the quotation. This is especially useful if we are including page numbers as part of a citation, as in: In his literary analysis of the play, Thompson claims that the entire second act serves to underscore the inevitability of mortality that is always present in our subconscious mind (emphasis added; Thompson, 121).

Alternatively, you could make this parenthetical element a separate minor sentence after the quotation; just be sure to put a period at the end of both sentences: In his literary analysis of the play, Thompson claims that the entire second act serves to underscore the inevitability of mortality that is always present in our subconscious mind. (Emphasis added; Thompson 121.)

[sic]

When a quotation contains a mistake, such as a spelling mistake or grammatical error, but we wish to preserve the quotation exactly as it was written, we can mark it with the word sic (Latin for thus or so) in brackets to let the reader know that the error was not our own. Note that sic is usually italicized, but not always (the brackets around it, however, are never italicized).

For the last few weeks, our team has demonstrated a resolutoin [ sic ] to win that has simply defied the odds.

to win that has simply defied the odds. The protester held up a sign reading, Its [sic] Time for Literacy!

Time for Literacy! Every single member of our union have [sic] voted for a strike, a spokesman said.

Note that the use of sic to indicate errors can sometimes be seen as a pedantic way of highlighting other writers errors. It should generally just be used when preserving the quotation in its original state is specifically important; otherwise, consider rearranging the quotation to omit the error, or else put the correct word in brackets in its place, as in: Every single member of our union [has] voted for a strike, a spokesman said.

Translations within quotations

within a quotation, however, we can provide the translation within brackets to ensure the reader knows that weve added it ourselves. For example: When we use a foreign word or phrase within our own (unquoted) writing, we can put the translation in parentheses beside it. If the foreign word (or words) occursa quotation, however, we can provide the translation within brackets to ensure the reader knows that weve added it ourselves. For example: The only thing I know how to say in German is danke schon (thank you).

(thank you). The principal said during his speech, I would like to extend a warm failte [welcome] to all of our visiting Irish students.

Parentheses within parentheses

Occasionally, we might have a larger parenthetical element that contains one or more smaller ones. Conventionally, the smaller parenthetical element will be enclosed within brackets to distinguish it from the parentheses of the larger text. While it is not uncommon to see multiple sets of parentheses used within one another (sometimes known as nested parentheses), this is generally frowned upon, especially in more formal or academic writing. For example: The authors maintain that the correlation is strong enough to assume causation (though they make this claim with caution (Wilson, Dobs, et al., 2010; p. 32) ).

The authors maintain that the correlation is strong enough to assume causation (though they make this claim with caution ). The authors maintain that the correlation is strong enough to assume causation (though they make this claim with caution [Wilson, Dobs, et al., 2010; p. 32]).

At least Ill have some extra spending money this summer. (My cousin got me a job at my uncles (his dads) warehouse.) (less correct, but acceptable in informal writing)

At least Ill have some extra spending money this summer. (My cousin got me a job at my uncles warehouse.) (less correct, but acceptable in informal writing) At least Ill have some extra spending money this summer. (My cousin got me a job at my uncles [his dads] warehouse.) (preferred)

Censorship

When using a quotation that contains vulgar, offensive, or objectionable words, we can use brackets around a word like expletive or the longer expletive deleted. Occasionally these words are put in capital letters, especially in more formal writing such as court transcripts. For example: The defendant told the court that he knew the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] had been stealing from the company for several years.

had been stealing from the company for several years. My father was a real [expletive], Smith told reporters, but I never stopped loving him.

We can also use two or three dashes (without brackets) in place of offensive or objectionable language. Informally, many writers also choose to simply substitute the word with other characters, especially asterisks . For example: My father was a real  , Smith told reporters, but I never stopped loving him.

, Smith told reporters, but I never stopped loving him. My father was a real ****, Smith told reporters, but I never stopped loving him.

With ellipses

One final use of brackets is to enclose an ellipsis (  ), which is used to indicate that a portion of the quoted text has been omitted, usually because it is not directly important to the writers meaning and including it would make the quotation overly verbose. This is especially common in writing that features long excerpts, such as academic papers. For example: Its no surprise, the superintendent told me, that people have been leaving so quickly. After all [] no one wants to wake up with half their house underwater.

no one wants to wake up with half their house underwater. For on the issue of sovereignty, no one can argue that the country is any less politically sovereign than [] before the crisis. But in handing power from the hands of their electorate to the wealthy elite, the interests of the nation will be [] inevitably left up to the interests of corporations.

Note that brackets in this case are not mandatory; though some style guides recommend their use, it is very common to see ellipses without brackets as well. Check the preference of your organizations or schools style guide, and be sure to be consistent.

Other types of brackets

In addition to parentheses and square brackets, there are two other types of brackets: braces ( { } ) and angle brackets ( < > ).

Braces (Curly Brackets)

Braces (also known as curly brackets) are commonly used in mathematics to express sets of numbers, as well as in computer programming languages.

In non-mathematical and non-programming writing, braces occasionally serve the purpose of linking multiple lines of text to show a shared meaning or connection between them, but this is generally only seen in handwriting (since there is no straightforward way to create multiple-line-spanning braces in modern typesetting).

Its also possible for them to be used to represent a series of possible choices, as in: You may choose one meat filling {chicken, pork, beef} and one type of cheese {cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack, mozzarella} for your sandwich.

However, they are used very rarely for this purpose.

Note: Braces should never be used in place of parentheses or brackets.

Angle Brackets

Angle brackets (sometimes known as chevrons) are also used primarily in mathematics. In writing, we also can use angle brackets to indicate Internet URLs or email addresses, as in: Further information is available at <www.thefreedictionary.com>.

However, this tendency fell out of common use as URLs and email addresses became more commonplace. However, you may still encounter angle brackets used in this way to indicate URLs in the Works Cited pages of research papers, or to separate a persons name from their email address in the recipient line when composing an email.
A Waunakee man who police said led them on a wrong-way chase on Interstate 94 last month before causing a multi-car crash that killed four people was charged Friday with multiple counts of homicide related to the crash.

Brysen D. Wills, 33, was driving 93 mph with a blood-alcohol concentration of just over 0.18  more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent  on Nov. 2 when he crashed into two cars while driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 94, attempting to elude a Wisconsin State Patrol officer who was trying to stop him, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Dane County Circuit Court.

With the complaint, a warrant was also issued for Wills arrest. At the time of the crash, the State Patrol said that Wills sustained life-threatening injuries, but his condition and location were not clear on Friday.

Wills was charged with four counts of homicide by drunken driving as someone with a prior drunken driving conviction, four counts of homicide by driving with a prohibited alcohol concentration, four counts of second-degree reckless homicide, causing great bodily harm by drunken driving, causing great bodily harm by driving with a prohibited alcohol concentration, and second-degree reckless injury.

The complaint indicates that Wills has two prior drunken driving convictions from 2004 in Missouri, for offenses that occurred in 2002 and 2003.

The crash, which happened in the town of Deerfield, killed Katey Pasqualini, 26, of Milwaukee; Kimberly Radtke, 28, of Pewaukee; and Clenton Hall, of Milwaukee. The driver, Brian Falk, of Whitefish Bay, was seriously injured. All four worked at RitzHolman CPAs of Milwaukee and were coming from a recruiting trip at UW-La Crosse.

Also killed was Patrick Wasielewski, 23, of Northbrook, Illinois, who was driving another car that was struck by Wills SUV.

According to the complaint:

State Trooper Craig Morehouse was notified of an SUV being driven erratically on I-94. He spotted the SUV and tried to catch up to it, but it turned around to head the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of I-94, narrowly missing Morehouses squad car and another vehicle.

Morehouse crossed to the westbound lanes and gave chase and saw the SUV collide head-on with two eastbound cars.

When he got to the crash scene, he found Wills, who had been driving the SUV, lying injured in a ditch. Four were dead at the scene, and one survivor, Falk, was taken to UW Hospital by Med Flight helicopter.

Trooper Ryan Zukowski, after examining the crash scene and video from Morehouses squad car, determined that the SUV was moving 93 mph over a distance of more than three miles before the crash.

Search warrants unsealed Thursday indicated that Wills was drinking at a bar in Sun Prairie until about an hour before the crash.

The warrants also state that beer cans were scattered near his SUV at the scene, and a box for a case of beer was on the passenger seat of the SUV.
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An employee who worked at Brew-bachers was arrested overnight for being the brains behind the foiled hold-up at the Government Street restaurant earlier this week, police said.

Camron Long allegedly plotted the Tuesday night robbery attempt at the restaurant, which ended after an armed employee chased a co-conspirator from the establishment, according to a Baton Rouge police report.

Police arrested Long's alleged accomplice, Erneston Nelson, that same night after witnesses spotted him changing clothes, climbing into a white Toyota Camry and speeding off. Nelson confessed to the crime, according to a police report, and told detectives that Long was the one who orchestrated the failed robbery.

Nelson waited near the back door to the restaurant Tuesday night and then approached a pair of employees who stepped outside, according to an arrest warrant filed for him earlier this week.

Officers took Long  who turned 21 Wednesday  into custody Thursday evening at Brew-Bacher's and brought him in for questioning, the report says. He was an employee at the restaurant, Sgt. L'Jean McKneely said. According to the report, Long "immediately started to pass out and started vomiting" when detectives asked him about the robbery.

Long, of 12638 Lamerge Ave., eventually admitted to planning the robbery and was booked into Parish Prison Thursday night on a count of attempted armed robbery.
SAINT JOSEPH  Within minutes of being sworn in Friday as mayor, Elvadus Fields was informed by state health officials that nearly 22 percent of the homes in this small northeast Louisiana town have unsafe levels of lead in the drinking water.

Fields unseated four-term incumbent Edward Brown by three votes out of 421 cast in an election that revolved around anger about the continuing water crisis.

The truth is, this should have been fixed years ago, Fields said of the drinking water that has run yellowish-brown from the tap for years, largely because of the 90-year-old system that has been poorly maintained.

St. Joseph endures nation's latest case of lead-contaminated drinking water Health officials are gathering samples from every one of the 500 homes in St. Joseph to dete

On Friday, state health officials announced that not only does the water have high levels of manganese and iron, which cause the discoloration though are not dangerous, but 90 homes also have unsafe levels of lead. Even low levels of lead can result in lower IQs, hearing problems, anemia and other serious health problems.

The message to the folks who live there is not to drink the water, Dr. Jimmy Guidry, the state health officer, said Friday. They may have no level. We would still prefer they dont drink the water because of the deterioration of the plant that treats the water and the infrastructure, the pipes, that deliver the water.

Families, particularly those with children under the age of 6 or with pregnant women, should have their blood tested for lead exposure. Lead dissolved in water has no taste, smell and is not visible, so testing is the only sure way to know, he said.

Were urging them to get in touch with their primary care doctor. And if they dont have one, weve provided them with a list of resources where they can get the testing done, Guidry said.

Such testing is required by law but is often overlooked because lead is so infrequently found. The state will be aggressive in pushing physicians to conduct the tests, Guidry said.

State Rep. Marcus Hunter, D-Monroe, said that may not be enough.

These residents of St. Joseph have been continuously exposed to excessive concentrated levels of damaging substances and need physical, mental, and psychological testing in addition to sustainable water supplies, Hunter said Friday. Whats being done to the people of Louisiana is criminal and I urge the attorney general to intervene.

Aging water pipes have delivered brownish tap water for years.

A lot of people have gunk in their water heaters and toilets and such. I have it too, said Pearly Fair, a longtime resident.

By Fairs reckoning, the biggest winners in the towns water crisis have been nearby washaterias. The system over the years has been so unstable that the water may start out clear in the washing machine, and then turn brown during the rinse cycle.

All your whites come out brown. So, a lot of us drive to a laundromat in another town. I go to Winnsboro. Some folks go to Tallulah. Been doing that for years, Fair said.

I hate to take a shower in it. It leaves a residue, makes my skin itch, said Lacoty James while picking up bottled drinking water for her family.

Gov. John Bel Edwards issued an emergency order Dec. 16 when two routine samples showed unsafe levels of lead and two more showed high levels of copper. He ordered the town to start drinking bottled water that was delivered from state reserves set aside for disasters.

Louisiana Department of Health employees arrived the week before Christmas and started testing the drinking water from every one of the 470 homes, businesses, and schools on the towns system.

Federal law requires action if lead levels exceed 15 parts per billion in 10 percent of the samples. Guidry said the sampling found actionable levels of lead in 21.7 percent of the 414 customers whose tests have been completed.

Health workers are visiting all the homes with unsafe readings to answer questions and, where appropriate, conduct an environmental investigation to determine where precisely the lead originated. He said testing of the water supply showed lead levels too low to cause the readings health workers found at the 90 meters. The sources could come from paint or soil or corroding pipes, he said.

Edward Brown, the former mayor, was cleaning out his desk Thursday. Two trophy heads of deer  the area is renowned by hunters  lay on the floor next to bags of stuff ready to be carted to the car.

When he walked into the mayors office 16 years ago, the towns troubled water system was at the top of the agenda.

I had a lot of sleepless nights worrying that people would get sick, even though he had been assured year after year that while unappetizing, the water was safe, Brown said.

Like many Louisiana towns  perhaps 300 of them, according to official estimates  St. Joseph cant afford to maintain and improve its water system, he said.

More than half of the 528 families in town make less than $50,000 a year, according U.S. Census Bureau data.

In 2015, the town raised $115,883 charging fees for water, gas and other services;$117,328 from sales taxes; and $37,237 from ad valorem property taxes, according to the towns financial records.

Brown went to Washington, D.C. in 2006 and got help from then U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. But the money Landrieu had found went away when Congress ended the practice of earmarks.

He then headed to Baton Rouge and persuaded then Gov. Bobby Jindal to visit in 2013 and have a glass of water.

Jindal promised $6 million. The town would have to put up a match of about $2 million, which is about what the town could raise if it sold every piece of property and equipment. Jindal waived the match.

But the money could not be used. The towns finances were so shaky, it could not get the clear audit necessary to release the funds.

Then in March, Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera released a report finding that Browns hiring of a cousin to do maintenance work may have violated state law.

On June 6, an independent auditor issued a report that allowed the town to access the $8 million to replace pipes and upgrade the water filtration facility. Sixth Judicial District Judge John D. Crigler, of St. Joseph, then appointed David Greer, a former assistant legislative auditor from Watson, to oversee the finances.

Since then, the water tower has been refurbished. The replacement of all the towns distribution pipes, which pumps the water to the customers, will begin in a couple weeks. The facility that treats the water will be upgraded. The goal is to have the new system going by June.

In the meantime, each resident is receiving three liter bottles of water each day. The water is distributed from an empty lot that once was a grocery store, where residents sign a sheet to collect their daily ration.

Pastor Donald Scott, one of the volunteers from the towns churches handling the task, said he has suspended baptisms at his Oneonta Baptist Church until he can work out a source to provide clean water. Celebrants heads are plunged fully underwater by the minister as part of the ceremony.

They say dont drink it. I just dont feel comfortable immersing people in that water," Scott said. "Im pretty sure God understands.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has removed language from its public website describing the scientific consensus that human activity is the main cause of climate change, suggesting instead that the cause is uncertain.

Republicans who have controlled state government since 2011 are fighting federal efforts to reduce greenhouse gases that cause climate change, but they have mostly attacked the costs of pollution controls without publicly denying the science until now.

A Madison-based conservation activist who is pushing for the air pollution standards said spreading falsehoods about climate change was dangerous because delays in addressing the problem will worsen the climate-related health hazards faced by future generations.

The notion that this is a matter of scientific debate is ridiculous, said Keith Reopelle, policy director at Clean Wisconsin. The only people who say that are being paid by the fossil fuel industry.

A series of surveys show that 97 percent or more of working climate scientists agree humans are causing the dramatic changes in temperature and weather.

But a change this week to a DNR webpage asserts that the issue is still being debated.

Spokesman Jim Dick described the revision as part of a routine review of the website. He said DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp and other top administrators were unavailable during the holidays to discuss their views.

Language changed

As recently as October, a DNR webpage on climate change in the Great Lakes region said: Human activities that increase heattrapping (green house) gases are the main cause. Earths average temperature has increased 1.4 F since 1850 and the eight warmest years on record have occurred since 1998. Increasing temperatures have led to changes in rainfall patterns and snow and ice cover. These changes could have severe effects on the Great Lakes and the plants, wildlife and people who depend on them.

Last week, that was updated to say: As it has done throughout the centuries, the earth is going through a change. The reasons for this change at this particular time in the earths long history are being debated and researched by academic entities outside the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

On Thursday, Dick argued that the departments work is guided by science even if there is still debate amongst the general public about the causes of climate change.

We are still using science to protect the natural resources and adapting to the climate challenges that present themselves, Dick added.

Scientist positions cut

Less than two years ago while cutting 90 DNR positions, Walker and the Legislature eliminated half of the departments senior scientist positions because they researched controversial topics like climate change and pollution from mines.

DNR scientists have worked to adapt forestry and fisheries and other programs to rising temperatures and increasingly frequent extreme rain events, although former department employees say support for those efforts has declined.

The DNR is also responsible for enforcing federal limits on air pollution, although it has been cited for failing to adhere to national standards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency once took the rare step of beginning formal proceedings to strip the states Clean Air Act powers because it wasnt holding businesses to emission standards.

Clean Wisconsins Reopelle said that Republicans who took control of state government in the 2010 elections have exhibited little interest in addressing climate change.

A state law requiring utilities to obtain 10 percent of their power from renewable sources, for example, has become the weakest among 29 states with such requirements, Reopelle said, noting that other states have set the bar as high as 40 percent.

Last year, the state cut $7 million from its renewable and energy efficiency fund, and Walker has signaled he wants to divert more from the fund and send it to internet providers to increase rural coverage.

Some climate info remains

The rewritten webpage is the first result returned in a search of the DNR website of the words climate change.

Earlier versions of the page introduced the problem in six paragraphs and included eight links to additional sources of information. The new version is two paragraphs and two links.

Dick didnt respond when asked if the DNR was revising other references to human causes of climate change on its extensive website. Several webpages still contain information about that, including a description of how landfills can release greenhouse gas and past articles on the topic written for Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.

But seven of the first 10 results of a search of the site, including links to activity guides on climate change for teachers, now lead to the message Page Not Found.

Walkers administration has opposed federal measures to cut greenhouse gases while sidestepping questions on his views about the cause of climate change.

He issued an executive order forbidding state workers from preparing for tighter standards. Walkers office didnt respond to requests for comment on the changes to the DNR website.

Republicans skeptical

While 97 percent of working climate scientists agree that rapid climate change has been caused by human activities such as emissions from power plants and automobiles, representatives of the fossil fuel industry and some Republican politicians have sought to cast doubt on the question.

The DNR website change comes more than a year after the GOP-controlled state Board of Commissioners of Public Lands drew national attention by ordering its staff not to discuss climate change.

A nonpartisan audit in June confirmed that budget cuts were contributing to lax enforcement of clean water laws as the EPA continues its own investigation into regulatory deficiencies.

Last week, Walker disclosed a legislative proposal to scatter DNR programs among five separate departments.

The change in the DNR website was first reported by independent Wisconsin journalist James Rowan, who has tracked shortcomings in DNR information on climate change for several years.
"Rogue One," the latest in the Star Wars franchise, has had mixed reviews but features one undisputed star: K-2SO, a gangly robot with the best lines.

Movies of the distant future always tap into current anxieties, and the latest alarm is that the robots are coming. Droids may not conquer the world, but they will take over its work - white-collar as well as blue-collar. Could these filmmakers know something we don't?

Previous scares, such as when Time magazine reported on "the automation jobless" in the early 1960s, were just that. But many technology gurus insist that this time is different as artificial intelligence (AI) comes of age.

Amazon has recently made its first commercial delivery by drone to a customer near Cambridge, England. It is also trying out a grocery store in Seattle that does away with the hassle of checkout lines. Several American states now permit the operation and testing of "autonomous vehicles."
In a matter of hours we enter a new year and leave behind one full of unforeseen change, social upheaval and political upsets.

Only a week ago, terror investigators reported having foiled a major attack that, if successful, would have wreaked havoc in the heart of Melbourne. Police revealed the alleged perpetrators planned random stabbings, bombings and suicide attacks at Federation Square, St Paul's Cathedral and Flinders Street Station.

Donald Trump being elected US president was one of the big shocks of 2016. Credit:AP

Politically, Australia shifted further to the right with the Coalition government cracking down harder on asylum seekers, failing to bring about change on same-sex marriage, and backing away again from any form of emissions trading. As well, Pauline Hanson's One Nation party re-emerged as a formidable political force.

Globalisation has continued to bring with it many benefits  better trade and education opportunities, exposure to international science and medical breakthroughs  and new challenges.
8. " how pathetic can you be [name of commenter], it's people like you who are so warped in your PC strawberries and chocolates view of the world that's killing this country and Western civilisation". I have nothing to add. 9. "You're either deliberately lying or you're yet another irretrievably pig-ignorant redneck. Neither would surprise me." Again, nothing to add. 10. "[Commenter's user name], reading your semi-literate drivel has been the low point of my day, so far." 11. Kill the swearing. Not just the obvious "F-bomb" but also its several derivatives. BS and crap are about the only swear words we publish (depending on the context). The "S-bomb" is OK when it is used in a relevant quote such as in this comment: "Get over it. Swearing is a fact of life in Australia. It always has been. To quote Tony Abbott, shit happens." 12. Accusing writers, commenters or subjects of our stories of being misogynists, misandrists, man-bashers or corrupt (unless they have officially been named as corrupt).

A big year I'd like to share some of the changes and highlights that have happened over the past year with our comment moderation. First, Daily Life comments have returned to our metropolitan news website homepages. Some of you have welcomed this change, especially because you can comment on the articles of particular, more controversial, writers. We moderate Daily Life articles using the same guidelines as every other section, which, as you know, can be found here. Daily Life articles have joined their Federal Politics and Comment section article cousins as the categories where we have to reject the highest percentage of comments. That is not surprising. After all, these articles are often about religion, sex and politics. I should add that Daily Life articles also appear on Facebook. We mods do not moderate these comments.

Second, a challenge this year for we mods was how to manage comments about Muslim immigration following Sonia Kruger's remarks about the subject in July, which touched off a firestorm of articles and comments. We published thousands of comments on stories such as this one. I don't think anyone could say that we rejected all politically incorrect comments. The evidence is there for all to see in the comment threads for articles such as the above. Many of you were champing at the bit to discuss Kruger's remarks and we did our best to accommodate your wishes. It was a challenge for us to do so while still following our commenting guidelines. I think we became a little less strict in how we moderated. We talked among ourselves about where to draw the difficult line between what was part of a fair and robust discussion and what went too far. One comment, which was published (in this article), claimed in part, "It's a shame that readers' forums are restricted by the moderators to comments that are politically correct or which the moderators personally agree with." As I have just said, I think the evidence of the above comment threads about Muslim immigration refutes that. There are a wide range of comments  no one could agree with them all. Third, this year the World Editors Forum released their second report about how newsrooms are managing online comments. The only Australian news organisation that participated in the study was Fairfax Media. Fairfax's manager of digital editorial capability, Julie Posetti, was quoted as saying, "We have not seen news publishers sued for a comment, but it's a matter of time before that occurs." Julie Posetti also recently wrote this article, which may be of interest. Engaging with commenters

I have responded to commenters a little more in the threads this year. Some writers do the same and it is appreciated. Once in a blue moon (that's my quota of cliches used up for this article), I email commenters when they have made a genuine attempt to make a powerful and heartfelt comment but have slipped up. This may be because they have detailed the horrific actions of someone who could  from the commenter's user name and location or information in the comment  be identified. I may suggest to the commenter that they resubmit their comment with the user name "Anon" and no location. One person I helped in this way had this to say: "Thank you so much for the feedback. I REALLY appreciate it. It's handy to know why comments are rejected so we can modify future comments. I'll jump online, edit and repost the comment (assuming comments are still open)." On the other hand, many of you have not been pleased with my reviews of your rejected comments, which I usually receive through Readerlink (Readerlink@smh.com.au). Normally, we must agree to disagree. However, I am impressed that despite our disagreement you often have the decency to thank me for reviewing your complaint and providing a reply. Three of the best

Before I leave you with three of the best comments I've seen this year, let me thank you for your participation in 2016. When I see and hear about the level of abuse on some websites, I realise how easy (relatively) it is for us here. You have made it so. Well played, sir and madam. 1) capewell said in "There's no such thing as 'just a nurse'" : Many years ago (1970s) I was talking with my then boss in his office. Somehow the conversation drifted on to his kids, who were grown up then. Two had become engineers and one a nurse. Don't know why but he shared a conversation he had had with his nurse daughter. She had expressed something along the lines that she hoped he wasn't disappointed that she was "just a nurse". He was very emotional about it and disappointed in himself that somehow she could feel that way. He was immensely proud of her, her achievements and her as a person. Being older now and being helped personally and indirectly with parents all I can say to the nursing profession is "thank you".

2) Dalek said in "Thunderstorm asthma: Three people critical, 8500 treated in Melbourne hospitals" My four-year-old was hit by the thunderstorm asthma. He's never had any symptoms of allergies, hay fever or asthma in his life, so to watch him struggle to breathe was a horrible, horrible thingOur hospital system was stretched very thin over the last few days, and I've nothing but praise for the staff who managed it all. Major, major props to our local GP and the ER doctors who stabilised our boy and gave us the measures to manage it at home. My four-year-old now wants to be a doctor when he grows up. 3) neddy of nq said in "The age you start to lose friends" I see my best friend (we started in 6th grade) around every five years (he's in Sydney, I'm 'home' in NQ), and it's always like we've never been out of touch. No nostalgia, just "How are you doing?", ending with "see you in another five years, more or less". Been working for us over 35 years so far. There are a few others who'll go the distance, but the No. 1 spot is occupied.
Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has taken aim at ally Tony Abbott over his censure of "rebellious" colleagues looking to "do a Trump" in Australia, accusing his former leader of "talking up division" and backing "the horse named self-interest".

Mr Abbott took to The Australian newspaper to pen a warning to Liberal colleagues looking to form a breakaway conservative party, predicting it would be a success, but one that would ultimately deliver government to Labor.

The former prime minister did not name Senator Bernardi in his missive, but the backbencher has increasingly been agitating for change, more recently refusing to hose down talk he is looking to form his own movement separate to the Liberal Party next year.

But Senator Bernardi dispensed with any opaqueness, naming Mr Abbott openly in a tweet responding to his opinion piece.
Labor has doubled down on its opposition to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, a day after the Turnbull government broke with the Obama administration over a controversial UN resolution.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop released a statement on Thursday making it clear that Australia, while ineligible to vote on the United Nation's Security Council resolution demanding Israel "immediately and completely cease" all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, would most likely have not supported it.

"In voting at the UN, the Coalition government has consistently not supported one-sided resolutions targeting Israel," she said, while urging both sides to work towards peace and "resume direct negotiations for a two-state solution as soon as possible".

Israel remains convinced the resolution, which was sponsored by four countries, including New Zealand, was orchestrated by the Obama administration. US Secretary of State, John Kerry, advised his representative to abstain from voting on the resolution, rather than veto it, and the US government has denied any involvement.
When the chips are down, I have Israels back.

 Barack Obama, AIPAC conference, March 4, 2012

WASHINGTON  The audience  overwhelmingly Jewish, passionately pro-Israel and supremely gullible  applauded wildly. Four years later  his last election behind him, with a month to go in office and with no need to fool Jew or gentile again  Obama took the measure of Israels back and slid a knife into it.

People dont quite understand the damage done to Israel by the U.S. abstention that permitted passage of a Security Council resolution condemning Israel over settlements. The administration pretends this is nothing but a restatement of long-standing U.S. opposition to settlements.

Nonsense. For the last 35 years, every administration, including a re-election-seeking Obama himself in 2011, has protected Israel with the U.S. veto because such a Security Council resolution gives immense legal ammunition to every boycotter, anti-Semite and zealous European prosecutor to penalize and punish Israelis.

An ordinary Israeli who lives or works in the Old City of Jerusalem becomes an international pariah, a potential outlaw. To say nothing of the soldiers of Israels citizen army. Every pilot and every officer and every soldier, said a confidant of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, we are waiting for him at The Hague. I.e., the International Criminal Court.

Moreover, the resolution undermines the very foundation of a half-century of American Middle East policy. What becomes of land for peace if the territories Israel was to have traded for peace are, in advance, declared to be Palestinian land to which Israel has no claim?

The peace parameters enunciated so ostentatiously by Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday are nearly identical to the Clinton parameters that Yasser Arafat was offered and rejected in 2000 and that Abbas was offered by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in 2008. Abbas, too, walked away.

Kerry mentioned none of this because it undermines his blame-Israel narrative. Yet Palestinian rejectionism works. The Security Council just declared the territories legally Palestinian  without the Palestinians having to concede anything, let alone peace.

The administration claims a kind of passive innocence on the text of the resolution, as if it had come upon it at the last moment. We are to believe that the ostensible sponsors  New Zealand, Senegal, Malaysia and a Venezuela that cannot provide its own people with toilet paper, let alone food  had for months been sweating the details of Jewish housing in East Jerusalem.

Nothing new here, protests deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes: When we see the facts on the ground, again deep into the West Bank, beyond the separation barrier, we feel compelled to speak up against those actions.

This is a deception. Everyone knows that remote outposts are not the issue. Under any peace, they will be swept away. Even the right-wing Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who lives in one of these West Bank Settlements, has stated publicly that I even agree to vacate my settlement if there really will be a two-state solution. Wheres the obstacle to peace?

A second category of settlement is the close-in blocs that border 1967 Israel. Here, too, we know in advance how these will be disposed of: Theyll become Israeli territory and, in exchange, Israel will swap over some of its land to a Palestinian state. Wheres the obstacle to peace here?

Its the third category of settlement that is the most contentious and that Security Council resolution 2334 explicitly condemns: East Jerusalem. This is not just scandalous; its absurd. America acquiesces to a declaration that, as a matter of international law, the Jewish state has no claim on the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, indeed the entire Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem. They belong to Palestine.

The Temple Mount is the most sacred site in all of Judaism. That it should be declared foreign to the Jewish people is as if the Security Council declared Mecca and Medina to be territory to which Islam has no claim. Such is the Orwellian universe Israel inhabits.

At the very least, Obama should have insisted that any reference to East Jerusalem be dropped from the resolution or face a U.S. veto. Why did he not? Its incomprehensible  except as a parting shot of personal revenge on Benjamin Netanyahu. Or perhaps as a revelation of a deep-seated antipathy to Israel that simply awaited a safe political interval for public expression.

Another legacy moment for Barack Obama. And his most shameful.
Emergency services are searching for a young man who went missing at a popular Gold Coast waterhole.

Police divers were joining fire and ambulance crews at the Killarney Glen waterhole in Beechmont, following reports a 19-year-old man hadn't resurfaced after swimming in the heart-shaped pool.

A 19-year-old-man is missing after jumping in to Killarney Glen waterhole. Credit:Nine News

A police spokesman said emergency services received the call about 11am on Friday that a man had "experienced difficulties" while swimming upstream in the waterhole and failed to resurface.

A fire and emergency services spokesman said when they arrived on the scene three Swiftwater technicians performed a primary search, but they "couldn't find anything".
Elwood residents fear faulty drains will see flood waters rise again.

Residents told Fairfax Media they had approached Port Phillip Council many times about drainage, but nothing had been done about it.

Tony and Kirsten Brown's Elwood house was badly damaged in Thursday's storms. Credit:Daniel Pockett

Kirsten Brown was at home in Mitford Street, Elwood with her mother, Trish Toole, minding her two nephews when the rain started at 3pm, Thursday.

"My mum and I was home and the boys were watching television," Ms Brown said.
Melbourne would get a significant tourism boost if a man-made island able to dock luxury cruise ships was built in Port Phillip Bay, according to Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle.

With luxury cruise liners getting bigger and bigger, and Station Pier getting older, building a man-made island in the bay was an idea worth considering, Cr Doyle said.

The world's largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas.

From the island, international visitors could then be ferried up the Yarra River to Docklands, putting them within "a one minute walk to a tram, the iconic Melbourne way to come into the city," Cr Doyle said.

"Why not think outside of the square? Why not think about something like - as has long been mooted - an island in the middle of Port Phillip Bay? And to create an artificial island there which could have tourist facilities, where we could provide specialty docking for these super luxury liners, no matter how big, both now and into the future. And then bring them into the heart of the city into Docklands, through ferry activities like Paul Little's. And that would be a much more pleasant sort of arrival into Australia and Melbourne," Cr Doyle said.
Swimmers have been urged to stay away from some of Melbourne's most popular beaches after Thursday's torrential downpour caused sewage and built-up pollution to stream into Port Phillip Bay.

On Friday, the Environmental Protection Authority deemed tourist hotspot St Kilda beach unsafe to swim in.

Other beaches around Williamstown, Elwood, Brighton, Frankston and Werribee South were also harbouring dangerous bacteria after the "one-in-100 year" downpour caved in ceilings and flooded homes.

While beaches closest to the city were the worst affected by Thursday's downpour, the string of beaches along the Mornington Peninsula did not escape unscathed.
Bangkok: I rarely see stray dogs where I live in downtown Bangkok. Smugglers reportedly pay helpers to snatch them off the streets.

Often starving and dehydrated, tens of thousands of dogs are stacked into trucks and illegally smuggled across Thailand's borders, many of them ending up in Vietnam, where an estimated one million dogs are eaten each year.

A dog vendor waits for buyers at a dog meat festival in Yulin in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in June. Credit:AP

Vietnam has a reputation for being one of Asia's worst animal trafficking hubs, particularly for rare wildlife.

Illegal trade in tigers, bears and pangolins, and animal products such as ivory and rhino horns, flourishes online and on the black market.
Auto Lab Radio Talk - LIVE From NYC Saturday December 31, 2016 7-9 AM (Eastern)







Auto Lab Talk Radio

The Auto Lab Radio Show is Broadcast every Saturday 7 to 9 AM On New York City's WNYM Radio AM 970 and Streamed Worldwide On The Auto Channel

Broadcast Date: December 31, 2016

Car Question or Concern? Call Toll Free 888-692-7234

Auto Lab is a 28 year old interactive automotive-focused New York area radio call-in show hosted by Professor Harold Wolchok. Each week a cadre of experienced hands-on automotive experts are in-studio with advice for the New York area's 12 million people, providing listeners with honest, practical and street-smart car repair and buying advice.

Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format.

Listeners can hear the past 18 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on www.theautochannel.com.

Listen - Auto Lab Page (Includes Audio-on-Demand Archives, Auto Programs at Community College Database, Guests Pictures

Broadcast Date: December 31, 2016

Auto Lab In-Studio Experts Discuss - Repair Second Opinion, Regular Maintenance, How To's, Safety, Used and New Car Buying, Ombudsmen Suggestions

Harold Bendell- Major Auto

Fred Bordoff-Bronx Community College, CUNY

Tim Cacace-Master Mechanix

Audra Fordin-Great Bear Auto Repairs & What Women AUTO Know

Jerry Pastore-D & J Diagnostic

Johanna Pastore-D & J Diagnostic

Joanne Porcelli, Esq

Michael Porcelli - Central Avenue Auto Repairs & I-CAR

Nicholas Prague- MTA and Rockland Community College, SUNY

Auto Lab Correspondents Report Auto Safety News, New Car Reviews, Technology and Latest Auto World Information That May effect You!

Broadcast Date: December 31, 2016

Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent, Suffolk England

NATURE'S CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Sharon Sudol & John Russell Senior Correspondents

HYUNDAI SANTE FE SPORT

Robert Sinclair-AAA Northeast

GASOLINE PRICE INCREASES
Retiring justice grew up under Jim Crow. Now he sees criminalizing of black faces.' Mary Ellen Klas of The Miami Herald has this report.







Arizona justices turn down bid to delay minimum-wage increase approved by voters: Howard Fischer of The Arizona Daily Star has this report. And Mary Jo Pitzl of The Arizona Republic has an article headlined Court: Arizonas new minimum wage takes effect Sunday.







Reflections Of Conservative Icon Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia: This audio segment appeared on this evenings broadcast of NPRs All Things Considered.







Proposal Seeks to Reverse Ban on Citing Nonprecedential Opinions: Max Mitchell of The Legal Intelligencer has an article that begins, The Pennsylvania Supreme Courts appellate rules committee has proposed a rule that would allow practitioners to cite nonprecedential decisions from the Superior Court. You can view the proposed rule and its explanatory comment at this link.







Could Rafael Robb stay in prison? Judge suggests ex-Penn prof lied about assets. In last Wednesdays edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Laura McCrystal had an article that begins, For years, Ellen Gregory Robbs relatives have battled to keep her ex-husband behind bars, convinced that the 10-year term Rafael Robb got for fatally beating her in the couples Upper Merion home was too lenient. As the article proceeded to explain, [A] lawsuit brought by his wifes estate led to an order that Robb pay $128 million, with payments going to the couples daughter, who was 12 when her mother died. Robb claimed wealth of about $3 million but the funds remain tied up as he asks Superior Court to overturn a judges decision that his $2.8 million in pension funds could not be shielded from the judgment. In my role as appellate counsel representing the wifes estate as plaintiff-appellee, I briefed and orally argued against Robbs appeal, pending in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Today, a unanimous three-judge panel of the Superior Court issued a judgment order dismissing Robbs appeal as improper, which is precisely the outcome my client sought in the Brief for Plaintiff/Appellee that I filed on the estates behalf.







Man in motorizied wheelchair convicted of DUII, Oregon Court of Appeals reverses: Aimee Green of The Oregonian has this report. And The Associated Press reports that Oregon court reverses DUI conviction of wheelchair user. According to todays ruling of the Oregon Court of Appeals: [Defendant] argues that a person crossing a street in a crosswalk in a motorized wheelchair is a pedestrian and not the operator of a vehicle for purposes of the DUII statutes. The state responds that the meaning of vehicle under ORS 813.010 is broad and applies to a motorized wheelchair, including when the wheelchair is being used to cross a street in a crosswalk and, hence, that defendant was subject to the DUII statutes when he drove his wheelchair on the street. This case thus appears to be a real-life example of the No Vehicles in the Park hypothetical that fans of statutory interpretation love to endlessly debate (see, for example, here, here, and here).







Court Vacancies Offer Trump An Early Opportunity To Leave A Lasting Legacy; More than 100 federal judgeships will be vacant when Donald Trump becomes president  a higher number than the past two presidents had when they took office: Zoe Tillman of BuzzFeed News has this report.







For Supreme Court, 2016 Had More Question Marks Than Certainty: Nina Totenberg had this audio segment on Monday evenings broadcast of NPRs All Things Considered.







Peril and promise on Trumps Supreme Court list: Americans want judges who, like Antonin Scalia, dont accept government arguments on faith. Evan Bernick and Clark Neily have this essay online at USA Today.






Hospital offers safe option to dispose of meds, narcotics Los Robles Health System is working to crush the opioid drug crisis by raising awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications. Crush the Crisis will take place...

Alzheimers Foundation to host free conference The Alzheimers Foundation of America will host a free virtual educational conference from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tues., Nov. 15. The event is part of the foundations 2022 national Educating America Tour. The conference, which is free and open...

Authorities warn about rainbow fentanyl Victims often arent aware theyre taking it

The Ventura County Office of Education and state health officials have issued a warning to schools and families about rainbow fentanyl, a form of the potentially fatal synthetic opioid that comes in bright colors. Rainbow fentanyl can be found in...

Cancer support community to host remembrance event Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara invites family members and friends of those who have died from cancer to attend the second annual Evening of Remembrance from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 3 at Cancer Support Communitys Garden of Hope,...
I have learned the hard way not to put my personal life on the Internet. But suffice it to say that, God willing, things should be pretty much back to norm...

3 weeks ago
President-elect Donald Trump and most congressional Republicans dont agree on Russia, so when the White House announced its actions to punish the Kremlin for interfering in the U.S. election they did what anyone in a forced marriage would do.

They talked past each other.

The Obama administrations 11th hour decision to impose new sanctions on five entities and four individuals was meant to show the public that Russias involvement in hacking the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign manager John Podesta in the myst of an intense presidential election would not go unanswered. Thirty five more Russian intelligence operatives were given 72 hours to get out of the U.S..

Many Congressional Republicans quickly issued backhanded compliments to the outgoing administration, saying the measures were appropriatebut too little, too late.

Trump, for his part, issued a statement that was little more than an eyeroll.

Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things, Trump said. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

One of his earliest supporters in Congress, Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, went even further. In a brief interview with The Daily Beast, he repeatedly called the sanctions silly, stupid, and dumb.

For the president to invoke sanctions that can be reversed with a stroke of a pen by Trump on day one, I think its pretty stupid, Hunter said.

Theres no long term play, Hunter added. Its not going to last. Its not set in stone. Its not something the House and Senate passed.

The disconnect between Trump loyalists and the Republican leadership in the equal branch of government down Pennsylvania Avenue previews what could be an awkward 100 days for the Republican Party as they try to navigate what could be a new approach to a longtime global rival.

One thing was clear, at least for the time being: Republicans want to hit Vladimir Putin head on but havent figured out how theyll navigate around their soon-to-be commander-in-chief.

Russia does not share Americas interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. While todays action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia, Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. And it serves as a prime example of this administrations ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell echoed Ryans remarks.

The Russians are not our friends. And clearly the Obama administration has not yet dissuaded them from attempting to breach our cybersecurity systems, or harass our diplomats in Moscow, McConnell said in a statement. Sanctions against the Russian intelligence services are a good initial step, however late in coming.

He added, As the next Congress reviews Russian actions against networks associated with the U.S. election, we must also work to ensure that any attack against the United States is met with an overwhelming response.

But the man who will soon be vested with implementing the overwhelming response and his allies didnt seemed fazed by all the talk of crime and punishment.

Throughout the campaign Trump has had a soft spot for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. At one point he jokingly invited the Russians to hack former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons email.

Trump has spent several weeks of his transition period rejecting the U.S. intelligence communitys conclusion that Russia was behind the election year hacksinstead fixating on it as partisan attack meant to delegitimize his presidency.

His allies reiterated that on Thursday.

This is really about the DNCs breach, they didnt have the proper security, I guess the protocols in place and someone was able to hack the information, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the President-elect Trump, told CNN. We are not in favor of foreign governments interfering in our elections or interfering in our intelligence but were also not in favor of our intelligence interfering with elections after the fact.

Rep. Ted Yoho took it a stepwell, several stepsfurther and blamed Clintons email server for the attack.

If you want to go back to how did we get to this point, think of Mrs. Clinton having an unsecured server in an unsecured room with classified documents, Yoho said in an interview on CNN, after saying he had doubts Russia was behind the cyber attacks.

In a conference call with reporters, during which Obama administration officials inexplicably spoke only on background, those staffers acknowledged that many of their bosss actions could be undone with the stroke of a pen by his predecessor.

These are executive actions. So if a future President decided that he wanted to allow in a large tranche of Russian intelligence agents, presumably a future President could invite that action, said the senior administration official. We think it would be inadvisable.

To Hunter, the Trump ally, thats what makes the whole exercise ridiculous. Obama is kicking people out of the country, right? Once again, this is all stuff that Trump can undo on day one. It just seems kind of stupid. It doesnt make sense to me, Hunter told The Daily Beast.

Obviously, Trump has his own views on Russia and him and Putin will have a different relationship than Obama and Putin, Hunter added. [Sen.] Lindsey Graham and [Sen. John] McCain have been talking about doing massive sanctions. [Rep.] Adam Kinzinger, a buddy of mine, has been talking about doing them, too. Those have to go through committee, get voted on by the House and Senate, and signed by the President.

That would be the new president. The one who has been so friendly to Russias oligarchs and its leader.
For the past decade, Britains most prescient satirist Charlie Brooker has ended each December with a look back at the years most disturbing news developments. And no year was more disturbing than 2016.

In the latest version of his Wipe specials for the BBC, Brooker had plenty of UK-based material to work with, from the untimely death of David Bowie to the canary in a coalmine that was Brexit . Still, Brooker, best known in the United States for creating the all-too-real technological dystopia that is Black Mirror , decided to spend more than 12 minutes dissecting the election of Donald Trump.

Cue nightmarish dystopian news footage, Brooker said on his 2016 Wipe program, which aired Thursday night in his home country. From there, he hit viewers with the type of scene that would seem almost too preposterous if he put it in a Black Mirror episode: The USA Freedom Kids , who sang proudly, President Donald Trump knows how to make America great, deal from strength or get crushed every time!

Running through a montage of all the things that should have made Trump completely unelectable, Brooker marveled that more traditional Republican candidates were ultimately beaten by a man who resembles a cling-filmed parcel of frankfurter meat thats been kicked through a yellow cobweb.

At first, the media seemed to find all of this wryly amusing, Brooker added, smirking through Trumps ascent like they were watching an adorable toddler playing with a power tool, without apparently considering that he might just learn how to switch it on.

Over the course of the rest of the segment, Brooker ran through more of Trumps outrages from the general election campaign, including his shocking response to Khizr Khan and his declaration that President Obama is the founder of ISIS. And then there was the Access Hollywood grab em by the pussy tape that Brooker, like everyone else, thought would finally end Trumps flailing campaign.

But he was wrong. As a street-fighting carnival strongman, Trump operates the Chicago way, Brooker said. You pull a knife, he pulls a gun. You send one of his to the hospital, he sends one of yours to the morgue. And whenever an accusation was flung at him, he hit back twice as hard  with his little hands.

The unwelcome news of Trumps unlikely victory drove a despondent Brooker out of his studio and into the darkness, leading to an inspired recreation of the Outkast song Ms. Jackson using only Trumps words. Im sorry, Ms. Clinton, this is for real, the president-elect intoned.

The Trump phenomenon has clearly fascinated Brooker for quite some time. When The Daily Beast spoke to him in mid-September ahead of Black Mirrors excellent season three debut on Netflix, Brooker predicted a Trump victory long before most observers thought it possible. Hello, we just went through Brexit! he said. Of course Trumps going to win. But did he even believe his own prognostication?

Six weeks later, Brooker was starting to change his tune, saying in another interview that he still couldnt rule out a Trump victory, but this time he framed it as a long shot. There are two main candidates, and he could still win, Brooker said in October. It could still happen.

By the time Election Day rolled around, it seems Brooker was just as surprised as anyone that Trump pulled it off.

Moving closer to the present, Brooker pointed to the confusing signals from Trump that indicated he might not be quite as terrible as his critics thought. Perhaps most shocking of all, having said hed be tough on terrorism, he met with the founder of ISIS, Brooker joked, cutting to footage of Trump and Obama shaking hands in the White House .

Like much of the year-end coverage of 2016, Brookers Trump piece had an air of resignation and defeat. But unlike similar segments from American late-night hosts , Brooker has the benefit of detachment. He and his British viewers are removed from the everyday realities of what life under President Trump will be like for the next four years.

On this side of the pond, Brookers look back at the year of Trump gives Americans one of the best glimpses yet of how the rest of the world will see us starting in 2017. And its not pretty.
Two days after Albuquerque police officer Jeremy Dear shot and killed 19-year-old Mary Hawkes , he and another officer used their mandated time off to visit Hooters and a massage parlor.

The day trip was part of the dangerous bromance that contributed to Hawkess death, her family says in a new lawsuit accusing the officers of egging each other on into violent behavior. Dear shot and killed Hawkes in 2014 after he pulled her over for driving a car listed as stolen. During a foot chase through a trailer park, Dear said he saw Hawkes point a gun at him from close range. He opened fire on the teenager, killing her on the spot. But Hawkess family and one of Dears former coworkers contest the details of the shooting, which Dear did not record on his body camera.

Defendant Jeremy Dear is the bad apple, the family accuses in a lawsuit filed last week. The civil rights suit, which names Dear and the city of Albuquerque as defendants, is the familys second legal action since their daughters death. They filed a wrongful death suit against the police department in March. The city of Albuquerque did not return a Wednesday request for comment, and the Albuquerque Police Department declined to comment due to ongoing investigations.

His gratuitous killing of Mary S. Hawkes on April 21, 2014, was the culmination of his bromance with fellow officer Sonny Molina, the suit reads. Together, these officers created danger that would otherwise not have existed; used unwarranted, brutal force against Mary S. Hawkes, causing her death; and then relaxed after killing her by going first to Hooters restaurant and then to a hole-in-the-wall for a Chinese massage.

Shannon Kennedy, the Hawkes familys lawyer, said the trip to Hooters and the massage parlor suggest a department-wide disrespect for women.

I think its just disgusting. Its relevant because its an expression of the misogyny that runs through the Albuquerque Police Department, Kennedy told The Daily Beast.

But Thomas Glover, Dears attorney who is not representing him in this specific case, dismissed the suit as sensational and a distraction technique used to highlight a weak case. The massage parlor was not a questionable hole in the wall, but a legitimate establishment next to a sushi restaurant, he told The Daily Beast. Dears then-fiance worked at Hooters when Dear and Molina visited.

He went to see his fiance like anyone involved in a traumatic event, Glover said.

Dear and Molina were close, and sometimes patrolled together. In 2013 , they were named in a separate police brutality suit, in which an Albuquerque man accused Dear of pushing him to the ground and striking him in the face while both officers had their body cameras off. The suit settled for $90,000.

They really are Batman and Robin, Kennedy said. They have more red flags and complaints than any other officers.

It was Molina who first ran the license plates on Hawkess truck and discovered the vehicle to have been stolen. He called Dear and two other officers for backup. But when they pursued Hawkes through a trailer park, Dear said Hawkes pulled a gun on him, forcing him to shoot first in self-defense. His body camera was turned off, an accident due to a faulty cable, he told his superiors . Dear was later fired for repeatedly failing to use his body camera during arrests, some of which turned violent.

Hawkess family and one of Dears former colleagues have been quick to question the official account, accusing the police department of a cover-up. In their March lawsuit, the family pointed to an autopsy that showed Dears three shots entering Hawkes from the side, which the family said was a sign that Hawkes may not have been facing Dear with a gun, as he claimed. They also questioned whether the gun found on Hawkess person had been placed there after her death, as police did not find her DNA or fingerprints on the firearm. In a November 2016 affidavit , a former Albuquerque Police records officer accused the department of altering or destroying evidence, including body camera footage from two other officers on the scene of Hawkess death.

I can see that [one officer]s lapel camera video has been altered by changing the gradient of the resolution on the video, former records officer Reynaldo Chavez said in a court statement. I can see as much as the first twenty seconds of [the other officers] video has been deleted.

Hawkess family claimed the incomplete footage was a deliberate ploy to conceal the shooting and its aftermath. They pointed to various frames in the footage, where Hawkess body appears to have been moved. The family also criticized Dears decision to plead the Fifth and refuse to answer any questions when placed under oath during an investigation into Hawkess death.

Each officer who saw Mary S. Hawkes running from them failed to record her flight, their suit reads, citing Chavezs claims of evidence tampering. In the immediate aftermath of her killing, defendant Officer Jeremy Dear and Sgt. Maurer had one care: his lapel camera. Sgt. Brian Maurer, on scene, ordered him to turn it off, while his partner Sonny Molina assured him with two words: Good shot.

After the shooting, Molina stayed by Dears side. They go into the car together and come up with this bullshit story, Kennedy said of the pairs official report.

Molina accompanied Dear to a mandated seminar on officer-involved shootings the next day, and took him out for a massage and a meal at Hooters the day after, Molina told investigators in a sworn deposition that surfaced this summer.

I took him to go  you know, help keep his mind off of everything, so we went to go eat and then we went for a massage after, Molina told investigators, in a transcript obtained by the Albuquerque Journal .

Administrative leave is standard for officers involved in shootings, and officers sometimes receive compensation for activities during their time off. When an officer is involved in a major incident, including fatal shootings, the Albuquerque Police Union reimburses up to $500 of their vacation costs or decompression expenses, the Albuquerque Journal reported in June.

But during the internal investigation, Albuquerque Police Chief Gordon Eden expressed concern with the officers decision to frequent a massage parlor after Hawkess shooting.

Its hard for us to regulate off-duty conduct, but thats not the conduct that I would expect from any employee. Again, I dont know which Chinese parlor it was. I dont know if its legitimate, but personally it bothers me, Eden said in the deposition.

Kennedy also accused the pair of adopting a too-casual attitude in the aftermath of the shooting.

She recalled a conversation with Molina, in which she described him as inappropriately casual when discussing Hawkess death. I was talking to Molina about this bromance and it was just this jocular, devil-may-care attitude about taking the life a teenage girl.

Approximately a month after Hawkess death, Molina was arrested on domestic violence charges, which were later dropped. He went and got counseling, Kennedy said. Theres zero accountability.

Dear has been previously accused of treating Hawkess death with a dismissive or misogynistic attitude. While attaching a boot to car in October 2014, Dear allegedly complained to the car owners son, asking if the man had heard about Hawkess death earlier that year, the girls family accused in their March lawsuit against the Albuquerque Police Department (PDF). Dear allegedly identified himself as her shooter, and complained of being stuck on traffic duty because of that fucking bitch.

What the fuck was I supposed to do? he allegedly asked. He has denied making the comments.
The U.S. sanctioned a couple of well-known crooks and handful of Russian government intelligence officers Thursday in retaliation for the Russian governments interference in Americas elections and diplomacy.

Barely noticed on the sanctions list was the young, relatively-unknown female hacker whose company the U.S. said helped the GRU with technical research and development to penetrate the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta in 2015 and 2016.

Shes the only interesting one on the list. The rest of them are well known, a cybersecurity researcher intimately familiar with the Russian hacking scene told The Daily Beast.

ZOR Securitys founder Alisa Shevchenko denies the allegations and maintains that her companys inclusion was just a big mistake.

What really happened: anonymous clerk at U.S. treasury googled the internet for cyber while intel analysts were on their Christmas vacation, Alisa Shevchenko tweeted on Friday. Another version: a naughty Santa, deep in the Christmas night, hacked into Obamas computer and put some random Russian names in his papers.

If thats the caseand the U.S. government has supplied no evidence to back up the allegation of ZORs involvementit could raise serious questions about the Obama administrations retaliatory measures for the election-related hacks. The White House, Treasury Department, State Department, and CIA did not respond to requests to provide further detailing why ZOR was selected for sanctioning.

Shevchenko is a self-anointed self-taught offensive security researcher. Thats a relative rarity in a field in which most people describe themselves as network defenders. She learned to code at 15 but was more drawn to hacking than programming, according to a 2014 profile of the businesswoman in Forbes Russia. Shevchenko dropped out of school and wound up working for five years as a virus analytics expert for Kaspersky labs instead. In 2009, she founded her own company, then known as Esage labs, and later as ZOR Security. (The acronym, in Russian, stands for Digital Weapons and Defense.) A self-described offensive security researcher, she focuses on finding vulnerabilities rather than fixing ones exposed by other hackers.

The company initially handled crisis response for companies like Russian banks, according to Forbes Russia. In one of her early jobs, she helped a bank figure out how hundreds of fake debit cards were withdrawing thousands of dollars from accounts. And she also tested an antivirus software for her former employer, Kaspersky Labsa company which itself has strong ties to Russias security services.

But while the business of responding to security breaches paid well, the work wasnt steady. She instead turned to her specialty: hacking companies to inform them of weaknesses in their own security systems. Shevchenkos specialty and passion, according to Forbes Russia, is defense against Rootkits, or software that lets a person gain unauthorized control of a computer. Her company stopped taking one-off jobs, instead relying on lucrative contracts for penetration tests. The profile said she was courting an increasingly international clientele.

Along the way, she established a bit of a reputation for herself in cybersecurity circles. The U.S. government even credited her with finding a software vulnerability or two.

The cybersecurity researcher called it not the most brilliant of the most brilliant, but respectable research. [It] show[s] a knowledge of the concepts of exploit development.

Sometime along the way, ZOR Security shut down, according to Shevchenko. She told a Forbes reporter on Friday that her company had never been involved in any of the actions its accused of by the U.S. Its now-defunct website said, in Russian, that its mission was to protect Russian companies from the professional computer attacks.

Dear journalists, please forgive me my silence. I am really trying to make any sense of it, Shevchenko tweeted. how my little simple company (closed long ago at that) could possibly appear on the same list with the FSB and international terrorists.

The FSB, or Federal Security Service, is Russias main security agency.

Its not clear what Shevchenko is up to these days. Another of her projects, a hacking journal called No Bunkum, appears to not have been updated in years. A now-private Instagram account listed her location as Bangkok.

In recent years, the Kremlin has opened up its cyber warfare and intelligence operations to all sorts outside traditional government circlesindependent hackers, criminals, private companies, and quasi-independent research agencies. In a sense, its not much different than how Washington operates. Much of the information published by the U.S. government about the DNC hacks on Thursday relied on the work of private cybersecurity companies like Crowdstrike.

"Every agency has themthese nominally private companies or research institutions, he said. They can build you connections [with hackers skeptical of the government], the cybersecurity researcher said.

But that researcher added that it would be a surprise if ZOR security was directly involved in the DNC hacks. Maybe they sold them an exploit. [But I] doubt they were involved in the operation, the researcher said.

What interests me is how this person and this company became chosen for any of [the sanctions], the researcher told The Daily Beast in an email. There are better, highly active companies in Russia that do sell vulnerabilities / exploits to the government.

Of course, there are plenty of unknown hackers who become instantly (in)famous. But the others on the U.S. list are more notorious today. The two hackers named alongside GRU officials had already graced the FBIs most-wanted list for years. Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan are both accused of engaging malicious cyber-enabled misappropriation of financial information, though not for the Russian government but for personal financial gain.

The 29-year old Belan allegedly intruded the networks of three American e-commerce companies to steal their user databases. The FBI also says he sold the users names and passwords.

Bogachev, 33, made the FBIs Most Wanted List for spreading a malicious software called Zeus on peoples computers, which compromised their bank accounts, passwords, and other personal information. He then allegedly used that information to steal money from his victims. A later version of the malware is believed to have stolen more than $100 million and to have infected more than a million computers.

The GRU officials on the list were less notorious. But the cybersecurity researcher told The Daily Beast that their names came no closer to attributing the attacks to the actual individuals who carried them out.

Two reasons to make that list [of sanctioned entities]: Either theyre really stupid, since these guys are outed already. Or they dont want to show who they know and how they know it, the researcher said. No one is on the list is an actor that would be responsible for the acts. The GRU chiefs might have been aware. But they were not the ones doing it.
It was her successor, John Major, who outlawed gatherings of more than 12 people which featured music with a repetitive beat.

However, newly-released records show that the noise and disruption caused by Acid House parties--the drug and trance-music fueled illegal outdoor raves that roared through youth culture at the end of the 80s--began concerning British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher towards the end of the Second Summer of Love, as the summer of 1989 became known.

It was in that year--when smiley-face, pill-popping, acid house culture took off in a big way in the UK--that an all-night rave disturbed the beauty sleep of a Tory MP's uncle, newly released official records show.

Archie Hamilton, MP for Epsom and Ewell, forwarded the Prime Minister a letter from his uncle Gerald Coke, who said he was "very disturbed" by the party which had lasted until 7.30am.

Mr Coke, who described himself in his letter as one of "the oldest inhabitants" of the village, said that he feared some of the party goers were seeking confrontation with villagers and was alarmed by the possibility of bloodshed.

The retired magistrate suggested a range of measures by which the parties could be prevented, despite admitting his knowledge of the law was a bit rusty since retiring from the bench some 12 years previously.

As a raver of the day might have put it, the party had clearly done the geezers head in.

The Prime Minister clearly took the old buffers note--described by her secretary as a sample of what is going on--very seriously, and asked to be briefed on what powers the police had to control the burgeoning rave culture after the party, which was held in Bentley, Hampshire, in August 1989, according to formerly secret documents published today by Britains Public Records Office.

Mr. Coke said in his note there was a "feeling of collective anger and helplessness" that police said they could do nothing because the event was a private party. He said he believed the police could have acted and were not as 'powerless' as they made out.

In a handwritten remark on the letter, Mrs. Thatcher was asked if the Home Office should provide a briefing on what powers police had to control the gatherings.

She replied: "Yes if this is a new 'fashion' we must be prepared for it and preferably prevent such things from starting."

Malcolm Rifkind, the home secretary, cautioned Mrs. Thatcher in another letter also released today that any legislation should not inadvertently criminalize innocent gatherings, such as barn dances.

The correspondence generally reveals a government floundering as it attempts to dream up ways to stymie a youth culture it clearly has little understanding of.

One handwritten annotation on a government briefing document noted, with clear astonishment, that there is surprisingly little alcohol at the parties.

Another letter said that confiscating the profits of the organizers might be a way to discourage the craze, ignoring the fact that the biggest events were often run for free. The only money made was by those selling drugs.

The rise of acid house in the late 1980s saw huge outdoor raves take place across Britain--accompanied by the use of recreational drugs such as ecstasy, MDMA-based tablets similar to todays Molly.

One letter estimates that 223 acid house parties took place in 1989 across London and the south east of England.

Free party culture reached its peak in 1992, on Castlemorton Common, when an estimated 25,000 crusties met for the UKs largest ever outdoor party; the event was sound-tracked by the music collective Spiral Tribe. It lasted one week and the police, unable to break up the anarchic event, were humiliated.

In 1994 the state fought back with new prime minister John Majors Criminal Justice Bill, which sought to legislate against gatherings on land in the open air of 12 or more persons at which amplified music is played.

The bill included a legendary sub-clause clarifying that the states definition of music in this case was: sounds wholly or predominantly characterized by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats.

The measure became law but inspired widespread derision; the band Autechre released a record sealed with a black sticker that bore the following message: Warning. Lost and Djarum contain repetitive beats. We advise you not to play these tracks if the Criminal Justice Bill becomes law. Flutter has been programmed in such a way that no bars contain identical beats and can therefore be played under the proposed new law. However, we advise DJs to have a lawyer and a musicologist present at all times to confirm the non-repetitive nature of the music in the event of police harassment.
BAASHIQA, IraqThe ISIS fighters black-hooded jacket is still hanging on a hook on the wall, and his sleeping blankets cover the floor tangled with pillows and abandoned clothes in the now-empty cave. Its perhaps 50 feet deep down a long dark, claustrophobia-inducing tunnel beneath the missile-blasted house above.

Along the hallway, what looks like an oxygen tank is connected to fans that once circulated air from the outside, and the tunnels are lined with electric wires and light bulbs every few feet. There is a now-empty TV frame on the smooth white walls, constructed of some sort of wood paneling to insulate the room from the bare earth.

A second room was a few feet down another branch of the tunnels, another nest-like sleeping area for more fighters hiding from coalition bombs above, according to the troops-turned-tour guides.

This warren of tunnels and subterranean rooms was, until not that long ago, an underground bunker and command center for the so-called Islamic State widely known as ISIS. And its size and sophisticationnot to mention all of the booby-trapped houses aboveshow the literal entrenchment of the terror army around Mosul, its Iraqi capital.

One regional official told The Daily Beast that ISIS is even more dug in on the western side of Mosul. According to tipsters inside the city, ISIS hasnt just mined individual houses, but rigged entire neighborhood blocks to blow up, with explosive devices daisy-chained through houses in deadly arcs.

Outside in the street, above this particular hideout the sulphur smell of coalition bombs still coats the air and the back of your throat, the residue of pounding air strikes followed by a fierce house-to-house battle for the town of Baashiqa, about 15 miles from Mosul, and just two or three miles from current front.

It was Wednesday when Pesh Merga forces showed The Daily Beast around, during the Iraqi armys brief pause to refresh men and material after a bloody 60-day push into the outskirts of eastern Mosul, and the surrounding villages like Baashiqa. Tired-looking Iraqi soldiers were driving broken vehicles through the checkpoints that now encircle every major route out of the area.

A day later, 6 a.m. Thursday Iraqi time, the fight was back on, according to Iraqs Ministry of Defense. Troops from the army, federal police, and Iraqi counterterrorism forces have started the second phase of fully liberating the left bank of Mosul, said a statement on the Ministrys Facebook page in Arabic. It was signed by Iraqi Gen. Abdulameer Rasheed Yaralah.

A statement from U.S. Central Command confirmed the army, police, and counterterrorism forces initiated a simultaneous advance along three axes in Mosul, from the south, west, and north of the city.

Iraqi officers are refusing to talk to reporters at the moment, burned by criticism that the two-month-long battle is going slower than expected, and also stung by U.S. Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsends Christmas Day prediction that it may take a year to clear both capitals of the so-called Islamic State, Mosul and Raqqah, and then another year to pursue ISIS into the vast desert in the triangle between the two cities and Anbar province in the south.

An angry Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters this week that the fight for Mosul would take only another three months, ending just in time for possible provincial elections in April. Other Iraqi officials backed up his assertion, saying the deadline would be met but conceding that a bit of bravado fueled initial predictions of a swift victory.

Everyone had unrealistic expectationsmilitary, politicians, and public, Iraqs Deputy National Security Adviser Dr. Safa al-Sheikh told The Daily Beast in an interview. Shortly, maybe the left side of Mosul will be liberated, but it will take a couple of months, to clear the west side of Mosul.

The Pesh Merga fighters in Baashiqa praised Abadis forces, saying theyve fought hard and cooperation has been good. Its a rare salute, at odds with the sniping between the politicians that command both forces.

But they dont see how any force, no matter how good, can blast through whats ahead of the Iraqi troops in western Mosul.

The Iraqi army fighters are exhausted, and there is no one to replace them, said Pesh Merga Brigadier General Bahram Yassin Arif, at his makeshift headquarters of tents set up inside a large hall in Baashiqaone of the only buildings left mostly untouched by the fighting.

And the battle is vicious, with an array of ISIS assaults from armored car bombs, suicide vest bombers, and snipers who arent that skilled but are persistent.

Not so good, or accurate, but still dangerous, the general said, over cups of heavily sugared tea by a roaring fireplace in the cavernous building, empty except for red plastic chairs and his troops tents.

If the fighting goes like this, it will take longer than they think, he added.

Outside the makeshift headquarters is an array of homemade ISIS missiles of indeterminate ranges that show both a level of technical prowess and long preparation.

They have some experts from Saddam Husseins regime, and some western experts too, the general said.

When The Daily Beast asks if the captured munitions have been defused and rendered safe, the fighters say no. Theres enough ordnance here to blow the whole compound to bits, but these fighters dont have enough tourniquets to go around, much less the bomb squad technicians who would tell them such weaponry needs to be kept in a deep pit at a safe distance.

The general says the whole town is littered with leftover munitions and as-yet-untriggered improvised bombs, left to maim and kill long after ISIS has departed. Such devices have already taken dozens of lives of returning civilians in places like the city of Ramadi.

Yet the Kurdish Pesh Merga forces who seized this territory are proud to show off this smoldering town, fearlessly tracking through the battered house that provides the entrance to ISISs underground network, despite the risk that the terrorists may have left booby-trap explosive devices behind.

The house where the tunnel entrance is located is a classic example of the urban nightmare to come as Iraqi forces push ahead. The walls of the houses and between them are punched through with massive door-sized holes, so that ISIS fighters may run house to house through the neighborhood unseen by the drones and war planes above.

There are more of the same labyrinthine passages and dug-in fighters ahead for the Iraqi army troops who must take the rest of eastern Mosul, and then work their way into the west of the city. ISIS fighters have already used such hidden passages to pop up behind Iraqi lines, slaying the advancing force by shooting them in the back by the dozens.

Sheikh, Iraqs deputy national security adviser, said his government knows a brutal fight lies ahead.

The number of Daesh people inside Mosul is larger than in Anbar [province, previously held by ISIS] so they could terrorize people, he said, using an Arabic pejorative for terror group. The estimates of how many ISIS fighters are left inside Mosul range from a few thousand to as many as 10,000. And no one knows how many are core fightersthe people who will fight to the death, he said.

The Iraqi government is not expecting much help from the civilians trapped inside Mosul, according to intelligence reports theyve had from within the city, Sheikh said.

When Daesh entered the city, generally, they were welcomed by the citizens, he said. ISISs harsh rule soon soured the local population, but terror replaced their initial welcome. It decayed to the degree that the people would welcome the Iraqi forces but they are not able to revolt against Daesh.

At a nearby camp for displaced Iraqis run by a local Kurdish charity, a crowd of escapees agreed.

They didnt kill us right away. Life was normal at first, said one man who fled ISIS rule. (The escapees from Mosul did not want to be named for fear of endangering those left behind in ISIS territory.) You had to grow a beard and wear short trousers, with an elasticized ankle. The men around him showed their similar pants. But then I missed a couple of prayers at the mosque First they lashed me 30 times, and later, when they found he wasnt observing the fast during Ramadan, lashed him 50 times.

A second man was imprisoned when ISIS discovered he was a former Iraqi soldier. His uncle paid $800 ransom to ISIS to spring him from jailbut not before the fighters used a hot poker to gouge one of his legs.

Another man was held in prison for reasons he would not explain, but said while there, he witnessed ISIS fighters beheading prisoners with swords, or chopping hands off with knives.

When asked if the people left behind would rebel against ISIS, every head in the crowd shook no.

If they speak against Daesh, they will behead them, they said.

The coalition has been bombing ISIS for two months, yet ISIS is still standing, one man added. The people inside have no weapons. How do you expect them to fight?

with additional reporting from Bawar Ihsan in Baashiqa, Iraq, and Saud Murrani in Baghdad

AUTHORS NOTE: This story was updated to note that the man who was lashed twice by ISIS was punished the second time for failing to observe the fast during Ramadan.
Lindsay Lohan says she knows what it feels like to be a refugee.

The Mean Girls stars empathy for the displaced and dispossessed comes not as result of the time she has spent in cells, prisons, and courtrooms nor as a result of constantly shuttling around the world on one five-star holiday after another, but due to losing part of her finger in a boating accident (when she was, er, on a five-star holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos).

Lohan, a big fan of the repressive Turkish regime, discussed her finger-squishing incident along with her plans for Mean Girls 2 and her efforts to bring attention to the plight of refugees in an online video interview with CNN, speaking to the cable-news networks Abu Dhabi bureau in the United Arab Emirates, where she is spending New Years Eve doing an appearance at a nightclub.

The actress, last seen in The Canyons, told CNN, Losing half of my finger and getting it back was one of the best things thats ever happened to me, adding, If that didnt happen to me, if I didnt lose a part of myself essentiallyand I weirdly think about this when I meditateI wouldnt have stayed in Turkey. I wouldnt have stayed there, and I wouldnt have understood what it feels like to lose a limb.

Dont you just love how she throws the meditation line in there?

Speaking about her experience visiting a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey, Lohan, 30, told CNN: It was scary for me at the time because Im entering a world that I know nothing really about and Im trying to learn about it But the most amazing experience Ive ever had, was when I went into those container camps and saw what the Turkish people are actually doing for people that are just walking aimlessly and have nowhere else to go, and giving them refuge.

Asked for her response to those who might be cynical about the idea of her doing humanitarian work, she said, I say they should come join, she replied. Come help. Getting on the ground, getting your hands dirty, and then discussing it after, so you know what youre talking about. Its easy to go take a photo somewhere and say, I work with kids. Really? Do you? What are you working with, with kids? No, you have to go there, learn the statistics, the land, the people, what they mean, so money in the world goes to the right places.

Lohan told CNN that she will begin shooting a film in April about a Swiss couple abducted by the Taliban, but, on a lighter note, added, I have been trying so hard to do Mean Girls 2.... Ive already written a treatment for it; it I just need a response.
The world was certainly turned on its head in 2016. Thats the top-line cliche in every year-end review, and its true. But lets go one tug of the rope farther and note that this was accomplished by fewer than 1.5 million voters.

If we agree that it was mainly the Brexit vote and our presidential election that did this head-turning, then lets remind ourselves of the numbers. Leave beat Remain in the U.K. by 1.27 million votes. Donald Trump beat Hillwell, thats complicated, as we know; but he did win the Electoral College fair and square, and the most commonly agreed-upon number is that if 80,000 voters in three states had gone in the other direction, Clinton would have won.

Thats it. Just 1.35 million voters, out of more than 170 million in two countries, threw the world into chaos.

Im not pointing this out to minimize the legitimacy of the results. They happened, and were going to have to accept them and live with the consequences. Those are going to be enormous and, I and many millions of people fear, horrificfor Europe and the U.K., for the people in the United States who didnt vote for Trump, and probably also for most of the people who did, because even a president cant do much about robotics and automation.

Im also not trying to downplay the seismic nature of what happened by saying Hey, its just a few votes. This crisis to which both outcomes gave voice is the central political crisis of our time: how Western democracies manage globalization and immigration so that these kinds of reactionary rebellions cant catch fire. Our establishments, in the United States and Britain and elsewhere, have to figure this out. Its getting more and more ominous. Next up comes France, where the presidential election will take place in the late spring; and then comes Germany. It seems somehow not in the cosmic cards for there to be a worldwide right-wing authoritarian uprising and for it not to hit, of all places, Germany.

So Im not downplaying anything. But I am pointing out the numbers to say to you not to give up hope. This is fixable.

How? Its going to take a lotmany long-term changes in strategy and policy that shift investment in middle-class and working-class people in ways that ensure that they see and understand the benefits. One of the saddest ironies of our election was that Hillary Clinton was for those investmentsa higher federal minimum wage, debt-free tuition, health coverage expansion, paid family leavewhile Trump opposed them (except family leave, on which he introduced a shell-game proposal just to be able to say he proposed it). And yes, she talked about them a lot, although apparently not in quite the right way or in quite the right places.

Liberalism needs people who can talk about them the right way and in the right places. It also needs, desperately, to spread facts and smother anti-facts. The triumph of anti-factsa presidential candidate who lied as naturally as he drew breath, the rise of fake news, the plain refusal of 30 or 40 percent of the population to believe true thingsis a major crisis for democracy.

This loomed large in the Brexit vote and was arguably dispositive as Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson and others sold the Leave position by boasting about the windfall it would bring the NHS and other government services, which they quickly and casually walked back after the vote. And Im sure you know in gorier detail than youd prefer how, the movement against fact, in its many guises, mattered here.

We need a strategy for combatting this. Rich liberals trying to think of ways to spend their money could do a lot worse than to create an organization that simply promulgates known facts in ways that will educate at least some percentage of Americans. A poll came out before Christmas showing that more than a third of Americans think the number of uninsured increased in the last five years. Even one in five Clinton voters thought this.

The news media can no longer be relied upon to state these plain truths. So liberals need to think of ways to get more Americans to know more factual things. The point would not be to persuade conservatives; half of Trump voters said in the same poll that they still think Obama comes from Kenya, so theyre unpersuadable. But if 8 percent of the middle 30 percent of voters can be reached, that will be enough to swing elections and public opinion.

But here is American liberalisms biggest short-term job, what should be its 2017 New Years Resolution, and some of you arent going to like it: See to it that multiculturalism includes white people. And not urban white people or Jewish white people or gay white people or white people who live in hipster neighborhoods and wear ironic eyewear. Suburban, gray-haired, church-going white people.

Mark Lilla got a lot of praise, and took a lot of heat, for that New York Times op-ed on how this election should toll the death knell of identity politics on the left. I dont understand why that struck like such a thunderbolt. I was making such arguments 20 years ago, as were several others, notably Todd Gitlin.

Lilla was criticized on the left for seeming to take the concerns of marginalized groups lightly and to open the door for a liberal politics in which those concerns are relegated to the kids table. I can see why liberal readers reacted that way, especially considering the larger context that the White House had just been snapped up by the most openly racist and misogynistic candidate in modern history.

But Lillas money paragraph said something liberals need to think about. Clinton, he wrote, had tended to call out explicitly to African American, Latino, LGBT and women voters at every stop, the noting that if you are going to mention groups in America, you had better mention all of them. If you dont, those left out will notice and feel excluded.

I dont know how true this was of Clinton herself, but its true of liberalism in recent years in a broad sense. In our political-media shorthand, adjectives like white and church-going and suburban connote conservative, but it just isnt necessarily so. I know lots of these people. My dear mom was one, and virtually all her friends from church. Loads of old high-school classmates. Most are more middle class than working class, though some are the latter. They may not check every single box. They may squirm a little when the trans-bathroom issue comes up. They think political correctness can be kind of ridiculous.

But theyre solid, wonderful people, and they live in small towns in purple states. Millions are in fact liberals, to some degree or another, and many millions more may not be liberals but sure arent conservatives. For many, their political views are not distinct from their Christian beliefs but indeed are a direct expression and fulfillment of them.

They are, in fact or in potential, part of our team, and we need to treat them that way. The Democratic Party needs to identify leaders who can connect with these folks. But more generally, liberals in New York and Washington and San Francisco and so on need to go talk to them, too, and see them as just as important a part of the gorgeous mosaic as the kinds of people we more commonly associate with the word multicultural.

The road back is long, but it goes in part through these folks hearts and minds. To write them off after such a small percentage of them voted the other way once would only compound the mistake.
MANILA, PhilippinesIn Rodrigo Dutertes mystifying quest to bite the hand that feeds the Philippines, he plans to bar the United States from the battle against the long-running insurrection in the countrys mostly Muslim south that has killed an estimated 120,000 people.

These special forces, they have to go, said the tough-talking Philippine president, who has bragged about killing criminals himself in years past, even claiming he once threw a man out of a helicopter.

Not least to avoid the moral and political censure of Washington, he has been pushing to loosen diplomatic, military, and economic ties with the United States, even as he cozies up to the less punctilious government of China.

So, Duterte says he wants to oust American special operations forces and advisers who have operated for about 15 years in Mindanao, the island group at the center of insurgent activity by several jihadist factions, some of them pledging allegiance to the so-called Islamic State that is centered in Iraq and Syria.

The U.S. military presence on this secretive battlefielda total of almost 1,500 personnel over the yearsalready has diminished since Duterte took office in June, and he says he will review permitting the Americans to stay in the fight at all.

The man who has called President Barack Obama a son of a whore says the Americans could inflame the situationand also claims that he doesnt want them to be killed or kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf, the most well-known insurgent group, which is infamous for abductions.

Thats right: The Philippine leader says he wants U.S. military personnel to leave for their own safety. Not to put too fine a point on the idea theyre a foreign presence in Mindanao, Duterte noted, There are many white men there.

For decades dating back to the 1970s, Muslim extremists in majority-Muslim Mindanao have waged a low-grade insurgency to achieve either greater autonomy and a larger share of national resources, or outright independence. The bodies have piled up through an onslaught of bombings, kidnapping attempts, assassinations, and executions.

The Moro National Liberation Front, founded in 1971, launched the pro-independence drive. But radical cadres, angered by the MNLFs 1996 peace deal with the governmentwhich vouchsafed an autonomous but not independent region in Mindanaobroke away to establish smaller, more hardcore groups. They include the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf, the most feared faction. With a hard core of 400 soldiers, the group has become infamous for staging spectacular, brutal attacks and for kidnapping people for ransom.

Theyre less ideological and more violent and theyre more interested in their own survival, in making money, says Marielle Harris, a research analyst with the Counter Extremism Project. The average Abu Sayyaf fighter would fail a basic test on Islam.

Abu Sayyaf raked in almost $7.5 million from ransom kidnappings in the first six months of 2016, according to a confidential report from the Philippine government. The group, which operates mostly in the Sulu Archipelago and Zamboanga Peninsula, has been turning to kidnapping the crews of foreign tugboats, according to the military/police threat assessment report.

Harris calls Abu Sayyaf a decentralized organization of bandits that raises money from kidnapping for ransom, extortion, weapons smuggling, and drug traffickingprimarily marijuana.

Despite its small size, Abu Sayyaf has many, many more sympathizers who grow and harvest [drugs] for them, primarily in the Sulu Archipelago, she says.

Like the so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, Abu Sayyaf combines profiteering with lethal attacks, but its record is longer. Abu Sayyaf militants killed more than 50 people in the southern town of Ipil in 1995after robbing banks and stores and burning down the town center. In 2000 it launched an attack in Malaysia, kidnapping 21 tourists, some of them Europeans. The hostages eventually were freed after Libya reportedly paid millions of dollars. Just a year later, Abu Sayyaf kidnapped another 21 tourists, three of them American, from a resort in Palawan province. Several captives were killed, including two of the Americans.

In subsequent years, the group carried out fatal bombings, the most devastating of which targeted a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 and left 116 people dead. The following year, bombings in three different cities killed more than 100.

In November of 2015 Abu Sayyaf fighters brazenly beheaded a Malaysian man in Sulu while Obama was attending an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila. Last April, the fighters beheaded Canadian John Ridsdel, also in Sulu, which is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

And in a huge insult to Duterte, just this past September the group bombed a night market in Davao City, the presidents hometown that he served as mayor for more than two decadesand which he was visiting at the time.

Duterte, who just a month before had ordered troops to seek them out in their lairs and destroy them, responded to the Davao blast, which killed 14 people and injured more than 70, by declaring a state of lawlessness in the country and vowing to confront the ugly head of terrorism.

(One good bit of news: Malaysian security forces recently killed reputed Abu Sayyaf kidnapping czar Abraham Hamid and two of his henchmen in a shootout near the town of Semporma in Sabah province, Malaysia. Hamid reportedly had led a squad that seized tourists, sailors, and fishermen in Sabah as well as Sulu.)

If Abu Sayyafs attacks seem as pointless as the intermittent Baghdad bombings by ISIS that kill dozens but accomplish littleapart from unnerving residentsanalysts note that the group does retain a political goal.

They do want to fight for their caliphate, says Harris.

Duterte agrees. He told soldiers in a speech in September that Abu Sayyaf radicals are not interested in negotiating for such things as better local services or more resources.

They are hungry for a fight to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia, he said. The problem is that they do not talk on the basis of what school you can give them. It's either the caliphate or nothing.

The countrys new armed forces chief, Lt. Gen. Eduardo Ano, promised earlier this month to keep military pressure on Abu Sayyaf and other groups with the guidance of our commander in chief.

And one would think the Philippine military could use all the help it can get in this long-running counter-insurgency: just the kind of thing U.S. Special Operations Forces are highly trained to do. But if Anos boss has his way, the general will have to make do with no U.S. helpwhich certainly has been extensive.

Beginning in 2002, U.S. Special Operations Command worked in tandem with the Philippine military, battling Abu Sayyaf and other extremist groups from a base in the south. At any given time some 500 U.S. military personnelArmy, Marines, and Navy SEALsparticipated in the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines. The mission ended last year, having cost 17 American lives.

According to a Rand Corporation study, during that time from 2002 through 2013 Washington gave Manila $441 million for security assistance, with the bulk of the money used for counterterrorism.

Few see many concrete benefits from the cash injection. Analyst Zachary Abuza, of the U.S. National War College, calls the effort a waste of money. It has been a terrible investment [of] $50 million a year since 2002 with very little to show for it, he told The Wall Street Journal.

The return on Americas investment will dwindle even further with Duterte maneuvering to marginalize the U.S. military.

Duterte now says he is considering talks with the Maute group, an insurgent force that has links with the so-called Islamic State widely known as ISIS, and even Abu Sayyafalthough he insists the military will keep working to prevent more attacks by the Mindanao extremists.

Abu Sayyaf, led by emir Isnilon Hapilon, operates independently, but one of its faction also has pledged allegiance to ISISwhich signaled a year ago that it was looking at the Philippines as a new breeding ground for jihadists.

ISIS released a propaganda video that shows a training camp in the Philippines and commanders exhorting Filipinos to go join up in Syria. The overseers also claim in the video that ISIS already has a terror camp in the Philippines. Footage shows militants completing assault drills while a few recruits practice with weapons and go through basic training.

This month Japal Guiani Jr., the mayor of Cotabato City in the south, warned that yet another ISIS-linked group, Ansar Al-Khilafa Philippines, is recruiting youths. He claimed Ansar already has recruited 1,000 people from across central Mindanao, targeting minors, school dropouts, and youths interested in the Quran.

Harris estimates that about 100 Filipinos have traveled to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside ISIS, but that no ISIS members travel to the Philippines to recruit or fight, and that most recruiting occurs online.

She adds that Abu Sayyaf also recruits hundreds of mostly young boys for home-grown terrorism. Its very clan-based these are orphans of war, as young as 14, she tells The Daily Beast.

Indeed, a 12-year-old boy was among 11 Abu Sayyaf members who surrendered to the government in Basilan province in October, telling authorities they were tired of combat.

The youngsters are given crystal meth before they go battle the Philippine military, Harris says. Theres just rudimentary training and then they are asked to do roadside killings and bombings.

For now, there typically are between 50 and 100 U.S. military advisers in Mindanaothe people Duterte says he wants gone.

Displaying an inconsistency shared by his soulmate Donald Trump, the president has mandated a crackdown, said he will talk to rebels, and suggested suspending habeas corpus in Mindanao, meaning warrant-free arrests. Small wonder some Filipinos are bracing for a declaration of martial law.

With Duterte vacillating and the rebels in no hurry to abandon their lucrative brand of terrorism, Mindanao may be saddled with what feels like never-ending violencewhether the Americans stay or get tossed out. The status quo will continue, says Harris.
LONDONJust before Christmas the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. By allowing the motion to pass, President Barack Obama crowned his miserable track record in the Middle East with one last high school debating gesture. This was then embellished by Secretary of State John Kerrys warning shot delivered to Israel Wednesday.

Israel is not the biggest problem in the Middle East, by a long shot. But you wouldnt know that from the disproportionate way in which the UN has treated the country. Despite abstaining from the vote, Americas UN Ambassador Samantha Power herself noted that for as long as Israel has been a member of the UN it has been treated differently from other nations. And commenting only a week before this latest resolution, even outgoing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon agreed that decades of political maneuvering have created a disproportionate number of resolutions, reports, and committees against Israel In many cases, instead of helping the Palestinian issue, this reality has foiled the ability of the UN to fulfill its role effectively.

You would think that the head of the UN knows when his own organization is displaying an institutional bias. Resolution 465 already existed, rightly condemning settlements. To this day, 47 resolutions concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict have been adopted by the UNSC.

From 2016 alone one need only look at the 18 resolutions against Israel adopted during the UN General Assembly in September, or the 12 resolutions adopted in the Human Rights Council. These were more than those focused on Syria, North Korea, Iran, and South Sudan combined.

Arabs, Muslims, Islamists, liberals, leftists, and our international organizations share this institutional bias.

Opposing Israel is The One Ring that binds us all. It is the sacred god that must not be questioned. So deep runs this bias against Israeli transgressions, that to call it out is to arouse immediately incredulity and ad hominem abuse.

So entrenched is it, that few noticed how on the very morning of Resolution 2334 a motion seeking to stem the flow of weapons going to what the UN itself fears are genocidal killers in South Sudan failed.

The Security Council could not even bring itself to adopt the simplest of resolutions calling for a seven-day ceasefire to halt the tragedy of Aleppo. Yet when it came to pushing through a final year-end condemnation of Israel, the Security Council suddenly mustered the will to act.

Secretary Kerry noted that Israels current government is its most right wing in history. Without a hint of irony he failed to mention thats exactly what happens when a country faces repeated jihadist terrorist attacks. Just look to Europe and the U.S., magically made Great Again. He also left out the nature of Israels proportionate electoral system, which allows fringe elements to hold more mainstream parties hostage, drifting them to the right.

No, Resolution 2334 will not help peace. It can only hinder it. For the UNs posturing will not go unnoticed inside Israel, and can only encourage further intransigence by facilitating the rise of Israels religious right under Naftali Bennet. It will also undermine the legitimacy of the UN itself.

The assumption behind Americas abstention from Resolution 2334 and Secretary Kerrys latest remarks highlight the lazy thinking that has beset us.

Speaking during the vote, Americas ambassador to the UN said, one cannot simultaneously champion expanding Israeli settlements and champion a viable two-state solution.

On Wednesday, Secretary Kerry reinforced the view that the two-state solution is now in jeopardy The result is that policies of this [Israeli] government are leading towards one state.

This is simply false. The fact that this sentiment is even expressed betrays the deep bigotry of low expectations held in the West toward Arabs and Palestinians.

Settlements are illegal. But why is it that Israel is expected to integrateand does a reasonable job of includingthe 20 percent of its population that is Arab, yet a Jewish presence of 500,000 settlers in any future Palestinian state is deemed an obstacle" to the two state solution? Are Palestinians assumed to be ethno-fascists? Are they not capable of building a multiethnic state just like Israelis? Is this how low the standard is to which Western leftists hold Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims?

Any Jewish settlers who remain in Palestine after a peace deal is struck should be expected to adopt Palestinian citizenship and become Jewish-Palestinians, like the many Christian and Muslim Palestinians. If this prospect is too much for them to accept, they will always have the option of aliyah, to voluntarily repatriate back to Israel. Add land swaps to the mix, and the two-state solution is not dead. It remains very much possible, except in minds that are clouded by the UNs obsession with condemning Israel and that harbor the bigotry of low expectations towards Palestinians.

To cite UN disproportionality against Israel inevitably leads to accusations by the left that ones fallen into the fallacy of "whatabouttery." That is, trying to distract from ones own transgressions by shouting what about someone elses. In this case, supposedly trying to downplay Israels abuses or failings by making it look like the victim of what the Americans call piling on by the UN.

But I am not engaging in this fallacy I am calling it out.

In reality Israel has been the perennial "what about excuse used by Arab despots seeking to silence their domestic opponents or the foreign critics of their ferocious repression of dissent. To call for greater freedoms in these countries where there was little or none was to be accused of Zionist collusion. And as often as not, the UN played along. Note that this is the same institution that chose to elect Saudi Arabiayes, elect an absolute monarchyas chair of its human rights committee, and then decided to pass a motion condemning Israel's human rights abuses.

Sneering from the comfort of their keyboards, Western leftists have grown complacent with the luxury of free speech. They have never had to suffer the wrath of an Arab dictators torture cells. But anyone who has ever been unfortunate enough to have spoken out against an Arab dictator from within knows the reality of their whatabouttery all too well.

An expectation of proportionality is distinct from the whatabouttery fallacy. When Israel was bombing Gaza in Operation Protective Edge in 2014, reacting to Hamas terror attacks, our demand was for Israel to respond proportionately. Back then, we didn't allow Israel to dismiss our concerns for proportionality by claiming we were engaged in a whatabouttery distraction from Hamas terror attacks.

If proportionality can work against Israel, it must be allowed to work for it too. Yes, we can condemn two things at once, hold two thoughts in our heads at the same time, but those two thoughts must be in proportion to each other.

With that said, there is not a single crime that Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stand accused of that an Arab totalitarian despot or absolute monarch has not committed manifold times and on a daily basis. From torture and occupation, to proxy wars in foreign countries, to treating non-citizensincluding Palestiniansas second class, to a lack of democracy, Arab despots top it all.

Look at Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his coup in Egypt, the chaos in Libya, even the Taliban, Lashkar al-Tayyiba, al-Shabab, Boko Haram and ISIS, sexual enslavement, beheadings, child soldiers, and the use of chemical weaponsthe reality of the greater Middle East lies bare for us all to see. Yet as Americas UN Ambassador Samantha Power noted, this year the UN passed more resolutions against Israel than these other problems combined.

For the better part of 23 years I have been deeply engaged in this debate. Like most left-leaning teenage politics enthusiasts, my starting point was hostile to Israel. Like too many Muslims and all Islamists, I once rejected Israels right to exist. I am familiar with all sides of the argument, and have written from both perspectives on this debate. I eventually realized just how ossified my thoughts had become.

Our unwillingness to hear outside our own echo chambers has severely limited our ability to innovate solutions. A critical mass of Arabs, Muslims, and leftists still struggle with Israels historic legitimacy, leading us to constantly overplay our hand at such venues as the UN. Like a broken record, we are guilty of repetitive sloganeering, lazy thinking, emotional decision-making, and a dogmatic approach to what should be the art of politics. We have allowed our political, religious, and ideological tribalism to shape our emotional response to the point of developing an unhealthy obsession with Israel. It is post-truth.

We who have been pro-Palestine have become our own worst enemies. When new thinking on any issue is instantly labeled treacherous, only inward looking violently inbred and dogmatic ideologies such as jihadism can thrive. All the more reason why creative thinking on this issue among Arabs, Muslims, and the left is so important.

I know that in writing these words I will inevitably be charged with being pro-settlements and much more. This tends to be the default reaction of those who love to deal only in absolutesa right wing trait, no?

In truth, I believe Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law, built on occupied land, and that Netanyahu has been uncooperative while in office, and that a two-state solution is not only still possible, but is the only viable option for solving this conflict. Yet still I maintain that Resolution 2334 was an amateur, emotional move by liberal dogmatists that will only aid the Israeli right.

There is nothing unique about the Israel conflict deserving such disproportionate attention. Baluchistan, Kurdistan, Cyprus, Kashmir, and Taiwan are but a few other disputed territories not fetishized like Palestine is at the UN and in our media. All of these disputes involve deep religious, historic, and political meaning for their respective parties.

Only the overwhelming narcissism of our Abrahamic faiths - including those among us who define themselves against themwould deem the religious and historic significance of the Holy Lands to mean anything more than other lost holy lands for Buddhists in Tibet, or Sikhs in Khalistan, which was lost to Pakistan a year before Israels creation. Only by releasing the exceptional status pressure from this conflict, by stripping it of its religious hyperbole, by removing it from the spotlight, by simply placing it on a par with every and any other conflict in the worldtragic but not uniquedo we stand a better chance of solving it, because the stakes are lowered and the frothing prophets of doom, with their Armageddon pathology, are taken out of the equation. Let us call this Israeli unexceptionalism.

I remain unaware of a single Middle East pundit not tied to Obamas State department who holds that the outgoing president has done a good job in the Middle East. Obama cut a deal with Iran and conditionally lifted sanctions, while the Iranians, Hezbollah and Russian President Vladimir Putin aided Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he used crude chemical bombs and massively destructive weapons against his own people. And just as Obamas inaction allowed others to act in Syria, his inaction at the UN set the tone once again, this time reaffirming the notion that Israel is the regions biggest problem. That is despicable. It is inexcusable. And I could remain silent no more.
April 18, 1921 - December 27, 2016

Kathryn Ann "Kitty" Prescott died in the early morning hours of December 27, 2016. For the nine preceding months she dealt bravely with health challenges including diverticulitis, a compression fracture of the spine, and a series of small strokes through all of which she maintained her sense of humor and facility with the apt comment. On Christmas morning she presided over a family gathering that included the opening of gifts, breakfast, and conversation. Later that day she suffered an additional stroke, which was one challenge too many to overcome.

She was born in McAllen, Texas on April 18, 1921 to Walter M. and Ruie V. Kelly as the third of their four children.

Kitty attended Southwest Texas State College (now Texas State University) from which she received a B.S. Degree in biology. While there she met John M. "Mack" Prescott to whom she was married on June 1, 1946. During their more-than seventy years of marriage they shared experiences with devoted friends, traveled around the world, and created wonderful memories for their descendants. They have two sons, Stephen "Steve" lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Susan; Donald "Don" lives in College Station with his wife Anne. Kitty had four grandchildren--Allison Redstone (Jeremiah; New York City), John Prescott (Sheila; Austin), and Stephen and Gareth Prescott (both of College Station). She also had three great-granddaughters--Ruby and Lily Redstone (both of New York City) and Isabella Prescott (Austin). All of Kitty's siblings died before her and she was devoted to her nieces and nephews and their families throughout her life.

She worked in the department of oceanography at Texas A&M University as a scientific writer and subsequently devoted herself to raising two sons and contributing to community activities. She and Mack were members of the First Baptist Church of Bryan for many years and over the past two decades belonged to the First Presbyterian Church. One of her early efforts as a volunteer was with the Newcomers Club, which welcomed new faculty to Texas A&M University, particularly helping those from abroad. She was a long-time member of the Woman's Club of Bryan where she served in multiple roles including president. She volunteered for Meals On Wheels, and for Hospice Brazos Valley. She was an avid bridge player and an enthusiastic producer of hooked rugs--she introduced herself to her future daughter-in-law as a happy hooker.

Her family and friends will miss her generous spirit, her sense of humor, and her sharp insights. We have taken many lessons from her. One of the most enduring, if not always endearing, is to not tolerate pomposity or rude behavior. A favorite family story recounts her instruction to a wealthy and famous former A&M student that he, like any polite person, needed to remove his cowboy hat during a party in the President's house.

There will be a memorial service celebrating her life on Saturday, December 31, at 2:00 PM in the chapel at Arbor Oaks. The family asks that you not send flowers, though Kitty loved them, but instead to consider a gift to Hospice Brazos Valley or Twin City Mission, which were her favorite charitable organizations.
The Eagle showed its bias on its Dec. 18 Opinions page

The Eagle on Dec. 18 showed its bias on its Opinions page with "Contact the Parties" by listing two Democratic Party contacts, two Republican, one Libertarian, and none for the Green Party, which was on our ballot and has national and Texas contacts that should be listed.

The editorial alleges "probable Russian hacking" without providing evidence. Regardless of who hacked the emails, Hillary Clinton's attempt to blame Vladimir Putin generally was recognized as simply a Clinton/Democratic Party ruse to divert attention from the fact that these emails exposed how Clinton's campaign chair and the Democratic National Committee, stole the so-called "Democratic Party" nomination from Bernie Sanders.

While Robert C. Borden's basic tenet is correct, Clinton is to blame for Clinton's loss, he addresses a number of her campaign errors but amazingly does not mention her spurning of the Sandernistas, and her selection of a unknown corporate neocon as vice president instead of Bernie. He also fails to mention the undemocratic Democratic Party elite, including most of its elected congressional members, controlling its nominee selection through making themselves, and other party hacks, Super Delegates constituting nearly 21 percent of Democratic National Convention delegates.

Clinton lined up commitments from the bulk of them several years before the primary began. Super Delegates are not bound by the vote in their state's primary or caucus.

Borden clearly admits that he did not vote for the best qualified candidate, or the one that most closely shared his values. He limited his selection to the only two he believed had a chance to win, and then voted against Trump believing he was the greater evil.

Based on deeply shared values, despite Eagle blackout, hundreds of Bryan-College Station residents voted for Jill Stein, the greater good, instead of trying to select the lesser evil from among the evils nominated by our two largest parties.

KEITH MEPHODIE STERZING, '61

Cedar Park

Voters elected a man whose strengths trump weaknesses

Our electoral majority has selected a leader who has built a $10 billion network, cannot be bought, parented a beautiful hard-working family, is known and respected throughout the world, defeated 16 other highly accomplished Republican candidates, defeated the Republican and Democratic elite establishment, defeated the Democratic National Committee with only 1/3 the funding and defeated the 90 percent biased "mainstream media."

Based on these undisputable achievements,it is clear that our electorate has found a leader whose many strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.

The media still has not accepted the Nov. 8 decision of the electoral majority. They honestly think they are justified in continually blasting our new leader because most of their press clan buddies agree. The political press should recognize that they are contributing to a divided citizens of America." The press should report factually both pros and cons on political issues. They should not spin or distort the issues. They should be unbiased watch dogs over our political establishments and report any corruption, waste or incompetence to our 340 million citizens.

Our united citizens of America then will be accurately informed, thereby making it easier properly to select their representatives as opposed to choosing based on "false facts" supplied by a biased press corps. Press assumptions and opinions should be saved for an editorial in compliance with journalism ethics.

We all should listen and learn from others' factual inputs. At this time, let us all accept our electoral majority decision and move on together to help our new president-elect heal a divided nation and make America great again.

THOMAS URBANOSKY, '59

Caldwell

More sour grapes from presidential election losers

Regarding the Dec. 27 Associated Press article about hacking of our election system, the exact same "rickety, underfunded U.S. election system" was in place in 2008 and 2012, but nobody complained then. It's just more sour grapes from sore losers.

PETER BASTIAN

College Station
This year has been a really good year for Franklin County and Rocky Mount. We celebrated several big milestones, like the 50th anniversary of Smith Mountain Lake, 60th anniversary of the Retail Merchants Association, 50th commencement at Ferrum College, and the 50th anniversary of STEP.

We also celebrated numerous achievements in our schools and outstanding performances by our students, as well as the new partnership between The Franklin Center and Mary Baldwin College to open up new opportunities for college students within the county.

We said goodbye to Franklin County High School Principal Debra Decker and Ferrum College President Jennifer Braaten, and welcomed their successors, Jon Crutchfield and Dr. Joseph Carson Spooner, respectively.

Franklin County also bid adieu to longtime physician Dr. Robert Strong and dentist Dr. Charles Burt, both who retired this year. And we all still mourn the loss of Ferrum Colleges eighth president, Dr. Joseph Tate Hart, who died earlier this month.

We all felt the loss when Mod-U-Kraf closed its doors in May, leaving about 150 of our residents without jobs with very little notice, as its mother company filed for bankruptcy.

In terms of economic development, 2016 was an excellent year for Franklin County and Rocky Mount. The Harvester Performance Center continued to accumulate awards and accolades -- 2016 Virginia Living Magazine Best Music Venue in Southwest Virginia; 2016 Roanoke Convention & Visitors Bureau Gold Award for Tourism Development; and the 2016 Virginia Economic Development Association Community Economic Development Award. But the biggest thus far came in August when the music venue garnered the Southern Economic Development Councils 2016 Community Economic Development Award for communities under 5,000 people in the 17-state region represented by the council.

The prestige of winning an award presented by economic development professionals representing 17 states is quite significant, said Harvester CEO Matt Hankins.

And in Franklin County, tourism revenue hit a new record of $105,262,670, which technically was in 2015, but could not be tabulated until this year.

This is terrific news for our community, said David Rotenizer, tourism development manager for the county. For five years, Franklin County has continued to witness positive growth in tourism related jobs and revenue.

As a point of reference, visitor spending in 1996 was $45,830,000. So the current level of $105,262,670 is impressive, he added.

With two lakes and two rivers, outdoor recreation and related scenery continues to be a draw, Rotenizer said. The Harvester Performance Center has certainly been a game changer spurring additional investment and visitation into the county.

Our ample offering of festivals and events are a reliable magnet for visitation, and on-going revitalization in Boones Mill can only amplify future gains, he added. The Booker T. Washington National Monument had record visitation. Recent economic impact studies for the Crooked Road, Virginia artisan industry, and the Blue Ridge Parkway demonstrate the value of these assets and help to bolster our regional standing.

But the greatest measure of a community is how it cares for its most vulnerable residents, and Franklin County is second to none in displaying its love for others. From the United Way, collections for children at Christmas and feeding the hungry, our community stands together to accomplish so much every year.

We are proud and grateful to be part of this community, now and always.
Conservation board tables property lease program, examines deficit

The Des Moines County Conservation Board on Wednesday tabled a proposed program that would have generated revenue for the conservation department.
The group of mayors and county executives also thanked the President for responding to concerns raised by coalition members, among others, about what they referred to as "the failed, discriminatory" National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program, which created a special registration for immigrants from 25 primarily Muslim-majority countries.

Representatives from a number of cities spoke with White House officials earlier this month and urged the Administration to end NSEERS and continue protections for immigrants with DACA and TPS. Cities for Action now commends the President for ending NSEERS.

"We urge that you continue your support for immigrant communities in the last few weeks of your presidency," the letter said. "Specifically, we suggest that your administration (1) continue support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and (2) continue support for immigrants who have Temporary Protected Status (TPS)."

President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his intentions to build a wall on the U.S.' southern border and enforce immigration laws that have been ignored during President Obama's terms.

Below is the full text of the letter from Cities for Action:

December 31, 2016

Dear President Obama:

As mayors and county executives in the Cities for Action coalition, we write to thank you for your leadership on behalf of immigrant families and urge you to take action to ensure continued support for vulnerable immigrants in our communities before you leave office.

Cities for Action is a national coalition of over 100 mayors and county executives that advocates for inclusive local policies and national immigration reform. As local government leaders throughout the country, we know that immigrants make our communities stronger economically, culturally, and socially. For this reason, we have enthusiastically embraced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, expressed repeated support for and defense of your 2014 executive actions on immigration, and worked closely with your administration to promote citizenship and the economic, social, and civic integration of immigrants.

On behalf of millions of our immigrant residents and their families, we thank you for the steps your administration has taken to support vulnerable immigrant populations, from bright young people who may only know life in this country, to immigrants who cannot return to their home countries because of conflict or natural disaster, as well as those who look to the U.S. to lead on human rights and non-discrimination. These actions reflect the ideals of inclusion and refuge that our country is founded on.

We also thank you for listening to concerns from local leaders, among other voices, and taking steps this week to end the failed National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program. This special registration program was discriminatory and created great fear and turmoil within our communities, particularly among Muslim immigrants, while not providing any increase in security. A revival of the program would only serve to heighten tensions and increase the risk of bias-based crimes at a time when hate speech and hate crimes are on the rise. For these reasons, we commend your Administration for this move.

We urge that you continue your support for immigrant communities in the last few weeks of your presidency. Specifically, we suggest that your administration (1) continue support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and (2) continue support for immigrants who have Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

First, we encourage you to undertake steps to support the over 740,000 DACA recipients in the U.S. DACA has tremendously benefitted our communities by helping our residents thrive and contribute in myriad ways. For this reason, we are committed to advocating for the continuation of DACA in the next administration and for legislative relief for Dreamers in Congress. In the meantime, we call upon your administration to accept early renewal applications for current DACA holders to extend temporary protections for them. In addition, we urge USCIS to commit to speedy processing of initial and renewal applications and urge your administration to implement additional privacy protections for DACA holders to reassure recipients that they will not be punished as a result of coming out of the shadows.

Second, we urge you to extend protections for immigrants who cannot return safely to their countries of origin because of extraordinary conditions, including natural disasters or armed conflict. Cities for Action has applauded the steps that your administration has taken to grant temporary relief to these individuals. We now ask that your administration continues this urgent form of humanitarian protection by reviewing the current TPS designations and extending such designations or making re-designations or new designations as appropriate before the end of your term. In particular, we urge your administration to take steps to protect immigrants from countries that recently experienced extraordinary conditions that have made return unsafe, including Haiti and Ecuador. We also ask that USCIS commit to swift processing for TPS applications and re-registrations.

Thank you again for the many positive actions you have undertaken as President on behalf of immigrants in our communities, and we hope that you will consider these recommendations.

Sincerely,

Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown, PA

Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin, TX

Catherine Pugh, Mayor of Baltimore, MD

William Bell, Mayor of Birmingham, AL

Marty Walsh, Mayor of Boston, MA

Lydia Lavelle, Mayor of Carrboro, NC

Albert Robles, Mayor of Carson, CA

Pam Hemminger, Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC

Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, IL

Michael Hancock, Mayor of Denver, CO

Roy D. Buol, Mayor of Dubuque, IA

Svante Myrick, Mayor of Ithaca, NY

Madeline Rogero, Mayor of Knoxville, TN

Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, CA

Paul Soglin, Mayor of Madison, WI

Manuel Cantu, Mayor of McFarland, CA

Ike Leggett, Executive of Montgomery County, MD

Yxstian Gutierrez, Mayor of Moreno Valley, CA

Toni Harp, Mayor of New Haven, CT

Noam Bramson, Mayor of New Rochelle, NY

Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, NY

Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia, PA

Liz Lempert, Mayor of Princeton, NJ

Jorge Elorza, Mayor of Providence, RI

John Dickert, Mayor of Racine, WI

Tom Butt, Mayor of Richmond, CA

Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento, CA

Ed Lee, Mayor of San Francisco, CA

Ed Murray, Mayor of Seattle, WA

Francis Slay, Mayor of St. Louis, MO

Stephanie Miner, Mayor of Syracuse, NY
"Through fair and good faith negotiations, we were able to reach a compromise that continues to protect our state parks and other natural resources, Rauner General Counsel Dennis Murashko said. This new contract is fair to both state employees and taxpayers, and we look forward to continuing our partnership while working together to serve the citizens of Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner announced Friday the Administration has reached a collective bargaining agreement with the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council representing Illinois Conservation Police Officers.

The agreement includes a four-year wage freeze and ensures no conservation police officers will be laid off, while an effort is made to expand staffing levels, a statement from the governor's office said.

The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council is a Law Enforcement Union representing some 10,000 plus professionals who work in the Criminal Justice Arena and are granted their collective bargaining rights under the Illinois Labor Relations Act. Their members are Municipal Police Officers, County Sheriffs Deputies, Police Officers who work for Elected Constitutional Officers, University Police Officers, County Correctional Officers, Court Security Officers, Probation Officers, 911 Telecommunicators, Records Personnel and others.

The announced agreement focused on conservation police officers.

Outside the City of Chicago the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council represents more law enforcement professionals than any other union in Illinois with over 490 bargaining units.

While they've come to an agreement with Governor Rauner on conservation officers, the IL FOP Labor Council isn't overall a fan club of the governor's. Earlier this week, they posted the following on their Facebook page:
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NORWALK  About $20 million in state education aid for the current school year is being slashed, according to a notice sent out Thursday by the state Office of Policy and Management.

The cuts will impact all municipalities in the state, some more than others.

For distressed school districts like Bridgeport, Danbury and Stamford, the cut will be held to $250,000 each. In wealthier communities like Greenwich, the cut will amount to $1.3 million, or 90.5 percent of state funding to education.

Norwalk, which has been dubbed a poster child" school for its underfunding through the states Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding formula will see a cut of $250,000 or 2.2 percent of its current $11.49 million allotment from the state.

Benjamin Barnes, director of the State Office of Policy and Management, said the power to make the cut was built into the budget adopted by the General Assembly last spring.

The numbers are close to what we held back last year, although this year the money is being held out of the (ECS formula) instead of a combination of ECS and a (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) to municipalities, Barnes said.

In most cases, the midyear cut will hurt the bottom line of those municipalities that build state revenues into their budgets.

In the case of Norwalk, it is likely to impact the school district, which counts on receiving roughly 7 percent of its budget from the state, while comparable school districts get up to 28 percent through the ECS funding.

Mike Lyons, chairman of the Norwalk Board of Education, said he would have to confer with Superintendent Steven Adamowski and Finance Director Tom Hamilton to see what impact the cut will have locally.

Obviously it's very unfortunate given the abysmal state underfunding Norwalk already suffers from, Lyons said. But it will take a few days to evaluate the impact.

Gail Lavielle, R-Wilton, said Norwalk should receive more rather than less education funding from Hartford. Reducing ECS dollars to the city will leave local taxpayers to pick up the difference, she said.

To say on the one hand there will be no tax increases and then to go ahead and cut education funding, thats going to force towns to raise their property taxes to deal with this, said Lavielle, whose legislative district includes part of Norwalk. Its deceptive and hypocritical. Norwalk should never be cut. Its education funding should not be cut by a penny, because it gets so little to begin with.

Lavielle, the ranking member on the General Assemblys Education Committee, said savings could be found elsewhere in the state budget.

Its unimaginable that you could not be asking state employees to contribute more to their benefits plan  and then go ahead and cut education like this, Lavielle said.

The new cuts also come on the heels of a 3 percent cut made in education aid from last year to this year.

James Finley, a former director of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and now a principal consultant to Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education  a group suing the state over education funding  said the cut was incredible.

A superior court judge recently decided the state was unconstitutional in how it doled out education funding. The matter is being appealed to the state Supreme Court.

This latest cut to ECS underscores the importance of judicial action to ensure that the state constitutional right to an equitable and adequate educational opportunity for all public school students is honored by all branches of state government. Finley said.

In a letter issued to legislative leaders, Barnes said the cuts are necessary.

We must act now, Barnes stated. He said for now the funds are being held back from January and April payments to municipalities and could be released if a surplus appears likely.

We have included a circuit breaker for the 48 distressed municipalities and alliance districts, Barnes said. Those communities will see a maximum cut of $250,000.

The reaction was also swift from Betsy Gara, executive director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, a group that represents some 139 municipalities in the state.

Midyear cuts to education funding are putting towns between a rock and a hard place, Gara said. We recognize that the state continues to face huge budget challenges but midyear cuts to municipal aid will leave towns scrambling to address budget shortfalls. Towns facing cuts in municipal aid will have little or no choice but to delay or suspend critical projects and/or lay off personnel.

Gara said until the state can fully address its deficit, it should place a moratorium on any new unfunded mandates.

Robert Koch and Kevin Schultz contributed to this report.
WILTON  A group of Wilton High School honor roll students recently launched the Learning Fund, a new student-run tutoring service that donates most of its proceeds to local organizations.

Of the suggested rate of $30 per hour, 10 percent covers travel costs while the remaining 90 percent is donated to a charity of ones choice among Kick for Nick, the Best Buddies program at the Wilton Family YMCA, and PAWS animal shelter in Westport.

We didnt want to give to big national organizations because sometimes you give and you dont know what your money is doing, said Andrew Noonan, founder of the Learning Funding and a junior at Wilton High School.

I think that its also better to be spending $30 for something that you think is important in the town versus spending $120 for somebody else who you dont know where the money is going to, added Addie Tanzman, one of 16 student tutors with the Learning Fund and a junior at Wilton High School.

Through the Learning Fund, student tutors offer help with a variety of middle and high school subjects, including foreign language, math, English and other topics. Sessions can include help with homework, test preparation and basic study skills.

Although neither Noonan or Tanzman received tutoring lessons themselves, they said they would have been more prepared for the transitions between different grade levels and schools if they had learned how to develop good study habits earlier on from a peer or older student.

If a teacher couldnt teach it to them in the first place, and theyre kind of struggling in the subject, then a lot of teachers probably have similar strategies and it might now work for that specific kid, Noonan said. But as another student, you can kind of show them what worked for you and other kids.

In addition, Tanzman said that students shouldnt view tutoring as a weakness but a strength to their learning and development.

I think its important for kids to know that its not something you should be embarrassed about to get a tutor, but its something that can help you in the long run, she said.

Appointments can be scheduled through Facebook or at www.studentlearningfund.com/  whether it be for a one-time final exam review or recurring sessions for an extended period of time.

Sessions began earlier in December and will continue throughout the new year.

Down the road, we want to expand, get more involved and connected with the schools, Noonan said. And then even farther down the road, once we graduate, were hoping to pass it down to the next grades

SKim@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1044; @stephaniehnkim
Perhaps it could be argued that the English monarch is nothing but an effectively powerless figurehead and that, therefore, his or her words are of little consequence. The real power resides with Parliament, not with the Monarch. Not so, I would reply. Or at least not necessarily so.

I honestly cannot remember the last time that I felt inspired to praise a mainstream politician in anything but a halfhearted manner. To be sure, were I from Hungary, Id be enthusiastic in my support of Viktor Orban, that countrys forthright and generally sagacious head of state. From a global perspective, however, the Prime Minister of a nation of around ten million people, sandwiched between Austria and Romania, is not destined to turn the tide of globalism, for all his valiant swimming against it. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when a head of state of one of the worlds major powers spoke with a wisdom that is all too rare.

The words of wisdom were delivered in a speech, broadcast on Christmas Day, which was filled to the brim with good thingswhat might be called, considering its timing, tidings of comfort and joy. Here are a few gleanings from the heartwarming and edifying address:

I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things: volunteers, carers, community organisers and good neighbours; unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special. They are an inspiration to those who know them, and their lives frequently embody a truth expressed by Mother Teresa, from this year, Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She once said: Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.

Can this be true? Can a head of state of a major world power speak with what appears to be genuine humility about the sacrifices of ordinary people, even quoting Mother Teresa for good measure? Yes indeed, and more to the point, it gets better:

But even with the inspiration of others, its understandable that we sometimes think the worlds problems are so big that we can do little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.

Can we really believe that the head of state of one of the most powerful countries in the world is extolling the principle of subsidiaritythe principle that individuals, families, local communities, charities and churches can change society for the better whereas big and burdensome governments tend to make the big problems even bigger? There was, for instance, no suggestion that the world should be changed by giving even more power to globalist monstrosities, such as the United Nations or the European Union. Absolutely not. This head of state seems to insist that the world needs to be changed locally, at the grassroots level, by little acts of love by individuals serving their local communities. Where on earth can this political leader be getting the inspiration for such a sound political philosophy? The answer is in the following sentences from the speech itself:

At Christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby some two thousand years ago. It was the humblest of beginnings Jesus Christ lived obscurely for most of his life, and never travelled far. He was maligned and rejected by many, though he had done no wrong. And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them because Christs example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love The message of Christmas reminds us that inspiration is a gift to be given as well as received, and that love begins small but always grows. I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

Hearing these words, I felt a glow in my heart, not merely because of their goodness and truth but because they were uttered by the head of state of my very own native land. I am not referring to British Prime Minister, Theresa May, but to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who said the aforementioned words in her annual Christmas address to the nation and the Commonwealth. My heart warmed to hear a Christian ruler of an ostensibly Christian nation confess her Christian faith so unabashedly, in spite of the atmosphere of knee-jerk political correctness that pervades British culture. I was also encouraged by the small is beautiful political philosophy of her words, which were certainly subsidiarist, at least implicitly if not necessarily explicitly.

Perhaps it could be argued that the Queen is nothing but an effectively powerless figurehead and that, therefore, her words are of little consequence. The real power resides with Parliament, not with the Monarch. Not so, I would reply. Or at least not necessarily so.

The fact that the Queen can influence events in a powerful and perhaps a decisive way was illustrated by her tacit intervention in the Brexit campaign, in which her support for British withdrawal from the tyranny of the European Union was evident. It is true that Her Majesty has generally chosen to remain aloof and distant from politics but the potential power that she and her successors hold is still immense. According to the royal prerogative which she still possesses, the reigning monarch has the right to veto Parliamentary bills, withholding royal assent so that they cannot become law. But isnt such power or such a prerogative undemocratic and therefore indefensible? How can a believer in democracy countenance the political power of a monarch? These are good questions, to be sure, which go to the paradoxical heart of the British Constitution and the philosophical heart of the nature of Monarchy itself. They should, therefore, be answered.

I would argue, as a believer in both democracy and monarchy, that the two can coexist and, furthermore, that they do coexist in the present constitution of the United Kingdom. What is more, I would even go so far as to argue that an increased involvement by the monarchy in the political affairs of the nation would actually make the UK an even more democratic nation. Such a statement is so shocking to modern sensibilities and especially to American sensibilities that Id better explain myself before I am dragged from the room as a madman or a heretic.

This is how the balance of power between Parliament and the Monarch serves democracy:

Since much of the power of the Monarch has devolved to Parliament, the Monarch is always in a very delicate position. If she defies Parliament, the politicians will resolve the consequent constitutional crisis by taking even more power from her, such as her royal prerogative to refuse assent to Parliamentary bills, or perhaps by abolishing the monarchy altogether. The Monarchs power is, therefore, severely limited. As such, she only dare defy Parliament if she is sure that the people will be with her. If she resists universally unpopular bills, she will serve as a democratic check on unrepresentative political decisions. If a sufficient majority of the people agree with her, probably at least two-thirds in practice, Parliament will not dare to take on the united front of Queen and People. This is a power that Queen Elizabeth has chosen not to use. It is, however, there to be used if she or her successors care to wield it. It is, furthermore, a check on the power of politicians that is truly democratic because it can only be successful if the majority of the people agree with its use on any particular issue. Without the will of the people behind her, the Monarch can do nothing; with them she can rein in irresponsible and unrepresentative politicians.

Can Monarchy and Democracy coexist? You better believe it!

This essay was first published here in December 2016.

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WASHINGTON  Spare us the kissy-face.

It was June 2001 and I was covering President George W. Bushs trip to Slovenia, where he had just met Vladimir Putin for the first time. I and others were struck by Bushs praise for the Russian leader as trustworthy. Said Bush: I was able to get a sense of his soul.

But back in Washington, my editor had no interest in such talk. He rewrote my lede with other news  a tidbit about missile defense  and he moved the kissy-face stuff about Putins soul down to paragraph 18.

In retrospect, that moment in Slovenia defined the Russia relationship for years to come. Putin had seduced Bush, who only slowly came to understand he had misjudged this adversarys soul. Putin opposed Bush in Iraq and was unhelpful with Iran. He shut down independent television, sent business leaders who criticized him into exile and prison, ousted democratic parties from government, canceled the election of governors and invaded Georgia.

The kissy-face happened all over again when President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to reset relations. Russia responded by working against the United States in Syria, sheltering Edward Snowden, invading and occupying parts of Ukraine, and hacking and meddling in the U.S. election to defeat Clinton.

Now its Donald Trumps turn for kissy-face, and the president-elect is practically hugging the Russian dictator. After Putin gloated Friday that Democrats need to learn to lose with dignity, Trump tweeted Putin a sloppy kiss: So true! he said of Putins comments.

Trump also celebrated a letter he received from Putin calling for more collaboration between the two countries. His thoughts are so correct, Trump said.

Trumps blush-inducing embrace of the strongman has included repeated praise of Putins leadership, deflected questions about Putins political killings and disparagement of U.S. intelligence for accusing Russia of election meddling.

In three weeks, Trump will assume the presidency, and well learn what his embrace of Putin really means. Perhaps Trump is just a dupe and hell realize over time that Putin is no friend. The alternative, supported by Trumps choice of Putin-friendly advisers Michael T. Flynn and Rex Tillerson, is that Trump really is pro-Putin and will grant the Russian dictator more latitude internationally and will emulate his autocratic tendencies at home.

The former would require us to endure some policy failures as Putin proved himself again to be an adversary. The latter would test the limits of our democratic institutions.

In either case, it would be useful for Americans to have at least a cursory sense of the man our new president proposes to embrace. Heres a quick glimpse into Putins soul to get us started:

Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was killed outside the Kremlin as he walked home one night last year. Putins regime blames Chechens, but Nemtsovs is one of a dozen high-profile murders of opponents widely thought to have been sanctioned by Putins government.

Another Putin opponent, Alexander Litvinenko, was killed in London by polonium poisoning in 2006. The British government said Putin probably approved the hit. That same year, opposition journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot and killed outside her apartment.

Among the many business leaders imprisoned or ousted under Putin are Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was head of the oil giant Yukos, and associate Platon Lebedev. The Russian human rights group Memorial says there are 102 people held in Russian prisons for their political or religious beliefs.

The Kremlin has provided funding and training for far-right nationalist parties in Europe, and it used its state media and an army of hackers and social-media trolls to spread disinformation in the United States, in continental Europe and in Britain before the Brexit vote. The goals: to weaken European unity and the NATO alliance and to keep Europe dependent on Russian energy.

Russia also used disinformation to destabilize the Ukrainian government as Russia annexed Crimea. In Syria, where Russia propped up the Assad regime with indiscriminate bombing in Aleppo and elsewhere, Britain, France and the United States have blamed Putins government for the mass slaughter of civilians.

An Amnesty International summary of Putins rule leaves no doubt about his totalitarian state: Journalist Killed  Human Rights Lawyer Killed  Gay Rights Protesters Attacked  Repressive Laws Enacted  Fines for Promoting Homosexuality Imposed  President Putin Signs Law to Re-criminalize Defamation  USAID Expelled  Federal Treason and Espionage Act goes into effect  Moscow Authorities Detain Protesters and Opposition Party Members.

This, Mr. President-elect, is the man you are embracing. Please spare us the kissy-face.

Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. (c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
Nailbiter: Astros survive in Game 5, take control of World Series in 3-2 win

The Astros are one win away from the second World Series title in their history because of the greatest bullpen in postseason history.
Madison County received $1.89 million in federal funding on Tuesday to support homeless housing and services programs.

The grants come from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and will be disbursed through Madison County Community Development.

They are part of $105 million that HUD is awarding to support 416 homeless housing and services programs in Illinois.

Today marks another critical investment in support of those working each and every day to house and serve our most vulnerable neighbors, said HUD Secretary Julian Castro in a news release. We know how to end homelessness and will continue to encourage our local partners to use the latest evidence to achieve success. These grants support proven strategies to end homelessness once and for all.

Locally, the Continuum of Care grants will provide critical support in aiding those experiencing homelessness. David Harrison, homeless services manager with community development, said the money will be used to provide continued service for programs, which includes housing and services to assist people getting back on their feet.

With added stress on emergency shelters, especially this time of year, the funds allow for more permanent housing options for our neighbors without housing, Harrison said in a news release from Madison County.

More than 600,000 Americans are homeless and more than 25 percent of those are children, according to the release. In Madison County, children represent about 45 percent of the homeless population.

There are many reasons for homelessness, Harrison said. Some are homeless due to mental health issues, others were devastated by the recession and have not recovered. There are all types of reasons.

The amount of federal funding the county receives varies from year to year.

It goes to eight different agencies including Chestnut Family Connections, Chestnut Madison Recovery and Mainstay Center.

Last year we lost funding for three programs and another suffered a funding cut, Harrison said. This year we lost funding for one program but gained a new one. Despite that we are still able to help many of those who need it.

The funds, Harrison said, are critical to the local continuum of care and serve the most vulnerable residents throughout the county.

Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler praised Harrison and his team for securing the grant.
When the new year begins, and new laws are put into effect, police begin the process of learning the new laws just like the rest of us.

We do our research, said Glen Carbon Police Chief Todd Link. We look to see what the new laws are, then we begin training our officers on them.

Link said his departments training officer begins the process of learning the new laws. Then the information is passed down to the shift commanders who train the patrol officers on the new regulations.

And while one might think the police would be the first to be informed of the changes and additions to the laws, Link said the police department usually receives a list of the new laws after the first of the year.

Many of the new laws wont affect average citizens, but some will change the way police conduct their business.

SB 2370 will change the way police conduct interrogations with juveniles. The new law requires that minors under 15 years of age (rather than 13 years of age) be represented by counsel throughout the entire custodial interrogation of the minor for homicide and certain sex offenses. It also provides for a simplified Miranda warning is given to minors during interrogations and expands the videotaping requirement of minors during questioning.

Other new laws pertaining to juveniles are:

 SB 2777. This law amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 so that a minor cannot be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice for a Class 4 felony of criminal trespass to a residence, criminal damage to property, criminal damage to government supported property, criminal defacement of property, disorderly conduct or obstructing justice.

 SB 2880 allows children who are victims of battery to give testimony via a one-way closed circuit television. This legislation allows children involved in battery or aggravated domestic battery cases to avoid the serious emotional trauma and distress of testifying in an open courtroom.

 HB 5017 allows a person who has been arrested, charged or adjudicated delinquent for an incident occurring before his or her 18th birthday to petition the court at any time for expungement of law enforcement records and juvenile court records relating to the incident.

Another new measure allows greater flexibility in granting probation for certain non-violent offenders with no prior conviction for a violent crime.

SB 3164 is part of package of legislative reforms to the Illinois criminal justice system and was introduced at the recommendation of the Governors Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform.

The commission was charged with creating policy changes that reduce recidivism and make reductions to the states prison population.

SB 3164 seeks to reduce the number of non-violent offenders in prisons by strengthening the presumption of probation for a non-violent offender being sentenced on a Class 3 or Class 4 felony who has no prior sentence of probation or prior conviction for a violent crime.

There are also new laws on the books that address sexual assault and domestic abuse.

 SB 3096 seeks to increase the reporting, investigation and successful prosecution of sexual assault cases in Illinois. This new law gives victims a longer period of time to request a rape kit, speeds up forensic testing to address the backlog of testing rape kids in sexual assault cases and requires more detailed reporting of sexual assault cases by police.

 HB 4264 requires cosmetologists to receive special training to identify the signs of domestic and sexual violence as part of their licensing renewal process.

Illinois Lawmakers return the Capitol the second week in January to begin another session of the General Assembly.
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Linkedin Toshiko Kuba (The Japan News/Asia News Network) Osaka, Japan  Fri, December 30, 2016

Masakazu Nagaiwa, 87, a carpenter in Higashinari Ward, Osaka, looks forward to taking a bath at home every day after work. He particularly likes a splendid picture of Mt. Fuji measuring 1.5 meters high and 1.2 meters wide painted on the wall of his home bathroom. Looking at the picture makes me feel better, a smiling Nagaiwa said.

An increasing number of people are enjoying bathing at home while looking at familiar images of Mt. Fuji as traditionally painted in the nations fast-disappearing public bathhouses.

People can enjoy pictures of Mt. Fuji in various ways  by asking a painter to draw a picture of Mt. Fuji on a bathroom wall or by putting up a poster of Mt. Fuji themselves.

The picture at Nagaiwas home bath was drawn in 2012 by Osaka-based painter Naohiro Gonda, 35. Painting pictures of Mt. Fuji in peoples bathrooms is his specialty. It took three days to complete the picture, said Gonda, who calls this work a part of his frontier (associated with furo, a Japanese word meaning bath) project.

(Read also: 30,000 new Wi-Fi spots planned in public spaces in Japan)

Nagaiwas wife, who died in 2011, and scenery from Mie Prefecture, where Nagaiwa is from, are also drawn alongside Mt. Fuji in the picture. Nagaiwa said with a smile: The picture reminds me of various things. My bath time has become longer than before.

The painter contrived the idea of drawing Mt. Fuji in January 2011. He was asked by an acquaintance to take care of their cat by housesitting while the family was away. When Gonda took a bath in the house, he thought it would be interesting if there was an image of Mt. Fuji in the bathroom. He called the acquaintance and received permission to paint on a wall of the bathroom. He purchased water-based paint and painted a snow-capped Mt. Fuji.

Gonda took a photo of the bathroom and displayed it in a solo exhibition of his work. A visitor to the exhibition requested that Gonda draw a similar picture in my bathroom. News of Gondas work spread by word of mouth and he drew pictures of Mt. Fuji in 29 different places, mainly private homes.

(Read also: Japan responding well to Indonesia's railway funding requests: Luhut)

In December 2011, Gonda volunteered to draw a huge picture of Mt. Fuji in a public bathhouse in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, after its boiler was damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake. After he painted an image in an elderly care facility in Osaka, he was informed by its staff that thanks to the picture, a client who did not like the bath took a bath for the first time in a long time.

Gonda said: Everybody is pleased with the pictures. Im glad that these bathroom paintings are seen by people every day. The fee for painting a picture on the wall of a bathroom starts at about 60,000.

Companies feature Mt. Fuji

Noritz Corp., a household appliance maker based in Kobe, added Mt. Fuji to its design for a unit bathroom in April. Kyoto textile brand Sou Sou, which produces kimono and fashionable jika-tabi rubber-soled socks, was in charge of the wall design. In the cute and colorful image, Mt. Fuji stands in a sea of clouds.

Takeshi Wakabayashi, 49, who designed the concept, said there was a public bath next to his house when he was a child that had a picture of Mt. Fuji created with tiles. He recalled the Mt. Fuji of this bath house when he was thinking about how to help people relax in the bath. Mt. Fuji has a special presence in Japanese peoples minds. We made the Mt. Fuji design trendy so that young people will like it too, Wakabayashi said. The total cost of the unit bathroom is 936,360 or more.

(Read also: Database eyed to boost services for tourists in Japan)

To more easily enjoy looking at Mt. Fuji at home, posters that can be handily pasted on and taken off are available. A pair of bathroom posters that feature Mt. Fuji drawn by a public bath painter in Tokyo sell for 5,965 on Gakubun Tokusenkans website, managed by correspondence education company Gakubunsha Inc. The product using a special type of paper can be pasted onto a wall just by wetting it with water.

The company started to sell the posters after Mt. Fuji was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2013. About 6,000 posters have been sold since then. Most of the purchasers are middle-aged and older people, according to the company. A staff member in charge said, It likely evokes nostalgic feelings in the generation of people who are familiar with public bath culture.

This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Fri, December 30, 2016

Twelve detainees, including a woman, have escaped from a police detention facility at the Percut Sei Tuan police station in Medan, North Sumatra, after cutting through the metal grille covering a ventilation shaft.

Medan Police chief Sr. Comr. Sandi Nugroho said the detainees were no longer there when a police officer checked the cell at 3 a.m. on Friday.

The grille of the cells ventilation shaft had been sawn when the police officer checked the cell, Sandi told journalists at the police office on Friday.

The detainees are Yudi Sanjaya, Dika Andrian, Abdi Lubis, Aprianto alias Black, Andes Sianturi, Abdul Imam, Novi Andri Syahputera, M.Aldi Reza, M.Fadli Reza, M.Tahir Nasution, Agus Ramadani and Kasima Handayani, the female detainee.

They are Medan residents who are suspected to have committed petty crimes in the city.

Sandi expressed his optimism that they would soon be recaptured, saying that police had already identified their hideouts. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Incumbent Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama has apologized to residents of Jatipadang subdistrict, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, who are still affected by the recent flooding due to the ongoing rainy season.

Ahok visited the subdistrict on Friday as part of his reelection campaign for the Jakarta gubernatorial election on Feb. 15.

I apologize to everyone for the flooding that is still affecting [your area.] We have managed to reduce flood prone areas from 2,000 to 400, and we will keep working, said Ahok during the door to door campaign to residents of the Jatipadang subdistrict as reported by kompas.com.

(Read also: 'Gadis Ahok' clean up South Jakarta district)

A resident said the water reached two meters during the recent flooding. The water was high here, as high as my neck. But it soon receded, one of the residents told Ahok.

The residents expressed the hope that the Jakarta administration would build higher walls along the bank of Serua River to prevent the flooding because it was caused by the overflow of the river.

Ahok explained to the residents that many parts of South Jakarta have been allocated for water conservation. Therefore, he added, people have to be ready to move to low-cost apartments to avoid future flooding. (bbn)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's lawyers are preparing an appeal against an interlocutory decision made by the North Jakarta District Court on Tuesday in which it rejected Ahok's refutation.

"We are preparing an appeal because in their decision, the judges did not consider a Constitutional Court ruling. The court stated that a blasphemy charge should be preceded by a stern warning, which never occurred in this case," one of Ahok's lawyers and younger sister, Fifi Lety Indra, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Fifi cited a 2012 Constitutional Court decision that Article 156 section a of the Criminal Code, with which Ahok has been charged, could only be invoked after the religious affairs minister, the attorney general and home minister had issued a joint warning in accordance with the prevention of religious abuse and/or the Blasphemy Law of 1965 (PNPS 1/1965).

(Read also: Court rejects Ahoks refutation)

Based on PNPS 1/1965, if the blasphemy continues after a warning, the person can be charged under the Blasphemy Law, Fifi said.

Fifi went on to say that the appeal would be submitted to the Jakarta High Court.

"We hope that judges [at the high court] will have the courage to release Ahok from the blasphemy charge," she said.

On Tuesday, presiding judge Dwiarso Budi Santiarto said the Constitutional Court decision referred by the lawyers in the objection was not relevant to Ahok's case as the decision referred to a specific case. (jun)
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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Fri, December 30, 2016

The Central Java Police said on Thursday crime levels had been less intense in the province throughout 2016 thanks to improved security personnel capacity in crime prevention and control.

It has been recorded that in Central Java, crime occurred every 41 minutes and 48 seconds in 2016, less than in the previous year, which saw a case every 34 minutes, the provinces police chief Insp. Gen. Condro Kirono said during a year-end press conference in Semarang.

He further explained the number of criminal cases in Central Java had reached 12,574 in 2016, down by 17.5 percent from the 15,245 in the previous year.

(Read also: Homemade bomb found under food cart in C.Java)

If we look at the number of criminal cases solved, there has also been an increase. In 2016, out of 12,574 criminal cases, 8,624 were solved, an improvement on the previous year, in which 9.771 of 15,245 case were solved, said Condro.

The Central Java Police showed good performance solving criminal cases, in particular related to drugs, for which they had solved 1,010 out of 1,091 cases, with confiscated evidence consisting of 18.26 kilograms of marijuana and 1,296 kg of ecstasy pills.

On pyschotropic substances, the police had been able to solve 40 out of 43 cases, with 3,713 psychotropic drugs confiscated as evidence.

Among criminal cases recorded this year, theft with violence still had quite a high prevalence. According to the police, 2,256 cases of theft with violence were reported in 2016, down only 15.47 percent from 2,669 in 2015. (ebf)
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Linkedin Bassem Mroue and Vladimir Isachenkov (Associated Press) Beirut  Fri, December 30, 2016

A cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey went into effect in war-ravaged Syria at midnight Thursday, a potential breakthrough in the six years of fighting that have left more than a quarter-million people dead and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe.

If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country's mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in announcing the agreement. He described it, however, as "quite fragile" and requiring "special attention and patience."

The first half-hour of the cease-fire was one of "comprehensive calm," said Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He said that before the truce came into force, the government was bombing several areas, including the province of Aleppo and suburbs of the capital, Damascus.

The truce had the backing of both Russia, Syria's chief battlefield ally, and Turkey, which has been supporting the rebels. Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria's major rebel factions, though none of them immediately confirmed it, and one of them denied signing.

Several previous cease-fires in the Syrian civil war all collapsed, some of them in a matter of days. And this latest agreement, like previous ones, does not include extremist factions such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida's branch in Syria.

Still, the deal raised hopes for a political settlement to the ruinous war, in part because the landscape has significantly shifted recently.

For one thing, the tide has turned in Syrian President Bashar Assad's favor militarily over the past year, with the government retaking the city of Aleppo from the rebels just days ago. Also, Turkey, which is fighting Kurdish and Islamic militants at home, appears more willing to strike a bargain with Russia if it means protecting its borders.

"This is a different political scene, and one would expect some outcomes to emerge," said Hilal Khashan, political science professor at the American University of Beirut. He cautioned, however, against expecting immediate results from the first round of talks.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem welcomed the cease-fire agreement said there is a "real chance" for a political settlement.

In comments made to Syrian TV, he said the Syrian government will attend the peace talks "with an open mind," but he suggested it would not be willing to compromise on Assad's fate. Assad's remaining in power has been a major sticking point in the crisis.

"Everything is negotiable except national sovereignty and the people's right to choose its leadership," al-Moallem said.

Putin said the cease-fire will be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey. Turkey has been allowing opposition forces to use its long border with Syria to cross back and forth. The agreement was also praised by Iran, another of Assad's strongest backers.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the truce will include 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria and that the Russian military has established a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to monitor compliance. Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said President-elect Donald Trump's administration will be welcome to join the peace process once he takes office.

Putin said he ordered the Russian military to scale back its presence in Syria, where it has provided crucial support to Assad's forces. Putin didn't say how many troops and weapons will be withdrawn. He said Russia will continue "fighting international terrorism in Syria" and supporting Assad's military.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, welcomed the cease-fire announcement, saying he hopes the agreement will save civilian lives, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and pave the way for productive peace talks.

Earlier Thursday, Turkey called on Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Syria. The Iranian-backed extremist group has sent thousands of fighters to support Assad and has been playing an instrumental role in the civil war since 2013.

Foreign fighters from around the world have joined both sides of the Syrian conflict, which has displaced half the country's population and produced more than 4 million refugees. Many of those refugees have been streaming into Europe, fueling anti-immigration sentiment and terrorist fears that are reshaping the continent's political landscape.

Syria's military noted that the cease-fire comes after the "successes achieved by the armed forces," an apparent reference to the fierce fighting in Aleppo.

Osama Abo Zayd, a spokesman for mainstream Syrian opposition groups, told reporters in the Turkish capital of Ankara that 13 armed opposition factions have signed the agreement.

He said the peace talks will be based on the Geneva 2012 declaration that calls for a governing body with full executive powers to run Syria during a transition period. "This means that there will be no presence for Assad in the future," he said.

However, Khashan, the political analyst, said Assad's exit is "out of the question." ''Neither the Russians nor the Iranians would allow it to happen," he said.

Saeed Sadek, a professor of political sociology at Cairo's Future University, said Assad has no power to accept or reject any deals.

"He is now under the control of Moscow, Tehran and Ankara. All these countries will decide his future," he said.

___

Isachenkov reported from Moscow. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Najib Jobain in Cairo and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report.
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Citilink, the low-cost subsidiary of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, has suspended one of its pilots following reports that he was possibly under the influence of alcohol while on duty.

"Citilink is very serious about handling this matter. The pilot in question has been suspended until the ongoing investigation is completed, president director Albert Burhan said in an official statement distributed to the press on Thursday evening.

The pilot, identified as Capt. Tekad Purna, was relieved on Wednesday after passengers claimed he spoke incoherently during a flight announcement made before takeoff. Many passengers decided to disembark from the plane soon after as they were suspicious that the pilot was drunk.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning as a Citilink flight prepared to depart from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, to Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.

(Read also: Citilink pilot under probe after allegedly showing up drunk for flight)

After the incident, Citilink decided to replace the pilot and the flight eventually departed an hour behind schedule with 154 passengers on board.

The pilot was reported to have undergone a medical test at a clinic in Surabaya, East Java, as well as a second medical test in Jakarta by the Flight Health Agency. The final results of the medical check will be issued in a week.

Citilink, however, confirmed that the pilot had appeared physically unfit during the incident, leading to the last-minute decision to replace him with another pilot.

The airline is scheduled to hold a press conference about the progress of its investigation into the incident on Friday. (hwa)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

A panel of judges at the Surabaya Corruption Court on Friday rejected the refutation of former state-owned enterprises minister Dahlan Iskan, who is a suspect in a graft case related to the sale of assets of a company owned by the East Java administration.

Judges said the prosecutors indictment had fulfilled all the requirements to charge the former minister.

[We] reject the defendants refutation and accept the indictment of the prosecutors, said presiding judge Tahsin during a court hearing on Friday.

(Read also: Dahlan blamed for asset sales)

Dahlan, who was a minister under former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is accused of corruption for his alleged involvement in the sale of 33 assets owned by PT Panca Wira Usaha (PWU), which is owned by the East Java administration.

Dahlans lawyer Agus Dwi Harsono said he respected the judges decision, but believed his client was innocent. We will prove it in the hearings, he said as reported by kompas.com.

The sale of the East Java administrations assets took place in 2003 when Dahlan was still president director of PT PWU. Dahlan was accused of causing state losses worth Rp 11 billion (US$161.89 million). If found guilty he could face a maximum 20 years' imprisonment.

Dahlan denied the accusations of embezzlement, saying he never even received a salary from the company when he was a director. (bbn)
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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30 2016

The government says the free-visa policy will remain in place to boost tourism despite growing concern that some foreign tourists have exploited it to work illegally in the country.

During a year-end press conference on Thursday, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly brushed off suggestions that the free-visa policy had led to a rising number of illegal workers in the country  those who first entered the country on tourist visas.

The minister defended President Joko Jokowi Widodos signature policy, arguing it could propel Indonesias tourism, which has been lagging behind its Southeast Asian neighbors. The free-visa policy is expected to bring 20 million foreign tourists annually by 2019.

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President Joko Jokowi Widodo (third left) inspects the under-construction athletes village during the topping-off ceremony in Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Thursday. The apartment buildings, which are being erected on a 10-hectare site for the 2018 Asian Games, consist of 7,424 units and cost Rp 3.4 trillion (US$252 million) to build.(JP/Seto Wardhana)(third left) inspects the under-construction athletes village during the topping-off ceremony in Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Thursday. The apartment buildings, which are being erected on a 10-hectare site for the 2018 Asian Games, consist of 7,424 units and cost Rp 3.4 trillion (US$252 million) to build.(JP/Seto Wardhana)
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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

The Center for Orangutan Protection (COP) has expressed concern over the increasing practice of trading protected animals through social media.

The police in cooperation with the Environment and Forestry Ministry have to enforce the law against such practices, COP director Ramadhani told The Jakarta Post in Yogyakarta on Friday.

Trading in protected animals violates Law No. 5/1999 on conservation of live natural resources and the ecosystem, he said.

(Read also: Heavy punishment key in fight against illegal wildlife trade: Activist}

If the government does not enforce the law, it will lead to the immediate extinction of those animals, Ramadhani said when reading the year-end report of his organization.

The Yogyakarta-based organization said that the conversion of forests into plantations in Sumatra and Kalimantan had helped animal traders capture rare and exotic animals like primates and large wild cats.

To avoid the governments measures, the animal traders do not display their catches in the animal markets, but on social media, and transactions are made using joint bank accounts, said Ramadhani.

The trading of protected animals through social media is becoming rampant. Many animals and traders are involved, he said, adding that COP had helped police conduct 25 raids against traders, raids that managed to recover 168 protected animals, including orangutans.

He said, as an example, that on July 26 the police foiled the trading of four baby orangutans. On Aug. 4, COP also helped police arrest online animal traders in East Java. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30 2016

Firefighters found Sidik, 22, burned to death in a fire that destroyed two homes in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, on Wednesday night.

Tanjung Priok Police head Comr. France Siregar said Thursday a joint team of his officers and those from the North Jakarta Fire Agency found Sidik on the second floor of one of the houses at midnight. The fire that started on the second floor was allegedly caused by a short circuit.

Sidik lived on the second floor of the first house, the fire then grew bigger and burned down a house adjacent to the first one, he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Following new reports of human infection in China, Indonesia said it was bracing for the return of avian influenza, expecting it to become a major health risk next year.

The Health Ministry said the bird flu was the disease that most concerned it for 2017.

If were talking about next year, we already see the trend. What we have to be concerned the most about is the bird flu, said the ministrys disease control director general, Muhammad Subuh.

He said Indonesia should be cautious as there had been an outbreak in China, where at least seven people were reported to be infected with the virus and two people died because of the illness.

China has seen a bird flu outbreak. Its fatality rate is also high. Were reading the trend by surveying many countries. Were matching it with Indonesias situation. Thats why we have to prepare, said Subuh.

The H7N9 bird flu virus was not detected in either humans or animals in China until March 2013.

After that, China had a major bird flu outbreak from late 2013 to early 2014, killing 36 people and causing more than US$6 billion in losses for the agricultural sector.

An outbreak of the virus also recently occurred in South Korea, where the government ordered 1.6 million birds to be destroyed, the countrys biggest-ever poultry cull, on Monday.

The latest cull brings the total number of birds to be destroyed to 26 million in an outbreak first confirmed on Nov. 18. Quarantine and sanitary restrictions were implemented after the initial cases, but the flu has spread.

Following the outbreaks, the World Health Organization has advised travelers to countries with known outbreaks of avian influenza to avoid poultry farms, contact with animals in live bird markets, entering areas where poultry may be slaughtered, or contact with any surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces from poultry or other animals.

Travelers should also wash their hands often with soap and water and follow good food safety and good food hygiene practices, it said in a statement.

Despite the outbreaks, WHO has not advised special screening at points of entry, nor any travel or trade restrictions.

The first human infection of bird flu in Indonesia, which was spread by the H5N1 virus, was first detected in 2005. In 2006, the country suffered a peak of the contagion, with 55 cases and 45 deaths. There were also concerns of human-to-human transmission at that time.

After that the outbreak among fowl and humans receded. The latest cases in the country were recorded in 2015 with two deaths, involving an adult and a child in Tangerang, Banten.

Bird flu had infected 199 people in Indonesia from 2005 to 2016, with 167 deaths, according to data from the Health Ministry.

WHO also encourages countries to continue strengthening influenza surveillance, including surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections and influenza-like illness and to carefully review any unusual patterns, ensure reporting of human infections and continue national health preparedness actions.

Following the WHO recommendations, the Indonesian government plans to launch an influenza preparedness program.

The first step of the program is to establish an epidemiologist operation center (EOC).

In January 2017, we will open an EOC that will operate 24 hours. It will monitor all Indonesia. It will become the only disease monitoring agency with surveillance methods in Indonesia, Subuh said.

In operating the EOC, the Indonesian government will work with the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as other disease control and prevention agencies in Europe and East Asia.

Therefore, they can give us information, said Subuh.
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Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry said on Thursday that it would strengthen collaboration with the State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry to help small and medium enterprises expand.

The two ministries plan to integrate business service centers and SOE Creative Houses across the country since the institutions shared the aim of providing solutions for SMEs in regard to product development, access to financing, human resource development and others.

The service centers and SOE Creative Houses have the same goal, which is to boost the quality of SMEs and cooperatives, Cooperatives and SMEs Minister Anak Agung Gede Ngurah Puspayoga told reporters at the ministry in Jakarta.

The Cooperatives and SMEs Ministry currently has 49 service centers in 24 provinces, with 293 experts recruited by the ministry to guide SMEs, Yuana Setyowati, assistant for business restructuring at the ministry told The Jakarta Post.

We have reached an agreement with Bank Mandiri to integrate the two institutions at three locations, and with Telkom at five locations next year, she said, referring to the state-owned lender and telecommunications and state-owned internet provider, respectively. (evi)
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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

The government says the freevisa policy will remain in place to boost tourism despite growing concern that some foreign tourists have exploited it to work illegally in the country.

During a year-end press conference on Thursday, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly brushed off suggestions that the free-visa policy had led to a rising number of illegal workers in the country  those who first entered the country on tourist visas.

The minister defended President Joko Jokowi Widodos signature policy, arguing it could propel Indonesias tourism, which has been lagging behind its Southeast Asian neighbors. The free-visa policy is expected to bring 20 million foreign tourists annually by 2019.

Whats important with regard to the free-visa policy is monitoring. If there are 9 million foreign tourists entering Indonesia, [we should ensure] that the same number of people are leaving, Yasonna said.

Tourism Ministry data revealed recently that the country saw 9.4 million visits by foreign tourists from January to October, a 9.54 percent increase from the corresponding period last year. The total number of visits by foreigners to Indonesia in 2015 was 10.4 million, a 10.2 percent increase from the previous year.

First introduced in June last year, the policy initially allowed visitors from 30 countries to stay in the country for 30 days for tourism purposes on a free tourist visa. By the end of 2015, 90 countries were able to enjoy the facility. In March, 84 more countries were added to the list, bringing the total number of countries included in the policy to 174.

Indonesia has seen arrivals dominated by Chinese tourists every month, with 121,880 visitors in October alone. At 12.43 percent of the overall figure, China has topped other countries of origin, including Malaysia and Australia.

Following the wave of Chinese tourists this year, the Tourism Ministry aimed to attract 2.4 million Chinese tourists from greater China, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, in 2017, higher than its target of 2.1 million tourists this year.

The government is confident it can curb the number of overstaying tourists.

The Law and Human Rights Ministry is developing an app to track foreigners overstaying their 30-day free visa. Tourists entering Indonesia would get barcodes in their passports, which should be used whenever they purchase transportation tickets.

We have a list of overstayers, so we can just look at our data. [With the app] it will be easier for us to track their movements, Yasonna said.

The move comes following a crackdown on foreigners violating visas in Indonesia this year. Data from the Law and Human Rights Ministrys Directorate General of Immigration revealed that in 2016, 7,787 foreigners, 1,837 of whom were Chinese, were punished for violating immigration regulations.

The crackdown has sparked a rumor that 10 million Chinese people have been working illegally in the country. Government officials said the rumor was started to fuel anti-China sentiment. President Jokowi has repeatedly rebuffed the rumor and called on law enforcers to take action against those who orchestrated it.

According to Manpower Ministry data, the total number of foreign workers officially employed in Indonesia as of November 2016 stands at 74,183 people, 21,271 of whom are Chinese.

The ministry has intensified inspections amid concerns of illegal foreign workers.

In its latest crackdown, the ministry allegedly found 18 Chinese workers that had breached the conditions of their work permits at PT Huaxing in Bogor, West Java. Some of them had allegedly been assigned to positions different from the specified occupation on their permits.

Several lawmakers at the House of Representatives, however, have called for the government to review the freevisa policy on account of transnational security issues. Democratic Party senior politician Syarief Hasan told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that the government must evaluate the policy, otherwise it could threaten the countrys sovereignty.

There must be a total review and evaluation. The policy gives no advantage to our country at all because it has no reciprocity basis, said the member of Houses Commission I overseeing information and communications, defense and foreign affairs.

National Mandate Party (PAN) lawmaker Saleh Partaonan Daulay even suggested that the government revoke the policy because the country had yet to be able to monitor the foreigners entering Indonesia.

As a consequence, foreigners can misuse the policy. In addition, coordination among ministries and related institutions havent worked well, Saleh said.
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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Fri, December 30, 2016

The motive behind an attempted terrorist bombing in Magelang, Central Java, remains unclear and efforts to find the perpetrators are still underway, a police chief has said.

A joint team comprising personnel from the Central Java Police, Magelang Police, and National Polices Densus 88 counterterrorism squad are still investigating the case, Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Condro Kirono said on Thursday.

As reported earlier, a homemade bomb was found in front of Perintis Farma pharmacy on Jl. Pahlawan No.83, Tegalrejo district, Magelang, on Tuesday morning. The bomb was put inside a brown womens handbag and placed under a cart belonging to a batagor (fried fish dumpling) vendor.

(Read also: Central Java sees lower crime intensity: Police)

Condro confirmed that the bomb circuit contained ammunition; however, it failed to explode as the batteries in the circuit malfunctioned.

We are asking local administrations to install CCTVs in strategic places. It is also hoped that business owners install CCTVs both inside and outside of their buildings, said Condro.

Bomb terror -- The home-made bomb (pictured) found in front of Perintis Farma pharmacy on Jl.Pahlawan No.83, Tegalrejo district, Magelang, Central Java, on Tuesday morning, failed to explode as its batteries malfunctioned. (Courtesy of the Central Java Police/File)

The police chief said Perintis Farmas owner only had CCTVs installed inside the building. So, the person who placed the bomb in front of the pharmacy cannot be seen [in the recording], said Condro.

Central Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Djarod Padakova said earlier that the police bomb squad (Jihandak) disposed of the bomb, which had a piece of paper with messages written in Arabic characters inside, on the day it was found. Pieces of the disposed bomb were collected for a further investigation discover the type of the explosives it contained.

On whether its a high- or low-grade explosive, the polices Indonesia Automatic Fingerprint Identification System [Inafis] is still examining it, said Djarod. (ebf)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Batam  Fri, December 30 2016

Singaporean immigration authorities deported under escort on Tuesday two Indonesians to Batam, Riau Islands, after they were suspected of planning to depart for Syria via the city-state. It is believed that the two people intended to join the extremist Islamic State (IS) movement.

The two, identified only by the initials MNA, a 40-year-old man, and SI, a 40-year-old woman, were subsequently interrogated by Indonesian police and immigration officials, said Riau Islands Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Saptono Erlangga.

He said the Immigration Checkpoint Authority (ICA), an institution responsible for the security of Singapores borders, had detained MNA and SI during a security inspection at an immigration checkpoint at the Harbor Front Center, a port of entry into Singapore used by Batam-Singapore ferries.

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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has dropped a plan to attend the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) closing bell ceremony on Friday, which will conclude the final trading day of the year.

A spokesperson for the Financial Services Authority (OJK), which invited the President to attend the event, said that Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution would replace the President to close the final trading day of 2016.

(Read also: Jokowi to close IDX final trading day 2016)

IDX president director Tito Sulistio previously said the presidential office had confirmed Jokowis attendance at the event. IDX director Nicky Hogan, however, said it was still unclear why the president cancelled his scheduled appearance.

"We do not know why yet," Nicky told The Jakarta Post.

In 2015, Vice President Jusuf Kalla closed the final trading day of the year and the President opened the first trading day in 2016. (hwa)
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodo knows very well the power of social media. In fact, many have credited his success in the 2014 presidential election to his ability to use multiple social media platforms to mobilize his supporters.

But the 2014 presidential election also taught Jokowi about the new menace to society, fake news. As voting day neared in early 2014, fake news began to circulate to hurt his credibility, including articles accusing him of having ties to the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) or another piece that alleged he was of Chinese descent.

Things went downhill after the election, with the massive proliferation of fake news and hoaxes through many social media platforms and a number of messaging services such as WhatsApp.

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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodo knows very well the power of social media. In fact, many have credited his success in the 2014 presidential election to his ability to use multiple social media platforms to mobilize his supporters.

But the 2014 presidential election also taught Jokowi about the new menace to society, fake news. As voting day neared in early 2014, fake news began to circulate to hurt his credibility, including articles accusing him of having ties to the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) or another piece that alleged he was of Chinese descent.

Things went downhill after the election, with the massive proliferation of fake news and hoaxes through many social media platforms and a number of messaging services such as WhatsApp.

After huffing and puffing over the past few months, Jokowi finally declared war on fake news and hoaxes on Thursday.

He convened a Cabinet meeting with relevant ministers to discuss measures that could be taken to combat fake news and disinformation.

Citing data that said there were 132 million internet users in the country, about 52 percent of the total population, Jokowi urged that people should be aware that information technology can also make negative impacts on society.

Jokowi said of the total number, 129 million were active social media users and each person spent threeand-a-half hours a day on the internet through their mobile phones, which helped the proliferation of fake news.

(Read also: New app allows public to report fake news)

The President has repeatedly expressed in recent months his concerns over the growing intensity of disinformation on social media, including the latest fake news item on the influx of millions of Chinese workers into Indonesia.

Jokowi has ordered an investigation into the fake news and ordered the prosecution of individuals responsible for spreading the rumor, which he said was fanned to fuel anti-China sentiment.

The President has also expressed concern over the use of social media for people to exchanging memes or provocative remarks to mock and attack embattled Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who stands accused of blasphemy.

In the Thursday meeting, Jokowi called for strict law enforcement and what he called an evaluation of online media outlets responsible for producing provocative fake news.

Jokowi has also ordered relevant government agencies to launch a massive campaign on social media and internet literacy, saying that it is essential to see netizens get involved in the campaign to bring about positive and productive communication on social media consistent with our cultural values.

Responding to Jokowis order, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said he planned to launch what he called an anti-hoax society in January.

The Cabinet meeting also ordered government agencies such as the National Encryption Agency (Lemsaneg) and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), as well as the Culture and Education Ministry to improve coordination in handling issues related to the internet and social media.

Rudiantara said better coordination and fast response from relevant ministries and institutions was crucial in dealing with fake news.

He also maintained that the government would continue to protect freedom of speech in the fight against fake news.
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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

The Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) has called on the government to be fair and transparent when attempting to combat the spread of false news.

LBH Pers executive director Nawawi Bahrudin said that the method and criteria should be made transparent to the public.

He added that sufficient evidence was needed to ensure that the governments crackdown would not breach press freedom and the freedom of expression.



The government should make the assessments fair and transparent. The Press Council should also be involved in the process, he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

(Read also: Jokowi declares fight against disseminators of fake news)



The government previously declared a war against the spread of false news that it considers to be haunting the country. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has repeatedly expressed anxiety over the disinformation on social media, including about the latest false news claiming an influx of millions of Chinese workers into Indonesia that had circulated widely in many online media outlets.



The government should bring a case to court and not immediately shut down the media that has allegedly spread fake news, Nawawi said. (jun)
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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

A survey by the Jakarta-based Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) has found that only 0.8 percent of the public admit to disliking the Chinese ethnic group, which comes in contrast to the recently growing claims of anti-China sentiment in the country.

"Statistically, we can say there is no problem [against Chinese groups] in society because the number is insignificant," SMRC founder Saiful Mujani said during a discussion on Thursday.



"If it seems as if the anti-China sentiment was growing recently, the source was not the public. We should be clear on that," he added.

Even in long term survey data, which the SMRC collected from 2001 to this year, public sentiment against ethnic Chinese remained constant as it never went above 1.5 percent.

Saiful viewed recent anti-China sentiments as having been heated up by some parties to gain support for certain issues, such as the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election.

(Read also: 18 Chinese workers found breaching work permits in Bogor)

The Islam Defenders Front (FPI), a group that has long objected to Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, for example, has used the momentum to gather more people to rally against him, a Christian of Chinese descent in the predominantly Muslim country, Saiful said.

Of the more than 1,000 respondents who had been interviewed about intolerance in November this year, 25.5 percent cited the Islamic State (IS) as the group they disliked the most, followed by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group with 16.6 percent and communists with 11.8 percent. (jun)
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

The military police said on Friday that they had named Commodore Bambang Udoyono, a one-star admiral in the Navy, a suspect for allegedly receiving bribes from a company that secured billions of rupiah to supply satellite surveillance systems to the Maritime Security Board (Bakamla).

Investigators at the military police named Bambang, Bakamlas director of data and information, a suspect after they raided his house and found foreign money amounting to SGD 80,000 (US$55,393) and US$15,000.

We will summon BU [to be questioned] as a suspect of corruption, military police chief May. Gen. Dodik Wijanarko said in a press conference at the Indonesian Military headquarters in East Jakarta on Friday.

The military police had investigated Bambang after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) submitted evidence of his alleged malfeasance. The admiral has been accused of rigging the bid for the project worth Rp 222 billion (US$16.4 million) in favor of PT Melati Technofo Indonesia (MTI).

(Read also: KPK looks into large-scale maritime graft)

The identity of Bambang, an official assigned to oversee the project, emerged during the KPKs surveillance of deputy Bakamla chief Eko Susilo Hadi, a non-military official at Bakamla in charge of the budget for the project. Eko was arrested by the KPK on Dec. 14 at Bakamlas office for allegedly accepting Rp 2 billion from MTI. (jun)
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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Fri, December 30, 2016

Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Condro Kirono said the police have been searching for several suspected perpetrators of a raid at Social Kitchen Resto in Surakarta, Central Java.

We have arrested 11 people, six of them were allegedly directly involved in the raid while the five others were accused of orchestrating the incident, he said during a press conference in Semarang on Thursday.

As reported earlier, a group of people launched a raid at Social Kitchen Resto early on the morning of Dec.18. The angry mob injured nine restaurant patrons.

Sri Asmoro Eko Nugroho, 39, alias Eko Wahid and alias Eko Luis, was one of the three alleged perpetrators arrested by the Central Java Police and one of the leaders of Askari Hisbah, an Islamic organization with a strong influence in the Surakarta area.

He has about 300 men, Adj. Sr. Comr. Nanang Haryono of the Central Java Polices general crime investigation directorate said on Tuesday.

Eko and his two colleagues, Mujiono Laksito, 46, and Kombang Saputra, 26, alias Kumbang and alias Azam, respectively, were arrested at Regency, a shop/house in Kartasura, Sukoharjo, Central Java. The police listed 74 names allegedly involved in the attack.

Condro said the raid suspects were not cooperative during the polices investigation. We found messages on their phones, which instructed them to escape and remove any evidence.

Condro further explained they planned the attacks on Dec. 17. They each had a task, beginning with sealing the restaurant to documenting the attacks they carried out, he said.

The suspects will also be charged with theft because the police noticed that there were theft attempts during the raid. (ebf)
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen Mochamad Iriawan has given his assurances that the police will process the lawsuit filed by a group of university students against Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab for allegedly defaming Christianity in one of his speeches.

Iriawan said the police would treat the case just like any other case.

Why wouldnt we have the guts [to investigate Rizieq]? Iriawan asked when a journalist questioned whether the police would dare to process the case against the leader of the mass organization whose members had been involved in many raids against places they considered un-Islamic.

(Read also: Police start investigating FPI leader blasphemy case)

We are still investigating the case. If we feel it is necessary to carry out a case reconstruction, we will do so, Iriawan said.

Rizieq has been reported by the Indonesian Catholic Students Association (PMKRI) for allegedly committing blasphemy in a speech circulated on the Internet. Rizieq was reported along with two other people who allegedly uploaded Rizieqs video on Instagram and Twitter.

In the 22-second long video, Rizieq is recorded as saying: If God gave birth, then who would be the midwife?

Rizieq is accused of violating Article 156 section (a) of the Criminal Code on blasphemy. The charge carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison.

The FPI has said it will report the people who filed the lawsuit against Rizieq for defamation or slander. (bbn)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Poor infrastructure in secondary cities has created a hurdle for the expansion of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) operator PT Fast Food Indonesia.

Fast Food Indonesia director Justinus Dalimin Juwono said that KFC expansion was limited to around 30-40 new outlets per year, mostly in Java. Outside of Java, it was still difficult to distribute chicken and spices due to the condition of roads.

"Outside of Java, it took us five to 10 years to even open the second outlet," Justinus said at the company's media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.

Moreover, he added, the number of chicken suppliers was too small, and as such KFC was forced to set higher prices.

"We hope infrastructure development and the sea toll road will assist distribution in the future," he said.

As of October, KFC has 559 outlets, 335 outlets were in Java and 108 outlets were in Sumatra. PT Fast Food Indonesia owned all of the outlets as the brand principal Yum! Brands, Inc. does not allow Fast Food Indonesia to sub-franchise the restaurant. (evi)
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30 2016

Indonesia continues providing support for peace in the troubled Myanmar state of Rakhine, which is home to the Muslim Rohingya minority.

On Thursday morning, President Joko Jokowi Widodo officially sent humanitarian aid in 10 containers  which came not only from the Indonesian government, but also from its people and a private company  to Rakhine. The aid was in the form of instant noodles, baby food and sarongs.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Jakarta deputy governor candidate Sylviana Murni has said that her husband, Gde Sardjana, who is being questioned by police as a witness in a treason case, was innocent and said the police could monitor her familys activities for 24 hours to prove it.

Just follow us for 24 hours. All of our activities are transparent, said Sylviana, who has been paired with Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono for the Jakarta gubernatorial election on Feb. 15, 2017, as reported by tribunnews.com on Friday.

On Thursday, Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said Gde would be questioned regarding a payment made to a suspect in the case, Jamran, who has been accused of spreading hate speech.

(Read Also: Police to question husband of Jakarta deputy governor candidate Sylviana Murni in treason case.)

Jamran is linked to 10 other treason suspects, including veteran politician Sri Bintang Pamungkas, the daughter of the countrys first president Sukarno, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, artist Ratna Sarumpaet and musician Amad Dhani.

They were arrested in the early morning of Dec. 2, just hours before a massive demonstration against Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama was held in the capital.

Sylviana said that she gave her support to her husband to face the questioning before she left their house for her election campaign.

I kissed his hand and he also gave me support. I believe it is a test [for our family], because those who do good deeds to help the people will surely face many tests, said Sylviana, former Jakarta deputy governor, for tourism and culture affairs. (bbn)
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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Fri, December 30 2016

The number of adolescent females giving birth in Yogyakarta in 2016 remained high, reaching 720 teens from January to November this year, data from the provinces health agency showed.

Although the number is lower than the previous year, in which 1,078 teens were recorded to have given birth, this years figure was still alarming, said Gama Triono, director of the Yogyakarta chapter of the Indonesian Family Planning Association (PKBI).

Sexual abuse among young couples is one of the factors that has led to a high pregnancy rate among teens in Yogyakarta, and marriage is seen as the solution for unwanted pregnancy, and thus they decide to keep their baby, Gama said.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, December 30, 2016

Police arrested a man named Jamil Adil, 47, on Thursday morning for allegedly defacing a wall under the Kebon Baru toll road in North Jakarta with profane words directed at President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

The suspect wrote on the wall and a container under the toll road. It could be considered defamation, North Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Awal Chairuddin said on Friday as reported by tribunnews.com.

Jamil, an unemployed man, had claimed to be a member of the Islamic State (IS) movement, as written on the wall.

"Jamil said that he didn't know why he had written those words. However, he has admitted that he wrote those profane words against the President and the National Police chief," said Cilincing Police station head Comr. Ali Yuzron.

(Read also: Police summon experts in Jokowi defamation case)

Meanwhile, the head of the North Jakarta Criminal Investigation Department, Adj. Sr. Comr Yuldi Yuswan, said that Jamil was being detained in the North Jakarta police office for further investigation.

"We don't know whether this man is pretending to be insane or not," he said, adding that Jamil had also written similar words on other containers and poles. (cal/jun)
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Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, December 31 2016

The City Council has agreed to drop seven projects it has proposed in the 2017 city budget, including the renovations of a fish pond in front of the councils office and the house of the councils speaker, after being advised by the Home Ministry to do so.

We followed the recommendation of the Home Ministry. Just scrap the programs, Council Deputy Speaker Muhammad Taufik said during a meeting with the city administration on Thursday. The total budget allocation for the seven projects is Rp 13.5 billion (US$1 million).

The city council previously set the 2017 city budget at Rp 70.19 trillion. The Home Ministry, however, asked the city to scrap dozens of programs worth Rp 138.1 billion.

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Linkedin Agnes Anya and Ivany Arbi Atina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 31 2016

Worldwide, the year 2016 has gained notoriety for many reasons: the war in Syria (which has triggered a wave of refugees and inspired deadly terrorist attacks), the rise of bigotry and the deaths of pop icons like David Bowie and Prince.

In Indonesia, the year that shall pass has also been exhausting for many of its citizens, with the country descending further into sectarianism and the political temperature rising ahead of the concurrent regional elections.

South Tangerang resident Farid Mardhi, 23, said 2016 was the year of conflict, with fractures between religious groups appearing.

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Assemblyman Sean Kean (RMonmouth, Ocean) issued the following statement condemning the Obama administration for its treatment of Israel and the Jewish people.

In the waning days of its reign, the Obama administration has fired a parting shot at the nation of Israel that jeopardizes peace in the region and threatens the countrys very survival. The administrations failure to vote to block an anti-Israeli United Nations Security Council resolution was exacerbated by the deplorable rhetoric in a speech yesterday by out-going Secretary of State John Kerry.

For eight years, the Obama administration has been no friend to Israel, and through the words of Kerry condemned one of our nations strongest and most loyal allies, assessing blame for the violence and unrest that divides Jews and Palestinians. While Hamas continues to pay life-long monthly stipends to the families of terrorists who attack and kill Israeli troops, police and innocent residents, the lame-duck leadership in D.C. only condemned Israel.

I join with my friends in the Jewish community across the globe, in denouncing the UN resolution and Secretary Kerrys misguided, hate-filled assault on Israels sovereignty.
On the Lower East Side, its been a year of scandal, rampant real estate development, momentous political transitions and even a few exciting new beginnings. Before 2016 becomes a distant memory, we wanted to take some time today to look back on the major stories we covered in the past 12 months and at some of the news items that caught your interest on The Lo-Down.

RIVINGTON HOUSE FIASCO

No story was bigger for us in 2016 than Rivington House. It was actually in late 2015 (in two reports published on Dec. 2 and Dec. 18 to be exact) that we broke the news which would later rock the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio. Three months later, on March 23, the world outside the LES finally learned that the citys Department of Administrative Services had lifted deed restrictions, clearing the way for the luxury condo conversion of a former AIDS nursing home. The revelations led to multiple investigations, policy changes and legislative reform proposals. But while there were vague promises from the mayor to create some type of new senior housing facility on the Lower East Side, the neighborhood has so far been denied what it wants most: the return of Rivington House to the community.

MEGA-TOWERS ON THE WATERFRONT

Residents in the Two Bridges neighborhood were reeling this year as a series of large-scale development projects were announced. They watched as Extell Developments 80-story luxury complex started to rise on the former Cherry Street Pathmark site. In April, executives of JDS Development Group sat down with us, exclusively, to share details of their 77-story tower, cantilevering over a senior building controlled by the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council. As 2016 wound down, developers of big projects at 260 South St. and 259 Clinton St. unveiled big projects along the waterfront. Residents reacted negatively to the plans, but the city rejected calls for a public land use review in the neighborhood. Instead, they agreed to conduct an environmental study, taking a look at the impact of nearly 3,000 new apartments in the area.

ESSEX CROSSING TAKES SHAPE

Two out of four buildings under construction in the big Essex Crossing project topped out this year. Meanwhile, there were a series of announcements concerning high-profile commercial tenants. In October, the development team let it be known that Trader Joes would be taking a 30,000 square foot space in a 15-story mixed-use building at Grand and Clinton streets. Earlier in 2016, NYU Langone Medical Center confirmed it was taking 55,000 square foot in another Essex Crossing building. The developers also kicked off sales for for 55 luxury condos on Ludlow Street and released renderings for the Market Line, a large public market that will stretch across three blocks on Broome and Delancey streets.

THE LOWLINE MOVES FORWARD

During the summer, the City of New York gave conditional approval to a proposal to create a park and community space in an abandoned trolley terminal below Delancey Street. The team behind the project, known as the Lowline, had been seeking access to the site for five years. In an exclusive story this past fall, we published the proposal submitted to the city by the Lowline team, which included many new details regarding their preliminary plan. Heading into 2017, the organization is stepping up its community outreach and fundraising.

ONE POLITICAL ERA ENDS, ANOTHER BEGINS

In May, former Lower East Side Assemblyman Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty last year on federal corruption charges. While the former speaker remained free (appeals are ongoing), a new political era was dawning. Alice Cancel, backed by Silvers political organization, won a special election in the spring to temporarily fill the 65th assembly district seat that Silver had held since 1976. But she was defeated in the Democratic Primary held in September (the longtime community activist took a lot of heat for calling Silver a hero in an interview with The Lo-Down.) Yuh-Line Niou was the victor. The Financial District resident is now poised to become only the second Asian American in the state legislature.

LANDLORDS UNDER FIRE

The state attorney general this year was seen as an ally of Lower East Side tenant advocates in their ongoing battle with notorious local landlords. In May, controversial property owner Steve Croman was arrested and charged with crimes related to what the AG called a campaign to threaten and intimidate rent regulated tenants. In November, the attorney general sued Larry Marolda, another landlord, accusing him of using illegal and unethical tactics. Property owner Samy Mahfar this year agreed to pay tenants in four of his LES buildings around $200,000 to settle several lawsuits. The tenants accused him of allowing toxic dust to waft through their apartments during building renovations. In a separate matter, Mahfar was forced to withdraw an application for zoning changes on East Houston Street due to opposition from City Council member Rosie Mendez.

BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED, NEW CONDOS EVERYWHERE



One of our most clicked on stories of the year was a short post about the approval of demolition permits at 355 Grand St., a 200 year-old row house. The building has now been dismantled, with a new mixed-use project on the way. As the year ends, demolition crews are still on site at the former Rivington Street headquarters of Streits Matzo. Soon builders will start erecting a 7-story condo project with apartment prices starting at about $1 million. The condos are similarly priced at 196 Orchard St., developer Ben Shaouls luxury project that swept away several independent businesses, including the beloved Turkish spot Bereket. Meanwhile, the new owners of the former Bialystoker Nursing Home on East Broadway plan to restore the city-protected landmark, while building new residential towers to accompany it. In the new year, they hope residents of the neighboring Seward Park co-op will sell them development rights for the project.

SMALL BUSINESSES FADE AWAY

It was another brutal year for small businesses on the Lower East Side. Our most read story of the year, by far, was the announcement in January that Fontanas, the big bar and performance space on Eldridge Street was closing after 12 years. The owners told that it, just had become increasingly hard to be an independent business in New York City without compromising your vision. Other closings we tracked: Ludlow Guitars (17 years on the LES), Cake Shop (11 years) Belraf Fabrics (33 years), Reed Space (15 years), Tapeo 29 (12 years), Mission Cantina (3 years), The Little Shoe Store (3 years), Yunnan BBQ (4 years), La Petite Mort (3 years), Lisa Cooley Gallery (6 years), Sams Spring Roll (1.5 years), Cabalito (2 years), Pies & Thighs (1.5 years), C.O.W. Theatre (3 years), Stay Classy Bar (1 year), Lowlife (6 months).

AND OTHERS ARRIVE ON THE SCENE

In spite of the struggles of restaurants and retail ventures, 2016 saw plenty of new arrivals. Notable new neighbors on the Lower East Side and in Chinatown included: The Lucky Bee, a cutting edge Southeast Asian restaurant on Broome Street; Osaka Grub, Arancini Bros. and Top Hops to Go in the Essex Street Market; upscale Italian chain Serafina; Chinese Tuxedo, an ambitious project on Doyers Street; Speedy Romeo, the Brooklyn-based pizza specialist; Delilah, a gussied up bar in the former St. Jeromes space; Lalo, the new Chinatown project from El Rey chef Gerardo Gonzalez; 2 Bridges Music Arts; Saluggis on Grand Street; Bing Kitchen; Soft Swerve, a new ice cream shop on Allen Street; Little Canal; the coffee shop across from Seward Park; and Suffolk Arms, the hotly anticipated cocktail bar from Giuseppe Gonzalez.

ICONIC LES BUSINESSES EXPAND, REVAMP

Beloved Lower East Side institutions were in expansion mode this year. In February, Kossars Bialys reopened after a four-month renovation project, unveiling spiffy new digs on Grand Street, a grill and full-fledged sandwich menu. Just a day or two before 2016 ended, the Pickle Guys soft-opened a new store in a corner spot at Grand and Essex streets, and planned a restaurant in an adjoining space. Meanwhile, Russ & Daughters debuted a brand new restaurant uptown, in the lower level of the Jewish Museum. The revered appetizing store also announced plans for a new 14,000 square foot production facility at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. And finally, Katzs Deli prepared to open a new takeout shop in Brooklyn (that move has been delayed until the spring of 2017).

CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ON THE MOVE



It was a good year for the arts on the Lower East Side. In March, Alexander Olch opened the Metrograph independent movie theater on Ludlow Street. The two-screen cinema, with a stylish second floor restaurant, quickly earned a reputation for high quality programming. It also became a magnet for independent film luminaries, who scheduled their openings at the Metrograph. In the summer, the International Center of Photography relocated from Midtown, opening an 11,000 square foot exhibition space at 250 Bowery. Existing neighborhood cultural organizations also took major steps in 2016. The Tenement Museum kicked off a $12.5 million expansion and planned a new exhibition focused on the years after World War II. We interviewed the museums president, Morris Vogel, about the expansion, as well as other topics. And ABC No Rio moved out of its crumbling Rivington Street headquarters and planned to build a new arts center on the Lower East Side.

WE LOST FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS

Among those who passed in 2016: Carmen Pabon, community activist; Heshy Jacob, Grand Street leader; David Weinberger, district leader; Ron Budinas, Essex Street Market vendor; Jeffrey Ruhalter, Essex Street Market butcher; Al Orensanz, director of the Angel Orensanz Center.

We will see you in 2017.
Bat Out of Hell: The Musical

http://batoutofhellmusical.com/

An American in Paris

https://www.anamericaninparisthemusical.co.uk/

One Love: The Bob Marley Musical

https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/one-love-the-bob-marley-musical.html

Hamilton

http://www.hamiltonthemusical.co.uk/

Created by Jim Steinman, this new epic rock and roll musical will hit up The Manchester Opera House from February 2017. Set in post-apocalyptic Manhattan, the story follows Strat and his gang as he sets out to rescue Raven from her evil father. It will feature 17 of Meat Loafs greatest hits including Bat Out of Hell (obviously), Id Do Anything for Love and Two out of Three Aint Bad. The inspiration for the musical is of course Meat Loafs music from one of the most successful albums in history and with many artist-inspired musicals lighting up some of the biggest theatres this could be a new hit.Following stints in New York and Paris this award winning musical is set to hit Londons Dominion Theatre from March 2017. Inspired by the Oscar winning film of the same name, the production will feature its original stars from Broadway as they tell the story of a young American soldier finding his way after the war. A wonderful romance and already a great reputation, we cant wait for this to hit theatres!Yet another artist inspired musical will be premiering in 2017. One Love starts its journey at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre and features all of Marleys greatest songs including: No Woman No Cry, Exodus and Jamming. The story follows a dramatic turning point in Bob Marleys career as he turns from rising star to global icon whilst his home country is on the brink of war.Its the big one. The long awaited, monster smash hit of a musical will be hitting London theatres in 2017. The show has won a staggering 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy and The Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The musical made its Off-Broadway debut February 2015 and show transferred to Broadway in August 2015  since then Hamilton has taken over the world with its incredible soundtrack and enthralling story. Tickets go on sale in January and theyre going to be damn hard to get hold of so keep your eyes peeled. I do however think Hamilton will be here to stay and become a solid brick in theatre history.
Of all the end-of-year lists, we finally arrive at the most quintessential: the one list to rule them all, our writers collective Top 20 Films of 2016.

And whilst it may well have been one of the most bonkers years on record, film-wise weve been treated to a fair few gooduns.

They might not all be Oscar-worthy, big-budget masterclasses, but the following collection definitely outlines the brightest and boldest our student writership could muster.

So without much further ado, let the countdown begin!



20. American Honey (dir. Andrea Arnold)

What we said: American Honey is a film of a dozen contradictions. Its captivating and fresh, yet its also repetitive and utterly familiar. Its pretentious and ordinary, gorgeous and ugly, stupid and yet profoundly intelligent; it goes from being wildly energetic one moment, to punishingly stationary the next. This is a road movie not only where the destination doesnt matter, it doesnt exist  were all navigating life without a road map and maybe thats just something we have to come to terms with.

Read our full review here



19. Train to Busan (dir. Sang-ho Yeon)

What we said: Theres simply no avoiding the fact that Train to Busan is an absolutely, barnstorming crowdpleaser of a movie, thatll easily satisfy everyone from zombie fans, to disaster junkies and even the non horror-converts. It might be more Towering Inferno than Dawn of the Dead at heart, but Yeon hits all the right buttons over a bizarre (but truly thrilling) mishmash of genres, thats resulted in not just one of the best movies of the year, but probably one of the finest zombie reinventions to date too.

Read our full review here

18. Deadpool (dir. Tim Miller)

What we said: Deadpool is a great change for Marvel films.. An underwhelming villain and finale do not take away from what is an otherwise great film, with all the cursing and audience interaction fans could wish for.

Read our full review here



17. Zootropolis (dir. Byron Howard & Rich Moore)

What we said: "Talking animals in an animation? Nothing new there, but Zootropolis is strangely philosophical for what is usually considered a kids movie. Its yet another example of Disneys genius ability to include silly humour and witty pop culture references that everyone can enjoy, while simultaneously tackling tough issues such as immigration and xenophobia in a way that doesnt make anyone angry  an impressive feat for anyone, let alone a talking bunny.

Words by Harley Alexa

16. Kubo and the Two Strings (dir. Travis Knight)

What we said: Its a film thats completely spellbinding in almost every department from even just its opening alone. From the sharply cut animation, to the endlessly creative plotting, to Dario Marianellis positively entrancing (and neatly oriental) score, every single painstakingly rendered frame just oozes with subtle Japanese nods and inspired artistic vision. Throwaway kids movie this most definitely is not.

Read our full review here



15. Sing Street (dir. John Carney)

What we said: Powered almost entirely by a ridiculously talented cast of newcomers (and Jack Reynor), Carney really took things back to basics with this one, building on some of his best original songs to date to pretty much chart the entire history of 80s pop rock. It might be small in its overall ambitions, but Sing Street is a total treat for the romantic artist in all of us; although it does help a tad if you have a similar affection for Duran Duran and/or The Cure.

14. I, Daniel Blake (dir. Ken Loach)

What we said: I, Daniel Blake is an extremely uncomfortable and thought-provoking return from a director who remains at the very top of his game even at the grand old age of 79. Whether or not Loach now intends to return to a quiet retirement remains to be seen, but let's just hope he's still got a few more of these left in him before he does.

Read our full review here

13. Victoria (dir. Sebastian Schipper)

What we said: Victoria is, after all, very much deserving of its hype; a masterclass in real-time storytelling that covers a huge amount within a limited time frame and a bare-bones narrative. There are few thrillers that unfold as cleverly and uniquely as this one does, and in spite of a few heavy-handed moments of Schipper cutting corners, Victoria stands as arguably one of the year's most exciting releases.

Read our full review here

12. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (dir. Gareth Edwards)

What we said: Ironically, its occasionally a little on the dark side, but on the whole Disneys first big-budget shot at a standalone Star Wars is both hugely clever and thoroughly engrossing, making it a worthwhile gap-filler for an otherwise superior main saga.



Read our full review here



11. Hunt For the Wilderpeople (dir. Taika Waititi)

What we said: Arguably the most feel-good, surprisingly family-friendly, and generally lovely movie of the year, this super ballsy little NZ hit showcases the best of Waititis talents. From spot-on humour, to some genuinely immense storytelling, Hunt For the Wilderpeople is an absolute must for pretty much every audience.

10. Nocturnal Animals (dir. Tom Ford)

What we said: Maintaining shoulder-aching tension throughout the whole two hours, this is possibly one of the most gripping films ever made. A masterful feat of storytelling.

Read our full review here

9. Captain Fantastic (dir. Matt Ross)

What we said: "Matt Ross's sensationally sweet sophmore dramedy not only reminds us all that Viggo Mortensen is more than just the sword-swining Aragorn, it's also one of the most down-to-Earth and cleverly told family-centric films in a long time. Fun, emotional and with its head screwed on perfectly."

8. Dont Breathe (dir. Fede Alvarez)

What we said: With a few meaningless scares and a rather disjointed ending, there is not a lot wrong here and Alvarez creates the perfect horror atmosphere without using ghosts or possessed children, which seems to be the current trend. Don't Breathe is a passionate, well thought out and scary horror movie, which gives hope to the future of the genre.

Read our full review here

7. Room (dir. Lenny Abrahamson)

What we said: With Room, Lenny Abrahamson has achieved a totally new level of drama; one that is both tense, but frequently joyous in its chronicling of the innately human desire to find happiness in even the darkest of places. A contemporary companion to the likes of Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful, it is a profoundly moving experience that promises hope and honesty to all those who willingly invest in its morals. You can't get more powerful than that.

Read our full review here

6. Spotlight (dir. Tom McCarthy)

What we said: Spotlight is a story that needed to be told, and this incredible film deserves endless praise for its boldness and passion. The story of the abuse of the Catholic Church, uncovered by the Boston Globe, is difficult to watch, but the film just oozes with passion. It riles you up like you wouldn't believe but leaves you moved by the triumph of honest journalism.



Words by Hollie Geraghty

5. The Nice Guys (dir. Shane Black)

What we said: Slide in an effortlessly glam setting, a twisty plot and a hefty supporting cast and what remains is a riotously good time at the movies. Well-shot, well-crafted and oozing with nostalgia, its a fun-fuelled, witty wake-up call to the heavily-saturated shelves of Hollywood today: old-school genres definitely still have their place.

Read our full review here

4. Everybody Wants Some!! (dir. Richard Linklater)

What we said: Everybody Wants Some!! is an honest, clear-vision of the past, side-stepping the trap of presenting outlandish stereotypes for comic effect and presenting a wonderful reliving of the 80s.

Read our full review here



3. Green Room (dir. Jeremy Saulnier)

What we said: It mightve benefited from a little more hamminess from Stewart, or perhaps one or two less retreads, but on the whole Green Room is one of the tightest and most exceptionally approached thrillers to be released in years. Few seem to have cracked the wit and wonder of genre filmmaking as well as Saulnier, and we can only hope he continues to deliver.

Read our full review here, and our interview with Jeremy Saulnier here.



2. Captain America: Civil War (dir. Joe & Anthony Russo)

What we said: Civil War proves one of the funnest, funniest and easily one of the most entertaining superhero blockbusters yet. Not only does it label the Russos as welcome successors to the Avengers gaunt, but it also quashes any and all fears that Marvel's character roster is growing a little too wide.

Read our full review here

1. Arrival (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

What we said: After Prisoners and last years Sicario, Arrival establishes Villeneuve as a ridiculously talented director, who knows how to tackle big subjects in a grounded way, all the while making his audience think.

Read our full review here
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Acciona returns to Dakar Rally with electric car

RALLYING: Spanish energy firm Acciona said on Monday (Dec 26) that it will compete in the Dakar Rally next month in Latin America for the third straight year with the only electric vehicle of the gruelling off-road race.

Friday 30 December 2016, 04:00PM

Next January in Asuncion (Paraguay) we will once again cross the starting line of the Dakar, and we will again be the only zero emissions vehicle, the company said in a statement.

We compete in Dakar 2017 with an electric vehicle because we believe 100 per cent in the potential of renewable energy, it added on the Facebook page of its Dakar Rally team.

Some 316 vehicles, including 83 cars and 146 motorbikes, are registered for the 39th Dakar Rally, which will be staged over nearly 9,000 kilometres from January 2-14 in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.

The race will set off from the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion, with race sporting director Marc Coma promising the toughest edition in the history of South American rally-raiding.

Acciona entered its car in the 2015 Dakar Rally, making it the first zero-emissions vehicle to compete in the event, but it pulled out after just three days due to a navigation system malfunction.

The Team Acciona car, which features a lithium battery pack that is supplemented by solar panels, was disqualified from the 2016 Dakar Rally after it failed to make it to the start line for the 11th stage on time.

Founded in 1997, Madrid-based Acciona focuses on the development and management of renewable energy projects and infrastructure around the world.

It posted a net profit of $364 million (B13.11 billion) during the first nine months of the year, more than double it made during the same period last year.
Go Live with brunch at Banyan Tree

Sundays are for sleeping in late, relaxing and spending time with your family, right? Thats exactly why the Go Live Sunday Brunch at Banyan Tree is the right place to go this, or any, Sunday.



By The Phuket News

Friday 30 December 2016, 12:00PM

Starting at the sensible time of 12 noon, so you can still get that sleep in, you arrive at the reception area of Banyan Tree Phuket, hand your car keys to the valet, and step into the friendly atmosphere at one of Phukets most desired resorts.

A short stroll down the stairs to Saffron Restaurant you are greeted with smiles and cold towels and an array of food stations lining almost every available space of the air-conditioned dining area.

Japanese sushi, pasta, imported cheese and cold cuts, crabs, oysters, mussels and the endless dessert selection bombard all of the senses.

As we were sitting near the station, it wasnt long before our plates had a small sampling of the desserts  dont judge us, it was Sunday after all  so we could start on the sweet stuff.

Venturing out of the air conditioning to the lakeside area, where the Jazz band was in full swing, the toes started to tap to the music and the smiles on our faces grew bigger once we saw the barbecue lined up with Canadian lobsters, that were until recently still crawling around the plate, enormous king prawns, local fish, pork and beef skewers. Not to mention one of the best Thai noodle stations, corn on the cob and hot baked potatoes.

Looking up from our plates from time to time, you see there are a number of local faces laughing and eating with family and friends, mixed in with the resorts guests, proving that this brunch is not just for guests but a coming together of locals and visitors alike for the love of great food and truly a great reason to Go Live on a Sunday.





Go Live Sunday Brunch at Banyan Tree Phuket. Every Sunday 12 noon till 3pm.

076 372 400

FB-Phuket@banyantree.com

banyantree.com
Koh Yao Noi resort Ani Villas is cultivating new ground in hospitality

When Breaking Bads Aaron Paul tweeted news about the surprise celebration vacation hed planned for his wifes 30th birthday in early December, the American celebrity media couldnt post their own follow-up stories fast enough.



By The Phuket News

Friday 30 December 2016, 10:00AM

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Ani Villas is a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

All of a sudden Ani Villas on Koh Yao Noi was all over People, Instyle and Yahoo. Absolutely stunning, said the Daily Mail, picturing Ani Villas from on high.

What Aaron Paul did for his wifes birthday is what rising numbers of travellers the world over, celebrity and non-celebrity alike, are doing in recognition of birthdays and other milestone moments on the journey from cradle to grave.

It used to be that people might splurge for a big destination wedding. But these days birthdays are edging out weddings as the reason people come together and rent out an entire resort. Which is what you get at Ani Villas, a private resort that books only one party on property at a time.

Indeed, Bloomberg Pursuits in November ran a story that pointed out how more and more people wanted an entire resort for their own getaway. Forget private villas, Bloomberg said. Guests now want the entire resort to themselves.

Private resorts are a relatively new concept, said Ani Villas CEO, Ira Bloom.

Until fairly recently, those who wanted the exclusivity of a private estate and all of the human resources of a hotel have been obliged to buy out an entire resort of say 50-plus rooms  limiting the option to royalty and titans of industry.

Our collection, including our 10-bedroom estate on Koh Yao Noi, delivers this same experience to a broader market  with greater value compared to taking 10 bedrooms at a five-star resort.

Ani Villas are staffed with a dedicated general manager, an executive chef, spa therapist, bartender, housekeeping staff and grounds crew.

Given the private resorts design pedigree, inspired settings and spare-no-expense budget on everything from marble to high-thread-count sheets, an apt comparison are Adrian Zechas Aman Resorts. But at Ani Villas, everyone knows your name, and youll know everyones name, too.

In line with the its all yours slogan that the resort touts, stays at Ani Villas include all food, drink, spa and other on-site leisure pursuits from cooking classes and childrens arts and crafts to personal training and paddle boarding.

Nightly rates with these inclusions start at US$4,000 (about B143,760) in low season for up to eight guests and rise to $16,000 (about B575,000) for 30 guests over the holidays.

The private resort concept taps a growing trend among groups of people who want to vacation in company, though not with strangers. Ten years ago, the travel industry minted a phrase to describe the movement  togethering  and theres been nothing but momentum ever since.

One New York-based consultancy group earlier this year found that nearly half of the top one per cent of US travellers plan to vacation with friends, 41 per cent with kids and almost a third as part of a multi-generation party. Research released by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) this year shows that three of every four adults over 45 plan to observe a life milestone on holiday with friends.

Tim Reynolds, a one-time Wall Street trader, founded Ani Villas in Anguilla in 2010 as a bold new move in the realm of hospitality, and as a complement to a philanthropic mission. For every private resort, there is an Ani Art Academy, an independent school thats fully funded by the Tim Reynolds Foundation and that offers a free, comprehensive drawing and painting program to communities surrounding each private resort, and at two additional locations in the United States.

The Ani Art Academy on Koh Yao Noi opened in 2015 together with the private resort.

Ani Villas also opened in Sri Lanka at the end of last year, with their fourth private resort now slated to open in the summer of 2017 in the Dominican Republic.

For more information or bookings visit: www.anivillas.com
NLA passes bill to tweak Sangha Act

BANGKOK: The National Legislative Assembly passed in three straight readings Thursday (Dec 29) a bill to amend the 1992 Sangha Act in what is seen as a move likely to diminish the chances of Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn becoming supreme patriarch.

Friday 30 December 2016, 09:54AM

Members of the National Legislative Assembly voted 182-0 with six abstentions. Photo: Chanat Katanyu

The shock passage of the amended law lifts conditions positioning Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, widely known as Somdet Chuang, as the sole candidate.

The amendment, which restores an old tradition in which the King reserves the right to name the supreme patriarch, means that seven other senior monks on the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) now have a shot.

The quick passage of the bill has also come as a shock to supporters of Somdet Chuang, the abbot of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen who was in January nominated by the SSC to be the new supreme patriarch. He is the most senior monk in the SSC.

The amendment bill was proposed on Tuesday amid opposition from supporters of Somdet Chuang.

The assembly spent only 58 minutes scrutinising the draft which sailed through with 182 votes in favour and six abstentions.

The amendment, which targets Section 7 of the Sangha Act, will take effect after being published in the Royal Gazette.

Section 7 has been amended to say the King appoints a supreme patriarch while the prime minister countersigns the appointment.

Previously it said the King appoints a successor to the supreme patriarch after his predecessor has left office or is unable to perform his duties and that the prime minister, with the SSCs consent, nominates the candidate to be royally appointed as the new supreme patriarch.

By the old law, the monk who can be nominated must be the most senior monk with the title somdet phra rajagana, or somdet for short.

The amended law takes this condition out and leaves it to the royal prerogative.

Prime Ministers Office Minister Ormsin Chivapruck observed the NLAs deliberation of the amendment bill. The NLA proceeded after being told the cabinet had no objections.

A source close to the NLA said the amendment will remove conditions that make Somdet Chuang the sole candidate for the supreme patriarch seat.

All eight senior somdets, including Somdet Chuang, are now eligible.

Previously, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha could submit only the nomination of Somdet Chuang for royal endorsement, according to the source.

Gen Prayut has put on hold the forwarding of the nomination because the senior monk faces criminal charges in connection with car tax evasion.

Phra Methithammajarn, secretary-general of the Buddhism Protection Centre of Thailand, cried foul Thursday over the quick passage of the amendment, saying the move was unusual.

He said the NLAs meeting was supposed to brief the governments representative, not cast a vote.

Our group will discuss the next move but we have to tread carefully. The situation is volatile, he said.

The monk said it is possible the amendment is intended to block Somdet Chuang from assuming the supreme patriarchs post and warned the NLA to take responsibility for any complications that might follow.

But NLA member Somchai Sawaengkarn said the amendment is not intended to block anyone as claimed by critics and instead it will eliminate the seniority rule.

However, he said it does not mean Somdet Chuang, as the most senior monk, will miss out on the post.

NLA vice-president Surachai Liangboonlertchai said Thursday there was no hidden agenda involved in the assemblys three straight readings of the bill.

Sulak Sivaraksa, a Buddhist scholar, backed the amendment, saying it is likely to break the impasse over the nomination of the supreme patriarch.

In his Facebook message, Mr Sulak said Somdet Chuang is embroiled in a car tax evasion scandal so the government is reluctant to submit his nomination for royal endorsement.

He also criticised the monks who lambasted the government for intervening in monastic affairs, saying they were wrong to say so because monks are not excluded from the secular world.

There are certain activities where state authorities are responsible. The prime minister, for example, has to countersign the appointment of senior monks, he said.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai member Samart Kaewmeechai disagreed with the NLAs move, saying the amendment could cause divisions.

Read original story here.
Phuket beach excavation mired in silence, double-standards

PHUKET: A backhoe driver excavating sand on Bang Tao Beach while completing a government project to improve the public wastewater-treatment system in the area has been arrested for operating the backhoe on the beach without a permit.



By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 30 December 2016, 03:05PM

The excavation was part of a project to upgrade the wastewater-treatment facilities in the area. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The excavation was part of a project to upgrade the wastewater-treatment facilities in the area. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Tourists look on as the backhoe excavates a canal at Phukets popular Bang Tao Beach. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Tourists look on as the backhoe excavates a canal at Phukets popular Bang Tao Beach. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Officers arrested Prasit Popthong at 10:30am on Dec 21 when they found him excavating sand on Bang Tao Beach. Mr Prasit was taken to Cherng Talay Police Station for questioning and the backhoe was seized.

However, Cherng Talay Police Chief Col Serm Kwannimit has since declined to disclose in detail the ongoing police action in the case.

Asked what charges, if any, Mr Prasit was facing, Col Serm replied, I cannot reveal that at this time as the case is still under investigation.

Asked what action police were taking against Prayongsin Kanyotha Co Ltd, which was hired by the Cherng Talay Tambon Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor) to carry out the project, Col Serm curtly said, If they want their backhoe back to continue the work, they will need to present the backhoe registration.

Oddly, Col Serm made no mention of police needing to see any permit the company may have to operate the backhoe on the beach in order to carry out a government project.

However, Col Serm did confirm that he had informed the Phuket Marine Office of the incident.

To this Phuket Marine Office Director Surat Sirisaiyad told The Phuket News this week that he had no knowledge of the backhoe on Bang Tao Beach  despite The Phuket News receiving photos plainly showing Phuket Marine officials investigating the incident at Bang Tao Beach.

I have not received any report about this case yet. Please ask police about their charge, was all Mr Surat would say.

Mr Surats non-committed reaction to news of the Bang Tao beach excavation starkly contrasted his offices heavy-handed crackdown on any beach construction in recent weeks.

Earlier this month the Phuket Marine Office ordered to a halt the construction of a government-built seawall in Karon to prevent beach erosion, while last month Mr Surats office stopped an artificial reef project at Tha Chat Chai and ordered the removal of a floating jetty at Kamala that already had permission from the local authority. (See stories here, here and here.)

In each case, Mr Surats officers, and Mr Surat himself, enounced that the Phuket Marine Office must be informed of  and give permission for  any beach construction.

In the Kamala floating jetty and Tha Chat Chai artificial reef cases, Mr Surat threatened legal action against the government-hired contractors for destroying natural resources.

Meanwhile, Cherng Talay OrBorTor Chief Administrative Office (Palad) Krichanut Suphantakij is unfazed by Mr Prasits arrest and the police seizure of the government-contracted backhoe.

That part of the project to improve the wastewater-treatment system there is already complete, he said.

Anyway, although the backhoe was on public land, the operator was not excavating the sand for construction  he was placing blocks as part of the project, he added.

The project taht the backhoe was used for nearly completes Phase I of the greater project to upgrade the wastewater-treatment facilities for Bang Tao and Surin beaches, Mr Krichanut explained.

We have only about 10% of Phase I still to complete. There are only small jobs to complete, such as installing some more PVC pipes and the electrical system for the water pumps, he said.

Phase II is scheduled for completion on July 29, 2017, but we will need to carry out tests for 60 days before July 29 to make sure everything works according to plan.

When the entire system is fully operational, it should solve the problems with wastewater in both the Surin Beach and Bang Tao Beach areas, he added.

Only weeks ago did wastewater at Surin Beach, just south of Bang Tao, make headlines yet again, with black, sepid wastewater streaming onto the tourist-popular beach. (See story here.)

For years the beachfront vendors at Surin were blamed for the fetid wastewater pouring onto the sand. However, the flow of wastewater onto Surin Beach has continued despite Army-led demolition teams destroying all beachfront businesses at Surin in April this year. (See story here.)

Meanwhile, the issue of wastewater pouring onto Surin Beach presents a problem for local authorities as the beach has been selected an B800 million makeover to create Rajabhakti Park to honour the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Royal Highness Sirikit, who is now queen dowager of Thailand as she was the queen consort of King Bhumibol and is the mother of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. (See story here.)
Sick Dutch boy's nail-varnish dare nets over 2.5mn euros

NETHERLANDS: A terminally ill six-year-old Dutch boy, who hoped to raise a few hundred euros by daring people to paint their nails, has raised more than 2.5 million euros (B94mn).

healthcharity

By AFP

Friday 30 December 2016, 10:00AM

Dutch radio DJs Domien Verschuuren (left) and Frank van der Lende show 6-year-old Tijn Kolsteren how much money they have raised during a recent fundraising campaign. Photo: Sander Koning/AFP

Tijn Kolsteren, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in May, launched the appeal only one week ago, but it fired the imagination of the public. The charity drive ended last Saturday (Dec 24) and raised over 2.5mn euro.

With his nail-painting dare he wanted to help children suffering from pneumonia, the Dutch public newscaster NOS reported.

It was an enormous success  from DJ Armin van Buuren to Prime Minister Mark Rutte and many other famous celebrities had their nails painted, it said.

Paint your nails, make a donation and then challenge three of your friends to do the same, dared the donation page, which invited participants to share their pictures on social media using the hashtag #lakaan (meaning the polish is on).

The appeal is part of a traditional event in The Netherlands where radio DJs lock themselves away for several days without food or drink to raise money. This year, proceeds are going to the Red Cross.

Rutte joined the DJs late last Friday (Dec 23) and opted for a deep blue for his own nails.

Tijns family learned only last week that a course of chemotherapy had failed to reduce the size of his cancer.

Despite this bad news, we wanted to do something for children who wont maybe even make it to six, his father Gerrit told the NOS.

We came up with the idea together: Tijn had already painted his nails with a friend and liked it. I wanted to do something similar to the Ice Bucket challenge and men painting their nails is a bit taboo, he added, referring to the internet craze that raised millions.

The Dutch press hailed the boy as a hero, with the tabloid AD last Friday putting a picture of him dressed as a superhero under the headline SuperTijn.
Syria regime, rebels agree nationwide ceasefire

SYRIA: More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 Syria's army and key ally Russia Thursday (Dec 29) announced a nationwide ceasefire that took effect at midnight, in a potential major breakthrough after nearly six years of civil war.

violencedeathmilitary

By AFP

Friday 30 December 2016, 09:38AM

Syrian pro-government forces walk as snow falls in Aleppo on December 21, 2016 Photo: AFP

The deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, but does not involve Washington, which has negotiated previous ceasefires with Moscow.

The agreement, hailed by Syrias government as a real opportunity to find a political solution to the war, comes a week after the regime recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced the deal, said Damascus and the main forces of the armed opposition had inked a truce and a document expressing a readiness to start peace talks.

Several hours ago, the event occurred that we have not only been waiting for but been working so much to hasten, Putin said in a meeting with his defence and foreign ministers.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a historic opportunity to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Syrias army said it would halt all military operations from midnight (5am Friday, Dec 30, Phuket time) and a leading opposition body, the National Coalition, voiced its support for the truce.

Putin said he would also reduce Moscows military contingent in Syria that has been flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad since last year.

The Kremlin strongman, however, said Russia would continue to fight terrorism in Syria and maintain its support for the regime.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said seven opposition groups, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, had signed the deal and those who failed to adhere would be considered terrorists.

Erdogan indicated Turkey would press on with its four-month incursion into Syria against Islamic State group (IS) jihadists and Kurdish militia.

Astana peace talks

Syrias army said the deal did not include IS and the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front.

That could cause complications in areas like Idlib in northwestern Syria, where Fateh al-Sham is allied with rebel groups that have signed on to the deal.

Syrias political opposition and rebels confirmed their backing for the truce, saying it applied to all parts of the country.

The agreement is for all of Syria and contains no exceptions or preconditions, said Osama Abou Zeid, a legal adviser to rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner.

The agreement comes after Turkey and Russia brokered a deal to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

Moscow and Ankara are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start soon in Kazakhstans capital Astana.

Now we need to do everything for these agreements to come into force, for them to work, so that the negotiating teams that have been or are being formed promptly and as soon as possible arrive in Astana, Putin said.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would pave the way for productive talks in Kazakhstan, but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue early next year.

22 killed in rebel areas

Russia and Turkey have both said the peace talks they will supervise are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them entirely.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia, Turkey and Iran were arranging for the talks and pressing for other key international players to get involved.

Lavrov said Moscow would invite Egypt and try to attract other regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan.

He added Moscow would seek to involve US President-elect Donald Trumps administration once he takes office in less than a month, but the process does not appear to involve outgoing President Barack Obamas administration.

The US State Department called the ceasefire deal a positive development and said it hoped it would lead to fresh negotiations on Syrias political future.

Abou Zeid confirmed the truce deal was intended to pave the way for new talks in Astana, with the High Negotiations Committee that has represented the opposition at previous negotiations expected to participate.

Turkey has long backed Syrias opposition, and its relations with Russia soured last year after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane.

But the two countries have worked closely of late on Syria, and Turkey was conspicuously quiet as Assads forces retook Aleppo.

In the hours before the ceasefire was to take effect, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, reported at least 22 civilians, including 10 children, were killed in air strikes and artillery fire on rebel-held territory near Damascus.
After 20 years as the Codington County auditor, Cindy Brugman retires

Codington County Auditor Cindy Brugman will see through one more election night ballot count before passing her title down to Brenda Hanten.
Iraqi army and special forces commanders gather to discuss battle plans in the eastern section of Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. Iraqi troops backed by U.S.-led airstrikes pushed deeper into eastern Mosul on Thursday in a multi-pronged assault after a two-week lull in the operation to retake the Islamic State-held city. (AP Photo/Hamza Hendawi)
LETTER: Instead of dropping 'The Ode,' find another way to honour Labrador

Many writers to the Telegram have chimed in, some with vitriol, on the decision by MUN not to sing "The Ode to Newfoundland" at the recent or future graduation convocations. I am astonished, however, at the number who see no problem with changing its ...
Organization: International

Rescue Committee (IRC)

Duty Station: Uganda

Reports to: Deputy Director

of Operations

About Us:

The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and

livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and

gain control of their future. It was created by Albert Einstein more than 80

years and has been working in Uganda since 1998. It has particularly working in

the conflict zones where tens of thousands of people have been kills and over

1.6 million displaced. Following a peace agreement in 2006, Ugandans are

returning home and looking to rebuild their lives. The IRC is there to protect

women and children from violence and exploitation by fostering a safe

environment and encouraging education, and is supporting farmers and small

businesses, and helping communities promote peace and long-term development.

Job Summary: The Field

Coordinator will oversee IRCs response in the Yumbe Field Site and is

responsible for supporting, coordinating and supervising timely and

high-quality program implementation, with a specific focus in ensuring

effective functionality of all the support functions of the program. The incumbent will provide supervision and

leadership to both program and operational teams in the field site, ensuring

adherence to agreed work plans and reporting schedules as well as full

compliance to IRCs policies in the areas of Finance, HR, Supply Chain,

Security and ICT. The Field Coordinator

will be responsible for grant management and reporting. S/He will be also be responsible for direct

supervision and monitoring of Zone Five (5) Field Manager, Human Resources,

Administration, Logistics, Finance and all program functions to ensure strict

compliance to all IRC procedures/policies.

The FC will oversee day to day management of Staff Safety and security

during all phases of field operations.



Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities:

Program Management:

Oversee the day-to-day implementation of

all programs in the field site, providing constructive supervision to the

program managers to implement, monitor and evaluate work plans and

monitoring & evaluation mechanisms as agreed with the Deputy Director

Programs.

Work in close collaboration with relevant

Technical Coordinator(s), lead the field-based teams in the development of

new proposals and initiatives for the Yumbe field site in accordance with

the country program strategic plan and IRC program framework.

Actively participate in the development of

budgets for program proposals in conjunction with the grants and finance

departments.

Grants Management and Reporting:

Work in close coordination with the Grants

department and the relevant Technical Coordinator(s), lead field-level

Grants Opening, Mid-Term and Closing meetings.

Review operational aspects of internal and

external reports from the field site and ensure timely submission as

required

Take lead in the review of Budget vs.

Actual expenditure on a monthly basis with staff, ensuring timely and

accurate feedback to the relevant Technical Coordinator(s) and the Grants,

Finance and Supply Chain departments.

Work in liaison with the Technical

Coordinator(s) address any over/under expenditure issues through jointly

developed corrective plans.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

Ensure appropriate M&E activities are

carried out regularly by program staff in all sectors (data collection

& analysis, monitoring of project progress against established work

plans, monitoring of established indicators and utilization of results to

inform program (re-)design);

Support in Identifying gaps in M&E

systems and make recommendations for improvements;

Strategic Planning:

Support the integration of program

activities to create coherent, quality and complimentary programming;

Specific focus to ensure strong integration of program support functions

with direct program related activities

Participate in workshops at field level to

establish and monitor annual operating plans for the strategic plan;

Ensure that all project activities are

consistent with established best practices and IRCs Program Framework

principles.

Human Resource Management:

Maintain open and professional relations

with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight

and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.

Ensure all staff in the field site know

and understand IRCs Global and in-country HR Policies and the IRC Way

Standards for professional Conduct. Document and address breaches of

policy and disciplinary issues in coordination with the Senior HR

Coordinator in a professional manner and in line with the letter and

spirit of the relevant policy.

Ensure the Performance Management cycle is

implemented and documented timely for all staff in the field site. Ensure

feedback from technical coordinators is sought and incorporated in

performance management cycles of program managers and heads of department,

including but not limited to technical performance and capacity building

needs.

Provide direct supervision to the field

sites HR lead, ensuring recruitment, staff orientation, and payroll

preparation, leave management and exit management processes are carried

out timely and in line with relevant policies and procedures.

Ensure that staff have capacity

development plans in place based on documented capacity needs assessments

exercise. Work with the appropriate technical resource (for example the

Technical Coordinators) to achieve this

Finance and Supply Chain and ICT Management:

In close coordination with the Finance

department, lead the development and management of annual, comprehensive

and inclusive field operating budgets.

Oversee the financial management of field

office operations by the Program Managers, and the Finance staff,

including cash management, issuing and tracking advances, ensuring

complete and correct use of all finance forms; timely notice to Nairobi of

cash transfer needs;

Ensure proper financial, supply chain and

ICT management systems and control mechanisms are in place and adhered to

in line with the IRCs global and in-country finance and supply chain

policies.

Oversee the carrying out of supply chain

support operations by Yumbe supply chain staff, including procurement

(both local and through Nairobi), stock management, asset management,

vehicle operations, equipment maintenance and repair (including

communications and computer equipment);

Provide supervision and leadership to the

field sites finance and supply chain teams.

Review and ensure timely submission of

monthly and annual finance and supply chain reports from the field site as

required.

Security Management:

Act as IRCs Security Focal Point for the

field site.

Ensure all staff in the field site know

and understand IRC Yumbes security regulations; Document and address

breaches of policy and disciplinary issues in coordination with the

Security Manager.

Monitor the Yumbe security situation,

attend security meetings and inform the Security Manager, and SMT where

appropriate, of developments through submission of accurate weekly and

where needed- ad-hoc security and incident reports.

Participate in the review and update of

the country Security Management Plan.

Support the Security Manager in developing

field specific Contingency Plans, Medevac, Evacuation Plans and SOPs.

Assist the Security Manager with

developing training plans for staff and conducting trainings.

Representation and Coordination

Represent the IRC with local government

authorities (administrative, sectoral and security officials), non-state

actors, UN agencies, NGOs, and donors at the field site level. Engage and

or delegate to program staff for sector representation as appropriate.

Represent the IRC with beneficiaries and

communities to encourage accountability to those we serve

Upon request by the Senior Management

Team, organize and facilitate field visits for stakeholders interested in

IRCs Yumbe response.

Coordinate IRC program activities with relevant

officials and other humanitarian agencies;

Assist in the preparation of regular

reports to keep partners and stakeholders informed of IRCs activities;

Key Result Areas:

Strategic Leadership in effective program

design and implementation, grant compliance with key focus on the IRC

Country Strategic Plan and the IRC Global Program Framework.

Effective representation of the IRC in key

forums (Partners, stake holder, donor) articulating IRC programming,

country strategies and seeking to strengthen coordination/partnerships.

Continuously monitoring and analysis of

the Humanitarian situation/context in West Nile area to inform on

strategic design of the IRC programming.

Continuously monitoring and analyzing the

safety and security situation within the County that would inform on

development of contextual Advisories and SOPs that would ensure staff

safety during all IRC operations.

Optimal and effective resource utilization

in the overall IRC operations through implementation approaches in both

programming and operations

Contribute towards development of the IRC

policies, procedures and ensure adherence and compliance by all field

staff



Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:

The ideal candidates for the IRC Field

Coordinator job opportunity should hold a Graduate degree in Development

Studies, International Relations or similar OR relevant technical

qualification (Health, Engineering, Livelihood, Gender etc.) preferred.

A minimum of five years experience of

implementing multi-sectorial humanitarian relief or development projects

in Africa or similar context preferred.

Previous experience of working in complex

emergency settings implementing and managing either Primary Health, WASH,

GBV, Livelihoods, Nutrition or HIV/AIDS programs in emergency or refugee

settings.

Broad knowledge of and experience in

working with and coordinating with international and national partner

organizations.

Previous experience in managing a UNHCR,

UNICEF, PEFPAR/CDC, USAID, ECHO, DFID, EU or OFDA funded project an added

advantage

Excellent written and oral communication

skills

Budget development and strong budget

management experience

Excellent org. skills with demonstrated

ability to manage large amounts of information and prioritize work

Good security management skills preferred.

Good working knowledge of communications

systems (satellite communications, VHF and HF radio) preferred.

Good working knowledge of computer

software: MS Word, Excel & email applications required; MS Access,

Project & GIS preferred.

Strong sense of personal integrity.

Keen attention to detail.

Strong supervisory skills.

Ability to multi-task.

Good interpersonal and communication

skills.

Team spirit and problem solving abilities.

Willingness to live and productively work

in insecure, unstable and/or harsh environments

Flexibility and adaptability

Desire to learn

Cultural sensitivity

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their

applications online at the link below.

st

February 2017 Deadline: 21February 2017
Job Title: Senior Registration Assistant

Organisation: United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Position No.: 10026820

Vacancy Notice: 33/2016

Duty Station: Arua, Uganda

Post Grade: GL5

About UNHCR:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was

established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly.

UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international

protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees

and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate

concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under

Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Job Summary: The Senior

Registration Assistant will be responsible for supporting all activities

related to registration, which will also include functions related to

reception, filing and data management. The incumbent will provide counselling

to, and responds to queries from, asylum seekers and refugees regarding UNHCRs

registration procedures and their rights and entitlements. The jobholder will

also work closely with protection staff and partners to ensure timely

identification and referral of persons of concern for protection follow up. The

Senior Registration Assistant will assist in compiling and analyzing

information related to registration activities in the operation. The Senior

Registration Assistant will provide interpretation and/or translation services

in cases for which s/he has the required language competencies.



Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities:

Offer support in the implementation of

registration strategies and methodologies for populations of concern.

Carry out registration interviews when

required in accordance with registration standards and guidance.

Provide counselling to, and responds to

queries from, asylum seekers and refugees regarding UNHCRs registration

procedures and their rights and entitlements.

Maintain accurate and up-to date records

and data related to all individual registration cases.

Identify persons with specific needs and

ensure timely referral to protection follow-up as required.

Work closely with protection staff and/or

partners in the delivery of assistance and programming, including

provision of identity and entitlement documentation.

Draft correspondence and reports relating

to registration activities in the operation, when required

Provide statistics and draft reports

related to registration data, as requested.

Act as interpreter and translator when

needed.

Perform any other related duties as

required.

Key Performance Indicators:

UNHCRs Registration Standard Operating

Procedures (SOPs) are implemented in accordance with relevant UNHCR

standards and policies.

Persons of concern have fair and

transparent access to registration procedures.



Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:

The ideal candidate for the United Nations

UNHCR Senior Registration Assistant career opportunity should have

completed secondary education with post-secondary training/certificate in

Social science, Statistics, Mathematics, Information Technology, or

related fields.

At least five years of relevant job

experience.

Good computer skills, particularly in data

management.

Excellent knowledge of English and local

language.

How to Apply:

All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are

encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions

after reviewing the job details.

th

January, 2017 Deadline: 4January, 2017
But the tribe has a long way to go
The dragon has breathed fire yet again. Continuing its stand over 26/11 mastermind Masood Azhar, China chose to block the proposal to list him as a designated terrorist at the 1267 committee of the United Nations.

With China blocking Azhars name on the list, this resolution now goes into cold storage. If India wants to continue the process, a fresh resolution will have to be moved.

This decision by China is surprising as they themselves have been affected by the scourge of terrorism and has declared opposition to all forms of terrorism, said spokesperson of ministry of external affairs Vikas Swarup. The inability of the international community to list the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammad confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism, said Swarup.

The refusal to brand Azhar a terrorist has become a prickly issue between India and Chinaand points to heightened tensions between the neighbours. China has been standing firm on the issue of Indias membership to the NSG too. So far, there seems to be no breakthrough in sight. For Indiaon a mission to isolate Pakistan internationallyhaving Azhar on the list would have been an important step forward. But with China firmly in Pakistans corner, it will be a tough ask for India.
A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start after midnight on Friday in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of bloodshed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition.

Monitors and a rebel official reported clashes between insurgents and government forces along the provincial boundary between Idlib and Hama, and isolated incidents of gunfire further south less than two hours after the truce began. Warring sides appeared to have stopped firing in many other areas, however.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States could join the peace process once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. He also wanted Egypt to join, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the United Nations.

A number of rebel groups have signed the agreement, Russia's Defence Ministry said. Several rebel officials acknowledged the deal, and a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a loose alliance of insurgent groups, said it would abide by the truce.

One FSA commander was optimistic about the truce deal, the third serious attempt this year at a nationwide ceasefire.

"This time I have confidence in its seriousness. There is new international input," Colonel Fares al-Bayoush said without elaborating.

Syria's civil war, which began when a peaceful uprising descended into violence in 2011, has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths and displaced over 11 million people, half its pre-war population.

The ceasefire, in the waning days of President Barack Obama's administration, was the first major international diplomatic initiative in the Middle East in decades not to involve the United States.

Previous collapses

The previous two Syria ceasefires, brokered by Cold War foes Washington and Moscow, took effect in February and September but both collapsed within weeks as warring sides accused each other of truce violations and fighting intensified.

Putin said the parties were also prepared to start peace talks intended to take place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Syrian state media said late on Thursday that these talks would take place "soon".

The Syrian government will be negotiating from a strong position after its army and their allies, including Shi'ite militias supported by Iran, along with Russian air power, routed rebels in their last major urban stronghold of Aleppo this month.

Moscow's air campaign since September last year has turned the civil war in Assad's favor, and the last rebels left Aleppo for areas that are still under rebel control to the west of the city, including the province of Idlib.

Before talks can take place, the ceasefire will have to hold.

In a sign that the latest truce could be as challenging to maintain as its predecessors, there was confusion over which rebel groups would be covered by the ceasefire.

The Syrian army said the agreement did not include the radical Islamist group Islamic State, fighters affiliated to al Qaeda's former branch the Nusra Front, or any factions linked to those jihadist groups.

But several rebel officials said the agreement did include the former Nusra Front - now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Shamwhich announced in July that it was severing ties with al Qaeda.

The powerful Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham meanwhile said it had not signed the ceasefire agreement because of "reservations", which it would make clear in due course.

Assad in strong position

The deal also follows a thaw in ties between Russia and Turkey.

Talks on the latest truce picked up momentum after Russia, Iran and Turkey last week said they were ready to back a peace deal and adopted a declaration setting out principles for an agreement.

Putin said opposition groups and the Syrian government had signed a number of documents, including the ceasefire, measures to monitor the truce, and a statement on readiness to start peace talks.

While Ankara has been a big sponsor of the rebellion, Assad's removal has become a secondary concern to fighting the expansion of Kurdish influence in northern Syria. The chances of Assad's opponents forcing him from power now seem more remote than at any point in the war.

The United States has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due to attend the next round of peace talks in Kazakhstan, a key Russian ally.

Its exclusion reflects growing frustration from both Turkey and Russia over Washington's policy on Syria, officials have said.

Washington said the news of a ceasefire was a positive.

"We hope it will be implemented fully and respected by all parties," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

James Dobbins, a former senior US diplomat, said the lack of American involvement in the talks between Russia, Iran and Turkey did not preclude the United States being a major player in the region.

In this case, it was frozen out because Obama leaves office in less than a month and because Turkey and Russia are at odds with the United States over its Syria policy and other issues, said Dobbins, a fellow at RAND, a research organisation.

Trump has said he would cooperate more closely with Russia to fight terrorism but it was unclear what that policy would look like given resistance from the Pentagon and the US intelligence community for closer cooperation with Russia on Syria.
Domru Kilo lives in a shack at Ramguda village in Odishas Malkangiri district, which borders Chhattisgarh to the north and Andhra Pradesh to the south. In his early thirties, Domru has never been a beneficiary of any government scheme, nor have politicians come to his village seeking his vote. In fact, he grew up without knowing much about what lay beyond the lush green mountains and the Balimela reservoir that border Ramguda.

His seemingly idyllic village, however, is part of the Dandakaranya muktanchal, the free zone of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). With their firearms and other, cruder, weapons, the Maoists rule by diktat here. Their grip over the region is so firm that Domru had never seen a policeman enter his village, not until the horror on the midnight of October 23 and 24.

That night, about 100 metres from Domrus house, top leaders of the CPI (Maoist) were holding a meeting. Farther away were their gunmen, preparing dinner for the group. Out of nowhere came two helicopters, which began firing down on them. The Maoists were taken by surprise, and trapped. On ground, they were surrounded by the elite Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh and the Special Operation Group of Odisha. Bullets flew, and two choppers landed on the banks of the reservoir, recalled Domru. More than two dozen security personnel got down and surrounded the village.

Witnesses said there were around 40 security personnel on the ground and about 50 on the choppers. But the men of our party (Maoists) outnumbered the security forces, said Domru. Many leaders managed to escape. But I had never seen so many deaths in our area before this attack.

More than 30 leaders and commanders of the CPI (Maoist), including seven members of its women squad, were killed in the attack. Security forces estimate that nearly 150 Maoists had assembled in the village.

After the firing on the Maoists, said Domru, the forces went door to door, firing on the houses and asking villagers to hand over Maoists. He pointed at the wall of his hut; part of it was destroyed by bullets. He said his one-year-old nephew, who had been inside sleeping with his mother when the security personnel came, was lucky to be still alive.

[One of the security personnel] held me by the collar of my shirt and asked me to show him the spot where the senior leaders were hiding, said Domru. They promised me to pay for the information. When I pleaded and told them that we did not need the money, they warned us that, one day, we would have to pay a heavy price for supporting our party.

An hour after the operation began, the choppers flew away with the bodies of slain Maoists, leaving behind charred remains of utensils, food grains and vegetables. There were even bottles of perfumes and beauty creams for ladies, suggesting the quality of the lives Maoists lead in the forest.

The attack has not just put the Maoists on the alert, but also made the lives of villagers in the region even more difficult. A month and a half after the operation, an inquiry carried out by the janatana sarkar (the peoples government of the Maoists) found that the security forces had acted on information provided by Kantama Sisa, a 40-year-old woman in Ramguda. Apparently, it was through Kantama that the police learned that top Maoist leaders such as Rama Krishnan alias RK, Gajarla Ravi alias Ganesh, and Chalapathy would be attending the meeting in the village on October 23.

The punishment was swift: Kantama was executed in public on the night of December 12. Only a handful of villagers were brave enough to take her body to the banks of the reservoir and light the pyre. And even they went back before the fire went out.

When THE WEEK visited Ramguda a few days later, Kantamas body lay half-burnt, and we could see wild animals lying in wait some distance away. Domru looked at the body and said he would meet the same fate if he took the side of the security forces. This is the situation in village, he said. They hit our sarkar here, but they could not damage it permanently. Today, there is no security personnel in sight, but our party has come back with full strength.

Living hell: A woman at work in her home at Ramguda. With the Maoists on the alert, the lives of villagers have become even more difficult | Salil Bera

Domru said living under the Maoists was not unpleasant, as they gave villagers the right to land and forest. Yes, there was no democracy, he conceded. But what do you people get for voting for your government? he asked.

Another villager, Mongla Kilo, said: They give us drinkable water. They ask us to raise our voices against the Indian government for neglecting us. We pay them a part of our hard-earned money. If we fall sick, they pay us back. If we are short of food, they give us food. No one here dies of starvation. During droughts, they give us money to take care of our farmland. Our party does so many things for us that the government could never do.

But, despite Monglas claims of farmers receiving incentives, THE WEEK saw little sign of agricultural activity in the Dandakaranya zone. What was interesting was that cannabis and poppy were being cultivated across hundreds of acres. When asked about it, Domru said, I dont know. Villagers planted them at night.

As we made our way through villages, we saw many women watering and spraying pesticides on the plantations. Apparently, cannabis and poppy are major sources of income for the government in the forest.

But, with the security forces stepping up their offensive, the Maoists seem to be in retreat. Security officials told THE WEEK that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government is so determined to eliminate the Maoist threat that, in a first, it has given the greenlight for carrying out aerial strikes wherever necessary. Apparently, the Centres decision to liberate the free zone in a year or two was taken after consulting states affected by Maoist violence, such as Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The operation has been named Mission 2016-2017, and it involves security forces going deep into Dandakaranya and destroying Maoist camps.

Apparently, not all state governments approve of the Centres grand plan, but none has lodged any protest. Sources say states like Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, which are ruled by the BJP, have joined hands to fight the Maoists. Their special forces are working together. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, whose party is a constituent of the NDA, has also extended his support to the mission. The Telangana government, on the other hand, has made clear its serious differences.

The Centres plan was reportedly formulated a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office. In 2015, Modi set up a special cell to work on a strategy to finish off the Maoist threat. Later in the year, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, along with K. Vijay Kumar, special adviser to the prime minister on anti-Naxal operations, and directors-general of paramilitary forces, started visiting the Dandakaranya zone and Nagpur and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra to assess the ground situation. In their meetings, it was decided that aerial surveillance and retaliatory attacks would become part of anti-Maoist operations.

According to sources, in a meeting held in Raipur in Chhattisgarh in October 2015, officials who were part of Modis special cell asked the Special Task Force of Chhattisgarh, Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh, Cobra (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) of the Central Reserve Police Force and Garud commandos of the Air Force to start practice drills on helicopters in Bijapur district in Karnataka.

Asked about this, D.M. Awasthi, special director-general in charge of anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, said carrying out air strikes was part of the larger plan to crack down on Maoists. But he maintained that the government had not taken any specific decision regarding such strikes, and that they were being carried out as a retaliatory measure.

Yes, we will not hide the fact that it is being used, Awasthi told THE WEEK. With every operation team being sent deep into the forest, we are sending Garud forces on aircraft. If we have to finish the insurgency, we need choppers. If our forces are threatened, we conduct aerial strike to retaliate. How could we accept the loss of lives of security personnel? We have to hit them with minimum casualty on our side. We cannot let our forces die while conducting operations. So, at times, the choppers are necessary. But we are sure that we are not misusing it.

Rights activists, however, are not convinced. How could they say this? Will the aerial strikes be controlled by the headquarters? asked C. Chandrasekhar, general secretary of Committee for Civil Liberties in Andhra Pradesh.

Awasthi said the change of strategy in 2015 aided the forces to claim victories in 2016. Trust me, we have entered areas we had never been able to penetrate since Naxalites declared their free zone, he said.

He revealed that Modi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh were together monitoring the progress of the mission. Both the Central and state governments have asked the security forces to fix a target and timeframe to eliminate the Naxalites in this zone [Dandakaranya], he said.

Asked what the timeframe would be, Awasthi said, It is impossible to say, as Maoists have spread to different states. But this time, all the states have joined hands to eradicate the insurgents, which is a positive thing.

According to senior police officials in states where Maoists are present, Modi met directors-general and operation chiefs of various security agencies at a national convention at Baloj in Gujarat in December 2015. In the meeting, he asked the officers to give fruitful results in the crackdown on Maoists, not the usual, ineffective measures, said an officer. He asked the security personnel to hit the Maoists in their free zones. For that, he said, the Central government was ready to spend money.

Kalyan Rao, poet and civil rights activist, said the governments desperation had an economic reason. The present prime minister wants multinationals to access bauxite and other mineral deposits in Dandakaranya, he said. That is why he has designed such a drastic policy to finish off the Maoists.

Black harvest: Cannabis and poppy are cultivated across hundreds of acres in Dandakaranya | Salil Bera

Maoist-dominated areas in several states have attracted investment proposals worth around Rs 3 lakh crore. The majority of the proposed investments from big corporate houses are in mining, steel and power sectors, and require state governments to acquire three lakh acres. Of 45 mines in the Dandakaranya zone and Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, 30 are now under the control of private companies. On December 23, Maoists torched 69 trucks in Gadchiroli, stepping up its campaign against mining in the district.

The governments plan, which it began implementing last January, has already claimed the lives of around 250 Maoists across India150 of them in Chhattisgarh alone. Many leaders of the CPI (Maoist) and senior commanders of the Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army, its military arm, have either been arrested or killed. For the first time in the past 30 years, the security forces have Dandakaranya under the surveillance with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles.

For the Maoists, the crisis is so deep that they have announced that they would no longer be doing guerrilla warfare and would only retaliate when attacked. This [2016] is the best year in the history of anti-Maoist operations, said Awasthi. The Naxalites are badly beaten and are suffering.

It is a far cry from the situation six years ago, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government was in power and P. Chidambaram was Union home minister. Operation Green Hunt was on, and the security forces in several states wanted controlled air strikes on the Maoists. But the government had to turn down the demand because of tremendous political pressure.

Now, though, such strikes are being carried out carefully and covertly. Asked about air strikes, N. Surendra Babu, chief of Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh, told THE WEEK: Greyhounds, as a policy, does not make any comment to the press. He directed us to N. Sambasiva Rao, director-general of police in Andhra Pradesh. The DG would not like to make any comment on air strikes, Suresh Babu, Raos press secretary, told THE WEEK.

According to Special Operation Group of Odisha, the encounter in Malkangiri in October was the first time that the Maoists had suffered a huge setback. But, when asked about air strikes, R.P. Koche, inspector-general of operations, said, We cannot share the details of how we carried out the strikes against Maoists and how we will be doing that in the future. It is part of our strategy.

Apart from the states that have the BJP or its allies in power, only Odisha has supported Mission 2016-2017. The police in Telangana, however, have refused to cooperate with it. Anurag Sharma, director-general of police in the state, told THE WEEK: Not at any point of time would the Telangana Police use air strikes against Maoists. It is the policy of our government.

Sharma said the police in Telangana had not taken part in the recent operations in Malkangiri or anywhere else, even though the majority of Maoist-affected districts of undivided Andhra Pradesh are now part of Telangana. All major strikes in the recent months were carried out by the police in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Documents of the Dandakaranya zonal committee of the CPI (Maoist) that are in possession of THE WEEK mention helicopters hovering over the zone. The Maoist government is threatened by the police, says one document. Garud commandos of the Indian Air Force are ready to make air strikes. Dandakaranya is blazing in the flames of the cruel repression unleashed by the Central and state governments.

According to Maoists, the Garud commandos and the special task forces of various states are ruining the peace and property of villagers in the free zone. They said the security forces were attacking schools run by the party, killing its teachers and raping women at night. If villagers retaliate, shells rain down from the sky, says a document.

The documents confirm, for the first time, that there is a parallel government in place in Dandakaranya. The area is divided into different zones that have their own janatana sarkar. All such local governing bodies are monitored by the central committee, known to be the top decision-making body of the party.

What the security forces have been doing in recent times is to try and identify leaders of each zone and eliminate them. Every area under the control of the Maoists has a chief, who is called the president of the government of that area. This year alone, the attacks have killed about 50 such chiefs and members of local Maoist governing bodies.

Maoists are also known to run a large number of schools, the objective of which, according to security officials, is to brainwash children into taking up arms when they grow up. The forces have either killed or arrested many teachers in such schools in Dandakaranya in recent times.

Maoists themselves have conceded that the government was crushing their local governing bodies. Without any provocation, the Indian government is destroying our government by killing our leaders one by one, said a Maoist document released just after the Malkangiri encounter.

One such Maoist leader killed was Kursham Dharmana, president of the Singaram area in Telangana. He and Vatre Rajal, another member of the Maoist local government, were captured last July from Sukma in Chhattisgarh. They were taken to Gollapalli police station [in Andhra Pradesh], tortured and then killed, says a report of the Dandakaranya zonal committee.

Maoists allege that the forces who took part in the July attack fired indiscriminately at civilians. Along with our leaders, many innocent villagers were killed, says the report. Even a group of tribal artists and teachers of schools run by us got killed.

Hemula Podiyal, a tribal theatre artist, allegedly died on the spot when security forces threw a grenade and set his room ablaze on July 29. The houses of 19 other artists were also attacked. Some of them managed to flee, said the report. Around four artists were burnt to death along with Hemula.

The propaganda bureau of the Maoists concedes that the security forces have been able to enter hitherto impenetrable areas of Dandakaranya. It also says the government of India has been able to create confusion in the minds of the people in the free zone. The government says they have hit us so badly that we would not be able to stand up. This is exaggeration. Yes, we have been threatened, but we have not lost, said a statement from the bureau.

According to the Dandakaranya zonal committee, the Indian government is trying to hide its human rights violations to sell its success story. The police and paramilitary groups are meant to kill innocents and rape young tribal women, it said.

Some Maoist documents cite specific and serious allegations. One is the killing of a couple who dropped out of the party three years ago. The security forces allegedly gang-raped the woman. Hakpa Manor and Thathi Pande left the [Maoist] government in 2013, and were living an ordinary life. The police picked them up from Karnar village in Bijapur on May 17, 2016, and tortured them severely. Pande was mass-raped. After they were murdered on May 21, it was announced that two Maoists had died in an encounter, says a document.

Domru Kilo, resident of Ramguda

Awasthi admitted that he had received a number of complaints from villagers regarding fake encounters and crimes against women. I can assure you that every complaint would go through magisterial inquiry and impartial investigation, he said. If any of the complaints is proven right, we would take stern action.

It was in an attempt to know how the Maoists were faring that THE WEEK ventured into Malkangiri in December, a few days after Kantama was executed. Fifty kilometres before Malkangiri town, the road ceases to exist. In some parts, the Maoists had changed the course of the river to destroy the road. Our driver gave up and said, Only an old four-wheel-drive jeep could go into the forest.

Around five hours of journey from the nearest town in Andhra Pradesh led us to a village on the Odisha border. The village, it seemed, was the last outpost of the worlds biggest democracy. It was 9am, and an intimation was sent to the forest for entry to the free zone. Soon, young people on motorcycles arrived and asked, Why are you here?

The Indian government has imposed restrictions on visiting Malkangiri. One has to apply beforehand, stating the purpose of ones visit, to enter the prohibited area. Rights organisations were permitted to enter Malkangiri after the encounter in October, but that was only to visit villagers at a particular area. Apart from them, no one is allowed to go, as the government does not want any untoward incident involving outsiders.

It was braving such restrictions that we undertook the journey. After receiving the go-ahead from the Maoists, we travelled 12 kilometres on a tractor deep into the forest. As we made our way, the branches that hung low grazed our faces and bodies. We held on to our seats even as our hands became numb in the cold of the winter.

The tractor jerked along, through potholes that were several feet deep. After a nerve-racking three hours, we reached a point from where even the tractors could not go on.

A two-hour-long trek lay ahead of us. We first crossed a river and then made our way up and down the hills. The tiring journey ended at Ramguda, where the choppers had carried out the strike in October. The village, despite being surrounded by forest, looked oddly habitable. The jungle here looks horrible and animal-infested, said Surangi Kole, a villager. In reality, though, it is very much liveable. There are no animals because our leaders stay and rule from here.

The villagers said they felt safe living there. Yes, there were no government schools, but they were allowed to send their children away to study. But those who go outside are first trained to distrust the government and its machinery, said Sirsa Kole, a 50-year-old. Our boys receive their preliminary education from the party and its government.

Ramguda and nearby areas have electricity supplied by a private power company based in Malkangiri. When they fall sick, doctors are made available within a short while. All these conveniences, however, come at the cost of their freedom. Every time the villagers go outside, they have to brief the Maoists about the people they meet, or plan to meet, outside the village. Being economical with the truth leads to what Kantama had to face.

Moment of triumph: Security personnel displaying the arms, ammunition and clothes seized from the Maoists after an encounter in Latehar district in Jharkhand in December | PTI

Despite the effort we made to reach Ramguda, the villagers were reluctant to allow us to meet the Maoist leadership. It was only when night began to fall, soon after we began our journey out of the Maoist zone, that a 50-member team in black uniform appeared in front of our tractor.

All of them were carrying Kalashnikov rifles. The team was led by Gajarla Ravi alias Ganesh, the chief of the Dandakaranya zone and central committee member of the CPI (Maoist). It had around 20 women, and they were patrolling the village to see the deployment of squads in Malkangiri. None of them seemed nervous, or sad at losing their comrades in the encounter in October. We have recovered, said Sunitha, a commander who hailed from Warangal in Telangana. We are ready to tackle any situation now.

An older commander nodded his head approvingly and said, In the past, we had difficulties finding women members in our squad. But it is easy for us now, as the government is helping us by being aggressive against women in our areas. Our rule in Dandakarnya is intact.

Besides flashlights and sophisticated rifles, all the team members had walkie-talkies in their hands, apparently Chinese made. Tied around their waists and shoulders were ammunition packs.

What was more interesting was that several young boys, some just out of college, were part of the team. One of them, aged 21, left his college in Bastar in Chhattisgarh to join the CPI (Maoist) soon after the Malkangiri encounter. Asked about what prompted him to do so, he replied: I have many reasons. Yes, I joined after my brother, a Maoist, was shot down by the police. But the biggest reason I joined the struggle was the sexual violence meted out to young women of my village who sympathised with our party. And whatever the Modi government might do, our revolution will continue.

In the silence of the night, the boys words rang loud and clear. At that moment, we realised that, with or without air strikes, it would take many more encounters for the security forces to finish off the Maoists and their deep-rooted ideology.
Taking good care of your cars engine is one of the most important things you can do if you want to keep it running smoothly. If you...
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Thousands of members of the Bnei Menashe community from across northeastern India gathered this week to celebrate Hanukkah.

As part of the holiday tradition, women from the community gathered yesterday In the town of Churachandpur in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur to makesufganiyot (traditional jelly-filled doughnuts).

The story of the Maccabees heroic determination to preserve their Jewish identity resonates very strongly with the Bnei Menashe, who, with tremendous effort, have still managed to cling to their faith and that of their ancestors through the centuries, said Shavei Israel Founder and Chairman Michael Freund. Even in far-off India, the flame of Jewish survival continues to burn brightly.

Freund added: May these women cook up those calories next year in Jerusalem!

The Bnei Menashe are descendants of the tribe of Manasseh, one of the Ten Lost Tribes exiled from the Land of Israel more than 2,700 years ago by the Assyrian empire. So far, some 3,000 Bnei Menashe have made Aliyah thanks to Shavei Israel. Another 7,000 Bnei Menashe remain in India waiting for the chance to return home to Zion.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

89 women participated in what was the first ever all-female mass casualty incident (MCI) drill of its kind in Israel. The women, many of whom are from different chareidi communities in Israel, recently finished EMT training courses in different parts of the country. They joined together in Jerusalem on Tuesday 27 Kislev, for a combined drill which simulated a massive terror attack on a girls high-school, arranged under the oversight of certified United Hatzalah trainers, paramedics and doctors.

The drill included 59 injured persons who were professionally made up to appear as wounded individuals, sirens, recorded screaming, flashing lights and smoke machines that were employed to give a sense of realism to the scene.

Batsheva Soussan, one of the newly graduated EMTs and a participant in the drill, spoke about her experience. The drill was well orchestrated and allowed us to get a first -hand feeling of what a mass casualty incident is like. For the first time we, the new graduates, were able to see all of the different levels of EMS responders working together at the same scene. For me, it was empowering to see this many women from different walks of life, with different backgrounds and EMS specializations coming together to get better at saving lives.

Soussan explained that the unifying interest of life-saving, that was prevalent with all of the women, bridged religious divides as well as social ones. Many of the women who were there today come from very religious backgrounds. It was inspiring to see them be able to step out of their responsibilities at home and their places of work to do something that was truly meaningful for them. This exemplifies how each of us can step outside of our own comfort zones and make a difference in our own community.

Soussan got her start working in United Hatzalah a while back, and having seen the effect of the life-saving stories occurring around her, knew deep down that she too wanted to become an EMT. There was a situation when one of our dispatchers helped a mother save her own child that was choking. That story showed me how a person can help even from afar. It really moved me and I knew that I wanted to become an EMT and save people as well. I am very thankful to this organization, which is a religiously minded one, for giving women a place to learn and join the ranks of the volunteers who save lives every day. They allow us to learn as women, train together as women, and work together in small groups or on our own, according to our own schedules. I dont think that I could do training shifts on an ambulance per se, but being a community-based emergency responder on my own is something that I could certainly do, and that I want to do. The style of responding that the organization is based upon is something that allows me the freedom to volunteer, as I am needed.

Another participant, Bracha Zicherman was also inspired to become an EMT due to seeing the effect of the community-based responders all around her. I see how much of a difference EMTs make in our community and I knew I wanted to help, as I have a lot to give.

Zicherman added that for her, the drill made the information that the women had learned in the course come alive. The drill was the first experience in treating people and not dolls. It became real for me, that this is something that I will now be doing to help people. When you see a person with a knife sticking out of their head, even if it is a fake knife and professional make-up, you get a sense of realism that isnt present in training courses, no matter how professional they are. While the drill by nature is a drill of chaos, the trainers ran it perfectly and it really brought home the message that we will be out there helping people very soon.

Zicherman also added that the nature of the drill, allowing women to participate in a setting that was specifically designed for them, was empowering for her. For most of us, this is a huge step forward. There are many issues involved when men treat women during a trauma scene. When a woman has a chest injury or an injury that affects her reproductive system, it is both more comfortable and less intrusive for a woman to be treated by another woman. Imagine a woman who has never even uncovered her hair in front of a man to suddenly be stripped by a male EMT. The scenario simply adds trauma of a different sort to the injury.

Zicherman imagines a time when only female EMTs will be sent to treat women suffering from medical emergencies. In situations such as childbirths and other cases where women would prefer privacy having a woman treat the patient, it is especially important for the woman who is at her most vulnerable moment. I look forward to the day when we will have enough female EMTs that we will be able to send only women to treat women during medical emergencies. This will allow us to lessen the traumatic experience for the female patients, she said. This course and this drill were definitely steps in the right direction.

The drill was organized by recently graduated EMT Gitty Beer, who is also the wife of the Founder and President of United Hatzalah, Eli Beer. Gitty said that she organized the drill to better prepare the newly minted EMTs for the worst possible scenario that they may ever have to face. According to Eli, Gitty has become the de facto head of what looks to become a womens division of the organization, focusing on women providing emergency medical assistance to other women. In line with that thinking, the drill was run by women and for women only.

We combined four groups of recently graduated women, all of whom completed their EMT training courses within the past few months. The courses, some of which were sponsored by the Lions of Judah womens organization, were put in place in order to allow women who wanted to learn how to save lives to be able to do so in a comfortable and kosher environment, all while building bonds of friendship and camaraderie with other like-minded women, explained Gitty. We all know that medical emergencies can be terribly unnerving and very exposing. Our hope is to eliminate as much of the discomfort felt by female patients as possible. People are already in a vulnerable state during an emergency, we are aiming to minimize that.

Gitty added that she was very pleased with the turnout during the drill and the results.

The sheer quantity of people involved in the drill, and the professionalism that each of them portrayed, was simply spectacular. Many of the women did not do military or national service due to their religious lifestyle. Many feel that they are lacking something outside of their family or professional life that can empower them. During the courses, they learn the skills needed to save lives. These skills can motivate them and help them become more self-assured in their personal lives and in their own communities. They learn the skills, and then they turn around and help out their own community. It is a win-win for everyone. The women receive the knowledge and capability to help their communities, the communities receive extra medical care, and the patients receive faster and less intrusive medical care from like-minded caregivers who are now trained EMTs. This project is great for women of all communities, whether they are caregivers or patients. But at the end of the day, it is the patients who we need to keep in the forefront of our minds. Their needs come first, and they are the ones who will benefit the most from these types of courses, concluded Gitty.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: United Hatzalah)
Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan spoke with Arutz-7 News, expressing hope that relations with incoming President -elect Donald Trump will represent a marked improvement and lead to the annexation of Yehuda and Shomron. Ben-Dahan explained that it is now clear the current path that the state has been on is not working and it is time to change direction.

He suggests the best place to begin is where there is a national consensus, such as annexation of Maale Adumim, the Jordan Valley and Gush Etzion. The deputy minister feels the outgoing US administration is working to paint Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as the bad guy in the equation while simultaneously working to tie Trumps hands as far as how far he can go towards assisting Israel.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Some 27,000 immigrants arrived in Israel in 2016, according to estimates by The Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption, compared to the 31,000 who arrived in 2015. Aliyah from Russia and Brazil rose significantly over the past year, while immigration from France and Ukraine dipped. The data released today is preliminary but offers solid indications of Aliyah trends for the past year. The final statistics will be made available mid-January, as they are every year.

Some 7,000 immigrants arrived in Israel from Russia, which topped the Aliyah chart in 2016, compared to 6,600 who arrived in 2015. Approximately 5,500 immigrants arrived from Ukraine, compared to the 7,221 who came last year. An estimated 5,000 new immigrants came from France, compared to 7,900 in 2015. Aliyah from the United States hit 2,900 immigrants, compared to 3,070 last year. These four leading sources of Aliyah also led the list in 2015 and 2014, although Francewhich led the chart in recent yearshas slipped to third place.

Aliyah from Brazil increased significantly, with the arrival of some 760 new immigrants this year, compared to 497 in 2015. 620 immigrants arrived from Belarus (compared to 600 last year), 650 from the United Kingdom (775), and 272 from South Africa (236).

Immigration to Israel has come to be characterized by youth: approximately 5,150 of the new immigrants were 17 or under, 9,500 were between the ages of 18 and 35, 3,000 were between 36 and 45, 4,600 were between 46 and 65, and just over 3,000 were 66 or older.

Most of the new arrivals have professional backgrounds in industry, construction, and food services (some 5,000 individuals in total), high tech and engineering (2,400), the humanities and social sciences (1,900), medical and paramedical fields (1,150), and accounting and law (1,080).

11% of the immigrants decided to make Tel Aviv their new home, while 10% moved to Jerusalem, 9% to Netanya, 8% to Haifa, 6% to Ashdod, 5% to Bat Yam, 4% to Raanana, 3% to Rishon LTzion, 3% to Beersheva, and 3% to Ashkelon.

Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky said: The high numbers of immigrants over the past two years were due, in part, to a series of external factors that have changed or disappeared, at least for the moment. At the same time, despite the downward shift this year, we see that the long-term trends continue and the number of immigrants to Israel, particularly from Western countries, remains high compared to the averages of the past fifteen years.

This is evidence of the fact that Israel continues to draw Jews from around the world seeking to live lives of meaning and identity. At the same time, the numbers also indicate that the State of Israel must invest further efforts in finding solutions for the swift integration and absorption of the immigrants, with an emphasis on employment, particularly recognition of professional and academic certifications.

The Jewish Agency will continue its efforts to promote Aliyah and strengthen both Jewish identity and connections to Israel among Diaspora Jewry. Thousands of Jewish young people from around the world came to Israel this year in order to participate in The Jewish Agencys unique Israel experience programs, including Masa Israel Journey with nearly 12,000 participants, Onward Israel with some 1,600, and Machon Youth Leadership Training with some 430. These numbers are constantly on the rise and they attest to the success of these unique frameworks in drawing dynamic, educated young people to get to know Israel firsthand and strengthening ties within the global Jewish family.

Minister of Aliyah Landver said: Over the past year, I returned to the Ministry of Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption after a one-year absence. I never managed to cease dealing with Aliyah and absorption and so, even during my absence, I continued my unceasing efforts in the realm of Aliyah and absorption. Since my return to the ministry, I am proud to say that we are in the midst of a wave of activity and Aliyah. The special emphasis that I placed on encouraging Aliyah is bearing fruit and we are finishing the year with 27,000 new immigrants. We are strengthening and building new projects in the realms of employing immigrants and encouraging entrepreneurship across the country, with an emphasis on Jerusalem, the Negev, and the Galilee. We have continued to act in order to remove barriers to immigrants employment and we reached a particular high in job placements this year. I fought and managed to increase the annual budget for local authorities, to increase activities with young people and students, and I will not give up and will continue to act ceaselessly in the realm of housing, along with our achievements this year.

Our work in the field of Aliyah and absorption is challenging and extensive, but I believe that when those who deal with Aliyah and absorption do so from the heart, with faith and vision, success is guaranteed. I wish us all that we will continue to place the immigrants at the center of our work, to ease their new lives in Israel by removing barriers, minimizing bureaucracy, and making information more accessible, and of course to continue encouraging immigration to Israel.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Understandably emboldened by US Secretary of State John Kerrys peace plan released on Wednesday 28 Kislev, PA (Palestinian Authority) leader Abu Mazen has announced his willingness to resume diplomatic negotiations with Israel.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during recent years has invited Abu Mazen to Knesset and has also repeatedly stated he would resume talks without any preconditions.

Abu Mazen now announced the minute the Israeli government agrees to halt a ll settlement activities he is willing to resume negotiations. The PA leader also stipulates this must be conducted under a specified time frame.

PA officials are also announcing Abu Mazens willingness to completely cooperate with France, referring to the French-hosted peace conference that is set to begin in Paris five days before US President-elect Donald Trump is to be sworn into office. PM Netanyahu during recent months has informed France Israel does not plan to attend, maintaining an agreement must be reached between the sides in face-to-face talks and not via third-party mediated talks.

Contradicting Kerry is PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, who rejects the statements made by Kerry that the PA is prepared to recognize Israel as a Jewish State. He has no such plans. So much for the Obama administrations final comprehensive vision.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The man wanted for stealing four Sifrei Torah from a Sephardic Shul in Midwood has turned himself in, the NY Post is reporting.

Emil Benjamin, 35, finally turned himself in to authorities on Thursday morning after eluding police and marshals who were attempting to pick him up.

The Post added that Benjamin turned himself in under the guidance of his attorney, while NYPD detectives and members of the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force.

In a story that YWN was first to report  just moments after Simchas Torah ended, four (Sephardic) Sifrei Torah were stolen from Rabbi Beydas Shul located at 808 Avenue O near East 8th Street on Simchas Torah night.

Security camera footage had captured the suspect entering Rabbi Beydas Shul, and photos and video of the suspect had been widely disseminated and gone viral.

The Sifrei Torah were used on Simchas Torah night for Hakafos before being placed back into the Aron Kodesh.

Mispallelim arriving to Shul on Simchas Torah morning were shocked to find that the four Sifrei Torah had been robbed overnight on Simchas Torah.

Just a few days later, the thief had a messanger return the stolen Sifrei Torah. As YWN reported, an individual was learning at the Shul late one night a few days after the theft, and left the building at around 1:30AM  only to find four large garbage bags place in front of the Shul. He opened one of them, and was stunned to find the four stolen Sifrei Torah!

Security camera footage (attached below) showed a man double-parking his vehicle in front of the building at around 1:00AM, and calmly carrying the four stolen Sifrei Torah out of his vehicle and placing them in front of the Shul. The man then drives off into the night.

The shul celebrated the following night, as they held Hakfos and sang and danced as they carried their precious Sifrei Torah.

Charges have not yet been announced.

(Chaim Shpairo  YWN)
New York Citys iconic New Years Eve celebration will be surrounded by sanitation vehicles to stop truck-driving attackers like those in Germany and France.

The 65 garbage collection and sand trucks along Times Squares perimeter are meant to stop would-be assailants from plowing trucks into the crowd of 1 million people.

New York Police Department Chief of Patrol Carlos Gomez said Thursday that 100 patrol cars also will be used as blocker vehicles.

Officials say they regularly adapt their security measures based on world events. They say there are no known, credible threats against the gathering.

A Dec. 19 attack in Berlin killed 12 people. A July 14 attack in Nice, France, killed 86.

New York police say theyll deploy 7,000 officers, bomb-sniffing dogs and heavily armed counterterrorism units.

(AP)
President-elect Donald J. Trump released the following statement following the sanctions against Russia which were announced earlier today by the Obama Administration:

Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

Meanwhile, the White House says it gave President-elect Donald Trumps team a heads-up about its plans to sanction Russia for election hacking but President Barack Obama didnt tell him about it personally.

White House spokesman Eric Schultz says the U.S. notified a senior member of Trumps transition team Thursday before the sanctions were publicly announced.

Obama had spoken to Trump a day earlier by phone while Obama was vacationing in Hawaii.

Trump hasnt yet commented on the U.S. sanctions targeting Russian intelligence agencies and intelligence operatives.

(AP)
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

1.75 billion dollars is certainly a lot of money.

So when the Yankee Candle Company sold for that much money back in 2013, it is indicative that scented candles is a huge industry. People like scented candles. But lets get back to our headline.

The case involved a freshly minted Baal Teshuvah, whose wife was not yet on-board with matters of religious observance. When he asked his wife permission to light Chanukah candles, she did not respond positively.

What kind of custom is this?

This is dangerous!

It will cause a fire!

The husband responded, I am not just lighting candles  I am lighting aromatic candles so that a good smell could permeate the house.

The wife readily agreed.

The question is, however, does using a scented or aromatic candle violate the prohibition of deriving benefit from the Chanukah candles?

PROHIBITION OF DERIVING BENEFIT

It is forbidden to derive any benefit (hanaah) from the Chanukah lamps or candles. One cannot read next to them or use the light for any other purpose. There are two reasons for this prohibition of hanaah.

1) Rashi explains that everyone must see that these lights are only for one purpose  to publicize the miracle.

2) The Ran explains that since these lights commemorate the Menorah that was in the Beis HaMikdash, the same halachos which pertain to the items of the Beis HaMikdash still apply: no benefit may be derived from these items.

It seems, however, that the term any benefit is limited to that of visually benefitting as in use of the lights. The language of the Mishna Brurah (673:11) indicates this. One just cannot do a maaseh, an action with them, such as counting money in front of them. Likewise, in his shaar haTziyun (673:11), the Mishna Brurah also permits walking toward the Chanukah lights when it is pitch dark, because this is not considered a regular benefit as he could have walked without the lights.

In a Sefer entitled mrayach nichoach (p. 162) Rav Chaim Kanievskys response to this very question posed by Rabbi Gamliel HaKohen Rabbinowitz is that it is permitted since it is a davar shain miskavain. Similarly, Rav Ovadya Yoseph is also cited as permitting it (See Yalkut Yoseph p340).

Finally, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, in his new Sefer on Chanukah also permits it.

This is not to say that the situation is ideal, however. In the case of the aforementioned individual  there is no doubt that the approach was correct. Let us also recall, makom shbaalei teshuvah omdim ain tzaddikim gmurim omdim.

MUSICAL CHANUKAH CANDLES

As an aside, a few years ago, someone invented a Chanukah wick that was attached to a metallic device. When the device was heated through the hot wick, it sent a signal to a recording that played Maoz Tzur on a small speaker.

The question was raised as to whether or not this constituted forbidden benefit from the Chanukah lights. At the time, this device was also permitted for the same reasoning (See Chashukei Chemed, Shabbos 22a).

SPEAKING OF CANDLES

There is a fascinating question as to why the emphasis of Chanukah is on the miracle of the oil and not upon the actual miracle of the military victories. Some say that the reason for this is that the Chachamim of the time were concerned that people would think the victory was because of the military tactics of the Chashmonaim and not because of Hashems Divine intervention.

Also, the Chashmonaim ultimately ended up assuming too much power. Because of this error, some of their descendants did not follow in the ways of Torah, and the country was divided by civil war. This is another reason why it is the oil that is commemorated.

A third reason is that the miracle of the flask of oil hints to the continued existence of the Jewish people throughout the darkness of the Galus, a miracle in and of itself. No other nation in the world ever existed in exile for so long and eventually returned to its land.

This miracle is attested to in the first Rashi of sefer Bereishis, in which Rashi states that Hashem started the Torah with Bereishis bara so that in the future, when the gentiles accuse us of stealing their land, we can say that Hashem created the world and gave the land to us. This Rashi was written over 900 years ago. The continued existence of Klal Yisrael  particularly in the land of Eretz Yisrael, where the gentiles are now in the United Nations are accusing us of stealing their land  is truly remarkable.

This Rashi is an inspiring neis and a remarkable foreshadowing of what has transpired this past week. In this authors opinion, the Prime Minister of Israel and others who are speaking out againt Kerry and the Obama administrations decision on the recent UN resolution should be quoting this Rashi.

The halachos of the prohibition of deriving benefit from the Chanukah candles teach us not to take away from the remarkable neis that Hashem has performed for us (Rashi). According to the Ran, they remind us of the menorah in the Beis HaMikdash. Both are ideas that we should focus upon during these last two nights of Chanukah.

May Hashem bring us yeshuos vnechamos soon!

The author can be reached at [email protected]
On Chanukah, we recite the prayer of Al HaNissim, wherein we say that after the Maccabees defeated the Greeks, they purified the Bais HaMikdash and lit the Menorah in the courtyard of the Bais HaMikdash. But why was the Menorah lit in the courtyard if its usual location was inside the Bais HaMikdash?

To better understand this, we can reflect on current events. When the Chofetz Chaim Ztl wrote about the telephone, which was invented in his time, he determined that the invention resulted from a low level of faith was reached in his generation, where people ceased to understand how prayers could be heard in Heaven. Consequently, Heaven demonstrated how words could be heard far away. The same can be said of all the latest technology. These are all Heavenly gifts meant to teach us spiritual lessons and to strengthen our faith in Divine Providence.

Technology continues to advance at an increasingly rapid pace, revealing possibilities that have existed but remained hidden in nature since creation. Today, a person can whisper into a small device in his hand and instantly be heard anywhere on the globe, even in outer space beyond the moon. The voices of billions are broadcast by wireless waves that do not mingle with one another. Computers and countless machines with voice-recognition software can understand the difference between various words and perform assorted tasks to the point where the correct code can even send a rocket to the Moon. Military drones can operate via verbal codes without human hands touching them during their operation to the point where entire wars can be fought with speech.

These are entirely messages from Heaven. This generation is so feeble with lack of faith in the words of the Torah and the teachings of our Sages that the power of speech must be explained with these revelations. Most people do not what they cannot see, and they become engaged in the secular culture that teaches that words are meaningless since they have no physical material. This causes people to ignore their obligations to recite words of Torah and prayer, and to violate and show disrespect for Shuls, which results in speaking forbidden words in general.

So technology comes to teach us how powerful our words are. This can give us greater faith and bring us to understand what the Torah teaches us about the power of speech. Today we can truly comprehend that even if we cannot see the words we speak, that words have an effect long after they are spoken. They remain in the atmosphere and have an actual physical effect on the entire world. Words can build and words can destroy. This is only a small percent of the tremendous revelation of spiritual power that all will see when Moshiach arrives and the entire world will be filled with knowledge of Hashem.

Faithful Jews like ourselves already know the spiritual power of speech. Just like anyone who produces a new device also provides an operators manual, so too the Creator of the World, Who knows all the secrets of the Creation He made, gave us His Owners Manual, His Holy Torah, to teach us how to properly use the world He made for our own benefit. There are many positive and negative Mitzvos connected to speech, and following the Torah makes the world work in the best way, as the Torah writes: if you walk in My laws I will give your rains in the proper times.

A fundamental concept in how speech influences the world is explained to us in the words of our Sages, especially in the Holy Zohar, which discusses this at length in many places. When Hashem created the world, He did so in a way so we would not be embarrassed when we receive good from Him. The existence of the world is solely dependent on the power of holiness, which generates from Heaven. Hashem sends Jewish Souls, which are a piece of God from Above, to the world, where one of our main purposes is to learn and pray, and to sing to Hashem in honor of His Kingdom. The spiritual power of every holy word we recite comes from the soul and is immediately attached to its source in the Higher World. This connection brings the power of Holiness down into this world to give life to all of Creation. This is like a wire transferring electricity from its main source into an electrical device. Through this merit, someone who speaks holy words receives a reward in this world and in the world to come.

On the other hand, Hashem also created forces of impurity, which spread through speaking forbidden words, thus polluting the atmosphere. Nowadays, there is unfortunately no longer any shame connected to speaking even the most vulgar words publicly. This causes evil thoughts to increase in the world, including thoughts of violence and murder, which may result in wars and destruction to the world.

The solution to this problem is to bring more words of Torah and prayer into the world to combat the words of impurity, particularly to study Torah and to pray in Shuls. The pure innocent children studying in Yeshivos and Jewish schools bring holiness with every word and purify the atmosphere immensely. Just as a little bit of light chases away a lot of darkness, so too a little bit of Torah and prayer bring great peace to the entire world.

The Ancient Greeks were dedicated to spreading the teachings of natural sciences across the world in their time. Because they could not measure the power of speech through the scientific method, they sought to uproot the Jewish belief in the supernatural power of words of Torah and prayer. They defiled the Bais HaMikdash where the Leviim sang to Hashem, and they closed the shuls and Yeshivos. However, the Maccabees defeated them because of their tremendous faith in the power of Holy Speech that brings life to all of Creation. They continued to study and pray while hidden away in caves or other hiding places. Through this, they conquered the power of the impurity of the Greeks, and the wanton sinners were placed into the hands of the students of Torah.

Having this explained, it is simple to understand why the Maccabees celebrated their military victory by lighting the Menorah and reciting the words of Praise and Thanksgiving to Hashem specifically in the Courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash rather than inside. They wanted to demonstrate that holy words do not stay only inside the Bais HaMikdash, but have influence and illuminate the entire Creation, even outside and beyond. In the merit of this faith, they defeated the Greeks.

This is also the reason why it is customary to light the menorah either by the door or at the window. This is to demonstrate that holy words do not remain inside at the location they were said. I heard that when the Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch ztl came to America, he asked that the windows of his shul be open during Torah learning and prayer, to demonstrate that the words go out and purify the atmosphere.

Therefore, in this Holy season, we need to contemplate the importance of the words we speak. This is the only way we can defeat our foes both materially and spiritually, as the Haftarah for Chanukah says, Not by strength and not by power, but by My Spirit, says Hashem. The new weapons of war that were recently invented, which operate wholly by speech, are only effective for learning lessons of the tremendous power of speech. For this reason, everyone is obligated to strengthen oneself in understanding these matters, especially when it comes to prayer. We cannot allow the Yetzer Hara to influence us to come to shul late and to leave early. Rather, we must daven properly from beginning to end, without interruption, and answer Amen, Yehei Shmei Rabbah, which is the cord that brings abundant blessings to the one who says the words, and to the entire world.

May we all share a happy and spiritual Chanukah.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Deena, Noa and Rachel, college students and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, were three of 70 participants on LivingLinks, Chabad on Campus Internationals first heritage trip to Poland. In a trip filled with emotional and poignant moments, the most riveting was when they lit the first candle of Chanukah in Auschwitz lI-Birkenau concentration camp.

Students from dozens of colleges across North America spent six days in Poland, bearing witness to the death camps, mass graves, labor camps and ghettos, the resting place for millions of Jews who were murdered al kiddush Hashem. The students also got a glimpse of the vibrant Jewish life that once thrived in Poland.

Rabbi YY Jacobson, the spiritual mentor for the trip, helped students channel the anger and pain felt by the trips participants towards a commitment to Judaism. As the menorah was being lit where over a million Jews were once killed, Rabbi Jacobson implored them, Dear students, in the darkest and cruelest of places, we continued to kindle torches of goodness and holiness. Now, in times of freedom and prosperity, will we allow our flames of Yidishkeit to be extinguished?

From the feedback of participants, it was clear that Rabbi Jacobsons message resonated, as Ilana Sperling, a student at the University of Florida put it, Today we are angry, tomorrow we will be angry again. We will take that anger and use it to form something positive. Andres Schwarz,also from UF, posted on social media Now more then ever, I am incredibly proud to be a Jew., Am Yisrael Chai

In an emotional post on Facebook, Dan Bleykhman, a student at the University of Virginia wrote To say it is not personal will be the biggest lie ever. This is very personal, whether you know a victim or not. I always thought my last name was a rarity, when in fact it turns out that there were once many Bleykhmans or Bleikhmans. To think that I once wanted to change my last name to Blakeman is shameful. I will forever be proud of my name. I will forever be proud of who I am. And I will forever be proud of being a Jew.

This pilot trip to Poland was a special opportunity for our students to journey through our history, connecting our devastating past, with a bright, vibrant present and future, said Rabbi Yossy Gordon, Executive Vice President of Chabad on Campus International. They witnessed the incomprehensible destruction our people suffered and understand that we have persevered despite it all. The students returned home with a renewed commitment to their Jewish identity, inspired to be part of the future of our people.

Poland was the home to many early chassidic courts and the students were able to experience Polands rich Jewish history, said Rabbi Yossi Witkes, of who directs LivingLinks and IsraeLinks for Chabad on Campus International. Standing on the sacred ground where millions of our people were systematically and brutally murdered invokes a wide range of emotions. For many students, this was an inspiring catalyst, empowering and uplifting them to embrace their heritage, be proud of their identity and keep the flame of Judaism alive.

PHOTOS BY BENTZI SASSON:

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Britain scolded US Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the most right-wing in Israeli history, a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump.

After US President Barack Obama enraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by refusing to veto a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, Kerrys public rebuke of Israel has unsettled some allies such as Britain.

While Britain voted for the UN resolution that so angered Netanyahu and says that settlementsare illegal, a spokesman for May said that it was clear that the settlements were far from the only problem in the conflict.

In an unusually sharp public rebuke of Obamas top diplomat, Mays spokesman said that Israel had coped for too long with the threat of terrorism and that focusing only on the settlements was not the best way to achieve peace between Jew and Arab.

London also took particular issue with Kerrys description of Netanyahus coalition as the most right-wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by its most extreme elements.

We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally, Mays spokesman said when asked about Kerry 70-minute speech in the State Departments auditorium.

The US State Department said it was surprised by the remarks from Mays office and said Kerrys comments were in line with Britains own policy. It pointedly also thanked Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates for support.

READ MORE: YNET
by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

According to a release from Agudath Yisroel, in light of Rav Shteinmans conditions sudden turn to the worse  Maran Harav Chaim Kanievsky shlita, has requested that Klal Yisroel daven and say Tehillim, even on Shabbos and btzibur.

Women should daven at the time of hadlakas neiros.

We should all increase Torah learnin.

For the refuah shelaima of Harav Aharon Yehuda Leib ben Gittel Feige,

As a zechus for his refuah shleima the following hashkafic views of Rav Shteinman and Rav Chaim have been included here.

Q: Often there is a need to compromise in what we are looking for in a Shidduch. What is the best area in which we should compromise?

A: It is best to compromise on the notion of What will people say. Rav Shteinman

Q: What is the most common reason why people give a negative response to a proposed Shidduch?

A: Gaavah  haughtiness or the pursuit of honor. Once a young man kept on responding no to almost any Shidduch. The Chazon Ish decided to suggest to him another young lady who had some serious and numerous issues. When the Shadchan responded that he would be embarrassed in presenting it, the Chazon Ish said to tell him that the suggestion came from him. Sure enough the young man shortly got engaged to a regular normal young woman. The Chazon Ish felt that the source of the young mans negativity stemmed from Gaavah. Rav Kanievsky

Q: What advice can you give a couple getting married?

A: Generally when people marry each one thinks that it is upon them to educate their spouse. This is one of the fundamental causes of marital discord. Each of them must understand that it is not possible to educate the other. Only then will there be a chance for a basis of marital harmony. Rav Shteinman

Q: If a better Shidduch prospect comes along is it alright to cancel a date with someone else?

A: Absolutely not. There was such a case and the bochur cancelled the date with the first girl. Then the Shadchan called him later and told him that the second date cancelled for him. Just as you do, so will happen to you. There was another case where someone wanted to take revenge on a bochur and pretended to set him up on a date. The boy showed up at the girls home. The girls father asked him what he was doing there. He responded that he was there for the date. The father said that no such date was arranged. In the meantime they spoke in learning, the daughter happened to have been present, and the Shidduch actually went through! The Shadchan was playing a nasty revenge trick and Hashem paid him back by making the shidduch go through. The Shadchan had the audacity to ask for Shadchanus. I responded that his shadchanus should be two slaps across the face, but not money! Rav Chaim Kanievsky

Q: Why are there so many failed marriages today?

A: People think that the reason things are not going well for them are because of their spouse specifically. That if they divorce, another Zivug immediately awaits them that will be fantastic for them. They dont realize that Shiduchim dont just roll around in the streets. There are hundreds, thousands, who have no shidduchim. After a divorce there are also newer problems. People dont necessarily chase after a second shidduch. There was one woman who was so bent on divorce. I tried convincing her to make the best of the situation she was in and turn it around. She refused. Today she cries, she has no husband, no family. She was sure that the moment she divorced she would find a shidduch exactly to her liking. She didnt Rav Shteinman

Q: Are there Segulos for getting a Shidduch?

A: We have heard from our Rebbeim that there are Segulos for Zivuggim. The primary Segulah, the first one is that of Tefilah. Rebbitzen Kanievsky ah explained that once when she was ten years old, her father (Rav Elyashiv) was not feeling well and remained at home. She saw that after he recited Oseh Shalom (in Shmoneh Esreh) he waited a long time before he returned to his spot. She later asked him what it was about and he explained that he had a tradition from the author of the HaLshaim that it was a segulah to recite the psalm, Esa Ainai el heHarim. Later she explained that a group of Bochurim heard about this and they all did it. A while later they all got engaged. Rav Chaim Kanievsky. [Later he added that Segulos do not always work but they certainly help.]

Q: Is it possible to lose out on ones Shidduch to someone else because we are being too picky?

A: Actually, that which is often quoted in the name of my father may the righteous be for a blessing, is not so accurate a quote. They quote him as saying that the Talmudic passage of 40 days before the child is formed a Divine Voice emanates and proclaims, the daughter of Ploni to Ploni is only in general but it is possible to marry someone else. This is what they quote but it is not so accurate. He actually said that certainly a person will get his (or her) shidduch. It is just that one can push it off because of midos and being too picky and she will marry someone else. Afterward she will divorce or become widowed and he will eventually marry her.. My father the Steipler once told me that when he went to be drafted in the Russian army he visited for a few days at the home of Rav Elchonon Wasserman, who mentioned to him that the Rabbi of Kossova has a number of daughters. At that time my father was still a young man not even contemplating shidduchim. He felt that Ruach HaKodesh had come out of the mouth of Rav Elchonon. At the end he did end up marrying the daughter of the Rabbi of Kossova. .. This is the meaning of the Gemorah Moed Kotton 18b From Hashem a woman comes to a man [ we know that everything comes from Hashem so why does the Gemorah single this out?] Rather, even though here in this world there is bechirah  free choice, we say that it does not help what a person does  to take someone different than that which was destined for him.. Rav Kanievsky

The author can be reached at [email protected]

The material in this column came from chapter 13 of MAchorei HaPargud, available at Seforim stores.
President Barack Obama and Democratic lawmakers will strategize next week about how to prevent Republicans from destroying Obamacare. The president also plans to give a major valedictory speech next month in Chicago, his hometown, 10 days before his presidency ends.

Obama will travel to the Capitol on Wednesday morning for the meeting with House and Senate Democrats, according to an invitation sent to lawmakers. The White House cast the meeting as an effort to unite Democrats behind a plan to protect the law, known as the Affordable Care Act, before Republicans have a chance to settle on their own strategy for repealing it.

Democrats are on edge over the future of the law, Obamas signature legislative achievement, given the GOPs disdain for it and President-elect Donald Trumps vows to gut it. Though Republicans are united behind the notion of repealing the law, theyre split over how best to replace it. Some want to strip out unpopular provisions while leaving others intact, while other Republicans prefer a start-from-scratch approach.

Its that lack of unanimity among Republicans that Obama and Democrats hope can be exploited, if they can lay the groundwork even before Trump takes office. To that end, Obama also planned to answer questions about Obamacare on next Friday during a livestreamed event at Blair House, just across Pennsylvania Ave. from the White House.

Blair House, the historic government guest house, is traditionally inhabited by incoming presidents in the days before theyre inaugurated, making it a particularly poignant place for Obama to push back on Trumps plans for his health law.

The Obamacare push will likely be one of the presidents final efforts to influence the direction of U.S. policy before he leaves office on Jan. 20. Already, the White House is starting to ramp down operations, with Obama aides set to start offloading after New Years as Trumps team prepares to take over.

Obamas speech in Chicago on Jan. 10 is expected to serve as his closing words to the nation as president. His appearance will be open to the public and followed by a family reunion for alumni of Obamas former campaigns, according to a save-the-date notice sent to Obama alumni and obtained by The Associated Press.

The White House has not confirmed Obamas speech or trip to Chicago.

(AP)
There is a tendency to regard Japan as a benign owner of British assets. Unlike China it is not intent on shoplifting intellectual property and it is a stable Western-style democracy.

It also has been a good investor in the UK, from Nissan in Sunderland to Honda in Swindon.

So when SoftBank recently reached out to buy the pride of British technology, Arm, investors and the politicians almost bit off its arm.

The impact of Japanese ownership on our free press in the shape of Nikkei's takeover of the FT has yet to be seen. But it is much less City bible now and more the voice of Davos and transnational enterprise.

Crisis: As most of the UK has been on holiday, shares in electronics and power systems giant Toshiba have gone into freefall in Tokyo

We should remember that corporate Japan operates to very different accounting and governance standards to Britain.

Five years ago the British chief executive of Olympus, Michael Woodford, was cast out on his ear when he exposed a black hole in the optical champion's accounts.

As most of the UK has been on holiday, shares in electronics and power systems giant Toshiba have gone into freefall in Tokyo.

There are fears for its survival following a warning that it may have to book billions of dollars of provisions on some of the assets of its Westinghouse nuclear operations in the US.

The Toshiba crisis is not without relevance for Britain. Recent Tory-led governments hoped Japan would be an investor in a new fleet of power stations for Britain.

In readiness for that, two years ago Spanish utility Iberdrola, owner of Scottish Power, announced it was selling a 50 per cent stake in NuGen to Toshiba with the possibility of building 3.6 gigawatt nuclear power plant near Sellafield in Cumbria.

Toshiba has increased its stake to 60 per cent but how it intends to find the wherewithal to undertake such an enterprise, when a hole has opened up in its finances, it is hard to know.

Britain's future nuclear development suffered another nuclear setback in 2012 when German utilities RWE and E.ON decided that investing in UK nuclear, when the German government had ruled out any new nuclear in their own country, made no economic sense.

Toshiba shows the foolishness of relying on foreign owners, who put their domestic agenda first, ploughing money into Britain.

Away from infrastructure, in 2012 the Japanese advertising giant Dentsu spent 3.9billion buying quoted British media outfit Aegis and announced that the Dentsu Aegis Network would be handling the Japanese group's overseas operations.

This week it emerged an architect of that deal, chief executive Tadashi Ishii, will resign in January after it was revealed the group is to be prosecuted for breaking labour laws.

Charges relate to the death a year ago of a 24-year-old woman employee who committed suicide amid allegations that she had been subjected to harassment and overwork.

A change of leadership in Japan which involves the departure of the architect of the Aegis deal cannot but have some bearing on the priority given to international operations.

More importantly it demonstrates again a gulf in culture and governance practices between Japan and Britain.

When command and control of our infrastructure, technology and creative industries is passed to decision makers far away, we all suffer.

New horizons

Shell still has some way to go in completing the asset disposals it promised when it bought BG Group. It partly has been saved from embarrassment by the recovering oil price.

The Anglo-Dutch major may find life a little difficult in 2017 if US production steps up due to Donald Trump's climate change retreat.

As fascinating, is the change in mood at BP which, having spent the last five years selling off assets to pay for the Macondo disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, is now busy investing again.

In its latest deal BP (in which I have shares) has scooped up 527 petrol stations in Australia for 1bn, adding to a portfolio down under that includes 1,400 other retail outlets, a refinery and natural gas facilities.

Full marks to Bob Dudley for peeking over the horizon to better times.

Living better

An enduring legacy of George Osborne's period as Chancellor may well be the introduction of the National Living Wage.

At the time it was seen as a piece of gimmickry, likely to cause joblessness and opposed by pub owners, including Tim Martin of Wetherspoon, for the cost pressures it imposed.

New analysis by the Low Pay Commission shows that not only has the 7.20 per hour rate helped the least well-off but it has also benefited those in the next bracket.

Yes, it may have led to a rise in cost of haircuts, cleaning and menu prices. That seems a small bill for being a more decent society where those who supply us with services are properly rewarded.

And, by the way, the jobless rate in 2016 fell to an 11-year-low of 4.8 per cent.
Concerns: RBS investors want a shareholder committee

RBS DEMAND About 160 investors are demanding the Royal Bank of Scotland shores up corporate governance by creating a shareholder committee to sniff out 'poor stewardship' and avoid a rerun of the bank's near-collapse in 2008.

The move would prevent RBS from repeating the chain of events that triggered the lender's crash during the financial crisis, according to investor groups ShareSoc and the UK Shareholders' Association.

The bank was taken to the brink of collapse, forcing the Government to rescue it with a 45billion bailout.

MONTE FALLOUT Italian leaders have hit back after the European Central Bank warned the crisis at basket case lender Monte dei Paschi di Siena was worse than feared.

The ECB  run by Italian Mario Draghi  this week estimated that Monte dei Paschi had a capital shortfall of 7.5billion compared with the 4.25billion gap indicated by the lender.

But Italian economy minister Pier Carlo Padoan said the ECB's new capital target was the result of a 'very rigid stance'.

The Italian treasury is now set to pump in around 4.7billion to salvage the lender.

JOBS BOOST The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week, well below a level associated with jobs market strength.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 10,000 to 265,000, the latest government figures showed.

It was the 95th consecutive week that claims were below 300,000.

ZERO DRAWBACK Workers on zero-hours contracts earn 1,000 a year less than other employees doing the same job, a new study reveals.

The Resolution Foundation said that people on the controversial contracts, under which they don't know if they have work from one week to the next, face a 'precarious pay penalty'.

The difference is around 6.6 per cent, or 93p an hour, but those in the lowest paying jobs receive 9.5 per cent less, research by the think-tank found.

CHINA EXPANSION The Chinese government is planning to expand the country's high-speed rail network to a total of 18,600 miles by 2020 as part of public infrastructure spending programmes.

The network would connect more than 80 per cent of China's major cities, under plans to inject 411billion into railway construction by 2020.

BEER DEAL Micro-breweries are tapping into Co-op pledge to double the number of local suppliers.

The retail giant is adding 50 local breweries to its range so locally produced ales will be sold in stores across the country.
English sparkling wine has replaced Champagne as the official bubbly of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race in a major victory over the French.

Bottles of Chapel Down  which is based in Kent and supplied wine to the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge  will be handed over to the winning crew.

Bollinger has supplied Champagne to the event for the last four years, including in 2016.

The replacement of one of the world's most famous Champagne houses by an English rival at such a high profile sporting event will come as a boost to the burgeoning UK wine industry.

'We are thrilled to be partnering the boat race, an iconic moment in the British sporting calendar,' said Frazer Thompson, boss of Chapel Down.

David Searle, executive director of The Boat Race Company, said: 'It will be fantastic to see the iconic celebration moment after the races being feted with English wine.'

He said the deal with Chapel Down  which will first be served at the 163rd clash between Oxford and Cambridge in April  reflects 'our desire to evolve as a thoroughly modern British event'.
Losses at the luxury restaurant chain founded by celebrity designer Sir Terence Conran have widened following an abandoned stock market flotation.

D&D London, which owns the Bluebird and Michelin-starred Angler, took a 2.7million hit for professional fees and other costs after scrapping an IPO.

That drove the company, which owns and operates 35 high-end restaurants and a hotel, to record a loss of 4.8million for the year to March 31, up 77.8 per cent from 2.7million a year earlier.

Losses: The D&D London restaurants group, which owns the Bluebird and Michelin-starred Angler, was founded by celebrity designer Sir Terence Conran

However it posted a 3 per cent rise in turnover to 107.8million, up from 104.9million the year before, driven by a new German-inspired cafe in London.

Des Gunewardena, chief executive at D&D, said stock market volatility early last year sparked the decision not to go ahead with the stock market listing for the time being.

'We have enjoyed a very good Christmas, with sales growth so far in December in the high single digits compared to last year,' he added.
Crisis: Shares plunged at Toshiba for the third day running yesterday

Britain's nuclear power plans have been thrown into doubt as a financial crisis grips the company behind one of the country's biggest projects.

Japanese company Toshiba owns a 60 per cent stake in the planned 10billion NuGen nuclear power project in Moorside, Cumbria, which aims to supply power for about 6million homes from 2025.

But shares plunged at Toshiba for the third day running yesterday after it warned of a multi-billion dollar write-down involving its US nuclear subsidiary.

Forty per cent has been wiped off the company's value since it said on Monday that its US nuclear subsidiary Westinghouse Electric may have overpaid by several billions of dollars for another nuclear construction and services business.

Westinghouse UK is providing the reactors for the planned project in Cumbria, the rest of which is owned by French company Engie, and would be one of Europe's largest nuclear power plants.

Moody's investor service has downgraded Toshiba's ratings and warned the writedown could affect the company's ability to pay its debts, little over a year after its finances were seriously hit by an accounting scandal.

Justin Bowden, the GMB union's national secretary for energy, said: 'It needs to be established as soon as possible whether or not the collapsing Toshiba share price, in particular in relation to its Westinghouse operation, has any implications, and if so what these are for the extremely important Westinghouse project.'

Masako Kuwahara, a Moody's vice-president, said: 'The downgrade of Toshiba's ratings principally reflects Moody's deepening concerns over the sustainability of Toshiba's near-term liquidity, as well as the substantive and rapid erosion of its equity base.

'Although Toshiba is still assessing the exact amount of the impairment loss, its financial metrics will likely deteriorate further, potentially resulting in a negative equity position.'

Moody's added that if Toshiba breached its debt obligations, its ability to stay solvent would depend on banks' support.

'The availability of such support in such a situation, is currently uncertain,' Moody's added.

Links: Toshiba owns a 60% stake in the planned 10bn NuGen nuclear power project in Moorside, Cumbria

Bankers and analysts said the latest shock could force Toshiba to trim down its businesses.

'If the company wants to survive, it needs to go through a scrap-and-build process,' said Norihiro Fujito, senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.

Toshiba's problems come after NuGen said it was in talks with potential investors for the Cumbria site, with a final investment decision due in 2018.

It is potentially a blow to the Government after ministers had described 2016 as a 'year for the industry to look back on' following backing for a new plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset.

Then UK energy minister Lucy Neville-Rolfe said Hinkley Point would 'trigger this country's nuclear renaissance'. But the GMB's Bowden said: 'We are one step away from the lights going out.'

NuGen yesterday declined to comment and Toshiba could not be reached for comment.
12:30: The Footsie surged to an all-time high and recorded its best year since 2013 after riding out a turbulent 12 months thanks to a boost from the Brexit-hit pound.

The FTSE 100 smashed its mid-session record and set a new all-time closing high by rising 22.57 points to 7,142.83.

The late surge saw the UK's premier index break above the mid-session record of 7129.83 recorded on October 11 and record a fresh closing high for the third day running.

Record breaking: London's top-flight index surged to an all-time high and recorded its best year since 2013

It came as London emerged as the best performer out of the major European stock markets this year, finishing 2016 more than 14 per cent higher despite Britain's voted to leave the European Union on June 23.

Top finishers this session included Coca-Cola HBC, London Stock Exchange Group and Hikma Pharmaceuticals - all posting 2 per cent gains.

Meanwhile shopping centre owner Hammerson was up 0.39 per cent to 565.1p after inking a deal with Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC to offload a 50 per cent stake in the newly opened Watermark leisure complex in Southampton.

Other risers included Burberry, up 0.81 per cent to 1,496p and Primark owner Associated British Foods, up 0.66 per cent to 2,748p.

The pound's fall, triggered by Britain's decision to quit the European Union, has proved beneficial for multinational companies listed on the index as many tend to benefit from earnings in currencies - such as the US dollar - which are stronger than sterling.

On Friday, sterling slumped further against the euro, falling 0.2 per cent to 1.16.

The pound was up by a modest 0.25 per cent against the dollar at $1.22.

Reflecting on the year, David Cheetham, analyst at XTB said: 'The inflexion point for the market came shortly after the 23rd June, when Britains decision to leave the EU sent the pound plummeting and gave a major boost to the majority of the indexs revenues, in sterling terms, which are earned abroad.

'This obviously shows that the benchmark is no longer an accurate barometer for the strength of the UK economy with external influences having a far greater impact on the market.

'From a technical point of view theres lots to suggest the market is trending higher and with it hard to see a sustained recovery in the pound next year due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit, bulls will be feeling joyous and optimistic heading into 2017.'

09:00: The Footsie was clocking up minor losses early this session, following yesterdays second consecutive record closing high.

In opening deals the FTSE 100 was off 17.3 points at 7,102.4, having finished at 7,120 points on Thursday - led higher by gold miners as the yellow metal rallied during the session.

However the small blip this morning will not dampen overall sentiment which has seen the index gain nearly 14 per cent this year - making it the best performer among major European stock indexes despite the shock of June's Brexit vote.

Good year: Traders have seen the FTSE 100 index jump 14% this year - no doubt this will be reflected come bonus time

Its climb is due largely to the mining sub-index, which has jumped 100 per cent in 2016 on stronger metals prices and expectations of a boost to infrastructure spending in the United States.

In contrast Italy's benchmark FTSE MIB is down around 10 per cent, among the worst performers in Europe, following a 38 per cent slump in Italian banks this year.

Meanwhile Asian stocks have closed 2016 on an upbeat note as Japan, Hong Kong and China all made gains overnight.

Analysts said the exuberance was still over President elect Donald Trump's anticipated stimulatory policies.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, said: 'Only time will tell if the Trump euphoria can be sustained, or whether we are due another correction early on in the New Year.'

In focus this session will be gold prices after it stormed towards $1150 yesterday, with a weaker US dollar making the commodity cheaper to purchase.

Investors may also glance at December CPI from Spain, with expectations for a continued slowdown in the monthly rate.
With 2017 nearly here, many of us will be thinking about our finances and getting to grips with our savings, writes Pensions Minister Richard Harrington.

Next year why not make it your goal to sort out your pension? Even if youre a way off from retirement its useful to know if your savings are on track.

Its never too late to start saving and there are lots of simple things you can do to put yourself in the best position.

Richard Harrington: 'If youre already enrolled in a pension, the best decision is often to do nothing'

1) Your starting point could be to see what you might get from the state pension when you retire.

Grab your passport and national insurance number and visit our Check Your State Pension website, which will give you an estimate of how much its worth and what age you should be able to receive it.

2) For some people who have already retired, there are only three months left to take advantage of the State Pension Top Up Scheme, so its worth looking into to see whether its right for you.

It can increase your retirement income from between 1 to 25 a week, guaranteed for life in exchange for a one-off, lump sum payment. The scheme is open to people who reached their state pension age before 6 April 2016.

3) How confident are you that youve kept track of every pension youve paid into? Currently there is over 400 million in unclaimed pensions saving in the UK and on average we have 11 jobs in a life time, so its easy to lose track.

Go to the Pension Tracing Service and instantly get the right contact details of former employers so you can reclaim what is yours.

4) If youre already enrolled in a pension, the best decision is often to do nothing.

Saving into your pension, especially early on in your career, can significantly boost your savings  money put into a pension before youre 40 will benefit from decades of interest before youll need it. Let the money do all the work.

5) Many employers are willing to increase their contribution into your workplace pension, if you decide to pay more yourself.

Why not ask your employer whether theyd match your contributions? If so its an easy way to get more from the money you put in.

6) If you are thinking about starting a pension but not sure where to begin, speak with The Pensions Advisory Service and get some free guidance. They will be able to help you plan for your retirement and get you heading in the right direction.

7) Always be wary of scammers when making changes to your private pension. Dont let someone undo all your hard work by getting you to invest in amazing deals which dont live up to whats offered.

If someone calls you up and tells you about a deal which is too good to be true, dont be rushed and do your research, such as checking up whether a firm is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Its much better to be safe than sorry.

8) And finally you dont have to automatically retire if you still enjoy your job. More than 1.2million people aged over 65 are still in work and there is no set retirement age in this country.
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By Patrick Donachie

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblywoman-elect Stacey Pheffer-Amato joined the call last week for New York state to allow a special type of DNA testing that could develop new leads in the unsolved murder of a Howard Beach jogger last summer.

Addabbo and Pheffer-Amato co-signed a letter to Michael C. Green, the executive deputy commissioner for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, dated Dec. 22. In the letter, they implored the commission to approve the use of familial searching in DNA data banks. They cited the murder of Karina Vetrano, who was killed Aug. 2 and was found in Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach.

Authorities recovered DNA of an assailant at the scene, but searches in DNA data banks have not led to a match. Using familial DNA searching could help investigators potentially pinpoint family members of a suspect.

The tragic and brutal murder of Karina shook Howard Beach and the surrounding communities in many ways, and her family still must cope with the burden of her killer not yet being caught, Addabbo said. I believe it is imperative that we use the resources and technology we have available to not only find the person responsible for this young womans death and ensure the highest level of consequence, but to ease the fears of my constituents who know a dangerous individual is still out there.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown also expressed his support for authorizing familial DNA searches in New York state several weeks ago. He cited Vetranos murder, and said the familial DNA searching could have an impact on other unsolved cases. The commission announced it will hold a hearing Feb. 10 to consider whether such searches will be allowable in the state, according to Addabbos office.

The investigation into Vetranos murder is ongoing and several weeks ago police released information that could potentially pertain to the killer. Police said the suspect was likely familiar with Spring Creek Park, and may have visited or even lived in the park prior to the murder. The killer may have stopped visiting or living in the park afterwards, according to police, and may have provided a seemingly reasonable excuse for this change in behavior to others. He may have even suggested his avoidance of the park was due to the danger there, according to the NYPD report. It is possible the individual in question might have looked like they were in a fight or struggle, police said.

Police encouraged anyone who might have information to reach out to authorities.
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By Patrick Donachie

Protests are set to continue outside the proposed site of a small hotel development in Jamaica that has some community members worried it may be transformed into a homeless shelter upon opening.

The first protest at the intersection of 115th Avenue and Guy R. Brewer Boulevard was held earlier this month, and Michele Keller, a member of Community Board 12 and a member of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens of South Jamaica, said the rallies would likely continue after the holidays.

She stressed that residents were not opposed to the homeless, but were frustrated by what they saw as a glut of small hotels in South Jamaica being utilized as homeless shelters.

We strove hard to maintain that community. Its a diverse community, and we worked hard to build up our homes, she said. Do we want to help the homeless? Yeah, but not the way the city is going about it.

Keller said the property is across the street from a bus depot in a primarily residential area. She said there would probably not be much demand for a hotel in the neighborhood, and it is a bus ride away from the transportation and retail amenities in downtown Jamaica. The circumstances led her to believe the developer may be planning to operate with the city as a de facto shelter.

To put a hotel at that site where theres no attraction from anyone out of town, its not conducive, she said.

Keller acknowledged that the developer could build on the property as of right without requiring community board approval, but she said it would behoove developers to visit the community to detail their intentions.

The community had worked hard to stabilize the Jamaica residential communities in the 1990s, according to Keller, and were concerned that the prevalence of small hotels doubling as homeless shelters could affect property values in the area.

Keller said she hoped to meet with the developers and was under the impression the developers had met with Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica). Wills office did not comment as of press time.

She said she did not want the protests to inspire anger, which she thought would not lead to results. Keller also said other activists, including protesters from Maspeth who had advocated against the Holiday Inn Express shelter in that neighborhood, had accompanied the Jamaica group during their first protest at the site.

Keller said she hoped it would lead to different coalitions from around the borough joining forces.

Theres no communications going on with communities, and it only pits people against one another, she said about the city policy of housing homeless individuals in hotels. You cant expect people who work hard for their home to sit back.
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By Bill Parry

From their office above a Roosevelt Avenue Laundromat, DRUM fought for 15 years to put an end to a federal 9/11 terrorist program that caused the deportation of tens of thousands of Muslim and Arab men.

Last week, the Jackson Heights-based social justice organization saw its efforts rewarded when President Obama dismantled the National Security Entry-Exit Registration Systems one week after the group delivered petitions with over 350,000 signatures demanding the administration rescind the program before President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration.

The NSEERS program forced over 83,000 people to register, over 13,000 were put in deportations, and yet zero number of people were found to have any connection to violent activities, DRUM Director of Strategy Roksana Mun said. What these numbers dont show are the extent of devastation and disruption in the lives that were left behind. What these numbers do show is a program that used egregious racial and religious profiling to engage in mass deportations of entire communities.

DRUM member Mohammad Jafar Alam, a survivor of the original NSEERS program in 2003, was one of the individuals from groups across the country to deliver the petition to the Department of Justice Dec. 12.

I know exactly what a program like NSEERS does to a person and their family. The extreme mental, emotional distress, the financial problems, the pressures on a family and the isolation that happens is a punishment not for just one person, but everyone involved, he said. We commend the Obama administration for responding to our call and ending this program.

Under the program, 25 countries, mostly Muslim-majority nations, signed an agreement which allowed the Department of Homeland Security to track people coming from and returning to the United States. While Obama suspended the program in 2011 by removing all 25 countries off its list, critics feared the regulatory structure remained intact and could be used by the incoming Trump administration to revive the registry.

On Dec. 21 state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called on Obama to dismantle the NSEERS program, saying it did not reduce terrorist activity and instead undermined trust in law enforcement and instilled fear in some communities.

We cant risk giving President-elect Trump the tools to create an unconstitutional religious registry, Schneiderman said in a separate statement. On Dec. 22 the Department of Homeland Security ended the program with an immediate effective date, according to a DHS spokesman.

This is a win for civil rights and for smart, effective law enforcement, as well as for the strong coalition of advocacy organizations and others who fought to dismantle this discriminatory tool, Schneiderman said in a statement. My office will continue (to) do everything it can to protect the rights of all New Yorkers, and ensure equal justice under the law for all, regardless of religion or national origin.

Mayor Bill de Blasio commended the Obama administrations decision to dismantle the program.

The program was a failed counterterrorism tool, was highly discriminatory, and led to widespread fear and needless dislocation of families across the United States, de Blasio said. New York City is proudly home to one of the largest Muslin communities in the country. If NSEERS were reinstated, roughly 28,000 New Yorkers would likely be required to register, with devastating consequences for immigrant families and other members of our community who would face greater fear, uncertainty and exclusion. The Department of Homeland Security took important steps to end the program in 2011 and now the president will finish the job.
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By Calvin Prashad

Disturbed by the brutal murder of a woman in Richmond Hill, two Indo Caribbean womens activists organized a community vigil to discuss violence against women and mourn the most recent victim of fatal domestic violence.

Simone Jhingoor and Nadia Bourne of the Richmond Hill-based Jahajee Sisters described the challenge of confronting decades-old norms and a culture of silence that needs to change to protect women in the community.

On Dec. 5, Rajwantie Baldeo was allegedly stabbed by her ex-husband. Prem Rampersaud, who has been charged with her murder, according to the Queens district attorney. The pair had been arguing and Rampersaud confronted his former wife in a jealous rage.

Though the brutal murder prompted an outpouring of sympathy from the community, this is hardly the first instance of young women being murdered by current or former partners. The group was founded following the 2007 murders of two young Indo-Caribbean women, Natasha Ramen and Guiatree Hardat.

The term Jahajee, dates back to the period of Indian indentured servitude when Jahajee Bahen (ship sister) was a term of endearment used by women to unify and support each other during the harsh sea voyage from South Asia to the Caribbean, according to the group.

On Dec. 18, the group held the vigil at Naresa Palace, a catering hall on Rockaway Boulevard in South Ozone Park.

Outdated ideas and cultural norms that keep women subjugated and silent have no place in our society, Jhingoor said.

The roots of intimate partner violence are complex, and Jhingoor noted that history plays a role in norms about violence against women.

We at Jahajee Sisters believe that the violence partly has its roots in the colonial system of indentureship, she said.

Indo-Caribbean people are the descendants of indentured workers, brought to Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica. During the indentureship period from 1838  1917, the ratio of workers was one woman to 10 men. Jhingoor said that as a result, women experienced violence and sexual assault at alarming rates.

She pointed out that this legacy of trauma continues to influence cultural behaviors and practices.

Jahajee Sisters identified community institutions as critical to leading an intervention against intimate partner violence.

We need more community leaders of faith-based institutions to stand with us and publicly condemn gender-based violence, Jhingoor said. Specifically, the group wants to partner with houses of worship to do workshops for their congregations on healthy relationships and consent.

Still, while it is incumbent on the community to motivate itself to change, there is also a dearth of resources in southern Queens to address these issues in a culturally specific and relevant manner.

Although many of us are new immigrants still learning how to navigate the U.S. and struggling to make ends meet, there is not enough attention paid to supporting us, Jhingoor said. Groups like Jahajee Sisters are aiming to increase the visibility of women, from having events to commemorate victims, to training young women and girls to become advocates in the community against sexism and patriarchal norms.

The hope is to prevent future domestic violence by empowering women in the community as well as ending the invisibility that many women feel in the community.

Ultimately, Jhingoor and Bourne want the Indo-Caribbean community to confront the shame and stigma around naming the violence that is present in our families, which creates an unhealthy culture of silence.

They called on the community to send the message loudly, clearly and on a regular basis that our community values the life, well-being and dignity of every girl and every woman.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday named social-democrat Sorin Grindeanu as the nation\s new prime minister, bringing to a close weeks of uncertainty since the left won a parliamentary vote on December 11.

The centre-right president has signed a decree naming Grindeanu, a 43-year-old former communications minister, as the new premier.

Grindeanu now faces a confidence vote in parliament on his programme and cabinet nominees.

The nomination sought to put an end to a political crisis in Romania sparked when after Iohannis rejected a previous candidate who would have been the country\s first female and first Muslim prime minister.

The president offered no reasons for his rejection of Sevil Shhaideh, initially put forward by the Social Democrats (PSD), but there was speculation that it was due to her Syrian husband\s background.

Shhaideh, 52, who has only five months ministerial experience, is from Romania\s small and long-established Turkish minority, but her Muslim faith is not thought to have been the problem.

The PSD had proposed the previously little-known Shhaideh after its thumping poll victory on December 11 when it won 45 percent of the vote, enough to form a majority coalition with its partners ALDE.

PSD leader Liviu Dragnea had withdrawn his own bid to become prime minister because of a conviction that bars him from office.

The PSD\s election triumph came barely a year since anger over a deadly nightclub fire that killed 64 people forced it from office.

The inferno was blamed on corruption  something Brussels has long complained about since Romania joined the EU in 2007.

SOURCE: AFP
A fragile calm was holding across Syria on Friday after a truce brokered by Russia and Turkey came into effect, a potentially major breakthrough after nearly six years of conflict.

There were reports of isolated violence, including clashes in central Hama province between government forces and jihadist factions, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were casualties among regime forces in the clashes after midnight with jihadists near the town of Mahardeh.

The fighters were believed to be from a faction that did not sign the ceasefire announced Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and confirmed by Syria\s army and mainstream opposition bodies.

The Observatory reported other minor violations, including the firing of a single missile by regime forces in southern Daraa province, but said the truce was largely holding.

"There have not been any large violations," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"From midnight until 8:00 am (0600GMT) there have been no civilian deaths recorded," he added.

AFP correspondents on the ground in rebel-held territory in northwest Idlib province and Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus also reported calm after the truce began.

The ceasefire is the first nationwide truce to be implemented in the country since September, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan sponsored by Russia and Turkey.

Syria\s government hailed the agreement as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

And despite being left out of the process, Washington also hailed the truce agreement as a "positive development", saying it hoped it would bring new negotiations.

Iran\s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the truce as a "major achievement" that could lead to renewed peace talks.

"Let\s build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he posted on Twitter.

The agreement comes a week after the regime, which is backed by ally Russia, recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Putin said Damascus and the "main forces of the armed opposition" had inked a truce and a document expressing readiness to start peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" and urged states with influence on the ground to show "the necessary sensitivity" to ensure the truce held.

Syria\s conflict has become a complex multi-front battle, with a range of outside players intervening, including Russia, which launched a military campaign to bolster President Bashar al-Assad last year.

Putin said Friday he would now reduce Moscow\s military contingent in Syria, though he added Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" and maintain its support for the government.

And Erdogan also emphasised that Ankara would continue an operation it began in August targeting the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters.

Moscow says seven key rebel groups have signed up to the deal, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham faction, but the truce does not include jihadists such as IS or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front.

That could cause complications in areas like Idlib, where Fateh al-Sham is allied with rebel groups that have signed the deal.

Syria\s political opposition and rebels said the truce applied to all parts of the country.

"The agreement includes a ceasefire in all areas held by the moderate opposition, or by the moderate opposition and elements from Fateh al-Sham, such as Idlib province," said Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the National Coalition opposition body.

Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Turkey and Russia have worked increasingly closely on Syria, brokering a deal this month to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

They are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start next month.

"Now we need to do everything for these agreements to come into force, for them to work, so that the negotiating teams that have been or are being formed promptly and as soon as possible arrive in Astana," Putin said.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would "pave the way for productive talks", but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue next year.

Russia and Turkey say the Astana peace talks are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them.

Moscow says it is working with Turkey and key regime ally Iran, and will also seek to involve regional powers Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan.

Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow said it hoped to bring US President-elect Donald Trump\s administration on board once he takes office in January.

A rebel official confirmed the truce deal was intended to pave the way for new talks, with the High Negotiations Committee that has represented the opposition at previous negotiations expected to participate.

SOURCE: AFP
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Renwick, Iowa

Once-bustling Renwick, Iowa, lost its grocery, hardware store, school and Ford dealership years ago, but when its sole bar closed last June, it seemed to some residents there wasn't much of a town left.

So seven friends and spouses who had met for beers at the bar for decades took matters into their own hands. One bought the place and the others pooled their money to fix it up, showing up after work to replace floors and walls on steamy summer nights before reopening in September as the Blue Moose Saloon.

It was an impressive achievement but one becoming more common as population continues to trickle from rural America. Residents of some towns are scrambling to hold on to at least a few places where people can still gather. It's not just bars but groceries, cafes and other stores. They don't expect to turn around their communities' prospects, but after watching so many businesses shuttered, they feel they had to draw the line.

"There are two places not too far, over in Lu Verne, but it's not our place," said one of the Blue Moose owners, Ron Oberhelman, 59, a farmer who has seen the population fall from about 500 to 235 residents. "It's not our home town.

"When your local place closes up, you're pretty much lost."

Renwick's wide streets are usually empty, apart from a trickle of people who stop at the small post office, do business at the towering silver Gold Eagle grain elevators or work at a seed production plant. But cars and pickups begin pulling up to the Blue Moose not long after it opens each afternoon at 4, offering a refuge from the icy December wind that blows off the snowy farmland surrounding the community about 90 miles north of Des Moines.

It's a similar situation in the village of Decatur, Neb., where a dozen people put up money to help the owners rebuild when the Green Lantern Steakhouse burned in 2008. The restaurant, established in 1956, was what brought people into town and served as the main meeting spot in the community of 450 an hour's drive north of Omaha.

"It's not very easy to have a strong, active small town," said Matt Connealy, who lives on a farm just outside town. "You have to do things that don't always make the best sense financially."

Once reopened, the restaurant resumed its place as the community's hub, home to high school graduation parties and baby showers. Near the entrance, notices cram a bulletin board, so as Connealy notes, "If you want to find out what's happening, that's where you go."

U.S. Census figures show more than a third of rural counties have lower populations now than in 1930. In Iowa, about two-thirds of the state's 99 counties have lost population for decades. In addition to fewer potential customers, businesses in rural areas face stiff competition from online shopping and from urban chain stores offering big savings for those willing to drive another 30 or 40 miles.

Charles Fluharty, of the Rural Policy Research Institute at the University of Iowa, said he's seen an increase in rural neighbors joining to save local spots. Some create cooperatives or seek government and private grants.

Without gathering places, residents fear people in town won't know each other. They won't know who's getting married, who's sick, who needs help.

"There's a sense of, "We've got to take care of ourselves, and that means we've got to take care of one another because we're all we've got," Fluharty said.

In Kiester, Minn., the 486 residents gained approval from the legislature for the city to own the local food store. Residents later formed a co-op, and the Kiester Market sign notes, "Proud to be community owned."

Marcia Dahleen, until recently the market manager, said the store relies on volunteer help. It delivers to elderly people and takes special meat orders.

"We try to bend over backward to help people in town," she said.

Residents of Bowdon, N.D., population 135, also created a co-op to save a meat-cutting plant after the owner died. Though it only employed a few people, co-op board member Larry Crowder said it was "the busiest place on Main Street," and that residents feared Bowdon's cafe and co-op grocery could fail if the plant wasn't there to draw people into town. They managed to sell 100 shares at $5,500 apiece to fund a new plant along with grants.

"They did it to save the town," Crowder said.
Washington

Donald Trump gave himself kudos for the creation of 8,000 new U.S. jobs by a Japanese tech mogul, saying it was proof of "the spirit and the hope" stirred by his presidential win.

But for those particular jobs, Trump was basically taking a bow for the second time. The jobs were part of a public commitment made on December 6 by Masayoshi Son upon emerging from the elevator bank at Trump Tower after a meeting with Trump. Son pledged that companies controlled by his firm SoftBank would invest $50 billion in the United States and create 50,000 jobs.

On Wednesday, Trump celebrated the planned creation of 5,000 jobs by wireless carrier Sprint and 3,000 jobs by OneWebboth companies where Son is a dominant investor.

Speaking from the front door of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump did not outright mention Son's previous commitment but used the opportunity once again to declare a victory for U.S. workers. Although 8,000 jobson their ownare unlikely to dramatically move the needle toward the faster economic growth he has promised, the Trump transition team treated the jobs as a preview of things to come.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Thursday.

Ever the dealmaker, Trump has actively courted and shamed companies. The president-elect has pushed defense contractors Boeing and Lockheed-Martin to reduce their costs via his Twitter account, while he fulfilled a campaign promise by preserving 800 jobs at the Carrier furnace plant in Indianapolis that were previously bound for Mexico.

With the Sprint and OneWeb announcement, there may be slightly less than meets the eye. There is one clear winner, though: Son, worth an estimated $19 billion. Since the presidential election, Sprint stock has soared roughly 40 percent. Son's SoftBank controls 83 percent of the Kansas-based carrier.

Of the 5,000 jobs Sprint said it would create or bring back to the United States in its upcoming fiscal year, some would be at outside contractors. The jobs will help "support" its customer service and sales teams, among other divisions at the company. Details about pay and benefits are being finalized, according to Sprint.

The company also said it will discuss with business partners, states and cities about where to create these jobs but a spokeswoman said that it will not receive any federal, state or local government incentives for adding these positions.

Still, Sprint will likely have fewer workers than when Son's firm SoftBank acquired a controlling stake in 2013. Sprint has shed about 9,000 employees since 2012; it now employs roughly 30,000, according to annual reports.

Son's SoftBank invested $1 billion this month in OneWeb, which is building a network of satellites to provide broadband internet. The investment will help finance the construction of a factory in Florida that could produce 15 satellites a week, generating 3,000 engineering, manufacturing and support jobs over the next four years, according to a December 19 statement.

Son linked his investment to meeting with Trump.

"Earlier this month I met with President-elect Trump and shared my commitment to investing and creating jobs in the U.S.," he said in a statement about the investment. "This is the first step in that commitment."

 Who are the big winners from this announcement?

In addition to those who get hired for the new jobs, a clear victor is Masayoshi Son.

Trump twice praised the Japanese billionaire in December, signaling that Son might as well have a direct line to the White House. This could be helpful for Son's other business plans. Under the Obama administration, he saw a marquee deal to merge Sprint with rival T-Mobile fail.
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Albany

Adriano Dossantos didn't have much to give his daughter for her wedding day, but he could give her snow.

All his daughter, Adriana, wanted after a childhood in Brazil and several years living in Florida was to marry her childhood sweetheart in the snow.

"That's what she wanted, and we don't really have a lot of money," he said. "So I decided I would make this happen  someway, somehow."

This week, the family packed up their car in Boca Raton, Fla., with a wedding dress, a couple suits and some boots, and headed 1,400 miles north to New York state. They would stop in Albany for the license, and then continue north just a few more hours until landing in Lake Placid.

That was the plan, at least.

"When we got to Albany City Hall and turned around and saw the Capitol, she fell in love with the place," said Adriano Dossantos of his 19-year-old daughter.

"It looked like those old movies," she said. "I don't know how to describe it. The houses were so pretty and old. Everything looked so warm and cozy, and the air was so clean and cold. The weather outside was so beautiful. The trees without their leaves were covered in snow. We just loved it."

So their plans changed.

It was Wednesday by the time they got the license, and several days of warm weather had melted the little snow Albany had. The Dossantos' picked Lake Placid as their destination because their internet research had guaranteed them snow. But luck had it that a storm was coming through Albany on Thursday, so they spent the night and hoped for snowflakes.

"But then we couldn't find an officiant," Adriano Dossantos said. "There were no judges in City Hall because of the holidays. They weren't doing marriages until Jan. 1."

Luckily, they tracked down an officiant who said she could do it, but her only available time was 1 p.m. Thursday.

"We were watching the forecast, hoping that would work, and right at one was the height of the snowfall," Adriana's father said.

At about 1:30 p.m., in a white sleeveless gown, veil and snow boots, with tears in her eyes and the state Capitol at her back, Dossantos said "I do" to her childhood sweetheart, 21-year-old Alceir Pontes Jr., who took his bride's last name.

"It was cold. It was beautiful. It was very emotional," she said. "Everything was perfect."

The couple grew up in the same neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro and met when she was 12 and he was 14. They were friends for a long time before falling in love. Adriana's father had moved to Florida some years earlier, and she would spend chunks of time in the United States before moving to this country permanently in October.

Alceir had never seen snow before his wedding day. The only snow Dossantos ever saw was at a ski resort in Tennessee on a visit with her father. It was man-made.

"This was nothing like that," she said. "I'll never forget it."

bbump@timesunion.com
NASSAU -- Troopers arrested a 48-year-old Valatie man Thursday for drunken driving with a 4-year-old child in the car, State Police said.

Troopers responded after a caller reported a car had driven off Chatham Street in Nassau, State Police said.

The driver, William J. Harrison, refused to take a breath test but an investigation revealed he was intoxicated, troopers said.

Harrison faces a Leandra's Law felony driving while intoxicated charge and a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge.

The child was turned over to a relative, State Police said.

Harrison was arraigned and taken to Rensselaer County Jail on $2,000 bail or bond. He is scheduled to appear in Nassau Village Court on Tuesday.
After making changes in the ownership of its New York offices, the real estate company RE/MAX announced its first Rensselaer franchisee and a second RE/MAX Capital office.

Changes at the top started in February, when RE/MAX corporate bought back nearly 60 offices that had been owned by Canadian broker Pierre Titley since 1987. It's a move the company is making elsewhere as well, most recently in New Jersey, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and southern Ohio.

RE/MAX, founded in 1973, now operates in New York in much the same way other franchises in the area do  an owner/broker pays for the right to the company logo, trademark and access to the national and international network. But because real estate agents are independent contractors, negotiations over commission and how best to market a property are done locally.

Terri Bohannan, vice-president of the New York region of RE/MAX, said company founders Dave and Gail Liniger sold major portions of RE/MAX during the early years of the company, but always knew as the independent owners aged, they would need an exit strategy. Titley will continue to run a RE/MAX business in Quebec, where he lives.

"We are growing again and we're going to finish out the year with 13 new franchises for a total of 67, approximately," said Bohannan, who has spent the last 23 years of her 30-year career with the company.

Bohannan said the status RE/MAX has as a top company in many markets around the country and the world will appeal to local consumers, particularly as businesses and universities in the Capital Region continue to draw newcomers.

Franchisee Theodora D'Amico, the broker/owner of RE/MAX Capital at 1704 Western Ave., Albany, recently opened new office space at 1795 Route 9, Clifton Park, after investing in an upgrade and coffee bar for the property.

Another broker/owner, Catherine Graziano, recently opened an office at 52 North Greenbush Road, Suite E, Troy. It is called RE/MAX Platinum.

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Graziano has worked in real estate for more than 26 years, and been part of RE/MAX for four years. Graziano and D'Amico are only two examples of growing female leadership in the Albany area, Bohannan said. Graziano consistently contributes portions of her sales to the state's Children's Miracle Network.

In 2015 she was the state's top Miracle agent. The donations support the children's hospital at Albany Medical Center. All of the RE/MAX Platinum office professionals are committed to supporting Children's Miracle Network.

lhornbeck@timesunion.com
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Hoosick Falls

Fallout from the discovery of a toxic chemical in the water supply of Hoosick Falls erupted into a war of finger-pointing between local, state and federal agencies after questions emerged in late 2015 about why it took at least 14 months before residents were warned to stop drinking from the village's contaminated wells.

The controversial handling of the situation in the small village also revealed questionable safety standards at state and federal agencies about the levels of manmade manufacturing chemicals that also contaminated public water supplies in Vermont and New Hampshire. A Times Union investigation showed that New York agencies downplayed the health risks of the chemicals, which are believed to cause health problems that include cancer and other serious diseases.

In late January, as questions mounted about New York's handling of the water crisis in Hoosick Falls and the town of Petersburgh, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration declared the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics plant in the village of Hoosick Falls a state Superfund site. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which clashed with the state over the severity of the risks to public health, later recommended the site as a federal Superfund site  which is pending.

More Information Top stories 2016 Coming Saturday: The Times Union reveals the newsroom's choice for No. 1 local news story of the year. Go to www.timesunion.com/topstories for more year-end stories, plus reporter videos, offbeat news and timesunion.com top stories. Vote: Readers are invited to pick their choice for top story at www.timesunion.com topstoriesvote. Results will appear on Dec. 31. See More Collapse

As the public agencies defended their response to the discovery of PFOA in public and private wells in and around the village of Hoosick Falls, blood tests conducted by the state Health Department revealed that dozens of people, including children, in eastern Rensselaer County have elevated levels of PFOA.

Elevated levels of PFOA were found in the village's water system in the fall of 2014 by Michael Hickey, a former village trustee whose father died of cancer. Hickey sent water samples to a Canadian lab that reported levels of PFOA that the EPA later said are not safe for human consumption.

The EPA had established a guideline that a level of 400 parts per trillion was safe for "short-term" consumption of the water. But earlier this year, the EPA, in a decision that took years, declared that PFOA levels in water supplies should not exceed 70 parts per trillion. Some of the Rensselaer County water supplies tested for PFOA had levels significantly higher than the federal standards.

A series of Times Union stories this year raised questions about how the Health Department dealt with the public health crisis, and revealed that village officials had secretly hired a public relations firm to give them guidance on dealing with the public and press.

In February, the Times Union reported that a plastics company in Petersburgh first alerted the state Department of Environmental Conservation in 2005 about its discovery of PFOA in the groundwater around its plant on Route 22. At the time, the discovery of the hazardous chemical did not result in any public notification or additional investigation by the state, and the EPA said it had no record that the company or state DEC notified the federal agency about the situation at that time.

Also that month, a New York City law firm filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Saint-Gobain and Honeywell International  among the companies that operated the Hoosick Falls' manufacturing plant blamed for the contamination.

In July, a U.S. congressional committee launched an investigation  still pending  into the state and federal governments' handling of the widespread contamination of public and private water supplies in Hoosick Falls and other areas of eastern Rensselaer County. The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent letters to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the EPA demanding documents for the congressional probe.

Many states have been strengthening regulations on the toxic perfluorinated chemicals that contaminated drinking water supplies across the nation, but New York health officials said they will adhere to federal guidelines, which they also have characterized as "confusing" and "shifting." In September, California's Environmental Protection Agency said it intended to list two perfluorinated chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, as being "known to the state to cause reproductive toxicity."

California's initiative came a month after New Jersey announced the state would seek to lower the recommended level of PFOA in drinking water from 40 parts per trillion to 14 parts per trillion, well below the 70 ppt lifetime-exposure limit set by the EPA.

Vermont also tightened its rules on PFOA levels in drinking water, and earlier this year the state's Department of Health adopted an advisory maximum level of 20 ppt in drinking water.

For years, New York followed a standard that did not raise health alarms unless unregulated contaminants such as PFOA exceeded 50,000 parts per trillion in drinking water systems.

A New York state Health Department spokesperson said the agency "has already classified PFOA as a hazardous substance, and we recognize and adhere to federal guidance demonstrating associations between PFOA exposure and reproductive health effects."

Robert A. Bilott, an Ohio attorney who represents thousands of residents in a class-action lawsuit against DuPont, which manufactured PFOA, said states do not need to rely on the EPA's guidelines.

"States remain free to pursue their own, more restrictive and more protective standards for PFOA in drinking water," Bilott said.

PFOA is a toxic chemical used since the 1940s in the manufacture of industrial and household products.

Plants in eastern Rensselaer County and North Bennington, Vt., used the chemical for decades, and PFOA has been discovered in wells in those areas.

Human health studies have found links between PFOA exposure and six diseases: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, pregnancy-induced hypertension and high cholesterol.

PFOS has been used in the firefighting industry for decades, and the chemical has been found in ground water and drinking water supplies near military bases and other locations where firefighters have trained with or used the foam that contains the chemical.

blyons@timesunion.com  518-454-5547
Shannon Airport should be turned into Dublin's second airport, according to Cllr Hughie McGrath.

The Independent councillor wants Shannon refocused to take acount of its potential as a major hub.

If there was a genuine push by the EU and the Government to develop towns and villages, Shannon Airport would be twice its size, he said.

Cllr McGrath, who sits on the EU's Committee of the Regions in Brussels, warned that Knock Airport will be bigger than Shannon in a couple of years.

I can't understand why it is not pushed as a hub. There is plenty of room for an extra runway, he said.

He pointed out that the policy at present was we land tourists in Dublin and then we built a motorway to bring them to Kerry. It is as easy to pass Lough Derg as it is to turn off the motorway, he told Nenagh Municipal District Council.

Earlier, Cllr Ger Darcy had welcomed 200,000 in funding for Lough Derg and the Ormond Way section of the Beara / Breifne Way.

We don't realise yet the benefits it will bring. Slowly but surely we are building our tourism initiatives, he said.

Cllr Joe Hannigan believes the walks should be marketed as Ireland's Camino, pointing out that there are a lot of historical points along the Beara / Breifne Way.

We are part of Ireland's Ancient East but we are lost souls at present. We should have a link with the River Shannon corridor. We have the M7 and M6 and we are in the middle, he said.

Director of Community and Enterprise Attracta Lyons said that Lough Derg will be marketed in 2017.

We need to make people aware the product is there and how to sell it, she said.

Ms Lyons was hopeful the Ormond Way could be promoted as a national product because of its links with the Beara / Breifne Way, which runs from Leitrim to Cork.
Cashel Lions Club are currently collecting used spectacles for transmission to different places in the world.

A collection box is available in the premises of the Affinity Credit Union on Main Street, Cashel, courtesy of the management and staff.

When the collection is completed on February 1, the glasses will be shipped by DPD Courier Company, free of charge, to the Chichester Lions Club in England, where they are cleaned and sorted.

Following this the spectacles are sent to organisations and charities that are providing Eye Camps and Comprehensive Eye Services in Third World countries.

So, the used pair of glasses that you may have in a drawer or lying on a shelf can bring enormous relief and new life opportunities to people with defective eyesight who dont have to opportunity or the finance to visit Specsavers, Boots or other organisations who supply spectacles.

Cashel Lions Club is a proud member of the world-wide Lions Club network, which serves people in a voluntary capacity. Our organisation serves the community of Cashel and surrounding districts such as Dualla, Ballinure, Rosegreen, Golden, Knockavilla, Dundrum and Boherlahan.
[December 29, 2016] 300and Counting! Children's Hospital Los Angeles Performs Milestone Liver Transplant

At 7 months old, Donovan Daniels of Westminster may not understand for some time just how serious his medical condition, biliary atresia, really is. It may be years before he knows he was the 300th pediatric liver transplant ever performed by doctors at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Keck Medicine of University of Southern California. But one day he'll know his father Dejon Daniels went under the knife so that a portion of dad's liver could help him live a longer, healthier life. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161229005321/en/ Top: Lydia Hand as an infant post-transplant in 1998, with her mother, grandmother and liver transplant team. Bottom: Baby Donovan Daniels and his parents post-transplant in 2016, joined by doctors and Lydia, now 18. (Photo: Children's Hospital Los Angeles) In the meantime, Dejon and Donovan's mother Jessica Valdepena got a glimpse of what that life might look like, thanks to a meeting with a young woman named Lydia Hand. Lydia, now 18, was CHLA's first living donor liver transplant patient. As an infant, she also was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare life-threatening disease where bile ducts cannot expel bile from the liver. In 1998, Lydia received a liver from her grandmother. Today, the Lancaster resident is a college freshman majoring in music, and says her donated liver is still going strong. "It's pretty amazing how far she has come," says Jessica. "I want Donovan to grow up and have a bright future just like Lydia is having." CHLA's Liver and Intestinal Transplant Program has since grown to become one of the largest programs in the country - the hospital is now a consistent leader in the volume of living donor liver transplants performed nationwide among pediatric centers, with success rates well above national averages. "But statistics are not the real story," says Daniel Thomas, MD, medical director of the Liver and Intestinal Transplant Program at CHLA. "It is seeing patients like Lydia Hand grow, accomplish, and live to be a happy young woman with a life full of dreams and hopes."



Coincidentally, the same team that worked on liver patient No. 1 also treated patient No. 300. Dr. Thomas, a Glendale resident, is both Lydia's and Donovan's hepatologist while Yuri Genyk, MD, of La Canada, was their transplant surgeon. "Donovan's success is truly the culmination of the knowledge and skills from the 299 liver transplants that preceded him, including Lydia's," says Dr. Genyk, surgical director of the Pediatric Liver Transplant Program at CHLA and associate professor of clinical surgery in the Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Abdominal Organ Transplantation at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. "It speaks to the expertise and dedication of the entire liver transplant team, as well as the collective support we receive from all the services CHLA provides."

When Donovan's parents brought him to Children's Hospital Los Angeles in October, doctors told them Donovan urgently needed a new liver. Dejon volunteered and was found to be a match. The transplant took place Nov. 18, with Dr. Genyk performing both parts - Dejon's surgery at USC in the morning and Donovan's transplant at CHLA several hours later. Dejon was released and finally was able to visit Donovan just in time for Thanksgiving. Lydia and Donovan's family met in Donovan's hospital room on Dec. 1, the day he was discharged. "I've heard all the stories about my transplant from my family, but to actually see and hear what their family is going through is a special experience," says Lydia. "Donovan is me, I was once him, and it's incredible to know that hundreds of other kids have received this life-saving procedure at CHLA in the years between us," Lydia said. By the day Donovan left the hospital, CHLA doctors had already performed three more pediatric liver transplants. [High resolution photos available on request] About Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles is a nonprofit pediatric health care organization dedicated to creating hope and building healthier futures for children. Founded in 1901, CHLA is one of the nation's leading children's hospitals and is acknowledged worldwide for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. CHLA is one of only 11 children's hospitals in the nation-and the top-ranked pediatric facility in California-to be named to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll for 2016-17. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: CHLA.org/BLOG. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161229005321/en/

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[December 29, 2016] E FUN Introduces New Nextbook Flexx 12 Flip 2-in-1 Tablet

WEST COVINA, Calif., Dec. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- E FUN, a leading designer and manufacturer of mobile lifestyle products, will be introducing its Nextbook Flexx 12 Flip 2-in-1 Tablet during CES 2017, the first in a new series of Flip 2-in-1 tablets from Nextbook. The unit's large 12.2" screen and support for a variety of A/V formats makes it ideal for watching videos, reading, listening to music, and looking at photos. Its sleek, modern design and combination of Windows 10 and a detachable keyboard make it an effective tool for professionals on the go and students. "With a hearty 12.2" IPS touchscreen and 1920x1200 high-definition resolution, the Flexx 12 Flip 2-in-1 tablet delivers exceptional image quality for watching videos, reading, working or any task that is viewing intense," commented E FUN managing director and VP of sales Jason Liszewski. "Plus, the detachable Pogo pin keyboard easily flips the unit into a convenient laptop." The Flexx 12 Flip features Intel's new seventh-generation core processor, Kaby Lake, along with an Intel GEN9 LP graphics processor. The unit offers up to 256GB of combined internal and external (microSD card slot) storage capacity, split evenly at 128GB each. A stylish metal case supports the device during use and protects the device when not in use.



Built-in Bluetooth 4.0 and 5G Wi-Fi 802.11ac/b/g/n connectivity options allow the unit to be used virtually anywhere. A rechargeable Lithium Ion battery provides up to eight hours of power, plus a Type C port allows for an easy, reversible connection. A front camera and 5M rear camera with autofocus make capturing that special moment or video conferencing a breeze. A variety of apps are preloaded, such as Vudu movies and TV, Flixster to find movie theater schedules and locations, Barnes and Noble Nook, and more. Availability

The Nextbook Flexx 12 2-in-1 Windows 10 tablet will be available for shipping in Q2 2017. For more information, visit www.nextbookusa.com.

About E FUN

E FUN, a designer and marketer of mobile lifestyle products, entered the North American market in 2010. Since then, E FUN has grown to be one of the leading tablet brands at retail, achieving top five market share by volume in 2016. Its ongoing product innovation and partnerships set E FUN apart from competitors and provide customers with unique out of the box experiences. Its product offerings include and extensive line of Android and Windows tablets. E FUN is headquartered in West Covina, California. For additional information regarding E FUN's Nextbook tablets, visit www.nextbookusa.com. PR Contact:

Rita Lee

Copernio

(714) 891-3660

[email protected] All products/services and trademarks mentioned in this release are the properties of their respective companies.

 2016 E FUN. All rights reserved. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/e-fun-introduces-new-nextbook-flexx-12-flip-2-in-1-tablet-300384136.html SOURCE E FUN

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[December 30, 2016] Immunoassay Instruments/Analyzers Market Forcasted To 2024 - Research and Markets

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Immunoassay Instruments/Analyzers Market Revenue Analysis By Product (Chemiluminescence, Immunofluorescence Analyzers, Radioimmunoassay, Elisa), By Application (Oncology, Infectious Disease Testing, Autoimmune Disease), And Segment Forecasts To 2024" report to their offering. The global immunoassay instruments/analyzers market was valued at USD 14.7 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach a value of USD 23.3 billion by 2024. The prime factors driving the immunoassay analyzers market growth include constant introduction of advanced products. In addition, growing clinical applications for investigation and diagnosis of various chronic and related infectious diseases is expected to drive the growth of the immunoassay instruments market. The industry is rapidly growing due to the constant introduction and adoption of automated as well as advanced techniques for laboratory instruments and analyzers in developed countries. Rising prevalence of inectious diseases and chronic conditions, which require early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, is one of the main factors boosting the demand for immunoassay analyzers and compact consumable products in the healthcare sector. In addition, industry is gaining speed with the launch of innovative products such as compact and portable ichroma II of Boditech Med, Inc., which is an FDA-approved fluorescence scanning instrument. Moreover, with the U.S. FDA approval of the iStat cardiac Troponin I test cartridge that uses enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) method, commercialization of such immunoassay products is also expected to increase significantly over the next few years.



In North America, the government authorities and private companies have significantly contributed toward development of technology, supported research funding, and helped in commercialization of immunoassay analyzers and associated instruments. For instance, in June 2016, Abbott diagnostic launched Architect i1000SR, an automated immunoassay instrument that works on the principle of chemiluminescence. Using this system, number of different assays can be performed in a very short time. Key Topics Covered:

1 Research Methodology 2 Executive Summary 3 Market Variables, Trends& Scope 4 Market Categorization 1: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis 5 Market Categorization 3: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis 6 Market Categorization 4: Regional Estimates &Trend Analysis, by Product & Application type 7 Competitive Landscape For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lxnb5v/immunoassay View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161230005181/en/

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[December 30, 2016]

Trakopolis IoT Corp. Provides Update on Bonus Share Escrow

/NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES/

CALGARY, Dec. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - Trakopolis IoT Corp. ("Trakopolis") (TSXV:TRAK) a cloud based platform for interfacing mobile communications, software applications and location based services, today announced that it has cancelled 949,993 of its common shares issued into escrow (the "Bonus Shares") in connection with the reverse takeover of Lateral Gold Corp. and Trakopolis' going public transaction as the conditions to release of the Bonus Shares were not satisfied prior to te release deadline of December 31, 2016.







As a result of the cancellation, Trakopolis' issued and outstanding common shares have been reduced to 23,194,630 from 24,144,623 on an undiluted basis.

About Trakopolis

Trakopolis provides business intelligence to organizations that require current data for equipment, devices, vehicles and people in remote locations. Trakopolis customers benefit from industry-leading data security through Microsoft Azure, powerful analytics and mobile access to their solution across leading mobile operating systems.

For more information, visit Trakopoliscorp.com or 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.

SOURCE Trakopolis IoT Corp.
Petition seeks to 'Keep Abby and Libby arrest evidence sealed'

A petition on Change.org urges the prosecutor to keep the probable cause affidavit sealed in Richard Allen's arrest in the Delphi double homicide.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a very good value because of its captivating infinity display, strong performance and long battery life for under $500.

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

The Galaxy S8 has been around for a couple of years, but it's still a strong choice for those looking for flagship-level design and solid performance for under $500. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ boast 5.8- and 6.2-inch infinity displays, which go from edge to edge, and these handsets feature Qualcomms relatively zippy Snapdragon 835 processor for speedy performance.

Were still not fans of the fingerprint sensors location. But when you add in excellent battery life and improvements to a camera that was already very good, you have two winning handsets with the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

See our best phones list for all of our top picks.

Galaxy S8 price and release date

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were released in April of 2017. You can now get the Galaxy S8 starting at $499 with 64GB of storage. The larger Galaxy S8+ isn't as readily available, but it retails for about $589. However, we've seen this phone for as low as $364 on Amazon (opens in new tab).

You may want to keep an eye out for Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals to see if these phones get discounted during the holiday season.



Design: It feels like the future

The Galaxy S8 exemplifies a nearly bezel-free phone done right. Samsung didnt just take away the bezels on this phone; it crafted a space-age work of art with a new infinity display that stretches from edge to edge. The Galaxy S8 not only has a slightly bigger screen-to-body ratio than LGs phone but also looks sleeker because of the way the Gorilla Glass curves toward the edges on the front and back. Other Android phones look like blah, flat slabs by comparison. The S8 is also thinner and narrower than the G6.

The screen on the S8 is 5.8 inches, versus 6.2 inches on the S8+. But other than the difference in display size, the S8 and S8+ have the same design. Overall, we prefer the bigger screen on the S8+, but if you have small hands, youll likely find yourself repositioning the phone in your hand to reach certain buttons, including the home button, which is now a virtual button instead of a physical key. The button worked well in our testing, providing solid haptic feedback. Its flanked by the Recent Apps and Back buttons.

Whats remarkable about the Galaxy S8 is how much more screen real estate it gives you compared with the S7, while still offering a compact and lightweight design. The S8s 5.8-inch screen is housed in a 5.5-ounce, 2.7-inch-wide chassis, whereas the 5.1-inch S7 weighed 5.4 ounces and had the same width. The S8 is taller, but its still easy to use with one hand.

With its 6.2-inch screen, the 6.1-ounce S8+ is heftier than the 5.5-ounce, 5.5-inch S7 Edge. But the S8+ makes the iPhone 8 Plus (6.2 x 3.1 x 0.29 inches, 7.13 ounces) look positively bloated. Plus, unlike the latest iPhones, the S8 and S8+ have headphone jacks.

No matter which size you choose, it wont be long before you see fingerprint smudges on the back of the phone. The smudges were especially prominent on the midnight black version of the S8 and S8+, but you can also choose the lighter orchid gray or arctic silver, which dont show smudges as easily.



Galaxy S8 Galaxy S8+ Price

From $499

From $589

Display (Pixels) 5.8 inches (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED 6.2 inches (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED Camera (Back) 12 MP, f /1.7 aperture 12 MP, f /1.7 aperture Camera (Front) 8 MP, f/ 1.7 aperture 8 MP, f/1.7 aperture Biometric Scanning Facial recognition, iris scanner, fingerprint reader Facial recognition, iris scanner, fingerprint reader CPU Snapdragon 835 Snapdragon 835 RAM

4GB 4GB Storage 64GB 64GB microSD

up to 256GB up to 256GB Battery

3,000 mAh 3,500 mAh Battery Life (4G) 10:39 11:04 Size

5.9 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches 6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches Weight

5.5 ounces 6.1 ounces Colors

Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver Android Version 7.0 Nougat 7.0 Nougat Charging USB Type-C USB Type-C Wireless Charging WPC and PMA WPC and PMA

About that fingerprint sensor

We were worried that the fingerprint sensors placement right next to the camera on the back of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ might be a problem. And it was, initially. Because the sensor is fairly narrow, its difficult to target it without looking. We got used to it after a couple of days, but we still wish it were below the lens.

If you dont want to reach around the S8 to unlock your phone, you can choose from a couple of other biometric options that Samsung gives you. Theres facial recognition, as well as iris scanning. Iris scanning unlocks your phone faster and even works in the dark, but it doesnt work in direct sunlight; your eyes need to be fully open, so squinting isnt an option. The facial recognition is not only slower but also had trouble in direct sunlight and doesnt work in the dark.

Our advice? Use the iris scanning everywhere except in the sun, and when there is bright light, just use the fingerprint scanner.

Display: The perfect screen is here

Apple is bringing an OLED screen to the iPhone X, but you have to pay a grand for the privilege. Sporting a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels, both the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ turned in nearly perfect scores on our tests, offering a very bright picture, amazingly vivid colors and near-perfect color accuracy.

The extra-wide 18.5:9 aspect ratio doesnt work well with some apps, but overall, we like how immersive the experience is when watching video and playing games.

When watching the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer, we could make out every wrinkle in Reys hands as she seemed to levitate the rocks around her with the Force, as well as every rising ring of smoke around Kylo Rens smoldering mask. As the camera panned around to the island where Luke was training Rey, it was hard not to be impressed by the golden sunshine that reflected off the water, as well as the lush, green foliage dotting the mountains.

The S8 backed up our experience by reproducing a superb 183 percent of the sRGB color gamut. That blows away the LG G6s 134 percent, but the AMOLED screen on the Google Pixel scored an even higher 191 percent. (However, when you turn on Adaptive Display mode on the Galaxy S8, it can reach as high as 255 percent.)

If youre looking for accurate color, the S8 can deliver that, too. In its AMOLED photo mode, the display notched a Delta-E score of 0.28 (0 is perfect). The LG G6 was closest, at 1.01, but the Pixel XL was way behind, with 5.88. Like the LG G6, the Galaxy S8s screen is HDR certified, which means you can enjoy a wider range of colors and better contrast on videos that support the standard. Amazon, Netflix and YouTube offer a growing variety of HDR-ready movies and shows.

The 18.5:9 aspect ratio doesnt work well with every app. For instance, in Super Mario Run, we noticed unsightly bars above and below the game. But Samsungs own apps are optimized, and you can fill the screen by pushing a button while watching YouTube and Netflix, even if the video looks a bit stretched out.

Since our initial review, some users complained about a red tint appearing on their S8 screens, but Samsung has released a fix.



Audio: Poppin

For a small speaker, the Galaxy S8 pumps out pretty sweet sound. When we listened to Justin Timberlakes Cant Stop the Feeling, on this phone, the lyrics were clearer, and the volume was louder, than the same track on the LG G6.



The latter handset sounded slightly muffled by comparison. However, you dont get stereo sound from the Galaxy S8 as you do from the HTC U Ultra.



The S8's Snapdragon 835 muscle blitzes every other Android phone on the market.

Performance: A handheld powerhouse

The Galaxy S8 goes boldly forward into a new era of speed, thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 system on a chip (at least in the U.S.; in other regions, the S8 will have Samsung's Exynos 8895 chip). The S8 also comes with a healthy 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage (twice the amount you get from base models of the LG G6 and the Google Pixel) and microSD card expansion for people who need even more space.

When you put it all together, the S8's muscle blitzes every other Android phone on the market, but it falls short of the iPhone 8's A11 Bionic chip. The S8 almost always feels exceedingly snappy, no matter if you're vaulting over Goombas in Super Mario Run or mowing down aliens in N.O.V.A. Legacy. We didnt experience any lag when using multiwindow mode for chatting with friends while streaming video on YouTube. If you pay close attention, you may notice that some of the transitions when switching between apps aren't 100 percent smooth, but that seems mostly cosmetic.

In terms of benchmark performance, the Galaxy S8s multicore score of 6,295 in the Geekbench 4 overall performance test was more than 50 percent higher than that of its closest Android competitor, the Snapdragon 821-powered Google Pixel XL (4,146). However, the iPhone 8 scored above 10,000 on this test.



The Galaxy S8's graphics power was also quite impressive, as it hit 36,508 on 3DMark's Ice Storm Unlimited test. Other Android adversaries, like the LG G6 (29,611) and the Google Pixel XL (28,182), were farther behind. But the iPhone 8 scored a much higher 64,532.



New for the S8 is Samsung's Device Management tab, which is best accessed by swiping in from the Edge tab. It offers a quick look at the status of your device, including battery status, power mode (optimized, performance, game or entertainment), available storage and your current memory usage. There's even an optimization button that cleans up any lingering apps and clears your cache, which is a handy tool for people who go weeks or months without actually turning off their devices.

Cameras: Better on both the front and back

When we first found out that the S8's 12-megapixel rear camera is ostensibly the same as the one on last year's S7, we were a bit disappointed. But that rush of emotion was a bit premature, because under the hood, Samsung made some important software enhancements. And then you toss in a new, higher-resolution, 8-MP front cam, and you get a phone that produces noticeably better pictures no matter which shooter you're using.

The most important tweak comes in the form of Samsung's new multi-image photo processing, which mimics the operation of the Google Pixel's HDR+ mode by taking multiple pictures when you press the shutter, selecting the best one, and enhancing that image with extra details and info from the remaining two pics.

When we took both the S8+ and a Pixel XL out for some side-by-side testing, it was clear that Samsung's adjustments have had a pretty positive effect. At a nearby farmer's market, the S8 captured a crate full of apples with better contrast, richer colors and better details than the Pixel XL.



And when I continued down the street, the S8+ topped the Pixel XL again when I snapped a pic of some flowers, this time offering better white balance than Google's phone, as evidenced by the greenish hue on the white flower's petals.



But it wasn't a clean sweep for the S8+. When I really tried to push both cameras to the limit by shooting a backlit scene pointing straight at the sun, the Pixel XL stunned us with a shot featuring big, bold colors and sharp details, even though there was some serious lens flare going on.



Inside, in pretty much ideal conditions, the S8+ and the Pixel XL were again neck and neck. The one difference is that the Pixel's cool color tone brought out the green in the pistachio macaroon, while the pic from the S8 sported a more neutral white balance, which led to a more pleasing overall photo.



Finally, at a local bar with even less light to work with, both the Pixel XL and the Galaxy S8 impressed us with photos that were brighter than the scenes in real life. Small differences included less blown-out highlights in the S8's pic, which was countered by more detail in the darker areas of the scene in the Pixel's photo.

When it comes to tweaking your photos or changing modes, Samsung has added new Snapchat-like filters that let you decorate faces with various animal masks, hats and other silly emojis. But if that doesn't strike your fancy, the camera also comes with modes for shooting panoramas, food, slow-mo and more. And as with all good camera apps, there's also a Pro mode that lets you adjust settings manually.

As for selfies, the S8 and S8+ sport new 8-MP cams with a wide-angle lens, which makes it easy to snap you and all your besties at once. However, compared with the Pixel XL's 8-MP camera, the S8's selfies can sometimes be a little lacking.



We compared photos shot by the S8 and the Pixel XL outside on a sunny day. The Pixel XL's photo had an extra level of sharpness and detail we didn't get from the S8+. Our face looked a little too smooth and perfect on the Samsung, to the point where we were wondering whether Beauty Mode was kicking in even when we had it set to 0.

The Galaxy S8s camera can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second and slow-mo video at up to 240 frames per second at 720p. (In comparison, the LG G6 shoots at just 60 fps in slow-mo.)

To test the Galaxy S8s video quality, we shot some footage of a pond with fish swimming about in 4K. The S8s footage looked crisper and more vibrant than what the iPhone 7 Plus captured, even if the colors looked a bit oversaturated. However, when we put both phones on a mount to test image stabilization, the iPhone 7s video looked smoother; we saw a bit of stuttering in the S8s footage as we walked up a grassy hill.

For a hallmark feature on a flagship phone, Bixby feels pretty half-baked right now.

Bixby: Still a work in progress



The Galaxy S8 introduces a new personal assistant, Bixby, to take on the likes of Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana. And for a hallmark feature on Samsung's flagship phone, Bixby feels pretty half-baked right now, even after Samsung has rolled out voice controls to its virtual assistant.

The main difference between Bixby and other digital assistants is that it lets you use voice commands to control your phone in lieu of tapping the screen, which can save you time and energy. You can also use Bixby to tell you the weather or look up the definition of quixotic, but its real purpose is giving you a whole new way to control your phone. For instance, you can ask Bixby to show you emails from a specific person by name, and it will slickly pull up all your conversations in just a couple seconds. That's way faster than tapping to open the email app, hitting search and then typing in that person's name.

Bixby can also understand complex commands with contextual language, so you can do things like ask Bixby to post the last photo you took to Instagram and add a caption, all with one command. You can also change almost any setting on the S8 using your voice, which is often much faster than trying to dig through a modern phone's increasingly complex array of menus and tabs.

Or at least, that's how things should work. The big problem is that Bixby's voice-command functionality, while now available, was pretty erratic when we tested it.

Sometimes Bixby will fail to understand your language at all, while other times, Bixby will get confused and try to open the wrong app or adjust incorrect settings. But every once in a while Bixby will get everything right and you won't even be able to tell that its voice commands are still a work in progress. Currently, simple commands have the best success rate.

MORE: 11 Coolest Things Bixby Voice Can Do on the Galaxy S8

As of August 22, Samsung announced that the Bixby voice command feature is now available in more than 200 countries and territories, though you'll still need to use either English or Korean to make it work. Support for additional languages, as well as more third party apps, is in the works.



Then there's Bixby Vision, which leverages the S8's camera along with object recognition to identify items in the world. We found this worked pretty well when we pointed the S8 at various household items, such as shampoos, snacks and aluminum foil. It also works for books. After pointing the Galaxy S8's camera at any object, we could check prices online on Amazon.

Say you're at the liquor store and want to know the rating of that wine or what food to pair it with. Bixby has also partnered with Vivino to identify that bottle and spit back information. However, at a wine store in New York, the feature was more miss than hit, as it seemed to have trouble with the bright lights. At home, however, Bixby identified three wines correctly, though we were greeted with a home server error.

Bixby's other talents include the ability to set reminders and a Bixby Home tool with a card-based interface that shows you your schedule, what's trending on Facebook, the weather, news and other info.

All told, Bixby is a frustrating mix of success and failures, though there is a lot of potential should Samsung work out all the kinks. Thankfully, though, you can turn to the Google Assistant, which also comes preloaded on the S8.

Software: Feature-rich but accessible

Running Android 7.0 Nougat, the Galaxy S8 still has a skin on top of Android, but its fairly intuitive, and Samsungs minimalist, line-drawn icons are easy to understand. We like that you dont have to tap a button to see all of your apps from the home screen; just swipe down from the middle of the screen, and then swipe left to see more apps.

If you swipe down from the very top of the screen from wherever you are, youll see your notifications and Samsungs quick-settings shortcuts. Finally, swiping in from the left provides access to Edge screen shortcuts, such as a customizable list of apps, a device maintenance screen (for battery, choosing performance mode, etc.) and a Smart Select tool for selecting an area of the screen and sharing it or pinning it to the top of your display.

Youll also find a ton of advanced features. The ones at the top of our list include a one-handed mode that you can activate by tapping the home button three times to shrink the screen, as well as the ability to quickly launch the camera by pressing the power key twice.

At least on the T-Mobile S8 we tested, there was minimal bloatware. T-Mobile included just five of its own apps: Device Unlock, T-Mobile, T-Mobile Name ID, T-Mobile TV and Visual Voicemail.

Accessories: Way beyond Gear VR

The Galaxy S8 works with the new Gear VR for those who want to experience virtual-reality games and content, but thats not the only interesting accessory. The new DeX ($149) is a dock that lets you use the S8 and S8+ as a mini PC. The dock can connect to a full-size monitor via its HDMI port, as well as a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth. It also has an Ethernet jack and a USB port.

Out of the box, the Samsung Connect app will let you access and control various Samsung-branded smart home gear. For instance, you can start your Samsung robot vacuum ($549) or peek inside your Samsung Family Hub fridge (about $2,900) to see what you need from the store while youre out. But youll get a lot more possibilities if you buy Samsung's $169 Samsung Connect Home  a combination mesh Wi-Fi router and SmartThings hub that will let you control other items, such as Philips Hue lights and Netgears Arlo security camera.

Samsung offers a slew of other accessories, including an LED View cover for always having the time in view, a wireless charging stand and more. Check out our roundup of the Best Galaxy S8 accessories and Galaxy S8 cases.

Battery Life

One concern about a phone with this much screen is how that extra real estate might impact battery life. The Galaxy S8+ has a slightly smaller battery than last years S7 Edge (3,500 mAh versus 3,600 mAh), and yet the S8+ improved almost 1 hour, to 11 hours and 4 minutes, on the Tom's Guide Battery Test (continuous web surfing on 4G LTE using T-Mobile's network). The standard Galaxy S8s 3,000-mAh battery endured for 10:39 on the same test, improving on the Galaxy S7's (8:47) time by nearly 2 hours.

We obtained these results with the phones resolutions set to their max 2960 x 1440 pixels. They come with the less demanding 2220 x 1080 setting on by default.

MORE: Smartphones with the Longest Battery Life

Compared to the Galaxy S8+, the Pixel XL's battery life was just a bit longer, at 11:11. The iPhone 8 Plus hit 11:16, while the smaller iPhone 8 lasted 9:54. LG G6 finished way behind, with a time of just 8:39.

On top of that, the S8 has battery smarts that let it learn about your usage patterns to help extend its longevity even further. And when you need to juice the phone back up, you can take advantage of the S8s fast-charging capabilities via its included USB Type-C cable or use one of Samsung's slick wireless chargers (available separately).

Bottom Line

Its clear that, with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, Samsung set out to create more than a phone. Its trying to build a more Apple-like ecosystem, with devices ranging from the Gear VR and the DeX dock to the new Samsung Connect app for controlling smart home gear and the Bixby assistant. Its also evident that Samsung hasnt yet reached that goal, as Bixbys voice features can be hit or miss.

But even with that shortcoming, the Galaxy S8 still beats the Android competition while surpassing the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in terms of design, display quality and features. The iPhones are better, though, when it comes to sheer speed and their cameras.



Some shoppers will prefer a newer Android phone in the same price range, like the $479 Pixel 3a XL, but overall the Galaxy S8 and S8+ remain good values for those who prefer Samsung handsets.

Credit: Jeremy Lips/Tom's Guide; Comparisons: Samuel Rutherford/Tom's Guide.
The organisers of Field Day have warned of a very large drug dog operation, writing in a statement that police will be targeting all patrons, and prosecuting anyone found with drugs, not just dealers.

Fuzzy posted a long statement titled Drugs and Music Festival with the aim to reduce harm from drug use at this years Field Day. They write that this year over 1,000 event and bar staff have been trained in harm minimisation strategies.

In addition there will be free harm minimisation training offered to festival-goers at the Red Cross Chill Out Space. It only takes ten minutes to learn, and would be a handy life skill regardless.

Not surprisingly, Fuzzy have been criticised for working closely with the police in regards to the sniffer dog operation, with some commentators noting the presence of police dogs often scares people into consuming large quantities of drugs before entering to evade detection.

Fuzzy replied to this concern, noting, We cant control whether there are sniffer dogs. But we can warn customers so they know in advance, not just discover the dogs when they get there. This is important to help minimise harm.

Field Day is on January 1 at the Domain in Sydney. Last years event saw 184 people (out of 28,000) arrested for drug possession and/or dealing. 19 punters seeked first aid for drug-related issues.
How could they have thought this was a good idea? Perths Brass Monkey Hotel hosted a frat-themed party and in keeping with the theme, hung a bunch of large, sexist signs out the front of the pub.

As Perth Now reports, the signs sported such charming slogans as We teach her morals, well teach her oral, We want your freshmen daughters, MILFs and DILFs welcome and daughter drop-off point.

Obviously there was massive backlash and the venue quickly issued a mea culpa, reading: We have been contacted by concerned people from the WA community regarding banners that were placed on the exterior of our venue today for an upcoming Frat themed party.

The team meant no offence or harm to anyone by the messages written on these banners and can see how they are inappropriate. These banners have now been taken down and will not be put up again.

The team at the Brass Monkey Hotel would like to apologize for any one affected by these messages and hope that you have a great New Years.

Mechanics Institute Small Bar, which happens to be across the road from the Brass Monkey, attacked the pub for their sexist sloganeering, hanging their own sign saying Women Are Amazing, and writing on Facebook: We normally dont like to comment on other bars and their doings, Mechanics Institute wrote on Facebook. But we thought we should hang our own banner in contrast to the stupidity across the road.

Read their message in full, below.
This Doggie Earned More Holiday News Coverage Than All Of The Gunfire Victims In Kansas City This Year

Show-Me The Budget Cutting Gov.

Celebrate Newsies Who Don't Understand Tech And Are Too Afraid To Ask Questions About Obvious Online Tracking

Cowtown Payment Deadline

Meth Town Spy Tech Biz Rule

Sleaze Summit Bar Crime Uptick

In Fairness, KC Fake Gronk Is Doing Well

Tonight our favorite Brit hottie in the whole wide worldinspires this look at all the Kansas City mainstream media links worth a peek after ourdiscussion today . . .And this is thefor right now . . .
CHECK THIS EPIC LIST OF CAREER AND DEVELOPMENT FIGHTS ON THE HORIZON FOR KANSAS CITY IN THE NEW YEAR!!!

Despite New Contract, City Manager Troy Schulte Isn't Keeping Council Happy

Historic Kansas City Homicide Count Could Kill Career Ambitions For The Top Cop

Legislator Crystal Job Hunt Causes Controversy As Search For Political Competition Continues

Recall Underway Against Chris Moreno

UNDISCLOSED Finances For Downtown Kansas City Convention Hotel Evoke Doubts

Kansas City Single-Terminal Airport Scheme Confronts Increased Opposition

Toy Train Streetcar Extension Scheme Confronts Cold Weather Reality Check

QB Alex Smith Needs To Win At Least Two Playoff Games To Keep His Job

As always, continued political and civic bickering defines our outlook on Kansas City life and the year ahead.To wit . . .Last year we told you the airport honcho would be gone . . . And we we're right. Here's a quick list of locals struggling to keep their jobs, funding and futures alive . . . Just like the rest of us . . . In the new year.Take a look . . .He's got 13 people to make happy and simply catering to the Mayor isn't cutting it any longer. The fat contract could soften the blow but rest assured that more than any other City Hall bureaucrat, City Manager Troy confronts increasing push back regarding his management of KCMO or lack thereof . . .So many people dead on local streets this year begs the question of accountability for our KCMO authorities.. . . The fact is that most people don't last long at this job and if the rate of local murder continues unabated . . . Along with local control changes underway . . . Look for KCPD to attempt a move in a new direction.She has consistently searched for a better deal . . And now County Insiders have taken notice of her career ambitions that are already causing controversy behind the scenes. Furthermore, after theHillary defeat, Crystal is become a divisive and destructive force among the Missouri Democratic Party. Look for an increased challenge against this politico without many allies or fulfillment of any of her promises.His political opposition is. Mr. Moreno has also hinted at a surprise political move underway. Look for this controversy to reach the boiling point with a Springtime suburban vote showdown.They say they're breaking ground in the Spring . . .. Secrecy defines this project that is out of favor among City Hall insiders.but the effort to build a single-terminal is still strong and championed by so many denizens of the consultant class. The conversation will continue with very little evidence that a new airport will actually help do anything but line the pockets of its proponents as local media is too scared to mention so many conflicts of interest on this deal.The Clay Chastain billion dollar plan is moving ahead of Plaza extension advocates with a bigger voting area and more supporters . . . Mayor & Council are quiet on their support and voters have shown support in spirit while cold weather numbers continue to plunge.We're hoping this guy can save his job given that so many local fanboys tacitly admit that Alex Smith is the team's weakest link. A big playoff showing will save his career but anything less than brilliance could send the Chiefs searching for a new leader.And in spite of it all . . .We plan to keep blogging the future, news and all kinds of good stuff as we welcome notes from our blog community on the prospects of these players and challenges that confront all of Kansas City in the new year.You decide . . .
Nairobo is the capital city of Kenya and is also known as the "City in the Sun". Visiting this majestic city is also as pleasant as it sounds. There are usually two reasons why people travel to Nairobi: to conduct business and look at the animals.

Mega corporations that are trying to establish themselves in Africa usually go to Nairobi. Contrary to what some might think, Nairobi is actually a very beautiful city where tourists can experience tight traffic jams and see several Western establishments, but can still feed baby elephants and giraffes within the city limits. Tourists can even spot Masai warriors ordering some lattes while wearing their traditional clothing.

The New York Times' Jeffrey Gettleman recently posted a report about the 36 hours he spent in Nairobi, Kenya. Despite his relatively short stay there, the traveler was still able to experience the many sights and sounds of this city. In the report, he mentions how he started his holiday by visiting northern Nairobi's Village Market Mall which is the best place to purchase some souvenirs.

After touring the Village Market Mall he then heads over to the Diamond Plaza mall's food court located in Nairobi's Indian quarter. A dozen booths are arranged around outdoor tables and serves some many native dishes including chicken tikka on the bone and fresh ginger sugar cane juice. Most of the food and beverages here cost 150 to 600 Kenyan shillings.

He then pays a visit to the Galileo Lounge where Elvis Otieno - known locally as "Sir Elvis" - entertains guests with his baritone voice. On the second day of his trip he goes on a wildlife safari tour in Mount Longonot National Park. Mount Longonot is a dormant volcano which he describes as having a "beautiful emerald green" color. Admission to this park is 2,700 shillings, which is equal to at least $270.

He then heads to the Karura Forest which is located right at the middle of the city to experience some peace and quiet. The forest is more than 2,500 acres and tourists can enjoy riding their rental bikes as they get to know more about Nairobi's history. They can even take a peek into the caves that the Mau Mau rebels used to hide in back in the 1950's.

He then proceeds to eat lunch at Brown's Cheese where a cheese tasting lunch is held from Thursdays to Saturdays for 4000 shillings. He manages to explore so much of Nairobi's major tourist attractions within 36 hours that one might think he was staying there for at least a week.

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Recently, Cruise ships were bombarded with a number of terrorist attacks, and many tourists doubt whether if it's still safe to do a long holiday cruise vacation. Apparently, it can still be fun and relaxing! Here is some list of reliable safety tips to keep everyone secured during their grand vacation.

One of the most common questions for many tourists eyeing a holiday on the sea is whether cruising is still safe from reported attacks. Apparently, this stemmed from ISIS may attacks before, though it's definitely debunked now.

In the course of many months, there are having been a lot of changes done by the maritime companies which partnered with Coast Guards. Notably, the international cruise line governing body Security Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) are now stricter on protocols. Indeed, the counter-efforts of these people can tell that Holiday cruising can still be safe. Some notable safety measures from SOLAS are the addition of security staffs, crew regular training, passenger security checks, and exclusion zone law implementation.

With regards to personal safety, surely vacationers must have good knowledge how to keep away from danger. Initially, there's keeping away from alcohol. It's really a must to keep sober, it's better to keep track of what's happening around. Secondly, be wary of door and balcony safety; always close everything when going out and before sleeping. Next, pay attention to passenger drills especially with off-limit locations, safe use, and everything else.

Finally, always remember as well to be cautious on port transfers. Don't forget to list down the departure time of the ship and where exactly the location of the port. More so, don't stray far without notifying anybody in case of getting lost.

In all, getting on the ship and spending the holidays on the sea still is the safest way to relax! For more travel news and tips, keep following Travelers Today. Additional info is on the video below.

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Images of two Nokia models, said to be Nokia D1 and E1, which leaked online, had a lot of people excited. The company's comeback is going to happen next year yet, and but these sketched images have already been making rounds on the internet that got fans talking.

According to Gizbot, Nokia's smartphone launch will happen in February. Based on the sketches released by a Chinese tech website, the Nokia D1 is a bit curvier compared to E1. Also, D1 seems to come with a home button, while E1 would possibly have touch-sensitive keys at the front.

Softpedia reported that although the two phones look similar, the front LED flash is positioned differently between the two models, and it's a possibility that size and weight would be different, too.

Another difference would be that E1 is said to have a bigger 5.5-inch display and a 2 GB RAM. The sketched image for D1 hints that this model would have a 5 inch full HD display, 13-megapixel camera, Snapdragon 430 chipset and 3GB RAM. It is also likely that D1 would have a fingerprint scanner underneath.

Out of the box, all of Nokia's upcoming smartphones would be running on Android Nougat with a simple stock interface. Both images have the Nokia branding on the top right corner with the front camera, speaker grille, and sensors.

Some reports say that Nokia will actually release five phones next year. HMD Global, the developer of the Nokia brand is expected to make a big comeback, and some say that five models in a year are a likely target.

Meanwhile, 2017 is going to be a big year for smartphone fans. Much-awaited phones like the iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Edge will be released. The talked-about Microsoft Surface Phone will also be launched next year, just like LG's G6, the HTC 11 and Lenovo Moto Z.

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The Southeast Asian region is comprised of 11 independent countries. But when it comes to heritage sites, only 5 have stood out the test of time and garnered immense popular inquiry. States such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos have a proud heritage that stretches for a thousand years. Each of these top 5 historical locations is classified as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Indonesia

There are two important UNESCO heritage sites located in Java, Indonesia. The fascinating thing about Borobodur and Prambanan is that they stand relatively near to each other and they both have a remarkable resemblance. The Buddhist temple complex of Borobudur dates back as early as 825 AD but was only rediscovered by British excavators in the early 1800's. The Hindu temple compound of Prambanan was also built during the 9th Century, honoring Hinduism's chief trinity pantheon - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Thailand

Considered as the ancient capital of the Siamese people, the city of Ayutthaya was once a reminder of how Thailand used to be the region's commercial mecca. Although Thailand proudly carries the moniker of 'Land of the Free,' the successful invasion of the rival Burmese in 1767 left the proud royal capital to ruins that are now the Ayutthaya Historical Park.

Cambodia

Cambodia's best UNESCO heritage site, the Angkor Wat temple complex, is considered the largest religious monument in the world. It topped the Great Hypostyle Hall in Ancient Egypt's holy city of Karnak in terms of land area and structural height. The Angkor Wat was the seat of the ancient Khmer Empire.

Vietnam

The Hoi An merchant town was the busiest trade center in Vietnam during the 16th century. Although it was predominantly settled by the Chinese, the ancient town's overall architecture suggests that the Japanese had the principal influence in this multi-cultural melting pot. Even until today, this UNESCO heritage site continues to sell various goods.

Laos

Luang Prabang was (and still is) considered to be the most sacred town in Laos. This UNESCO heritage site houses the treasures of the ancient Lan Xang kingdom in its Royal Palace - now considered the National Museum. Now it is the country's most vibrant tourist center.

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Most grandparents would advise the young that jumping during the New Year brings good luck. Some even believe it to help improve your height! Everyone can agree that jumping as fireworks crackle everywhere is great fun, but why jump when you can fly? Fly with a bungee jump in these five prime destinations in America and elsewhere in the world!

Watch the fireworks from above the Skokomish River and fall from the High Steel Bridge in Shelton's Olympic National Forest. There will be no splashes (or vampires -- according to Flights.com) here, just a great adrenaline rush!

Travelers in Africa needed their much-needed skydiving adrenaline need only to look at the Victoria Falls Bridge if they find themselves in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Right beside the Victoria Falls is a bridge that stands beside it. It is amazing enough to hear the thundering waterfall as jumpers gaze into the green forests and crocodile-infested rivers that their adrenaline jumps high enough before the bungee snaps then back.

Southeast Asian travelers could see urban fireworks while falling from one of China's highest towers with a 233-meter drop from China's Macau Tower. According to The Guardian, if jumpers squint as they launch from the platform, they could see the entire mainland China. The news website also said that only a special bungee team conducts the jumps because the fall needs to be straight -- as it is a jump from a building.

Redwood Trees --in California is a special type of bungee jump that monkeys would not attempt without proper harnesses. A special bungee team in Humboldt would task jumpers to climb a hundred or even a thousand-foot redwood tree and walk a rope tied between two trees. Talk about walking a tightrope before falling -- a cinematic scene if not for the bungee cord.

Travelers feeling the vibe of South America during the New Year could find their adrenaline rush at the aptly named Extremo Park in Costa Rica. Featuring Costa Rica's jungle canopy and a host of ziplines, the feet-drop bungee jump rivals those listed here.

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Travels not only give us experience but also a piece of each place's culture. And the best way to experience these beautiful places is to visit them, explore their glory, and taste their food without breaking the savings. Here are the cheapest places to travel.

Thailand

Thailand is always the backpackers' favorite. This place is a breeding of every traveler's dream- it has relaxing islands, opulent culture, copious beach-huts, enticing cuisine and overloading adventures-all often amazingly budget-friendly prices. Always heavily packed with tourists, one can still get away from the crowds and visit Nakhon Si Thammarat for some of the best food in the country. One can also go on a motorbike adventure for a 600km trip by the Mae Hong Son Loop side by side with the forested northern mountains.

South Africa

One of the best things about exploring South Africa is budget-friendly price safari experience loaded with all the animals present in high-end safari adventures. One can visit Hluhluwe-Imfolozi to gaze at the white rhino and to get away from the crowds of Kruger to the Drakensberg for exceptional hiking. Moreover, do not forget to reserve a few days of your trip to visit the breathtaking Cape Town.

Vietnam

Vietnam remains amazingly valued by Western visitors despite the changes that happened over the decades after the American War. The country's ultimate attraction is its transcendent countryside, ranging from the mineral karsts of the north to the watercourses and paddy grounds of the Mekong Delta. Vietnam has heavenly beaches and distracted cities overflowing in between. Then there is the food - grab a chair at a pho kiosk. Enjoy eating some of the best foods for only $2 side by side with the locals. One can enjoy these wonderful place at a budget-friendly price.

Uruguay

If you are looking for a better value destination at a budget-friendly price, with the ambiance of Brazil, head to Uruguay. The place is sprawling with charming beaches. Visit Cabo Polonio for softer sands and rich wildlife. Forbes suggests to also visit the elegant old capital of Montevideo.

Cuba

There has never been a better time to visit this Caribbean island than now. Visit the salsa clubs of Havana, or get entangled in the heady July carnival of Santiago. RoughGuides advises that one can also dip toes in the warm Caribbean at Varadero Beach. Cuba is a place with attractions on budget-friendly prices.

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Literary travelers shout hallelujah! There are some good Samaritans out there who would offer a roof above your head and books to read. These Samaritans happen to be gorgeous book hotels for the weary tourists who yearn to browse manuscripts, paperbacks, and hardcovers.

If not books or libraries, then these hotels offer some book-themed rooms or friendly features for the bibliophile. See below our list of hotels who took their love of literature to the next level.

1. The Literary Man Hotel in Obidos, Portugal. The four walls of the hotel is a mounted book shelf filled with 100,000 books. Their cellar-turned-spa and restaurant are also filled with it which bibliophiles can read while relaxing or eating. The Gin Bar is pretty much interesting to see if people would discuss sheer poetry and non-fiction after a few drinks. So, borrow a book in The Literary Man and tuck yourself into bed and have a good read.

2. Bed and Book, Japan. You sleep in a bookshelf. Literally. This hostel provides you 3,000 books to read while slumping down in your little corner. According to Bed and Book, "It would be needless to say what you have an experience in this space surrounded by a lot of books." Is the ultimate reader's paradise? Your call. It's more of a reader's haven than an accommodation. "There are no comfortable mattresses, fluffy pillows nor lightweight and warm down duvets, "they stated. Book and Bed offers that experience of a book lover trying to finish the last few chapters of the novel at 2 AM before heading to sleep at 4 in the morning.

3. Mt. Cloud Bookshop, Baguio, Philippines. Up in the cool climate of Baguio, Philippines stands a quaint hotel named Casa Vallejo houses one of the cultural hub of the mountain's literary scene - Mt. Cloud Bookshop. Filipino authors get invited to hold talks and seminars in the bookshop as well. Fancy for some open mic performances and poetry readings? They also hold story-telling sessions and activities for children. As first in the country to hold book subscriptions throughout the nation, they suggest you step out of your reading comfort zone and for them to do the choosing for you out of the answers you've given them through their questions.

4. The Library Koh Samui Suratthani, Thailand. This boutique resort has an all-white library with you borrowing them while reading at the poolside or on the Chaweng Beach. It is stocked with loads of good travel reads and more. You can even borrow through their collection of films and music while you're on your stay there. So, if you're tired with all the modernity in your face, just take out a good book and read.

5. The Commons Hotel, Minneapolis. Geeks would love the chic place as they enter the hotel's in-room art galleries, alchemy mixology discussions, and Sudoku sleep-ins. For the literary travelers, would you like to go to their library? Oh, and if you're tired of exploring the city for you to go to their library, you can avail of their Book Butler. Imagine this, "What would you have for dinner, Sirs and Mesdames?" "Alexander Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo and Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray, please." "Very well."

Oh, and we can name ten more hotels for book lovers.

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Who knew this food fight could be so intense that it lasted for 200 years? The annual festival of Els Enfarinats once again took to the streets of Ibi, Alicante, Spain with loads of 1,500 eggs and hundreds flour bombs being hurled at the participants.

Every December 28, the town staged a mock military coup that occurred centuries ago. The revelry takes place between two groups: a group of married men called 'Els Enfarinats' who riot in the village for a whole day voicing their displeasure of the outrageous laws and fines the citizens who impinge on them, and another group called 'La Oposicio,' the oppositions, which try to bring back order.

Other than the eggs and flour, firecrackers and fire extinguishers are also used in the reenactment. The money collected from the fines is then donated to charitable institutions in the village. It is held on the Day of Innocents to mark the massacre by King Herod.

What happens during the event?

The event starts at 8AM where the Els Enfarinats brings the city under the slogan "New Justice." An hour later, the Race for Mayor is held to see who will lead the group. Afterward, the L'Aixavego is carried out in the Placa de l'Esglesia (Church Square), which serves as the group's headquarters.

Those who do not pay the fine will go to jail. A collection called the Arreplegada dels Enfarinats will go around through the streets of the old quarter and of the city center of Ibi and ends at the Sant Joaquim Sanctuary. The group will make a ruse with fireworks, flour and eggs. At 5PM, the hurling ends and makes way to the traditional Dansa.

Not only the bizarre food fight in Spain

Guess that Spain has more unusual food hurling festivals. Every August in the town of Bunol, a tomato-throwing celebration known as La Tomatina, the World's biggest food-fight, occurs in August. It is actually followed by La Raima, Spain's Grape Throwing Festival.

Two months before these events, the country also gets to see Batalla del Vino or the Wine Throwing Fight. Seriously, Spain, what's with that?

So, when you're around the country, prepare yourself for some major food fight. You know it's going to be epic.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
What many people don't know is that North Korea is not the only country in the world that is secluded from globalization. With its unique culture, one-of-a-kind language, and an exclusive religious-political system, Tibet can be considered as a place as restricted as the Kermit Kingdom.

Originally a country of its own, Tibet was conquered by China in the late 1940s and has been turned into the Tibet Autonomous Region. A place as private as can ever be, it has its own government and is led by a political and spiritual leader known as the Dalai Lama.

For decades they have been fighting for their independence from China to the point that the Dalai Lamas through history has been continuously reaffirming its people about their statehood and independence.

They have claimed their independence by having their own currency, passports and national flag separate from the People's Republic of China. The Dalai Lama has also been in many signed international treaties and diplomatic relations with various powerful countries in the world. However, travel to Tibet is not an easy deal.

A report from China Highlights has indicated that no individual will be awarded a permit to enter inside Tibet and would only be allowed in when traveling in groups. Traveling inside this region is very restricted. Train stations, attractions, and even hotels require the checking of the Tibet Entry Permit.

While in this religious country, travelers are also guided by government licensed tour guides. There are also guidelines when it comes to which places in the country are allowed to be documented. Furthermore, the entire country is closed to foreign travel during the months of February and March as this is a very spiritual time for the country, when they celebrate the Tibetan New Year.

Believe it or not, it is much harder to get a visa to enter Tibet than North Korea, especially for journalists. According to a report from CNN, journalists from the company has only been allowed to film inside Tibet in 2006 and a decade later in 2016. In fact, CNN has been to North Korea a ten-fold more than they have been to Tibet.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Great news has been given when President Obama finally signs the preservation of Bears Ears in Utah and Gold Butte in Nevada. The administration has proclaimed these two natural sites as national monuments, forcing the citizens of the United States to support organizations in its preservation and well-being.

When Donald Trump has won the US presidential elections, the scientific community of the country has been alarmed with possible legislative changes that could happen during his term. Trump has been well-known for his controversial skepticism against global warming and his support for the oil drilling industry. Because of this, the Obama administration has promised to do what they can to preserve the environment before the end of the year.

The two sites have been reported to have potential in the oil drilling industry and have been eyed by many companies for purchase. However, it is in the best interest of President Obama to preserve as much natural environment as possible.

The Salt Lake Tribune explains that Bears Ears alone is home to impressive natural rock formations which are a sight to see. On top of that, there are also ancient dwellings which are preserved within the area.

Nevada Wilderness explains that Gold Butte in Nevada is a piece of the Grand Canyon and is home to twisting canyons. There are also rock art and camps in the area which are 3,000-year-old archaeological sites

According to a report from BBC, the preservation of these two sites are essential as they are home to thousands of Native American Tribes. There are also more than a hundred thousand acres of archaeological sites within these regions that are essential in the study of the country's history.

Since they have been proclaimed as national monuments, they will now play an important role in the promotion of awareness and appreciation in the preservation of other natural sites all over the country. It will also improve the region's tourism.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Foreigners traveling to see Japan have been complaining about the recent issue regarding the 'Free Wi-Fi Access" in the country. The lack of free wirless connection has caused major concerns to the Japan.

According to Japan Magazine, the wireless internet connection will soon become a thing in the past as they will be taking a closer and better look on how to improve "Free Wi-Fi connections" to travelers and locals as well. A Japanese telecommunications company, Wire & Wireless has introduced a free Wi-Fi connection app called Travel Japan Wi-Fi to make it easier for tourist to navigate and explore the beautiful wonders of the land.

In the recent years, the coverage of the application has expanded which allows heavy connectivity with almost 200,000 hotspots around the country in total. Travelers from abroad can also download the application if they plan to visit Japan.

A simple set up in the application is all that it needs before leaving their respective countries. Once they arrive in Japan, they can launch the application and leave it to run in their smartphones, with this they get free Wi-Fi access all around the country which includes airports of Narita and Haneda in Tokyo, New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido and many more.

The application will automatically connect to the free Wi-Fi in the area when traveling, shopping, taking a sip of tea, or eating at KFC or any other restaurant you choose from. The application shows no Wi-Fi limit which gives joy to users and making them feel like home as well without a cost to pay.

According to Breaking Travel News, the travel app is specially designed for tourists from abroad and runs in both Android and iOS smartphones and devices. In addition this app automatically provides tourist with travel guides, which will make it easier for them to navigate and explore Japan. For more of the latest news and current events around the world stay tuned to Travelers Today.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
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A new study published in the Journal of Sustainable Forestry. Carbon, Fossil Fuel, and Biodiversity Mitigation With Wood and Forests, confirms that building with wood really does reduce carbon dioxide emissions. A lot. And while we talk about how wood sequesters carbon for the life of the building, that is really the smallest part of it.

The real savings come from "avoided emissions"- a square meter of wood construction replaces a significant amount of concrete that would have been made to do the same job. For the first time that I know of, instead of just comparing the CO2 per cubic meter of building materials, it actually looks at the real world usage. Study co-author explains, in an article in The Conversation:

Building with wood consumes much less energy than using concrete or steel. For example, a wooden floor beam requires 80 megajoules (mj) of energy per square metre of floor space and emits 4kg CO2. By comparison, a square metre of floor space supported by a steel beam requires 516 mj and emits 40 kg of CO2, and a concrete slab floor requires 290 mj and emits 27kg of CO2.

 From study of wood vs concrete

Harvesting a bit more wood and using a lot less concrete could make a very big difference:

The 3.4 billion cubic meters of wood harvested each year accounts for only 20% of new annual growth. Increasing the wood harvest to 34% or more would have several profound and positive effects. Emissions amounting to 14-31% of global CO2 would be avoided by creating less steel and concrete, and by storing CO2 in the cell structure of wood products. A further 12-19% of annual global fossil fuel consumption would be saved, including savings from burning scrap wood and unsellable materials for energy.

The author also points out that sustainable forest management is good for forests, reduces the risk of forest fires, and creates jobs, which I would add don't involve cooking limestone with fossil fuels or digging big holes for aggregate. More at the Conversation
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 30

The SGPC has condemned the killing of a Sikh man in Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan.

In a statement issued here today, SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar said several unidentified armed persons gunned a Sikh youth down when he was going to his shop. He demanded immediate arrest of culprits. He said that earlier, another Sikh, Jagtar Singh, was forced to adopt Islam while before it Kulraj Singh, who used to run a medicine shop, was kidnapped and let off after a heavy ransom. He expressed his concern over the atrocities against the minority community in Afghanistan. He said at present there were only three Sikh families in Kunduz and the population of Sikhs had reduced to 5000 in Afghanistan. He appealed the Indian Government to take up the issue with the Afghanistan government and ensure security of the Sikh populace there. Meanwhile, the SGPC has welcomed the decision of New York police to allow Sikh officers to obey their duties with turban.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 29

In yet another haul of cell phones, the Amritsar Central Jail authorities confiscated six mobile phones from inmates here during a special search operation conducted last evening.

Two mobiles were found from possession of the two prisoners while remaining four were found abandoned on the jail premises.

Jail Superintendent Ashish Kapoor lodged a complaint with the city police against the two inmates in this connection.

The Gate Hakima police have registered a case against Sukhdev Singh, son of Kunan Singh, a resident of Gharinda, and Varinder Singh, son of Mukhtiar Singh of Lalu Ghuman, Jhabal in Tarn Taran. Both the culprits were under trials. They were booked under Section 420 of the IPC (charges of cheating) and Sections 42 and 52-A of the Prisoners Act.

Kapoor stated that during checking the jail staff recovered a mobile phone each from the possession of Sukhdev and Mukhtiar. Two unclaimed cell phones were recovered from the backside of grills of bathroom and two from room No. 2, he added.

The unabated instances of seizure of mobile phones from inside the high security prison has not only baffled the intelligence and security agencies, but also become a headache for the authorities concerned, who have been taking different measures to prevent sneaking of mobiles inside the jail.

The involvement of certain policemen deputed inside the jail is also not being ruled out.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 29

Hitting out at critics, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said demonetisation has not hurt economic growth as several indicators, including tax collections, rabi crop sowing and petroleum consumption, have shown a growth.

He said remonetisation or printing of new currency notes is happening at a fast pace and the weeks ahead will show better results in economic growth.

Jaitley said on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked for the country to support him notwithstanding several inconveniences being suffered by people during the remonetisation period.

We are extremely grateful to the people of India who have in very large measure supported the move. The remonetisation process has substantially advanced and what is significant is not a single incident of any form of unrest has been reported in the country, he said.

He cited several economic indicators, including tax collections, rabi crop sowing, tourism and petroleum consumption, which had shown growth in this transition period.

He said, Already a large part of benefits of this historic move are visible. A lot more money has come into the banking system. Cash has an anonymity attached to it. What comes into the banking system gets identified with the person and therefore its impact on taxation and revenue collection is already being seen.

He said revenue figures were significant as till December 19, the direct tax collection of income tax had increased by 14.4% and after refunds the net increase had been 13.6%.

He said the indirect tax figures were also available and notwithstanding what the critics had predicted in all the categories till November 30, there was a significant increase in indirect taxation. In the central indirect taxes, the increase is 26.2% till November 30 and this includes excise duties increasing by 43.5%, service tax increasing by 25.7% and customs duties by 5.6%.

He said the figures of the state governments for November show that the increase or decrease was not very significant and in several areas could have been impacted because of this move.

Now the rabi crop sowing has been higher than last year, life insurance business has increased, international tourism has increased, air passenger traffic has increased, petroleum consumption has increased, the flow into mutual funds has increased by 11%, Jaitley said.

He said the RBI had very large amounts of currency available and it will continue to support the market to the extent that the market needs that kind of liquidity.
New Delhi, December 29

After accusing former chairman Cyrus Mistry of breaching confidentiality rules, Tata Sons today asked the ousted chairman to return all classified papers and sign an undertaking within 48 hours that he would not disclose such information in future.

In a second legal notice in three days, Tata Sons alleged that Mistry had wrongfully and dishonestly taken confidential information out of the company premises without consent.

It asked him to immediately return to the company all confidential information in his possession and not retain copies of the same.

Asking him to cease from use or disclosure of confidential information, the holding company of the $103-billion salt-to-software group also asked Mistry to sign an undertaking within 48 hours that he shall preserve the confidentiality of all the confidential information and not use or disclose to anyone, including affiliates, relatives and family members.

On Tuesday, it had sent a notice accusing Mistry of breaching confidentiality rules by attaching dozens of confidential and sensitive company documents with the petition filed by his family investment firms before the National Company Law Tribunal against his removal.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 30

Steel or copper taps go missing from washrooms of all the boys' hostels in Panjab University. During a visit to the boys' hostel No. 4 and 5, wardens showed their helplessness to the Dean Student Welfare and Panjab University Campus Student Council members in controlling the thefts of taps.

The warden of boys' hostel no. 4 informed that the team checked the infrastructure even. During the installation of the solar geyser in July, the material which the contractor had kept in the hostel a day before was also stolen by the students. No action could be taken against any student as there was no proof. This is a common issue in all seven hostels and the wardens have failed to find any solution to the problem.

Panjab University Campus Student Council president Nishant Kaushal said, "We are aware of the problem. To find the solution, various meetings were held by the council members in last one week. Various suggestions were given by the members, which includes semi outsourcing of the hostel services so that the contractor takes care of the material installed on the hostel premises."

Referring to his own bio-technology department, he said in past one year, twice the taps were stolen from the washrooms of the department. A hostel inmate said, "There are students who are take drugs and need money to buy them. As they get limit money from their parents, they indulge into thefts."

Officials during their visit also inspected the quality of food served in the mess and found that low quality rice were being served. The contractor has been called by the DSW to his office on January 2, 2017.
Ranjit Singh Ghuman

The honourable Prime Minister promised the people an India of their dreams after 50 days in lieu of their cooperation. And people gave full cooperation by standing in long queues outside banks from dawn to dusk, just to withdraw their own money, and that too in rationed amounts. Despite the chaos continuing even after the completion of the 50-day grace period, for Gods sake let us not doubt the good and honest intentions of our worthy Prime Minister. At the same time, we must appreciate the unprecedented and remarkable patience and cooperation people have extended. This has been publicly acknowledged by the Prime Minister. Now it is the turn of Narendra Modi, the all-powerful Prime Minister, to deliver as promised.

Did Modi really know what people desired, or did he simply wrap his political motives as the desire of the people? Or was it a move to cover up for the failure of the much touted promise of bringing back the black money stashed in foreign banks. Diverting peoples attention from the unfulfilled promise and almost negligible achievement on black money might be another reason behind demonetisation. Let us leave it to the judgement of the people and history. It is often said that everyone is good until he proves otherwise, and the PM, too, must be given the opportunity.

Nonetheless, even as black money and corruption are very important issues, poverty, unemployment/underemployment and social security are the more important concerns of people. Often, politics in India is being done in the name of the poor, as seen in the garibi hatao slogan of the then all-powerful PM, Indira Gandhi, in the late 1960s. Garib and garibi are still there, but Indira Gandhi won the Parliament elections with a thumping majority. Let us hope that demonetisation is above such politics.

One immediate outcome of demonetisation has been the non-functioning of Parliament, a heavy cost for a poor nation and loss of precious time of our elected representatives. Both the ruling alliance and the Opposition blamed each other. It was politics versus politics, while each side accused the other of playing politics. The NDA has labelled the political opposition as well as all others critical of demonetisation as supporters of corruption and black money, as if everybody in the ruling alliance was honest and others dishonest. This is being used as a powerful weapon to disarm the Opposition and critics and to change the entire narrative. The fact, however, is that all political parties resort to corrupt practices to finance and win elections. Once in power, they shower benefits on their financers and supporters, and thereby promote the culture of crony capitalism.

The poor and common people get swayed by the illusion that perhaps they will be benefited, but in the process only enter a still greater illusion of achhe din and the India of their dreams. Every time clever politicians conjure up new dreams and mange to remain in power themselves. Competitive political populism and blame games are an integral part of the grand design to fool the people. Something similar seems to be at work behind the demonetisation exercise.

The common man is in the illusionary wait to see some big amount deposited in his bank account as a result of demonetisation. The Prime Minister himself has advised the Jandhan account holders not to give back the black money deposited in their accounts. Sadistic pleasure may be another source of the common mans satisfaction, in the sense that he is happy that rich peoples money would be confiscated. The real issues and concerns of the common people, meanwhile, continue to remain unattended and their sufferings seem to be unending.

While making the bold and historic announcement (no less than a surgical strike) to the nation on the night of November 8, the Prime Minister stated three overt objectives of the demonetisation decision: eliminating black economy; eradicating corruption; and curbing counterfeit money and thereby eliminating terrorism. But the million-dollar question remains: Can demonetisation really achieve these objectives? It is impossible to obtain an affirmative answer through any logic or imagination.

The simple reason is that there is no correlation between demonetisation and the generation of black money; demonetisation and corruption; and demonetisation and counterfeit currency/terrorism. In the absence of any correlation, how can demonetisation achieve the stated objectives? As a matter of fact, demonetisation is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition to achieve the above mentioned objectives. Nonetheless, demonetisation may create some temporary deterrent in the minds of the people who are indulging in corruption and generation of black money.

A cost-benefit analysis of demonetisation needs to take into account the inconvenience and the millions of man days lost in queues and lay-offs (particularly in the unorganised/informal sectors) caused so far and in the months to come. In a consumption-led growth model, whenever consumption falls, production is adversely affected, which in turn leads to lay-offs and unemployment. It eventually results in a reverse investment multiplier (one unit decline in investment leading to a multiple decline in income), leading to lower income generation and often to a recessionary phase. In that case the economy shall have to struggle hard to stage a comeback.

If Modi is really interested in curbing the black economy and corruption, then a systemic and social solution is needed. Corruption and the amassing of unaccounted-for wealth are ingrained in the psyche of the people; it is this greed that needs to be addressed. Everybody, especially in the tax collection machinery and the government, knows the sources of black money/economy, and laws are in place to curb it. Confiscation of ill-gotten money and wealth and effective implementation is sine qua non.

A digital and cashless economy may provide a solution in the long run, but first we must have the enabling infrastructure in place, and then people need to be prepared, especially the poor and illiterate in the remote and rural areas, to get accustomed to that. The kind of surgical operation and shock therapy being undertaken currently may cause more harm than good. It is difficult to believe that Modi is not aware of all this.





The writer is a former Professor of Economics at Punjabi University, Patiala, and CRRID, Chandigarh.
S Nihal Singh

As the year 2016 ends, Prime Minister Narendra Modi can look back with some satisfaction even though there was a sting in the tail in the demonetisation measure causing long queues at banks and much suffering for small traders and casual labour.

What is more important is a glimpse into the pattern of how Mr Modi wishes to change the idea of India. It is a narrower, more conservative concept, more rooted in Hindu religion with a special pedestal for the conductor of the orchestra, the leader. It has also demonstrated the methodical manner in which the Prime Minister functions.

If the running of a modern government requires myth-making, Mr Modi was equal to the task. The BJP's parent Jan Sangh and its mentor, RSS, had a marginal and ambivalent role in India winning freedom. The new dispensation therefore had to appropriate yesterday's icons. The first to be raided was the Mahatma, the man who designated Nehru the countrys future leader. The secular modern patriot Nehru was anathema to the RSS ideology and the choice inevitably fell on his number two in the Congress government, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the homespun no-nonsense leader with the reputation of being the iron man.

There were other icons picked from relatively recent history along the way such as Shivaji for electoral reasons in Maharashtra. And in a gesture of great extravagance, a sky-high statue of his is to be built in Mumbai harbour to the disadvantage of fishermen and fish breeding grounds. A leader who otherwise wishes to appear frugal has no limits to spending money to shine in the reflected glory of icons.

A third facet of the new scheme of things is to saturate the air waves, social Internet sites and the print media with the leader's words and image. Mr Modi knows that the young hardly read newspapers and rely on the Internet to get their daily feed. Dutifully, all Indian television channels broadcast his speeches in full now that it is election campaign season in Uttar Pradesh.

The message Mr Modi gives is repetitive but effective. It is for the less well-off and the poor. The currency move is against the rich, for the benefit of the poor. Who has given poor households free cooking gas supplies by taking away subsidies from the rich? Who has electrified villages at a rapid pace? Since Mr Modi knows there are more poor or less well-off than the very rich, he is aiming at the sensibilities of the great majority.

Mr Modi is being helped in his propaganda blitz by the disunity and temperament of the opposition leaders. Mr Rahul Gandhi is, in the Prime Minister's mocking words, learning on the job. Other leaders such as Bengal's Mamata Banerjee are still learning the very different requirements for national leadership compared to the scrum-like political game that is played in her home state. And it was a mistake for the Opposition to prevent Parliament from functioning by quibbling over the section under which discussions on demonetisation should be held. The government was thus let off lightly, given the shabby execution of the scheme. If the BJP now acts virtuous, one has only to recall the old boast of Ms Sushma Swaraj, duly carried out, that she would not let an entire session of the Lok Sabha function.

Whatever the results of the UP Assembly elections, things are going swimmingly for Mr Modi for the present. Apart from his campaign rhetoric, he has his regular weekly chat show on radio, with the Opposition raising the pertinent point that since it is essentially a political broadcast on a public broadcasting system, an Opposition spokesman should have the right of reply, a fine point likely to be disregarded.

The Congress has still to chart a longer term strategy to try to make itself more relevant to the country's future. The Samajwadi Party in UP, which could have been a formidable opponent with Mr Akhilesh Yadav presenting his youthful image, is again mired in family quarrels with the liability of a family brood in power in an unparalleled merging of family and the state. The Congress by comparison is modest with only a son, or daughter or daughter-in-law in line of succession. And Ms Mayawati, another formidable opponent, is having to explain the vast amounts of money in old currency notes her party had to deposit in bank accounts following the Prime Minister's TV announcement last November.

Meanwhile, RSS ideologues, in official positions and otherwise, are embellishing history. The Mughal dynasties and other invaders' rule over India until the East India Company colonised the country are skipped. And exaggerated notions of Hindu kingdoms as they existed in the more modern period hold sway. There is a tendency to ascribe supernatural powers and all wisdom to ancient Indians, who did make a substantial contribution to world civilisation.

Underneath the confidence Mr Modi and his colleagues display there is the psychological problem of reconciling their ideas with the modern digital age Mr Modi passionately espouses. It reminds one of the Tamilian with caste marks on his forehead wearing a necktie and jacket with a wraparound covering his torso.

Mr Modis idea of India is still in the making. He is greatly influenced by his upbringing in the RSS from an early age, transformed by his stints as Gujarat chief minister and now in the highest political office of the land. He is trying to discard the naive remarks he was fond of making and realised after public reaction to his address as PM at the inauguration of a Mumbai hospital wing that his past thinking did not go with his new office.

The Prime Minister cannot stray too far from the RSS ideology because it is in his blood and the organisation provides him with the foot soldiers so essential to winning elections. This is the central dilemma of the Modi regime.
New Delhi, December 30

From arresting three JNU students on charges of sedition to booking of several AAP MLAs, 2016 saw Delhi Police battling a series of controversies even as it cracked a number of high-profile cases, nabbed wanted terrorists and busted an espionage ring involving a Pakistan High Commission staffer.

Crime against women continued to rise and a number of brutal rape and assault cases kept the police on its toes though it managed to solve some of them in quick time.

In June, a multi-city kidney racket involving doctors and touts was busted by Delhi Police while it arrested Khalistan Liberation Front chief Harminder Singh Mintoo who had escaped from Nabha jail.

Women safety cause for concern

Women safety in the national Capital continued to be a cause for concern with 1,981 cases of rape being reported till November 30 even as police launched a number of initiatives to contain crime against women.

The brutal stabbing of a 21-year-old girl in Burari in broad daylight in September by a man who was allegedly stalking her for several months, and the videos of the shocking incident left people horrified.

In February, the arrest of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and two others on charges of sedition for allegedly organising an event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, triggered a huge controversy with Opposition political parties slamming police for "working at the behest of ruling BJP".

The arrest of Kumar catapulted him to national fame The arrest also led to a nationwide debate on nationalism. Police had also come under severe criticism following attacks on journalists and students and teachers at the Patiala House court by some lawyers just before Kanhaiya was to be produced.PTI
Serious questions are being raised over the propriety of short-listing two of the three finalists for the post of Director of the PGI, Chandigarh, now lying vacant for months. Seniority, which used to be a major criterion for the selection of the Director in the past, need not be the sole yardstick for suitability; but ignoring the number of years spent in service only to favour candidates accused of ethical misconduct is unacceptable. When the job involved is to head a prestigious medical institution, and the short-listed candidate is accused of plagiarism, it devalues the institution.

Senior medical professionals have raised objections to lack of transparency in the elimination of deserving candidates and total disregard of their professional accomplishments. The selection committees for the PGI, Chandigarh, and AIIMS, New Delhi  the two autonomous institutions- are accused of nepotism. The final selection should be taken in the best interest of the institution  other considerations like caste cannot be the deciding factor; for this can lead to other considerations like gender which are not in the best interest of professionalism. Selection committees were meant to be fair and professionally competent. Disposing of 26 candidates within six hours does not inspire confidence in the integrity of the selection process.

The PGI is a national institution. How this institution is allowed to select a new Director will be a litmus test for all the claims of good governance being made in the highest quarters. Unfortunately, the PMO and the Union Health Minister are being suspected of taking an unhealthy interest in the Directorship. It must be hoped that good sense and sound judgment would be allowed to prevail. The PGI deserves a competent professional heading the institution.
Mulayam Singh Yadav is blessed with the problem of plenty. With five relatives in Parliament, the profusion of relatives in political posts is testing his manipulative skills as UP heads for polls early next year. The veteran may be paying for two missteps that the other two nonagenarian purveyors of family politics  Badal and Karunanidhi  deftly avoided. They refused the lure of the national capital; on the other hand, the Lucknow man took himself out of a role in state politics. He thus opened up the space for the top leadership slot in the state. Badal and Karunanidhi never brooked a political challenge to their chosen successor. They sorted out Manpreet Badal and M K Alagiri, respectively, when flirted with the idea of independent spheres of influence.

Mulayam Singh now seems to be paying the price for practising egalitarianism within his family. Parallel power structures, all paying ritualistic homage to his overall leadership, are trying to cut each other down. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has positioned himself as a development-oriented leader and eager to cut ties with the seedy networks of political patronage built by his father and uncles. He has to his credit the Agra-Lucknow expressway, a potential game-changer in UP where development missed the bus over two decades back. The beginning of Metro service in Lucknow, another Akhilesh Yadav initiative, also marks him out as development oriented.

On the other side is his uncle (Shivpal) who has his father's (Mulayam) backing in sustaining links with sub-regional strongmen. The UP CM may disdain the likes of Mukhtar Ansaris. But his father is unlikely to forget this crowd's help in countering the muscle power of the entrenched social classes. In a bruising electoral contest, their ability to withstand intimidation might again be required. The SP patriarch is in a tangle: the incumbent CM is not the frontrunner; many of those Akhilesh Yadav detests have won the ticket; and, the CM's plan to tie up with the Congress has been rejected. At a time when flexibility and creativity ought to be the motto, the leading political party in UP is in a mess.
Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, December 30

Several cases of applicants submitting false affidavits for the allotment of HUDA plots under reserved categories have come to light.

These applicants, who include several serving as well as retired officers of the armed forces, had allegedly concealed facts and given false affidavits to get more than one HUDA plot by hoodwinking the department.

HUDA Estate Officer Amit Kumar Gulia told The Tribune that they had lodged 40 complaints against the applicants who had concealed facts and submitted false affidavits for allotment of multiple plots.

After detecting undue claims and concealment of facts in affidavits, we gave show-cause notices to the applicants under the scanner. When no response was received from the applicants or the response was found to be unsatisfactory, we proceeded with the registration of FIRs, he maintained.

Gulia revealed that the applicants against whom the police complaints had been lodged included serving as well as former Army officers up to the rank of Brigadier. Such applicants also included paramilitary officials and members of other reserved categories, he added.

Rohtak SP Pankaj Nain confirmed to The Tribune that that the registration of FIRs was in progress on complaints received by the HUDA authorities in this regard and further investigation would be carried out subsequently.

At the time of filing of this report, an official police spokesperson disclosed that 16 FIRs had been registered and registration of more FIRs was in progress.

Nearly 30 such FIRs had been registered in Rohtak on similar grounds about a year ago. The HUDA authorities across the state had been filing police complaints regarding allotment of multiple plots on the basis of concealment of facts and submission of false affidavits.
Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 30

Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala today took potshots at Manohar Lal Khattar on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, terming him as a weak Chief Minister who could not seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to plead Haryanas case.

Khattar has proved to be such a weak Chief Minister that he has failed to seek an appointment with the Prime Minister for an all-party delegation from Haryana on the SYL canal issue. He has no moral right to stay in office and should resign immediately, Chautala said here.

With politics over the SYL canal issue hotting up in Haryana, Chautala declared his partys decision against being a part of the all-party delegation from Haryana to meet the Prime Minister.

At an all-party meeting here last month, the parties jad decided to send a delegation to President Pranab Mukherjee and the Prime Minister to get justice for Haryana on the SYL issue in the wake of a favourable order from the Supreme Court recently.

The INLD leadership, sharing close personal relations with the Shiromani Akali Dal, had suddenly become aggressive on the emotive SYL issue.

In fact, the INLD had already declared that it would resort to direct action and start digging the SYL canal in Punjab from February 23 if the apex court judgment was not implemented by the Central and state governments in letter and spirit.

Till recently, the BJP and the INLD had been joining hands both inside and outside the Haryana Assembly to target the Congress, especially former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on a variety of issues.

The Congress seemed to be divided on the SYL issue, with Hooda deciding to refrain from campaigning in Punjab if Capt Amarinder Singh did not give an assurance on SYL waters to Haryana. Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar had rejected Hoodas conditional campaigning offer.
Bhiwani/Charkhi Dadri, December 30

Members of Sangwan, Sheoran, Haveli and Phogat khaps today announced their support to the Jat stir called by the All India Jat Arakshan Sangrash Samiti from January 29.

Rajkumar Hadodi, district chief of the samiti, said they would receive the Jat Nyaya Yatra at Dadri on January 6. He said khaps had extended their full cooperation and support in organising dharnas in support of their demand for quota.

Rajmal Dhanana, leader of Yashpal Malik faction, claimed the stir would continue for an indefinite period if their demands were not met.

Khap members also criticised the state government for not releasing youths arrested during the February stir. TNS
Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, December 28

Hisar: Residents of Bithmara village in the Uklana subdivision today blocked the Hisar-Tohana road in protest against the non-availability of cash with the local branch of Punjab National Bank. A large number of villagers comprising women lined up outside the bank early morning today for cash. But the bank officials intimated the people that there was no cash available in with them. This enraged the villagers and they blocked traffic. They alleged that the bank had not been disbursing cash for the last four days. They also accused the staff of providing cash to their relatives. Maya Ram, Uklana police SHO, came to the spot and pacified them. The bank started disbursing the cash to the customers after the intervention of the police.

A similar incident took place yesterday when the Sarv Haryana Gramin Bank failed to give cash to customers. Residents of Narnaund village blocked the Hisar-Chandigarh road.

Official sources said the district had a shortage of about one third cash. Against an amount of Rs 2,520 crore of demonetised money deposited, the banks are able to provide only Rs 780 crore in the district.
Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, December 30

BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini today accused Fisheries Minister OP Dhankar of tarnishing the image of the honest government in the state.

During a press conference, Saini said allegations of favouritism in government jobs levelled on the basis of an RTI petition had embarrassed the party. He also raised voice against a proposal of the Department of Fisheries to cancel selection of 96 fishermen-cum-watchmen when the matter was pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

It was highly scandalous that 96 persons were appointed against 90 job openings in the department, he alleged.

The proposed move to scrap appointments smacks of large-scale irregularities. It is the prerogative of the court to order any action; any undue interference at this juncture would only have an effect on the government, said Saini.

It appeared to be a clear a case where candidates from a particular community and region were given undue preference in jobs. It is unfortunate that our party leaders have not learnt a lesson from the previous political regimes which were rejected by voters on the issues of caste-biased job opportunities and development, said the MP.

He said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was a man of impeccable integrity but a section of his team was causing trouble to the BJP for personal political gains.

Saini said people who had exposed the alleged irregularities in appointments were subjected to harassment by officials of a particular community. It gives a bad impression, he added.
Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Kullu, December 29

Demonetisation blues seem to be over with Manali receiving tourists in droves. Also giving hoteliers a reason to cheer ahead of New Year and winter carnival.

According to hoteliers, there is 80 per cent occupancy for New Year, which is quite a low during Christmas and before it. Anup Thakur, president of the Kullu-Manali Tourism Development Association, said the increase in tourist influx was a good sign for tourism industry and if weather favoured us, it would bloom again. Hoteliers association president, Kullu-Manali, Gajender Thakur said the response was overwhelming for the New Year and all hotels of the town were almost full. However, earlier it was quite a low below 30 per cent occupancy in hotel rooms before Christmas in the town.

Following the arrest of Abid Khans of the ISIS in Kullu, the police have beefed up security here and in Manali ahead of New Year and the upcoming five-day winter carnival scheduled from January 2.

To keep a close vigil, 20 CCTV cameras have been installed in and around Manali. To maintain law and order situation, the district police chief has requisitioned extra police force.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Superintendent of Police, Kullu, Padam Chand stated that extra force would be deployed in Manali as the tourist influx would increase during the New Year eve and upcoming winter carnival.

He said the police patrolling had been increased at all entry points of the district and policemen on duty had been asked to check vehicles carefully. CCTV cameras were installed in Kullu and Manali up to Gulaba.

The state police was on alert after Abid Khans arrest in Kullu on December 17 from a church in Banjar, who had been living here for six months.
Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 29

While there is no official word yet on whether the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will forge an alliance in Punjab, a host of AAP rebels already seem to be making a beeline for the TMC.

The latest to have jumped on to the TMC bandwagon is Manjit Singh, sector in-charge of AAP from Nawanshahr, who became the fifth leader from that party to opt for the TMC last week.

While he is among AAP's key members from Nawanshahr, he was the sector in-charge of Garhshankar and Banga as well. Along with Manjit Singh, Dalwinder Kaur Mahila, wing member of AAP's SAS Nagar unit, Surinder Singh, member, AAP SC wing, Kharar, Prabhjot Singh and Badev Singh, circle in-charge of Garshankar and Nawanshahr, also joined the TMC today.

Manjit Singh was also among the breakaway volunteers who had gathered from across the state to discuss the AAP policies at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar hall in Jalandhar.

While the dissidents from Doaba seem to be building a base for the TMC in the region, Nawanshahr and Garhshakar seem to be acting as the hub of the party's expansion in the Doaba region. TMC state president Jagmeet Brar shall also inaugurate the party's Garhshankar office tomorrow where, as per party sources, many AAP volunteers are expected to join the TMC tomorrow.

Before this, founder member of Garhshankar unit and in charge of AAP's fund raising 'AAP ka Daan' campaign in the region, Gurmail Singh, along with another founder member from Garhsankar, Manpreet Singh, had joined the TMC days ago. Before that, Bhagat Singh's grandson and long-time sector in-charge Jashandeep Singh had joined the party along with his associate Baljeet Singh.

Recent Doaba rebels

A far as the dissidents - including those from other parties - in the Doaba region are concerned, national executive member of AAP Yamini Gomar, also joined the Congress last Sunday, along with AAP founder member and coordinator LR Nayyar, who is from Hoshiarpur.

Meanwhile, in the midst of partymen quitting the AAP, controversy regarding its funding, sataygraha or signature campaign started against the party in Delhi to call for making its donor list public, also gained support from Doaba leaders.

AAP NRI wing coordinator from Hoshiarpur, Virinder Singh Parihar, along with expelled foundation member of the party, Naveen Jairath from Hoshiarpur (who had resigned from the party's primary membership on December 16), also joined the satyagraha at Delhi on December 24. They had been joined by Kulwant Chabbewal, another former sector in-charge from Hoshiarpur.

While the party had previously witnessed rebellion in Kartarpur, party political affairs committee member Sanjay Singh also came twice to Jalandhar twice to pacify the rebels from Jalandhar Cantonment constituency, who were miffed owing to ticket being given to candidate HS Walia.

Earlier this month, former vice-president of the trade, transport and industry wing of the party, Mahesh Gupta also joined the Congress after he was denied a ticket from Jalandhar North.
Srinagar, December 30

Three persons were injured on Friday in security forces' action against a group of stone-pelting protesters in Pampore area of south Kashmir Pulwama district.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Security forces conducted search operations in Naristan and Samboora areas of the district in the morning following information about movement of suspicious persons there, a police official said.

As the security forces were withdrawing after concluding the operations, some youth started pelting stones at them, he said.

Three persons were injured as security personnel fired a few rounds to disperse the mob, the official said adding the injured have been admitted to a hospital here for treatment.

PTI
Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 30

Protests were held at different places after Friday prayers in Kashmir, leading to clashes between protesters and the police while normal life was paralysed across the Valley today on the separatists bandh call against identity certificates to West Pakistan refugees (WPRs).

Protests that sparked clashes between the protesters and the police took place after the congregational Friday prayers in the Nowhatta area of downtown Srinagar, where the Jamia Masjid is located. Youths agitating against the grant of identity certificates to WPRs indulged in stone-throwing on the police and CRPF men deployed in the area, leading to the clashes. The police resorted to cane-charge and lobbed teargas shells to quell the demonstrators. The vehicular and pedestrian movement towards Jamia Masjid was also restricted.

Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq criticised the move to disallow people from reaching there and thwart the peaceful protests against the domicile rights to WPRs and using the judiciary to subvert the Kashmir dispute.

In south Kashmir, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was detained by the police while leading demonstrations in Pulwama town after the Friday prayers. The police lobbed teargas shells to quell the demonstrators. Earlier, Malik gave the slip to the police and reached Pulwama town to lead the demonstrations against the identity certificates to the WPRs.

The police lobbed teargas shells to quell demonstrators after the Friday prayers in Sopore town of Baramulla district in north Kashmir. Reports said groups of youths, protesting over the WPRs issue, indulged in stone-throwing on the police personnel, leading to clashes.

Normal life was paralysed across the Valley on the first day of the bandh call given jointly by the separatist leaders, as per the fortnight-long protest calendar that comes to an end tomorrow. The separatist leadership had also called for protest programmes after the Friday prayers today against the issuance of identity certificates to the refugees.

All shops and business establishments were closed and normal traffic was off the roads in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley. However, private vehicles and autorickshaws were plying normally in the major towns and several areas of the Valley.

Northern Command chief reviews security

Srinagar: Northern Command chief Lt Gen D Anbu arrived in Srinagar ON Friday on a two-day visit to review the prevailing security situation in Kashmir. Lt General Anbu along with Srinagar-based Chinar Corps commander Lt Gen JS Sandhu visited forward areas on Friday where he was briefed by local commanders about the existing security situation and the measures taken to ensure close coordination with all government agencies for maintaining vigil and peace in the Valley, an Army spokesman said. Expressing satisfaction over the synergetic conduct of the entire security apparatus, the Army commander stressed the need to continue it and asked the forces to take necessary steps to ensure adequate domination and security of the lines of communication so as to keep them open and safe for the public, he said. Lt General Anbu will visit forward areas on Saturday and interact with troops deployed on the Line of Control.  TNS
By PTI: Godda (Jharkhand), Dec 30 (PTI) Ten miners were killed and an unspecified number feared trapped when a massive mound of earth came crashing down on them at Lalmatia open cast coal mine of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) last night, the worst such disaster in over a decade.

Heavy machinery was deployed as rescuers, including those from the NDRF, toiled through the day extricating bodies and looking for survivors. "Unfortunately the casualties have increased from seven in the morning to 10," the coal ministry said in a statement. "Rescue teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL)/Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), state government and experts have been continuously carrying out rescue work at the accident site of ECLs Rajmahal Open Cast Expansion Project in district Godda, Jharkhand," the statement said. Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDIL, the consultancy arm of Coal India Ltd., has deployed magneto meters along with imaging system for locating magnetic and conductive material up to a depth of 80 meters, the statement said. R R Mishra, officiating CMD of ECL, a Coal India subsidiary, said that the incident occurred at around 7.30 PM last night when excavators were working there following which rescue operations was launched immediately.

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Senior officials of Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS) have arrived at the site and launched an inquiry.

All 10 excavators and dump trucks which were swamped under the debris have been recovered.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and other leaders have expressed grief over the loss of lives.

"Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside. Spoke to CM Raghubar Das on the situation," Modi said on twitter.

Das said an assistance of Rs two lakh will be given to the families of the miners who died in the accident, while ECL also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs five lakh each to these families, in addition to the amount to be paid under the Workmens Compensation Act.

14 miners were killed at Central Saunda coal mine in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand in August 2005. The countrys worst mining disaster had occurred at Chasnala in Dhanbad district in the then Bihar state in 1975 in which 375 lives were lost. More PTI SID SUN COR PVR MM SK SK

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Jammu, December 30

One civilian died in heavy cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch on Friday as Pakistan violated truce to fire at Indian positions and civilian areas along the Line of Control.

"Pakistani troops targeted the Indian Army posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch sector with small arms, automatic and mortars at 1655 hours," an army officer said, adding that the army retaliated.

A senior police office confirmed the civilians death.

Fridays development comes after two weeks of calm on the border.

Pakistan violated truce on December 16 as it fired at Indian positions in Poonchs Balakorte sector

India and Pakistan have engaged in frequent skirmishes in the past few months, but the shelling and firing has become less frequent.

The Indian Army launched a counter-offensive on November 23 after three Indian soldiers were killed  one even mutilated  by suspected terrorists from Pakistan in Kupwaras Machhil sector.

More 300 cross border firing shelling and firing have been reported in the past three months, breaching a 2003 truce agreement between the two countries.

More than 26 people  among them 14 security personnel  in frequent shelling that began after the Indian Army carried out a military strike at terrorist launch pads in Pakistan in September.

Pakistan has also reported deaths  both troopers and civilians.  PTI
Amir Karim Tantray& Sanjay Pathak

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Kathua, December 29

Two days after hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Masarat Alams Public Safety Act (PSA) was quashed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, he was released from Kathua Jail around 7.30 pm today and rearrested immediately by a CID counterinsurgency team outside the prison gate.

The CID team will hand over Masarat Alam to a party of the Baramulla police awaiting in Jammu.

Masarat Alam was lodged in Kathua Jail after he was booked in September this year under the PSA by the Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, for fuelling the unrest in Kashmir.

A CID counterinsurgency party rearrested Masarat Alam from outside Kathua Jail around 7.30 pm after presenting the papers to the jail authorities. He has been taken to Jammu where he will be handed over to a Baramulla police party. After that, the Baramulla police are expected to take him to the Valley, said a source.

Masarats detention under PSA was quashed by the High Court on December 27, citing that no material evidence had been placed on record against him by the detaining authority.

The separatist leader is booked under several other cases too. The hardline Hurriyat leader has been behind bars since the 2010 Kashmir unrest, when he was the main force behind the shutdown calls and protest demonstrations. He was released on March 9, 2015, for a brief period but was again booked for anti-national activities.

Masarat heads the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League and is the close associate of hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani. He is also considered Geelanis successor as his health has remained a cause for concern for the pro-freedom groups in the Kashmir valley.

For the past 26 years, Masarat has spent around 19 years behind bars and is considered more hardliner among the hardline camp of the Hurriyat. He has been vocal about his anti-India sentiments in his speeches and slogans.

The issue is certainly going to be a major cause for concern for the PDP-BJP government as Masarats release has not been favoured by people sitting in New Delhi and agencies which see him as a bigger threat than Geelani.

Three more persons Javed, Altaf and Moshin, booked in stone-throwing cases and lodged at Kathua Jail, were also taken away by the CID team along with Masarat Alam.
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 30

Even as the state Law Department has announced that it will fight the petition filed in the Delhi High Court challenging Article 370, the BJP, which is part of the coalition regime, has expressed ignorance about any such decision taken by the government.

I am not aware of any such decision by the government to fight the petition in the Delhi High Court, said Minister of State for Law Ajay Nanda, who belongs to the BJP. There is no question of the Law Department taking such an important decision without consulting the BJP.

Quoting Law Secretary Abdul Majid, local media yesterday reported that the government had sought a copy of the petition from the Delhi High Court to fight the case with clarity. We have to thoroughly examine the petition filed in the Delhi High Court so that we will be in a better position to counter the claim, the Law Secretary was quoted as saying in local reports.

The Delhi High Court on Monday had agreed to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the constitutional validity of Article 370 that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The PIL, which challenges the Constitution Order, 1954, that adds a proviso to Article 368 of the Constitution, was listed for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal. The bench said it would take up the matter for further hearing on January 2 after the winter vacation.

Not showing much enthusiasm for contesting the petition, the Minister of State for Law said both coalition partners would sit together and discuss every aspect of the PIL before taking a final decision on fighting it. Without thoroughly going through the PIL, how can we say that the J&K Government can become a party to fight it, said Nanda, who himself is an advocate.

After the Supreme Courts historic verdict on the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, Kashmir-centric parties and other separatist groups have already stepped up attack on the PDP for allegedly diluting the states special status. And now the Delhi High Court has admitted a PIL challenging Article 370.

The Supreme Court in its verdict had observed, It is clear that the state of Jammu and Kashmir has no vestige of sovereignty outside the Constitution of India and its own Constitution, which is subordinate to the Constitution of India they (residents of state) are governed first by the Constitution of India and also by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP has hailed the Supreme Courts verdict as historic.

The statement of BJP spokesperson Virendra Gupta provides an indication of the partys stand on Article 370. Because of Article 370, growth and development of the state has been hampered and it has only benefited the ruling elite of the Kashmir valley. The masses, particular of the Jammu region, have become victim of the secessionist and parochial designs of the ruling elite, Gupta said.

Highly placed sources in the BJP said Guptas statement was part of the partys strategy to send out a message to its coalition partner that it was against fighting the PIL in the Delhi High Court.

The BJP has decided to mount pressure on its coalition partner not to become a party in the PIL. The abrogation of Article 370 is at the core of the BJPs ideology, though the party had shelved this demand to share power with the PDP.

Despite repeated attempts, Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan, who belongs to the PDP, was not available for comments.
Amarjot Kaur

In two years since the Supreme Court formally recognised transgender people as the third gender, the community has struggled to establish their identity with many firsts. Last year, India elected its first transgender mayor, Madhu Bai Kinnar, in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh  who also happens to be from the Dalit community  and hired its first transgender college principal, Dr Manabi Bandopadhyay, who unfortunately resigned from the post yesterday blaming the staff of non-cooperation.

Braving the battle against inequality and injustice, the community, which according to the 2011 Census consists of 6 lakh people, is fighting even for their basic needs - like separate toilets to start with. So far, the community has received much-awaited acceptance from the Indian Railways and IRCTC, Bollywood and fashion industry, and on the education front; but then, are these small steps a giant leap for mankind, or just some straws in the wind that indicate a gradual change in the society?

Education that educates

Yesterday, the first transgender boarding school, Sahaj International School, opened in Kochi with a goal to give the students security, stability and salvation. Reportedly, the school curriculum will include skill development programmes along with examinations equivalent to Classes 10 and 12. Besides, this year, for the first time, Panjab University witnessed the enrolment of Dhananjay Chauhan (46), a transgender and president of Saksham Trust, an NGO for protection of transgender rights, in the Department of Human Rights and Duties.

While the West Bengal government asked all colleges to make separate toilets for transgender people, Dhananjay shares that at Panjab University an arrangement for toilets for transgenders was proposed, but due to lack of funds it is yet to get approval. For now, I use the girls toilet. The university has also set up a transgender harassment committee. I am glad that things are changing here, she says. Apart from plays, seminars, and LGBTQ pride walks, the university also organised Chandigarhs first transgender fashion show on November 18. We also acted, along with the members of Alankaar theatre group in a play titled Thiru Nangaai, which is about transgenders, at the Tagore Theatre on December 27 this year, informs Dhananjay.

Up for sex-change operation

Hailing from Hoshiarpur, Simranjit Kaur (31), now Sam Hardy, has been a state and national level judo champion. He was selected as a lieutenant in short service commission in 2006 and worked as a security officer at the London Olympic Committee in 2012 for one year. Based in Chandigarh, Sam stays with his partner and has undergone the first surgery to become a male. I am being treated in Delhi. Its been a huge decision, but I really wanted to do this. I didnt feel like a woman and now I am happy as a man. I get injected with testosterone (male hormone) on regular basis, and will go for a transplant as soon as I can arrange funds for it, he smiles.

On the right track

On November 27, Indian Railways and IRCTC included transgender as third gender in the option, alongside male and female, in ticket reservation and cancellation forms. The ministry in its circular referred to the direction of the apex court of April 2014, which had said that hijras, eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as a third gender for protecting their rights. Recently, there have been moves to extend more benefits to the community, with Odisha becoming the first state to give transgender people welfare benefits such as pension. They have also included the transgender community in the category of below poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries.

Also, Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan became the first transgender serving in Odisha Financial Services as a Commercial Tax Officer at Paradip Port Township.

Offering a round-the-clock support to transgenders and providing a forum for them to share experiences, the website www.transgenderindia.com was launched this year by Neysara Rai. This year, India hailed its first transgender news anchor, Padmini Prakash, who has been leading a daily primetime news programme on a channel since August 15.

Setting a trend

Not only did Indian designer Sharmila Nair include the transgender community, which was an inspiration for her new collection of saris, she also got two transwomen to model for her clothes in a stunning photo-hoot that went viral online.

Apart from that, Anjali Lama, whose struggle has been documented in AnjaliLiving Inside Someone Elses Skin, a film based on transsexual lives, became the first Nepali transgender model to walk the ramp for Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer/Resort 2017. However, Bishesh Huirem, a transgender actress and model who represented India at the Miss International Queen in Thailand, was reportedly attacked by a police team escorting state rural development and Panchayati Raj minister Moirangthem Okendro, who later complained against the team and was issued an apology later.

Politically correct

On October 8, the parliamentary panel examining the Transgender Bill has invited public suggestions with an aim to involve the community in making of the law that seeks to protect their rights. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, which seeks to define the term transgender and prohibits discrimination against the community, was introduced in the Lok Sabha in the Monsoon Session. In 2014, the countrys Supreme Court legally recognised the identities of transgender citizens, and affirmed that they should not be discriminated against on the basis of gender identity or expression. A bill introduced in Indias Parliament would codify the ruling, with access to financial aid, a prohibition on employment discrimination, and a two per cent quota for government and education jobs.

amarjot@tribunemail.com
Smridhi Chawla

Malls are sparkling in a way quintessential; minced pies and wine are in abundance; restaurants, lounges, bars, and discotheques are geared up to put forward the best of their hospitality. And to top it all, winter is enveloping the atmosphere in mist.

So, what are your plans for the New Year eve? Going out with your beloved or friends? Or staying at home in the cozy comfort of your family?

Party buffs are already in a frenzy to buy passes for their favourite spots, while not-so party animals too are set to have a blast! Sohrab Chabbra, a Ludhiana-based businessman, says, Being a party fanatic, I am looking forward to the New Years Eve. Moreso, its on the weekend this time. I am throwing a party at my farmhouse.

Ever thought of Goa on New Years Eve? Channy Raheja from Chandigarh is one person who is living that dream. I will be celebrating the New Years eve at a beach shack with my buddies in Goa. Whats better than to welcome the New Year by eating, dancing, singing and facing the sea at night  in Goa, he says.

Envious already? Well, there is more. Esha Arora, a designer from Delhi, is travelling to Dubai for ringing-in 2017 in an exotic way.

Even in times of demonetization, party buffs dont care! Going by their enthusiasm, they wont allow cash crunch to throw a spanner in their plans.

Anmol, Director of Sales, Holiday Inn, Chandigarh, agrees, We are organising four parties on our hotel premises. The passes range between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 for a couple. If one is unable to pay in cash, online payment is always an option. The response for the parties has been encouraging.

The national capital sure comes alive on the New Years eve! MBA student Nishu Suryavanshi agrees, Delhi is a haven for party lovers, especially if it is New Year. I am picking up one of the places in Hauz Khaus to party with my friends on December 31.

So people, start preparing for your New Years Eve before the places are jam-packed. Surely, you dont want to face the no more entry boards. After all, New Year comes just once a year!

Fun unlimited

Ill be celebrating the New Year with my friends at a club in Mumbai, as I am not visiting my family in Punjab. With plastic money available

at all times, demonetisation is not going to be a concern for those who want to party, says Karam Rajpal, television star.
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 29

Twenty-one youths from Jalalabad, the home constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, were secretly recruited in the Intelligence cadre of Punjab Police early this week.

They will be a part of Special-200, a counter-border terrorism force and a second line of defence against the drug mafia.

A livid PPCC spokesperson Sunil Jakhar has questioned the recruitment and sought the intervention of the Election Commission. Approved by the Punjab Cabinet in October, the drive was on when the first list of 22 candidates was leaked.

When contacted, a senior police officer said youths for Special-200 would be drawn from all border districts. Fifty would be recruited in the first phase. Also called DGPs special force, the recruitment is being done under the supervision of the DGP himself.

Officers above the rank of the Additional DGP are involved in the process. The government has allowed some relaxation in qualification if a candidate, who need not necessarily be from the state, exhibits high intelligence-gathering skills, is proficient in the use of computers, tackling cyber crime and tracking the flow of foreign funds.

Such recruitment becomes necessary because of the Dinanagar and Pathankot terror attacks. Also, Intelligence-gathering in the state was found wanting, " explained an officer. Direct recruitment of sportspersons and promotions by the DGP has invited criticism in the past too.
Vibha Sharma



Tribune News Service



New Delhi, December 30

The end of the 50-day grace period sought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ease problems that his governments move to discontinue use of old banknotes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 had acused has sparked a fierce war of words between the Congress and the BJP.



Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi shot off a five-point questionnaire to the Prime Minister, which the ruling BJP, riding high on its success in Chhattisgarh and Gujarat local bodies elections, dismissed it as yet another boring repetition of baseless allegations.



"Modiji 50 days are over, Gandhi tweeted, which Union Minister Piyush Goyal countered by saying that it proved the Congress vice-president had no knowledge of "the high level of economics.

Goyal called the central governments measure a resounding success, the benefits of which were beyond the comprehension of the Congress party.



Meanwhile, retaliating against the Prime Minister's remark "khoda pahad, nikli chuhiya" former Finance Minister P Chidambaram warned that it was a mistake to assume that people who are patient are not angry".

In a press briefing on Friday, Chidambaram hoped there would no more restrictions on withdrawing cash. It is fair to expect that beginning Monday, January 2, 2017, all restrictions on money imposed on November 8, 2016, will be removed and the people will be able to withdraw the money in their bank account, he said, asking for a categorical announcement. It is fair to expect that there will be no queues outside bank branches and ATMs. It is fair to expect that all ATMs will be open round the clock and fully stocked with currency notes.



In words that dripped with sarcasm, he added: "I could hold out assurances on these matters, but none of us in the Opposition can, because the government has dubbed all of us in the Opposition as supporters of black money hoarders and tax evaders.



Therefore, the only person who can assure the people on these matters is the Hon'ble Prime Minister and I would urge him to do so. When the Prime Minister addresses the nation tomorrow or on any other day, the people expect that he will make a categorical announcement that all restrictions on money have been ended.



He also asked the government and the RBI make public the agenda note and minutes of the meeting of RBI's Board of Directors of RBI and also the note placed before the Cabinet on November 8  the day the Prime Minister announced the shakeup of the financial system.



To Chidambaram's observation that increase in tax revenues had no direct correlation with the performance in GDP, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley retorted: "I would like to learn that economics where lower GDP leads to higher tax revenuesNormalcy had been restored to large extent.



Meanwhile, recounting benefits of the scheme, Piyush Goyal said: Besides the well-ascertained benefits, it will establish a trail of currency and avoid its misuse. It will widen tax base and help the government serve people better. There is enough cash in the market and the proof is the increasing deposits in the new currency".



On innumerable orders issued by the RBI, he said: We are a responsible government and we are responsive to changing situations. If we found a problem, we tried to solve it. If we found somebody misusing the system or the available benefits, we try to stop it."



The Congress claims the exercise was undertaken without forethought and planning; without consulting key officials; without understanding the crucial role of money in circulation; and without assessing the capacity of the currency printing presses to supply new notes.

The BJP counters this by calling the Opposition "flustered with the success of demonetisation move", adding that given the high-level of secrecy that had to be maintained, the move was engineered and known to those who mattered.

Rahuls questionnaire

Rahul Gandhis five-point questionnaire contained these questions.



1. Amount of black money recovered after November 8, 2016?

2. Economic loss to the nation and number of jobs lost?

3. How many people died due to demonetisation? Has compensation been paid?

4. Who all did PM consult on demonetisation? What were experts economists, RBI not consulted?

5. Who all deposited more than Rs 25 lakhs in bank acciounts in six months precedeing November 8, 2016?
New Delhi, December 30

Cash shortages weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to abolish large currency notes are making allies and members of his ruling party anxious, with some distancing themselves from the move ahead of a series of state elections.

Modi removed Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8, billing it as an attempt to root out corruption, end terror financing and move the country into the age of digital payments. He promised to replace all old bills with enough new currency notes by the end of this month. But his government has struggled to do that, leading to long lines at banks and a slump in economy activity. Nearly 90 per cent of transactions in India used to be in cash.

Interviews with six lawmakers from the BJP and a senior leader of the partys ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), show his party cadre is starting to worry that the cash crunch could hurt their prospects in several states that go to the polls next year. Some parliamentarians said while they thought Modis decision was good, its execution had been botched and they were faced with constituents who were increasingly upset. There is no doubt it is difficult to convince voters that everything will be fine, said Minister of State for Finance Minister Santosh Gangwar, who is leading the BJP campaign in western UP.

Of the BJPs 71 MPs from Uttar Pradesh, 28 have been to BJP president Amit Shah and the finance ministers office to seek solutions to the cash crunch, said a senior finance ministry official.

Expects big victory

BJP spokesman GVL Narasimha Rao said despite temporary difficulties, the Prime Minister continued to enjoy overwhelming support. Party cadres are highly enthused about a big victory in upcoming elections, and if a few are apprehensive, they will realise the reality soon, Rao said. Disquiet within the BJP underscores how Modis bet is turning into a test of popularity. It has become a central issue in Uttar Pradesh where the outcome of elections early next year will be key for Modis expected bid for a second term in 2019.

The Opposition, led by the Congress, has joined forces, mocking the government for being ill-prepared for demonetisation and blaming it for hardships faced by the poor as a result. It has called for Modis resignation.

The senior RSS official said they had counselled Modi days before the move to take time to prepare the ground for such a massive exercise, including setting up two new mints and expanding the banking network, and to roll it out in phases. But the Prime Minister decided to press ahead. Earlier this month, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP ally N Chandrababu Naidu abruptly distanced himself from the move. Modi and senior members of his Cabinet, however, defend demonetisation.

Grim situation

Modis announcement enjoyed popular support at first, but shortages of new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes have caused tempers to rise. Last week, more than three dozen BJP lawmakers met with Shah to demand that the government sends more cash to their constituencies, and quickly.

The situation is grim, and we cannot ignore it, said Jagdambika Pal, a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh, who attended the meeting.  Reuters
New Delhi, December 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 50-day appeal to the public to set right the problems due to demonetisation did not appear to end on Fridaythe last day of depositing the scrapped currency notes.

Many ATM kiosks remained shut, while those that did open their shutters had long queues outside, albeit shorter than what one witnessed during the early days of the demonetisation drive.

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People complained that several banks were also handing out no more than Rs 4,000 per person, unmindful of the weekly limit of Rs 24,000 that has been officially permitted.

The banks simply said they had no cash.

"My experience at ATMs has been frustrating  minimum one-two-hour wait. I went to my bank today and despite arguing with the manager, I was only allowed to withdraw Rs 4,000," said Sudhir Mehta, an executive in Mumbai.

At Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi, Sanjiv Sethi, who runs an electronics goods showroom, was pleading with his bank that he needed all of Rs 24,000 to pay his part-time staff. "I should have sent someone daily to withdraw Rs 4,000 at least," he was heard mumbling.

On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that all Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were being demonetised, along with norms to deal with such old notes. The intention was to curb black money in the system and move towards a less-cash economy.

Overnight, Rs 15.44 lakh crore or 86 per cent of the currency in circulation then was declared void.

A week later, when the magnitude of the problem at hand became evident, Modi made an emotional speech in Goa, promising to set right the problems soon. "I've just asked for 50 days. Give me time till December 30," he said. "I understand the pain. But this is only for 50 days."

December 30 being the last date for people to exchange or deposit their old currency notes with banks, hordes of people were seen making a last-ditch attempt towards this end. Some banks set up additional counters to deal with old currency.

All eyes are now on Modi's speech on the eve of New Year.

"Hope, he relaxes some of the norms," said Kartik Chandrasekhar, a manager with a private sector company in Chennai.

"Being denied what is mine  I mean the deposit I have in my bank  is highly improper," he said.

RBI seeks details from banks

The RBI has asked banks to report details of deposits of old Rs 500 and 1,000 notes to it after the close of banking hours on Friday, which is the last date to accept the invalid currency.

With the closure of the facility of exchange of SBNs (defunct notes) as at the close of business on December 30, all banks should report information on collection of SBNs on December 30 itself on e-mail, the central bank said in a notification.

All lenders, including public, private, rural and cooperative banks, have been asked to make arrangements to gather information on deposits of the Specified Bank Notes (SBNs).

All bank branches--other than those of DCCBs--that have accumulated the SBNs as at the close of business on Friday are required to deposit the same at any issue office of the Reserve Bank or a currency chest by Saturday itself.

The RBI said the old-high denomination notes cannot form part of banks cash balances from the close of business as on December 31.

However, District Central Co-operative Banks (DCCBs) may retain the SBNs received on November 10-14 till receipt of further instructions. Agencies
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 29

The Asian aircraft carrier race now has a new dimension. The Chinese Navys first-ever sea-borne carrier, the Liaoning, has made its first foray in deep waters and docked at a bay in the disputed South China Sea.

Purchased from Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union, the first-ever deep sea sail of the Liaoning was being watched with great interest in strategic circles in India, the US, Japan and Russia besides the countries which are locked in a dispute with China over territorial issues in South China Sea that is rich in hydro-carbons.

The sail also means India, Japan and China now have a flat-deck that can carry fighter jets which can further hit target at sea or land. As of now, India is the leader with 50 years of experience in operating sea-borne aircraft carriers while Japan, for the first time since World War-II, has made flat-deck warships but doesnt call them aircraft carriers.

China is the newest entrant. Indias INS Vikramaditya, a 46,000 tonne ship, is fully operational.

A race between India and China to secure resources such as oil, minerals, natural gas and coal will be backed by keeping sea lanes open.

For India, Chinas intension to station the Liaoning in the disputed South China Sea  the only trade route between India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  will be vital.

Beijing has an added advantage. Its deep ties with Pakistan and Burma, besides supply bases in Sri Lanka, can be useful for deployment of Chinese carriers in the Indian Ocean, placing its navy in waters which form a core interest for New Delhi.

The third dimension is Japan. Following the end of World War-II and defeat of the Imperial Japan Navy, the Japanese Constitution in 1945 banned the making of aircraft carriers, but recently lifted it.

In March 2015, Japan commissioned the 24,000-tonne flat-deck called Izumo for carrying 14 helicopters. It can easily carry and operate the vertical takeoff F-35B joint strike fighters being developed by the US.

Meanwhile, the US adds the fourth dimension with its super carriers of USS Nimitz class  each weighing over 1 lakh tonnes and nuclear powered  in Asian waters. President Barack Obama had announced in 2011 the rebalance of

US naval assets that would entail stationing 60 per cent of its sea-going fleet in Asia-Pacific.
By PTI: Jammu, Dec 30 (PTI) The ML Koul Commission, appointed by the previous Omar Abdullah government to probe the death of over 120 civilians during 2010 Kashmir unrest, today submitted its report to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The one-man judicial Commission was appointed on June 19, 2014 to probe the matter, an official spokesman said.

The 320-page exhaustive report makes several recommendations besides prescribing some operating procedures while dealing with such situations, the spokesman said.

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More than 120 persons had died during the agitation in Kashmir Valley in 2010. PTI TSS AB ARK TIR

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New Delhi, December 30



China has blocked India's request to add the head of the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad to a UN Security Council blacklist of groups linked to al Qaeda, India said on Friday.

India has accused Jaish-e-Mohammad and its top leader, Maulana Masood Azhar, of masterminding several attacks, including a deadly assault on an Indian air base in Pathankot in January.

Pakistani security officials interrogated Azhar and his associates after the attack, and said they found no evidence linking him to it.

Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council, but not Azhar, an Islamist hardliner and a long-time foe of India.

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Foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said that India had requested that Azhar be added to the list nine months ago and had received strong backing from all other members of the council.

But China, which put a hold on the move in April, had now blocked it, he said.

"We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism," he said in a statement.

Swarup added that the inability of the international community to take the step showed the "prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism". China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment late on Friday evening.

India has said it would continue to push to have Azhar blacklisted "through the use of all options available to bring perpetrators of terrorist violence to justice".

India has long accused its neighbour and rival Pakistan of using Jaish-e-Mohammad as a proxy to mount attacks on Indian soil, including in Kashmir, and earlier gave what it called "actionable intelligence" to Pakistan, including telephone intercepts.

Pakistan denies giving any aid to Kashmir-based militants.

If Azhar was blacklisted by the UN Security Council, he would face a global travel ban and asset freeze.  Agencies
Mumbai, December 30

The Enforcement Directorate has registered a criminal case against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and his organisation IRF under money-laundering laws.

Officials said the agencys zonal office here has registered an FIR, called Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in EDs parlance, against Naik and others after taking cognisance of a similar complaint booked by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against them.

The ED, they said, will specifically look into the charges of alleged illegal funds laundered by the accused and the proceeds of crime in its probe. The agency has already scanned some banking transaction documents and other details against Naik and IRF and is soon expected to issue summons to take the probe forward. The National Investigation Agency last month registered a case against 51-year-old Naik under anti-terror laws for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race.

After registering the case against Naik, IRF and others, the NIA, along with Mumbai police, carried out searches at 10 places in the megapolis, including residential premises of some of the office-bearers of the foundation.  PTI
New Delhi, December 30

The Enforcement Directorate has booked controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and his organisation IRF under money laundering laws.

Officials said the agency's zonal office here has registered an FIR, called Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in ED's parlance, against Naik and others after taking cognisance of a similar complaint booked by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against them.

The ED, they said, will specifically look into the charges of alleged illegal funds laundered by the suspect and the proceeds of crime in its probe.

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The agency has already scanned some banking transaction documents and other details against Naik and IRF and is soon expected to issue summons to take the probe forward.

The National Investigation Agency had last month registered a case against 51-year-old Naik under anti-terror laws for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race.

After registering the case against Naik, IRF and others, NIA along with Mumbai police had carried out searches at 10 places in the megapolis, including residential premises of some of the office bearers of the foundation, which was earlier put on restricted list by the Union Home Ministry for receiving funds from abroad.

Naik, who has been staying in Saudi Arabia to evade arrest after his name surfaced during a probe into the Bangladesh terror strike earlier this year, has been booked along with unnamed IRF officials under section 153-A of IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) beside various sections of UAPA.

The charges, in the FIR registered by the NIA's branch here, were also slapped under sections 10 (being member of an unlawful organisation), 13 (punishment for being member of illegal organisation) and 18 of UAPA (punishment for being involved in a conspiracy for committing any terror act).

IRF came under the scanner of security agencies after one of the terrorists involved in the Dhaka cafe attack had allegedly posted on social media that they had been inspired by Naik's speeches.

Some youngsters from Mumbais suburbs who had left their homes to join Islamic State earlier this year were also allegedly inspired by the preacher.

Naik's speeches are banned in the UK, Canada and Malaysia.

The Home Ministry has alleged that the NGO had "dubious" links to Peace TV, an international Islamic channel suspected of propagating terrorism.

According to the Home Ministry, Naik, who heads the IRF, had allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda.

Maharashtra Police has also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalising Muslim youth and luring them into terror activities.

Naik was alleged to have transferred IRF's funds received from abroad to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes.  PT
Chennai, December 29

Expressing doubts over the circumstances leading to the death of Tamil Nadu former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, a Madras High Court judge indicated that he might order exhumation of the body after a plea before the court sought a probe by an inquiry commission or a fact-finding committee.

Justice S Vaidyanathan, who was heading a two-judge Vacation Bench, said the public should know what had happened. His observations came while the Bench, also comprising Justice V Parthiban, was hearing the PIL filed by AIADMK worker PA Joseph seeking an inquiry commission or a fact-finding committee to probe the circumstances leading to the death of Jayalalithaa.

After the demise, everybody has a right to question. I personally have a doubt One day it was told that she is walking, another day you said she will come out and suddenly what happened. Even with regard to the health of late Chief Minister MGR, video was released, Justice Vaidyanathan said.

When a special mention was made before the Bench by senior counsel KM Vijayan who argued on the plea, Advocate General Muthukumaraswamy said there was no mystery in the death.

Justice Vaidyanathan asked the AG, What is that you say. Right to live is a fundamental right. Public should know what has happened.

Even relations were not allowed to see and they are also not before the court now. I personally find in case if I have doubt I may order exhumation of the body of deceased and you have not told anything when she was alive, the judge said.

Turning to counsel J Madanagopala Rao, who appeared on behalf of Union Government, the Judge said: You went there. You have not reported anything. You know everything. But not reported anything for the reasons best known to you. You kept quiet. The Bench said, We also saw in newspapers that the chief minister was recovering, and that she was eating, signing papers and even conducting meetings. And then suddenly she was dead.  PTI
Lucknow, December 30

The Samajwadi Party expelled Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his supporter Ram Gopal Yadav for six years for indiscipline on Friday, as family feud splits up the party months before it faces the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Samajwadi Party national president announced that he was expelling his son Akhilesh Yadav and his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, adding that the party would choose the next chief minister.

Mulayam Yadav, who was accompanied by his brother SP state president Shivpal Singh Yadav  said the decision was taken in an attempt to save the party.

"We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal," he said, as he accused his cousin of having ruined his sons future.

The decision was taken after Ram Gopal, as the partys general secretary, had called an emergency meeting on January 1, a decision that the chief minister had supported.

Ram Gopal Yadav called the meeting after Mulayam Singh issued notices to both him and Akhilesh Yadav over a new list of candidates that the chief minister had released for the assembly elections, challenging the one party had already announced the day before.

"How can he (Akhilesh) release the list when the party has declared its candidates? Both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal want to finish the party. I will not let it happen. I have built this party through hard work," Mulayam Singh said. "I had made Akhilesh chief minister with much fanfare."

He also indicated that the party could think of taking further actions against his cousin.

A defiant Ram Gopal Yadav called the action unconstitutional.

"If the top leadership of the party indulges in unconstitutional acts, who will call the party meeting? It is the general secretary who will do it," he said, as he claimed that no Parliamentary Board meeting was called to discuss the nominees.

'Keeping an eye'

"Developments in the Samajwadi Party is an party issue. However, I am keeping a watch," UP Governor Ram Naik said.

Frenzied supporters of the chief minister held protests against the SP chief and his brother Shivpal Yadav.

Some 100 MLAs and half a dozen ministers are reported to be supporting Akhilesh Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav has issued orders that any party activist attending the rebels meeting on January 1 would be expelled from the party.

Akhilesh Yadav meanwhile held a meeting with MLAs at his residence.

The development comes a few months after battles lines were in the Samajwadi Party between chief minister and his uncle Shivpal, with both exchanging heated words at the partys celebrations in November.  Agencies/ TNS
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 30

A draft proposal for accepting new members into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which has been prepared by former NSG chairman Rafael Mariano Grossi outlines the process by which states which are not signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) can join it. In other words, it paves the way for Indias entry into the NSG.

Reports emanating in the US media suggest the document prepared by Grossi, acting on behalf of the current chairman Song Young-wan of South Korea, enjoys a semi-official status.

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On the positive side, the unconditional waiver that India received in 2008 from the NSG would suffice for its entry into the club. However, one of the commitments India will need to give is that it will not conduct any nuclear explosive test.

This could be a sore point for India which has always maintained a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing. Another condition to which India will have to agree is that due to the unique nature of the non-NPT party applications, (non-NPT applicant) would join a consensus of all other participating governments on the merits of any non-NPT party application. In effect this would ensure that India, when it gets into the NSG, is not able to block Pakistan from following suit.

Earlier this year, India had applied for membership to the elite nuclear club. The 48-member club works on the basis of consensus and India this year made many diplomatic efforts to convince the NSG members of its candidature. However, China and a few other countries remained opposed to Indias membership as it has not yet signed the NPT.

Pakistan followed Indias lead and also applied for membership to the NSG. Pakistan too has not signed the NPT and it has argued if India is allowed into the nuclear club, so should it be. India went so far as to state that it wanted its case for the NSG not to get hyphenated with Pakistans whose track record in proliferation is there for the world to judge. According to media reports emanating from Pakistan, its foreign ministry has already rejected the draft proposal calling it discriminatory in nature.
New York, December 29

The New York Police Department will allow its Sikh officers to wear turbans and maintain beards, relaxing its uniform policy to promote inclusiveness and encourage the minority community members to join the force.

New York Police Commissioner James ONeill announced the measures being taken towards ensuring religious accommodation to its officers following a graduation ceremony for new police recruits yesterday.

Under the revised policy, officers from the Sikh faith will be allowed to have beards that extend up to one-half inch from the face. The officers may also wear blue turbans  with a hat shield it affixed to it  in place of the traditional police cap.

Were making this change to make sure that we allow everybody in New York City that wants to apply and have the opportunity to work in the greatest police department in the nation, to make sure we give them that opportunity, the Commissioner said.

Standing alongside Sikh officers after the grand graduation ceremony, ONeill said the measures were aimed at making the NYPD as diverse as possible.

We changed our beard policy and our head covering policy. It is a major change in our uniform policy, so we had to go about it carefully, he said. The Commissioner said there are about 160 Sikh officers currently in the ranks and he was looking to expand those numbers. He said the religious accommodation will give people from the faith the opportunity to join the police department.

Sikh Officers Association, a group of Sikh officers, welcomed the move.

Of the 557 recruits who graduated from the Police Academy, 33 are Muslims and two are Sikhs, according to the Police Department.  PTI
Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, December 30

Six persons lost their lives when a fire broke out at a bakery in Pune early this morning, the police said here today.

All victims were employees of the bakery who were sleeping inside the premises at the time of the fire. They could not escape as the owners had locked the shutter from outside, the police said. Those killed were identified as: Irshad Khan (26), Shanu Ansari (22), Zakim and Fahim Ansari (both aged 24), Junaid Ansari (25) and Nishan Ansari (29). All of them hailed from Uttar Pradesh.

The three owners of the bakery have been arrested. The fire at the Bakes n Cakes bakery in Punes Kondhwa neighbourhood was believed to have been caused by a short-circuit, the police said.

Fire brigade personnel from Pune said the fire was reported around 4.45 am. While they were struggling to break the shutter, one of the owners reached the spot and opened it. The bodies of the victims were recovered from the mezzanine floor constructed inside the bakery located on the ground floor of a building, the police said.

Initially we did not suspect anyone was sleeping inside the premises. But when the owner said there were workers inside, fire brigade personnel went in and recovered the bodies, an official from the Kondhwa police station said.

Pune Mayor Prashant Jagtap said the workers could have escaped if the owners had not locked the bakery from outside. The owner apparently locked the bakery with the workers inside everyday. If there was no lock outside, the workers could have escaped, Jagtap said.
By PTI: Beijing, Dec 30 (PTI) At least three persons were killed and another injured today when a tanker containing phosphoric acid was hit by a van in Chinas central Hunan province.

The accident took place at around 8:20 AM on the Hunans Changde section of the highway linking Inner Mongolia in north China with Guangdong province in the south, according to the provincial expressway traffic police bureau.

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The victims were travelling in the van.

Two of them were killed on the spot while the other died in hospital.

The tanker contained phosphoric acid, according to the provincial expressway management bureau, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. PTI KJV CPS

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 30

State convener of Aam Aadmi Party Gurpreet Singh Waraich today alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badals secret recruitment in the Intelligence cadre of the Punjab Police was to create a private army for its misuse in the upcoming elections.

It is highly deplorable that in the garb of recruitment in the special Intelligence cadre, Sukhbir is creating his private army for its misuse during the elections, Waraich said. He said out of the 22 youth recruited so far, 21 belonged to Sukhbirs Assembly segment Jalalabad.

Sukhbir will use this army for covert and overt operations during the elections at the cost of the state exchequer, Waraich said.

What happened to the Punjab Polices Intelligence Network? Has it totally collapsed? he questioned. Waraich demanded immediate scrapping of this special force and urged the Election Commission to take notice of it.

It is a political gimmick to extend political bribe to people to woo them for their use during the Assembly elections, the AAP leader said.
Kabul, December 29

The head of the Sikh community in Afghanistans restive Kunduz city was shot dead by unknown gunmen today, the second such incident within three months, triggering fear among the minority group members.

Lala Del Souz was gunned down at about 9 am in the Haji Gulistan Kochi Haman area of the city, Tolo News reported. He was reportedly on his way to his shop when the shooting occurred. He died of injuries while being taken to hospital, the report said.

According to relatives of the deceased, he had been shot five years ago but survived the attack. Kunduz security chief Masoum Stanikzai confirmed the incident and said police have arrested three suspects.

Investigations will however continue, he said.

Del Souzs uncle Prem said the deceased was well liked and had no enemies.

The shooting, meanwhile, sparked an outcry on social media with hundreds of people condemning the incident and sending condolences to his family. Prem, however, called on the government to thoroughly investigate the incident and make sure those responsible are brought to justice. He said if this does not happen, the few remaining Sikhs will sell up and leave the province.

Following the collapse of Kunduz to Taliban, many Sikhs left the province. Currently only three families are still there, the report said.

Sikhs have lived in Kunduz for over 30 years and at one time there were as many as 40 families in the area.

After the collapse of Kunduz city last year, Del Souz apparently moved his family to India. He stayed on in Kunduz and lived with his uncle. Close to 99 per cent of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan have left the country over the past three decades. Sikh and Hindu population numbered 220,000 in the 1980s. It is now estimated that only 1,350 Hindus and Sikhs remain in the country, the report said.

Hindus and Sikhs suffered huge setbacks after the Taliban regime collapsed in 2001. This forced many of them to leave rural areas and move to Kabul in order to make a living.

In October, a Sikh man was abducted from his home and gunned down by suspected militants in Afghanistans restive Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan.  PTI
Tribune Reporters

Ferozepur/Fazilka, Dec 29

The BJP state unit today kicked off its Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra from the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the demonetisation drive, calling it a freedom struggle for economic independence.

Taking on the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, he said: PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh is infamous for ignoring the constituency he represents. His Coffee with Captain show is a complete farce AAP MP from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann has been promising to make Punjab drug-free. Someone must ask him to control his drinking habits first.

The event also witnessed a show of strength between two aspirants eying the Ferozepur (Urban) seat. The supporters of former MLA Sukhpal Nannu and BJP Yuva Morcha national vice-president Gurpervez Shelley raised slogans in favour of their leaders. Both left no stone unturned to make their presence felt before the BJP top brass.

Sampla denied factionalism in the party and said the ticket would be finalised by the party high command within a week.

State organisation secretary Dinesh Kumar, Cabinet Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani, former state chief Kamal Sharma, senior leaders Vineet Joshi, Manjit Rai and Davinder Bajaj were among others who addressed the gathering.

In Fazilka, Sampla claimed the BJP-SAD combine would form the government for the third consecutive term in Punjab. He said the coalition would register its win on the issue of development carried out by the combine government in the state under the leadership of PM Modi at the Centre and Parkash Singh Badal in the state.

Sampla and local MLA Jyani addressed the party workers from the yatra bus at the busy Clock Tower Chowk. A large number of party workers from Fazilka segment welcomed the yatra at Ladhuka village, 15 km from Fazilka.
Abohar, December 30

Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla today said the policies of the previous Congress governments were responsible for the pathetic condition of farmers in the state.

During the second day of his Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra here, the Union Minister said the Beant Singh government in 1992 had misled the farmers by falsely claiming to waive their debts.

On one hand Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh is claiming that he himself will waive the debts, but on the other hand he and the whole Congress leadership is requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relinquish farmers debts, he said.

Sampla said the Modi government had allotted the largest sum ever for the agriculture sector and rural development as the BJPs prime objective was to look for a permanent solution to the agricultural crisis. The Congress regime was full of scams while the Modi government is coming up with numerous welfare schemes now and then.

During the past two-and-a-half years of the Modi regime, more than 90 schemes had been introduced for farmers, women, poor, labourers, backward classes and industries, which had changed their lives, he said.

Taking on AAP, Sampla said, AAP promised CCTVs for women security, schools, colleges and free Wi-Fi, but failed to keep its promises Drugs are openly used during rave parties in Delhi but nothing like this happens in Punjab. Still, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi were defaming Punjabs youth by terming them addicts, he said.

Its hard to understand how are those leaders seeking votes from Punjabis, he said.  TNS & PTI
Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Kotkapura, December 29

With the Congress reportedly planning to field an outsider from the Kotkapura seat, a number of local leaders and workers assembled in the town today to showcase their strength to oppose such a move.

Urging the high command to consider the sentiments of the local workers while allotting the Kotkapura seat, leaders said the fate of previous outsider candidates could be checked before making an announcement.

The names of former MLAs Harnirpal Singh Kuku and Upinder Sharma are doing the rounds for this segment, Both leaders are facing opposition from locals for them being outsiders.

Kuku, former Akali MLA, belongs to Muktsar and Upinder, former Jails Minister, hails from Faridkot town.

The leaders alleged that since 1967 when Kotkapura was declared as an Assembly constituency, the Congress had fielded a local candidate only once in 1980.

Hoshiarpur leaders quit party

Hoshiarpur: The Congress suffered a setback in the district with Pankaj Kirpal, state convener of the Congress Seva Dal, resigning from the post along with his supporters. He alleged that they had quit the Congress as the party was ignoring the interests of Hindus, SCs, BCs and terrorism-effected families. Kirpal said all Hindus who had won the Youth Congress elections were ignored. The Congress was preferring rebel Akali leaders. Kirpal said their group would be fielding Independent candidates on seven seats in Doaba. "I have decided to contest from Garshankar as an Independent. We will also contest Chabbewal, Balachar and other seats," said Kirpal. Besides, local leaders Balwinder Singh Bittu, Palwinder Chopra, Jagtar Rupowal, Harbans Kaur and Madan Bihala also resigned from the Congress during a meeting held at Chak Mallan village on Thursday. OC
London, December 29

A UK-based Sikh campaign group today said it has launched an appeal to make public the secret files believed to hold details of Britains alleged involvement in the 1984 Operation Bluestar that killed hundreds of people.

The Sikh Federation UKs appeal with the UKs Information Tribunal will be heard in the New Year.

It centres around four files withheld during an official UK government inquiry ordered by former Prime Minister David Cameron into Britains alleged involvement in the military action on the Golden Temple in 1984.

The first tier tribunal will consider this case in the New Year and it will be inappropriate to comment any further, a UK Cabinet office spokesperson said.

The files include one titled UK/Indian relations: Situation in Punjab; activities of Sikh extremists; proposed visit to UK by Rajiv Gandhi in June 1985.

The other documents include a joint intelligence committee file on India; one with details of then British PM Margaret Thatchers meetings with a close adviser of Indira Gandhi; and other papers under India: Political related to events around Indira Gandhis assassination in October 1984.

Sikh Federation UK, which believes the closed files will shed more light on the extent of Britains alleged involvement in the military operation in Amritsar, had earlier complained to the UKs Information Commissioner to make these documents public but it was decided to keep the files closed as they were too sensitive.  PTI
Leading real estate developer, DLF got a major setback this year as the Punjab & Haryana High Court directed the developer to return 11 acre of prime land in DLF5 to the concerned RWA. DLF had developed a project named 'Crest' on the 11- acre land in 2013, which was part of a 30- acre plot where DLF Park Place apartment complex was launched in 2006. The High Court directed Haryana's Department of Town & Country Planning to identify and demarcate the 11- acres, contiguous to Park Place and hand over to RWA.

DLF suffered another blow when SC restrained it from creating any third party rights on a portion of land where it has constructed the 'Mall of India' in Noida's prime Sector 18. The apex court's interim order was delivered in response to an appeal filed by several land owners. The appeal had mentioned that the allotment of the land (in dispute with DLF Universal) and executing the land's lease deed in DLFs favour, prior to its acquisition under Land Acquisition Act, was totally illegal.

Realtor-Mayors Controversial Housing Project

The realtor-turned politician, Kulwant Singh, Mayor of Mohali, came under spotlight for alleged favours granted to his under construction project in Sectors 82 & 66 A in Mohali, Punjab. The SAD politician came under lens for alleged favours granted to his project by allegedly changing the policy on the basis of provisions in the Punjab Apartment & Property Regulation Act 1995. He was allowed extra five years to complete his housing project on an extended area without having to pay any penalty. The government, however, defended its decision, saying that the policy change was applicable to all new projects and the ones to be upgraded.

HUDAs Plot Allotment Scam

Haryana Urban Development Authoritys multiple plot allotment scam continued to make unsavoury headlines in 2016. Former ministers, MLAs, IAS & IPS officers and other VIPs figure in the list of beneficiaries who allegedly procured more than one plot under reserved category in urban estates in contravention of rules.The case related to this scam has been going on in Punjab & Haryana High Court on the basis of a public petition. HUDA told the High Court that after investigation , it had found 2481 cases of multiple allotments under reserved category by giving false information. The investigation was conducted in pursuance of Punjab High Court direction to constitute special investigation teams for conducting thorough fair probe. The case will come up for next hearing on January 18, 2017.

Supertechs Towering Trouble

NCRs major real estate developer, Supertech suffered a setback as NBCC, which was asked by SC to file a report on alleged illegal construction in developer's Emerald Court project in Noida, told the apex court that the construction of twin towers  Apex and Ceyane, was illegal and in contravention of National Building Regulation. The SC is looking into the validity of 2014 order of Allahabad High Court, directing demolition of two 40-storey towers and also ordering the company to refund the money with 14% interest. The apex court directed Supertech to deposit Rs 10 crore for ensuring refund to homebuyers.
New Delhi, December 29

Google has honoured the inventor of waterproof material, Charles Macintosh, with a doodle on Thursday to mark what would be his 250th birthday.

The Scottish chemist's invention, which led to the modern raincoat, is to be credited for making it a lot more convenient to go out in the rain.

The doodle shows Macintosh enjoying a Scottish rain shower while testing his ingenious invention.

Describing the doodle, Google wrote on its website, It's a wonder how the weather-beaten Brits coped before Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh invented his eponymous waterproof coat. His invention, patented in 1823, came about as he experimented with coal-tar naphtha and rubber and realised they could be fused together with fabric to create a waterproof surface. These days in the UK, it's common to call any type of raincoat a Mac.

Born in Glasgow, he was first employed as a clerk. But he devoted all his spare time to science, particularly chemistry, and before he was twenty resigned his clerkship to take up the manufacture of chemicals.

He also figured out a way to make blast furnaces more efficient and also invented a bleaching powder.  Agencies
THOUGH of late a number of thoughtful Anglo-Indian administrators have expressed their sympathy with the Indian National Congress and its aims, though differing from its recommendations, the Anglo-Indian press has not altered its attitude on the whole towards the institution. The Englishman criticises the President's speech for its length and thinks that the fitness of Indians for self-government is not proved. Our contemporary writes: "Mr. Ambica Charan Mazumdar's achievement will doubtless be hailed in Congress organs as a weighty and impressive utterance and will forthwith be forgotten. But we can well believe that the restless souls who attend these conference year after year are secretly whispering that forty-five lines of light musketry by Mrs. Annie Besant would be better than forty-five pages of heavy artillery by Mr. Ambica Charan Mozumdar." Criticism of this kind betrays the fact that our Anglo-Indian friends are yet trying to belittle the Congress by ridiculing instead of meeting its arguments.
By PTI: From K J M Varma

Beijing, Dec 30 (PTI) A 64-year-old woman in China is believed to have become the oldest mother in the country to give birth to a baby.

The mother, who has not been identified, delivered a boy weighing 3.7 kgs through cesarean section at a hospital in Jilin province, official media here reported.

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She conceived the baby after receiving in vitro fertilisation abroad.

Photos uploaded to social media yesterday showed the woman in a delivery room and a nurse holding a newborn.

The woman and her husband declined to be interviewed, but people close to the family said the couple decided to have the baby after losing their first child, state-run China Daily reported.

Teng Hong, a doctor who helped with the delivery, said the mother went through menopause about a decade ago.

She was able to conceive after undergoing in vitro fertilisation overseas.

Due to her age, the woman faced a lot of health risks during pregnancy, including gestational diabetes and internal bleeding, Teng said.

"But shes very strong. She received treatment with an optimistic attitude and overcame all the difficulties to gave birth," Teng said.

She said the baby is in good condition. As the woman is no longer able to lactate, the child is being fed baby formula.

"Were keeping a close eye on the mother because women of this age can encounter cardiac failure and uncontrollable bleeding during or after a C-section, which are very dangerous," Teng said.

In recent years, China has seen several cases of older women having children.

Although there is no official data, including who is the oldest, anecdotal evidence suggests most of the older women had another baby after they lost their first child.

Teng said she had a patient who gave birth two years ago at age 53 after losing a child, while in July, a 61-year-old gave birth after her only daughter died of disease at 30.

It is a risky decision to have a child so late, but also a brave and understandable one, the doctor said.

"The successful delivery on Wednesday will bring hope to others like her, letting them know that they can also have babies and find happiness again with the help of assisted reproductive technology," Teng said.

In a bid to shore up the numbers of the younger population,China this year has ended the three decades old one-child policy and replaced it with two-child as the demographic crisis deepened with sharp rise in the population ofoldagepopulation. PTI KJV UZM

--- ENDS ---

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Aditi Tandon

Consolidating its past gains on child and maternal health, India, this year, moved decisively to rein in the rising costs of healthcare, which are pushing close to 60 million people into poverty every year. Another focus area was wellness with the apex food regulator aggressively pursuing the industry to protect consumer interests. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) accordingly decided to revisit food labelling norms to check misleading claims, banned harmful ingredients in food, restricted the use of caffeine in high energy drinks and drafted fortification standards for staple foods.

To address the rising out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare, the government opened a range of Amrit stores selling life-saving drugs at half the market price. These stores have been located at top central hospitals such as AIIMS Delhi, PGI Chandigarh and JIPMER Puducherry for anyone to access. Parallel to this, the central drug pricing body, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, lowered the prices of many anti-cancer and HIV drugs by 35 per cent. This it did by revising the ceiling price for 23 medicines in the National List of Essential Medicines. Anyone selling these drugs at higher prices would have to pay the overcharged amount to NPPA as penalty.

A major step forward in preventing child deaths, a massive Indian challenge, was the launch of indigenous Rota virus vaccine in March. The vaccine will prevent childhood diarrhoeal deaths, otherwise close to a whopping 78,000 annually. An important marker of the governments good efforts in the direction of child and mother health was WHOs official certification that India was now free of maternal and neonatal tetanus and also of yaws, a bacterial skin infection. Heres a look at all that made news in the year ending today.

Fighting the bulge

The Left Front government in Kerala created history this year by imposing 14.5 per cent tax on restaurants selling foods high on saturated fats such as pizzas, burgers and tacos. Taking on food giants like Mc Donalds and KFC, the state governments attempt comes after the worlds first fight with the bulge that failed in Denmark some years ago. Denmark, the worlds first nation to impose a cess on all forms of food with saturated fats, including ready-to-serve categories, butter and cheese, had to withdraw its fat tax under pressure from grocers.

Just label it

The government, this year, decided to frame new regulations for food labelling and packaging to ensure thta companies dont get away with misleading claims. The government also penalised six major food companies for selling products with misleading claims. A notice was even served to Baba Ramdevs Patajali, which allegedly made false claims about the process of producing mustard oil.

All that fizz

Apex food regulator, this year, limited the use of caffeine in high energy drinks. The FSSAI said that beginning July 1, all companies selling caffeine-containing beverages would have to declare the content on products. Consequently, all non alcoholic beverages having caffeine over 145 mg per litre will now have to describe themselves as caffeinated. Interestingly, the US does not regulate this category of beverages.

Is your prasada safe?

In a first, the government came up with a draft manual for food safety at places of worship and conducted a workshop with the managements of top Indian shrines to ensure that the prasada they serve is safe. Under the FSSAI Act, being a catering establishment, any shrine, that serves food is liable for registration or licencing. The workshop held in September was well attended with representatives from shrines in Tamil Nadu expressing the highest interest in working with the government on improving food hygiene. The Siddhi Vinayak and Shirdi Temples in Maharashtra are already following the manual.

Your daily bread

After the Centre for Science and Environment found cancer causing chemicals in 35 per cent of Indias 85 bread brands, the Health Ministry banned the use of harmful food additive, potassium bromate, in breads. The chemical was hitherto used to enhance the texture of bread. The move came after CSEs report devastated the bread industry, second in revenues only to milk, in India.

Fortified foods

The government published standards for fortification of five staple foods to address micronutrient deficiencies in the population. Although 89 countries globally mandate fortification of at least one industrially milled grain, India does not mandate fortified foods. In a first though, the Health Ministry laid down fortification standards for wheat flour, rice, salt, milk and edible oils and is now engaging food manufacturers to add value to their products by fortifying them. Next in line is tea fortification!

Year of achievement

Indigenous rota virus vaccine launched

In March 2016, the government launched the first indigenous rota virus vaccine to reduce childhood diarrhoeal deaths caused by the virus. Produced by Bharat Biotech, the vaccine was launched on a pilot basis in Haryana, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, to be followed up with a universal launch in 2017. The vaccine is expected to save close to one lakh newborns annually. Of the 1.5 lakh annual child deaths in India due to diarrhoea, close to 78,000 happen from diarrhoea caused by Rota virus alone.

India achieves infant mortality MDG

In September, India achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on infant mortality by attaining the target of cutting infant deaths by two-third between 1990 and 2015. Indias Infant Mortality Rate (number of infants per 1,000 live births who died in the first year of their birth) stands at 39 per 1,000 live births. Statistics from Registrar General of Indias Sample Registration Survey (SRS), the most comprehensive data set on child health, show that India is set to achieve the MDG on under-five mortality by the next year. Indias current under-five mortality is 45 per 1,000 live births and the MDG target is 42.

Hosting world anti-tobacco meet

India, this year, hosted the seventh meeting of Conference of Parties that are signatories to the worlds first global public health treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The meeting of around 180 member nations resolved to draft local laws to regulate the availability and sale of nicotine delivery systems, long marketed as substitutes to tobacco, but increasingly being proved almost as harmful to health as tobacco. This agenda was piloted by host nation India, where smokeless tobacco use is a far greater challenge than the smoking forms, like cigarettes. The convention irked pro-tobacco lobbies that alleged that the organisers (WHO) did not allow tobacco farmers' delegations to attend the conference. WHO, however, stood its ground saying tobacco promotion lobbies had no place on the FCTC table, which is focused on discouraging tobacco use.

WHO certifies India MNTE and yaws free

In July 2016, WHO officially certified India as free of maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNTE) and Yaws. Until 1989, India used to see two lakh neonatal deaths (occurring in the first 28 days of birth) annually due to MNTE. The elimination means less than one case per 1,000 live births in every district of the country and reflects improved institutional deliveries (now 75 per cent) and clean umbilical cord practices. MNT elimination is important for India, which makes up 22 per cent of the worlds 6.3 million annual under-five deaths annually and 16 per cent of the worlds 2.89 lakh maternal deaths annually.
Vaibhav Sharma

PHONES

Twenty Sixteen has literally been the year of smoking hot phones. Both iOS and Android devices punched above their weight, but the failure of Windows Phone and BlackBerry meant that there existed a duopoly in the smartphone space. Its either Apple or Googles platform thats King (profitability vs marketshare) and this is reflected in the rankings below:

iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone has consistently been the phone to beat, and this year was no different. Despite a similar design to yesteryears offerings, its duo camera system makes the iPhone a star performer. While other phones came close or even beat its optics in some tests, the Portrait mode took the iPhone to heights others can only dream of.

Google Pixel

Available in two sizes, the Pixel phones finally merged the stellar Google software with top of the line hardware. Samsungs been doing this for a very long time, but its desire to differentiate itself from other OEMs has always meant it wasnt pure Android at its best. Googles very own doesnt suffer from any of these problems.

Samsung Galaxy S7

Since the Note was too hot to handle, Samsung will have to be content with the number three spot. An all-round hit, the S7 even betters the Pixel in areas such as design and water resistance. But despite having come out in early 2016, the discounted S7 continues to be a solid buy.

One Plus 3

It was only a matter of time before a so-called low cost Chinese OEM would command the same respect reserved for big brand flagships  and that time has come. With the One Plus 3, the company produced a beautiful flagship that even while being priced under 30,000, could give any device a run for its money. If the budget was the sole consideration, the One Plus 3 might even have been 2016s top smartphone.

iPhone SE

There are still a lot of people who want a smaller phone, and to satiate them Apple delivered the SE  a no compromise 4 phone. A great camera, speedy performance, and the promise of future iOS updates make this the perfect smartphone for those who enjoy the small things in life.

TABLETS

The idea of tablets keeps evolving. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad, it was supposed to be a couch surfer, a screen bigger than your phone but smaller than your MacBook  great for casual use. But this year the company went all in on the iPad Pro, a device meant to challenge the laptop with its smart keyboard and pencil. Microsoft, it seems, is responsible for some of this change. It never positioned its Surface tablets as casual computers, but as fully capable Windows machines that could switch between work and play seamlessly. The Surface has gone from strength to strength, and reshaped how we view tablets. That said, here are the best 2016 had to offer:

iPad Pro 9.7

With the original iPad, Apple hit the magic mark  the 4:3 aspect ratio and 9.7 screen is perfect for reading, casual browsing or even watching pictures and video. However, when you add to that iOS 10s split-screen multitasking, support for drawing with the Apple Pencil, powerful stereo speakers, excellent battery life and a great screen, you have a clear winner. It may not be the best Pro tablet, but its certainly the best all round device.

Microsofts Surface Pro 4

Although it is still not sold in India, the latest generation Surface combines power with a handy form factor that lets it turn into a full-blown Windows computer instantly. The keyboard accessory is better than Apples, and the presence of USB ports means that it is also more functional. The Achilles heel continues to be apps, a lot of which arent specially written for the touch interface. This is certainly the best pro tablet, but takes a beating in a more general setting.

Google Pixel C

With Google consistently improving Android for tablet support  think splitscreen modes, better multitasking, battery saving sleep modes and so on, it was only a matter of time before an Android tablet broke in the top five. Although this is an old tablet first released in 2015, Android 7.0 Nougats update keeps it fighting fit.

iPad Air 2

Think of the iPad Air 2 as the cheaper version of the iPad Pro 9.7. It doesnt have its stereo speakers or latest generation chipset or even support for the Apple Pencil. But it still nails the basics  screen, performance and battery life. Paired with the vast app ecosystem, this cheaper iPad ticks all the right boxes. The Touch ID sensor is a neat bonus.

Huawei MediaPad M3

This tablet is like a louder, more affordable Apple iPad Mini 4, that runs on Android. In a year when Android tablets didnt really make a huge mark, the MediaPad M3 was one of the lone bright spots. Its 8.4 inch 359 ppi screen and Harman Kardon speakers make it great for media consumption. The 4 GB of RAM keeps things moving when you wish to be slightly more productive.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

While some of these innovations may not be ripe for mass adoption yet, each one of these hit this year or are on the cusp of a major milestone. While phones or tablets may make our today more enjoyable, these innovations promise to revolutionise it.

Reusable Rockets

Rockets usually get destroyed on their maiden voyage, but that is changing this year with SpaceXs Elon Musk and Blue Origins Jeff Bezos both pushing this technology successfully through their companies. A successful outcome would make space travel possible for an ordinary person in the long run, but for now itll help garner huge savings.

Solar Power

While our Prime Minister may be pushing the idea of solar and wind energy, stateside Solar Citys 750$ million Gigafactory is getting ready to help produce a gigawatt of solar panel made energy, making this technology attractive to homeowners. It will sell camouflaged roof tiles that look similar to brick and mortar, making solar power visually and aesthetically appealing as well.

Self-Drive Vehicles

Completing a trifecta for Elon Musk (SpaceX and Solar City being the other two), Tesla, along with dozens of others, has had successful trials of self-driving vehicles that promise to reshape our thought process when it comes to cars. Uber even introduced a pilot of self-driving cabs in San Francisco before pulling the program due to regulatory issues.

Power over WiFi

While still far away from mass adoption, the idea of powering small computers and sensors from nothing but WIFI signals and telecommunications signals progressed this year. PoWiFias, as this technology is called, enables development of the IoTs (Internet of Things), where small sensors are embedded in everyday objects like phones, coffee machines, washing machines and air conditioners, allowing those devices to talk to each other. Also on the way is technology that could charge future smartphones wirelessly from a distance. This would be a huge upgrade over the current wireless system that still requires physical proximity.

Super Maglev Trains

Maglev trains dont touch the track, but float slightly above it. This lack of friction lets them reach speed of over 260 miles an hour. These trains already operate in China and Japan, but Super Maglev promises to make those speeds look slow. Enclosed in pressurised vacuum tubes, Super Maglev trains of the future might just hit a staggering 1800 miles an hour. This is somewhat akin to the Hyperloop technology that has been open sourced by SpaceX. The company has already signed deals to build a hyperloop between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. A similar proposal in under consideration in India as well.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 30

Former Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa today accused PM Narendra Modi of plundering the Indian economy by forcing demonetisation on the country.

Addressing a press conference in Dehradun today, Bajwa said the sudden announcement of demonetisation was like firing a bullet at the front wheel of a fast-moving car. It will only overturn the vehicle, he said.

The Indian economy has been given the same treatment. Demonetisation has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs. Farmers are suffering and so are labourers. Industrial production has come down by 50 per cent, he said.

Bajwa alleged that the Prime Minister had already given enough hint to his party leaders and chosen industrialists about demonetisation to safeguard their black money.

He said the Congress was demanding that the BJP and RSS should make their bank transactions of all accounts from March 1 to November 8 public.

He alleged that a district cooperative bank in Ahmedabad that has BJP national president Amit Shah as one of its directors saw deposits to the tune of Rs 500 crore made in a single branch in Ahmedabad within three days of demonetisation. That needs to be probed, he said.

Bajwa said that today was the 52nd day after demonetisation and financial normalcy was still to be resorted.

Congress Nagpur MLA Anees Ahmed and state Congress spokesman Mathura Dutt Joshi were also present at the news conference.
Neena Sharma

tribune news service

Dehradun, December 29

After an inordinate delay and numerous corrections, the Uttarakhand Government has legalised short-duration religious break for government employees belonging to all communities.

Fearing a backlash over the issue, the government has decided to extend the 90-minute break from 12.30 pm to 2 pm to all government employees.

The state government in a Cabinet meeting, held in the middle of December, had given its nod to a break for Muslim community members for Friday prayers.

Keen to strike a chord with Muslim voters, who have a sizeable presence in two constituencies and other areas, the Congress-led Harish Rawat government took a gamble by announcing short-duration break for Muslim government employees on all Fridays.

Significantly, Muslim voters have been playing a significant role in deciding the fate of the candidates in the Assembly segments adjoining Haridwar, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar.

Out of the 70 Assembly constituencies, Haridwar district has 10 Assembly segments; Dehradun district three; and Udham Singh Nagar eight; and Naintial two. There, Muslim voters can play a big role in deciding the fate of the contestants.

The BJP had won 10 of these 23 seats in the 2012 Assembly poll while the Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had shared the rest10 and 3 respectively.

The decision on the break, when first announced, had created a furore with the opposition BJP baying for the Chief Ministers blood.

The Chief Minister is trying to drive a wedge between different communities in the state. There was no need to announce a break in the middle of work. This is appeasement policy in action, Munna Chauhan, BJP spokesperson, had said.

Soon, the government backtracked with Chief Minister Harish Rawat personally taking the initiative to assuage the hurt feelings of the public and announce that the short duration break was for all.

As the officials of the Department of General Administration worked on translating the emotive decision into reality, it soon became evident that somewhere a balance will have to be struck.

While the government employees belonging to the Muslim community will be able to avail 90-minute break for Friday prayers during the month of Ramzan, the government staff belonging to the Hindu and Christian communities too will be able to avail this break with the consent of the head of the department.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 29

In a major show of unity, Left parties, including CPI (M) CPI, and CPI (ML), will jointly contest 25 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Addressing a joint press conference here today, CPI (ML) state secretary Rajendra Pratholi said Left parties had decided to jointly contest the elections in the state in order to ensure that the votes of Left parties were not divided, as witnessed in the last Assembly elections.

He said they had identified 25 out of 70 Assembly seats in the state which would be contested by them. He said the CPI would contest 11 seats, CPI (M) would field its candidates for eight seats, whereas CPI (ML) would vie for seven Assembly seats.

Rana said the names of the candidates would be announced shortly. He said apart from 25 seats being contested them, they would support like-minded parties in other seats. Left parties will conduct a series of conventions in different parts of the state from January 16 to 22. The Dehradun convention will be held on January 16, which will be followed by one in Haridwar next day. Conventions in Tehri, Rudraprayag and Gopeshwar will take place on January 18, 21 and 22, respectively, he added.

CPI state secretary Anand Singh Rana, CPI (ML) leader Indresh Maikhuri and other CPI (M) leaders were present at the press conference.
Kathmandu: Nepals agitating Madhesis on Friday announced a fresh round of nationwide stir on January 2 if the government went ahead with local polls without amending the Constitution, further deepening the political crisis. The United Democratic Madhesi Front held a meeting during which the leaders said if elections were held without amending the Constitution, which was promulgated last year and has been a bone of contention for the community largely of Indian-origin, it would not be acceptable to them. The Front, consisting of major Madhes-centric parties, said the constitution amendment Bill registered in Parliament could not address their demands if it was not revised, reports said. It said demonstrations will be held in major cities nationwide on Monday. PTI
Islamabad, December 30

Pakistans former army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif is expected to be appointed defence adviser of a Saudi Arabia-led military alliance of 39 countries, according to a media report.

Sharif, who arrived in Saudi Arabia as a royal guest in a special plane, will attend a grand reception being hosted in his honour in Riyadh, the capital of the kingdom, The News International reported.

The reception will also be attended by the members of the Royal family.

Sharif, who retired as the army chief last month, is expected to be appointed defence adviser of Saudi Arabia-led military alliance, the paper said.

The Joint Command Centre, headquarters of the military alliance, is located in Riyadh.

The Saudi-led coalition, involving several Arab nations, launched a military operation in Yemen in March 2015 after Houthis drove out the government led by President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is believed to be in exile in Saudi Arabia.

According to Saudi Arabia, the alliance is formed to fight ISIS and other militant outfits.

At the time of its constitution, there were 34 countries in the alliance which has risen to 39.

The countries include Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen and others.  PTI
Bucharest, December 30

Romanias President on Friday named social-democrat Sorin Grindeanu as the nations new Prime Minister, bringing to a close weeks of uncertainty since the left won a parliamentary vote on December 11.

The centre-right President Klaus Iohannis signed the official decree naming Grindeanu, a 43-year-old former communications minister, as the new premier. Grindeanu now faces a confidence vote in Parliament on his programme and Cabinet nominees. The vote must take place within the next 10 days.

The Social Democrat Partys first pick to lead the Cabinet was Sevil Shhaideh, a close associate of party leader Liviu Dragnea, whose conviction in a 2012 vote-rigging case ruled him out of the job.  Agencies
Kathmandu: Veteran litterateur Kamal Mani Dixit has passed away at the age of 87. Founder chairman of the Madan Puraskar Guthi and Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, Dixit was considered one of the crowns of Nepalese literature. He is survived by his journalist sons Kunda Dixit and Kanak Mani Dixit and daughter Rupa Joshi, a well-known writer. ANI

US gives Lockheed Martin contract for F-35s

Washington: The US Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin with a $450 million contract to develop F-35 fighter jets for South Korea. The contract is a modification of a $920 million deal to manufacture 94 models of F-35s for the US and allies. President-elect Donald Trump had recently blasted Lockheed Martin for the out of control costs of F-35s. IANS

Amazon flying warehouses to launch drones

New York: American e-commerce giant Amazon will fly a warehouse at an altitude of 45,000 feet that would act as a launchpad for drones, with an aim to deliver consignments in a jiffy, media reports said. Amazon, after winning a patent for flying the warehouse in the US, announced plans for an airborne fulfillment center (AFC) such as an airship. The airship will be stocked with products and would float at an altitude of 45,000 feet, it said. PTI
Moscow, December 30

President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would not expel anyone in response to Washingtons decision to throw out 35 suspected Russian spies and sanction intelligence agencies it believes were involved in computer hacking in the 2016 presidential election.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier proposed expelling 35 US diplomats after outgoing US President Barack Obama ordered the expulsions and sanctions on Thursday. But Putin said he would wait for the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, before deciding on any further steps in relations with the US. We will not expel anyone, Putin said in a statement on Friday.

While keeping the right for retaliatory measures, we will not descend to the level of kitchen, irresponsible diplomacy. In withering remarks, Putin even invited US diplomats and their families to a party in the Kremlin.

It was not clear whether Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin and nominated people seen as friendly toward Moscow to senior administration posts, would seek to roll back the measures which mark a new post-Cold War low in US-Russian ties.

Russian officials have portrayed the sanctions as a last act of a lame-duck President and suggested that Trump could reverse them when he takes over the White House. Further steps towards the restoration of Russian-American relations will be built on the basis of the policy which the administration of President D. Trump will carry out, said Putin.

In a separate message of New Year congratulations to Trump, he said Russia-US relations were an important factor for maintaining global safety and stability.

The US sanctions also closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes. However, a former Russian Foreign Ministry employee told Reuters that the facility in Maryland was a dacha used by diplomatic staff and their children.

Lavrov also proposed banning US diplomats from using a dacha in Moscows prestigious waterfront park area, Serebryany Bor. But Putin said Russia would not prohibit US diplomats and their families from their usual vacation spots.  Reuters

Time to move on to bigger, better things, says Trump

Amid series of punitive actions against Russia by the Obama administration, President-elect Donald Trump has said that it's time for the US to move on to bigger and better things as he decided to meet top intelligence officials next week to be updated on the facts on alleged Russian hacking during the presidential elections. Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation, he said. PTI
Sources close to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said his camp is talking to Congress leaders over a possible alliance for the 2017 election.

By India Today Web Desk: Sacked Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is in touch with the Congress ahead of the crucial state Assembly election, due early next year.

Sources close to the 43-year-old leader said his camp is talking to Congress leaders over a possible alliance for the 2017 election.

The Congress maintains it is open to an alliance with Akhilesh, who has in the past too expressed an interest in allying with the Sonia Gandhi-led party.

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Mulayam Singh Yadav today expelled Akhilesh and party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years for "indulging in anti-party activities".

Also Read| These people will destroy his future: When dad Mulayam choked while expelling son Akhilesh

Mulayam said the party would now elect a new Chief Minister in the poll-bound state.

Their expulsion followed a bitter rift over the list of Samajwadi Party candidates finalised by Mulayam Singh for the Assembly polls.

The Akhilesh faction with Ram Gopal Yadav's support came up with a separate list of candidates, sparking a crisis in the party which appeared virtually heading towards a split as its five year rule in the state draws to a close.

Sources close to Akhilesh said he is the real Samajwadi Party.

"People around his father have misled him for their vested interests," a senior Samajwadi Party leader told India Today.

ALSO READ:

Mulayam Singh expels son and Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav from Samajwadi Party for 6 years

Samajwadi Party divided: Akhilesh releases his list of 235 candidates, Shivpal names 68

RLD, JD-U target PM Modi, CM Akhilesh as poll clamour grows louder in UP

WATCH

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Cangas De Onis (Spain), Dec 30

With more than 100,000 people aged 100 or over, Spain is the country with the greatest life expectancy after Japan, OECD data and the latest population census shows.

Over a year, Reuters photographer Andrea Comas interviewed and photographed Spaniards aged 100 or more across the country. Most of those interviewed showed a zest for life and an interest in pastimes from amateur dramatics to playing the piano. Many also continued to carry out daily duties from farm work to caring for a disabled child.

Pedro Rodriguez, 106, plays the piano every day in the living room of his flat in Asturias, northern Spain, where he lives with his wife. Their daughters visit them often. The majority of these elderly people were surrounded by family or had loved ones calling in on them daily showing how Spain continues to be a closely-knit society.

Francisco Nunez, 112, is the oldest person Comas interviewed. He lives with his octogenarian daughter in his house in Badajoz, south-western Spain. He hasnt had to leave his home. Im single and I live here with him, says daughter Maria Antonia Nunez.

Tips for long life ranged from a spoonful of honey a day to regular intake of gazpacho, a traditional cold Spanish soup made from tomatoes.  Reuters
"I expelled Akhilesh to save Samajwadi Party," Mulayam Singh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow while announcing expulsion of the UP CM and Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years.

By India Today Web Desk: Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party founder leader, expelled his son - UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and brother Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years today on disciplinary grounds. Mulayam's move came after months long drama in the Samajwadi Party.

For the last few days, political pundits have been speculating that Mulayam may be forced to take strict action against Akhilesh after he refused to take dictation from uncle Shivpal to run the affairs in his own style. However, the pain of handing out punishment to his son was writ large Mulayam's face. The veteran leader choked while responding to repeated queries from reporters during his press conference in Lucknow.

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"Ye log (Ram Gopal) uska bhavishya kharab kar dengey... party ko bachane ke liye ye kadam jaroori tha (These people will ruin his (Akhilesh) future ...I expelled Akhilesh to save the party)," Mulayam said with Shivpal by his side.

"Akhilesh maafi kya mangega wo to ladta hai...maafi mangega to dekha jayega (We'll see if Akhilesh apologises...)," the former UP CM said when asked whether he will forgive his son.

PROTESTS IN LUCKNOW

As soon as news about Akhilesh's expulsion flashed, huge number of supporters of the sitting CM took to streets in Lucknow protesting against Mulayam's decision.

Supporters described Mulayam's decision biased an unfair.

Reacting to his expulsion Ram Gopal termed Mulayam's decision against the party's constitution. "Netaji (Mulayam) probably is not aware of party's constitution," he told reporters.

ALSO READ:

Mulayam Singh expels son and Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav from Samajwadi Party for 6 years

Samajwadi Party divided: Akhilesh releases his list of 235 candidates, Shivpal names 68

#WATCH Akhilesh kya maafi mangega woh toh ladta hai, pita (father) manta hoga toh dekha jayega, says SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav pic.twitter.com/3RODK9uQKQ ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

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(By Tsem Rinpoche)

Dear friends around the world,

It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of such a learned master and close friend of mine, His Eminence Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche. We had been friends for many years and it was truly my honour. He was not my teacher but I have deep respect for this erudite master, his learning and practice. When I was in residing in Gaden Monastery I would see him in Gaden walking, giving classes to his hundreds of students, attending ceremonies and or joining some spiritual events quite often. We would have Dorje Shugden pujas in my house or in the monastery and I would often invite Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche to attend the pujas. He would always gladly do so and he was always friendly and had a big smile. I will never forget his big smile. I was fortunate to bring over 100 Kechara members from my centre in Malaysia to have audience with him over the years and get his blessings in Gaden Monastery, South India.

I was told that Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche decided to passed away last week on Dec 21, 2016. Before he passed, he left instructions that he would not like his body to be embalmed and placed in a special reliquary which is normal for a personage of his high esteem. He didnt want his body to be cremated with big ceremony and placed in a stupa. He also stated that is was not necessary to look for his reincarnation. He made these instructions very clear.

He said that after his passing, people may take his body, cremate it in a simple manner, and dispose of it in a normal way. His many students in Gaden Monastery obeyed and all was done a few days ago. He left all these instructions before he passed as he was in control of when his death will be. When he finally passed away and entered into clear light, he stayed in death meditation (thukdam) for nine days. So his body stayed in meditational posture, without moving, his heart area remained warm, yet he was not breathing anymore and his heart stopped for nine days. Upon leaving death meditation, his head slumped over and his students were able to remove his body for cremation. This is a sign of a tantric practitioner who has gained high realisations. Indeed Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche of Gaden Shartse Monastery was highly a realised Buddhist tantric master. He was a very devoted student of H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Kyabje Lati Rinpoche and so forth. He spoke of them with great reverence always.

His passing is a great loss to the Gaden lineage, as he was a great master and lineage holder. I offer my prayers alongside the prayers of hundreds of his students, of which many of whom are eminent high lamas, geshes and great monks of Gaden Shartse monastery today and also in Shar Gaden Monastery.

I humbly offer my prayers and I know His Eminence Kensur Konchok Rinpoche will be greatly missed by his hundreds of students. Many were able to achieve the fruition of their studies to become Geshe Lharampa because of his tens of thousands of hours of dedicated teachings to them in his lifetime. He was tireless in giving teachings daily for over 8 hours without break and sometimes more. He was extremely passionate to give knowledge to the younger generation in order to preserve the Buddha Dharma as taught by Lord Tsongkapa. Mondays were rest days in Gaden. Even on Mondays, Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche would arrange to buy many vegetables and rice and have an abundance of food cooked up, and fed his poorer students. He took care of their bodies too. He was very much loved. He was known to be extremely loving, caring and fatherly towards his many students. He was direct with his speech yet very warm in his love and care. He was quick to scold but never held his temper long. Hundreds of students and peers respected his warm, kind and caring love. His erudite mastery of the scriptures of Panchen Sonam Drakpa and many other works by the six ornaments and two crown jewels (Nagarjuna, Araydeva, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Dharmakirti, Gunaprabha and Shakyaprabha. Along with them are the works of these masters such as Buddhapalita, Bhavaviveka, Chandrakirti, Shantideva, Shantarakshita, Kamalashila, Vimuktisena, Haribadra and Atisha) was legendary in Gaden, Sera and Drepung among the scholars. Everyone, I mean literally everyone knew he was so learned and yet so humble. He is a fine example of what an institution of Lord Tsongkapa such as Gaden Monastery can produce. It was my greatest honor to have known him.

I will miss him deeply, with my hands folded,

Tsem Rinpoche

Biography of H.E. Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche

H.E. Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche was an Abbot-Emeritus of Gaden Shartse Monastery and is well known for his mastery of Buddhist study and teaching. Kensur is a title bestowed on an illustrious abbot who has retired successfully from office. Kensur Rinpoche was born in 1934 in Markham, Tibet. At the age of 13, he became ordained as a monk in a monastery located in his hometown. Upon turning 17, he travelled to Gaden Shartse Monastery in Lhasa, and studied there until the events of 1959 in Tibet, when Kensur Rinpoche managed to escape into India. In 1980, Kensur Rinpoche received the esteemed Geshe Larampa degree after years of study. This title is only awarded to scholar-monks who graduate their monastic examinations with the highest honours. After this, he entered the Gyuto Tantric College in 1985 to further his studies. In 1989, he was appointed as one of the official teachers of Gaden Shartse Monastery.

In 1996, Kensur Rinpoche was appointed Abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery. He continued to serve as abbot for the next 5 years with great success improving the education of the monastery greatly, until 2001. Having begun his education decades ago, Kensur Rinpoche was a master from the last generation of lamas who were educated according to the monastic system of old Tibet. He is revered as a great scholar-teacher of both Sutra and Tantra, holding a life-long devotion and commitment to the way of the Dharma. Even after retiring as abbot, he continued to teach with great passion and love for his students and the preservation of Buddha Dharma. He greatly advocated meditation, preparatory practices such as prostrations coupled with learning.

Kensur Rinpoche was one of the old masters who brought the teachings and practice from Tibet to India in the 1960s, and as a former abbot, he was instrumental in re-establishing the grandeur and monastic system of Gaden Shartse Monastery in its new home in South India. Kensur Rinpoche is remembered as a great scholar and teacher, creating a whole new generation of highly qualified, committed practitioners and teachers. In fact one of his students is the current incarnation of H.H. Zong Rinpoche.

Kensur Konchok Tsering Gave Manjushri Initiation

In 2010 I had the great honour to request the erudite master and scholar Kensur Konchok Tsering to bestow the sacred Manjushri initiation to the sangha of Gaden Shartse Monastery. Kensur Rinpoche agreed and there was a large turnout in the grand debate courtyard of the monastery to receive the initiation from this master. I wanted everyone to be blessed by Manjushri and seeds of Manjushri planted in their mindstream for their future enlightenment.

Before monks engage in their daily debates, they invoke Manjushri to bestow his blessings for the spiritual education daily. Therefore I feel very lucky to have been able to have done this, because it was auspicious for the monks to receive this initiation, especially from someone as qualified as Kensur Rinpoche. In the video below, I provide a light commentary in regards to this initiation that I had the honour to sponsor. Please listen to the commentary to learn more. Thank you.

Or view the video on the server at:

https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/ManjushriInitiationGadenShartse.mp4

Interview with H.E. Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche

Some of my students had the honour to have audience with Kensur Rinpoche. During the short audience, my students asked Kensur Rinpoche some questions to which Kensur Rinpoche replied. Below is the video from the event, where Kensur Rinpoche kindly took the time to speak with my students.

Or view the video on the server at:

https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/InterviewKensurKonchokTsering.mp4

Interview with High Lamas of Gaden Monastery  Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche

Below is another video with Kensur Rinpoche which is a must see. He speaks very candidly and openly with his characteristic joviality to my students whom I sent to visit Gaden Monastery. Again, some of my students had travelled to Gaden Monastery and sought an audience with this holy master. During the audience, Kensur Rinpoche took time out of his schedule to speak to the students, and explain our relationship and what he remembered of me from the monastery. I was very humbled by all that he said.

Prayer For Me By Kensur Rinpoche Konchok Tsering

When I was ill in 2011, some of my students had requested Kensur Rinpoche Konchok Tsering to compose a long life prayer which they would recite to generate the merits for my long life and Dharma works to grow. In Tibetan Buddhism, when ones teacher is ill, we can request the high lamas to compose special prayers to invoke upon the blessings of the Three Jewels to increase our teachers life. This is what my students had done, as such prayers are sought after and recited daily. These prayers are recited daily by devoted students to increase the merits for their teachers to live longer.

Kensur Rinpoche kindly agreed. I am indeed fortunate to have had such a high and renowned master compose this for me. I am humbled and honoured. I am grateful to this lama for composing something to increase my life. I have not done much and yet Kensur Rinpoche thought that my life is worth extending. I fold my hands humbly to Kensur Rinpoche, who tirelessly taught the Dharma to hundreds of his students which many now are great Dharma masters, some of which have become excellent teachers in their own right. Kensur Rinpoche is the perfect example of kindness, knowledge, practice, generosity, meditation, patience and compassion rolled into one great master. He has achieved great results in his meditation and therefore able to stay in thukdam (death meditation) for nine days. I fold my hands to Kensur Rinpoche for granting me his blessings.

The prayer is designed to be recited daily by students, well-wishers, friends and or those karmically connected with myself. The prayers have power due to the illustrious authors blessings.

Click on image to enlarge.

Click on image to enlarge.

This is the original hand-written Long Life Prayer of Tsem Rinpoche composed by Kensur Konchok Tsering Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

For more interesting information:



Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 13 of the Malaysian Copyright Act 1987, allowance is made for fair dealing for purposes such as non-profit research, private study, criticism, review or the reporting of current events. The Operator and author(s) of TsemRinpoche.com, a not-for-profit blog, do not claim ownership on the intellectual property rights of the contents, images and/or videos reproduced in this article. Any subsisting intellectual property rights shall belong to the legal owner of the contents, images and/or videos.
WASHINGTON  Spare us the kissy-face.

It was June 2001 and I was covering President George W. Bushs trip to Slovenia, where he had just met Vladimir Putin for the first time. I and others were struck by Bushs praise for the Russian leader as trustworthy. Said Bush: I was able to get a sense of his soul.

But back in Washington, my editor had no interest in such talk. He rewrote my lede with other news  a tidbit about missile defense  and he moved the kissy-face stuff about Putins soul down to Paragraph 18.

In retrospect, that moment in Slovenia defined the Russia relationship for years to come. Putin had seduced Bush, who only slowly came to understand he had misjudged this adversarys soul. Putin opposed Bush in Iraq and was unhelpful with Iran. He shut down independent television, sent business leaders who criticized him into exile and prison, ousted democratic parties from government, canceled the election of governors and invaded Georgia.

The kissy-face happened all over again when President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to reset relations. Russia responded by working against the United States in Syria, sheltering Edward Snowden, invading and occupying parts of Ukraine, and hacking and meddling in the U.S. election to defeat Clinton.

Now its Donald Trumps turn for kissy-face, and the president-elect is practically groping the Russian dictator. After Putin gloated Friday that Democrats need to learn to lose with dignity, Trump tweeted Putin a sloppy kiss: So true! he said of Putins comments.

Trump also celebrated a letter he received from Putin calling for more collaboration between the two countries. His thoughts are so correct, Trump said.

Trumps blush-inducing embrace of the strongman has included repeated praise of Putins leadership, deflected questions about Putins political killings and disparagement of U.S. intelligence for accusing Russia of election meddling.

In three weeks, Trump will assume the presidency, and well learn what his embrace of Putin really means. Perhaps Trump is just a dupe and hell realize over time that Putin is no friend. The alternative, supported by Trumps choice of Putin-friendly advisers Michael T. Flynn and Rex Tillerson, is that Trump really is pro-Putin and will grant the Russian dictator more latitude internationally and will emulate his autocratic tendencies at home.

The former would require us to endure some policy failures as Putin proved himself again to be an adversary. The latter would test the limits of our democratic institutions.

In either case, it would be useful for Americans to have at least a cursory sense of the man our new president proposes to embrace. Heres a quick glimpse into Putins soul to get us started:

Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was killed outside the Kremlin as he walked home one night last year. Putins regime blames Chechens, but Nemtsovs is one of a dozen high-profile murders of opponents widely thought to have been sanctioned by Putins government.

Another Putin opponent, Alexander Litvinenko, was killed in London by polonium poisoning in 2006. The British government said Putin probably approved the hit. That same year, opposition journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot and killed outside her apartment.

Among the many business leaders imprisoned or ousted under Putin are Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was head of the oil giant Yukos, and associate Platon Lebedev. The Russian human rights group Memorial says there are 102 people held in Russian prisons for their political or religious beliefs.

The Kremlin has provided funding and training for far-right nationalist parties in Europe, and it used its state media and an army of hackers and social-media trolls to spread disinformation in the United States, in continental Europe and in Britain before the Brexit vote. The goals: to weaken European unity and the NATO alliance and to keep Europe dependent on Russian energy.

Russia also used disinformation to destabilize the Ukrainian government as Russia annexed Crimea. In Syria, where Russia propped up the Assad regime with indiscriminate bombing in Aleppo and elsewhere, Britain, France and the United States have blamed Putins government for the mass slaughter of civilians.

An Amnesty International summary of Putins rule leaves no doubt about his totalitarian state: Journalist Killed  Human Rights Lawyer Killed  Gay Rights Protesters Attacked  Repressive Laws Enacted  Fines for Promoting Homosexuality Imposed  President Putin Signs Law to Re-criminalize Defamation  USAID Expelled  Federal Treason and Espionage Act goes into effect  Moscow Authorities Detain Protesters and Opposition Party Members.

This, Mr. President-elect, is the man you are embracing. Please spare us the kissy-face.
A federal judge sentenced a 58-year-old Talala man to three life terms in prison Thursday after he was found guilty of robbing three Oklahoma banks.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell ordered the mandatory terms for Jesse Bud Leaverton, noting that federal law took the matter of sentencing out of the courts hands, leaving him no leeway.

Unfortunately what we have here is a three strikes and youre out statute as imposed by Congress, Frizzell said after pronouncing the sentences, which will be served concurrently.

A jury convicted Leaverton on Sept. 20 on charges related to the armed robbery of three banks  two in Tulsa and one in Fairfax  between June 18 and June 24.

When Leaverton committed the robberies, he presented tellers with notes that implied he was armed with either a knife or a gun. However, no evidence was presented that Leaverton possessed a weapon.

While a bank robbery conviction typically carries a prison term of not more than 20 years, prosecutors challenged a presentencing report which determined that Leavertons prior convictions did not qualify him for a mandatory life sentence.

The federal three-strikes law imposes a mandatory life sentence if the person is convicted of a serious violent felony and has at least two or more prior serious violent felony convictions in federal or state court.

In 1993, Leaverton was convicted by a Missouri federal court of armed bank robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

In 1984, he was convicted in Tulsa County of first-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of his step-father.

A presentencing report advised Frizzell that the written judgment in the manslaughter case was not specific and could have indicated he pleaded to involuntary manslaughter, which if true would not qualify him under the three-strikes statute because it was not considered a serious violent felony under federal law.

However, Frizzell sided with a prosecution argument that a docket sheet prepared after the 1984 sentencing indicated that Leaverton had pleaded guilty to a version of manslaughter that qualified him for the three-strikes determination.

After Frizzell made his ruling, Leaverton, who was seated in a wheelchair at the defense table, mouthed obscenities to prosecutors in the courtroom.

The three-strikes ruling also rendered moot a defense request that Frizzell give leniency to Leaverton for a lighter sentence.

Leavertons public defender, Whitney Mauldin, had written that Leaverton was born into a chaotic world that he was never able to escape and which led to early childhood trauma, often at the hands of his relatives.

The chaos included Leavertons mother shooting her husband while she was pregnant with his older brother in an attempt to escape the mans continuing physical abuse, the attorney wrote.

The brothers were sent to live with maternal grandparents when Leaverton was 9 months old due to his parents poverty, youth and violent relationship, Mauldin wrote.

Citing Department of Corrections records, Mauldin wrote that Leavertons grandmother was known to chain the brothers to cinder blocks in the basement of the family home, leaving them without lights, heat or air sometimes for days at a time.

The abuse was never reported or investigated, according to Mauldin.

Leaverton dropped out of school in the third grade and went on to commit petty crimes by the age of 14.

He received his first criminal conviction after aiding his brother and friends when they shot and robbed a hitchhiker.

Leaverton was reincarcerated after killing his step-father, Richard Young, in 1983.

He was paroled in 1992, only to reoffend nine months later when he robbed a Missouri bank. He was sentenced to a 271-month prison term for the robbery.

In 2012, Leaverton was freed from prison but remained on supervised release until he was arrested in connection with the three bank robberies last summer.

Federal prosecutors contended that Leavertons criminal history qualified him for a mandatory life sentence in prison.

For 36 years defendant has led a continuous life of crime, both on and off the streets, which he blames on his childhood, Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal Hong wrote in a court filing.

The United States recognizes that Defendant did suffer abuse during his childhood, but his propensity to commit crimes outweighs any mitigation from his childhood, Hong wrote.

Given Defendants history, if he is released from incarceration it is highly likely he will reoffend, Hong wrote.

Leaverton netted a total of about $13,500 from the three June robberies  Arvest Bank, 218 S. Memorial Drive, on June 18; Bank of America, 5950 E. Admiral Place, on June 23; and Security State Bank in Fairfax on June 24.

Frizzell ordered Leaverton to make restitution for the same amount.
A Princes Town homeowner says he believes a water leak is to blame for a landslip affecting their home.

He tells our reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh that his investigations reveal that it' a WASA leak, and although he's made numerous reports to the authority, they continue to ignore his complaints.
With continuous protests within the People's Party of Arunachal against the leadership of Pema Khandu, the party decided to elect a new chief minister.

By Manogya Loiwal : People's Party of Arunachal leader Takam Pario has been elected as the new Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

With continuous protests within the PPA against the leadership of Pema Khandu, the present Chief Minister of the state, the party president sent a letter to the Speaker and Governor informing them that the CM and six MLA's have been suspended from the party.

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DEVELOPMENTS SO FAR: Sources in the PPA have confirmed to India Today that Takam Pario will be the next leader and CM elected candidate from the party. PPA has 43 MLA's including speaker and is presently a part of North East Democratic Alliance. It has been actively involved in working with 12 BJP MLA's in Arunachal who are also a part of the state government. But this is the third time that crisis has hit PPA after Kalikho Pul was removed and now Pema Khandu.

People's Party of Arunachal president Khafa Bengia said the party is not happy with the leadership of Pema Khandu, and that he has not been able to take the party into confidence on policy decisions.

"Certain consultations have to be there, but that has been missing. Complete communication gap between party organisation and governance," Bengia said.

"We have decided that Pema should go, if he continues then I fear that misunderstanding can develop between BJP and PPA," he added.

ALSO READ:

Fresh turmoil in Arunachal as chief minister Pema Khandu suspended from his own party

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First Deputy Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Volodymyr Bondarenko has been officially appointed the state secretary of Government.

Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleksandr Sayenko wrote this on his Facebook page.

"I congratulate my colleague Volodymyr Bondarenko on an official appointment to the post of state secretary of the Cabinet, he wrote.

Sayenko noted that the state secretary is a professional senior executive, whose task is qualitative implementation of the policy developed by Government and Parliament.

iy
Over the past two months, about 6.5 thousand planned cyberattacks have been detected in the objects of five institutions and 31 state information resources.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated this at a sitting of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), which was dedicated to the basic principles of the information security, first of all threats to cybersecurity and their neutralization, as well as urgent measures on the protection of critical infrastructure of Ukraine, the presidents press service reports.

President Poroshenko reminded that the cyberattack as of December 6 had put out of action the network of the State Treasury and the Finance Ministry, which caused disruption of the treasury service of managers and recipients of budget funds.

He also added that those threats concerned not only the ministries and gave an example of interference in the work of Ukrzaliznytsia, the national railway company.

President Poroshenko emphasized that the investigation of several incidents indicated direct or indirect involvement of secret services of Russia, which had unleashed a cyberwar against Ukraine. He also noted that Russia conducted such aggressive actions in cyberspace against other countries as well.

We are dealing with the global security challenge of Russia to the entire Euro-Atlantic community, President Poroshenko said.

iy
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has helped reunite a Palestinian refugee with his wife in Austria after he spent more than a month shuttling between countries that all refused to admit him.

In a story reminiscent of the 2004 Tom Hanks film The Terminal, 27-year-old Wissam was forced to spend hours in limbo at airports as he tried unsuccessfully to gain admission to a series of countries.

I didnt believe I would see my parents again, said a tearful Wissam. I thought I would spend the rest of my life being deported from airport to airport, or end up forgotten in a detention center.

I thought I would spend the rest of my life being deported from airport to airport.

Born in the Syrian city of Dara'a to a family of Palestinian refugees, he has no passport and holds only Syrian travel documents, which means no country will admit him without an entry visa issued in advance.

In 2008, he left Syria to study electrical engineering in Belarus. During a home visit in 2010 to see his family, Wissam met his future wife, Waed. But their love story would have to wait. He returned to Belarus to finish his studies, and a year later, war broke out in Syria.

As the fighting intensified, Waed and her family fled their home in Damascus, along with another 110,000 Palestinian refugees. After reaching Turkey, they crossed the Mediterranean to Greece and eventually arrived in Austria.

Wissams student visa expired and he was keen to be reunited with his wife. He crossed the border into Russia in 2015 in search of employment. However, he was detained by the police and accused of living in the country illegally.

He was held for three months then deported to Sudan. However, on arrival in Khartoum, he was refused entry, and was flown back to Dubai on the same plane.

He was increasingly desperate for permission to enter a country, any country.

I felt like the whole world is closed in front of me, he said.

While he waited at Dubai airport, his father, who lives in the United Arab Emirates, obtained a visa for Wissam to go to Cuba. He immediately bought a ticket to Havana, but was again denied entry because of his status, and was deported back to Dubai via Moscow.

Once again sitting in Dubai airport, he seemed to have no hope of obtaining shelter in any country. It seemed his only option was to return to a war-ravaged Syria, where his life could be at risk.

In principle, Wissam falls under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which serves more than five million Palestinian refugees in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza. However, since he was outside those countries and in need for international protection, he falls under the mandate of UNHCR as the guardian of the 1951 Refugee Convention

"Finally we are together. I feel like I have been born again."

When UNHCR officers learned of Wissams story, they asked the UAE authorities to allow him to stay under the care of his father, while a solution was sought. The agency requested the Austrian embassy in Abu Dhabi to grant him a visa to join his wife.

The UAE played an important humanitarian role, and allowed Wissam and UNHCR breathing space to find a solution that brought an end to Wissams ordeal, said Toby Harward, the head of the UNHCR office in Abu Dhabi,

Now safely in Austria, Wissam can begin his new life with his wife and after three years can become an Austrian citizen.

Finally we are together. I feel like I have been born again, he said. I cannot wait to receive my new passport. My dream now is to travel without being stopped at any airport.
By India Today Web Desk: After the slapgate and hospital drama yesterday night, the atmosphere inside the BB 10 house will further heat up tonight after Bani Judge and Manu Punjabi will engage in a massive war of words. And it will end with Manu saying something extremely insensitive to Bani.

Everyone remembers the tiff between Bani and Om, where the latter said that Bani's mother, who's a cancer survivor, "should die", and the former pushed him in reaction. Host Salman Khan supported Bani in this incident, condemned Om's action and gave him a good lashing.

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Also read: Bigg Boss 10: Om Swami lands in hospital after Rohan Mehra slaps him

So it will be surprising when Manu will say that Bani's angry reaction to Om's comment on her mother was "just for the footage."

It will naturally infuriate Bani who will shout at him, saying how could he say something like that.

We really feel it was uncalled for, and Manu shouldn't have said such a thing about Bani.

Also read: Is Priyanka Jagga Muise really pregnant? This is what she has to say

We really don't know about the heroes of the week, but Manu will definitely be one of the villains this time.

Bigg Boss 10 airs Mon-Fri at 10:30pm and Sat-Sun at 9pm on Colors TV

--- ENDS ---
By Nolan Pinto, Rohini Swamy: The Karnataka government is going all out to promote the IT city during the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas scheduled from January 7 to 9 in 2017. From cleaning up the city to painting the medians and filling potholes, they now want NRIs and tourists to enjoy the unique flavours of Bengaluru.

Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge wants Bengaluru to be not only known as an investment destination but also as a tourist destination by focusing heavily on the heritage and culinary circuits out of which the pub circuit is also a part. The unique standpoint of the city is that it very neatly encompasses all that is necessary to make it a viable pub circuit. 'We have microbreweries, we brew our own beer, we make our own wine near Nandi hills and make our own single malt as well,' the minister tells India Today that he want to leverage this inherent pub culture that is unique to the city when compared to any other city in India.

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Also read: Three days in Bengaluru: Three fantastic meals to try

The tourism ministry has already begun talking to all the stakeholders to bring them in on this project and make it successful not only for the three-day PDB but as a constant to attract more tourists to the city. To the question whether they plan to extend the nightlife deadline, he added that the 1am deadline is more than sufficient when compared to the 11.30pm deadline earlier. 'Pubs are now open till 1am and this is more than enough time to have a good time and even if you are drinking like a fish, you have had enough by 1am,' he says.

Regular pub goers who spoke to India Today said that Bengaluru has always been known for its vibrant night life. The pub culture has been here for ages and it has already attracted tourists--and this move will definitely attract foreign visitors. But others are apprehensive about safety issues ever since the deadline was curtailed to 11.30pm for a very long time and this must be looked into.

Why not try the various cuisines of the city!

The Minister also wants to promote the food circuit of Bengaluru, considering the culinary delights present in the city--especially those close to the Central Business District. They plan to focus on Basavanagudi known for its street food culture, the Cantonment area where non-vegetarian food culture is present, and also Malleswaram where the old Brahmanical food culture is still thriving. These circuits will also be used to showcase the history and heritage of the city by organizing various events on a daily basis.

To achieve all this, the ministry has formed an advisory committee comprising of members mostly from civil society involved in promoting heritage and tourism.

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HTC teased about a new set of smartphones carrying the Ocean concept code name. Reports have claimed that these devices have sleek and button-less designs. An early 2017 launch date has been announced recently for the trio.

HTC's prototypes are reportedly called Ocean Master, Ocean Note and Ocean Smart, according to Phandroid (as translated from Chinese website Eprice). One device from this trio is said to become HTC's next flagship, while the remaining two would place in other categories.

According to claims, HTC's next smartphones would be launched in the first quarter of 2017, with a Jan. 12 announcement date set for the Ocean Note. It's still unsure whether or not the two other devices would be launched on the same date or later.

It should be noted that the new HTC X10 is expected to be announced early next year, as well. The 5.5-inch X10 will be equipped with a 13 MP primary camera, an 8 MP front-facing snapper, and 3 GB of RAM, GSM Arena listed.

Last week, a mysterious tweet appeared on HTC's official Twitter page. The post showcased an image with a huge 'U' and the date January 12, 2017 printed below it.

Many are wondering about the meaning behind HTC's tweet. Could it be a new line of smartphones or something else entirely? Perhaps a wearable device? One speculation guessed that the post hinted at the company's push towards augmented reality displays.

A day before HTC's tweet was posted, it was announced that the Israeli-based company Lumus secured a Series C round of funding for its augmented reality displays. Lumus got a $30 million investment and some of those came from HTC, NextReality reported.

HTC entering the augmented reality market isn't entirely surprising news, given that the company's biggest competitors, Samsung, also announced their plans to dip into said market not too long ago. Jan. 12, 2017 also takes place four days before CES 2017 wraps up. As many people already know, the event is where tech companies announce their big plans in front of the media.

However, these are all speculations for now and it's possible that HTC's tweet was referring to a different kind of device. All everyone can do for now is to wait for an official announcement from the company.

What do you think of HTC's Ocean smartphones? Do you believe that HTC's tweet refers to augmented reality technology? Share your thoughts below!
Sony mobile is joining the race of giving its consumers the best when it comes to its phones as it recently rolled out the Android 7.0 Nougat firmware update for Xperia X, Xperia X Dual, and Xperia X Compact handsets. As of press time, the update is live across regions such Australia, Latin America, Middle East, Russia, Turkey, Thailand and Vietnam.

With the new update it now moves the build number to version 34.2.A.0.266. It can be noted that Sony is making Nougat available to other phones too, like Xperia XZ, XA Ultra, XA, X Performance, X, Z5, Z Compact, Z5 Premium, Z4 Tablet, and Z3+; however, availability timings will vary depending on the model and region. Sony phone owners are urge to visit the Sony's Support page in its official website should they want to find out more about their device.

The Android Soul noted that with the update users will expect tons of new features, heightened performance and security improvements along with the update. It will also give a more refined notifications shade, direct reply feature, a redesigned Settings app and quick toggles.

Sony boasts the solid improvements on the inside too being rolled in with the update like the new Vulkan UI that makes games look greater than ever, as well as the seamless update that makes the update process easier by downloading the full update in background.

A new Doze mode for battery life is also in the way becoming it more intelligent on the move, saving charge whenever the smartphone is tucked away in the pocket or bag. Sony reported that the Stamina mode already has three power saving levels to choose from, automatically adjusting the settings to keep the user going.

Benefits of the latest Android operating system will also bring other features like multi-window support, meaning a user could now run two apps simultaneously in a new split-screen view, which is ideal for keeping vital information close by. Xperia Blog advised users that before downloading Android Nougat Xperia firmware files, an updated Flashtool version 0.9.23.0 is needed as it now allows the ability to flash Nougat firmware files to Xperia devices.

It sure is another update that would surely keep Sony smartphone users in hype before this year ends. The features the Nougat operating system it offers are just way too cool be taken for granted.
Can science explain the reason why people get healed after being prayed for? This is the question researchers from the Vriej Universiteit Amsterdam are hoping to answer.

Researchers from the VU University, led by PhD candidate and family doctor Dirk Krujithoff, are collecting stories of miracle healings or medical successes that patients claimed to have happened only through prayer, Dutch News reported.

Krujithoff, a Christian who started researching about the matter several years ago, told Trouw that he is not out to prove if faith healing indeed works. He says that while there are some who didn't see significant changes in their health after being prayed for, there are some cases of recovery or healing that occurred but cannot be ascribed to medicine or other medical treatments.

Krujithoff says he has already "mapped" some cases where patients are healed after prayer, and is hoping to find more cases of miracle healings.

He began researching the scientific explanation of miracle healings after seeing a patient of his get healed from dystrophy after visiting a meeting led by a "faith healing evangelist" from the Netherlands named Jan Zijlstra. This patient had been in a wheelchair for 17 years and was only able to walk again after that visit.

Krujithoff said he also received dozens of emails from people reporting or talking about miracle healings. He was admittedly skeptical about it, but was intrigued and starting looking into the science behind it.

Scientific Explanations

So far, he has looked at 15 cases of faith healings. Of these, 11 have already been explained. The four other cases need further research. These cases include a patient who recovered from terminal cancer.

Although research has been done regarding the matter in different places, Krujithoff noted that those studies made the wrong conclusions by comparing patients who have been prayed for with those who haven't. He says prayer should not be treated like a pill. He adds that there are several patients whose healings are "unexplained," and there are those whose cases are "notable" - whose recovery is much more noticeable after prayer.
By PTI: Congress has learnt no lessons from its successive poll

Congress has learnt no lessons from its successive poll defeats while BJP has won everywhere after demonetisation, Prasad claimed, adding that its attack on the government showed its "affection for the corrupt and corruption".

He also targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over communal violence in Dhulagarh, alleging that "attempts of massacre" are being made and police is not taking action.

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"This is height of the politics of appeasement," he said.

"I want to ask those intellectuals, who cried over 2002 riots in Gujarat and then intolerant India, that when are they going to Kolkata," he said sarcastically. BJP has claimed that Hindus have been targeted in the violence.

Prasad, who is also IT Minister, said digital payments have gone up by anywhere between 300 per cent and 1500 per cent following demonetisation which, he and Goyal said, have been a "big success".

Over 1.15 crore people against the target of 80 lakh have been trained in digital transactions, he claimed.

The Law Minister also defended promulgation of ordinances by the government, saying it was left with no option after the opposition did not allow Parliament to function in the last session.

Goyal also refuted the allegations that crores of rupees have been sent to BJP office in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, demanding that proof be given and warning of legal action.

"We are getting indication for an historic support for BJP in UP," he said, claiming that people have supported note ban despite hardships.

"Things are fast returning to normalcy," he said. PTI KR RG

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It is that time of the year when people are already singing the "New Year, New Me" blues. But not a lot of people have already planned this out. When it comes to the physical aspect, sometimes getting a makeover takes some time to think about. After all, changing your look is a huge change and eventually an investment.

Which is why one college student gets ambushed into getting a make over before the year ends!

Celebrity hair stylist Louis Licari said it is time to get out with the old and welcome the new during their latest program, "Glam-Bush," as reported by Today. "Glam-Bush," or "Glamorous Ambush," is a beauty make-over program headed by Licari and the Today member Jill Martin.

One lucky college student gets picked first. Her name is Rebecca Narum and she is a college senior from the University of South Carolina. She is taking up Math as her major and her hobbies include playing piccolo in the school's marching band. She also plays sports. She is currently a member of the Ultimate Frisbee team. Why did she decide to get a make over? She was visiting the plaza with her boyfriend and said she has never done a makeover before.

She appeared nervous before getting her makeover but the results were epic. Narum herself was happy with her new look. When she was shown to her boyfriend, he described her look as amazing. To make it even more interesting, Kathie Lee exclaimed that she looked like the actress, Emma Stone.

Her natural beauty was not hidden. Louis Licari gave Narum's hair an auburn color that worked with her skin tone. He is known to reinvigorate a woman's face by choosing the right hair color, as reported by The Huffington Post. To make her night even more dazzling, Jill Martin chose a dress that completely complements her new hair style. What better way to welcome and start the new year, 2017, with a fresh look?

How are you planning to welcome the new year, 2017?

Check out another Glam-Bush make over from Today below:
In an effort to create gender safe grounds, Kansas University is handing out gender pronoun buttons to students.

This is Kansas University's effort to make a safe and secure place for individuals with different gender identities. This is one of the school's most visible steps when it comes to inclusivity.

The first step was through the library. Kansas University's library system launched a program called "You Belong Here." The buttons are a part of the library's marketing program.

Kansas University introduced gender pronoun buttons for interested students and university staff members, as reported by Teen Vogue. Each button is different depending on the gender identity. One button displays "he, him, his." Another displays "she, her, hers." A different button states "they, them, theirs." And with each button version, a statement at the bottom reveals "We Belong Here."

Aside from the buttons, the library has signs posted that explained the importance of using the correct gender pronoun. Misuse or incorrect use of a gender pronoun can lead to harm and may inadvertently cause misgendering.

The library's signs explains that everyone has a right to identify their own pronouns. In order to create a safe and secure environment, everyone is encouraged to ask the person their gender instead of assuming it.

This is not the first time a school is taking gender pronoun use seriously. Oxford University is using a different approach. According to the Oxford University's behavior code, using the wrong pronoun repeatedly to define a transgender individual is considered to be an offense. Which is why they created a gender neutral pronoun instead, called "Ze." It is another way to create a safer and secure environment for their transgender students.

The use of the gender neutral "Ze" in schools hope to encourage awareness about the transgender students in universities and colleges. Some transgender students do not necessarily identify themselves as male or female, the Huffington Post reported.

Find out why gender pronouns are important from this Northern Illinois University video below:
The Obamas are no strangers to criticisms and insults. Regardless, the Buffalo School Board will have none of that in their organization.

Carl Paladino, who is a known Donald Trump supporter, recently dished out offensive remarks about the Obama family. His exact words were that he wished the current United States President Barack Obama would die of mad cow disease. First Lady Michelle Obama was not spared either. He said he wanted her to go back to being a man and return to Zimbabwe.

Because of his remarks, protesters from around the country wanted him to resign his post, as reported by NBC News. It also looks like the Buffalo School Board is leaning towards the same decision. Their decision was met by resounding agreements from the rest of the board members.

District president Barbara Nevergold said that Carl Paladino was not able to fulfill his duties positively. She said he failed the students, especially the minorities, by reducing their role models to "depraved individuals."

Nevergold stressed that any words uttered truly mattered. She cites a record of negative behavior that violates his oath and position as a representative of the board of education. The behavioral pattern of Paladino will no longer be ignored.

Because of this, Paladino somewhat apologized. He explained that his response was not for the public's eyes. He stressed that his statement was meant for friends, as reported by The Buffalo News. He went on to say that he had no intention of causing pain to the minority community. But he insisted that he has no intention of resigning from the school board.

Carl Paladino served as the New York co-chair of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

This is not the first time the Obamas were insulted. First Lady Michelle Obama was called "monkey face" by Michelle Herren. Her remarks caused her her job at the University of Colorado and the Denver Health Medical Center.

Watch the CNN report related to this article below:
Google is heading towards releasing its Android January security patch. While Google Pixel phones are already confirmed to receive the update, will the flagship Motorola flagships will also be included? Read here for more details!

Google Pixel Phones Will Receive Android Security Patch in January

Although Google is unpredictable when it comes to releasing security patches, Android fans are speculating that the search giant will release its security patch in the 3rd of January. Google's Android security patch for January will have a build number NMF26U according to the support site of Verizon for Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones, Android Community reported.

Accordingly, the Android January security patch is said to come in small size because the larger one has been rolled out last December. Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones are the top priorities of Google for the security patches, thus, it is expected for them to receive the update first on the line.

On the other hand, it is not yet confirmed whether Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P are going to get the January security patches of Android. However, since Nexus brand is well-loved by the netizens, update is expected to roll out for the two handsets.

Moto Z, Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus Upgrade to Android 7.1 Nougat

Now that Motorola has rolled out the Android 7 Nougat to Moto Z, Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus, netizens are expecting from the Japanese phone maker to upgrade the said handsets to Android 7.1 Nougat. Instead, the company has rolled out the second Android 7 Nougat update to Moto Z, according to Android Headlines.

Accordingly, the update with a build number NPL25.86-15 has brought fixes to Moto Z flagship such as fixes for the volume bug that often sends notification. However, the update does not include the December security patch and still carries the security patch date from November which has disappointed a lot of users.
Mariners in the vicinity of Great Point Nantucket Sound, be on the lookout for three persons in the water



Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Anderson sat in the center of his desk and manned a 4-monitor computer station, concern for the three distressed people in the water off Nantucket showed on his face. He bent over the radio microphone making sure his voice came through loud and clear.



After a long silence, a voice answered.

The operations specialists on duty listen intently to a radio call in Coast Guard Sector Southeartern's command center on August 12, 2016. The initial call that came in is the beginning of a search and rescue case involving three people off Great Point in Massachusetts. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicole J. Groll) Anderson breathed a sigh of relief.



The crew of nearby vessel, Lisa B, saw the three people in the water off Great Point and was preparing to save them.

Coast Guard operations specialists are always heard but rarely seen by the maritime community they serve, and they save countless lives behind the scenes.



Anderson is an OS in the command center at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.



The command center is run by four people on a 12-hour duty shift: the communications unit watchstander, the situational unit watchstander, the operations unit controller, and the command duty officer.



Manning the radio is the responsibility of the communications unit watchstander. This is where almost all search and rescue responses begin.



The person behind the radio has the skill to decipher distress calls from the rest of the airwaves that comes though on VHF-FM channels 16, 21, 22, and other Coast Guard working frequencies.



The watchstander must ascertain four pieces of information that are imperative to the beginning of every search and rescue case: the nature of the distress, how many people aboard, a description of the boat, and the vessel's position.



It can be difficult because we pick up radio chatter from other areas, and those calls are fielded through other Coast Guard units, said Anderson.



Another key person in a SAR case is the operations unit controller, who takes all the information from the communication watchstander and plans a comprehensive search plan.



As the operations unit controller, I have to know all the areas each station is responsible for, their assets and capabilities and determine what unit will respond to each emergency safely, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Michelle Crocker, an operations unit controller in the command center.



Another vital role, the command duty officer, is in charge of the watch.



The CDO signs off on all operations unit controller's actions. During confirmed missing-person cases - where location information is scarce- the CDO can request permission to ping cell phones, look at bank records or anything else of significance, to gain information about last known locations. This allows for a more accurate search and increases the chance of bringing missing mariners home to their loved ones.



The Coast Guard has an array of methods and assets at their disposal to assist mariners in need. And it isn't just Coast Guard vessels that they coordinate to effect rescues.



For example, during the case in Nantucket Sound, the Coast Guard watchstanding crew worked with a local fishing crew to rescue three people in the water. The nearby Lisa B arrived on scene and pulled an 8-year-old boy, his 35-year-old mother and a 40-year-old man from the water. They were brought to shore and met by the Nantucket Harbormaster and local Emergency Medical Services. The trio declined medical assistance.



Seemingly dramatic days like this are routine for Coast Guard OS's who strive to keep mariners safe from behind the scenes.



When the shift was over, OS3 Anderson and OS2 Crocker turned the watch over to the next crew of oncoming watchstanders, to man the microphones and keep an ear in the airwaves. By U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicole J. Groll

Provided through DVIDS

Copyright 2016 Comment on this article
Minister of State for Finance Santosh Gangwar while speaking to India Today disclosed that noose will tighten around tax evasion routes in physical assets.

Currently PAN card is required for selling gold, silver and jewellery over Rs 2 lakh.(PTI Photo)

By Devina Gupta: As the government takes stock of the black money post demonetisation, its mulling the next step now. The focus is set to be on tracking down 'black wealth' or the illegal money pumped in real estate, gold and silver.

Minister of State for Finance Santosh Gangwar while speaking to India Today disclosed that noose will tighten around tax evasion routes in physical assets.

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"We are doing crackdown on banks as we are getting information. Black money has a face, people can pump it in real estate, buy gold or silver. We will be stopping it," Gangwar said.

Already, the government has amended the benami property act to detect the money laundering the real estate. Benami Transaction (Prohitibion) Amendment Act 2016 that came into effect on November 1. It aims at checking illegal money parked by tax evaders in property that is registered under multiple owners.

"When PM was campaigning for Lok Sabha he had black money on the agenda, that's what he has delivered now and we will take it further," the minister added.

Currently PAN card is required for selling gold, silver and jewellery over Rs 2 lakh. Since demonetisation, I-T sleuths have been keeping a hawk eye vigil at jewellers and bullion traders to track fake 'gold sale' for routing denotified currency.

Top sources in the finance ministry have told India Today that there could be an announcement in budget to plug the loopholes and ensure greater transparency.

"When there is a law is not needed, it can be rethought and this is a democratic process," said Gangwar.

ALSO READ:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first interview since demonetisation: Top 10 things he told India Today

50-day period you asked for is over, now please answer these 5 questions: Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi

WATCH: Cabinet clears note ban ordinance to penalise those holding old currency notes

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) The Centre has asked the Manipur government for proper utilisation of 17,500 paramilitary personnel sent to the state to reopen a national highway which was blocked for nearly two months by a Naga group.

In a communication, the Home Ministry conveyed to the Manipur government to "re-arrange and utilise" the 175 companies of paramilitary forces which were already made available to the state to ensure removal of the blockade.

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If necessary, few more companies will also be sent to Manipur to assist the state government in maintaining law and order, official sources said today.

A company of paramilitary force comprises of about 100 personnel.

The Home Ministry last week sent additional 4,000 paramilitary personnel to Manipur, thus taking the total number of central security personnel deployed in the sensitive north-eastern state to 17,500.

While the National Highway-37 is reopened, the NH-2 is yet to be reopened.

The security personnel were sent to the north-eastern state keeping in view the security situation in the wake of violence following the economic blockade imposed by the Union Naga Council (UNC) on the National Highways since November 1.

The UNC has imposed the economic blockade on NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH 37 (Imphal-Jiribam) that serve as lifelines for the landlocked Manipur.

Curfew has been clamped in Imphal East district for the last fortnight after a mob torched and vandalised 22 passenger vehicles on the Imphal-Ukhrul road, while curfew in Imphal West district was imposed from evening to dawn.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who was on a day-long visit to Congress-ruled Manipur as a Central emissary, said it is completely unacceptable to have such kinds of blockades in which thousands are suffering and both the Central and Manipur governments will work together to end it.

"The state government has not been able to end the blockade. It must end as soon as possible as law and order is the responsibility of the state government. Nobody will be allowed to take political advantage out of a humanitarian crisis where common people are suffering," he had said. PTI ACB RG

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Central Group acquires Big C Vietnam

In April, Thai company Central Group overcame numerous large-scale groups like South Korean Lotte, Thai Berli Jucker, and Dairy Farm from Singapore to officially become the new owner of Groupe Casinos Big C Vietnam for $1.14 billion.

After the deal, Central Group took over Big Cs network of 43 stores and 30 shopping centres across the country. Central Group, in partnership with the Vietnamese Nguyen Kim Group, will continue Big C Vietnams strategy concerning the supply of goods produced in Vietnam for Big C stores.

Central Groups purchase of Big C Vietnam is not only the largest M&A deal in Vietnam this year, but also marks a massive penetration by Thai goods into the Vietnamese market.

However, the deal is also attached to scandals of delay in transfer tax payment. Notably, as of June 20, nearly two months after the transfer took place, the local authorities had yet to receive the declaration of tax payment of the deal, while under the provisions of Vietnamese law the deadline for submission is the 10th day after the transfer is officially completed. Central Group said that it had no obligation to declare and pay tax on the deal, while Casino Group and the management board of Big C Vietnam refused to comment.

The debacle went on until late August, when Central Group paid off the whole VND2.034 trillion ($93 million) it declared in tax earlier.

The deal between Thai TCC Holdings and German Metro Group

In early 2016, Thai company TCC Group, the largest investor in Berli Jucker PCL (BJC), completed the purchase of Metro Cash & Carry Vietnam from German Metro Group. The deal was valued at $710 million.

TCC thereby acquired Metro Groups complete wholesale operations in Vietnam, including all 19 wholesale markets, the related real estate portfolio for an enterprise value of 655 million ($711 million), a vegetable and fruits distribution centre in Lam Dong, and a fish distribution centre in Can Tho, as well as two office supplies distribution centres in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

After the purchase, TCC Holdings renamed the brand as MM Mega Market.

TCC chairman Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi said that the group would develop the MM Mega Market chain together with the Big C supermarket chain in Thailand. In July, TCC bought 100 tonnes of Vietnamese dragon fruit to sell at its Big C Thailand stores.

The company said it would continue to export dragon fruit to Thailand at 100 tonnes per month. TCC is also looking for other fruit suppliers, such as avocado, King orange, cainito, and sweet potato. Besides, Vietnamese frozen catfish and Da Lat flowers will also appear on Big C Thailands shelves in the near future.

Fraser & Neaves stake in Vinamilk

This is the newest M&A deal to date. Notably, in mid-December, F&N Beverages Manufacturing Sdn., Bhd. and F&N Dairy Investments Pte., Ltd., the two 100 per cent-owned subsidiaries of Fraser & Neave Ltd. (F&N), spent VND11.3 trillion ($499.56 million) on buying a total of 78.38 million shares, equalling a 5.4 per cent stake, in Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk).

After the auction, F&N increased its holding in Vinamilk to 16.35 per cent, including the 13.65 and 2.7 per cent stakes of F&N Dairy Investments Pte., Ltd. and F&N Beverages Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd, respectively.

It is important to note that F&N is also owned by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, the chairman of TCC Holdings.

According to the latest news, F&N Dairy Investments Pte., Ltd. has registered to buy an additional 21.8 million shares, equalling a 1.5 per cent stake, in Vinamilk.Trading is expected to be conducted based either on negotiated trade or put-through trade, from December 30, 2016, to January 27, 2017.

The deal between MobiFone and AVG

In January, telco giant MobiFone published information about the purchase of a 95 per cent stake in Audio Visual Global JSC (AVG), the owner of An Vien Pay TV network. However, at the time, the deals value was not disclosed.

MobiFone made the headlines in August when Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh officially decided to conduct a comprehensive inspection into the stellar purchase.

He assigned the Government Inspectorate to work with relevant agencies to conduct the inspection, with legal sanctions available in case any legal violation is uncovered. However, after 50 days of the inspection, the any results have yet to be disclosed.

In mid-November, the company published its financial report for 2015 and the first six months of 2016, revealing that the official value of the AVG deal was VND8.9 trillion ($400 million). In addition, this was the only investment MobiFone made in the first half of this year.

AON Holdings purchase of Keangnam Landmark Tower

In mid-April, mid-sized Korean financial group AON Holdings spent $350 million on buying Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower, Vietnam's tallest building, from Keangnam Enterprises.

Earlier, the bidding war surrounding the property was waged with the two strongest contenders, Goldman Sachs and Hana Financial Investment. Goldman Sachs had a keen interest in purchasing the real estate asset, but AON Holdings came late into the fray to outbid everyone.
Rakhine state borders Bangladesh and is home to the Rohingya - a Muslim minority group loathed by many of Myanmar's Buddhist majority. (AFP/MUNIR UZ ZAMAN)

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols to try to stem the tide of refugees crossing the border since an eruption of unrest in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine in early October.

The foreign ministry summoned Myanmar's ambassador to express "deep concern at the continued influx" of tens of thousands of members of the stateless ethnic minority into its territory.

"(We) mentioned that around 50,000 Myanmar citizens took shelter into Bangladesh since 09 October 2016," the ministry said in a statement.

Rakhine borders Bangladesh and is home to the Rohingya - a Muslim minority group loathed by many of Myanmar's Buddhist majority.

Dhaka also demanded early repatriation of all Burmese citizens who have been living in the Muslim-majority nation for years, including some 300,000 Rohingya - most of them illegally.

A spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told AFP that at least 43,000 Rohingya have taken shelter in Bangladesh since October.

The vast majority of those who arrived took refuge in makeshift settlements, official refugee camps and villages in Bangladesh's resort district of Cox's Bazar.

Many of those interviewed by AFP told horrific stories of gang-rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar security forces.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse but has banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area.

Bangladesh's government has been under pressure to open its border to the fleeing refugees, in a crisis which has been described as a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya.

But it has reinforced its border posts and deployed coastguard ships to prevent fresh arrivals.

In the past three months, its border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with thousands of Rohingya women and children from entering the country.
The undertaking by the two Tokyo-based stakeholders, Sojitz Corporation and Kokubu Group Corporation, was made in collaboration with major Vietnamese logistics company, New Land Co. Ltd.

New Land Vietnam will provide modern cold chain logistics services by using its own four-temperature (room temperature, fixed temperature, refrigerated, and frozen) logistics centres and trucks to consistently manage temperatures across all food product operations, from storage to store shipment.

The management of New Land envisions reaching US$9.7 million annual sales within 10 years, said the news release.

It will also serve to complement an existing joint venture  Huong Thuy Manufacture Service Trading Corporation  of the three stakeholders and act as a catalyst to further expand their food value chain in Vietnam.

Sojitz has substantial business experience across multiple fields in the Southeast Asian country, said the news release, having fist established its presence in 1986. The company is in the process of developing a food value chain capitalizing upon its vast manufacturing experience in Vietnam.

Kokubus management team possesses extensive know-how when it comes to the distribution and logistics across a wide spectrum of food products from perishables to processed foods.

In addition, Kokubu can draw upon its successful experience implementing cold chain logistics operations in East Asia and other Southeast Asian countries.

New Land Co. Ltd., the news release continued, has been a leader in the logistics industry in Vietnam with substantial experience in warehouse and logistics operations in addition to its strong relations with Sojitz and Kokubu.

In recent years, economic growth in Vietnam has resulted in increased purchasing power of the countrys consumers and substantial growth in the number of modern retail business establishments such as supermarkets and conveniences store throughout the country.

While the need for cold chain logistics services is rising, the release noted that Vietnam does not yet have a sufficient infrastructure systems in place to meet the demand, creating a perfect opportunity for New Land Vietnam to rapidly establish market entry and gain market share.

Through this business, Sojitz and Kokubu will contribute to the development of a modern logistics infrastructure while simultaneously working towards increased customer satisfaction in Vietnam.

New Land Vietnam conducts its operations from facilities located at the Binh An Garment and Textile Industrial Zone, Binh Thang Ward, Di An Town, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam.

The company has 11,000 square metres of office and floor space at its warehouse with a storage capacity for 13,000 pallets. It has an initial fleet size of 50 trucks.

The facilities are located within a one hour drive of Cat Lai Port (the largest container terminal in Vietnam) and Long Thanh International Airport, expected to begin operations in 2025.
Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam

Deputy PM Dam made the announcement on December 28 while presenting a report on the realization of Resolution 19-2016/NQ-CP on major tasks and solutions to improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness in 2016-2017 with a vision towards 2020.

Resolution 19 will be introduced at the beginning of 2017 instead of in March or April in previous years (2014-2016). This was also the first time Resolution 19 was put on the table for discussion at a Government conference with local leaders with a view to bettering the business environment and raising competitiveness.

The document was made in line with indicators and norms which were mentioned in other reports of the World Bank and the World Economic Form and appropriate with the requirements and aspiration of the business community.

Deputy PM Dam said that up to 80% of tasks which are stipulated in Resolution 19 need interdisciplinary coordination. Thus, it is necessary to define tasks and responsibilities for different ministries and sectors on norms, business environment indicators, and improvement of competitiveness.

The new Resolution will put forth over 250 tasks and solutions in a clear manner for different ministries, sectors, and localities, he added.

Regarding e-Government, the new Resolution targets to raise Viet Nams performance from 74th place to 60th by focusing on bettering human power and telecom infrastructure to optimize opportunities from the fourth industrial revolution, the Deputy PM said.
By PTI: Beijing/Islamabad, Dec 29 (PTI) China today reportedly agreed in principle to include three infrastructure projects in Sindh province, including circular railway for Karachi, at a meeting attended by top officials of the two countries where they reviewed the progress of the USD 46 billion CPEC project.

Top Chinese and Pakistani officials reviewed the progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at the 6th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting of the project in Beijing.

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Pakistani delegation was led by Federal Minister for Planning & Development Ahsan Iqbal, while the Chinese team was led by Vice Chairman Wang Xiaotao.

Chinese authorities have in principle approved inclusion in CPEC of three development projects in Sindh including the Karachi Circular Railways, Keti Bandar and Special Economic Zones, Dawnreported, citing Sindh Chief Ministers office.

The additional projects were being added to address criticism within different provinces that much of the benefits of the CPEC was garnered by the Punjab province.

The project is aimed at connecting Pakistans Gwadar port with Chinas Xinjiang province with a host pipelines, road and rail network through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).

Earlier, speaking at the Peking University, Iqbal said CPEC is the biggest project under Chinas One-Belt One-Road initiative that will unite the entire region.

He said under CPEC, USD 30 billion worth projects have been implemented. He said that with the addition of new projects in the 6th JCC, investment in CPEC will further increase.

He said China and Pakistan together will defeat all anti-CPEC forces. The participation of high-level officials from the provinces in JCC is the symbol of national unity and commitment for the project, he said.

He said CPEC related industrial cooperation will kick-start an economic revolution in Pakistan.

CPEC economic zones will generate investment and employment opportunities for the country, he said, adding that eight industrial zones will be set up in all provinces of the country.

He said a new security force has been formed to provide the security for people working in Chinese companies involved in the project. PTI KJV ZH

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By PTI: law

Hyderabad, Dec 30 (PTI) The Congress today complained to President Pranab Mukherjee against the new land acquisition law passed by the TRS government in Telangana, alleging that "the law was enacted to make it easier for government to acquire land while curtailing rights of people."

"State government has enacted amendments to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. These amendments, while mostly identical to the amendments introduced by the Central Government by way of Ordinance in December 2014, are in gross violation of the principal Act," a Telangana Congress release quoted the party leaders as saying in a memorandum submitted to the President here.

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State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other leaders pointed out that section 107 of the 2013 Act (brought under the UPA regime) makes it clear that no amendments could be carried out unless they enhance the benefits and safeguards provided under the 2013 law.

They claimed that the amendments made by the state government do not satisfy these requirements and instead seek to dilute the protections, safeguards and benefits given under the 2013 law.

The sole purpose behind this is to make the process of acquiring land easier for the state authorities while curtailing the rights given to the people by the 2013 law, they alleged.

Maintaining that the Social Impact Assessment or SIA is the heart and soul of the law, the leaders claimed that the amendments abandon the process of social impact assessment and preparation of social impact management plan.

"The President has the right to refuse approval if, after careful consideration, the State amendments are seen as a method to bypass critical safeguards and infringe upon the rights provided to the affected families," they said.

The leaders of the main opposition appealed to the President that the state law be seen as an alleged attempt "to take away the hard fought rights and protections afforded to the affected families, all in the name of administrative convenience in land acquisition."

The President is in Hyderabad for his annual southern sojourn during which he stays at the Rashtrapati Nilayam, one of the Presidential Retreats. PTI SJR ARS

--- ENDS ---
Scientists have now developed a transparent, self-healing, highly stretchable conductive material they say was inspired by Wolverine. The self-healing material can be electrically activated to power artificial muscles and could also be used to improve batteries, electronic devices, and robots.

The researchers findings have been published in the journal Advanced Material. It is the first time scientists have been able to create an ionic conductor (materials that ions can flow through, that is transparent, mechanically stretchable, and is self-healing).

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Self-healing material has wide potential

The University of California, which had several scientists working on the project, wrote that it has potential applications in a wide range of fields. This would include giving robots the ability to self-heal after mechanical failure, or could extend the lifetime of lithium ion batteries used in electronics and electric cars, and could also improve biosensors used in the medical field and environmental monitoring.

Chao Wang, an adjunct assistant professor of chemistry and one of the authors of the paper, said in a statement:

Creating a material with all these properties has been a puzzle for years. We did that and now are just beginning to explore the applications.

The project combines the research areas of self-healing materials and ionic conductors. Wangs love of Wolverine (the comic book character who has the ability to self-heal) is what drove his interest in self-healing materials.

Ionic conductors are a class of materials that have key roles in energy storage, solar energy conversion, sensors, and electronic devices.

Christoph Keplinger, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado and an author of the paper, has previously demonstrated that stretchable, transparent, ionic conductors can be used to power artificial muscles and create transparent loudspeakers. However, none of these devices additionally had the ability to self-heal from mechanical damage.

The biggest difficulty was identifying bonds that are stable and reversible under electrochemical conditions. In the past, self-healing polymers have made use of non-covalent bonds; this creates a problem because those bonds are affected by electrochemical reactions, which degrade the performance of the materials.

Wang was able to solve the problem by using a mechanism called ion-dipole interactions (forces between charged ions and polar molecules that are highly stabile under electrochemical conditions). He was able to combine a polar, stretchable polymer with a mobile, high-ionic-strength salt. This created a material that had the properties the researchers were looking for.

By doing this, Wang was able to create a low-cost and easy to produce, soft rubber-like material that can be stretched up to 50 times its original length. When cut, it can completely heal itself in 24 hours at room temperature. In only five minutes of healing, the material can be stretched twice its original length.

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An Argentine appeals court on Thursday revived a case accusing former President Christina Fernandez of trying to cover up Iran's alleged role in the bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center in 1994.

The prosecutor who first brought the allegation, Alberto Nisman, died mysteriously in January 2015, and a judge later threw the case out for lack of evidence. But that ruling was revoked Thursday, opening Fernandez to prosecution.

The evidence does not allow for a clear dismissal of the possible commission of illicit acts, the country's official CIJ Judicial Information Center said in a statement. The accusations must be weighed in advance of dismissal.

Argentine courts have accused Iran of sponsoring the attack, which killed 85 people at the AMIA Jewish community center.

Nisman was found in his home shot through the head days after accusing Fernandez of trying to derail the bombing investigation as part of a plan to close the country's energy gap by trading Argentine grains for Iranian oil. She dismisses the charge as absurd.

Nisman's death was initially classified as a suicide, but an official investigating the case said early this year that the evidence pointed to homicide.

The hard-charging prosecutor was just hours away from a scheduled appearance in Congress to brief lawmakers on his accusations against Fernandez when his body was found on the floor of his apartment, a 22-caliber pistol by his side.

Iran has repeatedly denied any link to the bombing, and an Argentine judge in February 2015 dismissed Nisman's accusations as baseless.

A review panel later agreed by a 2-1 vote, finding insufficient evidence to formally investigate Fernandez.

She has faced several criminal charges since leaving office a year ago. She was indicted this week on charges arising from allegations she and top officials from her administration skimmed money intended for public works projects.
At least six people were killed and seven others injured when militants attacked Afgoye town, southwest of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Thursday night.

Residents say they saw heavily armed militants take up positions before storming a government checkpoint in the town.

They were around 100 heavily armed militants. They took up positions and ordered residents to take cover in their homes before storming on a security checkpoint manned by government forces, Mohamed Hirey, one of the residents said.

The militants used RPGs and heavy machine guns and were shouting with 'Allahu Akbar' or 'God is greatest' as they battled with the government forces, said another resident, Nur Yusuf Kabale.

Ibrahim Aden Ali, governor of lower Shabelle, told the VOA Somali Service government troops came under a surprise attack by militants around Maghrib (Sunset Prayer) and that the government troops managed to repel them.

The militants have again attacked us attempting to run over a government security checkpoint, but this time we taught them a lesson, Ali said. "Our forces briefly retreated from our post but finally managed to repulse the attackers.

He claimed that two militants were killed and six others injured during the attack. On the government side, he said three soldiers were injured.

But multiple sources in the town have confirmed that two government soldiers, three militants and a civilian were killed, and seven others injured.

The radical Islamist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack - on Radio Andalus, its mouthpiece in Somalia. It said the groups guerrilla fighters had killed six government soldiers and had temporarily seized the town.

Member of our jihadists have hit on an enemy checkpoint. They killed six soldiers and briefly seized the town before voluntarily withdrawing, a statement released on the radio said.

Afgoye is an agricultural and strategic town in the Lower - Shabelle region, located 30km (18 miles) from Mogadishu.

In 2012, government soldiers and AMISOM troops drove al-Shabab out of the town following a major offensive. But in October this year, al-Shabaab attacked and seized the entire town. At least 12 people were killed in that attack.
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates warned on Friday that the world was vulnerable to a deadly epidemic of an illness like flu, with the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks underlining weaknesses in global efforts to tackle health crises swiftly.

Gates, whose foundation invests in improving healthcare in developing countries, said the global emergency response system was not strong enough and the ability to create new drugs and vaccines quickly was lacking.

He added that there needed to be more focus on developing treatments for likely epidemics.

"I cross my fingers all the time that some epidemic like a big flu doesn't come along in the next 10 years," Microsoft Corp founder Gates told Britain's BBC radio.

"I do think we will have much better medical tools, much better response, but we are a bit vulnerable right now if something spread very quickly, like a flu, that was quite fatal."

But Gates defended the World Health Organization (WHO) over widespread criticism of its handling of the 2014 Ebola crisis that killed thousands in west Africa, saying the agency was neither funded, nor staffed, to meet all the expectations.

He also raised concerns over growing antimicrobial resistance to drugs, saying the success of antibiotics had created complacency.

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics is accelerating antimicrobial resistance which is already complicating efforts to treat tuberculosis, HIV and malaria.

Gates said richer countries must help developing nations tackle disease, both for humanitarian reasons and for their own self-interest.

He said international co-operation had almost succeeded in wiping out polio which remains endemic only in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

If there are no new cases in the next three years polio will become the second human disease to be eradicated after smallpox in 1980.

"We're very close. Hopefully, the last case will be some time next year," Gates said.
Brazilian police say the Greek ambassador to Brazil, who was last seen alive Monday, was murdered by his Brazilian wife and her police officer boyfriend, who has confessed to the killing.

Investigators say they found a body believed to be that of the diplomat, Kyriakos Amiridis, in a burned-out rental car in the rough neighborhood of Nova Iguacu, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Amiridis and his wife had been vacationing there, and the ambassador was to return to work in Brasilia January 9.

Amiridis wife, Francoise Oliveira, reported to police Wednesday that her husband had left the house Monday night and not returned. Investigators said Friday they found blood they believe was from the ambassador on the couch in the house where the couple had been staying.

Plot revealed

Police officer Sergio Moreira confessed, saying he killed the ambassador at the home late Monday and then moved the corpse to the car, where it was later driven to the spot where it was found and burned.

A cousin of the police officer is believed to have helped move the body, in exchange for pay. All three suspects  the wife, the lover and the cousin  are in police custody.

The late ambassador and his wife have a 10-year-old daughter.

The Globo television channel showed images Thursday of a burned-out white car in Nova Iguacu, where the ambassador was reported to have been visiting friends.

Globo reported that the license plate on the car matched that of Amiridis vehicle.

Ambassador new to post

Police said in a statement Thursday that Amiridis was last seen Monday night in Nova Iguacu.

Greek embassy officials would not confirm that Amiridis was missing and said only that he was vacationing in the area.

Amiridis had just assumed the post in Brazil this year. He previously served as Greeces ambassador to Libya from 2012 to 2016.
China has blocked India's request to add the head of the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad to a U.N. Security Council blacklist of groups linked to al-Qaida, India said Friday.

India has accused Jaish-e-Mohammad and its top leader, Maulana Masood Azhar, of masterminding several attacks, including a deadly assault on an Indian air base in January.

Pakistani security officials interrogated Azhar and his associates after the attack, and said they found no evidence linking him to it.

Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council, but not Azhar, an Islamist hardliner and long-time foe of India.

Foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said that India had requested that Azhar be added to the list nine months ago and had received strong backing from all other members of the council.

But China, which put a hold on the move in April, had now blocked it, he said.

"We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism," Swarup said in a statement.

He added that the inability of the international community to take the step showed the "prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism."

China's foreign ministry said there were different views about the case, so China had put forward a "technical shelving" to give more time for consultation, but that regretfully no consensus had been reached.

China's aim is to maintain the authority and effectiveness of name listing by the committee discussing the case, which accords with Security Council resolutions and is the responsible thing to do, it said in a statement sent to Reuters.

China will continue to maintain communication with all parties, it added.

India has long accused its neighbor and rival Pakistan of using Jaish-e-Mohammad as a proxy to mount attacks on Indian soil, including in the disputed Kashmir region, and earlier gave what it called "actionable intelligence" to Pakistan, including telephone intercepts.

Pakistan denies giving any aid to Kashmir-based militants.

If Azhar was blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council, he would face a global travel ban and asset freeze.
Chinese warships, led by the countrys first aircraft carrier, the Soviet-built Liaoning, sailed past Taiwan and into the South China Sea earlier this week. It was a move that caught the attention of both Taiwan and Japan, who closely observed the six-vessel group.



China is developing a regional military capability, said Brad Glosserman, security analyst at Pacific Forum. "The Chinese believe that they need to have the capacity and the ability to protect their interests as they become increasingly far flung. They see that a power that aspires to the status it has, will have the a fully fledged military... they're going to go from a green water, in other words a close-water navy, to blue water, which is one capable of sailing in the oceans.



Glosserman says part of that progression is possessing an aircraft carrier, and he says the world may be very quick to tie it to other developments, and I think that we should look at this as something that China is going to do regardless.

Dismissive reaction



In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against Chinas land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea. Beijing dismissed the courts award to Manila saying it didnt have the requisite jurisdiction.



Paul Reichler, the lead attorney for the Philippines in the case, told VOA then, I have heard what they have said and what they have said for the past several months. The full weight of the responsibility that China has taken upon itself to set itself outside and above the law has not yet come to bear on China.



The lack of consequences also might have contributed to Beijings further development of reefs in the South China Sea. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative noted China had built significant point-defense capabilities, in the form of large anti-aircraft guns and probable close-in weapons systems on seven reefs it controls in the Spratly chain.

'Limited options'
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil passed away. The 84-year-old leader breathed his last on Friday evening.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil passed away on Friday evening. The 84-year-old leader breathed his last at his native place Loni in Ahmednagar district.

Balasaheb was son of Vithalrao Vikhe-Patil, who was one of the pioneers of the co-operative movement in Maharashtra.

In 1998, he won on a Shivsena ticket from the Shirdi Loksabha Constituency, after leaving the Congress party. Vikhe-Patil was made the Union MoS for Finance in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Balasaheb's son Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil is the leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

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POLITICAL LEADERS CONDOLED

Also Read: Akhilesh Yadav expelled from Samajwadi Party: 10 biggest implications

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the death of Vikhe-Patil. "Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil was a mass leader whose work in agriculture, rural development, education and co-operatives will be remembered," the PM Modi tweeted.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also paid tributes to Vikhe-Patil. "Balasaheb was one of the few leaders who understood the nerve of rural development. He was a guiding light in the fields of agriculture, co-operatives, education, irrigation and medical education. We have lost a respectable politician," said Fadnavis in his message.

NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar also paid tributes to Vikhe-Patil on Twitter. "We have lost a genuine leader who spoke for farmers and represented co-operative movement in Loksabha."

Meanwhile, Vikhe-Patil will be cremated with full state honour at Pravaranagar in Maharashtra on Saturday.

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As 2016 draws to a close, many in China feel the government has missed an opportunity to advance the rule of law, given its handling of the controversial case of Lei Yang, a 29-year-old environmental engineer who died in police custody earlier this year.

In early December, hopes were high that some progress might be made when prosecutors submitted a request that five officers allegedly involved in Lei Yangs death be brought to trial. The case has sparked debate about police brutality. But when the case was rejected late last week, there was an outpouring of anger and disbelief online.

Authorities moved quickly to censor most posts. But since Lei Yang was picked up by police in early May, during what authorities say was a raid on a brothel masquerading as a foot massage parlor, and then pronounced dead shortly afterward, strict controls have done little to keep the public from discussing the case.

Silencing debate

Since the announcement was made, it has been a top-ranking censored topic on Freeweibo.com, a website that collects censored posts that Chinese authorities have taken down.

At the time that police allegedly arrested Lei Yang for prostitution, he was on his way to pick up relatives who were coming to meet his newborn daughter.

Responding to the decision to not publicly try the officers for dereliction of duty thousands signed a petition online. Some focused on details in the case that a trial would have helped clear up, others said that this was only the beginning.

One post on Chinas Twitter-like Weibo, which was eventually removed, argued that it was highly improbable someone could go to a brothel, stay eight minutes and ask for a receipt. There was a much higher probability, it adds, that police would destroy footage from nearby CCTV cameras.

According to reports, all of the nearby cameras that could have provided evidence of what happened to Lei Yang were damaged. Police say Lei Yang was resisting arrest and that he suffered a heart attack. An autopsy later revealed the cause of death to be suffocation on his vomit.

Lei Yangs family was poised to appeal the decision and had plans to file charges individually against the police officers allegedly involved, an effort that would bring them under more scrutiny.

But late Thursday, Lei Yangs family, citing incredible pressure (especially on his elderly parents), announced through their lawyer that they would not pursue charges against the police. Their lawyer also said a settlement was reached. Many have voiced their disappointment online.

The statement from the family came just hours after authorities announced that Xiong Yongrui, the police officer who led the sting on the foot massage parlor, was stripped of his membership in the communist party and fired. Four other officers were dismissed, demoted or reassigned.

Feeling numb

Some say the entire case, and authorities unwillingness to allow for a full and more complete account of what happened to Lei Yang, has left them feeling numb.

Its extremely unfair that an individual has to pay the price for the governments inaction, said one woman who wished to remain anonymous. But at the same time you feel so powerless and that theres nothing that can be done to make a difference.

She said that while some feel the overall situation is gradually improving and they hope for a next generation of leaders that would change things, it is moving much too slow.

Rule of law is easier said than done in China  and the reason why authorities keep emphasizing rule of law is because it is something that still cannot be achieved, she said.

Another Beijing resident who said he also wished to remain anonymous said that because the police were not put on trial, many questions will remain unanswered.

We still have a long ways to go to establish rule of law in China, he said.

Although VOA tried to interview some people about the case said they only knew scant details or were not following it. But one middle-aged salesman said it is clear the case was too politically sensitive to go to trial.

Stability vs rule of law

Chinese rights lawyer Chen Guangwu said the decision not to try the five officers is one that puts stability above the rule of law. He said it is clear authorities want the case and the debate over police brutality to be quickly put to rest. But the decision is sending the public the wrong message and hurting efforts to promote rule of law.

On one hand, not indicting the officers encourages police, telling them that if they make a mistake, it really will not be a big deal.

At the same time, it is sending a message to the public that they should steer clear of police if they want to avoid disaster, Chen said. But the spread of this sort of sentiment through society is something that will add to instability.

Chen said that while authorities have argued that there is not enough evidence for the case to go to trial or of police brutality, he disagrees. If the police did not do anything wrong, Lei Yang would not be dead, he said.

Despite all of this, public pressure is having an impact: the decision to fire the officer in charge of the raid.

This is all the result of media attention and strong public response to the decision not to indict the officers, Chen said. If there was not such a strong response from the public in the wake of the decision, I doubt that the officers would have even been punished.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security apprehended over 500,000 individuals nationwide in 2016, a small increase from the previous year, according to a report it released Friday.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its end of Fiscal Year 2016 statistics, which reflect the U.S. immigration enforcement efforts that prioritize convicted criminals and threats to public safety, border security, and national security.

Though the number of apprehensions increased from the previous year, the report noted that they represent just a fraction of the number of apprehensions observed on average between 1980 and 2008.

We continued to strengthen the federal government's decades-long investment in border security, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said in a statement. These investments have paid off. Apprehensions on the border in recent years, a strong indicator of total attempts to cross the border, are much lower than they used to be."

Gang members detained

The report also indicated that the vast majority of those apprehended were top priority  meaning they were either apprehended at the border while attempting to unlawfully enter the country, or were threats to national security, including gang members.

U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement and Customs and Border Protection repatriated 450,954 individuals in the 2016 fiscal year, 94 percent of whom fell under the Priority One category.

In addition to these numbers being significantly smaller in recent years than in previous decades, DHS reports that the demographics have changed as well.

Many children unaccompanied

In 2015, for the first time, migrants fleeing poverty and violence in Central America outnumbered Mexicans attempting to enter the United States and continued to in 2016. Additionally, fewer single adults are making the journey, but more families and unaccompanied children are being apprehended.

Nearly 60,000 unaccompanied children were apprehended in 2016.

In the report, DHS briefly said it was working to address the underlying factors causing this migration from Central America.
Europe's leaders are not expecting a smooth ride in 2017 following a year marked by political upheaval, extremist attacks, unchecked immigration, and a rising military threat from Russia.

Britain is suing for divorce, the far-right is on the march, some former Soviet satellites seem disillusioned with the West even as Russia seeks to regain its influence, and America will soon inaugurate an untested, seemingly Russia-friendly president who has voiced doubts about the usefulness of the NATO alliance. The uncertainty is thick enough to breathe.

It all looks so different from the triumphant panorama presented more than two decades ago when the European Union was expanding. Formerly captive nations freed from Soviet control seemed eager to embrace liberal democracy, capitalism  and substantial subsidies  from their wealthier neighbors.

There was rosy talk of an ever-closer union, the development of a single currency, and a cooperative relationship with Russia. It hasn't turned out that way  the EU, with its touted ideals of shared democratic values and free movement of people, has never seemed so frayed and vulnerable.

The risks for 2017 remain very high, said Adam Thomson, director of the London-based European Leadership Network research group. We Europeans need to recognize that we face a level of risk in the West-Russian confrontation that we have not seen since the 1960s. It is partly because a lot of the security rules of the road have been torn up or suspended, so there are fewer rules and less predictability.

Russia

He said most Europeans do not perceive the danger because they have been lulled by the cordial East-West relations that prevailed for years after the Soviet collapse in 1991.

Europeans have gotten used to 25 years of peace dividend, and a stability they have come to think of as normal but in fact might be the abnormality in Europe's long history of conflict, Thomson said.

There is deep unease in the Baltics, Scandinavia and elsewhere as Russia moves more military forces to its border regions and even places nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles into the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, where they can threaten part of Poland, Germany, and other countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin seems emboldened by the lukewarm international response to his government's annexation of the Crimea two years ago and his strong intervention in Syria this year  and by the growing support he enjoys among far-right political leaders who are gaining ground in Europe.

He has already been making inroads, with a pro-Russia candidate elected president in Moldova and a candidate calling for a European rapprochement with Russia winning in Bulgaria.

Migrants, EU

Electoral focal points in the coming year are France, where voters may bring to power a far-right National Front government that wants to follow Britain out of the European Union, and Germany and the Netherlands, where far-right parties also stand to make gains.

The increasing appeal of the far-right has been fueled by public unhappiness with the ongoing influx of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and Africa. Events like the recent extremist attack that killed 12 people at a Christmas market in Berlin  combined with earlier assaults on civilians in Paris and Brussels  have made it more common for Europeans to view the incoming human tide as a potential threat.

The coming year will determine whether Britain's surprise decision in a June referendum to walk away from the many benefits of EU membership in favor of establishing firm border controls was an anomaly or a harbinger of things to come.

Netherlands

Elections in the Netherlands in March are expected to bring strong gains for Geert Wilders' anti-Islam, anti-EU Party for Freedom, which could emerge as the biggest party. Even if that happens, he will likely find it very difficult to find enough partners to form a majority government in a country where coalitions are the norm due to the voting system and proliferation of smaller parties.

Wilders' outspoken opposition to Islam has gained traction in a nation long known for its tolerance. He wants the Netherlands, a founding member of the EU, to leave the 28-nation bloc.

France

The first round of French voting in April is expected to bring far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen into the final round against conservative Francois Fillon.

Both pose a threat to the European status quo: Le Pen wants to take France out of the EU, end its use of the shared euro currency, and close the border-free zone. Both candidates favor closer ties to Russia, including a lifting of sanctions. Both want to reduce immigration and strengthen border controls, though Fillon prefers to do so from within the EU bloc.

Germany

German elections expected in September are likely to bring the nationalist Alternative for Germany party into the federal parliament for the first time. The party's strength, stemming from dissatisfaction at the influx of migrants to Germany over the past two years, has put Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democrats on the defensive  particularly after the Christmas market truck attack, apparently carried out by an asylum-seeker from Tunisia.

Some experts believe a Le Pen triumph in the final round in France in May would deal a fatal blow to the EU.

France is the critical one, said Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe research group.

I don't think she'll win, but if she does I think it would probably mean the end of the EU because she would start to challenge the authority of EU law, he said. She would ignore laws she doesn't like, unilaterally start to impose border checks, and the sheer fragility of the EU would be brought into sharp relief. People don't understand how fragile it is.
One of Mumbai's best known colleges has banned female students from wearing ripped jeans, sparking the latest row against dress codes and curfews imposed on women that students say are discriminatory and sexist.

St. Xavier's College, which had previously forbidden female students from wearing shorts, sleeveless tops and short dresses, this month added ripped jeans to its list of banned clothing.

The Jesuit institution became the latest to incur the wrath of female students across the country who have been protesting rules that they say are discriminatory and distressing.

Most universities in India have a 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. curfew for women, while men have a later deadline, or no curfew. Universities also impose dress codes on women, limit or screen their male visitors, and have other rules that men don't.

"In the name of safety, you can't police women and impose these patriarchal, discriminatory rules," said Devangana Kalita, a former Delhi University student who is part of Pinjra Tod, or break the cage, a Delhi-wide campaign protesting such rules.

"We want universities to recognize that we are adults, and that they should not be curbing our freedom and mobility. Providing a safe environment for women goes beyond just imposing rules," she said.

Calls to staff at St. Xavier's College for a comment on the recent ban were not returned.

The Dean of Student Welfare in Delhi University, J.M. Khurana, said he was not aware of Pinjra Tod and that he did not wish to comment on university rules.

Violence sparked rules

The safety of women in India came under the spotlight after the fatal gang rape of a college student in New Delhi on a bus in December 2012 that sparked global outrage and led to the tightening of laws for crimes against women in India.

Amid a widening debate on women's safety in the country, some politicians, university officials and even the police have asked women to take self-defense training, to "dress decently" and to not loiter outside after dark.

But students have demanded an end to curfews, and asked officials to focus instead on safer public transport, more female campus security personnel, and better lighting in and around campuses.

Kalita said early curfews are keeping women from internships, employment opportunities and campus activities.

"Universities say: 'Your parents want the curfew.' But it's an absurd argument," Kalita said.

Demand for change growing

Elsewhere, particularly in the more conservative southern states, the situation is worse, said Vandana Venkatesh, who surveyed colleges in Tamil Nadu state earlier this year.

Female students reported physical intimidation and threats of violence from college authorities for questioning discriminatory rules, she said.

"Many of them complained about feeling claustrophobic, anxious and belittled," she said.

Earlier this month, female students in a college in the southern state of Kerala protested the hostel's 4 p.m. curfew and a rule banning mobile phones.

"There is a sense of collective strength and power now. The more women there are out on the streets, in public places, the safer we will be," Kalita said.
Iraqis in Mosul faced car bombs and airstrikes Friday on the second day of a renewed push to retake the city following two weeks of relative calm.

Multiple car bomb explosions have been reported in parts of the city, but no official figure on casualties has been made available. An officer in the federal police force told Reuters news agency that Iraqi forces had also disabled a number of car bombs.

Thursday, the U.S.-led coalition said it might have killed civilians in an airstrike targeting a van suspected to be full of Islamic State fighters "in what was later determined to be a hospital compound parking lot," according to a statement released by CENTCOM, the U.S. military command for the Middle East. A video uploaded by the Islamic State-affiliated Amaq News Agency shows at least seven bodies claimed to be civilians who were killed in the attack.

Residents of the al-Samah neighborhood on the outskirts of Mosul were seen moving toward camps for internally displaced persons or other safe locations Friday as fighting intensified throughout the city.

Mosul, the last remaining stronghold of Islamic State in Iraq, fell to the terrorist group in 2014. The push to retake the city, which began in mid-October, had slowed in recent weeks due to bad weather and a stronger than expected defense by the extremists.
The images are morbid: homeless men, women, and children so desperate for shelter that they would resort to living in open graves.

Yet that is what some 50 Iranians have reportedly been doing for years, holing themselves up in concrete dugouts at a graveyard outside Tehran.

Images and video of the men living in squalor have sparked shock and outrage in Iran  including at the highest levels of government  and prompted mounting calls for action.

The existence of the graveyard shantytown was exposed by the daily newspaper Shahrvand on Tuesday. A front-page feature discussed the lives the homeless, many of them drug addicts, were eking out at the site in Shahriar, a town outside Tehran.

Photographs from the story spread quickly on social media, eliciting reactions from ordinary and prominent Iranians alike.

President Hassan Rohani called the grave dwellers' situation "unacceptable for both the government and the people."

"The government is responsible and the nation is responsible for poverty, deprivation, and problems," Rohani was quoted as saying Wednesday. "I have heard about people in Western countries who sleep on cardboard under bridges out of poverty, or those who sleep in metro stations, but not in graves."

Rohani added that in order to "solve these issues, we must all unite and leave aside partisan issues and differences and address the basic problems of the country."

The president was responding to Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who expressed "shame" and "regret" about the condition of those "men, women, and children who spend their cold nights in a graveyard."

"I intend to share my shame with you and all those who have had any responsibility in this country," Farhadi wrote in a letter to Rohani on Tuesday.

'No honor ... no fear'

Many vented their frustrations and anger on social media.

Koohe Sefid, a Facebook user, accused the government of making foreign projects like "rebuilding [the Syrian city of] Aleppo" the "priority" instead of solving social and economic problems in Iran.

Javad Siadat, another Facebook user, posted the message: "My God, what are we witnessing?"

Mohesen Eb said on Facebook that the government "has no honor, no fear, and no shame."

In a follow-up story Wednesday, Shahrvand said the homeless were forcibly removed from the graveyard by security forces after local officials pledged to take action. Shahrvand reported that some of the occupants of the cemetery had lived there for a decade.

'Hardcore addicts'

Sayyed Hossein Hashemi, the governor of Tehran Province, described the dwellers as "hardcore addicts," according to the semiofficial ISNA news agency.

"The publication of reports that these people had nothing to eat and were hungry was unkind and ill-advised because it should be taken into account that these people are hard-core addicts," he said in remarks Wednesday, adding that the dwellers had been transferred to a nearby rehabilitation camp.

Iranian officials have said there are about 15,000 homeless people living in Tehran, including 5,000 women.

But activists believe the real number to be twice that figure.

Many of the homeless are drug addicts. There are 1.4 million registered addicts in treatment programs, but activists say that number, too, is much higher  more than 2 million people out of a population of 80 million.

The number of drug users is believed to be rising, despite harsh penalties for users if they are caught.

One of the main reasons for the rising number of addicts in Iran is that the country is the main gateway for the drug trade from Afghanistan, the world's main source of opium, which is used to make heroin.

In October, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said Afghanistan's cultivation of opium poppy had risen to 201,000 hectares, a 10 percent increase from 2015.
Italy's interior minister says Tunisian Anis Amri moved like a "lone wolf" while traveling through Italy after fleeing the Berlin truck attack.

Minister Marco Minniti's remarks to reporters Friday bolstered Italian investigators' findings so far indicating that the 24-year-old fugitive - the prime suspect in the Dec. 19 Berlin attack that killed 12 people - lacked any significant contacts in Italy as he fled.



Minniti said that "from when he arrived in Italy, Amri moved like a lone wolf" while a fugitive.



Amri had spent 3 years in prisons in Sicily before eventually winding up in Germany after Italy tried unsuccessfully to expel him to Tunisia following his 2105 release from prison.



Amri died in a shootout with Italian police on Dec. 23 outside a suburban Milan train station.
Journalists in Sudan took to the streets Thursday to protest a move by government security agents this week that blocked distribution of the Sudanese Al-Jareeda newspaper.

The journalists demanded that the government respect their constitutional rights of freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

The group demonstrated in front of the National Council for Press and Publications, or NCPP, in Khartoum. The NCPP is a Sudanese government agency that creates rules for Sudanese journalists and administers licenses to government-approved journalists. A large number of NCPP members are appointed by the president, according to Freedom House, a human rights organization based in Washington, D.C.

Ahmed Elshiekh, a senior editor at Al-Jareeda, said his newspaper does not have a political agenda and insisted its reporters are only trying to inform citizens about what is happening in their country.

"Al-Jareeda is independent, fair and not partisan to any political party, Elshiekh said. It published news. When [a] youth movement called for civil disobedience, we wrote many news stories about it.  the government become angry although we talked with many government officials, so it punished us."

Elshiekh said the National Intelligence and Security Service, or NISS, ordered the newspaper's managers not to publish two writers columns.

Faisal Elbagir, coordinator of the group Journalists for Human Rights, said this is not the first time the NISS has confiscated newspapers or prohibited news outlets from publishing. He said confiscating papers before they hit the newsstands creates a financial burden because media houses are not able to make money off confiscated papers.

Such action is illegal, he stressed.

It Is against the law. It is against the constitution of Sudan, because freedom of expression and freedom of press is granted by the constitution, Elbagir said. But  the National [Intelligence and] Security Service in Sudan, they are beyond the laws and don't care about respecting [the] right of freedom of expression."

The protesting journalists in Khartoum wrote a letter to the NCPP detailing their complaints regarding violations of press freedoms. The press status in Sudan is "not free," according to Freedom House, which adds that Khartoum authorities "maintain a tight grip on Sudan's media sector."

Al-Jareeda newspapers have been confiscated 11 times in December alone from newsstands across Khartoum.
Santa Claus is back on Facebook after his account was suspended on Christmas Day.

A city councilman from North Pole, Alaska, whose name is legally Santa Claus, had his account suspended after the social media company asked for proof of identity. Claus has had the account for eight years and has over 300,000 followers. He said he uses his page to help spread the joy of Christmas through inspirational stories, quotes and photos.

A Facebook spokesperson said the suspension was a mistake and issued a statement: Were very sorry about this mistake. The account was removed in error and restored as soon as we were able to investigate. Our team processes millions of reports each week, and we sometimes get things wrong.

Claus said Facebook never gave him a reason for the suspension, but added that it came after he had been asked to prove his identity several times.

They just dont believe my name is Santa Claus or I live in North Pole, he told Newsminer.com, the website of the Fairbanks, Alaska News-Miner newspaper.

He said he sent Facebook numerous documents to prove his real name is Santa Claus and that he really is from a town called North Pole.

I just cant believe somebody, particularly on Christmas, would take me to task, he told News-Miner. I am blessed to live in a relatively small community and have friends and neighbors and hundreds of thousands of folks who like my page who are willing to help right wrongs, perceived and real. My Facebook page is a labor of love, and I would never intentionally abandon you. Thank you for your understanding.
Next month, the U.S. Senate could vote on ratification of Montenegro's long-standing bid to become 29th member of NATO.

The Alliance officially endorsed the accession bid at its July conference in Warsaw. So far, 19 of 28 NATO allies have officially approved. The endorsement of United States lawmakers could signal others to give the green light for the expansion through their own legislative action.

In an interview with the VOA's Serbian Service, Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic said he hopes that his country's membership in NATO will be formalized in the first half of 2017. For us, he said, it is important that the U.S. Senate ratifies the Accession Protocol.

The United States were always a truly valuable partner supporting Montenegro's reforms and integration into trans-Atlantic institutions. We are thankful for that partnership, which has been significant for overall development of Montenegro. And I absolutely do not doubt that the U.S. Senate will ratify the protocol on Montenegro's accession with an overwhelming majority," Vujanovic told VOA.

Russia opposes NATO expansion and therefore, Montenegro's accession. Moscow is suspected of involvement in a failed October coup plot to install a pro-Russian government and derail NATO expansion in the Western Balkans. Montenegro's acceptance would be the first since Croatia and Albania were admitted in 2009.

Allegedly, suspects arrested in the failed coup attempt on Montenegro's election day had connections with Russian intelligence elements and some of them fought with Russia backed-separatists in Ukraine. They were, the state prosecutor said, planning to attack the parliament and assassinate the pro-Western prime minister.

Experts on European security are somewhat anxious to see if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's policy towards Russia will adversely impact Montenegro's NATO bid.

But the President of Montenegro believes that the Trump administration's policy toward the Balkans will likely remain focused on stability, economic development, and European and NATO integration of the region. Vujanovic also hopes Montenegro's relations with Russia will improve once the country officially comes under the NATO flag.

We are in some ways already in NATO," Vujanovic says. "Russia has voiced its well-known objection to NATO expansion. Montenegro needs to be patient and wait until it officially becomes a full member of NATO. After that, I hope our relations with Russia will improve, because Russia cooperates with, and has good relations with many NATO countries."
By PTI: By Saloni Bhatia & Vinod Tripathi

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) From arresting three JNU students on charges of sedition to booking of several AAP MLAs, 2016 saw Delhi Police battling a series of controversies even as it cracked a number of high-profile cases, nabbed wanted terrorists and busted an espionage ring involving a Pakistan High Commission staffer.

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Crime against women continued to rise and a number of brutal rape and assault cases kept the police on its toes though it managed to solve some of them in quick time.

In June, a multi-city kidney racket involving doctors and touts was busted by Delhi Police while it arrested Khalistan Liberation Front chief Harminder Singh Mintoo who had escaped from Nabha jail. A number of persons suspected to have links with ISIS and al Qaeda were also caught in the course of the year.

Women safety in the national capital continued to be a cause of concern with 1,981 cases of rape being reported till November 30 even as police launched a number of initiatives to contain crime against women.

The brutal stabbing of a 21-year-old girl in Burari in broad daylight in September by a man who was allegedly stalking her for several months, and the videos of the shocking incident left people horrified.

In February, the arrest of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and two others on charges of sedition for allegedly organising an event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, triggered a huge controversy with Opposition political parties slamming police for "working at the behest of ruling BJP".

The arrest of Kumar catapulted him to national fame and resulted in students protests across the country. The arrests also led to a nationwide debate on nationalism.

Police had also come under severe criticism following attacks on journalists and students and teachers of JNU at the Patiala House court by some lawyers just before Kanhaiya was to be produced.

In October, JNU student Najeeb Ahmed went missing, a day after he was allegedly involved in a brawl with some students including ABVP activists, leading to an agitation with students alleging police inaction in tracing him.

The uneasy relationship between the AAP government and Delhi Police continued this year as police arrested nine AAP MLAs, drawing angry reaction from the party with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging the law enforcing agency was acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The MLAs arrested are Dinesh Mohaniya, Prakash Karwal, Gulab Singh, Amanatullah Khan, Somnath Bharti, Rituraj Govind, Naresh Balyan, Sharad Chauhan and Jagdeep Singh and the charges ranged from rioting, outraging the modesty of woman, sexual harassment, criminal intimidation and assault.

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Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked as Cabinet Minister over an "objectionable" CD, was arrested on rape charges on the complaint of the woman who purportedly figured in the CD.

The Anti-Corruption headed by Mukesh Kumar Meena, was also involved in a tussle with the AAP dispensation over registration of cases and questioning of AAP ministers and MLAs, including deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Kapil Mishra, Gopal Rai, Amanatullah Khan. (MORE) PTI SLB/VIT MPB ZMN AYP

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Myanmar said Friday it will take back 2,415 citizens from Bangladesh, only a tiny fraction of the 300,000 people who Bangladesh says are Myanmar citizens taking refuge there and should go home.

Tension has been rising between the neighbors over Myanmar's treatment of ethnic minority Rohingya Muslims, about 50,000 of whom Bangladesh says have fled there since the Myanmar army launched a crackdown on its side of their border in October.

Myanmar has for decades said Rohingyas are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and it has declined to grant them citizenship.

Bangladesh says the Rohingyas are Myanmar citizens and it has refused to grant refugee status to those who have fled there, many from communal violence and Myanmar army crackdowns over the past decades.

"There are only 2,415 Myanmar citizens, according to our data," Kyaw Zaya, director general of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters, referring to the number of Myanmar citizens in Bangladesh.

"We always stand with our number," he said, adding he had "no idea" about the Bangladesh figure of 300,000.

He said the Myanmar government had a plan to take back the 2,415 in 2017.

Bangladesh had earlier summoned the Myanmar ambassador in Dhaka to demand the "early repatriation of all Myanmar citizens from Bangladesh," its foreign affairs ministry said in a statement, giving the figure of 300,000.

Security has deteriorated sharply in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine State, home to many Rohingyas, since attacks on security posts near the border with Bangladesh on Oct. 9 in which nine police officers were killed.

The government of predominantly Buddhist Myanmar has blamed militants with links to Islamists overseas for the attacks and poured troops into the region.

Rights groups and residents say widespread abuses have occurred during the Myanmar military operation over the weeks since then.

Myanmar has denied the accusations, saying many of the reports of abuses are fabricated, and it insists the strife in Rakhine State is an internal matter.

While Bangladesh says 50,000 people have fled there since October, the United Nations says the number is 34,000.

The violence in Rakhine State has become the biggest challenge facing Aung San Suu Kyi's government and has sparked international criticism that the Nobel Peace Prize winner has done too little to help the Muslim minority.

Bangladesh has asked Myanmar to "urgently address the 'root cause' of the problem" and said it was ready to "discuss process and modalities of repatriation with Myanmar."

Adding to the tension, this week Bangladesh's border force accused the Myanmar navy of opening fire on a fishing boat in the Bay of Bengal.
The Syrian government and rebel groups agreed to a nationwide cease-fire starting a midnight (22:00 GMT) Thursday. The deal was brokered this week by Russia and Turkey and excludes the groups designated by the United Nations as terrorist. If the truce holds, peace talks will be held in Kazakhstan within a month. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.
Two weeks after officials in two dozen states asked Republican President-elect Donald Trump to kill one of Democratic President Barack Obama's signature plans to curb global warming, another group of state officials is urging Trump to save it.

Democratic attorneys general in 15 states plus four cities and counties sent a letter to Trump asking him to preserve Obama's Clean Power Plan, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the lead author, announced Thursday.

The letter was a rebuttal to one sent this month by Republican officials from West Virginia and 21 other states and Democrats from the coal-producing states of Kentucky and Missouri urging Trump to issue a Day 1 executive order declaring the Clean Power Plan unlawful and prohibiting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing it.

The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at existing power plants, the nation's largest source of the pollution, by about one-third by 2030. Opponents say the Environmental Protection Agency lacks authority to implement the rules. The plan is already the subject of a legal fight.

Trump has called the science showing climate change a hoax. His choice to head the EPA, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has sued the EPA repeatedly to stop its climate agenda including Obama's sweeping power plant rules. And his nominee to run the Department of Energy, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, has questioned climate science while working to promote coal-fired power in Texas. But in a television interview this month Trump said he was still open-minded about the science of climate change.

Schneiderman said states like New York are on the front lines of climate change and have demonstrated how to cut pollution and emissions while protecting affordable and reliable electricity, creating jobs and growing the economy.

The Clean Power Plan builds on that successful work and is a blueprint for the critical action needed to fight climate change's devastating environmental, economic and public health impacts, he said.

Under Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Clean Energy Standard, established this year, 50 percent of New York state's electricity must come from renewable energy sources like wind and solar by 2030. New York and eight other states are part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade program that has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from electrical generation in the region by 40 percent from 2005 levels.

In California, the nation's most populous state, which also signed the letter, the goal is also to have half of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 and a 40 percent reduction of greenhouse gases.



The letter to Trump lists local impacts of climate change from fossil fuel emissions, including drought in California, catastrophic storm surge in New York City, a record deluge on Colorado's Front Range, high-tide flooding in Virginia and South Florida and diminished shellfish harvest in Oregon and Washington state.

The legal challenge, filed by 27 states that oppose the Clean Power Plan, is before a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C.

A decision on the plan could come at any time, but the U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked implementation of the rule until the court challenge is resolved.

Still, even if Trump wants to scrap the plan, it would be a large, time-consuming task.



David Doniger, a climate policy expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council who served on Democratic President Bill Clinton's White House Council of Environmental Quality, said the Trump administration can't make it go away unless they go through a rule-making process and unwind it.

And that's a public process, so they'll have to hear from supporters of the plan, he said.



If Trump were to issue the executive order being asked for by the plan's opponents, since the plan has gone through a formal process to become a regulation it would still require a long, public process to undo, Doniger said.

Besides New York and California, the letter is signed by attorneys general from the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington as well as officials from Broward County and South Miami, Florida, Boulder, Colorado, and New York City.
President-elect Donald Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for not retaliating for sanctions imposed Thursday by U.S. President Barack Obama. The sanctions were for interference by Russian intelligence agencies in November's U.S. national election.

"Great move on delay (by V. Putin)," Trump tweeted Friday. "I always knew he was very smart!"

"We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone," Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin. "As it proceeds from international practice, Russia has reasons to respond in kind. Although we have the right to retaliate, we will not resort to irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-U.S. relations based on the policies of the Trump administration," the statement continued.

A U.S. State Department official said in response, "We have seen President Putin's remarks. We have nothing further to add."

Trump should be careful about cozying up to Putin, says Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Ariel Cohen.

"Its all so wink-wink, nod-nod to Trump, [to] say Hey, Donald, Im here to have good relationship with you. Come here and let's do something new and different," Cohen told VOA. "How long will it take? People pointed out George W. Bush and Obama tried to have good relations with Putin and failed."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had suggested retaliatory action against the U.S., along with banning U.S. embassy personnel from using a country house and warehouse in the Moscow area.

Obama imposed sanctions on two intelligence agencies, expelled 35 Russian agents and closed two Russian compounds inside the United States. Russia immediately denounced the sanctions as unlawful and threatened to retaliate.

Obama called his actions "a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior."

Obama's action coincided with the release Thursday of a 13-page joint analysis by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that blamed Russia's intelligence agencies for hacks intended to influence the 2016 election and provided technical details, including samples of malicious computer code said to have been used in their cyber hacking campaign.

Analyst Cohen says the sanctions are too little too late. "These are massive attacks on American political system and I would expect the White House to respond in a tougher way and much earlier."

The sanctions

Among the actions ordered by Obama are sanctions against nine Russian individuals and entities: the GRURussia's military intelligence agency; the FSBits foreign intelligence service; four GRU officers, and three companies that provided material support to the GRU.

In addition, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan were sanctioned. The Treasury Department calls them "notorious criminals" who are responsible for the cyber theft of more than $100 million dollars from U.S. banks, companies and other American firms.

Thirty-five Russian government officials in Washington and in the consulate in San Francisco were given 72 hours to leave the United States for "acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status and consular activities."

Russian officials also will be denied access to what the U.S. State Department calls two Russian government-owned recreational compounds in Maryland and New York. This is after U.S. diplomats in Moscow were harassed and physically assaulted.

"In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior and interfere with democratic governance," Obama said in announcing the sanctions.

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, criticized Friday the U.S. sanctions decision, saying it affects Russian children who used the compounds that have been ordered closed.

"I think it's quite scandalous that they chose to go after our kids," Churkin said. "They know full well that those two facilities which they mention in their notes, they are vacation facilities for our kids. And this is Christmas time. This is vacation time for our schools from the first of January to the 10th of January. This is the time when the kids go to those two facilities. So to block our access to them just while the holidays were starting, you know, to me was rather cynical of them. So here go their family values.

Putin, for his part, has invited all children of U.S. diplomats accredited in Russia to holiday parties at the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senator John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, has called for a hearing Thursday on cyberthreats against the U.S., including a discussion of Russias alleged hacking during the election.

James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, Admiral Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, and Marcel Lettre, the undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, were invited to the hearing.

McCain, who is in Ukraine, told RFE/RLs Ukrainian service Friday that Russian hacks were an attack on the United States of America and an attack on the fundamentals of our democracy. If you destroy the ... elections, then you destroy democracy.

Watch: Trump Praises Russian President for Ruling Out Tit-for-Tat Sanctions

Not the end

A senior White House official said Thursday's publicly announced actions are not the end of the American response. He said other measures will be taken but not made public.

President-elect Trump has made no secret of his desire for better ties with Moscow.

But Emma Ashford, a foreign policy expert from the Cato Institute, told VOA that Trump would face a lot of opposition from Congress if he tries to undo the sanctions.

"Part of why this has been so difficult for the Obama administration is they were also trying to find something that Trump could not on his first day in office undo," Ashford said.

She added that the Obama administration must "try to send a signal that no matter what Donald Trump might say about how much he likes Vladimir Putin and how we're going to improve relations with Russia, that there has to be some sort of penalty for what the Russians tried to do in the election."

But by refraining from retribution, Putin is smoothing the way for Trump to undo the sanctions, says senior advisor to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Eric Lorber. "Retaliation right now would actually make it more difficult for Trump to unwind the sanctions or to attempt to reduce tensions in the relationship."

Trump is in a very tough position, according to Pavel Sharikov, of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies.

Since Russians still deny that they have anything to do with this hacking, they should suggest to the Trump administration full cooperation in [the] investigation [of] these hacking incidents and punishing whoever did this, said Sharikov.

Thirty-five is the second largest number of Russian diplomats ordered out of the United States at one time since the end of the Cold War. President George W. Bush expelled 50 Russians in March 2001 for alleged spying. President Ronald Reagan deported a total of 80 Russian diplomats also suspected of spying during the fading years of the Cold War in 1986.

On the streets of Moscow Friday, Russians lamented the idea of tit-for-tat sanctions with the U.S. We need to make the oppositenot to separate our people, but to unite them, said a woman giving only her first name as Yulia.

I think that all the politics problems will be resolved and we will come to understanding, said a woman who also gave only her first name, Dasha. I want the people from Russia and America to be friends.
The Philippine economy likely grew faster than any other in Southeast Asia this year, aided by stronger diplomacy with China and Japan and increased spending on infrastructure and the call-center industry.

The total value of goods and services in the Philippines climbed 6.7 percent in 2016, according to government estimates. Third-quarter values of 7.1 percent surpassed comparable figures for all of Asia. The International Monetary Fund estimates the Philippine economy to be worth $311 billion.

Philippine presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella cited achievements in foreign partnerships as a reason for the rise in economic growth. Since taking office in June, President Rodrigo Duterte has formed new ties with China and bolstered relations with already keen investor Japan.

China's impact expected to grow

In terms of the impact on China, (the Philippines) is still one of the least dependent economies on China across the region, said Rahul Bajoria, regional economist with Barclays in Singapore.

But over time, given the way the dynamics are playing out, the impact of China is expected to grow over the next three to five years, he said. The real gains could come in the form of FDI (foreign direct investment), potentially both in manufacturing and in the mining sectors.

In October, Duterte visited heads of state in China and Japan as part of his policy to reduce dependence on the United States, the Philippines former colonizer.

China pledged aid worth $24 billion, and economists expect Japan to invest in factories as well as fund development projects. Japan was the top source of direct investment in the Philippines a year ago, accounting for about 29 percent of the total.

In 2017 Duterte will chair ASEAN, a bloc of 10 Southeast Asian countries. His spokesman told local media that role would help develop more foreign partnerships.

Building on Aquino

Dutertes economic growth formula also extends partly from the past president, Benigno Aquino, Philippine socioeconomic planning secretary Ernesto Pernia said.

Aquino raised infrastructure to 5 percent of the gross domestic product this year for expressways, Metro Manila mass transit and railways in outer provinces. He also sought investors through what his administration called China+1. That program gave foreign firms in China incentives to expand in the Philippines instead.

Duterte aims to focus infrastructure development on rural Philippines, home to many of the countrys estimated 25 million impoverished people, Pernia told a news conference.

We are carrying on with the macro-economic policies of the previous administration but ramping up infrastructure spending, promoting regional and rural development and investing heavily in human capital development, which includes health and education and nutrition, Pernia told the news conference in a video replay.

To sustain the infrastructure push, the Duterte government in September began spending $6.46 billion on schools, hospitals, flood control and airports.

The Philippines economy normally relies on consumption, remittances from Filipino workers stationed overseas and call centers for multinationals with headquarters offshore.

English fluency and low wages drive call centers to the Philippines, and the Business Process Association of the Philippines estimates those centers earned revenue of $25 billion in 2016. Remittances totaled $14.6 billion in the first half of the year.

The Manila-based Asian Development bank forecasts 6.4 percent growth this year for the Philippines and 6.2 percent in 2017. The country has outpaced the rest of Southeast Asia for the past five years, Bajoria said.

Other Southeast economies

Elsewhere in Asia, Asian Development Bank forecasts the Philippine economic expansion would lag China and India. Indias GDP is expected to grow 7.4 percent this year and 7.8 percent next year.

Chinese aid to other parts of Southeast Asia may point to what the Philippines will receive. China is Malaysias top investor and contributes heavily to economies in Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos.

A China-Philippine maritime dispute that erupted in 2012 and culminated with a pro-Manila world court arbitration verdict in July kept relations cool until Duterte took office.

But economists caution against high expectations for foreign investment. Laws on foreign ownership discourage investors in sectors such as mining. Money from China could be loans or earmarked for specific projects of Chinese interest. Foreign direct investment came to 2 percent of the GDP in 2015, the World Bank says.

The headline numbers are quite large, but at the same time some of those numbers are not like actual sort of investment  some of them are like loans, said Christian de Guzman, vice president and senior credit officer with Moodys in Singapore.

Just because these announcements are made, any number of things can happen with regard to the implementation, he said. Its not going to be as significant as a case like Cambodia, where, as a share of GDP, those investments are actually quite large.
Earlier this week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened corrupt government officials with the prospect of being thrown out of a helicopter in midair, warning he had done it himself before and would do it again.

In a speech to typhoon victims Thursday, the fiery-tempered former prosecutor said he once hurled a Chinese man suspected of rape and murder out of a helicopter.

"If you are corrupt, I will fetch you using a helicopter to Manila and I will throw you out. I have done this before  why would I not do it again?" Duterte said during the address, a clip of which was posted on a video feed of the president's office.

But in an interview with CNN that aired Thursday, Duterte indicated the incident with a helicopter hadn't really happened.

"We had no helicopter; we don't use that," he told CNN.

I am playing you, he added. Your team knows I really want to say jokes.

In another interview Thursday with Philippine news channel ABS-CBN, Duterte was noncommittal when asked about the incident.

"Helicopter to throw a person?" he asked. "And if that is true, I will not admit it."

His spokesman, Ernesto Abella, suggested earlier the story was an "urban legend."

Earlier claim of killings

Duterte's latest threat came a few weeks after he admitted killing people during his 22 years as a mayor of Davao City, sometimes riding a motorcycle looking for "encounters to kill."

Some senators have warned Duterte that he risks impeachment over his comments.

The United States, a longtime Philippines ally that has expressed concern about Duterte's war on drugs and his anti-American rhetoric, said it was aware of his statements about the helicopter.

"As we have stated previously, we are deeply concerned by reports of extrajudicial killings by or at the behest of government authorities in the Philippines," State Department spokeswoman Anna Richey-Allen said in an emailed response to a Reuters inquiry.

Duterte has repeatedly said those killings were part of legitimate police operations, including a hostage incident, and those killed were criminals, not suspects.

Duterte also said six people arrested last week during a seizure of more than half a metric ton of methamphetamine, known locally as "shabu," were fortunate he was out of town.

"They were lucky I was not in Manila that time. If I had known there were that much shabu inside a house, I would definitely kill you," he said.

"Let's not make any drama  I will personally gun you down if nobody else will do it."

The United Nations' top human rights envoy has called for an investigation into Duterte's claims of killing people, to which Duterte last week responded by calling him "stupid," an "idiot" and a "son of a bitch" who should go back to school.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will travel through Houston and San Francisco during her January visit to allies in Latin America, her office said Friday, a move bound to anger China, which a day earlier urged the U.S. to block any stopover.

Tsais office declined to comment on whether she would be meeting members of U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps team, but the U.S. mission in Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said the visit would be private and unofficial.

Trump angered China when he spoke to Tsai this month in a break with decades of precedent and cast doubt on his incoming administrations commitment to Beijings one China policy.

Latin Americas stopovers

China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations.

The United States, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, has acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of it.

Tsai is traveling through the United States on her way to and from visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She will leave Taiwan January 7 and return January 15.

Tsai will arrive in Houston January 7 and leave the following day. On her return, she will arrive in San Francisco January 13, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang told a regular news briefing.

'One China' policy intact

The AIT said the travel plans did not contradict the one China policy.

President Tsais transit through the United States is based on long-standing U.S. practice and is consistent with the unofficial nature of our relations with Taiwan, Alys Spensley, acting AIT spokeswoman, told Reuters.

There is no change to the U.S. one China policy, she added.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedongs Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalists fled to the island.

Taiwan had as many as 30 diplomatic allies in the mid-1990s, but now has formal relations with just 21, mostly smaller and poorer nations in Latin America and the Pacific and including the Vatican.


Thailand is considering legislation aimed at criminalizing torture and other human rights abuses.

A draft law, to be presented to the National Legislative Assembly, hands down a range of sanctions, including prison sentences of up to 20 years to state officials convicted of committing torture, 30 year in prison if the torture leads to serious injury and life in prison if the victim dies.

The draft legislation accepted by the government has passed review by the Council of State.

Thailand has faced widespread criticism over human rights legislation and protection. A United Nations committee on enforced disappearances says little has been achieved concerning judicial accountability in cases of enforced disappearance.

The U.N.s Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has recorded 82 cases of enforced disappearances in Thailand since 1980.

The judiciary has consistently failed to address cases of enforced disappearance, said National Human Rights Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaichit, whose husband, Muslim human rights lawyer, Somchai Neelapaichit, disappeared in March 2004.

Over the last 12 years we heard a lot of cases of enforced disappearance in Thailand. But not even one case that can go through the court. Most of the victims families are scared and they do not want to speak [out], Angkhana said.

Somchai used to tell me that theres a lot of cases of people in the South [of Thailand] that were abducted and disappeared. But we cannot do anything. He said we cannot do anything because they have no evidence, she said.

In 2014, ethnic Karen activist Porlachee Billy Rakchongcharoen, investigating illegal timber trade in forests overseen by the National Parks, disappeared after encountering a senior national parks officer.

The officer said Billy had been released. But the senior parks official is under investigation over the activists disappearance, with a case being overseen by the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission.

Billys wife, Pinnipa Preuksapan, called for an end to enforced disappearances by state officials as efforts to locate her husband had failed to uncover his whereabouts.

I would like to ask the government and also the relevant agencies, please stop the cases of disappearance, Pinnipa said through a translator.

Human Rights Watchs deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, said the cases of Somchai Neelapaichit and Billy Rakchongcharoen, highlight fears held by rights activists in facing powerful individuals in Thai society.

"The greatest fear of activists like lawyer Somchai and Karen community defender Billy is that an influential elite decides that they had enough and make the call to have them disappeared, Robertson said in emailed comments to VOA.

The fact that it is so easy to do is a chilling indicator of the failure of the rule of law where senior Thai government and security officials are involved," he said.

He said a key issue is a pervasive culture of impunity in Thailand that shields members of the rich and powerful ruling elite from laws others are compelled to obey.

But rights advocate and author Benjamin Zawacki said overcoming the climate of impunity is a major challenge in Thailand.

In some ways Thai culture itself  long before the word impunity came into vogue in the human rights community in relation to human rights violations  it is simply a culture that by its nature does not hold people to account, Zawacki said.

And despite government endorsement of the legislation, Thailand remains highly sensitive to criticism by rights advocates on the issue of alleged torture by security forces.

In September, the human rights group Amnesty International was prevented from releasing a report in Bangkok detailing torture and other ill treatment by police or security forces, in investigations against suspected insurgents, or government opponents.

The military sued several Thai rights advocates over reporting on rights abuses.

Charges of criminal defamation and computer related violations have been filed against several advocates.

Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, chair of Amnesty International in Thailand, along with Anchana Heemina and rights defender Somchai Homlaor, face charges after the release of a report detailing 54 cases of alleged torture by security forces in the Southern border provinces of Thailand. They face jail terms of up to seven years if convicted.

Thailands new legislation on enforced disappearance and torture, once enacted comes a decade after Thailand Ratified the U.N.s Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2007.
A Turkish parliamentary commission Friday cleared a set of draft constitutional amendments that would greatly expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The constitutional commission approved the reforms at the end of a 17-hour session that lasted into the early hours of Friday, opening the way for deliberations and a vote in the full assembly in January, with a possible referendum in the spring.



The reforms would turn the largely ceremonial presidency into one where the president enjoys full executive powers. Erdogan, who was prime minister before becoming president in 2014, has long advocated a presidential system, arguing it would give the head of state flexibility to make Turkey one of the top 10 powers in the world by 2023, when the Turkish Republic marks its centenary.

Critics fear the proposed reforms will allow Erdogan, who is increasingly accused of authoritarian behavior, to rule alone, with limited checks and balances.

Amendments, altercations



The draft amendments were approved following about 10 days of tense debate that at times resulted in altercations between the ruling party and main opposition party members on the committee. The 21 articles that were initially submitted to the committee were revised down to 18, over some objections voiced by ruling-party legislators.



This is the greatest democratic move in the history of the (Turkish) republic, said Resat Petek, a legislator from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following the committee's vote.



The amendments were proposed by the AKP with the newly won support of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The nationalist party was expected to back the amendments in the general assembly as well.

Erdogan popular post-coup

Erdogan enjoys popularity and has rallied support following a failed military coup blamed on a movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.



The changes would allow the president to appoint the government, retain ties with his party, propose budgets and declare states of emergency. They would also extend Erdogan's mandate.



Other proposed amendments would increase the number of seats in the 550-member parliament to 600, reduce the minimum age of legislators from 25 to 18 and set parliamentary and presidential elections on the same day.



The changes come at a tumultuous time for Turkey, which has been rocked by a wave of bombings, renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels in the southeast and the failed coup attempt.



The botched July 15 coup set the stage for a sweeping purge of state institutions that has alarmed rights groups and Western governments.
Turkey would welcome the United States at Syrian peace talks planned in Astana, Kazakhstan, but the Kurdish YPG militia should not be involved, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday.

"From the start, we have told Russia that a terrorist organization like the YPG should not be in Astana," Cavusoglu told reporters in the southern city of Alanya, in comments broadcast live on television.

"If the PYD/YPG lays down arms and starts supporting Syrian territorial integrity, they can be included within the framework of a comprehensive solution," he said.

A Russian- and Turkish-backed cease-fire went into effect in Syria at midnight, meant as a first step toward peace talks to be hosted by Russia's ally Kazakhstan.
There is no evidence that terror is funded by fake currency only, said Chidambaram countering PM Modi's claims.

By India Today Web Desk: Moments after Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted him over his "khoda pahad, nikli chuhiya" remark, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram hit back at the PM with a warning.

"There is a mistake in assuming that people who are patient are not angry," Chidambaram told reporters shortly after PM Modi's veiled attack on him during a function in New Delhi. The PM was speaking at an event in Talkatora Stadium where he launched a new e-wallet app - BHIM.

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Interview of the Year: PM Narendra Modi exclusive, his first since demonetisation

Chidambaram termed demonetisation a "decision taken without forethought" and added that PM Modi's aim to transform India into a cashless economy will never become a reality.

"Events of the last 50 days have proved that none of the stated objectives has been served. Hoards of black money in new Rs 2,000 notes have been found. There is no guarantee that black money will not be generated in future or that bribes will not be given or taken in future in the new currency notes," Chidambaram said.

FULL TEXT OF CHIDAMBARAM'S PRESS CONFERENCE

"No economy can become -- or has become - totally cashless. We support encouraging high-value transactions to adopt the digital mode, but to insist that even low-value transactions should go cashless is an absurd and undesirable goal."

HERE'S WHAT CHIDAMBARAM SAID:

No evidence that terror is funded by fake currency only. Fact is that in J&K, since September 30, 33 security personnel have lost their lives.

The is single case (of NDA Govt) of mismanagement, administration collapse & widespread corruption.

Even RBI has said GDP will take a hit by 0.5 per cent so the finance minister must pose questions to RBI and RBI will answer.

Increase in tax revenues has no direct correlation with the performance in GDP.

Seizure of new notes shows corruption at RBI, currency chests and banks.

ALSO READ:

50-day period you asked for is over, now please answer these 5 questions: Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi

PM Modi launches BHIM app for digital transactions, biometric finger print payment in 2 weeks

--- ENDS ---
The new United Nations chief said he wants to meet with Donald Trump even as the U.S. president-elect renewed his call for major changes at the global organization.

Incoming U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who assumes his new post on January 1, said on Wednesday that he wants to "establish a constructive dialogue" with Trump as soon as possible.

"It is certainly in my interest to visit him as soon as possible," he said. "The United States is not only the main donor of the United Nations but a fundamental element in its actions."

Trump indicated Wednesday that he will use U.S. funding leverage over the U.N. to try to force major changes, although he has not specified what they would be.

"The U.N. had such tremendous potential. It's not living up to its potential," Trump told reporters in Florida. "When do you see the United Nations solving problems? They don't. They cause problems."

"So If it lives up to the potential, it's a great thing. If it doesn't, it's a waste of time and money," he said.

Trump has said repeatedly that he expects changes at the U.N. after he is inaugurated on January 20.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has ended funding for a flagship customs reform project in Ukraine's Odessa region, as the government's ambitious plans to tackle bribe-taking at its Black Sea ports stalled.

USAID and other institutions have supported Kyiv's Western-backed government, which took power after the 2014 Maidan street protests, to fight endemic corruption and put an economy battered by an ongoing separatist war back on its feet.

But the saga around Odessa customs underscored what critics of the government say is its patchy record of delivering change.

Yulia Marushevska, a young Maidan activist with no prior civil service experience, was appointed to head Odessa customs in 2015. She quit in November, saying there was no real political will to support her reforms.

Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Georgian president who was parachuted in to become Governor of Odessa, accused President Petro Poroshenko and the government of sabotaging reforms, including at the customs. Poroshenko's office said Saakashvili was deflecting blame for his own failures.

A USAID official, who did not want to be named, said Odessa had some early successes, such as introducing a single window clearance system at the customs, and stressed that feedback from businesses and regional officials had been positive.

"As the situation in Odessa changed and it became apparent that there was no clear way forward for continuing our partnership with Odessa Customs, the program was concluded," the official told Reuters.

Marushevska told Reuters that officials with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo blocked her changes, such as her attempts to fire corrupt officials and build a new customs terminal operating with computers provided by USAID.

"USAID is in the process of reclaiming the computers that have not been used and will redistribute them to other USAID projects and partners in support of Ukraine's reform process," the USAID official said.

Roman Nasirov, the head of the Fiscal Service and Marushevska's erstwhile boss, questions whether she brought meaningful reforms. Nasirov told Reuters he had launched an investigation into Marushevska, suspecting her of deliberately undervaluing cargo.

Marushevska said on Facebook the allegations were politically motivated.
All 10 of the worlds nations with the youngest populations are in Africa, according to United Nations statistics, giving the continent a median age of just under 20 yearsor, roughly half the estimated median age of the United States, (37.9 years according to CIA estimates).

Yet, by latest count, at least eight African leaders have served in office for two decades, with an average age of 72.

Why is Africa so saddled with leaders who ought to be enjoying their retirement in peace and quiet, instead of in the unforgiving political corridors, campaign trails and taxing political brinkmanship that challenge even the youngest leaders? asked African politics scholar David Kiwuwa.

Kiwuwa, who teaches international studies at Princeton University, thinks that the willingness of many of the leaders to use violence to quash dissent is one key to their longevity. Kiwuwa, however, says such leaders still attract reverence and unbridled loyalty from their supporters. Equally, being seen as 'fathers of the nation,' who led independence or liberation struggles, makes them irreproachable, irrespective of their shortcomings, extending their tenure.

The result is that millions of African youth have known only one leader. In many cases, that leader is one who was born before the advent of social media and the internetand, in the case of 92-year-old Robert Mugabe, before the invention of television, electric razors and automatic bread slicers.

One effect is that many youngsters, such as 15-year-old Harare resident Saymore Johns, say theyre not inspired to enter public service.

Thats not something thats encouraging the youths, he said. Because now, some of the youths, some of them want to be president, but then when they know that our president is still there, they wont do anything about it.

In Cameroon, opposition politician Ndansi Elvis is similarly disillusioned. He was born in 1983, the year after Paul Biya became president. Elvis says when the 83-year-old Biya speaks, it would appear that he knows a lot about modernization and digitalization, but in reality cannot keep up with his population.

When young people use social media to send messages across to him and to let him know that, these are the problems they face, they call social media a weapon of mass destruction, said Elvis. So thats very contradictory. That shows exactly that this is a president who has lost touch with reality of todayAs to how I feel having one president in my entire life, I would say its disastrous. I feel like someone who has never experienced democracy. Because democracy, real democracy is when people can actually go to the polls for their leader and actually see the meaning of their vote.

Many of these leaders are still lionized for their roles in bringing independence to their people. Mugabe is the only leader independent Zimbabwe has ever hadsomething that 21-year-old Tavaka Nhikwe finds commendable.

Thirty-six years. That's a milestone, he said. I dont think there is any president that has ever done that. That ought to be put in the Guinness Book of World Records. I really love that. Because its so... exotic.

However, such political tenacity is anything but. Even in African nations that have seen leadership shifts, like Ghana, the new president, Nana Akufo-Addo, ran for the job in 2008 and 2012. Before that, he served as minister of foreign affairs and attorney general.

And it isnt just the victors who have stuck aroundmany notable opposition movements have been led for decades by the same man.



Mozambique's Afonso Dhlakama has led the opposition Renamo since 1979 and runs for president at every contest. Etienne Tshisekedi, opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, founded his party in 1982, serving as prime minister on three occasions in the 1990s and featuring prominently in several presidential elections. He is 84.



In Uganda, 60-year-old opposition leader Kizza Besigye ran unsuccessfully in the 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 presidential elections. He lost every one of those polls to the man who has led Uganda since 1986, Yoweri Museveni. In South Africa, 88-year-old Mangosuthu Buthelezi founded the Inkatha Freedom Party in 1976, helping form South Africa's post-apartheid government in the 1990s, He's remained a fixture in parliament ever since.

Analyst Stephanie Wolters, head of the peace and security research program at the Pretoria, South Africa Institute for Security Studies, says the big names in African politics arent the problem. The issue, she says, is the lack of strong institutions.

It is something that really tells us about the kinds of political parties that we have in Africa, which are still very much centered on individuals, on big names, on leaders that have been around for a very, very long time and that havent really succeeded in building the kinds of structures, whether those are the institutional structures for their own parties and public participation in their parties, or even for succession within their parties, he said. And I think thats a really big challenge we have on the continent today in terms of the political parties here.

Here are 10 of Africas oldest and longest-serving leaders:

Equatorial Guineas Teodoro Obiang Nguema, 74; 37 years in power. Deposed his uncle in a coup in 1979.



Angolas Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 74; 37 years in power. Says he will not stand for the next elections in 2018.

Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe, 92; 36 years in power. Won his first election in 1980 and was recently chosen as his partys presidential candidate for 2018.

Cameroons Paul Biya, 83, who has spent 34 years as president, was previously prime minister. He removed term limits in 2008 by changing his nations constitution.

Ugandas Yoweri Museveni, 72; 30 years as president. Recently won a fifth term in a hotly contested poll.

Swazilands King Mswati III, 48; 30 years as Africas last absolute monarch. Took the throne of the landlocked southern African nation at the age of 18 after his fathers death.

Sudans Omar al-Bashir, 72; 27 years in power. Seized power in a 1989 coup.



Chads Idriss Deby, 64; 26 years in power after taking the helm after the ouster of a dictator. Recently re-elected to a fifth term.

Republic of Congos Denis Sassou Nguesso, 73; served as president for 19 years, but was also prime minister from 1979 to 1992.

Democratic Republic of Congos Joseph Kabila, 45; 15 years as president. Took power in 2001 after the assassination of the president, his father. His second presidential term was set to expire Dec. 20, 2016, but he has not set a date for new elections.
President Barack Obama on Thursday hit Russia with new sanctions over its computer hacking and interference in the November presidential election and other Russian actions, including harassing U.S. diplomats in Moscow.

Obama called his actions "a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior."

Among the actions the president ordered were sanctions against nine Russian individuals and entities: two Russian intelligence services, the GRU and FSB; four officers of GRU; and three companies that provided material support to the GRU.

In addition, Evgeniy Bogachev and Aleksey Belan were also sanctioned. The Treasury Department called them "notorious criminals" who were responsible for the cybertheft of more than $100 million from U.S. banks and other American firms.

35 expulsions

Thirty-five Russian government officials in Washington and in the consulate in San Francisco were given 72 hours to leave the United States for "acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status and consular activities."

Russian officials also will be denied access to what the U.S. State Department calls two Russian government-owned recreational compounds in Maryland and New York. This was ordered after U.S. diplomats in Moscow were harassed and even physically assaulted.

"In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior and interfere with democratic governance," Obama said in announcing the sanctions.

A senior White House official said Thursday's publicly announced actions were not the end of the American response. He said there would be other measures that wouldn't be publicized.

The official said there had been no debate within the Obama administration over whether Russia indeed interfered in the presidential election, primarily by hacking Democratic Party emails to try to harm Hillary Clinton's campaign and boost Donald Trump's chances of winning the November 8 election.

The official said the White House believed Russia would try to interfere in elections in other countries.

He also said he had no reason to believe Russia would not try the same thing in future U.S. contests. The next major American election will be in 2018, for the entire House of Representatives and a number of Senate seats.

No surprise

The Obama administration had warned the Kremlin numerous times in public and private that it knew what Russian hackers were up to and that Thursday's sanctions should not come as a surprise to anyone.

It also said it was inconceivable that Russian President Vladimir Putin knew nothing about it.

Watch: How Do Experts Know Russians Hacked the Election?

A Kremlin spokesman said Russia was considering an "appropriate" retaliation and accused the United Sates of trying to destroy ties with Moscow.

President-elect Trump, who has made no secret of his desires for better ties with Moscow, responded to the sanctions by saying it was time for the country to "move on to bigger and better things." But he intimated that he still had doubts about Russia's involvement in the election.

"In the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," Trump said in a statement.

Congressional opposition

Emma Ashford, a foreign policy expert from the Cato Institute, told VOA that Trump would face a lot of opposition from Congress if he tried to undo the sanctions.

"Part of why this has been so difficult for the Obama administration is they were also trying to find something that Trump could not on his first day in office undo," Ashford said.

She added that the Obama administration must "try to send a signal that no matter what Donald Trump might say about how much he likes Vladimir Putin and how we're going to improve relations with Russia, that there has to be some sort of penalty for what the Russians tried to do in the election."

A State Department official said Thursday that reversing Obama's orders would be "inadvisable," adding that it made no sense to invite Russian intelligence officials back into the United States.

Thirty-five is the second largest number of Russian diplomats ordered out of the United States at one time since the end of the Cold War.

President George W. Bush expelled 50 Russians in March 2001 for alleged spying.

President Ronald Reagan deported a total of 80 Russian diplomats also suspected of spying during the fading years of the Cold War in 1986.
Voltaire Network  a cease-fire agreement has been concluded in Syria. So announced the Russian president, Vladamir Putin, in the presence of his Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense [1]. Russia and Turkey are its guarantors. The Islamic Republic of Iran participated in drawing up the agreement but is [now] staying quietly in the background.

Three documents have been signed by the Arab Syrian Republic and seven rebel groups representing more than 60,000 jihadists:

 1. Faylaq al-Sham (4,000 combatants)

 2. Ahrar al-Sham (16,000 combatants)

 3. Jaysh al-Islam (12,000 combatants)

 4. Suvar agi-Sham (12,000 combatants)

 5. Jaysh al-Mujahidin (8,000 combatants)

 6. Jaysh Idlib (6,000 combatants)

 7. Jabhat al-Shamiyah (3,000 combatants)

The three documents [2] are:

 A cease-fire (which does not apply to al-Qaeda and Daesh) over the entire territory starting this evening (Thursday 29 December 2016), at midnight local time.

 Measures aimed at respecting the truce and deploying Russian forces.

 The conditions for peace negotiations which will take place at Astana (Kazakhstan). Iran and Egypt will be included in these negotiations and the United States will be able to join them once President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in (that is after 20 January 2017). Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and the United Nations will be consulted.

The agreement shatters the unity of the jihadists, [splintering them] into two groups: in one camp, are those who will pursue the objectives of Nato and who have refused to sign it; and in the other camp are those who have accepted to give up arms.

In sponsoring this agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey  a Nato member has abandoned its ambition to become the leader of the Sunni world and has distanced itself from the United States.

The National Coalition of opposition forces and the revolution announced its support for this agreement.

At the beginning of the month, Qatar withdrew from the war against Syria. It has become a shareholder of Rosneft, the biggest company in the world and has aligned its energy policy to Russias.

This agreement has been under discussion for two months. The parties that oppose it  notably Israel and the United Kingdom  have tried to scupper it by assassinating the Russian ambassador at Ankara, then by bombing the Russian embassy at Damascus on 28 and 29 December.

The United States, France and the United Kingdom are not participating in this cease-fire. Washington has been accused by President Erdogan of continuing to support Al-Qaeda and Daesh, something which the US ambassador to Ankara has denied. However on 23 December, the outgoing president Barack Obama signed a fiscal defense law authorizing the delivery of arms to the opposition (sic) in Syria.

Saudi Arabia, which has not commented on the agreement, announced coming to the aid of Syrian refugees. The Kingdom should distribute humanitarian aid, exclusively from the mosques that it has set up in the refugee camps.

President Putin has ordered his Defense Minister to reduce Russian military presence in Syria. However, Russia will continue to take action against terrorism (al-Qaeda and Daesh).

The war against Syria has cost the lives of at least 300, 000 Syrians. It was planned by the United States and its NATO partners and financed by the Gulf Monarchies.
While the countdown has begun for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's big New Year announcement, Congress has come up with a 'demand' list.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: While the countdown has begun for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's big New Year announcement, Congress has come up with a 'demand' list.

"It is time PM should come out with a package to comprehensively recoup the losses of demonetisation. Of course nobody will be able to resort/compensate fully the loss caused to economy. PM should give concession to farmers, traders, shopkeepers, women all of whom that have been hit by DeMonetisation to ensure that people," Congress communication head Randeep Surjewala told India Today.

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"Absolutely, we demands from the PM. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also kept demands in the form of a charter. It is not demands of Congress party so don't reject it saying it was raised by Rahul Gandhi. These are demands and aspirations of people," he said.

THE DEMAND LIST

1. Now is it correct that people of India will be able to withdraw their money upto any extent and restrictions will be lifted?

2. Will you now pay 18% compensation for the period for which money was detained of 53 crore bank account holders?

3. Will you now pay 20 % bonus on Rabi crops to India's farmers?

4. Will you now increase wages and number of working days for MNREGA workers so that poor are able to find employment?

5. 25 lakh industrial workers who lost job be given 20% allowance equal to minimum wage upto 31 st March 2017.

6. Small traders, shopkeepers, vendors given 50% concession on sales tax and income tax.

7. Women who are most hit at least pay to every BPL women a sum of Rs 25,000.

8. It is time PM should come out with a package to comprehensively recoup the losses of demonetisation.

Surjewala termed demonetisation a huge 'himalayan blunder'. "50 days of DeMonetisation has now proved PM has lost the plot. There was complete lack of vision and poor implementation. This exercise resulted in economic anarchy and financial emergency. Modi ji you had said you will be held accountable and ready for punishment if things don't go ok. Things are not ok Modi ji. Economy is in distress, people are anguished. We want accountability," he said.

--- ENDS ---
Fuzzy Friends Rescue will present its 16th annual New Years Eve Barkin Ball benefit from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Saturday at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave.

With a theme of Fire and Ice, the event will include live music from the Sauce the Band, a dinner buffet, and silent and audible auctions.

Tickets cost $185 and must be purchased in advance.

For more information, visit www.fuzzyfriendsrescue.com.

Boil order lifted

The Bosque Basin Water Supply Corporation has rescinded a boil-water notice it issued Dec. 19 for its water customers.

The notice was issued because of conditions caused by a well pump failure.

For more information, call Don Brandon at 723-1834 or George Snokhous at 836-0016.

Christmas in the Park

The city of Gatesville, with the support of sponsoring businesses, will present Christmas in the Park, a drive-thru animated holiday light display, from dusk to 11 p.m. nightly through Sunday at Faunt Leroy Park, South Seventh Street in Gatesville.

There also will be a Santas workshop, operated by nonprofit organizations, offering photos with Santa and various concessions each night.

Admission is free.

For more information, call 499-0102 or email cheri.shepherd@ci.gatesville.tx.us.

Retired teachers meeting

The Waco-McLennan County chapter of the Texas Retired Teachers Association will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the West Waco Library and Genealogy Center, 5301 Bosque Blvd.

Speaker Norma Cannata will present a program about genealogy research. Afterward, members will be able to tour the genealogy center at the library

For more information, call 715-0934 or email lhallenbama65@gmail.com.

AL Post NYE Dance

American Legion Post 273, located at 202 S. Jefferson St. in McGregor, will host a New Years Eve Dance featuring live country music from Dan Ragland and Jus Country from 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday.

Admission costs $5.

For more information, call 840-4319.

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.
The Ordinance says that holding, transferring or receiving of junked notes is illegal and punishable with imposition of penalty.

By India Today Web Desk: President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the government's Ordinance criminalising the holding of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

The Ordinance says that holding, transferring or receiving of junked notes is illegal and punishable with imposition of penalty, says the Finance Ministry.

The government however said non-resident Indians (NRIs) can exchange or deposit the junked high-denomination notes at specified RBI offices till June 30.

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A statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan said Mukherjee has approved the promulgation of the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, 2016, which was passed by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.

The deadline for deposits of the banned currency notes in commercial banks ended today.

The Ordinance says there will be no jail term for holding demonetised notes. However, sources said a penalty of upto Rs 50,000 would be imposed on those who hold more than ten of the banned notes.

Also Read:

Demonetisation Ordinance w.e.f Dec 31: No jail for having banned notes, minimum Rs 10,000 fine

Down and ouch: Why PM Modi is feeling the 'demon' in demonetisation

What was demonetisation's real motive, asks Rahul; Mamata asks if Modi will resign after 50 days

In PM Modi's yagna against black money, common man sacrificed: Rahul Gandhi

--- ENDS ---
As 2016 draws to a close, Id like to express my thanks. First, thanks goes to the Waco Trib for its excellent and responsible journalism. All the editorials and articles from our local newspaper have contributed greatly to our communitys collective knowledge and enlightenment. The excellence  and inherent integrity  of the Tribs writing staff and their reporting on the need for transparency in politics and institutions have helped us readers understand the issues and form well thought-out opinions.

Its regrettable that all forms of media havent the journalistic integrity of the Trib. Im reminded of this all too often when I read letters to the editor and know immediately which readers rely on TV news programs that often take scraps of information, add some questionable and dubious facts and, presto-chango, magically turn the information into bald-faced lies for public consumption. Not that the left-wing media havent done the same, but they cant quite equal the right-wing media in their zeal and talents for perfecting this technique.

In fact, right-wing media carry out their mission to twist the facts with such great fervor and dedication that theyve been able to bamboozle almost half the population of the United States.

The 2016 election has brought out like never before huge numbers of people who refuse to rely on credible new sources and wont do the research to verify what they do read. The blame can be spread around between information purveyors and information receivers, for it seems that human nature always looks for ways to persuade and, as human beings, we are always ready and willing to believe what we want to believe. These shared human characteristics make it even more imperative that we constantly question our beliefs and our perceptions in our search for the truth.

Second, a huge thank-you to Bill Whitaker for his thoughtful and perceptive Dec. 18 column Did state lawmakers digest local leaders concerns? describing events at the Cooper Foundation Waco Leadership Forums joint convening of state and local officials to discuss 2017 legislative priorities. In this piece Whitaker highlighted differences between two types of conservatives: ideologues and pragmatists. The former describes Dan Patrick (who wants to move more money from public-school funds to private schools) as well as state lawmakers Brian Birdwell and Charles Doc Anderson.

Suggestion: Readers might want to Google Dan Patricks name and Brian Birdwells name with the added words public school funding to get more information on the subject.

The one question I would ask our legislative representatives about their actions, which are so detrimental to public schools, is this: If we take seriously Donald Trumps motto to Make America Great Again, how could our country even remotely achieve greatness with a huge underclass of poorly educated people? I shake my head in wonder at the narrow vision of these people who want to underfund public education.

Third, I thank a pragmatic and also commonsensical Republican, Cary DuPuy, for his willingness at the Waco Leadership Forum meeting to press the above representatives for answers and also for his efforts in pushing back against the decision to divert funds from public to private schools.

And, fourth, a big thank-you to Mary Duty, whose columns and activism support public education and other worthwhile issues. Her latest contribution, published Dec. 18, State doesnt understand classrooms: Political rhetoric of Austin lawmakers shortchanges hard work of all teachers, is based on her work in the trenches as a public school educator. She knows firsthand what is going on, and if readers dont know, I suggest they do some investigating.

(And by the way, lets try to put ourselves into the shoes of children and their parents who are in desperate straits, mentally, emotionally, financially and educationally. We need compassion, not condemnation.)

This leads me to my final words of gratitude for Waco leaders (past and present) and individuals who have been working so diligently on the Prosper Waco anti-poverty initiative. We owe these people our heartfelt thanks!

As we go into 2017, there is much to be thankful for here in Waco and surrounding areas.

P.S. I would ask  no, I would beseech  each reader not to rely on only one group of media, liberal or conservative, but to check out the various types of mainstream media, understanding that while there may be op-eds, articles and programs that are pure trash, there is much excellent writing and reporting that is informative and well worth digesting. Lets use our God-given common sense and wisdom and be discriminating in our choices of what we read and hear.

Patricia Bell-Lanford is a transplant from northern Illinois who loves mild Central Texas winters and vows never to take them for granted. She is also a retired Temple College instructor who with her husband lives happily in Woodway.
ITHACA  At just 19 years old, Lynn Hanson will follow in his fathers footsteps and begin service on the Village of Ithaca Board of Trustees as a result of winning the seat in Novembers general election.

I decided to run to bring the town together, Hanson said.

Hanson said he remembers when Ithaca residents participated in events as a community and took care of the village together.

He said Ithaca Days used to be a community event that now no longer exists.

When community upkeep becomes a priority, volunteers are few, he said.

Hanson said a recent village venture that also had few volunteers willing to donate minimal time was painting the well building.

Hanson plans to work hard at bringing the community together while balancing work and school.

Hanson is a full time student at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, studying Agriculture Education in hopes of teaching high school.

Hes also maintains part-time employment at one of the university greenhouses.

His father, Victor Hanson, has served on the village board for many years and started at a young age. His father is also no stranger to putting time and effort into keeping the village up, he said.

Victor Hanson is the water operator for the town and had to do what it took to get the villages water supply up to snuff for the state, Hanson said.

Because of the way the board is run, its difficult to get people to volunteer, Hanson said.

He said that the village would rather hire out work than do it themselves, something that is not economically feasible for a village the size of Ithaca, he said.

However, Hanson believes the root of the towns division lies in the concept of upkeep.

Damage to homes and buildings from recent floods, hail, heavy snow and winds has not been repaired due to a like of time and money, he said.

And the village has been quicker to send out nuisance notices than offer help to those in need, he said.

In addition to helping those in need, Hanson said he believes there should be a resurgence in community centered activities, like a pot luck where neighbors get to know each other.

When asked if he would be able to express a different opinion than his father, Hanson said he and his father are in agreement on many community centered items, but not everything.

I was raised to have my own view points and stick with my beliefs, he said.

Hanson said he does not believe the board should be run the way it has in the past and believes that someone his age will bring a new perspective to town.
You started by boasting that demonetisation will end Black Money, terrorism and counterfeit currency, then made an about-turn and said it was about making the Economy "digital". How did the aims change overnight?

Is it to hide your incompetence that you aren't sharing data about the volume of deposits made since 8 November, or the details of new currency notes made available?

You have claimed that demonetisation was done to battle corruption. But what about your own name figuring in the (some) diaries? Why has not an Inquiry been instituted to find out the truth?

What is there to hide about this whole exercise that simple RTIs asking for minutes of RBI meeting are being denied?

Forget awarding compensation to more than 100 people who died standing in bank queues while trying to access their own hard-earned money, your government did not allow a Condolence resolution in Parliament which we, the Opposition proposed on November 21?

If you are so against corruption, why is the Inquiry on Vyapam not being allowed to reach its conclusion?

The West Bengal BJP state unit had deposited Rs 3 crores in demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes just before your announcement on TV. Land was bought in hard cash by BJP members in Bihar and Odisha among other states, in abnormal quantities, just before demonetisation. Why has an Inquiry not been ordered into these deals?

Before Demonetisation, which you claimed was a huge secret, how did BJP state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Haryana order surveys about its viability? Weren't friends of the BJP and BJP tipped off about the order well in advance?

The government has discontinued the quarterly employment survey, more than seven years after it started the exercise to gauge the impact of a global recession on manufacturing and export-oriented industries. Where is the data on Unemployment now? You promised two crore new jobs every year; where are the five crore jobs?

Your tenure as PM has been the worst period for rural India with farmer suicides reaching alarming numbers. Despite Supreme Court orders and strictures on how the drought was poorly handled by the government, why have farmer loans not been waived so far?

While farmers are being asked to repay loans your government is very kind and liberal towards were well-to-do corporate defaulters. Why did you write off Rs 1.12 lakh crore of unpaid corporate loans owed to public banks in the past two years?

You talk a lot about electoral funding. Why was the FCRA law changed by your government by a sleight of hand, with retrospective effect, allowing you to accept political funding from foreign companies?

Is it not due to your government's policies that the share of the richest 1 per cent of the country has increased from 49 per cent of the country's resources in 2014 to 58.4 per cent in 2016? Can you explain that?

You boasted about improved pace of road construction. But instead of claims of building 40 km road per day, your government has been able to make only 6 km per day, worst pace in many years. Is this not to your mis-governance?
The P-47 Thunderbolt was a massive fighter aircraft by WWII standards, but it excelled in combat none-the-less. It could carry a huge payload, and was used to great effect in the ground-attack role. Despite its bulk, several of Americas top-scoring fighter pilots in the European Theatre, such as Gabby Gabreski (28 victories) and Robert S. Johnson (27 victories), flew the bulk of their WWII combat sorties in Thunderbolts. In fact, the 8th Air Forces top scoring 56th Fighter Group flew the P-47 exclusively throughout WWII. But the aircraft, regardless of its successes, did not enjoy the same post-WWII longevity of the P-51 Mustang, its sleeker, sexier competitor.

Only a handful of Thunderbolts survived in the US inventory to become F-47s when the US Air Force became an independent air arm in 1947. Some of these ended up being transferred to foreign air arms under the Mutual Defense Assistance Act of 1949. One of these aircraft was P-47N Thunderbolt 44-89136, now owned by the Commemorative Air Force. This Thunderbolt is part way through a major restoration following an inflight engine fire and forced landing in March, 2002. While a lot of work is now complete, including a freshly refurbished fuselage, the project needs an injection of cash before it can take to once again become a rare, flying example of the breed. You can help her reach this goal by contributing to the CAFs 12 Planes of Christmas which is fast drawing to a close for the 2016 tax year. Click HERE to learn how you can help!

While this particular Thunderbolt did not see combat while serving with the US military, it did have an interesting career south of the border in Central America. We received a great article on her Latin American history from Augusto de Leon Fajardo, and thought our readers would enjoy learning more about this historic airframe.

The dissasembled Republic F-47N Thunderbolt 44-89136 currently stored inside a hangar in Addison, Texas, was a legend in Guatemala and Nicaragua during its service there.

She went to the Nicaraguan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de la Guardia Nacional) on June 24th, 1954, coming from the retiring Puerto Rico Air National Guard (PRANG) stock with two other examples. They joined three F-47Ns which had arrived in Nicaragua six days earlier. Nicaragua had already loaned two of these F-47s to the Liberation Army of Guatemala`s Air Force on June 18th, for its planned 10 day campaign against the leftist Guatemalan government.

Both of the Liberation Armys F-47s were soon out of operation due to hard landings to one aircraft on June 19th and the other on June 21st, which damaged their undercarriage. Spare parts were non-existent on site, so Nicaragua sent a third Thunderbolt to the Guatemalans on June 22nd. That airplane experienced engine failure soon after, so two of Nicaraguas latest F-47 arrivals, including the 44-89136, immediately supplemented the depleted Guatemalan rebel forces. One of them suffered heavy anti-aircraft fire damage during a bombing mission on June 25th, knocking her out of action too, so Nicaragua sent their sixth and final F-47N to the cause. This smallest of air forces had just one operative airplane some days and none on others. At most there were only ever two simultaneously operable F-47Ns to fly the planned, twice-daily missions. The airplanes flew without markings, in an overall coat of silver paint with a black, anti-glare panel in front of the cockpit.

Since the F-47Ns flew in pairs at most, and due to malfunctions, accidents and battle damage, not to mention there only being three pilots, it was as if only two airplanes existed in the fleet. One Thunderbolt took a serious hit from anti-arcraft fire on the last day of aerial operations. The pilot tried to land his stricken fighter on a dirt strip in liberated territory, but it was too short and the aircraft overran the runway and then proceeded to bounce down a ravine. The pilot was lucky enough to survive, but the Thunderbolt was a write-off. It was the only loss of the entire air campaign.

Of the six Thunderbolts to serve the Guatemalan rebels, only 44-89136 escaped unscathed from the 32 missions flown in support of the insurgent land operations which culminated in the collapse of Guatemalas sitting government. As a result, it was the only example incorporated into the unified Guatemalan Air Force on July 3rd, 1954. The Thunderbolt was popularly known in Guatemala as The Sulfur, or El Sulfato; a nickname the Guatemalan people bestowed upon the aircraft, because of the effect their presence over Guatemala City had upon government officials at the time. The author is currently trying to determine which missions 44-89136 flew during the conflict.

After the end of hostilities, an Agreement to unite the National Army with the Liberation Army into a new Guatemalan Army solved the final situation of one country, two armies. This F-47N arrived solo at La Aurora air base in Guatemala City. Gerald Delarm Amador was at the controls. Two weeks later, she received Guatemalan Air Force colors and serial number 0658. She flew solely to train two guatemalan pilots on the type, while the other pilots in training at the time learned to fly the new F-51D Mustangs that the Air Force began to receive in those same days.

Interestingly, even though major fighting was over, the conflict sparked up again briefly following the rebel victory. A small force, composed mainly of Military School cadets, fired upon a Hospital under construction which was temporarily housing a detachment of the rebel Liberation Army that had come to Guatemala City to join in a combined parade the day before. The cadets were demanding the disolution of the Liberation Army, still a parallel force, and the inmediate formation of a new National Army, in advance of the date previously agreed upon. Gerald Delarm Amador flew a sortie in his lone F-47 during this skirmish on August 2nd, but the Air Force grounded the fighter soon after, declaring itself unwilling to fire upon the cadets.

On December 13th 1954, Delarm Amador flew The Sulfur back to Managua, Nicaragua, to return her to the Nicaraguan Air Force, who kept it without markings. In exchange, the Guatemalan Air Force received an ex-Swedish Air Force F-51D Mustang. Amador continued to fly the 44-89136 for Nicaragua. On January 15th, 1955, during a border dispute with Costa Rica, Amador shot down an opposing F-51D Mustang with his Thunderbolt. And thus, 44-89136 was the last F-47N ever to have an aerial victory.

Some time later, 44-89136 finally received her Nicaraguan colors, wearing the military serial number GN-71. She never fired her guns in anger again, serving Nicaragua peacefully until the end of her military service in 1963. One of the CAFs founding members, Lloyd P. Nolen, bought the Thunderbolt on February 11th, 1963 and brought her back to the USA to become part of the nascent Confederate Air Force (now known as the Commemorative Air Force). And there her American history began again

WarbirdsNews wishes to thank Augusto de Leon Fajardo for his fascinating story. We hope that some of our readers might contribute to the P-47s restoration HERE. According to the CAF... To begin the next phase of putting the P-47 back in the air, the project needs a clear survey and assessment. In particular, the carry-through spars need to be carefully inspected for corrosion. Currently several of these spars appear to have surface corrosion, not uncommon due to the haste with which these 4 spars were made during World War II. It will also need to be determined if the wings can still be made airworthy. Additional areas needing close inspection include: the engine mounts, the propeller hub, the fuel tanks and the cowling and cowl flap assemblies.
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.
At least 250-300 Delhiites lined up outside RBI to deposit old notes, and they now hope that the new year will bring some relief in withdrawal limits.

By Parvina Purkayastha: Delhites woke up to dark clouds and chilly air on Friday, but that didn't deter the queue in front of Reserve Bank of India.

At least 250-300 people lined up outside the central bank to deposit old notes, considering after today having scrapped notes will be a criminal offense and lead to hefty fines.

Read: Demonetisation Ordinance w.e.f Dec 31: No jail for having banned notes, minimum Rs 10,000 fine

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The fear of the deadline was such that some even reached RBI at 5 am to be able to deposit the amount on time. "I am here since 6 am and still waiting. After 50 days I wasted 3 hours in front of bank, what has changed?" said Jiten, a teacher.

The bank, meanwhile, deployed commandos of the Sashastra Seema Bal to ensure discipline and peace outside.

LOOKING FOR RELIEF

While the obvious question on everyone's mind is "what next after the December 30 deadline?" there are concerns about the the New Year and upcoming salary week.

"The ATM fear and cash crunch still exists and it will not get over in another 6 months," said Harvinder.

Read: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first interview since demonetisation - Top 10 things he told India Today

Citizens are curious about what lies ahead, and most of them are now looking forward to Prime Minister Modi's New Year's speech on December 31. Hopes are that their new year gift will be some relief in withdrawal limits from banks and ATMs.

"I hope it is not the 61st guideline he talks about but announces some relief for common man," said Shiv, a student.

SOME BANKS READY, SOME UNSURE

While the last few days of 2016 have been relatively peaceful for banks and bank employees, some of them believe the challenge is not yet over.

"We don't think the pressure is over, first week of January and the new year will be a new challenge," said an SBI employee requesting anonymity.

Read: Demonetisation makes 2016 RBI's most momentous year since independence

Views differ from bank to bank, however.

Officials of Indian Bank, for example, said the pressure has reduced dramatically and everything is back to normal.

"We have sufficient cash and we can handle it. New Year and salary week is no pressure for us" said Indian Bank General Manager Bajaj.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, Dec 30 (PTI) Former Union Minister and Congress leader Eknathrao alias Balasaheb Vikhe Patil passed away at his residence in Loni village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra this evening following prolonged illness, his family said.

He was 84.

Last rites of the veteran leader would be conducted with full state honours at Loni tomorrow noon, district collector Anil Kawade told PTI.

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Vikhe Patil largely kept away from public life in the last couple of years due to his illness. His son Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is a senior Congress leader and currently the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly.

Though a Congressman most of his career, Balasaheb was elected to Lok Sabha on Shiv Sena ticket in 1998 and became Minister of State for Finance in the NDA government. He was subsequently elevated as Minister for Heavy Industries.

He returned to the Congress fold in 2004.

His father, Vitthalrao Vikhe-Patil, was instrumental in setting up Asias first cooperative sugar mill at Loni. (MORE) PTI ND VT KRK KIS

--- ENDS ---
2016 is when Alia the superstar was born--from playing a Bihari farm labourer to a troubled young cinematographer,

QUEEN OF THE YEAR

There's a new number one in B-town. From playing a Bihari farm labourer to a troubled young cinematographer, 2016 is when Alia the superstar was born.

GO EAST

Let's all move to Sikkim, the first state in India to go all organic with its food cultivation.

DEBUTS OF THE YEAR

Jim Sarbh was menacing as one of the hijackers in Neerja, and Rinku Rajguru, only 14, was a marvel in the crossover hit Sairat.

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MR DAREDEVIL

Trust Ranveer Singh to be fearless. The actor's butt-flash in Befikre was groundbreaking, passing even the CBFC test.WORD OF THE YEAR

Modi's love for acronyms took a backseat and the term 'surgical strike' took preced-ence, after it was used to describe both the fight against terrorists as well as black money hoarders.

IMPORTED WORD OF THE YEAR

Most Indians now know of the Produnova-named after a Russian gymnast-thanks to Dipa Karmakar, who was just short of a podium finish at Rio.

SNAKES ON TV

Bollywood's affair with naagins ended decades ago, but the creatures resurfaced on TV. Colors' Naagin continues to be one of the highest-rated shows.

Go figure 80,000folks turned up for the Coldplay concert, making it one of the biggest music gatherings in Mum-bai since Michael Jackson's gig.

NEW OBSESSION WRESTLING

Indians learned to love the sport, thanks to the Olympic feat of Sakshi Malik, as well as Bollywood dramas like Sultan and Dangal.

--- ENDS ---
Kinshasa, Dec 29, 2016 (AFP) - Floods triggered by heavy rains and a river bursting its banks have killed at least 50 people and left thousands more homeless in southwestern Congo, a provincial governor said Thursday. Torrential rains caused the Kalamu river, which flows through the city of Boma into the River Congo, to overflow for two hours before the waters receded, washing some of the victims across the border into Angola. The waters left parts of the city, Democratic Republic of Congo's sole Atlantic port, covered in up to a metre of mud and a search was under way to dig out more bodies that may be buried.

Brazzaville Airport (316m)

































"The rains on the night of Monday to Tuesday in Boma have caused at least 50 deaths," Jacques Mbadu, governor of Kongo Central province told AFP. "We buried 31 bodies on Wednesday and we expect to get about 20 more bodies back today that ended up across the border in Angola," Mbadu added. Mbadu said the waters hit a peak of two metres (six feet) above their usual level, destroying at least 500 homes and leaving several thousand people homeless. Boma, which lies near the mouth of the River Congo around 470 kilometres (300 miles) southwest of the capital Kinshasa, is home to between 150,000 and 200,000 people. "This is a cyclical phenomenon which happens every 10 years. It last happened in January 2015 but with climate change it's now happened again in December 2016," Mbadu said.

Locals told AFP that two of the city's three districts were still covered in mud, up to a metre deep in some places, and described tragic scenes as the waters rushed dramatically into their houses. "I lost my two children, carried off by the waters, which rose up to three metres like a tsunami. I could only watch them as they were washed away," Faustin Lutete, a government employee, said. Fisherman Jean-Marie Kola said he just had time to "run far away, as our house was showing signs of fragility. It collapsed later." Shopkeeper Camille Inonga said he had "lost everything" in the flash floods. "My shop is covered in mud. I can't get in there. This is a whole life gone up in smoke," he said. Provincial governor Mbadu said the authorities were encouraging those left homeless by the floods to seek shelter with relatives to avoid "creating more problems", rather than putting them in reception centres. He said he had been working with a Dutch company to divert the "waters of the Congo river, whose enormous flow puts pressure on the Kalamu, to try to prevent these floods happening again." Congolese towns and cities are typically built up in a haphazard fashion and government services to deal with natural disasters are practically non-existent. Floods in Kinshasa in December 2015 left more than 30 people dead and 20,000 families homeless, most of them in the capital's slums, where residents were left to battle with their bare hands through noxious mud, slime and fecal matter. Despite its vast mineral wealth, Congo is classed among the world's poorest countries and two thirds of its 70 million inhabitants get by on less than $1.25 a day.

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Chidambaram presented a point-by-point rebuttal of PM's claims that demonetisation "destroyed the world of terrorism, drug mafia, human trafficking and underworld in one stroke."

By India Today Web Desk: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram today took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his claims regarding demonetisation. Chidambaram presented a point-by-point rebuttal of PM's claims that demonetisation "destroyed the world of terrorism, drug mafia, human trafficking and underworld in one stroke."

HERE'S THE FULL TEXT OF CHIDAMBARAM'S PRESS CONFERENCE:

In a short while from now, the woes of demonetisation should come to an end. The Hon'ble Prime Minister had asked for time until December 30. According to the Prime Minister, who said at a rally on December 27, "Through the note ban, in one stroke, we destroyed the world of terrorism, drug mafia, human trafficking and underworld."

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It is therefore fair to expect that all the above objectives will be achieved by the end of today.

It is fair to expect that beginning Monday, January 2, 2017, all restrictions on money imposed on November 8, 2016 will be removed and the people will be able to withdraw the money in their bank accounts.

It is fair to expect that there will be no queues outside bank branches and ATMs. It is fair to expect that all ATMs will be open round the clock and fully stocked with currency notes.

It is fair to expect that the bank branch will pay out the money written on the cheque and not direct the drawer to write another cheque for a smaller amount.

I wish I could hold out assurances on these matters, but none of us in the Opposition can, because the government has dubbed all of us in the Opposition as supporters of black money hoarders and tax evaders.

Therefore, the only person who can assure the people on these matters is the Hon'ble Prime Minister and I would urge him to do so. When the Prime Minister addresses the nation tomorrow or on any other day, the people expect that he will make a categorical announcement that all restrictions on money have been ended.

When I addressed the media on November 9, I had said that if the objectives are to unearth and stamp out black money and put an end to corruption, the Congress party would fully support the objectives. However, I had cautioned that none of the stated objectives is likely to be served through demonetisation. Events of the last 50 days have proved us correct. Hoards of black money in new Rs 2000 notes have been found.

Bribes have been given and taken in new Rs 2000 notes. There is no guarantee that black money will not be demanded or generated in future or that bribes will not be given or taken in future in the new currency notes.

I had also cautioned that the test of demonetisation lies in the manner in which it will be implemented. It is now abundantly clear that the whole exercise was undertaken without forethought and planning; without consulting key officials; without understanding the crucial role of money in circulation; and without assessing the capacity of the currency printing presses to supply new notes.

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Besides, the seizure of bundles of new Rs 2000 notes is clear evidence of corruption at the level of the RBI, the currency chests and the bank branches. Altogether, the whole exercise has been a case of total mismanagement, administrative collapse and widespread corruption.

In the last 50 days, the people have been put to enormous hardship and suffering. Among the worst affected are farm labourers, daily wage earners, the self-employed, and those who run micro, small and medium businesses. Many of them have been economically ruined. They will require help to re-build their lives. Yet, so far, the government has not uttered a word about compensating the people for the economic losses heaped upon them by demonetisation.

The government has tried to change the narrative from black money and corruption to a cashless economy. No economy can become - or has become - totally cashless. We support encouraging high-value transactions to adopt the digital mode, but to insist that even low-value transactions should go cashless is an absurd and undesirable goal. There are serious issues of privacy and cost to the payer and the payee. These issues require serious debate.

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Let me conclude by reminding you that the Congress Vice President, Shri Rahul Gandhi, raised some pertinent demands two days ago. The government is obliged to respond to those demands. In addition, I would demand that the government and the RBI make public,

1. The Agenda note and the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors of RBI held on November 8, 2016; and

2. The Note for Cabinet on demonetisation placed before the Cabinet on November 8, 2016.

I wish all of you a very Happy New Year!

ALSO READ:

Don't assume that patient people are not angry: Chidambaram to PM Modi

Interview of the Year: PM Narendra Modi exclusive, his first since demonetisation

--- ENDS ---
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Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company's Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear segment offers scientific, engineering, construction, nuclear, environmental, and technical support services to the aerospace, defense, technical, and automotive industries. Its Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities segment develops/rehabilitates plans for highways, bridges, transit, tunnels, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and maritime or port projects; develops or rehabilitates critical water resource systems, water/wastewater conveyance systems, and flood defense projects; and provides engineering design, construction management, design build, and operations and maintenance. This segment also designs and constructs buildings; offers consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management, and delivery services for life sciences clients; and provides services relating to modular construction and other consulting and strategic planning services, as well as offers services in containment, barrier technology, locally controlled environments, building systems automation, off-the-site design, and fabrication of facility modules. The company's Energy, Chemicals and Resources segment offers services relating to onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, and transmission pipelines and terminals; feasibility/economic studies, technology evaluation, conceptual engineering, front end loading, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and commissioning services; and engineering, procurement, and construction solutions. This segment also provides services, such as manufacturing complex, expansions, modifications, and management of plant relocations; construction management and field construction services; and services to operate and maintain facilities. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
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.
Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper; refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes; production of molybdenum concentrate and sulfuric acid; production of refined silver, gold, and other materials; and mining and processing of zinc and lead. It operates the Toquepala and Cuajone open-pit mines, and a smelter and refinery in Peru; and La Caridad, an open-pit copper mine, as well as a copper ore concentrator, a SX-EW plant, a smelter, refinery, and a rod plant in Mexico. The company also operates Buenavista, an open-pit copper mine, as well as two copper concentrators and two operating SX-EW plants in Mexico. In addition, it operates five underground mines that produce zinc, lead, copper, silver, and gold; a coal mine that produces coal and coke; and a zinc refinery. The company has interests in 82,134 hectares of exploration concessions in Peru; 493,533 hectares of exploration concessions in Mexico; 246,346 hectares of exploration concessions in Argentina; 29,888 hectares of exploration concessions in Chile; and 7,299 hectares of exploration concessions in Ecuador. Southern Copper Corporation was incorporated in 1952 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Southern Copper Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Americas Mining Corporation.
The robbers came on bikes and stole around 25-30Kgs of gold along with cash from Manappuram Finance Ltd branch in Dunlop.

By Manogya Loiwal : A gang of armed robbers made away with around 30 kg gold worth crores from a gold loan firm in Dunlop area of West Bengal today.

The robbers came on bikes and stole around 25-30Kgs of gold along with cash from Manappuram Finance Ltd branch in Dunlop.

Rupa Koiri, a worker who was present when the incident took place, said, "Four people came and showed us the gun and asked us for the keys. They took some gold and money with them. The amount of money stolen is not yet known. All of them were talking in Hindi and one was talking in Bengali. Two of them were wearing helmets, one was wearing a scarf and the fourth man had not covered his face. They filled two bags with money and left."

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The officials are only estimating the loss as nothing is certain yet. The police arrived on the site after the thieves managed to escape.

The local police is looking into the matter.

"Four people came on two motorcycles when the gold office had just opened. They entered and stole around 25 kg of gold. There is no possibility of finding a CCTV footage but we are looking into the matter," said a police personnel.

The management of Manappuram Finance Ltd. assured that the interest of their customers and security of their gold jewellery is their first priority.

They also confirmed that all their jewellery and precious stones etc. are fully insured and that no customer will have to bear any loss.

Also Read:

5.5 kg gold, worth crores, stolen in Tamil Nadu

Gold smuggling financing terrorist activities in India

--- ENDS ---
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By The Associated Press

Dec. 29, 2016 | BEIRUT, LEBANON

By The Associated Press Dec. 29, 2016 | 01:48 PM | BEIRUT, LEBANON

Syria's foreign minister has welcomed the cease-fire agreement and said there is a "real chance" for a political settlement.



In comments made to Syrian TV Thursday, he said the Syrian government will attend peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana "with an open mind," but suggested it would not be willing to compromise on the fate of Syrian President Bashar Assad.



"Everything is negotiable except national sovereignty and the people's right to choose its leadership."



He lashed out at Turkey, calling it an "aggressive country and an occupier of parts of the Syrian territories."



He also said Turkey was not mentioned in any of the documents that were signed, adding that Turkey was not a partner and "we didn't negotiate with it."



Russia's president called Assad Thursday to discuss the cease-fire agreement and upcoming talks in Astana, the Syrian presidency said on its Instagram page.
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By The Associated Press

Dec. 26, 2016 | NEW YORK, NY

By The Associated Press Dec. 26, 2016 | 07:19 AM | NEW YORK, NY

The turbulent U.S. election, featuring Donald Trump's unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton in the presidential race, was the overwhelming pick for the top news story of 2016, according to The Associated Press' annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors.



The No. 2 story also was a dramatic upset  Britons' vote to leave the European Union.



Most of the other stories among the Top 10 reflected a year marked by political upheaval, terror attacks and racial divisions.



Last year, developments related to the Islamic State group were voted as the top story  the far-flung attacks claimed by the group, and the intensifying global effort to crush it.



The first AP top-stories poll was conducted in 1936, when editors chose the abdication of Britain's King Edward VIII.



Here are 2016's top 10 stories, in order:



1. US ELECTION: This year's top story traces back to June 2015, when Donald Trump descended an escalator in Trump Tower, his bastion in New York City, to announce he would run for president. Widely viewed as a long shot, with an unconventional campaign featuring raucous rallies and pugnacious tweets, he outlasted 16 Republican rivals. Among the Democrats, Hillary Clinton beat back an unexpectedly strong challenge from Bernie Sanders, and won the popular vote over Trump. But he won key Rust Belt states to get the most electoral votes, and will enter the White House with Republicans maintaining control of both houses of Congress.



2. BREXIT: Confounding pollsters and oddsmakers, Britons voted in June to leave the European Union, triggering financial and political upheaval. David Cameron resigned as prime minister soon after the vote, leaving the task of negotiating an exit to a reshaped Conservative government led by Theresa May. Under a tentative timetable, final details of the withdrawal might not be known until the spring of 2019.



3. BLACK MEN KILLED BY POLICE: One day apart, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, fatally shot Alton Sterling after pinning him to the ground, and a white police officer shot and killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop in a suburb of Minneapolis. Coming after several similar cases in recent years, the killings rekindled debate over policing practices and the Black Lives Matter movement.



4. PULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE: The worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history unfolded on Latin Night at the Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando. The gunman, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people over the course of three hours before dying in a shootout with SWAT team members. During the standoff, he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.



5. WORLDWIDE TERROR ATTACKS: Across the globe, extremist attacks flared at a relentless pace throughout the year. Among the many high-profile attacks were those that targeted airports in Brussels and Istanbul, a park teeming with families and children in Pakistan, and the seafront boulevard in Nice, France, where 86 people were killed when a truck plowed through a Bastille Day celebration. In Iraq alone, many hundreds of civilians were killed in repeated bombings.



6. ATTACKS ON POLICE: Ambushes and targeted attacks on police officers in the U.S. claimed at least 20 lives. The victims included five officers in Dallas working to keep the peace at a protest over the fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. Ten days after that attack, a man killed three officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In Iowa, two policemen were fatally shot in separate ambush-style attacks while sitting in their patrol cars.



7. DEMOCRATIC PARTY EMAIL LEAKS: Hacked emails, disclosed by WikiLeaks, revealed at-times embarrassing details from Democratic Party operatives in run-up to Election Day, leading to the resignation of Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other DNC officials. The CIA later concluded that Russia was behind the DNC hacking in a bid to boost Donald Trump's chances of beating Hillary Clinton.



8. SYRIA: Repeated cease-fire negotiations failed to halt relentless warfare among multiple factions. With Russia's help, the government forces of President Bashar Assad finally seized rebel-held portions of the city of Aleppo, at a huge cost in terms of deaths and destruction.



9. SUPREME COURT: After Justice Antonin Scalia's death in February, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to fill the vacancy. However, majority Republicans in the Senate refused to consider the nomination, opting to leave the seat vacant so it could be filled by the winner of the presidential election. Donald Trump has promised to appoint a conservative in the mold of Scalia.



10. HILLARY CLINTON'S EMAILS: Amid the presidential campaign, the FBI conducted an investigation into Clinton's use of a private computer server to handle emails she sent and received as secretary of state. FBI Director James Comey criticized Clinton for carelessness but said the bureau would not recommend criminal charges.



Stories that did not make the top 10 included Europe's migrant crisis, the death of longtime Cuban leader Fidel Castro, and the spread of the Zika virus across Latin America and the Caribbean.
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I remember the exact moment I realised that Mischief Theatre had become a big deal. Travelling across the Paris Metro last year, I caught sight of a poster for a play called Les Faux British.

On it, a tartan armchair was ablaze, one spring popping out of its upholstery. A portrait of a corgi was hanging at a jaunty angle behind it and the h' had fallen off the title.

What the hell was this? Une vraie comedie catastrophe.' Then I saw the creators' names: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer et Henry Shields. Aha. Une Vrai Comedie Catastrophe: The Play That Goes Wrong.

On New Year's Eve Mischief Theatre made their television debut (or debue', to use the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society's own pronunciation). Their second show, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, was remade for the small screen, shot at Pinewood Studios with David Suchet joining the fun.

It's a fine way to kickstart what will be a big year for Mischief Theatre. In March, they'll open The Play That Goes Wrong on Broadway produced by none other than Star Trek director J. J. Abrams. It's on course to go global: an Australian tour starts in February, and there are supposedly more than 20 other productions lined up worldwide, with translations ready to go from China to Brazil.

It's the next chapter in an extraordinary Cinderella story. Lewis, Sayer and Shields are the youngest writers to have three shows playing consecutively in the West End. The Play That Goes Wrong is still running, two years on, at the Duchess Theatre, having played to a quarter of a million people. Peter Pan Goes Wrong is doing a seasonal stint in the Apollo, and their latest, The Comedy About a Bank Robbery made several end of year lists this month. Don't be at all surprised to see Mischief Theatre pick up their second Olivier Award next year either. (And don't forget that you lot, WhatsOnStage readers, gave them their first gong back in 2014.)

Not bad for a show that opened to an audience of four. Yes, four.

The Play That Goes Wrong

 Alastair Muir

Rewind four years and The Play That Goes Wrong wasn't even called that. It opened as The Murder Before Christmas at the Old Red Lion, a tiny pub theatre in Angel, while its writing team were still working minimum wage jobs: waiting tables, pulling pints, cold-calling strangers.

I saw its second incarnation, downstairs at the Trafalgar Studios in 2013. By then, they had the title, but not the finished show. It was, at that stage, still fairly tatty. Cramped onto a small stage, surrounded by shaky wooden flats, it lasted just over an hour and seemed to me to be a knock-off Noises Off: the same joke, just without Michael Frayn's layers. It was, I wrote, "like a first draft Frayn might have scrawled on a napkin."

To a certain extent, I stand by that  but then Frayn's farce is a bona fide masterpiece, one of the all time great plays. What Mischief have ended up with, however, is a fine piece of straightforward slapstick  and it's largely thanks to producer Kenny Wax, who spotted the potential that passed this critic by.

West End audiences aren't seeing the same Play That Goes Wrong, you see. It's bigger, longer and, er, wronger these days. Far, far funnier too. With a proper set and an extra 45 minutes, it spirals into something wild and unhinged, something unpredictable and unstoppable, even, if it's not too much, something profound. By the time a grandfather clock is standing in for a corpse laid out on a chaise longue, nothing is what it purports to be. That's theatre, but equally, that's life. Ludicrous. Off the rails. Nonsensical.

You get two questions on repeat as a theatre critic: What should I see at the moment?' and Have you been to The Play That Goes Wrong?' More than anything else in the West End, it's the one show people want to recommend. Of course it is. As tips go, it's a cast-iron cert: a show that transcends age, class, even language; a proper old-fashioned family show. Neither too clever for its own good, nor too dumbass, it simply takes aim at the funny bone and bashes it about for a few hours.

While Mischief Theatre may not hit the sort of giddy heights that leave you helpless with laughter, they've created something fundamentally crowd-pleasing and egalitarian. If it's a throwback, well, that only seems to chime with the mood of the moment  our newfound taste for nostalgia and national pride. Mischief's slapstick speaks to something deep in our national DNA. Its ancestors are Morecambe and Wise, Norman Wisdom and Charlie Chaplin.

That's part of the reason I'll be fascinated to see how they fare across the Atlantic, but the other is they arrive there not as the plucky underdog  that surprise snowball of a success  but as a garlanded transatlantic transfer. That doesn't always go so well. Just ask Hand of God, the off-off-Broadway smash that bombed in the West End, but, where Robert Askins' sock puppet play was all cynicism and snark, The Play That Goes Wrong is straight-up, sweet-natured silliness. And it has Mischief in its favour.

The Play That Goes Wrong continues to run at the Duchess Theatre, Peter Pan Goes Wrong runs at the Apollo until 29 January, and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery is currently booking at the Criterion until 23 April 2017.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is broadcast on BBC One at 6.20pm on 31 December 2016.
By Jugal R Purohit: "We do not seem to be able to cooperate as effectively as we should," said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar earlier this month in New Delhi. He was referring to the disjointed approach of India and China on a variety of issues including terrorism and a seat for India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), among other things.

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Running from north to the east of New Delhi is the 3488km long, unmarked and imaginary Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates the two Asian powers. It has been the barometer of the warmth (or the lack of it) between the two. Apart from witnessing a full-blown war in 1962, the LAC has also played host to several skirmishes, incursions and transgressions in the later years.

FALL IN INCURSIONS

Notwithstanding the lack of cohesion in ties, the LAC has cooled down. Transgressions (distinct from incursions) from the Chinese side into India show a sharp fall. The Sino-Indian border, though peaceful for decades, has not been free from surprise. When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India in September 2014, his arrival was punctuated with the arrival of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Ladakh where a tense stand-off followed.

Days before Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was to visit India in May 2013, the Chinese forces were locked in a bitter face off with the Indians in the Depsang, Ladakh. Then, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had called it a 'low' and said, "The thaw in India-China border relations was also broken in April when Indian Army was once again challenged by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) by their repeated incursions into Ladakh Sector on the LAC." This is the cause for many to varying interpret what this drop may imply.

Also read: In challenge to India's position, China to hold first army drills with Nepal

Also read: Agni 5 is India's most potent nuclear-capable missile ever, and here's why China is worried

While the Army refused to share information or respond to the query, a source in the Ministry of Defence said, "This only indicates a better understanding at the local level between the two. It would be premature to see any larger design or a change of intent." Indian Army's ability to detect and thwart Chinese efforts of intrusion has improved manifold and is showing results. That apart, better coordination and understanding fostered by high level visits have helped explained an officer who did not wish to be quoted.

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INDIAN ARMED FORCES ON GUARD

On Indian side, the Army and the Indo Tibetan Border Police have their boots on the ground at the LAC. Both have seen a ramping up of efforts with enhanced manpower and resources. The Army has identified 14 Strategic Rail Links of which in July the government accorded 'in principle' approval for four. The Border Roads Organisation has over 40 roads totalling over 3000km to build. On its part, Indian Air Force has activated Advanced Landing Grounds at Walong, Ziro, Along, Mechuka, Tuting and Pasighat. One at Tawang and Vijaynagar will take longer.

Also read: China blocks tributary of Brahmaputra in Tibet to build dam

IAF has also based its heavy Sukhoi 30 jets at Tezpur and Chabua and will soon activate the second squadron of C130 special operations plane at Panagarh which is home to the Army's Mountain Strike Corps, a China-centric formation being raised. Outgoing IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on Wednesday said India was aware of the Chinese build up and was doing what was necessary for its security."

Writer and China-watcher Claude Arpi said, "It is definitely a combination of factors. However, it is also a fact that China is wary of opening another front, that too against India. Lastly, Jinping's military reforms initiated last December have left the Chinese with a lot of new arrangements to cater for." Before the reforms, India would face the Chengdu and Lanzhou Military Regions (MRs).

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If tittle-tattle is to be believed, it would appear that the Chinese Super League tested the waters with a hefty speculative offer for the services of one Cristiano Ronaldo.

Waffling to Sky Sport Italia, Ronaldos agent Jorge Mendes claimed that Real Madrid had previously received and rejected an enormous offer for the Portuguese superstar from an anonymous Chinese side.

Mendes also added that his client had been offered a vast salary package worth almost 2million per week:

From China, theyve offered 300million to Real Madrid and more than 100million per year to the player. But money is not everything; the Spanish club is his life. The Chinese market is a new market. They can buy a lot of players, but then again it is impossible to go for Ronaldo. Cristiano is the best player in the world and best ever. It is normal to have some offers.

For comparisons sake, Ronaldo is reportedly making around 335,650 per week at the Bernabeu.

Kudos to Mendes for adopting a subtle approach to fishing for a new contract.
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) India today signed a pact with Singapore to amend a decade old treaty to begin taxing capital gains on investments routed through the South East Asian nation from April next to check round-tripping of funds, after rolling back similar benefits to Mauritius and Cyprus.

India had in May this year signed a revised tax treaty with Mauritius, triggering a change in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Singapore.

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Mauritius and Singapore are among the top sources of foreign direct investments into India and also account for a big chunk of total inflows into the countrys capital markets.

Under the amended treaty with Singapore, for two years beginning April 1, 2017, capital gains tax will be imposed at 50 per cent of the prevailing domestic rate. Full rate will apply from April 1, 2019, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

"This year on May 10 we had amended DTAA with Mauritius. Then in September we amended with Cyprus and today we amended the DTAA with Singapore," he said. "With these three... we have successfully stopped round tripping through this route."

Of the total FDI inflows of USD 29.4 billion in April- December 2015-16, Mauritius and Singapore accounted for USD 17 billion.

Jaitley said the earlier DTAAs with the three countries gave complete exemption from payment of tax on profits made through capital gains as there was no such levy in the host countries. The beneficiary did not pay any capital gains tax in India.

"Therefore there was a reasonable apprehension that these agreements were misused for round tripping and bringing money back in country through this route," he said, adding 2016 has been significant and historic in getting these amended.

Through the revision in the treaty, "we have given a reasonable burial to the black money rule that existed," he said.

The Finance Minister said like the Mauritius pact, all investments will be grandfathered till March 2019. "Capital gains liability will be shared half and half and after that entire capital gain will come to India," he said.

Also, Switzerland will begin sharing with India from 2019 information on all investment or accounts maintained in its banks post-2018.

The CBDT had signed an agreement to this effect with Switzerland about two months back, he said.

These are "milestone in campaign against tax evasion and parking of money outside country," he said. "2016 has been historic as three DTAAs have been rewritten."

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Jaitley said "the revisiting of these arrangements was extremely important and along with the battle of black money that is being fought currently in India, it is a very happy coincidence that by amending them, we have been able to give a reasonable burial to this black money route which existed".

Short term capital gain tax is levied at 15 per cent in India, while long term capital gain tax is zero. PTI JD DP ANZ ABM

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By PTI: Jerusalem, Dec 30 (PTI) Israel today issued an "immediate and severe" travel warning for Western tourists in India, citing an immediate threat of attack on tourist targets during New Year celebrations, particularly in south-west part of the country.

"We are warning Israeli tourists in India of the possibility of imminent terrorist attacks against western targets and tourists, particularly in the southwest of that country," Israels anti-terrorism directorate said in a statement released by the Prime Ministers office.

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"A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high," the warning said.

The south-west part of the country -- which covers popular holiday destinations like Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin -- are particularly at risk, it said.

The statement further recommended that tourists avoid participation in beach and New Year parties at popular tourist spots.

"Israeli tourists traveling in India are asked to stay alert and to pay attention to local media reports and security agencies," it added.

Meanwhile, an Israeli Embassy spokesman in New Delhi confirmed the warning and said: "Israel has issued a travel advisory surrounding New Years Eve celebrations events in south-west India, with specific regard to beach parties, clubs and highly-populated tourist sites. Israeli tourist are advised to avoid such events and other densly-populated areas."

The warning also called on Israeli families to contact their relatives in India and tell them of the threat.

In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas.

Notably, the travel warning was published on Friday, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, when government offices close for business.

The directorate did not specify what prompted the warning, however, additional security arrangements have been made all around the world for New Year eve in view of the Berlin terror attack on a Christmas market last week that killed 12 people.

India remains a popular tourist destination for Israeli citizens and according to Jewish Post an estimated 20,000 former Israeli soldiers travel to India every year.

Israeli citizens and Jewish sites in India have been attacked in the past, the most infamous incident occurred during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack when members of the Pakistani-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) targeted the local Chabad House, among other sites, in Mumbai.

In 2012, Tal Yehoshua Koren, the wife of an Israeli Defense Ministry representative, was moderately wounded in an explosion in her car near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. PTI PYK SUA SUA

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It also called on families in Israel to contact their relatives in India and tell them of the threat.

By Reuters: Israel's anti-terrorism directorate issued a travel warning for India on Friday, citing an immediate threat of attack to Western and tourist targets, particularly in the south-west of the country.

"A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high," part of the warning said.

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The statement recommended that tourists avoid participation in such parties. It also called on families in Israel to contact their relatives in India and tell them of the threat.

AVOID MARKETS, SHOPPING AREAS

In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas. Unusually, the warning was published on Friday evening in Israel, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, when government offices close for business.

The directorate did not say what prompted the warning.

In 2012, the wife of Israeli diplomat stationed in India, her driver and two others were wounded in a bomb attack on her car. Israel and India share close military ties.

Also read: China blocks Azhar's listing as terrorist by UN, India miffed

Also read: US designates 2 LeT leaders as terrorists, exposes international links

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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IT can be hard to find sites that have disappeared from the Internet. But the Internet Archives Wayback Machine is on the verge of rolling out a feature that will make tracking down dead websites much easier, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle says.

The Wayback Machine has been helping people see past Internet sites over the past 15 years, but searchers always needed to know the URL of a website to find the archived copies.

Soon, however, youll be able to use keyword searches to find old websites  in fact, you can already test it out through a public beta.

The new search feature is not quite like Google, where all the text on each page on a website is indexed to help with searches. The Wayback Machine feature lets you search for an archived websites main page, although it does not have the capacity to enable searches for specific web pages on that site. But once youre there, youre able to navigate around the old websites.

Theres a billion websites, Kahle said, and thats all we can get to work.

But the feature is still a big step in terms of usability. Kahle said he, too, has struggled with the lack of keyword search availability in the Wayback Machine.

I use the Wayback Machine mostly by going to Google, finding a URL and then going to the Wayback to find previous versions of it, said. But what if the site is completely gone?

The ever-changing online ecosystem is partly to blame for all of that hoop jumping. The Internets history is filled with the digital corpses of entire sites that are hard, if not impossible, to find through Google.

The real power of the Wayback Machines new search is it makes it easier for us to see how the web used to look.

 Washington Post
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ian Thomson flew a Halifax Bomber 44 times over enemy territory during the Second World War, and 44 times he flew back.

Many werent as fortunate as Lucky Thomson, who saw planes flown by his brothers in arms blown up in the skies around him. There were many crews that never returned to England.

Thomson, who turns 94 Saturday, returned home from the war more than seven decades ago. Since then  as a result of accidents, illnesses or old age  hes lost most of his comrades and legion hall friends.

Its sad to see them go, but I will be going soon myself, a chuckling Thomson says.

But theres nothing you can do, he says, paraphrasing verse by Omar Khayyam. The moving finger writes and, having written, moves on. Nor all thy piety nor all thy wit can cancel half a line of it.

What has been called the Greatest Generation, people who were raised through the Great Depression and came of age serving their country in a worldwide war, is fast shuffling off into the pages of history.

Its sad to see them go, but I will be going soon myself. -Ian Thomson, 94

Veterans Affairs Canada says more than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in the countrys Armed Forces, Allied Forces or merchant navy between 1939 and 1945.

Of those, more than 47,000 Canadians died on the ground, on the water or in the air while battling Axis forces. For the lucky ones who made it back, the calendar has been the unstoppable foe.

As of March, there were only 61,300 veterans still alive. Thats down from 75,900 two years earlier.

Veterans Affairs says the average age of the ones who remain is 92.

As of Dec. 24, the Winnipeg Free Press obituaries of 191 people who died in 2016 noted their service as Second World War veterans. Thats an average of more than three a week. Within a decade, there will be just a handful, if any, left. (See list of those lost in 2016 below)

Thomsons wife, Carol, who was known as Carley Souchereau during her time with the Canadian Womens Army Corps Reserves starting in 1958, admits it is tough to watch the generation that was barely out of their teens in the Second World War fading away.

Its sad to see these people drop off as fast as they are, she says.

I think of the people who has served in Afghanistan. Weve lost so many people there, but nothing like the Second World War.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ian Thomson flips through his pilots log, a photo of the Halifax Bomber her flew in the bottom right corner. He piloted bombing runs over Germany 44 times.

Before theyre all gone, the legion both Thomson and his wife are part of has decided to honour them.

The Royal Canadian Legion Henderson Highway, Branch 215, has put together a 13-month fundraising calendar to pay for a wall of honour and remembrance. The wall, which is already under construction inside the legions hall in East St. Paul, will use both static and video displays to pay tribute to veterans and members of the legion who are from the East St. Paul and North Kildonan areas.

You read the stories, and it is mind-boggling what they did. -Legion branch president Gord Machej

The first display is planned to be about Hill 70, the first battle Canadians fought during the First World War as a Canadian Corps and under the command of a Canadian general.

Its for remembrance, says Gord Machej, the legion branchs president. Its very important for us to do an appropriate remembrance of their sacrifices. The general populace is forgetting a lot.

You read the stories, and it is mind-boggling what they did we have to continue to encourage the population and the legion to remember, and not just on Remembrance Day.

Machej said the Second World War veterans he has met over the years all had one thing in common.

They certainly had no fear, and they had the commitment to do the job, he says.

Nicole Fanshaw, who runs the restaurant in the legion, said the calendar is $20 and is available at the branch. A thousand were printed, and about half were still available before Christmas.

Were very proud of the calendar because we want to honour the veterans, she says.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Carol and Ian Thomson are both Canadian veterans. He flew Halifax Bombers in the Second World War, while she served with the Canadian Womens Army Corps Reserves.

Each calendar page features a veterans military history and two photos  one current and one from when they served.

But theres time getting in the way again. Mike Slater, who is featured on the December 2016 page, died in September while the calendar was being put together.

Ive lost a lot of people I cared about, Fanshaw says.

He (Slater) was very excited to be in the calendar. One of the reasons were doing this calendar is because we need to remember them. What they said and what they did, many people dont remember.

Thomsons last bombing operation  mission is an American term, he says  was over Germany in February 1945.

When you see someone blown apart 100 feet ahead of you, you never forget. -Ian Thomson

On one of his 44 runs, the rear gunner of the plane on his nose gave him the thumbs up signal seconds before it blew up. He believes a bomb on-board the rear gunners plane blew up prematurely.

We flew through the debris  when you see someone blown apart 100 feet ahead of you, you never forget, he said.

Another time, enemy spotlights locked on to Thomsons aircraft, and he did what hed been trained to do  fly above another Allied plane to confuse the anti-aircraft crews below. It didnt work. The next thing he knew, the plane below him had been shot down.

Thomson still grieves for both those crews and thinks of them when he reminisces about the war.

He said the incidents show a combination of luck and skill determined whether you lived or died.

My nickname is Lucky, he says with a smile. But I had a wonderful crew  and they had a bloody good pilot, too.

Thomson says his greatest war honour came after the fighting.

My wireless operator named his first-born son after me.

Thomson says he is proud to have served.

It was never a job, he said. We thought it was our duty. We just did what we thought we should. I wouldnt be surprised if 98 per cent felt the same way.

I believe history has shown us that we were correct.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Remembering those lost

Second World War veterans who passed away in 2016 and had obituaries in the Free Press which mentioned their service:

Jan. 3  Michael Petrynko, 91. Served in the Second World War at age 18 in the Tank Corp.

Jan. 4  Chester Lyons, 96. He served his country in the Second World War. Later had career in air force.

Jan. 6  James Forsyth, 96. During the Second World War he went to England and drove and serviced various transport trucks and vehicles. and received a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.

Jan. 10  Willis Wilson, 98. He served as a RCAF flying officer with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan teaching new recruits basic flying.

Jan. 11  Bob Sutton, 89. He enlisted in the RCAF in 1944 and completed his training just as the Second World War was winding down and consequently he did not fly in active combat, something he regretted.

Jan. 11  Stefan Wawryk, 94. He served with the Royal Canadian Artillery, 3rd Field Regiment, 19th Battery, 1st Division in the battle of Ortona, Italy. He was wounded in battle and taken back to England.

Jan. 12  John Feschuk, 94. He served in the RCAF.

Jan. 13  Donald Robson, 91. He was a proud Second World War Navy veteran and member of the White Ensign Club.

Jan. 13  Andy Tough, 94. He joined the RAF and earned his pilots wings in Moose Jaw. He flew his first Spitfire in the United Kingdom before being deployed to India and Burma.

Jan. 13  Alex Patapow, 88. He was born in Russia and fought for Russia in the Second World War.

Jan. 14  Frank Rowan, 94. He served in the RCAF as an observer, flying missions over Germany. He was shot down in March 1945 and was a prisoner of war until the end of the war.

Jan. 14  Bert Moon, 91. He enlisted in the Navy in 1943 and served in the Merchant Marine.

Jan. 15  Gene Britton, 95. A Second World War veteran.

Jan. 16  Bill Giesbrecht, 98. He served with the 1st Battalion Saskatoon Light Infantry from 1939 to 1945.

Jan. 18  Chuck Steen, 91. He was very proud to be a Second World War veteran, serving on the 600 Wing Executive and participating in Remembrance Day services every year.

Jan. 19  Emil Litke, 92. While he was enlisted in World War Two he met and married the love of his wife Jean.

Jan. 19  Hugh Buskell. He was a proud Second World War veteran.

Jan. 20  Arthur Schwartz, 92. He was with the Royal Canadian Army Dental Corps from 1944 to 1947 stationed in the North Atlantic and England and commissioned with the rank of Captain.

Jan. 20  Palmi Sigvaldason, 96. He joined the Armed Forces and served with them for two and a half years.

Jan. 25  Arthur Wilson. He joined the RCAF in 1942. He was attached to the No. 410 Repair and Salvage Unit of the Second Tactical Air Force. This operated in support of the Army from Juno Beach to Central Germany.

Jan. 26  Larry Beeston, 81. Graduated from St. Pauls High School in 1942 and went directly into the Canadian Navy. He graduated from signalman school in St. Hyacinthe and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres of war.

Jan. 28  Richard Hayward, 87. He enlisted as a cadet, learned mechanical skills and tank operation, but was never deployed because he turned 17 on V-E Day.

Jan. 28  Bernard Mills. He served with the RCAF.

Jan. 30  Peter Wiebe, 94. He joined the RCAF and served as a pilot during the Second World War.

Feb. 1  Larry Francis, 94. He was a member of the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) during the Second World War and served overseas in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

Feb. 4  Ray Daniels, 93. Joined the RCAF during the Second World War where he served as a navigator until he was seriously injured requiring two years of hospitalization and rehabilitation.

Feb. 5  Meredith Huston, 96. He served in the Navy on the HMCS Hespler in the Second World War.

Feb. 6  Bruce Kraeling, 97. He joined the navy and served as a communications sailor.

Feb. 6  Mick McLean, 89. He enlisted with the armed forces in 1944 and joined the RCAF and qualified as an air gunner special group with the rank of sergeant.

Feb. 7  John Chale, 92. He joined the RCAF, but after receiving his wings he was seriously injured in a flight accident and spent two years in hospital.

Feb. 8  Conrad Schwartz, 95. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy, serving on the HMCS New Glasgow and HMCS Chambly.

Feb. 8  Stanley Kloczkowski, 97. He joined the Polish 65 Light bomber Division which saw heavy fighting and retreated to Romania where he became a prisoner of war. He was able to escape with a false passport and get to England where he joined the 300 Squadron of the Polish Air Force.

Feb. 9  Fred Dubois, 90. He served with the Navy on both coasts during the Second World War.

Feb. 11  Wally Dunn, 93. He spent six months training before going overseas with the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders. For a short period of time he drove a truck, lights turned off, to Scotland filled with ammunition. A beautiful young lady named Maggie went with him and drove it back to England. Turns out Maggie was actually Princess Elizabeth now Queen Elizabeth.

Feb. 13  Bill Jorheim, 92. He joined the 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, and was shipped off to Britain to join the 57th Battalion. He saw action in Italy and then, in 1944, his unit joined the Canadian Army in northwestern Europe where a picture was taken of him and his crew which now hangs in the War Museum in Ottawa.

Feb. 17  John Lamont, 90. John enlisted at age 17 in the Royal Canadian Air Force and proudly served his country overseas during the Second World War.

Feb. 23  Arthur Beavis, 90. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Feb. 23  Gord Peterson, 90. He was a veteran of the Second World War.

Feb. 23  Don Hasselfield, 91. He joined the navy and from 1942 to 1945 he rose from naval cadet to Lieutenant.

Feb. 29  Bill Dion, 94. In 1942, he joined the RCAF and proudly served his country until the end of the war.

Feb. 29  Douglas MacPherson, 91. Served in the Second World War.

March 1  Jack McGregor. Served in the Second World War.

March 4  Don Johnston, 91. He served in the RCAF.

March 6  Harold Sweetland, 97. He enlisted in Winnipeg Sept. 1939 with the Fort Garry Horse. He saw action with 12th Manitoba Dragoons armoured cars in Normandy, Germany, the liberation of Holland, and was mentioned in dispatches for gallant and distinguished service.

March 7  Jack Gilbert, 92. He was a member of the RCAF.

March 8  Harry Simpson, 98. He enlisted in the RCAF and attended No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School in Paulson. He was stationed at Torbay, NL, where the missions were to provide air cover for Allied convoys and patrol for U-boats.

March 9  Leo ONeill, 91. He joined the RCAF and trained as a bombardier before he went overseas.

March 10  Donalda Brekelmans, 91. She served in the navy during the Second World War signalling ships safely to shore at Halifax harbour.

March 10  Bill Carr, 92. He joined the Royal Canadian Army.

March 17  Dorothy Duguay, 91. She joined the Womens Navy (WRENS). She trained at Guelph, Ontario and served in Cornwallis and Halifax, Nova Scotia and then finally settled in Winnipeg.

March 18  Ruth Johnstone, 93. She served her country in the military in the Second World War, based in Ottawa as a military photographer.

March 18  Harry Tregobov, 91. He served as an infantryman.

March 23  Eric Gilbart, 92. Flt. Lt. Gil was a pilot in the RAF/RCAF during the Second World War.

March 23  Jack Westergard, 96. He was in the air force.

March 24  Issie Brass, 99. Served overseas with the Canadian Army during the Second World War.

March 24  Max Hatch, 91. He joined the air force in 1943 and served overseas in London for the duration of the war.

March 25  Ray Vadeboncoeur, 91. He was a Second World War veteran.

March 29  Laurie McGregor, 92. During the Second World War Laurie enlisted in the Air Force where he was a ground crew mechanic in squadrons stationed in Alaska and Vancouver Island.

March 29  Bert Friesen, 91. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of almost 18. He was stationed in Whitehorse, Yukon.

March 31  Thomas Crothers, 91. Enlisted in the RCNVR in July 1943 and served until 1945.

April 1  Jack Hodges, 95. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, (he) enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940 and served until the end of 1945.

April 2  Ray Dorey, 90. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at the young age of 17 during the Second World War.

April 3  Henry deDenus, 91. Henry was a proud Second World War veteran.

April 4  Cecil Durnin, 93. Was a proud veteran of the Second World War, a pilot who served in England and India.

April 4  Donald MacDonald, 95. He enlisted with the RCAF in the Second World War and served several tours over France and Germany with 409 and 406 Squadrons, flying the deHavilland Mosquito aircraft as a night fighter/intruder pilot. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and is credited with destroying three enemy aircraft and damaging another.

April 4  Harold Murray, 91. He served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, remaining in the RAF Reserves after the war.

April 5  Joe Leibl. In 1941 he joined the army where he remained for five years.

April 5  Lawrence Graham, 98. Voluntarily enlisted to serve in the Second World War with the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders from 1942 to 1945.

April 8  Stanley Combe, 90. He was a pilot in the North Atlantic.

April 11  William Woodford, 92. He served with PPCLI as a Corporal in Canada, Britain, Central Mediterranean and northwest Europe.

April 12  Jack Sinnott, 93. He served in England, France, Holland and Germany.

April 14  Gusti Jacobson, 93. He was proud of being a flying officer in the Second World War and being the first local to graduate from Gimli Flight School.

April 15  Peter McGregor, 95. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1940. He served as a flying officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

April 16  Henryk Wiktorowicz. He was a Polish Second World War veteran. When Amnesty was declared in June 1941 (Soviet Union joined the Allies against Germany) he joined the Polish Army and joined the Polish Second Corps in Egypt which was part of the Allied offensive in the Italian campaign. He took part in the final and successful attack by the Polish forces at Monte Cassino. As a member of the signal corps division, he consistently risked his life by transporting ammunitions to the front lines.

April 20  Beatrice Sucharov. She worked in coded communications in the Second World War.

April 21  Peter Stefanko, 92. He served his country with four years in the military as an anti-aircraft gunner.

April 23  Harry Cohen, 93. He served in Burma during the war.

April  Edmond Roy, 92. After graduating from high school in St. Pierre he enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942, and served as a bomber.

May 1  Ed Duffy, 93. He enlisted in the RCAF in 1942 and served overseas in the U.K.

May 1  Percy Hannesson, 93. He served four years in the RCAF.

May 5  Harry Hampson, 91. Joined the service of the RCAF in 1943 and proudly served to 1946.

May 6  Peter Sawatzky, 94. He enlisted in the army and served overseas in the Second World War.

May 7  Herbert Renz, 91. Born in a small German village he served in the military and was badly injured in the Second World War.

May 16  Alex Matheson, 91. He enlisted in 1943 and served in the armed forces for 33 years.

May 18  Joseph Stoyanowski, 95. He enlisted in the army and got his training as a mechanic in the RCEME Corps.

May 21  Fred Langan, 92. He proudly served our country as a Private with the PPCLI during the Second World War.

May 22  Mary Philipps, 95. She served as a nurse in the Navy (WRENS) during the Second World War.

May 22  Len Jorgenson, 96. He was a Second World War veteran with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

May 23  John Koniak, 94. He enlisted in the army, serving with the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders in World War II.

May 23  Ellery Post, 91. He was a Second World War veteran who joined the Navy at 17 in 1942 and served on Royal Canadian Navy ships, including the Destroyer HMCS Huron. He was part of a crew whose role included protecting convoys bringing supplies into Russia on the Murmansk run.

May 25  Bruce Cameron, 92. He enlisted in the RCAF in October 1943. Training as an Air Gunner in Quebec, he was released as a Sergeant in January 1945 due to a surplus of airmen projected for 1945.

May 26  Lloyd OMorrow, 92. He was a pilot and flight instructor in the RCAF in the Second World War.

May 28  Hazel Campbell, 92. Born and raised in England she joined the Womens Land Army and worked very hard on the farms as the men were sent to war.

May 29  Arthur James, 92. He served with distinction in the British Army, particularly in Burma during the Second World War, and rose to the rank of Warrant Officer.

June 2  John Kuryk, 91. He served in the army, stationed across Canada from the west coast to the east coast.

June 3  James Cartlidge, 90. When the war started he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force where he earned his Officers Commission.

June 3  Herb Jackson, 92. He left the U of M to join the RCAF for the Second World War.

June 5  Donald Evans, 91. Grew up in Yorkshire, England. During the Second World War he served in the RAF 83rd Squadron as a flight engineer on a Lancaster Bomber.

June 13  George Gershman, 93. He served in the air force during the Second World War.

June 13  Albert Jacobs, 90. He was a child soldier during the Second World War, having lied about his age to enlist and seek adventure.

June 13  Ole Anderson, 92. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy.

June 14  Grant Wade, 93. He enlisted in the RCAF in 1942 and was in active duty as a bomb aimer on an Avro Lancaster situated on an RAF base (Squadron 101) in Ludford Magna. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross upon his return.

June 14  Ted Tacium, 94. He was turned away from the Royal Canadian Air Force because of his youthful appearance. He managed to join the Canadian Army, Ontario regiment, in 1940, and after training at Camp Borden, was initially stationed in Brighton, England. As a member of a tank regiment, he landed in Sicily and moved along with the armed forces through Italy in 1944.

June 15  Paula Henry. During the Second World War, she served in the Women in the Air Force as a balloon barrage specialist and as an instrument mechanic supervisor for automatic pilot controls.

June 16  Jim McLennan, 92. He enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1941 and served in France, Holland and Germany until his discharge in 1946.

June 17  Bryce Badgley, 91. He enlisted with the Calgary Highlanders at age 19, taking his basic training in Shilo, Manitoba and was sent overseas in 1944, serving in England, Holland and Germany.

June 19  Thomas Owen, 94. Tom joined the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War where he flew in Lancaster bombers.

June 21  Frank Williams, 93. At the age of 17 he enlisted and spent the next five years in the Navy on a corvette in the North Atlantic escorting convoys from North America to Britain.

June 21  Al Heaton, 92. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and in 1944 shipped overseas where he served in England and Germany.

June 29  Arthur Hornby, 90. At age 18, the war interrupted his apprenticeship when he joined the RCNVR.

July 2  David Ferguson. He bravely served his country during the Second World War.

July 2  Ruth Norris, 95. She served her country in the Second World War in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1943 to 1946.

July 4  Paul Martin, 96. He enlisted in the army and became part of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. He landed on the beaches of Normandy and was decorated several times, retiring from the military with the rank of Captain.

July 5  Lyndy Best. He served as a navigator in the RCAF.

July 8  Glenn Adlard, 98. He served overseas during the Second World War in the RCAF in England and Europe as an aircraft mechanic.

July 8  Vern Watson, 92. He joined the armed forces in 1943 and served four years.

July 11  Bud McLean, 93. He joined the Lord Strathcona Horse (Royal Canadians) and served overseas with his regiment in Italy and northwest Europe. He received the Military Medal at Buckingham Palace from King George VI in 1945.

July 18  Matthew Kolosinski, 95. He worked the family farm until duty called him to serve in the Canadian Forces in 1942. He had a long career in the RCAF in aircraft maintenance.

July 20  John Saunders, 96. A veteran of the Second World War.

July 22  Ronald Johnson, 92. He joined the RCAF in 1943 and was stationed with 418 Edmonton Squadron in England, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

July 24  Nicholas Kushnier, 92. He enrolled in the Navy and was proud to serve his country in the Merchant Marines.

July 30  Fredrick Knight, 93. He was a Second World War veteran.

Aug. 3  William Smerchanski, 93. He served during the Second World War Home Guard stationed in Montreal.

Aug. 11  Harold Mack, 97. He served three years in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Aug. 12  Lionel Hutlet, 91. He was a Second World War veteran and was wounded in battle in Northern Germany after crossing the Rhine River.

Aug. 18  David Silver, 94. After graduating high school he joined the Canadian Air Force, serving as a pilot during the Second World War.

Aug. 22  Tom Cuddy, 94. He enlisted in the RCAF in 1941 at the age of 19 and was sent overseas where he worked with the team developing radar.

Aug. 25  Logie Johnson, 92. He joined the Navy, the Second World War, sailing the Atlantic Ocean in an escort vessel and a convoy known as the Murmansk Run, just south of the Arctic Circle.

Aug. 26  John Lunney, 90. He joined the army at age 17 and was stationed at Camp Shilo.

Sept. 3  Lawrence McAllister, 97. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Sept. 4  Harold Fraser. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War on the HMCS Canso and participated in D-Day.

Sept. 5  Gordon McIntosh, 90. Joined the army in 1944 and proudly served with the Princess Patricia Light Infantry.

Sept. 5  Albert Drayson, 91. He joined the Winnipeg Rifles in 1943 and served in France, Germany and Holland. He was wounded in Belgium.

Sept. 6  Alfred Landry, 96. At the age of 21 he joined the Royal Canadian Army. He was a fully trained infantry soldier serving with the Hull regiment from Hull, Quebec.

Sept. 11  Czeslaw (Chester) Toposzkiewicz, 101. He joined the Polish army at age 20. He was interned in a Siberian labour camp and after his release served in the Polish army during the Second World War in Iran, Iraq, Palestine and Egypt. He fought in the Italian campaign including the battle of Monte Cassino. He immigrated to Canada after the war.

Sept. 13  Len Kropioski, 98. He enlisted in the army on Nov. 22, 1940, and was honourably discharged on Jan. 5, 1946. Leo served alongside the U.S. forces in the Aleutian Islands campaign between June 3, 1942, and Aug. 15, 1943.

Sept. 15  Walter Netzel, 100. He was a veteran of the Second World War.

Sept. 18  Miran Olynyk, 92. He proudly served his country in the Second World War, first joining his brothers in the Army in 1941, then transferring to the Navy from 1943 to 1945 on HMCS Agassiz in the Atlantic.

Sept. 19  John Innes, 94. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Dragoon Regiment and did his duty in Italy, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

Sept. 20  Paul Moulden, 91. He served as a gunner in the Canadian Artillery serving in Italy, France, Holland, and Germany, including the Army of Occupation.

Sept. 22  Jim OToole, 93. He enlisted at age 18 after graduating from high school. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force and flew Hurricanes and Spitfires, among other aircraft,. He was a pilot with 443 Squadron, Wing 127.

Sept. 22  Marcel Asselin, 96. He was a pilot in the RCAF and earned the rank of Flight Lieutenant. As an instructor, he helped many recruits earn their wings while stationed in Dauphin, Regina, Terrace, BC and England.

Sept. 22  Bill McGowan, 92. He served with the Fort Garry Horse, as a Captain of a small tank division, during the Second World War.

Sept. 23  Jim Gosselin, 95. He served in the Second World War.

Sept. 23  Herb Britton, 97. When the Second World War came his biggest fear was that he would not accepted into the army. However he was. Herb served with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and the Lincoln and Welland regiment for nearly six years, fighting in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

Sept. 24  Bill Douglas, 96. He served in the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders, was a POW and a proud veteran.

Sept. 25  Bill Sawchuk, 90. When the Second World War broke out he joined the Navy from 1941 to 1946.

Sept. 28  Thomas Sykes, 95. He was a pilot of a Mitchell aircraft in Bomber Command overseas.

Sept. 29  Michael Slater, 92. He joined the PPCLI in 1944 and then volunteered for the elite 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. He joined the battalion in England, where it had just returned following participation in the D-Day Airborne Operation. He then deployed with the battalion to take part in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and The Ardennes. He also took part in actions in the Netherlands and Germany.

Sept. 30  Ray Labossiere, 92. In 1943 he enlisted in the army where he spent eight months as a POW near Munich, Germany.

Sept. 30  John Keysers, 96. He enlisted in the Winnipeg Grenadiers, 2nd Battalion Armed Forces, from Jan. 1942 to Feb. 1945, serving in Canada and the North Pacific area.

Oct. 1  Joe Katchur, 92. He joined the Air Force serving in Canada.

Oct. 1  Fred Tully, 91. He joined the army in 1944 and served overseas until 1946.

Oct. 3  Jack Brown, 96. He served with the RCAF from 1942 to 1945 and was stationed at Brandon where he served as an AERO engine mechanic.

Oct. 5  Peter Pozerniuk, 92. He served in the air force.

Oct. 8  Ray Thurlbeck, 92. He served as a heavy duty tank instructor at Camp Borden.

Oct. 12  Tom Talarico, 96. He served in the RCAF.

Oct. 12  Frank Aldwinckle, 97. Served with the Royal Fusiliers (City of London regiment) from 1939 to 1945.

Oct. 14  Earl McMillan, 93. He joined the RCAF in 1942 and served as a pilot flying from India and the Cocos Islands.

Oct. 18  John Pelletier, 94. He joined the army on June 18, 1940.

Oct. 19  Frederick Farmery, 96. He served in the Air Force during the Second World War in reconnaissance.

Oct. 19  David Moors, 91. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1944 and was trained as a torpedoman.

Oct. 22  Ivan Dobson, 95. In 1941 he joined the RCAF and trained in Canada to obtain his Observers Wing. In 1942, he arrived in the United Kingdom where his training was completed and he performed operations with RAF 192 squadron. However, the crew was split up and his new crew was sent to the Middle East to 104 RAF squadron where he completed 39 missions as Squadron Bomber Leader.

Oct. 22  John Shachtay, 97. He joined the Army and served in the Second World War.

Oct. 24  Bill Belcher, 92. He joined the Air Force and served during the close of the Second World War.

Oct. 26  Jim Henderson, 94. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1941 to 1945.

Oct. 29  Gilbert Simpson, 91. He answered the call to serve, joining the Royal Navy in 1944 and serving on the HMSC Prince Rupert.

Oct. 29  Alvin Raetzen, 103. He joined the RAF in 1941 and was a flight navigator on many missions. In 1944 his plane was shot down and he was captured and imprisoned in a German POW camp for a year.

Oct. 31  Marshall Webber, 95. He was a member of the Highland Light Infantry and served in battle from mid-1944 through to the end of the war.

Oct. 31  Margaret Cooney, 91. She entered the army and proudly served her country until the war ended.

Nov. 6  George Steffenson, 94. As a young man he joined the army and performed duties such as messenger and truck driver while overseas during the Second World War.

Nov. 7  Samuel Fletcher, 90. He served in the Second World War and the Korean War.

Nov. 8  Alexander Smaluk, 95. An instructor with the RCAF in the Second World War.

Nov. 8  Bill Everett, 95. In 1939 he was accepted into Royal Military College in Kingston. In 1941 he joined the Canadian Navy and was assigned to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England, where he graduated as a Midshipman. He joined the war effort aboard the British battleship HMS King George V and was later transferred to the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious. In 1943 he was assigned to serve on the HMCS Saskatchewan escorting convoys to Murmansk and later served on the HMCS Kootenay. By the time he left the Navy he had achieved the rank of Lieutenant and had been mentioned in dispatches for distinguished service.

Nov. 10  George Nobiss, 92. At the age of 16 he joined the army with the Winnipeg Grenadiers and fought in the Second World War in the Battle of Hong Kong. He was wounded in battle, captured, becoming a prisoner of war for almost four years in the Japanese prison camps where conditions and treatment were unbelievable.

Nov. 10  Thomas Ogilvie. He was a Second World War RCAF veteran.

Nov. 13  Marty Weiten, 91. Proudly served in the Second World War in the RCAF.

Nov. 15  Ralph Nixon, 94. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and served from 1942 to 1945.

Nov. 19  Isaak Doerksen, 94. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corp. in 1940.

Nov. 19  Hershey Braunstein, 94. He served in the Navy in the Second World War.

Nov. 28  Norman Faulkneer, 91. He was a returning army veteran from the Second World War.

Dec. 1  Bill McElrea, 97. He trained as a pilot during the war but was grounded by a heart murmur after which he was stationed at Stevenson Airport as an electrician.

Dec. 2  Arkie Wilton, 95. He served as a Flight Engineer in the Second World War.

Dec. 2  Ora Hlady, 92. She served in World War II with the Air Womens Army Corps.

Dec. 3  Palmer Solvason, 98. He served in Halifax for the Canadian Army as a mechanic.

Dec. 9  Jack Kemp, 91. When he turned 18 he enlisted in the air force and was a radio operator during the war based in Winnipeg, Toronto, and then Vancouver.

Dec. 10  Dick Wright, 90. On his 17th birthday he joined the army and was assigned to the Infantry Corp. in the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada. He was sent to Suffield, Alberta, where he was a test subject for gas experiments and war research for three months.

Dec. 13  Kitty Schaedlich, 95. She enlisted in the British Army.

Dec. 18  Charles DeGagne, 90. He enlisted in the Army in 1945.

Dec. 18  Charlie Whitehead, 93. He enlisted in the Air Force as an aircraft mechanic stationed in Claresholm, Alberta.

Dec. 20  Jim McNaughton, 94. He was in the RCAF and was the only survivor in a Lancaster Bomber that was shot down over France.

Dec. 22  John Kosie, 93. He enlisted into the Army on June 13, 1941.

Dec. 23  Irene Brownridge, 89. She volunteered to serve as a WREN and spent many of the War years in and around London, England.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Claude Gagnon (from left), Nicole Fanshaw, Al Mills and Gordon Machej with the fundraising calendar for the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 215.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/12/2016 (2135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This time last year, hundreds of Syrian refugees started arriving in Manitoba. So far, more than 1,000 have been welcomed by the province. The latest was the Al Ali family of five who arrived Thursday. Even at the tail end of the Syrian refugee surge, there was still an abundance of Friendly Manitoba enthusiasm welcoming them with flags, flowers, and fanfare.

God bless Canada  thank you, Khaled Al Ali said through an interpreter at the airport Thursday after trumpeter John Oldham welcomed him and his family by playing some regal fanfare and O Canada.

Al Ali and his wife Muntaha El Barakat, their eight-year-old twins Zainab and Mohammad and 20-month-old daughter Naya had been living in Lebanon after fleeing Syria four years ago. They were greeted with hugs and kisses from Al Alis sister, Zainab Ali, and her husband Joseph Chaeban who have lived in Winnipeg for several years. I have no words, said Zainab in tears. She thanked the volunteers and donors who sponsored her loved ones to come to Canada. They did everything to get them here.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Al Ali family along with their relatives and friends make their way out of James Richardson International Airport into Winnipeg's winter weather Thursday afternoon.

Three of her Syrian relatives and their families were sponsored by the South Osborne Syrian Refugee Initiative (SOSRI). The group of nearly 200 residents of the Riverview and Lord Roberts neighbourhoods joined forced with the Churchill Park United Church to sponsor the three families  13 people altogether  living as refugees in Lebanon and Turkey with 3.7 million other Syrians who fled.

They have a future now, said Zainabs husband, Chaeban. They can live in peace.

The sponsorship group formed in late 2015 and expected the families to arrive last spring but its taken much longer, said Matthew Lawrence, spokesman for the group started by him, his wife Sonya Jantz, friend Paula Leslie and Churchill Park United Church Rev. Janet Walker.

The first Syrian refugee they sponsored arrived Oct. 25, the second came Nov. 14, and a family of four arrived on Dec. 8. On Thursday, the Al Ali family of five arrived. Two more of Zainabs relatives are expected to arrive by early next year.

Initially, they were trying to recruit enough volunteers and raise $60,000 to sponsor just one familys resettlement, said co-founder Lawrence. More than a year ago  after the world saw the photo of young Alan Kurdis body washed ashore in Turkey  they wanted to do something to help Syrians risking their lives to get to safety.

Lawrence said they approached Walker at the local United Church who agreed to host a community meeting and they put up posters in the area inviting people to attend. He went to the Pizza King on Osborne Street to ask the owner if he knew anyone who spoke Arabic and could act as an interpreter, and a pizza customer connected him with Chaeban whose wife is from Syria. She and her husband attended the meeting and asked the group to sponsor members of her family, and they did, said Lawrence.

At the outset, I was surprised at how many people stepped up, he said. Our biggest problem was because of all our success in all the money weve fund-raised and increasing the scope of what weve wanted to do. They had enough money  and willing volunteers  to sponsor more than one family, so they sponsored three.

The response was so overwhelming, said Lawrence. The SOSRI GoFundMe campaign launched Dec. 23, 2015 has raised more than $114,000 towards its $150,000 goal. Some group members with refugee resettlement experience wondered if they could manage helping three families, Lawrence recalled. They said Are you sure you want to do this? Its a lot of work, he said. You know youre in for a pretty good challenge when the people whove done it before are doing some reality checking with you, Lawrence said.

Its wonderful and rewarding and a lot of work. And there have been unexpected delays and added costs.

Because refugees are not allowed to work in Lebanon, SOSRI had to establish an emergency fund to support them until they arrived in Canada. Then the federal government announced it was no longer picking up the tab for Syrian refugees travel costs  estimated at $1,000 per person. The sponsors, who dont want to saddle the families with debt as they start their new lives in Canada, plan to cover their $13,000 travel debt.

Last spring, SOSRI learned that rebel forces in Lebanon were targeting male Syrians and threatening forced conscription into the Syrian army. Their sponsored refugees had to flee the rent-free home they had near the Syrian border and move to a safer community. Finding a place to rent was difficult and expensive. They found an apartment that was more than $2,200 month. Theyve held socials, fund-raising concerts and passed the hat, said Lawrence.

People from all different walks of life are all kicking in and doing this together, he said. The biggest surprise has been what its done to unite folks in the area, said Lawrence. Community building  thats happened as a byproduct. Neighbours whod just say hi to each other before are now joined by a common cause and getting to know each other, said Lawrence who owns his own human resources consulting firm.

People are working side by side and working through their differences. One of those differences, for example, was whether to locate the refugees in a more affordable part of the city where their rent would be cheaper after the sponsors one-year financial commitment ended or to resettle them in the South Osborne area where the rent is a little more but theyd be closer to their sponsors. Lawrence said he was in favour of them resettling in the South Osborne neighbourhood surrounded by friends to help them integrate more quickly. The benefits are going to be worth it, he said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The man who resurrected the Bear Clan helped the volunteer street patrol enjoy success this year as a force for reconciliation and safety for indigenous people in Winnipeg  but it nearly cost him his home.

James Favel said the citys property tax assessment division gave him a deadline of Dec. 9 to pay back taxes or he and his wife would have to vacate their home.

The city sent somebody to the house (to advise him) but I missed the door that day, Favel said. They left a little yellow card in the mailbox it said they were giving me 14 days to open the doors so they could assess the property. The auction was on Dec. 9. I would have been out, me and my wife.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Police officers patrol with the Bear Clan in October, then a first in Winnipeg. Bear Clan patrol co-ordinator James Favel is at left.

Since March, the trucker has devoted about 100 hours a week to the group working to keep North End streets safe five nights a week. That meant living on savings until the money ran out.

Weve been in crisis mode for the last 16 to 18 months now, he said. Im played out, you know what I mean?

Favel has lived in the area for 20 years and raised a family there. In 2009, he bought a home, making him an official North Ender. He owns his own semi and could return to driving, which provides a solid livelihood.

But he finds the work the Clan does more rewarding. One problem it doesnt pay.

By the time he found the citys yellow card in his mailbox, the family owed three years worth of back taxes on the home.

It just kept getting pushed back and pushed back, he said.

Earlier this month  before the auctioneer had a chance to swing his hammer  Favel borrowed some money and paid off the tax arrears, averting his familys crisis.

And things appear to be getting brighter for the Bear Clan, which operates on donations via a GoFundMe online campaign. Recently retired police chief Devon Clunis is providing the light.

Were looking at some funding through retired Chief Clunis Im allowed to speak to it on general terms only, Favel said.

Clunis is a strong supporter of the Clans safety patrols and outreach work. And hes a friend who gave Favel $1,000 to help pay off the tax bill.

Favel said Clunis, who is out of the country, told him he expects to be back in Winnipeg in January and will make a funding announcement by the end of the month. He said he isnt at liberty to disclose any of the details.

Hes working with some wealthy investors who will support our work, Favel said. He said its setting the standard for reconciliation in the country.

The Bear Clan has grown from a few dozen local volunteers to more than 400 since March. And the safety patrol has drawn attention across Canada; there are 18 communities in the country with volunteer groups operating on the Clans model.

The group organizes searches for missing people, distributes food and hygiene products and is equipped and trained to deliver first aid, including naloxone for opioid overdoses. Last week, the Paramedics Association of Manitoba delivered a manufacturer-donated defibrillator to the Clan to take on patrols.

Sel Burrows, a North Point Douglas community activist and founder of Power Line Citizens on Watch group, said he previously had written a letter of support for the Clan in an effort to obtain secure provincial funding.

They patrol and they intervene and stop crime, but more than that, their involvement of people who live in the community is what gives residents ownership of having a peaceful, safe community, Burrows said.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government has established a long-promised task force to reduce wait times for hospital emergency room service and other health-care services.

In a statement Friday, Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen named the heads of two committees that will report back to him by the end of June.

One will focus on hospital ER waits, while the other will address wait times for certain surgeries and diagnostic procedures.

Dr. Alecs Chochinov of Winnipeg and Dr. John Ross of Nova Scotia will co-lead the emergency department committee of the Wait Time Reduction Task Force.

Dr. Jack McPherson of Winnipeg and Dr. Michael Rachlis of Toronto will co-lead the task forces priority procedures wait times committee, which will focus on cataract surgery, hip- and knee-replacement surgeries and MRI scans and consider other procedures in surgery, ophthalmology and diagnostic imaging.

These individuals bring a wealth of front-line expertise to help us look at different ways of working to make real changes across the system, Goertzen said.

By dividing the two key areas, were better able to have the right subject matter experts focus on their skill sets and give us the most effective advice, he added. We remain committed to this work and finding the best ways to improve our system in the long term.

The committee members will include urban and rural physicians and nurses, as well as other health professionals. They will consult widely with health-care professionals and the public, Goertzen said.

Two members of the public will also be part of each committee. The province is seeking applications from people interested in working on the review and the development of recommendations for system change.

A Wait Time Reduction Task Force Steering Committee will provide oversight to both the emergency department and priority procedures subcommittee. The steering committee chair will be named at a later date, the minister said.

People across the province are affected by wait times for care, said Goertzen. We want to make sure the public is also a part of this process to make sure were capturing ideas from as many different perspectives as possible.

Those interested can apply online at www.gov.mb.ca/health/wtrtf.html before Jan. 17.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Finance Minister Cameron Friesen wont rule out following in Saskatchewan Premier Brad Walls footsteps by targeting public-sector wages to slay the deficit.

Wall and Premier Brian Pallister are facing a $1-billion deficit.

Both have hinted public-sector wages, whether it be cuts or a freeze, might be used to get a handle on ballooning debt.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall

Wall told the Canadian Press this week wages make up 60 per cent of government spending and everything has to be on the table when it comes to filling the huge hole in the budget.

I hope theres goodwill and good faith on the part of provider unions and managers and people that work in the public service to realize that even whats being paid right now might not be sustainable, Wall said.

At some point, I think we have to determine in the long-term interest of the province, do we engage in layoffs or rollbacks?

The Free Press asked Friesen if the ideas proposed by Wall were on the table in Manitoba and he didnt say yes or no, but suggested labour needs to help find solutions to tackle the deficit.

We look forward to working with all sectors, including our partners in labour, to find realistic solutions in tackling the deficit, Friesen said in a prepared statement.

We cannot ignore the significant fiscal challenges facing our province as we do the necessary work to repair and improve the services Manitoba families depend on.

Next week marks the first time labour leaders will speak with Friesen following almost two months of warnings that the government is ready to look at a wage freeze, cut or even opening up contracts in order to control spending.

The meeting has been heralded by government officials as the time for unions to discuss what needs to be done to cut costs.

As of Thursday, leaders from the provinces largest public-sector unions were still in the dark about the agenda for the much-hyped meeting.

The heads of the Manitoba Federation of Labour, Manitoba Teachers Society, Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, United Food and Commercial Workers and Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals are scheduled to be at the Jan. 5 meeting.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Premier of Manitoba Brian Pallister (left) and Minister of Health Kelvin Goertzen

The Manitoba Nurses Union is also supposed to attend, but president Sandi Mowat is unavailable on that date.

Federation of labour president Kevin Rebeck is concerned Wall and Pallister are setting a dangerous precedent by targeting public-sector wages.

He said they should focus on growing the economy.

He argues the No. 1 item that needs to be on the agenda at the meeting is a plan to open up better dialogue and discussions with unions.

Saying something at a (Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce) luncheon or to the media, when you havent even spoken to the people you are talking about, doesnt seem like a way, to me, to go about having a real dialogue, Rebeck said.

 with files from The Canadian Press

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @kristinannable
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the cessation of the recent labour action by the University of Manitoba Faculty Association, it is an opportune time to reflect on why the strike occurred.

It is tempting to see this issue in classic Marxist terms, where the workers (faculty with salaries ranging from $75,000 to $140,000 per year) defend their rights against administrators who have been captured by a corporate agenda. Equally, one can view it as an administration holding the line, in the face of revenue constraint and enrolment increases, while confronted by a faculty that seeks undue control.

Some truth exists in both views, but not a lot. More profound are two disruptions that have fundamentally changed the nature of post-secondary education in Canada: technology and globalization.

CARLOS OSORIO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES A graduate student from Taiwan uses virtual reality goggles at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. Technology and new teaching methods are on the rise in North America.

My favourite definition of a university lecture is that it is the magical process whereby the notes of the instructor transfer to the notes of the student without passing through the minds of either.

When I started teaching university 43 years ago, lectures consisted of verbal presentations, typically augmented by a chalkboard. Most baby boomers who attended university can recall the most effective lecturers as those who could be entertaining and informative and, most importantly, could present in a way that allowed the students to take good notes. Attending lectures was necessary to get a good grade.

In the last four decades, we have witnessed a revolution in learning. The most important change is that students have lost their memory. We now confront the iPad factor. Who needs to remember anything when a smartphone and Dr. Google are the sources of all knowledge? I am as guilty as anyone when, as I am dining with friends, I reach for my phone to discover who starred in the original Ben-Hur. The externalization of memory matches the explosion of facts and knowledge.

Top Hat, an educational software company, recently surveyed 22,000 university teachers. One of its striking findings was that most had experienced exponentially growing expectations from students to create a multimedia approach to delivering learning. Modern students are accustomed to accessing knowledge from social media and the web. They expect their university learning to reflect the same production values as Facebook, with interactivity and instant response. With everything online, lectures become optional.

Now, here is the problem. Graduate school, the qualifying process to become a university teacher, does not include training in multimedia. Yet that is the way knowledge is currently delivered. Faculty are caught in a very difficult bind. To acquire the multimedia skills that students have come to expect requires a massive investment of time.

This is a risky prospect for many, since it jeopardizes their research programs, and every faculty member knows publications and grant funding are the sure paths to promotion.

Universities are trying to invest in learning technologies, but the pace of innovation is extraordinary. Consider remote proctoring, the process of examining students online using secure authentication technologies that forestall cheating. Once dynamic multimedia takes over lectures and secure examination occurs online, will we need classrooms? How many live teachers will we need? I gave a brilliant lecture on marginal cost pricing in 1979; if I had that lecture on video, I would not need to constantly redo it.

The second disruption is globalization. In 2000, the University of Manitoba had 693 international students out of a total enrolment of 21,083, meaning they constituted three per cent of the whole. By 2014, this had climbed to 15 per cent (4,464 out of 29,657). Approximately one in five first-year admissions is now an international student, compared with one in 20, 15 years ago. The acceleration in enrolments from China and Africa really started in the last five years, coincident with the emergence of a well-off middle class in the so-called Third World. While I am using University of Manitoba data, I am certain this is a North American trend. At the current rate, in a decade if not sooner, the University of Manitoba could admit more international students than students from Manitoba.

The reasons are simple to understand. With English now dominating the worlds of science and commerce, many international students arrive seeking to acquire an undergraduate degree in North America to demonstrate their linguistic capabilities. However, the reality of their competency often fails to match the receipt of a degree. Although they are supposedly screened for language competency on entry, many international students graduating from a three-year degree in arts cannot compose simple sentences in English. I have the emails to prove it.

International students at the graduate level are equal to students who enter from North America. The screening is much more rigorous. But increasingly, the early undergraduate years are becoming remedial high school education. This influx of poorly qualified students has transformed undergraduate education. A separate division has even been created at the University of Manitoba to help incoming international students acquire competency in English and other academics before proceeding to standard university courses.

Why do universities accept this situation? The reason is simple. International students are not subject to the tuition-fee freeze. A Canadian student taking a five-course year in the faculty of arts might pay $3,500 in tuition. An international student pays five times as much. This creates a powerful incentive for the administration to accept under-qualified international students. They are cash cows. Again, this is a North American trend. It is not just confined to Manitoba.

Both the faculty union and the administration are caught in the 60s. The recent dance (strike) between the two sides demonstrated the mutual disconnect from the realities of modern education. The union wants protection for positions and language to govern workload as well as broader assessment criteria for promotion. To what end? To continue lockstep in traditional teaching?

The administration, for its part, is making investments in new teaching technologies, but these are a pittance compared to its very impressive 30-year plan to transform the campus physically. Much of the current capital campaign will seek funding for new buildings and physical infrastructure.

This bias to the physical is simple to understand. A philanthropist (a.k.a. retired capitalist) is more inclined to offer several millions in exchange for a name on a building than for acknowledgement of sponsorship on a suite of Internet courses. Many could also see such sponsorship as an unwarranted corporate intrusion into academics.

What seems to be lacking is a pedagogical strategy to manage these technological and demographic changes. Creating and funding a 30-year plan to build a beautiful campus is much easier, but much less important. Until such a strategy is created, one endorsed by the entire academic community, we will continue to engage in meaningless and costly labour strife that properly belongs to an earlier era.

Gregory Mason is an associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba and a senior consultant at PRA Inc. His views are his own.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/12/2016 (2134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its a baby step, but its certainly not the bold move many were calling for  hardly surprising given the risk-averse Pallister government.

Finance Minister Cameron Friesen told the Free Press Wednesday that regulatory changes to the Pensions Benefit Act were made earlier this month to extend the period of time a defined benefits plan solvency deficiency can be repaid to 10 years from five years. This is the third time similar steps have been taken to provide relief to companies offering defined benefits. Its a good temporary solution.

What many in the industry were hoping for, however, was a more comprehensive change, rather than a one-time relief package. Actuaries have been calling for a review of the Pensions Benefit Act itself. They suggest the need to regularly change the regulations indicates the act is not really working.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESs fileS Finance Minister Cameron Friesen

Still, Mr. Friesen hasnt shut the barn door entirely on more comprehensive changes. A review by the Pension Commission of Manitoba has been authorized, and its expected to be completed in mid-2017. Mr. Friesen has said the current change in legislation doesnt mean there will be no further changes coming.

This does give the Manitoba government some time to watch and learn from other provinces that have taken bolder steps in pension solvency issues. This includes Quebec, which stepped away from solvency funding, embracing instead going-concern valuations. Quebecs new legislation unveiled earlier this year means the province no longer requires defined benefit plans to fund themselves based on short-term assumptions about the market and their own finances. This is particularly important given the historically low bond-rates under which companies are currently operating. Investments now are funded on long-term, less conservative assumptions.

According to pension publication, Benefits Canada, Quebecs law reduces contribution volatility for employers, making defined benefit plans more sustainable. It is the first of its kind in Canada. And it could go a long way to make defined benefits more palatable for employers struggling with the bottom line in a particularly challenging business environment.

Solvency requirements assume that if a pension plan folds suddenly, the company would have enough assets to immediately pay out all obligations accumulated. It uses Government of Canada bond rates to do the evaluations. But most pension fund sponsors manage the fund to be viable for the longer term, recognizing the bond rates will eventually return to pre-2008 values.

The decision to implement a longer amortization period reduces the monthly expenses for companies, correcting the solvency deficiency requirements by half and will provide relief to those companies with cash-flow issues. But this is merely a stop-gap remedy. Companies in Manitoba that currently offer defined benefit pensions for staff will likely benefit more from bolder thinking.
By India Today Web Desk: TV actress Barkha Bisht has finally broken her silence about her ouster from the show Naamkarann.

Also read: Barkha Bisht to exit Naamkarann? Here's what she has to say

The actress recently confirmed that her track has in fact ended on the show, and she will soon bid farewell to the serial.

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The actress plays the role of a single mother, Asha, on the show.

"I didn't expect Asha to be bumped off, as she is one of the core characters of the show. The producers informed me the moment they finalised the track, and it doesn't seem to be an overnight decision. Every two weeks, we were trying something new to up the ratings," she says, adding, "I am practical and understand the pulse of the industry. I am sad that I am out of a show, which I have been part of since its inception. I think they decided to end my character because of its shock value. Had it been any other character, the level of shock would have been lesser," The Times of India quoted her as saying.

There were also some reports about her not getting along with co-star Arsheen Namdaar, who plays her daughter, Avni on the show.

"The story was always from Avni's perspective and hence, she was the protagonist. But that doesn't mean that I was any less important. A 10-year-old can't make me feel insecure. As far as not getting along with her is concerned, you don't connect with all your colleagues; it's just that I had a better equation with other people. Today's children are extremely professional and mature for their age because of the exposure they get. My love, affection and patience are only for my daughter," said the actress.

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Museum: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Portage World War II Museum, 119 E. Cook St., Portage. Free tours for veterans every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tours take 2 1/2 hours. For information, call 608-697-3690.

Portage Family Skate Park public meeting: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. All interested people are welcome to attend. Meetings will be held on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Cancellations will be announced on our Facebook page. Call 608-742-4959 for more information.

FRIDAY, JAN. 6

Art exhibit: Portage Center for the Arts Drury Gallery presents the exhibit by the Holy Wisdom Art Group, Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook St., Portage. Opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. The gallery is open from 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Call 742-5655 for more information.

Hope House support group: 1 to 2 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Has domestic violence touched your life in some way? Find connections with supportive individuals who have similar life experiences as you at Hope Houses newest support group. All are welcome. Held on the first and third Friday of the month. For more information, contact Katie Fluger, outreach advocate, at 608-356-9123.

SATURDAY, JAN. 7

SUNDAY, JAN. 8

Zumba: 5:30 p.m. Rusch Elementary School, Portage. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or
Income Tax department's raid on the Jain Cooperative Bank in New Delhi entered fifth day today as the officials are yet to ascertain the scale of note exchange scam carried out by the bank management.

By Atir Khan: The Income Tax department has come across a rather unique and organised way adopted by a bank of getting better of demonetisation guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India.

On the morning of December 26, the Investigation Wing of the Delhi unit of the Income Tax department conducted a raid on Jain Cooperative Bank on the basis of some leads.

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In the simultaneous raid at the head office of Jain Cooperative Bank at Daryagangj and its branches at Karol Bagh, Shahdara, Gandhi Nagar and Laxmi Nagar localities of Delhi, the IT officials found large scale wrongdoing by bank management.

READ| Deadline to deposit banned Rs 500, 1000 notes ends today

The raids were also conducted on the residences of bank's chairman Rajesh Kumar Jain, vice-chairman Pradeep Jain and one of the directors Shashank Jain.

HOW BANK DECIDED TO OVERRULE RBI

The investigation revealed that four days after note ban was announced, the bank management held a top level meeting to decide the ways to convert black money escaping the demonetisation rules.

On November 12, the full board meeting of the Jain Cooperative Bank was held in the office of the chairman at Daryaganj. Interestingly, one female director was represented by her husband on the board during the meeting.

The bank management decided to breach the limit of Rs 4,500 placed for currency exchange by the RBI. This was to be done by filling forms using identity cards of 'third persons' to exchange demonetised currency.

READ| Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first interview since demonetisation

DAILY CASH QUOTA

Daily quotas for exchange of demonetised cash were decided for everyone- right from the chairman to the peon. The cash quotas were as under:

Chairman Rs 5 lakh

Vice-chairman Rs 4 lakh

Directors Rs 2 lakh

General Managers Rs 48,000

CEO Rs 48,000

Managers Rs 28,000

Deputy Managers Rs 12,000

Clerks Rs 8,000

Peons Rs 4000

HOW THEY IMPLEMENTED THE 'PLAN'

The issue of arranging third party identity proofs was left to each member to resolve. They were responsible for arranging the requisite number of ID proofs in accordance with their cash quota.

The management was wary of leaving behind any trail. So, they did not maintain any formal minutes of the meeting.

The camera installed in the room of the chairman was switched off for the board meeting.

To facilitate the whole process, a nodal officer was appointed to receive ID proofs and undertake the currency exchange.

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The nodal officer was to sign the currency exchange forms, verify the ID proof and collect the bundle of demonetised notes.

ALSO WATCH:

The nodal officer would then inform the CEO/GM, who, in turn, tell the head cashier at the bank via intercom that old currency notes and ID proofs would be given to them by the nodal officer.

Only after this call was made, the nodal officer could go to the cashier with old notes. The nodal officer had to fill in the requisite number of forms- e.g. 112 currency exchange forms for the chairman's cash quota of Rs 5 lakh.

The cashier was supposed to hand over new currency to the nodal officer, who was to deliver the new notes to the concerned person.

READ| When a bank manager came to the rescue of a demonetisation affected senior citizen

WHEN RBI BANNED COOPERATIVE BANKS

This illegal exchange of money continued for three days from November 12. The RBI made it clear on November 15 that the cooperative banks are not allowed to exchange old notes.

But, the Jain Cooperative Bank did not pay heed to the RBI warning. The board members, in fact, doubled their cash quota for daily exchange. This continued till November 23.

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WHAT I-T OFFICIALS FOUND

According to the Income Tax officials, the bank converted more than Rs 3.5 crore of old notes illegally.

Investigation revealed that more than 1,200 new bank accounts were opened post-demontisation. Most of these accounts are Benami accounts as the account holders are not identified.

READ| Withdrawal of specified bank notes will impart far reaching changes, says Urjit Patel

More than Rs 120 crore was deposited in the bank during the period. I-T officials suspect that the large chunk of this cash is black money.

The bank officials, I-T department says, deliberately destroyed the CCTV footage to wipe out evidence of their wrongdoings.

The Income Tax department's raid continued on Friday for the fifth consecutive day as the officials are yet to ascertain the scale of the scam.

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Kimco Realty Corp. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on open-air mall-style properties in the US and is among the largest mall REITs on the market. The firm has been in business since the post-war boom of the 1966 and trading on the public markets since 1991. The name is a blend of the founders names, Martin Kimmel and Milton Cooper, who merged their assets in order to form the larger company.

The stock was added to the S&P 500 in 2006 and has held its position ever since. Kimco is also know for being the first vertically integrated REIT meaning it is internally managed and advised, and provides its own asset and property management. The firm raised $120 million with its IPO and was worth $11.4 billion in October 2022.

As of October 2022, the company laid claim to more than 530 properties enclosing 92 million square feet of retail space. The properties are primarily located within grocery-anchored shopping centers and mixed-use assets in suburban areas. The tenant-focus is on a diverse blend of essential and/or necessity-based goods or services that drive multiple consumer trips per week and provide stable income.

Kimco Realty is headquartered in Jerico, N.Y., but does not limit its investments by geography. The companys properties are located in 1st-ring suburbs surrounding major metropolitan areas from coast to coast. One area of focus is high-barrier-to-entry coastal properties in population-dense vacation zones while another is the rapidly expanding Sun Belt.

The firm offers a variety of services and features apart from property rentals that include curbside pickup zones and many others that enhance the tenant and consumer experience. Other features include digital maintenance requests, Click Pay, and a Discount Program. Some of the markets served by Kimco Realty include New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, and Atlanta.
DMK leader MK Stalin said that a probe should be commissioned under a High Court judge so the truth can be brought forward.

By Pramod Madhav: Various leaders of Tamil Nadu are seeking the medical report of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after a Madras High Court judge raised doubts over her illness and death.

Madras High Court Justice Vaidhyanathan had expressed doubts over Jayalalithaa's death, but said it is his personal opinion.

The judge said that the public has the right to know what happened to their beloved chief minister and that since she has passed away, anyone can raise a question if they find the death suspicious.

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OPPOSITION PUSHES FOR JAYA'S MEDICAL REPORT: DMK leader MK Stalin said that a probe should be commissioned under a High Court judge so the truth can be brought forward. In a statement, Stalin said that people want the government to issue a medical report carrying complete information about the treatment given to her and that he has already asked for a white paper on the issue. He expressed that even Jayalalithaa's death was declared by the hospital and not by the government authorities and that keeping data about her treatment a secret has only led the court to ask such questions. Welcoming the observation by the judge, DMK leader Vijaykanth also stated that the video footage from inside the hospital should be made public so that doubts could be cleared. Meanwhile, PMK leader Ramadass said that as it is the state government that would be explaining to the court and the people, a CBI investigation should be ordered to bring out the truth.

Justice Vaidhyanathan has raised various doubts about the procedure in which Jayalalithaa's death and the incidents afterwards unfurled, and has issued notice to the PMO, state authorities and Apollo Hospital chairman as well.

ALSO READ:

No white paper on Jayalalithaa's treatment, says AIADMK

Madras High Court judge on Jayalalithaa's death: Media has raised doubts, I also have them

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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.
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. 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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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Phillips 66 operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company. It operates through four segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment transports crude oil and other feedstocks; delivers refined petroleum products to market; provides terminaling and storage services for crude oil and refined petroleum products; transports, stores, fractionates, exports, and markets natural gas liquids; provides other fee-based processing services; and gathers, processes, transports, and markets natural gas. The Chemicals segment produces and markets ethylene and other olefin products; aromatics and styrenics products, such as benzene, cyclohexane, styrene, and polystyrene; and various specialty chemical products, including organosulfur chemicals, solvents, catalysts, and chemicals used in drilling and mining. The Refining segment refines crude oil and other feedstocks into petroleum products, such as gasolines, distillates, aviation, and renewable fuels at 12 refineries in the United States and Europe. The M&S segment purchases for resale and markets refined petroleum products, including gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels primarily in the United States and Europe. This segment also manufactures and markets specialty products, such as base oils and lubricants. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
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.
After flight 9W 2374 veered off the runway after a technical issue, the pilot was crucified by social media users. He wrote an open letter on DailyO addressing the public and the media.

By India Today Web Desk: After the daunting incident of a Jet Airways flight -- 9W 2374 -- veering off the runaway on Tuesday, social media users and media houses were quick to criticise the pilot for creating unsafe situations for the passengers. A few passengers got minor injuries in the incident that happened around 5 AM at the Dabolim Airport in Goa.

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What really happened inside the cockpit? Only the pilot could have told.

And he did.

In a powerful open letter, published exclusively on DailyO, the pilot of the Jet Airways flight 9W 2374 opened up.

In his letter, he clarified how he handled the situation that could have escalated to becoming a tragedy and how nobody would blame him after he comes out untainted post investigation.

The investigation is ongoing, but the letter the pilot, who chose to stay anonymous, wrote on DailyO, went viral this morning.

Take a look at some of the main points from the letter published on DailyO:

Talking about his profession, he said, "I love it to death, but the strange part is that if I meet my end in my line of work, it's most likely that I'll be blamed. He explained how all the speculations about what exactly happened were wrong. The airman spoke about how people blame him without knowing anything about what had really happened. "If he's alive nail him, if he's dead blame him." Calling pilots a "human machine" he explained how complex the concepts of physics are and why most people, who have no idea about the subject, still get the chance to crucify pilots. He confessed how he cannot explain the concepts of reverse unlock, moment arm or what a couple means to those who say, "anyway you autoland in fog? How?" The pilot, who chooses to remain anonymous, requested media and public not to judge pilots for one mishap. He said, "tell people that we are there to save lives, not take them." He also requested non-aviation public not to think that pilots would ever put anyone's life at risk on purpose. "We are sons, daughters, wives, husbands, parents, just like you. We haven't fallen from the realm of Asgard into the helm of these metal ships.", he said.

--- ENDS ---
Ally Financial Inc., a digital financial-services company, provides various digital financial products and services to consumer, commercial, and corporate customers primarily in the United States and Canada. It operates through four segments: Automotive Finance Operations, Insurance Operations, Mortgage Finance Operations, and Corporate Finance Operations. The Automotive Finance Operations segment offers automotive financing services, including providing retail installment sales contracts, loans and operating leases, term loans to dealers, financing dealer floorplans and other lines of credit to dealers, warehouse lines to automotive retailers, and fleet financing. It also provides financing services to companies and municipalities for the purchase or lease of vehicles, and vehicle-remarketing services. The Insurance Operations segment offers consumer finance protection and insurance products through the automotive dealer channel, and commercial insurance products directly to dealers. This segment provides vehicle service and maintenance contract, and guaranteed asset protection products; and underwrites commercial insurance coverages, which primarily insure dealers' vehicle inventory. The Mortgage Finance Operations segment manages consumer mortgage loan portfolio that includes bulk purchases of jumbo and low-to-moderate income mortgage loans originated by third parties, as well as direct-to-consumer mortgage offerings. The Corporate Finance Operations segment provides senior secured leveraged cash flow and asset-based loans to middle market companies; leveraged loans; and commercial real estate product to serve companies in the healthcare industry. The company also offers commercial banking products and services. In addition, it provides securities brokerage and investment advisory services. The company was formerly known as GMAC Inc. and changed its name to Ally Financial Inc. in May 2010. Ally Financial Inc. was founded in 1919 and is based in Detroit, Michigan.
More than 7 mine workers have died and many are still stuck after a massive landslide occurred in an open cast mine at Jharkhand's Rajmahal yesterday.

By Manogya Loiwal : As the rescue operation continues in Jharkhand's Rajmahal after the mine collapse, the Eastern Coalfields Limited has ordered a probe into the death of the workers in the accident.

More than 7 mine workers have died and many are still stuck after a massive landslide occurred in an open cast mine at Rajmahal, which is one of the largest coalfields in the eastern part of India, under the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL).

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What we know so far:

1. The cause of the landslide is said to be an overburdened dump failure, in which the stripped soil or the dump, during mining was not managed properly, trapping more than 50 mine workers along with the heavy machinery and equipments.

2. Utpal Saha, Director of the Directorate General of Mine Safety, elaborated, "The landslide was bound to happen as the method used was not apt for the type of landscape and soil in the region. Generally, when such type of soil has to be cut, a different method is used in which the land is cut from top to bottom in a bench method. This is the reason why the landslide occurred."

3. The director also said that major lapses might have occurred in the process, but the top priority for them was the safety of the workers.

4. The National Disaster Response Force immediately dispatched a team, which is working in tandem with the local rescue team and doctors who are actively working, to save as many workers as they can.

5. "A technical enquiry is under process and no further comments can be made on this right now. An investigation team has been set up, which will be led by me. I will also have to ensure that the rescue operation is successful. Rescue is our primary objective. There will definitely be an enquiry into this, which will be purely technical looking into the causes, intensity of loss and future prevention of any such mishap," said Saha.

6. The ECL had given the management of the affected patch to a local company, Mahalakshmi Group, which has been in-charge of managing the 10-year old open cast mine.

7. The ECL Director of Finance, AM Marathe, said, "Basically, an overburden dump slide occurred at around 7:30 pm in the evening. As soon as we got the information, our rescue team was dispatched. Both our directors have reached the spot as early as 2 am in the morning. All officials will reach the spot as soon as possible. The control room has been set up here as well as in Rajmahal to ease communication. A team of doctors has reached the spot while another is on standby. There have been no reports of any casualties, but a number of people are trapped. Equipment is stuck in the mine. The contract to run the patch had been given to Mahalakshmi by us. It is difficult to state the cause of the dump, and a technical team has been dispatched for enquiry. The management is looking into the reasons for the dump and after that prompt action will be taken. The NDRF has arrived and a lot of assistance is being provided by the security forces of the central government also. Our main objective is to rescue as many as we can. The rescue has been going on for 12 hours. We can't state who is responsible for the negligence unless a proper enquiry concludes. There are mines which are older than this and open grass mining is still practiced there, so the age of mine is not a factor."

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8. With every passing hour, the chances of workers stuck in the rubble being alive is diminishing but the rescue operation is in full swing and is still going on.

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9. "It is difficult to say how long will the rescue operation go on. We can only hope that there are minimum casualties. We have got full support and cooperation from the Jharkhand government," added Marathe.

10. The incident has once again exposed the lapses prevalent for the mining workers in the country.

With inputs from Anil Giri in Asansol.

--- ENDS ---
Jitendra Singh said he didn't know why there were more cases of sexual harassment from atomic energy department and it couldn't be because more atomic energy was flowing into the department.

By Mausami Singh: Addressing a year-ender press conference of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions at the North Block, the minister in-charge Jitendra Singh responded strangely to a question over an order issued by his ministry on sexual harassment at work place.

Singh said he didn't know why there were more cases (total 15) of sexual harassment being reported from Atomic Energy department and it couldn't be because more atomic energy was flowing into the department.

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"We are the nodal ministry. We are the ones who form laws and persuade other ministries to follow. We have tried to make a law on sexual harassment more effective' he replied to a question on why sexual harassment cases were being under reported.

The minister's response:

1 On a question that out of 8 ministries, why is it that department of Atomic Energy reported the highest number of cases? The minister said, "We will look into it. I am sure it's got nothing to do with atomic energy. It is our duty to find out. In fact for any ministry, we should do the needful."

2. However, secretary Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) responding to a question on why the ministeries were not mentioning sexual harassment case in their annual report, said, "It is true that many ministries are not mentioning cases of sexual harassment in there annual report. We will take up the matter even though the WCD ministry is looking into it."

3. The government had just a few days back come up with strict guidelines to protect victims of sexual harassment at workplaces.

3. In an order issued by the DoPT, the Centre reduced the deadline for completing inquiries into complaints to 30 days.

4. It also ordered departments to ensure that complainants are not victimised. The ministry told them to watch out for the well-being of women whose complaints are proven. This, it said, was to be done for five years to ensure a woman was "not subjected to vendetta".

5. Under the sexual harassment at workplace law, the inquiry committee has to give its report within 90 days.

6. The attempt to make it 30 days comes after Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi expressed disappointment with the way sexual harassment inquiries were getting held up.

7. In October, the minister promised to ensure that complaints were dealt with in a "timely and sensitive manner".

8. The DoPT went a step further. "She (the complainant) should not be posted under the respondent (who is facing the complaint) or any other person where there may be a reasonable ground to believe that she may be subjected to harassment," DoPT Director, Mukesh Chaturvedi said.

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9. It is noteworthy that usually sexual harassment cases are under reported. Sources said only eight departments reported the figures in the previous financial year.

10. The department of atomic energy reported the highest of about 15 cases.

Also read: For its female employees, Central government issues strict rules to check sexual harassment at workplace

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) The JNU administration has issued a letter to a professor over her participation in the ongoing protests over suspension of students for allegedly disrupting an academic council meeting on December 26, cautioning that her actions may attract disciplinary action.

Nivedita Menon, professor at School of International Studies, received the letter by JNU registrar Pramod Kumar, citing Academic Rules and Regulations, urging her to "not to violate" University rules.

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"Violation of University rules and regulations will attract disciplinary action," the letter stated.

It was pointed by the letter that Prof Nivedita had participated in a protest by students near the steps of the Administrative Block at 4.15 pm on December 28.

"This is a clear violation of the University rules," the letter mentioned.

The same rule was cited in a circular issued by the registrar "reminding" all the faculty, students and staff, that activities including "hunger strike, gherao, protests, demonstrations close to administrative building are a "clear violation" of the rules of the University, requesting them to stick to the rules, statutes and regulations.

Prof Nivedita, however, participated in another protest meeting held near Admin Block organised by JNU Students Union, this afternoon.

"They (JNU administration) are targeting teachers now. I received the letter and went to JNUSU event and I spoke there and I will continue to speak. There were ten other teachers who spoke and we will all continue speaking. There is absolutely no question of accepting such things."

She also criticised the JNU administration for its action against the students and teachers, adding that "presumably" other teachers who are joining protests will receive the letter from it.

"This administration is so concerned with rules, so it need to read upon how to conduct the Academic Council meeting and follow those rules," she said referring to December 26 Council meeting which led to suspension of 9 students charged of "disrupting" it.

She added that the JNU teachers supporting the students and protesting against their suspension will decide their future course of action after administrations move in the wake of their participation in JNUSU meeting.

The JNU administration had issued notices to 9 among the 11 students identified by it for allegedly "disrupting" the Council meeting on December 26. It claimed that two others were former students of the university.

Yesterday, the suspended students had refuted the charges against them, claiming that their suspension was in "violation of all norms" and an attack on them due to their "marginalised and oppressed" background.

They claimed that they were suspended for raising genuine demands including lowering of viva marks for MPhil and PhD admissions from 30 to 10. PTI VIT ARK

--- ENDS ---

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Emergency personnel and first responders from Woonsocket linger at the scene of a scary-looking accident on Wednesday morning. The crash involved three vehicles, including a private garbage truck, an SUV and a Ford F-150. Police say the accident was a result of the operator of the pickup running a stop sign at the foot of St. Leon Avenue, directly opposite radio station WNRI. Two adults and three children, between the ages of 1 and 5, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the SUV they were riding in was pancaked in the rollover crash on Diamond Hill Road.
JAIF president urges reactor restarts to fight climate change

30 December 2016

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Japan needs to work towards bringing its reactors back online if the country is to meet its climate goals, Akio Takahashi, president of the Japan Atomic Industry Forum (JAIF), said this week. Nuclear energy currently accounts for just 1.1% of Japan's electricity production and commercial operation has been resumed at only three of the country's nuclear power plants - Sendai 1, Sendai 2 and Ikata 3.

"There are less than a handful of NPPs currently in operation in Japan. I hope that the safety examinations of the rest will proceed steadily and consistently, with more of them being restarted, so that CO2 emissions can continue to be reduced and a stable supply of electricity ensured," Takahashi said.

All of Japan's 48 operational nuclear reactors were gradually taken off line following the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi. A new regulatory regime has since been created and by mid-2013 the Nuclear Regulation Authority had rewritten the country's requirements for nuclear power plant safety. Power companies then submitted applications for reactor restarts, which have progressed slowly.

In May last year, Kyushu Electric Power Company received final regulatory approval necessary for restarting units 1 and 2 of its Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima prefecture. Sendai 1 was the first to be restarted, in August that year, followed by Sendai 2, in October. Shikoku Electric Power Company announced in September this year that Ikata 3 in Japan's Ehime prefecture had resumed commercial operation.

In a statement on JAIF's website on 28 December, Takahashi said the Paris Agreement that came into effect in November offered a global framework for reducing CO2 emissions through 2020 and thereafter. The agreement provides the first framework in which all 196 member countries of the Climate Change Conference are participating, he noted.

"Its common, long-term, global target is not only to hold the increase in global average temperatures to less than 2C above pre-industrial levels, but also to make the utmost efforts to keep that increase below 1.5C.

"Japan, with a target of reducing CO2 emissions by 26% from 2013 levels by the year 2030, ratified the Paris Agreement and must now achieve its target in order to fulfill its obligation to the world," Takahashi said.

Japan's Ministry of the Environment recently announced that Japan's total CO2 emissions in the fiscal year ending March 2016 was 1.321 billion tons of CO2 equivalent, down 3% from the previous year, Takahashi noted. Factors in the reduction include lower electricity consumption, reduced CO2 emissions originating from electric power, as a result of improved CO2 discharge units, and reduced energy-derived CO2 emissions in the industrial and transport sectors, he added.

"Energy-derived CO2 emissions account for about 90% of total CO2 emissions in Japan, and some 40% of energy-derived emissions involve electricity generation. To achieve the reduction target, one key is cutting the carbon emissions associated with power sources, such as by expanding the use of renewable energies, operating nuclear power plants, improving the efficiency of thermal power plants, and finding alternative fuels," Takahashi said.

"Let us now consider the effect of restarting NPPs on reducing emissions. Given that operations have been resumed at only three NPPs in the country since the summer of 2015, nuclear power accounted for only 1.1% of total generated electricity. Even so, just that little amount of nuclear power is estimated to have saved as much as four million tons in CO2 emissions.

"Which is to say, nuclear power is credited with about 15% of the total emissions reduction of 26 million tons. That is a quite dramatic illustration of the effectiveness of nuclear power in cutting CO2 emissions," he said.

"Japan's reduction target for CO2 emissions by 2030 is premised on the country's particular composition of power sources - the so-called 'energy mix' - addressed from the viewpoint of ensuring S+3E (that is, safety, plus the conventional three E's of energy security, economy and environmental protection).

"It was then calculated based on a percentage of zero-emission power sources of 44% (renewable energies at 22-24%, with nuclear power at 20-22%, along with extensive energy conservation.

"Each NPP has a large generating capacity while functioning as a stable source, and is highly effective in reducing CO2 emissions. In meeting the target, nuclear power will play a major role," he said.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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IAEA lists achievements of 2016

30 December 2016

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today outlined its highlights for 2016, ahead of its 60th anniversary year. These included a report on verification and monitoring in Iran, the entry into force of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), response to the outbreak of the Zika crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the promotion of safe nuclear solutions towards sustainable development worldwide.

The Statute of the IAEA was approved on 23 October 1956 at the headquarters of the United Nations. It came into force on 29 July 1957.

In today's statement, the agency first highlighted IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano's publication in January of the report that marked implementation day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The report confirmed that Iran had completed the necessary preparatory steps specified in Annex V of the JCPOA, which was agreed in July 2015 between Iran and the E3/EU+3 - China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, the USA and the European Union.

The IAEA's Board of Governors had authorised Amano to implement verification and monitoring of Iran's nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA in August 2015, following a request by the United Nations Security Council.

"Implementation of the JCPOA marked the beginning of a new phase in relations between Iran and the IAEA," the agency said.

To ensure effective and efficient verification and monitoring of Iran's nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA, a new Office of Safeguards Verification in Iran was established and the Online Enrichment Monitor, or OLEM, was installed to verify that Iran keeps its level of uranium enrichment at up to 3.67%, as committed under the JCPOA.

The entry into force of a key nuclear security agreement in May marked an important step in strengthening nuclear security globally, the agency said. The Amendment to the CPPNM makes it legally binding for countries to provide physical protection of nuclear facilities and nuclear material in domestic use, storage and transport, which was not covered in the original Convention, adopted in 1979.

At the end of the year, the IAEA's "leading role as the global platform for strengthening nuclear security" was recognized at the International Conference on Nuclear Security: Commitments and Actions. The conference in December attracted more than 2000 participants from 139 Member States and 29 organizations, including representation from 47 Member States at ministerial level.

The conference highlighted "the collective commitment", the agency said, to improve nuclear security at the national, regional and global levels, as well as "the need to stay watchful about the threats to nuclear security and implement concrete measures to protect against malicious acts involving nuclear or radioactive material".

An intense program of peer-review missions requested by Member States helped strengthen nuclear safety globally, the agency said. Among notable missions were an Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) to Japan, where the team concluded that the regulatory body for nuclear and radiation safety had demonstrated independence and transparency since it was set up in 2012. South Africa hosted its first full-scope IRRS mission, while China - the country with the highest number of power reactors under construction globally - hosted a follow-up IRRS mission.

The adoption of the Leadership and Management for Safety by the IAEA's Board of Governors in June concluded the agency's work to update all seven of its General Safety Requirements publications, which apply to all nuclear facilities and activities. These form an important part of the IAEA's overall series of Safety Standards, which includes more than 100 publications, most of which are for particular technical areas.

The IAEA "acted quickly" to help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean respond to the outbreak of the Zika virus by applying the Sterile Insect Technique, as part of an integrated strategy to control the disease, the agency said.

The assistance has been implemented in coordination with the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization and national health authorities, and integrates all relevant insect management approaches, including site inspections and fumigation.

"By providing portable equipment for the rapid detection of the virus, as well as the necessary training, the IAEA also helped countries apply a nuclear-derived technique to quickly and accurately detect the Zika virus," it said.

The IAEA coordinates international cooperation in nuclear science and promotes the use of nuclear technology for sustainable development. It says it is "uniquely placed" to help countries gain access to nuclear science and technology, which have a great deal to offer in industry, energy, health care, agriculture, environmental protection, among other areas.

The IAEA's direct contribution to most of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals was showcased at the 2016 Scientific Forum in September, "demonstrating how nuclear techniques are used to improve human and animal health, address climate change, boost access to energy and protect the planet", it said.

The connection between global challenges, sustainable development and nuclear technologies was also the focus of an IAEA panel discussion at the 2016 European Development Days in April, marking the first time the agency had held an event at this forum.

Another highlight of 2016 was entry into force of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in November, just prior to the Morocco Climate Change Conference, also known as COP22.

The IAEA coordinated with other UN Agencies a side event highlighting the role of innovation in meeting the target to keep the increase in average global temperatures below 2C compared to pre-industrial levels. It also hosted an exhibit on nuclear power and nuclear applications, and provided information on the agency's work related to climate change, highlighting recent publications such as Nuclear Power and the Paris Agreement, Nuclear Power and Sustainable Development and Climate Change and Nuclear Power.

Contributions by IAEA Member States have enabled the IAEA to begin the modernization of its nuclear applications laboratories under the Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories (ReNuAL) projects. Construction of new IAEA laboratory buildings, now underway and scheduled for completion by 2018, will increase the agency's ability to respond to global challenges in food and agriculture, human health and the environment, among other areas, it said.

The IAEA's conferences and events throughout the year served as a platform for dialogue and continued work in the areas of nuclear science and technology, helping to further expand their peaceful uses. The meetings encompassed important aspects of the IAEA's work related to safety and security, safeguards, non-proliferation, energy, science and research, and development.

To highlight the IAEA's significant contribution to global peace, security and development, the agency commenced its 60th anniversary celebrations during this year's 60th regular session of the General Conference in September.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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The Federal Republic of Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Slovakia. Austria has a population of over 8.7 million people. The head of government in Austria is The Federal Chancellor whose official seat is the Federal Chancellery. The duties of the Austrian Chancellor include representing the supreme federal authority of the executive branch. The Chancellor is considered to be the most powerful person in Austrian politics.

Select Chancellors of Austria

Karl Renner

Karl Renner was born on December 14th, 1870 in Vienna, Austria. He was a politician of the Socialist Party and was also known as Father of the Republic since he headed the first German Austrian government and the first Austrian Republic between 1918 and 1919. Renner was the first Chancellor of Austria after World War II starting from April to December of 1945. After the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945, Renner helped established the present Second Republic by becoming its first President.

Julius Raab

Julius Raab was born on November 29th, 1891 in Sankt Polten in Lower Austria. He was a conservative politician who served as the 15th Austrian Chancellor from 1953 until 1961. Raab first studied civil engineering at the Vienna University of Technology before being drafted into the military as a pioneer officer fighting on the Russian and Italian fronts in World War II. After the war he went back to the University and engaged in politics. During his time as Chancellor, he negotiated and signed the Austrian State Treaty in 1955 procuring independence for allied-occupied Austria.

Wolfgang Schussel

Wolfgang Schussel was born on June 7th, 1945 in Vienna, Austria. Schussel is a politician from the Austrian People's Party and was the 22nd Chancellor of Austria serving for two conservative terms between 2000 and 2007. Schussel attended the University of Vienna where he studied law and graduated with a Doctorate in 1968 after which he was appointed the secretary of the parliamentary group of the Austrian People's Party till 1975.

Christian Kern

Christian Kern was born on January 4th, 1966 in Vienna, Austria. He is an Austrian politician and chairman of the Social Democratic Party. Kern is the 25th and the incumbent Chancellor of Austria having assumed office on June 25th, 2016. Kern, who is a business journalist by profession, worked as a senior manager at Verbund AG which is a leading electricity company in Austria before being appointed as the CEO of Austrian Federal Railways.

The Goverment of Austria

Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with both a Chancellor and a President. The President is the head of state while the Chancellor is the head of government. The president is elected directly by an absolute majority through a popular vote in a second round if it becomes necessary for a six-year term and eligible for a second term.
How much black money has been recovered following demonetisation?

How much black money stashed abroad has been brought back to India?

By when Rs 15 lakh will be deposited in every bank account as promised by you?

Rs 3 lakh crore was deposited in bank accounts just few months before demonetisation. To whom did this money belong? Names of these people should be made public.

How much loss has been caused to the economy because of currency revamp ?

By how much will the GDP fall because of this? How will it affect FDI.

Explain the rate of unemployment in organised and unorganised sector due to this move.

How will the government ensure that losses caused to the agricultural sector and to the poor people are negated.

Industry, both small and medium have suffered due to demonetisation. How will the government negate these losses?

Labourers working in other states have returned to their home states. How will the government provide employment to them in their home state?

What is the plan to provide compensation to people who died standing in queues at banks and ATMs?

Huge amount has been deposited in the banks than what the government expected. Why couldn't the government foresee that it was an attempt to turn black money into white

How many black money hoarders have been arrested till now and what is the amount of money recovered?

Did the prime minister consult any economist before deciding on demonetisation? If yes, then name them and detail their suggestions.

Did the Centre prepare itself 6 months prior to announcing demonetisation?

How many corrupt people used the 50-50 scheme to turn their black money into white.

What was the real motive behind bringing Rs 2000 currency in circulation?

If the distribution of Rs 2000 currency was limited then how come crore of rupees were seized in new currency?

How does the government plan to replenish the market with new notes after old value notes have been demonetised?

How much fake currency has been seized post this crackdown on black money?
Chile is a South American country situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. The country is bordered by the maritime Drake Passage, and the countries of Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru. Chile claims more than one million square kilometers of the continent of Antarctica despite those claims being suspended under the Antarctic Treaty. Chile has a vast biodiversity including number of endangered species. Darwin's Foxes, Short-Tailed Chinchillas, Long-Tailed Chinchillas, and Pacific Degu are critically endangered in Chile among other mammals.

Short-Tailed Chinchilla (Chinchilla brevicaudata)

The Short-tailed Chinchilla is an endangered species of rodents whose native habitats include Chile, Peru, and the Andes Mountains regions of Argentina and Bolivia. Short-tailed chinchilla measures between 28 centimeters and 49 centimeters long, and weighs between 38 and 50 ounces. The Short-Tailed Chinchilla has short front legs and long and strong hind legs. Chinchillas burrow under the ground and rocks for shelter, mostly living in cold climates to which they are well adapted due to their thick fur. The Chinchillas are social animals who live in large numbers and feed on vegetation. The greatest threat to the Chinchillas is hunting, which has reduced their numbers significantly. Hunting Chinchillas became illegal in 1929 when the first successful protection law was passed, but the laws were not enforced until 1983. A treaty in 1910, between Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina was the first international attempt at banning commercial hunting of chinchillas. However, this only led to increased prices resulting in a rapid decrease in the remaining Chinchilla population. Both the government of Chile and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have listed Short-Tailed Chinchillas as an endangered species.

Long-Tailed Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera)

Long-Tailed Chinchillas are found around Auco, near Illapel, in Chile, as well as in the Reserva Nacional Las Chinchillas protected area and the La Higuera area to the north of Coquimbo. The mammal is small in size and has rounded ears and a longer tail as compared to the Short-tailed Chinchilla. The Chinchilla has hair up to between 2 and 4 centimeters long with gray, white, and black bands, and it is also silky and incredibly soft. Long-tailed chinchillas breed between October and December during the spring months in the Southern Hemisphere. The three different varieties of Long-tailed chinchillas, and these include the La Plata, the Costina, and the Raton subspecies. The La Plata is a muscular and thick boned structure as compared to the other two. It is more roundish, with a short, broad head, a significant distance between its ears and a straight dorsal line, and shoulders as wide as its chest and rump. The Costina is relatively weaker in structure with distinctive long hind legs, shorter front legs with narrow shoulders, sometimes a thick neck and a v-shaped head. The Raton is similar compared to the others, with the ears close together horizontally and distinctively smaller in size. The chinchillas' habitat is quite harsh, with summer temperatures up to 30 Degrees Celsius during the day and dropping to 7 Degrees Celsius at night. It is listed as an endangered species, thus carrying the second-highest conservation priority among Chilean mammals.

Southern River Otter (Lontra provocax)

The Southern River Otter is a species of otter that lives in Chile and Argentina. It inhabits both freshwater and marine environments and is also sometimes considered to be the Lontra Canadensis subspecies. The Southern River Otter's medium sized body can grow up to 70 centimeters long with another 40 centimeters of additional length from its tail, and weighs around 10 kilograms. It has dark brown fur on top and a lighter cinnamon color on its undersides. The females and offspring live in family groups, while the male lives in solitude, and they feed on crustaceans, fish, mollusks, and birds. The Otter can be found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats, although they are mostly found in freshwater lakes and rivers which have dense vegetation, especially along the shorelines. Their habitats also need the root systems of mature trees, as well as fallen tree debris. South river otters were hunted for their pelts over the last one hundred years, and have never been able to fully recover. There are only seven known species found throughout Chile and Argentina, which are isolated from each other and was listed as endangered species.

Pacific Degu (Octodon pacificus)

The Pacific Degu is a species of rodent in the Family Octodontidae. The Degus natural habitat is Chile's subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. The greatest threat to the Degu was habitat loss. The Degu is active at day, with actively relative primitive octodontid features it has long fur and a tail that lacks in sufficient tuft. The Degu has been classified as an endangered species.

Environmental Threats and Conservation Efforts

These and other endangered mammal species of Chile have been significantly reduced in number due to human interference, and because of it certain conservation laws have been put into place to help preserve their populations. Their aim to regulate and protect the remaining population of these endangered mammals. There a total of 9 most endangered mammal species in Chile.
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The cash sales share was 31.7 percent in September

The distressed sales share fell 2.8 percentage points year over year from September 2015

The real estate-owned (REO) sales share in September was the lowest for any month since August 2007













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According to CoreLogic, cash sales accounted for 31.7 percent of total U.S. home sales in September 2016, down 1.3 percentage points year over year from September 2015. The cash sales share peaked in January 2011 when cash transactions accounted for 46.6 percent of total home sales nationally. Prior to the housing crisis, the cash sales share of total home sales averaged approximately 25 percent. If the cash sales share continues to fall at the same rate it did in September 2016, the share should hit 25 percent by mid-2019.REO sales had the largest cash sales share in September 2016 at 59.4 percent. Resales had the next highest cash sales share at 31.7 percent, followed by short sales at 31.2 percent and newly constructed homes at 15.5 percent. While the percentage of REO sales within the all-cash category remained high, REO transactions have declined since peaking in January 2011.REO sales made up 4.7 percent and short sales made up 2.7 percent in September 2016. The distressed sales share of 7.3 percent in September 2016 was the lowest distressed sales share for any month since September 2007. At its peak in January 2009, distressed sales totaled 32.4 percent of all sales with REO sales representing 27.9 percent of that share. The pre-crisis share of distressed sales was traditionally about 2 percent. If the current year-over-year decrease in the distressed sales share continues, it will reach that "normal" 2-percent mark in mid-2018.All but nine states recorded lower distressed sales shares in September 2016 compared with a year earlier. Maryland had the largest share of distressed sales of any state at 18.9 percent in September 2016, followed by Connecticut (18.4 percent), Michigan (17.6 percent), New Jersey (15.9 percent) and Illinois (15.1 percent). North Dakota had the smallest distressed sales share at 2.7 percent. While some states stand out as having high distressed sales shares, only North Dakota and the District of Columbia are close to their pre-crisis levels (each within one percentage point).Alabama had the largest cash sales share of any state at 47.6 percent, followed by West Virginia (45.8 percent), New York (45.3 percent), Florida (41.6 percent) and Indiana (40.9 percent).
Kearita Ladd and Ambrosia Clemons

By: Mahesh Sarin WorldWideWeirdNews.com

(Scroll down for video) A couple was arrested for forcing a young girl to dance at strip club and have sex with men for money.

Police in Chicago, Illinois, said that the female suspect, Kearita Ladd, 23, had sex with the girl in a hotel before she pimped her out to 10 men.

Her male accomplice, Ambrosia Clemons, 36, also had sex with the child. The couple dressed the child provocatively and forced her to dance at a strip club on two nights.

The girl did not know the suspects. She escaped with another person from the Chicago Lakeshore Hospital, which is a private behavioral health and addiction treatment center, prosecutors said.

The other person knew Clemons, who took the 13-year-old girl to the hotel.

Prosecutors said that hotel security cameras showed the girl trying to escape, but she was caught and beaten by the suspects.

The girl managed to reach out to a teacher on Facebook, while her captors went out to buy more sexy outfits for the victim for her night club appearance.

Police were called and they rescued the child. She told officers that the couple told her to tell the night club that she was born in 1998.

Clemons defended himself by saying that the girl lied about her age.

Clemons and Ladd were both charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated sexual servitude of a minor, according to Cook County court records.

Ladd is being held on $500,000 bail, while Clemons is being held on $750,000 bail.
The owner of a business has ordered an employee to cut off a coworkeras finger after being accused of stealing, according to police in Massachusetts.

Fall River police said that they have arrested 51-year-old Donna Silvia, who is the owner of Columbia Towing, after being accused of giving an order to cut off her employeeas finger.

Silvia has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. She has been sentenced to serve up to 10 years in prison after being convicted by a jury.

According to the criminal complaint, Silvia accused one of her employees of stealing from the business. She ordered him to write a confession in spite of his repeated denials.

When the man refused, another man used a pipe cutter to cut off the victims right little finger. The finger was then destroyed.

Silvia told the victim to report the loss of her finger as an accident that did not occur at her business. The husband of Silvia, Dennis Silvia, and two employees, John Soars and James Connor, were also charged with assault.

Soars was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.
A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Teenage drinking party (illustration)

By: Tanya Malhotra WorldWideWeirdNews.com

A group of teenage students who were enjoying themselves at a party, were sent home by police after using illegal drugs, according to police in the United Kingdom.

Police said that the students were from two grammar schools in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

The students were partying at the party at Cheltenham Racecourse, where security guards found illegal drugs in the boys and girls toilets.

Police were called, and they tested the substances that were found in the toilet. Police confirmed that the drugs were cocaine and meth.

Police immediately shut down the party and sent the students home. Officials of the Stroud High and Marling schools said that the party was not organized by the principals, teachers or parents.

The schools accept students between 11 and 18 years old. No charges were filed as police were unable to determine who was responsible for the drugs.

School officials said that they are working with the police to explain the dangers of drugs and alcohol to their students.
Woman on a shopping trip (illustration)

By: Feng Qian WorldWideWeirdNews.com

A married woman was executed after being accused of going on a shopping trip without being accompanied by her husband, according to a human rights group in Afghanistan.

Lati police and Sar-e-Pul womenas affairs chairwoman Nasima Arezo, said that the 30-year-old woman, who was not identified, was stabbed and beheaded as punishment for going shopping without her husband by her side.

The incident unfolded on Sunday. The police and the government has blamed the Taliban for the attack. The Taliban denied being involved in the execution.

Zabiullah Amani, who is the spokesperson for the governor in the region, said that the husband has fled to Iran. The woman did not have any children.

Leaders of the Taliban, believe that women who step out of their homes without a male guardian, are committing an act of infidelity.
Mamata Banerjee while attacking PM Modi over demonetisation said that he should apologise to the people of the country.

By Romita Datta: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a press conference today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to people and step down as he could not improve the situation even after 50 days of demonetisation.

The prime minister after announcing demonetisation on November 8 had asked people to bear with the difficulty for 50 days as the situation would start improving.

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Highlights of Mamata's press conference:

1. Mamata said that she will appeal to the president and leaders of other political parties to think of forming a national government as Modi has lost all credibility to govern.

2. She wouldn't, however, mind if some other BJP leaders are projected for the prime minister's post.

3. The chief minister even alleged that PM Modi has put the security of the country at stake.

4. "It is a matter of serious concern that data of internal security is being shared with a Chinese company through Paytm. It is strange that PM is sponsoring Paytm, which was blacklisted by the US," she said.

5. The chief minister was furious throughout the press conference as Trinamool Congress MP, Tapas Pal, was arrested by the CBI in connection with a chit fund scam.

6. She said that Modi was practising politics of vendetta against all those who raised their voice against demonetisation.

7. Mamata said that even if all her MPs were arrested, she won't stop criticising Modi. "I don't care even if I am arrested. Modi has started this politics of vengeance after coming to power, however, he's letting go of his allies," she added.

Also read: Trinamool Congress MP arrested by CBI in Rose Valley chit fund scam

--- ENDS ---
Three days after a grenade was found in Manipur, another hand grenade was found in a hospital in Imphal which was successfully diffused by the special bomb squad.

By Manogya Loiwal : As Manipur continues to battle the economic blockade problem, the grenade blasts continue to rock the state.

Only three days after a hand grenade was found inside the office of an evening daily, Padam, another hand grenade was found in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital, in Imphal.

A hand grenade was found at the stair case of the Surgery Department of RIMS hospital on Friday.

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As soon as the hospital management discovered the presence of a bomb they informed the Imphal police.

A team of special bomb team from Manipur along with the Imphal police arrived at the spot and diffused the hand grenade safely.

It is yet to be established who secretly place the hand grenade.

As of now no militant outfit has claimed the act.

Reported by: Manogya Loiwal in Kolkata and Jit Ningomba in Manipur

--- ENDS ---
Frustration and stress is mounting in General Motors plants in the wake of the mass layoff announcement last week by the largest US-based automaker.

On December 19, GM said it would eliminate one full shift, almost 1,300 jobs, at its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant in March. In addition it said it would idle five plants for one to three weeks in January, impacting some 10,000 workers.

In November, GM reported plans to eliminate shifts at its Lordstown, Ohio plant and Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan, impacting some 2,000 workers. In reporting the cuts GM cited excess inventories and slower sales. The layoffs, however, are coming at a time when many plants are imposing forced overtime.

The United Auto Workers has given its support to the job cuts, taking the position that the mass layoffs are a business necessity. In a statement issued in the wake of the job cut announcement UAW Local 22 at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant justified the cuts on the grounds of cost efficiency.

Hardest hit by the layoffs will be young workers, many of who are on long-term temporary assignment and do not qualify to be placed at other GM facilities. Many are also being deprived of supplemental unemployment benefits, which pay a portion of the difference between their state jobless benefits and their regular wages. Most of the workers facing layoff were hired in April of 2016. That means the layoffs were timed so that these workers will have less than the one-year seniority required to receive supplemental unemployment pay and other benefits.

A young GM worker at the GM Detroit-Hamtramck plant, who wished to remain anonymous, told the World Socialist Web Site she had previously worked for a GM subcontractor, but could not carry that seniority with her. It sucks. They said they would see if they will transfer us to either Lake Orion or Romulus, but it is not a promise.

Andrew, another young GM Detroit-Hamtramck second shift worker who faces layoff, said, A guy who works near me quit a job at FedEx in Cleveland because he thought working at GM would be a more secure job.

Out of the 1,300 that are being laid off, only about 300 are permanent employees. The rest are temporary and that means they cant move to another plant. You are out of a job, and we dont get sub pay.

What is also upsetting is the uncertainty. I could be out of a job for a year. Do I start looking for a new job or hope to go back to work at GM?

He continued, The health insurance part is major. I am only getting one extra month of health insurance. My wife went off her health insurance plan at the job she was working so she could be covered under my plan at GM, which was better. But now she cant get back on her old plan until November. Meanwhile, she has major medical expenses.

Under terms of the UAW-GM sellout national agreement signed in 2015, the number of temporary workers that can be hired by management was doubled. This has created a super-exploited, third tier of workers who can essentially be hired and fired at will by the company.

A veteran worker at the GM Delta Township plant near Lansing told the WSWS, The majority of those being laid off are temporary workers. The shift they are eliminating at the Grand River plant are new hires. They will be coming over here to Delta and they will displace the temporary workers.

We have temporary workers who work very hard. A lot of them quit other jobs to come work for GM where they thought they could get a foot in the door. They have made purchases and they have bills. In fact we just brought in another 100 temps the week before Thanksgiving.

We call them perma-temps. You can have them in there for years. It is not right. The decision should be made to hire them full time after 90 days.

Workers pointed to the contradiction of GM insisting that it must slash jobs and production even as it has forced workers to labor extra hours and on weekends in order to build up inventory.

The Delta Township worker commented, People are working two to three Saturdays in a row and they are laying people off. People are overworked. It is not right. It has got to stop.

A worker from Ford's assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan said her factory had been impacted by layoffs. I think its horrible what theyre doing. We have no rights. We were laid off for a week before Christmas from December 12 through the 19, and we will be off in February for another one or two weeks. They say its due to a slump in sales, yet theyll work us 10 to 12 hours a day to boost production just so they can lay us off."

Workers also focused on the role of the UAW in facilitating the attack on jobs. Andrew, the Detroit-Hamtramck GM worker, said, The UAW comes around once in a while. They claim they did not know in advance about the layoffs, but I find that hard to believe.

The former GM subcontract worker said, When they made the announcement there was not one UAW person on the stage to answer questions. Their position is basically you are out the door, goodbye.

The Delta Township worker noted the fact that the UAW was one of the largest holders of GM stock. They signed off on the decision to move small car production to Mexico, even though it would hurt jobs.

The UAW has allowed GM to amend a lot of the old contracts in order to help the company make money. What the union isnt saying is that it is in the interest of the union itself so that it doesnt drive their stock down.

A couple of years ago the union decided to raise union dues, saying there would be a big strike and they needed money for the strike fund. The strike never happened, but they did not lower the dues. Instead they gave themselves raises.
In an executive order accompanied by a series of official statements, US President Barack Obama has sharply escalated the campaign against Russia, based on unsubstantiated claims of Russian government hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Hillary Clinton campaign in the presidential election.

Obama has imposed sanctions on top Russian government officials, blacklisted several Russian IT companies and expelled 35 Russian diplomats stationed in the US, giving them only 72 hours to leave the country. Two Russian-owned facilities, in San Francisco and Maryland, are being shut down with less than 24 hours notice.

These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russias aggressive activities, Obama declared. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized. This indicates that secret retaliatory measures, possibly including cyber-warfare actions to disrupt Russias economy, finances or infrastructure, are being taken.

The text of the executive order, as posted on the White House web site, contains vague, sweeping language that has ominous implications for the democratic rights of the American people. Any political activist opposed to the official two-party system could face sanctions or even criminal charges for actions with the purpose or effect of interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions.

Is uncovering internal documents of the Democratic National Committee or the emails of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions? Evidently so, since that is the principal crime alleged against the Russian government.

It is quite possible, however, that the documents were made public thanks to leaks by disgruntled DNC staff, perhaps angry about the content of the emails, which showed a deliberate effort by the DNC leadership to block the campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and insure Clintons nomination. Would such leaks now be criminalized?

What about making those documents widely available, as the WikiLeaks organization did? What about publishing excerpts or the full texts of those documents, as virtually the entire American media did? Where do interfering with or undermining end and freedom of speech and freedom of the press begin? Obamas executive order makes no distinction.

The corporate-controlled media, ever compliant with the dictates of the US military-intelligence apparatus, has made no challenge to the legality or constitutionality of Obamas order. It has not criticized the refusal of the White House to provide a single fact to substantiate its claims of Russian hacking directed against the Democrats.

Obamas executive order takes the form of an amendment to a previous executive order, issued in April 2015, in response to alleged North Korean hacking of Sony Corporation offices in Los Angeles, after the company made a film whose plot revolved around a CIA assassination attempt against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

With little publicity, Obama declared a national emergency with respect to significant malicious cyber-enabled activities on April 1, 2015. Under the terms of Executive Order 13694, the secretary of the treasury, in consultation with the attorney general and the secretary of state, may designate for economic sanctions, including freezing of all property and bank accounts in the United States, any person they designate as a target.

Anyone responsible for or complicit in, or... engaged in, directly or indirectly, cyber-enabled activities directed or originating from outside the United States, whose purpose, in the judgment of these officials, would harm the US infrastructure, disrupt computer networks, cause misappropriation of funds or affect the US elections, is a potential target for US government retaliation.

Given that virtually all human interaction in economically developed countries is cyber-enabled, and that the World Wide Web is by definition a global entity outside the United States, this language is a mandate for the exercise of essentially unlimited, arbitrary power.

While the executive order details a series of measures that US officials are empowered to impose on anyone they see fit to target, Obama provided no evidence of the Russian hacking which is the supposed cause of this national emergency.

Instead, he refers to the finding of the US intelligence agencies, issued October 7, declaring they were confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.

Obamas statement is an exercise in circumlocution, aimed at disguising the fact that he is demanding that the American people and the world accept the premise of his executive orderextensive Russian hacking of the Democratic Partyon faith. The charges made by the US intelligence agencies, known worldwide for their brazen lies, fabrications, provocations and attacks on democratic rights, are to be received as gospel truth.

Responding to demands that he provide actual evidence of the Russian hacking, Obama announced before he left Washington for his two-week holiday in Hawaii that the intelligence agencies would deliver a report to Congress and the public by the time he leaves office on January 20.

But the punishment for the alleged crime, imposing sanctions and expelling diplomats, is announced three weeks earlier.

If the US government were in possession of actual evidence of Russian hacking into the Democratic National Committee, it could present this to a grand jury, indict the perpetrators, and pursue them through Interpol and other global police agencies.

Nothing of the kind is being proposed. Instead, the presumption of Russian guilt is taken up by the entire corporate media in the United States to pummel public opinion with the necessity for unspecified retaliatory action against Moscow and prepare the political climate for direct military conflict with Russia, whether in the Middle East, Ukraine or Eastern Europe.

Congressional Democrats and Republicans immediately issued statements to that effect. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, who will be the top Democrat in Washington after Obama leaves the White House, declared, We need to punch back against Russia, and punch back hard.

Along with Obamas statements and modified executive order, the FBI and the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center released a joint document on Thursday that purported to give technical details regarding the tools and infrastructure used by the Russian civilian and military intelligence service to interfere in the election.

The 13-page report, given the title Grizzly Steppe, consists of unsupported allegations that two groups of hackers, allegedly with ties to the Russian government, penetrated the email server of the Democratic National Committee. There follows a general list of precautions to be taken by cyber-security managers at businesses and organizations that could be taken from any security bulletin board on the Internet. There are no names, no dates, no locations, no actual facts about the alleged hacking, still less any evidence connecting the hackers to the Russian government.

The Russian Foreign Ministry responded with a blunt dismissal of Obamas claims. Frankly speaking, we are tired of lies about Russian hackers that continue to be spread in the United States from the very top, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. She called the accusations a provocation directed by the White House that contained not a single piece of evidence.

She noted that Obama had only three weeks left in the White House and appeared to be seeking to poison US-Russian relations to block any shift in policy by the incoming Trump administration. History is unlikely to forgive its behavior according to the principle after us the deluge, the Russian spokeswoman added.
A federal investigation released this week found that hundreds of people have been routinely and illegally imprisoned without charges in a rural Louisiana parish (the states equivalent of a county), in flagrant violation of the Fourth Amendments prohibition against arbitrary searches and seizures.

The report was the outcome of an investigation launched last April by the US Department of Justice into the Evangeline Parish Sheriffs Office (EPSO) and the police department of Ville Platte (VPPD), the Parish seat and largest town.

Police and sheriffs deputy referred to their practice of throwing people into holding cells at the local jails for days at a time, with no warrant for their arrest or even probable cause, as investigative holds. According to the report, the two agencies together threw more than 900 people, out of a total parish population of 34,000, into jail in this fashion between 2012 and 2014 alone.

The police used these investigative holds routinely and systematically in cases where they lacked sufficient evidence to make a legitimate arrest. Based solely on the hunch or gut instinct of the detectives, to use the reports phrasing, an individual could be held for 72 hours (in some cases, up to a week) or more while the detectives developed a case against them, either by gathering evidence or coercing the suspects into making confessions. During this time, detainees were denied all access to the outside world, even the ability to make calls to family members or employers to tell them where they were.

Individuals placed under investigative holds were subjected to strip searches during processing. The holding cells in the parish jail contain no beds, no running water or restroom facilities; people were forced to sleep on the concrete floor or a metal bench for days at a time. In one case, a jailer was reprimanded by a detective for providing a prisoner with toothpaste.

Longstanding legal precedent cited by the report has established that police either require a warrant or probable cause to make an arrest. In cases where the police do not have a warrant, probable cause must be verified by a judge as soon as possible, usually within 48 hours of making an arrest. Otherwise, such an arrest is considered an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Any confessions obtained in this fashion would likewise be considered inadmissible in court due to the Fifth Amendments protections against self-incrimination, as well as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendments Due Process Clause.

Far from the result of a few overzealous detectives, the use of investigative holds was official departmental policy, undoubtedly with the support of the local political establishment, for more than two decades. Remarkably, the report is based primarily upon the testimony of a number of police officers themselves, who frankly admitted to using the practice in order to compel participation in criminal investigations.

While the scope of the federal report did not include the courts, there can be no doubt, given the scale and duration of the practice, and the fact that investigative holds often led directly to criminal charges, that the police enjoyed at least the implicit protection of the courts. The report cited one case where the district attorney took part in an interrogation during an illegal investigative hold.

The arbitrariness of this practice reached absurd heights. According to the report, [one] EPSO detective explained that he has used investigative holds experimentally, testing whether a crime wave subsides while a particular person is in jail. The detective explained that if the crimes continue during the hold, the presumably innocent person is released. Conversely, if the crimes cease during the detention, the detective investigates the person further.

Moreover, the report continues, both agencies confirmed that they used holds to detain individuals whom they did not suspect of any involvement in criminal activity, but who instead were related to suspects, witnessed crimes, or otherwise might have knowledge of criminal activity.

The willingness of officers in both agencies to arrest and detain individuals who are merely possible witnesses in criminal investigations means that literally anyone in Evangeline Parish or Ville Platte could be arrested and placed on hold at any time.

The report cites one case where a Ville Platte woman and her family were thrown in jail after having possibly witnessed an armed robbery and shooting while grocery shopping. They were detained for hours before finally being interrogated by police and shown a line-up. When the woman called the chief of police after her ordeal to complain he explained that her detention was pursuant to department policy.

Another woman was jailed, along with her one- and five-year-old children, when police falsely suspected her of participating in an armed robbery. The woman was separated from her children in jail, and her five-year-old was interrogated by police separately.

Predictably, the Obama administration has declined to press charges against a single person for this flagrant, systematic deprivation of parish residents civil rights. Instead, the report declares its optimism that the Justice Department will be able to continue to work collaboratively with both agencies to forge a court-enforceable agreement that memorializes the reforms necessary to stop this unlawful practice, rebuild community trust, and ensure effective, constitutional policing.

This is in keeping with a longstanding pattern under the Obama administration. In the aftermath of cases of police criminality, such as the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, and many others, the Justice Department opens up civil rights investigations that detail a litany of abuses by local police departments. The primary function of such investigations has been to screen the Obama administrations moves to exonerate or shield cops from prosecution. The administration, now entering its final month, has sided with the police in every civil rights case to have come before the federal courts.

Police brutality in the United States is not an aberration but the inevitable result of the explosive growth of poverty and social inequality, which is incompatible with democratic forms of rule. Evangeline Parish, with an official poverty rate of more than 25 percent (rising to over 50 percent for the parishs African American residents), is only one of countless deeply impoverished rural communities throughout the United States.

Under successive Democratic and Republican administrations, the US has transformed local police forces into paramilitary organizations through the provision of limitless amounts of military hardware, while shielding police from any criminal responsibility.
A report published on December 14 examines the rampant exploitation of migrant workers and international students in New Zealand. Worker Exploitation in New Zealand: A Troubling Landscape by Dr Christina Stringer, a lecturer at the University of Auckland Business School, is based on 105 interviews with workers from many industries, including construction, dairy, fishing, horticulture, viticulture, hospitality, education and sex work.

The report was commissioned by a coalition of NGOs, including ECPAT Child Alert, Hagar New Zealand, Stand Against Slavery, and The Prescha Initiative, in response to numerous media reports of exploitation and abuse of immigrant workers.

The interviews shed light on appalling conditions faced by these highly vulnerable people, who are bearing the brunt of the assault by the government and the ruling elite on conditions and wages.

One interviewee recalled working 12 hours daily, seven days a week for six months, for only $5 an hour. The hourly minimum wage is $15.25. Others said they were denied payment for months, or had excessive wages deducted for food, accommodation and transport. Requests for holiday pay, which workers are entitled to under the law, were met with responses such as: I will give you holiday pay but you will lose your job.

Workers also spoke of being charged excessive recruitment fees, being denied an employment contract, having their documents confiscated, as well as verbal, physical and sexual abuse.

One interviewee feared pressing charges with New Zealand police because he was continuously told by his employer, You dont know my powers. Another was threatened by a contractor that if he spoke out nobodys gonna find your dead body in New Zealand.

The report cites a 2012 story about a liquor store owner who withheld payment to 12 new immigrant workers, paid as little $4 an hour, and an alleged death threat. It also refers to a US report from the same year which named New Zealand as a major source country for sex-trafficking of underage boys and girls.

Because many migrants have no official employment contract, New Zealand authorities often refuse to help them. One interviewee explained: I went to IRD [the Inland Revenue Department], I went to Labour Department, I went to Immigration, everywhere, to complain against these guys but no one is doing anything.

Speaking in parliament, Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse attempted to dismiss the testimony in Dr Stringers report as isolated incidents. He declared that the vast majority of employers in New Zealand are law-abiding and treat their employees fairly.

Yet cases of migrant exploitation continue to surface regularly. In August a number of men working at the Taste of Egypt eatery in Richmond were paid just $400 for up to 77 hours a week. In another recent case, a Lewis Pass motor inn was ordered to pay $19,000 to a worker who was paid below minimum wage and denied holiday pay for 5 months.

In October the managers of the Masala Indian restaurant chain in Auckland were convicted for paying their employees $3 an hour for working up to 66 hours a week. On December 14, labour contractor Binde Enterprises was ordered to pay $430,000 to 75 staff who were underpaid and denied holiday pay.

The publication of the University of Auckland report coincided with the sentencing of Faroz Ali, the first person convicted in New Zealand for human trafficking. Ali promised 15 Fijians $900 a week for picking fruit; instead they received little or no pay and were subjected to inhumane conditions.

One woman received only $25 after working three weeks on an orchard. Another was forced to sleep on the basement floor of her employers house with three others and no bedding provided. A 21-year-old man worked 12-hour shifts from 5 a.m., every day for three weeks and also slept on the floor. Alis victims were all made to pay $4,000 in administrative fees, leaving most of them financially worse off than when they left Fiji.

The opposition Labour Party has feigned concern for migrant workers and hypocritically attacked the National Party government. In fact both parties have repeatedly attacked migrants wages and conditions.

On December 2, Newshub reported that four Indonesian welders employed at the Napier Pine sawmill were being paid only $3 an hour and sometimes worked from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. the next morning. An Immigration New Zealand official stated that these extremely low wages were legal because the men worked for an offshore employer... so we cant dictate the employment conditions or the wages that theyre earning. Tens of thousands of people have been employed under these specific purpose work visas under successive Labour and National governments.

In 2007 Labour launched the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme to bring in low-paid workers from Pacific Island states to fill labour gaps in New Zealands $7 billion horticulture and viticulture industries. These workers are frequently forced to live in overcrowded accommodation and are contractually restricted to work for one company or face deportation (see: New Zealand government to introduce cheap labour scheme for Pacific Island workers).

In 2008 journalist Michael Field began investigations into horrific conditions suffered by foreign fishing crews in New Zealand waters. He and other researchers found routine underpayment of wages, shifts up to 20 hours, beatings and sexual abuse, and cases of workers being fed rotten meat. All of this occurred under National and Labour governments.

Labours main response to Dr Stringers report was to echo the anti-Asian, right-wing populist New Zealand First Partys call to slash immigrant numbers. Labour MP Jacinda Arden wrote in a Fairfax Media column on December 18 that bringing in migrant workers was creating a vulnerable work force where wages will continue to be compressed.

The editor of the trade union-funded Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, responded to the report with an anti-immigrant rant. On December 18, he demanded that we urgently shut down immigration and student visa scams until our infrastructure can be built up to cope with the landslide of desperate people trying to get into our country.

Such attacks on immigrants are designed to divert attention from the fact that the Labour Party and the trade union bureaucracy have no real differences with the governments austerity measures, which have led to soaring social inequality and poverty. For more than a century these nationalist organisations have scapegoated foreigners, especially Chinese people, for the social crisis in order to divide the working class and prevent a unified struggle against the capitalist system, which is the real source of poverty and inequality.

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The speech by US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday, reaffirming US support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, was more than a defence of a useful political fiction. It was a warning that abandonment of the policy will have explosive consequences for the United States in the entire Middle East region and, not least, for Israel itself.

The incoming US administration of Donald Trump, together with the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, has denounced the Obama administration for not using its veto and instead abstaining in the vote on last weeks UN Security Council resolution criticising the expansion of Israeli settlements on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. They have been joined by a large section of Congressional Democrats.

The US decision was not made out of concern for the future of the Palestinian people. As Kerry made clear in his speech, the US has always been Israels chief supporter. It was motivated by the necessity to maintain the two-state solution as part of advancing United States interests in the region.

Kerry was giving voice to concerns that under conditions where the position of the US has been significantly weakenedmost notably by the debacle of its attempted regime-change operation in Syriait will suffer further major setbacks if the two-state solution is officially abandoned.

The concern of Kerry and the Obama administration is that the chimera of peace with the Palestinians through the establishment of their own state must be maintained because it allows the US allies in the Arab bourgeois regimes to suppress social and political opposition, thereby enabling Washington to utilise those regimes to ensure its domination over the oil-rich Middle East.

Emphasising that his task was above all to defend the United States, Kerry said the alternative to a two-state solution, that is, complete Israeli colonial domination of the West Bank, was fast becoming the reality on the ground. He warned that if we were to stand idly by knowing that in doing so we are allowing a dangerous dynamic to take hold, which promises greater conflict and instability to a region where we have vital interests, we would be derelict in our responsibilities.

For its part, the Israeli government could have simply ignored the toothless UN resolution, which has no enforcement mechanisms and is broadly in line with similar resolutions going back decades on which the US had also abstained, as Kerry noted in his speech.

But it decided not to do so because of the shift in policy expected from the incoming Trump administration, which could abandon the two-state policy. Trump has indicated the direction of his administration with the appointment as ambassador to Israel of his personal bankruptcy lawyer, David Friedman.

Friedman is a long-time fundraiser for West Bank Jewish settlements who has supported moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusaleman action that would be a de facto abandonment of the two-state policy.

Kerry warned that any such move would not only endanger the interests of the United States, but the state of Israel itself. He held out the prospect that Arab leaders were prepared to have a new relationship with Israel and that together with Tel Aviv had common interests in countering Irans destabilizing activities, but that prospects for such cooperation depended on meaningful progress towards the two-state solution.

However, the Israeli coalition government, Kerry said, is the most right-wing in Israeli history with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements and was more committed to settlements than any in Israels history, leading in the opposite direction.

The establishment of such a single state over all of Greater Israel would pose enormous problems for Israel itself, Kerry warned. If occupation were officially established as permanent, then the Palestinian Authority would simply dissolve, posing the question of how Israel would respond to widespread protests and civil unrest. There would be increasing violence and growing despair among the Palestinians that would create very fertile ground for extremists.

The rupture between the Israeli government and the outgoing Obama administration is another expression of the breakdown of the post-war order of which the establishment of the state of Israel, backed by the United States, was an essential component.

Kerrys speech constituted a warning that the breakdown of this order and the political relations that have been so vital to its maintenanceof which the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict has been onecould have potentially catastrophic consequences.

But like every conflict and crisis, it serves a valuable educative role in burning away political fictions and laying bare the underlying and essential reality.

Two myths now stand exposed.

First, there is the claim that the establishment of the state of Israel could secure peace and security for the Jewish people after the horrors of the Holocaust. The expansionist and colonialist policy of Zionism has pitted the population of Israel against the other peoples of the region, constantly living under the danger of war, while the price of expansionism has been paid for through the creation of one of the most unequal societies in the world. The creation of the Zionist state has, as Leon Trotsky warned, proven to be a bloody trap for the Jewish people.

Second, the disintegration of the so-called two-state solution has revealed the utter bankruptcy of the claim that peace and security for the Palestinian masses and an end to their oppression by the Zionist state could be obtained through a series of deals and manoeuvres between imperialism and the bourgeois Arab regimes.

The exposure of these two fictions, however, points the way to the solution for the Jewish, Palestinian and working masses across the Middle East: the development of a unified struggle of the Arab and Jewish workers, not for the creation of unviable national bourgeois regimes, based on religious or ethnic divisions, but the establishment of a socialist federation of the Middle East as part of the fight for a socialist world order.
Researchers from Australia and the United States have reported that a 700-kilometer span of Australias Great Barrier Reef has lost two-thirds of its shallow-water coral in the past nine months as a result of coral bleaching induced by global warming. This is the most severe episode of coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef on record, surpassing the events of 1998, 2002 and 2006. It will take at least ten years for the region to recover.

The current mass bleaching was caused by water temperatures approximately 1 degree Celsius above average from February to April (late summer and early fall in the Southern hemisphere), the result of climate change and assisted by a particularly strong El Nino. About half of the coral in the northern part of the reef is dead. Given that the reef lost more than half of its coral between 1985 and 2012, this latest episode threatens the continued existence of the Great Barrier Reef as a whole.

To check against this phenomenon happening randomly, the researchers generated thousands of different climate models, looking at the relationship between ocean temperature and human carbon emissions. While it is not impossible that this warming could have occurred without humans, the chance that this could have occurred naturally is just over a half of a percent. This agrees with three decades of study into the relationship between global warming and coral bleaching.

Like all coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef is a series of complex organisms whose survival is largely based on the symbiotic dependency between coral and an algae known as zooxanthellae. The algae provides the coral food and color while the coral provides an environment for the algae to grow. The relationship, however, is rather fragile and continues largely due to the conditions surrounding the reef, including weather such as typhoons or hurricanes, the waters chemical composition and the waters temperature.

If, as in the current case, water temperatures rise above a certain threshold for an extended period of time, the coral becomes stressed and expels its algae. This leaves the coral bleached white and reduces its energy supply by ninety percent. At this point, the coral begins to starve and has anywhere from months to weeks to live. Starvation, in turn, also leaves the coral more likely to die from predators such as snails and crown of thorns starfish, bacterial infections and pollution.

Rising temperatures are not the only threat to coral reefs. Increased oceanic acidification (another consequence of global warming), chemical pollutants, runoff and overfishing are among the other factors that can stress coral enough to cause bleaching.

The loss of the Great Barrier Reef would have far-reaching ecological consequences. It has existed for about 18 million years and, in its current form, for about 8,000 years, since the last Ice Age. It is the largest structure on Earth constructed by living organisms. It consists of 2,900 individual reefs over 900 islands, spanning 344,400 square kilometers and can be clearly seen from outer space.

Millions of animals use it as their primary breeding ground each year, including several million aquatic creatures and between 1.4 and 1.7 million birds. It is home to 5,000 species of mollusks, 1,500 species of fish, 500 species of algae and seaweed, 215 species of birds and dozens of species of sea turtles, sharks, sea horses and other aquatic creatures. Hundreds of these species are endangered, with many being unique to the region.

As global ocean temperatures continue to rise, the life supported by the Great Barrier Reef is increasingly threatened. If the current warming continues apace, the reef is predicted to undergo a mass bleaching once every two years, rather than once every five or ten years. Given that it will take a minimum of ten years to recover from the current bleaching, more frequent occurrences raise the risk of the Great Barrier Reef as a whole dying off and many of the species it protects becoming extinct.

The problems facing the Great Barrier Reef are of a global character. Reefs in Hawaii and the Caribbean have also suffered mass coral bleaching events that coincide generally with global warming and particularly with El Nino events. In 1998, a global bleaching event killed off one-sixth of the worlds coral. In 2010, reefs in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean suffered their worst recorded bleaching events, with some regions losing 20 percent of their total coral.

While coral bleaching has been observed for about a bit more than a century, occurrences in the first half of the 20th century were local and relatively mild. Parts of reefs would bleach, smaller sections would die, but the reefs as a whole would recover. An early instance of regional bleaching was observed during 1979, in the Caribbean and the Florida keys. The first recorded global coral bleaching event coincided with the El Nino of 1982-83.

Since then, global bleachings have occurred in the wake of every El Nino weather pattern. In 1990 global warming was established as the primary culprit. Research published then by climate scientists at the Smithsonian Institution conclusively showed that the coral bleachings of 1979-80, 1982-83 and 1986-88 were a result of warmer ocean waters caused by the combined effect of El Nino and rising average ocean temperatures as a result of increased carbon emissions.

The situation has grown more serious in the past quarter century. Human-induced global warming has continued apace, with 90 percent of the excess heat caused by carbon emissions entering the worlds oceans. As a result, average global ocean temperatures have increased 1 degree Celsius since 1980, stressing coral reefs globally to just under the conditions for bleaching. It is estimated that if carbon emissions continue as they are, coral reefs will suffer bleaching every other year by the mid-2030s. As predicted in 1990, if the trend of increasing global temperatures is allowed to continue, coral reefs will soon no longer exist.
A massive sinkhole caused by a sewer line rupture in the northern Detroit suburb of Fraser, Michigan has forced the indefinite evacuation of at least 22 homes and closed 15 Mile Road, a major east-west thoroughfare.

The 100-foot-long, 250-foot-wide sinkhole appeared on Christmas Eve. Some homeowners who were evacuated were told they could return to collect possessions, but were barred from living in their residences.

The line rupture sent raw, untreated sewage flowing into the nearby Clinton River. A gas main, a water main and sanitary sewer tank were all impacted by the rupture and forced the shutoff of utilities to the area.

Damage assessment and repairs are expected to take at least a month. Repair crews are currently working around the clock in an attempt to stabilize the situation.

The disaster is a further expression of the decrepit state of US water infrastructure, demonstrated most acutely by the lead-in-water crisis in Flint, Michigan, in which as many as 100,000 residents were poisoned by lead-tainted water. The same week the sinkhole opened outside of Detroit, a large sinkhole in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, forced the evacuation of several homes.

It is not the first time that there have been problems with sewer lines in the Fraser area. At least four times in the last 35 years sewer pipes failed in the area, although they are supposedly designed to last 50 years. Another large sinkhole opened up near the current disaster site as recently as 2004.

National sewer infrastructure experts contacted by the Detroit Free Press said that multiple line failures involving relatively new pipes indicated poor construction, poor maintenance or poor engineering. The last inspection of the sewer line that failed last weekend was in 2009.

After a similar rupture in the area in 1980, an engineering firm recommended annual inspections be carried out on the sewer line until no changes occurred and that subsequent inspections happen at least once every three years.

A retiree and longtime resident of the area, Bob, who wished his real name withheld, told the WSWS, They should have been inspected. Apparently the sewer was maintained by Macomb County, which took it over from Detroit. Someone should have known this was going to happen, things like this dont just happen overnight.

Residents in the area have been given little information by local and state officials. Outgoing Macomb County Drain Commissioner Anthony Marrocco, a Democrat, whose office has jurisdiction over the failed sewer line, has been almost entirely unreachable during the crisis.

Owners of the home closest to the sinkhole have been told that the structure could be lost. Two more homes are at immediate risk of destruction.

Bob noted that the land on the other side of 15 Mile Road where the rupture occurred was previously a swamp. The developers buy the property dirt cheap. People then build, not knowing that it was swampland previously.

The sewer lines in the area move wastewater from 830,000 Macomb County residents to the giant Detroit wastewater treatment plant. In 2009, Macomb and Oakland counties in the north Detroit suburbs took over management of their respective sewer lines from the city of Detroit. They created a join entity called the Oakland-Macomb Interceptor Drainage Control District. The 2004 collapse had revealed that several miles of sewer lines needed significant and costly repairs.

According to a report in the Detroit Free Press , previous sewer line failures were the result of piping, where fine soil particles enter the line through cracks, eroding the ground supporting the sewer line, creating additional cracks and further aggravating the situation until a major rupture occurs.

The particular sewer line that collapsed, which runs along 15 Mile Road on the border between Clinton Township and Fraser, was caught up in the seedy and corrupt world of local Democratic Party politics. A 2011 lawsuit by Macomb County accused former Detroit Democratic Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, among other things, of stealing money from a repair fund created to deal with the 2004 sinkhole.

Meanwhile, it is not clear what official assistance evacuated residents are being offered. Laura, a home health worker and local resident whose house sits just outside the sinkhole area, told the WSWS that neighbors were pitching in to help embattled homeowners. There is going to be a fundraiser at a restaurant on Tuesday. People are putting things on Facebook. The local community is stepping up.

Bob said, The first five days we did not get any feedback. We were left on our own. They didnt contact the residents. This being a senior living facility, the residents here get rattled easily.

A report drawn up by the state of Michigan and released earlier this month documents the failure of successive state administrations, Republican and Democrat, to address the decaying infrastructure throughout Michigan.

According to its findings, Michigan had a $60 billion infrastructure gap over the last 20 years and an annual investment gap of $4 billion, leaving infrastructure in a state of disrepair. Approximately 39 percent of the states roads are in poor condition, and 27 percent of bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

In terms of water infrastructure, the report noted that 64 rivers that drain 84 percent of Michigans Lower Peninsula tested positive for human sewage. Since 2008, an average of 5.7 billion gallons of untreated sewage flowed into Michigan waterways.

When asked his thoughts on the lack of funding for infrastructure, Bob remarked, All the money is going to support different wars all over the world. We are the most warring country on earth. Is all that really helping people?
By India Today Web Desk: China today finally blocked India's proposal at the United Nations to list Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief and Pathankot mastermind Masood Azhar a designated terrorist, provoking a strong reaction from New Delhi.

With China blocking India's proposal, which was submitted in February to the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council, New Delhi has to make a fresh listing request for Azhar to be banned by the global body.

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After its submission, China twice imposed "technical" hold on the Indian proposal.

"The Chinese action confirms prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

India has named Azhar as the main accused behind the attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot at the beginning of this year, in which seven Indian defence personnal were killed.

Also Read: China hints it will veto India's bid to sanction Masood Azhar

"The decision by China to block proposal to list Masood Azhar as terrorist is surprising as China herself is affected by the scourge of terrorism," the MEA said.

"We will continue to push forward with determination through options available with us to bring perpetrators of violence to justice," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

Also Read:

India, China discuss bilateral issues; skip NSG and Masood Azhar ban

India will pursue resolution against Masood Azhar to its logical outcome, says Syed Akbaruddin

Pathankot attack: How Facebook, mobile phones helped NIA nail Masood Azhar gang

From NIA files: The mastermind and handlers of terrorists, who attacked Pathankot air base

NIA's Pathankot attack chargesheet nails Jaish-e-Mohammed's Masood Azhar

WATCH:

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Lynn Nottages Sweat is an unusual and rewarding play, depicting social reality not often seen in the American theater. Set in the decaying industrial city of Reading, Pennsylvania, the work shows, through the lives of its eight major characters, what decades of concessions, deindustrialization and plant shutdowns have done to the living standards and social conditions--and texture of existence--of tens of millions of workers and their families.

The play, directed by Kate Whoriskey, has just finished a successful two-month run at New York Citys Public Theater, and is headed to Broadway in the spring. The same writer-director team was responsible for Ruined, which appeared off-Broadway in 2009 and is set in the Congo during the long civil war there. Like Ruined, Sweat is the product of lengthy research. Nottage and a team of assistants spent more than two years interviewing about 100 people in Reading.

Nottage explained, in a recent interview in the Los Angeles Times, that she seeks to focus attention on spaces that are under-illuminated. She was drawn to Reading after hearing that the city of some 88,000, the fifth-largest in the state of Pennsylvania and only about 125 miles west of New York City, was the poorest city in the United States, according to 2010 census figures.

Reading, with 41.3 percent of its residents officially living in poverty, ranked highest among US cities with more than 65,000 people below the poverty line. However, it is only the first among near-equals. Its history and current economic state are not fundamentally different from those of many small and larger cities across the US.

The list of factories that have closed or drastically reduced operations in Reading in recent years is a long one. It includes the Hershey Company, AT&T, Lucent Technologies, the Dana Corporation and many others. The state of Pennsylvania, with a current population of about 12.8 million, lost 314,000 manufacturing jobs between 1998 and 2013.

While the characters and story line of Sweat are fictional, they are the product of the intensive research and interviews conducted by Nottage. The play is situated within a definite time and place, the action framed by exact dates that introduce, via supertitles, the various scenes in the narrative.

Much of the action is set in the year 2000. A brief prologue, however, takes place in 2008. A parole officer is interviewing two young men, Jason and Chris, who have just been released from prison for a crime which is not further explained at that point.

The play then proceeds to explore the background, leading up to events eight years earlier that changed the lives of these and the other characters.

After the introduction of Jason and Chris, the next scene flashes back eight years to a neighborhood bar, where we meet the other characters. They include Tracey and Cynthia, friends and co-workers at a local steel-tubing factory and the mothers of Jason and Chris, respectively; Jessie, another co-worker of theirs; Stan, the local bartender and a veteran worker at the same plant, who left after being injured on the job; Oscar, Stans helper and assistant at the bar, an immigrant from Colombia; and Brucie, the estranged husband of Cynthia, who, in the course of a 93-week lockout, succumbed to despair and to drugs.

The action unfolds over a period of several months. The atmosphere is one of increasing fear and helplessness in the face of the ever-present and mounting threat of a plant shutdown and job losses. At one point Tracey and Cynthia discuss the possibility of applying for a supervisory position in the plant. They both wind up applying, and Cynthia gets the job. Tension continues to grow as the threat of a lockout looms on August 4, 2000. The workers are replaced by scabs. Over the next three months the stresses expand to the boiling point. November 3, 2000 is the fateful day that charts the course of the next eight years for these characters.

The final scene, set on October 18, 2008 and including Chris, Jason, Stan and Oscar, brings the various strands of the story together in a grim, unsentimental and vaguely humanist conclusion. Sweat could hardly be more appropriate, in a presidential election year in which the cry of anger and desperation was heard, from voters and non-voters alike.

Lynn Nottages play is welcome for its honest depiction of life in Reading and, by extension, life for the majority of workers in the US and other advanced capitalist countries. The cast was excellent in every respect, including Will Pullen as Jason, Khris Davis as Chris, Carlo Alban as Oscar, Michelle Wilson as Cynthia, James Colby as Stan, Johanna Day as Tracey, Miriam Shor as Jessie and John Earl Jelks as Brucie. The play, which was co-commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Arena Stage in Washington DC, came to New York after appearing in Oregon and Washington.

One of the most positive elements of the play is its generally truthful accounting of the relationship between race and class in American society today. At a time when the theater--and cultural dialogue as a whole--is almost entirely dominated by talk of white society, white privilege and the allegedly unbridgeable gap between the races, Nottage shows that workers of different races and nationalities face the same conditions and the same challenges.

This is not to say that racial and ethnic tensions are ignored in the play. They are present, but they are depicted in a realistic and almost matter-of-fact manner. What emerges from the dialogue and the actual story of these workers and their families is how similar they all are, beneath the surface of their skin color. The city of Reading, according to latest figures, is about 48 percent white and 14 percent African American. More than half the population is Hispanic.

Tracey, who is white, at one point suggests that her African-American friend Cynthia obtained her management job because she was black. Tracey and Jessie do not trust Cynthia, and understandably suspect she is withholding information from them, as rumors swirl of equipment being moved out of the factory in expectation of a plant closure.

Brucie discusses racial divisions, including the struggle his own father had to get a job in the factory when, having picked his last bale of cotton, he came north in 1952 as part of the Great Migration.

Jason, meanwhile, is turning angry and bitter, while his friend Chris has more hopes for the future, and hopes to return to school. Oscar, the immigrant, adds another element to the story of the working class in 21st century America.

What emerges in the end is that, despite changes in the composition of the working class, the basic social issues remain.

Amidst the tensions between them, all of the characters express, in one fashion or another, their disgust with the existing system and its political representatives. In one scene, in March 2000, listening to discussion of the upcoming presidential election, the appearance of George W. Bush on television is met with general contempt. In August of that year, one character says that after watching these candidates talking bullshit, I decided Im not voting. Amen to that is the reaction.

When the workers are forced to accept a 60 percent pay cut, they blame it on NAFTA (the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement passed during the Bill Clinton administration). The union offers a bag of groceries, comments one of the workers. Its fuckin humiliating, says Jason about the lockout. They wont let me clean out my locker.

Nottage makes a distinction between the black and white workers she met in Reading that contains a grain of truth if properly understood. The playwright, who is black, told the LA Times that The language they [white workers] were using sounded very familiar to me, language that for 100 years or more African Americans have been using to describe our circumstances. We feel marginalized, We feel unheard. We feel disenfranchised  I felt for the first time we all shared a narrative.

Nottage is wrong to suggest that a shared narrative has just emerged, although perhaps she means that she hasnt felt it previously. Despite the history of slavery, Jim Crow and pervasive racism in the century following the Civil War, there are numerous of instances of common struggle, from the days of the IWW to the organizing struggles of the 1930s and the battles for civil rights in the 1960s. Objectively, there is one working class in the US. But Nottage is right when she suggests that the artificial divisions that have been used to pit white and black workers against one another are being fatally undermined by the current crisis of the profit system. In that sense the shared narrative is a weapon against all those who seek to divide workers along racial lines. Sweat is not without weaknesses. There is much that is gripping and realistic, but, as in Ruined, the playwright stops well short of fully probing and exploring the roots of economic and social disaster. This weakens the overall effort.

To the extent the play communicates the desperation facing the working class, that there seems to be no way out of their dilemma through the established institutions, including the Democratic Party and the trade unions, it poses some crucial questions.

The play ends with a brief and understated plea for empathy and human connection. This is an increasingly common refrain from a section of the liberal middle class. The workers are portrayed simply as victims.

Where do we go from here? says Nottage in the abovementioned interview. All of us are in pain. All of us feel a certain level of trauma. Are we going to remain divided? Or are we going to try to come together and heal?

Who is going to come together and for what purpose? At this moment, of course, there are those who call for a coming together to rescue the Democratic Party after its latest electoral disaster. There are others who recognize the need for uniting the working class against the system that is responsible for the conditions depicted in Sweat. This is not the message of Sweat, although it is one conclusion that could be drawn from the suffering depicted on stage.
A ceasefire brokered by the governments of Russia and Turkey went into effect at the beginning of Friday, December 30, with the Syrian army announcing that it had declared a comprehensive cessation of hostilities across all the territories of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The ceasefire deal comes just one week after the Syrian army and allied militias restored government control over all of Aleppo, depriving militias led by the Syrian Al Qaeda affiliate, formerly known as the Al Nusra Front, of their last urban stronghold, the eastern sector of the city, which they had held since 2012.

The retaking of Aleppo was a strategic defeat for the United States and its regional allies, which orchestrated, armed and supported the Islamist militias that served as their proxy forces in a nearly six-year-old war aimed at regime change.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the agreement Thursday in a meeting with the Russian foreign and defense ministers. He said that three documents had been accepted by the government of President Bashar al-Assad and seven armed opposition groups. The first was an agreement to cease hostilities; the second to develop means of monitoring and enforcing the ceasefire; and the third to prepare for peace talks to be held in Kazakhstan early in the new year.

While the deal may lead to an end to hostilities in some areas of Syria, it hardly signals a full halt to the violence that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and driven some 11 million people, half the countrys population, from their homes.

Like earlier abortive ceasefire deals brokered between Washington and Moscow, the latest agreement excludes those organizations classified by the United Nations as terrorist, including the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Fateh al-Sham Front (formerly the Al Nusra Front, Syrias Al Qaeda affiliate). These two groups have been the most active fighting forces in the war against the Assad government, with the latter having fought in close alliance with weaker so-called moderate rebels backed by the CIA, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf oil monarchies.

This means that fighting will certainly continue in the areas controlled by ISIS, which are under siege by not only the Syrian government, but also US-backed Kurdish fighters as well as Turkey and militias that it is backing.

The Kurdish militia, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), is apparently not a party to the agreements. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu acknowledged Thursday that there was not an agreement on Ankaras labeling of the YPG as a terrorist organization. He insisted, however, that the Kurdish group and its political arm, the Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), would be excluded from the peace talks in Astana. Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish groups to be an extension of Turkeys Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, against which it has waged a protracted counterinsurgency campaign.

The status of the YPG is a subject of substantial friction between Washington and Ankara. The Pentagon has funneled arms and aid to the Syrian Kurdish militia and has deployed US special operations troops to support it, even as the Turkish government has vowed to carry out military action to prevent the YPG from consolidating control over a de facto Kurdish state on its border.

The possibility that the ceasefire has been reached at the expense of the Kurdish factions appeared likely with the report by Turkeys Dogan news agency that Russian warplanes had launched airstrikes for the first time against ISIS positions around the Syrian town of Al-Bab. Turkish forces have launched an offensive aimed at preventing the Kurdish militia from taking the town and thereby furthering their aim of linking up two separate Kurdish-held zones.

A rapprochement began earlier this year between Turkey and Russia. This followed a sharp deterioration of relations after Turkish warplanes shot down a Russian jet carrying out airstrikes on the Syrian-Turkish border in November 2015, raising the specter of war between the NATO member and Russia. Relations grew closer after an abortive military coup last July which Turkish officials blamed on Washington.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that seven separate rebel groups comprising 60,000 fighters had signed onto the ceasefire deal. Later in the day, however, one of these groups, Ahrar al-Sham, a hardline Islamist faction that had been closely aligned with Al Qaeda, denied it had accepted the agreement stating unspecified reservations.

The exclusion of the Syrian Al Qaeda affiliate from the ceasefire also raises serious questions as to its future. Strikes against it are likely to also affect so-called moderates who are allied with and fight closely alongside it. This was a continuous subject of conflict in previous ceasefire deals between Moscow and Washington. Russia demanded that the US carry through on its promise to separate its moderates from Al Nusra, while the State Department claimed this was nearly impossible because these US-backed factions had become marbleized with the Al Qaeda affiliate.

The Syrian government Thursday said that the truce agreement excluded ISIS, the Al Nusra Front and groups linked to them. It also stressed the obligation of groups that had signed the deal to separate themselves from these two Islamist factions.

Cavusoglu, meanwhile, said that his government would refuse to negotiate with representatives of Syrias Assad government in any peace talks and that it had reached an agreement with Russia to leave aside for now the future of the Syrian president. Previously, Ankara has insisted that any settlement must include Assads removal from the Syrian presidency.

Syrias Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, meanwhile, told the state news agency Sana that while Damascus accepted Moscow as a guarantor of the ceasefire, We dont trust the Turkish role, because of Ankaras backing for the Islamist militias.

A State Department official Thursday described the ceasefire as a positive development, but clearly the exclusion of Washington from the deal--Russias Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the incoming Trump administration could participate--reflects the failure of the US policy of regime change in Syria and a reversal in its drive for hegemony over the entire region.

The US ruling establishment will continue to be racked by recriminations over who lost Syria even after the change of administration, laying the foundations for a new upsurge of US militarism in the Middle East.
Slavery remains endemic throughout Thailands seafood industry, according to a Greenpeace report published on December 15. Turn the Tide, the 86-page report into illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, describes vessels travelling thousands of miles into remote waters to avoid legal regulations and surveillance. Thailands fishing industry is the fourth largest in the world, with a 42,000-strong fleet, and is a central part of the countrys GDP.

The 12-month investigation followed a 2015 Associated Press (AP) exposure of appalling abuses in the Thai industry. AP reported trawlers operating off the coasts of South East Asia with thousands of slaves, smuggled from Burma (Myanmar) or Thailand, brutalised and forced to work against their will. When not at sea, crews were kept in cages at ports on remote islands in Indonesia. Workers in onshore factories, including small children, were found doing 16-hour days peeling shrimp in ice buckets. According to the UN, 60 percent of Burmese migrants in Thailands seafood industry were victims of forced labour.

The new Greenpeace report provides detailed evidence that widespread structural abuses persist despite the Thai governments insistence that new legal measures to police the sector are working. The EU warned Thailand last year to clean up its $US6.5 billion industry or face a ban on its exports. In response, the military regime implemented limited measures against trafficking and arrested more than 100 people, mostly low-level operators.

Trafficking, murder and corruption still pervade the industry. Investigations by the Environmental Justice Foundation have found that the policing of fishing boats was highly erratic, overfishing rampant, the use of cheap and forced labour undiminished, and that crew transfers occurred at sea to hide trafficking from authorities.

Greenpeace observed several official inspections and alleged that the Royal Thai Navy failed to adequately identify and protect victims. Crew members reported that they had not been paid for some years, did not possess correct work permits, and had paid extortionate recruitment fees. Yet authorities cleared the vessels to return to port. The tiny number of convictions linked to trafficking decreased from 206 in 2014 to 169 in 2015.

Greenpeace claims that much of the seafood caught by Thai vessels is unreported, unregulated and essentially illegal. Depleted seafood stocks in the Gulf of Thailand forced ships to move to waters off Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, frequently using fake permits and ghost fleets to avoid inspections. An Indonesian government policy to sink vessels caught fishing illegally in the countrys waters forced boats into less policed waters off Papua New Guinea, Greenpeace claims.

Greenpeace tracked Thailands overseas fishing vessels and found that, after restrictions were imposed by the governments of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in August 2015, as many as 76 Thai-flagged vessels shifted operations to the Saya de Malha bank off the eastern coast of mainland Africa, more than 7,000 kilometres from their home ports. There, vessels are out of reach of authorities, operating outside the law.

Large refrigerated vessels known as reefers remain at sea for years at a time, trans-shipping their catches. Captains routinely abuse, beat and traffic fishermen. Survivors told Greenpeace that daily beatings were part of everyday life, and that many had given up hope of ever getting off the boats alive. Of 15 trafficked survivors interviewed, almost half experienced physical violence. One of the main reasons for beatings was illness, especially when there was insufficient food and exhausted crew members would try to rest.

According to a 2016 Thai government report, nearly half of the 1,000 fishermen on 50 vessels in the Saya de Malha bank were working in violation of immigration and labour laws. Greenpeace interviewed men who had been trafficked to the boats after being told they would be employed at an on-shore fish processing factory. Instead, they worked 20-hour days, seven days a week, and could only leave the vessels once they had paid back the 30,000 baht ($US834) for which the captains had bought them.

Some fishermen are at sea for as long as five years. Beriberi, a preventable disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency and common in the nineteenth century, was responsible for the hospitalisation and death earlier this year of a number of Cambodian and Thai fishermen who had continuously manned a reefer for nine months.

The report concludes by calling for greater controls and enforcement. Its recommendations include prioritising efforts to eliminate risky practices, improved inspections and better transparency to hold sub-standard operators to account. It absurdly declares that ultimate responsibility rests with the industry. In reality, the conditions described in the report are the inevitable outcome of the existing political set-up and the capitalist profit system.

Turn the Tide reveals that the powerful companies which are implicated in the use of slavery and other illegal practices are intimately connected through ownership and family ties to significant interests throughout the seafood supply chain as well as to influential positions in Thai industry and politics.

The Thai military junta is a repressive, anti-working class regime tacitly supported by Washington. The ruling National Council for Peace and Order, which came to power in a military coup in May 2014 by removing the elected Pheu Thai Party government, has maintained conditions of martial law. Torture is regularly used by the police and military, public gatherings and protests are banned, the media has been censored and elections have repeatedly been postponed.

More fundamentally, the fishing industry is an example of the global nature of capitalist production. It operates across national borders in defiance of nationally-based regulations to deliver ever-greater profits by producing at the cheapest price.

Thai seafood exporters include global operators such as Kingfisher Holdings, owned by the worlds largest seafood conglomerate, Japan-based Mahura Nichiro Corporation. Kingfisher, one of the companies implicated in APs 2015 slavery investigation, produces squid, shrimp and mackerel products for export to restaurant chains, food service companies, wholesalers and retailers throughout the US, Europe and Australia.

Under conditions of the worsening global economic crisis, the brutal practices uncovered by Greenpeace are not the exception, but increasingly the norm.

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The New York Times on Wednesday published an op-ed piece by Richard Trumka, the president of the US trade union organization, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

Titled Dont Let Trump Speak for Workers, the comment is ostensibly a criticism of the incoming president. In reality, however, it is the latest in series of groveling statements by top union executives offering their services in suppressing working-class opposition to the savage attacks being readied by the incoming administration.

The piece takes as its starting point the lie that Trumps America First nationalism, trade war threats against China and military and infrastructure spending proposals are all aimed at advancing the interests of American workers. Trumka argues that the new president would be far more successful if he saw the unions as partners rather than antagonists.

Trump has already tried a go-it-alone strategy on behalf of American workers, Trumka complains, pointing to how he has browbeaten Carrier into reversing a decision to move some jobs from Indiana to Mexico. However, Working people do not want a savior to speak for us. We want to raise our own voices through our unionsand those voices are more essential than ever, Trumka declares.

Workers do not have a voice through the unions. The interests of corrupt union executives like Trumka are diametrically opposed to those of the workers they allegedly represent. This does not stop him from asserting that only the unions are legally empowered to bargain away the living standards and social rights of workers.

At Carrier, workers have elected representatives and are part of a union with real experience partnering with employers to save jobs, Trumka declares. Indeed, the United Steelworkers (USW) has imposed repeated concessions on Carrier workers, including a multi-tier wage and benefit scheme, based on the bogus claim this would save jobs.

Trumka and the rest of the labor bureaucracy are concerned that the incoming administration, filled with ultra-right ideologues, will sideline and further weaken the influence of the unions. Without the assistance of the unions, he warns, Trumps class war policies could provoke a social explosion that threatens democratic capitalism.

The AFL-CIO chief acknowledges that the relentless attack on workers living standards and the complicity of the government has discredited democratic institutions around the world. When democratic capitalism is managed in ways that fail to provide good jobs, working people will turn in desperation toward authoritarian solutions, Trumka says. This is the great lesson of the 20th century, and we face the threat once again today.

Trumkas primary concern is not the danger of fascism. Trumps promotion of economic nationalism, militarism and anti-foreigner hatred enjoys the support of large sections of the trade union bureaucracy, which would feel right at home in a neo-fascist movement as long as they could maintain their positions and privileges.

What frightens Trumka is the prospect of an anti-capitalist and socialist movement of the working class. This would pose an existential threat to the union officialdom, which has long served as a labor police force for the capitalist class and central conduit of anti-communism.

His reference to authoritarian solutions is in continuity with the decades-long effort of the unions to identify socialismthe struggle to liberate the working class from capitalist exploitation and establish genuine democratic control of productionwith Stalinism.

Trumka personifies the upper middle class social types who advanced their careers as the unions turned themselves into anti-working class organizations and appendages of corporate management. As president of the United Mine Workers (UMW) from 1982 to 1995, he played the central role in transforming what had once been the most militant union in the United States.

More than any other individual, Trumka is personally responsible for facilitating the social counter-revolution in the mining regions of West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and other states, which turned them into centers of opioid drug addiction and suicide.

Trumka began his career in the UMW bureaucracy as a member of the legal staff of Arnold Miller, who became president after a Labor Department-supervised election in 1972 during an upsurge of miners against the corrupt and gangster-ridden leadership of Tony Boyle.

A wave of wildcat strikes throughout the coalfields culminated in a bitter strike in 1974. This was followed by the 111-day walkout in 1977-1978, in which miners clashed with Miller and defied a back-to-work order by the Carter administration. Miller was forced to resign in 1979.

Trumka returned to work in the mines in order to accumulate the required time to run for office. After miners rebelled again, this time against the 1981 sellout agreement brought by UMW President Sam Church, Trumka won a landslide election in 1982.

Over the next 13 years, Trumka worked to break down the traditions of working class solidarity and militant struggle in the UMW and transform the union into an adjunct of the coal industry. In 1983, the UMW abandoned its traditional policy of no contract, no work and industry-wide strike action in favor of the policy of so-called selective strikes against individual companies.

This paved the way for the isolation and defeat of the 1984-1985 AT Massey strike and the 1989-1990 struggle at Pittston coal, which opened the way for a wave of violence by the coal companies and the state that culminated in the frame-up and murder of militant miners.

While he cowered before the coal operators and the government, Trumka used threats and physical attacks against dissident miners and other opponents, above all the Workers League, the predecessor of the Socialist Equality Party, which was fighting to mobilize all miners in a national strike to defend the Pittston strikers.

In June 1989, rank-and-file miners in southern West Virginia launched a wildcat strike to break the isolation of the Pittston workers. At its height, 50,000 miners paralyzed coal production east of the Mississippi. In response, Trumka issued a desperate plea to the coal bosses and the government, telling the Charleston Gazette that Pittstons intransigence threatened to destroy the stability and competitiveness the UMW had brought to the coal industry.

If the company succeeded in breaking the UMW, he warned, When it comes back, I think the form of union probably will be different. Its tolerance for injustice will be far less and its willingness to alibi for a system that we know doesnt work will be nonexistent.

Trumka conspired with the first Bush administration and Democrats like West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller to crush the wildcat and impose a sellout on the Pittston miners. Once again, the crushing of the miners rebellion was used to launch a corporate-government counteroffensive against the miners, culminating in the murder of West Virginia coal miner John McCoy in January 1990.

When he was elected UMW president in 1982, the union had 120,000 active members. It fell to 84,000 by time he left, and today, under his handpicked successor, Cecil Roberts, it is lucky to have 10,000 active miners as dues-paying members.

These credentials earned Trumka a top spot in the national leadership of the AFL-CIO. During his 14 years as secretary-treasurer, he was credited with founding the AFL-CIO Capital Stewardship Committee, which allowed the union hierarchy to invest billions in pension and health care funds and emerge as a significant Wall Street player.

After becoming AFL-CIO president 2009, Trumka was appointed by President Obama to the White House Economic Recovery Advisory Board, a body that included corporate executives from General Electric, Oracle and UBS. It was headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, who spearheaded the assault on workers during the Reagan years.

Over the last eight years, Trumka and the AFL-CIO have reduced work stoppages to the lowest level since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began recording figures, allowing Obama to carry out the greatest transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top in US history. Trumka and the AFL-CIO are now offering their services to Trump.
Europe

Pre-Christmas strike by Czech postal staff

According to the Czech Post Union, around 250 of its members went on strike at Czech Posts central sorting office in Prague in the early hours of December 22. They stopped work for around an hour and were then followed by workers in other facilities in Usti and Labem, Brno and Olomouc in a so-called chain strike. According to the union, 600 staff in total were involved.

The workers are demanding a pay rise of 2,500 Crowns ($95) a month. Czech Post has offered 500 Crowsn ($20) a month. Currently postal workers average monthly wage is 22,700 to 23,000 Crowns ($870-$890) a month. The national average wage is around 4,000 Crowns ($155). According to a Czech Radio news item, the company had threatened employees considering joining the strike with fines, but the company denies this.

Number of strikes in Belgium highest in 20 years

According to figures from the Belgian national security office, 2016 will have seen the highest number of strikes in the country in 20 years. Between April and June there were nearly a quarter of a million days lost to strikes, the highest for a three-month period in 25 years.

At the end of May 60,000 workers took part in a national one-day strike against the governments austerity measures. This was followed one week later by a strike involving 10,000 teachers and civil servants. There were also large strikes by rail workers, prison guards, metal workers and other transport employees.

Blockade by French Uber drivers in run-up to Christmas

On December 23, French Uber drivers blockaded the two Paris airports for around five hours, forcing taxis to drop passengers off short of the airport terminals. Following the blockade, they held a slow convoy to Uber headquarters in Paris to stage a protest. Uber drivers in Lyon also blockaded main roads in the city. The drivers are organised by the Unsa-VTC union.

Uber drivers are protesting the low fares they must charge, which reduce their pay. Last year Uber reduced the minimum fare from 5 to 4.25 an hour. Drivers are pushing for the minimum fare to be raised to 8 an hour, saying some of them are earning as little as 3.75 an hour. They are also protesting Ubers plans to raise its commission from 20 percent to 25 percent.

Irish health staff to be balloted over working conditions

The Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) announced on Wednesday that it would hold a ballot of its 25,000 members in Ireland working as health support staff. It will also ballot its members in selected hospitals working in emergency units. This ballot will be held in the third week in January.

The union accuses the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health of refusing to extend concessions given to nurses to other health staff. It accuses them of breaching previously agreed terms.

Dutch court ruling postpones planned train strike

The Dutch rail company NS won an injunction just prior to Christmas forbidding a planned strike. The court ruled the strike a safety risk, as it was likely to lead to very high levels of crowding on railway platforms.

However, the ruling gave the union permission to hold the walkout from January 6 onwards. The rail staff union VVMC is still to decide whether to go ahead with the strike. Rail workers are in dispute with NS over new rostering arrangements.

Underground rail staff in London vote for action

A ballot of the Rail, Maritime and Transport unions) 3,000 members working for the London Underground rail network has voted 85 percent in favour of a 24-hour strike due to begin at 6pm on January 8.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association will also be out. The strike is part of a long-running dispute over the axing of around 900 staff on the system, including the closure of all the ticket offices on the network. The RMT and TSSA argue the lack of staff on busy tube stations is leading to safety concerns for both staff and passengers.

Solid strike by cleaning staff at UK rail company

Staff working for Servest UK, which cleans trains belonging to Great Western Railways held a strike on December 23 and 24. They are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union. The RMT, which described the strike as rock solid, balloted its 189 members, employed by Servest and they returned a 98 percent vote in favour of the action.

The Servest staff are seeking parity with other GWR staff for a pay rise, provision of safety clothing and for all Servest agency staff to be made permanent GWR employees, ending the two-tier wage system that the use of agency staff entails.

Hotel staff in Liverpool picket against Victorian conditions

Staff working at the Britannia Adelphi hotel in Liverpool held a one-day strike on December 23 to protest Victorian era conditions at the hotel.

The staff, who are members of the RMT union, held a picket line between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. A majority of the 275 staff working at the hotel belong to the RMT union. They are seeking a pay rise, as currently they are only paid the national minimum wage of 6.70 an hour. They are also protesting cuts in staff while at the same time the time allotted to clean a room has been cut from 25 minutes to 20 minutes.

Work-to-rule action by firefighters in northern England

Firefighters in northern England working for the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service began work-to-rule action just before Christmas; it is due to last until January 10. The action is in response to the introduction of Tactical Response Vehicles that carry a crew of three rather than the usual four. The Fire Brigades Union, which represents firefighters, claimed the new vehicles are totally inadequate to meet the needs of firefighters.

Middle East

Kuwaiti staff working for Public Disabled Authority hold protest

Several members of staff working for the Public Authority for the Disabled, a government agency, held a one-hour protest outside the headquarters on December 24. The protest was over low pay but also to demand the resignation of the director of PAD. The employees are angry at the slow response by PAD in providing handicap signs and other facilities.

Africa

General strike in Sudan

A general strike was called in Sudan on December 19 against the imposition of austerity measures affecting workers and small businesses. Government employees were threatened with losing their jobs if they participated and were made to sign in at their place of work.

Transport workers and staff in displacement camps responded to the strike call.

In spite of shopkeepers in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, being faced with fines if they did not open, two-thirds of them heeded the stay-away. Some students responded to the call and stayed away and held demonstrations, which were attacked by riot police who used tear gas grenades.

A government radio broadcast warned residents of North Darfur not to get involved in the general strike.

Kenyan university staff threaten walkout over pay demand

Employees at Kenyas public universities have threatened to strike January 11 if their pay demand is not met. University lecturers are demanding a pay increase of 300 percent, representing Sh350, 000 ($3,400) for assistant lecturers, rising to a maximum of Sh1.9 million ($18,600) annually for full professor status. The lecturers union, the University Academic Staffs Association, is demanding their pay be raised to international standards, pointing out that they make less than professors in neighbouring Sudan.

Governors of Kenyan states have not paid striking doctors their December salaries

Doctors in Kenya have been on strike for over three weeks demanding the implementation of a 2013 collective bargaining agreement. Counties throughout the country are considering whether to pay striking doctors. The Kenyan council of governors has instructed their members not to pay the doctors.

Recruitment has taken place of replacement doctors on casual contracts to scab on the national strike. The strike-breaking doctors, complained the Kenyan Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist and Dentist Union (KMPPDU), were inducted into hospitals with only a week of recruitment, when it would normally take months.

Nakuru County, where 275 contract doctors have been employed on seven-month contracts, is only admitting patients to the private wings of the hospital.

Arik Airline Nigeria reneges on promise to pay wage arrears

The strike by Arik Airline workers, called off after the company promised to pay part of a backlog of wages, could reignite. Workers at the airline company came out on strike briefly to demand wage arrears and improved working conditions.

Promises made to end the strike, with assistance of the National Aviation Authority, were for the payment of two months pay before the end of the year, and a third payment for December made in January. The date for the first payment passed without workers receiving anything.

The three unions involved, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, have not committed to any further industrial action as yet.

Nigerian medical unions threaten action in new year

Hospital staff at the Abidan University College Hospital, Nigeria, combined in the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), are threatening to strike over unpaid wages.

A spokesman for the several unions involved said they had not received wages since September and that this was a similar reoccurrence of 2014 and 2015. He went on to say if the outstanding salaries were not paid by January 3, they would come out on indefinite strike.

Members of JOHESU proceeded to bar the gates of the Abia State Teaching Hospital, also demanding several months of unpaid salaries. The joint unions have declared they will not participate in discussions until three months of outstanding wages are paid. They also raised the issue of 20 months of unpaid pensions owed to their retired colleagues.

Two other Nigerian states were confronted with the prospect of striking medical workers. Kogi and Bayelsa state members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) are proposing to strike on January 13 unless they are paid several months wages.

The Kogi state governor had promised doctors wages would be paid by December 20 but this was not fulfilled. NMA members were particularly annoyed at hearing other public sector employees had received their salaries and a no-work no-pay rule is being implemented against the Association of Resident Doctors after less than 49 days on strike. Normally the no-work no-pay rule should only come into effect after 100 days of strike.

A further medical union, the National Association of Resident Doctors, is lined up to strike on January 2, after postponing action on three previous occasions.

Swaziland electricians protest lack of bonuses

Workers employed at the Swaziland Electricity Company went on an unofficial strike December 21 protesting the non-payment of a traditional bonus at the end of the year.

Union negotiators who had met with management to discuss the issue were held responsible for the wildcat strike and they were issued with a court injunction.

A return to court after an immediate initial hearing will take place between January 8 and 17 where the eight union respondents will claim there is no proof of a strike, only some workers late for work.
The mining equipment that was trapped under the debris of the collapsed mine has been extracted.

A mine collapsed in Lalmatia in Jharkhand last night. ANI Photo.

By India Today Web Desk: Nine bodies of workers have been recovered as rescue operations are underway following the caving-in of the coal mine in Godda district of Jharkhand.

As many as 40 to 50 workers were feared trapped after a mine collapsed in Lalmatia in Jharkhand last night. The mining equipment that was trapped under the debris of the collapsed mine has been extracted.

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A heap of mud caved-in at the entry point of Latmatia mines of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in Godda district, the police said.

Jharkhand mine collapse: 9 bodies recovered so far, all 10 mining equipment extracted. ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Apart from workers, over 40 vehicles were also inside at the time of the cave-in at the Rajmahal Open Cast Mines of Paharia Bhorya site, the CISF said. PM Modi is taking stock of the situation. He has condoled the loss of lives in the mishap, announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for those killed, Rs 25,000 for the injured.

#FLASH: PM speaks to Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das,enquires about mine collapse. Das announces Rs 2 lakh for the deceased, 25000 for the injured ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

Those injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital.

Victims getting medical treatment.

Rescue operations are in full swing, power cut was restored within 3 hours, says Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, CMD of ECL.

3 excavators,7 dumpers were identified at mining site where incident took place, 2 dumpers fled when land subsided: Rajiv Ranjan Mishra ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

NDRF teams from Patna are on their way to the spot of the mishap. An additional manpower comprising 2 inspectors, 21 CISF personnel from ECL Sheetalpur headquarters has been sent to the site.

Jharkhand mine collapse: Three more NDRF teams from Patna, and one from Ranchi enroute to Lalmatia mine collapse site.

Jharkhand mine collapse: CM Raghubar Das monitoring situation closely, asks concerned officials to intensify rescue operations. ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

THERE WAS A CRACK IN HEAP OF MUD: LOCALS

The locals said that there was crack in the heap of mud, which collapsed and blocked the entry point of the mine. Mining operations were taking place about 200 feet beneath the ground.

Taking stock of situation, rescue efforts underway; enquiry has been initiated: Power and coal minister Piyush Goyal #JharkhandMinecollapse ANI (@ANI_news) December 30, 2016

(WITH INPUTS FROM IANS)

--- ENDS ---
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Today, cities across the Sunshine State holding demonstrations protesting construction of the Sabal Trail Pipeline.

There were rallies in at least five Florida cities, calling for the protection of the local environment.

This comes a few weeks after plans were halted in North Dakota for a pipeline that would come through a Native American reservation.

Today, events were held in Tallahassee, Miami, as well as Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, Orlando and Jacksonville.

Floridians are asking Senator Bill Nelson and other lawmakers to get involved in an attempt to halt the pipeline's construction.

In Tallahassee, local activists are speaking out as well, saying the pipeline is bound to burst and contaminate water for wildlife and people.

Protesters are planning a mass civil disobedience demonstration at Suwannee River State Park on January 14th.
BROOKS COUNTY, Ga. (WTXL) - In Brooks County, investigators are awaiting the results of an autopsy after a child was found dead.

According to deputies the death took place on Gin street back on December 21.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist in the case.

They are currently completing interviews and say the investigation is still active.

We'll update this story as we confirm more details.
WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Folks from the Gulf Specimen Aquarium are saying goodbye to their loggerhead sea turtle named Little Girl as she is heading back to her home in the Gulf of Mexico.

She was released just a few hours ago at the Bald Point State Park.

Little Girl has been a resident in the Wakulla County Educational Facility since 2007.

Little Girl was part of a program to test the efficacy of turtle excluder devices.

She was among a handful of turtles that popped up to the surface, and floated because she had gas in her upper shell .

After that she was deemed un-releasable by the turtle scientists and remained in captivity, until now.

Executive directors for the aquarium say she's been the highlight for the facility.

More than 180,000 visitors said hello to her since her arrival since 2007.

Now she's headed back to her home in the wild.
TIFTON, Ga. (WTXL) - UPDATE: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that the suspect involved in a fatal Christmas Day shooting in Tift County has turned himself in.

Investigators said that 21-year-old Jordan Lester turned himself in and was booked to jail on murder charges.

They said that on Christmas Day, the Tift County Sheriff's Office called them to help with a shooting investigation.

Around 3 p.m., deputies said that they were called to a shooting at 310 Bermuda Street in response to gunshots. When they arrived, they found Jamie Carithers, 25, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Carithers was transported to a Macon hospital, but died from his injuries the day after.

They have asked anyone with information to contacting the Tift County Sheriff's Office at (229) 388-6020 or the GBI Sylvester Office at (229) 777-2080.
The party has also sacked Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, also a close Akhilesh Yadav loyalist, for the same period.

By Shiv Pujan Jha: In a dramatic twist to the ongoing tussle within the Samajwadi Party, chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today expelled his rebel son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party for six years, saying he will decide who the next Chief Minister will be in the poll-bound state.

The party has also sacked Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, also a close Akhilesh Yadav loyalist, for the same period. An emergency meeting of the party has been called on January 1 in Lucknow.

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"To save the party, we have expelled both Ram Gopal and Akhilesh Yadav for six years from the party. For us, the party is the most important and our priority is to save the party," Mulayam told reporters at a press conference in Lucknow.

Flanked by brother Shivpal Yadav, who has been at loggerheads with the Chief Minister, Mulayam said he had taken the action against Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav to save the party which he had built through hard efforts.

SHOW CAUSE TO AKHILESH, RAM GOPAL

The duo was issued a show cause notice earlier for issuing their own list of candidates for the forthcoming state Assembly election, due early next year.

"CM Akhilesh Yadav doesn't understand. Ram Gopal Yadav is trying to weaken his future," Mulayam said. "How can he (Ram Gopal) call for an emergency national executive meet without my permission? Normally at least 15 or 10 days notice period is given," he said.

The SP chief said Akhilesh Yadav is no longer the Chief Minister and the party would decide who would succeed his 43-year-old son.

"I made Akhilesh the chief minister. Now he does not even consult me," said the senior Yadav, adding he was sacking the son to "save the party".

AKHILESH, RAM GOPAL DEFIANT

But a defiant Akhilesh Yadav showed no signs of quitting, throwing up some possible political scenarios in the poll-bound state.

These include the imposition of President's Rule till Assembly elections are held; Akhilesh Yadav asked to prove majority in the assembly if he continues to stay defiant. If he loses, the Mulayam faction may be asked to elect a new Chief Minister.

Minutes after the expulsion, hundreds of Akhilesh supporters, waving banners and posters with pictures of the chief minister, gathered outside his 5, Kalidas Marg residence here to show their support to him. They accused the party chief of doing "injustice".

Returning the fire, Ram Gopal Yadav refused to accept the expulsion and defended his decision to call an emergency convention of the party.

"The action taken against me is unconstitutional. He (Mulayam Singh) acted even before we could respond to the show cause notice (issued earlier)," he told the media.

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He said they would go ahead with the party convention on Sunday to let the facts come clear.

MULAYAM VS RAM GOPAL

The Yadav patriarch came down heavily on Ram Gopal Yadav and accused him of damaging Akhilesh's future prospects apart from weakening the party through his activities.

"Ram Gopal has weakened the party. He has no right to call party's national convention. He is also damaging Akhilesh's political future, and Akhilesh is not understanding this," Mulayam Singh said.

Asked if he would reconsider his decision vis-a-vis Akhilesh if his son apologised to him, Mulayam Singh said he would "consider if that happens".

"Why would Akhilesh apologise?...We'll see if he does," Mulayam said.

Photo: ANI

Also read: Samajwadi Party divided: Akhilesh releases his list of 235 candidates, Shivpal names 68

Watch: Akhilesh, Ram Gopal expelled: SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's full speech

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ZILLAH, Wash. -- Police on Friday afternoon arrested a 27-year-old man they say is a suspect in the robbery Wednesday of an espresso cafe in M
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By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: The time for ticket distribution in the ruling Samajwadi Party has arrived and, as expected, a fresh bout of one-upmanship between nephew-uncle duo of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and party's state unit chief Shivpal Yadav has commenced. As SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav watches and occasionally intervenes, the ongoing war in the ruling Yadav family has reached the next level.

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Instead of taking effective measures to stop the internecine war, Mulayam seems to have deliberately allowed a 'free for all' to take place in his party which he built assiduously over the years. The 77-year-old leader wants the succession battle to be settled during his lifetime.

ALSO READ | Congress keenly watching Akhilesh versus Mulayam dangal in Samajwadi Party

Mulayam favouring Akhilesh?

Mulayam appears to be favouring his younger brother Shivpal over his son Akhilesh. However, this may not be true in the given situation. As fathers usually do, Mulayam is subjecting his son to fire so that he comes out shining like gold.

The patriarch is perhaps aware of the fact that Akhilesh will finally emerge as his undisputed successor, edging out Shivpal. But he does not want to be seen favouring Akhilesh at this juncture. He wants his son to win his own battle.

Father's multiple blows to son

On Wednesday, Mulayam apparently dealt multiple blows to Akhilesh.

1. He released the first list of 325 candidates for 403 seats. This list omitted several of Akhilesh loyalists or those who he had recommended to Mulayam. Akhilesh rebelled and released his own list of 235 candidates. This will lead to a situation where two candidates of SP would be in the fray on the seats where the father and son are in disagreement. In this tricky situation, the faction with majority of winning candidates will have an edge over the other.

2. The SP chief ruled out any alliance of SP with anyone. It also went against Akhilesh who was trying to forge an alliance with Congress. An SP-Congress combine would have had a clear advantage over the rivals BSP and BJP. But Mulayam seems to have paid heed to his brother and ignored his son's choice. Akhilesh may still reach a pre-poll understanding with Congress and ensure victory of his candidates. This would be a blow for Mulayam-Shivpal combine.

3. Mulayam announced that SP will go to the polls without projecting anyone as the chief ministerial candidate. This, in fact, went clearly against Akhilesh because the incumbent CM is naturally projected as the face of the party. Otherwise, it is considered to be loss of confidence in the incumbent. But Mulayam wants the leadership issue to be settled after the elections. The faction having the support of majority of the MLAs will be declared the leader.

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ALSO READ | What next in Samajwadi Party: 5 scenarios as Akhilesh Yadav rebels against father Mulayam

Mulayam's long rope to UP CM

Mulayam has been turning a blind eye to some of Akhilesh's decisions which, in normal circumstances, could attract provisions of anti-party activities.

Akhilesh releasing his own list of candidates is the latest such instance. Or, Akhilesh dismissing Shivpal twice from his council of ministers were another such occasions. But Mulayam has clearly ignored them. He has not taken any action against Akhilesh.

Just the day Akhilesh released his own list of candidates, incumbent Chief Minister and former Congress rebel Pema Khandu was suspended from the ruling People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) for allegedly breaking party discipline. However, no such action was even talked about in the feuding Yadav 'pari-war'.

Mulayam is clearly giving a long rope to his son. He would be happiest father if Akhilesh finally comes through with flying colours.

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Security forces stopped a stabbing attack on Friday at the Qalandiya checkpost near Ramallah. The incident occurred when a Palestinian woman had approached the checkpoint, with a knife in her hand, despite being repeatedly called upon to stop.

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The woman was eventually shot and neutralized after security forces proceeded with the IDF rules of engagement.

Qalandiya checkpoint

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The terrorist after being neutralized

The knife found next to the terrorist (Phot: Police Spokesperson's Unit)

Qaladiya checkpoint

Last Friday, a man was lightly to moderately injured after he was stabbed on the street in the West Bank settlement of Efrat. The injured man said that a terrorist has stabbed him and then escaped. The man was stabbed in his back and the back of his neck. Following the event, security forces laid siege to the nearby village of Khirbat Abdullah in search of the attacker.
Russian Ambassador to Israel Alexander Shein was rushed to Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv Thursday night after falling ill at the beach side Manta Ray restaurant.

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His situation is stable after going through a medical examination at the ICU.

Russian Ambassador to Israel Alexander Peterovich (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Deputy Russian Ambassador to Israel Alexi Drobinin confirmed that the ambassador was, in fact, sent to the hospital, and said that the ambassador is doing well now.

The Ambassador was called to the Foreign Ministry offices in Jerusalem to be reprimanded over Russias support of a UN resolution calling Israeli construction in the West Bank illegal earlier in the week.
BUCHAREST- Romania's President named Sorin Grindeanu from the ruling leftist Social Democrat Party (PSD) as prime minister designate on Friday, his office said.

Grindeanu, a 43-year-old mathematician and former deputy mayor of the western city of Timisoara, is expected to win parliament's backing as early as next week.

His party won a Dec. 11 election by a wide margin and together with coalition partner ALDE, has 250 of the 465 seats in the two houses of parliament.
ANKARA- Turkey's state-run news agency says police have detained some 40 suspected Islamic State group militants in raids in southern Turkey.

Anadolu Agency says special forces police, backed by armored vehicles and a helicopter, conducted the raids in the city of Adana early on Friday.

Those detained are suspected of membership in the extremist group and of engaging in IS propaganda, the agency said.

Turkey has, since 2015, suffered a wave of deadly bombing attacks carried out either by IS militants or by Kurdish militants.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman will decide in the coming days whether to let in hundreds  and eventually thousands  of Gazans to work in Israel.

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The request to let in the Gazan workers was submitted by the leaders of the Gaza border area regional councils. They want to be able to let Palestinians come to Israel and work the fields of the Moshavim and Kibbutzim in the area, and only this area. The kibbutzim and moshavim can not find enough workers to work the fields. Gazans were allowed entry into Israel to work until 2007 when Hamas came to power.

Defense Minister Lieberman on the border with Gaza (Photo: Ariel Hamony)

The heads of the Eshkol Regional Council and the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council, Gadi Yarkoni and Alon Shusterman respectively, met with the defense minister four months ago to discuss the subject. They said that the defense minister was interested in permitting Palestinians from Gaza to enter Israel to work so long as the border remained quiet.

The request has since been turned over to the border authority, and the ministry of defense has begun to prepare for their response.

However, while the ministry of defense and the IDF support the idea, the Shin Bet is in opposition to the initiative, saying that Hamas may use Palestinians entering Israel to work as sleeper cells who will be ordered to carry out attacks against Israel.

Wheat fields on the border with Gaza (Photo: Barel Efriam)

The initiative is now in its home stretch, and it is up to Lieberman to ultimately decide whether or not to go through with the idea.

Shaar HaNegev Regional Council Head Alon Shusterman said this issue of giving permits (to Gazans to work in Israel) is extremely important. Gazas economic interests are also Israels economic interests. Allowing these workers from the Gaza Strip into Israel, and their integration into the western Negevs agriculture will be of great help to Israeli agriculture on the one hand, and will help the humanitarian situation in Gaza on the other.
The most riveting questions in the days ahead of 2017 has no clear answer yet. Billions of people around the world are trying to guess what is going on in the head of one man, under his odd-looking orange pompadour, or at least the contents of his next tweet, which could, if he so chooses, bring gargantuan corporations the likes of Lockheed Martin, or even the Japanese yen to their knees in a mere 140 characters.

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For decades, it has been well-known that many global events are hinged on decisions made in the big white house on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But as far as the world can remember, never did it have to contend with an American President so capricious and unpredictable, whom as we all know, will hold the nuclear launch button in his hand.





Netanyahu (L) and Putin at the Kremlin (Photo: Chaim Tzach, GPO)

Any attempt to predict the shape of the world in 2017 is as laughable as the commentators who scorned Trump and his bid for the presidency.

Still, one cannot help but wonder whether the president-elect will make good on his campaign pledges once he moves into the White House. Even his own experts seem to be on a wild goose chase after the mountains of promises he dealt out with abandon throughout his erratic campaign. Indeed, a Trump Policy is something of an oxymoron.

Yet, there are some assumptions one may cautiously makeif not about Trump, perhaps on Trumpism.

Trumpism is bigger and carries more weight than the man himself. This is not some new twist on the good old Reaganomics that swept over the US in the 80s. Far from it; Trumpism is the most blatant, crude and dramatic response since WWII to liberalism in the US and other democracies around the world. It is the manifestation of a deep contempt towards its core values such as equality and human rights; it is deep-seated loathing of blacks, homosexuals, Muslims, Jews; it is xenophobia directed at the Chinese and others who are supposedly plotting to seize Americas wealth.

A melting pot of hatred, contempt and fear, coupled with the ongoing and exasperating economic decline of the middle class, with the threat of Jihadist terrorism that knows no boundaries, bred Trump-like rulers even before The Donald. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan are among the more well-known examples. But the concept of Trumpism has furthered its reach around the world, from Kazakhstans President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Hungarian Prime Viktor Orban. The citizens of the 21st century failed to learn the lessons of their 20th century predecessorsnamely, that they choose reactionary rulers over the fading liberal leaders.

Thus, it is safe to proclaim 2017 as the year of the bully, or rather the alliance of bullies, possibly stronger and crueler then what the world has seen the year before. The two icons of global bullying, Putin and Erdogan, have demonstrated their ruthlessness in the face of the flaccid liberalism on part of Obama and his petrified European allies. Putin sent bombers loaded to the hilt to slaughter tens of thousands of Syrian civilians, uninterrupted. Erdogan crushed, murdered and locked away his opposition and with them, any semblance of democracy that might have remained in his country, all while sneering in the face of his critics.

The alliance of bullies will celebrate 2017 while towering over the remains of liberalism. It is a contagious sort of allianceleaders a la Putin or Trump will pop up around the world in the coming years. All the signs show that it will take ages for historys pendulum to swing liberalism back into fashion.

Which bring us to our little neck of the woods. In the eyes of most of the worldNew Zealand and Senegal includedwith a seal of approval from the UN Security Council, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is just another bully. A small, neighborhood bully, but a bully all the same, and one who make a lot of noise despite his itty-bitty size.

So heres an interesting question: will the big bullies of 2017 treat their little friend as one of their own? Will he get to take part in the bully alliance? In light of reports thus far, it seems that Putin and Netanyahu have found a common language in recent years, even on sensitive matters such as Syrias airspace. So far, Trump seems an ardent supporter of Netanyahus linea little to the right of his own. Trumps choices for his administrations defense officials and representative to the Middle East look like a dream come true for the House of Balfour.

Anyone who had hopedor still doesthat the big bullies will turn on Israel and show up with heavy clubsor aircraft carriersto force a fast receding two-state solution upon Bibi (who on a couple of occasions was overheard reluctantly mumbling something on the matter) is in for a disappointment. Maybe Trump will not move the American Embassy to Jerusalem in the upcoming year after all, but at the same timehe wont be slapping Israel with Obama-style decrees.

Despite the Security Councils resolution, the Netanyahu administration will be able to uphold its ongoing tradition of sitting on its hands, waiting to see what happens. This conclusion might make many Israelis quite happy, namely the settlers in Judea and Samaria and their followers. The UN will prattle away as usual, but the true lords of the globe will not stand in our way to Eretz Yisrael Ha-Shlema, ie greater Israel.

So the picture is getting clearerfor better or worse, no one will save us from ourselves. This requires us to grow up, look squarely into our ourselves in the mirror and admit to ourselves that we are on our own. While trying to neutralize any outside noise, we should ask ourselves what it is that we really want.

Indeed, what do we want?

Those who believe that weve never been better and that time is on our side are welcome to continue doing nothing and wait for Trump to get reelected, or for the Messiah to arrive. Whichever comes first. Anything can happen. One must admit that those who believe that this is the lesser of two evils is not necessarily wrong. Even Sun Tzu says in The Art of War that there are moments when it is better to hold still and not move. We should knowfor better or for worse weve been famously doing so for decades.

But if there are Israelis who are worried about national stagnation, it is hard to understand their lethargy, indifference, numbness and despair. Why are they not doing something about it? Are they, too, waiting for the 2019 elections in Israel? Or for the election of the next democratic president in the US, in 2020 at the earliest?

Is 2017 a lost year for anxious Israelis even before it has begun? Apparently sofor better or for worse what with the approval of the bi-annual budget, the solution of sorts to the Amona issue, and with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit sitting on the Netanyahu files like a hen hatching its eggs, its difficult to envision any scenario of real change over the next year. Still, it is worthy to engage in an uncompromising debate on our fundamental issues. Whoever seeks change must clearly define the differences between the various approaches, speak frankly and avoid putting off the battle over the mind and heart of Israel until the next elections. This is what couldand shouldbe done in 2017.

We must as a nation take a good look in the mirror, without blinking: Israel is a country with no recognized and agreed-upon borders. It rules over millions of Palestinians who demand a country of their own. This is the bone of contention underlying a bloody and enduring dispute that tends to boil over from time to time, and by doing so rip apart the very fabric of Israels society, exact precipitous moral and social costs and taint our foreign relations and international trade.

Its farfetched to expect that 2017 will be the year in which we find a solution to our raison d'etre but at the very least we could determine what it is that we want to achievewhat kind of country we want, where its borders should be, what are its values, what kind of relationship with our neighbors do we seek, what kind of agreement would be best for us, and above allwho are the leaders worthy of showing us the path.

If we fail to engage in this challenging and straightforward discussion in the upcoming year, I imagine well meet right here next year, at the same place, lamenting over yet another wasted year and praying for a miracle.

The above article was given as a speech at the Calcalist Annual Forecast Conference.
One police officer and two suspected militants have been killed in a shootout in Russia's volatile North Caucasus.

Fatina Ubaydatova, spokeswoman in Russia's republic of Dagestan, said on Friday a police squad was trying to stop a car with suspected militants outside the city of Khasavyurt late on Thursday when people in that car opened fire on them. Police identified the two men as local militants who attacked policemen earlier this week in the regional capital, Makhachkala.

Islamic insurgents in Dagestan have mounted frequent attacks on police and officials, and some have sworn allegiance to ISIS.
An Israeli TV channel reported Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is suspected of receiving valuable gifts from two businessmen.

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The Channel 2 segment was the latest in a series of reports in Israeli media saying that police are close to opening a criminal investigation against the prime minister.Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is expected to order the head of police investigations to open the probe into allegations of bribe-taking and aggravated fraud leveled against Netanyahu.

Netanyahu (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The station said Netanyahu had accepted large-scale "favors" from businessmen in Israel and abroad. It said there had been a breakthrough in the case three weeks ago, but gave no further details.

Channel 2 said Netanyahu was the central suspect in a second investigation that also involves members of his family. It said some 50 witnesses were involved in the case.

The station, along with the Ynet news site, said a formal criminal probe is expected to be opened next week.

Israel's Justice Ministry and police declined to comment on the reports, saying they would issue an update "in due time." Police said Thursday that the media reports contained "speculations and disinformation."

Netanyahu's office did not respond to a request for comment. But in the past, it has denied all allegations of wrongdoing by the prime minister.

In July, Mandelblit announced he was looking into matters concerning Netanyahu but did not disclose what they were. Israeli media at the time reported they were related to Netanyahu's personal finances.

Leading Israeli opposition lawmaker Erel Margalit of the Zionist Union party has been campaigning for a formal investigation into suspicions of prominent donors improperly transferring money for Netanyahu's personal use, as well as reports that Netanyahu's personal attorney represented a German firm involved in a $1.5 billion sale of submarines to Israel.

The attorney general also instructed workers in the state prosecutors office to look into allegations that Netanyahu accepted 1 million eurosabout $1.1 millionfrom accused French fraudster Arnaud Mimran in 2009.

Mimran, who is serving eight years in prison for carbon-tax fraud, claimed during his trial to have donated the money to Netanyahu during the 2009 Israeli election campaign.

Netanyahu, who has steadfastly denied the allegation, did admit to accepting $40,000 from Mimran.

In May, State Comptroller Yosef Shapira submitted a critical report on Netanyahus foreign trips from 2003 to 2005 as finance ministersome of which were taken with his wife and children.

In an apparently unrelated case this month, there were calls for Netanyahu to be investigated for his role in a Defense Ministry deal to buy submarines from a German company partly owned by the Iranian government.

Allegations surfaced last month that Netanyahu may have been swayed in the decision by business ties his personal counsel, David Shimron, had with the subs builder, ThyssenKrupp.

Netanyahu and Shimron have denied any wrongdoing in the matter.

Parts of the defense establishment, including former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, opposed the purchase.
The Palestinians are hopeful that a strong international endorsement in Paris will insulate them from what they fear will be a close alliance between President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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With their hopes for gaining independence in a deep freeze, the Palestinians had a rare week of optimism. First, the US. allowed the UN Security Council to adopt Resolution 2334, which declared Israeli settlements on occupied lands illegal. Then, US Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a farewell speech that harshly criticized Israeli settlements, saying Israel's continued construction was imperiling hopes for a peace agreement and endangering the country's democracy.

Palestinian officials say they are now counting on the French-hosted Mideast peace conference to build on the momentum and set clear terms of reference for any future negotiations with Israel. Some 70 nations are expected to attend, although Israel and the Palestinians will not be participating.

UN Security Council (Photo: AP)

"The tools we have now are Security Council Resolution 2334, the Kerry speech and the Paris conference," said Husam Zumlot, a senior adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He said the Palestinians would seek to make the resolution "a base for any political initiative."

The Palestinians seek the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war, for an independent state. They say that Israeli settlements in these areas, now home to about 600,000 Israelis, are threatening their hopes for independence by taking in lands where they hope to establish their state.

The latest UN resolution, along with Kerry's speech, essentially endorsed the Palestinian position by calling for the pre-1967 lines to serve as the reference point for a final border. Netanyahu, who opposes a return to the 1967 lines, has condemned the moves as "skewed" and "shameful." Netanyahu says all disputes must be settled through direct negotiations without any preconditions, and that any international pressure undermines the negotiating process.

In a speech on Thursday, Netanyahu dismissed Israel's conflict with the Palestinians as a "marginal issue." The real issue, he said, is the "collapse of entire nations, of entire states in internal conflict, and in the wars of radical Islam over the future of the Arab world and the Muslim world."

With the gaps so wide, and with little faith in the US as a neutral broker, the Palestinians have long tried to engage the international community in their conflict with Israel, seeking membership in the US and other international bodies to promote their cause.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: AP)

"We are going to end the old formula of direct talks with Israel under US sponsorship," Zumlot said. "Now we have the tools to do that."

That strategy appears even more critical as Trump prepares to assume the presidency. While the president elect has not outlined a Mideast strategy, he has given a number of signs that he will be far more sympathetic to Netanyahu than was the Obama White House.

His campaign platform made no mention of Palestinian independence, an objective of Republican and Democrat presidents for the past two decades, and his choice for ambassador to Israel has strong ties to the West Bank settler movement. He has promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, despite Palestinian objections, and says Obama has treated Israel with "total disdain."

"Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!" Trump wrote on his Twitter feed shortly before Kerry's speech on Wednesday.

Netanyahu replied with his own tweet, thanking Trump for his "warm friendship" and "clear-cut support for Israel."

The Palestinians have said little about Trump publicly, but some officials privately say they are concerned about his budding friendship with Netanyahu. Earlier this month, Trump transition officials turned down a request to meet with a Palestinian delegation in Washington, after holding meetings with several senior Israeli officials, including the head of the Mossad spy agency.

Donald Trump and Don King (Photo: Reuters)

Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official, played down the Trump-Netanyahu partnership. "What can this alliance to do us?" he said. "They know that any pressure tactics on us would lead to deterioration. That is not in the interest of anyone."

In the meantime, the Palestinians say they are pressing forward with an outreach program to the Israeli public in hopes of rallying support for moderates who oppose the policies of Netanyahu's nationalist government.

On Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hosted a group of 13 officials from the Israeli opposition Zionist Union party. Another group of Israeli leaders is expected on Jan. 5.

"We are reaching out to the Israeli society to remind everyone of the mutual interest in the two-state solution," said Ziad Darwesh, an official in the Palestinian outreach program. "We see changes in the Israeli society."
In what could be the single biggest catch by the Income Tax officials post-demonetisation, four bullion traders are being examined for a suspected conversion of black money worth Rs 600 crore in Mumbai.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: The investigation wing of Income Tax Department has been examining every corner of Zaveri Bazaar - the biggest jewellery market in Mumbai since Thursday searching trails of dirty money, which belonged to four bullion traders.

Searches continued till Friday evening at four to five locations.

The I-T officials have found money trail of at least Rs 600 crore in various banks accounts, which were opened in the names fishermen, slum dwellers, chawl-residents and foreigners.

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READ| This bank fixed cash quota to circumvent demonetisation; I-T raid enters 5th day

"Four bullion traders- Chenaji Narsingji, Nakoda Silver, Mandev Bullion and Dev Bullion - had deposited cash amount (old notes) of Rs 500-600 crore in large number of bogus bank accounts. Later, these traders round tripped the entire money back in their own accounts via RTGS - converting into a legal tender," a source from IT department told Indiatoday.in.

It is surprising as to how these traders got hold of KYC details of so many people from all sections of society and later made them sign the RTGS form for the withdrawal of amount.

During investigation, it was noticed that in large cases, these traders had used fake identity of account holders or the fake addresses to open these accounts.

READ| Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first interview since demonetisation

"There is one example, where a passport holder of Sri Lanka is also an account holder in whose account one of the traders has deposited the money", the source said.

This is the biggest catch by the Income Tax department since demonetisation was announced 50 days ago.

Source said that the I-T searches were conducted on the specific and credible information provided by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) on suspicious bank deposits after November 8.

ALSO WATCH:

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Britain scolded US Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the most right-wing in Israeli history, a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump.

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After US President Barack Obama enraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by refusing to veto a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, Kerry's public rebuke of Israel has unsettled some allies such as Britain.

Kerry (L) and May (Photo: AFP, EPA)

Amid one of the United States' sharpest confrontations with Israel since the 1956 Suez crisis, Kerry said in a speech that Israel jeopardizeds hopes of peace in the Middle East by building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

While Britain voted for the UN resolution that so angered Netanyahu and says that settlementsare illegal, a spokesman for May said that it was clear that the settlements were far from the only problem in the conflict.

In an unusually sharp public rebuke of Obama's top diplomat, May's spokesman said that Israel had coped for too long with the threat of terrorism and that focusing only on the settlements was not the best way to achieve peace between Jew and Arab.

London also took particular issue with Kerry's description of Netanyahu's coalition as "the most right-wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by its most extreme elements."

"We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally," May's spokesman said when asked about Kerry 70-minute speech in the State Department's auditorium.

The US State Department said it was surprised by the remarks from May's office and said Kerry's comments were in line with Britain's own policy. It pointedly also thanked Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates for support.

Britain has long cherished its so-called "special relationship" with the United States as a central pillar of its foreign policy, but May has struggled to build relations with Trump's transition team.

Following his election, Trump spoke to nine other world leaders before he spoke to May while he caused astonishment in London when he suggested that Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage should be Britain's ambassador to Washington.

By openly criticising Kerry, who will leave office in just weeks, May moves British policy closer to Trump than its other European allies such as Germany and France.

Trump has denounced the Obama administration's treatment of Israel and promised to change course when he is sworn in on Jan. 20.

"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore," Trump said in a series of tweets. "Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!"

Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has come out in favour of the Kerry speech while France holds a Middle East conference next month in Paris.

But Australia has distanced itself from Obama's stance on Israel, ABC reported.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was convinced peace with Israel was achievable but demanded that Israel halt settlement building before talks restarted.

Netanyahu, for his part, has been witheringly critical of Kerry's speech. In a statement released shortly after it was delivered, Netanyahu accused Kerry of bias and said Israel did not need to be lectured to by foreign leaders.

Netanyahu said he looked forward to working with Trump.

Kerry "obsessively dealt with settlements", Netanyahu said in his response, and barely touched "the root of the conflict - Palestinian opposition to a Jewish state in any boundaries."

In Israel, Kerry's speech has played into the hands of Israel's far-right national-religious movement, led by Naftali Bennett, the education minister, who is in Netanyahu's cabinet but very critical of Netanyahu and is trying to position himself as a future potential leader.

Bennett's party, Jewish Home, wants to annexe large parts of the West Bank and openly opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. He is advocating for more settlements and the legalisation of outpost settlements, which even the Israeli government considers illegal.

"This administation's policy has left the Middle East up in flames," Bennett said after Kerry's speech. "The one free democracy has been thrown under the bus - and that's Israel."
Spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Lithuanian community 103-year-old Rabbi Lieb Shteinman's health was reported on Friday to have deteriorated.

After complaining of shortness of breath on Sunday, Shteinman was rushed to Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in Beni Brak and was reported to be feeling better on Tuesday, before Friday's report that his health has take a turn.

A more moderate voice than his contemporaries, Shteinman has faced vocal opposition from within the Lithuanian community from its more zealous members.
YANGON - Myanmar said on Friday it will take back 2,415 citizens from Bangladesh, only a tiny fraction of the 300,000 people who Bangladesh says are Myanmar citizens taking refuge there and should go home.

Tension has been rising between the neighbours over Myanmar's treatment of ethnic minority Rohingya Muslims, about 50,000 of whom Bangladesh says have fled there since the Myanmar army launched a crackdown on its side of their border in October.

Myanmar has for decades said Rohingyas are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and it has declined to grant them citizenship.

Bangladesh says the Rohingyas are Myanmar citizens and it has refused to grant refugee status to those who have fled there, many from communal violence and Myanmar army crackdowns over the past decades.
WARSAW- Officials say that an Enter Air plane was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff in Warsaw after hitting a bird.

The Warsaw Chopin Airport said on Twitter that the landing occurred without any problem and that the passengers were safe.

The plane was scheduled to make a stop in Larnaca, Cyprus, before flying on to Mombasa, Kenya.

Enter Air director Grzegorz Polaniecki told the broadcaster TVN that the plane hit a bird and that the pilots returned to Warsaw's international airport so the plane could be inspected as a precaution.
The National Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Unit issued a warning on Friday for Israeli tourists in India to beware of terrorist attempts.

According to the unit, it assesses that there is a possibility of Western and tourist sites being targeted, with an emphasis on the south of the country in the immediate future.

Israelis are advised to avoid festivals and large public gatherings in addition to increasing awareness.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas termed the recent UN Security Council's resolution as being against the settlements, not against Israel, in his first interview with an Israeli journalist since the resolution passed and US Secretary of State John Kerry's speech on resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

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Abbas said that Israeli settlements "don't advance peace, but rather are an obstacle to peace. A distinction must be made between Israel and the settlement project, which the world opposes and which we also oppose. We are also against the attempt of Avigdor Lieberman to divert the discussion from the settlements to Israel."

The recently reelected president was speaking to Yedioth Ahronoth, Ynet's sister publication, at a meeting with representatives of the Council for a Beautiful Israel, a public non-profit organization.

Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: AFP)

Addressing Kerry's speech, Abbas said, "We are aware that the United States will continue to be Israel's friend and not a friend of ours. Its decision on how to vote in the UN and Kerry's speechthe US is coming from the place of a true friend who wants to save Israel.

"We definitely received the UN resolution and Kerry's speech positively. If the settlements would stop, we would be ready to start talking without preconditions. Benjamin Netanyahu cannot continue saying that only he is right. You can't ignore the world's position. The entire world is burning. There is extremism and ISIS in the region. Let's promote peace so that peace can prevail in this troubled region."

Was there coordination between the Palestinians and the United States before it decided not to veto the UN resolution?

"There wasn't direct cooperation. The Americans received the draft resolution and announced their position in accordance with their policies. We've been talking with the Americans for a long time now about passing the resolution regarding ceasing the settlements."

Saeb Erekat said that if the settlement industry isn't stopped, you'll cut off contact. Is this your position?

"This is absolutely our position, and we released an announcement on this (on Wednesday). UN Resolution 2334 declares that the settlements are illegal. They also make peace impossible. Avigdor Lieberman calls to freeze economic relations with us and to continue security coordination. What does he thinkthat we work for him?

"His attitude is unacceptable, and if we were crazy like him, we would have cut off all contact. Nevertheless, we will continue security coordination because it's in the joint interest of the two sides. But to be clear, we don't work for Netanyahu or for Lieberman or for anybody else. We are not the army of one general. We are a people, and we will maintain our dignity."

Israel is also insisting that you declare that the State of Israel is the state of the Jewish people. Why don't you agree to that?

"In 1993, we recognized Israel, and you recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people. Why do you want more? It's not our role or our business how you define yourselves. What do you want from us?"

You've seen the tweets of US President-elect Trump. Are you afraid that he'll be harmful to you?

"We'll take care of the relations with him after he's sworn in on January 20. At this stage, a meeting hasn't been set up for me with him. We're waiting for him to go enter the White House, and then we'll discuss with him the matters at hand."

Holding his electronic cigarette, Abbas said, "We know that we have a problem with the Netanyahu government and with some of its components, but we also know that a large part of the Israeli people support peace and the two-state solution. The fact that he's the prime minister mustn't lead to stagnation. That would have catastrophic consequences.

"I call on peace-loving people on both sides to raise their voices. There's an opportunity now that we must not miss. Yitzhak Rabin was the opponent of the Palestinian people, but he decided in favor of peace. We must not allow extremists to unite against the idea of peace. I am optimistic and will remain optimistic. If I stop believing, I'll go home. I won't stay in the job if I stop believing that we can achieve peace."

What's your opinion of

MK Basel Ghattas

, who gave mobile phones to security prisoners?

"I don't know exactly what happened. It's between him and you."
European capitals tightened security on Friday ahead of New Year's celebrations, erecting concrete barriers in city centers and boosting police numbers after the ISIS attack in Berlin last week that killed 12 people. In addition, Israel's anti-terrorism directorate issued a severe warning of terrorist attacks in India.

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In the German capital, police closed the Pariser Platz square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy 1,700 extra officers, many along a party strip where armored cars will flank concrete barriers blocking off the area.

Soldiers in Brussels on Friday

"Every measure is being taken to prevent a possible attack," Berlin police spokesman Thomas Neuendorf told Reuters TV. Some police officers would carry sub-machine guns, he said, an unusual tactic for German police.

Last week's attack in Berlin, in which a Tunisian man plowed a truck into a Christmas market, has prompted German lawmakers to call for tougher security measures.

Cement roadblocks in Brussels (Photo: Reuters)

In Milan, where police shot the man dead, security checks were set up around the main square. Trucks were banned from the centers of Rome and Naples. Police and soldiers cradled machine guns outside tourist sites including Rome's Colosseum.

Preparations in Berlin (: )

X

Madrid plans to deploy an extra 1,600 police on the New Year weekend. For the second year running, access to the city's central Puerta del Sol square, where revelers traditionally gather to bring in the New Year, will be restricted to 25,000 people, with police setting up barricades to control access.

Visitors pass security check to enter the venue at the Brandenburg Gate on Friday (Photo: Reuters)

In Cologne in western Germany, where hundreds of women were sexually assaulted and robbed outside the central train station on New Year's Eve last year, police have installed new video surveillance cameras to monitor the station square.

The attacks in Cologne, where police said the suspects were mainly of North African and Arab appearance, fueled criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept nearly 900,000 migrants last year.

The Berlin attack has intensified that criticism.

In Frankfurt, home to the European Central Bank and Germany's biggest airport, more than 600 police officers will be on duty on New Year's Eve, twice as many as in 2015.

In Brussels, where Islamist suicide bombers killed 16 people and injured more than 150 in March, the mayor was reviewing whether to cancel New Year fireworks, but decided this week that they would go ahead.

Paris patrols

In Paris, where ISIS gunmen killed 130 people last November, authorities prepared for a high-security weekend, the highlight of which will be the fireworks on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, where some 600,000 people are expected.

Ahead of New Year's Eve, heavily armed soldiers patrolled popular Paris tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre museum.

In the Paris metropolitan area, 10,300 police, gendarmes, soldiers, firemen and other personnel will be deployed, police said, fewer than the 11,000 in 2015 just weeks after the Nov. 13 attack at the Bataclan theater.

German policemen patrol with submachine gun at the Brandenburg Gate on Friday (Photo: Reuters)

Searches and crowd filtering will be carried out by private security agents, particularly near the Champs-Elysees where thousands of people are expected, authorities said.

Across France, more than 90,000 police including 7,000 soldiers will be on duty for New Year's Eve, authorities said.

India terrorism warning

Israel National Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Unit issued a warning on Friday for Israeli tourists in India to beware of terrorist attempts.

Cement barriers in Frankfort (Photo: EPA)

The unit assessed that there is a possibility of Western and tourist sites being targeted, with an emphasis on the south of the country in the immediate future.

Israelis were advised to avoid festivals and large public gatherings in addition to increasing awareness.
Amongst the dozens of pilots who graduated from the 173rd course of the Israel Air Force on Thursday was 25-year-old Capt. A. from Holon, who immigrated to Israel at the age of 6 from Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv and served in the Paratroopers' and Nahal Brigades before enrolling in the pilots' course.

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Speaking with Ynet, A. said that he wanted to spread the message that "There's great potential that isn't realized in the population from the former Soviet Union and from Ethiopia."

Capt. A (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

A. began his service as a combat soldier in Nahal before becoming a team leader in the 202nd Battalion of the Paratroopers. He then went through the officers' training course and returned to the Nahal Brigade as an operations officer. He didn't fulfill his greatest dream of being a soldier in the elite Sayeret Matkal, failing to get into the unit twice, but he did instead manage to complete the prestigious pilots' training course.

The captain also took half a year to take part in the IDF's 6-month Nativ conversion course and became Jewish before successfully passing the acceptance tests for the IAF course. He is to serve as a transport pilot.

IAF's new pilots (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

He said, "The educational system must invest more in immigrant youth, explaining more about the options that they have for significant roles in the army, raising awareness to get accepted to significant roles. Lots of immigrant youth miss out that way. As a high school student, I didn't know at all about a service year of a preparatory military course."





Graduation ceremony on Thursday (Photo: EPA)

Serving in three different units is not a usual army service, but A. had no hesitations: "I always felt pride in my unit, but I always looked at myself years ahead. In retrospect, it would have been better to stay on longer as a Nahal officer, perhaps until reaching the position of deputy company commander to give more to 'the Greens' and then go to the pilots' course, but I have no regrets."
UNITED NATIONS - Ban Ki-moon has joked to hundreds of diplomats and UN staff as he left United Nations headquarters for the last time as secretary-general that he feels like Cinderella because everything changes for him at midnight on New Year's Eve.

Flanked by the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, the native South Korean thanked UN workers Friday for their hard work and commitment during his 10-year tenure that ends at midnight Dec. 31.

He told his colleagues he had two words for them: "Thank You."
By PTI: Panaji, Dec 30 (PTI) Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today ruled out any adverse impact of demonetisation on tourist footfalls in the coastal state.

?The number of footfalls are increasing every passing year. I have witnessed the growth during last four years,? Parsekar told reporters after inauguration of BJPs election office in Panaji today.

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He said there is no impact of demonetisation on the tourism industy as ?Goa has gone digital?.

?People have accepted demonetisation and cashless payment initiatives,? he said.

Goa tourism industry has been complaining about the decrease in tourist arrivals this year-end due to demonetisation.

The New Year parties which were supposed to start on December 28 were yet to begin the state. PTI RPSDK BAS

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News

Washington, DC - The State Department today declared persona non grata 35 Russian officials operating in the United States who were acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic or consular status. The Department also informed the Russian Government that it would deny Russian personnel access to two recreational compounds in the United States owned by the Russian Government.

The Department took these actions as part of a comprehensive response to Russias interference in the U.S. election and to a pattern of harassment of our diplomats overseas that has increased over the last four years, including a significant increase in the last 12 months. This harassment has involved arbitrary police stops, physical assault, and the broadcast on State TV of personal details about our personnel that put them at risk. In addition, the Russian Government has impeded our diplomatic operations by, among other actions: forcing the closure of 28 American corners which hosted cultural programs and English-language teaching; blocking our efforts to begin the construction of a new, safer facility for our Consulate General in St. Petersburg; and rejecting requests to improve perimeter security at the current, outdated facility in St. Petersburg.

Todays actions send a clear message that such behavior is unacceptable and will have consequences.
Health News

Washington, DC - Gold Medal Packing Inc., a Rome, N.Y. establishment, is recalling approximately 4,607 pounds of boneless veal products that may be contaminated with E. coli O26 and O45, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The boneless veal and top bottom sirloin (TBS) products were produced and packaged on various dates between August 16, 2016, and October 25, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:

60-lb. boxes containing BONELESS VEAL.

2,387-lb. bin containing TBS.

10-lb. boxes containing HEARTLAND VEAL BONELESS LEG CUTLET.

10-lb. boxes containing VEAL BONELESS LEG CUTLET.

10-lb. boxes containing VEAL BONELESS LEG TOP ROUND CUTLET.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number EST. 17965 inside the USDA mark of inspection. The BONELESS VEAL and TBS items were shipped to distributor locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered during routine sample testing. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), such as STEC O26 or O45, because they are harder to identify than STEC O157. People can become ill from STECs 28 days (average of 34 days) after consuming the organism. Most people infected with STEC O26 or O45 develop diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended.

Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is uncommon with STEC O26 or STEC O45 infections. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers' freezers.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Media and consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Dave Anguzza, Operations Manager, at (315) 337-1911, ext. 3.
By PTI: London, Dec 30 (PTI) Analysing a persons painting strokes may help detect the risk of several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease, a new study suggests.

Researchers from University of Liverpool in the UK examined 2,092 paintings from the careers of seven famous artists who experienced both normal ageing and neurodegenerative disorders.

Of the seven, two had suffered from Parkinsons disease (Salvador Dali and Norval Morrisseau), two had suffered from Alzheimers disease (James Brooks and Willem De Kooning) and three had no recorded neurodegenerative disorders (Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet).

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The brushstrokes of each of the paintings were analysed using a method of applying non-traditional mathematics to patterns known as Fractal analyses to identify complex geometric patterns.

Fractals are mathematical characterisations of self-repeating patterns often described as the fingerprints of nature.

They can be found in natural phenomena such as clouds, snowflakes, trees, rivers and mountains. This method has also been used to determine the authenticity of major works of art.

Although painters work within a different style or genre, the fractal dimension in which they operate should remain comparable.

The results were examined to see if the variations in an artists unique fractals in their work over their career were due to them just increasing in age or because of ongoing cognitive deterioration.

The study showed clear patterns of change in the fractal dimension of the paintings differentiated artists who suffered neurological deterioration from those ageing normally.

"Art has long been embraced by psychologists an effective method of improving the quality of life for those persons living with cognitive disorders," said Dr Alex Forsythe from the universitys School of Psychology.

"We have built on this tradition by unpicking artists handwriting through the analysis of their individual connection with the brush and paint. This process offers the potential for the detection of emerging neurological problems," said Forsythe.

"We hope that our innovation may open up new research directions that will help to diagnose neurological disease in the early stages," Forsythe added.

The study was published in the journal Neuropsychology. PTI SAR SAR

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Ajith Vijay Kumar A bomb goes off in downtown Baghdad leaving scores dead  Thats news. If it happens in our country, like in Jaipur, thats a tragedy. And when 15,000 people are uprooted from their homes everyday (80% being women and children) and forced to live as nomads; no food, no shelterno nothing! People left to degenerate and die everyday in bits & partsask yourself does it move youmove me? Welcome to a world where even the simplest joys of being alive are at most times out of boundswelcome to Darfur, the very place where at least 200,000 people have been killed and two million forced out from their homes in the last five years. Imagine your life, as you know it, disappearing in an instant and you are forced to watch helplessly. Fear for your familys safety precipitated by war, violence, hatred, massacre, and genocide force you to flee your home, your soil, your land. Shoving you onto a torturous journey spanning hours or even days in search of a sheltersomewhere where your child can sleep in peace. You are dependent on handouts of food; possibly have no clean drinking water or access to health care. Not a pretty picture, right? But the fact is that millions of people all across the world, in countries rich and poor have been living in such desolate and precarious conditions for years. These people are called refugees. This is their story. Darfur is now famous (Hopefully more aid is pouring in) thanks to celebrity activists like Don Cheadle, his friend George Clooney and Steven Spielberg as they step up and speak out in attempts to galvanize governments and ordinary people to try and help. Spielberg even went to the extent of pulling out of the Beijing Olympics committee accusing China of not doing enough to pressure Sudan to end the "continuing human suffering" in the region. But the misfortune of the world we live in is that Darfur is not alone, many more regions and countries are at the brink of a humanitarian crisis; thats in one word CATASTROPHIC. According to the 2006 World Refugee survey conducted by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), a staggering 33 million people worldwide are currently uprooted from their homes. USCRI says that Iraqis are currently the fastest growing refugee and IDP crisis group in the world with nearly 2 million people having fled the country, and 1.7 million internally displaced. In Sudan, more than 5.3 million people left their homes. And the on-going armed conflict in Colombia internally displaced 2.9 million people. These are however, just three in a long list of countries and regions impacted by this human tragedy. USCRI statistics show that there are 26 conflict-ridden nations, predominantly in Africa and the Middle East. Even in the best of conditions, humanitarian aid agencies are able to provide only the basics: food, clean drinking water, and elementary health care. But sometimes, local political climate ensures that weeks could go by before help arrives. All this happening in midst of a flickering hope of once gain revisiting those happy days when their children didnt cry out of hunger, days that were bliss. Somalia, Chad, Algeria, Zimbabwe; the dark continent and even large swathes of the so called peaceful world are full of such hell holes where entire generations are being lost in the unending search for a loaf of bread, a pitcher of water  but who cares? Do youdo I? I discern that misery is subjective, what can move me to edges may not mean anything to you. Thats human fallacy at its bestsomething we all are good at. What doesnt affect me directly is not happening at all; thats the motto for most of us. On World Refugee Day let us not forget that we are lucky.She calls out to the man on the street Sir, can you help me? Its cold and Ive nowhere to sleep, Is there somewhere you can tell me? He walks on, doesnt look back He pretends he cant hear her Starts to whistle as he crosses the street Seems embarrassed to be there Oh think twice, its another day for You and me in paradise Oh think twice, its just another day for you, You and me in paradise Just another day in paradise * Single from Phil Collins` album, But Seriously (1989)
Pakistan dispatched a dossier on alleged Indian subversive activities within Pakistan's territory, to its envoy to United Nation later in the evening on Friday, official sources privy to the latest development told India Today.

Authorities at helm of country's foreign affairs took 10 months to finalise much awaited dossier on alleged Indian spy -- Kulbhoshan Jadev -- who was arrested on March 3, 2016.

"Dossier has been dispatched to country's envoy to United Nations who will hand it over to new Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres until he takes over the office in January," said a higher official of Pakistan's Foreign Office.

There was no official word from Pakistan's foreign office. However, local media reports suggested that much awaited dossier contains video evidences of an Indian submarine which was intercepted by Pakistan Navy on November 18 while spying on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and Kulbhushan Yadav's confessional statement.

Pakistani security agencies claim to have gathered undeniable proofs that Kulbhoshan Yadev is an on-duty Indian navy officer working for RAW. He was arrested from Balochistan, earlier on March 3, 2016. Dossier also contains proofs of India's involvement in subversive activities inside Pakistan, said official source.

"The dossier has been sent to the Pakistani mission headed by its permanent representative to the UN Maleeha Lodhi in New York," an official from Pakistan's Foreign office told India Today adding that Pakistan, after handing over the dossier, will urge the UN to take notice of Indian interference and sponsoring of terrorism in its territory.

Higher officials of Pakistan's Foreign Office held a lengthy meeting on Friday to discuss strategy to expose India in the United Nations.

Last week on 21 December, adviser to Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif -- Sartaj Aziz -- told legislators that the case of Kulbhoshan Yadav substantiates Indian involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan.

"Pakistan will present dossiers carrying evidences of Indian involvement in subversive activities on its soil before the United Nations and to other world powers after completion of investigation from Kulbushan Yadav," Aziz said.

He said investigation from Indian agent Kulbushan Yadav was underway and more evidences were being collected from him, besides regretting India's aggressive posturing on the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary.

Pakistan and India never had easy relationship since partition. Two nuclear armed South Asian neighbours have fought three full fledge wars.

Both nuclear armed neighbours narrowly escaped another war in 2008 following Mumbai attack which shook the entire world. The world saw both Asian neighbours calling the shots first in January 2016 following Pathankot attack, then in September the same year following Uri attack, which Indian media touted as the deadliest attack on the Indian Army in the last 26 years.
By Chayyanika Nigam: Music, merrymaking and Modi - city nightclubs and pubs are gearing up for an unusual New Year's Eve programme. Bars and restaurants plan to organise a special screening of the Prime Minister's address to the nation at 7.30 pm on Saturday that coincides with the expiry of the 50-day period of post-demonetisation pain he had asked people to endure "for the sake of the country". "We would love to show the live coverage of Modi's speech at this point of time when people were standing in queues for the past two months, said Siddharth Kumar, culture manager at Social-Cafe and Bar.

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"Our customers would be keen to listen to the speech. Accordingly, we will plan something." In a similar televised address on November 8, the PM had announced a surprise ban on 500 and 1,000-rupee notes in a bid to eliminate corruption and unaccounted cash. The deadline for depositing old notes in bank accounts ends on December 30.

PARTY AND MODI'S SPEECH TELECAST

Bar managers say many customers are booking tables after asking about the arrangements for Modi's speech. "Apart from getting updates from YouTube, Twitter and news portals, people would be more comfortable watching the announcement on the screens. So we would keep the option of screening it. And on the customers demand we will telecast Modi's speech," said Kamaljeet Kaur, manager of The Vault Cafe in Connaught Place.

Also read: PM Modi's New Year eve address to nation likely at 7.30 pm. What next on demonetisation?

Also read: Not elected to cut ribbon but act against black money: 10 takeaways from Modi's speech in Uttarakhand

Representatives at another pub said they have a satellite connection and two projectors ready. "But for New Year's Eve we have arranged live music. However, we are keeping the screening option open for our customers," said a representative at The Flying Saucer Cafe in Nehru Place.

People who party at home but wish to hear Modi may switch to Doordarshan or news channels. Sources say the Prime Minister is expected to speak on demonetisation and may announce a bouquet of sops. The police department will also be more alert to deal with any fallout of the PM's address. "Those pubs and restaurants facilitating the special screening of Modi's speech will be contacted and accordingly adequate police personnel will be deployed," said a senior police officer.

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Sriti Jha and Leena Jumani might fight on-screen, but the two get along quite well off-screen. Here's proof.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Actresses Sriti Jha and Leena Jumani, who are often seen fighting and plotting against each other onscreen as Pragya and Tanu in Kumkum Bhagya, are celebrating New Year together in Thailand.

The two along with actor Arjit Taneja, who earlier played the role of Purab in the Zee TV entertainer, left for Thailand on Friday. Meanwhile, actor Shabbir Ahluwalia will bring in the New Year with his family.

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The actors are enjoying the vacation to the hilt.

Also read: Kumkum Bhagya's Sriti Jha has just got a hair makeover and you will love it; see pics

#loncengcinta #kumkumbagya #sritijha #arjittaneja #leenajumani A photo posted by fiazahrjha (@fiazahrjha) on Dec 29, 2016 at 7:37am PST

With Sriti, Shabbir and Leena not available on the set, the other cast and crew members of Kumkum Bhagya have decided to take a four-day break.

"We have kept a bank of episodes ready for the New Year's week so that everyone is able to welcome 2017 with their loved ones. Usually, we have one or two days off but for the first time, the entire team including cast and crew are on leave for four days," the source said.

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All the six were asleep inside the bakery when the incident took place. The bakery did not have any fire clearance certificate.

By India Today Web Desk: Six workers were charred to death after fire broke out at a bakery shop in Pune early this morning.

HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED:

1. All the six were asleep inside the bakery when the incident took place.

2. The fire broke out at the "Bakes and Cakes" shop on the ground floor of a multi-storey building. A short-circuit is believed to be the cause.

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3. According to the fire fighting officer, the bakery that is situated in Kondhwa Budruk area of the city did not have any fire clearance certificate.

4. The bakery owner, as a routine, used to lock the shutter of his shop from outside.

5. This is believed to have prevented the workers, who were sleeping on the loft area, from rushing outside for safety when the fire broke out.

6. "The fire wasn't a huge one, but since there was no outlet, the workers inside died of suffocation", said a fire official.

7. Investigation into the case has begun. An FIR has been registered against the bakery owner.

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By PTI: As per the revised treaty, investments made prior to April 1, 2017, will be protected from new tax provisions.

While Mauritius was the single biggest source of foreign direct investment into India in 2014-15, accounting for about 24 per cent of USD 24.7 billion FDI, Singapore accounted for 21 per cent.

The taxation treaties with these nations is said to have been misused by many Indian and multinational companies to avoid paying tax or to route illicit funds.

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India has been insisting on review of the treaties as it felt a chunk of the funds were not real foreign investment but Indians routing money through these nations to avoid domestic taxes, a practice known as "round tripping".

It wanted to ensure firms in the two nations that invest in India are not just shell companies but instead have substantial operations there, such as paying staff, before qualifying for treaty terms of getting exemption from payment of capital gains tax in India.

India and Singapore today signed a Protocol to amend their bilateral Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement. The Protocol was signed between Lim Thuan Kuan, Singapores High Commissioner to India and Sushil Chandra, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes.

"Singapore and India have reached agreement to phase out the capital gains tax exemption gradually, and have also committed to find new ways to promote bilateral investments," a statement issued by Ministry of Finance of Singapore said.

The revised pact preserves the existing tax exemption on capital gains for shares acquired before April 1, 2017, while providing a transitional arrangement for shares acquired on or after that date.

"For shares acquired on or after April 1, 2017, there will be a two-year transition period, during which the capital gains from such shares will be taxed at 50 per cent of Indias domestic tax rate if the capital gains arise during April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2019," the statement said.

Jaitley and visiting Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam also agreed on steps towards a set of new initiatives for joint promotion of bilateral investments with a view to concluding an agreement in the second half of 2017, it added. PTI JD DP ANZ ABM

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VENTURA, Calif.Barna Group is one of the primary polling/research groups currently serving religious conservatives. For instance, they were the ones that tracked how many evangelicals voted for Trump (79 percent) versus Clinton (18 percent); how many believe that "People can be physically healed supernaturally by God" (66 percent) and so on.

The group's founder, George Barna, was one of the featured speakers at this year's Values Voter Summit, where he disclosed such new American "trends" as that the upcoming election would "hinge on feelings not issues"; that the "American Dream" has been replaced by the "New Millenium Dream" which is characterized by a belief in "no moral truth" since "original values are no longer necessary"; and that Americans "view happiness as our primary right." He also stated that the popularity of then-candidate Bernie Sanders was "a harbinger of bad things to come," and that what the country really wants is to "elect leaders who will enforce moral laws."

The group also frequently issues reports of surveys and other studies it performs. One of its most recent ones, issued this year, is The Porn Phenomenon, for which Barna surveyed "nearly 3,000 teens, adults and Protestant youth and senior pastors about their perceptions of pornography, their use of pornography, how they feel about their use of pornography," and more. The report was issued in book form, running 160 pages, attempts to quantify everything from who searches for porn and why; where porn falls in the hierarchy of what's "moral"; how people square watching porn with their religious tenets; and lots more.

Needless to say, conservative religionists are generally obsessed with porn, so it's not too surprising that the single most popular article on the Barna website this year was "Teens & Young Adults Use Porn More Than Anyone Else," and the third was "Porn In The Digital Age: New Research Reveals 10 Trends," both of which are distillations of some of the findings from The Porn Phenomenon, focusing on porn use and where people find it, as well as whether porn is "moral or immoral."

Barna's fifth most-read article, "The End of Absolutes: America's New Moral Code," also touches on sex, since one of its findings is that 69 percent of U.S. adults agree "completely" or "somewhat" that "Any kind of sexual expression between two consenting adults is acceptable," and that except for practicing Christians, at least 40 percent of all other groups measured agreed that "moral truth" is "relative" rather than "absolute," while an average of 20 percent have "never thought about it."

"Five Ways Christianity Is Increasingly Viewed as Extremist" takes the No. 7 spot on Barna's list, and their surveys showed that more than 80 percent of their respondents believe that it's religiously extreme to "Refuse to serve someone because the customer's lifestyle conflicts with their beliefs," while 50 to 79 percent think it's extreme to "Believe that sexual relationships between people of the same sex [is] morally wrong," not to mention "Teaching their children that sexual relationships between people of the same sex [is] morally wrong" as is "Pray[ing] out loud in public for a stranger" and "Preach[ing] a religious message in a public place."

Ninth place in the Barna hierarchy delves into "What Americans Believe About Sex," and not too surprisingly, an average of those surveyed revealed that roughly two-thirds believe that "The Purpose of Sex" is "To express intimacy between two people who love each other," while an average of 45 percent agree that its main purpose is "To connect with another person in an enjoyable way." As for "To unite two adults of any gender in marriage," that got an average of 22 percent on the Barna-meter.

But the overriding point is, no matter who the Barna Group asked about nearly any sex-related subject, American culture is expressing attitudes that are more and more sexually liberalmuch to the dismay, one suspects, of Barna's church-bound clients.
The latest fem-fucking feature from Girlsway, featuring familiar faces and the continuing story of the nation in a state of desperation since the Normalcy Act to rid itself of the evil lesbian plague, Missing: A Lesbian Crime Story has everything that Girlsway fans have come to know and love. Part horror, part thriller, all killer lesbian sex and clever satirebuckle up, its gonna be a munchy ride.

Cindy, played by Sara Luvv, escapes to the deserted Lesbo Lane with her tutor, Karlie Montana. In an attempt to be alone and satiate each others illegal desires, Montana ends up the latest victim of abduction as Luvv helplessly watches from inside the car. With AWAL (Association of Women Against Lesbians) running the media circuit, Lara Bradford, played by Riley Reid, finds herself aching for the big break of her journalism career with an issue that is near and dear to her own lesbian heart, especially after the organization was to blame for her descent in the first place. Tired of headlines full of cats, she opts to follow a different pussy story when the increasing number of missing ladies piques her interest. Of course, this is only after her beautiful girlfriend, Karla Kush, manages to distract her from the horrors of the oppressive outside world by making her cum a few times in their living room.

Kendra James returns, playing Anita Sharp, the epitome of a villain. As she interrupts Reid and Kush, she happens to give Reid the chance to rise back up in her industry, at the cost of exposing MANTIS. Reid is desperate to change her own story and accepts James offer, but has no idea what its going to cost her.

As Reid dives into the files, she uncovers names and patterns that lead her to Cindys home. She needs to get to the bottom of the mystery in order to help herself and find out why these women are going missing. She stumbles upon some of Cindys teenage hiding spots, transitioning into a beautiful outdoor flashback of Cindy and her tutor learning each others bodies, as Reid pleasures herself to the journal-smut as well. Once the orgasms clear, Reid begins to realize the women being abducted all have one very serious thing in common and is curious to find out why a pro-lesbian organization like MANTIS would be kidnapping their own affiliates. When news hits that Cassidy Klein, a secret MANTIS agent, has also gone missing, Reids suspicions peak and she has to dive deeper ... into the story and into Kleins sister, which involves sucking the poison out. She ends up at the mercy of Dr. Haze (as in Allie), a conversion therapist who specializes in mind-fucking. Haze is an expert in other fucking as well, as demonstrated in a hallucinogenic three-way between herself, Reid and Kush.

Reid is becoming part of her own story, not knowing what is true and who to trust. In desperation, she reaches out to Sharp, the last person she thought she could turn to. In a political twist of power, she stumbles upon a den of the missing women and the answers to all of the questions she has been askingbut the answers are not at all what she expected, and the means of extracting them are just as deep and dirty as the web she has woven herself into.

This feature does an impeccable job of seamlessly moving story through sex, keeping all of the tribadism heavy with heat and applicable dialogue. Every encounter is punctuated with energy and desire, and the roles, as well as the holes, are perfectly filled. The men in bit parts are always kept at a face-safe distance, so the focus is only on the female cast members. With romantic romps, three-ways, group sex and fem-dom scenarios, the amount of variety is wonderful, and the sex acts arent the only noteworthy elements. Every woman brings her A-game, and this two-disc set once again raises the Girlsway bar.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said that President Barack Obamas actions against Russia should have come much sooner. (Photos: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP; Susan Walsh/AP)

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., thinks the Obama administration was justified in retaliating Thursday against Russia with sanctions for interfering with U.S. institutions. But he said it shouldve been done long ago.

Far from a full-throated endorsement of Obamas actions, Ryans statement condemned the commander in chief for eight years of what he considers ineffective foreign policy that left the United States more vulnerable than it was when he took office in 2009. Nevertheless, Ryan agreed that Russia is a threat to global security.

Russia does not share Americas interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world, Ryan said shortly after the White House announced the punishments. While todays action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. And it serves as a prime example of this administrations ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.

Ryans evenhanded statement is notable because President-elect Donald Trump, with whom he has had a rocky relationship, has repeatedly dismissed the U.S. intelligence communitys assessment that the Kremlin interfered in the November election. The U.S. says Russian hackers were behind the cyberattacks that led to massive email leaks from the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta, Hillary Clintons campaign chairman.

I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole, you know, age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly whats going on, Trump said Wednesday of the U.S. allegations against Russia.

Sen. John McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham, both prominent Republicans, released a joint statement on Obamas announcement that echoed Ryans language, but they did not use the moment as an opportunity to attack the administration as harshly as Ryan had.

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The retaliatory measures announced by the Obama administration today are long overdue, they wrote. But ultimately, they are a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy. We intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia.

Obama said the Russian government had been warned multiple times in private and in public to stop violating international norms in its pursuit of harming American interests.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions. In October, my administration publicized our assessment that Russia took actions intended to interfere with the U.S. election process, Obama said. These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government. Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences. Today, I have ordered a number of actions in response.

Obama issued an executive order that provides additional authority for responding to cyber activity that aims to disrupt the elections of institutions of the U.S. or its allies. With this new authority, Obama continued, he placed sanctions against nine different Russian institutions and individuals. These include two Russian intelligence services (the GRU and the FSB), four officers with the GRU and three companies that provided support for the GRU.

Furthermore, Obama said, the treasury secretary is designating two Russians for misappropriating funds and personal identity information through cyber-enabled means and the State Department is shutting down Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will release declassified technical information on Russian military and civilian cyber activity to help network defenders detect and disrupt a global campaign of malicious cyber activities from Russia, according to the White House.

According to Obama, these are not all the actions that the U.S. will take to hold Russia accountable for interfering with democratic governance  some will not be publicized.

To that end, my administration will be providing a report to Congress in the coming days about Russias efforts to interfere in our election, as well as malicious cyber activity related to our election cycle in previous elections, Obama said.

Russia, which denies the hacking allegations, had previously vowed to respond to U.S. actions. According to Reuters, the Kremlin said Obamas Thursday announcement hurt the already strained ties between the two countries.

Its not clear if Trump, who has repeatedly heaped praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin, will seek to soften or reverse Obamas executive order once he takes office on Jan. 20.
FILE PHOTO -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino concedes to a crowd in Buffalo November 2, 2010 as he gestures about "raising the bar" in Albany. REUTERS/Gary Wiepert/File Photo (Reuters)

By David Ingram

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A western New York builder and former Republican nominee for governor was censured on Thursday by fellow members of the Buffalo Board of Education and asked to resign his seat for making racial slurs about President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.

The school board called a special meeting and approved a resolution demanding the resignation of Carl Paladino, a board member who ran unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2010. The resolution threatens proceedings to remove the outspoken conservative if he does not step down.

Paladino created a firestorm last week when he sent an email to a weekly newspaper saying he hoped "Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Her(e)ford."

Regarding Michelle Obama, Paladino said: "I'd like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla."

His comments were published in the holiday edition of Artvoice, which had surveyed Buffalo residents about what they would like to happen in 2017 and what they would like to see go away.

Paladino, a wealthy real estate developer and ally of President-elect Donald Trump, issued a statement on Tuesday apologizing for his comments. He also took a swipe at critics, calling them "parasites," and said Barack Obama was "a traitor to American values."

Paladino was elected in 2013 to the school board, which oversees a district with 34,000 students in the second-largest city in New York state.

During Thursday's meeting, which was broadcast online, some board members accused Paladino of acting like a bully and making remarks they would not tolerate from students.

"This level of hatred for African-Americans cannot and should not set policy for the education of African-American children," board member Paulette Woods said.

More than 70 percent of the district is non-white, according to the resolution.

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Members of the audience stood up and cheered when the resolution was approved.

Signed by six of the nine board members, the resolution says that if Paladino does not resign within 24 hours, the board will retain a lawyer to force his removal by the state's education commissioner.

The commissioner, MaryEllen Elia, is monitoring the situation in Buffalo and will review any removal request as quickly as possible, a spokeswoman said.

State education commissioners have removed four board members from districts in western New York in the past 24 years, the Buffalo News reported.

Paladino, a co-chairman of Trump's campaign in New York state, told a radio station on Wednesday that he would not leave the board voluntarily.

"I'm the agent of change. I'm the guy that exposed the underbelly of their corrupt and dysfunctional school system, and they want me gone from the scene," he said in the radio interview.

Paladino could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

Trump's transition team has called Paladino's comments "absolutely reprehensible," USA Today reported.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and David Gregorio)
THURSDAY, Dec. 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Black children are about one-third more likely to die from kidney failure than white children, and access to kidney transplants may be a crucial factor explaining the discrepancy, a new study suggests.

Dr. Elaine Ku, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues tracked the health of more than 12,000 black, Hispanic and white children who had chronic kidney failure. All had been treated for kidney disease with either dialysis or transplants between 1995 and 2011.

The investigators followed the kids' health until 2012 for a median of 7 years.

Over the follow-up period, 1,600 of the children died. Black children were 36 percent more likely than white children to die, the findings showed.

The researchers said that they believe this difference mostly has to do with limited access to kidney transplants.

However, Hispanic children were less likely to die than white children even though they also had less access to transplants, the study authors noted.

"We believe it is critically important to understand differences in transplantation and death by race so that changes can be made to either the allocation of donated organs or current practices in the treatment of kidney disease in children to eliminate the differences that we observed," Ku said in a news release from the American Society of Nephrology.

The study was published online Dec. 29 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

More information

For more about kidney transplants, visit the National Kidney Foundation.
RLD and JD-U are in an alliance for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Their attempts to strike an election arrangement with the Samajwadi Party were snubbed by the ruling party. Now, they have sharpened their attacks against all but the Congress in UP.

By Siraj Qureshi: Snubbed by the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Janata Dal-United have intensified their electioneering in Uttar Pradesh focusing to gather their strength in western part of the state.

The Braj region has become the centre of hectic political activities as RLD supremo Ajit Singh, in company with JD-U's Sharad Yadav, addresses one after another public meetings in the region.

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In the latest public rally at Baldeo in Mathura, the two leaders slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh.

RLD-JD-U CAMPAIGN: THINGS TO KNOW Ajit Singh and Sharad Yadav addressed their supporters in Mathura holding a 'Kisan Adhikaar Rally'. Ajit Singh said, "The Samajwadi bicycle is completely punctured. Both wheels of the bicycle are torn off. Now, people of Uttar Pradesh should differentiate between friends and foes. They should support those, who fight for the welfare of the poor." Sharad Yadav said, "The Modi government has destroyed India's economy in just a few months. Crores have been thrown out of job. People are committing suicides in desperation." "The Modi government is against the poor and farmers, who are not getting the price for their produce. People are facing tremendous hardships after the note ban. These people will make Modi government pay for it in the assembly elections," Sharad Yadav said. Sharad Yadav further said, "The people of the country will turn the Prime Minister from a person who changes four suits in a day to a 'faqeer'." Both leaders accused PM Modi of making false promise of providing employment to two crore youths and increasing minimum support prices of crops by 150 per cent. Sharad Yadav was equally harsh on Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party saying, "The 'elephant' was moving without its 'mahout' and such an elephant is very dangerous as it could destroy everything in its path." "The Samajwadi Party is breaking up into pieces. This will create a power vacuum in the state, which could be filled by other secular parties," Sharad Yadav said. Questioning the BJP over note ban, Sharad Yadav said, "The BJP supporters and leaders are unable to answer questions raised on the demonetisation. They are branding people questioning this move as Pakistan supporters." The JD-U leader claimed that more than 100 people died in Uttar Pradesh due to demonetisation. "This note band has been the cause of over 100 deaths in UP alone but the central government is turning a blind eye towards these deaths," Yadav said. "The BJP MP from Mathura, Hema Malini does not care for the development of her constituency and is more focused on supporting every whimsical move of PM Modi," former union minister added. While both these leaders were extremely vocal against the BJP, SP and BSP, they avoided making any comments on the Congress. Ajit Singh has served as civil aviation minister during the UPA-II government and is known to be highly supporting of the Congress.

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The actor through his NGO Being Human Foundation had submitted a proposal to work towards an open defecation free Mumbai.

The actor also pledged to donate mobile toilet vans to the civic body but Shiv Sena's move hasn't gone down well with the party's ally BJP.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar has raised questions over the appointment of Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the brand ambassador of Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) open defecation free (ODF) drive.

While questioning the move he also raised the issue of a Humboldt penguin's death in Mumbai zoo.

"Those who killed a penguin have appointed a brand ambassador who killed a black buck, it really amuses me..." Shelar said while talking to reporters in Mumbai.

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Recently Salman had visited the BMC headquarters with Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray. The actor through his NGO Being Human Foundation had submitted a proposal to work towards an open defecation free Mumbai.

The actor also pledged to donate mobile toilet vans to the civic body but Shiv Sena's move hasn't gone down well with the party's ally BJP.

BJP QUESTIONS THE MOVE

The BJP and Shiv Sena had indulged in a war of words over the Penguin death, who died in its enclosure of the Rani Jijamata Zoo at Byculla in central Mumbai.

Also read: Salman and BMC to battle open defecation with Bhai ke Toilets

Also read: Salman-Shah Rukh's bromance: 5 best moments between Karan-Arjun in 2016

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Will the Samajwadi Party split ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav openly revolts against his father and party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, who seems to be favouring his brother and UP SP chief Shivpal Yadav?

By Balkrishna: As it stands now, the Samajwadi Party is heading to a split. Father and son are seemingly pulling it apart just ahead of all important assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has released his list of 235 candidates as against Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav's list comprising names of the contestants for 325 assembly segments.

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Chances of rapprochement look bleak as UP SP chief Shivpal Yadav released another list of 68 names hours after Akhilesh announced his candidates on Thursday night. Now, the SP has officially announced candidates for all but 10 seats.

READ| Advantage BJP, while uncle Shivpal has the last laugh over nephew Akhilesh

What happens next? Political observers speculate on possible scenarios:

FIRST SCENARIO

There are serious chances that Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav will patch up.

Political observers believe that both the leaders may realise, before it is too late, that infighting will only damage the prospects of the party and patch up just like they did during the last political upheaval within the family.

A new list of candidates may be announced to accommodate Akhilesh's concerns. In any case, the two lists differ on only 48 candidates.

READ| Akhilesh releases his list of 235 candidates, Shivpal names 68

However, it does not seem possible that Akhilesh will have all his supporters in the final list. Mulayam is likely to ask Akhilesh to give up some names and promise his left out supporters that they would be taken care of after the government is formed should SP comes back to power.

But, Shivpal Yadav may stick to his ground as he has already made his intentions clear by announcing another list of 68 candidates signaling that he was ready to compromise this time around.

WATCH:

SECOND SCENARIO

In the second scenario, Akhilesh could ask his supporters to contest as independent candidates.

Akhilesh Yadav is not contesting the assembly polls as he is a member of the Legislative Council in Uttar Pradesh. He may campaign for his supporters, if they contest outside the party.

But, the political observers also say that fielding his supporters as independent contestants is likely to spoil Akhilesh's chances as his candidates may get lost in the sea of aspiring legislators having different election symbols.

THIRD SCENARIO

The third option for Akhilesh could be finding an election symbol for a largely defunct party. Akhilesh can, then, field his candidates under a fixed election symbol making it easier for him to campaign.

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After the elections, the two factions can weigh themselves depending on the number of seats won in the polls. Some political observers say that this is the most viable scenario for Akhilesh Yadav.

READ| Akhilesh vs Mulayam dangal in Samajwadi Party

FOURTH SCENARIO

The fourth scenario could be an alliance with the Congress and the National Lok Dal. Akhilesh Yadav has been open to having an understanding with the Congress. Mulayam Singh Yadav has not been keen on contesting assembly polls with Congress.

The whisper for Akhilesh-Rahul understanding has grown louder after the UP Chief Minister announced only 235 candidates. Akhilesh Yadav has not announced candidates for the most of the seats that the Congress won in 2012-assembly elections.

Akhilesh has fielded just one candidate in Rai Bareli and Amethi even though the SP is the most dominant party here having won the maximum number of seats in the last assembly polls.

READ| On Samajwadi Party ticket distribution, Congress adopts wait-and-watch policy

FIFTH SCENARIO

In the final scenario, those who have been named in both the lists can play a key role. If they take a side openly, the issue of leadership will be resolved in the party.

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Then, there is Ram Gopal Yadav, who awards and authorises the party contestants to use election symbol for the polls. A known supporter of Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav can play the trick, some political observers say.

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While demonetisation has dimmed the celebration spirit for the new year for many, it seems to have had no impact on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his holiday plans.

By Hemender Sharma: Demonetisation seems to have had no impact on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his holiday plans. Chouhan is holidaying in Karnataka's hill resort Coorg and will be back in Madhya Pradesh only on January 2, 2017.

Here is the Chief minister's programme: Chouhan left for Mysuru on December 29 by the state plane and from there left for Coorg by car the same evening. Chouhan will be in Coorg till 4:30 pm on December 31 and would reach Mysuru by evening and will leave for Nasik the same evening. From Nasik, Chouhan will travel to Shirdi by road where he will spend two nights. He will return back to Bhopal via Nashik on January 2, 2017.

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While demonetisation has dimmed the celebration spirit for the new year for many, particularly farmers and those working in the middle class, it seems to have had zero impact on Chouhan. And it's not the only reason behind eyebrows being raised on Chouhan's holidaying. Madhya Pradesh has also declared a three day state mourning to give respects to former Chief Minister and Chouhan's mentor Sunder Lal Patwa who passed away at the age of 92 on December 28.

Birthday hoarding outside Vishwas Sarang's bungalow.

Chouhan did not wait for the state mourning to end and had set on his yearend holiday on the evening of December 29 itself.

And it's not just Chouhan, one of his cabinet minister, Vishwas Sarang, too has painted the town red with hoardings that congratulate him on his birthday. Sarang celebrated his birthday on December 29 during the state mourning itself.

A look at giant hoardings, some of them as tall as 60-feet, still hanging outside Sarang's house, point towards the kind of state mourning Sarang and his friends observed to pay respect to Sunderlal Patwa.

While some BJP insiders are calling it obnoxious there are others who feel life moves on.

Also Read:

Demonetisation broke the myth that powerful can't be harmed: Shivraj Chouhan

Demonetisation right move, implementation faulty: Shivraj

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Two computers, letter pad, hard disk, documents, digital video recorder of CCTV camera among others were stolen by the burglars from Sisodia's office is Vinod Nagar.

By PTI: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodias office in Vinod Nagar area of his Patparganj constituency in east Delhi has been burgled, with the thieves decamping with computers, documents, CCTV camera DVR among others, police said today.

"Some materials have been stolen from the reception area of the office which is in the process of being shifted. The burglary is expected to have taken place late last night. The matter is being probed," said a senior police officer.

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Two computers, letter pad, hard disk, documents, digital video recorder of CCTV camera among others were stolen by the burglars who entered the premises by breaking the lock of the office, sources said.

Police said they received a burglary call at around 9:20 AM following which a team was sent to the spot.

"The whole office was ransacked and we we are trying to ascertain what others item are missing. The office was locked at 2:30 AM yesterday, in-charge of the office Upendra said.

The matter is being probed, police added.

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The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), a government-owned entity, said it is examining new development projects proposed by the Moroccan government.

The proposed initiatives of the Moroccan government will contribute to driving socio-economic growth across all key sectors and create new job opportunities. This latest round of talks highlights ADFDs commitment to facilitating the UAE governments grants to meet Moroccos development goals, The Emirati news agency (WAM) quoted Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, the director-general of ADFD, as saying.

Al Suwaidi is leading a delegation of the Fund on a visit to Morocco as part of the 2013 UAE government grant contribution of AED4.6 billion (US$1.25 billion) to the Gulf Development Fund, a grant program from the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries to finance development projects in Morocco over a five-year period.

On the occasion of this visit, Moroccan officials from the ministries of finance, higher education, scientific research, agriculture and fisheries and highway authority offered an overview of key projects in the field of sustainable development in their respective sectors

Since 1974, ADFD has successfully channeled the UAE governments grants totaling $1.49 billion in support of 55 projects in Morocco.

The ADFD manages grants offered by the UAE government. To date, the Fund has funded 488 projects in 83 countries.
The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) is boasting a matric pass rate of 98.67% this year, up from the 98.30% in 2015.

The results enable 87.61% of those who passed to go on to study for a degree if they want to, up from the 85.26% in 2015.

And 9.83% qualified for entry to diploma study, compared with 11.66% in 2015, leaving 1.23% to study at Higher Certificate level, compared to the 1.27% of 2015.

The matric results for the Department of Basic Educations schools for 2016 are not available yet, but the pass rate for 2015 was 70.7%.

The IEB said that the Combined Abitur-NSC, which is offered by the German schools in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria, yielded a pass rate of 100%, with all 66 candidates who registered qualifying for university entrance.

Pupils who wrote these exams can also go to German universities if they want to, in terms of a government-to-government agreement.

The IEB schools are known colloquially as private schools and tend to have much higher school fees than state schools.

The results of the Advance Programme courses were also released by the IEB  these are extra subjects that pupils take to expand their knowledge in a particular field.

Of the 1 407 pupils from IEB schools and the 1 275 pupils in state schools who took AP maths, 87.9% achieved a pass above 40%, compared to 87.7% in 2015.

Of the 652 pupils doing AP English, 98.12% achieved a pass mark of 40% and above, while all pupils doing AP Afrikaans got 40% and above.

Humanity, empathy and maturity

This year, 11 022 full-time pupils and 703 part-time pupils wrote the coveted National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations at 237 venues across southern Africa in October and November, with some hailing from Mozambique, Swaziland and Namibia.

The number of examination venues also increased from the 209 in 2015, due to the addition of 10 new schools in the Umalusi-monitored IEB system.

IEB CEO Anne Oberholzer said the board was proud of the class of 2016 reaching its first major learning milestone, but cautioned that it was not all about the percentages on the certificates.

She stressed that it was more about the knowledge and understanding gained.

To have a certificate with good results, but not the substance of learning required for success, simply means facing failure at the next step of your learning career, said Oberholzer.

The challenges of our daily lives require more than intelligence and hard work  we need people with humanity, empathy and maturity, who are confident and assertive, but most importantly, ethical and generous in spirit, said Oberholzer.

She recommended that anybody thinking of enrolling their children in an independent school first make sure the school was registered with a reputable association, the provincial education department and Umalusi.

Registration can be checked with the Independent Schools Association of South Africa (Isasa), the Association of Christian Schools International (Acsi) as well as a number of religious school associations, such as the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Muslim and Jewish schools.

News24

Now read: Umalusi approves release of 2016 matric results
CHINARI.  The residents of Armenias bordering Chinari village, in Tavush Province, on Thursday woke up at 6am, from the shots being fired by the Azerbaijani side.

Even though the adversary did not fire directly at the village, its residents realized that these were not ordinary shots.

And they were to learn in several hours that the Azerbaijani armed forces had launched a diversionary infiltration attempt, attacked the Armenian military positions, and as a result, three Armenian military servicemen had fallen; but the adversary was driven back, having suffered double the number of casualties.

The Chinari residents told the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter who visited the village that they are grateful to the Armenian soldiers for protecting their safety at the cost of their own lives.

The village Christmas tree has been decorated, and the Chinari residents are getting ready for the New Year being confident that the border is secure. But they also say that the festive mood will not be full this year, since the entire village mourns the death of the fallen Armenian soldiers.

This Azerbaijani provocation, however, was not unexpected for the Chinari villagers because the Azerbaijani side gets active on the New Year as well as during the sowing and harvesting seasons each year. The residents of Chinari also know how to protect themselves when there is shooting toward the village.

In addition, the villagers say they stand ready to personally defend the border, if needed. And after the last sabotage attempt, the men of Chinari wanted to head for the Armenian military positions; but they were not permitted, and they were assured that the Armenian side is in full control of the situation.
STEPANAKERT.  The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Defense Army on Thursday dismissed yet another Azerbaijani disinformation.

In addition to the [press] release we disseminated today, whereby yet another disinformation by the Azerbaijani side has been dismissedthat, allegedly, one of the homes in Ahmedagal village of the same-name region had caught fire as a result of shelling launched by the Karabakh side toward Akn, we [hereby] publicize the [press] release which the Azerbaijan Emergency Situations Service disseminated today about the same incident, [but] in which an electrical short circuit is noted as the cause of the fire.

At the end, we consider it necessary to recall that the practice of this kind of disinformation being disseminated by the Azerbaijani propaganda machine has become an ordinary conduct; and one of the most recent evidence of which was the baseless accusation directed at the Armenian side, after the unsuccessful [Azerbaijani] diversionary-reconnaissance infiltration attempt that was launched today at Tavush sector of the state border of Armenia, the NKR Defense Army statement reads, in particular.
Portugal is considering abandoning golden visa scheme

Biden and Erdogan to meet at G-20 summit

NATO supports normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and welcomes EU efforts

Bank of England raises interest rates by largest amount since 1989

Scholz says Berlin must change its attitude toward China

Cavusoglu and Stoltenberg disagree over Sweden's and Finland's fulfillment of commitments

Turkish Vice President to visit Azerbaijan and occupied Shushi

Britain buys 250 million pounds worth of oil from Azerbaijan from July 2021 to June 2022

Yair Lapid congratulates Benjamin Netanyahu on winning election

Armenian MOD: Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense spreads another disinformation

ENISA: War in Ukraine, geopolitics fuel cyberattacks

Armenian MFA: Yerevan and Baku agree to speed up work on agreeing procedure of Commissions' activities

Zelenskyy will not participate in G20 summit if Putin participates in it

WP: Man who attacked Pelosi's husband was in the U.S. illegally

At Upper Lars, 30 cars are allowed through per day instead of previous 300: What are authorities doing?

Bloomberg: Turkey unlikely to sign Sweden's bid for NATO membership before the end of the year

Military servicemen in Armenia to be attested: Discussion at parliamentary standing committee

IEA calls for urgent action on gas shortages in Europe

French Senate to consider resolution demanding immediate withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenian territory

Papikyan: The final number of dead will be published after the identification is complete

Armen Grigoryan presents to Patrushev consequences of Azerbaijani aggression

Indonesia reveals its own kamikaze drones

UN: Russia resumes participation in inspection of ships in Black Sea

Grigoryan: Armenia interested in using communication routes through Azerbaijan

Investigative Committee: 10 officers charged in Armenia

FT: Azerbaijan demands EU funding and long-term contracts for gas supplies

Security Council Secretary: Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenian territory

US becomes 2nd largest gas supplier to EU

Russian Defense Ministry reports release of 107 Russian servicemen from Ukrainian captivity

How U.S supports Azerbaijan in 20 years by suspending 907th Amendment?

Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will receive less funds in 2023 than in previous two years

German government urges its citizens to leave Iran

Armenian MFA: Unblocking infrastructures is one of the main directions of talks

Armenia MFA: We expect positive results in relations with Turkey in near future

Armenia to open diplomatic representations in several countries in 2023: Uruguay among them

Former Pakistani Prime Minister injured in shooting of election motorcade

Russian MFA: Great Britain transferred underwater drones to Ukraine

Armenia FM: International community has sent very clear signal to Azerbaijan

Prime Minister receives Arin Karapet, Swedish MP

Dollar, euro drop in Armenia

Armenia FM: In few days there will be meeting between me, Bayramov, Blinken in Washington

IRNA: Iran's IRGC eliminated a group that was planning attacks on government agencies

Lawcoster 'Pobeda' to resume flights to Armenia at end of this year

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: One cannot despair, struggle must continue

Deputy FM: Armenia can make some progress in simplifying visa regime with EU

Turkey says Russia assures not to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine

CSTO deputy chief: Armenia-Azerbaijan escalation, confrontation risk remains

Armenian MFA: Cautious optimism in restoration of diplomatic relations with Hungary

Uzbekistan refuses to resume operation of Mir cards in country

Belarus Council: If Poland unleashes aggression, war will spread throughout Eastern Europe

Peskov: It is up to the Ministry of Defense to increase the term of military service

Valerie Boyer: Corrupt, racist Azerbaijan is attacking Armenia borders, seeking to continue ethnic cleansing, genocide

Meeting of CIS Security Councils chiefs kicks off in Moscow

Charles III travels with teddy bear and toilet seat

EU plans to finance programs in Armenia for AMD 55 billion 747 mln

Economy minister: Armenia and Iran are making efforts to jointly sell goods to third countries

Azerbaijani Armed Forces practice capturing borders during exercises on border with Iran

Storm in Philippines leaves 150 people killed

Inflation in Turkey is up to 85.51% in October

Armenia economy minister on Central Bank: First they said increase would be 4%t, then 1%, then 6%

Borrell thanks UN and Turkey for facilitating Russia's return to the grain deal

Foreign direct investments in Armenia last year totals AMD 129.2bln

Minister: Examination of Armenian soldiers' bodies continues

Jaguar station wagon from Elizabeth II fleet to be sold at auction

IMF plans to provide more than $165 million to Armenia

Marukyan: Baku says Karabakh Armenians should either stay on Azerbaijan terms or leave for 3rd country

Minister of Economy: Armenia's role in Eurasian Economic Union grows

Biden says U.S. troops will stay in Europe for a long time

Vahan Hunanyan: Yerevan and Tehran have no disagreements on most issues

Armenia, Russia to collaborate in information security

Artsakh State Minister: There are many principal disagreements with Armenian authorities

Public TV Company of Armenia to make purchase worth AMD 2 698.6mln for Junior Eurovision 2022

Armenian-Russian trade turnover up by 71.7%, Economy Minister

Secretaries of CIS Security Councils to discuss nuclear security

Economy minister: Armenia exports to other EEU countries increased 2 times

Outgoing Artsakh Minister Artak Beglaryan to take position in state government system

Japan Coast Guard reports 3 North Korean missile launches in a day

Pashinyan says Armenian government did a lot for revival of Armenian aviation

Oil falls in price

Patrushev comments on Zelenskiy's statement about preventive nuclear strike
YEREVAN.  The situation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border was relatively calm, from late Thursday night to early Friday morning.

Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Spokesperson of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia (RA), informed the aforesaid on his Facebook account.

Few shots were fired, he also wrote. The RA Armed Forces fully control the situation.

The Azerbaijani army had launched a diversionary infiltration attempt, on Thursday morning. As a result, the Armenian side suffered three casualties, whereas the Azerbaijanisaccording to the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armeniaup to seven fatalities.
After the most recent Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes, the American-Armenian community has launched an online campaign, in an attempt to express their views on these clashes to the American officials and politicians, informed Voice of America Armenian service.

Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), appealed to the Armenian diaspora. He recalled that the latest Azerbaijani attack took place during the New Year and Christmas holidays, which are important for Christians.

Hamparian urged American Armenians to join the online campaign. He said that they, as the Armenian diaspora, do their job, and contact their authorities so that the latter criticize and investigate the actions of Azerbaijan.

The ANCA official called on the Armenians living in the US to contactvia social networking sitesthe representatives of the American executive and legislative branches of power as well as the leadership of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, and to inform them of their stand. He added that they can even contact US President-elect Donald Trump, on Twitter.

According to this representative of the American-Armenian community, they are trying to make sure that the attack against the Armenian side will cost dear to Azerbaijan, in terms of its international standing.
YEREVAN.  Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Armenia, Christoph Bierwirth, on Thursday signed a project agreement for 2017 titled Enhancing the capacity of Human Rights Defenders Office to monitor the situation of refugee and asylum-seekers in Armenia. The signing ceremony took place at the UNHCR office in UN House in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

In view of the significant challenges faced by Armenia in hosting a growing number of displaced populations in the past few years, the joint project aims to expand the earlier established cooperation between Human Rights Defenders Office and UNHCR in the field of protection of displaced populations in Armenia.

The project acknowledges the important role of the Human Rights Defender and the Office in protecting not only Armenian citizens, but also displaced population living in the territory of Armenia. More specifically, the project entails cooperation in the field of (i) monitoring the situation of human rights protection of refugees and asylum-seekers in Armenia; (ii) enhancing the capacity of Human Rights Defenders Office; and, (iii) publishing an ad-hoc report of Human Rights Defender.
President Pranab Mukherjee had on December 19 appointed Justice Khehar as the 44th Chief Justice of India. He will be sworn-in on January 4, 2017.

By Ahmad Azeem: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking the quashing of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar's appointment as the next Chief Justice of India.

The vacation bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud dismissed as "without merit" the petition by the National Lawyers Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms and others.

Also read | JS Khehar all set to be the first Sikh Chief Justice of India

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President Pranab Mukherjee had on December 19 appointed Justice Khehar as the 44th Chief Justice of India. He will be sworn-in on January 4, 2017. The incumbent Chief Justice T.S. Thakur retires on January 3.

PLEA IN TOP COURT AGAINST DEMONETISATION

Meanwhile, advocate ML Sharma filed a petition before the Supreme Court today, seeking recovery of sum of Rs 1,68,000 crore spent on demonetisation from PM Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the BJP because the move was not supported by a Parliamentary Bill and ordinance.

The vacation bench has asked the petitioner to mention his plea before the CJI on January 2.

Also read | Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first interview since demonetisation: Top 10 things he told India Today

It is a private action and the consolidated fund of the Government of India has suffered due to this drive, the petition stated.

Sharma in his petition demanded that the PM and the Finance Minister be prosecuted for the death of more than 102 citizens following demonetisation.

--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN.  The logical development of the Azerbaijani provocation on Thursday took place tonight. The Armenian army divisions carried out retaliatory actions, and as a result, the adversary suffered four more casualties.

Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Spokesperson of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia (RA), informed about the above-said on his Facebook account.

Let me remind [you] that, on the morning of December 29, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched a diversionary infiltration attempt toward the Armenian [military] positions located southeast of Chinari village of Tavush Province; as a result of which, it had had up to 7 casualties.

In actual fact, more than ten Azerbaijani soldiers fell victims to the adversarys adventurism, within two days.

Let me add that the RA Ministry of Defense has confirmed several times that it has irrefutable evidence at its disposal, regarding the heavy casualties of the Azerbaijani side, Hovhannisyan also wrote.
YEREVAN.  Azerbaijan is concealing the failures of its adventurist actions, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia press service noted in a statement.

As a result of the military actions that took place on December 29, the adversary suffered casualties of up to 7 military servicemen.

Nonetheless, the Azerbaijani side formally dismisses the news about its own victims, noting solely about one missing.

As always, the Azerbaijani side conceals from its own public the failures of its adventurist actions, which do not even have tactical importance.

We are more than confident that, in the coming days, the adversary will have to formally admit to its casualties, [but] by masking their death perhaps even with various man-made and health issues, the Armenia MOD statement also reads.
YEREVAN.  Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Switalski, extended congratulations on the occasion of the New Year and Christmas season, and in Armenian.

Dear Armenians, on behalf of the EU Delegation to Armenia, I congratulate you and your families on the occasion of coming New Year and Christmas holidays, and wish you peace and prosperity.

Let the love, faith and joy strengthen in all Armenians homes.

Happy New Year and a Merry Christmas, Armenia! Ambassador Switalski said in his Armenian-language seasons greetings.
Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland will assume the position of U.S. Co-Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group on an interim basis starting in January 2017. He replaces Ambassador James B. Warlick, who will step down on December 31.

Ambassador Hoagland brings over 30 years of diplomatic experience to the position. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan from 2003 to 2006, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan from 2008 to 2011, and as Deputy Ambassador to Pakistan from 2011 to 2013. Ambassador Hoagland most recently led U.S.-Russian military coordination for the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria and served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department in Washington. Prior to these assignments, Ambassador Hoagland led the Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs in the Bureau of Europe and Eurasian Affairs and was Press Spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

Ambassador Hoaglands extensive diplomatic experience will be critical as the United States works with the sides toward a lasting and peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The United States continues to call on the parties to maintain their commitment to the ceasefire and to implement agreements reached at the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits, and urges a return to negotiations on a settlement, which would benefit all sides.

The permanent replacement for Ambassador Warlick will be announced at a future date.
YEREVAN.  Armenia was disgracefully defeated at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), as its representative was not elected CSTO Secretary General, and this encouraged Azerbaijan.

Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation Director, political scientist Stepan Grigoryan, on Friday stated the aforesaid. He noted this reflecting on the adversarys diversionary infiltration attempt Thursday on its border with Armenia, and which took the lives of three Armenian soldiers.

Azerbaijan, not being a CSTO member, proved that its influence in the CSTO is stronger than Armenias influence, even though Armenia is a CSTO member, added Grigoryan. Azerbaijan was against the representative of Armenia being appointed Secretary General, which was an important post in the CSTO. Azerbaijan realizes that, after this, it can [now] attack on Armenia, not Karabakh, without a problem.

And in connection with CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzhas statement on Thursdays Armenia-Azerbaijan border incident, and in which he had used the term Nagorno-Karabakh Republic for the first time, the political scientist noted, in particular: This statement was good. But I dont think that we [i.e. the Armenian party to the Karabakh conflict] should be satisfied, since this isnt the statement of the CSTO Secretary General. Its important that the heads of all [CSTO] member states sign under this statement. () this statement was just the statement of Bordyuzha.

Stepan Grigoryan stressed, however, that he does not consider this statement to be satisfactory.
YEREVAN.  An investigation is underway along the lines of the criminal case which the Investigative Committee of Armenia has opened into the Azerbaijani armed forces unleashing aggressive war, on Thursday.

As a result of inspecting the crime scene, a dead body wearing the uniform of the Azerbaijani army was discovered near an outpost of the Armenian Armed Forces.

Work is underway to identify this body, informed the investigative committee.

As reported earlier, Azerbaijani troops launched a diversionary infiltration attempt, on early Thursday morning, at the Armenia state border, southeast of Chinari village in Tavush Province.

But the Azerbaijani armed forces were driven back, having suffered injuries and casualtiesincluding in the Armenian military positions.

As a result of this infiltration attempt, however, the Armenian armed forces suffered three casualties: Senior Lieutenant Shavarsh Melikyan, and Privates Edgar Narayan and Erik Abovyan.
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today extended help to a woman in getting her daughter, suffering from absence seizures, examined by an AIIMS doctor.

Swarajs help to the woman, Monika Mittal Sood, came after she wrote to the Minister on twitter seeking assistance in getting some "critical medicines" for her child from abroad as they are not available in India.

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To this Swaraj said she has spoken to Dr Padma Srivastava at AIIMs and that a wide spectrum of medicines are available to treat her child.

"I have spoken to a reputed physician Dr Padma Srivastava of AIIMS. There is a wide spectrum of medicines available in India. I can request Dr Padma to examine your child. If a permissible medicine is not available here, we will arrange it from abroad," Swaraj tweeted.

She then asked Sood to send her contact details by direct message so that the arrangements could be made. The Minister, shortly thereafter, tweeted to the woman to "see Dr Padma at the given time".

"AIIMS is our prestigious institution. I am sure your daughter will be well soon," Swaraj said.

Happy over Swarajs help, Sood thanked her.

Earlier Sood had tweeted, "@SushmaSwaraj Mam not able to get a critical medicine in India (zarontin) for my daughter to cure her absence seizures. Can you pls help!"

Absence seizures are seizures that generally last just a few seconds, and are characterised by a blank or absent stare. PTI MPB TIR

--- ENDS ---
The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed the law restricting access of printed production with "anti-Ukrainian content from Russian to Ukrainian market. This is stated on the official website.

Supreme Rada approved the relevant law on December 8. It will enter into force from the day of its publication in the press. The authorities hope, that the measures taken by Rada, will contribute to increasing print production in Ukraine.

Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kirilenko announced, that the Ukrainian customs officials will ban arrival of books from Russia with "anti-state character". According to Kirilenkos estimates, about 60% of books will not have an access to the Ukrainian market.
The diversionary infiltration attempt by the Azerbaijani armed forces on the border with Armenia is a violation of Armenias sovereignty.

Russian military expert Vladimir Yevseyev told the aforementioned to Armenian News  NEWS.am.

In his words, pursuant to the agreements between Russia and Armenia, the former has an obligation to defend Armenia from external threat, specifically from the Azerbaijani side.

Touching on Russias reaction on the diversionary infiltration attempt initiated by Baku, considering the creation of the Armenian-Russian military group, Yevseyev noted: Of course, Russia will condemn this provocation. This clash didnt event take place in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. This raises serious concerns, since there is also the Nakhchivan border on which provocation is also quite possible.

Unfortunately, this kind of activity didnt stop after Russias supply of arms to Armenia and after the decision to create joint Armenian-Russian troops.

According to the expert, the response to this should be the enhancement of border security along the entire parameter, including Nakhchivan section and addition equipment with technical means of control so that it is possible to duly clarify possible facts of diversion by Azerbaijan.

It is crystal clear that the last steps initiated by Russia and Armenia dont guarantee against such kind of actions. Thus, additional measures aimed at defending the border are needed. Second, I think it is necessary to raise the issue on investigation and constant observation in the border zone, since nobody definitely thinks that Armenians attacked themselves. Someone did attack, didnt they? Certain reaction from the international community should follow. The state which constantly violates the border feels impunity and provokes the further recurrence of such cases, Yevseyev said, stressing that Azerbaijan hasnt been held accountable before the international community even for the April war.

As reported earlier, Azerbaijani troops launched a diversionary infiltration attempt, on early Thursday morning, at the Republic of Armenia (RA) state border, southeast of Chinari village in Tavush Province. The Azerbaijani armed forces were driven back, having suffered injuries and casualtiesincluding in the Armenian military positions, informed the Armenia MOD. As a result of this infiltration attempt, however, the Armenian armed forces suffered three casualties: Senior Lieutenant Shavarsh Melikyan, and Privates Edgar Narayan and Erik Abovyan.
YEREVAN.  The Azerbaijani armed forces have lost another military serviceman.

Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Spokesperson of the Minister of Defense of Armenia, informed about the aforesaid on his Facebook account.

Earlier, Hovhannisyan had informed that the logical development of the Azerbaijani provocation on Thursday had taken place last night. Accordingly, the Armenian army divisions had carried out retaliatory actions, and as a result, the adversary had had four more casualties.

On the morning of December 29, the Azerbaijani armed forces had launched a diversionary infiltration attempt toward the Armenian military positions located southeast of Chinari village of Tavush Province of Armenia. As a result, however, they had suffered up to seven casualties.
YEREVAN.  A representative of the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia has carried out a fact-finding work at Chinari village in Tavush Province, and in connection with the Azerbaijani armed forces diversionary infiltration attempt Thursday toward the Armenian military positions located southeast of the village.

The Ombudsmans office informed about the aforesaid in a statement.

Accordingly, as a result of this fact finding, facts were recorded to the effect that three Armenian soldiers were killed Thursday by the Armenian armed forces, but under conditions when there was no probability or risk of an attack.

In addition, the attack was carried out in such a way that it clearly attests to the Azerbaijani armys intention of causing harm to civilians.

The fact-finding work also recorded traces of shooting, which indicate that targeted shots were fired toward the houses of civilians.

As per the aforesaid statement, these inroads by the Azerbaijan armed forces clearly violate all international requirements for human rights.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia has begun preparing the summary document of the results of the fact-finding work carried out; and this document will be submitted to competent international organizations.
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian offered the following statement regarding the appointment of Ambassador Richard Hoagland as interim Co-Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group.

A seasoned diplomat, Ambassador Hoagland brings a broad array of experiences dealing with the Caucasus, including, most notably, his denial of the Armenian Genocide during his Senate confirmation process, which lead to bi-partisan Senate opposition, a hold on his appointment, and the eventual withdrawal of his nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.

While we certainly remain mindful of this unfortunate episode and others, including his role in the flawed and ultimately failed Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission , we expect a constructive relationship with Ambassador Hoagland and look forward to working with him as he engages with American civil society and other stakeholders in the Artsakh peace process.
TRS MLA from Ellareddy E. Ravinder Reddy and his 3 supporters (all together on a bike) abused the on-duty cop for having the audacity to issue them a challan.

By Ashish Pandey: In yet another case of politicians abusing power, a Telangana Rastra Samiti MLA and his supporters were caught on camera abusing and assaulting a police sub inspector on duty.

The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows TRS MLA from Ellareddy E. Ravinder Reddy and Kamareddy sub-inspector Anjaneyulu engaged in a heated argument.

The incident took place in the Nizam Sagar Cross Road of Kamareddy district where on 28th November, SI Anjaneyulu was deployed on duty. He stopped a biker who was driving with two others behind him (commonly called 'tripling'). The three people in turn questioned the police officer's authenticity to impose fine on them, claiming that they were the TRS MLA's followers.

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Also read | Telangana minister's convoy leaves accident victim to die on road, crosses without even slowing down

Soon the MLA Ravinder Reddy, who was passing by, stopped and asked the SI how did he have the audacity to issue a challan to his supporters. Feeling emboldened in the lawmaker's presence, the agitated supporters abused the on-duty cop and even tried to assault him.

POLICE IN DENIAL

However, when the district police officer was contacted about the incident, Superintendent of Police Swetha Reddy said "Nothing happened, it's a case of miscommunication. we have so far not booked any case."

The incident, which is caught on camera, has outraged locals who are questioning the high-handedness of the ruling government MLA.

Also read | Video of girl in inebriated state creating ruckus in Telangana's Karimnagar goes viral

--- ENDS ---
CHICAGO, Dec. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/  K+H Connection will present a new conference: Flourish: The Growth of Branded Currency, April 10-12, 2017 at The DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The conference will feature content targeted at the Branded Currency community including gift card, promotional value, point-based programs, point of sale systems, eCommerce, loss prevention, fraud, and those who utilize these tools and programs.

K+H Connection is proud to bring Flourish: The Growth of Branded Currency to Omaha for the first time. Branded Currency began with gift cards and has organically grown into so much more. We think it is time we had a conference that focuses on this flourishing segment of FinTech, said Holly Glowaty, co-founder of K+H Connection. We are bringing this event to Omaha, Nebraska because this city has served as a hub for large players in FinTech and Retail for many years.
Biggest Security Incidents of 2016

Just like with any other industry, there are trends in security news. Throughout this year, there have been three top trends that are found in some of the biggest security incidents in 2016. As you look back on these security events, think of how we can more forward, predicting events like these and how to be proactive about them in the future.

Vehicle Attacks

In 2016, ISIS-inspired criminals made it their mission to create as many casualties as possible in a single event. Due to widespread propaganda by ISIS leaders, vehicle attacks became increasingly popular. The most notable attack began on the evening of July 14, a cargo truck was driven down the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France during Bastille Day celebrations, killing 86 people and injuring 434 more. The truck traveled at 56 miles per hour through crowds of people only stopping after law enforcement shot and killed the driver.

The attack spurred several more like it overseas and inspired ISIS leaders to promote the attack style in propaganda. Fear of events like this in the United States encouraged police in cities around the country to add barriers to the perimeters of popular events and add additional officers to man the streets during events like the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Talks of another vehicle attack would make its way to Germany, where several popular Christmas markets would add concrete barriers to keep tourists safe. The barriers were not enough in Berlin, however.

On December 19, a large lorry, or 18-wheeler, hopped a sidewalk and drove through crowds at the Christmas market. 12 people died and 40 more were injured in the attack.

Police Ambushes

The year of 2016 saw the rise in popularity of hashtags such as #BlueLivesMatter and #BlackLivesMatter following increasing incidents of police-involved shootings. These shootings resulted in protests that turned to riots, upsetting cities and states as a whole.
Brazilian police suspect Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis was killed in a "crime of passion," a source close to the investigation said Friday, as detectives interrogated his wife and a policeman who was reportedly her lover. Amiridis went missing while vacationing with his family in Rio de Janeiro, a picturesque but crime-plagued city where he served as Greece's consul general from 2001 to 2004, before being named ambassador to Brasilia this year. His Brazilian wife, Francoise Amiridis, formally reported him missing on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, police found what appeared to be the 59-year-old ambassador's body, burned beyond recognition, inside a torched and abandoned car rented in his name. Francoise Amiridis and two other people -- all considered "suspects" -- were brought in for questioning Friday morning at the homicide division for Baixada Fluminense, a neighborhood on Rio de Janeiro's west side, the source close to the investigation told AFP. The ambassador's wife had already been questioned Thursday about her husband's disappearance, but "the division chief wanted to see her again," said the source, adding: "A crime of passion is the most solid trail in the investigation." The other two suspects are a policeman and a young man. Brazilian media reports said investigators believed the arrested policeman was Francoise Amiridis's lover. - Body moved? - The ambassador's charred rental car could be seen in the parking lot outside the police station, an AFP correspondent said. Amiridis had been on vacation with his family in Nova Iguacu, on Rio's north side, since December 21. He was due to fly back to Brasilia on January 9, a Greek embassy official told AFP. Brazilian news site G1 reported that investigators believed the ambassador had been killed at the home where the family was staying. Forensics analysis uncovered signs of a struggle, it said. Investigators believe Amiridis was killed inside, then placed inside his rental car and driven to the spot where the burned-out vehicle was found, on the slope of a busy suburban thoroughfare. Police said Thursday they had immediately ruled out a kidnapping, since no ransom demand had been received. A Greek police team was due to leave Friday for Brazil to take part in the investigation, while Greece's ambassador in Argentina was headed to Brasilia, Athens said. Amiridis had served as Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until earlier this year when he was appointed to move to Brazil. He has a 10-year-old daughter, according to the embassy in Brasilia. Hit hard by Brazil's worst recession in more than a century, Rio de Janeiro state is facing bankruptcy and struggling to deal with the violent crime that has long dogged it. The 2016 Olympic host city has seen crime rates soar in recent months, fueled by drug gang violence.
A Singaporean teenager who became notorious for profanity-laced attacks on the city's revered late leader Lee Kuan Yew is seeking political asylum in the US, his lawyer said Thursday. Amos Yee, 18, a filmmaker turned activist who served two jail terms in Singapore for his controversial videos, has been detained by US authorities since he arrived in Chicago airport in mid December. Maryland-based lawyer Sandra Grossman expects Yee to face an immigration judge within a fortnight. "According to current processing times, Amos should have an initial master calendar hearing within two weeks," Grossman told AFP in an email. During the initial court hearing Yee will have the opportunity to file for asylum, she said. A full hearing on his application will be held six to eight weeks later. "If the judge grants asylum, Amos will become an 'asylee' and will be able to obtain his residency within one year," she said, adding that appeals can be made if asylum is denied. Grossman, who is representing Yee free of charge, called the case "worthwhile" because of the issues involved. "This is a case that will force us to look at our own national interest in free speech," she said. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Yee was in custody pending federal immigration court proceedings. "Amos Pang Sang Yee, 18, a national of Singapore, was encountered Dec. 16 by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. He was subsequently turned over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)," a spokeswoman said in a statement. - 'Classic political dissident' - Yee was in high spirits despite being detained and was seeking US asylum because America is a "safe space" where free speech is not policed, Melissa Chen, a US-based Singaporean who has been helping Yee with his asylum bid, said in a Facebook post. Yee's mother Mary Toh confirmed his detention and US asylum bid, and said: "The matter is now with his lawyers." Singapore's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch said that Yee was a "classic political dissident" who deserved asylum. Singapore "has subjected Amos Yee to a sustained pattern of persecution, including intimidation, arrest and imprisonment, for publicly expressing his views on politics and religion," Robertson said in a statement. Yee, who won a filmmaking award at 13, posted an expletive-laden video in March 2015 attacking Lee amid an outpouring of grief over the founding prime minister's death that same week. In the eight-minute video, Yee compared Lee to Jesus, saying "they are both power-hungry and malicious but deceive others into thinking they are compassionate and kind". He was jailed for four weeks for hurting the religious feelings of Christians and for posting an obscene drawing of Lee and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He served 50 days, including penalties for violating bail conditions. In September, Yee was jailed for six weeks for insulting Muslims and Christians in a series of videos posted online. The videos were watched hundreds of thousands of times before they were taken down from Yee's YouTube page.
Property investment can be highly rewarding in the long-term. Many Singaporeans rode the property boom in the years from 2008 to 2013 to build a substantial level of wealth for themselves. But the last three years have been unkind to Singapores property market.

The downturn in the real estate market is widespread with residential and commercial properties both registering significant declines.

But it is certain that at some point in time, prices will start rising, rewarding those investors who have had the foresight to stay in the market.

In fact, the current depressed state of the property market provides an attractive buying opportunity.

Commercial properties can hold great potential







Source: Pixabay

Singapores position as a regional financial hub and a centre for the manufacture of high technology products guarantees that there will always be a robust demand for office properties and industrial units. Investors can cash in on this by buying commercial property and leasing it out to earn a steady income.

There are a large number of projects under construction and investors have a wide choice of properties to choose from.

Resale commercial properties are also a good option. It is easier to estimate the rent that you will earn from a resale property as you have past data to rely upon.





Population increase will lead to rising demand for real estate







Source: Pixabay

Singapores population is projected to reach 6.5 million to 6.9 million by 2030 from the current level of 5.6 million. This increase will create a demand for housing as well as for commercial properties.

Investors can take advantage of this opportunity by buying commercial real estate in new developments and areas that are expected to see a rapid growth in population.

An area with many new developments in the vicinity is sure to see a rise in demand for retail outlets and other establishments catering to the local population.

While an investment in this type of commercial property can provide greater than average returns, it can also take a longer time period to turn profitable.

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Investors should have the means to service their loans even if their properties remain vacant for an extended period of time.

Investing in retail space



Colliers International Singapore, a company providing real estate-related services, recently released its analysis of the retail space sector for Q3 2016. The firm has noted that the year saw the retail sector in Singapore burdened with oversupply, higher vacancy rates, and falling rents.

The real estate consultancy has pointed out that rents in the Orchard Road area as well as in regional centres are expected to register a decline of between 2% and 3% in 2016.

Similarly, capital values will also drop. Prices of Orchard Road retail space will decrease by 2%, while regional centres may remain stable or fall marginally by 0.5%.





Strata-titled retail properties







Source: Pixabay

Buyers should bear in mind that ownership of strata-titled retail properties presents several problems. Individual owners often find it difficult to agree on various issues.

Consequently, many malls in this category present customers with shops selling competing products. Maintenance services can be patchy and there is often a shortage of funds for joint promotional efforts.

If you intend investing in strata-titled retail space, it is essential that you first get a thorough understanding of the property. A hasty purchase could leave you in a position where you earn a lower rent and find it difficult to service your loan repayment commitment.





Prices of commercial properties and rentals may continue to fall



The decline in capital values is not restricted to retail space. URA data confirm that prices for office space are falling as well. In the third quarter of 2016, the price index for office space registered a decrease of 0.4%. The rental index sank from 167.6 to 165.7, a reduction of 1.1%.

The downward trend looks set to continue as there is plenty of office space in the pipeline. In 2017 alone a further 376,000 square metres is expected to be added to the overall supply.





Source: URA





Is investing in commercial property a good idea?



Commercial real estate offers several advantages over residential property. Investors do not need to bear Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD), a cost that can add a significant amount to the overall price of a residential property.

Another edge that commercial property has is that if it located in an area that is developing rapidly, you can expect its value to rise very quickly. Of course, if the locality does not attract as much traffic as anticipated you could even see a decline in your propertys market price.

But a commercial property purchase made after carrying out careful market research should yield positive long-term returns. If the overall real estate market starts to climb, the value of your investment may improve even sooner than you expect.

(By Ravinder Kapur)

Related Articles

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- Getting to know more about industrial REITs in Singapore

- Factors to consider before purchasing commercial property in Singapore
By PTI: Dubai, Dec 30 (PTI) A vicar in the UAE has said he has got "strong indications" to believe that Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the Indian priest who was abducted nearly nine months ago from war-torn Yemen, is alive, a media report said today.

The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia said it is making "all efforts to secure a safe release" of the priest kidnapped from Aden in March, Khaleej Times reported.

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A video of Uzhunnalil had surfaced this week in which he made an appeal to the Indian government, Pope Francis and Bishop Paul Hinder, to save his life.

Hinder, who is based in Abu Dhabi, is the current Vicar Apostolic of the vicariate.

"The features of the person speaking in the video bear a close likeness to Father Tom. However, the source of the video, the date of its creation and the circumstances under which it was recorded are unknown. Even though we have no information about Father Toms present whereabouts, we have strong indications to believe that he is still alive," the vicariate said in a statement.

The church said it has made countless appeals from the highest levels to secure Uzhunnalils release as well as made concrete efforts by way of working in close collaboration with both international and local diplomatic channels, it reported.

"Paul Hinder is in touch with the different channels, which are working and leading the dialogues to secure a safe release. More details cannot be disclosed at this stage," the statement said.

The bishop has led calls for prayer throughout the churches in the vicariate for Uzhunnalil. During the Christmas mass, the bishop and thousands gathered at the cathedral parish of St Josephs Abu Dhabi to pray for the priests safety.

"The Salesian Congregation to which Father Tom belongs and the Catholic Bishops Conference of India has been in touch with government channels," the statement added.

The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is a territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church covering the UAE, Oman and Yemen. The office of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is based at St Josephs Cathedral in Abu Dhabi.

Father Uzhunnalil, who hails from Kerala, was abducted in March by terror group Islamic State which attacked an old-age home run by Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity in southern Yemeni city of Aden. PTI CPS AKJ CPS MVV

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Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC will pay close to $60 million for a 50 percent stake in a leisure and dining development in Britain, a joint statement said on Friday.

GIC, one of the world's top 10 state investment funds, will pay British property firm Hammerson 48.5 million ($59.6 million) for a larger stake in the newly opened Watermark development in Southampton, the statement said.

GIC already has a stake in the newly-opened lifestyle complex -- which is expected to bring in 5.5 million ($6.7 million) yearly -- through a joint venture with Hammerson, and the partnership is to be extended.

"As a long-term investor, we focus on ensuring that income streams from our investments are stable and resilient," said Madeleine Cosgrave, regional head of GIC Real Estate in Europe.

Hammerson chief executive David Atkins said the development was the largest of its kind in Britain.

GIC has made several forays into Europe this year -- in September, it acquired a 7,150-bed student accommodation in what was described as Britain's largest student accommodation deal this year.

In November, the fund bought P3 Logistic Parks, a top European warehouse developer and manager for 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in Europe's biggest real estate transaction this year.

Formerly known as the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, GIC manages Singapore's foreign reserves with a focus on long-term performance.

It does not disclose the exact value of its portfolio, saying only that it has "well over US$100 billion of assets" in more than 40 countries, including real estate, equities and fixed-income investments.

The US-based Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute says GIC has $344 billion of assets under management, making it the world's eighth largest.
FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2016 file photo, Argentina's former President Cristina Fernandez greets supporters outside her apartment, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The countrys top criminal tribunal on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2016, has ordered an investigation into the late prosecutor Alberto Nismans accusation that Fernandez covered up the alleged involvement of Iranians in a 1994 attack against a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  An Argentine court on Thursday ordered a renewed investigation into a prosecutor's accusation that former President Cristina Fernandez covered up the alleged involvement of Iranians in a 1994 attack on a Jewish community center.

The bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association center in Buenos Aires killed 85 people and wounded hundreds. Iran has denied any connection with the attack and declined to turn over suspects in the case.

Argentina's official Center of Judicial Information said the country's top criminal tribunal had accepted a request by a coalition of Jewish associations to re-examine the charge made by prosecutor Alberto Nisman on Jan. 14, 2015, against Fernandez, Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and other officials in her government. He alleged Fernandez reached a secret deal with Iran's government to hide the role of several Iranian officials suspected in the bombing.

Nisman was found dead with a gunshot to the head four days later. Authorities never determined if he was killed or took his own life.

Fernandez, president in 2007-2015, has denied wrongdoing, and she ridiculed the charge Thursday.

"I am now accused of covering up the AMIA attack that took place ... 22 and a half years ago! The only thing they have failed to do is to accuse me of Kennedy's death," she tweeted.

The left-of-center Fernandez blames the accusation on what she says is the bias of judges following the orders of her conservative successor, President Mauricio Macri, who took office last December.

Ariel Cohen Sabban, president of the Jewish coalition, praised the court's decision.

"A country that wants to reach justice is a country that must investigate, and if Nisman's accusation must be dismissed, we will accept it. But what we cannot do is dismiss an allegation with so much political potential without at least it being investigated," he told The Associated Press.

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The ruling adds to legal complication for Fernandez.

On Tuesday, a federal judge approved charges of illicit association and fraudulent administration against her and two former aides: ex-Planning Minister Julio de Vido and former Public Works Secretary Jose Lopez. They are accused of misusing public money by paying inflated prices for public works contracts.

Fernandez also denies wrongdoing in that case.
AFP News

Zhang Yao recalls the moment he realised something had gone deeply wrong at the Chinese mega-factory where he and hundreds of thousands of other workers assembled iPhones and other high-end electronics. In early October, supervisors suddenly warned him that 3,000 colleagues had been taken into quarantine after someone tested positive for Covid-19 at the factory. "They told us not to take our masks off," Zhang, speaking under a pseudonym for fear of retaliation, told AFP by telephone. What followed was a weeks-long ordeal including food shortages and the ever-present fear of infection, before he finally escaped on Tuesday. Zhang's employer, Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn, has said it faces a "protracted battle" against infections and imposed a "closed loop" bubble around its sprawling campus in central China's Zhengzhou city. Local authorities locked down the area surrounding the major Apple supplier's factory on Wednesday, but not before reports emerged of employees fleeing on foot and a lack of adequate medical care at the plant. China is the last major economy committed to a zero-Covid strategy, persisting with snap lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines in a bid to stamp out emerging outbreaks. But new variants have tested officials' ability to snuff out flare-ups and dragged down economic activity with the threat of sudden disruptions. - Desperation - Multiple workers have recounted scenes of chaos and increasing disorganisation at Foxconn's complex of workshops and dormitories, which form a city-within-a-city near Zhengzhou's airport. Zhang told AFP that "positive tests and double lines (on antigen tests) had become a common sight" in his workshop before he left. "Of course we were scared, it was so close to us." "People with fevers are not guaranteed to receive medicine," another Foxconn worker, a 30-year-old man who also asked to remain anonymous, told AFP. "We are drowning," he said. Those who decided to stop working were not offered meals at their dormitories, Zhang said, adding that some were able to survive on personal stockpiles of instant noodles. Kai, a worker at in the complex who gave an interview to state-owned Sanlian Lifeweek, told the magazine Foxconn's "closed loop" involved cordoning off paths between dormitory compounds and the factory, and complained he was left to his own devices after being thrown in quarantine. TikTok videos geolocated by AFP showed mounds of uncollected rubbish outside buildings in late October, while employees in N95 masks squeezed onto packed shuttle buses taking them from dormitories to their work stations. A 27-year-old woman working at Foxconn, who asked not to be named, told AFP a roommate who tested positive for Covid was sent back to her dormitory on Thursday morning, crying, after she decided to hand in her notice while in quarantine. "Now the three of us are living in the same room: one a confirmed case and two of us testing positive on the rapid test, still waiting for our nucleic acid test results," the worker told AFP. Many became so desperate by the end of last month that they attempted to walk back to their hometowns to get around Covid transport curbs. As videos of people dragging their suitcases down motorways and struggling up hills spread on Chinese social media, the authorities rushed in to do damage control. The Zhengzhou city government on Sunday said it had arranged for special buses to take employees back to their hometowns. Surrounding Henan province has officially reported a spike of more than 600 Covid cases since the start of this week. - Distrust - When Zhang finally attempted to leave the Foxconn campus on Tuesday, he found the company had set up obstacle after obstacle. "There were people with loudspeakers advertising the latest Foxconn policy, saying that each day there would be a 400 yuan ($55) bonus," Zhang told AFP. A crowd of employees gathered at a pick-up point in front of empty buses but were not let on. People in hazmat suits, known colloquially as "big whites" in China, claimed they had been sent by the city government. "They tried to persuade people to stay in Zhengzhou... and avoid going home," Zhang said. "But when we asked to see their work ID, they had nothing to show us, so we suspected they were actually from Foxconn." Foxconn pointed to the local government's lockdown orders from Wednesday when asked by AFP if it attempted to stop employees from leaving, without giving any further response. The company had on Sunday said it was "providing employees with complimentary three meals a day" and cooperating with the government to provide transport home. Eventually, the crowd of unhappy workers who had gathered decided to take matters into their own hands and walked over seven kilometres on foot to the nearest highway entry ramp. There, more people claiming to be government officials pleaded with the employees to wait for the bus. The crowd had no choice as the road was blocked. Buses eventually arrived at five in the afternoon -- nearly nine hours after Zhang had begun his attempt to secure transport. "They were trying to grind us down," he said. Back in his hometown, Zhang is now waiting out the home quarantine period required by the local government. "All I feel is, I've finally left Zhengzhou," he told AFP. bur-tjx/oho/je/mca/cwl
MOSUL, Iraq (AP)  The 19-year-old resident of Mosul pulled up his shirt and showed a festering wound on his back. It came, he said, from Iraqi troops who detained him for three days and beat him, trying to get him to confess to belong to the Islamic State group.

His story and similar stories by others only deepen worries among many of Mosul's mainly Sunni residents over what happens when the extremist group is defeated and Baghdad's Shiite-led government resumes control.

Almost all those fleeing the city say they are relieved to see the end of the Sunni extremists' grip. But they also have bad memories of Baghdad's rule in the past.

Mosul's Sunnis long complained that the Shiite-dominated security forces treated them with suspicion and targeted them in indiscriminate crackdowns. They say the government intentionally neglect them, focusing on Shiite areas in the south, leaving Iraq's second largest city undeveloped and economically stagnant.

Mohammed Ayad said he was detained by troops earlier this month when he sneaked from his home neighborhood, which is under IS control, across the Tigris River into a district recaptured by the military. He intended to buy cigarettes to sell back in his neighborhood, where IS bans smoking.

"They arrested me while sleeping at friend's house on the east side," he said. "They suspected me when I showed them my ID that says I live on the other side," said Ayad.

His interrogators beat him, asking him repeatedly when he joined IS. After they released him, he went to a camp of displaced people south of Mosul.

Several other Mosul residents at the camp said Federal Police, a Shiite-dominated force, barred them from returning to their homes in recaptured areas, now that they are relatively safe. A group of Sunnis who fled the recently freed town of Tal Abta, west of Mosul, said they too were barred by Shiite militias from returning.

"I feel like a third class citizen, like an Indian who will now have to live in a reservation," said one bearded Mosul resident who declined to give his name for fear of reprisals. "It is like they jailed us here," he said of the camp.

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There have been no reports of major or systematic abuse of Mosul residents by the military or security forces, which have been fighting since October to recapture the city. That's a contrast to other former IS-held areas, where Shiite fighters are accused of pushing out or otherwise abusing Sunnis. The military denies torturing suspects and insists no one is denied permission to return to their homes.

But there is a recognition that Baghdad needs to reach out to Sunnis.

"I really cannot blame them for being apprehensive about the return of government rule," said a top military commander in Mosul, who agreed to discuss the subject in return for anonymity.

"It is their right to feel that way. Before Daesh, there was too much corruption, and the security forces did nothing to help people," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Shiite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has been sending reconciliatory messages to Iraq's minority Sunnis, speaking of a country reunited by the fight against IS. "Societal reconciliation is the appropriate answer to Daesh," he said recently.

The military in Mosul has reached out to residents with goodwill gestures, including distributing food and water and treating wounded or ailing residents in their field hospitals. They have helped those wishing to leave the city. Children flash the "V' for victory signs to soldiers and yell "Mansoureen," or "may you be victorious," as they drive by in their Humvees.

"No matter how many times I say 'thank you' I can never give you your due," one woman told a senior army general Thursday as he toured her frontline Mosul neighborhood.

But there is also mutual suspicion and apprehension. Faced with consistent IS bombing and shootings in recaptured areas, the military fears sympathizers and sleeper cells among the population.

"All a Daesh member has to do is take off his clothes and shave his beard and he becomes a regular citizen" said the military commander in Mosul. "That's why we cannot drop our guard."

The army's security measures with the population don't help ease any ill-feeling.

Every day, hundreds of men, women, children and elderly fleeing the city wait for hours in the biting cold by a main road outside Mosul while security officials run their names through a database for any possible IS links.

There are no chairs or benches and nothing to shelter them from rain and wind. A shortage of buses means that most of those cleared are loaded onto army trucks, where they stand with nothing to hold on except each other, to be taken to camps.

Conditions are tough for those who remain in recaptured Mosul neighborhoods as well. Piles of trash are everywhere and green sewage water runs on the side of many streets. Water and power are still out.

Some residents close off their streets with makeshift barriers against suicide car bombs, and many motorists still fly a white flag, signs of the fragile security.

Some 120,000 people have fled Mosul since the offensive began. The resources of the cash-strapped government are limited. It is trying to provide medical care, food, water and heating fuel to those staying put in the city and those who fled. But distribution has been chaotic, leaving some without, and it excludes residents of areas close to the frontline.

Mosul hospital clerk Waad Amin said he's glad the extremists are gone. While he's wary of the government, "No matter what, they are still better than Daesh," he said.

But "it is so bad here, it's beyond description," he said of government-held parts of Mosul. The 53-year-old father of six works in a government clinic and hasn't been paid for nearly two years.

Amin is also worried that a wave of score-settling will break out among residents. Security forces have to keep control, but at the same time not get dragged in by informants wrongly accusing others of being IS members, he said.

"The government needs to have a security outpost in every neighborhood. If not, the situation will be very dire. They cannot leave us to kill each other, as they did before Daesh took the city."

Mosul long had a reputation as a bastion of Islamic militancy. Before IS captured it in 2014, the group's fighters operated freely in some areas, attacking security forces and oil facilities. Militants ran protection rackets, and local government corruption was rampant. Authorities were seen as failing to dealing effectively with criminals and militants.

Ahmed Mohammed Hussein, a 52-year-old Mosul University employee, blames those government failures for the IS takeover of the city in June 2014. It has left him bitter and suspicious ever since.

He spoke in a camp for the displaced in the northern city of Irbil, where he fled with his family. Nearby, his wife stood in line with other women to receive heating oil rations.

"If they come back and wipe away my tears, pat me on the head and help me get back my life, then they are all welcome," he said of the government. "But they will not be welcome if it's all going to be about marginalization again."
By Martin Petty and Neil Jerome Morales MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the failure of the United States to thwart China's island-building in the South China Sea showed there was no serious concern about its militarisation or reclamation work. The firebrand leader reiterated he wanted to avoid confrontation with China and saw no need for urgency in pressing it to abide by a July ruling by an international tribunal on its South China Sea claims that went in favour of the Philippines. Asked during a television interview when he would address the issue, Duterte said it would happen "during my time" but he was not yet ready to discuss the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and neither was China. He said he had no intention of aggressively pursuing the Philippine maritime claim and taking on China and the only power capable of doing so was the United States. "I cannot let is pass and be neglected," he told CNN Philippines, referring to the ruling that rejected China's extensive claims in the South China Sea. "But are you ready to talk with me now? Because if you are not, I am not ready," he said, referring to China. Duterte made a stunning U-turn in foreign policy a few months ago when he made overtures towards longtime rival China and started berating traditional ally the United States. He has previously played down the arbitration case, saying it would "take a back seat" during his talks in China in October. He has frequently praised China and said he wants it to play a prominent role in his economy. Duterte also played down concerns that China was militarising the South China Sea and appeared unperturbed by its dredging work and building activity on reefs, several of which were within Manila's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Asked if he was worried, he said. "No. Because if it was really a serious concern, then the United States should lead the way and stop it. "I said, right at the beginning, when the first spray of soil was tossed out to the area they (China) reclaimed, why did their (U.S.) think-tank not think?" Duterte said the one situation where he would take a stand against China was if it were to start exploiting natural resources within Philippine sovereign territory. He likened it to children bickering over inheritance. The Philippines has within its EEZ deposits of oil and gas but lacks the expertise to exploit them. It has also been complicated by China laying claim to the same waters. "When the minerals are already being siphoned out," he said when asked under what condition he would challenge China. "(It's a) question of money. 'Wait a minute, I thought we're friends'," he said. "The wealth that comes out there, it is like inheritance when your father and mother dies, that is a mess." (Reporting by Martin Petty and Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Robert Birsel)
MADRID (Reuters) - Any negotiations between Spain and Britain over Britons' exit from the European Union will be done as part of the EU bloc of 27 countries, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Friday. Asked at a news conference whether Spain had any conditions going into Brexit talks next year, Rajoy said: "The only red line is that we are 27, we need to negotiate all together and we will negotiate a common position as the EU." Extricating Britain from the EU opens up several thorny fronts with Spain, which said shortly after the June 23 referendum that it would seek joint sovereignty of Gibraltar, a British territory on its southern coast. The Spanish government, which faces a separatist challenge in the northeastern Catalonia region, has also sought to quash suggestions by Scotland it could seek a different deal with the EU from the rest of Britain. Spain is also home to the largest population of British people living abroad in the European Union, many of them pensioners who have retired to coastal resorts. (Reporting by Sonya Dowsett, Writing by Sarah White)
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The below conversation with Darnell Holloway, Director of Business Outreach for Yelp (NYSE:YELP), is the last of three interviews that took place at Salesforces Small Business Basecamp in New York City earlier this month. The event brought together Amazon Business, Chase, LegalZoom, FreshBooks, Revel, SquareSpace, WeWork, Zenefits, RingCentral and Yelp to help show small businesses how CRM and related technologies can help them scale their abilities to find and keep customers more efficiently.

Discover How to Respond to a Bad Review on Yelp and More

Holloway shares with us how small businesses can compete, thrive and survive in the Feedback Economy, why Yelp doesnt recommend small businesses ask customers to leave reviews, and why the speed at which you respond to a negative review can be critical to getting it updated to something more positive.

Below is the edited transcript. To view the full conversation, click on the embedded video below.

* * * * *

Small Business Trends: Talk a little bit about Yelp from a B2B perspective.

Darnell Holloway: Yelp is a fantastic tool for business owners. The first thing that any business should do is claim their page on Yelp. Its super easy. You go to biz.yelp.com. You have access to a suite of free tools that allows you to add photos to your page, complete your profile and also respond to reviews. Thats the entry point for any business out there. Everybody out there should go claim their page. Its going to allow you to start managing and verifying and connecting with consumers.

Small Business Trends: Tell me what the review [feedback] economy is and how important is it today for small business to be a part of it?

Darnell Holloway: The Feedback Economy is a concept that we now live in a world where consumers are relying on online reviews for every type of purchasing decision. When it comes to Yelp specifically, we know that reviews play a big part in where people are going to spend their money.

Nielsen did a study. They found that 82 percent of Yelp users are on the site because they intend to buy a product or a service, and of course theyre going to look at a business reviews. Its important for businesses to pay attention their reviews.

I will say that Yelp is a platform that allows businesses to roll up their sleeves and engage when they are getting reviews. I mentioned that people can respond. Thats part of that suite of free tools. Every business out there should get in the habit of responding to their reviews, whether theyre positive or negative, within 24 hours.

Small Business Trends: How do you help a company recruit their customers to write reviews for them on their behalf? Whats the best way for them to go about doing that?

Darnell Holloway: Im glad that you brought that up, because we recommend that you dont ask for reviews. That might seem counter-intuitive, but instead, what you want to do is focus on good customer service, first and foremost, in the offline world. There is a direct correlation between customer service and reviews on Yelp. Our data science team found that if somebody mentions good customer service in a review, that review is five times as likely to be five star versus one star.

The first thing is you want to be customer-service oriented if you want to get good reviews. The second thing is you do want to engage with your profile as well. You want to do things like adding photos, adding content. Why? Because the more content you have, the more traffic that youre going to get on Yelp, that flywheel starts, and then youre going to get more reviews as well.

You also want to let people know that you have a presence on Yelp, so while you dont want to go out and solicit reviews, you do want to let people know that youre on there. You can do that by putting html badges on your website. You can put signage in your storefront. We give stickers away that say, Find us on Yelp, at Yelp.com/brand.

Responding to reviews is incredibly important. One interesting bit of information that our data science recently surfaced is that if a business responds to a negative review within 24 hours, if they send a personalized message that reviewer is 33% more likely to upgrade the rating and the review.

Small Business Trends: Any other factoids you could share?

Darnell Holloway: Another interesting trend for Yelp right now is that transactions are on the rise. Yelp has always been about connecting people with great local businesses, and at the same time, its undergone a little bit of an evolution. When I joined the company back in 2009, it was a desktop review site. Yelp.com, you go to Yelp, you read reviews, you find the businesses that youre looking for, and then you go there in the offline world.

Now, weve evolved into a great mobile app. Most of our searches are happening on mobile. Most of our content is being added via mobile devices. Also, people are transacting directly from Yelp. Its a transactions platform. I think thats a interesting trend for businesses to pay attention to. We see a lot more Yelp users engaging in that way.

If youre thinking of restaurants, we recently acquired Eat24. We also have Yelp Reservations, so people can now order food delivery or book a table through the Yelp app. If you need to go to the dentist, we partner with Demandforce. If you need to buy flowers, weve got BloomNation on there as a partner. I think thats a interesting thing, an interesting trend for businesses to pay attention to.

Then also, we developed a tool recently called Request A Quote, that allows service-based businesses to take quotes directly from people on the Yelp app. Lets say that I have a leaky faucet in my apartment. I could use the Yelp app and find a plumber, and I can request a quote right there from the app. I can also take pictures of the pipe underneath my sink. At the same time, I can also request quotes from multiple plumbers to make sure that Im finding the person whos available, who would come to my place within an hour or so to get the work done.

I would say thats an interesting trend for businesses to pay attention to is the transactions. Start to think of Yelp as more than just a review site, but also a transactions platform.

Small Business Trends: The review and the transaction are happening nearer and nearer in proximity, closer and closer in time.

Darnell Holloway: If you are a business, one thing that you mention in terms of time, I highly recommend that you respond to your reviews within 24 hours, but as far as when the transactions happen after a review, its important to know that people can write reviews on their Yelp app as well, and a lot of that content is happening on mobile devices. You may see some of that as well.

I would also say that its important to note that business out there need to pay attention to their content. Thats something that we havent talked about as much, but literally, the content that they can control on their page includes photos and information about themselves. What were finding is that if businesses are adding more photos, if theyre adding content, they have a fully built-out Yelp listing, and theyre doing that from day one, theyre going to accelerate the rate at which theyre likely to get their first review.

Small Business Trends: Tell us where people can learn more.

Darnell Holloway: They can go to officialblog.yelp.com. They can also check out yelp.com/support if they have any questions, and then finally, they can claim their page at biz.yelp.com.

This is part of the One-on-One Interview series with thought leaders. The transcript has been edited for publication. If it's an audio or video interview, click on the embedded player above, or subscribe via iTunes or via Stitcher.
New Delhi's strategy of quiet diplomacy started outside the UN at the Non-aligned Summit in Venezuela held just before the General Assembly session in September.

By Indo-Asian News Service: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed away this year, India followed a strategy of quiet diplomacy while projecting its soft power at the world body, even as it suffered a setback in the fight against terrorism. India had a low profile on the diplomatic front that masked a lot of behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

THE DIPLOMATIC PLAN OF INDIA

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After having made a trip to Washington to address the Congress, Modi did not attend the annual general debate of the General Assembly that brings together heads of state and government from the 193 members of the UN.

New Delhi's strategy of quiet diplomacy started outside the UN at the Nonaligned Summit in Venezuela held just before the General Assembly session in September. The trio of Vice President Hamid Ansari, Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar and Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin began the diplomatic drive to boost India's influence as an emerging economic and political power and to neutralise Pakistan's bid to rake up the Kashmir issue.

It was carried forward by Akbar and Akbaruddin to the General Assembly's general debate that followed in New York. Over a week they met scores of world leaders and the various geographic, political and economic groups before External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj came to deliver India's speech at the general debate on its last day.

Here's something more about India's quiet diplomacy A.R. Rahman's concert commemorating that of M.S. Subbulakshmi at the UN 50 years ago was the highlight of a series of events this year promoting India's cultural influence. The Oscar-winner's tribute to the "Queen of Music" in August was an evocation of universal harmony, blending traditions, time, faiths and languages at the General Assembly chamber in a show of 21st century pizzazz. On Gandhi Jayanti, October 2 which is commemorated at the UN as the International Day of Non violence, the UN postal service released a commemorative stamp in Subbulakshmi's honour. The land of Taxila, one of the greatest learning centres of ancient times, is now host to the Ivy League of terrorism, said Sushma Swaraj at the last day of general debate, the permanent seat in the Security Council was solidified among key groups of nations, the universal risks from terrorism was highlighted and Pakistan was isolated on Kashmir.Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was left plodding on a lonely road among nations more concerned about terrorism. Ninety per cent of the speakers mentioned terrorism, but none, except Sharif, talked of Kashmir, Akbaruddin pointed out and asked, Diplomacy is the art of the possible; are you seeing any other countries raising the issues Pakistan has? After Sharif's general debate speech glorifying Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Eenam Gambhir, a young diplomat at the Indian mission, hammered Pakistan's association with terrorism in a reply that made her a mini-celebrity in India. However India,had a setback in fighting terrorism as China continued to provide cover for Pakistan and for terrorists based there who are behind attacks on India. Beijing blocked New Delhi's request to have Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, who was behind the attack on the Pathankot air force base, declared a terrorist by the Security Council committee that imposes sanctions on terrorists linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. This was to be expected of a Council that Akbaruddin had ridiculed as functioning in a "random mix of ad-hocism, scrambling and political paralysis".Attempts to reform the Council suffered another setback that directly hit India's quest for a permanent seat on the high table. The Inter-governmental Negotiations (IGN) on reforming the Council lost the momentum built up last year. The General Assembly decided in July to put off further negotiations on reforms to the next session after discussions spluttered. The new session that started in September has not yet taken it up. This was despite 113 countries of the 122 that responded to an IGN survey in 2014 supported expanding the Council, according to Akbaruddin. India's cultural push included an exhibit, "Africans in India: From Slaves to Generals", that depicted India's tradition of openness that raised those who came as slaves to positions of power as rulers and military leaders. The Second International Yoga Day was celebrated under the leadership of the Sadhguru at the UN in June with several hundred people, including Mogens Lykketoft, the president of the General Assembly, doing a round of asanas in front of the UN. To celebrate Deepavali, the towering glass-fronted UN Secretariat was lit up with the image of a traditional lamp and "Happy Diwali" projected on it in letters several stories high. Although not sponsored by India, an exhibition at the UN in September paid tributes to Mother Teresa, an Indian citizen by adoption, whose sisters work across the globe among the poor and the forgotteneven in New York where the UN headquarters is located. On the climate change and economic fronts, India and France launched in April a solar finance programme with a potential to raise more than $1 trillion in investment for members of the International Solar Alliance. A familial bond at the highest level for India came with election of the former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres as elected Secretary-General: His wife Catarina de Almeida Vaz Pinto was born in Goa.

ALSO READ: Sushma Swaraj at UNGA: Full text of the speech

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LIMA, Peru  Lima, the capital of Peru, has become a city of gustatory renown, attracting foodies from the world over to sample dishes, from its famous ceviche to favorites from the Andean highlands. So it is an appropriate place, perhaps, for what has become a genuine movable feast, the world-roving series of summits organized by the United Nations to tackle the crisis of climate change.

This years meeting, known as COP 20, the 20th Conference of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, is the last high-level meeting with presidents and prime ministers before the December 2015 climate summit in Paris.

The Paris meeting is supposed to produce an extension of the Kyoto Protocol, a new, global, legally binding treaty that restricts global warming to an increase in average global temperatures of just 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

As such, all eyes are on Paris. But, if the devil is in the details, it is here in Lima that the details are being worked out. You cant spell climate without L-I-M-A.

First, its necessary to understand the setting, and who is at the table and who is not. Inside, the summit proceeds in an orderly manner, with U.N. police standing watch and a rarified air of diplomatic decorum.

It is hard to feel any sense of urgency. This is astounding as the science is clear: The world is warming rapidly and, without action, catastrophic climate change will soon become irreversible.

The official COP 20 is being held on the grounds of the Peruvian army headquarters  ominously named El Pentagonito, or the little Pentagon. In this militarized zone, the U.N. climate summit occurs in a Potemkin village, with formal ceremonies and intermittent, pre-approved protests.

The imagery is not lost on many Peruvians organizing for climate justice. Wilfredo Saavedra Marreros, president of the Environmental Defense Front of Cajamarca, told Democracy Now!: Its a farce.  The representatives of the states of the world are meeting in a place that is stained with blood. In the Pentagonito, that military base, they have extrajudicially executed our brothers, they have burned them, they have disappeared them.

Outside, in the bustling city streets of Lima, a city of more than 8 million people with interminable traffic jams, grass-roots activists are hosting their own cumbre de los pueblos, a peoples summit on climate change, in a public park across town. On Dec. 10, Human Rights Day, thousands of people marched through the streets demanding genuine action on climate change.

Pascoe Sabido, with the group Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), is organizing both inside and outside COP 20. Together with other groups, he released a report titled Corporate Conquistadors: The Many Ways Multinationals Both Drive and Profit From Climate Destruction.

At one action inside, Sabido and others descended on a meeting sponsored by oil giants Shell, Chevron and other fossil-fuel interests. There were lots and lots of very angry and active people there trying to protest against the presence of the fossil-fuel industry here in these talks, he later told me.

Another organizer at COP 20 is the Nigerian environmental leader Nnimmo Bassey. He said: Before I left Nigeria, my temperature was gauged twice to determine if I have high fever or if I have Ebola. Now, the temperature of the Earth has gone 0.8 degrees above preindustrial levels. If the Earth was to go through the same process  it wouldve been quarantined because the Earth wouldve been judged to have high fever or Ebola. But we cant quarantine the Earth. We need to find who are the climate criminals and quarantine them.

Its also important to note who isnt here at COP 20.

Yeb Sano was the lead climate negotiator for the Philippines last year. To the shock of many, he was pulled from the delegation this year and is home as his nation is devastated by Typhoon Hagupit. Sano tweeted: They can silence my mouth. But they cannot silence my soul.

Many climate activists from the Philippines think concerted pressure from the U.S. and European governments prompted Sanos removal as he was becoming a forceful proponent of climate justice for the Global South.

Atossa Soltani, founder of the nonprofit organization Amazon Watch, told me that, despite all the COPs deficiencies, shes glad this global gathering is here in Peru, where more than 60 percent of the country  an area the size of Texas  is rain forest.

Its the first COP ever in an Amazon country. And the Amazon is incredibly important in the climate debate.  Its the heart of the planet, pumping moisture and vapor, Soltani said. Thats why this COP is important  to put the Amazon on the map, to put indigenous rights central to the debate and to call for the end of the fossil-fuel era. Thats why were here.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
Brian Jett has always wanted to make films.

He enjoys telling stories and wants to give back.

Thats why Jett is screening his film Fallen Stars in Albuquerque on Jan. 11.

Were doing theatrical screenings across the country, he says. But were also teaming up with local animal groups. A portion of the proceeds will go to them.

Fallen Stars is a drama that chronicles the unexpected friendship that develops between a melancholy bartender, Cooper, who at 36 still isnt sure what he wants to do with his life; and a socially awkward overachiever, Daisy, in her early 20s.

The movie was filmed in Los Angeles, and its Jetts second time at writing and directing a production.

His first film, Let Go, was released in 2011 and had Ed Asner, David Denman, Gillian Jacobs and Kevin Hart as its co-stars.

This was my first time doing a production of my own, he says. There was a learning curve. It set forth the path to more movies that Ive written.

He says it took about a year to raise the financing for Fallen Stars.

And then the film has been through the film festival circuit, where it was received well.

With indie film work, you are doing everything yourself, he says. Its a labor of love. You dont learn anything about distribution or the business side in film school.

After working a couple years on Fallen Stars, Jett is ready to start a new cycle for his next film.

Im hoping to film the next one in New Mexico, he says. Everything is in the beginning stages right now.

Jett was born in the Duke City, where his parents were raised and graduated from the University of New Mexico.

When he was a child, his fathers job as a state ambassador took him to Washington, D.C., where he grew up mostly.

The majority of my relatives all live in New Mexico, he says. I came very close to going to UNM. I get back to New Mexico twice a year, and its a great place to be.

For the Albuquerque screening, Jett has teamed up with Babes & Bullies.

The organization advocates for and promotes awareness regarding the humane animal treatment of pit bulls and bully breeds through outreach, education, community relationships, rescue, and rehabilitation.

Contributions are used to publish educational information on the breeds, pay for veterinary needs of rescued bullies, and assist local no-kill rescue groups in their care of bullies prior to placement. One hundred percent of the organizations net proceeds are dedicated to helping bully breeds.

This is my way of giving back and spreading awareness, he says. The screenings in other cities have been very successful.

Jett will also conduct a Q&A session after the screening.

SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.
BELGRADE, Serbia  Serbia signed a deal on Thursday to buy nine light choppers from Airbus Helicopters amid tensions in the region triggered by Russias donation of jet fighters to the Balkan state.

Serbias Defense Ministry said the deal is for H145M twin-engine, multi-utility helicopters. The agreement includes spare parts and the training of pilots and maintenance crews for the aircraft, which will be used both by the military and police. Financial details were not disclosed.

Earlier this month, Russia announced it was donating six aging MiG-29 jet fighters to Serbia that need to be overhauled at a cost of over 180 million euros ($188 million).

Recent tensions between Serbia, a traditional Russian ally, and NATO-member Croatia have sparked a mini arms race between the two former Yugoslav nations, which were at war in the 1990s. Croatia said it is considering Western replacement for its old fighter fleet of MiG-21s.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said during his year-end press conference on Thursday that he is not interested by potential criticism from the West or Russia about the purchase of weapons from both sides.

I am proud that we finally have an air force that will keep our sky free, Vucic said. Serbia is now a much safer country than yesterday.

The Serbian arms deals came amid Russian efforts to prevent the Balkan states from aligning further with the West.

Many in Serbia are hostile toward NATO because of its bombing of the country in 1999 over a bloody government crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, something both Serbia and Russia reject.
Actress Surekha Sikri, who is presently seen on the show Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil, fainted while shooting for an upcoming episode.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Veteran actress Surekha Sikri, who is currently seen as Indermati Mehra in Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil, fainted on the set of the show while shooting for an upcoming sequence.

Also read: Drashti Dhami gets injured while shooting for Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil

The entire cast of the Star Plus show has been juggling with erratic working schedules since the past two to three weeks.

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Surekha, 71, said in a statement: "I did faint on set while shooting. It was due to weakness and I happened to skip lunch that day as I was engrossed in shooting. My doctor has advised me to eat at regular intervals and keep eating healthy food."

Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil features Drashti Dhami and Arjun Bijlani in the lead.

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MEDELLIN, Colombia  When Wilson Lopez lived in the jungle, he thought civilian life in the city meant meeting people, walking the streets, having a job. But the former Colombian guerrilla wasnt able to do any of these things.

Lopez went from a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia jungle camp to prison and then to the streets of Medellin after receiving a pardon in January. Since then, he hasnt been able to find a steady job or home, and couldnt go for stroll with his family in Medellin after he received death threats from a criminal group that said it didnt want rebels in its territory.

I am in the mouth of the tiger, said Lopez, who agreed to speak with The Associated Press inside a warehouse in the capital of Colombias mountainous Antioquia province. He wore a cap pulled low over his face and was accompanied by a friend.

Lopez was one of 30 rebel prisoners pardoned by the government of President Juan Manuel Santos as a confidence-building gesture to advance peace talks with the FARC, as Latin Americas last major leftist guerrilla army is known. Lopezs troubles integrating into civilian life highlight the difficulties that some 8,000 FARC guerrillas and 4,000 prisoners will face in rejoining society as part of the historic peace pact ratified by the countrys congress on Nov. 30.

Experts say reintegrating rebels may face an especially hostile welcome in areas with high levels of crime and drug trafficking, and in areas that were previously under FARC control.

Trust is difficult to build following a 52-year conflict characterized by brutality. Fighting between guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and the armed forces has, according to government figures, left a toll of more than 220,000 dead, some 40,000 disappeared and over 5 million driven from their homes.

The guerrillas recall how during 1980s peace talks that ultimately failed, the FARC established a party known as the Patriotic Union as its political arm. In just a few years, more than 3,000 leftist activists, rebel sympathizers and two presidential candidates were gunned down by paramilitaries, often working with state security forces.

There is a need for more action by the government and the creation of mechanisms to protect rebels who lay down their arms as part of the peace deal, said Todd Howland, the representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia. There is much to do in the field.

Just this month, another 110 inmates were pardoned and the FARC is demanding that all its prisoners be released if the group is to lay down its arms.

Both houses of Colombias congress on Wednesday approved legislation on amnesty for leftist rebels under the governments peace accord with the FARC. The measure covers most offenses committed by fighters but it does not absolve any guerrillas who committed war crimes or human rights violations during the conflict.

For Lopez, who had spent two decades in the FARC and was jailed in 2010, the problems for himself, his wife and two children began soon after he was released from prison.

He said he was intercepted in the street by three men who told him that guerrillas were not welcome in the area. Then he received three threatening letters signed by a gang called The Rastrojos.

One of the letters read: You and your family are declared military targets by our organization. For the health of you and your family, you have 12 hours to leave this house. The letter had been slipped under the door.

He asked authorities for help and he now lives under police guard in a rural area four hours from Medellin  the area that saw the birth of Colombias paramilitaries.

He recalled that when his protection team arrived, he was so afraid he hid and didnt emerge until he had received a telephone call confirming who they were. They told him they had been looking for him for three months and he responded that he moved constantly for his familys security.

I dont trust anyone and in you even less, Lopez said he told the agents.

Attacks on community leaders and human rights activists have jumped this year, especially since the initial peace accord was signed on Sept. 26. That pact was rejected by voters in a referendum and the sides hastily negotiated a second deal that was passed by congress a month ago. According to United Nations figures, 52 have been killed from January through November, and other organizations say the number has topped 70. Forty-one were killed in all of 2015.

Many of those killings have taken place in areas where the FARC has withdrawn to begin its disarmament.

Adam Isacson, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, said the large majority of the attacks have been on members of the community and human rights groups, but not on their leaders.

Something similar could happen with the FARC; its leaders will be well protected, but the lower-level guerrillas will be in greater danger, he said.

Throughout his life, Lopez has only known violence. He said that when he was a child, his family was killed by armed men who accused them of being guerrillas. He wasnt able to study and never learned how to read or write.

As a teenager, he tried to farm some land but he received threats telling him to leave or be killed. He said he joined the FARC to seek vengeance.

Lopez said he doesnt want more war, but he cant help thinking about what will happen if reintegrating FARC rebels are killed.

If they kill 20 or 30 of us, we are going to take up arms again, he warned. We are not going to let ourselves be killed.
President Barack Obamas administration announced sweeping new measures against Russia on Thursday in retaliation for what U.S. officials have characterized as interference in this falls presidential election, ordering the expulsion of Russian intelligence operatives and slapping new sanctions on state agencies and individuals suspected in the hacks of U.S. computer systems.

The response, unveiled just weeks before President Obama leaves office, culminates months of internal debate over how to react to Russias election-year provocations. In recent months, the FBI and CIA have concluded that Russia intervened repeatedly in the 2016 election, leaking damaging information in an attempt to undermine the electoral process and help Donald Trump take the White House.

Because Thursdays announcement is an executive action, it can be undone by the next administration. But Obamas last-minute measures put pressure on Trump, who has largely waved off the allegations against Russia, to make a decision about whether to keep the punitive measures in place.

In a statement issued by his transition office late Thursday, Trump was noncommittal, saying, Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.

Nevertheless, he said, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

Taken together, the sanctions and expulsions announced Thursday were the most far-reaching U.S. response to Russian activities since the end of the Cold War, and the most specific related to Russian hacking. The administration also released a listing of addresses of computers linked to the Russian cyberattacks and samples of malware inserted into U.S. systems.

Several lawmakers have called on the administration for months to respond, saying that tougher measures need to be taken to punish Russia. The White House resisted acting ahead of the election for fear of appearing partisan.

Obama, who had promised a tough U.S. response, said the new actions were a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests. He said Americans should be alarmed by an array of Russian moves, including interference in the election and harassment of U.S. diplomats overseas.

Such activities have consequences, the president said in a statement.

The new measures include sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies, three companies that are believed to have provided support for government cyber operations, and four Russian cyber officials. The two agencies named are the GRU, Russias military spy service, and the FSB, the civilian spy agency that grew out of the KGB.

The administration has also ordered 35 Russian operatives to leave the United States and will shut down Russian-owned facilities on Marylands Eastern Shore and on Long Island in New York believed to have been used for intelligence purposes.

State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said the diplomatic retaliation was partly a response to Russian provocations against American personnel in Russia, including arbitrary police stops, physical assault, and the broadcast on State TV of personal details about our personnel that put them at risk.

In June, a senior U.S. diplomat was attacked by a Russian soldier at the doorway to the U.S. embassy as he tried to enter. That incident, circulated on video, resulted in the earlier expulsion of two Russian diplomats from Washington. The State Department also said that personal details about U.S. diplomats were publicly released in Moscow, and that the Russian government had refused to approve security upgrades to the U.S. diplomatic facility in St. Petersburg.

Obama suggested Thursday that the United States may undertake covert activity in response to Russian activities. Officials gave no details. The Treasury Department also designated two Russian hackers, Evgeny Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, for criminal cyber activities involving U.S. firms and unrelated to the election hacks.

Moscow, which has denied involvement in attacks related to the election, vowed to respond in kind.

I cannot say now what the response will be, although, as we know, there is no alternative here to the principle of reciprocity, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov said in a statement late Thursday evening carried by the Interfax news service.

Peskov said the response would be authorized by President Vladimir Putin. In virtually all previous cases of Soviet or Russian diplomats declared persona non grata in this country, an equal number of U.S. officials have been expelled from Russia.

Trump has called on the Obama administration to present proof of Russian hacking. Speaking Thursday before the reprisal announcement, Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, said Trumps views on the hacking allegations could change if more solid evidence emerges that Russia was responsible.

If the United States has clear proof of anyone interfering with our elections, we should make that known, Spicer said, adding, Right now we need to see further facts.

Spicer also said that some on the political left were using the Russia allegations to downplay Trumps victory at the polls on Nov. 8.

U.S. officials say they have been refining for months their assessment of the attacks, in which they say a Russian military intelligence agency hacked the Democratic National Committee and stole emails that were later released by WikiLeaks. Emails hacked from the account of John Podesta, who chaired Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, also were made public. State electoral systems were also targeted, but administration officials said Thursday, as they have in the past, that they have no evidence the actual voting process was interfered with on Election Day.

While U.S. officials have not named Putin himself in the cyber meddling, Obama has suggested that approval came from the very top of the Russian government.

As part of the new measures, the administration has amended a 2015 executive order allowing the president to respond to foreign cyberattacks. That order was intended primarily for attacks against infrastructure or commercial targets, but officials adapted it to cover attempts to undermine the electoral process  not only in the United States but in other countries as well.

In a call with reporters, U.S. officials said they chose to announce the new measures before the end of Obamas term in an attempt to educate Americans about Russian activities and to deter future intrusions.

Theres every reason to believe Russia will interfere with future U.S. elections and future elections around the world, said one senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

The Russian actions have been sustained over an extended period of time, and by any definition are against the national interests of the United States, not the interests of President Obama. The harassment, the official said, has been escalating steadily for some time and is a direct threat to the ability of the United States to conduct diplomacy.

Both U.S. allies and American businesses were concerned about Russian activities, the official said, and if [Trump transition officials] arent, then they should explain why.

The Obama administration also released a document providing some details about the cyber operation U.S. officials have labeled Grizzly Steppe, including a list of names the hackers used.

These groups have conducted campaigns against think tanks, universities and corporations, as well as government agencies, according to the administration. In foreign countries, they have carried out damaging and disruptive cyberattacks, including on electrical utilities.

John Carlin, former head of the Justice Departments National Security Division, said the measures announced Thursday were significant. Its important to show that we can do attribution and are willing to impose a deterrent  not just for the Russians, but for the world, as were figuring out what the norms should be in cyberspace, he said. Its not a world of free passes.

Identifying the malware that was used, imposing sanctions and affecting the Russians ability to hack for intelligence purposes all raise the cost of conducting such activities, Carlin said.

The Obama administration has already imposed sanctions on Russia for its activities in Ukraine, but those measures do not appear to have deterred Russias actions there.

Congressional Republicans welcomed the crackdown but said it was overdue.

It is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said in a statement.

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the measures were inadequate and promised to fight for stronger sanctions.

Despite the Obama administrations efforts to deliver an 11th-hour blow against Russia, Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the international affairs committee of the State Duma, the lower house of Russias parliament, suggested the measures would not inflict lasting damage.

None of this will change the results of the election of the American president, and in January, the rightful owner of the White House will be Donald Trump, Slutsky said. I expect that with his arrival the dialogue between Russia and the United States will be conducted in a more healthy political atmosphere.

  

David Filipov and Andrew Roth in Moscow and John Wagner in Washington contributed to this report.

  

Video: These are the measures Obama is taking to punish Russia over election interference

The announcement culminates months of vigorous internal debate over whether and how to respond to Russias unprecedented election-year provocations, ranging from the hacks of the Democratic National Committee to the targeting of state electoral systems. (The Washington Post)

Short URL: http://wapo.st/2hA6ya5

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Sanctions against Russia

President Obama authorized the following actions Thursday in response to the Russian governments harrassment of U.S. officials and cyber operations aimed at influencing the U.S election in 2016.

 Approved an amendment to Executive Order 13964 allowing the president to sanction nine entities and individuals: two Russian intelligence services (the GRU and the FSB); four individual officers of the GRU; and three companies that provided material support to the GRUs cyber operations.

 The State Department declared 35 Russian government officials from the Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian Consulate in San Francisco persona non grata. for acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status. Those individuals and their families were given 72 hours to leave the United States.

 The State Department also provided notice that as of noon on Friday, Dec. 30, Russian access will be denied to two Russian government-owned compounds, one in Maryland and one in New York.

 The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation released a Joint Analysis Report (JAR) that includes declassified technical information on Russian civilian and military intelligence services malicious cyber activity.

 Sylvester Monroe
Sante Fe  homes are leaping from the ground at a furious pace as a new Capitol City multi-use development begins to take form. Already underway in the area, Presbyterian Hospital prepares a gleaming 305,000 square foot, ultra-modern complex to the tune of $135 million that is expected to open for business by 2018. Other sites such as McDonalds and Starbucks are already serving customers in the new Las Soleras Santa Fe complex.

And now Pulte Homes is setting the pace on the residential spectrum with two series of homes; Vistas de Las Soleras is aimed at move-up buyers with growing families and Sierra de Las Soleras is geared toward empty nesters looking to downsize after sending their kids into the world. Its big for Santa Fe, said Pulte New Mexico spokesperson Jolene Montoya.

One of a kind

Its a new type of development for the City Different, said Shawna Owens, sales consultant for Pultes Las Soleras neighborhood. Its the only community in Santa Fe that will combine residence, medical, commercial, retail and a park into one area, she said. Whereas most of the places in Santa Fe, youre bouncing around on those things. That strip is the only strip that encompasses pretty much everything that you will need to have for a small city. Thats what makes it all unique.

Las Soleras itself will be spread across some 550 acres, with Pulte utilizing 102 acres for 302 homes sites and a park. The first closings occurred this week and new homeowners are starting to move in, she said. We have been very successful and we will start closing homes by the end of the year, so we will have our first homeowners moving in by the end of December, Montoya said. As a matter of fact, sales have been even better than anticipated thus far, she said.

High demand

Were doing better than expected and a lot of that has to do with the demand, Montoya said. Theres just not this type of construction here. Theres really not another production builder in Santa Fe and there hasnt been since Centex was here and they closed out about two years ago. There are some builders, but not to this level. The original goal has been to build out the community in three years, but the way homes are moving after just opening sales in July and beginning home construction in August, the neighborhood just may be completed sooner.

I just dont think Santa Feans have seen this type of home in this price range, Montoya said in explaining Las Soleras success. Because weve been so successful and things are going faster than anticipated, our goal had been to be here for three years, but well see. Theres nothing like this in Santa Fe. Its not dated  the community feel, the homes, the design.

Pulte put in the work

Its no wonder the homes are already a hit because Pulte did significant research before any construction began. Because we are a high-end builder, Pulte has a 12-step process, Montoya said. Everything is consumer-inspired. Weve done focus groups to determine whats the best look, whats best for livability. So when you walk into Pultes homes, youll see that the livability is so much different. Big, open gathering rooms and indoor-outdoor living, which is great for Santa Fe; plus nice-sized master bedrooms and suites. The floor plans are extremely flexible so you can add bedrooms, dens and do guest suites.

The development specifically targets two areas of particular need in the city, she said. We have a total of 10 floor plans in two different series, Montoya said. One series is smaller lots, two-story and single story. And the other side, larger lots, one story and were really trying to target empty nesters because theres a huge, growing demographic of empty nesters, 55-plus in Santa Fe.

New kid on the playground

Pulte began the process two years ago, so things have moved fairly rapidly, particularly considering the sometimes-contentious nature new development can face in Santa Fe. We have had huge support from the mayor, Javier Gonzales, and from the councilors in our district, Montoya said. There were some challenges, some municipality things. But our people have been working well with the city and they have been very supportive of the project.

A bumps along the road to development is not unusual, Owens said. I think any time theres a new kid on the playground, it takes a little bit, she said. And at this point, were all starting to get along pretty well. Indeed, even some little tweaks on the traditional style have been accepted. Theyve embraced our homes, our spec levels thats different, Montoya said. Our pitched roofs, which they dont normally allow in the city and theyve done a great job of working with us. We appreciate the citys support. It all led to an easy decision to build, she said.

Its kind of no-brainer for us, Montoya said. There was a lack of supply here. We believe in our homes and I dont think there is anybody in New Mexico that can build a community and a master plan like we do. From the entry, the entry monument, the community feel. We just put so much thought and time in planning and engineering into that, we knew that Santa Fe would receive it well.

Homes in Vistas start at $239,990 for 1,776 square feet and go up to 3,413 square feet for $364,990, while the Sierra line starts at $328,990 for 2,017 square feet up to 2,504 square feet for $357,990.
Barbara Briley and her great-granddaughter, LaMyra, were laying on their backs near empty juice boxes and snack wrappers when Maj. William Knott approached them deep in a wooded area of southeastern Virginia on Wednesday evening.

LaMyra, 5, perked up from beneath a blanket and started crying. She said she and her great-grandmother had gotten lost while driving to visit family in North Carolina for Christmas.

Authorities had searched for at least three days for the two, who left Mays Landing, N.J., the morning of Christmas Eve.

Were here to help you, Knott, an officer with the Dinwiddie County Sheriffs Office, said he told LaMyra, who had on a jacket and pants, but no shoes or socks. In the shock of the moment, she asked whether she was going to jail, Knott said. He assured her she was in no trouble.

Knott then asked Briley, 71, who was wearing jeans, shoes, and a coat, whether she could hear him. Brileys eyes opened and closed, and she mumbled, but no full words came out, Knott said.

Emergency responders placed her on a stretcher and then in the backseat of Knotts Ford Police Interceptor. He drove her to a nearby field, where a helicopter was waiting to take her to VCU Medical Center in Richmond.

She was listed in serious condition Wednesday night. Hospital officials said the family requested Thursday that her condition be kept private.

Knott marveled at Briley and LaMyras luck as he recounted the discovery.

The Good Lord was looking down on them, he said.

A property owner in Dewitt, nearly 300 miles south of Philadelphia, called police after spotting Brileys 2014 Toyota RAV4 on his land just before 5 p.m. Wednesday. The vehicle was at least a mile from Nash Road, a narrow street that cuts through farmlands, and more than three miles from I-85.

Virginia state police initially reported that LaMyra and Briley were found sitting against a tree, but Knott said they were laying on their backs.

He said he parked his vehicle and walked at least 25 yards through the thick woods to reach Briley and LaMyra, whose relatives reported them missing early on Christmas after they never showed up to a family gathering in Morven, N.C.

Knott said the car battery appeared to have died.

Authorities estimate that Briley and LaMyra were stranded for several days, with temperatures ranging from the 30s and 40s at night to the 50s and 60s during the day.

Investigators were still trying to determine Thursday when the two became stuck in the woods. State police said Briley had turned her vehicle onto a dirt road and then pulled off into the woods, where she drove over a small tree and tried to back up but could not.

The last time anyone had seen Briley and LaMyra was around 6 p.m. Christmas Eve at an Exxon station in Ruther Glen, Va., where Briley told an attendant she had become lost because of construction on the highway and could not get the GPS on her phone to work.

Brileys family last heard from her about two hours later, when she told her son on the phone that she was in standstill traffic near the split of I-95 and I-85 just south of Richmond.

That was at least 20 miles from where they ended up, and more than 230 miles from their destination in North Carolina.

The disappearance of LaMyra and Briley, a former NJ Transit bus driver described as a devout Christian, caused authorities to search highways, hotels, rest stops, and parking lots in Virginia and North Carolina.

Brileys family members, who also scoured the highways, said she had driven from Mays Landing to North Carolina many times before.

The discovery Wednesday came just as hope appeared to be waning.

Foul play is not suspected, authorities said.

Knott said LaMyra was talkative and seemed healthy. She was taken to the sheriffs office and reunited with family.

She was in very good shape, he said.

On Facebook, the Briley family requested privacy but thanked the public and authorities for search efforts.

Thank you everyone who has assisted our family during this time, the family said. Our prayers have been answered.
President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday played down the ramifications of any Russian interference in the U.S. election, saying it is time for the country to move on to bigger and better things in a statement issued just hours after President Barack Obama announced sweeping sanctions against Moscow.

Trump, who has for weeks voiced skepticism about Russias role in the hacking of Democratic email accounts and other hostile actions, said he would seek to learn more about the situation next week.

Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation, the president-elect said in his statement.

Trumps posture put him at odds with Republican congressional leaders, who have condemned Russia for its actions, with some suggesting tougher measures than what Obama detailed Thursday afternoon. The presidents retaliation included the removal of 35 Russian government officials and sanctions against state agencies and individuals tied to the hacks.

The FBI and the CIA have concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in part to help Trump win the White House in his race against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

The hacks targeted the Democratic National Committee and the account of Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, among others.

Trump has suggested in recent weeks that the source of the hacks could be a range of other actors, including someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds or some guy in his home in New Jersey.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday night at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump sought to distance himself from Obamas expected punishment of Russia, saying, I think we ought to get on with our lives.

During a conference call with reporters Thursday morning, Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, said Trumps views could change if more solid evidence emerges that Russia was responsible.

If the United States has clear proof of anyone interfering with our elections, we should make that known, Spicer said, adding: Right now we need to see further facts.

But Spicer said there is also another aspect to the talk about Russia influencing the presidential election.

I think you have a lot of folks on the left who continue to undermine the legitimacy of his win and the nature of how big that win was, Spicer said. He called that behavior unfortunate.

Later Thursday, in an interview with CNN, Spicer suggested that the DNC was partly to blame for being hacked.

At some point, the question hasnt even been asked of the [Democratic National Committee]: Did you take basic measures to protect the data that was on there? said Spicer, who spoke shortly before the Obama administration announced its actions. Wheres the responsibility of them to protect their systems?
SANTA FE  A police statement made public Thursday indicates that Caleb Calandro  already arrested for shooting a man five times on Dec. 17 in Santa Fe  may also be the gunman responsible for a shooting death hours earlier near the downtown Plaza.

A police affidavit used to obtain a warrant to search Calandros Toyota Four Runner says crime lab results show that .40 caliber shell casings recovered from both shootings came from the same weapon.

Also, an anonymous caller told a Santa Fe police investigator that Calandro shot both Sam Dillon, seriously wounded from multiple gunshots the afternoon of Dec. 17 after cruising around Santa Fe in a van with Calandro and other men, and Rustin Radcliffe, 37, whose body had been found on the city parking lot at Water Street and Don Gaspar Avenue about 12:30 a.m. the same day.

At last report, Dillon was in critical condition shortly after he was shot. Radcliffe, a long time Santa Fe resident who had been released from prison in Florida in November, had been shot three times.

The police affidavit, made public at state District Court Thursday, recounts that an anonymous tipster said in a call to police the day after the two shootings that Calandro, 34  whose last known address was in Kansas City, Mo.  was now living in Albuquerque, always carried a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and had bragged about the shootings at a coffee shop in Albuquerque.

The caller said Caleb made the statement that he was out of ammunition and was looking for more because he needed to kill two more people and then kill himself, says the affidavit. The people Calandro needed to kill had (expletive) him over, according to the caller.

The tipster wouldnt give his name, saying Calandro was cray (crazy) and would kill him, but gave police the make of Calandros car, said it had Missouri plates and provided Calandros cell phone number. Santa Fe police were able to get the license plate number for the Four Runner after calling Kansas City police and used cell phone pings to locate Calandro in Albuquerque, where APD officers found and arrested him on Dec. 19. He had a loaded .40 caliber gun magazine in his pocket, the affidavit says. When the Four Runner was towed to Santa Fe and searched, officers found a .40 caliber handgun along with magazines, cartridges and a holster.

The affidavit provides new detail on the shooting of Radcliffe, who had a criminal record in Santa Fe before a 2014 burglary conviction put him in Florida state custody for two years up to his November release. A guest at the Hotel St. Francis across the street from where Radcliffes body was found said he heard five gunshots and then saw a Four Runner speeding away. Surveillance video from a nearby business also shows the SUV leaving.

In the shooting of Dillon later the same day, Calandro and two other men face charges, Calandro for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon and Miguel Austin and Aireyon Pero on tampering with evidence counts.

According to a previously released arrest warrant, Dillon was dropped off at the hospital by two men, later identified as Austin and Pero, around 4:40 p.m. Dec. 17 from a white 1996 Chevy van that was registered to Austin. APD officers later found Austin and Pero at Austins apartment on Shepard NE in Albuquerque. A Santa Fe Police Department detective wrote that the white van found at Austins apartment had a copious amount of blood in it.

Pero told Santa Fe detectives that he, Austin, Dillon and this guy Caleb were driving around and drinking beers in Santa Fe when Dillon and Calandro started arguing. Pero said he tried to calm the situation, but Calandro shot Dillon several times. Pero said he believes Calandro emptied the gun of bullets because he kept pulling the trigger. Calandro got out and ran when they stopped near Rosario Hill, said Pero.
SANTA FE  Shannon Quintana admits he didnt know he needed a catering license before he served food at a state Department of Health lunch earlier this month but says the department should be held partly responsible and known that he didnt have a license to serve the gathering where dozens of workers got food poisoning.

Quintana, the owner of Kick Ass Sandwich Shop at Grant and West Palace avenues in downtown Santa Fe, said Thursday he plans to file a lawsuit next week against the DOH alleging the department is liable. A DOH spokesman has said 71 employees reported food poisoning and gastrointestinal issues linked to the food from Quintanas restaurant.

Quintana said he told DOH officials that he had never catered before, but they asked him to serve the holiday lunch on Dec. 14 anyway. He also said they asked for the chicken and steak he served that day, even though he owns a sandwich shop. The food was prepared at his restaurant before he took it to the luncheon in the Runnels Building, he said.

Im already accountable for this, Quintana said. I want them to have some responsibility for it, too. I feel like I did everything I was contacted to do. Theyre the regulating force. I took it because it was an opportunity to step up for a bigger audience, and I was excited to do it. I had never done (catering) before, and when they contacted me they knew that. He also maintained that his food was not tainted in any way.

While the Department of Health investigates disease outbreaks, the New Mexico Environment Department regulates food safety and has cited Quintana for not having a catering license.

NMEDs notice of violation that says a District Court judge can halt the restaurants food service operation or Quintana could face a fine of up to a $500. He was not cited for serving contaminated food.

DOH spokesman Paul Rhien didnt respond to a request for comment Thursday, but he told the Journal in an email last week that the department was not aware that Quintana didnt have a catering license. If a restaurant doesnt have the appropriate permit, we would expect them to refuse our request to cater an event  just as anyone would expect, Rhien wrote.

Quintana said that his business  formerly known as Bad Ass Sandwich Shop  has taken a tremendous hit since the news broke that he had been cited and that hes been making only 15 percent of what he used to before the first news article about the lunch was published Dec. 22. This is an absolute business killer, he said. I was really devastated. I did exactly what I promised them to do. My reputation is pretty much shot.
Convictions in an unusual vehicular homicide case that resulted in a nine-year prison sentence for a man accused of driving drunk have been reversed by the New Mexico Court of Appeals, which remanded the case to District Court for a new trial.

The appeals court said District Judge Gerald E. Baca should have declared a mistrial in the case of Ramon A. Hernandez, who was convicted in 2013 for the death of a baby born after the mother was injured in a crash that prosecutors say Hernandez caused on Interstate 25 near Rowe, east of Santa Fe.

Hernandez was convicted of vehicular homicide, causing great bodily harm and reckless driving for the June 2012 automobile accident. Police said the baby lived only about a minute following delivery after the pregnant woman from the other car was transported to Christus St. Vincent Regional Hospital.

During the trial, and contrary to a pre-trial ruling by the judge, a New Mexico State Police officer testified that Hernandez had confessed to being behind the wheel when the wreck took place. Baca had declared the purported confession inadmissible hearsay evidence.

We hold that the improper testimony regarding the purported confession was extremely prejudicial and warranted a mistrial, Court of Appeals Judge Timothy L. Garcia wrote in an opinion from last month.

Even though Judge Baca issued a curative instruction to the jury about the officers testimony, the Court of Appeals determined the instruction was vague and referenced an objection that never occurred. The appeals court said that the officers testimony not only undermined Defendants overall credibility but provided erroneous corroboration for the States circumstantial evidence regarding who it claimed was driving at the time of the accident.

Its pretty devastating to us, to be honest, Aileen Smith of Colorado Springs, Colo., whose baby Dimitri was killed by the accident, said in a phone interview this week.

Going through the trial process once was gut wrenching. To have to go through it again four years after the crash is tremendously upsetting.

Its unclear whether the case will actually be retried. Las Vegas District Attorney Richard Flores, whose office prosecuted the case, is out of the office this week and unavailable to take questions, a staff member told the Journal Thursday. Other prosecutors involved in the case are not authorized to speak to the media, she said.

Hernandezs attorney said he expects to file a motion asking the court to dismiss the case on double jeopardy grounds.

High profile case

Gov. Susana Martinez had used the case of the Smith baby to highlight the need to toughen the states DWI laws. Hernandez had at least three prior DWI convictions.

Two versions of Dimitris Law that aimed to stiffen DWI laws, especially for repeat offenders, died in the House and Senate judiciary committees during the legislative session in 2013. The Smiths helped lobby for stiffer DWI punishments.

While Smith said she understands that people make mistakes, she said it was also disappointing Hernandez was never subjected to a field sobriety test.

Thats because State Police didnt initially think he was the driver, based on statements made at the scene by Hernandez and a witness to the accident. Consequently, Hernandez, who was 43 at the time of the accident, was not asked to submit to standard field sobriety tests. The jury acquitted him on a DWI charge.

Its very disappointing that it came down the way it did, with the police officers testimony, Smith said. I understand that everyone there was so focused on me, getting me out of the vehicle, into an ambulance and to the hospital. But the police officers should have picked up the protocol.

The loss of a child is bad enough, but Smith said she and her husband have suffered in other ways.

Our personal lives havent reset back to where they were, she said. Its been expensive for us. Zach and I were almost homeless.

And while the couple has had two children since losing their first, both of them have had trouble, Aileen said. Doctors told them that due to the injuries she suffered in the accident she might have trouble giving birth. Their next child, was delivered by C-section six weeks early. Their next child was an Asymmetrical Intrauterine Growth Restriction baby that went full term but weighed just 3 pounds, 12 ounces at birth.

Hernandezs attorney, Ben Andrew Mondragon, said he has mixed emotions about the prospect of having to retry the case.

Were excited about the Court of Appeals decision to overturn it, he said in a phone interview Thursday. However, our happiness is tempered by the death of the child.

Mondragon added that perhaps the hardest things he had to do in his career was to cross examine Aileen Smith, but Im there to represent my client.

Hernandez, who has been in jail since 2012, is currently being held at the Roswell Correctional Center.

Hes an immigrant from Honduras who has been in the United States since at least 2000 when he was charged with his first DWI. He received a New Mexico drivers license in 2002, and Motor Vehicle Division and court records show he had been issued a social security number. But after his arrest he was placed on a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer hold and remains on an immigration hold today.

Mom was seven months pregnant

On June 10, 2012, Aileen and Zach Smith were driving from Colorado Springs to San Diego for a baby shower for their unborn son. Aileen was seven months pregnant.

Traveling south on I-25 in their Suzuki Grand Vitara, Zach, who was driving, pulled over into the left lane when he saw Pontiac merge onto the freeway near Rowe. But, according to eyewitness accounts, the Pontiac crossed all the way over into the left lane and struck the Suzuki, causing both drivers to lose control.

The Smiths Suzuki stayed upright and ended up in the median, with heavy damage to the front right side of the vehicle.

While Zach was mostly unhurt, Aileen suffered contusions to her abdomen and a broken sternum. At the Santa Fe hospital, doctors decided to perform an emergency C-section in an effort to save the unborn child. The baby lived a few moments before succumbing to what the coroner determined were massive head injuries and bleeding on the brain.

After the crash, the purple Pontiac ended up on its right side. A witness to the accident said he saw two men climb out of the drivers side of the car. The first one out didnt stick around. He walked away from the crash and couldnt be located when police arrived.

Later identified as Domingo Gonzales, the man in the vehicle with Hernandez died before the trial. No statements from him were introduced as evidence.

Hernandez insisted that he wasnt the driver. And the fact that another man exited the vehicle first from the drivers side seemed to support his account, so State Police did not perform DWI tests at the scene  even though Hernandez admitted to drinking four to five beers prior to the accident, police smelled alcohol on him and there were 10 unopened cans of beer found in the vehicle, according to the statement of probable cause signed by State Police officer Mario Vasquez.

But that same report says that when interviewed the day after the accident, Hernandez advised Agent Gomez and me that he was in sole possession of the vehicle at the time of the accident  After a verbal admission of guilt of driving the vehicle I placed Ramon A. Hernandez under arrest.

That account was later refuted by Agent Gomez (no first name is provided for this officer in the appeals court opinion), and Judge Baca granted a defense motion before the trial began to have that part of the record discounted as hearsay. Also, as Vasquez was about to testify, the judge instructed the prosecution to confer with Vasquez about steering clear of mentioning anything about an alleged confession when he was on the witness stand.

(Officer Vasquez) likes to spit out a lot of information at a time, so be real careful with the questions and be real specific with him, the judge told the prosecution, according to the Court of Appeals opinion.

But moments later, a prosecutor asked Vasquez an open ended question to which Vasquez answered that Hernandez confessed to being behind the wheel.

Judge Baca halted the proceedings immediately after Vasquezs remark and had the jurors excused from the courtroom so the attorneys could discuss what had happened.

Mondragon, Hernandezs attorney, said the utterance was undoable and cause for a mistrial.

But Baca orally ruled there was no manifest necessity for a mistrial, saying its unfair to everyone to have to spend the time and effort to come and deal with emotional issues here and (for) the court (to) have to declare a mistrial and have to do it over again.

So instead he issued the curative instruction to the jury when they were called back into the courtroom.

Judge Baca told the jury that he had sustained a defense objection when, actually, there hadnt been an objection. Rather, Mondragon had made a motion for a mistrial outside the presence of the jury.

Although the district court may have deliberately made the curative instruction vague to avoid further emphasis of Officer Vasquezs improper reference to the purported confession, referencing an objection that never occurred and failing to address the fact that no confession ever occurred was also error, the Court of Appeals opinion states.

The opinion says some fault can be attributed to the prosecutor for failing to follow the judges instruction to be careful in questioning Vasquez. Its unclear from the appeals courts written decision which attorney was questioning Vasquez on the stand.
Longtime journalist Kay Lockridge says she always recognizes a good story when she hears it.

So when she heard the history of how a secular group plunged into the fray when some parishioners favored knocking down the old Santuario de Guadalupe to expand the parking lot for their new church, she grabbed on to the tale.

The result is a slim volume, The Guadalupe Historic Foundation: How a Secular, Non-profit Organization Saved Santa Fes Most Religious Site, published in November by the local Sunstone Press.

While the story is a good one, the old photographs included in the book are just as good  maybe even better.

The oldest image, taken in the 19th century, shows a mule-drawn cart in front of the adobe building, with none of the bustle and construction that has hemmed it in since that time.

Photos in the early 1900s show a pitched roof and New England-style steeple on the church behind a picket fence, remodeling done in 1881 renovations under Father De Fouri.

And in a 1941 shot, you can see the narrow-gauge Chile Line train puffing its way past the church and over the Santa Fe River.

After all its iterations, the church settled into a California Mission style, according to Lockridge. And almost 200 years after its initial construction in 1781 as the Santuario de Guadalupe, it was well into disrepair, with nesting sites for birds and rodents, along with vagrants who periodically broke into the building and spent the night there.

Knock it down and expand the parking, Lockridge said many parishioners suggested. Their new Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was built nearby in 1961 and thats where their religious rituals now were centered. Given the cost of maintaining the structure, the archdiocese didnt offer any better ideas.

But Santa Fe Catholics with a history in the church  perhaps they were married or baptized there  and historic preservationists wanted to see it saved. The parish priest, the Rev. Leo Lucero, and historian Gabrielle Palmer took the lead in establishing the Guadalupe Historic Foundation, according to the book.

It was set up as non-religious in order to attract government funding, Lockridge noted. The archdiocese even turned the deed of the property over to the foundation.

Over the next 20 years, from 1975 to 1995, they redid that place, Lockridge said during an interview.

The foundation also held art exhibitions and performance events in the space  many Santa Feans might remember concerts by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale that took advantage of the structures fine acoustics. (Water began to leak down the bell tower and into a box of programs during one of the concerts, according to the book.)

A succession of small miracles and generous angels popped up throughout the process, though, saving the beautiful structure that still sits on Guadalupe Street near the Railyard District.

But we havent seen any exhibitions or heard any concerts there in quite a while. The deed was returned to the archdiocese in 1991, yet the foundation continued to manage the building until it disbanded in 2006, and things have been pretty quiet there since  except for the installation of a Mexican statue of Our Lady in front of the church.

Controversy did break out over activities at the site in 1997, when the parishs Rev. Bill Sanchez led vocal protests against the arts activities and a wedding reception in the santuario, arguing that it was a sacred space that should be used for perpetual adoration, the book states.

But in 1998, Archbishop Michael Sheehan instructed the priest to transfer to another parish, apparently in support of the foundations continued activities at the santuario.

Lockridge said most of the book is told from the point of view of Edward Gonzo Gonzales, a former city councilor and a foundation board member. He was the one who initially exposed her to the foundations story, she said.

He also essentially wrote the first four chapters, which she heavily edited, Lockridge said. I feel it is a story more than worth telling  I admire, respect and like him (Gonzales) so very much.

Without the work by him and many others, all of them volunteers except for one paid director, the church that is such a landmark in todays Santa Fe might not still be standing, she noted.
Even before President Obama uncapped his pen Dec. 28 to sign a proclamation creating the Bears Ears National Monument, Utahs political figures, from the Statehouse to the U.S. Congress, had gone off on a caterwauling binge.

At a state Capitol rally led by Republican Gov. Gary Herbert and Republican Sen. Mike Lee a few days before Christmas, a chorus of wailing warned against a midnight monument and executive overreach. Their criticism was to be expected, and now that the president has acted, what will likely follow is a serious assault on our public lands and the Antiquities Act itself, which authorizes presidents to protect federal lands as national monuments.

The Utah anti-monument crowd had continually mischaracterized the process that led to Obamas decision, refusing to recognize that the campaign for the Bears Ears designation was initiated and carried across the finish line by a coalition of Southwestern Native American tribes.

The tribes ancestral ties to the region, and their sorrow over the repeated desecration of its archaeology and sacred sites, give them unquestioned legitimacy and moral authority. The monument drive encompassed a long and open public dialogue that revealed a broad consensus that the lands in question needed conserving. The presidents signature came only after federal legislation failed to accomplish that conservation objective.

But no matter how a consensus grew supporting a monument designation, many Utah politicians argued that the presidents action to protect 1.35 million acres as a monument was an abuse of executive power. They also called it a land grab that trampled on the rights of San Juan County locals to use those federal lands  which belong to all Americans  however they saw fit.

That song has been sung in Utah for generations, even as big swaths of federal land  originally protected as monuments  evolved into national parks that have become cash cows in the states thriving recreation economy.

The same politicians who fulminate about the mother of all land grabs, go on national park tours to celebrate the more than $1 billion that Utahs five national parks hoover into the economy each year. And they make sure the parks are celebrated on license plates, in tourist-wooing television ads, and a campaign trumpeting the Mighty 5 national parks  Arches, Canyonlands, Zion, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon.

Somehow, these critics never get around to mentioning that four of those five parks started life as national monuments, created by abusive presidential authority.

Now that conservative Republicans  many of them hostile to protected public lands  have a hammerlock on Washington as powerful as the one theyve long had on Utahs capital, that song has a new verse. And it promises a concerted attack on the bedrock American ideal that federal lands should be managed in the public interest.

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Rob Bishop, whose campaign account is regularly blessed by the fossil fuel, mining and timber industries, has been warbling that tune in the ears of President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team. Bishop says he wants not only to neuter the Antiquities Act but also to undo existing national monuments, including Grand Staircase-Escalante. He would like to hand over these public lands to the states and private developers.

Bishop had a chance to broker a sensible truce in Utahs long wilderness wars. More than three years ago, he kicked off what at first appeared to be serious talks with county governments, conservation groups and other stakeholders. But his long-awaited Public Lands Initiative turned out to be little more than a despoilers bill of rights that caved in to the demands of county commissioners. In Utah, these are likely to be the same folks whose idea of stewardship is bulldozing illegal roads across public lands. The bill went nowhere in the waning days of the last Congress.

When Congress resumes, Bishop and his allies will almost certainly be back, not just with another version of what really should be called the Plundered Lands Initiative, but likely with something far worse. Even though they are running counter to the long arc of public-lands conservation in the West, for now they have the political wind at their backs.

For all the residents and all the visitors from around the world who cherish the red-rock landscapes of Utah, the next few years will be a time to remember, and to act on, another verse from a very different song. Its the one by Woody Guthrie that declares: This land was made for you and me.

Tom Kenworthy is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News (hcn.org). He is chairman of the board of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and lives in Golden, Colo.
Was Tomas Velez Cachupin a compassionate protector of Native American lives and interests, or was he a harsh ruler who readily resorted to violence and slayings to preserve the Spanish peoples upper hand in a nascent New Mexico?

It may be up to a group of teens in trouble with the law to decide.

That may not be as inappropriate as some might think. After all, a mural that has ignited controversy, being painted by artist Glen Strock on the wall of the Santa Fe County Human Resources Building at Solano Center on West Alameda, showed a 16-year-old Comanche boy on the ground with the Spaniard on horseback above him, sword pointed downward.

The Indian youth was among alleged raiders of his tribe who were being hunted down by Velez Cachupins soldiers.

So, yeah, a 16-year-old in trouble with the law  Strock said he thought it was a good story to tell in the mural. It was commissioned by the countys Teen Court program, whose participants have helped paint other murals around town instead of facing punitive sanctions. I wanted to do something besides turquoise coyotes, he said.

But after an explosion of criticism and defense, in print and on social media, erupted over that particular focus of the image, sword and supplicant, Strock whited it out.

The issue currently is in limbo, with program director Jennifer Romero saying it was decided from a public meeting in December that Teen Court participants should make the final decision on the image, and theyre awaiting proposed alternative designs from Strock.

The plan is to also have a core of adults review the teens choice or choices, and to then hold another public meeting to get input from the community  probably by the end of January, she said.

She sounded a little shell-shocked when talking to the Journal before the holidays about the controversy. The Teen Court mural project, which began in 2009, has completed some 11 images with little murmur of dissent from the public, she said.

So she wasnt quite ready for the firestorm over this one.

Weve heard a whole spectrum of feedback, Romero said, from this is history, something that is our culture, all the way to this is inappropriate, not a good image for the community.'

We value input, she added. Typically, all the murals get a lot of positive feedback. This one has had quite a bit of negative feedback.

One woman who stopped by the mural while the Journal was visiting defended the mural, saying it speaks to local history. Its not pretty, Joan Morales said, but its what our history is Its life. You need to tell the whole story. You cant cut out pieces, because you dont learn.

Consideration of revising the design, which was approved by the ones who commissioned it, is censorship, Strocks wife, Alida Strock, said. Its a perfect image for Teen Court, she added.

Subjugation or amnesty?

Glen Strock said he could understand why a casual observer might object to the image of the sword wielded from horseback toward an Indian boy on the ground. On the surface, it does carry a message of subjugation and violence. And, indeed, that is exactly what critics have seen in it.

But the story he was trying to tell, one Strock illustrated in a book by Malcolm Ebright, tells of amnesty that Velez Cachupin, a colonial governor of New Mexico, was offering to Comanches who were surrounded in a marsh after a reported raid on the pueblo in Pecos. Its a beautiful story, Strock said.

He said Velez Cachupin stopped the bloody battle after the remaining raiders were cornered, and offered them amnesty if they would put down their weapons and surrender any slaves they kidnapped in the raid.

While most distrusted the offer, the badly injured boy eventually was the first to come forward, holding a cross woven from weeds and seeking mercy. Velez Cachupin received the boy with respect and love and embraced him, Strock said. When they (other Comanches) saw the kindness with which he was received, they respectively came out.

Then again, when some eight remaining Comanches tried to break through the line of soldiers, three of them, including the chief, were killed, he added.

So it wasnt all sweetness and light.

An article on the colonial governor written by Suzanne Stamatov on the website of the New Mexico Office of the State Historian relates that after initially ordering his soldiers to set fire to the reeds where the first group of Comanches were hidden and shoot anyone who moved, Cachupin told them to stop when he heard women and children crying out. Thats when he offered to spare the lives of anyone who surrendered  but also threatened to kill anyone who didnt, according to this telling. Of the 145 Comanches believed to be raiders, 49 were taken prisoner and the rest were dead.

Yet this version also portrayed Velez Cachupin overall, in the tenor of the times, to be a pragmatic governor who found ways to seek peaceful relations with all area residents and thus create conditions for economic improvement.

The courage and compassion he displayed at the Battle of San Diego Pond (the story referenced in the mural) earned him a reputation among the Comanches, Utes and Apaches that proved beneficial in maintaining peaceful ties, Stamatovs article states.

It also illustrates the complexities in New Mexico of the 1700s. It wasnt black-and-white, Europeans versus Indians. The more settled Pueblo Indians and mestizos often sought Spanish protection from the attacks and raids by the more mobile tribes, sometimes fighting together against Comanches and others. Velez Cachupin built earthworks and towers and stationed some troops at pueblos in Pecos and Galisteo to help defend the Indians there from raiders, according to a National Parks Service online history.

Deep divisions brought into open

Ultimately, the controversy reflects deep divisions and resentments that simmer not far beneath the surface in Santa Fe: Anglos versus Hispanics versus Native Americans, newcomers versus residents with generational roots, rich versus working class, liberals versus conservatives.

There is a lot of pain in our community, Strock said, with a mixture of regret at the vitriol directed against him and hope that bringing discussions out into the open will help heal some of the divisions. This is what the community needs, he said of open discussion. If we do not learn history, well be forced to repeat it.

Morales, who said she is a fifth generation Santa Fean, with her nieces and nephews and their children constituting the sixth and seventh, reflected the resentment against newcomers to the community trying to dictate its practices.

Of the people objecting to the murals image, she said, Where are they from? Are they local? If you dont like it, dont look at it. If you dont like the history of New Mexico, maybe you shouldnt be here.

Alida Strock suggested that some outspoken critics had a vendetta against her husband for some work he did in the Legislature; Glen Strock said he didnt want to get into that subject, but she likely was referring to his outspoken opposition to bills supporting same-sex marriage. Strock is pastor of the Pecos Valley Cowboy Church.

But he also is a talented muralist, and Romero said she invited him to paint the project on the Alameda Street wall after she saw the mural he painted in La Familia Medical Center just across the river on Alto Street. Its amazing. Its very cultural. Thats where I heard of Glen, she said.

Ultimately, Strock said, he would like to incorporate a window of the county building into an image of a ruin, with a riot of colorful flowers growing up and around it, leading toward a break in the clouds that showed peoples of all heritages coming together in harmony.
Leak or Hack? During the recent U.S. presidential campaign a serious geo-political game was played to help ensure the defeat of one candidate. The precise character of that game is not yet clear.

The CIA, Obama administration and a growing chorus of others argue the WikiLeaks release of emails from the Democratic Party and Clinton campaign resulted from Russian hacking. Sadly, interfering in national elections is not new for our country  but, not in the way most people think.

This issue is heating up in the current post-election environment. President Obama wants a report before he leaves office on January 20th. Congress is planning hearings.

The truth may or may not come out.

Interfering in other peoples elections is an egregious act. People are incensed that another country would interfere in and influence the outcome our most important election.

The reality is that undoubtedly many people in the CIA are laughing at how this interference influenced the election.

I say that because our CIA has a long history of directly interfering in the internal affairs and elections of other countries using fake news, bribery, honeypots, assassinations, and a long litany of other dirty tricks.

CIA interference has shaped the modern global political scene and devastated the lives of millions of people around the world.

Since World War II, the U.S. government has interfered in the internal affairs of more than 60 countries to destroy unfriendly governments including the overthrow of democratically elected leaders and to impose friendly governments  usually military and authoritarian dictatorships. Below is a partial list of countries where the CIA has interfered specifically in their elections, according to William Blums 2014 book, Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions since World War II:

Australia (1975), Brazil (1962-64), British Guiana (1953), Bulgaria (1990), Chile (1964-73), Dominican Republic (1962), Ecuador (1960-63), Guatemala (1954 and 1963), Haiti (1991), Indonesia (1955-1965), Italy (1948), Jamaica (1975), Laos (1958-1960), Lebanon (1952), Panama (1984,1989), Philippines (1961), and Ukraine (2014).

The election of Donald Trump  with external meddling  may prove as detrimental to the American people as CIA interference has proven in these other countries.

Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, a group of retired government intelligence specialists, argue this intrusion was not a hack but rather a leak from within Democratic Party organizations. The groups article found on the Consortiumnews website suggests the National Security Agency would have clear evidence if a hack had occurred. And that evidence has not been presented.

Hacked or leaked. The integrity of the 2016 presidential campaign was damaged by the one-sided release of documents. The why is somewhat evident; the who remains to be determined.

Since the CIA has also long interfered in U.S. internal affairs, I suggest looking first at that organization.
Incoming 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez faced no political opposition after the June primary, which he won with the help of $107,000 in PAC support from liberal Democratic billionaire George Soros. Given a walkover in the general election by an anemic Republican Party, Torrez didnt have to face much in the way of questions or take a stand on issues. And now he has assembled a team of seven prosecutors from around the state to review the case against two Albuquerque police officers charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a homeless, paranoid schizophrenic camper  meaning Torrez will have plenty of cover for a decision some will undoubtedly characterize as political. Thats regardless of which way he decides.

If this is any indication of how his office will operate, it looks to be a long four years.

Torrez announced last week his independent review team from seven judicial districts will examine the case against Keith Sandy and Dominique Perez and give him recommendations on whether to refile charges against Perez and whether to retry both former officers. In October, after a 15-day trial headed up by a special prosecutor, a jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of acquitting them. Soon after, the prosecution dismissed the charge against Perez.

Torrez has promised that the evaluation of this case will be guided by the law and the facts and nothing else. Yet it turns out he believes he needs seven other prosecutors  prosecutors who have equally crushing caseloads  to tell him what the law and the facts are in a case that has already been adjudicated.

Sandy retired after being charged; his attorney argues there is no logical way to prosecute only one of the two officers who fired at Boyd.

Perez was fired after being charged; when he took the stand in his trial, the special prosecutor actually thanked him for his military service (two tours in Iraq and a Purple Heart) and said, I cant tell you how sorry I am that you were the one sent up into the mess that other officers created.

That system, how the Albuquerque Police Department handled potentially violent situations involving mentally ill individuals, is what has been, and should continue to be, on trial. To that end, the city paid $5 million to settle a civil case brought by Boyds estate. Meanwhile, the department and city are overhauling APDs use-of-force policies under a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Retrying the officers, who were left unemployed and bankrupt by the prosecution, promises to be costly financially and emotionally to the officers and the community. It does not promise to be successful in terms of a conviction, given the leanings of the deadlocked jury in October.

Torrez has said trials are not the appropriate vehicles for airing philosophical or political disagreements about the fundamental nature of our institutions. Expecting seven over-tasked DAs to provide him political cover isnt appropriate for a DA, either.

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.
A Democratic state senator says New Mexico needs to take a fresh look at the way it measures student achievement  a key component of teacher evaluations, as well as school and district grades.

Sen. Michael Padilla of Albuquerque has introduced a joint memorial asking the Public Education Department and Legislative Education Study Committee to convene a working group to develop an alternative assessment model that goes beyond standardized test scores.

Currently, the PED mandates several exams statewide, including the controversial Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, which tracks progress in math and English.

In most cases, PED weighs improvement on standardized tests like PARCC as half of a teachers evaluation, with measures like student surveys and attendance making up the other half. Test scores also affect school and district letter grades, which PED calculates each year.

Padilla argues that those calculations should consider other measures of student success.

I think just filling in a bubble on a test, there is so much more to that young persons life, he said. They may be skilled in art; they may be a musician.

Standardized tests cant capture diverse abilities, Padilla said, so school grades are presenting only part of the picture.

Statewide, nearly as many schools earned Fs as As  13 percent versus 14 percent  in the latest round of grading. The most common grade was a C.

The school grades consider a variety of factors besides test scores, including attendance, graduation rates and parent surveys.

If you take a look at the current assessment model that Gov. (Susana) Martinez and Secretary (Hanna) Skandera have implemented, it is essentially devastating entire communities, Padilla said. When you think about the elementary school in our neighborhood, that is the anchor in our communities. When you label an entire school an F, as an example, every student goes to school every morning, wakes up every morning, puts their clothes on and does homework at night and says, My goodness, I go to an F school. 

Members of the proposed working group  community leaders, teachers, school administrators, researchers and higher-education representatives  would meet through fall 2017 to come up with a new approach. For instance, students could receive a cumulative score that combines traditional exam results with other measures, such as final presentations or portfolios.

Those cumulative scores would be weighed in teacher evaluations, as well as school and district grades, to assess the full body of student work, rather than just one or two tests, Padilla said.

You have bipartisan across-the-state and across-the-aisle support for an alternative system, he said. This is actually going to be a solution that is derived from the community rather than just forced on the community.

In an emailed statement, PED spokesman Robert McEntyre said PARCC is one of the best assessments in the country and it is delivering results for thousands of kids.

New Mexico PARCC results went up in 2016, the second year the state administered the exam: 57 out of 89 districts improved in English; 77 improved in math.

According to PED, roughly 12,000 more students are on grade level in reading or math compared with last year.

Still, on the latest round of PARCC testing, only 19.9 percent of students met or exceeded expectations in math and 27.7 percent in English.

Tony Monfiletto, New Mexico Center for School Leadership director and a supporter of the joint memorial, said standardized test results are valuable but limited.

The centers four charter schools  ACE Leadership High, Tech Leadership High, Health Leadership High and Siembra Leadership High  already look beyond scores, requiring a capstone project that demonstrates students ability to solve a real-world problem in their chosen field.

The Leadership high schools, which attract kids who struggle in traditional classrooms, have not fared well in PEDs grading system, earning Ds and an F.

Their school reports show that few students are on grade level and test scores did not improve markedly. But the Leadership network got high marks for student attendance, as well as parent and student surveys that rate the schools as good places to learn.

Monfiletto said his curriculum stresses applied learning  skills such as teamwork and ingenuity that are valuable to employers but difficult to measure on a bubble sheet.

There has been a ton of work done around the country in rethinking what assessment would look like to match the future economy and the future needs of states and communities, Monfiletto said. Standardized tests are part of that, but not the full picture.

He argued that the PED should take advantage of a recent federal law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, that gives states more freedom to craft their own education policies. ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind in December 2015 with strong bipartisan support.

Under ESSA, seven states will receive funding to pilot assessment systems that use multiple measures of student academic achievement from multiple sources.

ESSA is very ambitious about moving control and innovation back to the states and hoping states come forward with new ideas around assessment, Monfiletto said. We want to be part of that conversation.
The 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office announced Thursday that the officer who shot and killed Alfred Redwine in 2014 will face no charges.

It was the second 2-year-old police shooting case that has been cleared in two days by District Attorney Kari Brandenburg, who is in her final days in office.

Phil Sisneros, a spokesman for the office, said this will be the last police shooting case that prosecutors will complete with Brandenburg in office.

Albuquerque police officer James Eichel shot and killed Redwine after a confrontation outside the mans apartment near 60th and Central on March 25, 2014.

Police had been called there by a 14-year-old girl and her mother who said a man had threatened them with a gun. By the time officers arrived, Redwine had retreated into his apartment with two young children, according to the shooting review.

More officers were called to the scene and took positions around the home. Eventually, two young children ran from the apartment and Redwine followed. He held a small-caliber revolver to his temple and had a cellphone, according to the review.

He walked toward officers and got within 10 to 15 feet of them and started talking about losing custody of his son. A test later showed that Redwines blood alcohol level was 0.269 percent, more than three times the presumed level of intoxication of 0.08 percent, according to his autopsy report.

Video of the shooting made by a person with a cellphone camera appears to show that Redwine pointed the gun at the ground and fired twice.

Thats when Eichel shot Redwine three times with an AR-15 rifle. Eichel said he was worried that either he, officer Fred Duran, who was next to Eichel holding a less lethal weapon, or others could be shot.

I dont know if we were going to be hit, if I was going to look and see officer Duran hit or downed, but I thought he was going to shoot and kill us, Eichel said, according to a transcript of his interview with police investigators that was previously obtained by the Journal .

The review by prosecutors found that there was no evidence Eichel committed any sort of crime that day.

He shot towards Alfred Redwine to save himself and other people present from death or serious bodily injury, the review says.There is no reason to doubt that the fear expressed by the officer was genuine.

Redwines family filed a lawsuit over the shooting. But Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Armijo dismissed the case, saying video of the shooting clearly shows that Redwine had a gun and fired it before being shot.
It was an abbreviated course and really just a fun, free day on the racetrack.

But the owner of Sandia Speedway said he hopes the people who drove his track on Thursday learned that when you start hauling ass, that comes with responsibility.

Charlie Fegan, the owner of the racetrack, and Bernalillo County Commissioner Art De La Cruz presented the first Holiday Break Performance Driving School at Sandia Speedway on Thursday.

Any driver could show up throughout the day, where Fegan was giving a quick 20- to 30-minute driving instruction course before letting them take laps on the 14-turn, 1.7-mile asphalt racing track.

The event was put together in the wake of the death of 10-year-old Carmen Esmeralda Rivera. A suspected street racer traveling over 100 mph on Interstate 25 collided with her familys vehicle. She died after being ejected her from the vehicle.

Before turning the drivers loose, Fegan talked to them about how far cars travel at high speeds. A car going 60 mph will go 88 feet per second, he said. So imagine how far someone could travel if they look down and fire off a text on the interstate.

You dont really get to do this on the streets, and I got to play with my Mini, said Rebecca Gonzales, 24, who took her Mini Cooper around the track about 20 times. It was like the Italian Job (movie).

She said she learned a few things about the capabilities and limits of her car.

It was scary. Some turns are really sharp. Its exhilarating but its definitely terrifying, she said. I dont race. Im an everyday driver. But I got (speeding) out of my system.

David Goodman, 28, took his Nissan Skyline GT-R around the track several times, reaching speeds above 150 kilometers per hour. He bought his car in Japan, so he doesnt know what that means in mph (93.2 mph is the answer).

Its going to build skills, he said of the event. People are more likely to have a wreck if they dont know their car.

The event targeted younger drivers, but all were welcome. Over the lunch hour, there were about 20 people there.

Fegan said hell consider offering similar events in the future, with the hope that people who might otherwise be racing each other on Albuquerques streets become regular customers.

Itd be nice if they picked up the habit and they came out here, he said. Id love it if on Friday night I could run the lights out here till 1 a.m. and the kids were out here playing on the track instead of on the street. But its hard to make that happen.
WICHITA, Kan.  A Mexican man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. another nine times since 2003, records obtained by The Associated Press show.

Three U.S. Republican senators  including Kansas Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts  demanded this month that the Department of Homeland Security provide immigration records for 38-year-old Tomas Martinez-Maldonado, who is charged with a felony in the alleged Sept. 27 attack aboard a bus in Geary County. He is being held in the Geary County jail in Junction City, which is about 120 miles west of Kansas City.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, from Iowa and chairman of the judiciary committee, co-signed a Dec. 9 letter with Moran and Roberts to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, calling it an extremely disturbing case and questioning how Martinez-Maldonado was able to re-enter and remain in the country.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it has placed a detainer  a request to turn Martinez-Maldonado over to ICE custody before he is released  with Geary County. ICE declined to discuss his specific case beyond its October statement regarding the 10 deportations.

Court filings show Martinez-Maldonado has two misdemeanor convictions for entering without legal permission in cases prosecuted in 2013 and 2015 in U.S. District Court of Arizona, where he was sentenced to serve 60 days and 165 days respectively.

A status hearing in the rape case is scheduled for Jan. 10. Defense attorney Lisa Hamer declined to comment on the charge, but said, criminal law and immigration definitely intersect and nowadays it should be the responsibility of every criminal defense attorney to know the possible ramifications in the immigration courts.

Nationwide, 52 percent of all federal prosecutions in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 were for entry or re-entry without legal permission and similar immigration violations, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

Its not unusual to see immigrants with multiple entries without legal permission, said David Trevino, a Topeka immigration attorney who has provided legal advice to Martinez-Maldonados family. Most of Martinez-Maldonados family lives in Mexico, but he also has family in the United States, and the family is devastated, Trevino said.

(President-elect Donald Trump) can build a wall 100 feet high and 50 feet deep, but it is not going to keep family members separated. So if someone is deported and they have family members here  they will find a way back  whether it is through the air, under a wall, through the coast of the United States, Trevino said.

He declined to comment on Martinez-Maldonados criminal history and pending charge.

Records obtained by AP show Martinez-Maldonado had eight voluntary removals before his first deportation in 2010, which was followed by another voluntary removal that same year. He was deported five more times between 2011 and 2013.

In 2013, Martinez-Maldonado was charged with entering without legal permission, a misdemeanor, and subsequently deported in early 2014 after serving his sentence. He was deported again a few months later, as well as twice in 2015  including the last one in October 2015 after he had served his second sentence, the records show.

ICE said in an emailed statement that when it encounters a person whos been deported multiple times or has a significant criminal history and was removed, it routinely presents those cases to the U.S. attorneys office for possible criminal charges.

Cosme Lopez, spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Arizona, declined comment on why prosecutors twice dismissed felony re-entry after deportation charges against Martinez-Maldonado in 2013 and 2015 in exchange for guilty pleas on misdemeanor entry charges.

Arizona ranks third in the nation  behind only the Southern District of Texas and the Western District of Texas  for the number of immigration prosecutions among the nations 94 federal judicial districts for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse records show.

Moran told the AP in an email that the immigration system is broken.

There must be serious legislative efforts to address U.S. immigration policy, and we must have the ability to identify, prosecute and deport illegal aliens who display violent tendencies before they have an opportunity to perpetrate these crimes in the United States, he said.

___

This version of the story corrects Trevinos relationship to Martinez-Maldonado.
BEIRUT  A Russian-Turkish plan to end the war in Syria got off to a shaky start on Friday with the partial implementation of a new cease-fire agreement that excludes for now any involvement of the United States.

There are hopes that this peace attempt will work where countless U.S.-backed efforts have failed, in part because the United States is not involved. Russia, which is now the single most influential power in Syria, is taking the lead in the initiative, and President Vladimir Putin has staked his prestige on a successful outcome.

Turkey, which is the other main partner in the process, has far more leverage over the rebels than the United States ever did, above all because it controls the border they depend on for supplies of weaponry.

But continued fighting in the Damascus area marred the first day of the truce, serving as a reminder that the government of President Bashar al-Assad has always been a reluctant party to cease-fire efforts that threaten to interfere with government advances.

Loyalist forces intensified an assault launched last week against Wadi Barada, a rebel-held pocket of territory in the countryside west of Damascus, dropping barrel bombs and firing artillery into the remote, mountainous area, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

There was also continued fighting around the besieged neighborhoods of eastern Damascus, where government forces have been making progress in recent weeks.

Its not in Assads interests for there to be a cease-fire, because Assad is moving slowly and steadily to secure his control over the Damascus countryside, said Nicholas Heras of the Center for a New American Security.

The truce is more likely to work, Heras said, in the northern areas of Syria, where the recent victory by loyalist forces over the rebels in Aleppo has tilted the balance of power in favor of the Russian-backed government and given Turkey an incentive to sign onto a deal that preserves its influence along its southern border.

There, and in other parts of the country where the fighting ebbed, Syrians took advantage of the lull to stage anti-government demonstrations. Such protests were held every Friday in the early days of the uprising against Assads rule but were abandoned after the government started targeting the protests with airstrikes.

The cease-fire is just one step in a wider initiative sponsored by Russia and Turkey that aims to bring the factions together for peace talks next month in the city of Astana, capital of the central Asian nation of Kazakhstan.

The broad outlines of the peace proposal differ little from similar efforts launched last year by the United States, which envisaged that a cease-fire would be followed by peace talks in Geneva.

As was the case with the U.S.-backed efforts, details of the Russian plan remain vague. It is still unclear what kind of settlement Moscow is hoping will emerge from the process, who will attend the talks and, most significantly, whether rebels who wield power on the ground will be invited.

Rebel groups are assuming they will be included, and most have decided for now to throw their support behind the process, said Yasser al-Youssef of the rebel group Noureddine al-Zinki, one of the groups that did not sign the cease-fire agreement but has nonetheless decided to support it.

Nobody trusts the Russians at all. But no one has explicitly said they will not comply with the cease-fire, Youssef said. There is a lot of upset regarding the failure of the West in brokering a cease-fire, so the entire Arab world is looking to this process and hoping for the best.

Altogether, 13 rebel groups signed the cease-fire agreement, but many more are lending their support, he said.

The truce excludes the extremist Islamic State, which controls territory in the east of the country, and the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, which is present in almost all of the rebel-held areas that are covered by the cease-fire.

Irans role will also be crucial in determining the success of the cease-fire. Russia has included Iran as one of the three main sponsors of the peace process, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif posted a tweet Friday expressing his support for the cease-fire, calling it a major achievement.

Lets build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror, he added.

But Iran, which wields influence through the many Iranian-backed militias fighting on the ground on Assads behalf, especially around Damascus, has not featured as prominently in the negotiations as Russia and Turkey.

The most powerful of the Iranian backed groups, Lebanons Hezbollah militia, issued a statement Friday saying that regardless of any future agreements reached, it will not withdraw from Syria. Hezbollahs withdrawal is a key demand of the rebel groups.

The process therefore seems likely to be beset by many of the same problems that scuttled U.S. efforts to secure a settlement, Heras said. They include the deep divisions within rebel groups, the limits of the influence of the international powers over their allies, the lack of a clearly articulated endgame and the ubiquitous presence of the al-Qaeda affiliate among the more-moderate rebels who are party to the deal.

You dont have the conditions for an enduring cease-fire, Heras said.
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday expressed his appreciation to Vladimir Putin after the Russian president said he would not expel American diplomats in response to new U.S. sanctions over hacking as a gesture to the incoming administration.

Great move on delay (by V. Putin), Trump tweeted Friday afternoon. I always knew he was very smart!

The tweet is Trumps latest nod to Putin, whom he has praised as a strong leader  inspiring considerable backlash from U.S. politicians from both parties who call the Russian president an authoritarian leader who poses a danger to U.S. interests.

President Barack Obamas administration on Thursday announced it will expel 35 Russian intelligence operatives and shutter facilities in Maryland and New York believed to be used for the Kremlins intelligence-gathering purposes, as a way to punish Moscow. U.S. intelligence agencies have alleged that Russian state-backed hackers leaked information about then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to sway the election in Trumps favor. Russia denies the charge.

Putins decision not to reciprocate is a sharp departure from the tit-for-tat policies Moscow pursued against the United States in response to Ukraine-related sanctions in 2014.

Putin announced Friday that he wont create problems for American diplomats in retaliation while he waits for the new administration to take office, adding that he would plan further steps for restoring the Russian-American relationship based in the policies enacted by the administration of President Donald Trump.

In the meantime, he extended an invitation to the children of American diplomats in Russia to a holiday party in the Kremlin.

Trump remained relatively quiet about the substance of the sanctions announced Thursday, even as Republican lawmakers said they were a necessary, overdue action that should be expanded in the future. The president-elect said only that it was time for our country to move on to bigger and better things and promised that he would meet with intelligence leaders next week to get more details.

Those comments were not enough for some members of Congress. Traveling in Eastern Europe, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said, I agree with the president-elect that we need to get on [with] our lives  without having elections being affected by any outside influence, especially Vladimir Putin, who is a thug and a murderer, according to Reuters.

McCain chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, which on Friday scheduled a Jan. 5 hearing to investigate foreign cyber threats. Outgoing Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr., Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Marcell Lettre and Adm. Michael Rogers, the head of U.S. Cyber Command, are expected to testify.

The hearing will likely be the first of several promised for the coming weeks and months to look into allegations of Russian hacking and other nefarious activities, a subject upon which Republican members of Congress and the president-elect do not regularly see eye to eye.

In the past, Trump has dismissed the intelligence communitys findings that Russia was behind hacks of the Democratic National Committee and Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta, among other election-related breaches. Trump argued that the culprit could just as easily be China or some guy in his home in New Jersey.

On Friday, Trumps incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, rushed to clarify that Trumps comments were not an indication that the new administration would not take hacking allegations seriously.

We agree that foreign governments shouldnt be hacking American institutions, period, Priebus told Fox News. So its not like we condone the hacking of institutions and entities and businesses in America  of course not.

Late Friday, Trump again took to his Twitter account to critique how the media has been covering the issue, tweeting: Russians are playing @CNN and @NBCNews for such fools  funny to watch, they dont have a clue! @FoxNews totally gets it!
CENTREVILLE, Md.  The Russian dacha on the Eastern Shore now sits empty. The Americans are here. Theyve taken over. Two U.S. officials dressed in jeans  who, when approached by Washington Post reporters, said they worked at the State Department  stood sentry outside the 45-acre property that for decades has been owned by the Russian government. On Friday morning, all that could be seen from the propertys exterior was black smoke curling upward past the trees and into the clear sky.

A fireplace roaring on a blustery December day? Or a sign of last-minute document destruction?

The U.S. officials guarding the site would not answer any questions.

On Thursday afternoon, the Obama administration declared that in retaliation for harassment of American diplomats and for Russian-sponsored interference in Novembers presidential election, the State Department was shuttering the Russian-owned compound in Maryland and one in New York. The properties Russian affiliation was hardly a state secret  journalists have been invited onto the Maryland property, which was purportedly used as a vacation spot for diplomats. But Thursdays announcement confirmed long-held suspicions by neighbors, who always wondered what was going on behind the gates.

In New York, no one answered when a Post reporter rang the doorbell at the Russian facility, housed in the historic mansion known as Killenworth and located in Glen Cove on Long Island. Media trucks sat across the street, and cars slowed to gawk at the building, whose ornate iron gates were draped with Christmas lights. Though Killenworth acts as Russias home for Moscows delegation to the United Nations, some passers-by told The Post they had no clue the Russians were affiliated with the mansion.

Bill and Gwen Tyson walked by the Russian compound minutes before it was scheduled to close at noon Friday. I have been telling her for years that it was owned by Russia, Bill, 66, said. Yeah, I didnt believe him. I am never going to live this down, she said.

Bill said his father, who grew up in the area, was a history buff and World War II veteran and had been fascinated by the Kellinworth mansion. He always told us stories about Russia. He wasnt concerned or anything. We didnt think anything was going on bad in there. It was just interesting to think about.

I told you, Bill could be heard saying as the couple laughed and walked away.

Down along the Eastern Shore, just a few miles away from the Maryland compound, news of the facilitys closure has amused residents in the small town of Centreville, the county seat of Queen Annes County, about 90 minutes from Washington. They remember running into the propertys Russian employees decades ago at the old Corsica Club or Acme grocery store, their affiliation with the foreign embassy obvious from their vehicles diplomatic tags in the parking lot.

At the Commerce Street Creamery in downtown Centreville, talk of Russian spies mingled with more pressing news about the new county courthouse and the water and sewer upgrades along Kidwell Avenue and Happy Lady Lane.

When I moved here, we always thought it was weird that the roads to the compound had video cameras on it, and the building next to the facility  who owned that, the State Department?  was bristling with antennas, said Mike Whitehill, 67, an engineering consultant. We knew something had to be going on because the A-10 Warthogs from Dover Air Base would divebomb the property and would fly really low. Did you all hear that rumor about the underwater buoys monitoring the propertys boats?

Yeah, a friend had said the same thing, said Kip Matthews, 54, Centrevilles public works director. Wed spend weekends at each others house when we were in middle school, and if we went out on a boat and got too close to the shore of the compound, there were people whod come out and just look at us.

Over the years, some journalists have toured the sprawling estate, which sits along the Pioneer Point peninsula at the intersection of the Corsica and Chester rivers. The propertys crown jewel is a three-story Georgian-style mansion. In 2007, Washington Life magazine published a glowing piece about the compound, replete with photos of the ambassador Yuri Ushakov, his wife, Svetlana Ushakova, and their grandson Misha.

The couple can also be found browsing the antique shops in nearby Centreville, Chestertown and Easton, looking for the porcelains that Ushakova collects or the old books treasured by Ushakov, who also collects red wine, the magazine noted.

According to Washington Life, the land was originally part of a 700-acre land grant from Britain in the 1600s. In 1702, Richard Tilghman bought the land, which remained in his family until 1925, when John J. Raskob, a DuPont and General Motors executive, bought it. The property changed hands a number of other times. Then, in 1972, the Soviet Union purchased the property and obtained more acreage in exchange for real estate acquisitions by the United States in Moscow.

Parties were held at the estate, and, sometimes, they included local residents.

Remember, they had their ambassadorial party a few years ago? Whitehill asked Steven Walls, the Centreville town manager, at the Commerce Street Creamery.

Yeah, they invited people from the town. It was some kind of celebration, Walls said, struggling to remember the details.

Whitehill, the engineering contractor, reminisced about the time the State Department paid him to fix the compounds sea wall several years ago.

There was fairly strict security, he said. Youd come in, and people would come out of their cottages and keep an eye on you.

His favorite memory was the time he happened to meet some of the compounds employees in the late 1970s or early 1980s at a local bar.

We got kinda drunked up one night, and I liked this guys shirt. It was a Russian navy shirt. Blue and white striped thing, Whitehill said. I said, Man, Id really like to have one of those. Well, the guy goes back into the bathroom and comes back and hands me his shirt. I felt so embarrassed.

Whitehill still has that shirt at his house in Centreville. He also has the business card of the man who had given it to him: Yevginy N. Chaplin. Title: first secretary, Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Online, the private Facebook group Residents of Centreville, MD was lighting up. In between peoples posts about a recently shot Queen Annes sheriffs deputy and someones offer to take peoples old Christmas trees, locals wound up deep in spy talk.

Question, one man wrote. We all know that diplomats dont pay state sales tax on [their] purchases, but are they also exempt from property taxes? Our county and town businesses will lose money from the closing of Pioneer Point.

They dont pay anything, one woman said. Friend of mine years ago got hit by them. They paid nothing to fix her car she had to do it . . . Diplomatic Immunity.

One man had an idea about what would happen to the property once the new administration takes over.

I bet Trump Jr. could turn it into a nice resort, he wrote.

  

Merle reported from Glen Cove, N.Y.
A month after President-elect Donald Trump announced a deal with air conditioning company Carrier to save hundreds of U.S. factory jobs that were slated for Mexico, officials say the agreement has yet to be finalized, and they have released few details about its terms.

The state of Indiana, where the affected jobs are located, agreed to give Carrier up to $7 million in tax credits over 10 years to keep the facility open. Trump and Mike Pence  Indianas Republican governor and the vice president-elect  have touted the deal as a victory for their incoming administration and an example of how theyll jump-start the economy.

However, specifics have been elusive. Trump and the leader of the union that represents the Carrier workers have clashed over the number of jobs saved. It is also unclear whether the company received any federal concessions.

In response to an open-records request from The Washington Post seeking any written communications about the agreement, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, a state agency chaired by Pence, said Indiana law allows it to withhold information until a contract is settled.

The agency has taken this route to enable effective negotiations on behalf of Hoosiers, wrote Chris Cotterill, the agencys general counsel, saying it will take up to three months to finalize the terms of the pact.

Jonathan Bruno, a legal scholar at Harvard University, said the law does not stop the state from providing such records prior to a final deal, but it does give the option.

Its hard to defend the continued secrecy of the deal, Bruno wrote in an email. Pence et al. are trying to have it both ways  theyre suggesting that the deal is ready for public consumption by taking credit for one aspect (some indeterminate number of jobs saved), while simultaneously asserting its confidentiality by withholding every other aspect of the terms.

Some have speculated that Carrier halted its outsourcing plans to protect $5.6 billion in federal contracts held by its parent company, United Technologies. Carrier stayed vague in a Nov. 30 statement: The incoming Trump-Pence administration has emphasized to us its commitment to support the business community and create an improved, more competitive U.S. business climate. The incentives offered by the state were an important consideration.

Trump and Pences direct involvement, unusual for federal officials, elevates the need for transparency, said Alex Howard, deputy director of the Sunlight Foundation, an open-government advocacy group.

If there is negotiation going on between the elected representative of the peoples interest and corporations, then that activity should be disclosed, Howard said.
Al Islam The Official Website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Muslims who believe in the Messiah,

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani(as) Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (as), Love for All, Hatred for None.
The Health Minister has praised the HSE's on-going three-day recruitment fair, which has seen 19 nursing jobs offered.

This number contrasts with the 1,000 nursing positions the HSE is attempting to fill, but Minister Harris said the recruitment fair was ony one initiative planned this year to reach that target.
A nationwide ceasefire between Syrian government forces and opposition rebels has come into effect.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the ceasefire, which excludes extremist groups such as Islamic State and an al Qaida affiliate, will be guaranteed by Moscow and Turkey.

It will be followed by peace talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the opposition, due to be held in Kazakhstan.

The ceasefire will include all parts of Syria, including the eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus.

Syria's military said it agreed to the nationwide truce, paving the way for reactivating negotiations to end the conflict.

It added that the ceasefire comes after the "successes achieved by the armed forces", an apparent reference to the capture of rebel-held neighbourhoods of Aleppo earlier this month.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said the truce will include 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria, and that the Russian military has established a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to monitor compliance.

Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said US President-elect Donald Trump's administration will be welcome to join the Syrian peace process once he takes office.

Moscow is a key ally of Mr Assad, while Turkey is one of the main backers of the opposition.

Several previous attempts to halt the civil war have failed, but the recent warming of ties between Turkey and Russia may prove to be crucial.

The move comes on the heels of the Syrian army retaking control of Aleppo, Syria's largest city, ending the opposition's four-year hold over parts of the city.

Mr Putin said he had ordered the Russian military to scale down its presence in Syria, where it has provided crucial support to Mr Assad's forces.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D, has provided 20m as an advance payment of Irelands 2017 contribution to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). This is in addition to Irelands 2016 contribution of 20 million which was paid in July.



WFP is a United Nations organisation responsible for the delivery of food assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world partnering with other United Nations agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector to enable people, communities and countries to meet their own food needs.

It is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide and is funded exclusively from voluntary contributions. In addition to DAFMs core funding of WFP, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also provides funding to WFP for crisis programmes in specific countries and regions.



Ireland has a strategic partnership agreement with the WFP for the years 2016 to 2018.



Minister Creed said, "This advance brings total Overseas Development Aid spending by my Department to 43 million this year. In addition to payment of Irelands annual subscription to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), my Department will also support specific worthwhile projects including - FAOs emergency support for vulnerable farm households in the Syria region, projects building agricultural value chains and reducing food loss and waste in Africa and a number of initiatives on climate change and sustainable agriculture."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Modified On Jan 02, 2017 12:39 PM By Raunak

We take a look at the most-searched sedans on CarDekho in 2016 from our gargantuan traffic data.

Apart from the recently developed inclination towards crossovers/SUVs among the Indian buyers, their penchant for the three-box cars dates back to the heydays of the classic Hindustan Ambassador. And post the introduction of benefits on the sub-4m vehicles, a new segment  compact sedan  was born. With its value-for-money quotient, the compact sedan segment became so popular that today, the most-selling sedan in India belongs to the same segment. Heres a list of the top five most searched sedans of 2016 on CarDekho (CD).

5. Honda Amaze

12.9 lakh pageviews

Honda Amaze, being a sub-4m sedan, was possibly Honda's first made-for-India vehicle. It also happens to be the first diesel vehicle offered by the Japanese automaker in the country. Honda introduced the mid-cycle update of the Amaze earlier in March, which came with the much required additional features along with a new CVT automatic transmission. In 2016, with all these updates, the Amaze stands at the fifth position with 12.9 lakh model page views on CarDekho so far.

Recommended Read: New Honda Amaze: First Drive

4. Hyundai Verna

13.4 lakh pageviews

It was the current model that made the Verna nameplate popular in the country. It also dethroned the ever-popular Honda City with its refined and powerful diesel engine (it was during that time when diesel vehicles were extremely popular and Honda City didn't offer one). Hyundai introduced the mid-cycle update of the Verna, dubbed as the Verna 4S, last year and later also added a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment unit from the Creta. Come 2017, the all-new Hyundai Verna is coming with a vengeance to take on the Ciaz and the City. Thus far, the Hyundai Verna 4S has nearly 13.4 lakh clicks on its model page on CarDekho, securing the fourth position.

3. Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

15.2 lakh pageviews

With the longest wheelbase, it is the most spacious car in its segment. Also, with Suzuki's mild-hybrid tech (SHVS), the Ciaz became the most fuel-efficient diesel vehicle in the country with a certified mileage of 28.09kmpl. Maruti Suzuki developed the Ciaz with the tried and tested recipe  frugal engines, spacious cabin, understated looks and tonnes of features  which proved successful. Next year, Maruti will promote the Ciaz from its regular dealerships to premium Nexa ones with the Ciaz's upcoming facelift. The Ciaz has secured the third spot with approximate page views of 15.2 lakh on its CarDekho model page.

Recommended Read: Maruti Suzuki Ciaz SHVS RS: Expert Review

2. Honda City

18.7 lakh pageviews

Ever since its inception, the Honda City had been the de facto choice in the mid-sized sedan segment. That said, it is the current fourth-generation model, which has been facing the maximum number of aggressively priced rivals. The fourth-gen also happens to be the first model to feature a diesel engine option. In a couple of months from now, Honda will introduce the mid-cycle update of the City, making it more flamboyant and it will perhaps fulfil most of the hitches in the current model. Affirming its popularity, the Honda City is the most viewed mid-size sedan on CarDekho with a whopping 18.7 lakh model page views till now in 2016.

1. Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire

23.6 lakh pageviews

The Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire is not only the most viewed sedan on CarDekho, but also the most selling sedan in the country. This Swift-based compact sedan has garnered 23.6 lakh views on its model page, securing the pole position in the sedan category. A lot of factors work in its favour, such as the tried and tested mechanicals, frugal motors, features packed to the brim, an automatic option with both diesel and petrol engines, and others.
Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. It facilitates the processing of payment transactions, including authorization, clearing, and settlement, as well as delivers other payment-related products and services. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; prepaid programs and management services; commercial credit and debit payment products and solutions; and payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts. It also provides value-added products and services comprising cyber and intelligence solutions for parties to transact, as well as proprietary insights, drawing on principled use of consumer, and merchant data services. In addition, the company offers analytics, test and learn, consulting, managed services, loyalty, processing, and payment gateway solutions for e-commerce merchants. Further, it provides open banking and digital identity platforms services. The company offers payment solutions and services under the MasterCard, Maestro, and Cirrus. Mastercard Incorporated was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.
Summit Midstream Partners, LP focuses on owning, developing, and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets primarily shale formations in the continental United States. The company provides natural gas gathering, compression, treating, and processing services, as well as crude oil and produced water gathering services. Its unconventional resource basins include the Utica and Point Pleasant shale formations in southeastern Ohio; the Williston Basin that consists of the Bakken and Three Forks shale formations in northwestern North Dakota; the Denver-Julesburg Basin, which include the Niobrara and Codell shale formations in Colorado; the Permian Basin that comprise the Bone Spring and Wolfcamp shale formations in New Mexico; the Piceance Basin, which include the Mesaverde formation, and the Mancos and Niobrara shale formations in western Colorado; the Barnett Shale formation in north-central Texas; and the Marcellus Shale formation in northern West Virginia. The company also owns an ownership interest in Ohio Gathering, which owns and operates natural gas gathering and condensate stabilization facility in the Utica Shale in southeastern Ohio. It serves natural gas and crude oil producers. Summit Midstream GP, LLC operates as a general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The big and victorious movements of our history have done more than communicate. They have mobilized the most fundamental source of power of ordinary people: the power to refuse to cooperate with the institutionalized routines upon which social life depends. If factory workers walk out, the factory comes to a halt; but if nannies stay home, so do the parents whose children they mind; if urbanites block highways, traffic stops; if debtors refuse, lenders are at riskand so is a financial system anchored to massive debt.

Weve seen the disruptive potential of masses of defiant people before. It produced the big reforms of American history, from electoral representative government to the end of chattel slavery, to curbs on monopoly, to legal protection of unions, to legislated civil rights for African Americans. But sadly, there are no permanent victories in political life. This is why we have to rise again.

Excerpted from The Age of Inequality: Corporate America's War on Working PeopleA 40-Year Investigation by In These Times (forthcoming from Verso Books in 2017)
A former president/CEO will be sentenced in April for embezzling $741,362 from the $4.6 million Corry Area Schools Federal Credit Union in Corry, Pa.

Karen Schenck, 50, of Bear Lake, Pa., pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement in U.S. District Court in Erie on Dec. 21.

According to federal prosecutors, Schenck stole the funds in a variety of ways from January 2008 to August 2015.

She made $268,402 in unauthorized or fictitious loans in the names of her family members. She used those funds for her own benefit or to conceal out of balance conditions in various general ledger accounts.
KrebsOnSecurity reports that InterContinental Hotels Group, a parent company for hotels including Holiday Inn, is investigating a possible card breach at several U.S. locations.

Krebs said it began getting tips about a possible breach last week, from sources who noticed a pattern of fraud in consumer credit and debit cards used at IHG properties, including Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express locations. IHG, after being contacted by Krebs, said it had hired an outside security firm to investigate.

IHG operates more than 5,000 hotels in almost 100 countries, and its brands also include InterContinental, Kimpton Hotels and Crowne Plaza.

Hotels have become a popular target for card breaches. In September, a Tennessee-based hotel admitted its point-of-sale systems had been compromised for more than three years by malware. Other affected hotels in recent years include Hilton, Trump Hotels, Starwood Hotels and Hyatt.
A new study shows cognitive decline may be influenced by the interaction of genetics and ... worms?

Phoenix, AZ -- You've likely heard about being in the right place at the wrong time, but what about having the right genes in the wrong environment? In other words, could a genetic mutation (or allele) that puts populations at risk for illnesses in one environmental setting manifest itself in positive ways in a different setting?

That's the question behind a recent paper published in The FASEB Journal by several researchers including lead author Ben Trumble, an assistant professor at Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change and ASU's Center for Evolution and Medicine.

These researchers examined how the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene might function differently in an infectious environment than in the urban industrialized settings where ApoE has mostly been examined. All ApoE proteins help mediate cholesterol metabolism, and assist in the crucial activity of transporting fatty acids to the brain. But in industrialized societies, ApoE4 variant carriers also face up to a four-fold higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other age-related cognitive declines, as well as a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

The goal of this study, Trumble explains, was to reexamine the potentially detrimental effects of the globally-present ApoE4 allele in environmental conditions more typical of those experienced throughout our species' existence -- in this case, a community of Amazonian forager-horticulturalists called the Tsimane.

"For 99% of human evolution, we lived as hunter gatherers in small bands and the last 5,000-10,000 years -- with plant and animal domestication and sedentary urban industrial life -- is completely novel," Trumble says. "I can drive to a fast-food restaurant to 'hunt and gather' 20,000 calories in a few minutes or go to the hospital if I'm sick, but this was not the case throughout most of human evolution."

Due to the tropical environment and a lack of sanitation, running water, or electricity, remote populations like the Tsimane face high exposure to parasites and pathogens, which cause their own damage to cognitive abilities when untreated.

As a result, one might expect Tsimane ApoE4 carriers who also have a high parasite burden to experience faster and more severe mental decline in the presence of both these genetic and environmental risk factors.

But when the Tsimane Health and Life History Project tested these individuals using a seven-part cognitive assessment and a medical exam, they discovered the exact opposite.

In fact, Tsimane who both carried ApoE4 and had a high parasitic burden displayed steadier or even improved cognitive function in the assessment versus non-carriers with a similar level of parasitic exposure. The researchers controlled for other potential confounders like age and schooling, but the effect still remained strong. This indicated that the allele potentially played a role in maintaining cognitive function even when exposed to environmental-based health threats.

For Tsimane ApoE4 carriers without high parasite burdens, the rates of cognitive decline were more similar to those seen in industrialized societies, where ApoE4 reduces cognitive performance.

"It seems that some of the very genetic mutations that help us succeed in more hazardous time periods and environments may actually become mismatched in our relatively safe and sterile post-industrial lifestyles," Trumble explains.

Still, the ApoE4 variant appears to be much more than an evolutionary leftover gone bad, he adds. For example, several studies have shown potential benefits of ApoE4 in early childhood development, and ApoE4 has also been shown to eliminate some infections like giardia and hepatitis.

"Alleles with harmful effects may remain in a population if such harm occurs late in life, and more so if those same alleles have other positive effects," adds co-author Michael Gurven, professor of anthropology at University of California, Santa Barbara. "Exploring the effects of genes associated with chronic disease, such as ApoE4, in a broader range of environments under more infectious conditions is likely to provide much-needed insight into why such 'bad genes' persist."

The abstract and full research paper "Apolipoprotein E4 is associated with improved cognitive function in Amazonian forager-horticulturalists with a high parasite burden" can be viewed here in The FASEB Journal.

###

Researchers and Affiliations:

Benjamin C. Trumble

School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ

Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ

Jonathan Stieglitz

Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse, France

Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Aaron D. Blackwell

Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Hooman Allayee

Department of Preventive Medicine and Institute for Genetic Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Bret Beheim

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany

Caleb E. Finch

Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Dornsife College, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Michael Gurven

Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Hillard Kaplan

Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM
A treatment billed as a potential breakthrough in the fight against disease, including cancer, could back-fire and make the disease fitter and more damaging, new research has found

A treatment billed as a potential breakthrough in the fight against disease, including cancer, could back-fire and make the disease fitter and more damaging, new research has found.

Ground-breaking research has found that introducing 'friendlier' less-potent strains into a population of disease-causing microbes can lead to increased disease severity.

The surprise findings by a team of scientists at the University of Exeter has led to calls for urgent research into the implications of using 'fire to fight fire' to combat disease. The research shows that far from being a 'silver bullet' to weaken disease, the practice of introducing pacifist microbes into a host could make the aggressive pathogen stronger, which could hamper disease management.

Until now, introducing friendlier cousins, which do not cause severe disease, into a population of pathogens has been shown to reduce disease severity and damage to the infected host. It has been suggested that this approach could be an effective way of treating cancer, and research so far has proved effective and promising. For example, scientists have already produced encouraging results in the fight against Clostridium difficile infections that are so common in our hospitals.

But the University of Exeter scientists tested this strategy using a plant pathogen, and found the therapy could go dramatically wrong, with devastating consequences for the host plant.

A team lead by Professors Ivana Gudelj, a mathematical biologist and Nick Talbot, a plant disease specialist, investigated the devastating rice blast disease. They introduced a mixed population of the fungus that causes this disease into rice, where the mixture included an aggressive strain and a pacifist mutant. They expected that the overall disease severity would decrease because of the presence of the pacifist strain. However, they found the opposite. The rice plants succumbed to much more severe disease.

The Exeter University research, published in eLife, shows that the therapy can in some circumstances have the opposite effect, and that the way the pathogen will behave can be unpredictable, leading to more severe disease. The research highlights the need for these new strategies to be carefully tested before they are used therapeutically.

The scientists used cooperation theory and mathematical modelling to identify the reason for their surprising result. They found that in some circumstances pacifists "helped" aggressive microbes to be more efficient in utilising resources obtained from the host.

Professor Ivana Gudelj, who led the research, said: "Our study shows that a promising disease management strategy may not always be effective and indeed may have damaging unforeseen consequences. Importantly, our work also provides a foundation for the analysis of when, and why, this can happen. We find that the mechanisms driving our unexpected findings when treating rice blast infection are pertinent for many diseases involving bacterial and fungal pathogens"

Developing new ways of treating infectious disease has become more pressing with the development of resistance to antibiotics.

One strategy being explored to treat infections that resist current drugs involves neutralising the disease-causing agent. This strategy involves extracting the agent from the patient so that scientists can remove components of the microbe's DNA in order to neutralise the disease.

This new harmless agent is then grown in the lab and re-introduced to the disease site with the expectation that it will out-compete its more harmful cousin by stealing resources the disease needs to proliferate. Such research has proved effective in several lab tests.

The University of Exeter scientists tested this method in rice blast infections, but found more severe disease symptoms.

Professor Nick Talbot, Professor of Molecular Genetics and expert in plant diseases, said: "The strategy of introducing less aggressive microbes to fight more aggressive ones may prove effective to control some crop disease, but our study shows that they are not a silver bullet and caution needs to be exercised. We need to understand how microbes interact with each other in natural settings, before we can try to alter their ability to cause disease in this way. Our study also shows why mathematicians and biologists need to work together more often, because we would not have understood this phenomenon at all without the mathematical analysis carried out."

Richard Lindsay, a PhD student who worked on the research team, added: "Our findings are of central importance in understanding how microbial infections evolve, but also have wider significance for the treatment of cancer and the therapeutic control of disease in humans, animals and plants."

###
Back-to-back studies unveil the design and ability to program a molecule that could eventually be harnessed to reduce cellular damage common in many diseases

EUGENE, Ore. - December 30, 2016 - Molecules with the potential to deliver healing power to stressed cells - such as those involved in heart attacks - have been created by University of Oregon researchers.

The research - done at a cellular level in the lab and far from medical reality - involves the design of organic molecules that break down to release hydrogen sulfide when triggered by specific conditions such as increased oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress damages cells and is tied especially to heart disease and cancer, as well as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Separate portions of the research were detailed in proof-of-concept papers in the Journal of the American Chemical Society in June and in November in Angewandte Chemie, an international journal.

"We have discovered that small organic molecules can be engineered to release a molecule called carbonyl sulfide, which is the most prevalent sulfur-containing molecule in the atmosphere, but more importantly converts rapidly to hydrogen sulfide under biological conditions," said Michael Pluth, a professor of chemistry and co-author on both papers. "We developed and demonstrated a new mechanism to release small molecules that provide therapeutic hydrogen sulfide."

Hydrogen sulfide, a colorless gas, has long been known for its dangerous toxicity -- and its telltale smell of rotten eggs -- in the environment, but it also is produced in mammals, including humans, with important roles in molecular signaling and cardiac health.

Initially, Pluth's doctoral student Andrea Steiger, lead author of the ACS paper, used benzyl thiocarbamates to design responsive organic molecules that release carbonyl sulfide. For the second paper, postdoctoral researcher Yu Zhao, also in Pluth's lab, adapted the molecule so it remains nontoxic and stable until cellular conditions trigger it to release the carbonyl sulfide, which is converted to hydrogen sulfide by carbonic anhydrase enzymes in the body.

Finding a way to generate restorative hydrogen sulfide in the body has been a goal of many research labs around the world in the last two decades. Researchers in Pluth's lab in 2013 developed a probe that detects the gas in biological samples, providing a framework to test potential donor molecules, either synthetically produced or isolated from natural products.

"To do that we need to develop new chemistry," Pluth said. "We are synthetic chemists. We make molecules with the goal of developing new research tools or therapeutic tools. As for treating a disease, we aren't there yet, but these cell-based studies suggest that those types of protective effects might be possible."

During a heart attack or loss of blood flow, for example, increased levels of reactive oxygen species like hydrogen peroxide emerge, Pluth said. The recently developed donor molecules are programmed to react to the overexpression of reactive oxygen species. Current hydrogen sulfide donors are generally slow-release molecules that donate hydrogen sulfide passively.

Taken together, the two studies show that it's possible to build molecular scaffolds to release carbonyl sulfide and then hydrogen sulfide by creating a trigger in the molecule to start the delivery process, Zhao said. "With this, you might be able to pick molecular events that are associated with conditions in which hydrogen sulfide might be beneficial, and then develop donor molecules able to deliver hydrogen sulfide under those conditions," he said.

"The novelty for us was being able to use carbonyl sulfide as a source of hydrogen sulfide donation," Steiger said of the findings of the project she led. "This was a first. It opened up a whole new class of donor molecules."

One of the goals of developing these small hydrogen sulfide-releasing molecules is the potential for long-term applications in therapeutics, Pluth said. "Having researchers nearby who are focused on translating basic science discoveries into market applications would facilitate further expansion of this work," he said.

Advancing such basic research is the goal of the UO's Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. The $1 billion initiative to fast-track scientific discoveries into innovations that improve quality of life for people in Oregon, the nation and the world began with the announcement in October of a $500 million gift from the Knights.

###

Co-authors with Steiger and Pluth on the ACS paper were Sibile Pardue and Christopher G. Kevil of the Louisiana State University Health Science Center in Shreveport. Zhao and Pluth co-authored the paper in Angewandte Chemie.

The National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Sloan Foundation and Dreyfus Foundation supported the two projects.

Source: Michael Pluth, associate professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 541-346-7477, pluth@uoregon.edu; Yu Zhao, postdoctoral researcher, yzhao2@uoregon.edu; and Andrea Steiger, asteiger@uoregon.edu

Note: The UO is equipped with an on-campus television studio with a point-of-origin Vyvx connection, which provides broadcast-quality video to networks worldwide via fiber optic network. There also is video access to satellite uplink and audio access to an ISDN codec for broadcast-quality radio interviews.

Links:

Steiger paper: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6b03780

Zhao paper: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.201608052

Michael Pluth: http://pages.uoregon.edu/pluth/pluth.html

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry: http://chemistry.uoregon.edu

About the tool announced in 2013: http://uonews.uoregon.edu/archive/news-release/2013/6/oregon-chemists-moving-forward-tool-detect-hydrogen-sulfide

Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact: http://uoregon.edu/accelerate




Haiti - Politics : Privert announces his departure from the Power





Wednesday at the National Palace, de facto President Jocelerme Privert, accompanied by Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, chaired the last Council of Ministers of the year 2016. The Head of State took the opportunity to discuss the progress of the Electoral process, the government's balance sheet and the management of the Treasury's resources.



With regard to the electoral process, Privert welcomed the Government's efforts to ensure that elections could take place in good conditions. He also reiterated his firm decision to withdraw from power on 7 February 2017 ""The Prime Minister and I have three great rendezvous not to be missed. It is January 1, 2017, the date of the celebration of the 213th anniversary of our independence in Gonaives, the day of the ancestors January 2, 2017 and January 9, opening the first regular session of the legislative year. At this moment the Prime Minister will have to present the balance sheet of the government and I will have to deliver a general statement on the situation of the country," he informed during this important Council of Ministers.



Jocelerme Privert called on the Head of Government and Ministers to prepare to assume their responsibilities after his departure on 7 February 2017 specifying "Know that you will remain in your posts until a new government replaces you" urging the Government to continue to make sound management of the State's resources.



Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles insisted that "even after the final election results (Tuesday, January 3, 2017 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19646-haiti-flash-publication-of-the-results-of-the-presidential-postponed.html ), the Government will remain a full-fledged Government [...] all ministers must remain in their posts and fulfill all their duties until the installation of a new government," recalling that " the management of current affairs only begins that from the resignation of the government presented by the Prime Minister, which will take place when a new President is installed."



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre


















Can you avoid passing off by not using a logo?

The National Guild of Removers and Storers (or NGRS), a UK trade association, has been one of the main users of the new PCC (now IPEC) rules.





The National Guild of Removers And Storers Ltd v Bee Moved Ltd & Ors [2016] EWHC 3192 (IPEC), is in a similar vein to the earlier decisions. It concerns third parties passing themselves off as being members of NGRS after their membership had ceased and the extent to which the defendants should be liable for advertisements on third party websites. There are eight decisions available on Bailii from 2010 to date. The latest case,[2016] EWHC 3192 (IPEC), is in a similar vein to the earlier decisions. It concerns third parties passing themselves off as being members of NGRS after their membership had ceased and the extent to which the defendants should be liable for advertisements on third party websites.





The corporate defendant was Bee Moved Limited with the company directors added as alleged joint tortfeasors.





Advert 1 - on the defendants' website





The first advert included a moving checklist which also appeared on the Defendant's website. The second bullet point was "use a removal company who is a member of the National Guild of Removers and Storers". The judge noted that this bullet points implies that the defendants are NGRS members because otherwise the advertisement would effectively be saying use a different company to us. Although the NGRS logo was not used, the judge did not consider that the public would notice its absence.





Therefore the judge held that the moving checklist was an implied representation that the Defendant was a member of the Claimant and therefore damaged the Claimant's business and goodwill.





The defendants conceded that if the First Defendant was liable for the advert, all of the defendants were.





Bee Moved by Bee Movie

Advert 2 - on reallymoving.com





This is a popular house moving website which the first defendant had joined in 2004 when it was an NGRS member. Four entries on the site identified BeeMoved as a "Member of NGRS". This statement was untrue from 21 March 2013 and was repeated on the BeeMoved website. Whilst the BeeMoved website was updated from 21 March 2013, the directory entries were not known to the company at that time and were not updated. When the Defendant became aware of the entries (following receipt of a letter before action) he contacted Really Moving who told him that they had a problem with their site crashing and reverting to an earlier version. The Defendant asked for this wording to be removed immediately which it was.





it may be passing off for a Defendant knowingly to exploit an intending customer's own mistake or misconception, even if the Defendant was in no way responsible for the customer making that mistake" (para 5-26). Neither argument succeeded because (1) the Defendants could not control the actions of an Really Moving (an independent third party) and (2) it cannot be right that if Really Moving refused to remove the reference to NGRS, the Defendants could be liable forever; and (3) there was no evidence that anyone who contacted the First Defendant believed they were part of NGRS. The Claimant argued that as the wording originally came from the Defendants, they were liable for the use on Really Moving and a passage from Wadlow which noted that "" (para 5-26). Neither argument succeeded because (1) the Defendants could not control the actions of an Really Moving (an independent third party) and (2) it cannot be right that if Really Moving refused to remove the reference to NGRS, the Defendants could be liable forever; and (3) there was no evidence that anyone who contacted the First Defendant believed they were part of NGRS.








Haiti - FLASH : Pierre Esperance receives a threat letter with a bullet





Wednesday, Pierre Esperance, Executive Director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), received with his name, an envelope delivered by the Post Office to the local of RNDDH, containing a threat letter accompanied by a bullet. In this letter, he was accused of "preventing the real results from being published"



In a letter addressed to Me Danton Leger, the Commissioner of the Government of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Port-au-Prince, Pierre Esperance explains :



"[...] For some time, of messages intolerant vis-a-vis the organization of which he is the Executive Director, circulate on the social networks. These messages were never taken seriously by the RNDDH [...] However, today, Pierre Esperance feels it his duty to inform you that on December 28, 2016, a stamped envelope addressed, was delivered by the Post Office to the RNDDH office, at # 9 Rue Riviere. It contains a bullet and a letter dated 6 December 2016, in which the Executive Director of the RNDDH is accused of 'preventing the real results from being published'.



The Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) was informed of the receipt of this correspondence and the bullet attached to it was given to it for ballistic analysis.



[...] Pierre Esperance draws your attention to the fact that these messages arrive at a time when, through national media, Parliamentarians openly incite the Haitian people to violence and treat the RNDDH as a terrorist organization.



[...] Moreover, it is not the first time that the Executive Director of RNDDH receives a document of this kind. Indeed, on 2 April 2014, Pierre Esperance had received a letter of threats to which was also annexed a bullet.



A letter of complaint had been filed with the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince on 9 April 2014. However,there appears to have been no judicial action in this file.



[...] The exhibitor therefore requests to you, Honorable Magistrate, to put the public action in motion against the authors and co-authors of these documents for threats written anonymously, punishable by articles 251 and following of the Penal Code [...]"



HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





FLASH : VISA scam alert

Beware of visa scams ! The US Embassy does not accept any visa fees by Western Union. Never pay fees this way - it's a scam and you will lose your money! Report visa scams to the US Embassy at papfraud@state.gov.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18088-haiti-alert-usa-visa-fraud.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16682-haiti-alert-fraud-attempt-for-us-visa-and-scholarships.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13910-haiti-social-11-000-us-visa-fraud-cases.html



Moise Jean-Charles minimizes the rejection of the CEP

The presidential candidate of PITIT Dessalin, Moise Jean-Charles, minimizes the decision of the CEP to reject his request for disqualification of the 5 judges of the electoral tribunal https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19645-haiti-flash-the-cep-rejects-requests-for-recusals.html wnd informs that the legal-political battle will continue to demand respect for the verdict of the ballot boxes.



Deputy Celestin threatens Privert

Privert's fierce opponent Rony Celestin (PHTK) threatens to instigate in the lower chamber a procedure of indictment of de facto President Jocelerme Privert in case of violence in the country after the publication of the final results of the elections.



Eddy Labossiere predicts the collapse of the economy

The economist Eddy Labossiere predicted the collapse of the economy in case of continuing protests following the publication of final election results, according to him the gourde could depreciate further if the electoral crisis is not resolved quickly.



New blood in Presidential Security

Wednesday at the National Palace, de facto President Jocelerme Privert, received a new promotion from the Presidential Security Unit (USP). The Head of State took the opportunity to welcome them within this group they integrate and honor the three laureates of this promotion.



Growth of the textile sector

The Investment Facilitation Center (CFI) reports that the textile and clothing sector in Haiti has experienced significant growth over the last 7 years in terms of both the number of jobs created and the total value of exports. "In December 2009 , 24,000 workers were employed in the textile sector. In November 2016, this figure was 40,801 workers. In 2015, exports of clothing products from Haiti amounted to $ 1.03 billion, or 90% of Haiti's exports."



HL/ HaitiLibre


















However, that is now not only dependent on the industrys big players remaining interested in what lies beneath Irish waters but also wider - not-insignificant - things like Opecs oil production deal surviving; oil prices remaining at a steady level of $55-$60 per barrel, the global economy holding up and Brexit concerns (among them the tightening of workers freedom of movement) not driving up drilling and production costs or threatening our security of energy supply.

I think we need to think in terms of five years [to judge the viability of Irelands exploration sector] rather than just next year; 2017 will be an important year  with companies working data, trying to attract farm-in partners and undertaking seismic studies - but not a make-or-break one, said Pat Shannon, chairman of the Irish Offshore Operators Association (IOOA).

Globally, its been a tough year. The UK saw its lowest ever level of drilling, with 16 exploration wells drilled. Only 440 exploration wells were drilled globally  close to a historical low  down from 740 just two years ago and companies continued to cut their exploration budgets; something which is likely to continue next year.

"That sets the scene and shows what Ireland is competing with, he added.

That said, Mr. Shannon views 2016 as having been a good one for the Irish offshore  noting the Corrib field finally coming on stream (albeit, nearly two decades late and hugely over budget) and the outstanding success of the Governments latest licensing round ushering in a number of new players to Irish waters.

The real outcome of the latter remains to be seen, however.

The real crunch will be what becomes of the licensing options awarded in 2016 [when they reach the end of their lifespan] in two years time, Mr Shannon said, will they be handed back and expire [as happened with six options, covering 55 exploration blocks, in the Celtic Sea earlier this year] or will they be converted into exploration licences.

"If the latter happens, then were moving in the right direction, he said.

The excitement of Irish oilrig-spotters has been piqued, sporadically, in recent years, but on each occasion  Exxon and Providence at Dunquin, off the west coast in 2013 and Lansdowne Oil and Gas and Kinsale Energy in the Celtic Sea in 2015  high hopes have been dashed.

This coming year will, surely, see more quizzing over when Providence Resources can finally close a farm-out deal at its Barryroe field in the Celtic Sea and whether Europa Oil and Gas (the other really active player in Irish waters, just now) can find development partners for its highly-rated asset portfolio off the south-west coast.

But, one thing is for sure, 2017 will see drilling activity, which is kind of crucial if the sector is to develop, and it will be Providence operating the drill bit  at its Druid prospect off the west coast.

Mr Shannon views Druid as being interesting but not the be-all and end-all. He sees positives associated with each of the high-profile official Irish drilling failures in recent years.

A failure [at Druid] would be disappointing, but not fatal; but a find would be tremendous.

If five or six wells were to be drilled and nothing found, then thered be a worry and, I think, Ireland would have to take stock, he said.

In a research note, published earlier this year, Davy Stockbrokers exploration analyst Job Langbroek bigged-up the five-year plan theory for Irelands burgeoning exploration scene.

Notwithstanding the presence of four discovered gas fields, the single biggest factor, offshore Ireland, is that no oil field has produced, or is producing, oil. This has denied the sector of a catalyst to attract industry attention, Mr Langbroek said in the note.

It is difficult not to conclude that the next five years, or so, will determine the outcome of the Irish offshore. The farm-out and development of [Providence Resources assets] Spanish Point and Barryroe will be the biggest actors in the short-term to ensure success.

"In the longer-term, the Atlantic Margin has one more substantial pulse of drilling activity, probably towards the end of the decade. From where we stand now, these events will determine how the history of the Irish offshore is ultimately written, he added.

The IOOA, however, is also calling on the Government to keep an eye on what other countries are doing with their tax terms surrounding exploration firms and to tighten regulation surrounding offshore exploration in this country.

The fiscal terms are fair, said Mr. Shannon, but Ireland needs to keep an eye on other countries and what theyre doing. If they move to change, we need to do likewise, he added.

A recent PwC study found that 70% of explorers in Irish waters are unhappy with the Governments fiscal terms  a rise from 40% to 55% in the headline tax rate on oil find profits and a 5% annual royalty take  on the back of the massive drop in global oil prices.

It also found the amount of legal red-tape, and nothing being done to improve it, is hindering exploration growth.

The review said only 28% of explorers here feel upbeat about the Irish offshores prospects for the next two years, let alone the next five.
Peter Barry, the foreign affairs minister, sought approval in June 1986 to sign a proposed agreement with the US government to set up a pilot facility that would allow US-bound air passengers undertake all immigration and public health inspections at Shannon prior to departure.

Files show Mr Barry accepted the establishment of a pre-inspection facility, which would allow the application of US immigration and public health laws operate on Irish soil, was a matter of concern in principle and in practice.

He claimed its provisions which touched on Irish sovereignty were as limited and tightly drafted as possible, while ensuring US agreement would also be secured to operate the pre-inspection facility.

The initiative to set up the pilot programme, to come into effect on July 1, 1986, was originally proposed by the communications minister, Jim Mitchell.

Mr Barry admitted that immunities conferred under the draft agreement on US officials at Shannon represented a novel departure from legal precedent as it sought to confer a status equivalent to diplomatic immunity on them.

Mr Barry also informed the cabinet the actual cost to the State arising out of signing the agreement could not be quantified. The US agreed it would cover the cost of any diagnostic tests carried out on passengers suspected of having an infectious disease.

The US operated on the principle that pre-inspection facilities must be self-financing but it agreed to fund the cost of posting staff to Shannon during the pilot phase.

It was agreed such staff would not be armed.

Records also reveal a proposal to include customs pre-clearance at Shannon was resisted by Aer Lingus. The airline was concerned about delays which would arise for flights to the US because of the need to offload baggage at Shannon to process it through customs.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said the iconic status of Corks English Market shows there is a substantial food and tourism economy which is waiting to be tapped into.

While Irelands economy is slowly recovering at a national level, Mr Creed said the reality is large parts of the country  including previously bustling provisional towns  are continuing to struggle with the dual jobs and emigration crises.

And despite admitting the problem cannot be solved overnight, he said new schemes encouraging communities to reclaim their local market centres could help to kick-start the recovery in the same way as the English Market has helped to sustain parts of Cork City.

The English Market is obviously situated bang in the middle of a city, but theres a great opportunity to build a tourism product and business product around that, and that can happen in every town.

A lot of traditional market towns around Ireland but also in my constituency  Macroom, Millstreet, Kanturk, Charleville  all those towns suffered from being hollowed out, both in the recession and the boom times with big supermarkets on the outskirts pulling the life out of the town centre.

Macrooms a classic example, where it has a big square in the town which in recent years has become a glorified car park. So the potential possibilities to re-invigorate those places with farmers markets, tourism spin-offs, is enormous.

The English Market is iconic, but the same can happen for a lot of smaller towns around Ireland.

Mr Creed said while traditional food markets should play a role, the potential economic benefits from focussing on the recent surge in the artisan food and micro-breweries sectors cannot be overlooked.

Pointing to the fact the sectors already bring in up to 500m a year, he said the untapped funds could be vital to rejuvenating areas still struggling to recover from the economic crash.

Theres enormous potential, particularly in the artisan food sector, its one of these sectors that in value terms is worth about 400-500m.

Its resilient, its recession proof. We are funding through the Cedra initiative an awareness out there of farmers markets and food trails, and part of the Irish tradition of story telling means you can weave a very interesting tourism story.

Theres a great opportunity to build a tourism product around that, and have all of the associated spin-offs, not just in the area of those directly employed but in the tourism sector as well.
Mr Harris urged the union and HSE to meet in the coming days as he claimed a separate strike by 40,000 nurses could still be resolved before it begins next month.

Speaking to reporters at a nursing recruitment drive at the HSEs headquarters in Dr Steevens Hospital in Dublin, Mr Harris said he regrets both union decisions and urged the sides to find a resolution.

Union and HSE officials should work together to end the disputes without affecting patients, he added.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation obviously balloted [last month] and whilst I regret the outcome I note the Lansdowne Road oversight committee has instructed the HSE and Department of Health would meet the INMO, he said.

That discussion will take place in advance of the INMOs executive council meeting in January, and I would really hope industrial action can be avoided because industrial action is not in the interests of staff and certainly not in the interests of patients.

In relation to the Siptu ballot, I must say I am disappointed.

I dont think a ballot, I dont think a strike, will help anybody. You only ever resolve a dispute by sitting down and talking, and I really hope both Siptu and the HSE will do that in the coming days.

While the issues are separate, the risk of two strikes by 70,000 hospital workers early next year poses significant problems to Government claims the health service crisis has ended.

Last month, the INMO confirmed its 40,000 members had voted for industrial action, beginning with one-day stoppages from late next month over calls for accelerated restoration of pre-crash pay levels and the fast-tracking of measures to address staff shortages.

They were followed this week by Siptu, which on Wednesday confirmed it is balloting its 30,000 health worker members for similar pay and work issues. The workers include healthcare assistants, home help, porters, and operating theatre cleaners, among others.

The strike concerns emerged as the HSE continues its three-day recruitment drive to encourage nurses to return to Ireland and work in the system.

Between Wednesday and today, more than 100 nurses from Britain, the US, and Ireland have attended interviews in Dublin about the possibility of returning to the service.

A total of 19 of the initial 36 interviewed on Wednesday have already been offered contracts, which the HSEs Rosario Mannion said includes a 1,500 relocation package and a 35,000 salary.

Mr Harris said the recruitment drive is the start of wider moves to increase nurse numbers by 1,000 next year; his message is that the health service wants you back.

Pointing to the fact the number of patients medically fit to leave a hospital but unable to do so due to a lack of step-down facilities is the lowest since 2011, at 436, he said the system is improving after a decade of cutbacks.
Recently, a new tool has been added to Americas soft power arsenal, one that may be useful to the incoming Trump administration as it crafts its policy toward Iran. the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act was passed by the U.S. Senate on December 6th as part of its authorization for 2017 defense spending. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., championed the law, which is an outgrowth of a 2012 sanctions law designed to penalize Russian authorities for the untimely death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

In 2008, Magnitsky ran afoul of the Kremlin, when in the course of his work for hedge fund Hermitage Capital he uncovered a massive tax fraud scheme implicating a slew of government officials. Magnitsky was arrested and imprisoned in Moscows notorious Butyrskaya prison. He died there the following year as a result of improperly treated and neglected medical conditions.

Magnitskys death attracted a lot of international attention, thanks in large part to the efforts of his employer, Bill Browder. In 2012, it resulted in the U.S. Congress passing human rights legislation that blacklisted nearly two-dozen Russian officials and functionaries for their complicity in the graft and corruption that cost the Russian lawyer his life.

The Global Magnitsky Act, however, has a broader scope, and expands the penalties envisioned in the original act, things like visa bans, asset freezes and commercial blacklists to apply to any foreign officials found to be responsible for human rights violations or significant instances of corruption. It has become an effective weapon against human rights abuses as a tool of U.S. foreign policy.

Iran may prove to be the test case for these new restrictions. The Islamic Republic has long been a human rights abuser, and over the past two years, the regimes domestic practices have become more repressive than ever before, according to the United Nations. Public executions within the Islamic Republic are at a 27-year-high, averaging more than four daily between April and June of 2015. Regime repression of ethnic minorities has also increased, rights activists say. Freedom of expression and the press are virtually nonexistent. Most tellingly, Iran ranked 169th out of 180 nations in the most recent World Press Freedom Index, a key metric of media liberty.

Within the Islamic Republic, corruption is endemic. Ali Khamenei, Irans Supreme Leader, is believed to be one of the Middle Easts richest rulers, with a financial empire of nearly $100 billion. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commands as much as one-third of the national economy, and is deeply enmeshed in illicit and black market activities. Even the ostensibly moderate President Hassan Rouhani has been rocked by allegations of massive graft.

Ordinary Iranian citizens chafe under the systemic corruption of the countrys clerical regime, but they have been ignored by the West, who has turned a blind eye so that they can pursue diplomatic detente.

As the incoming Trump administration ponders a new approach to Iran, highlighting Irans repressive domestic practices, and targeting its most egregious actors, could send a powerful signal that the United States once again stands with the countrys captive population. The new White House now has a critical tool to do just that, Berman writes.
We cannot say we didnt know, we cannot say we didnt see it. The constant flow of images of the carnage have filled social media, creating a worldwide indignation that contrasts with the shameful inaction of the international community. The U.N. Security Council is paralyzed by the Russian and Chinese veto and the European Union and the United States have been conspicuously silent about the main enabler on the ground: the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Shiite militias it sponsors, Vidal Quadras wrote on Thursday in an opinion piece for United Press International.

When in the previous years of the anti-Assad revolution the situation started shifting in favor of the pro-democracy opposition, Tehran took over the defense of the dictator and dispatched its Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and militias, such as Hezbollah and other groups of Pakistani and Afghani mercenaries. The Iranian regimes efforts to defend Syrian President Bashar al-Assad got reinforced when Qassem Soleimani, the head of the IRGCs Quds force, went to Moscow  in violation of the United Nations resolutions that banned him from international travel for his involvement in terrorist activities  and persuaded the Kremlin to join the conflict with more than logistical and financial support, and so the Russian bombing campaign started.

We saw in horror the gruesome balance of the Iranian and Russian interventions in Syria, and Western leaders have shown in their declarations that they know whos to blame.

French President Francois Hollande said, Its Russia and Iran who did not wish such a political process. They wanted to crush, to destroy the opposition and also maintain this confusion between terrorist groups and opposition groups or rebels.

British Prime Minister Theresa May declared: Assad and his backers, Russia and Iran, bear responsibility for the tragedy in Aleppo. Her Foreign Minister Boris Johnson stated that both Russia and Iran have failed to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.

Why hasnt the response been more decisive, Vidal Quadras asked. The main Iranian opposition organization, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, has since long identified Fort Behuth, about 22 miles southeast of Aleppo, as the Iranian forces headquarters, and has exposed the IRGC commander of these forces, Brig. Gen. Seyed Javad Ghafari, who has met Soleimani, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Assad himself. Had we just taken appropriate measures and implemented the United Nations resolutions to prevent the meddling of the Iranian regime at the beginning, we could have avoided this catastrophe. Instead Iran was invited to the negotiations table as part of the solution!

The international community has failed the Syrian people. Even if the fall of Aleppo is a major blow to the aspirations of the pro-democracy and moderate rebels, they have stated that their demands remain: the ouster of the Assad regime and the removal of the foreign influence in their country, especially the presence of Iranian forces and their satellite militias. And it is time for the West to deliver to the freedom-loving Syrians and pursue a stronger policy toward Moscow and Tehran.

The visibility of this tragedy now opens a window to change the course and at least try to prevent future bloodshed. The massacre of Aleppo wont be the last if we do not stop the meddling of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has taken to the region its vile record on human rights and has used sectarian fractures to export belligerence and terrorism across the Middle East. The Ayatollahs have openly celebrated their role in the massacre of the Syrian people. The so called moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made a phone call to congratulate the Syrian president following the brutal bombings and killings in Aleppo.

Iran is also active in destabilizing Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and other countries. The consequences of this will be fatal not only for the suffering people of these countries, but also for the peace and stability of the world. Only by deploying a firm policy that halts Irans aggression could a solution be found for the Syrian war and for all the conflicts in the region, Vidal Quadras argued.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a Spanish professor of atomic and nuclear physics, was vice president of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014. He is currently president of the Brussels-based International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ).
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Every Ghanaian ought to pray and work towards the success of Nana Akufo-Addo as president because it would inure to the benefit of the entire country and not only members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Leader of the Ebenezer Miracle Worship Center Rev. Ebenezer 'Opambour' Adarkwa Yiadom, has disclosed.

The Kumasi-based pastor said that since the elections were over, it was necessary for Ghanaians to unite behind the winner because the success or failure of Nana Akufo-Addo would impact every Ghanaian.

All of us must continue to pray for him, continue to support him and continue to give him the best of advice, and talking about advice, it's my view that we have to take a second look at the law which allows two-thirds of ministers to be selected from parliament, Opambour noted.

According to him, the workload on Members of Parliament (MPs), who double as ministers of state, becomes too heavy therefore such personalities hardly get time to deliver to the satisfaction of their constituents.

In this regard, the famous man of God appealed to Nana Akufo-Addo and all relevant stakeholders to, as a matter of urgency, abolish what he described as the killer law.

Prophet One, who is renowned for his gift of healing and prophecy, opined that Ghana's perennial unemployment rate would be greatly reduced within a short time if the law is abolished.

Change The Law

I don't understand why two-thirds of ministers are picked from parliament by any sitting government. This law is not helping in our transformational process as a country so it should be abolished without delay. It is unproductive.

This is because combining ministerial work with the Member of Parliament duties is too cumbersome, therefore the person usually fails to deliver, especially in their constituencies where developmental projects are crucially needed.

Most at times, because of the workload as an MP and minister, some of these MPs hardly visit their constituencies to work for their people. This is one of the reasons why some MPs, who were ministers, lost their seats during the elections.

Job Creation

It doesn't make sense for one person to combine MP and ministerial work at the same time, whilst another person who is equally competent, sits at home jobless, he stated, adding that changing this law will help reduce the unemployment situation in the country.

Student Ministers

Speaking exclusively to NEWS-ONE, the powerful man of God suggested that Nana Akufo-Addo should not appoint persons who are still in school as ministers, noting that such weird acts have the potential of retarding the growth of the country.

According to him, only experienced, knowledgeable and patriotic people, who have the requisite skills, should be appointed as ministers to implement proper programmes and policies to help address Ghana's economic crisis.

The Prophet One stated that governance is a serious business since the aspirations and lives of the people are entrusted into the hands of members of the sitting government.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi.


Highlife musician, Kaakyire Kwame Fosu, known in the music scene as K.K Fosu, will be honoured today, Friday December 30, at the maiden edition of an event dubbed Dinner With The Star being organized by the Oak Plaza Hotel in Accra.

The Oak Plaza Hotel will present K.K Fosu with a plaque and help him unveil his name which is engraved in the Oak Plaza Wall of Fame amidst other goodies from the hospice in an event which is expected to attract high profile industry players and corporate Ghana.

K.K Fosu who recently re-launched himself onto the music scene with three new singles Pani Di Pani, Adekye Nsroma and Enkasa will thrill fans at the event.

He is expected to rock the audience with his great love tunes which were hits in the early 2000s. He has several hit songs to his credit, and one thing that makes him stand out is his exceptional live stage performances.

According to the organizers, K.K Fosu, who has been very instrumental on the highlife scene has paid his dues to the music industry and needed to be appreciated and celebrated.

K.K Fosu is one of the most talented young musicians in the country whose style of singing is simply amazing and unique. Born on February 14, 1981, K.K has worked with artistes such as Papa Shot, Mr. Borax, Obrafour, Nkasei, Deeba, Obuor, Reggie Rockstone and many others.

His Manager Charles Lawson introduced him to Mr. Richard Holbrock of Lowdown Records who in turn produced his debut, Adwen.

His songs bear resemblance to highlife giants like Kojo Antwi, Daddy Lumba and Daasebre Gyamenah who he looks up to for inspiration.

K.K has 3 albums to his credit and he has featured on more than 30 songs. His 2007 album, 6 Oclock earned him several GMA nominations
30.12.2016 LISTEN

Following his accomplishments on the international music scene,Ghanaian born American gospel music sensation, Nyame Akoa Malonzy has won the hearts of many music enthusiasts with his current hit single 2017

Under the production of AUG Records, 2017,is an everyday high tempo rap Gospel song which has elements pinpointing the kind of breakthrough to expect in the new year (2017).

its actually a clean song that cuts across all borders and engineered by street Beats and Possi Gee

Speaking in an exclusive interview from his residence in America,Malonzy explained the motives behind his choice of doing rap Gospel music to hotfmonlinegh.com :

My Gospel rap music focuses on presenting Gospel music in a way that will be easily embraced by the youth without compromising the message.I also uses danceable up-beat tempo that can be played at parties,non-church gatherings etc so my newest hit song2017' is no exception.,Malonzy opined to hotfmonlingh.com

Richard Akomaning better known as Nyame Akoa Malonzy, accentuated further that the demand for the song;2017' released few days ago has given him the confidence of achieving the main motives behind the production, that is to spread the Gospel to people through his music.

Noted for songs like Choices,control and Brebre;Malonzy who aside doing gospel rap music is also a banker,urged his fans to expect more hit gospel rap songs for 2017 and beyond from him.

kindly enjoy 2017
In questions of power, let no more he heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from the chains of the constitution.

Thomas Jefferson  Kentucky

Resolutions, 1798

Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral law is written in the tablets of eternity.

John Emerich Edward

LET IT NOT BE SAID of Nana Akufo Addo and his team that like Nero fiddling while Rome burnt in the great fire of Rome of AD 64, they looked askance and allowed President Mahama to have his own way to spoil everything on his path to exit; rather, let it be said that they were, as Jesus said to the Twelve Disciples: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves, making sure that everything moves smoothly during the transition period.

'Onaapo' may have lost its original meaning (you won't get), but the song has caught on among NPP supporters. It was originally the campaign song for the NDC. Dee Aja had composed it with lyrics that taunted the NPP, its leader and supporters. The NDC was 'solid' on the ground, so they surmised and believed in their own imaginations, and as Winston Churchill notes, there is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hope soon to be swept away. They lingered on, that is, NDCthrew Cabinet men and women on the campaign trailbut insulted the intelligence of the ordinary Ghanaian.

Ghanaians had not forgotten the agonies they had gone through these eight years, so all those campaign messages were too little too latethey only added salt to injury. They were punished  in misery and ignominy.

Then, Barima Sydney came with 'Onaapo Remix': John 3:16 (NDC campaign motto) suited NPP: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God so loved Ghana, that he gave Akuffo Addo It was time for Mahama to say adieu time aso, bye-bye Mahama, twaso John came to prepare the way for Nana, and the jinx of the Johns in our contemporary politics was broken.

Sidney may not have heard John 3:16 by Keith Uriban who had remarked that. I learnt everything I needed to know from John Cougar, and John Deere. But that pop song contained lyrics which says: And I am a child of a backseat freedom fighter, baptized by rock and roll never grow up, never grow old.

Newton's law of classical mechanics, 'The Law of Motion', states that: For every action, there must be an equal but opposite reaction- if you throw a ball at the wall with velocity 'v' so that momentum is 'mv', it will bounce back with momentum '-mv'; the momentum is changed '2mv' and it is balanced by the change in momentum of molecules in the wall.

Before the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845), there had not been any legal blueprint that governed the transition of political power in the country. This Act has even been amended, Presidential Transition (Amendment) Bill, 2016. So we are progressing, developing our political system. So that whatever Presidents did in the past cannot be used to justify whatever the current President is doing. So, if a former President signed an appointment letter for someone a day before he handed over to a new President, that could be understood and explained away that there was no appointment, and in that lacuna, the option was his.

Now, there is a law, and the President must be bound down from mischief by the very law he has promulgated. Or are we being told that the Council of State did not give the President advice or that the Council of State's advice was not sought, because as Mahama says, he could only take advice from those who have held Presidential Office before!

In a word, some of us stick our necks out to say the 'last-ditch' appointments of heads of NCCE and CHRAJ are things done in bad faith. It will have been honourable for the President to leave office 'quietly' rather than wade into such an unnecessary controversial act. The officers he has appointed could, on their own merit, deservedly secure the appointments. NPP cannot be as cruel as NDC which just gave instructions for people to take a 'long leave' from their offices without being assigned any new schedule. Meanwhile, they had the guts to 'extend' other people's mandate even when they had reached the statutory compulsory retiring age of 60!

Question: Was Charlotte Osei not 'transferred' from NCCE to the EC? Can't a President 'transfer' her from EC to say, State Transport Company (without demeaning State Transport Company). Or can't the new persons be transferred from NCCE and CHRAJ to other offices. That will be testing the law and exposing the NPP to unnecesary legal tussle. You see, law goes parri-passu with morality, for after all, morality is ethical justification for law that also facilitates the obedience to the law. Morality is objective. Moral standards are immutable while law is changeable.

In Aparthied South Africa, every move to suppress the blacks was supported by law: the Bantu Education Act with separate education systems for blacks and whites; the Pass Laws, by which blacks had to carry 'passes'; the Mines and Works Act restricting blacks to certain jobs; the Separate Amenities Act separating the use of certain facilities; Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, prohibiting the marriage between blacks and whites..

There was this recent case which the Court of Appeal in South Africa judged that the term 'Kaffir' was  in our racist past used to hurt, humiliate, denigrate and dehumanise Africans. This obnoxious word caused untold sorrow and pain to the feelings and dignity of the African people of this country.

Even in our own country, the Preventive Detention Act which ensured that Dr. Nkrumah's 'one party state' succeeded, was considered by political observers as obnoxious and opprobrious, despite the fact that those whose parents or relations never suffered the imprisonment and other indignities under it, refer to its legitimacy. Yes, the law at the time permitted it, Parliament had passed it, but what was its moral justification? Kweku Baako does not see eye to eye with his literary friend, I.K. Gyasi on the comparison of the South African examples. And both of them are 'free thinkers'. Baako thinks the President has the authority to make new appointments and perform other Presidential acts; Gyasi cautions moderation, and Elizabeth Ohene advises Mahama: A dignified exit is far more attractive and cheaper than the loud, clumsy one the President is currently negotiating. Me? Speech is silvern, silence is golden.
Outgoing President John Mahama has said his work as the leader of the country would come to an end at midnight of January 6 when he would hand-over power to the incoming President.

He promised to work in the interest of Ghanaians to bequeath a nation that is united, peaceful and stable to his successor Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The President has suffered backlashes from sections of Ghanaians for some key decisions he took after his defeat in the countrys presidential poll on December 7.

He appointed Jospeh Akanjolenur Whittal to head the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Josephine Nkrumah as the new Commissioner of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

Representatives of President-elect's transition team were displeased with the action of the President, lamenting it was done in bad faith.

Spokesperson of President-elect's team, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said President Mahama's last minute decision contradicted an agreement the outgoing and incoming governments had reached.

"We have taken notice of this appointment and subsequent approval.Contrary to the gentleman agreement in the last Transition meeting the NPP was not consulted," he told Joy News on December 20.

But speaking to representatives of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference at the Flagstaff House Wednesday, President Mahama said that although he had lost the presidential poll, he remained the leader of the country.

"Our democracy is evolving and so there are some constitutional issues that definitely has come up as to whether a President is still a president even after he has lost an election until the midnight of the inauguration," he said.

He believes the answer to the question of whether a President could take decisions after he has lost an election would be best answered by either convention or legality.

I inherited a peaceful and stable country from my predecessor, the late President John Evans Atta Mills," he said promising to leave same for Nana Akufo-Addo.

We are looking forward to the inauguration. The transition has gone smoothly so far and we have engaged each in utmost good faith."
Margaret Ansei

30.12.2016 LISTEN

Margaret Ansei, the Suhum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), who contested the 2016 elections on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress and lost to the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) Frederick Opare Ansah, has packed out of her official bungalow and fled the town.

Margaret Ansei aka Magoo, who is currently based in Accra, on 12th December, 2016 packed her belongings from the official residence after organizing a party for NDC members.

Sources at the Suhum Municipal Assembly confirmed to DAILY GUIDE that she had abandoned her office.

Senior staff at the assembly who are preparing handing over notes are finding it difficult to get her to sign documents and hold meetings, she disclosed.

Prior to the general elections, the NDC mounted pressure on the former MCE Samuel Kwabi to resign to allow the defeated NDC parliamentary candidate to take over.

Magoo, the former GYEEDA Coordinator in the Ashanti Region, lost by 5,000 votes to the incumbent MP, Frederick Opare Ansah.

Magoo reportedly hired some unemployed youth said to be party members in the area to assault innocent people in the constituency.

The Magoo boys, who were the talk of town before the elections, went on rampage, destroying equipment of the Electoral Commission (EC).

They also assaulted chiefs, journalists and members of the New Patriotic Party.

The conduct of the thugs called Reinforcement Team, who were housed and fed at the MCE's official residence, caused fear and panic among the indigenes.

They also defaced NPP posters, banners and billboards in the constituency.

The Suhum NPP branch executives and the incumbent MP also called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrest them prior to the elections.

The MCE allegedly influenced the Police to arraign some NPP loyalists before Suhum and Koforidua High Courts.

From Daniel Bampoe, Suhum


Iran is accused of covertly aiding the Taliban, at a time when uncertainty reigns over President-elect Donald Trumps Afghanistan policy.

(The) narrative goes something like this: that the Taliban are the ones fighting Islamic State, top US commander in Afghanistan John Nicholson said recently, denouncing the malign influence of external powers. This public legitimacy that Russia lends to the Taliban is not based on fact, but it is used as a way to essentially undermine the Afghan government and the NATO effort and bolster the belligerents. Shifting to Iran, you have a similar situation. There have been linkages between the Iranians and the Taliban.

In recent months Taliban representatives have held several meetings with Russian officials in Tajikistan and Moscow, according to sources at Yahoo News.

No country should be in touch with destructive groups who are the enemies of Afghanistan. This shows disrespect towards the victims of war, interior ministry spokesman Sediq Siddiqi told AFP. We ask Russia and Iran to work with Afghans to defeat terrorism.

Islamic State may not have a deep presence in Afghanistan, but it has developed a profile there and its overall brand inspires great fear, Michael Kugelman, an analyst at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, told AFP. We cant rule out the possibility that Russia and Iran are trying to hedge against the future possibility of a stronger Islamic State in Afghanistan by expanding their ties to the Taliban.

Afghanistan has served as a playground for nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, who endorses Washingtons war on terrorism, while providing sanctuary to the Taliban. Countries jockeying for supremacy in Afghanistan may cause more chaos with the prospect of Trumps unpredictable foreign policy, analysts say.

Many in Tehran fear that a a White House under Trump will try to scrap the nuclear deal with world powers, and push them to retaliate by deepening ties with the Taliban. Foreign powers fighting for their own self interest does not bode well for Afghanistan, said Saeedi. That only means more violence and bloodshed in the country.
Supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who were transported to Somanya in the Eastern Region to welcome President John Mahama at a ceremony to cut the sod for the construction of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development wept uncontrollably.

The aggrieved supporters wailed uncontrollably after the president arrived at the venue and started exchanging pleasantries with the guests.

The outgoing President, who suffered an embarrassing defeat in the just-ended general elections, on Thursday cut sod for the construction of the Eastern University, which was one of his key promises to the people of the Eastern region during the 2012 electioneering campaign.

The President was hopeful of completing the University in his next term in office but lost to Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December polls.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Mahama showered praises on all those whose efforts and dedication helped move the project from the phase of conception to the present phase of construction.

According to him, the National TaskForce was inaugurated in April 2013 to develop, organize and supervise the establishment of the university that would focus on addressing challenges facing Ghana.

Parliament in this year October approved a 45 million commercial agreement between government and Contrzione Italia for the project despite the Minority's opposition.

The Minority raised issues about some aspects of the agreement, including the construction of a Vice Chancellor's residence allegedly worth over 1 million.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament after the approval of the agreement, the Deputy Minority Spokesperson on Education, and Member of Parliament for Asene-Manso-Akroso, Yaw Owusu Boateng, said the Minority found out that some of the cost were too high and therefore requested for a value of money audit to be done.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, also described the loan agreement approved by the government as daylight robbery.

Hon Agyarko said that I am scandalised by the daylight robbery this government seeks to perpetrate on the Republic in their attempt to put up infrastructure for the university.

The cost of providing three residential accommodation for the principal officers of the university according to the attachments cost about 1.7 million each. That works out about $2 million or GH8 million so for the three buildings it is $6 million or GH24 million.

FROM Daniel Bampoe, Somanya


The National Democratic Congress (NDC) are said to have commenced a search for why the party lost so abysmally to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The expensive venture, in our opinion, should not have involved the setting up of a committee and its attendant high cost of running. If they could engage with Ghanaians, they would have told them why they turned their back on the party.

We on our part would venture some factors which led to the humiliating defeat, the worst to be suffered by an incumbent party in living memory.

The hubris, which the young ministers exhibited as they held public office, courtesy the President who found them ideal for the positions, should not be ignored.

The manner in which they responded to questions about governance put off a lot of people who decided that they would teach the party a bitter lesson.

Although corruption was widespread during the tenure of the outgoing government, the President sought to downplay it by asking that those with evidence should produce same for action.

We would have thought that government appointees who messed up Ghana's money-bag during the Brazil engagement would have been punished. They were not but rather brought closer to the President at the Flagstaff House, an indication that he found nothing wrong with their stewardship.

The manner in which the Woyome issue was handled left much to be desired.

Government, through its lawyer, did not show sufficient evidence of seeking to retrieve the money which was dissipated with no work done.

The mismanagement of the public purse at a time when there are countless radio stations across the country made it possible for those who could not hear details of such financial misdemeanor to hear same and make their judgment.

Ghanaians were economically deprived to the marrow as they witnessed the doling out of expensive cars to chiefs and the Akua Donkors. Under such circumstances, how can you win an election even if the so-called silent majority decided to vote for the NDC according to President John Mahama.

The recent polls have brought out one great fact: we have been operating an over-bloated voters' register and most Ghanaians spoke against it but the Electoral Commission under Charlotte Osei could not be convinced.

We have seen the glaring trend from some parts of the country where the overwhelming figures which used to come from these areas could not be maintained.

Vigilance by Ghanaians who demanded a change in the political status quo did the magic.

Never again would Ghanaians allow the open thievery of the electoral system.

The foregone are but a few factors which led to the defeat of the NDC.

Didn't the intelligence report suggest that they would lose the polls?
The Writer

30.12.2016 LISTEN

Foreign Affairs, a renowned American foreign policy journal, recently published an article under the title Dysfunction in the Balkans, written by Timothy Less. In this article the author offers his advice to the new American Administration, suggesting it to abandon the policy of support to the territorial integrity of the states created in the process of dissolution of the former Yugoslavia. Timothy Less advocates a total redesign of the existing state boundaries in the Balkans, on the basis of a rather problematic assertion that the multiethnic states in the Balkans (such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia) proved to be dysfunctional, whereas the ethnically homogenous states (such as Croatia, Albania and Serbia) proved to be prosperous. Also, the author claims that the peoples in the Balkans, having lost any desire for the multiethnic status quo, predominantly share the aim to finally accomplish the imagined monoethnic greater state projects  so-called Greater Serbia, Greater Croatia and Greater Albania. According to Less' design, the imagined Greater Serbia should encompass the existing Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina (that is, 49% of the Bosnian territory), but also the whole of the internationally recognized Republic of Montenegro, the Greater Croatia should encompass a future Croatian entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the Greater Albania should encompass both Kosovo and the western part of Macedonia. All these territorial redesigns, Less claims, would eventually bring about a lasting peace and stability in the region. The question is, to what extent are these proposals founded in the geopolitical reality of the Balkans, or representative of particular interest groups, for whom the author only acts as a spokesperson, aiming to accomplish their own geopolitical projects, regardless of the price to be paid by the peoples of the Balkans?

First, let us take a look at the author's professional background. According to his official biographies, Timothy Less was the head of the British diplomatic office in Banja Luka, the capital of the Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was also the political secretary of the British Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia. Now he runs a consulting agency called Nova Europa, having officially left the British diplomatic service. What is striking at first glance is the fact that he served as a diplomat exactly in those two states which are, according to his analysis, the most desirable candidates for dissolution. Let us remind ourselves that the British foreign policy, since the 1990s, has occassionally but unambiguously advocated the creation of the imagined monoethnic greater states  Greater Serbia, Greater Croatia and Greater Albania  as a supposed path towards lasting stability in the Balkans. In that context, one can't help but think that this diplomat, having served in Banja Luka and Skopje, might have acted as an informal adviser to those very political forces, such as the Serbian and Albanian separatists, who should be the most active participants in the realization of those greater state projects. And ever since he left the diplomatic service, Timothy Less has regularly published articles in which he 'foresees', that is, invites new ethnic conflicts and ethnic divisions in the Balkans. In the aforementioned Foreign Affairs article he is attempting to persuade the new American Administration to adopt the policy of completing the greater state projects in the region. Ironically, Less makes these attempts now in order to prevent all those ethnic wars that he himself has been announcing, i.e. inviting and advocating for all these years. Both inviting ethnic conflicts in order to implement the greater state projects in the Balkans, and then advocating their completion in order to allegedly bring the stability back to the region, represent geopolitical projections designed by a relatively influential part of the British foreign policy establishment. In that context, the role of so-called 'independent experts', such as Timothy Less, is to persuade the world that such projections can be 'the only credible solution'.

However, his solutions are as credible as he is independent. For example, Less claims that multiethnic states, in which the aforementioned national projects have remained unaccomplished, are the main impediment to stability in the Balkans. However, this is a simple fallacy. The very concept of completed ethnonational states has only led towards perpetual instability wherever applied, because such ethnonational territories cannot be created without violence, i.e., without ethnic cleansing and wars. The strategy of 'solving national issues' has always led, both in the Balkans and elsewhere, only towards permanent instability, never towards final stability. What is particularly interesting, the winners in the World War I advocated the creation of a united national state of the Southern Slavs, in accordance with the doctrine of national self-determination promoted at the Peace Conference in Versailles. Some seventy years later, the same great powers accepted, and sometimes advocated, the dissolution of that very state in the name of self-determination of some other national states, since all the former Yugoslav republics, with the exception of Bosnia-Herzegovina, had been constituted as national states. And now, their spokespersons, like Less, advocate a dissolution of most of these states in order to complete some greater state projects  of course, again in the name of national self-determination. Therefore, national self-determination is obviously an arbitrary categorys, that changes in accordance with current geopolitical interests of the big players, not those small ones whose 'problems of national self-determination' are allegedly being solved.

However, before we reject Less' proposal as a mere list of the author's wishes, let us consider the relevance of Foreign Affairs in international political circles and how much this article can really influence future actions of the new American Administration. Foreign Affairs is published by the body called the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), whose membership from its inception consisted of senior politicians, secretaries of state, directors of CIA, bankers, academics, lawyers and senior media figures. This body was conceived and founded in 1921 as a common Anglo-American project, as the embodiment of the so-called special relationship between the United States and Great Britain, which had been created during the World War I and has continued to the present day. In this sense, there can hardly be a journal in the entire world with greater political influence, comparable only with the influence of the CFR itself. Therefore, the geopolitical manifesto written by Timothy Less must be taken with utmost seriousness, because it certainly reflects the interests of some influential circles within the Anglo-American foreign policy establishment. Bearing in mind all the public support that Hillary Clinton enjoyed during her presidential campaign from the people gathered around Foreign Affairs, it is reasonable to assume that she would probably adopt Less' suggestions. However, it is less likely that the newly-elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, who did not enjoy even slightest support from these circles, will be so naive as to adopt the strategy of completion of greater state projects presented in Foreign Affairs as his own strategy and a vision that can contribute to peace and stability in any part of the world. However, if that happens, we shall face not only new ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, but also a lasting instability in the rest of the world.
30.12.2016 LISTEN

There are many scarlet-painted huge transport buses with the distinguishing insignia V.I.P marked on their sides that ply the major routes in Ghana, especially, from Kumasi to Accra. Most of these buses have their departure and arrival stations at Kumasi Asafo Market and Accra Circle.

I am compelled to report through placing a publication on the Ghanaian internet news portals to alert the owners and the operators of the buses to the dismal and, or criminal attitudes of some of their employees. Without taking immediate measures to address such concerns which might have been going on since only God knows when, the services of the transport company may suffer bad publicity to culminate in the loss of patronage and revenue to their owners and shareholders.

The last thing any reputable company would like to deal with is bad publicity but in Ghana, where things are not taken seriously with customer service care least bothered about in the usual outrageous mannerism of Ghana deE Saa, most companies do not care much about how their customers are treated. However, I have the duty to the passengers and the owners of the V.I.P transport to convey my regrettable observations and experiences to them in case they might find an appropriate way to resolve them before the situation escalates into something pernicious.

When I arrived at the station on 19 December 2016 at 09:20 hours in a chattered taxi, stopping within two to three metres from a loading V.I.P bus, an unknown person opened the back door to remove my luggage from the back seat of the taxi. I immediately questioned what that unsolicited stranger was up to and ordered him to leave my two luggage alone.

He said he works at the V.I.P bus station and that he was helping to move my luggage to the then loading bus. I insisted he stopped as his services were not needed by me. The taxi driver confirmed he knows him and that he works for the V.I.P buses.

When my small and medium-sized luggage were taken to where a V.I.P bus was loading and was almost full, the luggage check-in attendant demanded GHC12.00. I pleaded with him to reduce the price. He insisted I pay the charged fee of GHC12.00.

After much pleading and his unyielding stance that I paid GHC12.00, I told him, Please when I was coming from Accra about a month ago with three luggage, the biggest among which I have left at home in Kumasi, I was charged a total of GHC7.00 at your sister V.I.P station in Accra. Could you therefore please do something about it as the fee you are demanding is comparatively higher?

Just at the mention of the comparison, and out of the blue, he said, This place is not Accra and it is not abroad. This is Kumasi and you have to pay the price I am demanding. I asked, what has pleading for reduction of your demanded exorbitant fee has to do with abroad? Have I made mention with anything pertaining to abroad? He said you people have spoiled Ghana and ran away to overseas. If you had not, why did you Ghanaians choose to go abroad without staying in Ghana, he said?

At his silly and ignorant pronouncements quite unrelated to the issue about the luggage fee, I flipped and as no-nonsense man as I am without taking it kindly to fools, I took him straight to the cleaners. I lambasted him and made it clear to him that it is because of such corrupt and ignorant fools that Ghana has deteriorated to its current state where disrespectfully corrupt, clueless and incompetent leaders are at its helms of affairs.

It was to rescue Ghana and Ghanaians from the current socio-economic doomsday brought upon them by President Mahama and his markedly corrupt NDC government and party that many burgers had travelled home from abroad to campaign and vote for a change in government from NDC to NPP.

Many bystanders, passengers and passers-by had to beg me to forgive the man for behaving that stupidly. In the end, he decided to take GHC8.00 for the two luggage. I paid him. However, another more agonising and sillier scenario unfolded.

The man, who removed my two luggage from the taxi, gave me a ticket no.18 for the loading V.I.P bus. He told me the price was GHC40.00 which is the normal on-going fare for boarding those buses. I paid him the money.

After settling with the luggage check-in man as aforesaid, this man asked me for a tip. I questioned to know why and what for? He said because of helping me carry the luggage from the taxi to the bus for a distance of about two to three metres. I gave him GHC1.00. He refused and said he needed GHC5.00. I asked why? He said, It is for the ticket. I told him, did you not tell me the ticket fare was GHC40.00 and have I not already given you the GHC40.00? He said yes, but he still needed GHC5.00 for procuring me the ticket.

This is absolute crap. I turned on him and lambasted him from head to toe. Why should the station attendants pass some of the tickets on to people who are indeed ticket touts to inflate the prices to feed their corrupt practices? Why should they be craftily allowed to exploit travellers or public transport passengers?

I believe in principles and would not kowtow to the stupid Ghanaian attitude of always seeking to cheat their fellows thinking they are smarter when they are allowed to get away with that nonsense. GHC5.00 was not much to part with but I will not allow a criminal ticket tout to get away with their silly corrupt practices thinking they are smart to outwit a burger.

Again, people had to come to his rescue as he found me not to be his match when it comes to castigating the corrupt Ghanaians who always desire to feed fat on the generosity and ignorance of others thinking they are far more intelligent than their victims.

I moved across to the other side of the same station where another V.I.P bus charging GHC30.00 was loading. They charged me GH8.00 for my luggage and GHC30.00 for my fare to Accra. In less than fourteen minutes, the bus was full and was on the move to Accra. Within five hours, we had arrived in Accra.

Is there any much difference between the V.I.P buses charging GHC40.00 per seat with their probably arranged and conniving ticket touts and those charging GHC30.00 per seat? No!

The only excuse they offer is the GHC40.00 per seat V.I.P bus takes fewer passengers with each passenger having their own seat. This is totally BULLSHIT! On the GHC30.00 per head bus, although it takes about ten more people than the other one, each passenger has their own seat. No two passengers are squeezed into the same single seat nor do we have passengers sitting on the lap of one another while on the bus. Each passenger is allocated their own seat same as it pertains on a passenger airplane.

I strongly suggest that the management of the V.I.P buses get rid of the ticket touts and then retrain their luggage check-in attendants and other transport staff in customer services. They should not talk anyhow and treat people anyhow in their usual Ghanaian typical-minded Ghana deE saa paralogism (argument violating principles of valid reasoning).

Stay tuned for more info from Rockson Adofo, the proud son of Kumawu and Asiampa (Juaben), the proponent and defender of the causes that will make Ghana a great and prosperous nation to live in. Whosoever will may drink freely from my overflowing fountain of wisdom.

Sorry, I am feeling very sleepy. I cant help it anymore so I am off to bed.

Rockson Adofo

(Written on Friday, 30 December 2016)
It's here again! The only time in the life of Ghanaians where people from all walks of life take time to reflect on their successes or failures in their lives. Simply, majority of Ghanaians have put their resolutions on autopilot only on December 31, which should not be the case. It's only on the said date that no empty seat can be located in the various chapels, cathedrals and classroom-turn-churches in the country. Even those who have not been attending church service during the year, will make it a point to be in one of the various churches. Likewise, there comes the opportunistic charismatic pastors in the country with decorated 31st December watch-night bill boards as if they are contesting for political positions.

These bill boards comes with captions to attract even the atheist to the church premises for the final blessing from God in the year. Namely; Crossover, Passover, New beginning, Change Over, The Great Move," and many others. However, right after the various resolutions to God on the eve of the New Year, the story is no different. Why should this be so? With all the promises and prayers of repentance, our life as a people remains the same old story like the past years.

One of the reasons why people cant live by their December, 31st resolution is that majority of them lack determination to execute their resolutions. Determination is not found, but it is built through a conscious effort. You cant buy determination at the local supermarket. One has to sow the seeds of determination himself or herself in order to reap the fruit of determination. However, many people do not make conscious effort to live by their decisions after the December 31st watch-night services but they leave their decisions to chance or fate. Consequently, majority of people who throng to various churches with the hope of making religious, social and economic resolutions in the subsequent year are not able to materialise their decisions due to their lack of determination. In order for them to live by their December, 31st, decisions, they should make a conscious effort to live by their decisions.

Also, most Ghanaians are not able to live by their December, 31st resolutions because they have misplaced priorities. Have you ever started prioritizing your time, relationships, and money in the best way? Economically, people set priorities that are not within their means. Likewise, people do not set religious aims that are within the grace and faith bestowed on them. Truly, whatever has your affection will get your attention every time. This means more often than not, we tend to give priorities to things that we dont have affection for. Consequently, the zeal, enthusiasm and passion which we have those things start to decline as the days go by. If people who make it a point to participate and make resolutions in their various churches set priorities that they are passionate about, they would be able to achieve most of their aims if not all by the end of the year.

Moreover, most people fail to take personal responsibility of their resolutions. Individual responsibility is the idea that human beings are self-responsible for their actions. It comprises acknowledging that one is solely responsible for his or her choices in life; accepting that one is responsible for what one feels, thinks, directions for ones life and cannot blame others for the choices one makes and taking inventory of ones strengths, abilities, talents, virtues, and positive actions. Most people who are not able to live by their December, 31st resolutions, blame either individuals or the devil for their failure to accomplish their aim. Mostly, people blame circumstances or individuals for their failures in their quest to accomplish their aims the subsequent year after December, 31st watch-night. Individuals, after December, 31st resolutions, have to execute their resolutions on daily basis.

More importantly, to make your resolutions a memorable one in the year 2017, the kind of company and relationships you'll keep in the year is very key determinant of your failure or success. In the name of boy-friend and girl-friend relationships, more visions have been thwarted and died abruptly. Why waste your resources on a partner who can't advice you on your financial management? Mind you, no human being is all knowing, therefore, the company you keep must also serve as a guidance tool in order to achieve more glories in the year 2017 and beyond. Simply, be very critical about the relationship you keep in this year of change.

Sadly, after crossing over, those people who thronged to various churches to make resolutions for the incoming year do not have a change of attitude, character and behavior. It is said that its only a fool who does the same thing and expect different results. Thus, people should have a change of attitude and behavior when they make resolutions for the subsequent year. They should make a conscious effort not to repeat those things that distracted them in the previous years. Again, they should not limit resolutions to only December, 31st but they should make daily resolutions as the days go by.

Daniel Wilbon Sanni

[email protected]

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An Akan proverb is loosely translated into English that one can fairly predict how successful or otherwise a village market activities will be, just by looking at the influx of the participants in the early morning hours. Since his stunning victory on December 7, 2016 general elections, the president-elect Nana Akufo-Addo has shown encouraging signs that his approach to governance is not going to be business as usual, but it will hinge around modernity backed by sound public policies. Already, he has sounded an alarm bell to his prospective cabinet members and other government bureaucrats that public service is not the right avenue to make money. For the president-elect, anyone aiming to make a lot of money must go straight to the right place: The private sector as opposed to public employment.

Aside from Nana Addos avowed aim to pursue a government based on transparency, accountability, and robust internal controls of the state bureaucracy, other encouraging public policy pronouncement that inspires this current piece is the incoming administrations desire to relocate GNPC headquarters to Takoradi (Ref: Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9FM/December 27, 2016). Moving the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation main office from Tema to the Western Region where the bulk of the oil operations are taking place is a harbinger of success and industry of the upcoming new government.

More so, it underscores the president-elects practical vision and resolve to carry out not only his pre-campaign but also to translate his postelection promises into reality when he assumes power. Nana Addo Danquahs determination to spread out or decentralize governmental activities across the country is a 21st century approach to governance that focuses more on efficiency and eliminates bureaucratic red tape. Indeed, one of the fertile breeding swamps for the exponential incubation of state corruption originates from the cumbersomely age-old bureaucratic system in Ghana whereby almost every major government operation/service is centralized in one placeAccra and its metropolis of Tema.

Like almost all Africa capitals, it is unexplainable why in this century the policymakers in Ghana still put all their eggs in one basket while lamenting about overcrowding and uncontrollable traffic jams in the major cities in the country. Fact is everyone wants to come to the capital city where all the important jobs are situated to compete for inadequate state employment. No sane person will wish for any bad news to befall his or her place of abode. But, certainly, there are some natural disasters that can happen in an area that goes beyond the cure of human control or prevention. Imagine in hypothetical scenario waking up in the morning to see a capital city partly destroyed in a devastating natural catastrophe?

In that unfortunate circumstance, it will take a pretty long time for the countrylike Ghanato pick up the pieces and recovers nationally, in that the majority of the nations heartbeat infrastructures and services are mostly concentrated in Accra and Tema. Its from some of these realities that the president-elect Nana Addo Danquahs intention of relocating one of the nations preeminent institutions to Takoradi is an encouraging sign for many good things to come. In other words, having GNPCs operations moved to the city of Takoradi shows Nana Addo understands the geographical and the functional relationship of Western Region as the emerging industrial oil hub of Ghana.

Listening to his pre-and postelection policy proposals everywhere he goes, we will not be jumping the gun by asserting that the incoming Akufo-Addo administration stands the chance of becoming the best and the most effective government since the nations independence. Truly, we hardly need emphasis to say that the president-elect will measure up to his goals and even far exceeds the expectations of majority of Ghanaians home and abroad. The raison d'etre for our unshakeable belief that Nana Akufo Addos presidential success story is imminent is mainly based on the fact that he is viewed in many ways as a radical politician.

Indeed, some Ghanaians often described Nana Akufo Addo as radical as if it is derogatory word. But under close scrutiny, calling someone radical isnt a bad label; for, were all radicals one way or the other. Any change people make in their lives borders on radicalism; since changes entail opening a new or different chapter in every human endeavor. Throughout history individuals with radical tendencies have been the instruments for far-reaching transformations in cultures or societies in the past and in the present.

Without complicating or belaboring issues here, it is worth pointing out that Jesus was unapologetic radical, looking at many unconventional positions he undertook against the religious establishment during his short but productive time on earth. So also were Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nana Yaa Asantewaa l, Nkrumah, JB Danquah, and a host of others, who led radical campaigns culminating in seismic changes in their time in history. If Nana Akufo Addo happens to be a radical person, then the country has finally elected the right leader to effect radical changes for the good and advancement of the 21st century Ghana. That is in itself a promising sign.

It is no wonder that the president-elect Nana Akufo Addo has already begun hinting on litanies of radical policy ideas he plans to pursue after swearing into office. One of the many encouraging policy pronouncements by Nana Addo relates to the local governments whereby the districts CEOs will be elected directly by the local people instead of the currently outmoded system where the government in power appoints municipal officials (Ref: Modernghana.com, 12/27/2016). Ghanas sister country of South Africa practices this contemporary system of local governance in which the central government has no control of the selection of the municipal/local leaders. So far, the prospects look bright for Ghana because we are on the verge of having a radical leader in the nations political saddle bent on transforming the country into its rightful place among the comity of serious nations in this globalized century.

The writer is United States-based sociopolitical analyst. He can be reached: [email protected]
Jon Benjamin is the current British High Commissioner to Ghana. Once again, he was in the news for making an unacceptable remark about our President as he links it to the appearance of the Harmattan. He said Oh, that nasty air outside all of a sudden. Did someone inaugurate the Harmattan already?.

If Ghanaians nicknamed their President the Commissioner General leading to and even beyond the election as he inaugurates many projects, it does not mean any diplomat can go public ridiculing our President. A weather phenomenon has nothing to do with inauguration. The word, inauguration, gives his implicit intention away and the furor it generated to put him where he belongs nonviolently is justified. But Manasseh Azure thought otherwise, to the point of writing a piece, which to a large extent is a defense of the British Commissioners act.

In his piece titled, the undiplomatic diplomat and the hypocrites, Manasseh went describing Ghanaians who descended on Ben as hypocrites. In fact, Manasseh filled his piece with so much specious reasoning that, at first, you might think he has a point if you know nothing about smokescreens in advancing a case. Smokescreens are deliberate introduction of certain legitimate points anachronistically intended to conceal the specious reasoning for the advancement of a case, that would ordinary not make it.

In this regard, he used our internal wrangling and if they sway you, you are likely to see nothing wrong with what the British High Commissioners comment. And then tell yourself that Azure was simply being objective. However, as I shall point out, he only engaged in erecting smokescreens. Manasseh was more subjective than objective. Let me quote from his article for illustration.

THE SMOKESCREENS

This is the presidency under which the senseless and fraudulent bus-branding contract was awarded. This is the presidency that supervised the SADA rot. This is the presidency that attacked and destroyed the voice recorder of a journalist and when a petition was submitted to get the official sanctioned and have him apologise, nothing came out of it.

Further down the lane, this is the presidency who told ministers not to accept a pesewa or a pin from a business entity but went ahead to accept a Ford Expedition from a Burkinabe contractor who was winning questionable contracts in our republic. And many more in the article. These are diversionary tactics, which sway you off the main topic of discussion, in this case, whether the British High Commissioners comment clearly impliedly ridicules our President or not.

BEGGAR DESERVES NO RESPECT

Besides, before we compare ourselves with the UK and US and the other countries, which we often say must stay away from issues, we should know our relationships with them. Ours is a servant-master relationship. We go there to beg them for money. We beg because our government officials, businessmen and highly respected people have, since independence, been stealing our collective wealth and stashing them in offshore accounts and buying property in Dubai and the most luxurious places on the planet. Until we stop begging, we should not expect to be treated as equals. And many more in the article.

A beggar deserving no respect is commonsense. And international relationships are certainly not anchored on commonsense. So that is very pathetic from a journalist in 21st century, where even a thief is to be respected and treated with dignity for the fact that he is foremost a human being, before his status as a thief. Let us apply the same to a nation, and ask how whether a nation that begs deserves respect or not? The sole point of sovereignty of a nation in international relations is respect whether any begs via their representatives or not. Every diplomat knew this to guide their actions and utterances if not every journalists.

CONCLUSION

Reading his article reveals so much smokescreens, contradictions and specious reasoning. He was not objective either. Objectivity is not the absence of bias as most people think. Rather it is the effort to minimize its influence. As Azure could not minimize his bias against President John Dramani Mahama led government, even with respect to this British Commissioners comment, he imported almost every unnecessary claims as smokescreens to defend the British Commissioners indefensible unacceptable remark whilst tagging those who think otherwise as hypocrites.

FB: Stanley Seshie

Whatsapp: 0248412308
Growing controversies surround the management of the countrys Tier Two (private) pension schemes among public sector workers.

The private pension fund and schemes manager have been on the neck of the Bank of Ghana to release on time the contributions of the Tier Two of contributors, especially public sector work.

Managers of the pension of funds on behalf of the contributors have blamed the lack of accurate data for the increased

The absence of credible employee data hampers effective disbursements of the contributions currently with the Temporary Pension Fund Account at the Bank of Ghana.

The Chief Executive Officer of SSNIT, Ernest Thompson has argued that, The current problem about the Tier 2 pension scheme is that the money has been deposited at the Bank of Ghana but the data is lying somewhere else.

So when people begin to demand payment of their claims, now the managers are going through a system of reconciling data using audit firms and they cannot effect any payments until that reconciliation is completed.

Meanwhile, statistics have revealed that, Ghana's private pension funds made up of Asset Under Management and the Temporary Pension Fund Account have risen to GH4.7 billion as at close of 2015, representing 3.3 percent of the countrys GDP, data from the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has shown.

The 2015 total private pension fund grew by more than 480 percent of the amount recorded in 2012, when it was GH805 million  about 1 percent of the countrys GDP.

However, David Ofosu-Dorte, a Senior Partner at AB and David law firm, the funds accrued by the privately managed schemes should be used to finance high yielding long-term projects like infrastructure.

Funds collected under Tier-2 and Tier-3 schemes in last three years is quite impressive and we need to find something to do with it, Mr. Ofosu-Dorte said, adding that we could use it to finance some of our long-term projects rather than going for loans abroad.

Public sector workers have embarked on several agitations including strikes over the non-payment of Tier two pension contributions to their respective fund managers.

The Chairman of the Forum of Public Sector Labour Unions and Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Dr Isaac Bampoe have expressed worries to the way the Tier Two is being handled, our demand was that the second tier should be transferred to our custodian banks but as we speak now, nothing has been done

Apparently, Finance Minister, Seth Tekper in an interview few weeks ago confirmed that the Auditor General is validating the pension of some labour unions in the country to enable their fund managers receive the monies on their behalf.

The Controller is not equipped to do the validation, so can we bring in SSNIT for example, that is equipped to do the validation before the payment. Yes we are owing, there is a schedule for payment, and we are on it, the minister said.

Mr. Ernest Thompson have explained that, managers could avert another bout of confrontations should employees and employers insist on the provision of accurate data for pension purposes.

If the money is in your account as a fund manager but the data is lying somewhere, then there is a problemdata is very fundamental in social security administration, he added.

Despite the growth in the pension funds, the NPRA said out of 91,321 private employers, 51,466, about 56 percent were active under the SSNIT scheme. Out of the active establishments registered, only 10,610 are active under Tier-2 pension scheme with as many as 40,856 employers without the mandatory Tier-2 schemes.

The failure of the private firms to pay workers contribution to the Tier Two schemes, to many shows the ineffectiveness of the new pension scheme as it has created a potentially explosive situation as many workers near retirement in the midst of shaky pension funds.

The current three-tier pension system, enacted into law in 2008, demands employers to register their staff under a first-tier basic pension scheme managed by SSNIT and a second-tier work-based scheme that is privately managed and is expected to give contributors higher lump sum benefits than presently available under the SSNIT or Cap 30 pension schemes.

The third-tier is voluntary and includes provident funds and personal pension schemes.

The reforms, was a major step toward improving the retirement conditions of workers through competition that will maximise the returns earned on pension investments.

It is projected that the reforms will grow the assets of the pension industry from GH1.06billion to GH5.5billion over the next three years.

The National Pensions Act 2008 (Act 766), requires an additional contribution rate of one (1) percent to be shared equally between the employer and employee. The employer pays 13 percent (instead of the current 12.5percent) and the worker now pays 5.5percent (instead of the current 5percent) making a total contribution of 18.5percent (instead of the current 17.5 percent).
The outgoing President John D. Mahama led administration has put on record that, his government have left behind a foundation that if the incoming government follows the path of its fiscal prudence policies, debt management strategies and increased revenue sources, the economy is likely to grow at 7% in 2017 as projected by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The outgoing government has assured that, all things suggest that there would not be a reversal of the fiscal consolidation programme.

The Finance Minister, Mr Seth Terkper at a press briefing last week, expressed optimism that there will be no reversal in the growth of the economy following the several investment and prudent policy measures put in place by the government.

Over the past four years, we have been following a path of fiscal consolidation from developments that go back into the four earlier years which bore out major policy issues like the single spine that came into existence around 2009.

This path of consolidation we had indicated in major presentations a few months back has led to a turnaround. We are convinced that Ghana is in a turnaround and the economic indicators all point to a clear turnaround, he said.

The press conferences was to update stakeholders on the performance of the economy.

Again, on the performance of the economy, the minister said: We were supposed to bottom out at 3.5 per cent of GDP growth; we bottomed out at 3.9 per cent, and in the first and second quarters, GDP performance, as well as the stabilisation of indicators like debts and the reduction of the fiscal deficits, suggest clearly that Ghana is not going to see a reversal of the gains consolidated.

He indicated that Ghana was not going to see a reversal of the gains provided it continued on the path of fiscal prudence.

The outgoing government is much confident of the future, saying it looked very bright. It also projected that the countrys economy could grow from 6.5% to 9% in 2017.

Again, these are not accidental. They are the result of investments that were made, particularly in the oil and gas sector, notably the partial risk guarantee provided by the World Bank, which has secured the countrys investments and has seen the second floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit commissioned and a third one which is about 85 per cent complete, he said.

He stressed that the operation of three FPSOs, a strong service sector and a rebound in the agricultural sector showed that Ghanas economy would not experience a recession.

Already, the fiscal consolidation had seen a reduction in deficit from nearly 12% to 6.3% at the end of 2016 and a narrowing of the primary balance from 8.2% deficit in 2012 to 0.2% at the end of 2016.

The rate of debt accumulation had also significantly narrowed, with the rate of growth of debts showing a decline, he said, indicating that the debt stock had stabilised in the last three years at 70% of GDP.

And this will be the first time in 12 years that the rate of growth of Ghanas debt stabilised and reversed and the stock itself stabilised around 70% for the third year running. This is a very significant development, he stated.

He said as a result of the prudent fiscal measures of the government, the rate charged on treasury bills had reduced from 24 per cent to 16.7% and hoped the drop rate would be sustained.

However, the minister reiterated some challenges faced by the country, such as gas shortages, coupled with a rise in crude oil prices.

He said no fuel shortage had been experienced in the country and expressed the hope that there would be no increase in transport fares during the Christmas period.

Some of the reforms implemented by the government were outlined by the minister which included; tax administration reforms, revamped tax laws and special initiatives such as the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act 2016, the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), the establishment of the Ghana EXIM Bank and budget and financing measures which had contributed to the growth of the economy.

Mr. Terkper refuted allegations that the Stabilisation Fund was being depleted, but said, it was used to support the economy when oil prices fell on the world market.

He also explained that, the Sinking Fund had been established to stabilise the economy, while GH2.2 billion of the Volta River Authority (VRA) debt had been paid by the government, which was negotiating for the second tranche of the debt to be paid soon.
Barely weeks after the elections, section of the public and organized groupings mounting pressure on the incoming Nana Akufo-Addos led government to fulfil his promises he made during the campaign rounds.

Most of these promises are related to taxes and social intervention policies that sought to reduce the burden of the private sector and also of students, basically teacher and nursing trainees.

Recent to add his voice to the numerous call on the president-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo to fulfil his promises is the Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor.

He has challenged Nana Akufo-Addo to ensure that he fulfills his promise of scrapping energy sector levies in the country.

The NPP promised the people of Ghana that if they dont want dumsor they shouldnt vote for us. And now the people of Ghana had confidence in them, they voted for the NPP, they expect that all the levies and tax will be scrapped immediately as promised.

Nana Addo prior to the December 7 polls assured to scrap what he described as killer and nuisance taxes including the energy sector levies if Ghanaians voted for him.

The passage of the energy sector levy resulted in the prices of petroleum products shooting up by 27%. Electricity and water tariffs also shot up astronomically; a move the NPP said worsened the plight of Ghanaians.

The outgoing deputy minister stressed in an interview on Accra based radio that the NPP must honour its promise.

We took that decision in the best interest of the country. We took that decision because we were convinced beyond reasonable doubt that, that was the best decision for this country and there was no alternative. And I will stand by that decision President Mahama took any day. We said we needed the levy because there was some financial issue. When PURC increased the tariff, the NPP said when they come they will reduce the tariffs. We had to take some of the tough and painful decisions in order to sustain power but they say that they have a way of dealing with it and they can still reduce the tariffs, lets see how it goes. But sometimes we must face the facts and be frank to the people of Ghana. Some of the decisions are tough, some are difficult but the truth is that if you dont take those tough decisions you risk collapsing the entire power sector, he added.

Also, despite the fact that President elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is faced with a major challenge to help address the daunting challenge facing the real estate sector as he assumes office on January 7, 2017.

The Real Estate Developers are admonishing the President elect, Nana Akufo Addo to Walk the Talk by fulfilling his promise of abolishing the 5% VAT on Real Estate sales.

The VAT, which was initially 17.5% was reduced to 5% by the ouitgoing government but the real estate developers want it scrapped altogether.

This is to help address the housing shortage situation and relatively high cost of housing ownership in the country,

Ghanas housing sector has for the past decades suffered shortage of decent but affordable packages for the growing middle class of the countrys population.

The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA), Samuel Amegayibor pressed the president elect to put into action his promises.

That is the beginning of it to walk the talk meaning that whatever you promised the people, you go ahead to deliver. he stated. Mr Amegayibor lamented the effect of the VAT on businesses.

According to him, business has slowed down as demand for estates reduce due to high cost. It has really brought our sales down and increased the cost of houses and the general public is complaining, he said, adding that the current governments refusal to scrap the 5% VAT has affected business activities.

For us as business people, this tax was of great concern to us and so we raised it to the outgoing president. We dialogued for close to two years before we were able to get a cut.

Many hard-working citizens who dont own a house, or are unable to afford decent accommodation, have been let down by two main antagonists -- the prevailing economic conditions and inimical housing polices.

This has pushed many people to the fringes of major commercial towns where they live in make-shift structures of sub-standard quality.

Over the years, governments have not adequately addressed the issue of funding for the real estate sector. Developers have had to borrow at commercial rates from banks, at as much as 40percent in some cases, to undertake various housing projects.

Taxes on imported raw materials, and the cost of registering various housing projects with the respective Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, have conspired to tame the efforts of private housing developers.

In view of this, real estate developers have called on government to set-up a special fund in the likeness of the Export Trade, Agricultural and Industrial Development Fund (EDAIF), to address the countrys housing deficit.

Also, Samuel Amegayibor, Executive Secretary of GREDA, is advocating that: There has to be another way of funding housing. There has to be some housing fund. Government, instead of going to spend so much money like in the case of the STX insurance, should create a Fund managed by a local company.

The government, he said, can then say local real estate companies, go there and borrow at five or ten percent.

Mr. Amegayibor, believes that: If we come up with these innovative measures and implement them well, we can solve the housing problem.
By Tyler Durden on 30 December 2016 for Zero Hedge-

Image above: 'Invasion of the Fake News" mashup from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". The war on "Fake News" is all about censoring real news. From ( http://truepundit.com/the-war-on-fake-news-is-all-about-censoring-real-news/ ).

Obama, DOD and Free Speech

Image above: Source of US government propaganda includes "Fake News" in Mainstream Media. The FaceBook response on December 15th 2016 was announcement it will begin censoring stories they feel constitute "Fake News". From ( http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/zuckerberg-announces-facebook-will-now-begin-censoring-stories-feel-constitute-fake-news/)

The purpose of the Center, states the text , shall be to lead, synchronize, and coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests.

support the development and dissemination of fact-based narratives and analysis to counter propaganda and disinformation directed at the United States and United States allies and partner nations.

The Center is authorized to provide grants or contracts of financial support to civil society groups, media content providers, nongovernmental organizations, federally funded research and development centers, private companies, or academic institutions for the following purposes:

To collect and store examples in print, online, and social media, disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda directed at the United States and its allies and partners.

To analyze and report on tactics, techniques, and procedures of foreign information warfare with respect to disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda.

To support efforts by the Center to counter efforts by foreign entities to use disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda to influence the policies and social and political stability of the United States and United States allies and partner nations.

, 

Russian propaganda effort helped spread fake news during election, experts say

, originally published on November 24, boldly declared the Russians had been behind disinformation during the election cycle, and had facilitated the election of Donald Trump to suit a shady but noticeably unspecified political agenda.

First to obtain an ostensibly damning list of news organizations affiliated with The Russians, the

Post

failed, negligently or intentionally, to investigate the nascent organization which provided said list, or to even contact a single outlet named  yet reported as if the information were so damning as to be indisputable truth.

In fact, the supposed experts cited by the once-illustrious outlet inhabited a single, newly created website,

PropOrNot

, whose owners sophomorically responded to outrage  giving the Post a black eye in the process  tweeting,

Aww, wook at all the angwy Putinists, trying to change the subject  theyre so vewwy angwy!! Its cute [gloating emoticon] We dont censor; just highlight.

The website encourages reporters and anyone with questions to reach out via Twitter or email, but says,

among officials persist.

When the public had a difficult time swallowing such allegations, the White House stepped in and, rather flippantly, proclaimed Russian President Vladimir Putin played a direct role in hacking the U.S. presidential election  again, despite any evidence the election had been hacked.

Couple this renewed Red Scare with what, in essence, marked the legalization of one of the most nefarious covert domestic government operations in U.S. history  Operation Mockingbird  and any iterations this program wont severely cripple legitimate but dissenting American media ring hollow.

Notably, though the Obama administration cited pernicious pro-Russian propaganda and the proliferation of false reports for causing the election of Trump, no unassailable evidence has yet been proffered proving this theory true  nor has any indication fake news so much as changed a single vote.

.
Energy analyst are of the view that, the intermission in Gas supply for the country is likely to result in power challenges over a 15 day period in February 2017 and the following month-March.

A letter from the Volta River Authority (VRA) communicating the imminent challenge to key stakeholders in the sector said power from the AMERI Energy during the same period will also not be available to support the system.

Part of the letter forwarded to the Power Ministry on the challenge and signed by Chief Executive Officer of the VRA, Kirk Koffie said: I shall be grateful if the System Control Manager will meet with our Plant Managers to manage the power system during the above stated period to limit nay supply challenges.

However, the Ministry of Power is convinced that a possible cut in gas supply in the country wont adversely affect the production of electricity.

According to the Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor, the countrys power producers can rely on crude oil to power the various power plants to adequately serve the energy needs of Ghanaians in the absence of gas.

The Deputy Minister made the remark in an interview on Eyewitness News in reaction to a letter the Volta River Authority wrote to GRIDCo informing it of a 15-day interruption in gas supply between February and March 2017.

The Authority in the letter further indicated that power from Ameri Energy will also not be available during that period.

Ghanaians have however expressed worry over the situation after enduring intense load-shedding for nearly three years.

But Mr. Jinapor observed that the nation will not be plunge into darkness if the incoming New Patriotic Party handles the situation properly.

He explained that earlier in 2016, a similar situation occurred yet the nation was enjoyed 24 hours of uninterrupted power supply throughout the period because they relied on lite crude oil.

If we do our things well, if we continue to put in place the right mechanisms and the right framework and we build on the gains we have made so far, we should never have load shedding and this is factual. Even if we dont have gas from the FPSO, most of the plants in the west; thus the Aboadze enclave can run on lite crude oil. This year, getting into the election we had a 21 day shutdown of the FPSO, it did not affect production. And so if you could manage it for 21 days, it means you can equally manage it for one month, Mr. Jinapor noted.

He also explained that additional plants are coming on-board which will supplement the hydro power generated from the Akosombo dam.

We are having additional capacities coming onboard. So if you dont have gas Ameri may not produce but you have a complement of between about 370 [megawatts]. The second batch of Karpower is also available and will start producing in around February. So you are looking to about 600 megawatts of extra capacity coming on board. In addition to that the hydro levels have gone up to appreciable levels. From that low of about 235 we hit over 250 so it means that given all the conditions that we have we should not go into load shedding, the Deputy Minister explained.

Also, the African Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) had earlier warned that Ghana may face power crisis in 2017 over disruption in gas supply.

It further admonished the incoming government to tackle as a matter of urgency challenges in the power sector since power supply from the nations hydro power sources are still dim.

The VRA announcement comes days after the newly elected Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of the VRA, Cephas Duse, revealed that the power producer is owed to the tune of five billion Ghana cedis.

This he said is crippling the companys effort to be financially viable. He mentioned the mining sector and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as the major debtors of the company.

As at September 2016, the independent power producers owe the VRA to the tune of five billion Ghana cedis. Mr. Duse made this known in an interview with Citi News on the side-lines of a biennial conference at Akuse in the Eastern Region.

The conference among other things was to discuss the issues affecting the company and the way forward. Newly elected executives were sworn into office to steer the affairs of the association in the company.

According to him, What is happening with the VRA is that, we basically procure LCO gas and these are very expensive inputs; and they are dominated in foreign currency and when you buy these inputs its expected that when you sell to the public you get your money back. And when we dont get the money back we turn to the bank to get loans to buy again and the cycle continues. We sell to them and they dont pay, he lamented.
A. INTRODUCTION

The Progressive People's Party (PPP) was formed in 2012 largely as a reform movement with leaders who were determined to press for positive, fundamental change in the lives of Ghanaians. After four years of existence, the PPP has not won elections to produce a Member of Parliament or President, but has established itself as the up and coming alternative political party to the NDC and the NPP. After two elections in a row, 2012 and 2016, our party has placed third in presidential elections admitedly with fewer votes than we had expected. The PPP in 2016 also placed second in some parliamentary contests in four regions. We are here this morning to fulfill a pledge we made to the nation that we will not be a political party only during election years. We will stay active to push our change agenda and promote job creation. That is what we are here to do today.

During this Fourth Republic, it has become abundantly clear to us that Ghana cannot continue this "see-saw", "forward then backward" growth and development. The only way out is to implement fundamental change to strengthen our foundation and provide springboard to ensure prosperity that is not limited to a few but one that spreads to the majority of citizens. Ghana must become more democratic, disciplined and decentralized.

B. NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION

An essential public policy decision occurred when Parliament passed into law, Act 707 which was given assent by the then President on 18 April 2006. This brought into being the National Identification Authority. According to the law, "The object of the authority is to create, maintain, provide and promote the use of national identity cards in order to advance economic, political and social activities in the country." The PPP believes that the mandatory use of the resultant national identification number by all citizens from birth until death will help greatly to bring about greater discipline into all aspects of our national lives. All areas - banking, broadening the national revenue base, criminal justice, voters registration, etc. will benefit from the implementation of the national identification system. It is our understanding that a lot of work was done and progress made In this direction by the National Identification Authority. Therefore, we are asking the incoming Administration to provide adequate financial, human and technical equipment support so that this work can be completed by the end of 2017.

C. 1992 CONSTITUTION

Ghanaians have since January 7, 1993, chosen to run their nation under constitutional democracy. Despite Ghanas high democratic credentials, it has yet to attain the status of good governance. Democracy is a social contract between the rulers and the ruled, but for good governance to exist, the government must exhibit transparency, responsiveness, accountability, consensus-building and effective and efficient State institutions. We believe that there are some aspects of the 1992 Constitution which has to change to reflect the urgent need for reform in our governance architecture. We acknowledge that we are not the only political party that has recognized the need for making changes to our Constitution. During the first term of the NPP's Kufuor Administration, the promise of change to the Constitution was written into the first Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy. It did not happen. The late President John Atta Mills went a few steps further by appointing a Constitutional Review Commission in January 2010. This Commission travelled throughout the country, spent a good amount of rresources and documented the views of many Ghanaians. Indeed, I was one of the first people to make a written submission to the Commission. Unfortunately, we did not get the change we were looking for.

The PPP after the 2012 elections made changing the 1992 Constitution a national crusade - we went out in many parts of the country on demonstrations to create public awareness on this important matter. We submitted petitions to the Council of State, Parliament and President John Dramani Mahama. During the recent elections, this was the centerpiece of our campaign. We wish to rekindle our crusade for immediate and complete constitutional reforms to make our constitution a development oriented document that responds to the present and future challenges. We specifically would like to see that the following reforms are undertaken in the next 24 months.

Appointment of Majority of Ministers from Parliament

We are of the view that the current arrangement where Ministers of State or majority of Ministers of State must come from parliament does not support good governance and it must be changed. This arrangement as captured in article 78(1) that Ministers of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as members of Parliament, except that the majority of Ministers of State shall be appointed from among members of Parliament, disables parliament from performing its oversight responsibility role effectively. This is because those who are appointed by the president are compromised and those yet to be appointed will be conducting their affairs in such a way to catch the attention of the president for future appointments. It also defeats the principle of effective separation of powers and allows the president and the executive arm of government to control the legislature.

It is obvious from previous records and appointments that about 20% of the members of parliament are under the direct control and influence of the president. This number is likely to increase with an increase in the number of ministers and this, we are afraid, has been the trend since 1992. This is why we disagree with the government white paper on the CRC recommendation that the President be given a free hand to appoint Ministers from within or from outside Parliament and the person appointed from parliament may retain his or her seat in Parliament. This arrangement is more dangerous since a president can decide to appoint all his/her ministers from parliament or increase the number of ministers of state and by extension increase the number that will come from parliament in order to control the legislature.

We believe that the strict separation of powers between the executive and the legislature will make available for governance a large pool of qualified, experienced Ghanaian talents whose expertise is currently unused and therefore lost to Ghana. It will also allow members of parliament to concentrate on passing good legislation to ensure accountability and have effective oversight over the work of the executive.

Election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs)

Article 240 (1) of the Constitution says that Ghana shall have a system of local government which shall, as far as practicable, be decentralized. It is the same Article 240 that gives authority to Parliament to enact appropriate laws  to ensure that functions, powers, responsibilities and resources are at all times transferred from the Central Government to local government units in a co-ordinated manner. But Parliaments ability to bring about full decentralization is hampered by the Constitution.

However, there are parts of the Constitution that are most offensive in terms of usurping the powers of the people:

1. Article 242 A District Assembly shall consist of the following members:

(a) One person from each local government electoral area within the district elected by universal adult suffrage;

(b) The member or members of Parliament from the constituencies that fall within the area of authority of the District Assembly as members without the right to vote;

(c) The District Chief Executive of the district; and

(d) Other members not being more than thirty per cent of all the members of the District Assembly, appointed by the President in consultation with the traditional authorities and other interest groups in the district.

2. Article 243 which reads, 243 (1) There shall be a District Chief Executive for every district who shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of not less than two-thirds majority of members of the Assembly present and voting at the meeting.

3. Article 243 (3) which says that:

The office of District Chief Executive shall become vacant if:

(a) A vote of no confidence, supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the District Assembly is passed against him; or

(b) He is removed from office by the President; or

(c) He resigns or dies. 

Our local areas remain underdeveloped mainly because the leaders, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives are selected by one person, the President, based on political patronage. Sometimes the people who become Chief Executives are the ones rejected by the same people when they stood for elections to become Members of Parliament. As a result, they listen to Accra and NOT the people they are put there to serve. When the people freely elect their Chief Executives, they will remove them if they do not deliver at the next election.

The problem of empowering the people at the local level has persisted in Ghana because the Constitution we are working with took a big part of that power and gave it to the President. This problem many believe is still with us due to the usual problems people in power have had in parts of Africa and other less developed countries. What else accounts for the fact that we are still talking about the people electing their own MMDCEs when the first Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS 1) promised to remove all constitutional impediments by the end of 2004?

Those who kick against the election of MMDCEs citing the cost of another election forget that we already have an election of Assembly Members every four years. The Electoral Commission will only have to add one more ballot for the election of MMDCEs. The others who wonder what will happen if the MMDCE and the President have different ideologies or political party affiliation should consider how this works in other countries  it happens in London, New York, Cape Town, Abidjan, etc. and it works. Those who say we are not ready should consider that if we are able to cast a vote to elect a President and Members of Parliament, then we are certainly ready and better placed to elect our own local Chief Executives.

What is at stake today is the existing White Paper the government issued on the mode of selecting Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives in the wake of the work of the Constitution Review Commission:

Government does not accept the recommendation that Parliament should be empowered to determine specific mechanisms for choosing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives. Government does not also accept the recommendation that in Metropolises, Metropolitan Chief Executives should be popularly elected. Government is of the view that in decentralizing in a unitary state, a delicate balance ought to be struck between central control and local autonomy. Consequently, Government is of the view that article 243 (1) of the Constitution should be amended for the President to nominate a minimum of five persons who would be vetted by the Public Services Commission for competence after which three nominees would contest in a public election.

If the Constitution is amended as stated above, local development will continue to be dictated by Accra and will therefore not be based on the urgent priorities and needs of the local people. Our local areas will consequently continue to be under-developed. Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives must be elected at the local level by the people so that they, the people and not Accra, will have control on the development agenda of their local areas based on their established priorities. This is the only way to ensure sustainable development at the local level.

We are urging the incoming administration to rather accept the recommendation by the CRC that Parliament should be empowered to determine specific mechanisms for choosing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and also accept the recommendation that the election of MMDCEs should be by popular election. If citizens are capable of electing the president and members of parliament, they should be credited with the wisdom to decide who governs them at the local government level.

Separate the Attorney General from the Minister of Justice

According to article 88 (1) There shall be an Attorney-General of Ghana who shall be a Minister of State and the principal legal adviser to the Government. This Attorney General (AG) who shall be a Minister of State and by extension a member of the Executive and Cabinet has been given enormous powers when it comes to criminal prosecution. Corruption is an offence under our criminal offences laws and the AG per article 88(3) has the power for the initiation and conduct of all prosecutions of criminal offences. In more disturbing cases, the AG has supervisory jurisdiction over the Economic & Organized Crime Office (EOCO), CID and even prosecution of findings of corruption by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is at the instance of the Attorney General.

This makes the AG, a cabinet member, the most important and powerful person when it comes to the fight against corruption. This makes political corruption impossible to fight, reduce and eventually eradicate. Political corruption is the abuse of political office for private gain, the over-pricing of infrastructure projects, deliberate schemes designed to syphon funds from the State, tax evasion and pure stealing by political appointees. This phenomenon causes this country to lose USD3billion every year.

The current phenomenon whereby one person serves in the positions of the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General does not allow for transparent and accountable governance. We are of the strong belief that the establishment of an Independent Public Prosecutor who will have the security of tenure and have the powers to prosecute all crimes including those committed by the political appointees will solve this problem of pervasive political corruption with the use of the powers of the AG as an insurance against prosecution. The Independent Public Prosecutor, the Attorney General, Special Prosecutor or however the position will be described shall prosecute all criminal and civil matters of the State and should only be answerable to the Supreme Court or Parliament. This recommendation is ably supported by the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan adopted by parliament of the Republic of Ghana.

Income Tax by the President

Article 68(5) exempts the president from paying tax. This is wrong and does not permit the president o set a good example for the citizens to follow. The president and the vice president should be made to pay tax on their emoluments and other allowances. This is supported by the Constitutional Review Commission and supported by the government White Paper. This amendment to the Constitution will provide the moral authority on the part of the president to go after tax evaders whether they are the appointees of the president or ordinary citizens.

Public Declaration of Assets

According to article 286 (1) A person who holds a public office mentioned in clause (5) of this article shall submit to the Auditor-General a written declaration of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by, him whether directly or indirectly. However, article 286 (3) shields the declared assets from public scrutiny by concealing the contents of the assets declaration form until a court, a commission of inquiry or CHRAJ requests for it to be produced as part of evidence gathering during a trial or an investigation. This arrangement is absurd and does mean that until a complaint is made and an investigation is underway, the people of Ghana will not be privy to the assets declaration forms of our public officers.

We believe that those who are given complete access to our public finances, resources, power and responsibilities of the State, should be prepared to live by a certain high code of transparency and accountability. We need to amend the constitution to implement a real public declaration of assets regime. This arrangement is fully supported by the Constitutional Review Commission which recommended that clear provision are made for a more effective assets declaration regime and provide for how the public will verify the contents of such declarations.

6. Ghanaians in the Diaspora

Ghana amended its nationality law in 2000, to the 2000 Ghana Citizen Act Dual Citizenship Scheme, which came into effect from Friday, November 1, 2002 in accordance with the provisions of the Citizenship Act 2002. Ghanaians in the diaspora are a great source of human and financial capital and the PPP does not only want immigration of skilled labor but full rights to jobs in the public sector, voting and all areas of human endeavour. We must make sure that we amend the Constitution to give equal rights and benefits to all of our people.o

What will be Needed to get this Done

We believe that this exercise will not be an easy task but we must commit to the process and initiate the first step so that we can have these amendments effected within the next 24 months. Postponing this exercise further is to continue to delay our quest for efficient governance system that will give us the rapid development required to take care of the huge population of Ghana. We need to appreciative the anti-developmental tendencies of these current provisions and have the required leadership, muster the courage and the political will to take up the processes for the various amendments.

The provisions on constitutional amendments are spelt out under chapter 25 of the 1992 Constitution. Some of the present proposed amendments are classified under the entrenched provision under article 290 and that include the separation of the powers of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the appointment of Ministers from Parliament and the provision on the payment of taxes by the president. These provisions are entrenched clauses and therefore the country requires a referendum to effect the desired changes. We urge the new administration to take immediate steps to initiate the processes of amendments. This category can be classified as part of the phase two of the constitutional reform project.

However, we can begin with phase one where the provisions are non-entrenched and the procedure requires a resolution of two-thirds of all the members of parliament to effect an amendment. This rule applies to the provisions on the election of MMDCEs and all District Assembly members under articles 242 and 243. This phase one exercise will demonstrate clearly to the people of Ghana that th e new administration is committed to the constitutional amendment process and the desire to end the intensely exclusionary political system, also known as the winner-takes-all.

This national exercise calls for tactical, committed, pragmatic and visionary leadership to bring along all sides together to support this all important agenda. Ghanaians have voted for change but there will be no significant changes in our socio-economic status if the governance and the constitutional arrangements do not see all these five fundamental and important changes. Let us all support this crusade to make our nation great and strong.

D. ELECTORAL PROCESS

On 11 December 2012, the PPP wrote to the Electoral Commission to provide suggestions for "...Urgent Reforms in our Electoral Process and System".

I wish to reproduce the letter sent on the Party's behalf by our National Chairman Mr. Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond.

"The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) wishes to bring to the attention of the Electoral Commision (EC) the fact that we identified serious lapses in the voting, collation and declaration of Presidential and Parliamentary results. The PPP finds the anomalies identified very disturbing as they indicate a real likelihood of compromising the integrity of the entire 2012 results and future ones as well. For example, in the Assin South constituency, the PPP was initially assigned 134 votes for both the Presidential and Parliamentary contests but upon a protest to recount by the Parliamentary Candidate our parliamentary vote count was confirmed at 1,487 and that of the presidential result was changed to 521. This is only one example of the problems we recorded. We find it unfortunate that the EC did not take its time to re-check the provisional results before declaring a winner in the presidential election. If that had been done, it would have guaranteed the integrity of the results. It would have also been better if the EC had published the numbers from the verification machines to enable proper cross checking with the results obtained by our polling agents. The question is why the haste in declaring the results?

The PPP has come to stay and is a party for the future. Therefore, we are interested in the long term viability and credibility of the electoral system. Since our registration as a political party, we have identified problems with the implementation of the Political Parties Law that if not resolved can lead to chaos in future elections. The EC must enforce the political parties act and disqualify parties that do not meet the minimum criteria within the next six months.

The Political Parties Law requires that that parties meet the following requirements:

1. Be national in character.

2. Have offices opened in at least two-thirds of all districts in the country.

3. Have officers elected at the constituency, regional and national levels under the supervision of the EC.

4. Provide financial reports.

The EC since 1992 has failed to audit the ability of the existing parties to meet these requirements. No political party has been disqualified or removed from the register of parties as a result of not meeting these and other requirements.

It is clear that the Law places limits on who can make contributions to fund political parties and campaigns. However, the EC has not made any attempt to enforce the provisions of the Law in this area. We have every reason to suspect that foreign governments, individuals and companies are funding the campaigns of political parties in Ghana. The 2012 election is one case of blatant participation of foreigners in the funding of political parties and their campaigns. This places parties like the PPP that are self-funding from its members and Ghanaian supporters at a huge disadvantage. This is one of the reasons why we the PPP cannot agree that the 2012 elections have been truly free and fair. We recommend that the EC begins the process immediately to put steps into place for the verification, documentation and auditing of campaign funding.

On the matter of voting we recommend that the EC moves to a fully electronic voting system similar to those found in Brazil, Mexico etc. with some minimum conditions:

 Votes are transmitted electronically to two separate locations.

 International observers are allowed full access to the entire process, no closed door sessions at the polling stations.

 Two internationally recognized audit firms, under 50%/50% contracts with local audit firms, audit the results independently and cross-check each others work.

 The electronic voting machinery should be designed by a Ghanaian technology firm in partnership with an international major in technology. It will be designed such that "rejected ballots" shall be zero. Each political party that meets the Political Parties' Law criteria to become a political party will be granted a seat on the board of the voting machine company. We can no longer accept a system where over 250,000 votes are not counted. 250,000 votes are enough to decide an election.

We would appreciate the opportunity to meet and discuss our concerns. Our aim is to ensure that the EC, an important independent institution is strengthened for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

God bless our Homeland, Ghana."

Unfortunately, we were not even given the favor of a reply to our letter. Subsequently, the Supreme Court and others have Ade firm recommendations in these areas. We are asking that the the Electoral Commission opens a big window for reformsto make our system ore credible.

In conclusion, he PPP will redeem its pledge to Ghanaians to continue to be an active agent for change as a political party in opposition. E are glad to note that the leader of the incoming NPP Administration has repeatedly committed himself to the implementation of many of the reforms we are advocating for. We will be there to advocate, support and play whatever positive role will ensure the legal adoption and implementation of the change agenda. At the same time, given our recent experience, we will hold the incoming leader of the nation to his word - his promises must be redeemed.

Thank you for your kind attention.

We remain, wide Awake!

Papa Kwesi Nduom

Chairman, National Committee
TWO PERSONS were confirmed dead yesterday in a gun battle between some inhabitants of Dawhenya and Miotso in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region.

The clash was attributed to the drawn-out unresolved land dispute between the two adjoining communities near Tema.

The bodies have since been deposited at the Police Hospital in Accra, pending autopsy.

Six victims who sustained gunshot wounds are battling for their lives at the Emergency Unit of the Tema General Hospital.

Police arrested 16 people in connection with the incident, and they are in the custody of the Tema police for investigations to be conducted.

Some exhibits retrieved by the police included an AK 47 assault rifle with double fully loaded magazines and a pistol.

Two vehicles were also retrieved at the scene  a Benz AMG four-wheel drive with registration number GE 3423-15 and Jeep Grand Cherokee with registration number GN 3667 Y  with some other vehicles burnt by the belligerent communities.

Meanwhile, inhabitants of both communities and their environs are living in fear following the incident. A collaborative effort of the military and personnel from the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) of the Ghana Police Service reportedly ensured peace and sanity in the area.

The police has therefore beefed security in both communities to curb any possible reoccurrence of the incident.

Confirming the incident, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Tema Regional Police Command, told DAILY GUIDE that the incident occurred in the morning.

According to her, the case had been handed over to the national headquarters of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to continue with further investigations.

From Vincent Kubi, Dawhenya






Pressure has begun to mount on President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo as to whether the recommendations by the Presidential Committee on Emoluments chaired by Prof Francisca Edua-Buandoh that Article 71 officer holders would have to be offered 10% pay rise would be implemented by him after his inauguration.

Individuals and pressure groups have started vigorous campaigns calling for the reversal of the recommendations.

One of such groups is the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), which has called on Nana Akufo-Addo to stop the 10% monthly salary increment when he assumes office, saying it is too high.

The expected 10% rise is to take retrospective effect from 2013 after President John Mahama had also announced in the same year that he and his ministers and deputy ministers were to cut their salaries by 10% to help finance the construction of Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compounds across the country to reduce maternal mortality in the rural areas.

The Committee's recommendations were based on the guiding principles of fairness, equity, motivation and ability of government to pay.

The new salaries of the office holders are as follows: President- GH22,809; Vice President  GH20,529; Chief Justice  GH17,107; Speaker of Parliament  GH17,791; Cabinet Minister (MP)  GH16,423; Cabinet Minster (non-MP)  GH16,195; Minister of State (MP)  GH15,967; Minister of State (non-MP)  GH15,739; Regional Minister (MP)  GH15,967.

The rest are Regional Minister (Non-MP)  GH15,511; Deputy Minster (MP)  GH14,826; Deputy Regional Minister (MP)  GH14,598; Deputy Minister (non-MP)  GH14,369; Dep. Regional Minster (non-MP)  GH142,142; Chairman, Council of State  GH14,826 and Member, Council of State  GH13,685.

ASEPA, in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary, Mensah Thompson, said the pay rise was made based on the irregular emoluments structure that existed.

It indicated, Based on the reasons given for an upward review, and several other benefits accrued to these state officials, 10% is preferably too high.

The group explained that already the structure of the economy does not allow for extra incomes, stressing that the fiscal space is not open enough and so almost half of annual revenue goes into servicing emoluments of public workers and state officials.

This is a wrong path. Article 71 office holders can do without a pay rise for 10-15 years. And any extra income for these office holders means no job for a young graduate, who cannot survive without an income. There are several other challenges in the economy and the standard of living among a lot of the public needs an upgrade, the group said.

The group therefore, appealed to the next government to set up another committee to review the Prof Dora Adu-Buandoh committee's recommendations downwards.

The current government should also avoid backdating the implementation of the report to 2013. Our priorities as a country need to be set right; either we want to develop or satisfy a few full-bellies to the detriment of the masses, the group cautioned.

The Founding President of the think-tank, IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, has recommended that salaries of high to middle-level public officials should be pegged to the country's economic performance.

Franklin Cudjoe believes this will prevent regular salary increments of public office holders captured in Article 71 of the Constitution without recourse to the country's economic challenges.

These increments come at a time when the country's public wage, which stands at over GH10 billion as at March this year, is breaking the coffers.

Franklin Cudjoe said that the salary of some of the Article 71 office holders under the recent proposal is three times the per capita income of every Ghanaian  some GH5,060  a situation he finds troubling.

But that is not Mr Cudjoe's only problem with the new emoluments of the elite public office holders.

This practice of backdating salaries doesn't make sense at all, he said, adding, The whole enterprise of salary negotiations should be looked at from an economic point of view, he told Joy News yesterday.

He also recommended proper consolidation of salaries in the public sector to prevent some chief executives from milking the country dry through sitting allowances that sometimes exceed, many times, their salaries.

By Thomas Fosu Jnr


Outgoing President John Mahama has justified his last-minute decision to make appointments to certain key departments and agencies, saying he had not broken any law.

According to him, there is no malice intended for the incoming Nana Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, adding that the decisions were taken for the good of the country.

The recent appointments of heads of institutions like the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and others as well as the secret recruitment of NDC supporters into security services and other government establishments had set tongues wagging, with some people claiming that the outgoing president is trying to sabotage the incoming government.

The NPP has even filed a writ at the Supreme Court, trying to stop the appointments, claiming that they were being done in bad faith.

According to Philip Addison, who is leading the incoming government in court, President Mahama had all the time to make or confirm the appointments of some officials but failed to do so and so he could not fathom the need for the sudden turnaround to appoint into office people he did not want to work with.

However, at a meeting with representatives of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference at the Flagstaff House on Wednesday, President Mahama said the issues would be sorted out before he hands over to President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo on January 7.

Our democracy is evolving and so there are some constitutional issues that definitely have come up as to whether a president is still a president even after he has lost an election until the midnight of the inauguration. But I believe convention or legality might answer those questions.

President Mahama said even though the transitional arrangements were ongoing, he is still the president and is supposed to be in-charge until he hands over.

We are looking forward to the inauguration. The transition has gone smoothly so far and we have engaged each other in utmost good faith, he told the bishops, adding, So for whatever we agree to do, we set the pace for the future and so we'll continue to work together for the greater interest of Ghana.

By William Yaw Owusu
Relatives of two people who were killed in yesterdays disturbances in Miotso in the Ningo Prampram District are blaming the police for the deaths.

The two were killed following the exchange of gunshots over a land dispute Thursday which also left six others injured.

Though calm has returned to the community debris of burnt houses and vehicles are scattered in the area. So is the blood of persons who were shot splashed on walls and the floor.

Joy News' Ernest Kojo Manu reports that there is an uneasy calm among the residents who are living in fear as they cannot tell what would happen next. As at midday Friday there was no police presence to protect them heightening their fears.

A lot of the residents are also massing up at the homes of the deceased to commiserate with the families.

Bereaved families are throwing a lot of accusations at the police's handling of the incident as they say this is not the first time such a misunderstanding has happened.

They say as recent as December 3, there was an incident in which the son of one of the deceased, Francis Botwe, had his restaurant attacked and the police did nothing.

Also, in August there were attacked on the Miotso community by the residents of Dwawenya in which the police also failed to respond.

The residents have therefore concluded that looking at what they describe as the indifference of the police in the aforementioned attacks, they say the police have not acted professionally.

According to them, the police is compromising the matter.

The Assemblyman, Theophilus Botwe, who doubles as the brother to the late Mr Botwe confirmed to Joy News that although he works closely with the police, fire service and other security agencies in the area, he has not seen the police officer who came to the area before.

"I know them from Tema. Three were guiding people at the entrance and two were stopping people from coming here," he said.

Theophilus claims asked them when he could not find his brother and they told him that unfortunately there was a mistake when Francis was running away from them and they shot him in the process.

The angry bereaved Assemblyman said he asked them why they did not shoot Franci's legs instead of a straight bullet into his head since they were not sure he was involved.

Earlier the police had told Joy News the disturbance could not have been among residents of Miotso and Dwawenya as those involved had scattered before they got to the scene.

They said all they did was to restore law and order as well as to give protection.

But Theophilus said stands by his words that the police had told him they had mistakenly shot his brother and he believes Dwawenya landguards did not kill Francis and the other mason.

Although the police have declined further comment on the matter for now as the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) takes over the matter.

Sixteen people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim
AFRIFA YAMOAH Ponkoh, a top member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kumasi, has been accused of playing well-rehearsed political tricks to win the hearts of New Patriotic Party (NPP) members in Kumasi.

The ex-Chief Executive of the Ejisu/Juaben Municipality is reported to have started praising top NPP members in the Ashanti Region, especially Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka 'Wontumi,' aimed at winning the hearts of NPP members.

Surprisingly, Yamoah Ponkoh, at the same time, has started unleashing verbal assaults against his fellow NDC members in the Ashanti Region, which is clearly geared towards demonizing them in the eyes of the public.

The Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, who was also the NDC Campaign Coordinator for the Ashanti Region, Andy Osei Okrah, had so far been the worst recipient of Yamah Ponkoh's unprovoked verbal arsenals.

The vociferous NDC man, reportedly, started this grand agenda immediately the NDC lost the polls. He is said to have been skipping from one radio station to another just to paint some of his beloved NDC members black.

Some political watchers and other known NPP supporters in the city suspected that Yamoah Ponkoh's weird move is geared towards averting a possible investigation during his tenure as MCE of Ejisu/Juaben.

Scores of NPP members that DAILY GUIDE spoke to during a vox-pop in Kumasi, sternly cautioned Yamoah Ponkoh to refrain from singing the praises of some top NPP members in the city, especially Wontumi.

He has been going on radio and showering all manner of praises on Wontumi lately. He is at the same time attacking his own NDC members and we know he wants to use that old tactics to win favour from NPP members.

Mr. Kofi Addai, a staunch NPP supporter, who made the observation, told the paper that Yamoah Ponkoh had adopted a strategy to win the hearts of NPP members in the city, saying We are aware of his old-fashion tactics.

He said Yamoah Ponkoh's tenure in office as MCE would be thoroughly investigated just as any other NDC government appointee therefore he should stop making frantic efforts to jump out of the NDC's sinking boat.

Kofi Addai aka 'Big Shark,' who is a young accomplished businessman, stated that the NPP members still remember the abusive words Yamoah Ponkoh hurled at the President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo when he was the MCE.

He said Yamoah Ponkoh should be man enough and face the consequences of being in opposition with his beloved NDC, which had helped bettered his financial status in life, and stop his weird tactics of trying to appease the NPP members because it won't gel.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi


The President Elect, Nana Addo Dunkwa Akufo Addo has thanked the people of the Central Region for voting massively for the party to win in this year's general election.

According to him, although he knew the people of the region would vote for him during the election, he was surprised that the party won the Twifo-Atti-Morkwa (TAM) and Ekumfi parliamentary seats.

I was shocked when I heard that NPP has won Ekumfi and Twifo-Atti-Morkwa (TAM) seats in the history of Ghana's politics and I promise to fulfill all my campaign promises to enable you have confidence in voting for the NPP, he added.

Nana Addo made this known when he paid a courtesy call on the Central Regional House of Chiefs on Tuesday as part of his Thank You Tour.

He said the region had seven seats in 2012 and this had increased to 19 seats in the 2016 election, adding that in terms of popular votes the region had improved its support for NPP from 43% to 53% in 2016.

The President Elect promised to construct the first phase of landing sites in the various fishing communities in the region such as Cape Coast, Moree and Winneba to improve on the fishing industry in the country.

Nana Addo noted that the involvement of chiefs in governance would help his presidency, adding his doors would be open to them to enable him know some of the problems in their areas and how best the government can help solve them.

He emphasized that by the time the next District Assembly election would be held in 2018, all the constitution and legal procedures would have taken place in the referendum that the constitution calls for in the election of the Municipal , Metropolitan and District Chief Executives.

He urged Nananom to support him and his government with prayers.

The President of Regional House of Chiefs, Obrempong Nyanful Krampah thanked the president elect and his entourage for the visit.

He underscored the need for the government to consult chiefs in the development of their traditional areas.

The regional house of chiefs is ready and prepared to co-operate with government to take the country to the promise land, he emphasized.

He appealed to Nana Addo not to left out the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, the Acting General Secretary John Boadu and Stephen Asamoah Boateng in his ministerial appointments.

Nana Addo was accompanied by his Vice President, Dr Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, Acting national chairman, Mr Freddy Blay, National campaign Manager, Mr Peter Mac Menu, National Women's Organizer, Otiko Djaba, regional and constituency executives, the elected MP and supporters of the party.

Email:[email protected]

From Sarah Afful, Cape Coast
The first time I heard about Jon Benjamin was in November 2014. I was in the United States participating in the International Visitors Leadership Programme on Investigative Journalism, but I was constantly monitoring developments back home. When I went online one morning, I was greeted with a needless storm of confusion on social media. There was an outrage against a certain British High Commissioner who had been in Ghana for only six months but would not mind his own business.

The man at the centre of the controversy, Mr. Jon Benjamin, was invited to speak at IMANI Ghanas10thanniversary programme. His topic was Integrity in public office. After greeting the audience and other diplomats present, Jon Benjamin began his speech: Im not sure, Franklin [Cudjoe], about what you have me sitting in: it looks like you are having me enstooled. But, at least, this chair was definitely made in Ghana.

This was in reference to the rather senseless decision by the leadership of our parliament to import MPs furniture from China. While in the US, I visited the Senate and I was shocked to find the senators, including the likes of John McCain, using desks and simple chairs that looked like what some of our basic school children use here. While our MPs need comfort, someone should have been wise enough to give that job to the local manufacturers.

Before Jon Benjamin continued with his speech, he told the audience the kind of diplomat he was: Now, Im a diplomat and diplomats are sometimes known for speaking without actually saying anything, at least in public. But that isnt really my style

The speech that followed was a very impressive one, but what attracted him a barrage of criticisms and insults was contained in the concluding part of it:

 But what are we to think when certain journalists expect the famous soli  to cover our events? Isnt covering the news actually their job to start with? And, if they arent paid sufficiently for doing so, isnt that an issue between them and their employer, rather than ours or anyone elses problem? And if those journalists who pride themselves on reporting corruption in others then ask for unofficial payments themselves, isnt that just a touch hypocritical?

An event or story is either intrinsically newsworthy or it isnt: it doesnt become newsworthy because someone has paid for it  that isnt journalism, its advertising which is perfectly legitimate in itself of course but is a different professional activity. Now, I wonder if any of the media, which report this speech tomorrow will include these comments of mine about this lack of probity by some of their own journalistic colleagues? I doubt it but, go on, surprise me! And at least you now know officially that you will never receive any soli from the British High Commission!

At the 2015 end of year news review on Joy FM and Multi TV, Jon Benjamins statement came up when the spotlight was put on the media. The host of Metro TVs Good Evening Ghana, Paul Adom Otchere, revealed that he was the MC at the IMANI event when Jon Benjamin made that remark. He said he got upset and abandoned his role as the MC before the programme ended.

If I were Paul Adom Otchere, I would walk up to Mr. Jon Benjamin after the speech to congratulate him. The media is one of the most corrupt institutions in Ghana. A majority of the so-called powerful journalists in our republic are puppets of some of the most corrupt politicians, government officials and business people. Paul Adom Otchere knows this. The corruption in the media is worse than soli. Only hypocrites or those who are ignorant about the canker will have issues with what Jon Benjamin said.

Two years after his first major controversy, Jon Benjamin is again the subject of controversy in Ghana. His tweet, which many Ghanaians consider offensive, has since been deleted. He said: Oh, that nasty air outside all of a sudden. Did someone just inaugurate the harmattan already?

President Mahama embarked on commissioning of projects days to the election, an action which earned him the nickname Commissioner General. Its a popular social media joke in Ghana, but Jon Benjamins critics say he had no right to take part in it.

First, they say he is a foreigner who should not meddle in our internal affairs. This does not make sense because any time foreign diplomats and government representatives say something positive about us, we are happy, even when we know its insincere. Our government officials will cause media houses they can influence to publish such praises. We only complain about interference and even rehash neo-colonialists theories if their remarks are negative. This is hypocrisy.

Some critics have also said Ghanaian ambassadors cannot pass such remarks in Jon Benjamins country so he is disrespecting us. I dont think this is true. Our top politicians and ministers of state passed critical comments about US presidential elections and the candidates. Was that interference? Besides, before we compare ourselves with the UK and the US and the other countries, which we often say must stay away from our issues, we should know our relationships with them.

Do we deserve respect? In Romania, 36 people died in a nightclub fire and the Prime Minister resigned. In Ghana, over 150 people died in a fire and flood disaster and the mayor would not even apologise. He is on his way to parliament, and will be addressed as honourable.

Ours is a servant-master relationship. We go there to beg them for money. We beg because our government officials, business men and highly respected people have, since independence, been stealing our collective wealth and stashing them in offshore accounts and buying property in Dubai and the most luxurious places on the planet. Until we stop begging, we should not expect to be treated as equals. If your father is a wasteful drunkard who often goes to beg food from Kofi Manus father, you shouldnt be surprised if Kofi Manu disrespects you. It is only normal. African leaders have long made us look stupid in the eyes of the international community and its difficult to fight for them if the disrespect is extended to them.

Another group of critics also think this is the time to hit hard at those who are perceived to be treating the Office of the President and its occupant with contempt, for which reason outsiders now have the guts to disrespect the president. They often refer to the political opponents of the current government and warn that their partys president may suffer a similar fate.

This, too, I totally disagree. The first question such critics should ask themselves is whether the President or the Office of the President, in recent times, conducted themselves in a manner that demands respect from the citizens. I dont subscribe to the notion that whoever is elected President of Ghana must deserve my respect. I respect the Office of the President, but whoever occupies that office must earn my respect. A colleague at work, a woman, once disagreed with me on this and I asked her whether she respected her pastor.

Of course, I do. Hes a man of God, she emphasised.

If you returned from work and found your pastor in bed with your 15-year old daughter, would you still respect him? I asked.

No, I wont, she said.

We must respect people for their behaviour and character, and not the positions they occupy. Our greatest flaw as a people is that we hand respect to people who dont deserve it. If a thief buys his way into power, we call them honourable. If a rich criminal is in our church, we give them front rows because of their wealth. If our pastor is the devils direct grandson, we shout, Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm!

Last year about 50 beggars with the ignoble description of African heads of states assembled in India under the auspices of the India-Africa Summit, after which they were promised a grant.

Our elders say a man does not point to his fathers house with the left hand, but it is important to ask the type of father he was before we crucify the son who points to that house with a left hand. Our sages of old have also taught us that if you call your calabash worthless, outsiders would use it to fetch rubbish. But if we want to know the people who have repeatedly called our calabash worthless and for which reason the likes of Jon Benjamin may have deemed it fit for rubbish collection, we should not look beyond the Flagstaff House and the President himself.

I am not very old, but I know that in the days of President J.J. Rawlings, the Office of the President connoted dignity. In the days of President J.A. Kufuor, there was an aura of respect surrounding the President and the Presidency. That started diminishing when President J.E.A. Mills took over and the likes of Koku Anyidoho started dismissing top government officials using the name of the President, who knew nothing about it. In the John Mahama era, it sunk even lower.

This is the presidency under which the senseless and fraudulent bus-branding contract was awarded. This is the presidency that supervised the SADA rot. This is the presidency that attacked and destroyed the voice recorder of a journalist and when a petition was submitted to get the official sanctioned and have him apologise, nothing came out of it. This is the president who, against the wisdom and counsel of his lawyer, went on to free the three young men who were imprisoned by the Supreme Court. They had issued death threats against judges and threatened to rape the Chief Justice of our republic.

Last year, when 36 people died in a nightclub fire disaster in Romania, the Prime Minister resigned. When more than150 people were killed in an avoidable fire and flood disaster in Ghana, the mayor who supervised the floods said he would not apologise to anybody. The President did nothing to him. The mayor kept his job and was later supported to win a parliamentary election. The only person who was arrested by the BNI over the deaths was a young man who was alleged to have smoked a cigar and thrown the tub in the floodwater.

This is the presidency that became a dumping ground for officials alleged to have misconducted themselves and soiled themselves in allegations of corruption. This is the president who told his ministers not to accept a pesewa or a pin from a business entity but went ahead to accept a Ford Expedition from a Burkinabe contractor who was winning questionable contracts in our republic.

The presidency is now like a man who took his goat to the Bolga market with a cheap price tag but expected the buyer to quote a high price for the animal. That is impossible.

If I knew Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to be a thief, I will not respect him today because he has been elected president of the land. I respect him today because of what he has stood for in the past. If he occupies the highest office of the land on January 7 and messes up, I cannot respect him.

People like Jon Benjamin give us the idea of what the international community thinks about us

As a country, if we want to be treated with respect and dignity, lets fix our mess. The likes of Jon Benjamin know more about the ills of our society and the crimes of our hallowed government officials than the average minister of state or intelligence officer in this country knows. In the speech he delivered six months after arriving in Ghana, he stated that: What people at the top do in any organization or system sets an important tone. Another African proverb I really like is that: a fish rots from its head.

Our country is rotten and our leaders are complicit in the rot. We must not be happy when foreign diplomats praise us, but send nasty classified reports about us to their home countries. Jon Benjamin gives us a fair idea of what the international community thinks about us. Its time to confront the reality because if our hypocrisy had been helpful, our country would have, by now, been a super power.

The writer, Manasseh Azure Awuni, is a senior broadcast journalist with Joy 99.7 FM. His email address is [email protected] The views expressed in this article are his personal opinions and do not reflect, in any form or shape, those of The Multimedia Group, where he works.
30.12.2016 LISTEN

Accra, Dec. 30, GNA - Pastor Kofi Okyire Appianing, Madina District Head of the Church of Pentecost, has called on Ghanaians to bury their differences and throw their weight behind the new government to ensure the rapid development of the nation.

He said now that the elections were over, there was the need for Ghanaians to embrace peace and unity, which was the bedrock for development.

Pastor Appianing made the call at the end of this year's Christmas Convention of the Church at Madina in Accra.

He commended Ghanaians for voting peacefully during the just-ended elections and also for peace prevailing after the elections.

Pastor Appianing urged the youth to desist from the get-rich-quick attitude, which had eaten deep into the society and rather put their trust in the Lord for their success.

He also asked Christians to open a new chapter by refraining from acts, which hinder national development.

Pastor Appianing attributed the country's socio-economic woes to Christians mad rush for monetary gains instead of seeking their spiritual growth.

He tasked religious leaders to desist from all forms of negative tendencies that may tarnish the image of the clergy.

GNA
By AP Staff on 29 December 2016 for Daily Mail -

Image above: In this December 13, 2007, file photo, Hawaii's Superferry makes its entry into the Kahalui Harbor escorted by the U. S. Coast Guard and heavy law enforcement surveillance. From original article.

Image above: In this August 26th 2007 photo by Jonathan Jay protesters

kept the Hawaii Superferry from docking in Kauai. Here a surfer stops the Superferry in Nawiliwili Harbor as a Coast Guard vessel attempts to grapple the surfer.

Image above: In this Dec. 15, 2007, file photo, a group of people ride in a canoe near the ferry arrival in Kahalui Harbor during a protest against the Superferry "

Alakai" in Maui, Hawaii. And a court later ordered the ferry to stop running because the state didn't do a proper environmental review. From original article.

.

SOURCE: Dick Mayer ( dickmayer@earthlink.net SUBHEAD: New proposal for Hawaii ferry faces economic challenges public opinion hurdles.When a 30-foot-tall ferry loomed outside a Kauai harbor in 2007, surfers and kayakers  looking like tiny ducks in comparison  blocked its path, preventing it from unloading hundreds of passengers and sending the giant catamaran back to Oahu.The emotional standoff where surfers bobbed in the water for hours marked the end to an expensive failure in Hawaii's history: the Superferry. Now the state is exploring bringing back a ferry to run between islands, facing skepticism over financing and whether there's a ferry system residents would accept.Lawmakers approved $50,000 in May to study a possible inter-island ferry, and the state Department of Transportation received a $500,000 grant from the federal Maritime Administration to hire consultants to explore potential routes and boats."The feasibility study might come back and say maybe it's not financially feasible for us to do this," said Ford Fuchigami, director of the state Transportation Department. "But right now, using federal money which is available ... we want to be sure that we use that money to see whether or not this is possible."The Hawaii Superferry ran primarily between Oahu and Maui from 2007 until 2009, but was shut down after a judge ruled the state broke the law by not completing required environmental reviews.It was a costly gamble. Hawaii spent at least $34 million on equipment for the ferry, which it later sold for just $425,000. The barges and ramps were custom-made for the Superferry, complicating the sale, said Tim Sakahara, Department of Transportation spokesman.Hawaii Superferry filed for bankruptcy, leaving $136.8 million in debt to the Maritime Administration  which repossessed the ferries  and a $22.9 million debt to Austal USA, which built two ferries for Hawaii for $190 million. The Navy later paid the Maritime Administration just $35 million to buy both ships. One now serves as a ferry between Maine and Nova Scotia."In the beginning, people believed what they were reading, that it was going to be this really low-cost way to go inter-island and it sounded like a great thing," said Irene Bowie, former executive director of the Maui Tomorrow Foundation, which opposed the ferry based on environmental concerns. "But the devil is always in the details."The new study will explore public or private ownership of vessels and operations. If the state owns the vessels, it could get federal subsidies, Fuchigami said. But it might be cheaper for a third party to operate a ferry system, he said."Almost no ferry system in the country is self-sustaining," said Lauren Brand, an associate administrator for the Maritime Administration. "The vast majority of them have to have public dollars to help them keep on."Washington State's ferry system, which Fuchigami has identified as a potential model for Hawaii, gets about 30 percent of its operating costs from subsidies and 70 percent from the fare box, ferry experts said. The Staten Island Ferry in New York, where customers ride for free, is also subsidized by taxpayers.Hawaii's open ocean geography, deadly channels and protected marine life pose unique challenges.But Hawaii can learn from ferry systems operating in the Greek Islands, the Philippines and between Argentina and Uruguay, said David Moseley, a former director of Washington Ferries and senior consultant with Carus, a firm that may compete to conduct the Hawaii study."There are places all over the world where ferry systems with similar situations to Hawaii are operating very successfully," Moseley added.Fuchigami is considering a red-eye trip from Honolulu to Hawaii Island and inter-island trips from Oahu to Kauai and Maui. He also wants commuter ferries on Oahu and Maui."Everyone talks about traffic," Fuchigami said, proposing a ferry from Oahu's West side  where homes are less expensive  into urban Honolulu.To ensure a steady revenue stream, Fuchigami hopes inter-island ferries could carry cargo such as farm produce."The main thing is that we're going to be very, very careful," Fuchigami said.Superferry wasn't the only failed sea vessel attempt in Hawaii. In 2009, the same year the Superferry shut down, Honolulu ended a passenger ferry service called "TheBoat" which shuttled passengers between downtown Honolulu and West Oahu for $2."It didn't really attract ridership," said Michael Hansen, president of the Hawaii Shippers Council. "Most of the people being carried were just tourists taking a boat ride."A ferry running from Molokai to Maui shut down this year amid financial losses.The Sierra Club, which opposed the Superferry, worries ferries could spread invasive species and rapid ohia death, a fungal disease killing native ohia trees, said director Marti Townsend."If there is a way to operate a ferry that can guarantee against the spread of invasive species, then we will keep an open mind, but from what we know now, it's an inherent fatal flaw," she said.
Accra, Dec. 30, GNA - The Disability Right Fund (DRF) coalition has called on the incoming government to review the Disability Act to conform to international standards and ensure the full realisation of rights of Persons with Disability (PWDs).

Members of the coalition-Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), Media Caucus on Disability and MindFreedom - also urged the incoming administration led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make disability a top priority in his government.

The Executive Secretary of MindFreedom, Mr Dan Taylor, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, expressed concern over the inaccessible nature of state institutions providing public services.

He said Persons with Disability, particularly wheelchair users and blind persons, have invariably been cut off from patronising pubic goods and services and this has led to deprivation, widespread discrimination and social stigma.

'Even the Flagstaff House - seat of government - is not accessible to the disabled, yet past governments have espoused claims to fighting the discrimination against the disabled people in our society,' he said.

Mr Yaw Ofori-Debrah, the President of GFD, appealed to Nana Akufo Addo, President-elect, to place disability concerns at the centre of his government's efforts and introduce the necessary legal and administrative frameworks to adequately protect them.

He said the government ought to device plans that would ensure speedy revision of Ghana's Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) to match that of the United Nations convention on rights of PWDs.

Currently, social intervention for PWDs in Ghana includes the three per cent of the Common Fund and various allowances for workers with Disability as well as legal frameworks like the Act 2006 (Act 715) and other interventions on the rights of PWDs.

Mr Ofori-Debrah said: 'All these are good initiatives to support PWDs but the implementation are flawed with difficulties. 'We want the new government to actually enforce it.'

He said a National Policy on Employment for PWDs was vital to ensure that PWDs with professional qualifications gain employment, particularly into the public sector, because most of them stay back home after school without any hope for job opportunities.

He appealed to the President-elect to appoint PWDs to head some Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies as part of deliberate government policies for their participation in the local decision making process and for disability concerns to bell amply on the floor of assemblies' meeting.

'It is important PWDs are given opportunities to serve in higher positions including ministerial appointments, membership of Council of State and boards of corporations and chief executive positions,' he said.

The PWDs, who fall within another minority or vulnerable group and suffer discrimination, are women and children with disability, but Act 715 fails to deal with this type of discrimination.

The DRF Coalition in August this year led members of the GFD in a protest march through the streets of Accra to petition President John Dramani Mahama for a review of the Disability Act (Act 715) of 2006.

The GFD said it had conducted a gap analysis of the Disability Act 715 and discovered various lapses.

'We documented all these gaps and sent a proposal to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for a review of the Act but nothing has been done,' Mr Ofori-Debrah said.

'It pays almost no attention to women and children with disability,' Mrs Rita Kyeremaa Kusi, the Executive Director of GFD, said.

Also very important is inherent right to life, equal to that of others as contained in the UN Convention on Right of Persons with Disabilities but has not been factored in Ghana's Act.

'Article 11 of the UNCRPD requires states parties to protect and ensure the safety of PWDs in times of situational risk and humanitarian emergencies,' she said: 'in times of emergency where evacuation is required for instance, priority is often given to women and children, leaving out disabled people'.

Act 715 provides access of PWDs to judicial proceedings but only as participants and accused persons, but effective access to justice which guarantees protection of the law and fair treatment of vulnerability was not in the Act.

The New Patriotic Party in its 2016 manifesto outlined many interventions to mainstream disability issues in national development agenda.

The party pledged to implement equal employment opportunity policies for inclusive education and appoint PWDs into public offices.

It also said it would pass appropriate Legislative Instruments for the implementation of the Mental Health Act, 2012 (Act 846) and the Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715).

It guaranteed that the National Council on Persons with Disability would be decentralized to enforce the Disability Act.

'The NPP will ensure that children with special needs are not left behind, but are assisted by teachers with the requisite skills in differentiated teaching methods. Whenever possible, facilities will be provided to enable disabled children be integrated within regular schools. Amend the Disability Act to bring it into line with the UN Convention on Disability'', it added.

GNA
30.12.2016 LISTEN

By Stephen Asante, GNA

Kumasi, Dec 30, GNA - The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. John Alexander Ackon, has urged Ghanaians to continue to pull together to strengthen and grow the nation's democracy.

He underlined the need for all to demonstrate high sense of responsibility, tolerance and mutual respect.

He was addressing journalists in Kumasi at an end-of-year soiree organized for them by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).

It was to show appreciation for the good job done by media - the spotlight put on the development achievements of the region.

Mr. Ackon saluted the people for the political maturity that ensured the peaceful conduct of the December 07 presidential and parliamentary elections.

He gave high marks to the media for the vital role it played to make the polls peaceful.

He used the occasion to remind the journalists to uphold professional ethics and to exercise good judgement by putting the national interest ahead of any other consideration.

Mrs. Elizabeth Kankam-Boadu, acting Regional Chairperson of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), appealed for support towards the completion of a Press-Centre, it was building.

GNA
By Christopher Tetteh, GNA

Sunyani, Dec 30, GNA - The Sunyani Technical University (STU) has admitted 1,532 fresh students to pursue various programmes with a call to them to be disciplined and go the extra mile to achieve set goals.

Professor Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, the Vice-Chancellor, said they should remain focused and do everything to combine academic excellence with good moral character.

The newly enrolled students were made up of 972 males and 560 females and would be pursuing degree and diploma programmes.

These include Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech), procurement and management, civil engineering, accounting and computing.

Others are Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy, building technology, computer science, electronic engineering, business administration and banking technology and accounting.

Prof Adinkrah-Appiah said the conversion of the institution into a technical university had led to significant jump in students' application, which over the past four years, was on steady decline because of intense competition from both public and private universities.

He hinted of plans to begin four-year degree programmes in applied science and technology, applied arts, business and management studies.

It was only waiting for approval by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to get going, he added.

GNA
A GNA Feature by Patience A. Gbeze

Accra, Dec. 30, GNA - Human trafficking and slavery has become an international problem affecting millions of people and a number of countries across the globe, particularly in Africa.

In Ghana, the canker is one of the biggest challenges facing the country at both national and transnational levels. There have been numerous incidents of trafficking and abuse both internally and externally.

Ghanaian migrants, particularly women and young girls are increasingly recruited through licensed and unlicensed recruitment agencies for domestic work in various countries.

Every year, more than thousands migrants leave the shores of Ghana to the Gulf countries in search of domestic jobs. Some of them, mostly women and young girls normally fall prey to dubious recruiting agencies with little or no training on information on destination countries.

Along the streets of Accra, every single space is clouded with fraudulent advertisements promising juicy job opportunities abroad, but most of these innocent migrants end up in prostitution and slavery and all manner of inhumane treatments.

These advertisements are also common on social media channels, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, which calls for measures to address in order to protect Ghanaian migrant workers.

According to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), more than 2,000 women departed for work in the Middle East from September 2014 to January 2015.

Since then, more than 350 of them have returned, reporting inhumane working conditions and hours, physical, emotional and sexual exploitation and non-payment of salaries.

The 2014/2015 annual report by SEWA Foundation dubbed: 'Rescuing Enslaved Ghanaians in The Gulf States,' revealed that there are hundreds of Ghanaians girls stranded in Kuwait. Most of them have hidden themselves in rooms in a town called Mahboula.

These girls are house helps who have been influenced, with promises of better jobs, to run away from their employers.

Most of these girls the report said complained that when they found themselves stranded on the streets and they called on some Ghanaians to help them, but instead of sending them to the police station or the government shelter, they kept them in their rooms, abused them and then dumped them again on the street.

Some agents and associations also pretend to be helping with rescuing these stranded house helps but instead are also actively involved in recruiting people from Ghana to Kuwait with promises of good jobs.

Such groups disassociate themselves from any attempt to actually rescue the victims and send them back to their countries.

The report found out that in most cases, citizens from other countries such as Philippians and India are paid higher wages than Ghanaians even for the same job and responsibilities because their countries of origin have policies that cover payment of wages and remunerations to their citizens.

To address these menace, seven key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have jointly agreed on measures to Protect Migrants at Home and Abroad.

The agreement was the outcome of a day's workshop to commemorate this year's International Migrants Day in Accra.

The seven MDAs are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Labour Department, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, GIS, and Ghana Police Service.

The workshop was also attended by representatives from the European Union Delegation to Ghana, The United States Embassy, British High Commission and civil society organisations.

The discussions focused on issues of exploitation of migrant workers, particularly Ghanaian women and girls in the field of domestic work.

Ghana has taken numerous measures for better migration management including setting up a Migration Information Centre and a Migration Information Bureau, which act as one stop shops for information for potential migrants.

Others include signing of a bilateral agreement on labour issues with Jordan; creation of an Association of Employment Agencies; sensitisation of Ghanaian ambassadors and relevant stakeholders; development of a National Migration Policy; establishment of a unit at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, to identify potential victims of trafficking prior to departure and providing return and reintegration assistance to returnees through IOM.

However, recognising the increasing challenges and the continued exploitation of migrants, the MDAs and IOM, reaffirmed their commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights of vulnerable Ghanaian migrants at the workshop.

This was done through the joint statement and recommendations on the development of standardised operating procedures, information sharing and data collection protocols, provision of pre-departure training and orientation, improved monitoring of recruitment agencies and provision of systematic reintegration assistance among others.

The statement on Protecting Migrant Workers at Home and Abroad acknowledged the challenges at every stage of migration (pre-departure, departure, in host countries, return and post return) and consequently the need for holistic approach.

The participants recommitted themselves to the implementation of the recommendations to ensure safe and humane migration and decent work for Ghanaian migrants.

The workshop was held under the auspices of IOM's Ghana Integrated Migration Management Approach project, which aims to bolster Ghana's migration management efforts, funded by the European Union.

Mr Sammy Longman Attakuma, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, who read the joint statement on behalf of other stakeholders, said they would develop information sharing protocols to well inform stakeholders to enable them contribute to the protection of migrants as well as ensure their rights and that of their families.

He said: 'We also intend to negotiate additional bilateral agreements as needed with key receiving countries, to facilitate humane and orderly labour migration and decent work for all.

"Strengthen access to information for potential migrants in Ghana and contribute to their ability to make informed decisions by improving the capacity of institutional structures to serve as one-stop migrant workers' resource centres.

"Improve access and availability of training and pre-departure orientation opportunities, to increase knowledge amongst potential migrants on issues if job training, adjusting to a new culture, cultural sensitivities in the country of destination, their rights, among others," he added.

Mr Attakuma said they would enhance the law enforcement response including the closure, investigation and prosecution of illegal recruitment agencies and individuals, who facilitate the recruitment and trafficking for domestic work if Ghanaian migrants.

Ms Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, Chief of Mission, IOM blamed the plights of these women on fraudulent advertisements for jobs opportunities in various countries including the Middle East and expressed the need to intensify education on the menace.

She said it was not fair for IOM and the Foreign Ministry to organise to organise and bring back the migrants any time there was a problem, only for the perpetrators to be left unpunished.

December 14 every year, is recognised by the UN as International Migration Day to remember and identify the challenges of migrant workers as well as their contributions to national development in terms of remittances to the families.

GNA
30.12.2016 LISTEN

By Alex O. Agyekum, GNA

Achimota (G/A), Dec 30, GNA - The Seventh Day Congregation of Theocracy Mission, has hailed President John Dramani Mahama, for landmark achievements of his government.

Apostle Cadmiel Agbelenyo, the Missionary in-charge of the Church, said he was going to be eternally remembered for the numerous development projects brought to the people.

He cited among them the Community Day Senior High Schools (SHS) built across the country.

He was delivering the sermon at a prayer session of the church held in Achimota for the smooth and peaceful transition of political power.

More than 4,000 members drawn from Accra, Tema, Nsawam and Suhum gathered to pray to God to see the nation through the process.

Apostle Agbelenyo noted that Ghanaians had made themselves proud for the successful conduct of the presidential and parliamentary elections and asked that they continued to stay united and remained tolerant of one another.

He congratulated President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on his election and pleaded with him to make good his promise not to abandon projects started by his predecessor.

GNA
30.12.2016 LISTEN

Odimegwu Onwumere writes that health challenges among Nigerians are increasing as the growth in population is increasing. The report expresses concern by the prediction of experts saying that by 2050, Nigerias population would skyrocket and poverty would increase, hence authorities should be mindful

Professor Oladapo Ladipo, the Chief Executive Officer, Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), showed illustrious trepidation at the fourth Nigerias family planning conference held in Abuja, November 7 2016, of what the survival of Nigerians would be in 24 years, given that the country is already finding it difficult to manage its about 188 million population.

Without a doubt, Nigeria is habitually increasing in population and there are indices that the country will outnumber the United States of America (USA) by 30 million people by 2050. Prof. Ladipo feared, We have a population policy that currently encourages four children per couple. I think that policy needs to be revisited by government and we all sit down together to do what is rational. I will not support legislation. Family planning should be free. It is by choice. But everybody should recognise that everyone has the right to family planning.

The unchecked population has already become a big problem for Nigeria, with the United Nations documented estimate in March 22 2016, saying that Nigeria is 186 million in population. Nigeria ranks number seven in the world and a population that is equivalent to 2.48 per cent of the global total, said the source.

Worried by the customarily population increase in the country, on July 16, 2016, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at an event hosted by the President of Ghana, Mr. John Mahama, on Africa and Sustainable Development Goals on the tangential of the African Union meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, had said that about 110 million Nigerians are living in poverty.

Ikenna Asomba, a Nigerian journalist on August 27, 2015, had reported, Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria in June 2015, brought to the front burner the issue of youth unemployment in the country, stating that 80 per cent of Nigerian youths are without jobs, and disclosed that unemployment remains a severe threat to Nigerias economy. Professor Ladipo expressed disquiet over the population policy of the country that gives a nod to four children per couple and wanted the policy to be revisited.

Currently, poverty is endemic in this country. And, there are many people in this country whose legacy for their children is poverty. Those that we train in this country are looking for greener pasture because the local environment is not conducive. In other words, we are exporting our greatest resource because the environment is not conducive for them to stay. This is a negative thing to the nation, Professor Ladipo lamented.

A Country Director of DKT International Nigeria, Mr. Dimos Sakellaridis had in 2014, while addressing newsmen in Lagos, screamed of the population that the country is experiencing today.

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB), a Washington-based population, health, and environment organisation had harangued in its PRB August 2015 Data Sheet that Nigeria would topple Indonesia to occupy the No. 4 on the index of most populated countries in the world.

According to the report, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia would respectively replace Russia and Mexico in the No. 9 and No. 10 population spots by 2050. The data showed that Nigeria was No. 7 with a predictable 182 million people, and would have 397 million people by that year.

Speaking in 2014, Sakellaridis said, Nigeria currently has an estimated population of 174 million people and with the current growth rate, the population will be 450 million by 2050. A major concern about this rapidly growing population is the fact that jobs, national infrastructures, social services, housing, health care facilities are not also growing at an equally comparable rate or at a faster rate like her population growth rate does.

Sakellaridis added, saying, Growth in population well researched statistics by experts show that by 2040, Nigerias population growth would have been quadrupled and without commensurate amenities and employment to sustain it; it would not augur well.

Sakellaridis was shouting above voice that the countrys population would quadruplet if urgent needs are not put in place to checkmate the leap. The professionals fears were that the pervasiveness of HIV and other forms of STDs were leading to unsystematic procreation of babies. This was due to unshielded sex, which could lead to many types of social problems that do not favour mankind.

The reason is because poverty would have increased and there wouldnt be enough work and food to go round. On the other hand, if people lived well, there wouldnt be insurgence because poverty which drives people to extremes would be greatly reduced, Sakellaridis had said.

Dr. Aisha Mahmood, a Special Assistant on Sustainable Banking, CBN, while delivering a paper on Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principle during the 2014 World Environment Day programme, organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja, had said, As the population is growing, the resources that we all depend on, the food, energy, water, is declining. The demand for these resources will rise exponentially by the year 2030, with the world needing about 50 per cent more food, 45 per cent more energy and 30 per cent more water.

In Nigeria, there is the issue of youth and employment. 70 per cent of the 80 million youths in Nigeria are either unemployed or underemployed. We are all witness to what happened recently during the immigration recruitment exercise and this is simply because 80 per cent of the Nigerian youth are unemployed.

Niran Adedokun, a public affairs analyst, had on August 25, 2016, said, Yet, Nigeria makes no attempt to check population growth. We just live for the now without sparing much thought for the future of the country. As China, India and even Ghana attempted at some point in their history, one would expect that Nigeria would, by itself, take control of its destiny and create a measure of population control to avoid an explosion and entrench a poverty trap.

Tagged the National Policy on Population for Development, Unity, Progress and Self Reliance, the Federal government introduced its first policy on population in 1988, with the aim to, Reduce the proportion of women who bear more than 4 children by 80 per cent by 2000, reduce Infant Mortality Rate to 50 per 1000 live birth by 1995 and 30 per 1000 live birth by the year 2000.

Reduce the number of pregnancy to women below the age of 18 and above the age of 35 years by 50 per cent by 1995 and by 90 per cent by the year 2000, make Family Planning services available to 50 per cent of women of child bearing age by 1995 and 80 per cent by year 2000, reduce rate of population growth from 3.3 to 2.5 per cent by 1995 and 2 per cent in the year 2000, provide suitable Family Life Education, Family Planning Information and Services to all adolescents by the year 2000.

Yet, Nigeria is a country with a population problem. She does not know how to go about it. There are indications that many children are out of school and the masses are suffering untoward unemployment and health problems. It is however evident that the country is not sincerely making quality case to arrest its population explosion and the problems it is generating.

Odimegwu Onwumere writes from Rivers State via: [email protected]
Donald Trump President Elect of the United States, the worlds richest country and Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos, Nigerias Richest State, were both born on June 14.Trump in 1946 and Ambode in 1963. Trump and Ambode both studied at the Wharton School of Business. A fundamental difference between Trump and Ambode is the fact that Trump has no government experience whereas Ambode has spent all his working career in Government either as a civil servant for 27 years or as an independent manage consultant for government.

Donald Trump has as a firm supporter Russian President, Vladimir Putin once described as the worlds most powerful man and born in 1952 whereas Akinwunmi Ambode has as god father Bola Tinibu, leader of the ruling all progressive party o several times referred to as Nigerias most powerful Politician, also born in 1952

In 2002, Sergey Brin, Googles co-founder opined that Russia is Nigeria with Snow because of the problem of corruption. Perhaps he could have said Russia is Nigeria with nuclear weapons. But for the crisis in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, Russia and Nigeria both led the African Continent and Europe in oil and Gas production. The Russians are the most experienced in outer space and Nigeria and south Africa lead Africa in the applications of space science.

The Population of Russia and Nigeria are the largest in Europe and Africa respectively.. Russia has a population of 144 million and Nigeria 180 million.

There are some other interesting developments between Russia and Nigeria in respect of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Vladimir Lenin. Vladimir Lenin and Gani Fawehinmi were both born on April 22, 1870 and 1938 respectively.

Both of them were politicians, lawyers and publishers. Lenin is described as a revolutionary and Gani an activist.

Both lived in London. Lenin was involved in the October Revolution and Gani Fawehinmi launched his political party in October. Earlier on, he had said he was prepared to lead a revolution in Nigeria.

Lenin was first President of the Soviet Union and Gani a presidential candidate of the National Conscience party (NCP).

According to the Wikipedia, Lenins family was originally known as Ulyanov. Being educated folk, the Ulyanovs imparted to their children hostility against the ills of their time  violations of human rights, servile psychology, and readiness to struggle for higher ideals, a free society and equal rights. Gani in his life time was known as a human rights activist.

Lenin attended the first International Socialist Conference on September 5-8 1915 at Zimmerworld. Gani died on September 5, 2009, surrounded by those who could have been of the socialist leaning. Ganis death triggered a conference of the left. Depending on how you look at it, Gani was a peculiar socialist or a peculiar capitalist.

Over the years Some Nigerians have had a certain fascination for the Russians. one of them appears to be Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, presently opposed to Donald Trump, who about 35 years ago in a song titled Unlimited Liability company decalred

The Russian Astronauts flying in Space

Radioed a puzzle to their Moscow base

They said we are flying over Nigeria

And we see high mountains in built up area

Right in the middle of heavy traffic

Is this Space Madness tell us quick

The strange report was fed to the computers

Which analysed the ponderous beauties

The computer replied no dont be snobbish

You know its a load of their national rubbish

Perhaps the mountains of Rubbish have stop being a feature of the Lagos landscape and this explains why Wole Soyinka had agreed to Chair a Committtee set up by Akinwunmi Ambode to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of Lagos State.It should be noted that Wole Soyinka shares the same birth date with the Russian Astronaut Aleksei Yeliseyev winner of State Prize of the USSR.

At a gathering organied by the British Council in Lagos for young writers Wole Soyinka has suggested that the young writers could embrace Space Fiction.
30.12.2016 LISTEN

The insults rained on us as a result of the previous expose on the alleged modus operandi of Tullow in Ghana were unfortunate. It almost seemed as if they were coming from deadheads at that company that seems to be nothing more than a mirage to the thirsty.

The faster we run after this mirage to get to the water that is not there, ironically, our lives quench slowly in much pain due to the unscrupulous scramble for the poor mans food that companies as Tullow seem to be feeding on, like pot-bellied gluttons from the medieval days of European barbarism.

Let us ask Tullow the ff:

Was a contract not given to two companies to provide four vessels to conduct the repair works on the turret bearing? Would the companies happen to be USO and SWIRE-ADONAI? Is SWIRE-ADONAI not a Singaporean-Ghanaian merger? If not, what are the names of the companies? Was the contract amount not $25,000 (twenty five thousand US Dollars) per vessel? Was the contract not for 365 days?

We reiterate that SWIRE-ADONAI is suspected to be fronting for Ibrahim Mahama. Further investigations are ongoing and we shall inform Ghanaians of the findings sooner or later.

What we are telling Tullow is that they need to hold on the signing of all pending contracts until the new administration takes over. Due to the suspected massive rot, these contracts might be suspended until the operations of the leeching companies are neutralised and streamlined for more transparency. Besides, whatever suspicious contracts that Tullow doles out are billed the nation with INTEREST! That is a smart way of using our money and charging us interest for doing so.

Obviously, the vessel contracts are over-bloated and would have to be toned down to reasonable levels before any business continues in this endeavor. Tullow and other companies might have to file their teeth blunt in order to bring sanity to the operations in the oil and gas industry of Ghana. Neither it, its surrogates, nor affiliates in the industry would be allowed leverage at the expense of the suffering Ghanaian any longer.

Oh and one more thing, respect your Ghanaian employees by making them equals to the foreigners in terms of salaries, benefits and bonuses. After all, it would seem as if the blood of the Ghanaian is rather being siphoned than the oil in our earth.

GOD bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong!
Bamako (AFP) - Dozens of Malian migrants kept locked up in Libyan jails after failing to make it onto boats bound for Europe have arrived home, with some reporting maltreatment by authorities in the unstable north African nation.

The group of 159 Malians including several children arrived in Bamako on Thursday night on a flight chartered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

Around 40 were detained in Libya's notoriously grim jails for living in the country illegally, according to regional civil protection director Bakary Daou, and had requested deportation.

"Given the difficulties that they encountered in Libya, they accepted coming back to the country voluntarily," Daou told AFP.

The government would work with the IOM to ensure they were safely returned to their loved ones, Daou added.

Racist attacks and maltreatment were the norm, the returnees said, confirming they were attempting to reach Europe through the well-trodden smuggling route taken by many west Africans through Niger and Libya.

AFP saw at least three unaccompanied minors and several clearly unwell people among the group.

"In all of Libya's prisons, they hit people and treat them badly, especially black Africans," said Ibrahim Bidane Sy, a migrant who spent three months in one jail.

"I was in prison without communicating with my family or friends... luckily the IOM helped me to get out," he added.

The operation was the second planned mass deportation of Malians from Libya this year.

Earlier this month Algeria, Libya's neighbour, deported 260 Malians who also alleged brutality by the police and authorities.

African migrants have been regularly expelled by the thousands since Libya's descent into chaos.

It is the focal point for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, and was previously home to thousands of Africans working as labourers or domestic servants.

After receiving medical treatment by the Malian authorities, the migrants were due to return home to their families on Friday.
30.12.2016 LISTEN

"I am asking for nothing less than a revolution- a revolution that would transform the socio-economic structures of the country. That was Jerry Rawlings on 31st December 1981 who further said that he was prepared to face the firing squad if what he had initiated was not acceptable to the majority of the Ghanaian people. That was 35 years today.

By November ending 1981, a revolution was seen to be inevitable in Ghana. The proclamation made in the early hours of 31st December, 1981 by flt Lt, J.J Rawlings was an intervention. Many may see it as a coup detat but to some of us it was a revolution. For the general accepted opinion, I think partial coup/revolution. The jubilation of the civilians from Northern part of the country to Southern part of the country was attested to the fact that it was a popular revolution. 31st December therefore was like a festival day for the suffering people, the unemployed and the exploited. They jumped on to the streets without prompting and some joined in the looting of shops belonging to the Lebanese and Syrians. Very sad!.

Cadres who answer the role call from 31st December 1981 were cadres from the June Four Movement,( JFM) headed by Comrade Alolga Akata-Pore,Sergent, The New Democratic Movement ,(NDM) headed by Comrade Chris Bukari Atim, Africa Youth Command (AYC)headed by comrade Nyenya Yen, Kwame Nkrumah Revolutionary Guards(KNRG),headed by comrade Nicolas Atampugri and the Peoples Revolutionary Movement(PRM) also headed by comrade Kwesi Adu and others. With this people in positions, I stand to be corrected in their roles in this bodies,Rawlings really trusted his comrades- in- the -struggles And everything was left entirely in the hands of the above cadres.

Hence, taking their inspiration from both the Cuban and the Libyan experiences, they thought it wise to establish committees in same Photo-scenario as those in Havana and Tripoli. The idea was sold to unsuspecting Chairman Rawlings. These cadres were very influential in management decision making. Also, in both cities, towns and villages, there were organizations similar to the above.

In early January 1982, there was amalgam of revolutionaries of June Four Movement (JFM) and the New Democratic Movement (NDM). In this type of revolutionary congregation lay the beginning of their disagreements, vis-a-vis a National philosophy or an ideological basis for the PNDC. Chairman Rawlings again still maintained, sustained and above all, the trust he upheld for his team from the inception of the revolution.

There was mistrust between these amalgam revolutionaries bodies. The New Democratic Movement (NDM) thought that the 31st December Revolution was not necessary, ill conceived and considered and classified their partners from the June Four Movement as Misfits. Hence a socio-ideological conflict had been natured.

It therefore stands to reason that, because of these defects and mistrust within the central committee of the PNDC, National affairs could not move as expected and Chairman Rawlings with all the ideas was left in the limbo. It was alleged that, the ante-Rawlings within presidium of the PNDC hatched a wicked plan that will make Jerry Rawlings looked bad in the eyes of the citizenry.

On the 30th June, 1982, three High Court Judges(Jusice Cecilia Koranteng,Justice F.B Sarkodee and Justice K.A Agyepong) and Major Sam Acquah(Director of personel,GIHOC) was brutally murdered by some criminals who presented themselves As people taking some instructions from above,may their souls rest in peace . Special investigation board was constituted on the 15th July 1982 by Jerry Rawlings to investigate these murders. Lance Corporal and Joachim Amartey Kwei and some run away accomplices were found for this madness. They were finally executed by firing squad in August 1983.

This then set the PNDC and dissidents on a collision. It will surprised you to know that fifteen (15) coup d etat was attempted on Chairman Rawlings. The main aim of the dissidents was to eliminate Chairman Rawlings himself. Their afore-thought was, if Jerry Rawlings is eliminated, they will have their way to implement their ideologies. I will not talk about the alleged J.H Mensah's and his people in the far away foreign land.

On 29th October 1982, a collaboration of some dissidents within presidium of the PNDC and outside, a coup detat was attempted by some junior officers. On 23rd November 1982 came another attempted coup detat lead by Akata-Pore and his group. Akata-Pore was arrested and detained whiles Chris Bukari Atim,one of the suspects of the above coup detat managed to escaped to Togo. Senior military officers were implicated and Rawlings was forced by this act, to overhaul his establishment.

On 27th, Feb. 1983 about nine (9) soldiers and two (2) civilians were arrested around Achimota forest in Accra. In April 1983, various types of foreign mercenaries allegedly recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A) of America and the Israeli intelligence Wing were set to invade Ghana through Aflao. The most serious of them all 23rd April 1983, was the plot which was to have coincided with the PNDC political Rally in Kumasi.

19th June 1983 was the Master of all coup attempts, they attacked Ussher Fort (James Town) prison; and some other secret military locations within the Accra metropolitan area. They succeeded in releasing some men who were arrested on the 23rd November 1982 as a result of the failed coup detat. These descendents succeeded in temporarily capturing Ghana Broadcasting and Television station. On the same day, 1 oclock,a spokesman of the PNDC announce to the Ghanaians and the world that, Chairman Rawlings is still in control of Ghana and no one else. Its interesting to know that, in the trial of the coup detat suspect, at least ,twenty (20) death sentences were passed and only five (5) of them who were in detention at the time of Judgment finally faced the firing squad. For most of those convicted either might have died during the exchange of fire between the revolutionary guards of the PNDC,but majority of them were sentenced in absentia.

In the spirit of third anniversary of the 31st December revolution, that is 1984, Jerry Rawlings granted a general amnesty to prisoners in Ghana and it was extended to some of the Coup detat suspects who were already serving various sentences , but were found to be of Good behavior.

On the 2nd February 1985, a plot was hatchet to assassinate Jerry Rawlings in Kumasi, when he will be delivering a speech during a durbar. Five military men and a civilian (Mallam Tula) were apprehended. In the middle of March 1986, Mr.Godfrey Osei, a Ghanaian fugitive from Jail was alleged to have recruited 18 mercenaries, eight (8) of the American and ten (10) Argentine nationals. 26th of May 1986, Nine (9) Ghanaians were put before a military tribunal as alleged coup detat suspects. Among them was Captain Edward Adjei Ampofo, A former head of Ghana Military Intelligence.

Finally on 22nd June 1986 about sixteen (16) suspects were arrested. Dissidents will not stop their advances towards the destabilization of the Rawlings regime.

Whatever you may look at it,Jerry Rawlings is my Hero.

Ibrahim Hardi 0208235615

Email;[email protected]
The New Patriotic Party NPP Toronto chapter will hold a soiree on January 7, 2017. Afterwards, the chapter executives will embark on thank you tour to all Ghanaian churches and organizations.

Mr. Alex Barning, vice chairman of the chapter confirmed these to me in an exclusive interview over the weekend in Toronto.

He said, the thank you tour is not to do politics but rather express the partys appreciation to all the churches and organizations for having prayed for peaceful elections in Ghana during the last elections.

Of course yes they deserve a thank you for having gone on their knees to ask God for peaceful elections and yes God answered our prayers and gave us peace before, during and after the elections he said.

Accordingly, before the party could take it upon itself to visit the churches to request for intercessory prayers for the country, they were already praying without ceasing for the country.

So It is not who won or who lost but for the peace that all are still enjoying after the national exercise and the need to reconcile and forge ahead in freedom and development.

Mr. Alex Abarning said, Nana Akufo Addo would be sworn in as the president of the republic of Ghana on January 7, 2017 at the independence square, Accra in the morning after which the Toronto chapter will hold the soiree to celebrate the occasion in Toronto.

The ballroom at Apostles Continuation Church at Belfield and Kipling Road is the venue and tickets are on sale for 20 Canadian dollars.
Just as the constitution of the land does not prevent anyone from marrying a close relative, so as the constitution does not prevent a sitting president from executing his constitutional duties during the transition period but our rational thinking heads must teach us what is morally, psychologically and economically right to do for a smooth political continuity of successive administrations.

President Mahama and his NDC government have been a scandalous and self-interest prioritizing administration which never proved to have Ghana at heart and their last minute attitudes and doings have come to justify it.

The hypocrisy of Mahama's NDC government has been made known to Ghanaians after their humiliating defeat in the just ended December 7 election.

Is it not surprising that a government which cancelled teachers and nursing trainees allowance on grounds of "no money in the state coffers" will at the eleventh hour of leaving office has increased National Service allowance from Gh350 to Gh559.40 .

The shocking aspect of the increment is that the service personnel were bargaining for Gh450. Is this not a deliberate act of wickedness to make things though for the incoming administration?

The last minute appointments and recruitments into the various public sectors, agencies and institutions worth not only questions but scrutinization.

The youth of Ghana for a long period under Mahama's stewardship have been crying for jobs. It is believed that the massive and escalating youth unemployment is among the numerous factors which contributed to the shameful defeat his government.

The outgoing Mahama's government is hiding behind the constitutional time frame of tenure of office to exploit Ghanaians in their last days in office.

What the right thinking Ghanaians are asking is why didn't President Mahama do all these months ago if he think that will have no effect on the economy.

The appointment of the CHRAJ boss, NCCE boss, Auditor General, promotion of some civil servants to higher ranks, the increment in workers salary, issuance of huge contracts and among others within few days to leave office have raised suspicion that the outgoing Mahama's government is doing that to sabotage the incoming Nana Akufo-Addo led administration.

President Mahama, having conceded defeat ahead of EC's declaration was a commending move to clear his dented image.

Who is advising the President? What is the hidden truth behind President Mahama's last days appointment?

Critics of Mahama's administration - the founder of NDC - former President Rawlings, Hon. Martin Amidu - a leading member of Mahama's governing NDC, anti-corruption groups and some Ghanaians accused Mahama's government of governing on the principles of "create-loot and share".

Many are those who believe that President Mahama's last minute appointments is a calculated effort to get some people in positions to cover the rots of himself and his appointees. For instance, the just sworn in CHRAJ boss was the then acting boss who cleared him (mahama) of the famous Kanazoe-Mahama Ford Expedition saga. The appointed CHRAJ and NCCE bosses have been acting for several months under Mahama's stewardship without confirmation as substantive bosses so why the last day confirmation?

Just as he (Mahama) appointed Mrs. Charlotte Osei as EC boss with the hope of getting her favour but the contrary happened, so as the contrary will happen despite the CHRAJ, NCCE bosses and Auditor General being his close allies. Every skeleton will be brought out. All dubious squandered monies will be retrieve for Ghanaians.

..............Signed.............

Nana Ofori Kissi Ratina

Anti-Corruption Crusader
It is not for nothing that Ghana is largely considered the beacon of democracy in Africa. As such, the actions and inactions of political actors must be adding up to the growth of our governance. If our actions are ultra-vice to existing constitutional principles, then clearly, we are in a path of retrogression and that is a threat to our young but enviable Democratic dispensation. I write to vehemently disagree with those, largely the NPP, who think that governance must come to a stand still after elections.

I see governance as a continues process in every democratic system and elections or transition cannot and must not impede that process. The constitution by its wisdom, mandates the incumbent government to continue to perform its duties until 6th January mid night. The new government then takes over on the 7th of January. In my view, the constitution seeks to avoid any gab in the governing process. So it is absolutely a nonstarter to argue that government cannot discharge certain legitimate actions because of transition.

Again, people who try to justify their positions on this matter introduced moral orientation into the debate and that makes them sound ridiculous and hypothetical. Who said the constitution and its framers didn't integrate morality into the legality? Would you in that subjective view, demand that conventions, legality and democratic principles be compromised for that "morality" to satisfy one group? Governance is a serious business and rest on numerous constitutional principles and not just what is ordinarily perceived to be wrong by somebody. It sounds more of a fuzzy concept to narrow the debate to morality. We are in a democratic state and any decision by government or any group must be grounded on the supreme law of the land, THE 1992 CONSTITUTION OF GHANA.

There is nothing wrong for the government to make certain appointments that are apolitical to relevant state institutions in as much as our constitution exists. Those who do not like it in its current state can rather push for the amendment of sections of the constitution.

Then again, when government granted the proposal by National Service Scheme for an increment in their allowances, sections of Ghanaians especially the NPP and its allies have viewed the decision with political binoculars by postulating that it is bad faith on the part of the outgoing government. Others are of the view that the outgoing government wants to put a burden on the incoming government in the management of the economy. For God's sake, the proposal from the NSS has been under consideration as far back as July.

In any case, the increment is going to improve the lives of young people contributing their quota to national development. How can the improvement of the lives of section of our youth who are the future human resource of the country be a burden on the economy? Is the NPP government not coming to improve the lives of citizenry? Such pedestrian analysis of issues makes me skeptical of the commitment of the incoming NPP government to improve the lives and conditions of the people. Whether you like it or not, labour shall make legitimate demands for salary increment in the near future and if that will cause any inability of the NPP government to deliver its numerous promises, then I can say without any modicum of doubt that the NPP have failed in advance.

Let me also use this opportunity to touch on the increment of the emoluments of article 71 holders as stipulated in the 1992 constitution. Frankly speaking, I am one of those who argue that the above article must be scrapped to create a level playing field for all officers and workers to be under the Single Spine Salary Structure managed by the Fair Wages and Salary Commission. Am also of the view that the income of such officers as currently in the said article must be taxable like mine as a poor village teacher.

I was expecting those who think any increment in allowances of salaries can put a burden on the public purse to engage in a constructive debate by the recent increment in the emoluments of these officers largely the Executive and Legislature. The President elect, Nana Akuffo Addo shall be the biggest beneficiary of these increments. Ironically, the NPP is silent about it after all, their MPs who are to form majority in parliament soon clandestinely endorsed it since it is in their selfish interest. I am particularly disappointed in the national house of Parliament especially the minority caucus for demonstrating such a level of double standard. When it is in their favour, these is no banter between them but when it is in the larger interest of Ghana, they play their delay tactics around. The Right to Information Bill is one of such important bills before the house for so many years now. The minority have been against the passage of it in recent times but quick to endorse humongous increment in their emoluments including gargantuan ex-gratia. Isn't that a shame?

I think that civil society groups must push government hard in the coming days to ensure that this issue of article 71 holders is pragmatically dealt with, to save the public purse. I think the politicians are playing a "pillow game" with the ordinary Ghanaian worker. Enough of this aggrandizement!

As long us we continue to pursue the journey of democracy and want to model it to its best form, we must not remain polarized and partisan on every national discourse. Such moves only paint national policies with partisan colours and that cannot move us forward in any quest to sustain our developing democracy. Political actors should revise their notes on democracy and constitutional law well and stop confusing policy with politics. I know people as usual are going to bastardize me for coming out with this article but let the truth be told that nation building goes beyond political party affiliation.

Denis Andaban

[email protected] .

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About Me

Name: Carl in Jerusalem Location: Jerusalem, Israel

I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com

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Nigerian troops on Operation Lafiya Dole engaged Boko Haram terrorists in an early-morning gun fire leader to the death of about 15 terrorists.

According to Premium Times, the gun fire started around 6 am on Friday, December 30 in Borno state and ended by 9 am.

READ ALSO: 31 Boko Haram terrorists surrender in Niger

It was reported that the terrorists launched a surprise attack against troops Rann, in northern Borno where soldiers from 3 Battalion and 112 Task Force Battalion are stationed.

The soldiers responded promptly ant attacked the terrorists who were firing sporadically.

At the end of the gun fire, about 15 terrorists were killed while some were injured.

Another source in the military said the number of terrorists that died was more than 15 as some of them escaped with gunshot wounds.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram leader Shekau surfaces in new video, denies fall of Sambisa

It was however confirmed that four Nigerian soldiers were wounded in action while the nearby 22 Brigade has been contacted to send air ambulance to evacuate a soldier who was seriously injured.

Weapons recovered include two AK47 rifles, four FN rifles, one M21 rifle, 110 X 7.62MM NATO ammunition, 20 X 7.62MM special,, 40 X M21 rounds, 4 X FN extra magazine and two locally made explosives.

Source: Legit.ng
A budding journalist, Aderibigbe Adeola, has visited a cemetery in Lagos which he referred to as the 'Imota Cemetery of horror' probably due to what he experienced there.

In a number of pictures he posted online, human body parts are seen all over the cemetery. The bodies littered all around the place are said to be due to shallow graves.

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Tippers of dead bodies are brought daily to the place to be dropped at the cemetery without any provision to bury them. Most of the bodies are just covered with sands with shallow or no graves which makes the bodies to come up to the surface days after they've been dumped there. He however implored the government to take proper care of the location to avoid the break out of an epidemic.

He captioned the pictures:

''On Friday, I have the privilege of being the first journalist to visit, Imota Cemetery of horror. Hope this picture can go viral and force government to find a solution before the breakout of an epidemic. #LIFEOFABROADCASTJOURNALIST#'

See the photos below:

Human leg stuck out of the sand

Human head sticking of the soil after few days of burying it in a shallow way

Human parts already mixed up with the soil

A glimpse into Imota Cemetery of horror (photos)

Wow!

Source: Legit.ng
This Account has been suspended.
Some Nigerians have accused the federal government of investing in the popular Ponzi scheme, MMM, following reports of scarcity of small naira denominations in the country.

Some Nigerians have suggested that the scarcity of small naira denominations could be as a result of the federal government investing in the popular Ponzi scheme, MMM.

The accusations surfaced after sources in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed to the media that the apex bank failed to print small naira denominations for about a year due to the current economic recession.

READ ALSO: Read Atiku Abubakar's New Year message to Nigerians

The sources explained that CBN did not award contract for the printing of the notes such as N5, N10, N20 and N50 usually done abroad due to the high cost of printing the banknotes.

The cost of printing N50 is almost the same as N1,000. Printing small denominations costs more than the value and with the present economic situation, it makes sense to print higher notes which can be done locally by NSPM," a source at the apex bank said.

However the CBN has denied the allegation that it had not contracted the printing of smaller denomination currencies since 2015.

The CBN acting director, corporate communications, Mr Isaac Okorafor, dismissed reports of scarcity of smaller denomination in the market.

But some Nigerians puzzled by the revelation have described the currency saga as an embarrassment to the nation.

Other commentators insisted that the scarcity was caused by the CBN investing in the MMM scheme.

Read reactions to the issue below:

Jacob Kingsley: "As you can see that everything in Nigeria now is politics. Always try to come up with excuse instead of doing the right thing to move the country forward. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that the CBN stop printing low denomination currency because of festival. CBN is now MMM. There is Godooooo."

Hajara Ibrahim: "Tell us the truth... Una don carry our money do MMM. Una think say we no know."

Lugar Ikenna Anozie: "Gcfr U guys were discouraging people to do MMM,but u carry our money do MMM...just tel us d truth,we will fogive u people."

On his part, Akinyemi Sunday suggested that the scarcity was caused by treasury looters who had prevented the funds from circulating.

READ ALSO: Jibrin makes secret moves to settle with Dogara over suspension

He said: "The reason for the scarcity is as a result of stock piling of naira notes in private homes by politicians and public servants particularly the ex and serving governors and National Assembly members and treasury looters.

"As a matter of fact the money which is kept away from the system and from circulation is far far far bigger bigger bigger than the volume of money in the economy. Tooooooooo muuuch money had been stolen and kept away leaving the economic with stroke. Remember the judges and what was found in their homes.

"The politicians and criminals who gave them are having 99% of what they gave them in underground floors and isolated houses built for hiding money. This is the naked truth which the CBN knows but cannot tell us."

Gabriel Jerry sounded puzzled by the issue when he said: "Are you saying that you couldn't afford to print out smaller denominations? The central bank of the most populous country in Africa cannot afford to print her notes ? I reserve my comments."

Another group of commentators vented their anger on the Buhari administration over the issue:

Chidimma Claribel: " Hmmm,first in history to hear this type of story!which way Buhari?which way Nigeria?"

Zulu Donatus: "Upon the produced number of of barrels of oil increased . Jokers. Buhari wants to finish the oil before he steps down including the money he is taking from people. Nigerians would realise what we are talking about Buhari very soon."

Mercy Ihuoma: "That's rubbish. Other countries still use the least of the denominations of their currencies. Story for the gods!!!" Government of Lies and Deception."

Alo Kelechi: "That is the change."

Prisca Uj :"All happening under Buhari's watch."

Nedum Bright: " Nigeria in a deep mess under this wicked regime."

Meanwhile, Nigerians across the country have continued to groan over the failure Automated Teller Machines in most banks to dispense cash.

And in cases where banks are operating, customers have relayed experiences of being told to keep their withdrawals within a certain range of amount due to lack of cash.

Have you also experienced a cashless festive season due to the alleged insufficient funds in circulation?

Source: Legit.ng
CHARLESTON -- A man's having marijuana he planned to sell netted him prison time but with a chance for an early release.

Javon E. Berglund, 19, for whom court records list an address of 1222 Division St., Charleston, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cannabis with intent deliver.

Berglund was accused of having three bags of marijuana found with him in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in Charleston on May 22.

The charge was a felony offense with normal sentencing options including of a prison sentence of one to three years. But because of a recent robbery conviction, Berglund was eligible for up to six years in prison and he received the maximum sentence.

However, the agreement in his case included a recommendation for the Illinois Department of Corrections' Impact Incarceration program. Often called a prison "boot camp," the discipline program can lead to an early release if completed successfully.

A judge's recommendation was needed for Berglund to be eligible for the program but it will be up to prison officials whether to admit him.

Coles County Circuit Judge Teresa Righter imposed the sentence by accepting the terms of a plea agreement that Assistant State's Attorney Rob Scales and Public Defender Anthony Ortega recommended.

In February, Berglund received the maximum probation sentence possible, four years, when he admitted a role in robbing a man of his wallet and cellphone a month earlier.

In other cases in court recently, Righter also accepted guilty pleas from:

Matthew A. Bean, 26, for whom records list an address in Plainfield in the Chicago area, to a burglary charge alleging he went to Real Deal Pawn & Gun in Charleston on March 4 to steal from the business.

Bean received a three-year prison sentence with an agreement that a one-year sentence he received in March for Will County drugs and weapons offenses will run at the same time.

He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling just more than $11,000.

Righter accepted a plea agreement that Scales and Ortega recommended.

Chelsea E. Fidler, 19, whose address on record is 411 Van Buren Ave., Charleston, to a theft charge alleging she stole money from the Home Depot store in Mattoon during May and June while employed there.

The amount of money stolen, just more than $3,200 according to court records, made the original offense a felony but it was reduced to a misdemeanor with the plea agreement.

Fidler was sentenced to two years of court supervision, meaning she won't have a record of a conviction if she completes the term successfully.

Scales and defense attorney Chris Wetzel recommended the plea agreement.

Aaron M. Henigman, 43, for whom records list an address in Golconda in southern Illinois, formerly of Mattoon, to a methamphetamine possession charge.

Henigman admitted he had methamphetamine police reportedly found in a vehicle during a traffic stop in Mattoon on Sept. 23. He was sentenced to two years of conditional discharge, supervision that doesn't have as many restrictions as probation.

Terms of the sentence included substance abuse treatment and payment of about $1,300 in fines and court fees. Assistant State's Attorney Bryant Hitchings and defense attorney Todd Reardon recommended the agreement.
-The Nigerian military has been praised for their swift action in rescuing a critically injured soldier

-The solider was among four other soldiers wounded at today's early morning gun battle between the Boko Haram sect and the military

-The battle is the first since the federal government declared that the sect has been defeated

Brave: How Nigerian Military rushes aircraft to pick injured soldier from war front

The Nigerian military has been praised for their speedy action in rescuing a soldier from the war front.

Premium Times learnt that the military rushed an Augusta helicopter to the battle front in Rann, northern Borno to pick a wounded soilder earlier on Friday.

The soldier was among four wounded soldiers in Fridays fierce battle between the military and the Boko Haram terror sect.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Many feared dead as Boko Haram launches surprise attack against army

It was gathered by Premium Times that Nigerian soldiers had killed at least 15 terrorists after the terrorists surprised and attacked the military location early on Friday.

According to an inside source who spoke to Premium Times, the Nigerian military moved swiftly immediately they received information of the need to evacuate a critically injured soldier.

Accordingly, it was gathered that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter left Maiduguri for Rann at around 1 p.m. to transport the soldier to 133 Reference Hospital in Kaduna.

It was also gathered that the helicopter made a stopover at Gamboru before proceeding to Rann, to pick up the commanding officer of 3 Battalion.

Military insiders have praised the military for their prompt action in responding to the call from the battle front.

READ ALSO: France vows to continue to support anti-terrorism fight in Africa

The quick response was described as

The pace at which they responded to the distress call is commendable, one soldier said. With this kind of efficiency, there will be better morale among troops, the source said.

A gun battle ensued between Nigerian troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and Boko Haram terrorists at 6 a.m on Friday morning and did not end until after 9 a.m, Premium Times reports

The recent battle is the first since the military claimed triumph over the sect and since a day after new footage of Abubakar Shekau appeared, in which he debunked the news of the sects defeat

Source: Legit.ng
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LA PAZ and EL ALTO, Bolivia  In these two cities, geography and rank stand in inverse relation. La Paz  the seat of government, old money and a lighter-skinned elite  sits in a valley. Above it on a high plateau is the frenetic city of El Alto: poorer, younger and generally darker-skinned. La Paz has always looked down on its upstart younger sibling above.

Now, that relationship is being challenged, and this urban Mobius strip, where down is up and up is down, is getting a new twist. A mass-transit aerial cable-car system, a cross between a ski gondola and an elevated train, is being installed to better connect them, chipping away at the physical barriers and possibly some of the psychological ones.

The first line in the system, stretching from an area near the center of La Paz to just beyond the lip of the plateau into El Alto, began carrying riders on May 31. Another line is expected to go into operation in September, and a third the next month  just in time for an election on Oct. 12, in which President Evo Morales is running for a third term.

Mr. Morales, who ordered the construction of the cable-car system, recently announced that he would build five more lines. It is part of a master plan that Cesar Dockweiler, the general coordinator of the project, said could eventually include up to 18 lines: stretching deep down the valley into La Pazs Zona Sur, or Southern Zone, where the wealthiest live, and far across the plateau, home to some of El Altos poorest.
Nail Gaiman and Amanda Palmer have released a new arrangement of Leonard Cohens spoken-word song Democracy in support of PEN America, an association of writers and editors that works to protect free speech. The song is a response to the results of the presidential election, as the incoming presidential administration demonstrates increasing disdain for the media and a range of free expression norms.

In a joint statement, Gaiman and Palmer explained why they support PEN America: No one becomes a writer, artist, cartoonist, or journalist because it will be easy. Now this work may get a lot harder. We want to speak out. PEN America is rising to the occasion, leading a massive mobilization of writers and their supporters. Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director of PEN America, said, We are so grateful to Neil and Amanda, and to the many others who have offered their time and expertise, organized their communities, and opened their wallets to defend the First Amendment against all odds.

Accompanying the song is an animated video by Olga Nunes, with illustrations by David Mack, the artist who illustrated Gaimans American Gods. You can donate to PEN America directly here, buy the song on Bandcamp here, or buy a print of Vladimir Zimakovs art for the single here, with proceeds going to PEN America. Watch Gaiman and Palmers cover of Democracy embedded above, and see Cohens original below, plus Paste Cloud audio from a 1988 Cohen performance beneath that.
Hooley freakin dooley this is a lot of drugs.

NSW Police, in conjunction with the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force, arrested 15 men all suspected to be part of a massive drug importation ring in an enormous Christmas Day raid on a vessel that was temporarily tied up at a commercial berth at the site of the Sydney Fish Market.

The joint operation between the state and federal authorities has been an on-going investigation for some two-and-a-half years, and spanned two countries.

Police seized 500kg of cocaine from a dinghy at Brooklyn on the NSW Central Coast. Meanwhile over in Tahiti, authorities snared over 600kg of the drug in a haul that the investigation asserts was headed for Australia. Combined, the haul has an estimated value of around $360million.

Authorities will allege that a larger ship anchored out at sea houses drugs smuggled from Chile, and that a fishing trawler named Dalrymple was used to ferry the drugs from the boat to various docks in NSW.

Sydney trawler was allegedly used to cart $360m worth of cocaine. pic.twitter.com/Dlf1hwEo3R  Sunrise (@sunriseon7) December 28, 2016

Among the 15 arrested and charged with crimes relating to the bust are former Eastern Suburbs Roosters lock John Tobin, who played some 125 games for the club in the 1980s, and Bondi entrepreneur Darren Mohr. All of the men arrested were refused bail after attending initial hearing proceedings in court throughout this week.

NSW Police are due to front media in relation to the bust later this morning.

More as this story develops.

Source: SMH.
Plans Include Integrating Meetings in Prisons Worldwide and VA Medical Centers

Contact

SMART Recovery

***@smartrecovery.org SMART Recovery

End

-- The SMART Recovery Board of Directors elected Joe Gerstein, M.D., FACP, among the organization's most highly regarded leaders, as the new president, effective December 29.He succeeds Tom Horvath, Ph.D., who provided SMART with 20 years of distinguished service as president. Horvath will remain on the Board as a valuable and ongoing member, while focusing more on growing the program in southern California where he runs the treatment center Practical Recovery.Gerstein has served as a leading force in SMART for more than 25 years, going back to its origins as Rational Recovery in 1989. He is regarded as the person most responsible for establishing SMART in its current form as the founding president in 1994.He takes the helm once again as SMART is growing at a fast pace, having launched 1,000 meetings in the past three years, bringing the total to nearly 2,200. Helping drive this growth is the sharp increase in the number of people taking the online Get SMART FAST Distance Training Program. As many as 2,500 registered for the program in 2016  60 percent of them recovery professionals."Joe embodies the ideals of SMART as a partnership between professionals and peers," said Vice President Brett Saarela. She added, "He understands the importance of supporting our volunteers. Over the years, he's helped lead us through every challenge and success. During this time of change, he brings an even-keeled style of leadership, diplomacy and the ability to find compromise between disparate points of view."Joe Gerstein is the namesake of SMART's prestigious Joseph Gerstein Award for Exemplary Service, recognizing distinguished service to the organization. This October, he received the Harvard Humanist of the Year Award honoring his service to SMART, "which we view among the greatest examples of community service in the history of modern humanism," according to the university's Humanist Hub, sponsor of the award.As he begins his new term as SMART president, Gerstein is developing an action agenda that draws upon his SMART experience and professional strengths, including 30 years as a practitioner of internal medicine and pain management in Cambridge, MA. For SMART Recovery, he has launched and facilitated thousands of meetings. His plans include:"This is clinically, ethically and constitutionally the right thing to do," he says. Since the first years of SMART's existence, Gerstein has facilitated more than 800 meetings in prisons in New England, Australia and the UK. More than 200 prisons worldwide currently host SMART Recovery meetings or ones based on its InsideOutprogram, which Gerstein helped create in the late 1990s with a $1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.In fact, research involving the prison system of New South Wales, Australia, provides some of the most convincing evidence of SMART's effectiveness. The study compared reoffending rates for nearly 6,000 inmates and found that the half who attended SMART meetings had significantly lower rates, especially in committing violent crimes (Christine Blatch et al., "Getting SMART, SMART Recovery Programs and Reoffending", January 2016).Meetings in medical settings clearly associate SMART with mainstream healthcare using tools from evidence-based disciplines, such as cognitive therapies and motivational interviewing. Gerstein has collaborated with long-time SMART volunteer Bill Abbott in establishing 29 SMART meetings in16 Massachusetts hospitals, including major teaching hospitals of the Harvard Medical School. Both men have been associated with the Harvard Medical School, Gerstein as an assistant clinical professor of medicine and Abbott as emeritus professor of surgery.The more than 1,200 VA medical centers and outpatient facilities comprise the largest U.S. healthcare system in the US, serving 8.9 million veterans a year. More than 30 facilities host SMART meetings, and some have found them useful in supporting treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).As professionals grow more aware of SMART through the training and other avenues, Joe would like to explore how to effectively involve them in the drive for more meetings in hospitals, treatment centers, prisons and drug court programs. Professionals treat people for addiction in these settings and can contribute to support groups using the same treatment tools."SMART is now a bona fide worldwide program," he said, with more than 900 meetings in 17 countries outside the U.S. (Australia, Canada, China and Hong Kong, Denmark, India, Iran, Ireland, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.)"He has served as SMART's global pioneer and ambassador,"added Saarela, "having introduced our program to countries on six continents."He and his wife, Barbara, nurtured SMART's growth and development of affiliate organizations in the UK with 475 weekly meetings and Australia with nearly 200. Plans are underway to create SMART Recovery International with three divisions: the U.S. Division overseeing the Americas and Africa; the UK division, all of Europe; and the Australia Division, this country and all of Asia.Gerstein's plans will be refined and reshaped with the help of an experienced SMART Board of Directors and executed by thousands of volunteers, including regional coordinators, meeting facilitators and professionals worldwide.For information about SMART Recovery, visit www.smartrecovery.org
Community Chamber and State Officials congratulate firm on contributions to region

By: Absolute Logic

Absolute Logic 25th anniversary

End

-- Al Alper, founder and CEO of Absolute Logic (http://absolutelogic.com)and his team were honored recently by a number of community, chamber and state officials on the occasion of the firm's 25anniversary.Absolute Logic has provided technical support and technology consulting to Connecticut and New York businesses since 1991, and has become the region's go-to resource for protection of data. Alper, a resident of Wilton and an entrepreneur who has started multiple businesses in his career, was congratulated by officials including CT State Senator Toni Boucher, CT State Representative Gail Lavielle, Town of Wilton Second Selectmen Michael Kaelin, Wilton Chamber of Commerce President Tom Sato, Immediate Past President Mark Ketley and Executive Director Debra Hanson, as well as Norwalk Chamber of Commerce Vice President Brian Griffin.In addition to congratulations and well wishes, Alper received an official citation from the State of Connecticut's General Assembly, presented by Senator Boucher and Representative Lavielle, recognizing the contributions of Absolute Logic to the region.Senator Boucher said, "These days it's not often we have a chance to tout a Connecticut business that has been here such a long time. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy; nearly 80% of our economy is driven by businesses with fewer than 10 employees." She continued, " Al's company has not only evolved over 25 years but has responded to current needs that exist now regarding cybersecurity. We're so very proud of his accomplishments from a business perspective, and also as a contributor to our community. Al has served so many years on the Board of Finance, and Town Committee, and has brought talented people to our boards and commissions. He has really helped the economy and governance of our community."Tom Sato, President of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce, also congratulated Absolute Logic on the anniversary, noting "The Wilton Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate Absolute Logic on their 25anniversary. It is a great milestone to reach and we wish them continued success as they continue to service our community."Michael Kaelin, a member of the Board of Selectmen for the Town of Wilton, added, "Absolute Logic demonstrates how a great business can thrive in the Town of Wilton. The high quality of life in Wilton helps Absolute Logic attract high quality people, and the high quality people at Absolute Logic help improve the quality of life in Wilton. It's a great relationship."Mark Ketley, Executive Director, Teen Center of Wilton and Immediate Past President of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce, also congratulated Alper and the company, noting, "Al Alper and Absolute Logic is not only a great company, but a friend to the community as well. Al is always ready to help nonprofit organizations with their needs, and regularly volunteers his time and expertise to those organizations."Alper's business has grown from its early days to serve a number of industries throughout Connecticut and New York, and during his time at the helm, he has acquired another company, opened a location in the Buffalo, NY area, presented to many groups on the issue of cybersecurity, and has authored several books. His most recent,, is a plainspoken, no-nonsense business owner's guide to protecting a business from the "dark side" of the Internet.He said, "Our industry changes, it seems sometimes, at a breakneck pace. Our focus has always been and continues to be protecting information from threats, but it requires extreme diligence to stay ahead of what is out there today." He continued, "I have been fortunate to have a great team of people around me who help us accomplish our objectives, and the Town of Wilton and its people and organizations have been a great source of support. All of us at Absolute Logic thank our friends from the Legislature, the community and the Chambers for celebrating with us. We look forward to serving this region for many years to come."Since 1991, Absolute Logic has been providing Fortune 500-style technical support and technology consulting to businesses of up to 250 employees. The firm's original client base was comprised largely of independent insurance agencies, law firms and dental practices; today, these industries remain a key part of the company's clientele but Absolute Logic has expanded its scope of services to represent more than 40 different industries. Services include managed IT services and consulting, cloud computing, virtualization, email and spam protection, backup and disaster recovery, VoIP solutions, network security, and more. Absolute Logic serves the IT and related needs of Connecticut and New York. Founder and CEO Al Alper is a national speaker on IT and security issues and has authored an article,"21 Questions You Should Ask before Seeking a Computer Support Company." To obtain a copy, or to request Al Alper as a speaker for a business organization, please call (203) 936-6680. Absolute Logic maintains corporate offices at 44 Old Ridgefield Road, Suite 216, Wilton, CT, and also operates a satellite location at 300 International Drive, Suite 100, in Williamsville, NY. Please visit the firm's website at www.absolutelogic.com , and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter.Photo: At the offices of Absolute Logic, in Wilton, CT, CEO Al Alper (center) is congratulated on his company's anniversary by a number of officials. Shown in the photo are, left to right, Wilton's Second Selectman Michael Kaelin; CT State Senator Toni Boucher, Al Alper, CT State Representative Gail Lavielle, and Wilton Chamber of Commerce President Tom Sato. Shown in rear is Wilton Chamber's Immediate Past President Mark Ketley.
Researchers have found evidence that could shed new light on the complex community of trillions of microorganisms living in all our guts, and how they interact with our bodies.

Scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School and University of Zaragoza in Spain studied a protein known as TLR2, a critical detector of the microbiota found in the intestine. They found that it regulates levels of serotonin -- a neurotransmitter which carries messages to the brain, and is also found in the gut, where it regulates our bowel routines.

The research, carried out in cell cultures and verified in mice, provides strong evidence that microbiota can interfere with human physiology by modulating the serotonin transporter activity. Serotonin transporter is a target for numerous diseases and it seems that microbiota living in our guts is able to interfere with this transporter, controlling our serotonin levels.

The finding, published in PLOS ONE, comes as scientists across the world are working to understand the complicated interactions between the "invisible world" of the microbiota in our bodies and the impact they have on our health and even our moods. Recently, scientists in California found evidence that the bacteria in the gut play a role in causing Parkinson's Disease.

It may also help explain how the microbiota in our guts affect our physiology. Inflammatory bowel disease is thought to be triggered when TLR2 is not functioning properly, but so far, the mechanisms behind this have not been fully understood. This study aimed to further this understanding, and was supported the Foundation for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Aragon (ARAINF), in Spain.

Dr Eva Latorre, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Exeter Medical School, said the new finding helped to further understanding in a fast-growing research area. She said: "This paper has concluded that the protein TLR2 alters the availability of serotonin, which is important in a range of conditions from depression to inflammatory bowel disease. It is early days in this research though. We need to understand much more about the relationship between the microbiota in our guts and how they interact, before we can hope to harness effective new treatments."

The research team examined human cells in a model of the intestine in the laboratory, looking at how they express proteins and RNA -- activities which regulate how they behave. They found that TLR2 controls serotonin transporter -- obtaining the same result in studies on mice.

Principal investigator of this study, Professor Jose E Mesonero, at the University of Zaragoza, said: "This paper opens our minds about the complex universe of this forgotten organ: the microbiome. We have concluded that TLR2 not only can detect microbiota, but also modulate serotonin transport, one of the crucial mechanism in neurological and inflammatory diseases. Much has to be yet studied, but this work can improve our understanding about the connection between gut and brain thought microbiota."
A tool that uses light to manipulate matter inside living cells has begun to explain how proteins assemble into different liquid and gel-like solid states, a key to understanding many critical cellular operations.

Marvels of complexity, cells host many thousands of simultaneous chemical reactions. Some reactions happen inside specialized compartments, called organelles. Certain organelles, however, lack any membrane to wall themselves off from the rest of the matter floating within cells. These membraneless organelles somehow persist as self-contained structures amidst a cellular sea of water, proteins, nucleic acids and other molecules.

Scientists at Princeton University have developed a new tool -- dubbed optoDroplet -- that offers unprecedented access to manipulating and understanding the chemistry that allows membraneless organelles to function.

"This optoDroplet tool is starting to allow us to dissect the rules of physics and chemistry that govern the self-assembly of membraneless organelles," said Clifford Brangwynne, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Princeton and senior author of a paper published online in Cell on Dec. 29. "The basic mechanisms underlying this process are very poorly understood, and if we get a handle on it, there might be a hope for developing interventions and treatments for devastating diseases connected with protein aggregation, such as ALS."

Previous research has demonstrated that membraneless organelles assemble within the cell by a process known as a phase transition: examples of familiar phase transitions include water vapor condensing into dew droplets or liquid water freezing into solid ice. Studies over the last several years by Brangwynne and colleagues have revealed that altering the concentration of certain proteins, or modifying their structure, appears to trigger a phase change that allows proteins to condense into droplet-like organelles.

To date, though, most studies have used purified proteins studied in test tubes, and researchers have had few methods to study phase transitions in the frenetic dynamos that are living cells. OptoDroplets will help scientists learn about when phase transitions go awry, yielding solid-like gels and crystalline aggregates of proteins implicated in diseases including Alzheimer's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

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OptoDroplet relies on a technique called optogenetics, involving proteins whose behavior can be altered by exposure to light. (Cells are mostly water and thus essentially transparent.) The researchers showed that they could induce phase transitions and create membraneless organelles by switching on the light-activated proteins. They also could undo the transitions by simply turning the light off. Increasing the light intensity and protein concentrations allowed the researchers to further control the transition. By changing those inputs, they can determine when condensed liquid protein droplets form, as well as solid-like, protein aggregates, possibly linked to diseases.

"OptoDroplet provides us a level of control we can use to precisely map what we call the phase diagram in living cells," said Brangwynne. "With that, we're beginning to understand how cells use their natural machinery to move through this intracellular phase diagram to assemble different types of organelles."

The lead author of the paper is Yongdae Shin, a postdoctoral fellow in Brangwynne's Soft Living Matter Group, part of Princeton's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Co-authors Joel Berry and Mikko Haataja of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering helped develop mathematical models for understanding the intracellular phase behavior, while Nicole Pannucci and Jared Toettcher of the Department of Molecular Biology are experts in optogenetics and helped guide the molecular design of the optoDroplet proteins. The work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Using mouse and human cells, the research team spliced in a gene for a light-sensitive protein from a plant called a mouse-ear cress (or Arabidopsis thaliana,) a relative of cabbage and mustard that is a mainstay of genetics research. Blue light exposure causes the protein to self-associate, scrunching up on itself.

The light-sensitive tag was fused to protein components thought to drive phase transitions in living cells. Using the light, the researchers found that they could induce the proteins to huddle up, mimicking the condensation process that naturally occurs in cells. "To use the analogy of water vapor, you can think of what we did as using a laser to locally change the temperature of some area of the air so that water droplets would condense out of it," said Brangwynne.

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The team repeatedly prompted the proteins to condense and then dissolve by turning the light on and off. The process proved fully reversible, even after many cycles. However, with high-intensity light or high concentrations of proteins, the researchers created semi-solid gels. Those gels were initially reversible, but over time they solidified to form irreversible lumpy aggregates, similar to those found in some diseases.

"We've shown with optoDroplet that we can readily assemble and disassemble phase-separated liquids, and they do not appear to cause any problem for the cell," said Brangwynne. "But the gel-like assemblies appear to be more problematic, since over many cycles, they develop into persistent aggregates that the cell can no longer deal with and that can start to gum up healthy biological processes."

One example is the protein called FUS. The FUS protein is critical for the cell's operations; it helps produce other proteins and repair damaged DNA. But scores of genetic mutations can cause the FUS protein to become too sticky, leading to ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. A neurological condition in which patients lose the ability to voluntarily control their muscles, ALS is marked by clumps of protein accumulating in nerve cells. Those clumps might stem from FUS or other proteins pathologically aggregating, instead of staying as dynamic fluid droplets. Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's also involve clumps of proteins clogging up cells, again suggesting that abnormal phase transitions in cells are closely connected with these conditions.

Edward Lemke, a researcher at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, who was not involved in the Cell study, noted the promise of optoDroplet.

"The proteins targeted by optoDroplet are an important constituent of phase-separating proteins, many of which are also associated with infamous diseases," Lemke said. "The optoDroplet system gives access to modulating the state of these proteins inside the cell in a minimally invasive and highly controlled fashion, so it can provide new insights on how they carry out their function."

Brangwynne and colleagues look forward to continuing to experiment with optoDroplet to better understand cells' complex behaviors.

"This is fundamental science we're doing, answering basic questions about phase transitions in cells," Brangwynne said. "But we're hoping these insights will reveal not only how healthy cells work, but also how they can become diseased, and maybe eventually cured."
Every time we learn something new, the memory does not only need to be acquired, it also needs to be stabilized in a process called memory consolidation. Brain waves are considered to play an important role in this process, but the underlying mechanism that dictates their shape and rhythm was still unknown. A study now published in Neuron shows that one of the brain waves important for consolidating memory is dominated by synaptic inhibition.

So-called sharp wave ripples (SWRs) are one of three major brain waves coming from the hippocampus. The new study, a cooperation between the research groups of Professors Peter Jonas and Jozsef Csicsvari at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), found the mechanism that generates this oscillation of neuronal activity in mice. "Our results shed light on the mechanisms underlying this high-frequency network oscillation. As our experiments provide information both about the phase and the location of the underlying conductance, we were able to show that precisely timed synaptic inhibition is the current generator for sharp wave ripples." explains author Professor Peter Jonas.

When neurons oscillate in synchrony, their electrical activity adds together so that measurements of field potential can pick them up. SWRs are one of the most synchronous oscillations in the brain. Their name derives from their characteristic trace when measuring local field potential: the slow sharp waves have a triangular shape with ripples, or fast field oscillations, added on. SWRs have been suggested to play a key role in making memories permanent. In this study, the researchers wanted to identify whether ripples are caused by a temporal modulation of excitation or of inhibition at the synapse, the connection between neurons. For Professor Jozsef Csicsvari, a pooling of expertise was crucial in answering this question: "SWRs play an important role in the brain, but the mechanism generating them has not been identified so far -- probably partly because of technical limitations in the experiments. We combined the Jonas group's experience in recording under voltage-clamp conditions with my group's expertise in analyzing electrical signals while animals are behaving. This collaborative effort made unprecedented measurements possible and we could achieve the first high resolution recordings of synaptic currents during SWR in behaving mice."

The neuroscientists found that the frequency of both excitatory and inhibitory events at the synapse increased during SWRs. But quantitatively, synaptic inhibition dominated over excitation during the generation of SWRs. Furthermore, the magnitude of inhibitory events positively correlated with SWR amplitude, indicating that the inhibitory events are the driver of the oscillation. Inhibitory events were phase locked to individual cycles of ripple oscillations. Finally, the researchers showed that so-called PV+ interneurons -- neurons that provide inhibitory output onto other neurons -- are mainly responsible for generating SWRs.

The authors propose a model involving two specific regions in the hippocampus, CA1 and CA3. In their model SWRs are generated by a combination of tonic excitation from the CA3 region and phasic inhibition within the CA1 region. Jian Gan, first author and postdoc in the group of Peter Jonas, explains the implications for temporal coding of information in the CA1 region: "In our ripple model, inhibition ensures the precise timing of neuronal firing. This could be critically important for preplay or replay of neuronal activity sequences, and the consolidation of memory. Inhibition may be the crucial player to make memories permanent."
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English is now considered the common language, or 'lingua franca', of global science. All major scientific journals seemingly publish in English, despite the fact that their pages contain research from across the globe.

However, a new study suggests that over a third of new scientific reports are published in languages other than English, which can result in these findings being overlooked -- contributing to biases in our understanding.

As well as the international community missing important science, language hinders new findings getting through to practitioners in the field say researchers from the University of Cambridge.

They argue that whenever science is only published in one language, including solely in English, barriers to the transfer of knowledge are created.

The Cambridge researchers call on scientific journals to publish basic summaries of a study's key findings in multiple languages, and universities and funding bodies to encourage translations as part of their 'outreach' evaluation criteria.

"While we recognise the importance of a lingua franca, and the contribution of English to science, the scientific community should not assume that all important information is published in English," says Dr Tatsuya Amano from Cambridge's Department of Zoology.

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"Language barriers continue to impede the global compilation and application of scientific knowledge."

The researchers point out an imbalance in knowledge transfer in countries where English is not the mother tongue: "much scientific knowledge that has originated there and elsewhere is available only in English and not in their local languages."

This is a particular problem in subjects where both local expertise and implementation is vital -- such as environmental sciences.

As part of the study, published today in the journal PLOS Biology, those in charge of Spain's protected natural areas were surveyed. Over half the respondents identified language as an obstacle to using the latest science for habitat management.

The Cambridge team also conducted a litmus test of language use in science. They surveyed the web platform Google Scholar -- one of the largest public repositories of scientific documents -- in a total of 16 languages for studies relating to biodiversity conservation published during a single year, 2014.

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Of the over 75,000 documents, including journal articles, books and theses, some 35.6% were not in English. Of these, the majority was in Spanish (12.6%) or Portuguese (10.3%). Simplified Chinese made up 6%, and 3% were in French.

The researchers also found thousands of newly published conservation science documents in other languages, including several hundred each in Italian, German, Japanese, Korean and Swedish.

Random sampling showed that, on average, only around half of non-English documents also included titles or abstracts in English. This means that around 13,000 documents on conservation science published in 2014 are unsearchable using English keywords.

This can result in sweeps of current scientific knowledge -- known as 'systematic reviews' -- being biased towards evidence published in English, say the researchers. This, in turn, may lead to over-representation of results considered positive or 'statistically significant', and these are more likely to appear in English language journals deemed 'high-impact'.

In addition, information on areas specific to countries where English is not the mother tongue can be overlooked when searching only in English.

For environmental science, this means important knowledge relating to local species, habitats and ecosystems -- but also applies to diseases and medical sciences. For example, documents reporting the infection of pigs with avian flu in China initially went unnoticed by international communities, including the WHO and the UN, due to publication in Chinese-language journals.

"Scientific knowledge generated in the field by non-native English speakers is inevitably under-represented, particularly in the dominant English-language academic journals. This potentially renders local and indigenous knowledge unavailable in English," says lead author Amano.

"The real problem of language barriers in science is that few people have tried to solve it. Native English speakers tend to assume that all the important information is available in English. But this is not true, as we show in our study.

"On the other hand, non-native English speakers, like myself, tend to think carrying out research in English is the first priority, often ending up ignoring non-English science and its communication.

"I believe the scientific community needs to start seriously tackling this issue."

Amano and colleagues say that, when conducting systematic reviews or developing databases at a global scale, speakers of a wide range of languages should be included in the discussion: "at least Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and French, which, in theory, cover the vast majority of non-English scientific documents."

The website conservationevidence.com, a repository for conservation science developed at Cambridge by some of the authors, has also established an international panel to extract the best non-English language papers, including Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese.

"Journals, funders, authors and institutions should be encouraged to supply translations of a summary of a scientific publication -- regardless of the language it is originally published in," says Amano. The authors of the new study have provided a summary in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and French as well as Japanese.

"While outreach activities have recently been advocated in science, it is rare for such activities to involve communication across language barriers."

The researchers suggest efforts to translate should be evaluated in a similar way to other outreach activities such as public engagement, particularly if the science covers issues at a global scale or regions where English is not the mother tongue.

Adds Amano: "We should see this as an opportunity as well as a challenge. Overcoming language barriers can help us achieve less biased knowledge and enhance the application of science globally."
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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.
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The following companies are subsidiares of BorgWarner: Akasol AG, B80 Italia S.r.l., BERU AG, BW El Salto S.A. De C.V., BWA Receivables Corporation, BWA Turbo Systems Holding LLC, Borg Warner Europe Holdings (PDS) B. V., BorgWarner (China) Investment Co. Ltd., BorgWarner (Reman) Holdings L.L.C., BorgWarner (Thailand) Limited, BorgWarner Aftermarket Europe GmbH, BorgWarner Alternators Inc., BorgWarner Arden LLC, BorgWarner Arnstadt RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Asia Inc., BorgWarner Automotive Asia Limited, BorgWarner Automotive Components (Beijing) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Brasil Ltda., BorgWarner Chungju Co. 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KG, BorgWarner Engineering Kibo RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Esslingen GmbH, BorgWarner Europe GmbH, BorgWarner Europe Holding S.a. r. l., BorgWarner Gateshead Limited, BorgWarner Germany Holding GmbH, BorgWarner Germany Holding Services GmbH, BorgWarner Germany REH GmbH, BorgWarner Germany REM GmbH, BorgWarner Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, BorgWarner Global Holding S.a. r. l., BorgWarner Heidelberg I RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Heidelberg II RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Heidelberg REH GmbH, BorgWarner Heidelberg REM GmbH, BorgWarner Holding Inc., BorgWarner Holdings Limited, BorgWarner Hungary Kft., BorgWarner IT Services Europe GmbH, BorgWarner India Holdings Inc., BorgWarner Investment Holding Inc., BorgWarner Ithaca LLC, BorgWarner Ketsch Plant RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Ketsch REH GmbH, BorgWarner Ketsch REM GmbH, BorgWarner Kft., BorgWarner Kibo RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Korea Holdings (PDS) B.V., BorgWarner Korea Holdings LLC, BorgWarner Korea LLC, BorgWarner Limited, BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH, BorgWarner Ludwigsburg RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Markdorf Plant RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Markdorf REH GmbH, BorgWarner Markdorf REM GmbH, BorgWarner Massachusetts Inc., BorgWarner Mauritius Holdings Ltd., BorgWarner Mexico Holding BV, BorgWarner Mexico Holdings II LLC, BorgWarner Mexico Holdings LLC, BorgWarner Morse Systems India Private Limited, BorgWarner Morse Systems Italy S.r.l., BorgWarner Morse Systems Japan K.K., BorgWarner Morse Systems Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Muggendorf RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner NW Inc., BorgWarner Netherlands Holdings (PDS) B.V., BorgWarner Oroszlany Kft., BorgWarner PDS (Anderson) L.L.C., BorgWarner PDS (Changnyeong) LLC, BorgWarner PDS (Indiana) Inc., BorgWarner PDS (Livonia) Inc., BorgWarner PDS (Ochang) LLC, BorgWarner PDS (Thailand) Limited, BorgWarner PDS (USA) Inc., BorgWarner PDS Brasil Produtos Automotivos Ltda., BorgWarner PDS Irapuato S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner PDS Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner PDS Technologies L.L.C., BorgWarner Poland Sp. z o.o., BorgWarner Pyongtaek LLC, BorgWarner Romeo Power LLC, BorgWarner Rzeszow Sp. z o.o., BorgWarner Shenglong (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner South Asia LLC, BorgWarner Southborough Inc., BorgWarner Spain Holding S.L.U, BorgWarner Sweden AB, BorgWarner Systems Lugo S.r.l., BorgWarner Thermal Systems Inc., BorgWarner Thermal Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems Beijing Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Tralee Ltd., BorgWarner Transmission Products LLC, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Arnstadt GmbH, BorgWarner Transmission Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Korea LLC, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Tulle S.A.S., BorgWarner Trustees Limited, BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems France S.A.S., BorgWarner Turbo Systems Engineering GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems LLC, BorgWarner Turbo Systems Worldwide Headquarters GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner Turbo and Emissions Systems de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner UK Financing Ltd., BorgWarner UK Holding and Services Ltd., BorgWarner US Holding LLC, BorgWarner USA Industries L.L.C., BorgWarner United Transmission Systems Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Waterloo Inc., BorgWarner Wrexham Limited, Cascadia Motion LLC, Creon Insurance Agency Limited, Delphi Technologies, Dytech ENSA, Gustav Wahler GmbH u. Co. KG, Haldex, Kuhlman LLC, Kysor Europe Limited, M. & M. Knopf Auto Parts L.L.C., NSK-Warner (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., NSK-Warner K.K., NSK-Warner Mexico S.A. de C.V, NSK-Warner U.S.A. Inc., New PDS Corp., Old Remco Holdings L.L.C., Old Remco International Holdings L.L.C., Remy International, SeohanWarner Turbo Systems LLC, Sevcon, Sevcon New Energy Technology (Hubei) Company Limited, and Transmission Systems AutoForm LLC.

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Rob Tackett met Kimber the day he posed shirtless for the Charleston firefighter 2017 calendar, which benefits a medical fund for animals at the Charleston Animal Society in South Carolina.

Charleston Animal Society

Tackett was "Mr. March," and Kimber, a 13-month-old German shepherd puppy, was placed in Tackett's arms for the photoshoot.

Charleston Animal Society

"She was a little skittish at first, but once I petted and picked her up, she just fell into my arms," Tackett told The Dodo. "Right there, I was like, 'I love this dog.' It was instantaneous."

Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Woman Tries Every Day For A Month To Rescue This Dog

Charleston Animal Society

Kimber's owner, Steve Hall, was at the photoshoot with his wife. They couldn't get over the connection between Kimber and Tackett, and how comfortable Kimber was with Tackett.

Charleston Animal Society

Last February, Kimber was picked up off the streets and brought to the Charleston Animal Society. She'd been shaky, and was malnourished and covered in mange - so much so that they couldn't even tell what breed of dog she was. Something had also happened in Kimber's past that made her wary of men.

Charleston Animal Society

But Kimber wasn't afraid of Tackett. "Before I even met her, [Hall's] wife came up and met me outside of where we were doing the calendar," Tackett said. "And she said, 'Just to warn you, she was very badly abused by her previous owners, and she's very skittish of men. She usually doesn't even let men come near her.' I said, 'That's fine. I understand completely.' But that didn't seem to be the case with me. Kimber just fell into my arms, and let me carry her around like a baby the entire day."

Charleston Animal Society

After the photoshoot Hall and Tackett - both war veterans - stayed in touch. "We were both deployed at the same time, so we bonded over that," Tackett said. "We hung out with the family, went to the beach together and went out to lunch a lot." Hall suffers from PTSD, and Kimber had actually been trained to be Hall's service dog. But when Hall seriously hurt his back and needed surgery, he asked Tackett to watch Kimber. Tackett jumped at the chance, happy to be around Kimber again.

Rob Tackett

Everyone expected Hall to get better, but after the surgery, he actually got worse. So Hall made a hard decision - he asked Tackett to permanently adopt Kimber. "He didn't want to give her up, but he knew it was best for Kimber," Tackett said. "To me that's the bravest thing he could have done, because it's his service dog for his comfort, and he knew he couldn't take care of her the way she deserved."

Rob Tackett

Kimber has been living with Tackett since October now, and their bond has grown even stronger. Kimber is also quickly becoming a more confident dog. "It's amazing to see her transformation over the last couple of months - how she is with other guys, and other people in general," Tackett said. "She is an incredibly calm dog, but when it's time for her to play, she's so much fun. When you see her play with other dogs, you see her real personality come out. She's such a loving dog."

Charleston Animal Society

Kimber also loves playing the part of a diva, Tackett said. "If you do something she does not agree with, she will purposely turn away from you and look away," Tackett said. "A lot of times she'll ride up on the front seat with me on my truck, but when my girlfriend comes in town, she goes into the back seat. Kimber doesn't agree with that at all. She will turn and face the back window so she doesn't have to look at me. It's hilarious."

Charleston Animal Society
Sometimes known as "the dog lady," Judy Obregon, founder of the Texas rescue organization The Abandoned Ones (TAO), spends much of her life looking for lives she can save. Over the past six years, she's rescued hundreds of neglected and abandoned dogs all around Fort Worth. So when a local resident told Obregon about a stray they'd seen who looked pregnant, Obregon kept an eye out for her as she and volunteers were out delivering dog food to families who needed help feeding their pets.

"This momma just so happened to be crossing the street when we arrived at one of the houses we were going to in the neighborhood," Emily Walker, a volunteer with TAO, told The Dodo. The dog led rescuers to a porch, which she promptly scurried under.

Dodo Shows Odd Couples Dog And Wild Dolphin Play Whenever They See Each Other

"Mom led us to her pups, but in trying to protect them, got stuck under the porch, making this rescue tougher," Walker said.

So, the obvious thing to do was to take the porch apart, which Obregon and her team did.

They pulled the new mother out - and then her three newborn babies.

The little puppies cried as rescuers wrapped them up in blankets to keep them warm.

Then they brought them to a safe place.

"They are currently safe and warm in a TAO foster home," Walker said.

And when they're old enough, they'll be looking for forever homes.
The suicide.

On the evening of Dec. 18, 2015, Daniel Kurgan met Alex Salavrakos for dinner, an unremarkable event, or so it would have seemed, for the two had been the best of friends going back nearly 40 years and met not infrequently in Brussels, where both businessmen lived. As children they had attended the same secondary school and formed a fast bond. After high school, they attended the esteemed Solvay business school together, where the multilingual Salavrakos was known for his quick intelligence, his charm, his sense of humour. His skills at mathematics and physics were especially pronounced, and he graduated from Solvay with distinction. He had a penchant for burying himself in his books. He could be something of a loner.

Salavrakoss family had successful businesses in Greece and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, operations run out of the family firms corporate headquarters in Brussels. Alex didnt brag about the familys financial well being and he didnt have a reputation as a snob. He wasnt arrogant. But it wasnt every kid who drove a spanking new BMW to school.

Kurgan believed his friends future fortunes were limitless. With the skill set he had he could have become, you know, he could have joined a big corporation, become a banker, gone to McKinsey, he says, referring to the global consultancy. God knows what.

The chums never fell out, but they did drift  into marriages, becoming busy with offspring, the usual. And then, a decade ago or so, they came into more frequent contact. In 2008  or perhaps 2007, Kurgan cannot precisely remember  Salavrakos started talking enthusiastically about a Canadian company with exciting developments in 3D technology. He said the upstart firm would seek a listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and offered his friend an early port of entry. He said to me We have this business, Spatial View. Do you want to invest before we list it?  Kurgan remembers.  Then you can invest in good conditions when things are going well and you can make an upside. 

Kurgan is a successful businessman in his own right  he has occupied the CEOs chair at a large Belgian telecom company since 2007. And he certainly understands the risks inherent in investing in startups. He conducted virtually no due diligence on the Spatial View investment. I never checked with anybody else. He was my friend. I trusted him, right? Kurgan says in a long telephone interview from his home base in Brussels. He explained to me the technology was fantastic and there was a lot of traction, and of course I tried to research a bit on that but, I mean, Im not in that type of business so it was more his enthusiasm and the fact he was a friend.

Kurgan purchased shares in the fledgling company. His good friend Salavrakos was chairman of the board, while the companys other corporate officers were based in Toronto, including the CEO, Beat Raemy. The bifurcated operation placed the financing initiatives in Europe under Salavrakos, and the operational focus in Toronto, under Raemy.

To early investors, a veil of credibility settled upon the company as a result of the prospective TSX listing. Canada, in terms of compliance and how to say, business climate, you know business environment is considered extremely safe and trustworthy, right? Kurgan continues. If you want to list a company in Canada it doesnt look fishy, right? ... The fact that it would be listed in Canada  it was all positive except for the potential of a foreign exchange risk for me because Im Euro-based and of course you never know, right, if you list it in another currency and the currency goes bad. In the Euro you can lose money. So that was the potential downside, but the fact that it would be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange was for me a huge upside. It was very reassuring, right?

The two friends would spend hours talking about what Salavrakos termed this extraordinary, extraordinary technology and the dream to make Spatial View a billion-dollar company. Not for the first time, 3D appeared to hold enormous promise. There was the advance Hollywood buzz for Avatar, James Camerons science-fiction epic, and renewed interest in bringing 3D into the home, with electronics makers Samsung and LG promoting 3D-enabled televisions. Spatial View had a distinct offering: proprietary technology that allowed the viewer to experience 3D without glasses.

Beat Raemy oversaw a small staff at the companys headquarters on Front St. W. We see in 3D, so why is our media 2D? he asked in a Toronto Star feature late in 2008. In an article he penned in 2009, Raemy explained the technology this way: Spatial View has developed proprietary lenticular lens technology and software that directs a left image to your left eye and a right image to your right eye. The brain takes over and through the process of stereopsis you see the image in 3D  without a special viewer, without special glasses. The effect is natural, comfortable and stunning.

Mobile applications were in the companys sights. In the fall of 2010, a Business Insider columnist tried out the companys 3D screen on his iPhone. The effect wasnt as compelling as watching 3D on the big screen with glasses, he wrote. But, he added, it was real, live 3D right there on the phone. And that was awesome.

Beat Raemy echoes the optimism. It was a real story, a real opportunity, he says. For sure.

In recent years, Salavrakos and Kurgan kept in closer contact. By the autumn of 2015 the connection was particularly frequent. We had contact at least once a day, Kurgan says, adding that he noticed a change in his friend, a descending depression that he put down to family troubles.

The day after the dinner  Sat., Dec. 19  Kurgan spoke with Salavrakos by telephone. That evening, the two exchanged text messages, concluding with Salavrakos announcing that he was going to disappear for a couple of days. It was the weekend before Christmas.

I said OK, take care of yourself,  Kurgan recalls.

Salavrakos worked out of corporate quarters on Boulevard Adolphe Max in Brussels. The office would have been empty that weekend in the pre-Christmas flurry. No one was there to observe the moment when Salavrakos stuck a note to his office door, advising that no one enter, advising instead that the police be called. Perhaps he was thinking of protecting Monique, his long-time assistant.

According to a woman friend familiar with the events of that weekend, Salavrakos removed his items of clothing and folded them neatly. He was clearly prepared for what came next. He secured a helium hood, perhaps just a plastic bag, around his head. Next, he would have turned on the gas from the helium canister, which, according to the friend, had been rented for this purpose. Perhaps the result Salavrakos sought took only a few deep breaths.

The single-page note he left behind was, as he wrote, short and cold. I carry all the weight of my guilt, he said. The reason for which I ended my life is that I have come to believe that I must take responsibility and pay for the misdeeds of my life. These misdeeds he did not specify.

He expressed regret for all the betrayals. To his family. To his friends. He did not sign it with love but rather, simply, Alex.

In the late 1960s, Alanna McGuire accepted a working transfer that took her from her hometown of Montreal to Brussels. She was soon bored with corporate life at the multinational firm where she worked and jumped at the chance to join Merrill Lynch, starting as a secretary and making her way up the ladder to broker. From there she leapt to Prudential-Bache Securities, which was growing its presence in Europe. She would stay with Pru-Bache for two decades.

I did commodities, I did stocks and bonds ... I used to do American municipal bonds, she says, speaking from her home in Brussels. She included among her clients psychotherapist and author Anne Kearns, whom she met through a mutual friend in London. Kearns had inherited some securities; McGuire became her broker. The two became close friends.

Alex Salavrakos was also a client of McGuires, and a confidante. He was young, dynamic, charming, very well accredited, had his own company, McGuire says. Well, it was his fathers company, but he was running it and he seemed to be successful and comfortable.

Alexs father, Constantin, was Greek-born, but spent three decades in the Congo before founding a company called Remaco in Brussels in 1962. The family firm had two primary interests, both in the DRC: machinery  fittings and rolling stock for the clapped out Congolese railway system, by example  and luxury wax-printed fabrics. Alex was born in Leopoldville, now Kinshasa, in June 1964. After graduating from Solvay he did not, as Daniel Kurgan imagined, join a multinational firm, but rather joined his father and stepbrother in working at Remaco.

Salavrakos saw private investing as a way to make his own mark away from his father, even as he continued to work for Remaco. Alanna McGuire thinks it could have been 2004, or possibly earlier, when she accompanied him to Dresden, Germany, at the time Spatial View was first being formed. German inventors Frank and Torsten Baldeweg held a patent on a 3D invention, dating back to the late 90s, which included an application for autostereoscopic 3D display. In this instance, the patent states, the image generating means is a display screen, in front of which the three-dimensional representation appears to float in the image space.

As envisioned by the inventors, one application lay in the field of health. The localizing and measuring of brain tumours, by example, could be greatly advanced by three-dimensional display.

Twice, Alanna McGuire advanced cash to the company, which had adopted the branding line Opening New Dimensions. Well, you know, this was a startup company and it looked interesting and I had some money and, of course, I trusted Alex, she says. The first sum, in 2006, was for 150,000 Euros; the second was for 100,000 Euros. McGuire describes these sums as operating cash and adds that repayment was to be made within a couple of months.

McGuire had enough experience under her belt to appreciate that there are never any guarantees in venture startups. What actually assured me in my investments was that it was a Canadian company, McGuire says now. I figured, you know, that the Canadians are quite stringent on reporting and things like that.

But there were red flags from the get-go. A blazing one was the lack of records, specifically share certificates. Eventually, Salavrakos issued a share certificate for the first investment, for 22,060 Class A shares. Theres no certificate number, no company registration. The certificate has been typed up on Spatial View letterhead, complete with the Opening New Dimensions marketing line. Salavrakos signed the note as president of the company, which he wasnt.

You say to me now, Well, why didnt you say something at the time? Because whenever I brought anything up with Alex it was always yes, yes, yes, McGuire says. He was incredibly convincing, exceedingly convincing.

McGuires main objective, naturally enough, was return on capital. But where, exactly, had her investments been made? I was getting very, very unhappy about the way things were going, she says now. Sometimes Salavrakos would simply hand her cash when she needed it. One time, he forwarded funds to her drawn on the account of Remaco, the Salavrakos family firm. I wanted assurances that if something were to happen to Alex I wouldnt be left completely without anything.

Pressed, Salavrakos gave her a second Spatial View share certificate, this one for 119,868 shares. In this instance, however, the shares were not registered in McGuires name, but rather Arcadian Securities Anstalt, a firm domiciled in Liechtenstein. Salavrakos promoted a number of investments through Arcadian, including a hotel in Greece, a tomato processing operation, also in Greece, and a solar farm in Bulgaria. Arcadian, described in a Spatial View release as a cutting edge investment company, became the largest single shareholder in the tech company. Jacques Dubois, who offered tax, legal and financial advice out of an unprepossessing building in Lausanne, is listed as the Arcadian addressee.

McGuire describes Salavrakos as the perfect door-opening gentleman. He could be immensely considerate with those to whom he was close. Yet he exhibited a surprising lack of empathy to those in need. He was a student of history and read the classics. He also gobbled up the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.

She recalls quite clearly his mounting frustration over the progress at Spatial View. Alex told me he wanted to get rid of Beat, she says. That he was the one who was blocking their way to stardom.

Through 2015, McGuire says she saw less and less of her good friend. She did observe in the last months of Salavrakoss life that he wasnt spending money the way he used to. He seemed to be not well a lot of the time, she says. But he was also a very dark horse in that he didnt reveal anything.

In November 2015, the two spoke by phone. Salavrakos was in Dubai. He said he was meeting people from the Congo. She believes now that the meeting was regarding a loan extended by a Congolese bank, BIAC. During the phone call Salavrakos told McGuire that it didnt work out.

Still, McGuire says she was utterly shocked to hear of the suicide. She quickly learned that her funds had vapourized. I wrote to Anstalt and said this is what happened. They said they had no control over that.

Over the course of their years-long association, McGuire invested 1.2 million Euros with Salavrakos. The bulk of that, she says, exists now only in the form of a promissory note for 850,000 Euros (roughly $1.1 million Canadian dollars), now, to all appearances, worthless. Today she has a lot of friends helping to support her.

Her mind jumps to that space where the victim attempts to understand what just happened. I would never even have thought it. You think you know somebody and everything he says is a lie. Its quite incredible.

He has destroyed people emotionally, she adds. He certainly ruined me.

She has no clear views on the psychological profile of a man she thought she knew intimately, only to find out she didnt know him at all. You have to talk to Anne about that, she says. Im not a psychotherapist.

It was likely February, or possibly March of 2005, when Anne Kearns met with Alex Salavrakos and Alanna McGuire at the Brussels Hilton. Kearns had entrusted a small portfolio with McGuire some years earlier, an inheritance she had received when her mother died. In 2005, the sale of a New York building that she owned with other family members was sold, and Kearns had $1.5 million (U.S.) to invest. McGuire suggested she invest it with Salavrakos.

McGuire had earlier mentioned that Salavrakos, whom Kearns had not previously met, was doing the startup for a company called Spatial View. Thats when I first heard the name, Kearns recalls in a telephone interview from her home in France.

During dinner at the Hilton, Salavrakos explained that Spatial View was working on a 3D scanner for medical use. Says Kearns: That was the thing they were most excited about because they had a hands-free screen so that a brain surgeon, for example, could turn it around and see any part of the brain he wanted to see while he was operating.

Salavrakos said that the next step was for Kearns to open a bank account in Switzerland. Kearns flew to Geneva and established an account with the opening sum of about $1.2 million. He was to be my personal wealth manager, Kearns says of Salavrakos. I gave him power of attorney to use my account to invest ... I said I wanted to put three ($300,000) into Spatial View ... He said I should invest twice that and I said No, Im not going to invest more than a quarter of what Ive got ... I wasnt prepared to take a bigger risk than that.

Kearnss objective was to double her investment. I cant remember whether I said five or 10 years, she says of her intended investment horizon. He said you will get at minimum 10 times your investment in five to 10 years. Part of the pitch was an envisioned takeover. He did mention that they were in negotiations with Dell and with Samsung, I think.

Kearns did not know then that McGuire had started investing with Salavrakos long before. She had invested with him and this guy Jacques Dubois and Arcadian Securities rather a lot of money, Kearns says. I didnt realize she had made other investments with him and I wish I had ... Ive seen the things that she signed and theyre basically, you know, the contracts are worthless.

According to paperwork later provided to Kearns, the first flow of funds to Spatial View from her account occurred in May 2005, when $300,000, plus commission, was transferred from her account with ING Bank in Switzerland to Spatial Views account with the main branch of the Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto. What Kearns did not know was that a further $500,000, plus commission, was transferred out of her ING account to a separate Spatial View account, also with the Royal Bank, in November. Kearns gave no authorization for the second transfer. The instructions for that transfer, with Kearnss forged signature, were faxed from the offices of Remaco, the Salavrakos family firm, to Kearnss account at ING, and from there to Toronto.

And there the trail stops. While Spatial View is listed in RBCs system, the bank has no active accounts under that name, nor any retained documents on the company. Further, RBC does not have a record of Alex Salavrakos being a client of RBC.

Kearns is unable to time stamp when Salavrakos spoke of the plan to take Spatial View public. It was going to be the German stock exchange, and that didnt happen. Then it was the Bulgarian stock exchange. She thinks it was 2008 when she reminded Salavrakos that she had never received any share certificates. Salavrakos told her certificates could not be issued because of the pending IPO. Her name does not appear on the list of registered Spatial View shareholders.

Emails from Salavrakos to Kearns attempt to address any concerns she may have had about investing methodologies beyond Spatial View. As far as investment procedures are concerned, I think I detected a slight twinge of insecurity as to how I actually manage to get the returns I arrive at, he wrote in October 2009. Well, theres no mystery to it. Sophisticated financial engineering hand in hand with sophisticated stock picking. The bulk of the assets, he added, were held by a holding company, Greyfox, whoch (sic) is a Panamean (sic) trust company. The legal side, he continued, is managed by Jacques Dubois, who is in possession of all the instructions should harm come to me.

Kearns didnt just entrust the investment side of her portfolio to Salavrakos. She also ceded control of such day-to-day matters as credit card and rent payments. In January 2011, a long note from Salavrakos attempts to allay Kearnss concerns that she was depleting her capital. Right now you are living above your means, he wrote. But good news was in the offing. When I say wait it out for circumstances to change significantly better, that has mostly to do with Spatial View, as this has the most potential right now ... by the end of spring (Im talking late April) we should have enough contracts in hands (sic) to be able to predict exactly what the revenue generation will be longer term, and to push for a listing of the shares. Revenue, he wrote, was rolling in.

The reality at Spatial Views headquarters on Front St. W. was starkly different. Like many a startup, Spatial View was continually gasping for funds. According to an internal memo written by Salavrakos, a $15-million (U.S.) injection from Dubai promised for the spring of 2010 had failed to materialize by the end of that year due to an internal reorganization within the funding group.

The timing jibes with conversations Daniel Kurgan had with his old friend. Kurgan sees this now as a key turning point in the tale. He told me, I found an investor, I have a convertible loan from a Dubai sovereign fund. Its OK,  Kurgan recalls. Actually, thats not true.

According to the internal document, the go-between for the Dubai financing was Hari Venkatacharya, a very respectable person in Canadian circles. We looked him up and he had a very good reputation as a deeply connected entrepreneur in Ontario, with numerous directorships.

Serial delays in the hoped-for financing are noted through the third quarter of 2011 when the situation had grown extremely difficult in terms of liquidity. Cash injections were made by existing unnamed shareholders.

The stalled financing allegedly continued until March 2013, when Venkatacharya informed the company that the funds had been postponed once more. Or so the memo states. At this point, the Board decided that it had had enough and that the funding process would not happen.

In truth, the Peel Regional Police Fraud Bureau had charged Venkatacharya with fraud two months earlier. The very respectable person had held himself to a number of Canadian firms as a conduit for investment monies from the United Arab Emirates. One of those companies was Complex Sportivo Inc., which had paid Venkatacharya a due diligence fee to secure, allegedly, a $235-million loan from the royal family of Dubai, a loan that never materialized. Venkatacharya was convicted in November of this year and awaits sentencing on Feb. 21.

Alex Salavrakos titled his memo Report for the January board of directors meeting: history of the financing scam and current outlook. It was dated Dec. 31, 2013.

The outlook was bleak. Brussels-based David Vanhove was the companys chief financial officer. Each months (sic) we were looking for money, he writes in an email. Spatial View was very often very closed (sic) to a deal with HP, or Qualcom, or others that could transform Spatial View in a profitable company ... but at the end, it was always a reason to postpone a deal.

The Salavrakos memo states that Beat Raemy was fired, as was top management. There had been some differences about the direction of the company, Raemy says. It was felt it would be better if I stepped down.

Salavrakos raised the name of yet another imagined saviour, this time a Bulgarian-based technology company called Mayfair Globe, traded on the Sofia stock exchange. As of today, this is the situation of the company  even though times are hard and we are battling every day, hope still persists.

It all gets a bit dizzying.

Anne Kearns has a doctorate in psychotherapy from the U.K., a Masters in Social Work from Columbia, a history of working in academia and private practice since the early 90s and a list of publications including The Seven Deadly Sins: Issues in Clinical Practice and Supervision for Humanistic and Integrative Practitioners. She has spent the past 12 months trying to analyze the charming businessman she thought she knew. He clearly was a sociopath, if not a psychopath, and he would have got tremendous kicks out of conning people, particularly out of conning somebody like me because I know he respected my brain.

She has a hard time accepting the suicide. Somebody like Alex wouldnt kill himself. Hed disappear.

Perhaps that extreme thought keeps some sliver of hope alive. Remaco, the Salavrakos family firm, declared bankruptcy in June of this year. Daniel Kurgan is a debtor in those proceedings, though he declines to quantify how much working capital he advanced to the firm. It was a 40-year-old company and he was my best friend, so it didnt look suspicious to me. You see what I mean? So Ive been fooled like many other people.

The Belgian receiver in the Remaco affair cant yet quantify the size of the Remaco bankruptcy. Some individual claims rise into the millions, but we are not sure yet if we will accept these claims because we are not yet sure what the role of Remaco is, says receiver Maarten Bentein. There is a criminal investigation now ongoing in Belgium. Knowing the Belgian police a little bit, the investigation will probably take years, says Bentein. Its a very difficult case for the police because it has so many international connections. Apparently now in Canada, but there are also connections in Greece, Bulgaria, England  everywhere.

Kearns has become an amateur sleuth. For a time, she posted on a wall a relationships map of all the players and their interconnections, but she took it down because it was doing my head in. She has been devastated financially. Im doing OK, she says. Some of the time Im very depressed. Lots of time I wake up in the morning and nothing has changed. You know, you only know you dont have money when you need some. And Im doing everything I can to get it back.

In the lobby of a high-end Toronto hotel, an executive swipes through a string of emails between himself and Alex Salavrakos, going back years. The day is turning to dusk. A pianist plays through a set list of Christmas tunes on the nearby baby grand.

The Toronto executive asks not to be identified, as the company of which he is CEO has nothing to do with this story. Privately, however, the businessman invested a total of $150,000, now written off, in Spatial View. He knew the investment risks, had a belief in the technology and, ultimately, had little faith in Beat Raemy. I would have changed the CEO immediately, he says. He didnt have the salesmanship to bring the company to the next level.

The executive recounts 11th-hour discussions as to how the company could be made to realize its potential. He remembers that after Raemys departure, Salavrakos said that a newly appointed director, Kimbell Duncan, would be one of the so-called rainmakers for the company. Duncan, a former banker who married CNN White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski in the summer of 2015, did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

Duncan and Ihor Petelycky, who had been general manager of core technologies and applications at Spatial View, then formed a board triumvirate with Salavrakos. It was all under the assumption that Alex was going to get some kind of funding, says Petelycky. Needless to say, that funding did not materialize. Last spring, Alanna McGuire received a Dear Shareholder letter signed by Duncan and Petelycky. As many of you have learned, Alex Salavrakos, Chairman of Spatial View, passed away in December of last year. Since that time, we have received queries from several shareholders whose expectations seemed to be greatly different than what we believe are the realistic prospects. We have attempted to obtain the books and records of the company and relevant email trails from Mr. Salavrakos business managers and family, but we have been unable to do so. The directors recommended that shareholders vote in favour of dissolving the company.

Were this just another failed startup, the Toronto executive would have no interest in sharing what he knows. But Salavrakoss suicide and the financial suffering of other burned investors have changed that view.

And then theres this: he invested in Arcadian.

Alex was a financier par excellence, he says. I knew him quite well. I was very close to calling him a friend.

According to an undated document sent to him by Salavrakos, Arcadian was a private investment fund run out of Lausanne. Its vocation is to remain a vehicle for enhancing returns on private wealth, the document states. Members are industrialists, coming from all kinds of different background, be it jewelry, shipping or industrial producers. The Swiss Piaget jewelry family, it goes on to state, had agreed to have its name released in the context of the document. (The Piaget company did not respond to a query from the Star.)

According to this document, the value of the Arcadian fund at the end of June 2012 was 56 million Euros. We currently hold participations in six companies, verging on 8 as we are closely studying 2 new prospects. Some of our past investments: Expedia, Cryptologic, Softwork ... According to a list of Spatial View shareholders, Arcadian held more than 4.3 million shares in the Toronto-based 3D company.

The Toronto executive invested in one of the Arcadian propositions, on a five-year term with scheduled annual dividend payments due each September. In an interview, the executive said he had no suspicions as three payments arrived as scheduled. After checking his records, however, he was reminded that the first of those was paid by Arcadian. The second and third were paid not by Arcadian, but by Remaco. The fourth payment, due three months ago, never materialized.

I usually smell it, the executive says of his investment sense. I usually can tell a bad apple from a good apple.

The obvious question: was Salavrakos using funds from Remaco, the family firm, to keep his financial obligations afloat? Did money move in a circle, a cash carousel, until it inevitably stopped? The name Ponzi has been cited. And Madoff. Charles Ponzi of history and Bernie Madoff of the contemporary era, con artists who drew in funds from new investors to meet promised returns to earlier backers.

The Toronto investor did think it odd that Jacques Dubois operated out of undistinguished premises beside a convenience store in Lausanne. In a September 2012 email, Salavrakos tried to allay his concerns. Arcadian is all managed from the same group of consulting/fiduciaries/accounting firms located there (Jacques Dubois being our legal head in Arcadian), Salavrakos wrote in an email. We just dont advertise its presence for obvious reasons ... Just so we have full disclosure here, Arcadian is also registered in Vaduz, Liechtenstein for specific tax on investment purposes.

Arcadian Securities is now in bankruptcy. Enrico Somma, senior trust officer at First Advisory Trust in Liechtenstein, informed Kearns by email that the only assets of Arcadian are the investments in a Canadian Company, which filed, unfortunately, for bankruptcy. He is referring to Spatial View. As of this writing, Spatial View has not filed for bankruptcy. The companys filing with the federal government states that Alex Salavrakos is a director.

In the same email, Somma offered Kearns a suggestion. I regret to inform you that Arcadian is not able to recover your payment to Mr. Salavrakos and we strongly advise you to contact again Mr. Dubois, as he was always involved in these transactions and agreements.

Fiduciaire Dubois & Cie entered liquidation in March 2015. Neither the notary public in that case, nor the liquidator, responded to queries from the Star as to the whereabouts of Jacques Dubois. In a note to First Advisory, given to Anne Kearns by a relative of Salavrakos, Dubois said that he was living in Morocco. In a brief phone conversation, Enrico Somma said he was unable to assist in clarifying the relationship between First Advisory and Arcadian, nor the whereabouts of Dubois. I cant give you any information about that, he said. Im sorry.

On July 5, 2012, Alex Salavrakos arrived for a lunch meeting at Chez Michel, a popular Parisian bistro on the Rue de Belzunce. There he met with Nicholas Routhier, CEO of Sensio Technologies Inc., a Montreal-based 3D company. Sensio had developed a formatting technology that, embedded in HDTVs, could convert 2D movies into a 3D at-home experience. Vizio Inc. had signed on, but pushing agreements with other manufacturers was proving an insurmountable challenge. It was very challenging, Routhier recalls. The issue we had back then was that our service was only available on Vizio 3D TVs. So we had to figure out a way of re-encoding movies to make them compatible with other TVs.

By the beginning of 2012, Sensio was focused on the launch of 3DGO!, a content platform that promised a library of Hollywood movies and documentaries. The companys financial fortunes were slim. In the months June through August, Sensio booked gross sales of $110,864. We were looking for partners and investors and they were looking for content, Routhier says.

It was Beat Raemy who made the connection to Salavrakos. You have to understand Alex was an investor, he was not the main business guy, Routhier says. We had tonnes of follow-ups with Beat ... He was the one running things on a day-to-day basis. In a subsequent email, Routhier explains that the possibility of buying Spatial View had come up in discussions, which we declined as this was not aligned with our strategic plans.

Routhier is deeply familiar with the rising and falling fortunes of 3D, and the non-stop scramble for infusions of capital. Sensio went bankrupt in the spring of this year. When you surf a height you have a certain time to get it right and afterwards you go down to oblivion, he says. As for Spatial View, they never had a solid commitment from anyone to provide them with a big chunk of cash. But he adds, From everything I saw, I think they were genuinely trying to figure out a way to make this a commercial success.

Beat Raemy doesnt care to talk about it much. Im just getting involved in some startups here in Toronto, he says. I just dont want to jeopardize things moving forward.

Spatial View was legit. At least in its intent. We had some real technology, he says. We made the Deloitte list of the Fast 50 to watch ... There were 30 or 40 guys here in Toronto. They worked their asses off. They believed in what they were doing.

One former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, says that through the winter months of 2012, employees were well aware that the company was going downhill. They told us there was supposed to be some funding coming in, but that it was frozen in the States, he says. In my opinion, management was kicking the company in the wrong direction. They were too focused on selling (3D) content that nobody would ever buy. I dont think they understood where 3D streaming was really headed.

The name Arcadian comes as no surprise to Raemy. The money came in through Arcadian, he says. Alex represented them, right? ... He was the CEO and administrator of that, thats how he always signed. So we pitched a story to him and they invested in Spatial View in several rounds.

The funds from Anne Kearns, however, were directed from her personal account to the Spatial View account at the Royal Bank. I dont even know if it made it to us, he says of those funds.

He is aware of the straitened circumstances that Kearns and McGuire find themselves in. Its one thing if you knowledgeably invest in a company and say you know you buy shares from a startup, he notes. I might make money or I might lose my shirt. Then you only have yourself to blame. But if the money gets taken away from you and it does not get invested or you didnt OK it, thats not right.

Daniel Kurgan has gathered up bits and pieces of information as best he can, a jumble of clues that has yet to come together into a coherent whole. Out of respect for Salavrakoss widow and daughters, he is understandably wary of saying much. One of my main assumptions now is that part of this whole drama is that it didnt go as he hoped and everything collapsed around him, he says. At some point he was looking for money to refinance and then the thing collapsed and he was completely caught, right? It was a spiral.

He does not quantify the size of his financial loss. Its enough for me to care and take action, he says. Its not immaterial but its not in millions, certainly not. Seeking answers sounds more like a moral quest. Its more of a question of principle towards my children, he says. Some people are in deep trouble. It is certainly worth an article, he says. If there is a bit more noise perhaps it can create some more activity.

The receiver for Remaco in Brussels says their investigation is at its early stages. Were still trying to gather as much information as possible, says Maarten Bentein. We need to know where, I mean, there was a flow of funds as you mentioned. Where did these funds come from? Are these legal or illegal funds?

Prior to speaking with the Star, Bentein had never heard of Arcadian Securities. This is the first I hear from this, he says, adding later, This Alex Salavrakos is a very clever guy it seems.

Beat Raemy says he, too, is out funds  he held more than 800,000 Spatial View shares. For my own sanity I would like to know, who was Alex? What happened? Whats true of this? Whats not?

Alanna McGuire is looking for a way forward. Somehow Ive got to reinvent myself, she says, adding that she needs a means to supplement her state pension. Nothing makes sense, she says of the drama she has found herself in. It just doesnt make sense.

Anne Kearns sees the story as one might view the world through a kaleidoscope. You can look at it in so many ways, she says. Its incredibly confusing, and although it happened to me and its a nightmare, Im riveted by it. She wonders if a screenplay might be one way to realize some revenue from financial devastation. I can see it as an eight-part drama, I really can, she says. The problem is, I cant see the end of the story.

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Its The Treasure of the Sierra Madre meets Wall Street! How could it not be a movie?

That was the husband speaking, lo these many years ago now.

Certainly the component parts were all there. For atmospherics: the steam heat of the Indonesian jungle, replete with tigers and cobras and a gator infested river. Greed? The muscle-bound tactics of some of the largest gold mining companies on the planet would fit that bill, their actions adorned by a cadre of bedazzled brokers and enabling analysts. Corruption? The Suharto regime was rich in the stuff. Intrigue? Surely the surprise helicopter exit of a geologist  a 250-metre plunge into a tropical rainforest  would tweak a viewers interest.

There was even a putzy, somewhat shambolic, once-bankrupt stock promoter  yes, straight out of central casting.

And, ultimately, eviscerated investors. All that glistered  the blue sky 200 million ounces of gold  had turned to dust. Desperate prospectors have been salting mines since the beginning of the mining industry, said one of the players of the day. Its a terrible fraud. Its repugnant.

Its also a bit shocking to consider that, come March, it will have been two decades since Filipino geologist Mike de Guzman dropped to his death and the Bre-X gold discovery imploded. The largest gold discovery in human history? Worthless. The $6-billion stock valuation? Ditto. The worlds biggest mining scam? Now entered into the history books.

For those of us who lived it, it was a high-octane, crazy-making time.

Hollywood is, at last, on the case with the release of Gold, starring Matthew McConaughey. The inspired by true events tale features the Oscar winner packing 16 extra unflattering kilos and a bald pate because, presumably, he plays the putzy, once bankrupt stock promoter, in this version named Kenny Wells.

I say presumably because the films trailer provides only the broad brushstrokes of Washoe Mining Corp. (ticker symbol WSE), the run-up of its stock  We believe youre sitting on the largest gold find of the decade, Wells is told  followed by a military takeover of the discovery by the Indonesian military.

How does the story end? I have no idea. But it feels as though this is going to be more a corporate drama with an Indonesian backdrop than a jungle tale full of mystery and intrigue.

I hope Im wrong about that. Why? Because I still have a piece of Bre-X drill core sitting on my bookshelf. Because I can still reclaim the feeling of the helicopter ride I took over the canopy of East Kalimantan, Borneo, trying to capture what would be involved in making an exit from a whirring chopper. Because I once sat drinking a cold beer at Jacks Place, Borneo, with the fellow who ran the assay lab where the ore was sampled, gazing out over the Makassar Strait thinking, this is an epically bizarre story.

Because I can still recall that sticky day at the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila gazing at the photographs of the dead geologist whose innards had been hollowed out, his genitalia gone. The wild boar theory seemed incongruous, given the neatness of the sutured corpse.

It was a fantastic tale tailor-made for conspiracy theorists. And it was Canadian. And it was complicated.

One day a long, long time ago, a scriptwriter sat in my home office, wondering: whos the good guy?

There wasnt one. Not that I could see.

Gold relocates the Calgary action to Reno, Nev., where, according to the Los Angeles Times, the streetwise hustler (Wells) persuades an urbane mining veteran to team up in the hunt for gold. Its about a man, idealistic and headstrong, intent on pursuing a dream within a system that he fiercely believes [sometimes correctly] is aligned against him, writes Steven Zeitchik in the Times.

Zeitchik goes on to describe Gold as a parable for director Stephen Gaghans long and benighted Hollywood struggle. (Gaghan won a screenplay Oscar for Steven Soderberghs Traffic, released in 2000, and has had a bumpy ride in Hollywood since.)

So does that make Kenny Wells a good guy or a naive mark?

The real-life promoter behind Bre-X, David Walsh, was a bankrupt penny stock promoter who toiled out of the basement of his house. He was a student of Napoleon Hill, whose Depression-era Think & Grow Rich he cited as a career bible. A favourite Hill quote was a Thomas Edison original: When a man really desires a thing so deeply that he is willing to stake his entire future on a single turn of the wheel in order to get it, he is sure to win.

Moments of defeat? Mere stepping stones to opportunity. To really become success conscious one must magnetize the mind with intense desire for riches.

Bre-X was a six-cent stock.

It was John Felderhof, a geologist with an impressive CV, who introduced Walsh to the Busang property. It was Felderhof who hired Mike de Guzman to lead the on-the-ground geological team.

Walshs job was to promote the stock, telling a newspaper reporter, Im looking for the bucket of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Bre-X shares would rise to a pre-spit high of $286 as Bay Street and Wall Street trumpeted the gold find, not just of the decade, but the century. Peter Munks Barrick wanted in. Placer Dome wanted in. All it took to create the illusion of riches was the methodical salting of core samples with curlicues of gold, an old-school fraud in other words.

There was no motherlode.

The trailer for Gold, which features a shot of stacks of gold bullion, suggests otherwise. So lets say the gold was real and lets say the Suharto government claimed it. Thats as good an ending as any other. Very Hollywood.

But does the mystery of Mike de Guzman get scrubbed from the story? Does Kenny Wells emerge the narrative hero? Thats a far too simple rendering for a yarn about hollow striving, about naivete, about mans reach exceeding his grasp.

David Walsh died of a ruptured brain aneurism in June, 1998. He was 52.

The poster for Gold sells the movie with this line: It was never about the money.

Really?

As in the Sierra Madre, I always thought it was about men with greed in their hearts.

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[The] hybrid engine of self-interest and concern for others can serve a much wider circle of people than can be reach by self-interest or caring alone.  Bill Gates

Bill Gates is not the antidote to what could be a new era of self-obsession ushered in by the rise of Trumpism. But the humanitarianism of Gates, who has been engaged in philanthropy full-time for the better part of two decades, reminds us that normality still consists in helping others.

Gates, 61, co-founder of Microsoft Corp., and his wife, Melinda, are the co-chairs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates have saved millions of lives in their campaigns against diseases to which children are acutely vulnerable, and have saved lives among adults by providing prevention and treatment programs for HIV/AIDS and other deadly diseases.

By 2007, the latest year for which calculations are available, the Gates philanthropies had already helped save close to six million lives.

That number has since expanded, due to the ripple effect of the continuing Gates cash infusions. Other donors have been drawn into both the Gates causes and unrelated ones, inspired by the Gates high rate of success  in, for instance, eradicating polio in all but two countries in Africa.

There are several Gates foundations, many of them partnerships with the U.N., UNICEF, the World Bank, regional and national governments, NGOs, and prominent leaders in business and other fields.

The foundations are focused on carefully selected causes where they can act forcefully and show significant, measurable results. The Gates do not sponsor safe causes  the ballet, the opera, the Boy Scouts. Gates causes include anti-poverty programs, advances in education, better crop yields for subsistence farmers, microfinance and other gateways to economic opportunity in low-income regions, and enhancement of the lives of girls and women.

We have to look specifically at women and girls issues, Melinda Gates recently told The Wall Street Journal, describing the admirably holistic approach of the Gates philanthropy, or we are not going to get the GDP rise that we want  if you dont start them on the right path of great health, education and decision-making, and then economic opportunity.

The Gates philanthropy was most recently in the news with this months announcement of a $1 billion (U.S.) Gates-led fund that will invest in advanced alternative-energy technologies.

A relatively modest initiative by Gates standards, the Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund (BEV) otherwise takes the Gates model. It is an international joint venture whose 20 partners hail from three continents and several countries, including China and Saudi Arabia.

The BEV partners, many recruited from Silicon Valley and other world tech centres, are well accustomed to failure. They are unusually patient and have a high tolerance for risk. Calling it a 20-year fund, the BEV investors are willing to wait two decades for a breakthrough to prove itself.

And the BEV is focused rather than scattershot. Its investments are limited to just five of the biggest sources of CO2 emissions  electric power generation, buildings, manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture. (Primitive cultivation methods largely account for the worlds worsening shortage of fresh water supplies.)

We need affordable and reliable energy that doesnt emit greenhouse gas to power the future, Gates said in unveiling the BEV. And to get it, we need a different model for investing in good ideas and moving them from the lab to the market.

Over the next four years in the U.S., its a sound bet that federal government money for alternative-energy research and other aspects of fighting climate change will be frozen or actually reduced. The incoming U.S. presidential administration is a cheerleader for the coal and oil production that is most heavily complicit in global warming. And Trump has picked a long-time climate-change denier to head his Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Americas looming four lost years is not unlike the anti-science ethos of former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper. But a note to the fearful: That too shall pass. The current Trudeau government has two cabinet posts devoted to scientific advancement, and climate change has been elevated to cabinet-level status.

In these darkening days of philistinism spreading across Europe and in the U.S., it is heartening to see that the humanitarian instinct still thrives, even if for the moment it does not command the headlines.

The Gates have already donated more than half of their wealth, an amount exceeding $30 billion, toward their goal of donating all of their fortunes. Warren Buffett, the worlds second-richest person, has committed 99 per cent of his fortune to the Gates principal foundation.

The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the worlds biggest conglomerate, decided that the Gates were more effective philanthropists than he could hope to be. Buffett has already given more than $30 billion (U.S.) to Gates initiatives.

The Gates phenomenon has its antecedents in the philanthropic careers of Canadas Kenneth and David Thomson and the Weston family, and John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie in the U.S. The latters Gospel of Wealth held that the man who dies rich dies disgraced.

One doesnt look to Rockefeller and Carnegie, ruthless operators in their business pursuits, for purity of character. For that matter, Gates other giant work, Microsoft, was convicted as a monopolist enterprise. These men achieved a certain nobility only in turning to philanthropy. Their legacy is the antithesis of the Wall Street motto He who dies with the most toys wins.

Donating money intelligently is no easy thing. Through careful planning, the philanthropists of renown provided exactly the long-term good they intended. Most of the public libraries Carnegie built in Toronto are still in use a century or so after they were built. And a generation of Canadians in the Far North got their first experience with a personal computer from the PCs donated to them by Gates in one of his earliest philanthropic endeavours.

Bill Gates continues to recruit fellow billionaires to commit at least half of their accumulated wealth to charity. By now, this growing group of donors ranges from veteran tycoons such as Ted Turner to new kids on the block like Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook Inc.

It would be delusional to imagine that one couple, or even an arena packed with billionaires, can rival the immense resources of government in eradicating poverty, spurring grass-roots entrepreneurialism in the developing world, or saving our species from extinction by global warming.

But it would also be wrong to think that humanitarian progress has been arrested. The Gates remarkably persistent quest to marshal resources to improve quality of life is oblivious to election cycles.

The Gates and their kindred spirits, poised to grow in number as income inequality worsens and the sobering early effects of global warming become more pronounced, wont take their eyes off the prize. To the contrary, the Gates continue to press the wealthiest to exchange their fortunes for something far more valuable  the chance to improve quality of life for countless others.

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This year will go down as a year where many potentially game-changing technologies actually made it into people's hands.

Now we just have to see if they will actually change the world.

Consider it the real beginning for things like virtual and augmented reality, technology that had been gestating, but finally became real products.

To go along with that promise, there were also plenty of examples that showed how dependent we have become on our devices  and despite our many advancements  how precariously fallible some of them still remain.

Here are the 10 biggest stories from the year in technology.

Samsung Explode-gate

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was easily the most innovative flagship phone released this year. The South Korean electronics giant reorganized its production cycle to release the phone in August, in advance of the next iPhone. And for a short while it worked: the phone received rave reviews and preorders were strong.

Then a month after release in September, the first phone exploded in flames. Then another, causing a plane to be evacuated. All told there were 92 incidents, which spurned two recalls, many forced software updates, and eventually turned bringing the phone onto an airline in the U.S. into a felony.

All told, the incident will cost Samsung at least $5.3 billion (U.S.), but the company soldiers on, and has already said there will be a Samsung Note 8 next year.

Pokemon gets people Going

When it launched in July, the hardcore Pokemaniacs were excited, but no one was prepared for the phenomenon of the first hit augmented reality (AR) game.

Based on Google's Ingress, Pokemon Go took the basics of Pokemon and set it in the real world. That resulted in hundreds of thousands of players all over the world looking for pocket monsters everywhere they went. Busy zones with many Pokemon  like Toronto's Harbourfront ferry terminal were overrun by players  and for a while in the summer it was everywhere. It still has a large base of players, but it's not the fad it was. As the first big AR hit, it sets the stage for more to come.

How we get hacked now

It was the year of ransomware, although Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks just snuck in under the wire as a co-winner on ways that technology can be used against us.

Ransomware is the use of malware that locks up a computer and extorts the user into paying a fee to get their data back. As it can be in almost any attachment, many hospitals and schools have fallen victim to this scam in which an unwitting user clicks a link that infects a network. Some victims have chosen to pay up in order to quickly get back up and running.

DDOS attacks have been around for years, but a new twist now features malware that uses thousands of unsecured devices connected to the Internet (such as webcams) as a botnet. In October, this caused a North American-wide internet slowdown. There was also an attack during an online literacy test in Ontario in the same week. Many experts believe these are just the beginning.

Jacking into the expensive matrix

Virtual reality (VR) became a reality this year, with several different headset from rival manufacturers launched. There are tethered headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC's Vive and PlayStation VR, as well as mobile offerings, like Samsung's Gear VR and Google's Daydream View.

There is a surprising amount of content out there, but at this point, it really does vary greatly in quality. But there is one commonality between all of the products so far: They are all very expensive, costing at least $1,000. That is the main thing holding it back from true mainstream adoption.

Facebook and fake news

With the election of Donald Trump in the U.S., the proliferation of fake news on Facebook has come under fire.

This has been an ongoing story this year, first with a Gizmodo investigation in May that reported Facebook had fired all of its news editors, who were responsible for the Trending Topics on the news feed.

Since then, there have been reports of suppression of right-wing topics, but also several instances of clearly fake stories from non-existent outlets that gained traction on the social network.

In response to the criticism, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at first held fast to the belief that it isn't a huge problem, but then caved to the criticism.

In mid-November, Zuckerberg posted a number of steps the site was taking toward tackling the problem, including using technology for stronger detection, tools for users to easily report fake stories, potentially partnering with fact-checking organizations to verify articles and making it harder for fake news creators to profit off their fabulist creations.

A year of big tech deals

Snap's rumoured IPO in 2017 will likely become the new benchmark for valuations of these social media companies. But this year, the big tech deals were mostly acquisitions.

Microsoft buying LinkedIn for $26 billion (U.S.) in April was only the big capper. Oracle was also on an acquisition spree, with its the $9.2 billion buy of Netsuite the headline grabber. Marissa Mayers failed turnaround of Yahoo resulted in that company selling its Internet business to Verizon for $4.2 billion. And very early in the year, Canada's Opentext bought Dell's content division for $1.6 billion.

Twitter's tumbles

The companys headlines started off in January with a local story, in which Gregory Allan Elliot was found not guilty of criminal harassment for his dealings with two woman's rights activists online.

But that was just a small blip on the company's checkered year.

With founder Jack Dorsey back in charge, 2016 was supposed to be a turnaround year, but instead its woes continued.

User growth was stagnant on the service, and the biggest hit came in the fall when rumours abounded of companies, including Disney and Salesforce, possibly acquiring it. Those plans were apparently scuppered when potential buyers reportedly became afraid of possible brand damage from the many harassing trolls who use the service.

The company may finally be dealing with its community issues, as in November, it unveiled more powerful anti-harassment tools and also booted some alt-right users off the service.

Consoles wars speed up

Both Sony and Microsoft quickly announced  then released  updated versions of their flagship consoles, signalling that the usual decade-long console cycle is shortening.

Microsoft released the Xbox One S, a slimmer version of its console, and is launching Project Scorpio, a new, more powerful console next year. Sony released the PS4 Pro, a more powerful version of its console in November. Both say they are taking advantage of technologies like 4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR) in new TVs, but they are also walking a fine line, promising customers who have already bought into this console generation that they won't be left behind.

Islands and the stream

While streaming music has long had to deal with bad press  mostly over artists boycotting over low rates  this was an interesting year. This summer many major artists launched exclusives on Apple Music and Tidal.

While this did help those services in the short run, there was a backlash, and now some record labels have said they won't continue the practice.

But by the end of the year, some long time holdouts, like Neil Young, put their music on several services.

This was the year that digital music revenues surpassed traditional formats. Recent studies showed that streaming music subscription services accounted for $2 billion (U.S.) in revenue this year, which helped overall music revenues grow for the first time in over a decade.

The fight over chat

Social networks used to have messaging options, but as more services build out, experts believe that it is the apps and services that we use to chat on that could end up being the centre of our online experience.

Spurred by Asian messaging services such as WeChat and Line, North American services kept adding and building out their services.

Facebook Messenger kept adding features like Room and Snapchat-like photo filters. Google has launched Ally and Duo, a text chat with the company's assistant at the centre and a video calling app, respectively.

As well, companies are experimenting with chatbots, making it easier to automate how we communicate with them. In many instances, people can't tell the difference between a bot and a real live person.

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The growing need for healthcare providers due to the Affordable Care Act and the aging US population is expected to increase the workload of adult primary care practitioners by 29% from 2005-2025.1 In fact, by 2020, the United States may be facing a shortage of 45,000 primary care physicians and 46,100 medical specialists and surgeons, as estimated by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).2 In particular, specialties that care for older adults and their age-related concerns will experience shortages. Atul Grover, MD, PhD, chief advocacy officer for the AAMC, says, The biggest concern is that over the next 10 years, as 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day, things will get much worse.3

Limited research suggests that if physicians report greater practice satisfaction, their patients then report significantly improved satisfaction with their care and physician interaction.4 With the increasing demand on healthcare providers, attention to provider contentment is important to ensuring patient satisfaction.

A provider shortage is expected in orthopedics because of a 17-fold projected increase in the demand for total knee arthroplasty and six-fold increase in the demand for total hip arthroplasty by 2030.2 A shortage of 7,800 orthopedic surgeons is expected by 2050.5 The need for orthopedic care draws attention to the healthcare professionals who can provide this specialty service. Despite the increasing need for healthcare providers, little research has compared the satisfaction of providers in various roles. In particular, scant research has compared the satisfaction of physicians versus physician assistants (PAs), which is intriguing given how closely they work together. Although the two professions have many similarities, their significant differences may lead to differences in career contentment.

This study used an online survey to compare the lifestyle satisfaction of physicians and PAs in orthopedics. This is one of the highest paid specialties for physicians, which could improve career satisfaction and personal lifestyle. Many PAs work in this specialty, making orthopedics a prime population to study. The aim of this study was to determine if physicians in orthopedics experienced a better lifestyle and career satisfaction than PAs in orthopedics. The hypothesis was that within this specialty, PAs would experience a higher level of lifestyle and professional contentment than physicians in orthopedics. If this is true, although physicians are better reimbursed, perhaps people choose the PA profession for other, nonfinancial motives such as lifestyle.

METHODS

The survey link was distributed from December 2014 to March 2015 after approval from the Georgetown University institutional review board. Through convenience sampling, the link was e-mailed using contact information retrieved from Internet searches for orthopedic practices across the United States, most of which advertised having physicians and PAs in the practice. Offices contacted were recorded in a word processing document. A follow-up e-mail was sent 1 week after initial contact. Surveys were conducted using the online service Survey Monkey. Each participant was kept anonymous with no identifying information collected. Surveys were sent through a primary contact to keep physician and PA e-mail addresses confidential. A response rate was not available.

The demographics portion of the survey asked the professionals their age, sex, race and ethnicity, and if they were a physician or PA. The professional's years in practice, annual income, days of vacation, region and type of practice, hours on call per week, and current specialty also were surveyed. Physicians were asked if they worked with one or more PAs, and if not, had they ever worked with a PA before.

To assess perspective on career and lifestyle satisfaction, participants were given seven questions with responses on a Likert scale (1, strongly agree; 5, neutral; 10, strongly disagree). The survey questions attempted to gain a broad perspective on the professional's career and lifestyle satisfaction.

Data were exported from Survey Monkey to an electronic spreadsheet and the mean values of the Likert rankings were calculated. The means were then compared using a two means t-test for independent variables to find the confidence intervals and P values.

RESULTS

Table 1 depicts the demographic information of the 79 completed surveys. Two surveys were disregarded because the respondents were no longer working in orthopedics. Data analyzed were from 50 physicians and 27 PAs; however, respondents were not required to complete every demographic question, so the sample size varies for some of these responses. The average age of the physicians was 49.8 years; PAs, 35.5 years. Forty-three physicians were male, 6 were female, and one did not respond to the question; 7 of the PAs were male and 20 were female.

TABLE 1.: Demographics of survey respondents

Table 2 depicts data from the career and lifestyle satisfaction portion of the survey. No differences between PAs and physicians were found for responses to three out of the seven questions. However, the other four questions had statistically significant differences in their results.

TABLE 2.: Survey questions and responses

DISCUSSION

Demand is increasing for healthcare professionals to care for more patients with fewer resources, and need is increasing specifically for orthopedic professionals. This small-scale study found that PAs in orthopedics reported a higher satisfaction with their career and lifestyle compared with physicians in the same field. Because few studies compare lifestyle and career satisfaction of physicians versus PAs, this research may be informative for practicing professionals, employers, and those considering health-related professions.

Job-related stress is believed to cause multiple health complaints, including back pain, fatigue, and headaches. Each day, an estimated 1 million workers are absent due to stress.6 In this sample population, physicians were more likely than PAs to agree with the statement that job stress impaired their health. If physicians perceive that their job has harmful effects on their health, they may indeed be in worse health. These sample data further exemplify that orthopedic surgery has a relatively high burnout rate, which has increased from 2011 to 2014, according to a survey by the Mayo Clinic Program on Physician Well-being.7

Survey analysis also indicates that physicians were more likely to agree that the professional schedule overshadows their personal life. PAs disagreed, and felt as though they had a more balanced lifestyle. This corresponds to the number of hours the professionals reported they were on call. Physician time spent on call ranged from 22 physicians spending fewer than 8 hours/week on call to 20 spending more than 12 hours/week. Twenty-one PAs spent less than 8 hours/week on call and only six spent more than 8 hours/week on call. Because PAs reported that they were not on call as often as physicians, they were able to spend more time away from the office and focus more on their private life, which also can be true of PAs in other specialties.

Physicians who felt as though their professional schedule overshadowed their private life may have higher levels of stress. Although physicians often are their own boss in many healthcare settings, the physicians responding to this survey apparently felt they had less control over stress levels and health, both direct results of work. This increased strain could cause stress-related health conditions such as hypertension, inadequate sleep, or poor diet. This analysis further suggests that PAs may be happier in the career because the professional schedule is often more flexible and less stressful than that of a physician.

Lastly, the most significant difference between the professionals was in the statement, I would recommend my career to someone else. PAs in orthopedics more strongly agreed with this statement than physicians. Although physicians might be thought to recommend their career due to its salary and esteem, this sample population's data show that physicians do not recommend their career as favorably as PAs recommend theirs. PAs may be more likely to recommend their career due to the freedom and flexibility in choosing a specialty. The PA profession also has a shorter educational track, yet enables the practitioners to hold major responsibilities in practice.

The expansion of this study to a larger sample may be especially important for those considering a career in the healthcare field, as it gives a glimpse into the overall satisfaction of these particular professionals in orthopedics. Employers and organizations also must recognize that the current study demonstrates that physicians in orthopedics may not be as content in their careers as the PAs. Employers should examine ways to increase physician satisfaction.

LIMITATIONS

Because every healthcare environment operates differently, physicians and PAs may have varying responsibilities, influencing contentment with their career, which may not be a direct reflection of satisfaction with the profession. Limitations also include reporter bias; for instance, participants may have answered questions based on how they want the profession to be perceived and not contingent on actual experiences and opinions. Respondent bias also could play a major role. If the professionals reflected their mood that day in the Likert scale, instead of typical feelings, results could be skewed. Participants may also have answered questions strategically to idealize their profession, or to make it appear more arduous than it is.

As with any research, participation was a concern for this study. Distribution of the survey to a large enough population was difficult and a convenience sample was used. The data did not have a large enough sample for representation from regional areas or clinic types to deduce valuable information from these cohorts. Therefore, many professionals were working in similar environments. With a larger sample size, differences between physicians and PAs in various clinical settings or regions of the United States could be further developed to potentially provide valuable information. Finally, a significantly larger number of physicians than PAs responded to the survey, which may alter results. With the small sample size, it is difficult to generalize conclusions, yet the findings were very intriguing and can guide future research into the lifestyle satisfaction differences and similarities between these professions.

CONCLUSIONS

This research shows that in an orthopedic setting, a small sample of PAs reported a better lifestyle and are generally more satisfied with their careers than the physicians. These data tend to refute many common perceptions about the professions; most notably that PAs do not feel as respected or valued by the patients and the healthcare community. With the drastic shortage of healthcare professionals, this research highlights the advantages of the PA career in orthopedics from the perspectives of the professionals. Respondents felt that a satisfactory lifestyle can be achieved even if the PA salary is not as significant as a physician's salary. Consequently, the PAs in orthopedics who responded to this survey were more likely than physicians to recommend their career to others. Data from the survey and further research on this issue could help inform prospective medical or PA students on the careers. Employers of PAs and physicians can also be alerted to the career and lifestyle inadequacies the professionals reported.

This research can be furthered by expanding the sample size or by investigating the lifestyle differences between physicians and PAs in another specialty.
For some university- and college-bound students distressed by the election of Donald Trump, Canada is calling.

Post-secondary schools from Quebec to British Columbia say applications and website traffic from the United States have been surging since Trumps victory Nov. 8. Although many Canadian schools had also ramped up recruiting in the U.S. recently, some say dismay over the presidential election has fuelled a spike in interest beyond their expectations.

Lara Godoff, a 17-year-old from Napa, Calif., said she scrapped any notion of staying in the U.S. the day after the election. Among other concerns, Godoff, a Democrat, said she fears Trumps administration will ease enforcement of federal rules against sexual assault, making campuses less safe for women.

Godoff had applied to one college in Canada but added three more as safety schools after the election.

If we live in a country where so many people could elect Donald Trump, then thats not a country I want to live in, she said.

Applications to the University of Toronto from American students have jumped 70 per cent compared with this time last year, while several other Canadian schools have seen increases of 20 per cent or more. U.S. applications to McMaster University in Hamilton are up 34 per cent so far.

Ted Sargent, vice-president international at the University of Toronto, believes there is a range of factors contributing to the boost of American applicants this year.

I think U of Ts reputation has continued to grow internationally, Torontos reputation as a great city has grown, Canadian politics moved in a more open and inclusive direction and then there was also Trumps election, Sargent said. We have all these effects combined and its a little hard to tease out the role of every one of them.

While he would not disclose how many Americans have applied to the University of Toronto so far, Sargent expects the figure to be in the thousands.

Sargent also said the University of Toronto has been focusing recruitment efforts in the U.S., hosting panel discussions in various cities and working with alumni to actively recruit potential students.

We cant ignore the election results, but I think there are other strengths that are attracting students to the university, as well, said Jennifer Peterman, senior manager of global undergraduate recruitment at McGill University in Montreal. Students are also drawn by the schools diversity and Canadas affordable cost of living, she said.

In the U.S., officials at some universities say its clear Trumps election is tilting enrolment patterns. Some recruiters say foreign students are avoiding the U.S. amid worries about safety and deportation, opting for Canada or Australia instead. And Canadian schools have noticed growing interest from China, India and Pakistan.

I think everybody in international education is a little uneasy, in part because some of the rhetoric in the campaign frightened people overseas, said Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education at the University at Buffalo. Its going to be perhaps a little bit rocky for a couple of years.

Although its too early to say how many U.S. students will enrol in Canada next fall, some schools expect to see more Americans on campus based on the flurry of interest.

Traditionally, Canada hasnt been a hugely popular college destination for Americans. In 2014, it drew about 9,000 students from the U.S., compared with 57,000 from China, according to the Canadian Bureau for International Education.

But as Canadas population ages, institutions increasingly look outside its borders for students. In 2014, the government announced plans to double the countrys number of foreign students by 2022. Many of the nations 125 universities have responded by stepping up recruiting in the U.S., promising students an international experience close to home.

In Washington, D.C. this month, the University of Toronto hosted a panel on the election and asked local alumni to bring prospective students, hoping some might apply.

Among those at the event was 17-year-old Rebekah Robinson, of Baltimore, who had already visited the school and plans to enrol. She joked with her parents about escaping to Canada to flee Trump but said she sees that as just a bonus.

I really liked the school, she said. I liked the programs they offered, and I thought it was a great fit for me, so the president and the election just kind of played a small factor in it.

Other colleges have sent more recruiters to the U.S. and are building ties with high schools, but officials say they arent trying to exploit any post-election fallout.

With files from Alicja Siekierska

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Nick Cake almost didnt answer the phone when it rang at 6 a.m. last Friday. It was a client, someone the Sarnia-area lawyer had spoken with just days before. There was no apparent urgency.

Something made him pick up anyway. And Cake heard the calm voice of Samuel Maloney, 35, from London, Ont.

He said, Hi Nick, its Sam, the police are raiding my house, Cake told the Star Thursday.

Within seconds, Cake understood the volatility of the situation.

He says he heard Maloneys wife screaming and an authoritative male voice instructing the man to show his hands. Cake says he, too, urged Maloney to obey.

Put your hands up, they are going to shoot you. There were some f-bombs in there, Cake says he told Maloney. And Sam said OK.

What followed, Cake says, was the sound of four shots  then nothing.

I heard Sam. I heard gunshots. Then I didnt hear Sam anymore.

The provinces Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the civilian watchdog that probes deaths involving police in Ontario, is now probing Maloneys death. According to Cake, Maloney was shot in the face.

In a press release issued on Dec. 23, the SIU said the incident occurred at a residence on Duchess Ave. in London  the home where Maloney lived with his wife and two kids, according to Cake.

The watchdogs news release points to a heavy police presence at the home for the pre-dawn raid: three officers are the subjects of the investigation, and 18 others have been designated witness officers. At least one officer was injured, according to the SIU.

In a news conference hours after the shooting, London Police Services Deputy Chief Steve Williams said he could not provide any information about the interaction, saying the service is prevented by legislation from discussing details of the matter because the SIU is now investigating.

The London Free Press reported on Thursday that the officer who was injured was struck by a crossbow. The same day her husband was killed, Melissa Facciola, Maloneys wife, was charged with one count of possession of a crossbow while under a prohibition order.

Facciola, who is currently nursing a six-month-old baby, was held for three days in solitary confinement before she was released Wednesday, Cake said.

Maloney did not mention anything to Cake about a crossbow while he was on the phone. Cake doesnt know if Maloney had put him on speaker phone or if he was holding the phone at the time that he was shot.

After he heard the gunfire, Cake said he listened for another six or seven minutes, but heard nothing but the general sound of people moving. Hours later, he received a call from Maloneys distraught wife.

Cake says Maloney was a unique man he met this summer, when Maloney was charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer  charges still before the courts. Maloney previously faced criminal charges involving unsafe storage of firearms that were later withdrawn.

Maloney struggled with his own demons, including possible struggles with mental illness, Cake said.

I know he was a loving father, loved his wife. He was a spiritual man, he said.

Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca

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When her medication got too expensive, Theresa Schrader just stopped taking it.

Schrader has anxiety, Type II bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Shes also struggled with addiction and takes medicine for diabetes and blood pressure.

When Schrader had a social work job in Toronto, her employer-provided drug plan covered her medication costs  over $200 per month for the psychiatric drugs alone.

Then she relapsed into addiction and her mental health spiraled. Schrader lost her job and her drug coverage.

Medication is often an integral part of mental-health treatment. But many Ontarians must pay out of pocket for their prescription drugs. And not all of them can.

Forced to choose between medication and rent for herself and her young son, Schrader stopped taking her drugs, even though it meant panic attacks and reckless behaviour brought on by her mental illnesses.

I went without medication for a period of time, Schrader says. Until my psychiatrist insisted that I needed to get back on them (as) my mental health was deteriorating.

OHIP generally covers drug costs for people in hospital, but not for outpatients. And while many employers offer drug coverage to their employees, a growing number of workers have no health benefits at all.

Work has become more and more precarious, Dr. Kwame McKenzie, CEO of the Wellesley Institute urban health think tank, says. Low-paid, non-professional, non-unionized environments tend to be the environments that dont have health coverage.

When people cant afford their drugs, they usually just go without it, McKenzie says.

Read Part 1 of this series: Patients suffer over gap between physical and mental health care

Read Part 2 of this series: Timely, affordable mental health therapy out of reach for many

Prescribed medication is prescribed for a reason, he adds. If you dont have that medication, you get ill.

Cost is a factor for anyone taking medication, but mental-health patients experience some unique barriers to affording their drugs.

People with mental illness will likely need to stay on medication for years, McKenzie says, while many prescriptions for physical ailments may only be needed for a week or two.

Patients may also need multiple medications at once.

Often people with mental-health problems are on one or two or three medications for their mental-health problem and then other medication because theyre more likely to have physical problems, says McKenzie, a psychiatrist and Director of Health Equity at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

It can also take several months of experimenting with different medications before finding the right one.

The brain is a very complicated organ, Mood Disorders Society of Canada executive director Phil Upshall says. Changing the brains behaviour, the chemistry in the brain, takes some time and it takes finding the right chemical formula.

Meghan Coolen has depression, an anxiety disorder and an eating disorder.

In November 2015, her family doctor prescribed her an antidepressant similar to Zoloft. It helped alleviate some of her mental-health issues but also put her into a kind of dream state, she says, like she wasnt experiencing her life first-hand.

The doctor gave her a new prescription for a different antidepressant, but Coolen was left with several tablets of the old drug, which she had paid for but now couldnt use.

Coolen currently pays about $50 a month in medication costs. But she also pays about $480 per month for therapy, which is not covered by OHIP or her employer either. It all adds up.

Some months its tight, she says. Im spending money on medication that I could be spending on food, and Im eating cereal for dinner.

Coolen is a young professional with a university degree and a full-time job at a major media company in Toronto. But, because she is a contract employee, she does not qualify for her employers health benefits.

Theres a ton of things Im missing out on by working contract, yet Im working the same hours as the [permanent] staff members, she says.

Coolen is just one of the thousands of working Ontarians without health coverage through their jobs.

In 2015, the Wellesley Institute reported that 37 per cent of workers in the province have no employer-provided health coverage at all.

The government of Ontario has safety-net drug programs for people in dire financial need, but thousands of others are stuck in the strange situation of earning too much to qualify for drug coverage, yet not enough to comfortably afford their drugs.

While Ontario provides a patchwork of health benefits that cover prescription drugs . . . to selected populations, people who are working but who have low earnings are likely to fall through the gaps, the Wellesley Institute says in its report. They are not eligible for public benefits and are less likely to have employer-provided benefits.

The Trillium Drug Program is for people whose medication costs are at least 3 to 4 per cent of their households after-tax income. Recipients of Trillium are still on the hook to pay the deductible for the drugs they take.

The Ontario Drug Benefit covers medication costs for senior citizens, patients in long-term care homes or receiving home care, people on provincial assistance for disability and people on the Ontario Works financial and employment assistance program.

To qualify for Ontario Works, a person must need money right away for food and shelter, and be willing to participate in activities that will help you find employment.

Individuals that are on Ontario Works automatically qualify for the Ontario Drug Benefit, Ministry of Community and Social services spokesperson Joshua Henry says. The ministry runs Ontario Works.

But McKenzie says that navigating government channels to get drug coverage can be prohibitively complicated, and that many patients may not even know what options exist.

The problem is that were (dealing with) people that are really ill and vulnerable and rather than making it a really easy process, some people find it quite difficult, McKenzie says.

And not all drugs are covered under these public programs, or even the private ones.

When drug plans are assessing whether theyre going to cover (specific) drugs, they tend to look at whether the drug works or not rather than the side effects, McKenzie says. And so what you sometimes find is you get a new drug thats much more expensive than the old drug . . . The side-effect profile is so much better, but its not going to get covered.

Months after losing her job, Schrader got onto Ontario Works and qualified for the Ontario Drug Benefit. But the drug her psychiatrist had prescribed for her bipolar disorder was not covered by the ODB.

She tried an ODB-covered alternative but fell victim to one of its side effects, a severe skin rash that, in some rare cases, can be fatal.

Her psychiatrist kept her on the initial drug, getting free samples from the manufacturer a few weeks at a time, until the government added it to their list of covered drugs.

Steps are being taken at the federal and provincial levels to limit the cost of medication.

The provincial, territorial and federal governments have united under the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, negotiating with drug companies to reduce the price of drugs under public drug plans, Ontario Ministry of Health spokesperson David Jensen says.

Jensen also pointed out that the federally run Patented Medicines Price Review Board works to cap prices of patented drugs across the board.

But for care providers, national drug coverage is the only solution.

We need a national pharmacare plan right now to help Canadians access needed prescriptions, not just for mental health, Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, physician-in-chief at CAMH, says.

A national pharmacare plan should also provide guidance about which medications are effective at the lowest possible cost.

In general, McKenzie says, governments should be taking greater steps to make mental-health treatment accessible.

Were in a position in mental health where we can do more for people than we ever could, but that doesnt mean you can get it, he says. Thats a big frustration in Ontario. We could be doing so much more.

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There was just one rule for partygoers at the biggest, wildest New Years Eve bash the city had ever seen: No kissing the drivers.

The puckering prohibition didnt deter tens of thousands of revellers from packing public transit on Dec. 31, 1972 and into the first hours of 1973.

After all, the party was free, thanks to McGuinness Distillers Ltd., who paid $30,000 to rent every TTC bus, streetcar and subway in Metro Toronto for eight hours.

New Years Eve is the worst night of the year to drive. So dont. Travel free on the TTC instead, urged an ad by the booze maker in late December.

It was a generous gesture that would continue for five years until an ugly incident derailed festivities for three decades. But that first raucous affair was a night to remember.

I guess, in a city of this size, it takes something special like this to bring people together, marvelled a subway driver as 1972 wound down none too sedately.

I cant believe its free! was the common refrain, according to Toronto Star journalist Judi Timson, reporting from the midst of the noise and merrymaking.

If you didnt climb on board a Toronto Transit Commission vehicle, you missed the weirdest, wildest, most wonderful New Years Eve party of them all, she declared.

Partygoers populated all the routes but it was a sardine scene on the Queen St. E. streetcar and downtown subway as tots to tottering older folks  liquor flowed freely if illegally  danced, tooted horns, sang, played harmonicas and smooched it up.

McGuinness extended its generosity again the following year, this time drawing an estimated 250,000 freewheelers. Many of them packed the transit system at the same time after the clock ticked past midnight and parties pooped. The subway was so jammed people had to wait behind turnstiles just to get on the platform.

But going home took a back seat to celebrations as the giddy crowds made good use of their prepaid ticket to ride.

The kids smoked pot, couples kissed and people went the length of streetcars shaking hands and chanting Happy New Year,  reported the Stars Alan Mettrick.

Computer operator Dick Lamratt, 26, happily gave up plans to head for home on Parliament St.

Its the best part of the whole night for my friends and I, he said. This is too good to miss. Well ride until the partys over.

That day came three years later when increasingly rowdy behaviour by TTC users on New Years Eve escalated to violence. Riding the Yonge St. subway just before midnight on Dec. 31, 1976, James Carson witnessed half a dozen youths beating and taunting two men he thought were of Pakistani origin.

As Carson, 61, jumped in to stop the assault, the group turned on him, kicking and punching before throwing him off the train at Rosedale station.

Carson told the Star he had captured enemy soldiers in war. But I have never seen hate in the eyes of men as I did on the subway train that night, he told reporter Dave Norris a couple of days later.

I have been in two world wars and I have captured enemy soldiers but I have never seen hate in the eyes of men as I did on the subway train that night, he told reporter Dave Norris a couple of days later.

About 30 other passengers just sat there like lumps of granite during the altercation, said the small-built man, an investigator with the Ontario Ombudsmans office.

Carson, who suffered a broken nose and leg injuries for his trouble, was later named Man of the Year by the Council of Muslim Communities of Canada.

Following the racist attack, the provision of free service on New Years Eve was given sober second thought. One TTC commissioner suggested McGuinness, which had handed over $55,000 to cart an estimated 350,000 revellers around the city that night, should pay an extra $10,000 for beefed-up security next time.

But the distiller nixed that idea.

We simply buy time from the TTC. We cant be expected to pay policemens salaries as well, protested president Peter Mielzynski, maintaining the free rides were a life-saving service.

Several months later, McGuinness pulled the plug on its sponsorship. Legislation prohibited the TTC from providing free transit at its own expense, and because no other sponsor could be found, the practice came to an end.

Thirty years later, the freebie was born again as Capital One credit card company stepped up with $85,000 to offset lost fare revenue for four hours beginning at 12:01 a.m. GO Transit had begun offering free service on New Years Eve the previous year, so the mobile party extended to the far ends of the GTA.

But if the goal was to persuade drinkers to leave their cars at home, the mission failed. During the first few hours of 2008, the number of 12-hour impaired driving suspensions jumped almost 40 per cent over the previous year, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.

Police officers nabbed their first culprit just five minutes after a RIDE checkpoint was set up at Highway 401 and Avenue Rd.

Here it is, New Years Eve, the most widely publicized RIDE night of the year, and were easily making arrests for drinking and driving and other crimes, said OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley.

But public transits tradition of giving New Years carousers a safe, free ride to and from festivities continued. Partnering with the TTC, Corby Spirit and Wine has picked up the tab for the past few years, and will continue doing so for a while yet.

But theres no word on whether bussing TTC drivers is permitted.

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Enigmatic Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hedged Thursday on threats to toss corrupt officials from a helicopter and denied his own claim that he once threw a rape suspect out of one in mid-air.

Sort of.

If you are corrupt, I will fetch you with a helicopter and I will throw you out on the way to Manila, Duterte warned government officials during a speech Tuesday. I have done that before, why should I not do it again?

Duterte said that while serving as a local prosecutor he threw a Chinese drug dealer from a helicopter. But in an interview Thursday with the local ABS-CBN TV, Duterte walked back his claims.

Its not true that I threw people off helicopters, I do not own a helicopter to be able to do that, he said, but added If it were true, I wouldnt admit it.

Duterte did acknowledge some innocent victims have been caught in the bloody crossfire of his crackdown on drug trafficking. But he said he has the ironclad support of his island nation of 100 million people.

I would admit there were killings that were unintended ... collateral damage, and Im sorry, he said.

Duterte, who took over as president in June, has bragged of killing drug dealers while serving as mayor of Davao City for two decades. He rose to national prominence after pledging a war on drugs and threatening to dump all of you (drug dealers) into Manila Bay.

He has shrugged off sharp criticism from the United Nations and others for encouraging vigilante-style killings of drug dealers and criminals.

Maybe well just have to decide to separate from the United Nations, Duterte said in September. He dismissed U.S. criticism of his human rights record, saying people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

The Philippines was a U.S. colony from 1898 until the 1940s, hosting permanent U.S. military bases until the government there ordered them out 25 years ago. A few hundred U.S. troops remain, and Duterte said last month he wants them out, too.

He also has accused the State Department of threatening to withhold economic support unless he allowed himself to be treated like a lapdog.

He was unapologetic Thursday for his frequently bombastic tone, saying God gave him his mouth so he could change the country.

If you have something against me or my mouth or my character, go to God and complain, he said.

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RICHMOND, VA.A Virginia lawmaker is asking the state legislature to declare pornography a public health hazard  a move he hopes will pave the way for limits of some sort.

Republican delegate Robert Marshall has proposed a resolution stating that pornography leads to many social problems and that the Virginia General Assembly, which convenes its annual session on Jan. 11, needs to do something about it. Just what lawmakers should do is unspecified.

The measure does not call for any sort of ban, only a broad recognition of the need for education, prevention, research, and policy change at the community and societal level in order to address the pornography epidemic that is harming the people of the Commonwealth and the nation.

He compared the value of the declaration to the one former U.S. surgeon general Luther L. Terry made in 1964 with the first official report to link cigarettes to disease.

Weve got to say, This is a problem, Marshall said in an interview Thursday. Before smoking was identified as a problem, at least the recognition that it led to certain pathologies was a starting point to put restrictions on it . . . If you recognize it as a problem, then youre going to try to find ways to solve it within the framework of the statutes we can pass and the institutions we have.

Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Virginia, expressed concern that the ultimate goal might be some form of censorship. She did not take a formal position though, because she had not yet studied the proposal.

Obviously were cautious about anything that looks like it ultimately aims to regulate the content of speech, although we dont like pornography any better than anybody else, she said.

Marshall is one of the General Assemblys most outspoken conservatives but he has an independent streak that sometimes appeals to the left. On some privacy and surveillance issues, for instance, he has found common ground with civil libertarians. Liberals joined his efforts in recent years to compensate Virginians who were forcibly sterilized between 1924 and 1979 under a state eugenics program.

His pornography resolution has the potential to create some strange bedfellows even if the ACLU does not warm to it. The legislation frames pornography not just as a moral scourge that leads to infidelity, the hypersexualization of teenagers and deviant sexual arousal, but as a weapon against women. The measure blames pornography for low self-esteem and body image disorders and devotes a lot of attention to the objectification of women and girls.

It reads, in part: WHEREAS, because pornography treats women as objects and commodities for the viewers use, it teaches girls that they are to be used and teaches boys to be users; and WHEREAS, pornography normalizes violence and abuse of women and children; and WHEREAS, pornography treats women and children as objects and often depicts rape and abuse as if such acts are harmless . . .

The resolution piqued the interest of state Sen. Barbara Favola, a Democrat and one of the legislatures staunchest defenders of womens rights. She has often been at odds with Marshall on the issue of abortion, which he strongly opposes.

We will talk about it in the womens health caucus, Im sure of that, she said. Hes right: pornography does have a negative impact on public health and it does lead to lots of other issues. Im going to look at it.

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LONDONEuropes leaders are not expecting a smooth ride in 2017 following a year marked by political upheaval, extremist attacks, unchecked immigration and a rising military threat from Russia.

Britain is suing for divorce, the far-right is on the march, some former Soviet satellites seem disillusioned with the West even as Russia seeks to regain its influence and America will soon inaugurate an untested, seemingly Russia-friendly president who has voiced doubts about the usefulness of the NATO alliance. The uncertainty is thick enough to breathe.

It all looks so different from the triumphant panorama presented more than two decades ago when the European Union was expanding. Formerly captive nations freed from Soviet control seemed eager to embrace liberal democracy, capitalism  and substantial subsidies  from their wealthier neighbours.

There was rosy talk of an ever-closer union, the development of a single currency and a co-operative relationship with Russia. It hasnt turned out that way  the EU, with its touted ideals of shared democratic values and free movement of people, has never seemed so frayed and vulnerable.

The risks for 2017 remain very high, said Adam Thomson, director of the London-based European Leadership Network research group. We Europeans need to recognize that we face a level of risk in the West-Russian confrontation that we have not seen since the 1960s. It is partly because a lot of the security rules of the road have been torn up or suspended, so there are fewer rules and less predictability.

He said most Europeans do not perceive the danger because they have been lulled by the cordial East-West relations that prevailed for years after the Soviet collapse in 1991.

Europeans have gotten used to 25 years of peace dividend, and a stability they have come to think of as normal but in fact might be the abnormality in Europes long history of conflict, Thomson said.

There is deep unease in the Baltics, Scandinavia and elsewhere as Russia moves more military forces to its border regions and places nuclear capable Iskander ballistic missiles into the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, where they can threaten part of Poland, Germany and other countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin seems emboldened by the lukewarm international response to his governments annexation of Crimea two years ago and his strong intervention in Syria this year  and by the growing support he enjoys among far-right political leaders who are gaining ground in Europe.

He has already been making inroads, with a pro-Russia candidate elected president in Moldova and a candidate calling for a European rapprochement with Russia winning in Bulgaria.

Electoral focal points in the coming year are France, where voters may bring to power a far-right National Front government that wants to follow Britain out of the European Union, and Germany and the Netherlands, where far-right parties also stand to make gains.

The increasing appeal of the far-right has been fuelled by public unhappiness with the ongoing influx of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and Africa. Events like the recent extremist attack that killed 12 people at a Christmas market in Berlin  combined with earlier assaults on civilians in Paris and Brussels  have made it more common for Europeans to view the incoming human tide as a potential threat.

The coming year will determine whether Britains surprise decision in a June referendum to walk away from the many benefits of EU membership in favour of establishing firm border controls was an anomaly or a harbinger of things to come.

Elections in the Netherlands in March are expected to bring strong gains for Geert Wilders anti-Islam, anti-EU Party for Freedom, which could emerge as the biggest party. Even if that happens, he will likely find it difficult to get enough partners to form a majority government in a country where coalitions are the norm due to the voting system and proliferation of smaller parties.

Wilders outspoken opposition to Islam has gained traction in a nation long known for its tolerance. He wants the Netherlands, a founding member of the EU, to leave the 28-nation bloc.

The first round of French voting in April is expected to bring far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen into the final round against conservative Francois Fillon.

Both pose a threat to the European status quo: Le Pen wants to take France out of the EU, end its use of the shared euro currency and close the border-free zone. Both candidates favour closer ties to Russia, including a lifting of sanctions. Both want to reduce immigration and strengthen border controls, though Fillon prefers to do so from within the EU bloc.

German elections expected in September are likely to bring the nationalist Alternative for Germany party into the federal parliament for the first time. The partys strength, stemming from dissatisfaction at the influx of migrants to Germany over the past two years, has put Chancellor Angela Merkels centre-right Christian Democrats on the defensive  particularly after the Christmas market truck attack, apparently carried out by an asylum-seeker from Tunisia.

Some experts believe a Le Pen triumph in the final round in France in May would deal a fatal blow to the EU.

France is the critical one, said Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe research group.

I dont think shell win, but if she does, I think it would probably mean the end of the EU because she would start to challenge the authority of EU law, he said. She would ignore laws she doesnt like, unilaterally start to impose border checks, and the sheer fragility of the EU would be brought into sharp relief. People dont understand how fragile it is.

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RIO DE JANEIROPolice in Brazil believe that Greeces ambassador to the country was killed by his wifes lover, a police officer, under her orders in a house in the Rio area and have detained three suspects, authorities said Friday.

Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis went missing on Monday in Nova Iguacu, a city just north of Rio de Janeiro, where the ambassador had been vacationing. The couple lived most of the time in the capital of Brasilia.

On Friday, police investigator Evaristo Pontes Magalhaes said that 29-year-old police officer Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho had confessed to killing Amiridis, alleging self-defence.

Investigators said Filho knew Amiridis, who wasnt aware of the affair he was having with the ambassadors 40-year-old wife, Francoise Amiridis.

Magalhaes said Filhos cousin, Eduardo de Melo, acknowledged taking part in the killing as a lookout. The cousin accused Francoise of offering him the equivalent of $25,000 to participate.

Francoise has denied that she was involved in the plot. According to Magalhaes, Francoise said she couldnt stop Filho from killing her husband and insisted she was not at home at the time of the crime.

But the police investigator said in a press conference late Friday that the evidence clearly puts the ambassadors wife as a co-author of the crime.

He said Francoise started plotting with Filho to kill the ambassador after the couple had a serious fight three days before Christmas.

All our evidence suggests that her motivation was to use the financial resources left by the ambassador so she could enjoy life with Sergio, the police officer, Magalhaes said.

Magalhaes said a judge had ordered the temporary arrest of Francoise, Filho and his cousin.

The first signs that the ambassador had been murdered came late Thursday, when police found blood spots believed to be his on a sofa inside the house the couple kept in Nova Iguacu, where the wifes family lives.

Filho told police that he strangled the ambassador during a fight, but the blood evidence found on the scene makes his claim unlikely, Magalhaes said. Neighbors said they did not hear any shots in the house, leading police to believe the policeman stabbed Amiridis.

Magalhaes said the investigation also showed that Amiridis body was removed from the house in a carpet at the same time that Francoise arrived with their 10 year-old daughter, who did not see the body of her dead father.

Police believe a body found in a burned-out car that Amiridis had rented on Dec. 21 belonged to the ambassador, but forensics experts are still working to confirm that it is him.

Brazils government has offered its condolences to Greece over his death.

The Greek Embassy website in Brazil says Amiridis started his career as diplomat in 1985 in Athens and became Greeces top diplomat in Brazil in 2016.

He earlier was Greeces ambassador to Libya and worked as consul in Rio from 2001-2004.

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A new law in Michigan will prohibit local governments from banning, regulating or imposing fees on the use of plastic bags and other containers. You read that correctly: Its not a ban on plastic bags  its a ban on banning plastic bags.

Michigan Lt.-Gov Brian Calley signed the new public act into law on Wednesday, along with 11 other bills. Gov. Rick Snyder is currently on vacation out of state, local news sources reported, and Calley has the authority to sign bills into law in his absence.

The new public act prohibits local ordinances from regulating the use, disposition, or sale of, prohibiting or restricting, or imposing any fee, charge, or tax on certain containers, including plastic bags, as well as cups, bottles and other forms of packaging. This means individual cities and municipalities are not allowed to ban plastic bags or charge customers a fee for using them.

Bans and restrictions on the use of plastic bags are widespread in other parts of the country and around the world. The rationale is simple: Plastic bags are infamous non-biodegradable sources of pollution  although they will eventually break down into tiny pieces, scientists believe this process can take hundreds of years, or even up to a century, in landfills.

Many scientists are growing particularly concerned about plastic pollution in the oceans. Research suggests that 5 million to 12 million metric tons of plastic may have been dumped into the ocean in 2010 alone. There, the waste is frequently eaten by seabirds and other marine animals  or it breaks down into tiny pieces known as microplastics, which scientists believe can be harmful or even toxic to sea creatures who ingest it.

Bangladesh was the first country in the world to ban certain types of thin plastic bags in 2002, after they were found to have choked the nations drainage systems during a series of devastating floods. China instituted a similar ban in 2008, and also prohibits businesses from giving out thicker plastic bags to customers for free. Other nations, including South Africa and Italy, have also enacted similar restrictions.

San Francisco became the first U.S. municipality to institute a plastic bag ban. And in 2014, California became the first state. Many other municipalities around the country have bans or fees in place, including Austin, Texas; Seattle and Chicago, which will be repealing its citywide ban in favour of a 7-cent tax next month.

On the other hand, Michigan is not the only state to have implemented a ban on bans. Idaho, Arizona and Missouri all have enacted similar laws. In these cases, proponents of the laws have defended them as a way of protecting businesses from having to comply with additional regulations.

The new Michigan law was met with praise from the Michigan Restaurant Association for this reason.

With many of our members owning and operating locations across the state, preventing a patchwork approach of additional regulations is imperative to avoid added complexities as it related to day-to-day business operations, said Robert OMeara, the associations vice president of government affairs, in a statement.

But others have criticized the legislation as an overstep in authority. Michigan news outlet MLive reported that Rep. Jeff Irwin, a Democrat representing Ann Arbor, spoke out against the bill while it was still in the House, saying that it attacks local control.

Earlier this year, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, which is seated in Ann Arbor, had voted in favour of a new ordinance imposing a 10-cent fee on both paper and plastic bags dispensed in grocery stores throughout the county. Under the new Michigan public act, such a fee will not be permitted.

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LONDONEven the so-called special relationship is subject to limits, it seems.

Looking ahead to the advent of a Republican administration under Donald Trump, Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain scolded U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday night for his speech criticizing Israel, a public jab that would have been highly unlikely at any other time during the Obama administration.

May chided Kerry for describing the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the most right-wing in Israels history, with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements, and she suggested that Kerrys intense focus on Israeli settlement expansion was too narrow for a complicated conflict.

May does not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally, a spokesman for the prime minister said, using the departments customary anonymity. The government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community.

Trump has publicly disparaged the outgoing Obama administration for abstaining last week in a UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling all Israeli settlements beyond the 1967 armistice lines illegal. He was also critical of Kerrys end-of-term speech defending the two-state solution and calling for an end to Israeli settlement activity that undermines that possibility.

Trump defended Netanyahu and his government, urging them in a post on Twitter to stay strong until his inauguration next month.

May, who leads a Conservative government, has been trying, with mixed success, to make inroads with the incoming Trump administration. Trump has suggested that she appoint Nigel Farage, the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party and a high-profile advocate of a British exit from the European Union, as Britains ambassador to Washington, a suggestion May firmly rejected.

Trump considers Farage, who campaigned alongside him, and the British vote for a withdrawal as a harbinger of his own victory against expectations and the status quo. But Farage is not a favourite among Conservatives, even among those who strongly supported a withdrawal in the June referendum.

The British government has been working with Trump aides on an early visit to the White House by May, to show the continuing strength of British-American ties. Kim Darroch, the British ambassador in Washington, has said that May and Trump want to build on the legacy of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

Relations with the Obama administration have not always been smooth, with major disagreements over Syria policy and military spending, but the two countries are close, especially when it comes to intelligence sharing and NATO.

Still, the comments on Thursday night represented an extraordinary public rebuke to such a close ally, even if President Barack Obama is about to exit the scene, and Britain clearly wants to maintain ties to Israel and its elected government.

The issue was not about the legality of the settlements. The British government voted in favour of the Security Council resolution because Britain, like other European members of the council, has long considered the settlements beyond 1967 lines to be illegal.

But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict, Mays spokesman said. In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long.

In fact, while Kerry concentrated on the settlement issue, he also spoke of the need for Israelis to live with security, and he criticized Palestinians as not doing enough to combat terrorism.

Kerrys speech, and the U.S. abstention, were praised by other European nations, including France and Germany. So the British slap was something of a shock to Washington.

We are surprised by the U.K. Prime Ministers office statement, given that Secretary Kerrys remarks  which covered the full range of threats to a two-state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlements  were in line with the U.K.s own long-standing policy and its vote at the United Nations last week, the State Department said in a statement.

It also expressed gratitude for supportive statements from a number of countries in Europe and the Middle East, including Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and others.

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CLEVELANDThe U.S. Coast Guard on Friday suspended its search for an airplane that was carrying a beverage distribution company executive and five other people when it vanished over Lake Erie shortly after takeoff from the citys lakeshore airport.

The Coast Guard said it would step aside to allow Cleveland to begin recovery efforts of the plane and the victims.

The decision to suspend a search is never easy, Capt. Michael Mullen, chief of response for the Coast Guard 9th District, said in a statement. I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost loved ones during this tragedy.

John T. Fleming, the chief executive of a Columbus-based beverage distribution company, was piloting the plane, which was carrying his wife, Sue Fleming, their teenage sons, Jack and Andrew, a neighbour and the neighbours daughter. The plane suddenly lost altitude about 2 miles out during a scheduled return trip to Columbus, according to a flight-tracking service.

The Coast Guard began searching the air after being notified soon after the planes disappearance. High waves and blustery conditions prevented smaller Coast Guard boats from the Cleveland area from deploying Thursday night. A 140-foot Coast Guard cutter joined a search that covered 128 square miles of the lake on Friday.

Mullen had held out the possibility of finding survivors Friday morning despite water temperatures that hovered around 40 degrees. But when asked if the twin-engine corporate jet could land safely on Lake Erie, he said, Aircraft are not designed to float, especially in 12-foot seas.

Tracking service FlightAware logged only three location pings for the plane after takeoff from Burke Lakefront Airport, and the last one indicated rapid altitude loss. Authorities have said there were no distress signals from the pilot.

The aircraft took off westward from Burke, then turned north across the lake, according to the tracking service flightradar24.com. The departure procedure at Burke could take an aircraft over the lake before turning south toward a destination, Mullen said.

The plane, which had made the roughly half-hour trip from Columbus earlier in the day, was registered to a limited liability company under the same Columbus address as Superior Beverage Group, the company where Fleming was president and CEO.

Authorities detected faint hints but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help searchers find the plane, Mullen said. No signs of debris were found.

The search overnight was made difficult by snow squalls, high seas and darkness, Mullen said. It would have been the pilots responsibility to determine whether it was safe to fly Thursday night, he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna Citation 525 plane left Burke at 10:50 p.m., and the Coast Guard said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control at Burke about 30 minutes later.

An FAA spokeswoman declined to comment on Friday. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said investigators would be sent to Cleveland after the aircraft is recovered.

The aircraft was headed to Ohio State University Airport, northwest of downtown Columbus.

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At an interfaith discussion in which I recently participated, one of my co-panelists, a Muslim Canadian politician, remarked on his surprise at encountering a copy of the Bible in Arabic while in the Middle East. This mundane incident demonstrates how deeply certain imagined geographies of difference have been internalized. Christianity is depicted as a European and North American religion, and Islam as a Middle Eastern one. It is considered natural for the Bible to be printed in English, but is represented as strange and surprising in Arabic  even though the prophets Moses and Jesus spoke Semitic languages far closer to Arabic than to English.

The Judeo-Christian world is severed from the Islamic world as if this separation is essential and eternal, written in our sacred texts. Conflict between them is attributed to primordial divisions rather than contemporary geopolitics.

In a 1990 essay professing to uncover The Roots of Muslim Rage, British American historian Bernard Lewis conjured up a centuries-long clash of civilizations between Muslims and the West: the perhaps irrational but surely historic reaction of an ancient rival against our Judeo-Christian heritage.

Members of Donald Trumps incoming administration are fervent believers in the civilizational conflict between Christianity and Islam. Michael Flynn, Trumps pick for national security adviser, has described Islam as a malignant cancer and told Fox News in 2015 that he has been at war with Islam, or a component of Islam, for the last decade. In a speech this August to the Ahavath Torah Congregation in Massachusetts, Flynn exhorted the crowd to defend Americas foundation of Judeo-Christian principles, values, norms against the encroaching Muslim menace.

Steve Bannon, appointed as chief strategist, spoke of the long history of the Judeo-Christian West struggle against Islam in a 2014 talk at the Human Dignity Institute at the Vatican. Trump himself informed CNN viewers that Islam hates us, in an interview during the election.

As Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics observed, Trump traffics in a similar clash of civilizations narrative to that of Al Qaeda and ISIS.

The clash of civilizations story may be useful for drumming up jingoistic animosity, but tells us little about actual reality.

The shared histories of Christians and Muslims belie the assertion that they sit on opposing sides of an immutable divide. In the 7th century CE, the nascent Muslim community found refuge from oppression with the Christian ruler of Abyssinia. And the prophet Muhammad made covenants to protect various groups of Christians under his aegis. Whensoever any distress or discomfort shall overtake [Christians], Muslims shall hold themselves in duty bound to aid and care for them, read the Covenant with the Christians of Persia.

Some of the oldest Christian communities in the world still live in the Middle East, where they are now struggling to survive the regional instability and sectarianization wrought in part by the war on terror. For instance, the Christian population of Iraq plummeted from 1.5 million to 200,000 following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Iraqi Muslims celebrated Christmas this year to show solidarity with their heavily persecuted Christian compatriots.

The wars happening now are not between Islam and the Judeo-Christian West, but involve collaborations of violence that transcend this supposedly ancient rivalry. Saudi Arabia, for example, has been using cluster bombs made by the United Kingdom in its devastating campaign in Yemen, and is being aided and abetted in its atrocities by arms deals with the United States and Canada. This is not a clash of civilizations but a collusion of militarisms.

We have just celebrated Christmas  a time to remember that Jesus was from the same part of the world now condemned as enemy quarters by Trump and his gang, and that Jesus would have looked much like the people now dehumanized as terrorists and barbarians to justify violence against them.

The earliest renditions of Jesus, painted by the first Christians called Essenes in the catacombs of Rome, depict a person with brown skin, American journalist William Rivers Pitt reminds us. The truth which never even occurs to most Americans is that Jesus looked a lot more like an Iraqi, like an Afghani, like a Palestinian, like an Arab, than any of the paintings which grace the walls of American churches.

Christmas is a time to recognize that the world cannot be so easily divided into an us and a them, and that the vision of peace and justice shared by Christianity and Islam can never be served by a clash of civilizations.

Azeezah Kanji writes about issues of race, gender, and law from Toronto.

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In the wake of the breakdown of national Health Accord negotiations, Nova Scotia is the third Atlantic province to sign a bilateral health agreement with the federal government. Although in many ways understandable  older populations and poor-performing economies create pressures to accept the promise of a longer-term infusion of funding  negotiating bilateral health agreements one-by-one, rather than creating a national Health Accord, is a setback to ensuring consistent, quality health care across Canada.

As a doctor working in rural Cape Breton, N.S., with an elderly population and high rates of poverty, I worry that health-care options for patients may diminish due to lack of cohesion between the federal government, provinces and territories. Already many young people leave Cape Breton, and Nova Scotia in general, in search of better employment prospects elsewhere. Several of my patients have changed where they live in the province to access health care  and some have considered moving to other parts of the country where certain treatments can be obtained more quickly or affordably.

Atlantic Canadas jump into health-care deals, while the rest of the country holds out for a better offer, raises many questions for doctors and patients. Have those who committed quickly received a poorer deal? Will some provinces be rewarded for signing on while others punished for refusing the federal offer? Or will holdouts ultimately negotiate better arrangements? Will these debates eventually hurt patient care with people in some provinces receiving better publicly funded mental health services and home care?

There is a caveat that if other provinces attain a deal that ensures better health outcomes, those with previous agreements will be adjusted; however, a lower ceiling may have been set.

The possibility of up to 13 separate deals could damage the requirement outlined in the Canada Health Act: substantially similar care on uniform terms and conditions.

The precedent for this difference already exists if one looks at the federally administrated health care for indigenous people, which has always been underfunded when compared to the level of funding offered by the provinces. For procedures that we measure across the country, like surgical wait times, doctors and patients know that how long you wait often depends on where you live. The previous Health Accord helped reduce that difference in the past  and a new national accord could do the same now.

Rather than settling for disconnected side deals, a unified plan should strengthen publicly funded access to medications, primary care, and public health. It would add new public money for mental health care and home-care, which are now funded based on individual provincial decisions. Our health care needs are far more diverse now then when Medicare was established to cover doctors and hospitals, and a Health Accord should recognize this shifting of priorities and the need to invest in innovation and comprehensive care.

The discussions so far have also failed to specifically address federal responsibility for providing services in indigenous communities. The offer of $5 billion for mental health over 10 years may begin to make a dent in mental health needs of youth across the country.

However, the offer does not acknowledge indigenous peoples and the often insufficient and substandard care they receive throughout Canada. If all residents of Canada are to be brought up to a baseline level of care, it is essential the federal government acknowledge they are failing to live up to their own health-care agreements with indigenous communities.

Expectations were, and remain, high for the Health Accord process. The rate of increase of health transfers is an essential part of the debate, but not the only aspect. Extending federal funding to other priority areas is just as important as the base funding level, as this federal government now recognizes.

Focusing on mental heath, seniors care, pharmacare and home care address long-standing problems in health care that have resulted in significant costs elsewhere in the system  especially in the use of pricey hospital beds where better care is preferable. These changes could provide savings that base funding increases by themselves arent certain to produce.

Governments at the national and subnational level should not waste this opportunity for meaningful health-care reform and a more equitable distribution of funds across the country. The best route now is back to the bargaining table to continue the hard work of hammering out a deal that works for all people in Canada.

Dr. Monika Dutt is a family physician in Cape Breton, N.S. and chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare.

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Sometimes lame ducks say the most interesting things. On Monday, with three weeks left in his term as U.S. secretary of state, John Kerry unleashed four years worth of pent up frustration in a speech excoriating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government for seemingly closing the door on peace in the Middle East.

One might question the usefulness of Kerrys pugnacious hour-long oration, especially given that neither Israel nor the incoming Trump Administration is likely to listen, but there was some wisdom in his warning.

Kerry took up his post in 2013 proposing to broker a peace deal by 2014; as he prepares to leave office, the prospects are bleaker than ever. For this, theres plenty of blame to go around. Kerrys critics are not wrong to point to Hamas extremism, the failures of the Palestinian Authority and the unwillingness of Palestinians to recognize the Israeli state, which is essential for a lasting solution. But Kerry is right that Netanyahus policies have made peace a more distant prospect.

Kerrys remarks were offered in part as an explanation for the Obama administrations controversial decision not to veto last weeks United Nations resolution condemning Israel for its settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territory taken in the Six-Day War of 1967.

Netanyahu characterized the U.S. abstention as a disgraceful anti-Israel manoeuvre, the culmination of eight years of animosity between his and Obamas administrations. Although a departure from recent tradition, it was not an extreme shift.

The U.S. continues to be Israels most steadfast supporter. It provides about $8 million a day in aid to the country, for instance. But it has long been critical of the settlements and their rapid expansion on the grounds that they are impediments to peace.

Six hundred thousand Israelis live in these disputed territories, a number that has increased by more than 100,000 since Obama took office. As the settlements grow, the practical prospects of withdrawal  and thus of a two-state solution  seem more distant. Kerry is right to worry that the status quo is leading toward one state and perpetual occupation.

The UN resolution also declared the settlements illegal, a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which bars nations from establishing settlements in conquered territory. Not since the Carter administration has the U.S. explicitly taken this view, but failing to reject it by no means makes an outlier of America. After all, the resolution passed 14-0.

In Canada, governments of every stripe have long maintained as the official position that Israeli settlements in occupied territories both threaten peace and violate the law. Even Stephen Harper, a particularly uncritical defender of Israel, didnt officially waver from this or the desirability of a two-state solution.

For a long time Netanyahu paid lip service to a Palestinian state, but in recent years he has all but dismissed the notion. Meanwhile, he continues to aggressively move Israelis into the occupied territories, declaring his government more committed to settlements than any in Israels history. Given Donald Trumps clear signals on the issue, theres every reason to worry his administration will support this trend that serves neither Israel nor the region as a whole.

Israel can hardly expect to flourish in the long run while acting as a permanent occupying force over millions of people denied both citizenship and hope. It certainly cannot expect to do that while remaining true to its democratic traditions and ideals.

Kerry is right that Netanyahus approach to settlements undermines the possibility of a two-state solution. His is a warning very much in Israels interests. However difficult the path, a Palestinian state remains key to the long-term security of Israel and stability in the region.

Correction  December 30, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said John Kerry became the U.S. secretary of state in 2009.

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This was the year of fake news, as I keep reading. But so were most years preceding it. In 1897 newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst sent ace illustrator Frederic Remington to Cuba to cover a revolutionary war against its Spanish rulers. Remington wrote to Hearst that he found no revolution and there would be no war. You furnish the pictures, wrote Hearst, and Ill furnish the war. War duly followed, and the sorry saga of Cuba-U. S. relations, still ongoing.

In 2002, an adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush derided journalists for seeing themselves as part of a reality-based community who believe in a discernible reality which they report on objectively. But thats not the way the world works any more, said the mouthpiece. Were an empire now and when we act, we create our own reality.

That sounded like the proclamation of a new era in fake news and propaganda. Except its probably exactly how the Athenian elite sounded in 415 B.C. as they conspired to convince the demos to send a bloated fleet to attack Sicily, leading to a debacle much like the U.S. war in Iraq.

History doesnt repeat precisely, but it echoes. Fake news isnt new, but there are new wrinkles. So Macedonian teenagers now, desperate for money they get from ads if there are sufficient hits on their sites, post false stories. Sometimes theyre based on U.S. right-wing sites: Hillary urged Trump to run! Sometimes theyre simply fabricated: The pope endorses Trump! (Trump supporters are by far their juiciest targets.)

Yet even thats also how the late great Weekly World News operated, the one you grabbed at the cash in the supermarket. Writers sat around the office in Florida, as some still do, competing to invent the best fake story: Saturn is a giant UFO! Alien Endorses Trump!

A special wrinkle in the modern era is provided by mainstream journalisms delusions of its own objectivity. So they were sincerely shocked when Trump blatantly lied and shamelessly contradicted himself. For a brief, glorious moment they explicitly labelled all his lies as lies  something that never happened before in the history of reporting lies by officially respectable figures.

They undermined that advance, though, by never labelling the lies told by Hillary and others with the same frankness. In the aftermath of the election, theyve abandoned it even in Trumps case and reverted to their old double standards in covering highly comparable events like the sieges of Aleppo (shameful) versus Mosul (heroic).

Personally, I still consider mainstream media bias a far more serious issue than fake news. But theres no doubt the mainstream media (MSM) are in decline. In fact, Im discovering that the infuriating hypocrisy of MSM bias  with the New York Times as the gold standard  remains ever useful in motivating efforts to pierce through it. If everything seems cheerfully, openly and equally false, its hard to know where to start eviscerating. You get lethargic, rather than energized.

Conclusion? Stories about fake news as a major problem, are fake news.

Potential source of hope? Joke news: The Daily Show, The Onion, John Oliver, Samantha Bee, even the rejuvenated (by Trump versus Hillary) Saturday Night Live. These now have the highest credibility ratings as news sources, especially among the young. Why do humour versions of news ring so true?

It seems to me this is related to the inversions associated with humour. People often seem at their smartest when theyre being funny, which makes the rest of us think that they must be smart about other things, like politics. Yet the incisiveness rarely transfers. Very funny people get very dull and conventional on political subjects. If only they could stay in their funny mode when they start in on politics  which is what happens on the joke news shows.

Whats behind it? When youre being funny, youre relaxed, youre being yourself, youre not trying to seem smart or insightful. So your basic intelligence shines through. But when youre trying to be serious, you get anxious and strive too hard to say the sort of thing youd find in The New York Times, or that youd opine if you were on a panel with hefty thinkers, like CBCs At Issue, or anything hosted by Anderson Cooper. Something is lost: the real, smart, insightful you.

Viva Jon! Viva John! Viva Samantha! Viva Trevor! Abbasso New York Times!

Rick Salutins column appears every Friday.

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The U.S. arm of Honda Motor (HMC) is voluntarily recalling about 634,000 minivans produced in the last five years over fears that the middle seat might become unhinged in the event of an accident.

American Honda Motorin a statement said that the recall covers Odyssey vehicles manufactured from Aug. 17, 2010, through Oct. 1, 2015, under the 2011-2016 model years. The company will install additional springs and brackets onto the slide mechanism for the second row of seats.

Honda said that due to the large volume of parts needed to repair all affected units, the repair will not be available until the spring. In the meantime the automaker recommends vehicle owners manually lock the seat into a fixed position by pushing down on a horizontal adjustment bar.

The company said that no crashes or injuries have been reported related to the issue, which was discovered via warranty claims. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a statement said the flaw "increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant during a crash."

Recalls have become more commonplace in recent years, with 2016 potentially setting a record for the number of affected vehicles. The industry has attempted to be more proactive following more than 100 deaths reported from incidents stemming from defects including a General Motors (GM) ignition switch and defective airbags supplied by Japan's Takata. More than 42 million vehicles were involved in the Takata airbag recall.

The Odyssey recall seems unlikely to affect consumer preferences, though the model has already been trending downward. U.S. Odyssey sales are down 4.7% through November in 2016 compared with the previous year, losing ground to competing minivan models made by Toyota (TM) and Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) and falling victim to the growing popularity of SUVs. Overall Honda has sold 110,435 Odysseys in the U.S. in the first 11 months of 2016, down from a high of 177,919 in 2006.
The Bank of Italy said Friday that the cost to rescue failing lender Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMDPY) will likely hit 8.8 billion ($9.25 billion), a figure that falls largely in line with European Central Bank estimates.

Monte dei Paschi will need around 4.6 billion to shore up its capital base and repair its common tier 1 equity ratio, the Bank of Italy said in a statement, and a further 2 billion to cover retail investors, putting the cost for Italian taxpayers at 6.6 billion. Another 2.2 billion in rescue costs will be tabbed to "entities other than the Italian state," according to the statement.

"The amount of 'precautionary' capital that a bank can request from the state is the amount necessary to cover the capital shortfall deriving from the adverse scenario of a stress test," the Bank of Italy said. "In the case of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the requirement has been assessed by the ECB at 8.8 billion in reference to the stress test" published this year by the European Banking Authority.

Such an infusion would provide Monte dei Paschi with a core capital buffer equal to 8% of lending assets in the adverse scenario, which assumed three years of economic strain, compared with the -2.4% regulators said in July it would actually have. Monte dei Paschi was the only company among 51 lenders reviewed whose buffer would have been wiped out, the authority said, though 10 others -- including Deutsche Bank -- would have been left with a buffer below 8%.

The world's oldest bank, Monte dei Paschi, requested the government bailout after the markets turned their backs on its efforts to raise 5 billion needed to bolster a balance sheet depleted by bad loans.

The country's No.3 lender made the announcement minutes after Italy's cabinet approved the emergency creation of a 20 billion fund to help distressed lenders, raising the prospect that the bank will be nationalized.

"This will secure the capital needs of MPS and allow the bank to pursue its industrial plan," Italy's finance minister Pier Carlo Padoan told journalists at the time. "Italy's third-largest bank will finally return with force to operate in support of the Italian economy."

Rescuing Monte dei Paschi has proven politically risky, however, largely because so much of its junior debt is held by ordinary Italians and the new European Bank Resolution & Recovery Directive forbids taxpayer aid for banks without first having investors (both bondholders and shareholders) take a hit.

According to the International Monetary Fund, about a third of the 600 billion in debt issued by Italian banks, including half of the 60 billion in subordinated bonds sold, are owned by domestic retail investors.

In the case of Monte dei Paschi, the figure amounts to about 5 billion, according to Italy's Repubblica newspaper. The notes were sold at individual branches with the approval of the Italian Securities and Exchange Commission.

The FTSE Italy Banks index rose 0.2% in Friday trading following the Bank of Italy statement, while the FTSE MIB benchmark was little-changed at 19,179.5 points. Trading in Monte dei Paschi stock has been suspended.

With assistance from James Langford in New York.
A. O. Smith Corporation manufactures and markets residential and commercial gas, heat pump and electric water heaters, boilers, tanks, and water treatment products in North America, China, Europe, and India. It operates through two segments, North America and Rest of World. The company offers water heaters for residences, restaurants, hotels and motels, office buildings, laundries, car washes, and small businesses; commercial boilers for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other large commercial buildings, as well as residential boilers for homes, apartments, and condominiums; and water treatment products comprising point-of-entry water softeners, well water solutions, and whole-home water filtration products, on-the-go filtration bottles, point-of-use carbon, and reverse osmosis products for residences, restaurants, hotels, and offices. It also provides food and beverage filtration products; expansion tanks, commercial solar water heating systems, swimming pool and spa heaters, and related products and parts; and heat pumps, electric wall-hung, gas tankless, combi-boiler, heat pump and solar water heaters. The company offers its products primarily under the A. O. Smith, State, Lochinvar, and water softener brands. It distributes its products through independent wholesale plumbing distributors, as well as through retail channels consisting of hardware and home center chains, and manufacturer representative firms; and offers Aquasana branded products directly to consumers through e-commerce, as well as other online retailers. A. O. Smith Corporation was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
On Jan. 8, his 69th birthday, David Bowie released Blackstar, the album that nearly a year later tops my list of favorites for 2016.

Singing about lightless stars, kabbalah, disturbances of domestic tranquility, and maybe even murder in great voice with distinctive croons, warbles and snarls, Bowie's jazz-rock combination was simultaneously unsettling and enveloping. He made a perfectly strange, consistently innovative and challenging and weirdly compelling classic.

Two days later he died.

Bowies passing triggered weeks of international mourning -- and new views of the album, which we now knew was made as he stared death in its face. That makes the record even more resonant and powerful, pushing it to the top of my rankings.

Bowies death, sadly, was the first passing of dozens of legends, heroes and idols, some old, like Merle Haggard, who played one of his final shows at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in November 2015, and some shockingly young, most notably Prince, who like Bowie continues to be mourned and remembered by thousands.

For those who loved their music the deaths hit personally. Ive kept Haggards number in my phone -- I was supposed to interview him before his Lied Center show, but he was too under the weather to talk -- and think about him and his music each time it scrolls by.

My other top record of the year was American Band, the years most important -- and political -- album from the countrys best rock n roll band, Drive-By Truckers.

Released just over a month before the November election, American Band takes on the NRA, the killing of 11 people in the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina, gender change, the suicide epidemic and banning songs after 9/11.

The most powerful of those songs, coming from Patterson Hood, who splits the bands songwriting with Mike Cooley, is What It Means, addressing police killings of young black men. If you say it wasnt racial when you shot him in his tracks/Well I guess that means that you aint black, Hood sings, later adding you dont see too many white kids bleeding in the street.

The record might seem instantly dated. But, in fact, Hood told me last month that its connecting more than ever and now makes up a big part of the bands set, which well get to hear in Jan. 28 when Drive-By Truckers play at the Bourbon Theatre.
Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Morgan Stanley is the 6th largest financial institution in the US. The company is ranked 61st on the Forbes Fortune 500 list and is the 39th largest bank in the world. A financial holding company, Morgan Stanley provides a full range of financial services to clients around the world.

Morgan Stanley was formed in 1935 as a result of the Glass-Steagall Act. Glass-Steagall separated commercial and investment banking in a way that forced the then-largest bank J.P. Morgan & Co to split into two groups. J.P. Morgan & Co. chose to retain the commercial side of the business while partners Henry S. Morga, grandson of J.P., and Harold Stanley took the investment end. In its first year, Morgan Stanley did 24% of the IPO business and maintains a lions share of the market to this day.

The original company existed and grew through acquisitions until 1987 when it merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co. The new Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Discover & Co existed for 14 years until 2001 when the name was shortened back to Morgan Stanley.

The bank is credited in part with both beginning and ending the financial crisis of 2007/2008. The Process Driven Trading unit lost $300 million in one day due to a short-squeeze that popped the bubble in the housing market. After teetering on the brink of failure Morgan Stanley agreed to become a bank holding company regulated by the Federal Reserve, a key factor in the original decision to split from parent J.P. Morgan & Co. Ironically when given the chance, present-day J.P. Morgan refused to buy Morgan Stanley but that was for the better.

Today, Morgan Stanley operates through three segments via offices in 41 countries and employs more than 75,000 people. Revenue in 2021 topped $49 billion and total assets topped $1.15 trillion.

The operating segments are Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. The Institutional Securities segment is by far the largest and most profitable. It offers a range of services and products for businesses, institutions, and entities that include capital raising, strategic advisory, underwriting, advice on M&A, restructuring, and real estate. The Wealth Management segment provides brokerage and investment advisory services for individuals and employers. The services include brokerage, financial planning, company stock-plan administration, insurance, mortgage loans, lines of credit, and retirement planning. The Investment Management segment provides investment products to a range of institutions, organizations, corporations, and governments.
Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed and two were wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the past 24 hours.

Defense Ministrys Spokesperson for ATO issues, Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a press briefing in Kyiv on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed and two were wounded over the past twenty-four hours, he said.

Motuzianyk specified that one soldier was killed as a result of enemy attacks near Kutova balka and another one was killed during a mine clearing operation near Troitske.

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No Ukrainian soldiers were killed, but three servicemen were wounded in the ATO area in eastern Ukraine in last day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a press briefing in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"No Ukrainian soldiers were killed, but three servicemen were wounded as a result of military hostilities in Donbas in last day," Motuzianyk said.

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The size of social grants for students of higher educational institutions will total from UAH 1,000 to UAH 2,000 in 2017, Ukrainian Social Policy Minister Andriy Reva has said.

"The size of social grants - from UAH 1,000 to UAH 2.000 for orphan and parentless students, he said.

He added that the minimum size of social grants for the students of higher educational institutions of the first and second levels of state accreditation are set at UAH 750 per month.

The minister also noted that students must apply to their universities for social grants by the end of February 2017.

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Of the lofty corporate mission statements issued from Silicon Valley, Teslas stands out, with co-founder Elon Musk describing his venture as nothing less than an attempt to help avert a climactic apocalypse.

The worlds reliance on fossil fuels is the dumbest experiment in history, he says, and describes the companys mission as a planetary remedy: to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible.

He is not alone. The U.S. government and many environmentalists also view electric vehicles as key to combating climate change.

But the electric-vehicles revolution Musk and others envision depends on an immense escalation in the worlds capacity to manufacture lithium-ion batteries, and the race for the raw materials to build those batteries is creating strains for people and the environment far from Silicon Valley, a Washington Post investigation has found.

The series of Post stories found that the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries  the power source for smartphones, laptops and electric cars  is linked to child labor in cobalt mines in Congo, severe air and water pollution around graphite plants in China and complaints of mistreatment of indigenous communities near lithium deposits in South America.

Tesla expects to manufacture batteries at its Gigafactory, seen here under construction on July 26, 2016, in Sparks, Nev. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

The mining companies tied to these problems supply some of the largest manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries, The Post found. And some of those battery makers directly supply Tesla and other big tech giants.

In response to these concerns, Tesla denied that the sources of its battery materials are tainted by abuses. At the same time, the company declined to identify what those sources are.

Tesla is committed to ensuring all supply chain practices are safe and humane, that workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible, according to a statement from the company.

Samsung, LG Chem and other consumer companies likewise reliant on lithium-ion batteries have issued similar assurances.

Yet The Post investigation showed that large consumer companies may not know where the raw materials come from. The paths that cobalt, graphite, lithium and other materials take from mines to batteries involve multiple stops, and tracking batteries to their origins can be a logistical maze.

Some nonprofit organizations trying to correct abuses in the global supply chain say they believe that few companies take the care required to trace their raw materials back to their source, let alone correct any abuses they would find there.

Most consumers have an expectation that their products are sourced responsibly, said Patricia Jurewicz, director of the Responsible Sourcing Network, a group that seeks to correct human rights abuses in the way raw materials are harvested and mined. But its like we are walking around with our hands over our eyes.

All the brands we know are so far removed from the abuse, Jurewicz said. They dont buy raw materials. They dont even buy processed materials in the form of metals. There may be anywhere from three to seven tiers of suppliers and sub-suppliers.

While the abuses in the production of raw materials span many industries  from food to textiles to high tech  the anticipated growth in the electric-vehicle industry means the demand for the materials for lithium-ion batteries may be especially acute. The demand for raw materials for lithium-ion batteries is expected to more than triple over the next 10 years, according to some industry analysts.

While many consumers may assume their products emerge from companies that treat workers and the environment well, there are few legal requirements for companies to track their supply chains.

The best known effort to regulate mining is the U.S. law regarding four conflict minerals from the Congo region: tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold. The 2010 legislation, known as the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, aimed to stem the flow of money from those materials to Congos militias and requires U.S. companies to attempt to trace the sources of these materials.

But other minerals are not part of those requirements, leaving consumers to rely on company assurances that their supply chains are managed in a way that protects workers and the environment.

It is difficult, and in most cases impossible, to know whether major brands in the United States are fulfilling their promises.

As an example, The Post traced ways that disputed raw materials are reaching or could be reaching Panasonic, the company that supplies batteries for Tesla.

Graphite from polluting Chinese factories is sold to BTR, a Chinese company, that supplies Panasonic. Panasonic said it found and corrected a problem in its graphite supply chain.

Lithium from Sales de Jujuy, a mining company in Argentina that some indigenous communities say has acted unfairly, was anticipated to be sold to Panasonic, according to a news release from the operators.

Cobalt from Zhejiang Huayou, a Chinese company accused of buying cobalt mined under harsh conditions in Congo, is shipped to Taiwan, according to the news accounts. In Taiwan, a company called Coremax was a supplier of Sumitomo in the past decade, according to company documents, and Japan-based Sumitomo supplies Panasonic.

In each case, Tesla denied that the products from those companies reached their batteries.

So if not from those companies, where does Tesla gets its graphite, cobalt and lithium? Tesla declined to identify sources.

As evidence of its concern that suppliers operate cleanly, Tesla officials note that the core of its mission involves improving the environment and that it has taken steps to make sure that the inputs to its forthcoming battery Gigafactory in Nevada will be clean. It will be powered in part by solar energy, they say, and the project will allow it to select and purchase its own raw materials rather than relying on battery suppliers to make those decisions.

Tesla performs on-site visits and audits to the best of our ability during the sourcing and vetting process for suppliers, the company said. All of our contracts require suppliers to adhere to our human rights policy and environmental and safety requirements.

The company sometimes finds it difficult to make on-site visits, however. In March, the company said it would be sending personnel to Congo, where cobalt is mined. As of September, it had not done so.

A few companies, meanwhile, have begun to respond to pressure for more disclosure, and some industry groups have initiated efforts to promote industry standards for the sourcing of cobalt. Apple annually publishes a list of its top suppliers, a rare move in an industry that prefers to keep supply details secret. And Umicore, a major supplier of battery parts, has hired the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, to judge whether it has adhered to its standards for making sure its cobalt is sourced responsibly.

But these efforts are the exception within the many industries reliant on lithium-ion batteries.

Its important for companies to demonstrate what theyre doing and go beyond a mere verbal commitment, Jurewicz said. Companies that do anything beyond what is required by the [Dodd-Frank] law are few and far between.

Ana Swanson contributed to this report.


La La Land opens with a huge dance number set on an L.A. freeway. (Dale Robinette/Lionsgate)

It feels really nostalgic to me, frets a self-conscious Mia (Emma Stone) in La La Land, after reading her one-woman play to her boyfriend, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). Do you think people are going to like it?

Writer-director Damien Chazelle must have harbored the same doubts as he began working on this romantic musical film about love, art and ambition. Despite its contemporary Los Angeles setting amid Priuses and cellphones, La La Land is deeply nostalgic, drawing inspiration from Hollywoods Golden Age, from Thelonious Monk and other jazz greats, and from the ruminative lyricism of French filmmaker Jacques Demy and his 1960s works.

So when Sebastian answers Mia with a defiant F--- em! it feels like Chazelles manifesto, a cri de coeur that echoes through this astonishing, poignant and beautifully realized film. For there is nothing tentative about La La Land, especially concerning its exuberant dance numbers. Like the great musical maestros Vincente Minnelli and Stanley Donen, Chazelle put his faith in dancing as good storytelling. As a result, dance makes a triumphant return as an expressive cinematic language in La La Land, in ways big and small.

The dance numbers are so physically rapturous and vicariously thrilling, they almost lift your heart out of your chest. Theres the exhilarating opening sequence during a traffic jam on an L.A. freeway, where drivers spin and stomp on the roofs of their cars while a BMX biker and a freewheeling skateboarder surf the concrete barriers. A hallucinatory pool-party number includes nods to Jerome Robbinss West Side Story, with pretty young partygoers snapping open fans and Stone grabbing her skirt in mambo moves from the Rita Moreno playbook.

Its during a starlit tap dance in the Hollywood Hills that Sebastian, a jazz pianist, and Mia, an aspiring actress, try to ward off their feelings for each other and then succumb to them. The irresistible couple finally fall in love during a waltz reverie at a planetarium that sends them spinning, airborne, through the stars. Later, a stylized dream sequence recalls Gene Kellys pursuit of Leslie Caron in the ballet that closes An American in Paris.

These episodes, when naturalism falls away and the characters ineffable spiritual yearnings take over, are more than visually and dynamically exciting. Accompanied by Justin Hurwitzs soaring music, theyre deftly crafted windows into an emotional state.

Chazelle spoke about his respect for the power of movie musicals at a screening of La La Land at the Middleburg Film Festival. What makes musicals unique and beautiful, he said, is that your emotions can upend reality. If you feel enough, if youre heartbroken enough, you will break into song and a 90-piece orchestra will materialize.



Director Damien Chazelle, left, actress Emma Stone and public radio host John Horn in conversation after a screening of La La Land at the Middleburg Film Festival in late October. (Middleburg Film Festival)

Stone and Gosling embody Mandy Moores choreography with great charm and energy, and they make it part of their character development, adding subtle shadings to the way they dance that tell us about their inner experience. Stone looks different when shes tap-dancing with Gosling on a hillside overlooking the city than when shes dancing with him in the dream sequences or when shes dancing alone. Shes a little stiffer, a little more withheld when shes with Gosling in the real world, and its not because she is less of a dancer. In fact, she usually has the more complicated steps, the turns and quick footwork.

Her touch of reticence comes from her inside-out knowledge of Mias emotional state and her complicated relationship with her boyfriend. Its part of her nervy intensity, acid sarcasm and hypersensitivity. She combines ambition and wariness, Katharine Hepburn-like.

Goslings Sebastian has a different sort of drive, a quiet confidence. Its apparent whenever he dances, and especially in my favorite dance moment of the film, a little flash of joy that happens when Sebastian brings Mia to a jazz club. After Mia launches into an ecstatic, free-spirited solo on the dance floor, Sebastian joins her; hes the calm, steady one, with more ease as a dancer, and you see it here as he walks her  no, dances her  through the crowd to their table.



Emma Stone is aspiring actress Mia and Ryan Gosling is jazz musician Sebastian in La La Land. (Dale Robinette/Lionsgate)

Theres something delightful about the spontaneity and music of Goslings steps, and in the way Stone glides along with him so effortlessly that it seems like one person moving, not two. It was only after my second viewing of the film that I realized this is the last time they dance together, apart from the fantasy sequence that Mia imagines at the end. It marks a turning point: A few moments after that little slipping-through-the-crowd moment  which isnt even a proper dance, just a lyrical bit of body language, really  the lovers lives arent the same, and they never will be.

The plot takes some unexpected twists, and in this way La La Land is more French than American. Or call it an American version of the French view of American musicals of the 1950s. Chazelle has acknowledged his debt to such films as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, An American in Paris and Singin in the Rain. But hes also spoken of the influence of Demy, the French New Wave director who is most famous for his 1964 jazz tone-poem The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a romance starring a young Catherine Deneuve, in which all the dialogue is sung. This ravishing film is absolutely drenched in melancholy, and its bittersweet outcome can leave you brooding for days.

Seeing it as a teenager, Chazelle told W magazine, was the moment where I realized that art can change your life  and its best when your life changes when you least expect it. That was me first with Umbrellas and, then, all musicals.

Demys The Young Girls of Rochefort, from 1967, also left its mark on La La Land. This is a vastly more upbeat tribute to the Hollywood musical, again starring Deneuve, as well as her spunky, freckle-faced sister, Francoise Dorleac, and American stars Gene Kelly and George Chakiris (who played Bernardo in the film West Side Story). Chazelles choice to feature non-dancers as dancers in his musical echoes Demys use of Deneuve and Dorleac, who add invaluable charm. La La Landand Rochefort also share a breezy but deeply emotional spirit. There are other influences, including Rocheforts opening dance number on the docks, with a chorus of young hopefuls spinning and bounding between trucks, and the way Dorleac falls in love with Kelly as she watches him play the piano, and how a joyful Deneuve skims the sidewalk with little twirling turns.

But the greatest effect Demys work had on La La Land, it seems, is in Chazelles view of Los Angeles as a city for young artists and dreamers, where musicians and actors (and filmmakers) can chase a fantasy, and where it might actually come true. Where gridlock on the 405 can be a stage for a massive, communal, life-

affirming dance. Where Griffith Park, overlooking the city lights, can be a launchpad for love. A passionate appreciation for the spiritual offerings of the city shines through in La La Land. And it has a precedent in Demys Model Shop, the Frenchmans first English-language film, which takes place in 1969 Los Angeles.

I stopped at this place that overlooks the whole city and it was fantastic, says one of that films down-on-his-luck dreamers. As he speaks, the camera shows him in the hills, gazing at the same view of the city that would inspire Stone and Goslings tap dance nearly 50 years later. To think some people claim its an ugly city when its really pure poetry, it just kills me.

Chazelle has created his own ode to the poetic side of Los Angeles. But in a broader sense, with his inspired use of dance to tell this love story and intensify the magic, the director encourages viewers to see any urban landscape as a city of stars, full of hope as well as heartbreak, where creative risks can open a world of wonder.
Despite ongoing national scrutiny of police tactics, the number of fatal shootings by officers in 2016 remained virtually unchanged from last year when nearly 1,000 people were killed by police.

Through Thursday, law enforcement officers fatally shot 957 people in 2016  close to three each day  down slightly from 2015 when 991 people were shot to death by officers, according to an ongoing project by The Washington Post to track the number of fatal shootings by police.

The Post, for two years in a row, has documented more than twice the number of fatal shootings recorded by the FBI annually on average.

As was the case in 2015, a disproportionate number of those killed this year were black, and about a quarter involved someone who had a mental illness. In a notable shift from 2015, more of the fatal shootings this year were captured on video.

Dozens of departments have vowed reforms since the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., in August 2014 launched a national debate over police use of force. Many agencies have equipped officers with body-worn cameras, with prominent police chiefs vowing to further curb fatal encounters. But experts say an impact on fatal shootings may take years.

Making these kinds of changes is very difficult on such a widespread scale, said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based think tank pushing for national police reform. But quite frankly, were still on the front-end of the training that were pushing out. It may be at least six months to a year until we start to really see those numbers come down.





The Post began tracking fatal shootings by officers after the deaths of Brown and others during police encounters. The federal government does not comprehensively record how many people are killed by police annually and depends on voluntary reporting from police departments. The Posts database  which will continue in 2017  largely relies on local news coverage, public records and social-media reports.

[Fatal force: The 2016 database of those shot and killed by police]

In the second year of tracking, The Post found:

White males continued to be those most often killed, accounting for 46 percent of this years deaths  about the same as in 2015. But when adjusted by population, black males were three times as likely to die as their white counterparts.

The percentage of fatal shootings of unarmed people declined in 2016, from 9 percent in 2015 to 5 percent. Black males, however, continued to represent a disproportionate share of those: 34 percent of the unarmed people killed this year were black males, although they are 6 percent of the population.

Of all those who were shot and killed, 84 percent were armed, most with a gun or knife. Four percent wielded imitation firearms. In 7 percent of the fatalities, it was unclear whether the person was armed.

Mental illness remained a factor in many of the fatal shootings. As was the case last year, about 1 in 4 people fatally shot by police in 2016 were grappling with a mental health issue, according to The Posts analysis.

The consistency from 2015 to 2016 is telling, experts said.

It shows that one year wasnt an anomaly, said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina. Its a very robust number that is something we can trust in the future and a good measure to see when things do change.





This year, The Post gathered additional information about officers involved in fatal shootings from media reports or news releases and filed more than 1,000 public-records requests from each police department involved in a fatal shooting. One-fourth of the departments queried by The Post have not responded to the requests.

Many gave only partial information. Of those who responded, only a third of the departments provided the race of the officers involved in fatal shootings. The racial breakdown roughly matched the composition of local and state police departments nationwide, according to federal data.

For the 811 officers about whom work information was disclosed or gathered, their average time on the job was nine years, and three-quarters of them were assigned to patrol. At least 60 officers who fatally shot someone this year had done so previously.

In 2016, deadly shootings by police erupted out of a broad range of circumstances. In a suspected terrorist attack, 18-year-old college student Abdul Razak Ali Artan, believed to have been radicalized online and inspired by the Islamic State, drove a car into a crowd of teachers and students at Ohio State University in November and then wounded several people with a knife. A campus police officer was on the scene within minutes and fatally shot Artan.

At 12, Ciara Meyer of Penn Township, Pa., was the youngest person killed by police gunfire this year. She was accidentally shot by a constable after her father pointed a rifle at him, police said. (Facebook)

In January, an eviction in Penn Township, Pa., led to the death of 12-year-old Ciara Meyer, the youngest person killed by police gunfire this year. Police said her father, Donald Meyer, pointed a rifle at a constable who was serving him an eviction notice. When the officer fired at the father, the bullet passed through his arm and struck his daughter, according to a police affidavit.

Meyers reckless conduct, knowing his daughter was standing behind him, triggered a chain of events that tragically led to the death of Ciara Meyer, Perry County District Attorney Andrew Bender said in announcing criminal homicide and other charges against Meyer in his daughters death. Jerry Philpott, an attorney for Meyer, said his client has entered a not guilty plea. He declined further comment.

While there was national controversy in 2015 over killings of unarmed individuals by police, fatal shootings of several armed individuals this year led to similar outrage.

The cases included the shootings in the summer of three black men who each were in possession of a gun: Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Philando Castile in a suburb of St. Paul, Minn., and Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte. At least a portion of each of those fatal encounters was captured on video.

In the shootings of Sterling and Scott, the videos raised questions about whether either man was raising or pointing his gun at officers. Federal investigators continue to probe the Sterling shooting, while local prosecutors have declined to charge Officer Brentley Vinson, who is black, in Scotts death. He acted lawfully. I am fully satisfied and entirely convinced that Mr. Vinsons use of deadly force was lawful, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray said in announcing his decision.

The Castile case drew notoriety after his girlfriend live-streamed the fatal shootings aftermath on Facebook. Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria employee, was legally carrying a gun when police approached him in a traffic stop, and he informed the officer of that during an exchange recorded by the patrol cars dashboard camera. The officer, Jeronimo Yanez, said he opened fire because he believed that Castile was reaching for the gun. But prosecutors have said the shooting was not justified and charged Yanez with manslaughter.



Friends embrace Allysza Castile, center, near a roadside vigil at the site where her brother, Philando Castile, was fatally shot three days earlier during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minn. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Thomas Kelly, an attorney for Yanez, said that his client has not yet entered a plea and is awaiting trial. He declined further comment.

That case is part of an overall increase in prosecutions of officers in fatal shootings in the two years since Ferguson. A review by The Post and Bowling Green State University professor Phil Stinson of officer prosecutions from 2005 to 2014 found that about five officers were charged annually in fatal shootings. There were 18 in 2015 and 13 this year, Stinson said.

Experts attribute the increase to greater availability of video evidence and political pressure. Still, the prosecution of officers for the use of deadly force remains rare  charges are filed in about 1 percent of all fatal police-involved shootings.

Stinson noted that almost 60 percent of the shootings for which officers have been charged in the past two years have included video evidence vital to the prosecution.

[A disproportionate number of black victims in fatal traffic stops]

In the past, the police have always owned the narrative in police shooting cases because a dead man cant talk, Stinson said. Now, the videos are providing an alternative narrative to the police version of events.

The year was also a particularly deadly one for police: 62 officers were fatally shot by civilians, up from 39 in 2015, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. In 2014, 48 officers were shot and killed; in 2013, the toll was 31.

In July, five officers were fatally shot in Dallas by a sniper angered over recent police-involved shootings.

There seems to be a growing number of people in the United States who are willing to take aggressive action against police officers, said Jim Pasco, executive director of the national Fraternal Order of Police. If you couple that with the number of guns in criminal hands, youve got a recipe for disaster.



Police in Dallas respond after shots were fired at a protest march on July 7. Five officers were killed by a sniper who was upset about fatal shootings by police. (Smiley N. Pool/Dallas Morning News via Associated Press)

When officers fail to record

One of the biggest shifts from 2015 to 2016 was the number of deadly police encounters recorded on video.

In 2015, 142 of the fatal shootings were recorded  by cellphone cameras, police dash cams, cameras worn by officers or other devices. That number rose this year to 231.

Nationwide, police departments began equipping their officers with body-worn cameras in 2009, but their use escalated after the Ferguson protests of 2014.

The body-camera train was starting to move but then just absolutely took off after the summer of 2014, said Michael D. White, an Arizona State University professor who has researched the police implementation of body cameras.

Up to half of the nations 18,000 police departments have officers who wear cameras, he said. While an increasing number of fatal shootings have been recorded, in some cases the cameras capture nothing.

In at least a dozen fatal shootings this year, cameras worn by the officers failed to record the fatal encounter, according to The Posts survey of police departments.

In Baton Rouge, police said body cameras fell off the officers involved in the death of Alton Sterling as they responded to a call about a man with a gun outside of a convenience store. Bystander video captured the July 5 shooting, but police officials have said the body-cam video, which continued to record after the camera dismounted, did not capture images of the shooting.

If these incidents are not properly recorded, they are gone forever, and then there will forever be questions that cannot be answered that could have been, said Justin Bamberg, an attorney who is on the legal team that represents the families of Sterling and Keith Lamont Scott, who was fatally shot Sept. 20 by Charlotte police.

Chicago police released body-camera videos from the July 28 shooting of Paul ONeal, an 18-year-old black man who allegedly fled police in a stolen Jaguar. The moment of the shooting was not captured by the body camera of the officer who fired the fatal shot because it was not activated, police said. The department is investigating the shooting.

Michael Oppenheimer, a Chicago attorney who is representing ONeals family, questioned why the shooting wasnt recorded. And, what is the good of having a body camera if theyre not going to be turned on to capture what theyre supposed to capture? he said.



At the trial of former police officer Michael Slager, jurors viewed a cellphone video of Slager fatally shooting Walter Scott on April 4, 2015, in North Charleston, S.C. The case ended in a mistrial, and a retrial has been set for March 1. (Pool photo by Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via Associated Press)

Policing experts said that in the rush to equip officers with cameras, departments have failed to implement the proper training, and best practices and policies to ensure that the cameras work as intended.

In many cases, officers have little experience with body-worn cameras and forget to activate them, and departments lack clear policies about when they should be activated, said Kevin Angell, a former Florida police officer who consults police departments on developing body-camera polices.

In the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Dalvin Hollins in Tempe, Ariz., police said that the body camera being worn by one officer was not activated until several minutes after the shooting.

Police responded to a call about 9 a.m. July 27 that a young black man wearing sweatpants and carrying a book bag had robbed a Walgreens pharmacy. Security footage later released by police showed Hollins jumping the counter and demanding liquid narcotics while keeping one hand inside the bag. Police have said Hollins told the pharmacy workers that he had a gun.

[Fatal shootings by police are up in the first six months of 2016, Post analysis finds]

Hollins ran after being confronted by a Tempe police officer. A second officer joined the pursuit, first in his vehicle and then on foot, according to police.

Police said the second officer fired when he saw Hollins reach for his waistband. A gun was not recovered from the scene, police said.

Hollinss family disputed police accounts of what happened. This officer ran up on my scared son, who is running for his life and scared to death, Frederick Franklin, Hollinss stepfather, told The Post in an interview. He committed a crime, but he hadnt done anything that he should have died for.

Franklin said Hollins had been struggling with mental illness, which the family believed to be bipolar disorder.

In every jurisdiction, their body-camera policies are so different, said the Rev. Jarrett Maupin, an Arizona activist who organized protests after Hollinss death. And there are no real consequences Ive yet to see for when these cameras arent turned on or when they are arbitrarily turned off.



Sarah Colemans son Dalvin Hollins was fatally shot by police after a robbery in Tempe, Ariz. Police said the body camera worn by one officer was not activated until several minutes after the shooting. We still have no answers, Coleman says. (Caitlin OHara/for The Washington Post)

When calls for help end in death

Over the two years analyzed by The Post, one of the occurrences that most frequently led to a fatal shooting by police was a domestic disturbance call.

Since January 2015, about 1 in 6 people were killed in cases that began like that.

Police say that investigating a domestic disturbance is one of the most dangerous calls an officer can respond to.

Its one of the most volatile situations because its emotional and can lead to injury and shootings, said Alpert, the South Carolina professor. Sometimes you have no choice  youre taking a life to save a life.

In Valdosta, Ga., 28-year-old Johnathan Lozano-Murillo was killed Sept. 28 after police were called to his home over a child custody dispute. When an officer arrived, Lozano-Murillo allegedly attacked his daughters mother and then brandished a knife at the officer, who used a Taser on him and then fatally shot him, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

One police officer killed my son without any opportunity to try and listen to him, Servando Lozano said.

In Lake Havasu City, Ariz., police were called in June by the father of Devin Christopher Scott after the 20-year-old broke into his fathers home and retreated to a bedroom. Four officers responded. When police entered the room, Scott allegedly approached them with a knife before he was Tasered and then shot twice by an officer, according to news reports.

They were supposed to come and help me, not kill my son, said Gary Christian, Scotts father.

A similar scene unfolded in Harrisburg, Pa., in August when officers were called to a residence where Earl Pinckney was arguing with his mother about diapers for his newborn daughter, according to police and the local prosecutors office.



Kim Thomas has created a memorial to son Earl Pinckney, who was killed by a Harrisburg, Pa., police officer at their home on Aug. 7. She disputes officers accounts that Pinckney, 20, had a knife or was holding her at knifepoint. (Paul Chaplin/for The Washington Post)

Three hours before the call, Pinckney, 20, had posted a picture of himself and the 2-week-old on Facebook: Being a dad is the only thing that makes me happy, he wrote.

The call to police about Pinckney was not the familys first. In 2008, when Pinckney was 11, police were called by his mother, Kim Thomas, after he allegedly threatened to stab his siblings, according to the Dauphin County prosecutors office. Since then, police had been contacted about Pinckneys behavior at least 12 times by his family, prosecutors said.

Many times, Pinckney, who struggled with bipolar disorder and was on antidepressants, could be calmed down without incident, his mother said.

But on Aug. 7, Pinckneys 9-year-old niece called 911: My uncle is trying to hurt my grandma. Can you please come quick, according to the recording, released by the prosecutors office. When a dispatcher called back, Pinckneys sister said he had a knife.

By the time police arrived, things had calmed down, Thomas said, and the pair were standing in Pinckneys bedroom talking. Thats when she said she saw a red beam from what appeared to be an officers gun pointed at her sons chest. I said, Please, dont shoot my son!  Thomas said. One officer fired once. Pinckney fell to the ground, killed by a bullet through his heart, according to the autopsy.

Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said the four responding officers reported that Pinckney had a knife or was holding his mother at knifepoint. Marsico declined to press charges.

The officers actions were reasonable and necessary, Harrisburg Police Chief Thomas C. Carter said in an interview with The Post.

Thomas disputes the officers accounts. He never had no knife up to me, she said.



Hands from the crowd comfort Cameron Sterling at a July 6 vigil for his father in Baton Rouge. Police said body cameras fell off the officers involved in the death of Alton Sterling, but a bystanders video captured the shooting. (Gerald Herbert/Associated Press)

A push to reduce shootings

In 2016, advocates for police reform continued efforts to push for the nations police departments to adopt practices to curb the number of fatal shootings by police.

Earlier this month, 425 officers from 160 police agencies convened in New Orleans for the debut of training developed by the Police Executive Research Forum. The training is aimed at reducing the number of fatal shootings of people not armed with a gun  about 40 percent of this years fatal police-involved shootings, according to The Posts analysis.

Those are situations that we think that we can impact, said Wexler, the groups executive director, who believes that with changes in training, police can reduce the shootings of unarmed people as well as those armed with knives or blunt objects. That could potentially save 300 to 400 lives a year, Wexler said. Its difficult to expect a different outcome when an officer is faced with a firearm, he said.

The training, which promotes de-escalation and encourages police to slow down encounters, has been tested in Baltimore, Houston and Prince William County, Va., Wexler said.

Meanwhile, the FBI said it is moving forward with plans to better track fatal force after mounting public pressure prompted the bureau last year to announce that it would launch a database in 2017.

President-elect Donald Trump has said previously that he does not think local departments should be forced to provide use-of-force data to the federal government.

The federal government should not be in the habit of demanding data from local or state law enforcement organizations, Trump said in a questionnaire he submitted in August to the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Crime reporting should take place, but the management of local and state law enforcement should be left to those jurisdictions.

Several officials who have worked with the Justice Department said the FBI will probably continue to collect data voluntarily but will not mandate reporting by local agencies.

The FBI said it remains committed to working with local law enforcement to create a new use-of-force data-collection system, said Holly Morris, an FBI spokeswoman.

If we receive further guidance from the new administration, we will address it at that time, she said.


Otsukuri sashimi at Nasime. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

The sashimi at Nasime in Alexandria shows up on a plate but merits a frame. Art you can eat, the selection collects blushing slices of bigeye tuna that go down like butter from the sea, ribbons of marbled salmon dappled with shimmering roe and raw branzino anointed with ponzu jelly. Tucked into the display are minty shiso and split Key limes. Pink and green, subtle and shocking, its the kind of food you pause to admire before you take your first bite and eat leisurely so as to delay a clean plate.

Chef-owner Yuh Shimomura, 43, graduated from Catholic University in 1997 with a degree in psychology. Of greater significance to diners is what he did after school: return to his native Tokyo and train for seven years with the chef of a small Japanese restaurant, then return to Washington where he worked at Kaz Sushi Bistro downtown and Sei in Penn Quarter. Most recently, he cooked at a small, Japanese-inspired bed-and-breakfast, Pembroke Springs Retreat, outside Winchester, Va. For his debut restaurant, he chose not too trendy (his words) Old Town, where he offers a single, five-course tasting menu six nights a week for $48.



Chef-owner Yuh Shimomura and server Vara Wachrathit attend to diners at Nasime. I want to be close to my guests, Shimomura says. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

Youll want to book a table; there are only 20 seats at Nasime. On a recent winter night, I watched as three parties without reservations were politely turned away from the slip of a restaurant, carved from part of a neighboring light store. Along with the alluring sashimi, the would-be diners missed an introduction of chive-flecked lobster poached in sake and embellished with sea urchin and a third course of marinated sea bass and gently fried yams nestled within an upturned magnolia leaf. Before serving, the dried sail is brushed with miso, which releases the leafs aroma. Dinner took a hearty turn with a pot of rice (regular mixed with sticky) bulked up with braised pork belly, shredded burdock, mushrooms and a poached egg for stirring into the goods.

To finish, the chef himself dropped off a scoop of nicely chewy miso ice cream garnished with a fragile spring roll filled with red bean paste.

Shimomura, who shops daily for his menu, is visible behind a front counter looking into the kitchen. I want to be close to my guests, he says.

Dont expect your dinner to match mine, dish for dish. Yet verbal reviews from his patrons suggest return engagements for oxtail ramen noodle soup and lamb chops flavored with sancho peppers (actually a numbing member of the citrus family). The spare white dining room seems to be designed to draw eyes to the food.

Nasime, says Shimomura, is a made-up name combining three Japanese words. Together, they more or less capture the idea of moving ahead.

Five engaging courses for less than $50 is a bargain made possible by a small staff. Nasime has a single server and the chef cooks everything himself.

The result is one-of-a-kind Japanese dining in the suburbs.

1209 King St., Alexandria. 703-548-1848. nasimerestaurant.com. Five-course tasting menu $48.


Adam Driver plays a bus driver/poet in Paterson. (Mary Cybulski/Amazon Studios/Bleecker Street)

Filmgoers who know Adam Driver only as the evil Kylo Ren from The Force Awakens will get a chance to see a totally different side to the Star Wars actor this month. Two sides, in fact.

Driver has a starring role in Paterson, writer-director Jim Jarmuschs love letter to the poetry of Paterson, N.J., bard William Carlos Williams, and in Martin Scorseses Silence, a nearly three-hour epic based on Shusako Endos 1966 historical novel. In Paterson, Driver plays a laconic bus driver who writes plain-spoken poetry, and in Silence, he and Andrew Garfield portray 17th-century Jesuit priests.

We spoke to the 33-year-old by phone recently about the differences  and some surprising similarities  between the films.

Q: Paterson has the structure and repetition of poetry: Your character, a creature of deep habit named Paterson, lives and works in the town of Paterson, and several literal twins appear throughout the film, like visual rhymes. Did you and Jarmusch talk about how the movie, the character and the town all function as forms of whats called concrete poetry?

A: We didnt talk so much about end-result stuff. We talked about Patersons philosophy. Theres a line where he says, Words are written on water. So theres this mind-set that hes creating things, but hes not overly ambitious to show them yet. And when they disappear, he mourns the loss of them, but he knows that  as with any kind of creative activity  youre making it in the moment. It happens, and then its gone.

Q: Newsweek described your breakout role as Adam Sackler on Girls as emotionally incontinent. If Paterson isnt his polar opposite  emotionally constipated  then hes close. Where do you fall on that spectrum?

A: Im an actor, so I have no idea who I am. There are parts of Paterson that I really aspire to  being so present and aware of the beauty in details around you. There are things about his philosophy  hes almost someone out of time  that I really relate to. Hes not connected to things. He finds, maybe, a value in boredom, which I also kind of relate to.

Q: Your character in While Were Young, the unethical hipster filmmaker Jamie, also was out of step with the times, a connoisseur of typewriters and other obsolete technology. Are the two characters similar?

A: This may be a back way into answering your question, but Jamie wasnt really creating anything new. He was appropriating other peoples hard work and creating something with that. I have conversations with friends about whether there is only one authentic way to do something. But there really is no right or wrong way. Whereas Jamie appropriated other peoples work, Paterson is more original, in a sense. He has a strong work ethic. Its almost like hes not putting on a show, like Jamie. Hes living it.

Q: Hes more genuine then?

A: I guess. But whos to say that either way is the right way to create something? Everyone borrows. Paterson definitely finds value in not being so connected to things. Its kind of like Jims internal joke that every time someone mentions a phone in the film, its always called a smartphone, because he just thinks its really funny. Theres an ad on the side of the bus where it says, Get a divorce on your smartphone  for 99 cents. When the bus breaks down, Paterson asks a girl, Can I use your smartphone? Jim just loves the idea of a smart piece of technology that were connected to. Except that Paterson isnt.

Q: Do you use a smartphone?

A: I do, yeah. Im talking to you on it now.



Driver in Martin Scorseses Silence. (Kerry Brown/Paramount Pictures)

Q: You learned how to drive a bus for Paterson. Couldnt you just fake it?

A: Yeah, I got my CDL [commercial drivers license], Class D, for lots of reasons. Were trying to tell a story where Patersons physical life is a well-worn groove. I didnt want to waste time on the day were shooting thinking about What gauge is this? What mirror should I be looking at? What lever opens the door? We wanted to tell the story that he is physically on autopilot.

Q: What was your level of engagement with poetry before the film?

A: Very entry level. . . . Like most people, I was really exposed to poetry in college, where you go to a lot of bad readings about someones blanket when they were a kid. Jim has this great description of that kind of poetry, where its screamed from a mountaintop with a tone of self-importance that he and I both find off-putting. He was always attracted to the New York school of poets, where it seems more like an intimate conversation with one person. Ron Padgett, who wrote the poems for this movie, is very much of that school, along with Kenneth Koch, Frank OHara. When you discover something through someone who is as fiercely passionate about it as Jim is, that makes it inherently more exciting. I was familiar with William Carlos Williams and knew This Is Just to Say, but I didnt know many of his other poems. Discovering them through Jim was a great crash course.

Q: Patersons poetry is not the only verse in the film. Did Padgett write it all?

A: When I first read the script, there were no poems in it. Jim knew Ron for a long time and kept saying that he was going to be doing the poetry. It wasnt until we started working on the script in rehearsals that Jim really started nailing down what the poems were going to be. We used a lot that were already written by Ron. But in the scene where the teenage girl reads the poem about rain falling like hair across a young girls shoulders, Jim wrote that. When you see [rapper] Method Man [a.k.a. Clifford Smith] working out a rap at the laundromat [about the African American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar], thats a poem that Method Man wrote after reading the script.

Q: Superficially, Paterson and Silence seem nothing alike. Are there similarities?

A: Theyre both set in ritual. Paterson, even though its not about religious ritual, has to do with a structured way of being in the world that I think both religion and poetry can give you: a set of boundaries that you can work within. Also, I think that anyone can relate to the idea of a crisis of faith with regard to decisions you made in your youth. As you become older and your relationship to the world changes, suddenly you have to reassess the commitments you may have made as a different person and see if they make sense anymore. As an actor, I always feel doubt in what Im doing or whether what Im doing has an impact.

Q: Your stepfather is a minister, and you were raised in the Baptist church. How did your own faith journey inform your performance in Silence?

A: Unlike poetry, I was very familiar with the Bible and those feelings of guilt and being conflicted in your faith. But I am not religious. I was raised in a church, but I didnt keep with it. Not that I judge people who do, because I think it does put good into the world, or it can. For me, religion in Silence is like the poetry in Paterson. I take it as more of an analogy. Both can be seen as substitutes for any kind of life commitment that you have made.

Paterson (R, 115 minutes) and Silence (R, 161 minutes) open Friday in area theaters.


Calie Edmonds and Shalesha Majors, outreach workers with the Womens Collective, speak to women Dec. 20 near the Benning Road Metro station in Washington about HIV testing and the benefits of using PrEP. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

A daily pill that drastically cuts the risk of contracting HIV has transformed how gay men talk about the disease, even to the point where the prophylactic drug is casually mentioned in dating-site profiles.

Now the District is embarking on the nations first campaign to make this preventive measure as widespread among black women, the second-most-likely group to contract the virus in a city still battling an AIDS epidemic.

Research shows that daily use of the drug known as PrEP by those without HIV reduces their risk of infection by over 90 percent, so D.C. authorities are trying to convince black women that PrEP is not just for gay men.

One in six people newly infected with HIV in the nations capital are black women. While new cases are declining, nearly 2 percent of D.C. residents are living with the virus  one of the highest rates in the country.

Condoms have been at the forefront of efforts to block sexual transmission of the virus. But some people who are sexually active refuse or forget to use them, and women may have unprotected sex with men they mistakenly think are monogamous, public health experts say.

[With this little pill, could one citys HIV epidemic be over?]

PrEP, shorthand for pre-exposure prophylaxis, changes the dynamics of HIV prevention, they say. Women can protect themselves instead of relying on men to use condoms.

Although the drug has been available since 2012, it has been virtually unknown to women of color. To counter that, the city is running an advertising campaign on Metrobuses aimed at black women with the tagline Dominate your sex life and information about PrEP. Vans that offer mobile HIV testing are also providing referrals to doctors who can prescribe the drug. And the Washington AIDS Partnership in December awarded more than $370,000 to three health organizations serving women to incorporate PrEP into their routines.

The campaign itself is really about empowering women to take control of their sexuality, control their health and know this is an option for them, said D.C. Health Department Director LaQuandra Nesbitt.

But like condoms, PrEP is not fail-safe, and HIV prevention counselors are encountering skepticism from some black women.

Some women equate using the drug with promiscuity. Others are not sure whether they can commit to daily use, particularly if they are dealing with the chaos of poverty, mental illness or abusive relationships. And many African Americans are distrustful of public health campaigns targeted at their community because of historical abuses such as the Tuskegee experiments, in which hundreds of black men with syphilis in Alabama unwittingly participated in a 40-year federal study of the diseases long-term effects.

[Right-to-die movement tries to overcome black skepticism in D.C.]

Public health advocates compare the challenges of getting women to use PrEP to the rise of birth control.

When the pill came out, that was stigmatizing. If you are on the pill, you are a whore, said Martha Cameron, who leads HIV prevention efforts at the nonprofit Womens Collective. With PrEP, there are women right now who are hesitant. . . . We need some women who will come forward and say, This is great, this is helping me, this is discreet. 

Access to the drug, which costs more than $1,000 a month, can also be a challenge. Medicaid and most private insurers do cover it, and the drugs manufacturer offers a discount to people without insurance. But users face co-pay fees for laboratory tests at the beginning of treatment and for follow-up visits to their doctors. District officials say they are looking into ways to cover those costs.

The push to get more black women to use the preventive pill is part of a larger effort to end the Districts HIV epidemic and cut in half the number of new infections by 2020.

The MAC AIDS Fund has awarded $1 million to fund the citys PrEP for Her campaign and is closely following the work.

We are very hopeful that this project will be a model not only for the United States but the world, said Nancy Mahon, executive director of the fund, which operates globally.

[All participants in study of HIV prevention drug remained infection-free]

On a recent Tuesday, employees of the Womens Collective, a nonprofit organization that receives District funding to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases, encountered the challenges of building awareness about PrEP in Southeast Washington, where the population is largely African American.

Calie Edmonds, a testing specialist, parked a mobile testing van in the lot of a Dennys near the Benning Road Metro station. She goes out several times a week in neighborhoods where HIV is most prevalent.

Emerging from the station with her 2-year-old son, Daniel, in a stroller, Symone Ferrell agreed to take an HIV test.



Symone Ferrell, 36, with her son, Daniel, 2, stops for an HIV test administered by Calie Edmonds. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Inside a mobile testing van in Southeast Washington, Edmonds takes a blood sample from Ferrell for an HIV test. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Inside the van, the 36-year-old D.C. native said shed heard about PrEP on the radio or on the Internet. But as a single mother of three who doesnt have sex unless shes in a relationship, she didnt see the point of taking it. Why would I take it if Im not out there? said Ferrell, her son in her arms.

Its not that we push PrEP because people are out there and having more s-e-x, Edmonds replied  spelling out the word to spare the toddlers blushes.

When youre in a relationship again, youre not like a woman who is living near the White House, she told Ferrell. You are a higher risk of getting it just because you are here, where you live.

Edmonds, 22, has been on the job since July  drawn to the position after watching loved ones contract HIV.

She uses the mantra its not promiscuity, its prevalence to remind her neighbors in HIV hot spots that it is better to be on the pill when they find themselves in situations where they dont use condoms or are with partners who might not be telling the truth about their sexual histories.

While Edmonds tested Ferrell, a couple approached the van, interested in testing, too.

Twanda and Arthur Hinnant often have HIV on their mind. Close relatives have the infection, and Twanda buried her brother a decade ago after he succumbed to AIDS.



Arthur and Twanda Hinnant, who have been married for 16 years, listen as Calie Edmonds answers their questions about HIV near the Benning Road Metro station in Washington on Dec. 20. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

As a couple married for 16 years, they are less worried about infections  but still regularly test when they go to the doctor or see a mobile van, just in case. But it was from a poster on the Womens Collectives van that they first learned of PrEP, and they pondered whether to share fliers about the drug with relatives and friends.

It sounds good, said Twanda, 43.

Her husband, 47, was more skeptical. Its not a sure thing, he said.

I would also tell them to use condoms, Twanda said.

Even though its not 100 percent, the 90 is still really good, Edmonds said.

She gestured toward them as they walked away with several fliers in hand.

Theyre the people who are going to get PrEP out in the community, Edmonds said. They are going to talk to the people who run from the vans.
Teachers in D.C. public schools will welcome a new chancellor in February. But before that happens, the Washington Teachers Union and the school system want to settle a years-long dispute over teachers pay.

More than 3,500 teachers in the Districts public schools have not received a base-level raise since 2012 because they have been working without a union contract. The union and school systems administrators have engaged in often-tense negotiations for years but have not been able to reach an agreement.

But Elizabeth Davis, the union president, said that may soon change because everyone at the negotiating table wants a new contract before Antwan Wilson takes over the school system on Feb. 1.

[Antwan Wilson confirmed as chancellor of D.C. Public Schools]

The mayor and I both agree that this is not something we want to hand off to a new chancellor coming in, Davis said.

It would not look good for her and her school system to do that.

The office of Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Davis said the union and the school system have tentatively agreed on the language of the contract but have not agreed on raises for teachers.

Davis and the school system declined to detail the pay increases being considered because it is against policy to talk about what happens in negotiations.

In May, the teachers union asked for retroactive pay raises and a significant pay hike. At the time, Davis said the school system was offering a 1 percent raise starting in two academic years, which she called insulting.

Many teachers in the Districts public schools have received performance bonuses, and teachers can meet higher income thresholds after they have worked in the system for a certain number of years or increase their level of education.

Michelle Lerner, a schools spokeswoman, said the D.C. system is not using Wilsons first day on the job as a deadline, because settling the contract is a priority, and has been a priority, for a long time.

We want a new contract, and we have been wanting one for the last two to three years, Lerner said.

[D.C. teachers protest salaries and failed contract negotiations]

The school systems negotiations team, led by interim chancellor John Davis, has spent a significant amount of time with the WTU over the last several months working on the contract, Lerner said.

Lerner said the school system has the highest first-year teacher salary in the country  $51,500.

Teachers are also eligible to earn up to $20,000 in bonuses every year if they are deemed highly effective, the top rating in the school districts evaluation system.

Davis criticized the school system for touting those figures because they do not account for how expensive it is to live in the District. She added that there are many teachers who have one or two side jobs to make ends meet.

They say, We value our teachers  they are the ones in our classrooms, and yet you want to ignore the fact that teachers are living in a city with one of the highest costs of living in the country, Davis said.

If the union and the school system dont reach an agreement by Feb. 1, it will fall on Wilson to continue negotiations.

He is finishing up his time as superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District and has said a new contract will be a top priority.

During the confirmation process, Wilson touted his negotiation of a contract with Oaklands teachers that gave them their largest pay increase in more than 10 years.

Davis is confident that the union can negotiate a new contract with Wilson, but she remains hopeful that it can be settled before February.

We are closer than we thought, Davis said.
THE DISTRICT

Man is charged with

attack on hotel worker

D.C. police on Thursday arrested an 18-year-old man and charged him with attacking and attempting to rape at knife point a female employee of a Northwest Washington hotel, according to authorities.

The man was arrested in Prince Georges County on Monday and extradited to the District on Thursday. Police said they tracked him for weeks by tracing his Metro SmarTrip card but didnt know his identity until he was arrested this week.

Police identified him as Ernesto Agustin Mendoza. He was charged with assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse while armed. Police said he has no fixed address. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Friday.

The assault occurred on the evening of Nov. 26 in a hotel room of the Grand Hyatt Washington, at 10th and H streets NW near Metro Center, according to a police report.

D.C. Police Lt. John Haines, who heads the sex-assault unit, said the woman was working in the room when a man entered. At first she thought he was a patron. Haines said the man pushed the woman against a bed, held her at knife point and demanded she remove her clothing.

The woman resisted and a scuffle followed. The man pulled the womans hair with such force that it was separated from her scalp, according to the report. The woman was able to run away. Police said the man who was arrested has no connection to the hotel.

MARYLAND

Swastikas are found

at baseball complex

Police are investigating after vandals spray-painted swastikas and racist language on a Little League complex in Virginia.

Local news media outlets report that offensive phrases, including white power, were discovered Thursday on the Tuckahoe Little League complex.

Henrico County Police Lt. Chris Garett said the department is investigating and does not know who is responsible for the incident. Garrett said the vandals also caused damage to a bathroom.

Henrico County officials told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the vandals caused about $5,500 worth of damage.

 Associated Press
Two longtime death penalty supporters showed up at a hearing Friday morning to support a newly proposed execution protocol developed by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

Nineteen people, most of whom identified themselves as anti-death penalty, pointed out flaws and what they called potentially unconstitutional content and law violations.

"I ask ... that this protocol be dumped. And start over," said Lincoln attorney Alan Peterson. "And don't try to hide this horrible procedure from the public. And from me. And from the people remaining on death row."

Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, former state medical director Gregg Wright and Nebraska Pharmacist Association Director Joni Cover objected to the many ways the protocol errs by shrouding the process in mystery.

"I see difficulties (with the protocol) of a constitutional proportion, so the governor will be out of office before anybody would be executed in this state," Chambers said.

But Bob Evnen, co-founder of Nebraskans For the Death Penalty, said the protocol is sound and should be adopted.

There is much hue and cry from death penalty opponents about the transparency of the protocol, he said. But there are good policy reasons for protecting the identity of the execution team appointed by the Corrections Department, Evnen said.

"Your proposed regulations properly implement that protection, as they should. As they must by law," he told Corrections attorney Mark Boyer, who presided over the public hearing.

Death penalty supporter Rick Eberhardt, sheriff of Pierce County, said the protocol should be workable and asked that the state model its process after other states that successfully use the death penalty. He also asked that Nebraska carry out death sentences as quickly and humanely as possible.

The public hearing was necessary to comply with the state's administrative procedures act, but Corrections Director Scott Frakes can send it on as is for review of Attorney General Doug Peterson and approval by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

In late November, the Corrections Department released proposed revisions to the state's execution protocol that would keep secret the drugs and method of administration until 60 days before request for a death warrant.

Concerned citizen Eleanor Rogan of Omaha said that when the state compromises its principles for the sake of expediency, messy, corrupt government can creep in.

Unknown drugs, unknown dosages and unknown providers are a recipe for medical disaster, she said.

It's clear the protocol was politically motivated, said Chambers. It is not scholarly, and it is not based on medical or professional consultation or assistance.

"It is what I would describe as a slap-dash, loosey-goosey affair," he said.

About 494,000 Nebraskans voted to do away with the Legislature's 2015 repeal of the death penalty, and nearly 321,000 voted to retain the law that would have replaced it with life in prison.

Chambers said the vote didn't surprise him.

"When the people are allowed to vote, it's not always based on intelligence, knowledge, information, but usually emotion," he said.

ACLU of Nebraska attorney Spike Eickholt called the protocol a step backward for the Corrections Department, which seemed to be progressing after scandals and problems in recent years.

"Even people who support the death penalty don't agree with hiding the process and the means and the death penalty itself from the public," he said.

Those attending Friday hearing were allowed five minutes each to testify. A number of them said the protocol conflicts with state law.

Attorney Shawn Renner, representing Media of Nebraska, said authority claimed by the department to keep confidential the name of any person or company supplying the lethal injection drugs is directly contrary to the Nebraska public records law.

"It's illegal and it will not be enforced by courts," he said.

Alan Peterson said that to adopt a protocol that allows a director, who is an administrative officer in the executive branch, to decide which records are public and which are an exception is "amazing."

"There's no authority for that," he said. "None.

"Any changes have to be legislative changes. You can't just write an administrative reg like this and expect it not to be challenged."

Peterson appeared incredulous the state would try to shroud the procurement of drugs so that dealing with people as shady as Chris Harris of Harris Pharma could be hidden from everyone except the Corrections director. Nebraska paid tens of thousands of dollars to Harris in its last failed attempt to buy death penalty drugs.

"Come on. This state is better than that," he said.

Former state medical director Wright objected to the section of the protocol that would allow the director to designate a health professional qualified to determine whether an inmate is dead once the lethal drugs are injected.

"I can say pretty clearly there is no health professional who, by their license, is qualified to determine death in this setting," he said.

It would be unethical for a physician to do so, he said.

Corrections attorney Julie Smith has said no written documents, correspondence or records exist to show if she consulted with anyone, including pharmacists or medical personnel, in writing the new protocol.

"The watchfulness of the state requires the state to keep some records," said Wright.

At one point, Courtney Lawton went to the microphone in the hearing room at the State Office Building and prayed for the intercession of St. Maximillian Kolbe, the patron saint of prisoners, who was executed at Auschwitz by lethal injection with carbolic acid.

Corrections Director Frakes has said he'll keep an open mind about any comments or testimony on the proposed protocol.

Dawn-Renee Smith, the Corrections Department's communications director, said the testimony will be transcribed, compiled with submitted written testimony and reviewed. A summary will be included in the final draft of the protocol before it is filed with Secretary of State John Gale.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) will be a guest at Donald Trumps inauguration, despite disavowing the Republican president-elect during his bid for the White House and refusing to vote for him.

Hogans office said Friday that the governor and first lady Yumi Hogan received an invitation to the Jan. 20 event and that they look forward to attending.

The governor didnt vote for either of the major parties presidential nominees this year, instead writing in his father, an 88-year-old former congressman and Prince Georges County Executive, for the job.

[ For Trump critics, an UnNaugural concert ]

During the GOP primary, Hogan endorsed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a close friend. But after Christie left the race and backed Trump, Hogan declined to pick another candidate to support, saying he was disgusted with national politics.

Other prominent Maryland Republicans supported Trump, including U.S. Rep. Andy Harris and state House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga. Both backed him only after he won the GOP nomination.

Hogan spokeswoman Amelia Chasse said Friday that the governor plans to work closely with the new administration on issues including economic development and transportation projects.

As Governor Hogan has repeatedly said following the election, he is committed to working with the incoming Trump administration just as he has successfully worked with the Obama administration to promote what is in Marylands best interest, Chasse said.

[ Trump drafting inaugural speech with Reagan and Kennedy in mind ]

The Baltimore Sun first reported Hogans plan to attend the inauguration.

Hogan, a businessman who had never held another elected office, won the governorship in 2014 with support from many Democrats and independents. Polls show that he is highly popular across party lines in the state, with his approval rating springing to 71 percent in a September Washington Post-University of Maryland survey.

Trump has been overwhelmingly unpopular in Maryland and received 35 percent of states vote in the general election, compared to nearly 61 percent for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Seventy-five percent of respondents in the Post-U-Md. poll said they approved of Hogan rejecting Trump, including 43 percent of Republicans.
Two luxury retreats, in Centreville, Md., and Oyster Bay, N.Y., where Russian diplomats have gone for decades to play tennis, sail and swim, were shut down by the Obama administration in retaliation for Moscows alleged hacking in the presidential election.

Two luxury retreats, in Centreville, Md., and Oyster Bay, N.Y., where Russian diplomats have gone for decades to play tennis, sail and swim, were shut down by the Obama administration in retaliation for Moscows alleged hacking in the presidential election.

Two luxury retreats, in Centreville, Md., and Oyster Bay, N.Y., where Russian diplomats have gone for decades to play tennis, sail and swim, were shut down by the Obama administration in retaliation for Moscows alleged hacking in the presidential election.

The Russian dacha on the Eastern Shore now sits empty. The Americans are here. Theyve taken over. Two U.S. officials dressed in jeans  who, when approached by Washington Post reporters, said they worked at the State Department  stood sentry outside the 45-acre property that for decades has been owned by the Russian government. On Friday morning, all that could be seen from the propertys exterior was black smoke curling upward past the trees and into the clear sky.

A fireplace roaring on a blustery December day? Or a sign of last-minute document destruction?

The U.S. officials guarding the site would not answer questions.

On Thursday afternoon, the Obama administration declared that in retaliation for harassment of American diplomats and for Russian-sponsored interference in Novembers presidential election, the State Department was shuttering the Russian-owned compound in Maryland and one in New York that it says were used for intelligence gathering. The properties Russian affiliation was hardly a state secret  journalists have been invited onto the Maryland property, which was purportedly used as a vacation spot for diplomats. But Thursdays announcement confirmed long-held suspicions by neighbors, who always wondered what was going on behind the gates.

In New York, no one answered when a Post reporter rang the doorbell at the Russian facility, housed in the historic mansion known as Killenworth and located in Glen Cove on Long Island. Media trucks sat across the street, and motorists slowed to gawk at the building, whose ornate iron gates were draped with Christmas lights. Though Killenworth acts as Russias home for Moscows delegation to the United Nations, some passersby told The Post they had no clue the Russians were affiliated with the mansion.

(WUSA 9)

Bill and Gwen Tyson walked by the Russian compound minutes before it was scheduled to close at noon Friday. I have been telling her for years that it was owned by Russia, Bill Tyson, 66, said. Yeah, I didnt believe him. I am never going to live this down, she said.

Tyson said his father, who grew up in the area, was a history buff and World War II veteran and had been fascinated by the Killenworth mansion. He always told us stories about Russia. He wasnt concerned or anything. We didnt think anything was going on bad in there. It was just interesting to think about.

I told you, Tyson could be heard saying as the couple laughed and walked away.

Down along the Eastern Shore, just a few miles away from the Maryland compound, news of the facilitys closure has amused residents in the small town of Centreville, the county seat of Queen Annes County, about 90 minutes from Washington. They remember running into the propertys Russian employees decades ago at the old Corsica Club or Acme grocery store, their affiliation with the foreign embassy obvious from their vehicles diplomatic tags.

At the Commerce Street Creamery in downtown Centreville, talk of Russian spies mingled with more pressing news about the new county courthouse and the water and sewerage upgrades along Kidwell Avenue and Happy Lady Lane.

When I moved here, we always thought it was weird that the roads to the compound had video cameras on it, and the building next to the facility  who owned that, the State Department?  was bristling with antennas, said Mike Whitehill, 67, an engineering consultant. We knew something had to be going on because the A-10 Warthogs from Dover Air Base would dive-bomb the property and would fly really low. Did you all hear that rumor about the underwater buoys monitoring the propertys boats?

Yeah, a friend had said the same thing, said Kip Matthews, 54, Centrevilles public works director. Wed spend weekends at each others house when we were in middle school, and if we went out on a boat and got too close to the shore of the compound, there were people whod come out and just look at us.

Mike Whitehill, 67, holds up a Russian navy uniform shirt given to him by a compound employee at a bar in the late 1970s or early 1980s. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Over the years, some journalists have toured the sprawling estate, which sits along the Pioneer Point peninsula at the intersection of the Corsica and Chester rivers. The propertys crown jewel is a three-story Georgian-style mansion. In 2007, Washington Life magazine published a glowing piece about the compound, replete with photos of the ambassador, Yuri Ushakov, his wife, Svetlana Ushakova, and their grandson Misha.

The couple can also be found browsing the antique shops in nearby Centreville, Chestertown and Easton, looking for the porcelains that Ushakova collects or the old books treasured by Ushakov, who also collects red wine, the magazine noted.

According to Washington Life, the land was originally part of a 700-acre land grant from Britain in the 1600s. In 1702, Richard Tilghman bought the land, which remained in his family until 1925, when John J. Raskob, a DuPont and General Motors executive, bought it. The property changed hands a number of other times. Then, in 1972, the Soviet Union purchased the property and obtained more acreage in exchange for real estate acquisitions by the United States in Moscow.

The United States has for years had comparable compounds in and around Moscow, former U.S. intelligence officials said. The sites were set up at a time in the Cold War when Soviet and American officials were essentially confined to their embassy complexes, and both sides recognized a need for safe locations for their diplomats  and intelligence operatives  to escape those claustrophobic circumstances.

One of the American retreats is at a bend in the Moscow River at a site known as Serebryany Bor. Another site was farther away, roughly an hour-and-a-half drive from Moscow, in a forest, a former senior U.S. intelligence official said. It was a popular site for cross-country skiing and other activities and large enough to hold 20 or more guests.

It had a nice sauna. You could go out there and spend the day. Get in the sun, the former senior U.S. intelligence official said.

U.S. officials referred to the two sites as the near dacha and the far dacha.

The former officials said it would be extremely unusual for Russians to have used the compounds in Maryland or New York as safe houses for recruits or other intelligence-collection purposes. Instead, the locations served as retreats for Russian diplomats and intelligence operatives. Russians particularly need what are called safe spaces to unwind because they are under constant scrutiny and suspicion by their own government. Whitehills favorite memory was the time he happened to meet some of the compounds employees in the late 1970s or early 1980s at a local bar.

The constant monitoring makes a Russian retreat location a safer option for government officials eager to avoid arousing additional suspicion by traveling to U.S. vacation spots, the former senior U.S. intelligence official said. Theres a lot more psychological pressure on them, largely put on them by their own people, the former official said. For that reason, the official said, ordering the compounds emptied was an effective move that will piss the Russians off.

Parties were held by the Russians at the Maryland estate, and, sometimes, they included local residents.

Remember, they had their ambassadorial party a few years ago? Whitehill asked Steven Walls, the Centreville town manager, at the Commerce Street Creamery.

Yeah, they invited people from the town. It was some kind of celebration, Walls said, struggling to remember the details.

Whitehill, the engineering contractor, reminisced about the time the State Department paid him to fix the compounds sea wall several years ago.

There was fairly strict security, he said. Youd come in, and people would come out of their cottages and keep an eye on you.

We got kinda drunked up one night, and I liked this guys shirt. It was a Russian navy shirt. Blue and white striped thing, Whitehill said. I said, Man, Id really like to have one of those. Well, the guy goes back into the bathroom and comes back and hands me his shirt. I felt so embarrassed.

Whitehill still has that shirt at his house in Centreville. He also has the business card of the man who had given it to him: Yevginy N. Chaplin. Title: first secretary, Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Online, the private Facebook group Residents of Centreville, MD was lighting up. Between posts about a recently shot Queen Annes sheriffs deputy and someones offer to take peoples old Christmas trees, locals ended up deep in spy talk.

Question, one man wrote. We all know that diplomats dont pay state sales tax on [their] purchases, but are they also exempt from property taxes? Our county and town businesses will lose money from the closing of Pioneer Point.

They dont pay anything, one woman said. Friend of mine years ago got hit by them. They paid nothing to fix her car she had to do it . . . Diplomatic Immunity.

One man had an idea about what would happen to the property once the new administration takes over.

I bet Trump Jr. could turn it into a nice resort, he wrote.

Merle reported from Glen Cove, N.Y. Miller reported from Washington.
D.C. police on Thursday arrested a man in a two decade-old shooting death and charged the suspect with killing his stepfather in a house in Southeast Washington.

Police had questioned the stepson at the time of the killing in July 1995, but did not have evidence to make an arrest, according to an affidavit filed in court on Friday.

But in May, more than 20 years after the shooting in Garfield Heights, police said, an acquaintance of the suspect came forward with new information  that he saw the suspect hide what looked like a firearm after hearing gunshots from inside the home, and that the suspect tried to give him a box of bullets in the house a month before the homicide.

Police charged Taron Oliver, who is now 42 and lives in Oxon Hill, Md., with first-degree murder while armed. The victim was identified as Nathanial Williams, 41, of Southeast. Oliver was 21 years old at the time of the shooting.

The affidavit says Williams was shot in an upstairs bedroom of his home in the 3100 block of 20th Street SE. Police said he had been shot five times in the head at close range, and once in the left arm. His body was in the house a day before it was discovered.

Police said they still do not know why the stepson allegedly killed his stepfather. Were not sure of the motive, D.C. Police Capt. Anthony Haythe, the head of the homicide unit, said at a news conference Friday. Thats still under investigation.

The affidavit describes Williams as having had a large family who worked as a plumber. The affidavit says the acquaintance confided the new information to one of Williamss sons, a deputy with the Prince Georges County Sheriff's Department.

Relatives could not be reached on Friday for comment on the arrest.
The couple, in their 20s, met two years ago at a vocational training center in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. They married in April in a ceremony outside Union Station. A son was born in June, and the family moved into a motel in the District.

On July 23, Christopher Antonio Conley, 1 month old, died at Childrens National Medical Center in Northwest Washington.

The medical examiner said that the infant suffered vigorous and repetitive shaking and ruled the death a homicide. On Tuesday, police arrested the boys mother, Deana Debrow-Conley, 26, in Philadelphia. She was charged Thursday in the District with first-degree murder.

In a detailed arrest affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court, police describe a restless night in a room at the Days Inn on New York Avenue NE, with a crying baby keeping his parents awake and his mother worried that her husband might be too tired for his job taking care of lawns.

The father, Christopher Antonio Conley, 21, told police that during the night of July 18 and the early-morning hours of July 19, his son was crying and being fussy but appeared medically fine. The mother told police that she fed the infant several times and changed his diapers.

The father also told police that at one point, he bounced his son in his arms, hoping to calm him. The father called the game the bouncy thing. About 4 a.m., police said, the mother took the infant into the bathroom for three or four seconds. She told police that after exiting the bathroom, she noticed the child was not breathing.

According to the arrest affidavit, the mother told police that she cradled the child and walked around the room with him, shaking the child but not hard. Later, she told police that while in the bathroom, she grabbed the infant around the upper torso with both hands and forcefully shook him, the affidavit states. The mother told detectives that she placed him on the bed and that his breathing was not like ours.

The couple called 911, and the infant was rushed to the hospital. He died July 23, four days later. The medical examiner said that the child died of blunt neck and head trauma. No bones were broken.

The father said in a telephone interview Friday that his wife did not kill their child.

She gave the police what they asked for, Conley said. Thats not right. . . . She never dropped that baby. I was the one in that bathroom. She didnt shake up our son. The police wouldnt let me explain. They didnt want me to explain it. My side of the story is that shes innocent.

But according to the arrest affidavit, police did interview Conley. At one point, he described to detectives how he walked around the hotel room cradling the child against his chest with one hand, supporting his back, and another hand on the childs bottom while he gently rocked the child. Police said in the affidavit that the medical examiner determined that Conleys bouncy game did not contribute to the infants injuries.

Conley said that he and his wife had gone to Philadelphia to visit her mother, who has terminal cancer. Police arrested Debrow-Conley at her mothers house. Conley was still there Friday, unable to make it back to Washington for his wifes initial appearance in court.

In the telephone interview, Conley defended his wife and indicated that police might have taken me had they listened to him in more detail explain how I was playing with my son. He described his son as a good child. He was always crying a lot. That didnt really irritate me. The only thing that irritated me was when he was crying during the nighttime.

Conley added: I want her to be released. If I have to take the time, Ill take the time.
A woman walks past an artists rendition of a gravestone in Woodbridge, Va. Each gravestone had no name or birthdate and was placed near the scene of an actual homicide. (Victoria St. Martin/The Washington Post)

There was the 14-year-old boy who was bludgeoned to death with a hammer. There was the youth counselor who police say rushed to the apartment of a 19-year-old client hoping to help  only to be sexually assaulted and strangled. And there was the rookie police officer who was gunned down while responding to a domestic-violence call just a few hours into her first day on patrol.

As law enforcement agencies across the region compile their end-of-the-year crime statistics, the tally is particularly grim in Prince William County, where the number of homicides so far has more than doubled the 2015 toll.

There have been 22 homicides in Prince William in 2016, compared with 10 last year.

In many communities, the prospect of 22 killings in a year might not seem like a cause for concern. This year, the District has tallied 134 slayings, and neighboring Fairfax County has had 18. But the numbers in Prince William are the highest in the county since authorities began tracking them in 1975. The next-most-deadly year was 2006, when 16 people were slain.

The spike has frustrated law enforcement officials, caught the attention of criminologists and sent a tremor of uncertainty through the Northern Virginia county of 450,000 people about 30 miles southwest of the District.

Jose Quinteros, the father of a 17-year-old who died in a July fire, sits across the street from his Manassas home as investigators worked on it as a crime scene. (Victoria St. Martin/The Washington Post)

I dont know what it is, but somethings going on, said Krystal Pham, whose 26-year-old sister, Linh Pham, was fatally shot Nov. 6 in a Prince William shopping center. I think 2016 has been a very bad year for a lot of people. The man charged in the killing is the father of Linh Phams child, her sister said.

Asked about the homicide rate, Police Chief Barry M. Barnard, a 40-year veteran of the county department who was appointed midway through the year, shook his head and said simply: Were always going to remember 2016.

[Police: He shot his wife, then an officer, then asked police to shoot him]

Experts attribute the increase to a range of factors, including the prevalence of handguns and the lethality of those weapons. They also cite gang activity and domestic violence.

[Killer lured counselor into attack, court documents say]

Jay S. Albanese, a criminologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, said that whats happening in the county may be part of a national trend: Homicides increased nationally by nearly 12 percent from 2014 to 2015.

Despite that increase, Albanese said, a longer trend line shows a drop in killings. You are twice as likely to die in a car accident as you are to die from homicide, he said.

Albanese said that other factors, such as drug markets or gang activity, might also be driving increases in some areas, and those forces have played a role in Prince William. Three people, including members of the lethal MS-13 street gang, were arrested in connection with the countys first homicide of 2016, that of Oscar Rene Andrade, 29, who police say was also robbed. Nine people, including some with ties to MS-13, were also arrested in the Oct. 29 shooting death of Edwin Ivan Chicas, 22.

[Hes a retired cop. Now his son is accused of killing a police officer and his own wife.]

Domestic violence is believed to have played a role in at least three of the countys homicides in 2016, including the shooting deaths of Officer Ashley Guindon, 28, and Crystal Hamilton, 29. Guindon was responding to a call involving Hamilton when both women were killed. Hamiltons husband, Ronald Williams Hamilton, 33, was charged with murder in their deaths.

A sadness still hangs in the air inside county police headquarters in Woodbridge. Every day, the chief wears a black bracelet that has a thin blue line and Guindons name.

Barnard said his detectives have made arrests in 18 of the 22 slayings. One was an apparent murder-suicide and three others remain under investigation.

[A listing of Prince William County homicides from 1975 to 2016]

Two of those killings involve a double homicide authorities have linked to an early-morning fire in the Manassas home of Jose Javier Avalos, 17. Avalos died in the July blaze, as did a 36-year-old man who relatives said was a family friend.

I saw the picture of my friend and my son. I started crying [and] saying, My son! My son! Hes the only one, said the teens father, Jose Quinteros.

The county fire marshals office arrested a man who authorities said was spotted near the house with burn injuries. That man was charged with arson, but police are continuing to investigate the deaths, a department spokesman said.

Each of the slayings has stayed with Alexis Gomez. So much so that the county resident and artist molded copies of gravestones out of cement and placed one near the sites of homicides this summer. For his street art project, he chose the hashtag #SAVEPWC.

The number seemed pretty unfathomable before it happened  even when it was at 11, said Gomez. And to get to 22, Im still trying to hone in on 11. Its pretty shocking.

Corey A. Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said the supervisors have asked the police chief to make a formal presentation in the new year about the increase.

Is there something underlying this spike in murders, or is this a coincidence we had a number of them this year? said Stewart, a Republican with an at-large seat who recently announced his candidacy for governor.

Katheryn Russell-Brown, a criminologist and law professor at the University of Florida, said it feels as if people agree to disagree less often in the world today.

The climate is very black and white, or very cut and dry  were less tolerant, Russell-Brown said. We dont want to talk it through, we dont want to work it out.

[America is safer than it was decades ago. But homicides are up again in Chicago and cities across the country]

Barnard noted that most homicides are committed by people who know each other.

That does not at all for one moment diminish the tragedy, he added. Victims are an unbelievable loss to the families and friends, but its information for the community to know so that they can evaluate that themselves and make some decisions about how they go about their lives here in Prince William County.

Jennifer Jenkins contributed to this report.
Airport workers at Reagan National Airport, accompanied by other union supporters, rally for better wages at the Arlington, Va., airport. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority managed to stay mostly out of the fray as workers at Reagan National and Dulles International airports led protests throughout the year for better pay and benefits.

But some members of the authoritys governing body may be seeking to take a stronger hand in helping workers in the new year.

Officials with knowledge of MWAAs discussions say board members are considering supporting some type of wage increase.

MWAA has a living-wage policy that applies to airport contracts but not to companies that contract directly with individual airlines. Many of the workers protesting are employed by those companies, and they are paid as little as $6 an hour. They are seeking a minimum of $15 an hour.

It is in everyones interest that we have a stable workforce, said J. Walter Tejada, who was appointed to the board by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in May. We dont want people coming and going and productivity going down.

But a decision to back a wage increase, even a modest one, would have significant implications for the board. Unlike other major airports run by single jurisdictions, MWAAs 17-member board is made up of representatives from Virginia, the District, Maryland and the federal government. And their interests do not always align.

For example, Virginia lawmakers committed $50 million to the authority this year  and $25 million for 2017 and 2018  to reduce airline operating costs and help MWAA strengthen Dulless competitive position.

That may be why many board members have been circumspect in their discussions about wage increases.

MWAA has said it is analyzing the complicated issues relating to the establishment of a minimum wage, taking the time to listen to the workers and the unions as well as the concessionaires and the airlines.

We have to look at this very, very carefully, taking everybodys perspective into consideration, Chairman William Shaw McDermott said.

Low-wage workers began organizing in spring 2015 to push for higher pay. Since then, they have intensified their demonstrations and joined the nationwide Fight for $15 campaign, which has led to wage increases in other cities and other airports.

About 15 workers staged a sleep-in at National Airport in November to draw attention to the short windows some of them have to go home between shifts, leading them to sleep at the airport. On Nov. 29, a procession of about 300 workers and supporters delivered a petition with 1,000 signatures to the MWAA offices at National pressing their case for better wages. And, on Dec. 14, about 300 workers walked off their jobs in protest.

[Airport workers at major U.S. hubs to join Fight for $15 protests Tuesday]

So far, none of the actions has disrupted flight operations, according to airport and airline officials. And, they say, they don't expect any disruptions in the future. But the workers pursuit hasnt been ignored, either.

Officials familiar with MWAAs discussions say they expect some action on the wage issue by spring.

Our hope is that this is not going to extend past early next year. And if it does, that means there is going to be people taking to the streets at the airport, said Jaime Contreras, vice president of Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, which has been organizing the workers. We are not going to stand idle and just wait and wait and wait.

McDermott said he hoped 2017 would bring a solid understanding and conclusion of what we think the right thing to do is.

I dont want to predict exactly when, because it is more complicated than I can explain, he added.

On a recent afternoon, more than two dozen workers lined up to enter the boardroom at MWAAs offices. They sat silently and waited nearly an hour for board members to arrive. Then they held still through a 13-item agenda, a farewell video for an airport executive and welcome remarks to three new members.

There was no mention of the workers who had taken over half the room for the two-hour meeting, although their purple hats with the Fight for $15 logo drew some glances.

But the workers said they didnt need to disrupt the proceedings, said Marvin Clinch, a baggage handler who skipped work that morning to participate in the one-day strike. They wanted to send a message.

It was important for them to at least see us and know that we are serious and that our concerns are important, he said.

Another group of laborers, made up mostly of Ethiopian immigrants, gathered in the hallway. They had staged a protest outside Nationals Terminal C earlier as part of their first strike, demanding better pay and benefits and the right to unionize. Most had come from Dulles and were joined by fellow workers at National.

It was a sign of how the movement had grown  from a few laborers lamenting their wages to several hundreds willing to skip work to make their voices heard.

Many were wheelchair attendants and baggage handlers working for Huntleigh USA, a Texas-based company that workers specifically targeted that day. Workers said that Huntleigh, which contracts directly with the airlines, had cut their pay, citing a lack of productivity.

The job is physically demanding. We do a lot of heavy lifting, said Clinch, who hauls international-bound Avianca bags  which weigh up to 100 pounds  from the baggage counter to the security screeners at Dulles. He and other workers said the hourly wages for baggage handlers went from $9.50 to $9. For wheelchair attendants, who are considered tipped employees, they fell from $7.25 to $6.15.

It was a slap in the face, Clinch said.

Huntleigh did not respond to requests for comment about the allegations. But in a Dec. 14 statement, Huntleigh said it is in full compliance with regulatory mandates regarding pay and benefits and will continue to strive for the best service possible for our clients and the traveling public.

The airline industry and its contracting companies have emphasized that they abide by federal and state labor laws and say that the government should dictate wage minimums, not airport governing bodies. In Virginia, home to National and Dulles airports, the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour  the same as the federal minimum, which was last changed in 2009. The District's minimum, now $11.50, is scheduled to rise to $15 in four years. Marylands minimum is $8.75 and is expected to increase to $10.10 in 2018.

[D.C. lawmakers approve $15 minimum wage, joining N.Y., Calif.]

We continue to believe that the appropriate way to address minimum wages is at the statewide or national level, so that minimum-wage standards apply to all workers and employers equally, regardless of industry sector or geographic location, said Kathy Grannis Allen, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America.

Industry officials also say the airlines cant get involved in their contractors labor negotiations. That has workers waiting on the MWAA.

There are more than 2,000 workers at National and as many as 4,200 at Dulles who work for companies that contract with the individual airlines.

An MWAA contract for custodial services sets an hourly wage of $14.27, according to the airports authority. Contract workers excluded from that policy say they want parity  and more.

Contreras said its not as if $15 an hour would bring luxury to the workers. It is nowhere near what people need to live in this area, he said. But it puts them on a path to improve their standard of living.

Our hope is that MWAA is going to act soon.
Time is running out to get your tickets for the Lincoln Childrens Museums annual Make Believe Midnight, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

The evening includes the traditional bubble wrap stomp, dancing, singing, party favors, appearances by Father Time and Baby New Year, and the balloon drop at make believe midnight -- 8 p.m.

Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available at the door. Tickets are $13 and $10 for members. Purchase tickets at the museum front desk, 1420 P St., or online at lincolnchildrensmuseum.org.

Coming up

The Strategic Air & Space Museum, Ashland, holds its Indoor Air Show, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 14. The show will feature radio-controlled planes demonstrating loops, flips, and barrel rolls in the museum's Durham Restoration Hangar, as well as educational booths, a safety workshop, and an update on FAA regulations regarding drones. Regular museum admission applies: $12 for adults, $11 for senior citizens and active/retired military and $6 for children ages 4 to 12.

The following is a rundown of family activities for the week of Dec. 30-Jan. 5.

Friday

New Year's Party -- 1:30-4 p.m., South Branch Library. Crafts, treats, special movie begins at 2 p.m., count down and bubble wrap stomp.

Saturday



Bilingual English-Spanish story time -- 10-11 a.m., Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P St.

Children's storytime -- "Hap-Pea All Year," 11 a.m., Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5150 O St. and SouthPointe Pavilions locations. Free.

Hyde Memorial Observatory -- closed in observance of New Year's holiday.

Pioneers Park Nature Center -- closes at 3 p.m. Saturday through Jan. 1.

Sunday

New Year's closings: Nebraska State Capitol, Homestead National Monument of America, trails will be open, Lincoln Public Libraries, Pioneers Park Nature Center, University of Nebraska State Museum and Mueller Planetarium (Morrill Hall).

First Day Hike and Bonfire -- 2:30-5 p.m., Mahoney State Park, meet at Kountz Memorial Theater, 28500 W. Park Highway. Bring water and binoculars for a two-mile hike and dress for weather conditions. Minimum age for children is 5 years. Free, park entry permit required.

Monday



New Year's closings: United States Post Office (no mail delivery), StarTran (no bus service), Lincoln Public Libraries closed Jan. 1-2, Lincoln Children's Museum, closed Jan. 1-2, Nebraska State Capitol (open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 2, guided tours on the hour), Sheldon Museum of Art closed Jan. 1-2, Nebraska History Museum closed Jan. 1-2.

Tuesday

Library storytimes -- Toddler: 10 a.m. and 10:35 a.m., Gere; 10:30 a.m., Bethany, Walt; 6:30 p.m., Gere. Preschool: 10:30 a.m., Anderson, Gere; 7 p.m., Eiseley.

Hour at the Museum story hour -- 10-11 a.m., Nebraska History Museum, 131 Centennial Mall North. "A Boy Called Slow: The True Story of Sitting Bull." Free.

Morning children's story time -- 10-11 a.m., Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P St.

Wednesday

Library storytimes -- Toddler: 10:30 a.m., Walt; 10:35 a.m. Eiseley and Gere. Preschool: 10:30 a.m., Eiseley. Baby: 10 a.m., Gere.

Thursday

Library storytimes -- Toddler: 10 a.m., Gere; 10:35 a.m., Eiseley and Gere. Preschool: 10:30 a.m., Eiseley, Bethany, Gere. Baby: 10:30 a.m., Walt; 6:30 a.m., Gere.

Pop in Storytime -- "Wild Animals," 6:30-7 p.m., Nebraska State Museum, Morrill Hall, first floor Hall of Nebraska Wildlife. Stories, songs and movements for ages 3-5. Free, with regular museum admission.

Shows and exhibits



Planetarium astronomy shows -- "A Starry Tale," 11 a.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. "Super Volcanoes," noon Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Shows through Feb. 26. Children must be age 4 or older. University of Nebraska State Museum of Natural History, Mueller Planetarium, Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine streets. 402-472-2641.

Hyde Observatory shows -- 7-10 p.m. Saturdays, Hyde Observatory, Holmes Lake. Free. Reservations available for Monday-Thursday nights. 402-441-7094. No show Saturday Dec. 31.

Coming up

Elephant and Piggie storytimes -- 10:30 a.m. and 6-7 p.m. (family storytime) Jan. 9, Anderson Branch; 10:30 a.m. Jan. 12, Bethany Branch; 1:30 p.m. Jan. 15, Eiseley Branch.

Investigate: Second Saturday Science Lab -- Food Science, 10 a.m.-noon Jan. 14, University of Nebraska State Museum, Morrill Hall. Free with regular museum admission.

Register

"Disney The Little Mermaid Jr." -- Youth Actors Academy rehearsals 10 a.m-4 p.m. Saturdays, beginning Jan. 7-Feb. 25, YAAL, 5930 S. 57th St. For ages 8 and older. $300/child. yaal.org.

YAAL Sing Children's Chorus -- 6-7 p.m. Mondays, beginning Jan. 23, YAAL, 5930 S. 57th St. For youth in second grade and up. $15/uniform and music fee applies.
HitchBOT traveled through Canada and Europe by seeking rides from motorists. But the robots brief U.S. tour ended poorly. (SVEN HOPPE/EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY)

Designers of futuristic cityscapes envision airborne drones dropping off your packages and driverless cars taking you to work. But the robotic-delivery invasion already has begun  in the form of machines that look like wheeled beer coolers scooting along the sidewalks.

The robots  developed by a company with a name straight out of science fiction, Starship Technologies  will be showing up any day in Washington and in Redwood City, Calif. They may soon be found in up to 10 U.S. cities, ferrying groceries and other packages from a neighborhood delivery hub to your front door for as little as $1 a trip.

A second company, TeleRetail, plans to test its sidewalk robots in Washington and other cities in 2017.

Like driverless cars, the delivery robots use cameras, GPS devices and radar to navigate the urban environment.

The robots are the first of what the companies foresee as a wave of inexpensive, high-tech alternatives to shopping and delivery trips whose cars and trucks contribute to gridlock and pollution. Urban futurists see the vehicles as part of a digitally based smart city landscape  although they come with privacy concerns.

(hitchBOT)

We think there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of robots on the ground eventually around the world, said Allan Martinson, chief operating officer of Starship Technologies, based in London and started by the co-founders of the Internet telephone company Skype.

Torsten Scholl, founder of TeleRetail, based in Switzerland, said: Why have a vehicle as big as an autonomous car to deliver goods? We think of it as a self-driving trunk.

Tech gadget website Tech Crunch has rated autonomous vehicles  including drones, driverless cars and delivery robots  among the Top Five Technologies that will define cities in the next decade.

Starships robots work this way: Customers use a mobile app to order an item. A text appears  You have a robot waiting for you outside  when the robot draws near. A person must be present to receive the delivery because only the customer has a unique code to unlock the robots box.

Were excited, said Catherine Ralston, economic development manager of Redwood City, where the robots were given a January start date. They did a video in our downtown of the robot going into the bakery, picking up baked goods, and at the moment it rolled into City Hall, it popped open and presented the cookies to City Council. Theyre thinking of using the robots for such city services as delivering library books.

Coming to D.C.

[Hiring human handlers for robot delivery service]

The D.C. Council opened the door to the machines by passing legislation recently that allows up to five robot companies to operate in the city, though not in the downtown business district.

To be candid, Im not at all futuristic. Im a here-and-now kind of person, said Leif Dormsjo, head of the Districts Department of Transportation. But our approach to transportation innovation is that we want to be a catalyst for new and interesting technologies.

Whether city dwellers will be as enthusiastic as their leaders is open to question.

A year ago, a robot called HitchBOT traveled across Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands before it was brought to the United States. The robot was a social experiment started by two Canadian professors. It looked like a cartoon human and was designed to be picked up on the side of the road voluntarily by drivers, like a hitchhiker.

Poor HitchBOT!

It posted photos of its adventures to its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram profiles, and it appeared to be well received. But after just two weeks in the United States, the HitchBOTs world trip ended when it was found dismembered in Philadelphias historic Old City neighborhood.

Starship Technologies has tested robots in 58 cities in 16 countries, Martinson said. More than 1.7 million people have encountered the robots on sidewalks or used their services  without incident, he said.

We took a video in London showing that 3,000 people passed by our robots without even noticing them, he said.

Ralston said test units rolling around Redwood City havent caused any issues so far. People enjoy seeing the little robots. Or they completely ignore them, they dont even take a glance, she said.

In Northwest Washington recently, a Starship robot drew some attention as it scooted around pedestrians and bicyclists on a busy sidewalk.

Timothy Sanders stopped his bike to watch it weave in and out of human traffic, avoiding pedestrians and cyclists. Its amazing. Its very futuristic, he said.

But Missy Cummings, director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University, worries that new technologies such as drones and sidewalk robots are being developed without enough attention paid to how they will interact with people or to how people will react.

Its a huge problem in robotics, which are developed by engineers who know little about human interaction, she said. Look at Google Glass, she said. The eyeglasses had tiny screens that allowed Internet access, and wearers could take photos and videos using voice commands.

It wasnt weird to geeky engineers, she said. But real people didnt want to use or wear the glasses  or have their photos taken by people wearing them, she said.

Will they know too much?

The presence of high-definition video cameras in the robots is a potential privacy issue, too, said Jeramie Scott, director of the Domestic Surveillance Project of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Who controls the images they make, he asks, and how can they be used?

You can imagine when we get to the place where we have these autonomous drones, on the ground or in the skies flying around, with a lot of surveillance equipment, he said. We need to understand what is collected and be transparent. We need some kind of oversight in place before the line gets pushed too far.

 Stateline

Correction: This story has been updated to say that Starship Technologies has tested its robots in 58 cities in 16 countries.
By many measures, Hawaii is one of the healthiest states in the union. Yet only Mississippi has a higher rate of flu or pneumonia deaths than the Aloha State.

West Virginia, usually among the bottom dwellers in state health rankings, is in the middle of the pack for deaths related to Alzheimers disease.

Similarly, relatively unhealthy Arkansas has a low rate of drug overdose deaths while Connecticut, which ranks near the top in overall health, has one of the countrys highest rates of death linked to drug use.

Health disparities based on race, income and gender tend to draw more notice, but variations related to where people live are prompting public health officials to use the information to craft more-targeted policies. As the data becomes more precise, experts believe interventions to combat geographic disparities will become more effective.

Location and health

The increasing interest comes amid a growing recognition that peoples health depends as much on factors related to location  such as recreational opportunities, transportation, crime and unemployment  as it does on what takes place in doctors offices or hospitals.

In many ways, your Zip code is more important than your genetic code when it comes to health, said Jay Butler, Alaskas chief medical officer and its director of public health.

The truth of that observation is evident in a single comparison from a recent report from the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Urban Institute: On average, a newborn in Mississippi will live to age 75. One born in Hawaii will make it beyond 81.

The VCU center and the Urban Institute recently released the first of nine reports examining the states according to 39 health outcomes, including heart disease mortality, cancer mortality and suicide. The project also seeks to correlate those outcomes with 123 social and economic factors such as government spending, proficiency in reading and rates of incarceration. (The report doesnt offer explanations for the correlations.)

For example, the report finds a strong correlation between lower spending on public transportation and higher instances of car accidents, and between adult obesity and deaths related to pneumonia. It also links a shortage of primary-care services to higher rates of deaths related to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and pneumonia and to shorter life expectancy.

Others have also compared geographic locations by various health measures. For example, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute does health rankings of counties in every state. A collaboration between the University of Southern California and PolicyLink, a nonprofit focused on issues of equity, compared the health of 150 metropolitan areas using several indicators, including rates of asthma, diabetes and obesity.

Even smaller geographic comparisons are coming. Later this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation plan to unveil health data from the countrys largest 500 cities broken down by census tract or neighborhood. The goal, according to the CDC, is to help cities and local health departments better understand the geographic distribution of health-related variables to help them plan public health interventions.

In many places, health interventions based on geographic data are already happening. Steve Woolf, director of the VCU center, said that in many states, tobacco control policies and cigarette taxes are the direct result of health-disparities information related to smoking. Woolf also noted that traffic fatalities have informed state decisions on motorcycle helmets, car-seat restraints and speed limits.

Maryland tackled diabetes in the southern part of the state by linking more patients to primary-care doctors, and it improved behavioral health on the Eastern Shore by creating mental health crisis services, said Joshua Sharfstein, who led the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from 2011 to 2014.

Local and state health officials also have made changes to help reduce childhood asthma, including coordinating communication between school-based nurses and primary-care practices and enabling students to administer their own inhalers rather than relying on school nurses. Sharfstein said statewide efforts also lowered Marylands relatively high infant mortality rate. The state improved access to health care for expectant mothers and launched educational campaigns to teach parents about safe sleeping practices for newborns.

Knowing how you compare to other states is very helpful, said Sharfstein, a physician who is now an associate dean at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In Colorado, public health officials several years ago discovered that high blood pressure was much more prevalent in the two sparsely populated frontier counties of Las Animas and Huerfano. The statewide rate was 26 percent, compared with 38 and 39 percent in the two counties.

Kelly Means, clinical quality improvement manager in the states Department of Public Health and Environment, said that finding led to a program to identify residents in the two counties who had high blood pressure but were not getting treatment and to refer them to primary-care doctors. The state also encouraged those doctors to direct hypertensive patients to community programs that encouraged healthy eating, exercise and smoking cessation.

Means said that the program has linked 75 previously undiagnosed residents to primary care and 82 already identified patients to activities to reduce hypertension. One participating primary-care practice reported that the number of patients who have their blood pressure under control has increased by 20 percent.

In Alaska, Butler said, geographic health data led to targeted antismoking and suicide prevention programs in northern and western parts of the state, where the rates of lung cancer and suicide are particularly high.

In Connecticut, the data indicated a high rate of asthma-related hospitalizations in the city of Waterbury, said Mehul Dalal, the chronic-disease director in the state Department of Public Health. That finding prompted the state to help Waterbury develop a home inspection program in which health workers identify environmental conditions that can trigger asthma and advise residents on how to remove them.

States act

Kalamazoo, Mich., now sends nurses into homes to combat the citys high rate of infant mortality. Philadelphia, alarmed over its high obesity numbers, this year enacted a soda tax. In Utah, the health department recently began promoting gun safety in response to the states high suicide rate.

But health-policy analysts, even those who do geographic analyses, caution that geographic data isnt perfect. Laudan Aron, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute who helped produce the report with the VCU center, said that problems in data collection, such as poor reporting practices by medical providers, can skew the numbers. Thats why comparative findings should be viewed only as a first step to more investigation, she said.

And some findings, while interesting, may not point the way to action that can make a difference. The VCU-Urban Institute report, for instance, ranks states by their rates of mortality associated with Alzheimers disease. Washington ranks last in that category, but there is probably nothing the state can do about it. Unfortunately, at this point, there are no evidence-based practices we know of that reduce the rate of Alzheimers, Woolf said.

If nothing else, policymakers say, such comparisons prompt discussions across borders to learn best practices in addressing particular health problems. And as Marylands Sharfstein said, in health policy, a little competitive rivalry between geographic areas can only benefit patients.
CONNECTICUT

Kennedy kins murder conviction reinstated

Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel faces a possible return to prison after Connecticuts Supreme Court on Friday reinstated his murder conviction in the killing of Martha Moxley in 1975 when they were 15 years old and neighbors in a wealthy enclave.

The court issued a 4-to-3 decision that rejected a lower courts ruling that Skakels trial lawyer didnt adequately represent him. Justice Peter T. Zarella wrote that the majority of the court concluded the lawyer rendered constitutionally adequate representation.

It was unclear whether Skakel, now 56, would be sent back to prison or would be allowed to remain free if he appeals or asks the high court to reconsider. His appellate lawyer, Hubert Santos, said he was reviewing the ruling.

Skakel, a nephew of Robert F. Kennedys widow, Ethel Kennedy, was convicted of murder in 2002 and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in the killing of Moxley, who was bludgeoned with a golf club in Greenwich. His cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been a top advocate and this year released a book that argued Skakel is innocent.

Skakel was freed in 2013 on $1.2 million bail after a judge granted him a new trial based on claims his trial attorney, Michael Sherman, made a series of poor decisions in representing him. The judge found Sherman failed to argue that Skakels brother could have been responsible for the crime and failed to present a key alibi witness for Skakel.

 Associated Press

OHIO

Challenge to execution method is rejected

A federal appeals court has upheld a judges order blocking death row inmates from information about Ohios new lethal injection process.

Fridays 2-to-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit increases the likelihood that Ohio will resume executions in February. Attorneys for condemned inmates had challenged the order.

Ohio plans to execute Ronald Phillips on Feb. 15 for raping and killing his girlfriends 3-year-old daughter in 1993. Another execution is scheduled for April.

Judge Eugene Siler, writing for the majority, said a judge didnt abuse his discretion when he barred the release of information about lethal injection requested by attorneys for Phillips and other inmates.

Executions have been on hold in Ohio since January 2014.

 Associated Press

COLORADO

State investigating fatal fall from chairlift

Investigators were trying to determine Friday how a Texas woman fell to her death from a chairlift at a small Colorado ski resort, the first fatal fall in the state in more than a decade.

The 40-year-old womans two daughters were also injured after falling about 20 feet with her Thursday at Ski Granby Ranch about 90 miles west of Denver. Their names havent been released, but police said they were visiting from San Antonio.

One daughter, 12, was treated and released from a local hospital, but her 9-year-old sister was airlifted to Childrens Hospital in suburban Denver. Her condition wasnt released.

The Quick Draw Express lift, which brings skiers to beginner and intermediate terrain, will remain closed until state regulators determine it is safe to use, a spokesman for the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board said.

Chairlift deaths are rare, and people are five times more likely to die in an elevator accident, said a spokesman for Colorado Ski Country USA, the trade group representing most of the states ski resorts.

 Associated Press
ARGENTINA

Probe of ex-president in bomb case to reopen

An Argentine court on Thursday ordered a renewed investigation into a prosecutors accusation that former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner covered up the alleged involvement of Iranians in a 1994 attack on a Jewish center.

The bombing of the Buenos Aires center killed 85 people and wounded hundreds. Iran has denied any role in the attack.

In its ruling, Argentinas top criminal tribunal accepted a request by a delegation of Argentine Jewish associations to reexamine the charge Alberto Nisman made in January 2015 against Fernandez, her foreign minister and others in her government.

The decision was reported by the official Center of Judicial Information.

Nisman was found dead four days after filing his allegation. Authorities never determined whether he was killed or took his own life.

Fernandez, who was president from 2007 to 2015, has denied wrongdoing in the case.

The former president said the judges are simply following the orders of her successor, Mauricio Macri, who took office last December.

The ruling adds to Fernandezs legal complications. On Tuesday, a federal judge approved charges of illicit association and fraudulent administration against Fernandez and two former aides in a corruption case.

 Associated Press

CONGO

Flooding leaves 50 dead, up to 20 missing

Officials said torrential rains and flooding this week have left at least 50 people dead in southwestern Congo.

Storms battered the town of Boma, which is nearly 300 miles southwest of the capital, Kinshasa.

Jacques Mbadu Nsitu, governor of Kongo Central province, said that as many as 20 people remain missing.

The flooding has left at least 1,000 people homeless. Many of those affected lived along the Kalamu River, which burst its banks. Officials in Boma were urging residents on Thursday not to rebuild in the low-lying areas.

 Associated Press

GERMANY

Tunisian picked up in attack probe is freed

A Tunisian man detained on suspicion of involvement in last weeks Berlin truck attack was released Thursday after investigators determined that he was not in contact with the main suspect immediately before the rampage.

The 40-year-old was detained in Berlin on Wednesday. Prosecutors said at the time that his telephone number was saved in suspect Anis Amris cellphone and that he may have been involved.

A spokeswoman for the prosecutors said Thursday that investigators had suspected Amri might have sent him a message and a picture over a messenger service shortly before the Dec. 19 attack on a Christmas market but that further investigations determined that was not the case.

Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisian, is believed to have driven the truck that plowed into the market, killing 12 people. His fingerprints and wallet were found in the truck.

The Islamic State militant group has asserted responsibility for the attack.

Germany on Dec. 21 released a Europe-wide wanted notice for Amri. He was killed in a shootout Friday with Italian police in a Milan suburb during a routine identity check.

 Associated Press

Top Chinese general investigated over graft: A top Chinese general has been placed under investigation, Chinas Defense Ministry said, the highest-level active-duty military official to be ensnared in an anti-corruption drive. Gen. Wang Jianping is suspected of accepting bribes, a ministry spokesman said. Wang is the deputy chief of staff with the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, led by President Xi Jinping.

3 killed in clash of Armenian, Azerbaijani troops: Officials said at least three soldiers were killed in a border skirmish between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops. An Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman said three of its service members died. Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said one of its troops is missing in action. The two ex-Soviet nations have been locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan.

 From news services
Two decades ago, I wrote an essay in Foreign Affairs that described an unusual and worrying trend: the rise of illiberal democracy. Around the world, dictators were being deposed and elections were proliferating. But in many of the places where ballots were being counted, the rule of law, respect for minorities, freedom of the press and other such traditions were being ignored or abused. Today, I worry that we might be watching the rise of illiberal democracy in the United States  something that should concern anyone, Republican or Democrat, Donald Trump supporter or critic.

What we think of as democracy in the modern world is really the fusing of two different traditions. One is, of course, public participation in selecting leaders. But there is a much older tradition in Western politics that, since the Magna Carta in 1215, has centered on the rights of individuals  against arbitrary arrest, religious conversion, censorship of thought. These individual freedoms (of speech, belief, property ownership and dissent) were eventually protected, not just from the abuse of a tyrant but also from democratic majorities. The Bill of Rights, after all, is a list of things that majorities cannot do.

[I watched a populist leader rise in my country. Thats why Im genuinely worried for America.]

In the West, these two traditions  liberty and law on the one hand, and popular participation on the other  became intertwined, creating what we call liberal democracy. It was noticeable when I wrote the essay, and even clearer now, that in a number of countries  including Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Iraq and the Philippines  the two strands have come apart. Democracy persists (in many cases), but liberty is under siege. In these countries, the rich and varied inner stuffing of liberal democracy is vanishing, leaving just the outer, democratic shell.

What stunned me as this process unfolded was that laws and rules did little to stop this descent. Many countries had adopted fine constitutions, put in place elaborate checks and balances, and followed best practices from the advanced world. But in the end, liberal democracy was eroded anyway. It turns out that what sustains democracy is not simply legal safeguards and rules, but norms and practices  democratic behavior. This culture of liberal democracy is waning in the United States today.

(The Washington Post)

The Founding Fathers were skeptical of democracy and conceived of America as a republic to mitigate some of the dangers of illiberal democracy. The Bill of Rights, the Supreme Court, state governments and the Senate are all bulwarks against majoritarianism. But the United States also developed a democratic culture, formed in large part by a series of informal buffers that worked in similar ways. Alexis de Tocqueville called them associations  meaning nongovernmental groups such as choir societies, rotary clubs and professional groups  and argued that they acted to weaken the moral empire of the majority. Alexander Hamilton felt that ministers, lawyers and other professionals would be the impartial arbiters of American democracy, ensuring that rather than narrow, special interests, the society and its government would focus on the national interest.

The two prevailing dynamics in U.S. society over the past few decades have been toward greater democratic openness and market efficiency. Congressional decision-making has gone from a closed, hierarchical system to an open and freewheeling one. Political parties have lost their internal strength and are now merely vessels for whoever wins the primaries. Guilds and other professional associations have lost nearly all moral authority and have become highly competitive and insecure organizations, whose members do not  and probably cannot  afford to act in ways that serve the public interest. In the media  the only industry protected explicitly in the Constitution  a tradition of public interest ownership and management aspired to educate the public. Todays media have drifted from this tradition.

[Is America at its greatest what Trump has in mind?]

I recognize that this is a romantic view of the role of these elites and hierarchical structures. Parts of the media were partisan and scandal-hungry from the start. Lawyers often acted in their own narrow interests; accountants regularly conspired in frauds. And those smoke-filled rooms with party bosses often made terrible decisions.

But we are now getting to see what American democracy looks like without any real buffers in the way of sheer populism and demagoguery. The parties have collapsed, Congress has caved, professional groups are largely toothless, the media have been rendered irrelevant. When I wrote a book about illiberal democracy in 2003, I noted that in polls, Americans showed greatest respect for the three most undemocratic institutions in the country: the Supreme Court, the Federal Reserve and the armed forces. Today, the first two have lost much of their luster, and only the latter remains broadly admired.

What we are left with today is an open, meritocratic, competitive society in which everyone is an entrepreneur, from a congressman to an accountant, always hustling for personal advantage. But who and what remain to nourish and preserve the common good, civic life and liberal democracy?

Read more from Fareed Zakarias archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
THIS DOESNT HAPPEN. Thats how Princeton researcher Anne Case reacted to Post reporter Lenny Bernstein, discussing one of the most concerning pieces of news this year  that U.S. life expectancy declined in 2015, for the first time since 1993. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, Americans died at a younger age, on average, because of increasing mortality from heart disease, strokes, drug overdoses, diabetes, accidents and other causes, pushing the death rate up 1.2 percent.

As the incoming administration prepares to reshape the nations health-care system and budget, it should keep in mind the public-health challenges that cannot be solved without government research money, government health campaigns and government support for low-income people. In fact, the challenges may be getting more severe, because baby boomers are aging, requiring more care, and because Americans of many age groups may be living less healthy lives.

One reading of the governments numbers focuses on diseases of despair  suicide, alcoholism and other dangerous drug use  that some research suggests increasingly afflict white Middle America. But it would be too easy to conclude that pressing forward on President-elect Donald Trumps promises to revitalize white working-class communities would be a magic-bullet response. Too easy, first, because Mr. Trump so far has offered no plan to bring prosperity back to downscale communities and, second, because the governments numbers suggest a broad problem.

Mortality among African American men rose about as much as it did among white men. Relative to the population as a whole, deaths increased from a wide range of causes. Heart disease was the biggest killer . Some experts suggested that the long-term rise in obesity is taking its toll. Doctors prescribing patterns are a major driver of deadly opioid addiction. Other major developed nations are not seeing comparable increases in mortality.

Cancer, though still a major killer, claimed proportionally fewer lives than it did the year before. This could be in part because research is delivering new tools that allow doctors to tailor treatments to specific tumors and encourage peoples immune systems to fight cancerous cells on their own. This is one fruit of federal investment in scientific research. People also are smoking less  a result of government anti-tobacco efforts, one of the most important public-health campaigns ever.

You cant tell from a single year of data whether we are seeing a trend. Even if not, the public-health challenges are huge: Too many people are dying of preventable causes, and many more are dying of diseases for which research could eventually deliver cures. The next Congress and president appear set on significantly curbing government health programs. They should target real waste, not hobble the governments ability to improve Americans health.
BEYOND BROKEN. That characterization by then-D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier of the Districts criminal-justice system was dismissed by some as hyperbole. But the truth of her words has been borne out in excruciating detail over the past year by Post reporters who have chronicled how repeat violent offenders are released back into the community, only to commit new crimes. Where the hell is the outrage? asked the departing chief  a question that, more than ever in light of The Posts revelations, demands to be addressed by the city and federal officials responsible for the system.

The failings of the mix of local and federal agencies that comprise the criminal-justice system in the District have been the subject of examination in The Posts ongoing Second-Chance City series. Lax enforcement by key federal agencies and questionable judgments from the D.C. Superior Court were spotlighted in a case in which the release of an offender resulted in a woman being raped. Analysis undertaken for the first time of the citys Youth Rehabilitation Act revealed a pattern of violent offenders returning to the community and committing more crimes. The latest installment of the series by The Posts Aaron C. Davis showed how the federal Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) loses track of offenders it classifies as high risk, sometimes with tragic consequences.

What becomes clear from The Posts work is that aside from human error and questionable calls  of which there have been, unfortunately, plenty  the hybrid mix of federal and local agencies has created layers of bureaucracy that make it nearly impossible to nimbly share information and react. That the court agency, unlike supervisory counterparts in the rest of the country, does not notify law enforcement or the public about missing offenders is simply inconceivable. With our population, we want to give them the benefit of the doubt, CSOSA Director Nancy M. Ware told Mr. Davis. Imagine an official answerable at the ballot box thinking they could get away with that explanation.

Clearly, one of the things that has been lost with federal control is accountability. Witness Ms. Ware telling the Districts deputy mayor for public safety that she reports to the president of the United States, that the last congressional oversight hearing was almost four years ago, and that a Freedom of Information Act request from The Post filed in January 2016 has yet to be answered.

Defenders of the system are quick to point out that its successes have been overlooked. We dont doubt the worth of innovative programs such as the Districts no-bail pre-trial release system, or that it is right to avoid the lock-em-up thinking that has lead to mass incarceration, especially of young black men. But in refusing to acknowledge the problems  indeed, even to collect the data needed to properly assess the system  advocates end up treating the victims of crime like so much collateral damage. Indeed, that point was tragically brought home with the Christmas week murder of a local actress, allegedly by a released offender who had failed to get his required fitting with a locator bracelet.

Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and the D.C. Council have promised to do their own assessments of the system and recommend needed reforms. Whether they get the necessary cooperation from their federal partners is something that Congress needs to ensure by conducting its own oversight.
THE OBAMA administration is ending eight years of failed Middle East diplomacy exactly where it began in 2009  with an exaggerated and misguided focus on Israeli settlement construction. As he railed at the continuing growth of West Bank Jewish housing on Wednesday with a prolixity that Fidel Castro would have admired, Secretary of State John F. Kerry sounded a lot like President Obama during the early months of his first term, when he insisted that the Israeli government freeze all construction as a starting point for negotiations on a Palestinian state. The presidents demand had the effect of encouraging Palestinian leaders to resist all concessions while seeking to delegitimize Israel internationally; the peace talks went nowhere even when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu imposed a temporary construction freeze.

[If theres no two-state solution, what will Israel become?]

Mr. Kerrys speech was, above all, a vivid demonstration of the administrations inability to learn from its mistakes or adjust the ideological tenets that Mr. Obama brought to office. If it has an effect, it will be to do more damage to the two-state solution that Mr. Kerry claimed to be defending. His histrionic rhetoric about cementing an irreversible one-state reality will be welcomed by extremists among both Israelis and Palestinians, who are eager to declare the two-state option dead. The one-staters include members of the incoming Trump administration, which appears headed toward flipping U.S. policy to the opposite extreme, of cheerleading for settlements  a position that would be no less blinkered and self-defeating than Mr. Obamas.

In fact, the two-state solution remains entirely viable, as even the settlement statistics cited by Mr. Kerry demonstrate. The administration asserts that the Jewish population in the West Bank has increased by 100,000 since 2009  but by Mr. Kerrys account, 80 percent of that growth was in areas Israel would likely annex in any settlement. In eight years, 20,000 people have been added to communities in territory likely to become part of Palestine  an area where 2.75 million Arabs now live. That growth of about 3 percent per annum, the product of a restraint for which Mr. Netanyahu received no White House credit, means that the Jewish population outside Israels West Bank fence may have decreased as a percentage of the overall population even as Mr. Obama and Mr. Kerry have made it the focal point of U.S. policy.

What blocks the two-state solution is not demography, but a failure of leadership among Israelis and Palestinians. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas walked away from a generous Israeli statehood offer eight years ago and in 2014 refused to accept the framework for a settlement that Mr. Kerry outlined on Wednesday. Though he has endorsed two states, Mr. Netanyahu has been unwilling to stand up to nationalists to his right.

[Obamas final, most shameful, legacy moment]

Its unlikely that Israeli and Palestinian leaders who are willing and able to reach agreement will emerge in the near future. Thats why the best U.S. policy would be to work to preserve the option of Palestinian statehood for the longer term, by combating Palestinian corruption and political dysfunction and by encouraging Israel to facilitate the growth of a viable West Bank economy. A new U.S. administration could also work to strike a deal on settlements that restricted all growth to areas that would not be part of a Palestinian state. That would require the sort of pragmatic clear-headedness that for eight years eluded the Obama administration.
I came here during the holidays to visit an old friend whos fallen on hard times.

Amid the cultural sensation of Lin-Manuel Mirandas Hamilton on Broadway, the protagonists arch-rival, Thomas Jefferson, has momentarily lost his place of honor in the founding narrative. If Alexander Hamilton is the hero, the Sage of Monticello, though not the villain (thats Aaron Burr) is an impediment.

In truth, Jefferson and Hamilton were indispensable, the yin and yang of American democracy: Jeffersons love of liberty and Hamiltons taste for centralized power created the balance that built the worlds economic and military superpower. And they had common cause in defending their creation.

Their system was under threat in 1800, when a quirk in the electoral college left the federalist-controlled House of Representatives to award the presidency to one of two republicans, Jefferson and Burr. Miranda portrayed Hamilton as reluctantly drawn out of retirement to endorse Jefferson, but Hamiltons letters show he was zealous in persuading fellow federalists to choose Jefferson  a man with whom he had more ideological differences than with Burr.

The danger to the new country, Hamilton argued, wasnt ideological disputes, but the possibility that an unprincipled man would exploit public passions. He called Burr a latter-day Catiline, the ancient Roman senator who attempted a populist uprising against the Republic.

Hamiltons letters from 216 winters ago, which I re-read this week, provide much relevance to this moment, as our 45th president assumes office.

Hamilton was no apologist for Jefferson, whose politics were tinctured with fanaticism, and who was a contemptible hypocrite. But, Hamilton wrote to Federalist James Bayard of Delaware, Jefferson is not zealot enough to do anything in pursuance of his principles which will contravene his popularity, or his interest. He is as likely as any man I know to temporize  to calculate what will be likely to promote his own reputation and advantage; and the probable result of such a temper is the preservation of systems, though originally opposed, which being once established, could not be overturned without danger to the person who did it. . . . Add to this that there is no fair reason to suppose him capable of being corrupted, which is a security that he will not go beyond certain limits.

Some Federalists thought the non-ideological Burr would be more malleable. But, Hamilton countered, a man without theory cannot be a systematic or able statesman. Burr is more cunning than wise . . . inferior in real ability to Jefferson, Hamilton wrote. Great Ambition unchecked by principle . . . is an unruly Tyrant.

The former Treasury secretary warned that Burrs trafficking in the floating passions of the multitude would lead him to endeavour to disorganize both parties & to form out of them a third composed of men fitted by their characters to be conspirators.

Hamilton recounted that when Burr was told something wasnt permissible under the American system, Burr replied les grands ames se soucient peu des petits morceaux  great souls care little about small things. This led Hamilton to conclude that Burr would consider a scheme of usurpation as visionary.

Hamilton issued similar warnings in the winter of 1800-1801 to James Ross of Pennsylvania, John Rutledge Jr. of South Carolina, Oliver Wolcott Jr. of Connecticut and Gouverneur Morris of New York. To restrain Burr, Hamilton wrote Morris, would be to bind a Giant by a cobweb.

(Twitter/Hamilton via Storyful)

Certainly there was personal enmity between Hamilton and the bankrupt voluptuary he called Burr. But underlying Hamiltons aggressive campaign for Jefferson was a fear that Americas democracy was too fragile to survive Burrs ambition.

He is of a temper to undertake the most hazardous enterprises because he is sanguine enough to think nothing impracticable, and of an ambition which will be content with nothing less than permanent power in his own hands, he wrote Bayard. The maintenance of the existing institutions will not suit him, because under them his power will be too narrow & too precarious; yet the innovations he may attempt will not offer the substitute of a system durable & safe, calculated to give lasting prosperity, & to unite liberty with strength. It will be the system of the day, sufficient to serve his own turn, & not looking beyond himself.

The truth, Hamilton wrote, is that under forms of Government like ours, too much is practicable to men who will without scruple avail themselves of the bad passions of human nature.

Hamiltons view of Burr would later become universal. Jefferson would come to see his former running mate as one of the most flagitious [villainous] of which history will ever furnish an example.

Hamiltons intervention gave the country the triumphant presidency of Jefferson, sparing the young nation an unscrupulous man exploiting public passion to usurp power.

Will we be as lucky in 2017?

Twitter: @Milbank

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The opportunity for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may already have expired. The question going forward, then, is what kind of democracy Israel intends to be.

The Obama administrations frustration with the situation is understandable. The continued building of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is indeed unhelpful, and the decision to abstain on a U.N. Security Council resolution declaring the settlements illegal brought renewed focus and urgency to the problem. To what end, however, is unclear.

When everyone stops shouting, Israel will remain one of the United States closest allies  and, courtesy of President Obama, the recipient of a $38 billion aid package over 10 years that will ensure the Jewish states military dominance over its neighbors. Palestinian leaders in the West Bank will remain wary of negotiating any sort of two-state deal from a position of weakness. And the passage of time will make facts on the ground  expanding settlements and the ongoing security threat  ever more stubbornly entrenched.

[On Israel, were right back where Obama started]

Secretary of State John F. Kerrys speech Wednesday on the conflict reflected his and Obamas annoyance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has stayed in power by indulging the Israeli far right and the settler movement. But why would Netanyahu listen to Kerrys advice when Donald Trump is about to be inaugurated as president? Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching! Trump tweeted this week.

Kerry argued that Israel would never be able to improve relations with Arab states until it made peace with the Palestinians. But Israel and key nations such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt now have a common enemy in Iran, which is growing in power and confidence. The proverb about the enemy of my enemy being my friend is always relevant in the Middle East.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would restart peace negotiations if Netanyahu, in the wake of the Security Council vote, declared a freeze on further settlements. I see no reason to expect Netanyahu to comply, especially since doing so would cost him vital political support  and since the next U.S. president is already encouraging him to stay strong. So the bitter stalemate continues.

What vexes Obama  and increasingly angers leaders in Europe  is that the map of a two-state solution was drawn years ago and is gathering dust on disappointed diplomats shelves. It involves swaps in which Israel annexes parts of the West Bank that are heavily populated by settlers and the Palestinians receive slices of Israeli land in return. Israel insists that a Palestinian state be essentially demilitarized, which would make it less than fully sovereign. Netanyahu also demands that the Palestinians recognize Israel not just as a state, but as a Jewish state.

Which raises the question of what Israel becomes in the absence of a two-state deal.

Today, there are . . . a similar number of Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, Kerry said. They have a choice. They can choose to live together in one state, or they can separate into two states. But here is a fundamental reality: If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic  it cannot be both  and it wont ever really be at peace.

In interviews with me over the years, Netanyahu has essentially countered that it is easy to make such observations from the comforts of Foggy Bottom, Whitehall or the Elysee Palace, far beyond the range of the deadly rockets that too often fall on Israeli towns and cities. He is right in this.

[Obamas final, most shameful, legacy moment]

But Kerry was also right when he said that the status quo is leading towards one state and perpetual occupation. And Netanyahu is dreaming if he does not think this has profound long-term implications for Israel.

How long will it take for the world to conclude that a de facto one-state solution exists? Another year? Five? Ten?

The moment will eventually come, and focus will shift to the political rights of the 2.8 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. With Arabs constituting about 35 percent of the population living under Israeli government control (including 1.7 million who already live in Israel proper), how can such a huge minority be permanently denied full participation in the nations civic life?

Israel is a vibrant democracy that takes seriously the moral and ethical requirements of Judaism. These are incompatible with perpetual occupation of the West Bank and the denial of basic rights to those who live there. There is no way around this contradiction. Something has to give.

Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
For America, 2016 was a dark year. The country was still at war. Our election was a brutal grudge match that left us more polarized than ever. Our closest allies were rocked by terrorism and turmoil. Adversaries toyed with our politics. Even the basic facts about life and science seemed to be in dispute.

However you voted, this was a year few would want to repeat. Now, as the calendar is about to turn, many of us look to the new year with a mix of hope and concern.

If youre like me, this holiday season is a time for reflection, sometimes with anguish, about how we got here and where were going. I found comfort in the image at the center of the Christian faith, of an innocent baby arriving in a dark land  the beginning of a story that has been more powerful over the past 2,000 years than all the tyrants and tax collectors.

Americans are optimists, by birth or affirmation. We pledge allegiance to a country that is indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We believe in And the Fair Land, the abundant nation evoked by the Wall Street Journal in its Thanksgiving editorial, which has been printed every year since 1961: We can remind ourselves that for all our social discord we yet remain the longest enduring society of free men governing themselves without benefit of kings or dictators. Being so, we are the marvel and the mystery of the world.

The year ahead will test how well the system devised by our founders works under stress. President-elect Donald Trump proposes radical changes welcomed by his supporters but feared by many who voted against him. He wont succeed if he drives the country to the breaking point.

How hard will Trump push to undo existing laws and agreements? Will Congress play its role in checking raw executive power, or will Republican majorities be loyal to party first? Will officials who swear to protect and defend the Constitution demonstrate by their behavior in office that they mean it?

As Trumps inauguration approaches, he remains a mystery to many of us. He seeks to be a disruptive agent of change, but what are the limits? What if Trump tries to place himself above the law? He wouldnt be the first president to do so, but are the countrys institutions still strong enough to resist? What if he tries to subvert investigations of Russian hacking that are being conducted by our intelligence agencies and Congress? The cliche profiles in courage may actually get a test in 2017.

Trumps comment Wednesday that we ought to get on with our lives despite Russian hacking sounded like a self-protective attempt to minimize an investigation thats only beginning.

This coming year, the United States will face the severe strains that accompany change and political division. Were a soft target for our adversaries right now  a country whose nerves are raw and jangled, whose tribal fault lines are exposed and easy to exploit.

Our national heroes are the men and women who get up every day and serve the country  in the military abroad, in schools and hospitals and fire stations at home. We want to be as steadfast in adversity as they are. Well find out in 2017 how healthy our body politic really is, and whether our democratic institutions remain resilient.

This holiday season, I got a burst of sunshine in a production of Carousel, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, at the Arena Stage in Washington. Many strands of our national myth come together in this story of a carnival barker who falls in love with a sweet, shy girl who works in a factory. Its a hymn to blue-collar America, to rebellious young people who insist on being free spirits despite the prissy elitists and censorious prudes who want to tell them what to think. Like Oklahoma, it describes the America many of us have in our heads when we think about the way life used to be.

How did this quintessential American story of working people in Maine emerge? It was adapted from a 1909 Hungarian play. The 1945 Broadway version was written by two Jewish Americans and directed by an Armenian American. Nowadays, the phrase melting pot is sometimes taken as a micro-aggression. Not then.

When Trump says Make America Great Again, he evokes the national mythology that binds us together, whatever racial or other biases it may conceal. After a bruising 2016, perhaps this is a theme that we all can embrace. America is at its greatest when its united, confident and inclusive of all its citizens. Lets hope thats what Trump has in mind for this country. We need to be great in that way again.

Read more from David Ignatiuss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
In his study of innovation, Steven Johnson is intrigued by the work of Victor Gruen, a European socialist and the unlikely father of the modern American mall. (Courtesy of WTTW Chicago)

Eric Weiner is the author, most recently, of The Geography of Genius: Lessons From the Worlds Most Creative Places.

Of the many colorful characters who populate Steven Johnsons engaging new book, none is as deliciously eccentric as Jacques de Vaucanson. The 18th-century French inventor built an automaton called the Digesting Duck that, as Johnson recounts, consumed grain, flapped its wings, and  the piece de resistance  actually defecated after eating.

Most historians would dismiss de Vaucansons creation as an amusing curiosity. Not Johnson. He traces an unexpected but plausible route from the Digesting Duck to the first programmable computer.

Dont let the defecating duck fool you. Wonderland is no mere diversion. It is a rare gem: a serious (occasionally too serious) take on a seemingly frivolous subject. The big idea that lies at its heart is as simple as it is unexpected: Play, in its various forms, matters, and in surprisingly productive ways. Its not somber scientists who drive human ingenuity, nor the warrior class and its quest for a better spear. No, argues Johnson, it is the vehicle of play and its accompanying drivetrain, the propulsive force of delight, to which we owe a huge debt. If you want to know how we got here, look not to the research lab but to the playground  or wherever you find people mucking around with magic, toys, games, and other seemingly idle pastimes.

This is an ambitious book. Johnsons goal is nothing short of upending our innovation narrative. For starters, we have the sequencing wrong. Trivial pursuits dont follow serious endeavors, they precede them and, crucially, inspire them, even if unintentionally. Play is prologue.

This is not a self-evident thesis, which is why, I suspect, Johnson goes to such lengths to hammer it home. He revels in the slow reveal. At first, his historical anecdotes feel digressive. Why is Johnson prattling on about some cave bear that met its demise 43,000 years ago in what is today Slovenia? But a reader will follow a good writer anywhere, and so we follow.

Usually (not always), Johnson delivers. Sure enough, we discover that our ancestors crafted one of the hapless bears bones into a flute, one of the oldest artifacts of human ingenuity.

In Johnsons intellectual funhouse, everything is topsy-turvy. We learn, for instance, that during the Middle Ages, pepper was so prized that a pound of the spice was worth more than a pound of gold. We learn that film projected at precisely 12 frames per second marks the line between flat animation and a lifelike rendition capable of bringing tears to our eyes, as the debut of Disneys Snow White did in 1937. We learn that a player piano developed in part by the actress Hedy Lamarr ultimately led to the spread spectrum technology used in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

In Johnsons revised history, not only does the sequencing shift, so does the cast of characters. Out is Eli Whitney and his cotton gin. In is Girolamo Cardano, a 16th-century Venetian card shark and pioneer of probability theory. Out is James Watt and his steam engine. In is Victor Gruen, a European socialist and the unlikely father of the modern American mall.

Christopher Columbus is a familiar character, but Johnsons take is anything but. On the Italian explorers second journey to the Americas, he and his crew observed the local tribes of Hispaniola playing a game with an unusual ball, one that did something theyd never seen a ball do before: bounce. Columbus and his crew didnt realize it at the time, but they were the first Europeans to experience the distinctive properties of the organic compound isoprene, the key ingredients of what we now call rubber, Johnson explains. It was this bouncing ball, posits Johnson, that lay the groundwork for the vulcanization process perfected by Charles Goodyear centuries later.

Our fixation on play and delight may have transformed the world, but, Johnson concedes, it did not always transform it for the better. The cotton and spice trades are just two examples of how one peoples amusements can be anothers anguish. On a lighter note, the opening of Le Bon Marche, the worlds first department store, in Paris in 1852 led to, among other things, the advent of shoplifting and overextended credit lines.

Throughout Wonderland, Johnson draws a straight line between seemingly disparate happenings, but in reality its never straight. Innovation is a messy, nonlinear affair, so intertwined are the ingredients that its virtually impossible to isolate any single one.

Thus the embedded flaw in the How-X-Made-the-Modern-World genre. X never acts alone. Its always part of a larger ecosystem, what scientists call a complex adaptive system. And so, invariably, authors like Johnson are prone to overreach. Johnsons assertion, for instance, that the extravagant drapers shops of early 18th-century London helped create the industrial revolution is intriguing but not wholly convincing. Sure, those shops played a role, but so did the climate, the political situation and a host of other variables. In other words, its unclear whether the drapers shops played a starring role or a supporting one, or merely had a cameo.

Johnson displays flashes of whimsy, describing the kaleidoscope, for instance, as the PlayStation of the late Georgian era, but those moments are rare. Despite its subject matter, or perhaps because of it, Wonderland is a sober, sturdy book. Johnsons research is exhaustive and, at times, exhausting. A bit more levity would have helped the material go down more smoothly.

In the end, Wonderland is less about play than it is about playthings and the innovations they midwifed. Missing is any real sense of how play has shaped the world of ideas  our notions of democracy, free will, friendship, love and the like.

None of these shortcomings detract from what is a fascinating work of revisited history with all the narrative traction of a good mystery. The riddle is this: Why have humans devoted so much energy  and in some cases risked their lives  in pursuit of the nonessential? As Johnson points out, no one needs the color purple. Likewise, he wonders aloud why music appears to leap ahead of where it should logically be in the hierarchy of needs.

Johnson never fully solves the riddle, but who can blame him? It is unsolvable. Our illogical, enduring fascination with play remains one of lifes great mysteries. That is precisely what makes the subject so fascinating, and Wonderland such a compelling read.
When the chips are down, I have Israels back.

 Barack Obama, AIPAC

conference, March 4, 2012

The audience  overwhelmingly Jewish, passionately pro-Israel and supremely gullible  applauded wildly. Four years later  his last election behind him, with a month to go in office and with no need to fool Jew or gentile again  Obama took the measure of Israels back and slid a knife into it.

People dont quite understand the damage done to Israel by the U.S. abstention that permitted passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel over settlements. The administration pretends this is nothing but a restatement of long-standing U.S. opposition to settlements.

Nonsense. For the past 35 years, every administration, including a reelection-seeking Obama himself in 2011, has protected Israel with the U.S. veto because such a Security Council resolution gives immense legal ammunition to every boycotter, anti-Semite and zealous European prosecutor to penalize and punish Israelis.

[On Israel, were right back where Obama started]

An ordinary Israeli who lives or works in the Old City of Jerusalem becomes an international pariah, a potential outlaw. To say nothing of the soldiers of Israels citizen army. Every pilot and every officer and every soldier, said a confidant of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, we are waiting for him at The Hague, i.e. the International Criminal Court.

Moreover, the resolution undermines the very foundation of a half-century of American Middle East policy. What becomes of land for peace if the territories that Israel was to have traded for peace are, in advance, declared to be Palestinian land to which Israel has no claim?

The peace parameters enunciated so ostentatiously by Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday are nearly identical to the Clinton parameters that Yasser Arafat was offered and rejected in 2000 and that Abbas was offered by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in 2008. Abbas, too, walked away.

Kerry mentioned none of this because it undermines his blame-Israel narrative. Yet Palestinian rejectionism works. The Security Council just declared the territories legally Palestinian  without the Palestinians having to concede anything, let alone peace. What incentive do the Palestinians have to negotiate when they can get the terms  and territory  they seek handed to them for free if they hold out long enough?

The administration claims a kind of passive innocence on the text of the resolution, as if it had come upon it at the last moment. We are to believe that the ostensible sponsors  New Zealand, Senegal, Malaysia and a Venezuela that cannot provide its own people with toilet paper, let alone food  had for months been sweating the details of Jewish housing in East Jerusalem.

Nothing new here, protests deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes: When we see the facts on the ground, again, deep into the West Bank beyond the separation barrier, we feel compelled to speak up against those actions.

This is a deception. Everyone knows that remote outposts are not the issue. Under any peace, they will be swept away. Even right-wing Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who lives in one of these West Bank settlements, has stated publicly that I even agree to vacate my settlement if there really will be a two-state solution. Wheres the obstacle to peace?

A second category of settlement is the close-in blocs that border 1967 Israel. Here, too, we know in advance how these will be disposed of: Theyll become Israeli territory and, in exchange, Israel will swap over some of its land to a Palestinian state. Wheres the obstacle to peace here?

[If theres no two-state solution, what will Israel become?]

Its the third category of settlement that is the most contentious and that Security Council Resolution 2334 explicitly condemns: East Jerusalem. This is not just scandalous; its absurd. America acquiesces to a declaration that, as a matter of international law, the Jewish state has no claim on the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, indeed the entire Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem. They belong to Palestine.

The Temple Mount is the most sacred site in all of Judaism. That it should be declared foreign to the Jewish people is as if the Security Council declared Mecca and Medina to be territory to which Islam has no claim. Such is the Orwellian universe Israel inhabits.

At the very least, Obama should have insisted that any reference to East Jerusalem be dropped from the resolution or face a U.S. veto. Why did he not? Its incomprehensible  except as a parting shot of personal revenge on Benjamin Netanyahu. Or perhaps as a revelation of a deep-seated antipathy to Israel that simply awaited a safe political interval for public expression.

Another legacy moment for Barack Obama. And his most shameful.

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THE BEST response to racism is to call it out, loudly and by name. Thats especially true now, amid an election-fueled surge in hate crimes and hateful public remarks, on social media and elsewhere. The good news is that even as odious and dismaying commentary spreads, it has triggered a forceful response, including, crucially, from President-elect Donald Trump and his advisers.

Politicians cannot be expected to repudiate every insufferable remark by allies and supporters. Still, Mr. Trump, who insists he is the least racist person on Earth, is well advised to demonstrate that his distaste for political correctness is not license for hate speech. It was therefore welcome to hear his transition team denounce as absolutely reprehensible the latest obnoxious racist rant from Trump backer Carl Paladino, erstwhile Republican gubernatorial candidate in New York and now a school board member in Buffalo. Mr. Paladino, long prone to raw and racist taunts, had publicly expressed the wish that President Obama would die of mad cow disease and that first lady Michelle Obama would return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe, where she would cohabitate with a gorilla in a cave.

It was similarly heartening that officials in West Virginia ensured the dismissal of the head of a state-funded nonprofit agency after she referred to Ms. Obama, in a Facebook post, as an ape in heels.

In those instances, as in countless others, the authors issued mealy-mouthed (or almost equally offensive) apologies, protested that they themselves had been victimized by the ensuing vilification and insisted that racism wasnt their intent. No surprise there; the most detestable racists are often so steeped in their own bigotry, and the affirmation of like-minded bigots, that they can scarcely recognize their own hatred, or give it a name.

Polls in one early-primary state, South Carolina, showed Mr. Trumps voters were more likely than those of his rivals to embrace white supremacy and the Confederate battle flag, wish the South had won the Civil War, and reject the Emancipation Proclamation. White supremacists in the alt-right movement were cheered by Mr. Trumps decision to name Stephen K. Bannon, former chief of right-wing Breitbart News, as his senior White House strategist. But to say that racists rallied to Mr. Trumps banner during the election is not to call Trump supporters generally racist.

Calling out racists such as Mr. Paladino is a good way for the incoming team to show that it does not welcome the support of people with odious views.
William Ecenbarger is author of Walkin the Line, a travel-history book about the Mason-Dixon Line.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the completion of the Mason-Dixon Line, one of the most important boundaries  and symbols  in American history.

Its an imaginary line scored with limestone markers quarried in England, shipped to America and placed at one-mile intervals by the Mason-Dixon party some two and a half centuries ago. The markers have survived the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, snowplows, farmers tractors and countless storms and floods, but after two and a half centuries, many of the original boundary stones are weathered, have been damaged or vandalized or are missing altogether.

In 1990, a group of concerned surveyors formed the Mason and Dixon Line Preservation Partnership. Its members used satellite technology to locate the stones and purchased replacement stones for the missing markers. Their work was important because it enables preservationists to go back to the stones periodically, repair damaged ones and replace missing ones.

But no one is stepping forward to do these things. The partnership is nearly out of money and close to disbanding. No one is taking responsibility for the care of the markers.

The genesis of the line was a protracted boundary dispute between the proprietary families of Maryland (the Calverts) and Pennsylvania (the Penns). To settle the matter, they commissioned a survey and hired two Englishmen, Charles Mason, an astronomer, and Jeremiah Dixon, a surveyor. The pair arrived in Philadelphia in 1763.

Mason and Dixon used the stars to calculate this path through the wilderness and mark the 233-mile east-west boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, and the 83-mile north-south boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania (now Delaware). The effort took five years.

Working amid great physical danger, Mason and Dixon set the highest standards for surveying accuracy, devising many innovative ways to calculate distances and directions and influencing the great surveyors who came after them.

When the two men left America, their work was soon forgotten. Indeed, the official report on the survey issued in 1768 didnt even mention the names of Mason or Dixon. Ironically, Mason and Dixon probably never heard the phrase Mason-Dixon Line.

But on March 1, 1780, Pennsylvania abolished slavery, and the line became the boundary not just between Pennsylvania and Maryland but also between freedom and slavery  and the goal of every runaway slave seeking freedom in the north along the Underground Railroad. Thousands of enslaved men and women escaped by riding an imaginary railroad across an imaginary line.

Most of the milestones bear a P on one side and an M on the other, but some stones, placed at every fifth mile along the line, are engraved with the Penn family coat of arms on one side and the Calvert family coat of arms on the other.

Todd Babcock, a professional surveyor and a founder of the preservation partnership, says many of the crown stones coats of arms have eroded and are no longer distinguishable. Some damage is because of vandalism. A lot of times weve seen places where people actually shot the stones with a rifle, Babcock says. You can see marks on the side. A few are zealously protected by private landowners.

Babcock is concerned about the future. If someone steals a stone to decorate their back yard, he says, youve lost a tangible part of Masons and Dixons historic achievement.

What to do about this is an open question. Designating all or part of the line a hiking trail is fraught with problems because much of it is on private land. A less expensive and more realistic avenue could be that the three states make a small appropriation every year for inspection of the stones, but this would not protect them.

Elizabeth Hughes, director of the Maryland Historical Trust, said preservation agencies from the three states are in preliminary discussions over how to protect these unique historic resources. She concedes that it is a unique problem. Its not like preserving a building or a battlefield  there were some 300 of these monuments originally set in place, each separated by a mile.

Meanwhile, the stones, palpable monuments to American history, are just sitting out there, some of them on private land, largely unprotected by anything or anyone.

William Ecenbarger is author of Walkin the Line, a travel-history book about the Mason-Dixon Line.
Regarding Chip Bowlings Dec. 25 Local Opinions essay, A cleaner Chesapeake through genetically engineered crops:

The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance is partially funded by Monsanto and DuPont, which are major sources of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and other crops designed to resist the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup). Genetically engineered corn and soybeans dominate U.S. production . Overuse of the herbicide on these vast monocultures has resulted in resistance in more than 35 species of weeds that invade the engineered environmentally friendly crops. Weeds must now be killed by higher concentrations and increased volume of more potent herbicides. Where runoff occurs, pollution will increase in surrounding waterways and rivers.

Adverse health conditions have not been found from consumption of engineered crops, but the damaging effects of millions of gallons of herbicides on the environment should not be minimized.

Roger Lawson, Columbia
Lincoln Police this week released surveillance video of the two suspects they say robbed an east Lincoln bank branch on Wednesday.

The two robbers, who remain at large, entered the Union Bank & Trust branch at 6801 O St. between 5:20 and 5:30 p.m., Lincoln Police Sgt. Jake Dilsaver said.

One of the robbers carried a handgun and fired two shots in the direction of employees, Dilsaver said. Police found bullet holes in the bank's ceiling and in a flat screen TV, Sgt. Randy Clark said Thursday.

No injuries were reported.

They left with an undisclosed amount of cash and a red dye pack that had exploded, Clark said.

An attempt to track them using a police dog wasn't successful. A detailed description has not been released.

Clark said police are looking into the possibility the robbery is connected to a similar robbery that happened at the U-Stop on West O Street Monday.

Two men went into the store around 9:44 p.m., police said, and one fired a warning shot and took cash while the other stood near the door.

No injuries were reported in that robbery.
British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerrys blunt speech on the state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Alastair Grant/AP)

British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned a blunt speech this week by Secretary of State John F. Kerry on the state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an unusual move that boosted Britains relations with the incoming Trump administration at the expense of President Obama.

The rare diplomatic spat between Britain and the United States, which was met with surprise by the State Department, highlighted the fast-collapsing influence of the lame-duck White House. It also pointed to a vast reordering of international affairs expected after Donald Trump takes office in three weeks, as U.S. allies position themselves to curry favor in the new order.

The transatlantic split was particularly unexpected given that Mays government acted as a key broker between U.S. and Palestinian interests ahead of a U.N. Security Council vote last week to declare Israeli settlement construction illegal. British diplomats worked as go-betweens in shaping the measure to ensure that the language was acceptable to the United States, Britains Guardian and Israels Haaretz newspapers reported this week.

Kerry on Wednesday offered a harsh assessment of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that his current coalition is the most right-wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by its most extreme elements. He criticized persistent Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank as a threat to the two-state solution under which Israel and a new Palestinian state would coexist side by side.

[Kerry harshly condemns Israeli settler activity as an obstacle to peace]

Mays office retorted that we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally. It said in an emailed statement late Thursday that we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict. In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long.

The move was an olive branch both to Netanyahu and to President-elect Trump, who railed against the Obama administrations decision to abstain from the vote on the Security Council resolution condemning the settlements and who has urged Israel to stay strong until he assumes office Jan. 20. Trump has expressed near-unconditional support for actions by the Israeli government, breaking with long-standing U.S. policy that has sought a middle ground between the two sides.

Kerrys speech and the U.S. abstention in the Security Council vote were received warmly by Germany and France, among other European nations, which led to a stunned reaction in Washington to the message from Mays office.

We are surprised by the U.K. Prime Ministers office statement given that Secretary Kerrys remarks  which covered the full range of threats to a two-state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlements  were in line with the U.K.s own longstanding policy and its vote at the United Nations last week, the State Department said in a statement.

British leaders have publicly embraced Trump since his victory last month, despite his urging that Nigel Farage, a lead campaigner for Britains exit from the European Union and a thorn in the side of the British government, be named British ambassador to Washington. Britain, which is preparing to negotiate the terms of a messy exit from the E.U., is hoping that a strong economic relationship with the United States will help smooth out the disruptions.

During his presidential campaign, Trump praised Britains vote to leave the European Union and took to calling himself Mr. Brexit.

This week, Britains ambassador in Washington, Kim Darroch, expressed hope that Trump and May would build on the legacy of previous leaders such as President Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Kerrys hour-long speech Wednesday was unusual in its breadth and frankness, coming from a man who devoted

much of his energy as the top U.S. diplomat toward Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that were ultimately abandoned.

Kerry said Wednesday that Israeli settlement activity, which has accelerated in recent years, was extending far into the West Bank, in the middle of what, by any reasonable definition, would be the future Palestinian state.

No one thinking seriously about peace can ignore the reality of what the settlements pose to that peace, he said.

The speech came at a historic low in relations between Israel and the United States, the Jewish states staunchest international ally. The Obama administration intended the abstention on the U.N. resolution as a warning

sign to the Netanyahu government that international support would not be unconditional as Israeli settlement populations swell.

The Australian government also distanced itself Friday from the Obama administrations stance on settlements and the U.N. resolution.

Australia supports negotiations leading to two independent states, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. But she said that Australia  which is not currently a member of the Security Council  did not support the U.N. resolution condemning settlements.

In voting at the U.N., the coalition government has consistently not supported one-sided resolutions targeting Israel, the statement said.

The impending realignment of U.S. foreign policy that apparently led to the rare break between Downing Street and the White House could also be seen Friday in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin opted not to retaliate publicly against fresh U.S. sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian officials from U.S. territory.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had recommended Friday the expulsion of 35 U.S. officials in retaliation. But Putin appears to be banking on markedly warmer relations with Trump.

The president-elect has praised the Kremlin and expressed disbelief at an assessment by the U.S. intelligence community that hackers backed by the Russian government were responsible for the leaks of sensitive emails from Democratic Party officials in a bid to help Trump win the White House.

Carol Morello in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

How the U.S. came to abstain on a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements

Donald Trump tweets support for Israel ahead of Kerry speech on Middle East

Israel intensifies battle with U.S. over U.N. resolution on settlements

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
A man carries a baby near damaged buildings in the rebel-held Syrian area of Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburbs, on Dec. 30. (Bassam Khabieh/Reuters)

A Russian-Turkish plan to end the war in Syria got off to a shaky start on Friday with the partial implementation of a new cease-fire agreement that excludes for now any involvement of the United States.

There are hopes that this peace attempt will work where countless U.S.-backed efforts have failed, in part because the United States is not involved. Russia, which is now the single most influential power in Syria, is taking the lead in the initiative, and President Vladimir Putin has staked his prestige on a successful outcome.

Turkey, which is the other main partner in the process, has far more leverage over the rebels than the United States ever did, above all because it controls the border they depend on for supplies of weaponry.

But continued fighting in the Damascus area marred the first day of the truce, serving as a reminder that the government of President Bashar al-Assad has always been a reluctant party to cease-fire efforts that threaten to interfere with government advances.

[On the front lines of the fight for the Islamic States capital of Raqqa]

Syrians buy gasoline on a street in the northwestern city of Idlib on Dec. 30. (Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images)

Loyalist forces intensified an assault launched last week against Wadi Barada, a rebel-held pocket of territory in the countryside west of Damascus, dropping barrel bombs and firing artillery into the remote, mountainous area, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

There was also continued fighting around the besieged neighborhoods of eastern Damascus, where government forces have been making progress in recent weeks.

Its not in Assads interests for there to be a cease-fire, because Assad is moving slowly and steadily to secure his control over the Damascus countryside, said Nicholas Heras of the Center for a New American Security.

The truce is more likely to work, Heras said, in the northern areas of Syria, where the recent victory by loyalist forces over the rebels in Aleppo has tilted the balance of power in favor of the Russian-backed government and given Turkey an incentive to sign onto a deal that preserves its influence along its southern border.

There, and in other parts of the country where the fighting ebbed, Syrians took advantage of the lull to stage anti-government demonstrations. Such protests were held every Friday in the early days of the uprising against Assads rule but were abandoned after the government started targeting the protests with airstrikes.

[How the Syrian revolt went so horribly, tragically wrong]

The cease-fire is just one step in a wider initiative sponsored by Russia and Turkey that aims to bring the factions together for peace talks next month in the city of Astana, capital of the central Asian nation of Kazakhstan.

The broad outlines of the peace proposal differ little from similar efforts launched last year by the United States, which envisaged that a cease-fire would be followed by peace talks in Geneva.

As was the case with the U.S.-backed efforts, details of the Russian plan remain vague. It is still unclear what kind of settlement Moscow is hoping will emerge from the process, who will attend the talks and, most significantly, whether rebels who wield power on the ground will be invited.

Rebel groups are assuming they will be included, and most have decided for now to throw their support behind the process, said Yasser al-Youssef of the rebel group Noureddine al-Zinki, one of the groups that did not sign the cease-fire agreement but has nonetheless decided to support it.

Nobody trusts the Russians at all. But no one has explicitly said they will not comply with the cease-fire, Youssef said. There is a lot of upset regarding the failure of the West in brokering a cease-fire, so the entire Arab world is looking to this process and hoping for the best.

Altogether, 13 rebel groups signed the cease-fire agreement, but many more are lending their support, he said.

The truce excludes the extremist Islamic State, which controls territory in the east of the country, and the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, which is present in almost all of the rebel-held areas that are covered by the cease-fire.

Irans role will also be crucial in determining the success of the cease-fire. Russia has included Iran as one of the three main sponsors of the peace process, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif posted a tweet Friday expressing his support for the cease-fire, calling it a major achievement.

Lets build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror, he added.

But Iran, which wields influence through the many Iranian-backed militias fighting on the ground on Assads behalf, especially around Damascus, has not featured as prominently in the negotiations as Russia and Turkey.

The most powerful of the Iranian backed groups, Lebanons Hezbollah militia, issued a statement Friday saying that regardless of any future agreements reached, it will not withdraw from Syria. Hezbollahs withdrawal is a key demand of the rebel groups.

The process therefore seems likely to be beset by many of the same problems that scuttled U.S. efforts to secure a settlement, Heras said. They include the deep divisions within rebel groups, the limits of the influence of the international powers over their allies, the lack of a clearly articulated endgame and the ubiquitous presence of the al-Qaeda affiliate among the more moderate rebels who are party to the deal.

You dont have the conditions for an enduring cease-fire, Heras said.

Read more:

Endgame in Aleppo, the most decisive battle yet in Syrias war

The Islamic State has been a catastrophe for Sunnis

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
U.S. officials are grappling with a 15 percent surge in illegal immigration, reflecting continued failures by the Obama administration to deter illegal immigration along the countrys southwestern border.

Homeland Security officials apprehended 530,250 illegal immigrants and sent 450,954 people back to their home countries over the 12-month period that ended in September, according to figures released Friday by the Department of Homeland Security.

The majority of those apprehended come from Central American countries and include 137,614 families and unaccompanied children, part of an ongoing flight from high crime and violence in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, which human rights advocates have urged the administration to treat as a refugee crisis.

[Fearing Trumps wall, Central Americans rush to cross the U.S. border]

The number of families and children in the past year also exceeded figures from 2015 and 2014, when illegal immigrants from Central America overwhelmed U.S. Border Patrol stations at the Mexican border and President Obama called the flow of children an urgent humanitarian situation.

1 of 25 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What it looks like along the border fence between the U.S. and Mexico View Photos With a border nearly 2,000 miles long between the United States and Mexico, about 650 miles of fencing is already in place along parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Caption About 650 miles of fencing is already in place in parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, but the border is nearly 2,000 miles long. Jan. 26, 2017 A photo taken by a drone shows the fencing on the border on the outskirts of Tijuana, Mexico. Mario Vazquez/AFP/Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue.

Administration officials said Friday that the latest removal figures reflect a concerted policy shift to target convicted criminals over others.

We continued to better focus our interior resources on removing individuals who may pose threats to public safety  specifically, convicted criminals and threats to national security, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement. This prioritization is reflected in actual results. More than 99 percent of those forcibly removed from the country over the most recent 12-month period fell into the administrations three priority categories.

Overall deportations have dropped over the past few years, from a peak of more than 400,000 during Obamas first term.

Immigration human rights advocates, including J. Kevin Appleby, the senior director of international migration policy at the Center for Migration Studies, say the priorities were a good move  probably resulting in fewer deportations overall  but have come too late.

In the end, the president will be remembered as a deporter, not a reformer. In the first four years, he set record numbers in removals, much to the dismay of the immigrant community, Appleby said.

Immigration advocates have repeatedly criticized the Obama administration for its increased reliance on detention facilities, particularly for Central American families, who they argue should be treated as refugees fleeing violent home countries rather than as priorities for deportation.

They also say that the growing number of apprehended migrants on the border, as reflected in the new Homeland Security figures, indicate that home raids and detentions of families from Central America isnt working as a deterrent.

(Sarah Parnass,Osman Malik/The Washington Post)

According to the Homeland Security report released Friday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed 352,882 people in detention facilities in fiscal 2016, a sharp rise from 193,951 people placed in detention last year.

Officials said Friday that the shifting demographic  from predominantly Mexican adults trying to cross the border 10 years ago to a larger proportion of Central Americans crossing today  has placed an added strain on Homeland Security resources due to the costs of sending people back to Central America and because of longer processes for people with security concerns.

Many of those arriving from Central America have applied for asylum with claims of credible or reasonable fear of persecution in their home countries, Homeland Security officials said.

After pressure from immigration rights advocates, the administration last summer announced plans to expand a State Department program to allow Central American minors to apply for refugee status.

But human rights activists expect detentions to increase under the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to step up the deportation of illegal immigrants and build a wall on the Mexican border.

Earlier this month, Trump said he would nominate retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, a border security hawk, to run the Department of Homeland Security. Kelly has warned about cross-border threats from Mexico and Central America.

Homeland Security figures released Friday showed that nearly 84 percent of the people removed from the United States in fiscal year 2016 were categorized as Priority 1, which includes national security threats, convicted felons or aggravated felons, criminal gang participants, and illegal entrants apprehended at the border, according to the departments report.

It was also unclear how many of those convicted were violent criminals or national security threats, as opposed to those whose offenses related only to crossing the border illegally. Twenty-two percent of those sent back to their countries also had no prior criminal convictions, the report said.

Read more:

Raising Barriers: A new age of walls

For first time since Depression, more Mexicans leave U.S. than enter

Mexico has its own immigration problem: American retirees
FBI Director James B. Comey said Wednesday that the recent cyberattack against Sony Pictures was traced back to Internet addresses exclusively used by North Korea, as he offered new evidence intended to rebut skeptics of the bureaus claims.

There is not much in this life that I have high confidence about, Comey said at the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University in New York. I have very high confidence about this attribution  as does the entire intelligence community.

The FBI last month attributed the attack to North Korea  a rare instance in which the U.S. government has publicly accused another government of carrying out a specific cyberattack. In a statement, the bureau cited a technical analysis of malicious software used in the operation. The analysis revealed links to other malware used previously by North Korean actors, the bureau said. The FBI also said the attack was linked to several Internet protocol addresses associated with known North Korean infrastructure.

The hackers behind the intrusion into Sonys computer networks sent e-mails threatening the firm and posted statements online  in nearly every case using proxy servers to disguise their location, Comey said. But he said that on several occasions they got sloppy, either because they forgot, or they had a technical problem.

In those instances, Comey said, analysts could see their Internet protocol addresses, including those used only by North Koreans.

The massive hacking of Sony Pictures ranges from executives' e-mails disparaging actors to leaked personal information. The Post's Cecilia Kang explains what has been revealed so far, and why it could get much worse for the production company. (Jayne W. Orenstein/The Washington Post)

It was a mistake by them, he said. They shut it off very quickly once they realized it was a mistake, but not before we saw them.

The attack, ostensibly carried out because of Sonys plan to release a comedy that ends with the death of the North Korean leader, wiped out data from Sonys computers and shut its networks down for several weeks. The hackers, calling themselves Guardians of Peace, also filched huge volumes of data and leaked large amounts of sensitive company information, including embarrassing internal e-mails.

The FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit, based in Quantico, Va., studied the statements, the writing, the diction of the Sony hackers and compared them to claims accompanying cyberattacks previously attributed to the North Koreans, Comey said. And, he added, the analysts said: Its easy for us. Its the same actors.

He said that a likely means of penetrating Sony was spear phishing, or sending e-mails that look legitimate but are actually bait to trick recipients into clicking on links to malware that enables hackers to gain entry into targeted computer networks.

But some skeptics say the new evidence only raises more questions. How does the bureau know the e-mails allegedly sent by the hackers werent spoofed and routed through North Korean infrastructure? said Marc Rogers, principal security researcher for CloudFlare, a mobile security firm.

Earlier in the day, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. said that the North Korean official who most likely approved the Sony hack was Gen. Kim Yong Chol, head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, the intelligence agency that Clapper said was responsible for overseeing the attack.

The RGB was one of three entities designated for financial sanctions under an executive order signed by President Obama last week. The measures marked the first time the United States has imposed financial sanctions in response to a cyberattack.

Clapper said he dined with Kim during a secret mission to Pyongyang in November to retrieve two Americans being held by the North Koreans. General Kim, he said, spent the entire meal berating me about American aggression and kept pointing his finger at my chest.

He said that the North Koreans believe cyber is a way they can exert maximum influence at a minimal cost  and that the recent Sony attack has shown they can get recognition for their efforts.
Migrants wait to disembark from a vessel in the Sicilian harbour of Augusta, Italy, Dec. 14, 2016. (Antonio Parrinello/Reuters)

 Nearly a fifth more migrants arrived in Italy by boat this year, setting a record and bringing the three-year total to more than half a million, Italys Interior Ministry said on Friday.

In commenting on the figures, a ministry official took a swipe at the lack of help from other European Union countries to deal with the migrant crisis.

It was a record year for arrivals, and despite all the alarmism, Italy has held up with great dignity, Mario Morcone, the Interior Ministry official in charge of Italys immigration system, told Reuters.

And it has done so without a great deal of European solidarity.

In 2015, E.U. member states promised to relocate 40,000 asylum seekers from Italy to other countries over two years, but only 2,654 have been moved. Several states have refused to take any.

After an agreement between the E.U. and Turkey to curb the flow of migrants sailing for Greece, Italy became the focus of people smugglers, based mostly in Libya, who pack men, women and children onto unsafe boats for the crossing.

[Migrant boat traffic from Libya to Europe is surging  and turning deadlier]

More than 181,000 migrants arrived in Italy by boat in 2016, the ministry said, an increase of almost 18 percent compared with 2015. The 2016 total excludes any new arrivals Friday and Saturday.

Since the beginning of 2014, more than 500,000 boat migrants have reached Italy from northern Africa. Many have fled war, poverty or political oppression, and there is no sign that they will stop coming in the new year.

Almost 8,000 came in December despite unfavorable sea conditions. Some 27,400 came in October  a single-month record. The biggest number  more than a fifth of the total  hailed from Nigeria, followed by Eritrea, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Gambia.

Some 175,000 asylum seekers are living in Italian shelters, eight times the number in 2013. The government foresees enough beds for 200,000, so next year it will have to decide whether to create new shelters.

Asylum seekers whose requests for international protection are rejected usually appeal to Italys court system, which is among the slowest in Europe. As they await a final decision, which can take years, they can remain in state-funded shelters.

This year was also the deadliest year ever for migrants in the Mediterranean, with almost 5,000 deaths, according to the International Organization for Migration.

 Reuters

Read more:

More migrants are leaving Germany on their own before the country can deport them

Italian prime minister resigns in populist revolt

Number of stranded refugees in Greece could rise under latest E.U. plan

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
On a day when everyone expected him to go low, Russian President Vladimir Putin took the high road, bowing out of a growing diplomatic showdown with the administration of President Obama in a gambit to woo his successor, Donald Trump.

In a rare, and calculated, break from the diplomatic tradition of reciprocal punishment, Putin opted to do nothing after the United States said it would expel 35 Russian diplomats and close a pair of Russian-owned properties in retaliation for Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Putin said he would wait to see how U.S.-Russian relations develop under the new Trump administration before planning any further steps on the issue.

Until Putins surprise decision Friday, all signs pointed toward the familiar, hard-nosed Kremlin response of years past. In 2012, when Russia was slapped with U.S. sanctions over the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, Putin shot back by signing a ban on all foreign adoptions of Russian children, just days after Christmas, sparking outrage.

But this time, with the Kremlin bidding farewell to Obama and betting that a friendly Trump administration will bring fresh opportunities to escape sanctions and make a grab for greater power status, Putin waxed magnanimous.

(The Washington Post)

We will not create any problems for U.S. diplomats, Putin said in a statement late Friday afternoon. We will not expel anyone. We will not prevent their families and children from using their traditional leisure sites during the New Years holidays.

Instead of sending the U.S. diplomats home, Putin invited their kids over for the New Year and Christmas childrens parties in the Kremlin.

Then he wished the Obamas a happy new year and bid seasons greetings to Donald Trump and the American people.

One person in particular appreciated that approach.

Great move on delay (by V. Putin)  I always knew he was very smart! Trump wrote in a tweet Friday afternoon, his latest public expression of admiration for the Russian leader.

Russia has denied and ridiculed accusations by Obama and the U.S. intelligence community that it sponsored hackers to steal and then leak sensitive information about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to sway the election in favor of Trump. Putin on Friday accused the United States of engaging in irresponsible kitchen diplomacy and said Russia would retain its right to retaliate.

Trumps unorthodox views on Putin have sent shock waves through his own party, and the sanctions against Russia imposed by Obama on Thursday will present him with a new challenge. Should the Republican choose to remove some or all of the sanctions after his inauguration next month, he would be acting in opposition to public statements made by congressional GOP leaders  and forcing them to decide whether to accept or resist his efforts to remake U.S.-Russian relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. (Dmitri Lovetsky/AP)

Still, Putins decision not to escalate the situation may make it easier, if just marginally, for him to do that.

Putins theatrical turnabout came just hours before Russians set off for their snowbound dachas for a week of holiday festivities. The Russian Foreign Ministry pledged to send a plane to collect the departing Russian diplomats and complained that Washington had been inconsiderate by deporting embassy employees just before the winter break.

In declining a symmetrical response, Putin disregarded a public proposal from his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who suggested the expulsion of 35 U.S. diplomats and the closure of two U.S.-owned properties in Moscow  a warehouse and a dacha used for receptions.

That retreat was far humbler than the compound lost to the Russians, a luxurious 45-acre estate at Pioneer Point in Maryland, a site purchased by the Soviet government in 1972 that features tennis courts and bungalows and, during the Soviet period, played host to dinner parties of vodka and caviar.

Putins asymmetric response to Obamas new sanctions is an investment in the incoming Trump presidency, Dmitri Trenin, the head of the Moscow Carnegie Center, wrote online shortly after Putins announcement.

Putins decision followed a drumbeat of threats from Russian officials about coming countersanctions that focused their ire on the outgoing Obama administration. Until the last moment, it seemed likely that Moscow would follow Friday with its own mass expulsion of U.S. diplomats, similar to when Russia and the United States deported more than 100 diplomats combined in a 2001 spat sparked by the spying case of former FBI agent Robert Hanssen.

Earlier Friday, Putins spokesman had said that the Russian countersanctions would bring serious discomfort for an American diplomatic corps that has already complained about harassment, including slashed tires and aggressive surveillance.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called the Obama administration a group of foreign-policy losers, embittered and shortsighted.

And Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was openly eulogizing the Obama administration on Twitter. It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia agony. RIP, he tweeted in English.

The Kremlin will be looking to negotiate with the Trump White House over the role of NATO; the status of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine; the war in Syria; and a host of other thorny issues that have led U.S.-Russian relations to their lowest ebb since the end of the Cold War. Perhaps most of all, Putin wants Russia to be treated as a great power that will have a seat at the table when major world decisions are being hammered out.

Seeing those opportunities, some Russian politicians called for a measured response to the U.S. sanctions before Putins announcement Friday, arguing that an aggressive move could force a response from Trump and set the relationship off on the wrong foot.

Countermeasures, which are typically mandatory, should be weighted in this case, considering the known circumstances of the transitional period and the possible response of the U.S. president-elect, said Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the foreign-affairs committee in Russias upper house of parliament.

Russian officials are largely positive about the incoming administration, but there are concerns among some policymakers about the new U.S. leaders unpredictable nature and lack of experience in politics. Kosachyov had previously said that a Trump presidency could open the door to a significant improvement in relations  or a severe decline.

The nomination of Rex Tillerson, the chief executive of ExxonMobil, to be secretary of state was seen as confirmation here that Trump will move forward with his stated plans to revitalize the U.S.-Russian relationship. But Tillersons nomination hearings will probably serve as a stage to bring Russia to the fore of the national debate, with Senate Democrats likely to pepper him with questions about his time working closely with Putin and use that as a pivot to focus on Trumps relationship with the Russian leader as well.

Robert Costa in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more

U.S. announces sweeping measures to punish Russia for alleged election hacking

The luxurious Russian compound being closed for alleged use in spying

The roots of the hostility between Putin and Clinton

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Waverly public schools is looking for a new superintendent.

Bill Heimann announced earlier this month that he'll leave School District No. 145 to become administrator of Educational Service Unit No. 1 in Wakefield after the current school year, pending approval of the ESU's board.

Becoming administrator at the ESU is a good way to serve a greater number of school districts, said Heimann, who has led the Waverly district since 2009.

A native of Fremont, he began his career as a high school social studies teacher and principal in Randolph, which is in the ESU 1 district. He later was a principal and superintendent for the Wakefield school district.

Upon his return to northeast Nebraska, Heimann will oversee an ESU responsible for serving 22 school districts and 11,000 students in areas including counseling and special education.

The Waverly school board accepted his resignation at a special meeting on Dec. 12, and his last day there will be June 30.

Heimann said he feels fortunate to have been a part of the Waverly district.

During his tenure there, enrollment grew by 1 to 2 percent annually. This year, the district has just more than 2,000 students and a budget of about $22 million.

In 2009 when I arrived, I believe our student enrollment was about 1,750 students, Heimann said. Its been steady growth, which for us means about 40-50 new students a year.

A 2014 bond issue has paid for renovations across the district, and the third phase of the project should be set in motion by the time the next superintendent is hired.

On Thursday, the District 145 board announced it has hired the McPherson & Jacobson search firm to help find a successor for Heimann.

Consultants Mike Lucas, who is superintendent of York Public Schools, and Pat Nauroth, superintendent of Beatrice Public Schools, will hold a community input forum on Jan. 18 in the Waverly High School library.

An online questionnaire asking what qualities district patrons want in the next superintendent will be available Jan. 19-24, district officials said.

Waverly will accept applications for the superintendent position through Feb. 1 and expects to name four finalists on Feb. 15.

Interviews with those four are expected to be done Feb. 20-22, with a new hire to be made by March 7, consultant Lucas said.

We accomplished a lot of good things here," Heimann said, "and I know one of the reasons people live here is for the school system.
Behind the backs of the student body, the University of Melbourne has agreed to host a leading new research centre for the American arms manufacturing giant Lockheed Martin.

The decision represents a further step in Australias integration into the US global military build-up and Washingtons preparations for war against Russia and China.

The $13-million Science, Technology, Engineering Leadership and Research Laboratory (STELaR Lab) will open its doors in 2017 at the universitys Parkville campus. According to Lockheed Martin Australia, it will be the first multi-disciplinary R&D (research and development) facility established outside the US.

It is inconceivable that such a decision could be made without the active involvement of the highest levels of the American and Australian states, in tandem with the university chancellor. Lockheed Martin (LM) is the largest arms maker in the world. It is responsible for developing some of the latest, and most highly-coveted, American war technology, the secrecy of which underpins Washingtons ability to remain militarily in advance of its geo-political rivals. LMs designs include the next generation of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter combat aircraft, as well as Hellfire-II missiles, the signature weapons of Washingtons fleet of Predator and Reaper drones, which have become synonymous with the Obama administrations criminal wars in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen.

STELaR Lab will play a major role in advancing this technology. According to an August 1 report in the Age, one of its goals will be developing sophisticated computer software to help direct attacks on targets. LM Australia and New Zealand chief executive Raydon Gates said it would develop the ability in a conflict situation to analyse that data and then make the correct decision. This technology is crucial for waging war against a major adversary, which involves attacking targets from multiple positions at once.

The lab will develop on autonomous systems, robotics, command, control, communications, computing, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to the arms makers web site. It will also focus on development of hypersonic aircraft, which travel at more than five times the speed of sound. The US already conducts hypersonic aircraft tests at the Woomera testing range in South Australia.

In other words, unbeknownst to students and staff, the University of Melbourne is being made into a central node for Washingtons preparations for new wars.

STELaR Labs inaugural director is Dr. Tony Lindsay. Lindays role underscores the central involvement of the US and Australian governments. From 20052008, Lindsay worked in Washington as the Department of Defences top science diplomat at the Australian Embassy. His last position was at the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST Group), the Australian governments lead agency for developing military technology. DST Group is the second largest publicly-funded research institute in the country, with an annual budget of over $400 million and a staff of 2,300, mainly scientists and engineers. Lindsay headed DST Groups National Security and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance division.

Less than two months before announcing the new centre, Lockheed Martin Australia placed former Australian Labor Party leader Kim Beazley on its board. Beazley was ambassador to the US from 2010 until February 2016 and is highly connected and trusted among the upper echelons of the American state. He earned the nickname bomber Beazley for his enthusiastic support for military spending and US-led wars, and is being rewarded with a seat on the board of the Australian branch of the largest US arms manufacturer, where he will help oversee its direction.

Liberal-National Coalition Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, as well as Stephen Conroy, then Labors shadow minister for defence, and Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews, all attended STELaR Labs launch on August 2. Pyne made clear that the centres establishment was part of a broader effort to integrate the universities into the military-intelligence apparatus. The government was committed to build the innovation capabilities of Australian industry, academia and research institutions and to deliver innovative solutions for Defence capability, he said.

Professor Iven Mereels, Dean of the Melbourne School of Engineering, has stated that the faculty is looking forward to joining with Lockheed Martin to pursue training opportunities in systems engineering in support of the significant defence effort presently underway in Australia.

According to the Australian on August 5, LMs regional head Raydon Gates said the site selection for STELaR Lab followed a rigorous internal evaluation process. He noted that Melbourne was one of the strongest performing university cities in the world, behind Boston and London. In recent years, however, Melbourne has been made a regional hub for US and Australian military research and development. This has taken place alongside Australias growing integration into the Obama administrations military-build up throughout the region as part of the preparations for war against China, under the pivot to Asia.

In 2010, the DST Groupthen under Kevin Rudds Labor governmenttogether with the Victorian state government and the University of Melbourne, established the Defence Science Institute (DSI) on the universitys Parkville campus. DSIs stated purpose is to build defence science research networks and assemble disciplinary teams including defence scientists and engineers. It hosts regular symposiums where researchers present before other teams and representatives of giant arms corporations.

DSI also funds specific research projects. One of those publicly acknowledged is led by RMIT University into unmanned aircraft systems that can fly and harvest their own energy in urban environments. Yet another, which has significant contributions from the DSI and US army, involves development of artificial enzymes which may decontaminate nerve agents ... offering protection to war fighters and civilians in a range of chemical and biological threats. In other words: research for urban conflicts and chemical-biological warfare.

In October 2014, LM established its Asia Pacific Information and Communication Technology (ICT) engineering hub at Clayton in Melbourne, which is also the location of Monash University. There is little information available about its operations. LM says the centre would secure Commonwealth government and international contracts, particularly in South Asia and the Middle East. It would expand existing local skills in online security, data management, applications development, and larger-scale IT services, expanding the local skills base for LMs cyber centre in Canberra.

In 2015, Oxford University announced a Global Cyber Security Capacity Centrethe first of its kind outside the UKin the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. The Andrews state Labor government concurrently announced a new Oceania Cyber Security Centre: a collaboration of eight Victorian universities, including the University of Melbourne, with the broad aim of engaging industry to develop research and training opportunities for dealing with cyber security issues. It is located alongside the Oxford University centre.

These announcements followed the formation of a national Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) by the Rudd government in May 2008. It is located at Swinburne University in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn. It received $30 million from the federal government and another $52 million from industry and state governments.

DTMCs website states that it targets areas of defence priority where an Australian industrial capability footprint already exists. Its research is focussed on advanced materials for armoury, watercraft and aircraft. DTMC comprises a core staff of 60 full-time equivalent employees, mainly scientists, in industry, research centres and universities. Core participants include RMIT University, Swinburne University and the University of Melbourne. It also networks with smaller-scale advanced manufacturing companies.

Because of its history as a centre of manufacturing, Victoria also has a broader community of small-scale advanced manufacturing companies that can be integrated into war production. The state is contributing 70 percent of Australias input into LMs F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Students and staff at the University of Melbourne should oppose the establishment of the latest centre and the broader effort to transform the university into a bastion of military research. The US military build-up is part of Washingtons preparations for a new war that threatens mankind with nuclear catastrophe.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) fights to build an international, socialist movement of workers, students and youth against the drive to war and its source: the capitalist profit system. For more than two and a half years, the University of Melbourne Student Unions Clubs and Societies Committee prevented the IYSSE from affiliating a club on campus. This served to cut students off from the only organisation opposing the US plans for war against China and Australias integration into the pivot.

There is no doubt that university and government authorities did not want an anti-war organisation on campus fighting to politically mobilise students against the drive to war and expose the universitys integration into the military preparations. The IYSSEs affiliation at the University of Melbourne this year represents a critical step forward in the fight against war. Those looking for a way forward in this fight should join the IYSSE and help build the necessary socialist leadership for workers, students and youth.
On December 13, the red-red-green (SPD-Left Party-Green Party) state administration in Berlin decided to swiftly move refugees from mass lodgings into so-called temp-homes. The refugees are to be housed in container settlements that were ordered by the previous Social Democrat-Christian Democrat administration, and which are partly completed.

More than 20,000 refugees are still living in inhuman conditions in airport hangars, gymnasiums and trade fair halls in Berlin. Residents at one such camp recently went on a hunger strike to draw attention to the intolerable conditions.

The Left Party, whose state ministers are responsible for Housing and Construction and for Labour, Integration and Social Affairs in the new government, now praise the temporary container settlements as the solution to the housing crisis facing refugees. Last Tuesdays decision by the Berlin state administration was a signal for a real change in policy, said Katina Schubert, the refugee policy spokeswoman for the Left Party.

The special building programme adopted in autumn 2015 planned originally for thirty container villages, but the figure was since reduced to eighteen. Designed to be habitable for a maximum of three years, they have mostly been built on the outskirts of Berlin, far away from the inner city districts with their infrastructure, subway system and educational institutions.

They are usually situated next to or in industrial areas, as well as close to major roads and not infrequently by train tracks. At the end of 2014, a special derogation in planning law was introduced allowing accommodation for refugees to be built in places that are not suitable for residential purposes.

As with the current mass accommodation, external operators will be contracted to organize and manage the container villages. They will receive a guaranteed daily rate per refugee for three years, providing them with lucrative business. As a result, it is not surprising that there was a veritable scramble when the European-wide tender was opened for each location. The approximately 30 to 50 companies who applied to operate a container village noticed they offered quite some economic potential, the spokesman for the Berlin State Office for Refugees (LAF) Sascha Langenberg was quoted recently in the online edition of Die Welt.

According to the state administration, around 280 to 500 people will be housed in each facility, with up to 1,000 at a double-sized location. The units consist of three containers, each of approximately 13 square metres, making a total of just 39 square metres. This is meant to house four to eight peopledepending on whether the state administration defines them as emergency shelter with high permitted occupancy rates or community accommodation with a lower occupancy level.

The interior of the accommodation is Spartan, to say the least. The windows are located on the narrow sides. With a container length of about six metres, the rear portion of the space is difficult to ventilate and receives little daylight.

The shelters are situated in remote wastelandswithout any landscaping or trees. Each site will be fenced off, with an entrance gate with entry control and security personnel. Supply buildings, childrens playrooms, computer rooms and the like are also situated within this perimeter fence.

In this way, the temp-home settlements take on the character of a ghetto. Cut off from the neighbourhood, the containersseen all over the world on building sites or cargo depotsrepurposed for residential use, clearly send out the message: Whoever lives here is a refugee, only temporarily tolerated in Germany; these are people of second or third class.

The plans to house refugees in subhuman conditions are not seen as merely a short-term, temporary solution. This reality is reflected in the so-called modular accommodation for refugees (MUF), facilities to be built in the coming year and which the new red-red-green state administration wants to construct.

Unlike the containers, the MUF facilities are designed to be habitable for up to one hundred years. Using a precast concrete construction, similar to previous prefabricated buildings, large, five-story homes are to be constructed to house refugees.

But these shelters will face even greater problems with lighting and ventilation. Apart from the communal sanitary facilities, many kitchens and living areas remain without daylight. People would continue to live in narrow confinement and have little privacy. Two people are to occupy a 16-square-metre room, while 15 people share two showers.

The architecture magazine Bauwelt describes these buildings as being part of a fundamental shift from housing to shelter. The modular shelters are only convertible into individual apartments at extraordinary expense, it says.

This demonstrates the long-term strategy of the Berlin state administration, which is only planning for a minority of refugees to be provided with homes and integration. The percentage of asylum seekers who manage to get a private apartment stood at 58 percent in 2013.

At the same time, the minimum social standards that shaped housing in the post-war period, and which emulated the programme of social housing in the 1920s under the slogan light, air, sun, are being undermined. The first to suffer are refugee families, but ultimately this will also apply to other working-class residents who can no longer afford Berlins soaring rents, and who will be forced into ever more miserable living quarters.

By opting for temp-homes and the continued construction of the MUFs, the red-red-green state administration has made clear that it will continue the right-wing refugee policy of its Social Democrat-Christian Democrat predecessor. Just one week after taking office, it has abandoned its promise to provide refugees with decentralized accommodation in individual apartments. While the coalition agreement said that a red-red-green administration would accommodate refugees quickly in homes, there is no longer any talk of this.

Under the new government, the Left Partys Katrin Lompscher will serve as state minister for construction. She served as state health minister in the earlier SPD-Left Party administration of Klaus Wowereit, which was responsible for the mass privatization of social housing that contributed to the present housing shortage.

Now the self-created housing shortage is being used as justification to force refugee families into container villages and push them into ghetto-like settlements in the long term.
Taco Bell has expanded its brand to include clothing and accessories , and its now testing out a new menu item: loaded French fries. However, only customers at the Taco Bell location at 4101 Campus Drive in Irvine, California, (near the University of California Irvine campus) get to test...

Taco Bell has expanded its brand to include clothing and accessories, and its now testing out a new menu item: loaded French fries.

However, only customers at the Taco Bell location at 4101 Campus Drive in Irvine, California, (near the University of California Irvine campus) get to test out Taco Bells newest creation.

According to a Taco Bell employee, the French fries have a mildly spicy habanero seasoning, Brand Eater reported.

The new menu item is priced at 50 cents for plain French fries (or 75 cents with cheese), $1 for Supreme fries, and $2 for Bell Grande fries. According to Brand Eater, these prices seem to encourage sampling and may not correspond with prices if the item is officially added to menus nationwide.

Taco Bell serves French fries in Canada, Japan, and Guatemala.
At 83 years old, Japanese Emperor Akihito is ready to retire.

The royal, who has held the throne since 1989, has battled prostate cancer and undergone multiple surgeries in recent years. In August, he released a video expressing his desire to abdicate the throne in favor of his son, Naruhito, the Crown Prince of Japan. Naruhito is 56  nearly the same age as his father was when he succeeded his own father.

But theres a catch: In Japan, a monarch isnt legally allowed to abdicate. In the video, he issued a plea of sorts to parliament to allow him to resign and hand over the reins to his son.

Fortunately, I am now in good health, he said in the address. However, when I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as a symbol of the state with my whole being.

Now, it appears hes going to get his wish.

A Japanese government panel, set up in response to Akihitos video, is expected to announce that they have decided that he should be allowed to abdicate through the implementation of a special, one-time-only law.

However, a friend of Akihitos said that he wants not just a pass for himself, but for future emperors, too.

Members of the panel and some of the public are wary of allowing any emperor the ability to abdicate. Many worry that it would crumble the foundation of the monarchy, and would lead to an heir to the throne refusing to take over, or abdicating after a short period.

Most of the public seems to be in favor, though: According to a poll by Jiji press, 61 percent of those asked support a permanent law that would allow for abdication.




The Russian embassy in London lashed out at President Barack Obama on Twitter Thursday, shortly after the White House announced new sanctions against Russia over cyberattacks intended to interfere with the U.S. election.

And the tone and cadence of the tweet seemed to take a page from the playbook of President-elect Donald Trump.

A photo of a duck with the word LAME emblazoned across it was posted to the @RussianEmbassy Twitter account, along with the message: President Obama expels 35 diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm.

The jibe was a reference to Obamas lame-duck status following Trumps victory.

President Obama expels 35 diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

In a statement earlier on Thursday, Obama announced the sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian operatives from the U.S., as well as the closings of two Russian compounds in the U.S.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions, Obama said. These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government. Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences.

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RELATED VIDEO: President Obamas Powerful Message to PEOPLE Readers: This Election Should Not Negate All the Progress Thats Been Made

The sanctions come after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia hacked into Democratic emails in an effort to help Trump win the election  accusations that both Trump and Russian officials have repeatedly denied.




Patrick Stewart in Green Room (Photo: Scott Green/A24 via AP)

While critics Top 10 lists tend to focus on the years great dramas, documentaries, and comedies, we shouldnt ignore what a great year 2016 was for horror movies. Chilling and gruesome thrillers almost never factor into awards-season hoopla, but our favorites from the past 12 months prove the genre remains strong, buoyed by risk-taking filmmakers intent on pushing audiences to their absolute breaking points. Not for the faint of heart, here are our picks.

Green Room

Director Jeremy Saulniers vicious blast of punk-rock terror tracks a struggling touring band (led by the late Anton Yelchin) that plays a gig at an out-of-the-way rural music club frequented by neo-Nazis. After the show, the musicians accidentally witness a murder, and they become prisoners of the areas skinhead gang  led by Patrick Stewarts unnervingly ruthless leader  and are forced to fight their way to safety. Rarely has Slayers War Ensemble been a more fitting soundtrack cut. (Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD)

Hush

Mike Flanagan is arguably the best horror director working in the American mainstream today, and although his early 2016 release went straight to Netflix, it remains one of the years most effective thrillers. The story of a deaf and mute woman whos terrorized at her remote cabin home by a masked killer, its a lean, mean genre exercise that is less interested in reinventing the wheel than in expertly executing its basic premise, which it does to fearsome effect. (Available on Netflix)

The Invitation

For her long-overdue follow-up to 2009s Jennifers Body, Karyn Kusama staged this sinister dinner party, attended by a young man (Logan Marshall-Green) at the house of his ex-wife (Tammy Blanchard)  and mother of his deceased child  and her new, cult-ish boyfriend (Game of Thrones Michiel Huisman). While its clear from the outset that things arent as normal as they initially appear, the slow-burn madness that soon ensues remains startling, thanks in large part to Kusamas pinpoint direction. (Available on Netflix, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD)

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Dont Breathe

Director Fede Alvarezs inventively assured aesthetics elevate a rather routine story about three destitute Detroit youths who decide to rob a local blind man of his loot so they can escape their urban-nightmare circumstances, only to learn that their target is anything but a helpless victim-in-waiting. Theres not a wasted gesture or moment in Alvarezs brutal follow-up to his Evil Dead remake, and in Stephen Langs Blind Man, he creates an unforgettable sympathetic-yet-psychotic villain. (Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD)

Ouija: Origin of Evil

Hush director Mike Flanagans second feature of 2016 was this horror sequel, which in every way bested its 2014 predecessor. Setting its action in the 1960s  which allows it to channel classics from that era while ignoring most everything that took place in the original film  Flanagans supernatural period-piece fixates on a mother (Elizabeth Reaser) who works as a phony spiritual medium, and the chaos that results from her two daughters playing with a Ouija board. Even while operating in PG-13 terms, its an assured throwback that generates consistent dread.

Baskin

For sheer what-in-the-name-of-all-that-is-holy insanity, nothing in 2016 quite matched the last act of Baskin, a Turkish horror film that devolves into an impressive sort of mind-boggling craziness. Can Evrenols import tracks five police officers as they respond to a distress call coming from a notoriously haunted town. What they find is bewildering ritualistic madness that defies easy explanation, but is chockablock with more inventively bonkers imagery than 10 likeminded mainstream American efforts combined. (Available on Netflix, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD)

Demon

A man comes to Poland to marry his bride at her familys dilapidated rural estate, only to become possessed by an evil spirit known as a dybbuk (a Jewish demon), in this uniquely unsettling import from director Marcin Wrona (who committed suicide shortly after the films completion). Given its focus on long-buried secrets coming to terrifying light (in a country with a troubled history involving murdered Jews), the film resounds with historical and mythological weight, even as its bacchanalian action  its every character soaked by rain and drenched in vodka  comes across as akin to a malevolent matrimonial carnival. (Available on Digital HD)

The Eyes of My Mother

While it cant fully match Baskin in the things-you-cant-unsee department, The Eyes of My Mother is another example of boundary-pushing indie horror done right. The story of a young girl whose response to a drifters murder of her mother (an eye surgeon) is to keep the man as her mutilated pet/best friend, Nicolas Pesces black-and-white directorial debut strikes a deranged tone thats amplified by his precise imagery and laconic pacing. Its akin to a gorgeous waking nightmare. (Available on Digital HD and in theaters)

The Witch

Robert Eggers first big-screen feature is most notable for its eerie evocation of a bygone era  in this case, 17th century New England  and the atmosphere of religious fervor and superstitious mania that consumes its inhabitants and, in particular, a clan banished from their Puritan plantation. Left to resettle nearby, the family soon comes to suspect that their baby has been snatched by a witch living in the adjacent forest, leading to a descent into hellish turmoil thats led by a malevolent goat known as Black Phillip. (Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD)

10 Cloverfield Lane

Even without its connection to 2008s Cloverfield, Dan Trachtenbergs pseudo-sequel would register as an effective small-scale thriller, one that benefits from its actions consuming claustrophobia. Set largely in an underground bunker where Mary Elizabeth Winsteads single woman awakens to hear  from John Goodmans survivalist  that an undefined catastrophe has made the planet uninhabitable, the film is a menacing mystery led by a sterling Goodman performance of is-he-sane-or-not ambiguity. (Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD)

Honorable Mention:

The Neon Demon

The Shallows

The Wailing
2016 is on track to be the worst year ever for data breaches and hacking attacks. That's the bad news. The good news is that 2016 also has been a banner year for hacker arrests.

The Mirai botnet attack that brought down DNS provider Dyn was the largest distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack ever, and the came a close second. Dyn was acquired by Oracle Corp. (ORCL) in November for an undisclosed sum.

One of the biggest operations ever against hackers culminated in early December with the arrests of five individuals charged with involvement with the Avalanche botnet that served up phishing attacks and malware to victims for at least seven years.

ALSO READ: 9 Countries That Control the Worlds Nuclear Weapons

According to Europol, the Avalanche network caused an estimated 6 million in damages in Germany alone, and the monetary losses due to Avalanche are estimated in the hundreds of millions euros worldwide. Europol identified malware infections in more than 180 countries, and some 221 Avalanche servers were "sinkholed," and a total of over 800,000 domains seized, sinkholed or blocked.

Sinkholing occurs when a law enforcement server interposes itself between computers infected with malware and the criminal infrastructure. Traffic between the network and the computers is redirected to law enforcement servers that then capture victims' IP addresses and forwards the information to emergency response teams.

Also in December, Joshua Aaron, one of three men indicted for the massive 2014 breach at JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) was arrested at JFK airport in New York. The three are charged with hacking crimes against U.S. financial institutions, brokerage firms and financial news publishers, "including the largest theft of customer data from a U.S. financial institution in history." Aaron and his two partners, who were captured in Israel in 2015 and extradited to the United States in June of this year, face scores of years in federal prison if convicted.

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Russia, more in the news recently for alleged government-backed interference with the U.S. elections, also made a big arrest in May of 19 hackers charged with the electronic theft of $19 million from the country's central bank. The group had attempted to steal about $45 million.

For more details and a list of the 21 biggest cyberbusts of the year, visit DarkReading.com.

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If you are a military spouse, you probably know what it feels like to leave behind the family you love, friends you cherish and familiar places you used to call home. A military spouse's role may be overlooked, but the military lifestyle doesn't have to be an obstacle to some of the same opportunities civilians have access to, including higher education and professional growth.

Online education can address the challenge of frequent relocation that military spouses face. I started my online MBA program when my husband was stationed in Virginia, and we didn't know where we were headed next. A year into the program, we knew we had to travel cross-country to Washington state for his new role.

As a military spouse, I benefited greatly from my online program. Here are three reasons why.

1. You can attend class while moving through states and time zones. With the potential to move nearly every 12 to 24 months, on-campus full-time programs are very hard for military spouses to pursue. The beauty of online learning is that when your family moves from one station to another, you are only limited by your access to the internet.



[Discover four tech questions to ask as a traveling online student.]

The trick to a smooth transition is to keep track of time zones and understand how the change affects deadlines for assignments. When, for example, you are moving from Virginia to Washington, your homework becomes due three hours earlier. You also have to be prepared to be at team virtual meetings at odd times, but with time management skills, everything is possible.

2. There are a variety of program choices. Whether you are close to being out of the military environment or trying to get a better job position while within, your selection of school will impact your career outcome. Consider the brand: Is it a great school nationally? Does it have a strong local brand, or no brand at all? Choose the locations where you want to accelerate your career prospects: Do you intend to travel for your job, or do you want to open a small business?

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Answers to these questions may either draw you toward a school that is recognizable on both coasts or one with a strong local brand. No matter where you and your spouse are stationed, you can pursue either with online learning.

[Learn four great study spots at most military bases.]

3. Spouses can receive financing for an education. Education doesn't necessarily mean you have to pinch pennies. Most programs at reputable schools help military personnel and spouses financially support their degrees. You should be very cautious of online programs that the GI Bill refuses to fund. My husband and I split our aid through the GI Bill to fund our advanced degrees -- an online and a blended program.

While military spouses don't get a monthly housing allowance for their GI Bill-financed degree while the service member is on active duty, they do receive a yearly books and supplies stipend. The housing allowance is available, however, for soldiers.

The GI Bill is not the only financial program specifically designed for the military; there's also the Y ellow Ribbon Program and numerous scholarships available to military spouses pursuing online degrees.

The takeaway: Being a military spouse means a lot of things, but it doesn't mean that you can't get an excellent education just because you are moving regularly.

Olena Reid, a Washington resident, is pursuing an MBA online from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary. You can follow her on Twitter.


MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP)  One police officer and two suspected militants have been killed in a shootout in Russia's volatile North Caucasus.

Fatina Ubaydatova, spokeswoman in Russia's republic of Dagestan, said on Friday a police squad was trying to stop a car with suspected militants outside the city of Khasavyurt late on Thursday when people in that car opened fire on them. Police identified the two men as local militants who attacked policemen earlier this week in the regional capital, Makhachkala.

Islamic insurgents in Dagestan have mounted frequent attacks on police and officials, and some have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The shootout comes a day after Russia's security agencies in Dagestan arrested seven people suspected of preparing New Year's terror attacks in Moscow on orders from the Islamic State group in Syria.
A contract dispute between the architect and engineer of Seward County's new Justice Center has landed in federal court, before the building even is completed.

GGA-PC, a Missouri architecture firm, and Beazley Insurance filed a lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court against Performance Engineering Inc. of Omaha and its owner, Robert Whorley.

In 2014, Seward County and GGA entered into a contract to design the $12 million, 44,000-square-foot building that will consolidate several county offices under a single roof including the jail, sheriff's office, courts, county attorney's office, emergency dispatch center, probation offices and public defender.

Work started in June 2015, and the building is expected to open next spring, according to the builder's website.

In the lawsuit filed in Omaha, GGA's attorney, Jill Robb Ackerman, alleges that the structural documents Performance Engineering provided in 2015 for the construction of the building were inadequate and included features that couldn't support the loads required.

She said it led to the following extra work on the project: beams had to be strengthened, structural connections had to be reinforced, additional beam support, a column and vapor barrier had to be installed, additional column footings had to be modified, more surveying had to be done, concrete floors had to be leveled and roof drains and roof insulation had to be added.

To date, Ackerman said, GGA has incurred $41,417 in extra costs for identifying and correcting the structural errors.

And Beazley Insurance, which is providing professional liability coverage on the project, so far has had to repay Seward County $163,779 for payments to the builder Beckenahuer Construction for extra work, plus another $20,000 in attorney fees.
Photo credit: KP Peralta

From Esquire

Customs officials in Chile hit the motherlode last month when they reportedly seized nearly $32 million worth of counterfeit Adidas and Nike sneakers. According to Ricardo Aceituno, Chile's regional director of customs, the seizure took place on November 7 in a town called Iquique.

The fake sneaks were concealed beneath packages of napkins in a shipment that originated from China. In total, the illegal shipment contained 16,454 counterfeit shoes that were divided up into 474 boxes. And along with the fake versions of Nikes and Adidas, there were also counterfeits of a Colombian brand called Zodiak.

[contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="Counterfeit%20Fashion%20Is%20Funding%20Terrorism" customimages="" content="article.51777"]

Apparently the customs officials discovered the shoes when they saw a discrepancy in the declared value of the shipment. While the documentation declared the total value at $24,209, the actual value was around $31,786,395. There were also irregularities in the route and weight that tipped the officials off. Which, of course, can happen when you've stuffed almost 17,000 pairs of shoes into what is supposed to be a shipment of napkins.

Given that the counterfeit goods industry is now thought to be worth nearly $461 billion, it's safe to say that the Chileans took a nice little dent out of someone's illicit business. Although sadly, there's probably plenty more where that came from.

[contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="What's%20the%20True%20Cost%20of%20Cheap%20Clothing?" customimages="" content="article.50671"]

[H/t: Footwear News]

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- By Jonathan Poland





If you are like me, mid-30s, born and raised in America, you are shocked that it is almost 2017. I mean, where are our jetpacks? As we close out the year, I believe we are headed for a period of low taxation and solid business results that may not translate into growth for investors.

On the last trading day of the year, I wanted to find some value in the market going into 2017. My screening approach was simply to find stocks that have solid profit margins, low earnings multiples and are trading down on the year. Here is what I have found.





First Solar (FSLR)



First Solar is down 50% on the year, but more importantly, solar is now one of the cheapest power sources in the United States. First Solar's thin-film utility scale solar PV produces electricity for $46 to $56 per megawatt hour (MWh). The range for wind is $32 to $62 per MWh. Natural gas, which is the cheapest conventional electricity generation source, runs at $48 to $78 per MWh. Taking into account current subsidies, the range for thin-film utility scale solar drops to $36 to $44 per MWh. Solar power will only become more necessary in the future as society moves to clean energy, and First Solar is in a great position to capitalize on it. The company has good capital expenditure rates, solid earnings and a book value that is 78% higher than the current stock price. In the long term, First Solar may be one of the best investments at the current price point as it remains the low-cost producer.

TripAdvisor (TRIP)



TripAdvisor is down 45% in 2016, but its website still reaches over seven million unique visitors a month and earned the company $122 million in the last 12 months. The company only spent $73 million on capital expenditures. Hotel inventory from select Expedia brands are being added to TripAdvisor's instant booking service, which further validates the platform's importance in the travel industry. While mobile continues to weigh on its margins, the instant booking service should spur long-term growth. Investors should expect the company's global leadership position to remain in place as only around 25% of total travel advertising is spent online versus 40% of total travel bookings done online. Both of these numbers should rise in the next decade, pushing TripAdvisor's numbers up even further. At the current price, the margin of safety is priced in.

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Gilead Sciences (GILD)



Gilead was one of the more disappointing stocks of 2016, down 29% on the year. But, that is actually why I kept it on the list. The company has unbelievable profit margins across a portfolio of HIV and HCV drugs, requiring a small salesforce and cost-effective manufacturing. Yet, a wide moat does not always translate into short-term investor gains. With $12 billion in cash, I can see the company looking for acquisitions in 2017, yet it is also awaiting the results of a number of clinical trials that could continue to strengthen the company's product line. The stock is trading at a year low, a 6.5 price multiple, share buybacks and pays a 2.55% dividend. The margin of safety is extremely high and reminds me of IBM at the end of last year.

Williams-Sonoma (WSM)



Williams-Sonoma is down 17% on the year, pays out a 3% dividend and trades just under 15 times earnings. It also has very little debt, generates 12% on assets and 25% on equity, and carries a surprisingly high short interest. Williams-Sonoma has a solid position in the $104 billion domestic home furnishing market with most of its brands launched organically in underserved segments. It is a good strategy that helped it book $302 million in net profit on $5 billion in sales over the last 12 months, while only spending $194 million on capital expenditure. Personally, I have never shopped at Williams-Sonoma, but do have a couch from Pottery Barn, the company's largest subsidiary. With the stock below $50 a share, I think the value is at least 25% greater right now, and 100% to 200% higher in the long term. The company has already moved the majority of its sales online with 51% of total revenue coming from e-commerce. As they become a better merchant with supply chain and inventory optimization, Williams-Sonoma should boost operating margins to go along with share buybacks - driving the stock higher.

Each of these stocks offer exposure to different areas of the market at deeply discounted prices, but aside from these companies, I have found very little in terms of undervalued opportunities as we head into 2017.

Disclosure: I do not have a position in any of the stocks mentioned in this article.

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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






The surprise victory of Republican Donald Trump in the U.S. Presidential election has turned out to be a boon in disguise for the energy sector.

The billionaire real estate developer, who never held an elected office before, proposed certain changes for the oil and gas sector. Trump supports the completion of Dakota Access Pipeline and the extension of Keystone XL pipeline. The President-elect is also in favor of the reversal of oil drilling restriction. This apart, Trump has named Scott Pruitt the chief of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), further emphasizing his fossil fuel-friendly stance.

Hence, the year 2017 appears to be highly favorable for oil and natural gas companies after the 45th President of the U.S. takes office on Friday, Jan 20, 2017. Before going to the stocks, let us discuss the key measures proposed by Trump to support the energy sector.

Support for Dakota & Keystone Pipeline: Trump pledged that he is in favor of completion of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline project. The pipeline development was initially planned to stretch over 1,172 miles to carry crude from the Bakken shale out to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. However, the project has been delayed due to protests from the tribes residing in and around the area and environmentalists. According to conservationists, the pipeline expected to pass under a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation  is likely to pose a serious threat to water resources.

Trump also proposed the extension of the Keystone XL pipeline to carry oil from Alberta, Canada to the U.S refineries. The initial phase of the pipeline project was finished in 2011. The proposed extension of the pipeline line will add another 1100 miles to the over 2100 miles it already covers. However, the proposed extension development has not been supported by environmental groups and politicians. This is because bitumen, which might be transported by the pipeline system along with crude to the U.S., might emit greenhouse gases.

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Reversal of Offshore Drilling Restriction: The Obama administrations decision to restrict oil and gas drilling in offshore plays of Atlantic and Alaska was strongly supported by environmentalists. However, Trump intends to boost energy self-sufficiency of the U.S. and hence, plans to open up drilling activities in these offshore resources.

Trump also promised to integrate more federal acres of land for oil and gas drilling operations. More land for drilling and fracking purposes will significantly improve the oil and gas production.

Scott Pruitt to Lead EPA: Republican Scott Pruitt is skeptical about climate change and is well known for playing a major role in halting the EPAs Clean Power Plan  an attempt by the Obama administration to cut emissions of greenhouse gas from coal-fired power units.

Having named Scott Pruitt as the EPA chief, Trump has given a clear indication of his plans to nullify a host of regulations associated with the climate under Obama. In other words, the nomination of Scott Pruitt reflects Trumps strong inclination toward fossil fuels.

As expected, the energy industry has welcomed Trumps decision and is confident that Pruitt, being pro fossil fuels, will not come up with any regulations that will inhibit the oil and gas sector.

In fact, Pruitts statement Scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind, indicates his skepticism about the theory that fossil fuel lead to an increase in earths temperature by emitting greenhouse gas.

On the other hand, environmentalists are outraged over the nomination of Pruitt as they believe this move will pave the way for polluters to fill up their pocket at the expense of global warming.

Trumps Policies to Benefit Energy Stocks

Trump has already clarified his stance on fossil fuels and will likely continue to support the industry after taking up office.

On top of that, both oil and gas prices have started gaining momentum. Natural gas prices have recovered substantially from the 17-year low mark of around $1.6 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) recorded in the first quarter. In fact, the commodity is trading above the key psychological level of $3 per MMBtu. Cold weather forecast has also pushed the commodity price up as many homes in the U.S. need natural gas for heating purposes. Moreover, the recent deal between OPEC and non-OPEC producers to curb production amid oversupplied commodity market has led crude to gain momentum. Oil has already crossed the psychological level of $50 per barrel.

Overall, we can say that the year 2017 is likely to be a good one for the energy industry, with strong support from the new President as well as improving commodity prices. Exploration and production (E&P) players will be able to sell the commodities at higher prices, while more E&P operations will increase the need for drilling activities. This in turn will enhance the need for engineering and construction companies and oilfield services firms to efficiently set up oil and gas wells. The midstream energy players also stand to gain as higher production will lead to an increased need for new oil and gas pipeline and storage assets.

Our Choices

With the help of the Zacks Stock Screener, we have zeroed in on five stocks that carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and offer a VGM score of B. VGM score, where V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum, is a comprehensive tool that allows investors to filter through the standard scoring system and pick winning stocks. With extensive research we found that the key to success is to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 and a VGM score of B or better.

Incorporated in 1959, Houston, TX-based McDermott International Inc. MDR is an engineering and construction company, solely focused on the offshore oil and gas business.

This Zacks Rank #1 stock has an impressive earnings track. It handily beat estimates in each of the last eight quarters. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Tulsa, OK-based Williams Partners L.P. WPZ is an MLP, formed by Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB) to acquire, own, and operate a portion of WMBs midstream assets. The partnership is involved in gathering, transporting, and processing natural gas as well as fractionating and storing NGL.

For the current quarter, the partnership has witnessed upward earnings estimate revisions over last 60 days. Currently, the partnership carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Headquartered in Houston, TX,W&T Offshore Inc. WTI is an upstream energy player involved in exploitation and production of oil and natural gas resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Zacks Rank #2 stock managed to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters with an average positive surprise of 31.49%. For the current year, the company is expected to witness year-over-year earnings growth of almost 30%. (Looking for the Best Stocks for 2017? Be among the first to see our Top Ten Stocks for 2017 portfolio here.)

Houston, TX-based Rowan Companies Plc RDC provides international and domestic contract drilling and aviation services. It focuses mainly on high-specification, premium jack-up rigs and ultra-deepwater drillships.

The company currently holds a Zacks Rank #2. Its average positive earnings surprise is 740.02% for the trailing four quarters.

Antero Midstream Partners LP AM is the owner, operator and developer of midstream energy properties, which includes pressure gathering pipelines and compressor stations that collect natural gas and oil.

The partnership presently carries a Zacks Rank #2 and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the prior four quarters.

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It was six years ago, when a Suffolk County police officer and his dog came across the remains of 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy. Over the next several days, police discovered the bodies of three other young women, all wrapped in burlap and placed within about 500 feet of one another, buried in the marsh on Gilgo Beach in Long Island, New York. The remains were later identified as Amber Costello, Megan Waterman and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. All four women had worked as online escorts and had been missing for months or years.

On that December day in 2010, police had been searching for 24-year-old Craigslist escort Shannan Gilbert, who was last seen fleeing the home of a client she met on Craigslist in nearby Oak Beach on May 1, 2010.

Instead, what police discovered was a grisly graveyard. Over the next four months, six more sets of remains, including those of a toddler and an Asian male, were found, suggesting it might be a dumping ground for a serial killer or killers.

To this day, the Long Island Serial Killer case still remains a mystery but Suffolk County detectives still hold out hope that the biggest case in the departments history will one day be solved.

I am still confident we are going to solve it, Suffolk County Police Chief Stuart Cameron tells PEOPLE. We continue to make progress and I am very confident one day I will be talking about how the homicide unit solved the case.

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.

Cameron says the detectives are making steady progress but serial killer cases arent easy to solve.

Detective work is a slow and arduous process and it takes time especially with a complex case like this, he says. Some homicides are much easier to solve than others. When you have a serial killer case it is far more difficult in general to solve. In many cases they can take years. We have never given up on this case. We have never backed off working on it. It is hard to believe it was six years ago already. 

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While the foursome are likely linked, the connections between the other victims are more tenuous. The killers or killers handiwork was different. The victims werent all killed the same way, and they dont all match the same demographic profile.

Cameron says detectives are keeping an open mind about the cases. Right now we are open to anything, he says. It really depends on where the evidence takes us. To say we think it is one killer, two killers, three killers I think we are basically open to whatever the evidence shows us to be.

There are still leads to be investigated, says Cameron. People do call us with tips still.

Though it was the search for Shannans body that led to the others, Cameron says he doesnt believe her case is linked and suspects she got lost in the inhospitable marshland.

With no sign of an arrest in sight, in December 2015, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini pulled the FBI into the investigation, and in February, he launched a Gilgo Beach task force, assigning two full-time detectives from Suffolk County to focus only on the deaths, working side by side with an FBI agent.

The FBI is experienced with serial killer cases across the country, says Cameron. They have embedded expertise with serial killers that a local department like us just doesnt possess. To me it just made perfect sense to be partners with them and get whatever assistance we can from them. 

The FBI, says Cameron, is at the forefront of new technology and advancements in DNA so if something new comes along we might be able to avail ourselves of it, he says. It is another benefit to staying in contact with the FBI on a regular basis.

Solving the case is going to be difficult says former FBI profiler Mary Ellen OToole because the killer or killers has no intention of getting caught. He puts a lot of effort into this thing, OToole tells PEOPLE. With a lot of serial murder cases they make sure police dont have enough evidence so they dont get apprehended. They are people who can fly under the radar because when they arent out there murdering someone they are living a normal life. 

Like his serial killer brethren, the Long Island Serial killer has impulsivity issues, says OToole. With this person, while impulsive, there is a maturity and patience here. He waits and reconnects with them. It is the excitement about playing with the victims. He is spending time with them but knowing once he meets her it could end in murder.

In at least four of these cases, the killer contacted his victims through online ads as well as via cellphone before they vanished and the women had no idea they were pawns in his deadly game.

Brainard-Barnes, 25, disappeared first  in July 2007, from New York City  after checking out from a Super 8 motel. Friends suspect I was the last person to see her alive, her friend Sara Karnes told PEOPLE.

Barthelemy was last seen walking away from her Bronx apartment in 2009. Barthelemys mother, Lynn, told PEOPLE that she had no idea her daughter worked as an escort. When she first went to New York City, she said she was working at a hair salon and then she said it got slow so she was bartending at some nightclub, but she was still working at the hair salon. That is about all I knew.

Waterman disappeared from a Holiday Inn Express room she was sharing with her boyfriend Akeem Cruz in Hauppauge, New York, after she placed an ad on Craigslist on June 5, 2010. A video camera showed the 22-year-old Maine escort leaving the hotel around 1:30 a.m.

Amber Costello negotiated a $1,500 date with her alleged killer before she walked out of her Long Island home on September 2, 2010. The She talked to the guy a couple of times, and she made a bad judgment call and it bit her in the a in the end, Costellos sister, Kim Overstreet, told PEOPLE. It was somebody she didnt know.

In March 2011, two months after police identified the first set of four remains, the remains of six more bodies were unearthed along the beach.

Four of the remains found were women, one was a female toddler and one was an Asian male wearing womens clothing. Two sets of the remains were later linked to the dismembered torsos of two women discovered in Manorville, about 40 miles away. One of them was identified as 20-year-old prostitute Jessica Taylor whose torso was found in Manorville in 2003. The rest of the remains have never been identified.

Cameron says he is very aware of the criticism leveled against the department by families who dont believe they want to solve the case because some of the women were escorts but he says it is unfair.

It is very high priority for the police department to solve this, he says. People should not think we are not doing everything we can to bring this person to justice.




An 8-year-old boy was shot and killed as he walked home from a cousins birthday party, authorities said.

Rasheed Cunningham Jr. had left the gathering just a few doors down from his Dania Beach, Florida, home and was walking with several other family members when shots rang out Wednesday evening, according to the Broward County Sheriffs office.

Read: 3-Year-Old Killed in Road Rage Shooting While Out With Grandma

His grandmother collapsed in grief outside the home she shared with Rasheed, when she learned he was dead, CBS Miami reported. Rasheed's birthday is Jan. 9.

A neighbor told the station that a black car pulled up and someone jumped out wearing a ski mask and fired round after round into the group.

You can hear pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, then they jump back in the car, slam the door and went back in reverse, said Veronica Larkens.

Cousin Brandon Cunningham was shot several times in the back as he tried to shield the children in the group, and a woman and a young girl were also wounded, the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. Their conditions were not known.

The shooting was the fourth since Christmas in the southern Florida city between Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale. Two people have been killed and several others wounded, the paper reported.

"The shooting needs to stop. A child is dead. Our detectives have been working around the clock trying to put this together, get information, evidence, sworn statements.

Read: Reward Doubles to $40,000 in Death of Girl, 2, Who Was Shot in Mom's Car

"People should be allowed to be outside in front of their home ... children should be allowed to go outside and play," said Broward Sheriffs spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright.

Three of the shootings are believed to be related, authorities said.

Investigators are seeking the publics help.

Watch: Man Turns Himself in for Shooting 3-Year-Old in Road Rage Incident

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For many of us, 2017 is going to be rough. Getting through it will require peak kindness.

If you're looking to treat others better in 2017 (uh, we hope that is the case), start with a few simple changes. Bonus: This is a New Year's resolution that does not include unrealistic exercise goals.

Here are a few steps you can take to amp up your kindness in 2017.

1. Tip more than you need to

To start, implement a 20% minimum for tips. Remember to tip baristas, hair salon shampooers and coatroom attendants, too  they are often forgotten. Finally, if you cant afford to leave a good tip somewhere, dont go there. Service industry workers deserve to be compensated fairly no matter what your budget is.

2. Say hi to an old friend

Send someone you havent talked to in a while a nice text message. Or a note. Or a delightful meme. (Just make sure its someone you actually want to talk to first, please.)

SEE ALSO: Ask the experts: 9 books that will help you stand up for equality in 2017

3. Offer to help someone out

Babysit for your cousins. Send a care package. Help your roommate do the dishes. If someone posts a Facebook status asking for help moving, be the one who lends a hand.

4. Work to be a good ally

No matter who you are, there are a lot of marginalized groups who need your support more than ever. Be a good ally by listening, amplifying their voices, volunteering, speaking sensitively and not getting defensive if you make a mistake.

5. Don't sacrifice kindness for pleasantness

Too often, we let offensive comments and actions slide because we don't want to be impolite or "not nice." But doing nothing is unkind to the people who are harmed by these actions  and that's far more important.

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Stand up for people who are being harassed and discourage the people around you from using bigoted language. You might have to be firm, and that's okay  it will make the world a kinder place in the long run.

Image: maeril.tumblr.com

6. Make room in your budget to donate

Set aside a bit of your income  even if it's just $5 a month  for an organization you believe in. Many orgs, including Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and the World Wildlife Fund, allow you to configure a monthly donation, so you can even do the whole "set it and forget it" thing.

7. Take care of something

Could be a kitten, could be a Neopet, could be your desk plant  just pick something, work to understand the responsibility of caring for it, then follow through. Youll be more observant and more empathetic for it.

Image: Instagram/@Meg.Doss

8. Take care of yourself

You gotta be kind to yourself, too. Whatever your preferred method of self care is  a screen break, a warm bath, a fancy smoothie  treat yourself to it. You deserve it, dude.
Twelve inches of hair should make for a wonderful wig for the girl. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tyler Boone, a 10-year-old boy from Georgia, has been growing his hair out for two years  and has dealt with being mistaken for a girl the entire time  so he could eventually have the hair turned into a wig for his friend Gabby Ruiz, 12, a girl with alopecia, according to ABC Action News in Tampa Bay, Fla.

In two years, Boone was able to grow his shiny brown hair a whopping 12 inches. Im used to it now, he said when asked what it felt like to have such long locks. On Thursday, though, the pair decided it was time for the big chop. But first, the friends headed over to J.C. Penney at nearby Westfield Brandon Mall to commemorate the big day with a pre-cut photo shoot. After the shoot, Ruiz had the honor of lopping off Boones hair, which was pulled up into a ponytail. Was it hard to cut off? Ruiz was asked, to which she responded in the affirmative.

No one asked or told Boone to do this incredibly selfless act, it all came from inside his heart. He told ABC Action News that he grew out his hair because he knew a wig would make Ruiz happy. Though people have mistaken Boone for a girl, the kid takes it all in stride. Ive kinda gotten used to it, he says to his on-camera interviewer with a grin.

Ruiz was diagnosed at the age of 4 with alopecia areata, a hair-loss condition that affects about 6.8 million Americans of all ages, sexes, and ethnic groups, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. The style-savvy girl has gotten great at accessorizing her head with beanies and scarfs, and at taking great care of her skin and nails, according to ABC Action News, but Boone just knew a wig would be a gift shed really cherish.

This pair is friendship goals if weve ever seen them, giggling during the photo shoot, high-fiving each other, and simply being kind to each other. Their bond shines through and is an inspiration.

After the shoot and the big chop, Boone and Ruiz headed over to a nearby salon so Boone could get a proper cut from a professional. I feel so different! the boy said while patting his newly shorn hair. Its so cool, his pal Ruiz chimed in.

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Boones grown-out hair will be donated to a nonprofit, Children with Hair Loss, to make a wig for Ruiz, according to the publication. Ruiz lives in Florida, and the friends have remained close after meeting years ago, even though they live miles apart, according to the article. Now Ruiz will literally have a piece of her friend to keep with her forever. Its hard to imagine the bright-eyed girl looking any better, but we cant wait to see what she looks like with her new hair.

Can somebody please pass the tissues?

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
While few Americans can locate Aarhus, Denmark or Pafos, Cyprus on a map, many Europeans in the coming year will be flocking to these two port cities next year. That's because the European Union today announced the two locales as 2017 European Capitals of Culture, which will bring a year of ramped up cultural programming that showcases "centuries of culture while using different art forms to address the socio-economic problems facing Europe today."

"The title of European Capital of Culture is a unique opportunity to bring communities together through culture and to foster strong local, European and international partnerships for the future," E.U. commissioner Tibor Navracsics said in a statement. "I wish Aarhus and Pafos every success for the coming year."

'Rethink' is the central theme of Aarhus' 2017 programming, which will show how "arts, culture and the creative sector can help us to re-think and shape our basic social, urban, cultural and economic patterns of behavior and find new solutions to common challenges." Examples of this include a rooftop Viking saga performance and an art exhibition stretching across the city and the coastline.

In Pafos (alternately spelled Paphos), the theme running through a myriad of events is "Linking Continents, Bridging Cultures," which is appropriate for an island divided up by two nations -- Turkey and Greece. Pafos, according to the release, is set to become an "immense open stage, an 'Open Air Factory,' where a tradition of thousands of years of cultural life in open spaces meets contemporary ways of creating, thinking and living."

The European Capital of Culture initiative was started in 1985 in Athens and has come to include cities across the continent, including Warsaw, Poland and San Sebastian, Spain in 2016. Just so you won't think it too high-falutin: Last year's event in Poland included performances by Limp Bizkit and Rammstein.
According to Rider Strong, Girl Meets World might be ending

We dont know what Mr. Feeny would have to say about this. While three new episodes are set to air this January, Rider Strong hinted that Girl Meets World is wrapping up for good. After talking about the show  a spin-off of the noteworthy 90s show Boy Meets World  on his podcast, Literary Disco, his word usage seemed a bit grim.

We finished the third season of Girl Meets World, Strong said. My brother and I were directing a lot of episodes and I acted in a couple. And the show ended.

Note that he didnt say season  he said show. Huh.

Girl Meets World premiered on Disney back in 2014, and fans couldnt get enough of it. While past characters like Strong and William Daniels (yes, Feeny) made a few cameo appearances, the reboot mainly centered on the young daughter of characters Cory and Topanga, played by Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel.

All in all, it looks like Strong directed about 16 episodes of the show, mostly throughout the second and third season. Each episode also included his brother, Shiloh Strong, who previously worked on campaign commercials for Barack Obama.

As for the cancellation news, the Girl Meets Writers crew  who have their own Twitter account  piped in with their perspective.

There is no official word as yet. Disney decision on season 4 coming soon. Officially, season 3 ends with 3 wonderful episodes in January.  Girl Meets Writers (@GMWWriters) December 29, 2016

Whatever happens, it has been a great joy to get to continue this story. If it is over, thank you. If not, we will keep giving our best.  Girl Meets Writers (@GMWWriters) December 29, 2016

But sadly, based on the clues, it looks like Rider Strong might be telling the truth. Not only did Disney refuse to comment on the rumor, but theres something else thats a bit telling  the final episode that was shot, set to air on January 20th, is called Girl Meets Goodbye.

You guys, we may need to huddle together and prep for this before it happens. At the very least, the show had a decent run, and we got to see some of our favorite sitcom characters grow.

The post According to Rider Strong, Girl Meets World might be ending appeared first on HelloGiggles.
The Daily Beast

Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesDonald Trumps desperate attempts to escape the wrath of the New York Attorney General were halted Thursday when a state judge there took the remarkable step of putting the former presidents company under court supervisionand preventing the billionaire from quietly shifting his money to avoid paying millions in fines.Justice Arthur F. Engoron intervened at the AGs request, ordering the appointment of an independent monitor to ensure that the company cant sec
NORFOLK, Va. (AP)  Sailing on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lara Runge placed a rare phone call to her wife Jessica in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Election Day.

The women prayed together "for the safety of our country and that equality would remain consistent." Both supported Hillary Clinton, while the majority of the ship's crew voted for President-elect Donald Trump, said Runge, an aviation electronics technician on the aircraft carrier.

"With the election, it was kind of rough there for a while," Runge, 27, said Friday, after stepping off the carrier in its homeport of Norfolk.

"You have a lot of diversity in the Navy," she said. "But there are a lot of people who don't feel that's best for the Navy."

Even for sailors who were half a world away and deployed for the past seven months, the tensions of this year's particularly divisive presidential election were unavoidable. But Runge said the ship's leadership kept the crew united and focused on the mission at hand, which included launching air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

Runge was among more than 6,000 sailors who returned home on the Eisenhower and supporting ships. The "Ike" pulled alongside a pier to cheers from hundreds of spouses and children clutching balloons and flowers and waving signs.

Justin Wright, 23, an aviation electronics technician from Little Rock, Arkansas, said there was "a little tension. But we're brothers and sisters out there."

"So a conversation about (the election) wasn't going to split us," said Wright, who voted for Trump in part because of the candidate's stances on expanding the military and reducing illegal immigration.

For many, the campaign wasn't a day-to-day concern. There was work to do  and real threats to contend with.

In October, missiles launched from the Yemeni coast failed to strike some of the American ships in the carrier's group. They defended themselves by launching Tomahawk missiles against three sites in Yemen.

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"The fact that that could happen really put a reality check on the situation," said Takiyah Robinson, 30, a Navy air traffic controller from Spring Hill, Florida.

A baby was born onboard the carrier in September. According to media reports, a sailor who never revealed she was pregnant reported abdominal pains before giving birth to a 7-pound girl. Navy policy requires pregnant women to leave ships after the 20th week.

And if the election divided some sailors, the Navy's short-lived use of gender-neutral titles united many in their opposition to it.

In September, the Navy decided to eliminate dozens of enlisted sailors' job titles, including many that end in "man," such as aviation ordnanceman. But the Navy scrapped the idea earlier this month after getting an onslaught of opposition. Some of the titles were centuries old, fueling pride and identity in a particular job.

"It was a 240-year-old Band-Aid that got ripped off in a matter of seconds," said Jennifer Cotnoir as she waited for her husband, aircraft mechanic Casey Cotnoir, to step off the Eisenhower.
Waltham, MA based Alere Inc. ALR, a leading player in rapid diagnostic tests, announced that it has recently appealed to the Administrative Law Judge at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for reinstatement of Medicare billing privilege.



For the last six months, the stock registered a negative return of almost 6.41%, narrower than the Zacks categorized Medical Products sub-industrys negative return of 6.94% roughly. Average volume of shares traded over the last six months was remarkable at approximately 729.3K. The stock has a market cap of $3.42 billion.



However, the estimate revision trend does not look promising with three estimates moving south over the past two months. Notably, the current year estimates for the stock decreased by 22 cents to $1.58 per share over the same time frame. Additionally, the stock promises an earnings yield of 3.97% compared to the industrys yield of only 1.16%.





The Medicare billing privilege for the company was revoked in Nov over issues relating to excess claims submission for deceased patients. This affected the performance of the company as for more than seven years it has provided diabetes testing supplies to Medicare beneficiaries. This accounted for a significant portion of its top line and we are apprehensive of the companys underperformance in the ongoing quarter.



However, over the long run we are optimistic about the the companys increasing focus on the diabetes market. According to the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF), about 415 million adults were diagnosed with diabetes in 2015 and the number is expected to increase to around 642 million or one in 10 adults by 2040. Moreover, many people with type II diabetes remain unaware of their condition for a long period of time and this may lead to complications by the time the disease is diagnosed. Meanwhile, as per IDF, global health spending to treat diabetes and manage complications was estimated to be about $673 billion in 2015.



Zacks Rank & Key Picks



Currently, Alere has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).



Better-ranked medical stocks are NxStage Medical Inc. NXTM, Align Technology, Inc. ALGN and Haemonetics Corporation HAE. NxStage Medical and Align Technology sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) while Haemonetics carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

NxStage Medical gained 14.4% over the last one year compared with the S&P 500s 9%. The company has a four-quarter average positive earnings surprise of 46.3%.



Align Technology rallied 47% year to date, way better than the S&P 500s 10.1%. It has a trailing four-quarter average positive earnings surprise of 23%.



Haemonetics recorded a 23.7% gain year to date, better than the S&P 500. It has a trailing four-quarter average positive earnings surprise of 0.82%.



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A subsidiary of water utility American Water Works Company Inc. AWK, Pennsylvania American Water, has completed the acquisition of wastewater system from the Scranton Sewer Authority (SSA) for $195 million.



American Water Works unit was providing water service to the Scranton and Dunmore communities for a long time and this acquisition will give them the opportunity to take care of the wastewater services to these communities.



The company received approval for the acquisition of the wastewater system after a lengthy process. As per the approval, American Water Works will invest $140 million to upgrade the acquired wastewater assets.



The purchase will add nearly 31,000 customers to American Water Works existing 15 million customer base, across 47 states in the U.S. and in Ontario, Canada.



Recent Acquisition



During September, another American Water Works subsidiary, Kentucky American Water, received the necessary approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission to purchase Classic Construction, Inc.s wastewater system.( read more: American Water Unit's Wastewater System Buyout Gets Nod)



Long term Plans



In addition of completing strategic acquisition of water and wastewater assets to expand its market reach, on a regular basis American Water Works is investing further on strengthen its existing assets.



The company aims to invest between $6.7 billion to $7.3 billion from 2017 to 2021, with $5.9 billion earmarked for its regulated assets. Nearly 90% of its earnings in 2016 are expected to come from the regulated assets.



Consolidation  The Way to Go



We all need 24x7 reliable water and wastewater services at reasonable costs. However, the cost of maintaining and upgrading aged wastewater systems is growing. This makes it an uphill task for small local operators to keep up with the rising expenses of upgrading the existing water infrastructure. So, consolidation is the need of the hour in the fragmented U.S. water utility space. The old water utility infrastructure needs ample investments, which are easier to make for the bigger players.



During the first half of 2016, American Water Works closed 10 acquisitions, adding 7,556 customers to its existing customer base. Scranton Wastewater systems acquisition is one of the largest in the companys history.



Another water utility, Aqua America Inc. WTR, is equally active in expanding its market reach through acquisitions. Year to date (as of Nov 1, 2016), the company has completed a number of acquisitions in its service territories, adding 5,700 customers to its existing base.



Acquisitions and organic growth have boosted Aqua Americas customer base by more than 1.3% so far this year. Thanks to strategic acquisitions and organic growth that the company can expect its customer base to expand in the range of 1.52% this year. The pending acquisitions are projected to increase 4,700 customers.



Price Movement



Over the last one year, American Water Works has been underperforming the Zacks categorized UtilityWater Supply industry. During this period, the companys shares have gained 21.7%, compared with the industrys return of 26.1%.

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However, return from The York Water Company YORW, another water utility operator was higher than the industry in the last twelve months.



Zacks Rank & Key Pick



American Water Works currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked water stock in the same space is Global Water Resources, Inc. GWRS



Global Water Resources 2016 estimates narrowed to a loss of 13 cents from 15 cents over the last 60 days. The company holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here

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Citing sources familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported that the incentives sought by Apple Inc. AAPL to set up manufacturing facilities in India are likely to be reviewed by the Indian government next week.

Since the last year, Apple has been increasing its focus on India to claim a greater share of the vast smartphone market, of which it reportedly holds only 5% as of now. Apple faces slowing iPhone demand in most of the regions, either because of competition or regulatory hurdles (China) or market saturation (the U.S). Therefore, it makes sense for the company to solidify its position in a developing nation like India, which is projected to become the second largest smartphone market in the world. In fiscal 2016, Apple sales in India grew approximately 50% over the prior fiscal.

Furthermore, a younger (and skilled) population and increasing investment in broadband network by the government also make India an attractive growth opportunity for Apple over the long run. In fact, the Indian government under PM Narendra Modi is eager on bringing foreign capital and boost manufacturing facilities in India.

APPLE INC Price

APPLE INC Price | APPLE INC Quote

Apple CEO Tim Cook was on his maiden visit to the country earlier this year. He met Modi and announced the opening of an iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru and a map development office in another southern Indian city, Hyderabad in collaboration with regional firm RMSI. The company also has partnered with telecom company Reliance, which is providing its Jio (a unique all-IP network) service for free with the new iPhones.

Per media reports, the recently outlined FDI policy also bodes well for the company as it eliminates the requirement to locally source products for at least a three-year period. This will enable Apple to open its solely-owned retails stores in India. Thereafter, the company will have to comply with the rule.

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However, the market is cost sensitive and Apple will have to fight it out vigorously with dominant players like Samsung, which sell handsets running on Alphabets GOOGL Android system.

Apple, of course, is not the only tech player eyeing India for growth. Given the potential of this market, Silicon Valleys interest is well understood. From Microsoft Corp. MSFT to Alphabet to Facebook Inc. FB all remain laser focused on the Indian market.

At present, Apple has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Year to date, shares of Apple have registered growth of 10.90% compared with the Zacks Computer Mini industrys gain of 11.96%.

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Ronald Gray, a former U.S. Army soldier convicted of raping and killing several women, could become the first person to be put to death by the military in a half-century.

U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten in Wichita, Kansas, last week denied Grays request for a further stay of execution. Marten ruled a previous stay was no longer in effect. Prosecutors said in a brief filed Dec. 9 Gray seems to believe that he is entitled to an indefinite federal stay of execution while he exhausts his remedies in the military courts. This is not the law.

"This is life-changing news," Honey Rosalie Schlehuber of Chickasha, Oklahoma, who was 12 when her sister Tammy Cofer Wilson was killed by Gray, told the Fayette (North Carolina) Observer.

"We've been waiting for years."

Wilson was 18 when she was slain. Her nude body was found by her husband, then-Pvt. Troy D. Wilson, in a wooded area near a mobile home park on Dec. 12, 1986.

"I was in the back of the house when I heard my entire family scream and cry," Schlehuber said. "It was so loud, all the screams. I will never, ever forget the cries as my mom and dad found out what happened to her.

"This is not just something you get over. It's having to lie to someone when they ask what happened to your sister. To this day I can't speak of it without tears."

fort bragg

Photo: Jonathan Drake/Reuters

The investigation of another crime led police to Gray, 51, who has been on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, since 1988, making him the longest-serving inmate. Execution could take place in the next 30 days at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana  the same facility where Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was executed in 2001.

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The president will need to sign the execution warrant, something George W. Bush did in 2008, but the order was stayed. A subsequent appeal argued Gray had ineffective counsel and lacked the mental capacity to stand trial. Grays attorneys also questioned whether the military had jurisdiction in the case.

If Grays sentence is carried out, it would be the first military execution since 1961 when John Bennett hanged for the rape and attempted murder of an Austrian girl. The militarys current method of execution is lethal injection.

Gray, a cook, was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when he was convicted by a military court and sentenced to death for three rapes and two murders in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In civilian court, he pleaded guilty to two other murders and five rapes, and was sentenced to eight life sentences. His other murder victims were cab driver Kimberly Ann Ruggles, Army Pvt. Laura Lee Vickery-Clay and Campbell University student Linda Jean Coats.

There are five other inmates on the militarys death row:

Dwight Loving, formerly of Rochester, New York, who was convicted of the 1988 killings taxi drivers Bobby Sharbino and Christopher Fay in Killeen, Texas, while he was stationed at Fort Hood.

Hasan Akbar killed two soldiers  Army Capt. Christopher S. Seifert and Air Force Maj. Gregory L. Stone  and injured 14 others in Kuwait in 2003.

Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, opened fire in a room at Fort Hood, killing 13 people and injuring 31 others in 2009.

Andrew Witt killed a fellow airman and his wife at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, in 2005.

Timothy Hennis, a former Army master sergeant at Fort Bragg, was convicted of the 1985 killing of a North Carolina mother and her two daughters.

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Ashley Greene is engaged!

The Twilight star's boyfriend, Paul Khoury, popped the question during the couple's trip to New Zealand on Dec. 19, the actress revealed on Thursday, alongside an adorable Instagram video of the proposal.

EXCLUSIVE: Ashley Greene and Cole Hauser Lose Control in New 'Rogue' Season 3 Trailer

"This is the most beautiful moment I could have ever hoped for. You've successfully made me the happiest, luckiest woman alive," Greene captioned the video. "I can't wait to show you my unfaltering immeasurable love for the rest of our lives. #engaged # #loveofmylife #futurehusband."

This is the most beautiful moment I could have ever hoped for. You've successfully made me the happiest, luckiest woman alive. I can't wait to show you my unfaltering immeasurable love for the rest of our lives. #engaged # #loveofmylife #futurehusband A video posted by Ashley Greene (@ashleygreene) on Dec 29, 2016 at 2:21pm PST

RELATED: All The Hottest Couples at The Venice Film Festival -- See the Pics!

"I promise to put a smile on your face for the rest of our lives. You complete me in ways I didn't even know was possible. I love you more than anything and excited to take this next step in life with you! #foreverlove #myfutrewife  #ShesGonnaBeAKhoury," Khoury wrote on his own account.

While the couple -- who have been dating since 2013 -- kept their engagement news quiet until now, they haven't been shy about posting pics from their romantic getaway in Australia and New Zealand.

A magical land where filters aren't necessary. Couldn't be in a more beautiful place with a more beautiful human. #newzealand #natureisbeautiful # #nofilter A photo posted by Ashley Greene (@ashleygreene) on Dec 17, 2016 at 10:45pm PST

Merry Christmas to everybody in the states. I'm celebrating Boxing Day! P.S isn't she stunning. #Australia A photo posted by Paul Khoury (@paulkhoury) on Dec 25, 2016 at 3:56pm PST

Merry Christmas from Australia  A photo posted by Ashley Greene (@ashleygreene) on Dec 24, 2016 at 6:42pm PST

WATCH: Kelsea Ballerini Gets Engaged on Christmas -- See the Gorgeous Ring!

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Greene and Khoury aren't the only ones with sweet engagement news. Serena Williams also announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian on Thursday.

See more in the video below.

Related Articles
Ashley Greene is engaged!

The Twilight actress announced she accepted longtime boyfriend Paul Khourys marriage proposal in an Instagram post on Thursday. Along with the happy news, Greene, 29, shared the video that showed just how Khoury asked her to be his bride.

During the couples recent vacation to Australia and New Zealand, the Australian TV personality proposed at the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls on Dec. 19.

This is the most beautiful moment I could have ever hoped for, Greene captioned the video. Youve successfully made me the happiest, luckiest woman alive. I cant wait to show you my unfaltering immeasurable love for the rest of our lives. #engaged #loveofmylife #futurehusband.

The footage, which included background music from John Legends You and I, captured the exact moment Khoury got down on bended knee, and of course, Green accepted. She said yes! the video concluded along with Our journey begins.

Khoury, who is Liam Hemsworths BFF, also shared the proposal video on his Instagram page with the caption: I promise to put a smile on your face for the rest of our lives. You complete me in ways I didnt even know was possible. I love you more than anything and excited to take this next step in life with you! #foreverlove #myfutrewife #ShesGonnaBeAKhoury.

The pair have been dating since 2013.




It is the enemy within, made up of powerful Americans atop the federal government pretending to respect American principles even as they say go away, Congress, leave us alone, courts, we are everything. They make most of the rules, they judge them, they execute them and theyve had it with all the whining about liberty, democratic fundamentals, legislative rights and constitutional safeguards.

Various names are given to this mushrooming, revolutionary phenomenon. It is called the administrative state, unilateral rule, the executive branch gone awry or, more imaginatively, the federal bureaucracy on amphetamines.

One way to describe it is a government relying ever more on barely inhibited regulatory overkill to make everything run right while actually causing everything to quit running. There is also a handy way to illustrate the worst of it with just three words or even just three letters. The three words are Environmental Protection Agency, and the three letters are EPA.

It is a 1970s creation born of a growing awareness of ways in which our industrial society was doing battle with the glory of nature, sustainable resources and human health. Along with states and localities, it did enormous good, especially in cleaning up air and water. But it also came to assume a religiously dogmatic demeanor in which it was mostly answerable only to itself.

It figured its cause was so sacred it was allowed to cheat, connive, bully and play games with science.

Now theres a solution. His name Scott Pruitt. He is Oklahomas attorney general, a brilliant lawyer and President-elect Donald Trumps nominee to head the EPA. The greenie extremists are shaking like leaves in a hurricane because he is a states rights kind of guy and has fought powerfully against EPA overreaching. He put together a coalition of other state attorneys general and he got the Supreme Court to say nothing doing to pushing ahead with the controversial, Obama-backed Clean Power Plan until courts had reviewed it.

The plan will likely not stand. Based on obvious bureaucratic misinterpretations of existing law, it would unconstitutionally wipe out state laws, legal experts say. It would also spread EPA authority to nitpicking with private citizens and destroying jobs by the thousands.

If by some mishap the courts do not act, Pruitt could.

By the way, he does not say there is no global warming, no matter what propaganda you have read lately. He says scientists disagree about the degree and extent of it, and they do. He is off-base on granting too little to human causes, but most scientists agree with him that the consumer-clobbering Clean Power Plan by itself would reduce warming by next to nothing by centurys end.

EPA sins do not stop there. Review various informed critics and you note how, in one instance, the EPA neglected its obligation to assess what turned out to be $9.6 billion in costs to industry and consumers with a regulation that would accomplish very little. In another instance, it decided to stop dangerous mining in Alaska before any scientific demonstration it was dangerous. The agency was also among the negligent in the water crisis in Flint, Mich.

If certain rules on gasoline usage undergo no change, all new cars are eventually going to have to be electric, it is estimated. Some say the EPA makes demands that no current technology can address. Not a few say the EPA has colluded with environmental groups behind the scenes when it was not supposed to. Some argue that, in presenting issues for public comment, the EPA often describes them in misleading ways likely to engender support for a regulatory slugfest.

The EPA itself once caused a toxic flash flood in Colorado, making you wonder if we need a higher EPA to regulate the EPA. The answer is no. We need Pruitt, and, for the global warming issue, we need ideas better than a Clean Power Plan that would do nothing. Trump actually has some. Lets see what happens.
BERLIN (AP)  Austrian police say they have arrested 50 people and seized cocaine, heroin, marijuana and amphetamines following a three-year investigation into a suspected drug-smuggling ring.

Vienna police said Friday that the detainees include 10 suspected couriers, who transported drugs to the city from the Netherlands, Nigeria and Cameroon, and three organizers, extradited to Austria from the Netherlands. They also include two people who confessed to robbing a bank in Austria.

Authorities say they seized 17 kilos (37.5 pounds) of cocaine and 4 kilos (8.8 pounds) of heroin as well as marijuana and amphetamines worth some 100,000 euros ($104,500).

Police say they found evidence that the ring smuggled a total of 56 kilos (123 pounds) of heroin and cocaine with a street value of at least 6 million euros ($6.3 million).
- Stephane Peterhansel targets a 13th Dakar title next month, describing the gruelling 2017 rally as the most intense he has faced and fearing the physical effects of racing at South America's high altitudes. The 51-year-old clinched his sixth win on four wheels in this year's event to add to six motorcycle triumphs since his debut in 1988 when the race was still held in Africa. But when the 39th running of the Dakar starts on Monday, many will be happy just to negotiate the six days spent at 3,000 metres or more above sea level. "We all fear a little the time spent at altitude. I fear for the teams, the staff, mechanics," said Peterhansel. The 2017 race will be the ninth time the Dakar has been held in South America. Organisers had in 2009 taken the decision to move the rally to another continent.

AFP




Getty/Universal

On New Years Eve, the final performance of the Back to the Future live concert series will take place at Symphony Hall in Boston. The touring show will then break for January, travel to Switzerland for two performances in February, then break again for March before heading to Italy for two final shows. As a result, the experiment first performed during the summer of 2015 will come to a close  capping off a year and a halfs worth of celebrations to commemorate the 30th anniversary of director Robert Zemeckis classic film.

Alan Silvestri score to the trilogy plays a vital, if sometimes overlooked, role in making the films so memorable. The Back to the Future trilogy without his musical flourishes would be like Star Wars without the opening crawls boisterous theme music or Empire Strikes Backs Imperial March. The films just wouldnt work, which is why the live concert series need for 20 additional minutes of music proved so daunting at first. Yet as Silvestri explained to us over the phone, the task ended up being a lot easier  a far less stressful  than it initially seemed.

Lets talk about the prospect of adding 20 minutes of new music to Back to the Future. Was it as scary as it sounds?

Its an interesting question because when this project was first presented, one of the stumbling blocks was there just wasnt a lot of music  or enough music  in the first half to make for a satisfying night in the concert hall. So of course the suggestion was, What about adding more music? At the time I replied, You want me to add more music to whats being called a perfect, classic film? They said yes, so I had dinner with Bob Zemeckis and Bob Gale  the films director, producer and co-writers. I told them about the idea to screen Back to the Future in concert, and the need to add new music. They thought it was great and told me to do whatever I wanted.

So I got to return to a score Id written 30 years ago and write 20 new minutes of music. It sounded like a dream come true, and it kind of was, but it just wasnt the dream I thought it would be. What I quickly found out was you cant write new music for Back to the Future. You just cant. Itd be like sticking a new character into the movie. What we needed to do was to add music to Back to the Future in such a way that fans would always think there had been music where we added it. What I wound up doing was going back through the score for all three films and looking for fun things that could travel. Just as the Bobs set up everything in the films so things would pay off later, I got to take music from later scenes or sequels and adapt snippets of it for the first movie.

Story continues

For instance, I brought a little piece of the clock tower material into Docs lab in the beginning, when we first see Marty. Its the same setup. Marty, where are you? Its the same line Doc says when hes looking at his watch, waiting in the town square for him. We also scored the main title, which had never had music before. Plus, I used Doc and Claras love theme from Back to the Future III for when Lorraine sits at the dinner table, drunk and reminiscing about when she fell in love with George. When the Bobs heard that, they fell on the floor. Its the love theme, but its also the counterpoint to an absurd situation.



Did you have to change anything in the original film score to make the new music work?

Everything that was in the original film stayed where it was, exactly the way it was. We didnt go in there and change start marks or anything of significance. That was the canvas, if you will, and then I had the film to work to. I had the scores from all three films. It actually turned out to be a lot of fun. Its like trying on outfits that werent designed for certain occasions, but still manage to work. We never, in any way, wanted to be disrespectful to the film. In fact we needed to do just the opposite. We had to continue to find ways to honor the film and the audiences embracing of it. That brings us back to the idea that if we go in, the first act of the movie plays and people dont hear or see anything new, we will have accomplished our mission. I really think we did. I asked many, many people  especially in the beginning  about the new music and they said, What new music? Thats how we worked our way through to the film. We just tried not to break anything.

Be they musicians, writers or artists, creatives often have a difficult time returning to projects theyve long since completed. Was that the case with Back to the Future?

It would seem that way, and there were certainly moments where that was the anticipation. Oddly enough, and this is often the case working on a Bob Zemeckis film, the movie tells you what it wants. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut and follow along. As soon as I brought in the new material and played it with the film, I knew right away if it was working or not. In the end it was not a stressful, belabored or difficult task. The movie is the movie, and you really just have to listen to it.

Can I say how wonderful it is that you refer to Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale as The Bobs?

Its like a marriage, you know? If the Smiths are coming to dinner, we know what that is. Theyre married, theyre together and its like one single thing: The Smiths. So when you talk about Bob Zemeckis, Bob Gale and Back to the Future, its The Bobs. The movie came from their marriage. Its their child, just in the same way that a child would be a product of a marriage.

I imagine its very similar to you and Zemeckis working relationship, which includes 16 movies.

Its absolutely amazing, and you can imagine what a privilege it is for a composer to be invited back in that way. I think its the 16th film, but the 20th project weve done together. When we were recording Allied recently, I introduced Bob at the end of the film because he loves to thank the orchestra. I told everyone this was the 16th film wed made together over a span of 33 years, and Bob added it was 16 in a row. He has never worked with another composer since our first time together, which was Romancing the Stone. Its an amazing thing, certainly for me, to have had that kind of relationship with someone I consider to be one of the greatest living filmmakers.

You two are practically married. Youre probably finishing each others sentences at this point.

Theres no doubt that that happens, and it has happened more and more over the years. Again, the marriage analogy is perfect here. Its like a husband and wife. With my wife Sandra, well walk into a room, see something and look at each other. Nobody has to say anything because we both know what the other is thinking. Theres certainly a lot of that that has happened with Bob over the years. What having this shorthand does is it leaves a lot of room for other kinds of contact. Other kinds of considerations. At the bottom of it all is a kind of basic trust that the other persons going to see so much of this the same way you do.



Zemeckis has described you as a visual composer, noting you had to see cuts of the film before you could score anything. He also said this proved troublesome with animated features like The Polar Express and Beowulf. This is especially interesting since, aside from working on Zemeckis films, youve scored effects-driven tentpoles like The Avengers and Captain America: The First Avenger.

One of the perfect examples was Forrest Gump. When I went down to first see that film and start working on it with Bob, they sat me down and rolled the cut. It opens to a blue sky and before anything significant happened, Bob stood up in front of the screen and explained to me what Id eventually see. Namely the feather, which floats down and across the screen in the final cut. So he put his hand in front of the screen and mimed the feathers movements throughout the entire opening sequence. Thats what I got to see. I never got to see the feather when I was working on that music. I saw the background, the tracking shots, the camera moves and Bobs hand.

Yet it was such a great, vivid explanation on Bobs part, so I was fine writing the music without seeing the actual feather. Other times, when Im scoring to some of these mo-cap things, Im not really seeing a defined character. Instead Im seeing what we sometimes call the Michelin Man  a little grey, characterless body clunking around through a scene. Maybe theres a sign that points to it saying, Mighty Warrior Beowulf and thats it. Though very often, I dont see the mighty warrior until after Ive already scored the film. It requires the involvement of the imagination, so from that point of view, youre prepared to imagine and exercise that capacity more than usual.

I remember playing The Feather Theme from Forrest Gump in my middle schools orchestra. I loved playing film music, though I havent touched a violin in decades.

You can totally pick it back up! Im 66 now and I spent many of the years of my youth playing guitar. After my time at Berklee, I made my living as a guitar player in clubs. Ive been away from it for 30 years, and just recently I literally woke up and said, You know? This is just not right that I dont play on any level anymore. So I went out and got myself a beautiful guitar, and Im trying to get it in my hands every day  even if just for five minutes. So when I say youll get back to it, I hope you do because theres just something great  even if its here and there  about making sounds yourself. You know, moving some air based on your own playing.

A lot of your scores feature guitar. Did you ever play while conducting scoring sessions?

I used to stand on the podium on occasion when I was doing the CHiPs show, and Id stand up there in front of the band and play. When you start to deal with larger ensembles in the movies, however, it gets a little weird. I really did kind of walk away from it. Ive had other things Ive been doing, studying and all that, but there was just something about my not playing anything personally anymore that didnt feel right. Im back at it. Well see how long it lasts.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon paid an emotional farewell to the United Nations on Friday, wistfully describing his two-term stint at the helm of the global body as something of a fairy tale.

"I feel a bit like Cinderella. Tomorrow at midnight, everything changes!" he joked to staff and colleagues as he wrapped up a decade leading the United Nations.

Beginning Sunday, former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres, 67, takes over from Ban.

Guterres is the first former head of government to lead the UN, succeeding Ban for a five-year term.

Ban, in a more serious vein, said it has been a "privilege" to have been at the head of an organization that endeavored to tamp down global conflict and end suffering -- and said it was an honor to have shared that mission with his co-workers.

"You should be very proud -- just as I am so very proud to call you my colleagues," the South Korean diplomat said.

He added that in his decade at the UN, he has endeavored "to never give up. To keep dreaming, to keep believing, and to keep working hard until we achieve progress," he said.

Ban added that as UN chief, he also has been guided by a desire "to keep the focus on people -- on people's rights and people's dignity... and to stand up for those who are left behind."

As a first act after leaving the pinnacle of global diplomacy, Ban will ring in the new year at Times Square by formally launching the traditional New Year's Eve ball drop, to be attended by hundreds of thousands of revelers.

"Tomorrow night, on the eve of the New Year, I will be in Times Square for the ball drop -- millions of people will be watching as I lose my job!" the outgoing UN leader joked.
Bank of Hawaii Corporation's BOH shares hit all time high of $89.72 within first hour of trading on Dec 29. Notably, the stock closed the day at $88.64, reflecting a return of 40.9%, over the last one year. The shares have outpaced the Zacks categorized West Banks industrys gain of 32.5%.



Since the election results in November, shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock has been trending up. The stock seems to be riding on the Trump rally, and the Fed rate hike further cheered the investors.



Also, the stock has been witnessing upward estimate revisions. The Zacks Consensus Estimate have risen 1.9% and 2.2% for 2016 and 2017, respectively, over the last 90 days.









So, will this bullish trend for Bank of Hawaii continue in 2017? Lets check the company fundamentals before deciding.



Earnings Strength: Bank of Hawaii has witnessed 16.6% growth in earnings per share (EPS), over the last three to five years. Notably, earnings are estimated to grow at the rate of 14.5% for 2016 compared with the industry average of 8.6%.



In addition, the companys long-term (35 years) estimated EPS growth rate of 8.5% promises rewards for investors, over the long run.



Revenue Growth: Bank of Hawaiis net revenue has risen at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2%, over the last three years (20132015). This reflects impressive loan and deposit growth. Further, the companys projected sales growth of 6.5% for 2016 (compared with industry average of 3%) ensures continuation of the upward revenue trend.



Superior ROE: Bank of Hawaiis Return on Equity (ROE) ratio is 14.35% compared with the industry average of 9.24%. This indicates that the company reinvests more efficiently compared to the industry.



Stock Looks Overvalued: Bank of Hawaii seems overvalued with respect to its respective Price-to-Earnings (P/E) and Price-to-Book (P/B) ratios. The companys P/E ratio of 21.05 is in line with the industry average. Its P/B ratio of 3.26 is above the industry average of 1.75.



Further, the stock has a Value Style Score of C. The Value Style Score condenses all valuation metrics into one actionable score that helps investors steer clear of value traps and identify stocks that are truly trading at a discount. Our research shows that stocks with Style Scores of A or B, when combined with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2, offer the best upside potential.



Leverage: Bank of Hawaiis debt/equity ratio stands at 0.23 compared with the industry average of 0.16, indicating higher debt level relative to the industry.



Other Stocks Worth a Look



Other stocks worth considering in the financial sector include Carolina Financial Corporation CARO, Farmers Capital Bank Corporation FFKT and Commerce Bancshares, Inc. CBSH.



Carolina Financial is projected to record 2.6% year-over year-increase in earnings for 2016. Also, its share price is up 69.3%, over the last one year. It currently boasts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Farmers Capital Bank carries a Zacks Rank #2 and is estimated to witness 2.6% rise in 2016 earnings. Moreover, over the last one year, its share price is up over 56.8%.



Commerce Bancshares carries a Zacks Rank #2 and is likely to record 8.5% year-over-year increase in 2016 earnings. Further, its share price has risen 42.5%, over the last one year.



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Barbara Tarbuck, the busy actress who played Lady Jane Jacks on General Hospital for more than a decade and recently appeared on American Horror Story, has died. She was 74.

Tarbuck died Monday at her home in Los Angeles of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, her daughter, Jennifer Lane Connolly, told The Hollywood Reporter. Connolly is a producer on the recent documentary A Classy Broad, about the pioneering Hollywood producer Marcia Nasatir.

Tarbuck portrayed Ingo Rademacher's (Jax Jacks) mother on ABC's General Hospital from 1996 until 2010, and on Ryan Murphy's FX series American Horror Story: Asylum, she was Jessica Lange's compassionate Mother Superior Claudia in five episodes during the second season.

In the 1980s, Tarbuck portrayed another nun, Sister Allegra, on the NBC daytime serial Santa Barbara, and she had a recurring role as Dr. Randall on the CBS primetime soap Falcon Crest.

The actress also appeared on such television shows as The Waltons, Dallas, Police Squad!, M*A*S*H, Cagney & Lacey, The Golden Girls, Judging Amy, Star Trek: Enterprise, NYPD Blue, Nip/Tuck and Glee (two other Murphy series) and Mad Men.

Her film resume included parts in Big Trouble (1986), directed by John Cassavetes; John Hughes' Curly Sue (1991); The Tie That Binds (1995); and Walking Tall (2004).

On Broadway, Tarbuck appeared in the original production of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, which debuted in 1983, and she worked often in regional theater. She most recently wrote and starred in the L.A. play Stopping By, about a 74-year-old woman who takes her husband's ashes to Burning Man.

Tarbuck also taught acting at UCLA for years.

Born in Detroit, Tarbuck performed on the WWJ-AM children's radio show Storyland starting at age 9 and learned from veteran actors who had worked on The Lone Ranger, The Shadow, and The Green Hornet.

She studied acting at Wayne State University and graduated in 1963. After receiving her master's from the University of Michigan, she was the lead actress at Indiana University in its inaugural theater touring company season.

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Tarbuck was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art then moved to New York to launch her professional career.

In addition to her daughter, survivors include son-in-law Samuel Chawinga and grandsons Cianan and Cuinn Chawinga.

Read more: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2016
By Makiko Yamazaki and Taro Fuse

TOKYO (Reuters) - Faced with the prospect of a multi-billion-dollar writedown that could wipe out its shareholders' equity, Japan's Toshiba is running out of fixes: it is burning cash, cannot issue shares and has few easy assets left to sell.

The Tokyo-based conglomerate, which is still recovering from a $1.3 billion accounting scandal in 2015, dismayed investors and lenders again this week by announcing that cost overruns at a U.S. nuclear business bought only last year meant it could now face a crippling charge against profit.

Toshiba says it will be weeks before it can give a final number, but a writedown of the scale expected - as much as 500 billion yen ($4.3 billion), according to one source close to Toshiba - would leave the group scrambling to plug the financial hole and keep up hefty investments in the competitive memory chip industry, which generates the bulk of its operating profit.

Shareholder equity, which represents its accumulated reserves, stood at 363.2 billion yen at the end of September, already just 7.5 percent of total assets.

Toshiba cannot raise cash by issuing shares because of restrictions imposed by the stock exchange after last year's scandal. One source close to the matter said Toshiba had been considering a share issue of around 300 billion yen, but the imminent lifting of those restrictions are now unlikely.

Private equity funding could be an option, but financial sources and investors said Toshiba would likely be forced to sell off more assets and stakes, months after having sold its two most easily marketable businesses: white goods and medical devices.

"Toshiba's immediate problem is that it is burning cash at an alarming rate, and this will be more than challenging," said Ken Courtis, chairman of Starfort Investment Holdings.

"I see little option but to sell a slew of non-core assets."

Its loss-making PC and TV businesses would be poor candidates for sale, while its many cross-shareholdings are unlikely to fetch enough.

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"Toshiba doesn't have many saleable assets in hand," Standard & Poor's analyst Hiroki Shibata said after the ratings agency downgraded Toshiba.

"It has mostly sold assets which have big price tags or that could easily find buyers already. It would be difficult to secure big funds through asset sales."

One source in the semiconductor industry said Toshiba could revive plans to list a slice of the memory chip business, which though highly profitable burns through cash for reinvestment.

"Toshiba will probably need to sell 30-40 percent of the NAND business in an IPO to secure enough cash," the source said, adding China's aggressive drive into NAND flash memory chips could make the timing reasonable.

The group has already said it could reconsider the "positioning" of its nuclear business, deemed core last year, and has signaled it could trim an 87 percent stake.

Toshiba has said it will consider a capital strategy, but has given no details.

CASH GAP

For now, creditor banks are expected to step into the liquidity breach, betting on Toshiba's growing chips business - though they were blindsided by the news and expressed concerns over continued governance and disclosure issues.

Some bankers had been on a factory tour with Toshiba on the day before the announcement, two of the banking sources said. They were told about the writedown that night.

Two days later, Toshiba's top executives, including Chief Executive Satoshi Tsunakawa, were asking for help.

"We really need a proper explanation of how, and to what extent, President Tsunakawa came to know of this," said an executive at one of Toshiba's regular bankers.

"It just defies common sense that this would come out only now about a deal done a year ago."

Just last month, Toshiba raised its annual profit forecast, thanks to strong demand for its NAND flash memory chips.

Bankers and analysts said the latest shock should at least push Toshiba to resolve long-standing headaches like its poor disclosure and governance, and could force it to offload some cross-shareholdings.

One Toshiba shareholder estimated that the book value of all its cross-shareholdings would be about $3.2 billion, and it could get more than that based on past experience.

Sale options would include its roughly 50 percent stakes in Toshiba Plant Systems and Services and Toshiba Tec (6588.T), both worth around $670 million at current market prices, according to Thomson Reuters data.

"If the company wants to survive, it needs to go through a 'scrap-and-build' process," said Norihiro Fujito, senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.

"Right now, even if banks are assisting, its like they are throwing their money down the drain."

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki, Taro Fuse, Kentaro Hamada, Emi Emoto and Ayai Tomisawa in TOKYO; Additional reporting by Umesh Desai and Michelle Price in HONG KONG; Writing by Clara Ferreira Marques; Editing by Will Waterman)
The 2004 disappearance and death of mom Lauri Waterman rattled the small town of Craig, Alaska. But even before the truth of what happened was revealed, people were noting the behavior of her 16-year-old daughter, Rachelle.

By Monday morning, most of Craig, Alaska, knew that Lauri was missing. They were sort of surprised to see Rachelle show up at school that day,explains PEOPLE Executive Editor Cynthia Sanz in Monday nights episode of People Magazine Investigates, on Investigation Discovery. The episode will focus on Lauris murder.

Rachelles emotions the day after are all over the map, a case expert says on Mondays episode. At times shes crying, at times shes angry, at times shes inappropriately giggling and silly.

Shes just thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts.

As PEOPLE Senior Editor Alicia Dennis explained during a Friday appearance on People Now, in a video above, the investigation into Lauris death uncovered tension between her and Rachelle.

Eventually, police said, they found a deadly bond between Rachelles boyfriend and his friend.

The People Magazine Investigates episode on Lauris death, The Darkest of Nights, airs Monday night (10 p.m. ET) on Investigation Discovery.




WASHINGTON -- One of the hallmarks of our democratic system is its commitment to the peaceful transition of power. This practice comes with two important, linked corollaries that fall under the umbrella that there can be only one president at a time.

The first is that the incoming president, especially in the arena of foreign policy, takes care not to trespass on the prerogatives of the incumbent. The second is that the outgoing president, once departed, remains largely mute, giving his successor space to operate unimpeded by post-presidential backseat carping.

President-elect Donald Trump must have missed this memo. Not bothering to wait for the constitutionally mandated handover, Trump has inserted himself into policy-making, from bullying U.S. manufacturers to barging into foreign affairs, including shaking up U.S.-China policy and intruding into the Obama administration's dealings with Israel at the United Nations.

This public tussling is as disturbing as it is unprecedented.

President Richard Nixon, at a news conference a week after being sworn in, was asked whether he would stick with judicial nominations submitted by his predecessor, Lyndon Johnson. Nixon noted that, in conversations as president-elect with Johnson administration officials, he had "scrupulously followed the line that we have one president at a time, and that he must continue to be president until he leaves office on January 20."

Bill Clinton book-ended his presidency with this same point. "During the transition that is now beginning," he said the day after his election in 1992, "I urge America's friends and foes alike to recognize, as I do, that America has only one president at a time."

Eight years later, asked about his future plans as he prepared to leave office, Clinton invoked the one-president theme again, saying that he wanted to "find a way to be a useful citizen ... but to do it in a way that does not get in the way of my successor."

In the midst of a financial meltdown, president-elect Obama was assertively involved in lobbying for the auto bailout and in shaping the contours of a stimulus package that would be enacted on his watch.

But Obama -- who had been criticized during the 2008 campaign for some of his dealings with foreign leaders -- steered decidedly clear of weighing in on issues like the escalating crisis in the Gaza Strip. "We can't have two administrations running foreign policy at the same time," he said on Jan. 7. "We simply can't do it."

Except Trump can. "At the end of the day, he's not someone that's going to sit back and wait," Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, told CNN, defending Trump's involvement with the United Nations vote.

Obama and his aides have, rather gently, made the one-president point. After Trump took a phone call with the president of Taiwan, Obama observed: "Since there's only one president at a time, my advice to him has been that before he starts having a lot of interactions with foreign governments other than the usual courtesy calls, that he should want to have his full team in place."

Not only did the president-elect fail to heed the message -- he bristled at it. With typical Trumpian gall, he managed to take umbrage at Obama's conduct during the transition. "Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks," Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. "Thought it was going to be a smooth transition -- NOT!"

Trump's definition of a smooth transition: one that goes entirely his way. So what were these "inflammatory" statements that set Trump off? Just about anything can trigger his wrath. Perhaps it was Obama, at Pearl Harbor with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, exhorting Americans to "resist the urge to turn inward" or "to demonize those who are different." Perhaps it was Obama boasting he would have beaten Trump if allowed to run.

Well, that's certainly inflammatory. How dare Obama?

Maybe Trump's disrespectful conduct toward Obama shouldn't be so surprising. After all, long before the election, Senate Republicans acted as if the Obama presidency had already ended, refusing even to consider his Supreme Court nominee.

In that sense, Trump is merely following an especially ugly, anti- constitutional party line. Imagine how President Trump, in office, would respond to such incursions on his authority -- and how President Trump, on his way out, would deal with a successor behaving this churlishly.
What follows is the sixth annual list of the years top 20 notable foreign-policy quotes. They are presented in chronological order, with some context, commentary, or (attempt at) humor. Only U.S. government officials are included, which is why the many potential entries from Donald Trump (for instance, his declaration that, for foreign-policy advice, Im speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and Ive said a lot of things) or Hillary Clinton (her pledge, hearkening to the classic 1982 film Tron, that We need to win the battle in cyberspace) didnt make the cut. (Suffice to say, sifting the Trump administrations observations down to a top 20 list will likely be a grueling task.)

No. 1: James Clapper, director of National Intelligence:

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.): Its the worst global threat environment now in 46 years?

Clapper: Well, its certainly the most diverse array of challenges and threats that I can recall.

Cotton: Why is that?

Clapper: I think its somewhat a function of the change in the bipolar system that did provide a certain stability in the world. The Soviet Union and its community, its alliance, and the West, led by the United States. And virtually all other threats were sort of subsumed in that basic bipolar contest that went on for decades and was characterized by stability. When that ended, that set off a whole group of forces, I guess, or dynamics around the world that have changed. (Hearing on worldwide threats, Senate Armed Services Committee, Feb. 9, 2016)

(Selectively remembering the Cold War as an era of stability  and not one that was actually more unstable, conflict-prone, and less democratic  is a consistent habit when U.S. officials describe todays global environment.)

No. 2: Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

I will take umbrage with the notion that our military has been gutted. I stand here today a person thats worn this uniform for 35 years. At no time in my career have I been more confident than this instant in saying we have the most powerful military on the face of the planet. (Press briefing, Department of Defense, Feb. 9, 2016.)

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(During the presidential election, the GOP unanimously took to defaming the U.S. military as ineffective and crippled, despite all demonstrable evidence to the contrary. Selvas corrective received tremendous publicity, but he was simply stating the obvious truth.)

No. 3: Peter Cook, Pentagon spokesperson:

As the use of military force against ISIL is authorized by the 2001 authorization for the use of military force, specifically. Just as we used it in our previous strike in Libya. These particular fighters posed a threat to interests in the region, to Libya, and to the United States over all we believe that this was a group that had ill intent on its mind. (Press briefing, Department of Defense, Feb. 19, 2016.)

(The Sept. 14, 2001, Authorization for Use of Military Force is the 60-word sentence that becomes more elastic and less credible with each passing year. In 2016, the AUMF was used to justify bombing suspected Islamic State fighters in Libya almost 500 times, including for allegedly having ill intent on their minds.)

No. 4: Ohio Gov. John Kasich:

Debate moderator Wolf Blitzer: Would you risk war for a regime change?

Kasich: Wolf, again, it would depend exactly what, you know, what was happening. What the situation was. But if there was an opportunity to remove the leader of North Korea and create stability. (Republican Candidates Debate in Houston,, Feb. 25, 2016)

(Just imagine how a U.S.-led regime change intervention in a country with a dozen nuclear warheads would create stability.)

No. 5: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.):

My party has gone batshit crazy. (National Press Club, Feb. 26, 2016.)

(And that was 10 months ago!)

No. 6: Lt. Gen. Vincent R. Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency:

Im not sure that Im at all comfortable with the hybrid threat description. I think most nation states would be really insane to take us on in conventional approach because of our superiority in conventional weapons systems. So they are going to take us on in the information space and try to control and dominate the narrative. Theyre going to try to come after us in asymmetric large, or small, formations that will confuse our targeting effort. That only makes sense to counter the way we are structured and the way that we generally fight and have fought for the last 15 or 20 years. Im sometimes anxious when I hear Russia described as creating this hybrid warfare because I think it just makes sense to counter our superior conventional capabilities. (Hearing on worldwide threats, House Armed Services Committee, March 2, 2016)

(Sadly, this became a courageous position for a military official to express in 2016, a year when any competition from Russia  including that which is non-kinetic and non-warlike  was elevated to hybrid warfare status. If the label applies to Russia, it applies to all states that attempt to improve their relative international status.)

No. 7: William Bratton, NYPD commissioner:

America is a very safe place. But we have our incidences, we know. Weve had more than our share of mass killing, some committed by terrorists, but the vast majority committed by American citizens living here who have access to firearms. Newtown was an example of that  all those young children killed by an American citizen. So a bigger threat at the moment is our own citizens than those abroad. (CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, CNN, March 29, 2016)

(An understatement. In 2015 within the United States, there were 15,696 homicides, and just 20 fatalities from two jihadi terror attacks, which themselves were committed by two U.S. citizens and one lawful permanent resident.)

No. 8: Col. Steve Warren, spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve:

We release videos based on several factors to include operational security  anything that could help the enemy learn how we will attack them  and if they look really cool. (Reddit Ask Me Anything with Colonel Steve Warren, May 6, 2016)

(And thats how yet another generation is led to believe that war is a video game.)

No. 9: Josh Earnest, White House press secretary:

Well, I think what is clear is, if you take a look at the presidents record, it speaks for itself. And that record includes a lot of dead terrorists. (Press briefing, White House, June 13, 2016)

(For an administration that has admitted killing terrorists is inadequate, it has enjoyed bragging about doing so constantly.)

No. 10: John O. Brennan, director of the CIA:

I have never seen a time when our country faced such a wide variety of threats to our national security. (Open hearing, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, June 16, 2016)

(This has long been a mantra from U.S. intelligence officials: Foreign threats can never diminish, but only grow in size, complexity, and lethality.)

No. 11: Gen. David L. Goldfein, chief of staff of the Air Force:

To our adversaries: It sucks to be you. (On having operational F-35As built by Lockheed Martin, ceremony at Hill Air Force Base, Aug. 5, 2016)

(One of Lockheed Martins own adversaries, Boeing, received an unexpected reprieve from the president-elect when he tweeted in December: Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet! Of course, Americas battlefield adversaries can be expected to counter, in new and asymmetrical ways, whatever powerful weapons systems the U.S. military fields.)

No. 12: John Kerry, secretary of state:

It is basic international law: Every country has a right to a safe and sovereign border, and any violation of that is unacceptable and a violation of international law; and a country has a right to defend itself. (Press availability with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Department of State, Aug. 25, 2016)

(Unwittingly, Kerry is judging the United States in violation of international law, since it has bombed the sovereign country of Syria for 26 months. The universal principle of all great powers: Do as I say, not as I do.)

No. 13: President Barack Obama:

The United States was on the right side of history when it came to the Cold War. There may have been moments, particularly here in Southeast Asia, in which, in our singular focus on defeating an expansionist and very aggressive communism, that we didnt think through all the implications of what we did as policymakers. Certainly when you see the dropping of cluster bombs, trying to figure out how that was going to be effective  particularly since part of the job was to win over hearts and minds  how that was going to work, I think with the benefit of hindsight, we have to say that a lot of those consequences were not ones that necessarily served our interests. (Press conference of President Obama after ASEAN Summit, Sept. 8, 2016)

(Thankfully, U.S. leaders learned their lesson and never again attempted to defeat an ideology using airpower.)

No. 14: Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.):

No one has written me yet [about the Zika outbreak] to ask what might be the best question: Do we really need government-funded research at all? (Julia Belluz, Trumps budget director pick: Do we really need government-funded research at all? Vox, Sept. 9, 2016).

(If you are reading this on a computer powered by microchips, after tapping a touch screen, and with the content traveling over the internet, you are enjoying the benefits of government-funded research.)

No. 15: Gen. Robin Rand, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command:

I cannot for the life of me imagine that our United States Air Force and our nation could have one less bomber than it currently has today.  Im going to stick to my guns. (Bill Carey, Air Force Evokes Doolittle Raid in Naming B-21 the Raider, AINonline, Sept. 19, 2016)

(The United States Air Force currently has 158 bombers  62 B-1Bs, 20 B-2As, and 140 B-52Hs. That a general officer cannot imagine a world with one fewer suggests the Pentagon needs further investments in critical thinking.)

No. 16: John Kerry, secretary of state:

It is inappropriate to be bombing the way they are. It is completely against the laws of war, it is against decency, it is against any common morality, and it is costing enormously. (Remarks at The Atlantic and Aspen Institute, Department of State, Sept. 29, 2016)

(Can you guess if the secretary of state is referring to Russias indiscriminate airstrikes in Syria, or Saudi Arabias indiscriminate airstrikes in Yemen  backed by U.S. weapons, refueling, and targeting assistance?)

No. 17: President Barack Obama:

I think you could see, over the horizon, a situation in which, without Congress showing much interest in restraining actions with authorizations that were written really broadly, you end up with a president who can carry on perpetual wars all over the world, and a lot of them covert, without any accountability or democratic debate. (Jonathan Chait, Five Days That Shaped a Presidency, New York Magazine, Oct. 2, 2016)

(Obama apparently uses the phrase over the horizon to describe his current war-making powers.)

No. 18: Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

I like to remind people who have a high level of confidence in assumptions on when, where, and how we will fight the next fight  that the Korean War took place right after some of the best strategists that weve ever produced as a nation decided to rebalance to Europe. (Annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army, Oct. 5, 2016)

(A needed warning for Pentagon strategists during an ongoing and widely endorsed U.S. rebalance to Asia.)

No. 19: Unnamed senior Obama administration official:

The strike on the funeral was really, really hard to swallow. (Special briefing, Office of the Spokesperson, Department of State, Oct. 14, 2016).

(The strike was a Saudi Arabia bombing of a community hall in Sanaa, Yemen, during a funeral ceremony; more than 100 people were killed and 500 injured. Human Rights Watch determined the bombs were U.S.-manufactured GBU-12 Paveway II 500-pound bombs. Such support for the brutal Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen will be a lasting stain on Obamas foreign-policy legacy.)

No. 20: John O. Brennan, director of the CIA:

If we hold dear the principles of democracy, liberty, freedom, and freedom of speech and the right of people everywhere to have governments of their choosing, preventing the conduct of a free and fair and open election, devoid of interference and foreign manipulation, is something that I think the United States government, as well as the American people, would certainly want to make sure thats going to be who we are.  Thats why I dont think we should resort to some of the tactics and techniques that our adversaries employ against us. I think we need to remember what were fighting for. Were fighting for our country, our democracy, our way of life, and to engage in the skulduggery that some of our opponents and adversaries engage in, I think, is beneath this countrys greatness. (National Public Radio, Dec. 23, 2016)

(In July, professor Dov Levin published an article in International Studies Quarterly, When the Great Power Gets a Vote: The Effects of Great Power Electoral Interventions on Election Results. Levin demonstrates that between 1946 and 2000, the United States and USSR/Russia intervened in foreign elections 117 times, with Washington responsible for 81 of the interventions  intentional, costly activities done in order to help or hurt one of the sides contesting the election for the executive. Of those 81 interventions, 65 percent were done covertly  often by CIA operatives. If theres one thing the CIA will not abide, it is skulduggery.)

Photo credit: EVAN VUCCI/Pool/Getty Images
Billie Lourd has received many tributes since her mother, Carrie Fisher, and grandmother, Debbie Reynolds, died on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, but its her stepfathers message that may hit home the most.

Bruce Bozzi, who married Billies father, Bryan Lourd, in October, took to Instagram on Thursday to commemorate his stepdaughters strength in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

The Palm Restaurant Group executive posted a photo of Billie with her mother and grandmother at her college graduation, writing: @praisethelourd its an honor to be your Stepfather. This day, your NYU grad day we had so much fun! Yankee Stadium your mom and I laughed our asses off, as she kept one fantastic line coming after the other  no less when we all fell asleep the night before in the smaller ceremony because it was so boring.

He continued, Every time Carrie looked at me she said how are you still awake! Your grandmother with our sweet Ava was the kindest most loving. Soas Carrie said to me years ago Im a good stepmother I promise I will always be & the strength of these women live so vibrantly in you. Ive been lucky enough to see this for a decade! Many decades to come..heaven just got a s load more fun!!!! I love you @praisethelourd xo Bru Thursday 12/29/16.

Reynolds died at the age of 84 on Wednesday after being rushed to the hospital for a possible stroke. The screen legend was at her and Fishers property when she had to be rushed to the hospital for a possible stroke on Wednesday afternoon, PEOPLE confirmed .

The news came just one day after her daughter, Star Wars icon Fisher, 60, died of a heart attack.

Billie, 24, has not spoken out about the loss of both of her family members, but family spokesman, Simon Halls released a statement to PEOPLE on her behalf on Tuesday.

It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning, the statement reads.

She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly, Lourd said. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.




Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazilian police suspect Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis was killed in a "crime of passion," a source close to the investigation said Friday, as detectives interrogated his wife and a policeman who was reportedly her lover.

Amiridis went missing while vacationing with his family in Rio de Janeiro, a picturesque but crime-plagued city where he served as Greece's consul general from 2001 to 2004, before being named ambassador to Brasilia this year.

His Brazilian wife, Francoise Amiridis, formally reported him missing on Wednesday.

Then, on Thursday, police found what appeared to be the 59-year-old ambassador's body, burned beyond recognition, inside a torched and abandoned car rented in his name.

Francoise Amiridis and two other people -- all considered "suspects" -- were brought in for questioning Friday morning at the homicide division for Baixada Fluminense, a neighborhood on Rio de Janeiro's west side, the source close to the investigation told AFP.

The ambassador's wife had already been questioned Thursday about her husband's disappearance, but "the division chief wanted to see her again," said the source, adding: "A crime of passion is the most solid trail in the investigation."

The other two suspects are a policeman and a young man.

Brazilian media reports said investigators believed the arrested policeman was Francoise Amiridis's lover.

- Body moved? -

The ambassador's charred rental car could be seen in the parking lot outside the police station, an AFP correspondent said.

Amiridis had been on vacation with his family in Nova Iguacu, on Rio's north side, since December 21.

He was due to fly back to Brasilia on January 9, a Greek embassy official told AFP.

Brazilian news site G1 reported that investigators believed the ambassador had been killed at the home where the family was staying.

Forensics analysis uncovered signs of a struggle, it said.

Story continues

Investigators believe Amiridis was killed inside, then placed inside his rental car and driven to the spot where the burned-out vehicle was found, on the slope of a busy suburban thoroughfare.

Police said Thursday they had immediately ruled out a kidnapping, since no ransom demand had been received.

A Greek police team was due to leave Friday for Brazil to take part in the investigation, while Greece's ambassador in Argentina was headed to Brasilia, Athens said.

Amiridis had served as Greece's ambassador to Libya from 2012 until earlier this year when he was appointed to move to Brazil.

He has a 10-year-old daughter, according to the embassy in Brasilia.

Hit hard by Brazil's worst recession in more than a century, Rio de Janeiro state is facing bankruptcy and struggling to deal with the violent crime that has long dogged it.

The 2016 Olympic host city has seen crime rates soar in recent months, fueled by drug gang violence.
By Daria Sito-Sucic SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Under U.S. pressure, the leader of Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic on Friday submitted to questioning by prosecutors, after defying a summons for three months, for holding a referendum in violation of a Constitutional Court ruling. The country's chief prosecutor called in Milorad Dodik in September but he refused to come to the Bosnian capital, citing security concerns. Dodik had said that he would settle for questioning only on the territory of the Serb Republic. But on Friday, he was questioned in Sarajevo as a suspect in the case, the prosecutor's office said in a short statement. Bosnia's Serb Republic held a referendum in September on a national holiday despite a ruling by the Constitutional Court that it discriminated against the region's non-Serbs. The court banned the plebiscite. Dodik told the Bosnian Serb news agency Srna he decided to answer the summons after rejecting two previous calls, but criticised the investigation as politically fabricated. He said the prosecutors were under influence of the international community and Muslim Bosniaks, from the country's other region. Dodik's change of tack comes after he spoke to top U.S. officials, who Dodik said asked him to answer the summons and to distance himself from a referendum on secession of the Serb Republic that his party announced for 2018. The U.S. embassy said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hoyt Yee and Ambassador Maureen Cormack spoke to Dodik to underscore their concerns about his statements and actions. "... defying a decision of the Constitutional Court violates the rule of law, and those responsible must be held accountable. We take any attempt to undermine the Dayton peace agreement very seriously," the statement said, referring to the U.S.-brokered peace deal that ended the Bosnian 1992-95 war. The statement urged Dodik to show commitment to the peace accords, adding that the U.S. supported the country's judicial institutions and their acts, "while we continue to evaluate appropriate consequences authorized under U.S. law". Earlier this week, Dodik said he received an invitation to attend an inauguration party of new U.S. President Donald Trump but that the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo refused to issue him a diplomatic visa. He then applied for a regular visa. The embassy said it could not comment on individual visa cases. The Bosnian Serb leader, who advocates independence for the Serb Republic and favors closer ties with Russia, has repeatedly questioned the legality of Bosnia's national judiciary and threatened a referendum on the status of these institutions. (Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Alison Williams)
London (AFP) - The British government on Thursday said peace between Israel and the Palestinians cannot be brokered by focusing solely on settlement construction, following a stern warning over the practice by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesperson said Britain supports a two-state solution and believes the construction of settlements on Palestinian lands is illegal.

"But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict.

"In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The comments from Downing Street come a day after Kerry issued a stern warning to Israel in which he said building settlements threatens the country's future as a democracy.

Kerry accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of allowing Israel to slide towards a "perpetual occupation."

Without referring to the secretary of state's comments, the British government's comments appeared to criticise Kerry's speech.

aWe do not, therefore, believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue, in this case the construction of settlements, when clearly the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is so deeply complex," May's spokesperson said.

"And we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally. The government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community," they added.

The statement follows a UN Security Council resolution last week which effectively declared Israel's settlements on areas of east Jerusalem and the West Bank beyond its 1967 border illegal.

In a rare move the US refrained from vetoing the resolution, which was backed by all the remaining members of the 15-member council including Britain.
By Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) - Britain scolded U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the most right-wing in Israeli history, a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump. After U.S. President Barack Obama enraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by refusing to veto a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, Kerry's public rebuke of Israel has unsettled some allies such as Britain. Amid one of the United States' sharpest confrontations with Israel since the 1956 Suez crisis, Kerry said in a speech that Israel jeopardised hopes of peace in the Middle East by building settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. While Britain voted for the UN resolution that so angered Netanyahu and says that settlements in the occupied territories are illegal, a spokesman for May said that it was clear that the settlements were far from the only problem in the conflict. In an unusually sharp public rebuke of Obama's top diplomat, May's spokesman said that Israel had coped for too long with the threat of terrorism and that focusing only on the settlements was not the best way to achieve peace between Jew and Arab. London also took particular issue with Kerry's description of Netanyahu's coalition as "the most right-wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by its most extreme elements." "We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally," May's spokesman said when asked about Kerry 70-minute speech in the State Department's auditorium. The U.S. State Department said it was surprised by the remarks from May's office and said Kerry's comments were in line with Britain's own policy. It pointedly also thanked Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates for support. TRUMP AND MAY? Britain has long cherished its so-called "special relationship" with the United States as a central pillar of its foreign policy, but May has struggled to build relations with Trump's transition team. Following his election, Trump spoke to nine other world leaders before he spoke to May while he caused astonishment in London when he suggested that Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage should be Britain's ambassador to Washington. By openly criticising Kerry, who will leave office in just weeks, May moves British policy closer to Trump than its other European allies such as Germany and France. Trump has denounced the Obama administration's treatment of Israel and promised to change course when he is sworn in on Jan. 20. "We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore," Trump said in a series of tweets. "Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!" Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has come out in favour of the Kerry speech while France holds a Middle East conference next month in Paris. But Australia has distanced itself from Obama's stance on Israel, ABC reported. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was convinced peace with Israel was achievable but demanded that Israel halt settlement building before talks restarted. ISRAEL Netanyahu has been witheringly critical of Kerrys speech. In a statement released shortly after it was delivered, Netanyahu accused Kerry of bias and said Israel did not need to be lectured to by foreign leaders. Netanyahu said he looked forward to working with Trump. Kerry "obsessively dealt with settlements", Netanyahu said in his response, and barely touched "the root of the conflict  Palestinian opposition to a Jewish state in any boundaries." In Israel, Kerrys speech has played into the hands of Israels far-right national-religious movement, led by Naftali Bennett, the education minister, who is in Netanyahus cabinet but very critical of Netanyahu and is trying to position himself as a future potential leader. Bennetts party, Jewish Home, wants to annexe large parts of the West Bank and openly opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. He is advocating for more settlements and the legalisation of outpost settlements, which even the Israeli government considers illegal. "This [Obama] administration's policy has left the Middle East up in flames," Bennett said after Kerry's speech. "The one free democracy has been thrown under the bus - and that's Israel." (Additional reporting by Luke Baker; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
London (AFP) - One of Europe's worst offenders on food waste, Britain is beginning to get its act together thanks to a surge in volunteer initiatives that help the poor as well as creating a bit of seasonal cheer.

"That's what I come out for, to have a little chat... It's not only the food," said Bassia Hamech, 76, as she was served a bowl of hot soup in a kitchen in east London run by a charity called FoodCycle.

The kitchen serves up weekly vegetarian lunches to up to 50 people in Hackney, many of whom have health problems or are at risk of social isolation.

One of the volunteers, artist Anne Engel, said the most generous donations come from Turkish greengrocers in the area while big supermarkets are less reliable and today gave only a bag of bread.

"We get them to eat all sorts of wild and wonderful things," said Engel, who brought offerings including mangoes, mint and eggs to a kitchen overflowing with fruit and vegetables destined for scrap.

Teas are swiftly handed out to volunteers and a menu created -- soup, frittata and fruit salad -- and the kitchen team pick out a few furry raspberries and other items which are too old to be used.

"It's about changing the attitudes to food. We get a lot of volunteers who are very frightened of food past its sell by date," Engel said.

2016 has been a landmark year for international campaigners tackling food waste, with both Italy and France passing laws to make it easier for surplus stock to be donated rather than binned.

But Britain has fallen behind its neighbours by failing to legislate on the issue, leaving community groups and new businesses to fill the gap.

Britain wastes around 10 million tonnes of food a year, according to 2016 figures from the charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The EU as a whole has around 88 million tonnes of annual food waste, according to 2012 estimates.

This year's "War on Waste" BBC television show raised awareness among Britainas population, starting with a mountain of discarded parsnips exposed by its presenter, celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Story continues

- 'A carpet of fruit' -

Regular customers at the new crop of recycled food cafes and shops opening up in Britain include environmental do-gooders, as well as the poor and those just looking for some company.

Even the counters of central London cafes filled with high-end coffee and calorific muffins are increasingly making way for products made from salvaged fruit.

A former FoodCycle volunteer, Ben Whitehead, said he has rescued nearly 15 tonnes of fruit since first requesting surplus on a trip to his local market.

"I got offered 12 boxes of really amazing pineapples. I was on my bike! So they looked at me and laughed," he said of his initial encounter with the traders.

After experimenting with different fruits deemed not perfect enough to make it to consumers, Whitehead set up a company in 2015 called SpareFruit that air-dries sliced apples and pears to create crisps.

"If you drive through the orchards you just see a carpet of fruit. Some of it we wouldn't eat, but I would say 90 percent of that fruit is perfectly edible," he said.

Snact, a similar fruit jerky maker, got off the ground after raising A14,000 ($17,000, 17,000 euros) through crowdfunding in 2014.

Both companies are hoping to further their ambitions in the new year, with plans to make it into the luxury department store Selfridges.

The chance to launch in a high-end food hall shows how much British attitudes have changed, as Whitehead discovered when he asked consumers whether they would eat something that would otherwise be wasted.

"Everyone's response was, 'As long as it's clean and healthy, and fine to eat, why wouldn't we?'"
* Britain criticises Kerry over Israel comments

* Says not right to criticise composition of Israeli government

* PM May edges closer to President-elect Donald Trump

* United States says surprised by British remarks

* Western divisions over Obama's Israel policy emerge (Recasts, adds details)

By Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton

LONDON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Britain scolded U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the most right-wing in Israeli history, a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump.

After U.S. President Barack Obama enraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by refusing to veto a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, Kerry's public rebuke of Israel has unsettled some allies such as Britain.

Amid one of the United States' sharpest confrontations with Israel since the 1956 Suez crisis, Kerry said in a speech that Israel jeopardizeds hopes of peace in the Middle East by building settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

While Britain voted for the UN resolution that so angered Netanyahu and says that settlements in the occupied territories are illegal, a spokesman for May said that it was clear that the settlements were far from the only problem in the conflict.

In an unusually sharp public rebuke of Obama's top diplomat, May's spokesman said that Israel had coped for too long with the threat of terrorism and that focusing only on the settlements was not the best way to achieve peace between Jew and Arab.

London also took particular issue with Kerry's description of Netanyahu's coalition as "the most right-wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by its most extreme elements."

"We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally," May's spokesman said when asked about Kerry 70-minute speech in the State Department's auditorium.

Story continues

The U.S. State Department said it was surprised by the remarks from May's office and said Kerry's comments were in line with Britain's own policy. It pointedly also thanked Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates for support.

TRUMP AND MAY?

Britain has long cherished its so-called "special relationship" with the United States as a central pillar of its foreign policy, but May has struggled to build relations with Trump's transition team.

Following his election, Trump spoke to nine other world leaders before he spoke to May while he caused astonishment in London when he suggested that Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage should be Britain's ambassador to Washington.

By openly criticising Kerry, who will leave office in just weeks, May moves British policy closer to Trump than its other European allies such as Germany and France.

Trump has denounced the Obama administration's treatment of Israel and promised to change course when he is sworn in on Jan. 20.

"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore," Trump said in a series of tweets. "Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!"

Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has come out in favour of the Kerry speech while France holds a Middle East conference next month in Paris.

But Australia has distanced itself from Obama's stance on Israel, ABC reported.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was convinced peace with Israel was achievable but demanded that Israel halt settlement building before talks restarted.

ISRAEL

Netanyahu has been witheringly critical of Kerry's speech. In a statement released shortly after it was delivered, Netanyahu accused Kerry of bias and said Israel did not need to be lectured to by foreign leaders.

Netanyahu said he looked forward to working with Trump.

Kerry "obsessively dealt with settlements", Netanyahu said in his response, and barely touched "the root of the conflict - Palestinian opposition to a Jewish state in any boundaries."

In Israel, Kerry's speech has played into the hands of Israel's far-right national-religious movement, led by Naftali Bennett, the education minister, who is in Netanyahu's cabinet but very critical of Netanyahu and is trying to position himself as a future potential leader.

Bennett's party, Jewish Home, wants to annexe large parts of the West Bank and openly opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. He is advocating for more settlements and the legalisation of outpost settlements, which even the Israeli government considers illegal.

"This administation's policy has left the Middle East up in flames," Bennett said after Kerry's speech. "The one free democracy has been thrown under the bus - and that's Israel." (Additional reporting by Luke Baker; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Its a longstanding tradition to drink champagne on New Years Eve or to toast with bubbly during any celebration. The welcoming of 2017 will be no exception, especially after all the hardships and obstacles faced during 2016, and the sparkling adult drink will most likely be free flowing throughout the night at many venues hosting New Years Eve parties. But folks spending the holiday at home dont have to miss out on all the fizzy fun because there are several tasty brands that are just perfect for ringing in the new year.

Check out a list of the best champagnes to serve on New Years Eve, no matter the budget, below:

Segura Viudas Brut Cava NV: Produced in the Penedes region of Spain, this cava isnt nearly at nutty as most French champagnes, but its just as good, offering dry and citrusy notes. Not to mention, its an unbeatable price at $9 a pop.

Mionetto Prosecco Brut: For celebrants on a budget, Mionetto offers a well-balanced acidity with a finish so crisp and clean, no one would ever guess it only cost about $12 a bottle. The light straw color features bright yellow highlights that are sure to keep the flutes shimmering well past midnight.

Oudinot Cuvee Brut: Even the biggest champagne critics can enjoy this light and refined champagne, which features fruity, floral and creamy notes reminiscent of its subtle and fresh texture. Bottles usually run around $32.

G.H. Mumm & Cie Carte Classique Extra Dry: For party-goers looking to bring in 2017 in a bold way, this $58 champagne will provide drinkers with a classic, bold and rich experience. Tasting notes include hints of exotic fruits and floral attributes, leaving drinkers with a fresh and subtle sweetness in the finish.

Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut: Kick off the new year with this fantastic champagne, which blends nearly 60 grape varietals to produce a delicate taste and fruity aromas of peach, Mirabelle plum, pear and vanilla for $55 a bottle.

Story continues

Sparkling Pointe 2007 Brut Seduction: A taste of fancy that anyone can enjoy no matter one's palate, the luxurious cuvee, hailing from Long Island, New York, is deep gold in color with effervescent, tiny bubbles exuding traits of wild berry and floral aromas. Bottles are $72.

Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque 2007: If the floral painting on the body isnt enough to get the party started, then the floral aromas and exquisite bubbles that guests will surely guzzle down is more than enough reason for this easy-to-drink, soft-pressed Chardonnay cuvee to get a spot at the house party bar. While the champagne, hailing from Cramant grand cru vineyards is on the pricier side  bottles start about $120  its expensive taste is worth every penny.

Related Articles
BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP)  Burundi's president on Friday threatened to pull out almost 5,500 troops contributing to the African Union mission in Somalia over nearly a year of unpaid allowances, in another sign of tensions with the force's largest donor, the European Union.

If there is no payment by January, Burundi will recall the more than 5,400 troops from the 22,000-strong regional force protecting Somalia's weak government from al-Shabab extremist attacks, President Pierre Nkurunziza said.

Burundi's troops have not been paid allowances for 11 months amid a standoff between Burundi's government and the EU after the EU accused Burundian authorities of human rights abuses.

Burundi has faced widespread international criticism over the deadly political turmoil that followed Nkurunziza's pursuit of a third term last year, which many in the country called unconstitutional. Hundreds of been killed.

Burundi is scheduled to rotate three battalions of soldiers into Somalia in January, military spokesman Col. Gaspard Baratuza said in a statement earlier this week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is furious at the U.S. for not "protecting Israel" from a United Nations censure for continuing to occupy Palestinian contested land. Netanyahu came into the halls of our Congress to give a speech against our sitting president, so it's clear how much of an ally Israel is to the United States.

We have borne, often alone, a justifiable role of standing with Israel against unfair international measures the UN and other adversaries sponsor. That support of Israel has been the seed from which almost all of our problems with extremist Islam and its followers was born. Our support of Israel is moral, proper and necessary because of the inexcusable widespread persecution of Jews throughout history.

But Netanyahu, and like-minded Israeli leaders, better rethink how much their main international ally and defender will tolerate from a sometimes ally. Donald Trump may upset a lot of apple carts, but Israelis shouldn't count on a subservient USA tolerating insult and abuse and still steadfastly absorbing the heavy consequences that being Israel's principal ally costs us.

Tom DeShazo, Lincoln
A large trader apparently believe that Etsy will break out of its recent range by the spring.



Our tracking program detected the sale of 4,100 March 15 calls mostly for $0.35 to $0.38 below open interest of 12,039 contracts and the purchase of 4,100 March 12.50 calls for $0.99 to $1.03 against open interest of 747 contracts. The investor could either be rolling the March 15s to the lower strike, as their volume is below open interest, or opening a new vertical spread. Either trade is bullish.



Long calls lock in the price where investors can buy stock, allowing them to profit from a rally with limited capital at risk. Their cheap cost can also generate significant leverage on a percentage basis if shares move in the right direction.



If this is a vertical spread , the investor is looking for ETSY to rally above $12 by expiration. The sale of the higher-strike contracts reduces the cost of the long calls but limits potential gains, as the trader will be obligated to sell shares if they rise above $15. (See our Education section)



ETSY fell 0.93 percent to $11.76 yesterday and is down 20 percent in the last three months, but shares have been trading in an increasingly narrow range in the last several weeks. The online crafts marketplace reported bearish quarterly numbers on Nov. 1 and is expected to announce its next earnings results after the close on Feb. 23.



Overall option volume was 9 times greater than average in the name yesterday. Calls outnumbered puts by a bullish 104-to-1 ratio.





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Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Rational people have no problem admitting we live in a patriarchal society, even if they disagree on the finer points of how that affects us. One major example is how  until recently  we expected women would take the name of their husband when they married. Its still an exceptionally common practice, though statistically women keeping their maiden names is on the rise. The structure of our culture doesnt even know what do to when a man wants to take his wifes last name. These cultural norms are so ingrained they color our perception, connecting dots where their arent any. Like the nature of how the Organa name is passed down in Star Wars for instance.

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out, fans of True Love were dismayed to see Han Solo and Leia Organa had not made it for the long haul. Upon reintroduction to the Alderaanian royal, she is introduced as General Organa. Because of the way our culture handles last names, it would be reasonable to assume after she and Han separated, she reclaimed her maiden name. But as theres not even any proof of space divorce (only space separation), Id argue instead Leia never changed her last name, as Alderaan was a matriarchal society that passed leadership from Queen to Princess, instead of King to Prince. There was a reason Bail chose to take Leia over Luke. Alderaan needed an heir.

Based strictly off the new canon established since Disney took over Lucasfilm, it makes sense. The name of Leias mother was Breha Organa. She was the Queen of Alderaan while Bail was her consort, not the King. The royal family is the House of Organa. Why  in a culture that values the divine right of Queens  would the royal house name be patrilineal? It wouldnt. Enter a throwaway line from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace that was originally meant to introduce an Alderaanian character that was cut from the final film (and thus the official canon).

At one point in The Phantom Menace, the name of Senator Bail Antilles is floated as a possible alternative to Sheev Palpatine being elected as Supreme Chancellor. But since the scene showcasing this character never saw the light of day, it cracked the door for other possibilities. Occams Razor would say Bail Antilles is the same Senator as Bail Organa, only prior to his marriage to Breha and elevation to Viceroy and consort. Theres no single canonical mention of a separate Bail Antilles, not a peep from either subsequent films, the cartoon television shows, or the Marvel comics. If Bails maiden name was Antilles, it would also explain the Senators trust in Captain Antilles in ferrying Leia to Obi-Wan on Tatooine, as blood is thicker than paychecks, as well as the inference that House Organa was related to House Antilles. Monarchies tend to be a tad incestuous when it comes to marriage.

Story continues

So if House Organa is the house of Breha Organa and her daughter Leia, it stands to reason that even without Alderaan as a seat of power, Leia would want to embrace the traditions of her home world. Which is how we end up with General Leia Organa and her son, Ben Organa.

Yes, if you Google Ben Organa, youre not going to pull as many results as Ben Solo (in fact, only a single Reddit thread seems to have put stock in this name). But thats everything to do with to our own cultural assumptions and nothing to do with the characters given name. Even Pablo Hidalgo has cautioned fans that Any name beyond Ben hasnt been revealed anywhere.* We dont yet know much of Han Solos new Disney-approved history (Is he a Corellian prince? Is Solo his real last name?) so theres no way to know if hed be partial to his own surname. But the mere fact the Star Wars story group is keeping Bens given name under wraps is indicative it probably isnt straight forward. As the sole known heir to the Alderaan throne (even if he is a boy), it stands to reason Leia would want to legitimize her heir by bestowing him with the House name.

All hail, Ben Organa, first of his name.

*One could argue his name might also be Ben Skywalker as that is Leias birth surname, but the Bloodlines novel indicates Leia feels no familial desire to be connected to that name over the one of those she called parents.
Traders are looking for the iShares MSCI Mexico Index Fund to continue its recent rebound in coming weeks.



Mexican stocks plummeted after the presidential election of Donald Trump, who had criticized immigration and trade policies with the country throughout his campaign. But EWW has come off its recent lows in the last week, and today our systems detected an upside strategy in the exchange-traded fund:

A

5,000 January 45.50 calls were bought for $0.42 against open interest of 657 contracts.

5,000 January 43 puts were sold mostly for $0.44 below open interest of 10,395 contracts.



This combination trade is especially bullish because a rally would boost the price of the long calls while decreasing the value of the puts that were sold . But the opposite will occur if the stock drops, and the trader will be on the hook to buy shares if they fall below $43 by expiration. (See our Education section)



EWW is off 0.45 percent to $44.01 in midday trading and has dropped more than 16.5 percent since the Nov. 8 election. Total option volume has surpassed its full-session average as calls outnumber puts.





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Carrie Fisher speaking French in this old interview reminds us just how freaking accomplished she was

It was absolutely no secret that Carrie Fisher was one baddass lady and talent. She had mastered acting, writing, and even activism  so we dont know why we were even surprised when we saw this super impressive video of Carrie Fisher speaking french in an interview from the 70s (next to an extremely dapper, cigarette-smoking Harrison Ford we might add).

Something about seeing a super young Fisher modestly, yet confidently, conducting an interview on French television is making us cheer  and is honestly just kind of delightful. She was such a strong, fearless woman, and it showed even then. Also, kind of funny side note: The interviewer asked her if she thought Star Wars was going to be successful. Which, in retrospect, is kind of a hilarious question (because its essentially the most successful franchise of all freaking time).

Take a look at this clip.

We wish our high school French was better so we could actually understand this, guys. But according to Us Weekly, she said,

[George Lucas] also wrote the script to Star Wars and he made the character very specific, very well I think, because shes not a victim, the Princess. She is very strong.There arent a lot of strong females in films right now.

Do you hear that? Carrie Fisher was discussing the lack of strong female characters in Hollywood as far back as 1977. Did we mention that we love her dearly?!

As if we needed any more reasons to love and miss Carrie Fisher.

The post Carrie Fisher speaking French in this old interview reminds us just how freaking accomplished she was appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Madrid (AFP) - Catalonia's separatist president said Friday that come what may, there would be a "legal and binding referendum" for independence from Spain next year despite fierce opposition from the central government.

In an end of year televised message recorded at regional government headquarters in Barcelona, Carles Puigdemont said that 2017 would be a "crucial" year for the wealthy Spanish northeastern region run by a pro-independence administration.

"We Catalans will freely decide our own future through a legal and binding referendum," he said.

Puigdemont announced in the autumn that he would call an independence vote in September 2017, a move that was ratified in a resolution voted by the majority-separatist, regional parliament.

But the Constitutional Court later suspended the resolution pending a five-month period during which it will decide whether to ban the vote for good or lift the suspension.

In his speech, Puigdemont said the vote would "be called in accordance with the mandate of our laws", but did not detail what he would do if the court banned the referendum.

Separatists in Catalonia have for years tried -- in vain -- to win approval from Spain's central government for an independence vote like Scotland's 2014 referendum.

Former president Artur Mas tried to hold such a referendum, but it was banned by the Constitutional Court so he held a symbolic, non-binding independence vote instead in November 2014.

More than 80 percent of those who cast their ballot did so for independence -- although just 2.3 million people out of a total of 6.3 million eligible voters took part.

But Mas is now due to stand trial for staging the vote on charges of serious disobedience and malfeasance, and risks a 10-year ban on holding public office.

Puigdemont insisted that Catalonia would keep reaching out to Madrid, with whom there has been a thaw in relations since Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government was sworn in for a second term last month.

The government has offered to negotiate a list of economic and social demands made by Puigdemont but has refused to discuss the planned independence referendum -- as reiterated by Rajoy on Friday.

"The government will not authorise any referendum that involves destroying national sovereignty or the equality of Spaniards," he said.
WWE Network

Its really hard to be a black wrestling fan. It really is. Between all of the racial stereotypes that have permeated the genre for my entire life and the lack of black champions, Ive found it really difficult to justify why I tune in to WWEs ever-growing repertoire of shows. Things have been a little better as of late with more representations of black faces and culture. This has been incredibly refreshing. I know it hasnt been easy for these stars to represent people who look like me so I want to celebrate their efforts. And show the happiness I feel when I see them on TV.

With that said, here are 10 incredibly black moments from 2016 that make me feel warm and fuzzy in my inside place. You can revisit 2015s blackest moments here.

Honorable Mentions

Seth Rollins And Sami Zayn Get Woke

Both Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins watched Ava Duvernays incredible documentary 13th  about the racism of Americas prison industrial complex  and got themselves woke. So they tweeted out #BlackLivesMatter. Babyface move for the ages, kids.

Booker T schools Randy Orton

Randy Orton went full All Lives Matter over Colin Kaepernicks protests. He got on his high horse about disrespecting the military as if Kaep went AWOL or something. So Booker T had him on his podcast and really broke race relations down in a way that was admirable and well thought out. Kudos to Book.

Cedric Alexanders Contract

If you didnt get the sugar lump in your throat after Cedric put on a classic match, got cheered and was pretty much given a kayfabe contract on the spot, I dont know what to tell you.

And now, the top 10.

Story continues

10. WWE Are The Streets

Heres how imagine Diddys relationship with WWE went down: Diddys artist Machine Gun Kelly performs at WrestleMania 28. Diddy looks at the check. Diddy says SWEET MERRY HOT DAMN WWE CUTS CHECKS. Kevin Owens power bombs Machine Gun Kelly to hell. Diddy takes all the gigs MGK could have had and becomes WWEs new rap ambassador. Thats how Diddy works. And thats how he ended up on RAW. But Diddy hosting RAW doesnt in itself qualify for a Blackest moment. But The Lox getting a damn mention is certainly black as hell. I mean, its The Lox. Styles P. Sheek. Kiss. One of the greatest groups of all time. This is better than the time The Beatnuts rapped on Shotgun Saturday Night*

*The Beatnuts never rapped on Shotgun Saturday Night.

9. Wales Kicks

Asics

My first article ever for The Smoking Section back in 1998 was about how Ric Flair was the embodiment of Hip-Hop and its culture. The bling, attitude and swagger is embedded in rap culture in the same way it was personified in Flairs style. Rap and wrestling are aspirational. So it makes sense that theres always been a connection between the two genres. Nobody in the last few years has exemplified that bond in mainstream rap like Wale. Hes made wrestling as part of his image as his iconic dreds. So it was only natural that when he got to make a shoe with Asics it was designed after the old school IC belt. The shoes are fly as hell and Im mad I dont have a pair. Thanks, Obama.

8. New Day Rapping Juvenile

WWE Network

You wanna know why shows like Atlanta and Insecure were so popular? Its because they gave black people situations and experiences on TV that reflect our own. Its such a simple but effective strategy that took TV people too damn long to realize. So when I saw New Day on an episode of Ride Along on the Network recreating Juveniles Ha song and holding a conversation ending every sentence with Ha I felt instant gratification. It was three black guys doing something I grew up doing and its the type of thing thats too rare but always appreciated. Now try to go a full day without trying to talk like Juve. Youre welcome.

7. New Days Raw

New Day has had an inconsistent 2016. At times theyve been hitting on all cylinders. Other times, they have random fans in the ring to make fun of his fake name. But for one Raw, they were the central focus. They beat half of the Raw roster and had the sendoff to their title run they deserved.

6. Biggies Promo

When New Day hit up Brooklyn for Summerslam, they opened up their match quoting Biggie. And instead of rapping to an oblivious audience, the BK audience finished the damn promo.

5. When Ranallo Gets It Right

WWE Promotional Image

Mauro Ranallo is a self-proclaimed Hip-Hop head and when hes dropping references at the right time, its a fresh infusion of a culture I love getting shine on WWE. I also wonder if Vince knows what the hell hes saying half the time.

4. Sasha Banks

WWE Raw

Sasha Banks is just going to be on this list every year. She had the feud of the year. Won the Womens title three times, had the best match at WrestleMania and helped elevate the Womens division to main event level. All the while Vince McMahon reportedly doubted her ability to perform. If that isnt the black woman experience I dont know what is.

3. The Nakamura Entrance

I cried. I sobbed. I wept tears of pride and joy. This was maybe the best entrance in WWE history and it all started with a black guy playing the violin. Solo. Bonus for this being the closest thing to a PPV main event title match a black guy has had since, like, 2014.

2. Code Switching With Rocky

People get really weird about Rocks blackness. Hes a black man. That should settle it. But theres been so much debate about if hes black enough or embraces his blackness or whatever nitpicky issue there is with him and how he carries himself. But lets not get it twisted: Dwayne The Rock Johnson is a black man. Hes also a black man whos had to navigate white spaces his whole life, which means hes the master at code switching. So during a really long (too long) Raw segment, Rock walks around, guffaws with Big Show, carries on his tradition of calling attractive women sluts and chops it up with Rick Ross. Dapping him up and everything.

Then he gets to the ring. And he proceeds to get a bit too comfortable, dismissing Byron Saxton as some black guy. Its a joke that gets laughs but when New Day comes out, they set the record straight, informing Rock that Saxton is the best in the business.

Its just so dope to me for a few reasons: it shows the camaraderie the black superstars have developed to keep looking out for each other. Which, trust me, is needed in places like WWE. And its dope to see that New Day was able to pretty much carry Rocky for a 20-minute segment that was his best since he stopped wrestling full time. Cant remember a time I ever saw that many black wrestlers on TV for that long.

1. #BlackExcellence

Like I said, being a black wrestling fan is hard. Weve been relegated to finding small battles to celebrate. The picture Big E posted earlier this month of Sasha Banks, New Day and Rich Homie Swann. All black. All holding belts, with the hashtag #BlackExcellence. It wasnt only a powerful picture of how far black wrestlers have come, but its also an all-important acknowledgement of black pride.

For someone who lived through The Godfather, Booker T losing against Triple H at WrestleMania 19 after being called too ghetto to win the belt, Vincent K. McMahon saying the N-word and too many infuriating instances to count, this felt like a victory Ive been waiting for my whole life. Sasha Banks has been doubted since she got to the main roster. New Day was burdened with a stereotypical preacher gimmick. And Swann has overcome obstacles that most of us would crumble against. And theyre there. I want this picture framed. I want it hanging in my kids rooms. In a shitty 2016, this was a light that I really needed.
The Center for Public Integrity spent 2016 like we've spent every year since 1989: revealing abuses of power, corruption and betrayal of public trust by powerful public and private institutions.

Here are some of our best investigations involving state politics and the special interest groups trying to influence lawmakers in all 50 of the country's statehouses.

This story is part of Inside Publici. Stories were working on, the impact of our investigations, news about our fundraising efforts, and other issues that shape our work. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

Don't miss another Inside Publici investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email.





The Center for Public Integrity teamed up with The Associated Press for this series examining the politics behind the nations opioid addiction epidemic.

It's an epidemic that has cost 165,000 Americans their lives and surrounds the prescription opiod manufacturers with controversy.

Drug companies have developed a 50-state strategy to combat laws that would stem the tide of prescription painkillers, complete with lobbying and campaign contributions adding up to more than $880 million nationwide from 2006 through 2016.

Keep reading





Insurance commissioner doesn't sound like the most glamorous job in state government, but decisions made by these regulators can affect some of the country's largest companies. The insurance industry does its best to keep commissioners close through dinners and campaign contributions.

And it doesn't end there. As the Center's investigation revealed, half of the 109 insurance commissioners who have left their posts in the last decade have gone on to work for the insurance industry. Just two moved into consumer advocacy.

Keep reading

Don't miss another Inside Publici investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email.





South Dakota may have more cattle than people, but it attracted the attention of some major political groups this past election season. A ballot measure to bring ethics reform to state politics became a proxy battle between two national groups operating out of Virginia and Massachusetts.

Story continues

The measure passed, along with several other liberal initiatives appearing on ballots across the country.

Keep reading

This story is part of Inside Publici. Stories were working on, the impact of our investigations, news about our fundraising efforts, and other issues that shape our work. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

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Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
The cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, is headed toward extinction, largely due to unprecedented habitat loss, scientists announced in a new study.

The research revealed that only 7,100 cheetahs remain globally and that the speedy animal has lost 91 percent of its historic habitat range. Due to human development, cheetahs' habitat decreased from a historical range totaling about 13 million square miles (33,056,767 square kilometers) before 1900, to now only covering about 280,000 square miles (724,514 square km), according to the researchers.

In Zimbabwe, where the cheetah distribution is well-documented, the population has plummeted from 1,200 individuals in 2000 to about 170 individuals in 2016, according to the study. Because of these dramatic losses, the study's authors are urging scientists to change the cheetah's conservation status from "vulnerable" (which means the animal is likely to become endangered unless threats improve) to "endangered" (which means the animal is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, which tracks at-risk species.

Cheetahs are particularly sensitive to habitat loss because of their large space requirements, said lead study author Sarah Durant, a senior researcher with the Zoological Society of London and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) who focuses on the conservation of cheetahs and African wild dogs. [Cat Album: The Life of a Cheetah]

"Given the secretive nature of this elusive cat, it has been difficult to gather hard information on the species, leading to its plight being overlooked," Durant said in a statement from the WCS. "Our findings show that the large space requirements for cheetah[s], coupled with the complex range of threats faced by the species in the wild, mean that it is likely to be much more vulnerable to extinction than was previously thought."

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The threats cheetahs face are largely caused by humans. These threats include overhunting by people, as well as habitat loss, the exotic-pet trade and illegal trafficking of cheetah parts, representatives with the WCS said in a statement.

Although there are some conservation measures in place for cheetahs, such as protected areas, these cats are one of the world's most wide-ranging carnivores, and 77 percent of their habitat falls outside protected areas, according to the study. These geographical complications make the cheetah difficult to protect, and so scientists are looking for a more holistic conservation approach.

"The takeaway from this pinnacle study is that securing protected areas alone is not enough," said study co-author Kim Young-Overton, director of the Cheetah Program for Panthera, a conservation organization focused on wild cat species. "We must think bigger, conserving across the mosaic of protected and unprotected landscapes that these far-ranging cats inhabit, if we are to avert the otherwise certain loss of the cheetah forever."

The study's authors are calling for the cheetah's status to be changed to "endangered" because this listing can lead to greater international conservation support, according to the WCS statement. For example, an IUCN listing of "endangered" increases recognition for the animal, as the Red List updates can make news around the world.

The study was detailed in a paper published online Dec. 26 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
Beijing (AFP) - China will ban all ivory trade and processing by the end of 2017, the government said, in a move hailed by conservationists as a "game changer" for African elephants.

African ivory is highly sought after in China, where it is seen as a status symbol, with prices for a kilo (2.2 pounds) reaching as high as $1,100.

"To better protect elephants and better tackle the illegal trade... China will gradually stop the processing and sale of ivory for commercial purposes" by the end of 2017, the State Council, China's cabinet, said in a statement late Friday.

"Before then, law enforcement agencies will continue to clamp down on illegality associated with elephant tusks," the official Xinhua news agency said, quoting a government official as saying.

A first batch of workshops and retailers would be forced to close by the end of March.

The move comes after Beijing said in March it would widen a ban on imports of all ivory and ivory products acquired before 1975, after pressure to restrict a trade that sees thousands of elephants slaughtered every year.

Xinhua said the complete ban would affect "34 processing enterprises and 143 designated trading venues, with dozens to be closed by the end of March 2017".

"This is great news that will shut down the world's largest market for elephant ivory," Aili Kang, executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Asia, said in a statement.

"I am very proud of my country for showing this leadership that will help ensure that elephants have a fighting chance to beat extinction. This is a game changer for Africa's elephants."

- 20,000 elephants killed each year -

Conservationists estimate that more than 20,000 elephants were killed for their ivory last year, with similar tolls in previous years. The WWF campaign group says 415,000 of the animals remain.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which took effect in 1975, banned the ivory trade in 1989.

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China permits the resale of ivory bought before the 1989 ban -- and also has a stockpile purchased with CITES approval in 2008, which it releases for sale with certification.

Beijing would continue to allow auctions of ivory antiques deemed to have come from legitimate sources, under strict supervision, the government added.

WWF also praised China's move to a complete ban but called on the Chinese territory of Hong Kong to bring forward a plan to end its ivory trade by 2021.

WWF said legal research published by the conservation group shows an ivory ban could be imposed "much sooner under current Hong Kong law".

"With China's market closed, Hong Kong can become a preferred market for traffickers to launder illegal ivory under cover of the legal ivory trade," said Cheryl Lo, senior wildlife crime officer at WWF.

Between 800 and 900 cases of ivory smuggling are uncovered in mainland China each year, according to customs figures. And more than half of legitimate ivory businesses are implicated in the illegal trade.

The United States -- the world's second-largest consumer of illegal ivory after China -- announced in June a near-total ban on the trade of African elephant ivory but with notable exemptions including antiques.

Ivory carving is an ancient art in China and finely worked pieces, whether elaborate depictions of traditional Buddhist scenes or more simple seals and chopsticks, are considered highly collectible.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Agriculture said on Friday the recent outbreaks of bird flu have been handled in a "timely and effective" manner without spreading and have not affected chicken products or prices. In an emailed statement to Reuters, the government department said the situation in the world's second-largest poultry consumer was "stable". The comments come as South Korea and neighboring countries battle outbreaks of various strains of the highly virulent flu. China has culled more than 170,000 birds in four provinces since October and closed some live poultry markets after people and birds were infected by strains of the avian flu. On Friday, the government said it has recorded ten cases of poultry being infected with the H5N6 strain this year compared with 11 last year. "Each case has been handled timely and effectively without spreading. Experts believe the poultry bird flu situation will generally be stable despite some individual cases in some places," the statement said. The ministry, together with local agriculture agencies, have monitored and investigated poultry markets and farms where infected people live, it said. It has also searched for the source of the virus and conducted emergency handling for infected poultry, as well as urged farmers, butchers and traders to step up sterilization programs. Human infections of the H7N9 strain of bird flu killed two people in China's Anhui province, the province's health authority said on Dec. 21. A total of 16 people are infected with the strain nationally. The last major bird flu outbreak in mainland China - from late 2013 to early 2014 - killed 36 people and led to more than $6 billion in losses for the agricultural sector. (Reporting by Muyu Xu and Josephine Mason; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - China has blocked India's request to add the head of the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad to a U.N. Security Council blacklist of groups linked to al Qaeda, India said on Friday. India has accused Jaish-e-Mohammad and its top leader, Maulana Masood Azhar, of masterminding several attacks, including a deadly assault on an Indian air base in January. Pakistani security officials interrogated Azhar and his associates after the attack, and said they found no evidence linking him to it. Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council, but not Azhar, an Islamist hardliner and long-time foe of India. Foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said that India had requested that Azhar be added to the list nine months ago and had received strong backing from all other members of the council. But China, which put a hold on the move in April, had now blocked it, he said. "We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism," he said in a statement. Swarup added that the inability of the international community to take the step showed the "prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism". China's foreign ministry said there were different views about the case, so China had put forward a "technical shelving" to give more time for consultation, but that regretfully no consensus had been reached. China's aim is to maintain the authority and effectiveness of name listing by the committee discussing the case, which accords with Security Council resolutions and is the responsible thing to do, it said in a statement sent to Reuters. China will continue to maintain communication with all parties, it added. India has long accused its neighbour and rival Pakistan of using Jaish-e-Mohammad as a proxy to mount attacks on Indian soil, including in the disputed Kashmir region, and earlier gave what it called "actionable intelligence" to Pakistan, including telephone intercepts. Pakistan denies giving any aid to Kashmir-based militants. If Azhar was blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council, he would face a global travel ban and asset freeze. (Reporting by Paritosh Bansal in NEW DELHI and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; editing by Mike Collett-White and Jason Neely)
HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL], one of the world's largest telecom equipment makers, said on Friday it expects 2016 revenue growth to slow slightly to 32 percent and forecast greater uncertainties next year.

The Shenzhen-based company, which competes with Sweden's Ericsson (ERICb.ST) for the top spot in the global market for telecoms equipment, sees 2016 revenue hitting 520 billion yuan ($74.8 billion), said Eric Xu, Huawei's rotating chief executive.

The expected growth rate for this year represents a slowdown from the 35 percent rate posted in 2015 and the company said it would face greater global political and economic uncertainties in 2017.

"The year 2016 has seen a flock of black swans  both political and economic  sweep across the globe. Nevertheless, we have remained focused on our strategy and have patiently applied ourselves to making breakthroughs and creating real value for our customers," Xu said.

"In 2017, we will face even greater global political and economic uncertainties."

Xu made the comments in a New Year's message to employees, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

The company had in early 2014 targeted overall revenue of $70 billion by 2018.

Huawei became the first Chinese handset vendor to ship more than 100 million smartphones in a year in 2015 when a 44 percent jump in its shipments defied a market slowdown.

That helped the company's net profit rise 32 percent to 36.9 billion yuan last year, from 27.9 billion yuan a year earlier.

(Reporting by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Marina Bay Sands casino (Photo: Associated Press)

A Chinese national was jailed 14 weeks for committing theft and cheating at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino.

Wu Menghu pleaded guilty Friday (30 December) to two counts of theft and two counts of cheating at play, with eight other charges taken into consideration. The total amount for the charges that he faced was $3,010.

According to court documents, Wu, a 34-year-old construction worker, had been visiting the MBS and Resort World Sentosa casinos since 2010. After losing tens of thousands of dollars at the casinos over the years, Wu ran out of money to pay for his living expenses in October 2016.

Wu decided to steal from other patrons at the MBS casino by taking chips away at the tables or claiming winnings of other patrons as his own over the course of nine days in November.

On 28 November, Wu removed a patrons chip at a Sic Bo table to place a bet of his choice after he observed the patron leaving the table.

When the patron returned to collect his winnings later, he realised that his chip was missing and requested for a CCTV review, which revealed Wu being caught in the act.

Wu was arrested on 30 November when he returned to the MBS casino. The casino was alerted to his presence when he tried to gain entry with his work permit, which led to MBS staff detaining him and calling the police.

His sentence was backdated to 2 December from when he was in remand.
Nearly 90,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2016, equivalent to one every six minutes, according to a new study by the Italy-based Center for Studies on New Religions (Censur). The annual study, which is set for release next month, also indicated that between 500 and 600 million Christians were prevented from freely practicing their faith.

The number has actually declined from 105,000 in 2015, but it still makes Christians the most persecuted religious group in the world, Massimo Introvigne, director of Censur, told Vatican Radio when announcing the findings on Monday.

Without wishing to forget or belittle the suffering of members of other religions, Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, Introvigne said.

Around 70 percent of the killings occurred in tribal conflicts in Africa, with the high number attributed to Christians refusing to take up weapons for reasons of conscience, Introvigne said. A separate report earlier this year found that a large number of Christian deaths were occurring in northern Nigeria, where the terrorist group Boko Haram operates.

The other 30 percent, according to Introvigne, occurred due to terrorist attacks and government persecution, notably in North Korea. Last year, Canadian pastor Hyeon Soo Lim was sentenced to life in prison in North Korea for what Pyongyang described as anti-state activities.

Christians Iraq

Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The numbers found in the study were significantly higher than calculated elsewhere because Censur used a broader definition of what constitutes a person being killed for their faith, Introvigne said.

However, the number of Christians and Muslims killed was of a similar number outside of Africa, with the Islamic State terror group responsible not only for killing Christians but large numbers of Muslims, Introvigne added. According to the study, Muslims are generally killed by other Muslims.

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While it has long been claimed that Christians are the most persecuted religious group, they are also by far the most populous religious group. There are believed to be 2.2 billion Christians in the world, significantly more than the next highest, Muslims, with an estimated 1.6 billion.

In terms of the places where the two groups face persecution, the numbers are very similar. Christians faced harassment in 110 countries around the world, compared to 109 countries for Muslims, in 2012, according to a 2014 Pew Research Study.

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Idlib (Syria) (AFP) - A ceasefire was holding across most of Syria on Friday but clashes near Damascus underlined the fragility of the deal brokered by rebel supporter Turkey and key regime ally Russia.

The nationwide truce, the first since September, is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan being organised by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran.

The agreement comes a week after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's army recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

On the first day of the ceasefire Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported sporadic violence in the Wadi Barada area, where rebels have cut water supplies to Damascus.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said helicopters carried out raids on rebel positions but it was unclear which side had started the clashes.

Syria's government had been shelling Wadi Barada before the truce began at midnight as it pushes rebels there to accept a "reconciliation deal" and leave the area.

The forces there include former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, which Syria's government says is excluded from the ceasefire.

Opposition figures however say the truce applies to all rebel-held territory, even where Fateh al-Sham is present.

Last week, rebels attacked water infrastructure in Wadi Barada and neighbouring Ain al-Fijeh, cutting supplies to the capital.

Four million people in Damascus and its suburbs have now been without water for a week, the UN says.

The clashes in Wadi Barada were the most serious of several isolated incidents of violence since the truce began.

The Observatory reported at least 16 government air strikes across several areas in Hama province in central Syria, but no casualties, but said a person was killed by regime sniper fire in the rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

- Tired of war -

In rebel-held Idlib province, however, it was quiet and residents expressed hope for respite from the bloody conflict.

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"I support the ceasefire... and I support its continuation," said 31-year-old Ahmed Astify. "Everyone, whether (they are) rebels or regular people, is tired," he added.

Mohammed, 28, said: "We hope that this will lead to the end of the war."

Syria's government and its ally Iran both welcomed the ceasefire deal.

Damascus called it a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

Despite being left out of the process, Washington described the truce as "positive".

Analysts were cautious but said the involvement of Russia, Iran and Turkey could be important.

Sam Heller, fellow at The Century Foundation, said there was "real interest and urgency" from Moscow and Ankara, but expressed doubts about whether Tehran and Damascus were on board.

"All indications are that Iran and the regime want to continue towards a military conclusion," he said.

He said renewed fighting in Wadi Barada or Eastern Ghouta could pose major threats to the truce.

- Talks in Astana -

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would now reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria, which has been fighting to bolster the government since last year.

But he added Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" and maintain its support for the government.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said Ankara would continue the operation it began in August targeting the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters.

Moscow says seven key rebel groups have signed up to the deal, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham, but the truce excludes jihadist organisations like IS or Fateh al-Sham.

But Syria's political opposition and rebels said the truce applied to all parts of the country.

"The agreement includes a ceasefire in all areas held by the moderate opposition, or by the moderate opposition and elements from Fateh al-Sham, such as Idlib province," said Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the National Coalition opposition body.

Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Turkey and Russia have worked increasingly closely on Syria, brokering a deal this month to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

They are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start next month in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would "pave the way for productive talks", but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue next year.

Russia, meanwhile, submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council supporting the ceasefire and the planned peace talks and was hoping for a unanimous vote on Saturday.

Moscow and Ankara say the Astana talks are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them, and want to involve regional players like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan.

Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow said it hoped to bring US President-elect Donald Trump's administration on board once he takes office in January.
UPDATE: 11:15 a.m. EST -- The Coast Guard has named some of the six people whose plane went missing over Lake Erie near Cleveland late Thursday night as their search for fuselage continues in the Great Lake.

The Cessna Citation 525 was reportedly piloted by John T. Fleming, CEO of Superior Beverage Group in Colombus, Ohio, who was accompanied by his wife, Suzanne, along with their two teenage sons, a neighbor and a neighbor's daughter. The names of the other passengers have not yet been released.

"They think they may have crashed into Lake Erie, Fleming's father told the Toledo Blade.

Were just in shock, he said. The Coast Guard is still doing a search up there right now.

The group attended a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game Thursday night and was headed to the Ohio State University Airport when their plane lost contact with radars about two miles offshore.

Original Story: The Coast Guard announced Friday it was searching for a small aircraft that vanished while traveling over Lake Erie in Ohio. The plane, which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) described as a Cessna Citation 525, departed late Thursday night from Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland and it "dropped off radar about two miles when it was over Lake Erie," Coast Guard Petty Officer II Class Christopher Yaw told CNN.

The plane was believed to be carrying six people to Ohio State University in Columbia. The passengers' names have not yet been released by authorities, but they are believed to include three adults and three children. The missing party had reportedly attended a Cleveland Cavaliers game earlier that night at the Quicken Loans Arena.

The Coast Guard has begun scouring the area of the crash, but said it had not yet located any debris. Authorities blame difficult weather conditions for making the search and rescue effort "very difficult." Rough seas including waves as high as 35 feet and powerful winds delayed sea operations and the Coast Guard relied on a rescue helicopter to search the 50-foot deep waters overnight. The USCGC Bristol Bay, the Coast Guard's 140-foot ice-cutting tug was reportedly on its way from Detroit to assist in the operation. Authorities said Canada's Coast Guard was also involved.

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The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter from air station Detroit and has partnered with the Canadian Coast Guard who sent a C-130 plane down to assist in the search, the Coast Guard said in a statement, according to local ABC-affiliated outlet WQAD.

The Cessna 525 Citation aircraft, which can seat up to 11 people, was involved in another crash earlier this year when the plane took off from Salt Lake City Airport and broke up mid-flight south of Cedar Fort, Utah. The flight was heading to Tucson, Arizona, but lost control of its aviation instruments among poor weather conditions and ultimately crashed into a snowy field. Both of its occupants were killed.

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oil rig

The US oil rig count increased by two to 525 in the final week of 2016, rising to the highest level in a year, according to oilfield-services company Baker Hughes.

The gas rig count increased by three to 132. With one miscellaneous rig remaining in use, the total count rose by five to 658.

In 2016, the oil rig count staged a comeback not seen since the most recent oil crash. This week's increase put it just 11 rigs short of where it started the year, but well off pre-crash levels.

After oil prices bottomed in February and started rising, producers gained confidence to increase activity. The crash caused demand for oilfield-services equipment to plunge, and forced drillers to find ways to produce more efficiently.

US production levels will continue to be closely watched in 2017, especially as OPEC and non-OPEC members implement their agreement to lower output.

Crude oil prices were little changed after the rig-count release on a light day of trading. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures, the US benchmark, were down 0.2% to $53.60 per barrel. Oil was on pace to finish up 46% for the year.

12 30 16 oil rigs chart

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By Aaron Ross KINSHASA (Reuters) - Talks to ease Congo President Joseph Kabila out of power next year and quell protests over him overstaying his mandate are hanging by a thread, an opposition leader said ahead of the resumption of the negotiations on Friday. Only last week the sides appeared near a historic deal that could have paved the way for the first peaceful transfer of power through a democratic election since the country gained independence in 1960. However, the talks hit a stumbling block over whether a new prime minister for Democratic Republic of Congo will come from the main opposition bloc and on the composition of the electoral commission, which the opposition accuses of pro-government bias. "At this stage, we are closer to a rupture than to a solution," opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi said in a tweet. Other parties and mediators made no comment. The talks between the ruling coalition and opposition parties organised by the Catholic church are set to resume for a make-or-break day at the headquarters of the conference of Catholic bishops in the capital Kinshasa. Delegates said bishops acting as mediators met Kabila and veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi on Thursday. Under the deal, Kabila would agree not to attempt to change the constitution to participate in elections to be held next year. His two-term mandate ended on Dec. 19 but authorities have effectively extended it until 2018. That would have represented a significant turnaround given that security forces killed around 40 people last week for protesting the tenure of a leader who came to power in 2001 when his father Laurent was assassinated. The opposition also wants authorities to drop charges against some of its leaders, arguing that the prosecutions are political. A political deal could boost pro-democracy activists in other countries, given Congo's size and sway on the continent. But if the talks break down it could lead to more violent demonstrations. Police spokesman Colonel Pierre Mwanamputu said security was being stepped up for the New Year celebrations and to guard against unrest. Millions died of starvation and disease in a war in Congo between 1996 and 2003 that sucked in a host of other African nations. (Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Alison Williams)
A Lincoln man died Thursday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 77 in Gage County.

Harry N. Hart III, 41, of Lincoln, was driving a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu north on the highway near Blue Springs when a southbound SUV crossed the center line and collided with him.

Hart's dad was traveling in a separate vehicle just ahead of him, according to the Gage County Sheriff's Office.

Lora Lee Stohs, 63, of Marysville, Kansas, was driving the southbound 2015 Chevrolet Equinox with two grandsons inside, the sheriff's office said in a news release. Her SUV collided with the left front of Harts car, then spun around and came to a rest on the south shoulder of the highway.

Hart's car flipped over and landed in the north ditch, the release said. He died at the scene, and Stohs and her grandsons were taken to hospitals. There was no word on their conditions Friday morning.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts.

The Nebraska State Patrol is helping with the investigation, including doing an accident reconstruction.
By Aaron Ross KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congolese President Joseph Kabila will step down after elections to be held by the end of 2017 under a last-minute deal struck by political parties on Friday, the lead mediator of the talks said. Negotiators spent weeks in tense talks seeking to ensure Democratic Republic of Congos first peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960. But it remains unclear if elections can be organized by the end of next year, or if leading politicians, including Kabila, will keep to the terms. "The government is asked to take all steps so that the elections are organized by the end of 2017 at the latest," said Marcel Utembi, president of Congo's Catholic Bishops' Conference, which has mediated the talks. Under the deal, which is expected to be formally signed on Saturday, Kabila will be unable to change the constitution to allow him to stay in power for a third term. Kabila's mandate ran out on Dec. 19, but authorities have effectively extended it until 2018 because the government said it could not arrange elections before then. The parties agreed that Kabila will appoint a prime minister from the country's main opposition bloc to oversee the transition, a major sticking point in the final stages of the talks. Neither Kabila nor the country's leading opposition leader, Etienne Tshisekedi, are expected to sign the deal, raising concerns about whether it will be respected. Spokesmen for the government and Kabila's ruling coalition were not available for immediate comment. Election experts also question the feasibility of organizing presidential, legislative and provincial assembly elections together by the end of 2017. "If the accord calls for organizing the three elections together, it (shows) a common will to not organize good elections, or at least to not organize them within the planned time frame," Sylvain Lumu, a lawyer and election expert, told Reuters shortly before Utembi's announcement. Kabila's extension of his rule has sparked bloody confrontations. Security forces killed around 40 people last week protesting over the tenure of a leader who came to power in 2001 following his father Laurent's assassination. Western and African powers feared the current impasse could lead to a repeat of conflicts seen between 1996 and 2003 in eastern Congo in which millions died, mostly from starvation and disease. A successful deal, however, is seen offering a boost to pro-democracy activists in other African countries and help buck a trend in which presidents have changed constitutions to stand for third terms. (Editing by Edward McAllister and Jason Neely)
In DR Congo's war-infested Great Lakes region, carpenter-turned-sculptor Sauveur Mulwana has left a trail of monumental statues over the past decade as part of his self-styled mission to revive local history and boost peace.

The 42-year-old moved back home to Butembo, a teeming city of more than a million near the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and Uganda, when his carpentry business was razed by the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in the city of Goma.

Butembo is home to the ethnic Nande people of Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, so it follows that one of the most eye-catching works by Mulwana -- himself a Nande -- is an immense portrayal of the Nande king.

Set on a bright blue pedestal on a city roundabout, it shows mwami (king) Kighombwe II Lusengo Kirugho, who died in his 80s in 2010 after a lengthy reign, wearing a western-style suit as he stares into the distance.

The mwamis still wield power, notably allocating land in this predominantly agricultural region that now must accommodate huge numbers of landless refugees after two decades of conflict.

Mwami Kighombwe "helped keep the Nande together" and "is a symbol of tolerance", Mulwana told AFP. The mwamis old beliefs and customs were vital to Butembo's peaceful future, he said.

- Remembering the old ways -

When he and his wife moved to Butembo after losing their business in 2002, he was struck by the fact that the city "had absolutely no works of art".

He said "I felt vulnerable" when he suddenly realised that the new modern way of life had led to an end of story-telling, to Africa's well-known traditions of oral transmission.

So he decided he would step in single-handedly to help the people of Butembo to keep their history, culture and heritage.

He spent the next three years reading books and interviewed elders. The result in 2007 was Butembo's Historical Monument, erected on a square in the heart of the city.

It highlights the Nande farming and hunting tradition as well as their evangelisation during the Belgian colonial era, as well as their modern-day traders.

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"I want the future generations to remember the work culture of the old people of Butembo," he said.

Another Mulwana statue features Archbishop Emmanuel Kataliko, also born in Butembo, who died in 2000 after denouncing the presence of Rwanda- and Uganda-backed militia fighters in DR Congo during the Second Congo War from 1998 to 2003.

Outside Butembo city hall sits Mulwana's bust of Laurent-Desire Kabila, the former leader and father of current President Joseph Kabila who was slain in 2001.

To fund his works and feed the family, Mulwana produces copies of the Lourdes grotto for Roman Catholic churches, decorative items for hotels, and creates furniture.

He also finances a workshop in hopes of keeping unemployed youngsters at home instead of signing up for one of the many armed militias in the region.

"This gentleman is wonderful," said Butembo deputy mayor Godefroid Kambere. "He's forever giving us great surprises."

Mulwana said "I'm a Nande first and a Congolese second but I'm proud to contribute to the development of peace in DR Congo."
Live streaming is more prevalent than ever and Republicans in Congress are feeling a little camera shy. A new proposal from lawmakers would institute fines on Congressional members who attempt to live stream video or post photos from the floor of the House of Representatives, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The policy would hit congressional members with a fine for broadcasting video, audio or photos while on the floor of the chamber: $500 for the first offense, and $2,500 for each incident thereafter. The funds would be taken out of the members salary.

"These changes will help ensure that order and decorum are preserved in the House of Representatives so lawmakers can do the people's work," House Speaker Paul Ryan spokesperson Ashlee Strong, said in a statement to Bloomberg.

The proposal is viewed by some as a response to a sit-in organized by House Democrats in June designed to force a vote on gun control legislation.

Led by long-time civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis, the protest was initially not broadcast to the public because Republican leadership declared a recess after the protest began. The move effectively killing the C-SPAN feed that would otherwise carry the events because the cameras are shut off when the House isnt in session.

California Democrat Scott Peters began to broadcast from inside the House chamber using the Twitter-owned streaming app Periscope. C-SPAN eventually picked up the Periscope feed and shared the footage being shot from the representatives smartphone.

Bolstering the belief the new rules are in direct response to the sit-in, an additional proposal would add new clarifications as to what is considered disorderly or disruptive, including a section that would prohibit "blocking access to legislative instruments such as microphones and blocking access [sic] the well of the House."

At the time, House Speaker Ryan condemned the sit-in and the subsequent broadcast, calling it a publicity stunt and an attempt to get attention.

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Photography and video taken from the House floor is already considered a breach of decorum for representatives, and public broadcasts through C-SPAN have previously been cut off by both partieslast summers sit-in simply represented the first such incident in the age of live streaming.

Democratic representative Eric Swalwell of California responded to the proposed fine on Twitter, stating the House Republicans want to fine him and fellow Democrats who filmed the gun violence sit in. I'll always stand w/ victims. Bring.It.On., he wrote.

Swalwell previously proposed an amendment to the House rules on cameras that would give C-SPAN back full control of its cameras, allowing the network to broadcast at any time rather than when the controlling party gaveled in a session.

Keith Ellison, a Democrat representing Minnesota, tweeted, 1st action of new congress will be to attack Dems who protested Republican inaction on mass shootings, but NO action to stop mass shootings.

The proposed fines would require approval by the full House when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2017.

Twitter declined to provide comment on the proposal. Facebook did not respond when contacted for comment.

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Photo credit: KELO

From Good Housekeeping

Instead of tearing down Christmas decorations this week, Joseph and Sarah Sapienza were just ordered by a judge to tear down their dream home in the McKennan Park Historic District of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

This comes in light of their neighbors, Pierce and Barbara McDowell, filing a lawsuit against the Sapienzas claiming their recently-built home violated historic regulations set for the neighborhood and blocked their natural light, since the two homes are now less than seven feet away from each other. After a year-long battle, Circuit Court Judge John Pekas ruled in the McDowells' favor.

If this decision stands, the Sapienzas will be forced to reduce the height of their home by more than eight feet and relocate it or tear it down. And there seems to be little hope that the Sapienzas could fix this problem with money: "The house undermines the entire historic district," Pekas wrote in a statement shared by Keloland. "A monetary award would not remedy this and the Sapienzas ought to conform their residence or rebuild their residence."

Pekas also notes that the Sapienzas were failed by the city of Sioux Falls, as it approved the construction, but didn't apply the federal standards for historic districts. However, the McDowells made their issues with the house clear by sending a cease and desist letter to their neighbors while the house was still being built, warning that they'd take legal action if construction continued.

However, the letter was ignored, leading to the tricking situation both couples are in today. We'll have to wait and see how the Sapienzas choose to respond to the ruling.

[h/t DailyMail]

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London (AFP) - From sleeper agents in suburban America to an assassination in London and hacking of the US presidential election, the list of alleged activities by Soviet and Russian spies abroad is long.

Following US accusations that Russian spies tipped the vote in President-elect Donald Trump's favour -- by stealing Democratic Party information -- here are some of the most brazen operations in the West.

- Atomic spying -

The subject of last year's thriller "Bridge of Spies" starring Mark Rylance, Rudolf Abel was the fake identity of a Soviet intelligence officer captured by FBI agents in New York in 1957.

He was exchanged for shot-down American pilot Francis Gary Powers in 1962 on the Glienicke Bridge which linked West Berlin with Soviet-controlled Potsdam.

Abel, whose real name was William Fisher, was sent by the KGB to the United States in 1948 and lived in New York, posing as an artist and photographer while helping to coordinate a network of spies smuggling nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union.

He communicated with his superiors through "dead drops" in New York -- pre-arranged locations used to pass information -- and was informed of the arrival of an assistant from Moscow with a thumbtack left on a signpost in the city's Central Park.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed for conspiracy to commit espionage in 1953 following a controversial trial, were part of that network.

Julius Rosenberg was accused of smuggling US defence secrets with the help of his wife while working on American military technology during World War II.

The judge who convicted them said the information they passed on helped the Soviet Union develop a nuclear bomb at the beginning of the Cold War.

- Cambridge Five -

A former senior British intelligence officer, Kim Philby was revealed in 1963 to be Britain's biggest Cold War traitor as a member of the spy ring now known as the Cambridge Five.

Philby and the others -- all upper class men embedded in the British establishment -- were recruited to spy for the Soviet Union during their time at Cambridge University in the 1930s and were undetected for years.

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Following his exposure in 1963, he fled to the Soviet Union where he died in 1988 at the age of 76.

Previously unseen footage of Philby giving a lecture to spies in then communist East Germany in 1981 was broadcast by the BBC earlier this year.

In the grainy video, Philby revealed how he befriended MI6 archivists so as to take home secret files that would then be copied by his Soviet contact.

"That I did regularly, year in, year out," he said.

- Assassinations -

Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky was murdered in 1940 in Mexico City with an ice pick to the head in an operation by the NKVD, the KGB's predecessor, on orders from Joseph Stalin.

The KGB has also been accused of killing Ukrainian nationalist hero Stepan Bandera with cyanide gas in Munich in 1959 and Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov with a poison-tipped umbrella in London in 1978.

A public inquiry in Britain into the death by radiation poisoning of former spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006 concluded earlier this year that the killing was "probably" approved by the head of the KGB's successor agency the FSB.

Litvinenko died after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium in a London hotel.

The inquiry said it was deliberately administered to him by two Russian contacts he was meeting.

- Aldrich Ames -

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer Aldrich Ames worked in Turkey, Mexico, Italy and in Soviet counter-intelligence in the United States before being exposed as a mole in 1994.

He began giving information to the Soviet Union in the 1980s but only aroused suspicion later with his cash purchase of a house in Virginia, expensive dental work, a Jaguar car and tailor-made suits.

A report by the Department of Justice's Inspector General concluded his betrayal led to the "catastrophic and unprecedented loss of Soviet intelligence sources" in 1985 and 1986.

Several people working for US intelligence were reportedly executed as a result of his revelations.

- Sleeper agents -

A "sleeper cell" network of suspected Russian agents was uncovered in the United States in 2010, with 10 initial arrests.

The network was allegedly set up by Russian's foreign intelligence agency to infiltrate US policymaking circles, though the information they transmitted was said by US officials to be virtually valueless.

They were exchanged at Vienna airport for four Russians convicted of spying for the West.

The suspects included a Spanish-language newspaper columnist and Vladimir and Lidiya Guryev, a married couple operating in the New York financial arena who took on the identities of Richard and Cynthia Murphy.

The most famous deep-cover agent in the group was real estate agent Anna Chapman, an attractive redhead who mingled in Manhattan high society.

She has since launched a fashion line in Russia, worked as a television presenter, offered marriage to US whistleblower Edward Snowden and posed in lingerie for the Russian men's magazine Maxim.
Joel Zimmerman is no stranger to protecting his iconic deadmau5 image through legal action, but now he's in new territory: protecting his cat's brand.

Shortly after Zimmerman adopted his black and white cat in 2010, Meowingtons became an Internet sensation; now he is the only animal to boast its own verified Twitter handle.

"As a result of deadmau5's fame, his cat -- whom he named and is commonly referred to as 'Prof. Meowingtons,' 'Prof. Meowingtons, PhD,' and 'Meowingtons' -- has become widely recognized in his own right and gained substantial fans and followers on social media," writes attorney Irene Lee. Like his stage name deadmau5, the cat's moniker came from a literal place: the cat's incessant meowing. It was meowing tons.

Meowingtons has been featured on deadmau5' album art, merchandise and marketing materials -- and even inspired an eponymous tour, the Meowingtons Hax Tour. In 2012, Zimmerman launched limited-edition Meowingtons headphones, the first ever designed specifically for cats.

But despite Meowintgons' overnight celebrity status, Zimmerman didn't attempt to trademark the cat's name until 2015. He filed an application for a Prof. Meowingtons mark and it was rejected. That's when he says he discovered the name had been hijacked.

Now, he's petitioning the United States Patent and Trademark Office to cancel a Florida woman's Meowingtons trademark. According to the complaint, Emma Bassiri created meowingtons.com to sell cat-themed apparel and gifts and Zimmerman believes she chose the name because she is a longtime deadmau5 fan.

Zimmerman will rely on the concept of first use to regain the trademark, arguing that he has been using the Meowingtons mark since at least 2011 and the online store didn't launch until 2014.

The website's use of Meowingtons is already causing confusion, which is apparent through the cat's social media channels, Zimmerman claims.

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Bassiri has not yet commented on the petition, which you can read in full here.

Almost patio season

A photo posted by Meowingtons (@meowingtons) on Mar 27, 2016 at 9:01am PDT
Debbie Reynolds couldn't fathom losing her daughter, Carrie Fisher.

In her 2013 autobiography, Unsinkable, the iconic actress described fears of losing her daughter after watching other lose their children to their "demons."

EXCLUSIVE: Inside Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds' Unique Mother-Daughter Relationship

"It's not natural to outlive your child. This has always been my greatest fear," Reynolds wrote. "I don't know if I could survive that."

"Carrie is my child and I love her with every ounce of strength I possess," she added.

Reynolds died on Wednesday, just one day after Carrie's death on Tuesday at the age of 60. An ambulance responded to a call from the actress' Beverly Hills home at 1:02 p.m. and transported her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she later died. She was 84.

Reynolds' son, Todd Fisher, spoke with ET shortly after his mother's death, revealing that her last words to him were about how much she missed Carrie.

MORE: Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher's Powerful Bond: Looking Back At Their Sweetest Mother-Daughter Moments

"She missed her daughter and wanted to very much be with her," Todd said. "She had been very strong the last several days. [There was] enormous stress on her, obviously. And this morning she said those words to me and 15 minutes later she had a stroke and virtually left."

On Thursday, Todd took to Twitter to remember his mother and sister with a heartbreaking drawing of the pair's iconic movie characters: Singin' in the Rain's Kathy Selden and Star Wars' Princess Leia, respectively.

"This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years," he tweeted. "I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting."

WATCH: Joely Fisher 'Inconsolable' After Debbie Reynolds' Death, Inspired to Write a Book

See more in the video below.

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Amateur sleuths following the alleged kidnapping of California mom Sherri Papini got new details about her mysterious case Friday when the Guardian published an exclusive interview with comments from a team that worked to save the once-missing mom.

When Papini didn't return from a jog in her Redding neighborhood Nov. 2, her friend Lisa Jeter contacted ransom consultant Cameron Gamble, a ransom consultant who had spoken at one of her Rotary Club meetings. He immediately took action, appearing on local TV networks and YouTube to offer an anonymously funded reward for 34-year-old Papini's safe return.

"I told the captors the whole world was watching," he told the Guardian. "I wanted them to feel they were being hunted, that the money we were offering was so enticing they couldnt trust their own mother not to betray them."

Gamble said he thought Papini had been abducted by sex traffickers, who statistics show have been linked to more than 800 cases in California this year alone. So Gamble and Jeter made moves to get the reward ready, at one point filling a black duffel bag full of cash in hopes the alleged abductors would request to meet.

The police advised Gamble to close down his website about the Papini bounty, according to the Guardian, but media outlets nationwide picked up on the story. A day later, she turned up on the side of a road in Yolo County, 150 miles away from her home.

Papini was wearing restraints, had lost weight and had been branded  factors that Gamble told the Guardian confirmed his belief she'd been kidnapped for sex trafficking. He took credit for her safe return.

"What I did was attempt to inject the possibility of a positive solution into an impossible situation," he added.

Though some experts have voiced concerns about Gamble's methods and motivations, he wasn't the only one suggesting trafficking as an explanation for Papini's disappearance. Private investigator Bill Garcia told "The Today Show" recently Papini's condition indicated "most likely it was one of these sex trafficking groups" that took her.

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Meanwhile, details about the suspects remained scarce. Papini has told police her captors were two Hispanic women, one older and one younger, with a weapon, but the department has not released sketches of the suspects.

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LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / December 30, 2016 / Europe is literally built upon layers of history, not just in terms of the ancient Greek and Roman ruins that sit side by side with modern constructions, but going back tens of thousands of years to when Neanderthals left their artist mark on cave walls. For anyone with an interest in history, visiting Europe is a must. Diamond Resorts International Timeshare leader in vacation ownership properties with more than 370 destinations worldwide - including hundreds throughout Europe - has put together a short list of some key European history excursions for anyone heading to the continent.

For a truly European experience, take a castle vacation. They may be frightening and formidable or graceful and fairy tale-like, but there are few images that evoke or relate to history as much as a castle. Diamond Resorts International Timeshare experts recommend taking a look online at the different styles and historical periods that you may be most interested in, as they vary tremendously by region and will help to narrow down a route of exploration. The castles built by King Ludwig of Bavaria (1845  1846) are models of fairy tale delight, with the famous Neuschwanstein Castle whose white walls and blue roof and tower served as the model when Walt Disney constructed his Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle. The Czech Republic, Austria and Germany are home to spectacular examples, while many castles in Ireland and England double as hotels to provide a totally immersive experience.





A tour of the Roman World can span from Italy all the way to the English countryside. Some of the Roman sites in the UK include the Roman Baths of Bath, Hadrian's Wall, which was built in 122 AD, the Fishbourne Roman Palace and Portchester Castle where visitors can see the only remaining Roman structural walls in England. Of course, enthusiasts can spend weeks touring the sites of Rome such as the Vatican, Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Constantine's Arch and of course the buried city of Pompeii where time has stood still ever since Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Military history vacations may be another thematic way to develop an itinerary. Certainly the many sites of wars spanning the past one hundred years are a draw, such as the memorials, museums and bunkers on the beaches of Normandy can be seen, along with other important sites scattered throughout Europe, including Venice, Luxembourg and Munich.

Europe has been well documented for centuries through canvas and oils, making an art history vacation one of the most satisfyingly educational, say Diamond Resorts International Timeshare professionals. Visit Madrid, which is saturated in art with the Prado and Reina Sofia museums where amazing Goya frescoes are on display. Most art lovers will find a tour of Paris and the French countryside immediately familiar through the works of Impressionist masters such as Monet and Renoir.

About Diamond Resorts International

Diamond Resorts International, with its network of more than 370 vacation destinations located in 35 countries throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa, provides guests with choice and flexibility to let them create their dream vacation, whether they are traveling an hour away or around the world. Our relaxing vacations have the power to give guests an increased sense of happiness and satisfaction in their lives, while feeling healthier and more fulfilled in their relationships, by enjoying memorable and meaningful experiences that let them Stay Vacationed.

Diamond Resorts International manages vacation ownership resorts and sells vacation ownership points that provide members and owners with Vacations for Life at over 370 managed and affiliated properties and cruise itineraries.

Diamond Resorts - Vacations for Life - Stay Vacationed: http://www.diamondresortsnews.com

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Two young divers explore the depths of Tacklebox Reef in Belize. Christian has no idea that he is about to meet a shark very close up. His brother, Cameron, watches mischievously, keeping quiet as the shark comes up from below to meet Christian face to face. Almost spitting out his regulator, he tries desperately to back paddle before recognizing it as a friendly and curious nurse shark. Panic turns to laughter as he catches his breath again. Cameron almost pats the shark on the head like a good dog that has just performed a trick!
Merry Christmas, BBC America! The cast of Doctor Who all chipped in and got you your best TV ratings of 2016.

Doctor Who Christmas special The Return of Doctor Mysterio on December 25 has now delivered 1.7 million total viewers, including three days worth of delayed tune-in.

Of that sum, 900,000 came from the 18-49 and 25-54 demographics.

Also Read: 'Doctor Who' Christmas Special First Look Unveils New Superhero (Video)

That means the special ranks at BBCAs top telecast of the year in all key demos. It was also the most social program across Facebook and Twitter on actual Christmas night.

New episodes of Doctor Who return to BBC America in 2017.

Related stories from TheWrap:

'Doctor Who' Star Peter Capaldi Drops Spoiler About Clara's Return (Video)

'Doctor Who' Lead Was Offered to a Black Actor, Showrunner Reveals

'Doctor Who': BBC Reveals New Companion for Peter Capaldi's Time Lord
It was a very Merry Christmas for Doctor Who and BBC America. The Christmas special Doctor Who: The Return Of Doctor Mysterio delivered 1.7 million total viewers, including nearly 900,000 adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, in Nielsen Live+3 ratings. It was BBC Americas top telecast of the year across all key demos, and was the No. 1 most social program on Christmas night across Facebook and Twitter.

In the special, the Doctor joins forces with a masked superhero for an epic New York adventure. With brain-swapping aliens poised to attack, the Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, and Nardole, played by Matt Lucas, link up with an investigative reporter and a mysterious figure known only as The Ghost. The big question  can the Doctor save Manhattan and what will be revealed behind the mask?

New episodes of Doctor Who return to BBC America in 2017.

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Firefighters from the White Lake Fire Authority were called in to assist local animal control in the rescue of a dog from thick ice on White Lake, Michigan, on December 28. The golden retriever had wandered onto the ice, but fell through.

The local Muskegon County Animal Control attempted to rescue the dog, who was about 100 yards in and was attempting to tread water. Firefighters arrived and were able to get out to the dog and rescue him. He was later reunited with his owners. Credit: Roger D. Squiers via Storyful
As a nationwide ceasefire came into force across Syria on December 30, people took the streets and squares of opposition cities under the banner Revolution Brings Us Together.

Syrians protested in Aleppo, Idlib, Homs and Damascus provinces, where they held revolutionary flags and called for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

These videos were shared by a pro-opposition media group and are described as showing Syrians in Douma city protesting against the Syrian regime. Credit: Youtube/Qasioun News via Storyful
(Reuters) - An Oregon appeals court has reversed the conviction of a man charged with drunk driving for operating his motorized wheelchair while intoxicated.

The Oregon court of Appeals ruled Thursday that James Richard Greene was a pedestrian as he piloted his wheelchair through a crosswalk, not the driver of a vehicle as prosecutors had alleged, the court said in a news release.

"Because defendant left a sidewalk in his motorized wheelchair and traveled in a crosswalk, he was a pedestrian and not a driver of a vehicle" under the pertinent statute, the court said in the release.

Greene was convicted of driving under the influence of intoxicants for slamming his wheelchair into a pickup truck in a crosswalk in Oregon's Lincoln County in 2012, the Oregonian newspaper reported.

Prosecutors had argued that the wheelchair met the definition of a vehicle, and a jury convicted Greene in 2013.

He appealed, saying that he was in the crosswalk as a pedestrian, and on Thursday, the Court of Appeals agreed.

The court did not rule more broadly on the question of whether motorized wheelchairs can be considered vehicles in other circumstances, limiting their comments to Greene's actions as a pedestrian in the crosswalk.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by David Gregorio)
At a time when NASA earth scientists are concerned their research may be scuttled by the incoming Trump administration, the space agency's top science official is preaching pragmatism and unity.

The names of the two key Trump administration figures who will have the most significant impact on NASA's future  the new NASA administrator and the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy  have not been announced. To put that in scientific terms, all the rumor and discussion swirling around the scientific community about NASA's future under a Trump presidency is noise, "not signal," said Thomas Zurbuchen, who took over as the leader of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in October.

"You are leaders in your community, please be a source of signal, not a source of noise," Zurbuchen said Dec. 12 during the annual Earth Science Town Hall meeting at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco. [Analysis: The Biggest Space Issues Facing the Trump Administration]

Although it is possible that NASA's Earth Science program "might get somewhat smaller in the new administration, it is not at all obvious to me that is going to happen," said Michael Freilich, NASA Earth Science Division director. "I am actually optimistic the benefits will be recognized as they have in the past."

"You have earned tremendous credibility from your work over the years," Freilich said through a two-way internet link that allowed him to interact with people at the town hall from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where he was awaiting the launch of NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System. "You earned that credibility by being good scientists, by being logical, attacking problems and letting the data speak for themselves. We don't do policy in NASA. We provide the information for all the policymakers to draw their own conclusions."

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Even if NASA's Earth science program shrinks, scientists should focus diligently on their work instead of "spending time pining for what could have been," Freilich said.

Zurbuchen also emphasized the importance of producing high-quality research. "Let's behave like scientists and deal with absolute ethics with our science," he said. "At the end, history will judge us by whether we did the right thing."

Funding for NASA's Earth science program has traditionally waxed and waned with changing administrations. Funding as a percent of NASA's overall budget declined sharply from 2001 to 2006, the early years of the George W. Bush presidency, dipping from about 11 percent of NASA's budget to six percent. It was not until NASA's first Earth science decadal survey published in January 2007 declared that the space agency's Earth-observing satellite system "was in danger of collapsing" that funding began to rise, Freilich said.

Since 2007, NASA's Earth science budget has climbed back up to comprise about 10 percent of the agency's budget, nearly $1.93 billion in 2016. With the money appropriated since 2007, NASA has "truly revitalized our space-based Earth-observation system," Freilich said.

NASA has 19 major Earth science missions flying on satellites and instruments mounted on the International Space Station. The space agency plans to launch about 20 Earth science missions between late 2016 to 2023, including small satellites, cubesats and space station instruments. "We will continue launching several missions per year on average," Freilich said. [50 Years of Presidential Visions for Space Exploration]

No Ordinary Time

NASA's Earth Science Division also is working with other U.S. government agencies to identify Earth-observation data they are interested in acquiring in 2017 through a new program, Interagency Satellite Needs-Collection Process, led by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

"We have embraced that process," Freilich said, noting that agencies have submitted requests for 77 data products that NASA might be able to obtain from Earth-observation satellites. "Perhaps subtle changes to our programs could address the needs of other federal agencies," Freilich said. "In a time of transition, demonstrating that we do support other agencies is of paramount importance."

That type of comment was a clear indication that this was no ordinary town hall, which traditionally is a relatively well-attended meeting of scientists keeping tabs on NASA's Earth science portfolio. This year, many scientists claimed seats in the meeting room before the previous session ended. By the time Freilich began to speak, every seat was filled and latecomers lined the walls. [In Photos: NASA's 16 Best Earth Photos from Space by Astronauts]

Scientists in the room clearly recognize their work could be affected by the incoming administration, which includes cabinet nominees skeptical of climate change and a space policy adviser, Robert Walker, former chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Science Committee, who has publicly questioned the value of NASA's Earth science work.

While NASA officials did not mention any names or specific threats to the future of the agency's Earth science program, Zurbuchen preached unity. "United communities are a lot harder to beat," he said Dec. 13, during NASA's Planetary Science Town Hall. "Lets stick together and stick up for each other. Together our narrative is a lot stronger than any small narrative any one of us could come up with in a small segment of the community."

Since it is not clear how NASA programs will fare in the coming years, it is natural for scientists to feel worried, Zurbuchen said. Nevertheless, he is operating under the assumption that "when everything is said and done, we will have a community that does Earth science."

"Earth is a planet that is worthy of scientific investigation and discovery," Zurbuchen said. "The research not only teach us about nature, but it also affects our lives directly on a daily timescale, a yearly timescale or beyond."

NASA's Earth science research also ties in with much of the agency's other work. "When we are thinking about other planets or the early solar system, the Earth is an important part," Zurbuchen said. "The instruments that we are flying elsewhere were invented to look at the Earth first."

Instead of speaking in general terms about the benefits of NASA's Earth science program, Zurbuchen told scientists to point to concrete contributions of their work. On Nov. 29, for example, Louisiana experienced severe thunderstorms and tornadoes while wildfires broke out in Tennessee. Space-based sensors developed by NASA helped firefighters battle the Tennessee blazes and assisted forecasters in Louisiana.

Pointing to that type of vivid example helps people understand the value of Earth science instruments such as the the Geostationary Lightning Mapper developed by NASA and flying on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R. "That instrument is on that GOES-R spacecraft because NASA invests in these kinds of instruments and matures them until the day when they change our lives," Zurbuchen said.

Zurbuchen told SpaceNews that his emphasis on making NASA's scientific work concrete is not a reaction to the changing presidential administration, but rather a reflection of his background.

Before becoming NASA's associate administrator for science, Zurbuchen was a scientist whose research focused largely on solar and heliospheric physics. As a professor at the University of Michigan, he also established the Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering.

Entrepreneurs focus on solving a problem for a community in a way that changes lives, Zurbuchen said. When he looks at NASA programs, Zurbuchen said he wants to see the data showing how the agency's work is solving programs for farmers or helping other groups.

"That's how I look at the world," he said.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.

Editor's Recommendations
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank has not discussed ending its asset-purchase programme, ECB Executive Board Member Benoit Coeure told a German newspaper, though he said that would have to happen at some point.

"There is no plan to cut back the purchases to zero. That wasnt even discussed by the Governing Council. A discussion will be needed about normalisation of monetary policy but it needs to be initiated carefully," he told daily Boersen-Zeitung in an interview published on its website on Friday.

He said there were still risks from uncertainty in Europe and abroad, which could cause economic damage by holding back investment and consumption.

"Outside the euro area, major changes are expected in U.S. economic policy, with a stronger focus on fiscal policy. These changes will reverberate across the global economy, with both positive and negative implications which are still difficult to assess," the paper quoted him as saying.

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Joseph Nasr)
After learning in August that they were being investigated for the sexual abuse of several teens, a Minnesota elementary school teacher and his husband got a gun from a relative and fled the state. Before Aric Babbitt and Matthew Deyo were found dead days later in Washington, in an apparent murder-suicide, they sent a note back to their families defending themselves, according to newly released police documents.

The letter said the couple knew they would be painted as monsters once police made public the details of the evidence recovered from their home, according to an investigative file obtained by PEOPLE. The letter said they do not believe that they did any harm, nor did they intend any hurt, according to the documents.

The couple chose to end their lives rather than losing their lives through the courts, loss of employment, loss of freedom and public humiliation,  the documents state.

The newly released records  made available this week after South St. Paul, Minnesota, police concluded their investigation into Babbitt and Deyo  detail a fuller scope of the serial child abuse perpetrated by the couple over more than a year. Police say Babbitt and Deyo sexually abused eight minors, mostly boys.

They provided the victims with alcohol and marijuana before sodomizing them, according to investigators. A search of the couples residence turned up electronic devices containing numerous images of their victims  all in various states of undress.

This is a terrible tragedy for everyone involved, South St. Paul police Cmdr. Phil Oeffling told the Pioneer Press.

 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.

Babbitt, 40, was a fourth-grade teacher at Lincoln Center Elementary School in South St. Paul. He Deyo, 36, preyed on children over the course of three years, taking them to Minneapolis hotels and a private cabin for sexual encounters, according to the police investigation.

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The documents show how the couple had a hidden camera concealed within an alarm clock in their home, which secretly recorded their abuse. Other videos discovered by authorities show the couples victims showering.

Detectives also recovered messages between Babbitt and Deyo indicating the couple planned some of the sexual assaults  and groomed the victims.

Should I be expecting a scantily clad 40 yo and to give me some hugs and kisses this weekend?, Deyo asked in one message, according to the documents. I just want to be able to hug and snuggle for a couple mins without feeling awkward.

Babbitt responded, You just need to grab him and make sit on your lap every once in awhile. Also, if all snuggled up on the couch or bed or something you just have to snuggle up next to .

Make sure the alarm clock ends up somewhere good, Deyo wrote in another message, according to the documents.

A police investigation was opened into Babbitt and Deyo on Aug. 14, when a 16-year-old boy and his parents came forward about the abuse. The couple fled Minnesota two days later  after police searched their home and informed them of the sexual abuse allegations.

Before heading for Washington, they told a relative they were going camping and asked to borrow his gun, according to the documents.

A week later  on Aug. 25  the couple was found dead on Lopez Island in Washington after Deyos parents received the suicide note from the couple, postmarked Aug. 21.

In September, the families of Babbitt and Deyo released a joint statement to PEOPLE, saying they were devastated by the pain and suffering the couple caused.

Deyos father, Richard, echoed that when speaking to PEOPLE, saying We are devastated by the impact on the family of the victims that are affected by their reported actions. Richard that he didnt want further attention called to either family so as not to distract from the victims. For that reason, he declined to say more.

Our families want to express the sincere grief and sadness we are feeling for the innocent people affected by the actions of Aric Babbitt and Matthew Deyo, the families said in their statement, adding, We pray for the healing of those families involved.

 Pick up PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases That Shocked America, on sale now, for the latest on Casey Anthony, JonBenet Ramsey and more.

South St. Paul Schools Superintendent Dave Webb told PEOPLE via email, As a school district, we strive provide a safe and secure learning environment for our students  This has been very hard on our entire South St. Paul community.

Webb cited several changes the district had made during the school year, including providing grief and mental health counseling to staff and students and partnering with groups such as the Jacob Wetterling Foundation and local churches.

The district said earlier this month it had completed its own internal investigation into Babbitts sexual abuse, according to the Pioneer Press. But Webb told the paper the report could not be released as it was being held in anticipation of a pending civil legal action. He did not respond to PEOPLEs questions about those comments.

The school districts attorney tells PEOPLE that no suit has been filed, but did not comment further.

 With reporting by ADAM CARLSON




By Oliver Denzer and Geert De Clercq BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) - European capitals tightened security on Friday ahead of New Year's celebrations, erecting concrete barriers in city centers and boosting police numbers after the Islamic State attack in Berlin last week that killed 12 people. In the German capital, police closed the Pariser Platz square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy 1,700 extra officers, many along a party strip where armored cars will flank concrete barriers blocking off the area. "Every measure is being taken to prevent a possible attack," Berlin police spokesman Thomas Neuendorf told Reuters TV. Some police officers would carry sub-machine guns, he said, an unusual tactic for German police. Last week's attack in Berlin, in which a Tunisian man plowed a truck into a Christmas market, has prompted German lawmakers to call for tougher security measures. In Milan, where police shot the man dead, security checks were set up around the main square. Trucks were banned from the centers of Rome and Naples. Police and soldiers cradled machine guns outside tourists sites including Rome's Colosseum. Madrid plans to deploy an extra 1,600 police on the New Year weekend. For the second year running, access to the city's central Puerta del Sol square, where revellers traditionally gather to bring in the New Year, will be restricted to 25,000 people, with police setting up barricades to control access. In Cologne in western Germany, where hundreds of women were sexually assaulted and robbed outside the central train station on New Year's Eve last year, police have installed new video surveillance cameras to monitor the station square. The attacks in Cologne, where police said the suspects were mainly of North African and Arab appearance, fueled criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept nearly 900,000 migrants last year. The Berlin attack has intensified that criticism. In Frankfurt, home to the European Central Bank and Germany's biggest airport, more than 600 police officers will be on duty on New Year's Eve, twice as many as in 2015. In Brussels, where Islamist suicide bombers killed 16 people and injured more than 150 in March, the mayor was reviewing whether to cancel New Year fireworks, but decided this week that they would go ahead. PARIS PATROLS In Paris, where Islamic State gunmen killed 130 people last November, authorities prepared for a high-security weekend, the highlight of which will be the fireworks on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, where some 600,000 people are expected. Ahead of New Year's Eve, heavily armed soldiers patrolled popular Paris tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre museum. In the Paris metropolitan area, 10,300 police, gendarmes, soldiers, firemen and other personnel will be deployed, police said, fewer than the 11,000 in 2015 just weeks after the Nov. 13 attack at the Bataclan theater. Searches and crowd filtering will be carried out by private security agents, particularly near the Champs-Elysees where thousands of people are expected, authorities said. Across France, more than 90,000 police including 7,000 soldiers will be on duty for New Year's Eve, authorities said. On Wednesday, police in southwest France arrested a man suspected of having planned an attack on New Year's Eve. Two other people, one of whom was suspected of having planned an attack on police, were arrested in a separate raid, also in southwest France, near Toulouse, police sources told Reuters. "We must remain vigilant at all times, and we are asking citizens to also be vigilant," French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux told a news conference in Paris, noting that the threat of a terrorist attack was high. In Vienna, police handed out more than a thousand pocket alarms to women, eager to avoid a repeat of the sexual assaults at New Year in Cologne in 2015. "At present, there is no evidence of any specific danger in Austria. However, we are talking about an increased risk situation," Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said. "We are leaving nothing to chance with regard to security." In Ukraine, police arrested a man on Friday who they suspected of planning a Berlin copycat attack in the city of Odessa. (Additional reporting by Maria Sheahan in Frankfurt, Kirsti Knolle in Vienna, Teis Jensen in Copenhagen, Isla Binnie in Rome, Sarah White in Madrid, Robert Muller in Prague, Bate Felix and Johnny Cotton in Paris; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Louise Ireland)
In an interview with Italys il Giornale in Damascus on December 29, Syrian President Bashar Assad claimed European governments and officials were working against the interests of their own people by supporting the terrorists in Syria.

Assad made the comments after being questioned about how Syria is helping Europe to fight terrorism, saying that they [European member states] dont want to help themselves.

The problem with Europe is that they dont want to help themselves. They are working  I mean the officials and the governments  working against their interest. They are working against the interest of their own people. They are supporting the terrorists, Assad said.

How can I help them if they are supporting the terrorists in our region, in order to halt terrorism attacks in Europe? I cannot. If you dont have good policy before intelligence, you cannot achieve any result, whether through the intelligence or militarily or any other way. Credit: The Syrian Presidency via Storyful
Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds had one of the most envied mother-daughter relationships in Hollywood.

Their quirky and magnetic bond was well documented over the years, proving that despite any differences, their deep love for one another carried their relationship until the very end.

RELATED: Debra Messing Remembers Her 'Will & Grace' Mom Debbie Reynolds: 'I Loved Her Dearly'

In 1997, Reynolds received her second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for her work in films like Singin' in the Rain, Tammy and the Bachelor, This Happy Feeling, The Mating Game and It Started With a Kiss, to name a few. During the ceremony, Fisher was there to lend her support and offer a few loving words to her mother.

"I couldn't be prouder," Fisher said. "If I have to live in anyone's shadow, it should be yours."

"You're the best Hollywood memorabilia," she continued. "It's always interesting following your footsteps. I love you, Momma. One more star and that makes up for each of your horrible, horrible ex-husbands. So we're going for three now."

Reynolds spoke with ET moments after her ceremony and shared how excited she was for the honor.

"I'm very excited to be here today because years ago I made a picture called the The Unsinkable Molly Brown and I was able to put my footprints at the Grauman's [Chinese Theatre] and that to me was really a tremendous thrill," she said. "Today is equally a big thrill for me because I'm still here and alive to do it, and I'm especially proud of my daughter, Carrie, who came and said such funny words. She's a brilliant, young, wonderful, talented woman but she's mainly my precious baby. I love her very much."

"God is good. God shines down. It's a very special town," Reynolds said when asked about working in Hollywood. "It's a fabulous, wonderful business. This is the business -- show business -- that makes a lot of people happy and it's made me happy since I was very fortunate to stumble into it when I was 16 years old."

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RELATED: Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher's Powerful Bond: Looking Back at Their Sweetest Mother-Daughter Moments

Between the two, Fisher was known as the more outspoken one, while Reynolds was known for her sweet but fair demeanor.

"Are you embarrassed that we talked about? I'm sorry I brought that up," Reynolds said during a candid interview with ET, adding a sweet apology to Fisher for embarrassing her. "It's a very funny story."

"That's her job," Fisher responded. "And my job is to embarrass my daughter. It's a family tradition."

During a celebrity fashion show red carpet in 2003, Fisher and Reynolds opened up about their biggest fashion faux pas.

"A lot of things," Fisher told ET. "Being really short and busty. Not having high cheekbones? God, I think I could go on and on."

To which Reynolds replied, "Well, I think it's best not to go on and on. I mean-- what's wrong with fashion? Carrie never was -- she's very simple. She likes basic black. I was raised a different way. So, I always like a lot of glamor and jazz-- we're very different that way."

Fisher wrote about her unusual relationship with her mother in her book, Postcards from the Edge, which was later turned into a movie, starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep.

The film went on to be nominated for two Academy Awards and left many wondering how much of the film was real.

"Postcards From the Edge is a novel she wrote, and it's a wonderful book. It's mostly about Carrie's experiences with her own problems in life and then naturally she has a mother," Reynolds told ET during an interview in 1990. "She didn't put a brother in that either. She left out that she has a brother. So, it really is more fiction. Every writer takes a bit of themselves."

"As far as the book," she continued. "There was very little of me in it other than, [besides] the stories of the clinic which are very funny. I would go to visit Carrie when she was having problems with drug abuse. Well, I would go to visit her and I'd bring her pillows and her comforters and sneak some cookies in and things I wasn't supposed to do, which a mother does."

Reynolds also spoke about her parenting skills, citing her unique approach to dealing with stressful situations.

"I don't believe in fighting [or] arguing," she told ET. "You know, I believe if you have a problem with your child, it's no good to beat them up because really it has to be a mental approach."

"The best thing to do is have isolation. If you put the child in the other room, in two or three days that's why Carrie I think became such a big reader. I didn't believe in spanking the children," she continued. "So, I put them in their room and they couldn't mix with the family or where they wanted to be. Really it's very effective and I would put tons of books in their room, no TV, so they had to use their imagination and Carrie has a brilliant imagination."

RELATED: Todd Fisher Says Mom Debbie Reynolds Missed Daughter Carrie Fisher and 'Wanted to Be With Her'

She also recalled having to deal with a few hiccups when Carrie was a teenager. "We had a little controversy at the usual times in life, 'Mommy, I don't want to go to school. I want to stay home and shop on Rodeo Drive.' And this mommy that worked her whole life said, 'I don't think so. That will not stand, you good stead in life.' So, we had a real problem at age, uh, that was 17," she said.

Reynolds, who was never afraid to express her love for Fisher, would later call her daughter, "a great gift and a great heart, she's a terrific girl."

The Singin' in the Rain actress died on Wednesday at the age of 84 after suffering a stroke. Her death came one day after Fisher died at age 60.

For more on the dynamic duo, watch the video below.

Related Articles
Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher and Billie Lourd make up three generations of actresses whose lives have been surrounded by cameras, both off and on set.

Over the past two days, Billie, 24, lost her mother and her grandmother, both leaving behind an unparalleled film legacy, to which the Scream Queens star is now heir.

After growing up on red carpets, ET has followed the young actress as she grew up in front of the camera, always watched over by her devoted and deeply caring mother and grandmother.

In honor of Debbie and Carrie 's heartwarming relationship with their beloved progeny, we're looking back at some of the family's cutest and sweetest ET moments.

MORE: Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher's Powerful Bond: Looking Back At Their Sweetest Mother-Daughter Moments

Billie's first ET interview occurred in 1996, when she was only 3 years old. During ET's interview with Carrie, the proud mom knew how badly her little girl wanted "to be on TV," and asked the ET cameras to ask her a few questions just to make her day.

In 1999, Carrie took Billie to a charity event that partnered with the beloved Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats, just so her little girl could hang out with costumed performers dressed up as her favorite Rugrats characters Phil and Lil DeVille, Chucky Finster and Tommy Pickles.

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"Oh, it's [like seeing] The Beatles for her," Carrie said. "Phil and Lil are the Lennon and McCartney for a 6-year-old."

One year after the charity event, Debbie joined the voice cast on Rugrats, playing Lulu Pickles, and remained with the show until its end in 2004.

In 2014, as Carrie was in the midst of reprising her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she sat down for an interview alongside her daughter, who also appeared in the blockbuster sci-fi epic as resistance fighter Lieutenant Connix. Carrie revealed that Billie wasn't always a Star Wars fan.

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"She actually didn't like Star Wars when I showed it to her when she was a child," she recounted. "She said it was too loud."

NEWS: Billie Lourd's Stepfather Offers His Heartfelt Support After Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds' Deaths

Debbie joined Carrie and Billie for the touching joint interview, and the proud grandma had nothing but praise for her talented granddaughter, sharing, "She's quite beautiful She's very talented and works really hard."

When The Force Awakens premiered in December 2015, ET was on the red carpet and got a look at the adorable banter that seemed to be a staple between Carrie and Billie.

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"My first Star Wars memory was me kicking and screaming, because she was begging me to watch it," Billie told ET's Cameron Mathison. "I was like 4 years old."

"Do I seem like a beggar?" Carrie interrupted. "They did not hire me because I was a beggar."

"She begged me to watch it," Billie countered. "I obliged."

"She was 6!" Carrie insisted, as her daughter bickered back, "I was like 4!"

WATCH: Carrie Fisher and Daughter Billie Lourd Bicker Adorably on 'Star Wars' Red Carpet

ET also visited Billie on the set of the Fox horror dramedy, Scream Queens, back in 2015, where the young star admitted, "I wish I played a young Princess Leia!," referring to Internet rumors claiming she was playing her mom's iconic character in a flashback.

Billie went on to say that she even got a chance to practice her Princess Leia impression on the Scream Queens set.

"[Yesterday] I was wearing a hooded robe, so I was doing the, 'Help me, Obi Wan Konobi, you're my only hope' [scene]," she recalled.

When Scream Queens premiered in fall 2015, ET caught up with Billie once again, where she opened up about the advice her mom had given her over the years.

"Just to like try to remain yourself and be true to yourself and like be nice to everybody," she said, before admitting that her mom's words would likely be a bit different. "She would say that's too cheesy. She'd probably have something wittier to say. Sorry mom!"

WATCH: Inside Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds' Unique Mother-Daughter Relationship

Carrie died on Tuesday at age 60, days after she went into cardiac arrest on a flight from London to Los Angeles last week. One day later, Debbie died after suffering a stroke while the family was making funeral plans. She was 84.

Todd Fisher, Debbie's son and Carrie's younger brother, spoke with ET on Wednesday after his mother's death, and opened up about her last words.

"She missed her daughter and wanted to very much be with her," Todd said. "She had been very strong the last several days. [There was] enormous stress on her, obviously. And this morning she said those words to me and 15 minutes later she had a stroke and virtually left." Watch the video below to hear more.

Related Articles
RENWICK, Iowa  Once-bustling Renwick, Iowa, lost its grocery, hardware store, school and Ford dealership years ago, but when its sole bar closed last June, it seemed to some residents there wasn't much of a town left.

So a group of seven friends and spouses who had met for beers at the bar for decades took matters into their own hands. One of them bought the place and the others pooled their money to fix it up, showing up after work to replace floors and walls on steamy summer nights before reopening in September as the Blue Moose Saloon.

It was an impressive achievement, and one that is becoming more common as rural America's population continues to decline. In some places, residents are scrambling to hold onto at least a few places where people can gather. It's not just bars, but groceries, cafes and other stores.

They don't expect to turn around their communities' prospects, they say, but they feel they have to draw the line somewhere.

"There are two places not too far, over in Lu Verne, but it's not our place," said one of the Blue Moose owners.

"It's not our hometown," said Ron Oberhelman, a 59-year-old farmer who has watched the population of Renwick slide from about 500 people to 235. "When your local place closes up, you're pretty much lost."

Renwick's wide streets are usually empty, apart from a few that stop at the small post office, the towering silver Gold Eagle grain elevators or a seed production plant. But cars and pickups begin pulling up to the Blue Moose not long after it opens each afternoon at 4 to offer a refuge from the icy December wind that blows off the snowy farmland surrounding the village about 90 miles north of Des Moines.

The situation here is similar to that in the Missouri River village of Decatur, Nebraska, where a dozen people put up money to help the owners rebuild when the Green Lantern Steakhouse burned in 2008. The restaurant, established in 1956, was what brought people into town and served as the main meeting spot in the community of 450 an hour's drive north of Omaha.

"It's not very easy to have a strong, active small town," said Matt Connealy, who lives on a farm just outside Decatur. "You have to do things that don't always make the best sense financially."

Once reopened, the restaurant resumed its place as the community's hub, home to high school graduation parties and baby showers. Near the entrance, notices cram a bulletin board.

"If you want to find out what's happening, that's where you go," said Connealy.

U.S. Census figures show more than one-third of rural counties have lower populations now than in 1930. In addition to fewer potential customers, businesses in rural areas face stiff competition from online shopping and from urban chain stores offering big savings for those willing to drive another 30 or 40 miles.

Charles Fluharty, who heads the Rural Policy Research Institute at the University of Iowa, said he's seen an increase in rural neighbors joining to save local spots. Some create cooperatives or seek government and private grants.

Without gathering places, they fear people in town won't know each other. They won't know who's getting married, who's sick, who needs help.

"There's a sense of, "We've got to take care of ourselves, and that means we've got to take care of one another because we're all we've got," Fluharty said.

In Kiester, Minnesota, the 486 residents went so far as gaining approval from the Legislature for the city to own the local food store. Residents later formed a co-op, and the Kiester Market sign says: "Proud to be community owned."

Marcia Dahleen, until recently the market manager, said the store relies increasingly on volunteer help. It delivers to elderly people at home and takes special orders for meat.

"We try to bend over backward to help people in town," she said.

Residents of Bowdon, North Dakota, population 135, also created a co-op to save a meat-cutting plant after the owner died. Although it only employed a few people, co-op board member Larry Crowder said it was "the busiest place on Main Street," and residents feared Bowdon's cafe and co-op grocery could fail if the plant wasn't there to draw people into town. They managed to sell 100 shares at $5,500 apiece to fund a new plant along with grants.

"They did it to save the town," Crowder said.
By Liana B. Baker and Lauren Hirsch

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - At least 15 enterprise software companies are preparing to go public in 2017. Here's a rundown of their plans and business models.

Anaplan: The San Francisco-based company that helps companies with business planning is in the early stages of prepping an IPO for 2017, according to sources familiar with the matter. It has not yet selected underwriters for its offering, the sources said. It said in August it would surpass $100 million in annual revenue this year. Anaplan declined to comment.

AppDynamics: The applications management company based in San Francisco made its IPO filing public on Wednesday. For the first nine months of the year, its revenue increased to $158.43 million, up from $102.79 millin a year earlier. It posted a net loss of $95 million, a slightly wider loss than a year earlier.

Appian: The software company based in Reston, Virginia focuses on business process management and has spoken to banks about an IPO in 2017, according to a source familiar with the matter. Appian could not be reached for comment.

Apttus: The software company based in San Mateo, California helps salespeople come up with pricing quotes for complex bundled products. The company told Reuters it is exploring an IPO for 2017. "Running the company without investment for our first seven years, totally bootstrapping, is another reason we feel very strongly about operating as a public, profitable company in the near future," Apttus chief executive Kirk Krappe said.

AppNexus: The New York-based advertising technology company, which makes software that forecasts and helps target online ads, filed confidentially for its IPO late this year, according to a source familiar with the matter. The company declined to comment.

Avalara: Reuters has previously reported that U.S. tax accounting software company Avalara Inc interviewed banks late this year to help prepare for an IPO that could come in 2017 and value the company at roughly $1 billion.

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Carbon Black: The Boston area cyber security company has hired underwriters and filed confidentially for an IPO, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company could not be reached for comment.

ForeScout Technologies Inc: Reuters previously reported that cyber security company ForeScout interviewed investment banks in the fall for an IPO. San Jose, California-based ForeScout makes software that helps companies monitor every device connected to their networks and ensure the connections are secure.

Greenwave Systems Inc: Greenwave, which makes software that connects devices such as doorbells and televisions, hired Goldman Sachs to explore a 2017 IPO, its CEO said earlier this year. Irvine, California-based Greenwave is expecting to generate $100 million in revenue next year, a spokeswoman said.

LogRhythm: The cyber security company selected bankers back in 2015 with an eye on a $1 billion-plus IPO in the second half of that year, but altered course when the market began to chill. In August, with an IPO still not in the immediate future, LogRhythm raised $50 million from private investors. The company' s investors say it will go public when the IPO market opens back up. The company could not immediately be reached for comment.

MuleSoft: San Francisco-based applications software maker MuleSoft has hired banks for an IPO in 2017 that could value the company at more than $1 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter. MuleSoft declined to comment.

Pluralsight: Reuters reported in late 2015 that Pluralsight LLC, a startup that offers online courses on computer programming and software development, was preparing for an IPO in 2016 and had more than $85 million in revenue. Sources tell Reuters the company is still working towards an IPO. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

Okta: Reuters previously reported that Okta Inc, a U.S. cloud identity management company valued at $1.2 billion in its latest private fundraising round, has hired Goldman Sachs Group to lead an initial public offering or potential sale. Okta helps companies organize passwords and authenticate the identity of employees who log into work applications made by other software firms

Tintri: The flash storage company based in Mountain View, California is being closely watched as an IPO candidate in 2017. Earlier this year, it filed its paperwork confidentially for an IPO, according to Fortune. The company declined to comment.

Yext: Reuters previously reported that New York-based Yext, which helps businesses manage their location-based internet profiles, hired banks at the of 2016 to help prepare for a 2017 IPO. Yext generated $89 million in revenue in its last fiscal year, a 48 percent increase from a year prior.

(Reporting by Liana B. Baker and Heather Somerville in San Francisco, and Lauren Hirsch in New York; Editing by Brian Thevenot)
- By Holly LaFon





The peaks and valleys that define the chart of the Fairholme Fund (Trades, Portfolio)'s performance jutted to a new summit in 2016, proclaiming to investors that a mere $10 laid in the hands of Bruce Berkowitz (Trades, Portfolio) in 2000 would be worth $62.21 today. Far below, at base camp, investors entrusting the same amount to the comparatively plodding and oxygen-starved S&P 500, after clocking another year in its hike, get $20.84 back.





Such was the year of fresh wind not just for Berkowitz, but another popular value fund, Mason Hawkins' (Trades, Portfolio) Longleaf Partners. Most of their returns are owed to stock picking. A generally verdant environment for underpriced equities offered a dose of help, too, as U.S. large cap equity value funds raised the average bar to 15.1% in returns, as measured by Morningstar, year to date. Fairholme topped it with a 26.7% return and Longleaf with 21.62%. Their performance placed them among the best 10 large-cap stock funds of 2016, according to Kiplinger.

Longleaf's year of bounty followed its decision to hang on to stocks as they became more and more discounted from portfolio managers' estimates of intrinsic value. In a bleak 2015, the Partners Fund fell 18.8%, starkly lagging the 1.4% gain for the S&P. Ahead of the new year, the portfolio had a price-to-value ratio in the upper 60%s, and managers Mason Hawkins (Trades, Portfolio) and Staley Cates did not sell its three biggest detractors as prices declined to less than 40% of their targets.

The depressed pricing situation caused the fund to anticipate a strong rebound. In addition, three of its four largest holdings were already doing well, contributing the most to returns of all their stocks, and the fund believed they still had room to meet price estimates as well as create more value.

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Longleaf proved mostly correct in its expectation of further gains for its top four: FedEx Corp. (FDX), CK Hutchison Holdings (0001.HK), Level 3 Communications (LVLT) and Alphabet (GOOGL). Each, except for CK Hutchison, down 15.8%, saw its price continue to rise in 2016. As of the third quarter, the fund retained the same group.

A mergers and acquisitions theme that ran through Longleaf's portfolio companies contributed significantly to gains. Slow growth and low capital costs paved the way for FedEx's $4.8 billion acquisition of the fourth-largest global parcel operator, TNT Express, and CK Hutchinson's $24 billion merger with VimpelCom's Italian assets, creating the largest telecommunications company in Italy. Various other portfolio companies sold off assets, improving their balance sheets.

The acquisition by the fund's largest holding, FedEx, of TNT Express raised its earnings and flagging margins, and the company announced an increase in 2017 guidance. But the buy also grew its debt to a decade high of almost $14 billion, bringing its debt-equity ratio to 1.01. Despite price appreciation and a price-book ratio near a 10-year high, the benefits of the merger caused Longleaf to raise its estimated value and declare it undervalued.

As the year progressed and the bull market raged on, Longleaf became a degree more conservative. With little on the market fitting its criteria, the fund purchased few new assets and sold off those reaching pricing estimates, raising the cash position to 25%. Viewing a less sanguine market as a possibility by the end of the third quarter, managers had prepared with a set of high-quality, financially strong businesses priced around 70% of their estimated value.

Just below Longleaf Partners' third-place listing for large-company stock funds in 2016, Fairholme Fund (Trades, Portfolio), led by Bruce Berkowitz (Trades, Portfolio), came in eighth.

Most of Berkowitz's windfall came in the form of a second-half resurgence of his long-held positions in a variety of classes of Fannie Mae shares, which he bought on the notion that the government's post-bailout confiscation of the mortgage lender's profits and denial of dividends to shareholders would all be settled in court. A share that traded for less than a dollar in January had jumped to $5 by December. Freddie Mac, another bailed-out mortgage lender under government conservatorship, traced its counterpart's path to a high of $4.84.

Greater investor optimism on the entities started with the November presidential election of Donald Trump. Many investors, like Bill Ackman (Trades, Portfolio), believe Trump's pro-business stance will make him friendlier toward a deal with their shareholders than Barack Obama's administration and return them to private ownership. Ackman, at a New York Times conference in November, said he had spoken privately with Trump about Fannie and Freddie and planned to again. Ackman predicted investors would see a resolution within 12 months of the new administration.

Together the two positions make up about 21% of the Fairholme Fund (Trades, Portfolio) portfolio as its second and fourth-largest positions. Otherwise, his 12 portfolio holdings made little progress during the year. Sears companies continued to stumble. Sears Holdings (SHLD), whose board Berkowitz joined earlier in the year, and Sears Canada (SCC.TO), which make up roughly 15% of the portfolio, both fell by more than half in price. Lands' End (LE) and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. (SHOS) also declined by more than a third.

Berkowitz is banking not only on common stocks but on a move of 24.4% of the Fairholme Fund (Trades, Portfolio)'s assets into bonds. The investor, who famously purchased crashing banks of the 2007 financial crisis, took advantage of plunging commodity prices to purchase corporate bonds, whose yields rival equity returns. He expected to continue the trend toward more current income, he said in a mid-year letter. Some of the bonds he bought include those of Sears Holdings, Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) and Atwood Oceanics (ATW).

Like Longleaf, Berkowitz has prepared for potential market dial backs - he had 18% of the Fairholme Fund (Trades, Portfolio) in cash as of Aug. 31. "As opportunities emerge in new sectors and securities, our Funds have the necessary liquidity," his mid-year letter said.

See the Fairholme Fund (Trades, Portfolio) portfolio here.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






When Fortunato Foti dreams up his designs for Sydney's dazzling New Year's Eve fireworks display, he's drawing on more than 200 years of pyrotechnics expertise.

The Foti family moved from Italy to Australia in the 1950s, but have been in the same business since 1793.

This year, they are marking two decades as the brains behind Sydney's world-renowned visual extravaganza, which kicks off global celebrations.

The family's secret recipe, says fireworks director 51-year-old Foti, is passion -- lots of it.

"It's in the bloodline, we start from a young age," adds Giovanni Foti, 29, who together with his father Vince, are two of the eight Fotis working for the family company.

"We are so used to fireworks. We start to love them -- then we start to try and make other people love them," he tells AFP, laughing.

Sydney's New Year's Eve celebrations -- which take 15 months of planning and cost an estimated Aus$7 million (US$5 million) -- are billed as Australia's largest public event and it's hard not to see why.

More than one million spectators pack Sydney Harbour to watch the spectacle and a further one billion people watch on television.

Yet much of the expertise behind the 12-minute-long star attraction -- the fireworks -- wasn't learnt through formal education, notes Fortunato Foti.

"It's been passed down from generation to generation and that's how I learnt it, that's how my brother learnt it, because there's no courses that do fireworks, there's no university," he says.

"It's stories, recipes -- it's a bit like being a cook."

The Fotis are involved in the entire process from designing the fireworks with a factory in mainland China to sending the pyrotechnics soaring through the night sky on December 31.

- "Flowers in the sky" -

Twenty years ago when the Fotis first worked on the Sydney display, each button to trigger a sequence had to be pressed manually.

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Now the entire show is operated via 16 computers, with the sequences involving 20,000 fireworks shooting from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and floating barges timed "to a hundredth of a second", 52-year-old Tino Foti says.

"You can let your imagination do a lot more because you've got the flexibility ... and the computerisation."

This year, the Fotis have drawn inspiration from two late musical legends -- David Bowie and Prince, promising "never-seen-before" fireworks effects including purple rain.

Helping to set them off from one of seven barges on Sydney Harbour is Fortunato Foti's daughter Elena, who jumped at the chance to join the family business when she turned 18 in 2012.

"I think not many girls can say they get to work with explosives. It's a bit of a party-trick conversation starter, that's for sure," she tells AFP.

"You obviously have to have a passion to be in it, otherwise we wouldn't put ourselves through hours and hours of labour and sweat... there's definitely high enjoyment working with fireworks."

"That's all we do, we entertain people year in, year out," adds her father, who describes fireworks as "flowers in the sky".

"We're happy to do it, get a buzz out of it and hopefully we'll continue for another 50 years."
Getty Image

After the election, concerns over Russia propaganda and hacking activities influencing the 2016 elections became a hot topic, especially after a CIA report on the issue leaked. While Donald Trump attempted to dismiss the concerns, the FBI stepped forward to publicly back the CIAs statements on the issue. Now, the FBI had doubled down on the report with a detailed look at how the hacks were executed and why precisely Russia is to blame.

The report, which terms the Russian hacking operation Grizzly Steppe, has extensive technical analysis of both the techniques used to breach DNC systems and lays the blame for the operation directly on Russias foreign intelligence service, the FSB. Little of the information is new, although it does offer examples of malicious code and other data useful for protecting against breaches, but it mostly serves to emphasize both foreign and domestic intelligence agencies are deeply concerned about Russian activity.

It also creates a problem for Trump, who continues to attempt to dismiss the concerns instead of addressing them directly. President Obama has toughened sanctions against Russia and certain members of the Russian intelligence service, and has ejected 35 Russian citizens, many of whom were believed to be spies. Trump has also been widely criticized for choosing Rex Tillerson, a former Exxon CEO and who received the Order of Friendship from the Russian government, as Secretary of State, amid growing calls from Republicans and Democrats for a full investigation. Trump is currently a private citizen, of course, but all this will change on January 20th, when he becomes President and must decide which calls to heed.

(via Reuters)
As much of the world focuses on the growing hostilities between the United States and Russia as well as the war in Syria heading into 2017, it would be easy to forget about an ongoing conflict between two nuclear-armed neighbors.

For Indian and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since becoming independent states in 1947, 2016 was a year of drastically deteriorating relations. And as they prepare to welcome in the new year, the two countries continue to be locked in an exchange of fire along the border separating the disputed region of Kashmir.

A ceasefire agreement signed between the two countries in Kashmir in 2003 has been rendered effectively redundant. That was evident just this week when India claimed that the Pakistani army engaged in heavy fire targeting Indian positions across the Line of Control, killing one civilian. India made clear it would retaliate strongly.

The latest spike in tensions between India and Pakistan began when an Indian army base in Kashmir was attacked on Sept. 18, killing 19. India claimed that the attack was carried out by militants hailing from Pakistan and retaliated by carrying out what it called surgical strikes on a terrorist stronghold on the Pakistan side of the Line of Control. Pakistan vigorously disputed that version of events.

Pakistan also claimed this week that India was violating a 1947 United Nations Security Council Resolution on Kashmir by attempting to change the demography of Kashmir through the settling of non-locals in the region.

Escalating fears yet further, India successfully tested Monday its most powerful nuclear-capable missile.

Kashmir

Photo: Reuters/Jayanta Dey

There is particular concern over recent developments, not only because of the warring history of the two countries but because of their large stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Both India and Pakistan have over 100 warheads. They are two of only three countries in the world not to sign up to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

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India has also been increasing its buildup of arms, purchasing defense equipment worth $34 billion between 2008 and 2015, second only to Saudi Arabia across the world, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service.

Its nuclear stockpile could soon be on the increase, too. India is bidding to gain membership to the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group in order to attain full atomic trading privileges. Pakistan, meanwhile, has complained that it is being unfairly denied membership.

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LONDON (AP)  Ferdy Kuebler, who came back from injury and the interruption of World War II to win the 1950 Tour de France, has died. He was 97.

The Swiss won an epic battle with French rider Louison Bobet in the 1950 race, and became world champion the following year.

Andre Haefliger, the chief reporter at Swiss magazine Schweizer Illustrierte, said from Kuebler's home in Switzerland on Friday that he could confirm the death on behalf of Kuebler's widow, Christina. Kuebler died Thursday at a Zurich hospital. He had been suffering from a cold.

Switzerland's national cycling association, Swiss Cycling, paid tribute to Kuebler and offered its condolences to his family. "We are taking leave of one of the greatest cycling legends of our time," it wrote on its website.

For many, his biggest achievement was winning the Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege races, then held on successive days, in both 1951 and 1952.

In an era of marathon races on poor roads, Kuebler also won the 1953 Bordeaux-to-Paris after 570 kilometers (356 miles) and more than 14 hours in the saddle.

Born July 24, 1919, into a poverty-stricken family near Zurich, Kuebler knew as a child that he wanted to be a professional cyclist.

Forced as a teenager to find work to support his family, he got a job delivering bread by bicycle.

"I had to climb the mountain up to four times a day. That was how I trained for my career. I told myself: one day you will be a cyclist," Kuebler said in a 2003 television documentary.

Later, as a Zurich office worker, Kuebler cycled the 100-kilometer (63-mile) round trip from home.

World War II broke out as he was starting to make his name as a cyclist. Kuebler was drafted into the Swiss army.

"I lost five or six of my best years," he said.

An accident in 1946 that hospitalized him for two months almost ended his postwar career.

He came back in 1947 and started his first Tour, aged 28. He won the first stage, becoming the first post-war wearer of the famed yellow jersey.

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In 1950, third-placed Kuebler took over the race lead when Italy's team of riders withdrew, accusing spectators of assaulting them.

He finished the 4,773 kilometers (2,983 miles) 9 minutes, 30 seconds ahead of Belgium's Stan Ockers, with Bobet third.

Kuebler chose not to race another Tour until 1954. He finished second, behind Bobet.

After retiring at age 38, Kuebler trained as a ski instructor and worked on the Swiss slopes for 25 winters. In summer he did publicity for the Tour de Suisse and traveled with the race as an official for 35 years.

Kuebler said there was never any other career for him except cycling.

"I always said if I came back to earth  which I hope will happen  I would be a cyclist again," he said.
Its too bad Matthew McConaughey already made a movie called Fools Gold, since the title wouldve been perfect for his latest, a bucking-bronco paydirt saga in which he plays a white-trash desperado with a claim to more of the precious metal than he knows what to do with. Directed with an odd mix of human compassion and giddy abandon by Stephen Gaghan (Syriana), Gold is a lively portrayal of whats often misidentified as the American Dream, but might be more accurately described as the American Fantasy  where men dream of wealth and success without having to put in the work.

Proudly sporting a pot belly, snaggled teeth, and receding combover (though any normal person with either would go out of his way to hide them), McConaughey turns in a gonzo performance as a gold prospector named Kenny Wells, who improbably strikes it rich after acting on a hunch that takes him deep in the jungles of Indonesia, only to lose track of the claim as smarter men than he try to get in on the deal. Like American Hustle or The Wolf of Wall Street, Gold plays fast and loose with its factual origins, allowing McConaughey to become a one-man acting tornado. And yet, though Gaghan has less directing experience than either David O. Russell or Martin Scorsese, he never lets the movie spiral out of his grasp (although the final scene is a huge miscalculation, featuring an unearned reunion and a twist that should, but doesnt, make us question everything thats come before).

Gold is one of those movies that could have gone either way, and some will surely label it a disaster over the tonal risks it takes, tightrope-walking as it does between sincerity and satire. But for those willing to take the characters at face value, its a deliriously entertaining ride, as a man with a dream drops his last quarter in the slot machine and goes home with the entire casino.

After inheriting his fathers mining company, Wells realizes he has neither the patience nor the gift for this particular line of work. What he does have is the good sense to realize his limitations, and so Wells turns to a more experienced geologist, Michael Acosta (Edgar Ramirez), to help him locate a spot that feeds into a river known for its irregular supply of gold  a point reinforced by the natives, who can be seen sifting as Wells and Acosta make their way upstream. Wells may seem crazy, but Acosta brings a certain confidence to the endeavor. From his heroic introductory shot, in which a drone-mounted camera floats upward to find him standing godlike over a mine, Acosta gets the sort of flattering treatment most stars only wish they could get. But favoring him subliminally works to make Wells seem relatively unreliable.

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Theres something off about the way Wells is negotiating this deal, and even though the underwear-clad dreamer nearly dies of malaria right there at the exploration site, everything seems to come a little too easy. Punch-drunk on the prospect of having discovered the richest gold deposit of the century, Wells heads back to America, where everyone treats him differently  except for his girlfriend Kay (Bryce Dallas Howard), who cant resist upgrading her wardrobe (costume designer Danny Glicker goes wild letting Kays nouveau riche tastes run wild) but otherwise sees Wells as she always has. Howard serves as the storys soul, and its heartbreaking to watch her trying to protect him from the vultures whove materialized now that hes rich.

If this story were as simple as a guy hitting the jackpot and everything in his life suddenly gong swell, it would hardly be worth telling. But Wells good fortune brings considerable complications, and before long, hes beset by Wall Street sharks. One minute hes ringing the Stock Exchanges opening bell, and the next, hes so desperate to save his company that hes staring an Indonesian tiger in the face  this is just the kind of movie that wouldve been perfect for Tony Scott. Its tamer in Gaghans hands, but only slightly, as the director relies on DP Robert Elswit (a career-long collaborator of Paul Thomas Anderson) to keep the camera constantly moving as Wells situation advances, feeding into the delirious momentum of success.

During the jungle scenes, its The Treasure of the Sierra Madre meets The African Queen, with McConaugheys flop-sweat clown standing in for the hard-boiled Bogey. The rest recalls movies such as Boiler Room and The Sting, where we can never be quite sure whos getting played, or what the angle even is, other than that none of this can be taken at face value. Perhaps the biggest clue comes from an incredulous young man (Toby Kebbell) with plenty of tough questions for Wells. At first, this interview (or is it an interrogation?) may seem like a handy device for dispensing otherwise-complicated exposition  until the plot catches up with these scenes, revealing just how deep Wells troubles run.

By this point in Patrick Massett and John Zinmans script, reality has long since been left in the dust. Gaghan understandably wants to tell the best story, but he doesnt seem to have any answers  or else coyly thinks that ambiguity ought to be more entertaining. Which begs the question: What have we been watching? Considering how much creative license all involved have taken along the way, is the movie supposed to be a version of what really happened? Or is this merely Wells possibly self-serving version of events? Did any of this actually take place, or is McConaughey merely looking to score more gold to sit alongside his Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club? It works because the actor has made it personal, tapping into the life-or-death stakes he watched his daddy follow as an oil-pipe salesman. Hes taken Willy Loman and reinvented him as a loud, brash buffoon, trading hard work for dumb luck, and though Gaghans ending cant decide whether Gold is a tragedy or not, Kenny Wells is a character we wont soon forget.

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HELSINKI (Reuters) - A Finnish member of a neo-Nazi group was sentenced on Friday to two years in jail after the death of a 28-year-old man he had assaulted during a demonstration in Helsinki. The Finnish national had stopped in front of the group in September and spat on the ground. A member of the group, Jesse Torniainen, kicked the man in the chest and he fell to the ground and hit his head. Helsinki district court heard the man spent the following days in hospital but then left against the advice of doctors and used narcotics. He died six days after the assault. Torniainen admitted assault but denied he had caused the man's death. The court dropped charges of aggravated manslaughter, concluding it was unclear whether the man's own actions had contributed to his death. The prosecutor said she would likely appeal the verdict. Torniainen, 26, is a member of the Nordic Resistance Movement, a far-right group the Finnish intelligence service says aims to create a national socialist state. Police have said they will file a lawsuit to shut down the movement. Anti-immigrant sentiment has been on the rise in Finland, a country of 5.5 million where about 32,000 migrants and refugees arrived last year. (Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Debbie Reynolds, who died on Wednesday aged 84, is best remembered as voice artist Kathy Selden in "Singin' in the Rain".

Here are five things to know about the smash 1952 film that has become a Hollywood classic:

- That legendary scene -

The film's most famous moment sees star Gene Kelly tap dancing in torrential rain with his umbrella after bidding goodbye to his sweetheart, played by Reynolds.

Director Stanley Donen had no idea he was creating cinema history with the sequence but its success is down to the "simplicity that there is nothing better to do than to dance out of joy," according to Patrick Niedo, an expert on American musicals.

- A tricky (and wet) shoot -

It took two and half days to shoot the scene and Kelly's soaked wool suit kept shrinking in the rain.

- An Oscars flop -

It was nominated for just two Oscars in 1953, best female performance in a supporting role (Jean Hagan) and best musical score. It won neither.

- A stage phenomenon -

The film has been adapted multiple times for the stage despite objections from director Stanley Donen: in London in 1983, for Broadway in 1986 and in London again in 2000.

Other versions have been performed internationally.

A new adaptation done for Broadway in 2003 particularly angered Donen who criticised the producers for trying to replicate his film rather than trying something new.

- Imitation as flattery -

The story's central plot line in which an actor struggles to adapt to the change from silent film to speaking roles in the 1920s has been copied since.

In "Singin' in The Rain," Kelly's character Don Lockwood manages to make the transition thanks to help from Reynolds who plays sweet but shy Kathy Selden.

The challenges in 1920s Hollywood were reprised in the Oscars favourite The Artist (2011), which recounts the life of silent actor George Valentin whose career plummets with the arrival of the "talkies".
In 1981, ET was just starting out but Debbie Reynolds was already a legend.

"I would never not work," Reynolds said in her first interview with ET. "This is my 34th year in the business and all those years you do learn something."

READ: Debra Messing Remembers Her 'Will & Grace' Mom Debbie Reynolds

While her first big break came in 1952's Singin' in the Rain, prior to that, Reynolds was accustomed to a meager lifestyle.

"We were a poor family," recalled Reynolds, who was born in El Paso, Texas. "My dreams kind of came through when I went to see the cinema."

At the age of 16, Reynolds was put under contract at Warner Bros. after winning a beauty contest in Burbank, California, where her family had relocated. Her fortunes changed for good after starring opposite Gene Kelly in the classic musical.

"What Gene taught me was tremendous discipline and never give up and you're never good enough," Reynolds told ET in 1985. "He believed that I could do it, but I never danced before Singin' in the Rain, and I had to learn to dance. Months I was locked in a soundstage to get me -- never equal -- but up at least to cut the role."

RELATED: Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher's Powerful Bond: Looking Back at Their Sweetest Mother-Daughter Moments

Reynolds worked tirelessly at her craft, transforming her image from young ingenue to mature leading lady. Her efforts were rewarded in 1965 with an Oscar nomination for her starring role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. While she ultimately lost to Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins, Reynolds later accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2016 Oscars for her founding work with the Thalians, an organization designed to increase awareness about mental health.

After tackling movies, Reynolds took her talent to TV, Broadway and books. In 1969, she created a minor hit for NBC with The Debbie Reynolds Show, which was followed by appearances on The Love Boat and Aloha Paradise. She introduced herself to a new generation with roles on Will & Grace and TV movies like Disney Channel's Halloweentown.

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On stage, Reynolds received a Tony nomination for taking on the title role in Irene, and she became a best-selling author with her autobiography, Debbie: My Life.

"I just think my life's been really blessed, because being in show business I've met wonderful people and I've traveled all over the world," Reynolds told ET in 1988 while promoting her tell-all. "I ain't down yet, and I've had a wonderful life, and I still have more life to go."

PICS: Stars We've Lost in Recent Years

But with the good times, came some low moments as well. In 1959, she unexpectedly found herself in one of Hollywood's biggest tabloid scandals when her then-husband, Eddie Fisher, left her and their two young children to marry Reynold's close friend, Elizabeth Taylor.

Still, Reynolds refused to let the scandal define her.

"I don't think you can ever be bitter about anything, because if you don't allow your heart to stay open, then all you have is a filled heart of hate and bitterness, and you're never able to love or like anybody," she said in 1981. "I think you [should be] cautious. And if you're not cautious, you're crazy. Let's say I'm cautious."

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PARIS (AP)  A former hospital intern in the southern city of Marseille suspected of planning a trip to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside Islamic extremists has been charged with terror offenses.

Paris prosecutors' office said Friday that the suspect, whose identity has not been revealed, was arrested in Turkey just before Christmas and placed in custody.

He has been charged with criminal conspiracy in connection with a terrorist enterprise.

The trainee doctor, who worked at Marseille's biggest hospital La Timone and post hatred messages on social media, had reportedly chosen to be called "Albistouri,"a nickname with an Arabic tone based on the word "bistouri," which translates as scalpel.

France remains in a state of emergency following a string of attacks that left more than 200 dead over the past 20 months.
BEIJING (Reuters) - A joint venture between Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (2354.TW), known as Foxconn, and Sharp Corp plans to build a 61 billion yuan ($8.8 billion) factory in China to produce liquid-crystal displays (LCDs).

Sakai Display Products Corp's plant will be a so-called Gen-10.5 facility specializing in large-screen LCDs and will be operational by 2019, the company said at a signing event with local officials in Guangzhou on Friday. It said the plant will have capacity equating to 92 billion yuan a year.

The heavy investment is aimed at increasing production to meet expected rising demand for large-screen televisions and monitors in Asia.

Global LCD output was hit this year by the closure of a Samsung factory that accounted for 3 percent of the market, as well as factory stoppages in Taiwan after an earthquake in March.

China's largest LCD panel maker, BOE Technology Group, began construction on its own Gen-10.5 plant in Hefei in December last year, with production scheduled to begin in 2018.

In May Shenzhen China Optoelectronics Technology Co, asubsidiary of TCL Corp, announced that it would begin construction on a 50 billion yuan LCD plant in Shenzhen.

Sakai Display Products Corp's plans for the Guangzhou plant come as Hon Hai seeks to turn the joint venture into a subsidiary, investing a total of 15.1 billion yuan in the company.

The venture will also sell 436,000 shares for 17.1 billion yuan to an investment co-owned by Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou, giving Hon Hai a 53 percent interest in the business and lowering Sharps stake from to 26 percent from 40 percent.

(Reporting by Cate Cadell; Editing by David Goodman)
Samsung is working on an all-screen design for the Galaxy S8, but to do so, it needs to copy the iPhone. Again. A new report says that Samsung is doing away with hardware navigation keys, which youll find on any Android device, and replacing them with a trick that was first introduced by the iPhone.

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Galaxy S8 will completely ditch hardware navigation keys, Samsung is switching to all soft keys with 3D touch-like functionality, Android Polices David Ruddock tweeted. Ruddock has often been accurate with his Android predictions.

The information he offers falls in line with what many other reports have claimed. Samsung is looking to ditch the physical buttons on the Galaxy S8 in order to offer users a screen-to-body ratio of over 90%. But Android needs three buttons to function, so adding 3D Touch-like functionality to the screen seems to be the only solution that would allow Samsung to remove the buttons.

Soft keys may be configurable/customizable, as well, he said. Removing the capacitive keys/home button will give the S8 a very tiny bottom bezel.

Apple has been preparing for years for its move to an all-screen iPhone, and we have often written about it. 3D Touch and the non-physical home button in the iPhone 7 laid some of the groundwork needed to make the transition to a bezel-free smartphone.

Samsung, meanwhile, has not yet taken these steps and apparently plans to make all of these changes at once, without having any actual time to see how they work in the real world.

The new design will force Apple to embed the fingerprint sensor under the screen on the iPhone 8, something Samsung was also rumored to be considering. But Ruddock now believes that Samsung might choose a simpler solution. It looks like the fingerprint scanner is being removed from the front, he said. Will go on the back probably, exact placement not clear.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Congratulations to Danny Strong!

The Empire co-creator and Gilmore Girls star is engaged to his girlfriend, actress Caitlin Mehner.

WATCH: Serena Williams Engaged to Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian -- See the Sweet Announcement!

Strong took to Instagram on Thursday to share the happy news, alongside an adorable photo of his new fiancee showing off her beautiful ring!

"[Three] and a half years ago I saw the cutest girl I'd ever seen and got up the nerve to talk to her. She gave me her phone number but it was missing a digit. I was convinced she had to have made a mistake (delusional?) so I tracked her down and asked her out," he wrote. "Then last night I got up the nerve to ask her to marry me and she said yes!"

"The moral of the story is never be deterred by a missing digit. Love you @mehns   #yes," Strong concluded.

WATCH: Kelsea Ballerini Gets Engaged on Christmas -- See the Gorgeous Ring!

Strong and Mehner appear to be ringing in 2017 -- and celebrating their engagement -- in paradise.

"Aloha  #Hawaii #bae#vacay #maui #peaceout2016 @strongdanny," the actress captioned a beachside pic of her beau on Thursday.

Aloha  #Hawaii #bae #vacay #maui #peaceout2016 @strongdanny A photo posted by Caitlin Mehner (@mehns) on Dec 29, 2016 at 2:15pm PST

RELATED: Kacey Musgraves Gets Engaged to Ruston Kelly on Christmas Eve -- Check Out Her New Bling!

Strong and Mehner aren't the only Hollywood couple celebrating their recent engagement. Twilight star Ashley Greene shared her engagement news with fans on Thursday.

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See more in the video below.

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Things are heating up for Todd Hoffmans crew and not in a good way.

In an exclusive sneak peek at Fridays episode of Gold Rush, tensions are high for the Oregon crew works tirelessly in their search for gold nuggets without pay.

Run out of pay  Andy got no pay to send us. We have to shut down now, Kevin Hiatt says in the clip before shutting down the plants equipment.

It just gets worse every freaking day, he continues to say. I have a brand new baby at home that I dont get to see and Im here doing this crap and Im not even getting paid for it right now.

Hiatt then opts to doing maintenance on the machines, before finding himself getting so mad that he gets into a physical altercation with another crew member.

Prior to the episode, Hoffmans crew member, Dave Turin, 52, opened up about the struggles their team faced this season.

The audience is going to see the pain and suffering from our crew that youve never seen before, Turin told PEOPLE. Its going to be a roller coaster ride for the audience.

Gold Rush airs Fridays (9 p.m. ET) on Discovery.




Bullion Trading LLC is Celebrating its 50 Year Anniversary and Reveals Some of its Big Wins and Challenges it Faced Getting This Far. More Information on the Business Can Be Found at http://www.bulliontradingllc.com

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 29, 2016 / Bullion Trading LLC is celebrating their 50th Anniversary, which commemorates 50 years that have been nothing short of exciting! It certainly does not seem like that many years have passed since their opening. This is a huge milestone for the New York City-based gold dealer, which has provided brokerage services for gold and silver coins/bars to gold and silver buyers, sellers, and investors in the New York City area since 1967. Bullion Trading has been, and still is, considered by many to be the go to company to sell gold in New York.

Bullion Trading LLC got it's start in 1967 when founder, Leslie Kahan, created a new way for customers in this industry to adapt to change.

Fortunately Bullion Trading LLC was not faced with tons of challenges to get started. All customers liked these new ideas, as they were innovative to the gold industry at that time. However today's challenge is greater, as the Internet has made it easy for a few unscrupulous people with websites to look and feel equal.

While every business, of course, faces some challenges, Bullion Trading LLC was at the right place at the right time to capitalize and enjoy real successes in the gold and silver industry. One early victory came when Jimmy Carter, Presdient of the U.S. in the late 1970's, allowed gold to go as high as $750, and Silver to $50.00 per ounce.

Isaac Kahan, President at Bullion Trading LLC, was also quoted when discussing another big win: "One of the high points of Bullion Trading LLC's history so far was back in 2002, as gold climbed to over $1000.00 dollars per ounce. At that time is when the cash for gold business really took off."

Bullion Trading LLC's Founder, Leslie Kahan, says, "We're delighted to be celebrating our 50th Anniversary. It seems the secret to getting this far in business today is, honestly, integrity and professionalism, which gives us the repeat business that can't be duplicated."

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Bullion Trading LLC currently consists of 4 employees and has big plans for the upcoming year. One of their core objectives is to be the number one gold and silver dealer in all of New York and the Northeast United States.

Bullion Trading LLC would also like to thank friends, customers and all its partners for their well wishes on this special occasion.

More information on the business can be found at http://www.bulliontradingllc.com.

For more information, please visit http://www.bulliontradingllc.com.

Contact Info:

Name: Isaac Kahan

Organization: Bullion Trading LLC

Address: 20 West 47th Street LL#24 Between (6th Ave & 5th Ave), New York, 10036 United States

SOURCE: Bullion Trading LLC
BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP)  Gov. Jay Inslee granted a reprieve Thursday to a man who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl.

Inslee formally granted the reprieve to Clark Elmore on Thursday, and cited as reasons a "lack of clear deterrent value, high frequency of sentence reversal on appeal, and rising cost," The Bellingham Herald reported (https://goo.gl/wfkgjc).

In 2014, Inslee announced a moratorium on executions in Washington state. Elmore is the first of Washington's death row inmates to exhaust his appeals.

Elmore, of Bellingham, killed his girlfriend's daughter, Kristy Ohnstad, in a van south of Bellingham in 1995. He raped her, choked her, drove a metal skewer through her skull, beat her and dumped her body in the woods.

When Ohnstad's body was found, Elmore fled before reconsidering and turning himself in to authorities. Elmore pleaded guilty as charged to aggravated first-degree murder. At the penalty phase, a Whatcom County jury found no good cause to show leniency. He was sentenced to death May 3, 1996.

Elmore has filed appeal after appeal since then, in hope of having his sentence overturned. He has never disputed his guilt. In October the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case, and weeks ago the U.S. 9th Circuit Court denied a rehearing. An execution date was set for Jan. 19.

The governor's office says Inslee's moratorium is not about individual cases and that Ohnstad's family spoke with Inslee and expressed a preference for Elmore to serve life in prison.

"As he stated when he announced the moratorium in 2014 the action is based on the governor's belief that the use of capital punishment across the state is inconsistent and unequally applied - sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred," the statement from the governor's office said.

Whatcom County Prosecutor David McEachran met with Inslee last week to ask the governor to reconsider the ban and to make an exception in Elmore's case, although McEachran said at the time it was a long shot.

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"I am disappointed," McEachran said in a brief written statement, "that after 21 years of appeals, in which the sentence of death has been upheld by the highest courts in the state and the United States, the governor has derailed the sentence."

Elmore remains at the state prison in Walla Walla, along with eight other death row inmates.

A future governor can cancel the reprieve and allow the execution to go forward. Voters re-elected Inslee in November.

___

Information from: The Bellingham Herald, http://www.bellinghamherald.com
By Madeline Kennedy (Reuters Health)  - Grandparents who help out occasionally with childcare or provide support to others in their community tend to live longer than seniors who do not care for other people, according to a study from Berlin, Germany. Having full-time custody of grandchildren can have a negative effect on health, but occasional helping can be beneficial for seniors, the researchers write in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. Having no contact with grandchildren at all can negatively impact the health of grandparents, said lead author Sonja Hilbrand, doctoral student in the department of psychology at the University of Basel in Switzerland. This link could be a mechanism deeply rooted in our evolutionary past when help with childcare was crucial for the survival of the human species, Hilbrand told Reuters Health by email. The findings are drawn from data on more than 500 people over age 70 in the Berlin Aging Study. The participants completed interviews and medical tests every two years between 1990 and 2009. The researchers did not include any grandparents who were the primary caregivers for their grandchildren, only those who cared for grandchildren occasionally. The study team compared this group with seniors who provided support for non-family members, such as friends or neighbors, and seniors who did not provide any care to other people. Overall, after accounting for grandparents age and general state of health, the risk of dying over a 20-year period was one-third lower for grandparents who cared for their grandchildren, compared with grandparents who did not provide any childcare. Half of the grandparents who cared for grandchildren were still alive ten years after the initial interview. The same was true for participants who did not have grandchildren but supported their adult children in some way, such as helping with housework. In contrast, about half of the participants who did not help others died within five years of the start of the study. Caregiving was linked with longer life even when the care recipient wasnt a relative. Half of all childless seniors who provided support to friends or neighbors lived for seven years after the study began, whereas non-helpers lived for four years on average. Caregiving may give caregivers a purpose of life because caregivers may feel useful for the others and for the society, said Bruno Arpino, an associate professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain who was not involved in the study. Caregiving may be thought also as an activity that (keeps) caregivers physically and mentally active, Arpino said by email, adding that previous studies suggest that caregiving may improve cognitive functioning, mental and physical health. Arpino noted, however, that caregiving is not the only activity that can improve health, and too many caring responsibilities can take away from other beneficial activities like working, being in social clubs, or volunteering. Children should take into (consideration) their parents' needs, willingness and desires and agree with them on the timing and amount of childcare, Arpino suggested. It is very important that every individual decides for him/herself, what moderate amounts of help means, Hilbrand said, adding, As long as you do not feel stressed about the intensity of help you provide you may be doing something good for others as well as for yourself. SOURCE: bit.ly/2honXO9 Evolution and Human Behavior, online December 5, 2016.
When it comes to trust, the team at Chicago P.D. isnt willing to give it to anyone easily, especially a newbie. When the NBC series returns next week, fans will be introduced to a new member who joins the Intelligence Unit temporarily and the team doesnt trust him.

In the Jan. 4 episode of Chicago P.D., titled Dont Read The News, Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) will bring his former protege Kenny Rixton (played by Revenge actor Nick Wechsler) in Intelligence and he wont receive a warm reception. Rixton used to work with Voight in the gang unit. Rixton stayed on and busted gangs while Voight moved on and became a Detective.

The executive producer of Chicago P.D., Matt Olmstead, explained the teams animosity to TVLine, They want to know the story: Who am I working with? Who am I trusting my life to? Particular, detectives Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) want to know more about his past before they can fully trust him.

However, Voight isnt going to offer any explanation on why Rixton has joined the team or tell the team about his history. He doesnt really mind them being a little destabilized, and hes not falling over himself to say, Hey, guys, accept him, Olmstead explained. Hes still coming from a point of view of, I run the unit. I brought him in. I say hes going to work out, [then] hes going to work out. So do your job.

However, different characters will react differently and their reaction will say more about their willingness to look past certain things than about Kennys character.

Meanwhile, Kennys former mentor, Voight, believes in his potential and wants him to turn his life around like he did. But Voight may not be right about Kennys potential. Were going to explore the circumstances of why [Kenny] wants to leave the gang unit, Olmstead teased. The question becomes: Can [Kenny] make a transition into legitimate detective work when he came from the murky Wild West of the gang unit?

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Chicago P.D. Season 4 returns Tuesday, Jan. 3 with a crossover episode with Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. EST on NBC. Then, regular episodes of the police drama will continue on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

Chicago P.D.

Photo: Matt Dinerstein/NBC

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The news that Queen Elizabeth II was missing Christmas church service for the first time in nearly 30 years sparked much concern over the health of the 90-year-old British monarch. But while the effects of her heavy cold awoke many to the mortality of the only ruler most Britains have ever known, the leading institutions in the United Kingdom will not be caught off guard by her death.

Preparations have already been made for what will happen in the event of her death, which is understandable given that it is likely to be the biggest event in recent British history as well as one of huge global significance. The Queen has sat on the throne since the death of King George VI in 1952, meaning her death would be the first of a British monarch in the new technological age with television and social media amplifying the coverage and the significance of her passing.

The funeral would undoubtedly be the biggest Britain has witnessed. The Queens body will lie in state at Westminster Hall, as was the case when the Queen Mother passed away in 2002. On that occasion, an estimated 200,000 members of the public visited to pay their last respects. Many more will likely leave flowers outside Buckingham Palace, as they did when Princess Diana died in 1997 when an estimated one million bouquets were left.

The funeral itself would likely take place 12 days after the Queens death. The coffin will be transported to Westminster Abbey via gun carriage along a meticulously planned route. When Diana died, officials were caught off guard by the scale of the response and as a result made a late alteration to the route of the funeral procession to accommodate the huge crowds.

Queen Elizabeth

Photo: Reuters/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

Likely determined to avoid a similar occurrence, while it may sound morbid to some, plans for the funeral are regularly updated, with the Queen consulted. Indeed, the wedding in 2011 of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was also used as a dress rehearsal for the route the Queens coffin would take, according to a royal aide spoken to by Britains the Daily Express at the time.

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"Obviously we all hope such a sad event will be a long way off - yet we need to rehearse the logistics and timings for what will be a huge ceremony," the aide said.

"The Queen, who is very pragmatic about this sort of thing, knows about the dry run. The arrangements are reviewed annually and any significant changes have to be approved by her. There's no sentimentality involved on her part; she actually takes rather a keen interest in the details."

Those are not the only plans being made. The state broadcaster the BBC also conducts rehearsals for how it will deal with the Queenss death. Those plans were leaked in unfortunate circumstances last year when a BBC Urdu reporter, not realizing what she had seen was a rehearsal, tweeted that the Queen had died.

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Academics and labor groups in Thailand have expressed their anger and dismay at the latest hike in the minimum daily wage. At most, it works out to the equivalent of just under 3, or 10 baht in local currency, depending on region.

The maximum raise is only applicable to the capital Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, the Bangkok Post reports. In other provinces, the raise will be as low as 1.5. Eight provinces will see no adjustment in the minimum wage at all.

The Labor Ministry should realize many workers normally have many mouths to feed, Sunee Chaiyaros, a director at the College of Social Innovation of Rangsit University in Greater Bangkok, told the Post.

The meager increases, which are due to take effect next month, represent the first change in the minimum daily wage of $8 since it was introduced in 2013. Thai civil servants, in contrast, received a 4% increase in salary in 2015.

According to the Post, a plate of cooked rice in Thailand costs around 10.

Most employers dont value their employees skills and capacity very highly, Sunee said.

[Bangkok Post]
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Ryan Seacrest, a man who wants nothing more than to make New Year's Eve a little more rockin', was cruelly victimized by the very cruel year he's trying to usher us out of in cloud of confetti.

Yes, 2016, the first unit of time to become sentient and actively plot the destruction of all humanity, trapped Seacrest in an elevator in Times Square a mere day before hosting Rockin' New Year's Eve. In fact, he was under the very crystal ball that will drop and deliver us into 2017's probable continuation of misery.

the sun is peeking through, NYC. see you on @goodmorningamerica! #RockinEve A photo posted by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) on Dec 30, 2016 at 4:15am PST

Our hero's journey begins bright and early on another fast-paced New York City morning as the hustle and bustle of The Big Apple is coming out of its slumber and the rising sun beams off the iconic Chrysler Building.

Seacrest himself was on his way to promote the thing he does every year on Good Morning America.

"The lights are so bright but they never blind me," Seacrest probably sings to himself, thinking of Rockin' New Years Eves passed with his good friend, Taylor Swift.

But then, the unthinkable happened.

Stuck in the elevator on the way up to the ball w/ @goodmorningamerica #RockinEve A photo posted by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) on Dec 30, 2016 at 4:37am PST

The elevator that was moving stopped moving even though they wanted it to keep moving. The machinery clearly has no respect for the man who will soon host DNCE for an unforgettable evening of music and merriment.

what a way to kick off the morning w/ @goodmorningamerica! #RockinEve 2 days #until2017 @officialnyre A video posted by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) on Dec 30, 2016 at 4:40am PST

"Hi, from underneath the ball in Times Square," reports the fearless Seacrest. "We're stuck in the elevator."

He laughs, but is he just trying to stay strong for America? To be the leader we need in a post-Billy Bush country? In the final hours of 2015, Rachel Platten sang "Fight Song" on the very television program in question. Here, in this elevator, Seacrest is singing his own "take back my life song."

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Moments after Seacrest begins filming himself, they think to call for help  journalism first, personal safety second.

we made it out of the elevator! thx to the #FDNY #RockinEve @goodmorningamerica @officialnyre A video posted by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) on Dec 30, 2016 at 5:11am PST

Finally, freedom! A brave firefighter rescues Seacrest and his band of weary travelers from the jaws of certain death, or at least inconvenience.

phew! safely back in the @goodmorningamerica studio! #RockinEve @officialnyre A video posted by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) on Dec 30, 2016 at 5:29am PST

America lives to see another good morning.

2nd time's the charm for elevators, right? #RockinEve @officialnyre A video posted by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) on Dec 30, 2016 at 6:00am PST

But the real inspirational moment? Instead of demanding to be airlifted to the very top of the concrete jungle where dreams are made of like a celebrity of his stature surely demands, Seacrest faces elevators again.

Let's all charge through to 2017 with the courage and sense of purpose of Ryan Seacrest and make the whole damn year rockin'.

BONUS: What Goes Into the 6-Ton NYC New Year's Eve Ball
The Avalanches made fans wait 16 years for a new album, but just six months later, they're back with a new, slightly belated "Christmas jam" titled "Bad Day," featuring rapper Freddie Gibbs.

Striding along a hypnotic, shapeshifting beat that features samples of Shuggie Otis' "Strawberry Letter 23" and Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life," Gibbs doles out one of his trademark verses.



"Life without fear / Putting five karats in my baby girl's ear / Used to put the cars in my baby momma's name / For breakfast, we were cookin' cocaine," the Indiana rapper says on the cut.



For Gibbs, "Bad Day" is the second track to feature the rapper (following his "All Day") since he was found not guilty of sexual assault accusations in Vienna. The rapper had been incarcarated for four months in Europe.

The Australian sampling wizards posted the song on their SoundCloud, noting that "Bad Day" was just a rough mix. It's unclear whether the track was a leftover from Wildflower, their much-anticipated follow-up to 2000's Since I Left You, or if the group is working on new music again ahead of their 2017 Australian tour.

As the group tweeted Friday morning, they're still tinkering with the track, which will include new verses from De La Soul's Posdnous and Spank Rock..

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Another year, and you're another 10 pounds heavier. Or maybe the weight's staying steady, but you'd like to not be out of breath when you walk up a flight of stairs. Whatever your fitness goals, it's usually about this time of year that people start remembering, "Oh, that's right. I have fitness goals."

Naturally, a lot of people who want to get in better shape join a gym. In fact, according to IbisWorld, a market research company, an annual $30.3 billion was expected to be spent by Americans on gym, health and fitness clubs in 2016.

That should be applauded, of course. Everyone knows that exercising is one of the best things you can do for your health. But paying for a gym membership may be one of the worst things you can do for your bank account -- if you aren't paying attention or have some bad luck. Before signing up, you'll want to spend some time, in particular, thinking about ...

[See: 10 Financial New Year's Resolutions.]

Registration fees. There's nothing inherently insidious about this fee. A gym is a business, and businesses try to make money. But in the advertising, there's likely no mention of that startup fee you'll have to pay. It's also interesting that, at least according to one industry insider, gyms wouldn't likely go broke if they didn't require these fees.

"The illustrious initiation fee is put in place to make you trust there are startup costs for the organization to start your membership. The truth is the initial out-of-pocket costs are most likely three dollars," says Deidra Lassalle, director of membership for Under Armour Performance Centers Powered by FX Studios, a group of fitness facilities in Maryland.

Lassalle has worked for 13 years in the health club industry. She says there are three primary reasons for a startup fee: to give it to the salesperson as a commission; to reduce it to get consumers excited about joining at a discounted rate; or to use it to help boost the gym's monthly revenue.

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Lassalle adds that she doesn't require an initiation fee at any of Under Armour's facilities.

[See: 25 Fast Financial Fixes.]

Annual fees. When you sign up at a gym, you may wind up with an initiation fee and an annual fee. The initiation fee you'll never pay again, but the annual fee is, well, annual, and so factor that in when you're budgeting for the gym. If the gym membership is $10 a month, but you're paying, say, an $80 annual fee, really you're paying closer to $16 a month every year (and if there's a registration fee, add that on, and the first year, you're paying even more per month).

If you're a long-time member of your gym, you may want to monitor whether the annual fee keeps climbing every year. Your low monthly membership may be a bit of a mirage.

Prepaying memberships. Don't automatically assume this is a good idea. Many gyms will offer you a discount, often 4 to 5 percent, if you pay for a year or two upfront. That may work out well. You get a discount. You're (perhaps) more likely to stick with your exercise regimen knowing you've paid all that money to join a gym. You could argue all day that this is a good idea, and you'd be right.

And wrong. Jessa Miyamoto, 34, a global study manager for a biology technology corporation, joined a gym back in 2009 and regrets prepaying. She signed a three-year contract with a gym in Edgewater, Maryland, and coughed up $1,295.

The problem? Miyamoto says the gym closed 11 months later. She was allowed to use another nearby branch, one she wasn't crazy about, and then a few months later, that location closed, too. Miyamoto calculated that she was owed $893 for the remaining time (about two years) that she wasn't able to use her gym. Six years later and after numerous attempts to get the money back (including contacting the gym, the Bureau of Consumer Protection and her state's attorney general's office), she still rues the day she prepaid for her gym membership.

Miyamoto ultimately joined another fitness center, and based on her experience, she says consumers should be cautious about prepaying -- and to recognize that some gyms may be attached to a national name but still be owned and operated as a separate franchise.

"So you aren't always necessarily protected by that big reputation," Miyamoto says.

The time factor. That may be the biggest issue of all for gym members. David Rachford, a yoga instructor based in Santa Barbara, California, who runs YogaBeach.com, says he dropped his gym last year because of the time investment.

[See: 11 Ways to Save Time and Money.]

"While I live only two-and-a-half miles from the gym, the commute time adds up to another 25 minutes round trip each morning. Adding a workout on top of the commute, and I was investing an hour and a half per day to go to the gym," he says.

He now exercises at home. In fact, industry experts have argued for years that gyms are counting on most of their members staying home, and one comprehensive study on gyms a few years ago wryly observed that if you're paying a monthly fee but aren't using your membership regularly, you're essentially paying to not go to the gym.

None of this, of course, is to suggest you shouldn't join a gym. You may not be getting any thinner. Your cardiovascular situation won't change unless you get moving. But if you're thinking about joining a gym as a New Year's resolution, consider whether you really will use it. And pay attention to a gym's hidden costs because if you don't -- you'll just pay.
Christmas may be over, but Showtime is giving its customers a late gift by making the Homeland season 6 premiere available more than two weeks before it airs.

On Friday, the premium cable network announced that the first episode of the Emmy-winning series upcoming season is now accessible on the Showtime streaming service, Showtime On Demand, and Showtime Anytime.

After spending the last few years abroad, the series and Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) returns to its roots in the United States. Carrie is living in New York with her daughter and working at a foundation that provides aid to Muslims in the U.S.

Earlier this month, Homeland showrunner Alex Gansa told EW that the show would be scaling back on some of its villainy this season.

Last season, world events tragically caught up to the story we were telling, Gansa said. We knew we were going to New York and back to the United States. And didnt want to dramatize any threats to the United States  and to New York specifically  that dont actually exist. That was our first karmic principle this year. Were not going to posit that there are vast ISIS or Al Qaeda cells or networks in the United States like there are in Europe, because according to all our intelligence officers, there arent any.

Homeland, which also stars Mandy Patinkin and Rupert Friend, will officially return to Showtime on Jan. 15 at 9 p.m. ET.
Banie (Pologne) (AFP) - Truckers honked their horns across Poland in homage to Lukasz Urban, the registered driver of the lorry hijacked in the Berlin Christmas market attack, who was buried on Friday.

The 37-year-old's funeral in the northwestern village of Banie was attended by Polish President Andrzej Duda as well as officials from Poland and Germany.

"We're extremely sad... Lukasz was really good to everyone, he never said no to anyone," childhood friend Danuta Jurewicz, 34, told AFP.

Some 120 truckers were expected to converge on Banie later Friday to pay their respects, and trucks across Poland stopped at midday and sounded their horns in solidarity.

Urban's body was found in the truck that Tunisian jihadist suspect Anis Amri smashed into the Berlin market on December 19, killing 11 people.

Urban had been killed with a gunshot to the head some time before the attack and the owner of the transport company he worked for said his body showed signs of a struggle.

Family member Zofia Zurek recalled the moment she got the news.

"We recognised his truck on TV, we knew it was him. But until the body was identified, we had hope," she told AFP.

"Lukasz was a great guy and he took excellent care of his family."

The Polish state has said it will pay for the funeral costs. A British trucker, Dave Duncan, has raised nearly 177,000 pounds (206,000 euros) for his widow Zuzanna and 17-year-old son Adam.

Polish truckers have started a similar collection.
By Jakub Iglewski WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish President Andrzej Duda and hundreds of mourners on Friday attended the funeral of Lukasz Urban, the Polish truck driver who was killed and his vehicle used to crash into a Berlin Christmas market last week. The 37-year-old father of a teenaged boy was among 12 people killed in the attack claimed by Islamic State. Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office said on Thursday Urban had died shortly before the attack and forensic tests were needed to determine whether he had been shot with a gun later found on the attacker in Milan. Mourners packed a small church in Banie, the driver's home village, for mass, while several trucks parked nearby honked their horns to honor the driver, private television channel TVN24 showed. Duda laid a wreath and briefly kneeled in front of Urban's white coffin, after attending mass in the village in northwestern Poland, 15 km (9 miles) from the German border. Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said earlier Urban's son and wife would receive a special pension, while an internet crowdfunding campaign started by a British truck driver has raised more than 177 thousand pounds ($218,000) for the family. "Poles have fallen victim in terrorist attacks before," Szydlo said in a letter to the family read during Friday's church service. "But the tragedy in Berlin is extraordinary in terms of its ruthlessness and brutality." The suspected Berlin attacker, 24-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri, was shot dead by Italian police on Friday after a European-wide manhunt. A local trucking association boss, Romuald Szmyt, laid the blame for Urban's death on the company due to receive his cargo of 24 tonnes of steel elements, saying its officials should not have made the driver wait to unload. "Lukasz Urban was a very good driver," he told mourners. "He was meant to unload on Tuesday but he arrived early. Two German drivers arrived and they were unloaded on Monday. He had to wait." (Reporting by Jakub Iglewski; Editing by Justyna Pawlak and Janet Lawrence)
(Adds comments from Caputo on debt, background on Prat-Gay firing)

BUENOS AIRES, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Argentina's incoming Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne said on Friday he would look to lower public spending to cut Argentina's expected budget deficit for 2017, currently seen at 4.2 percent of GDP.

In his first public comments since being named incoming treasury minister, Dujovne said at a press conference that his main objective would be to continue with center-right President Mauricio Macri's economic policies.

Luis Caputo, Argentina's incoming finance minister, said on Friday the administration was considering tapping debt markets in January, citing the recommendation of banks. Dujovne and Caputo are expected to formally take office next week.

On Monday, Macri fired current finance minister Alfonso Prat-Gay, citing differences over management style, and split the ministry into two - a treasury division and a finance division. Argentina's economy remains in recession one year into Macri's term.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Phil Berlowitz)
An injured dog unable to move from a frozen rail track was protected by her companion for two days over Christmas as he kept her warm and pushed her head down when trains passed overhead.

This heartwarming tale of fierce loyalty played out near a small railway station in western Ukraines Uzhhorod, where a train conductor alerted locals after he spotted two dogs huddled on the tracks on December 25, according to Facebook user Denis Malafeev, who shared this footage.

It was even a struggle to save the injured animal, as the male dog tried to defend her from strangers, Malafeev wrote.

The recovering animals have since been named Panda and Lucy and were reportedly adopted. Credit: Facebook/Denis Malafeev via Storyful
Olivier Martinez is focusing on his son with Halle Berry in the wake of their split as a source says he never wanted to divorce.

He always hoped that they could work things out. He never expected to be divorced, a source close to Martinez, 50, tells PEOPLE. He and Halle always had a very passionate relationship. There was a lot of arguing, but also a lot of love.

Berry, 50 and Martinez split in October 2015 after two years of marriage. News of the finalized divorce broke earlier this week and the couple has agreed to share physical and legal custody of their 3-year-old son Maceo, according to TMZ.

The source says that Martinez plans to remain a part of Maceos life  He loves being a dad, the insider tells PEOPLE.

Halle Berry Slams Instagram Troll Who Criticized Photo of Her Kids: Im Not at All Ashamed of My Children

Olivier will continue to live in so he can spend as much time with his son, the source adds. He has been working, but only on smaller projects. Olivier doesnt want to do bigger projects that will keep him out of Los Angeles for a long time.

Berry and Martinez have remained friends since their split, spending time together with Maceo and 8-year-old Nahla, Berrys daughter with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry. They even went on a family vacation to Mexico in March.

They are devoted to their children and co-parent quite amicably, a source close to the couple previously told PEOPLE. That is their new normal.

The source says that Martinez is upset that the marriage is over, but Maceo will continue to be Oliviers world.

As for the French actors love life, the insider tells PEOPLE Martinez is single and doesnt seem to care about dating.

In October, Berry told Extra that she is in a good place following the difficult split.

I just feel happy, you know? Ive arrived at a really good place once again, thats always good news, the actress said. Down time, dark times, dont last forever  the sun is out again and it feels great.




Dawn Drexel remembers how fearful and overwhelmed she felt in the days after her 17-year-old daughter, Brittanee Drexel, disappeared during a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 2009.

Its the experience she endured afterward  the emotional and financial drain  that inspired her to start a new foundation to support other families in their search for loved ones.

You cant imagine your child is missing, Dawn tells PEOPLE. Its surreal. You just cant believe its happening to you.

As Brittanee remained gone, and the days turned into years, Dawn was forced to grapple with the agony of wondering where her daughter was, if she was trying somehow to get home  or if she was dead.

Youre just numb for the first few years, Dawn says.

Like other parents of missing children, she had no idea about the costs associated with the search for loved ones who have vanished, including travel and hotel expenses, money for lawyers and other professionals.

When Brittanee disappeared, Dawn moved from her home in Rochester, New York, to Myrtle Beach so she could search for her every day. You will go to the ends of the earth and try everything possible to find your missing child, she says.

To help the parents of other missing children, in November, Dawn started Brittanees Little Angels to provide long-term advocacy services and support to families of missing children and human trafficking victims.

I know how hard it is to go through something like this, Dawn says. There is no handbook for when a child is missing, but we can help other families through it.

Her aim is to help others deal with the emotional toll of searching for a loved one who has gone missing and share what she has learned along the way. I want everyone with a child who is missing to know we are here for you, she says.

She also wants to raise enough money so that Brittanees Little Angels can fund families in their search: Id like to help fly someone out to where they need to go or help if someone needs a bill paid.

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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.

Dawn says she wants to fight for legislation that will help families keep their jobs while they are searching for a missing child. I want to help take some of that burden away, she says.

She also wants to educate the public and raise awareness. I would love to get into schools, PTAs and colleges to help save someone from going missing.

A Parents Worst Nightmare

Dawns search began on April 25, 2009, when she learned that Brittanee had gone to Myrtle Beach for spring break without her permission  and that she was missing.

Its a parents worst nightmare, Dawn says.

Seven years after Brittanee vanished on Ocean Boulevard, the busy main drag in the popular resort town, Dawn learned that authorities believe her daughter was kidnapped, held against her will for several days, gang-raped and fatally shot, before being thrown to alligators.

Citing a jailhouse confession from an inmate, according to a court transcript obtained by PEOPLE, an FBI agent testified in August that McClellanville, South Carolina, resident Timothy DaShaun Taylor, who was 16 in 2009, played a role in Brittanees disappearance.

Cellphone records showed Brittanees phone pinged seven miles south of Myrtle Beach just half an hour after her disappearance. Then, two and a half hours later, at 11:58 p.m., her cellphone pinged again, 50 miles south of Myrtle Beach, in McClellanville.

The agent testified at a federal detention hearing for Taylor to determine whether he should be freed as he awaited trial on unconnected federal robbery charges.

 Pick up PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases That Shocked America, on sale now, for the latest on Casey Anthony, JonBenet Ramsey and more.

Taylor has not been charged in connection with Brittanees disappearance and has denied all involvement.

His attorney, David Aylor, previously told PEOPLE the prosecution has no evidence linking his client to the missing teen and that the government brought Taylor into court on the robbery charges to try to squeeze him into cooperating with their investigation.

Taylor has said in media interviews that he was in school when Brittanee vanished and that he did not have anything to do with her disappearance or death.

The investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made.

Dawn is focused on helping as many other families, in their own searches, as she can. We are already getting calls, she says.

I know Brittanee would want me to do this, she says. I am doing this in her honor.




LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 29, 2016 / Lundin Law PC, a shareholder rights firm, announces that it is investigating claims against Endologix, Inc. ("Endologix" or the "Company") (ELGX) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.

To get more information about this investigation, please contact Brian Lundin, Esquire, of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or via email at brian@lundinlawpc.com.

Endologix's endovascular aneurysm sealing system for treating infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms is Nellix. Endologix noted that it would approve the original Nellix system used in the Nellix investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical trial, the EVAS FORWARD-IDE Study. However, Endologix disclosed that the FDA requested a follow-up on patients in the EVAS-FORWARD-IDE study to evaluate Nellix.

On December 27, 2016 Endologix stated that it was temporarily barring AFX Endovascular AAA System shipments, due to a manufacturing investigation. Upon disclosing this information to the investing public, Endologix stock fell sharply, causing shareholders severe harm.

Lundin Law PC was founded by Brian Lundin, a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding shareholders' rights.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact:

Lundin Law PC

Brian Lundin, Esq.

Telephone: 888-713-1033

Facsimile: 888-713-1125

brian@lundinlawpc.com

http://lundinlawpc.com/

SOURCE: Lundin Law PC
Friday marks the tenth anniversary of former Iraqi leader Saddam Husseins execution after an Iraqi tribunal tried and found him guilty of crimes against humanity. Hussein, who assumed power in 1979, was unseated in March 2003 after a U.S.-led invasion, triggering years of heightened sectarian strife and power struggles at the highest levels of Iraqi government.

The dictator, 66 at the time, and leader of the now-defunct Arab Socialist Baath Party was captured in December 2003, and a tribunal established by a coalition government guided by the U.S. charged him with premeditated murder, forced deportations and torture among other things. The massacres included the 1982 slaughter of Shias in Dujail town and the 1988 Halabja massacre, in which Hussein was accused of using chemical weapons against a Kurdish town that attempted to revolt against him.

The former Iraqi leader, aged 69, was executed shortly after 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST) on Dec. 30, 2006, in northern Baghdad, over a year after his trial began in October 2005.

Mowaffak al-Rubaie, Iraqs national security adviser at the time, was present at the execution and said Hussein was strangely submissive to the process.

He was a broken man, Rubaie said at the time. He was afraid. You could see fear in his face.

Former President George W. Bush called the execution an important milestone in building a democracy in Iraq.

It is a testament to the Iraqi peoples resolve to move forward after decades of oppression that, despite his terrible crimes against his own people, Saddam Hussein received a fair trial, Bush said at the time. It is an important milestone on Iraqs course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain, and defend itself, and be an ally in the War on Terror.

However, sectarian violence escalated in the country in early 2006 as Sunni, Shia and Kurdish factions clashed, and hundreds have been killed or displaced over the years by the violence, including multiple terror attacks from al Qaeda in Iraq, which eventually transformed into the Islamic State group, or ISIS.

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ISIS eventually took advantage of a security vaccuum created by the exit of American troops in December 2011 and inadequately trained government security forces. The Sunni militant group eventually expanded to control large swathes of territory in northern Iraq. When ISIS stormed Mosul in 2014 and then moved south toward Baghdad, at the peak of its power, nearly 10 million Iraqis lived under its control.

Currently, a long-running operation by a U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Sunni militant group has reached a head in Mosul, which is Iraqs second-largest city and a major ISIS stronghold.

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Mosul (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi forces are fighting a muddy street battle against jihadists in southeastern Mosul, facing suicide bombers on the ground and a drone that can drop explosive charges from above.

Baghdad's forces have overwhelming firepower and numbers in Mosul, but the Islamic State group has a vast city in which to launch ambushes, plant bombs and try to make the battle as slow and costly as possible.

More than two months into the operation to retake the city, Iraqi forces have recaptured a large chunk of east Mosul, but IS still holds parts of it as well as all of its western side.

In southeastern Mosul, a small explosion sounds behind the front line, sending a member of Iraq's elite Rapid Response Division falling to the mud-covered ground, his legs wounded by shrapnel.

Security forces members train assault rifles and machineguns skyward, unleashing a barrage of fire at the small white drone that apparently dropped the explosive device.

IS jihadists "are flying an observation aircraft that carries a bomb or a grenade," Lieutenant Colonel Hisham Abdulkadhim, the commander of a regiment in the Rapid Response Division, explains.

"Where it see units, it drops it," Abdulkadhim says.

Members of the Rapid Response forces swathe one of their wounded comrade's legs in bandages, then cut away the bloodied fatigues from the other, treating it as well.

The wounded man lies stoically on a black stretcher as they work, leaving behind a trail of blood when he is carried to an armoured Humvee vehicle for evacuation.

A white drone later returns, hovering far overhead.

"Don't gather together," warns a member of the federal police, which are fighting alongside Rapid Response Division.

Iraqi forces also have their own drone, which is periodically sent aloft to scout the path ahead.

On the ground, there are far more dangerous threats than the IS drone above: a suicide bomber driving an explosives-rigged vehicle is spotted heading toward Iraqi forces.

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Members of the security forces sprint for cover behind a dirt barricade and a Humvee mounted with an anti-tank missile launcher prepares to fire.

"A car bomb tried to get close. We withdrew the units that were covering the front so that the Kornet (missile) system could deal with" it, Abdulkadhim says.

- Divide, clear, advance -

But the suicide bomber apparently pulls back, and the missile is not fired.

The berm behind which security forces took cover is part of a strategy of dividing and then clearing an area as they advance.

"We divide the area into squares," Abdulkadhim says.

They then clear houses, put in place snipers and weapons to deal with car bombs, and move on.

A bulldozer painted in a blue and grey camouflage pattern slowly moves through the thick mud that coats the street after recent rain, then scoops up pile after pile of dirt until the street is blocked, protecting forces behind it from suicide bombers prowling the city.

When the forces are finished clearing the area, the bulldozer forces a pathway through the berm, moves farther down the street, erects a new barrier, and the process is repeated.

This makes for slow going, but provides extra security.

Iraqi forces are backed by US-led air strikes and Iraqi aviation units, as well as artillery fire from the ground.

Throughout the day, massive rockets shriek over Mosul, sending clouds of dust rising in the distance when they explode.

Three of the rockets are mounted on the back of a truck in launch tubes that are raised to point them in the direction of their targets.

Security personnel fit fuzes to the tips of the rockets and wires to the other end to ignite them.

People clear the area around the truck, mobile phones come out to record, and the rocket is launched, disappearing over the rooftops trailing a tail of flame.

"Wherever there is a gathering of (IS) terrorist gangs, they give us information about them," says Jassem Abbas, who helped ready the rocket for launch.

Then "according to the coordinates, we bomb it."
(MOSUL)Breaking a two-week lull in fighting, Iraqi troops backed by the U.S.-led coalitions airstrikes and artillery pushed deeper into eastern Mosul on Thursday in a multi-pronged assault against Islamic State militants in the city.

Elite special forces pushed into the Karama and Quds neighborhoods, while army troops and federal police advanced into the nearby Intisar, Salam and Sumor neighborhoods. Columns of dark smoke rose overhead as explosions shook the city and heavy machine gun fire echoed through the streets.

Stiff resistance by the militants, civilians trapped inside their houses and bad weather have slowed advances in the more than two-month-old offensive to recapture Iraqs second largest city, the extremist groups last urban bastion in the country. It is the biggest Iraqi military operation since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

The battle began around 7 a.m. on a bright but chilly December day and continued until shortly before sundown.

The counterterrorism forces, also known as the Golden Brigade, captured about half of the Quds neighborhood by early afternoon.

A statement by the U.S.-led coalition said Thursdays offensive opened two new fronts in eastern Mosul, increasing pressure on the militants dwindling ability to generate forces, move fighters or resupply.

It said that, at the request of the Iraqi government, coalition warplanes had re-struck two bridges over the Tigris River in Mosul on Tuesday, and a day earlier disabled the last bridge crossing in the city.

The strikes were conducted to reduce enemy freedom of movement, and to further disrupt ISILs ability to reinforce, resupply, or use vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices in East Mosul, said the statement.

Another coalition statement said an airstrike Thursday that targeted a van used by IS fighters in Mosul was later determined to have been located at a hospitals parking lot, resulting in possible civilian casualties.

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The coalition, it added, takes all allegations of civilian casualties seriously and this incident will be fully investigated and the findings released in a timely and transparent manner. It was not immediately known how many, if any, were hurt by the airstrike.

Coalition airstrikes have been crucial in the fight against IS in Iraq, but a report released earlier this month by Airwars, a London-based project that tracks the coalitions airstrikes, criticized the coalitions lack of transparency when assessing civilian casualties.

While U.S. officials have acknowledged that 173 civilians have died in coalition airstrikes since the launch of the campaign against IS in the summer of 2014, the Airwars group said the number of civilian casualties is much greater, putting it at at least 1,500.

Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, commander of Iraqs the special forces in eastern Mosul, said his forces have been bolstered by reinforcements and are were less than 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Tigris River, which slices the city in half.

The special forces, officially known as the Counter Terrorism Service, have done most of the fighting, pushing in from the east. But regular army troops on the citys southeast and northern edges, as well as militarized federal police farther west, have not moved in weeks, unable to penetrate the city.

The troops have faced grueling urban fighting, often house to house against IS militants who have had more than two years to dig in and prepare. Even in districts that have been recaptured, Iraqi troops have faced surprise attacks, shelling and car bombs. The extremists have launched more than 900 car bombs against Iraqi troops in and around Mosul. Al-Saadi said 260 of them had targeted his men.

He said he expected Iraqi forces would drive IS from Mosul and the rest of Nineveh province within three months. Iraqi leaders had previously vowed to drive the extremists from Mosul by the end of the year.

IS captured Mosul in the summer of 2014, when it swept across much of northern and central Iraq, and the groups leader declared the establishment of its self-styled caliphate from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque.

The city is still home to around a million people. Some 120,000 have fled since the operation began on Oct. 17, according to the United Nations.

Meanwhile on Thursday, separate attacks in and around Baghdad killed at least 13 people and wounded 35 others, police said. The deadliest attack took place in the capitals southwestern neighborhood of Maalif when an explosives-laden vest was detonated near an outdoor market, killing seven and wounding 12, police added.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.
Baghdad (AFP) - Around 1,000 people protested Friday in central Baghdad demanding the release of an Iraqi female journalist after she was abducted by unknown gunmen.

"Freedom for Afrah!" cried the demonstrators, who included many women, after Afrah Shawqi was seized on Monday from her home in a southern neighbourhood of the capital.

"We demand the release of Afrah but we don't know who kidnapped her," Sana Rassoul, a woman doctor, told AFP in the capital's Tahrir Square.

The journalist's supporters joined members of civil society and backers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who demonstrate in the square every Friday against corruption.

Shawqi, 43, is employed by Asharq al-Awsat, a London-based pan-Arab newspaper, as well as a number of news websites including Aklaam.

"The real scandal is that gunmen were easily able to enter a woman's home and abduct her," said Dhikra Sarsam, another protester.

"The interior ministry has said absolutely nothing about the circumstances of her abduction."

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered the security services to do their utmost find Shawqi and track down those responsible.

Iraq is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, along with Syria and Mexico, according to press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Nine journalists have been killed in the country in 2016, the group says.
Jerusalem (AFP) - A Palestinian woman was shot and wounded Friday after approaching an Israeli security checkpoint near Jerusalem with a knife, Israeli police said.

The woman approached the crossing point in Qalandia, between Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, in a lane designated for vehicles despite repeated calls from guards to stop, a statement said.

She was wounded when security forces opened fire, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Police said she was 35 and from Issawiya, a neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli hospital she was taken to described her condition as "serious".

She was left for around an hour after the attack on the ground before receiving treatment, an AFP photographer at the checkpoint said.

Israel public radio said forces checked her for explosives before allowing her to be transported to hospital.

Since October 2015, 246 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed in a wave of violence, 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 the Gaza Strip.
LONDON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Italian and Portuguese government bond yields were on track on Friday to end 2016 with their first yearly rise since the 2011 euro zone debt crisis.

The rise in borrowing costs in the two peripheral countries, regarded as among the weakest links in the single currency bloc comes against a backdrop of concern about weakness in the banking sector and economy as well as political instability.

Italy's 10-year government bond yield has risen about 21 basis points this year to around 1.81 percent, while Portuguese equivalents have soared about 123 bps to around 3.75 percent. According to Tradeweb data, that marks the first annual rise in borrowing costs since 2011.

However, efforts to tackle Italy's banking crisis and the swift formation of a new government following the resignation of former premier Matteo Renzi earlier this month have helped Italian bonds recover some ground.

Ten-year Italian yields were set to end December with a fall of around 19 bps, the biggest monthly fall since March. German Bund yields were also poised for their biggest monthly fall since June.

(Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe, editing by Nigel Stephenson)
By Silvia Aloisi and Balazs Koranyi

MILAN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Italy's economy minister has said the European Central Bank should have explained more clearly why it nearly doubled its estimate of the capital shortfall for the ailing bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI), which is being bailed out by the state.

In unusually critical comments of the euro zone's banking supervisor, Pier Carlo Padoan told a newspaper that the ECB's new capital target was the result of a "very rigid stance" in its assessment of the bank's risk profile.

"It would have been useful, if not kind, to have a bit more information from the ECB about the criteria that led to this assessment," Padoan told the financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

Monte dei Paschi, Italy's third biggest lender and the world's oldest, said on Monday the ECB had estimated its capital shortfall at 8.8 billion euros ($9.20 billion), compared with a 5 billion-euro gap previously indicated by the bank.

The higher capital requirement substantially increases the cost of the bank's rescue by the government after it failed to raise the 5 billion euros on the market.

The Bank of Italy said in a statement later on Thursday that based on its own calculations the Treasury may have to put up around 6.6 billion euros to salvage the lender, including 2 billion euros to compensate around 40,000 retail bond holders.

The size of the state intervention has raised concern that Italy's newly created 20-billion-euro bank bailout fund may not have enough money for other weak banks. The government says the fund is sufficient.

The rest of the money Monte dei Paschi needs will come from the forced conversion of its subordinated bonds into shares, in line with European rules on bank crises. The lender fared the worst in EU-wide banking stress tests published in July.

Padoan said he expected the capital increase to take place in two to three months.

The ECB told the Italian treasury of its decision in a letter, which Padoan said was just five lines long and which has not been made public.

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It irked the Rome government and has quickly turned into a political issue. A group of lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party asked Padoan and Italy's foreign minister on Wednesday to explain in parliament what had happened.

"I was a bit surprised to receive the news, out of the blue and on Christmas day," Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni told a press conference.

"It's important that the reasons behind this assessment are shared and that there is a dialogue because we need to handle this issue together ... We will stick to our guns."

The ECB has declined to comment on its rationale for the larger capital shortfall.

The Bank of Italy said in its statement that Monte dei Paschi's estimate of a 5 billion euros capital gap was based on the results of the stress test, conducted on end-2015 data, and included assumptions such as the sale of its whole portfolio of defaulting loans - a key part of its plan to raise money privately.

Given that plan's failure and the bank's worsening balance sheet over the past year, the central bank said the 8.8 billion euro capital requirement was justified by the need to reach an 8 percent Common Equity Tier 1 (CET 1) ratio - a key measure of financial strength - in an adverse scenario.

A source said the ECB had wanted to ensure that Monte dei Paschi had enough capital to safely meet that requirement, so it would be able to restore investor and customer confidence. The source also said the ECB had offered to explain its stance to both the Italian treasury and Monte dei Paschi.

At 8 percent under the adverse scenario, Monte dei Paschi would still be below the average of the ECB's stress test, in which banks would see their CET 1 ratio fall to 9.4 percent from 13.2 percent.

The 8 percent threshold in the adverse scenario was also a requirement the ECB set for ailing Greek banks in a 2015 review.

Padoan said the exact amount of capital Monte dei Paschi will have to raise will be determined once it presents a new business plan to the ECB and the European Commission, but he played down the bank's problems.

"The bank is in optimal condition and will have great success," he said.

($1 = 0.9566 euros)

(Additional reporting by Giulia Segreti and Agnieszka Flak in Milan and Giselda Vagnoni in Rome; Editing by Adrian Croft, Larry King)
On Dec 30, 2016, we issued an updated research report on premium technical services company, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. JEC.

Jacobs stock is currently engulfed with both optimistic and pessimistic aspects.

On a year-to-date basis, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock recorded a return of 36.54%  outperforming the 27.61% return provided by the Zacks categorized Engineering/R&D Services industry.

Notably, the companys projected earnings per share growth (F1/F0) is currently pegged at 1.73%. However, estimated sales growth (F1/F0) is valued at -0.78%.

The company is poised to grow on the back of new contract wins and strategic restructuring moves. However, headwinds within the industry might curtail near-term growth.

Over the last seven days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the stock has remained unchanged for both fiscal 2017 and 2018, reflecting neutral market sentiments.

Existing Scenario

Jacobs has been enjoying a booming transportation business, of late, on the back of increased transportation expenditure of the government authorities of the UK, U.S. and Australia. In addition, the company has recently secured several deals from renowned institutions and public sector agencies, like the U.S. Army, EQUATE Petrochemical Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, TransCanada Corporation and Sellafield Ltd.

In a bid to become a high performing company and streamline operations, Jacobs has segregated its operating and reporting structure into four major business segments from second-quarter fiscal 2016. The company expects to offer superior quality services to its global clients with this move. Notably, shifting its global headquarters to Dallas will likely improve the efficiency of Jacobs operations in the near term.

We even notice that Jacobs is highly committed toward its shareholders and intends to provide them higher returns via lucrative share repurchase program.

However, the companys revenues are currently hurt due to depressed demand for construction services in the international market. Sluggish global economic growth has dragged down commodity and construction service prices, thus hampering Jacobs top-line performance.

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Additionally, the company is securing lesser high-value energy contracts due to dismal pricing conditions prevailing in the energy market.

However, a stronger U.S. dollar might further depress the companys international revenues and profitability in the quarters ahead.

Key Picks

Better-ranked stocks in the industry include Willdan Group, Inc. WLDN, MasTec, Inc. MTZ and Comfort Systems USA, Inc. FIX.

Willdan Group, Inc. has an average positive earnings surprise of 18.72% for the last four quarters. It currently boasts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

MasTec, Inc. currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The companys average positive earnings surprise is 61.27%, for the trailing four quarters.

Comfort Systems USA, Inc. also has a Zacks Rank #2. The companys average positive earnings surprise, for the trailing four quarters, is 15.83%.

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Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein said Wednesday the Michigan recount effort revealed flaws in the states election system, which in turn should spark legislative action that would require an automatic post-election audit in the state.

In a radio interview with Michigans Big Show, Stein reportedly said: What we discovered is we do not have a system that we can trust.

The 66-year-old physician cited complaints from Detroit election officials who reported that 87 optical scanner voting machines failed on Election Day in addition to discrepancies in ballot handling and documented vote counts.

U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith halted the recount in Michigan when Stein failed to prove she was an aggrieved candidate, a legal condition required to spark the recount. Stein also failed to prove any evidence of fraud which is required for the court to intervene.

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gained 103 more votes in a partial recount after 2 million ballots were reviewed by hand.

Fred Woodhams, spokesman for the Michigan secretary of state Ruth Johnson, dimissed Steins claims of a flawed election system in the state.

The fact that after 2 million ballots were reviewed by hand, the second-place candidate added only 103 votes to her margin speaks for itself, he said adding that the optical-scan voting systems were incredibly accurate. Recount after recount over the past decade has shown that.

The state is planning on replacing the optical scanners by late 2018, Woodhams said.

detroit vote

Photo: REUTERS/AARON JOSEFCZYK

Stein said the partial recount helped reveal the various flaws in the election system including old voting machines, clerical errors, missing poll books and errors in the security and handling of the ballots.

In Detroit, voting machines in over one-third of Detroits precincts registered more ballots cast in the Nov. 8 presidential election than the number of voters tallied by poll workers.

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Theres always going to be small problems to some degree, but we didnt expect the degree of problem we saw in Detroit, Krista Haroutunian, chairwoman of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, said. This isnt normal.

According to state law, precincts are barred from being recounted if the numbers in poll books dont match the ballots cast, unless a valid explanation is given. In Detroit, 392 precincts couldnt be recounted, of which two-thirds had more votes that they should have had.

In an age in which we know there are so many mechanical failures, this is something that you want built into the system. You shouldnt have to raise millions of dollars  you know, hold a bake sale on steroids  in order for us voters to be confident the system is working for us, Stein said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, an independent review of final voting results across the U.S. conducted by computer scientists from the University of Michigan found that the Nov. 8 election outcome was correct and Donald Trump won the 2016 race.

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Moscow (AFP) - The US and Russia have become embroiled in a Cold-War-style diplomatic spat over alleged cyberattacks Washington believes were carried out by Moscow in an attempt to skew the US election.

US President Obama announced the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats in response but in a dramatic move, his counterpart Vladimir Putin said he would not retaliate but assess Obama's successor's policy towards Moscow.

Russia has consistently denied it was behind the alleged hacking and insists Washington has never provided any firm proof of its guilt.

Therein lies the problem: irrefutable evidence determining the identity of the "hackers" and the reason for their attacks is hard, if not impossible, to find.

Here is what is known so far about the "who, what and why" of the hacking strikes during the recent US election campaign.

- Who hacked what? -

-- In May, US National Intelligence Director James Clapper warns of cyberattacks against the campaigns, without specific reference to any source.

-- On June 15, CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm hired by the Democratic National Committee to investigate break-ins in its computer systems, points to two separate Russian intruders.

"Both adversaries engage in extensive political and economic espionage for the benefit of the government of the Russian Federation and are believed to be closely linked to the Russian government's powerful and highly capable intelligence services," it says.

CrowdStrike says hacking entity Cozy Bear, linked to Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, intercepted Democratic Party communications from June 2015 on, while Fancy Bear, linked to Russia's security service (FSB), targeted and stole DNC dossiers related to then Republican frontrunner Donald Trump beginning in March.

A month later, the WikiLeaks website begins publishing the pirated material.

-- On September 5, US President Barack Obama warns Russian President Vladimir Putin over the hacking suspicions during a private meeting in China, according to US officials.

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-- On October 7, the 17 US intelligence agencies conclude the Russian government is behind the cyberattacks and that they are "intended to interfere with the US election process".

Meanwhile, WikiLeaks publishes a near-daily dose of emails stolen from the Gmail account of John Podesta, chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign, up until just before the election. SecureWorks, another cybersecurity consultant, says Podesta's emails were hacked by the same groups who hacked the DNC.

-- On December 9-10, the Washington Post and New York Times report that the CIA concluded Moscow intended to help Trump's campaign by releasing the hacked material.

The billionaire president-elect dismisses the CIA conclusion as "ridiculous". Russia denies all claims.

-- On December 12, leading Congressional lawmakers call for an investigation into Russia's alleged role in the cyberattacks.

-- On December 15, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says his campaign accounts were also hacked by Russians ahead of the November vote.

-- On December 29, Obama announces a barrage of sanctions for Moscow over the alleged attacks, including the deportation of 35 suspected intelligence agents and sanctions against the GRU and FSB intelligence agencies.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security also release a briefing to provide "technical details regarding the tools and infrastructure used by the Russian civilian and military intelligence Services to compromise and exploit networks and endpoints associated with the US election."

- Could Russia pull this off? -

The talents of Russian state-serving hackers are now the stuff of legend.

Descended from the tradition of Soviet economic espionage, they broadened the scope to also probe and punish political targets.

Russia was blamed for a cyberattack on Estonia in 2007, when the Baltic state's main internet sites crashed after being flooded with surplus requests, in a so-called distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attack. It knocked out the national emergency hotline for more than an hour.

Other Russian neighbours including Ukraine and Georgia, as well as states which have strained relations with Moscow, have endured similar attacks.

The US election hacking looks like a Russian state-sponsored strike, Andrey Soldatov, editor-in-chief of Agenta.ru and a specialist on Russian secret services and cybercrime, told AFP.

"Given Russia's history of cyberattacks, I would think this is a case of coordination between private and government actors, involving informal actors coordinated by those at the highest levels," Soldatov said.

The campaign hackers did not need innovative technical skills to strike; simple "phishing" emails, which invite email readers to click on a link, were enough to get the hackers in.

- All for Trump? -

Experts have not reached a consensus on whether Russia set out to help Trump clinch a White House victory, as Clinton's team says.

Soldatov says it is likely that the Kremlin sought to weaken the position of the former secretary of state, whom it views as "a kind of sworn enemy" and has blamed for inciting unrest after Russia's own elections in 2011.

"But I'm not certain the principal goal was to get Trump elected. These guys at the Kremlin are believers in conspiracy theories," he said, noting that up until the November 8 vote Moscow had warned that potential voter fraud could steal the election from Trump.
PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's Supreme Court ordered a retrial of doctors and officials convicted of involvement in an organ trafficking ring that performed dozens of illegal kidney transplants between 2006 and 2008, in a ruling published on Friday. The European police and justice mission in Kosovo (EULEX), established to help the Balkan country develop its justice system, said it was disappointed with the ruling. The ring acted out of the Medicus clinic on a residential road on the outskirts of the capital Pristina. Kidney donors from Turkey and poor parts of the former Soviet Union were promised 10,000-12,000 euros, while recipients, mainly Israelis, paid 80,000-100,000 euros for the organs, an earlier hearing heard. The Medicus verdict is the highest-profile case handled by EU prosecutors and judges who arrived in Kosovo in 2008 to handle sensitive cases such as war crimes, organized crime and corruption. EULEX is now planning to leave Kosovo and independent law monitors fear local justice may reopen some sensitive cases. The director of the clinic, urologist Lutfi Dervishi, was jailed for eight years for organized crime and human trafficking and his son for seven years in 2013. Both men went into hiding and never served the sentence. Four other people, including Health Ministry officials, received lesser terms but never served time following appeal after appeal in different courts. The Supreme Court's panel of judges comprising two local and one international judge annulled the court ruling citing procedural irregularities and ordered a retrial after the defendants appealed the case. "The mission expresses its disappointment with the outcome of the Medicus case, where a local-majority panel annulled all previous judgments in the parts where the defendants have been convicted," EULEX spokeswoman Besa Domi told Reuters. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Ivana Sekularac and Janet Lawrence)
PRISTINA, Albania (AP)  A Kosovo court has sentenced an Albanian citizen convicted of recruiting for extremist groups in Syria to seven years imprisonment.

A statement Friday from the court in Ferizaj, 35 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital, Pristina, said the man collaborated with others to recruit, fund and help transport at least eight people to join the Islamic State group and the Al-Nusra Front in Syria in 2012. The man was identified only as F.R.

A day earlier another citizen, wanted after being sentenced to a four-year jail term as an IS fighter, was arrested in neighboring Albania and handed over to Kosovo.

A few hundred Albanians from Kosovo are believed to have joined Islamic extremist groups and about 70 reportedly are still active with the groups in Syria and Iraq.
In the month of September, the top destination for U.S. gasoline exports was Mexico, which took 341,000 barrels a day. Number 2 in the ranking was the Dominican Republic, with U.S. finished gasoline imports totaling 45,000 barrels a day. All told, the U.S. exported 564,000 barrels of gasoline a day in September.

U.S. exports of crude oil totaled 692,000 barrels a day in September. Canada remains the top destination for U.S. exports, taking a total of 243,000 barrels a day. Singapore, which took no barrels at all in 2015, imported 99,000 barrels a day in September after resuming imports of U.S. crude in August with a total of 21,000 barrels a day.

ALSO READ: The Largest Private Company in Every State

Total U.S. exports of crude oil and all finished products came to 5.25 million barrels a day in September. May 2016 exports totaled 5.66 million barrels, the highest ever according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

The federal government lifted restrictions on U.S. crude oil exports in December 2015, and U.S. producers are on track to more than double last December's export total of 392,000 barrels a day. With rising prices for crude, that is good news for U.S. producers.

The news is equally good for U.S. refiners that are far more efficient than those in neighboring Mexico. Outside of turnaround and maintenance times, U.S. refineries run at about 90% of capacity, while Mexican refineries typically run at about 50% of capacity.

ALSO READ: 9 Countries That Control the World's Nuclear Weapons

Of some 8 million barrels a day of U.S. crude oil imports in September, 778,000 came from Venezuela, 516,000 came from Mexico and 464,000 came from Colombia. Only Canada and Saudi Arabia send more oil to the United States than these three countries.

The U.S. imports just 71,000 barrels a day of finished gasoline, with 42,000 barrels coming from Canada, primarily from Valero refineries that have been the target of U.S. crude oil exports.

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Similarly but in the opposite direction, imported Mexican crude oil is refined into gasoline on the U.S. Gulf Coast and then sent back to Mexico as motor fuel.

ALSO READ: The Market Is Overbought: 5 Safe Dividend Blue Chip Stocks to Buy for 2017

Refiners, especially, have something to lose if the incoming Trump administration imposes taxes on imports (crude oil) while leaving exports alone. That will raise the cost of U.S.-refined gasoline and could end a lucrative market for U.S. refiners.

Domestic refiners also have to contend with new refining capacity of nearly 2 million barrels a day coming online in the Middle East and Southeast Asia next year. Adding value by refining its own crude has been a goal of Saudi Arabia's for some time now.

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NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP)  The Latest on pretrial motions in Bill Cosby's sex assault case (all times local):

2:05 p.m.

Bill Cosby wants to move his trial out of a suburban Philadelphia courthouse, arguing there's been widespread negative press coverage of the sexual assault case.

Lawyers for the 79-year-old comedian filed a motion Friday that asked the judge to either move it out of Montgomery County or bring in a jury from elsewhere.

His lawyers say Cosby has been the target of an "inflammatory and prejudicial smear campaign" and branded as a monster, a sociopath and a sexual predator in news accounts.

A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office says prosecutors aren't opposed to the request.

Cosby is accused of drugging and molesting a woman he knew through Temple University.

Trial is set for early June.

___

1 a.m.

Bill Cosby is starting 2017 in a legal dragnet that has only tightened around him since his stunning arrest a year ago.

Cosby was charged with aggravated sexual assault on Dec. 30, 2015, just days before the 12-year statute of limitations would have run out over a 2004 encounter at his estate near Philadelphia.

Some legal experts wonder if Cosby will seek a plea deal after losing a series of defense motions.

But a spokeswoman for Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele says there's no truth to those reports.

The 79-year-old Cosby is accused of drugging and molesting a woman he knew through Temple University.

The judge must soon decide if other accusers can testify as "prior bad act" witnesses.

The trial is set to start by June.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on the tensions between the United States and Russia over hacking attacks in the U.S. elections (all times EST):

3:10 p.m.

An official says a chef is among the Russians being expelled from the U.S.

Sergey Petrov is San Francisco consul general. He says the chef is among four diplomats being expelled from San Francisco, meaning this New Year's Eve, "we'll have to cook ourselves."

Petrov says 31 of the Russian diplomats expelled from the U.S. are from the embassy in Washington.

Petrov identified only the chef, without disclosing his name. He says seven family members of the diplomats will also be leaving, including three children. He says they "have to leave within hours, and it's just not human, frankly."

Asked how the diplomats regarded the expulsion, he says: "They are bitter because they have to leave before their term expired."

The Obama administration ordered the diplomats to leave as part of sanctions in retaliation for alleged cyber meddling in the U.S. election.

___

2:48 p.m.

President-elect Donald Trump is praising Russian President Vladimir Putin for holding off on retaliation for new sanctions imposed by the Obama administration for its alleged interference in the U.S. election.

Trump on Twitter praises Putin's "Great move on delay."

He adds, "I always knew he was very smart!"

Putin on Friday condemned a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia. But he said Moscow would not retaliate by expelling American diplomats.

Trump has been slow to criticize Putin and has questioned U.S. intelligence linking Russia to campaign hacks.

Trump is planning to meet next week with U.S. intelligence officials, but he says it's time for the country to move on.

___

12:30 a.m.

The spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry says some of the diplomats ordered expelled by the United States have been in their posts only about two months.

Maria Zakharova was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Friday that their short tenure suggests they could not have been involved in cyberattacks on the U.S. election process.

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She said: "It is unclear how they could technically be involved in the sabotage of the American elections, which the special services are talking about, stating spring 2016 as the date."

The White House ordered sanctions on Russia Thursday over alleged election meddling and declared 35 diplomats persona non grata. The White House said the expulsions were in response to harassment of U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia over the last two years.

___

7:45 a.m.

President Vladimir Putin has condemned a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia but says Moscow will not retaliate by expelling American diplomats.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. 35 Russian diplomats were ordered to leave the U.S. in 72 hours and two facilities closed.

Putin, in a statement on the Kremlin's website Friday, refers to the new sanctions as a "provocation aimed to further undermine Russian-American relations."

But he says Russia would not be expelling American diplomats in retaliation, as the Russian foreign ministry earlier suggested.

___

5:30 a.m.

Russia's foreign minister has suggested expelling 35 U.S. diplomats in response to a new round of U.S. sanctions against Moscow.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, as American political sites and email accounts were hacked. Thirty-five Russian diplomats were ordered to leave the U.S. in 72 hours and two facilities closed.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in televised remarks on Friday that the foreign ministry and other agencies have suggested that President Vladimir Putin order expulsion of 31 employees of the U.S. embassy in Moscow and 4 diplomats from the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg. Another suggestion is to bar U.S. diplomats from using their summer retreat on the outskirts of Moscow and a warehouse in the south of Moscow.

The Kremlin spokesman said late Thursday that it would be up to Putin to draft retaliatory measures.

___

4:1 5 a.m.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called a new round of U.S. sanctions against his country "anti-Russian death throes."

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. The Kremlin said late on Thursday that it was considering retaliatory steps.

When he was president in 2008-2012 Medvedev focused on improving U.S.-Russia ties in what became known as the "reset" policy. He voiced disappointment with the new round of sanctions on Friday.

"It is sad that the Obama administration that began its life by restoring ties ends it with anti-Russian death throes. RIP," Medvedev said on Twitter.

Medvedev visited the United States in 2010 and sent his first tweet during a visit to Twitter's headquarters in the Silicon Valley.

___

3:09 a.m.

The United States is unleashing a string of sanctions and other punitive measures against Russia amid allegations it engaged in cyber-meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign, putting pressure on President-elect Donald Trump not to let Moscow off the hook after he takes office.

Russia's government threatened retaliation and continued to deny U.S. accusations that it hacked and stole emails to try to help Trump win. Trump said the U.S. should move on, but in a sign he was no longer totally brushing off the allegations, he planned to meet with U.S. intelligence leaders next week to learn more.

A month after an election the U.S. says Russia tried to sway for Trump, President Barack Obama on Thursday sanctioned the GRU and FSB, leading Russian intelligence agencies the U.S. said were involved. In an elaborately coordinated response by at least five federal agencies, the Obama administration also sought to expose Russia's cyber tactics with a detailed technical report and hinted it might still launch a covert counterattack.
Question: I am the parent of a middle school student. Even though my child is more independent, Im wondering what I can do as a parent to ensure that my child does well in school.

Answer: Thank you for your question. Parents play a very important role in their childs education. Even as a child reaches middle school and high school, parents continue to play a critical role in supporting their child. After all, it is important to remember that educational success is really a family goal with both the child and parent working together to achieve the childs educational hopes and dreams.

Here are some ideas on how parents can support their middle school and/or high school student especially around homework:

Parents can positively encourage their childs study and homework habits. Parents can be supportive by respecting their childs homework time, creating a quiet space to study, and ensuring that homework is being completed and turned in on-time.

Parents can regularly check their childs homework and attendance. Many school districts are using web sites like Infinite Campus, Skyward, and Power Schools to enter student grades and attendance. These web sites often have a parent portal, in which parents can view this information to monitor their childs grades, homework assignments, and absences. A username and password are required and can be obtained by contacting the local school district.

Parents/Teacher Communication. Parents can continue to communicate with their childs teachers in middle school and high school. Most schools still hold parent/teacher conferences, but parents do not need to wait until conferences to voice a concern or to communicate with teachers.

Family communication is also very important as a child enters middle school and high school. Parents who show interest in their childs education send the message that education is important. Families can improve communication in simple ways:

Setting aside specific times of the day to talk. Try to create a consistent time each day and minimize distractions (like technology use). This could be during dinner, before bed time, or during the drive to and from school or other activities. Ask about your childs day and other aspects of life outside of school.

Use  I messages. This includes expressing your thoughts using I such as I feel that  or I like it when  Try to avoid messages that blame and usually start with you like you really dont listen or you make me 

Finally, parents can show confidence in their child by talking about and planning for the future. This could include asking about the childs hopes and dreams and starting to make a plan to accomplish these goals. In fact, in regard to college savings, research has shown that children with money set aside for college know that someone believes in them. As a result, these children work harder and do better in school. Children with college savings of $1 to $499 are three times more likely to attend college, four times more likely to graduate from college, and do better in high school. (Source: Assets and Education Initiative (AEDI) 2013 and UW-Extension College Savings).

In conclusion, never underestimate the power of showing that you, as a parent, believe in your child. To sum it up, Urie Bronfenbrenner, a developmental psychologist, once said, Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her.

More information

UW-Extension partners with local organizations to conduct workshops for parents and early care and education professionals. Parts of this article were adapted from the Juntos curriculum by North Carolina State Extension. For more information, visit http://racine.uwex.edu or call 262-767-2929 or email uwextension@racinecounty.com.

Completing homework assignments and studying are essential to achieving good grades. Grades are very important in high school as the grades are averaged into a grade-point average, or GPA. The GPA is one component of what colleges, universities and other institutions of higher education consider when determining whether or not to admit a student. Grades are averaged beginning the first semester of freshman year (ninth grade) so it is important for students to do well right away when they enter high school.
KUALA LUMPUR/YANGON (Reuters) - An aid flotilla carrying food and emergency supplies for Rohingya Muslims will sail from Malaysia for Myanmar's troubled Rakhine State next month, the Malaysian organizer said on Friday. The flotilla, organized by a coalition of aid groups, has yet to receive permission to enter Myanmar, sparking fears of a confrontation with security forces that could worsen Myanmar's already-frayed ties with predominantly Muslim Malaysia. Malaysia has been an outspoken critic of the Myanmar government's handling of a violent crackdown in Rakhine, which has killed scores of people and displaced 30,0000 Rohingya, amid allegations of abuses by security forces. The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations secretary-general Zulhanis Zainol said the flotilla's organizers had applied for permission to enter Myanmar through its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but had yet to receive a reply. "Even if we do not receive a response, we will continue to sail as we believe this is an important humanitarian mission," he said. Myanmar's presidential office denied it had received a request and said it would not accept the flotilla's arrival without prior permission. "If they are looking for trouble, we will not accept that," Zaw Htay, spokesman for the presidential office, told Reuters. "No non-Myanmar citizens can enter our body of water without our permission. If they do, we will respond  we will not attack them, but we will not receive them." The flotilla, departing from Malaysia on Jan. 10, would be carrying 1,000 tonnes of rice, medical aid and other essentials for the Rohingya population. Earlier this month, Malaysia urged the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to coordinate humanitarian aid and investigate alleged atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims. Both Malaysia and Myanmar are members of the 10-nation grouping, which has a long-standing policy of not getting involved in each other's internal affairs. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Rohingyas, displaced by previous violence, live in Malaysia. Myanmar has previously said access to Rakhine for humanitarian assistance would be open, but certain Rohingya communities have remained off-limits to aid agencies on security grounds. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff in KUALA LUMPUR and Shwe Yee Saw Myint in YANGON. Editing by Bill Tarrant.)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  A California man has been charged with setting up fake businesses in three states, then using names taken from temporary visas issued to student visitors on a cultural exchange to obtain more than $355,000 in unemployment benefits for nonexistent workers, federal prosecutors in Iowa said in court documents.

Nikolai Monastyrski is charged in federal court in Iowa with wire and mail fraud related to the scheme that prosecutors say he perpetrated there as well as in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

A complaint filed Nov. 10 by Dana Johnson, a Chicago-based U.S. Department of Labor special agent, says Monastyrski was able to get $114,215 from Iowa Workforce Development in 2014 and 2015 and $230,000 in benefits from Illinois Department of Employment Security. Illinois payouts go as far back as 2012 and some are as recent as earlier this year. Additional claims were made involving two nonexistent businesses in Pennsylvania with payments of more than $11,300 paid out.

The investigation revealed Monastyrski filed the benefits requests from computers in his apartment in Folsom, California, and was observed on bank video cameras withdrawing cash using debit cards on which the unemployment insurance benefits were paid, Johnson said in court documents.

The investigation began in 2013 when the Illinois unemployment officials notified law enforcement that they discovered a scheme involving fictitious employers.

Monastyrski used the names of several individuals who visited the United States under an Exchange Visitor Program with temporary J-1 visas, Johnson alleges in the complaint. The program allows about 300,000 foreign visitors per year as a cultural exchange effort typically for students, professors, researchers, and others. It allows the visitor to work to receive training in the U.S. with a university or business sponsor.

In Illinois 21 individuals for which unemployment claims were made were former J-1 visa visitors who had left the country before benefits were collected using their names.

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In Iowa, 20 claimants had left before their identities were used to claim benefits. Nine of the names used in Illinois were also later used to get benefits from Iowa.

Documents show Monastyrski is charged in a 14-count indictment signed by a federal judge in Iowa on Nov. 10. It includes seven charges of mail fraud and seven charges of wire fraud. He was arrested Nov. 18 near Sacramento, California. Case documents were transferred to Iowa and posted publicly on Dec. 14.

Monastyrski appeared in court Thursday in Des Moines where a judge appointed a federal public defender to represent him. He signed a document asserting his constitutional right to remain silent and have a counsel present during all interactions with the government. A Russian translator was required to assist him, court documents said.

He remains in custody and was transported to Davenport, where a hearing was set for Jan. 6 to determine whether he should remain in custody while he awaits trial.

Little information about him appears in court documents. It's unclear whether he's U.S. born, a naturalized citizen or has some other immigration status. Court documents say he was identified by comparing bank video cameras in California to a photo on a driver's license issued to him by the state of Illinois.

The federal public defender appointed to represent him and a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney prosecuting the case declined comment.

Iowa Workforce Development spokeswoman Courtney Greene said the agency cannot comment on pending court cases but added the department works with other state and federal agencies to detect and prevent fraud.

"I can emphasize that the integrity of the Iowa Unemployment Insurance Trust fund is among the highest priorities for Iowa Workforce Development," she said.

Officials contacted at unemployment agencies in Illinois and Pennsylvania did not immediately respond to messages.
MOUNT PLEASANT  A 22-year-old certified nursing assistant has been charged after reportedly stealing her patients credit card.

Haley R. Christman, of the 30 block of South Newman Road, was reported by her patient after more than $2,000 of unaccounted charges were racked up on her credit card, according to the criminal complaint.

The patients bank reportedly told police that 75 transactions were made on Amazon between Oct. 19 and Oct. 24 totaling $2,398.04.

Christman was believed to be the only person who could have accessed the card and had apologized to the patient over text for use of the card, the complaint said.

When questioned by police, Christman reportedly said that she did not know that the credit card info was still in her computer after she ordered Panera Bread for the patient.

Police asked how she could have thought she had the funds to purchase the amount of merchandise that she did, and Christman was not able to provide an explanation, according to the complaint.

Christman faces one felony charge for personal identity theft and one misdemeanor charge for theft by acquisition of a credit card. She is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 5 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  A police officer was bitten by a man who used an ax to smash a gas station cash register while demanding lottery tickets, authorities said Friday.

Assistant Mercer County Prosecutor John Boyle said 39-year-old Anthony Hunter, of Trenton, rushed at and bit the officer on the right hand after police tried to arrest him at a Lukoil station in Ewing.

It's not clear whether the officer was hurt.

Prosecutors say Hunter smashed the store's cash register with an ax Monday and demanded that workers fill a bag with scratch-off lottery tickets before he ran from the station. He has been charged with two counts of robbery.

Boyle says it was Hunter's third robbery attempt at a gas station this month. He also faces charges that on separate occasions he stole a milkshake and later $60 in cash from a Shell station in Trenton in December.

Hunter's attorney tells NJ.com that his client maintains his innocence. The newspaper reports that Hunter is being held on a combined $350,000 bail.
The Pakistani man wrongly arrested for the Berlin truck attack on Friday said he had told German police he could not even drive and was now afraid for the safety of his family back home.

Naveed Baloch, an asylum-seeker from the troubled province of Balochistan, told the Guardian newspaper he had just left a friend's house and was crossing a street when he saw a police car approaching fast and picked up his pace.

He said he was arrested and taken to a police station, where he was undressed and photographed.

"When I resisted, they started slapping me," the 24-year-old, who has been living in a secret location provided by police since his release because he says he is afraid for his life, told the British daily.

Baloch, who sought refuge in Germany as a member of a secular separatist movement in Balochistan, said he struggled to communicate because no translator could be found who could speak his native Balochi.

"I calmly told them I cannot drive at all. Neither can I even start a vehicle," he said.

Baloch was arrested on December 19 in the hours after the attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin in which 12 people were killed.

Police released him 24 hours later, after failing to find evidence of his involvement.

German authorities have since identified rejected Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri as the prime suspect in the Berlin attack.

Amri was shot dead by Italian police on December 23 after fleeing a manhunt in Germany.

- Denial -

Following the publication of the Guardian interview, Berlin police strongly denied that Baloch had been assaulted.

In a statement, police said they had asked Baloch about the allegations on Friday and that he "clearly stated he had not been beaten, injured or mistreated while in custody".

The statement also noted that there was no professional translator present during the Guardian interview.

But the newspaper's correspondent Kate Connolly later said on Twitter that "we @theguardian stand by our story on Naveed Baloch."

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"It was an interview that took place over three hours and of which I have a recording," she added.

Baloch, a shepherd by profession, told the daily that members of his family in the village of Mand in Balochistan in southwest Pakistan had received threatening phone calls following his arrest.

"Now they all know I fled to Germany, fearful of my life, and that I am claiming asylum here. It leaves my family very vulnerable and there's nothing I can do to protect them," he told the Guardian.

Baloch said he left Pakistan around a year ago, arriving in Germany via Iran, Turkey and Greece, because of death threats he had received for his activism for the Baloch National Movement.

"Most of the people I worked with have been arrested and killed. I knew it was a matter of time before they came for me. That's the reason I came to Germany," he said.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korea's government closed its website that drew fury for showing the number of women in childbearing age by each city district and region.

The Ministry of the Interior's website featuring the pink birth map remained closed on Friday, a day after its launch, showing instead a notice that the site is undergoing corrections to reflect public opinion.

The website had gone offline after just a few hours following criticism the government is trying to shame women for not having babies. Some said the government treated the birth rate issue as concerning only women, pointing out that no picture of men was used on the website.

Using pink as the main color, the site contained information on birth rates, benefits from local governments on child rearing, average marriage age and other data. On top of the website, it showed a picture of a woman kissing a little girl.

In the birth map, the regions with a higher number of female residents aged 15-49 were colored in dark pink while the regions with a lower number of such women were shown in light pink. The site also featured a ranking of regions by the number of women aged 15-49.

Users could look up how many women who can have a baby resided in their neighborhood for the past 10 years.

Many users reacted with wonder and anger, saying they do not understand what the number of women who can get pregnant has to do with encouraging people to have more babies.

"I felt so angered that it blatantly showed how the government saw women's body as the country's reproductive tools, not that belonging to the woman," said Lee Min-kyung, a 24-year-old feminism writer. "I felt like nothing has changed and the hatred of women that I have experienced appeared again."

The government had touted it as a tool to increase the public's understanding of the country's low birth rate and compare the benefits from local governments for having a baby or raising a child.

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"It was established to encourage local governments to learn and compare other governments' benefits and to promote free competition," the ministry said in the press release distributed at the time of its launch. Calls seeking comments were not answered Friday.

South Korea is struggling to boost its rock bottom birth rate, one of the lowest among rich countries. This year, the country also saw growth of vocal feminist movements protesting misogynist views reflected in government policies and pop culture.

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Online (in Korean): http://birth.korea.go.kr
A sheriffs deputy was hospitalized in critical condition Thursday and another man is dead in the aftermath of a shooting that occurred as the deputy helped an abused woman gather her possessions from her boyfriend's apartment, reports said.

Deputy Warren Scott Hogan, 32, was shot by the alleged abuser while helping the victim in Chestertown, Maryland, roughly 75 miles northeast of Baltimore.

Hogan responded by firing back and killing James L. Rich II, 52, who owned the apartment, Maryland State Police Public Information Officer Greg Shipley said.

The woman who reported the violence had been living with Rich, reports said Thursday. She had sent a text message to her father around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday describing a physical altercation with Rich and told him to call police.

Deputies were dispatched to Richs apartment after the father called 911 Wednesday night but found no one there. Deputies later learned the victim had been picked up by her father and taken to the police station. The victim told police about the violent incident and asked deputies to escort her back to the apartment so she could get some clothes to spend the night elsewhere.

Deputies accompanied the victim and her parents to the apartment just after midnight, and found Rich with his teenage son. On seeing the police, Rich walked into the apartment's back room, grabbed his shotgun, and fired a round at the deputies, with some of the pellets striking Hogan at close range.

Hogan reportedly then returned fire, killing Rich.

Hogan was taken into surgery at a local hospital early Thursday with a devastating injury, Thomas M. Scalea, head of the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, told the Washington Post.

The incident is currently under review. Hogan was wearing a body camera, Shipley said.

Police previously had been called to Richs apartment in July 2015 over alleged domestic abuse.

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Baltimore witnessed a record number of homicides in 2015 with 344. And 2016 was the second bloodiest year in Baltimore history, seeing 310 so far.

Sixty-four law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in the U.S. in 2016, CNN reported Dec. 13.

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dump truck trump tower

Massive dump trucks filled with sand will line the streets surrounding New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City this weekend. The 20-ton vehicles will hold an additional 15 tons of sand, the Associated Press reported Thursday night.

The trucks provide a dense, protective barrier in the event of a bombing. It is part of comprehensive antiterrorism strategies law-enforcement officials deploy to ensure public safety.

The Times Square New Year's Eve event is already a heavily policed affair, but the stakes are even higher this year after a series of terrorist attacks erupted in Europe  some of which involved the use of heavy vehicles.

A Tunisian man who drove a heavy truck into a Christmas market in Berlin this month killed 12 people and injured 56 others. His attack followed a more deadly assault in Nice, France, in July that left 86 people dead when a man drove a 20-ton refrigerated truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day.

Officials cited by the Associated Press said they were unaware of any specific threats against Times Square.

Here's some of what you might see there on New Year's Eve:

65 sand-filled dump trucks

100-plus patrol cars

7,000 officers

Specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs

The truck tactic has been used before.

Garbage-haulers were parked around Trump Tower and Hillary Clinton's election headquarters on Election Day in November.

Similar preparations are being made for New Year's Eve festivities in Las Vegas.

New York Police Department Chief Carlos Gomez told the AP, "As we formulated this year's plan, we paid close attention to world events and we learned from those events." The NYPD's commissioner, James O'Neil, echoed the sentiment, saying, "It can't just be, 'What happens in New York, what happens in the United States?' It has to be more, 'What happens worldwide?'"

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NOW WATCH: Watch Times Square test its New Years confetti in the rain to make sure it can withstand any weather condition





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The Golden Globes is kicking off awards season in style with an expanding list of famously talented presenters.

PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that Matt Damon, Reese Witherspoon and Justin Theroux  who have three wins and seven nominations among them  will join the presenters roster for the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards.

The award show has already tweeted that Anna Kendrick, Steve Carell, Brie Larson, Sofia Vergara, Mandy Moore and Zoe Saldana are also on tap to pass out the Globes.

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The Globes, awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, will honor acting in film and TV in 25 categories: 14 for movies and 11 for TV.

Jimmy Fallon will take the stage as host, and Sylvester Stallones three daughters  Scarlet, 14, Sistine, 18, and Sophia, 20  will share the title of Miss Golden Globe 2017. The Golden Globes will air live on NBC from the Beverly Hilton Hotels Grand Ballroom on Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Be sure to check out PEOPLEs complete Golden Globes coverage on Sunday, Jan. 8  including all the red carpet arrivals, winners and must-see moments  and also follow on Twitter @people.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association also teamed up with Twitter to host The HFPA Presents: Globes Red Carpet Live official red carpet pre-show. It will stream live on Twitter from 68 p.m.

Check out the full list of 2017 Golden Globes nominees and get your own ballot here!




jesse watters

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly raised eyebrows earlier this year when he said he may not be interested in hosting his ratings juggernaut "The O'Reilly Factor" for much longer.

When the cable-news heavyweight eventually decides to retire, a piece of his legacy will live on in a protege groomed for Fox News stardom: Jesse Watters.

"I think he's either living vicariously through me, or he's reliving things he did back in the day," Watters said of O'Reilly.

Over the past decade, Watters' segments on O'Reilly's show  dubbed "Watters World" by O'Reilly  have become an integral part of the broadcast, bookending "The O'Reilly Factor" twice a week.

Ranging several minutes, "Watters World" finds the Fox correspondent interviewing and poking fun at average people on the street in primarily liberal enclaves, often college campuses or various neighborhoods in New York City. Recent episodes showed Watters interviewing Canadians about President-elect Donald Trump and interviewing veterans at Hampshire College protesting the school's decision to take down the flag following Trump's election.

Watters also serves as an extension of O'Reilly during ambush interview segments, unafraid to get into his interview subject's face with aggressive questions, unrelenting particularly when his questions are unwelcome.

"When the cause is just and there's been injustice, then it's easy to kind of galvanize your emotions and confront a guy," Watters told Business Insider in an interview in December. "And it's intense and there's a lot of adrenaline involved, but those usually make a big splash."

O'Reilly will often tease the segments, which are stacked at the back of the program, with the idea that they are a draw for viewers.

According to Watters, O'Reilly generates many of the ideas for the segments himself and often has visuals and locations in mind.

"Usually he'll say, like, 'This is kind of how I want you to approach it,' and then he'll give me one line, and then I have to fill in the rest," Watters said. "Bill is very understanding of the backdrop of the segment. I think because he was a field guy for so many years, he's very interested in aesthetics behind the 'Watters World,' where it's being shot, why it's being shot there."

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But while Watters described 2016 as a banner year for the show, with high ratings and interviews with high-profile guests like then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Watters has also found his brand of man-on-the-street and ambush interviews under greater scrutiny.

In October, Watters ignited a firestorm of criticism over a man-on-the-street segment he shot in New York's Chinatown.

Ostensibly dispatched to discuss China's role in the 2016 presidential election, Watters invoked numerous racial stereotypes of Asian-Americans for a laugh. He quizzed people about whether it was the "year of the dragon," inquired about karate lessons, and asked whether he was supposed to bow to Asian passersby he saw on the street.

The segment was roundly criticized by media outlets and lawmakers alike  The Washington Post dubbed it "offensive," while Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii said Watters "should be ashamed" of his conduct.

Though he offered a fairly restrained apology in October, Watters characterized the segment as a mistake and a learning experience.

"I was surprised, at the time, with the blowback," Watters told Business Insider. "I didn't see it coming, and that's on me. I understand I did offend a lot of people, and I'm very sorry for that. People took issue with some of the statements I made, and some of the reaction to the Chinatown segment, and I understand that. And it's a learning experience  I definitely learned a lot from it. But it's a new day, and we are moving forward with it."

He added: "It's a controversial segment, 'Watters World.' There's controversy around it. There's controversy around Fox, I understand that. But I listen to people, and I never want to intentionally cause anybody to be upset. It was never my intention to hurt people's feelings. And I regret that I did hurt people's feelings."

Asked if he would have conducted himself differently, Watters paused.

"I would, but I don't want to dissect this segment  I think it's been dissected," he replied.

It wasn't Watters' first time facing criticism; at one point, the Fox News correspondent found himself in a brief physical altercation with Huffington Post editor Ryan Grim over Watters' years-old ambush of Huffington Post editor Amanda Terkel.

More recently, Washington Post media columnist Erik Wemple admonished Watters for eschewing a traditional sit-down or phone interview in favor of an ambush. Wemple took issue with Watters' decision to stick his foot into the president of Hampshire College's private residence during an ambush interview about the college's decision not to fly the American flag.

Asked about the criticism, Watters indicated he did not know who Wemple was and noted that Hampshire reversed course just days after the segment aired.

"I'll let that speak for itself," Watters said.

Watters added: "I don't pay attention to a lot of that stuff that they write. It doesn't really bother me that much. I stand by my work, especially the confrontations. There are heroes and villains out there in the media landscape, in the news landscape, in the political landscape. People sometimes get called out, they react how they react. And I'm proud of what I do."

Viewers of "The O'Reilly Factor" and Fox News have been equally unshaken by critics, teeing up Watters for perhaps one of his biggest career years.

The correspondent will reprise his role as anchor during Fox's New Year's Eve special, and he is set to make his debut on O'Reilly's nationwide comedy tour. Watters has also been able to maintain the ratings dominance of "The O'Reilly Factor" when filling in for the bombastic host, easily besting CNN and MSNBC when anchoring the show in December.

Watters himself hinted at a potentially larger role at the network in the coming year.

"Whatever Fox wants me to do, I'll do," Watters said. "I'm just going to keep working hard, keep my head down. There may be a few surprises coming up in the new year  you'll have to stay tuned for that. You may be seeing a little bit more of me."

For the moment, Watters is anticipating how the incoming administration's politics will affect many of his man-on-the-street segments, which have often revolved around questioning liberal dogma and Obama administration policies.

Though he said that poking fun at the left "never gets old," he acknowledged that he was "getting a little tired" of soliciting responses to the Obama administration's practices.

"I think it's time for a change," Watters said. "I think Donald Trump is going to make Watters World great again. Because it's going to be a new dynamic on the streets. And that's something I'm looking forward to. It's definitely going to turn the whole thing upside down, and that'll be a new challenge."

Disclosure: This reporter briefly worked as a fellow at The Huffington Post.

NOW WATCH: Fashion designer Nicole Miller reveals what Donald Trump is really like





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When Gustavo Dudamel takes the stage at the Vienna Philharmonics New Years Day concert this weekend, he will be the youngest music conductor ever to lead the famed event.

The annual New Years Concert, which will be hosted by Oscar-winner Julie Andrews, features melodies from the Strauss Family and their contemporaries  and broadcasts live to over 90 countries.

You dont just have to know a lot about music  you have to know a lot about psychology and philosophy, Dudamel recently told PEOPLE. Conducting is being a leader. A hundred people trust that you can guide them.

Along with conducting the highly anticipated concert, Dudamel, 35, is also the music director for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as the inspiration behind the main character in the hit Amazon series, Mozart in the Jungle.

When I was 8, I went to a concert with my father and was inspired by the person in front moving their hands, so I asked my grandmother to give me a baton for my birthday, the Venezuelan-born conductor told PEOPLE about how at a young age, he discovered what his career would be.

He added: I started playing conductor at home in front of my toys!

From Vienna: The New Years Celebration 2017 airs on PBS Great Performances this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET with an encore performance that evening at 7:30 p.m. (Check local listings.)

Reporting by MARLENE LENTHANG


RACINE COUNTY  A Cudahy man is scheduled for a pre-trial conference in January after he reportedly stole money out of jukeboxes in three local bars.

Jeffrey M. Wilde, 27, was formerly an employee of Reggies Amusements, which rents jukeboxes and other products, and had access to the master keys, according to the criminal complaint.

All of the incidents reportedly occurred Feb. 28. The first incident took place at Burgeys Pub, 8619 East Frontage Road in Caledonia. Wilde was allegedly seen by the owner trying to access the jukebox in the bar.

The owner found only $28 in the machine which was unusually low. When the owner contacted the manufacturer, he was told there should have been $160 in the machine, the complaint said.

The next incident occurred at Fritzs Tavern, 4234 Douglas Ave., Caledonia, when Wilde and another man entered the bar and told the bartender they were there for jukebox maintenance.

Wilde allegedly took $858 from the machine.

The final incident took place at Cooler by the Lake Tavern, 24709 West Loomis Road, Wind Lake, when Wilde and another man again entered the bar and said they were there to check the jukebox. Wilde took approximately $200 from the machine, according to the complaint.

Wilde faces three misdemeanors for theft and three misdemeanors for entry into a locked coin box. He is scheduled for a pretrial conference at 3:15 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP)  A Mexican man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on a Greyhound bus that traveled through Kansas had been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. another nine times since 2003, records obtained by The Associated Press show.

Three U.S. Republican senators  including Kansas' Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts  demanded this month that the Department of Homeland Security provide immigration records for 38-year-old Tomas Martinez-Maldonado, who is charged with a felony in the alleged Sept. 27 attack aboard a bus in Geary County. He is being held in the Geary County jail in Junction City, which is about 120 miles west of Kansas City.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, from Iowa and chairman of the judiciary committee, co-signed a Dec. 9 letter with Moran and Roberts to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, calling it "an extremely disturbing case" and questioning how Martinez-Maldonado was able to re-enter and remain in the country.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it has placed a detainer  a request to turn Martinez-Maldonado over to ICE custody before he is released  with Geary County. ICE declined to discuss his specific case beyond its October statement regarding the 10 deportations.

Court filings show Martinez-Maldonado has two misdemeanor convictions for entering without legal permission in cases prosecuted in 2013 and 2015 in U.S. District Court of Arizona, where he was sentenced to serve 60 days and 165 days respectively.

A status hearing in the rape case is scheduled for Jan. 10. Defense attorney Lisa Hamer declined to comment on the charge, but said, "criminal law and immigration definitely intersect and nowadays it should be the responsibility of every criminal defense attorney to know the possible ramifications in the immigration courts."

Nationwide, 52 percent of all federal prosecutions in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 were for entry or re-entry without legal permission and similar immigration violations, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

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It's not unusual to see immigrants with multiple entries without legal permission, said David Trevino, a Topeka immigration attorney who has provided legal advice to Martinez-Maldonado's family. Most of Martinez-Maldonado's family lives in Mexico, but he also has family in the United States, and the family is "devastated," Trevino said.

"(President-elect Donald Trump) can build a wall 100 feet high and 50 feet deep, but it is not going to keep family members separated. So if someone is deported and they have family members here ... they will find a way back  whether it is through the air, under a wall, through the coast of the United States," Trevino said.

He declined to comment on Martinez-Maldonado's criminal history and pending charge.

Records obtained by AP show Martinez-Maldonado had eight voluntary removals before his first deportation in 2010, which was followed by another voluntary removal that same year. He was deported five more times between 2011 and 2013.

In 2013, Martinez-Maldonado was charged with entering without legal permission, a misdemeanor, and subsequently deported in early 2014 after serving his sentence. He was deported again a few months later, as well as twice in 2015  including the last one in October 2015 after he had served his second sentence, the records show.

ICE said in an emailed statement that when it encounters a person who's been deported multiple times or has a significant criminal history and was removed, it routinely presents those cases to the U.S. attorney's office for possible criminal charges.

Cosme Lopez, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Arizona, declined comment on why prosecutors twice dismissed felony re-entry after deportation charges against Martinez-Maldonado in 2013 and 2015 in exchange for guilty pleas on misdemeanor entry charges.

Arizona ranks third in the nation  behind only the Southern District of Texas and the Western District of Texas  for the number of immigration prosecutions among the nation's 94 federal judicial districts for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse records show.

Moran told the AP in an email that the immigration system is "broken."

"There must be serious legislative efforts to address U.S. immigration policy, and we must have the ability to identify, prosecute and deport illegal aliens who display violent tendencies before they have an opportunity to perpetrate these crimes in the United States," he said.

___

This version of the story corrects Trevino's relationship to Martinez-Maldonado.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  Miley Cyrus and her fiancee, Liam Hemsworth, have brought some holiday cheer to patients at a San Diego children's hospital.

On Instagram on Thursday, Cyrus posted selfies with patients and other highlights of the couple's trip to Rady Children's Hospital. She thanked the hospital staff for their dedication and to bettering the lives and health of the patients Cyrus called "the beautiful youngins."

Cyrus made the visit partly to promote her Happy Hippie Foundation; she dressed the part by wearing a green outfit with a hippie-like floral print.

The foundation website says it hopes to draw support to fight injustice faced by homeless and LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable groups.
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are giving back this holiday season.

Just days before ringing in the New Year, the love birds headed to the Rady Childrens Hospital in San Diego, California, to spread some much-needed cheer to the sick patients.

Cyrus, 24, uploaded a slew of Instagram photos of the visit, showing herself and Hemsworth, 26, alongside the children.

Queen Warrior!!!! Yes you are!!!!! Cyrus captioned a photo of herself and Hemsworth with a young girl  all of them sporting wide smiles.

She teased the visit earlier in the day, uploading a selfie to Instagram and writing, Its a VERY special day for @happyhippiefdn !!!! Will fill yall in SOOOOON! Cant wait to share.

Hospital officials were thrilled with the visit too, sharing a video slideshow filled with pictures of the couple with the children on Facebook.

Today we received a surprise special visit from a couple of people you might recognize, hospital officials wrote alongside the video. Thank you to Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth and The Happy Hippie Foundation for bringing joy and laughter to our patients!

Liam Hemsworth Wishes Little Angel Miley Cyrus a Happy 24th Birthday on Instagram

The engaged couple have been full of holiday cheer in recent weeks.

Cyrus and the Australian actor celebrated Christmas early with a family Christmas Eve bash alongside Cyrus parents  Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus  and her siblings Trace, Noah, Brandi and Braison.




A 75-year-old Louisiana man was reported missing on Christmas Day and discovered dead two days later in a trash bin on his back porch, PEOPLE confirms.

A 23-year-old man has since been accused of his murder. Jeffery Lee Marks was arrested Tuesday and charged with killing Howard Poche in Jeanerette, Louisiana.

Members of Poches church congregation called authorities soon after he failed to show up for an 8 a.m. Christmas mass. A well-known member of the community, Poche reportedly rode his bike to church every Sunday morning and volunteered as an usher.

Court records show Marks is being held without bail. Authorities said it appears Marks did not know Poche, according to The Advocate.

A bloody knife was found in Poches home, which also had other evidence of blood, according to the paper.

Police believe theyve determined a motive in the killing, but are not releasing that information at this time. They said they were tipped off to Marks alleged involvement by an anonymous source, the Advocate reports.

 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.

Authorities arrived at Poches home to find his housekeeper, Michele King, allegedly cleaning up a considerable amount of blood, according to court records.

King has also been taken into custody but on unrelated charges, according to court records. Police say it is possible King could face charges connected to Poches slaying. She and Marks reportedly know each other, according to the Advocate.

It was unclear if either King or Marks has entered a plea or retained an attorney. The investigation is ongoing.

Poches family could not be reached. Howard was a person that everyone in Jeanerette knew and just a good person to everyone, one friend told the Advocate.




Newly released court documents, obtained by PEOPLE, detail the violent death of Tricia McCauley  who vanished in Washington, D.C., while on her way to a Christmas dinner  and her suspected killers statements following his arrest.

Adrian Duane Johnson, the 29-year-old who is accused of McCauleys murder, told police a bizarre story after he was taken into custody, according to the documents: He claimed McCauley, 46, killed herself after the two met on Christmas, had sex and she said he could have all of her money.

An autopsy revealed that McCauley died from ligature strangulation and blunt force trauma. Police have dismissed Johnsons claims about the circumstances of her death.

She was suicidal and hung herself in the car, Johnson told officers shortly after they spotted him standing by McCauleys white Scion IQ outside a CVS Pharmacy in D.C. at 11:19 p.m. on Monday, as hundreds of her friends and acquaintances scoured the city for the vibrant woman who worked as an herbalist and yoga instructor.

When questioned by police about why he had been spotted driving her car, Johnson said that prior to killing herself, told that he could have all her belongings, including credit cards, money and her car.

In the hours after her death, Johnson drove around the city, making purchases with McCauleys credit cards as her body lay in the backseat, he told police. At one point, he even picked up a prostitute.

He told police that the reason he kept McCauleys body in the car was because he was convinced she was sleeping and might wake.

Her bruised body was discovered wedged in the backseat of her vehicle, authorities say. Her legs had been tied together, her stockings and underwear torn and her body showed signs of being sexually assaulted.

PEOPLE has been unable to reach McCauleys family, but her friends have remembered her as a beautiful spirit who was in good spirits the day she vanished. She appeared in several D.C. stage productions and worked as Jenna Dewan Tatums stand-in in Step Up.

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She loved to laugh and find the light in every situation, one friend said. She lived everything fully.

 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.

Immediately after his arrest, questions were raised over why Johnson  who has a lengthy arrest history, including for theft and assault  was allowed to be walking free.

Days before McCauleys slaying, a local judge ordered him to begin wearing a GPS monitor after being arrested for theft on Dec. 17 at a CVS store. But he was reportedly not wearing the monitor at the time of his arrest.

Johnsons next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 13. He has reportedly not entered a plea and remains in custody. It was unclear if he has retained an attorney.




A 29-year-old Indiana woman who was charged three months ago with smothering her two children to death has penned a letter to the judge in her case admitting guilt and expressing her readiness to serve a lifelong prison term, PEOPLE confirms.

Amber Pasztors letter was dated Dec. 14 but was only filed with the court Tuesday, a court official tells PEOPLE.

The letter was obtained by multiple news outlets, including the Journal Gazette, Tribune News Services, WANE and WNDU.

Pasztor wrote to Elkhart Circuit Court Judge Terry Shewmaker and said she made a lot of bad decisions in my life but this one really did it  I am guilty and I accept my consequences, the court official confirms.

Pasztor faces two counts of murder in the Sept. 26 killings of her estranged children, 7-year-old Liliana Hernandez and 6-year-old Rene Pasztor.

The brother and sister were killed after being abducted from their grandparents, who had legal custody of their grandchildren, police have said. Their abduction prompted a statewide AMBER Alert.

The bodies of both children found in a car behind the police department in Elkhart, Indiana.

Pasztor lost custody of her children a year and a half ago, her family previously told PEOPLE, because she allegedly had substance abuse problems and threatened to harm the children, according to both her mother and her step-grandmother.

Pasztor faces a life sentence if convicted.

Judge Shewmaker has yet to make a ruling on the letter but has postponed the start of Pasztors trial date because of it, calling for additional competency testing.

But she declined further psychiatric visits in her letter, according to WANE, writing, I want to plead guilty to the two counts of murder. I am competent and I refuse to see another psych doctor. I accept life with no parole.

Pasztors trial was to start in late January. It has been moved to March 20.

Her attorneys could not be reached for comment.




Shannon Watts remembers how scared her then-12-year-old son was after the 2012 mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

He went to see the Batman movie right after the shooting, and he thought he was going to get attacked in the theater, she tells PEOPLE. He started having panic attacks and nightmares.

When a Sandy Hook elementary school was rocked by a shooting months later, Watts thought, Ive got to protect him from this because its going to send him back to where he was after the shooting in Aurora.

But when she sat down and told him what happened, she was shocked by his reaction: He said, Well, this is what happens in America.  He believed that mass shootings have become sort of a common occurrence.

To me, that was even more concerning than being fearful, Watts says.

After the Sandy Hook massacre, the stay-at-home mother of five decided to do something. Like so many other mothers in this country, I was incredulous and devastated that 26 Americans could be slaughtered in the sanctity of an elementary school, she says. I was also angry.

 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 day after the shooting, Watts went online to find a way to get involved. Finding nothing, she started a Facebook page called One Million Moms for Gun Control.

She soon got hundreds  then thousands  of likes on the page.

So many moms had that same idea that day, Watts says. It was like lighting in a bottle.

The gun lobby managed to make gun extremists wrongly afraid that their guns would be taken away, she says. But moms are afraid our children are going to be taken away. Thats the emotion that helps us wake up every single day as volunteers.

I am a patriotic American, Watts says, adding that she is not anti-gun. Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II.

But, she adds: Its clear gun laws work. The data shows that.

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 For more on Shannon Watts work to reduce gun violence, subscribe to PEOPLE or pick up this weeks issue, on newsstands today.

Renamed Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, the group grew to 130,000 members in its first year, with chapters in every state.

In 2013, MDA partnered with Mayors Against Illegal Guns. A year later, both organizations became part of Everytown for Gun Safety. Combined, MDA and Everytown have three million members who email and write letters, make calls and turn up in person, en masse, to advocate for measures designed to reduce gun violence.

So many moms started showing up  with their children in tow  that the MDA began holding Stroller Jams.

This would create such a logjam in the statehouses, that lawmakers couldnt get by without talking to us, Watt says.

MDA has helped persuade companies such as Starbucks and Target to stop allowing guns to be brought into their stores. The group also got Facebook and Instagram to prohibit private, unlicensed gun sales on their platforms and helped get background check laws passed in seven states.

There is still a lot to do, Watts says.




By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - A year ago, the mosquito-borne Zika virus was only beginning to reveal itself as a threat to pregnant women and their unborn babies. Since then, U.S. officials have issued 60 travel alerts along with guidance for athletes and tourists traveling to the Olympics in Rio. They have also deployed more than 1,000 experts to Puerto Rico and elsewhere, tested more than 147,000 lab specimens, initiated 25 major studies and issued more than 230 scientific publications. And the work is not done, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We have a lot more to do to control both Zika and diseases spread by this mosquito," Frieden told Reuters in an interview. Frieden, appointed by President Barack Obama to run the CDC in 2009, will hand in his resignation on Jan. 20, the day of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. The former New York City health commissioner will not say what he plans next. He did share his wish list for the incoming president and Congress which contains several items, not least of which is a public health emergency fund. "We've dealt with Ebola, H1N1 influenza, MERS, fungal meningitis. We're dealing now with influenza and drug-resistant bacteria," he said. And then there was Zika, the first-ever mosquito-borne virus shown to be capable of causing birth defects. The virus has spread to more than 60 countries and territories since the current outbreak was identified last year in Brazil. "We don't know when the next global health threat will come. We don't know where it will come from. We don't know what pathogen it will be, but we are 100 percent certain that there will be a next one," he said. Frieden said U.S. health officials must continue to warn pregnant women about the risks of Zika and the need to protect themselves, avoiding travel to places where the virus is active. Scientists also need to continue ongoing studies on the long-term effects of Zika exposure. Besides microcephaly, a severe birth defect marked by abnormally small head size, fetal exposure to Zika has been linked to vision and hearing problems, severe irritability, trouble swallowing, epilepsy and hypertonia, or excessively stiff muscle tone. "It's a startlingly complex infection," he said. Better diagnostics are also needed, he said, along with more effective pesticides and other mosquito control methods. FUNDING FIGHT It took nine months of political wrangling for U.S. lawmakers to approve $1.1 billion in emergency funds to fight Zika. Health experts said the delay hurt the U.S. effort to fight the virus. This problem that could be addressed through a proposed Rapid Reserve Fund that could be tapped in case of an infectious disease emergency, Frieden said. A $300 million reserve fund was included in the House version of the fiscal 2017 budget, but in December, Congress passed a stop-gap funding bill that runs through March. "I really would hope that come April, if a budget is passed, it will include the Rapid Reserve Fund plan that was outlined in the House bill, which ideally would also have some spending authorities that would enable the government to act quickly in an emergency," Frieden said. Although Trump has not said much on the subject, he did single out public health workers as being exempt from a hiring freeze he has planned for the first 100 days of his administration. "It is certainly encouraging," Frieden said, adding that it reflects a recognition that public health, like public safety, "is about keeping Americans safe." (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by David Gregorio)
President-elect Donald Trumps plans for his inauguration have hit another bump in the road. A member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which is slated to perform at the event, has quit in protest and penned an open letter explaining her reasoning.

Jan Chamberlin announced her resignation from the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints-affiliated choir in a note on Facebook on Thursday. In the letter, which is addressed to the choirs leader and her family and friends, Chamberlin said that after reflection and prayer and with a sad and heavy heart, she is resigning her position in the choir.

I know the goodness of your hearts. And your desire to go out there and show that we are politically neutral and share good will. she wrote to her fellow choir members. I also know, looking from the outside in, it will appear that Choir is endorsing tyranny and fa[s]cism by singing for this man.

While an LDS Church spokesman told the Salt Lake Tribune that choir members are not required to participate in the inauguration ceremonies, apparently that wasnt enough for Chamberlin.

For me, this is a HUGELY moral issue, she wrote, going on to say that she is very patriotic, and joined the choir to honor her father, who hated tyranny and was extremely distraught over the holocaust. She now fears history is repeating itself, writing, Tyranny is now on our doorstep.

She adds, I only know I could never throw roses to Hitler. And I certainly could never sing for him.

She ended by noting, My heart is shattered and broken. but my conscience is clear. And THAT, really is all that matters.

This open letter comes just a week after it was announced that the Radio City Rockettes would also be performing at the inauguration, despite protests from the dancers.
RACINE  A Racine man was arrested Wednesday after he was hit with a Taser twice while reportedly trying to run from police.

Steven A. Jedkins, 27, of the 3900 block of Colorado Court, was pulled over for a suspended license Wednesday near the intersection of 3 Mile Road and LaSalle Street, according to the criminal complaint.

Jedkins allegedly told police he did not know his license was suspended. The officers attempted to place Jedkins in the back of the squad, but he broke free of their grasp and reportedly began to flee on foot.

The officers caught up to Jedkins who reportedly attempted to head-butt an officer and was combative. One officer then hit Jedkins with a Taser, sending him to the ground. But Jedkins was again combative and hit with a Taser again, the complaint said.

Jedkins was taken to the hospital and allegedly told officers he ran because he wanted to use the phone.

Jedkins faces one felony charge for escaping and one misdemeanor charge for resisting or obstructing an officer. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on 8:30 a.m. Jan. 4 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.
UPDATE: 7:46 a.m. EST  Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that no American diplomats would be expelled in retaliation to Washington's move as a punitive measure against alleged Russian state-backed hacking to influence the U.S. presidential election.

While we reserve the right to respond, we will not drop to this level of irresponsible diplomacy, and we will make further steps to help resurrect Russian-American relations based on the policies that the administration of D. Trump will pursue, Putin reportedly said, in a statement on the Kremlins website.

Putin also reportedly invited all the children of American diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas Tree in the Kremlin, and wished President Barack Obama, President-elect Donald Trump and the American people a happy new year.

Earlier Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had recommended that Russia expel U.S. diplomats after Washington gave Russian diplomats 72 hours to leave the country, and closed down two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.

Original story:

After declaring that it will respond to any hostile steps taken by the United States, Russia closed an international day school in Moscow on Thursday as the first indication of retaliation against the Obama administrations sanctions against the country announced the same day.

Russian authorities ordered the shutting down of the Anglo-American School of Moscow, a U.S. official familiar with the matter told CNN. The school serves children of U.S., British and Canadian embassy personnel and is chartered by the respective embassies in Moscow. The school, which is currently on winter break, has about 1,250 students from 60 countries.

The order from the Russian government also closed access to the U.S. embassy vacation house in Serebryany Bor, 10 miles west of Moscow.

The Obama administration announced a series of retaliatory measures against Russia on Thursday after U.S. intelligence agencies found that Russian hackers took information from Democratic Party computers and individuals and leaked it, potentially influencing the U.S. presidential elections.

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The measures  backed by both democrats and a number of republicans  included the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the U.S. and the closure of two facilities used by the Russians.

Russias cyberactivities were intended to influence the election, erode faith in US democratic institutions, sow doubt about the integrity of our electoral process, and undermine confidence in the institutions of the US government, a White House statement said. These actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said allegations that his country interfered in the election are baseless. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reportedly said the expulsion will be met with similar steps but no further details were provided immediately. Russias embassy in the United Kingdom  after the sanctions were announced  tweeted that President Barack Obamas actions were Cold War deja vu, referring to his administration as hapless.

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It's been a busy year for NASA, which has been pushing frontiers in robotic space exploration, human missions, scientific research and more. Here are some of the projects that the space agency pursued in 2016.

Solar system

NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully reached Jupiter on July 4. While robotic spacecraft have visited the planet many times before, Juno will focus on learning more about the gas giant's atmosphere, magnetosphere, origins and structure.

The agency also launched an asteroid-sampling mission called Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-Rex). The probe is heading out to visit asteroid Bennu and is expected to return in 2023 with a sample of the space rock, which will help scientists better understand the early solar system.

Construction of the James Webb Space Telescope was completed in November, putting the largest-ever space telescope right on track for its launch date in 2018. The instrument's primary mirror segment was assembled in February at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Now the telescope  which is expected to reveal information about the origins of the universe  is being readied for transport to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where the instrument will undergo pre-launch tests in 2017.

NASA unveiled its newly completed James Webb Space Telescope on Nov. 2, 2016, after more than 20 years of construction. The telescope is the largest ever built, with its shiny, golden mirror assembly spanning 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) in diameter. Webb will be launched into orbit in 2018, when it will replace the aging Hubble Telescope and capture new images of the cosmos. NASA/Chris Gunn

NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) got the formal thumbs-up to start the mission design this year. Using a Hubble-class telescope that once was intended for spying, the mission will allow astronomers to study dark matter, dark energy and the universe's evolution. WFIRST is expected to launch in the mid-2020s.

The Kepler mission, which searches for planets outside the solar system, verified 1,284 newfound alien planets in May of this year. Kepler's long-term goal is to find a planet like Earth, circling a star like the sun.

Closer to home, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope caught a glimpse of the elusive water vapor plumes erupting from Europa, Jupiter's icy, ocean-harboring moon. Europa's underground ocean has twice as much water as Earth and could be a good spot to look for life.

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NASA's long-running robotic missions Cassini (at Saturn) and New Horizons (which flew by Pluto in 2015) also achieved major milestones. Cassini entered its final year of operations and is looking at Saturn's rings up-close before a planned crash into the planet in April 2017. New Horizons beamed the last of its Pluto data to Earth in October and is currently sailing on to a Kuiper Belt object known as 2014 MU69, which the probe will reach in 2019.

Other milestones include:

Research in May showing that solar explosions may have sparked life on Earth 4 billion years ago

NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) winning a Guinness World Record for the highest altitude fix of a GPS signal, at 43,500 miles (70,000 kilometers)

Reorganizing of NASA's near-Earth object tracking program under the new Planetary Defense Coordination Office

International Space Station

Two space travelers  NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko  concluded nearly a year in space (340 days) on March 1, when the men returned safely to Earth. NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in November, is set to become the U.S. astronaut with the most cumulative time spent in space, exceeding Jeff Williams' record of 534 days, achieved in 2016. Whitson will also be the first woman to command the ISS twice.

Orbital ATK and SpaceX successfully launched four missions to the ISS in 2016 replete with supplies and equipment. Two of the most notable experiments were Saffire-I and Saffire-II, which examined fire in microgravity inside uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft after they'd undocked from the space station and were falling back to Earth. Also, a billion base pairs of DNA were sequenced for the first time by astronauts aboard the orbiting lab. Three Russian and one Japanese cargo re-supply missions also launched to the space station, but one Russian Progress spacecraft failed during launch, in December.

An inflatable module called BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity Module) was successfully deployed on the ISS in May on the second try. The module will run for two years to test whether it is feasible to use inflatables on deep-space missions. [An Inflatable Space Room: The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module in Pictures]

The Commercial Crew Program continues as Boeing and SpaceX do the final designs, manufacturing and testing of their vehicles to launch crewed spacecraft from U.S. soil. The ISS will also undergo changes to accommodate the new spacecraft, like the International Docking Adapter installed earlier this year.

Journey to Mars

NASA has said it hopes to send humans to Mars in the 2030s. The agency is still selecting the next class of astronauts, who will be flying into space during that time frame and will arrive at NASA in summer 2017 for training. A record-breaking 18,300 Americans applied to become astronauts in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Space Launch System  NASA's next-generation rocket for deep-space missions  is still expected to launch in late 2018, along with the Orion spacecraft. The Kennedy Space Center has been upgraded to support this flight.

NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission hit a milestone in August when it left the planning phase and moved on to further design and development. It's possible that cubesats, or microsatellites, will fly along with this mission, following on from 13 cubesats expected to launch with the SLS and Orion in 2018.

While the Insight lander's 2016 launch to Mars was delayed, the spacecraft is now on track for a landing in 2018 to put a drill in the planet's surface. The Mars 2020 rover has been approved for final design and construction. NASA has also asked five private spaceflight companies to come up with concepts for a potential future Mars orbiter, which will include upgrades in telecommunications and will provide high-resolution images of the Red Planet.

The Curiosity rover found chemicals suggesting that Mars had more oxygen in its distant past than it does now. The rover also looked at active sand dunes and picked its own rock targets using a laser spectrometer. Two Mars rovers, Curiosity and Opportunity, also tested a radio relay with the European Trace Gas Orbiter after that probe's arrival at Mars in November.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is being used to take high-resolution pictures of potential landing sites for future human and robotic missions. Scientists are looking at seasonal dark streaks called recurring slope lineae, which are possible signs of liquid water. MRO also found evidence of an ice deposit beneath the Utopia Planitia feature on Mars; the deposit contains as much water as Lake Superior (the largest Great Lake.)

Earth, aeronautics, tech and public outreach

NASA's Earth-observing activities include:

Looking at global sea-level rise with the new Jason-3 mission, which will also help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) better forecast tropical cyclones

Launching Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R) on Nov. 19: The satellite is expected to improve weather-forecasting capabilities.

Launching the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission on Dec. 15: The mission sent a swarm of eight satellites to study weather patterns and improve hurricane forecasts.

Preparing the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) experiment, which will document Earth's ozone layer, for launch: Both Sage III and another storm-monitoring instrument, called the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS), will launch to the International Space Station next year.

Learning how much water is stored on planet Earth through the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) twin satellites

NASA's aeronautics research activities include:

Developing a passenger jet called QueSST that flies at supersonic speeds without creating a sonic boom

Testing "green" technologies with X-planes, such as the X-57 Maxwell, an experimental aircraft that has 14 propellers

Partnering with the Department of Transportation to streamline airplane traffic at Charlotte Douglas International Airport as part of the Obama administration's NextGen initiative

Testing how to safely manage traffic for uncrewed aircraft systems by flying 22 drones at six test sites across the country

Selecting five green aviation-technology concepts for further study, including alternative fuel cells and ways to change an aircraft wing's shape in flight

NASA's technology work includes:

Choosing three companies to develop the technology for robotic manufacturing and assembly in orbit

Pushing forward research on solar electric propulsion, which will cut spaceflight costs by using more efficient technology and which has already been demonstrated in space on the Dawn mission to the asteroid belt

Launching a self-contained, wax-based heat exchanger to the ISS to better regulate temperatures in spacecraft

Moving dozens of NASA's patents into the public domain

NASA's citizen science and public activities include:

Participating in many public events, including those related to the "Star Trek" 50th anniversary

Communicating via social media: NASA's 20 million followers on Twitter make it the most-followed agency in the federal government. The agency also started using Snapchat, Pinterest and GIPHY.

Launching 28 citizen scientist challenges, which brought in almost 122,000 participants: Some of these challenges included a Vascular Tissue Challenge for regenerative medicine on long-term space missions and the "Star Trek" Replicator Challenge for preparing food in space.

Honoring women, especially African-Americans, who participated in early NASA missions by providing resources and other input for the making of the new movie "Hidden Figures"

Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace, or Space.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Photo: Courtesy of CMT

Back in the 80s and 90s, producing team Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz were two of the biggest names in television, overseeing such acclaimed series as Thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again. While never ratings blockbusters during their initial airings, those shows have each cast a long shadow of influence on subsequent generations of TV dramas; in fact, you can chart a direct line from Thirtysomething to this seasons breakout hit, This Is Us.

Years of watching their shows end before their time took their toll, though, and the duo made a conscious decision to take an extended break from TV. Now, after a nearly decadelong absence, theyre stepping back into that arena as the new showrunners of Nashville, the country music drama that recently relocated from ABC to CMT for its fifth year.

Related: Ken Tucker Reviews the Nashville Season 5 Premiere

It was kind of an unexpected experiment, Zwick tells Yahoo TV about his and Herskovitzs first experience taking over a long-running series. Someone at Lionsgate [the studio that produces Nashville] offered it to us, and we thought it might be fun  forgetting, of course, that kind of work is rarely only fun, its really work! But were doing it, and Id like to think that were going to put our own stamp on it. With the 30th anniversary of Thirtysomething looming in 2017, we asked Zwick for his memories of that formative series, as well as his other acclaimed TV credits.

Thirtysomething (ABC, 1987-1991)

On the timeline of TV dramas, theres before Thirtysomething and after Thirtysomething. Zwick and Herskovitzs groundbreaking ensemble series took a deep dive into the daily lives of an extended group of adult friends still adjusting to the rat race of the 80s after partying through the heady days of the 70s. During its critically acclaimed four-season run, the show touched on issues like adultery and the gender divide in the workplace.

Whats interesting to me is how many shows there are now that [focus on] a group of people in relationships. At the time we made Thirtysomething, that seemed radical; TV was all about doctors, lawyers, and franchises. There are still franchises now, but the idea of a humanist franchise is legitimate, and I think thats a legacy of what we did. If we were going to try to do something like that again, there would be the risk of it seeming to be not unlike some of the things people are doing. Id like to think wed do it our own way, and I take pleasure in seeing how that kind of show has become a kind of staple of television after working in a time when it wasnt.

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My So-Called Life (ABC, 1994-1995)

The Thirtysomething writers room exposed Zwick and Herskovitz to such emerging talents as Winnie Holzman, who they tapped to create a series that would provide a realistic account of what its like to be a modern teenager. What Marshall and Ed pitched to me was, Lets do a show about a young teenage girl and make it as authentic as we can, Holzman told Elle earlier this year. The result was perhaps too painfully authentic for some, as My So-Called Life only lasted 19 episodes. But those who watched it never forgot it, and its impact can be seen on almost every teen drama made since.

The funny thing about My So-Called Life is that, at the time, it seemed like a radical notion that anyone might be interested in teenagers! To say that now sounds so preposterous, because the whole culture seems, in many ways, oriented towards that age group. We were determined to cast a real teenager and to try to be authentic to our recollection of the experience, while also doing research by hanging out in high schools to get as close as we could to that reality. Had we not found Claire [Danes], the show wouldnt have had that same extraordinary quality, and Winnies voice, as well as the other writers, really hit home as well. Whats funny to me is how few episodes we actually did. Maybe it was better that way; maybe it would have betrayed the promise of the show if wed had to do more.

Relativity (ABC, 1996-1997)

These days, producer Jason Katims is a TV veteran with such beloved shows as Friday Night Lights and Parenthood on his resume. But back in 1996, he was a writer looking for a break in the business, which arrived when Zwick and Herskovitz agreed to produce a series that could easily have been called Twentysomething. Kimberly Williams and David Conrad played a young couple who meet and fall in love during a whirlwind Italian vacation and then return to meet their respective families.

Jason, who had worked with us on My So-Called Life, created a show called Relativity  meaning your relatives. It had a lovely feel to it, but it was a little bit star-crossed in terms of its time slot and the competition against it. So it never got a chance to live as fully as it might have, but I think it was important to Jason and another fond memory for us.

Nashville (ABC, 2012-2016; CMT, 2016-present)

Zwick and Herskovitz were tasked with assuming control of Nashville  which was originally created by Callie Khouri, who remains creatively involved in the series  before its (temporary) cancellation by ABC. They subsequently followed the show to CMT, where fresh episodes will premiere on Jan. 5.

Obviously the thing that makes TV succeed or fail is the audiences investment in the characters. And I think what we might be able to do is concentrate more on character and less on plot. Its possible the audience will appreciate what were doing or not! Today, country music is really the last vestige of emotion and narrative [in music], so its possible that what were doing will dovetail nicely with Nashville, because Nashville itself is like the last artists colony in America. The idea of these people all involved in each others lives, and being supportive as well as backbiting, is an opportunity for us to talk about what has become of the music business and what its like to be an artist now.

Nashville premieres on Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. on CMT; new episodes will also be available on Hulu. My So-Called Life can be streamed for free on Yahoo View.
Queen Elizabeth II cancelled several planned events for Christmas because of her health condition, giving rise to speculation about who would be the next to sit on the British throne if the worlds longest-serving monarch steps down.

As false reports regarding the queens death circulate on the internet, the British monarchys future has been the subject of debate this week, including the line of succession. If the queen gives up her throne, retires or dies, the next in line to sit on the throne will be Prince Charles, the eldest son.

Prince Charles, 68, has been first in line to the throne since February 1952. If Charles, who has the title of Prince of Wales as well as the Duke of Rothesay and the Duke of Cornwall, becomes king, he will be the oldest heir to accede to the British throne. However, his wife Camilla will not be the queen. Charles married Camilla after their extramarital affair while he was still married to the late Princess Diana.

After Charles, his oldest son with Princess Diana  Prince William  is the next in line to the throne and will become the new Prince of Wales. Williams oldest child, George Alexander Louis, is third in line, followed by his daughter, Princess Charlotte.

Charles younger son Prince Harry is the fifth in line to the British throne.

british royals

Photo: REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski/Pool/File Photo

Historically, the crown is passed from the monarch to the eldest son but as King George VI had no son, Queen Elizabeth II, his daughter, ascended the throne. The Act of Settlement was changed in 2011 before Prince George was born so that the gender of the child would not affect succession.

There is also a debate over whether Prince Charles or Prince William should ascend to the throne. While the queen is currently enjoying her highest approval ratings in 20 years, Prince Charles isnt as popular among the masses.

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The Queen is immensely popular. Almost 20 years ago, when things were going badly for the royal familyspecifically after the death of Diana, and for at least a couple of years after that, a lot of the indicators looked pretty rocky. Anti-monarchists were confident their cause was gaining, Roger Mortimore, a professor of Public Opinion in the Institute of Contemporary British History at Kings College London, told Newsweek.

Prince Charless outspoken nature on a number of aspects like the environment could raise issues causing the crown to suffer for it, according to John Lloyd, journalist and co-founder of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University.

According to Lloyd, William could rise as a potential alternative because of his likeability, but in the unlikely case that Charles is passed over for his son, the Duke of Cambridge would face an uphill task.

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Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip are both fighting a "heavy cold," as well as some vicious online rumors the 90-year-old queen died and a media blackout was covering up the news. The Buckingham Palace was forced to report Friday that both members of the royal family were alive and recovering from their sickness after a parody BBC Twitter account falsely claimed the palace announced the queens death.

"The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh continue to recover from their heavy colds," The Palace spokesman said in a statement. Concern for the queens health has gone viral after her absence from the Christmas day church service at Sandringham in Norfolk, reportedly the first time shes ever missed the event since the 1960s.

"The Queen continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery," the Palace reported at the time. "Her Majesty will participate in the Royal Family Christmas celebrations during the day."

Both the queen and the duke of Edinburgh have kept a low profile since falling ill, traveling to their Christmas celebrations together by helicopter to Sandringham, with the Palace reporting the two had been feeling a "little better" but were modifying travel plans for comfort.

But the queen does seem to be preparing to slow down. Elizabeth stepped down as patron from nearly 20 separate charities and organizations "to lighten her work load," The Huffington Post reported Sunday. Both she and her husband have reduced their work in the public eye throughout 2016, ending the year completely almost completely withdrawn from their annual activities.

RTX2WFN5

Photo: Reuters

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Meanwhile, the queens prerecorded Christmas message went on as planned, in which Queen Elizabeth II shared her inspirations throughout the year. Those included Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as "ordinary people doing extraordinary things."

"To be inspirational, you dont have to save lives or win medals," the queen said.

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Aleksander Bortnikov, head of the Russian Federal Security Service, at President Vladimir Putins meeting last August with the Russian Security Council in Moscow. (Photo: Russian Look via ZUMA Wire)

In what White House officials portrayed as tough retaliation for Russias cyberattack on the U.S. election, President Obama on Thursday evicted 35 suspected Russian spies from the country and imposed economic sanctions on four top officials of the countrys military intelligence service.

But the administrations newly imposed sanctions list contains a striking omission: Aleksander Bortnikov, Russias top spy. As chief of the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB (Russias successor to the Soviet KGB), Bortnikov heads the spy agency that launched his countrys cyberattack on the members of the Democratic National Committee and other U.S. political figures nearly a year and a half ago, according to a newly released joint FBI-Department of Homeland Security report.

Yet while the FSB itself and Russias military intelligence agency, the GRU (as well as three of its private contractors), were subject to sanctions, the list of individuals facing potential economic reprisals if they come to the United States was selective: Igor Korobov, current chief of the GRU and three of his top deputies were targeted (even though there is little evidence they actually come to the U.S.) Yet Bortnikov  a more significant player who last year attended a White House summit on countering the threat of violent extremism  and other high-ranking FSB officials were untouched by the new Treasury Department sanctions, underscoring what some critics say are the limits of the administrations response.

This was a good step, but there is one person who should have been named, and thats Bortnikov, said David Kramer, a former senior State Department official who is now the senior director for Human Rights and Democracy at the McCain Institute for International Leadership, a global security and human rights think tank that is overseen by some of Sen. John McCains longtime political allies and aides.

The decision to leave Bortnikov off the sanctions list shows the delicate balancing act administration officials engaged in as they grappled with how to respond to what they viewed as unprecedented interference by Moscow in the U.S. political process. But some feared that an excessive response might set off a collision with President Vladimir Putins government and damage U.S. interests in the Mideast and elsewhere.

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Although consideration was given to including Bortnikov on the sanctions lost, it was resisted by U.S. intelligence agencies that have, at times and to a limited degree, received cooperation from the FSB, especially on terrorism issues, said sources familiar with the debate. U.S. intelligence agencies never wanted to go after [Bortnikov] directly, said one official involved in the administrations deliberations.

Just how closely U.S. officials have been willing to try to work with Bortnikov and the FSB was demonstrated in February 2015, when the Kremlins chief spy came to Washington as part of a Russian delegation attending a White House summit on countering violent extremism. Bortnikov took the opportunity to stress the need for the FSB and U.S. agencies to work together to combat the threat from the Islamic State. Current events are of such a serious nature that we need to unite, Bortnikov was quoted as saying at the time.

How much intelligence the FSB actually shares with the FBI and the CIA is far from clear. And when it does, it is an on-again, off-again affair, said Michael McFaul, who served as President Obamas ambassador to Moscow until 2014. When we are in a period that we are cooperating, he does, McFaul said in an interview with Yahoo News. When his boss [Putin] says we shouldnt, he doesnt. And when his boss says, we should harass U.S. diplomats, he does that, and he does outrageous things.

What is especially notable, in retrospect, about Bortnikovs appearance at last years White House summit is that it took place only four months before his agency unleashed the brazen Russian attack on the U.S. political system, according to the newly released FBI-Homeland Security report. That cybercampaign  code-named Grizzly Steppe in the report  began in June 2015, when Russian hackers identified as Advanced Persistent Threat 29 (U.S. sources say that is a reference to the FSB) sent more than 1,000 spear-phishing emails to U.S. government officials and political figures that contained attachments embedded with malicious computer codes.

The emails, the report says, were disguised as coming from legitimate U.S. organizations and educational institutions. At least one targeted individual was tricked into clicking on one of the attachments, enabling the FSB hackers to penetrate the computer network of the Democratic National Committee and begin stealing emails through encrypted connections that went unnoticed by the DNCs computer experts.

A U.S. official involved in the sanctions deliberations said that one reason Bortnikov was spared the sanctions list is because the GRU was judged to be the more serious offender. As spelled out in the FBI-DHS report, another set of Russian hackers, named APT 28 and associated with the GRU, unleashed another spear-phishing attack in the spring of 2016 that tricked recipients into changing their passwords, resulting in a second intrusion into DNC computers. That later attack resulted in the exfiltration of emails and other information from multiple senior party members that were later leaked to the press (through WikiLeaks and other websites) in an act that has been likened to information warfare.

Yet the U.S. official also acknowledged that U.S. agencies had some intelligence suggesting that the FSB may have assisted the GRU in the second wave attack, contradicting earlier reports indicating that the two intelligence agencies were acting on their own and even competing with each other.

Either way, the debate over whether to impose sanctions on Bortnikov may not matter, according to McFaul. The most important part of Thursdays announcement was the more robust attribution identifying the Russian government as being behind the cyberattacks  a step that should put an end to the silly debate about who was responsible, he said.

And the key decision maker in that action was not just any Russian intelligence official, said McFaul. Lets be clear: The guy who orchestrated the whole thing is Vladimir Putin, he said. Bortnikov works at the pleasure of Putin. They didnt sanction Bortnikov for the same reason they didnt sanction Putin  so they would have an interlocutor they could keep an open channel with.
- The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) suspended four Russian competitors as the fallout from a bombshell expose into state-backed doping at the 2014 Sochi Olympics took another twist. The R-Sport website, citing a source "close to the affair", named the four as Olga Potylitsina, Maria Orlova and Elena Nikitina who was a bronze medallist in women's skeleton at Sochi. It was claimed the fourth is 2014 men's gold medallist Aleksandr Tretyakov who was a bronze medal winner at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and world champion in 2013. TASS news agency quoted Russian bobsleigh federation president Alexander Zubkov expressing his "disagreement with this decision". The IBSF said they had acted after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had informed them investigations into alleged anti-doping rule violations in connection with the 2014 Olympics in Sochi had been opened.

AFP
Carl Paladino, a co-chairman of President-elect Donald Trumps campaign in New York, apologized Tuesday to the minority community for his remarks regarding President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama which appeared in Artvoice, a weekly publication in western New York, on Dec. 23.

In response to a questionnaire from Artvoice that asked people what they wanted to happen in 2017 and who they wanted to go away, Paladino said his main desire for the New Year was that President Obama would die after contracting mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Herford [sic]. He also wrote that he wanted Michelle Obama to go away and return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla. Paladinos remarks were quickly, and rightly, condemned by numerous politicians and a spokesman for Trumps presidential transition team, who called them absolutely reprehensible, Yahoo News reported Tuesday.

Paladinos son, William, rightly criticized his fathers comments as disrespectful and absolutely unnecessary. You may have eagerly voted against President Obama in 2008 and 2012. You may have disagreed with most, or all, of his policies and decisions. But what cannot be denied is that President Obama and the first lady have conducted themselves with grace and dignity for eight years, without ever stooping to the level of responding to the likes of Paladino. They have set an example for personal conduct in the White House, for representing the United States of America to the world, that President-elect Trump and his wife, Melania, would do well to emulate.

Its going around, apparently. One wouldnt think that Decembers religious holidays would lead people to be more reckless in their discussion of racial issues, but another example reared its head over the weekend. George Ciccariello-Maher, a Drexel University associate professor of politics and global studies, chose Christmas Eve to tweet: All I Want for Christmas is White Genocide.

The university in Philadelphia rightly reprimanded Ciccariello-Maher; while acknowledging its faculty members right to freely express their thoughts and opinions in public debate, it said that Ciccariello-Mahers comments are utterly reprehensible, deeply disturbing, and do not in any way reflect the values of the University. Ciccariello-Maher elaborated to Philly.com that white genocide is a term used by white supremacists to denounce everything from interracial relationships to multicultural policies.

He explained that his tweet was meant as a satirical tweet about an imaginary concept ... It is a figment of the racist imagination, it should be mocked, and Im glad to have mocked it. Ciccariello-Maher said Drexels statement reprimanding him lacked understanding either the content or the context of the tweets.

Topics with multiple layers and complexity shouldnt be reduced to satirical comments in a forum limited to 140 characters per comment. One would think an associate professor of politics and global studies at a respected university would know that.

Go jump in the lake  or just watch others do it. One of our local New Years Day traditions is the Polar Plunge, where brave (foolish?) souls take a dip in the icy waters of Lake Michigan for charity. The 2017 Splash and Dash Polar Plunge will be held at noon Sunday at North Beach, 100 Kewaunee St. Jumpers are asked to be on the beach by 11:45 a.m. Splash and Dash is a fund-and-food-raising event that benefits community organizations including the Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization, Racine County Food Bank, Hospitality Center and the Kiwanis Club Scholarship Program. There is no cost to jump, but jumpers are encouraged to collect pledges for their efforts. Donations will also be collected on jump day.

Checks should be made out to Splash and Dash Foundation. Pledge sheet participants will receive an event T-shirt and those with more than $150 in pledges will receive a beach towel on New Years Day. More information about the event, including pledge forms and tips for jumpers, is available at www.splashanddashracine.com. Support the jumpers, either out of your wallet or in person on Sunday.
Oscar Isaac paid tribute to Carrie Fisher in the most touching way

Following her sad passing, the star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Oscar Isaac, has paid tribute to Carrie Fisher with three touching Facebook posts.

Earlier this week (December 27th), it was sadly announced that Carrie Fisher, who played the iconic role of Princess, then General, Leia in Star Wars, had died aged 60 years old. Sadly since her passing, the actors mother, Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds, has also sadly passed away, too.

Beautiful homages for both stars have been pouring in from all around the world. In particular, Fishers Star Wars co-stars have been sharing their tributes to Fisher, who made her debut in the series in the 1977 film, A New Hope.

Now Carrie Fishers The Force Awakens co-star, Oscar Isaac, has paid tribute to the late-icon and its so touching.

Taking to Facebook, Isaac shared three personal photos from his time on set with Fisher while filming the latest Star Wars movies.

His first picture sees Fisher with her on-screen brother, Mark Hamill (who plays Luke Skywalker), and includes a moving caption.

She had no patience for pretense or small talk. She saw through things, at a different angle, with the gritty wisdom that comes from the hardest lessons. And, man, did she make me laugh.

Will miss you dearly, Carrie.

She had no patience for pretense or small talk. She saw through things, at a different angle, with the gritty wisdom... Posted by Oscar Isaac on Thursday, December 29, 2016

Oscar Isaac also sent his thoughts out to Fishers beloved French bulldog, Gary, who, it was reported, will be adopted by Carries daughter Billie Lourd.

Mr. Gary Fisher... whenever you and your mommy arrived all the lights shined brighter... Posted by Oscar Isaac on Thursday, December 29, 2016

Isaacs final picture sees both actors having a cuddle with Gary while Carrie is making a rude hand gesture. Basically, its a real representation of the spark she was.

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My heart breaks to hear the news of Carrie's passing. My thoughts are with her family. #maytheforcebewithyou Posted by Oscar Isaac on Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Oscar Isaac join the likes of Daisy Ridley, Star Wars newcomer John Boyega, Harrison Ford, and, of course, Mark Hamill, who have all shared memories and touching tributes to Carrie Fisher.

Meanwhile, its been revealed that Carrie Fisher will star in the upcoming yet-to-be-titled sequel to The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII. This means that Disney and LucasFilm may not have to address the actors passing until the final movie in the proposed trilogy.

The post Oscar Isaac paid tribute to Carrie Fisher in the most touching way appeared first on HelloGiggles.
DANVILLE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 30, 2016 / PEDEVCO Corp. d/b/a Pacific Energy Development (NYSE MKT: PED) (the "Company"), today announced the results of the Company's Annual Meeting of its stockholders held on December 28, 2016 (the "Annual Meeting"). At the Annual Meeting, over 66 2/3% of the Company's shareholders voted in person or by proxy, with an overwhelming majority of these shares voting in support of all the proposals submitted to the Company's shareholders for approval, including (i) the election of directors Messrs. Frank Ingriselli, David Z. Steinberg, and Adam McAfee, and Ms. Elizabeth P. Smith; (ii) the approval of the issuance of shares of common stock upon conversion of a convertible promissory note held by MIE Jurassic Energy Corp.; (iii) the increase to the Company's equity incentive pool; (iv) authorization of the Board to effect a reverse stock split in a ratio between one-for-two and one-for-ten; and (v) the ratification of the Company's independent auditors, GBH CPAs, PC.

Mr. Michael Peterson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, "We are very pleased with the significant number of shareholders who participated in our Annual Meeting, and with the overwhelming support of all the proposals presented for approval by our shareholders. In particular, we are pleased with the approval of the conversion terms of the MIEJ Note, which, if converted, would help reduce our debt, and with the approval of the reverse stock split proposal, which will allow the Company to proceed with a reverse stock split as recently required by the NYSE MKT for the Company's continued listing on the Exchange. I would also like to personally welcome Mr. Adam McAfee to our Board of Directors, and we look forward to his guidance and support into the future. With these matters now approved and the strong support of our shareholders, we believe we are poised to enter into the new year with positive momentum and anticipation for success."

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Company Receives Noncompliance Notice from the NYSE MKT

The Company also announced today that on December 27, 2016, the Company was notified by the NYSE MKT LLC (the "Exchange") that the Company is not in compliance with certain of the Exchange's continued listing standards as set forth in Part 10 of the NYSE MKT Company Guide (the "Company Guide"). Specifically, the Company is not in compliance with Section 1003(a)(iii) of the NYSE MKT Company Guide since it reported stockholders' equity of less than $6,000,000 at September 30, 2016 and has incurred net losses in its five most recent fiscal years ended December 31, 2015.

In order to maintain its listing on the Exchange, the Exchange has requested that the Company submit a plan of compliance (the "Plan") by January 27, 2017 addressing how it intends to regain compliance with Section 1003(a)(iii) of the Company Guide by June 27, 2018. If the Plan is accepted, the Company may be able to continue its listing, but will be subject to periodic reviews by the Exchange. Receipt of the letter does not have any immediate effect on the listing of the Company's shares on the Exchange, except that until the Company regains compliance with the Exchange's listing standards, a ".BC" indicator will be affixed to the Company's trading symbol. The Company's business operations, SEC reporting requirements and debt instruments are unaffected by the notification, provided that if the Plan is not acceptable, or if it is accepted, but the Company is not in compliance with the continued listing standards by June 27, 2018, or if the Company does not make progress consistent with the Plan, then the Company will be subject to the Exchange's delisting procedures. The Company may then appeal a staff determination to initiate such proceedings in accordance with the Exchange's Company Guide.

Mr. Peterson commented, "Although the recent trends in the market for oil and gas have negatively impacted our revenues and cash flow, and caused our stockholders' equity to dip below the $6 million NYSE MKT threshold, we plan to take action in early 2017, which we believe will enable us to meet the stockholders' equity requirement before the deadline set forth by the Exchange and further plan to prepare and file the Plan with the NYSE MKT, which we anticipate will be satisfactory and accepted."

About Pacific Energy Development (PEDEVCO Corp.)

PEDEVCO Corp, d/b/a Pacific Energy Development (NYSE MKT: PED), is a publicly-traded energy company engaged in the acquisition and development of strategic, high growth energy projects, including shale oil and gas assets, in the United States. The Company's principal asset is its D-J Basin Asset located in the D-J Basin in Colorado. Pacific Energy Development is headquartered in Danville, California, with an operations office in Houston, Texas.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that are not based on historical fact are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control, that could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth under Item 1A "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the heading "Risk Factors". The Company operates in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment, thus new or unforeseen risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the other various disclosures in the Company's public filings with the SEC.

Contacts

Pacific Energy Development

1-855-733-3826

PR@pacificenergydevelopment.com

SOURCE: Pacific Energy Development (PEDEVCO Corp.)
Deadline parent company Penske Media Corp and Robb Report owner Rockbridge Growth Equity have closed a deal to create a joint venture partnership in the luxury products and services brand. The aim is to grow the digital, live media and social platforms as well as the subscription business for Robb Report, which will join PMCs portfolio more than 20 media brands and over 80 annual events, summits, and live media which it owns and operates.

No terms were disclosed for the joint venture and PMCs investment, which is scheduled to close by the end of the first week in January. As part of the deal, Robb Reports New York operations will move into the PMC headquarters at 475 Fifth Avenue, and its Malibu operations will transition to the PMC Tower at 11175 Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Over the past four decades Robb Report has cemented its position as the worlds leading brand for luxury lifestyle, PMC chairman and CEO Jay Penske said. To bring the Robb Report onto the PMC digital platform is a remarkable opportunity to further propel this pioneering media brand.

Robb Report, founded in 1976, has 17 international editions and nine languages. Rockbridge acquired the brand in December 2014.

The partnership with PMC is a strong strategic fit and joining forces will accelerate and drive Robb Reports future growth, Rockbridge managing partner Brian Hermelin said. The joint venture and PMCs investment allows us to focus our combined energies on expanding Robb Reports digital capabilities as well as continuing to improve its print distribution channels and event activation to deliver optimal consumer and advertiser experiences.

PMCs portfolio of media brands includes Deadline, Variety and Hollywood Life. The Robb Report deal follows PMCs purchase of Fairchild Media (which includes WWD, FN, M and Beauty Inc.) from Conde Nast in 2014, and IndieWire.com in January 2016.

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Honigman Miller Schwartz provided legal counsel for Rockbridge and Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell on behalf of PMC.

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(Reuters) - The Philadelphia Zoo has euthanized a 25-year-old lioness believed to have been the oldest lion in the United States after the animal suffered an acute decline in mobility and behavior, the zoo said on Friday. Lioness Zenda, born at the Johannesburg Zoo in 1991, arrived in Philadelphia in 1993 and became a fan favorite over the years, the Philadelphia Zoo said in a statement. "This remarkable cat will be missed by staff and guests alike, particularly by the keepers who catered to her changing needs as she grew old, said Dr. Andy Baker, chief operating officer at the Philadelphia Zoo. The typical life expectancy of lions in zoos is 17 years, the zoo said. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Leslie Adler)
This week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that hed once thrown someone out of a helicopter  warning double-dealing politicians that he wouldnt hesitate to do the same to them.

If you are corrupt, I will fetch you using a helicopter to Manila and I will throw you out, Duterte declared during a televised speech to typhoon victims on Tuesday. I have done this before, why would I not do it again?

By Thursday, Duterte had backed away from the claim, first responding incredulously when asked about it during an interview with Philippine news channel ABS-CBN. He later denied the story to CNN Philippines, saying, We had no helicopter. We dont use that.

True or not, the helicopter story is just the latest in a growing record of outlandish, crass and often violent statements that have earned the Philippines president international headlines and plenty of condemnation at home and abroad.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Airport in Davao city, Philippines, September 2016. (Photo: Lean Daval Jr./Reuters)

If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself

The 71-year-old former mayor was elected president of the archipelago this spring after a campaign filled with profanity and threats of violence in a bloody war against drugs and crime.

Duterte briefly tempered his typically incendiary language for his first official speech after taking the oath of office in June, but by that night hed resumed threatening to kill drug addicts and even encouraged civilians to do so themselves.

These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, dont go into that, even if youre a policeman, because I will really kill you, the newly minted president told an audience of about 500 people in a Manila slum. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself, as getting their parents to do it would be too painful.

Police investigators inspect the body of a still-unidentified victim bound, wrapped in packaging tape, and dumped in a main thoroughfare in Pasay city, Philippines. (Photo: Jes Aznar/Getty Images)

Hitler massacred three million Jews.  Now there is three million drug addicts. Id be happy to slaughter them.

In September, Duterte made international headlines when he invoked Adolf Hitler while comparing his brutal drug war to the Holocaust.

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Hitler massacred three million Jews, he told reporters, incorrectly citing half the number of Jews actually killed under the Nazi regime. Now, there is three million drug addicts [in the Philippines]. Id be happy to slaughter them.

Police gather evidence during a shooting by unidentified gunmen in Manila. (Photo: Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images)

Please dont order me around

An average 1,015 people have been reportedly killed each month by police or vigilantes since Duterte took office on June 30. As of mid-December, the death toll in Dutertes war on drugs had reportedly surpassed 6,000  with the leader lashing out at anyone who dare try to get in his way.

The United Nations

In August, Duterte threatened to separate from the United Nations after two U.N. human rights experts called the Philippine presidents drug war an incitement to violence and killing, a crime under international law.

The European Union

Duterte dismissed the EU as hypocritical after the European Parliament condemned his violent antidrug initiative and urged him to stop the current wave of extrajudicial executions and killings this September.

Theyre taking the high ground to assuage their feelings of guilt, Duterte fired back, arguing that European leaders were simply trying to make up for the thousands of Arabs and others killed by their colonial predecessors. Now the EU has the gall to condemn me.

The Supreme Court of the Philippines

This August, Duterte went on television and announced who he believed to be narcos. His list included the names of several politicians, judges and police officers.

In a letter to the president, Maria Lourdes Sereno, chief justice of the Philippines Supreme Court, called the announcement premature and said shed recommend that the four judges on his list not report to the police until theyve been issued arrest warrants.

Please dont order me around, Duterte warned Sereno. Or would you rather that I declare martial law?

Alleged drug suspects cover their faces during a drug raid in Manila, Philippines. (Photo: Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images)

Son of a whore

Duterte was scheduled to meet with President Obama this September, while the two were in Laos for the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, summit. That was until the Philippine president called Obama a son of a whore.

The insult was hurled during a press conference ahead of the summit, when a reporter asked about the possibility that Obama might confront Duterte about the human rights concerns raised by his deadly drug war.

You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum, Duterte said, suggesting that he would not stand to be lectured about human rights. We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me.

The meeting was soon canceled, as Dutertes comments made Obama question whether such a meeting would be actually productive.

Duterte later expressed regret for insulting Obama, though it was hardly the first time hed called someone a son of a whore. In fact, he appears to throw the slur around quite often, using it to describe anyone from drug lords to the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, and even the pope.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines in December 2016. (Photo: Ezra Acayan/Reuters)

I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, The mayor should have been first.

Just one month before he was elected president, Duterte became the subject of widespread scrutiny after a video was posted on YouTube that showed him making jokes about a female missionary from Australia who was raped and killed during a prison riot in the southern city of Davao in 1989.

They raped all of the women.  There was this Australian lay minister.  When they took them out  I saw her face and I thought, Son of a bitch. What a pity  they raped her, they all lined up, Duterte, who was the mayor of Davao at the time, said in the video. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, The mayor should have been first.

When I take Viagra, it stands up.

At a campaign event in April, Duterte boasted about his womanizing and spoke unabashedly about his use of the little blue pill.

I was separated from my wife. Im not impotent. Duterte told a crowd of businessmen. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up.

Donald Trump is a bigot, I am not.

Despite their shared affinity for unfiltered, inflammatory rhetoric, Duterte rejected comparisons between his unconventional presidential campaign and that of Donald Trump.

Donald Trump is a bigot, I am not, Duterte told the Associated Press back in March.

Duterte appears to have at least softened his stance on Trump, reportedly promising to maintain  and enhance the bilateral ties between our two countries during a brief congratulatory call to the U.S. president-elect earlier this month.

Whether Dutertes deadly drug war came up during the seven minute conversation is unclear, though the two leaders reportedly extended invitations to each other to visit their respective countries next year.
A plane carrying three adults and three children vanished after taking off from a small airport in Cleveland on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

The Cessna Citation 525 aircraft left Burke Lakefront Airport at 10:57 p.m. heading for Ohio State University in downtown Columbus.

Air traffic control reportedly lost contact with the plane shortly after takeoff from the airport located on the shores of Lake Erie  disappearing from radar about 2 miles over the water.

The unnamed passengers were returning home from the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Boston Celtics game at the Quicken Loans arena, a spokesperson for the airport told NBC News.

The aircraft is kept at Ohio State University hangar, but the passengers aboard arent affiliated with the school, a U.S. Coast Guard official told Associated Press.

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Due to weather, an overnight boat search was prevented  but a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and Canadian air crew aided in the search, as well as a ship headed from Detroit, according to the AP.

Searchers have found no debris and no sign of the six people aboard as of Friday, according to the AP. The waters in the search area are about 50 feet deep.

The names of the passengers have not been released, pending notification of family members, according to the AP.




PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech police have detained a Polish man after a passenger jet flying from Spain to Warsaw made an emergency landing in Prague on Friday due to a bomb threat, Interior Minister Milan Chovanec said. The plane was parked away from the main terminals of Prague airport while police investigated the incident. Flight tracking websites showed planes were again landing at the airport. Chovanec, speaking with Czech Television, declined to say whether or not an explosive device had been found on the detained man before police had finished their work. But he later tweeted: "Does not look like a terrorist attack" and "Situation under control". A spokesman for the Czech Air Navigation Services said pilots on a Boeing 737 plane operated by the Polish company Enter Air had asked to land in Prague because of the threat. Czech Television reported the flight had started in the Canary Islands and had 160 passengers aboard, mostly Polish. All were evacuated and no one was hurt. (Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Starting last week and continuing through the New Year, We the People is featuring programs held at the National Constitution Center this fall.

This week, journalists and scholars weigh in on President Obamas constitutional legacy. The speakers are:

This program was presented live at the Constitution Center on November 30, 2016, in partnership with the National Review Institute. You can watch the program here on Constitution Daily or at constitutioncenter.org.

This show was engineered by Kevin Kilbourne and David Stotz, and edited by Jason Gregory. It was produced by Nicandro Iannacci. Research was provided by Lana Ulrich and Tom Donnelly. The host of We the People is Jeffrey Rosen.

Get the latest constitutional news, and continue the conversation, on Facebook and Twitter.

We want to know what you think of the podcast. Email us at editor@constitutioncenter.org.

Please subscribe to We the People and our companion podcast, Live at Americas Town Hall, on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

We the People is a member of Slates Panoply network. Check out the full roster at Panoply.fm.

Despite our congressional charter, the National Constitution Center is a private nonprofit; we receive little government support, and we rely on the generosity of people around the country who are inspired by our nonpartisan mission of constitutional debate and education. Please consider becoming a member to support our work, including this podcast. Visit constitutioncenter.org to learn more.

Recent Stories on Constitution Daily

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SPRING HILL, Tenn. (AP)  Authorities in Tennessee have identified a man who was fatally shot by a police officer responding to a report of a domestic disturbance.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Susan Niland told media outlets that a Spring Hill officer shot 28-year-old Christopher Blake Tucker during some type of "encounter" when the officer arrived at the home Wednesday night.

Tucker was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

The TBI is investigating the shooting and whether Tucker was armed. Spring Hill police officers do not wear body cameras. The city is about 30 miles south of Nashville.

The officer was not injured. Officials have not released the name of the officer or the races of those involved.
With police officers having increasingly become the target of gunfire this year, both deadly and nonfatal, some departments across the country might be concerned with their personnel dwindling as a result. Many officers have been retiring or quitting their respective forces, in part out of fear of being shot in the line of duty.

A police officer in Washington State was shot in the head while responding to a shooting in a Seattle suburb earlier this month. While that officer was recovering, 135 other officers were not as fortunate this year and died from their gunshot wounds, according to a new report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund released this week.

More than 12,000 municipal and city police departments in the U.S. were operating as of 2013, according to the most recent data provided by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. On average, cities with more than 50,000 residents had police forces made up of about 17 officers for every 10,000 people. The city with the greatest number of police officers is Washington, D.C. which has numerous local and federal agencies for nearly 4,000 total.

But a trend of more police officers retiring than joining the force has been picking up steam as of late, perhaps timed with the increased number of law enforcement members being shot in the line of duty. More than 100 police officers last week announced their intentions to retire from the police force in Houston, where a deputy constable was shot four times in an ambush in April.

A record number of New York Police Department officers were also considering retirement "because its too dangerous to stay," a local police union official told the New York Post. The same thing is happening in other major cities such as Chicago and Dallas, the latter of which had five officers killed and 12 hurt in an ambush-style shooting in July.

If the officers aren't retiring, many are just plain quitting. Nearly 100 Dallas officers resigned from the force after the July ambush shooting, and officers in Baltimore and Chicago are doing the same. Baltimore and Chicago have some of the nation's highest murder rates.

Related Articles
The state's photo ID law was administered incorrectly in some places on Election Day and led several dozen voters to leave their polling place without casting a ballot, according to a new report from the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.

The report, based on observations by 249 volunteers at 511 polling location, found the majority of voters experienced no problems at the polls, but noted there were some exceptions. In response, the report recommends more training for poll workers and more voter education about the photo ID requirement.

Republicans passed the photo ID requirement in 2011, though it was challenged in court and didn't take effect until this year after it was upheld by a federal court. The November presidential election was its biggest test yet and for the most part it caused only minor disruption.

But the League report, its eighth since 2010, noted a few cases where an ID wasn't requested or an invalid out-of-state ID was accepted. In 71 cases, voters without an ID cast a provisional ballot  meaning they had to go get an ID and show it to the clerk by the Friday after the election for their vote to count. But in 37 other cases a voter was offered a provisional ballot and refused, saying they wouldn't be able to obtain the necessary ID.

In 23 more cases, a provisional ballot should have been offered, but was not. One explanation given was that the chief poll inspector didn't know how to administer a provisional ballot, according to the report.

"While we have evidence that voters were turned away for lack of proof of residence and lack of acceptable ID, what cannot be counted is the number of eligible citizens who do not attempt to vote due to the unnecessary complications in registering and voting in Wisconsin," the reported concluded. "Our state election law should make it easier for all eligible citizens to cast a ballot in Wisconsin."

Observers witnessed 500 voters attempt to register on Election Day but be turned away for lacking the proper documentation. There were also 465 voters not listed in the registration rolls who claimed they previously voted at that location, some as recently as April.

The report noted typically when voters were unable to produce proper registration documents or photo ID, poll workers were courteous and went out of their way to be helpful. In only eight of the 416 reports were poll workers observed taking problematic actions.

Legislators who oversee election law committees didn't respond to a request for comment Friday.
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Police officers in Georgia are annoyed with how easy one thief made it to solve a recent crime.

The Marietta, Georgia Police Department posted a brief note on Facebook Monday addressed to the "gentleman who shoplifted from one of our local pawn shops today."

"When you make it this easy it takes all the fun out of chasing bad guys!" they wrote in the sarcastic post.

SEE ALSO: LA County email hack exposes data of 750,000 people

Apparently the shoplifter gave the pawn shop clerk his driver's license and a finger print on the pawn ticket before stealing from the shop. The robbery was also caught on camera, so the police have a lot to work with.

Our son, Trevor, used to be a Marietta Police Officer. Some of the tales he came home with rivaled this! LOL! https://t.co/uO6qu8ROmR  Johnnie W Lewis (@JWLewis_Author) December 27, 2016

They said they've already got a judge's signature on the warrant, so they asked him to "at least try to hide" to make this more of a challenge. Otherwise these police officers are over the easy cases.

In a Tuesday update, police keep the sarcasm going. They wrote the shoplifter was "just as bad at hide & seek as he is at stealing." He was taken in to the local jail after police found him allegedly with drugs and the stolen goods from the pawn shop (the search for him "was quite short").
PRAGUE (AP)  Officials say a Polish charter plane has made an emergency landing in the Czech Republic after its pilot reported a bomb threat on board.

Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec told Czech Television on Friday that police have detained a Polish national who threatened to blow the plane up. The minister declined to say whether the officers found any explosives on the suspect. He a bomb squad is to search the aircraft.

Chovanec tweeted: "All passengers are fine, no one was hurt. So far, it looks like it was not a terrorist attack."

The Boeing 737, operated by charter airline Enter Air, carried 160 people, mostly Polish nationals, from Las Palmas, the capital of the Spanish Grand Canaria island, to Warsaw, said the Czech Republic's Air Navigation Services spokesman Richard Klima.
By Michael Hirtzer

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Smithfield Food Inc [SFII.UL], the world's biggest pork producer, is buying grain elevators and purchasing grain directly from farmers, a move that hits grain handlers already reeling from multiyear lows in corn and soybean prices.

The Virginia-based company bought two Ohio grain elevators in September. For the first time, it can ship grain directly from Ohio to feed the pigs that Smithfield slaughters at its Tar Heel, North Carolina, packing plant - the world's largest, processing about 32,000 hogs daily.

Smithfield now buys 65 percent of its animal feed directly from farmers, up from the 10 percent of feed it directly bought in 2010.

The direct buying strategy aims to lower feed costs and could provide a model for other large meat companies that still largely rely on commercial grain handlers, such as Chicago-based Archer Daniels Midland Co. Grain can account for up to 60 percent of Smithfields costs. The companys expenses in 2015 totaled $4.67 billion.

In 2014, Smithfield canceled a grain handling contract with CHS Inc, the largest U.S. farmer-owned cooperative, which had previously supplied a Smithfield feed mill in Yuma, Colorado. Smithfield has canceled contracts with other smaller grain handlers since 2010.

"They take the Walmart approach and go right to the source," said a CHS Inc employee who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

A CHS spokeswoman declined to comment.

Smithfield also aims to work directly with farmers to influence farm management, from crop rotations to fertilizer and fungicide applications that could result in higher-quality grain that speeds weight gain in hogs. Smithfield could have a say in the seeds that are planted for the grain to feed the hogs it slaughters to produce the pork it sells.

In a dirt-to-fork story, you have to start with the dirt," said Joe Kerns, president of animal agriculture consulting firm Kerns Associates. This is the first foray.

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Smithfield, purchased by China's WH Group in 2013 for $4.9 billion, plans to continue reducing reliance on grain handlers, said Robbie Montgomery, Smithfield's grain origination manager.

"That's key to our strategy, our farmer relationships. It's not us buying from a dealer; it's us buying from a farmer," Montgomery said.

IMPACT ON GRAIN HANDLERS

Smithfield's push to go directly to farmers comes as ADM, Cargill and other leading grain handlers are facing sharp drops in corn and soy prices following record-large U.S. harvests. Handlers make money buying, selling, storing, transporting and processing grains around the world, typically earning small profit margins on each bushel they trade.

Trading fees for commercial grain handling can run to 20 cents a bushel in tight-supply markets, but drop to just a few pennies when grain prices are low.

Juan Luciano, chief executive officer for ADM in an August conference call said weak margins in grain handling contributed to a 26 percent fall in profits during the second quarter, before revenues improved in the third quarter.

He did not mention Smithfield in particular, and ADM declined comment on its relationship with Smithfield. Cargill did not respond to requests for comment on Smithfields efforts to bypass grain handlers.

U.S. farmers built up their elevator storage to better control their harvest, and hold back supplies when prices are low, cutting in to profits for handlers.

In the last quarter of 2016, ADM and others have tried to make up reduced returns on grain trading in the U.S. by selling grain overseas and making money on storage of abundant U.S. supplies.

The Smithfield move alone is probably not enough to hurt the big grain handlers immediately, said Kerns, the agriculture consultant. Smithfield is a long way from quitting the big grain handlers altogether, and still relies on ADM and Cargill to crush soybeans into soy meal, an animal feed.

But such companies could lose substantial business if other meat producers follow Smithfields lead, and smaller grain handlers are already feeling the impact.

Smithfield in 2015 exited a 20-year relationship with MaxYield Cooperative in Algona, in northern Iowa. MaxYield previously supplied a Smithfield-owned feed mill in Algona that can grind 50,000 bushels of corn per day.

"They want control from the ground up," said Karl Setzer, MaxYield's risk management team leader, who was told by Smithfield that the company was not renewing its contract.

Setzer declined to comment on how the loss of the contract affected MaxYields business.

BUYING DIRECT

Smithfield buys about 150 million bushels of corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum per year to feed its 16 million hogs, according to a Smithfield spokeswomen. "Smithfield has always been uneasy about their dependence on feed," said Chris Hurt, an agriculture economist at Purdue University who has advised the hog industry.

The company also is using a port it helped build in 2002, in Wilmington, North Carolina, to import feed from South America and Europe.

It has imported soy from Brazil and Argentina and feed wheat from Europe when it is cheaper than supplies shipped out of the Midwest, most recently with a bulk vessel of Brazilian corn that arrived in June.

Smithfield's vice president for business development, Joe Szaloky, said the company has become a savvy buyer.

"We think we can buy from farmers just as well as anyone else can," he said.

(Reporting by Michael Hirtzer; editing by David Greising and Brian Thevenot)
London (AFP) - A post-mortem examination on the body of pop icon George Michael, who died on Christmas Day after a chart-topping career and years of drug-taking, has proved "inconclusive", police said on Friday.

"The cause of death is inconclusive and further tests will now be carried out. The results of these tests are unlikely to be known for several weeks," a police statement said.

Police said earlier they were treating his death as "unexplained but not suspicious". The post-mortem was carried out on Thursday.

Michael's partner Fadi Fawaz said he had found the star "lying peacefully" in bed at his home in the village of Goring on the River Thames west of London.

His manager Michael Lippman told Billboard magazine that the cause of death appeared to be heart failure.

Tributes have poured in all week from heartbroken fans leaving flowers, candles and emotional messages outside his homes in Goring and London.

Michael's family said Tuesday they were "touched" by the long line of tributes, including ones from Madonna and Elton John.

"The family and close friends of George have been touched beyond words by the incredible outpouring of love for him in the hours and days since his death," the singer's publicist said in a statement.

"Contrary to some reports, there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and from the bottom of our hearts we thank those who, rightly, have chosen to celebrate his life and legacy".

-- Quiet philanthropist --

"Last Christmas", one of Michael's best-selling singles from his time in the pop duo Wham!, returned to the British charts, the Official Charts Company said on Friday.

The festive hit climbed to number seven in the charts -- its first time in the top 10 sales since it was released 31 years ago.

The song has also become the second most streamed track of the week, with 3.6 million streams.

Michael notched up police cautions for cannabis and crack cocaine possession in his final years and in 2010 was sentenced to eight weeks in jail after crashing his 4x4 into a London shop while under the influence of cannabis and prescription medication.

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In 2011, he spent several weeks in hospital in Vienna after contracting pneumonia while on tour, later saying he had come close to death.

Stories about Michael's quiet philanthropy for children and HIV charities have been shared widely since his death, as well as a report of his anonymous A15,000 (17,600 euro, $18,400) donation to a woman who could not conceive to get IVF treatment.

Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou to a Greek Cypriot father and English mother in north London in 1963, Michael shot to fame with the band Wham! and sold more than 100 million records in his career.

He met Andrew Ridgeley at high school and the pair went on to form Wham! in 1981.

With their good looks, perma-tans, highlighted hair and hedonistic image, the duo captured the go-getting spirit of the age and fast became one of Britain's biggest pop acts with a string of hits including "Last Christmas" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go".

Michael only revealed in public that he was gay in 1998 after being arrested by police in Los Angeles. He went on to become a major campaigner and donor for gay rights and HIV charities.

The star later said he had not wanted to come out while his mother was still alive because she would be concerned he had contracted HIV.
Dec 30 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- Indian government officials will likely meet early next week to evaluate the incentives sought by Apple Inc to manufacture its products in the country, two people familiar with the matter said. http://on.wsj.com/2iwbZnt

- President Barack Obama on Thursday issued a dramatic response to Russia's alleged use of cyberattacks to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, including imposing sanctions on Russian agencies and companies and expelling dozens of suspected intelligence operatives from the U.S., in one of the biggest diplomatic confrontations between Washington and Moscow since the end of the Cold War. http://on.wsj.com/2iwd5zB

- Major U.S. law firms have become more vigilant in recent years about the risks of cyberattacks, but the revelation this week of a major hacking incident on two New York firms are a reminder that the industry remains vulnerable. http://on.wsj.com/2iw6jK9

- Health-care diagnostics company Alere Inc is taking steps to get Medicare billing privileges reinstated for its Arriva Medical LLC diabetes unit, challenging the actions of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. http://on.wsj.com/2isCHgI

- Seattle Genetics Inc said four leukemia patients died in clinical trials of an experimental treatment, prompting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to halt, or suspend enrollment in, several studies. http://on.wsj.com/2iwgkXU

- Fitbit Inc is dropping one of its cases against rival AliphCom Inc's Jawbone, untangling some of the litigation between the wearable-device companies. http://on.wsj.com/2iw6qW5

- Sears Holdings Corp secured a $200 million line of credit, provided by affiliates of ESL Investments, a hedge fund founded by Sears Chief Executive Edward Lampert, and can be expanded to total up to $500 million. http://on.wsj.com/2iw7GIZ (Compiled by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Puerto Rico's governor is coming under fire for pardoning several convicted criminals including two politicians found guilty of lewd acts and sexual harassment against female employees.

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla defended his decision on Friday after several legislators issued statements rejecting the pardons. Among those pardoned was former Mayor Edgardo Arlequin, who was found guilty of sexual harassment and sentenced to four years in prison in 2015. Also pardoned was former mayor Roberto Vera Monroig, who was found guilty in 2008 of lewd acts.

Both men are members of Garcia's Popular Democratic Party.

The pardons come just days before Garcia steps down as governor. He did not seek re-election.
20th Century Women stars Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning as three women who teach a teenage boy, the son of Bening's character, about girls, life and love - or at least that's how the logline reads.

"Supposedly, the film is about a boy learning how to be a man from women, but what you really see in the movie is a portrait of these three women and how they got to be where they are," writer-director Mike Mills tells The Hollywood Reporter. Set in Santa Barbara in 1979, the A24 coming-of-age dramedy - which is playing exclusive engagments in Los Angeles and New York - is, like the director's 2010 film Beginners, based on Mills' unconventional upbringing and is described as "a long, detailed thank-you note" to his mother.

Mills, 50, spoke with THR about changing the script after becoming a parent, creating a corresponding '70s radio station and entering the awards conversation for the first time: "It's an unfortunate way to evaluate films."

Read more: '20th Century Women': Film Review | NYFF 2016

How do you feel about your passion project's release?

I've been working on it for five years, and it's a trip for me to think people are actually seeing it, that it's not just in my head. It's something I'm currently processing. I've been very moved by the way people, whom I love and really respect, are responding to the movie.

Both 20th Century Women and Beginners are based on your life. Why do you choose to do that, and how did the writing compare?

I use personal material not to make a memoir or something for me and my family but because I feel like it's my best hope of making a good movie. I'm going to have the most information to give you, hopefully, something unique and real about people.

My dad is very happy to be out in the world; he has grandeur to him, and he would love to be in a movie. My mom's a little different; she's a secretive and contradictory person. So writing this film was more of a struggle. I had to have a lot of talks in my head with my mom and almost fight with her about "Do I have permission to do this? Why am I doing this? What am I including? What does it mean?" There's no clear answer. I went back and forth on it, and eventually I said, "Mom, you have been dead since '99; I was 33. I'm like 46 now. There's some sort of relief in your life when you get to do this, and I'm sorry." That's how it went. The goal was never to mimic my mom but to use her to hopefully feed a really great performance to hopefully make a good movie.

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Courtesy of Merrick Morton

Do you feel closer to your mom after making this movie?

It's been described as a love letter to my mother, which almost sounds cheesy. But it really is a long, detailed thank-you note. My mom was 40 when she had me, which was unusual; I didn't know any other mom that old. She was from this other time and felt like a '40s person, like Amelia Earhart was picking me up at the skate park. She just didn't fit in, and I was always trying to explain her to the world and, in turn, the world to her. I love the part of the movie where the boy reads the essay to Dorothea [Bening's character] - I never did anything like that, but as a writer and filmmaker, I loved reading that to my mom's ghost. Watching that come together in the edit felt personally meaningful.

Also, somewhere in the process, my son was born, which changes your whole worldview in a way you can't even explain or understand. So some of the key lines in the movie - about never being able to see my kid out in the world with his friends, for example - come from me as a parent, talking through my mom. I feel like my mom's comrade in parenting now, and I owe that all to my boy, really.

Read more: 'Awards Chatter' Podcast  Greta Gerwig ('20th Century Women')

The movie's music library is expansive, as if there should be a playlist of 100 songs somewhere.

There's gonna be! It's like the thing I'm most excited about. It's all in the works right now. I'm making a radio station for the movie that's going to be on the website. It's like a 1979 radio station with four hours of music, and I'm doing little song sets and introducing them. I think I've learned from this movie that I just want to be a DJ.

What was your set like?

I love shooting so much. I love actors so much. I'm the happiest, most in love, best version of myself when I'm shooting. It's like the best moments of my life, and, sadly, it's only like 35 days out of a five-year process. I orientate my whole shoot around performance, so we shoot in order. I don't use a lot of lights. I play music all the time; I have live musicians playing sometimes. I had dance parties first thing in the morning - I had music that represented each character, and if you all dance to that music together, it's a weird way to introduce everyone to each person and each character. I try to make it a playful environment, honoring the luckiness that it is to get to make a movie.

Courtesy of Gunther Gampine

What do you wish you could change about the film industry?

I wish they were cheaper - it'd be easier to make them, and there'd be less at stake. It's also so weird that films end up being in competition with each other. They're such different souls, and you can't really compare them in that way, and yet so much of the industry revolves around that in a funny way. I feel like it's an unfortunate way to evaluate films because they're really specific people's separate journeys and endeavors, and to make them compete with each other just feels really funny to me.

But your film has gathered awards buzz. How do you feel being part of that conversation?

I'm really honored to be considered at all in this group. It's hard to explain how heartening it is - you feel seen - and it's not something I'm going to forget at all. It's my first time, and I don't really know how to understand it, to be honest. I feel so lucky that I just got to make my movie - that's the honest truth. Each of these films are their own cosmos unto themselves, and they were so hard for each person to make, so I feel nothing but brotherhood and sisterhood and sympathy for all those filmmakers. [Moonlight director] Barry Jenkins and I have sort of become friends through seeing each other at all these events. That's the best award for me - I made a friend, a filmmaking comrade. That's really rare, so it's like I already won.
GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP)  Police in North Carolina say someone broke into a local Republican Party office and defaced a wall mural of former President Ronald Reagan.

A Goldsboro police report says the break-in was discovered Thursday.

Police say a door was kicked in at the building housing the Wayne County GOP.

The report says nothing appears to have been stolen, but the vandalism caused hundreds of dollars in damage.

Police Maj. Dwayne Dean says investigators asking nearby businesses whether any surveillance video exists.

The Goldsboro News-Argus first reported the vandalism that includes obscenities and symbols drawn on the painting of Reagan's face (http://bit.ly/2hCduUv ). It appears a pen or marker was used.

Before the election, someone firebombed a GOP office in Orange County. No one was injured in that October case.
Buckle down

Govt should incentivise contractor to complete work on Bhairahawas international airport on time
The U.S. economy added nearly 2.5 million workers to the list of the employed in the past 12 months, a gain of 1.7%. Employment is expanding even more rapidly in some parts of the country. Due to a variety of factors, employment growth in a number of cities was more than double the national growth rate. Together, the 25 cities with the fastest employment growth added more than half a million new jobs.

To determine the , 24/7 Wall St. compared employment levels in 387 metro areas in October 2016 with levels in the previous year. Employment growth in these 25 cities ranged from 4.4% in Ithaca, New York, to 7.6% in the Bend-Redmond metro area in Oregon. It turned out that more than one out of every four cities adding the most workers was in Oregon.

ALSO READ: The Largest Private Company in Every State

Our analysis of the Redmond area in particular:

1. Bend-Redmond, Oregon

> Employment change: 7.63%

> No. of jobs Oct. 2015: 80,446

> No. of jobs Oct. 2016: 86,587

> Unemployment rate Oct. 2016: 5.2%

The Bend-Redmond metro area had the most rapid employment growth of any U.S. metro over the past year. The 7.6% employment growth was more than quadruple the nationwide job growth. A former saw mill town, wood products still make up a significant share of the areas economy. Last year, employment in mining, logging, and construction went up by 10.3%, more than in any other industry in the area. Strong growth in a number of other industries, including leisure and hospitality as well as professional and business services were enough to offset a 4.3% decline in the areas finance industry.

In an interview with 24/7 Wall St., Martin Kohli, chief regional economist with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), explained that steady manufacturing employment has been very important to certain cities on this list, particularly in places like Oregon. And note that the strong job growth in Oregon also caused a construction employment boom.

To identify the , 24/7 Wall St. reviewed metropolitan statistical areas with the largest employment growth from October 2015 through October 2016. Unemployment rates, the size of the labor force and employment levels were from the BLS and are seasonally adjusted. Industry-specific growth rates for the same period were from the Current Employment Survey, a monthly BLS survey. Educational attainment and median household income came from the 2015 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Note that we also reviewed the .

Related Articles
Every December, The Atlantic looks back on the previous yearto highlight not just the big moments but also the progression of big ideas. Below, the third of three installments looks at the year in religion coverage.

A contentious presidential race that reshuffled political coalitions put religion in the national spotlight in 2016. Many religious voters, feeling ostracized in a changing national landscape, chose to support Donald Trumpa candidate who hardly seemed to exemplify Christian morality, but who nevertheless promised to make America great again. Those who could not connect with Trumps controversial rhetoric instead challenged his candidacy, dividing religious communities. Over the course of the year, Atlantic writers also delved into other prominent issuesfrom the battle over religious freedom to the countrys growing Islamophobia.

The Years Coverage

The Freedom to Choose: Religious liberty came to the fore of the national conversation after the Supreme Courts landmark 2014 decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. In 2016, it produced a push for legislation that would give businesses, public bathrooms, and religious colleges the right to limit services to LGBT people. Emma Green followed these bills closely throughout the year. She covered the challenges state legislatures face working to protect LGBT civil-rights while also upholding religious freedom. In another story, she examined what the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will mean for the future of religious-freedom decisions. Jonathan Merritt also weighed in, writing that the problems these laws claim to address dont actually exist. Alan Noble offered a plea for accommodation between activists and religious colleges, and Alan Levinovitz argued that trigger warnings served to make campuses hostile to religious students.

Recommended: Democrats Have a Religion Problem

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Living in Fear: Donald Trumps presidential campaign and policy platforms sparked questions over how Muslims should be treated in the United States. Research suggests that his divisive rhetoricfrom calling for a ban on Muslim entry into the country to strategizing plans for a nationwide registrymay fuel Islamophobia and hate crimes, wrote Clare Foran. And Nafisa Eltahir looked at the bind facing religious Muslims, who can downplay their religious identity to avoid discrimination, but may find that approach can only bring exhaustion, along with the loss of distinctive elements of Muslim culture.

White evangelicals began the year feeling besieged, and ended it in triumph.

A Community Divided: Donald Trump proved to be a controversial figure within evangelical communities, as well. Molly Ball highlighted the split among evangelical leaders after Trump gave a speech at Liberty University in January; Emma Green returned to the campus in October, to find students fatigued with politics and the Republican Party that gave them Trump. Jonathan Merritt examined the shift away from looking to politicians for moral leadership, and Yoni Appelbaum argued that in Trump, evangelicals had found a champion, not a moral exemplar.

Christianity in the Contemporary United States: White evangelicals began the year feeling besieged, and ended it in triumph. Emma Green reported on a survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings that found almost half of Americans believe Christian discrimination is as much of a problem as discrimination against minorities. She also explored the historical context of Trumps appeal to evangelicals. Robert P. Jones delved deeper into these feelings of displacement and asked why white Protestantism as a wholearguably the most powerful cultural force in the history of the United Stateshas faded. And in the wake of Trumps election, Green found white evangelicals newly hopeful.

Recommended: What Would Change Your Mind About President Trump?

The Politics of Abortion: The tension between maintaining religious freedom and protecting womens health continued to play out in American politics this year. Stephanie Russell-Kraft argued that U.S. courts tend to favor conservative Christian viewpoints when ruling on these cases. Garrett Epps shared how this might play out in a Supreme Court case involving a group of religious nonprofits that do not want to provide contraception coverage for their employees. The 2016 candidates also weighed in on the debate. Hillary Clinton has been a pro-choice advocate, but the University of Chicago professor Myriam Renaud argued that her Methodist upbringing has shaped her ambivalence about the procedure. Donald Trump promised to appoint a Supreme Court justice who would overturn Roe v. Wade automatically. But many, including Peter Beinart, questioned how Trump really feels about abortion.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
The toll from a deadly mine collapse in eastern India's Jharkhand state rose to 11 on Saturday with rescue workers searching for more bodies under the rubble.

A massive mound of earth caved in late Thursday at the Lalmatia open cast mine, around 240 miles (390 kilometres) from the state capital Ranchi.

"The search operation at the site hasn't stopped. We can confirm 11 dead and fear that one or two more dead bodies may still be under the rubble," Jharkhand police spokesman RK Mallick told AFP after rescuers recovered another body, raising the toll from 10.

"15 or 16 miners had managed to escape the collapsed mine soon after the incident on Thursday with only minor injuries. The tough terrain of the region (remote forest) and dense fog has been a challenge to the rescue work," he added.

The rescue workers hope to complete their search operation by late Saturday.

There was no immediate explanation for the collapse, but the government has launched an investigation into the incident.

Jharkhand is one of the richest mineral zones in India, accounting for around 29 percent of the country's coal deposits. However it is also one of India's poorest areas and the epicentre of a Maoist insurgency.

India has maintained a relatively safe record in mining-related accidents compared to neighbour China, which on average reports around 1,000 fatalities every year.

In 2015, India recorded 38 deaths across 570 mining sites.

The last major mining accident in India occurred in 1975, when 372 workers were killed following the flooding of Chasnala mine in Dhanbad.
Donald Trump

This year, we learned the limits of no-choice politics: Telling voters they have to do something they don't like, or else.

Establishment political parties have been playing a dangerous game  contriving situations in which the only acceptable choice happens to be one favored by elites, and hoping that voters will choose it under duress.

Voters have been revolting against no-choice politics by choosing the unthinkable: Brexit, fringe political parties, rejecting the Italian reform referendum, Trump.

You should be mad at voters for the alarming choices they are making. I certainly am. But you should also be mad at the establishment leaders and political parties who put voters in the position of choosing between the unpalatable and the absurd.

An ever-closer union, whether you like it or not

For decades, the European Union has been officially committed to "ever closer union"  integration that increases over time. But integration in all areas is not necessarily popular with voters.

In particular, there has been resistance to fiscal interdependence  the sort of taxes and transfers that hold the United States together.

Residents of rich countries in Europe suspect (correctly) that fiscal interdependence would mean ongoing transfers of tax revenue toward poorer countries. And residents of poorer countries suspect (correctly) that Germany and other rich countries will seek to tie policy conditions to fiscal integration.

The euro is a device of no-choice politics

Without fiscal transfers to prop up places where the economy is weak, the way countries usually deal with economic imbalances is through exchange rates: The currency of the country in recession weakens, which reduces real wages and prices and makes the country more competitive.

The Euro makes exchange-rate adjustments within the eurozone impossible, meaning that asymmetric economic shocks cannot be addressed with exchange rates or with fiscal policy.

With no good way to adjust, countries of southern Europe have been immiserated since the 2008 economic crash, which hit them harder than it hit countries like Germany.

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This was a foreseeable problem. And the elites that foresaw it had a solution in mind: Ever closer union.

That is, the euro without fiscal transfers would prove unworkable, and unwinding the euro would prove unworkable, and therefore Europeans would have no choice but to agree to greater fiscal integration.

No-choice politics have worked poorly for the eurozone

Unsurprisingly, wealthier countries have resisted the creation of the sorts of fiscal transfers that would make the eurozone workable. I call this the "What's in it for the Dutch?" problem.

That said, richer eurozone members have sometimes agreed to one-off support to struggling countries when it really seemed like they had no choice but to give it.

For example, banks in northern Europe hold a lot of debt issued by the government of Greece, so the members of the eurozone had to bail Greece out if they wished to avoid a catastrophic banking crisis. This did not endear Greece to other eurozone countries.

But it's not just the richer countries in the zone suffering from no-choice politics. Germany and others have attached stringent terms to their financial assistance, insisting that the laggard countries engage in fiscal austerity and economic reform.

In 2011, Italy and Greece had no choice but to install technocratic governments acceptable to German creditors if they wished to retain access to the credit markets  a situation that surely did not feel terribly democratic to the people of Italy or Greece.

Is it any surprise people all over Europe are pissed off, and feel like they do not have a choice in how they are governed? Should they trust the establishment parties that created the situations in which they had no choice but to do things they didn't want to do?

Is it a surprise that European voters are resorting to desperate measures to regain control over their countries' public policy?

Matteo Renzi

American immigration policy is driven by no-choice politics

In the United States, elites in both political parties favor liberal immigration policies that admit large numbers of low-skilled workers.

Liberal politicians favor these policies for a combination of humanitarian, constituency politics and demographic reasons. Conservative politicians want to ensure a plentiful supply of low-skilled labor so businesses can pay low wages.

For decades, the federal government has implemented a de-facto liberalization of immigration by failing to effectively enforce immigration laws  not just by letting people cross the border undetected, but also by failing to track who overstays visas and by failing to hold businesses accountable for employing people not authorized to work in the United States.

As a result, approximately 12 million people now live in the United States without legal authorization to be here.

Advocates of immigration reform point out, accurately, that deporting these people en masse would be both impractical and a humanitarian disaster, and that many of them have formed deep ties to the United States. We have no choice but to let a large fraction of them stay.

But we ended up in this no-choice situation by the willful action of political elites who wanted Americans to choose high immigration levels. Effective enforcement on the front end would have left American voters with a choice about what immigration policy to have.

Given this history, why would voters trust the parameters of comprehensive immigration reform, which is built on a promise that next time immigration laws will be enforced for real?

Voters are revolting against no-choice politics

The main argument against Brexit centered not so much on the European Union being a good thing, but on the idea that withdrawal would lead to grave economic damage.

The main argument for electing Hillary Clinton, the second-most unpopular major party presidential nominee in the history of American political polling, was that Donald Trump was too unacceptable to be president.

Italy's failed reform referendum was supposed to be necessary to prevent another banking crisis.

Voters have repeatedly insisted that they do, in fact, have a choice in these supposed no-choice matters. They have called the establishment's bluff.

I think we are about to learn the establishment was not bluffing about how unacceptable some of these options were, especially Trump. Voters may be about to learn a painful lesson.

But establishment politicians should learn a painful lesson, too: If you want to be sure to beat a terrible option, offer people something they actually like. Don't tell them they have no choice but to do what you want.

NOW WATCH: 'They haven't played by the rules': Trump accuses China of 'massive theft of intellectual property' and unfairly taxing US companies





More From Business Insider


From the January 2017 issue

Winners: U.S. VW Owners

The half-million U.S. owners of Volkswagen and Audi 2.0 TDIs affected by the companys software cheat will get checks for somewhere between $5100 and $10,000, plus the chance to sell back their cars at the pre-scandal value. In Germany, the millions of owners of VWs smoggy diesels will get bupkes, just a software update to periodically remind drivers that instead of lawyers, Germany has the autobahn and the Nurburgring.

Loser: Bernie

Formula 1 also suffered its own tribulations when Brazilian kidnappers nabbed boss Bernie Ecclestones current mother-in-law (who is 18 years younger than Bernie) and held her for nine days until police busted the ring and freed her. All my friends know that I wouldnt pay a penny for a mother-in-law, Bernie told the Sunday Times, although Id say shes a good mother-in-law.

Winner: Jeremy Clarkson

Just the opening scene of Jeremy Clarksons new Amazon Prime car show, The Grand Tour, was reported to cost about $3 million, of which $2 million went to catering, to be sure.

Loser: Mercedes-Benz

Though Mercedes-Benz ordered 12,500 Saitenwurschtle sausages for an April shareholders meeting attended by 5500, some skinflinty Swabian was seen stuffing sausages in his pockets for later. The Berlin cops had to be called to break up a food fracas, reportedly sparked when a BMW owner cut into the buffet line without signaling.

Winner: Elon Musk

Autonomous Teslas have crashed, a SpaceX rocket did a spectacular kablooey on the pad, doubts swirled about the Model 3, and Elon Musk himself was paid just $37,584 in 2015, or minimum wage in California. But at least he can boast that theres a heavy-metal band paying him tribute, something even Malcolm Bricklin never could say. Raptor Commands mission, according to the bands website, is to raise awareness of and promote Elon Musks futurist ideas and visions for the future of humanity. Its first and only single, Elon: Champion for Humanity, includes the following possibly Nobel-worthy lyrics: Racing to the future/he puts the pedal down/one hundred thousand watts at his command. Rocketing to the stars/on to Mars we fly/heed his call, before the planet dies! Musk said he was keen to see the band play live but, alas, couldnt afford the cover.

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Loser: Formula 1

Ferrari team principal and former Phillip Morris exec Maurizio Arrivabene got arrested in Singapore and fined about $800 for tossing a cigarette butt on the street. Singapore is not your ashtray any more than Malaysia has a Gay Prix, as nine Aussies discovered after landing in jail for dropping their drawers during the post-race celebration.

Winner: Gordon Murray

Celebrated McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray says it was boxes of IKEA furniture that inspired him to create the OX, a cheap cargo truck for the developing world with a waterproof laminated-plywood body that packs flat for shipping. The OX has a small diesel engine and a 2.1-ton payload, and it comes with a stoned roommate to help assemble it.

Loser: Dodge Dart

The Dodge Dart is going the way of the lawn dart, though because of slow sales rather than the likelihood of spearing small children. Unsold Darts are being recycled into the Rams new giant tailgate badge, which is about four feet high and an inch thick, and offered with optional Bluetooth and satellite radio.

Winner: Jeep

Though the Jeep brand gratuitously employs the tagline Since 1941 and this year marked its 75th anniversary, the actual 75th doesnt happen until 2025, we figure. In 1941, the word jeep was just GI slang for a variety of vehicles, but it wasnt until 1950 that the government awarded Willys-Overland the Jeep trademark, meaning this years celebration amounts to premature ejeepulation.

Loser: Texas Dealers

Car dealerships in Texas suffered the worst hail season in memory, with 110,000 vehicles damaged at a cost of $560 million. So, only nine more plagues to go.

Winner: Datsun

Nissan has revived the long-dormant Datsun brand in India with the $3584 Datsun redi-GO, a microhatchback with a 799-cc three-cylinder, 13-inch wheels, and a customer helpline that is only a local call. The tiny cars main drawbacks are low power, cheap trim, and the fact that not many people can fit on the roof.

Loser: Paris

Along with pocket pagers, Beanie Babies, and Rollerblades, all cars built before 1997 have been banned by Paris from entering the city on weekdays. Which means that not one decent French car can drive in the capital of France. Owners are circulating a repeal petition on America Online.

Winner: Skoda? Skoda!

Often described as yesterdays Volkswagens today, VWs cheap Czech brand, Skoda, is said to be pondering a move into the U.S. market. Which means VW has finally figured out what to do with all the diesel cars its buying back.

Loser: Fisker

Proving yet again the validity of the Streisand effect, British automaker Aston Martin threatened to sue car designer and hybrid entrepreneur Henrik Fisker if he showed his decidedly Aston-like Fisker Force 1 at the Detroit auto show. Whereupon Fisker sued Aston for $100 million, whereupon the entire world suddenly learned of the Fisker Force 1.

Winner: Isle of Man

Famous for its deadly Tourist Trophy motorcycle road race, the Isle of Man, between England and Northern Ireland, has declared itself a haven for autonomous vehicles. The independent government has invited automakers to come and freely test their robo-cars on the islands undulating roads, where there have already been many brief experiments with riderless bikes.
Victor Cha, a colleague of mine at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the director of Asian Studies at Georgetown, is one of the smartest people I know. His magisterial 2012 book, The Impossible State, captured the complicated history and current economic and political climate of North Korea. Chas latest book, Powerplay, published in August, delves into the American alliance system in Asia. As the former director of Asian affairs at the National Security Council, Cha brings his policy practitioner expertise to bear on the historical origins of the U.S. alliances with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Practitioners and academics alike should read the result.

Cha use the term powerplay to describe the U.S. alliances that exert power, control, and influence over East Asian countries. The book uses the concept of a powerplay to grapple with one central question: Why do U.S. alliances in Asia look so different from those in Europe? The web of interlocking institutions in Europe feature the United States as an equal partner  NATO and the European Union are prime examples. In Asia, U.S. alliances are built on a hub and spokes structure, with the United States as the central hub. This model was created for a specific purpose  controlling unpredictable Asian allies in the 1950s, as well as creating a particularly deep set of ties with Japan. The decision to use this powerplay form of alliances continues to shape U.S. relationships in Asia today.

These soft bind relationships accommodate for allies that go rogue. Reckless Chiang Kai-shek, belligerent Syngman Rhee, and occupied Japan made for challenging, constantly shifting partnerships in East Asia, all requiring more careful management and oversight than a multilateral relationship like NATO would accommodate. Japans reconstruction, in particular, required constant attention from the United States to avoid backsliding and the possibility of Japan becoming a Soviet satellite state.

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One part of the book that is worth some extra time is Chas comparison between Asian relationships and other U.S. alliances  including the alliance with Spain. Powerplay with Spain in the 1950s was the first major step in returning Spain to the European family after the Spanish Civil War. Spain had been left behind as Western institutions flourished elsewhere, under the Marshall Plan, the European Economic Community, and NATO. In return for assistance and diplomatic engagement, Spain allowed the United States to establish military bases in Spain. The new U.S.-Spanish alliance helped Spain return to Europe.

Powerplay has two small weaknesses. The first is overambitiousness: in a few places it veers too far into policy or theory. The second is perhaps not a weakness but a quibble. As someone who focuses on international development in my day job, I was surprised that Powerplay did not spend time on the incredible development success stories of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Given the historical focus of the book, it would have created a more complete narrative to include the development of these countries within the context of the alliances, along with the many ways that the United States contributed to the amazing progress of these countries.

All in all, Chas Powerplay demonstrates an incredible depth and breadth of knowledge, solid research, and accessible analysis. It is an excellent backgrounder for context on the history and evolution of U.S. alliances in Asia, and while it does not pack the same punch as The Impossible State, it shows the same deep understanding of the economic, political, and cultural landscapes of East Asian nations. Powerplay successfully answers its central question: Why arent Americas Asian alliances built the same as in Europe?

Image credit: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency/Perry-Castaneda Library, University of Texas at Austin
Conor Kennedy, the onetime Taylor Swift boyfriend and grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, was arrested for allegedly fighting outside a Colorado nightclub early Thursday because he was defending a gay friend who had been called a homophobic slur, his father claimed in an interview with the Aspen Times.

Conor has always reacted against bullying, Robert Kennedy Jr. told the newspaper. Im happy he stood up for his friend.

RFK Jr. said the altercation escalated after Conor, 22, asked several men at the Bootsy Bellows nightclub in Aspen, Colorado, to apologize to his friend for using a homophobic slur.

Though one of the men did apologize, two of their group later used slurs about Conors friend, RFK Jr. said.

The fight broke when one of the men allegedly swung at Conor, RFK Jr. told the Times. Im very sorry it turned into a police incident, he said.  not liking the attention.

A statement from Conors attorneys said he rebuked two men who used a homophobic slur and threats to close friend, according to CBS News. Aspen police told the Times that no one has come forward about being threatened that night for being gay.

We are aware of some of those allegations, and we are following up on them this evening, Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn told the Times. At the moment, there have been no allegations of additional crimes given by witnesses or those involved in the incident.

 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.

Conor allegedly fought another man in the street outside the club about 1:40 a.m., according to an Aspen police news release. He was allegedly found rolling around on the ground when police officers attempted to separate them.

Witnesses reported seeing Conor allegedly punch the man in the head about four or five times before struggling against an officer who tried to restrain him, according to the news release.

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Conor later apologized to one of the officers, according to a police report of the incident obtained by multiple news outlets:  then said, He called my friend the f-word.  The report does not specify to which word Conor was referring.

He was booked on a charge of municipal disorderly conduct, officials say, and later released with a court summons. His attorneys could not immediately be reached.

His court date is set for Feb. 22. He has not entered a plea.




By Carolyn Crist (Reuters Health)  Children under age 5 could choke on grapes and similarly-shaped foods, and parents should cut them in half or quarters to reduce the risk, Scottish doctors say. Although some parents may know to cut food such as grapes, cherry tomatoes and hot dogs into smaller pieces, not all do. Public health officials should spread the message more, they wrote in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. This message continually appears but doesnt seem to take hold, said Jamie Cooper, study author and emergency medicine consultant at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland. Weve overseen a number of cases over the years where children have choked and died, and its such a traumatic experience for the families. In the United States, more than 2,100 children died from choking between 1999 and 2013, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and grapes were the third most common cause following hot dogs and candy. Cooper and colleague Amy Lumsden documented three choking cases at the Royal Aberdeen Childrens Hospital. In the first case, a 5-year-old boy choked on a whole grape during an afterschool program. Staff at the program and local ambulance crew tried to remove the grape by hitting the child on the back, using suction, and trying CPR. A paramedic joined the ambulance on the way to the hospital and performed a laryngoscopy to remove the grape. However, the child remained in cardiac arrest and died at the emergency room. Weve realized among our own friends and families that nobody really seems to know to chop up small fruits or candies, Cooper told Reuters Health. Ive become the grape police at childrens parties. In a second case, a 17-month-old boy was eating a sandwich and grapes at home when he began choking. His parents rushed him to the local community hospital, where hospital staff struggled to dislodge the grape. A laryngoscopy was also required in this case to remove the grape, and the child was transferred to the Aberdeen hospital. He also died in the emergency room. We want to get across the message that parents should always supervise their children when eating and know basic first aid maneuvers, Cooper said. Kids dont chew well, get easily distracted, and swallow. In the third case, a 2-year-old boy snacked on grapes at the park with his family. When they noticed he was choking, they did the Heimlich maneuver but couldnt remove the grape. They rushed him to a home at the end of the park and called an ambulance. It arrived within minutes, and paramedics used laryngoscopy to remove the grape. On the way to the hospital, the boy had two seizures, and doctors in the emergency room noticed signs of brain and lung damage. They kept him on a ventilator in the intensive care unit for five days. Two days later, the childs brain scans came back normal, and he played at home normally days later. People dont realize that some common and popular foods have a particular choking hazard for small kids because theyre the ideal size, shape and texture to firmly lodge at the top of the airway, said Stephen Feltbower, an emergency medicine consultant at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Scotland. Feltbower, who wasnt involved with the study, has previously highlighted the danger of grapes as a choking hazard. Cooper and Feltbower have suggested labeling foods such as grapes, cherry tomatoes and other smooth, spongy produce as choking hazards. We want to send a clear message that these foods are healthy and a great snack for children, Feltbower told Reuters Health. However, they can pose a particular danger different from other snack foods, and parents should know that. The U.S. and European Union have regulations that prevent choking on toys and other childrens products, but thats tougher to enforce with food, said Bob Altkorn, senior technical advisor of Intertek in Oak Brook, Illinois. Altkorn, who was not involved with this study, reported on fatal and non-fatal food injuries among children under age 14 in 2008. In extreme cases, the Food and Drug Administration may issue alerts about certain foods. In 2011, for example, the FDA warned about the choking hazards associated with mini-gel cups, which are packaged as mouth-sized servings but dont melt or squish easily when put in the mouth. Unlike toys or childrens products, it is not possible to eliminate foods that start out small or become small through chewing, Altkorn told Reuters Health by email. Public awareness is one of the best options to mitigate against pediatric food choking. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2hwMj8l Archives of Disease in Childhood, online December 20, 2016.
Bucharest (AFP) - Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday named social-democrat Sorin Grindeanu as the nation's new prime minister, bringing to a close weeks of uncertainty since the left won a parliamentary vote on December 11.

The centre-right president has signed a decree naming Grindeanu, a 43-year-old former communications minister, as the new premier.

Grindeanu now faces a confidence vote in parliament on his programme and cabinet nominees.

The nomination sought to put an end to a political crisis in Romania sparked when after Iohannis rejected a previous candidate who would have been the country's first female and first Muslim prime minister.

The president offered no reasons for his rejection of Sevil Shhaideh, initially put forward by the Social Democrats (PSD), but there was speculation that it was due to her Syrian husband's background.

Shhaideh, 52, who has only five months ministerial experience, is from Romania's small and long-established Turkish minority, but her Muslim faith is not thought to have been the problem.

The PSD had proposed the previously little-known Shhaideh after its thumping poll victory on December 11 when it won 45 percent of the vote, enough to form a majority coalition with its partners ALDE.

PSD leader Liviu Dragnea had withdrawn his own bid to become prime minister because of a conviction that bars him from office.

The PSD's election triumph came barely a year since anger over a deadly nightclub fire that killed 64 people forced it from office.

The inferno was blamed on corruption -- something Brussels has long complained about since Romania joined the EU in 2007.
CG to produce Wai Wai in Serbia

Chaudhary Group (CG), a diversified multi-national conglomerate headquartered in Nepal, is all set to start production of its popular Wai Wai noodles from its plant at Ruma in Serbia, expanding its footprint in the European market.
Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, a founder of Run-D.M.C. and owner of the Run-D.M.C. brand, has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, Walmart, Jet.com and some of the aforementioned retailers' business partners for at least $50 million. According to Reuters, the suit accuses the retail giants of alleged trademark infringement.

The suit alleges that the retailers' distribution and sale of merchandise that's branded with the Run-D.M.C. name without permission  including glasses, hats, T-shirts, wallets and more that use the group's name in their title or description or bear the group's logo  misleads consumers into thinking the products have been officially endorsed by the group and accuses the defendants of "trading on the goodwill" of the group's name.

In the suit, McDaniels asserts that the Run-D.M.C. brand is "extremely valuable" and cites licensing agreements that exemplify its value, such as its deal with Adidas.

"Plaintiff will suffer immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage" should the alleged trademark infringements not cease, the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan states.

A rep for Run-D.M.C. declined to comment on the lawsuit. Representatives for Amazon, Walmart and Jet.com did not immediately return requests for comment from Reuters.

As Bloomberg reports, in November Amazon filed its own lawsuits against vendors who were allegedly selling counterfeit merchandise via its marketplace.

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Run-D.M.C. has filed a lawsuit against Walmart, Amazon, Jet and a number of others over alleged trademark infringement on products using the iconic hip-hop group's name and logo without permission.

The suit was filed Thursday (Dec. 29) in New York and also names a number of the companies selling the products through those online marketplaces, as well as 20 John Does, saying they "trade on the goodwill of RUN-DMC." In it, some of the products Run-D.M.C. alleges are infringing claim to be "RUN-DMC styled products" such as fedora hats and square-frame sunglasses that use the group's name in their title or description but not the logo. Meanwhile, others more blatantly use the group's famous logo on shirts, purses, patches and other products.

Defendants Amazon, Walmart and Jet are accused of selling and advertising products that infringe on the trademark and goodwill of Run-D.M.C. by partnering with a number of different entities that sell the allegedly infringing Run-D.M.C. products through their marketplaces. These products, Run-D.M.C. states, "confuse the public as to the source of origin and endorsement of its products."

Run-D.M.C. is seeking an accounting of all sales of the defendants' products that were advertised as being related to Run-D.M.C. or directly use its trademark, as well as an injunction and restraining order against sales and promotion of these products.

The lawsuit also cites previous licensing agreements for the Run-D.M.C. trademark to show its worth, including one for $1.6 million to Adidas for a line of sneakers. It also states the Run-D.M.C. brand has produced revenue in excess of $100 million from the intellectual property associated with the trademark "RUN-DMC" since its inception in the 1980s, including the sale of music, music publishing, concerts, merchandising and endorsement deals.

Without a full accounting, it's unclear how much money Run-D.M.C. is hoping to receive but the lawsuit claims the amount in controversy exceeds $50 million.

Run-D.M.C. asserts the allegedly infringing products have diluted the group's brand as arguably the most well-known group in the history or hip-hop, saying the defendants have "harmed RUN-DMC's ability to utilize, market, promote and sell products with its registered trademark."

Last month, Amazon filed its first ever lawsuits against merchants selling counterfeit items on its marketplace.
By David Ingram UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia urged the U.N. Security Council on Friday to give its blessing to a fragile ceasefire in Syria, the third truce this year seeking to end nearly six years of war in Syria. The Security Council met behind closed doors for an hour to consider a proposed resolution endorsing the ceasefire that Russia and Turkey announced on Thursday. Diplomats said Russia has requested that the 15-member council vote on the resolution at 11 a.m. (1600 GMT) on Saturday. It was not immediately clear if the resolution would win broad support. The text would be closely studied overnight, one Western diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Clashes, shelling and air raids in western Syria marred the truce on Friday shortly after it went into force at midnight (2200 GMT Thursday), and violence appeared to escalate later on Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the parties were prepared to start peace talks intended to take place in Astana in Kazakhstan. Syrian state media said late on Thursday those talks would take place "soon." Asked by a reporter whether the Astana talks would compete with talks that U.N. Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura plans to convene in Geneva on Feb. 8, Churkin said there was no conflict. "If they're successful, they could move on to Geneva as far as I am concerned," he said. Churkin told reporters earlier on Friday that the seven rebel groups involved in talks so far represent 60,000 fighters, and that others would be welcome. "All those who really want to enter into serious negotiations with the government, who regard themselves as opposition but are prepared to enter into serious negotiations with the government, they're welcome to show up in Astana, so we'll see," he said. (Reporting by David Ingram; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Howard Goller and James Dalgleish)
Photo illustration: Yahoo News, photos: AP.

Russian government entities took to Twitter on Thursday and Friday to mock the U.S. after President Obama announced sanctions and other punishments in retaliation for the Kremlins interference in U.S. elections.

President Obama and the U.S. intelligence community have accused Russia of spearheading the cyberattacks that leaked troves of emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign chairman. In addition to the sanctions, the White House said it would expel from the U.S. 35 Russians whom it characterized as intelligence operatives, and the State Department said it would close two properties it said were used for the Kremlins intelligence operation.

But verified Twitter accounts of Russian embassies and of the countrys foreign ministry were in good humor about it.

Russias embassy in the United Kingdom said it was looking forward to President-elect Donald Trumps administration and used a photo to illustrate the fact that Obama is a lame duck president with only a handful of days left in office.

Screenshot: Twitter

And in a Twitter Christmas card, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended holiday wishes to Obama while inviting the children of the expelled Russians to the Kremlin.

Vladimir #Putin: I offer New Year greetings to President Obama & his family, also to President-elect @realDonaldTrump & the American people! pic.twitter.com/Jmj8u5LvrQ   ???????? (@Russia) December 30, 2016

Russias U.S. embassy also published a seasons greetings statement from Putin to various world leaders, Trump, past U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush  but not Obama.

The embassy also wished America a good morning on Friday with an image featuring a sunny sky.

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And then there was this tweet from the countrys U.K. embassy.
By Polina Nikolskaya and Svetlana Reiter

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin ruled out on Friday expelling anyone in retaliation for Washington's decision to throw out 35 Russian diplomats and impose sanctions on two of the country's intelligence agencies.

RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-U.S. relations.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to Putin that Moscow expel 35 U.S. diplomats and ban U.S. diplomatic staff from using two facilities in Moscow, his ministry said.

This followed President Barack Obama's decision to expel the 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying and to impose sanctions on the two Russian intelligence agencies over their alleged involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 presidential election. Lavrov said the allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. elections were baseless.

Putin rejected Lavrov's plan. "We will not expel anyone," he said in a statement. He also said he saw the sanctions as another step to undermine relations between Moscow and Washington, and he regretted that the Obama administration was ending its term in such a way.

Russian officials have portrayed the U.S. sanctions as a last act of a lame-duck president and suggested that Trump could reverse them when he takes over the White House in January.

Earlier Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said the Obama administration was ending its term in "anti-Russia death throes".

"It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia death throes. RIP," Medvedev, who served as president in 2009 when Obama tried to improve Russia-U.S. relations, wrote on his official Facebook page.

The U.S. sanctions also closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for "intelligence-related purposes".

(Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Maria Tsvetkova, writing by Peter Hobson and David Stamp, editing by Katya Golubkova and Angus MacSwan)
(NEW YORK)  Massive 20-ton sanitation trucks, weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand, will surround the iconic New Years Eve celebration in Times Square, officials said Thursday, describing a security measure meant to stop deadly truck-driving attacks into crowds like those in Germany and France.

The placement of the 65 trucks, along with 100 patrol cars, at intersections surrounding Times Square is a new element to an already heavily policed event that will include 7,000 officers, specially armed counterterrorism units and bomb-sniffing dogs.

We live in a changing world now, New York Police Department Commissioner James ONeil said. It cant just be, What happens in New York, what happens in the United States? It has to be more, What happens worldwide?'

A Tunisian man who plowed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin this month killed 12 people and injured 56 others. His attack followed a more deadly assault in Nice, France, in July that left 86 people dead when a man drove a 20-ton refrigerated truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day.

New York police studied those events in planning their Times Square security.

As we formulated this years plan, we paid close attention to world events and we learned from those events, said Carlos Gomez, the NYPDs chief of department.

More than 1 million people are expected to attend the annual ball drop countdown in Manhattan, and officials said they didnt know of any terror threats.

The security measures are part of augmented precautions across the nation for New Years Eve. To keep Las Vegas lavish celebration secure, the entire police force will be working or on-call with help from the FBI, the National Guard and the Secret Service and will close roads and beef up barriers to prevent vehicle attacks.

Times Square revelers, who are prohibited from carrying umbrellas and large bags, will be screened at two points: once when they approach the Crossroads of the World and again when they enter one of the 65 pens that hold thousands of people each.

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And, as in past years, officials have removed trash bins and mailboxes, sealed manhole covers and done sweeps of parking garages and hotels.

Police in New York have used trucks as blocker vehicles before, though never on this scale.

The sand-filled trucks were deployed in November at the Thanksgiving Day parade and on Election Day, when they were posted outside Donald Trumps Trump Tower, at two Manhattan hotels and at a convention center used by Hillary Clintons campaign.

Investigators also are reviewing the records of truck rental companies, said James Waters, chief of the NYPDs counterterrorism bureau.

The large trucks arent the only offering from the Department of Sanitation, said Kathryn Garcia, the sanitation commissioner. About 280 employees will be on hand to clean up between 40 and 50 tons of debris after the ball drops following the 60-second countdown to 2017, she said.
Dalit community submits 5-point demand to PM

The Joint Political Dalit Struggle Committee along with a dozen Dalit organisations has submitted a five-point demand to Prime Minsiter Pushpa Kamal Dahal, warning of a nation-wide protest if their demands are not met.
Kiev (AFP) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Friday tried to bring in foreign investment and slash corruption by temporarily banning the tax police from conducting unannounced checks on companies' operations.

The measure is also supposed to let small businesses thrive by letting them stay open without any inspections for three years.

The former Soviet republic is keen to shed the label of Europe's most graft-ridden state that was stamped on it by the European Court of Auditors last month.

Ukraine's tax police and other inspection authorities are notorious for accepting bribes as a reward for letting companies stay in business after committing minor -- or even made-up -- violations.

An improvement in the cash-strapped and war-torn country's business climate has been a constant demand wrapped into a $17.5-billion (16.6-billion-euro) rescue package approved by the International Monetary Fund last year.

Poroshenko has vowed to fight corruption by cracking down on the power wielded by a handful of oligarchs and opening up officials' incomes for viewing to all Ukrainians curious about their elected leaders' possibly ill-gotten gains.

The second measure is already in effect while the battle to reign in the billionaires is taking more time.

The law adopted on Friday moves one step further by putting tough curbs on the powers of the tax police.

"This will substantially reduce the number of inspections by the controlling authorities," the pro-Western leader said in a statement.

"We are going to see a qualitative change in the investment and tax climate."

The world bank ranks Ukraine 80th on its 2016 Ease of Doing Business index.

That is 40 spots worse than its arch-rival Russia -- a country where the Kremlin dominates business and the courts are viewed as bought off -- and only one grade better than its 2015 ranking.

Ukraine faired especially poorly in catagories such as taxation and handing out construction and business permits.

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Poroshenko said the tax authorities will no longer be investigative but rather "consultative" in nature.

That means companies will be able to turn to them with questions but no longer have to open up their books during spot inspections.

Economists have said that such sudden checks have long been used by businessmen to close the operations of a rival on a technicality.

The tax police have also been reported to conduct raids on companies that fall out of favour with a particular tycoon or politician with business ties.

The law says that unannounced tax inspections may resume anew at the start of 2018.
KIEV (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator John McCain said on Friday that Russia must be made to pay the price for cyber attacks on the United States and that it was possible to impose many sanctions, including on financial institutions.

McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on foreign cyber threats.

"When you attack a country, it's an act of war," McCain said in an interview with the Ukrainian TV channel "1+1" while on a visit to Kiev.

"And so we have to make sure that there is a price to pay, so that we can perhaps persuade the Russians to stop these kind of attacks on our very fundamentals of democracy."

President-elect Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday for refraining from retaliation after the United States expelled 35 Russian diplomats.

(Reporting by Sergei Karazy and Matthias Williams; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, along with two other Democratic party leaders, has urged people to take to the streets in January to protest any cuts to healthcare plans or subsidies that the incoming Donald Trump administration may impose.

In a letter sent to their colleagues in Congress, Sanders along with incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for a day of action on Jan. 15, days before Trumps inauguration, to fight the GOPs radical proposal.

Beginning in January, it is likely that Republican leaders in Congress will follow through in their threats to ram through a budget bill that will severely undermine the health care needs of the American people, the letter read.

The three leaders wrote: On Sunday, January 15th, ahead of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there will be a day of action  Our First Stand: Save Health Care. Rallies will be held around the country to vigorously oppose the Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it and throw our health care system into chaos.

Trump, on the campaign trail, had echoed the GOPs refrain promising to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. However, after his election win, he has softened his stance saying he supports certain parts of Obamacare.

Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced, the real estate mogul told the Wall Street Journal after his election in November. I told [President Barack Obama] I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect I will do that.

However, Trumps pick for health secretary Tom Price was the chief architect behind a Republican proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare.

We think its important that Washington not be in charge of health care, Price said, in an interview this summer. The problem that I have with Obamacare is that its premise is that Washington knows best.

Earlier in December, the U.S. healthcare industry warned Trump against repealing the Affordable Care Act, saying the move would result in an unprecedented public health crisis.

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A report found that between 2018 and 2026, cuts just to Medicaid could lead to the industry losing around $165.8 billion. Hospitals would stand to lose a further $289.5 billion if changes to Obamacare hurt funding to hospitals with a large number of Medicare patients, according to the report.

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AUCKLAND (Reuters) - Newly-engaged Serena Williams touched down in Auckland on Friday and quickly made her way to the court to hit some balls ahead of the start of her 2017 season. The 22-times grand slam singles champion announced her engagement on Thursday to Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of the social media company Reddit, who accompanied her to New Zealand for the ASB Classic which starts on Thursday. American Williams, 35, is top seed for the tournament, a warm-up event for the Australian Open grand slam later in January, and she was whisked through a crowded airport, telling reporters she was excited to be in New Zealand for the first time. "It's fun to go to new places," the world number two said. Serena's older sister Venus is also competing in Auckland, an event she won in 2015, and said she was delighted to hear about her sibling's engagement. Serena said it was unlikely the duo, who have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, would team up to play in New Zealand. "Probably not. I wish, we will see," Serena said. (Reporting by Reuters TV, Editing by Patrick Johnston and Ed Osmond)
Hit drama Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington, will return to BBC One in the U.K. and PBS in the U.S. with its fourth season on Jan. 1.

But much fan debate has focused on whether there will be a fifth season. No definite word came just before the holidays, when BBC director general Tony Hall hosted a reception and preview of season four in London's Soho, followed by a Q&A with castmembers, writers and others working on the show, whose comments were embargoed until now.

The BBC has said that the new season, once again written by creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, begins with Sherlock Holmes (Cumberbatch) back on British soil as Dr. Watson (Freeman) and his wife, Mary (Freeman's former real-life partner Abbington), prepare for their biggest challenge: becoming parents.

Naturally, someone asked whether there were plans for a fifth season of the drama. "We would love to do more, but - we are genuinely not lying ... - we absolutely don't know," Gatiss said. "It's up to all kinds of factors, scheduling and willingness to do it." He concluded: "We are just not sure." Gatiss also shared that someone had asked him the same question earlier, quipping that "I said I have high hopes for spring, but after the inauguration, I'm not so sure."

Moffat previously said that he and Gatiss have plotted a fifth season. And Cumberbatch said this fall: "We never say never on the show. I'd love to revisit it. I'd love to keep revisiting it - I stand by that - but in the immediate future, we all have things that we want to crack on with, and we've made something very complete as it is, so I think we'll just wait and see." He added: "The idea of never playing him again is really galling."

With the exception of Victorian Christmas special The Abominable Bride a year ago, there haven't been new installments of the hit drama since 2014. One of the reasons has been the actors' busy schedules.

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Read more: Benedict Cumberbatch Talks 'Sherlock' Season 4, Working With Babies

"I am very, very proud of the success of this program," Cumberbatch said at the preview event for the new season, lauding Moffat and Gatiss. "For all of us, the heavy lifting is really done by two extraordinary fanboys.  And it's just very fun to play fast and loose with the traditional and just do your job as an actor."

Asked about how Sherlock is part of the often-cited current golden age of TV, Cumberbatch said: "You don't take a job thinking [about contributing to that]. You'd be a pretty dead duck if you did.  It's important for us to keep confounding the expectations of audiences and fans so that we can evolve rather than sitting on laurels." He drew laughs when he concluded: "It would be a horribly grand thing to associate with. But if you want to say that, that's fine."

Freeman, meanwhile, lauded Sherlock for allowing the actors to explore their ranges. "It is always interesting to play shades of people," he said.

Abbington said beyond the acting challenges, there are also the fun parts. "I got to go to Marrakech" for the new season, she shared. "Jesus, fantastic!"

Someone asked Gatiss during the Q&A what was more fun: writing an episode or doing a brilliant scene with Cumberbatch in Gatiss' role of Holmes' brother, Mycroft. Replied the writer-actor to laughs: "Doing brilliant scenes that I have written."

Moffat shed some light on the title of the first episode of season four, "The Six Thatchers," a reference to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. "It's a simple equivalence - that's what we have done from the beginning of modernizing it," he explained. "We needed somebody who was iconic - she's become Napoleon. She's an iconic figure."

Added Moffat: "We often use titles that are slight changes to the original. Like "The Empty House" becomes "The Empty Hearse," which is my favorite. We are taking the original, but we are always doing a twist on it. The whole point of doing a modernized version is to say it is all happening again and this time is slightly different. We are absolutely, I think, loyal to the storytelling principles of Arthur Conan Doyle, which are utterly brilliant. It is the heresy of the true believer."

Read more: Comic-Con: 'Sherlock' Team Teases "Darkest" Season Yet  Watch the Season 4 Trailer

Gatiss also talked about how close the writing team stays to Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes stories. "I think Sherlock Holmes always strives best when people don't treat it as a monument," he said. "The stories are meant to be lurid and strange - that's why we love them.  We always try to find the stories we love and little bits and pieces of stories which are very familiar. We always go back to Doyle, but equally we are not treating it as a sacred monument."

Questioned about how daunting writing the new season was, Moffat said with a big smile: "It's not daunting at all; it's bloody brilliant. Normally, when you write shows, hardly anyone ever watches them and you sort of beg your friends and family, and people lie to you about having seen them." He added: "Making sure that people actually watch is bloody marvelous. I have never had an audience before." Amid laughs, Cumberbatch jumped in, imitating Moffat's voice and saying: "He's having a good time!"

So what was the biggest challenge for the Sherlock team in producing season four? "The big challenge was that peaceful dog [in episode 1], that bloodhound dog," Moffat said, drawing laughter. "It didn't move. That was an immobile dog.  It looked exactly like an ornament. It wouldn't do a thing."

Cumberbatch recalled, to more laughs, what the female trainer of the dog said while shooting in central London. "She said, well, the dog doesn't like pavements or concrete. It doesn't like people or busy streets or open spaces."

Rachel Talalay, who directed the first episode of the new season, acknowledged she had her own biggest challenge in "living up to the amazingness of the show." Looking toward show producer Sue Vertue, she added: "There is just no room to miss a beat, so that's an incredible challenge. And watching it tonight with the actors who hadn't seen it yet was terrifying."

Produced by Hartswood Films, season four of Sherlock consists of three 90-minute episodes. The team behind the hit show has teased that the new season would be the darkest one yet.

Read more: Benedict Cumberbatch Hints at End of 'Sherlock'
Hit drama Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington, will return to BBC One in the U.K. and PBS in the U.S. with its fourth season on Jan. 1.

But much fan debate has focused on whether there will be a fifth season. No definite word came just before the holidays when BBC director general Tony Hall hosted a reception and preview of season 4 in London's Soho, followed by a Q&A with cast members, the writers and others working on the show, whose comments were embargoed until now.

The BBC has said that the new season, once again written by creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, begins with Sherlock Holmes (Cumberbatch) back on British soil as Doctor Watson (Freeman) and his wife Mary (Freeman's former real-life partner Abbington) prepare for their biggest ever challenge - becoming parents.

Naturally, someone asked whether there were plans for a fifth season of the drama. "We would love to do more, but, we are not lying, we absolutely don't know," Gatiss said. "It's up to all kinds of factors, scheduling and willingness to do it." He concluded: "We are just not sure." Gatiss also shared that someone had asked him the same question earlier, quipping that "I said I have high hopes for spring. But after the inauguration, I'm not so sure."

Moffat previously said that he and Gatiss have plotted a fifth season. And Cumberbatch said this fall: "We never say never on the show. I'd love to revisit it, I'd love to keep revisiting it, I stand by that, but in the immediate future we all have things that we want to crack on with and we've made something very complete as it is, so I think we'll just wait and see." He added: "The idea of never playing him again is really galling."

With the exception of Victorian Christmas special The Abominable Bride a year ago, there haven't been new installments of the hit drama since 2014. One of the reasons has been the actors' busy schedule.

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Read more: Benedict Cumberbatch Talks 'Sherlock' Season 4, Working With Babies

"I am very, very proud of the success of this program," Cumberbatch said at the preview event for the new season, lauding Moffat and Gatiss. "For all of us, the heavy lifting is really done by two extraordinary fanboys. ... And it's just very fun to play fast and loose with the traditional and just do your job as an actor."

Asked about how Sherlock is part of the often-cited current golden age of TV, Cumberbatch said: "You don't take a job thinking [about that]. You'd be a pretty dead duck if you did. ... It's important for us to keep confounding the expectations of audiences and fans so that we can evolve rather than sitting on laurels." He drew laughs when he concluded: "It would be a horribly grand thing to associate with. But if you want to say that, that's fine."

Freeman, meanwhile, lauded Sherlock for allowing the actors to explore their range. "It is always interesting to play shades of people," he said.

And Abbington said beyond the acting challenges, there are also the fun parts. "I got to go to Marrakech" for the new season, she shared. "Jesus, fantastic!"

Someone asked Gatiss during the Q&A what was more fun - writing an episode or doing a brilliant scene with Cumberbatch in Gatiss' role of Holmes' brother Mycroft. Replied the writer/actor to laughs: "Doing brilliant scenes that I have written."

Moffat shed some light on the title of the first episode of season 4, The Six Thatchers, a reference to former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. "It's a simple equivalence, that's what we have done from the beginning of modernizing it," he explained. "We needed somebody who was iconic - she's become Napoleon. She's an iconic figure."

Added Moffat: "We often use titles that are slight changes to the original. Like The Empty House becomes The Empty Hearse, which is my favorite. We are taking the original, but we are always doing a twist on it. The whole point of doing a modernized version is to say it is all happening again and this time is slightly different. We are absolutely, I think, loyal to the storytelling principles of Arthur Conan Doyle, which are utterly brilliant. It is the heresy of the true believer."

Read more: Comic-Con: 'Sherlock' Team Teases "Darkest" Season Yet  Watch the Season 4 Trailer

Gatiss also talked about how close to Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes stories is the writing team trying to stay. "I think Sherlock Holmes always strives best when people don't treat it as a monument," he said. "The stories are meant to be lurid and strange, that's why we love them.  We always try to find the stories we love and little bits and pieces of stories, which are very familiar. We always go back to Doyle, but equally we are not treating it as a sacred monument."

Questioned about how daunting writing the new season was, Moffat said with a big smile: "It's not daunting at all, it's bloody brilliant. Normally, when you write shows, hardly anyone ever watches them and you sort of beg your friends and family, and people lie to you about having seen them." He added: "Making sure that people actually watch is bloody marvelous. I have never had an audience before." Amid laughs, Cumberbatch at that point jumped in, imitating Moffat's voice and saying: "He's having a good time!"

So what was the biggest challenge for the Sherlock team in producing season 4? "The big challenge was that peaceful dog [in episode 1], that bloodhound dog," Moffat said, drawing laughter. "It didn't move. That was an immobile dog.  It looked exactly like an ornament. It wouldn't do a thing."

Cumberbatch recalled, to more laughs, what the female trainer of the dog said while shooting in central London. "She said well, the dog doesn't like pavements or concrete. It doesn't like people or busy streets or open spaces."

Rachel Talalay, who directed the first episode of the new season, acknowledged she had her own biggest challenge in "living up to the amazingness of the show." Looking towards show producer Sue Vertue, she added: "There is just no room to miss a beat, so that's an incredible challenge. And watching it tonight with the actors who hadn't seen it yet was terrifying."

Produced by Hartswood Films, season 4 of Sherlock consists of three 90-minute episodes. The team behind the hit show has teased that the new season would be the darkest season yet.

Read more: Benedict Cumberbatch Hints at End of 'Sherlock'
Simone Biles isn't going to let anybody bring her down!

The 19-year-old Olympian took to Twitter on Tuesday to send a message to her followers: She's proud of her body, and negative comments aren't going to do anything to change that.

WATCH: Simone Biles Recalls Painful Moment Being Called 'Fat' by a Former Coach: 'I Was Crying'

"You all can judge my body all you want, but at the end of the day it's MY body. I love it & I'm comfortable in my skin," she wrote.

you all can judge my body all you want, but at the end of the day it's MY body. I love it & I'm comfortable in my skin   Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) December 28, 2016

Biles' self-confidence definitely shows. The gymnast has been "living in bathing suits" while on vacation in Belize, posting cute shots from her vacation to Instagram.

living in bathing suits >>  A photo posted by Simone Biles (@simonebiles) on Dec 27, 2016 at 3:15pm PST

bad & boujee  A photo posted by Simone Biles (@simonebiles) on Dec 26, 2016 at 5:48pm PST

RELATED: Simone Biles Meets the Cleveland Cavaliers and It Will Make Your Day

The Rio Olympics star also showed off her toned physique in a Sia-inspired leotard while supporting Oliva Munn on Lip Sync Battle earlier this year.

See more in the video below.

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By Kim Palmer

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A small plane carrying the chief executive of an Ohio-based liquor distribution company and his wife and sons disappeared over Lake Erie shortly after taking off on Thursday night near Cleveland, the company said.

John Fleming, president and chief executive of Superior Beverage Group, his wife, Sue, their sons Jack and Andrew, and two close friends were involved in the accident, the company said in a statement on Friday.

"This is a difficult day for us, and we appreciate the concern and thoughtfulness extended by so many," Joseph McHenry, company executive vice president, said.

The 11-seat aircraft dropped off radar just before 11 p.m. local time Thursday after leaving Burke Lakefront Airport on the shore of Lake Erie north of downtown Cleveland, U.S. Coast Guard Chief of Response Michael Mullen told a news conference on Friday.

The Cessna Citation 525, bound for Ohio State University Airport, disappeared after flying about two miles over the lake, Mullen said.

Fleming, 46, is believed to have been piloting the plane, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

The group was returning to Columbus after attending the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game against the Boston Celtics, the Dispatch reported.

Coast Guard crews searched with boats, a helicopter and fixed-wing plane over a section of Lake Erie that is about 50 feet deep, Mullen said, adding that there were no signs of debris.

He said there was no evidence of an emergency call before communications with the aircraft stopped.

The water temperature was around 35 degrees Fahrenheit (1.7C), according to the National Weather Service.

Asked about the chances of survival considering the water temperature and high seas, Mullen said, "It comes down to a person's will to survive."

(Reporting by Kim Palmer; Additional reporting by Laila Kearney in New York and Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Toni Reinhold and Leslie Adler)
District hospital in sore need of Obstetricians

After Udayapur District Hospital discontinued maternity services four months ago, pregnant women visiting the hospital are being referred to hospitals outside the district.
Moscow (AFP) - From Russia's most powerful security agencies to obscure firms with meaningless names, here is a look at the entities sanctioned by the United States for alleged hacking targeting November's presidential election.

- Intelligence agencies -

The Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Russian military is arguably Russia's most secretive agency, and has neither a website nor a press office.

The agency was established right after the Bolshevik Revolution and today is run from a state-of-the-art compound built under Putin in 2006 in north-western Moscow.

The GRU has been headed since February by Igor Korobov, who took over following the death of previous chief Igor Sergun. Korobov, who was also sanctioned as an individual, had been Sergun's deputy before 2016. Three of his deputies are also on the sanctions list.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) is the country's most powerful security agency. The FSB emerged from the domestic branch of the Soviet-era KGB to become Russia's main internal intelligence agency after the collapse of the USSR.

Putin, a former KGB officer, headed the FSB under Boris Yeltsin and the agency has grown in power and prestige ever since he moved to the Kremlin.

The sprawling agency is headquartered at the iconic Lubyanka building in central Moscow and reports directly to Putin. Since 2008 it has been headed by Alexander Bortnikov.

It has its own academy and a vast budget that is mostly classified.

- Associated firms -

The three firms which the US accuses of assisting the GRU-led hack are Special Technology Centre (STLS), Zorsecurity (Esage Lab) and Professional Association of Designers of Data Processing Systems (ANO PO KSI), Obama said.

STLS says on its website it produces radio signal direction finding equipment, which is often used by security services to locate equipment like mobile phones.

Reports have also indicated the firm is the manufacturer of the Orlan drone, which are used by the Russian military and have been shot down in eastern Ukraine, according to Kiev.

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Zorsecurity was founded by Alisa Shevchenko, a female hacker who also goes by the cyber name Esage.

A 2014 Forbes profile of her said Shevchenko's speciality was helping companies find vulnerabilities. In 2014, US software giant Microsoft acknowledged she helped locate a vulnerability and thereby protect its customers.

On Friday, Shevchenko said on her Twitter blog that she was dumbfounded that her "little simple company (closed long ago at that) could possibly appear on the same list with the FSB and international terrorists."

The Professional Association of Designers of Data Processing Systems is a research and development firm based near Moscow that produces various microelectronic and scanning equipment, including the digital ballot boxes used in Russian elections.

- Most wanted hackers -

Additionally the US Treasury has imposed sanctions on Russian nationals Yevgeny (Evgeniy) Bogachev and Aleksey Belan who have long been on the FBI's most wanted lists and who are not known to have Russian government connections.

Bogachev, also known by various online nicknames like "Slavik", is wanted for administering a scheme that infected US computers with malware known as Zeus to steal bank information, with victims ranging from banks to a Native American tribe.

The virus was later modified as GameOver Zeus (GOZ) and resulted in financial losses of over $100 million after infecting up to a million computers.

The FBI has offered a reward of $3 million for information leading to arrest of Bogachev, whom the FBI describes as "one of the worlds worst" cyber criminals and who reportedly resides in Russia's Black Sea coastal town of Anapa.

Aleksey Belan is a Russian citizen residing in Latvia who is wanted by the FBI for hacking three US e-commerce companies to steal data from millions of accounts to sell to criminals.
Washington (AFP) - Sprint said Friday that the 5,000 US jobs the telecom firm recently pledged to create over the next 15 months are not part of an April 2015 announcement for a different 5,000 jobs.

The confusion -- which prompted the company's chief Marcelo Claure to take to Twitter in defense of the plan -- arose after Donald Trump announced Sprint's jobs commitment this week.

The president-elect claimed credit for the deal as well as an announcement earlier this month by the satellite broadband firm OneWeb of 3,000 new jobs over the next four years.

However, both new job commitments are part of a broader plan announced in October by SoftBank -- which owns 80 percent of Sprint -- to invest tens of billions of dollars in technology globally. The OneWeb project is the result of a $1.2 billion investment from the group.

SoftBank chief executive Masayoshi Son met Trump earlier this month, pledging to invest $50 billion in the US economy and create 50,000 jobs over an unspecified time.

That prompted Trump to take credit for job creation even before he assumes office in January, praising what called "the spirit and the hope" his election generated.

A Sprint spokesperson said on Friday that the 5,000 new jobs announced this week "are not related to our previous announcement about jobs and our Direct 2 You program reported on in April 2015. The announcements are unrelated."

Unlike last year's plan, the newer one is "part of Masa's 50,000 jobs commitment and it was intended to show that we are now working to help fulfill the commitment."

Claure followed Trump's example, taking to Twitter Thursday following reports that the latest Sprint job pledge is not new.

"Stop speculating," he said. "This has NOTHING to do with previously announced @sprint initiatives."

"The 5,000 jobs are NEW jobs that @sprint is creating or bringing back to the US. Great news for the country."

Sprint, which announced 2,500 layoffs in January, said the 5,000 positions will be created or brought back from overseas by the end of its 2017 fiscal year, which ends in March 2018. It has not yet decided where the jobs will be created, saying only that they will be spread across the organization.

Claure -- who held a fundraiser for Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in September, calling Trump "too risky" -- said in the announcement this week that "we are excited to work with President-elect Trump and his administration to do our part to drive economic growth and create jobs in the US."
This Star Wars: The Force Awakens deleted scene is pure Leia  and Carrie Fisher  magic

If youve already watched every moment of Princess Leia in Star Wars after Carrie Fishers death, then we have one more tiny scene for you to see that might bring a small smile to your face. This deleted scene from The Force Awakens not only shows General Leia Organa at her best  it also shows Carrie at her best  and is a must-see for all Leia and Carrie fans.

The deleted scene is included on the 3D Collectors Edition of The Force Awakens and is only 15-seconds long between Leia and Korr Sella. Leia tells Korrie to deliver the message to the Senate that the Republic must take action against the First Order. When Korrie respectfully asks, Will the Republic listen? Leias response is so perfectly Fisher:

Not all the Senators think Im insane. Or maybe they do  I dont care.

Its the right amount of Leia independence and Fishers own personal brand of sass. Plus, Fishers delivery is just so cheeky and it reflects all those times that Fisher defied to live by the expectations that Hollywood and the public placed up on her.

As this deleted Star Wars scene proves, General Leia Organa is our fictional hero. However, Fisher was our real-life hero and will remain so even after her death.

The post This Star Wars: The Force Awakens deleted scene is pure Leia  and Carrie Fisher  magic appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Supernatural brothers Sam and Dean find themselves being carted off in cuffs in the first photos from the CW dramas Thursday, Jan. 26 episode (now airing at 8/7c), but at least theyve got some loved ones looking for them on the outside.

RELATEDSupernatural Boss Previews Three Really Strong Castiel-Heavy Episodes

Were going to be building in about a six-week time jump, executive producer Andrew Dabb reveals. Well see how Sam and Dean act in that period of isolation, but also how the rest of the world reacts, as well  specifically Cas and Mary and some other players.

No strangers to outrunning the authorities or getting arrested, the Winchesters latest run-in with the law is a different kind of predicament than theyve ever had before, Dabb says. The people that have them  the government, not the British of Men of Letters  think theyre real, legitimate criminals, albeit kind of terrorists more than your common thief or anything like that. Sam and Dean [are] facing something where its not like they can do what they normally do.

RELATEDSupernatural Stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles on Men of Letters Battle  Plus: EP Debunks Arrest Theory

That means not being able to say, The monsters real. And by the way, the monsters going to come and get you, and you have to be on our side, which is something they pulled with law enforcement in the past, the EP notes.

Scroll through the gallery to the right (or click here for direct access) for a sneak peek, then hit the comments with your thoughts on the brothers imprisonment.

Launch Gallery: <i>Supernatural</i> Season 12 Photos

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On New Years Eve, Americans may turn on their televisions and have a ball watching a sparkling orb be lowered from a flagpole at the top of One Times Square. The conclusion of the ball drop has become the annual signal that the clock has struck midnight on the first day of the year.

But, while the Times Square tradition dates back to the early 20th century, the idea of using a ball drop to mark time is much more than just a fun holiday activity.

The first time balls were built in England, in the Portsmouth harbor in 1829 and at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich in 1833, according to Alexis McCrossen, author of Marking Modern Times: A History of Clocks, Watches, and Other Timekeepers in American Life and professor of history at Southern Methodist University (SMU). (The Greenwich one still exists.) These devices were large enough and high enough to be seen from the harbor or port, and they were designed to help ship captains keep accurate time. For Britain, the maritime power of the day, the question of the time was an important one: at sea, without landmarks to determine longitude and without a stable surface on which to rest a pendulum, it can be hard to tell time precisely. Ship captains would look at the time ball to set their chronometers, a type of clock without a pendulum for seafarers, which had been invented by the carpenter and clockmaker John Harrison.

Though they were designed for mariners, the time balls became major attractions. At around a quarter to noon, large crowds in the area would go outside to get a glimpse of the timekeeper. These balls, covered in black or red canvas, would be hoisted up to top and at the exact moment of noon, it would float down, McCrossen says, and you could check your time keeper.

By 1844, there were 11 such balls worldwide.

In 1845, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy ordered one built atop the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.but the American version of the time ball sounds a little bit less organized than its cousins across the pond. After someone gave some kind of oral signal, it would be thrown by hand, land on the Observatorys dome and roll to the roof below. John Quincy Adams is said to have enjoyed strolling by to watch the time ball fall while he was a Congressman. Between 1845 and around 1902, time balls were erected at locations like San Franciscos Telegraph Hall, to the Boston State House, as well as less famous towns, like Crete, Neb.

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The vast majority of clocks were put up by government entities to assert their right to control the time, McCrossen argues.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

But this method had quite a few kinks. They were constantly malfunctioning, says McCrossen. They were dropping at the wrong time; a notice would be put in the newspaper to indicate the ball was erroneously dropped before or even after noon. They were covered in canvas, so on a windy day or a day when it was raining, the [method] didnt work. Eventually, the invention of the telegraph allowed for the transmission of time signals across the wires, which allowed the dropping of a time ball to be somewhat more automated. For example, the time ball built in 1877 on the rooftop of Western Union Telegraphs New York City headquarters near City Hall received a signal from the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Still, by the late 19th century, the impractical devices were mostly on their way out, or at least reduced to a more decorative or symbolic role.

Once time signals could be sent to peoples clocks through wireless transmissions, fewer and fewer time balls were manufactured, so by 1908, their time had passed, McCrossen says (no pun intended).

Yet when a 1907 fireworks ban forced the New York Times to find a new celebratory way to ring in the new year during its annual New Years jamboree, the papers owner Adolph Ochs, inspired by the Western Union Telegraphs time ball, arranged for an illuminated seven-hundred-pound iron and wood ball to be lowered from the flagpole of the Times Tower.

The great shout that went up drowned out the whistles for a minute, the paper reported at the time. The vocal power of the welcomers rose above even the horns and the cow bells and the rattles. Above all else came the wild human hullabaloo of noise.

And thats one New Years tradition that has remained the same, even as our ways of keeping time have changed.
What its like to survive the loss of your mother

When I first heard that Debbie Reynolds had died just one day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher, my mom was the first person I thought of.

I was eleven years old when I encountered my first Big Death. Before that, it had been a great grandparent who lived in Florida and who Id only met once, and I hadnt even attended the funeral. On my eleventh birthday, my mom was walking me to school when she got an alarming phone call  something was very, very wrong with her younger sister, Jackie. Jackie only lived about twenty minutes from us, so my mom finished walking me to school and hurriedly rushed to help the family. By the time I got home from school that day, Jackie had died.

Unlike my mom and I, Jackie and I were never close. In my eleven-year-old opinion, Jackie was someone who stood in the way of my relationship with my mom. The two were close in age, and spent time together multiple times a wee  and for some reason, this made me extremely jealous.

As adults who were both sexual assault survivors dealing with mental health issues, my mom and Jackie understood each other in ways that I didnt understand my mom.

And my mom was my entire world; as an only child, I had no idea what it was like to forge that kind of lifelong bond with a sister.

After Jackie died, my mom fell apart. I didnt understand it at the time, but Jackie was someone who wholeheartedly believed my mom was a survivor. She was someone who my mom trusted with the most private parts of herself. After Jackie died, my mom spent most of her free time writing letters to her late sister, and she told me once that shed go to call Jackie to tell her something  good news, bad news  and then realize that she couldnt. When I started to feel guilty about my complicated, unfriendly relationship with Jackie after she passed, it was my mom who helped me talk to her out loud and make peace with the situation.

Watching my mom grieve was my first close look at the grieving process: The crying, the anger, the letters written to nobody, the sadness of holidays and milestones spent apart. It was something I never wanted to experience.

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And then, with a shocking suddenness, my mom died, just five months after her sister Jackie.

debbie reynolds carrie fisher

I didnt understand it. My mom hadnt been sick. One morning, she took me to eat lunch and then had an unexpected seizure. She was rushed to the hospital, where she died overnight.

It was as if she couldnt be without Jackie, and her grief took her to be with her sister.

carrie fisher billie lourd debbie reynolds

All the platitudes my mom had given me about death, all my watching her navigate the grieving process  now I was trying it on for size.

Id pick up the phone to call my mom and realize that I couldnt. Id listen to old voicemails shed left to lull me to sleep. Id start crying when I found one of my moms Stephen King novels as I was packing up our things to move.

The worst part was the way that relationships change as we grieve. My grandmother  the mother to Jackie and my mom  had been struggling with drug and alcohol addiction for a while before they passed, but everything worsened after she lost her youngest daughters. She and my grandfather, a loving Italian man whod always sung, Were home! as we entered the driveway, finally split up for good, although they still came to the holidays together most of the time. She lost her house, a beautiful two-story with a backyard that connected to the public library, not long after. I didnt understand any of this while it was happening.

As much as I missed my mom, I didnt get that Nannie was grieving not only because shed lost two of her children, but because of the misgivings theyd had over the years  fights about auntie Jackies bipolar disorder, my grandmothers refusal to believe that my mom was a sexual abuse survivor, my mom and aunts fights about my grandmothers sobriety and relationship with my grandfather.

A few years after my mom and Jackie died, my grandmother, who was sixty-nine, passed away. At the time, I remember thinking that I wasnt surprised. It was as if a part of her had been dying from the moment one of her children did.

debbie reynolds

By the time she died, our relationship had completely changed from the one we had when I was growing up. It was like Id lost her long before she died, and her death was a formality, a way to make the separation official. As I grew older and learned more about my mom and Jackies relationship, I started to hate my grandmother for the things she didnt do  she didnt believe my mom about her sexual abuse and assaults, she didnt get Jackie help for her mental health issues, she didnt help my mom with her PTSD, she didnt even reach out to me after my mom died. In high school, I became a sexual assault survivor like my mom, and I never missed her more  or resented my grandmother more because my mom hadnt felt validated.

The grieving process is usually a very solitary one. Although I shared the loss of my mom with everyone else who knew her, nobody else knew her the way I, her own daughter, did. No one else was present in our intimate moments; in the times we put on our record player and danced to Elvis songs, in the times I warmed my hands on her stomach in the winter, in the times we cuddled on the sofa with our tabby Sabrina between us.

I grieved her in the way she grieved her sister: In the spaces in my life where I believed she should be, like out in the crowd at my college graduation, or when I needed her to rub my back after a particularly bad sexual assault nightmare.

Celebrity deaths are different from personal deaths because the grieving process is so collective, so public. Fans share stories about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, but most of them never met their idols or knew them intimately.

debbie reynolds carrie fisher

The loss is more tied to who we are  and what these celebrities represented to us  than they are to any kind of deep relationship with them. When I miss Carrie Fisher, I miss a woman who openly spoke about mental health and addiction in a way that I wish my mom, auntie Jackie, and my grandmother could have understood. When I mourn Carrie and Debbies loss, Im mourning the fact that my mom didnt live until she was 84-years old, and she wont be around when Im 60. Im mourning the fact that my mom will never meet her grandchildren.

When I first heard that Debbie Reynolds had died just one day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher, my mom was the first person I thought of.

As cynical or morbid as it may sound, I thought, I wish that could have been us. Dozens of times since my mom died, Ive prayed to the heavens, asked whoever is in charge out loud, Why did you take her instead of me?

Ive asked the universe if we could go together, almost in the way my mom and Jackie did, and in the way that Carrie and Debbie did. Because when we grieve, it is both a private and a collective process, and we miss the things that person taught us about ourselves almost as much as we miss them.

The post What its like to survive the loss of your mother appeared first on HelloGiggles.
* Ceasefire marred by clashes and air strikes

* Two previous ceasefires collapsed within weeks

* Peace talks planned in Moscow ally Kazakhstan

* U.S. sidelined in latest peace efforts

By John Davison and Ellen Francis

BEIRUT, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Clashes, shelling and air raids in western Syria marred a Russian- and Turkish-backed ceasefire that aims to end nearly six years of war and lead to peace talks between rebels and a government emboldened by recent battlefield success.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition.

The truce went into force at midnight but monitors and rebels reported almost immediate clashes, and violence appeared to escalate later on Friday as warplanes bombed areas in the country's northwest, they said.

Asaad Hanna, a political officer in the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a loose alliance of insurgent groups, told Reuters violence had reduced but had not stopped.

"We cannot be optimistic about someone like the Russians who used to kill us for six years ... they are not angels. But we are happy because we are reducing the violence and working to find a solution for the current situation," said Hanna.

The ceasefire is meant as a first step towards fresh peace talks, after several failed international efforts this year to halt the conflict, which began as a peaceful uprising and descended into war in 2011.

It has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths, displaced more than 11 million people and drawn in the military involvement of world and regional powers, including Moscow and Ankara.

The agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey, which said they will guarantee the truce, is the first of three ceasefire deals this year not to involve the United States or United Nations.

Moscow is keen to push ahead with peace talks, hosted by its ally Kazakhstan. But the first challenge will be maintaining the truce, which looked shaky on Friday.

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WARPLANES AND HELICOPTERS

Syrian government warplanes carried out nearly 20 raids against rebels in several towns along the provincial boundary between Idlib and Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Clashes between rebel groups and government forces took place overnight in the area, the Observatory and rebel officials said.

Warplanes and helicopters also struck northwest of Damascus in the rebel-held Wadi Barada valley, where government troops and allied forces clashed with rebels, the British-based Observatory reported.

A military media unit run by Damascus's ally Hezbollah denied any Syrian government air strikes on the area.

An official from the Nour al-Din al-Zinki rebel group said government forces had also tried to advance in southern Aleppo province.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian military on Friday's clashes.

Residents of several rebel-held areas, including towns and cities in Idlib province, used the relative calm to hold street protests against the Syrian government on Friday, the Observatory said.

A number of rebel groups have signed the new agreement, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday. Several rebel officials acknowledged the deal, and a FSA spokesman said it would abide by the truce.

Hanna, the FSA political officer, said late on Friday rebels were not yet responding to attacks by pro-government forces and had asked Turkey to make sure the attacks stop.

"If the breaks come again, we will reply to all the sources of fire. We are monitoring the fighting but our weapons are ready," he said.

PREVIOUS COLLAPSES

The previous two Syria ceasefires, brokered by Washington and Moscow, took effect in February and September but both collapsed within weeks as warring sides accused each other of truce violations and fighting intensified.

Putin said the parties were prepared to start peace talks intended to take place in Astana. Syrian state media said late on Thursday those talks would take place "soon".

The Syrian government will be negotiating from a strong position after its army and their allies, including Shi'ite militias supported by Iran, along with Russian air power, routed rebels in their last major urban stronghold of Aleppo this month.

Moscow's air campaign since September last year has turned the war in Assad's favour, and the last rebels left Aleppo for areas that are still under rebel control to the west of the city, including the province of Idlib.

On Friday the Russian ambassador to the United Nations said Moscow had circulated a proposed resolution at the U.N. Security Council that would endorse the ceasefire, and said he hoped the council would vote on the resolution on Saturday.

In another sign that the latest truce could be as challenging to maintain as its predecessors, there was confusion over which rebel groups would be covered by the ceasefire.

The Syrian army said the agreement did not include the radical Islamist group Islamic State, fighters from al-Qaeda's former branch the Nusra Front, or any factions linked to those jihadist groups.

But several rebel officials said on Thursday that the agreement did include the former Nusra Front - now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham - which announced in July that it was severing ties with al Qaeda.

A spokesman for Jabhat Fateh al-Sham criticized the ceasefire for not mentioning Assad's fate, and said the political solution under this agreement would "reproduce the criminal regime".

"The solution is to topple the criminal regime militarily," he said in a statement on Friday.

The powerful Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham said it had not signed the ceasefire agreement because of "reservations" but did not elaborate.

RUSSIA-TURKEY DETENTE

The deal follows a thaw in ties between Russia and Turkey.

Ankara backs rebels fighting against Islamic State, which has made enemies of all other sides involved in the conflict.

In a sign of the detente, the Turkish armed forces said on Friday Russian aircraft had carried out three air strikes against Islamic State in the area of al-Bab in northern Syria.

Ankara has insisted on the departure of Assad but his removal has become a secondary concern to fighting the expansion of Kurdish influence in northern Syria. The chances of Assad's opponents forcing him from power now seem more remote than at any point in the war.

Turkish demands that fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement leave Syria may not please Iran, another major Assad supporter. Hezbollah has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces against rebels.

On Thursday a senior Hezbollah official said the party's military wing would remain in Syria.

The United States, in the waning days of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due take part in the Kazakhstan talks.

Russia has said the United States could join a fresh peace process once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. It also wants Egypt to join, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the United Nations.

Trump has said he would cooperate more closely with Russia to fight terrorism but it was unclear what that policy would look like, given resistance from the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community to closer cooperation with Russia on Syria.

(Additional reporting by Lisa Barrington in Beirut, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Jonathan Landay in Washington, Tulay Karadeniz and Orhan Coskun in Ankara and David Ingram in New York; Editing by Anna Willard)
By John Davison

BEIRUT, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, came into force at midnight local time on Friday (2200 GMT on Thursday) in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of bloodshed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, announced the ceasefire on Thursday after forging the agreement with Turkey, a longtime backer of the opposition.

Monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said calm prevailed in areas across the country included in the truce shortly after midnight, and that warring sides mostly appeared to have ceased firing.

Some gunfire was heard in the southern provinces of Deraa and Quneitra shortly after the ceasefire took effect, the Observatory said, and reported limited clashes east of Damascus. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States could join the peace process once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. He also wanted Egypt to join, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and the United Nations.

A number of rebel groups have signed the agreement, Russia's Defence Ministry said. Several rebel officials acknowledged the deal, and a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a loose alliance of insurgent groups, said it would abide by the truce.

One FSA commander was optimistic about the truce deal, the third serious attempt this year at a nationwide ceasefire.

"This time I have confidence in its seriousness. There is new international input," Colonel Fares al-Bayoush said without elaborating.

Syria's civil war, which began when a peaceful uprising descended into violence in 2011, has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths and displaced over 11 million people, half its pre-war population.

The ceasefire, in the waning days of President Barack Obama's administration, was the first major international diplomatic initiative in the Middle East in decades not to involve the United States.

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PREVIOUS COLLAPSES

The previous two Syria ceasefires, brokered by Cold War foes Washington and Moscow, took effect in February and September but both collapsed within weeks as warring sides accused each other of truce violations and fighting intensified.

Putin said the parties were also prepared to start peace talks intended to take place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Syrian state media said late on Thursday that these talks would take place "soon".

The Syrian government will be negotiating from a strong position after its army and their allies, including Shi'ite militias supported by Iran, along with Russian air power, routed rebels in their last major urban stronghold of Aleppo this month.

Moscow's air campaign since September last year has turned the civil war in Assad's favour, and the last rebels left Aleppo for areas that are still under rebel control to the west of the city, including the province of Idlib.

Before talks can take place, the ceasefire will have to hold.

In a sign that the latest truce could be as challenging to maintain as its predecessors, there was confusion over which rebel groups would be covered by the ceasefire.

The Syrian army said the agreement did not include the radical Islamist group Islamic State, fighters affiliated to al Qaeda's former branch the Nusra Front, or any factions linked to those jihadist groups.

But several rebel officials said the agreement did include the former Nusra Front - now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham - which announced in July that it was severing ties with al Qaeda.

The powerful Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham meanwhile said it had not signed the ceasefire agreement because of "reservations", which it would make clear in due course.

ASSAD IN STRONG POSITION

The deal also follows a thaw in ties between Russia and Turkey.

Talks on the latest truce picked up momentum after Russia, Iran and Turkey last week said they were ready to back a peace deal and adopted a declaration setting out principles for an agreement.

Putin said opposition groups and the Syrian government had signed a number of documents, including the ceasefire, measures to monitor the truce, and a statement on readiness to start peace talks.

While Ankara has been a big sponsor of the rebellion, Assad's removal has become a secondary concern to fighting the expansion of Kurdish influence in northern Syria. The chances of Assad's opponents forcing him from power now seem more remote than at any point in the war.

The United States has been sidelined in recent negotiations and is not due to attend the next round of peace talks in Kazakhstan, a key Russian ally.

Its exclusion reflects growing frustration from both Turkey and Russia over Washington's policy on Syria, officials have said.

Washington said the news of a ceasefire was a positive.

"We hope it will be implemented fully and respected by all parties," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

James Dobbins, a former senior U.S. diplomat, said the lack of American involvement in the talks between Russia, Iran and Turkey did not preclude the United States being a major player in the region.

In this case, it was frozen out because Obama leaves office in less than a month and because Turkey and Russia are at odds with the United States over its Syria policy and other issues, said Dobbins, a fellow at RAND, a research organization.

Trump has said he would cooperate more closely with Russia to fight terrorism but it was unclear what that policy would look like given resistance from the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community for closer cooperation with Russia on Syria.

(Reporting by John Davison; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Howard Goller)
A new nationwide ceasefire deal in Syria announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday appeared to hold early Friday, despite a rocky start, according to reports. Earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, or SOHR, had reported clashes between rebels and government troops.

The clashes reportedly began around midnight, soon after the truce negotiated by Russia and Turkey entered into force. According to UK-based SOHR, rebels violated the ceasefire in Hama province while rebel groups accused the government of violating the truce and shelling areas in Idlib province.

SOHR also reported that there had been no civilian deaths in the night that followed the announcement of the ceasefire. However, monitors reported that there was considerable confusion regarding who was covered under the ceasefire, according to the Guardian.

The Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the al-Nusra Front, believe it would be covered under the ceasefire, Reuters reported, citing rebel sources. However, the Syrian Army has reportedly said that Islamic State group fighters affiliated to the Nusra Front, or any factions linked to ISIS, would continue to be targeted. Ahrar al-Sham, another rebel group, claimed that it had declined to sign the ceasefire deal because of its reservations with the truce.

Putin, who termed the ceasefire as fragile, said that the stakeholders in the conflict are ready to participate in peace talks to be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which according to Syrian state media will be held soon.

Three documents: a ceasefire agreement between the opposition and the Syrian government; safeguards to ensure the ceasefire works; and a statement of intent to begin peace talks have been signed, according to reports citing Putin.

Meanwhile Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also urged other nations such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, and the United Nations, to join the talks. Lavrov also called on the United States to participate in the peace process when President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

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The third ceasefire agreement this year, after the breakdown of two previous ceasefires brokered by the U.S. and Russia in February and September respectively, are seen as vital to resolving a violent conflict that has killed nearly half a million people and displaced over 11 million people since 2011.

"We hope it will be implemented fully and respected by all parties," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner was quoted as saying to Reuters.

Related Articles
Beirut (AFP) - A fragile calm was holding across Syria on Friday after a truce brokered by Russia and Turkey came into effect, a potentially major breakthrough after nearly six years of conflict.

There were reports of isolated violence, including clashes in central Hama province between government forces and jihadist factions, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were casualties among regime forces in the clashes after midnight with jihadists near the town of Mahardeh.

The fighters were believed to be from a faction that did not sign the ceasefire announced Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and confirmed by Syria's army and mainstream opposition bodies.

The Observatory reported other minor violations, including the firing of a single missile by regime forces in southern Daraa province, but said the truce was largely holding.

"There have not been any large violations," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"From midnight until 8:00 am (0600GMT) there have been no civilian deaths recorded," he added.

AFP correspondents on the ground in rebel-held territory in northwest Idlib province and Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus also reported calm after the truce began.

- 'Real opportunity' -

The ceasefire is the first nationwide truce to be implemented in the country since September, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan sponsored by Russia and Turkey.

Syria's government hailed the agreement as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

And despite being left out of the process, Washington also hailed the truce agreement as a "positive development", saying it hoped it would bring new negotiations.

Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the truce as a "major achievement" that could lead to renewed peace talks.

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"Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he posted on Twitter.

The agreement comes a week after the regime, which is backed by ally Russia, recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Putin said Damascus and the "main forces of the armed opposition" had inked a truce and a document expressing readiness to start peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" and urged states with influence on the ground to show "the necessary sensitivity" to ensure the truce held.

Syria's conflict has become a complex multi-front battle, with a range of outside players intervening, including Russia, which launched a military campaign to bolster President Bashar al-Assad last year.

Putin said Friday he would now reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria, though he added Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" and maintain its support for the government.

And Erdogan also emphasised that Ankara would continue an operation it began in August targeting the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters.

Moscow says seven key rebel groups have signed up to the deal, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham faction, but the truce does not include jihadists such as IS or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front.

That could cause complications in areas like Idlib, where Fateh al-Sham is allied with rebel groups that have signed the deal.

Syria's political opposition and rebels said the truce applied to all parts of the country.

"The agreement includes a ceasefire in all areas held by the moderate opposition, or by the moderate opposition and elements from Fateh al-Sham, such as Idlib province," said Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the National Coalition opposition body.

- Talks in Astana -

Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Turkey and Russia have worked increasingly closely on Syria, brokering a deal this month to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

They are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start next month.

"Now we need to do everything for these agreements to come into force, for them to work, so that the negotiating teams that have been or are being formed promptly and as soon as possible arrive in Astana," Putin said.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped the agreement would "pave the way for productive talks", but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue next year.

Russia and Turkey say the Astana peace talks are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them.

Moscow says it is working with Turkey and key regime ally Iran, and will also seek to involve regional powers Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan.

Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow said it hoped to bring US President-elect Donald Trump's administration on board once he takes office in January.

A rebel official confirmed the truce deal was intended to pave the way for new talks, with the High Negotiations Committee that has represented the opposition at previous negotiations expected to participate.
First ever PDA signed with private company

The Energy Ministry on Thursday signed the first ever project development agreement (PDA) with a private companyNepal Water and Energy Development Company (NWEDC)for the construction of the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydroelectric Project.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and their allies clashed with rebels near Damascus on Friday, and used helicopter gunships in raids in the area in the latest violence to disrupt a nationwide ceasefire that otherwise appeared to hold, monitors said. The clashes took place in a rebel-held valley northwest of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. A rebel official also reported clashes in the area, where the Syrian army began an offensive last week to recapture the area which provides most of Damascus's water supplies. (Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
As a nationwide ceasefire came into force across Syria on December 30, people gathered on the streets and in the squares of opposition cities under the banner Revolution Brings Us Together, calling for opposition to the government to continue.

Syrians protested in Aleppo, Idlib, Homs and Damascus provinces, where they displayed revolutionary flags and called for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

This video was shared by a pro-opposition media group and is described as showing Syrians in Atareb town in Aleppo province protesting against the Assad regime. Credit: Facebook/Radio Vasaem via Storyful
As a nation-wide ceasefire was in place across Syria, people took the streets and squares of opposition cities, on December 30, under the name Revolution Brings us Together.

Syrians protested in Aleppo, Idlib, Homs and Damascus province where they held revolution flags and called for the Syrian president Bashar Assad to step down.

This video was shared by a pro-opposition media and described as showing Syrians in Talbiseh city in Homs province protesting against the Syrian regime. Credit: YouTube/Step News via Storyful
(Recasts, adds Chinese foreign ministry comment, Chinese president on relations with Taiwan)

By J.R. Wu

TAIPEI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through Houston and San Francisco during her January visit to allies in Latin America, her office said Friday, prompting China to repeat a call for the U.S. to block any such stopover.

Tsai's office declined to comment on whether she would be meeting members of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team, but the U.S. mission in Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said the visit would be "private and unofficial".

Trump angered China when he spoke to Tsai this month in a break with decades of precedent and cast doubt on his incoming administration's commitment to Beijing's "one China" policy.

China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations.

China's Foreign Ministry repeated a previous call for the United States not to allow the transit and not send any "wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces".

"We think everyone is very clear on her real intentions," the ministry said, without explaining.

The United States, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, has acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only "one China" and that Taiwan is part of it.

Tsai is transiting in the United States on her way to and from visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. She will leave Taiwan on Jan. 7 and return on Jan. 15.

Tsai will arrive in Houston on Jan. 7 and leave the following day. On her return, she will arrive in San Francisco on Jan. 13, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang told a regular news briefing.

The AIT said the transit did not contradict the "one China" policy.

"President Tsai's transit through the United States is based on long-standing U.S. practice and is consistent with the unofficial nature of our relations with Taiwan," Alys Spensley, acting AIT spokeswoman, told Reuters.

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"There is no change to the U.S. 'one China' policy," she added.

Spensley said that Tsai's transits would be "private and unofficial".

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island.

Speaking to members of China's largely ceremonial advisory body to parliament earlier on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said next year China would make "unremitting efforts" at unification and developing peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait, state news agency Xinhua said.

Taiwan had as many as 30 diplomatic allies in the mid-1990s, but now has formal relations with just 21, mostly smaller and poorer nations in Latin America and the Pacific and including the Vatican.

(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Nick Macfie)
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  Taiwan's president will transit through Houston and San Francisco next month while traveling to Central America, stops that will likely irritate Beijing, which has urged Washington to prevent the self-ruled island's leader from landing in the United States.

President Tsai Ing-wen and her delegation will stop in Houston on Jan. 7 on their way to visit diplomatic allies Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador, Taiwan's official Central News Agency said. The delegation will transit through San Francisco on Jan. 13 on their return trip, the agency said Friday, citing the presidential office.

China has repeatedly urged the U.S. not to allow Tsai to transit through the U.S. to avoid "sending the wrong signal to Taiwanese independence forces." Beijing regards the self-governing island as part of China and officials have raised concerns after Trump this month questioned a U.S. policy that since 1979 has recognized Beijing as China's government and maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan.

Trump also accepted a Dec. 2 phone call from Tsai, the first time an American president or president-elect has publicly spoken to Taiwan's leader since 1979.

The Taiwanese news agency's report said Tsai's delegation would arrange banquets with U.S.-based Taiwanese people and visit companies. It did not say whether Tsai would meet Trump or anyone from his transition team.

U.S. lawmakers often meet with Taiwanese presidents when they transit through the U.S.  most recently in June, when Tsai met in Miami with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

Earlier this week, the spokesman for the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office called Taiwan the "most sensitive and complicated issue in China-U.S. relations."
TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares in Takata Corp, the airbag maker at the centre of the world's largest automotive recall, jumped by a fifth on Friday, surging for a second straight day, on news that criminal charges with the U.S Department of Justice may be settled next month.

Takata air bag inflators have been linked to at least 16 deaths worldwide, including 11 in the United States. The inflators can explode with excessive force and send metal shrapnel flying inside a vehicle.

A source briefed on the talks told Reuters on Wednesday that the charges could be settled before the Obama administration leaves office next month.

That followed a report in the Wall Street Journal that Takata is expected to pay a financial penalty in a range of high hundreds of millions of dollars to at most about $1 billion (813.5 million pounds).

Since then the stock has surged 41 percent, giving the beleaguered airbag maker a market value of $610 million.

"Nothing has been resolved for Takata yet, but reaching a settlement with the U.S. would help the company take the first step forward," said Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Asset Management, adding that investors appeared to be covering short positions.

Takata still faces potentially billions of dollars in costs from recalls - about 100 million of its inflators have been ordered to be withdrawn globally - as well as lawsuits.

It is seeking a financial backer to help it restructure. But while some bidders want Takata to go through bankruptcy to wipe out most of its debt, creditors such as Honda Motor Co are likely to resist any bailout that includes bankruptcy as they would have to shoulder significant losses, sources have said.

(Reporting by Ayai Tomisawa and Edwina Gibbs; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
What does 2017 hold in store for us?

One thing we know unequivocally is that it will be year of above trend change and uncertainty. That has to be the case because not only do we have a new President, but also that new President is Donald Trumpwho promises and will certainly deliver to some extent, new policies and laws that will have a significant effect on the economy, certain sectors and specific stocks. Even if Trump ultimately does very little, his iconoclastic communications alone will be enough to create a heightened sense of instability. In that environment there will be fear, change and opportunity.

If it sounds like I am focusing too much on the new President, so be it. Im just convinced that he will be the primary driver of the narrative in 2017.

And so what can we conclude?

First of course theres been a great deal of recalibration already after the election. And thats familiar stuff now: stocks have rallied 10% on average, while infrastructure plays, cyclicals and financials have climbed more. On the other hand global consumer product companies and dividend plays, or bond proxies have lagged, as bonds have tanked while rates shave spiked. Fair enough. But is this the beginning of a trend or is that the extent of the Trump dislocation?

I would argue the formerthat this is the beginning, not the endat least over the medium term. Typically these big resets take years to run their course. Check out what hedge fund king and Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio had to say about how profound the impact of the Trump administration will be on the economy and the markets. Dalio references Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, and that could be underestimating things. Dalios analysis is well worth reading.

Or consider what a prominent Democratic Wall Street financier told me recently: We lost. Now its time to make money.

Here then are six market themes to note for 2017, along with action items. NB: If some of this stuff sounds obvious, ask yourself 12 months from now if you really heeded it enough. I know I never do.

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Again the big overriding point is that what worked between the election and the inauguration will continue to work, (for instance companies that benefit from domestic construction, deregulation and higher rates), and so too will great evergreen success stories, like Yahoo Finances company of the year, Nvidia.

Otherwise:

Rates will rise

It kind of makes me laugh because this is really the ultimate Groundhog Day call, right? Last December, (2015), Janet Yellen raised rates and indicated there would be a bunch more hikes in 2016, and that didnt happen. Of course we only had one hike almost exactly a year later (December 2016) and that might not have gone down had Trump not been elected. Now the Fed is once again indicating hikes for the following year after a December raise, as well as three more hikes in 2018 and 2019.

But dont kid yourself. This time Janet Yellen will pull the trigger. The unemployment rate now stands at 4.6%, (full employment alert) and weekly jobless claims just came in below 300,000 for the 95th straight week (not a typo.) Thats almost eight years (hmmm), the longest stretch since 1970. Consumer confidence is soaring.

Add to that the stimulating effects of Trumponomics and you are probably looking at a steady and serious march north for rates. (Only thing stopping this, is that most of the rest of the world for now isnt nearly as healthy as the U.S.)

None of this is good for investments that feature yield.

Action item: Avoid bonds, dividend stocks, and all things yieldy, like REITs. (Hey remember the dividend bubble? Popped.) In fact trim your portfolio of such stuff and use the cash to buy other more appealing investments, which well get too.

Taxes will fall

That much we know. But trying to figure this gets very muddy, very fast. Thats because there have been so many proposals both with regard to personal and corporate taxes that its tough, nay impossible, to know how this will play out. Meaning yes Trump has his proposals, but this is where he will have to work with Speaker Ryan et al if he wants to make hay, which he does. So there, will also be haggling and dare I say, compromise?

Its likely that taxes will be cut for wealthier Americans the most, according to the Tax Policy Center. (The max rate would be cut from 39.6% to 33% according to Trumps plan. (The other two rates would be 12% and 25%.)

But if you have been holding onto a security that youve been dying to sell and hoping that if you sell on January 3rd you will be doing so at a lower tax rate, think again. Assuming rates will be cutsafe betits unclear what parts of the new code or bills will be retroactive. I know, bummer.

Donald Trump

Washington will almost certainly cut corporate tax rates from the current 35%. Trump has called for a 15% rate and 10% for foreign earnings. (There will be offsets in theory to make up for the huge revenues gaps the government would face, although of course government spending is to be cut too.) So all companies will benefit to a degree. Hard to blaze a trail with that.

And what about the companies that have $2.5 trillion stashed abroad that will likely get some sort of repatriation relief? The biggies are Microsoft, GE, (both with more than $100 billion overseas) Apple, ($90 billion) Pfizer, (almost $80 billion), IBM, Merck and Alphabet according to Capital Economics. These guys will get a nice bump, but will shareholders benefit directly? Maybe.

Action item: Look to sell long time gainers that are running out of steam after the tax bill is passed, probably in Q3. (I know far away.) Look at the list of companies set to benefit from tax cuts especially the repatriatorshey theyre blue chipsbut make sure they dont get hit later by Trumps protectionist policies. Bottom line, buy and own big U.S. equities, especially ones with big exposure to domestic construction and energy. Speaking of

Energy will rock

I mean really rock. Domestic energy production in particular is in a bit of sweet spot as it not only is considered stimulative, but it also fits Trumps America firstnot Persian Gulf countriesMO.

Larry Kudlow, a Trump economic advisor told me recently that we have a first rate energy sector and Trumps going take the handcuffs off that including President Obamas most regrettable regulatory initiative  offshore drilling. Thats going to happen.

A recent note by Brean Capital talks about pipelines as likely early candidates for support and spending, as well as companies that will benefit from much needed work on the electric grid. energy, despite the recent run, has more upside from here.it is [also] hard not to notice that GE, for example, is still below $33 that it hit in the summer and is still below early April levels.

Action item: Buy energy across the board. Petroleum in particular, not subsidized alt energy. The more domestic exposure the better. Forbes notes that here Seaport Global Securities likes Pioneer Natural Resources, Concho Resources, and Diamondback Energy, while RBC points to fracking beneficiaries like Halliburton, U.S. Silica, Fairmount Santrol Holdings, Nabors Industries, Patterson-UTI Energy Inc, and Helmerich & Payne. And dont forget about coal companies (if youre cool with that) and every else, from Exxon to Trinity to Breans GE call. Lot of room to roam here.

IPOs will be headliners

In a sense this will be the flip side 2016, which was bereft of quantitysmallest number since 2009and quality IPOs. (You know its a weak year when your headliners are Twilio, Line, Valvoline and ZTO Express!) So how about these names for 2017: Snap, Uber, Airbnb, Vice, Palantir, Pinterest, and Spotify.

The SnapChat IPO is coming.

Ive been covering the markets for more years than I care to admit, and I cant ever recall a bigger crop of mostly consumer facing, mega companies ready for harvest. Not all of them will go public, but many will and for good reasons. First the uncertainty of the election is over and with that valuations have spiked. Ah but for how long? And thats the point. You could argue that this is a window these companies need to take jump through.

Action item: Start lobbying your broker now for allocations. I would be most interested in Palantir, exactly because it is NOT a consumer nameit is in the spyware security businessand because I think this business has almost unlimited potential, particularly in the Trump administration. On the consumer side I would be most interested in Snap, which owns the young adult market and has done a great job of going its own way in terms of partnership relationships, and Spotify, only because Im a happy consumer. There are some other names that might be coming down the pipe too.

Defense stocks will fire up

This is a bit tricky because though there is much saber rattling these days by the President elect, he has publicly bashed both Boeing and Lockheed Martin for projects that cost taxpayers too much. In the end I think an anticipated military build up will outweigh any cost negotiating by Trump. In other words sure Air Force One (Boeing) will be built for less and so too the F-35 fighter (Lockheed), but overall these will be flush times for the merchants of death. Im not judging, Im just telling you think I think it will work.

Action item: Consider the aforementioned BA and LMT as well as Raytheon, Northrup Grumman, Huntington Ingalls, and General Dynamics, as well as ETFs: ITA, XAR and PPA.

China will be rough

I saw on a recent trip there that rising rates are already sending ripples through the red-hot retail real estate markets of Hong Kong and the mainland. I saw signs that blew my mind in Hong Kong, like an 800 square foot apartment in a pretty nice area for $1.9 million. Thats typical. And low rates helped fueled that.

Its hard to appreciate how big a deal this is over there, but just know that most Chinese who can afford to, buy real estate not stocks. Meanwhile the Yuan continues to fallnow around 7 to $1. And capital continues to flow out of the country. This from Goldman Sachs: China outflows pick-up. Our preferred gauge of FX flows (based on SAFE data) shows that FX outflows rose to $69bn in November, up from $40bn in October. Cumulatively since August 2015, FX outflows, according to our measure, have totaled roughly $1100bn and since July. Starts to add up, no?

And most importantly, remember that Trump has as a cornerstone objective of his administration countering the economic power of China. In other words the President of the United States will be actively working to undermine this nations economy. Prominent short-seller Jim Chanoss longstanding bearish call on China may finally hit pay dirt.

Action item: Be wary of investing in China in 2017.

So there you have it. I know there are all kinds of sectors I didnt get into like consumer staples (could be weak with trade troubles), for-profit prisons (ding!) and healthcare where there will be huge winners, but as for the latter sector a) it makes my teeth hurt and b) it is soooo complicated and uncertain.

Bottom line: Happy investing and best of luck to you in 2017.

And let me know how you do. Somehow I know you will

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Andy Serwer is editor-in-chief of Yahoo Finance.

See also:
The critically-acclaimed Galaxy Note 7 was supposed to be Samsungs next big thing, but became a nightmare instead.

2016 was a doozy for tech.

Russia reportedly intervened in the US presidential election by hacking the Democratic party and other institutions, with the intention of supporting President-elect Donald Trump. Yahoo Finances parent company, Yahoo, revealed that it had been hacked in 2013 and 2014. Twitter (TWTR) saw another slew of executives leave. And Apple (AAPL) killed the headphone jack, while Samsungs Galaxy Note 7 proved explosive (literally).

Yahoo Finance takes a look back at some of techs worst moments and biggest snafus over the last year.

President-elect Donald Trump denies Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee and other institutions in an effort to sway this years election.

Russia meddled in the US presidential election

Perhaps the extremely dubious title for greatest hack of all time belongs to Russias cyber attacks earlier this year in a concerted effort to sway the US presidential election in Trumps favor.

The US Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence dropped a bombshell when it announced in October it was confident Russia orchestrated the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations of the Democratic Party.

Those hacks resulted in the public release of thousands of stolen emails, many of which included damaging revelations about the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton.

Clinton has been criticized, for example, for her handling of classified information as secretary of state and using personal email addresses hosted on a private server for work messages  a controversy that plagued Clinton throughout much of her presidential campaign.

When the issue first reached public attention in March last year, John Podesta, former chairman of Clintons campaign, was critical of three fellow Clinton aides in emails eventually leaked to WikiLeaks: Speaking of transparency, our friends [David] Kendall, Cheryl [Mills] and Philippe [Reines] sure werent forthcoming on the facts here.

This is a Cheryl special, responded Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress thinktank in Washington, Know you love her, but this stuff is like her Achilles heal [sic]. Or kryptonite  Why didnt they get this stuff out like 18 months ago? So crazy.

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Unbelievable, Podesta wrote back.

Replied Tanden: I guess I know the answer. They wanted to get away with it.

Trump, for his part, denounced the US intelligence communitys findings. Regardless, the Obama administration announced on Thursday an aggressive retaliation plan against Russia for meddling with the election, which includes kicking 35 Russian operatives out of the US and placing sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies.

In an effort to outcompete Apples iPhone 7, Samsung rushed development of the Galaxy Note 7, according to reports, leading to fault batteries. Source: AFP

Samsungs Galaxy Note 7 blew up

The critically-acclaimed Galaxy Note 7 was supposed to be Samsungs next big thing, a key that opens the door to new experiences on the go, the company advertised. Unfortunately, the smartphone did just that, though probably not in the way it had hoped.

In an effort to outcompete Apples iPhone 7, the worlds largest smartphone maker rushed development of the Note 7, according to a Bloomberg report, driving suppliers to meet tighter deadlines, despite a slew of new features, including a high-resolution screen that wrapped around the edges, eye recognition security and a more powerful, faster-charging battery.

At least 35 cases of phones catching fire emerged, caused by short-circuiting batteries, many analysts say. Buses and airlines banned their use. Samsung issued a first recall in mid-September  a move that affected at least 1 million units  but made the crucial error of shipping replacement units before it actually figured out the cause of the Note 7s fiery combustion. When reports over replacement devices catching fire emerged in October, Samsung officially asked all carrier and retail partners to halt sales of the Note 7 and issued a second recall for device.



As a result, the smartphone maker saw profits for its mobile division plummet 96% year-over-year during the third-quarter of 2016, costing Samsung as much as $17 billion, by analyst estimates.

But while the Note 7 is finally, finally dead, the notoriety around it lingers. Airlines still warn passengers against having the device on flights, and the smartphone remains a popular punchline.

Fake news became a serious problem this year following the US presidential election.

Fake news became a real problem

This years presidential election highlighted the importance of fact-checking.

Indeed, while fake news stories have been a problem for years, pledges to combat them only emerged after election results shocked much of the US. Fake stories such as how Trump snagged the popular vote (he didnt) and how Pope Francis endorsed Trump (he didnt), offered a false narrative that reinforced beliefs.

Many pointed a finger at Facebook (FB), where the top three fake news stories generated more engagement a Buzzfeed probe reported that the top stories from 19 major news outlets, including The New York Times and the Washington Post, combined. The report also revealed that during the last three months of the presidential campaign of the top 20 fake election-related articles on Facebook, all but three were either pro-Trump or anti-Clinton, which Facebook users liked, commented on or shared over 8.7 million times.

To be fair, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced plans to combat fake news by making it easier for users to report fake stories. Zuckerberg also plans on hiring third-party groups of fact checkers from organizations like Associated Press, ABC News and FactCheck.

Microsofts short-lived chatbot Tay was intended to converse with the younger set and get smarter as time went on. Source: Twitter

Microsofts chatbot went rogue

Back in March, Microsoft (MSFT) unveiled Tay, a female chatbot with its own Twitter account in an effort to connect with 18- to 24-year-olds. Microsoft promised Tay would learn from them and get smarter with time.

Tay never got that far. Within 24 hours, Tay emerged as a neo-Nazi, anti-feminist nymphomaniac, tweeting about smoking drugs, contending Hitler was right and feminists should  burn in hell.

Tay went from humans are super cool to full nazi in <24 hrs and Im not at all concerned about the future of AI pic.twitter.com/xuGi1u9S1A  gerry (@geraldmellor) March 24, 2016



We are deeply sorry for the unintended offensive and hurtful tweets from Tay, wrote Peter Lee, head of Microsoft Research, in a blog post the following day. Tay is now offline.

2016 was a tough year for Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Theranos lost it

To say Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes had a tough year would be a gross understatement.

The Stanford dropout, who graced multiple magazine covers in years past, was once hailed as a visionary for developing blood-testing technology that promised to accurately screen for diseases in a fraction of the time at a fraction of the cost.

But after a Wall Street Journal report in October 2015 debunked her companys blood tests as faulty, the once beloved CEOwho channeled Steve Jobs by wearing black turtlenecks was barred from owning or running a laboratory for two years. To add insult to injury, Forbes magazine, which previously trumpeted Holmes as the youngest self-made female billionaire, slashed Theranoss $9 billion valuation to just $800 million, and declared Holmess stake in the company, Forbes said, is essentially worth nothing. Burn.

As a result, Theranos announced a serious change in strategy, closing its labs and wellness centers, as well as laying off 340 employees, to focus on production of its miniLab platform, or manufacturing miniature medical testing machines.

Teslas Autopilot feature promises full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver.

Tesla auto-pilot sees its first fatality

Hailed as innovative, Teslas (TSLA) Autopilot feature promises full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver, the companys site reads.

Thanks to a software update, the car can steer, manage its speed, change lanes and even park itself. But the feature hit a serious road bump in early May when 40-year-old former NAVY Seal Joshua Brown died while using the system in a Model S.

Brown was driving in Willston, Fla. when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S. Neither Brown  who Tesla noted is ultimately responsible for the vehicles actions, even with Autopilot on  nor the car noticed the big rig or the trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brakes never kicked in. Tesla CEO Elon Musk explained in a tweet why the vehicles radar detection didnt help in this case.

@artem_zin @theaweary Radar tunes out what looks like an overhead road sign to avoid false braking events  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2016

Brown, who was reportedly watching a Harry Potter movie mid-ride, was the first fatality from using Autopilot, a rare instance Tesla said only occurs while using the system every 94 million miles in the US and every 60 million miles worldwide. In the months since, Tesla has updated the Autopilot to increase safety, imposing speed limits and introducing more alerts and warnings.

Regardless, Browns death undoubtedly reminds many drivers that they shouldnt take their eyes off the wheel for a second, regardless of who  or what  is driving.

__

JP Mangalindan is a senior correspondent for Yahoo Finance covering the intersection of tech and business. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

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Police in Texas are searching for a group of men they believe stole an outdoor drive-up ATM from a bank. The Texarkana Police Department released footage of the theft that took place early on December 23 at the Red River Federal Credit Union branch.

The video shows someone drive a stolen forklift into the outdoor ATM, knocking it over before lifting it off the ground. The person driving the forklift then places the ATM into a U-Haul truck, which police say also was stolen. Credit: Texarkana Police Department via Storyful
Govt increases allowances for rebuilding technicians

The government has decided to increase the allowances between 50 and 75 percent for engineers and other technical staff mobilised in 14 quake-hit districts.
If someone makes a woman feel unsafe, this restaurant will help. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Iberian Rooster restaurant in St. Petersburg, Fla., is serving up more than just food and drinks to its guests  its also actively making itself a safe space for those potentially dealing with gender-based violence.

A sign in the restaurants restroom reads:

Are you on a date that isnt going well? Is your Tinder or Plenty of Fish date not who they said they were on their profile? Do you feel unsafe, or even just a tad bit weird?

The sign then goes on to lay out a code that patrons can use to get subtle intervention from the restaurants staff to help circumvent a possibly dangerous situation.

Ordering an angel shot from a waiter or bartender allows patron to alert the restaurants staff that they feel in any way unsafe, and allows the staff to keep an eye out and intervene as necessary.

But thats not all.

An angel shot neat means someone will escort you to your car, an angel shot with ice means the bartender will call the patron an Uber or taxi, and an angel shot ordered with lime means the restaurant will immediately call the police.

Iberian Rooster owner Russell Andrade tells the Tampa Bay Times, The goal for this place was to be a safe place where people can go on a romantic date. He adds that he and his staff decided to implement their safe space strategy after seeing the news from earlier this year about an East England rape crisis center that encouraged area restaurants and bars to notify patrons through a poster campaign that if patrons felt in any way unsafe, they could ask the staff for Angela, and would thus alert the staff that they were in need.

Sejal Singh, a policy organizer with the student-led activist group specializing in combating gender-based violence in school settings Know Your IX, tells Yahoo Beauty that she applauds what Andrade and the Iberian Rooster are doing to combat sexual aggression  and destigmatizing the act of asking for help.

Furthermore, Singh notes, the bar and restaurant industry is uniquely positioned to successfully intervene and prevent such violence.

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Research suggests that a perpetrators degree of intoxication has almost nothing to do with their level of sexual aggression  but theres a strong correlation between a perpetrators aggression and a victims level of intoxication. That means bars and restaurants that are serving those drinks have a special responsibility to take action against perpetrators who are intentionally targeting drunk women, using alcohol as a tool of coercion, she says.

She adds, Its great to see restaurants and bars stepping up. Code words are safe, discreet ways for patrons to ask for help if they feel unsafe on a date. Bars can also take the next step and proactively train their staff to be on the lookout for sexual aggression and to intervene.

Singh concludes, Sexual aggression is pervasive in bars and restaurants  its just another way in which women face harassment just for participating in public life. And all too often, harassment escalates into sexual assault. The growing Safe Bars movement trains bar staff, management, and customers to recognize sexual aggression and safely intervene if they see it. By training bar bystanders to intervene in a dangerous situation, we can prevent individual instances of sexual assault, and thats an important service in and of itself. But bystander intervention, at its best, also teaches people to stand up against behavior that doesnt rise to rape, but still degrades women  sexist comments, verbal harassment, being the arrogant dude who wont stop sidling up to a woman, not matter how uninterested she is  and to take responsibility for changing a culture where sexual violence is normalized. Its about preventing sexual assault, but also making bars and restaurants welcoming, safe environments for everyone.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. defense and security agencies said they believed the threat of militant attacks inside the United States was low during this New Year's holiday, yet some chance of an attack was "undeniable," according to security assessments reviewed on Friday. "There are no indications of specific threats to the U.S. Homeland," said a "situational awareness" bulletin issued to U.S. Army personnel this week by the Army's Training and Doctrine Command. "However the threat from homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) in the United States is undeniable," the bulletin added. A copy of the bulletin was seen by Reuters on Friday. A senior U.S. official familiar with government-wide analyses of New Year's holiday attack threats said the Army assessments were consistent with those of other U.S. security and intelligence agencies. Some specific threats have come to the attention of government agencies, but were not considered credible, said the senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity. A separate bulletin, issued by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and headlined, "New Year's Day Celebration Threat Assessment," rated the overall threat of attacks against U.S. Army installations and personnel as "moderate." The command's intelligence operations center received "no reporting of specific or credible threats targeting U.S. Army installations or its personnel for the upcoming 2017 New Year's celebration," said the bulletin, a copy of which also was made available to Reuters. The assessment, however, noted that two recent issues of Rumiyah, an Islamic State propaganda publication, did "provide information on conducting knife attacks and using vehicles to cause mass casualties in populated areas." Such tactics were used in recent attacks on civilians in Nice, France, and in Columbus, Ohio, said the bulletin. It did not mention the Dec. 19 truck attack on a Christmas Market in the German capital, Berlin. An update to the Army's Training and Doctrine Command bulletin said that 100 "blocker vehicles" and 7,000 police officers - 1,000 more than were deployed last year would be stationed at Times Square on Saturday night. Pentagon officials did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the threat assessments. The U.S. army said it did not discuss "internal threat warnings or security posture", according to a spokesman. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by David Gregorio and Sandra Maler)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wont expel U.S. diplomats despite being urged to do so by his Foreign Ministry as a retaliation for a similar move Thursday by the United States. More here

A Rio de Janeiro police officer confessed to killing Greeces ambassador to Brazil. The officer was having an affair with the ambassadors wife. More here

Were live-blogging the news stories of the day below. All updates are in Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5).

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Todd Fisher, the surviving son of Debbie Reynolds, is picturing his late mother and sister Carrie Fisher together again.

One day after Reynolds death, the actor tweeted a touching drawing of her and Fisher, who died on Tuesday.

This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting, Todd shared on Thursday.

The drawing, which was made by Ricky LaChance, shows Carrie and Reynolds wrapping their arms around each others shoulders. Carrie is dressed as her Star Wars character Princess Leia, while her mother wears a yellow raincoat just like Kathy Selden, her character in 1952s Singin in the Rain.

What a glorious feeling Im happy again, read the caption, which is a lyric from Reynolds musical comedy.

This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting pic.twitter.com/AeIVGaGl9k  Todd Fisher (@tafish) December 29, 2016

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Carrie died on Tuesday at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack onboard a plane. The Princess Diarist author was flying from London to Los Angeles on Dec. 23 when she went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to UCLA Medical Center, where she died four days later.

Reynolds, 84, was at her and Fishers Beverly Hills property on Wednesday afternoon when she had to be rushed to the hospital for a possible stroke, PEOPLE confirmed.

My sister has graduated to heaven, but she has left us all with so much of her, It is a very sad time for my family and all her friends, Todd previously tweeted about Carries passing.

Fisher and Reynolds are survived by Todd and Carries daughter, Billie Lourd.




Debbie Reynolds and her beloved daughter Carrie Fisher  who died a day apart  will be memorialized together in a joint funeral.

Todd Fisher, Reynolds son, was seen leaving Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California, Thursday.

Read: Debbie Reynolds Talks Death in Final Inside Edition Interview: 'I'm Going to Act Silly Until I Kick It'

An assistant was seen carrying a red outfit which is thought to be what the Singin in the Rain star will be laid to rest in. She was once photographed in the same outfit with her daughter.

Todd Fisher took to Twitter Thursday to mourn the loss of his mother and sister.

He released a touching sketch with his mother and sister wearing their iconic movie costumes  Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and Reynolds wearing a raincoat and hat from Singin in the Rain.

This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting pic.twitter.com/AeIVGaGl9k  Todd Fisher (@tafish) December 29, 2016

He captioned it: This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting.

He also posted a photo of the iconic Graumans' Chinese Theater which was dimmed in honor of his late 84-year-old mom.

Grauman's Theater went dark for a few moments tonight to honor my Mother. We notice the acts of love everywhere #debbiereynolds pic.twitter.com/PfdUcXEGb0  Todd Fisher (@tafish) December 30, 2016

A TV appearance taped two weeks ago featuring the Star Wars actress 24-year-old daughter, Billie Lourd, on Late Night with Seth Meyers is making the rounds again. In it, she talks about how her grandmother tried to scare her away from acting.

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The Scream Queens star recalled: When I first started acting, everyone in my family didn't want me to act. I was really rebelling by doing this. So she called me down to her house and had this binder of these diaries that she had written when she first started doing Singin' in the Rain. She sat me down on her couch and said, Okay, I need you to read these, dear, in her '50s actress voice. I started reading them to myself, and she said, No dear, please read them out loud. I started reading them and they were all in second person.

"They're somewhere along the lines of, 'you're sitting in the make-up chair, it's five in the morning, they've pulled out all of your eyebrows, and you have no eyelashes left, your hair is a shell of itself and all you wanted to be was a gym teacher.' I read this out loud and looked at her like, 'uh, okay.' And she looked at me so earnestly with her hands crossed in her lap and was like, Are you sure you still want to be an actress, dear? I was like, yeah, I think it's different now, I think I'm going to be able to keep my eyebrows. I don't think they're going to put a wig on me, I got long hair, it's fine. So, I'm gonna go for it.'"

Read: Frank Sinatra Once Wrote to George Michael at the Height of His Fame, Telling Him to 'Loosen Up'

Reynolds death came one day after her 60-year-old daughter died of a fatal heart attack.

Reynolds suffered an apparent stroke possibly brought on by the stress of her daughters passing. Many have said she died of a broken heart, which has a formal medical name called Takotsubo Syndrome  the Japanese word for Octopus Trap.

It is what the heart looks like when overwhelmed with stress. According to Harvard Health, the hearts left ventricle weakens which is the hearts main pumping chamber.

More than 90 percent of reported cases are in women ages 58 to 75," according to Harvard Health. "Research suggests that up to five percent of women evaluated for a heart attack actually have this disorder, which has only recently been reported in the United States and may go largely unrecognized.

Watch: The Illustrious Career of Debbie Reynolds That Spanned 7 Decades

Related Articles:
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Impeached President Park Geun-hye's surname is "Park," right? Nope. In Korean it's closer to "Bahk." Park's allegedly corrupt confidante, Choi Soon-sil, pronounces her name more like "Chwey" than the way it's rendered in English. And Samsung's ailing chairman, Lee Kun-hee? That English "Lee" is more like "Yi" or "Ii" in Korean. There is a gulf, often a wide one, between the way Koreans write their names in English and the way they actually sound. Even the ubiquitous "Kim"  the moniker of beloved South Korean Olympic figure skating champion Yuna Kim and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un  belies: It's pronounced "Ghim" in Korean.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Even on New Year's Eve, large crowds of South Koreans were expected to join another rally demanding the ouster of impeached President Park Geun-hye, who's determined to restore her powers through a court trial. Hundreds of thousands were expected to participate in the evening marches near Seoul's presidential palace and the Constitutional Court. Park's supporters are planning their own rallies in nearby streets. The court has up to six months to decide whether Park should permanently step down over a corruption scandal or be reinstated. The judges said on Friday that Park cannot be forced to testify in the impeachment trial as it enters its argument phase next week.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  Sixty people were injured at an Australian music festival in the crush of a crowd trying to leave a performance, police said Saturday. None of the injuries at the Falls Music and Arts Festival in Victoria state were life-threatening, but 19 people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, Victoria police said in a statement. The incident began on Friday night when fans were trying to leave a performance by the Australian band DMA's. Several people at the front of the crowd then lost their footing and fell, police said. Paramedics assessed around 60 people hurt in the ensuing crush, Ambulance Victoria state health commander Paul Holman said.

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JOHANNESBURG (AP)  China says it plans to shut down its ivory trade by the end of 2017 in a move designed to curb the mass slaughter of African elephants. The Chinese government will end the processing and selling of ivory and ivory products by the end of March as it phases out the legal trade, according to a statement released on Friday. China had previously announced it planned to shut down the commercial trade, which conservationists described as significant because China's vast, increasingly affluent consumer market drives much of the elephant poaching across Africa. "This is a game changer for Africa's elephants," said Aili Kang, the Asia director for the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society.

HONOLULU (AP)  A U.S. citizen detained in Honolulu and facing extradition to Tonga where he's accused of beating his wife to death has asked the U.S. government to return cash he had amassed from other countries including Canada and New Zealand. A public defender for Dean Jay Fletcher filed a motion Thursday saying the government is illegally keeping the currency. The various denominations of currency from Tonga, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States are the "only means that Mr. Fletcher has to hire an attorney and mount any meaningful defense to the charges in Tonga," Assistant Federal Defender Melinda Yamaga said in the motion.

JAMPUR, Pakistan (AP)  Mohammad Ramzan can neither hear nor speak, and he has a childlike mind. But he knew his wife, Saima, was too young when she was given to him as a bride. The 36-year-old Ramzan smiles, eager to please, as he uses his fingers to count out her age when they married. One, two, three . . . until 13, and then he stops and looks at her, points and nods several times. The girl's father, Wazir Ahmed, says she was 14, not 13, but her age was beside the point. It mattered only that she had reached puberty when he arranged her marriage as an exchange: his daughter for Ramzan's sister, whom he wanted to take as a second wife.

NEW DELHI (AP)  Fifty days ago, India yanked most of its currency from circulation without warning, jolting the economy and leaving most citizens scrambling for cash. As the deadline for exchanging the devalued 500- and 1,000-rupee notes for new ones hit on Friday, many Indians were still stuck waiting in long bank lines. Empty ATMs and ever-changing rules prevented people from withdrawing money, and many small, cash-reliant businesses from cinemas to neighborhood grocery stores suffered huge losses or went under. Despite those problems, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his Nov. 8 demonetization decree succeeded in uncovering tax evasion and cracking down on graft.

PATNA, India (AP)  A coal mine collapse in eastern India killed at least 10 workers and 13 others may be trapped by the mound of fallen earth, police said Friday. The collapse happened late Thursday but heavy smog prevented rescue workers from entering the open coal mine until early Friday morning, said S.K. Singh, the general manager of the Rajmahal Open Cast Mines in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. The rescue work was to stop at nightfall. Jharkhand police spokesman R.K. Malik said 23 workers were reported missing after the accident, and that after 10 bodies were recovered 13 remain unaccounted for.

BEIJING (AP)  The Chinese government said Friday it will ease restrictions on foreign investment in sectors ranging from banking and internet services to rail equipment and motorcycles, in response to mounting complaints from foreign business groups and governments. An official with China's National Development and Reform Commission, the economic planning agency, said service sectors such as accounting and auditing, architectural design and ratings services will be open to foreign investment. In manufacturing, barriers to foreign investment will be lowered in sectors such as rail transportation, motorcycles and ethanol fuels, according to an official transcript of a briefing by Ning Jizhe, vice-chairman of the commission.

BEIJING (AP)  One of China's top leaders told Chinese Catholics that they need to operate "independently" of outside forces and promote socialism and patriotism through religion. Yu Zhengsheng's Thursday speech came at the end of a meeting of China's official Catholic church that was being closely watched by the Holy See. Yu is one of seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision-making body. His speech could be a measure of how much Beijing is willing to yield in potential dialogue with the Holy See. State media reported that Yu called on Catholic churches to adhere to "socialism with Chinese characteristics,"  a term that describes China's model of development, which for decades has favored economic liberalization but not political reform.
BEIJING (AP)  One of China's top leaders told Chinese Catholics that they need to operate "independently" of outside forces and promote socialism and patriotism through religion.

Yu Zhengsheng's Thursday speech came at the end of a meeting of China's official Catholic church that was being closely watched by the Holy See. Yu is one of seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision-making body. His speech could be a measure of how much Beijing is willing to yield in potential dialogue with the Holy See.

State media reported that Yu called on Catholic churches to adhere to "socialism with Chinese characteristics,"  a term that describes China's model of development, which for decades has favored economic liberalization but not political reform. China's ruling Communist Party is officially atheistic. Yu also said Chinese Catholics should adhere "to the correct direction of development."

China and the Vatican have long clashed over whether the party-controlled Chinese church could operate outside the pope's authority. Beijing severed relations with the Holy See in 1951, shortly after the Communist Party took power, and officially allows worship only in state-sanctioned churches. Many of China's estimated 12 million Catholics are thought to worship in underground congregations.

Starting under Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican has sought to unite Chinese Catholics under the Holy See. Pope Francis has said that both sides had resumed meetings of working groups over the naming of bishops, an issue central to the dispute between both sides.

But just last week, the Vatican said it was saddened that the ordination of two new Chinese bishops was marred by the presence of a bishop ordained without the pope's consent. It said it would watch this week's conference with hope for new confidence in the Vatican-China dialogue.

Wang Zuo'an, China's head of religious affairs, said earlier this week he hoped the Vatican would be flexible and pragmatic, and take concrete steps to improve relations, state media reported. No details were given of what Beijing expects.

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State media also reported that Bishop Ma Yinglin was re-elected president of one of the groups at the conference, the Bishops Conference of Catholic Church of China. Ma was excommunicated in 2006 by the Vatican after being named by the Chinese church as a bishop in southwestern Yunnan province.

The Vatican-affiliated AsiaNews service, which closely covers the underground church in China, quoted on Thursday one priest from northern China calling the meeting "a staged theatrical representation."

"Everything was very well planned: the assignment of roles, their scripts, the well-chosen audience, who raised their hands to vote and approve content, the media coverage," said the priest, identified only as Father Peter.
Beijing (AFP) - Catholics in China should build a more independent, socialist church, a senior Beijing official has said, as the government remains at odds with the Vatican on the issue of ordaining bishops.

The country's roughly 12 million believers are divided between those loyal to Beijing, whose clergy are chosen by the Communist Party, and members of a so-called "underground" church which swears allegiance to the Vatican.

The Holy See and Beijing have not had diplomatic ties since 1951, and although relations have improved in recent years as China's Catholic population has grown, they remain at odds over which side has the authority to appoint senior clergy.

On Thursday, Chinese Catholics were told to better integrate into the country, adapt to society and benefit the people, according to the official news agency Xinhua.

They should "adhere to the principles of self-administration, run religious affairs independently and guide believers to adhere to the Sinicization path of the religion", said Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

The comments, which come as the Communist Party has increased scrutiny of foreign influence in the countrys affairs, seemed to imply that believers should distance themselves from the Pope and instead follow Beijings lead.

Catholics need to better adapt to society and unify patriotism with affection for the Church, Yu added.

Yu was speaking at a three-day national conference of Chinese Catholics -- the first such meeting in six years, coming as the Vatican has made increased overtures to Beijing.

The Vatican had condemned previous conferences because members of the unofficial church loyal to Rome had reportedly been forced to participate.

Addressing the conference earlier in the week, Wang Zuoan, head of China's State Administration for Religious Affairs, said that Beijing is willing to have constructive dialogue with the Vatican, Xinhua reported.

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"The Chinese government hopes that the Vatican can adopt a more flexible and pragmatic approach to create favourable conditions for improving relations through practical actions," he said, without giving specific examples.

Chinese and Vatican officials have met at least four times since January to try to resolve the delicate issue of the appointment of bishops.

Since becoming head of the Holy See in 2013 Pope Francis has tried to mend ties with Beijing in the hope of reconnecting with Catholics in China.

The Vatican is also one of the few states to maintain diplomatic relations with the self-ruled island of Taiwan, rather than Beijing, a sticking point for the Communist Party.
Photo credit: Toyota

From Road & Track

Like it or not, diesel engines look like they might disappear from passenger cars in only a few years. America never really cared for them; Volkswagen made sure Europe won't either from now on; and with major cities like Paris, Athens, Madrid and Mexico City considering banning diesels by 2025, the market could dry up quicker than anybody thought.

Even today, tight emission standards make diesel engine production so expensive compared to the gas alternatives that with the current fuel prices in mind, buying pricier diesels hardly makes financial sense anymore. Toyota (and Japanese brands in general) decided not to jump on the diesel train back when it looked so tempting, investing their R&D budgets instead in filling up their lineups with electrified options. Now, Toyota's sales boom suggests that Europeans have switched their allegiances to hybrids.

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Automotive News reports that, while Toyota only has a 4.3 percent market share in Europe currently, the brand's hybrids already account for about 32 percent of its sales in the region. Year over year, Toyota is poised to enjoy a 40-percent jump in hybrid sales compared to 2015.

Toyota's success is partly down to its strategy of educating customers at the dealer level. Before letting people try out their diesels, Toyota sales staff makes sure prospective customers take a hybrid out for a test drive as well. The plan is to double Toyota's hybrid sales figure, raising European hybrid sales above half a million a year while ruling out the diesel options gradually, starting with the C-HR.

Photo credit: Toyota

Clearly, Volkswagen's diesel deception has caused a lot of European buyers to rethink their allegiance to the oil-burner. And Toyota finds itself perfectly positioned to take advantage of that.

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Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump's senior aide Kellyanne Conway on Friday criticized President Barack Obama's decision to impose new sanctions against Russia, suggesting that one of the motives was to "box in" the president-elect.

The White House on Thursday unleashed a barrage of punishment against Moscow over alleged interference in last month's presidential election, giving what it called 35 Russian "intelligence operatives" based at the country's embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco 72 hours to leave the country, and hitting Russia's military and domestic intelligence agencies with sanctions.

"I don't think at the height of the Cold War that this country expelled that many operatives," Conway told CNN late Thursday, calling the sanctions "unprecedented."

Many believe Obama enacted the sanctions in order to "box in" Trump over Russia when he takes office on January 20, she added.

"Even those who are sympathetic to President Obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to quote 'box in' President-elect Trump," Conway said.

"That would be very unfortunate if politics were the motivating factor here. We can't help but think that's often true."

In 2001, then-president George W. Bush expelled 50 Russian diplomats after the arrest of Robert Hanssen, an FBI special agent who had spied for Russia for more than 15 years.

Conway -- who served a crucial role as Trump's campaign manager and was appointed last week to be White House counselor under Trump after he takes office on January 20 -- suggested the latest sanctions were "symbolic."

The FBI and CIA have concluded that Russian intelligence agencies oversaw the hacking and leaking of emails from Democratic Party organizations under Kremlin orders this year in order to benefit Trump's campaign.

Trump -- who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and made a number of cabinet picks of people with ties to Russia -- has ridiculed the US intelligence, saying it is not clear who conducted the attacks.

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He responded to the sanctions against Russia on Thursday with a call for the country to "move on."

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things," Trump said.

"Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation."

Asked whether Trump will reverse the Obama administration's latest sanctions against Russia, Conway replied, "I will not make a statement on that at all."
Its all just an attempt to delegitimize Donald Trump. Thats the argument you hear from Trump supporters each time new information comes to light about how hard Russian spy services worked to damage Hillary Clinton. You heard it again on Thursday.

The Trump supporters are 100 percent right: The information is delegitimizing. The president-elect of the United States reportedly owes his office in considerable part to illegal clandestine activities in his favor conducted by a hostile, foreign spy service. Its hard to imagine a crisis of presidential legitimacy more extreme than that. But thats no argument against airing this information. Its precisely why the information must be aired.

Vladimir Putin took a fearful risk. If the Electoral College had taken a slightly different bounce on November 8, Putin would now be facing an enraged President-elect Hillary Clinton. Putin had every reason to expect that he probably would end up facing a President Clinton. Yet he took the gamble anyway, apparently doing something none of his Soviet predecessors had ever dared to do: mount a clandestine espionage and disinformation campaign on behalf of one candidate for U.S. president, and against another.

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The word clandestine is the key term here. In every election, foreign governments have their preferred candidates. It was no secret in 2004 that Americas French and German allies hoped George W. Bush would lose, or that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu felt the same way about President Obama in 2012. Those allies made their wishes known through the familiar and lawful method of grumbling to sympathetic American journalists about the awfulness of the incumbent administration. What they did not do was organize their spy agencies to break the law of the United States. But that is evidently what Russia didand it seems to have worked.

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Obama pledged today that before he leaves office, the American people will learn more fully how the Russians did it.

This will be important to know. But there is something else important to keep in mind.

The content of the Russian-hacked emails was actually remarkably unexplosive. Probably the biggest news was that Hillary Clinton had expressed herself in favor of a hemispheric common market in speeches to Wall Street executives. Otherwise, we learned from them that some people at the Democratic National Committee favored a lifelong Democrat for their partys nomination over a socialist interloper who had joined the party for his own convenience. We learned that many Democrats, including Chelsea Clinton, disapproved of the ethical shortcomings of some of the people in Bill Clintons inner circle. We learned that Hillary Clinton acknowledged differences between her public and private positions on some issues. None of this even remotely corroborated Donald Trumps wild characterizations of the Russian-hacked, Wikileaks-published material.

These Wikileaks emails confirm what those of us here today have known all along: Hillary Clinton is the vessel for a corrupt global establishment that is raiding our country and surrendering our sovereignty. This criminal government cartel doesnt recognize borders, but believes in global governance, unlimited immigration, and rule by corporations.

Or:

The more emails WikiLeaks releases, the more lines between the Clinton Foundation, the secretary of state's office and the Clintons' personal financesthey all get blurred  I mean, at what pointat what point do we say it? Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt person ever to seek the office of the presidency.

Without Trumps own willingness to make false claims and misuse Russian-provided information, the Wikileaks material would have deflated of its own boringness. The Russian-hacked material did damage because, and only because, Russia found a willing accomplice in the person of Donald J. Trump.

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Many questions remain about how the Russian spy services did what they did. That includes Putins motives for ordering the operation. But on issues from Crimea to Syria to NATO to the breakup of the European Union, Trumps publicly expressed views align with Putins wishes.

Over Trumps motives for collaborating so full-throatedly with Russian espionage, there hangs a greater and more disturbing mysterya mystery that Trump seems in no hurry to dispel. And maybe he is wise to leave the mystery in place: as delegitimizing as it is, its very possible the truth would be even worse.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP)  President-elect Donald Trump and his staff are meeting with candidates for one of the last cabinet positions he needs to fill: agriculture secretary.

Former Texas Rep. Henry Bonilla says he is under consideration for the post and believes Trump is close to making his decision.

He says he spoke with Trump Friday about reforming the food stamp program and scaling back farming regulations.

The president-elect also sat down briefly with Susan Combs, the former Texas agriculture commissioner. And some of his top advisers met with current Texas agricultural commissioner Sid Miller.

Two other candidates, former Texas A&M University president Elsa Murano and former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, met with Trump Wednesday.

No additional announcements on appointments are expected from the president-elect before the new year.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has no immediate plans to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the American expulsion of Russian diplomats over spying and interference in the November elections, a spokesman said on Friday. "There is nothing scheduled at this time. The priority right now is for the president-elect to get an update next week from the intelligence community," spokesman Sean Spicer said at a daily briefing. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Donald Trump (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

President-elect Donald Trump hailed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday for not officially retaliating against the U.S. action against Russia.

Great move on delay (by V. Putin)  I always knew he was very smart! Trump tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Putin denounced President Obamas decision to punish Russia for interfering in the U.S. elections. The Obama administration and U.S. intelligence community have accused the Kremlin of backing the cyberattacks that leaked politically toxic emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign chairman.

President Obama announced Thursday that his administration would place sanctions against Russian intelligence services, expel 35 suspected spies and close two estates that the U.S. linked to Russias intelligence-gathering operation.

Putin said he would have the right to lash back at the U.S. but would wait until Trump takes office on Jan. 20 and then work with the new administration. Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in the U.S. election.

As it proceeds from international practice, Russia has reasons to respond in kind. Although we have the right to retaliate, we will not resort to irresponsible kitchen diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-U.S. relations based on the policies of the Trump administration, Putin said.

Trump has repeatedly showered praise on Putin. During the campaign he praised the Russian president as a stronger leader than Obama, even when confronted with allegations that Putin kills journalists and political foes.

In his initial statement reacting to the Obama administrations punishments against Russia, Trump said he would meet with U.S. intelligence officials to learn more about the issue.

Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things, Trump said Thursday. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

On Friday, Russias U.S. embassy quickly retweeted Trumps post cheering Putins intelligence.
Donald Trump went a step closer to transforming the way the Department of Veterans Affairs delivers healthcare this week by sending an aide to brief reporters on a plan that could allow vets eligible for care at VA facilities to seek care from a private physician. That doctor or hospital would be reimbursed by the federal government in a program much like Medicare.

The President-elect spent considerable time and energy on the campaign trail bad-mouthing the VA system for what he described as disgraceful treatment of ailing veterans, including long wait times, poor service, and questionable care. Speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in July, he said, The VA scandals that have occurred are widespread and inexcusable. He said they constituted a permanent stain on this government.

Related: Two Years After VA Scandal, Healthcare System Still Stacked Against Vets

On Wednesday, an aide outlined to reporters the plan under consideration to allow vets to seek care outside the VA system, saying there is definitely an option on the table to have a system where potentially vets can choose either or, or all private.

However, it seems as though the idea -- not something that originated with the Trump administration -- isnt quite fully baked yet. Among the questions being pondered by the incoming administration, the aide said, are some pretty basic ones: How would you implement a program that could get vets the ability to go to any hospital that they wanted to go to? and If you were in the VA or out of the VA, how would you set it up?

The problem here is that team Trump may well be dedicating scarce resources to a problem that is well on its way to being solved.

The VA, to be sure, was a national embarrassment a few years ago. In 2014 a wave of revelations found administrators falsifying documents in order to create the impression that they were compliant with departmental requirements regarding wait times. Veterans died while waiting for care, and overworked doctors began leaving the system in droves.

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Related: Facing $1 Billion in Cost Overruns, VA Hospital Execs Head for the Exits

However, that was before President Obama tapped Army veteran and former Proctor and Gamble chairman and CEO Robert McDonald to take over the system in an attempt to turn it around. McDonald stepped into the role of VA secretary in July 2014, and since then, according to two recent reports by outside groups, the results have been dramatic.

McDonald began by firing 14 of 17 top leaders in the system, replacing them with a combination of internal promotions, former high-ranking military officers, and private sector business executives. The mission, as McDonald described it, was to change the culture of the agency from a rules-based system to a principles-based system.

Critics of the VA often described a department in which employees hewed closely to a rigid system of rules, often to the detriment of patients, because they knew that following the rules would keep their jobs safe.

In a study of the VA updated this month, the Harvard Business Review cited a particularly egregious example:

The leadership team had to work through vestiges of VAs rule-based past. For instance, in May 2015, an employee answering the phone at the Puget Sound VA in Seattle received a call from a veteran who had broken his foot, driven himself to the hospitals entrance and needed help getting into the building. Stymied by rules like dont abandon your post, and advise patients outside the hospital to call 911 for assistance, the employee refused to go to the veteran and advised him to hang up and call 911. Ultimately, a team of Seattle firefighters was dispatched to the hospitals parking lot to help the veteran from his car to the emergency room  a distance of 10 feet. In a rules-based organization, employees lack the flexibility of discretion.

Related: How Bureaucratic Red Tape Could Give a Convicted VA Exec Her Job Back

However, according to the investigators from Harvard Business School, much has changed at the VA since McDonald took over.

Although the transformation remains ongoing, they have made considerable progress after two and a half years: Pending claims at VA have fallen by more than 90 percent; VA health care now performs better than the private sector on 96 percent of outpatient measures, according to RAND; and by the end of the year, all VA hospitals will offer same-day access to care, relative to none in 2014. In a survey conducted last month, 75 percent of veterans reported that VA effectively delivers care and services, up from 65 percent just a year ago.

Whats more, the improvement in care has led to veterans signing up for VA Care at record numbers -- to the point, Harvard noted, that wait times are on the rise again, this time due to demand, not inefficiency.

These dont appear to be hallmarks of an organization in need of a massive shake-up but rather of one that had already endured the shake-up and is now showing marked improvement. The positive changes raise the question of whether the incoming administration should be considering a major privatization push at this point in the VAs renaissance.

If you ask veterans groups now, the answer is obvious: No.

Trump transition team members met with a number of veterans groups at the American Legions headquarters in Washington early this month. Afterward, the Legions executive director, Vera Jones, told Military.com that none of the groups were in favor of privatization.

The American Legion absolutely opposes privatization, she said. We strongly advocate for a healthy VA health care system for veterans.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Tunis (AFP) - Tunisia said Friday it has jailed or closely monitored 800 jihadists who have returned from foreign battlefields in the past decade.

"Some are in prison, some are under house arrest and others are under close surveillance", government spokesperson Iyed Dahmani said of the fighters who have returned since 2007.

A little under 3,000 Tunisians have joined the ranks of jihadist groups fighting in neighbouring Libya, as well as in Syria and Iraq, Dahmani said.

The United Nations puts this figure at 5,000.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said all jihadists returning from fighting abroad would be immediately arrested and judged according to the country's counter-terrorism law.

Chahed said authorities had "lists of all (Tunisian) terrorists" and "all the data on them".

Last week, Interior Minister Hedi Majdoub told parliament that 800 jihadists had already returned from the front lines.

Concern about their return has increased since Tunisian Anis Amri, 24, was identified as the suspected attacker who mowed down 11 people at a Berlin Christmas market last week, and also killed the driver.

Tunisians rallied outside parliament at the weekend to protest against allowing jihadists back into the country.

The national union of internal security forces has called on the government to strip Tunisian jihadists of their nationality.

But President Beji Caid Essebsi, citing the constitution, has said the authorities cannot prevent a Tunisian from returning home.

Since its 2011 uprising, Tunisia has faced repeated jihadist attacks, killing more than 100 soldiers and policemen, as well as about 20 civilians and 59 foreign tourists, according to official figures.
Madhesi Morcha to protest govt move to hold polls before statute amendment

The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha has announced programmes of protest saying that the government is moving ahead with local polls without amending the constitution.
By Mohamed Argoubi TUNIS (Reuters) - Returning Tunisian militants will be immediately arrested and judged under anti-terrorism laws, the prime minister said, seeking to calm fears over the homecoming of some of the country's several thousand jihadists. Tunisia is among the countries with the highest per capita number of militant Islamists, a problem linked to widespread radicalization among disillusioned youth and a loosening of security controls after Tunisia's 2011 uprising. More than 3,000 Tunisians are known to have traveled abroad to wage jihad, according to the interior ministry. Last week, the interior minister said 800 had already come back to Tunisia, without giving details on what had happened after their return. Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said returnees would be dealt with according to a 2015 anti-terrorism law that is designed to ease the arrest and prosecution of suspected militants. "Those who come back will be arrested immediately after their arrival on Tunisian soil and will be judged under the anit-terrorism law," Chahed told state TV late on Thursday. He also said authorities had comprehensive records on militants who had left the country. "We have all the details on them, we know them one by one, and we have taken all the necessary measures," he said. The comments by Chahed, a member of the secularist Nidaa Tounes party, came amid a fierce political debate over how to deal with foreign fighters. Some secularist politicians have called for them to be stripped of their nationality, though the right to citizenship is protected under the constitution. Politicians from the Islamist party Ennahda, part of the governing coalition, have said Tunisia is still responsible for returning militants and that the government cannot prevent them from coming back. The debate intensified after a deadly Christmas market attack in Berlin believed to have been carried out by a Tunisian, Anis Amri, whom Italy and Germany had earlier failed to deport. It has also been fueled by military setbacks for Islamic State in neighboring Libya and in Iraq, with the expectation that Tunisians fighting with the group will start to return in larger numbers. Tunisia's anti-terrorism law was passed last year in the wake of two major attacks against foreign tourists by Islamic State gunmen, the first at the Bardo museum in Tunis, and the second on a beach in the Tunisian city of Sousse. The law was criticized by human rights groups concerned about an authoritarian backlash by Tunisian security forces. (Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Ankara (Turkey) (AFP) - An Istanbul court Friday charged a prize-winning journalist with "terror propaganda" over a series of social media postings and articles, state media reported, as fears grow over freedom of expression in Turkey.

Ahmet Sik was detained a day earlier over tweets about the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), proscribed as a "terror organisation" by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

He was also remanded in custody over articles for the Cumhuriyet opposition daily that criticised the Turkish secret services, state-run news agency Anadolu said.

Award-winning Sik is one of the country's best-known journalists and previously was in jail between 2011 and 2012.

Anadolu reported Sik was also accused of making propaganda for the ultra-leftist Revolutionary People's Liberation PartyFront (DHKP-C) and the group led by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen blamed for the July 15 failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Gulen's movement is referred to by Turkish authorities as the "Fethullah Terrorist Organisation" (FETO). The movement insists it is a peaceful group promoting moderate Islam.

In recent years, there have been sporadic attacks by radicals from the outlawed DHKP-C, which seeks a Marxist revolution in Turkey among the working classes but also espouses a fiercely anti-Western and anti-NATO agenda.

Before Sik was taken to court, he refused to answer police questions, Hurriyet reported.

"Journalism cannot be questioned like this. This is a repetition of what happened five years ago," the investigative journalist was quoted as saying by his lawyer.

The author of several books including one of the few full-scale investigations into Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania and denies any links to the attempted putsch.

The book, called "The Imam's Army", examines how Gulen supporters infiltrated the Turkish bureaucracy and built up an alliance with the ruling party that has since collapsed.

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Sik had previously been imprisoned for 375 days during the investigation into the so-called Ergenekon alleged coup plot against the government.

That case was strongly supported by Gulen but amid accusations he perverted the process, the convictions were quashed and suspects released.

The arrest will add to activists' increasing concerns over the state of press freedom in Turkey after state of emergency decrees were used to shut down over 100 media outlets.

According to the P24 Platform for Independent Journalism, 118 journalists have been arrested during the emergency imposed a few days after the coup bid, 80 of them within the coup probe.
Istanbul (AFP) - Here are key developments in Turkey's increasingly central role in resolving the Syria conflict, having joined Russia in negotiating the ceasefire which came into force on Friday:

- Ankara drops Assad -

In September 2011 then Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had previously described Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a friend, says: "The Syrian people do not believe Assad, and I do not either."

Siding with the West six months after peaceful protests against Assad were brutally put down, Ankara puts diplomatic pressure on its neighbour alomg with other players before imposing sanctions on Damascus in November 2011.

- Hosts Syrian opposition -

In July 2011 Syrian army colonel Riyadh al-Assad sets up a Free Syrian Army operating out of Turkey to fight the regime.

In October, after several meetings on Turkish soil, Syrian opposition leaders meeting in Istanbul announce the creation of a broad-based Syrian National Council.

In November 2012 Turkey recognises the Council as "the legitimate representative of the Syrian people".

- Fears autonomous Kurdish region -

In September 2014 Islamic State jihadists attack the Syrian border town of Kobane and enter. Kobane becomes the scene of urban guerrilla fighting.

Ankara, accused of letting IS fighters reach Syria via Turkish territory, rebuffs pressure by western allies to intervene militarily and help Kurdish forces against the jihadists.

Turkey has regularly voiced concern over the possibility of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria led by militias it considers close to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist group.

In late January, Syrian Kurds backed by international air strikes retake Kobane.

- Joins anti-jihadist coalition -

On July 20, 2015 the Syrian conflict spills into Turkey with an attack blamed on IS fighters in the border town of Suruc that kills 34 people.

Erdogan launches a "war against terrorism" aimed at both the PKK and the IS.

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In August, Ankara joins the US-led coalition and tightens airport and border checks. Jihadist cells are dismantled after several attacks blamed on the IS, including one which kills 103 people at Ankara's central railway station in October.

- Makes up with Moscow -

On August 9, 2016 Erdogan meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg to seal a reconciliation with Moscow, which has backed Assad. Ties had deteriorated after a Russian fighter plane was shot down by the Turkish air force the previous November.

Putin is one of the first world leaders to call Erdogan following a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15.

On August 20, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says Assad can remain temporarily during a transition period because "he is one of the actors today no matter whether we like it or not".

- Turkish tanks into Syria -

On August 24, Turkish troops launch Operation Euphrates Shield in Syria to drive out the IS, as well as Kurdish militias.

Turkish tanks and opposition fighters drive the IS out of the key Syrian border town of Jarabulus.

- Takes lead with Russia -

On December 7 Prime Minister Yildirim, speaking a day after visiting Moscow, says Turkey's intervention is "in no way connected to what is happening in Aleppo" where they regime is carrying out a devastating offensive, " and in no way connected to changing the regime in Syria".

On December 22 the Syrian regime declares it has full control of Aleppo city, after tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters are evacuated under a deal sponsored by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

On December 29, after several meetings in Turkey between Russian envoys with rebel representatives, Putin announces a ceasefire deal between the regime and the armed opposition. It is the first time that Turkey sponsors such an accord.
By Tulay Karadeniz and Orhan Coskun ANKARA (Reuters) - Russian fighter jets have hit three Islamic State targets around the northern Syrian town of al-Bab over the past 24 hours, the Turkish military said on Friday, in what appeared to be the first Russian support for Turkish army operations in the area. The strikes came as a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start at midnight. The ceasefire does not include Islamic State. NATO member Turkey launched an incursion into Syria, dubbed "Euphrates Shield", more than four months ago to drive Islamic State away from its border. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have besieged al-Bab for several weeks as part of the offensive. In a daily round-up of its operations in the region, the Turkish military said it had information that 12 Islamic State fighters had been killed in the air strikes around al-Bab. It said the targets were in the town and directly to its south. Turkey on Monday called on the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State to provide air support for the operation around al-Bab, which has not so far been forthcoming. That call came hours after the Turkish military said 30 civilians were killed and many wounded as Islamic State launched an attack in al-Bab to stop people fleeing. Turkey and the United States are at odds over the role of Kurdish militia fighters in northern Syria, who have frontlines close to al-Bab. Turkey views them as a hostile force, but they have received U.S. backing in the fight against Islamic State. With Euphrates Shield, Turkey aims to prevent the Kurdish YPG militia from joining up cantons it already controls along the Turkish border, fearing that would embolden Kurdish separatism inside Turkey. In separate fighting, the army said a Turkish soldier was killed and five wounded in an Islamic State attack south of al Azraq to the west of al-Bab. Turkish jets also hit areas around al-Bab and Daglabash, destroying 17 Islamic State targets and killing 26 militants. The Turkish army said a total of 1,171 Islamic State fighters and 291 Kurdish militants had been killed since the start of its Syria incursion. Turkish-backed forces have so far secured 1,860 square km (720 square miles) of territory in Syria, it said, reaching as far as the northern and western borders of al-Bab. (Writing by Daren Butler and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Louise Ireland)
* Constitutional commission approves draft plans

* Parliament to debate draft in January

* Referendum expected by spring (Adds details of draft, background)

By Gulsen Solaker

ANKARA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will be able to appoint and dismiss government ministers, take back the leadership of the ruling party, and govern until 2029 under plans approved by a parliamentary commission on Friday.

The approval by the constitutional commission after a 17-hour overnight session means the plans for an executive presidential system, long sought by Erdogan and the ruling AK Party he founded, have passed their first hurdle.

The proposal will now go to a vote in parliament's general assembly, before a referendum expected by spring.

Erdogan and his supporters argue that Turkey, a sometimes turbulent country of 79 million people, needs the strong leadership of an executive presidency to prevent a return to the fragile coalition governments of the past.

Erdogan has already turned a largely ceremonial presidency into a powerful platform, drawing on his unrivalled popularity, but opponents fear the reform will fuel authoritarianism in the NATO-member and EU candidate country.

Turkey is already under fire from Western allies over its record on rights and freedoms, especially after widespread purges in the wake of a failed military coup in July.

The reform will give the president full executive power, enabling him to appoint and dismiss deputy presidents and ministers, as well as top state officials.

Contrary to the current system, the head of state will also be allowed to maintain ties to and lead a political party. Erdogan renounced the leadership of the AKP, which he founded a decade and a half ago, when he won the presidency in 2014 but still retains strong influence over it.

According to the draft, the president will also have the authority to declare emergency rule, which currently requires parliamentary approval. Turkey has been under emergency rule since the weeks following the failed putsch on July 15.

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AKP sources said party lawmakers had been told in a written note that the draft would be debated in the general assembly in January, including at weekend sessions if needed. If approved, a period of 60 days must pass before holding a referendum.

The AKP needs the backing of the nationalist MHP opposition to push through the legislation. Constitutional change needs the support of at least 330 deputies in the 550-seat assembly to go to a referendum. The AKP has 316 deputies eligible to vote and the MHP 39, though a few have voiced opposition to the reform.

The plans foresee elections in 2019 and a maximum of two five-year terms, meaning Erdogan could rule until 2029.

The main opposition CHP and the pro-Kurdish HDP had sought to block the draft, arguing that it amounted to a fundamental change in the country's political system.

(Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Catherine Evans)
NICOSIA (Reuters) - A senior United Nations official says ethnically-split Cyprus has a "historic opportunity" to reunite in 2017 and a meeting in Geneva in early January will be crucial for a peace deal that has eluded the island for decades. Eighteen months of intensive talks between the estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities will culminate at meetings in Geneva starting on January 8. Espen Barth Eide, the U.N. Secretary General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, wrote in the Cyprus Weekly newspaper that Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci had demonstrated political will and leadership to end the conflict. "They recognise that the status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable, and that the current talks offer the best opportunity for a solution," said Eide, a former Norwegian foreign minister. "The island stands on the cusp of reaping real political and economic benefits not only for Cypriots, but also beyond the island across the wider region," he added. "The peaceful reunification of the island next year could offer a historic opportunity to finally turn the page of history in Cyprus." The eastern Mediterranean island was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 prompted by a brief coup engineered by the military then ruling Greece. The Greek Cypriots now live south of a ceasefire line and Turkish Cypriots to the north of it. From Jan. 8, the two sides will try to clear up overhangs in issues relating to economy, property, governance and EU issues. Territorial trade-offs are expected to be discussed on January 11. Representatives of Britain, Turkey and Greece - the guarantor powers of the former British colony - will discuss their roles at a conference starting in Geneva the next day. This guarantor status, which permits intervention to restore a breakdown of constitutional order, is a source of discord between the two Cypriot communities. Fearful of a repeat of the 1974 invasion, the Greek Cypriot side says no guarantees are required once Cyprus is reunited while Turkish Cypriots, who withdrew into enclaves in the 1960s and were targeted by Greek Cypriot nationalists, say they are. A previous peace bid on Cyprus collapsed in 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected, and Turkish Cypriots accepted a blueprint drafted by the UN in a strategy then of 'filling in the blanks' of a deal where the two sides failed to agree. Negotiations continued on and off since then, picking up in mid-2015 to lead to the meetings due next month. This time talks are led by the two communities, with the UN acting as facilitators in the process. (Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
By Sebastien Malo NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The United Nations criticized the government of Ecuador on Friday for ordering the closure of a land rights advocacy group that supports an indigenous community protesting mining plans in land they claim as their ancestral home. The crackdown by Ecuadorian authorities on Quito-based Accion Ecologica was part of a pattern that threatened freedom of association in the country, a group of six U.N. rights experts said in a statement. Accion Ecologica has been working for 30 years to protect land whose natural environment is threatened, according to its mission statement. It has vocally supported indigenous Shuar protesters, the U.N. statement said, who have accused authorities of kicking them out of their ancestral home in Ecuador's Morona-Santiago province to make way for mining developments. Earlier this month, Ecuador sent troops to the province after a violent protest staged by Shuars against a Chinese copper exploration project saw the killing of a policeman and several security officials injured. Last week the Ecuadorian government initiated Accion Ecologica's dissolution - two days after the group called for a public inquiry on attacks against indigenous and environmental rights, according to the United Nations statement. In their statement, the U.N. rights experts urged the South American nation's government to reverse its decision, noting it was part of a string of closure of similar rights groups in recent years that had defied government views. "The government of Ecuador seems to be systematically dissolving organizations when they become too vocal or challenge government orthodoxy," they said. "Dissolving groups is the most severe type of restriction on freedom of association." The U.N. envoys called on Ecuador to reform the laws giving it the authority to "unilaterally dissolve any kind of organization". Accion Ecologica and the Ecuador Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City did not immediately respond to requests for comments sent by email. Research has shown that many indigenous people lack title to land where they live, with between half and two-thirds of the world's land held by indigenous people and communities under informal or customary ownership systems. Giving these communities formal land titles can improve environmental sustainability as local residents have more incentive to protect land they formally own, experts say. Other advocacy groups Ecuador shut down over the last three years include the Union Nacional de Educadores and Pachamama. Pachamama, whose work also focused on defending the land rights of indigenous people, was dissolved in 2013. (Reporting by Sebastien Malo, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; 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)
Morcha softens stance on polls

The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM), an alliance of seven Madhes-based parties, on Thursday said it was ready to support the local elections as long as they were held after amendment of the constitution.
An Uber driver working his shift in Sacramento, Calif. ended up saving a 16-year-old girl from child sex trafficking on Dec. 26, NBC Latino reported.

Keith Avila, 34, said he picked up three passengers, two women and a teen, to drop them off a Holiday Inn. On the way there, the passengers began talking about delivering the girl to John and getting money from him, NBC reported.

After he got to the hotel, Avila drove away and then called the police. Authorities rushed to the scene, Avila said in a Facebook Live video as police were in front on the Holiday Inn.

His video, which had more than 128,000 views as of Thursday, says, I just caught a group Child Sex Trafficking ring!!! No joke!!!

In the clip, Avila gave more details on the situation.

This girl looked like she was 12 years old, he said. Can you believe that?

Avila, who said he is also a quinceanera photographer and is a married father of young boy, said there was no question in his mind that he had to help the victim.

I was like, theres no way, he said. I cant just drive away. Of course not. Its not even an option.

In his post, Avila said the female pimps were describing what they were going to do when they get there, and instructing the victim to check for guns, get the money before you start touching up on the guy.

Police arrested Destiny Pettway, 25, and Maria Westley, 31, when they arrived at the scene and found the teen with Disney Vang, 20, in a hotel room, according to NBC Latino.

Pettaway and Westley were charged with pimping and pandering, and their bail was set to $500,000. Vang was arrested on suspicions of sexual activity with a minor, and was later released.

The teen, who is a runaway, is now staying with an "alternative housing situation" until her parents or guardians are found.

Ubers Safety Team contacted Avila over the phone to congratulate him for saving the victim, adding that the three adults involved in the incident are banned from the hail-riding service.

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Uber also sent Avila an email saying the company appreciated his professionalism in a difficult situation.

"Maintaining the platform as a safe and comfortable place for both riders and driver partners is very important to us, and any incident that disrupts that experience for either party is one we take very seriously, added Uber.

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UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Ban Ki-moon joked to hundreds of diplomats and U.N. staff as he left United Nations headquarters Friday for the last time as secretary-general that he feels "like Cinderella  tomorrow at midnight, everything changes."

Flanked by the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, the native South Korean thanked U.N. workers for their hard work and commitment over the course of his 10-year tenure, which ends at midnight Dec. 31.

"Tomorrow night on the eve of the new year, I'll be in Times Square for the ball drop. Millions of people will be watching as I lose my job," he said with a broad smile.

He told his colleagues he had two words for them: "Thank You."

As the top U.N. official over the last decade, Ban fostered a global agreement to combat climate change and new U.N. goals to combat poverty and inequality. However, he leaves amid continuing conflicts from Syria and Yemen to South Sudan and Libya.

Ban urged staff members to stay focused on advancing U.N. development goals and working to address issues ranging from climate change to gender empowerment.

"Keep the focus on people  on people's rights and people's dignity," he told them.

Ban will be succeeded by former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres, who begins a five-year term on Sunday.

Ban was thronged by U.N. staff as he made his way out of United Nations headquarters for the last time. At the top of the escalator leading out of the building, a line of staffers held up signs saying "We We Love Love You You SG and Madam," using the initials for secretary-general and paying tribute to his wife Yoo Soon-taek.

At the bottom, a line of top U.N. officials said farewell, many receiving hugs from Ban.

The visibly emotional secretary-general, when asked about the sendoff before walking out the door and getting into his car, said: "It's very moving. I'm so grateful for the support and friendship that they have shown me. ... I'm honored to have served this great organization."

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Ban returns to South Korea amid widespread speculation he will be a candidate to replace the country's president, who has been impeached.

___

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

___

Corrects capitalization to Ban Ki-moon.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to postpone by six months a requirement that Iraq contribute a portion of petroleum export sales into a U.N. compensation fund for victims of its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

A council resolution adopted in 2010 that lifted some sanctions on Iraq called for the government to deposit 5 percent of proceeds from petroleum export sales and 5 percent of the value of non-monetary payments for petroleum products and natural gas into the compensation fund.

The payments have been postponed several times.

Iraq, with support from Kuwait, asked the U.N. Compensation Commission's governing council for another postponement in November, citing Iraq's difficult security situation.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Michele Sison said Friday the latest six-month extension was needed to "tie up a few outstanding issues."
The University of Tennessee marching band has been selected to perform at the inauguration parade for President-elect Donald Trump, according to the state's local new outlets, including the Knoxville News Sentinel.

After the swearing-in ceremony at the National Mall, the 300-member band will join paraders from 40 different organizations, including high school and college marching bands, first responders and veterans groups at the Jan. 20 festivities in Washington, D.C.

"We are pleased to be a part of the inauguration parade, and proud of our longstanding participation in one of our nation's great traditions," UT spokeswoman Karen Simsen told the newspaper.

A letter from the inaugural committee to the Pride of the Southland Band posted online reads: "We had a record number of applicants, so your selection is a testament to your organization's talent and enthusiasm. Your participation will help make this Inauguration truly historic."

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, who was an early supporter of Trump's campaign, tweeted his congratulations to the band Friday morning (Dec. 30).

Congratulations to the @UTKnoxville Pride of the Southland Band for being selected to participate in the upcoming inaugural parade.

- Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) December 30, 2016

After marching in every inauguration parade since 1965, the band was not invited to President Barack Obama's second inauguration in January 2013, reportedly being told they had performed too many times in the past.

Here is the full list of organizations selected to join the parade, from Nashville's NBC TV station:

1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment - Fort Hood, Texas

1st Infantry Commanding General's Mounted Color - Ft. Riley, Kansas

Boone County Elite 4-H Equestrian Drill Team - Burlington, Kentucky

Caisson Platoon, Fort Myer - Fort Myer, Virginia

Cleveland Police Mounted Unit - Cleveland, Ohio

Coastal Florida Police & Fire Pipes & Drums - Palm Coast, Florida

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Columbus North High School Band - Columbus, Indiana

Culver Academy Equestrian - Culver, Indiana

First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fishburne Military School Army JROTC Caissons Battalion - Waynesboro, Virginia

Frankfort High School Band - Ridgeley, West Virginia

Franklin Regional High School Panther Marching Band - Murrysville, Pennsylvania

Indianapolis Metro Police Motorcycle Drill Team - Indianapolis, Indiana

Lil Wranglers - College Station, Texas

Marist College Band - Poughkeepsie, New York

Merced County Sheriff's Posse - Hilmar, California

Michigan Multi-Jurisdictional Mounted Police Drill Team & Color Guard - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Mid America Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team - New Buffalo, Michigan

Nassau County Firefighters Pipes & Drums - East Meadow, New York

North Carolina Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association - Hillsborough, North Carolina

NYPD Emerald Society Pipes & Drums - East Moriches, New York

Olivet Nazarene University - Bourbonnais, Illinois

Palmetto Ridge High School Band - Naples, Florida

Russellville High School Band - Russellville, Arkansas

Talladega College Band - Talladega, Alabama

Texas State University Strutters - San Marcos, Texas

The Citadel Regimental Band & Pipes and Summerall Guards - Charleston, South Carolina

The Freedom Riders - Kersey, Colorado

Tragedy Assistance Marching Unit - Arlington, Virginia

Tupelo High School Band - Tupelo, Mississippi

University of Tennessee Marching Band - Knoxville, Tennessee

VMI Corps of Cadets - Lexington, Virginia

West Monroe High School Marching Band - West Monroe, Louisiana

American Veterans - National

Boy Scouts of America - National

US Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations - National

Disabled American Veterans - National

US Border Patrol Pipes & Drums - National

Wounded Warriors - National

Kids Overseas- National
The US Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Air Force searched Lake Erie on Friday, December 30, for six people aboard a small plane after it disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff Thursday night. The cause of the disappearance is unknown.

The US Coast Guard was notified by air traffic control at 11:30 pm on Thursday that a Cessna Citation 525 had disappeared from radar. The plane had taken off from Burke Lakefront Airport and was headed to Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio. The plane had disappeared about two miles into its flight over Lake Erie.

No wreckage had been found in the search, according to local reports.

The missing include three children, the report said. The group had attended a Cleveland Cavaliers game on Thursday night.

The coast guard reported the weather in the area at the time was seas from 12-15 feet with winds around 30 knots, about 34 miles per hour. Credit: US Coast Guard via Storyful
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points:

US Dollar turns broadly lower after disappointing trade data

Euro outperforms, correcting after yesterdays outsized selloff

Thin liquidity remains a potential driver of kneejerk volatility

The US Dollar traded broadly lower against its peers as front-end Treasury bond yields declined. The move followed worse-than-expected trade data that showed the deficit widened to the biggest since March 2015 whereas economists projected it would narrow.

The outcome means relatively little for Fed policy bets, where the focus remains on the on-coming fiscal posture pivot. With that in mind, the greenbacks response is probably a reflection of holiday illiquidity rather than traders conviction.

The Euro outperformed, which was perhaps to be expected after yesterdays kneejerk selloff. The swift recovery after that move seems like yet more evidence of lackluster participation amplifying moves that might otherwise have found little follow-through.

Looking ahead, the fast-approaching holiday weekend will probably sap a desire to commit to directional bets by the few traders still at their desks. However, if the past 48 hours have taught us anything, it is that sharp moves need little impetus in thin trade. With that in mind, caution remains prudent.

See the schedule of upcoming webinars and join us LIVE to follow the financial markets!

Asia Session

US Dollar Retreat Amplified in Thin Holiday Trade

European Session

No data.

** All times listed in GMT. See the full DailyFX economic calendar here.

--- Written by Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist for DailyFX.com

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Contact and follow Ilya on Twitter: @IlyaSpivak



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a 13-page report Thursday revealing details of their investigation into the Russian governments links to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) accounts. The report, however, does not refer to the party by name.

The agencies dubbed the Russian operation Grizzly Steppe and provided details about the tools and infrastructure used by the Russian civilian and military intelligence Services (RIS) to compromise and exploit networks and endpoints associated with the U.S. election.

The report adds that the operation included several targets other than the DNC, like government organizations, policy institutes, universities and corporations. Grizzly Steppe is still underway, the agencies said.

Actors likely associated with [Russian Intelligence Services] are continuing to engage in spearphishing campaigns, including one launched as recently as November 2016, just days after the U.S. election, the report said.

According to the report, the attack began in the summer of 2015 when hackers sent emails containing malware to over 1,000 people associated with U.S. government and political groups. The emails appeared to have come from legitimate websites linked to U.S. institutions. Those who were tricked into clicking on the email allowed the hackers to gain access to their accounts. The hackers eventually compromised key accounts to leak material focused on helping Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton, the report said.

This activity by Russian intelligence services is part of a decade-long campaign of cyber-enabled operations directed at the U.S. government and its citizens, the agencies said in a joint statement with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The U.S. government seeks to arm network defenders with the tools they need to identify, detect and disrupt Russian malicious cyber activity that is targeting our countrys and our allies networks.

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Putin-Obama

Photo: SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/ALEXEI DRUZHININ VIA REUTERS

President Barack Obama also announced new sanctions against Moscow on Thursday in response to allegations of Russian interference with the U.S. elections.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias actions. In October, my Administration publicized our assessment that Russia took actions intended to interfere with the U.S. election process, Obama said. These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government. Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences.

Also on Thursday, Washington expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the U.S. and shut down two Moscow-controlled compounds in New York and Maryland. The diplomats were given 72 hours to leave the country. These actions were a response to Russias treatment of U.S. diplomats, a U.S. official told Reuters.

These actions were taken to respond to Russian harassment of American diplomats and actions by the diplomats that we have assessed to be not consistent with diplomatic practice, the official said.

The new sanctions were termed counterproductive and harmful to the restoration of bilateral ties, Konstantin Dolgov, Russias foreign ministry commissioner for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, reportedly said.

U.S. - Russia ties have deteriorated during the Obama administration with Washington condemning Moscows actions in Syria and Ukraine. President-elect Donald Trump, however, has repeatedly said he was willing to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin hoping to improve ties between the two countries. Trump had dismissed allegations of Russia influencing the U.S. election in his favor and opposed Obamas decision to impose new sanctions against Moscow.

I think we ought to get on with our lives, the real estate mogul said Thursday. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of the computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what's going on.

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The morning after President Barack Obama issued an executive order expelling 35 Russian officials from the U.S., shutting down U.S.-based Russian compounds and sanctioning Russian intelligence services, his counterpart in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin, appearing to lean on expectations of improved relations with the incoming administration, said he would not retaliate.

While these sanctions predominantly concern security officials and entities, previous penalties against Russiafor its annexation of Crimea and its downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17have targeted Russias economy and business leaders, providing ample room for improvement in Russian-American trade relations.

The U.S. has long held a trade deficit with Russia, meaning it has imported more goods than it has exported, but that deficit has dropped over the past five years, from $26.3 billion in 2011 to just $6.7 billion as of October 2016, according to data from the Department of Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security, as well as more recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Both imports and exports have also declined over the same period, with the value of products coming to the U.S. from Russia falling by two-thirds, to $11.7 billion from $34.6 billion in 2011, and products shipped to Russia from the U.S. declining by about 40 percent, to just under $5 billion from $8.3 billion, over the same period, according to the two bureaus.

While U.S. gross domestic product growth has climbed above pre-recession levels over the past couple of years, Russias GDP growth rate dropped below 1 percent in 2014 and went starkly negative in 2015. Many consider the primary element shrinking Russias economy to be a two-and-a-half-year drop in oil prices, something the Western sanctions have exacerbated. A State Department official, for example, told Reuters in January that the sanctions likely caused about 1 to 1.5 percent of the shrinkage.

President-elect Donald Trump is widely expected to take a far less adversarial stance on Russia compared to that of the Obamas administration, as the real estate billionaires nominee for secretary of state, Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Rex Tillerson, has been awarded Russias Order of Friendship medal for his vocal opposition to U.S. sanctions against Moscow, which essentially froze Exxons investment in the country. Trump has also encouraged the alleged cyberattacks by Russian hackers that provoked Obamas most recent round of sanctions.

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Putin appeared to take these details into account in his Friday response.

We wont create problems for American diplomats, he said in a statement, according to the Washington Post, adding that he would plan further steps for restoring the Russian-American relationship based on the policies enacted by the administration of President Donald Trump.

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Washington (AFP) - The Pentagon said Friday it believes that Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is indeed alive, despite repeated efforts by the US-led coalition to take out the jihadist group leader.

Baghdadi has kept a low profile, despite having declared himself the leader of a renewed Muslim caliphate, but last month released a defiant audio message urging his supporters to defend the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

It is not clear if he is in the besieged city, where he declared his caliphate in 2014 after the IS group seized territory covering much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq.

"We do think Baghdadi is alive and is still leading ISIL and we are obviously doing everything we can to track his movements," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told CNN.

"If we get the opportunity, we certainly would take advantage of any opportunity to deliver him the justice he deserves," he said.

"We're doing everything we can. This is something we're spending a lot of time on."

In mid-December, the United States more than doubled the bounty on the shadowy IS leader's head to $25 million.

The group has only released one video of Baghdadi, showing a man with a black and grey beard wearing a black robe and matching turban, dating back to 2014.

Cook suggested that Baghdadi is isolated because coalition raids have killed many IS leaders.

"He's having a hard time finding advisers and confidants to speak with because a lot of them are no longer with us," the spokesman said.

According to an official Iraqi government document, Baghdadi was born in Samarra in 1971. He apparently joined the insurgency that erupted after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and spent time in an American military prison.
NC, SLMM agree to present amendment bill for House deliberations

Nepali Congress and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) have agreed to present the constitution amendment bill registered in the Legislature-Parliament for deliberations.
By Teis Jensen

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A spate of last-minute orders from the United States has put Danish wind turbine maker Vestas on track for its highest contract intake in six years and eased some investors' concerns over U.S. energy policy under the incoming Trump administration.

Vestas Wind Systems (VWS.CO) and its rivals are benefiting from a new focus on renewables, encouraged by the Paris Agreement on climate change last December and a five-year extension of a key U.S. Production Tax Credit.

But Vestas' share price, which had more than doubled since the beginning of 2016, came under pressure after it early in November warned of a slowdown in the U.S. market next year, coupled with the election win by Donald Trump, who had expressed support for conventional fossil fuels.

The company, however, has announced eight U.S. orders from Wednesday through Friday totaling more than 700 megawatts of new wind power capacity.

Sydbank analyst Jacob Pedersen is "very positively surprised" about the prospect for a new order record, he said in a note, adding that it signaled 2018 could bring progress after an expected slight decline next year.

He said he saw increased uncertainty after Trump's election win but any worsening of the conditions for wind farms would not be of significance until 2020 at the earliest.

"Wind and renewable energy have broad bipartisan support in the United States," Vestas told Reuters by email on Friday. It said wind energy's natural competitiveness against other power generation sources would "help ensure its solid future".

Trump's presidency would "in theory" be negative for the renewables sector, Chief Financial Officer Marika Fredriksson told Reuters just before the U.S. presidential election, but said it was too early to assess as the industry creates a lot of jobs, a main political target for Trump.

Vestas has announced wind turbine orders for a total of 8.92 gigawatts this year, up from 8.10 gigawatts at the same time last year, according to the company's website.

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Taking into account still-unannounced orders, the order intake for 2016 is projected to rise above last year's 8.94 gigawatts.

Vestas has announced orders from the United States for over 3.1 gigawatts this year, more than a third of its total orders, up from 2.87 gigawatts in 2015.

The total for 2016, including still-unannounced orders, will be announced on Feb. 8 when Vestas publishes full-year results.

(Additional reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Dale Hudson)
VidAngel, the family-friendly filtering service, has bowed to a federal judges order and shut down its site completely.

Judge Andre Birotte ordered the company to cease operations on Dec. 12, issuing an injunction at the request of Disney, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, which have complained that the service is pirating their content. The company sought a stay of the injunction, but on Thursday Birotte rejected that request, prompting VidAngel to shut down.

It is not a fun time for us right now, said Neal Harmon, the companys CEO, in an interview with Variety. It is definitely causing us harm This is traditionally the biggest time of the year for movie watching. We have hundreds of thousands of customers planning on watching filtered content, and instead this is what they get.

In seeking the stay, Harmon had warned that an immediate shutdown would create a customer service nightmare. VidAngel allows customers to watch mainstream movies while filtering out objectionable content such as nudity or offensive language. Customers buy movies for $20, watch them on VidAngels site or its streaming apps, and then sell them back to the company.

As of now, all commerce on the site has shut down. Harmon said that customers who cannot access their movies can get their purchase refunded, or may receive an unfiltered DVD copy of the movie in the mail. Customers can also cash out their VidAngel credit. Harmon said that so far, only a few customers have asked for disc shipments. There has been an increase in cash-outs of store credit.

There have also been people who said, I want to donate my credit to the litigation,' Harmon said.

The company contends that filtering is explicitly permitted under the Family Movie Act, and has vowed to take its case all the way to the Supreme Court. Company officials are referring to the shutdown as a hiatus. David Quinto, the companys general counsel, said that if the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal were to grant the companys request for an emergency stay, then the site could be back up and running within weeks.

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But in the meantime, the company is also planning to offer licensed content on the site in the near future. The company has already announced plans to distribute a handful of family-friendly independent movies. It also is preparing to offer a behind the litigation documentary about VidAngel, as well as family-friendly standup comedy performances filmed at the VidAngel headquarters.

The company recently raised $10 million in a crowdfunding campaign, and is planning on using that money in part to upgrade the service and prepare for a relaunch. The company, based in Provo, Utah, has guaranteed that none of its employees will be laid off for at least 30 days, according to Quinto.

Our company has the cash to weather the storm, Quinto said. So were not going out of business. We may have a lot of work to do to try to regain lost customers and restore customer confidence. And its vitally important that we try to hang on to all our employees.

Related stories

VidAngel Keeps Streaming, Defying Judge's Order and Enraging Studios

PureFlix Lets Users Delete Words Like 'Hell' and 'Damn'

Facing a Shutdown Order, VidAngel Will Start Making Movies
VidAngel  the start-up streaming service that offers consumers opportunities to watch movies without profanity or potentially offensive content  is down, but says its not out, after a court setback in a case from Disney, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox.

Today the company shuttered the service, complying with a U.S. District Court in California injunction this month. Judge Andre Birotte Jr. said the studios were likely to succeed with a suit that charged VidAngel infringed on their copyrights and violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and would suffer irreparable harm if it continued to do business during the legal battle.

VidAngel today asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal to stay enforcement of the injunction. The studios have until January 2 to respond, and VidAngel would have another day to respond.

We hope to get a quick decision, says the companys General Counsel David Quinto. VidAngel is asking studios not involved in the court case to agree to not sue while its alive he adds.

We want to provide all of the studios a light on what the law does and doesnt allow. Some have privately expressed their hope that we can overcome.

Meanwhile, VidAngel says its keeping its website up to offer information about the suit as well as different content including family-friendly comedy, and films from studios that dont object to the service. CEO Neal Harmon says by mid-January.he expects to have three independent titles, which he declined to identify.

The company contends the service is protected by the federal Family Movies Act, which gives people the right to filter violence, profanity, and other content from home video versions of studio releases. To comply with the law, the company doesnt create a permanent copy of filtered films or show them publicly.

VidAngel buys DVD or Blu-ray discs for the films it streams. Each one is linked to a copy on its servers that one customer at a time can effectively buy, designating the kinds of content he or she wants filtered. Once done with the film, the customer effectively sells it back to VidAngel for a price thats discounted for the length of time its been accessed.

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The company says the process is similar to what college bookstores do when they rent textbooks. The studios contend that this is merely a form of piracy.

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VidAngel Case: Studios Win Injunction Against Streaming Service That Filters Content

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Vienna (AFP) - An 11-year-old British girl has spoken of her immense pride after her opera was given a standing ovation in Vienna where it is playing as part of year end celebrations.

Alma Deutscher's own take on Cinderella involves a poet prince being charmed by the melody of a female composer, rather than the singing of her pretentious two half-sisters.

The characters are played by adults, with Alma accompanying them on the violin in some scenes. Thursday evening's premiere at the city's Casino Baumgarten Concert Hall was packed.

"I am extremely proud. If anybody had told me a few years ago that my opera would be put on in Vienna, I'd have thought it was a joke," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The production also has an adult director but Deutscher said in the interview she often passes on her own ideas about how the opera should play out.

"It's all coming together," said Deutscher, who is home-schooled and lives in south London, noting that she still takes her skipping rope to rehearsals, using it during breaks.

The opera will be performed again in Vienna on Friday as well as on January 4 and January 5.

The conductors Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta and Simon Rattle have spoken glowingly about Deutscher's talent.

"Last night's premiere played to a packed house of 540 and at the end there was a standing ovation with many shouts of bravo!" the prodigy's publicist Judy Grahame said in a statement to AFP.

"Alma was so happy to see the performance which for so long had lived on her imagination."
By Ronnie Cohen (Reuters Health) - - Adolescents who engaged in violent activities were more likely to have friends  and friends of friends  who had been violent, a new study shows. Violent acts tend to cluster through social networks, and they spread like a contagious disease spreads from one person to another, the studys senior author Brad Bushman said in a phone interview. A psychology and communications professor at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Bushman analyzed interviews from the 1990s with nearly 6,000 American students in grades seven through twelve. Compared to students whose friends had never hurt anyone, kids with a friend who had badly hurt someone were themselves 183 percent more likely to report having badly hurt someone, too, the report in the American Journal of Public Health shows. If a friend had pulled a weapon on someone, the youth were 140 percent more likely to have pulled a weapon, and if a friend had been involved in a serious fight, the youth were 48 percent more likely to have been in a serious fight. Interviewers asked the students to name up to five boys and five girls they considered friends at their schools. In male students alone, the likelihood of seriously hurting someone rose 82 percent for each additional friend who had seriously hurt someone. The association extended beyond immediate friends and friends of friends with four degrees of separation for serious fights and three degrees of separation for threatening someone with a weapon. Its the first study we know of to see how far it spreads  up to four degrees, which is pretty amazing, Bushman said. Dr. Gary Slutkin, an epidemiologist and infectious-disease control specialist, fully expected the results. Youre doing what your friend is doing, whos doing what his friend is doing, whos doing what his friend is doing, he told Reuters Health. Youre not thinking about consequences. Youre thinking about what your friends do. This is one of now hundreds of studies that, if you add them all up, theres no way of seeing it other than violence being a contagious epidemic health problem, said Slutkin, founder of Cure Violence at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. He has long thought about violence as a contagious disease and has worked to stop it in communities throughout the world by identifying the perpetrators and intervening in the same way he did with HIV carriers. When it was his mission to figure out how to stop the spread of HIV in Africa, Slutkin realized that explaining the deadly nature of AIDS failed to convince young men to wear condoms. But they would use condoms to protect themselves against the disease if they thought their friends wore them. Slutkin has applied his understanding of friends motivating friends for better or for worse in his work fighting street violence throughout the world. By employing former gang members to interrupt and prevent violence, he has seen communities slash violent crimes by 40 to 100 percent, he said. Punishment has not worked to control the spread of violence, Slutkin said. People are very comfortable with punishment, and it is not the way of out this problem, he said. Its like treating a patient over and over again with the wrong medicine. Its possible that the cure for violence could be spread through the same networks of friends as the violence itself, Bushman said. Punishment is not a main driver of the changing of behavior, Slutkin said. In order to get behaviors to change, you have to be interactive with people in your own peer group and see that youre getting approval from your own peer group, he said. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2ifRaip American Journal of Public Health, online December 20, 2016.
Amid increasingly fraught cross-Atlantic relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a public New Years greeting to President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump.

In a post Friday on Russias official Twitter account, Putin sent a New Year greeting to President Obama & his family, also to President-elect @RealDonaldTrump & American people.

Putin typically sends a New Years greeting to the President, but this years message comes at one of the worst moments in U.S.-Russia relations since the Cold War.

Vladimir #Putin: I offer New Year greetings to President Obama & his family, also to President-elect @realDonaldTrump & the American people! pic.twitter.com/Jmj8u5LvrQ    (@Russia) December 30, 2016

American intelligence officials widely agree that Russian hackers successfully interfered in the presidential election, and Obama has responded with new sanctions on Russian officials. Recent years have seen Russia defy the international community with its invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, and Putin has been a key backer of Syrian ruler Bashar Assad.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed reports that Russia was behind attempts to undermine the 2016 election, and his allies have called Obamas latest sanctions an attempt to corner the incoming Trump administration, which has promised warmer relations with Russia. It is in Russia interests to mend its relationship with the United States in order to increase its territorial influence and free itself from aggressive American-led economic sanctions which have hurt the Russian economy. Putin is counting on Trump to thaw the two nations relationship.

Putin said Friday that Russia will not respond to Obamas new sanctions with similar actions against the United Statesa move that leaves the future of the two nations relationship up to Trump.

It is regrettable that the Obama Administration is ending its term in this manner. Nevertheless, I offer my New Year greetings to President Obama and his family, Putin said in a separate message. My seasons greetings also to President-elect Donald Trump and the American people.
upside down

A recent report from China Beige Book, a survey of the Chinese economy, is challenging Wall Street's prevailing notion about China in 2017.

It all hinges on one word: stability.

The expectation on Wall Street is that since the Chinese Communist Party will be holding its 19th National Congress  a process in which the party chooses its top leadership positions  in 2017, President Xi Jinping will want to keep the economy stable so there's no distraction from his relentless effort to consolidate power.

"The Chinese leadership will likely face significant political uncertainty both internally and externally, and in response they will likely place social and economic stability as a top priority throughout 2017," a Credit Suisse research team led by Vincent Chan wrote in a recent note. "We believe the government will adopt pro-growth measures to boost economic growth ahead of the political transition."

That, the thinking goes, means that the government will provide the most dangerous part of the economy  massive, indebted quasi-state companies  with enough cash to continue powering through the year and that it will support banks so they can support the corporate sector and the country's gross-domestic-product growth. Things will stay stable. Nothing to see here.

The problem with that is it seems as if that's not the stability the Chinese government really cares about.

Words

What the Chinese government really cares about is employment. Unemployment leads to social unrest, and social unrest makes Xi look bad. (In China, it's always politics first and economics second.)

Now, as China Beige Book points out, net hiring looks good in China, as 43% of firms hired, up from 30% this time last year. These measures are looking good even after the government stopped juicing the economy in the first quarter of 2016. (You'll recall that the beginning of 2016 was somewhat rocky.)

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"If the jobs picture deteriorates later next year, then Beijing is likely to respond forcefully," the China Beige Book report said. "But even an effective response will not take effect immediately and its effects, as always, will be transient. The stability the Party wants is a solid but not certain bet. The stability investors want is a crapshoot."

What all this means is that the country has no reason to put its foot on the gas the way it did early in 2016 unless the jobs picture really gets bad.

Xi already told a group of Communist Party members of the economic and finance group last week not to worry if they didn't hit their target of 6.5% GDP growth (down from 6.7%). In fact, he told them not to try to hit it if doing so would create too much risk.

Xi is not scared of a slowdown; he's more scared of the unrest that unemployment and a full-blown debt crisis could bring.

That means investors worried about growth can't be sure the government will help them along. Some companies may very well be losers. We've already seen 55 corporations go bankrupt in 2016, up from 24 in 2015.

So be careful: One man's bankruptcy could be another man's perfectly stable, healthy-enough economy.

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Carrie Fishers love letter to her mother Debbie Reynolds lives on.

Fisher chronicled their complicated relationship in the documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, which premiered at Mays Cannes Classics.

During the film festival, the actress and author sat down with PEOPLE on the French Riviera to discuss her 95-minute project, that will now be viewed as one of the last intimate portrayals of Hollywood royalty.

My mom did imitations, the Star Wars icon said in recalling some of her favorite memories with her famous mother. I started doing Judy Garland and then shed do this and my mother did Barbra Streisand, I did that, Fisher shared, adding, She was very much a role model in the best and weirdest sense of it.

And though she had high admiration for her mothers talents, fashion may have not been one of them, according to Fisher.

I wish I could show you, she said of the differences between her and Reynolds sense of style. Mine is very hallucinogenic. Not that I know. But its light, I like lights and very bright colors and my mother likes more muted, pastels.

Bright Lights co-director Fisher Stevens, who joined Carrie for the interview, noted that viewers would really get a sense of Carries taste with this film.

The documentary, also directed by Alexis Bloom, was filmed in the months leading up to Reynolds preparing to receive her 2015 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, which Fisher presented to her mom.

Asked if she has many chapters left in her book, Fisher poignantly said, I just hope its nothing dramatic, but probably. Were imminently, weirdly filmable and flammable family.

The mother-daughter pair had a fraught relationship that many Fisher used as inspiration for in some of her most famous writings, including semi-autobiographical book and subsequent film Postcards from the Edge and her 2008 memoir Wishful Drinking. They would also share the screen, stage and page on a variety of occasions.

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Carrie died on Tuesday at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack onboard a plane. The Princess Diarist author was flying from London to Los Angeles on Dec. 23 when she went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to UCLA Medical Center, where she died four days later.

Just one day after her daughters passing, Reynolds died at the age of 84. The Singin in the Rain star was at her and Fishers Beverly Hills property on Wednesday afternoon when she had to be rushed to the hospital for a possible stroke, PEOPLE confirmed.

In May, Carries daughter, Billie Lourd, told PEOPLE that though she and Todd Fisher, Reynolds son, make cameos in Bright Lights, the documentary was more of a Debbie-Carrie thing.

I was a little bit, but not that much, Lourd said. I should do about my mom now, right? But shes kind of already done it.

Of Reynolds, Lourd said it was such an incredible thing to get footage of her.

Shes had such an incredible career and shes done so many shows that people dont even know about, Lourd said. She performs in Reno, she performs all over the country. Its an incredible thing for people to see what a full star she is. She really does it all.

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds will air on HBO in 2017. A formal premiere date has not yet been set.




Nepal and China to stage joint military exercise

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army said on Thursday that it is holding first ever joint military exercise with Nepal.
Melbourne (AFP) - West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out for the rest of Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash League with a hamstring injury, his Melbourne Renegades club said Friday.

Bravo suffered the setback during a loss to the Perth Scorchers on Thursday and scans revealed a serious injury that will require surgery and a long spell on the sidelines.

Bravo was fielding on the boundary when he made a desperate dive to cut off a shot from Michael Klinger and clutched his hamstring in pain.

"Unfortunately my Big Bash season is over which is very disappointing," Bravo said.

"Ill now have surgery and the rehabilitation to get me fit and playing at my best again.

"I want to thank all the Renegades fans for their support for me and I hope to see them again next season."

Bravo was in his fourth season at the Renegades after a stint with the Sydney Sixers.
Ronda Rousey arrived like a storm to usher women's mixed martial arts into the UFC.

Having won a bronze Olympic medal in Judo in 2008, Rousey shifted to MMA, where she finished all three of her amateur opponents by armbar. She then armbarred her way to becoming the Strikeforce bantamweight champion.

In 2013, she kicked down the Octagon door, being named the promotion's inaugural women's bantamweight champion. Rousey then defended the belt six consecutive times, escalating her record to 12-0 as a professional fighter.

That was when it all came crashing down. Rousey stepped into the cage with Holly Holm on Nov. 15, 2015 at UFC 193 in Australia. The largest audience in UFC history  56,214 in Etihad Stadium and millions on television and online  watched in shock as Holm leveled Rousey with a head kick early in the second round.

Rousey did not recover. Holm handed her the first defeat of her mixed martial arts career.

It was devastating. By shear force of will, Rousey propelled women in the Octagon spotlight. She seemed unstoppable, invincible. But in a moment, Holm took that all away.

TRENDING > Dana White: Ronda Rousey is Psychotically Competitive (video)

Rousey went largely into seclusion for the next year. She will step back into the Octagon for the first time in more than a year at UFC 207, where she will challenge champion Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight belt that she was at one time the only fighter to ever hold.

But what happens if lightning strikes twice? What if Ronda Rousey doesn't walk out of that cage with the belt around her waist?

UFC president Dana White chimed in at his UFC 207 pre-fight media scrum, but didn't appear to have a lot more answers than the rest of us. Check out what he had to say in the video below.

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What Happened to Dow 20K?

The wait continues for the Dow to reach the elusive 20000 mark. As the year comes to a close, Fox Business looks back on all things Wall Street, and whats ahead for 2017!

Countdown to the Closing Bell dives into the markets and what investors should keep their eyes on in the coming year, today at 3pm et.

Russia/U.S. Tension

The United States retaliated against Russia Thursday for their alleged cyber hacking and attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election. President Obama imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies and evicted 35 suspected Russian spies. In response, Russian President, Vladimir Putin announced he will not expel any U.S. diplomats, and instead invited children of diplomats to celebrate New Years at the Kremlin.

Lou Dobbs Tonight has expert insight and analysis on Russias relationship with the U.S. moving forward, tonight at 7pm et.

Twitters New Feature?

Ever publish a tweet, and moments later notice a grammatical error staring you in the face? Well, that problem might soon be in the past. Twitter CEO, jack Dorsey is contemplating the idea of an edit button. The social media platform has struggled as of late, and the move shows the company is still trying to figure out its long-term mission.

Cavuto Coast to Coast breaks down the rumor of a Twitter edit button, and whats next for the company moving forward into the New Year, today at 12pm et!

New Years in NYC

With the recent terror attacks, safety is a top priority for New Years Eve festivities in New York City. Authorities are ramping up security by barricading Time Square with sanitation trucks filled with sand, as thousands of people huddle together to watch the ball drop and ring in the New Year.

Year in Review

Dont miss the Wall Street Week special that looks back on an exciting year for the markets, and whats in store for 2017, tonight at 8pm et.

Carnegie Delis Last Day?

After nearly 80 years in business, the famous New York City Deli is set to close its doors on December 30th, 2016. However, is this really the end for the iconic establishment? After the Bell talks with the man who has offered $10 million to buy the Deli, today at 4pm et!

Story continues

Have a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year! - The FOXBusiness.com Team

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Its just a few days left for us to say adieu to 2016, and all of us are busy making New Year plans. Just like us, our favourite Bollywood and television celebs couples too are on New Years Eve mode. While some of them have already left for their vacation, others are going to leave shortly.

Excited to know where are your favourite celebrity couples Akshay-Twinkle, Karan-Bipasha, Divyanka-Vivek, Raj-Pooja, etc. are heading to? Well, for that just start scrolling and you will soon get to know!

Checkout: Hrithik And Sussanne Holidaying Together For The First Time After Their Divorce

#1. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh

Deepika and Ranveer are one of the most loved and the hottest couples from B-town. DeepVeer (as their fans fondly call them) fans just cant get enough of them. They are spotted together hand-in-hand at events, interviews and award functions. Love spark is quite evident between these two cuties. Well, as per the recent reports, the lovebirds have flown to Dubai and will celebrate the New Year together there.

#2. Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basu

This Monkey Couple of the town has been in news for quite some time now and for all the good reasons. Karan and Bipasha got hitched on April 30, 2016 after dating each other for a few months. There is no denying in the fact that Bipasha and Karan are surely enjoying their married life to the fullest. These lovebirds are on a travel mode and are enjoying their 'us' time in Australia where they will celebrate New Year's Eve as well.

READ: Bipasha Basu Opens Up About Karan Singh Grover's Previous Two Marriages Like Never Before

#3. Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna

One of the most amazing B-town couples, Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna will have a double blast this New Years Eve. Actually, its Twinkles birthday on December 29, 2016 and the two have planned to celebrate both in Cape Town, South Africa. Apparently, its going to be a long vacation along with Twinkle and Akshays munchkins.

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Do Check Out: 7 Things That Prove Why Akshay Kumar And Twinkle Khanna Are The Power Couple Of Bollywood

#4. Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra

Its been quite a long time that Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra's break-up rumours are doing the rounds. To kick those rumours aside, the duo has left for a secret vacation together to spend the New Years Eve. Though the place where they have gone has not been revealed, but they surely are having a gala time together. The picture above straight from their vacation is a digital proof!

READ: 'Naagin 2' Fame Actress Aashka Goradia Gets Engaged To Boyfriend Brent Globe

#5. Vivek Dahiya and Divyanka Tripathi

One of the most lovable cuties of the television world Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya got married on July 8, 2016 after a long courtship period. Their wedding was in true sense a grand one, which trended on social media like crazy. Well, the lovebirds spent their Christmas in Paris. In addition to this, they will be exploring Europe while the year 2017 will ring in.

READ: Steal The Look: Divyanka Tripathi's Bridal Looks Decoded

#6. Nikitin Dheer and Kratika Sengar

Nagarjun fame actor Nikiten Dheer and Kasam fame actress, Kratika Sengar walked down the aisle together on September 3, 2014. This cutesy couple too is planning to celebrate New Year 2017 in a grand manner. Well, they will enjoy this New Year in Singapore and it will be a four-day holiday. Heres what Nikitin said in a statement:

Too much planning has to be done because we both are working and too many things at stake, so its not easyI think it really feels nice when you get married to somebody who is in the same field and you get so many things to do if you have the same type of interests. Travelling is our common passion and we will have a blast.

READ: Bollywood Meets Television: Beautiful Wedding Story Of Nikitin Dheer And TV Actress Kratika Sengar

#7. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are one of those celeb couples, who have never accepted their relationship officially. But the way they have always been clicked together enjoying dinner dates and relishing each others company, the love between them is quite obvious. According to the latest reports, this adorable couple will welcome 2017 together in Uttrakhand.

#8. Rohit Reddy and Anita Hassnandani

Ye Hai Mohabbatein fame actress, Anita Hassanandani and Rohit Reddy are counted amongst the hottest couples form telly land. These lovebirds tied the knot on October 14, 2013, which was a lavish destination wedding. Now when we are all excited to welcome 2017, this duo too is equally anxious and will celebrate New Year 2017 in Amsterdam.

WATCH Video: 'Yeh Hai Mohabbatein' Fame Anita Hassanandani Dances With Her Husband Like Nobody Is Watching

Not just this, there are other celeb couples such as Rithvik-Asha and Karan-Ankita, who are holidaying together with them. Have a look at this groupfie above!

#9. Raj Kaushal and Mandira Bedi

Famous actress Mandira Bedi took the wedding vows with Indian director-producer Raj Kaushal long back in the year 1999. This is one such couple from the glam world that has been going strong, giving some serious relationship goals to other couples out there. Well, this beautiful duo is enjoying these days in Macau along with their little bundle of joy, Vir Kaushal. They are even expected to celebrate the New Years Eve there itself.

#10. Hitesh Ralhan and Tulsi Kumar

Singe, performer, voice over artist, entrepreneur and whatnot, Tulsi Kumar got hitched to non-industry guy, Hitesh Ralhan on February 22, 2015. Right from Mata Ki Chowki to their reception, every function was so grand that words fall short to describe this Big Fat Wedding. Hitesh and Tulsi are currently in Switzerland together enjoying their holidays and will probably welcome the coming year there.

Check Out: Choreographer Salman Yusuff Khan's Adorable Moments With His Son Will Fill Your Heart With Love

#11. Hina Khan and Rocky Jaiswal

Well, it has been speculated for quite some time now that Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai fame actress is dating Jaywant (Rocky) Jaiswal, who happens to be the former producer of the same show. Earlier this beautiful actress was seen celebrating Diwali with her alleged beau, now she will also celebrate New Year 2017 with him in London. If reports are to be believed, the duo have planned a New Year event in London, where Hina could be seen performing for Rocky.

#12. Asin Thottumkal and Rahul Sharma

Famous B-town beauty Asin Thottumkal walked down the aisle with Micromax CEO Rahul Sharma on January 19, 2016. Their wedding was a twin private ceremony that was attended by a few close pals and family members. Now that the year 2017 is all set to arrive, these lovebirds are enjoying lovey-dovey time together in France and will celebrate this New Years Eve there.

#13. Sriti Jha and Kunal Kapoor

The lead actress Sriti Jha of Zee TVs much-acknowledged show, Kumkum Bhagya has been dating Kunal Karan Kapoor for quite some time now. Though they have never ever committed or even talked about being in relationship with each other, but their close friendship is the proof of the same. And now the news is that the duo have flown to Bangkok along with other co-stars to welcome 2017.

#14. Mohit Sehgal and Sanaya Irani

One of the cutest and the loveliest couples from telly world, Sanaya Irani and Mohit Sehgal took the wedding vows on January 25, 2016. Theirs was a grand destination wedding that took place at Planet Hollywood Hotel in Goa. Fell in love with each other while working together, this couple is enjoying the marital bliss to the fullest. Now to celebrate the New Year 2017 together, the duo have flown to Bali.

#15. Kanchi Kaul and Shabbir Ahluwalia

Kanchi Kaul and Shabbir Ahluwali, one of the lovelies from the telly land have been giving amazing relationship goals ever since they got married. They tied the knot in November 27, 2011 and are enjoying the marital bliss with two little munchkins, Azai and Ivarr. The couple is now enjoying their vaccay, where they will celebrate this New Year.

#16. Jankee Parekh and Nakul Mehta

Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara fame actor Nakul Mehta and his singer-wifey Jankee Parekh are named amongst the most lovable and the happily ever after couple. After dating each other for over nine long years, Jankee and Nakul tied the knot in January 2012 in a complete traditional wedding. Just like aforementioned couples, Jankee and Nakul too have left the city and will welcome 2017 in London.

#17. Aamna Sharif and Amit Kapoor

Kahiin To Hoga fame actress Aamna Sharif entered the nuptial with her long-time boyfriend Amit Kapoor on December 27, 2013, who is a prominent distributor-turned-producer. The lovebirds were blessed with a cute little baby boy Arain Kapoor, who is undoubtedly very cute and handsome. Well, coming to the point, this lovely family are enjoying their stay in Dubai and will celebrate this New Years Eve there itself.

Well, we just love all these celeb couples and we wish that they will enjoy their New Year happily together!

Images Courtesy: Instagram
Hermess Philippe Delhotal works with a massive array of artisans at his fingertips.

In mid-19th century France, people were fanatical about paperweights. Some of the most luxurious were crafted by Les Cristalleries royales de Saint-Louis, using the ancient millefiori technique. Though the fad dwindled by 1860, Saint-Louis never stopped producing millefiori orbs, as Philippe Delhotal discovered on a visit to the maison in 2012. They had four artisans still making the paperweights, he recalls. It was not a way to earn money, but just to save the craft. Delhotal inquired whether the hefty glass bulbs might be scaled down to make watch dials. One of the artisans, a man named Xavier, looked at him and said, Are you crazy?

As creative director at La Montre Hermes, Delhotal is accustomed to that responsea reaction he often provokes by suggesting the impossible to artisans at maisons like Saint-Louis, which Hermes acquired in 1989. Delhotal is also accustomed to hearing what Xavier said next. He told me, This is a challenge, and I like challenges. Let me try. After two years and a lot of broken crystal, he succeeded.

Featuring dials decorated with dozens of colorful handworked glass flowers, the timepieces in the Arceau Millefiori collection are characteristic of the watches Delhotal has designed in his seven years at Hermes. They also exemplify what makes La Montre Hermes unique with respect to the metiers dart.

Hermes has sold watches since the 1920s. Initially the company collaborated with manufactures such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, enhancing high-end timepieces with fine leather straps. The Hermes name began to appear on movements in 1978, after the company opened production facilities in Switzerland, adding horology to the range of Hermes metiers. Recent additions to Hermes holdingsincluding a 25 percent stake in Vaucher Manufacture Fleurierhave augmented access to expertise and quality control. We are known for craftsmanship and creativity, says Delhotal. Vaucher increases our credibility.

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Hiring Delhotal also boosted the credibility of La Montre Hermes. He previously worked for Jaeger-LeCoultre and Patek Philippe as creative director. Yet there was another dimension to his background that made Hermes a natural fit. In the late 1980s, Delhotal studied fashion at the Paris American Academy in France. I learned a lot about design and color, he says, and that really helps when youre applying a motif from a 90 square centimeter carre [scarf] to a small watch dial.

Delhotal often begins new projects by browsing vintage and contemporary Hermes designs. Two separate archives inform his search. The first is a warehouse containing one example of every piece Hermes has ever made. The second is a private museum established by Emile-Maurice Hermes containing objectsfrom stirrups to picnic setsthat have inspired Hermes collections over the years.



And then there are Delhotals conversations with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, a direct descendant of the company founder Thierry Hermes whose knowledge of the maison is so deep that he constitutes a sort of living archive. He gives me tips and challenges me, says Delhotal, emphasizing the creative value of these spontaneous interactions. The same goes for interactions with Hermes artisans like Xavier. Delhotal discovers traditional craftsand explores new applicationsby engaging with craftsmen inside their ateliers.

This year Delhotal had the opportunity to give life to Dumass Nature at Full Gallop theme that is being realized in a wide variety of crafts at Hermes. Picking a drawing of a tiger by the renown animalist illustrator Robert Dallet, who has collaborated with Hermes many times in the past, Delhotal approached Olivier Vaucher, the Geneva-based metiers dart specialist. Vaucher suggested an antique email ombrant (shaded enamel) technique, which was originally practiced in Limoges, the ancient center of enamel work in France. The technique combines negative engraving with a covering of tinted translucent enamel. Only after the firing process can the artisans assess the effect of the enamel. Vaucher produced 12 Arceau Tigre watches with the enamel deftly rendering the contrast in Dallets work.

Just as he doesnt feel constrained by artisanal traditions, Delhotal doesnt feel limited by the brands in-house metiers. For instance, while traveling through Japan several years ago, he met a master of aka-e porcelain painting named Buzan Fukushima. The artisan was accustomed to working on large objects such as vases and dishes, but Delhotal fell in love with his aesthetic. As often happens, it was a matter of luck, meeting the right person at the right moment, he recalls. Buzan translated an image from a Hermes silk scarf into miniature painting-on-porcelain dials made by the Manufacture Nationale de Sevres.

Buzan was so exhilarated by the experience that he created a second dial with his own original design as an offering in the new Slim dHermes line. For Delhotal that was perhaps the ultimate accolade, the beginning of a living relationship between watchmaking and aka-e. And for Delhotals successors at Hermes? Buzans motif might provide visual inspiration for a novel carre or a new Saint-Louis paperweight. Hermes, 800.441.4488, (hermes.com)



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NORMAN, Okla. (AP)  Forecasters are warning of a high risk of wildfires in parts of the Southern Plains and in Florida, thanks to gusting winds and especially dry air.

The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings  which indicate weather conditions where wildfires will spread quickly  for much of Oklahoma, southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri and northern Texas on Friday. A warning is also in effect in west central and southwestern Florida, which has seen little rainfall in the past month.

Oklahoma City fire officials say seven wildfires broke out across Oklahoma City on Friday, including one that scorched about ten acres and threatened several homes. No injuries were reported.

On Thursday, a fire burned more than 200 acres near the central Oklahoma town of Tecumseh southeast of Oklahoma City.

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An interactive wildfire tracker is available at http://interactives.ap.org/2016/wildfires/
By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - A winter storm socked New England with heavy snow and high winds on Friday, with some areas receiving more than 24 inches (60 cm) of snowfall, the U.S. National Weather Service said. Winter storm warnings and advisories were in effect for areas stretching from northern New York through most of Maine, where the storm left tens of thousands without power. "This is the first strong nor'easter New England has seen this season. What is impressive about it is how rapidly it is strengthening tonight from Cape Cod into Maine," said Todd Foisy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine. Much of Maine received double-digit snowfall, the National Weather Service said, with Oxford County, in southern Maine, reporting 27 inches in some locations. In New Hampshire, snowfall was less, but the National Weather Service reported areas receiving more than a foot of snow in Carroll County, on the border with Maine. A winter storm warning for parts of West Virginia and western Maryland was in effect until Friday afternoon. Central Maine Power said 91,000 customers were without power as of Friday morning, adding that hundreds, including crews from other states and Canada, were working to restore power but that the efforts could take several days in some areas. Nearly 15,000 customers of Emera Maine were without power, according to an outage list on the power company's website. Despite the shoveling out required, some outdoor enthusiasts were excited about the snow. "WOW! What a way to start the season!," the Maine Snowmobile Association, which described the storm as a "whopper," said on Facebook. Despite the excitement, the association cautioned against rushing to trails that had been inundated with snow and not yet groomed for riding. "Like all of life's great pleasures, perfect snowmobile trails take a little bit of time," the association said. Prior to the storm's arrival on Friday night, authorities told residents to prepare for the storm, though some in Maine, where winter storms are not uncommon, struck a tongue-in-cheek tone. "Blowing snow will cause whiteout conditions. While lashing a rope to yourself might be an option, it is better to stay inside if at all possible," the Bangor, Maine Police Department said on Facebook. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee. Additional reporting by Timothy McLaughlin in Chicago.; Editing by Catherine Evans and Steve Orlofsky)
Nepal, China sign Rs15 b grant deal

Nepal and China on Thursday signed a bilateral assistance agreement for Rs15.7 billion.
(Reuters) - A Texas woman was killed on Thursday and her two young daughters hurt when they fell from a chair lift at a Colorado ski resort, authorities said.

The victims plunged about 25 feet from a lift at the Ski Granby Ranch in Granby, Colorado, at about 9:30 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (11:30 a.m. EST), Schelly Olson, a county public information officer, said in a telephone call.

Olson said the 40-year-old woman was pronounced dead at Middle Park Medical Center. Her 9-year-old daughter was airlifted to a separate children's hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.

The woman's other daughter, 12, was treated at Middle Park Medical Center before being released on Thursday afternoon, Olson said.

Names of the victims, who were visiting Colorado from San Antonio, Texas, were not immediately released by authorities.

Olson said the incident was being investigated by the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board and local authorities, who were interviewing witnesses, but that it was too soon to determine what caused the fall.

"This is such a rare occurrence, people don't fall off of chair lifts at all," she said.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Richard Chang)
By Rina Chandran MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - One of Mumbai's best known colleges has banned female students from wearing ripped jeans, sparking the latest row against dress codes and curfews imposed on women that students say are discriminatory and sexist. St. Xavier's College, which had previously forbidden female students from wearing shorts, sleeveless tops and short dresses, this month added ripped jeans to its list of banned clothing. The Jesuit institution became the latest to incur the wrath of female students across the country who have been protesting rules that they say are discriminatory and distressing. Most universities in India have a 6 pm or 8 pm curfew for women, while men have a later timing, or no curfew. Universities also impose dress codes on women, limit or screen their male visitors, and have other rules that men don't. "In the name of safety, you can't police women and impose these patriarchal, discriminatory rules," said Devangana Kalita, a former Delhi University student who is part of Pinjra Tod, or break the cage, a Delhi-wide campaign protesting such rules. "We want universities to recognize that we are adults, and that they should not be curbing our freedom and mobility. Providing a safe environment for women goes beyond just imposing rules," she said. Calls to staff at St. Xavier's College for a comment on the recent ban were not returned. The Dean of Student Welfare in Delhi University, J.M. Khurana, said he was not aware of Pinjra Tod and that he did not wish to comment on university rules. The safety of women in India came under the spotlight after the fatal gang rape of a college student in New Delhi on a bus in December 2012 that sparked global outrage and led to the tightening of laws for crimes against women in India. Amid a widening debate on women's safety in the country, some politicians, university officials and even the police have asked women to take self-defence training, to "dress decently" and to not loiter outside after dark. But students have demanded an end to curfews, and asked officials to focus instead on safer public transport, more female campus security personnel and better lighting in and around campuses. Kalita said early curfews are keeping women from internships, employment opportunities and campus activities. "Universities say: 'your parents want the curfew'. But it's an absurd argument," Kalita said. Elsewhere, particularly in the more conservative southern states, the situation is worse, said Vandana Venkatesh, who surveyed colleges in Tamil Nadu state earlier this year. Women students reported physical intimidation and threats of violence from college authorities for questioning discriminatory rules, she said. "Many of them complained about feeling claustrophobic, anxious and belittled," she said. Earlier this month, women students in a college in the southern state of Kerala protested the hostel's 4 pm curfew and a rule banning mobile phones. "There is a sense of collective strength and power now. The more women there are out on the streets, in public places, the safer we will be," Kalita said. (Reporting by Rina Chandran @rinachandran, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; 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 to see more stories.)
(This version of the Dec 28 story adds dropped letter paragraph 19) By Ellen Wulfhorst NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women's rights face enormous challenges worldwide in 2017 with campaigners expecting fights to keep health clinics open, to save programs preventing unwanted pregnancies and to enforce laws protecting women from violence. Globally, women's rights are in the crosshairs of rising isolationism and right-wing politics in Western Europe and the United States, where President-elect Donald Trump has promised to unravel an array of beneficial policies. "There are major challenges facing women's rights coming up, not the least of which is a global cultural understanding ... that women are in essence second-class citizens," said Tarah Demant of Amnesty International USA. "This is a global phenomenon," said Demant, senior director of Amnesty's identity and discrimination unit. "We are really worried." Here are some of the biggest challenges to women's rights in 2017: * Global access to abortion and contraception A threat to abortion access is the likely reinstatement of the so-called global gag rule under the Trump administration. First imposed under former President Ronald Reagan, the rule prohibits groups getting U.S. aid abroad from providing abortions or counseling patients about abortions, even if their funds for those activities come from other sources. The rule was lifted by President Barack Obama in 2009 but can be reinstated with the stroke of a pen. Under the gag rule, many groups turned down U.S. aid, leaving them short of money for health services from cancer screenings to flu shots, advocates say. The United States also could pull funding from the United Nations Population Fund, which provides access to reproductive health services but does not fund or support abortion. * Keeping women's organizations operating globally Women's groups work around the world on such issues as divorce rights, gender wage gaps and child marriage, often operating in hostile environments on shoestring budgets. Several countries have enacted laws pressuring such groups by making them register as foreign agents if they get funding from international donors, said Janet Walsh, acting director of women's rights division at Human Rights Watch. At the same time, funding from U.S. government sources is likely to shrink, she said. "I'm afraid for those who take a stand for women's rights, that their security and their ability to register and operate as organizations will be undercut," she said. * Violence against women One in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence, most commonly inflicted by a partner, statistics show. An estimated one in five will become a victim of rape or attempted rape, according to the United Nations, and high rates of femicide and domestic abuse grip many countries. "Violence against women is a human rights crisis. It is a health crisis. It is a cultural crisis," said Amnesty's Demant. * Loss of United States as leader in women's rights The U.S. government has in recent years played a key role in promoting and supporting women's rights, especially helping draw up global development goals approved by the United Nations, one of which calls for gender equality by 2030. "We fear a rollback on international agreements on women's rights and a rollback of commitments by governments on women's rights," said Francoise Girard, president of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC). The IWHC intends to press governments not to cave to U.S. pressure to backpedal on women's rights, a strategy used during the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush that also sought to undermine women's rights, she said. "Governments didn't like to be bullied," she said. * Abortion rights in the United States. Anti-abortion advocates want to repeal Roe v Wade, the 1972 Supreme Court decision making abortion legal. Trump will have an opportunity to name one or more justices to the highest court and has vowed they will be abortion opponents. In the meantime, state laws are chipping away at abortion rights. Texas lawmakers approved a law requiring burial of aborted fetal tissue, a measure estimated to cost hundreds of dollars per procedure, and Ohio signed into law a ban on abortions after 20 weeks. "The number of abortions never goes down very much, regardless of the law," said Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women. "What does go down is the safety and affordability of abortions." * Access to contraception in the United States Trump has said he would appeal some or all of the Affordable Care Act, which has provided 25 million previously uninsured Americans with health coverage. Known as Obamacare, it pays for most birth control methods for women. "That funding, by enabling women to avoid unintended pregnancies, saves the federal government a ton of money that they would otherwise have to pay for medical care, pregnancy care, childcare etc.," said Ann Starrs, head of the Guttmacher Institute, a leading reproductive rights group. * Defunding of Planned Parenthood Defunding Planned Parenthood, which runs about 650 women's health centers nationwide, was a battle cry of Trump during the presidential campaign and a favorite cause of Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Planned Parenthood relies on public funding for at least half its revenue, much of it from the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor. Congress also could stop funding Title X programs that provide family planning services to low-income women and from an array of teen pregnancy prevention programs. "To eliminate them as a provider either through Medicaid or the Title X family planning programs would leave millions of people in this country without regular health care," said Gretchen Borchelt, vice president for reproductive rights and health at the National Women's Law Center. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst, editing by Katie Nguyen. 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)
RIDDLE, Ore. (AP)  John Redfield watches with pride as his son moves a laser-guided precision saw the size of a semi-truck wheel into place over a massive panel of wood.

Redfield's fingers are scarred from a lifetime of cutting wood and now, after decades of decline in the logging business, he has new hope that his son, too, can make a career shaping the timber felled in southern Oregon's forests.

That's because Redfield and his son work at D.R. Johnson Lumber Co., one of two U.S. timber mills making a new wood product that's the buzz of the construction industry. It's called cross-laminated timber, or CLT, and it's made like it sounds: rafts of 2-by-4 beams aligned in perpendicular layers, then glued  or laminated  together like a giant sandwich.

The resulting panels are lighter and less energy-intensive than concrete and steel and much faster to assemble on-site than regular timber, proponents say. Because the grain in each layer is at a right angle to the one below and above it, there's a counter-tension built into the panels that supporters say makes them strong enough to build even the tallest skyscrapers.

"We believe that two to five years out, down the road, we could be seeing this grow from just 20 percent of our business to potentially 60 percent of our business," said Redfield, D.R. Johnson's chief operating officer. "We're seeing some major growth factors."

From Maine to Arkansas to the Pacific Northwest, the material is sparking interest among architects, engineers and researchers. Many say it could infuse struggling forest communities like Riddle with new economic growth while reducing the carbon footprint of urban construction with a renewable building material.

Visually blemished wood that currently goes to waste can be used in the middle layers of a CLT panel without sacrificing strength or look. Supporters say it could bring sawmills back online while improving forest health through thinning dense stands and making use of low-value wood and local tree species. Trees as small as 5 inches in diameter at the top and those damaged by pests and wildfire are prime candidates.

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But challenges remain before CLT becomes as common in the United States as it is in Europe and Canada, and not all builders are sold.

U.S. building codes generally place height limits on all-wood buildings for safety reasons, though a special committee of the International Code Council is investigating potential changes to address the use of CLT in such structures. And research is still underway on critical questions of how these buildings withstand fire and earthquakes in high-seismic regions.

Building codes in Oregon allow cutting-edge designs using new technology like CLT in some cases, but only after rigorous testing and an intensive approval process.

That can make such projects cost-prohibitive, said Peter Dusicka, an engineering professor at Portland State University who's been researching the strength of CLT panels.

"The early adopters are looking at it and seeing it as a good opportunity," but before CLT can take off, there will have to be more examples to get people excited and more mills producing it, said Thomas DeLuca, professor and director of University of Washington's School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.

SmartLam in Montana is the other company producing CLT panels.

This spring, cross-laminated timber will get its ultimate test in the United States when a Portland architectural firm breaks ground on a 12-story wood building in the city's trendy Pearl District. It would be the tallest all-wood building in the world constructed in a seismic zone and the tallest all-wood building in North America.

An all-wood building in Norway is taller, but is not in a seismic zone. An 18-story wood building in British Columbia is also taller, but rests on a traditional concrete core.

Lever Architecture is using $1.5 million it won in a tall wood building competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the softwood industry that's intended to promote CLT as a domestic building material. A 10-story residential tower in New York City also got $1.5 million.

The Portland firm has been working with scientists at Portland State University and Oregon State University to test the panels' strength by subjecting them to hundreds of thousands of pounds of pressure. They are also testing various methods for joining the massive panels together.

"We're looking at creating a resilient design, a design that could withstand a major earthquake  basically the earthquake that we all worry about  and be repaired," said Thomas Robinson, founder of Lever Architecture.

The results of the structural testing in Oregon will be made public for other U.S. designers, bringing the material one step closer to the mainstream, Dusicka said.

Back in Riddle, a tiny town tucked in the mist-shrouded forests of Douglas County, Redfield is once more excited about timber in a place where logging used to be king.

The 125-employee company has been inundated with visitors from around country interested in touring their new CLT business expansion.

Watching as layers of beams whirred through a glue machine, Redfield said: "We're able to take wood that may be turned into chips or pulp and turn it into a product that's pretty exciting."
In a year that is expected to bring new releases from Lorde, Gorillaz and Depeche Mode, The xx's "I See You" is the first hotly anticipated album to drop. Arriving January 13, the trio's third LP is a long-awaited follow-up to 2012's "Coexist".

The members of The xx -- Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith -- are childhood friends who went to school together in South London. The group's self-titled debut album won a Mercury Prize in 2009, setting the stage for the group's success.

After the release of sophomore album "Coexist," the band took a hiatus from recording and touring. During that time, Jamie Smith -- aka Jamie xx -- released a highly-praised solo album, "In Colour," which featured his bandmates and whose sound is said to influence the band's new album.

First announced in November 2016, third album "I See You" is a 10-track album that the UK indie trio is supporting with a major world tour that will see them perform throughout South America and Europe in the early months 2017.

"I See You" was recorded in a variety of places -- Reykjavik, Los Angeles, New York, London and Marfa, Texas.

In an interview with Pitchfork, the band describes its "vague plan to record in far-flung places" and recounts this process, which began with a residency at Manhattan's Park Avenue Armory Conservancy in 2014.

In the interview -- a rare one from the notoriously shy band -- Romy Madley Croft talks about performing for Madonna and going outside her comfort zone, Oliver Sim discusses his problems with alcohol and his decision to stop drinking, and Jamie Smith talks about learning to open up and staying connected to the band while touring with "In Colour".

"I See You" is out January 13. Find out more at thexx.info.

"On Hold," the album's first single, was revealed along with the album announcement; an official video soon followed and can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=blJKoXWlqJk.

In an appearance on "Saturday Night Live," the band performed "On Hold" live and also premiered a second song from the album, "I Dare You". See the live performance of "On Hold" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmZFhaDHZ_Q
ATHENS, Dec 30 (Reuters) - NCH Capital, a New-York based investment fund, plans to spend about 100 million euros ($105 million) to build a luxury seaside holiday resort on the Greek island of Corfu, it said on Friday, bringing foreign investment into the cash-strapped country.

Under a privatisation scheme, part of a third international bailout signed last year, Greece concluded on Thursday the lease of a 108.3-acre plot, Kassiopi, to NCH Capital for 23 million euros.

Greece's privatisation agency has said that NCH will pay the country an additional 2.3 million euros if it achieves a specific target but did not indicate the nature of the target.

Privatisations have been a key condition of Greece's three international bailouts since 2010, but the scheme has so far produced only 3.4 billion euros in revenue, against an original target of 50 billion euros, because of political resistance, bureaucracy and a heavily unionised public sector.

The Kassiopi project on Corfu, a popular destination for British, German and Russian holidaymakers, was first tendered in 2012.

Greece is set to miss a 2.5 billion euro revenue target from state asset sales this year and raise only 500 million euros. It is aiming for proceeds of 2.6 billion euros next year.

NCH Capital manages about $3 billion of funds and has extensive experience in international investments across Europe. ($1 = 0.9480 euros) (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by David Goodman)
An ex-youth pastor at a Georgia church is behind bars after cops say he had a sexual relationship with a teen girl he was supposed to be counseling.

According to Gwinnett County Police, Nicholas Kelley had a year-long sexual relationship with a 14-year-old member of New Bridge Church in Lawrenceville.

Watch: Teacher Accused of Having Sex With Student While Fiance Was at Bachelor Party

Police say the relationship began in December 2015 when Kelley, 34, started working with the girl as her counselor.

The relationship allegedly became sexual, with Kelley having sexual contact with the teen in local parks and even in the church itself, according to authorities.

According to WGCL, church elders learned of the alleged relationship after the girl's parents found out.

"Apparently she was concerned that her parents were going to find out about the relationship and this made her very upset, uncontrollably upset, so it required some type of medical intervention," said Gwinnett County Police Spokesperson Deon Washington.

While the girl was in the hospital, the parents reportedly learned of the relationship.

At about the same time, church elders brought Kelley in for a meeting regarding the accusations.

It was then when officials say Kelley "admitted to varying degrees of inappropriate physical interaction with the student" and was fired from the church.

In a statement, the church said:

"Based on information offered by the accused student pastor in the aforementioned meeting, the student pastor was immediately and permanently terminated from his employment at New Bridge Church.

"The active Elders of New Bridge Church are cooperating fully with the investigators, while simultaneously supplying pastoral guidance to the victim who brought the charges against the student pastor.

"Our commitment is to continue to offer our help to the impacted principal parties and their families, offering assistance in accordance with biblical guidelines, all the while remaining available and fully cooperative to the investigative process by the local authorities.

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"The goal is to learn the full truth of what has occurred, and to continue to respond accordingly as we provide care for the victim and her family, and also for the family of the accused."

Read: Teacher Charged With Child Sex Abuse After Being Impregnated by Student

Kelley has been charged with child molestation, statutory rape and aggravated sexual battery, according to police records online. He's being held without bond.

A message left for Kelley's attorney, Robert Greenwald, was not immediately returned Friday afternoon.

Watch: Pastor Faces Backlash for Praising Orlando Massacre: '50 Pedophiles Were Killed'

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The funeral of Zsa Zsa Gabor took place Friday amid an atmosphere of anger and controversy with rival factions planning competing services.

Read: Zsa Zsa and Me: Gabor's Husband  Who Was By Her Side as She Died  Remembers Late Wife

Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, Gabor's husband of more than 30 years, is furious over accusations that he created a fraudulent list of guests for his wifes memorial.

People who attack me because of my wife's funeral  they are low, low, low class lunatics, he told Inside Edition.

Hollywood publicist Edward Lozzi, who claims to have represented Gabor, claims her widower was circulating names of stars who have no intention of attending.

It claims Barbara Eden, Larry King, Carol Channing George Hamilton and Quincy Jones demanded their names be taken off the supposed guest list.

Eden, however, said she never asked for her name to be taken off.

"I wasn't told about Zsa Zsa's services," she told Inside Edition. "I certainly would have loved to be there."

The publicist claimed he is planning a small private alternative memorial for his former client and her real family friends in January.

Gabors husband claims Lozzi never represented his late wife.

Von Anhalt added that he invited celebrities to the funeral from a list of Gabors friends. She was laid to rest Friday at Westwood Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Read: Zsa Zsa Gabor's Widower Describes Efforts to Revive Wife and Reveals Her Last Words

Lozzi says he's going ahead with a rival memorial service and told Inside Edition: "It will be a graveside memorial of about 30 people and no press."

Gabor's widower told Inside Edition: "If there is any small chance to file a criminal complaint against him, I will do it. They will go down!"

Debbie Reynolds is also expected to be buried at Westwood Cemetery, along with her daughter, Carrie Fisher.

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Watch: Fit for a Queen: Inside the Opulent Mansion Zsa Zsa Gabor Called Home for More Than 40 Years

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HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL], one of the world's largest telecom equipment makers, said on Friday it expects 2016 revenue growth to slow slightly to 32 percent and forecast greater uncertainties next year. The Shenzhen-based company, which competes with Sweden's Ericsson for the top spot in the global market for telecoms equipment, sees 2016 revenue hitting 520 billion yuan ($74.8 billion), said Eric Xu, Huawei's rotating chief executive. The expected growth rate for this year represents a slowdown from the 35 percent rate posted in 2015 and the company said it would face greater global political and economic uncertainties in 2017. "The year 2016 has seen a flock of black swans  both political and economic  sweep across the globe. Nevertheless, we have remained focused on our strategy and have patiently applied ourselves to making breakthroughs and creating real value for our customers," Xu said. "In 2017, we will face even greater global political and economic uncertainties." Xu made the comments in a New Year's message to employees, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. The company had in early 2014 targeted overall revenue of $70 billion by 2018. Huawei became the first Chinese handset vendor to ship more than 100 million smartphones in a year in 2015 when a 44 percent jump in its shipments defied a market slowdown. That helped the company's net profit rise 32 percent to 36.9 billion yuan last year, from 27.9 billion yuan a year earlier. (Reporting by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Russian hacking methods

Two groups of Russian hackers used a blend of spearphishing, booby-trapped websites and remote-access malware to worm their way into the Democratic National Committees computers and hurt the partys prospects in last months presidential election, experts from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security say in a 13-page report.

The report, released today, also says yet another cyber attack thats linked to actors likely associated with Russian intelligence agencies was launched just days after the election.

This activity by Russian intelligence services is part of a decade-long campaign of cyber-enabled operations directed at the U.S. government and its citizens, the agencies said in a news release.

The report comes as a follow-up to claims of Russian involvement made in October, and as evidence in support of todays decision by the Obama administration to slap sanctions on Russia.

All Americans should be alarmed by Russias action, President Barack Obama said in a statement.

Thirty-five unnamed Russian government officials were ordered to leave the U.S., and access to two Russian-owned facilities in Maryland and New York will be closed off on the grounds that they were linked to intelligence activities.

Today Obama updated an executive order thats designed to punish foreign cyber attacks, so that it now includes attacks aimed at interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions. Russias GRU and FSB intelligence agencies, four GRU officials and three Russian companies face sanctions under the order, including a freeze on assets.

The three companies are Moscow-based Zor Security, also known as Esage Lab; the Professional Association of Designers of Data Processing Systems; and the Special Technologies Center in St. Petersburg. Theyre said to have provided assistance and training to the GRU.

In a parallel action, the Treasury Department took advantage of the executive order to impose sanctions on Aleksey Belan and Evgeniy Bogachev, who are on the FBIs Cybers Most Wanted list for previous attacks that hit U.S. financial institutions, government agencies and e-commerce companies.

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In their joint analysis report, Homeland Security and the FBI recap the saga of the DNC hack, which it dubbed Grizzly Steppe. Two Russian teams were involved: One is known as Advanced Persistent Threat 29, a.k.a. APT29 or Cozy Bear. The other is APT28, or Fancy Bear.

APT29 gained access to the DNCs computers first, in the summer of 2015, by successfully leveraging a series of targeted spearphishing attacks directed at more than 1,000 network users. Such attacks get network users to click on a malicious web link by portraying it as benign  for example, as an internal request to change a password.

The report said APT28 followed in the spring of 2016, with spearphishing attacks that made heavy use of shortened webpage addresses  for example, http://tinyurl.com/grizzly-steppe.

Once APT28 and APT29 have access to victims, both groups exfiltrate and analyze information to gain intelligence value, the report said.

In the DNCs case, the information included party officials disparaging comments about Bernie Sanders, who eventually lost out to Hillary Clinton in the Democrats primary campaign. Party leaders also voiced concerns about Clintons performance, but the mere fact that the private emails came out into the public via WikiLeaks figured prominently in the controversy.

Intelligence analysts provided lists of more than 900 indicators associated with Russian hacking methods.

Homeland Security said network administrators should review the IP addresses, file hashes, and Yara signature provided, and add the IPs to their watchlist to determine whether malicious activity has been observed within their organizations. The joint analysis paper also lays out a list of cybersecurity best practices and mitigation strategies.

Obama said his administration would provide a more detailed report to Congress before he leaves office on Jan. 20, focusing on Russias efforts to interfere in our election, as well as malicious cyber activity related to our election cycle in previous elections. He also said the United States would continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized.

Its not clear what will happen once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. After todays decision was announced, Trump issued this statement:

Its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.

Heres a sampling of other reactions via Twitter:

President Obama expels 35  diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl  people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

Paul Ryan says Obama sanctions against Russia overdue https://t.co/jBPSNlfDqi pic.twitter.com/vcKq4EjzwO  Reuters Top News (@Reuters) December 29, 2016

WH's new sanctions on #Russia long overdue, but small price for Russia to pay for brazen attack on US democracy https://t.co/tJNyoYXfBI  John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) December 29, 2016

Rep Franks:"If Russia succeeded in givinginfo that was accuratethey merely did what the media should've done" https://t.co/NSZqUJz81Q  Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) December 29, 2016

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NOC likely to cut fuel prices

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) is likely to roll back prices slightly on Sunday following criticism by lawmakers over its recent price hike. Fuel prices could go down by up to Rs2.50 per litre, an NOC official said.
It finally happened: law enforcement agencies want access to the data recorded by an Amazon Echo device, information that could be used in an ongoing murder investigation. Amazon has refused the request for the time being, but who knows what will happen next. All home voice-based assistants record some of the things you say, and some of that data is stored so the service can be improved. But you can still manage the recordings Amazon and Google save.

Don't Miss: Laying bricks like giant dominos is the laziest, most impressive way to work

Both Echo and Google Home eavesdrop on you at all times, Wired reminds us. Thats also a required feature, so that theyre able to respond to your voice commands. However, the Echo and Google Home do not send data to servers until theyre activated by a hotword. So all the silly things you say around them shouldnt be recorded.

The gadgets need an internet connection to send audio clips to servers so that Amazon and Google can process your requests. Without these elements, the assistants cant understand and reply to you. Its not just the box in your home. Now, if youre looking to see what kind of recordings Amazon or Google have on you, you can do that. And you can even delete that data.

For the Amazon Echo, just go to amazon.com/myx, click on Your Devices, select your Alexa device, then Manage voice recordings, and Delete if you want.

Head on to myactivity.google.com to see what information Google Home has stored on you. Youll actually find everything Google collected about you there, not just Google Home voice data.

Deleting the audio files doesnt necessarily mean theyre gone for good, since Amazon and Google may be using bits of audio files to improve the AI behind their products.

Before you ask, theres really no way of doing all this voice assistant magic in incognito mode because all the action takes place on a server rather than locally on your device. That means everything has to be hurled over the internet to a bigger and better computer to process requests. So all you can do right now is delete your data periodically if you think thats something you should be doing.

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Dont forget to check Wireds full story, which also explains how Apples Siri and Microsofts Cortana work.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
If you are old enough, you remember a time when having a phone required an actual phone line coming into your house or business. Names like Ma Bell and all the little Baby Bells ring a bell. Hold the line and the wires have somehow gotten crossed were not uncommon phrases.

All obsolete today. And then some. Cell phones, the breakup of the Bells, and fiber optics changed much of that. The days of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service)analog signals over copper loopshave been over for years. But the Cloud is challenging traditional telephony even further changing the way businesses, their employees and even consumers make and receive phone calls.

Cloud telephony is a new name for something called Voice Over IP, except in a business context, said James Hendler, director of the Institute for Data Exploration and Applications (IDEA) and the Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Its been used by consumers for 10 or 15 years, he said, mostly by people who wanted to make long-distance calls on their computers to avoid phone bill charges.

Moving whole companies to the Cloud, he said, is much newer.

We're focused on moving to the Cloud because enterprise companies want us to move there, said Chris Smith, VP of voice and contact services at Level 3 Communications. Phones on a desk with cables that move to hardware that fits in closetsthis is going away.

With Voice Over IP, your phone has an IP address and is a citizen on the internet, explained Omar Javaid, chief product officer of Vonage. What makes it magical is the ability to use it whenever and wherever, and be mobile. It fits your life. You dont have to sit at your desk waiting for a phone call.

Having the flexibility to be anywhere and communicate on a variety of devices is changing the way people work, and keeping everyone connected all the time. With Cloud phone services, a persons cell phone, desktop computer, laptop or tablet can be the device with which they communicate via telephony.

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A client can call a business phone number and instead of ringing a desk phone, that call can appear on any of the internet-capable devices, whether the worker is in the officeor elsewhere. To the caller, the connection is seamless. And while they may envision the person on the other end holding a receiver up to his or her ear, that person may actually be talking through their computer via a headset.

This integrated, software-based medium gives customers and their employees more ways to communicate, said Smith. You are always on.

Flexibility and mobility are two benefits of Cloud calling. Others are cost and scalability.

I think there is more power that comes in the capabilities available today, said Smith. We do this for a living.  It allows our customers to spend resources and mindshare on what they need to do to grow their business.

Says Hendler, It is also cheaper than building the infrastructure for yourself.  Its clearly the wave of the future.

It also allows for what Javaid predicts will be the next phase: embedding these services directly into applications like Uber or Airbnb, allowing parties to communicate without ever revealing personal phone numbers.

Its only going to become bigger, he predicted.

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The last half of 2016 was not kind to Samsung. First the company had to recall of its well-received Galaxy Note7 due its propensity to explode. Then the tech giant had to issue a recall for the replacement Note7 handsets it sent to consumers, because they too were exploding. Heck, you still cant even bring a Note7 on a plane.

Next the South Korean conglomerate had to recall roughly 3 million of its top-loading washing machines because they were literally blowing their tops. And finally, there is the ongoing political scandal involving Samsung, Koreas National Pension Service and South Korean President Park Geun-hye regarding her advisers alleged extortion of Korean businesses.

But Samsung is a HUGE company. And despite these problems, it still managed to turn a profit. Now, Im not equipped to give Samsung tips on how to handle its political issues  I have an English degree, for Gods sake  and Im not an expert on washing machines.

But I do know a lot about smartphones, and can provide some insight as to how the company can win back the customers it lost due to the Note7s explosive year.

A smartphone to help consumers forget the Note7

Samsungs Galaxy Note line is important for the company, but its not the tech giants flagship. That title belongs to the Galaxy S7. A certified success thanks to its excellent camera, beautiful display and waterproof design, the S7 was one of the best phones of 2016.

Unfortunately, because the Galaxy S7 is a Samsung phone, some consumers think the handset has the same problems as the Note. If Samsung wants to help people forget about the Note7 and regain consumer trust, it needs to put out a new Galaxy S smartphone that blows the S7 and Note7 out of the water. And that could be just what the company is doing.

Back in October Samsung acquired an artificial intelligence company called Viv. Founded by some of the same people responsible Apples Siri, Viv is an intelligent digital personal assistant thats supposed to give Siri and Googles own Google Assistant a run for their money.

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Then there are the rumors about the next Galaxy S phones design. According to reports, the handset, which will likely be called the Galaxy S8, could get an edge-to-edge glass display as well as two rear cameras similar to Apples iPhone 7 Plus.

If the Galaxy S8 offers enough in terms of capabilities, it could make consumers completely forget about the  uh, what was it called again?

Killing the Note name

Whats in a name? A lot if the name is tied to a smartphone that tends to spontaneously catch fire. The Note7 will be linked to its flaming battery for as long as people remember the handsets name. And that could be a problem for Samsung if it decides to roll out a Note8 in 2017.

Apple currently has two versions of its iPhone 7, a standard 4.7-inch edition and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus, so Samsung needs a big-screen handset to compete with its chief rival. But calling its iPhone 7 Plus-fighter the Note8 could turn off consumers burned  see what I did there  by the Note7. Tuong Nguyen with the market research firm Gartner Inc. told Yahoo Finance in a previous interview that Samsung might do well to fold the Note into the Galaxy S brand.

That means rather than having a Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8, Samsung would have the S8 and S8 Plus. Doing so would ensure the companys big-screen smartphone would get the brand recognition of Samsungs S series without the baggage of the Note name.

Slow down and sweat the details

There are likely a number of factors that resulted in the Note7 fiasco, but one theory that stands out the most is that Samsung simply rushed the Note7 to market in order to beat Apples (AAPL) iPhone 7 Plus debut.

In a previous interview, Georgetown Universitys assistant professor of operations and information management John Cui told Yahoo Finance that Samsung was so set on creating an innovative product complete with a curved display, slim and powerful battery and fast-charging technology that the company overlooked robustness checks.

An expert on global production trends and supply chains, Cui said that if Samsung had simply rolled out an updated Note and called it the Note6, the company would have been fine. Then again, doing so would have elicited criticism from yours truly and other technology writers.

If Samsung takes a more careful, deliberate approach to its next big-screen handset rather than trying to rush it out the door to compete with Apples offerings, it should avoid a repeat of the Note7 disaster.

Combatting its new competition

The Note7, though, is nothing compared to the growing threat Chinese smartphone makers pose to Samsungs mobile division. Currently, Samsung is the worlds largest handset maker. But companies like Huawei, Xiaomi and others have gained significant traction in their home country thanks to their high-quality, low-cost handsets. And they show no signs of slowing down.

These companies arent a threat to just Samsungs dominance, either. Apple is running into the same issues with regards to Chinese handset makers.

So what is Samsung to do? Well, if its going to fight on a level playing field, it needs to lower the cost of its products without sacrificing quality, which could be a problem. Outside of that, the company could simply out-innovate its competitors by such a wide margin consumers cant help but be interested in Samsung devices.

None of these suggestions, by the way, are outside of the realm of possibility. In fact, Samsung could pull all of them off in one production cycle. But if the company doesnt try something to right its ship, 2017 could be the year Samsungs mobile division loses its crown.

More from Dan:

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
EU security officials are preparing for potential attempts by Russia-linked hackers to sway the European Parliament elections in May (AFP Photo/FRED TANNEAU) (AFP/File)

Washington (AFP) - With reprisals against Russia over what it says was meddling in the US presidential election, the Obama administration aims to draw a virtual line in the sand without sparking a war -- cyber or otherwise.

The measures announced Thursday by President Barack Obama, who accused Moscow of "efforts to harm US interests," include the expulsion of 35 intelligence agents and financial sanctions on Russia's top intelligence agencies.

Obama also warned of additional, unspecified actions "at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized."

Analysts say Washington is seeking to punish Russia and warn other nations against taking similar action.

"While the direct impact of the actions may be limited, it puts a marker in the sand (or silicon) that hostile cyber activity targeting the US has consequences," said Frank Cilluffo, who heads the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University.

"In addition to responding to Russia's activities, it also puts others on notice, signaling that one cannot turn to significant cyber attacks with impunity," he said.

"It also serves as a starting point for articulating a set of strategies and policies we desperately need... a cyber deterrence strategy."

- Avoiding escalation -

While US officials have boasted of their ability to use "cyber weapons" when appropriate, security analysts say such a course of action is unlikely because of the risk of escalation -- from more dangerous cyberattacks into the possible use of traditional, deadly weapons, or "kinetic" warfare.

"I don't think you'll see the use of cyber weapons," said James Lewis, a senior fellow specializing in cybersecurity at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

"There is a strong desire to avoid escalating this conflict."

Lewis said Obama's actions are appropriate "as a first step" and in light of Russia's actions, and that any further measures -- which Obama said may be forthcoming -- could be restrained.

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"The Russians didn't attack us -- they used coercion, espionage, politics -- and we could do the same thing," he said.

Susan Hennessey, a Brookings Institution fellow and editor of the national security blog Lawfare, said she expects a further "nonpublic" response, possibly in the cyber domain, to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House announcement "is a welcome and sufficient move, but only if it is paired with some additional nonpublic countermeasure," Hennessey said.

She added that while Washington may want to demonstrate to Moscow its capacity for cyber actions, it also would want to avoid establishing a norm for cyber disruption that other nations could follow.

This would likely rule out a spectacular hack attack or release of embarrassing information.

But Hennessey said she expected a response "to be potentially scary to Kremlin officials to let them know we can reach places they didn't think we could reach."

Steve Grobman, chief technical officer at Intel Security, agreed that Obama's measures are intended to send a message without sparking a crisis, and added that if any cyber measures are implemented, they should be carefully calibrated.

"The covert offensive cyber component must be well thought out and executed such that it is precise and does not inflict collateral damage on non-target systems," he said.

"Escalation of offensive cyber activities by either party could lead to a kinetic conflict."

- What happens now? -

It remains unclear what impact the actions will have as Obama prepares to leave office in three weeks, when Donald Trump takes the oath of office.

Claude Barfield, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, argued that Obama's "dawdling and agonizing for months over Russian cyber intrusions" could have "damaging consequences for cyber deterrence policy."

"The Obama administration had claimed that it did not want to retaliate against the Russians before the election for fear of provoking further disruption of the campaigns," Barfield said in a blog post.

"But it waited a full month after the election before the president finally ordered a full review of the Russian attack by the entire US intelligence apparatus."

This suggests "that the president and his security advisers aim to make such a tight case that it will be impossible for the next administration to ignore the evidence or back away from the sanctions," Barfield said.

But he noted that "it will be critical for the government to improve US cyber defenses moving forward if we are to prevent similar incidents from happening in the new year and beyond."
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